Chapter 156: Blood Puppeteer
Silence had fallen like a lead blanket in the dark and freezing cell, only disturbed by the slight residual crackling of magical energy that still floated around Mordred. He remained motionless, contemplating his now powerful and perfectly stable hands, feeling each cell, each particle of his body vibrating with unimaginable power.
Ygdrasyle observed his companion with a wary gaze, his golden pupils scrutinizing him attentively, trying in vain to understand what he had just witnessed. He slowly opened his mouth, as if to say something, but suddenly his body tensed violently. His slave collar vibrated, heating slightly against his skin. A familiar voice, cold, authoritative and emotionless, resonated directly in his mind with icy precision:
- "Ygdrasyle, explain to me immediately what is happening. We have detected an anomaly. Why has Mordred’s collar deactivated?"
Ygdrasyle felt a drop of cold sweat slowly run down his temple. His heart accelerated despite himself as his gaze automatically turned toward Mordred. The latter, perfectly still, stared at Ygdrasyle with his flaming pupils, impenetrable but clearly attentive to what would follow.
The voice continued, implacable:
- "The collar can only be removed upon the slave’s death. It explodes if someone attempts to remove it by force. Mordred is therefore dead. I want you to tell me exactly how this happened. Now."
Ygdrasyle swallowed hard. He hadn’t anticipated such a complication, but his sharp and tactical mind immediately sought a credible response to provide. He knew the consequences of a lie, but he also knew the immediate danger of revealing the truth. He looked at Mordred one last time, searching in his gaze for implicit confirmation of what he should do. Mordred didn’t move, but his burning orange eyes seemed to clearly indicate what he expected from him: protection, cover.
Ygdrasyle sighed slowly, then took a deep breath before responding mentally, clearly and composedly:
- "We were in an unstable section of the human underground, carrying out our instructions. The ground suddenly collapsed under our feet. Mordred... he didn’t even have time to react. He was crushed by the debris. His body was completely buried. I couldn’t do anything to help him."
The voice, cold and implacable, remained silent for a few seconds, as if judging the credibility of this response.
Ygdrasyle felt a glacial mental pressure invade him, scrutinizing his thoughts, seeking to detect a lie. He resisted with all his strength against this brutal intrusion, his experienced mind remaining perfectly calm, controlled, like still water, without the slightest ripple on the surface.