Chapter 107 - 106: Gray Mist

Chapter 107: Chapter 106: Gray Mist

"No one can really say where the mist in the Gray Mist Forest comes from."

"It doesn’t form because of temperature changes, nor does it follow those damn—what do you call ’em? Oh, right! Natural laws!"

"It’s like... like those weirdos who suddenly show up in the tavern. They just appear out of nowhere."

"You know all this?" Hesia was a little surprised. Words that sounded so full of experience would have seemed more fitting coming from Captain Hulk.

"Of course!" Belte immediately puffed out his chest. "Galen, my friend, those drinks I had weren’t for nothing! My combat experience can’t compare to the Captain’s, but knowledge is shared in a tavern. It flows between Adventurers like ale. That’s a kind of adventure too, isn’t it?"

’This guy always seemed to find some twisted logic to prove his time in the tavern wasn’t a waste.’

Laila, naturally, couldn’t listen anymore. "It’s always the same few useless rumors. Every time you meet a newcomer, you have to find an excuse to trot them out and show off."

Belte seemed long accustomed to his wife shooting him down and, without a care, continued to share his "Tavern Adventuring-ology."

Hesia, however, wasn’t listening closely. His attention was drawn to the gray mist that filled the air around them.

He felt an indescribable strangeness to the mist.

’It’s as if every wisp of gray vapor carries a faint trace of Magic Power—gentle, yet omnipresent.’

"Casters are always a bit more sensitive." Hulk noticed Hesia’s confusion and explained in a deep voice, "It doesn’t get misty in the Gray Mist Forest that often. A former teammate of mine also mentioned that the mist felt to her like a form of immense Magic, a kind of... Magic with no actual effect."

"But don’t worry," he added. "I’ve never heard of anyone being affected by the mist itself. Of course, the Demons hiding in the mist are another matter entirely."

Today was the third day since they had set out from Rose Town.

They were heading in a different direction than when they went to Shixi Village, and it was only this morning that they had truly set foot within the borders of the Gray Mist Forest.

Unfortunately, not long after they entered, the forest filled with its signature mist.

Fortunately, although there were many Demons in the Gray Mist Forest, most of them were low-level rabble like goblins, Kobolds, Slimes, and Skeleton Soldiers.

When these creatures were alone, even an ordinary farmer could handle them; in groups, they mostly holed up in some corner or cave.

Creatures like the Thorny Wild Boars they dealt with last time weren’t even considered common here.

The group chatted back and forth like this as they moved forward through the mist.

"Captain, we’ve reached Giant Stone Camp," Laila’s voice suddenly cut in.

Hesia looked over at the sound of her voice.

Through the dense fog not far ahead, a massive, blurry silhouette loomed.

As they drew closer, Hesia discovered that while the giant rock’s height wasn’t astounding, its width was staggering, stretching for what must have been nearly seventy or eighty meters.

On the side they were facing, there was a large, hollowed-out opening at the base of the rock. Half of it was a natural recess, and the other half had been dug out by previous occupants.

"This is one of my favorite campsites," Hulk said, leading the Land Birds inside. "Unlike some camps that are exposed on all sides, here we only need to guard the entrance to be safe enough."

He glanced inside. "Looks like it’s just our group staying here tonight."

Just as Hulk had said, inside the small cave, the ground was scattered with the ashes of extinguished campfires.

In addition, Hesia also noticed many crude markings carved into the surrounding rock walls.

"Those mark nearby water sources, edible berries, and the like. Some decent folks like to leave these signs at campsites." He paused, then added, "But you can’t trust them completely. Always stay vigilant."

Belte asked, rolling his stiff neck, "How far is that goblin nest from here? It should be nearby, right?"

Hulk hammered a stake into the ground, tied the reins of the two Land Birds to it, then pulled out a map to confirm. "That’s right. It’s about a two-hour walk from here. We’ll rest here tonight and head over tomorrow after the mist clears."

The group began to take their overnight gear out of their packs.

It was worth mentioning that this time, Belte actually volunteered to start a fire and boil water.

The reason was simple: the villagers had later confirmed that the river he drank raw water from outside Shixi Village had its source right in the habitat of that herd of Thorny Wild Boars.

After a simple dinner, Hesia also began to lay out his sleeping gear—a moisture-proof mat on the bottom, a soft layer of bedding, and a thick blanket to wrap himself in.

While he was still methodically setting up, Belte had already found a dry corner, wrapped himself in a ragged cloth, and started letting out earth-shattering snores.

’Maybe this is the real core skill an Adventurer needs—the ability to fall asleep instantly.’

Of course, another reason he fell asleep so quickly was that Captain Hulk had adjusted the watch schedule.

Generally speaking, Mages didn’t stand watch. The reason was simple: they needed to ensure their minds were fully rested.

Of course, the first time in Shixi Village, Hesia had also been assigned to the watch. After all, he was the lowest-level member of the team back then.

But later events proved that this youngest-looking Mage, even in his weakest apprentice stage, could unleash an unimaginable amount of Power.

Hesia himself didn’t mind, but Hulk insisted that he get plenty of sleep, and the others unanimously agreed.

Therefore, Belte went to sleep early to prepare for his watch duty in the latter half of the night.

Before the night deepened, Hesia, Hulk, and Laila sat quietly around the campfire.

Hesia gazed at the thick, churning fog outside the cave, recalled what Hulk had said earlier, and asked, "Captain, that teammate you mentioned before, was she also a Caster?"

"Yes. Like you, she was also a Mage Apprentice. But she was much older than you, probably around my age."

"Was she from the Northern Territory too? Why did she stop working with you?"

"I met her after I came to Rose Town. Not long after, she quit."

"Quit?"

"That’s right," Hulk said, adding a piece of firewood to the fire and watching the dancing flames. "When I met her, she had only recently become an Adventurer. Before that, she’d studied under an Elder Mage for a long time, but she was getting older and felt she had no hope of breaking through to become a Professional, so she ran off to be an Adventurer, hoping to earn enough money to go back home and get married."

He sighed and continued, "That’s a choice many Adventurers make. After all, in this line of work, money comes fast and goes fast. If you don’t have any hope of climbing higher, you might as well save up a sum of money, find a village or small town in the Golden Grain Plain, buy a house, become a wealthy commoner, and live out the rest of your life in peace."

Hesia really enjoyed talking with Hulk.

As a veteran Adventurer with twenty to thirty years of experience, no matter the topic, he could always provide a calm and insightful answer.

The campfire crackled, its light playing over the carvings on the cave wall.

Bruce was already lying at Hesia’s feet, yawning.

Zoya was silent as always, quietly polishing the dagger Hesia had given her.

And Laila, who would occasionally chime in with a sentence or two, fell into a long silence after this topic came up. She just stared blankly at the campfire before her, lost in thought.