Chapter 333: Chapter 333

Just as the mask was put on, the phosphorous powder released by the Fog Butterfly had already begun to drift over.

"Xiao Dian, don’t use any skills. Fall back and avoid it," Han Qiwu quickly instructed.

Although it was unclear if this phosphorous powder could ignite, being cautious wouldn’t hurt.

Seeing its attack land successfully and the enemy retreat repeatedly, the Fog Butterfly gleefully flaunted its large wings.

What’s there to be so proud of?

If I weren’t curious about the tricks you’ve got up your wings, I would’ve taken care of you ages ago.

Han Qiwu switched back to the mysterious lightweight crossbow, loaded a mysterious Crossbow Arrow, and aimed at the massive wings of the Fog Butterfly before releasing a lightning-fast shot.

With a piercing sound, the Fog Butterfly was struck, and a hole immediately appeared on one of its wings.

The enraged Fog Butterfly whipped its wings behind itself, flapping rapidly as it charged full speed toward Han Qiwu.

"Coming at me, huh? Just what I was waiting for!"

Han Qiwu stayed calm and collected, reaching up to press Xiao Lai on the head.

The texture felt great.

Receiving the command, Xiao Lai spat out a jet of green venom.

Under normal circumstances, this shot of venom wouldn’t have hit the Fog Butterfly, as Xiao Lai’s spray range was limited and it couldn’t travel that far.

But with the Fog Butterfly charging right toward Han Qiwu, the venom shot forward in a straight line and hit its target.

Upon contact, the Fog Butterfly’s speed sharply decreased, and signs of corrosion appeared on its wings.

Seeing this, Han Qiwu smirked internally, preparing to finish off the Fog Butterfly and continue his trek back home.

But just as he was ready, the battered Fog Butterfly came to a halt, lifted its proboscis, and emitted a faint vibration.

"Not good," Han Qiwu muttered to himself, alarmed.

Could this be a summoning skill?

"Xiao Dian, take it down!" Han Qiwu launched a Fishbone Arrow while instructing Xiao Dian to strike with electricity, knocking the creature to the ground.

However, the Fog Butterfly’s summoning skill had already taken effect. Out of the distant mist, more than a dozen Fog Butterflies emerged in a frenzy, blotting out the sky in their fierce descent.

"Only a dozen? That’s manageable," Han Qiwu breathed a small sigh of relief, surveyed his surroundings, and pulled out his Frost Slingshot. He loaded an explosive snowball onto it without hesitation.

The explosive snowball shot forward, hitting the very center of the swarm, and detonated with a spectacular blast! Snowflakes filled the air, painting the battlefield white.

Han Qiwu carefully observed. Seeing only two Fog Butterflies falling to the ground, he frowned and immediately launched two more explosive snowballs.

Bombs really are the most satisfying.

A few seconds later, the entire group of Fog Butterflies, like dumplings cascading into a pot, one after another dropped to the ground before disintegrating into white light and vanishing.

"Already gone?" Han Qiwu was a bit disappointed. He was planning to feed these Fog Butterflies to the Mist Flowers.

Oh well, time to see what I’ve collected.

Walking over, Han Qiwu spotted a glowing mushroom quietly lying on the ground.

The mushroom was entirely grayish-white, with a cap enveloped in a swirling, persistent mist. Quite an intriguing sight.

[Mist Mushroom Mother]

[Planting Conditions: Beneath trees]

[Spore Radiation Range: 3×3]

[Special Effect - Mist: The Mist Mushroom Mother generates Life Mist within its spore radiation range, increasing tree growth speed by 300%]

[Note: Mist Mushrooms cannot grow inside nurturing caves. They’re the best companions for trees.]

After reading the stats, Han Qiwu was stunned.

300% tree growth speed boost??

If this were used to grow saplings, they’d sprout like crazy!

Life Mist—what a game-changer.

It’s a pity they can’t be cultivated in caves and only come from Fog Butterfly drops.

Han Qiwu eagerly ran ahead.

In the area where the summoned Fog Butterflies had perished, Han Qiwu found a leaf dotted with numerous small green spots.

"Are these... eggs?" Han Qiwu glanced at the stats.

Turns out, he was absolutely right.

[Fog Butterfly Eggs ×10]

[Hatching Conditions: Tree branches within a 20×20 range of misty environments]

[Special Effect - Anti-Bacterial: Fog Caterpillars will clear pests and bacteria from trees, increasing tree growth speed by 20% (one caterpillar per tree)]

[Special Effect - Pollination: Fog Butterflies will moderately increase the chance of seedling growth near mature trees]

[Chrysalis-to-Butterfly Duration: 10+ days]

[Note: Fog Caterpillars in the backyard won’t affect the environment.]

Just looking at the stats, these Fog Butterflies are clearly tree-friendly.

Two forms, each with its merits.

In caterpillar form, they boost growth speed. As butterflies, they actually help generate seedlings!

What a win-win situation!

With the Mist Mushroom Mother and Fog Butterfly Eggs, Han Qiwu could practically see his backyard grove turning into a lush forest.

Of course, that would require a sufficient quantity of both.

This small haul won’t do.

A few minutes later, Han Qiwu glanced at his storage with mild frustration.

[Mist Mushroom Mother]×2, [Fog Butterfly Eggs]×30.

"The drop rate for these is pretty low," Han Qiwu thought. To gather these items quickly, he’d need to take down large numbers of Fog Caterpillars to lure out the first Fog Butterfly.

Then injure but not kill the first Fog Butterfly, baiting it into summoning reinforcements and attracting even more Fog Butterflies to the area.

The whole process would easily take hours.

"Next time, I should try keeping a few Fog Butterflies as bait to see if there’s a way to trigger an infinite summon loop," Han Qiwu mused, an amused grin spreading across his face.

As he collected items, he discovered another Mist Flower.

Time to feed the Mist Flower.

Let’s see if there are any treasures hidden in this field of vision.

Previously, when exploring another Mist Flower’s vicinity, he had heard sounds of running water.

Unfortunately, he’d lost his way and couldn’t approach it.

He was hoping to fish up something special in the water—perhaps a rare Mist Fish.

How exciting would that be?

After feeding the Mist Flower 20 Fog Caterpillars, Han Qiwu waited quietly. The surrounding fog gradually thinned, and a clearer map began to emerge.

Finally! Han Qiwu once again saw the cobblestone path.

Overcome with emotion, his eyes welled up.

He quickly pulled out his phone to cancel the alert for Grandpa Chen and hopped back onto the path.

Always quit while you’re ahead. Safety first.

"If only I could get a compass that works in here," Han Qiwu muttered while making his way down the path.

Compasses are made of magnets, and magnets contain magnetite.

By approximation, natural magnetite could probably be found in iron ore.

Time to consult Master Shuzi later.

Wouldn’t mind spending some money.

Direction is everything.

After walking for over ten minutes, Han Qiwu finally saw the two towering "gate trees" and swiftly exited the forest, wrapping up another fruitful exploration of the Mist Forest.