Read Novel Full Chapter 202: Borders of a Lost Place
Chapter 202: Borders of a Lost Place
Mias was investigating the Akkuron encampment, but had yet to discover anything.
Master Vale didn’t necessarily blame the Reaper for his lack of results, as he’d already been captured by Greed not long ago, showing there were ways in this world for people to notice and subdue him.
Having to keep his distance but still glean what was going on was quite challenging.
From what he could infer about their movements, they planned to stay camped where they were and monitor the Scar.
Since Lust’s discovery, a near-constant cycle of Akkuron soldiers, each group led by one who seemed highly ranked, had been sitting on the precipice of the gorge. Watching. Keeping a record of beast activity.
Not only that, they’d brought some weird device that gave a quantifiable number to tie to Aether density. From that number, which appeared to be on a 0-8 scale with a nickname for each level, they labeled the entire zone a Danger Zone — Zone 3.
Akkuron also used a similar device to record a 1-10 scale for Seed likelihood and activity, and to indicate how strong a Seed formed in this location would be.
From what Mias learned, the Terracotta Scar was a low-risk area, only scoring a 2 on the scale.
Finally, there was one more important thing he was able to learn...
’Akkuron and Celestia are at war.’
The war was only in its budding stages, but having seen that map, it was highly likely that a few battles would be fought on the edge of the ravine.
Actually, it was more like inevitable.
The Scar was the perfect point to mount a defense, as it was a quite dreadful natural barrier.
’There is no way we’ll be shirking involvement...’
From what Greed said, Akkuron would most definitely try to strike some deal to help them either cross or defend.
A deal that would most definitely be one-sided.
’They’re strong... very strong.’
As for where Mias found his attention at right now...
He was currently split into six.
Half of him had been lost. Of the remaining half, a majority portion followed Akkuron, a small shade followed Vale, a slightly larger one followed Greed, and one scouted the land above, looking for any newcomers.
In particular, he was watching out for Celestia’s forces.
Finally, the last bit of Mias was surveying the grounds from which his other half had disappeared.
He was standing on the forest’s edge, looking into the forlorn Lost Expanse.
’This place is awfully odd.’
If Mias even stuck his hand slightly over the blackened ground, an awful feeling gripped and tugged at his soul.
But pull that hand back into the forest, and the feeling would vanish.
’No wonder I didn’t sense whatever I ran into.’
As for what the Lost Expanse looked like...
Charred and burned.
That was the easiest way to describe it. The ground below was covered in black ash, grainy as if sand. So much ash it created dunes as far as the eye could see — an ash desert.
This ash was not simply ash from a fire; Mias’ body didn’t react to it; no, it behaved more...
’Like flesh.’
The ash seemed less a result of burned wood or plant matter, but rather entirely composed of burned and melted flesh.
’Well, maybe not flesh...’
But this ash once bore the trace of life.
Perhaps it still did.
Mias drifted upward for a clearer perspective. From there, he blocked his sight and sank into his other senses.
He felt Rogue Aether flowing into the ash, cycling as it naturally would.
’Odd.’
Mias gained back his eyesight and continued to investigate the edge of the Lost Expanse, but he dared not enter.
The next thing that caught his attention was...
’A sigil?’
Mias spotted an obsidian monolith — one with a red sigil in the shape of a crying eye inscribed on it, and an open slot in the middle, like a keyhole.
’But what key is that big?’
The monolith itself was quite large, easily four times the height of the trees he floated on. The only reason he hadn’t noticed it before was the weird barrier and canopy veil of leaves.
And not only was the construction itself weird...
’But I can sense Aether flowing out of it.’
In thin strands, cords of Aether directed the flow off into the distance.
Each strand was then separated and connected to different strands, forming something that felt almost like a web or net.
Being made of Aether it was all invisible, but it was still an odd phenomenon.
’Hmm...’
Mias still had little evidence to conclude on what happened to his other half and Ophelia.
At first, he’d assumed he’d walked into a trap from the flash of memories before he lost connection, but now he wondered if they had simply entered the Lost Expanse, which disrupted connection.
Perhaps the Lost Expanse was a trap in and of itself, which is why the other Mias was stuck.
That sounded plausible
’But Greed had lost us. She also spoke as if entering and exiting were possible.’
There were many factors to consider and answers that could only be drawn from risky tests.
Mias could enter the Lost Expanse completely, but if he did that and he was correct in his assumption, then he’d simply lose more of himself.
He could also ask Greed what she knew.
’But who knows how much that will cost.’
If she dealt with someone she considered a person so roughly, how would she deal with something she considered property? Her property at that.
All of this had Mias fascinated. His smoke was flowing, and his mind was excited.
How long had it been since he had a secret like this to chase!
What is the Lost Expanse? How was it formed — ’Lost’?
Not only that, his other questions, which could only be answered here, on Pandora.
Though his priority still lay in finding Carver.
A smile plastered on Mias’s face.
’Truly, the pursuit of knowledge is as rapturous as the acquisition of knowledge.’
His smile quickly vanished when he spotted a harrowing beast of ghastly proportions off in the distance.