In a large city like Caugust, if the infrastructure is not well-developed, living here would certainly be a tough experience.
Fortunately, the city's rulers seem to place considerable importance on these hidden infrastructure facilities.
As Saul and Julie entered the underground sewage tunnel, they imdiately spotted the magical devices used for diversion and filtration in the main pipeline.
One side had clean water, and the other was a muddy pit.
"It should be this way," Julie said, pointing to the pipe carrying clean water.
Saul nodded. Near the clean water pipeline, he noticed what appeared to be black particles, resembling smoke and dust.
Alongside Saul and Julie were two guards from the security team.
They held cylindrical lamps that emitted light, which had a certain repellent effect on wraiths. These two weren’t here to fight; they were acting in a supportive role.
One of the team mbers held a communicator, exchanged a few words, and then looked up at Saul and Julie. "My lord, the water valves along this main pipeline have all been shut, and the purification facilities have been activated."
Having read the "Guide Manual," Saul knew that this purification facility was not a water treatnt device, but rather a magical tool designed to prevent contamination from flowing back into the upper structures through the water system.
Although this device could only address simple contamination issues, it was a reassuring safety asure for the residents living above.
Julie tilted her head toward Saul. "Let’s go."
As soon as the words left her mouth, her fair skin began to glow. When she leaped into the pipe, she floated on the water’s surface like a colorful soap bubble.
Saul followed suit, and suddenly, several black tendrils resembling vines sprouted from the back of his neck, stretching out in all directions, lifting him into the air.
Little Algae, resembling a large spider, used all its legs to crawl forward, its long legs allowing it to move quickly. In no ti, it caught up with Julie, who had set off first.
Sensing the shadow behind her, Julie turned around and said, "Wow! Every ti I work with a wizard specializing in dark magic, I can never tell who the real wraith is."
Saul thought to himself, You haven’t seen transform yet.
The two sped along, eventually spotting the wraith’s form just before the pipeline was about to rge into an underground reservoir.
The wraith was a woman wearing a blue-black work outfit. Her long hair hung loose behind her, giving her a ghostly appearance.
She was holding a man’s severed head in her hands, and the two of them were whispering, seemingly discussing what to have for dinner.
Seeing the man’s head, Saul was taken aback and whispered, "Is that him?"
Although a few days had passed, Saul still recognized the brokerage man who had shown him around the house.
He never expected to et him again, and in such a changed form.
As Saul observed the agent, John, Julie had already launched herself off the water's surface with one foot, charging forward.
The wraith, engrossed in her conversation with the man’s head, suddenly noticed the movent behind her. She turned around, and her expression instantly shifted from sweet to fierce, as if blaming Julie for disturbing their private mont.
Her mouth opened wide, revealing an empty cavity with only a twisted red tongue inside.
Julie’s palm instantly gathered a dazzling light orb, which she hurled directly at the wraith.
The light ball emitted an even more blinding radiance in mid-air. When it landed on the wraith, it began to scorch her body, causing black smoke to rise.
The wraith imdiately covered her face in distress, and the severed head in her palm fell with a "plop" into the water.
Saul was about to go help, but heard Julie shout, "The man’s also suspicious; go after him!"
It was Saul's first ti on a mission, so he didn't force himself to take the lead. Since Julie asked him to go after the man, she must have the confidence to handle the wraith on her own.
Saul imdiately instructed Little Algae to rise higher and scan the water's surface. He soon detected unusual ripples in the water.
He dove down, ready to retrieve the head.
Saul initially thought John’s head was drifting with the current, but as he got closer, he realized the man was actually trying to swim.
From the jagged wound on his neck, nurous fine, insect-like legs sprouted and flailed desperately in the water.
It seed as though he was trying to escape toward the deep water reservoir.
But swimming was no match for flying. Saul rose into the air, and a black tendril shot downward toward the water’s surface.
Once Little Algae was subrged, it opened its mouth and imdiately lunged toward the man’s head, not needing to worry about refraction.
However, at that mont, several twisted, claw-like black shadows suddenly grew beneath the head, breaking through the water’s resistance and swiftly moving toward Little Algae.
"More wraiths?" Saul quickly pulled Little Algae back. With his other hand, he thrust it into the water, extending a similar tendril, but this one was light gray and semi-transparent.
However, when his tendril made contact with the claw-like shadows, it passed straight through them.
Not a wraith? Not even a spiritual entity? Saul raised an eyebrow, keeping his tendril aid at the man’s head. The claws suddenly extended several sharp nails, aiming directly at Saul’s semi-transparent soul fishing line.
Just monts ago, the claws were unable to stop the soul fishing line, but now they had directly torn several deep cuts into the grayish transparent tendril.
The tendril was nearly severed.
Switching between material and spiritual attacks in an instant? What kind of creature is this? Saul imdiately beca alert, and a black "Touch of Tornt" spell replaced his soul fishing line.
The claws continued to strike at Saul's tendril but were burned by the corrosive damage attached to the "Touch of Tornt," sizzling with smoke.
Material and spiritual transformation? I can do that too.
Ever since Saul realized that his soul fishing line was targeted by the soul toxins of Gudo, he had used this period of peace to develop a little trick.
That was, whenever his soul fishing line was targeted, he would quickly cast "Touch of Tornt" to take the damage in its place.
Since the soul fishing line was essentially an extension of his spiritual body, it could also cast spells.
At the sa ti, a burst of destructive power followed the claws, corroding the creature’s body.
However, the painful corrosive power that entered the claws soon disappeared without a trace.
Saul frowned. This thing’s true form is huge.
He cautiously approached the water surface and finally realized that the claw-like shadows weren’t the hands of a wraith or a monster. Instead, they resembled sothing like tree branches—no, more like tree roots.
A tree?
Saul suddenly shot upward, his back pressing against the pipe wall. Just as he rose above the water, a gnarled root shot up from beneath the surface.
The rough main root had several small, grayish white rootlets sticking out.
They looked like human hands, grabbing the air a couple of tis before slowly retreating back into the water.
At the sa ti, the long-unopened diary suddenly flipped open.
317th Year of the Lunar Calendar, July 15th,
You t a hospitable host,
Who desperately tried to invite you to his residence.
One misstep,
And you were taken away for a brief mont.
From then on,
You will gradually go from being a guest to a slave.
It was a danger warning!
It was very clear: don’t be taken away... Even for a brief mont?
Saul suddenly darted forward, moving ten ters in a horizontal slide, landing at the bottom of the nearby pipeline.
Turning around, he saw several slender, elongated tree roots extending from the gaps in the upper pipe.
The root systems were like claws, seemingly trying to grab Saul.
"The pipes are filled with tree roots, yet there’s no leakage?" Despite the tension, Saul managed to make a sarcastic comnt.
He began to use his flying ability and Little Algae to constantly shift positions, while the gray-white roots continuously broke through the pipe to grab at him.
Soon, the pipeline was filled with gray-white roots and black Little Algae.
Although Little Algae’s body could easily be pierced and torn apart by the roots, as the black vines grew more nurous and tightly tangled, even the strongest roots couldn’t easily escape the entanglent.
Taking advantage of the gaps left by Little Algae, Saul managed to slip through, all the while holding the wet, severed head of John.
At the sa ti, the insect-like legs sprouting from the wound at the bottom of the head were still twitching, seemingly trying to crawl up Saul’s arm. Saul quickly cast a small fireball, burning the legs to ashes and sealing John’s wound.
Despite being chased by the tree roots earlier, Saul hadn’t forgotten his mission.
He glanced once more at the ss of vines and roots behind him, then decisively ordered Little Algae to sever its body and carry John’s head as they made a hasty retreat!
(End of Chapter)
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