A few days later.
Somewhere in the Wild Devil Lands.
Nomel, the sect elder inside the nameless forest, rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the spectral screen with frustration and resignation.
The forest around him was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the breeze. The towering trees cast long shadows in the fading light of the evening, adding to the tension of his report.
The mirror artifact he had used earlier floated beside him, still and inactive.
“I know, Sister Elika,” Nomel replied, his voice carrying the weight of several sleepless nights.
“But whoever did this left no traces. There are no aura signatures, no battle remnants. I even combed through the region with the mirror for days and… nothing.”
On the other side of the communication, Elder Elika’s frown deepened. Her elegant features were slightly distorted through the spectral screen, but the concern in her eyes was clear. She wasn’t someone who accepted failure easily.
The mission they had been assigned was critical—Lini Lowanfield was one of their own, and more importantly, someone tied to the Green Glory Lord’s greater plans.
“What about the giant flying eagles?” Elika pressed, her voice sharp but not accusatory. “Didn’t you say you found some trace of them?”
Nomel nodded, but his expression remained grim.
“Yes. A group of giant flying eagles landed nearby a few days ago. Looked like they had riders—most likely the ones sent to meet Lini and her group. But when they left, no one was riding them.
The best I can gather is that something happened here that forced Lini and the others to disappear before they could rejoin the eagles. But that’s just speculation. The actual trail’s gone cold.”
Elika was silent for a moment, her gaze unfocused as if considering her next move. She was in Haan Di. Currently, she contacted Nomel who had been sent to the Wild Devil Lands using a special communication-type long-distance Array Disk.
It was not easy to craft such a limited-used artifact. Only someone like the Green Glory Lord could create such Array Disks using his Core Formation powers. However, the three sent after Lini by the Green Glory Lord didn’t hesitate to use the resource because of the severity of the task they had been given.
There was another sect elder from the Green Glory Palace who was with Elika in Haan Di. However, he had gone out to collect information, leaving Elika in charge.
Elika’s fingers tapped rhythmically against something out of view, the only sign of her growing impatience.
“We can’t afford to speculate, Nomel,” she said finally, her tone controlled but tight.
“Lord Sect Leader won’t accept ‘nothing’ as an answer. We need a concrete lead. If we go back empty-handed, it won’t just be a setback for us—it could mean serious consequences. Lini was important to him.”
Nomel sighed, taking in the enormity of her words. He’d known the stakes from the start, but the lack of progress was becoming more frustrating by the hour. He glanced down at the array disk in his hand as if hoping it might magically offer a new clue.
“Sister Elika, I’ve used every resource we have,” he said, shaking his head slowly. “This useless mirror had limited uses here. The rune activation talismans? Completely useless. They didn’t even flicker when I tried to activate them. That means Lini’s either out of reach or someone’s put her in a place where we can’t detect her.”
Elika’s eyes narrowed at this, but she didn’t speak. Instead, she looked deep in thought. Nomel continued, his voice more subdued.
“Whoever did this was thorough. They erased everything, even using methods to prevent aura residue. It tells me one thing—Lini is alive, but someone doesn’t want us to find her. And… well, that someone has to be powerful, or at the very least, meticulous.
I don’t think the three major demonic sects are capable of pulling off this feat. Even if they could erase the aura signatures, they couldn’t erase Lini’s existence without letting us know. I think…. I think there’s another Core Formation Lord involved in her disappearance.”
Elika’s expression hardened.
“No clues? It means someone knew Lini’s real identity as a core disciple of the Green Glory Lord. Whoever did this didn’t just stumble upon Lini and decide to act. This means we’re dealing with someone with a motive, and potentially, a larger scheme.
But we can’t even guess what it could be unless we know what reason the Lord Sect Leader had sent Lini here.
The three major demonic sects are definitely involved in this matter even if they are not the ones who actually took action. Not to mention, there’s currently unrest in the Wild Devil Lands. Even Haan Di is not peaceful and its businesses are affected because of the unrest there. I’m guessing all of this is linked somehow.”
She paused, then added, “But we can’t return with just suspicions, Nomel. We need something to present to Lord Sect Leader—some proof, a direction, anything.”
Nomel clenched his jaw. “But how? I’ve already scoured the area for days. If there’s anything else to find, it’s buried deep.”
“Then dig deeper,” Elika said sharply, her voice steely. “We have no choice.”
Just as Nomel was about to respond, the communication disk in his hand flickered.
A faint pulse of energy emanated from it, and then the spectral screen displayed a new message—an alert from the Green Glory Palace. It was the third sect elder sent on the task of finding Lini who had released the emergency message to them.
Nomel’s brows furrowed as he quickly scanned the notification.
“What is it?” Elika asked, noticing the change in his expression.
Nomel blinked, and then his eyes widened slightly. “Check your communication talisman. There’s a development. The Sun Ocean Lord’s visit to the Wild Devil Lands is confirmed. Within two days, in fact.”
Elika straightened in surprise, her eyes narrowing. “Two days? What is he going there for on such short notice?”
Nomel shook his head, indicating he didn’t know.
“The reason doesn’t matter to us. We need to inform the Green Glory Lord about this.”
Elika pondered for a bit. Then her lips curled into a thoughtful smile.
“This is indeed a major event. As such, we may not need to rush back empty-handed after all.
I don’t think we need to worry about Lini anymore now that Core Formation Lords are making moves. Let the Lord Sect Leader investigate this matter himself.”