Across this continent where the Nine Kingdoms squabbled day in and day out, differences between sapient beings were often matters of opposing stances rather than strict demarcations of good and evil.
For instance, the Ryan Empire despised the undead with a passion, but that did not mean an undead like Anbaixiu was truly irredeemably wicked; nor could one take Anbaixiu's perspective and claim the Ryan Empire was an inhuman evil cult.
It was a matter of perspective, not something measured simply in terms of good and evil.
Hags, however, were different. They were inherently evil creatures, the cruelest and most venomous beings from the very day they were born.
In appearance, a hag resembled an ugly, twisted old crone, and her heart was every bit as hideous as her face.
One could see just how extreme and twisted this creature was from the way they reproduced.
Hags could not bear offspring on their own. They would steal an infant from a cradle, or even rip one from a mother's womb, and drain the poor baby dry. A week later, the hag would give birth to a human-looking baby girl, who would grow up maintaining a human appearance until her thirteenth birthday, when it would transform into a hag identical to its mother.
Typically, the hag would give her newborn to the couple who had lost their baby. Until the child reached ten or so, it would grow up appearing perfectly normal.
Over a decade or more was plenty of time for them to become a true family.
Once the hag's soul matured, the child's temperament would suddenly warp—turning cruel and vicious, catching the adoptive parents completely off guard. Yet no matter what the parents tried, they could never awaken the child's conscience. More often than not, after enduring endless betrayal and pain, they were murdered by the very child they had raised.
And in their dying moments, they would watch with their own eyes as their child transformed into the hideous form of a hag, learning that what they had nurtured for over a decade was a monster—a monster that had grown by devouring their own flesh and blood.
This sadistic torment would leave mortal souls shattered, while the hag reveled in utmost delight at human rage and despair.
This was the nature of a hag: their very existence was to bring suffering to other living beings.
Upon reaching adulthood, a hag would rapidly master vast amounts of evil magic and grow arrogant and conceited. Some hags even considered the gods unimpressive, believing that sooner or later they would trample them underfoot.
This extreme hubris made hags love tormenting mortals, one of their means to prove they were "gods as well." Normally, hags loved playing bargaining games with humans. For example, they might poison someone, then appear before them in their moment of despair, telling them that sacrificing their most beloved family member was the only way to survive.
Through such deceits, they coerced mortals into sacrificing their beloved ones. When the truth was ultimately unveiled, the hag would joyfully savor the mortals' shattered despair.
For that, they were even willing to pay some price of their own.
One could say hags were naturally evil beings, far more outrageous even than the devils of Hell.
Anbaixiu explained everything about hags in great detail to Naomi, leaving her mouth hanging open for a long time.
"Silvanus above, such evil monsters actually exist in this world? Devouring a child, then creating a monster to give back to the parents to raise... That is far too wicked!"
Just hearing Anbaixiu's description sent chills down Naomi's spine. To think her kin had run into such a terrifying creature.
Anbaixiu continued, "The vast majority of hags are masters of illusion. Casting wide-area illusions is child's play to them. A hag doesn't just possess formidable spellcasting power—her claws are sharp enough to tear steel apart. Furthermore, a hag is never truly alone; what they excel at most is enthralling mortals and turning them into their puppets.
"Even an entire army, fully prepared, would likely suffer heavy casualties against a hag. Worse still, most hags excel at fleeing. If you don't kill her in one blow, she will seek revenge again and again until you are dead!
"I once heard a rumor that three hags banded together and unleashed a horrific plague in the Elven Capital, turning city after city into dead zones, leaving over a thousand dead. If not for legendary powerhouses among the high elves stepping in and banishing the trio, the casualties would have been even worse."
Anbaixiu's words drained the color from Naomi's face. This sounded like a truly horrifying monster. Weren't her clan members in grave danger?
"Master Ultraman, what should we do now?" Naomi asked in a panic.
"It's difficult. Hags are genuinely not easy to deal with. Only someone at the legendary tier could have absolute certainty of defeating one. If you wanted to hire a professional adventurer team, you'd need at least tens of thousands of gold coins before anyone might consider taking the job. And that was the price years ago. With prices soaring in the City of Alchemy lately, it would probably cost twice as much."
Naomi grew even more anxious at Anbaixiu's words. Where could she get tens of thousands of gold coins to hire adventurers? Were her people truly beyond saving?
"However..." Anbaixiu suddenly shifted his tone.
Naomi pressed urgently, "However what?"
Anbaixiu said, "However, I happen to know an expert at dealing with hags. Out of respect for me, he'll guarantee to take care of this hag for at most ten thousand gold coins."
"Really?" Naomi asked doubtfully. She had a faint inkling that something was off; those words sounded suspiciously like a scam.
Anbaixiu patted his chest and said, "Of course. If you don't believe me, I can swear in the name of the God of the Undead. The expert I know can definitely handle the hag, and it will only cost ten thousand gold coins. If he fails—even if he just lets the hag escape—not a single copper will be charged."
Naomi said helplessly, "But I don't have that much money either. I have nothing valuable on me."
Anbaixiu chuckled. "That's easy. Aren't you going to rescue your clan members? Everything they have on them combined will certainly cover ten thousand gold coins. Natural magic items crafted by druids are in high demand throughout the Nine Kingdoms. We can do service first, pay later."
Naomi still felt something wasn't quite right, but right now she had no other choice.
As long as her kin could be saved, ten thousand gold coins would be well worth it. Pooling resources among the clan would certainly be enough.
And if they failed to rescue them, what did she have to lose?
Thinking this over, Naomi agreed at once.
"Then should we go find that expert right now? Where is he?" Naomi urged anxiously.
Anbaixiu smiled slightly. "No need to rush. He's already here."
As soon as he spoke those words, ethereal light rippled across Anbaixiu's body.
The disguise dissolved, and the black-haired youth swiftly turned into a pale skeleton. Clad in black robes, soul fire burning within his eye sockets, he hovered just above the ground without touching it, holding a long magic staff in his hand.
With an appearance like this, Naomi cried out in shock before Anbaixiu could even introduce himself: "A lich? You're a lich?!"
The undead came in many varieties. Naomi had initially guessed Anbaixiu was a vampire or something similar, never imagining he was actually a lich.
Among the undead, liches were arguably the most powerful spellcasters. No wonder his magic had been so potent.
"Wait, the expert you mentioned... is you?"
Naomi suddenly had the sensation that she had been swindled.
"That's right. I'm very experienced at dealing with hags. Rest assured," Anbaixiu said with supreme confidence.
Only, having reverted to his lich form, his voice had turned into magic-induced vibrations, sounding like a chilly wind sweeping across a mass grave—distinctly hair-raising.
Naomi still felt suspicious and questioned him further, "But didn't you just say that only a legend could handle a hag alone?"
Anbaixiu gave the staff in his hand a light wave. The carcasses of the mutant rats on the ground burst apart one after another. From the mangled flesh and blood, countless bones clattered and assembled together, turning into dozens of strangely shaped skeletons.
Standing before the skeletal army, Anbaixiu said to Naomi, "Allow me to introduce myself once more: I, Tiga Ultraman, Legendary Lich!"
Chapter 26