Several hours later, we found ourselves staring at the wooden gates of a village, guarded by watchtowers on either sides and surrounded by a spiky wooden fence. It was very old-fashioned and these defenses would barely do anything in this world of magic, but it is what it is.

By now, the sun had set, but there was one strange thing about the area. It was shrouded in a dense coat of fog… despite there being no build-up on the way up here. It was very sudden, but everyone was tired enough to fall asleep on the spot and couldn't be bothered to notice. The excitement of finally arriving at their destination did little to cheer them up.

It was just for a brief moment too, as right after stepping into the fog, it dissipated as if it hadn't been there at all. The girls on my team and I noticed this, and by the looks of it, Long Yi did as well. Everyone else, however…

The elder slowly lumbered over to the front gates of the village, where two guards stood on the watchtowers respectively, bows drawn in their hands.

"Lower your weapons,

" a voice suddenly said from within the gates just as they swung open. The two guards were confused at first, but did as told.

As the gates were pushed open, an old woman was revealed behind them, back arched and using a walking stick to help support herself.

"Welcome… to Haria Village. You are the ones Demitrius informed me about, yes…? Come on in. We can speak properly there.

"

The elder nodded to her and walked into the village, the rest of us following behind. It could just be my eyes, but the old woman's warm, inviting smile… didn't seem so warm at all. Rather, it gave me the creeps.

As soon as all of us entered, the gates slammed shut on their own, but everyone was too tired to notice. Strangely, I felt my own senses began dulling as well, which made me wonder…

Was it just us all being tired, or… was it the fog?

The old woman sat down on a stool as the other villagers gathered around her, staring at us. Their eyes were… lifeless.

"Now then… you came here to seek knowledge about the Grey Scourge, yes?

"

The elder nodded.

"What can you tell us about it?

"

"Hm… well… I have heard stories of where its rampage started — the city of Titania. It is a black mist that kills everything it comes across and does not leave any trace behind.

"

"In other words, its a paracausal entity that can't be destroyed by physical means?

" The elder muttered.

"Yes…

" The old woman said, a smile creeping on her face.

"It is not as simple as a Monster or Magic Beast… it feeds on life itself, not flesh or blood. But that is about the extent of my knowledge on the matter. I am old… I forget many things.

"

"… Where is the closest village that has been affected by it already?

" The elder asked, taking a different approach.

"Taelis Village, not too far away from here. But if you are planning on facing the Scourge directly, I recommend getting rested first.

"

"Rest…

" The elder looked behind him at all the dozing off young mages and took a deep breath.

"Yes… we will camp outside, then.

"

"No worries… you can stay right here in this village,

" the old woman said kindly, but her voice carried a twinge of evil, so minimal one could barely notice it.

"No no, that won't do,

" the elder hurriedly refused.

"Your village is small enough as it is, and you have your own villagers to take care o-

"

"Please,

" the old woman insisted.

"You are our saviors, risking your lives here… this is the least we can do to pay back.

"

"This…

"

"Elder… just accept her proposal…

" Ming Hao muttered, already half-asleep.

"I'm so beat…

"

"Third young master… I see. In that case, we will take you up on your offer.

"

"Yes…

" The old woman smiled suggestively, opening one eye that carried an inhuman darkness within them.

"… Follow me.

"

*****

The old woman led the group to the largest building of the village — an inn. It seemed that this village was a frequent tourism spot for people who came here to admire this mountain, so they had this inn built nice and large, able to accommodate all of us.

Each team got their own room just to make things easy, and the elder received his own as well. After arriving in ours, the girls and I couldn't help but be slightly impressed.

"Wow… this is better… than expected…

" Feng Mian murmured, rubbing her eyes.

"Ah… I'm too tired to take a shower… I think I'm going to just… sleep…

"

She fell over on her bed, immediately going unconscious. The remaining four of us, however, stayed awake — or at least, tried to.

"… You guys all felt it too, huh?

" I asked, putting up a sound barrier while blinking rapidly to try and fight back against the urge to sleep.

"Yes… if it wasn't for dragons having extreme resistance to drowsiness, I would not have been able to withstand it,

" Obsidia said.

"That fog… it was weird.

"

"I can't be sure of anything just yet, but I agree,

" Lin Luo added.

"The fog felt very sudden and disappeared the moment we stepped through… nature doesn't work like that.

"

"At this point… I'm not really even sure anymore,

" I said with a sigh.

"I just feel too tired… and want to… sleep…

"

"Xuan Kai, you can't!

" Lin Luo called out, rushing over and shaking my body.

"I don't know what it is, but there's definitely something going on with this village. Until we find out what that something is, you ca-

"

"Zzz…

"

"… Forget it,

" Obsidia spat.

"He's already asleep. No matter his power, he is but a mere human in the end. The resistances we dragons and Celestici have are built in to our bodies.

"

"Then… what should we do?

"

"… You two can go to sleep,

" Mei Gui suggested.

"I am an Elemental and thus do not require sleep at all. I can stay up all night and watch.

"

"… Are you sure?

"

"Yes. Although you have sleep resistance, you still need sleep in the end, correct?

"

"That is true…

"

"Then go. Leave this to me.

"

"… Alright, then.

"

The two girls took showers then went to bed, drifting off to sleep. Mei Gui was the only one left still conscious, sitting closely by my side like a guardian angel.

*****

- Several Hours Later, 00:00 -

"… They should be asleep by now, yes….?

" The old woman giggled sinisterly, tapping her walking stick on the ground impatiently.

"I… can't wait… any longer…

" One of the villagers croaked, clutching his forehead before tumbling onto the ground.

"Grah…. GRAHHH!

"

"ARGH…!

"

"GRRR…

"

"BLEH…

"

All around the old woman, the villagers of Haria Village transformed into disgusting molds of flesh one by one. Their intestines turned inside-out, their bodies deformed into a mush of meat. They became horrifying creatures that looked nothing like humans despite having the same organs.

"Heh… it's… time… to FEED.

"

The old woman herself's body began contorting as well, bending and twisting in impossible positions before finally becoming a skinny monster made of red muscle and blood with two eyes on the sides of its body and four long scythe-like tendrils that were ready to cut up its prey.

And then, one by one, the army of distorted creatures lumbered towards the inn, where their food slept peacefully, having no idea they were about to get devoured alive.

*****

Mei Gui, who had her Third Eye active, suddenly snapped open her eyes and turned to me, who was still sleeping at the time.

"Master! Wake up!

"

But I would not. Within my sleep, I couldn't even hear her words. Biting her lip, she tried someone else, Obsidia and Lin Luo, who claimed to have resistance against sleep. But alas, they didn't wake up either.

It seemed that this fog made anyone who fell victim to it not able to wake up unless triggered by extreme stimulation. If that was the case, then…

Mei Gui hurried to the washroom as she detected those creatures going into the room where the elder was in and stopping for a brief moment before coming back out and going into the next room. Only one more until ours.

It would be safe to assume had already been consumed.

"…!

" Mei Gui quickly grabbed a bucket and filled it up to the brim with cold water before shutting it off and rushing back to me and splashing it all over my face.

"B-Bwah!

" I immediately woke up, startled.

"M-Mei Gui…?

"

"Master, your prediction was right — the villagers… they've turned into murderous heaps of flesh.

"

"Murderous heaps of fl- woah!

"

I leaped backwards off the bed as the wooden door was suddenly torn open by a muscle-color red tentacle curved in the shape of a scythe, blasting it straight open.

Mei Gui immediately summoned her spear and I tried to do the same, but my eyes widened in surprise as nothing happened.

What?! I don't have mana…?!