As the alert ended, silence fell over everyone at the sudden cutoff.
"…"
"Well, that was sudden," Drakna commented offhandedly.
Cain nodded. "The Toxcarver capture mission is on hold. Let's head back to camp as ordered."
"Yes, sir!" the squad answered together.
They picked up the pace without resting.
Cain chose a safer route, guessing their earlier battle might've drawn attention. They took a detour to avoid more fights and focused on returning safely.
After hours of travel, they finally reached the army camp. Showing their monster-hunting badges at the gate, they were allowed in without issue.
Cain led the team straight to the monster-hunting unit's section to hand over the captured Toxcarver.
A gentlemanly voice greeted them. "Cain, it's good to see you again. Safe return and a Toxcarver captured too? Impressive."
Cain nodded. "Yes."
"Alright then, please go to the mission counter for your briefing."
"Understood."
At the counter, a tired receptionist addressed Cain's squad without looking up. "State your name and squad code."
"Cain Hale, Hunting Squad 3B34."
She typed quickly, then pulled out a device. "Place your ID bracelet here to receive your mission."
Cain tapped his bracelet. Instantly, everyone's bracelet vibrated, showing a new mission alert.
"I wish you success and a safe return, soldiers," the receptionist said, her voice flat with exhaustion. She never even looked up as she returned to work.
Cain and the squad exited the three-story building and began walking.
As they walked, they read through the mission details through their hollow graphic screen projected by their bracelet.
"WHAT?! Investigation duty? After all that combat training?!" Drakna shouted.
Aeris summarized calmly, "We're heading into the Poison Mist area of Thornmaw Forest. The mission is to investigate any Mountain-Eater activity—especially signs of the Toxcarver."
Drakna groaned. "Why are we going into that cursed forest? We were trained to fight, not play detective!"
Cain didn't react. He just kept walking.
"Complaining won't change the mission. Let's get our gear from the armory."
They made their way toward the armory. As they passed through different sections of the camp, the atmosphere grew tense.
More soldiers with serious looks on their faces patrolled the area.
"Where are we?" William asked.
"This is the heart of the camp," Lina explained. "Command center, weapons, food, energy—everything we need is here. That's why the security is tight."
William nodded in response and said nothing more.
Eventually, they reached the armory. It was a massive warehouse, almost the size of a soccer field, and heavily guarded.
Cain approached the outside reception desk.
"State your identity and purpose," the guard said in a stern voice.
"Cain Hale, leader of Squad 3B34. We're here to collect mission equipment."
Cain held out his bracelet, and the receptionist scanned it. After a moment of typing, the man spoke.
"Proceed to the fitting room. Your gear will be prepared shortly."
***
In the fitting room:
"This suit sucks!" Drakna complained. "It's like I can't breathe in it. Can't we wear it once we reach the fog?"
"I can't feel the air on my skin," Aeris added quietly.
"Just deal with it," Cain said. "It's the only thing that'll protect you from the poison fog."
Cain and Drakna, the frontline fighters, wore airtight power armor with reinforced plates. The ranged fighters wore lighter suits made for mobility and better mana flow, along with masks and protective cloaks.
Once suited up, the squad met at the transport bay and received a van-like military vehicle, a Typhoon K.
Without delay, they set off for the forest.
On the way, Lina asked, "Do you think the scientists found something out about the Toxcarver poison?"
"Maybe," Aeris replied. "That could be why they're sending us to investigate."
"The mission does focus on Toxcarver activity," William added.
Thornmaw Forest was huge, filled with thick trees and rough ground.
To avoid Mountain-Eaters, they had to take a winding path that added almost a full day to the trip.
At last, they reached the edge of the Poison Mist zone.
Cain stepped out of the vehicle and looked ahead. A thick wall of dark purple fog stood in front of them.
Unlike normal fog that builds up slowly, this mist appeared all at once like a solid wall.
Luckily, it wasn't too thick. Cain could still see through it with his enhanced vision.
"We'll rest here tonight. We enter the mist at sunrise," Cain ordered.
"Wouldn't sneaking in at night be smarter?" Drakna asked.
"No. Mountain-Eaters are miners. They're used to the dark and can sense movement better when it's quiet," Cain explained. "At night, they'd detect us too easily."
"So rest up. We'll need every ounce of energy tomorrow."
"Alright..."
They drove the van into a secluded spot and covered it with bushes and vines. Taking turns keeping watch, the squad slept inside the vehicle.
***
At sunrise, they drove straight into the Poison Mist.
Inside, visibility dropped immediately. The dark-purple mist made it feel like the sun hadn't even risen.
With headlights on, the vehicle crawled forward, trees cracking under the wheels.
"So this is the poison mist?" William asked. "If we stepped out now without protection, would our skin melt?"
"I've only heard stories," Lina admitted. "This is my first time here, too."
"It's true the mist is corrosive," Cain said from the driver's seat. "But that only happens near the core of the forest. We'll be fine—just keep your suits sealed."
"I understand."
After hours of careful driving, they reached their observation point.
Cain turned off the headlights and exited the vehicle. From here, they'd go on foot.
They stopped at a cliff, which provided an overhead view of their investigation site.
But the thick fog made it hard to see anything.
"Aeris, anything out there?" Cain asked.
Aeris wore a full face-covering mask. Pale blue light glowed from the eye sockets as she scanned the area.
The others stood guard, watching their surroundings.
"There's movement down there. Mountain eaters for sure. But I can't tell what they're doing."
"Lina, can you sense anything?"
"Sorry. My range isn't far enough at this distance."
Cain thought silently for a while.
"Is it possible for you to send one of your root monsters down there and sense the monster that way?"
"Sorry, I can't link my senses with my familiar yet," Lina said with an apologetic smile.
"It's alright," Cain replied.
"Aeris, can you estimate how many Mountain-Eaters there are?"
"About 20 to 25 on the surface," Aeris said. "But there could be more underground."
"I see…" Cain went quiet, thinking.
Then he gave his decision. "We're heading deeper in. We need better intel."
"Understood!" the squad replied as one, heading back to the van to grab the rest of their gear.
***
The squad moved in silence through the humid and gloomy forest, their reflective coats barely visible in the thick mist.
At the front was Aeris, eyes fixed on her mission map, which displayed their current position—right at the edge of the red zone they were assigned to scout.
Lina and Drakna followed close behind.
"I sense at least five large Mountain-Eaters lying still underground," Lina whispered into her earpiece. "And one patrolling on the surface."
Her warning raised everyone's alertness.
The squad advanced carefully, slipping deeper into enemy territory without alerting any monster. But soon enough, they hit a wall.
They had come faced with a wall of purple mist, thicker than any mist they had seen before.
It blocked all sight, preventing anyone from seeing past it.
"I can't sense anything past this fog," Lina muttered. "It's messing with my magic."
"Same here," Aeris added. Her glowing blue mask reflected the eerie haze.
"What do we do now, Captain?"
"This fog wasn't in the mission log. It must have been made by the Mountain-Eaters."
"They're hiding something big in there," Cain said, narrowing his eyes.
"Could it be the source of the Toxcarver's poison?" William asked. "If it is, maybe the secret is the key to finding a cure."
"That's possible," Cain said. "If we find what's behind this mist, we could save thousands of lives."
He turned to the team. "We're not leaving until we find out."
"So here's the plan—Aeris and I will go in and scout. The rest of you head back to the van and prepare for instant extraction."
As Cain gave instructions, Aeris stared into the mist. Her glowing eyes narrowed.
'What kind of mist is this?' she thought. 'I can't identify it.'
She reached out. The moment her hand touched the fog, something felt wrong.
Before she could speak, the ground shook violently.
"GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!" she shouted. "We've been discovered!"
The squad bolted without a second thought.
A giant metal drill burst from the ground behind them, followed by several Mountain-Eaters.
The earth shook harder, making it almost impossible to run.
"Activate your escape spells! Use all the suits' mana!" Cain shouted.
The squad obeyed. Their bodies lit up with glowing white and yellow lines as speed-enhancing magic kicked in.
Then, a second layer of magic covered them—translucent and faintly shimmering.
They raced forward while the Mountain-Eaters tried to surround them.
Guns blazed. Hammers smashed. The crystal-like bodies of the Mountain-Eaters shattered.
At the front, Cain fired explosive rounds nonstop while Drakna swung his hammer with wild force, clearing a path through the enemy.
There weren't many monsters, but they were incredibly tough.
Cain and Drakna had to burn through much of their stamina just to hold them off.
"Aeris! Forget us—get to the van!" Cain ordered.
Without a word, Aeris vanished ahead.
"Everyone else—don't stop! If they grab us underground, we're done!"
"Lina! Stop anything from below! William—protect her! Tonto—use all your mana, don't hold back!"
Lina's eyes and staff glowed green. Her face was tense, veins showing as she fought to block the burrowing monsters.
"CAPTAIN! Something huge is coming—I can't hold it back!" Lina cried.
"Damn it—everyone, get ready to jump!"
A massive drill, as large as a car, exploded out of the ground. Rocks and dirt rained down.
Cain leaped into the air, charged his gun, and fired a shot that blasted the drill off course.
"Mana reserves 50%," a robotic voice buzzed in his ear.
"Keep moving! Don't stop!"
He barked out more orders while fending off the beasts.
"Aeris! What's your status?! We need the van, now!"
"Leader! William's suit is torn—his legs are exposed to the poison!"
"Tonto! Heal William's wound—quickly!"
"William! Don't worry about Lina—just keep moving!"
Cain gave orders while fighting off more enemies.
"Leader! The Driller's coming back!" Lina shouted.
"Drakna, with me! Lina—help William!"
"As you say!" Drakna roared.
The Driller burst from the ground again, heading straight for the injured William.
It launched like a missile, drill spinning, ready to strike.
But Drakna was ready. He swung his glowing hammer, smashing the drill upward and knocking the creature into the air.
Cain followed with explosive shots, blasting holes in the creature and crippling it.
"Leader! Another Driller is coming!"
Before Cain could respond, a second Driller burst from the ground—faster than expected, diving straight toward the group.
Cain and Drakna readied for impact.
Then—BOOM! A high-energy blast hit the Driller, knocking it off course.
"Come on—get in!" Aeris called out.
The low engine rumble of the Typhoon K grew louder as it burst into view, its reinforced frame cutting through the mist.
Without hesitation, the squad sprinted toward it.
One by one, they leaped onto the moving vehicle just as it skidded into a wide 180-degree turn, tires screeching across the forest floor.
With everyone aboard, it roared forward at full speed, crashing through the undergrowth.
The vehicle smashed through trees and monsters alike as Cain provided covering fire from the roof, each shot accurate and lethal despite the bumpy ride.
The chase lasted several minutes. One by one, Cain picked off the Mountain-Eaters until none were left.
Aeris kept driving for several more miles just to be safe.
By the time she stopped, everyone except Cain was inside the vehicle. William had been treated with the antidote and healed.
"What's our next move, Captain?" Aeris asked as Cain climbed in.
Her face was more serious than usual.
Cain looked at her for a moment, then gave her shoulder a reassuring pat.
"It's not your fault. No one could've known the mist was also a detection trap."
"There's something important behind it. The number of monsters guarding the area proves it."
He took a breath. "We've confirmed that something vital to the Mountain-Eaters is in that red zone. For now, we report to HQ and request reinforcements."
"Will they send a full raid team?" William asked out of nowhere.
"They might," Cain replied. "But more likely, they'll send a bigger recon team first to confirm our findings."
William paused in thought.
"So... if we can prove the fog is hiding the source of the poison, they'll commit to a full raid?"
Cain locked eyes with him. "Yes."
"…Then I might have a way to punch a hole through that fog and see what's hiding behind it."