On this continent where the Nine Kingdoms are in constant conflict, many intelligent beings hold differing positions, but it is not always a matter of clear distinctions between good and evil.
For instance, the Lyne Empire harbors a deep hatred for the undead, but that does not mean that undead beings like Amberxiu are truly irredeemable. Nor can one simply claim, from the perspective of the undead, that the Lyne Empire is an inhuman, evil cult.
It is a matter of stance, and cannot be simply measured by good and evil.
However, the Banshee is a different matter. She is a creature of innate evil, born to be among the cruelest and most malicious beings in existence.
A Banshee appears as an ugly, twisted old woman, and her heart is just as foul as her appearance.
The reproductive methods of these creatures reveal their extreme and twisted nature.
Banshees are incapable of bearing offspring themselves. Instead, they steal infants from cradles or even from the wombs of mothers, draining the poor babies dry. One week later, the Banshee gives birth to a human-like girl, who grows in the image of a human. At the age of thirteen, however, she transforms into a Banshee, becoming identical to her mother.
Typically, Banshees will then leave their offspring with a couple who has lost a child. The child grows normally until they reach ten or so years of age.
Over the course of ten years, the couple becomes a true family, believing their adopted child to be their own flesh and blood.
But when the Banshee's soul matures, the child will suddenly change, becoming cruel and malicious, leaving the adoptive parents helpless. No matter what the parents try, they cannot awaken their child's lost conscience. The child, having inflicted countless betrayals and injuries, will eventually kill their adoptive parents with their own hands.
In their final moments, the parents will see their beloved child transform into the hideous form of a Banshee, realizing that they have been raising a monster for all these years—one that grew by consuming their own child.
The emotional torture endured by the parents tears their souls apart, while the Banshee delights in the anger and despair of their victims.
This is the essence of the Banshee, whose very existence is designed to bring suffering to other life forms.
Once grown, Banshees quickly master a variety of dark magic and begin to grow arrogant, with some even believing that gods are no different from them and that they will one day trample all the gods beneath their feet.
This extreme arrogance causes Banshees to enjoy toying with humans as a means of proving they are "gods" as well. They often engage in games of manipulation, such as poisoning a person and, when they are at their most desperate, offering them the chance to survive in exchange for the sacrifice of their loved ones.
The Banshees find immense pleasure in witnessing the despair and collapse of humans when the truth is revealed.
They are willing to pay any price for this cruel amusement.
It is fair to say that Banshees are born evil, even more so than the devils of hell.
Amberxiu carefully explained to Naomi the nature of these creatures, and Naomi stood in stunned silence, her mouth hanging open.
"By Sylvanas, such a wicked creature exists? Consuming babies and replacing them with monsters for families to raise... how vile!" Naomi shuddered at the thought, realizing how terrifying the creatures her people had encountered truly were.
Amberxiu continued, "The majority of Banshees are skilled in illusion magic, and creating vast illusions is no challenge for them. Not only do Banshees possess powerful magical abilities, their claws can tear through steel, and they are never alone. Their specialty is confusing humans and turning them into their puppets.
"Even an entire army, well-prepared, would suffer heavy casualties facing a Banshee. What is even more frightening is that Banshees excel at escape. You cannot kill them in one strike; they will seek revenge again and again until they destroy you!
"I have heard of a tale where three Banshees teamed up to unleash a horrific plague in the city of elves, turning city after city into death zones, with thousands perishing. If not for the intervention of legendary high elves, who drove the Banshees away, the death toll would have been even higher."
Amberxiu's words drained the color from Naomi's face. Such a creature sounded absolutely horrifying, and now her people were in great danger.
"Master Ultraman, what should we do now?" Naomi asked in panic.
"It's difficult," Amberxiu said gravely. "A Banshee is no easy foe; only a legendary figure would have a hundred percent chance of defeating them. If you hire a professional adventurer team, you'd be looking at at least several tens of thousands of gold coins, and that's an old price from years ago. With the recent inflation in Alchemy City, it would likely cost even more now."
Naomi became even more anxious at Amberxiu's words. How could she possibly afford such an amount? Was her tribe truly doomed?
"However..." Amberxiu suddenly shifted his tone.
Naomi quickly pressed, "However, what?"
Amberxiu smiled and said, "I happen to know an expert on Banshees. With my connections, he can solve this problem for no more than ten thousand gold coins."
"Really?" Naomi asked, her voice laced with suspicion. Something about this sounded off, almost like a scam.
Amberxiu patted his chest confidently. "Of course. If you don't believe me, I can swear by the name of the God of the Undead. This expert of mine can certainly deal with the Banshee. And if he fails, or if the Banshee escapes, you won't owe a single coin."
Naomi sighed in frustration. "But I don't have that much money. I don't even have anything valuable to sell."
Amberxiu laughed. "That's no problem. Don't you need to rescue your tribe's people? Their belongings should easily add up to ten thousand gold coins. The natural magic equipment made by Druids is highly sought after in the Nine Kingdoms. We can offer services first and settle payment later."
Naomi still felt uneasy, but at that moment, it seemed she had no other option.
The important thing was to save her people, and ten thousand gold coins would certainly be worth it. Perhaps, when they pooled together, they would manage to gather enough.
And if they failed to save them, what would she have lost?
With that thought, Naomi agreed. "Then shall we go find this expert of yours? Where is he?"
Amberxiu smiled faintly. "No need to hurry, he's already here."
As he spoke, his body began to emit a dim, eerie light.
The effect of his transformation spell was lifted, and the once-black-haired young man quickly turned into a white, skeletal figure. Cloaked in black robes, with soul flames burning in his eye sockets, he floated above the ground, holding a long staff.
At the sight of this, Naomi gasped. "A Lich? You're a Lich?!"
The undead were varied, and Naomi had initially suspected Amberxiu to be a vampire or something similar, but never a Lich.
Among the undead, Liches were some of the most powerful spellcasters, which explained his immense magical prowess.
"Wait, the expert you were talking about... is it you?" Naomi suddenly felt like she had been deceived.
"Yes, I'm quite experienced in dealing with Banshees. Don't worry," Amberxiu replied with complete confidence.
However, with his Lich form restored, his voice now came out as a resonance of magical power, sounding like a chilling breeze sweeping over a graveyard—eerily unsettling.
Naomi still felt something was wrong and questioned him further. "But you just said that only someone of legendary status can deal with a Banshee."
Amberxiu waved his staff lightly, and the mutated rat corpses on the ground exploded, their blood and flesh swirling as dozens of bizarre skeletons reassembled from the scattered bones.
Standing before this army of skeletons, Amberxiu turned to Naomi and said, "Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Di Jia, the Legendary Lich!"
End of Chapter