The fog seemed to thicken, gradually blurring the silhouettes of the "adventurers" not far away, making them blend into the background like a slowly fading oil painting that no one would notice.
Bartlett wasn't sure if it was his own illusion. He subconsciously rubbed his eyes with his left hand, the callused skin scraping his eyelid painfully, but at least the group of so-called adventurers became clear again.
"The firewall separated us from the pack of Frost Spiders, I don't know how long those flames will last, but definitely not too long. If we were outside the forest, the fire oil could burn for an entire night, setting everything it touches aflame. But in Foggy Forest, I don't have that level of confidence, so I could only hurry them away. Otherwise, I would actually be interested in tasting roasted spider. When I left, the fire was still burning, but there's no need to worry, there has never been a fire in Foggy Forest."
Handsome Jack kept babbling on and on, his collapsed nose wiggling as his mouth opened and closed, revealing a set of crooked teeth inside. Some teeth were white, others were yellow, and one had even turned black, obviously, they didn't all come from the same source.
Some of those teeth might come from the dead, Bartlett thought involuntarily. Corpse collectors gathered all sorts of corpses, and to them, the dead were more useful than the living - hair, bones, flesh, and even teeth.
The teeth were pulled from the bodies of the dead and continued to perform their duties in the mouths of the living.
A chiming laughter echoed in the sky, if it could be called laughter. It was so cheerful that people who heard it couldn't help but feel happy along with it.
Bartlett looked up, but only saw the thick fir trees spreading across his field of vision, their tall trunks piercing straight into the mist, reaching heights not visible. Aside from that, he noticed nothing else.
"Didn't you hear it?" he lowered his head and asked Jack, who had no reaction.
"Hear what?" Jack's expression was puzzled, "What did you just say? Sorry, I was so focused on talking about our unlucky journey that I didn't notice what you said."
Bartlett turned his head to look at Old Will's group and saw they too were looking at him as if confused. Bartlett frowned and then relaxed.
"A strange sound, or maybe I'm just hearing things." He said, "Regardless, we should be cautious."
If it were before, Bartlett definitely wouldn't have said such a thing. He would have immediately grabbed the "Iron Bride" in his hand, warned everyone to be vigilant, and covered each other's retreat.
But now, although he still had confidence in his own senses, ever since those strange floating texts appeared, the barbarian was less confident in his own state of mind.
During that adventure that caused him to lose his Dwarf companions, Bartlett suspected that they were attacked by Heart Stealing Demons. When he returned to Muya, he found many clues indicating that a tribe of Heart Stealing Demons had returned to the underworld.
Since the Magic Empire Era mages had wiped out this evil race almost completely, the Prime Material World couldn't see the tentacled heads anymore. But now, it seemed that a tribe of Heart Stealing Demons had returned to the Multiverse, choosing to settle in the Underworld not too far from Muya City.
Bartlett didn't know whether these rumors were true and why the Magic Association didn't handle this matter. But if he had indeed been attacked by Heart Stealing Demons, his sanity might be affected.
He didn't know much about the Heart Stealing Demon race, after all, they hadn't appeared on the continent for a long time. However, in many stories and legends, it seemed that those who had been attacked by Heart Stealing Demons would suffer from a mental breakdown.
"There are too many strange sounds in this Forest." Jack shrugged indifferently, "Once I even heard a woman's moan, you know, that kind of moan." He raised his eyebrows and grinned mischievously, "At that time, several reckless people wanted to go and see what was happening, but I stopped them. In the forest, curiosity is the most unnecessary thing. It does nothing but puts your life at risk."
Bartlett nodded in agreement, neither approving nor disapproving.
"Besides, if you want a woman, you can pick any beauty in those 'Thornbush Tents' in Pig Bay, as long as you have gold coins. But where do the gold coins come from? It's simple, Foggy Forest." Jack continued, "You know, a stalk of Evil Mist Grass can be exchanged for 10 gold coins, an Alva Orchid for 5 gold coins, and a Frost Grass for 3 gold coins."
There you go, making money seemed so easy. In the eyes of outsiders, the "gold coins" in the Foggy Forest were like plums growing on trees, within reach. And they wouldn't think that perhaps around the sweet "plum", deadly killer vines have grown.
Of course, those killer vines could have been planted by Jack's ancestors. Well, that's not possible. I was just trying to make a cold joke, and I guess I succeeded...
Jack held up his fingers counting the gold coins for everyone, "It doesn't require fighting, it doesn't! Just have keen eyes, and you'll find those 'gold coins' growing at the roots of some trees. Also, now is the best time to pick Frost Grass. In a few more weeks, these valuable things that can be exchanged for gold coins will all wither and die!"
Frost Grass was scarce, but not as rare as Evil Mist Grass or Alva Orchids, and collecting it posed no danger. Moreover, it always grew in clusters, so if you found any, you could harvest several plants at once.
This time of year, at least half of the adventurers who come to the Foggy Forest are after Frost Grass. This pale blue plant is a magical material that mages use in making several potions, so it is consumed in large quantities.
Moreover, Frost Grass can be eaten after being cooked through special methods.
One of the traditional dishes in the Griffin Kingdom is called Summer's Coolness, made with Frost Grass, lake trout, and Charletta sheep, then slow-cooked together using special methods. Thyme and laurel leaves are added, and a little crushed mint is sprinkled on top when plating. The aroma is refreshing, and the taste is unforgettable.
Of course, in addition to its unforgettable taste, there's also the price. Bartlett once had it with his dwarf friend, and despite usually being generous when it comes to food, he found the price heart-wrenching.
"It's not easy to find them, even without having to fight," Bartlett shook his head.
Through Jack's words, Bartlett guessed that Jack and his slumtown friends initially planned to gather Frost Grass on the outskirts of the Foggy Forest.
However, Bartlett didn't think highly of this idea. Although the outskirts of the forest were relatively safe, many adventurers had already been there during this period. Moreover, the Golden Clover Knights would usually conduct sweeps after winter and before the opening of that period. So it would be very difficult to make any harvest on the outskirts of the forest.
"With more people, the chances of finding 'Gold Coins' would be greater, after all, twenty pairs of eyes will see more than four pairs, right?" Jack had a flattering smile on his face, looking at Bartlett and Old Will in turn.
Bartlett remembers that Handsome Jack used to be quite arrogant, though not as much as Snake Lizard Jonathon, he always had a cold demeanor. But now, both of them had changed, adapting to their nicknames and, in turn, life.
Having no harvest on the outskirts of the forest, Jack wanted Old Will to take them deeper in, as they didn't have the power themselves, Bartlett guessed.
Looking at those people huddled together like sheep in the distance, seeking safety, he couldn't help but shake his head inwardly. Ordinary people wouldn't want to go on an adventure with such burdens, unless their thinking was different from ordinary people's.
Of course, the final decision was in the hands of Old Will, a 200-year-old Wandering Mage. Bartlett didn't know whether he would agree or refuse. As the saying goes, don't try to guess what a mage is thinking.
He didn't want to delay any longer, as it would be dark soon, and they still had to find a place to camp, so the time was tight. If Old Will agreed, having so many unfamiliar people together would be a big trouble, and the matter would need to be discussed in advance.
Bartlett didn't know why the mage in the brown robe didn't give his opinion on the matter, but it was time to decide. He turned to Old Will and asked, "What do you think?"
Old Will put the pipe in his mouth, took a deep puff, and exhaled the smoke. The half-elf next to him watched the events with interest, as if they had nothing to do with him; the Ogre picked its nose, seemingly bored, while the dwarf on its shoulder played with a dagger in its hand, occasionally surveying the surroundings.
"No!" Old Will said sternly, "My team will not let people join at random."
"Great mage, my ancestors were followers of mages too, and my family has been serving mages for generations. How can I be considered 'someone else'?" Jack was quite panicked.
He didn't understand mages, Bartlett shook his head in his heart. Mages don't care about human feelings, faces, social niceties, or manners.
"It doesn't matter who you are or how strong your team is," Old Will said, "I just don't like people joining my team after the journey has begun."
"We'll give you thirty percent of our harvest," the 'follower' of the mage - Handsome Jack - still tried to persuade Old Will.
The mage didn't say anything but walked forward without paying attention to Handsome Jack. The half-elf and the Ogre followed closely, and Bartlett, with a helpless expression, followed as well.
At least this annoying decision doesn't have to be made by me, he thought optimistically.
"Fifty percent!" Jack's voice called out again from behind, "Or sixty percent! Damn it, I'm talking about sixty percent of all our harvest!"
"How much do you want?" He shouted, the urgency and frustration audible in his voice.
You don't understand mages, you don't understand them. Bartlett looked back at Jack, saw his bewildered expression, and noticed that the mist around them seemed to be getting thicker...