Cold Thorn Fish

[You have triumphantly concluded your preliminary exploration into the Enigmatic Hamlet, unlock the quaint map: Bog Outpost.]

Drawing from the elucidations divulged by the system, Ina garnered further insight into the perplexing hamlet.

This quaint settlement, a mere century old, was birthed from spellcasters' endeavors to explore the enigmatic Midnight Marsh. Home to a plethora of magical flora and fauna, potionology made leaps and bounds within a decade, matching a century's worth of progress. The mists of the Midnight Marsh lingered perennially, parting ever so slightly near the ground during the six months of Clear Moon, akin to a rising theater curtain.

Initially, the locale served as a mere resting place for mercenaries hired by mages. Over time, some weary mercenaries opted to permanently station themselves at the junction closest to the marsh and the outside world, gradually giving rise to the mist town.

The townspeople, comprised primarily of former mercenaries, were ill-equipped for farming. Coupled with a chronic lack of sunlight, crop yields were meager. However, annual subsidies from the Mercenaries' Guild, alongside income from the Clear Moon "tourist peak season," sustained the hamlet for a century as a supply station for mercenaries and mages.

Subsidies from the Mercenaries' Guild? Ina quirked an eyebrow. Was this still the game she knew? Wasn't the guild notorious for its disorder and ruthlessness?

The system promptly reminded her: My lady, times have changed. It is now the year 1577 in the Moro calendar.

Ina swiftly checked the system's timeline: Three centuries later? The year she received her Dragon Blood inheritance was 1214 in the Moro calendar. Did the familiar standoffs between dragons and elves, the splendor of the three human empires, persist today?

As she reminisced about her past epic and sweeping gaming experiences, the main task frame in front of her began to flicker with an increasingly rapid rhythm, dominating her entire field of vision, as if urging her to promptly repair the broken door of her restaurant.

Decisively closing the task frame, Ina veered away from the Dragonflame Restaurant and strode towards the Midnight Marsh.

This was an expansive region, where, for an unknown reason, unfrozen rivers flowed year-round, and even sunless jungles and trees flourished. Yet, most abundant were the treacherous marshlands, ever poised to swallow the unwary.

Although the Clear Moon's arrival was still some time away, experienced mercenaries had already arrived, scouting the marsh's periphery for their objectives.

Simon had been a mercenary for thirteen years, seven of which he had spent in the Midnight Marsh. Despite this, he did not consider his experience sufficient to survive the marsh's dangers. All his teammates, himself included, had to remain alert to Captain Old John's orders to ensure they returned to the hamlet as "whole" as possible.

At that moment, a young maiden appeared before Simon, her beauty shimmering amidst the hazy mists. Her long, pink hair boasted a satin-like sheen. The direction she was heading toward was none other than the Midnight Marsh, the final burying place of countless mercenaries.

However, he would not meddle and stop her. This was not the Imperial City's Arcali Park, devoid of cooing doves and dashing bards, nor was wayward noble daughters in here. Those who dared to enter the Midnight Marsh were well aware of the cost—burial within the sunless of endless night.

Not just Simon, but the entirety of the mercenary group called "Scavengers" maintained their silence.

"Perhaps I've inhaled an unknown poison gas and am experiencing mild hallucinations. I hope I've truly entered the Foggy Hamlet and am not sinking in a mud pit somewhere," Simon thought, finding the scene rather eerie.

Once assured no humans were nearby, Ina leaped into the air, a pair of jet-black membranous wings unfurling behind her. The mists swirled with each flap, streaming along the sharp, protruding bone spurs.

The Black Dragon's wings were undeniably stylish. Ina familiarized herself with the new changes to her body, recklessly soaring through the marsh's dense fog.

Truth be told, dragon wings were not as maneuverable as the levitation spells favored by mages. Ina was still somewhat unaccustomed, occasionally encountering minor mishaps—such as toppling forward due to overly vigorous wing flaps—but she could feel a genuine thrill of flight.No wonder, back in the game, some fellow Alchemists fervently attempted to weld mechanical wings to their backs.

The fog before her was so dense that it seemed to have taken on a physical form. Ina closed her eyes and opened them again, her pupils now replaced by golden vertical slits. The mist could no longer obscure her vision as she dived towards a nearby river.

She landed on a large rock by the riverbank, where the water flowed so gently that it was almost imperceptible. Purple-tinted shrubs grew along the bank, their branches laden with plump red fruits.

A dragonfly-like insect alighted near a fruit, using its sharp mouthparts to tear into the flesh and feed. As it reveled in the fruit's sweetness, ripples appeared on the water's surface below.

A silverfish leaped out of the water, leaving a brief trail of afterimage in the air as it swallowed the insect and fruit in one swift motion. The hunt was not over, though; a gray shadow shot out from the shrubbery, intercepting the falling silver fish with only a slightly larger body, and attempted to drag the fishtail back to shore.

Having witnessed this display of marshland ecology, Ina had an epiphany: she finally knew how to fish without a rod. The creatures here seemed incredibly brave, never lacking the courage to take the initiative.

Suddenly, a tail emerged from behind Ina, dipping into the icy river water. The tip of the tail curled and danced flamboyantly. Soon, the force of a downward pull came from the tail, and with a "splash," an ugly, strangely-shaped fish appeared before Ina. Its pectoral fins were small and its body flat, its teeth glistening as it tightly clamped onto the scales of Ina's tail, refusing to let go even after leaving the water.

The system's activity log displayed:[You caught a Crooked-mouth Fish★1]

[Crooked-mouth Fish★: A common carnivorous fish in the Midnight Marsh, its meat is sour and coarse, not recommended for consumption.]

Disappointed, Ina threw it back into the water. The next fish she caught was very familiar—it was the silverfish she had seen earlier. Its streamlined body was adorned with faintly shimmering silver scales, making it quite beautiful.

[You have caught a Cold Thorn Fish★★★1]

[Cold Thorn Fish★★★: A rare fish species found only in the Midnight Marsh, it is ferocious with fewer bones and delicious meat. When cooked, it possesses unexpected effects.]

Weighing the fish in her hand, Ina estimated it to be around four or five pounds. It continued to struggle energetically despite being out of the water for so long, flinging droplets of water onto the ground. Holding the fishtail, Ina struck it hard, knocking the Cold Thorn Fish unconscious.

——

One month ago, Lusen was packing his belongings as winter was approaching and it was time to collect the juice of the Stone Demon Grass. In fact, there were already small-scale magical plant cultivation bases on the continent, and mages only needed to place an order to receive materials delivered by the Golden Sparrow Flower Chamber of Commerce right to their mage towers.

However, the valuable root system of the Stone Demon Grass grew deep underground, cultivated by a group of goblins skilled at digging tunnels. They would unashamedly dilute the materials, using their limited intelligence to argue that the Stone Demon Grass juice was naturally thin unless someone was sent to supervise the extraction process.

Lusen was the unlucky one assigned to this task. As he packed his belongings into a spatial ring temporarily lent by his mentor, he muttered to himself, "Diluted Stone Demon Grass juice would be worth 200 gold coins less. If my travel expenses exceed that, I probably won't have to sleep in a rabbit hole with goblins next year."

Someone behind him chimed in, "It seems you already have an idea of the budget for this trip."

A bag of gold coins was placed next to Lusen's hand by the visitor. "60 gold coins?" Lusen exclaimed, "Professor Derrick, why is it even less than last year?"

Professor Derrick raised an eyebrow, "This time you don't need to return to the academy. I'll meet you at Misty Town with Alcota and the others." "It's still too little," Lusen grumbled.

Professor Derrick raised his eyebrows, "You should know how tight the budget is this year. Besides, didn't I apply for a communication crystal for you? If you run out of travel expenses, you can contact me."

"Communication crystals can't transmit gold coins. Would the mentor let a nearby merchant guild send me supplies?" Lusen's eyes lit up.

"The communication crystal will bring you my encouragement," Professor Derrick said coldly. He glanced at the hesitant Lusen and said, "Hurry up and leave while I'm still willing to encourage you."

This mission went surprisingly smoothly. Lusen successfully obtained Stone Demon Grass juice of sufficient purity, arrived at Mist Town with ease, and spent all his travel expenses without any trouble. However, because everything went so smoothly, he arrived at the town more than half a month earlier than agreed with Professor Derrick.

But how could he make it through the high cost of living in Misty Town until the professor's arrival?