The small group walked slowly along the dusty road until a faint black silhouette finally appeared in the distance. The low buildings looked like mute shadows under the overcast sky.
Elizabeth, who was walking in front, raised her hand and pointed.
"There's something there," she said. "Maybe a small town. We can rest for a while."
William only responded with a curt nod. He had known about the place from the beginning. However, his knowledge was of little help. He wasn't sure if the small town was still inhabited or had been abandoned long ago. From this distance, all that was visible was a shadowy, lightless shape, like a city erased from existence.
Their steps grew heavier as they made their way down what seemed like a long road. As they got closer, it became clear that it was truly a ghost town.
The buildings stood stoically, some collapsed and others abandoned to the ravages of time. The ruins of walls and debris were scattered about as if life had disappeared without a trace.
"There's no one," Elizabeth murmured softly, looking around sharply. "I thought there was still activity here. Turns out, it's just remnants."
William had sensed this as well. His silver butterfly fluttered in the air and circled the dead city. It found no sign of life.
Elizabeth took a deep breath. "We should rest first. After that, we—" She stopped when she saw William's serious expression. "What's wrong?"
William turned and simply shook his head. As always, his movements were flat and cold. But Elizabeth wasn't offended. A soft smile played across his lips.
"William, you're part of this team. There's no need to hold back or hide your strength from us. Just relax."
There was a moment of silence. William paused, then finally let out a thin breath. He raised his hand slowly. A silver butterfly landed on his palm, its wings gleaming softly in the dim light.
"I summoned the Silver Spirit Butterfly to investigate this place," he said calmly. "But my other silver butterfly is fighting something."
Elizabeth stared at the butterfly, captivated. Its shimmering silver wings seemed otherworldly. Beside her, Anna could barely look away, her eyes glinting with admiration.
"I saw you summon a silver butterfly when you fought the demon Velmire," Elizabeth finally said, her voice filled with interest. "Are you a Summoner-type Sentinel? No, your fighting style is too fast and silent for that. It's more like an Assassin's. Will, you are truly unique. Your talent is extraordinary."
Her words were sincere, flowing without pretense. For a moment, William stared at the butterfly in his palm and felt the noblewoman's admiring gaze. It was a gaze he didn't want but couldn't avoid.
William didn't say much this time. He simply nodded, his shoulders softening slightly. This was unlike his usual snide remarks or stirring up a fuss. Elizabeth seemed to notice the change. The noblewoman certainly had her own way of dealing with stubborn types like him.
"But, Will," Elizabeth said more seriously this time, her eyes sharp. "You said your silver butterfly was fighting something. Where exactly?"
William didn't respond verbally. Instead, his body immediately shot off in the direction indicated by his chaotically fluttering silver butterfly. Elizabeth and Anna exchanged glances before following him hurriedly.
They turned past a row of abandoned, half-collapsed houses and came upon a strange sight.
This dead city should have been barren. The desert only grew thorny cacti that managed to survive. Yet before William's eyes lay a field of flowers—not vast, but fresh and colorful, as if refusing to die amidst the destruction.
William slowed his pace, narrowing his eyes. "How strange," he thought.
Elizabeth held her breath. The beauty was a stark contrast to her surroundings. The answer to the strangeness of William's silver butterfly was revealed above the flower field.
Hundreds of sparkling bees battled the silver butterfly. With each encounter, their small attacks sparked with light, splitting the darkness of the night with flashes like flying stars.
Elizabeth stared intently. "Those bees are not ordinary. They're Summoned Spirits. Spirit bees. There must be a Summoner-type Sentinel nearby, using them to protect something."
William observed the battle coldly. He knew his silver butterfly had the upper hand. Although the spirit bees were far more numerous and each possessed a deadly sting at the tip of its tail, the difference in power was clear. His silver butterfly could regenerate whenever wounded and return to mercilessly slash at the swarm.
Suddenly, a movement caught William's attention. A spirit bee, larger than the others, darted out of formation. Its wings vibrated violently, producing a sharp buzz. A black stinger glinted at the tip of its tail, aimed straight at his chest.
William paused, his eyes frozen. Then, as if to meet the attack, his fingers slowly raised.
One of the Spirit Bees stood out from the rest of the swarm. Its body was slightly larger, and its wings vibrated in a non-random pattern as if it had a clear purpose. It knew its true target: the Summoner. William.
Elizabeth immediately spread her arms, shielding Anna, who cowered in fear behind her. Her eyes were alert, ready to attack at any moment. William, however, simply stood still with a cold gaze. He needn't have bothered—his silver butterfly had already split into two and ambushed the Spirit Bee from opposite sides.
However, their attacks missed. The large bee was more agile than the others. Its every zigzag movement seemed to be controlled by an intelligence greater than mere instinct. It targeted only William, oblivious to the other threats around it.
William smiled faintly. "So this Spirit Bee is different..."
This time, he didn't let his butterfly work alone. His body darted quickly and nearly invisibly, following the marble-sized Spirit Bee's trajectory. His red eyes glowed, piercing the darkness of the night. With this enhanced vision, the previously impossible-to-read zigzag movements were now clearly discernible.
Something strange was happening. The Spirit Bee's mana aura wasn't purely that of a summoned creature. It was a layered, vibrating pulse, similar to that of a Sentinel.
William jumped aside, narrowly avoiding the sharp sting that had nearly struck his face. A wild buzz filled the air, piercing his ears. He reached out, ready to close the gap. Suddenly, the rest of the bees charged, blocking his view and protecting their leader.
A burst of light tore through the darkness. A fireball exploded in front of him, burning the swarm to ash. A wave of heat swept through the air. William glanced up and saw Elizabeth with her hand outstretched, a thin layer of smoke curling from her fingers.
"Will, you have to catch the bee leader," she said anxiously, though there was a hint of relief in her voice.
The large bee was growing increasingly frantic and flying in an erratic, hard-to-follow pattern. This was William's chance. His silver butterflies circled, their wings gleaming like silver flakes in the air. Fine threads shot out from their wings, ensnaring the large Spirit Bee and forcing it into a silk cocoon. The creature trembled violently and fell to the ground.
However, before he could touch it, the cocoon shattered. The bee's body disappeared. All that remained was a small light that hovered for a moment before disappearing into the darkness.
William glanced at it briefly. He had already prepared for this. The thin silk thread attached to the large spirit bee was still visible to his red eyes. The thread quivered faintly, aiming for a hidden spot.