The Mist sink Glade was located on the northern side, at the outer edge of the Mistshore Forest.
It was mostly an open area, scattered with limestone caves and other natural mineral deposits.
Beneath the surface, cool underground springs flowed through the stone, mixing with minerals, creating a dense, natural fog that rose to the surface, lingering in the glade year-round.
The air there was heavy with the smell of limestone and chemicals, and the sunlight filtered through the mist in thin, pale colors.
The ground was covered in Fogmoss and clusters of tall, thin, and unnaturally straight Ashwhisper trees with ash-colored bark, as well as Mist Pines and Murkeld Trees.
The area was inhabited by Mistcrawlers, small bone-white cats that ambushed their prey with stealth and precision. Glade Owls, adept in illusion magic, mostly targeted small toads and snakes.
Crystal-horned Elks were peaceful creatures that roamed the land and the underground cave system, along with other creatures that posed little threat to those who ventured through.
The mist was also not harmful unless inhaled for extended periods, making this part of the forest relatively safe. However, since the limestone found here was of poor quality, few miners ever visited the area.
'It's the perfect place to set up a lab,' Vlad thought, eyes scanning the quiet, mist-laced glade. 'Isolated, hidden by natural cover, and rarely visited thanks to the poor limestone deposits and harmless wildlife.'
'Now the real question is, was Garm one of the Deceiver's test subjects, or did he find his workplace by accident while the Deceiver was away and stole a few potions?'
'If it's the latter, it would explain why the Deceiver took three days to act.' Vlad reasoned as he went on his search.
Vlad had come here looking for the Deceiver, knowing fully well that if the alchemist did not want to be found, he wouldn't be found by him, at least not without treasures that could help him see past the illusions that should be protecting his lab.
However, even if he brought help and treasures to comb through the entire area, the Deceiver could simply relocate.
The only real chance of meeting him was if the Deceiver had left his lab's defenses down and Vlad could somehow stumble upon it, a highly unlikely outcome.
The more probable scenario was that the Deceiver would come to him, and Vlad was confident he would do it because, in his past life, it was rumored that a big guild was working with the unknown alchemist.
This theory made sense because if the Cult was not backing him, how else could he have acquired vast amounts of alchemical ingredients and test subjects if not with the help of an established guild?
The presence of Vel made it clear that Vlad was a special individual, and with the threat of his identity being exposed, the chances of success were high.
Even if his attempt failed to achieve the outcome he hoped for, and the Deceiver took serious measures to silence him, it would still be worth the time.
Vlad was unsure if the Deceiver was working with the Cult of Anarchy or alone, and knowing the truth was very important.
Because if the Deceiver was with the Cult, then locating and killing him would require serious help, and it wouldn't be possible with the help of a few half-decent mercenaries.
The Cult of Anarchy was one of the most formidable hidden forces in the world. Devoted to the Nameless King, they would be behind nearly every major event shaping the years to come, architects of chaos, doing everything to achieve their ultimate goal.
But Vlad was confident that the Deceiver was not with the Cult, not only because of his involvement with a big guild, but also because of how he ended up dying.
Still, the idea that the Deceiver had ties to a major guild, or that he wasn't involved with the Cult, were not proven facts. They were nothing more than Vlad's own speculations, shaped by rumor and his knowledge from his past life.
The only way to discover the truth about the Deceiver was to meet him and learn the truth from him.
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As planned, Vlad used dozens of message boards that he had bought from the guild, and wrote the same message on each one: "I know you're here. I know about your potion."
He began placing them throughout the open areas of the Glade, making sure they were easy to spot, unmistakable signs meant for the Deceiver.
If the Deceiver was working with the Cult, then someone from the Cult would come to Vlad, confirm what he knew, and take measures to silence him.
But if the Deceiver was working alone, then he would make contact with Vlad and confirm how much of a threat he posed.
Once the Deceiver made contact with him, it would be easy to convince him to work together, and from then on, it would only be a matter of time before Vlad ended the Deceiver's life.
Vlad started from one corner of the Mist sink Glade, using the system map to cover both the ground and the underground cave system.
He was done planting the message boards in the first six hours, and now it was just a waiting game. With daylight fading and the forest cloaked in misty gloom, Vlad decided to log out.
After a brief five-hour rest, he returned, and with no predators around to hunt, he decided to shift his focus toward mastering his second-class skill.
The Ghost Weave was a deceptively simple yet demanding movement technique. It relied on precise timing and instinct, executed by reading an opponent's attack and stepping into their blind spot at the perfect moment.
It was a perfect skill for Vlad with his inhuman instincts; the result of perfectly executing it was an illusion of vanishing. Vlad would seem to flicker out of existence to the enemy's eyes, leaving behind a ghostly afterimage.
But in its early stages, there was no magic, no true intangibility, just perfect footwork, misdirection, and a honed sense of rhythm.
When used correctly, it could completely disrupt an enemy's flow, making them hesitate, overextend, or turn their back to a strike they never saw coming.
Mastering Ghost Weave required not just speed, but awareness and flawless footwork, creating no sound or wasted movement with each step, a single mistake could mean stepping into a blade rather than around it.
In his previous life, Vlad had mastered this skill to its highest level, so relearning it was easy, but with his limited strength and mana control, the system would only recognize it once he executed it in battle.
It was midday, and the glade was as brightly lit as it had been all day. Vlad, drenched in sweat, had just completed his final session of movement practice.
He sat on the grassy ground, his breaths steady but deep, muscles aching from the relentless repetition.
"Vel, you must be getting bored," Vlad said with a faint smile, noticing the little spirit completely engrossed in pulling at blades of grass.
"No, no, I'm having fun," Vel replied quickly, looking up with a soft smile on her face. "It was fun to watch you..." she said, but was at a loss for words to describe his practice.
"My weird dance?" Vlad said, chuckling, and Vel, taken aback, looked down, trying to suppress her giggle as her shoulders shook with quiet amusement.
An entire day had gone by this point, and there were still no signs of the Deceiver, so either he hadn't noticed his signs or he had deliberately chosen to remain hidden.
Vlad could only wait patiently, so after recovering for an hour, he stretched his limbs as he contemplated between meditation and leaving for a more dangerous area of the mist shore forest.
'I should wait for one more day just to be on the safe side,' Vlad reasoned, 'So, I might as well use this time to focus on meditation and strengthening my mana core,' Vlad decided.
He opened his inventory to take a few poison crystals for Vel, but just then, a jolt ran through him. His instincts flared like wildfire, and every sense screamed in unison.
There was something behind him. Something immensely dangerous.
Vlad only had a moment to think before he felt a stinging pain from the back of his neck, and the next thing he heard was the shrilled scream of Vel as darkness quickly engulfed his every nerve, and his mind drifted into a slumber.