If there were indeed an issue, he would issue an investigation report and send it to Lundan to be handled by the headquarters’ Scalpel Organization.
It so happened that Bishop Keith from the Heavenly Father Church was visiting, and the two of them hit it off immediately. More people meant more power, and if there were any problems, they would have an extra pair of hands, so they set off together.
Another thick fog—could it be the same fog I ran into?
Wayne pondered for a moment, realizing the problem was significant, and looked at the middle-aged man and asked, "What’s your name? Can you drive?"
"Andre, I have a driver’s license."
"You come with me to South Cambridge Shire; everyone else continues to work. Remember to clock in and out on time, and don’t let me catch you slacking off again." Wayne picked up the phone to call Philark, indicating he wouldn’t be coming home because he was working overtime tonight.
South Cambridge Shire, five o’clock in the afternoon.
There was still some time before sunset, and a thin mist was rising on the country roads. The mist seemed to seep out from the woods, coming from all directions without any discernible source, quite mysterious.
It couldn’t possibly be appearing out of nowhere, could it?
A group of more than ten people walked along a country path, led by two men in sharp suits—Bishop Keith from the Heavenly Father’s Holy See and Deacon Darcy from the Naturalism Church.
With different beliefs, they were supposed to have a rather cold relationship, but these two were clearly exceptions.
As a grassroots deacon, Darcy was focused solely on his career. Bishop Keith, unlike bishops from other dioceses, did not put on airs, was cordial and pleasant to others, and had no particular predilections, such as for little boys.
Of course, there was another possibility: the Heavenly Father’s Holy See in Windsor was in decline, and he could not afford to put on airs even if he wanted to, let alone indulge in peculiar tastes.
Both men were experienced mages, and following the clues while exchanging thoughts, they quickly sensed the beginnings of something.
"I remember the fog outbreaks starting back in July, around the same time a significant event occurred—Death Knights appeared in Lundan," said Bishop Keith.
"Yes, ever since the Dark Knights appeared, The Church suffered heavy losses, the pastor positions remained long vacant, and the covert minions of the evil cult became less obedient than before," Darcy said, kicking aside a mound of earth in front of him.
The insects scurried away, burrowing into the soil through the surrounding cracks.
This striped arthropod, resembling a centipede, was named ’millipede,’ many-segmented, each segment bearing a pair of legs.
Millipedes, although carnivorous arthropods, would feed on vegetation when smaller in size and, because of the damage they inflicted on crops, were generally considered pests.
What made people most uncomfortable was the appearance of the millipedes.
Darcy frowned as he watched the millipedes vanish into the earth, "A few days ago, the university released a report. An entomologist thoroughly explained the millipede outbreak; the reasons were sound, I almost believed it."
"I’ve seen that report too," continued the other. "They claim it’s a new species with a strong ability to reproduce, and the city government has even formed a pest control team..."
The two men exchanged glances, shaking their heads.
If it were merely a new species, that would actually be good news.
"Darcy, do you think the fog changed these insects, giving them unprecedented reproductive abilities, or is this the work of heretics?" Bishop Keith asked.
Darcy remained silent. From each other’s perspective, they were all heretics.
Keith realized his slip of the tongue and corrected himself, "Do the believers of Death and Darkness play with insects?"
"As far as I know, no one likes insects. There’s a strong possibility of mutation due to the fog..."
Darcy was hesitant to draw a conclusion; after all, he was just an ordinary Silver Mage, and this problem was a bit beyond his expertise.
"I do know a few Evil Gods from Hell that are associated with insects."
Darcy looked displeased at Keith; it was better to speak plainly, as playing coy could delay the time needed to report back, harming everyone’s interests.
"That’s impossible. The Evil Gods are sealed in Hell; their power can’t affect the mortal realm. Even if they had followers spreading their creed, the numbers would be pitifully small. By comparison, I lean more towards two possibilities," said Keith, outlining his speculations. First, the fog mutation—there were many such cases; second, Black Sorcerers conducting forbidden experiments.
Black Sorcerers were not mages who worshipped the Dark Goddess; rather, they were the Magic Realm’s wanted criminals seeking the so-called true essence of magic and were unscrupulous in their methods.
At first glance, they resembled the freedom-seeking mages, but Black Sorcerers were much more vicious. Greedy for tremendous power, they often conducted cruel and forbidden rites, aiming to gain the favor of Hell’s Evil Gods.
As they walked and talked, they soon arrived at a pasture, where the owner was clearing insects from the fodder. Upon learning that the group consisted of investigators from the university’s Department of Entomology, he immediately began to complain.
"These insects are no longer content with just fodder; they’ve started eating meat. Last night they swarmed the cowshed in such numbers that the mere thought of it still scares me..."
"I heard that a dead body in the neighboring village wasn’t buried in time. In just one night, the insects ate half of it, and by the time it was discovered the next day, the belly was full of bugs."
The rancher described the scene vividly and even showed the visitors his ’victory’ from the previous night.
The dead insects were piled up in a small mound, a meter high, with sticky fluids oozing out, emitting a foul stench—a scene guaranteed to kill any appetite.
The group stood at a distance, unwilling to get too close.
Darcy’s heart skipped a beat as if he had discovered something, picking up a stick and poking it into the pile of insect corpses.
Wisps of pale, nearly imperceptible mist dispersed, immediately drawing Bishop Keith’s attention.
The fog and the insects were connected—they could produce the fog!