Global Fog Survival

【A statue associated with “suffering,” with a black sword wrapped in thorny spikes piercing its chest. You do not understand what it signifies, but you realize that this is a highly sinister and mysterious object.】

【The “aura of suffering” it emits continuously affects this underground space, turning it into a dead zone, and the impact will cause ongoing mental damage.】

【Anyone with physical strength, endurance, or intelligence below 10 who stays within the range of the “aura of suffering” for an hour will die immediately.】

【You estimate that you have already been here for nine minutes. In six minutes, you will start to experience mental weakening.】

“…So terrifying?” Colin was astonished as he looked at the black sword piercing the female statue’s chest, feeling a bit tempted. The black sword was roughly 1.9 meters long and four fingers wide, with every part, including the hilt, wrapped in “thorns of suffering.” It looked like gripping it would pierce the hand, but considering it was a mysterious item, it likely had significant negative effects and wouldn’t be used often. When the time came to use it, worrying about pierced hands would be the least concern.

However, Colin couldn’t carry this thing, but giving it to Sanna might make it usable for her—though the idea seemed increasingly skewed. He wondered about its effects, thinking that pairing this great sword with the “Shield of Just Knight” would indeed be fair.

But then, as his desire to possess it arose, a new prompt appeared:

【Whoever holds it will bear immense sin and destiny. Its effect is powerful, but you believe it is not suitable for you or anyone around you.】

【Moreover, removing it might trigger unimaginable changes.】

Seeing the words “sin” and “destiny,” Colin’s heart skipped a beat, and he withdrew his gaze from the sword. He never took such cursed spoils. Taking a deep breath of the musty air of the underground hall, Colin turned his attention to the passage behind the statue, where all the dead roots extended from.

【Less than a hundred meters down the passage, you see an exit shrouded in white fog, indicating anomalies but being a necessary path.】

“Let’s go, we can’t stay here too long…” Colin said as he stepped forward. Li Chou, fully armored, glanced at the sword and couldn’t help but say, “Boss, can we really leave this thing? Shouldn’t we at least touch it to check its properties?”

Survivors need to touch a mysterious item to learn its attributes. “Don’t touch these things, it could cause unexpected incidents.” Colin observed Li Chou while speaking. Through his hint, he noticed Li Chou was already showing signs of mental strain. Despite wearing armor, his attributes weren’t above 2.0, likely around 1.8, making him more sensitive to intangible effects.

This also meant Colin could use Li Chou’s reactions to detect more subtle influences in advance and prepare accordingly—though this method seemed rather inconsiderate. However, as long as Colin kept quiet, no one would know. Besides, with a priest around, any problem could be solved with a punch; physical means could counter mental effects.

Now, it was clear that the black sword was indeed toxic. It was time to move forward. Colin quickly led the group over the root-covered passageway, stopping at the entrance. Thick white fog lay outside, with roots extending from the mist into the space. Even Colin’s lantern couldn’t dispel the cold, eerie fog, leaving its contents unknown. The fog felt less creepy than the gray fog but still unsettling. Colin considered the fog mist:

【You notice the lantern can’t dispel the white fog. Upon observing, you find it seems harmless but may teleport you to different areas, if not as a whole.】

…A revised teleportation array? Colin thought and made a decision.

“Number One, Li Chou, light the remaining lanterns. Everyone hold one wrist with someone holding yours, and hold someone else’s wrist with your other hand…”

Since the white fog’s teleportation criterion was based on being a whole, holding hands would ensure safe teleportation to one area. No one objected to Colin’s judgment, not even Li Chou, who just saw it as another effect of Colin’s “mysterious item.” The survivors speculated that Colin possessed some sort of analytical item without significant side effects, as he used it often without any apparent issues.

Soon, twenty-one people formed a long line, with a servant at the end, Sanna leading, Colin holding her left wrist, and Li Chou and others following. The entire team stood in a line with half-meter intervals. As the strongest combatant, Sanna needed her right hand free to handle any changes. As the first wave of “mental weakening” approached, they walked into the dense white fog.

As Colin, biting the lamp handle, stepped into the white fog, everything in his sight seemed to vanish. Only endless white fog filled his view. He couldn’t see anything but a vast whiteness, hear anything, or see the lamp’s light—everything was dead silent. If Colin hadn’t felt Sanna’s wrist in his right hand and Li Chou’s grip on his left wrist, he would have thought he was alone in this place, despite the short half-meter distance between them.

They continued walking, each gripping tightly. As the last servant’s figure vanished into the white fog, their figures seemed to disappear in an instant. However, after a brief moment of deathly silence in the now darkened space, a metallic “clang” sounded as if something metal had been pulled out.

…

Amidst the endless white fog, after an unknown time, Colin felt a sense of confusion. Although they kept walking, it felt like treading in place, the ground underfoot transitioning from hard to a cotton-like softness, now feeling like they were walking on nothing. It seemed like another dimension. But soon, Colin felt the ground’s firmness returning, and the white fog began to thin out. Before long, a dark world appeared before them.