I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 436: Screech

Jack confirmed without hesitation.

[Purchase confirmed: 10,750,500 Death Tokens spent]

[Enhancing 93 Mistborn to Level 49]

[Current Death Tokens: 57,818,750]

The effect was subtle compared to the Panthers’ dramatic physical transformation. The Mistborn didn’t grow larger or develop noticeable muscular changes.

But Jack could feel the difference through the Soul Link.

Their cores burned brighter, pulsing with significantly more power. The mist that comprised their bodies became denser.

[Enhancement Complete]

[93 Mistborn upgraded to Level 49]

[New capabilities unlocked]

Jack activated Flawed Sight, examining one of the upgraded Mistborn in detail:

[Mistborn]

[Rank: Dread]

[Level: 49]

[HP: 28,500]

[Mana: 2,462]

[Strength: 67]

[Stamina: 67]

[Endurance: 94]

[Agility: 198]

[Magic: 156]

[Abilities: Mist, Generation]

The stats were impressive, particularly the agility and magic scores.

”Show me,” Jack commanded one of the Mistborn through the Soul Link.

The creature responded immediately.

One moment, it was floating in front of Jack, its form solid enough to cast a faint shadow on the swamp water.

The next instant, it ceased to exist in that location. Not teleportation exactly, but a complete phase shift that happened in a fraction of a second.

Jack tracked it with his enhanced perception.

The Mistborn had dissolved into pure mist, moved fifteen meters to the left in the span of a heartbeat, and reformed with such speed that normal observers would have missed the transition entirely.

”Again,” Jack commanded. ”Faster.”

The Mistborn dissolved and reformed repeatedly, creating a flickering effect as it appeared and disappeared across a thirty-meter radius. Each transformation took perhaps a tenth of a second.

Fast enough that even Jack’s enhanced perception had difficulty tracking the transitions in real-time.

”Excellent,” Jack said aloud. Satisfaction was evident in his tone.

Loryn watched the display with professional interest, his purple eyes tracking the Mistborn’s movements with analytical precision. ”They can phase through physical attacks, walls, barriers... most defenses would be completely ineffective against them.”

”That’s exactly why I wanted them,” Jack confirmed.

Kaedor had been watching the entire enhancement process with visible fascination.

”Master,” Kaedor said carefully, ”you’ve now bound and enhanced one hundred twelve creatures. Fifteen panthers and ninety-three Mistborn, all at peak Dread-rank capability.”

”They’re the foundation,” Jack replied. ”Stealth specialists and infiltration experts. Once I add the minotaurs for heavy combat capability, I’ll have a balanced force that can handle multiple operational types simultaneously.”

”And the three Disaster-class entities?” Loryn asked.

”Will come to us,” Jack said confidently. ”Starvation is already setting in. The Voidweaver’s larder was stripped clean by my demons. Stormfang’s hunting grounds are empty. The Hydra’s territory offers nothing. They’ll have to make moves soon, and when they do...”

A sound cut through the swamp.

A high-pitched, inhuman screech, filled with rage. It came from deep within the territory where the Voidweaver’s massive web fortress dominated the landscape, echoing across the water and through the dense vegetation with bone-rattling intensity.

Jack’s red eyes immediately tracked toward the source, his enhanced perception cutting through the mist and foliage to detect the disturbance in the ambient magical energy.

”Well,” Jack said, his tone carrying dark satisfaction. ”This is earlier than I expected.”

Kaedor’s rings clicked nervously. ”Master, that sounded like...”

”The Voidweaver,” Jack confirmed.

Another screech echoed across the swamp, this one even more desperate than the first.

It was the sound of a creature that had discovered its carefully maintained food stores were gone, its territory stripped of resources, its carefully constructed survival strategy rendered useless by forces it didn’t expect.

Loryn’s purple eyes gleamed with interest. ”Young master, the Voidweaver preserves its prey in the webs. It should have had a surplus of meals even with the floor depleted of living creatures. For it to be screeching like that...”

”Someone made a move on the spider,” Jack finished his sentence for him. ”Something attacked it, or destroyed its web fortress, or is currently fighting it for resources.”

It made sense from a tactical perspective. With the floor’s ecosystem devastated, the three Disaster-class entities would naturally turn on each other’s food stores.

The Voidweaver’s preserved prey would be an obvious target. A concentrated source of nutrition in an otherwise barren environment.

The question was which entity had made the first move.

”Stormfang or the Hydra,” Jack muttered, considering the options. ”One of them got desperate enough to challenge the spider for its stored food.”

Through the Soul Link, Jack felt his bound creatures’ immediate attention focusing on him, waiting for commands.

The fifteen panthers were already positioned throughout the jungle, their predatory instincts making them naturally alert to the sounds of conflict.

The ninety-three Mistborn floated in formation, their eyeless faces somehow conveying they were ready.

’Panthers,’ Jack commanded through the Soul Link, his mental voice carrying absolute authority. ’Move toward the Voidweaver’s territory. Observe from the maximum safe distance. I want to know what’s attacking it, what condition the spider is in, and whether the conflict is still ongoing.’

The fifteen panthers vanished immediately, their camouflage activating as they melted into the jungle.

Through the Soul Link, Jack felt them spreading out in a coordinated search pattern.

”Mistborn,” Jack continued, addressing his newly bound fog creatures. ”Infiltrate the Voidweaver’s web territory. Phase through the webs, avoid detection, and observe the situation from inside the fortress itself. I want to know whether the Voidweaver’s food stores are still intact.”

The ninety-three Mistborn dissolved into pure mist simultaneously, their forms dispersing across the swamp like living fog.

They moved with eerie silence, spreading out to cover maximum area while maintaining coordination through some instinctive understanding of pack tactics that the binding seemed to facilitate.

Within seconds, both groups were in motion toward the Voidweaver’s territory, leaving Jack alone with Kaedor and Loryn at the edge of the cleared swamp zone.

”Whatever’s attacking the Voidweaver,” Loryn observed quietly, ”it’s winning.”

Jack’s smirk widened behind his visor. ”Good. Let them weaken each other. By the time my scouts report back, I’ll know exactly which Disaster-class entity is most vulnerable and ready for binding.”

He started walking toward the Voidweaver’s territory, his pace unhurried despite the sounds of conflict in the distance.

Kaedor and Loryn fell into step beside him.

”Master,” Kaedor said hesitantly, ”we’re walking toward two Disaster-class entities fighting each other. Shouldn’t we perhaps... exercise more caution?”

”We’re observing,” Jack replied calmly. ”Besides, I have over a hundred scouts gathering intelligence right now. By the time we arrive, I’ll know exactly what we’re dealing with and whether it’s safe to approach closer.”

Through the Soul Link, the first reports were already filtering back.

The panthers had reached the outer perimeter of the Voidweaver’s territory. They were transmitting impressions of massive web structures torn and burning, of something significant moving through the destruction with methodical violence.

The Mistborn had begun phasing through the web barriers, their ability allowing them to bypass defenses that would trap any physical creature.

Their perspective showed glimpses of the Voidweaver itself. Forty feet of chitinous horror, its eight legs scrambling desperately through its own fortress as something pursued it with relentless aggression.

Jack processed the incoming information with cold efficiency, his mind building a tactical picture of the situation.

The hunt was progressing exactly as planned.

Two Disaster-class entities were about to fall.

And Jack would be there to claim its soul the moment the opportunity presented itself.