"How much gold can you offer?"
When Amberxiu uttered this question, not only was Naomi taken aback, but even the old witch herself was stunned, taking a long while to comprehend the situation.
With great excitement, the witch responded, "You want gold? Fine, I can offer you five thousand gold coins!"
Naomi's heart tightened. Could it be that this lich might break the contract for five thousand gold coins?
It couldn't be, right? After all, they had agreed on ten thousand gold coins earlier, with the Druids offering the higher amount.
As expected, Amberxiu did not accept. Instead, he calmly said to the witch, "Only five thousand? That's not enough. The Druids have offered me fifty thousand gold coins."
Naomi: ...
The self-reassurance she had just given herself now seemed utterly meaningless. This lich truly was the type to speak without hesitation!
The witch was taken aback as well. Fifty thousand gold coins was an outrageous amount; even if all the Druids were killed and sold, they wouldn't be worth that much.
"Hah, you lich! You're even more deceitful than I am. I won't waste any more time with you. The most I can offer is twenty thousand, a fixed price. Will you accept it?"
The witch's offer made Naomi nervous. This was already double her price.
Given the lich's nature, he might actually agree to this.
As if to confirm Naomi's fears, Amberxiu suddenly turned around and waved his staff in Naomi's direction.
Before she could react, Naomi felt the icon of Sylvanas being snatched away from her.
Upon closer inspection, it was a glowing hand floating in the air.
Mage Hand, like the Ice Ray, was a basic spell, known by nearly every mage. However, Amberxiu cast it with such speed that it was no easy feat.
Naomi, inexperienced as she was, hadn't expected Amberxiu to turn on her so quickly. Just as Sylvanas' icon was taken from her, Amberxiu's next spell struck.
A dark red beam of light formed a massive cage around Naomi, and she found herself unable to move a single finger.
The Human Stasis spell was a high-level magic with special effectiveness against humanoid beings. Until the spell's effect wore off, Naomi would remain in a vulnerable, helpless state.
Afterward, Amberxiu turned his gaze back to the witch, saying, "Gold in hand, and the person in hand. By the way, I'll be taking the Sylvanas icon."
The witch emitted a strange, eerie laugh as mutated rats emerged from the shadows, carrying a small pouch on their backs—evidently another spatial pouch.
Amberxiu carefully used Mage Hand to take the pouch, checking it for magical traps before finally opening it to inspect the contents.
Soon, Amberxiu frowned and remarked, "Only about eighteen thousand gold coins?"
The witch growled in anger, "My spatial pouch alone is worth three or four thousand gold coins! How dare you quibble over a mere two thousand?"
Amberxiu replied, "Alright, I'll take a loss and give you a discount."
The witch nearly had a fit. This lich was shameless! If she could defeat him, she would tear him apart and use his parts to make a toilet.
The transaction between Amberxiu and the witch was clearly visible to the Druids trapped in the illusion. Van Jones, the dark-skinned Druid, clenched his fists in anger as he saw Naomi immobilized by Amberxiu's spell.
Unfortunately, Van Jones was helpless. All he could do was silently pray: "Undead truly are despicable, evil creatures! Sylvanas, I beseech you to save your followers!"
However, the gods seemed uninterested in the prayers of a few insignificant Druids. Amberxiu and the witch continued their transaction unhindered, receiving no divine retribution.
Once Amberxiu had secured the pouch, he did not immediately hand over Naomi. Instead, he leisurely asked, "The Alchemical City has been rather lively lately, with the Holy Paladins of the Lyan Empire coming to these sewers, Druids coming to these sewers, and even someone like you, an old witch, coming here... What exactly are all of you looking for? What's so special about this wretched place?"
The witch casually replied, "Don't you know? With your power, you're already considered a major figure among the undead. Haven't you heard the prophecy? The sewers of the Alchemical City hide a secret of the gods. If it's found, one can ascend to divinity."
"Hah?" Amberxiu chuckled, clearly disbelieving. "Ascend to godhood in this filthy place?"
Sensing Amberxiu's mockery, the witch became irritated. "Do you think this is a joke?"
Amberxiu did not respond, instead changing the subject. "Have you found any clues about ascension to divinity?"
The witch sneered, "Even if I had, would I tell you? And even if I did, would you believe it?"
Amberxiu nodded thoughtfully. "Fair point. Looks like there's nothing more to ask."
Upon hearing Amberxiu's words, the witch suddenly felt an ominous sense of danger. Her body stiffened in response.
Though she was in the darkness and had already prepared a teleportation spell, the witch knew that her ability to escape was unparalleled. If not for her superior fleeing skills, she wouldn't have survived this long.
Unaware of where the danger came from, the witch decisively activated her teleportation spell.
In an instant, she found herself face-to-face with Amberxiu, less than ten meters away.
"How is this possible?"
In a random teleportation within a radius of several hundred meters, how could she end up right in front of her enemy?
The witch was startled but immediately cast a second teleportation spell. With her unparalleled mastery over teleportation, she executed the spell smoothly without hesitation.
However, this time, to her shock, she found herself back where she started, only a meter away.
Amberxiu calmly hovered before the witch as she frantically teleported again and again, only to end up in the same position each time.
The witch, stunned, gasped, "A displacement spell? You… you're from the Prophecy school?"
Amberxiu nodded approvingly. "Impressive. It's rare to see someone still remember the Prophecy school. I thought it had been lost to the sands of time."
The witch realized she had encountered a serious problem. Her teleportation was useless; she couldn't escape. The only choice left was to fight with everything she had.
Just as the witch prepared to cast an attack spell on Amberxiu, the magical light from his staff struck her.
In the next moment, she began laughing uncontrollably, as though triggered by some unknown force.
The laughter was horrible, but the witch couldn't stop.
In just a few seconds, she laughed so hard she bent over, coughing violently, and almost causing her lungs and throat to bleed. She was eventually reduced to rolling on the filthy floor, unable to stand.
Tasha's Madness, a common control spell, rendered the target unable to do anything but laugh uncontrollably.
As Amberxiu cast Madness on the witch, the immobilizing effect on Naomi also dissipated.
Amberxiu turned to the dazed Naomi and said, "It's done. The witch is under my control. Your tribe should be safe now."
Naomi stared blankly at Amberxiu, unsure of what was real anymore.
"Why are you spacing out? Did you really think I'd break the contract?" Amberxiu explained.
"But you took her gold, and I haven't paid you yet…" Naomi said softly.
Amberxiu chuckled, "Haha, do you think I can't get the gold just because she didn't pay? You naïve girl, once the witch is dealt with, the gold will still be mine. I was just playing her to learn the secret of these sewers."
Naomi felt her worldview shattered in a short time. The world was far too terrifying. She just wanted to go back to the tribe.
End of chapter.