Chapter 464: Mist Stalker

In the dark Shrouded Wilds, three Velmourn soldiers stood back to back, their shoulders almost touching, their weapons drawn. Around them, their Bonds—large beasts with thick hides made to bear even the coldest weather—shifted nervously, low growls rumbling in their throats.

The group looked around with solemn and intimidated looks on their faces, their eyes on the thick, cold, and heavy mist that had surrounded them, limiting their vision. It felt like they were being swallowed by a cloud that refused to let them go.

They couldn’t see more than a few feet ahead; even the glow from the strange moss underfoot looked dimmer here.

The air… it felt wrong.

Too still.

Too… quiet.

“…I can’t see anything,”

One of them muttered. His voice trembled slightly, though he tried to hide it. It was even stranger considering he was an Elite, a Master Tamer, one of the strongest Velmourns. He had never felt… this nervous before.

But today…

It felt like his instincts were screaming, telling him to get out of this seemingly harmless situation no matter what.

And it wasn’t just him; the other two soldiers in his group were the same.

“Keep your voice down,”

The second man whispered.

“We do not know what might hear us.”

He warned.

The third soldier said nothing. He was kneeling on the ground, his head lowered, his hand moving slowly through the wet dirt. When he stood, there was a symbol—a crude sun—drawn on the earth.

“Again with that.”

The second soldier sighed.

“You really think this will help?

He doesn’t even know where we are.”

The kneeling soldier—Tarin—looked up, his eyes calm despite the fear in his comrades’ voices.

“He will come,”

He said simply. It was eerie how calm he was.

Yes, he was one of ‘those.’

The ones who had blind faith in the Dragon God. If he said he would come if he did this, he would—and once he was here, they would be safe.

The second soldier, however, wasn’t as confident, and because he was already nervous, instead of controlling himself and just nodding like he usually did every time he heard things like this, this time, he scoffed.

“You sound like those fools in the camps. What’s he going to do, appear out of nowhere? As I said, he does not know where we are. We sent no signals, we made no markings that would lead him to us, he wouldn’t even know we are in danger because look around—we are not.

We are just intimidated because the mist suddenly became denser and the surroundings are completely unfamiliar.

Scared children, that is what we currently look like, trembling nervously just because some mist is blocking our vision.

You think just you praying in your head will bring him here?”

Tarin didn’t argue.

He just closed his eyes and whispered under his breath—not aloud, but within his thoughts—Lord Kael… Dragon God, please, please hear me.

The second soldier clicked his tongue at that action.

“Tarin! Why don’t you understand!?”

The first soldier whispered a little louder as well.

“Instead of clinging to a hopeless belief, focus on the situation! Keep your senses sharp! Anything can happen at any moment!

Instead of foolishly standing here, we need to move!

We need to get out of this situation!”

“No.”

Tarin spoke up as he stared at the first soldier.

“Lord Kael told us to stop moving if we sense danger or feel lost.”

“He said that to reassure us, not be—”

“Are you going against the orders?”

Tarin didn’t give in. He glared at the first soldier with piercing eyes and—

“Before coming here, Commander Korvath ordered us to follow Lord Kael’s words, and that is what we will do—

Even if that means risking our lives.”

He spoke assertively.

And the first soldier… he stared back at him and after a big exhale, he clenched his sword tightly and—

“Tarin, I swear if the two of us meet in the afterlife, I will make it hell for you!”

He threatened as he gave in.

“Yes.”

Tarin smiled lightly, then once again, he got back into his stance while his mind constantly prayed to Kael.

The three soldiers stood together, silent, their backs pressed together, forming a small circle. For a long time, nothing happened. The silence grew unbearable. Even the beasts shifted uneasily.

Then—

Snap

A branch snapped.

The group turned instantly, blades and claws raised.

“Grr…”

“Raarrrr…”

The Bonds let out low growls, their eyes flaring faintly, prepared to take on whoever the enemy was.

Even if they couldn’t see it, they could all sense it—something, or… someone was moving through the mist.

“Hold your position.”

Tarin whispered, but this time, even his voice was shaking.

After all, even if he believed in Kael, in the end, he too was a human who feared death.

Step

Another sound followed—the drag of something against the wet ground.

Whatever it was, it was getting closer.

“Grrr…”

The Bonds hissed, backing away slightly.

They felt… intimidated.

Seeing that, the soldiers instantly realized the enemy wasn’t weak. They gritted their teeth, preparing to strike, but then—

“You can let your guard down.

It’s me.”

Then a calm voice came through the mist.

All three soldiers froze and a second later, Kael walked out of the thick mist, his hair slightly damp from the fog, but his calm eyes made the dark feel… less suffocating.

“Lord Kael…”

Tarin breathed, lowering his weapon instantly.

The other two men just stared at the man in front of them in utter disbelief.

He…

He was here!

He was truly here!

Just how… how did he know?

How did he find them?

There were too many questions in their heads, but Kael just smiled lightly and—

“Good. You did well,”

He spoke, sighing in relief that nothing had happened to these three.

He then slowly walked towards one of the beasts, resting his hand on its head to calm it down.

“The mist drifted south and pulled you off course. Another few minutes, and you would have walked straight into the nest of a Mist Stalker.”

Kael spoke as he stared at the three soldiers.

“A Mist Stalker…?”

The men frowned.

“A predator that’s unique to the Shrouded Wilds.”

Kael nodded.

“You can’t see it; you cannot sense it before it attacks you. Its claws have dangerous poison that would instantly paralyze you.

It is one of the apex predators here in the Shrouded Wilds, and because of how well-suited it is for this environment, even Mythical Level Tamers would struggle against it.”

Kael explained.

And not a single word was a lie or something said to manipulate them. Because of the Whisperveil Ants Imperia had found here, he knew quite a lot about the Shrouded Wilds and the strongest predators here.

The Mist Stalker was one of them.

“If you had kept walking…”

Kael didn’t finish his next words; he didn’t have to—the men understood, and they gulped.

If… if they hadn’t listened to Tarin then…

“Come.”

Kael said in a low voice.

“Let’s get you out of this mist.”

The men followed him without a word—not because of Korvath’s command, but out of their own will.

Unlike them, who only felt like they were walking deeper and deeper into the mist no matter where they went, for Kael, it was the opposite—the mist seemed to pull away wherever Kael stepped, clearing a path ahead.

His presence alone made the forest feel less hostile; staring at his back as they followed him… made the three men and their Bonds lower their guards.

Even though this was an elite team trained to be wary and prepared at all times, Kael’s presence was… simply too reassuring.

Their tensed bodies couldn’t help but give in and follow him blindly.

And in just about fifteen minutes of walking, the fog around them thinned, the air grew lighter, the light from the moss on the ground became stronger, and the course they had taken before was now visible.

“We… we’re safe,”

The first soldier exhaled deeply, his voice a little louder than it should have been, but others didn’t mind. Kael too knew what they must have felt. He slowly turned towards them and smiled slightly.

“You three made a good decision. You trusted your instincts and followed my seemingly thoughtless orders. I am grateful for that.”

“W-We weren’t the ones who followed your orders.”

The second soldier spoke up, wanting to tell how it was Tarin who actually told them to follow Kael’s words, but before he could, Kael himself turned towards Tarin and nodded with a smile.

“I am grateful to you too.

Thank you, for believing in me.”

For a moment, those words surprised the soldiers—even Tarin. The question how did he know…? came to their minds, but then again, this was a man who found them when they were in the middle of nowhere; he would obviously know.

“T-Thank you for coming to save us, Lord Kael!”

Tarin nodded, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

“That is what I am supposed to do.”

Kael smiled as he patted Tarin’s shoulder.

Tarin bowed his head slightly. The other two looked at Kael with awe now—the doubts they previously had were completely washed away.

Kael could see it too—the change in their eyes, the belief that was settling in.

And normally, it would have overwhelmed him, but in these four hours, this was his fifth time seeing this look; he was getting used to it.

Yes, a total of four hours had passed since the group arrived in the Wilds.

“Stay close,”

Kael told them quietly.

“It’s getting darker.

You’ve done enough—it is time to return.”

“Yes, Lord Kael,”

The soldiers answered together.

Kael, too, was about to turn back when his expression suddenly changed.

His gaze sharpened, scanning the trees—the three soldiers noticed it immediately.

“Lord Kael…?”

Tarin asked carefully.

Kael didn’t answer for a while, then, in a calm but commanding tone,

“Come with me.”

He ordered, and without hesitation, all three soldiers straightened and nodded.

“Yes, Lord Kael.”

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