An Abnormal Camp

After reviewing the information and taking a hot shower to wash away his fatigue, Lin Yi found that he was not very sleepy.

Thinking that he still had over twenty minutes of online time left today, Lin Yi decided to enter Apocalypse World and practice the Blazing Sun Saber Technique for a while.

It was eleven at night, already quite late. Lin Yi figured that Gu Chenghu, Old Fourth Gu, and the others in the camp should have gone to sleep.

However, the moment Lin Yi appeared inside his tent, he realized something was wrong.

Looking out from the tent, he found that there was not a trace of light in the camp.

To defend against Monsters and Ghost Spirits in the Wilderness, the camp always kept bonfires lit and arranged night watchmen every evening.

Why was there not a single sound outside tonight?

It had not been like this when he had come over at night before.

Moreover, he could sense that the temperature both inside and outside the tent was off. It was chilly, with a bone-piercing, clammy cold.

Had a Ghost Spirit invaded the camp?

Lin Yi's first reaction was to log off and leave, but then he reconsidered. His Blazing Sun Saber Technique had already reached Level 8. With a full-force strike, he could kill quite a few low-level Ghost Spirits. There was no need for him to be afraid.

He took out the Gleaming Silver Saber he had obtained today. With a saber in hand, confidence surged within Lin Yi.

Whatever Ghost Spirit it was, he would just cut it down!

He then carefully opened the tent and slowly stepped outside.

Only after coming out did Lin Yi discover that the entire camp was shrouded in dense White Mist.

Concealed by the White Mist, his vision was impaired. He could not even see anything two meters away.

The temperature within the White Mist was extremely low. Lin Yi noticed that the grass beneath his feet and the extinguished bonfire beside him were covered in crystalline white frost.

Could this White Mist be a Ghost Spirit's doing?

Lin Yi did not know much about Ghost Spirits, but the Strange Stone Soul Artifact on him had not issued a warning yet, which meant that no Ghost Spirit was nearby.

There was no sign of Gu Chenghu and the others anywhere in the camp. He had no idea whether they were in danger now.

Still, Gu Chenghu and Old Fourth Gu were both captain-level figures with extensive experience. Even if a Ghost Spirit had launched a surprise invasion at night, they should have been able to organize a defense in time.

As Lin Yi slowly moved forward, Gu Chenghu, Old Fourth Gu, Gu Ale, Gu Xiaoba, and four other Militia Team members were gathered inside a tent not far away.

A Spirit Fire Candle was slowly burning in their midst.

The red light emitted by the candle drove away the cold and kept out the bone-chilling White Mist that was continuously creeping in from outside the tent.

However, as time passed, the Spirit Fire Candle grew shorter and shorter, nearly burned out.

At that moment, Gu Chenghu asked in confusion, "Old Fourth, did you hear footsteps? Why do I hear footsteps?"

Old Fourth Gu frowned. "That shouldn't be possible. Other than us, there's only that Mist Wraith in the camp. It doesn't even have feet..."

Gu Ale said, "Captain, could the Mist Wraith be creating footsteps to lure us outside?"

"That's possible. As expected of a Mist Wraith close to Professional level. It's remarkably intelligent."

But Gu Chenghu suddenly thought of something and frowned. "No, Qingshan may have logged in. He sometimes comes over at night to practice his saber technique. This is bad..."

At this moment, Lin Yi was slowly feeling his way through the White Mist. But after walking for a while, he realized that he had lost his sense of direction and could no longer find the way back.

The White Mist around him was also growing thicker and thicker, making him feel as though he were inside an ice cellar.

Forget it. I should go back.

Lin Yi wanted to log off, but the System prompted, "Ding! You are currently within a Ghost Spirit's Ghost Domain and cannot log off."

"Damn it. I logged in and now I can't get back out."

Still, Lin Yi was somewhat shocked. He had heard Gu Chenghu say that the defining feature of a Professional-level Wraith was possessing a Ghost Domain.

Could the Ghost Spirit releasing this White Mist be a Professional-level Wraith?

With that thought, Lin Yi quickly gripped the Defense Talisman in his hand and took out the Yang Water Juice, intending to make more preparations.

Just then, the White Mist around him began to churn. The temperature throughout the entire area plummeted, as if it had suddenly dropped to twenty or thirty degrees below zero.

Thump! Thump!

In the next instant, Lin Yi's heart pounded violently. The Strange Stone Soul Artifact was clearly warning him—a Ghost Spirit was approaching!

With the Gleaming Silver Long Saber in hand, Lin Yi's combat instincts were exceptionally sharp.

He immediately sensed movement behind him. Turning around, he saw a mass of White Mist condense into a gigantic roaring black face that charged straight at him.

Danger engulfed Lin Yi. In that life-or-death instant, the silver saber in his hand burst forth with golden light.

"Blazing Sun Saber Technique!"

This strike gathered all of Lin Yi's Qi-Blood. The saber light shone brilliantly!

Boom!

The enormous black mist face was cleaved apart in a single strike, and the surrounding mist immediately dimmed considerably.

The remaining force of the strike shot through the air, leaving a three-meter-long saber gash in the frozen grass.

Then, the Strange Stone stopped warning him, indicating that his strike had temporarily driven back the Ghost Spirit that had ambushed him.

But footsteps came from behind him.

Lin Yi turned around. "Who is it?"

"It's me!"

Gu Chenghu shouted in a low voice, quickly pulling Lin Yi over and bringing him into the tent where the Spirit Fire Candle was burning.

Lin Yi looked at everyone and saw that no one was missing. He asked, "Captain, Captain Old Fourth, why are you all here?"

Old Fourth Gu questioned him in return, "And you're asking why we're here? Why did you log in so late? Bringing the Ghost Spirit a midnight snack?"

Gu Chenghu said, "Enough, don't shout. That Mist Wraith was just cut apart by Qingshan's strike. It has probably developed a grudge against us. It'll be back soon."

Hearing this, Old Fourth Gu was greatly surprised. He looked at Lin Yi and said, "You scattered a Semi-Professional Level Mist Wraith with one strike? Qingshan, you're pretty strong."

"Not bad, but that strike emptied my Qi-Blood, and the Mist Wraith wasn't injured."

Lin Yi took out the Blood Food he carried, chewed two small pieces, and began replenishing his Qi-Blood.

Old Fourth Gu said, "You're only Level 3. It's already impressive that you managed to drive back the Mist Wraith. Look at Gu Chenghu and me—we're both Level 10, yet we still can't seriously injure it. We can only barely hold on with the Spirit Fire Candle."

Lin Yi also knew the function of the Spirit Fire Candle. It could dispel darkness and repel and restrain Ghost Spirits.

As long as the Spirit Fire Candle had not burned out, they would be temporarily safe inside the tent.

"Captain, have you notified the Village Elder? We can't stay trapped like this forever, can we?"

Lin Yi felt the temperature in the tent beginning to drop, while the Spirit Fire Candle was burning faster and faster.

Clearly, the Mist Wraith had realized they were hiding here and had begun drawing in the surrounding White Mist to drain the Spirit Fire Candle's energy.

Gu Chenghu shook his head. "There's no way to notify him. This Mist Wraith is close to Professional level. The mist it releases forms its own Ghost Domain and can isolate space. Even if we set off fireworks within the mist-covered area, the village won't be able to see them."

"Then what do we do? Wait for the sun to rise? Will the Mist Wraith leave?"

Generally speaking, Ghost Spirits below Professional level still feared sunlight greatly.

Gu Chenghu said, "No. We don't have many Spirit Fire Candles, and they won't last until then. Besides, I'm worried that Newborns from Team Five might log in at dawn. If the Mist Wraith hasn't left by then, their lives will be in danger."

Lin Yi thought that made sense. If not for his ability to sense Ghost Spirits, coupled with his Level 8 Blazing Sun Saber Technique, he would likely have died under the Mist Wraith's attack earlier.

Compared to him, the players from Team Five were even weaker. If any of them logged in before sunrise, they would likely die one after another.

Old Fourth Gu thought for a moment, then made up his mind. "I originally planned to make a desperate last stand after the candles ran out. But now that you're here, and the Blazing Sun Saber Technique strongly restrains Ghost Spirits, I think we can give it a try and see if we can eliminate this Mist Wraith."

Gu Chenghu agreed. "True. This Mist Wraith was probably drawn here by the presence of living people. Since it's wandering around nearby, it may attack the village sooner or later. It would naturally be better if we can deal with it tonight and eliminate this hidden threat."

"But Qingshan, can you fight?"

The two looked at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi glanced at his Attribute Panel, then nodded. "My Qi-Blood has mostly recovered. I can fight. But I don't have much online time left today. If we're doing this, we should do it quickly. Otherwise, I don't know if I'll be forcibly logged off later."