Inside the armored van, the whole squad went silent the moment William said he had a way to punch a hole through the mist.
Breaking the silence, Cain asked, "What do you mean?"
"There's this device my family used," William said.
"It works like a defog spell, but unlike normal ones that only work up close, this one can fire from far away."
"But would a normal defog spell even work on that purple mist?" Tonto asked, clearly curious.
"And even if it did, could it create a hole big enough for us to see through?"
"That's what makes my family's version different," William replied.
"Its power scales with the amount of mana you put in."
"You know how to create it?" Cain asked.
"Yes. It's not that different from a regular defog spell. The only real difference is that it uses runes and a mana crystal to cast."
"I see…" Cain fell into thought for a moment. Then he turned to Aeris.
"How big of a hole do you think we'd need to get a clear view?"
"I'm not sure," Aeris replied. "But if you let me scout around the mist, I can give a better estimate."
Cain nodded. "William, how much mana do you think it would take to make a hole about 100 meters wide?"
"I... I'm not really sure," William admitted, scratching his head with an awkward smile. "I've never actually used the spell before."
"That can be fixed with a few simple tests," Tonto said, stepping in.
"Then please do that now," Cain ordered.
As Tonto and William went off to run the tests, Cain sank back into thought.
"Aeris, how much mana do we have left in the vehicle?"
"A little over 60%."
"…"
"To be honest, Captain," Aeris said, "I'm not even sure a defog spell would work on that mist. It's not natural."
"That's true," Cain agreed. "If it doesn't work, we'd just be exposing ourselves to the Mountain-Eaters for nothing."
"The safest move is to head back to camp and report our findings," Aeris added. "Then the army can send a larger team to investigate."
"But that would take too long," Cain argued. "And if William is right, this could be the key to create the cure and saving thousands from the Toxcarver's poison."
"That's just a guess," Aeris said. "We didn't even see a single Toxcarver in that area."
"Still," Cain replied, "whatever's hidden behind that mist must be important if the Mountain-Eaters are guarding it this heavily. Even if it's not Toxcarver-related, the intel is valuable."
The two continued going back and forth—Aeris pushing for retreat, Cain pushing to investigate.
"Um… guys?" Lina finally spoke up from the sidelines. She'd been quiet the whole time but couldn't follow their long-winded debate.
"??" Cain and Aeris turned to her.
"Aren't you two overthinking this? William's plan sounds simple enough."
She held up a finger. "We fire the long-range defog spell. If it works, we take a picture and run. If it doesn't, we still run. Simple, right? Why make it so complicated?"
Both Cain and Aeris fell silent at her blunt summary.
Cain stood up after a few moments of thought. "You're right. Let's not overthink it. We'll try the spell from a distance. If it works—great. If not—we run like hell."
He turned to Aeris. "Let's scout the area around the mist. Get a better idea of how dense it is and find a good escape route."
***
Driving through trees and bushes, Aeris stood on top of the moving van, her mask glowing pale sky blue as she scanned the horizon.
"Not good," she said through her earpiece. "The Mountain-Eaters have increased both their patrol area and their numbers."
"They've adapted? That's troubling," Cain muttered.
"Wait, they are intelligence enough to do that?" William asked.
"Individually, no," Cain answered. "But it likely means one of them—a higher-ranking Mountain-Eater with greater intelligence—is giving orders."
"Which also means whatever they're hiding just became ten times more valuable," he added.
"Aeris, find us an escape route. I have a bad feeling that the mastermind behind this won't let us leave easily once we discover their secret."
"Understood."
Cain then turned his attention to William and Tonto.
"How's the test going?"
"We estimated it'll take about 530 megajoules of magical energy to clear a 100-meter hole," Tonto said. "That's roughly 16 mana cells."
Cain blinked. "That's almost 17% of our total mana reserve... just for one spell."
"Exactly," Tonto replied. "So we need to be sure the spell will actually work."
William lowered his head. "I'm not sure. I've never used it on a fog like this before."
"In my opinion," Tonto said, "the spell is more likely to work partly, rather than have no effect at all."
"Then how much more mana do you suggest we use?" Cain asked.
"I recommend doubling it," Tonto said.
Cain fell silent again.
"That would be half of our remaining mana supply…"
"Yes, which is why I wanted to consult you first," Tonto replied.
"Logically, 27 mana cells should be enough to get us back to camp at full speed."
"That's assuming we don't face any incidents," Cain said.
"But if we take the same path we used to get here, we'll save energy since we don't need to knock down all those trees again," Tonto added.
Cain thought about Tonto's suggestion for a moment.
"You're confident the spell will at least partially work?" he asked.
"Yes," Tonto nodded.
"Alright. We'll follow your advice."
Cain stepped away, tapping his earpiece. "Aeris, there is a change of plan. We'll escape using the same route we entered."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. It's the most efficient path for the current plan."
"Understood."
As Cain gave orders, William pulled Tonto aside, a little panicked.
"Are you really sure this is going to work?! What if it fails and we waste all that mana?"
Tonto smiled gently. "Then the responsibility falls on me. Don't worry."
"What?" William froze. The selfless answer had completely caught William off guard.
***
The squad backtracked along the same route they used to reach the deeper part of the poison mist.
They parked their armored vehicle in a small clearing they had created earlier.
A large cannon was mounted on top, aimed at a 45-degree angle toward the sky.
The Mountain-Eaters had expanded their patrol area—so much that the cliff the squad once used for scouting was now covered.
Because of that, they had to station the vehicle farther from the mist.
"The cannon is ready. Fire when you're ready, Aeris," Cain said through his earpiece, staring off into the distance toward the purple mist.
"I'm in position. You can fire now," Aeris replied from atop a tall tree, all alone.
Multiple Mountain-Eaters roamed the ground beneath her.
Lying flat, her body glowing faintly translucent, Aeris filmed the wall of purple mist in front of her.
"Copy that. Firing in 3… 2… 1. BOOM!"
For a few seconds, nothing happened on Aeris's end.
Then—like a falling star—a glowing blue projectile came down from the sky.
It lit up the area in a deep crystalline blue as it slammed into the wall of mist.
But instead of clearing the mist instantly like Aeris expected…
The purple mist began to move.
At the point where the spell was hit, the mist spiraled inward, like it was being sucked into a black hole.
Aeris didn't move, still recording, hoping this strange effect would open a hole.
One second passed. Then two. Then five.
Still, the fog kept swirling and being absorbed into the spell.
"Aeris, what's going on? Did it work?" Cain's voice came through her earpiece again.
She didn't answer—too focused on the strange reaction in front of her.
After ten seconds, the spiraling stopped. Then, suddenly, the mist exploded outward, tearing open a massive 100-meter-wide hole.
For a brief moment, the wall of fog was gone—revealing what had been hidden inside.
And just as quickly, the purple mist rushed back in, sealing the hole.
But Aeris had recorded everything.
That moment was all she needed.
Without wasting a second, she turned and bolted stealthily across the treetops, heading away from the site.
"Mission success! Prepare for extraction!" she said excitedly, sprinting across the branches.
Back at the armored van, the squad cheered the moment her voice came through.
But Cain stayed calm.
"Don't celebrate yet," he warned. "We still have to escape and deliver the recording."
Just as he finished speaking, a deafening roar echoed through the forest from the direction of the purple mist, wiping the excitement from their faces.
"Leader…will Aeris be okay alone?" Lina asked nervously.
Cain didn't answer.
***
Back at Aeris's position—
After the loud roar, the ground shook violently.
Trees toppled one after another, as if a wildfire was tearing through the forest.
Aeris jumped from tree to tree, her see-through body darting through the chaos.
But trees were crashing down all around her, falling too fast. She had fewer and fewer places to run.
'Damn it. They're digging too fast. At this rate, there won't be any trees left for me to escape on,' she thought.
She activated a speed spell.
Her camouflage dropped, and glowing white and yellow lines lit up across her body. With a burst of speed, she dashed through the forest.
But the moment her body turned yellow, the Mountain-Eaters noticed.
With a thunderous roar, they all turned and dug toward her.
However, with her enhanced speed, Aeris left them behind in seconds, jumping from tree to tree at a blinding pace.
Then she felt it.
A sudden wave of magical pressure from behind.
She glanced over her shoulder—and her heart dropped.
It was massive. Bigger than any Mountain-Eater she'd seen.
A crocodile-shaped beast with metal-like scales and glowing red eyes. It was as big as a house.
Worst of all—it was fast.
It raced through the mist and reached her in seconds.
It leaped up from the ground, jaws wide open, ready to swallow her whole.
At the last moment, Aeris stayed calm.
Lightning surged through her boots. She blinked sideways and dodged perfectly.
Once she created some distance, she pulled out her sniper and aimed for the creature's eye.
She fired.
Ping!
The bullet bounced off uselessly.
It didn't even flinch.
With no other choice, she kept running, occasionally glancing back.
But something was off.
The crocodile… wasn't chasing.
It stood still, just watching her run.
Aeris didn't wait. She sprinted again—until it happened once more.
Another burst of energy behind her.
Her instincts screamed.
She blinked again just as the monster lunged again, barely avoiding it.
"What…?" Her mind couldn't keep up. She dodged purely on instinct.
And that scared her more than anything.
"CAIN!! WHERE ARE YOU?!! I NEED HELP! THE ENEMY IS FAR STRONGER THAN ANTICIPATED!!"
She slammed her earpiece.
"Hold on! We're already on our way!" Cain's voice replied.
"NO—I NEED YOU NOW! OR I'M DEAD IN THE NEXT SECOND!"
"…We're coming as fast as we can," Cain said, his voice trembling slightly—his calm demeanor cracking.
"Please… just stay alive."
"DAMN IT!!"
Aeris shouted as she kept running, not daring to look back anymore.
Then—it happened again.
Another massive energy surge, even closer than before.
Her boots lit up, turning into pure lightning.
Just as she jumped sideways, the crocodile launched toward her.
She dodged and kept running—but something felt wrong.
She looked down.
Her right arm was gone.
Cleanly severed at the shoulder.
She gasped, her breathing turning shaky.
This time, without delay, the magical energy surged again. She wasn't ready.
She glanced back.
The massive crocodile now glowed entirely red. Its magical power was rising fast.
At the face of death, Aeris made a desperate move. Her eyes and feet lit up in bright purple and yellow.
But she was one second too late.
The crocodile lunged before she could cast her spell, mouth wide open, ready to devour her.
***
Back in the forest, Cain drove the Typhoon-K vehicle like a madman, smashing through trees at top speed.
Inside, everyone bounced wildly in their seats.
"Do you think… Aeris will be okay?" Lina asked, voice trembling.
No one answered.
Drakna spoke harshly. "This is part of our job. You knew the risks when you signed up, didn't you?"
His words made Lina fall silent and upset.
Nobody spoke after that.
Suddenly, the vehicle skidded to a stop.
"Drakna!" Cain shouted, already unbuckling.
"The van's too slow. You take over. I'm going to get Aeris."
"What do you mean you're going to get Aeris!?"
"I want you to drive and escape using the route we planned. I'll rescue her myself."
Drakna, now even more confused, snapped, "How!? This vehicle's the fastest thing we have!"
"I have my ways. Just follow my order."
"Go now. I'll catch up."
"Wait—!" Drakna yelled, but Cain had already run into the forest.
"Haah… Damn it!"
Frustrated, Drakna punched the dashboard, making the whole vehicle rattle.
He took a deep breath, then sped off.
Meanwhile, Cain ran through the forest with inhuman speed. His helmet displayed Aeris's location.
He memorized the coordinates, then removed his helmet—exposing himself to the poison fog.
Reaching into his chest armor, he pulled out a necklace with a vintage cross.
Holding it tightly, Cain whispered under his breath.
"Please, brother… forgive this fool."
Then he crushed the cross in his palm.
Bright blue flames exploded from the cross.
A second later, Cain launched forward like a missile, tearing through trees and dirt, and speeding toward Aeris's location.
***
At Aeris's crash site—
Aeris had barely survived the giant crocodile's charge, but it came at a cost.
She slammed into the base of a cliff, leaving a deep crater. Her body lay partly buried in rock, unconscious.
Several Mountain-Eaters surrounded her, eyes locked on her unmoving form.
Then the giant crocodile arrived, crawling slowly forward.
The other monsters moved aside.
It stopped in front of her and stared.
Its mouth opened wide—and a ball of red energy began to form inside, glowing brighter by the second.
It was aiming right at her.
But just before it could fire, a ball of blue flame shot out from nowhere and slammed into the crocodile.
The monster rolled across the ground.
The blue light zipped to Aeris, grabbed her, and vanished again—fleeing at blinding speed.
The crocodile roared in rage, and all the Mountain-Eaters gave chase.
***
Moments later, the blue light caught up with the Typhoon-K vehicle and crashed on top of it.
"What was that?!" William asked, alarmed.
"That must be Cain! Get up there, you idiots, and pull them in!" Drakna shouted.
Cain and Aeris were brought inside and laid on the floor.
Lina gasped. William and Tonto rushed to heal them.
Aeris was covered in bruises and missing her arm, but healing magic could help.
The real problem was Cain.
Glowing blue cracks covered his body. No matter how much they healed him, nothing worked.
"What kind of injury is this?!" William asked, panicking.
Tonto stayed calm as he assessed Cain's condition. "I sense some kind of foreign magical energy. It's trying to tear his body apart. I need to suppress it."
He began chanting. A silver-grey light formed around his hand, and he pressed it against Cain's chest, trying to seal the wild mana surging through him.
But as soon as his spell touched Cain, it shattered. A blue spark lashed out, burning Tonto's hand.
He clenched his injury, staring at the glowing cracks on Cain's skin.
"Could this be…?"
"Could this be what?" William asked, noticing Tonto's expression.
But Tonto didn't answer. Lost in thought, he muttered, "No... that's impossible."
"What is—" William asked again, but a distant rumble cut him off.
"Damn it! They're catching up!" Drakna growled from the driver's seat.
"Alright, listen up, you scrawny brats! I don't care what you do—keep those Mountain-Eaters off us!"
"But what about Cain and Aeris? We can't do this without them!" William asked.
"WHAT ABOUT IT?! Can't you see they're unconscious?! Either shut up and fight, or I'll throw you out of the van myself!"
The severity of the situation hit William hard. All their strongest fighters were out cold.
"What the hell are you sitting there for?! Get up and fight already!"
"Y-Yes!"
Looking out the window, William realized something terrifying.
'I don't have any good offensive spells!' he thought, heart pounding.
Soon, Mountain-Eaters appeared on the horizon. Luckily, they were the small, fast lizard types—not large enough to slow the vehicle down.
"Lizard-types at eight o'clock!" Lina called out.
"Shoot them down! Don't let a single one get close!" Tonto shouted.
Tonto and William cast wide-area spells, while Lina took out any lizards that got too close.
The high-speed chase lasted for minutes. But with every passing moment, more monsters appeared. It became harder and harder to keep them away.
"Guys! I need help! I can't hold them off!" Lina shouted.
'Damn it…' William cursed in his mind—until an idea struck him.
"Hang on! I have a plan!" he yelled, then rushed back inside the vehicle.
"Please be quick!" Lina pleaded.
A second later, William popped back out, holding Cain's automatic gun.
"Wait, William, be careful of the re—"
Before Tonto could finish, William pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang! — "AHHHH!" William screamed.
"Damn it!"
"Are you—"
"Don't worry about me!" William cut him off. "Just focus on the horde—I'll handle this!"
Grimacing, William cast a healing spell on himself and snapped his dislocated shoulder back in place.
"Huff… Huff…"
He aimed the gun again and fired. Every shot tore at his arm and shoulder. After a few bursts, the pain overwhelmed him, and he had to pause.
Cold sweat dripped down his face as he breathed heavily.
Drakna noticed this, but didn't offer any sympathy.
"What the hell are you doing, kid?! Do you think the monsters are going to let you rest?! I don't care how much pain you're in—get back to shooting or we're all dead!"
Angry from Drakna's earlier words, William took out his rage on the Mountain-Eaters.
Clenching his jaw, he screamed, "AARRHH!"
He shoved a gun barrel out the window and fired wildly.
Using healing magic to numb the pain in his shoulder, he kept shooting through the agony.
"DIE! DIE! DIE!!!" he shouted like a madman.
It was messy, but it worked. The lizard numbers started to drop.
After what felt like forever, Lina stepped in and pulled him away.
"Enough. They're almost gone. You can stop now."
Tonto finished off the stragglers while Lina helped William sit down. His eyes were bloodshot, and his eyes seemed blank.
"Hey… hey William, it's over. You killed them all. It's okay now," Lina whispered, trying to comfort him.
"I cleaned up the rest. Is everything alright here?" Tonto asked, walking over.
"Haha… yeah, just fine," Lina replied, but her smile was shaky.
"Good. Rest up and recover your energy."
Suddenly, a groan came from behind. Tonto turned and saw Aeris sitting up.
He rushed over. "You're awake! How do you feel?"
"I… I'm still alive?"
"Yes. Cain saved you."
"How?"
"We're not sure. But when he came back with you, he was already like this." Tonto pointed at Cain—still unconscious, his body cracked with glowing blue light.
"...What happened?" Aeris whispered, stunned.
"We don't know."
Then she gasped, remembering something.
"Where are we? What about that monster?!"
"Monster? What mon—?"
Before Tonto could finish, a powerful magical presence surged in the distance.
"No…" Aeris muttered, panic growing. "It caught up. We have to run! We have to get out of here!"
She tried to stand and made her way toward the driver's seat.
But it was too late.
The giant crocodile came into view in the distance, charging and catching up to them at a terrifying pace.
With its body glowing red, it slammed into the vehicle, sending it flying.
CRASH!!
The vehicle flipped and rolled across the ground.
The magical circuits inside were fried instantly. The Typhoon-K vehicle landed upside down.
Drakna, bloodied and bruised, was the first to crawl out.
He shoved open the back door and dragged out his injured and unconscious teammates one by one.
Despite bleeding from the head and being covered in cuts, he remained calm—far calmer than his usual grumpy self.
"What the hell!?" he muttered. "This was supposed to be a simple mission. Is it going to end in a team wipe?"
He tightened his armor and gripped his massive hammer.
Then he turned to face the red-glowing crocodile, walking steadily toward them.
Even at the edge of death, Drakna didn't flinch.
The magical energy surged again. The monster turned red.
"Tch. That son of a bitch," Drakna spat.
In the blink of an eye, the crocodile vanished from its spot—reappearing right in front of Drakna, giving him no time to swing his hammer.