The atmosphere inside the Aerial Observation Platform was heavy with the weight of the new SSS-rank discovery. Every eye was fixed on the overwhelming red signature on the holographic map.
"Sylva, that's an SSS-rank monster," Kaelus confirmed, his voice cold and devoid of fear, focused entirely on the raw data.
Sylva's face was pale, but her mind was racing through ancient classifications. "Are you absolutely sure, Kaelus? SSS-rank monsters are mythic, continent-ending threats. They are not supposed to exist on our continent"
"I may be wrong about the specific rank, Sylva," Kaelus clarified, "but SSS-rank is the bare minimum threshold for my Mana Sense detection when dealing with a signature of this size. It's masking its presence, but the sheer volume of hidden energy is colossal."
"A minimum, you say?" Zane Bladeheart muttered, gripping the railing. The color drained from his face. "So that means this signature may be higher than SSS-rank? How are we supposed to defeat it?"
Zathis, quick to jump to the most exciting conclusion, pointed excitedly at the map. "Wait! If it's that big and hiding in the center of a pass, it might be the Dragon that is supposed to be guarding the canyon! And the canyon may be the cave!"
Vara slapped Zathis lightly on the arm. "Dumb Zathis, we're still not far from the Eastern Territory entrance, barely a few hours' flight. The Dragon's Cave should be days away, at the heart of the continent!"
"So what is that?" Zathis challenged.
"We don't know yet," Sylva said, quickly recovering her composure. "But we have a critical advantage if we decide we need to neutralize it. The advantage we have is simple and absolute: We located it first before it located us."
Kaelan, frowned. "Are we supposed to kill it? I thought our mission was only to explore and confirm the status of the barrier?"
"The mission is information," Zane stated. "But if we didn't have Kaelus's Wind Carriage skill, we would have needed to pass through this canyon on foot to avoid the central path. We would have encountered it anyway." Zane fixed his gaze on the silent, massive signature on the map.
"Are we engaging that monster or not?" Grund asked.
"Kaelus, I will ask you as the strongest person in this party: what is our chance of victory if we fight that monster head-on?" Zane asked.
"Normally, if we encountered a high-rank monster like our previous fight with the Armored Scorpions, the odds are against us due to unpredictable surprise attacks," Kaelus replied, "But as Zane and Sylva said, we spotted that monster boss first, so we hold the advantage of the element of surprise. If we attack first as an ambush, I am 100% sure I can kill it with my ultimate skill."
"I like that confidence, Kaelus," Sylva said, nodding sharply. "So, how exactly are we going to ambush a creature that can mask its presence? We need a detailed plan."
"Planning is your forte, Ms. Sylva," Kaelus returned.
"Then make Kaelus spend his mana, Sylva," Zane chuckled, giving Kaelus a playful shove.
Sylva immediately took control of the holographic map. "Okay. We need to maintain a strict distance from that monster so it can't detect us. Kaelus, what is the minimum distance do we have to maintain?"
"Half a kilometer distance minimum," Kaelus estimated. "If we approach inside that distance, I'm pretty sure it can detect us."
"Understood. Now, how about your ultimate skill, Ryujin no Kaze? What's its range of effective lethality?"
"Around 100 meters," Kaelus confirmed.
Sylva smiled. "You can do it, Kaelus," she insisted, tapping the map with confidence. "I made a calculation."
Zathis blinked. "That fast? How?"
"It's simple," Sylva explained, her eyes shining with tactical genius. "We need to attack from a height of 500 meters above the canyon. Zane will assist Kaelus by using his Gravity Magic to instantly double Kaelus's downward acceleration. Kaelus will activate his Gale Step to initiate the speed, and the combined forces will propel him downward into the 100-meter range for his ultimate skill."
Kaelus stared at the calculation, surprised. The idea of integrating the Gravity Element, with his own Wind magic for propulsion was brilliant. "Wow, I didn't think of that way."
Sylva smiled, a rare, genuine expression of pride. "Then let's not waste any more time. Kaelus, fly and hover up to the top of the canyon. We'll secure the support position and wait for your signal."
The Aerial Observation Platform hovered silently high above the Eastern Territory. Kaelus was preparing for a lethal, high-speed assault against an entity he knew was at least SSS-rank. The plan, calculated by Sylva, was risky but offered a near-guaranteed one-hit kill by exploiting Kaelus's speed and Zane's gravity magic.
Zane Bladeheart stood ready, concentrating his Earth mana. His role was critical: timing the Gravity Magic perfectly to compound Kaelus's acceleration.
Kaelus removed his Void Scales armor and his Knight's Legacy scarf, placing them in his inventory. He needed minimal resistance for maximum possible speed. He stood ready, the Viridian Sword resting easily in his hand.
Kaelus channeled his Wind mana into his legs, and with a silent surge, he launched himself vertically from the platform. He rose until he reached the designated altitude of 500 meters above the canyon, an immense height. He hovered motionless, using his Mana Sense to pinpoint the exact location of the colossal, masked SSS-rank signature lurking far below.
"Now, Zane!" Kaelus transmitted.
Zane did not hesitate. He unleashed the full force of his Gravity Magic, creating an intense, crushing field that focused entirely on Kaelus.
Kaelus instantly felt his mass increase tenfold, pulling him downward with the force of a falling meteor. Simultaneously, he activated his Wind Skill: Gale Step, pushing his Wind mana outward for directional acceleration.
The combination was explosive. Kaelus was an unstoppable, guided projectile. The speed was terrifying, exceeding the bounds of normal physical endurance. The air around him screamed from the friction, and the crystalline edge of the Viridian Sword began to hum a high, resonant pitch.
He crossed the initial 400 meters in a terrifying fraction of a second.
As Kaelus plunged toward the canyon floor, preparing to unleash the Ryujin no Kaze—the cleave of absolute destruction—he passed the 100-meter kill zone. In that micro-instant, he caught a glimpse of the target. The massive, hidden mana signature wasn't moving like a typical monster; it was strangely static, and the entity itself appeared to be round and incredibly small. A terrifyingly potent, yet tiny, existence.
Kaelus acted on instinct, his Dragon Core screaming against the plan. He furiously channeled drag force using his own Wind magic, forcefully slowing his descent. The abrupt change in momentum was agonizing, nearly ripping his muscles.
"Stop the Gravity skill!" Kaelus roared, the sound distorted by the friction of his sudden deceleration. He stabilized just meters above the canyon floor.
Zane, startled by the shout, instantly released the Gravity augmentation.
"Why, Kaelus? What kind of monster is that?" Sylva shouted, fear and confusion battling in her voice. "Our surprise attack may have failed!"
Kaelus planted his feet on the ground. "I will bring down the Wind Carriage so you can see for yourselves."
Sylva watched as Kaelus used his Wind mana to gently lower the Aerial Observation Platform. She spoke quickly, trying to rationalize the situation. "The SSS-rank entity must be non-hostile towards Kaelus, or it would have attacked. But what thing is so small yet radiates that much power?"
Zane surveyed the immediate area. "I don't know, but as we can see below, this topmost canyon is not like the other areas. The vegetation is too dense with wild, overgrown plants, and the ambient mana signature here is colossal—far greater than Kaelus can even exert."
The Wind Carriage settled onto the dense, vibrant growth of the canyon top. The Phalanx members disembarked, immediately noticing the overwhelming, pure Wind mana that saturated the air. Their eyes were drawn to the source of the anomaly: a cocoon, roughly one foot long, hanging heavily from the huge leaf of a wild, taro-like plant that stood three meters tall.
Inside the shimmering cocoon, they could vaguely discern a small entity, like a tiny human with wings, peacefully sleeping.
Kaelus approached the cocoon, his silver hair flowing. He turned to the Elven Mage. "Sylva, with your vast knowledge, do you know what entity this is?"
Sylva stared at the object, her composure completely shattered. Her twilight eyes were wide with shock, and she was speechless for nearly three seconds.
Finally, she managed to articulate the name, her voice trembling with reverence. "Kaelus, this entity is one of the Four Great Elemental Spirits—the Wind Spirit: Sylphid."