Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 676 - 69: Red Eyes

The skill list included natural elements that had never been mentioned before, and even the academy had no records of shadow elements. As Ethan stopped in his tracks, the post office behind him had completely vanished into the depths of the fog.

"Put me down, I feel much better now."

Ave, who was being carried on his back, whispered. Her eyes were still bloodshot, but she looked much more spirited. The golden retriever on top of her head, which had been headbutting anyone who came close, also quieted down.

Ethan joked, "You're not trying to trick me into letting you go and then attack me, are you?"

Ave smiled, "You can try. I just feel that there's something different about this place, something that gives me a sense of...peace deep within."

This place was calling to her, and her ravenous appetite gradually faded, as if a wanderer returning home.

Ave wriggled out from the bedding, along with the disappearance of the dizziness. She only felt that her senses had become unprecedentedly sharp; her vision could even penetrate the fog to see farther away. About a few hundred meters away, there was a dilapidated village, and at this moment, a team was approaching their direction.

In fact, she didn't know how she could see so far, perhaps the ghoul virus had taken root in her body. The book "Meeting 100 Dark Beings" mentioned that the senses of ghouls are different from ordinary people. Demon Hunter August believed this was a compensatory mechanism after the mind and intellect were stripped away, and also proof that ghouls transformed from humans into beasts.

Ave couldn't see what she looked like now, but perhaps she also looked more and more like a ghoul.

"Someone's coming."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a man's voice called out from the depths of the fog, "Put your hands up where I can see them!"

Three people were approaching, all wearing similar gray hoods and holding old-fashioned crossbow arrows. The leader was a burly man with a stubble beard, he was old, his hair had turned gray and white, and the scar running across his right eye silently told the story of his youthful experiences.

"Two of them?"

He was clearly taken aback upon seeing Ethan and Ave, but when he saw Ave's bloodshot eyes, his expression changed instantly, and he pointed the crossbow at her forehead, asking sternly, "How long have you been infected?"

"Last night."

Ave answered truthfully.

Hearing this, the burly man sighed in relief, "At least you still have your consciousness... Demon Hunter Van Fleet, don't take it to heart, it's just a routine checkup. This is not the place to talk, our refuge is not far from here."

"You're quite open-minded."

Ave said, "The Demon Hunters I know usually shoot ghouls in the head as soon as they see them."

"That's true, unless you've been saved by a ghoul with humanity during a crisis."

This was a village belonging to Demon Hunters.

Ethan had heard of such places when he was in Ximu Town. They were usually bases for Demon Hunters, providing them with lodging, supplies, and information. On the fences outside the village hung lanterns glowing with a ghostly green light. Each lantern was ten meters apart, forming a barrier around the village. The light from the lanterns worked to dispel the fog, keeping visibility within the village at a level similar to Dark Furnace City.

As they entered the village, Ethan saw more people dressed as Demon Hunters. A team of guards patrolling the village entrance with crossbows greeted Van Fleet with waves as he returned, evidently showing his high status within the village.

"Do you have any religious beliefs? Don't be nervous, it's just a routine check."

Van Fleet took them to his house, a run-down wooden hut that smelled of mildew. The workmanship of the tables, chairs, and beds was rudimentary, as if one had returned to over a decade ago.

"Followers of the God of Truth."

"Elemental Shaper."

They answered respectively.

"I assume you've already realized that your usual methods no longer work here."

Van Fleet walked to a cabinet, took out a sword and a crossbow, and placed them on the table, "You'll have to use these from now on. If you have any questions, you can find our training officer in the village. He's also an experienced Demon Hunter who can teach you how to protect yourselves in the fog—provided you don't stray too far from the village."

Van Fleet seemed quite experienced in this, directly skipping the cumbersome interrogation process, "Whether you arrived here by accident or intentional is beside the point, you should be ready to stay long-term in the village. Trust me, the previous route can't be returned to, if you insist on going back the same way, waiting at the end of the road for you isn't the post office of Dark Furnace City, but hordes of ghouls, more than you can imagine, and definitely unlike any you've ever seen."

"These people, they are the missing people of Dark Furnace City?"

"Carpenters, blacksmiths, chefs, thanks to them this village could be built. In exchange, we teach them how to survive in the fog."

Van Fleet paused, "As for me, I have been stuck in this damned place for over ten years, I truly hope I can find a way out before I die of old age."

"I'm very interested in the matter you mentioned earlier about being saved by ghouls, are you referring to those ghouls who can still maintain their cognitive abilities?"

Mr. Ethan glanced at Ave meaningfully, "This will be of great help to us."

"It's just as it sounds, buddy. Back then, I was attacked by ghouls in the mist and then met a young man with bloodshot eyes like her. I suspect it might be a result of incomplete mutation; the ghouls wandering in the mist seem to fear them, just like... the difference between a vampire-style master and her minions."

Van Fleet paused, "We call those people 'Red-Eyes', they live somewhere deep in the mist but I advise you not to think too highly of them. The young man I encountered was an anomaly among the 'Red-Eyes'. If you rashly enter their territory, the ghouls there will swarm you, leaving not even bone fragments behind."

"We are here to find a woman in her thirties, with long brown hair, wearing a brown trench coat."

"Lady Valerie."

Van Fleet directly revealed Valerie's name with a sigh, "It's a pity you came too late; she went to the 'Red-Eyes' territory a long while ago. When she mentioned that she was a believer of the Truth Society, I guessed your purpose — as well as that schoolmaster named Fisher. I warned him not to leave the village; you believers of the God of Truth are not particularly adept at listening to advice."

The investigation finally had progress, explaining why Mr. Fisher died at the hands of a group of low-level ghouls.

This area severed his connection with the God of Truth, rendering both Fisher and Valerie ordinary people here. Once they lost their magic, their combat abilities were far inferior to those of demon hunters trained systematically in weaponry.

And this uncanny territory seems like a polluted zone created by one of the Old Gods.

Yakwell, the Director of the Reception Bureau, mentioned in his book on the investigation of polluted zones that when the hierarchy in the polluted zone is deep enough, the powers of True Gods and Middle-Level Gods will distance themselves.

Thus, it is virtually impossible for human power to accomplish the exploration of such polluted zones.

"Listen, no matter what achievements you've made outside, they mean nothing here. The only way to survive long-term here is to stay with the other villagers. We've set up defenses around the village's perimeter, and the ghouls won't bother us here."

The conversation shifted, "Of course, you can also take up a sword and crossbow and seek a way out on your own. I'm not going to deceive you; not all villagers are willing to accept a 'Red-Eye' into the village. She will likely find it much harder to fit in than others."

Mr. Ethan was not surprised by this, as he had noticed the way others looked at Ave when entering the village.

However, he thought this was understandable; normal people wouldn't want to live with someone whose illness is unclear, who might transform into a ghoul and attack at any moment. Meanwhile, Van Fleet provided them with critical information.

Besides the disappearances in Dark Furnace City, there is a group who have also contracted the ghoul plague but can retain their rationality.

They share the same characteristics as Ave.

This also means that they likely have more in common; more importantly, if Lady Valerie is still alive, she's very likely in the domain of the 'Red-Eyes' now.

"We plan to go out and try our luck,"

Ave said.

"They are to the north of the town, just head straight along this road, and once you enter their territory, the 'Red-Eyes' will appear."

Van Fleet seemed relieved about this, as it seemed to save him a lot of trouble.

Convincing the villagers to let a 'Red-Eye' stay in the village is no easy task, "They likely won't bother the young lady, but for you, Mr. Ethan, I'd strongly suggest you stay in the village."

"I'm going with her."

Mr. Ethan said immediately, he was closely monitoring Ave's condition.

Before heading to the post office, he had suggested asking an old friend to help Ave with her ailment, but Ave refused. She believed this unusual ghoul plague might be intricately connected with the place they were heading to; she heard a sort of summons in her sleep.

This would aid their investigation.

Mr. Ethan agreed with Ave's approach — she was a true believer of the God of Truth, unafraid to use her own body as an experiment in the pursuit of truth. However, the bottom line was that Mr. Ethan would not let Ave truly transform into a crawling dark creature. If her condition worsened further, reaching the new stage mentioned in "Introducing You to 100 Dark Creatures", he would immediately arrange an expert consultation for Ave.

"Mr. Ethan."

Van Fleet looked at Mr. Ethan with a significant glance, "You're very brave; I can only wish you good luck."