Chapter 403: Did You Do It?

The strong wind stirred by Arcane Magic quickly dispersed the acid fog. Victoria raised her Holy Emblem, channeling life-giving Holy Power. The Spore People, covered in hardened carapaces and spore clusters, collapsed one after another, but the barbarian, clad only in animal skins, remained standing.

This time, she didn't need a Magic Ring or Resurrection Magic.

"Why do I always have to deal with this stuff!" Sera complained, flexing the muscles in her neck and shoulders. The skin there had just been almost completely corroded away, but under the effects of the Divine Magic, its newborn-pale surface now showed a hint of pink.

The barbarian glanced down at her new skin and let out a howl of frustration.

"Ron, look what you've done! All my glorious, memory-filled scars are gone!"

"Don't worry, this will leave an even bigger scar," Victoria said, putting away her Holy Emblem. "Didn't you see the seams? I'm not erasing those."

"Thanks," Sera grumbled, "but it's still not the same... How can a new flame compare to an old love?"

"It's mainly because you can't brag about your old stories anymore, isn't it?" Anastina scoffed. It wasn't that she looked down on barbarians; from her time in the army to her days as a mercenary, she was all too familiar with their kind.

A decades-old wound, even one as small as a fingernail, could be spun into a trophy from a battle with a Giant Dragon. A fresh wound, on the other hand, might just get you laughed at, even if it covered your entire body.

With her scars gone, Sera's power was, in a way, "nerfed."

"You got off easy, Sera," Aive chuckled. "I once worked with a Totem Warrior who went through something similar. When he discovered the tattoos he'd had for most of his life were gone, he wailed as if his parents had just died!"

A Totem Warrior's Totem Power wouldn't disappear because of that, of course, but their tattoos, much like a Berserker's scars, were a spiritual anchor. Having them vanish overnight was a crushing blow.

Sera listened intently to the Half-Elf's story, a smile involuntarily appearing on her stoic face. Hearing about someone else getting caught in the rain seemed to make being soaked to the bone yourself not so bad after all.

"You people..." Victoria and Silvia shook their heads in unison. The Goblin Hunter put on a show of sighing with his hands clasped behind his back, but anyone could see that as he listened to Aive's story, Delaford was grinning from ear to ear!

"It seems these Red Mould and Spore People haven't yet mutated to develop a resistance to strong acid."

The Elf Grand Mage, of course, wouldn't participate in such childish matters. Her attention was completely focused on the corpses of the Spore People, which had been corroded beyond recognition, and the vast swathes of dead Fungal Mat.

A Mage's Hand lifted a section of the Fungal Mat. The top layer of Red Mould had a distinct, hardened structure. While this protective shell could help the ordinary Red Mould underneath resist sunlight, salt, or alcohol, it was no match for the corrosive acid fog.

Though Ron's Acid Fog Arrow lacked the massive explosion of the old version, it was extremely penetrating. As Jilannis continued to flip over sections of the Fungal Mat, she discovered a corner of a building where three or four layers of the hardened Red Mould had been stacked. Even so, the weakest Red Mould at the very bottom had not escaped its fate.

"Terrifying, for the Spore People," Anastina commented, taken aback by the scene. "Lord, how many more of those arrows do you have?"

"I don't know," Ron said with a frown, kicking aside the utterly dead, non-infectious Red Mould as he moved forward. "We don't even know where this Red Mould originated. I can't possibly judge if the Acid Fog Arrows will be enough."

"Don't worry, Ron will figure something out! He always does!" Sera nonchalantly hoisted the Grip of the Vast Wave onto her shoulder, clearly not holding a grudge against Ron for dousing her in acid. "Look at me now! All that Red Mould that tried to latch onto me is completely gone! Not a trace left!"

"You shouldn't put so much faith in him," Jilannis said, dismissing the Mage's Hand with a wave. While adjusting the sword "Silence" at her waist, she looked up at the barbarian. "He'd douse you with acid fog today, and toss you into a Death Mist tomorrow. What's next? Sending you to fight in the Blood War of Avernus?"

"The Blood War? Awesome! I was just wondering how I could get in on that!" Sera blurted out, speaking without thinking. "But what's a Death Mist? A mist that kills you if you touch it?"

"That wouldn't be a problem, though. Victoria, you'd resurrect me, right?"

"Just like always."

The Priest shot a glare at Jilannis for her strange remarks. "Let me make one thing clear, I am not a walking Resurrection Scroll!"

"Got it, got it. So we just have to try not to die so many times each day!" Delaford chimed in with a cheeky grin, which made the Priest of Heim so angry the tip of her Kite Shield nearly split open the goblin's fontanelle (if goblins even have them).

Jilannis ignored Victoria's warning glare. She simply clapped her hands and, as was her habit, her feet left the ground and she levitated into the air.

"This Red Mould, especially the mutated, hardened kind, shows very obvious signs of magical modification. It seems its creator is either not afraid of being discovered, or is completely oblivious to the possibility."

"So, Lord, I intend to go on ahead, follow the trail back to the experimenter behind this, and subdue them directly if possible. It would be the most efficient method. What do you say?"

"Absolutely not!" Silvia interjected before Ron could even speak. The Vampire Descendant immediately realized her misstep, turning to Ron with a charming smile and a meaningful look. "Isn't that right, my benefactor?"

"You can't possibly think I'm the culprit, can you?" The Moon Elf's eyes narrowed as she looked at the Vampire Mage. "We may not have known each other long, but surely you haven't forgotten?"

"I taught you—and even the Lord—much of the knowledge you now possess. Are you implying I mean to harm the Delusional Land?"

"Intentionally? Unlikely. But what about an unintentional mistake?" Silvia frowned. "If not, why do you insist on going alone? We came here together!"

"The weak travel in packs; the strong walk alone. Neither is right nor wrong, they are simply different strategies," Jilannis said, ignoring Silvia and addressing Ron directly. "The only bad play is for the strong to protect the weak."

"You must have noticed during the battle. I have to carefully choose my Magic just to avoid harming you while killing enemies. What is the point of a strategy that forces me to operate on your level? It is nothing but a waste of my time and power."

"I can tolerate her doubts, but I will say this: while I did receive your Red Mould sample and study it, I have nothing to do with this matter. And I am willing to uncover the truth."

"I have said my piece. Whether you choose to believe me is your affair."