Wizard: I devour the stars with swarms of insects.

Next, Wayne followed Holman to the city center of Greyhawk Keep.

Actually, this place used to be where the wealthiest people in the castle lived.

High population density and convenient living.

It is also surrounded by lively taverns and markets.

However, due to the dense population, it has now become the area most severely affected by the epidemic.

Around the city center, soldiers guarded key roads, all wearing thick masks and heavy armor, providing multiple layers of protection.

It was as if the thickness of their armor would help them stay further away from these damned plagues.

"Young Master Holman!"

Upon seeing Holman's arrival, they all respectfully made way and allowed him to pass.

Next, after passing through the soldiers' blockade, Wayne and Holman arrived at the city center.

Upon arriving at this point, Wayne ordered Isabel and the other knights behind him to stop and not approach.

Holman also instructed his men to stop where they were and not to move forward.

After all, for wizards, because of their physical attributes and qualities far exceeding those of ordinary people, these outbreaks of plague do not pose a fatal danger to them, and they are not easily infected.

However, those knights who guarded the area, even the experienced knights who had mastered breathing techniques, were still just ordinary people.

The outbreak of plague posed no threat to wizards, but that did not mean they would not be infected.

Therefore, both Wayne and Holman left their men where they were and did not come in.

Tap tap tap...

Leather boots echoed through the streets, their footsteps reverberating on the ground.

Wayne and Holman arrived at the streets in the city center, where many of the surrounding rooms had been boarded up.

Screams and wails could be heard from inside, as people pounded violently on the nailed-together windows.

"Some of them have already fallen ill and have become like 'living zombies'."

Hearing these sounds, Holman sighed softly and said.

"Because these citizens infected with 'drought disease' can 'come back to life' after death, becoming zombies and attacking others."

"Later I even suspected that some necromancer black wizards were behind it, deliberately coming to the city to spread the plague, but... I never found any evidence."

Wayne followed Holman, walking along the stinking central street.

Even with a wizard's tolerance, the pungent stench of corpses around them was enough to make one feel nauseous.

As the two passed a room.

Suddenly, squeak squeak squeak~~~

Suddenly, a series of startled rat noises rang out, and several rats darted out from the crack in the door beside them and quickly fled.

"Oh...shit! These damn rats! Why aren't they all cleaned up yet?!"

"I clearly arranged for a rat extermination team to use rodenticide and poison to get rid of all these rats, so why are there still some reappearing!"

Holman's face turned ashen as he saw some long-haired rats scrambling out from under the door. He yelled.

Next, he angrily chanted a spell, and a circle of energy appeared in his palm.

Then, a phantom-like hand, seemingly composed of dark, thread-like traces, reached out and grabbed at the rats fleeing ahead.

After the giant hand grabbed it, it vanished in an instant.

However, the rats' running speed on the ground suddenly slowed down by more than ten times. They were listless, as if all their strength had been drained from their feet, and their movements were slow and feeble.

Wayne's expression shifted upon seeing Holman's sorcery.

Basic sorcery trick: [Weary Hand]!

A weakening attack skill that, after being attacked, causes the victim to feel physically exhausted and mentally drained.

However, Holman is now using witchcraft to deal with these rats scurrying across the ground?

It's like using a cannon to kill a mosquito; it's quite a waste.

However, it was clearly because Holman was genuinely enraged by these damned rats that he resorted to such brutality and directness.

Then, Holman casually picked up a fallen plank from the ground beside him.

He smashed several rats on the ground into mincemeat before he stopped.

At that moment, Wayne's expression shifted as he looked at the room from which the rats had just run out.

After thinking for a moment, Wayne suddenly spoke.

"Senior Holman, please wait a moment."

Then, I walked up to the door of that room, pushed it, but the door seemed to be locked and I couldn't open it.

"This place used to be inhabited, but then a plague broke out, and many people moved away. There shouldn't be anyone inside now. If you need a key..."

Holman hadn't finished speaking when Wayne had already given the command to the Hive AI in his mind.

[Activate "Thorn Tongue": Skill 3 - Snake's Gnawing!]

Pfft—!

The attack pattern, which had already been solidified within the [Hive] intelligence, was activated.

A crimson shadow shot out from beneath Wayne's wizarding robes.

The sharp blade pierced through the handle of the wooden door in an instant, and the lock fell to the ground.

Then, the thorn retracted and returned to Wayne's wrist, clinging to it.

Holman's words froze in mid-air. He opened his mouth, then gave a wry smile: "Biological sorcery trick: Thorn Tongue Sting?"

"Back then, I always wanted to learn it, but my mental strength never met the requirements. Tsk... this witchcraft trick looks really cool..."

"What, is this difficult to learn?"

Wayne asked.

Holman: "..."

"Junior Brother Wayne, can you at least give your senior brother some face?"

Hearing Wayne's infuriating words, Holman's face turned green, and he said in a frustrated voice.

"Wait for me at the door for a moment."

Wayne chuckled, cracking a joke with Holman to ease the current dull and oppressive atmosphere.

Next, Wayne pushed the door open and went inside.

Sure enough, the room was empty; there was no one there.

Many places were covered in dust, and everything looked old and worn. The original owner must have moved out a long time ago.

Because of the dirty, dusty environment, I even found some fleas around some rotten food.

It's lying around the food.

Next, Wayne wandered around the room a few times, and when he came to the kitchen, his expression changed.

I noticed that in the corner next to the cabinet, there were several mice rustling and lurking under the cabinet.

It looked very scared and afraid of people, and it was hiding in the corner under the cabinet, too scared to come out.

"More rats... But is the drought epidemic really caused by these rats?"

Wayne stroked his chin, his eyes thoughtful.

Because these rats look very frightening.

If the spread of the plague was indeed caused by the bites and scratches from these rats.

Why do they act so fearful?

Like a dog with rabies, when it goes berserk, it's fearless and dares to go head-to-head with even tigers, comparable to a honey badger.

If these rats are so afraid of people... how could they dare to bite people?