Chapter 37 Chapter 36 Archenemy
Facing the Blackbeard Winged Knight, who had an expression of “Are you trying to treat me like a fool?”
Jima puffed out her chest and assured, “I have relevant rat-eradication experience, and I can bring in the Giant Sword Piper.”
“Do you know about the Black Death? It was spread by the ratmen, and that devil took a small measure to eliminate them all.”
As Jima pounded her chest, a few more wafts of foul urine stench filled the air. In response to this smell, Jima instinctively waved her hands to disperse it.
“Really?” The Blackbeard Winged Knight frowned, questioning with skepticism, “What does the Giant Sword Piper have to do with playing the flute?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Jima said sincerely, “It’s just to ride on the popularity of the flute player.”
“Alright, the Fool’s Prophecy says you can be of help, but I won’t say much.” The Blackbeard Winged Knight replied, “But you’d better explain how we can entrust our fate to you—this is really pathetic.”
“Does a blacksmith casually reveal his forging insights?” Jima retorted, “Just cooperate well.”
The Blackbeard Winged Knight cast a doubtful glance at Jima but said nothing. He then arranged for someone to lead Jima and her companions to the best accommodation within the city.
It was a house with thick stone walls, featuring a blazing fireplace and a tea stove inside. A massive bear skin lay in front of the fireplace, and a deer head with perfect antlers hung on the wall.
The place was spotless, and when Jima entered the room, the cleaning maid seemed a bit frightened. After hastily pouring Jima a cup of steaming red tea, she quickly exited, and after the door was closed,
Jima faintly heard the maid mumbling exorcism prayers.
She paid no mind, plopping down on the bed, stretching out her legs forcefully, yawning, and glancing around, nodding her head. This was the treatment one of her status should enjoy.
Although as a demon and an extraordinary being, her body was unbothered by the cold, did not require a designated fireplace, nor did she need red tea. But her soul craved such high treatment.
Eve Frostleaf hadn’t arrived yet, and Jima suspected her performance today made Eve deliberately take a longer route to distance herself from Jima’s concern.
After about ten minutes, servants entered the room carrying buckets filled with hot water, filling the bathing tub. After Jima activated the “Tranquil Secrecy Barrier” and bathed herself, finishing a bag of sunflower seeds,
Eve Frostleaf finally knocked and entered.
“You were right, the ratmen are lurking in the shadows.” Eve Frostleaf said, “I just injured one.”
“Ratmen love playing dirty.” Jima pointed to the copper tea stove, which had a paper stuck on it with a crooked and twisted malicious spell written on it.
Eve Frostleaf tried to decipher it and asked, “A poisoned spell?”
“Just standard universal script. It means ‘toxic’.” Jima said the term for ‘toxic’ in Elvish, “They seem to think I wouldn’t divine before drinking.”
“Open the barrier?”
“Yeah, it’s confidential here.”
Eve Frostleaf, fully armed, sat in the chair opposite Jima. She looked relaxed, her calves extended diagonally, revealing a small patch of silver hair damp with sweat.
“The plan?”
“Using the old tricks again. You should have read the battle reports I shared before.”
In order for team members to understand each other’s strengths, George mandated that everyone write up battle reports, and of course, everyone had to swear not to leak them to outsiders.
Although Jima was quite worried that her abilities might be leaked, leading to future confrontations without an advantage, in the end, she still wrote honestly and in detail.
“Spread fear through dreamscapes and illusions?”
“Yes, just like before.” Jima replied, “And combined with Baldy Gang, we’ll strike fear into them. Oh, I also plan to bring out some spirits. Can you protect me?”
Eve Frostleaf stood up and nodded, “Of course.”
So, Jima opened the entrance to the Dream Palace, enduring the dizziness of waking from the dream multiple times, bringing out crates of spirits until half the room was filled.
After carefully contemplating, Eve Frostleaf asked in confusion, “Get the ratmen drunk?”
“No, I just want to sell them.” Jima said earnestly, “I checked the local liquor prices, and as expected, they are quite high.”
Eve Frostleaf stared at her for a moment and said, “Jima, I hope you can give it your all. The way you toyed with them just now will only make everyone doubt your trustworthiness in fear.”
Forgotten, she was also a kind-hearted person.
Jima pretended to sigh:
“You know succubi feed on desire, right?”
Eve Frostleaf nodded.
“Which means that whoever develops a crush on me has their desire emitted, and as long as I want, I can absorb it. It has a scent, just like the aroma of food.” Jima wrinkled her nose and said, “You know? Among that group of winged knights, the air along the way was filled with the disgusting stench of urine.”
“I really hate it. Even if I’m afraid to cover my face, I can’t help it; I’m naturally able to bewitch hearts.”
“So I toyed with them, and after eliciting their disgust, the air finally became fresh, and I could feel the sharp cold wind of Kisleaf.”
Eve Frostleaf’s usually expressionless face showed a slight change. She said, “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Jima replied, “I need to get someone to sell the liquor and say it’s part of the plan.”
Jima’s liquor venture went very well; the people of Kisleaf even thanked her for injecting new vigor into the local spirits market. They weren’t afraid of high prices for spirits, only of not having any to buy.
They treated Jima’s spirits like honored guests, stuffing them into a heavily guarded warehouse, waiting for a price to be agreed upon before selling all at once to celebrate the victory.
To prevent the ratmen from stealing, Jima successfully had a few bottles designated as “important strategic resources,” placed next to the armory with tight defense and magical protection.
But in contrast to her liquor venture, that night, Jima’s usual tactics failed.
Because she couldn’t find even a single dream balloon belonging to the ratmen. It seemed that overnight, all the ratmen had fled from the city out of fear of the Piper’s reputation. Jima had effortlessly thwarted the ratmen’s plot.
But Jima knew this was just an illusion.
Because she flew around the small city a few times, scouting the dreamscape within ten kilometers. Other than spotting a northern army, she saw no dreams from the ratmen.
Now Jima was a little anxious; if the ratmen weren’t dreaming, how could she infiltrate the underground city, spread rumors, and create panic?
Was there a traitor revealing her abilities?
“Yes, yes, that’s it! No sleeping! No sleeping!”
The sorcerer adorned with green shimmering dimensional stones shouted loudly, picking up a whip and striking a ratman trying to sleep, “Whoever sleeps, I’ll send them to feed the stitched monster, yes, yes, it’s always hungry.”
After saying this, the infamous Sorcerer shoved the whip to the overseer, shouting, “Be sure to hit hard.”
The ratman overseer took the whip, saying, “Yes, yes.”
The Sorcerer proudly walked back to the best room in the underground city, admiring the mirror decorated with cute dimensional stones, feeling how good it felt to touch. Thanks to his arch-enemy, he was able to defeat his competitors.
Originally, the Sorcerer only aimed to make amends, to listen to others, but fortunately, his rival had given him a chance to engage in internal strife, taking down the opponent.
“Archenemy, archenemy!” He pulled out a succubus made from dry, hard dough, chewing vigorously, the dough mixed with powdered dimensional stones, making the Sorcerer feel euphoric, squeaking:
“You did this intentionally, intentionally, to follow in my footsteps and break my grand plan. This time, I’ll defeat you, defeat you! I will, I will.”
“Achoo!”
Jima sneezed.
Eve Frostleaf, who was keeping watch nearby, asked, “Caught a cold?”
“How could I?” Jima replied while divining with the bone tiles, “Maybe someone is cursing me from behind.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than her bone tiles emitted smoke. She immediately threw them aside, complaining:
“This counter-divination force is too strong! How much thought and resources did they use to protect the entrance to the underground city? Surely they aren’t hiding some treasure of immeasurable value inside?”
“Encountering difficulties?”
Jima pressed her forehead, saying, “Yes, it would be great if there were a medium, a strong medium to spread the curse.”
