Chapter 057 – Plague King
......
Setting aside the Nail Hammer.
Soul Cage is an ability of at least the fourth tier!
Matthew scrutinized it closely. "Life Stealing" could be used for massive bloodsucking;
"Soul Torture" was a severe interrogation of the soul;
"Experience Theft" meant that one could gain a skill of the soul in a short period;
"Will Humiliation" could reduce the opponent's resistance, making it perfect for dealing with weak enemies;
And the final "Eye of the Dead" could enter a coordinate deep in the opponent's memory, and then observe the surroundings of that coordinate, making it easy to trace clues.
More importantly, these options were not single-choice and could be used repeatedly.
As long as the target's soul was imprisoned in the cage, up to 6 or more options could be used!
"This seems more like the ability of a Necromancer, not a Warlock. Perhaps the Midnight God also has some control over the realm of death."
Matthew thought so.
The Moonlight Goddess had mentioned before that the number of Warlocks on the Aindora Continent would increase.
Considering the situation of the Midnight God, it was not difficult to know that the restless Gods might create demonic avatars in the outer Plane, bypassing the restrictions of the Heavenly Palace as the master of Dark Magic, thereby indirectly gaining influence over the mortal world.
In this way, many newly born Warlocks are actually priests of the true Gods!
Their abilities also began to deviate from the traditional Warlock category, and their styles became diverse.
Matthew realized that he must not hold a stereotype when encountering Warlocks in the future, otherwise, he might die miserably!
Apart from the advantages.
The cost of launching a Soul Cage once was quite high.
A full 100 gold coins!
With Matthew's current wealth, he could at most keep a Heart Stone for backup, and he couldn't afford more.
"At that time, Ed didn't use this ability. On the one hand, it might be because the conditions were not sufficient, and on the other hand, it might be because he didn't have a 'Heart Stone'?"
"It is said that the casting materials required for many advanced abilities are very expensive. Many times, advanced casters are not killed due to lack of combat power, but due to poverty!"
"When I complete the advancement, I must find a way to make a fortune!"
With this thought, Matthew closed the information and lay down to rest.
Even though they were close to the city, camping in the wild was still unsafe, so Matthew slept lightly, but this night was surprisingly peaceful.
The next day, the caravan set off smoothly. By evening, they had arrived at Zewater City.
Matthew and the caravan parted ways at the city gate.
Zewater City was built against the mountain, layer upon layer. The further you go into the city, the higher the terrain. On the road leading to the inner city, there are layers of fortresses and stone gates. To reach the "Feathered Serpent Holy Spring" at the top of the mountain from outside the city, you need to pass through 196 stone gates.
Therefore, this place is also known as the City of Ten Thousand Gates.
The permanent population here is mostly humans, mixed-blood Jango people, orcs and half-orcs, with occasional traces of Su people and sea elves.
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When passing the 4th stone gate.
Matthew bumped into a group of people who were coughing madly.
They looked pale and thin, with unfocused eyes, but for some reason, they were still wandering aimlessly on the street in a coat of reed grass.
While walking, they were still coughing violently.
The patrolling guards saw them and dared not stop them. They just scolded them from a distance and quickly avoided them.
Seeing this, Matthew decisively put on a mask, waited in a nearby alley for a while, and only hurried past after the coughing group had left.
Twenty minutes later.
Matthew arrived at the "Jungle Dance" inn between the 11th and 12th stone gates.
This was a place strongly recommended by Li Witchy.
It was said that not only was it cost-effective, but if you really had no money, the innkeeper would allow you to work in the inn to pay off your debt.
Matthew was not trying to save money.
He just trusted Li Witchy's judgment, and besides, this inn also provided guide services.
After brushing past the coughing marchers.
He now just wanted to find a guide as soon as possible and leave this place!
That night, he checked into the Jungle Dance and chatted with the half-orc boss named Trug for a while.
The latter assured him that he would bring the best guide in Zewater City to him tomorrow when he learned that Matthew needed a guide to cross the jungle.
Matthew breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing that there were also many coughing people in the hall, he politely declined the enthusiastic half-orc boss's invitation to dine in the hall and ate a little in his room on the second floor.
The climate of Zewater City was hot and humid, and Matthew had no appetite at all, but for the upcoming journey, he still tried to eat a little.
After nightfall.
There was a violent coughing sound from the next room.
Upstairs, however, was a group of men and women enjoying the pleasures of life.
Opening the window, a severe smoke rushed up. Matthew looked down and saw that someone was burning a plant similar to mugwort in the courtyard on the first floor. That person was chanting while burning, and there were several people lying on the reed mat next to the fire, their life or death uncertain.
Matthew quickly closed the doors and windows and forced himself to sleep."Did Li Witchy consider this place a training ground for his mental state? He even highly recommended it, but he didn't mention that it's full of sick people everywhere."
He covered his head with a pillow, chuckling bitterly in his heart:
"I'll find a guide and leave immediately tomorrow. I can't stay here for another minute!"
...
The next day, in the early morning.
The sound of splashing water came from the inn's bathroom.
A moment later.
Matthew walked out of the bathroom, clutching his stomach, his face pale as a sheet.
"Damn, this is the sixth time."
He endured the dull pain in his lower abdomen, his forehead and eyelashes covered with beads of sweat the size of soybeans.
...
"Warning: You have entered the domain of the 'Plague King'. You have contracted a fever, and your current symptoms include fever, diarrhea, coughing..."
...
"When did I get hit?"
As Matthew sat on the toilet for the seventh time, releasing a torrent of waste.
He began to deeply question his life.
At this moment, he was drenched in sweat, it felt as if ants were crawling in his lungs, and the foul smell in the bathroom constantly reminded him of the long night that had passed.
If it weren't for his extraordinary resilience.
Matthew would probably have collapsed by now.
"It seems I need to ask the innkeeper to buy some holy water."
He rubbed his lower abdomen, his brows furrowed, preparing for the eighth onslaught.
Just then, Ella's voice came from outside the door:
"Matthew, Matthew, are you ready to go?"
The bathroom door was pushed open.
Ella screamed and flew away, flapping her wings:
"Matthew, did you blow up the toilet?"
Matthew said tiredly:
"It's a fever, I've caught a fever. Go find the innkeeper and ask him to buy me some holy water for purification."
The door was open for a while.
Ella carefully reappeared in front of Matthew.
As a spirit of nature, Ella had spent the night in the Moonlit Grove.
Seeing Matthew's miserable state, Miss Owl immediately showed a look of sympathy:
"Why didn't you say so earlier?!"
Matthew looked at her in surprise.
"Don't underestimate the spirit of nature, I am the most favored one by the goddess!"
As she spoke, her chest swelled, and a white light merged into Matthew's body.
...
"Prompt: Ella has used 'Intermediate Dispel' on you.
Dispel failed!"
...
Ella stubbornly tried two more times, but still failed.
She finally became serious: "A plague that can't be driven away by intermediate dispel? Matthew, someone is spreading and controlling it in secret, I can smell the power of the domain!"
Matthew nodded slightly.
The Plague King.
He had never heard of this name, but anyone who dared to use such a title and was still alive was likely a tough character.
Zeshui City was indeed not a good place.
But he was not in a position to cause trouble now.
"I'll try advanced dispel."
Ella hesitated for a moment:
"But after using this ability, my mental state will be very poor for the next ten days, I... I might have to lie in your arms!"
Matthew nodded with difficulty.
...
"Prompt: Ella has used 'Advanced Dispel' on you.
Dispel successful!
You have been freed from the plague infection, please replenish water and energy in time.
Due to a night of diarrhea, coughing, and fever, you have gained the following elements of the Plague Domain: Infection, Sickness, Immunity, Healing. Accumulate more elements, and you will have the opportunity to enter the Plague Domain!"
...
A moment later.
Matthew straightened up and walked out of the bathroom, looking like a new man!
"Matthew, I can't go on!"
Ella collapsed into his arms.
Matthew caught her steadily, thanked her, then packed his bags and headed downstairs.
"Just like the undead, 'Plague' is also a sub-domain of death. If I have the chance, I must conquer it!"
Matthew silently noted the name of the Plague King in his heart.
As he turned the corner, he heard someone crying downstairs. He looked down and saw the man who had been burning mugwort in the backyard last night.
Matthew saw him clutching a reed mat and crying uncontrollably.
The people around him, with their eyes closed and faces pale, had completely lost their vitality.
The fire in the brazier had long since extinguished, leaving only dark red embers.
Matthew took a deep look, didn't linger, and quickly went downstairs.
...
(End of the chapter)