Breaking Free from the Cocoon I

A small squad of Cruz Knights climbed down the steep glacial cliff, slowly approaching Yuxi's corpse. The corpse had been pinned to the ground in a grotesque position by the immense impact of the arrow. The undead had long since perished, its eye sockets hollow and dark, its Soul Fire extinguished.

The knight at the front couldn't help letting out a long breath. Its warmth wove a thin white mist through the freezing canyon before quickly blending into the swirling ice fog around them.

The wolves had already retreated. Wolf corpses remained scattered around them, covered in blood, with broken arrows strewn across the ground. The canyon was so quiet that it sent chills down one's spine. He should have immediately reported back after confirming Yuxi's death, but the eerie silence made him glance around once more.

In a daze, he seemed to see something standing in the depths of the canyon. A beast the size of a small foal stood behind the thin mist, its fur moving despite the absence of wind.

He jumped in fright. But when he focused his eyes, he found nothing there. The beast he had thought he saw was nothing more than drifting mist in the depths of the canyon. Even so, the knight broke into a cold sweat.

After the brief ambush ended, the canyon fell into this strange atmosphere. The situation now seemed even more terrifying than when they had been pursued by the wolves. The Knight Captain drew a shallow breath, seemingly preparing to steady his emotions. He was a member of the Broken Sword Knight Order, one of the outstanding figures among the Cruzian younger generation. It would be far too embarrassing if word got out that he had been frightened into paranoia by a silent canyon.

But just as