Chapter 440 - 140: You Beast, Lynch Blackwood

Chapter 440: Chapter 140: You Beast, Lynch Blackwood

"AHHH!!"

"It hurts! My head feels like it’s splitting open!"

"Help me! Just kill me!"

For a time, mournful wails rose and fell one after another.

These young masters and misses were accustomed to a life of luxury. When had they ever suffered like this?

Under the intense pain, things like composure or shame were long forgotten. They were either writhing violently on the ground or screaming while clutching their heads. Some were even streaming tears and snot, in too much pain to even muster the strength to beg for mercy.

And Lynch?

He casually found a clean reef rock, took out a tent from his Space Ring, and set it up. Then, he lit a bonfire, placed an iron pot over the flames, and began to cook a fragrant mushroom and fish soup.

While the soup simmered, he even skewered a few pieces of marinated meat and roasted them over the fire until they were sizzling and dripping with fat, their aroma filling the air.

’Ugh... It’s a shame Sea Song isn’t here. There’s no one to give me a shoulder rub.’

Lynch sat on a folding chair, contentedly blowing on the steaming fish soup. He took a delicious sip and couldn’t help but sigh to himself.

’I’m so used to having Sea Song wait on me. It feels a little strange not having her around.’

His leisurely demeanor was a stark contrast to the group of captives next to him, who were all in a state worse than death.

About an hour later, when the students from the Imperial Capital were on the verge of a mental breakdown from the torment of the Nether Flame, Lynch finally showed some mercy and waved his hand. "Red Rabbit, that’s enough."

The three-headed hellhound’s three heads inhaled at once. The Nether Flame clinging to the captives immediately floated up, transforming into wisps of green smoke that were sucked back into its mouths.

"Now, can we talk?"

Lynch set down his soup bowl and picked up a crystal-clear Magic Crystal from his side, tossing it playfully in his hand.

The Magic Crystal was clearly replaying the events from just a moment ago.

From Carl’s arrogant declaration that "might makes right," to him directing everyone to surround and attack Lynch, and even his plan to "blame Lynch’s death on the island’s Magical Beasts"... every single detail was recorded in the Magic Crystal, crystal clear.

Without a doubt, this was the evidence Baring had secretly recorded earlier.

With this little toy, no matter how Lynch retaliated—even if he "accidentally" killed someone—it would be considered reasonable self-defense, completely avoiding any potential squabbling later on.

The captives shivered miserably, their gazes toward Lynch filled with fear.

And when Lynch’s gaze swept over them, they all turned to look at Carl on the muddy ground, the resentment in their eyes almost palpable.

’It’s all this idiot’s fault!’

’If he hadn’t insisted on provoking this monster, how would we have ended up in this situation?’

"L-Lynch..." Carl could no longer care about any noble dignity. His face caked in mud, he begged, "As long as you’re willing to let us go, we’ll pay a ransom. Any amount!"

"Ransom?" Lynch laughed. "Oh, you’ll definitely be paying a ransom. But before that..."

He shook the Magic Crystal in his hand, his tone turning dangerous. "Why don’t you first tell me what your instructors told you to do? Grand Mage Buddy, and the higher-ups at your Imperial Capital Academy... what exactly are they plotting?"

Everyone looked at each other, not daring to speak.

Lynch just chuckled. The three-headed hellhound, Red Rabbit, immediately cooperated by taking a step forward, all three of its heads opening their mouths to let out a series of threatening low growls.

"I’ll talk! I’ll talk!"

Someone immediately broke down, clutching his head and crying for mercy.

It was the Tier Two Fire Mage from before.

He cried out, "It was Grand Mage Buddy! He told us to work with... with Carl, to team up and take you out first, to get you eliminated! And then to go after the other elites from Hurst Academy. He said we absolutely had to make sure Hurst got the worst results in the joint examination."

"Yes, yes!" another student chimed in. "Grand Mage Buddy also said that the Imperial Capital Academy wants to merge with Hurst Academy, and this joint exam is the key. As long as Hurst performs poorly, the Empire’s Noble Council will have a reason to push for the merger!"

Seeing that his companions had confessed, Carl gave up all resistance and spilled everything he knew. "That’s right! It’s what Grand Mage Buddy and the Noble Committee want. They want Hurst’s Undead System legacy, and the deep resources your academy has accumulated over hundreds of years... No matter what, Hurst Academy must completely lose face in the joint exam. Then they can logically proceed with absorbing it!"

"Very good."

Lynch nodded in satisfaction and put away the Magic Crystal.

With this, the mission Instructor Annabella had given him was more than halfway complete.

"Well then..." He stood up, dusted himself off, and a demonic smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. "Next, it’s time to discuss the matter of compensation."

"C-Compensation?" Carl stammered, stunned.

"Of course." Lynch pointed at the bone fragments scattered on the ground. "You killed so many of my Skeleton Soldiers, so many of my Black Corpses. These were all elites that I worked so hard to cultivate. It felt good killing them, didn’t it? But the compensation afterward... how could you possibly get away without it?"

He held up three fingers. "One elite Skeleton Servant, we’ll call it three hundred Gold Coins. One Tier One Skeleton Warrior, eight thousand. As for the Tier Two Black Corpses... seeing as you’re students, I’ll give you a discount. Fifty Thousand Gold Coins each. For the ones you just shattered, I did a rough calculation... hmm, the total comes to three hundred eighty-six thousand Gold Coins. I’ll drop the change for you. Let’s make it an even three hundred eighty thousand Gold Coins."