Eric thought about it but didn't take the liquid.
When Judy saw Eric didn't take the liquid, a lost expression appeared on her face again.
Eric added, "You're a spellcaster, you need more magic than me. It's better to conserve the potions."
Eric had close-combat ability, but Judy didn't.
Considering everything, Eric didn't take the test tube.
Atai'er, standing nearby, also nodded.
He believed Eric's judgment was correct.
But upon hearing Eric say that, Judy's eyes lit up again.
"It's okay, my teacher gave me a lot of potions. I have dozens of tubes of magic potions."
With that, Judy directly pulled out a test tube rack from her small sling bag.
On it were 3 rows of 6 sets of test tubes, a total of 18 neatly arranged blue tubes, all of them magic potions.
Oh my, a little rich girl.
Not just Eric.
Even Atai'er was a bit stunned.
"Since that's the case, before we enter the city ruins, Eric, your goal is to master Gale Slash."
Eric no longer stood on ceremony, pulled out a potion from the test tube rack, and said, "Understood, Teacher."
"Thanks, Judy."
Leaving the cemetery, the three continued forward.
After only half an hour's journey, they were already not far from the city ruins.
Before the three of them stood a huge roadside monument.
Under the moonlight, Eric could barely make out the ancient script on it.
But he couldn't understand it.
"My father brought me here once. Beyond this point is that ruin."
Eric stepped forward and kicked the monument.
Atai'er stepped forward, squatted down, lightly wiped the monument, and after a long look, slowly stood up.
Judy was a bit nervous; she clasped her hands and asked, "Uncle Atai'er, do you recognize these ancient characters?"
Atai'er rubbed Judy's head and said, "This is Count Sachsen's territory. 500 years ago, I personally ordered the beheading assassination of Count Sachsen."
"Afterward, a Green Dragon attacked here, and I personally killed it."
"It's just a pity that in both operations, I never came to see this place."
Eric looked at Atai'er in shock.
500 years ago?
Beheaded a Count?
Green Dragon?
What's going on?
But thinking about his teacher's level...
It made sense, it made a lot of sense.
Judy thought for a moment and said, "A Green Dragon, huh? My teacher's wooden house has a Green Dragon's tooth. She said it was the most poisonous weapon in the world."
Atai'er rubbed Judy's head again.
That tooth was given to Judy's teacher by Atai'er, but Atai'er had no intention of revealing it.
He only said, "Even after a thousand years, residual toxins will remain in places attacked by a Green Dragon. All items in the city carry strong venom."
"You two put these on. They can help you resist toxin invasion."
With that, Atai'er reached into his bosom and took out two green scale pendants, handing them to Eric and Judy.
Eric looked at the scale pendant:
"This isn't a Green Dragon's scale, is it?"
Judy's eyes also lit up as she looked at Atai'er.
Atai'er didn't answer. He looked at Judy and said, "Little Judy, please help us divine the situation in the city ruins."
Judy nodded and took out a compact mirror from her small sling bag.
She was a bit nervous, tidied her hairstyle, and then closed her eyes, facing the mirror.
Eric glanced at the mirror.
Although the mirror was facing Judy's face, the mirror surface was a swirling black void.
A pulling sensation came over him; Eric was fixed in place, his vision began to distort, and the entire world seemed to be sucked away.
Atai'er turned Eric's head back and said, "Witches' power is very special. Their divinations can only be interpreted by themselves."
"Understood."
Eric, still shaken, took out a magic potion and took two sips to calm himself.
Just looking at it felt like being drained.
After a long while, Judy finally opened her eyes.
Atai'er looked at Judy.
Judy shook her head and said, "A fog. Birds flew in, but none came out."
Atai'er, however, said with certainty, "There's a barrier, at least with a flight restriction effect, and it prohibits probing. If the owner of this place has the relevant common sense, there should also be a common prohibition on spatial items."
Eric looked at Atai'er.
No.
Didn't you say that witches' divinations could only be interpreted by themselves?
Atai'er then said, "To be safe, take out all necessary items, in case the city prohibits spatial items."
Judy nodded, rummaging through her small sling bag: necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, and a bunch of magic potions wrapped around her waist.
Atai'er also took out a short sword, two daggers, three rings, and put his potions into his waist pouch.
Eric—
Eric watched.
After the two finished inventorying their equipment, they looked at Eric.
Atai'er thought for a moment, looking at his own equipment.
With Eric's current ability, his items would kill Eric; he couldn't give them even if he wanted to.
That divine dagger was the safest item on him.
Judy also looked at her items.
They were either in a girl's style or exclusive witch items. Finally, after searching for a long time, she took off a thumb ring from her hand.
"This increases magic reserves. Here, for you."
"You don't need it yourself?"
"I have more."
With that, Judy pulled out another identical thumb ring from her sling bag.
Rich girl.
Eric looked at Judy's small sling bag. How many treasures were still inside?
After the envy subsided.
Eric took the thumb ring; it was pink.
A real man must face maiden pink head-on.
Sighing, Eric still put on the thumb ring.
Instantly, Eric felt the wellspring of magic from the thumb ring. That feeling was like a plug inserted into a charging board, a computer plugged into a portable hard drive, a man inserting... ahem.
Anyway, it connected.
Eric couldn't help but shiver.
Satisfying.
Atai'er's head and shoulders were raised back, his gaze looking down at Eric.
How embarrassing.
"When we get out, I'll take you to find a set of items."
Sigh, he was still his disciple after all.
"Teacher, you're setting yourself up for failure."
"What is setting yourself up for failure?"
"Anyway, it's inauspicious."
Judy watched Eric and Atai'er interact, and her lips couldn't help but curl up. Her originally tense mood also eased slightly.
The three continued forward.
Judy and Eric were originally both behind Atai'er.
But as they walked, Judy pulled on Eric's clothes and hid behind him.
Even when they walked out of the woods.
Judy hunched her back, her entire body pressed against Eric's back.
But at this moment, Eric could no longer pay attention to Judy.
Skulls like ridges, bones like forests. Human hair matted into felt, human flesh rotted into mud and dust. Human sinews wrapped around trees, dry and gleaming like silver. Truly a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, indeed, a putrid stench.
Involuntarily, Eric recalled this passage from Journey to the West, describing Lion Camel Ridge.
And what appeared before the three of them.
Was just like that passage.
Beneath the towering city walls, piled up was flesh and blood like mud and sand.
They were heaped on both sides of the main road, as if specifically using this forest of flesh and blood to welcome someone.
But this was still not the end.
In front of this flesh and blood, before the three of them, were five inverted crucifix gallows made by evil magic.
On the gallows were five living heads.
Below the heads were their skeletons.
Those skeletons were shaped by magic, finally twisted into the body of a harp, with strings made of blood vessels. One didn't need to think to know where the materials came from.
When the wind blew, the strings seemed to emit a certain ding-dong sound.
These people were still alive.
Their souls were fixed in their mutilated bodies.
Whenever the ding-dong sound rang out, the muscles on their faces began to twitch.
Their eyeballs stared at the three, their mouths wide open, letting out silent wails.
Judy shrank completely behind Eric.
Eric understood in his heart, he didn't need to think to know that these people were from the Harpers; they had been retaliated against.
Atai'er's eyes were filled with cold light.
"Count Sachsen."