Midnight Undead Revelry

"My master wants that merchant ship you captured, along with all the prisoners on board, including these four right here."

The soldier pointed at the terrified merchant, captain, first mate, and boatswain, who were frozen in fear, while simultaneously pulling out a glass jar emitting a chilling aura.

"In return, you can have this antidote to save your subordinates who are suffering from intense pain and will die soon. Of course, you can also try to snatch it from me. But I guarantee that before I'm killed, I'll smash this jar and you'll get nothing."

Looking at the jar filled with black and red liquid, Harlett cautiously probed, "Is your master employed by the Roldan Merchant Guild?"

The soldier shook his head without hesitation, "No! My master is not employed by any organization or individual. He just needs a ship and some sailors who can operate it, that's all."

"Not hired? Then how about we change the terms. You give me the antidote, and I'll personally escort your master wherever he wants to go. Of course, once we dock, that merchant ship, along with its expensive cargo and sailors, will all belong to your master. But this young merchant belongs to me."

Harlett attempted to bargain.

After all, Bernard was more than just a "business deal."

It was also related to a series of follow-up plans he had.

Although the moniker "Bloodhand" had earned Harlett a fearsome reputation, it had also brought him countless troubles.

After drifting at sea for so many years, he had grown tired of constantly chasing prey or being chased himself. He wanted to change his identity, go ashore, and operate from behind the scenes.

"I'm sorry, that's not possible. My master does not accept any form of bargaining. You can only choose between agreeing and refusing. Also, I must remind you that ricin is a substance that can destroy and cause the failure of many internal organs. If you delay too long, even taking the antidote might result in permanent disability."

The soldier continued to apply pressure to the other party without changing his expression.

He had received instructions from Zuo Si before revealing himself, and the entire process of threat and negotiation was executed flawlessly.

"Damn it! Fine, you win. These four prisoners, along with the merchant ship and the captured sailors, are all yours now. Give me the antidote."

Seeing more and more of his subordinates succumbing to the agony of the poison and breathing their last, Harlett decisively chose to back down.

He signaled a nearby hobgoblin who hadn't been poisoned to pick up an oil lamp and stand on a relatively dim reef, continuously waving it up and down.

Before long, several small boats carrying a group of bound humans, along with some half-orc pirates guarding them, landed on the shore, stepping through the shallow water.

Although the remaining pirates were shocked to see their comrades writhing in pain on the ground and wanted to ask their captain what had happened, Harlett stopped them with a look and signaled to cut the ropes, handing over all the prisoners to the soldier.

Thus, thirty-eight miraculously surviving sailors were herded behind the soldier, utterly bewildered.

Accompanying them were Captain Bas, the shipowner Bernard, the first mate, and the injured boatswain.

As the two groups met, the former immediately glared at the latter with anger and hatred.

This was because the four high-ranking members of the merchant ship had unhesitatingly abandoned the ordinary crew and chosen to sneak away when danger struck.

If the pirates hadn't been present, they likely would have started fighting immediately.

"You all retreat into the bushes immediately. Remember, no matter what you see later, stay put and don't run around," the soldier whispered his instructions.

As a participant in the entire plan, he knew very well what was about to happen.

These individuals, lacking combat skills and experience, would only become a burden if they stayed.

"Understood! Please rest assured, sir. We will hide in the bushes as you requested and stay put."

A middle-aged sailor, who appeared to be quite authoritative, stepped forward to express his compliance and then led the other sailors into the dark woods.

Captain Bas and the merchant Bernard clearly wanted to say something, but the soldier stopped them and urged them to leave quickly.

After all the prisoners had left the beach, the soldier handed the jar filled with the so-called "antidote" to the hobgoblin who had been waiting for a long time.

With the captain's approval, the hobgoblin immediately began administering a mouthful to each of the unfortunate souls who had been groaning for a long time and were now too weak to do more than whimper.

The effect was immediate!

Every poisoned person who drank it immediately showed an expression of relief, as if their pain had vanished.

But no one noticed that for the next half-minute after drinking the "antidote," their skin would turn an unhealthy pale, and their pupils would emit a chilling, faint glow.

If there had been any spellcasters present, they would have immediately recognized that these poisoned individuals were not truly cured but were undergoing a transformation toward undeath.

Once the body lost its life signs and completely died, it would naturally no longer feel pain.

This meant that the negotiation and transaction just now were essentially a smokescreen deliberately deployed by Zuo Si to confuse the enemy.

He had never intended to let them go from the beginning; instead, he planned to eliminate all the pirates, leaving none behind.

The reason was simple!

Zuo Si felt he was too weak to defeat a pirate ship with over two hundred people on board in a direct confrontation.

And the habits he had cultivated in the Floating City Tower dictated that he would never entrust his safety to the mercy or promises of others.

Therefore, taking advantage of his current advantage to resolve all the pirates once and for all became the only viable option.

Seeing his pirates being "healed" one by one and slowly getting up from the beach, Harlett's anger and killing intent subsided slightly. He narrowed his eyes and probed again, "Who exactly is your master? Why is he on this desolate island? And what does he want with that merchant ship and the prisoners?"

"You want to know your master's true identity?" The soldier's face suddenly broke into a mocking smile. He then tilted his head back to look at the eyeball floating above them and replied meaningfully, "Then try to survive first. Because master has prepared a grand welcoming ceremony for you, our guest. What's about to unfold is a carnival of midnight undead. I hope you enjoy yourself."

The moment the last word fell, the eyeball seemed to activate, emitting an eerie green light.

Immediately after, low growls emanated from the dark woods, grass, and bushes behind them.

In less than half a minute, pirate bodies transformed into zombies through the Animate Dead magic surrounded the entire camp from all directions.

Although their numbers weren't large, only a mere twenty-odd, it made Harlett's heart sink.

He wasn't sure how many more of these Undead Creatures were hidden within the boundless dark jungle.

Especially the "evil mage" who hadn't revealed himself yet, which always made the pirate captain feel intensely uneasy.

As for the Hobgoblins and Ogres who hadn't been poisoned, though they were quite frightened by the scalp-numbing sight before them, they still drew their weapons and prepared for battle.

Just as Harlett was about to order all his subordinates to charge and eliminate these low-level undead, he suddenly noticed that the pirates who had just finished detoxifying were behaving almost identically to Zombies.

They were all slow, sluggish, their eyes flickering with the red light symbolizing the dead.

Damn it!

What they had drunk earlier wasn't a "detoxifier" at all!

Harlett finally realized he had been tricked