Chapter 118: Critical Intelligence

The Green Phoenix Society had long enjoyed a formidable reputation, so Alan approached the task of dealing with them with extreme caution. He invited every member of the Baal family currently available in the capital to assist him.

Because Alan was currently in the spotlight and highly favored, the family members were very willing to show him respect, and the turnout was nearly complete. Only Abel, the commander of the Earth Dragon Knights, was unable to attend due to pressing matters.

Beyond his kin, Alan reached out to colleagues and old acquaintances in the military. Some of the friends he invited had connections within the capital’s law enforcement, and they, too, helped rally a detachment of officers. Combined with the guards and retainers brought along by the companions Alan usually frequented brothels with, he amassed a force of over a hundred men. Most of them held the strength of at least a knight or a mid-level wizard apprentice, and there were more than a dozen Bronze-rank wizards among them.

Alan had no intention of observing knightly chivalry when dealing with enemy spies; he planned to use every underhanded tactic available. Among his friends was an apothecary whose skill in concocting standard potions was mediocre, but who possessed extraordinary talent for aphrodisiacs and paralytics. The sleeping potion he had recently prepared proved to be perfectly suited for the task.

The party approached the residence used by the Green Phoenix Society for their gathering. Soon, a dozen bottles of sleeping potion were uncapped and lined up against the wind. Blair volunteered to use his sorcery to summon a gentle breeze, slowly wafting the gaseous concoction into the Green Phoenix Society’s contact point.

"Look out!" a loud shout erupted from within shortly afterward.

"Charge!" High Knight Alan reacted instantly. With a command, he activated his Tyrant Body and led the charge, storming into the building. The rest of the team followed closely behind him.

Despite the effects of the potion, the resistance put up by the Green Phoenix Society was stronger than Alan had anticipated. Were it not for the Baal family members who kept their Tyrant Body techniques active, holding the front line and allowing their comrades behind them to attack without fear, the mission would likely have ended in heavy casualties, even if they had succeeded in taking the site.

Fortunately, Alan had prepared thoroughly. By striking with careful planning against an unsuspecting foe, the group managed to suppress the resistance one by one through sheer numbers. However, just as he prepared to decapitate a short, pale-faced man, the situation took a sudden turn.

As his longsword struck, the man vanished, replaced in an instant by another figure with hooked nails, a green face, and sharp fangs!

With the help of his allies, Alan quickly dispatched this monster, which seemed to be roughly at the level of a Bronze-rank wizard. Yet, throughout the fight, he felt a nagging sense of familiarity. It was only after they had destroyed the creature and its nails and fangs receded that Alan realized this was Stein, the wizard he had seen in Dallas City.

Alan was deeply perplexed. He had seen Stein die with his own eyes and had watched Andy bury him—why would he appear here? Were they long-lost twins?

At that moment, the law enforcement officers he had brought were searching the premises. Suddenly, a young man shouted, "Baron! We’ve caught a big fish! The documents here state that the Necrotalker, Arvis, was here!"

"Arvis?" Alan froze, immediately recalling the various rumors he had heard about the Necrotalker at the front lines. Just then, he caught a glimpse of the piles of corpses left behind by the recent battle...

"No! Get out! Now!" Alan roared, but it was already too late.

"Boom! Rumble!" From a large tree not far from the residence, Arvis watched with a gloomy expression as the building was torn apart by his corpse explosion spell, followed by a chain reaction of subsequent blasts.

They had been completely caught off guard by this ambush. Just moments ago, someone had been complaining about how slow Mary was with the takeout order. The next instant, that same person had slumped over, falling into a deep slumber. Arvis had sensed the danger and shouted a warning, but it was too late. Alan and his men had already breached the perimeter, and only three of his associates remained conscious enough to fight. Seeing the numbers and strength of Alan’s force, Arvis knew the battle was lost; resistance was futile.

He had offered only symbolic resistance before using a "Corpse Puppet Substitution" to escape. He hadn't felt much regret sacrificing Stein’s corpse, as it was a recent acquisition and not yet refined to a high degree.

After escaping, Arvis sneered at the residence. He had been frustrated about missing out on a Silver-rank wizard’s corpse earlier, and the loss of this contact point only fueled his rage. If it had to end this way, he would at least make it a blast. He activated every sorcerous specialty at his disposal, triggering a chain of corpse explosions that dealt a crushing blow to Alan and his men, who were still basking in the joy of their victory.

Alan’s forces suffered heavy losses, especially among the Baal family members, who were currently in the cooldown period of their Tyrant Body technique. Of the nine family members who had participated, six were left with nothing but scattered remains; they had been killed by the first explosion and then obliterated by the chain reaction.

The three who survived did so only because they carried various life-saving artifacts, though even they were severely wounded. The military and law enforcement detachments also suffered significant casualties. Ironically, Alan and his band of fair-weather friends were largely unscathed, as these scions of noble houses were always equipped with an array of life-saving scrolls, relics, and enchanted jewelry.

Except for Blair.

Blair Clark had perished before even surviving the first explosion. It was a cruel irony; he had possessed several life-saving items, but his father, Peter Clark, had borrowed them all just the day before.

The massive loss cast a dark shadow over Alan’s operation. The family members were one thing—most were distant relatives who had joined to curry favor with him; with proper compensation and care for their families, Alan could likely preserve his reputation. The military and law enforcement casualties could similarly be managed with generous pensions and potential decorations for valor.

But the death of Blair was a major problem. He was a core member of the Clark family, and his father, Peter Clark, was the likely successor to the clan leadership. The Clarks would undoubtedly demand accountability. If they were to hold a grudge over this, Alan’s plans to secure his own fiefdom would surely encounter new obstacles.

Perhaps the heavens truly favored Alan, for he soon realized he had no need to worry about the matter at all.

The surviving law enforcement officers, searching through the ruins of the residence after the explosions, had discovered some vital intelligence belonging to the Green Phoenix Society!