As they walked away from the cave, Mara's eyes lingered on Vin. "Vin, who is Zero?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Vin's gaze snapped toward Mara, his expression guarded. "What do you know about Zero?" he countered, his voice cautious.
Mara's eyes locked onto Vin's. "I heard Stain call you that," she said. "And I've heard stories about the Exodus Order... about what they did at Hage village."
Vin's face remained impassive, but Mara sensed a flicker of emotion. "I see," Vin said finally. "You know."
Mara nodded. "But I won't tell anyone," she promised. "You saved my life; it's the least I can do."
Vin's gaze softened. "Thank you, Mara," he said. "I appreciate your discretion."
Zara growled softly, as if sensing Vin's gratitude. As they continued on, Vin's thoughts turned to the Dark Disciple. What was their true intention?
Suddenly, Mara spoke up. "Vin, do you know what the Dark Disciples are?" Vin's expression turned grim, as he contemplated if he should reveal what hrg knew to her, in the end he decided it was better if she knew.
"They're the strongest force of the most notorious organization in the Cloud Plane Continent," he said. "The Eye of the Midnight Sun ."
Mara's eyes widened. "That's terrifying," she whispered. There was fright evident in her voice as she heard that.
Vin nodded. "And they're after me," he added. "I need to be careful." Mara's determination hardened. "I'll help you, Vin," she said. "We'll face this together."
Vin's gaze locked onto Mara's, a hint of gratitude in his eyes.
"Thank you, Mara," he said. "I appreciate your support. But there's nothing you can do, this is my fight, and I can handle it myself "
The night air seemed to thicken, their resolve solidifying.
As they vanished into the darkness, the shadows whispered secrets of the impending storm.
Meanwhile, in a hidden chamber deep within the Mystic Realm, a figure watched Vin's escape.
"Master," a voice whispered, "the servant failed."
The figure's face contorted in rage.
"Then send an acolyte," it growled. "Vin, no Zero, will not escape us again." The darkness trembled, anticipating the next move in this deadly game.
***
As Zara blazed through the thick dark trees in the Inner layers of the densely packed forest, the air around them was silent as no one spoke.
Vin was quiet, lost in his thoughts as he was still trying to figure out what had given him away, how were the Eye of the Midnight Sun able to find out his identity and even perfectly locate him.
What baffled him the most was that, they were able to to even gain access to the Storm Heavens Mystic Realm, this could only mean that some of the other second and third rate sects were working with the enemy.
And the most terrifying part was that one of the major sect was working with the organization, but he hoped his conjecture was wrong and that wasn't the case.
If even one of the most terrifying dark forces of this terrorist organization had already found out his identity as Zero, then that means that the entire organization possible knows of him too.
A cold chill ran down his spine at this moment, no matter how much stronger he seemed to have gotten, compared to the Eye of the Midnight Sun, he was still a weak little and that could be crushed at any moment.
The Exodus Order was definitely not ready for any head on confrontation with their main forces just yet, they would be squashed like a bug within as few seconds, all this thoughts made him worry about the Exodus Order he had left outside, he was worried that their base had been found out.
Although his master was there to hold the forte, he was really confident he could take on the entire organization all on his own.
As Vin was lost in his own thoughts thinking of all the various possibilities that could go wrong and the counter measures for it, he suddenly felt a chill in his back, as if someone was was watching him.
He almost felt like a terrifying beast was watch him, like he was being marked as prey by a predator, but just as he felt the gaze, it vanished immediately like it was never there in the first place.
He activated God's Eye to the fullest as he searched around frantically but he couldn't find anything, Mara noticing this was surprised as she almost panicked immediately thinking they were under attack, but she didn't noticed anything.
"Vin, what's wrong?" she whispered, afraid of alerting the enemy, her gaze roved around still searching for the enemy.
"Hmm. I don't know, I suddenly felt a terrifying gaze on me for a second, but it vanished immediately" Vin replied with a deep frown on his face as he felt a little bit uneasy.
"It's a good thing we'll be leaving this forest soon, the exit is just up ahead" he added as he gazed into the distance and they both could see the bright light that signified the exit from the forest, up in front of them.
Mara was glad there were finally going ti leave this forest, they had been running through it for the past three days after the attack, and had encountered quite a few demonic beasts which they had defeated without any issues.
But due to the attack from the Dark Servant, she didn't exactly have any good feelings towards this forest and wanted to leave as soon as possible.
As they emerged from the forest's darkness, the warm sunlight enveloped them, providing a fleeting sense of relief. The rugged landscape of a mountainous region unfolded before them.
Towering peaks stretched towards the sky, their rough facades glistening in the golden light of dawn.
The mountainous region stretched out before them, a vast and majestic expanse of rugged peaks, valleys, and canyons carved by ancient rivers that had long since vanished into the depths of time. The golden light of dawn danced across the landscape, casting a warm glow on the rough-hewn facades of the mountains, illuminating the intricate patterns of rock and stone that had been etched into the surface over millions of years.
Towering peaks, some still capped with snow that shimmered like diamonds in the morning light, pierced the sky like shards of splintered stone, their rugged slopes covered in a patchwork of scrubby vegetation and rocky outcroppings that plunged precipitously into the depths of the valleys below. The peaks rose higher and higher, their summits hidden in a veil of mist that swirled and eddied in the gentle breeze, revealing glimpses of glittering ice fields and glaciers that shimmered like beacons in the distance.
Deep gorges, carved by rivers that had once flowed through the mountains like lifeblood, sliced through the landscape like giant scars, their steep sides covered in a tangle of vegetation and rock that seemed to defy gravity itself. The sound of distant waterfalls echoed through the valleys, a melodic whisper that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once, a soothing serenade that filled the heart with wonder and awe.
In the distance, the silhouette of a massive mountain range loomed, its peaks shrouded in a veil of mist that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. The mist swirled and eddied, revealing glimpses of hidden valleys and secret waterways that wound through the rocky landscape like veins on a weathered hand. The air was crisp and clean, filled with the scent of pine and earth, and the distant tang of snow that seemed to beckon them deeper into the heart of the mountains.
To the east, the mountains gave way to a vast, high-altitude plateau, its surface etched with ancient riverbeds and fossilized lakebeds that told the story of a long-forgotten past. The plateau stretched out to the horizon, meeting the sky at a sharp line that seemed to tremble with the promise of infinity. The sun rose higher and higher, casting a golden glow over the landscape, illuminating the intricate patterns of rock and stone that had been etched into the surface over millions of years.
As the light grew stronger, the shadows cast by the mountains grew shorter, revealing hidden valleys and secret waterways that wound through the rocky landscape like veins on a weathered hand. The air was filled with the scent of pine and earth, and the distant tang of snow that seemed to beckon them deeper into the heart of the mountains. The sound of birdsong echoed through the valleys, a chorus of joy and wonder that filled the heart with delight.
To the west, the mountains rose higher and higher, their peaks hidden in a veil of mist that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. The mist swirled and eddied, revealing glimpses of hidden valleys and secret waterways that wound through the rocky landscape like veins on a weathered hand. The air was crisp and clean, filled with the scent of pine and earth, and the distant tang of snow that seemed to beckon them deeper into the heart of the mountains.
******************