The vitality of the magical creatures was extraordinarily resilient.
Even if players managed to shatter their limbs, these creatures would continue to cling to life, quickly recovering in the thick mist, much like an indestructible cockroach—and one that could revive on the spot, no less.
“This is just impossible to play,” complained Chai Yingying. “We can’t possibly use an exorcism talisman on every single one of them. Even if we had a mountain of talismans, it wouldn’t be enough!”
Clearly, exorcism talismans were currently the most effective tool for killing the magical creatures.
As long as the mist lingered, the creatures could endlessly regenerate within it. Players couldn’t afford to throw talismans at every enemy they encountered. There simply weren’t enough to go around. Moreover, talismans were critical resources that needed to be conserved for crucial moments.
Therefore, when a magical creature was maimed and rendered powerless by Gu Jiu, the group decisively left it behind and moved on.
The expressions on the faces of the four people trailing behind—Huo Ting’s group—were equally grim.
“These creatures are terrifying. No wonder so many adventurers have perished here,” Yang Bing muttered, turning to look at Huo Ting. “Brother Ting, what do you think?”
The other three also looked at Huo Ting with hopeful eyes.
Unlike them, Huo Ting already possessed the strength of an A-rank player. The reason he hadn’t rushed into A-rank arenas yet was twofold. Firstly, he wanted to continue honing his skills in the B-rank arena while exploring more of the game’s world. Secondly, he wanted to train Chen Zhiru, ensuring she could survive and grow stronger in this perilous game world.
Huo Ting had never concealed his intentions toward Chen Zhiru.
It wasn’t because of any romantic feelings; rather, they came from the same real-world dimension. Huo Ting hoped Chen Zhiru would become strong enough to protect their shared homeland.
Yes, his reasoning was simple yet noble.
As someone raised in the prestigious compounds of Beijing, Huo Ting held his nation and birthplace in the highest regard. Thus, even though he knew Gu Jiu and Chen Zhiru didn’t get along, he was committed to helping Chen Zhiru grow. To him, they were the only two players from their reality, and they needed to stick together.
Yang Bing and the other two, however, were not from the same dimension as Huo Ting and Chen Zhiru.
They had been rescued by Huo Ting in the game world and were deeply grateful for his act of heroism. Coupled with the strength Huo Ting had demonstrated, they chose to join his team and follow his plans without question.
Huo Ting watched Gu Jiu’s figure vanish into the mist ahead and said, “The magical creatures are tied to the mist. Our current priority is to figure out the cause of this mist. Once the mist is gone, these creatures won’t be a threat. Of course, our immediate task is to find the cursed witch, Ella.”
Their mission was to locate the witch Ella, who was central to the disaster in Ella Town.
The players needed to uncover Ella’s true role in the calamity. Was she an apocalyptic bringer of destruction or a savior of hope? The truth was something they had to unravel themselves.
“For now, let’s gather some Mistgrass. We can use it to barter with the townsfolk for information about Ella.”
After hearing his plan, Chen Zhiru and the other two had no objections.
Chen Zhiru glanced at him and suddenly asked, “Do you think Gu Jiu and her group went to the eastern forest to gather Mistgrass and question the townsfolk about Ella as well?”
Huo Ting let out a soft “hmm,” a faint smile appearing on his face. “She’s always been clever.”
It was a statement of approval for Gu Jiu, but it left Chen Zhiru feeling as sour as if she had swallowed a lemon.
The visibility in the dense mist was limited to just 100 meters. Beyond that, the surroundings became completely obscured, and players could only rely on sounds to discern what was happening around them.
Gu Jiu’s group quickened their pace.
Walking through the dense mist posed another inconvenience: it was incredibly easy to lose one’s way.
When players entered the game world, they were directly dropped into the mist-covered town of Ella. Without walking through the entire town to familiarize themselves with its layout, it was nearly impossible to discern its directions. Even with guidance from other adventurers, the moment one entered the mist, losing their way became almost inevitable.
Huo Ting’s group was no exception.
“Brother Ting, are we really going to follow them? What if they get lost?” Chen Zhiru asked worriedly, though deep down, she secretly hoped Gu Jiu’s group would get lost—or better yet, be killed by magical creatures in the game world.
Huo Ting kept his gaze fixed forward and replied, “Let’s observe for now.”
Ultimately, he still wanted to follow Gu Jiu.
Chen Zhiru’s heart churned with sour jealousy, but she didn’t dare say anything.
A year ago, she and Huo Ting were the only players from their world. Even if Huo Ting didn’t like her, he had no choice but to protect her for the sake of their shared reality. But now, knowing there was a third player—Gu Jiu, no less—she no longer felt confident about her position in Huo Ting’s mind. This made her much more cautious in her actions.
As for Gu Jiu’s group, they didn’t get lost.
The day before, Lu Ji had traveled from the town’s outskirts and had memorized much of the town’s layout. With him leading the way, getting lost was simply not an option.
Chai Yingying laughed. “Turns out it wasn’t so bad that you arrived late yesterday, Lu Ji. Thank you for guiding us, Master Lu.”
Even Jiang Ze glanced at Lu Ji. This girl had managed to find the witch’s tavern on her own, traveling safely from the town’s edge. Her strength was undeniable—no wonder other players in the Game Hunters organization referred to her as a silent powerhouse.
The four of them moved quickly toward the eastern side of the town.
On the way, they encountered two magical creatures—one charged at Gu Jiu’s group, while the other veered toward Huo Ting’s group behind them.
Having worked together briefly earlier, Gu Jiu’s group quickly dispatched their target. Afterward, Gu Jiu walked about ten paces back, stopping just 100 meters away to observe Huo Ting’s group dealing with their creature.
After all, they were childhood family friends to some extent. Gu Jiu was curious about Huo Ting’s abilities.
In Huo Ting’s group, he clearly served as the main attacker while the others provided support.
Chen Zhiru and the other two used various weapons to hinder the creature’s movements, while Huo Ting wielded a pair of lightweight modified battle axes. The curved blades left shallow wounds on the creature’s body.
However, as the axes repeatedly struck the same spot, even the creature’s tough body began to crack. It roared in pain, its movements growing more frenzied and furious. Its black, jointed limbs flailed wildly, shattering the stone-paved ground and collapsing nearby house walls, sending debris flying.
Suddenly, the roaring creature froze and slowly collapsed to the ground.
Its body twitched and let out a low growl. While it wasn’t dead, it was clear it had lost its ability to attack.
Without sparing it a glance, Huo Ting fixed his gaze on Gu Jiu standing ahead. With a few strides, he approached her, a faint smile gracing his handsome face. “Gu Jiu, were you waiting for us?”
Gu Jiu replied, “What did you just do to that creature?”
The creature had been wounded by the axes, but it was only after Huo Ting pressed his hand against its injury that it collapsed. Clearly, whatever he did in that moment had delivered the decisive blow.
As expected, anyone who could reach the level of a B-rank player had hidden tricks up their sleeve.
Huo Ting hadn’t yet answered when Chen Zhiru interjected hastily, “That’s Brother Ting’s secret. Why should he tell you?”
Gu Jiu nodded calmly. “You’re right. We’ll be on our way, then.”
She waved lightly at Huo Ting, then pulled the silent Lu Ji along and left.
Chai Yingying glanced curiously at Huo Ting before quickly catching up to Gu Jiu and the others. The four of them disappeared into the mist.
Seeing Gu Jiu leave so sensibly, Chen Zhiru felt a small sense of triumph. However, when she noticed Huo Ting’s gaze fixed on her, she froze. Her scalp prickled, and she dared not meet his eyes.
“Brother Ting…”
Huo Ting secured the battle axes behind his waist and said coldly, “Don’t let it happen again.”
Chen Zhiru bit her lip and responded softly, “Understood.”
—
“That girl is interesting,” Chai Yingying mused as they walked. “She doesn’t look dumb, but she seems to enjoy doing stupid things. Love really does make people blind, doesn’t it, Miss Gu?”
Gu Jiu glanced at her. “Are you thinking about love? Too bad you don’t have a partner.”
Chai Yingying: “…Do you have to crush my spirit?”
“No, but it makes me happy.”
“…Alright then.” Chai Yingying sighed, deciding not to argue. After all, Gu Jiu was the boss here.
Changing the topic, she asked, “What exactly did that mixed-race hottie use to injure the magical creature and render it powerless?”
“I think it’s a special innate skill,” Jiang Ze speculated. “Probably one that works on non-human entities. Magical creatures likely qualify as such.”
Chai Yingying thought about it and found the explanation plausible.
“Another lucky one born with an awakened innate ability,” she sighed. “Gu Jiu, is the world you’re from especially blessed? How is it that so many players from your world have unique innate abilities?”
“I wouldn’t know. Maybe we’re just exceptional.” She paused for a beat, then added, “Except for Chen Zhiru.”
Chai Yingying couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Gu Jiu’s bluntness was as amusing as it was bold—her disdain for someone was always clear and direct.
After trekking for nearly half an hour, the group finally reached the small forest on the eastern side of the town.
The moment they arrived, they noticed there were no magical creatures in the area. This confirmed that magical creatures truly detested the scent of Mistgrass.
Mistgrass grew along the edges of the small forest. In the misty light, the plants shimmered like emeralds, their glow forming a soft, ethereal halo. The sight was particularly striking.
Gu Jiu, Chai Yingying, and Jiang Ze held their breath and stared at the plants for a long moment before exhaling softly.
“Mistgrass is even more beautiful than I imagined,” Gu Jiu said quietly.
Chai Yingying and Jiang Ze nodded in agreement. As B-rank players, they had seen many breathtaking sights in the Boundless City. However, natural wonders within the game world were rare, and the Mistgrass felt like a masterpiece of nature, leaving them awestruck.
Only Lu Ji remained unmoved, finding nothing particularly remarkable about it.
Still, he didn’t want to dampen his girlfriend’s enthusiasm, so he stayed silent.
After their moment of wonder, the four began collecting Mistgrass.
As they gathered the glowing plants, Huo Ting’s group arrived as well.
Like the others, they were stunned by the breathtaking scene before them—a vivid expanse of emerald green within the misty 100-meter radius, radiating vitality and beauty.
They, too, began collecting Mistgrass.
“I didn’t expect them to actually find the right direction,” Yang Bing murmured. “Could it be that they had already figured out the town’s layout beforehand?”
His suspicion wasn’t unfounded. Gu Jiu’s group had moved straight toward this location without pausing, suggesting they had an accurate sense of direction before setting out.
It was clear that Huo Ting’s group had benefited from following the four of them, allowing them to arrive at the Mistgrass grove without incident.
Chen Zhiru also realized this but was unwilling to acknowledge it. She stayed silent, refusing to join the conversation.
Gu Jiu collected twenty stalks of Mistgrass and stashed them into her personal inventory. This ensured that the scent wouldn’t leak out and attract magical creatures.
The other players followed suit, carefully storing their Mistgrass to avoid unnecessary trouble.
After gathering as much as they needed, they left the small forest.
On the way back, instead of retracing their steps, they decided to explore the mist-shrouded town further.
As they turned down a main street, the sound of a magical creature’s roar and the clash of weapons suddenly echoed through the dense fog.
Without hesitation, the group sprinted toward the source of the commotion.