NOVPUBChapter 61: Chapter 60: Heading to the Mist Area
Chapter 61 -60: Heading to the Mist Area
“I’m in too!” Judy quickly chimed in.
Chaoyang sized up the two of them for a long while before he couldn’t help but smile wryly, “But remember, this is your own choice.”
“Yes!” Their eyes lit up.
“This time we’re planning to rob a train.”
“So, it’s a train robbery—huh!?” Judy was taken aback.
“The plight of Yeni Temple lies in money, and robbing the wealthy is the quickest method. Of course, we’re not planning on taking on a tough target like a bank. The transport train of Gaotian Mining Company is currently our best option, especially since the temple’s current situation isn’t unrelated to them,” Chaoyang briefly recounted the results of last night’s discussion to them, “Considering that mining companies generally have their own armed suppression troops, this mission will definitely involve some risks. If you don’t want to get involved, it’s not too late to back out now.”
“I’m not dropping out!” Judy said without hesitation, “The northern police station must have been instructed by them, we haven’t even settled the score with them yet!”
“I feel the same,” Dane nodded, “But… are you sure you want to make a move between the smelting plant and the mining field? That area is the Misty Zone.”
“The Misty Zone?” Chaoyang raised an eyebrow.
“I’m sure you’ve noticed the relentless fog in the distance from the city, haven’t you?”
He nodded. Having been in Magnificent Castle for so long and having pretty much visited every corner, he indeed always saw a mass of fog in the northeastern part. At first, he thought it was a low-hanging cloud layer, a phenomenon unique to the seaside, but no matter the weather, it seemed to have never moved.
“That’s the fog closest to the city, so you can see it. But in fact, such mists are spread all over the New Continent. As soon as you move a little further away from the city, you’ll find yourself enveloped in thick fog, making it difficult to move even an inch.”
“Shouldn’t fog be considered a weather condition?” Chaoyang didn’t understand. The ‘History of Radiance Fort’ book apparently hadn’t mentioned anything about this.
“How about Lord Chao experience it for himself!” Judy suggested, “After all, there are sightseeing cars available!”
“That would be good, what do you wish?” Dane asked.
“Since that’s the case, please lead the way.”
…
Half an hour later, Chaoyang discovered Judy wasn’t joking—there really were sightseeing cars available on the north side of the city! Not only that, but there were also quite a few tourists who came here!
And the merchants running the business were quite dedicated. For example, the carriage used for carrying passengers was pulled by four horses. The carriage itself was very spacious, able to accommodate about twelve people. To ensure a clear view, the carriage had only a roof with no enclosures on all sides, allowing one to take in the surrounding scenery at a glance. 𝓃𝓸𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
“I didn’t expect… Magnificent Castle to be a tourist city,” he remarked after buying a ticket and boarding the carriage.
“Of course not,” Dane chuckled, “Only the wealthy from the Old Continent would consider closely observing the mist a leisure activity. After all, they live far from wild lands, accustomed to the comfort and affluence of big cities, and have long forgotten the taste of danger.”
Chaoyang looked at the other passengers in the carriage and realized Dane was absolutely right.
They clearly weren’t residents of Magnificent Castle, as each of them was quite sharply dressed. The men were all in patterned shirts or sheepskin vests, with shoes shiny and polished. The ladies mostly wore long dresses and cloaks, with sun hats on their heads, and their necks and ears adorned with glittering jewelry.
Then looking at the coachman driving the horses, along with the workers washing the carriages and feeding the horses… It almost seemed like they came from different worlds.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. We are about to depart!” With the tour guide’s whistle, the carriage slowly started moving, heading north along the cement floor below.
Magnificent Castle had no city walls in this direction; the houses around quickly became sparse and low, replaced by fields. Not far from the cement road, Chaoyang could see four parallel train tracks spreading across the land, connecting with the factory area to the east.
“Where does this road lead?” he asked Dane, curious.
“Nowhere in particular, it was built specifically for tourists who come to view the mist; it ends at a small hill.” the latter answered, “Transportation here relies entirely on trains, and of course… most people wouldn’t want to leave anyway.”
“Magnificent Castle isn’t the only city in the New World, is it?”
“Of course not, it’s a beachhead fortress. There are five other fortresses like this on the New World, all by the sea. Further inland are the outpost cities. The closest to us is called Durey Ring.”
“Look, look!”
“My God, what is that?”
“It’s almost like a wall!”
The exchanges among the passengers on the cart suddenly became excited.
Chaoyang noticed that the previously misty countryside had suddenly revealed a huge wall of fog! It seemed to climb from the ground all the way to the sky, so majestic that it was somewhat suffocating. He could clearly see many details on the wall of fog, such as its layered gaseous surface, which looked like a multilayer cake; each layer was at least as tall as three or four-story buildings.
Such a tangible wall of mist should be clearly visible from the city as well; why was it only now that he could glimpse its entirety?
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the most peculiar part of the mist! It appears suddenly and disappears just as suddenly!” the guide shouted, “From a distance, it’s just a hazy mist, but as you cross the boundary, it will instantly transform into a mountain ridge!”
As the carriage continued its rush forward, the second and third walls of mist appeared one after the other—or rather, they had always been there, only now becoming abrupt visible due to the change in perspective.
Chaoyang felt a strong sense of oppression.
The hazy field before his eyes was gone, replaced by walls of fog in all directions, connected to each other, forming a staggered zigzag line.
“What would happen if we charged into the mist?” asked a passenger.
“You would lose your way forever, never to find the road home!” the guide said with an intentionally thrilling tone, “And that’s not the worst of it; the fog hides ferocious beasts, monsters that defy common sense… and the evil followers of the Hidden Mist Sect. If you encounter them, the outcome would be worse than death!”
Fear spread across the faces of the tourists.
“Is that true?” Chaoyang asked Dane quietly.
“Half true, half false. The fog mainly obstructs the view, and if you don’t go too far inside and keep walking in one fixed direction, you can still get out. Additionally, in the fog, all navigational tools will fail, and once you lose your way, there’s basically no chance of correction.”
“So, how do people travel deeper inland?”
“I know this, by spirit lamps.” Judy interjected, “Though they are called lamps, they actually use a special kind of coral stone found only in the sea.”
“Coral?” Chaoyang couldn’t comprehend why coral could be used as a fog lamp.
“I heard it from others too. Rumor has it that this coral stone can disperse the mist and emits a faint blue light in the mist, hence, it’s also called the Moonlight Stone. It’s also a major selling point for tourist merchants.” Judy was clearly quite familiar with the sightseeing route, “In a while, you’ll see this stone, and you can even buy a piece as a souvenir!”
