Chapter 22: Fog (Part II)

In the next second, Li Xiao, who had been standing in a bizarre posture, suddenly exploded into a mist of blood that dissolved into the air. The atmosphere was now thick with the scent of his carnage.

"Everyone, don't fall asleep, otherwise..." She seemed to recall something horrific, her body trembling uncontrollably as she stared at the spot where Li Xiao had just detonated.

"I was right behind him... I, ugh—" She clutched her stomach, dry-heaving before continuing, "Li Xiao said he was too exhausted to go on. Who knew that as he walked, he would suddenly collapse to the ground?"

"I thought he had just fallen asleep, but then he suddenly crawled up and twisted into that grotesque position."

Lin Youwei, who had been struggling to stay awake, snapped to attention at these words. She couldn't help but retch; the bloody stench of the man still permeated the air.

"Senior, are you alright?" Yu Yue, bearing the pressure of the mist, gripped Lin Youwei’s hand.

The surrounding fog felt like a closing circle, leaving them with visibility limited only to one another. Everything beyond was shrouded in layers of vapor; it was entirely possible for a hand to reach out from that haze and drag them into the void at any moment.

This circle of mist functioned like a cage, and they were the trapped beasts unable to escape.

Although Lin Youwei’s eyelids were heavy, she dug her nails fiercely into her thighs, hoping the pain would keep her alert. Yet, despite bruising her legs, the exhaustion remained.

"It’s no use... I’m so sleepy..." Her voice was airy, as if she were floating among clouds.

The fog seemed infused with some special substance; it acted as a potent sedative for ordinary people, though it had no effect on those with supernatural abilities.

Zhang Min’s expression was grave. She pulled on the sleeve of Pei Siying, who was trudging ahead. Pei Siying turned back with a look of surprise.

"Should we keep going or—" Zhang Min began.

Pei Siying’s eyes were cold, and she curled her lips into a mocking smile. "Zhang Min, they’re just ordinary people. Don't tell me you're planning to play the saint."

Li Luyan had seen it.

Just as everyone else was thrown into a panic by the spray of Li Xiao’s blood, Li Luyan had witnessed the truth.

That hand.

A gray, withered hand, like one that had crawled out of a pile of corpses. It wasn't a woman's hand, nor a man's; it was sallow and ashen, covered in sharp, pointed nails like the talons of a chicken.

The hand had crept silently through the mist and lightly tapped Li Xiao as he lay sleeping.

Instantly, Li Xiao’s joints had been jerked about by invisible strings, twisting into contortions until—

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, Li Xiao had scattered like fireworks, his remains dispersed throughout the fog.

Li Luyan did not warn them. There was no point. And even if she had, what could it change? It couldn't alter the fact that they were born as ordinary people. Those people would only scream in panic or act even more foolishly out of terror, which would only drag the team down.

She had discovered the 'thing's' rule for killing: it lurked in the mist to prey on those who fell asleep, and the mist itself was designed to induce sleep in commoners. Perhaps this was a constraint on those monsters, or perhaps it was merely a cruel game for them.

In any case, she would not be the first to die. After all... human life was insignificant, and her own ability allowed her to hide in a pocket dimension for at least thirty minutes. The monster’s level appeared high; her psychic scan had detected nothing in the vicinity.

All she could do now was—

"Everyone, stop falling asleep! Fight off the drowsiness!" she cleared her throat and shouted. The heavy mist acted like frosted glass; she had to be loud enough to ensure everyone heard.

She squeezed further into the center of the group. When the ordinary people were gone, who would be next? Naturally, the ability users. She had to ensure she was the last one standing.

Hearing her, Lin Youwei’s eyes cleared slightly. She drew a fruit knife from Yu Yue’s waistband and stabbed it deep into her own thigh.

Blood instantly bloomed across her white wide-leg trousers, a brilliant red that turned into a soft pink at the edges, resembling a mandora flower blooming in hell. It was eerie, beautiful, and fraught with danger.

The sharp blade piercing her flesh brought a jolt of agony that stripped away the fog clouding her brain. She bit her lip hard to stifle a cry, but the instinct was too strong. She let out a whimper. Yu Yue’s pupils dilated, and she immediately stopped to steady Lin Youwei. "Senior, are you okay?"

Beads of sweat rolled down Lin Youwei’s forehead. Her face was pale, twisted in pain, but her eyes were sharp. "It hurts... damn it, it hurts."

"Damn, Senior, you're a hero. If it were me, I wouldn't have the guts to stab myself."

Lin Youwei glanced at her. "Shut up... if—" The pain in her thigh kept her conscious but made it impossible to stand straight; she stumbled, nearly falling.

Yu Yue caught her, naturally draping Lin Youwei’s arm over her shoulder. "Come, come, let me be your crutch."

Li Luyan moved silently toward the center, her back nearly touching Yu Yue and Lin Youwei. She leaned close to Yu Yue’s ear, ensuring only she could hear. "Don't waste your energy saving her... this mist has no physical form..."

Her voice was like a devil’s whisper. "Or perhaps this *is* its form, and we are inside its belly..."

"I will lead you out... but ordinary people simply cannot survive this." She cast a meaningful look at Lin Youwei.

Yu Yue stiffened, turning to look at Li Luyan in disbelief. "Yan... Sister Yan, you—"

A commotion broke out ahead. Zhang Min said, her face grim, "This fog will not dissipate."

"We cannot keep wasting time. Even if the ability users don't get tired, by the flow of time, it should have been dawn by now." She glanced at the sky; it remained a dull, gray tone, as if its color had been stolen.

Perhaps walking would not clear the mist. Perhaps something else was required.

Pei Siying raised an eyebrow. "I have a plan."

Zhang Min looked at her sharply. Pei Siying wore a cruel smile, her tone light. "Since those who sleep will die, why not... let 'it' eat its fill? Maybe it will let us go."

"Besides, some of these people are just dead weight. Keeping them around wastes our food, so it's better to—"

"You want to use them as 'bait'?" Zhang Min narrowed her eyes. She did not explicitly agree, but her gaze said everything. Sacrifice the useless to buy peace for the rest.

Not far away, Li Luyan narrowed her eyes. "Bait? Interesting..."

A spatial ability user had a unique sensitivity to space. Within this mist-composed dimension, she had clearly overheard the entire conversation between Zhang Min and Pei Siying.

It seems... these reincarnators intend to use ordinary people as stepping stones. How very interesting indeed.