181: Weird Farm

Chapter 179: The Strange Farm

Ismark had originally intended for the entire team to accompany Arthur to the farm to ensure the Baron's safety.

However, Arthur only requested to take Heir and Airo.

“You all continue with your previous plan and complete your mission,” Arthur said. “I’ll take some people to check out the situation first.”

“If there’s any danger over there, I’ll send someone back for reinforcements, so don’t worry too much.”

Ismark said no more.

Having witnessed the Saint perform miracles multiple times, he dared not easily question Arthur’s decisions.

He merely bowed slightly and said sincerely, “Then please, Lord, be careful in all things.”

“You too, friend,” Arthur said softly, patting Ismark’s shoulder.

Subsequently, a five-person team consisting of Arthur, Airo, Heir, Drax, and Ge'ertu'da rode their horses away from the temporary camp.

Since Ge'ertu'da couldn't ride a horse, she shared a horse with Heir.

They traveled along a dilapidated dirt road, trying to avoid the farmlands and Plantations along the way.

To avoid unnecessary trouble.

After half an hour of riding, the faint outline of the Ovana Farm in the distance gradually became clear.

At the same time, the dark clouds in the sky grew heavier.

Fortunately, they arrived at the outskirts of the farm just before the raindrops began to fall.

Several long-abandoned farmhouses stood isolated by the roadside.

The group tied their horses under a crooked old tree.

They began to cautiously approach the farmhouses.

These farmhouses were dilapidated, their wooden walls covered in deep cracks.

Some termites crawled around the crevices in the walls, gnawing at the already decayed wood.

The entire structure looked precarious, as if a single light blow could bring it crashing down.

Several crows circled above their heads, cawing loudly, reluctant to leave.

Behind the farmhouses was a wide cornfield.

What made Arthur uneasy was that despite the farm having long been corrupted by negative energy,

for some unknown reason, this cornfield was filled with an unnatural vitality.

The field was overgrown with tall, verdant corn stalks.

The buzzing of insects was incessant.

The corn stalks were thick and strong, and the plants were packed tightly together, looking like a small ocean of green and yellow from a distance. Those crows circled above the cornfield like vultures, their mournful cries growing more urgent.

The group stopped at the edge of the cornfield.

Airo frowned, her gaze sweeping over the unnaturally vibrant cornfield. “Is there anything more abnormal than this?”

“It’s as if it was forcibly grown by some power.”

Arthur cast a Detect Evil.

After the spell took effect, he looked up at the crows and warned, “Be careful of those crows.”

Upon hearing this, Airo immediately raised her hand crossbow, aimed at one of the crows, and asked, “Should I shoot?”

“No, not that one, it should be the other one.”

Arthur said, pointing his finger.

The crossbow bolt flew out with a whooshing sound.

But that crow twisted its body in an extremely strange manner, evading the fatal blow.

Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted from the cornfield.

Something was rushing out from the dense corn stalks, which were almost tall enough to swallow a person.

Drax immediately stepped in front of Arthur.

“Stand back, little girl,” Airo turned and said to Ge'ertu'da behind her. “I don’t want you getting in the way here.”

Ge'ertu'da obediently retreated a few steps.

But before she could steady herself, the two crows that had been circling in the air suddenly swooped down, attacking Heir and Ge'ertu'da.

Seeing this, Arthur immediately dispelled Detect Evil.

Instead, he cast a Blessing spell on Airo, Heir, and Drax.

The monsters in the corn stalks finally revealed themselves: two scarecrows, holding scythes, burst out from within.

Their “heads” were two putrid, swollen pumpkins,

with a twisted, grotesque face carved into the pumpkin's surface, and drooping flesh that made the appearance even more absurd and terrifying.

They cooperated with the crows, launching a fierce attack on the intruders in the cornfield.

Airo reacted extremely quickly, first shooting an arrow at the crow attacking Ge'ertu'da.

At the same time, she skillfully spun her body, dodging the scarecrow's fatal swing.

Her movements were considerably more agile than before.

A commotion sounded again in the corn stalks, and two more scarecrows emerged, joining the battle.

Drax, axe in hand, swiftly and decisively dealt with one of them.

He immediately took a stance, ready to face the next enemy.

Ge'ertu'da was already scared out of her wits, frozen in place.

She simply couldn't imagine how Arthur and his companions managed to face these monstrous scarecrow creatures without fear. On the other side, Heir reached out her hand towards the crow attacking her, and a bolt of lightning immediately shot towards the target.

She had expected a direct hit.

But the crow seemed to have anticipated her thoughts, flapping its wings and flying to the other side the moment she raised her hand.

Heir couldn't help but frown.

The crow suddenly transformed in mid-air, a sharp Scorpion Tail suddenly striking towards her left eye.

Just at this critical moment, the attacker suddenly burst into laughter.

Heir took the opportunity to dodge the fatal blow.

She was about to look for who had saved her when another crow attacked her.

However, this time, a shining ray suddenly shot from the side, directly knocking the crow to the ground.

Arthur nodded at her, then turned his attention to Airo.

Heir then saw clearly that what was on the ground was not a crow at all.

But rather, ugly Imps, red all over, with wings on their backs.

“This is—” The sorceress seemed to have some memory of this creature.

“It’s a Imp,” a clear, bell-like voice suddenly rang in her ear. Heir frantically looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a Pixie, with only half a body, floating nearby.

“Stop staring at me, human, quickly deal with it!” the Pixie urged. “My magic can’t make it laugh for too long.”

Heir regained her composure, raised her hand again, and a bolt of lightning shot from her fingertips.

This time, the lightning accurately hit the enemy.

The Imp, amidst a piercing scream, was roasted alive by the electric current into a charred corpse.

Meanwhile, the battle on Arthur's side had also ended.

Those scarecrows were clearly no match for Drax and Airo.

After confirming that no more enemies were emerging from the cornfield, Arthur walked up to the still-living Imp and asked, “Tell me, what exactly is going on here?”

“I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you! But you have to promise to spare my life first!” the Imp pleaded, its face contorted in pain.

Upon hearing this, Arthur couldn't help but scoff, “You devils, you never forget to bargain, no matter the situation.”

He turned to the Orc beside him and said, “Alright, I should pay attention, kill it.”

Seeing the tall Orc approaching him step by step with an axe.

The Imp’s eyes darted around, and it quickly pleaded with a mournful face, “It’s, it’s the souls of some dead people possessing the scarecrows!”

“They attack any living thing, and we just follow them, collecting the souls of the creatures they kill!”

“Then what’s with this cornfield?” Arthur pressed.

“It’s, it’s our boss!” The Imp’s voice trembled. “He cast some magic, using this cornfield to hide the scarecrows.”

“So they can ambush curious creatures that approach here!”

“He thinks it’ll be easier to succeed that way.”

Arthur rolled his eyes, “Don’t you know there are no living people left in this place?”

“There, there still are!” the Imp quickly said. “A woman came here two days ago!”