316: Chapter 200 Heart of Mist 316: Chapter 200 Heart of Mist âMy God, whatâs happened now?
Why has the engine gone silent?â
Weiss tried the ignition a couple of times only to find it wouldnât start at all, prompting an exasperated shout before he went out to check the situation.
Xiao Shun and the others had been discussing matters related to alien species until they suddenly realized that the environment around them had changed, and it appeared they had arrived in a small grove of trees.
âWhere is this?
Werenât we just on the prairie?
Why are there so many trees around?
And is it foggy here?â
Lord Bear glanced at the map in his hands.
âThis is where the forest meets the prairie, it should be our destination, looks like weâre almost there.
The snake-charming witch doctor is just ahead, in a small valley not far from here.â
As he spoke, he looked around and continued, âAs for the fog, it does happen often since itâs quite warm in Africa.
Though itâs rare this time of year, and when it occurs, itâs usually around the coast.
But since weâre close to the Weile River and in the forest, the fog here is perfectly normal.â
They continued discussing in the vehicle, when suddenly Weiss let out a voice filled with utmost frustration from outside.
âFuck!
Why is this happening!â
Seeing his behavior, Lord Bear also went outside to inquire about the situation.
âI really canât understand it; everything seems normal here, but the engine just wonât start.
Take a look, can you tell what the problem is?â
Lord Bear also checked the engine condition, but like Weiss, he could not find the issue.
âBell, I feel like I shouldnât have taken your job today.
My Cassandra must be suffering right now.â
Lord Bear shook his head speechlessly and asked, âSo what do we do now?
Can you fix it?â
âI donât know, but the valley is just ahead.
Iâll take you to see Old Toby first, we can fix the car when we come back.
Maybe by then sheâll have fixed herself,â Weiss suggested.
âFine.â
No longer delaying, they all gathered their things from the vehicle and followed the bounty hunter towards the valley.
âCough, cough, cough!
Damn it, what is this smell?â
As they proceeded inside, the fog around them grew denser, carrying a disgusting stench of decay that made every breath feel intolerably unpleasant.
âI swear, I will never come to this place again,â Weiss said fiercely, leading the way.
The group walked on through the thickening fog until eventually, they could barely see anything at all, with their field of view shortened to just a few meters.
Fortunately, Weiss was still somewhat familiar with the area.
Although their speed was greatly reduced due to the fog, they eventually found the place.
It was a small valley surrounded by lush trees with a spacious, cultivated land inside, planted with many crops.
At the center stood a wooden hut, but because of the limited visibility, they couldnât make out the details of the place.
âWait a moment, something seems wrong here, itâs too quietâŠ
and the land, it looks like something has trampled over itâŠâ
Weiss, who was leading, suddenly stopped.
He scanned the extent of his vision, his expression growing serious.
âIt looks like something has attacked this placeâŠ
I think weâd better be careful.
These footprints donât look human.
Old Toby might have already gone to meet his Witch God.â
As Weiss spoke, he shouldered his gun and put on a thermal imager over his eyes, carefully walking forward with great caution.
However, he had only taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped, fiddled with the device on his eyes, and let out a frustrated murmur.
âWhat on Earth is going on today?
Why has this broken too?
Damn it, this thing cost me twenty thousand US dollars to get!â
Those following behind him looked on in confusion, when suddenly, as if hit by a realization, Xiao Shunâs expression froze.
He hurriedly took out his cellphone from his pocket.
âJust as I thought, dead zoneâmy phone isnât working either!â
His words immediately drew everyone elseâs attention, who turned to look at him.
âCheck your cellphones or watches or anything, see if they are still working.â
Upon hearing this, Weiss was the quickest to act.
His car and thermal imager had mysteriously broken, and now he was more sensitive to these issues than anyone else.
He retrieved various devices from his pockets, tried each in his hand, and then, his face filled with shock, he looked up and asked, âWhat on Earth is happening?
Why is all my stuff broken?
Is it the same for you all?â
The others had completed their checks by this time, and without exception, all of their devices had ceased to work.
Xiao Shun wore an âI knew itâ expression and said, âFoul smell, blinding, malfunctioningâI think I know whatâs going on with this mistâŠâ
He looked around at his companions.
âDonât know if you remember the Alien Species Manual Brother Man gave us?
It described a monster whose abilities are just like what weâre encounteringâŠâ
Xun Youâs eyes lit up: âAre you talking about that creatureâŠ
Fog Heart!?â
âCorrect!
Thatâs the one!â
When he saw the group starting to communicate in a language he didnât understand, Weiss couldnât help asking anxiously:
âHey, what are you guys talking about?
Can someone tell me whatâs going on!â
Xiao Shun looked at him and then said in English, âI think we really have encountered a monster.â
âA monster?â
Weiss was taken aback, and then shook his head, âAre you joking?
Nowâs not the time for storytelling!â
Xiao Shun didnât answer him but continued in English to his companions, âDoes anyone remember Brother Manâs entries about the Fog Heart in the manual?â
Lord Bear said, âYes, I remember some of it, but I didnât pay much attention at the time.
Itâs been several days now, and Iâve forgotten some details.â
After pondering a moment, Xiao Shun said, âFog Heart, a biological species, a support combat unit, intrinsically weak with minor spiritual attacks and transformation abilities.
But it emits a kind of mist, the effects of which are similar to the Gate of Hell, causing all machinery to malfunctionâŠâ
âAnd the scariest part is, other alien species gather around it to protect it, meaning weâve walked into their territory without any knowledge of how many monsters are lurking nearby!
In this mist, itâs their home field!â
Even though the others had already known some details about the Fog Heart, hearing about it anew in this situation made them involuntarily shiver, as if within the obscured fog there were pairs of crimson eyes staring down at them.
âOur phones are useless now; we canât contact Brother Man.
I think itâs best if we retreatâŠ
By the way, does anyone have mastered the Spirit Detection Technique?
It might come in handy.â