Mysterious Fog

What's going on? Sabotage? A trap? This would be difficult if he didn't understand the basics.

Wein opened his eyes after closing them due to the stinging pain from staring at the mysterious mist. He enveloped himself with mana, trying to minimize any further problems.

"We need to get out of here right away," Narisa shouted, grabbing his arm before pulling her friend away from the area.

Narisa passed the two of them hesitantly, and just before fully stepping off the bridge, she turned back to look at Wein and Glen. "Do… you want to come with us?"

The offer was promptly refused. "No need, we'll teleport soon because of the poor air," Wein gently declined, shaking his head from side to side.

Narisa then left them, entering her dormitory not far from the bridge. Glen, in the meantime, attempted to open a portal using a spell, moving his hands up and down.

"How much longer?" Wein asked, covering his mouth with his hand as he spoke, carefully surveying his surroundings before looking back at Glen.

"It'll take a little more time," Glen replied, still chanting the spell and moving his hands.

Around them, there was only fog, with large and small spherical particles slowly falling like snow in winter.

Their skin felt as if it were burning, while their eyes stung so badly they could barely see clearly anymore. They endured it all until a portal finally appeared before them.

"Oh, finally… I think I need to study more after this," Glen said as he stepped through the barrier, followed by Wein Arcveil behind him.

"Well, at least this didn't happen during the war," Wein said before stepping into the portal, which then opened a new circle in the main hall of the Drakvary dormitory.

Both of them emerged, and Glen immediately closed it before the mist could enter the dormitory.

They both coughed afterward, their skin flushed and their eyes watering until they turned red. Some people came over to ask what had happened.

Wein lowered his head as he could no longer endure the pain, but his eyes opened again shortly afterward.

He tried to get up and glanced behind him to make sure there were no open vents. But his instincts were right—he could still feel the wind from outside and saw the main door wide open.

Wein coughed before shouting across the room in a firm, thunderous voice. "Close the door, now!"

Those who heard him did not immediately act; instead, they chose to approach and ignore the command.

Damn, they won't follow orders—and this would be a disaster for the dorm if that mist got inside, Wein muttered clearly.

Someone who heard Wein's muttering immediately ran with all their strength, pushing with all their leg muscles as they rushed through the main hall toward the large door.

He pushed with all his might, and at the same time, Wein Arcveil collapsed and fell onto the floor.

Glen followed shortly after; both were helpless in the main hall, drawing a crowd before they were finally carried to the neutral meeting room.

---

The mysterious mist spread throughout the Aetheris dormitory, quickly isolating the entire area—from dormitories to other buildings like the academy, observatory, and auditoriums, all covered by the gray fog.

At first, some thought it was a scenario exercise given by the academy to students, but so far, there had been no clear information, and all tasks had been suspended by the academy.

Drakvary dormitory began roll call to check for absentees, with Loraine Eleanoir taking over after Wein Arcveil remained incapacitated.

For now, Drakvary still topped the rankings, followed by Tigravorn, Velraptoris below, and Pyraenix at the bottom.

Some people grew anxious, and things didn't stop there—the mist had already reached several nearby cities along the border between the Kingdom of CyFil and Sperum.

Evrygisch and Stonehege were the first cities hit by the mist; almost half of each city had been affected and was now on high alert.

The academy became one of the key places under investigation after this, and Loraine Eleanoir looked pale and worried about what was happening.

Wein regained full control of his body as he began to regain consciousness, looking up at the tall ceiling… Am I in the neutral meeting room?

He held his head, and some memories entered his body subconsciously—he had absorbed fragments of Wein Arcveil's memory while unconscious.

How did I do that? Even I don't know, Wein thought as he tried to sit up on the table.

Glen beside him was still unconscious and showed no signs of movement, even though his body appeared healed. Wein looked to the right side of the room.

"Oh, you're awake?" Aria greeted, rising from her seat and walking toward Wein, who was sitting on the table.

The sound of her footsteps echoed loudly as her shoes struck the floor, and his gaze crumbled the moment he looked at her.

"I've done some research on all of this," Aria said, raising a uniquely shaped glass before climbing onto the table to sit on it.

"Really? I just managed to collect all my souls," Wein chuckled, though it was stifled by his still-weakened body.

In that effort, Wein began trying to move some parts of his body that he could reach. He looked around and ended up seated on a table full of papers.

"Are those all the books from the library?" he asked Aria, who was still doing her research but paused to show him.

"No, that's only half of it. Some of those papers belong to Loraine."

"Wait, where are those from? Is there any information about this mist?" he asked again.

If it really came from the academy and the Kingdom, it would be a major issue for everyone. They were all trapped here and didn't know whether this place would be safe for long.

Wein tried to get off the table, staggering weakly as he did his best to move until he reached the desk.

He hoped they had logical information and weren't just telling them what to do—because all they could do right now was sit tight here.

His eyes landed on a paper with the academy's seal, which he picked up to read. With his vision still blurry, he squinted as he read it.

Aetheris Academy Institution, written directly by Headmaster Claudia Doreion:

A mysterious mist has appeared in the atmosphere around the academy and has now spread widely to the city of Aetheris. For further information, we ask all participants to remain in their dormitories until declared safe. Thank you.

Wein cursed after reading the brief information paper. In his view, it was difficult to get clear info right away, but at least the academy had done something and put it in writing.

He then picked up another piece of paper and read it.

"Mysterious Fog in the City of Aetheris"

This city is one of the highest-income cities on the continent of Britonia and among the richest in the world. But recently, a mysterious fog believed to originate from the Aetheris Academy appeared. At first, some citizens thought it was a magic or alchemy experiment. But once the city was fully shrouded in mist, some people began feeling ill and vomiting blood. Scientists tried to identify the air's contents, but everything came back negative—no definite results—and it's recorded that seventy people have died since it began.

Authorities are currently investigating the Aetheris Academy, and this matter is still ongoing, even involving the defense agency 'Gladius'. The best way to deal with it: do not let the mist enter your homes and avoid inhaling it directly.

Cities currently affected by the pandemic: Stonehege, Evrygisch, and Aetheris.

After reading, Wein concluded that the mist spread rapidly and was extremely dangerous, having already claimed dozens of lives.

"I'm not done researching this, so… did you bring any sample of that mysterious fog?" a voice came from behind, then slowly shifted to his right.

The door opened, and once again, someone whose beauty made the world feel unfair entered—so beautiful it was hard to describe.

"Oh, you're awake, Wein." Loraine entered the room and walked to the table in front of Wein Arcveil, then sat there.

Aria's face leaned close to Wein's ear before she covered his mouth with her palm. "You know, she was so worried about you she nearly had a breakdown," she chuckled before pulling away from his ear.