Chapter 144: The Unsettling Silence of the Chaos Land

Within the darkened expanse of the Chaos Land, time held no sway. The weariness clinging to their bodies gradually receded, leaving them oblivious to how much time had truly passed, or whether the outside world basked in day or night.

From the heavens, a silver silhouette descended, landing just outside the camp’s perimeter. It was Gern, having taken on the form of a dragon girl.

She had just completed a reconnaissance of the surrounding area. There was nothing to be found nearby, save for the desolate, pervasive Chaos power.

Gern couldn’t discern if this was a blessing or a curse. Under normal circumstances, the Chaos Land teemed with an astronomical number of Chaos creatures.

Even if they had all migrated beyond the secret realm’s borders, the Chaos Land itself should not be utterly devoid of them.

This unsettling discovery stirred a faint apprehension within Gern’s heart. Perhaps she was merely overthinking the situation.

Upon her return to the camp, Lilia rushed over immediately, not even waiting for Gern to beckon.

“Gern, what’s the situation?”

“Hmm, it’s not exactly bad, but it’s certainly not good either.”

“Hm?”

Gern shrugged helplessly.

“There’s nothing around here, not even a trace of a Chaos creature.”

A flicker of confusion crossed Lilia’s face upon hearing this.

“Not a single Chaos creature?”

“None.”

“Hiss, how strange…”

Lilia furrowed her brow in contemplation. This was, after all, the Chaos Land; even if the hordes of monsters had departed en masse to conquer the uncorrupted outer world, it was unfathomable for not a single Chaos creature to remain.

During their journey here, they had occasionally encountered Chaos creatures.

Lilia, too, detected a subtle anomaly. They conversed for a while longer, yet no clear leads emerged.

“Never mind that for now. Let’s lead everyone to find the Chaos Core.”

“Understood…”

****

After a brief respite, the squad resumed their journey. Thanks to Gern’s earlier reconnaissance, their pace was considerably faster this time.

“This silence… it’s rather unnerving, isn’t it?”

As they advanced, Black couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, gripping his rifle even tighter. The other squad members shared this sentiment, instinctively tightening their grip on their weapons.

The surrounding darkness was so dense it felt palpable. In this world of absolute stillness, only the faint glow of the illumination scrolls offered a sliver of reassurance.

Tap~

Tap~

Their footsteps echoed against the cracked earth, the sound jarringly abrupt.

Gern led the vanguard of the team. The closer he guided them toward the Chaos Core, the heavier a sense of dread settled in his chest.

He maintained utmost vigilance, his senses stretched to their limits, not daring to relax for even a moment.

After an indeterminate period of travel, the concentration of Chaos power surrounding them abruptly surged to a new level.

This sudden surge caused the Holy Light Charms on everyone’s chests to flicker ominously, as if on the verge of extinguishing altogether.

Gern cast a worried glance at Lilia, only to see her wave a dismissive hand.

“Keep moving forward. Don’t worry about me.”

“Relax, my friend Gern,” Rex declared, patting his sturdy chest. “This Holy Light Charm was specifically forged for the Chaos Land; this level of Chaos power is no match for us.”

“Alright. If you detect anything amiss, withdraw immediately.”

“Understood.”

As they pressed on, the density of Chaos power intensified relentlessly. At this point, even with the illumination scrolls, their visibility was reduced to barely a meter.

Like descending into abyssal depths, an invisible pressure surged from all directions, pounding against the hearts of every squad member.

Rustle~

It was then that a sudden rustling sound emanated from directly ahead.

“Alert!”

Gern roared, his Silent Extinction longsword held firmly in his grasp, a faint, bloody luminescence flickering from its blade.

Already on edge, their nerves stretched taut, the squad members immediately swung their muzzles forward at Gern’s roar.

Rustle~

Another rustling sound erupted, and Gern, without hesitation, slashed forward with his sword.

Blood-red sword energy, imbued with formidable power, tore through the inky mist, carving a long tunnel in its wake.

With a sickening squelch, dark blood splattered everywhere. Before Gern could discern what lay before him, the black mist surged back, obscuring his vision once more.

“Open fire!”

Rex, positioned directly behind Gern, decisively issued the command.

Blam! Blam! Blam!~

The previously silent environment erupted into a cacophony of sound.

The gunfire ceased as abruptly as it began. Uncertain if their shots had struck the creature within the mist, they huddled tightly together, to guard against any flank or rear attacks.

Silence descended once more. After the gunfire faded, not a single sound stirred in their surroundings.

This outcome left everyone on edge, for no one could confirm whether the monster was truly dead.

Everything around them was shrouded in an impenetrable gloom, their vision limited to merely a meter or so.

“Damn it, I’ll go out and take a look!”

At this moment, a wave of impatience swept through one of the squad members, prompting them to venture out and investigate.

“If you wish to live, stay put!”

Before they could even take a step, Gern’s thunderous roar froze them in place.

Their leg instinctively drew back, and they cast an apologetic glance toward the front of the squad.

Gern, however, had no time to spare for this individual. He was meticulously sensing his surroundings.

He had indeed caught a faint trace of abnormality just moments ago.

But the creature’s speed was simply too immense; even Gern found himself unable to match its pace.

This was despite his use of the Heretic God Cult’s cultivation method, bolstered by the spiritual power augmentation inherent to the Chaos Land.

Were he to confront this entity in the outside world, Gern felt he wouldn’t survive a single exchange.

He surmised that this creature must be at least a fifth-tier monster, if not higher.

“Everyone, be careful. This thing is incredibly fast.”

Gern chose not to disclose the full extent of his findings. He feared that revealing the creature’s true power would shatter the squad’s morale.

In truth, a faint thought of retreat had already taken root in Gern’s mind. The disparity in strength was simply too vast.

He had only just broken through to the Fourth Tier, Fifth Realm—a growth accelerated, perhaps unnaturally, by Sherry. Even with the accumulated experience of a Sixth Tier Knight, it couldn’t fundamentally alter his current limitations.

‘Should we retreat?’

Gern’s heart was torn. But the Chaos Land’s expansion rate in the outside world was alarmingly swift.

If they were to simply abandon their mission now…

“Open fire! Quickly!”

Just as Gern wrestled with his dilemma, a sudden commotion erupted from the squad behind him. In an instant, a furious volley of gunfire ripped through the profound silence, echoing across the desolate land.

‘Damn it!’

Gern cursed inwardly. His focus had been entirely on whether to retreat, never imagining this creature would have slipped behind their formation.

“Damn it! Let’s do this! What’s the worst that can happen, die again?”

Gern gritted his teeth, then charged into the struggling squad at the rear, his longsword held high.

Already, one squad member lay dead, their head a mangled mess, as if crushed by an immense hand.

Witnessing this, Gern’s sense of unease intensified dramatically. Judging by the residual power clinging to the fallen member, this monster undoubtedly possessed Sixth Tier strength.

A shiver ran down Gern’s spine. This, he realized, was truly troublesome.

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