Chapter 328: Omai

The sun dipped over the horizon, and the twin moons, Selene and Luna slowly arose in the night sky. Their ethereal rays cast a faint and eerie glow over the town of Omai.

In the dark of the night, Adam's group silently moved across the uneven terrain and approached this town. The familiars they were riding soundlessly traversed the grassy land, blending seamlessly with the shadows.

The sound of leaves rustling and the occasional hooting of the owls filled the air, making the atmosphere grow heavier.

For some reason a palpable sense of foreboding started to settle over the group, causing them to be highly alert of their surroundings.

As they slowly approached the outskirts of the town, the group paused, crouching behind the dilapidated boundary walls.

Adam, who was leading the group, signaled for everyone to halt. Feeling something amiss, he expanded the area of his Sphere of Resonance to the maximum output.

The next moment, his eyes narrowed and he thought to himself, Empty?

His Sphere of Resonance could not detect the entirety of Omai, but whatever he did sense, turned out to be empty.

Of course, he could sense a large number of supply crates carrying weapons and rations hidden within buildings. This wasn't surprising, however. The town was used as a supply base for the enemy forces, after all.

But what truly surprised him was the absence of the enemies. He could not detect orcs, nor could he detect any corrupted magical beasts.

"What is it?" Lisa asked in a hushed tone, her expression grim.

Adam turned to look at her and then at everyone else. "I don't sense anyone inside."

Everyone was taken aback. Some heaved soft sighs of relief, while others felt highly suspicious.

The youth observed everyone's expression before speaking, "My detection range can only cover about half of Omai. If there are enemies, they are most likely on the other side of the town."

Elvlin and Dudley, who had never before worked with Adam, were stunned speechless.

They had heard from their teammate, Johnathan, that this raven-haired youth's sensory ability was outstanding, but they didn't know it was this great.

To say that they were shocked would be a major understatement.

As everyone absorbed this newfound information, Adam looked around him with an extremely solemn expression.

A gust of wind blew, its faint whisper through the trees seemingly producing a mournful tone. It was almost as if nature itself was warning him of the great danger ahead.

What is this feeling? The youth clenched his fists tightly, his heart pounding inside his chest.

For some reason, he felt an unsettling chill run down his spine. His pupils darted around, his sharp gaze looking for the source of this unease.

But he couldn't find any. The entire place was quiet. Too quiet.

Not just Adam, the others felt it too.

Edward glanced at him and asked with an extremely serious expression, "What should we do? Should we... retreat?"

He was never one to shy away in the face of danger. But he couldn't help but have this foreboding feeling coursing through his veins. It kept getting intense with every moment.

"I say let's get this over with," Elvlin suddenly chimed in, causing everyone to look at him. "We can't return empty-handed now, can we? Since it is a small group of enemies, let's deal with them as quickly as possible."

"I agree," Dudley added nervously. "I-If we don't do our jobs here, then it is likely to greatly affect our allies in Misken."

When everyone heard his reasoning, they couldn't help but think that this young man was absolutely right. Especially Edward, he couldn't help but feel ashamed of his suggestion earlier.

They were given a big responsibility to shoulder. If they didn't carry out their duties, then it would have a domino effect and impact not just the battle in Misken but also the entire war.

Adam glanced at these two people that he had met for the first time. Their bodies were trembling in apprehension and there was fear in their eyes.

Despite that, they wanted to complete the mission.

Realizing this, he couldn't help but nod in agreement. "They're right."

The next moment, a plan of action slowly began to form in his mind. He thought for a few moments and then glanced at everyone, instructing them, "So here's what we're going to do.

"We'll split into two teams and thoroughly investigate the northern half of Omai. Then we regroup and investigate the southern part. Understood?"

Everyone solemnly nodded.

Adam then glanced at Johnathan and his team and went into deep thought. "Neither of you have sensory abilities, right?"

He knew that his friend, Johnathan, didn't. His question was actually directed at Elvlin and Dudley.

The pair shook their heads in slight embarrassment.

"No worries, I'll go with you two then," he said. Then he glanced at Johnathan, "You join Edward and Lisa."

Then he turned to look at Lisa and instructed, "You will take on my role, and take Ennea with you as well. After your investigations are over, meet us at the central town square."

After hammering out a few other details, the squad of six divided into two and went their separate ways. One group was led by Adam, while the other was led by Lisa.

As Adam led Elvlin and Dudley through the abandoned and damaged streets of Omai, he extended his Sphere of Resonance to the maximum and looked for any clues if could possibly find.

"Stay sharp," he instructed the pair following behind him. "Something doesn't seem right."

Elvlin and Dudley nervously gulped and spoke in unison, "Understood."

Suddenly, Adam's pupils constricted as he felt something in the detection area of his Sphere of Resonance. He hurriedly turned around and looked at the alley they had just passed by.

Elvlin and Dudley were shocked by Adam's sudden reaction. The former asked in alarm, "W-What did you find—"

"Shhh." Adam put his finger to his lips. Then, he signaled the pair to ready their weapons and silently enter the alley.

The pair glanced at each other and then nodded.

Soon, the three entered the dark alley, their expressions extremely grim. They looked around the quiet cobblestoned passageway with great vigilance.

But a few moments later, their expressions turned strange. They had already reached the end of the alley, yet they couldn't find anyone.

Elvin, who was standing at the forefront, was perplexed, wondering if Adam had made a mistake. He turned around and stated, "There's no one here—"

But the words got stuck in his throat after seeing the dreadful scene unfolding behind him.

Dudley was looking down in confusion and fear at the bloodied hand that was piercing out of from within his chest.

He coughed out a mouthful of blood and before he could even take a glimpse at his murderer, the light in his eyes dimmed and he died.

Elvlin's body trembled in absolute terror as he shifted his gaze from his dead comrade to the murderer. "A-Adam, you... why?!"

Adam threw the corpse to the side. Then, he glanced at Elvlin with cold and indifferent eyes and asked with a murderous tone that sent chills down the latter's spine.

"What are the Gracies planning?"