Chapter 848: Curse and Swamp Witch

"Did you finally find that lake?"

Xia De asked, Professor Drake flipped through the red photo album and nodded gently:

"Yes, actually that lake is called 'Lake of the Wise', or 'Lake of Cherub'. The famous fairy tale 【Wisdom Water】 is actually adapted based on the legend here, or at least related to the legend here. But young man, I cannot provide you with more details. Look at these legs of mine, I only remember that I found the way to that lake, and then hid it from everyone to search for it. When I was discovered by others again, I became what I am now."

Xia De frowned slightly:

"You don't remember anything?"

"Yes, I don't remember anything. I don't know what happened at all, and I'm not sure if I really found the goddess, but something strange must have happened that year."

The professor sighed long:

"My research materials, you can find someone to copy a copy and take it away. I just hope, Mr. Watson, if you can really find that 'Lady of the Lake' again, can you help me ask what wish I made that year."

"Is this important? I thought you had already let go."

"I felt I had let go before, but..."

Professor Drake looked at the sunlight outside:

"I am so old, maybe I will die in a few years. Before I die, I really want to know what wish I exchanged for these legs of mine. I really want to know."

Xia De could feel his kind of melancholy and nodded:

"If I can find it, and don't have to pay a price, I am willing to help you ask. Also, can I take a look at your legs? I am just a bit suspicious about what the situation of your legs is."

The professor was silent for a while:

"I hope it won't scare you."

The maid pushed the professor from behind the desk. The professor took the red blanket away. Under the blanket was a pair of legs that were only half-length. The trouser legs were tied at the knees, and the part below the knees didn't exist at all.

Xia De was a bit surprised and wanted to apologize for his rash behavior. Unexpectedly, the professor took the initiative to let the maid untie his tied trouser legs and rolled them up, revealing the broken part of the knees.

That place was very flat, flat as if the human body itself was like this.

"Is there any pain?"

Xia De knelt on the carpet on one knee, looking at the cross-section in surprise and asked.

"No, when I was found unconscious in the countryside in the east of the city, these legs had already become like this, without any pain."

"How long were you missing that year?"

"I set off on Wednesday in autumn and was discovered on Thursday afternoon."

In one day, the wound couldn't heal so quickly, not to mention this neat cross-section didn't look like natural recovery.

Xia De suddenly reached out and touched the professor's leg, then stood up quickly.

【You have touched a miracle. A very weak miracle.】

"Miracle... it seems that this time I really found the right target."

Thinking in his heart, he said to the professor again:

"I understand. If I can find the Lady of the Lake, I will find a way to figure out your experience that year."

He took out his wallet from his pocket and took out five one-pound banknotes:

"I'll take this photo."

Saying that, he picked up the lake view photo on the desktop:

"Tomorrow, Viscount Bernhardt will send someone to copy the materials. These five pounds are considered data fees and copying fees."

The professor let the maid retie his trouser legs silently. When Xia De was ready to bid farewell, he suddenly asked:

"Young man, you said you were mainly for material, but I think you should just want to find something. What exactly do you want to find back?"

Xia De, whose right hand was tightly pinching the photo containing the curse, said softly:

"That is... the pursuit I wish to exhaust my life for."

This photo obtained by Professor Drake many years ago was not a relic, otherwise it would have been impossible for the professor to keep it for so many years without problems. But this photo did record the appearance of a terrifying humanoid curse relic, and today, many years later, because Xia De "saw" all of it, he passed this curse to Xia De.

Different curses have different forms of expression, and the current role of this curse in terms of mental pollution and physical decay was temporarily suppressed by the burning First Fire, but the edge of Xia De's vision would still constantly appear that woman who only showed half of her body.

After Xia De left the home of old Professor Drake, as long as there was a suitable cover on the edge of his vision, that woman who was more terrifying than an evil spirit would appear separately in places including but not limited to alley corners, behind carriages, behind opened shop doors, showing her upper body and head, looking at Xia De with a malicious face.

Even when a flying newspaper accidentally passed in front of Xia De, the woman actually appeared from behind the newspaper, almost sticking her face to Xia De's face. Even though Xia De had seen a wide variety of evil spirits in Midhillburg, he still took two steps back in fright at that moment.

According to "She"'s judgment, this was of course an illusion brought by the curse and would not cause actual harm to Xia De.

And the environment that could cause actual influence was a relatively closed space such as a narrow alley. When Xia De walked into the alley, that terrifying woman with disheveled hair would try to probe her body and approach Xia De.

Xia De didn't know what would happen once he came into contact with the other party. Although it was only an illusion for the time being, this experience of being in a horror novel would definitely lead to more uncontrollable things if it continued.

He had to find a way to solve the trouble as soon as possible. And for this kind of curse, the Mainstream Churches had professional solutions, but now Xia De was not convenient to go to the Church, so he could only return to the city center of Huntington City, wanting to seek the help of the Great Witch. And because he couldn't enter a closed space like a closed carriage compartment, Xia De finally found an open-top rental carriage.

This kind of carriage was very popular decades ago, but it was rare now.

At this time, Miss Sylvia had returned to the Rothschild Mansion where the Princess was staying. Xia De didn't have a very good reason to find her, so he could only spend money to ask someone to send a letter to the manor, claiming in the letter that the brand-new books ordered by Miss Sylvia had arrived at the Owl Library.

The witch guessed the meaning of this letter almost immediately and soon came to the club of the Owl Library to meet Xia De. After entering the room, she almost immediately noticed that something was wrong with Xia De:

"The whisper element on you... you touched a relic?"

"It's a relic's curse."

Xia De buckled the photo face down on the desktop, while briefly introducing the origin of the photo, while rolling up the sleeve of his right arm. He touched this photo with his right hand just now, so his right arm was most seriously affected.

Expressed on a level visible to the naked eye, there was a light black mark like a birthmark on Xia De's right arm, and looking closely, it looked like a terrifying human face.

"Your skin is really good."

The Great Witch said casually, reaching out her finger and rubbing it on Xia De's arm:

"The problem is not big, just the residue of the relic's curse power. A simple ritual can clear it."

"That would be great. Now in my eyes, that terrifying woman with disheveled hair is still looking at me."

Xia De said with some distress:

"Right behind you."

"It's an illusion, don't worry."

The witch said easily, quite sure that there was nothing behind her.

Xia De put the sleeve down again and tapped the photo lightly:

"Then do you know what relic this is?"

"Yes, my teacher and I have very in-depth research on the relics in the Pantanal area. Although it cannot be determined, it is highly likely to be the Sage-level relic 【Swamp Witch】."

"Sure enough, it's a humanoid relic?"

"Yes, and the origin of this relic is extremely clear. It was originally an ordinary woman living in the Fourth Era, but you also know how dark and terrible the Fourth Era was. The relic body suffered extremely terrifying things before death, which I don't even want to describe, and the corpse was abandoned in the swamp. The chaotic environment and the resentment before death made the corpse revive into an undead. This undead wandered in the swamp area, and when the era changed, it didn't know when it became a relic."

"What characteristics does it have?"

"It will give guidance to those kind-hearted women who get lost in the swamp, and may even protect them. But for women with impure hearts and any men, it will impose a curse similar to what you suffered.

Of course, you haven't seen it, but you still suffered the curse because recording its existence in any way, the observer will be cursed. This point does not distinguish between men and women. Only special cowhide paper rolls can safely record this relic. According to the records of the Council, the curse released by 【Swamp Witch】 will corrupt the soul and rot the corpse. It only takes a few minutes for a healthy living person to become a relic derivative under control, and the effect of being cursed by watching the record will be greatly weakened. Although Ringed Sorcerers have a certain resistance to this kind of curse, they cannot be affected by it for a long time."

Under the suggestion of Miss Sylvia, Xia De burned the photo that recorded the appearance of the relic. Subsequently, the witch borrowed the basement of the library to set up a ritual for Xia De, successfully allowing him to get rid of the illusion of the terrifying woman on the edge of his vision.

But Miss Sylvia also warned Xia De that even if the curse was expelled, there were still traces of the curse remaining on his body. Therefore, Xia De would be more likely to encounter the body of 【Swamp Witch】 than normal people. And when Xia De really encountered the relic body, the other party would discover that Xia De had gotten rid of the curse for the first time, so its aggressiveness toward him would be stronger.

"This kind of curse residue will disappear within a few weeks. Xia De, you should not approach the west of Huntington City recently."

The witch gave a suggestion, but the bad news was that Xia De had to approach that area to determine the true location of the "Lady of the Lake".

The ashes burned from the photo were a special curse material. With Xia De's consent, all the ashes were given to Miss Sylvia. Xia De also wanted to pay for this "treatment", but was refused by the young witch:

"Miss Galina, did she mention my financial situation?"

She asked suspiciously.

"Of course not."

Xia De shook his head immediately. Although he had always hated lying, sometimes some lies were necessary.

"I am not very short on money, just planning for the future. Now we are friends, how could I take your money?"

She turned to prepare to leave, and Xia De noticed that the lady's ears were a bit flushed. ===== CHAPTER 849 =====