Charlotte stopped and turned around. The small dwarf who had been timidly hiding behind the stove had run up to him and knelt with a thud, looking at him earnestly.
[Ding! The dwarf Ab requests a task from you: Save his father poisoned by magic potions! Task reward: 1000 copper coins!]
The system's voice echoed in Charlotte's mind.
"Ab, your father is addicted to magic potions. Even as a doctor, I can't save him. Don't make things difficult for the doctor," Guy scolded with a stern face and reached out to grab the dwarf's collar.
But Charlotte was one step ahead and helped him up from the ground.
The small dwarf appeared to be about seven or eight years old. Unlike the sturdy appearance of most dwarves, he was dry and lacked much flesh. His head was disproportionately large, giving him a somewhat unbalanced look.
"Doctor, this child..." Guy seemed a bit embarrassed.
"How is your father's condition now? Can he still move around on his own, or is he paralyzed in bed?" Charlotte looked at the child and asked gently.
"Most of the time, my father locks himself in bed. I go back every day to feed him and give him water, but when his addiction flares up, it's terrifying... like he wants to devour people." Guy answered in a low voice, recalling something with a look of fear in his eyes.
It was unimaginable how painful it must be when the addiction flared up during self-withdrawal from magic potions. And this child had witnessed it all, likely leaving deep psychological scars.
"Sigh, I've known Klee for decades. Although he doesn't talk much, he's very stubborn. Everyone knows that magic potions can't be quit, but he refuses to believe it. A month ago, when the family ran out of money, he started chaining himself up with iron chains. Now he's tortured and barely human, suffering not only himself but also his child." Guy sighed.
A month? That was truly ruthless. Charlotte was a bit astonished. He didn't expect such ruthless individuals to exist in this world.
Ivan suffered almost to the point of death after only two days of withdrawal.
It seemed that dwarves had a strong physiques that could withstand such torture.
"It's been a month since he quit the potions. Has the frequency of addiction episodes not decreased?" Charlotte asked in confusion. According to his understanding, after enduring the initial period, the addiction should gradually weaken.
"That's the despicable thing about magic potions. He was drinking Blue Flame potions. The longer the withdrawal period, the higher the frequency of addiction episodes, and the more agonizing it becomes. It's like having countless fires roasting your bones, unbearable pain." Guy clenched his teeth in anger and muttered, "The Jadeson family is to blame!"
Charlotte pondered for a moment. If that were true, the Jadeson family and everyone involved in manufacturing and trafficking magic potions were like demons.
Once you were involved with magic potions, there was no escape.
These individuals were simply despicable!
At that moment, he suddenly realized the importance of the "Anti-Magic Potion Aversion" potion.
If he could truly develop a stable and effective Anti-Magic Potion Aversion potion, it would be a life-saving elixir for those suffering from the torment of magic potions and those who could potentially be harmed by them.
This shouldn't be a tool for him to make money and accumulate wealth.
"Take me to see your father." Charlotte held Ab's small hand and spoke gently.
"Okay! I'll take you there right now." Light sparkled in Ab's dim eyes as he tightly grasped Charlotte's hand as if holding onto a lifeline.
"I'll come too." Guy's eyes widened slightly, and a smile appeared on his face. He placed the towel on his shoulder on a nearby shelf, took off his apron, and changed into a set of finely crafted iron armor. He also put on a gray linen shirt and picked up a large iron hammer commonly used in forging from the workshop.
An ordinary blacksmith instantly transformed into a dwarf warrior.
No one would doubt the terrifying power that the several hundred-pound heavy iron hammer possessed.
"You two wait here for a moment. I'll go back and get something." Charlotte informed them and returned to the clinic, carrying a surgical knife.
He took two bottles of hemostatic potion, and two bottles of stamina potion, hesitated for a moment, and retrieved a bottle of Anti-Magic Potion Aversion from a hidden compartment under the counter. He mixed a quarter of it with a bottle of stamina potion and put them both in his pocket.
Ab's father's condition was unknown, and Charlotte didn't dare to administer medication to him without knowing his situation. Since he had already endured for a month, his physique and willpower were extraordinary. There was no need to take the risk of prematurely exposing him to the Anti-Magic Potion Aversion.
He planned to try reducing the dosage and see if it would still be effective in suppressing the addiction.
After changing into an oversized old gray robe with a hood, Charlotte concealed the Judgment Sword within the robe and set out. He pulled up the hood to hide his face. Although they were only going to the neighboring street, caution was necessary when walking in the Abyss.
Charlotte met up with Guy and Ab, and the three of them headed to Ab's house together.
Ab's house was located on Tova Street, the same street as the orc Ivan's house from earlier in the morning. It wasn't far from Baka Street.
Tova Street was controlled by the Jadeson family, and as soon as they stepped onto this street, a sense of desolation enveloped them.
On the streets and in the corners, emaciated magic potion addicts could be seen everywhere. They sat, lay, or aimlessly wandered the streets. Their sunken eye sockets lacked vitality, and their behavior was slow or frenzied, resembling a group of zombies.
At a street corner not far away, a tall orc was selling bottles of blue magic potions. He collected money while muttering and grumbling.
A small bottle of magic potion easily costs thousands of copper coins.
Yet, there were still many people queuing up to buy them, and fights even broke out to grab a spot in line.
Scenes like this could be seen everywhere on Tova Street.
Even the shops along the street sold magic potions. For example, the Siba Tavern at the street corner had a sign that read 'Magic Potions for Sale'.
As Charlotte's group entered the district, their every move drew attention, but when people's gazes fell on Guy, who was fully armed, they dismissed the thought.
Charlotte couldn't understand such a scene, but he was deeply shocked.
Compared to Baka Street just a street away, this place was like a hellhole.
The Jadeson family controlled this street and had no intention of managing it properly. Instead, they engaged in a frenzied plunder using magic potions, squeezing everyone dry, including their lives.
Closed shops were everywhere, and the whole place was desolate, resembling an apocalypse.
And the root of all this evil was the magic potions.
"This way!" Ab led Charlotte and Guy, quickly turning into an alley. The first house in the alley was a blacksmith's shop, but the sign on the door was covered in cobwebs, indicating a desolate state.
A large lock hung on the iron door, and Ab took out a key hanging around his neck from his clothes, quickly unlocking the door.
Guy pushed open the door.
The interior of the house was dark. As soon as the door opened, a damp and putrid smell wafted out, as if stepping into a gloomy tomb.
"Who's there?" a hoarse voice came from inside the house.
"It's me, father! I brought the doctor to see you." Ab quickly responded and skillfully lit an oil lamp in the dim light.
By the faint light of the oil lamp, Charlotte could see the general appearance of this small blacksmith shop. It was smaller in scale than Guy's blacksmith shop, but all kinds of forging tools were still complete. However, it was evident that no one had used them for a long time, as they were covered in dust.