Chapter 459: The White Fog

After deducing the situation, Helag’s next objective became clear.

He would continue absorbing demonic aura to strengthen himself while searching for any signs of the wizard expedition team.

If he could find traces of the expedition, there might be a way to return to the wizard plane.

With the threat of Medel now eliminated, Helag wasn’t in a rush to leave. This world was a great place for him to grow stronger.

Helag exited the mountains and rejoined the main road, heading east toward Amy City.

The road was empty, with no carriages or travelers in sight, likely due to the rampant demons in the mountains, making travel to Greenfield City temporarily unsafe.

Helag continued along the road, avoiding the use of spatial teleportation to prevent being seen by any hidden onlookers.

***

Three Days Later

After three days of travel, the road began to fill with carriages and travelers—merchants and wanderers from all directions.

“Hey, old man, can I hitch a ride?” Helag jogged up to a merchant caravan and asked.

The caravan had seven carriages loaded with goods and a large number of people.

Helag figured it would be easier to pay for a ride than to continue walking.

The leader of the caravan, a bearded man, looked Helag up and down and said, “Sure, if you don’t mind. There’s some space in the last carriage with the hay for the horses.”

“I don’t mind. How much?” Helag asked.

The man waved his hand. “No need to pay. We’re all just travelers trying to get by.”

He had noticed the mud on Helag’s boots and the dust on his clothes, signs that Helag had been walking for a long time.

If someone was traveling on foot, it usually meant they had no other choice, so the man didn’t bother charging Helag.

“Thanks a lot. I’m Norman, an exorcist,” Helag introduced himself.

“Oh, an exorcist! I’m Garman. It’s an honor to have an exorcist with us,” Garman said with a smile.

Garman hadn’t expected this young man to be an exorcist.

Their caravan already had one exorcist, and the fee for hiring him was steep.

But they had no choice but to hire an exorcist; without one, the journey wouldn’t be safe.

Losing goods was one thing, but losing lives wasn’t worth the risk.

At that moment, a man with a longbow slung over his back approached. He was in his thirties, with a scar on his face. He looked at Helag and said, “An exorcist?”

Helag smiled and nodded without saying much.

“I’m Jim, the caravan’s hired guard. Judging by your aura, you’re still an apprentice exorcist, right? Interested in joining us? We’ve got another seven or eight days to Amy City. You could earn some money along the way,” Jim offered.

Jim had sensed Helag’s demonic aura, but it wasn’t very strong, so he assumed Helag was just an apprentice exorcist.

Unlike Arnt, Jim didn’t have the keen senses to detect Helag’s true strength.

Helag replied, “I’m not very strong yet, so I’d feel bad taking money as a guard.”

Garman laughed. “No worries! It’s good to have company on the road, and we’re not far from Amy City anyway.”

After chatting for a bit, the caravan continued on its way.

Helag climbed into the last carriage, which was filled with hay. It was surprisingly comfortable.

The thick hay cushioned the bumps from the road, making it a better ride than sitting inside the carriage.

Helag lay back in the hay, letting the gentle rocking of the carriage lull him into a meditative state.

Meditation was something he never skipped, as it was a long-term practice that required patience.

***

Five Days Later, at Dusk

The sun was setting as the caravan arrived at a small town and stopped for the night.

The town was called Thousand Lakes Town, named after a large lake nearby.

Located near a major road, the town was a popular stop for merchants and travelers from all over.

Originally just a small settlement, the town had grown over time due to the increasing number of visitors, making it larger than most towns.

The town had everything a traveler might need, from food to supplies.

Helag followed the caravan into an inn, paying for his own room.

The inn was crowded, with most rooms already occupied.

When Helag entered his room, he realized it had been modified.

The room had originally been larger, but the innkeeper had divided it to create more rooms.

This allowed the inn to accommodate more guests and charge for more rooms.

Helag had noticed the large number of people in the town when he arrived.

The inns were likely full year-round, so the innkeeper had divided the rooms to meet the demand.

Helag didn’t mind the cramped conditions. As long as he had a place to sleep, it was fine.

As night fell, the temperature dropped sharply.

Helag lay under the blankets, meditating with his eyes closed.

The town’s proximity to the lake made the nights especially cold.

No wonder the merchants all stayed at inns—most people wouldn’t be able to endure the cold if they slept outside.

Late into the night, Helag slowly opened his eyes, sensing something unusual.

“It’s foggy.”

He glanced out the window. The town was now shrouded in thick white fog, with visibility reduced to almost nothing.

Frost had formed on the window, and the cold seeped into the room.

Helag frowned. Something was off about this fog.

Suddenly, Deep Blue’s alert sounded: “Detected special substances in the fog. Preliminary analysis suggests it induces sleep or acts as an anesthetic.”

Helag had already inhaled some of the fog but felt nothing.

He quickly realized why—the fog had no effect on him because his physical constitution was too strong.

But others wouldn’t be so lucky. Using Deep Blue’s environmental scan, Helag observed the entire town.

Most of the townspeople had already fallen asleep.

Some were in their beds, but others had collapsed in hallways, on staircases, or in the inn’s lobby.

Given the cold, no one would willingly fall asleep in such places, and they didn’t appear to be drunk.

Aside from Helag, a few others remained awake, having also noticed the strange situation.

These individuals were mostly exorcists or strong adventurers, though some were moving sluggishly, clearly affected by the fog’s anesthetic properties.

Helag turned his attention to the outskirts of the town, where the fog was thickest, obscuring everything from view.