Chapter 1120 (2/2)

Lord Miln stilled. His eyes were strangely haunted as he stared fixed at Lady Iellaya. “What a novel theory. That I would covet the body of a Heretic.”

“Just private speculation. Please, forgive me if I’ve overstepped.” Lady Iellaya barred her teeth toward Lord Miln. “Even with a body and reunited with his images… there is no possibility that this man would be a threat to you, right? What is the harm in allowing me this?”

The atmosphere became increasingly cold. Once more, Cail Tweocs chuckled, a little louder this time. Abiodun gave Yggdrasil a meaningful look that said something like, ‘this is all we can do for you. Please take this chance.’

Yggdrasil shook his leafy canopy in amusement. Truly, what a farce.

While the heavy atmosphere remained heavy, Yggdrasil took a step forward and entered into that powerful battle of wills. “...before we decide anything, I would advise that neither of you jumps to conclusions. Wasn’t it part of the original deal that you would use the array around the body to check the status of the Grim Chimera image?”

Both powerful figures blinked at Yggdrasil.

“...is there any meaning to doing that? Even I cannot stand against the forces of a Nether King,” Lord Miln said with a twist of his mouth. “The image has definitely died.”

Yggdrasil performed a short bow and clasped two branches together. “Then I suppose there is no harm in checking. Please.”

Lord Miln sighed. Lady Iellaya remained silent, but she was looking at Yggdrasil with a burning intensity as her feathers slowly fluffed upward. Her eyes begged him to allow the new deal she was arguing for come to pass rather than pursuing this foolishness. Because once Lord Miln followed the request, he would be much less willing to agree to another.

Yggdrasil didn’t waver. He had faith. He had been told to ready himself, and now it was time for him to act.

Hopefully, I’m reading this right. Yggdrasil admitted to himself inwardly.

“Fine then.” Lord Miln turned away from his desk and scanned the rows of pods behind him. His eyes flicked back and forth for a few seconds, but then he smiled wickedly at one in particular. He raised his hand and swirls of purple energy gathered around his hand. With a light gesture, those swirls of energy formed a complex series of geometric lines and flowed toward the pod in question.

Those strange purple energy glyphs flowed into the pod, and-

...nothing happened.

Lord Miln blinked. Then he coughed awkwardly and made another series of sharp gestures with his hand. This time when the purple glyphs formed, they were much more brilliant and blinding; these had been loaded up with power. With a flick, they flowed forward. But again, when these glyphs sank into the pod, nothing happened.

“The pod failed…?” Lord Miln muttered. Then he turned his sharp gaze toward Yggdrasil. Although the glance was laden with suspicion and killing intent, Yggdrasil did not waver. He simply remained in his half-bow position and let Lord Miln come to his own conclusions.

Slowly, Lord Miln settled down. He turned toward Cail. “Master Tweocs… it seems the body has managed to cut off the bindings of the pod. I am unsure how this would be possible… but it might mean he has a few tricks up his sleeve. Can I trouble you to suppress anything that he attempts.”

“Of course,” Cail Tweocs piped up with glimmering eyes. “I have long wished to meet Randidly Ghosthound. This is just… some extra anticipation. Hehehe…. I do hope he has something extraordinarily special planned for this. Otherwise… well, I have been told my disappointment is disastrous for those who betray my faith…”

Yggdrasil shivered. But he believed. The main body knew what he was doing.

Much more assured now that he had Cail Tweocs’ agreement, Lord Miln moved. For the first time since Yggdrasil had seen him, Lord Miln left his desk and walked directly over toward the offending pod, which continued to stand completely unresponsive. Once he was right in front of it, Cail tried to open it once more with the purple energy. The sigils disappeared once more without a trace. Shaking his head, Lord Miln began to conjure a set of heavy purple armor for himself out of that same energy.

When he bristled like a lavender fortress of neon light, he reached around the side of the pod and engaged a hidden mechanism. There was a terrible grinding noise as Lord Miln forced the gears to move, and then there was a light pop as the pod cracked open.

Energy crackled outward as a dense wave of Nether spread outward. The air began to vibrate and warp. The metal of the pod hissed and steamed as the energy rushed outward and immediately began to corrode the surrounding pods. Alarmed, Lord Miln took several steps backward and glared at the opening.

The hissing slowed to a sigh as more and more slate-grey smoke billowed out of the opened pod. Snorting, Cail Tweocs waved his hand. “These sort of amateur tricks…!”

A gust of wind whipped away all of the smoke, revealing the contents of the pod to everyone present.

Lord Miln’s jaw dropped. “The body… is gone…?”