Just as the five reached their most vulnerable state, a bone-chilling roar echoed from all directions.
"Roaarrr!"
"What?!" The cloaked group leader was taken aback, feeling a shiver run down their spine in response to the eerie roar.
The cloaked leader's four subordinates shared the same sensation, each longing to rise to their feet, but their bodies had been pushed beyond their limits by the exhaustive use of mana.
In an instant, a horde of black-colored creatures materialized, encircling them within a distance of fifty meters.
"Roaarrr!"
The black creatures, emitting menacing roars, revealed themselves to be shadow whispers, causing the cloaked group leader to exclaim in alarm.
"What! Shadow whispers!" They attempted to stir their body and channel mana from their core, hoping to regain control.
"Frustrating! Frustrating!" The cloaked leader inwardly cursed as they discovered their bodies were unable to manipulate mana, resorting to forcefully retrieving a black potion from within their robe.
This potion was distinctively different from their usual ones in its black hue.
"You all, drink this immediately and conserve your energy."
"Then, run away as fast as you can!" The cloaked group leader hurled the four bottles toward the four subordinates, who wasted no time in consuming the potions.
Gradually, their mana flow started to stabilize, and the five of them regained mobility.
However, the lingering effects of the paralysis continued to hinder their ability to manipulate mana within their bodies.
"Run!" The cloaked group leader shouted, swiftly activating their escape elemental art.
"The Elemental Art of Darkness: Shadow That-!"
However, just as the cloaked group leader was about to make their escape, chilling screams echoed from behind them.
"Arghhh!"
The cloaked group leader spun around, only to be horrified by the sight of their comrades being mercilessly assaulted by the five shadow whispers.
"No!" The leader desperately tried to move and rescue the remaining cloaked figures.
Unfortunately, the leader's reaction was several seconds too slow, and the increasing number of shadow whispers relentlessly pursued and hunted down the two cloaked figures.
"Help! Help!" The two cloaked figures desperately raised their hands amidst the swarm of shadow whispers, their voices filled with desperation.
"Number twenty-one and twenty-three!" The cloaked group leader urgently attempted to unleash their elemental arts and charged towards the shadow whispers.
However, their attempts were thwarted as the remaining shadow whispers closed in from all directions, effectively trapping the leader within their grasp.
"Ahhhh!" The cloaked group leader exerted their utmost effort to manipulate the mana within their body, summoning the powerful elemental art.
"The Darkness Elemental Art: Destruction!"
The leader's voice echoed through the air, and in an instant, an intense aura of darkness gathered around their form.
"Boom!"
The swirling power of darkness surged forth, aiming to annihilate the encroaching shadow whispers and break free from their clutches.
However, much to the cloaked group leader's dismay, the shadow whispers, renowned for their remarkable agility, evaded every attack with uncanny speed, suffering only a few hits.
"Foolish creatures! You will all perish!" The cloaked leader bellowed in a mixture of anger and desperation, relentlessly launching attacks against the relentless swarm of shadow whispers.
After a few minutes of relentless battle, the remaining shadow whispers, realizing the futility of directly confronting the cloaked leader, swiftly transformed into ethereal shadows and dispersed in all directions, escaping with remarkable speed.
As the cloaked leader attempted to chase after the fleeing shadow whispers, they felt a firm grip on their shoulders, halting their movement.
Startled, the cloaked group leader quickly turned around to find one of their cloaked subordinates struggling to catch their breath.
The subordinate, coughing uncontrollably, advised against pursuing the shadows any further.
"Leader, it's... it's enough," the subordinate gasped, trying to steady their breathing.
"Don't... cough! Don't chase after them. We... we need to regroup and assess the situation."
Hearing this, the cloaked group leader immediately came to their senses, realizing the wisdom in their subordinate's words, and nodded stiffly in agreement.
The two cloaked figures walked over to where their lifeless companions lay.
"Cough! Leader, they..." The cloaked figure's voice trembled as they stared at their two comrades, tragically dead.
The group leader took a deep breath and turned around, their expression cold and detached.
"This is the nature of our work, and their deaths are...normal," the group leader stated indifferently.
In an instant, their body dissolved into darkness, disappearing from sight.
The remaining cloaked figure exchanged a helpless glance with their comrade before vanishing as well, leaving behind a scene of devastation in the forest.
...
Meanwhile, Arthur, who had been sitting leisurely in the study chair of the specially prepared room in the Weis family mansion, suddenly rose to his feet, a frown appearing on his face.
"What's happening?" Arthur exclaimed, his concern growing.
He turned his attention towards the window, a sense of foreboding settling upon him.
As he pondered the situation, a twinkling light materialized over his shoulder, and Arthasia, with her little legs twitching, suddenly appeared before him.
"Master? What's troubling you?" Arthasia inquired, her head tilting to the side in curiosity upon seeing Arthur's unusual expression.
Taking a deep breath, Arthur eased his tension and settled back into his chair.
"It's nothing to worry about, Arthasia... I just have an uneasy feeling, like something isn't right," Arthur replied, shaking his head as he tried to rationalize his emotions.
Arthasia, quick to pick up on Arthur's unease, voiced her concern: "Could it be that you're just imagining things, Master?"
However, Arthur firmly dismissed her suggestion and responded with conviction, "No, Arthasia, I have an unwavering feeling that something unfortunate has transpired."
His words conveyed a resolute certainty, reflecting his trust in his intuition.
"Moreover, you must understand that I have never experienced such a sensation before. Its sudden onset strongly suggests that an unfavorable event has taken place," Arthur explained, emphasizing the significance of his intuition.
He continued, his tone laced with a touch of wisdom: "The depths of a human's soul are far more intricate than one can fathom at first glance."
Arthur's words carried weight, underscoring his belief in the complexity of human emotions and experiences.
Indeed, premonitions and similar intuitions often defy scientific explanation and are dismissed as unfounded in the realm of physics.
Reflecting on his past experiences, Arthur recalled Mira's heartfelt expression of her premonition, sensing his potential departure.
He acknowledged that such premonitions hold truth within them.
Regrettably, Arthur considered his failure to heed Mira's warning his greatest mistake.
His own foolishness and arrogance led to his ultimate demise, as Charlotte herself delivered the fatal blow that ended his life.
Arthur understood the weight of disregarding premonitions and the consequences they can entail, leaving him with deep remorse for not heeding Mira's words.
Thus, he was now firmly convinced that phenomena like premonitions must be intricately linked to the soul, beyond visible perception.
Taking a deep breath, Arthur delved into deep contemplation, pondering who among his closest acquaintances could be experiencing misfortune.
"Could it be Alicia or Runa? It seems unlikely..."
"Perhaps my mother? Although her formidable powers make it uncertain..."
Arthur furrowed his brow, deep in thought, while Arthasia attentively observed him, awaiting his insights.
"Who could be a very suitable candidate..." Arthur pondered, his thoughts racing, until he finally fixed on one individual.
"Could it be Rian?!" Arthur exclaimed, rising swiftly from his seat.
He made his way towards the window, directing his gaze towards the Feywild forest, which lay at a considerable distance from the Weis family mansion.
"Damn it!" Arthur cursed inwardly, his heart sinking as he instinctively assumed that Rian must be the one affected.
And there was a strong reason behind his assumption.
For starters, Rian had been the last person to be in his presence in the past few days.
Moreover, it was highly likely that Rian's location had been discovered by the traitorous members of the Black Swan, which aligned perfectly with the unfolding events of the novel.
However, Arthur remained uncertain about the precise timing of Rian's discovery, as the novel's plot outline could not be relied upon completely.
Thirdly, given Rian's formidable presence, it was highly likely that the Black Swan organization wouldn't hesitate to expend a lot of resources in their efforts to locate and eliminate him.
If the specific location was known and the Black Swan organization was willing to invest significant resources, finding Rian, even if he was hiding in the southern region, would become a relatively straightforward task.
"I hope that all my predictions are mistaken; I truly hope..." Arthur sighed deeply, returned to his seat, and immersed himself in deep contemplation.
Although he was certain that it was Rian who was in trouble, Arthur knew that he couldn't act impulsively and had to focus on settling important matters with Anna and Lucas first.
He clenched his teeth, weighing his priorities.
However, just as he was deep in contemplation, Arthasia, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.
"Master! I have a crucial task for you!"
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