Chapter 593: The Gathering of Remnants

Chapter 593: The Gathering of Remnants

In a sunlit clearing within the dense forest, Nina and Morris came to a stop, both transfixed by a tall silhouette that appeared as if from nowhere. This mysterious figure displayed an unexpected look of surprise.

After a few heartbeats, the figure finally revealed herself as a nimble elf maiden dressed in light hunting gear, holding a peculiar weapon with an elongated axe staff. She spoke with a voice reminiscent of a pristine spring bubbling its way through the woods, asking, Didnt the two of you get the command to fall back? Why are you lingering beyond the boundaries of the Silent Wall?

Without uttering a word, Nina and Morris exchanged an understanding glance before silently communicating their predicament.

Uncle Duncan, Nina relayed through her thoughts, Weve run into a third Shireen. Shes mentioned the Silent Wall, too.

Shaking off his initial shock, Morris greeted the elf maiden with respect, who had so mysteriously appeared at the edge of the sunlit clearing. With a composed voice, he replied, We werent informed of any such command. Can you enlighten us about the current situation?

A look of surprise momentarily flashed across the elf maidens face, realizing Morriss genuine unawareness. However, she swiftly regained her composure and said, Things have taken a turn for the worse. A dark corruption is expanding beyond the Silent Wall. At the moment, the only refuge lies within the walls confines due to the Creators absence.

The Creators absence?!

Grasping the weight of her words, Morris managed to maintain a stoic front, solemnly inquiring, Would you lead us to this Silent Wall?

The elf maiden promptly answered, her gaze reflecting both a sense of duty and worry. Youre fortunate to have come across a ranger like me. I may be one of the last of my kind still patrolling these parts. Follow my lead before the ominous corruption reaches this place.

She began to make her way deeper into the forest, but after a few strides, she halted, casting a fleeting glance back at the duo, Just so you know, my name is Shireen. Its a name youd do well to remember.

Both Morris and Nina acknowledged with a shared nod, watching as the elf maiden named Shireen resumed her path, guiding them further into the depths of the forest in the direction of the much-discussed Silent Wall.

..

After what seemed like an endless journey through the dense woods, Shirley began to question something she had always taken for granted: Was the so-called Silent Wall just a myth, or did it genuinely exist?

She had been walking for such a long time that she had lost count of the hours or days. The sprawling forest, with its towering trees and thick foliage, had a disorienting effect on Shirley. No matter where she turned her eyes, the view was virtually identical an endless stretch of trees. The occasional sight of a fallen tree or obstacles like hefty boulders and rivulets offered a brief, albeit limited, variation from the repetitive landscape.

Navigating through the forest was no easy feat. The ground, littered with rotting leaves, presented an unpredictable terrain replete with concealed pits and treacherous spots. Obstacles like intertwined vines, sharp thorns, and protruding tree roots often lay in their path. Recalling her days in the city, Shirley had once believed that navigating the narrow, cluttered alleyways, crisscrossed by pipes and conduits, was the most daunting terrain she had faced. However, this wild, untamed expanse of nature made even the most neglected urban landscapes look easily navigable.

She remembered an old saying of the captain. Wasnt it something about the civilizing influence of human development?

Shireen appeared unbothered by Shirleys candid reference to the Creator. Instead, a profound sadness seemed to cloud her eyes as she softly responded, The Creator will return. Hes simply surveying the boundaries; he just ventured a little farther than usual this time Until He returns, Atlantis will employ the Silent Wall to protect the elven kind Atlantis will patiently await His comeback.

Shireens concluding statement resonated with a tone of self-consolation, which didnt go unnoticed by Shirley.

Before Shirley could delve deeper into the topic, she observed a striking change in Shireens demeanor. The elf, who seemed deep in sorrow just moments ago, now radiated alertness. Gripping her battle spear-axe tightly, Shireens eyes bore into the forests dense foliage as if anticipating an impending threat.

A sudden unease gripped Shirley, and she blurted out, Whats going on?

Quiet! Shireen whispered with an intensity that made Shirleys heart skip a beat. A corrupted presence has infiltrated our sanctuary

Corrupted? What did she mean?

As she ruminated on the word, Shirley began to discern faint disturbances emanating from various parts of the forest the underbrush, the ground, the shadowed hollows of the trees, and even the ambient air seemed tainted.

A looming sense of danger pervaded the atmosphere. It felt as though malevolent beings, lurking unseen, were slowly closing in on them. An oppressive weight of evil, coupled with an uncanny feeling of being under surveillance, choked the dense woods. Through a deep empathic link with her canine companion, Dog, Shirley sensed the malefic entities that were seeping, like liquid darkness, into their realm.

From every corner, tendrils of pure obsidian darkness began to stretch out and intertwine, forming an ominous web.

The followers of the Black Sun? Or could it be the Cult of Annihilation?

This revelation stunned Shirley momentarily. She vividly recalled that as they entered the forest, Dog had detected the faint aura of the Annihilators. Then why were they now being ambushed by these horrors, the vassals of the Black Sun?

Shaking off her momentary paralysis, Shirleys instincts screamed for action. Readying herself, she watched the encroaching shadow tendrils with intense scrutiny. She whispered urgently to Shireen, Brace yourself. These monsters lurk and move within shadows, making them exceptionally challenging adversaries. Theyre incredibly resilient.

As she communicated this, she noticed a rippling motion beneath the shadow cast by a nearby tree. The tendrils, hiding within, were rapidly coalescing into tall, slender, humanoid apparitions, materializing with unnerving speed.

But Shirley was prepared. She had been anticipating this very transformation.

In an instant, chains clinking and air slicing around her, she lunged at the closest shadowy figure. Summoning Dog with a ferocity she had seldom displayed, she hurled her partner as if it were a giant flail.

Dog, reminiscent of a meteor hammer, charged headlong into the initial Black Sun offspring. A sickening crunch, echoing the squelching of a rotting fruit, followed. The shadowy humanoid was annihilated before it could even fully comprehend its environment, bursting into a splatter of putrid ichor.

Simultaneously, throughout the forest, where the dense canopy and foliage played games with the light, countless shadowy figures began to materialize at an alarming rate