Since we were all starving, we downed the wine and devoured the Fairy Clams at a rapid pace. With satisfied burps, we sprawled out on the ground to rest comfortably.

After lying there for a while, Xiao Feiyang suddenly sat up and said, "No, we need to find something to barricade the door; otherwise, it's too dangerous."

I frowned, also sitting up, and glanced at the sky outside the door, which was gradually darkening. I said, "Don't be naive. Where are we going to find something to block the door now? We can only take turns standing guard."

"Fine! I'll take the first watch!" Xiao Feiyang declared, raising his hand.

I was surprised he had suddenly become so diligent. Just as I was about to offer praise, he yawned and said, "So I need to sleep first."

I cursed inwardly, Sleep, sleep until you die.

Andre sat across from the bonfire, still drinking, saying nothing.

I knew he must also be uneasy, which was why he was so silent.

After some thought, I figured I wouldn't be able to sleep once night fell, so I should seize the daytime to rest a bit more.

Taking advantage of the alcohol, I lay down and closed my eyes.

I quickly drifted off to sleep, but it wasn't a sound rest, because my **body felt incredibly cold.

After an unknown amount of time, a gust of cold wind blew in from a small hole in the warehouse wall, causing me to shiver and slowly wake from my dream.

The rain outside the warehouse seemed to have intensified, pouring down with a sound that frayed the nerves.

I sat up and saw that the sky hadn't completely darkened yet, still showing a hint of pale, fish-belly white.

Just then, Andre walked over from the side, holding my clothes. He said, "You're awake. The wind has shifted, and it will be extremely cold tonight. The clothes are dry now; you should put them on."

I nodded, taking the clothes from Andre, and noticed they were warm from being near the fire—very comforting.

It seemed Andre had taken them down to warm for us while I was asleep.

I looked at Andre gratefully and managed a quiet thank you.

I then put on the clothes; they were indeed much warmer.

After I was dressed, Xiao Feiyang, beside me, hadn't stirred at all from our commotion, still snoring loudly.

I walked over and shook his shoulder, but it had no effect; Xiao Feiyang's snores only quieted slightly.

With no other choice, I draped my clothes over him so he wouldn't catch a chill.

Having done that, I walked to the doorway and looked outside.

The heavy rain was lashing the ground, each drop kicking up a sparkling splash, indicating a serious downpour.

And for some unknown reason, as the heavy rain fell, the fog had grown much denser than before.

Above the thick mist, an occasional flash of lightning would streak across, illuminating the hazy earth.

Watching this strange spectacle, for some reason, a sense of apprehension settled in my heart.

After watching for a while, I returned to the interior. I saw Andre reading a book he’d produced from somewhere, with a good supply of firewood beside him, enough for the entire night.

Seeing me return, he yawned and said, "Worrying is useless; this rain won't stop for three to five days."

I sighed and replied, "I'm not worried about the rain, but this heavy fog. It's strange; this fog is really abnormal. Normally, heavy rain shouldn't bring fog."

Andre was silent for a moment, then said, "There's nothing to be done. The weather here has always been like this, from ancient times till now; nobody knows why."

Bored, I sat down by the fire again, waiting for nightfall.

As darkness completely enveloped everything, my anxiety grew more pronounced.

And things seemed to be heading in a bad direction.

Because as soon as it got dark, the fog outside the door showed signs of gradually creeping into the interior.

I looked at Andre; he clearly hadn't expected this either and frowned deeply.

The thick, white mist poured in through the doorway, and even the small holes seemed to leak the fog inward. Soon, the inside of the warehouse became hazy, with only the area close to the bonfire retaining a sliver of clarity.

Andre and I instinctively moved closer to the fire, lest we couldn't even see each other.

Our eyes held shades of horror and unease, while Xiao Feiyang continued to sleep like a log.

I reached over and shook Xiao Feiyang again, but he showed no sign of waking.

At that moment, a strange feeling washed over me. Could this fog have some kind of hypnotic effect? I wondered.

Just as I was about to pour water from the kettle onto Xiao Feiyang's face, a strange sound from outside the door caught my attention.

The sound chilled my blood, for it was precisely the rustling sound made by people walking.

"The Sea Women are here..." I whispered to Andre.

Andre also stood up nervously, raising his pistol and scanning their surroundings.

Zzzt-zzzt... Zzzt-zzzt...

Then, another strange noise erupted near us, closer than the sounds outside—as if right by our ears—sounding somewhat like radio interference.

I listened intently, but looking around, I found nothing amiss.

It wasn't until the flame in the center of the room dimmed that I realized the sound was caused by raindrops within the fog being scorched by the fire.

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would hardly have believed that such a thing existed—that the density of the fog could actually extinguish a fire.

"The wine! Quickly, pour wine on the fire!" I urged Andre.

Andre fumbled at his side, finding no bottle, then turned to search.

In that brief interval, the light of the flames instantly dimmed much further. I saw only a pea-sized, sickly green flame remaining at my feet.

As the flame faded into near darkness, a small, slender shadow slipped in through the doorway with incredible speed.

As the shadow moved, it disturbed the mist, creating a wave-like path. Judging by this disturbance, it was charging directly toward Xiao Feiyang.

My heart leaped in alarm. I snatched a dry piece of firewood from the pile and hurled it toward the shadow's trajectory.

There was a thud as the heavy piece of wood struck the shadow squarely.

I thought I saw the shadow recoil slightly before darting back out the door.

At that moment, Andre found the wine and poured it onto the tiny flame.

Poof! The flame immediately shot up again, illuminating the entire room brightly.

Then we heard the footsteps outside recede somewhat, though they still lingered nearby.

I let out a breath. "That was close. It seems these Sea Women really fear fire."

Andre nodded and said, "Quickly check on Xiao Feiyang."

His words made my heart plummet.

Because at some point, Xiao Feiyang's snoring had stopped.

I prayed silently that he was merely startled awake and then fumbled toward where he had been sleeping.

But when my hand reached the spot, my heart sank to the bottom.

Xiao Feiyang was gone!

Andre asked from beside me, "Well?"

I hurriedly replied, "He's gone! That thing must have dragged him away."

Andre stamped his foot and cursed, "That baggage! Let's go, quickly, or he'll be in danger!"

I nodded, pulled a burning log from the firewood pile to use as a torch, and stepped out of the room first.

Andre followed me out, his gun already chambered.

I also drew my Silver Fish Dagger, guarding against any sudden dangers.

As the torchlight entered the mist, combined with the rain washing over it, it immediately grew dim.

Andre poured the remaining wine onto it, managing to keep a weak light going for a short while longer.

Because of the pervasive fog and the constant rustling sounds of movement, I couldn't tell which direction to go. I could only shout, "Please release my friend! We mean no harm, just seeking shelter for the night. Why are you making trouble for us!"

In the thick fog and heavy rain, there was no reply, only the ceaseless rustling sound.

"Bang!" Andre fired a shot into the sky behind me and said, "They don't understand human speech! We'll fight our way straight through and take Xiao Feiyang back!"

As we were speaking, the distinct sound of a ship's foghorn suddenly blared from a short distance away.

"What's going on? With fog this thick, how could a ship be approaching?" Andre asked.