Scarlet blood slowly seeped from the wound. It seemed that no matter what factor had turned it into this monster, the essence of its life had not been completely altered.
After repeatedly using Divine Arts, Li Wen had only 2 points of mana left. Since the Shattered Eye of the Transcendent required mana to activate, she absolutely could not use those last 2 points. After all, the Eye of the Transcendent did not belong to the Radiance Spectrum and was not affected by the Blood of Candlelight.
Part of the reason Li Wen had faced the attack alone this time was to test the power of Spell-less Arc Light. The result was encouraging. Even the scale-like flesh tumors around the monster's neck could not stop the arc light for even a moment.
Moria looked up at the ceiling but saw no sign of any other monsters. Perhaps the only monster here was the one that had attacked Li Wen.
"Its claws are clean." Li Wen had noticed that during the attack. "It wasn't the one that killed these adventurers."
"In other words, there are other monsters hiding in other corners..."
At those words, both the dwarf and the Wild Mages shuddered violently. They did not possess the strength of Li Wen or Moria. If they had been the ones attacked earlier, they could either wait for Moria to save them or die.
"Haha, um... Look, everything here has been turned into a complete mess. It probably won't be easy to find what we're looking for, and there are still unknown dangers around. How about we go back first and discuss this properly?" Halik rubbed his hands together and suggested with a dry laugh.
He had long since had enough of this damned place and desperately wanted to leave at once.
Moria turned to Li Wen for her opinion.
"I don't mind. If you feel uncomfortable, you can leave, but I have to be responsible for my companions. I must get the Shadowfall Potion."
Li Wen said that deliberately, placing particular emphasis on the nonexistent "companions" to morally pressure Moria and make it difficult for him to decide.
After all, Li Wen had effectively lost her ability to fight. If Moria left, who would ensure her safety?
Moria had a headache. He understood Halik's feelings well, but he could not let them leave alone. It was not that he feared the Wild Mages would run away; he simply could not guarantee that Halik and the others would not encounter danger without him. And Li Wen's side... he could not possibly leave her here alone.
"How about this? In a moment, I'll use the Divine Descent Technique to summon an angel. The angel can escort you out and ensure your safety. What do you think?"
Halik was overjoyed, but the dwarf Zotes began to stammer instead.
"N-No, I can't. I accepted milady's payment. Besides bringing milady in, I also have to bring milady back out... I can't leave yet."
Was that really the reason? Li Wen was the first not to believe it.
Just then, another voice with almost no presence spoke up.
"I'm not leaving."
It was Nasha, Halik's companion and the other Wild Mage.
She too refused the suggestion to leave, and she was even more extreme about it, not even stating her reason.
Halik was dumbfounded. He frantically winked and signaled at his companion, but Nasha did not respond. Her eyes were hidden beneath her broad wizard's hat, and no one could see her expression.
"Then, Halik, you..."
"H-Haha, then I'll stay too!" Halik gave several dry laughs. "I'm a mage too, after all. Maybe I can be of some help if I stay..."
Moria revealed an approving smile. Halik's decision truly surprised him.
In truth, he was simply terrified. Leaving with someone else would have been one thing, but leaving alone... he doubted he would even have the courage to walk out of the dungeon.
Li Wen did not pay attention to their farce. She was using the Bone-Gnawing Short Sword to cut open the monster's belly and head, examining its internal structure.
The result of the examination was that every organ inside its body had dissolved into a black gelatinous substance. This substance clung together within the monster's body in a complex, web-like structure. Its skull was even more horrifying: its contents had long since been emptied, replaced by a fat worm.
It was as thick as a human forearm, curled into a ball, with dense stone-like scales covering its body. Its head bore only a circular mouthpart lined with several layers of teeth. It had been sleeping peacefully within the skull, but Li Wen had destroyed its dwelling. Now, it raised every scale in fury and let out a piercing hiss at her.
Li Wen stabbed straight through its head.
"What is that thing?"
Moria immediately furrowed his brow.
"It looks like some kind of parasite. This monster... or rather, this victim's brain was eaten by it. It should also be the culprit controlling the victim and making it attack me."
Li Wen was already seventy or eighty percent certain. She only lacked the final puzzle piece to complete the picture of what had happened here, and that piece...
"Don't you have anything to say, Zotes?" she asked.
The dwarf trembled from head to toe and scratched at his body.
"I-I don't understand. I don't know anything!"
Zotes looked to Moria for help, but Moria merely watched him calmly, seemingly waiting for an explanation.
Even someone as slow-witted as Halik realized something was about to happen. He quickly moved away from the dwarf and Li Wen, pulling Nasha behind Moria.
"I don't understand..." Zotes frantically clawed at his cheeks, neck, and body. His nails tore open his skin, and blood flowed out. "I don't understand!"
His formerly meek voice became loud and shrill.
"Why? Why? How dare you suspect me! You damned, filthy thing that crawled out of the mud!" He screamed as if venting his rage, tugging at his hair and face until, after a moment, he finally calmed down. He glared with bloodshot eyes. "Humans are always so cunning, full of lies and schemes... Tell me, when did you start suspecting me?"
"From the beginning," Li Wen answered honestly.
At that answer, Zotes's expression became exceedingly strange for a moment.
"How is that possible!"
Li Wen shook her head. "There was one thing you said correctly. You truly don't understand potions. You may not know that Ghost Solution cannot be preserved for more than three months. Once three months pass without it being used, the potion turns into a ghost and disappears... So your claim that you found the potion in the dungeon was wrong from the start."
That was also why Li Wen's first question to the dwarf had been whether he had brewed the potion himself.
Zotes clearly refused to believe such an absurd claim. He shrieked madly, cursing in the dwarven tongue.
"How could that be? How could that be? I took the potion myself! I took it from the dungeon!"
At last, the dwarf could endure no more. He plunged his fingernails into his forehead and violently tore off his entire face, flesh and blood included.
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