It was only then that Shade noticed that the young witch's spirit was abnormally high. This was definitely not the joy caused by being noticed by a big shot, but rather seemed to be a stress reaction after the spirit was affected.
However, compared to being haggard and silent, this reaction is at least somewhat normal, so there is no need to worry about it yet.
So Shade looked at the boy who was holding a torch and standing some distance away from the three of them, as if he was trying to avoid suspicion and said he didn't want to eavesdrop on the conversation.
Judging from his clothing, the boy must have come from a noble family. His figure is not strong, but he is definitely not malnourished, so his age can be inferred from his height, which is about fifteen or sixteen years old.
"He arrived earlier than you, because each person can only hold one torch here, so it is safer to gather together, so I did not drive him away."
Miss Higgins said, the boy thanked the witch tremblingly, and then answered the question:
"Hello, hello, hello, I'm Andorra Ade, and I'm here to buy things too."
His timidity at this time is much more normal. Ordinary people in this era have no way to protect themselves when faced with such a strange place.
"Now that we have introduced ourselves, it's your turn, sir."
The young witch looked at Shade, and Shade gave her name:
"Shad Hamilton, sort of travel writer and detective."
The witch nodded slightly and continued to explain to Shade:
"The place we are going to next is a market not far away hidden in the black mist. This is only the entrance to the market. You must hold a torch to move inside. Please be sure not to extinguish the torch. As for leaving here...
..."
She looked around. The firelight could not penetrate very far, and the black mist was quite oppressive:
"Her Majesty the Witch Emperor of the desert outside will meet us at a specific time. But you can probably feel that this is a chaotic place of time and space, so it is difficult to say how long we will have to wait."
Although she said this, her tone was very relaxed:
"But I don't care. If I die unfortunately, His Majesty will give my sister a large compensation. For a witch with no background like me, the only way to go further is to go
Bet on your luck."
"Your sister and you are not twins, right?"
Shade asked quickly, and Miss Leah Higgins gave him a confused look:
"Of course not. My sister has just grown up, and I have already...why do you think they are twins?"
"Just pretend I didn't say it. So, the camp is over there, right?"
He pointed in the direction he was going to go just now, and the witch nodded:
"Mrs. Miles wants to make up for the past regrets. The boy's country over there was destroyed, and he wants to save the tragedy. As for me, although I was hired, I am also prepared to make some deals. After all, this kind of place is not free.
Come."
She paused and then added cautiously:
"Most of the transactions in the Black Mist Camp require currency, and a few require emotions, sins and even souls, but His Majesty does not recommend that we use anything other than currency. Since you said you came here by accident, there should be nothing on you for trading.
currency, right?”
She took out a black coin from her pocket and showed it to Shade, and deliberately put her hand in front of Shade.
Shade glanced at it and knew that this was a coin he had never seen before. The black coin was about the same size as a one-shilling alloy silver coin. On one side was the witch's own image, and on the other side was a symbol of money. However, this was not a relic.
.Of course, Shade also knew that the young witch was deliberately testing him:
"I don't have such a thing, don't worry, I won't snatch it away."
"You can't take it away either. These coins cannot transfer the owner through other means other than transactions. Look at my avatar on it, it means that I am the owner of this coin."
"Then can you take me with you to the Black Mist Camp?"
"Of course, let's go now."
The witch said, taking the initiative to help the elderly woman. Although she claimed to be hired, she was still very dedicated. At the same time, Shade noticed that Mrs. Miles' hat was decorated with small purple flowers, which seemed to be
Thyme.
The old woman smiled at Shade:
"As I get older, I want to make up for my past regrets before I die."
She took the initiative to tell Shade what she wanted to do:
"When I was young, my lover said goodbye to me and went to fight in a war far away. I promised him that I would marry him when he came back, but I ended up waiting all my life."
"Didn't you divine the other party's whereabouts? Isn't your cousin very powerful?"
Shade asked curiously. Old Mrs. Miles shook her head:
"He promised to come back, and I believe he won't break his promise... Even if he doesn't come back, I want him to tell me personally what happened to him. Look at my old-fashioned hat.
He gave me parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme before he left. These are the only memories I have of the day we parted. It was such a beautiful day."
She coughed a few times, and with the support of the red-haired witch, she left the campfire and came to the path. The boy followed them with a torch, but did not dare to get too close.
The witch gently patted the old woman's back a few times and continued to say to Shade:
"We can't stay in the market too long. Fortunately for you and me, Mrs. Miles and the boy over there are ordinary people. They must return here before they can't hold on any longer."
The group of people raised their torches and walked toward the depths of the black mist. Shade asked:
"Approximately how long can we stay?"
"In a place where time and space are confused, it's hard for me to give you a time ruler. If it doesn't work, it won't work... You must protect the flame. Without the flame, you will be lost here forever. So, it's best for everyone to act together.
, even if one person’s flame is extinguished, others can protect her.”
She supported Mrs. Miles and walked behind Shade, while the boy was further behind. Away from the bonfire, the temperature dropped rapidly, and she could already exhale mist from her mouth as she spoke. The visibility was further declining, and the black mist became more intense.
Thick, the area illuminated by four torches seems to be the only safe zone left in the world.
"I have one last question."
Shade, who took the initiative to lead the way, could already vaguely see a shadow like a shadow appearing in the black fog ahead. His body was obviously able to withstand the severe cold, but at this time he still couldn't help but shiver:
"Is this strange place related to gods?"
The task of the tree father is to make deals with the God of Commerce and Wealth, not with the weird things that gradually appear in front of him.
"I haven't heard of it, I don't know."
The young witch raised her collar and shook her head decisively. She was covered in a thick cotton coat, and only the hand holding the torch was white from the cold. Shade gasped and nodded. He understood that maybe his main task was not to help.
The group of people reached their respective deals and found the god first. Thinking of this, they quietly looked at their three companions this time. The boy and the old woman also looked breathless due to the cold and oppression.
They looked pale, but no one gave up moving forward.
"I wonder if the gods have already lurked among us, just like they did in the Forest of Thousand Trees."
Thinking in his mind, he did not forget to take out the cotton-padded clothes from his pocket and put them on. The other three were already prepared, so they did not need Xia De's help.
The so-called "Black Mist Camp" is quite close to the campfire, but it was not noticed just now because of the influence of the black mist. As the trembling people gradually moved forward with torches, it was only a dozen steps away.
From now on, the end of the uphill path will be their destination.
The terrain is very open, and the strange grass and wild flowers on the ground have been cleared away, revealing a black land covered by a layer of frost. In the fog, translucent figures like shadows emerge as the fog is dispersed by the light of the fire. They may be sitting cross-legged.
Or standing, these shadows have similar postures, and each has its own products and stalls in front of it.
But all the black shadows here are completely still, and there is no sound around. It is like a solidified oil painting. In addition to the black shadows, there are stalls and roads extending in all directions between the stalls. As for
The camp itself looks quite large, or because the field of vision is limited and cannot see very far away, it is impossible to see the end at a glance.
Except for the four people, there should be no other guests here. The strange scene illuminated by the fire made the four Shade subconsciously stop.
"Look here."
At the entrance of the camp at the end of the trail, a dilapidated notice board is stuck diagonally in the soil. Hold a torch and look carefully. Various messy paw prints form crooked letters on the notice board. Those densely packed letters not only understand everything
Shade can understand the text, and even the remaining three can understand it.
Because this is the text of this era of the Fifth Age:
【Fair, fair, fair】
"That's not bad."
Shade admired softly, and the white mist in his mouth extended into the mist where the firelight was not bright. He adjusted his breathing and asked the young witch beside him:
"Who do you want to trade with?"
Judging from the entrance of the camp, most of the items on the vendors were covered in thicker black mist, and it was impossible to see what they were selling. The few goods that could be seen clearly were the limbs of the flesh mold lake, or the costumes.
Strange pieces of flesh squirming in dirty bottles. In addition, the black shadows were featureless, so it was not easy to find specific targets.
"I don't know either, but I took other people's money and I can't take no risks. I already have a plan, please follow me."
It could be seen that she was also a little afraid of this place, but she still stood up bravely. First she trembled and gave Mrs. Myers a few words of advice, then passed over Shade and approached the stall on the left side of the camp entrance with a torch.