Chapter 88: Before the Gates Close

Chapter 88: Chapter 88: Before the Gates Close

Damon looked at the tiny object.

That was the frightening part.

It was easy to overlook.

If there were more scattered throughout the Birthground, they could have walked past all of them without realizing what was happening.

Caelia slowly connected the pieces.

"The unstable Aether we were sensing..."

"Could be connected to this."

"And if there are enough of these..."

Damon finished for her.

"They could be attracting the beasts."

Silence followed.

Their eyes met.

Neither needed to say what came next.

The Frostveil Expanse had been changing.

The beasts had started attacking the Winterbourne territory more frequently.

And if someone had been manipulating the elemental Aether inside the Birthground, they might have been giving those beasts a reason to keep coming.

Caelia clenched her fist.

"So the other families..."

"We don’t know that yet."

Damon stopped her.

"It could be them. It could be someone else."

He looked at the crystal again.

"We need proof."

Caelia nodded.

She was clearly frustrated, but she understood.

They couldn’t accuse anyone based on a theory.

Damon looked around.

"If someone placed this here, they probably didn’t do it from far away."

Caelia understood immediately.

"You think they’re nearby."

"I would."

Damon’s eyes moved across the surroundings.

"If I were doing this, I wouldn’t leave my work unattended for too long."

Caelia stared at him.

"You’ve thought about this before?"

Damon shrugged.

"I think about a lot of things."

That was exactly what worried her.

He didn’t seem frightened.

He seemed interested.

Damon had spent enough time exploring to know that the easiest way to find the person responsible wasn’t necessarily to search every corner.

It was to follow the disturbance.

If this crystal was affecting the Aether, whoever placed it would have to be somewhere nearby.

And if they were lucky, they could catch them before they had time to destroy the evidence.

But there was another problem.

The Aether around them was becoming more unstable.

Caelia felt it too.

"This will attract them."

"The beasts?"

She nodded.

"I know how the Birthground reacts. If the disturbance keeps increasing, another wave will come."

Damon sighed.

"So soon?"

"It could last for hours once it starts."

Damon looked toward the entrance.

The one hour Cornelius had given them suddenly made much more sense.

It wasn’t enough time for someone to cause unlimited damage.

And if something went wrong, the consequences were at least contained.

Damon smiled slightly.

"Your father really knew what he was doing."

Caelia nodded.

"He always does."

Damon looked down at the crystal once more.

They still didn’t know who was behind it.

They didn’t know how many crystals had been planted.

And they didn’t even know if their theory about the Frostveil Expanse was correct.

But now they had something.

A lead.

Damon put the crystal away.

"We need to move."

Caelia nodded.

"Where?"

"Forward."

He looked towards the exit of the Birthground.

"If they’re still here, we’ll find them before they make it out."

"And if the beasts come?"

Damon smiled.

"Then we deal with them."

Caelia couldn’t help but smile back.

The quiet exploration was over.

Whatever happened next, they were ready for it.

Damon and Caelia moved quickly.

They followed the disturbance toward the exit of the Birthground, and the farther they went, the stronger the change became.

The Aether was becoming unstable.

Not enough to cause immediate danger, but enough for Damon to notice the difference.

The Birthground itself was special.

It was connected to the Ice element, and the resonance spreading through it was like a signal to every Ice beast in the surrounding Frostveil Expanse.

Whoever had done this knew exactly what they were doing.

They had simply pushed it too far.

Caelia’s expression became grim.

"They increased the resonance."

Damon nodded.

"Which means they wanted a bigger wave."

"And they succeeded."

Damon looked ahead.

"Let’s find them before they do anything else."

He suddenly stopped.

"Wait here."

Caelia turned.

"What?"

Damon opened his second core.

"Sylphie."

A small figure appeared before them.

The Wind Sovereign Roc spread her wings immediately.

Caelia couldn’t help staring.

Bringing a Wind Spirit Elemental into an Ice Birthground was strange enough, but Sylphie didn’t seem bothered.

She was strong enough to handle it.

Damon pointed toward the direction ahead.

"Search around the exit. Don’t attack unless you’re sure."

Sylphie nodded.

"If you see anyone acting suspiciously, follow them."

Damon then showed her the strange crystal.

"And if you see one of these, find whoever placed it."

Sylphie’s eyes sharpened, then she immediately flew upward.

Whoosh!

Caelia watched her disappear into the distance.

"She doesn’t make any noise."

Damon smiled.

"She doesn’t need to."

Caelia understood his plan now.

They weren’t searching every corner.

They were looking for someone who was still working.

If the infiltrator was planting more crystals, Sylphie would see them.

And if the person was already leaving, she could follow them.

While they continued toward the exit.

Soon Sylphie’s voice came through their bond.

Found one.

Damon smiled.

"Good girl."

Caelia looked at him.

"You found them?"

"She’s following someone."

They immediately changed direction.

Damon moved faster.

Caelia followed without hesitation.

The exit was already close.

Whoever the infiltrator was, they had probably thought their job was finished.

They were wrong.

A few minutes later, Damon saw Sylphie waiting ahead.

But the person she had been following was standing beside the exit.

A young man.

He was dressed like one of the people who had entered with the Winterbourne group.

At first glance, there was nothing unusual about him.

Damon walked toward him with Caelia beside him.

Soon the man noticed them, and the moment he did his expression changed slightly.

Damon called out.

"You."

The man looked around.

"Me?"

Damon reached into his storage bag, straight to the point as he pulled out the strange crystal.

Then he took out another one.

This second crystal was still covered with traces of fresh Aether.

He held both up.

"I found this one earlier."

Then he raised the second.

"And Sylphie saw you planting this."