Free Web NovelChapter 30: Chapter 30: Foggy Bone Forest
The first thing Qin Yuheng noticed was the silence.
Not ordinary silence.
A muffled silence.
The kind that swallowed footsteps, breathing, and distance.
When the white entry light faded, the team stood inside a pale forest where fog curled between bone-white trees. The trunks looked like dead wood at first glance, but on closer inspection, their surfaces resembled hardened bone. Branches stretched overhead like skeletal fingers, disappearing into thick gray mist.
The ground was soft and damp.
Every step sank slightly.
Somewhere far away, a bell rang once.
Then nothing.
Qin Yuheng immediately raised his hand.
The team stopped.
"Status check."
Qin Yuchen stood to his right, expression serious. "Present."
Qin Lian emerged from the fog three steps away. "Present. Visibility limited to twenty meters."
Qin Mo’s voice came from behind. "Present. Emotionally absent."
Qin Yuheng looked at him.
Qin Mo sighed. "Fine. Fully present."
The mission panel appeared.
[Floor 2: Foggy Bone Forest]
[Main Mission]
Reach Bone Lantern Camp within 12 hours.
[Side Missions Available]
1. Collect 10 Bone Fog Flowers.
2. Defeat 15 Fog Bone creatures.
3. Keep all team members free from deep fog corrosion.
[Warning]
Fog density will increase over time.
[Evaluation will be calculated after mission completion.]
Fog corrosion.
Qin Yuheng’s eyes sharpened.
He opened his inventory and distributed Clear Mind Spirit Powder to each team member.
"Use a small amount under the tongue if you feel dizziness, hear voices, or see things that do not match the team’s observations."
Qin Mo accepted immediately.
"I already dislike this place enough to trust medicine."
Qin Lian crouched and touched the ground.
"Tracks are difficult. The soil closes slowly after pressure."
Qin Yuchen looked around. "Direction?"
The mission did not provide a map.
But in the fog, faint lantern-like lights flickered in the distance—several directions at once.
Obvious bait.
Qin Yuheng recalled the Tower Theory notes.
Foggy Bone Forest tested navigation and perception. Bone Lantern Camp could not be found by chasing random lights. False lanterns led to monster nests, swamps, or looping paths. The real path often had environmental consistency: wind direction, bone tree growth, and faint camp bell sounds.
He listened carefully.
The bell had come from the northwest.
At least, he thought so.
"Qin Lian, scout within ten meters only. Do not break visual contact longer than five breaths."
"Understood."
"Qin Mo, leave formation markers every hundred steps."
"With this fog, make it fifty."
"Good. Fifty."
Qin Yuchen said, "We follow the bell?"
"Partly. But we confirm with terrain."
They moved.
The forest distorted distance.
Sometimes a tree seemed close but took many steps to reach. Sometimes a sound came from the left but echoed from the right. The fog dampened spiritual perception and made even Qin Yuheng’s enhanced senses feel less reliable.
After fifteen minutes, they encountered the first enemy.
A skeleton-like wolf emerged from behind a bone tree, its body made of pale bones wrapped in fog. Blue fire burned inside its ribcage.
[Fog Bone Wolf]
[Level: 8]
[Type: Fog-bone creature]
[Weakness: Skull flame, spine core, spirit-stabilizing attacks]
Level 8.
Floor 2 started at a higher danger level than Floor 1.
The wolf rushed silently.
Qin Yuheng blocked its claws and felt cold energy travel through his sword. It tried to numb his arm.
He circulated thunder and shattered the cold.
Qin Yuchen struck its spine.
Qin Lian targeted the blue flame in its skull.
Qin Mo threw a small formation charm that released a pulse of clear light.
The wolf staggered.
Qin Yuheng cut through its neck.
The bones collapsed into mist.
[Fog Bone Wolf defeated.]
[EXP +45]
[Fog Bone Shard x1 acquired.]
The side mission updated.
Defeat 15 Fog Bone creatures: 1 / 15
Qin Mo stared at the collapsed bones.
"Why does it not have flesh? Flesh is at least honest."
Qin Lian ignored him and inspected the shard.
Qin Yuheng’s panel showed:
[E Grade Fog Bone Shard]
[Can be used for spirit-resistant equipment, bone formation fuel, or fog-related crafting.]
[Eligible for Evolution.]
They continued.
The fog thickened gradually.
After an hour, they found their first Bone Fog Flower. It grew beneath a twisted tree, pale petals half-transparent and covered with cold dew. Qin Lian spotted it by noticing that the fog around it moved in a spiral.
[Bone Fog Flower acquired.]
[Collect 10 Bone Fog Flowers: 1 / 10]
The flower was D grade and eligible for evolution.
Qin Yuheng stored it.
As they went deeper, the forest began to play tricks.
Qin Mo heard someone calling his name from behind.
Qin Yuchen saw a shadow resembling Qin Yuze running between the trees.
Qin Lian felt footsteps following her exactly one breath late.
Each time, the Clear Mind Spirit Powder helped stabilize them.
Qin Yuheng also felt it.
A voice whispered near his ear.
"Talentless..."
He stopped.
The fog shifted.
For a moment, he saw the Awakening Stone.
Gray light.
Mocking whispers.
Zhao Tianyu’s smile.
Then the hidden panel appeared before his eyes, steady and cold.
[Low-level fog illusion detected.]
[Primordial Origin Evolution unaffected.]
[Primordial Thunder Emperor Body resisting corrosion.]
Qin Yuheng blinked.
The illusion shattered.
His expression did not change, but his eyes became colder.
The Tower did not only test strength.
It touched weakness.
Memory.
Fear.
Regret.
He looked at the team.
"From now on, speak every thirty breaths. Confirm position and mental state."
Qin Yuchen nodded.
Qin Lian said, "Understood."
Qin Mo muttered, "Mental state: unhappy but real."
That became their rhythm.
Every thirty breaths, they confirmed.
Present.
Clear.
Moving.
No illusion.
After three hours, they had defeated seven Fog Bone creatures and collected four Bone Fog Flowers. Their progress was good, but not enough. The fog density continued increasing, and the bell sound became irregular.
Then they found a path paved with pale stones.
At the side of the path stood a broken lantern post.
A blue flame flickered inside.
Qin Yuchen looked at it. "Bone Lantern Camp sign?"
Qin Mo examined the stones. "Formation traces. Old but active."
Qin Lian looked into the fog ahead. "Tracks. Human. Multiple teams passed here."
Qin Yuheng did not relax.
"Could be real. Could be bait."
He approached the lantern carefully.
His panel flickered.
[Bone Lantern Trace detected.]
[Authenticity: Partial.]
[Warning: Path may split between true camp route and false lantern route.]
Partial authenticity.
So the path began real but could lead wrong if followed blindly.
Qin Yuheng studied the lantern flame.
It leaned slightly northwest.
"The flame points toward the real path."
Qin Mo asked, "Or toward death?"
"Both are possible."
"Comforting."
They followed the pale stone path, but Qin Yuheng checked every lantern carefully. Some flames leaned in impossible directions. Some burned without heat. Some reflected shadows that did not match the team.
At the third lantern, Qin Yuheng stopped.
"This one is false."
Qin Lian narrowed her eyes. "How can you tell?"
"The flame has no sound."
Qin Mo stared. "Flames have sound?"
"In this forest, the real ones do."
Qin Yuchen listened carefully, then nodded. "The first two had faint crackling."
They left the stone path and moved through the trees northwest.
Ten minutes later, a scream rang through the fog.
A student scream.
Qin Mo closed his eyes.
"Here we go again."
Qin Yuheng drew his sword.
"Formation. Move carefully."
They found the source in a shallow depression.
Two academy students were trapped inside a ring of bone trees. Around them floated three humanoid skeletons holding rusted blades. Their eye sockets burned with blue flames.
A third student lay unconscious nearby, fog curling around his body.
The panel identified the enemies.
[Fog Bone Soldier]
[Level: 10]
[Type: Weapon-bearing fog-bone creature]
[Danger: Medium-High]
Level 10.
And three of them.
One trapped student shouted, "Help! The fog is entering his body!"
Qin Yuheng’s eyes sharpened.
Deep fog corrosion.
Side mission condition.
He could ignore them and proceed toward the camp.
That would be safer.
But if he could save them, he might gain evaluation, information, and perhaps prevent death.
He made the decision instantly.
"Qin Mo, clear fog around the unconscious one."
"Trying."
"Qin Lian, left soldier."
"Yes."
"Yuchen, with me."
The battle began.
Fog Bone Soldiers were far harder than wolves. They used rusted blades with basic but effective sword forms. Their bodies could partially disperse into fog, reducing physical damage unless their skull flames or spine cores were struck.
Qin Yuheng used thunder to counter the fog.
His sword flashed with faint violet-gold arcs, forcing one soldier back.
Qin Yuchen attacked its weapon arm, creating openings.
Qin Lian moved around the side, targeting skull flame.
Qin Mo placed Clear Mind Spirit Powder into a formation circle and activated it near the unconscious student. Pale light spread, pushing fog out of the student’s mouth and nose.
The trapped students regained courage and helped block one soldier.
After a difficult fight, Qin Yuheng shattered the first soldier’s skull flame. Qin Lian destroyed the second. Qin Yuchen pierced the third’s spine core after Qin Mo disrupted it with a light formation.
The bone ring collapsed.
The rescued students fell to the ground, gasping.
Qin Mo checked the unconscious one.
"He needs withdrawal or immediate camp treatment."
One student said weakly, "Bone Lantern Camp is close. We saw the real lantern line before being dragged here."
Qin Yuheng crouched.
"Direction."
The student pointed with trembling fingers.
"Northwest. Follow the lanterns with warm blue flame. Avoid green-blue ones. Green-blue leads to a bone pit."
Qin Yuheng nodded.
This information confirmed his observations.
He gave them Clear Mind Spirit Powder and one D Grade Recovery Pill.
"Can you move?"
"Barely."
"Then move behind us. If you slow too much, withdraw."
The students nodded quickly.
Qin Yuheng’s mission updated.
Defeat 15 Fog Bone creatures: 10 / 15
Deep fog corrosion prevented: 1 instance
Evaluation increased.
They continued toward the northwest.
The fog grew colder, but now they had a clearer route.
After another hour, the sound of a bell rang again.
This time, it was warm.
Steady.
Ahead, through the fog, a circle of blue lanterns appeared.
Behind them stood wooden walls reinforced with bone-white stakes.
A Tower message appeared. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
[Bone Lantern Camp located.]
[Main Mission progress updated.]
[Reach Bone Lantern Camp within 12 hours: Completed.]
[Time used: 5 hours 17 minutes.]
[Evaluation increased significantly.]
Qin Mo nearly cried.
"Civilization."
Qin Yuheng looked at the camp gates.
Safe shelter.
But the mission had completed too early.
That meant there would be more.
The gate opened slowly.
Inside, an old camp guard made of pale light looked at them and spoke in a hollow voice.
"Climbers who arrive before nightfall may choose."
A new panel appeared.
[Optional Continuation Mission]
The Bone Lantern Camp will be attacked when the fog bell rings at midnight.
Choice 1: End Floor 2 trial after entering camp.
Choice 2: Stay and defend Bone Lantern Camp.
Warning: Defense mission difficulty is higher.
Rewards and evaluation may increase.]
Qin Mo’s expression froze.
"No."
Qin Yuheng looked at the mission panel.
Then at the camp.
Then at the fog behind them.
A slow breath left his lips.
"We rest first."
Qin Mo stared at him.
"That is not no."
Qin Yuheng smiled faintly.
"No. It is not."
