Chapter 36: The Scouts
The road connecting Iron Fortress and the Iron Mine was now a straight, unobstructed thoroughfare. The surface, petrified and smoothed by Mana into a mirror-like finish, was wide enough for ten carriages to drive abreast.
This was the masterpiece of the Arcane Legion, a testament to the terrifying efficiency of the Undead Empire's infrastructure.
At this moment, the newly promoted Tier 4 Skeleton Archmage—the Adjutant of the Arcane Legion—was leading his hundred-man unit back toward Iron Fortress. The construction project had been successfully handed over. As for the chaotic frenzy occurring at the mine, the Adjutant had only heard rumors of it through the soul link and paid it no further mind.
His current objective was to return to the capital and begin a new phase of fortifying the city walls.
Suddenly, the Adjutant came to a halt. His skull swiveled slightly toward the dense thicket on the left side of the road.
There were three life forms there.
They were perched within the shadows of the canopy, their bodies pressed tight against the rough bark, suppressing their breathing to the absolute limit. Their bodies were shrouded in a faint ripple of Mana, attempting to blend their presence into the environment.
[Stealth] — A common Tier 2 skill used by assassins.
The Adjutant's Soul Fire flickered with a calm, cold amusement. What a clumsy technique. It was like a child covering its own eyes and assuming the rest of the world had vanished. To his perception, these three "insects" were as conspicuous as torches in the dead of night.
"The Master's instructions have shifted from mere deterrence and monitoring to authorized live capture based on threat levels," the Adjutant sent a concise mental pulse to General Greed, who was far away in Iron Fortress.
Greed responded almost instantly: "Follow the protocol. Bring them in."
Permission granted, the Adjutant did not hesitate. He raised his bony hand and addressed the hidden trio.
"[Jiwal]." (Note: Lightning Magic)
The moment the Adjutant's hand rose, one of the three whispered in a panic, "We're exposed! RUN!"
CRACK-BOOM!
Arcs of electricity flashed through the trees. There were no screams, no struggle. Three bodies stiffened instantly, their muscles completely paralyzed by the high-frequency current. They slid limply from the branches, thudding onto the thick carpet of fallen leaves below.
Two soldiers from the Arcane Legion stepped out of line, dragging the three incapacitated humans like sacks of grain and dumping them at the Adjutant's feet.
The entire process had taken less than ten seconds.
"Resume the march," the Adjutant commanded. The unit set off again, as if the encounter had been nothing more than a trivial distraction.
Iron Fortress, Lord's Administrative District.
Greed sat before a desk constructed from stacks of ledgers, his fingers flying across a scroll of parchment as he calculated resource allocations for the next quarter.
The door creaked open, and the Adjutant entered. Behind him, two soldiers tossed the three still-paralyzed humans onto the carpet.
"General," the Adjutant bowed slightly. "Captured scouts. Three in total."
Greed's gaze fell upon the humans. He tapped the desk with a sharp clack-clack.
"I recall General Lust having a profound understanding of the Illusion domain. As her Adjutant, how do your skills compare?"
"I would not dare claim equality with General Lust," the Adjutant replied with humble confidence. "However, for creatures of this caliber, my skills are more than sufficient."
"Very well." Greed nodded. He preferred this efficient mode of reporting. "Then it is in your hands. I want to know their origin, their objective, and every scrap of intelligence regarding the faction behind them. Squeeze them until their minds are dry."
The Adjutant said nothing more and raised his hand. A faint, ethereal light gathered in his palm.
"[Enthrall]."
The three men slowly sat up, their eyes opening. Their gaze was hollow, devoid of any spark of life—like puppets whose strings had been cut.
Greed began the interrogation.
"Names."
"Karl." "Raymond." "Seth."
"Origin."
"Jade Territory."
"Objective."
"To investigate the size, composition, and leadership of the undead army."
Under absolute mental domination, the three trained scouts spilled everything. They detailed the troop deployments of Jade Territory, Count Barton's orders, the status of the refugees, and even the exact grain counts remaining in the city granaries.
Greed listened in silence, processing the massive influx of data.
Jade Territory... so the refugees from Iron Fortress fled there. They sent scouts but no army for a probe... It seems Count Barton lacks the confidence for a head-on confrontation. He is cautious.
Once the information was cataloged, Greed issued a new directive to the Adjutant.
"Enough. Modify their cognition. Make them serve the Empire subconciously."
"As you command."
The Adjutant's hand lit up once more. He began to plant a brand-new "memory" and "common knowledge" into the depths of their subconscious.
"You were never captured. Instead, you successfully gathered the intel you sought. Remember: the Undead Empire you saw is exactly like the legends. Our growth is agonizingly slow. Every high-ranking undead takes centuries of accumulation to form. Our numbers are vast, but the vast majority are merely Novice Skeletons, fresh from the soil and easily crushed. There is only one Lord—a powerful Tier 4 Undead Ruler."
The three humans nodded mechanically, their hollow eyes staring into nothing as they branded this false information into their minds as absolute truth.
"That's done." Greed waved his hand. "Send them back."
The soldiers dragged the three out, disappearing past the door. To ensure there were no mistakes, Greed used the soul link to command the Shadow Guards lurking in the darkness.
"Dispatch three Shadow Guards. Tail them. Once their return is confirmed without error, withdraw."
In the dense forest, the scout leader, Karl, snapped awake. He gasped for air, cold sweat soaking through his tunic.
"Captain, you're awake!" the other two members regained consciousness shortly after, looking equally shaken.
"Did we... did we make it?" Raymond's voice trembled.
Karl closed his eyes, straining to remember. In his memory, they had carefully bypassed the undead patrols and infiltrated the heart of Iron Fortress. They had seen... they had seen an endless sea of skeletons! The bone-racks were scattered across the land without formation, like a white plague. And in the center of that skeletal ocean, they had sensed an incredibly ancient aura.
"A Tier 4 Undead Lord..." Karl opened his eyes, his voice raspy. "And a monster that has lived for at least four hundred years!"
"Four hundred years..." Seth sucked in a breath, his face turning pale. "Gods, what does that mean? How many undead has he converted in four centuries? How many are in his army?"
It was a question no one could answer. At the thought of that infinite sea of bone and the four-hundred-year-old monarch ruling from the shadows, only terror remained in their hearts.
"We have to go back! We have to report this to the Count immediately!" Karl scrambled to his feet.
The three dared not delay for even a second. They practically rolled and crawled out of the woods, sprinting toward Jade Territory at full speed.
Above them, hidden in the canopy, three figures merged perfectly with the shadows, watching them recede into the distance. One of the figures sent the final report to Greed through the link:
[Targets have returned with the intel. Cognition remains un-deviated.]
Inside the Council Hall, Greed received the message, a satisfied expression appearing on his face. He turned to the Adjutant and nodded.
"Good work. Carry out your next task. I will report this to the Master personally."
"For the Master."
The Adjutant bowed and departed.
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