Chapter 121: Brain Fluid Jar
Anse raised his hand and fired a Ray of Frost, turning a spy rolling on the ground into an ice statue emitting eerie cold air in the scorching heat, chilling the spines of the onlookers.
【Target Death, gain 25 Combat Experience】
He paid it no mind, his peripheral vision scanning the crowd. Matthew was mixed in with the crowd, watching excitedly with the others, without taking the chance to slip away.
‘He’s really playing the part.’
Anse simply ignored him, firing Ray of Frost after Ray of Frost to harvest heads, as if he had truly come for these spies.
The onlookers, seeing that they had really caught someone, were no longer afraid and watched with keen interest, some even cheering.
One could only say that different environments breed different people.
In the crowd, Matthew looked excited, pointing at Anse and bragging to those around him: “That’s my friend, we’ve fought side by side…”
“Really?”
Some were half-believing, others came up to get friendly…
As the combat neared its end, Anse pretended to adjust his cloak, quietly activating True Sight, sweeping over the crowd under the cover of his arm, then quickly lowering his head.
‘Another one!’
Besides Matthew, one of the adventurers traveling with him also showed a psionic reaction in his head, though it was faint.
‘Could it be a Mind Flayer Tadpole?’
He deactivated True Sight and turned to beckon Quentin.
Quentin hurried over, whispering: “Is it in here?”
“Take all the bodies away and disperse the crowd.” Anse didn’t say much more.
Quentin didn’t understand Anse’s intent but still chose to cooperate. He put on a happy expression and walked toward the battlefield: “Take the bodies away immediately, we still have to go to the next place, hurry hurry—”
The guards immediately got busy.
The Mind Flayer’s Steal Body can only target small or medium creatures within a few feet that lack the ability to resist; if their vitality is too strong, it’s best to beat them half to death.
In theory, it cannot possess the dead, but if the target has just died, it can devour their brain and teleport inside the skull to hide.
Taking away the bodies and dispersing the crowd was to prevent it from using a human brain as a springboard to hide or escape.
If one didn’t know this, the Mind Flayer might slip away, then use all sorts of methods against you, like scheming with the possessed person’s connections or calling companions to swarm and kill you…
Once all the bodies were cleared away, Quentin waved at the surroundings with an impatient expression: “Disperse, disperse…”
Seeing Matthew about to leave, Anse quickly pulled back his hood, rode forward, and smiled and waved at Matthew from afar: “Come on, let’s grab a drink.”
Matthew looked thrilled, pushed out of the crowd, chattering nonstop: “I didn’t lie to you, did I? This really is my friend.”
Quentin and the others looked over in surprise, not knowing what he was up to.
Anse smiled brightly, as if reuniting with a long-lost good friend.
But in the next instant, the Elemental Orb suddenly froze in midair, humming loudly.
“”
「Metamagic: Quick Cast, Tracking, Empowered」+「Spell Level Increase: Scorching Ray」!
The smile remained on his face, resonant Dragon Speech like a cordial greeting, palm raised to deliver a fiery hello!
Four Fire Rays burst forth, flashing through the air and vanishing.
“Bang bang bang bang!”
Matthew’s head suddenly exploded, charred bone and rotten flesh splattering with flames, revealing an empty brain cavity.
At the same time, a monster resembling an exposed brain with four claws appeared on the ground.
Seeing it, many people got goosebumps, feeling a strong sense of disgust.
【…Mind Flayer hit, takes 19 Fire Damage, current 11/30 Life】
A professional’s skull is tough, but it still couldn’t withstand a three-level Empowered Scorching Ray.
The Mind Flayer was injured and fled rapidly, its speed astonishing.
As long as it got close to the crowd, it could use 「Devour Intelligence」 combined with 「Steal Body」 to gain another living puppet.
Anse didn’t hesitate, raising his hand for a Quick Cast Magic Missile.
Three glowing Magic Missiles tracked and struck the Mind Flayer’s body in succession, smashing it flying to lie motionless on the ground.
【Target Death, gain 450 Combat Experience】
Only then did those around react; first astonished at Anse killing while chatting and laughing, then startled by the suddenly appearing monster, overwhelmed and hearts pounding.
Anse turned to look at the crowd; several adventurers who had been with Matthew were trying to flee but were blocked by the guards.
He approached the possibly infested adventurer and carefully observed his eyes and skin.
“What’s your name?”
His gaze showed a moment of bewilderment, panicking: “Fulga, I’m not close with Matthew…”
“What did Matthew do to you in the last half hour?” Anse pressed.
“Ah…” The adventurer looked blank.
Illyas landed beside Anse, glanced at the Mind Flayer’s corpse, and asked curiously: “What’s wrong with him?”
“Infected by a Young Mind Flayer, no more than an hour ago,” Anse inferred.
Normally, a Mind Flayer Tadpole would completely erase the host’s personality and memory within an hour, the body fully mutating in seven days: skin gradually turning gray-purple, head growing four tentacles, organs restructuring for psionic metabolism, ultimately becoming a Mind Flayer.
“Too many eyes here, lock him in a cell first,” Quentin suggested.
“Good.” Illyas agreed.
“Mm.” Anse nodded, walked a few steps to Matthew’s corpse, searched it briefly, and found a palm-sized purple olive-shaped jar.
The dice spun slightly, popping up target info:
【Brain Fluid Jar, Rare, Young Mind Flayer: 6/10】
Anse felt a chill; four Mind Flayer Tadpoles were missing. Besides that Fulga, three were unaccounted for.
‘They might be dead.’
He really didn’t know much about these things, just figuring they had a survival rate and couldn’t easily live outside a Brain Pool.
Illyas saw his expression was off and immediately had people search the other adventurers, but after much fuss, found nothing else.
She had Quentin carefully collect the corpse, escort the people to prison, and sent others to search the Wyvern Inn where they were staying, bringing back any suspicious items or people.
Anse was a bit uneasy, pocketed the Brain Fluid Jar, activated the True Sight Ring, mounted Nolnos, and galloped along the street.
The world before him layered in overlays, dreamlike yet utterly real; no disguise or Invisibility could hide from him.
Ten minutes later, the anomaly faded; he found no trace of Mind Flayers or Mind Flayers.
‘Maybe used midway; interrogate their route later.’ Anse sighed inwardly, not dwelling on it.
The world’s dangers weren’t just Mind Flayers; stay vigilant, no need to worry unduly.
Illyas had been following Anse; seeing him stop, she landed directly, hovering beside him.
“What was that?”
Anse took out the Brain Fluid Jar and tossed it to her, saying grimly: “Brain Fluid Jar, contains six Young Mind Flayers.”
Illyas caught it, then tossed it back like she’d been shocked, shaking her hand vigorously: “How could there be such a thing?”
“How should I know?” Anse pursed his lips, stowing the Brain Fluid Jar in his Dragonhide Pouch.
“Why keep it instead of destroying it?” Illyas looked suspicious. “Don’t do any dangerous experiments; this isn’t a joke.”
Anse laughed heartily, teasing: “Didn’t you receive proper wizard training? How come you lack any spirit of exploration?”
“Because I know my limits.” Illyas gave him a sideways glance and flew off on her Flying Carpet.
The matter was serious; she would personally join the investigation of those adventurers next.
Anse watched her back, thoughts racing.
‘Brain Fluid Jar…’
