Lord Ashgrah and his soldiers halted at the entrance of the quarantine zone. Even the three Centaurs Locke had hired appeared visibly uneasy.
The reason was simple—ahead lay the quarantine zone enclosed by barbed wire.
At its entrance stood a group of patients with severe physical deformities, impaired mobility, and grotesquely contorted facial muscles—enough to frighten any onlooker to death.
These afflicted civilians pressed against the barbed wire, gazing longingly at the world beyond like drowning men clutching at straws.
Uncertain whether the condition was contagious, neither Lord Ashgrah's forces nor the three Centaurs dared advance further after witnessing this sight.
They feared becoming like those wretched souls.
Locke stepped down from the carriage without changing expression, surveying the surroundings briefly. "No hidden spores or parasites in the air. The magical fluctuations aren't particularly unusual either—just abnormally active Wood Element Particles radiating from these civilians. From this perspective, it's likely some Magic Plant causing trouble."
"Though the exact species remains unclear."
Approaching the barbed wire, Locke examined a little girl's face at close range. The child stared back at him with innocent eyes.
"Appears to be merely neurological disarray," Locke mused. "They should recover quickly once we eliminate the source."
"So it's indeed non-contagious."
Turning impatiently to Lord Ashgrah and the others, Locke declared, "You may leave now. My Centaurs will accompany you into the city first."
Though the afflicted posed no contagion risk, convincing these mortal lords would be tedious. Rather than waste effort, Locke preferred immediate investigation—these mortals would only hinder progress anyway.
Lord Ashgrah gazed fearfully at the patients at the quarantine entrance. For a fleeting moment, genuine retreat seemed tempting.
But reason soon overcame cowardice.
Bowing to Locke, the lord said, "Great Wizard, as Lord of Ashgrah... failing to aid my people is already my failing."
"At minimum, I must station my men here awaiting your resolution. Should you require assistance, we stand ready..."
His plea earnest, Lord Ashgrah continued, "Great Wizard, we beg your help—we're truly powerless here."
"Only you can save us now."
"Please deliver Ashgrah from this calamity."
Locke responded with an indifferent grunt.
With a snap of his fingers, the quarantine gate's lock fell away. Pushing open the iron barrier, Locke entered the restricted area.
Perhaps due to his wizardly bearing, though the civilians saw him breach the perimeter, none dared rush forward.
Scanning the afflicted crowd, Locke confirmed their symptoms were uniform.
Then, raising his gaze, he spotted a second-circle female apprentice emerging from a nearby copse of trees.
Gabby Montoya visibly relaxed upon seeing Locke approach. "Thank goodness, the academy finally sent someone."
"I have no idea what's happening here."
"Senior, I'm Gabby Montoya, a wizard apprentice assigned by the academy to conduct the initial investigation here."
Locke gave a slight nod. "Locke Augustine."
The academy initially hadn't fully grasped the situation here, so they naturally sent ordinary Second-Class Wizard Apprentices to investigate first. Only after confirming it was at least a Magic Plant disturbance would they dispatch someone like him, a Breeder Assistant, to assess the situation.
Gabby Montoya seemed to have made numerous discoveries during this time. "Senior, I believe it's likely the Rot Face Fern causing trouble. Look, this quarantine zone is filled with various ferns."
"A key characteristic of Rot Face Fern is that when it grows near other fern species, it automatically mimics their appearance, making it extremely difficult to detect. Moreover, Rot Face Fern causes disfigurement-like symptoms in ordinary people."
Gabby continued, "So I've been focusing my investigation in this direction, but without foundational knowledge in this field, my progress has been slow. There are at least a hundred different fern species in this area alone."
"Senior, here are my investigation notes so far. Please take a look—I hope they can be of some help."
Locke glanced at her but didn't accept the notes. Instead, he said, "Junior Montoya, your investigation approach is completely wrong."
"The symptoms caused by Rot Face Fern aren't like this. Moreover, I've observed these people—none show the telltale sign of Rot Face Fern infestation: microscopic facial spores."
Gabby's face flushed slightly as she looked at the surprisingly young Locke. Stumbling over her words, she said, "I-Is that so, Senior Locke? No wonder I've made no progress these past few days."
"Then you probably shouldn't bother with my notes. It would just waste your time, and I'd hate for my flawed reasoning to mislead you."
"But the situation is truly strange. I've investigated these residents—they don't live together, aren't from the same age group, and have completely different diets and beliefs."
"There appears to be no common thread among them. Sometimes I can't even determine whether active Wood Element Particles are present in their systems."
Gabby sighed deeply.
Locke nodded slightly. "It's perfectly normal for someone without specialized knowledge to struggle with this. Junior Montoya, you've essentially completed your mission."
Gabby ventured hesitantly, "Senior, might I continue working on this academy assignment?"
"It's not about the Magic Stones or academy rewards. I'm just deeply puzzled—after all this time searching, why can't I identify the cause?"
"As you know, for wizards, such mysteries are... quite intriguing."
Locke replied indifferently, "As you wish."
Unlike her, Locke—as a Breeder Assistant—could keenly detect the active Wood Element Particles in these patients.
These people were undoubtedly affected by some type of Magical Plant.
Locke pondered: there must be some common factor among these individuals. Since Gabby Montoya had already investigated them without discovering this connection...
Either her findings were unreliable, or the common thread among these people wasn't about the individuals themselves.
Perhaps the connection wasn't about the people, but about their residences.
Locke turned to Gabby Montoya and asked, "Have you personally visited their homes?"
Gabby Montoya paused for a moment. "No, I haven't, Senior."
Locke said, "Then let's investigate together. We might uncover something."
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