After a while, Leyvi still couldn't find anything that stood out. Sure, there were strange insects scattered throughout the area, some oddly shaped, some with translucent wings or strange colors—but nothing consistent, nothing widespread enough to be suspicious. More importantly, none of them triggered that instinctual alarm in him. No chill up his spine. No gut feeling of danger. Just weak, insignificant bugs.
Leyvi narrowed his eyes, frustration quietly building.
He was beginning to question whether it was even worth continuing. The deeper they went, the more unclear the situation became. That mysterious entity, still hidden, still watching. And then there was the so-called Shadow Hunter, mentioned so casually by the voice as if it were entertainment.
The entire atmosphere suddenly felt heavier.
Leyvi found himself at a crossroads. A part of him said to turn back now, forget this place, and leave Victor to fate. That had been the plan, hadn't it? If things got too dangerous, he'd retreat. He even told himself that out loud before.
But now that he was actually standing here, on the edge of that decision, it wasn't so simple.
Leyvi sighed. It was very easy to say something, you'd do this, you'd do that, but when really put in the situation, things would always feel different.
Would he be able to face Selene later? Or Magnus? Could he look them in the eye if something happened to Victor?
His jaw tightened.
Dammit. Stupid Leyvi. Don't ever speak with such confidence again. He gritted his teeth inwardly. I hope I won't regret this.
And with that, he made his decision. He would continue forward despite the risk.
"Dastan, go down the mountain. There are dangerous things here. I'll continue this alone." Leyvi sent a sound transmission quietly, keeping his tone firm.
"What? Then come down together! Why do you still want to go? Are you stupid?" the crown prince shot back, clearly annoyed and worried.
"Just go! I don't want to argue right now. Wait at the base." Leyvi didn't give room for debate. He turned around and began ascending once more, his figure swiftly blending into the misty forest as he moved between the trees.
Crown Prince Dastan stood in place, scowling at the disappearing silhouette. "Tch! Bullshit! What do you mean you're not a good guy?" he muttered, his voice bitter.
He finally turned and started heading down the mountain. His steps were quick, but his grumbling continued. "I should enter the Nascent Soul Realm as soon as possible."
Meanwhile, as Leyvi climbed further up the misty mountain, the mystical voice echoed around him again.
"That's odd... why did he suddenly send down his companion? Did he sense something abnormal here?"
Because of you! Leyvi rolled his eyes inwardly, still keeping his spiritual sense active, refusing to give up on finding the source of the voice.
"Or did he sense the Shadow Hunter? No, no. That shouldn't be. Unlikely."
C'mon, voice, keep talking. Give me something useful—tell me what this Shadow Hunter is. And maybe drop a hint about yourself too. Leyvi thought with curiosity.
"Oh well, I'll just wait and see. I hope a confrontation happens this time. It'll be a good show."
Leyvi's mouth twitched. Why do beings like this always crave entertainment? Back at the reef, the coral polyp had followed them out of boredom. Are all these creatures just… bored out of their minds?
Still, what it said earlier—it sounded like Victor hadn't met the Shadow Hunter yet. That was at least a bit of good news.
Leyvi pressed on, continuing his climb. Demonic beasts interrupted him several times along the way, and this time he used his metal bat instead of his usual Big Bang attacks. Those were simply too loud. The last thing he wanted was to attract the Shadow Hunter—whatever it was. He didn't know how strong it might be, but he had no intention of finding out.
After some time, Leyvi finally reached the top—the cloud forest.
Mist and low-hanging clouds blanketed the area, cloaking the forest in a thick, ethereal veil that softened every outline and muffled every sound. The air was cool and heavy with moisture, carrying the earthy scent of moss, wet bark, and ancient wood. Droplets clung to every leaf and vine, glistening faintly under the dim, scattered light filtering through the dense canopy. Each step Leyvi took sank slightly into the sponge-like moss beneath his feet. The atmosphere felt untouched, like a place suspended in time. An eerie stillness hung in the air, broken only by the occasional drip of water or the distant, muffled call of some hidden creature.
Leyvi spread his spiritual sense to its maximum, but even then, it couldn't reach the forest's full extent. It was far more expansive than he had imagined. Still, after a few minutes, he managed to confirm that this cloud forest was indeed the place where he had seen Victor last. He saw the exact area he visited last time.
Done with his scan, Leyvi began moving carefully into the forest. He kept his movements light, mindful not to make too much noise. There was no telling what kind of demonic beasts might be lurking nearby, especially not if the so-called Shadow Hunter was around.
As for the mystical voice… he no longer saw it as an immediate threat. If it were hostile, it could've attacked him or Dastan already. Instead, it merely watched and waited, curious and entertained. That lowered his wariness a notch.
Quietly, Leyvi stepped deeper into the mist-shrouded forest.
Come out, Victor. Show yourself. I'll grab you and run away immediately. Leyvi's inner voice called out as he moved carefully through the mist.
He meticulously searched the area within his spiritual sense's range, one section at a time. He was looking for a silhouette of a person within a tree, just like before. That would be enough to spot Victor.
But hours passed. The forest grew darker, the mist thicker. No matter how many trees Leyvi scanned, how many shapes he scrutinized, Victor was nowhere to be found.
Even with his Dual Mind ability alternating focus and preserving stamina, the constant effort wore him down. The prolonged use of spiritual sense, the tension of remaining undetected, and the endless repetition slowly chipped away at his mental strength.
By the time night fell, the forest became nearly unsearchable. The shadows deepened, the cold dampness bit into his skin, and visibility dropped to almost nothing.
Leyvi finally gave in and rested atop a tree branch, still and silent, operating only the bare minimum of his spiritual sense to stay safe.
Did he leave the forest already? After all, it's been two weeks. Victor... he couldn't have fallen here, right? Come on, brother-in-law, please be alive.
He sighed inwardly. This is quite troublesome. If only my spiritual sense had some kind of auto-finding function. That would make things so much easier. It wasn't listed as one of the official abilities in the manual, but maybe it's something that can be learned. Somehow… probably.
Leyvi's thoughts drifted into quiet musings as the cold night wore on.
Meanwhile, Dastan waited just outside the mountain base, relaxing inside his Crown War Tank. As usual, he sat comfortably with Tantan perched on his shoulder.
Outside, a high-level demonic rhino was stubbornly ramming the tank, trying its best to impale and topple it over. But all its effort amounted to nothing. The Crown War Tank, a tier-5 spirit artifact equipped with advanced defensive formations, didn't even tremble. It was built to withstand attacks from even general-level demonic beasts to a certain degree—this rhino didn't stand a chance.
"Daa hahaha! Tantan, look at that stupid rhino. Its horn chipped a little, and now it's even angrier!" Dastan laughed, pointing at the beast through the viewing screen.
"Dii hihihi! So stupid," Tantan giggled. Her tail wagged as she looked around with sparkling eyes. "Master, I want a spirit artifact like this too!"
She had long realized that, despite being a demonic beast herself, her strength was abysmal. Her evolution had only been possible thanks to that miraculous event. If she wanted to keep up and survive in this world, she would need the help of human tools, just like this indestructible tank.
"This place is way better than that stupid spirit beast bag," she added with a pout.
"Sure! When we return, this prince will give you any spirit artifact you want," Dastan promised without hesitation.
"Great! I love you, master! All stupid beasts who look down on me shall be punished!" Tantan declared fiercely, puffing out her chest.
"Daa hahaha! That's my Tantan." Dastan grinned proudly, giving her head a playful rub.
Eventually, the rhino's horn cracked clean off, and with a furious snort, it stomped away in defeat. It hadn't managed to leave so much as a scratch. Dastan and Tantan burst into laughter together, their voices echoing faintly in the night.
Dastan continued to wait inside the Crown War Tank, still not sure when Leyvi would return. Night had fallen completely now. The world outside was dark and quiet, the kind of stillness that made the air feel thick. No more demonic beasts had shown up to bother the tank since the rhino—either they were smart enough to avoid it, or the earlier display had been enough of a warning.
From time to time, Dastan sent out his spiritual sense to sweep the surroundings, just in case.
And right now, he did exactly that.
"…Huh?" he muttered, eyes narrowing. "Is that a demonic tree coming out of the forest?"