Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 342 The Evil Spirit Never Dies
Yes, it's a ghoul, or to be more precise, a giant ghoul, which is much stronger than the corpse ghosts and demons on the roadside.

But this doesn't explain the abilities and methods that the old mummy used before. Spraying a stench is understandable, but what's the point of unleashing an evil light attack?
Moreover, the Mastiff-headed Divine Messenger revealed the identity of the shadowy figure, which Neville, standing nearby, heard clearly.

"Lord Faras, I am not questioning your judgment, but the shadowy figure just now seemed to be connected with the demons of the abyss?"

"That was indeed a projection of the Soul-Slaying Demon."

“But you just said it was a giant ghoul, and it is indeed an undead creature.”

Confused, Neville asked a question.

"Evil spirit magic".

"what?"

Neville, a professional kitchen knife maker, was completely confused.

Faras, who was in a good mood, didn't put on airs and patiently explained:
"Through a very evil and corrupt magical ritual, the consciousness projection of the lower plane is summoned and possesses the body of an undead creature, giving it both characteristics. This is the evil spirit magic."

"So this monster is actually a combination of a Soul-Slaying Demon and a Ghoul?"

"That's one way to understand it, but this spell requires extremely high proficiency in spellcasting. I'm afraid it was the entity behind them that made the move."

Faras speculated, then chuckled:
"But it was just bad luck; it happened to run into the spell I had prepared beforehand."

As he spoke, another anti-evil magic array was placed on the surface of the amber coffin to further strengthen the seal.

"The main problem is that this Tanari is too dangerous. It's a pity that we haven't mastered the Soul Binding Technique yet, otherwise it would be much safer to imprison it directly in the gem."

"Mortal mage, do not become obsessed with those blasphemous spells that toy with souls. I do not wish for you to become the subject of judgment when I descend to earth again."

The big dog's brows furrowed deeply, and its once majestic mastiff head now looked somewhat like a Shar Pei.

Faras did not respond directly to the warning from the Shar-Pei, or rather, the Mastiff-Headed Divine Messenger; he merely nodded and brushed it off.

"Now it's time to find the main person we're here for."

The monk changed the subject.

"I think that's unnecessary; he's probably right in front of us."

Sir Neville’s tone was quite strange, a mixture of surprise and sarcasm.

"You mean this ghoul's previous identity was Maltherdeszel?"

Faras looked at the ghoul in the amber, but found nothing.

"Please take a look at this bracelet, sir."

Neville pointed to an unassuming, brass-like bracelet on the ghoul's left hand and explained:

"This thing is said to have been crafted from the armor and bracers of a former head of the Deszel family, and it has an unusual significance, which is why it has been passed down."

When it comes to magic and erudition, Faras's abilities far surpass those of his opponent, but when it comes to intelligence matters concerning the Noble Neverwinter, the Nine Guards of Neverwinter have something to say. Seeing this once arrogant nobleman, who even gave Nash a headache, fall to such a state, Neville, though he also had no liking for him, couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.

"That's perfect, it saves us a lot of trouble. Let's call it a day and head back."

Faras didn't have so many pointless sentiments. After putting the amber coffin into Leomon's secret chest, he inspected and dealt with the scene before leaving.

The various gruesome remains at the scene were handled by successors, while the crucial sacrificial and ritual implements, utensils, emblems, and so on were briefly processed by the mastiff-headed divine messenger before being organized by the sorcerer.

"He really does worship that old lich, the Lord of the Tomb. No wonder he's turned himself into this."

Faras showed an expression of surprise, while the Mastiff-headed messenger clearly showed disgust.

As for Neville?
The patriarch of a powerful and long-established noble family was secretly a follower of an evil god, and had even transformed himself into an undead being.

How absurd and insane this is! It's simply outrageous!

Neville could almost imagine what would happen if this horrific scandal were exposed...

Not to mention the uproar it has caused in noble circles, even the Nine Guards, who are responsible for maintaining order in Winterless City, are likely to be in deep trouble.

However, happiness and unhappiness are things that always need to be compared to draw conclusions. Compared to others, Neville felt that the pressure on his shoulders was relatively light.

It wasn't the Deszell and Manuel families who were unlucky, but rather—

Temple of Heim.

Yes, it's ironic that Malthor's second son is actually a shepherd of the Temple of Hel. The Church of Hel, which claims to be the Vigilant and the Sleepless Eye, not only failed to discover the evil god's infiltration and corruption in Neverwinter, but may even have been used and implicated by them.

Therefore, he was almost certain that as long as the evidence was conclusive and the case was made airtight, someone would probably be even more eager than Lord Nashel to thoroughly purge these rats from the gutter.

Leaving aside the fact that Neville and his group had successfully completed their mission and were heading home, the operation in the other direction went very smoothly.

Perhaps it is because Manuel and his ilk are too conservative in their thinking and have failed to grasp the true meaning of life's impermanence and death's eternal beauty. Watson Manuel, this nearly seventy-year-old man and the current head of the family, is unwilling to return to the arms of Vesalien so soon and is still holding on to his last breath.

This is also why they were defeated so quickly. What is the comparison between a pampered old man and a ghoul possessed by evil spirits?
As for the private guards, they were smashed to pieces in less than two rounds by the combined iron fists of the Winterless Guard and the mages.

"The process was far too easy; this is probably not the true strength of the Church of Vesalon in Neverwinter."

When the two teams met in front of Neverwinter Castle, they began to talk. The other team leader was Mason, one of the Nine Guards.

You haven't encountered a crazed old mummy yet...

Neville grumbled inwardly, but he also knew that compared to some horrifying incidents involving evil gods, this was a small-scale affair. Moreover, he had managed to eradicate these two scourges without paying a heavy price, which was fortunate no matter how you looked at it.

While the element of preemptive strikes catching the opponent off guard certainly played a role, the more important factor was that the strength displayed by these two families, whether in terms of high-end combat power or overall quality, was far from meeting the standards of an evil god cult.

Compared to Vesalon's casual move, which suggests he doesn't actually care about the Neverwinter situation, or perhaps it's just a low-probability event like someone getting old and forgetful, it's undoubtedly more likely that he'll lie low and wait for the right opportunity.

As an old lich whose divine duties involve secrets and intrigue, even if he is far from being comparable to the Night Lady Shar, it is only child's play for him to put forward a few fools as a cover.

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(End of this chapter)