Spellcasting Gods

Chapter 0919: The Prologue to the End of Neverwinter

Neverwinter Academy, once the pride of Neverwinter, was a comprehensive school that was willing to open its doors to commoners and teach them all kinds of knowledge, magic, and martial arts.

Although the number of students enrolled has always been small due to the scarcity of teachers, there are still many people eager to participate.

Most importantly, this academy has continuously nurtured a diverse range of talents for Lord Nasir.

Although the academy has now been forced to close due to both the plague and the riots, its most essential parts have been well preserved: a dozen experienced teachers and dozens of graduating students.

Standing on the first basement level of Neverwinter Castle, Eribes gazed with a look of satisfaction at the young people who were still willing to serve Lord Narsir.

After all, being betrayed by the entire city's inhabitants was a huge blow to all descendants, including Lord Nasir, both psychologically and materially.

If Neverwinter Castle hadn't always kept food reserves for war, they probably wouldn't have had any other choice but to leave dejectedly.

Because the treacherous Zhang Cheng completely cut off the food supply to Neverwinter Castle, no merchant or civilian was willing to sell their already scarce food to a group of defeated people who had been ordered to be expelled.

However, with the arrival of the Waterdeep delegation and the imminent completion of the plague cure, Eribes believed that he would be able to turn the tide and regain the support of the people of Neverwinter.

Just as she was about to say something to the expectant students, a strong spatial energy fluctuation suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Immediately afterward, one portal after another opened, and countless goblins rushed out, immediately slaughtering the students who hadn't even had a chance to react.

Even more terrifying, behind the goblins were several masked human spellcasters.

Compared to the former, who only caused trouble and destruction, the latter was the real threat. In just a few seconds, they used magic to disrupt the entire underground hall.

"Calm down! Pick up your weapons! Kill these intruders!" Eribes shouted as she drew her longsword and joined the fight.

As a paladin who worships the god of justice, she has fought against many spellcasters from the evil faction and understands that the best way to deal with mages is not to be afraid. Even if you are injured, you should chase after the enemy and attack them relentlessly to ensure that they cannot chant spells without distraction.

It's important to know that whether it's magic that reflects damage or magic that completely protects against physical attacks, the duration is generally not very long.

Once this kind of magic disappears, it will be time to retaliate.

It must be said that Irebeth de Timmarand is indeed an excellent melee fighter who understands her own strengths and weaknesses.

In the blink of an eye, she had cut down two masked sorcerers.

As for the cowardly goblins, they had long been slaughtered by the students and teachers who had reacted, leaving only corpses scattered everywhere and a strong smell of blood in the air.

Before everyone could even catch their breath, a guard covered in blood rushed in from outside, shouting, "Madam! The entire basement is teeming with goblins and intruders of unknown origin! They've even stolen the magical animals that Waterdeep sent to make the plague cure."

"What?!" Irebeth's expression changed drastically, and she immediately ran towards the exit.

She simply couldn't believe that such a huge blunder had occurred at this crucial moment.

Without the magical creatures sent from Waterdeep, the plague cure cannot be made; without the plague cure, it is impossible to regain the trust of the people, let alone reclaim the rule of Neverwinter.

In addition, according to intelligence provided by the Harpists' Alliance, the powerful Luscans in the north are also beginning to stir and may launch a war in the south at any time.

Due to Zhang Cheng's interference, Wudong City was in a dire situation, and could fall into the abyss if it was not careful.

However, as a saying often mentioned in many stories goes, even the strongest castle cannot withstand an attack from within.

When Eribes arrived at the exit, she saw her fiancé Vanswick and Deszel fighting against several masked mages and goblins, while the magical creatures from Waterdeep were teleported away by another mage.

"Do not!!!!!!"

Seeing the plague cure about to be destroyed, her mind was instantly filled with rage. She rushed forward, brandishing her longsword like a war god descending to earth, and in no time at all, she slaughtered all the remaining enemies, leaving not a single one alive.

The large amount of bloodstains on his armor, in particular, made this paladin, who should have been calm and wise, seem very out of place.

"Eribes? Are you alright!" Vanswick clearly sensed something was wrong and quickly called out his fiancée's name.

"Of course I'm fine! The whole of Neverwinter is in trouble! Quick! Move out of here immediately, we must find those four creatures right now!" Eribes roared furiously.

She didn't know why, but she always felt that there was a raging fire burning inside her, and she couldn't control her emotions.

Deszel, who was standing nearby, undoubtedly noticed this. A slight, almost imperceptible amusement flickered across his lips as he immediately chimed in, "That's right! We must retrieve the antidote! However, given the current hostility of the people of Neverwinter, I suggest we hire students from the academy to accomplish this task."

“Hiring trainees?” Vanswick was stunned.

“Yes! Hire trainees! Many of them have already met the graduation requirements, and it’s time for them to do their part for Neverwinter. I believe that as long as the compensation is high enough, no one should object,” Deszel explained, feigning seriousness.

"That makes sense! I'll go talk to those students right now!"

Unaware that a massive conspiracy had already unfolded, Eribes swiftly turned back to the castle's underground to find the students who had survived the sudden incident.

She had barely left when Deszel grabbed Vanswick's hand and said in a low voice, "My dear friend, I don't know if you've noticed, but Eribes's mood has been a bit off lately. If this continues, she'll go astray sooner or later."

“No! Eribes won’t fall! She’s a devout follower of the God of Justice, just like me. It’s just that she’s been under a lot of pressure lately, which is why she’s been acting so impatient. Believe me, she’ll be back to normal soon once things calm down,” Vanswick defended his fiancée.

"Okay, I believe you. But you have to understand that women sometimes need care, and you have to find ways to help her share some of the pressure."

"What...what should I do?"

“Naturally, I’ll take on some responsibility. Come with me. Making the antidote isn’t just about those four magical creatures; there’s a lot of complicated preparation work involved.”

……

Chapter 0920 Reunion

Without a doubt, it was impossible for Zhang Cheng to keep such a large number of students from Neverwinter Castle roaming the city and inquiring about the whereabouts of magical creatures out of his sight.

In less than an hour, detailed information about these trainees, including their names, ages, ethnicities, occupations, experiences, and personalities, was compiled into a booklet and placed on the desk.

After a quick glance, he tossed the document aside and chuckled, instructing, "Don't worry about these guys. Let them do whatever they want. Just have someone keep an eye on them. Also, keep a close eye on the delegation from Deepwater City lately. I'm sure there are Harpists' Alliance spies among them."

“Let them go unchecked? Your Excellency, please forgive my bluntness, but these people are all loyal to Lord Nasir. If they find the magical creatures of Waterdeep and create an antidote for the plague, it will not be a good thing for us.” An elderly man who looked to be in his sixties bowed and reminded him.

He was none other than the ambitious opportunist who stepped forward to help establish the church.

"Antidote? No, believe me, it's not that easy. Besides, even if they manage to create an antidote, so what? The vast majority of the city's population has already accepted my simplified version of the plague antidote. Even if they develop a better one, it will only benefit me. Wouldn't it be better if we just seized it and distributed it directly to the citizens?" Zhang Cheng explained meaningfully.

It should be noted that the plague cure he provided was merely a suppressive drug and could not eradicate the plague.

If an infected person stops drinking the beverage after a period of time, the latent plague in their body can still recur.

Of course, this wasn't because he couldn't create a cure for the plague, but rather to better control the ignorant masses, subjecting them to hypnotic suggestions as they repeatedly took the cure, until they became completely blind, fanatical believers.

“Very well, since you’ve made your decision, I’ll give the order in a moment. As for the delegation from Deepwater City, there’s no need to worry; their every move is under our surveillance. Every citizen of this city is now your eyes and ears,” the old man assured him confidently.

“Very good! Remember, for the time being, do not act rashly, and do not provoke Lord Narsir and the Church of the God of Justice who are hiding in Neverwinter Castle. Be patient; it won't be long before they are disintegrated from within. At that time, we will only need to guide public opinion slightly…”

At this point, Zhang Cheng raised his hands and gestured upwards.

"Boom! The fear, resentment, and anger accumulated by the people of Neverwinter will be released like a blazing flame, and then the Pearl of the North will fall completely into evil."

"As you wish, my great and wise master." The old man knelt down and gently kissed Zhang Cheng's robe before carefully backing away from the room.

Watching his figure gradually disappear at the end of the corridor, Jesse, who had been waiting in the shadows for a long time, finally came out and reported with a serious expression: "Breaking news, Valindra has left Luskan and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will arrive at Neverwinter docks by midnight at the latest."

"Oh? She finally came? Good, it seems the whole plan is going smoothly." Zhang Cheng stroked his chin and nodded in satisfaction.

"Smoothly? I don't think so! You know what? Just over an hour ago, a man put a cold dagger to my neck and told me to pass this message on to you. You'd better not cause any trouble, or I won't be going to my death with you." Jesse's voice trembled slightly, clearly terrified.

But that's understandable!

As a skilled assassin, she only realized it when a dagger was held to her neck, which almost certainly meant there was a huge gap in skill between them.

If the other party is willing, they can slit her throat at any time, causing her to die from suffocation or excessive blood loss.

“Hehe, don’t worry, as I mentioned before, Luskan is an ally, and there won’t be any bloodshed between us. What do you think, dear Artemis Entreri?” As he spoke, Zhang Cheng turned his gaze to the back of the statue placed in the corner of the room.

"Ah! You're right! But first, you need to prove your identity."

Accompanied by a deep, hoarse voice, a man in a gray cloak emerged from the shadows and appeared in the living room.

Compared to a few years ago, the assassin looked much more sinister, his whole being like a wisp of black mist that appeared and disappeared at any moment, as if he might vanish from sight at any time.

"Prove it? How do you expect me to prove it? If I remember correctly, I gave you a magic potion back then, which gave you greater speed and better coordination. Now let me see how much you've improved."

The words had barely left his mouth!

Zhang Cheng vanished from his chair in an instant!

next second...

Ding!

A crisp metallic clang echoed through the air.

He was holding a small knife used for peeling fruit, and he forced the famous Entreri from the entire continent of Faerûn back several steps.

"Teleportation magic?!" The assassin raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"No! It's not magic! It's another kind of power." Zhang Cheng smiled and shook his head, launching another attack.

Ding! Ding! Clang! Clang!

Within half a minute, the two had exchanged dozens of blows. Their speed was so fast that their movements and figures were barely visible. All that could be seen were afterimages and golden sparks flying from the collision of their weapons.

Such an intense and astonishing clash would make even a half-baked player like Jesse kneel down and sing "Conquer" within seconds, let alone the dark elf ranger Drizzt.

With the energy flowing through his nervous system and muscles, Entreri is no longer the same person he once was; in fact, he can be said to stand at the pinnacle of mortal warriors across the entire continent of Faerûn.

Zhang Cheng, on the other hand, has been constantly strengthening and modifying his fragile body with the divine power derived from his faith. He is now almost immune to attacks from magic weapons of level +3 or lower.

As for strength and reaction speed, they were no longer considered human more than half a month ago, but had entered the level of gods.

Since neither side was holding back, the fight looked both thrilling and exciting.

But Entreri was still just a mortal, and after only two or three minutes, his explosive power began to decline rapidly. He knelt on the ground, panting, and grinned as he said, "It really is you! But I feel like you've gotten weaker."

"Weaker? No, no, no, my dear friend, I haven't become weaker, but rather too powerful, so powerful that my true form can no longer descend, which is why I had no choice but to use a consciousness projection. So, are you ready to deliver a fatal blow to Waterdeep City and those self-righteous gods?"

"Hahahaha! Of course! An epic battle! That's exactly what I've been waiting for!"

……

Chapter 0921 The Broken String

There's a saying that goes, "An army marches on its stomach."

For an army preparing to wage war, few things are more important than adequate logistical supplies.

However, there are always exceptions; intelligence gathering is far more important than logistical support.

Therefore, before Luscan's army set off, the intelligence system had already been fully deployed in Neverwinter, and Valindra himself boarded a merchant ship and quietly slipped into a dilapidated warehouse in the dock area.

But she didn't rush to see Zhang Cheng; instead, she patiently waited for the guild leader, Entrili, to arrive.