Chapter 12: Into the Fog
Azure Fog Valley lived up to its name.
A thick bluish mist coiled through the trees, muffling sound and warping sight. The air was cold, not from temperature—but from the strange presence of Qi so dense it felt like something breathing against your skin.
Clinton moved silently, leading Team Three—a small group of five Outer Sect disciples. Suyin walked beside him, calm and alert. The others trailed behind: Jiro, the overly chatty one; Mei, who hadn't said a word all day; and Ren, the boy who kept clutching his sword too tightly.
> "The Qi density here can erode mental clarity," Narvek whispered in Clinton's mind. "Proceed with heightened caution. I will filter most of it, but your teammates are vulnerable."
"Great. Babysitting and survival. My favorite combo."
> "Sarcasm noted. Logging for future reference."
Suddenly, Mei stopped. "Did you hear that?"
Everyone froze.
In the distance—barely a whisper—a flute melody drifted through the fog.
Low. Haunting. Almost... sad.
Jiro shivered. "What kind of beast plays an instrument?"
> "None. That sound is an illusion trap. Low-tier spirit formation designed to lure intruders."
Clinton clenched his jaw. "We move. Eyes on me. Don't follow the sound."
The team obeyed, reluctantly. As they pressed deeper into the valley, the mist thickened, curling around their ankles like smoke. Strange shadows flickered past the trees. At one point, Ren swore he saw a figure watching them—but when they turned, nothing was there.
After an hour of tense silence, they reached a small clearing.
In the center grew a single lotus—pale blue, pulsing with faint light. Mistlotus.
Suyin exhaled. "We found it."
Clinton stepped forward—
—and the ground exploded.
A spirit beast surged from beneath the earth: a scaled foxlike creature with six tails and glowing eyes. It hissed, baring spectral fangs.
"Formation beast," Clinton muttered. "It's bound to the lotus."
> "Confirmed. Qi signature: Grade-2 Guardian Type. Aggressive, territorial, but limited intelligence."
The others scattered.
Suyin drew her saber. "We can take it together!"
Clinton didn't answer.
His eyes glowed faintly. Inside, Narvek was already syncing battle protocols.
> "Activating Predictive Combat Algorithm. Syncing evasion matrix. Overlaying enemy strike patterns. Ready when you are."
Clinton dashed forward.
The beast lunged, tails slashing. Clinton ducked under the first, side-stepped the second, spun beneath the third. His movements were fluid—unnaturally perfect.
But still just barely normal enough not to draw suspicion.
He slashed his training sword across the beast's leg. It howled.
Suyin came from behind, landing a clean strike on its flank.
The others regrouped, emboldened. Together, the team struck again and again—Clinton subtly guiding their attacks, whispering strategy at the perfect moments.
Minutes later, the beast collapsed with a cry of fading Qi.
The lotus remained untouched.
Silence fell. Then cheers.
"We did it!" Jiro shouted.
"Clinton led us perfectly!" Ren added.
Clinton said nothing. He only stared at the beast's body as it dissolved into mist.
> "That was not a random guardian. It was watching you before it attacked."
"Watching me?"
> "Yes. But not just with beast instincts. Something… else was layered into that formation. A fragment of consciousness."
Clinton frowned.
Suyin walked up beside him. "Hey. You good?"
"Yeah," Clinton replied. "Just... something feels off."
She smiled. "That's normal here. Azure Fog Valley messes with your head."
He nodded.
But inside, Narvek was still scanning the mist.
And somewhere, deeper within the valley…
something watched back.