The group stamped out the campfire and packed up the campsite.
For this commission, they had eliminated thirty-six wild wolves in total, and had also obtained ten undamaged wolf pelts. All in all, it was a decent haul.
The pelts with wounds or flaws had all been discarded. Blackstone Town did not lack such resources; even defective goods would not fetch a price.
Marcus cleared his throat and spoke.
“According to the commission issued by the Adventurers’ Association, the bounty for one wild wolf is three silver coins. I killed thirteen, Gray killed twelve, Valles killed nine, and Zelier killed two. No objections to the count, right?”
The others all nodded, indicating their agreement.
For commissions like this, exterminating wild beasts, payment was generally calculated by headcount. Only in subjugation battles where everyone worked together to eradicate monsters would the rewards be divided proportionally.
“In addition, each person also receives a base appearance fee of five silver coins. That is the money you’ll be able to take. All sums will be settled on the spot after the commission is turned in at the Adventurers’ Association.”
Gray’s face lit up with joy.
Once this mission was over, he would be able to live it up in the tavern for quite some time again.
Zelier, meanwhile, silently calculated in his heart.
Six silver coins in bounty, plus five silver coins in base pay. The wild wolf he had killed had had its pelt burned by fire, so he had no share in that.
In total, he would receive eleven silver coins from this mission.
That money should be enough to keep him going for a while.
The currency system of the Candia Continent was very simple: one gold equaled one hundred silver, and one silver equaled one hundred copper.
Thinking about it, it was a little shabby… After taking on a mission and working for several days in the forest, he could not even earn a single gold coin.
After the party finished packing their belongings, they began heading toward the outer region.
Marcus led the way at the front. He had roamed this forest for nearly a year and was the most familiar with the nearby terrain.
Zelier looked around.
Graywood Forest truly was an apt name. The bark of the trees was uniformly a grayish white like weathered bones, and together with the morning mist permeating the woods, even the air seemed damp and heavy.
The party trekked on in silence. Only the thick layer of fallen leaves beneath their feet made the faintest sounds as they stepped over them.
After walking for roughly another hour, Marcus suddenly stopped. His burly back stood motionless in place, and his voice was somewhat grave.
“Something’s wrong.”
“We’re lost?” Zelier blinked.
To him, the surroundings seemed to have barely changed at all. It was always the same mist-wreathed gray-white trees. If someone told Zelier they had been walking in circles, he would believe it.
“We’re not lost…”
Marcus raised his head and looked at the sky. “At this time, the sun should already be fully up. The morning mist ought to have dispersed, but the fog has instead grown thicker than before.”
The four members of the party were separated by no more than a meter and could still make out one another’s figures, but the moment they looked around, they could clearly feel their vision being obstructed.
“A rare heavy fog?” Valles said.
“Doesn’t seem like it.”
Marcus shook his head in denial.
“It didn’t rain yesterday. The forest is dry, and the ambient temperature hasn’t dropped sharply either. The conditions for heavy fog to form aren’t present.”
As if to confirm Marcus’s words, the surrounding fog churned and surged. Gusts of cold, sinister wind swept in, and visibility, which had been around ten meters, dropped another level.
A strong sense of unease suddenly welled up in Zelier’s heart. Almost instinctively, he sniffed.
The fresh scent of grass and trees was already gone, replaced by a rank, gamey odor.
But it was not wild wolf. The smell on wild wolves leaned more toward a foul musk, while this odor…
Had more of the stench of blood mixed in!
“Everyone, be careful.”
Valles’s expression was grave. He had smelled it as well.
The longbow was already in his hand, a feathered arrow nocked on the string. “There seems to be something in the fog… A troublesome one may have come.”
Gray also put away his usual relaxed expression. He gripped the hilt of his sword, the muscles in his forearm bulging slightly from the force, his eyes sweeping the surroundings warily.
“Could it be a bear?”
The moment his words fell, low, rumbling growls came from all around, shaking them to the core. The fog churned violently like boiling water.
A massive black silhouette appeared without warning, flashing past through the dense fog ahead of the party!
Although it lasted only a brief instant, all four of them saw it with their own eyes. Terror exploded in their hearts in an instant.
“Damn it!”
Gray retreated two steps and shouted in shock and anger, “What the hell was that thing?!”
Valles drew in a deep breath. Even he, who was always calm, had a slight tremor in his voice at this moment.
“It’s a Fog Demon…”
General Monster Compendium of the Adventurers’ Association
[Sequence 61]: Fog Demon
Individual Threat Rating: [Challenge]
Appearance:
The Fog Demon’s appearance is extremely unstable and may take on any form, but its essence is that of a mutated lifeform created from the mingled flesh and bones of many different creatures.
Its most distinctive feature is the layer of flowing-water-like energy barrier covering the surface of its body.
Habits:
A typical ambush predator, extremely aggressive, usually active in forests, swamps, and other places where it can easily conceal its movements.
The appearance of a Fog Demon is inevitably accompanied by large-scale, persistent supernatural dense fog that violates natural laws.
Special Abilities:
The Fog Demon possesses tremendous strength, far surpassing ordinary wild beasts. Even bears cannot compare to it. However, its core ability remains the energy barrier covering its body.
It can disperse the vast majority of purely physical kinetic force. In practice, ordinary sword slashes, arrow thrusts, and warhammer blows are all unable to injure its flesh-and-blood body.
Core Weakness:
This barrier reacts violently to attacks containing battle aura or mana.
A full-force strike infused with battle aura from an intermediate warrior can destroy this barrier, while attacks in a purely energy-based form—in other words, magic—are the most effective means of breaking through this shell.
Association Remarks:
Warning! Warning!
The Fog Demon’s [Challenge] rating does not come from its destructive power, but from its almost unsolvable defensive traits.
If there is no warrior who has mastered battle aura or mage in the party, then the Fog Demon will be the entire team’s nightmare!
According to the few surviving reports, 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 fog has not dispersed after sunrise, please immediately retreat along your original route and report the matter at the nearest Adventurers’ Association at once. We will dispatch a team to clear the area.
2. If there is no intermediate warrior in the party who has mastered battle aura, or at least one mage capable of steadily casting offensive magic, then upon encountering a Fog Demon, the Association strongly recommends fleeing immediately. Do not make pointless attempts!
“We’re really fucking unlucky…”
Gray’s expression was extremely ugly.
“What is a Fog Demon?” Zelier looked confused, yet vaguely impressed by how serious it sounded.
“A standard monster. The energy barrier on its surface can block almost any physical attack. Only battle aura and magic can break through it,” Valles explained quickly.
In the Adventurers’ Association’s assessment, Graywood Forest’s danger level was not high. Only wild beasts appeared in the outer regions, and traces of monsters could only be found in the central area. Moreover, there had never been any sighting reports concerning Fog Demons.