The rest of the group that entered the Red Tribe area faced the same fate. They fell to the ground, their bodies writhing in pain before becoming still.
The mist continued its lethal work throughout the night, ensuring that by dawn, every hobgoblin in the Red Tribe was dead.
Sasaki's eerie laugh echoed softly in the hut, mixing with the last fading cries of the hobgoblins. His malevolent satisfaction was complete as he watched his enemies fall one by one. The once vibrant tribe was now a ghostly ruin.
The whole night, Sasaki earned many exp. When the sun rose, the mist began to fade away. Sasaki walked through it, watching the strange phenomenon unfolding in front of his eyes.
The mist seemed to disappear into an unknown void, not blown away by the wind but vanishing into thin air. It was light yet dense, unaffected by the wind. His eyes widened with bewilderment and curiosity.
"Fascinating," he whispered.
Sasaki pondered this strange occurrence. His researcher mind buzzed with questions. He waved his hand through the mist, observing how it dispersed around his hand and then reunited behind it.
The green particles of mist moved like air around an aerodynamic shape. Yet, they were not blown by the wind and strangely disappeared on their own.
An idea struck him. He decided to use his 'Scavenger Gaze' skill to analyze the mist. He had only used it to see the levels and race names of enemies, never on magic. He focused his eyes on the mist, seeking to uncover its secrets.
As he observed, Sasaki realized the mist was not actually disappearing. The plague mist, created from mana, was turning back into mana and fading into the atmosphere. This gave him an insight into the nature of mana energy.
He concluded that anything created from mana would eventually revert to mana and become part of nature. Magic was temporary, and mana cycled like water -evaporating, forming clouds, raining down, and returning to the land. The same principle applied to mana.
"Hmm... it seems the mist disappears the next day, with a duration of approximately twelve hours. Good," Sasaki mused.
As the mist fully disappeared, turning into mana and merging with nature, Sasaki's eyes gleamed with excitement.
A joyful smile spread across his face. He paced back and forth, hands clasped behind his back, thrilled by his new discovery. This revelation could greatly aid him on his journey in this unknown land.
He held onto this thought tightly, not wanting to forget this feeling - a sense of being on the brink of something profound and exciting.
"But what? What can I do with this?" Sasaki wondered aloud.
As Sasaki clung to his feeling of discovery, he heard cries, like a baby's cries for food. Confused, he shook his head left and right, searching for the source of the sound.
Utter bewilderment washed over him, his face turning to shock. It wasn't fear of a survivor, but sheer confusion at how anyone could have survived.
"How could this happen? Are there any saviors?"
"How did they survive my plague?"
"Impossible."
Sasaki commanded Shadow to trace the source of the sound. Shadow could locate the source of any noise, even if it came from the depths of the earth. Instantly, Shadow found the location and glided down like a vulture, diving vertically from the sky.
His wings were back, beak forward, his body streamlined like a swimmer diving into water. As he neared the ground, Shadow turned horizontally, flapping his wings to slow his speed, and flew just a few meters above the ground toward the sound.
Sasaki followed Shadow silently, moving inside a cave that seemed to be the king hobgoblin's lair. It was a labyrinth of many paths.
Sasaki hadn't realized there was a cave in this location. His eyes caught glimpses of spaces filled with food, treasure, and weapons.
Following the winding path, Sasaki reached a massive gate, taller than him. He had to tilt his head up to see the top, like looking at a tall building. The gate was wider than any normal gate.
To his shock, a dead hobgoblin lay against the gate, clutching the handle. Even in death, she held on, as if she couldn't let the gate open, protecting something precious.
Sasaki stared at the lifeless body, trying to understand. Her dedication in the face of death spoke volumes. What could be so important that she would guard it even after dying?
"How could she hold on like this, even in death?" Sasaki whispered to himself.
As Sasaki whispered to himself, he heard the cry again, echoing in his mind thanks to the 'Share Sense' skill of his raven. Determined, he moved the hobgoblin's body from the gate, shocked at the force needed to pry her hand from the handle. Gently, he laid her body on the ground and slid his palm over her eyelids, closing her eyes. Standing up, he grasped the gate handles, summoning his courage to see what lay behind.
With a deep breath, Sasaki pushed the gate open, both panels moving as he exerted force with both hands.
The gate creaked loudly, revealing a hidden chamber. The cries grew louder, echoing through the space. As the gate fully opened, Sasaki stepped inside, his eyes widening at the sight before him.
In the dim light, Sasaki saw a small group of hobgoblin infants, huddled together, crying. They were clearly newborns, helpless and scared.
The room was lined with soft, makeshift beds and scattered toys, a stark contrast to the death and destruction outside.
Sasaki's eyes softened as he took in the scene. The mother hobgoblin had died protecting her young, sacrificing herself to keep them safe. He felt a pang of emotion, realizing the depth of her love and determination.
Kneeling down, Sasaki gently reached out to the infants. They looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes, their cries subsiding slightly at his presence. He knew they were too young to understand, but his heart ached for them.