The group began moving forward.
Though the fog around them was thick, Lin Qianqian's paper butterflies scouted their surroundings, and the Treasure Map guided them, so their progress was unhindered.
The four of them had walked for less than ten minutes when the fog, rather than dispersing, grew even thicker.
The ground beneath their feet gradually changed from hard, barren earth to soft sand. Every step made a rustling sound that rang out distinctly in the silent fog.
"This place is way too quiet. There isn't even a single bird." Zhao Qiu couldn't help lowering his voice.
He had barely finished speaking when a caw came from ahead, and several crows flew past them.
Duan Fei said, "Look, there are your birds."
"Fuck, a few lousy crows scared the shit out of me!" Zhao Qiu cursed.
In an environment like this, even the slightest disturbance couldn't be taken lightly.
"Caw! Caw!"
The crows' cries were piercing, and they kept circling nearby.
"No, something seems off." Zhou Fan suddenly stopped, an uneasy premonition stirring within him.
Each caw left him feeling unsettled.
"Caw-!"
A shrill crow's cry rang out from deep within the fog.
Then came a second, a third, a fourth... Countless caws rose and fell, surrounding them from every direction!
The thick fog churned, and pairs of emerald eyes lit up within it, packed together in countless numbers!
"Holy shit! This many?!" Zhao Qiu sucked in a cold breath.
"These are... Soul-Eating Crows!" Lin Qianqian recognized the mutant beasts. "They're pack animals. Individually, they're weak, but there are huge numbers of them, and their cries can disrupt your mind and cause hallucinations!"
The fog surrounding them had kept them from spotting the Soul-Eating Crows right away.
"Caw-!"
The flock attacked. Hundreds upon thousands of Soul-Eating Crows swooped down from