Willis’s confusion was the same as Victoria’s.
And Nidnia just smiled.
Under the astonished gazes of Willis and Victoria, she suddenly began to remove her tightly wrapped clothes.
No way!?
Are all miners this open?
This is a mine!
Soon, more miners will come back. Isn’t this a bit too exciting!?
But Willis didn’t stop her—in fact, she widened her eyes and watched.
But the next second, the scene nearly scarred Willis for life.
Nidnia released her grip on her chest, revealing not the beauty Willis had imagined—
But a mass of rotting flesh crawling with maggots, emitting a foul stench!
Faint black mist swirled around it.
It looked as if some kind of yeast had fermented, creating dark, smoky particles.
The air was filled with an unbearable odor.
Willis watched the maggots crawling out from Nidnia’s chest and immediately turned away to vomit.
Victoria, nearby, clamped her hand over her mouth and nose, her eyes twitching in horror.
No wonder Willis had smelled something unpleasant when she hugged Nidnia earlier.
So this was the reason!
Nidnia saw Willis’s reaction and laughed.
“Not just my chest. It’s like this in other places too.”
“This is why the Overseers don’t dare come near me. They’re even disgusted by me.”
Willis almost vomited out her stomach.
It took her a while to recover, but she still didn’t dare approach Nidnia.
“You, why…”
At that moment, the scene before Willis changed again!
Because her Real Eye had activated on its own.
[Dark magic used for disguise, but all illusions are powerless before the Real Eye.
Current level too low. Please focus your Spirit Force, Host.]
When she first saw it, Willis was so frightened she turned and vomited, so the Real Eye hadn’t worked properly.
But now, prompted by the message, she focused, and the scene before her shifted again.
Nidnia’s chest transformed back into the beautiful, flawless image Willis had first imagined—
There were no maggots or rot!
It was as perfect as a fairy’s chest!
Sensing the change in Willis’s gaze, Nidnia quickly covered her chest with her hand in surprise.
“You… Little Wi, you can see through my magic!?”
“So it was magic after all?”
Willis was finally sure.
After a moment, Nidnia’s shocked expression relaxed.
“Looks like you’re not an ordinary person, Little Wi…”
Nidnia said, “That’s right, I’m a Mage, but this is the only immature spell I know…”
“I came here to investigate my father’s death and its location. To protect myself, I used this kind of deception magic.”
“This spell is called Dark Corrosion. My father spent a great price to obtain this precious technique for me. He gave everything for it…”
“Otherwise, he wouldn’t have risked his life working in these mines.”
A shadow of sadness crossed the girl’s face.
“Dark Corrosion can corrode the surface and body of living things, reduce defense, and spread disease…”
“But as long as you control it with Spirit Force, you can create the illusion of corrosion.”
As she spoke, magic flickered in Nidnia’s hand, forming a cloud of black mist.
In her palm, the mist solidified into the rotten flesh and maggots that Willis had seen earlier.
“Crush a few more bugs and smear their juices on yourself, and basically, no one dares touch me.”
Nidnia gave a wry smile.
Willis stared intently at this stubborn, strong woman, but did not step forward to comfort her.
Instead, her resolve to completely reform Ushi City grew even stronger.
“Little Wi, since I’ve decided to help you, if we fail, we don’t even need to say what will happen to us.”
Nidnia dressed herself and stared seriously at Willis.
“But if you succeed, then what? Do you really look that much like Willis?”
It’s not just similar—it’s a perfect match!
Victoria, on the side, silently complained in her heart.
“Don’t worry. It’s guaranteed! When the time comes, with the right moves, I’ll be the Imperial Second Princess!”
Willis smiled.
“My appearance is so similar to hers. Replacing Willis is a piece of cake!”
At these words, Nidnia’s breathing quickened.
She’d thought of this method before.
But…
“That’s insane!”
The thought of actually achieving such a goal made Nidnia feel short of breath.
“But it’s worth a try!”
Seeing the mix of fear and excitement on the other’s face at the thought of such a daring act, Willis felt she understood her better.
Deep down, she too yearned for earth-shattering adventure, unwilling to settle for mediocrity.
Perhaps it was because she had awakened magic.
Unfortunately, her birth limited her courage to dream.
“In that case, it’s settled.”
Willis and Nidnia gripped each other’s hands, sealing their agreement in that moment.
“Do you have a plan for what’s next? What should we do?”
Nidnia asked.
“Simple…”
Willis snapped her fingers.
“You and Terrence start gathering like-minded miners among the others…”
“Not just at the Heishan Mine. All miners oppressed in the area around Ushi City must be mobilized!”
Willis said.
“But this must remain secret. When you and Terrence act, you must be careful—don’t let the Overseers or soldiers discover anything!”
Nidnia nodded firmly.
“Alright! Should we start by taking the Heishan Mine?”
“Of course!”
Willis grinned.
“But…what about weapons?”
She waved the iron pick and shovel in her hands.
“Aren’t there plenty right here?”
“That part I forgot…”
Nidnia took a deep breath.
Knowing that the coming turmoil would be led by herself, she trembled a little.
“Then what about the two of you?”
She suddenly thought of this question.
“The two of us? Naturally, we’re going to investigate the other mines and gather information about Ushi City.”
Willis pulled the conflicted Victoria closer.
“Revolution, uprising—the most important thing is controlling intelligence. Only then can you strategize and plan your moves!”
“Fine! But you two must be careful… Ushi City—can I go with you at least once?”
Nidnia asked.
“Why?”
“Because I want to see with my own eyes what the Imperial Second Princess who brought us so much misery looks like!”
Nidnia said hatefully.
Willis understood that there was still a trace of doubt in her heart, so she didn’t reveal the truth.
“Alright! Tonight, when we rest, come with me!”
With a firm answer, Nidnia’s expression relaxed a lot.
Next, they began to discuss the concrete plans for mobilizing the miners with Willis.