Chapter 225: Chapter 213: Battle Traces of a Transcendent

Throughout the entire party, only three individuals stood out for their personal combat prowess: Roland, Avril, and Freddy.

As for Vanessa...

Even if Roland asked, this cunning Witch would most likely shirk the duty with the excuse that she was just a "delicate woman."

As the temporary commander, Avril had to remain among the soldiers, ready to respond to any unexpected situations.

Meanwhile, Roland moved along the party’s flanks during the march to guard against any surprises.

Therefore, the duty of scouting ahead fell on Freddy’s shoulders.

Despite his simple and honest nature, the burly Beastman was an outstanding scout.

So far, he hadn’t made a single mistake.

So, upon hearing Freddy’s shout, Roland nodded to Avril before bursting forward, arriving behind the Beastman in an instant.

At that moment, Freddy looked as if he had seen something unbelievable. His usually straight back was slightly hunched, and he swallowed audibly several times.

"What’s wrong, Freddy? Did you find a dangerous Demon?"

Roland scanned his surroundings. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he slowly walked forward and asked.

According to Vanessa’s directions, they were only a short distance from Cuiyan Forest.

And after leaving the wetlands behind, the terrain ahead was open and flat, with only a few scattered groves of trees.

’Could it be... that the terrain ahead has been drastically altered by the corrosion of Magic Elements?’

The thought of the towering mountains at the edge of the Land of Mist, and the gorge where they had encountered the Slime Toads, made Roland’s brow furrow instantly.

’Uplift... subsidence?’

Vanessa’s earlier warning surfaced in his mind, and he couldn’t help but quicken his pace.

"M-Mr. Roland..."

Hearing the movement behind him, the Beastman stiffly turned his head and pointed forward.

Seeing this, Roland carefully pushed aside the bushes blocking his view and looked in the direction Freddy was pointing.

The next moment, his pupils contracted sharply.

What met his eyes was not the twisted terrain or surging tide of Demons he had expected, but a suffocating vista of utter destruction.

The open area ahead seemed to have been utterly ravaged by some unimaginable power.

The land was no longer a flat plain. In its place was a huge, hideous crater, as if left by a meteor strike.

The crater walls were not smooth slopes but were covered in tears and jagged, massive boulders, as if the entire surface had been violently blown open and overturned from within.

Deep at the bottom of the crater, everything was scorched black.

It was not the mark of a flame but more like a brand left behind after some purely destructive Energy had run rampant.

In the center of the scorched-black area, one could even faintly see glassy material formed from cooled Magma, emitting an eerie, faint glow in the thin mist.

With the giant crater as the epicenter, the aftershock of the impact had swept violently in all directions.

The solid ground had been plowed into countless bottomless gullies, like painful scars upon the earth.

Farther out, the scattered patches of woodland that had once been there were completely gone.

Not pushed over, but completely obliterated.

As far as the eye could see, there was only the bare earth and the scattered debris of trees that had been uprooted and then shattered by immense force. The largest pieces were no thicker than an arm.

Some rocks had been flung an incredible distance, embedding themselves deep in faraway hills or even smashing depressions into the ground.

A peculiar smell permeated the air.

It was a mix of acrid ozone, rock dust, scorched earth, and a certain indescribable, unsettling residual aura of Magic Power.

This residual aura was extremely faint, yet it carried an oppressive feeling that made one’s very soul tremble.

The entire area was deathly silent.

There was no birdsong, no whisper of insects; even the wind seemed to deliberately avoid this terrifying land of death.

Only the massive crater and the devastated, scorched earth silently told of the terrifying power, far beyond mortal imagination, that had erupted here not long ago.

Freddy let out a suppressed grunt, his thick fingers gripping his weapon tightly.

Roland held his breath, his heart pounding heavily against his ribs.

Since his arrival in this world, he had experienced or witnessed dozens of battles, large and small, but not one had displayed such... horrifying destructive power.

This was a pure, overwhelming display of force, enough to reshape the terrain itself. It was a scene far beyond what an ordinary Demon or a regular army could create.

If he had to make a comparison, it bore some resemblance to the destruction he had witnessed the Giant Dragon cause with its every move back in Wuxi Town.

At this thought, a chill quietly crept up Roland’s spine.

He took a deep breath and spoke to the still-shocked Beastman beside him.

"Freddy, go get Avril."

"Yes, Mr. Roland..."

Roland’s calm tone slightly eased the Beastman’s unease.

A moment later, the Elf Maiden was by Roland’s side.

However, unlike the shock the other two felt upon seeing the scene, Avril merely frowned, her expression grave, and slowly began to speak.

"These are... the traces left behind after a battle between Extraordinary Professionals."

"Extraordinary Professionals... Could it be..."

"You’re right."

Avril’s voice was low and serious, the horrifying scene before them suppressing her usual liveliness.

"It’s highly likely that Dean Graham encountered a mysterious Extraordinary Professional, and a fierce battle broke out between them."

"So you’re saying... Dean Graham found the Wolf King?"

"We can’t be sure yet."

Avril shook her head slightly and slowly began to explain.

"The truth is, ever since we entered the Land of Mist, although the army has advanced quite rapidly thanks to Dean Graham’s immense power, we’ve mainly encountered frenzied Demons and... those humans who were mutated and twisted by the Truth Church. As for the Wolf King..."

She took a deep breath, her tone growing even more solemn.

"To this day, we haven’t found any definite information about him. We don’t even know... whether he is human or beast, man or woman."

"I understand."

Roland tore his gaze away from the terrifying scene that looked as if it had been bombarded by a meteor. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the tremor in his heart, and spoke. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Regardless, for now we can only continue toward Cuiyan Forest. However..."

He cautiously sniffed the lingering scent of burning and destruction in the air.

"After we reach the edge of the forest, it would be best to have the main force halt temporarily. We should first send a few of our most experienced veterans to sneak in and scout out the situation, just in case..."

Roland didn’t finish, but Avril already understood his concern.

’If one side of this battle was Graham...’

’Then what is the condition of the troops stationed in Cuiyan Forest right now?’

’Are they safe?’

’The worst-case scenario...’

Avril forcibly suppressed the thought, feeling a pang of regret.

’Joining this expedition out of curiosity now seemed like it might have been the wrong decision.’

’But...’

Her gaze shifted to the serious young man beside her. A barely perceptible smile touched the Elf Maiden’s lips, and her usual liveliness quietly returned.

’Then again, it’s not all bad...’