Chapter 65: Black Fog

Within the ruins of the displaced city, Ashton's form could be seen dashing through the place, vaulting over ledges and rubbles, leaping and falling silently like a feather, sometime blinking through short distances.

As he roamed the ruins, he kept an eye out for anything that's worth noticing. He had found some materials that he could salvage or in dire need of repair. He kept those within his inventory and kept searching while it's still daytime.

As he ran across the city, he couldn't help but feel a deep seated sadness from within. Just a few days ago, this place had been a bustling and active city.

Its streets were busy and there's all sorts of wonders around. Now, everything's reduces to ashes. The silence was uncomfortable. Coming through the familiar streets, Ashton couldn't help but sigh.

The market and grocery shops that he used to visit, the shop that sold his favorite dessert and coffee, places where he and his friends used to meet and chill...all of those places were gone. All of the people he once met are no longer there. Only him was left...

The sadness he felt intensified when he reached his home...whatever's left of it at least.

Just like everything else around him, his house didn't survive the attack either. Not even a furniture was on sight.

...he didn't even see any remains of his trusted Butler-Bot, Jerry.

"I wish I was able to save you buddy." Ashton whispered in the air.

He didn't care if his house was gone, neither does he care about the furniture or even the training room actually. Jerry was more important to him than those things. The adorable butler-bot who's been very loyal and always catered to his needs even without direct orders, his first friend ever since arriving in this world.

Oh how he wished that he was able to save him...

Even after thoroughly searching what remains of his house, Ashton couldn't find any remaining traces of Jerry, not even a chip of his body or anything. All of this lead him to believe that Jerry is truly gone.

The idea hurts him deeply...

Biting his lips, he could only step back and stare at his old home one final time. And just to round up the cycle, he decided to so one thing.

He stopped in front of what used to be where his door was and glanced at the system notification...

[Ruins of your old home. Sign-in?]

'Sign-in.'

[Sign-in rewards; Memory Core - BB Jerry x1, Training Room (S) Blueprint, 1 month Grocery Basket.]

Ashton's eyes widened. He immediately opened up his inventory to check on that one item. He prayed that he wasn't just seeing things...

[Memory Core - BB Jerry]

• Your loyal and adorable Butler Bot's Memory Core. His memories lingers here still however he has no body right now.

• Durability: 100/100

• Energy Stored: 10/100

"Oh..." Ashton bit his lips and shed a few tears. He briefly glanced at the other items but in truth, he couldn't care less about them.

Jerry's still alive somehow, in this core his memories are still intact. He just needs a body to be reborn once more and that shouldn't be a problem.

Ashton learned some crafting techniques, and since he is now the keeper of the Grand Library, he had access to books that will teach him how to forge a new body for his loyal bot.

"Don't worry bud." He whispered, "We have all the time in the world. I'll make you a new body as soon as I could. Just stay put inside the inventory for now."

So long as Memory Core is kept within his Inventory, it's remaining energy will not be depleted nor its durability will fall. It will remain at it's current state and that's Ashton's goal.

Now that he had settled this, he pretty much roamed the entire ruined city. There isn't really much to see nor use here anymore.

He visited where the Academy's entrance used to be but it's gone. He couldn't even feel it's existence anymore. Aria also confirmed that the spatial fluctuations weren't there anymore, meaning that the pocket dimension was truly gone.

Perhaps, it was taken by the Revenants...honestly, Ashton has no idea.

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But with that out of the way, Ashton decided to check out the outskirts of the City. It's time for him to find out what he's dealing with.

"Gotta get there before it gets dark completely."

Ashton glanced at his smartwatch - which is barely working, and saw the time. It's around 1pm, yet looking at his surroundings, he could see that it's already turning dim.

This is yet another unique thing about the Outside World. Here, nights are longer than day. And during nighttime, everything is active.

Ashton hadn't got the chance to see just how 'active' this place gets during the night yet he also doesn't have any intentions of finding out for now at least.

He reminded himself that he is way too weak to be here. He repeatedly needs to Purify and Repair his respirator as he travelled around here since the air here is dangerous to him. He also need to be covered from head to toe since he can't risk being infected now.

As he reached the outskirts of the city, he saw something that stopped him in his tracks. He swallowed hard and felt goosebumps all over his body.

'Shit...a Black Fog.' He heard Aria exclaimed through their psychic link.

Indeed. In front of Ashton, a expanse of pitch black fog rolled over and formed a wall around the city. With his sensitivity to Mana and sorts of magical things, Ashton could feel a strong aversion and danger just by looking at this thing.

The Black Fog is one of the most dangerous natural disasters that was born during the reign of the Invaders or Aliens - as Ashton calls them.

This thing not only devours any life to the places it passes through, it also is a moving next of Horned Creatures - Demons as most of his Professors would describe.

In there, Demons are practically invincible. They could be killed yes but they'd just be reformed by the Black Fog anyways. That, on top of the fact that the fog is dangerous by itself, makes this a true disaster for any Licensed Cultivators.

If there's any salvation in this, it would be the fact that the Black Fog moves really slow. It can be outran but cannot be stopped.

"This shit's going to pass through the city isn't it?" Ashton took a couple of steps back.

'Yes. It will also taint everything it passes through, leaving a Trail of Tormented Soil.' Aria replied.

Tormented Soil is the blackened soil that Jeanne; Ashton's White Mage and Herobology Teacher, once showed to him. The kind of soil that devours all manner of life.

"Tormented Soil and Demons." Ashton added, "I learned Purify Spell and it's Level 9, that should be enough to deal with soil but I'm afraid I'd have to fight demons eventually."

'Ash...that's risky.' Aria's voice sounded worried.

"Well...I'm aware of that." He replied, "I'm not saying that I'd actively look for a fight but, we both know that it eventually has to happen, no?"

'...'

"Plus, this will give us an idea of where we are right now." Ashton supplied, "Because of the Black Fog, it's pretty much confirmed that we are close to a Demonic Territory. If I see the kind of Demons this Black Fog gives birth to, we should be able to pinpoint our location somehow. That'd give us an idea on how far we are from the Last Bastion."

Aria couldn't refute that logic. It is indeed as Ashton says. Figuring out these things will help them immensely at their journey. What she's afraid of is the fact that it's almost certain that Ashton will have a confrontation against Demons.

They still don't know what kind of Demons were around here. What if the Demons were way stronger than Ashton? Wouldn't a confrontation be bad for him? That'd just be courting death.

And it's not like he can outrun them either. Aria couldn't forcefully pull Ashton inside the Grand Library should things go fast since the rules of the library wouldn't allow it.

However, looking at Ashton, it seems that he's determined to see this through. And based on what he is a person, Ashton would certainly try his best here. After all, he's determined to live.

'...just be careful alright.' Aria relented, 'Judging by the mass of the Black Fog, it'll take the whole night before it passes through the entire city. It'll leave Demons and Tormented Soil behind so be on the lookout for that.'

"I know." Ashton nodded. Once he acknowledged this, he turned around and ran back to the city, saying here would just be tempting fate since Demons would eventually appear from the fog.

"Gotta hole up for the time being." Ashton whispered as he searched for a spot where he can stay for the night as the Black Fog passes through.

He has enough materials for a temporary shelter which could keep him safe. The worst part is that, he might not be able to get a good sleep in because of the tense atmosphere around him.

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