"Impossible..." Black Mountain gritted his teeth. "I'm a Second Ring... You're only a One-Ring..."
"You're noisy," Lynn said.
He crooked a finger, and Black Mountain was lifted into the air.
The Shadow Armor finally shattered. Pieces of black armor peeled off Black Mountain like a crab being stripped of its shell.
Black Mountain struggled, but his limbs felt nailed in place.
"Where's Lin Chen?" Lynn asked.
Black Mountain's face turned crimson. A rasp came from his throat, and he could barely open his mouth.
Lynn eased his grip slightly. The pressure on Black Mountain loosened enough for him to speak.
"He... he fell into the River Styx."
Black Mountain gasped for breath.
"I found that black pearl in a ruin in the Shadow Realm. It was a single-use item that opened a passage to the Netherworld, but I don't know where it led... I really don't..."
"Where's that River Styx node?"
"It's gone... Once the pearl broke, it was gone... The node was already on the verge of collapse. I kept it for twenty years and never dared use it. After using it today, it's completely spent..."
Lynn's fingers tightened.
"So you threw my son into the River Styx through a rift that could collapse at any moment, and now you're telling me you don't know where he went."
Black Mountain shook his head frantically.
"I really don't know! River Styx nodes connect at random. It could have led anywhere in the Netherworld... I'd gain nothing by lying to you..."
Lynn fell silent for a moment, doubtful of Black Mountain's words.
Could that old bastard really open a path to the Netherworld?
Words could lie. Souls could not.
Lynn raised his left hand, and a small gray-white flame formed in his palm.
The flame flickered quietly, warping the air around