SSS Frost Sovereign: Rewinding The Apocalypse!-Chapter 37: Hidden in the shadows

A few days had passed since then.

Maxwell stood beside Albert at the outskirts of the settlement.

Before them lay the aftermath of violence, a stretch of broken ground that looked as though something had torn through it.

Scorched stone, shattered debris, and gouges in the earth spread unevenly across the area.

"The people around here all said the same thing," Maxwell said quietly. "Loud noises in the night. By morning, this was all that was left."

Albert folded his arms, fixing his gaze to the ground.

"Two of my men disappeared earlier this week. Just yesterday, another one went missing." he said, narrowing his eyes.

"Judging from this alone, there was definitely a battle here."

Gremit hummed as he moved ahead of them, his form pacing slowly through the wreckage.

He studied the marks with practiced eyes as his claws nudged aside fragments of stone.

"Violence of this scale would point to spawns," Gremit said. "But that should be impossible within a maire’s territory."

Maxwell let out a weary sigh. "Honestly, I could say the same about those reports of people being seen running outside the fences. It is too outrageous to take seriously."

Luna and Marcus were not with them this time. They had been dispatched earlier to investigate those reports.

Albert continued to study the scene. Deep furrows cut through the ground, uneven and violent.

There were signs of impact where something heavy had struck repeatedly, but no clear remains, or bodies or even trace of retreat.

"Unfortunately, we have no way to trace mana residue at the moment. And the core stone thief," Gremit said. "...we still have nothing on them. It’s as if they have completely disappeared since then"

"We tried to pursue at the time," Albert replied. "But we were in a hurry back then so there was no room to act."

"And since then, no leads," Gremit added.

A pause followed. The kind that lingered when everyone present was circling the same unpleasant conclusion.

"Perhaps it is connected to this," Maxwell said carefully.

Gremit lowered himself to the ground. His large, brownish-black porcupine form settled, thick bristles shifting as he sat.

"An avarice would normally seek strength through various underhanded means," Gremit said. "Core stones. Ambushes. Underhanded gains."

Then he narrowed his eyes. "If this is the case, I cannot think of a reason why one would simply make people disappear."

’Unless...’

Gremit lifted his head.

Perched atop a mound of broken concrete and stone was Ixie, the white, black-horned owl of the dragon-owl species.

She had been there the entire time, watching quietly and listening as she always did.

"What do you think, Ixie?" Gremit asked.

All eyes turned upward.

Ixie inhaled slowly, then exhaled, her wings shifting slightly as she considered her words.

"First, I do not believe humans, as I have observed them so far, would willingly abandon their sanctuary. That is, assuming the reports are true."

No one argued since that much was obvious.

"It is possible they left without their own volition, even if we heard they were seen heading out," she continued.

"And if an avarice is involved, then such a thing may not be impossible. Certain force-based abilities are complex enough to manipulate actions, perceptions, or will."

"I see," Albert said, nodding. "That makes it clearer."

"An avarice capable of that would indeed be dangerous," Gremit agreed.

Maxwell frowned. "That only makes this worse. Especially after they failed to obtain that core stone."

Gremit huffed. "That failure must have been a serious setback for them. And it was all thanks to that lad, Icard."

His tone softened slightly. "I must say, he reacted quickly. None of his actions were wasted. For a beginning incarnation, his efficiency was impressive."

"I have only seen the kid once," Maxwell said. "But I would have liked to bring him in. With talent like that, there is much to be learned." He sighed.

"Unfortunately, you did say the snow cat Erwald they are with is a solitary one who wouldn’t allow that."

Ixie, who had been listening quietly, leaned forward slightly at the mention of the snow cat Erwald.

She scoffed quietly.

’So that is why he came around the other day. That lad must be quite the incarnation for Katar to take such an interest in him.’ she thought to herself.

"The fact remains that he should have grown significantly stronger after absorbing that core stone," Gremit said. "That opportunity alone would push his growth ahead of his peers."

But before the conversation could continue, footsteps approached.

Luna and Marcus arrived from the direction of the outer fences, a third figure walking with them.

He had become increasingly useful over the past few weeks, his growth sudden and noticeable.

The general assumption was that he had absorbed a considerable amount of mana essence during the last raid.

And his name was Draik.

Earlier, he had accompanied Luna and Marcus, assisting them in searching for traces of people leaving the settlement or signs of abnormal movement beyond the fences.

They had been at it since early that day, covering the reported areas thoroughly. Yet there was nothing to show for it.

"We found no traces of anyone leaving, not even a hundred meters beyond the fences," Marcus said, gesturing lightly as they came to a stop.

"There were no signs of spawn activity either," Luna added.

"I see," Maxwell said, exhaling slowly. "At this rate, we may not reach a conclusion. There is nothing here that clearly links this to the missing people."

Albert nodded once. "Continue observing. Report immediately if anything changes."

Luna, Marcus, and Draik acknowledged him with brief gestures before stepping away as Albert rejoined Maxwell, Gremit, and Ixie, as they left the area.

The remainder of the day passed uneventfully, and before long, night gave way to dawn.

Inside one of the bars that had sprung up within the mayor’s expanding settlement, people sat at their tables. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

The mood was quite... different from what it would normally be in a regular bar. People sat quietly here.

An eerie air hung heavily on the entire bar and a dark essence flowed through everyone there.

Wester sat at his own table, slightly removed from the rest.

A cup of wine rested loosely in his hand and a subtle pressure emanated from him. That dark energy.

Draik entered quietly.

He paused just long enough to scan the room before heading straight for Wester. Upon reaching the table, he bowed deeply, the gesture practiced and submissive.

"They searched everywhere for traces of the missing people or the avarice," Draik reported. "They found nothing. No leads were left behind."

Wester’s lips curled into a slow, satisfied smile.

Beside him stood a young waitress, dressed in a way that drew the eye without being overt.

She remained close to him, attentive only to his table, as though her focus could not stray elsewhere.

If one looked closely, faint dark purple veins traced beneath her skin, glowing subtly up to her neck. Her eyes carried the same hue, barely visible in the dim light.

She leaned in and poured Wester another drink without being asked.

"And Luna?" Wester asked.

"She returned to her quarters not long ago," Draik replied.

"That is fine," Wester said, his smile widening.

"Even if they have begun investigating, it is pointless. Everything is already in motion." His gaze drifted around the bar. "We are all heading out for another raid."

His grin sharpened as he spread his hands out a bit.

"Everyone in this bar!"