"Lady Maria."
"Hmm?"
"Xu Yuan must die, my lady."
Maria came back to herself. She looked at Elinda kneeling before her, then at the subordinates gathered around her, and suddenly gave a mocking laugh.
"You want him dead that badly?"
"My lady, Henry and I are linked in mind and spirit, but I can't sense him anymore. Xu Yuan must have killed him."
Elinda shuffled forward on her knees, wrapped both hands around Maria's legs, and prostrated herself at her feet, sobbing.
"Please, my lady, take action for us."
"We cannot let such a villain live."
"If you kill him, I'll offer you my soul! I'll serve you forever!"
Maria looked utterly indifferent. Only when Elinda said "offer you my soul" did she show a flicker of interest.
"Really?"
She asked with a faint, unreadable smile.
"Of course. I won't go back on my word," Elinda said loudly.
Poor lamb.
Anger and hatred had clouded her mind and driven her to say such a thing.
She did not even know what "offering her soul" entailed.
But—
Killing Xu Yuan would help intimidate the others, bolster her subordinates' morale, and make the excavation go more smoothly.
Xu Yuan...
Huh?
She could no longer sense him.
She could not even sense the ocular technique she had placed on him.
There was only one explanation—
He had entered an Alternate Universe.
—It seemed the ocular technique had indeed ensnared him, sending him into the Black Coffin to risk his life for her.
Now she would see what he was worth.
The ocular technique contained the location of that treasure, which she could not retrieve herself.
If he made any progress tonight, she would kill Elinda.
If he made none all night, that would prove even Teleportation could not retrieve the treasure.
Then he