Chapter 153: The Road Through Ghostwind Gorge

The morning sun filtered through the trees in scattered golden shafts, painting the winding road in patches of light and shadow. The cart rolled along at a steady pace, the horses’ hooves creating a rhythmic counterpoint to the birdsong filtering through the forest.

Adam sat on the driver’s bench beside Seraphina, one leg dangling casually over the edge, his crimson eyes scanning the tree line with practiced ease. After a long stretch of uneventful travel, he stretched his arms above his head with a satisfied sigh.

“Quiet today,” he observed, tilting his face toward the sun. “Seems like we might actually have a smooth trip for once.”

Beside him, Seraphina kept her gaze fixed on the road ahead, her posture as rigid as ever despite the peaceful surroundings. “Do not let your guard down. We are still in dangerous territory. We have no idea when—or if—another attack will come.”

Adam huffed a quiet laugh. “I know, I know. But we’ve been in this area for a while now.” He gestured vaguely at the forest. “The mana here is thicker, sure, but there’s no sign of trouble. Maybe the bandits got the message after we wiped out that first group.”

“Perhaps.” Seraphina’s tone didn’t soften. “But in my homeland, we have a saying: better to be vigilant than regretful. Complacency kills faster than any blade.”

Adam glanced at her, a flicker of curiosity in his crimson eyes. “Your homeland, huh? You’ve never really talked about it. What’s it like?”

For just a moment, Seraphina’s rigid posture softened. Her gaze drifted from the road, looking at something far beyond the trees—something only she could see.

“My village lies far from the capital of Melium,” she said, her voice taking on a quieter, more reflective quality. “It’s a small place. Quiet. The air is cool year-round, and the fields stretch for miles—golden grain swaying in the wind, wildflowers along the edges. In spring, the hills turn purple with lavender.” A faint, wistful smile touched her lips. “Thinking of it now… I find myself missing it.”

Adam studied her profile, seeing a different woman beneath the knight’s mask. “Sounds beautiful. I’d like to see it sometime.”

Seraphina’s smile faded slightly, replaced by a more pragmatic expression. “You may visit, if you wish. But do not set your hopes too high. It is a simple place. Humble. Not the grand sights a… someone like you might expect.”

Adam shrugged, turning back to the road. “I won’t know until I see it for myself, right? That’s how it works. You can’t judge something by what other people tell you.”

Seraphina was quiet for a moment. Then, softly: “That is… surprisingly philosophical for someone who punches first and asks questions later.”

Adam snorted. “I have layers. Deal with it.”

Seraphina opened her mouth, about to respond to Adam’s comment about layers, when his entire demeanor shifted. His body went rigid, his crimson eyes snapping to the tree line with predatory focus.

“Stop,” Adam said, his voice suddenly sharp. “I sense something.”

Before Seraphina could react, the canvas at the back of the cart rustled. Lilith emerged like a ghost, her pale face emerging from shadow, her crimson eyes already scanning the same direction Adam was watching.

“You feel it too?” Adam asked, not turning.

Lilith nodded once. “They’ve been watching for some time.”

From the shadows between the trees, glowing eyes began to appear. One pair. Then three. Then a dozen. Low growls rumbled through the underbrush as sleek, muscular forms slunk into view.

The creatures were wolf-like but larger than natural wolves, with thick, almost armored hides and cruel horns curving from their skulls. Their eyes burned with feral intelligence, and foam dripped from jaws lined with too many teeth.

Adam studied them, his expression almost bored. ’Small for wolves. Not nearly as intimidating as the ones I faced in the dungeon. These are barely…’ His eyes flickered, reading the information that only he could see.

[Fell Wolf – Lv. 36]

[Fell Wolf – Lv. 34]

[Fell Wolf Alpha – Lv. 42]

Seraphina’s hand was already on her sword hilt, her jaw tight. “I told you today wouldn’t be peaceful.”

The canvas ripped open further as Ignis burst out, flames already licking at her fingertips. Her eyes gleamed with battle-hunger as she spotted the pack. “Ooh! Wolves! Lots of them! Let’s hunt!”

Adam raised a hand, stopping her mid-step. “No.”

Ignis froze, looking back at him with confusion. “What? Why? They’re right there!”

“We’re not wasting time on every random encounter,” Adam said flatly. He shifted on the bench, turning to face the pack directly. His crimson eyes narrowed, and something shifted in the air around him.

It wasn’t a skill he used often—Abyssal Majesty. The psychic pressure that radiated from him was usually passive, a faint aura that unsettled weaker minds. But now he focused it. Pushed it outward. Let the full weight of his presence as a Progenitor Ascendant, a being who had crawled from the deepest dark and evolved beyond death, settle over the pack like a physical weight.

The effect was instantaneous.

The Fell Wolves’ growls cut off mid-throat. Their hackles, previously raised for attack, flattened against their spines. The Alpha, a beast nearly twice the size of its kin, actually whimpered—a sound utterly incongruous with its fearsome appearance. Its legs buckled, and it backed away, tail tucked so far between its legs it nearly disappeared.

One by one, the pack broke. They turned and fled, crashing through the underbrush with none of the stealth they’d displayed approaching. Within seconds, the forest was silent again, save for the fading rustle of panicked departure.

Ignis stared at the empty tree line, her flames guttering in disappointment. “That’s… that’s it? They just… ran?”

“Wolves are smart,” Adam said, settling back onto the bench. “They know when they’re outmatched. No point killing them—they won’t come back, and we save our energy for real threats.”

Lilith allowed a small, satisfied smile to cross her features. “Efficient. I approve.”

Seraphina slowly released her sword hilt, though her expression was a complicated mix of relief, annoyance, and grudging respect. She opened her mouth—

“I told you so,” Adam said flatly, not even looking at her.

Seraphina’s mouth snapped shut. Her eye twitched.

“Not a word,” Seraphina finally muttered.

Adam’s lips curved into a faint smirk. “Wasn’t going to say anything.”

The look she shot him could have melted steel.

Ignis slumped against the cart, muttering about wasted hunting opportunities.

Lilith’s pale hand emerged from the canvas, gently tugging Ignis’s sleeve. “Come, Ignis. You can sulk inside where it’s comfortable.”

Ignis grumbled but allowed herself to be pulled back into the cart’s shadowy interior, her disappointed muttering fading as the canvas fell back into place.

Adam clicked his tongue at the horses, and the cart lurched forward again. “Alright. Let’s keep moving.”

Seraphina watched the tree line for a long moment, her expression thoughtful. “If this continues… perhaps you were right. Today might actually be peaceful.”

Adam shot her a sidelong glance, a smug grin spreading across his features. “See? Told you.”

Seraphina ignored the smugness, her curiosity getting the better of her. “That skill you used earlier… it was remarkably effective. What exactly did you do?”

Adam shrugged, the motion loose and casual. “Just an intimidation skill. Abyssal Majesty. It works on anything weaker than me—makes them feel my presence, my… well, everything I am. It’s useful for clearing out trash without wasting energy.”

“So it only works on weaker opponents?”

“Pretty much. If they’re close to my level or higher, the effect’s minimal. Maybe a moment of hesitation, but nothing like what those wolves felt.” Adam glanced at her. “Why?”

Seraphina’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I was merely thinking… if we had been enemies, that skill would have been troublesome to face.”

Adam snorted. “Lucky for you we’re not, then. You should be grateful.”

Seraphina blinked, then nodded slowly. “Grateful… yes. I suppose I am.” She paused, then added, more quietly, “Thank you.”

Adam stared at her for a beat, his expression unreadable. Then he leaned slightly away, eyeing her with exaggerated suspicion. “What’s with the sudden thanks? That’s… creepy. Are you feeling okay? Did something bite you back there?”

Seraphina’s eye twitched. Her voice, when she spoke, was dangerously flat. “You have absolutely no sense of manners, do you?”

Adam’s grin returned, infuriatingly bright. “Nope. Never claimed to.”

Seraphina stared at Adam for a long moment, her expression caught somewhere between exasperation and genuine curiosity. “You are… I have never met anyone quite like you, Adam.”

Adam tilted his head, considering her words. “There’s a first time for everything, isn’t there?”

Seraphina’s brow furrowed slightly. “What do you mean by that?”

Adam shrugged, turning his gaze back to the road ahead. His voice was casual, but there was something softer beneath it. “Just… don’t think about it too hard. Sometimes people just are who they are. No need to analyze every detail.”

Seraphina was quiet for a moment, processing his words. The cart’s wheels creaked rhythmically beneath them, the horses’ hooves providing a steady counterpoint to the whisper of wind through the trees.

“I see,” she finally said, though her tone suggested she didn’t entirely. “That is… a very simple way of looking at things.”

“Simple works,” Adam replied. “Complicated gets you killed. Learned that early.”

Seraphina glanced at him—at his profile, sharp against the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy. There was something in his expression she couldn’t quite read. Not sadness, exactly. But weight. The kind of weight that came from having seen too much, survived too much.

For a moment, she wanted to ask. To understand what had shaped this strange, infuriating, unexpectedly kind creature beside her.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she turned back to the road, allowing the silence to settle between them like a comfortable blanket rather than the awkward tension of before. The cart rolled on, carrying them deeper into the gorge, toward whatever waited in the shadows ahead.

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