Chapter 476: Fog Genesis

"Extract."

[Talent Activated: Endless Extraction.]

The broken gray core dissolved beneath Caelus’s claw. A stream of pale light rose from the remains and entered his body.

[Ding! You obtained Racial Trait - Fog Genesis.]

[Fog Genesis - Generate fog that spreads from a small amount. By absorbing other creatures, you can use the fog to create obedient spawns based on them.]

Caelus’s eyes widened as he read the description.

He had expected another attack or perhaps a way to hide himself. Instead he had obtained a racial trait that could create creatures!

"Isn’t this a little too good?"

He withdrew his transformation and returned to human size. His wings folded away while the last of the red fire disappeared beneath his skin.

[Racial Trait Activated: Fog Genesis.]

A thin strand of fog flowed from his palm. It spread over the stones until a white cloud surrounded his feet, even after he stopped releasing more.

Caelus thought of the four-legged creatures they had fought earlier. The fog gathered into a long body with thin legs and a mouth full of hooked teeth.

Freya stepped closer to Sylvia.

"Big Brother, why did you make one of those ugly things?"

"I wanted to see if it worked."

He pointed toward a rock and ordered the creature to climb onto it. The spawn obeyed at once and crouched there without baring its teeth at anyone.

Caelus watched it with a growing smile. Creating something that could follow orders was far more useful than simply filling an area with fog.

Now he understood how the creatures in this place could be born. The mist could keep spreading and produce new spawns from the beings its owner observed.

But who had created the Fog Giant in the first place?

Could it have been the Akashic Records? Perhaps the creatures were meant to balance the danger against the rewards here.

Caelus glanced toward the golden embryos now visible beyond the shattered rocks. Anyone who wanted those treasures would have had to deal with their guardian.

It seemed possible, though he had no proof.

He dismissed his spawn and drew the fog back before it could cover the clearing again. There was no need to make their search harder after finally getting rid of the giant.

"Let’s collect these and leave."

The others spread out among the glowing trees. Sylvia lifted an embryo from a hollow between two roots while Himmel checked the rocks farther ahead.

Caelus picked up the nearest golden sphere and used his Authority of Space again.

[Authority Activated: Space.]

This time he focused on individual cells in his hand. Small entrances opened within them as separate pocket dimensions expanded beyond their boundaries.

He guided an embryo into each new space. From outside nothing changed, but he could sense the golden spheres floating safely within his cells.

Freya returned with an embryo held against her chest.

"This one’s mine."

"Yes, Freya. We have enough for you now."

She handed it over only after hearing his answer. Caelus stored it while Sylvia approached with another pair.

They checked beneath the roots and behind the fallen stones until the device showed no remaining embryos in the clearing. The giant had been guarding ten High-Grade World Embryos.

Together with the two already stored, they now had twelve.

Caelus couldn’t stop smiling. Four would give everyone a good start, and that still left eight they could sell or keep for later.

Perhaps Bertram could help them find buyers. The fairy owned a hotel and knew plenty of people, so he should at least know where to ask.

"All right, everyone. We’re leaving."

Freya hurried back to him while Sylvia slipped her hand into his. Even Himmel looked pleased with their haul.

They had entered hoping to find something useful and were leaving with more than they needed. Now they only had to find an exit portal.

That took longer than Caelus expected.

The navigation device helped them avoid cracks and steep drops, but no exit appeared along the first route they tried. They spent the next few hours moving through the fog and checking the paths ahead.

Caelus ignored several weaker embryo signals. After finding twelve High-Grade ones he wasn’t eager to spend another hour searching for something worse.

At last a tall ring of blue light appeared between two stone pillars. People were gathering around it, and figures vanished whenever they stepped through.

Sylvia squeezed his hand.

"There it is, finally. I was starting to think we’d spend the whole day walking."

Caelus led them toward the portal. As they approached he spotted a familiar golden eagle on a young man’s cloak.

"Caelus!"

Nico Adler waved him over from beside the pillars. Several members of his family stood behind him with their weapons put away.

"You’re heading out too? Did you find anything good?"

Caelus gave a small sigh and brought out the brown embryo.

"We weren’t that lucky. Only managed to find a Low-Grade one."

Nico glanced at it without any change in his friendly manner.

"Well, at least you found something. I’ve seen people come out with nothing after spending days in there."

"What about you?"

"We got a High-Grade embryo."

Nico opened his hand and a golden sphere appeared above his palm. Its light drew the attention of people waiting near the portal.

"High-Grade?"

One man leaned forward to look, while a woman beside him stared at the layers of land moving within the sphere.

"Where did they find that?"

"They’re from the Adler family. Of course they’d come prepared."

Nico’s smile widened at the attention. He turned the embryo slightly so Caelus could see it better.

"Had to search for a while, but it was worth it."

Caelus smiled back.

"Congratulations. Looks like your trip paid off."

Nico could show off his prize with his family’s people standing around him. Caelus and his companions had no such standing here.

Besides, what would he gain by announcing his haul? He preferred taking his embryos home over giving everyone a reason to follow him.

He put away the brown sphere and said goodbye. Nico wished them better luck next time before letting them pass.

The four stepped through the portal together. A moment later the fog disappeared and Caelus found himself on the broad platform outside the valley.

Ships still crowded the landing areas. Bertram stood beside his own vessel with a cup in his hand and brightened when he noticed them.

"There you are! I was wondering when you’d come back."

He opened the ship’s door and waved them inside. Once everyone had taken a seat he set down his cup and turned to Caelus.

"Don’t worry if you didn’t find anything today. The first trip is usually more about learning your way around."

Caelus looked at him in surprise.

"Who said we didn’t find anything?"

Bertram smiled.

"Oh, you did? Good, we can work with that."

"We got plenty, actually."

"How many?"

"Twelve High-Grade World Embryos."