Translator: CinderTL The group extinguished their campfire and packed up the campsite.
This commission had required them to eliminate thirty-six wild wolves, and they had also harvested ten intact wolf pelts—a decent haul.
The wolves with damaged or flawed pelts were discarded.
Blackstone Town had no shortage of such resources, and even imperfect pelts wouldn’t fetch a good price.
Marcus cleared his throat and began.
“According to the Adventurer’s Association commission, the bounty for each wild wolf is three silver coins.
I killed thirteen, Gray killed twelve, Vales killed nine, and Zellier killed two.
No disputes about the numbers, right?” The others nodded in agreement.
For beast-slaying commissions like this, payment was typically calculated per head, unless it was a collaborative effort to eradicate a demonic beast, in which case the spoils would be divided proportionally.
“In addition, each of you receives a base attendance fee of five silver coins.
That’s the total amount you’ll receive.
All payments will be settled on the spot after the Adventurer’s Association confirms the commission.” Gray’s face lit up with delight.
After this mission, they’d be able to live it up at the tavern for quite some time.
Zellier silently calculated in his mind.
The bounty was six silver coins, plus five silver coins in base pay.
Since the wild wolf he’d killed had its pelt burned to a crisp by the flames, he wouldn’t get his share of that.
He’d earn a total of eleven silver coins from this mission.
That should be enough to sustain him for a while.
The currency system on the Candia Continent was simple: one gold equaled one hundred silver, and one silver equaled one hundred copper.
It’s still a bit meager…
he thought.
After days of toiling in the forest on a single mission, I can’t even earn a single gold coin.
After packing their bags, the team set off toward the forest’s edge.
Marcus led the way, having spent nearly a year in this forest and knowing the terrain best.
Zellier looked around.
Graywood Forest was aptly named.
The tree bark was a uniform, weathered gray-white, like bleached bones, and the morning mist that permeated the woods made the air thick and heavy.
The team trudged forward in silence, the only sound the crunch of their boots on the thick layer of fallen leaves.
After about an hour’s walk, Marcus suddenly stopped.
His burly back stood rigid in place, and his voice was low and gruff.
“Something’s wrong.” “Are we lost?” Zellier blinked.
The surrounding scenery seemed unchanged to him, the same gray-white trees shrouded in mist.
He could easily believe they were walking in circles.
“It’s not that we’re lost…” Marcus looked up at the sky.
“The sun should be fully out by now, and the morning fog should have dissipated.
Instead, it’s thicker than before.” The four members of the team were spaced no more than a meter apart, still able to see each other clearly.
But when they glanced beyond the immediate group, they could clearly feel their vision being obstructed.
“A rare heavy fog?” Vales suggested.
“Doesn’t feel like it,” Marcus shook his head.
“It didn’t rain yesterday, the forest is dry, and there hasn’t been a sudden drop in temperature.
None of the conditions for a heavy fog are present.” As if to prove his point, the mist around them began to churn and roil, and gusts of cold wind swept through, reducing visibility from about ten meters to half that.
A sudden sense of unease washed over Zellier, and he instinctively sniffed the air.
The fresh scent of grass and trees was gone, replaced by a foul, metallic stench.
But it wasn’t a wild wolf.
Wild wolves carried a more pungent, musky odor, while this smell…
…was laced with a stronger, metallic tang of blood!
“Everyone, be on guard.” Vales’ face grew grim; he had also caught the scent.
His longbow was already in his hands, an arrow nocked and ready.
“Something’s moving in the mist…
something dangerous might be coming.” Gray shed his usual carefree demeanor.
He gripped the hilt of his sword, his forearm muscles bulging slightly as he tensed, his eyes scanning the surroundings with wary vigilance.
“Could it be a bear?” The words had barely left his lips when a deep, earth-shaking roar erupted from all around, sending the fog churning like boiling water.
A massive black silhouette flashed through the dense fog at the front of the group!
Though the glimpse lasted only a fleeting moment, all four had witnessed it.
Terror exploded in their hearts.
“Damn it!” Gray stumbled back, his voice a mix of panic and fury.
“What the hell was that?!” Vales took a deep breath, his usually steady voice trembling slightly.
“It’s a mist demon…” Adventurer’s Association General Monster Compendium Entry 21: Mist Demon Individual Threat Rating: Challenging Physical Characteristics: Mist demons possess highly unstable forms, capable of manifesting in any shape.
At their core, they are grotesque abominations formed from the flesh, bones, and remains of multiple creatures.
Their most distinctive feature is a fluid, energy-like barrier that constantly envelops their bodies.
Behavioral Habits: Typical ambush predators, mist demons are highly aggressive and usually inhabit areas conducive to concealment, such as forests and swamps.
The appearance of a mist demon is invariably accompanied by a vast, persistent, and unnatural supernatural fog.
Special Abilities: Mist demons possess immense strength, far surpassing ordinary beasts and even bears.
However, their most crucial ability lies in the energy barrier that covers their bodies.
This barrier can nullify most forms of pure kinetic energy.
Consequently, ordinary attacks—such as sword slashes, arrow piercings, or warhammer strikes—are utterly ineffective against their flesh.
Core Weaknesses: The barrier reacts violently to attacks infused with martial qi or mana.
A full-power strike from an intermediate warrior channeling martial qi can shatter this barrier.
Pure energy-based attacks—namely magic—are the most effective means of breaching this shell-like defense.
Association Notes: Warning!
Warning!
The mist demon’s Challenge rating stemmed not from its destructive power, but from its nearly impenetrable defenses.
If a team lacked warriors or mages who could wield martial qi, the mist demon would become the entire group’s nightmare.
Based on reports from the few survivors, the following points have been confirmed: 1.
Do not trust your eyes, nor rely on your experience.
If you discover that the morning mist hasn’t dissipated after sunrise, retreat immediately along your original path and report it to the nearest Adventurer’s Association.
We will dispatch a team to clear the area.
2.
If your team does not include an intermediate warrior capable of wielding martial qi, or at least one mage who can reliably cast offensive magic, and you encounter a mist demon, the Association strongly advises immediate flight.
Do not attempt futile resistance!
“What the hell is this bad luck…” Gray’s face was grim.
“What’s a mist demon?” Zellier asked, looking utterly baffled.
“A standard demonic beast.
Its surface energy barrier blocks nearly all physical attacks.
Only martial qi and magic can break through it,” Vales explained quickly.
According to the Adventurer’s Association’s assessment, the Graywood Forest was not considered highly dangerous.
The outer regions only harbored wild beasts, with demonic beasts typically found in the central areas.
Moreover, there had never been any previous reports of mist demons in the area.
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