The vibrant breath of life unfurled within the foul, decaying sewers, creating a small sanctuary for Naomi to breathe in relief.
With a mere glance, Amberxiu could tell that at least three distinct enhancements were attached to the statue.
Regeneration, toxin immunity, unimpeded movement... all were wide-reaching boons, and Amberxiu couldn't help but envy the sight.
This was truly a divine artifact. Even in the hands of an ordinary person, it could exert powerful effects. If sold, it would fetch at least a million gold coins.
However, druidic artifacts required regular ritual offerings to maintain their potency; if taken by others, they might lose their power within a few months.
Yet, no matter how mighty the artifact was, Amberxiu would never benefit from its power.
For the undead, the divine power of Sylvanas was more terrifying than the toxic gases in the sewers.
While the sewers merely made Amberxiu uncomfortable, the green natural barrier before him would corrode his undead form like acid.
After all, the undead were a direct affront to the natural order, and Sylvanas' enemies.
"Sylvanas' statue—this can purify the sewer's toxins, and likely dispels illusions as well. This is your hope in rescuing your people, isn't it?" Amberxiu asked.
Naomi took a deep breath, recovering before responding. "Yes. I've entered the sewers multiple times, but by the time I reached where my tribe was in danger, they were already gone. Although the statue of Sylvanas offers protection, I need your help to find them."
The young druidess truly harbored no ill intentions, so Amberxiu had no reason to break the pact, lest he attract trouble from the Alchemy City.
"Then let's proceed. We will first check the location where your people faced danger," Amberxiu said.
Illusions always left traces. If they could identify what created the illusion, finding the missing people would become far easier.
With the blessing of the statue, Naomi was barely affected by the harsh environment of the sewer. To speed up their progress, she transformed into a swift black panther, gripping the statue in her jaws, dashing through the sewers. Amberxiu had to cast a flying spell to keep up with her pace.
It wasn't long before they reached a relatively open area, seemingly a buffer zone, with large, smooth rocks underfoot. Yet, the stench was even more overwhelming than at the previous entrance.
The area, however, was pristine—there wasn't even a single druid corpse, nor any signs of cockroaches.
"I've been here several times, but nothing has ever remained," Naomi explained.
Before Amberxiu could examine the surroundings, a multitude of scarlet lights suddenly emerged from the darkness.
Before Naomi could make sense of what was happening, the scarlet lights surged toward her. Her green aura shone like a beacon in the dark, drawing the attention of whatever lurked in the shadows.
Naomi hesitated, as this was the first time she had encountered danger in the sewers. The power of Sylvanas' statue should have kept the monsters at bay, so why were they charging toward her now?
Naomi's reaction was a beat too slow, but Amberxiu was already prepared.
Two beams of icy light shot from his hands, leaving wide trails of frost in their wake. The fastest of the creatures were struck and instantly frozen into ice statues.
Only then did Naomi see what the creatures were—giant rats, each the size of a wolf, their fur covered in lesions and cysts. A mere glance was enough to make one feel as though they might contract a deadly disease just by looking at them.
Amberxiu continued to sweep with his icy beams as though they were nothing more than a trivial expense, freezing the grotesque rats into solid ice. Eventually, the threat was neutralized.
Naomi was in awe of Amberxiu's power. Although the ice beam was a basic spell, wielding such an elementary spell with such skill—like using a crossbow—was beyond what most wizards could achieve.
Naomi couldn't help but inch closer to Amberxiu, only for him to step back, keeping outside the natural barrier.
He quickly warned, "Be careful. Do you want to offer me as a sacrifice to Sylvanas?"
Naomi blushed in embarrassment. As a druid, she had instinctively sought refuge from an undead when faced with danger. It was a ludicrous thing to do.
She quickly changed the subject. "What are those creatures? I've never encountered them before."
Amberxiu approached the frozen rat corpses, suddenly producing a scalpel from his hand. With cold, surgical precision, he began dissecting the mutated rats. The gruesome scene caused Naomi to avert her gaze.
Amberxiu, however, showed no discomfort. For him, such brutality was trivial.
Fur, muscle, blood vessels, nerves, internal organs, bones... he methodically stripped the creatures of their parts, analyzing their bodily structure. After a thorough examination, he extracted the souls of the mutated rats and examined them as well.
Before long, Amberxiu reached a conclusion. "I believe I know what your people encountered."
Naomi eagerly asked, "What kind of monster was it?"
Amberxiu pointed to the mangled rat corpses. "These rats were magically altered. The methods used here are likely those of a Hag."
"Hag?"
Naomi looked confused.
"You've never heard of a Hag? Didn't the druids scare children with tales of Hags who would capture them if they misbehaved?" Amberxiu asked.
Naomi, grinding her teeth, retorted, "We druids don't resort to such methods. Scaring children with horror stories? That's something your undead would do!"
"How foolish. Undead don't have children," Amberxiu replied.
Naomi... was speechless.
The naive druidess was now completely at a loss for words. She had briefly thought Amberxiu might be powerful and reliable, but now she muttered to herself, chanting Sylvanas' teachings—undead were indeed not to be trusted!
"Now, back to the matter at hand," Amberxiu continued. "Hags originally hailed from the Feywild, but they crossed into the material plane long ago. Even in the Nine Kingdoms, terrifying stories of Hags occasionally surface. They are cruel, hideous old women, proud and arrogant, and they most delight in tormenting humans in various ways.
"Using magic to modify creatures as their servants is a common method of the Hag. These rats were altered by her magic—poisonous and highly aggressive. They are not too powerful, though; an ordinary person with some courage could slay a few, but without antidotes, they would soon succumb to the poison. Even in death, they would continue to spread disease."
End of Chapter