Although Tabitha didn’t want Vaan to go to the Thousand Fog Mountains, she realized nothing she said could change his mind.
Tabitha helplessly sighed before she agreed, “Alright, if that is what you wish, Sir Vaan.”
The knowledge inside the Book of Solomon Raphna was fixed, but the origin of said knowledge was still alive. Undoubtedly, Vaan possessed far more knowledge than what the book recorded.
And if she wanted to learn many things beyond what the book could offer, she couldn’t get on Vaan’s bad side.
Of course, it didn’t matter if she was on his good side if he died in the Thousand Fog Mountains either.
“I hope that with my knowledge, you will sufficiently prepare for the Thousand Fog Mountains, Sir Vaan. It had been labeled a Dark Zone for a reason. Please don’t underestimate it,” Tabitha sincerely wished.
“Of course, I wouldn’t, Headmaster Tabitha,” Vaan assured before he said, “That’s why I wish to learn everything you know about the Thousand Fog Mountains since you seemed to have experience in that place.”.
“Before that, how much do you know about the Thousand Fog Mountains, Sir Vaan?” Tabitha asked.
At the same time, she summoned two Victorian-style white armchairs for Vaan and Astoria to sit and a tea table before she prepared tea for them with magic as she assumed it would be a long talk between them.
“According to the records, the Thousand Fog Mountains used to be called the Starry Cloud Peaks before the arrival of Gehenna. It was said to have several of the tallest mountain peaks on the continent,” Vaan mentioned.
“However, such a grand sight could no longer be seen due to the thick fog that occupied the entire region. Rumors said a tribe of dragons fled from Gehenna during the initial outbreak and settled there. And the fog we see today results from a grand spell they used to conceal themselves in the mountain peaks for protection.”
“That said, no one has been able to prove the existence of such mythical creatures. Only their illusions have been seen by those who attempted to explore the Thousand Fog Mountains and lived to tell the tale,” Vaan said.
Like many wild regions in the kingdom, and perhaps all of the seven witch kingdoms, the Thousand Fog Mountains were purposely left uncleared by the Transcendent Witches.
It was a land of opportunities for those who sought to hone their skills and gain epiphany amid the dangers to overcome their bottlenecks and advance their power.
And among the wild regions, the labeled Dark Zones were places where the danger level could not be fully determined.
Nevertheless, after many Peak-stage Senior Witches died exploring the Thousand Fog Mountains over the past three hundred years, the danger level was graded at Rank 4 or higher.
The Thousand Fog Mountains were divided into three main regions; the lower, middle, and upper regions.
The foot of the outer mountains and the surrounding fields extending all the way to the edge of the fog were all part of the lower region.
All the inner mountains and up to the halfway point were all part of the middle region.
And everything else beyond the halfway point was part of the upper region.
The danger level in the lower region was relatively low, consisting of Rank 2 beasts or weaker.
In the middle region, the danger level was a level higher. Mostly Rank 3 beasts and monsters dwelled there.
And if one tried to enter the upper region beyond the halfway point up the mountains, they would encounter the Rank 4 Thousand Fog Illusion Dragon that stopped many from climbing further.
When Vaan spoke up to that point, he suspected the Black Rose Transcendent Witch, Henrietta Rosegarden, had explored the upper regions before.
Considering the high level of threat posed by the unknown in that place, it was hard to believe if the powerful Henrietta Rosegarden had not gone to assess it at least once.
That said, even if she did, no one would know except her if she had chosen to keep the information to herself.
“That’s about all I know about the Thousand Fog Mountains. Anything about the midway point and above is unknown to me,” Vaan stated before he asked, “What did you experience up there, Headmaster Tabitha?”
“You’ve really done your research, Sir Vaan,” Tabitha wryly smiled, not expecting him to have such a complete understanding of the Thousand Fog Mountains.
It was hard to imagine all that knowledge came from books alone. Even if all that knowledge came from books, it was also difficult to remember everything clearly.
Besides the terrain of the Thousand Fog Mountains, Vaan had also listed the type of beasts, monsters, and even herbs that were commonly found in the lower and middle regions.
A normal person wouldn’t have such attention to detail. But then again, Vaan wasn’t a normal person.
Furthermore, a normal person wouldn’t have been able to write something like the Book of Solomon Raphna.
That said, it left her with little to talk about the Thousand Fog Mountains.
“I don’t have much to say, actually. You have covered most of it, Sir Vaan,” Tabitha wryly smiled before she said, “But if you really want to know about what’s it like up there, I can tell you that it’s very different from the lower and middle regions.”
“The fog is less dense up there, and the terrain isn’t much different. But stepping up there was like stepping into a different world; something about it didn’t feel the same. Of course, the same goes for the danger.”
“The moment I arrived there, my body instinctively screamed danger. I was forced to flee when the Thousand Fog Illusion Dragon was formed from the fog. It was just an illusion, but I felt fear from the bottom of my heart. It was as if a real powerful and ancient dragon was gazing into my soul.”
Tabitha recalled the event with trepidation as her life hung by a thread during that moment.
But after listening to her, Vaan frowned.
“In other words, Headmaster Tabitha wasn’t attacked by the Thousand Fog Illusion Dragon? You only fled when you ‘sensed’ the life-threatening danger?” Vaan asked.
“You shouldn’t underestimate a High Witch’s sixth sense, Sir Vaan,” Tabitha coolly said before she added, “Even if we have no explanation behind it, it can be very accurate at crucial moments.”