After rescuing Miranda Joy's true soul, her body continued leading them out of the palace.
Before long, they arrived at the estate of one of the missing families.
Dean Bruce finally understood: the bodies had never left the capital!
It made sense. No matter how strange and powerful the purple mist was, it would have been impossible to transport all those bodies in one night.
As for Nicholas William, it was likely that the person responsible had used a diversionary tactic, leading Dean Bruce and the others to focus elsewhere, making it much harder to unravel the truth.
In hindsight, the culprit's strategy was quite clever—nearly flawless.
Thanks to the presence of high-level archmage magic, the spells concealing the missing family's estate were finally dispelled, and the real scene was revealed.
Though there were no signs of battle, the courtyard was covered in dust and fallen leaves.
Scattered among the leaves lay numerous bodies, some half-buried, others out in the open. One couldn't walk more than a few steps without stepping on someone.
As they carefully examined the scene, Dean Bruce and the others grew somber.
The bodies of the servants were in terrible condition—mangled and decayed.
In some, worms crawled through the rotting flesh.
"Keep going, we need to look further inside."
Dean Bruce commanded without slowing down, leading the group deeper into the estate. When they reached the noble family's living quarters, they found a protective magic array still in place.
With a casual spell from Rulda Chel, the array was broken, and Dean Bruce was the first to step inside. To his relief, the bodies of the nobles were preserved perfectly.
It was clear that the mastermind didn't want the Empire of Lane Cloud to collapse entirely. They had taken care to ensure that the bodies of the high-ranking nobles were left unharmed.
As for the servants?
In this world, nobody cared.
Even Rulda Chel and Nicholas William, while visibly shaken by the gruesome state of the dead servants, showed no real concern for them. Their shock was more at the horrifying manner of death than any sympathy for the commoners.
The rescue proceeded smoothly. Other than the Soul Blood Nail eventually losing its hold, allowing the mastermind to escape Miranda Joy's body, there were no other significant obstacles. All the missing officials and their families were successfully found.
Afterward, the group returned to the royal palace with the recovered bodies, reuniting the souls with their vessels for restoration.
Dean Bruce understood that the mastermind behind all this would not give up so easily. While escorting the bodies back to the palace, he remained cautious, reminding Rulda Chel and the others to stay alert.
However, despite their precautions, as soon as Dean Bruce and his group stepped into the palace, they fell into a trap.
Whoosh—
A violent wind howled behind them, and a sudden chill filled the air. When they turned around, a curtain of frost had formed, sealing off the entrance to the great hall.
The moon overhead took on an eerie hue, its purple light casting an unsettling glow over Dean Bruce and his companions.
An overwhelming sense of powerlessness began to creep in. Dean Bruce quickly realized that the magic in the area was rapidly diminishing.
"What are those?"
"They look like humans, but their entire bodies are made of bronze!"
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what to make of it. But before they could fully comprehend what was happening, Dean Bruce had inserted a crystal core into each of the golems, and what happened next left them all in awe.
In their astonishment, they watched as the bronze-bodied golems soared into the air with incredible speed, charging head-on toward the ghostly apparitions.
The modified bronze golems were terrifyingly efficient. Flames erupted from their shoulders, followed by the pungent smell of burning, as the fire consumed many of the ghostly shadows in an instant.
"Hmm?!"
"Is this... ancient golem magic?" A startled voice echoed from the air, causing Dean Bruce to raise an eyebrow.
She even knew about that?
This realization made him even more determined—she couldn't be allowed to escape!
With a mere thought, one of the bronze golems packed with explosives shot forward, heading straight for the mysterious woman. Its shoulders flared up, and the explosive power rippled through the entire space.
Even Rulda Chel and the other archmages stood in stunned silence.
The ghostly apparitions, which seemed so menacing before, crumbled like paper tigers under the onslaught of the bronze golems. The explosive charges reduced the ghosts to nothing more than scattered, wailing fragments, obliterating them in an instant.
The woman's own anguished screams soon followed. There was no escape in the anti-magic field, and aside from summoning these spectral creatures, she was unable to use any of her own magic. She stood no chance against the relentless assault of the bronze golems.
In a matter of moments, the golems had knocked her from the air, sending her crashing to the ground. Her once-imposing magic robe lay in tatters, her skin scorched black—she looked utterly defeated and pitiful.
Dean Bruce and the others quickly approached, scrutinizing the fallen figure.
Prani Joy also moved closer, peering at her for a moment before a puzzled expression crossed his face. He asked, "I've never seen you before. Why do you hold such hatred toward the Joy family?"
"Hatred...? Hatred?" The woman's eyes flared with fury as she glared at Prani Joy. "I don't hate your family—I hate the Empire of Lane Cloud! Thirty years ago, your empire expanded by wiping out my people! Tens of thousands from my tribe were slaughtered in your wars of conquest!"
"And you ask if I shouldn't seek revenge?"
Hearing this, Prani Joy sighed, his expression filled with regret. "Thirty years ago, I wasn't even the king. You seek revenge against me for that?"
"Enough, enough."
Prani Joy then turned to Dean Bruce, bowing slightly out of respect. "Mr. Dean, since you were the one who captured her, I leave her fate in your hands. You decide what's to be done."
The woman's face contorted with rage, yet she didn't beg for mercy. Instead, she sneered. "Old fool, do you really think I was the only one involved in this plot? Go ahead, kill me! But once Dean leaves, your Joy family will still face destruction!"
"I refuse to believe that an elder from the Magic Guild headquarters would stay here forever!"
Thud!
Suddenly, the sound of a dagger piercing flesh filled the air. The woman's body jerked violently, and blood poured from her mouth.
Looking down, she saw a dagger had pierced straight through her chest.
But everyone's eyes shifted toward Dean Bruce.