The foul stench permeated the sewer space, with various twisted pipes and channels crisscrossing in a chaotic maze. Anyone unfamiliar with the terrain would quickly lose their sense of direction after just a few turns.
Not only did they have to endure the pervasive toxic stench, but many dangerous creatures lurked in the darkness.
Fortunately, both thieves and rangers excelled in stealth and covert actions.
Hastings and Harris were brothers, known to those who knew them as Big Black and Second Husky. Typically, the two brothers pretended not to recognize each other, occasionally pulling pranks on newcomers or even engaging in some black-on-black schemes.
This time, they planned to deceive Amberxiu, but they hadn't anticipated that Amberxiu, with more cunning than both brothers combined, would trail them into the sewer. In the end, they found no one, but the brothers themselves fell into danger.
The once filthy and dimly lit sewer suddenly transformed into a picturesque garden. The foul stench vanished, replaced by the fragrance of flowers filling the air.
Big Black, the thief, frowned and said, "This doesn't make sense. How could there be a garden in the Alchemy City sewers?"
Second Husky, the ranger, shrugged casually, "Who knows? Those alchemists could make anything. Nothing they do would surprise me."
Big Black had felt something was off, but hearing Second Husky's words, he relaxed.
"You're right; this place isn't bad. The smell of the flowers is delightful."
Big Black took a deep breath, feeling his body and mind unwind, unaware that his eyes were slowly turning bloodshot. Within minutes, both brothers, who had wandered through the garden, began to resemble mindless zombies, drooling and vacant.
At that moment, a goddess, radiant with golden light, appeared before them.
"Mortal, you have trespassed into the domain of the gods."
The ethereal voice caused the brothers' blank faces to light up with excitement. They gazed at the beautiful goddess, bathed in golden light, and immediately dropped to their knees.
Big Black, drooling, asked, "Beautiful goddess, who are you?"
"I am the Goddess of Magic, Mystra. You are fortunate to have found my garden. I can grant you one wish."
Second Husky, still dazed, responded, "The Goddess of Magic? But... I'm a ranger..."
But Big Black could no longer wait and eagerly exclaimed, "Great goddess, I wish... I wish for you!"
To Big Black, this goddess was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, fulfilling all his fantasies. He had nearly lost his mind, disregarding whether it was sacrilege, and simply sought to fulfill his deepest desires.
Second Husky, taken aback by his brother's crude request, gasped. After all, this was a goddess!
Surprisingly, the golden goddess, Mystra, did not become angry. Instead, she let out a sweet laugh.
"Your taste is commendable, mortal. I will grant your wish."
Her words filled Big Black with ecstasy, and without hesitation, he lunged toward her, eager to claim what he desired.
Second Husky, looking on enviously, wondered if he should make a similar wish. But before he could speak, he suddenly felt a tremendous force pulling him aside.
Before he could react, his head spun, and the scene before him shifted dramatically.
What had once been a picturesque garden was now a filthy, stinking sewer again, and standing beside him were several large, muscular men, dressed in leaves and antlered headgear.
One of the dark-skinned men seized Second Husky's arm and warned, "Don't move. The Banshee's illusion is too powerful. We're barely holding it off. If you rush out, we won't be able to save you."
Still disoriented, Second Husky mumbled, "Rush out? Where's my brother?!"
He turned to see that he was now twenty or thirty meters away from Big Black. To his shock, he saw his brother hungrily gnawing on an old, grotesque witch, her body covered in oozing sores.
"Ugh!"
Whether it was the aftereffects of the illusion or the grotesque scene before him, Second Husky vomited uncontrollably. After a long while, he regained his composure.
He looked back at his poor brother, Big Black, who lay in the witch's arms, his body covered in revolting filth, yet wearing a blissful expression. Even worse, they were lying on a pile of decaying, mutated rats, their bodies soaked in poisonous pus.
"Ugh~"
Second Husky couldn't hold it back and vomited once more.
As he looked at the muscular men clad in leaves, Second Husky felt a surge of gratitude. Without them, he too would have endured that torturous fate.
"Thank you, thank you!" Second Husky muttered repeatedly, before asking, "Are you druids?"
The dark-skinned man who had grabbed his arm replied, "I'm Van Jones. We're druids from the Golden Vine Tribe. We, too, got trapped in the Banshee's illusion. Now, we can't escape."
Second Husky looked around and saw that there were six druids in total, four men and two women. Three of them were gathered together, chanting incantations, seemingly maintaining some sort of ritual.
Van Jones continued, "We can only block the effects of the illusion through the Thorn Ritual, but even with constant rotation, we can't hold out much longer."
Second Husky noticed that the druids looked haggard, as though they hadn't slept for days.
"What should we do?" Second Husky asked anxiously.
He wanted to save his brother, but he knew he lacked the strength to do so.
"I don't know. We're holding on only for a faint hope," Van Jones replied, his tone tinged with resignation. They couldn't break the Banshee's illusion. They had tried to attack the creature, but it was elusive, and no matter what magic they cast, it never seemed to harm her.
The illusion continued to drain the druids' energy, and if the ritual ceased, they would all fall under the Banshee's spell once more.
The only reason they had helped Second Husky was out of the druids' inherent kindness and hope that he might provide a breakthrough.
But now, it seemed that even this ranger had no way out.
Van Jones sighed and muttered, "By Sylvanas, perhaps this is the moment our souls return to the forest."
But Second Husky remembered Naomi, the young druid he had encountered in the tavern. "Do you have a fellow druid? A young woman with short golden hair?"
Van Jones looked astonished. "You know Naomi?"
"I don't know her well, but I've seen her. She came with some reinforcements. They should have arrived in the sewers by now. If we hang on a little longer, we might be saved," Second Husky said, more to reassure Van Jones than to himself. Right now, he had no thoughts of betrayal—he simply hoped Amberxiu would appear and eliminate the Banshee.
Van Jones, however, seemed startled. "Naomi returned? That child... has she lost her mind? She's throwing away all the sacrifices we've made!"
Second Husky urged, "Don't speak in despair. The reinforcements she brought should be powerful, and they're undead, perfectly suited for this environment. They'll be able to deal with the Banshee!"
Suddenly, Van Jones grabbed Second Husky by the collar, his voice booming with disbelief. "What did you say? Undead?!"
**End of Chapter**