"Are you looking for me?" Ethan stopped Wu Renfan in his tracks.
Wu Renfan jumped, startled, but quickly composed himself. "Yes, Captain," he said. "I just wanted to ask if we have any specific plans for tomorrow. I think the herb collection task might be another kind of assessment from the academy. So, I wanted to discuss it with you. But you weren't there, and after waiting a while, I was about to leave when you returned. So, Captain, shall we discuss it?"
Ethan, growing impatient with the rambling, shook his head. "No need to discuss. Just follow my lead tomorrow."
Wu Renfan wanted to say more but was silenced by Ethan's stern look. He finally managed a dry laugh, "Okay, I'll follow your lead tomorrow."
After Wu Renfan left, Ethan entered the tent and checked for anything unusual. Finding nothing, he crawled into his sleeping bag.
The next day, Marshal briefed the students on their task. "These are the herbs you'll be collecting: Cloud Drop Grass, Moonlight Flower, and Water Ripple Leaf. They are the raw materials for 'Soothing Elixir' and 'Cloud Water Elixir.' The main distribution areas are marked on your group's computer. Now, begin the collection task!"
In the camp, Marshal's command sent the new students, including Ethan, streaming towards their assigned locations. Ethan opened the group computer and, following the prompts, ventured deep into the jungle with Wu Renfan and Cedricl trailing behind.
At first, they could still hear other people nearby, but as time went on, they were surrounded by rustling trees and small animals scurrying in the bushes or trees. Occasionally, roars of Behemoths echoed from afar. Thankfully, they were in the safer edge area of the forbidden zone, with the Ground Exploration Corps nearby, so there was little danger.
As they walked, Ethan would stop now and then, carefully examining the ground for signs of trampled leaves or suspicious mounds of dirt, which often revealed animal droppings. Wu Renfan showed a look of disgust when Ethan seemed to be sniffing the droppings, but Cedricl was more understanding. The Behemoth Knowledge class had taught them how to distinguish Behemoth droppings from those of other animals. Behemoth blood carried 'Crimson Poison,' making their droppings smell like sulfur, easy to identify. Recognizing Behemoth droppings could indicate whether they were in a Behemoth's territory, helping to avoid danger. Ethan was doing just that.
"He's being overly cautious," Wu Renfan muttered to Cedricl. "This area is relatively safe, and we cleared two Behemoths yesterday. There's no danger."
Cedricl, carrying the rifle distributed by the academy, looked around and whispered back, "I think it's better to be safe than sorry."
Ahead, Ethan stopped and looked back at them. Wu Renfan quickly shut his mouth.
As the day wore on and evening approached, the trio had collected enough herbs and prepared to return. Suddenly, Ethan signaled them to halt. Wu Renfan complained, "Captain, we've been out all day. Other teams have already returned to camp. We're the latest. Let's hurry back; my feet are killing me."
Ethan turned and silenced him with a gesture, "Quiet. Look, fog is rolling in."
With Ethan's prompt, Wu Renfan and Cedricl noticed the thin fog silently spreading, shrouding the nearby flora and making even distant scenery appear hazy.
Wu Renfan whispered, "This place is called 'Mist Gorge.' It's normal for fog to roll in. No need to make a fuss."
Cedricl shook his head, "No, it's not right. We're on the edge of the zone; there shouldn't be fog here."
"Quiet," Ethan urged. "Let's move."
Ethan had an ominous premonition. His three years on the surface had honed his animal-like instincts. Sudden fog in the edge area was abnormal, and where there's abnormality, there's often danger. He hoped they hadn't drawn the worst possible 'lot.'
Which one? Naturally, it was Huan, the dominant Behemoth of the gorge, known for 'stirring wind' and 'creating fog.'
The fog thickened, and even Wu Renfan, who had been dismissive, was now tense. Their visibility had shrunk to a mere three to five meters. Beyond that, everything was a blur. And Ethan began to feel as if they were walking in circles. He made marks on the trees, and sure enough, they circled back to the same spot.
"We're trapped in the fog," Wu Renfan panicked, like an ant on a hot pan.
Ethan remained calm, "Contact the camp, rest in place, and wait for rescue."
Cedricl immediately took out the walkie-talkie and called the camp. "Camp, camp, please respond."
After three attempts with no answer, Ethan's heart sank. But then, they heard someone shouting ahead, "Students, which group are you from? We're here to rescue you."
Relieved to hear the voice, Ethan relaxed slightly. Wu Renfan and Cedricl were overjoyed. Soon, they saw lights and several vague figures approaching through the fog.
"Students, where are you? Answer if you hear us."
Wu Renfan was about to respond when Ethan suddenly realized something. If it was a rescue team, why didn't they know their identities? Why didn't they know which group they were from? He quickly covered Wu Renfan's mouth and shook his head.
His crimson eyes lit up with silver points as Ethan activated his 'Barrier Breaking Eye.' The fog vanished from his sight, the trees and plants lost their substance, and everything was reduced to lines and numbers.
Ignoring the numbers, Ethan looked in the direction of the lights. Indeed, there was a large aura of gray light in the distance, resembling a cat sitting on the ground, but this 'cat' had three tails waving behind it.
Huan!
Without a doubt, they had drawn the worst lot. The gray aura ahead was the dominant Behemoth of the gorge, the source of the 'Behemoth Ecology' within the forbidden zone.
Ethan quickly recalled the Behemoth's characteristics. Besides 'stirring wind' and 'creating fog,' it also had 'illusion' in its description. In other words, the lights and figures they had seen were illusions, a deceptive tactic of the Behemoth.
Ethan looked around and spotted a hollow, dead giant tree. Grabbing Cedricl and Wu Renfan by the shoulders, he whispered, "Quiet. Follow me."
Moments later, they squeezed into the hollow tree. Wu Renfan finally asked, "What are we doing?"
"Huan is here," Ethan stated succinctly. "The lights and sounds we saw and heard were illusions. We are too insignificant for the Behemoth to notice, just like ants in a flowerbed. It hasn't found us, so it's using illusions to lure us into a trap. But there must be something on us that attracts it. Otherwise, it wouldn't come out from the depths of the forbidden zone."
He then looked at Cedricl and Wu Renfan, "Open your backpacks!"