"Divine Chosen can be granted?"

Phield pondered for a moment before immediately rejecting the idea.

"If Baron Busby truly possessed the ability to grant Divine Chosen powers, he wouldn’t have died like a stray dog after being instantly crushed."

After finishing her explanation, the woman arrogantly tore open her own clothes, shouting as if completely fearless of death,

"I shall be reborn through blood. To us, death is merely the moment we truly embrace the gods."

The captured townsfolk around her all revealed the expressions of fanatics. One after another, they tore open their clothes as well, kneeling on the ground while muttering strange prayers under their breath.

Phield remained entirely unmoved by their frenzy.

No matter how fanatical they were, could they possibly compare to corrupted corpses?

"Still, the influence of the Shadow World Sect has already seeped into every corner of the Empire."

Rubbing his chin, Phield silently raised his guard.

"Looks like I’ll need to be far more careful when dealing with people in the future. There are definitely far more lunatics in the Empire than I imagined."

"As for what exactly the Shadow World Sect is trying to do... forget it. Knowing too much only makes life miserable. No point thinking about it."

Phield shook his head and cast aside the tangled thoughts in his mind.

"Let’s move. The underground beneath Wind Tour Territory is the real core of this city."

"My lord, what about these freaks?"

Newte hated the cannibalistic madmen to the bone. He looked ready to charge forward and tear them apart on the spot.

"These aren’t normal townsfolk anymore. They need to be dealt with harshly."

"I’ll handle them. Stay rational."

Phield spoke seriously.

"For now, we head underground beneath the castle."

With Tisiana watching the townsfolk from the sky, there was no need to worry about anyone escaping.

Through the minimap, Phield could see a dense cluster of living markers beneath Wind Tour Castle. Judging by the number and concentration, they were clearly not ordinary residents.

"Why the hell are there so many underground tunnels around here? Don’t tell me there’s an entire subterranean world beneath the Empire. What exactly are the Imperial officials doing?"

Muttering a complaint, Phield led the soldiers into the castle and soon discovered a damaged stone wall.

"Cough... damn it, that smell again. Something died in there. A lot of things."

His eyes reddened from the stench as Phield narrowed his gaze toward the jagged black stone walls beyond. The damp air allowed moss to grow wildly everywhere. Miserable cries drifted along the wind and echoed through the darkness.

"This mountain has been hollowed out. There’s definitely something monstrous inside."

Not long after entering the cavern, the space suddenly opened up.

Before them stretched an endless sea of skeletons.

Not the clean white skeletons from stories and plays, but crimson skeletons that looked as though living humans had melted away, still dripping with disgusting blood and flesh. Eagle beasts wandered among them feeding, occasionally pecking scraps of meat from the bones.

"Fuck."

Phield’s scalp tingled with horror.

Cold winds howled through the cavern like the breath of hell itself.

Fortunately, nearby stood a large number of iron cages, many of which still held living people.

Within the underground cavern packed with skeletons, Phield discovered imprisoned travelers and slaves. Including the survivors found within the city, barely over a hundred people had survived.

"No wonder slave prices are skyrocketing. So this worthless baron was the reason."

Phield nearly exploded from anger.

Why was it that these nobles killed people so casually?

A healthy laborer was an incredibly valuable resource.

Only after confirming that the prisoners were innocent victims kidnapped from elsewhere did Phield allow the soldiers to release them.

"Thank you for your mercy and bravery, my lord!"

Two fat merchants dressed in expensive clothing rushed forward, tears streaming down their faces as they cried bitterly.

"My lord, we only came here to trade furs. We never imagined that the servants of that devil, those shameless scum of the Empire, would nearly skin us alive and boil us into soup."

"You’re safe now."

Phield comforted them patiently.

"So... we can leave now?"

The merchants looked at him hopefully.

"Of course not."

Phield laughed.

"You’re now my prisoners, which means you’re slaves of my territory. Go back and work for me. Don’t worry, I won’t skin you alive. Behave well and you’ll quickly regain your original status."

The people imprisoned here were all useful talents. Many were hunters, merchants, and travelers. Slaves were becoming increasingly scarce, so it was the perfect opportunity to bring them back and put them to work.

"Ah?"

The crowd laughed bitterly, though a few people suddenly erupted into excited cheers.

Turning toward the sound, Phield realized they were relatives of Nightfall Domain soldiers. Several lucky soldiers had reunited with their family members, embracing tightly while pouring out their grief and longing.

Unfortunately, such reunions were rare.

Most of the soldiers’ families were already gone.

"Haa... I suppose this is the best outcome we could hope for."

Phield shook his head helplessly.

One soldier hurried over while dragging along his son. His entire body trembled with joy and excitement.

"My lord, this is my son John. He’s a clever boy. Because he knows how to raise eagle beasts, they didn’t eat him immediately."

"Honored Lord Phield, John greets you. Please allow me to wipe the dust from your boots."

The young man, barely an adult, knelt cleanly before Phield and reached out to wipe the dirt from his boots.

Phield disliked this kind of etiquette, but in order to calm these terrified people, he chose to accept it. Nodding with a faint smile, he said,

"Very good. The territory happens to need skilled people. You’ll have your place there."

Seeing that Phield was not cruel or tyrannical, everyone visibly relaxed. One after another, they knelt and bowed to thank him for saving their lives.

Being slaves was still far preferable to being skinned alive and thrown into a cooking pot.

"Oh, right, my lord. There’s something important I must report."

Fear surfaced in John’s eyes as he continued,

"The townsfolk of Wind Tour Territory were not entirely victims. In truth, long before the baron issued the slaughter decree, they were already regularly murdering travelers for money."

"I know."

Phield’s voice was filled with killing intent.

"Don’t worry. They’ll receive the judgment they deserve."

Newte was not so fortunate.

He failed to find his family.

All he discovered among the piles of skeletons was a relic belonging to his mother, a simple copper ring. He sat silently on the ground, tears falling quietly from his eyes.

"You’ve already done well. They would’ve been proud of you."

Looking at the soldier who was normally so strong, Phield spoke with genuine understanding.

"You must keep living. Don’t allow even more misfortune to fall upon us."

Newte slowly stood up and fiercely wiped away his tears.

"I will, my lord. I’ll continue fighting. For the territory, and even more so for Lord Baron!"

The other soldiers were much the same.

They had long grown accustomed to death and were not crushed by the terrible news.

"Search this place and gather every valuable item you can find. Prioritize magical items and gemstones. After that, take the plate armor and weapons. Load everything onto the wagons. Move quickly."

Phield rapidly issued orders.

The soldiers collected some personal relics before leaving the hellish cavern alongside the newly acquired slaves.