I Created Scientific Magic

Chapter 93: Chapter 82 “Sleeping Fog” and “Corrosion Skill

By the time Lynn arrived at the docks of Yiyeta Harbor, a crowd was gathered in the dim alley next to the “Broad Axe Tavern.” Once he squeezed in, he saw a short, stout body lying on the ground.

Ralph was only about one meter thirty in height, and he appeared quite robust, but his entire upper body was a bloody mess. Half of his neck was missing, his eyes were wide open in terror, and his face was filled with horror. He still clenched an iron wrench tightly in his hand.

“My goodness, poor Ralph, who would do such a brutal thing to him? What will little Dimi do if he’s gone?” a female half-person sobbed continuously, her voice breaking as she spoke.

“Damned bastards, if I find out who did this, I’ll smash their head in with a hammer.”

The half people present were also filled with righteous indignation, angrily pounding the dirt-stained walls of the street with their rough, calloused fists.

Even typically lively and cheerful Lydia was now gripping her fists tightly in anger…

Suddenly, Lynn frowned, crouched down, and placed his hand over Ralph’s robe. With the effect of the “Magic Hand,” a bit of white powder stuck to the other’s body was absorbed.

After conducting a decomposition with “Basic Material Analysis,” Lynn discovered that it was not any known substance recorded in the system database…

“This is a powder made from withered grass roots, usually used to assist in casting a first-level magic ‘Sleeping Fog’…”

Behind him, a voice spoke up. Lynn turned his head to see that it came from a middle-aged male Wizard.

The man was dressed in an official robe, adorned with a badge on his chest inset with three sparkling gems and a silver eagle-like emblem.

Without waiting for Lynn to ask, the man introduced himself.

“I am the sheriff of Yiyeta Harbor, you can call me Lea!”

Lynn nodded in acknowledgement and asked, “Hello, Sheriff, I wonder why Ralph died here. Have you discovered anything else?”

“I just inquired with the staff of the ‘Broad Axe Tavern.’ This half-person came here early in the morning to drink heavily, then he left alone. About ten minutes later, people heard sounds of fighting and cries for help from this alley. By the time we arrived, the decay on this half-person’s body was already severe, and it was beyond saving.”

Lea briefly narrated the events, paused for a moment, and continued, “I think it’s highly probable that a Wizard Apprentice was involved, but I’m still uncertain about the motive. Anyway, I’ve already dispatched the security team to investigate…”

Lynn nodded, accepting Lea’s conjecture. If it had been a full-fledged Wizard, Ralph would have had no chance to fight back.

Only an apprentice would need to use magical materials when casting low-level magic.

Lynn looked down at the slightly yellowish powder floating in his hand; the assailant must have used “Sleeping Fog” first.

So, did they intend to capture Ralph alive?

However, it was clear that the Wizard Apprentice underestimated the half-person’s physical constitution. “Sleeping Fog” didn’t have the desired effect and even provoked Ralph’s resistance…

With Ralph’s strength, if he managed to hit any part of the opponent with the wrench, it would invariably cause substantial damage.

As for who finally dealt with Ralph, it should have been the “Corrosion Skill” magic…

“Who knows what Ralph has been up to these past few days? Did he have any conflicts with anyone, or perhaps blurt out something he shouldn’t have?” Lynn looked towards the halflings and asked.

“Ralph has been in the workshop making airships with us the whole time. He hasn’t gone anywhere… He even filled in for Lydia flying the airship yesterday afternoon…” Darren said with a choked voice. “Last night, only last night, we went out to drink to celebrate, leaving Ralph to watch over the airship, lest anyone sneak in and sabotage it…”

“It’s all my fault for causing his death… If it weren’t for me arranging for him to stay up late, he wouldn’t have gone to the pub to drink heavily early in the morning…” Darren said, tears pouring from his eyes as his nose twitched.

Lynn thought for a moment and remembered seeing Ralph a few times when he himself had visited the workshop; Ralph was one of the halflings in charge of constructing the airship cabins.

So, was it concerning the design plans of the airship?

Lynn couldn’t help but consider this possibility because the timing of Ralph’s death was too coincidental.

Yesterday morning, he had just conducted a flight experiment in the plaza, and today, one of the core creators of the airship was dead. Moreover, the perpetrator initially used “Sleeping Fog,” a non-lethal magic, clearly preparing to kidnap and interrogate the victim.

Although it was mere conjecture, Lynn still routinely asked if Ralph had shown any unusual behaviors recently, then called over several people who were among the first to hear the cries for help, asking them to recount their experiences from hearing the shouts to discovering the body in the alley in detail.

Unfortunately, after a series of questions, Lynn helplessly found that the clues were too scant, as the townspeople’s first reaction upon hearing the commotion in the alley was not to investigate but rather to flee, and alerting the guards and the sheriff was the most they could do.

Not a single person had seen what the perpetrator looked like…

Lynn completely understood this behavior, for even a Wizard Apprentice could cause horrific damage with the Fireball Technique. Under such circumstances, nobody would willingly approach danger.

Considering this, Lynn looked towards the sheriff with a sense of resignation and spoke.

“Your Excellency Lea, please pay attention these days and look for someone who is about 1.7 to 1.75 meters tall, possibly with injuries to the legs, arms, or the torso…”

“I can understand looking for injuries, but why specifically around 1.7 meters tall, has Professor Lynn seen the perpetrator?” Lea asked, puzzled.

“Shoe size!” Lynn pointed straight at the ground in front of Ralph’s body and replied directly.

Darren and Lydia immediately looked in the direction Lynn pointed, but their expressions turned blank as they saw nothing.

Lea, however, acted differently, stepping over to where Lynn had been standing and, through a perceptive view, could see footprints formed by lingering dust on the ground.

“Generally speaking, the length of the foot is about seven times shorter than the height. Of course, I mean if the assailant was a normal human!” Lynn explained, noting that his own height and foot length ratio matched this standard. However, if the assailant was some kind of orc, elf, or other unusual creature, that might not be the case.

It could at least serve as a useful clue.

As for following the footprints? That was nothing short of a wild goose chase.

The entire alley had been trampled into a mess by the crowd of onlookers, only near the corpse was the area slightly cleaner and able to retain some traces.