Ren immediately meditated, converting all EXP he got from killing Hushclaws into Stat points.

  [EXP: 5,240 → 40]

  [Stat: 0 → 52]

  Ren used Stat points on Wind Element.

  [Wind Element Level 1 → Wind Element Level 2]

  [Wind Element Level 2 → Wind Element Level 3]

  [Wind Element Level 3 → Wind Element Level 4]

  .

  .

  .

  [Wind Element Level 9 → Wind Element Level 10] (MAX)

  [Wind Element has reached MAX level. Please upgrade the Element Rank from Normal to Rare to continue leveling up.]

  [Do you wish to upgrade Wind Element to the next Rank? Cost: 99 stat points.]

  He ignored the rank up prompt.

  Wind, give me a spell that allows us to breathe, he spoke internally, forcing clarity through the suffocating pressure.

  Breath? Why bother with that? He should ask for a Spell that will let him cut through steel! For spell that will allow him to fly freely—

  Wind! Just give me what I asked for, he interrupted.

  Although Ren could’ve increased his Constitution, and it might’ve allowed him to survive the salt mound’s weight, he didn’t do that. Holding the salt mound was useless. He would still die from lack of air.

  A Spell that will let him breathe? He didn’t have enough stats for it, the answer came back.

  …what? I just maxed out the Normal-rank Wind Element. Are you telling me something as basic as breathing needs Rare-rank? Ren asked.

  Nope. Even Rare-rank wouldn’t be enough. A Spell that creates permanent aftereffects is beyond what he could reach anytime soon! the Wind Element relayed cheerfully.

  Ren gritted his teeth. He had expected this. That was why he had maxed Wind Element first. At Level 10, it could relay far more internal knowledge than at Level 1. It could tell him what was feasible and what was fantasy.

  But…

  This is not enough.

  Freya’s breath was thinning out.

  Ren checked his remaining stats.

  [Stats: 7]

  Seven points.

  Not much.

  He shut his eyes and forced himself to calm down. Panic would only waste what little time they had.

  Think. What can I actually do?

  He could still feel the source of the “gaze” outside the salt mound. Escaping right now was impossible. But staying buried without solving the air problem meant Freya would eventually suffocate, followed by him.

  Ren’s thoughts raced at lightning speed, and—

  I can feel where the gaze is.

  It had direction where it was coming from. Which meant there were directions it was “not” coming from. Additionally, invisible things could not be turned into salt. The Hushclaws had proven that. Ren had shut down Mana Zone earlier out of fear that the decapitated woman might sense it. But she had never reacted to invisible Hushclaws. As long as she did not directly enter the area of his Mana Zone, she likely would not detect it.

  He made a decision.

  Wind, I need a Spell that releases a focused stream of wind in any direction I want. Something that can push, or drill through things. Or amplify flames and allow them to fly farther and faster, he called internally.

  That’s a lot for one spell. It will consume three unused levels of Wind element. Does he still want it?

  Yes, he answered.

  There was no room for hesitation.

  [Wind Surge Spell learned.]

  [Wind Surge]

  [Rank: Normal]

  [Level 1]

  [Description: Releases a focused stream of compressed wind in a chosen direction. Base range: 12 meters. The current can push light targets, deflect minor projectiles, and amplify flames by feeding them oxygen and momentum. When combined with Fire-type spells, flame spread and burn intensity increase significantly, allowing fire to travel farther and expand in size.]

  Good, Ren thought. He still had six unused levels in Wind Element for later.

  He concentrated on the direction of the gaze. It was coming from slightly to their right.

  He reshaped Mana Zone from a dome into an elongated tube extending upward and left, away from the source of the gaze. Its maximum length was still ten meters, whether dome or line. At the end of that tube, he formed a Fire Bullet.

  “FIIIIREWWOOOOOOOKK!”

  The voice sharpened immediately. The gaze shifted. Ren felt the pressure slide away from their hiding place and lock onto the Fire Bullet. Before it could turn to salt, he activated Wind Surge beside it. The flame expanded violently, fed by compressed wind. It shot forward, brighter and faster than before.

  “FIIIIREEEEWOOOOOORKSSS. PREEEEEEEETTYYYY.”

  The voice followed the blazing arc into the distance.

  Ren did not dare fire another Fire Bullet, knowing it would end up calling the “thing” back. At this point, calling it a “woman” felt wrong. Calling it a monster felt insufficient. That’s why it was a “thing.”

  As soon as the “thing” moved far enough away, Ren used Wind Surge again. He used the focused stream of compressed wind to drill a tiny hole through the salt mound. He did it slowly to not make any sound. The hole began to form but it collapsed as soon as it was completed. He had to use the spell multiple times to make a hole that did not collapse.

  Instantly, fresh air entered through the hole. Freya inhaled sharply. The air was still not enough. The hole was small. But it was enough for Freya to continue breathing.

  “Th… thank you…” Freya said, barely maintaining consciousness.

  Ren nodded, though he doubted she could see him in the darkness.

  The two of them stayed like that for the whole night, not daring to move or leave the salt mound, fearing the “thing” might come back. Or maybe it came back long ago. They could not sense it outside, but that was not enough to guarantee safety, not after it showed it could move around the Salt Sea region when everything had been hinting otherwise.

  Freya meditated, converting the EXP she had gained into stats for Constitution. It wasn’t enough, but it had to do.

  Ren still did not understand how the “thing” moved from the center of the Salt Sea region to their location without causing tremors or roaring winds. His thoughts raced, trying to make sense of the situation.

  In the morning, the two of them made the decision to come out of the salt mound by digging through it.

  Is it still outside? It really left at night, right? Ren and Freya had the same grim thoughts.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Even though it was dangerous, they had to come out. Freya was completely exhausted, and it was impossible for her to hold the salt mound any longer. They collapsed onto the surface as soon as they saw the “thing” was not waiting for them.

  Freya lay on her back and started laughing softly.

  Ren smiled.

  “We’re alive,” he said quietly.

  “Yeah,” she replied, still staring at the pale sky. “Somehow.”

  They rested for only a few minutes before pushing themselves up. They could rest later. For now, they needed to leave the Salt Sea region quickly, before something happened again.

  They moved toward what Freya said was the border.

  Ren used his accumulated stat points.

  [You have leveled up. Strength +1, Agility +1, Constitution +1, Mana +4]

  His updated Status appeared.

  [Name: Ren Buttowski (Level 6)]

  [Class: Mage]

  [Elements: Wind, Water, Earth, Fire]

  [Spells: Wind Surge, Mana Zone, Wind Bullet, Water Bullet, Earth Bullet, Fire Bullet]

  [Talent: Heir of Demonic Magic]

  [Strength: 9 / Agility: 11 / Constitution: 11 / Mana: 0 (sealed)]

  [Free Stats: 2]

  [EXP: 40]

  He still had unused six levels in Wind Element. He wondered what kind of spell he should get. Something defensive? A barrier made of compressed wind could deflect attacks. That would be useful, especially against ranged threats. Something that concealed presence? Wind could distort sound or scatter scent, which would make it easier to avoid monsters like the Hushclaws. Or something that allowed him to move faster? A spell like that would solve a lot of problems.

  The two of them continued walking through the salt plains. They encountered no Hushclaws along the way. It seemed the entire region had fallen into fearful silence and hid away after the [thing’s] movement last night.

  Even the wind felt quieter.

  Ren did not relax because of that. If anything, the absence of danger made him more cautious.

  By afternoon, the endless salt formations began thinning. The white landscape slowly changed as they walked. The towering mounds became smaller and more scattered, and the ground beneath their feet gradually shifted from hard white salt to patches of darker soil.

  Far ahead, Ren could see a darker line stretching across the horizon.

  It was a forest.

  Freya slowed as they approached the border.

  Ren noticed the change immediately and matched her pace. Neither of them spoke for several minutes. The distance between the last salt formations and the forest was not large anymore. They would reach it soon.

  Ren’s gaze shifted to Freya. With the border coming closer, the confrontation between him and Freya was approaching as well. Freya could no longer avoid revealing where the Base was. Up until now she had been carefully steering their route while giving vague answers whenever Ren asked about the nearest Base. The excuses had worked earlier because he had been too weak to challenge her. That was no longer the case. If she still tried to avoid the topic now, he had no intention of following her anymore. He had reached a point where he could fight her.

  I should get prepared for a battle. She has been hiding the information about the Base. If I try to force the answer out of her, she might attack me, Ren thought.

  Last night they had worked together because the situation demanded cooperation. But Ren was not naive enough to think that surviving one dangerous night together meant they were allies.

  Trust did not appear overnight.

  Freya’s physical abilities are off the charts. She can probably kill me before I can finish a single spell, Ren thought.

  That was the main problem. If they fought at close range, he would lose. If they fought at long range, the situation would be different.

  If we are going to fight, I need a movement-type spell.

  Something that would allow him to keep distance from her. If he could keep moving while casting spells, she would have trouble closing the gap. That way he could attack while retreating and stay out of her reach.

  Ren made his decision.

  Inside his mind he spoke, Wind, give me a spell that increases movement speed.

  Okay~

  A notification appeared before him.

  [Wind Wrap Spell learned]

  [Wind Wrap]

  [Rank: Normal]

  [Level: 1]

  [Description: Summons a tight current of wind that coils around a moving object or target. For a short duration, the wind reduces air resistance and adds forward momentum, increasing speed and travel distance. Can be applied to arrows, thrown weapons, yourself, or moving allies. Effect Duration: 3 seconds. Speed Increase: Moderate.]

  Even before he finished reading the description, he could feel something strange. Three unused levels were gone from Wind Element.

  What the hell? A movement-type spell takes three levels? he thought.

  It does not! But this one does! After all, a wind spell must embody freedom!

  Ren stared at the spell description again. Now that he read it more carefully, he noticed something important. The spell did not only affect himself. It could increase the movement speed of anything. A human. A thrown weapon. An ally. The spell was extremely versatile. If he wrapped wind around a knife or arrow, the projectile would travel faster and farther. If he used it on himself, he could move much faster for a short burst.

  Wind likely interpreted freedom as flexibility, and gave a spell that could adapt to many situations. The only limitation was the duration of three seconds. But the spell had no cooldown. That meant he could cast it repeatedly. If he kept applying the spell to himself, the short duration would not matter much.

  Ren quietly activated the spell for a moment.

  The wind stirred around his legs. A tight current wrapped around him like an invisible coil. He immediately felt lighter, as if the air itself was pushing him forward. Then the sensation faded.

  Ren exhaled slowly.

  The spell had cost him three days of lifespan. He could also feel something else. The lifespan cost changed depending on the target. If he used the spell on himself, it cost three days for three seconds. But if he used it on a small projectile like a throwing knife or arrow, the cost would probably be only one day. That made the spell even better.

  Well… I guess this type of spell would indeed take three levels, Ren though. Still, he shook his head inwardly. I should be careful next time. Otherwise these elements will keep giving me whatever spell they want.

  This was why harmony between Domains was important. An awakener could not and should not treat their Domains like slaves. Doing that was a quick way to get screwed over. Domains had their own will. If an awakener constantly forced them to do things against their nature, the Domain would eventually retaliate. The relationship was not very different from a beast master and their beast. Even a loyal beast could turn hostile if it was treated badly.

  Ren’s confidence increased slightly after gaining the Wind Wrap spell. Now he had a higher chance against Freya. Moreover, she was exhausted. Holding that salt mound for the entire night had drained her physical strength. Even someone like her would feel the strain.

  Ren’s chances in a fight were better than before.

  He still had three unused levels left in the Wind Element. For now, he decided to save them. Emergency reserves were always useful.

  The landscape ahead continued changing. The salt mounds became smaller and fewer until they eventually disappeared. Beyond the final stretch of white ground, Ren could see a wide patch of fresh green grass spreading across the land.

  The grass extended all the way to the forest.

  The trees there were enormous. Even from this distance, Ren could tell that many of them were easily over a hundred meters tall. Their thick trunks rose like pillars, and the canopy above formed a dense green wall.

  Freya stepped onto the grass. Then she suddenly stopped. Her body became completely still. It was as if she had frozen in place. She was staring at the sky.

  Ren frowned slightly.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She did not answer.

  Confused, Ren followed her.

  As he stepped away from the final strip of salt ground, he felt something strange. It was as if he had passed through an invisible porous wall. The sensation lasted only a moment. The moment his feet touched the grass, the strange pressure vanished.

  Ren looked up.

  Then he froze.

  Now he understood why Freya had stopped.

  The world had changed. The forest ahead was still there. The land around them looked the same. But the sky was different. It was red, and… wrong. The feeling was very similar to what Ren had experienced when he first looked at the [thing] in the center of the Salt Sea. It was the same unsettling wrongness, yet somehow different.

  Ren slowly turned around.

  Behind him, above the Salt Sea region, the sky was still blue. Perfectly blue. But everywhere else, the sky was deep crimson. The two skies met at the border. And something strange was happening there.

  The red sky extended toward the Salt Sea like massive tentacles made of crimson clouds. They stretched forward, trying to invade the blue sky above the salt region. But every time even a small part of those red sky tentacles crossed the boundary, they shattered.

  Ren stared at the distant sky. His eyes slowly narrowed.

  No… they’re not shattering. They’re being turned into salt, he realized.

  A deep shudder ran down his spine.

  The transformation was happening too high for him to see clearly. From the ground it simply looked like the crimson clouds were breaking apart. But Ren was certain. The red sky was turning into salt the moment it crossed into the blue region.

  What the hell was this place?

  How were two skies fighting each other?

  Freya remained silent beside him, still staring upward with a tense expression.

  Then another thought appeared in Ren’s mind.

  Wait. Why didn’t we see the red sky earlier?

  He stepped backward. His foot crossed the border again. That same strange sensation appeared, like passing through an invisible porous wall. After a moment the sensation faded.

  He had crossed back into the Salt Sea region.

  Ren looked up. The sky was blue. Completely blue. There was no trace of the red sky anywhere.

  He stood there for a few seconds, staring upward, making sure his eyes were not playing tricks on him. The sky above the Salt Sea looked perfectly normal, the same endless blue he had been seeing since he arrived in this region.

  Ren slowly stepped forward again.

  The moment he moved across the boundary, he felt that strange sensation once more. It was faint but very noticeable, like passing through an invisible porous wall. The air seemed to press lightly against his body before letting him through.

  When he stepped onto the grassy patch again, the sensation disappeared.

  Ren lifted his head. The red sky had returned.

  Crimson clouds stretched across the sky like a bleeding wound across the heavens. In the distance, the strange tentacle-like extensions of red clouds continued pushing toward the blue sky above the Salt Sea.

  Ren stared for a moment before muttering under his breath.

  “…what the hell is this?”

  He glanced back toward the salt region behind him and then back to the red sky.

  “I can’t see the red sky from the salt sea region.”

  Freya had just finished repeating the same movement Ren had done. She stepped back across the boundary, looked up, then stepped forward again.

  She swallowed quietly. There was a faint uneasiness in her eyes. The wrongness of the sky was familiar. It reminded her of the [thing] in the center of the Salt Sea. But it was similar, yet not the same.

  After a moment she spoke, “It wasn’t here yesterday.”

  Ren turned toward her.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “The red sky,” Freya said as she looked back at him. “The sky was normal when I entered the Salt Sea region yesterday.”

  "Do you have any idea what caused it?" he questioned.