Foggy Mist
At the Conquer Sea, off the coast of Moncala.
Under the dim moonlight, several figures stood on the vast sea surface. A man dressed in black attire, with neatly combed hair and deep yellow skin, wearing a serpent ring, and possessing the facial features of a Conquer Island native, was standing on the water surface. His hands were behind his back as he gazed toward the main island of Moncala. Beside him followed two Northern Ufeiga people and a mainland white person attendant, who also stood on the water’s surface.
“Lord Sword Scale, how is Edward’s situation? The transaction has been successful, but he still doesn’t plan to release Tonik?” one of the Northern Ufeiga attendants asked the man ahead. After a moment of contemplation, the man referred to as Sword Scale replied slowly.
“Edward is holding Tonik hostage. He just said that the Fountain of Eternal Youth we gave him was fake, and we didn’t fulfill our promise…”
“That’s impossible! I clearly delivered the Fountain of Eternal Youth to the auction house; once the old man bids on it, there’s no way it could be fake!” Sword Scale had barely finished speaking when another attendant, resembling a white person, immediately chimed in from behind.
“I don’t know the current situation over there… When I was talking to him, his son barged in saying that someone at their auction house had a problem, and their consciousness was being manipulated by dreamwalking. There’s a possibility that the Fountain of Eternal Youth we sent to the auction house might have been switched.”
With his hands still behind his back, Sword Scale spoke without changing his expression. Hearing this, his Northern Ufeiga attendant frowned slightly.
“Dreamwalking… Could it be the work of the Black Dream? Did they find out about our transaction and intercept it midway? How did they get such intelligence?”
“Sword Scale, if the Fountain of Eternal Youth was indeed intercepted by someone else and didn’t reach Edward, then our transaction isn’t considered successful… Should we go back to help him retrieve the fountain?”
The white attendant continued asking Sword Scale. After some thought, Sword Scale responded.
“Not yet… What I’ve heard so far is only Edward and his son’s side of the story. Who knows what the actual situation is over there. If he’s setting us up, going back would mean walking right into a trap. Remember, we designed this transaction method to leave early precisely to avoid giving him any opportunities…”
Sword Scale spoke like this, although he came here to trade with Edward, he remained highly cautious of Edward, a major traitor of the Abyss Cult. He absolutely wouldn’t let the other party have the chance to double-cross him after receiving the goods. After sending the Fountain of Eternal Youth to the auction house under the guise of a royal crystal bottle, Sword Scale left the scene immediately, quickly departing from Moncala’s main island and the area influenced by Edward. At the last moment, he used Tonik to inform Edward of the transaction method, allowing him to bid on the seemingly unremarkable crystal bottle.
At this point, even if Edward wanted to double-cross him, there was no one to betray. As a Red Tier member of the Abyss Cult, Sword Scale could move at an incredibly high speed across the sea, ensuring he could leave Moncala within a short time.
Now that Vanina’s corrupted seed had been planted and Edward had fallen into the hands of the Abyss Cult, Sword Scale’s primary objective had been achieved. There was no need for him to risk returning to Moncala now to help Edward. All he needed to do was observe from a distance. Regardless of whether the Fountain of Eternal Youth was switched or not, there was no urgent necessity for him to return.
…
On Moncala’s main island, in the Feilong Theatre.
The second half of the Moncala auction was well underway. So far, several items had successfully been auctioned off.
Although the number of participants present was much lower compared to the first half, the intensity of the bidding remained fierce, and the prices were significantly higher than those in the first half. After a few items, the total sales from the second half already exceeded the total from the first half.
“124,000 Leers once, 124,000 Leers twice, 124,000 Leers three times… Congratulations to the guest in Box Nine, who won the twenty-third item, the Epidemic Gloves, for 124,000 Leers. Now let’s look at the twenty-fourth item.”
As the female host read the announcement coldly, the lift on stage descended slowly, lowering the previously sold item. Soon after, the lift rose again, revealing a new item. On the display stand, there was a small, black jade fragment. It seemed to be part of a shattered shamanic disc, with intricate ring-like carvings on its surface.
“In this world, there are many mysterious domains yet to be explored. Among them, the Mysterious Sea in the eastern part of the continent is the widest and most enigmatic. In these chaotic waters where no navigation equipment works and no extraordinary guidance is effective, dangers lurk everywhere. Countless treasures and perils appear and disappear without reason. Only the most experienced and powerful captains can return from that sea with treasure.”
“The renowned explorer Bartolomeu Valera recently returned from another expedition to the Mysterious Sea. He entrusted one of his findings to us for auction. This shattered jade disc is named the Black Moon Amulet. It possesses the unique ability to enhance the wearer’s spirituality towards the ‘Shadow’ element, significantly reducing the effects of ‘Shadow’ poison recognition and weakening all ‘Shadow’ extraordinary abilities. It is a very practical tool.”
The female host announced loudly to the sparse audience. The words reached the ears of a pale-faced man with dark circles around his eyes, sitting silently in his seat. He raised his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the shattered jade disc on the display stand.
“Black Moon Amulet, a treasure from the shadows of the Mysterious Sea, a trophy of the great explorer, starting price 60,000 Leers, the auction begins now!”
As the host announced, the audience began to bid fervently. The price of the artifact skyrocketed. Clearly, due to its practical abilities, many were interested in this item.
Facing the competitive scene, the man with dark circles around his eyes silently took out his bidding card, stood up, and walked to the front of the viewing stand. This was the first time he had raised his hand during the entire auction.
…
Meanwhile, inside Junhai Fortress in Moncala.
In the underground of the giant pirate fortress, along a long corridor illuminated by dim torches, an emaciated elderly man, the former pirate Edward, was rapidly moving through the damp floor, wearing a thick robe. His face bore a grim expression, and his originally dull eyes now revealed a sharp murderous intent.
Edward moved swiftly down the damp corridor until he reached its end. Before him was a small room, connected to the corridor on one side, while the other three walls and the ceiling were solid stone. However, the floor was missing, replaced by a pool of water.
Arriving at the edge of the pool, Edward paused momentarily. Then, the water in the pool began to change. The originally calm surface stirred, and soon the water parted, revealing a hidden staircase leading downward.
Edward hurried down the stairs and soon found himself underwater. This was a treasury filled with locked safes, and above it, a shimmering layer of suspended water reflected the lights, casting eerie glows throughout the dimly lit vault.
Reaching the edge of the treasury, Edward pulled out a key and inserted it into the lock of a safe, inputting the password to open it. He then reached into the opened safe and retrieved an object: a silver basin with a diameter of half a meter, plain and unadorned.
After obtaining the basin, Edward decisively left the treasury, causing the floating water to seal it once more. He then quickly returned to the corridor and exited the underground passage. Shortly after, Edward emerged from the indoor area of Junhai Fortress onto the rooftop of a tower, standing beneath the night sky.
Outside, Edward placed the silver basin on the ground and waved his hand lightly, causing a clear spring to flow into the basin, quickly filling it.
Once the basin was full, he slashed his wrist with his fingernail, letting the bl**d drip into the clear water, turning it red. As he continued dripping bl**d, he muttered silently.
“… Conceal it…”
As Edward spoke, changes began to occur across Moncala’s main island. The intangible spiritual fog that originally enveloped Junhai Fortress began to expand rapidly, spreading outward in all directions and covering the city of Moncala.
Simultaneously, the waves around Moncala’s main island became extremely turbulent, tossing the ships anchored in the harbor violently. The entire Moncala seemed to be on the brink of a storm.
At this moment, in the sea beyond Moncala, a small object floated under the night sky. Dorothy sat on her magnetic levitation flying carpet, gazing at the distant main island of Moncala.
“Edward… has started…”
Using her spiritual vision, Dorothy watched the main island of Moncala almost completely shrouded in spiritual fog. She couldn’t help but murmur, knowing that the lord of Moncala had begun searching for the thief who dared to steal his precious Fountain of Eternal Youth. This was exactly what Dorothy wanted to see.
After watching the dreams of the auction house registrar and Tonik the previous night, Dorothy had finally solved a long-standing question: how would Sword Scale trade the Fountain of Eternal Youth with Edward after confirming that Vanina had indeed been planted with a corrupted seed?
From Tonik’s memory, Dorothy knew that Sword Scale would never trade the Fountain of Eternal Youth face-to-face with Edward, and he would always set up a transaction method where he remains in control. From the registrar Alan’s memories, Dorothy learned that Sword Scale tried to place the Holy Emblem jewelry as early as possible in the auction to test Vanina’s reaction, and there was another item required to be placed a few positions after the Holy Emblem, which turned out to be a small bottle.
With these clues, Dorothy quickly deduced Sword Scale’s trading strategy: continue using the auction’s characteristics to sell the Fountain of Eternal Youth to Edward. They only needed to create a fake identity, place another item after the Holy Emblem necklace, and decide whether to really put the Fountain of Eternal Youth up for auction based on the situation after Sword Scale verified Vanina. Between the auction of the Holy Emblem necklace and the crystal bottle, there was enough time for Sword Scale to withdraw with all his subordinates except Tonik, leaving Edward no chance to double-cross him after receiving the Fountain of Eternal Youth.
This… was Sword Scale’s envisioned trading method. Honestly, for someone who highly distrusts the former rebel of the Abyss Cult, Edward, this was a reliable way to ensure he wouldn’t be betrayed. As long as the plan wasn’t leaked, both Sword Scale and Edward could get what they wanted. Unfortunately, with the help of the little fox, Dorothy’s intelligence capabilities had made a remarkable leap. Using Roland, who only knew a little information, Dorothy managed to uncover their entire plan, making it impossible for either side to achieve their desired outcomes.
Since Sword Scale confirmed that Vanina was fine, he would send the Fountain of Eternal Youth to the auction house. Dorothy only needed to make Vanina act, win the Holy Emblem necklace to fool Sword Scale, and then retrieve the Fountain of Eternal Youth from the auction house.
Many of the staff members during the first half of tonight’s auction were controlled by Dorothy. She had previously hypnotized them with the help of the little fox, marked them with puppet marks, and kept them working while waiting for Sword Scale’s subordinates to deliver the Fountain of Eternal Youth. Later, she would secretly erase the puppet marks in crowded places, causing the staff to suddenly collapse in public, making it easy for the later Moncala Extraordinary Beings to discover that they were in a hypnotized state.
Then, Dorothy simply waited for Edward to discover the issue with the Fountain of Eternal Youth and trace it back to the situation with the first-half staff, naturally leading him to think in the direction Dorothy wanted him to.
In this era of the decline of the Butterfly Sect, the Secret World still had active societies related to sleep and dreams, and the Black Dream Hunter Group was the only one left.
“So… Let me see now, is it true that you can find Red Tier ‘Shadow’ Extraordinary Beings…”
Looking at the main island of Moncala gradually shrouded in thick white fog, Dorothy murmured.
…
“Congratulations! Guest in Box Six, at 213,000 Leers, won the treasure from the Mysterious Sea, the Black Moon Amulet! Setting a new record for this auction!”
At the Feilong Theatre auction site, as the female host’s hammer fell, the twenty-fourth item on the display stand was declared successfully sold. Due to the extremely high price, the tone of the second-half host rose, and the sparse audience began to clap sporadically. This price was several times higher than the starting price; 213,000 Leers was equivalent to over ten thousand pounds.
After the scattered applause, the man with dark circles around his eyes in Box Six couldn’t help but smile. Just as he was about to proceed with the payment and collect the item, he noticed something unusual.
When did the railings of the viewing stand become covered with tiny droplets of water? The floor of the box was wet, and everything felt like it had suddenly returned to a humid day.
Such a sudden return of humidity at night… Is this normal for the climate here?
This doubt flashed through the mind of the man with dark circles around his eyes… Or rather, the mind of the controller manipulating him. Far from the Feilong Theatre, in a regular house on the outskirts of Moncala, another man frowned.
He appeared to be in his fifties, with round glasses, a slender figure, neatly combed hair with streaks of gray, and obvious wrinkles on his face. At this moment, he was wearing a black suit, his eyes fixed on the window in front of him, where a thick layer of fog had mysteriously formed on the smooth glass.
With a serious expression, the man stretched out his hand and touched the window, feeling the moisture. Seeing the clear signs of humidity on the floor and walls, his gaze grew even more solemn.
These droplets… seem to carry traces of spirituality…
Seeing the strange phenomenon before him, the man felt a sense of unease. He quickly manipulated the remote puppet to pay and collect the newly acquired item, then rushed downstairs, preparing to leave.
When the man reached the door and pushed it open, what he saw caused him to pause slightly.
A dense fog, completely enveloping the street in front of him, made it difficult to see anything. The streetlights, obscured by the fog, turned into dim yellow halos. Looking around, the visibility was only about three to five meters. Clearly, this sudden heavy fog was not a natural occurrence.
“Water Fog… Spiritual Water… What’s happening here…”
The man with dry wings murmured in confusion, and at this moment, a pair of hidden eyes was fixedly staring at him in the dense fog.
