In the beginning, Mist Forest wasn't too dangerous.
Oren led a cavalry, clearing the magical creatures and wild beasts here. The slightly powerful beings were either driven away or directly slain.
For Night Raven City, Mist Forest was like a backyard.
However, due to the recent events involving undead, Mist Forest had become a forbidden zone. Even nearby hunters dared not easily set foot in this place.
As the group entered Mist Forest, ash-gray mist enveloped the surroundings.
Sauron scanned all around and found no immediate danger. Despite the mist swirling through the forest, it seemed quite serene.
Conrad, standing nearby, appeared indifferent. He scoffed at the notion of undead, confident that, with his high-level Knight battle strength, he could face any ghosts without fear.
Gradually, the group delved deeper into Mist Forest.
The journey remained calm, with occasional birds flying by. Even Kylo Knight, who was initially anxious, began to relax.
"Ghost Pattern Flower!"
Suddenly, Sauron's heart stirred, and he looked towards a strange black flower not far away. He dismounted and approached it.
The black patterns on the petals resembled skulls, precisely the Ghost Pattern Flower, one of the main ingredients for configuring Night Raven potions.
"Not bad, it's the Ghost Pattern Flower."
Kylo Knight walked over cautiously and plucked the Ghost Pattern Flower.
Sauron nodded slightly, then instructed the team to spread out and search for more Ghost Pattern Flowers. In no time, they found several more.
Ghost Pattern Flower is a plant that cannot be artificially cultivated. However, in the depths of Mist Forest, it grew like a weed, and the Swain family would come to collect it periodically.
Crackling!
As Sauron searched for Ghost Pattern Flowers, a faint sound suddenly came from the surroundings.
Swish!
A black line shot up from the nearby grass.
Sauron's expression remained unchanged. He drew his cross sword, and with a swing, sword qi burst forth, cutting the black line in midair.
On the ground, the severed black line wriggled in agony.
"It's a Black Ring Snake."
Kylo Knight spoke softly.
The Black Ring Snake was a common snake-like creature in Mist Forest, roughly the thickness of a thumb. It was venomous but not lethal. An ordinary person bitten would fall into a coma, and even a Knight, if bitten, would only feel a momentary dizziness.
After a short break to deal with this minor incident, the group continued wandering in Mist Forest, collecting more Ghost Pattern Flowers.
However, at this moment, the gray mist churned in the surroundings.
Sauron's heart skipped a beat, and he scanned the area.
In the ash-gray fog, there were faintly transparent humanoid figures wandering. Then, in the next moment, a soldier's scream suddenly echoed from a distance.
"Ah!!!"
The piercing scream shattered the tranquility of Mist Forest.
Sauron's eyes flashed with light, and a sense of vigilance arose. He immediately ordered everyone to come back, forming a defensive circle in the forest.
This time, Sauron brought the Red Feather Guard to Mist Forest.
As the elite under Princess Hestoria, the Red Feather Guard had strict discipline and quickly returned to surround Sauron.
"Three missing!"
Sauron looked around and found three missing Red Feather Guard.
At this moment, from the distant mist, three silhouettes emerged. They were the Red Feather Guard, seemingly unharmed but walking somewhat unsteadily.
"Be careful, something's not right."
Beside him, Conrad frowned, sensing something unusual.
Sauron squinted, noticing the abnormality as well. The three Red Feather Guard had expressionless faces, and their complexion was deathly pale.
In the next moment, the three Red Feather Guard suddenly stopped.
From their mouths and noses, black mist emerged, forming humanoid shapes in midair. These shapes then surged towards the group.
"Undead!"
Kylo Knight's complexion changed. Subconsciously, he drew his cross sword and swung it at the approaching undead, cutting them in half in midair.
However, the intangible black mist quickly restored itself. Subsequently, the black mist rushed towards the surrounding soldiers. One soldier caught by the mist quickly lost his Life Aura.
Conrad's face turned slightly cold as he unsheathed the cross sword at his waist.
"Get lost!"
He shouted loudly, the imposing manner of a high-level Knight bursting out in an instant. The undead in the surrounding black mist immediately dispersed.
"As expected!"
Sauron's mind moved. The black mist attacking Conrad was no ordinary undead; it had evolved into a ghostly entity.
Compared to feeble undead, ghosts were evidently more terrifying.
However, to deal with a high-level Knight like Conrad, a mere ghost was not enough. Its wailing could only affect ordinary soldiers.
As for Conrad, he remained unmoved.