The visibility of the smog was very low, and one could only see people nearby.
If they walked about three meters away, they could only see a blurry figure.
Any further, and it would be a gray expanse, completely invisible.
"Everyone maintain your distance, don't stray too far, and ensure you can see at least two companions nearby!"
said Xiao Guanghan.
"Understood!"
"Received!"
"Don't worry, Professor!"
A group of people responded loudly in a disorderly fashion.
It was both a reply to Xiao Guanghan's words and a way to boost their own morale.
With such low visibility, let alone encountering any terrifying enemies,
even if a common bug or a low-level infected like a crawler suddenly appeared, no one would be able to dodge it.
Those monsters might be watching them from just over three meters away.
Just thinking about it made their scalps tingle.
Bugs didn't seem to need sight to detect humans.
This environment was extremely unfavorable for combat.
"Huh? What's this?"
It was Fan Yiyi's voice.
Visibility was too low, so only a couple of people around her could see her.
Most people could only guess based on sound.
"What is it? Fan Yiyi, did you find something?"
Han Shuang asked nervously.
"There's a wisp of white, cotton-like stuff here!"
"This smog is different from Earth's smog. The particulate matter here is a bit large, and it's all flocculent!"
Fan Yiyi said, removing more flocculent material from her hair.
"Indeed, the ground seems to be like this too, in clumps like cotton! Read here."
Someone stomped on the ground.
They discovered that the closer they got to the deep fog zone, the more flocculent material there was on the ground.
When they first entered the fog zone, there was only a thin layer on the ground. Everyone had focused their attention on the surrounding fog and hadn't noticed their feet.
Now, the flocculent material underfoot was about a centimeter thick. Even without looking, one could feel it quite clearly just by stepping on it.
"Is this volcanic ash?"
"I remember seeing scenes like this in movies, where it was all gray and ash was falling everywhere!"
Someone said.
"This is definitely not volcanic ash. Volcanic ash is gray and crumbles when touched, but these flocculent materials are very solid and quite resilient."
"If I had to say what they resemble, I'd say they are more like cotton or willow catkins."
said Xiao Guanghan.
The others nodded in agreement.
The team continued to explore forward in formation.
After about ten minutes of walking.
Suddenly, Han Shuang, who was leading the team, let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew! Professor, we seem to have come out!"
The people behind them quickly hurried forward.
One second, it was hazy and misty.
The next second, their vision suddenly opened up!
It was as if a barrier had separated the fog from the world within.
Just one step made a world of difference in their field of vision.
Zhang Chen, pulling Xiao Bai and Er Pang, also emerged from the mist.
The view ahead was indeed much brighter, but it wasn't as clear and sunny as the outside world.
The sky here seemed to be covered by a layer of dark clouds.
The sun, seen through this layer of dark clouds, could only become a blurry mass of light.
"Living in an environment like this must easily lead to rheumatism!"
Fan Yiyi joked with a smile.
"Shh, don't talk nonsense, I think I heard someone!"
Han Shuang said nervously.
Indeed, from a restaurant at the crossroads ahead, two men and one woman emerged.
The girl had an Oriental face, and behind her were two tall and burly Westerners.
"Welcome to Pingze City Safe Zone, are you also heading for the gateway city of Tengxiang Nation?"
the girl asked with a smile.
"You just said you were also heading for Tengxiang Nation? Have others come before?"
Xiao Guanghan asked.
"That's right, because Pingze City is the closest city to the gateway city of Tengxiang Nation, so almost all survivors who want to go to Tengxiang Nation have gathered here!"
"We also welcome your arrival. If you want to settle here, it's completely fine!"
"We don't charge any fees, and of course, we don't provide any food or supplies!"
"If you are short on supplies, you can also exchange for the needed supplies by completing tasks for our camp..."
"In short, it's very free here. You can work or not work, no one forces you, and you can come and go as you please..."
"Compared to other camps, this place is more like a real city!"
the girl introduced incessantly.
"What did you just say... all the survivors who want to go to Tengxiang Nation are gathered here? I don't quite understand!"
Xiao Guanghan asked with a chuckle.
At the same time, he tightened his grip on the short sword in his left hand.
The others also felt that this place was very strange.
Facing so many of them, the other side had only sent out three people, and they seemed to know their group's intentions perfectly.
If the girl's offer to stay meant leaving their corpses behind,
then they would have to fight for their lives.
The girl seemed to notice Xiao Guanghan's subtle actions and chuckled, saying:
"You don't need to be nervous, we have no hostility towards you!"
"The reason those survivors are trapped here is because the road ahead is blocked!"
"The existing survivors' strength is not enough to break through the obstacles. Once we gather enough power, we can charge through together!"
The girl glanced at the large, burly Er Pang, and at Zhang Chen, who remained silent, then continued to say to Xiao Guanghan:
"Your team has many strong individuals. I believe with your joining, we can soon clear the road to the gateway city!"
The group walked as they talked.
Without the obstruction of the fog, their progress had become much faster.
Following the girl, turning left and right, it wasn't long before they heard voices.
After a few more turns, they arrived at a bustling market.
Everything was being sold here.
Items like food, water, and fragments of storage rings, which had already established prices among survivors, were on auction, clearly marked.
However, some blueprints, equipment, and intelligence, as well as native goods,
could not be priced and were therefore sold from stalls.
There were even stalls selling young energy beasts, selling slaves, and selling fruits of unknown toxicity...
In short, it was a dazzling array, lively and extraordinary.
"Wow... this is my first time shopping in the apocalypse, it feels so long overdue!"
Fan Yiyi excitedly rushed into the market, looking left and right with a look of excitement.
"Can you tell me, where have all the mutated creatures around gone, and who cleared them?"
"What exactly is blocking the road to the gateway city, mutated insects? Plants? Or infected?"
Xiao Guanghan continued to question with a look of caution.
"You're too impatient. I suggest you first pick an empty house to stay in!"
"There are many things here that you need to understand slowly. There's no need to rush!"
"Tomorrow, survivors are organizing the first full assembly to charge the obstacles blocking the road. If you are well-rested, you can sign up to participate together!"
"I still have other survivors to receive, so I won't chat further. See you again in the future! Good luck to you!"
After speaking, without waiting for a response, the girl and the two big men leaped lightly onto the rooftop.
With a flash, they disappeared from sight...