"Alone at last," I said.

"I have a few questions I have to ask you."

"I have nothing to say," said the wolpertinger.

"Looks like I have to take a few steps I"d hoped to avoid," I said.

"You"re going to torture me?" said the wolpertinger.

"Yes," I said.

"Devil this is pointless, there"s nothing I can tell you about the Bloodfang mine you don"t already know!" said the wolpertinger.

"No, you value your secrets. That"s why I know there"s something about the Bloodfang mine you didn"t even share with the halflings or Viscount Mira. But you will tell me wolpertinger," I said.

"I can wait, but the question is, can you?"

"Devil, what have you done? Free me from this binding," it said.

"Quite," I said as I activated the u003cFire Binding Chainu003e.

u003cFire Binding Chainu003e

"Ahh," it screamed.

"Look wolpertinger, I"m not going to bulls.h.i.+t you. I don"t care what you know or don"t know. I"m going to torture you, anyway. Not to get information, but because it"s amusing to me to torture you," I said.

u003cFire Binding Chainu003e

"Ahh," it screamed.

"Foolish beast, you are now mine. That u003cFire Binding Chainu003e was carefully constructed over several hours while you were asleep, though it can"t kill you the pain it inflicts will keep you begging for a quick release," I said.

u003cFire Binding Chainu003e

"Ahh," it screamed.

"It would take you days to break this young lord"s curse, before then you would grow mad from the pain. Now it"s time for you to spill what you know about that Bloodfang mine," I said.

u003cFire Binding Chainu003e

"Ahh," it screamed.

"All you can do under my chains is pray for a quick death, which you won"t receive," I said.

"I will never tell you our secrets devil," said the wolpertinger.

u003cFire Binding Chainu003e

"Ahh," it screamed.

"It"s fine, you will beg to talk eventually," I said.

u003cFire Binding Chainu003e

"Ahh," it screamed.

I continued to torture the poor wolpertinger for hours.

"I"ll tal… Ahh," It said.

u003cFire Binding Chainu003e

"Ahh," it screamed.

I didn"t even listen to it as it tried to get a word in.

"I gave you the chance to speak earlier, you forfeited that right," I said.

I tortured it for two more hours as it sat there miserably.

"Now, this young devil lord is ready to hear what you have to say. Be quick and concise or we will have fun tomorrow," I said.

"Yes young lord, your humble servant will not play games. We wolpertingers found a spring of life deep within that Bloodfang mine," it said.

It had resigned itself to its fate. This young devil lord"s methods were perfect.

"So that"s your secret," I said as I smiled.

A spring of life was a Tier-4 resource. They were very rare with an exorbitant price and no market. The water from a spring of life could heal almost any wound for a Baron and extending life for Barons for around 100 years.

For devils, this wasn"t a highly sought resource as we already had long life spans, however for lesser races it was a G.o.dsend. Lesser races only lived 300 years at the Baron realm, having an additional 100 years of life was impossible to pa.s.s up.

With that extra 100 years, even the most untalented Baron could attempt to break through to the Viscount realm. No wonder it wanted me to leave. Most of the Baron wolpertingers are probably deep in the cave guarding it.

Unfortunately, I could barely defeat this one wolpertinger. Multiple ones would be impossible for me to fight. I would have to shelve getting my hands on that spring of life for now.

Though I could share my findings with Mira, that would be foolish. These were her lands. She wouldn"t concede such a precious resource to me because of our relations.h.i.+p. Rightfully the spring was hers and I had no claim to it.

My deed on the Bloodfang Estate only covered resources found up to Tier-3, devils weren"t foolish enough to give rare unclaimed resources away with land leases.

"Do you have a name wolpertinger?" I said.

"My name is Blinker," it said.

"You will follow me from now on, Blinker," I said.

[Quest issued "Aspect of Speed"]

[Host has captured a fitting subject to convert into a Codex Aspect, a.s.sist the wolpertinger in breaking its racial trappings at the Baron realm to become a Viscount.]

This was interesting. The wolpertinger race was nigh immortal, however for them to break into Viscount was almost impossible. If I could help this wolpertinger become a Viscount, it could become my Aspect.

Thinking it over, Jurrath was probably some rare race. An immortal trickster cat that used illusions. One day I"d find out that mischievous cat"s secrets.

"You"ve made a wise choice to follow this young devil lord wolpertinger, I won"t mistreat you," I said.

"I"ll even a.s.sist you in getting to the Viscount realm as long as you follow me wholeheartedly," I said.

"Yes, young lord," said Blinker.

He didn"t believe this devil"s promises. And what"s this about a choice? You tortured me, breaking my will to resist.

He was still recovering from the trauma of the torture. But he would say anything not to be tortured again.

Blinker was small, so I had him follow me around. He could also recall his wolpertinger traits, so he looked like a small bunny.

Who dare question this young lord about his bunny?

I dropped the fried wolpertingers I had collected off to my cat and headed off to Langsen Rift with my bunny in tow. I brought the perverted ghost with me too.

My Bloodfang Estate would remain unguarded in his absence, but it held little use to me. My life was more important to guard than a random farmhouse.

I would have loved to take the cat with me, but someone needed to make sure my apprentice was taken care of. My cute apprentice and my mischievous cat. I wonder what kind of zany adventures they will get into while I am away.