Adventurers' Association General Monster Compendium

The group stamped out the campfire and packed up camp.

This time, they had killed a total of thirty-six wild wolves and obtained ten flawless wolf pelts. The haul was fairly decent.

Any wolf pelts with wounds or defects were discarded. Blackstone Town did not lack such resources; even flawed goods would fetch no price.

Marcus cleared his throat and spoke.

"According to the Adventurers' Association's commission, each wild wolf carries a bounty of three silver coins. I killed thirteen, Gray killed twelve, Vales killed nine, and Zeliel killed two. No objections to the count, right?"

The others nodded in agreement.

For commissions involving the extermination of beasts, payment was generally calculated by individual kills. Only joint campaigns to wipe out monsters were divided by contribution.

"Besides that, everyone gets five silver coins as a basic participation fee. That's all the money you'll receive. All payments will be settled on the spot after we turn in the commission at the Adventurers' Association."

Gray beamed with delight.

Once this job was over, he would be able to live it up at the tavern for quite a while.

Zeliel silently calculated in his heart.

Six silver coins in bounty rewards plus five silver coins in base pay. The wild wolf he had killed did not count because its fur had been burned by the flames.

He would receive a total of eleven silver coins for this job.

That money should be enough to keep him going for a while.

The currency system of the Candia Continent was simple: one gold coin equaled one hundred silver coins, and one silver coin equaled one hundred copper coins.

It was kind of pathetic... They spent several days working in the forest for a single job and did not even earn one gold coin.

After packing their belongings, the party began heading toward the forest's outskirts.

Marcus led the way at the front. He had been making a living in this forest for nearly a year and knew the nearby terrain best.

Zeliel looked around.

Graywood Forest truly lived up to its name. Every tree trunk had bark the grayish-white color of weathered bones, and together with the morning mist permeating the woods, even the air felt damp and heavy.

The group trekked onward in silence, with only the thick fallen leaves beneath their feet making faint sounds.

After walking for about another hour, Marcus suddenly stopped. His burly back stood motionless as he spoke in a low voice.

"Something's wrong."

"Are we lost?" Zeliel blinked.

To him, the surroundings barely seemed to change. There were always gray-white trees shrouded in mist. He would have believed it if someone said they had been circling the same spot.

"Not lost..."

Marcus looked up at the sky. "At this time, the sun should already be fully up, and the morning mist should have dispersed. But instead, it's gotten thicker than before."

The four of them stood less than a meter apart and could still see one another, but whenever they looked around, they could clearly feel their vision being obstructed.

"An unusually foggy day?" Vales asked.

"Doesn't seem like it."

Marcus shook his head.

"It didn't rain yesterday. The forest is dry, and the temperature hasn't dropped suddenly. The conditions for heavy fog aren't there."

As though confirming Marcus's words, the surrounding mist churned and surged. Gusts of cold wind swept over them, and visibility dropped from around ten meters to even less.

A powerful sense of unease suddenly rose in Zeliel's heart. He instinctively sniffed the air.

The fresh scent of grass and trees was gone, replaced by a rank, fishy stench.

But it was not wild wolves. Wild wolves smelled more sour and foul, while this scent...

Had far more blood mixed into it!

"Everyone, be careful."

Vales's expression turned solemn. He had smelled it too.

He already held his longbow in hand, with an arrow nocked on the string. "There seems to be something in the fog... Something troublesome may be coming."

Gray also lost his usual relaxed expression. He gripped his sword hilt, the muscles in his forearm bulging slightly with effort as he vigilantly scanned the surroundings.

"Could it be a bear?"

The moment he finished speaking, deep roars came from all around them, shaking their hearts. The mist boiled and rolled violently.

A huge black silhouette appeared without warning, flashing past through the thick fog ahead of the party!

Though it lasted only an instant, all four of them witnessed it with their own eyes. Terror exploded within them.

"Damn it!"

Gray took two steps back and cried out in shock and fury, "What the hell was that?!"

Vales took a deep breath. Even his usually calm voice trembled slightly now.

"It's a Mist Demon..."

Adventurers' Association General Monster Compendium

[Sequence 21]: Mist Demon

Individual Threat Rating: [Challenge]

Appearance Characteristics:

A Mist Demon's appearance is extremely unstable and may take any form, but its essence is a mutated lifeform composed of the flesh, blood, and bones of various creatures.

Its most distinctive feature is the flowing energy barrier covering its body.

Habits:

A typical ambush predator, highly aggressive and usually active in places such as forests and swamps where it can easily conceal its tracks.

The appearance of a Mist Demon is always accompanied by widespread, persistent supernatural fog that defies natural law.

Special Abilities:

A Mist Demon possesses tremendous strength, far surpassing that of ordinary beasts. Even bears cannot compare to it. However, its core ability is the energy barrier covering its body.

It can deflect most forms of pure physical kinetic force. Ordinary sword slashes, arrow piercings, and warhammer blows cannot harm its flesh.

Core Weakness:

The barrier reacts violently to attacks containing battle aura or magic power.

A full-force strike infused with battle aura from an intermediate warrior can destroy this barrier, while pure energy attacks—namely magic—are the most effective means of breaking this shell.

Association Notes:

Warning! Warning!

The Mist Demon's [Challenge] rating does not stem from its destructive power, but from its nearly unsolvable defensive properties.

If the party has no warrior who has mastered battle aura or any mage, then a Mist Demon will be the entire team's nightmare!

Based on the reports of the few survivors, the following points can be confirmed:

1. Do not trust your eyes, and do not rely on your experience.

When you discover that the morning mist has not dispersed after the sun rises, immediately retreat along the route you came from and report the matter to the nearest Adventurers' Association. We will dispatch a team to clear the area.

2. If the party does not have an intermediate warrior who has mastered battle aura, or at least one mage capable of reliably casting offensive magic, the Association strongly advises fleeing immediately upon encountering a Mist Demon. Do not make pointless attempts!

"Fucking unlucky..."

Gray's expression was extremely grim.

"What's a Mist Demon?" Zeliel wore the expression of someone who had no idea what was happening, yet felt it sounded impressive.

"A standard monster. The energy barrier on its surface can block almost any physical attack. Only battle aura and magic can break through it," Vales explained quickly.

According to the Adventurers' Association's assessment, Graywood Forest was not particularly dangerous. Only beasts roamed the outer regions, while monsters could only be found in the central area. There had never been any reports of Mist Demon sightings.