Gray Fog Encounter

Outside lay an endless expanse of Gray Fog, flowing slowly as though it had existed since time immemorial.

However, when Colin held the Hurricane Lamp out beyond the wooden door, the seemingly eternal Gray Fog melted away like rain and snow, forming a safe area roughly five meters in radius.

"Looks like it really works."

Colin nodded to himself but did not head out immediately.

He looked ahead for several seconds, and a prompt appeared.

[There may be some treasures ahead, but they seem too far away. If you do not want to die on this road, it would be best not to choose this direction.]

[Not bad. You sense a river to the left. There is some danger there, but resources are abundant. In this Mist World, food is extremely important.]

[You realize that there are many abnormal lifeforms to the right, and you do not have the strength to face them.]

[Behind you, behind you lies a vast stretch of desolation and barrenness.]

"Looks like I should explore the left side first."

After pondering for a moment, Colin withdrew his gaze, turned around, and handed the Hurricane Lamp to Servant One. "Test it first."

"Yes, Lord!"

Following Colin's instructions, Servant One swung the Hurricane Lamp around at the doorway. Yet no matter how he shook it, the light remained bright and steady.

Moreover, the lamp cover all but ruled out the possibility of the flame being blown out by the wind.

Unless Colin personally turned the shaft on the Hurricane Lamp and drew the wick back in, extinguishing the flame would actually be quite difficult.

Colin raised his head and glanced at the sky. Above the dimly glowing vault of heaven, there was no visible source of light.

It made him wonder whether this world even had a sun.

Just then, a prompt appeared: [You cannot see where the light originates, but you realize that there are still several hours until Black Night. That is enough time for your Hurricane Lamp to burn empty several times. You know that the sky is not an obstacle to this operation.]

So night would not suddenly fall shortly after he left the house. Colin nodded inwardly.

The night was extremely dangerous. Although he did not know what exactly would happen, the fact that the warning mentioned it repeatedly was proof enough of its danger.

Whether he encountered it in the future or not, he certainly did not want to run into it now.

He withdrew his gaze.

Colin had Servant One walk completely outside.

No attack came. Nothing like the Chat Channel's claims of dying the moment one reached out happened. It seemed as though nothing had occurred at all.

But Colin knew that once the light went out, things would become terrifying and bloody in an instant.

After spending several minutes and conducting a few more tests, Colin and Servant No. 2 stepped into the area illuminated by the Hurricane Lamp.

"Lord." Servant One respectfully handed over the Hurricane Lamp.

Their bodies did not block the Hurricane Lamp's effective range, and whoever held it had to stand in the middle.

He could not possibly have the Lord stand beside him and bear the risk, could he?

Therefore, the one holding the lamp had to be the Lord.

Colin said nothing. He took the ancient Hurricane Lamp filled with dark red blood, carrying it in his left hand and gripping the Rusty Axe in his right.

Servant One and Servant No. 2 held long wooden poles and crude shields made from benches, nervously protecting Colin in the middle.

Within a five-meter radius, the lamplight seemed like a barrier. In the thick fog beyond it, distorted faces appeared to press against the boundary, casting countless savage stares toward the three of them.

An uncontrollable chill rose from his tailbone, making his scalp tingle.

At that moment, compared to when he had been inside, Colin felt the immense, almost tangible pressure of the Gray Fog while standing within the mist.

The pressure was like a mountain, weighing down on Colin until his body stiffened. Even when he stared directly into the Gray Fog, he received no useful prompt. The prompt only told him one thing.

If he did not return to the house before the lamp went out, he would die a very, very miserable death.

Yet despite the fear in his heart, Colin knew he could not show it. Otherwise, it would undermine the morale they had only just managed to gather.

Quietly taking several breaths to ease his tense body, Colin stood near the doorway and waited for another dozen or so breaths.

"Looks like it should be safe here. Let's go. We'll follow the plan and check the surrounding area first," Colin said calmly, though his heart trembled.

He did not completely trust the "prompt," so he made sure every step was steady and cautious.

Influenced by him, the two Servants gradually relaxed their tense bodies as well.

Then, according to the plan they had made before leaving, Colin intended to inspect the area around his Wooden Cabin.

In this Gray Fog, where visibility did not exceed ten meters, anyone who started by charging straight outward would be no different from courting death.

Even setting aside whatever they might encounter, if they accidentally got lost, they could only wait to die in the boundless Gray Fog.

Of course, Colin was largely unafraid of that with the prompts.

In this Mist World, his advantage was simply too great.

The exploration of the surrounding area ended quickly. There was nothing within a few hundred square meters, so they could only continue farther out.

"Number Two, remember to leave marks on the ground. Make a pit with every step. If you notice anything unusual, you must say so."

Without waiting for an answer, Colin looked at Servant One and added, "You too. Stay alert to the surroundings. Do not overlook even the slightest change."

"Yes, Lord," the two replied in unison.

Colin nodded and looked back at the house behind them. They had walked less than ten meters, yet the Wooden Cabin was already difficult to make out, leaving only a blurry outline.

Taking a deep breath, Colin and the others began to feel their way farther out. Half the dark red liquid remained in the Hurricane Lamp, enough for a little over fifty minutes.

But they could not use all fifty minutes to explore outward.

Within twenty-five minutes, whether they found anything or not, Colin had to return immediately.

Because the return trip would also take time.

The amount of time they spent going out was the amount of time they would need to return.

The longer they exceeded that limit, the more urgent their return would become, the lower their margin for error, and the greater the danger.

Besides, Colin was not worried about failing to encounter an Aberration. Since it was a daily mission, the number of Aberrations might not be huge, but it definitely would not be too small.

They continued forward.

Colin's pace was neither hurried nor slow as he walked in a straight line across the barren ground. Several minutes passed without any obstruction appearing.

Under the dusky light, all the fog within a five-meter radius dispersed at a visible rate.

Yet beyond the limited boundary of the light, the fog was endless, waiting only for the last trace of light to vanish before swallowing them in silence.

A cold wind suddenly swept past, bringing a mournful, whimpering sound from the Gray Fog.

Within the Unknown mist, something terrifying seemed liable to burst out at any moment and launch a fatal attack against them.

Pikachu. It's Pikachu. A wild Pikachu has appeared. Colin teased himself inwardly for a few moments, easing the oppressive tension.

Still, Colin knew very well that as long as the lamp did not go out, he was safe.

Worrying too much would only distract him.

Suppressing the fear in his heart, he walked while silently counting his steps, building a more three-dimensional Map in his mind.

This was in case of emergencies.

In a place like this, no amount of preparation was excessive, even if it later proved useless.

The two Servants stayed close beside him. Though equally afraid, they had not forgotten Colin's instructions, remaining alert while leaving marks behind.

Suddenly, Colin heard Servant One say, "Lord, over there... that pit seems a little strange!"

Colin turned to look. About ten meters to his left was a long, shallow trench.

The trench was about half a meter wide and extended deep into the Gray Fog, with no way of knowing where it led.

At the same time, a prompt appeared.