The Thick Fog

The two quickened their pace, catching up with Millie ahead. Long chuckled, "Millie, what would you like for dinner? I'll cook for you."

Millie smiled gently, "Brother Long, you're too kind. I'll eat whatever everyone else is eating."

"Let me think... how about some porridge tonight? It feels like the past few days have been a bit much; some porridge might help cool things down." Long said, winking at Simon.

Millie replied, "I have no objections."

Simon shrugged, "Neither do I."

As they chatted leisurely, the three of them ascended to the rooftop. Long opened the door, and Lily came running up, her face lighting up with excitement at the sight of them.

"How's it going, kiddo? Have you been bored out of your mind being alone here?" Long laughed.

Lily nodded. Simon noticed the garbage bin was filled with sunflower seed shells. "I don't know about bored, but she's definitely eaten a lot of seeds."

Hearing this, Long burst into hearty laughter while Lily's cheeks flushed red.

Simon shook his head, "I really don't understand why kids these days love snacks so much. I've never found them particularly tasty."

Long checked the time, "Everyone, let's rest up for a bit. Tonight at 7:30, we'll resume our hunt. Simon and Millie, aim to reach Level 4. Lily, you try to hit Level 3." He glanced at Lily as he spoke.

Simon nodded. He was just seventeen spirit sources away from advancing to Level 4, so the prospects for tonight were promising.

Millie's eyes sparkled, "Will there be that many monsters tonight? I still need quite a few spirit sources."

Long assured, "As long as we throw down enough corpses, it will definitely attract many monsters. But we must be careful not to attract ones we can't handle. We'll adjust as needed."

The three changed into their swimsuits. Simon and Long slept on the two beds in the living room, while Millie and Lily took the two beds in the bedroom.

Long got up after just half an hour of sleep to start preparing dinner.

Simon slept deeply. As his strength increased, so did his need for sustenance and rest. His growing physical prowess demanded ample nutrition and sufficient sleep.

He was startled awake by Millie's voice.

"What a thick fog!"

Millie's astonished voice faintly reached him from outside. Simon, awakened, squinted his eyes and raised his head slightly. He saw that the door to the corridor was open, with Millie and Lily standing outside, gazing through the hallway window.

"What fog?" Simon sat up, grabbed his coat from beside him, and started to get dressed as he got out of bed.

"There's a dense fog outside. It's strange to see such fog in this weather." Millie glanced back at him and then continued looking outside.

Simon walked out, puzzled by what he saw beyond the hallway.

It was nearly six o'clock, with nightfall fast approaching. Yet, at that moment, a thick white fog was rising over the distant waters, obscuring everything in sight. They could only make out vague shapes within a few dozen meters; beyond that, everything was shrouded in mist.

"I've never seen such a thick fog before," remarked Long, stepping out while wearing a floral apron and holding a spatula.

Lily, holding onto the railing, silently stared at the distant white mist. Her gaze slowly lowered, and she suddenly spoke, "There are many."

"Many what?" Simon followed her gaze downward and saw them too—dark shapes emerging from the fog-covered waters not far from the building.

Though the distance made it hard to discern the creatures, Simon guessed they were likely corpses or sea spiders. The water's surface, teeming with these dark shapes, resembled a pot of boiling water, an ominous sight.

"So many monsters…" Lily murmured, her eyes slowly filling with a faint glow.

Millie and Long also noticed the dark shapes emerging from the water, both taking a sharp breath.

"Are they stirred by the fog? Are these creatures coming out early?" Long frowned. "Everyone, grab your weapons and stay alert. This doesn't look good."

Without needing Long's prompt, Simon and Millie had already rushed back to their room. When they returned, Millie held a machete, while Simon had both an iron rod and a steel shovel, which he handed to Long.

"Let's wait and see. As long as they don't come here, we can ignore them," Simon said, watching the dark shapes emerging below. Despite the fact that these creatures presented an opportunity to harvest spirit sources, he felt a deep sense of unease about the fog and preferred to avoid a direct confrontation unless absolutely necessary.

Long nodded in agreement with Simon's decision.

The numerous dark shapes surfacing from the water did not climb towards the building but dispersed in various directions. Soon, they completely drifted away, distancing themselves from the building.

"Are they... fleeing?" Simon's eyebrows knitted together in curiosity.

"Fleeing? Why would they flee?" Long questioned.

Lily suddenly interjected, "Because they're afraid."

Her words sent a chill through Simon and Long. Millie quickly asked, "How do you know they're afraid? What are they afraid of?"

Simon spoke gravely, "Lily, what exactly did you see?"

Lily's wide eyes were fixed on the swirling mist in the distance. "So many creatures... all fleeing... a ship... many bodies..."

The mist gradually spread, enveloping the corridor in a pale white haze as twilight descended. Simon, Long, and Millie stood beside Lily, listening to her fragmented words, a sense of foreboding growing within them.

"Lily, what kind of ship are you talking about?" Millie asked, her almond-shaped eyes straining to pierce the fog, but she saw nothing but an expanse of white.

"A ship... is there a ship in the distance?" Simon, knowing Lily's eyesight was far superior to theirs, pondered if a ship had indeed appeared.

If a ship had appeared, could it mean a rescue team had arrived?

Long, evidently sharing Simon's thoughts, urged, "Lily, how big is the ship? Look closely, what kind of ship is it?"

If it was a small vessel like the kayak Millie had arrived in, it might indicate other survivors. But if it was a large ship, it could very well mean a rescue team from elsewhere had come, signaling their potential salvation.