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

The next morning, Zhang Shi led everyone to the stone tablet teleportation point as if nothing had happened. Chen Beipan's sudden disappearance made them lose the clues about the so-called natives. Fortunately, there were still many mysteries in the foggy city waiting for them to uncover one by one. Zhang Shi didn't care much about Chen Beipan's life or death.

As usual, Wu Qing carefully lit the incense to provide attribute enhancements for the team. There was nothing unusual on the outside. If Zhang Shi had not seen the appearance of the evil spirit in the mirror, he would never have connected the two.

After Wu Qing lit the incense, she naturally followed Zhang Shi. Zhang Shi remembered the hideous face in the mirror and silently moved forward a few steps.

Wu Qing hurriedly followed, her tone slightly dissatisfied.

"What do you mean? Why do I feel like you've been using the cold shoulder against me?"

Zhang Shi adjusted his state, took off his armor and smiled.

"How could that be? We're about to set off. I want to check out the situation at the teleportation point."

After saying that, Zhang Shi turned around and placed his hand on the stone tablet. Sure enough, a new node appeared on it, which was the City of Fog.

A group of five people appeared at the city gate, surrounded by a familiar darkness, and silence was the main theme here. The mission system has also been updated.

[Phase 2 Objective: Kill the Earth Beast (Not Achieved) to unlock the free teleportation function within the Fog City]

Zhao Feng walked in front, leading the way, observing his surroundings and muttering to himself.

"This shabby place is so dark, it's strange if you don't develop mental illness after staying here for so long. I really admire that grandmother. She's lived alone in this ghost town for so long. Don't you think she's ever thought about leaving?"

"Silence!"

Zhang Shi gestured to everyone, then signaled them to retreat to the alleys on either side of the street. Directly in front of him, the ground on the street was wriggling, apparently caused by the mysterious earth beast.

Zhao Feng drew his battle axe and took a step back.

"What's going on? Is this thing open for dinner again?"

The church was not far from them, so to be on the safe side, Zhang Shi decided to take a detour to avoid the beasts.

They followed the winding, narrow alley, silently bypassing the feeding beast. The alley was filled with a damp and moldy smell, and in the dim light, there was no light at all.

Zhang Shi walked in front, always alert to the movements around him, while thinking about how to ask the old woman about Wu Qing.

After bypassing the earth beast, the ground returned to normal, and everything returned to calm. Everyone arrived at the edge of a relatively open square. In the center stood an ancient fountain. Although it had long since dried up, the exquisite sculptures still revealed its former glory. Zhang Shi signaled for everyone to rest here for a while and recuperate.

Zhang Shi looked up at the sky and found that the thick fog accumulated above the Fog City seemed to be even thicker. Originally, there were a few beams of light shining through the mist, bringing a ray of light to this dim world. Now, when he looked up again, the sky was completely covered by the thick fog and not a trace of light could be seen.

Zhang Shi felt vaguely uneasy. He remembered the old woman saying that she was able to survive in the city until now because of that beam of light.

"I feel something is wrong, take two steps quickly!"

Zhang Shi stood up, took out his old sword, and trotted towards the church. Zhao Feng on the other side was a little surprised.

"What's going on? Didn't you just sit down?"

Ge Dalong also realized that something was wrong, so he pulled Zhao Feng up and followed Zhang Shi's pace.

Zhang Dazhuang followed closely behind. Although he had no idea what was happening, he could sense the urgency emanating from Zhang Shi, which was enough to keep him alert and act quickly. Only Wu Qing remained where she was, gazing at the crowd rushing forward, her thoughts unknown.

……

The moment they stepped into the church, a sense of foreboding gripped everyone's heart. The interior remained dim, but the air was filled with an ominous aura, a stark contrast to the previous tranquility. The footsteps of Zhang Shi and the others echoed in the empty church, sounding particularly harsh.

In the inner room, the old woman's rocking chair was empty. She was not there. Zhang Shi felt a strong sense of unease. He looked around, trying to find the old woman, but there was no one in the church except them.

Suddenly, Ge Dalong's exclamation broke the silence. He pointed to a corner of the church where a dark red mark stood out in the dim light—it was blood.

Zhang Shi's heart sank. He quickly walked over to the bloodstain and squatted down to examine it carefully. The bloodstain had dried, but a strong smell of blood could still be smelled. He looked up at the crowd, his eyes filled with worry: "Maybe something happened."

Wu Qing's face turned pale instantly. She grabbed Zhang Shi's sleeve and said in a trembling voice, "Mother-in-law... could she have already..."

Zhang Shi shook his head, silently put Wu Qing's hand down, and tried to remain calm: "We can't be sure yet, but we must find her as soon as possible."

Zhao Feng clenched his axe, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. "Right, we can't just sit there and wait for death. Grandma might be a little strange, but she's a good person. She must be in danger. We have to save her!"

Zhang Shi nodded, fully aware of the dire situation, and his anxiety grew even greater. He stood up and scanned the interior of the church, trying to find any clues. Suddenly, his eyes fell on the statue in the center of the church. Something seemed amiss with the statue's surface. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that one of its hands was slightly tilted, as if it had been touched.

Zhang Shi's heart stirred. He walked over to the statue and gently pushed the tilted hand. As the statue swayed slightly, a hidden compartment slowly opened, revealing a yellowed piece of paper.

Zhang Shi quickly took out the note and read it carefully in the dim light. Written on it were a few lines of crooked English letters: "Danger is approaching, quickly go to the City Lord's Mansion."

Ge Dalong translated the contents of the note.

Zhang Shi looked at the note and felt a little surprised. He remembered that the old woman had told him not to approach the city center easily, and the City Lord's Mansion was right in the center of the Fog City.

He looked up at everyone, his tone hesitant: "What do you mean, are we going or not?"

Zhao Feng stepped forward without hesitation, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Go! Since Mother-in-law left us a clue, we can't let her down. Besides, the City Lord's Mansion is the center of the Fog City, so perhaps there are even more secrets hidden there. If we want to become stronger, we can't just hide and seek."

Ge Dalong nodded in agreement. "Although the old woman warned us not to approach the City Lord's Mansion, the situation is urgent now and we can't sit idly by. Moreover, as the center of power, the City Lord's Mansion may hold key clues to the secrets of the City of Mist."

Wu Qing also expressed her opinion, indicating that she also agreed to go to the City Lord's Mansion.

Zhang Shi looked at the determined eyes of the crowd and nodded slowly. He took a deep breath.

"Okay, since our new mission is to kill the earth beast, we can explore the center to see if there are any relevant clues. But everyone should be careful, there may be unknown dangers hidden in the City Lord's Mansion."