Holy Mountain Desert and Ominous Curse

Yveta pondered, should he bring her along?

That child seemed old enough to eat some rations and didn't need special care.

And such a versatile servant, if he could take her in, would definitely be a profitable gain for himself.

Black Wolf subconsciously said, "I can also drive the carriage, I don't need you."

Alicia immediately replied, "But a strong warrior like yourself shouldn't be driving all the time. These tasks should be left to the servants."

Black Wolf blinked. He was actually persuaded.

Right, a warrior like him shouldn't be doing servant's work all the time.

Yveta noticed that this woman's thinking was very sharp. He wasn't the true Prince Arthas, so he didn't have any noble mindset.

He didn't really believe that bloodline determined everything; there could be talented individuals among commoners, they just lacked opportunities.

"You've convinced me, Alicia."

"Leili, how much was her previous salary?"

The black-hearted Leili breathed a sigh of relief. "Master, I previously gave her 1.2 liters of wheat every eight weeks and paid her 5 shillings annually."

Yveta nodded and said to Alicia, "Then I can provide you with food, but you'll have to do all the chores."

"Also, since we don't have a place to settle down for now, I can't pay you the original salary and provisions. But if we find a territory, I can pay you according to this salary for your labor."

"Can you accept that?"

After all, his current funds were only what Leili had supported him with—34 gold pounds.

He was short on money now, and everything was inconvenient.

Joy appeared on Alicia's face. "Of course, I agree, benevolent lord, the Lord of All Things will bless you."

"Thank you for your generosity."

She immediately hugged her child, sat in the carriage, and began to drive.

The group boarded the carriage together.

Additionally, Yveta didn't forget to bring their cow. After all, they were companions who had survived together, he couldn't forget them.

Thus, they embarked on the road to the Viscount Independent State.

Soon, the road ahead changed from forest to mountains, with sparse trees standing between the mountains and highlands.

After crossing ten consecutive hills, Yveta felt the magic power within him surge, and his body became uncomfortable.

It felt as if his body was being pressed down by something heavy.

The Old Witch clearly felt something similar, muttering to herself, "Damn Holy Mountain Desert phenomenon!"

"Who would want to live in a place like this? Their taste is truly poor."

Yveta felt it carefully and found that the quality of his magic power had not decreased, but the total amount had, and using it felt somewhat blocked.

It was like a person suddenly having their hands chained, making movement very inconvenient.

Yveta was puzzled. "Why do I suddenly feel that my magic power is difficult to control?"

"It's not just you; Leili and I are the same." The Demon Hunter Black Wolf was restless. After the carriage passed those ten connected hills, he suddenly felt weak and dispirited.

"Hmph, you Demon Hunters only operate north of the Alps, so you naturally wouldn't know about the Holy Mountain Desert. Those ten small hills just now are the famous Ten Peaks Mountain Range."

The Old Witch said gloomily, "Most witches and wizards dislike Viscount Ambrose's Independent State."

"Because this country is located between the Magic Black Forest and the thirty-three layers of Heaven Mountain radiance of the Church. The two supreme laws clash, creating a forbidden zone, which is this godforsaken place, Viscount Ambrose's Independent State."

The Hearthstone Great Witch said hatefully, "In this cursed place, everyone's supernatural power is suppressed."

"It's like a fish that was swimming in water suddenly getting stranded on the shore."

"My magic power has been suppressed by at least fifty percent."

"Because of this special phenomenon, magical materials are extremely scarce in the territory of Viscount Ambrose's Independent State."

"Magic is not prosperous, and other power systems are also relatively weak."

"Whether it's magic users, those church folks, or even knights from other regions, they all dislike coming here."

The Hearthstone Great Witch pulled aside the carriage curtain, looked past Alicia and her child towards the distant mountains. "The advantage is that in Viscount Ambrose's Independent State, under normal circumstances, power only extends up to Great Knights. And among witches, usually only a very few formal witches would enter here, like my beloved disciple."

"Great Witches wouldn't enter such an inauspicious place."

Black Wolf and the others looked enlightened.

Black Wolf said, "No wonder the ruler of such a large territory among these mountains is only a viscount, and this viscount is even nominally independent."

The Old Witch nodded. "Because supernatural power is suppressed here, the arts of mortals have developed greatly."

"Viscount Ambrose's Independent State is one of the most densely populated countries."

"And it is the capital of art, literature, and music. My beloved disciple told me that the people of this country highly respect novelists, musicians, painters, and dancers."

Yveta asked in confusion, "But the professionals in this country are so weak, at most Third Sequence professionals like Great Knights."

"Why wouldn't any high-sequence professionals from outside enter here and start slaughtering?"

The old witch bowed her head to Yveta and said, "Your Majesty, you've keenly identified the problem."

"Because this is an ill-omened land."

"For some reason, any professional who exceeds the Third Sequence—that is, professionals of the Fourth Order and above—who enters this territory..."

"The final outcome is never good."

"Some contracted a strange, serious illness, some died unexpectedly, and some went mad. Over time, no high-energy professionals were willing to set foot here."

"However, it's just a legend. Occasionally, some Fourth Energy level professionals would pass through here briefly."

Black Wolf quipped, "Sounds like something you witches would do."

The old witch sneered. "It could have been the Church. After all, this is the north of the Papal State, its northern gate. If they wanted to stabilize the situation, I can understand."

"There must be a deep secret buried beneath this land."

"It's just not our concern," Yveta stopped their argument in time. "Everyone, this land cannot accommodate high-level professionals, which is actually a good thing for us."

"This means we can make a big splash here."

"Look ahead, the first town we've encountered has appeared!"

Everyone immediately looked out and saw a town nestled on a small plain on the mountainside.