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"So, you decided to come bother me instead, because you don\'t want to stay near Koyuki and Greed, especially Envy, your teacher, right?" Daniel asked.

"Exactly!" Pride nodded. "Especially my teacher. I can tolerate Koyuki and Greed, but I refuse to be controlled by Teacher Envy!" she added, smiling.

Daniel glanced at Pride and smirked. "I\'ll tell Envy about this," he said as he stopped the recording function on his phone.

"What!? You!" Pride was alarmed and tried to snatch Daniel\'s phone to destroy the evidence of her badmouthing her teacher, but Daniel quickly moved it away, avoiding Pride\'s reach and safely keeping it in his pocket.

"Grrrrr…!" Pride gritted her teeth, glaring angrily at Daniel.

As the two continued their staring match, a man in a luxurious coat and suit, a middle-aged dandy, walked in with a suave smile. He was none other than Albert, the Master of Whisper, currently working as Daniel\'s spymaster.

"Should I return in 2 hours, My Lord?" Albert asked with a teasing smile.

"Hold it right there, Albert," Daniel said, sitting down in his chair while Pride continued to pout. "How is the task I asked you to do? Is everything set?" he inquired.

"Yes, My Lord. I\'ve already set up my information network throughout North America. I apologize for not being present during the assault last time. It was regrettable not to have enemy information on hand for that town," Albert apologized, bowing his head slightly.

"Don\'t worry about it, Mr. Albert. I understand you have your hands full. By the way, would you like to collaborate with someone you know? For instance, the people from the Reaper Gate, the Association of Prosperity, or perhaps the Offering of the Wild guild?" Daniel asked.

Albert was startled by the question. He knew all these groups—they were secret mage societies founded in the 1800s.

The Reaper Gate specialized in mage assassinations, the Association of Prosperity controlled world economies with mages and other members like merchant guilds and financial organizations, and the Offering of the Wild Guild consisted of druids and heretic mages, rumored to be the oldest Werewolf clan as well.

A thoughtful smile appeared on Albert, "If it pleases my Lord," he began, "I\'d advocate for the Reaper Gate. Other than that, judging from your current status, I don\'t think it\'s a good investment to bring back the Offering of the Wild Guild.

They consist of druids and werewolves, and they will surely have problems with Mr. Vlad. As for the Association of Prosperity, their true power lies in their massive wealth. However, since they have already been eradicated and their wealth confiscated by the Hightower, I don\'t think they will be of much help to us. In fact, I believe they will be the ones in need of our help.

Additionally, since the economic situation now and back then is clearly different, I\'m certain they can\'t assist us much," Albert explained.

"Alright," Daniel nodded. "You stay here and watch over Pride for me. I\'ll be back soon." He gestured towards the pouting girl.

Albert inclined his head. "As you command, my lord."

Pride perked up slightly. "Where are you going? I want to come with you!" she protested, a hint of defiance in her voice.

Daniel shook his head gently. "No, stay here with Uncle Albert. I\'ll be quick." With that, he exited the mobile HQ.

"Hey! Don\'t treat me like a child!" Pride called after him, but Daniel simply waved dismissively.

"Be a good girl, and I might bring back some ice cream," he shouted back over his shoulder as he disappeared through the doorway.

"I said, stop treating me like a child!" Pride yelled in frustration, before collapsing into a pouty slump on Daniel\'s vacated seat.

Albert watched the exchange with a hint of amusement. Their bickering was rather entertaining.

Pride, finally tiring of her sulking, turned to Albert. "You\'re Albert, right? A mage, I presume?" Her gaze narrowed as she scrutinized him further. "And a powerful one, at that. But why haven\'t I heard of you? Or those guilds and organizations that jerk mentioned?

Where did you all come from?"

Albert\'s smile remained in place. "If our names haven\'t reached your ears, then perhaps we haven\'t made enough of an impact... yet. But that will soon change." He offered his answer without directly revealing any secrets

Pride may have been acting like a spoiled brat, but she was intelligent enough to recognize that Albert hadn\'t truly answered her question. "Fine," she conceded, turning her attention back to the screen to track the tunnel\'s progress.

—

Deep within the tunnel, the group pressed onward for over five kilometers. They faced several ambushes from the undead, all of them approaching from the opposite direction. It was as if whatever lurked ahead was the source of the massive horde.

"This is the fourth horde we\'ve cleared out," Ragnar grumbled as he trudged alongside the Astral PMC troops. "How long does this blasted tunnel go on?"

Penthesilea remained silent, simply nodding in agreement with the old man\'s observation.

Graaaaaaaaaahhhhh arghhhh

A chilling cry echoed through the tunnels, a cacophony of human shrieks seemingly merged into one. Countless voices wailed in unison, yet each held a distinct tone.

As Ragnar\'s magical tools and runestones dispelled the enchanted mist, a horrifying new monstrosity lumbered into view. This colossal, four-legged beast was a grotesque amalgamation of stitched-together human bodies.

Hundreds of agonizing faces contorted in a silent scream, their combined anguish emanating from the unholy creation. The creature\'s maw gaped wide, its maw a grotesque fusion of sewn flesh and jagged, sharpened ribs that resembled a nightmarish set of teeth.

With a deafening roar that sent shivers down spines, the monstrosity charged towards the group.

"What the hell is this thing!" Ragnar blurted out in alarm.