In the central district of Harbortown, thick clouds of deadly scarlet mist had erupted from the hospital and were now spreading in all directions.
Within just an hour, the mist had stretched five miles beyond its starting point. It advanced more rapidly and aggressively than a wildfire.
Wherever the crimson mist swept through, it left nothing but ruin. Anyone who came into contact with it died almost instantly and dissolved into a pool of blood within two minutes.
Even inanimate objects couldn’t escape-the red mist corroded them until they were riddled with holes. At this rate, the deadly mist would devour the entire city within a single day and turn it into a death zone.
High up on a rooftop not far from the governor’s mansion, Tristan and Milton stood on the building’s edge. They watched the distant scarlet mist continue its inexorable spread. Their expressions showed nothing but helplessness.
They had tried everything-deployed manpower, diverted resources, attempted every method to stop the mist-but nothing had worked. Worse yet, they’d lost countless lives in the process.
Now they had reached the end of hope. Unless the mist stopped on its own, this catastrophe couldn’t be prevented.
But would it stop? Looking at how aggressively it continued to spread, the mist clearly wouldn’t stop until it had engulfed the entire city.
“Your Highness, there’s nothing left we can do for Harbortown,” Milton said. “We need to evacuate now.”
They had done all they could. The scale of the disaster had long since surpassed anything human effort could overcome.
Tristan heaved out a long, weary sigh. “It seems this is the only way.”
“Your Highness, you’ve fulfilled every duty expected of you. Don’t burden yourself with guilt,” Milton replied, bowing his head slightly.
“It’s unfortunate what happened here,” Tristan said, his voice carrying a subtle undertone.
“But I have to admit, it’s a bit of a relief that the same scarlet mist hit Thornwick and Sommertown. My brothers are likely just as helpless as I am. At least now we’re all back on equal footing.”
When he heard that the deadly scarlet mist broke out in Harbortown, he was overwhelmed by despair. But after learning the same catastrophe had struck Thornwick and Sommertown, it gave him a strange sense of comfort.
At least Tristan wouldn’t be the only one held responsible. His brothers would share the blame, and that meant the competition for the throne was still anyone’s game. It was the first good news he’d had in weeks.
“You’re right, Your Highness,” Milton agreed. “This is a natural disaster. The situation has escalated far beyond human intervention. His Majesty will surely understand.”
“It’s almost time. Let’s go,” Tristan said.
He was about to turn and leave when something in his peripheral vision caught his attention-what looked like a meteor streaking across the distant sky.
“Hmm?” He paused and focused his gaze.
The meteor was approaching rapidly and seemed to be heading straight for Harbortown. Within just a few seconds, it had reached the city’s airspace and landed directly into the center of the deadly scarlet mist.
“Uncle Milton, look up there. Is that a human figure?” Tristan asked.
Milton strained his eyes to look before responding. “Yes, Your Highness. It’s definitely a person.”
“What is he trying to do?” Tristan frowned slightly. “Surely he’s not planning to enter that mist to rescue people?”
Several grandmasters served under Tristan, and their ability to hover briefly made aerial displays routine to him. What concerned him was that even those martial artists couldn’t handle the scarlet mist since a single touch could prove fatal.
“Just someone biting off more than they can chew,” Milton said, shaking his head. ” It’s not worth your attention, Your Highness.”
The moment he finished speaking, the distant figure suddenly moved. That person’s body erupted in brilliant radiance that stretched for miles in every direction, then pointed toward the sky.
A deafening boom echoed as a massive energy vortex materialized in the sky. It spanned over 300 feet across, swirling with lightning and violent winds.
As it began to rotate at an incredible speed, a terrifying suction force burst forth from its center. Howling winds swept across a six -mile radius around the vortex.
Tristan and Milton, still on the rooftop, could feel the powerful pull tugging at their bodies.
“That power is terrifying. Who could this be?”
Both men’s faces went pale with shock, and their eyes filled with terror.
A single gesture had triggered a vortex hundreds of feet wide and generated such overwhelming force that neither of them had ever witnessed. Could it be someone from the Sacred Wrym Summit?
The massive energy vortex thundered again with another deafening roar. The vast cloud of scarlet mist that had blanketed miles of the city suddenly began to retreat.
The sight was like watching a massive vacuum cleaner as the spinning vortex accelerated and its suction grew exponentially stronger.
The scarlet mist was forcibly drawn into the vortex. Within five minutes, the massive cloud of deadly scarlet mist receded like water draining from a bathtub and vanished completely from sight. The energy vortex had consumed every last wisp of the deadly mist.
Once the scarlet mist had disappeared, the vortex collapsed in on itself, leaving only a crimson orb floating in the air.
The figure in the sky extended his hand and drew the orb across the distance into his palm. Then, he shot away in another direction like a meteor.
In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from sight, leaving Tristan and Milton staring in absolute shock.
