The Bandits

After some experimentation, Olivia and Lin had more or less figured out how to use this Strange Object.

Its power was formidable. Its main ability was "animation"—it could animate and control all living things within hundreds of meters, and even inanimate objects.

For example... it had animated that chair earlier, making the chair "give birth" to the wooden staff.

At the same time, it also came with some flesh-and-blood spells and the ability to heal.

With this scepter in hand, Lin could even dare to fight the High Priest.

It was a transcendent item entirely beyond their current level!

And perhaps because it had been purified, its side effects weren't particularly severe.

"Hmm, let's call it the 'Scepter of Flesh.' I think I understand its side effects... It'll gradually make its bearer and the people nearby develop a fetish for objects, and it'll get worse and worse. It can't be eliminated or treated... Wearing gloves won't help, either."

Lin forced herself to look away, resisting the urge to touch the Scepter of Flesh. Her voice trembled as she spoke.

"Indeed... Its side effects aren't too strong. Compared to its effects, they're practically negligible... We just need to be strong-willed, strong-willed..."

Olivia coughed. "We'd better put it away as soon as possible..."

Lin found a long, narrow box. The moment she shut it, they both let out a long breath.

"This belongs to our Lord!"

Lin thought for a moment, then said solemnly.

Although the scepter's power came mainly from the Scarlet Moon, its Forger was the Spirit of Void!

"Yes, this is a gift from our Lord!"

Olivia said, beaming with joy.

"I'd like to offer it to our Lord, but our Lord still won't accept physical sacrifices from us..."

Lin sighed wistfully.

Scarlet. Blood...

Ancient trees, branches, dangling entrails...

High in the night sky, a scarlet eye...

"Huff, huff..."

Aaron sat up in bed and rubbed his ears. They were ringing, but the sound was gradually fading. After resting for a while, he felt much better.

"Is this the Scarlet Moon's influence?"

He murmured to himself, "Although the contamination has been washed away... I'll have to overcome the mental impressions and effects on my own..."

"I actually managed to fight the Scarlet Moon. I guess my latent mystical status is pretty high... Even if it was only in a dream."

Lin's adventure this time had been far too reckless.

Even just thinking about it made Aaron break out in a cold sweat. His followers had nearly all been wiped out, which would have left him back in his former state, all alone like a wandering ghost.

He rang the bell to summon Daili, got dressed, and headed to the dining room for breakfast.

Aaron's life was quite regimented now. He got up early each day to exercise, dealt with some official business, and before long it was afternoon, when he would take a nap.

After that, he went out to inspect his territory. Once he had dinner, he retired early, rarely taking part in the nightlife that nobles loved to talk about.

All in all, he spent as much time as possible in the dream world.

After all, that was where the extraordinary and the mystical came from!

Compared to the extraordinary, what did mundane power amount to?

Especially after experiencing that mystical power firsthand, Aaron thought even less of this shabby little place called Green Forest.

In this world, nothing could compare to the joy of pursuing the extraordinary.

And as long as he stayed on this path, even if he couldn't attain immortality, he'd have few regrets.

"At least... I'm doing something I'm interested in..."

After finishing his breakfast of fruit salad, Aaron took a napkin and wiped his mouth before heading to the office.

Eight-Fingers was waiting at the door. He clearly had something to report.

"What happened?"

Aaron rubbed his brow, feeling as though trouble never stopped brewing in his territory.

It had already been over a month since the incident with Knight Yiman.

Perhaps time flew by when a person had nothing to do.

Aaron was now keenly aware that he didn't have enough time.

"Some bandits seem to have been roaming around Blackstone Territory lately. Last night, they broke into Dave's garden, beat him up, and stole a lot of vegetables and grain..."

Eight-Fingers bowed as he spoke.

"A band of roving bandits?"

Aaron thought it over. "Could the security battles all over Upper Green Forest lately have forced them to keep moving?"

There were plenty of people in this era who couldn't make a living. It was no surprise that they turned to banditry.

Some farmers even worked their fields as usual, then became robbers or thugs when the right opportunity came along!

It was all for survival!

Ordinary lords dealt with criminal gangs passing through by capturing them if they could. If they couldn't, they drove them into someone else's territory and called it a day.

Aaron was just a little more conscientious, so he had a dedicated sheriff and patrol squad.

"Eight-Fingers..."

He looked at Eight-Fingers with a faint smile. "Can't you catch those little rats? From what I remember, your former line of work should make it easy for you to blend in with them and gather plenty of information."

Eight-Fingers used to be a thief, so it should have been easy for him to get along with bandits—or at least hear the latest news.

At that, Eight-Fingers could only smile ruefully. "When I first started following you, I swore in Grandmother's name that if I ever went back to running with them, Winter Wolf could take me away! These wandering bandits are often more vicious than local ones. After committing a crime, they hide in the mountains or flee to another territory, so it's very hard to track them down... I've heard that the leader of this band is nicknamed 'Wild Wolf.' He's a notorious bandit who's been famous in Upper Green Forest for years. They say he's also connected to some savage villages..."

"In that case, I'll send Sanchez over with ten men to help you, equipped with shortbows and leather armor..."

Aaron quickly wrote out an order and handed it to Eight-Fingers. "Don't disappoint me, my sheriff!"

"Leave it to me, my lord!"

Eight-Fingers thumped his chest and strode away.

Aaron watched him go, nodding, then shaking his head. He was about to get started on his daily exercise.

Beyond the manor.

A wandering farmer saw Eight-Fingers leave and immediately slipped into a nearby house. At the back window, he secretly released a raven.

The night raven flew to the edge of Blackstone Territory and landed in a dark forest.

A huge hand grabbed it and took the note from it. "Boss, the carrier raven brought word. It seems that lord isn't planning to act in person..."

His boss was a towering man, two and a half meters tall. He sat on a boulder like a giant, gnawing on a deer leg bone.

The man had a high nose and deep-set eyes, and three claw marks that looked as if they'd been left by a beast slashed across one cheek. At the report, he stood up. "Looks like we haven't caused enough damage... I'll take action myself tonight and teach that little brat a lesson he won't forget. Hahaha..."

Only a handful of people in the Wild Wolf Bandit Group knew that they had been receiving funding all along and were weapons in the hands of certain people.

Now, their masters had ordered them to deal with the Baron of Blackstone!