Amidst his lingering doubts, Raine’s gaze refocused on Garson’s skull, which burned with ghostly blue Flames.
Right now, this former duke who had just regained a shred of sanity was likely the only key to unraveling the mystery.
Kaelin clearly realized this as well. Trying her best to suppress the excitement of reuniting with her ancestor, her expression turned solemn as she voiced the question on everyone’s mind, "Grandfather, how exactly were you and your soldiers awakened? Where is the source of this massive Negative Energy that roused you all?"
"Ugh..."
The ghostly blue Flames in Garson’s eye sockets flickered violently, as if the question had struck a painful nerve. His deep voice soon echoed in everyone’s minds, carrying an irrepressible hatred and a faint trace of trepidation.
"This cold, filthy Power that plunders all life... I will never forget it... It is the aura of the Black Tide!"
Garson clutched his skull in agony, his voice growing heavier. "Although it is still very weak... like a flickering candle in the wind... I am certain... it is the Power of the Black Tide... that has eroded our slumber!"
"What?!" The words exploded like a clap of thunder in the depths of everyone’s minds.
Sodden’s Redbeard bristled, his light brown eyes widening into saucers. "By Moradin’s hammer! H-how is this possible? Wasn’t that accursed thing destroyed five hundred years ago?"
Winnie subconsciously clutched the hem of her robe. Beneath her hood, her clear blue eyes were filled with an instinctive terror toward that legendary calamity. Kaelin’s face was a mask of sheer disbelief, the shock rendering her momentarily speechless.
As for Raine, even though he had vaguely suspected this possibility, his heart still pounded wildly against his ribs. The absolute shock made him forget to breathe.
He wondered if the terrifying cataclysm that had swept across everything five hundred years ago was about to make a comeback. If that were truly the case, the entire world would inevitably be dragged back into an Abyss of blood and fire!
After the initial horror passed, Raine took a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself down. Thinking it over, the massive Negative Energy carried by the Black Tide indeed possessed the terrifying property of awakening the dead. Furthermore, it would also cause Magical Beasts to undergo horrific mutations, even granting them intelligence they shouldn’t naturally possess.
"Granting them intelligence they shouldn’t possess?" Raine thought, suddenly feeling a chill run down his spine.
An unanswered question suddenly clicked into place at this moment—the Bear Goblins that had attacked the Return Inn and displayed such astonishing tactical coordination! He realized that their cunning and teamwork, which far exceeded that of ordinary Magical Beasts, perfectly matched the characteristics of being corrupted by the Black Tide.
He wondered if one of them had been influenced by the Black Tide, and if that was what had orchestrated such a meticulously planned night raid. At this thought, a few drops of cold sweat seeped from Raine’s forehead. If this speculation held true, it meant this Demon Shadow Forest, and even the entire Mottled Town, might have long been infiltrated by this invisible Shadow, while the rest of the world remained completely unaware!
"Grandfather, do you mean the Black Tide is about to sweep across the land once more?!" Kaelin asked, a hint of a tremble in her voice.
"No... it is far from forming a true tide... It is more like... Embers buried deep underground... a spark of Flame rekindling after five hundred years of silence," Garson said, denying the worst-case scenario.
His surviving will focused as he carefully perceived the aura, his voice deep and resolute. "It is still very weak, but extremely pure... It is right here within this fortress... a recently awakened cluster of Black Tide Embers!"
His voice carried an unspeakable resentment. As the Commander who had sworn to fight the Black Tide to the death back then, to now be dragged from his slumber by his archenemy’s Power was undoubtedly a massive irony and desecration.
Raine could feel the bitterness in the words of the former Duke Fenglang, but he still couldn’t help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed it wasn’t the true return of the Black Tide, but rather the leftover Embers from that era causing trouble.
But this didn’t mean they could rest easy. These Undead had just awakened, while the abnormality of the Bear Goblins had occurred much earlier. This undoubtedly proved that the Black Tide Embers rekindled here were likely not an isolated case. Furthermore, even if they were just Embers, if they weren’t wiped out in time, it was highly likely they would snowball into a major disaster.
Raine gathered his thoughts and stepped forward, his tone filled with respect and solemnity. "Mr. Garson, may I ask where exactly within the fortress the source of these Black Tide Embers is located?"
Raine knew that he had to figure out its exact location. Even if their squad was powerless to eliminate it, they had to bring this crucial piece of intelligence back to Mottled Town and the Adventurer’s Guild, so that others could take precautions early on.
"The source..."
Garson’s massive skull turned slightly. The ghostly blue Flames seemed to pierce through the layers of rock walls, using his Perception to trace the flow of that Power he so deeply despised.
"It is right in front of the entrance leading from the Unyielding Hall to the Path of the Last Breath... If you want to leave this place... that is the only way out..."
Garson’s reply to Raine was very formal, even carrying a hint of high regard. He could feel that his Bloodline, Kaelin, deeply trusted this black-haired youth. It was likely precisely because of this black-haired youth’s help that he even had the chance to meet Kaelin.
"No wonder the Undead immediately blocked the Path of the Last Breath when they awakened. The Black Tide Embers must have rekindled at that exact moment," Raine realized, his mind suddenly clearing. "It seems those Undead are instinctively protecting the Black Tide Embers, or perhaps they were actively gathered by the Black Tide Embers to serve as its guard."