The trees within the black mist were twisted beyond recognition, bent to the extreme, as if bearing human faces that howled and wept. The plants were mainly in shades of black and gray, and all the fruits they bore were blood-red, exuding a putrid stench. Everything was so grotesque it was unbearable to look at.
The monsters here had oozing sores on their skin and irregular lumps bulging all over their bodies. The longer they survived in this place, the more these lumps would multiply, growing stronger and even covering their entire bodies. Not only did their size increase significantly, but these lumps also became their most powerful armor and served as biochemical weapons during attacks.
Most of these creatures retained their former living forms—or rather, it wouldn’t be accurate to say that—they had been reborn.
They transformed into entirely new species, becoming part of the black mist itself, integrated into the black mist ecosystem.
At this moment, Sigg felt more like an invading species, recklessly destroying the environment here and slaughtering the fleeing monsters.
He was accompanied only by Emilia, the two of them holding hands tightly to avoid separation. They hadn’t brought torches, relying solely on their vision and strength to move forward. As for the others, they were left to rest on the spot, ordered not to move or leave the perimeter.
Sigg set up a barrier and allowed the militia to acclimate to the environment, to feel fear, to adapt to fear, and finally to conquer it. Otherwise, they would end up clueless, not even knowing how they died.
This was the main reason the two of them operated alone—to personally deal with these major problems. Time was not on their side, and those creatures were too much of a hindrance. Fewer people made movement easier, and there was no need to watch everyone’s backs.
Recalling the militia’s earlier performance, Sigg was deeply displeased. It was terrible, their fear, cowardice, and incompetence all written plainly on their faces and actions. They couldn’t even hold their weapons steady. A bunch of useless sacks of flesh, running away the moment they faced a tough fight. Damn it… I almost believed in them earlier.
Turns out, it was all just a façade. But he could understand—it was their first mission, and they had encountered such a high-level place right away. He sighed silently.
Full of helplessness.
As for Lief, there was no need to worry. She valued her life greatly and would never recklessly throw it away for friendship, loyalty, or some vow.
Even if she went mad and truly acted recklessly, the moment before she made a move, her head would be blown to bits. Why? Let’s just say it involved some black technology.
“This place really is…”
As Emilia’s vision gradually adjusted to the environment and lighting here, the wind within the black mist cut across her pale skin like a blade. She felt only pain, no wounds, but her body rejected this place intensely, triggering an instinctive desire to leave.
Frowning, she couldn’t help but comment softly with her rosy lips.
“Disgusting. What kind of place is this?”
She stopped and bent down, mumbling to herself as she looked at a monster corpse just within reach—ripped apart into pieces by the power of Aminos.
Reaching out her delicate hand, she intended to touch it and see if she could analyze the situation using the Saintess’s abilities.
“Are these the monsters from the black mist? They look so strange. Although I’ve seen similar creatures around the Demon King’s Castle, none were this extreme. This is completely different from the descriptions in the books. Doesn’t this mean the black mist actually promotes the growth of monsters?”
Just as she extended her hand, Sigg snapped sharply beside her, grabbing her arm.
Inwardly, he cursed, Are you a child? You touch everything without fear of death, damn it.
If you want to die, at least don’t do it in front of me.
After finishing his rant, he slowly began to speak.
“Don’t touch. Monsters in the black mist haven’t been dealt with. Direct contact will infect you. I don’t want to waste time and effort treating you—that’d be a hassle. Let’s go.”
After a pause, his tone softened, perhaps because this had contributed a lot to the development around the Demon King’s Castle.
“After we get out, I’ll bring back a few monsters for you. Of course, they’ll be dealt with properly, clean as a whistle, no issues at all. If you catch anything, I’d feel terrible sleeping next to you.”
He continued naturally, taking on the role of a guide, sharing everything he knew about the black mist to prevent her from falling into traps.
“Don’t stay in the black mist for long, or you’ll be assimilated, unless you have special protective charms. The one I just cast on you lets you gradually adapt here, but it’s temporary. Our demonkind are special.”
“We can stay longer than other creatures. Even if infected, we don’t lose ourselves. Meanwhile, the creatures in the black mist instinctively fear our existence…”
Soon, she interrupted his explanation with a question.
“Creatures? Are there others besides monsters here? Not just the ones you mentioned before—the insectoid tribes?”
“Something like that, but there are more. It’s pointless to explain, and I can’t describe it well anyway. I want you to see for yourself. Let’s go. I need to deal with the water source issue first, then find some local food.”
If it weren’t for the threat of Gerard, Sigg wouldn’t bother getting involved at all. He might even give up entirely, but he had no choice. Born to endure like an ox and horse, without trustworthy people around, he had to go himself.
He definitely wouldn’t let Emilia face these thorny problems alone—it’d be like throwing meat to a dog, one way trip with no return.
Besides, she was very important to him, and he wasn’t willing to lose her in any sense.
Time was tight, and the task heavy. If he delayed any longer, he’d lose his temper.
Naturally, there was no time to dawdle. Was he supposed to wait for the militia to grow up, stop being afraid, and stop dropping the ball before solving the water source problem? Only hoping next time he wouldn’t have to come again… just hoping.
After all, oxen moo, horses neigh, and the ox knows when the horse calls.
The girl had no objections. She nodded, curiosity piqued, and followed Sigg’s steps skillfully to the distant water source.
The once clear spring was blocked by a disgusting web composed of fleshy balls clustered here. The water flowing out had turned into a viscous black liquid.
Within those fleshy spheres seemed to be something growing, trembling as if alive, emitting piercing screams of joy, sharp enough to wake the giant insectoid beasts guarding this place, their fangs and jaws ready.
Before she could even see clearly what was happening, an accident occurred. Why didn’t she panic? Because Emilia trusted the man beside her deeply, believing in him more than anything else. This was not just love—it was a desire to become one.
Her delicate hand pressed over her chest as her heart pounded wildly. She was starting to lose control again.
As for the accident, the reason was obvious—it was Lord Sigg who acted.
Before she could react, without making any movement himself, with just a glance, everything around was wiped out, sliced flat by countless slashes.
He was in his weakest state now. One could only imagine how strong he was at his peak—an embodiment of both mechanism and raw numbers, a perfect blend of skill and power.
Glancing back at Emilia, he spoke as if it were a trivial matter, his tone calm as still water.
“Problem solved. Next, let’s look for food. We still have two hours. I hope you won’t disappoint me.”
In the end, her efforts paid off, and she indeed found quite a lot.