The gray mist inside the Abyssal Caverns had already dissipated at some unknown time.
Within the cave, countless passageways stretched out like a labyrinth, causing many to lose their way in the past.
Along one of the tunnels, a sorcerer walked slowly forward, holding a black crystal in his hand.
No one knew how long he had been walking when a grand hall suddenly appeared at the end of the passage.
Three stone pillars stood tall in the hall, each engraved with complex and eerie runes.
Gazing at the three stone pillars, a smile appeared on the sorcerer's face. He walked up to a section of the stone wall and gently ran his hand over it.
"This is... the land of dazzling brilliance, where the smoke clears and life fades—a place where two worlds converge," he whispered softly.
After reciting the words, the sorcerer let out a chuckle. Whatever came to mind made him gently shake his head. Then, he turned and walked back toward the passage he had come from.
As he arrived at the entrance of the passage, he paused for a moment and raised the black crystal in his hand. Waves of energy began to ripple outward.
The next moment, ripples began to appear in the air in front of him. The space looked like a water surface, with waves gently undulating.
Without hesitation, the sorcerer stepped forward—not into the passage, but directly into the distorted space in front of him. His figure disappeared without a trace.
When he stepped out again, he found himself outside the cave.
Now, he was in a valley, with the cave entrance behind him and a rippling lake before him.
Looking up, he saw blue skies and white clouds.
This was astonishing, considering it was currently winter. Outside the Abyssal Caverns, everything was shrouded in a gray haze.
Yet here, blue skies and fluffy clouds stretched overhead, as if this place existed in a completely different world.
As the sorcerer gazed up at the sky, a ball of blue light suddenly appeared.
It swiftly shot down toward the lake in the valley like a falling star.
As the blue light approached the lake's surface, time itself seemed to pause for a moment. Then, the blue light plunged into a narrow crack that had appeared in midair.
The crack vanished as quickly as it appeared, and everything returned to stillness. The lake surface remained calm, as if nothing had happened.
"At last, I've arrived."
The sorcerer looked at the lake with a look of bliss and murmured,
"The rumored hidden Fourth Lake of the Hisui..."
…
Hill was the finest spy in Marina City.
This time, in preparation for the attack on Aspiration City, he had come personally to gather intelligence.
At this moment, a Abyssal Beast tide had erupted within Aspiration City's territory—an event that provided Marina City with the perfect opportunity to strike.
As the gray mist spread throughout the Black Forest, Hill's eyes shone with delight.
Gray—what a beautiful color.
Wherever the mist spread, it left Abyssal in its wake, clearing the path for Marina City's forces.
Now, all the magical beasts corrupted by the mist in the Black Forest had left the woods and were marching toward Aspiration City.
The line of defense established by the city's knights stood no chance against a beast tide composed of thousands of Abyssal Beasts.
These beasts would push onward until the entire city was reduced to rubble.
Then, Marina City would claim this fertile land and build a new city for its people!
Hill was in high spirits, his gaze fixed on the drifting gray mist above the forest. The Black Forest under the night sky—it was breathtakingly beautiful.
Just then, his vision suddenly blurred.
In that moment, he saw a floating figure appear above the forest.
What was that? Hill's mind raced. He judged it to be a magical beast, but one he had never seen before.
Looking more closely, the figure resembled a snow maiden, her body light and floating, as if weightless.
As he watched, she drifted toward the gray mist at the forest's edge.
Then, Hill's expression froze in disbelief.
To his shock, the mist began to swirl beneath Frosslass.
Moments later, the gray mist rose upward and flowed directly into her body!
"Is this beast trying to get itself killed?"
"She... she's actually absorbing the mist!"
"She'll be corrupted! The mist will surely corrupt her!"
Hill couldn't help but let out a shout, his voice filled with confusion and a hint of fear.
But Frosslass showed no sign of pain.
Instead, her face showed utter contentment.
To Hill's further disbelief, she dove headfirst into the mist and began swimming through it gracefully.
As she swam, she even paused now and then to slurp up some more mist, looking utterly pleased.
"She's absorbing the mist—she really is!" Hill stood atop a mountain peak, overlooking everything below.
"Could she be a beast born from the mist?"
"Or perhaps... this gray mist has something to do with her existence?"
Hill's mind was a whirlwind of speculation. Below, the mist in the forest was visibly thinning.
Frosslass, however, wasn't thinking about any of that. She was thoroughly enjoying the process of absorbing the mist and sensing the changes in her body.
With every bit of mist she consumed, her mental energy increased, and her form grew more substantial.
Every gesture and motion now carried an unmistakable strength.
What a marvelous feeling!
Eat, eat, eat—she was going to devour all the mist in this forest!
Frosslass thought gleefully, and the image of Aven surfaced in her mind.
If she managed to absorb all the mist from the forest, wouldn't her master be thrilled when he woke up?
Imagining her master's warm praise made Frosslass feel light and giddy.
Of course, this wasn't a whim. It was inspired by a conversation between Aven and Kevin.
They had discussed whether it was possible for Frosslass to absorb all the mist in the Black Forest.
But Aven had ultimately vetoed the idea.
The mist in the Black Forest was simply too massive in quantity.
Although Frosslass could absorb it, no one knew her limit.
If something went wrong and she was harmed by overabsorption, it would be an enormous loss.
Even though the threat from the Abyssal Beasts had greatly diminished, Frosslass remained a vital force for the future.
Hearing that her master had rejected the plan out of concern for her well-being had made her so happy.
But deep down, Frosslass could sense that this mist would not harm her at all.
And so, she came here alone—just to give Aven a big surprise!
(End of Chapter )