The group continued along the stone-brick passage for some distance.
They kept going until they reached an upward passageway, where they found a fork.
Straight ahead was a winding passage that led upward, while the passage on the right sloped down into deeper regions.
Whether they looked up or down, both passages were filled with that stagnant, motionless gray fog.
Under Fivik's command, the hound she had summoned burrowed into the fog straight ahead.
Several minutes later, the translucent figure sent back neither an alarm that it had encountered an enemy nor any other feedback.
Fivik made the same hand gesture she had used at the cave entrance, preparing to disperse the fog again.
Just then, Zander, who had remained silent and vigilant, suddenly moved.
His beastlike instincts made every muscle in his body tense in an instant.
"Careful!"
Almost at the same time, Fivik reacted even faster than he did.
The next second.
Whoosh! A dazzling blue light shot from Fivik's hand. It was not the Wind Creation Spell she had originally intended to cast.
It was a Magic Missile the size of a human head, carrying a powerful surge of magic as it shot straight toward the fog ahead.
Just as the missile was about to vanish into the dense fog, a translucent Claw condensed from mist poked out from within it.
Bang!
The missile struck the newly formed mist claw.
The mist claw collapsed instantly, like a smoke ring that had been scattered by a blow.
Zander was about to rush forward in case there were more enemies following behind.
"Don't. It's an incorporeal creature. You need to use Force Damage."
Fivik's voice came from behind. She turned directly toward He Xi and pointed at the downward passage on the right. "It's not much of a threat.