Crossing the wilderness to survive, starting with a broken kitchen knife.

"This watch was passed down from my ancestors. My ancestors, like you, were also teleported here from other worlds. As for Old Duan, he was once the city lord's weapon, so I naturally know him."

The old woman's words contained so much information that Zhang Shi and his companions were completely confused. It was not until the old woman explained it in detail that Zhang Shi finally understood the general idea.

It turns out that hundreds of years ago, a group of survivors from another world appeared in this wilderness world. The elites among that group united and established a city-state on this land. This is the origin of the City of Mist.

With the emergence of the City of Fog, more and more survivors were attracted to the area, and the land became more and more prosperous. The survivors thrived in this city-state and established civilization and order.

However, the good times didn't last. As the Fog City grew, the will of the Wild World took notice and began to use force to limit the survivors' further growth. A phenomenon unexplained by science began to spread within the city—invisible monsters appeared silently. These intangible creatures possessed a power that influenced reality, creating fear and chaos. Overnight, every building, including the entire city, came to life and began devouring the survivors. These monsters became the greatest threat to the Fog City. Despite the survivors' valiant efforts, they were unable to completely eradicate them.

Eventually, most of the survivors left the City of Mist, and the once prosperous city-state fell apart in a matter of days. The old woman's ancestors were among the few remaining survivors, constantly battling invisible entities in the city until her generation saw their legacy shattered.

"People in the city left or died, and I am the only one who survived until today thanks to that beam of light. I never thought I would see outsiders again before I died. I entrust the history of the City of Mist to you. I can die with peace of mind."

Ge Dalong digested the old woman's information and then asked in confusion.

"Have you ever seen other survivors who don't belong to the Fog City?"

The old woman nodded, recalled for a while, and then answered.

"That was when I was very young, my parents were still alive, and a few outsiders like you broke into the City of Mist. They must have just arrived in the Wild World and seemed to have come here in search of some artifact. One of them was wearing an Old Duan."

Zhang Shi looked at the old woman in confusion and surprise. The old woman looked at the old Duan in Zhang Shi's hand with sadness in her eyes.

"My ancestors deduced that survivors are like leeks, harvested over and over by the wilderness. Whenever civilization develops to a certain level, the will of the wilderness will intervene and completely destroy all traces of its existence until the next wave of survivors appears."

"Old Duan, however, seems to be an exception. I don't know how he was able to survive the clutches of the will of the wilderness world. He was originally the weapon of the first city lord, and was taken away by the city lord hundreds of years ago. There are even records of him in the city. By the time I saw Old Duan a few decades ago, he had already changed his owner."

"My father speculates that Old Duan possesses self-awareness, capable of selecting the strongest survivors of each generation to serve as his master. Young man, you bear a heavy burden."

Zhang Shi listened to the old woman's story, a complex mix of emotions welling up within him. He looked down at the Old Duan in his hand. This seemingly ordinary kitchen knife, surprisingly, carried such a weight of history and mission. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner turmoil. However, for him to defy the will of the wilderness at this moment was still somewhat unrealistic. Zhang Shi still needed a long period of development. Their short-term goal remained to explore the Fog City and unlock the teleportation point after slaying a certain number of monsters.

Zhao Feng noticed that the old woman had fallen silent and hurriedly asked.

"Grandma, what happened to those survivors who left? Were they all wiped out by the will of the wilderness world? After so many years and so many generations, don't they have any descendants out there?"

The old woman slowly stood up.

"Survivors absolutely cannot escape the purge of the wilderness world's will, but there should be many successors like me who are still struggling. We have inherited the watches of our predecessors. Although most of the functions are unusable, the accumulated resources inside are enough for us to survive for a long time and continue civilization."

Zhao Feng's eyes lit up. Their original intention of coming to this dungeon was to interact with the natives. If they could get more information about the natives, this trip would not be in vain.

The old woman took out a transparent crystal ball and waved it around Zhang Shi and the others. After a moment, the crystal ball turned from transparent to red, emitting a faint glow. The old woman was a little surprised and turned to look at Zhang Shi and the others.

"Well, my crystal ball is reacting, indicating that you have had close contact with the successor."

Zhang Shi's brain was about to explode. For a moment, he couldn't remember when he had come into contact with the descendants of the previous generation of survivors. He simply stopped thinking about it and focused on the matter at hand.

"Grandma, you just said there are records about Old Duan in the city. Can you take me to see them?"

As a mythical weapon, Lao Duan has a mysterious origin. Zhang Shi has possessed Lao Duan for some time, but still has not been able to figure out its specific attributes. This time, he met the old woman, a living fossil. If he cannot uncover the mystery of Lao Duan, Zhang Shi will definitely regret it for the rest of his life.

The old woman put away the crystal ball, then swung her sleeves. A black shadow emerged from the cuffs and slowly condensed into a human shape.

"Follow him, but be careful on the road. There are many monsters of all kinds in the city, so avoid them if you can."

Zhang Shi nodded. They had already encountered some half-orc monsters on their way here. Zhang Shi suspected they might have stumbled into the Fog City from the secret realm. Dealing with them wouldn't be difficult; if they encountered them, they could simply kill them, which would even help them progress on their quests. As for the invisible beings, they could only be avoided if possible. These invisible creatures were more difficult to deal with due to their invisible form. Zhang Shi didn't want to engage them head-on unless absolutely necessary. If he disturbed the living city, it would inevitably lead to further trouble.

Zhang Shi and others followed the human-shaped black shadow and embarked on a journey to the depths of the foggy city to explore the secret of Lao Duan.

Along the way, they carefully passed through the abandoned streets. With the guidance of the old woman, Zhang Shi and his companions did not encounter any danger and had more energy to observe the scenery inside the city.

Those once bustling buildings now stood in desolation, eroded beyond recognition by time. Occasionally, monsters could be seen stalking the streets. Zhang Shi held Old Duan tightly, a wary heart. While he wasn't afraid of these monsters, the old woman's words reminded him that this city was far more complex and dangerous than they had imagined. He must remain vigilant to avoid unnecessary trouble.

As they walked, the shadowy figure suddenly stopped and pointed toward a dilapidated library ahead. The door to the library was half-closed, as if awaiting their arrival. Zhang Shi and the others exchanged glances, their hearts filled with confusion and anticipation. They knew this library might hold a secret about Old Duan.