Surrounded

Lu Heng sheathed his Star Blade, his steps unwavering, stepping over the Goblin corpses on the ground, and continued deeper into the Mist Forest.

The purple light on the blade slowly receded into its body, leaving only a faint glow clinging to the metal surface, not enough to become a conspicuous light source in the thick fog. He didn't fully unleash his senses, but maintained a stable range, scanning forward little by little. The monsters in the shallow forest area hadn't been completely wiped out by the battle just now.

Scattered groups of Black Iron Tier Green Demon minions, in pairs or threes, hunched over behind tree trunks, moved silently through the forest under the cover of shadows and white mist. A few lone Bronze Tier Green Demon moved more steadily, knowing how to avoid the bloodstains left by previous battles, specifically guarding blind spots, waiting to ambush any passing creatures. Lu Heng had already witnessed their stealth techniques and wouldn't be fooled by illusions.

Lu Heng traveled steadily along the way.

The Mycelium of the Blood Taisui was pre-buried beneath the layer of decaying leaves. The fine veins spread along the cracks in the soil, buried very deep, unassuming and without eruption. But whenever a demon stepped into its pre-set warning range, the underground threads would instantly shoot out, winding up along the ankles and calves, locking the limbs, and then tightening violently to kill.

There was almost no screaming or loud noise throughout the entire process.

One by one, the scattered monsters fell silently to the ground, their warm, dark green blood seeping into the thick layer of decaying leaves, quickly absorbed by the soil, their corpses swiftly concealed by the dense fog. His movements were extremely steady, deliberately suppressing any noise, clearing only obstacles in his path, avoiding any intentional disruption to the entire forest. Attracting a large horde of monsters would only create unnecessary trouble in this environment of limited visibility.

The further you go, the quieter it becomes.

The sporadic murmurs of monsters gradually diminished, as if he had cleared out all the wandering units in the area. The fog was different too; the fog on the outer edge was flowing and drifted with the wind, but the fog here was heavy like solidified water, clinging to the skin with an inescapable chill and dampness.

Just then, faint, scattered noises came from a distance behind them.

At first, it was very faint, almost completely obscured by the mist, and mixed in with the faint sound of the mist rubbing against the branches and leaves, making it difficult to distinguish.

After a moment, the sound gradually became clearer.

The crisp clash of weapons, the hoarse roars of monsters, and the short shouts and gasps of humans spread in from the outer forest, layer upon layer. The deathly silence that had lasted all along was completely shattered by this chaotic sound.

Lu Heng paused slightly, and his mental energy spread out backward to investigate.

Perception penetrated the layers of white mist, revealing that a large number of survivor squads had already poured into the outer perimeter of the Mist Forest behind them.

The group was large and scattered, with teams far apart and no one under their command. Some were in small groups of two or three, while others were alone, each exploring the forest on their own. Everyone had seen the announcement that the hunting Global Region was now open and rushed into the forest, taking advantage of the monster overpopulation to farm resources and gather supplies. The outer perimeter had become a chaotic battlefield.

Shouts from people, hisses from monsters, and the clashing of weapons filled the air in chaos. Intermittent cries of pain from wounded individuals drifted over, followed by the sounds of monsters pouncing.

Lu Heng observed coldly, his heart unmoved.

He had no intention of joining in the fun, nor did he have any intention of interacting with the influx of survivors.

He had seen too many of his kind; after meeting them, suspicion, testing, and scheming were almost the norm. Cooperation with strangers was worthless, and pointless conflicts were a waste of time. Fighting over scattered monsters at shallow levels was even more meaningless. These Green Demon Goblin no longer served any purpose in training him.

Rather than staying on the periphery and getting entangled with large crowds, constantly on guard against being stabbed in the back, it's better to avoid it altogether.

Having made up his mind, Lu Heng did not look back.

We changed direction and headed straight into the Inner Region of the forest, where the fog was thicker and the trees were denser.

The commotion behind me gradually faded, swallowed up, and diluted by the thick fog as the distance increased. The shouts and the clash of weapons slowly became indistinct, until only a faint background noise remained.

A few hundred meters ahead, the environment completely changes.

Ancient trees, towering and intertwined, stretched their branches horizontally, layer upon layer, blocking out all sunlight. The sky was invisible overhead, only the crisscrossing branches visible. Thick, stagnant white mist, no longer flowing or churning, pressed heavily down on the forest floor. Beneath one's feet, piles of decaying leaves, inches thick, mixed with rotting branches and years of fallen leaves, fell silently, silently. With each step, the soles of one's feet sank slightly.

This area is no longer the shallow zone frequented by survivors; it is a truly deep forest rarely visited by humans.

The density of monsters has increased significantly.

Occasionally, the figures of Silver Tier Goblin would flash past the gaps in the tree shadows. Unlike the mindless attacks of the outer monsters, they would immediately retreat into the depths of the thick fog the moment they sensed Lu Heng, lying in wait and never engaging in battle lightly. They knew how to assess their opponents and wait for the right opportunity, and they would not throw their lives away in vain.

The entire Inner Region was unusually quiet.

There was no fighting, no shouting, no wind blowing leaves.

The deathly silence was almost unbearable, and a faint demonic aura silently permeated the entire forest, carrying a heavy, foreign sensation when inhaled. Lu Heng maintained a steady pace, his senses constantly engaged, never letting his guard down. He held the Star Blade in his hand, his arm hanging naturally at his side, ready to strike at any moment. The Mycelium continued to slowly extend beneath the soil, continuously spreading out a warning network.

We went further in.

Suddenly, he stopped abruptly.

The surrounding area remained empty.

Within the misty forest as far as the eye could see, no monsters appeared, no unusual sounds rang out, no magical glows emanated, and the Mycelium probed the depths without touching any physical targets. Beneath the soil, there was no tremor caused by the movement of large numbers of monsters.

Everything seemed calm and uneventful.

But Lu Heng's back tensed instantly.

At the moment when mental perception reached its limit, an invisible sense of oppression slowly enveloped us from the depths of the thick fog in all directions.

It's not a single-point lock-on, not a monster hiding behind a tree watching him.

The entire forest, the thick fog, all the dark and blind spots simultaneously pinpointed his location.

The enemy is invisible.

There was no sound.

I can't detect any breath.

The suffocating feeling that pressed down on you was incredibly real, completely sealing off any escape routes. There wasn't a single opening from any direction where you could easily break free.

There was no chaotic sneak attack.

There was no hasty siege.

It was a silent, pre-planned encirclement.

Lu Heng slowly tightened his grip, making the hilt of the knife feel slightly heavy.

He stood at the heart of the deathly silent, boundless fog.

Only one clear judgment remained in my mind.

I am already surrounded.