Chapter Thirty-One: Obtaining the First Silver Legion’s Power Suit

The natural fog of the Mist Mountains was far denser than Valen had anticipated. It swirled around his Power Suit like a living entity, trying to bury his figure entirely from view.

His Tactical Visor was the only thing keeping him from flying blind, providing a high-contrast feed that highlighted the jagged peaks and deep ravines of the Level 30+ Danger Zone.

The red indicator from his Silver Tracking ability shone steadily on his Heads-Up Display, drawing him deeper into the mountain’s outer edges.

Valen was beginning to consider a retreat. If the Silver Power Suit he was tracking happened to be in the inner regions of the Mist Mountains, he would have no choice but to return.

He hadn’t encountered any monsters so far because most of them had already been cleared for points and EXP by Level 30+ Evolvers. If he dared to enter the inner region, he doubted anything would be left of him.

"Level 30+... every second here feels like walking on a tightrope," he breathed, his heartbeat accelerating.

He had only dared come here at Level 5 because of the power of his Silver Power Suit. Otherwise, no matter how tempting it was, entering a Level 30+ Danger Zone would simply not be worth it, given the high probability of death if anything went wrong.

All of a sudden, his eyes lit up as he realised the red indicator was pointing downward.

He descended toward it, arriving at a small hidden alcove shielded by an overhanging ledge. There, half-buried under dust and rubble, lay a silver suitcase. He landed lightly and deactivated Wind Step.

Beneath the suitcase was a human skeleton so old it was already beginning to crumble into dust. Valen’s expression turned solemn. He retrieved a bag from his Inventory Ring and emptied its contents — mostly weapons. Then he redistributed them into separate slots, leaving only Silver Edge as he approached the remains.

He carefully placed every bone and fragment of bone dust into the bag. Then, using Silver Edge, he dug a deeper hole. Once it was sufficient to protect the remains from scavenging animals, he placed the bag inside and covered it with soil.

He didn’t speak throughout the process, nor did he look back as he approached the box. His Power Suit’s Silver Tracking resonated violently, the red indicator shifting into green as he stood before it.

"Alex, what unit is this?" Valen asked. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Resonance signal confirmed. This is the Silver Commander Unit 04," Alex replied in its usual mechanical voice.

Valen vaguely recalled that this commander’s Power Suit had a legacy ability related to wormholes. He planned to check it once he returned.

He placed his hand on the smooth metallic surface. Instead of a scanner, a silver ripple spread from his suit and entered the box.

"Silver Command Authority acknowledged," a deeper mechanical voice echoed from within.

The box clicked open slightly, revealing its silver core glowing with both blue and red light.

Alex’s voice sounded in his ears:

"Congratulations, Master. You have retrieved: Silver Legion Power Suit (Commander Model)."

"One down. Five commanders, three generals, and three hundred soldiers to go," Valen whispered, his eyes gleaming behind the helmet.

He stored the commander’s box into a fresh slot in his Inventory Ring. With the mission accomplished, he felt momentarily relieved.

That relief vanished the next instant as a massive shadow eclipsed the dim light filtering through the mist above.

His head snapped upward, locking eyes with a giant winged creature emerging from the fog.

Its crescent-shaped wings stretched over fifteen metres, gliding effortlessly without a single flap. A long neck and spear-like beak extended from its streamlined body, while a pair of cold eyes locked onto him.

A Tetydraco.

Valen’s eyes narrowed. Without hesitation, he stored Silver Edge back into his Inventory Ring just as the creature began descending.

"Master, an aerial predator is approaching. Level 22 detected," Alex’s childlike voice warned.

A deafening screech tore through the silence, shaking loose rocks along the cliffside.

"Level 22?" Valen frowned. What was such a weak monster doing in a Level 30+ Danger Zone?

Although confused, he didn’t have the luxury to dwell on it.

"Alex, initiate Combat Simulation!"

The HUD instantly overlaid predicted flight paths and attack patterns. The beast dove, its claws aimed directly at Valen’s torso.

"Wind Step!"

With a burst of pressure from his boots, Valen shot upward.

The Tetydraco’s claws narrowly missed, smashing into the cliffside and sending debris tumbling into the abyss.

Mid-air, Valen twisted his body as six robotic spider arms deployed from his back.

"Ice Blasters, fire!"

Six beams of condensed ice energy lanced out, striking the Tetydraco’s left wing. The Level 10 attack barely left a mark.

The beast ignored the ice crystals and surged upward at terrifying speed. Still, Valen’s goal had never been to wound it, only to create an opening.

The armour on his right hand retracted, revealing his Silver Watch, which transformed into a grey pistol.

Bang!

A shot rang out. Blood exploded from the Tetydraco’s wing membrane, unbalancing its flight.

The creature was a veteran predator, however. It quickly stabilised itself and unleashed a deafening screech, releasing a visible soundwave that surged toward Valen.

"Grey Shield!"

The pistol transformed into a shield, which he raised in front of him.

The soundwave collided with it, producing a cataclysmic boom that echoed through the mountains.

Valen was still sent flying despite blocking the strike.

The Tetydraco didn’t hesitate. It vanished from its position and reappeared before him in an instant.

Valen’s eyes sharpened as the Silver helmet retracted. His System Lenses immediately fired a thin red beam into the creature’s eyes.

The Tetydraco screamed in agony, plummeting toward the ground — but Valen didn’t wait for impact.

"Ice Blades!"

Six jagged ice blades shot forward at terrifying speed. The Tetydraco tried to evade, but Valen’s enhanced Sight Path processing finally came into play, allowing him to track its movement.

Three blades pierced its throat, while the remaining three severed its wing joint.

The beast crashed into the mist below, its cries fading into a dull impact echo.

System: [You have slain a Level 22 Normal-class Mist-Winged Tetydraco. Beast level is significantly higher than yours. Points and EXP gained are massively increased.]

[You have received 4,900 points and 5,300 EXP.]

[Rewards: 15 Purple Coins, Manual: {Intermediate Forgery Guide}, and Lv. 20 Piercing Bolt Pack Blueprint.]

Valen didn’t celebrate. Instead, his expression turned grave.

At the edge of his vision, he could faintly make out two silhouettes even larger than the Level 22 Tetydraco.

A chilling possibility formed in his mind.

Alex’s voice followed immediately:

"Master, two aerial predators are approaching. Level 35 and Level 40 detected."