Chapter 116 – The Return of Punk

It didn’t take long before Punk had already emerged from the Lush Forest.

The side effects of the Activation Potion quickly faded, and with no extensive search operations or Divination Spells to maintain, traversing the outer reaches of the Lush Forest with just one Swiftness Spell took merely a single night.

By the time the first rays of morning light illuminated the Wilderness, Punk had already returned to Nielan Town—though being poor at riding, he had run back!

Punk’s plan was to first return to the town and repair Golem Number One. This was an extremely important combat asset for him—indeed, his only advantage when confronting those veteran Formal-Level powerhouses. Until it was fixed, Punk wouldn’t feel at ease.

Beyond that, Punk intended to quickly find another strong-willed soul to brew a new batch of Activation Potion. The effects of this magical concoction had greatly satisfied him, playing a crucial role in his battle against the High Priest.

Simultaneously, the success of the Activation Potion made him even more curious about the other formulas in Mainaixi’s notes.

However, the most pressing matter at hand was how to acquire the Legendary Equipment from that “Goddess” while ensuring he eliminated Tisha Xia’er, with whom he now had an irreconcilable blood feud.

“Judging by the current mental state of that Tisha Xia’er Goddess, her actions against Doleiz City will only grow more frenzied. If the Formal-Level dwarf warrior in Doleiz City truly cares about the city’s welfare, he’ll have no choice but to cooperate with me. When that happens, I might even manage to secure some extra benefits”!

Punk calculated silently in his mind. The dwarf warrior, who paid little attention to external affairs, remained unaware of Tisha Xia’er “Goddess’s” secret—this was the opportunity Punk planned to exploit.

Of course, Punk never imagined that the “single-minded” dwarf’s loyalty lay solely with the Heide Family, with no concern for Doleiz City’s survival. But now… what he couldn’t possibly foresee was the scene that would greet him upon entering Nielan Town.

The once beautiful and tranquil Nielan Town had completely transformed into a “ghost town.” The formerly tidy streets were now littered with discarded debris, and a large pool of blood at a street corner seemed to narrate some tragic tale that had unfolded here.

Most eerily, several townsfolk with wax-figure-like pallid complexions crouched motionless against walls, their limbs often twisted at unnatural angles. Yet these residents appeared utterly indifferent to their condition, as if this were completely normal.

The seemingly starved townsfolk would occasionally take out small pieces of dried bread, letting them dissolve in their mouths with saliva before swallowing, then resume staring vacantly into the distance with hollow, lifeless eyes.

“What happened here”?

Punk walked through the empty main street, observing these ashen-faced townspeople along the way. They appeared to be infected by some magical disease. Throughout his journey, Punk could sense a faint but destructive magical fluctuation ravaging nearly every townsfolk’s body.

But where did this magical disease come from?

Punk could confirm that these people showed no signs of illness when he left. Now they had all fallen sick, some so severely they couldn’t even move from where they lay by the streets. Furthermore, the numbers didn’t match up.Punk observed as he walked through what was once the most bustling area of Nielan Town, now a scene of desolation. The town’s only bakery had been burned to a pile of charcoal, with discarded clothes hastily abandoned at the doorstep. The shop owner seemed to have fled in a hurry, leaving behind all their belongings. The only remnants on the crumbling walls were various graffiti filled with curses.

“It seems something extraordinary has happened in the week I’ve been away”!

Punk walked playfully toward a wall, thoughtfully examining a spider pattern drawn in human blood.

If the town had become a hotbed for cults, Punk wouldn’t have been surprised. The eerie Tisha Xia’er clearly possessed methods to brainwash people. If she cast aside all restraint and brought her fanatical religion into the open, she could undoubtedly turn the residents of several towns into irrational zealots within just three days.

Yet, the situation here didn’t seem like one where the sick were merely waiting to die. This inexplicable illness was even more intriguing.

Though curious about what had transpired during his week away, Punk had no intention of using a Divination Spell to investigate.

The information obtained from a Divination Spell was often vague and could miss many details—details that might conceal crucial clues.

So, he decided to explore using a method that could almost completely uncover all the information. For instance, directly “asking” the people involved. After all… who could understand the situation better than the victims of the disaster?

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Made was a small-time thug in Nielan Town, often engaging in extortion and collecting protection money. His life had been relatively leisurely, but the events of the past few days made him feel as though he were trapped in a nightmare.

First, he encountered a group of fanatics preaching and nearly had “Holy Water” forced down his throat. After being chased for two streets and barely shaking them off, he inexplicably fell and fractured his bones. It wasn’t until the City Guard entered the town to drive out the fanatical believers that he realized he had contracted a terrible plague!

Now abandoned in this alley to fend for himself, Made had finished all the food the City Guard had mercifully left behind. His body, so fragile that even exerting force could cause fractures, was now completely immobilized. He lay on the ground, enduring the unbearable pain of hunger, as if wild beasts were tearing at his stomach.

Just as Made’s consciousness was about to fade into a haze, a warm sensation suddenly surged through his body. It was as if the radiance of Mila had infused his blood, and he felt strength returning to him.

Opening his small eyes, what greeted him was a young man in a black mage robe adorned with crimson patterns. Most of his face was hidden beneath a hood, and with the young mage standing against the sunlight, his blue eyes in the shadows appeared powerful and mysterious.

A green beam of light shot from the mage’s hand, directly illuminating Made’s heart. Waves of vitality poured into his limbs and entire body. Yet, at that moment, Made felt only a bone-chilling coldness. His intuition told him that receiving aid from this mage was anything but a fortunate turn of events!Punk saw that the young man had regained consciousness, so he naturally stopped the “Life Healing” spell, then hauled the other up from the ground by the collar, completely ignoring the loud cracking sounds of fractured bones coming from the young man’s body.

“Sir… sir, whatever you command, I’ll… I’ll tell you everything I know, hold nothing back. Please have mercy, I still have an eighty-year-old mother at home…”

Though Mad, who was being lifted by the collar, had no idea what the other intended to do, he forced himself to speak through the excruciating pain of his fractured bones. He feared that his performance might dissatisfy this capricious mage, leading to his complete annihilation in the next second.

Punk had no desire to respond to him. He ordered Golem One to stand guard behind him, then softly began chanting an incantation.

Formal-Level Psychic Spell—Memory Reading: Consumes mana to read the memories of creatures of a lower level than the caster.

Note: Those with extremely strong willpower or who use energy to protect their souls have a chance to resist this spell.

Without a word, Punk extended a finger coated in a metallic silver substance, then ignored Mad’s pleading, fearful gaze and gently pressed it against the center of his forehead.

The moment Punk’s finger made contact with Mad’s skin, the silver liquid energy instantly split into countless slender tendrils. They wriggled their way into Mad’s eyes and ears, and as Mad’s body trembled uncontrollably, all the memories of the poor young man since birth unfolded before Punk’s eyes like an open book.

Now, Punk only needed to flip through this book titled “Mad’s Memories” to a week ago, and everything could be viewed as if watching a movie.

(End of Chapter)