Alden stared at the remains of the scout's corpse… or the lack thereof.
Not even ashes were left behind when he used his ability.
Suppressing his discomfort, Alden noticed a circular metallic disk lying on the ground.
He promptly picked it up.
In the dim light, the young man discerned a scattering of runes marring its surface.
Then, his eyes lit up.
"A runic item!"
Indeed, what Alden held was an object imbued with the power of Runes - an arcane language capable of stirring the forces of nature to produce mystical effects. Alden connected the dots, realising this was what Swifty had used to conceal their surroundings from the rest of the Sanctuary.
He sucked in a cold breath.
This was an incredible boon!
It would without a doubt increase his chances of surviving outside the Sanctuary.
Thanking the deceased scout for the kind gift, Alden poured his mana into the disk.
In the next second, everything returned to normal, no longer muffled and muted.
It was as if someone had removed a layer of wool from his ears.
He grinned.
As he placed the runic item into his dimensional bracelet, Alden turned around and beckoned for Ignia to follow.
It was time for them to head out.
***
A while later, Alden entered the Territory of Wind.
A small smile graced his face. He was happy to be rid of the biting cold.
Ignia also flapped her wings cheerfully, making weird, exaggerated movements in the sky.
Alden chuckled, watching the display.
A few moments later, a hollow boom and a thud cut through their joy like a hot knife.
Alden's expression turned grim.
Ignia also paused.
The little phoenix hurried back to his shoulder, and he gave the fiery creature a reassuring pat.
After all, they were still safe.
Once they left the barrier, it would be a whole different story.
Bracing himself, Alden approached the ethereal boundary. The disturbing sound grew stronger the closer they came.
Once within a few metres of the barrier, he saw vague shadowy figures rush out from the darkness. They pounced at the magical wall, doubtless seeking to get in.
Alden's expression grew dark.
He grimaced, staring at the numerous Defiled attacking the Barrier like a pack of rabid beasts.
It was unnerving.
However, with the Runic Item in his bracelet, he no longer needed to worry about how he would fight his way through such a dense and crazed mob. He shuddered, imagining what he would have done if he did not have the metal disk.
…Most likely, it would have been far from good.
Thanking his lucky stars, Alden awaited a brief lull in the Defiled's attacks and stepped forward.
In his right hand, he carried the knife.
In the other, he held the metal disk.
Phasing through the magical barrier, Alden held his breath.
He wasn't worried about his and Ignia's scent attracting the Defiled. He reasoned that the Runic Item had a certain range before its effects wore off. As long as they stayed within that range, Alden and the baby phoenix would be fine.
However…
As the mob of bloodthirsty Defiled suddenly snapped their necks in their direction, Alden knew the metal disk didn't completely conceal their presence. It muddled with the senses of the abominations, confusing them greatly. But if given enough time, the Defiled could probably figure out their approximate location.
That was why, he needed to get a move on.
And fast.
Ignia cried uneasily through their bond, and Alden returned a burst of calmness, masking his worry.
'Everything's fine, little one. We'll be out of here in no time.'
Alden's grip on both the dagger and the disk tightened further.
…A silent sign of his angst.
Dashing forward, he forcefully activated [Haste] again, feeling the world slow around him.
Alden knew he would regret using the skill without letting his body cool down, but he had no choice if he wanted to get as far way from the abominations as possible.
He would do everything in his power to survive.
What was a little pain compared to the gut-wrenching grief Celeste and her family would feel if he died?
Gritting his teeth, Alden pressed on.
He weaved through the mob of Defiled, the towering verdant behemoths of the forest, and any other obstacle in his path.
His movements were smooth, and his concentration solid.
If not for his mischievous ventures as a child, leaping from building to building, and doing everything a parkour fanatic did, Alden would have found this current task quite hard. As it was, though, he kept speeding along a steady pace, leaving more abominations behind with every passing second.
Even as pain began to overwhelm him from using [Haste] consecutively without giving his body a chance to rest, Alden continued, determined. Soon, he felt he had reached a safe enough distance to deactivate the skill.
He fell to his knees, exhausted.
His breath came out in erratic bursts.
As he panted, trying to calm his racing heart, Alden shifted his body and leaned against the bole of an ancient tree. He thought back to some of the advice Alistair had given him before he left.
Among them, the Guildmaster had revealed the existence of a natural cave formation to the west of Nature's Grove where Alden could hole up.
Apparently, the Expert mage had once discovered it during his many expeditions into the Wilderness. It was located within a rocky outcropping that resembled a dragon's maw - whatever that looked like; he had heard descriptions, but never laid eyes upon one.
After all, Dragons no longer existed in this world.
…Lost to the ravages of time and the horrors of the Great Collision.
Alden doubted the outcropping looked like the jaw of such a mighty creature. It was probably something Alistair had thought up just to be dramatic.
From the scary bedtime stories parents often told their children, the mythical beasts were harrowing and very reclusive. They had kept to themselves inside the Pyre Peaks, not bothering to interact with the rest of the world.
There was no way one of them had ended up in Nature's Grove, Alden thought.
Even if they had, he doubted its remains would have been concealed for a long time - considering their enormous size which was said to have been capable of blotting out the heavens.
The other major landmark he had to look for was the Waterfall of Stars. According to Alistair, it was nestled inside the rock outcropping and had the practical effect of rejuvenating whoever drank its water.
It would be of vital importance to Alden if he wished to survive.
That is… if he didn't meet his end before then.
Shaking his head, Alden reluctantly stood up and continued his journey, hoping to reach the landmarks in the next few days.