Chapter 156: Visiting the Sick

Good, good, good.

Decided: starting today, Zombie Selina must come to the ranger's cabin every night to observe the battle, and write a five-hundred-to-one-thousand-word reflection on it the next day.

No sense of pain, is that right? Then I can only torment you on the mental side.

Elf Kali gave Rod a cold glance.

He pulled the Tree Spirit to another spot and continued laying down 【Spring of Life】 for the other magically-modified sand-willows.

Rod looked at Selina, who was still standing there playing innocent.

Furious, he went over and roughly groped her chest.

But no matter how he grabbed, he only caught the overly empty clothes, so he could only show a bored, uninterested expression.

The zombie's anger immediately showed itself.

Sure enough, Selina's zombie body was the part she cared about most right now.

Rod didn't go too far either.

He had originally planned to wake Tally, who had passed out from eating, and force her to squeeze out another vial of essence for research.

But the lazy streak kicked in, and she kept her eyes tightly shut, pretending to sleep.

With no choice, Rod could only hold her suspended in midair and use her like a Fleshlight.

Don't laugh—actually, don't laugh.

This weightless, soft feeling had its own peculiar charm, especially when Tally's two legs dangled weakly back and forth in midair.

However, those without sufficient strength and stamina are not advised to try it.

Of course, for this battle observation, Selina also had to write a reflection.

"?"

Upon learning she had to write a reflection, the zombie, though expressionless, could be seen to have the corner of her mouth twitch.

Rod's mood instantly brightened, and he handed her a bottle filled to the brim with essence.

Because the bottle mouth was too small and really hard to aim at, quite a bit actually also got on the outside of the experimental bottle.

"Be careful not to ingest it. I'm not sure if a zombie would be affected by 【Charm Bodily Fluid】. If it takes effect, I won't help you—you'll have to handle it yourself."

Rod noticed signs she was about to go berserk again.

He hurriedly held down her hand, not letting her crush the experimental bottle.

Selina returned to the experiment cabin to do her research.

Rod saw that the appointed time to treat the dog-girl Sharon hadn't arrived yet.

So he properly patrolled through the woods once.

In the afternoon.

Rod came to the outskirts south of Shi Ying Town.

Unlike the mining area to the north, this place was mostly farmland and fields, so it was quiet and silent, with only the chirping of insects and birds—tranquil and elegant.

Witch Dimia had an independent little villa here, and it was here that the dog-girl Sharon was recuperating.

This place wasn't far from Wind Wall Forest, and Rod walked for twenty minutes, picking fresh fruit along the way, before finally arriving.

At the door, there was a magical puppet.

This was a guard Dimia had set up here.

The magical puppet scanned Rod briefly, then opened up its wooden belly, revealing a ball of white light.

Rod flicked a wisp of spirituality into it.

A click was heard, and the magical puppet passed the verification and let him through.

No two leaves in the world are identical, and neither are any two spiritualities, so inputting spirituality is mostly used as a means of identity verification.

"This magical puppet is pretty interesting. I should make one for myself sometime."

Rod was mildly interested.

This thing was a bit different from the pure-mount type that the goblin Pete had.

It used a special alchemical material, and could even serve as a casting medium for 【Simulacrum】.

【Simulacrum】 is a clone spell: a magic circle is pre-carved on this kind of magical puppet, and as long as a certain distance isn't exceeded, one can remotely use a clone, as if descending in person.

It was by this method that Witch Dimia often came to look after Sharon.

He pushed open the big door.

Rod went straight to the bedroom and couldn't help being surprised.

He hadn't expected the place to already be packed with people.

Not only was Witch Dimia there, but even the half-deer Miss Xiao Ke and the little horse-girl Little Little Bangde were present.

"Rod!"

The little horse-girl's eyes lit up when she saw Rod, and she was about to fling herself at him.

But Miss Xiao Ke hurriedly clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Keep it down! Little Bangde, there's a patient here!"

Rod smiled and patted Little Little Bangde on the head, noticing that in just two days apart she had grown a bit taller again.

"Why are you all here?"

And Sharon, sitting on the bed, provided the answer.

She looked nothing like the lively little puppy of before—deep, dark circles under her eyes, a withered and weary complexion, and her originally pale-gold hair had grown even more lusterless.

On her left arm was a long scar, as if she had been slashed and then clumsily stitched back together—twisted and deep.

"Miss Xiao Ke and Little Little Bangde have come to visit me many times, and each time they bring plenty of wild fruit, but unfortunately my sense of taste hasn't recovered yet, so I can't taste the sweet and sour."

Rod set the wild fruit in his hand on the table—they turned out to be exactly the same kind that Miss Xiao Ke and the others had picked.

Everyone exchanged a smile.

Soon.

Miss Xiao Ke and Little Little Bangde went to the living room to wait.

Rod and Dimia began a new round of treatment.

"Troubling you again, Mr. Rod."

"It's nothing, we are friends after all. However, my domain power can only repair your body; it cannot affect the mana pathways."

Over half of Sharon's mana pathways had been melted through by this plague; from now on, her mana accumulation could advance no further.

"... I will find a way."

Dimia looked at Sharon's face and said resolutely.

Sharon was much calmer.

She smiled slightly and said, "Rest assured, Dimia, I will not give up the path of magic. Even if my mana accumulation can only reach the Third Tier, I will continue."

The journey to the Field of Dread seemed to have finally forced her to face her past cowardice; she no longer claimed to give up magic, but instead repeatedly resolved to walk the path anew.

It was just a pity that the current situation no longer allowed her to proceed.

"I heard that Plague Mages have deep research into mana pathways; I wonder if we could ask them for help."

Rod had heard this from Lady Kali.

Actually, although the reputation of Plague Mages was very foul, their medical skills were quite formidable; they could be said to be the strongest group of medical practitioners on the continent.

It was just that most of them were oddities; while treating, they would release newly developed germs into your body, simply treating people like petri dishes.

"I have always been searching for friendly Plague Mages with good reputations, but..."

Dimia shook her head.

She was not a rigid person; she had not yet reached the point of turning pale at the mere mention of Plague Mages.

"Also, I heard the Ruin Brotherhood of the Twilight Hills recruited a Plague Mage. The plague Sharon contracted is quite peculiar; I fear he might take an interest. Dimia, pay close attention to protection."

Rod warned.

Hearing this, a hint of worry appeared in Sharon's expression.

The Witch's face turned serious.

"I will increase the personnel."

"I will also come by more often during my free time."

"Thank you, Mr. Rod."

"We are friends after all."

After chatting for a couple of sentences, the two walked out of the room, leaving the dog-girl to rest inside.

Since the patient needed rest, Rod, Miss Xiao Ke, and Little Little Bangde could not stay any longer and took their leave one by one.

Dimia would stay behind to care for her.

Having just left the recuperation villa, Miss Xiao Ke grabbed his hand.

Her expression was tense.

"Someone is targeting Shi Ying Town."

"What is the situation?"

A half-deer person's prophecy is always the most words on the continent that cannot be taken lightly.

Rod immediately became serious.

"I cannot see too clearly; it is too chaotic... It looks like war, with the smell of sulfur, and rituals underground."

No sooner had he finished speaking.

Rod felt a fluctuation from an object inside his spell satchel.

He took it out; it was a red crystal.

This was the communication crystal left to him by the land Naga, Eve.

As spiritual energy was infused, a message immediately entered his mind.

(End of this chapter)