Chapter 221: Light in the Dark

Meanwhile, in the second group, several pirates suddenly slowed their pace.

"Wait. Did you hear that?"

One of the pirates suddenly stopped walking.

His companions turned toward him.

"Hear what?"

"I thought I heard something behind us. Like someone stepping on a branch."

The pirate beside him glanced over his shoulder. All he could see were trees and tangled vegetation, their shadows stretching across the forest floor.

"Probably just an animal."

"An animal? On this damn turtle?"

"Then maybe one of those monsters. Either way, what are you worried about? We’re armed."

A few of them laughed.

The first pirate hesitated before finally shrugging.

"Yeah. Maybe I’m just imagining things."

They continued forward.

The forest was unusually quiet. There were no insects, no birds, and barely any wind. The only sounds came from their own footsteps and the occasional clinking of weapons against armor.

After several minutes, one of the pirates suddenly raised his hand.

"Hold on."

He crouched beside a patch of disturbed soil.

"What is it?"

"Look at this."

The others gathered around him.

Several footprints had been left in the soft ground. Their shape was vaguely human, though the marks were partially obscured by fallen leaves and broken branches.

One of the pirates leaned closer.

"Could this be our target?"

"Looks like it."

"Then we finally have something. Follow the tracks."

The group began moving along the trail, their excitement gradually replacing their earlier uneasiness.

High above them, Gray watched from a thick tree branch.

’Footprints?’

He briefly glanced down at the ground beneath his body.

’I must have left some behind while moving through the forest.’

It was an oversight.

Although his Phantom Cloak concealed his presence, it didn’t necessarily erase every physical trace he left behind. The pirates had stumbled upon evidence of his movements, and he couldn’t afford to let them follow it any farther.

He considered eliminating them immediately.

However, before he could move, one of the pirates suddenly stopped.

"...Wait."

"What now?"

The man slowly raised his head.

"I feel like something’s watching us."

His gaze wandered across the surrounding trees before eventually settling on the branches above.

For a moment, his eyes seemed to stop directly beneath Gray’s hiding place.

Gray remained motionless.

’Did he notice me?’

The pirate narrowed his eyes.

"Something’s up there."

His companions immediately raised their weapons.

"Where?"

"Up in that tree."

Several lights shifted toward the branches.

The pirate stared at the tree for several seconds, but the darkness and dense foliage prevented him from seeing anything clearly.

He frowned.

"I can’t see anything."

"Then there’s nothing there."

"But I swear—"

"Enough. We’re wasting time."

The pirate reluctantly lowered his weapon.

Gray remained perfectly still until the group resumed walking.

’That was close.’

His Phantom Cloak continued to conceal him, but the encounter reminded him that concealment wasn’t the same as complete invulnerability. If someone happened to look in the right direction, he could still attract attention.

Then another problem emerged.

"...Hey."

One of the pirates looked around.

"Where’s Darwin?"

The group immediately stopped.

"What?"

"Darwin. Where the hell is he?"

They counted their companions.

Their expressions gradually changed.

"...He was right behind us, wasn’t he?"

"Darwin!"

One pirate shouted into the darkness.

"Quit messing around and come out!"

But there was no answer.

A cold feeling crept through the group.

They had been walking together only moments ago. Darwin hadn’t said anything about leaving, nor had anyone noticed him falling behind.

Yet he was gone.

"Shit."

One of the pirates tightened his grip on his weapon.

"Everyone, get closer. Don’t wander off alone."

The others immediately gathered together.

Their earlier confidence had disappeared.

"Something’s killing us."

"No shit. You think Darwin just decided to take a walk?"

"Could it be that monster?"

"Then where is it?!"

One of the pirates suddenly reached for a flare attached to his equipment.

"We need to notify the others."

He raised his arm and fired.

A brilliant red light shot into the sky, illuminating the forest canopy before bursting into a shower of sparks.

Gray watched the flare disappear behind the treetops.

’Damn it.’

His original plan had been to eliminate the pirates quietly, one by one, before they realized anything was wrong.

But now, the other groups would know that something was happening.

If they start gathering together, this will become much more troublesome.

He needed to finish this group before reinforcements arrived.

Gray immediately activated Cavitation Pulse.

A concentrated superheated projectile formed before being launched toward the nearest magical lamp.

BOOM!

The lamp exploded.

Before the pirates could understand what had happened, Gray redirected his attack toward another source of illumination.

BOOM!

A torch shattered, its burning fragments scattering across the ground.

The pirates hurriedly turned toward the direction of the attacks, but Gray was already targeting their remaining sources of light.

"What the hell?!"

"Who destroyed the lights?!"

"Stay together!"

The pirates immediately raised their weapons.

Some attempted to activate their own illumination spells, while others frantically searched for the source of the attack.

But the darkness was overwhelming.

They could barely distinguish their companions from the surrounding trees.

"Someone’s here!"

"Where?!"

"Don’t move! You’ll hit each other!"

Their voices overlapped, turning the previously quiet forest into a chaotic mess.

Gray watched them from above.

’Perfect.’

However, one of the pirates reacted quickly.

"Everyone, stay behind me!"

A mage stepped forward.

His hands moved rapidly as he gathered mana around his staff.

"Fireball!"

A small flame appeared above his palm.

It rapidly expanded, growing brighter and hotter until it became a floating sphere of fire.

The surrounding forest was illuminated once again.

And then the mage saw Gray.

The creature hovered between the branches, its translucent body faintly reflecting the light. Its long tentacles hung beneath it, swaying gently in the air.

For a brief moment, the mage froze.

"...There!"

He pointed his staff toward Gray.

"I found it!"

The other pirates immediately turned toward the creature.

"That’s the monster?!"

"Kill it!"

The mage didn’t hesitate.

"Burn!"

The fireball shot toward Gray, its blazing light illuminating the entire area.

Gray immediately recognized the danger.

He activated EMP Shroud.

A subtle wave of energy spread through the surrounding area, interfering with the sensory perception of nearby enemies.

The pirates began experiencing strange sensations.

"What’s happening?"

"I can’t sense anything!"

"Where did it go?!"

Even those attempting to use detection skills found their perceptions unreliable.

But the mage’s fireball had already been released.

Gray activated Flow State.

His perception sharpened dramatically.

The movements of the pirates, the trajectory of the fireball, and the surrounding terrain all became clearer.

He darted sideways through the air, his tentacles trailing behind him as he narrowly avoided the incoming fireball.

The flames passed through the space he had occupied moments earlier.

A nearby tree exploded into fire.

"It’s moving!"

"Don’t let it escape!"

The pirates raised their weapons, attempting to track Gray’s movements.

But their senses were already being distorted by EMP Shroud, making it difficult to determine his exact position.

Gray took advantage of their confusion.

He opened his mouth.

"Arcane Burst."

A concentrated burst of magical energy erupted toward the incoming fireball.

The two forces collided.

For an instant, the surrounding forest was illuminated by a brilliant flash.

Then the mage’s fireball was completely overwhelmed.

Its magical structure collapsed, and the flames scattered into countless sparks before disappearing.

"What...?"

The mage stared at the empty space in disbelief.

He had never expected his spell to be destroyed so easily.

Gray didn’t give him time to recover.

’You were the one who revealed me.’

The mage hurriedly raised his staff again, attempting to prepare another spell.

But Gray was already moving.

His body blurred through the darkness, leaving the pirates struggling to follow his movements.

"Where is it?!"

"Watch your surroundings!"

"It’s behind us!"

The group was beginning to lose control.

And Gray intended to exploit every second of it.