Funeral in the Mist

On the outer waters of Mistveil Lake, visibility was less than ten meters.

Only the splash of ships cutting through the icy water and the occasional strange creak of frozen sailcloth on the masts proved that living things still lurked within this deathly expanse of white.

Three fearsome Ulfen longships floated silently in the depths of the dense fog.

This was the elite fleet of the Frostfang Raiders.

The prow of the flagship Skullcrusher bore the carving of a savage cyclops, dark red paint dripping from its fangs and making it seem particularly sinister in the mist.

"Toothsplitter" Harald stood at the bow, his one eye narrowed as he stared into the fog.

His burly frame, over two meters tall, stood like an iron tower in the morning mist.

A gruesome scar marked the place where his left eye had once been. Rumor had it that he had received it fighting a bear in his youth.

Behind him, the deck was packed with the finest pirates.

They rubbed their hands together, their gazes vicious, white breath spilling from their mouths as they muttered curses about the freezing weather and that damned outsider.

An air of impatience and bloodlust hung over the ship.

"Boss, how much longer do we have to wait? The brothers are about to freeze solid!" a relatively short subordinate asked, rubbing his hands.

"Shut up, Green!" Harald growled without turning around. "That coward Sotowa said the target would pass through this fog route early this morning! He wants those plagues dead more than anyone!"

Though he spoke fiercely, Harald had his concerns as well.

That old fox Sotowa had clearly harbored bad intentions, but the information he had sent regarding those four outsiders forced Harald to be cautious.

They had casually wiped out more than a dozen