Chapter 18: Gloom

Although Miss Vilyric didn’t know about the three major characteristics, she had managed to restore Edgar’s confidence in them through her own methods.

After a brief silence, the Half-beast Beastman nodded thoughtfully.

“Miss Vilyric is right; I was too presumptuous. Common people have no way of knowing anything about the [Phantom Cloud], so it’s normal that you don’t know… Yes, I did indeed have a confrontation with the [Southern Disaster].”

As he spoke, a deeper gloom settled on Edgar’s face.

“Or rather, I was simply crushed and toyed with by that monster, ultimately fleeing in disgrace… Haha, what a mess.”

He gently removed an unremarkable ring from his finger, and soon, his originally robust figure gradually began to shrink inward—not into a frail form, but towards a leaner, more balanced physique, with his face also undergoing subtle changes, appearing significantly younger.

“Let me reintroduce myself. Epunya, a Half-beast Beastman born in the Nobos Ironblood Empire, currently sixty-seven years old.”

He looked as if he were barely in his thirties, which wasn’t surprising; Tiger-Humans typically have a lifespan 2-3 times that of humans, and the stronger ones can live even longer. Although Epunya is a hybrid, that would roughly be equivalent to about thirty human years.

“About thirty years ago, I roamed the Wasteland, undefeated by any enemy, witnessing legends, and was dubbed [Martial Madman] by the locals, truly a moment of pride.”

Vilyric let out a curious “Oh~”.

From what she heard from those generals, the legendary figure who challenged the [Phantom Cloud] was indeed [Martial Madman] Epunya.

Those skilled warriors who later perished in the campaign against the [Southern Disaster] were mostly his former opponents, who respected his strength and were willing to follow him on a trial basis.

What a coincidence…

Meanwhile, Epunya continued recounting his past.

“So, the arrogant me, unaware of my own limitations, upon hearing the infamous name of the [Southern Disaster], invited numerous experts to join me in its conquest purely by chance.”

“Many friends at the time urged me not to act impulsively, pointing out that I was underestimating the terrors of the [Southern Disaster], to rethink my strategy, but I didn’t take it to heart. Years of victory had inflated my confidence.”

The subsequent results, of course, went without saying; the expedition team was completely obliterated, tens of thousands perished on the battlefield, and [Martial Madman] vanished without a trace.

Vilyric blinked curiously.

“So, what on earth was it?”

Deep hatred mixed with a hint of unmaskable fear shone in Epunya’s tiger-like eyes.

“Indescribable.”

“[Phantom Cloud] does not truly possess a physical form.”

The man paused, seemingly gathering his emotions just when a knock echoed from outside, causing everyone in the room to temporarily fall silent. Once the sumptuous spread of dishes was served and the attendants retreated, Epunya resumed.

“The site of our encounter with the [Phantom Cloud] was in a forest in the western Bolt Kingdom. At that time, I had my main force waiting outside the forest while I led a group of several hundred experts to scout. Suddenly, during the lush daytime, a fog arose.”

“A gray mist—massive enough to cover everything—a [Disaster].”

“While my confidence was high, I wasn’t foolish enough to let my guard down. I had already conducted prior investigations and immediately realized we might have already come into contact with the essence of the [Phantom Cloud].”

“I ordered my subordinates to attempt various means to disperse the gray fog, especially the Holy Light power from the temple that could effectively counter the [Disaster].”

“I cannot speak for the other three disasters, but the [Calamity Beast] that occasionally appeared in the Wasteland, you should have guessed; that is actually a beast infected by the powers split off from the [Phantom Cloud]. Only a force said to be of divine origin can completely eradicate it.”

Epunya pointed to the ground at his feet.

“Forcibly killing the [Calamity Beast] would only cause those parasitic beings to switch targets, just like before.”

“But I did not expect that the power of the essence of the [Phantom Cloud] was on an entirely different level from those leftover [Disasters]—it was incredibly powerful… far beyond my imagination, truly something that could be called a [Calamity]!”

“Over a hundred priests, at least of bishop level, nearly half the non-temple forces in the Wasteland had gathered, but…”

“The light emitted by those priests was like fireflies in the night, swallowed entirely in mere minutes; the [Disaster] could even counter the Holy Light!”

“We were like being swallowed by the [Phantom Cloud]. No matter where we went, the surrounding gray mist only thickened.”

“Losing our direction, visibility dwindled, and our companions quickly diminished—unless holding hands, you’d soon find yourself alone after just a few steps!”

Epunya’s breathing became increasingly frantic, seeming to truly regress to that helpless past.

“The most terrifying part was that even when huddling together, that gray mist was much more fearsome than ordinary [Disasters], infiltrating us at every crevice, constantly eroding each and every one of us.”

“I witnessed my like-minded friends gradually unable to resist, each howling before me, branches like vines sprouting from them, transforming into monsters, and all I could do was kill them myself!”

“Can you comprehend that despair? Amidst the gray mist where nothing was visible, we came to eliminate the [Disaster], only to be forced to slaughter one another! From beginning to end, I didn’t even scratch the [Phantom Cloud] an inch! My proud martial techniques were utterly useless! I was just a waste!!!”

Roaring, shouting, the faint gray mist continued to seep from Epunya’s skin, even his eyes began to turn gray like those parasitized individuals—he was clearly not in a good state.

Vilyric furrowed her brow, while Leila and the others instinctively placed their hands on their weapons, ready for anything.

“Alright, calm down.”

Without even using her staff, the Priestess waved her hand, a purifying spell cascading from her fingertips and enveloping Epunya, instantly erasing the spreading gray before he could react, and the agitated Half-beast Tiger-Man gradually calmed under her assistance.

“I’m sorry… While I was fortunate to escape with my life, I was severely tainted by the power of the [Phantom Cloud], having hardly any of my strength left, and I’m constantly being eroded, a lapse in focus and I might…”

Epunya forced a bitter smile.

“For over thirty years, I’ve changed my name, fled to the far north of Kweidan as an Adventurer, working my way up to my current position. Originally, my condition had stabilized, but perhaps I inhaled too much [Disaster] earlier, and a brief spike in emotion just now got the better of me, thank you.”

“It’s fine, just a simple gesture.”

Rearranging her black hair that had fallen by her temple, the Priestess picked up a block of seemingly lighter vegetables and popped it into her mouth. If she hadn’t intervened earlier, all that expertly cooked food would have been ruined.

After munching on a few bites of deliciousness, she raised her head to look at the now composed Half-beast man.

“So, what are the three major characteristics of the [Phantom Cloud] you mentioned? How do I find it?”

Seeing Vilyric remain unafraid even at such depths, Epunya could only sigh and nod.

“First of all, the [Phantom Cloud] has no fixed form; conventional physical attacks and most magic cannot inflict any harm on it. This is its first characteristic, which I call [Illusory].”

“Additionally, according to my judgment, the essence of the [Phantom Cloud] should be a collective of numerous high-concentration [Disasters]. It is both a sum and can split into countless individuals.”

“Each individual possesses the ability to parasitize and erode autonomously, and it has likely already spread throughout the Wasteland, nearly impossible to eradicate. This is its second characteristic, which I refer to as [Infinite].”

   

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