They had been infected by Mind Flayer tadpoles!
'How are there so many?' Anser was shocked. This was just one district in the Lower City.
But he quickly noticed something else—these three hadn't progressed far in their mutation. Their consciousness was still intact. They couldn't have been infected for more than an hour.
The nautiloid had crashed hours ago.
He walked over to Osborn, pulled him aside into a corner, and said quietly, "Three people have been infected. Probably less than an hour."
"Can they still be saved?" Osborn was startled, then immediately caught on. "Less than an hour?"
"Roughly." Anser didn't speak in absolutes.
After being infected by a Mind Flayer tadpole, the host retains self-awareness within the first hour and can still move freely. After that, the process becomes irreversible.
However, depending on the individual's physiology, the duration of retained consciousness can vary—but even in the best case, it's difficult to last more than a day.
After confirming the targets, Osborn quickly found the elderly giff nicknamed "Old Sergeant." The two whispered for a minute before splitting up again.
The old giff led several young men toward the crowd. Once they got close to the targets, they moved in pairs and subdued all three infected individuals at the same time.
They still had their awareness and didn't resist, but once pinned down, they let out despairing wails.
They knew they had been infected.
If a person is conscious during the infection, they can clearly feel the entire process—watching helplessly as the Mind Flayer tadpole crawls into their brain through the nose, eyes, or other orifices. It is pure terror and despair.
If they are unconscious during infection, they can still sense something is wrong—foreign intrusion, intense headaches, and mental interference.
But many people don't understand what it means.
Anser quickly approached them. The surrounding giff immediately stepped aside, clearing a path. The entire process was quiet and solemn—no shouting, no crying—completely different from how human civilians would react.
"Mr. Fabian." The old giff gave a slight bow. Osborn had briefly explained Anser's identity and background.
"Are they family? Anyone else in their household?" Anser asked.
The old giff looked at a middle-aged man, who immediately replied, "They're part of the same mercenary squad. They live together. No one else in the room—just the three of them."
Osborn placed a hand on his hip and said with certainty, "Then that means there's a Mind Flayer moving around doing this!"
"Or a controlled agent," Anser added.
Mind Flayers were masters of domination. The number of creatures they enslaved was countless.
"Can they still be saved?" The old giff looked anxious, repeatedly glancing at Osborn.
He wasn't familiar with Anser, so he could only hope Osborn would speak on their behalf.
The giff were well-known space mercenaries, famous for elite combat prowess and firearms. Their talents were extremely skewed—very few of them were spellcasters.
"I'll try. Chances are slim." Without waiting for Osborn to speak, Anser took out another vial of holy water from his dragonhide pouch.
It was a material component for casting Protection from Evil and Good. He had already used one vial earlier. Honestly, it hurt a bit—he only had a dozen or so left.
Just as he was about to cast, something occurred to him. He used Metamagic to enhance a Paladin spell.
Metamagic: Empowered Subtle Spell + Protection from Evil and Good!
A platinum-white radiance descended onto one of the infected giff. A look of comfort appeared on his face, his gaze turning unfocused.
And the holy water in Anser's hand was not consumed.
A surge of excitement rose in his chest. This was the first time he had successfully combined Sorcerer Metamagic with a Paladin spell.
He had tried before, but it had never quite worked. Though both were forms of spellcasting, they always felt disconnected—difficult to merge.
'Could it be the additional effect from the empowered Metamagic?'
He had questions, but this wasn't the time to dwell on them.
Protection from Evil and Good did not expel the Mind Flayer tadpoles. It merely forced them into temporary dormancy.
The spell could interrupt an Intellect Devourer possession, and if cast in advance, it could protect against Mind Flayer tadpole infection—but it could not reverse the parasitic process or the ongoing transformation.
Faced with the hopeful gazes of the giff and Osborn, Anser slowly shook his head.
He stuffed the holy water into the old giff's hand and said regretfully, "Holy water can slightly suppress the transformation process. You could try seeking help from the Githzerai or the royal family."
After saying that, he tugged Osborn along and turned to leave.
The old giff stood there blankly for a moment. Looking at their backs, he opened his mouth wide, but no sound came out.
The surrounding giff could no longer suppress their emotions. One muffled sob and heavy sigh after another echoed through the area.
Without looking back, Osborn quickened his pace and led the way ahead. He was deeply worried about the halfling community.
Anser followed silently, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.
Several dark-purple streaks of light entered his field of vision in the distant night sky, but he didn't stop.
The halflings were allies he had already chosen. Ensuring the safety of the Burrows District took priority.
"Fabian, what if we split open their skulls, find the parasite, and dig it out?" Osborn suddenly slowed down and looked at him intently.
"Hmm... from what I know, once a Mind Flayer larva infects someone, it quickly merges with the brain. The transformation affects the entire body. Forcefully removing it would kill the host on the spot."
"If they still retain consciousness, Greater Restoration or a sixth-ring healing spell might be able to save them. Otherwise, the only option is gambling on miracles with high-level spells like Resurrection or Wish," Anser explained.
Osborn looked somewhat dejected. "This thing is way too troublesome."
As they spoke, the two entered the Burrows District.
The district resembled a low mountain range. Its winding streets were like mountain paths, while the homes were hidden inside the hillsides and underground, so the area had not suffered too much damage.
In contrast, the nearby dock district had been devastated. Debris was everywhere, and even many magical ships had been caught in the destruction and badly damaged.
The Burrows District only had two streets, both completely deserted. Not a single person could be seen.
"Everyone's staying inside?" Anser asked.
"Follow me."
Osborn led him all the way to an unremarkable burrow house at a street corner. After a sequence of knocks in varying rhythms, the heavy iron-banded wooden door was opened from the inside.
Alton's face appeared behind the door. The moment he saw Anser, surprise and joy filled his expression. He quickly ushered the two inside before firmly shutting the door.
"Fabian, seeing you again is the greatest relief imaginable." He grinned broadly, genuinely happy.
"Let's take a look first." There was no smile on Anser's face. He wasn't particularly skilled at saving people, and he might end up disappointing the halflings.
The three of them spiraled downward along dim staircases. After passing through two concealed doors and three massive iron gates in succession, they entered an underground hall.
One side was lined neatly with over a hundred beds. On the other side stood more than a dozen long tables piled high with food, where over a hundred halflings were eating.
There were also two corridors in the center leading deeper underground, though it was unclear where they went.
"This is an underground shelter. There are two more like this in the Burrows District," Osborn explained.
"Very forward-thinking." Anser praised him. Taking advantage of his Truesight before it expired, he quickly swept his gaze across the lively crowd that looked more like a party than a shelter.
But there wasn't a single infected host or parasite carrier among them!
Seeing the surprise on Anser's face, Osborn immediately grew tense and leaned closer to whisper, "A lot of them?"
"You all hid yourselves the moment something happened, didn't you?"
"Of course we did."
Anser hadn't expected halflings to be this good at lying low. Beneath their warm hospitality was an intense attachment to life itself. No wonder their population kept growing larger and larger.
Even though the experience points had gone down the drain, his previously heavy mood actually became lighter.
No one wanted these little folk who loved life so much to suffer an undeserved disaster.
The Rock of Bral was even more chaotic than he had imagined.
Today was definitely going to be a fruitful harvest.
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