Chapter 244: In Plain Sight

Darcel felt his curiosity and confusion rise as his eyes stared over at a white haze that was hard to miss. It was only fifty feet away from him, and really anybody should be able to spot this sight.

Especially for the level of power Darcel holds and other Heavenly Kings naturally wielded. 

And yet….only just now he was noticing this? Not even that White Demon squadron paid any attention to this!

What was causing Darcel so much confusion was a hazy white mist quite literally shrouding the snowy forest directly to his left. 

Staring into this hazy white mist was quite the sight to behold. There was a certain mysterious quality about it that Darcel found it hard to take his eyes away from. 

And right then, his eyes quickly flashed over to Aniela and Masami. His expression only became more confused as the girls were seemingly oblivious to the hazy white mist.

Two thoughts sprang into Darcel's mind. Was this hazy white mist just always there, and everyone's attention just slipped by it? Or did the hazy white mist suddenly appear without any energy flowing through the air or noise?

Darcel honestly didn't know which thought could be true. Before he could make up his mind on anything, he first began to expand his Spirit Sense over to the mist. 

His eyebrows began to wrinkle as he looked for even the slightest detection of energy.

After the events in that seemingly treasure cave, Darcel didn't dare underestimate any type of energy in this independent realm. 

If just the slightest sliver of power from him, Aniela and Masami could cause a Grand Sage beast to appear. Then who knows what other vicious tricks this independent realm holds. 

And Darcel sure as hell wasn't going to risk his girl's or his own life for that. 

While Aniela and Masami searched their eyes around, making the occasional comment to each other, Darcel remained rooting in sensing the mist.

He stayed like this for two seconds until something finally happened. 

The odd thing Darcel found out was that there wasn't a speck of energy or any life-threatening thing over at the mist. 

But, the strangest thing was that Darcel found out his Spirit Sense can't venture deep in the hazy white mist. 

After the events with the yellow-eyed woman, Darcel did notice his Spirit Sense range had considerably lessened.

It was a far cry to what he could do before this Event. And even when activating his bloodline powers, it didn't help his Spirit Sense range that much. 

But even with all these heavy nerfs, Darcel could still expand his Spirit Sense for several miles.

However, this hazy white mist prohibited Darcel from even going twenty feet inside it. Moreover, it wasn't like there was any energy blocking his way. It was like he met an invisible solid force that wouldn't budge no matter what.

Darcel put it akin to being blocked by a metal wall that was impossible to break or go over. Still, he didn't sense any danger from what he could feel out in the mist. 

Before coming to a decision, Darcel took a deep breath to contemplate this.

He had just reminded himself before to be extra careful in order to not awaken something that could instantly end their lives in a snap. However, Darcel couldn't completely squash his unwillingness to take risks.

To just avoid every sign of danger and only go for the absolute safest option won't allow him or the girls to grow. And in their position, they needed more power more than ever.

Suddenly then, Darcel felt his mind jolt as he recalled something that could help them take this risk. He reached his hand in his pocket and immediately felt his spatial ring inside it. 

Before coming to the Mercenary Exchange Event, healing items weren't the only thing they had stocked up. 

Darcel also recalled they had various talisman and strong Royal Rank Spirit Weapons that can help with a tight situation.

It was how he and the girls avoided the three Crow Leaders powerful combined Martial Skill attacks by just the skin of their teeth. 

The Snow Angel group is truly well equipped with a plethora of life-saving items.

And when thinking about the Snow Angel group, Darcel felt mixed about them. Previously, he never put much thought into making those women his Darkness Servants. Because it significantly helped his girls and him, Darcel never once cared about the implications.

But now, Darcel felt frustrated as he had lost several excellent subordinates. 

And he also felt a pang of….sorrowful regret? 

He could understand his frustrations as losing his Darkness Servants will majorly set them back.

Plus, when recalling that black-haired figure words, they had also mentioned for him to not use his Darkness Soul link on anybody new. Understandably, this very powerful near-broken ability was a significant player in Darcel's plans. 

But now, it was cruelly stripped away from him.

So with all of those frustrations, Darcel couldn't understand this sorrowful regret feeling. It was almost like his consciousness wanted him to feel guilty about essentially taking those women's free will away.

Since it was for his girls, Darcel would never backtrack on his action and regret them. But there was clearly something within his mind that wanted him to feel sorrow on a more personal level.

"Tch." Darcel audibly clicked his teeth. He shook his head, trying to clear away these confusing thoughts. 'Just don't think about it; I don't regret doing that. Plus, at this point, they all would want to kill us. There's no such thing as extra kindness in this world.'

While Darcel had a slight battle with his jumbled-up thoughts, Aniela and Masami had already turned their attention on him when he had clicked his teeth. 

They both donned a slightly worrying expression as Darcel's expression was ominously downcasted.

"Darcy? Is something wrong?" Though there were a lot of things wrong with their situation, Aniela recognized there was something more obviously bothering him. 

"Just tell us what's going on in that big dome of yours." Masami decided to add some light humor to her voice. Although it couldn't completely cover up her increasing worry.

When hearing his girl's concern, Darcel immediately snapped out of his trance. He pushed those emotions to the far regions of his mind, though he knows they will one day inevitably resurface.

Darcel had then focused his sights on the girls. And as he focused back on their current situation, he realized that still Aniela and Masami hadn't noticed the hazy white mist! 

Darcel knitted his eyebrows together and had then asked the girls, "I'm fine but confused. Look, just follow my hand very carefully, alright?" 

As Darcel slowly raised his hand, Aniela and Masami nodded. They were a bit puzzled about what he was going to show them as they haven't picked up on anything for a while now.

With both girls' attention entirely on him, Darcel had then pointed his arm straight at the hazy white mist. At the same time, Aniela and Masami followed their gazes to where his hand was pointing.

"Ehh?? Was that always there?!" 

Aniela couldn't contain her shock. Her eyes widened as there was this hazy white mist just fifty feet to their left! And throughout this time, she couldn't detect it at all?!

"The hell….great. Now it seems like we gotta deal with sudden happenings in this damn realm." 

Masami felt the same amount of shock as Aniela did, but her mind had already jumped to a conclusion.

Because she, Aniela, Darcel, or those Heavenly Kings couldn't detect it at first, then most obviously, it suddenly appeared here. 

Masami didn't see how it was possible in any other way. That greedy squadron group would've been more than happy to sink their attention to this for a potential treasure.

"Yea, I know, it's incredibly odd. Even I only just noticed that mist. And I had also spread out my Spirit Sense in there. Couldn't get far because of some invisible force that doesn't have any energy. But I also didn't detect any danger. What do you girls say about going? There could be a treasure in there, and we are prepared in our spatial rings."

Darcel slowly explained. He patiently waited as the girls sucked in the information he told them like a sponge. 

Aniela began rubbing her chin as her mind went through several possible scenarios. Though she felt nervous about something dangerous unexpectedly happening, Darcel was right in that they had their Spatial rings. 

Plus, risks are needed to grow powerful. So Aniela reached a swift conclusion and nodded her head, saying, 

"Something so suspicious like this….I would be legitimately surprised if this doesn't hold a treasure. Plus, we have the means to instantly pull out danger, so I say full speed ahead!" 

It was only slightly, but some of Aniela's old energetics gradually returned to her. When she had brought up the prospect of becoming Mages, it continued to fuel her mind with bright ideas than depressingly bleak ones. 

And now, she had somewhat of assurance of treading danger to gain power.

Masami was nodding her head, but her eyebrows became tightly knitted the more she inspected that mist with her Spirit Sense. "Alright, but we'll have to stick close to each other; that mist can probably separate us."

Both Darcel and Aniela readily nodded. 

"Let's go." Darcel led the call and took the lead walking towards the hazy white mist. Aniela and Masami, of course, followed closely behind.

And as they got close, the more they felt their surprise rise. When they were only twenty feet away, a sudden vibrant Qi energy assaulted their Spirit Sense. 

At ten feet away, the vibrant Qi energy got slightly stronger

And at mere inches away, the trio could feel there was something good inside here. Darcel, Aniela, and Masami took one last look at each other before they walked through the hazy white mist.