The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 348: Through the layers (1)

Chapter 348: Through the layers (1)

Hex hurried to the uneven landscape, cloaked inside the Veil of Death. The spirit imprint he received from the Goddess of Death helped him mask his presence, even in daylight, albeit with decreased efficiency.

In a way, the thick columns of smoke covering the sky worked in Hex’s favor. He dashed through the land without leaving an imprint in the mud. This wasn’t the effect of the Veil of Death, though. His weightless sprint was a product of his mastery over the Earth element.

Hex grinned as he glanced at all the completed circles on the back of his hand. He felt his heart throb, hammering the different elements into the optimal shapes. The abilities gained not only boosted his strength but also diversified his arsenal, increasing the fun of using them.

Just like right now.

The Veil of Death helped him hide his presence, while the Earthen Step – the ability he gained from refining the content of the crystal he gained from the Sand Burial Monarch – enabled him to skim over the muddy ground. Frozen Wind – an ability gained by dissecting the Ice element even further – stopped the air around him from moving, preventing others from sensing changes in the air and boosting his hiding skills.

It took Hex just a few minutes to reach the area where the smoke billowed from. As soon as he crossed the highest elevation, he surveyed the land below. It seemed like the fields were set ablaze.

The grey smoke, the ashes swirling in the air, and the smell of burning grain mixed with burnt meat pervaded the air. The smoke rose into the sky but at the same time filled the air in the vicinity too.

Taking every precaution he could, Hex stepped through the smoke that seemed to enclose him. He kept his senses out.

’Still nothing.’

And it truly was nothing. It was as if no life existed in this part. Even the nature element that usually filled the air in Wrixia seemed to be lacking. It thinned out as he walked toward the region where the smoke was the most dense.

’Is it a Devil? An Enlightened being? Or something to do with a remnant divinity?’ Those were the possibilities he could think of as to why he was failing to sense the presence of an opponent.

’It seems Jonathan was right. I can’t even sense the faintest presence of life, meaning Unit Two has been dealt with.’

The absence of Unit Two was the reason Hex didn’t believe the enemy had escaped. An aerial unit with speed and strength like theirs wouldn’t be dealt with in a matter of minutes. As Guardians, they were sure to know how to approach someone stronger too, preventing a complete wipeout.

’A person or being capable of wiping them out in such a small window of time wouldn’t resort to trickery,’ Hex pondered as he continued to investigate. ’Unless...unless they are aware about Elize being part of this team.’

Even an Enlightened being wouldn’t risk going against two of them at the same time.

While thinking about all this, Hex didn’t pause his investigation. It was a risk. He knew that. But his road to mastery over the imprints and elements was clear. He just needed to walk it. And what better way to test the true limits of his abilities than against a possible Transformation Knight or Enlightened Knight.

’The grass is charred and almost destroyed to the roots. The mud is baked. Hard as stone, yet brittle to the point it cracks at the lightest step. This is normal when mud is placed in a high-intensity fire, only...where is the fire?’

Hex frowned. As far as he knew, smoke required fire or some sort of thermal ability. There were traces of such things, or how else would the mud have hardened? But then why couldn’t he sense any heat from the ground or the air?

Something didn’t add up.

Also, where were the corpses? He didn’t see any member of Unit Two. Nor were there tracks of them being dragged away in the mud. He smelled burnt meat, but he didn’t see any beast, dead or alive.

’It’s like they vanished in thin air. There are traces of things that aren’t present...’

Hex stood in the middle of the burnt field, in the shadow of the smoke, thinking and rubbing his chin as he did so. Several possibilities went through his head, each discarded after some careful analysis.

But the moment he thought about the possibility of a false reality, his eyes lit up. It was something he hadn’t considered.

’Mother was right. Mastery is achieved only by truly walking the path,’ Hex grinned as he nearly slapped himself. He had not considered one possibility because of his lacking experience with the elements.

With a faded flash, silvery light appeared, filling in the completed circle. Although the circle had been a gift, by using his heart, he managed to fuse it with himself.

Again, as soon as the Space element entered his heart, he sensed several realities overlapping each other. Through the elements, he saw the same place but in different states. Hex went through the elements in quick succession. His focus stretched to the limit, unwilling to miss the faintest clue.

He sensed the high consumption of Space elements but continued to browse through them. He felt the excitement build inside him. If his hunch was right, he would have taken another step toward mastery of the element.

’There.’

He nearly exclaimed as he saw the content of one of the crystals. A group of people lay strewn on the ground, all dead. Their faces were familiar. He had found Unit Two.

’The clues should be inside this element.’

He reached out with his senses, enveloping the element entirely. The next moment, the element seemed to enlarge rapidly, forming into a layer on top of reality.

Woosh.

The moment the layer appeared, his senses were attacked by the altered reality. Heat, the smell of rot and decay, screams and growls enveloped him. But that was not all. Sensing the presence of someone, Hex looked up.

A creature of burning clay, housing smoldering fire inside, hovered in the air, its wings outstretched with tongues of black fire flickering about, reveled in the agony and despair of its victims.