35 Blue Zone
Korig and Aurora moved silently through the mist, their senses sharpened by the earlier battle with the Goblin Chief.
As they ventured deeper into the shroud of fog, they encountered more goblins, but these foes were no match for their combined prowess.
With efficient strikes and well coordinated maneuvers, they dispatched the creatures swiftly.
Korig, evermindful of his mana reserves, chose not to summon another undead goblin minion just yet.
He believed in using his powers sparingly, reserving them for when they faced a truly formidable adversary.
As they moved further into the mist, their bonus objective counters continued to decrease, accompanied by a steady influx of experience points.
The numbers on their system windows were steadily climbing, proof of their growing strength.
But suddenly, Aurora's enhanced observational skills picked up something unsettling.
She raised her hand, signaling Korig to halt.
Her analytical mind was racing as she scanned the thick mist behind them.
Something was not right.
Before they could react, a series of deafening explosions echoed from the direction they had come.
The mist around them trembled with the force of the blasts, and the ground beneath their feet quivered.
Panic surged within them as they realized the gravity of the situation.
Without exchanging a word, Korig and Aurora turned and bolted in the opposite direction, their footsteps echoing through the eerie fog.
The explosions behind them continued to grow in intensity, and they knew they had to run for their lives.
As they sprinted through the mist, their hearts pounded in their chests.
They didn't dare to look back, but the sounds of destruction pursued them relentlessly.
It was a race against time, and the stakes were high.
Only when they had put a considerable distance between themselves and the source of the explosions did they finally slow down, gasping for breath.
They exchanged wide eyed glances, realizing that they had narrowly escaped whatever had caused the catastrophic detonations behind them.
Korig's voice trembled slightly as he finally spoke, his words laden with urgency.
"We need to talk about what just happened, but first, let's get out of this mist. It's not safe here."
Aurora nodded in agreement, her analytical mind already at work, trying to decipher the enigmatic events that had unfolded.
They continued to move forward, their pace brisk but cautious.
Korig and Aurora continued to walk briskly through the lingering mist, their senses on high alert.
Korig, still catching his breath from their earlier sprint, began to explain his theory to Aurora.
"You see," Korig began, his voice steady despite the urgency of their situation.
"This mist, it only appeared after dawn, right?"
"It wasn't here when we first crossed the bridge at night."
Aurora nodded, her analytical mind processing his words.
"Well," Korig continued, "I think this mist is like a boundary, a warning to all the survivors in this city."
"It's like those blue zones you see in battle royale games."
"The idea is to push everyone toward the heart of the city."
Aurora furrowed her brow, starting to grasp the concept.
"So, you mean it's forcing us to move deeper into the city?"
"Exactly," Korig affirmed.
"The survivors who fail to reach the heart of the city in time... well, they get hit by those explosions we heard earlier."
Aurora's eyes widened in realization.
"So, that means if we had stayed back in the shelter, we would have been caught in those blasts?"
Korig nodded gravely.
"Yes, and it also means that we'll have to keep moving."
"The mist will continue to grow, warning us to get into the city."
"It's a way to funnel us survivors toward a central location. The mist is the city's way of telling us to stay out of the outskirts."
Aurora mulled over this information, her analytical skills processing the details.
"But we can't stay in the mist indefinitely, right?"
Korig shook his head.
"No, we can't. The mist will keep expanding, creating this border around the city."
"We need to find a way to survive inside the city for the three days of this objective without getting caught by the mist."
As they talked, the mist continued to shroud their surroundings, and the urgency of their situation weighed on them.
They knew that they had to find a safe haven within the city, a place where they could ride out this objective without getting caught by the expanding mist.
Their journey had taken on a new level of complexity, and they needed to be cautious and resourceful to survive in this ever changing landscape.
As they continued their hasty retreat, the explosions echoed behind them, growing faster and more intense with each passing moment.
Panic set in as the deadly blasts seemed to close in on them, and they dodged debris and obstacles in their path.
Korig, with his enhanced physical abilities, was racing ahead, but Aurora, despite her best efforts, was falling behind.
The relentless sound of explosions pushed her to her limits.
Her breath came in ragged gasps, and every muscle ached as she tried to keep up.
Just when it felt like they were about to be engulfed by the impending blasts, Korig made a split second decision.
He backtracked, scooping Aurora up into his arms with surprising ease.
Aurora was caught off guard, Korig's actions were sudden as he appeared behind her in mind blowing speed. Without missing a beat, he carried her through the mist, his powerful strides covering ground at an astonishing pace.
Aurora clung to him, her heart pounding not only from exertion but also from the adrenaline fueled escape.
She looked at his face and at the mist before them. The mist seemed to stretch on endlessly, but they could see glimpses of clearer air ahead.
The explosions continued to trail behind them, a relentless reminder of the danger they had narrowly escaped.
Finally, they burst out of the suffocating mist and into the open air.
Gasping for breath, Korig gently set Aurora down, and they stumbled a few steps away from the boundary of the ominous mist.
The sudden relief of being outside its deadly grasp was overwhelming.
Aurora leaned against Korig, her chest heaving as she tried to regain her composure.
"That... was too close," she managed to say between breaths.
Korig nodded, his own heart still racing.
"We can't let our guard down."
"We're not out of danger yet." His eyes scanned their surroundings, searching for any immediate threats.
The mist still loomed behind them like a sinister wall, a constant reminder of the peril they had faced.
They knew they couldn't stay in one place for long.
They had to find shelter and devise a plan to survive within the city for the remaining days of the objective.
...
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