Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece-Chapter 266: HQP-19 [2]
HQP-19 [2]
The fog thickened as both Isolde and Anastasia ventured from the camp. Other Junior Instructors and Brynn are surveilling other areas.
An Elf scout of Official Aredhel led them with silent and practised ease.
Isolde's eyes scanned the ancient forest, tracing the massive gnarled trunks of trees she had no name for.
Some of the barks glowed like polished obsidian, while the others were covered in thick, phosphorescent moss that pulsed with the green light.
Vines that were thicker than human arms hung like serpents around the branches. The air has a dense, pungent smell of damp, decaying earth.
Their guide, who introduced himself as an assistant researcher, pointed out landmarks in a low and scholarly tone.
"That grove to the east is known to house a colony of Silverfang Mossbacks. The ravine ahead is a hunting path for a pair of Gold-rank Shadowstalker cats. They rarely come this far out. All manageable, provided your students exercise caution and teamwork."
They reached the edge of what the elf introduced as the second layer's border. A subtle shift in mana in the air felt like an invisible wall.
The second layer of HQP-19 has denser mana than they are feeling now.
The mist was like a curtain of white, surrounding the second layer and completely blocking their vision.
Anastasia reached out her hands towards the mist.
"This still feels... unusual." She muttered, narrowing her crimson eyes. "The mana cohesion within the mist is too uniform. It's less like weather and more like a.…"
"A natural phenomenon, as we said." The elf scout interjected, a flicker of impatience crossing his elfin features. "Our researchers have scanned it thoroughly. There is no hostile intent, nor does it have to do with any hidden spellwork."
Isolde watched Anastasia from the corner of her eye. The princess stood still, her gaze still lingering on the distant white curtain as if she could see straight through it.
"You big sisters sure get worked up."
Isolde said quietly, a hint of a slight smile touching her lips.
Anastasia blinked and looked at her. "Big sisters?"
"Yeah. You and Aurelia." Isolde said.
"Aurelia was practically climbing the walls when she wasn't assigned as an overseer. And you, showing up unannounced at the last moment. Eleanora and Kyle are two of the strongest first-years we've ever had. You guys have to let the fledglings test their wings sometime."
Anastasia opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly her head snapped towards the side.
Her crimson gaze locked onto the depths of the second layer, and her eyes widened slightly.
She sensed something... something sinister.
But it was just for a moment; the next moment, it was gone, vanishing so completely that even she doubted if it might have been her imagination.
"What's wrong?" Isolde inquired from the side, her hand already ready to summon her bow.
Anastasia slowly turned her head. Her expression slowly returned to her neutral and calm one.
"Nothing, might be just my imagination."
But in the privacy of her own mind. A voice suddenly whispered directly in her head.
'I know.'
She spoke with the entity in her mind. Her mental tone was a mixture of fondness and iron resolve.
'You don't need to tell me. Watching over Kyle is my choice, not just your request. And for the record… I love him more than you ever could.'
That was also the reason she had taken this form with the help of a Radiant Grade Artifact that let her change her face at will.
Disguising herself as Anastasia D'Argent, the crown princess, had been the easiest way to get close to overseeing this Trip. With her status, no one will ask her questions even if she shows up at the last moment and tells them she intends to join.
'This timeline is fraying at the edges, changing in ways I couldn't predict a thing.'
She let out a deep sigh.
'Was I too rash with my decision?'
Now, only she is thinking about the consequences of taking Anastasia's form. It was a dangerous flaw, this single-minded obsession she and her passenger, the entity inside her mind, shared for Kyle.
It made her impulsive, prompting her to act without fully considering the consequences.
'I don't know what will happen when the Principal and Seris discover the real Anastasia has been impersonated.'
'Well, it's too late to regret now.' She clenched her fist. 'I just have to ensure Kyle's safety and see this trip through without any disturbance.'
——————————
The Crimson mana buses that had completed their task took off one by one.
Almost immediately, the complaints started; they muttered under their breath.
"Ugh… it feels like I'm wearing a lead coat."
"It's like trying to move underwater."
"My legs feel like they're made of stone. Is this normal?"
Kyle watched them, and a faint crease formed between his brows.
When he turned around, he saw that other top students were facing the same issue.
'What's with them…?'
He clenched and unclenched his fist, feeling the dense mana pressing against his skin.
It was significant, no doubt. Every moment required a bit more conscious effort, but it was barely noticeable..... that's all.
But from the looks of it, others are moving as if they were trying to wade through waist-deep mud.
'It looks like they needed more time to adjust to the dense mana here. Their cores may have adapted, but their physical bodies are still catching up. Back on the bus, you all seemed fine—probably thanks to the stabilization runes carved into the chassis. That's my theory, anyway.'
Zalrielle's voice echoed in his head with thoughtful observation.
Kyle gave a slight nod in understanding. He suspected he was having an easier time due to his improved constitution after he awakened his storm blessing, which gave him more mana pathways than any silver ranker.
'And Master Seris's training might have also helped.'
He tore his gaze from the struggling students and looked up at the crimson sky, then at the thin, persistent mist coiling around them.
A low, instinctive unease settled in his gut. Something about it just felt.... wrong and watchful.
"Welcome to HQP-19, Cadets."
An androgynous voice amplified with the mana echoed around them.
All eyes turned towards the tall elf in the lightweight brown armor who approached.
The elf had neck-length, yellow hair and sharp, blue eyes that scanned the first years with an unreadable expression.
"The atmospheric resistance you feel is normal. Do not fight it directly. Your bodies will adapt in time. To speed the process, focus on actively circulating your mana. Guide it through your core and along your pathways in a continuous flow. Do not let it stagnate. This will help your systems synchronize with the environment."
Students began to follow his instructions, and slowly the worst of the strain began to ease from their expressions.
Official Aredhel's sharp blue eyes swept across the students. They swept past Eleanora, past Kyle, past Sylvie, past Reo, and then stooped when his eyes landed on the half-elf Lyra Silverwind.
For just a heartbeat, his expression turned into the flicker of pure unadulterated disgust that twisted his impassive features before it turned to normal a second later.
It disappeared so fast that the students almost thought they'd imagined it.
Lyra, however, had seen it clearly as a day. How could she not recognize that look he gave her, when she had seen it multiple times?
Her usual vibrant green eyes dimmed slightly, and a familiar hollow ache settled in her chest. She was used to it, but "used to" didn't necessarily mean it didn't hurt.
It was quite a poison, a reminder of how her grandmother had turned her back on her mother, a reminder of the whispers and sidelong glances that always followed her.
She was a living testament to a "sullied" bloodline, an impurity in the eyes of those who prized ancient purity above all else.
Her expression darkened, her shoulders drawing in just a fraction.
Then, she felt a weight on her shoulder, which was warm, giving her a little stability.
She glanced sideways to find Casian beside her, his gaze fixed on the Official elf.
"Don't pay that pointy-eared prick any mind," Cassian muttered. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
"He probably gets his kicks from polishing his armor until he can see his own stuck-up reflection in it. Bet his family tree doesn't branch, it just goes up its own—"
Lyra's eyes widened in shock, and a choked sound escaped her, which quickly blossomed into a genuine, quiet laugh.
The cold weight in her chest cracked and began to melt away.
"Yeah." She said softly with a smile. "I know."
She nudged him gently with her elbow and turned her face away to hide the blush that crept over her cheeks.
——————————
