Taking the Mafia to the Magic World

Chapter 1121: A Great War Awaits Us

Minutes after Lyra’s escape, the slave barracks bore little resemblance to its former self. Shattered workbenches lay strewn among mangled corpses, the air thickened with blood-smog. Though Lyra had spared many in her flight, Rex left none alive of those who’d tormented him these long months. Their bodies formed grotesque landmarks in the ruin, faces forever twisted in last agony.

When the two seemed calmer and ready to move on with Vicente’s resolution, he attracted the attention of the valley’s high-ranking members and the newly freed slaves.

”Your reckoning has arrived, Lords of the Valley of Shadows,” Vicente’s voice carried a resonant command, yet strangely contained—only those within the crumbling walls could hear the pronouncement. ”Debts owed to my companions demand repayment in blood... or service.” A beat of silence, heavy as an executioner’s axe. ”Consider this mercy: You’ll serve me in Anicane’s shadows and Hell’s furnaces—in life, and far beyond death.”

The elders sagged in relief, their papery throats working soundlessly. Quick submission had spared them Vicente’s wrath. For now.

His gaze then speared the true culprits—three overseers who’d personally orchestrated Lyra and Rex’s torment. ”Lyra spared your lives,” Vicente said, cold as a tomb’s embrace. ”Not me.”

Before the men could scream, viscous darkness erupted from their pores. It coalesced into a shroud of wriggling sigils, dissolving flesh and fracturing souls. Witnesses recoiled as the overseers’ forms reconstituted—pale, crackling with nether-energies, yet radiating their original cultivation power. Perfect undead generals, hellfire burning behind dead eyes.

Everyone watched in silence as these beings were transformed into the undead, feeling the power of Hell unite perfectly with their bodies, maintaining their current levels but transforming them into new, totally diabolical entities.

Rex and Lyra were a little surprised, since they had received no infernal crowns from Vicente that could make them understand their friend’s actual situation. But the elf wasn’t so shocked, having already foreseen that, for him to have returned from Hell so strong, he had to have grown not only in terms of cultivation.

The members of the valley acted with even more respect and reverence for Vicente when they saw the final result of his punishment, each lowering their heads and breathing more quietly.

”Now you must work hard to inform me of relevant news and protect my interests in the Inviting Isles or other areas of Anicane,” he said to the undead, but also to the remaining members of the sect there. ”To begin with, I have vacant spaces for new violet pentagrams in my essence. Find beings compatible with me and you’ll have more than just my forgiveness!”

The eyes of the old high-level Sorcerers shone, finding a way to dispel the bad start they had with Vicente and still see their new master reach even more impressive positions.

”We’ll do our best, Senior,” said not only those who had dealt directly with him before, but also the others in the building.

”What should we do with the freed slaves?” He asked the woman while his fellow council members were already thinking of leaving, each aspiring to be the first to tell Vicente the good news. But they all waited for him to answer that question before going ahead with their plans.

Vicente looked at the newly freed men and said to them, ”Go where you please. Just don’t try to get in the way of my interests. Everything else can be done without any misunderstandings.”

The newly freed men understood well that they shouldn’t seek revenge and should enjoy their freedom far away. As a result, as soon as Vicente turned his back on them, most of the slaves, along with the members of the Valley of Shadows, left in silence.

Rex and Lyra watched as the interior of that artifact and resource building quickly became empty, with even low-level Sorcerers quickly cleaning up the bodies in the area and then leaving as well.

In less than a minute, they were alone there, with the two newly freed companions full of questions.

Lyra was the smartest and soon broke the silence with the most important question of the moment. ”What about us? What do we do from now on?”

”That depends on you.” Vicente answered without delay. ”I now have a position in Hell. If you wish, you can come with me, just as Larissa will. But if you want to stay in Anicane, it’s also possible for us to continue acting together. Whatever decision you make, I will respect it. Just know that they will have very different consequences.”

Lyra could well understand his warning. Following him into Hell, they would have to deal with the dangers of this powerful dimension, despite the opportunities. But by staying behind, they were unlikely to find chances of rapid growth like those in Hell, even though the dangers were less.

Rex didn’t think much of it and positioned himself. ”Master, let me accompany you! I know my strength won’t make any difference to you, but I’d like to serve you better than I could!” The lion spoke with an eagerness that was hard to ignore, his pride clearly wounded by the situations he had experienced alongside his great master so far. ”Take me with you so that I can learn and grow stronger. When the time comes, I’ll be useful to you!”

Vicente smiled at the creature sitting in front of him, accepting the request.

Lyra didn’t wait long after Rex stopped talking. ”I’d like to return the opportunities I’ve received, but I think I’ll be more useful to you in Anicane, Vicente. I’ll try to work with this sect and keep you informed of what’s relevant.”

Vicente appreciated the elf’s position as much as Rex did. He still wished to have his family by his side and believed that Hell might not be the best place for all of them. As such, it would be better to have trusted people in Anicane who had no direct connection to Hell.

”In that case, I have a few things here for you, apart from the undead.” He handed her a spatial ring with various resources he had collected since returning from Hell, things that would make even mid-level Sorcerers tremble with envy.

Lyra didn’t even bother to look at what he gave her as she thanked him genuinely, more interested in what would happen next. ”What will you do after you get your new pentagrams?” She asked what Rex and Larissa already had in mind.

With the three of them looking at him, Vicente became more serious, not wanting to say things that would put his friends in danger, but also not wanting to keep them completely in the dark.

”There are deep things about reality that I wish to change that I discovered not so long ago. I can’t go into details, given the sensitivity of the subject, but in short, my ambition will only be completed if I have information from both sides and the right beings on my side.”

They understood that the two sides in question referred to Hell and Argardus, but also that he was going to form his own alliance to fight whatever was behind the ’end’ of the Nine Paths.

”To begin with, I’ll be leaving for the Red Enclave.” He looked at Lyra, reminding her of his previous goal. ”There are magical beings on this island who may know important things I don’t yet know, or even be willing to join me. When I’ve had enough of Anicane, I’ll go back to Hell. There are opportunities there that can be seized even in a short space of time before returning to Anicane again.

Anyway, in the long term, we must prepare ourselves. A great war awaits us. Sorcerers will die like ants, so we must pursue the 10th stage with all our might!”