The Little Witch’s Daily Struggle – Chapter 122

Chapter 122 – Breath of the Abyss

“Ahhh!” Piercing screams echoed through the sky, audible even in the Workers’ District outside. Coupled with the incessant gunfire, the patrol officers gathered together, continuously firing at the water ghosts.

The thugs, their retreat cut off, were clearly in a state of panic. Some, in their desperation, tried to charge forward but were bitten or scratched by the water ghosts. It wasn’t just them; many water ghosts crawled up towards our side as well, surrounding me and Jayad.

“Damn it! Brothers, go grab your weapons! We’ll fight these infernal things! If we don’t defeat them, none of us will get out alive!” Bartholomew shouted.

They were already in a desperate situation. The boss’s words still held some sway, and a few loyal followers ran back into the caves to retrieve their brawling tools.

They had crowbars, sharpened steel pipes, large cleavers, axes, and more – quite a complete set of equipment. The water ghosts weren’t fast and didn’t seem to possess much intelligence.

Once the thugs armed themselves, they could push the water ghosts back and even defeat them. Bartholomew, with his immense strength, cleaved a water ghost’s head open with a single axe swing.

Their situation was better, but mine was dire. The water ghosts sniffed the air and turned towards the cave entrance on my side. Damn it, were they attracted by the potion’s scent?

Jayad stood in front of them. One water ghost lunged at Jayad, and the fate of being caught by a water ghost was something the first unfortunate patrol officer had already demonstrated.

Jayad swung his dagger, and with a flash of silver, the water ghost’s arm was cleanly severed. A water-soaked hand landed on the ground, still flailing.

The dismembered water ghost, undeterred, bit towards Jayad. Jayad stabbed it directly in the forehead, sinking the blade into its head. The water ghost’s vacant pupils stared at Jayad, and after spewing a few mouthfuls of foul water, it fell still.

But more water ghosts surged forward. Jayad moved like a god descending from heaven. He swung his sword, slicing diagonally across a water ghost’s chest, disemboweling it. Foul water continuously flowed from its lungs.

Another water ghost attempted a surprise attack from the side, latching onto Jayad. However, his body emitted a faint light, causing the water ghost to shriek and jump back.

His entire body had been wet moments before, but now, the skin where the water ghost had touched him was scorched black, as if burned by fire.

As expected, during intense combat, Jayad could instinctively use Holy Light. He couldn’t control it, but the Holy Light protected him from harm and empowered his weapon, increasing its damage.

For these walking corpses, these undead creatures, the Holy Light was incredibly lethal. Even an undead creature kicked away by Jayad would bear a scorched footprint.

The situation seemed manageable. Although the fighting was fierce, the main battlefields were holding steady. Near the stairs, the thugs were numerous and, in their desperation, had roused a fierce spirit. While a few were tackled and bitten to death, the water ghosts that pounced on them were immediately swarmed and beaten by other thugs.

The patrol officers had formidable firepower. They’d retreated into a cave, forming a firing line from within, and with the police officer’s powerful weapon, a large number of water ghosts lay dead outside the cave.

On our side, in the deeper part of the river channel, Jayad was performing exceptionally, while other neighbors grabbed weapons like wooden sticks and chairs to smash water ghosts. For a moment, it seemed like we could hold on.

The sheer number of water ghosts crawling out of the river channel made me question how many corpses they had thrown into it. But if we kept killing them like this, surely we’d eventually defeat them all?

As I optimistically assessed the situation, I noticed a familiar figure by the riverbank. She had just crawled ashore, naked, with numerous rotting wounds. But her familiar face and white hair were etched in my memory.

Holy crap, wasn’t that the witch? Didn’t we kill her and throw her into the river? Wait, thrown into the river…

Her body was riddled with rotten gashes, and water constantly floated around her, swirling around her form. Her eyes glowed with a distinct blue light, clearly not a natural phenomenon.

In my vision, I could see a vast amount of Magic Power radiating from her entire body, the color of the polluted, murky water, utterly sickening.

Then, a strange piece of Knowledge floated into my mind: Drowned dead. Corpses with powerful Magic Power, after falling into the water, transformed into water ghosts. Although they were also mindless undead creatures, their innate Magic Power allowed them to naturally use some spells.

Wait, she could use magic? I saw the undead, formerly a witch now called a drowned dead, raise her arm and point at the cave where the patrol officers were unleashing their deadliest firepower. Foul water-like Magic Power gathered within her.

“Danger! Get out quickly!” I shouted. Unfortunately, Parul’s voice was too weak to project loudly. In this chaotic and noisy battlefield, it was impossible to reach the cave. Even if they heard me, they wouldn’t immediately believe me or act.

A surge of Magic Power flowed from the drowned dead’s hand, spreading into the cave entrance. I wondered what she had done when the dense gunfire abruptly ceased.

“Cough cough cough!” Several violent coughs emanated from the cave entrance, muffled as if the person coughing had a mouthful of water.

Then, several patrol officers crawled out of the cave, their faces contorted in extreme pain, continuously spitting out black, viscous water.

I suddenly remembered a nightmare I had, waking up and spitting out black water like I had drowned, though not nearly as much as they were.

They coughed and spat more and more, the foul water gushing not only from their mouths but also from their noses, eyes, and ears – all seven orifices.

Finally, their complexions turned a sickly purple-blue, their bodies convulsed, and they gradually stopped struggling, lying in the very sewage they had expelled, their deaths agonizingly tragic.

Eerie Knowledge flooded my mind again: Breath of the Abyss, a low-level water spell that caused water generated by Magic to continuously surge from the target’s lungs, preventing them from breathing and causing them to suffocate.

If the Magic Power was strong enough, it could instantly create immense water pressure, directly bursting the target’s lungs to death. Sustained casting could continuously generate water, but if no target was selected or the target lacked lungs or similar organs, water could not be created.

Holy crap, what a bizarre and terrifying spell. Seeing the patrol officers’ deaths sent a chill down my spine. If Jayad hadn’t woken me up in time that day and scared away the water ghosts outside the door, would I have met the same agonizing end with this spell?

At that moment, the drowned dead’s gaze shifted towards Jayad, and she raised a hand.