Tenebrous Wolf
Chapter 96: Sixth Sense

Chapter 96: Sixth Sense

For a few moments, the group took the chance to rest and catch their breath. Adrian looked visibly drained, with Seraphim not far behind, she had tapped into the aspect of her Nightmare, after all. Meanwhile, Morgan — Briar — had succumbed to sheer mental exhaustion and now lay fast asleep on the ground.

It was no surprise. They had narrowly escaped the deadly labyrinth, where a single misstep could have spelled the end for all of them.

Some might call it luck. But for a certain Strider, that was nothing more than wishful thinking.

A few meters from the cliff’s edge, Klaus stood, staring into the distance where the grey fog thickened. There was no clear reason for this. Perhaps he was just absentmindedly staring into empty space, or maybe considering their next course of action. But truth was not that grand. The real reason why he was staring into the horizon had nothing to do with preparation or strategy.

His danger senses were going off the charts. Since the moment they had settled on top of this cliff, a certain feeling of premonition had refused to fade from his chest. Klaus tried to make sense of what had triggered such a sense of danger, but he couldn’t see anything. In light of his [Adaptation], he had no trouble seeing in the darkness, and as such, he could clearly make out the figures and silhouettes of the current party members.

Yes, that was indeed the case. However, he couldn’t see anything else.

Looking below, Klaus could see the protruding black coral below the cliff’s edge, bathed in the pale light that filtered through the dense fog. This sight was nothing unusual, it was just the typical landscape of the area. Even so, the sensation of a cold hand pressing against the back of his neck refused to fade.

He scanned the horizon again, narrowing his eyes as he focused harder, willing his senses to pick up any hint of movement or danger. But all he could see was more fog, swirling and thickening as though it had a life of its own. The air grew thicker and heavier with each passing second along with the uncanny silence.

A few seconds later, he soon realized the source of his unease.

It was the absence of anything. Or rather, the absence of something.

The place was too quiet and empty. Not long ago, there had been several Nightmare Carapaces roaming the terrain. In fact, they were so numerous that the party had barely managed to reach their destination with their lives and limbs intact. But now, the entire labyrinth was silent. It was as if those creatures had suddenly vanished from the face of the sunless void.

Where had they gone? No, the real question was when exactly had they disappeared?

’Yeah, something was definitely off. Maybe I should take a look around.’

Dwelling on the matter, Klaus frowned and made his way back to the camping spot. As he approached, Seraphim turned her head and looked at him.

"What is it? Did you notice something?"

He shook his head.

"I didn’t see anything. As far as we’re concerned, we’re completely safe for the time being."

She exhaled a breath of relief.

"That’s a relief, I suppose."

Klaus hesitated, weighing his words carefully before speaking.

"I want to take a look around. Don’t be alarmed. We’re not in any danger, but I feel uneasy. You all stay here and keep an eye on Morgan while I go by myself."

"No, that won’t do," came a voice. Adrian stood up from his spot and looked at Klaus with his expression somber. "It would be better if two people surveyed the surroundings, rather than you exploring alone. So, I’ll be coming with you."

Klaus arched an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? I’m fine on my own. Besides, I can see well in the darkness, so I won’t run into any problems. By the way, weren’t you injured during the fight with the Nightmare Carapaces?"

Adrian shrugged.

"It’s no big deal. They’re mostly small injuries... insignificant, really. So you don’t have to worry about that."

Klaus studied Adrian for a moment, shifting his gaze to the faint bruises and scratches visible on the other man’s skin. Since Adrian was wearing the [Black Shroud], he hadn’t suffered much damage, thanks to the Nightmare’s protection. Even so, despite Adrian’s insistence, something about the way he shrugged them off didn’t sit right with Klaus. Still, he didn’t press the matter further.

Scratching the back of his head, Klaus replied with a casual yet thoughtful tone of voice:

"Alright, if you insist. But nothing might be there, so it might turn out to be a fruitless journey.

Adrian nodded.

"Don’t worry, I understand."

With their course decided, the two Striders departed to survey their temporary abode, while Seraphim remained behind to tend to the slumbering Morgan. There was little cause for concern regarding another assault; the Stalker, though wounded and still recuperating from the recent confrontation, remained alive and vigilant. Its presence alone was a sufficient deterrent to any would-be threat.

During their exploration, they soon discovered that the cliff’s summit stretched as wide as a small island. The silence was broken only by the occasional howl of the wind as it swept past them. Beneath the shroud of the black sky, light was nearly nonexistent, making movement difficult under normal circumstances.

Fortunately, Klaus wasn’t burdened by such limitations. Adrian, the blonde Strider, couldn’t say the same, but he still moved with enough grace to avoid stumbling as he strode across the terrain.

After a few minutes of searching, they came to a halt. There was nothing such as threats, or signs of life. Just looming boulders and uneven ground.

Truly, there was nothing.

Realizing this, Adrian slowly turned his head, glancing at Klaus, whose face was drawn into a deep frown.

"Dude, there’s nothing here. What made you think otherwise?"

Klaus didn’t respond right away. His eyes swept across the area again, scanning the shadows, the boulders, the uneven terrain for anything that might explain the unease clawing at his senses.

Just as Adrian said, there was nothing. They were really alone.

’Maybe there’s really nothing here. But why do I still feel uneasy?’

The human mind couldn’t be fully explained by any one person. According to many researchers, the subconscious often picked up on cues long before the conscious mind could register them. This happened when someone observed their surroundings, and during that process, the brain would record subtle patterns such as shifts in light, fluctuations in temperature, or sounds that didn’t quite belong. The ’mind body’ would internalize these irregularities, storing them as quiet warnings buried just beneath awareness. These warnings often surfaced as gut feelings, lingering unease, or a vague and persistent sense of danger.

Most of the time, this was referred to as instinct, intuition, or even a kind of sixth sense. But that didn’t mean those signals were always accurate.

A common example was when someone felt like they were being followed while walking alone at night, only to turn around and find no one there. Klaus suspected he was experiencing something similar.

Perhaps he was just being overly anxious. Klaus scanned his surroundings, torn between pressing on or returning to Seraphim and the sleeping Morgan. Even if a monster was prowling nearby, they could always try to hide and hope for the best. Night had already fallen, after all.

But would they really be able to escape? Most of their party would be hindered by the darkness. Who knew what kinds of Creatures roamed in the shadows? Simply relying on hope — without understanding the danger ahead — was, especially with the unpredictable effects of his Fateless attribute, little more than a dead man’s errand.

That was why Klaus scowled and continued surveying his surroundings. A few seconds later, he noticed a ridge obscuring the rest of the island from him. Coming close, he started climbing, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Noticing his strange behavior, Adrian stepped closer and spoke with a skeptical voice:

"Hey, where do you think you’re going?"

Klaus glanced down at him.

"I’m going to check this place out. You can head back to the campsite. I’ll handle it on my own."

Adrian’s brows knit together as if he was being looked down upon.

"What did I say before? I’m not letting you go off alone."

Klaus paused on the ridge, looking back at him. The expression on his face wasn’t one of annoyance, but a mix of concern, tension, and wariness. This was the expression of someone who was afraid so why was he so persistent, he wondered.

He sighed and at the same time, the fog of his breath mixed with the mist swirling around them.

"It’s just... something doesn’t feel right. I don’t want anyone else getting dragged into it if this turns out to be worse than I thought."

"Exactly why you shouldn’t be alone," Adrian replied, already moving to follow. "If something is out there, what good are you going to do by yourself?"

Klaus didn’t respond immediately. Well, that was indeed true, but why did he have to say it like he was completely useless and incompetent?

He turned back toward the ridge and muttered,

"Just stay behind me then. And keep your eyes open."

They climbed the incline together, their footsteps muffled against the damp rock and moss. The air grew colder as they ascended, and even Klaus — resilient as he was — felt a chill begin to settle in his bones.

Fortunately, the ridge wasn’t too high. Once they reached the top, Klaus and Adrian lifted their heads, peering over the edge to take in the plateau that had been hidden from view.

Upon scanning the discovered space and observing the outrageous scene before his gaze, Klaus froze, paled and began trembling all over.

Because what lay before them defied reason.

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