"To pass to the next city called Aofeadale, players will have to go through a real test."
"The way was blocked by "Morna Lunn" , the phantom of the gardener, the spirit of the mistress of the Misty Garden, whose soul was forever merged with this land. Her power was respected even by merchants and experienced warriors."
"Her laughter and whispers echoed through the garden, reflecting from the white veil, as if the fog itself had a voice. Sometimes it sounded right next to my ear, and sometimes it sounded far away, making my heart race. Then I would hear the crack of twigs or the rustling of petals, a hint of an approaching attack."
"But that wasn't the most dangerous thing: Morna Lunn was a master of deception. Sometimes the sounds were phantom, with no real source, just to confuse the enemy."
On the game's forum, I had read warnings: "Never trust your ears alone. She plays with sound, and one mistake can cost you your life."
As Fritte and I approached the battle arena, the air seemed to shimmer. Time itself seemed to slow down within the garden.
In the next moment, a thick fog descended on the ground with a dull rustling sound, engulfing everything around. The world disappeared into a milky haze, and the visibility range was reduced to three to four meters. Even Fritte's bright wings disappeared when he flew slightly to the side.
The system responded instantly:
[ Location status: Complete fog. ]
[ Mini-map is unavailable. Monster icons are hidden. ]
[ Use your hearing and inner sense to navigate. ]
I realized that the usual landmarks had disappeared: neither the enemy, nor the allies, nor even the landscape of the garden itself were visible. Every step now could be a trap.
— Here it is…
I whispered softly, peering into the whitish gloom. And as if in response, a strange sound came from the depths of the fog, a soft rasp, resembling either the mowing of grass, or the rustle of a metal sickle. Fritte suddenly flew closer to my shoulder, his voice tense.
—Wah! Now I'm scared.
There was a soft female laughter somewhere to the right, but it was impossible to determine the distance, the sound seemed to come from the haze itself.
I had no doubt: the battle had begun.
—What are you going to do?
—We'll improvise.
I said curtly, gripping my weapon. I tried to listen to every rustle in the fog, but suddenly I noticed that Fritte was staring ahead into the void. His eyes were shining, as if he could see something I couldn't.
—Have you noticed anything?
Fritte hesitated, but then nodded, flapping his transparent wings:
—I… I see something. More precisely… I see vague outlines, like silhouettes through white steam. They are blurred, unclear, but I can feel their movement.
I felt a pang of suspicion, did the developers register some kind of hidden trigger in Faye? Maybe AI Fei can see through the fog to help the players? Or is it a glitch?
—Wait… Can you see the boss himself?
Fritte nodded again, but hesitantly. His voice was quieter, almost a whisper. But it's not clear. She's like a mirage, a blurred figure that keeps changing position. But if I focus, I can tell where she's going to attack from.
A slight smirk appeared on my lips.
—Great! So you'll be my eyes. Tell me where she is. I'll trust you.
Fritte spread his wings and stood next to my shoulder like a little guardian. He was still trembling, but there was a new light in his eyes, a mix of fear and pride.
The fog shimmered again, and there was a rustling sound. Morna Lunn was laughing, quietly, mockingly, as if she knew that her opponents would not see anything.
••••
There was a lot of discussion on the game forum. A strange and immediately popular video appeared in the short video section.
It showed a girl with distinct toad features, round eyes, green skin, and a strange gait. She was standing near the Eichhel Tavern, fighting a pack of black flying bat's.
Players in the comments immediately started theorizing:
"What is this new skin? Where can I get it?"
"It doesn't look like a standard model, maybe it's a custom character or an event costume?"
"Come on, it's definitely a hidden scenario. No one has ever seen a mission to clear out an abandoned building near the bar! Usually, it's an empty location with no triggers."
"Maybe it's a montage?"
"Or a model bug that makes the character look like a toad?"
"What if it's not a bug? In the game, you can create your own avatar, and there's a race-changing feature."
"Yes, we've checked, and there's a race called the Toad People in the game. It was recently added."
Meanwhile, the video continued to spread, attracting the attention of even those who had never visited this area of the game.
Many players decided to check out the tavern in person, and now the server chat was filled with messages about people gathering outside Eichel's.
The situation looked as if someone had accidentally opened the entrance to a secret quest chain, about which the developers were silent so far.
Experienced players also joined the discussion, those "old-timers" who had spent years in Log Apofis and knew about many hidden mechanics. Their messages immediately added weight to the whole topic.
One of them, hiding behind the nickname of OldHunter, wrote:
"You probably don't understand, but it's like a chain of quests called "Unique Offer." I've encountered this before. It starts randomly with a conversation with an NPC who isn't on the list of standard quest givers. In my case, it was a furry bird... I'm not sure if it was an owl or a person wearing an owl mask. It spoke in riddles and seemed to be offering a deal. After I agreed, I was transported to a separate location that wasn't on the map."
"What happened next?"
"Don't drag it out, old man!"
OldHunter continued:
"I completed this quest, but as soon as Ifinished it, I was kicked out of the area. I was no longer allowed to access it. The location seemed to have disappeared. I couldn't even approach the NPC again, as his model had vanished. There were no entries in the quest log. It felt as if I had imagined the entire experience... except for the reward in my inventory."
This story only added fuel to the fire. The thread immediately began to dissect the details.
"So, the 'Unique Offer' can only drop once?"
"So, if someone met a furry toad near 'Eichele', it could be her version of a unique NPC?"
"I wonder what would happen if I refused the deal? Would the location not open at all?"
New speculations multiplied, and now the discussion had entered a phase of a real hunt for hidden content or what you can call guesses from the air.
Suddenly, a new comment appeared in the thread from a player named Lark_Seeker:
"Guys, stop. I rewatched that video at the Eichel Tavern in slow motion. Are you blind? That's not an NPC. That's a player. The name above her head is clearly visible – 'Disava'."
The thread immediately exploded with responses.
"Whaaat? Really? I thought it was some kind of left-over texture!"
"Wait, isn't that the Disava that the Coyotes have a bounty on?"
"That's right! Five minutes ago, I saw an ad in the game chat, a million Veils for her!"
"Wait… if she's one of the first to choose a new race, then I understand why she's so sought after."
Players were sending dozens of messages per second.
"That's why she's hiding in abandoned locations! She has to hide from hunters!"
"So the rumors weren't lying. The Coyotes really took it seriously."
"Ha! And I thought it was all fiction. Now it's clear, it's really worth looking for."
Some even started planning sorties:
"Who's with me? Let's check the tavern "At Eichel's!"
"If Disava's still there, we'll hit the jackpot!"
"Are you stupid? She already took out a whole pack of bats by herself. I'm sure she has not only double the experience, but also hidden mechanics."
"I don't care. A million Veil's is no joke."
And then a player with the nickname OldFox77 burst into the discussion:
"You idiots! Coyotes rarely set up rewards for nothing. If they've set their sights on her and the samurai, it means that this couple is not just getting in their way, but disrupting their plans. If you stick your nose in, you'll become bait. It's better to stay away."