Chapter 330 - 124: Mentor Annabella and the Junior Sister Have Arrived

Chapter 330: Chapter 124: Mentor Annabella and the Junior Sister Have Arrived

To Lynch’s slight relief, Esther’s existence was highly unusual. She seemed to operate independently of his Undead Domination System, not consuming any of his precious Commanding Power.

In return, however, you couldn’t expect her to command other Skeletons and Black Corpses in battle. She had absolutely no interest in those Low Tier Undead.

Therefore, Lynch had always defined her role as a personal bodyguard and high-level enforcer.

Moreover, a Tier Five Vampire, according to some records he’d found on the ranks of the Blood Race, should have reached the level of a "Vampire Baron," right? And it seemed that a Baron-level member of the Blood Race could already...

Just as Lynch’s mind was racing over Esther’s promotion.

Esther unexpectedly bent down again and, with a CHOMP, bit the female assassin on the neck once more.

This time, however, it didn’t seem to be to drink blood.

The female assassin felt a strange, searing heat at the wound, followed by a cold liquid that flowed from those sharp teeth, injected into her blood vessels, and spread rapidly throughout her body.

’Is this... The Embrace?!’

Lynch’s eyes lit up.

He had just been thinking that he’d heard that once members of the Blood Race reached the Baron level, they gained the ability to create lesser members of their kind.

Under the female assassin’s pale skin, dark red, web-like veins faintly appeared, spreading out before quickly fading away moments later.

And her life force, which had grown faint from excessive blood loss, stabilized in an eerie fashion.

Her life force had changed, however, now carrying a trace of the same blood-energy fluctuations as Esther. Her pupils also quietly took on a faint, blood-red hue.

After completing the first Embrace of her vampiric existence, Esther seemed to have expended a great deal of energy. Her small face, which had been glowing with vigor from her promotion to Tier Five, now looked completely drained.

After releasing her fangs, her small body swayed, her bat-like wings drooped, and she looked as if all her vitality had been sucked away.

Although her aura was still at the Tier Five level, that feeling of overwhelming power had diminished significantly.

’Looks like performing an Embrace takes a huge toll on her. Right now, she probably can’t even exert her full pre-promotion combat strength. She’ll need a good long rest.’

Lynch mused to himself. ’It seems creating lesser kin isn’t without a cost for a Vampire Baron. Besides consuming a massive amount of blood energy, it probably involves something deeper.’

Just then, the female assassin slowly stood up.

Her once-seductive eyes were now ringed with crimson, and a tremor originating from deep within her bloodline now controlled her.

She walked over to Esther, knelt on one knee, and lowered her head. "Shadow Assassin ’Nightingale’ greets you, Master."

Her attitude was respectful and devout.

This scene left Lynch quite satisfied.

Although he felt no mental link or contract with this newly-minted Tier Four Vampire assassin, as Esther’s fledgling, her loyalty was clearly bound to Esther—and Esther listened to him completely.

Basically, this meant he had gained another intelligent, high-level enforcer and infiltrator capable of carrying out complex tasks independently.

Due to the racial traits of the Blood Race, she would naturally have an advantage in stealth, speed, perception, and certain unusual abilities. He believed she would be even more formidable than before.

As expected, Esther seemed completely uninterested in the "Nightingale" kneeling before her. She just babbled a few indistinct words, pointing a small hand in Lynch’s direction. The general meaning was something like, "You... listen to... my dad... from now on... *whimper*~"

After speaking, she yawned again, her small body tilted, and she rolled into her crystal coffin, falling asleep instantly.

"Yes, Master."

Nightingale respectfully accepted the command and turned her gaze to Lynch. She knelt on one knee again, her posture just as submissive. "Nightingale greets you, Master. I am willing to serve you and obey all your commands."

Gaining an intelligent, Tier Four Blood Race assassin as a subordinate was, of course, a source of secret delight for Lynch. She was far more valuable than another clumsy Tier Four Black Corpse.

On the surface, however, he remained impassive, maintaining the calm and detached demeanor befitting the "Lord of Lakefront Town" and the "Dominator of Death." He asked casually, "Now, how about you give me a proper introduction?"

This time, Nightingale naturally couldn’t offer the slightest resistance or conceal anything.

Remaining in her kneeling posture, she began to explain everything. "Reporting to Master, I belong to the Pan-Continent assassin and intelligence organization, the Hand of Shadow. My codename is ’Nightingale,’ and I am one of the organization’s mid-level operatives in the Grimsby Empire’s Southwest Province region."

"This mission came as a direct assignment from the Imperial Capital. I was originally taking orders from a contact under His Highness the Third Prince."

"After His Highness, the Seventh Prince, Augustus, was ambushed and went missing in the Red Ridge Mountain area, His Highness the Third Prince became extremely ’concerned’ about the matter. I was ordered to leave the Imperial Capital and come to the Southwest Province. My mission was to investigate whether Prince Augustus was alive or dead, and... if alive, his current whereabouts and condition."

"After arriving in the Red Ridge Mountain area, I didn’t come directly to Lakefront Town. I first went to see the commander of the North Wind Legion’s Gray Rock Battle Group."

"He mentioned that Lakefront Town and its ruler—that is, you, Master—have risen rapidly in the past year or two, and word of you has reached their ears. They noticed you have a deputy named ’Aus’ who is astute and capable, skilled in internal affairs and logistics, but his origins are somewhat vague."

"After a preliminary investigation, certain habits and behaviors of this Aus, as well as the disposition he occasionally reveals... have many points of consistency with the missing Seventh Prince, Augustus."

"Therefore, I came here."

As Nightingale spoke, Lynch listened in silence, his fingers tapping on the tabletop.

’The Third Prince? The Gray Rock Battle Group? Heh... It’s been so long since Aus’s ambush. Have the undercurrents finally begun to surface?’

However, he was no longer the destitute Necromancer apprentice who had first arrived in Lakefront Town with nothing to his name.

Now, he commanded an Undead Army, was backed by the ancient Legend known as "Mother," his own strength was steadily increasing, and he had all of Lakefront Town as his foundation...

Even if Aus’s identity as the Seventh Prince, Augustus, were completely exposed, for Lynch, it would merely mean shifting from "secret protection" to "open support." While it would bring more trouble, it wouldn’t necessarily be all bad.

Just as Lynch was about to ask for more details.

Suddenly, a loud, piercing cry tore through the tranquil night sky of Lakefront Town.

"Hm?"

Lynch paused.

’Is that... the cry of a Griffin?’

He couldn’t help but frown slightly. ’A Griffin flight is arriving this late?’

「At the same time.」

Halfway up the mountain in Lakefront Town, at the Griffin Station.

Two sturdy Griffins with glossy coats had just landed, and specialized handlers immediately came forward to soothe them and feed them fresh meat.

Dismounting from the Griffins’ backs were two females, one older and one younger.

The one in the lead had a more mature disposition.

She had delicate features, a cascade of golden hair, and blue eyes as clear as lake water. A well-tailored Mage Robe accentuated her stunning and sensual figure.

Just by standing there, she naturally exuded a mature and powerful aura.

This was none other than Lynch’s mentor, the pillar of the Undead System—Annabella.

Following behind her was a young girl who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old.

She wore an apprentice’s magic robe, had short, flaxen-colored hair, and her face still had a touch of baby fat that had yet to fade.

At this moment, her eyes were wide with curiosity and excitement as she gazed down at the streets of Lakefront Town at the foot of the mountain.

"So this is Senior Brother Lynch’s Lakefront Town? It looks... so lively, so full of energy~"

Ever since she had entered the academy, she had grown up hearing all sorts of legends about Senior Lynch... like how he had made a stunning comeback in the academy’s assessments... or how, as a Necromancer, he had gained a firm foothold on the frontier and won one victory after another...

On top of that, her mentor Annabella would also occasionally mention her prized student, talking about both his excellence and his "knack for getting into trouble."

Because of all this, she had long since painted a larger-than-life image of him in her mind.

This time, she would finally be able to see the legendary Senior Brother Lynch with her own eyes. ℯℯ𝑙.

’So exciting, so happy~’

...