After leaving the Withered Land, the Misty Captain did not take Nikita back to the ship.
Instead, he led her through a bank of fog.
When the banshee followed behind the captain and emerged from the mist, she caught a familiar scent.
Looking up, she saw the lush crowns of towering Trees woven together, leaving barely any gaps for the sky; looking down, she saw a many-legged crawler scurry from one fallen leaf to another, clutching a drop of nectar in its pincers—its dinner for the day. Fist-sized mushrooms glimmered with enchanting blue light in the damp air, while unseen birds sang softly in the gloom.
The young banshee covered her mouth, her face a mingling of terror and sorrow.
This was the Silent Forest.
The vast forest outside First University on Puji Island, where light and darkness intertwined.
It was also where Nikita had fallen.
"I can sense the fear buried deep within your soul." The Misty Captain's voice sounded ahead of her.
The banshee nodded silently.
Two demons had appeared on Puji Island. If the wizards—especially those of First University—discovered them, even dying might prove difficult for them.
Even if one of them was a great demon.
Wizards loved experimental materials from high-ranking demons most of all.
And First University happened to have no shortage of Archwizards. This island might have the highest concentration of Archwizards in the entire Wizarding World. Imagine two hyenas falling into a pride of lions.
"Rest easy. Though the school's Guardian Formation is highly sensitive to demonic aura, this is already part of the Silent Forest." The captain led the banshee calmly through the tangled roots between the Trees, explaining in a gentle voice:
"And this is one of the most remote regions of the Silent Forest. The Guardian Formation does not monitor