Chapter 124: The Solvent Machine Found
“What happened to you?” Abyss asked, surprised by Titus’s sooty and somewhat comical appearance.
Titus held up his singed scarf, his blackened face contorted in a wry smile. “Don’t ask. You wanted to find Lannis, right? Well, she’s here, with that solvent-producing machine. I found the machine, and when I tried to touch it, she attacked me. Fortunately, she didn’t intend to kill me, just gave me a little warning.”
“Lannis, is that the eccentric but kind halfling lady?” a child asked timidly.
“Hmm? You know her too?” Abyss turned to the child.
The child nodded. “Mr. Eugene brought her here. He said she had to stay and produce ten times the amount of potions he lost in the explosions before she could leave. She’s locked in the basement. She comes up for meals, and Mr. Weeks watches her eat before sending her back down. Sometimes, she shares her food with those of us who haven’t eaten enough… And Mr. Weeks only watches her, he doesn’t dare bother her, so he leaves us alone.”
“I see, so Eugene captured her,” Titus said, wiping his face with his singed scarf, leaving streaks of soot. “I had a feeling something was off when I met her. She was overly enthusiastic when I asked her to bomb the Goat Eyes Gang’s warehouses.”
“Well, I’m eager to meet her now. She seems interested in that machine, and I have some important questions for her,” Abyss said, nodding with a smile. “Now, let’s get these children out of here. Mr. Eugene, their employer, is probably still asleep or enjoying himself. I’ve made sure none of his men here can report back to him.”
“Your magic is truly impressive, Mr. Abyss. You must be much older than you appear,” Titus said, looking at Abyss with admiration. In his eyes, Abyss was now an all-powerful sorcerer.
He had seen Abyss manipulate objects from afar, likely an advanced application of wind magic. Ordinary Elemental mages couldn’t control wind with such precision. They were usually limited to creating gusts of wind, manipulating air pressure, or, at best, forming wind blades to inflict cutting damage. But Abyss had used wind magic to dissect a mech! Those machines were made of high-grade alloys, not easily cut by ordinary wind blades!
And with a single word, he had commanded the enemy’s thugs, making them obey his every command. This must be some kind of mind control magic, altering their thoughts, making them subconsciously recognize Abyss as their master.
And catching the mech’s punch, which carried the force of several tons, barehanded… Titus couldn’t fathom how he achieved it. Perhaps it was some kind of hardening spell used by Transformation mages, temporarily making his body incredibly dense, transferring the impact force directly to the ground.
Mastering so many schools of magic at such a high level, this young man was a rare talent indeed. The more Titus thought about it, the more he felt like he had stumbled upon a treasure, the kind most people wouldn’t encounter in a lifetime.
Damn it, why didn’t he have a sister? He could have arranged a marriage between her and this powerful mage, securing a valuable ally for life!
Fortunately, Abyss was unaware of his thoughts. Otherwise, he would have been disappointed. The telekinesis and the mech dissection were actually the work of his invisible ghost servants. His gestures weren’t spellcasting but commands to his undead. And the “mind control” Titus had witnessed was just ordinary illusion magic. But Abyss, being a necromancer, had a habit of combining multiple spells. He had layered several illusions, making the thugs exceptionally obedient. As for catching the mech’s punch, he hadn’t even used magic. It was Leona’s rapidly increasing affection for him that had granted him superhuman strength.
And as for a sister, even if Titus had one, Abyss wasn’t interested. He preferred the company of peaceful and quiet corpses.
The children, although apprehensive, followed Abyss out of the factory, encouraged by his reassuring words. Titus, at Abyss’s signal, summoned his men from the surrounding area.
Seeing the children’s lingering anxiety, Abyss commanded the mind-controlled Goat Eyes gang members at the gate to perform a juggling act for them. Although their skills were amateurish, the children, witnessing these once-menacing thugs transformed into docile puppies, gradually relaxed.
The Black Hats gang members were surprised to see their boss return with a group of children, but they didn’t question him. They didn’t care about his plans, as long as they followed his orders.
The children were safely evacuated under the cover of darkness. No one in the vicinity noticed anything unusual. The Goat Eyes Gang remained oblivious. Having accomplished his task cleanly and efficiently, Abyss followed Titus back into the factory.
…
It was clear that Eugene cherished his machine. The basement beneath the factory was deep and heavily fortified, designed to withstand earthquakes and explosions. Abyss and Titus descended a clean, dry staircase, reaching a thick stone door, half-open, revealing two unconscious Goat Eyes gang members with greenish faces.
“The machine is in there. They probably have more guards and tighter security during the day, but at night, it’s just these two sleepy idiots. I gave them each a tranquilizer dart. It was beautiful,” Titus said with a mischievous grin, showing Abyss the miniature crossbow strapped to his wrist. “Once we meet Lannis, perhaps you can convince that explosives-loving maniac to cooperate. She seems to think that machine belongs to her.”
Abyss nodded. Explosions didn’t faze him.
The stone door was only slightly ajar. Abyss calculated the gap. It was too narrow to enter comfortably. He would have to squeeze through sideways.
That didn’t appeal to him. He reached out, attempting to pull the door open.
“Ahahaha! You gray-haired fool, you’ve fallen for my trap! I touched that door already!”
A voice boomed from behind them, and the spot where Abyss’s hand touched the door exploded!
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