Chapter Four: Encounter in the Gray Mist

Outside the house stretched an endless sea of gray mist, flowing slowly as if it had existed since time immemorial. Yet, when Colin held out his lantern beyond the wooden door, this seemingly eternal fog instantly melted away like rain or snow, forming a safe zone with a radius of about five meters.

“There's definitely no problem,” Colin nodded to himself, not leaving immediately. He gazed ahead for several seconds until the prompts appeared.

[There are treasures ahead, but they seem too far away. If you don’t want to die on the way, it’s best not to choose that path.]

[You sense a river to the left. There are some dangers there, but resources are plentiful. In this world of mist, food is extremely important.]

[You realize that to the right, there are many abnormal creatures, and you are not strong enough to face them.]

[Behind you lies a vast expanse of wasteland and barrenness…]

“It seems the best course is to first explore to the left,” Colin murmured to himself, withdrawing his gaze. He turned and handed the lantern to Servant One, saying, “Let’s test it first.”

“Yes, Lord!” the servant replied. Under Colin’s instructions, Servant One shook the lantern at the threshold, but no matter how he moved it, the light remained bright and unwavering. The glass cover ensured it wouldn’t be blown out by the wind.

Unless Colin himself twisted the lantern’s axle to retract the wick, it would be quite difficult to extinguish the flame.

Colin looked up at the sky once more. The pale, misty heavens revealed no luminous body. It made him question whether this world even had a sun.

At that moment, another prompt appeared: [You cannot see the source of the light, but you are aware that nightfall is still several hours away—long enough for your lantern to burn through its fuel multiple times. You know that darkness will not be an obstacle for this venture.]

So there was no risk of stepping out and being overtaken by night too soon. Colin nodded inwardly. Nightfall was extremely dangerous; though he didn’t know exactly what would happen, the repeated warnings were enough to signify its threat.

Whether he would ever encounter it or not, he certainly had no desire to do so now.

He withdrew his gaze and instructed Servant One to step fully outside.

No attack came. The scenario described in the chat channel—where stretching out a hand would spell doom—did not occur. Nothing happened.

But Colin knew that if the lantern’s light were to go out, the situation would instantly become terrifying and bloody.

After a few minutes, and some further testing, Colin and Servant Two stepped into the area illuminated by the lantern.

“Lord,” Servant One said respectfully, handing over the lantern.

The effective range of the lantern was not blocked by their bodies, but the person holding it had to stand in the center. It was unthinkable to let the lord stand to the side and risk himself, so the lantern must be held by the lord.

Without a word, Colin took the ancient lantern filled with dark red liquid, holding it in his left hand and gripping a rusty axe in his right.

Servant One and Servant Two carried long wooden poles and makeshift shields fashioned from stools, nervously closing in to protect Colin in the center.

Within the five-meter radius, the lantern's glow formed a barrier. Beyond it, in the dense mist, it was as if twisted faces pressed against the boundary, their countless malevolent eyes fixed on the trio.

A chill climbed Colin’s spine, making his scalp prickle.

Here in the mist, the pressure was far greater than within the house—so tangible it felt like a mountain pressing down. Even staring into the mist yielded nothing useful; the prompts only warned him: If he didn’t return indoors before the lantern went out, he would meet a gruesome end.

Despite his fear, Colin knew he couldn’t show it, or it would sap the hard-won morale.

He quietly took several breaths to steady himself, lingering by the door for another dozen or so, then said with a calm face, “It seems safe for now. Let’s go, as planned—let’s check the surroundings.”

He did not wholly trust the prompts, so every step had to be taken with care.

Influenced by his composure, the two servants also relaxed somewhat.

According to plan, Colin began a circuit around the wooden house.

In this mist, where visibility didn’t exceed ten meters, charging recklessly into the unknown would be suicide. Even if nothing happened, getting lost would mean waiting for death in the endless gray.

Of course, with his prompts, Colin had little to fear. In this world of mist, his advantage was tremendous.

The initial survey turned up nothing within a few hundred square meters; they would have to venture further.

“Number Two, remember to mark the ground with each step. If you notice anything unusual, speak up immediately.” He glanced at Servant One and added, “That goes for you, too. Keep a sharp eye out—don’t miss any change, however slight.”

“Yes, Lord,” both replied at once.

Colin nodded, glancing back at the house. Though they’d gone less than ten meters, the wooden structure was already little more than a hazy outline.

Taking a deep breath, Colin and his group pressed onward. There was half a bottle of the dark red lantern fluid left—about fifty minutes’ worth.

But the full fifty minutes couldn’t be spent exploring outward. Within twenty-five minutes, regardless of results, Colin would have to turn back—returning would take just as long as venturing out. The longer they lingered, the tighter their margin for error, and the greater the danger.

Colin was not particularly worried about encountering the so-called “aberration.” Since it was a daily task, their numbers, though perhaps limited, would not be sparse.

They pressed onward at a steady pace. On the barren earth, Colin walked in a straight line, minutes passing with no obstacles in sight.

Within the five-meter circle, the mist visibly melted away in the lantern’s glow. But beyond that, the fog was infinite, waiting to swallow them whole the moment the last ray of light vanished.

A cold wind brushed past, carrying with it a faint, mournful wail from the mist.

At any moment, something dreadful might emerge from the unknown grayness to strike them down.

Pikachu—it’s Pikachu—a wild Pikachu has appeared… Colin joked inwardly to ease the oppressive tension.

Yet he knew that as long as the light remained, he was safe. Excessive worry would only be a distraction.

Forcing down his fear, he counted his steps in his mind, building a rough mental map—just in case. In a place like this, there could be no such thing as too much preparation, even if it proved unnecessary in the end.

The two servants stuck close, equally afraid, but mindful of Colin’s orders—remaining alert and leaving their marks behind them.

Suddenly, Servant One called out, “Lord, over there—something’s not right with that pit!”

Colin turned. About ten meters to his left was a long, shallow trench, half a meter wide, stretching off into the mist with no end in sight.

At that moment, another prompt appeared.