As far as the eye could see, the blue sky looked as though it had been washed clean. Distant clouds floated thin and light, while the space nearby lay tranquil and empty.
Everything was no different from usual.
Yet Angel clearly sensed that someone seemed to be watching him from the shadows. And even now, that person had not looked away.
Angel kept his face impassive, but secretly contacted Ermi.
Two seconds later, before any of the elemental creatures could react, the world within dozens of miles abruptly changed color. Everything turned gray and withered, as though they had entered a ruin shrouded in heavy smog from a bright and clear real world.
Only the Gondola retained its vivid colors, the sole remaining sign of life in this lifeless world.
At the instant the world changed, Angel leaped from the flying boat and stood in midair. "Who is it? Show yourself!"
Yet no one answered.
Near the Gondola, Lober's chief leader, startled by the sudden upheaval, looked around. "This sky... what happened? Was there an ambush?"
Dangros's expression was grave as well, but in the face of Lober's surprise, it calmly explained, "The change in the sky was caused by the one... in the shadows. It wasn't an ambush. But Mr. Pat seems to be searching for something. Could someone be nearby?"
As Dangros muttered, Angel slowly descended from the sky, his brows tightly furrowed.
Lober asked, "My lord, is something wrong?"
Angel pondered for a moment before looking at Lober. "Did you sense anything unusual just now?"
Lober recalled the situation, then discussed it briefly with its chief and deputy leaders before shaking its head. "I've been controlling the wind and monitoring the surroundings. Other than occasionally seeing some elemental creatures on the ground, there was nothing else unusual."