Chapter 160: Chapter 150: Nightmare Beast in the Fog At the foot of Mingdao Mountain.
Yu Hong and Zhao Yu, who had been camped here to survive, saw the thick Mist appear after the ninth rule was announced. They immediately dove into a jeep, locking the doors and windows.
They weren’t foolish enough to hide in a tent. That kind of canvas material would be utterly useless against monsters.
But the vehicle didn’t seem much better...
Zhao Yu’s eyes were wide as he nervously glanced around. "Yu, what should we do? Hiding in this car can’t be a long-term solution, can it...?"
The rules had already stated that a monster called the "Nightmare Beast" existed within the Mist. The fact that it hunted humans was enough to prove how dangerous it was.
"How about we try to take shelter in the nearest city?" Yu Hong suggested.
"Whatever you say, Yu."
Zhao Yu was in a complete panic and couldn’t think of a single idea himself.
Yu Hong started the car and pulled out her phone to use the GPS, but the function was completely dead.
She thought her own phone might be broken, so she had Zhao Yu try his, but the result was the same.
"This is bad. It seems GPS doesn’t work in the Mist."
"Then what do we do?"
"The Mist is so thick we can’t see the road at all, and it’s hard to get our bearings. There’s no way we can get to the city without GPS."
Neither Yu Hong nor Zhao Yu knew the surrounding roads well. Driving to the city in this thick Mist without navigation was impossible. Even if they weren’t killed by a Nightmare Beast along the way, they would most likely get lost and die some other horrible death.
"Yu, I don’t want to die... Please, can’t you think of something?" Zhao Yu said, his voice trembling. He had always been timid, and since he wasn’t an Ascender, he had no powers or items, leaving him even more helpless against the Apocalypse Rules.
Seeing him in this state, Yu Hong knew he would have a complete breakdown if this went on. She gritted her teeth and said, "It looks like our only choice is to head up the mountain and ask the camp there for help."
Yu Hong had never actually seen the mountain camp, but from her few encounters with its people, she had a general impression: the camp had people of all ages, they were powerful, and they were rich in resources.
However, Yu Hong also knew that the mountain camp was somewhat wary of outsiders.
That was why, apart from going up once to trade for food, she and Zhao Yu had never returned to the mountain or bothered its inhabitants. They were afraid of provoking the camp’s displeasure and getting driven away.
But now, with their lives on the line, Yu Hong had no choice but to hope the mountain camp would help them survive.
"That’s right!" Hearing Yu Hong’s suggestion, Zhao Yu’s eyes lit up with excitement. "I forgot there was a powerful base on the mountain! The people there are so strong, they can definitely help us! Yu, let’s go up right now."
Yu Hong nodded, glanced outside, and said, "When we get out of the car, stick close to me. Watch your step. In a fog this thick, one wrong move and you could fall to your death. Understand?"
"I know, Yu."
The car doors opened, and they stepped out, immediately immersing themselves in the Mist.
Instantly, they both felt a stinging pain on their exposed skin.
It was February and the weather was cold, so they were both wearing thick winter coats. The only skin left exposed was on their hands and faces, and that was where the pain was coming from.
"It hurts!" Zhao Yu looked down at his hand and saw faint red marks, like burns, already appearing on the back of it.
"The Mist is toxic! Quick, put on your gloves! Don’t leave any skin exposed!" Yu Hong shouted, quickly pulling on her own gloves and wrapping her face tightly with her hat and scarf.
Zhao Yu followed her lead, and the two of them hurried toward the mountain. Visibility was only a few meters. Even though Mingdao Mountain was close, they could only make out the silhouette of its base.
Yu Hong led the way, each step exceptionally cautious. Mingdao Mountain was hard to climb even without a proper path, and with the frozen, slippery ground in winter, a single slip and fall would be no joke.
Zhao Yu followed behind her. They trudged upward step by step, praying they wouldn’t run into a Nightmare Beast before they found the mountain camp.
It seemed the Fire Thief heard their prayers. Despite the difficult climb, they actually managed to reach the mountainside without being attacked.
"Zhao Yu, look!" Yu Hong suddenly spotted something, her face lighting up with pleasant surprise. "Those trees up ahead are just stumps! Someone must have cut them down to build something. This means the camp isn’t far!"
When she finished speaking, she heard no response from Zhao Yu. Her heart suddenly sank. She whipped her head around and saw him standing motionless a few meters away from her.
"Zhao Yu, what’s wrong with you?"
Yu Hong walked over and heard him muttering to himself.
"Home... home isn’t that way. It’s... it’s the other way. The other way is home..."
Muttering, Zhao Yu suddenly turned and started walking in the other direction. But there was no home that way—only a cliff’s edge.
Seeing this, Yu Hong rushed to stop him, grabbing his arm. "Are you crazy? That’s a cliff over there!"
"Home is that way..."
His eyes were resolute, a look that filled Yu Hong’s heart with an indescribable fear.
The next moment, he violently shoved her away. "Don’t stop me from going home!"
Caught off guard by his push, Yu Hong staggered and nearly fell. By the time she regained her balance and looked up, Zhao Yu had already run to the edge of the cliff.
"Zhao Yu!!!"
"I’m going home..."
With a single leap, Zhao Yu jumped off the cliff. Yu Hong, rushing after him, was too late to stop him. She could only watch helplessly as he fell and was quickly swallowed by the Mist.
"No, no... this... Zhao Yu must have gone mad... or he was hallucinating..."
Yu Hong stumbled back a few steps in terror, trying her best to calm down.
’If it was the Mist’s influence, then why am I fine? How am I still lucid?’