Two tall Bear Goblin Skeletons then stepped forward, grabbing Bloodeye and lifting him like a baby chick. They dragged him to a spot about ten paces in front of Lynch and forced him to his knees with a sharp push.
The cold steel of several rusty blades was pressed against his neck.
Between Lynch and Bloodeye, Bone Shield and his Skeleton Guards ford an imposing wall, ensuring no sudden moves could threaten their master.
Lynch remained mounted on Red Rabbit, leaning forward slightly. His tone was almost gentle. "Your na, your identity, and who you work for. Where were you taking these girls, and why? I can see you’re a seasoned professional, so we can skip the whole threats phase."
Any trace of Bloodeye’s earlier sinister deanor was gone.
His face was deathly pale, drenched in cold sweat. He didn’t hesitate, and the words tumbled out of him in a rush.
"My lord, my na is Keller Morton, but people call ’Bloodeye.’ I used to be an adventurer, but later I started working for Viscount Golding, handling... certain matters he couldn’t deal with openly." He swallowed hard. "For this mission, the Viscount ordered us to secretly gather over a hundred young girls—virgins, preferably—and transport them to be imprisoned in the Storm Mine."
"The mine is behind the cliffs less than three miles north of Storm Bay. They say it used to be a gold mine, but it’s been abandoned for decades. It’s a property owned by the Viscount’s family, in a very secluded location..."
Lynch said nothing. He just watched him quietly, waiting for him to continue.
"I swear I don’t know what the girls are for!" Bloodeye added, trying to distance himself from the plot. "The Viscount’s advisor, Mage Anthony, is in charge of the whole thing."
"That Mage Anthony... he’s very mysterious. Always wears a black robe, so you can’t see his face, and he’s always followed by two formidable-looking zombie bodyguards. I’m sure he’s a Necromancer."
He paused, then added, "But, I’ve had my own suspicions... I think Mage Anthony plans to use the girls in so kind of sacrificial ritual. The Viscount has beco very interested in ancient, forbidden knowledge over the past few years... But what the ritual is, or what it’s supposed to achieve, I honestly have no idea! I’m just an errand boy..."
Lynch’s expression was unreadable, but a hint of impatience began to show.
A shiver ran through Bloodeye under that cold gaze, and he hurriedly added, "My lord, I have other important intelligence. The Viscount works very closely with the Draenei Brotherhood."
"The Viscount has also sectioned off part of the Storm Mine for the Brotherhood’s use. I ran into their mbers, the ones wearing blue bandanas, several tis while I was transporting the girls."
"They’ve also been moving a lot of supplies in there, along with a large number of slaves... I overheard one of the guards ntion that the Brotherhood guys seem to be building sothing deep inside the mine. It’s making a huge racket. I think it might be... a ship?"
’A ship?’
That piqued Lynch’s interest. He imdiately thought of the goblin artisan he had rescued from the Bloodfang encampnt.
The goblin had ntioned being kidnapped and taken to a secret base to build a ship for soone.
’Could the secret base he ntioned be the Storm Mine?’
’Good. The clues are finally connecting.’
’Viscount Golding, the mysterious Necromancer advisor Anthony, and the hundred girls are one thread, all pointing to so kind of evil ritual.’
’The Draenei Brotherhood and the ship possibly being built deep in the mine are a second thread, pointing to the Brotherhood’s secret sches.’
’And the two sides are working together.’
’Whatever they’re planning, it must be big.’
After a mont of thought, Lynch asked for more details. "What exactly do that Necromancer’s zombie bodyguards look like? What color is their skin?"
Bloodeye struggled to rember. "Their color... it had a sort of coppery sheen. Yes, that’s it! It looked like rusted copper!"
’Copper-colored?’
Lynch’s eyes narrowed slightly.
’The traits of a zombie are obvious; its rank and power can often be judged just by the color of its skin.’
’It’s obvious. Those are Copper Armored Zombies...’
’Copper Armored Zombies are an extrely powerful type of Undead Unit. Their flesh is as tough as copper and iron, they possess imnse strength, and blades can hardly harm them.’
’He had to admit, the two zombies he was so proud of were nothing compared to a Copper Armored Zombie.’
’Based on that alone, the other Necromancer’s power must far exceed his own. He was definitely not soone Lynch could afford to fight.’
Once Lynch had all the information he needed, he waved his hand, and the Skeleton Soldiers dragged Bloodeye away.
When Bloodeye was gone and only his allies and the skeleton army remained, Lynch finally dismounted from Red Rabbit. He turned to the woman behind him, bowed respectfully to ntor Annabella, and asked, "ntor, what do you make of all this?"
"This is clearly a sacrificial ritual."
Annabella gently pushed back her hood, revealing a beautiful, mature face and a pair of lake-blue eyes. "And it’s most likely a type of sacrificial ritual that’s quite popular in the Nesto Undying Empire, one of the nations in the Realm of the Dead."
She had only recently returned from her studies in the Realm of the Dead, so she was quite familiar with the subject. She seized the opportunity to give her student a lesson.
"In the Netherworld, there is a Demigod known as ’Lady Pale Elegy Victoria.’ In life, she was a noblewoman obsessed with eternal youth and the pursuit of ultimate art. She delights in collecting the ’Screams of Youth’ and the ’Lants of Purity.’ Legend has it that by offering her a sacrifice of a hundred virgins’ blood, one can earn her favor. In return, she might grant power, an extended lifespan, or fulfill other requests related to death and souls."
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