In the early morning, as the sun slowly rises from the sea in the east, Candle Castle welcomes a new day.
However, unlike the lively debate yesterday, many people today left the largest library on the West Coast with satisfaction, riding in horse-drawn carriages and being bid farewell by the rising sun.
In order to express his gratitude and respect to the scholars, priests and wizards who were invited, "The Guardian of the Scroll" Ullant personally came to the door to see them off.
Especially when he came in front of Zuo Si, this man who usually maintained a serious and arrogant attitude even showed a very rare "kind" smile.
The terrifying power of this smile even made the other monks and priests who served Oghma around them feel as if they had seen a ghost.
Because in their impression, Ulant had never smiled like this at anyone.
If he wasn't the "Tome Guardian", it would be impossible for him to be charmed or controlled by any means, and someone would definitely try to use [Remove Magic] on him.
fortunately!
Finally, this kind of mistake did not happen.
Ullant handed over a large black-covered book with both hands, and said with a slightly emotional tone: "Mr. Sos. In order to thank you for your novel ideas and arguments at the debate, I will give you this precious "The Origin of All Things" as a gift.
Although there is no record of any spells in this book.
However, it does describe in detail the evolution of magic from the witches to the elves, and then to the Netheril and Imaskar Empires.
And every civilization has a different understanding of magic.
It is said that the person who wrote this book had read the famous [Scroll of Netheril].
Therefore, he explained the essence of magic in the most understandable way.
I believe this will be of great help to you in learning magic knowledge in the future, or even in creating your own spells."
"It's a great book. Please express my gratitude to the God of Knowledge for me." Zuo Si responded with a smile.
He took it and flipped through just two pages, and immediately realized that this book should have been written by Oghma himself and given to him by the "Guardian of the Book".
After all, in the entire Faerun, the only creatures that have truly read the [Scroll of Netherese] and survived to this day, apart from their original creator, the Sarrukh, are probably the only ones left, the chosen people of the Goddess of Magic, and a few great arcanists who turned into liches after the destruction of the Netherese civilization.
However, it is absolutely impossible for these people to share the most precious memories and knowledge in their minds with others.
So Oghma, the god of knowledge, became the only god who had the ability and motivation to do so.
"You know?!" Ulant was obviously surprised.
Zuo Si nodded slightly: "Of course. Because this book is not something that can be written from the perspective of a mortal. It even explains at the beginning how to use the original and uncontrollable magical energy to create spells after getting rid of the magic network. Do you think a mortal would think of this?"
Ullant smiled bitterly and replied: "I'm sorry, I haven't read this book. Because it is a gift from the great god of knowledge. In addition, from now on, Candlekeep will open its doors to you at any time."
"Thank you. But I think I won't come to Candlekeep again for a long time."
After saying this, Zuo Si gave the other party a standard wizard salute, then turned and walked onto the carriage to signal the Dragonborn Knight Davidian that they could set off.
Although he didn't have much money left, he decided to go to Waterdeep in the north to take a look and go to the Underworld to make a land card.
You should know that it was originally the site of the ancient capital of the elven kingdom - Alinetada.
However, when the elves left, they released an extremely powerful spell, completely erasing the entire city and all traces of its existence.
But this spell has an unknown side effect, which is that it will leave an eternal and indestructible magic network node in the original place.
All the surrounding magical energy will inevitably flow to this node, thus forming an extremely powerful core.
The reason why the Underworld City can build a large-scale magic barrier like the "Maze Lock" is because of the amazing energy support emitted by this magic network node.
Most importantly, this node is invisible, intangible, and unbreakable, and it drives mortals who live nearby for too long into madness.
Especially arcane spellcasters who are closely connected to the magic network, such as wizards, warlocks, and bards.
They will subconsciously develop a desire for the magic network nodes, wanting to stay near the nodes forever and not wanting to leave.
It is said that the madness of the "Mad Mage" Halaster Blackrob was most likely caused by the influence of this magic network node.
This also explains why his madness is only manifested in the "Underground City", and once he leaves and returns to the surface, he will immediately return to a rational and polite state.
Such magic network nodes are an excellent choice for making high-level land cards.
As the number of cards at hand increased, Zuo Si felt that he should add a little more land cards.
At least make sure that if the land cards you have in effect are destroyed or stripped away by the enemy's powerful spells, you have at least one or two on hand to immediately replenish and replace them.
Otherwise, if you leave Faerun and go to other worlds, once the land cards connected to them disappear, professions such as mages, priests, and mystics will instantly lose their ability to cast spells.
In addition, any magic items on you that have not been made into cards will also become ineffective.
Simply put, land cards are the channel connecting the mage to the world.
As long as the corresponding land card is there, the planeswalker can use this channel to draw energy from another world, cast spells and use various magic items according to the magic rules of that world.
But if this connection is interrupted, you can only rely on the cards in your hand or the new magic rules of the current world to fight.
As the main source of spells at the moment, Zuo Si certainly needs to ensure that there are no problems with his connection with Furen.
Therefore, preparing more land cards becomes an inevitable choice.
In his plan, he would make at least four or five land cards exclusive to Faerun, and they would all be located at places like magic network nodes or places where magical energy was highly concentrated.
Just like that, under the protection of the two summoned creatures, the carriage quickly drove away from Candle Castle along the narrow goat path, and within a few hours it entered the "Coast Avenue (also called Bay Coast Highway)".
Since this road is a trade route connecting important trade nodes such as Nashikai, Belgost, and the Friendly Arm, and its end point is the port city of Baldur's Gate located at the mouth of the Chongsa River, it looks quite lively.
About every half an hour or so, you can meet passing business travelers and passers-by.
Apart from the occasional human bandits, goblins, gnolls, or hungry wolves, bears, and ogres who block the road to robbery, there are basically no major security issues.
This is Faerun after all, and it is normal to encounter these monsters and beasts in the wild.
Generally speaking, you can easily deal with the dangers you may encounter along the way by hiring a few adventurers and a small team of mercenaries.
Zuo Si didn't even take action himself against this group of guys who no longer posed any substantial threat. He just let Isadora try to use her power as a psychic, and she easily dealt with them.
There are even a few upgraded [Large Fierce Bear] and [Fierce Wolf Pack] summoning cards.
As for the goblins, gnolls, and human bandits, these hazardous wastes that were not even worth being cannon fodder, all of them, without exception, became nutrients for the nearby soil.
Due to their great skill and courage, the carriage did not even stop in any village or inn along the way, not even the famous "Friendly Arms".
It only took the four of them a few days to cross the Cloak Forest filled with spiders, Itters and pterosaurs.
Just as Zuo Si was about to enter Baldur's Gate to appreciate this natural harbor sandwiched between Waterdeep and Ascatla, he was suddenly informed by the guards at the gate that the dukes had just announced that the belief in Talona, the goddess of poison and disease, was illegal in Baldur's Gate.
Therefore, all priests serving the goddess were forbidden to enter, and he, the chosen one, was no exception.
Obviously, this was a retaliatory move by the ruling class of Baldur's Gate after the negotiations at Candlekeep.
On the one hand, expelling Talona's priests and churches could give an explanation to the merchants who had suffered huge losses, letting them understand that the Duke of Silver Shield made concessions because he was threatened.
On the other hand, doing so can effectively prevent Am from continuing to use the same method to initiate us in future trade disputes.
I have to say, the dukes of Baldur's Gate are really screwed.
No wonder they were played around by Sarevok a few years later. Their judgment and reactions at critical moments were no different from those of pigs.
The stupidity is simply suffocating.
No! Maybe pigs are smarter than them.
At least Pigs don't become arrogant and think that everything is under their control.
It is estimated that those dukes may feel that they have signed a treaty with the Council of Six of Amn, so even if they expel the priests and the church of Talona, Zuo Si, the elect, is unlikely to take any drastic actions.
But they didn't know that Zuo Si was just a tool in this negotiation.
Although he gave Sir Crispian many ideas, he was not a direct beneficiary of the treaty.
At least not yet.
And the other party obviously overestimated his control over the Church of Talona.
If nothing unexpected happens, it won't be long before those expelled priests will use various means to make these arrogant dukes taste the bitter fruit of their own making.
After all, revenge is the consistent style of the believers of the goddess of poison and disease.
"Master, what should we do now?"
Davian stood on the bridge, staring at the city gate not far away, and asked in an uncertain tone.
His dragon-like vertical pupils and the faint dragon power that he exuded inadvertently made the guards at the door feel very nervous.
In addition, the title of Talona voter also caused him considerable psychological pressure.
After all, as the news of Mylatma defeating the monster army and accomplishing the feat of slaying the dragon in the south gradually spread to the north through many merchants and adventurers.
So even in Baldur's Gate, rumors began to spread that the Goddess of Poison and Plague had a very powerful and formidable chosen one.
"What else can we do? We can only continue to travel by land." Zuo Si shrugged indifferently.
It just takes a little more time anyway.
He was not idle while traveling in the carriage. He was learning many four-ring magics and practicing new super magic skills. His days were quite fulfilling.
Anyway, it is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge.
He has plenty of ways to make the Duke of Baldur's Gate, who has humiliated him, pay a heavy price.
"Thoss, I can control those guards." Isadora whispered in his ear.
But Zuo Si smiled and shook his head, gently stroked the girl's hair and explained: "Forget it, don't make things difficult for these ordinary soldiers who obey orders. Don't worry, I'm not angry. Because it won't be long before the dukes of Baldur's Gate come to me and kneel down to beg me to let them go."
When he said this, he did not avoid the soldiers guarding the city gate at all, but let these people hear it clearly.
moment!
The captain's face changed.
But before he could do anything, he saw Zuo Si and his party driving away in a carriage.
When I came to my senses, the carriage had disappeared on the distant horizon.
"Damn it! Go report to Duke Iltan quickly, we might be in big trouble this time." The captain shouted at one of his soldiers.
The latter did not dare to delay at all and quickly rode his horse towards the fortress of the Flame Fist Mercenary Headquarters.
Unfortunately, it's too late...
After running for more than ten kilometers in one breath, when they were about to reach the "Land of Death", Zuo Si finally ordered the carriage to stop, and then summoned Vanessa without hesitation.
In the blink of an eye, the lich who received the magic message cast a teleportation spell and appeared next to the carriage.
He first glanced around very cautiously, and after confirming that there was no danger, he placed one hand on his chest and bowed slightly.
"Excuse me, why are you summoning me at this time? Is there anything important that you need me to do?"
"How is the plan to integrate the pirate forces of the Nalansel Islands going?" Zuo Si asked straight to the point.
When this matter was mentioned, Vanessa suddenly became excited and hurriedly reported: "Not long ago, I just controlled a pirate leader named Eric and started a rebellion against Captain Bloody Hand.
This operation not only successfully took over the latter's forces, but also exchanged Hallet's head for a large bounty in Amn.
After that, I sent out several of my apprentices to assist the pirate in launching several naval battles. They have almost wiped out six large pirate gangs and more than twenty small pirate gangs.
Using the bodies of those dead, I converted a large number of low-level undead to serve as cannon fodder in the battle.
With the help of the spells recorded in the Book of the Dead, he successfully created several intelligent high-level undead as commanders.
Now we have almost taken control of several of the largest and most habitable islands in the Nelanther Archipelago.
Even those mysterious ocean towers were occupied one by one by me and several other core members. We transformed them into simple wizard towers and built permanent portals.
Four of the ogre mages were captured alive and are currently imprisoned in the dungeon.
It should take about a month or two to wipe out all the pirates and start building cities and villages."
"So fast?" Zuo Si was obviously surprised.
He originally thought that an operation of this scale would take at least a year and a half to complete, even with the help of several liches.
"Of course. The Nelanther Islands originally had no decent forces. The reason why pirates are rampant is entirely because many organizations want to use these guys to do some shady things. But now with our intervention, this island will finally end the chaos and usher in the dawn of order. By the way, haven't you always been not very interested in this matter?"
Vanessa asked in great surprise.
Zuo Si laughed and said self-deprecatingly: "I suddenly realized that if you don't have any power behind you, others will treat you as a soft persimmon and will find ways to humiliate you."
"Shame! Who? Who dares to treat you like this? Please tell me! I promise to kill his entire family and turn them into undead creatures, making them live in pain, despair and curse forever."
The cold light in Vanessa's eyes suddenly increased, and her tone became even colder and full of murderous intent.
"The Dukes of Baldur's Gate.
They issued a decree that I, the chosen one of Talona, the woman of poison and disease, was forbidden to enter the city.
To be honest, I still don't understand where they get the courage from, or the underlying logic behind their behavior.
But there's no need to make it so bloody and cruel.
My revenge is simple. I will strike at the city's commerce in the most extreme way possible and completely cut off Baldur's Gate's maritime trade."
Zuo Si expressed his thoughts in a casual tone.
He is not a good guy, nor is he like those guys who claim to be kind and righteous, who swallow their anger and dare not retaliate when being publicly humiliated.
What's more, as a commercial port city, Baldur's Gate was built on trade.
Therefore, any attack on trade would be equivalent to undermining the foundation of Baldur's Gate's survival.
When the businessmen began to realize that these so-called "dukes" could no longer provide them with protection or bring them benefits, but instead became a stumbling block to making money, their fate was naturally self-evident.
Zuo Si doesn't even need to do it himself. He just needs to spread a little news and naturally countless people will do everything they can to kill these dukes.
"Crack down on trade? Do you mean to let the pirate fleet blockade the port?" Vanessa touched her chin and smiled playfully.
You have to know that unlike the Amn Empire which has a huge navy, Baldur's Gate is just a city-state, so it doesn't have enough money to build a strong navy.
Many times when dealing with maritime threats, they often temporarily requisitioned some merchant ships, and then relied on catapults and crossbows in the ports and on the shore to launch defensive counterattacks.
This means that the city's maritime defenses are very weak.
As long as the pirates of the Nelanther Islands are gathered together, it is entirely possible to completely cut off the sea trade routes of Baldur's Gate.
Zuo Si waved his hand with a half-smile: "No, don't block the port, let alone rob merchant ships. That would be too conspicuous and easily attract intervention from the Northern Lords Alliance.
All we have to do is collect protection fees from all passing ships.
If it is a merchant ship heading to Amn, Calimshan, Tethyr, Waterdeep, Neverwinter, or Luskan, a 10% tax will be levied on the total value of all goods.
But for merchant ships sailing to Baldur's Gate, a tax of 20 to 30 percent will be imposed.
And a flag was issued to all ships that had collected protection fees.
Any merchant ship flying this flag will no longer be plundered by pirates from the Sea of Swords to the Sea of Glory.
If a plunder occurs, we will not only avenge it, but also compensate the ship and cargo at their original price.
In this way, we get money, merchants are guaranteed security, and the surrounding sea trade routes will become prosperous.
At the same time, this approach will not infringe on the bottom line of the Northern Lords Alliance, the Harpist Alliance, and the Church of the Good-aligned Gods.
After all, order is better than chaos.
Once this became a practice, all merchants traveling by sea discovered that the cost of doing business in Baldur's Gate was much higher than in other cities.
Guess what they will choose?
They would abandon Baldur's Gate, a natural harbor, without hesitation.
The dukes who rule this city will then pay the price for their arrogance and stupidity, and even kneel down and beg for my forgiveness.
In addition, compared to a quick death, I personally prefer to let my enemies suffer enough pain before they die, or even let them watch helplessly as they lose what they cherish most bit by bit.
For the dukes of Baldur's Gate, the prosperity and wealth of Baldur's Gate are what they value most.
And I...
We must slowly take these two things away from them."
Hearing these words, Vanessa seemed to have seen the future of Baldur's Gate's decline and the fearful and desperate reactions of the dukes. She was instantly sublimated and bowed deeply with one hand on her chest with an unprecedented gesture of respect.
"Your wisdom and means of revenge are far beyond my reach. In addition, I also understand that true revenge should not just make yourself feel happy, but should make the enemy suffer as much as possible, but at the same time helpless. Please rest assured that I will immediately notify everyone to cooperate in this matter."
"Remember, manage those pirates well and make them understand that the Nalanther Islands will be an orderly, open and inclusive country in the future. Get rid of all those bad habits from the past and learn to be a civilized person from now on." Zuo Si warned meaningfully.
Vanessa immediately understood what he meant and couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Hahahaha! I've already been doing this without you telling me. However, among the thousands of islands in the Nelanther Archipelago, only about half have fresh water resources. How do you think we should develop them?"
“First, select a few large islands to grow food and raise poultry and livestock to ensure that the islands’ food sources are not controlled by others.
The other islands with fresh water grow sugarcane, and the islands without fresh water make salt.
The former is a priceless luxury item, while the latter is something indispensable in everyone's daily life and there is basically no need to worry about sales.
In addition, fishing, drying salted fish, and cultivating pearls in shallow seas can all be good development directions.
Coconut fibers, in particular, are very suitable for making ropes, fishing nets, brushes, and mats. The coconut meat can also be dried and sold as a commodity.
With goods, merchants will naturally be attracted to come and buy and sell.
However, the current issue to be addressed is the shortage of labor on the island.
I think we can do something about the Kingdom of Tethyr, which is in the midst of a civil war, to attract some civilians or refugees who have suffered from the war to settle down.
They promised to distribute land, seeds and tools free of charge to anyone willing to come and open up wasteland.
The other thing is to spend money to buy slaves from the Calimshan area..."
Zuo Si didn't even think about it, and just blurted out a lot of very useful suggestions.
As a person who comes from the era of information explosion, he has a natural advantage in this regard.
Especially since the productivity level of the continent of Faerun is so low, less than half a kilogram of salt can be sold at an outrageous price of five gold coins.
With this amount of money, you can buy about 450 kilograms of wheat, or 225 kilograms of flour, or more than 200 fresh and delicious chickens.
The reason is very simple.
That is, most cities do not have the technology to extract "salt", a necessity for survival.
Especially the crude salt extracted from seawater cannot be eaten directly because it contains too many harmful impurities.
It also requires a series of complex processes to filter out impurities, and the final product is truly edible salt.
These techniques are often monopolized by certain chambers of commerce and nobles, who regard them as core secrets and never pass them on to others.
As a result, a strange phenomenon emerged: many port cities on the west coast of Faerun were close to the sea, but still had to import salt from outside.
“It sounds like you have a comprehensive plan.
Don't worry about the labor problem. If it doesn't work, just use undead creatures instead.
But where can we get the technology needed for these industries?
If magic is used, the cost will be infinitely high."
Vanessa was obviously troubled.
As a wizard, the first thing he thought of when he encountered trouble was magic.
This is also the reason why the development of natural science in the continent of Faerun is so slow.
Because magic is so convenient that it can do almost anything.
For example, with fireballs and lightning, who would consider making and using primitive artillery that is dangerous and not very powerful? So science has no soil to survive and develop here.
In the era when the magical civilization of Netheril flourished, the great arcanists not only had the power to change the natural environment and climate, they even formed a fleet capable of traveling deep into space, exploring other planets within the crystal wall and attempting to establish colonies.
In comparison, the Earth science system, which seems to have very advanced technology, can only go so far as to allow humans to briefly land on the moon.
To sum up, almost all smart people in Faerun would choose to become a wizard, rather than wasting time and energy studying sciences that might not be discovered by future generations until decades or even hundreds of years after their death.
After all, the two ancient magic empires of Netheril and Imaskar have demonstrated the heights that magic can reach, but no one has ever demonstrated the future of science.
In addition, becoming a wizard will give you real magical power, which can even allow you to escape death and gain eternal life. Anyone who is not a fool will know what to choose.
However, the disadvantage of magic is also very obvious, that is, it cannot benefit the lower-class people at all.
Just the opposite!
It needs to constantly exploit the lower class civilians to obtain the resources and wealth necessary for magic research.
This is also why almost all powerful magical civilizations adopted slavery without exception.
Zuo Si sometimes felt that he was very lucky. He received both scientific and magical education, so he was not as easily trapped in the limitations of thinking as most wizards.
Seeing Vanessa's embarrassment, he immediately smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will be responsible for providing a full set of industrial technology. All you have to do is supervise and execute."
"If that's the case, then there's no problem. To be honest, I was a little confused about what kind of place I wanted to build the Nelanthar Islands into. But now, it seems that I suddenly have a direction."
Vanessa's eyes sparkled with admiration.
Because the more he understood, the more he felt that Zuo Si's head was filled with all kinds of knowledge and wonderful ideas.
And this knowledge and creative ideas are exactly what I lack.
In addition, Vanessa, a specialized necromancer, also benefited a lot from the "Book of the Dead" and the notes of the Archnecromancer Asta.
In fact, not long ago, he had just completed the touch of the deepest magic web and officially obtained the coveted nine-ring spell position.
All of this started to change for the better when I met Zuo Si.
So Vanessa felt that the boy in front of her, who looked only about ten years old, was the one who was worthy of her loyalty and following in her destiny.
After the two chatted for a while about their experiences and insights on magic, he happily activated the teleportation magic and returned to his own wizard tower, taking with him the notes on how to advance to the [Archmage] that Zuo Si had copied from the Candle Castle Library.
After watching the lich disappear completely, Davian took the initiative to ask, "Master, the land of death is ahead. Should we set up camp here to rest, or go in and find a farm to stay for the night?"
"Land of Death? Are there many undead creatures there?" Isadora asked curiously.
"Of course. More than five hundred years ago, a brutal war broke out here between Amn and the Kingdoms of the Sword Coast.
It is said that the dead people even make the negative energy of this land ten times higher than other places.
For a long time it was a playground for zombies, ghouls, skeletons, ghosts and other undead creatures.
However, as time passed, most undead creatures were cleared out by priests and paladins of good gods.
In recent decades, large farms have been rebuilt, with only a few skeletons and zombies still wandering around.
Zuo Si patiently introduced the blonde girl, who knew nothing about the outside world.
Since she had never left the administrative district of Athkatla since she was born, Isadora had no idea what the outside world was like. At best, she had only read a few books.
"Are undead creatures difficult to deal with?" the girl asked cautiously.
Zuo Si answered seriously, “For you as a psychic, undead creatures and constructs are the two most dangerous enemies in this world.
Because they have no minds, you cannot read their thoughts, let alone control their will.
Remember, if you encounter undead, the best way is to attack them with your direct damage psychic powers, or summon the shield guardian in the amulet. "
The girl nodded vigorously and said, "Yes! I remember it."
"Let's go and find a farm to spend the night. After sleeping in the carriage for so many days, I begin to miss the feeling of lying in bed." Zuo Si said with a smile to the Dragon Knight.
"As you wish."
As always, Davian regarded his master's request as the highest order, quickly flicked a beautiful whip, and drove the carriage along the endless plain.
After just over ten minutes, one could vaguely see some skeletons in tattered and rusty armor wandering around outside the fence surrounding the field, as well as zombies whose bodies were so rotten that there was not much flesh left.
Not only are they slow, but they are also very unresponsive.
No wonder those daring farmers dared to enter the Land of Death to open up wasteland.
I feel that even without weapons, I can easily kill these weak undead creatures with a thicker wooden stick.
Just as everyone was admiring the eerie scenery of skeletons, zombies and stretches of golden farmland, a three-story wooden house built not far to the west side of the road attracted everyone's attention.
Davidian used extremely skilled movements to slow down the two running horses and then stopped them steadily at the door of the cabin.
Just as he was about to knock on the door, he suddenly smelled a pungent smell of blood.
As a subconscious first reaction, Davidian immediately drew out the flaming sword at his waist, and at the same time raised the shield behind his back and entered a state of alert.
With his height advantage, the two-meter-high fence outside was completely useless to him, and he soon saw a large pool of blood near the main gate in the yard.
Moreover, the door of the wooden house was not closed but was ajar.
"What's going on?"
Zuo Si opened the door and walked out of the car.
"Master, please be careful. There is something wrong with this house. I found bloodstains at the door of the house, and the door was not closed."
Without even turning his head, Davian told what he had seen.
"Go in and take a look. Huntington, you stand guard at the door. If you see any unidentified guy approaching, no matter who he is, shoot him with an arrow as a warning."
Zuo Si gave instructions calmly.
Because a wooden house like this located in a rural area with no defense capabilities is too vulnerable to attacks by various monsters, robbers and wild beasts.
So no matter what happened in the house, he would not be surprised.
This is why, whether rich or poor, as long as conditions permit, they will do their best to squeeze into cities or towns with certain defensive capabilities.
Even if they cannot enter the town, they will choose to join a lord who owns a castle.
Only in this way can the safety of their lives and property be guaranteed to a certain extent.
With a bang, Davian kicked open the wooden door of the yard and was the first to walk in.
Zuo Si followed closely behind, holding Isadora's hand.
Passing through the yard planted with various onions, radishes, cabbages, garlic and onions, the three men came to the half-open entrance of the wooden house and saw a large pool of sticky blood that had not yet dried on the ground.
"This is human blood!"
Davian put a little on his finger, put it in front of his nose, sniffed it, and immediately gave his own judgment.
As a dragonborn, his sense of smell is extremely sensitive, even far exceeding that of most canines.
This is also the reason why you can smell the blood from such a long distance.
"It seems that the owner of the house has been murdered. Come on, let's go inside and find out what happened."
As he spoke, Zuo Si raised his hand and cast a spell at an extremely fast speed, granting [Mage Armor] to himself and Isadora respectively.
But before he could reach out to the half-open door, he heard footsteps from inside, and then a middle-aged woman dressed as a peasant came out and asked with a vigilant look on her face: "Who are you? Why did you break into my home?"
"You are...the owner of this house?"
The expression on Zuo Si's face suddenly became very strange.
Davidian was the first to stand between the two of them.
Isadora also seemed to have read the other party's memory through her psychic ability. She hugged Zuo Si's arm tightly with one hand and held the amulet around her neck that could summon a shield guardian with the other hand.
"That's right! This is the house where my husband and I live. No matter who you are, please leave immediately. Otherwise, we will sound the alarm and call the surrounding militia." The peasant woman shouted a warning.
Unfortunately, her warning didn't scare anyone.
Zuo Si pointed at the blood on the ground and asked bluntly: "If you don't mind, can you tell me what this pool of blood is about?"
The peasant woman's face changed slightly, and she waved her arms impatiently and roared, "That's the blood I shed when I killed the chicken just now. It's none of your business! Get out of here!"
"Ah - are all shapeshifters' acting skills as bad as yours? We have just confirmed that the blood on the ground is human blood and not the blood of other poultry or livestock. In addition, I don't know if you have noticed that when you are nervous or excited, your eyes will flash a silver light."
Zuo Si directly exposed the other party's identity.
Yes!
The fellow dressed as a peasant woman in front of me is actually a shapeshifter in disguise.
With the help of the constant [True Seeing] on the magic ring upgraded by the God of Knowledge Oghma, he could see the original appearance of the shapeshifter the moment it appeared.
"Damn it!"
Realizing that he was exposed, the shapeshifter didn't hesitate for a second. He turned around and tried to get into the house, then jumped out of the back window to escape.
But before he could run a few steps, he suddenly seemed to be under a spell and stood there stupidly without moving.
"You controlled it?" Zuo Si turned around and asked Isadora.
The girl shook her head slightly. "No. I just tried to invade its mind to control it, but failed. This kind of monster seems to be immune to all charm spells. But then I used [Energy Shock] and it became what it is now. I think its ability to transform should be very useful to you."
"That's right. Shapeshifters are natural spies and infiltrators. If used well, they can cause much more damage from the inside than a dragon."
Zuo Si casually took out a blank card and sealed the shapeshifting monster in front of him.
But just as the icon and text appeared on the card, a dark shadow suddenly jumped down from the second floor.
Just as it tried to run over the fence, an arrow whizzed through its thigh.
The severe pain turned the humanoid creature into a rolling gourd on the spot, and he opened his mouth and let out a heart-wrenching scream.
At this moment, Isadora and Davian saw the true face of the black shadow.
It has grayish-white skin, long and thin limbs, octopus-like eyes, a round and slightly fat head, and almost no expression on its face, even when it is in pain.
This is undoubtedly a typical shapeshifter.
With their innate ability to shapeshift and detect thoughts, they can disguise themselves as almost anyone, or even directly replace the latter's identity and status in society.
These two guys must have made an agreement to come and kill the original owner of the house, and then disguise themselves as them to infiltrate the nearby farms and even the small town little by little.
Unfortunately, they were unlucky and happened to run into Zuo Si and his group who were looking for a place to stay overnight, and were caught red-handed on the spot.
Without any hesitation!
Zuo Si first asked Isadora to release [Energy Shock] again, making the deformed monster that was hit by the arrow lose its ability to resist, and then made it into a summoning creature card.
After finishing all this, he began to search the entire cabin carefully, and finally found the bodies of two victims in the cellar.
(End of this chapter)
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