When we left the demiplane and returned to Candlekeep, it was already completely dark.

Zuo Si walked alone on the narrow path back to the hotel.

Having come to an agreement with Oghma, the god of knowledge, he knew he no longer needed to worry about threats from "the gods".

As for their followers, pastors and believers who are blind and come to cause trouble...

Then Zuo Si will soon make them understand how he, the chosen one, can win the favor of Talona, ​​the goddess of poison and plague.

Of course, if the creature that comes is an undead creature, the [Daytime Star] on the waist that looks like a decoration will come in handy.

He really wanted to feel what kind of effect the [God of War Possession] card could have in battle with the blessing of many divine arts.

After all, every mage has a melee dream, and Zuo Si is no exception.

When he was less than forty meters away from the hotel, he suddenly saw a familiar figure standing on the side of the road.

The other party was none other than Mansong's most trusted disciple, Ximanmeng.

This man, who always keeps himself elegant, has obviously been waiting here for a long time. He put one hand on his chest and bowed slightly: "Good evening, Mr. Soth. If you don't mind, can I take up a few minutes of your time?"

Zuo Si nodded gently: "Okay. But please hurry up, I'm a little tired today and want to go back and rest early."

"No problem. Actually, what I want to talk about is the cooperation mentioned last time. I believe you must have heard that with the rise of the Church of Cyric, the situation in Zhentil Keep and the Zhentarim is gradually getting out of control. Lord Manshoon hopes to join forces with you to clean up a group of annoying little rats. What do you think?"

Ximanmeng stated his purpose directly.

He was afraid of being interrupted by Elminster's sudden appearance again, so he didn't dare to go around in circles and waste time.

"Dealing with members of the Church of Cyric? You have successfully aroused my interest."

Zuo Si raised the corners of his mouth slightly and revealed an extremely dangerous smile.

If there was one god among the gods of Faerûn that he hated the most, it would have to be Cyric.

In addition, the two sides had already formed a mortal feud.

So as long as there is an opportunity to hunt down members and followers of the Church of Cyric, he will be very happy to join in.

Seeing that Zuo Si did not refuse, Ximanmeng immediately smiled faintly and continued, "It's very simple to operate.

I will be responsible for providing you with intelligence, and all you have to do is show up at the designated time and place, and then kill all these unsuspecting idiots.

Whether you frame the Harpers or any other group you can think of, it doesn't matter.

Because I will personally take care of the aftermath and make it an ironclad fact.”

"What about the benefits? What can I get from it?" Zuo Si asked bluntly.

"Intelligence! No matter what you want to know, we will provide the relevant information in the shortest possible time. Of course, in addition to this, my teacher Mansong will also provide some high-level spell scrolls and magic items."

Xi Manmeng stated his conditions straightforwardly.

You have to know that in the continent of Faerun where information transmission is very backward, intelligence collection and transmission is not an easy task.

The Zhentarim just happen to have a dark intelligence network with a wide enough coverage.

"Deal. But I want to reserve the final say on all actions." Zuo Si added.

"Okay. I think we should start discussing the detailed plan now. You know, there are quite a lot of these annoying rats."

As he said this, Ximanmeng exuded an undisguised cold and vicious aura.

Just like that, after the two of them whispered for a while, Zuo Si got a list and address and returned to the hotel.

This list contains all the secret bases of the Zhentarim in the Amn area, as well as a list of all the people who believe in Cyric.

With it, you can easily catch these rats hiding in the dark and kill them one by one.

In addition, Ximanmon also promised to gather as many Xirik followers as possible in Zhentil Keep in a short period of time and then plan a massacre.

Through this kind of collusion between internal and external forces, the latter's delusion of seizing power can be completely destroyed.

However, for Zuo Si, this hunting activity is just another way to quickly replenish mana.

After all, ever since he established the advanced profession of [Mystic], his demand for mana has reached the point of being hungry for mana.

He even planned to visit the wizard towers of the other seven liches as soon as he returned and drain all the energy they stored.

"Good evening, Mr. Soth. I heard that you made astonishing remarks at today's debate, which impressed countless scholars who came from afar."

As soon as Zuo Si walked into the hotel door, he heard greetings from the owner Winthrop.

He immediately turned around and responded with a smile: "I'm not convinced, I just put forward some relatively novel ideas. By the way, do you have any delicious recommendations for tonight? You know, I'm so hungry that I can almost eat a cow."

"Hahahaha! Of course! Tonight's main course is beef stew with potatoes, garlic roast chicken and mushroom soup, which are perfect for gourmets like you." Winthrop recommended with a big laugh.

This fat man, who weighs more than 200 pounds, is well aware of how picky the boy in front of him, who looks only about ten years old, is.

In other words, Zuo Si was the most picky person about food he had ever met in his life, no doubt about it.

So I don’t dare to recommend those “dark dishes” with strange tastes.

"Excellent. Give me one then..."

Before Zuo Si could finish his words, he suddenly turned around and grabbed the hand that was reaching for his bag, then flicked the owner of the hand on the forehead with lightning speed.

Bang! "Ouch!"

A girl who looked about the same age as him immediately squatted on the ground, covering her head with her hands. There was a large red spot on her forehead where she was hit, and her eyes were full of tears with an aggrieved expression.

"You're too slow." Zuo Si pursed his lips and teased.

"Hmph! I swear! I must steal something from you." The girl gritted her teeth with a look of defiance.

"Imoen, how many times have I told you not to steal customers' things in the store?" Winthrop yelled angrily.

The girl called Imoen rubbed her red and swollen forehead, immediately stood up and retorted: "None of your business! This is just a little game between me and Soth, and he acquiesced."

"You little bastard! I'll teach you a lesson today!"

Winthrop grabbed a small wooden stick and rushed out from the bar.

Seeing that he was about to be beaten, Imoen immediately made a face and ran away without saying a word.

The two men chased each other and fled, putting on a good show for the guests eating and drinking in the hall.

Especially those who have lived in Candle Castle for a long time and have long been accustomed to such scenes, and they applauded.

Some people even made a bet on whether the fat Winthrop could catch the nimble little Imoen before he ran out of energy.

“It’s a heartwarming scene, isn’t it?”

Elminster, who was sitting in the corner smoking a pipe, suddenly asked with a smile.

Zuo Si nodded gently: "Yes, it is very warm. But how long this warmth can last is hard to say. After all, the fate of the Son of Baal is so rough and full of darkness and blood. You should know this best."

"You know the Son of Bhaal?" Elminster raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Zuo Si answered meaningfully, "Of course. Imoen, Aberdair, Sarevok, there are three sons of Bhaal in Candlekeep right now. To be honest, Imoen is so innocent and always likes to play tricks to amuse herself. It's hard for me to imagine what she will become after awakening the bloodline of the God of Slaughter."

"There are more than three of them. You even forgot yourself. To a certain extent, the power of Baal, the God of Slaughter, also flows in your body, so you can also be considered a son of Baal." Elminster slowly exhaled a wisp of white smoke from his mouth and added.

"No, you are wrong. I am not the son of Baal. This little bit of remaining divine power will disappear completely in a short time." Zuo Si retorted calmly.

It is still at least nine years before Alando the Wise predicts that the Sons of Baal will stir up unrest.

If he, as a planeswalker, cannot deal with the two divine powers in his body within such a long period of time, then he can just die.

What’s more, Melisand, the final boss of the Sons of Bhaal incident, was just a divine creature until the very end, not a true god.

Elminster stared into Zuo Si's eyes, trying to determine whether this was a bluff or he was confident.

After a full minute, he pulled out a notebook from his arms and threw it on the table, saying in a rather helpless tone: "Here, take it. This is all about the research on Silver Fire. Although I don't want to give it to you, this is the will of the goddess, and I can't disobey it."

"Oh? Has the newly appointed third generation magic goddess begun to be gradually assimilated into the priesthood?"

Zuo Si asked curiously while picking up the notebook and reading the contents.

"There is a price to pay for any power, and gods are no exception. Moreover, the God of Magic is naturally not resistant to anything related to magic, even if the magic is evil and extremely destructive."

At this point, Elminster sighed helplessly.

Because during the turbulent years, he had sealed the power and priesthood of the dead magic goddess within his own body, and he knew very well how strong that instinctive desire was.

And as the mortal part of the wizard Midnight gradually disappeared, the third generation Goddess of Magic has begun to become more and more like a true god, and is even considering seizing control of the "Shadow Magic Net" from the Dark Goddess Shar and merging it with the existing magic net.

Even if the price is to completely sacrifice his remaining humanity and kindness and become a neutral, cold and ruthless god of magic.

Zuo Si spent about ten minutes to quickly finish reading all of Elminster's research on Silver Fire. He casually took out a card, clipped it in his notebook and returned it intact.

"We are now even. Also, if it is convenient, please tell the Harpers' leaders that my patience is limited. If any more Harpers' spies appear near me, I will kill them without mercy, and then find all the secret bases of the Harpers in Amn and kill them all."

While saying this, Zuo Si turned around and stared at the young woman dressed as a bard a few meters away.

The murderous intent revealed in his eyes instantly made the guy who was playing the piano and singing in the previous second, frozen in place as if he was hit by a spell, and cold sweat kept pouring out all over his body.

Needless to say, it was the [Eye of Knowledge] bestowed by Oghma that played a key role.

By identifying the other party's clothing, appearance, and the musical instruments and weapons they carry.

It was easy to conclude that the woman who had suddenly appeared in the hotel in the past two days was a spy sent by the Harper Alliance.

Just when Elminster was about to say something, Zuo Si uttered a word without any hesitation: "Get lost!"

moment!

The woman was so frightened that she didn't dare to stay for even a second. She picked up all her belongings and rushed out of the hotel, disappearing into the night.

Even with the presence of the Magic Goddess's First Chosen One, she still clearly felt the threat of death.

What's more, the action of sending out spies was originally a private act of one of the factions, and Elminster himself was completely unaware of it.

There is no doubt that Zuo Si's sudden attack and the bard's escape caused some disturbance in the inn.

But after a while, calm was quickly restored.

"You hate the Harpers?"

Elminster was obviously not affected at all. Instead, he took out the card from his notebook and examined it carefully in his hand.

"In my opinion, there is no essential difference between the Harpers and the Zhentarim.

No, maybe it's even more disgusting.

Because apart from those followers of Cyric, the remaining members of the Zhentarim at least have a clear goal and are acting in their own interests.

But the Harpists are a bunch of psychopaths who think they are upholding justice, but are actually pursuing cheap and disgusting self-satisfaction.

Many members of the Harpists believe that they are fighting against evil, but little do they know that in doing so, they themselves have become part of evil.

Stealing, assassination, poisoning, deception, sabotage...

Look at what they do, is there any difference from the Zhentarim?

Or does it mean that as long as you believe it is for good purposes, you can do whatever it takes?

I don’t deny that the Harpers have done many good things, but that doesn’t mean that this is an excuse for them to trample on rules and laws and pry into other people’s privacy.”

Zuo Si expressed his disgust for the Harper Alliance directly without any concealment.

If the followers of Xirik are compared to the psychopaths and lunatics of the evil camp, then the Harpers are the psychopaths and lunatics of the good camp.

Due to the decentralized and loose management style, they often act on their own without the permission of their superiors, simply because they think it is "right" to do so, causing a lot of trouble and damage.

This is why most countries and cities adopt the same attitude towards the Harpers and the Zhentarim.

Hearing this sharp accusation, Elminster was not angry at all. Instead, he showed a bitter smile: "It seems that you have some misunderstanding about the Harpers. At least as far as I know, they are not as bad as you describe."

"No, this is not a misunderstanding, but they violated my bottom line. Finally, before we part, I want to make it clear again that I have no interest in your so-called battle between good and evil, so don't bother me. If one day I stand on the opposite side of the Harper Alliance, it must be because you forced me to do so."

After saying this, Zuo Si no longer paid attention to the reaction of the Magic Goddess's first chosen one, and stood up and walked towards the guest room upstairs.

After all, everything that needs to be said has been said. Next, it depends on whether Elminster can restrain those Harpist leaders who are ready to make moves.

If not, then he would first take out the stronghold in the Athkatla dock area as a warning.

As soon as she returned to the room, Isadora, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately put down the book in her hand, opened her arms and rushed towards Zuo Si, constantly sniffing the scent of the latter, with incomparable happiness and satisfaction appearing on her face.

About half a minute later, she reluctantly let go, her whole body shaking uncontrollably from excitement and agitation.

Zuo Si gently stroked the girl's soft golden hair and asked with a smile: "How was your day?"

"Not bad. I read some books on magic as you requested, and I can roughly sense the magic web in the surrounding environment. But I can't perform any tricks for the time being." Isadora replied quickly.

"Don't be anxious. The most taboo thing in learning magic is impatience. And in the process of learning magic, don't neglect to train your spiritual power." Zuo Si warned seriously.

It was obvious that he was trying to get the little fellow to learn both the arcane and psionics at the same time.

Anyway, as a native of the continent of Faerun, Isadora does not need to accumulate so-called "experience points" like in the game, let alone any "experience punishment".

In addition, the main attribute of the psychic itself is intelligence, just like the wizard. If it is not properly utilized, it would be a waste of this innate powerful talent.

You have to know that a girl who can awaken her psychic talent at the age of six probably has an intelligence level far beyond the imagination of most people.

This can be seen from the fact that when civil strife broke out in the Bernard family, Isadora was able to easily kill her father who had been planning for a long time, and even turned him into a puppet under her control.

"Well! I won't let you down." The girl promised solemnly.

She was smart and knew very well that the reason she was accepted by Zuo Si was because of her talent that was beyond the reach of ordinary people and her rare psychic powers.

If these talents cannot be transformed into strength, the relationship between the two will sooner or later become distant, or even strangers.

This was almost unacceptable for the little girl who had lived in extreme loneliness and fear since the age of six.

She had finally found someone of her kind who made her feel safe, comfortable, and with whom she had a strong sense of attachment, so she would rather die than be abandoned one day.

The two discussed some magical topics in an extremely intimate manner, and then began to eat the dinner served by the innkeeper Winthrop himself.

Of course, Zuo Si took the opportunity to tease little Ai Meng, who was covering his butt and was obviously beaten.

I have to say, although I didn't meet Gorion and Aberdare during this trip to Candlekeep, the fun and interesting Imoen completely made up for the regret.

But Zuo Si didn't know that the reason why he didn't meet Aberdare was entirely due to deliberate arrangements by certain people.

At this moment, in a room on the fourth floor of the central castle, Gorion had just coaxed his adopted son to sleep and was standing alone on the balcony, enjoying the fresh sea breeze and looking down at the entire Candle Castle.

It was unknown how long it had passed, but when the powerful old wizard began to feel the cold, he suddenly asked without turning his head, "Jaheira, are you sure that the chosen one of the goddess of poison and disease is coming for Aberdare?"

"No, I'm not sure. But I can assure you that Soth has divine power extracted from the heart of Baal, the god of murder. This means that he may be involved in the dispute of the Sons of Baal as prophesied by Alando." Jaheira slowly walked out of the dark shadows.

"Another extremely threatening and destabilizing factor..."

When Gorlian heard this, he immediately became alert.

To be exact, ever since he adopted the Son of Bhaal, he has been living in tension and anxiety.

Because the value of the Son of God is self-evident to those evil organizations and forces.

Moreover, the remaining churches and believers of Baal are also searching for the whereabouts of the Son of God, trying to bring him back for sacrifice so that the dead god can be resurrected.

Among them, Talona, ​​who was once a slave of the god Baal, is undoubtedly one of the targets that need to be specially guarded against.

贾希拉注意到了老朋友的反应，立刻建议道：“伊尔明斯特眼下也在烛堡。或许你可以找他谈谈。”

“伊尔明斯特？”葛立安立刻摇了摇头。“不行！他在对待巴尔之子的态度上一直都表现的非常谨慎，甚至觉得我总有一天会死在巴尔之子的手中。所以我不信任他。”

“那你接下来现在打算怎么办？”贾希拉十分关心的问道。

“不知道。也许我会带着阿伯戴尔离开烛堡一段时间到外面去避避风头。深水城也许是个不错的选择。”

葛立安用不是很确定的语气说出了自己的想法。

“既然如此，那我和卡立德就陪你一起走一趟吧。反正我们最近也没有什么特别的任务，就当是散散心了。”说着，贾希拉转过身瞥了一眼熟睡中的巴尔之子。

可葛立安却毫不犹豫的拒绝道：“不必了。从烛堡到博德之门的路不算远。到时候我们买两张船票走海路应该很快就能抵达深水城。而且你身为竖琴手很容易被散塔林会的人盯上，反倒是不如我单独行动更安全。”

“好吧，那我就预祝你一路顺风。”

说罢，贾希拉再次隐没在黑暗中消失的无影无踪。

……

与此同时，远在阿斯卡特拉渥金商场去的下水道，艾瑞尼卡斯正在自己的秘密基地接见一个女人。

“你就是翡翠结社派来跟我进行联络的人？”

艾瑞尼卡斯眯起眼睛上下打量着这名留着暗红色长发的人类法师。

同之前那些联络人不同，他能清晰感受到对方体内流淌的惊人魔法能量，明白这是个至少能施展九环法术的十七级法师。

“您好，艾瑞尼卡斯阁下。我的名字叫蕾茵，非常荣幸能够与您这样的大法师展开合作。”女人单手抚胸行了一个标准的法师礼。

由于法师长袍领口非常低，所以在弯腰的时候可以清晰看到里边“雄伟壮丽”的风景。

不过很可惜，艾瑞尼卡斯早就在秘密基地内制作了无数精灵女王艾丽星的克隆体，甚至还在自己的卧室附近养了三个树精作为发泄欲望的工具，所以根本瞧不上人类女性那充满瑕疵跟缺陷的身体，直截了当的问：“我上次委托你们做的事情，结果怎么样了？”

“很抱歉，我们失败了。那位塔洛娜的选民比预料中要强大得多。哪怕组织出动了两条白龙、一个百足魔虫、还有若干冰巨魔和冬狼，依旧没有试探出对方的底牌。不过有一点可以确认，那就是他身边有一支随时待命的幽影大军。”

蕾茵不动声色将翡翠结社高层伏击左思失败的情况说了出来。

身为符记之主香格拉最出色的弟子，她有非常丰富的卧底经验，知道要如何才能最大限度挑拨双方的矛盾，然后悄无声息达成自己不可告人的目的。

“失败了？”艾瑞尼卡斯抿起嘴角露出了讽刺的笑容。“我记得当初你们在吹嘘自己的时候，可是说翡翠结社跟蒙面法师的势力不相上下。”

蕾茵一脸无辜的耸了耸肩膀：“那是他们吹嘘的，跟我无关。我只负责传递消息。另外，他们还让我通知你，如果你对那位选民还不死心，就必须亲自加入伏击的队伍。”

“哼！真是一群废物，不是吗？”艾瑞尼卡斯冷笑着嘲讽道。

“我完全同意。事实上，我有一个更好的主意，不知道你是否有兴趣听一听。”蕾茵面带微笑的主动提议。

“哦——”

艾瑞尼卡斯似乎察觉到了什么，故意拖了个长音，然后抬起手做了个请的动作。

得到许可后，蕾茵立马将自己事先准备好的计划全盘托出。

她的想法很简单，操作起来也不困难。

那就是让艾瑞尼卡斯先假意跟翡翠结社的高层合作，想方设法让后者再发动第二次袭击。

如此一来，蕾茵就能提前去找左思，通过出卖翡翠结社高层的方式与其建立起合作关系。

等成为翡翠结社的首领后，再通过合作关系从中牵线搭桥，最终让艾瑞尼卡斯获得自己想要的东西。

当然，除此之外她还要完成符记之主香格拉交付的任务。

不得不说，蕾茵提出的计划的确相当有诱惑力。

至少在不敢直接面对一位神明怒火的艾瑞尼卡斯看来，这是自己唯一可以了解神力的机会。

所以考虑了片刻之后，他很快便同意合作。

至于背叛翡翠结社的高层。

抱歉，艾瑞尼卡斯从来就没有把那些蠢货当成是盟友，而是将其视作可以利用的工具人。

现在有了更好的选择，谁还会在意区区一群工具人的死活呢？

等蕾茵转身离开下水道，一直躲藏在暗处的巴荻终于缓缓走了出来，意味深长的问：“你相信她吗？”

“无所谓信任不信任。她在我眼中跟翡翠结社的高层没有任何区别，都是可以利用的工具，仅此而已。对了，你现在发展了多少个后裔？”艾瑞尼卡斯突然回过头询问道。

“大概四十个左右。怎么了？你要用他们吗？”巴荻迅速给出一个确切数字。

为了防止被影贼、善良神祇的神殿和炙热之心骑士团发现，她在转化新生吸血鬼和衍体的时候往往非常小心，大多数时间仍旧躲在墓园区地下宛如迷宫般的地道中活动，暂时没有尝试去渗透那些富商和贵族。

“让这些吸血鬼全部参加翡翠结社发动的下一次袭击。”艾瑞尼卡斯直截了当的吩咐道。

“你的意思是……明着跟那个女人合作，然后暗地里仍旧尝试要捕获那个剧毒与疾病女神的选民？”

巴荻两眼微微放光，瞬间明白了自己这位兄弟想要干什么。

艾瑞尼卡斯表情冷酷的回答道：“没错！四十个吸血鬼，外加好几个高阶法师，还有大量作为炮灰的怪物和低级亡灵。就算是我自己应付起来都要花一番功夫。如果那个选民能够成功通过这次考验，我就把他当成是可以平起平坐交易的对象。如果不能，那就来当我的俘虏和试验品吧。”

“明白了，我这就去安排。”

巴荻舔了舔诱人的红唇，迅速化作一只蝙蝠消失在阴暗的下水道之中。

……

就在安姆首都阿斯卡特拉酝酿着阴谋与背叛的戏码时，远在大海中央的耐兰瑟尔群岛，同样也在发生一场蓄谋已久的叛乱。

发动叛乱的不是别人，正是“血手”船长最信任的手下之一，曾经他被亲自任命负责筹集赎金的埃里克。

至于发动叛乱的对象，自然就是哈莱特本人。

事实上，两人之间的矛盾还要从交付完赎金，整个海盗团伙重新回到大海上说起。

由于穆克发动叛乱导致哈莱特损失了差不多所有的积蓄，因此当再次干回老本行的时候，不仅变得极度贪婪、故意找借口克扣手下的利润分成，而且还对所有人都表现出了强烈的不信任。

要知道“血手”船长这个名号之所以有如此高的号召力，其中一个最大的原因就是船员可以拿到远超同行的财富。

可现在，哈莱特亲手砸了自己的招牌，而且还失去了原本的自信。

最终矛盾越积累越深，直到有一天所有人都感觉忍受不了，开始暗地里串联推举埃里克作为新船长并发动叛乱。

看着尸横遍野的沙滩，还有身受重伤半跪在地上的哈莱特，留着一头棕色短发加络腮胡子的埃里克深吸了一口气，神色复杂的说道：“投降吧，船长。这是我最后一次叫你船长。我保证，只要你放下武器投降，我可以允许你带着一艘小船和两千金币回到岸上去养老。”

“呸！想让我放下武器投降？做梦吧！”

哈莱特冷笑着啐了一口带血的唾沫。

因为他很清楚，海盗内部的叛乱从来没有以和平形式收场的先例。

无论是发起叛乱的人，还是镇压叛乱的人，都会毫不留情将对方赶尽杀绝。

“唉——既然如此，那我就只好送你下地狱了。”

埃里克微微叹了口气，立马启动脖子上的魔法项链。

还没等对方反应过来发生了什么，一颗火球就从项链下方的宝石中射出，随后将包括哈莱特在内的所有死硬分子炸上了天。

轰！！！！！！

冲天的火光跟热浪席卷了方圆数米范围内的一切。

根本没有人想到，这位看起来膀大腰圆的战士，居然还隐藏了一个能够释放三环【火球术】的魔法道具。

等炙热的魔法烈焰消失，大名鼎鼎的“血手”船长已经化作一具烧焦的尸体，彻底成为了历史。

其余海盗看到这一幕，立马举起手中被鲜血染红的武器大声欢呼。

“赢了！我们赢了！”

“哈莱特死了！从现在起埃里克就是我们的船长！”

“伟大的埃里克船长万岁！”

一时之间，各种嘶吼、狂笑不绝于耳。

Because the name of Captain "Blood Hand" was so frightening, many pirates who participated in the rebellion believed that their chances of success were very low and that they would most likely be brutally suppressed.

But now, the fear that has been pent up in my heart can finally be released.

However, Eric did not join the pirates' carnival. Instead, he walked straight to Harlett's body, cut off his head with the scimitar in his hand, and quickly dived into the bushes not far away.

When he saw the familiar figure, he immediately knelt on one knee and respectfully presented the head with both hands.

"Master, I followed your instructions and successfully killed Harlet. Now I am the new captain of this pirate fleet. Please instruct me on what to do next."

"The next step? The next step is of course to declare war on all the pirates in the entire Nelanther Islands. Tell them to either surrender or die. There is no other way."

Along with a low and hoarse voice, the man, who was covered in a wide robe, slowly took off his hood, revealing an old face.

He was none other than Vanessa, who had proposed the "Sea Power Theory" at an internal meeting of the organization not long ago.

Needless to say, this rebellion against Hallet was actually his work.

"But... with the few people we have now, it's impossible for us to defeat so many pirates. Once they unite, even the navy of Am will be wary." Eric said with an embarrassed look on his face.

But Vanessa didn't take it seriously and responded, "Don't worry. In a few days, I will send a group of apprentices who can cast the three-ring fireball spell. With them, those ordinary pirate ships will be as fragile as moving targets. And don't bury the bodies of the dead pirates. Later, I will transform them all into undead creatures and give them to you to control."

"Undead? Mage?!"

Eric suddenly became excited.

Because in the current naval battle in Faerun, long-range attacks still basically rely on catapults, ballistas, crossbows and traditional bows and arrows, and the hit rate is quite touching.

So most of the time, the pirates were too lazy to waste their energy and would just go ahead and engage in boarding and side-by-side combat.

If there is a wizard who can cast fireball on someone's ship, it is equivalent to evolving from the Middle Ages to the Age of Discovery, and can directly give the opponent a fatal blow from a distance of one or two hundred meters.

Moreover, the mage uses mental power to lock and aim, and the hit rate is many times higher than that of primitive artillery.

He didn't need many, just two or three wizards like this, and with a fireball wand or a few scrolls, Eric was confident that he could defeat his peers.

What's more, there is a large group of fearless and obedient undead.

"That's right. These apprentices will not only help you defeat those pirates, but also help you build a city or even a country on this island. As long as you perform well and are loyal enough, I will consider making you a king or lord. But remember, if you dare to have any other little thoughts, then Hallett's fate will be a warning to you."

When Vanessa said this, her tone was full of warning.

Having lived in Zazespor, very close to the Racing Strait and the Nelanther Islands for many years, he was well aware of the chaotic nature of pirates.

If Wilmes and Qiwu were not temporarily unable to spare time, the newborn lich would even want to directly transform the brain of the guy in front of him, turning him into an obedient slave forever.

Eric bowed his head deeply and said in the most humble tone: "Please rest assured, I am not stupid enough to betray a powerful spellcaster like you. That is no different from seeking death. I am not Harlet, nor am I as arrogant as him. I have always been very clear about my own weight, and I don't have any ambitions. I just hope that I can have a family and live a stable life until I die."

"It is important for a person to know himself. I am glad that you are such a person. Well, now go and accept the legacy left by Hallett. Try to integrate them as soon as possible, and then launch a battle to unify the Nelanther Islands."

After saying this, Vanessa opened a portal and returned to the magician tower built by Zuo Si in Askatla.

He planned to make good use of the waste and take Hallet's head to the Amn government in exchange for a valuable reward.

After watching the lich leave, Eric quickly got up from the ground, his eyes flashing with a strange light, and he muttered to himself in a voice that only he could hear: "Establish a city and a country on the Nelanthel Islands?

It seems that I made the right bet this time.

Dear Captain Bloody Hand, thank you for giving me a chance, a chance to change my destiny.

When I become a lord or even a king, I will definitely repay you.

For example, marrying your beautiful daughter whom you secretly hid away as your wife, and having a taste of her still charming mother at the same time.

Don't worry, when my son is born, I will name him Harlet.

I will tell him your legendary story, and let him worship you from the bottom of his heart, and then inherit everything from you..."

After saying these murderous words, Eric quickly returned to his usual chivalrous and generous self, returning to the reveling pirates and mingling with everyone.

He didn't notice at all that a soul invisible to the naked eye was floating above Hallet's headless body, emitting a strong resentment that could not be described in words.

This resentment prevents the soul from going to the world of the dead, and instead it stays where it is, madly absorbing the negative energy gathered from the blood and corpses around it.

revenge!

This is the final obsession of Hallet’s soul.

Especially when he heard that Eric had extended his evil hands to his daughter and mistress, the deep hatred in his heart instantly broke through the sky, making it inevitably transform into a ghost and a vengeful spirit.

Not only that, he also dived into the sea and merged with the battleship that sank to the bottom of the sea. He restrained all the souls in the cabin that had not yet gone to the world of the dead, and then infected and assimilated them with his strong negative emotions.

Suddenly, the entire seabed was shrouded in eerie darkness...

(End of this chapter)