Mist Empire’s Rise: Fake Noble to Fog Queen

Chapter 377 Mist Empire’s Rise- 376: The First Task

More than just quiet—quiet to the point of eerie.

Everyone belatedly realized that after entering the village for so long, aside from sounds they themselves made, the village had not a single noise.

Normally, farming households besides growing crops also raised cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks. Yards would have watchdogs. Dusk was exactly the liveliest time in a village's day.

Livestock entering pens would make a commotion. Villagers lighting fires to cook would also chat about daily matters. Every household's rooftop would have wisps of cooking smoke rising.

But now—no human voices, no livestock calls. Not even birds returning to nests in the wild.

As the last ray of light at the horizon's edge disappeared, they seemed trapped in night's hunting circle. Deathly silence surrounded them.

Wind rose in the wilderness, carrying warmth from the day's sun exposure. Yet everyone felt chills down their backs.

Vina shivered: "Let's—let's go. This place is too weird. Let's find somewhere else to stay..."

Luo Wei didn't agree: "There's no second village nearby for lodging. Besides, it's already dark. We haven't eaten yet."

"We can stay in the wild!"

Vina really felt this place was terrifying. Better to sleep outdoors for a night!

"The wild has many unstable factors. The horses, like us, need proper rest," Luo Wei said.

The wild had predatory beasts. Domesticated horses easily spooked. Resting poorly outdoors, they still had to ride tomorrow. Couldn't waste time searching for campsites either.

However, the above reasons were secondary.

Luo Wei looked at the seven classmates. Darkness made their features blurry, their forms melting into the night.

"Professor Tobias said she prepared ten tasks along the route. That means we must complete one task every two days on average."

"At this frequency, reaching a task point on the first day doesn't seem unusual, does it?"

After Luo Wei spoke, everyone's faces showed astonished expressions.

So this village likely had a task the professor assigned them?

Vina went crazy: "Ahhh, the professor is too mean!"

"She didn't even leave us a hint. How do we know where task points are? What if we miss one?"

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Luo Wei: "If we miss it, we miss it. Just lose one point. But for us, missing task points is the most inexcusable thing."

What did that mean?

Everyone looked at her in confusion.

Luo Wei took out the green tortoise shell: "Don't forget—we're astrology apprentices."

Everyone suddenly understood.

Right, they were astrology apprentices!

Encountering doubtful or unknown matters, just take out divination tools and calculate!

Vina pulled out tarot cards, eager to try: "Let me see what task the professor arranged here?"

"Don't rush," Luo Wei stopped her. "Let's find a place to settle down first."

"Where do we settle? These people won't open their doors," Vina said with distress.

Luo Wei surveyed the area: "Go to the clearing at the village entrance. There are wooden stakes there to tie horses. Also convenient for gathering firewood."

Incidentally, guard the village for a night to see what exactly happened here at night that made villagers close their doors before dark.

Couldn't be haunting, could it?

Western Continent people called ghosts "spirits"—spirits being undead separated from bodies.

If this place really was haunted, it'd save her investigation effort.

The group led horses back to the village entrance, tying reins to stakes. They gathered a pile of dry firewood, using flint to ignite a fire.

Firelight dispelled darkness, adding some sense of security in the quiet night.

Eight people sat around the fire, taking out food from their packs, silently finishing a meal.

After eating, Luo Wei had everyone bring several bundles of dry grass, spreading them at a distance from the fire as tonight's bedding.

"Alright, let's discuss the task now."

Luo Wei sat cross-legged on the dry grass, cradling the tortoise shell in her hands.

"First, we must confirm whether this is the first task point."

"If so, what's our task?"

"How can we complete the task?"

"For the first question, the diviner will read," Luo Wei looked at classmates holding tarot cards. "Who goes first?"

"Me me me!" Vina eagerly raised her hand.

"Okay, you go." Luo Wei nodded.

Vina knelt on the ground, solemnly placing tarot cards before her. She closed her eyes, clearing her thoughts to begin meditation.

Three minutes passed. After ensuring her spirit was sufficiently focused and thinking sufficiently clear, she slowly opened her eyes and began shuffling.

Copper card bodies rubbing together made metallic collision sounds. The deep black night draped them in mysterious atmosphere, like fate's gears beginning to turn.

Cutting cards, arranging spreads, revealing cards...

Vina stared at the three tarot cards before her—two upright, one reversed. She anxiously scratched her head: "Is it or isn't it? Why is there a reversed card?"

Two upright, one reversed meant high possibility this was a task point, but might not be.

Luo Wei glanced over. The Cup and Sword were both upright. Only the middle Chariot was reversed.

The answer was already obvious. The Chariot symbolized decision and action. Chariot reversed represented wavering and setbacks.

Vina had no confidence in her divination. Seeing the Chariot reversed, she felt her divination failed.

Luo Wei looked at the others: "Same question. Who's willing to verify again?"

June gathered courage: "I—I'll try."

She placed tarot cards on the ground, then suddenly hesitated: "Are we violating the professor's rules doing this?"

The professor said no magic allowed while traveling.

Especially in human settlements—who knew where hidden eyes might leak their magic abilities.

"How does this violate rules?" Vina retorted. "Did anyone see us? Did we use magic wands to cast spells?"

"What we're thinking is all in our heads. Didn't affect the surrounding environment. Even if others see, we're not afraid!"

"Lots of people in taverns play card games! We're just playing cards too!"

Vina spoke confidently. Luo Wei glanced at her, thinking her brain worked fast at times like this.

June still worried: "Their cards are made from parchment. Ours are copper cards. Card numbers and patterns are different too..."