Counterattack

"Dio Skalboom..."

Confusion flickered across the snakewoman Sasha's face. Then realization struck. "Skalboom! You're the one the Grand Overlord is looking for—one of the four who escaped from the Shadow Labyrinth..." Fear spread across her face.

Bai Xiaowen had only given his first name before, so Sasha had not made the connection. Names were often shared, after all. Nor could she equate this seemingly weak human with one of the four powerful humans from the Shadow Labyrinth.

Now that she knew his full name and had seen his strength, Sasha finally understood. She backed away involuntarily. As an Elite Template Snakefolk, she felt instinctively intimidated by a "legendary" human powerhouse.

Bai Xiaowen smiled and nodded. He could not break the sharkskin ropes binding him with his own strength, but with the Shadow Assassin's help, a flick of a dagger cut him free.

Bai Xiaowen punched the approaching slave warrior Abiwen, folding him up like a shrimp. He grabbed Abiwen by the hair, dragged him over, and dumped him on the ground like a dead dog. "Ms. Sasha, you have two choices. First, tell me everything you know about the Wogata Tribe, and you live. Second, I search your memories by force for what I want to know. Believe me, the second choice won't end well for you."

Sasha suppressed her trembling and forced herself to sound calm. "What would happen?"

"Nothing much. You'd become an idiot... and die suddenly sometime afterward."

Doubt appeared in Sasha's eyes.

Bai Xiaowen smiled. "Don't doubt a necromancer's ability to tamper with souls. Here, I'll show you."

Butcher hauled Abiwen off the ground. Bai Xiaowen pressed a hand to Abiwen's forehead, and light flashed from the Spell Talisman in his palm as the Heart-Confounding Talisman entered Abiwen's body.

The check passed easily. The Vogata Slave