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A rich aura of life bloomed in the filthy, decaying sewer, carving out a small haven for Naomi to catch her breath.
With just a glance, Amberser knew that the divine idol was imbued with at least three enhancement effects.
Life regeneration, toxin immunity, freedom of movement... all of them were wide-ranging blessings, and Amberser looked on with considerable envy.
This was the power of a divine artifact, which even a mortal could wield for great effect. If put up for sale, it would start at no less than a million Gold Coins.
However, a druid's divine artifact required periodic ceremonial rites to maintain its power, or it would become ineffective within three to five months if held by others.
But no matter how powerful the artifact was, Amberser couldn't reap the benefits.
For an Undead like him, the divine power of Sylvanas was more terrifying than the toxic gas in the sewer.
The sewer's environment was merely uncomfortable for Amberser, but the green natural barrier before him would erode his Undead body like sulfuric acid.
After all, the Undead were a race in complete defiance of the natural order, making them natural enemies of Sylvanas.
"Sylvanas' divine idol, capable of purifying the toxins in the sewer, should also have the power to break the Illusion Realm. This must be your reliance for saving your people, right?" Amberser asked.
After several deep breaths, Naomi recovered and answered, "Yes, I've entered the sewer more than once, but by the time I found the place where my people were in danger, they had already vanished. Although guarded by the power of the Sylvanas Statue, I need your help to find them."
The Druid girl clearly had no ill intentions, so Amberser decided not to break the contract and risk being caught and plundered by Alchemy City.
"Then let's move on now, and head to the place where your people encountered danger," Amberser said.
No matter the illusion, there would always be some trace left behind. Knowing what exactly created the Illusion Realm would make finding people much simpler.
With the Sylvanas Statue in hand, Naomi led the way. Blessed by the divine idol, the sewer's harsh environment hardly affected her. To hasten their journey, Naomi used Wilderness Form, transforming into a lithe Black Panther, gripping the divine idol in her jaws as she stormed through the sewer, prompting Amberser to use a Flight Spell to keep up with her speed.
Before long, they arrived at an open space that seemed like a buffer area, with large flat rock surfaces, though still surrounded by filthy water channels, the stench more intense than at the previous entrance.
But the place was spotless, devoid even of a single cockroach, let alone the bodies of druids.
"I've been here several times, but nothing has been left behind," Naomi told Amberser.
But before Amberser could inspect the area, a multitude of crimson points suddenly emerged around them.
Naomi hadn't made out what those were when they quickly darted toward her. The green glow emanating from her body in the sewer was as conspicuous as a torch in darkness.
Naomi was caught off guard; she hadn't encountered any danger on her previous visits to the sewer, and the power of the Sylvanas Statue had repelled all monsters. Why were the creatures daring to charge at her now?
Naomi's reaction was a beat too slow, but Amberser wasn't.
Two Ice Rays shot from his palms, carving out vast frost trails in front of Naomi. The monsters that charged fastest were hit by the Ice Rays, quickly turning into frozen sculptures.
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Naomi only then saw clearly what kind of monster was charging at them; it was a group of gigantic rats, each nearly as big as a wolf, their fur covered with various patches of ringworm and cysts, making one feel as if just looking at them could transmit fatal germs to their eyes.
Amberser's Ice Ray swept continuously from his hands as if it cost him nothing, until all these diseased giant rats were frozen into ice blocks, and they were finally able to temporarily get past the crisis.
Naomi was shocked by Amberser's strength; although the Ice Ray was the simplest of ice magic, to use such a basic spell like a repeating crossbow, could that be something an ordinary mage could do?
Naomi couldn't help but scoot closer to Amberser, but as a result, Amberser had to step back two paces to stay outside the natural barrier.
Amberser swiftly warned, "Be careful, do you mean to offer me as a sacrifice to Sylvanas?"
Naomi felt a bit embarrassed; herself, a druid, had instinctively sought protection from an undead in the face of danger, which was quite preposterous.
All Naomi could do was to change the subject and say, "What in the world are these ghastly things? I've never encountered them before."
Amberser walked over to the frozen giant rats and suddenly had a scalpel in his hand. He began to dissect these diseased giant rats, and the bloody and brutal sight made Naomi avert her gaze involuntarily.
However, Amberser didn't feel the slightest discomfort; this level of gore was child's play to him.
Fur, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, internal organs, bones...Amberser dissected everything meticulously, and after studying the body structure, he even extracted the mutated rats' souls to examine them a bit.
It didn't take long for Amberser to draw a conclusion, "I think I know what your people have run into."
Naomi eagerly asked, "You know? What kind of monster is it?"
Pointing at the bloody mess of rat corpses, Amberser said, "These rats have been altered by magic; this kind of trick is probably the work of a witch."
"A witch?"
Naomi showed a puzzled expression.
"You've never heard of the witch? Don't you druids use the threat of being taken by the witch to scare children?" Amberser asked.
Naomi clenched her teeth and said bitterly, "Us druids would never do such a thing. Using horror stories to frighten children is something you undead would do, isn't it?"
"Silly girl, the undead do not have children," Amberser said.
Naomi: …
This druid girl, who lacked experience, was completely speechless. She had just begun to feel a little fondness for Amberser, thinking this undead was strong and dependable, but now she immediately recited the doctrines of Sylvanas in her mind—undead are truly no good!
"Alright, back to the point," Amberser explained, "Witches were originally monsters from the Fairy Wilderness, but they have long since come to the material plane, and the Nine Great Kingdoms occasionally also encounter terrifying tales of witches. They are a group of evil and ugly old crones, cruel in nature, and most of them are arrogant and haughty, taking great pleasure in harming humans in various ways.
"Using magic to transform creatures into their servants is a common practice of witches. These rats have been transformed by a witch's magic, possessing deadly toxins and a strong aggressiveness. They aren't too formidable though; an ordinary person with enough courage could kill a few, but without antidotes, they would quickly die from poisoning, and these creatures can still spread viruses even after death."