Chapter 32: Chapter Thirty-Two: A Race in the Mist Mountains

Chapter Thirty-Two: A Race in the Mist Mountains 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Danger Zones. These were terms humans used to describe places where there was a high likelihood of death. In such places, monsters weren’t the only things to look out for, as even the environment itself could be out to kill.

Death Zones were one grade higher than Danger Zones, simply because it meant certain death to enter such areas.

Among the numerous danger zones existing in the surroundings of White Star City, the Mist Mountains could be considered one of the safest. But Valen had overlooked one crucial point — the environment.

This was why his breathing felt rushed, and faint dizziness began to overwhelm his senses. He had forgotten that the mist was a dangerous aspect of the Mist Mountains.

Feeling his blood flow faster to push away the encroaching fatigue, and glancing at the distant, but approaching Level 35 and Level 40 monsters, Valen gritted his teeth and made a tough decision.

Instead of using the time he currently had to create a distance between himself and the Tetydracos, who crossed over 4 km with every flap of their wings, Valen descended rapidly through the thick fog toward the fallen Level 22 Mist-Winged Tetydraco.

’I hope this works.’

As he stood before the massive predator, the 5-Branch Silver Core within his Power Suit began to react, drawing in the negative energy released after the beast’s death.

Of course, Valen didn’t see all this. He could only make an educated guess from the series of mechanical pings echoing in his ears as Alex announced the rapid progression.

The core, which was previously at Level 10, surged through Level 11 and successfully reached Level 12 before coming to a stop.

Immediately, a surge of pure trophic energy erupted from the core and flooded Valen’s body, its revitalising heat mending his fatigue and significantly enhancing his physical strength.

He felt his muscles tighten and his senses grow sharper. He could perceive the odour of a swamp from over several hundred metres away. A sensation similar to his previous evolutions — where his senses felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from his body — enveloped him.

The exhilarating feeling of growing stronger was cut short by a deafening, dual screech from over six kilometres away.

Through his Tactical Visor, Valen watched the silhouettes of the Level 35 and Level 40 Tetydracos dive toward his area, their wingspans eclipsing the little light that reached the alcove from the barely visible moon.

Knowing that even with his newly enhanced strength, a direct confrontation in a Level 30+ Danger Zone was suicide, he activated his Wind Step at maximum output, wanting to get out of here as quickly as possible.

He became a silver blur, pushing his speed to the absolute limit and breaking the sound barrier once more as he wove through the jagged mountain peaks.

The two massive predators arrived above the area of the Level 22 Tetydraco’s death. They swooped down and inspected the corpse, then let out deafening screeches.

They turned their sights to Valen and pursued him with terrifying speed, their cries shaking the very foundations of the cliffs, but Valen utilised the unnatural fog of the Mist Mountains to obscure his flight path and break their line of sight.

He didn’t fly high in the sky, as he would only be a living target that way.

Every flap of their wings covered 4 km, and with each flap taking only 1.5 seconds, their speed was approximately 2.67 km/s. If Valen didn’t have the Silver Power Suit, he would’ve been doomed.

However, the Power Suit wasn’t omnipotent either. After his conversation with Alex, Valen began to remember some things from the first Silver King’s Memory more vividly.

He knew that the energy within his Silver Core wasn’t much, and it was only a matter of time before it ran out.

With the initial distance between him and the flying behemoths not being that large, they were slowly closing the gap even though he weaved through the fog to hinder their flight patterns.

Just as anxiety began dominating his mind, he noticed the fog begin to thin. He was gradually approaching the outer boundary of the mountain range.

From what he had read on the internet and heard from numerous Evolvers, creatures from Danger Zones and Death Zones didn’t leave their territory.

It was because the zone’s environment was the most optimal for their survival. Once they left, their strength would not only fall, but their combat effectiveness would also drop.

Following this train of thought, if he left the mountain range, there was a high chance the Tetydracos wouldn’t pursue him further.

However, as though to mock this thought of his, Valen felt the wind energy supplying his boosters begin to reduce, and in turn, his speed was drastically affected.

’No, not now! Not now!’

He was only a kilometre away from leaving this dreadful place, yet the suit’s energy just had to run out at this moment.

It went without saying that the Tetydracos caught up. The Level 40 Tetydraco swept one of its wings toward him.

The Level 35 Tetydraco was a bit slower to catch up, but it released a sonic attack just after the Level 40 Tetydraco’s right wing came sweeping by.

"Quantum Perception!" Valen roared with all his might, venting out his fury and indignation in that one shout.

Quantum Perception: Temporarily increases the user’s perception speed, reaction timing, and spatial awareness. (One use per day).

A sharp pain spread outward from his right shoulder, as Valen felt like something had been injected into him.

His mind cleared as though a haze had always been there. He felt like he could move his body with just a thought, not having the delayed reactions of a normal human.

He could also perceive minute fluctuations in the air, but he couldn’t understand them for what they were. He quickly spun around and placed his hands before his chest.

That was the only action he could carry out. All his other methods were just too far off from Level 35 & 40.

BOOM!

The Tetydraco’s wing collided with Valen’s hands, pushing him backwards and forcing them to crash into his chest, sending him spiralling through the air.

At this moment, the sonic wave from the Level 35 Tetydraco arrived and blasted into Valen, leaving him spurting blood as he was sent flying over 2 km before he slammed into the ground with an earthshaking boom. From his Silver Watch, a red number floated heavenward (-596).

As he crossed the outer boundary of the mountain range and the fog began to thin, the two Tetydracos abruptly halted their chase.

They circled the edge of the range, releasing final, resentful screeches before retreating into the dense fog of their territory, leaving Valen in the pit created after his fall.