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Chapter 43 - The Infiltration

The Bone Mound lay to the north of the Greywood Forest, nestled within a vast natural canyon. The area's unique topography kept it cloaked in shadows year-round, and its labyrinthine terrain turned it into a formidable maze. Anyone—human, beast, or magical creature—who happened to fall in without knowing the way out would likely end up as yet another skeletal relic scattered among countless others.

Over the ages, bones had amassed within the canyon, while the unfulfilled resentments, agony, and despair of thousands of fallen beings thickened the negative energy that now saturated the place. For necromancers, dark sorcerers, or wizards experimenting in necromancy and body modification, the Bone Mound was a trove of resources—a haven where even rare wraiths and spirits could be found.

"Ka-ka-ka..." An ominous crow descended from the thin sliver of sky above the canyon. It navigated the landscape skillfully, weaving through jagged rocks, stone spires, and heaps of bones that dotted the canyon floor. Then, after slipping through a seemingly ordinary stone forest, the bird vanished without a trace, one would see that the stone forest was more than it appeared. Inside, hidden structures and pathways bustled with a few wizard apprentices and servants. This concealed outpost lay behind an intricate illusion array, masking its presence from any prying eyes.

"Master, a message has arrived from the academy," announced a second-level apprentice, stepping cautiously into an underground chamber. He faltered as he saw Norian deep in concentration and quickly averted his gaze, fearing to disturb him.

"Speak," came Norian's reply, his tone muffled behind a black, beak-shaped mask. His hands remained steady as he stitched a massive creature's wound with a large bone needle and coarse thread.

He glanced nervously at the grotesque figure on Norian's table before lowering his head. "Lucian Kevin has been spending most of his time in his lab, seemingly preparing for the upcoming mission. He did go out once, to teach nearby."

Norian paused briefly, then put down the bone needle and turned his gaze toward the apprentice, whose anxiety spiked as the beak-like mask obscured any hint of Norian's expression. Norian gestured for the apprentice to hand over the message brought by the crow, and the young man gratefully complied, retreating from the chamber with his back drenched in sweat.

After scanning the letter, Norian sneered and tore it to shreds. "So, I overestimated you after all." He resumed his work, focusing intently on the massive being before him—a hulking creature with a human-like form, yet grotesquely bloated and riddled with crudely stitched wounds. Through the gaps in its stitches, one could glimpse dark, yellowish flesh marbled with veins of red and black.

"If this project could absorb a wraith at the third-level apprentice stage," Norian mused, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism, "its power would reach a whole new level."

That night, a shadow flitted soundlessly through the darkened Greywood Forest, finally pausing beneath an ancient tree. A blurred face appeared from within the darkness, barely recognizable as Lucian's.

Emerging fully from the shadow, Lucian hid himself behind the thick trunk, his gaze fixed to the north. His heightened sense of perception told him that he was nearing an area dense with negative energy particles—the location of the Bone Mound.

Instead of charging in, Lucian knew he needed allies. He retrieved a small pouch of "dust" from his pocket, which he held in one hand as he began to chant soundlessly, syncing the words with the spell model forming in his mind. Gradually, a thin mist arose from his hand.

Without delay, Lucian rubbed the enchanted dust onto his face. A subtle burning sensation spread across his skin, especially around his eyes, which began to transform in response to the spell.

In seconds, his eyes became insectoid, bulbous and multifaceted, while the rest of his face took on a similar insectoid appearance. In this guise, Lucian looked more like an eerie creature than a human.

He blinked a few times, adjusting to his new vision. His perspective had shifted; it was as though he now stood in an observation room with hundreds of screens, each representing the view of a nearby insect. If he wished, he could link his consciousness to any one of these insects, effectively turning them into his eyes and ears.

For now, Lucian merely shared the insects' vision without attempting full control, thereby avoiding any magical fluctuations that might attract unwanted attention.