The clicking sound of switches being pressed continued to ring out in the secret room, and the metal reeds made a rhythmic buzzing sound when they were connected and disconnected. Invisible signals were sent to the roof and sent out by an antenna disguised as a weather vane, and news from the Sea Mist Fleet was sent into the secret room and converted into the clicking sound of relays and a series of regular round holes on the paper tape.

Nemo sat at the table with headphones on, listening to the sounds in the headphones while tapping the table with his fingers in annoyance. A young girl in a waitress uniform picked up the paper tape that had just been spit out of the hole puncher next to him and read the round holes on it.

After a while, Nemo took off his headphones, leaned back in his chair, pinched his eyebrows and took a long breath.

"Captain Tirian has already started fighting the strange fleet that appeared in the fog. The situation of the Frost Navy is not clear for the time being, but it doesn't seem to be going well," the young girl holding the paper tape said in a low voice with a nervous tone, "but there's no news in the city..."

"The thick fog blocked the civilian news channels. Even if the residents of the coastal area heard the gunfire, they would not know what happened. The city-state authorities must now maintain order in the urban area. Widespread panic will not help the navy." Timo pinched his brows. "What's the situation on the streets outside? What about the shops?"

"The sheriff's troops have put the entire city under martial law. The streets are very quiet now, but I seemed to hear gunshots from a long distance away just now. Two steam walkers passed by the intersection of Oak Street and hurriedly went north," the young girl replied. "The store is doing well now. We have enough fuel for lighting, but..."

"but?"

"There are more than a dozen guests trapped here by the thick fog. Now the streets have been blocked and the shelters are full. They have nowhere to go. Over time, panic is bound to accumulate among these people."

"...We can't drive them out to the street. The tavern is their temporary shelter. If we really drive them out, it will definitely attract the sheriff and the church." Nemo shook his head. "I'll go up and take a look at the situation later."

As soon as the Sea Mist Fleet informant finished speaking, a vague muttering suddenly came from the corner of the room: "Charge again, charge again... They're breaking in... The reinforcements are coming too..."

Nemo frowned immediately, stood up and looked towards the place where the sound came from.

There was a bed there, and an old man in ragged clothes was lying on it in a daze. The old man's back was hunched, and in his arms he was holding a large wrench that he had brought from somewhere. He seemed to be lying very unsteadily.

"Old ghost, old ghost," Nemo walked over and patted the old man on the shoulder, "Are you having a nightmare?"

The old man holding the big wrench opened his eyes in a daze, and was slow to speak for several seconds: "Who are you?"

"I'm Nemo," Nemo Wilkins said with a complicated expression, "What did you dream about?"

"Nemo... Oh, Nemo, I remember now. You are a newcomer to the Queen's Guard... Hello, I am a pipeline engineer of the Second Waterway... Dream? I didn't dream. I just took a nap, just a nap... What time is it now? Should I go inspect the power pipeline?"

"It's afternoon now," Nemo shook his head. "Don't think about the power pipeline. We have temporarily withdrawn from that place. It's not safe anywhere now. We have to stay in the base and wait for instructions. This is the order of General Tirian."

"General Tirian..." The old ghost's eyes were dazed for a moment, and suddenly he seemed to wake up again, and immediately stood up from the bed, "Yes! Engineer Wilson has received the order! Stand by at the base!"

Nemo had a complicated expression, but he still stood up slowly and saluted the old man. Then he turned around and nodded to the young girl in the clerk's uniform: "You stay here to take care of the old ghost. I'll go upstairs to confirm the situation."

After giving the order, he left the secret room and returned to the tavern on the surface through the secret passage.

Inside the "Golden Flute" tavern, an oppressive and tense atmosphere filled the hall. The guests who were trapped in the tavern due to the thick fog, the clerks and waiters who stayed on duty in the tavern, almost everyone was paying attention to the situation outside the window - and as far as the eye could see, there was only thick fog and the shadowy streets in the fog.

Gas lamps throughout the city have been lit in advance, and the artificial lights barely dispel the darkness brought by the strange fog. However, they are not enough to make this chaotic world clear again. Those dim light balls float in the fog like rootless duckweed, looking like rows of eyes floating above the streets.

Nemo came out of the kitchen door and came to the counter.

"What's going on?" he whispered to the clerk behind the counter.

"Everyone is very nervous. Traffic and communication with surrounding blocks are all cut off. No one knows what is happening in other places," the clerk whispered. "But fortunately, no one ran out because of the excessive pressure. No one wants to run into the fog at this time."

Nemo nodded gently: "If such idiots really appear, don't stop them, let them go - but once they step out of this door, even if they only stay in the fog for a second, they must never be allowed to come back. From now on, you are allowed to leave but not enter. Everything that comes out of the fog is assumed to be evil."

The young clerk swallowed nervously and nodded vigorously: "Yes, Manager."

At this moment, a strange buzzing sound suddenly came from the street, interrupting the conversation between Nemo and his men.

It sounded like some equipment being started up, mixed with the sound of heavy machinery moving on the street.

The people in the store were in a commotion for a while. Some people came to the window nervously and looked at the movement on the street outside. Some people saw some moving red lights appearing in the fog and exclaimed in a low voice: "Steam walker... Another walker appeared!"

Nemo also walked towards the window, and just when he was halfway there, he heard the strange buzzing sound suddenly become sharper, and then a slightly distorted loud speaker sounded from outside the window - it was the broadcasting device carried by the steam walker shouting.

"Hiss... Warning to all citizens... The Archons and the church leaders are restoring order in the city... Frost is being affected by an unknown phenomenon, and we are... reminding residents to stay at home or in safe shelters. For safety reasons, please stay away from anything around you that can produce mirrors, including but not limited to mirrors, water surfaces, and smooth metals...

“Again, please stay away from anything around you that could create a mirror, everything.

“In addition, if you find someone around you behaving strangely, please hide in a safe, independent space immediately, and seek help from the person in charge of the shelter, the nearest guard, or the sheriff if conditions permit. Do not rashly attack anyone you find suspicious. Please prioritize your own safety and isolation.

“If you feel that you are not feeling well, please hide in a safe, independent space immediately and avoid talking to other people as much as possible…

“The above is a reminder from His Excellency Archon Winston and the expert consultants in the supernatural field.

"A warning to the general public..."

The broadcasting sound gradually faded away, blending into the thick fog along with the red warning light of the steam walker.

Nemo raised his head and saw pairs of deep, nervous eyes around him.

But he reacted quickly.

"Go get the cloth!" he shouted to the clerks and waiters, "and cover all the glass counters and mirrors!"

Everyone reacted, and although the tension remained, the residents of the city-state obviously had the basic common sense and psychological qualities to save themselves in the event of an extraordinary disaster. The shop assistants quickly brought out the dust covers used after closing time, and the customers who stayed in the store came forward to help, quickly covering anything within their sight that might produce a mirror.

Similar situations are happening in every corner of the Frost City-State.

The terror of fog is enveloping the city-state.

Agatha has returned to the cathedral in the thick fog.

She met Bishop Ivan, who had just finished his work, in the lounge next to the cathedral.

The bishop walked out of the "coffin" where he usually rested, and put on the robes of the archbishop over the bandages on his body. As far as Agatha could remember, she had not seen Bishop Ivan dressed like this for many years.

"Even my corpse has to get up and work," Bishop Ivan, who was wearing a robe, sat on a chair and spread his hands to Agatha who had just walked into the room. "I haven't moved outside the coffin for too long. I feel exhausted."

"If you still have a body to 'fall apart,'" Agatha said casually, "how is it now?"

"The situation, everyone is asking about it - it can't be any worse," Bishop Ivan's hoarse and low voice came from under the bandages, "The counterfeits are attacking the city, and the monsters that were lurking before are also beginning to emerge. Just now, several cemeteries were attacked. Those temporary places where the dead are parked seem to be used by the enemy as a 'passage' to enter the real world. There is also news from the City Hall that gunshots were heard in several streets in the lower city, and at sea, our fleet has already fought with the things that emerged from the sea.

"The full-scale offensive has begun. But what's worse than the enemy's full-scale offensive is that we still don't know the full picture of this disaster or conspiracy. Those heretics hiding in the dark... How did they do all this, and where are they hiding?"

Bishop Ivan said this, slowly raising his head and looking into Agatha's eyes.

"What did you find underground? From the look in your eyes, I guess you must have seen something."

"I didn't find the lair of heretics, but I did find...more disturbing clues."

Agatha took a deep breath, paused for a moment and then said slowly:

"Our boiling gold mine seems to have dried up decades ago, or even longer."