Chapter 465 - 463: Tower of Descent
To be poisoned upon arrival, it’s even more outrageous than all the things encountered before.
Hilia thought carefully and decided to hold her ground.
This poison is not lethal, it only amplifies emotions for a short time, just as Rose said.
Of course, not just anger, but also happiness, sadness, indulgence, etc., are all emotions.
If sadness is magnified, you might cry yourself into a heart attack; if indulgence is magnified, you might stage a wildlife documentary on the spot...
It’s terrifying, but Hilia doesn’t yet know what extreme situation might occur.
What she is more curious about is that since the poison was administered so silently, why not use a lethal poison directly, instead of this large-dose supplement that only lasts 24 hours and then returns to normal.
Hilia couldn’t understand, so she decided to wait and see.
"A bit sleepy, might as well take a nap..."
Hilia scanned the whole inn but found nothing unusual. Few other customers ordered food at the inn.
"It seems like I might be the unlucky one to encounter poison. If that’s the case... then let’s leave it be and see what happens tomorrow."
After traveling continuously for a whole day, Hilia was already very tired. Even if she really wanted to track down the culprit who poisoned her, that would be a task for tomorrow.
"They put poison in the food, but it’s not a lethal poison... I can’t figure out what the other party wants to do."
With a head full of random thoughts, Hilia slowly fell asleep.
The next day.
Hilia used magic to freshen up and ordered breakfast from the inn.
She wanted to see if there was any poison in the breakfast.
Soon enough, breakfast was brought in, and Hilia looked towards Rose.
With only theoretical knowledge of pharmacology from books, she was clueless and lacked the ability to identify, relying solely on Rose.
Rose’s phantom appeared, saying with interest, "There’s no poison in the breakfast, but there is... an antidote."
"Antidote?"
"Yes, another concoction that accelerates the absorption of specified agents; if not absorbed, it rapidly evaporates the agent’s potency. It’s a special concoction aimed at emotional agents. The two combined have no auxiliary effect but can counter large doses of poison."
Hilia blinked, a bit confused.
"Sending a poison that amplifies emotions last night, and then sending an antidote in the morning? Quite the strange character."
Hilia couldn’t figure out what the other party wanted.
Bored?
Hilia suddenly thought of Encore.
Encore’s expertise in pharmacology might allow her to deduce what the other party intends to do from their behavioral logic.
"Speaking of which, Encore seems to be in the Blue Dragon Empire too. Perhaps after handling matters, I should go find her for some fun."
With that thought, Hilia put aside all other thoughts and enjoyed her breakfast.
This agent that accelerates the poison is harmless to the body, just like water, nothing wrong with it.
Keen not to waste food, Hilia finished it all.
Afterwards, she prepared to leave.
The mysterious pharmacist seemed to harbor no ill intent, merely mischievous, thus there was no need to bother with them.
A death threat meant little to her.
From listening in yesterday, she knew that this ’death threat’ had been around for quite some time without result, almost like a joke between heretics and Fanar City.
To avoid triggering the event as soon as she got there, Hilia didn’t linger in Fanar City, hastily leaving after breakfast.
"Rather than waiting in the city, why not run around; perhaps I’ll find the heretic’s hideout after just a short venture?"
Hilia pouted.
No checks were needed to leave the city.
After exiting through the outside slums, Hilia mounted her flying broom, heading toward Dragon Island.
Rose did not urge her to rush the journey, so Hilia was not in a hurry.
About half an hour later, Hilia stopped in the sky, looking down at a small settlement hidden among the mountains.
"Such dense pollution, is this... a heretic stronghold?"
Hilia descended quietly, observing in front of the settlement.
Unlike a village, this settlement was built around a wooden structure resembling a tower, with just a few houses, identified as a heretic stronghold.
"The tower in the middle..."
Hilia pondered a moment, quickly connecting it to a heresy she had never encountered before.
"Tower of Descent cult? Could it be that the issue I encountered last night in Fanar City was caused by a witch from the Tower of Descent cult?"
The Tower of Descent, one of the twelve heresies, named for promoting the "Tower of Descent."
The Tower of Descent was a tall tower they once attempted to build, where followers could enjoy unrestricted freedom.
They preached that people should indulge their nature and desires, and that releasing desires is one’s freedom, while morality and law are shackles to freedom.
The so-called desires weren’t just carnal; helping others, being a hero, a criminal... arguing, swearing, stealing... and of course, killing, were all desires.
They believed humans are driven by desire, and even morals and laws are considered desires released by the Emperor, nobles, and the like.
They encouraged those constrained by others not to be bound by others’ desires, advocating for everyone’s freedom to release.
Many aspects of their doctrine were contradictory, pure fallacy.
Initially, the Holy Court did not intervene until they later became tainted with demonic qi, using pollution to study items that released desires, controlling people’s hearts, causing major incidents, and were then categorized as heretic.
After that was the process of demolishing the Tower of Descent, and thereafter the cult went underground. Due to their doctrines and methods of manipulating people’s hearts, they became one of the twelve heresies.
Although that was already history shortly after the Era of Calamity ended.
Most of the twelve heresies were defined around the Era of Calamity.
"But no, if a witch from the Tower of Descent did it, they wouldn’t let the poisoned go so easily."
The Tower of Descent had a class of people calling themselves "witches," manipulators of hearts within the cult. According to established definitions, witches were pharmacists skilled at using concoctions, including poison.
Considering carefully, Hilia felt the probability of the culprit being a witch was high.
However, why send an antidote the next day?
Could it be that the one who administered the poison and the antidote are not the same person?
Hilia slightly furrowed her brow.
"Seems wrong, for a death threat, it’d be simpler to use lethal poison. Why use an emotional agent? To promote their belief?"
The girl shook her head, deciding not to dwell on it.
Since she’s here...
Let’s take down the heretics first!
Regardless of whether they are heretics or not, to release pollution so openly surely means they aren’t good people.
"Let me purify this pollution for them."
Hilia infiltrated the stronghold.
An hour later, she exited from the other side of the stronghold, organizing the successfully ’collected’ materials and magic crystals into categories, placing them into her ring.
"Too kind, gifting me with so many things."
The girl waved goodbye.