Patrolling the Swamp

"What did you do to me?"

"Isabelle asked angrily."

If looks were a knife, Hudson would have been chopped into mincemeat.

Her heart was burning with rage, but her limp body left her with no strength to resist.

She fell into Hudson's arms, her angry eyes now tinged with a hint of allure, making the scene all the more ambiguous.

He reached out and pinched the rosy cheek in front of him, and Hudson said with a smile:

"I'm sorry, Miss Isabelle. You're just too charming; it's impossible not to..."

"Fine, you wouldn't believe the truth anyway. So let me tell you something you'd like to believe!"

I am a timid person by nature.

For safety's sake, until we figure out where you came from, we'll have to make do with you for now.

But you can rest assured, I didn't drug you.

As a knight, I know these basic rules.

I recently learned a little magic trick, but I haven't had a chance to use it yet. So today, I'd like to ask Miss Isabelle to help me test its effects.

Purely negative energy will only temporarily render you powerless to resist; it will not harm your body.

If you answer my questions properly, you'll recover quickly. After all, I do care about women.

The simple introduction, however brief, felt like a plunge into an abyss to Isabelle. She stammered, "..."

"Are you an Undead Mage?"

That's impossible!

How could there be such Magister Undead?

Unless... you... are not Hudson...

The more she thought about it, the more terrifying it became. Isabelle's face turned deathly pale, and in the end, even her voice became intermittent.

If magicians who pursue truth are a group of research fanatics, then Undead Mage are a group of madmen.

Even if she falls into Hudson's hands, Isabelle can still try to save herself.

She believed she had a good grasp of men's thoughts. Without hatred, few could bring themselves to harm a delicate beauty like her.

But when faced with an Undead Magister lived for who knows how many years, beauty is a joke.

Those sorcerers who deal with corpses every day are different; under the corrosive influence of yin energy, their bodies have probably long since lost their functions.

Without her prized assets, Isabelle was just an ordinary woman who performed only slightly better than others.

"Miss Isabelle, some things shouldn't be said carelessly. I'll give you another chance because you're so beautiful."

Which faction does the Mysterious Organization behind you belong to?

If you can't say it directly, that's okay. I'll give you the answers, and you can choose the one that suits you best. If you don't want to answer directly, you can hint at it.

After all, I'm a very sentimental person. How can I introduce business to a friend without first clarifying the identity of the person I'm dealing with?

If you don't object, I'll take that as a yes.

Church?

Frankish Kingdom?

Dante Kingdom?

Or perhaps it was Caesar III?

..."

She rattled off all the major human powers on the Aslant Continent in one breath, but Isabelle showed no reaction.

Hudson frowned, and his large hands became restless, startling Isabelle hurriedly explained, "Sir, I really don't know!"

My communication with this Mysterious Organization has always been through a single point of contact. Aside from the contact person, I know absolutely nothing about its other members.

Based on the missions accomplished over the years, I can only roughly guess that it might be related to the Church. As for whether it's true or not, I really have no way of knowing!

It was clear she was truly terrified. Falling into the hands of an Undead, death wasn't the worst part; what was even more terrifying was that her soul wouldn't find peace even after death.

"I see, so you're just a nobody. It seems that trying to negotiate this interest with you alone will likely yield little result."

Take this pill. Go back and tell your superiors to send someone who can make decisions to come and talk.

After saying that, Hudson fed the pills to Isabel regardless of Isabelle wishes.

Having regained a little strength, Isabelle still dared not move, obediently nestling in Hudson's arms and softly asking, "Sir, what is this pill?"

"Don't worry, this is good stuff. As long as you do as I say, nothing will happen."

This isn't like hundreds of years ago, where we could become friends with people from the Church. Once the deal is done, we'll be strangers.

If you don't behave yourself, I can't really guarantee what will happen next.

Perhaps having another beautiful doll wouldn't be a bad choice. Don't worry, my skills are excellent. Creating a doll can preserve your soul and help you achieve immortality!

Of course, you can also choose to tell the people behind the scenes and take a gamble to see if they have the ability to solve the problems in your body.

"Considering we've known each other, I suggest you speak directly to the Pope. No one else has that ability. Perhaps he can get the Lord of Dawn to personally intervene and resolve this problem for you."

Hudson was bragging to his heart's content.

The fear that ordinary people have of Undead stems more from the unknown. Although Isabelle comes into contact with people of a high social standing, her background as a singer makes it difficult for her to access detailed information about Undead.

According to rumors, the Undead, being a madman, is capable of anything.

They not only experimented on corpses, but also on living people. Creating dolls from living people was a particularly difficult form of magic.

The more casually Hudson spoke, the more terrified Isabelle became. If Undead magic were easy to break, Undead wouldn't have their current great reputation.

"My lord, rest assured! I will handle this matter well and will definitely not let you down!"

With Isabelle gone, Hudson gained another identity Magister: "Undead." It remains to be seen whether this will be enough to fool the Mysterious Organization behind the scenes.

Unfortunately, Isabelle was too clever; even after joining the Mysterious Organization, she didn't inquire about things she shouldn't have known.

To be able to pinpoint the Church as the suspect based on mere superficial information demonstrates strong analytical skills.

The truth behind the scenes remains unknown until it is revealed.

For top-tier powers, it's perfectly normal to go out and cause trouble under someone else's guise.

Frankly, Hudson really hoped the Papacy was Church it all, because that would mean he could sell the Blood Moon Horn for a good price.

If the mastermind is in the Alpha Kingdom, or rather, King Caesar III, then the moment the curtain is lifted will be the moment Hudson himself delivers the goods there.

A reward? That's pure fantasy. Discovering something like the Blood Moon Horn and not immediately handing it over to the boss—you'd be lucky to escape punishment, let alone expect a reward?

On the contrary Magister, the universally despised Church now has more in common. Bearing the title of Undead, they are exactly the partners the Church needs right now.

If they've supported Heretical Cult, it's not surprising that they'd support and fund Undead as well.

The Blood Moon Horn is a hot potato for nobles, but an invaluable treasure for those who practice Undead.

If Magister Undead an "evil weapon" were to cause trouble, the scene would be no less chaotic than the commotion caused by the Skull Society last time.

Especially since it occurred in the sensitive Alpha Kingdom. If things escalate, the Church will definitely have to take the blame.

At a critical moment of Beastfolk invasion, betraying one's own people is a crime that cannot be easily committed.

Once labeled as "traitors to humanity," the already fragmented Church of Dawn will immediately fall apart.

Churches in various regions can legitimately establish separate Church. Even if God is displeased, the first to suffer will be those at the Church headquarters.

It can be said that from the moment they began to claim the title of Magister Undead, the Church had to take back the Blood Moon Horn from Hudson, and the sooner the better.

In the swamp, countless Beastfolk slaves were digging through the silt. Behind them, a group of serfs were reinforcing the silt slopes on both sides.

Slaves did manual labor, while serfs did technical work. The division of labor was clear and distinct.

These are all experiences gained during the development of swamps.

Compared to Beastfolk slaves, serfs generally had a stronger learning ability. Based on the theoretical knowledge provided by Hudson, they quickly developed a set of reinforcement techniques.

Working together significantly improved efficiency compared to working alone; even the serfs' sense of well-being increased dramatically.

Looking at the plots of land that had been divided up, Hudson knew that this year's swamp development target would most likely be far exceeded.

It's not that the workers are working harder; it's simply because the number of people doing the work has increased. The original construction teams numbered over three hundred, but now they've expanded to over five hundred.

The arrival of a large number of serfs and hired laborers injected new momentum into the rapid development of the Mountain Territory.

In the era of manual labor, numbers meant strength. Whether it was mining, mountain reclamation, or swamp development, the pace of progress increased dramatically.

Hudson patted the Young Bear on the head and pointed to a lush green rice paddy, saying, "See that? Beldens."

Those are all your assets. From now on, you are one of the wealthiest bears among the contemporary Earth Bear.

"Now take me for a walk in the swamp, let's see how much land remains undeveloped, so we can plan the next steps."

Hudson had long wanted to explore the swamps. But the bottomless mud was a no-go zone for humans.

Left with no other choice, he had to fool his own bear. Although not a creature of the swamp, Beldens was a formidable name in the area.

The development of the swamp was not without its challenges. The army overseeing the construction suffered numerous attacks from swamp creatures, and repeatedly clashed with these alien beings.

In the end, Beldens intervened, delivering a devastating blow to the invading races. Those creatures that narrowly escaped, now sensing the Earth Bear's presence, immediately turned tail and fled.

Even if it's just the excrement and urine from Beldens, once it's placed there, it's difficult to find any swamp creatures within a radius of several miles.

Unfortunately, every time he went out, it was Beldens Stearns himself who went out to play, and he was completely unwilling to bring Hudson along as a burden.

So much so that even after the swamp has been developed for so long, Hudson only has a rough estimate of the swamp, without any concrete concept of it.

Now that Hudson wants to open up a sea route through this swamp, he won't feel at ease without going out and conducting on-site reconnaissance.

"Hudson, you don't have some big plan again, do you? Let me make it clear first, I'm broke right now. My last savings for my funeral are needed to cover my daily expenses, so don't even think about it."

Beldens said with a wary look on his face.

Its good days ended the moment it was tricked into participating in the Hudson's territory development plan. Having to spend both money and effort, the clever bear brain quickly realized its mistake.

Unfortunately, investments are risky, and once the project funds have been invested, there's no reason to get them back. It's all clearly written in black and white; it's hard to deny it.

Looking at the tens of thousands of acres of fertile land that had been developed, Xiong, unwilling to see his investment go down the drain and Hudson reap all the benefits, finally gritted his teeth and persevered.

Work habits are terrifying. From initial resistance to gradual adaptation, and over time, Beldens got used to coming to work every day to clock in.

Having learned from past experiences, Beldens was extremely careful with its reserves.

Aside from its daily expenses, it has no interest in any other investments.

"Don't worry, Mr. Beldens. The swamp development funds haven't run out yet, so you don't need to invest any more capital."

According to my plan, we will soon be able to break even. You don't need to worry about my management skills at all.

I'm just going out for a stroll to check the area of this swamp and observe the surrounding terrain.

Avoid dangerous areas. Let's take the shortest route and check out the beach first.

Hudson tried to convince them.

To be honest, even Xiong Xin is speechless. How did the trust between humans and "bears" become like this?

Looking at Beldens's hesitant expression, Hudson couldn't help but sigh inwardly: It's not always a good thing when your combat partner is too intelligent.

It's likely that the "Beast Knights" of the Aslant Continent have had their share of headaches over this issue. There are quite a few knights who have been rendered humiliated by their own magical beasts.

No matter how many troubles there are, they can't dampen everyone's desire for Warcraft. Having an extra combat partner isn't just about increasing strength; it's like having an extra life on the battlefield.

If you lose a battle, having Magical Beast Mount will make it easier to escape.

Based on past experience in Continental War, the casualty rate of Magical Beast Knight has always been the lowest. Unless they are extremely unlucky and get entangled by a strong enemy, they can generally escape.

"Don't worry, Hudson! I know this place like the back of my hand."

"With me here to protect you, as long as you don't do anything reckless, you'll be safe."

Beldens patted his chest and gave a confident assurance.

Look at that smug expression, it's clearly telling Hudson: Lord Bear is very powerful, hurry up and praise me!