nownovels Chapter 19 Attack in the Fog
Chapter 19 Attack in the Fog
Karen's words were like a pebble thrown into a boiling oil pan, creating a brief but sharp silence on the chaotic deck.
Captain Heinrich had just landed after tumbling from the main vine, the silvery-white light on his longsword dimmed considerably from the violent impact. He turned to look at Karen, his deep gray eyes showing no doubt, only a swift and decisive assessment.
"You said the source of the pollution is over there?" The captain pointed in the direction Karen had just indicated in the fog, his voice still clear amidst the lashing vines and the groaning of the ship. "Are you sure?"
"I can 'see' it." Karen wiped the blood from her nose and forced herself to stand up straight. "A crystal vein, corroded by black crystals. These vines are just infected guards. If the source isn't addressed, they'll keep attacking until they drag the ship down or attract more contaminated things."
Another vine lashed out at the ship's side, and it took several sailors working together to brace it with a long pole with hooks. The ship was listing at an angle of more than fifteen degrees, the port engine had completely stopped, and the starboard propeller was struggling, emitting a screeching sound.
"We need time to repair it." Grom rushed from the stern, his warhammer covered in a sticky green sap. "At least five days to get one engine running again and to clear the tangled propeller. But five days in this godforsaken place?" He glanced at the wildly swirling vines around them. "We won't survive tonight."
Captain Heinrich remained silent for less than three seconds.
He looked at Karen, then at Leah and Grom. "You three. Take the necessary equipment, find the source of the contamination, and deal with it, or at least disrupt it. The rest of you stay on the ship, defend, repair, and hold out until you return."
The decision was so decisive that Karen was taken aback. He had expected more explanation and more debate.
But the captain didn't give him time to hesitate. "Lia, you're familiar with the wilderness, so you'll be in charge of the route and surveillance. Grom, you'll be in charge of the technology and equipment. Karen, you'll lead the way, using your abilities to avoid the most dangerous areas. You have twelve hours. After twelve hours, whether we succeed or not, we must leave—even if it's with only one engine, towing the half-damaged hull."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three of them.
"If you don't return in twelve hours, the ship will leave. Understand?"
This is the harshest reality. In a place like the Emerald Forest, staying is tantamount to suicide. Twelve hours is already the maximum leniency the captain can offer.
Leah was the first to nod. "Understood."
Grom spat and slung his warhammer over his shoulder. "Dwarves never give up halfway. Twelve hours is enough."
Karen took a deep breath, feeling her heart pounding in her chest and the faint resonance with the source of pollution emanating from the spiritual runes on her wrist. "Understood."
"Now, prepare." Captain Heinrich turned around, his longsword flashing once more. "We'll buy you time."
The battle on deck escalated instantly. The sailors formed a defensive circle, using weapons, shields, and even salvaged planks to fend off the vines attacking from all directions. Captain Heinrich personally dealt with the thickest main vine, his blade clashing against the black crystal, sparks flashing in the green mist.
Karen, Leah, and Grom quickly retreated into the cargo hold.
"What do we need?" Karen asked as she placed Dawn into a specially made small backpack—a makeshift one by Grom, lined with soft padding, with side openings so Dawn's head could stick out, and several pieces of dark cloth sewn onto the outside for camouflage in the fog.
"Weapons, medicine, lighting, and something to combat the pollution." Grom strode to his tool cabinet and began rummaging through it. He pulled out a bundle of metal pipes wrapped in tarpaulin, several small glass bottles of potions, several metal plates engraved with runes, and the dwarven crossbow he had given Karen earlier.
Leah then tidied her equipment: she sheathed the dagger at her waist, stuffed several rolls of bandages, a small bag of salt ("effective against certain spirits"), and some small bundles of herbs into her tool bag. Finally, she took out a dark green scarf, wrapped it around her mouth and nose, leaving only her sharp green eyes exposed.
"The mist in the Emerald Forest is hallucinogenic, so try not to inhale it directly." She handed Karen and Grom a similar cloth each. "Also, there may be spores, tiny insects, or other unseen things in the mist. The scarves will at least filter out some of them."
Grom packed his equipment into three sturdy canvas backpacks. Karen's was the lightest, containing mainly medicine, food, water, a crossbow, and twenty arrows. Leah's pack included ropes, a grappling hook, and some detection tools. Grom himself carried the heaviest load, which, in addition to weapons and medicine, included the metal tubes and rune plates.
"What are these?" Karen asked, pointing to the metal pipes.
"A portable psionic shield generator," Grom explained briefly. "Dwarven technology, powered by energy storage crystals. Once activated, it creates a small force field around the user to withstand psionic shocks and some physical attacks. However, each one only lasts for ten minutes, so use them sparingly."
Once they were ready, they returned to the deck.
The battle continued, but the sailors had regained their footing. Several main vines had been cut or forced back, and although new vines continued to sprout, at least the ship's tilt angle had stopped increasing. Captain Heinrich had left several deep cuts on the main vine, the black crystal surface cracked, and the vine's tightening speed had noticeably slowed.
"To port aft, on the surface of the sea of clouds, there's a relatively stable 'land'," the captain said without turning his head, parrying the lashes of vines with his sword. "It's a temporary platform formed by the intertwined roots of some floating plants; it should be able to support your weight. Land there, then head in the direction Karen indicated. Remember, twelve hours."
"Understood." Leah was the first to walk to the ship's side.
A rope ladder had been lowered there, its end hidden in the thick fog, obscuring what lay below. Several sailors used shields to protect the area around the ladder, fending off stray vines.
"I'll go first." Grom grabbed the rope ladder and nimbly climbed down, the heavy backpack seemingly having no effect on him. The dwarf's figure was quickly swallowed up by the green mist.
"Karen, follow me," Leah gestured.
Karen adjusted the backpack on his back to make sure Xiguang was secure inside, then grabbed the slippery rope ladder. He started to climb, and a thick fog immediately enveloped him, damp and cold. After climbing about ten meters, his feet touched solid ground—not hard rock or soil, but a springy, fibrous surface, like stepping on a giant mushroom or a mat of moss.
He jumped down the rope ladder and landed firmly. Grom was already on guard nearby, warhammer in hand, his blue eyes scanning the thick, impenetrable green mist around him. Lydia was the last to descend, landing lightly and silently.
The place they were in did indeed resemble "land," but it wasn't naturally formed. It was a massive raft-like structure, roughly the size of a basketball court, formed by the intertwined and accumulated aerial roots and vines of countless floating plants, floating on the surface of the sea of clouds. Its surface was covered with a thick, slippery moss. New aerial roots were constantly dangling from the mist at the edges of the raft, joining this slowly growing community.
"This way." Karen closed her eyes and reactivated her spiritual vision. The source of pollution was in the northwest, about ten miles away? In the dense fog and complex terrain, the actual walking distance might be much longer.
He pointed in a direction.
Leah walked to the edge of the raft and crouched down to examine it. "There's a path. The roots of these floating plants are interconnected, like natural bridges and walkways. But it's very unstable, watch your step."
She stepped onto a thick aerial root first. The root was thicker than her thigh, slippery on the surface, but covered with a rough, bark-like texture that provided some friction. The aerial root sank slightly, but it supported her weight.
Grom followed second, his steps steady. Karen brought up the rear, each step cautious. Xiguang peeked out from an opening on the side of his backpack, his amber eyes scanning the surroundings warily.
They left the raft and entered the real Emerald Forest.
The fog grew thicker.
Visibility dropped to less than ten meters, and the green light became dim, as if it were forever twilight. All around were the shadows of huge plants: towering trees with their crowns hidden from the mist, and thick vines hanging down from above like the whiskers of a giant beast; all kinds of ferns, mosses, and lichens covered every inch of the surface, and the air was filled with the damp smell of humus and some kind of sweet floral fragrance.
The sounds became increasingly complex. In the distance came the faint chirping of birds and roars of beasts, while nearby came the buzzing of insects flapping their wings and the barely audible crackling of plants growing. Most unsettling of all, these sounds carried a strange echo, as if constantly reflecting and overlapping in the thick fog, making it difficult to determine their true distance and direction.
After walking for about half an hour, the first wave of attacks arrived.
It wasn't the vines, but the fog itself.
At first, the flow of the mist became turbulent, as if stirred by an invisible whirlpool. Then, a faint, purplish-black halo appeared in the mist, spreading like ink dropped into clear water.
"Psionic Turbulence!" Lydia shouted. "Crouch! Hold on tight!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a violent surge of psionic energy swept through.
That wasn't physical wind, but a pure energy surge. Karen felt a chill run down her spine, and the hairs on her body stood on end. A stinging pain shot through the spiritual runes on her wrists, like being pricked by countless tiny needles. Xi Guang let out a suppressed whimper from inside his backpack.
The turbulence lasted for about ten seconds, then subsided.
But the calm lasted for less than a minute.
The plant roots beneath their feet suddenly began to writhe violently, like giant snakes awakening. Several previously still vines abruptly rose up, their surfaces revealing the same black patterns as those on the ship, their ends splitting into chrysanthemum-shaped mouthparts, dripping a viscous black liquid.
"Strangler Vines! They have nests here too!" Grom roared, sweeping his warhammer and smashing a vine that lunged at him. But more vines emerged from the mist, hanging down from above and reaching out from below.
Leah formed hand seals, and wind blades coalesced once more. This time, she released them with greater precision, several invisible blades of air swirling and flying out, severing the three vines at their roots. But the severed vines did not die; upon landing, they writhed violently like decapitated earthworms, and new, finer tendrils rapidly grew from the broken ends.
"Their regenerative abilities are too strong!" Leah gasped. "We must attack the core or burn it completely!"
Grom pulled a metal tube from his bag and unscrewed a knob at the end. Dark red runes lit up the tube. He aimed it at a vine that was swooping down from above and pressed the button on the side.
laugh--
A blazing, orange-red flame shot out—no ordinary flame, but a dwarven alchemical flame infused with psionic energy. The moment the flame touched the vine, the black veins flickered violently, the vine convulsed wildly, and its surface rapidly carbonized and shattered. A few seconds later, the entire vine was reduced to charred remains, motionless.
"It works!" Grom shouted, but his expression was grave. "But fuel is limited; this kind of injector can only be used about ten times."
Karen drew his crossbow and nocked an arrow. He didn't aim at the main body of the vine—it was too tough. He closed his eyes, and his spiritual vision activated instantly.
Amidst the wildly swaying vines, he "saw" the flowing patterns of the black veins. They all converged on the same point—at the base of each vine, near the roots, there was a walnut-sized, pulsating black orb of light. That was the node of polluted energy, the core of the vines' regeneration.
"Attack the base! Where the black patterns converge!" Karen shouted, raising her hand and firing an arrow.
The crossbow bolt pierced the air, precisely embedding itself in the black orb at the base of a vine. The vine froze instantly, the black patterns on its surface receding rapidly like the ebb tide, and the entire vine withered and dried up, turning into ordinary plant remains.
"Good eye!" Grom exclaimed, then used his warhammer to smash the base of another vine. The dwarf's strength was astonishing; with one blow, the base of the vine exploded, splattering black sap everywhere.
Leah changed her strategy. Instead of trying to cut the vines, she manipulated the airflow to deflect the splintered, corrosive ends of the vines, or to entangle them together and restrain each other.
The three worked together and gradually regained their footing. But the number of vines seemed endless, and as the battle continued, other things began to appear in the fog: swarms of flying insects emitting purple light, huge flower buds that sprayed acid, and some kind of spherical plant covered in sharp spikes that crawled rapidly on the ground.
"We can't linger!" Leah shouted, her forehead beaded with sweat and her scarf soaked through. "Karen, lead the way! We're charging in!"
Karen focused her mind again, her spiritual vision piercing through the thick fog and the wildly growing plants, pinpointing the source of the pollution. There, the black psionic energy stood out like a lighthouse.
"This way! Follow me!"
He charged forward first, firing his crossbow in rapid succession, each arrow striking precisely the core of the vines. Grom and Lydia followed closely behind, one clearing a path with a flamethrower, the other using wind blades to clear the flanks.
They ran through the frenzied vegetation for at least ten minutes until the onslaught of vines behind them gradually thinned out, and they finally stopped.
The three leaned against the trunk of a giant tree with a diameter of over three meters, panting heavily. The surroundings were temporarily safe, with only the thick fog flowing silently.
"How far have we come?" Grom asked, checking the fuel levels in the injectors. "Six more to go."
"About two miles," Leah estimated, "but it actually took longer than expected. The density and aggressiveness of the vines were extraordinary, and the entire forest was rejecting us."
Karen remained silent. He was sensing his surroundings through his spirit runes. The feeling of "crowding" intensified; countless tiny life forms swarmed around him like mosquitoes, most driven by curiosity and wariness, but some... even harboring malice.
The resonance of the pollution sources has become clearer.
It's just ahead. Not far now.
Xi Guang peeked out of his backpack, his amber eyes gazing into the depths of the thick fog, a low, warning growl escaping his throat.
The cub conveyed a clear, fearful message:
The sound of crying... grew closer... it was saying...
Don't come any closer... It's dangerous...