The sound of knocking echoed back and forth along the empty corridor, finally turning into a dull, buzzing rumble.

Grant Howard was startled, jumped up in a hurry, and shook his sharp claws vigorously: "Softer~ Softer~ Don't disturb the master!"

Logan Bennett ignored him and continued to knock on the door forcefully.

"Bang~ Bang~ Bang~"

Grant Howard was speechless. He blinked his huge single eye: "Hmm~ little thing, you're dead."

Finally, the main door opened, and from behind it came Fiona Carter's icy voice: "Young man, don't you know it's very rude to knock like that?"

Logan Bennett 'panicked' and rushed through the door, scrambling up the half-spiral staircase into the spire hall. Before he could speak, a blurry black shadow flashed before his eyes, and he heard a crisp 'snap' in his ear.

Immediately after, he felt an unbearable, excruciating pain. His body lost all control, collapsing to the ground like a log, convulsing and twitching as if he were having a seizure.

Spell: Whip of Kolomogu. Mana condenses the air into a whip; when it strikes the body, the pain pierces straight to the soul. If whipped repeatedly, it can even shatter a person's soul directly!

This was Fiona Carter's favorite punishment. The most he ever did was whip Logan Bennett five times in a row, nearly killing him on the spot.

In fact, as Logan Bennett 'panicked' and ran all the way back, he had already mentally prepared himself for the whipping. But when the whip actually struck, he still regretted it, because it hurt like hell—pain to the bone, pain to the very depths of the soul, unforgettable for a lifetime!

"Fiona Carter, I will remember this grudge!" Logan Bennett gritted his teeth, hatred filling his heart.

Fortunately, Fiona Carter did not strike a second time. He sat calmly in his chair, took the moonlight wine handed to him by the ghostly servant nearby, and sipped it leisurely.

After five or six minutes, Logan Bennett finally recovered a little. He struggled to his feet, swaying unsteadily.

"Speak, what is it?" Fiona Carter handed the wine glass back to the ghostly servant, who silently retreated to the corner.

Logan Bennett's body was still trembling uncontrollably, his voice quivering: "M-m-master, I encountered i-intruders in the valley, two powerful warriors. They killed the guards you assigned to me and tried to kill me. I barely managed to escape with my life."

"Is that so?" Fiona Carter walked out from behind the table, came up to Logan Bennett, bent down, lowered his head, and stared intently at Logan Bennett's face. After a long moment, he said blandly, "You're lying."

Logan Bennett looked up, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Fiona Carter, and shouted with all his might, "Master, everything I said is true, not a single lie!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the whip appeared again, 'snap'—striking Logan Bennett and nearly knocking him senseless.

When Logan Bennett recovered a little, Fiona Carter asked again, "I said you're lying!"

"I'm not!" Logan Bennett roared hoarsely.

It had been five years; he had long since figured out Fiona Carter's personality. Fiona Carter said this not because he had discovered anything suspicious—if he really had, he wouldn't bother talking, he'd just kill Logan Bennett outright.

He was doing this now simply because he enjoyed using torture to interrogate, relishing the pleasure of tormenting his subordinates.

This guy was a complete pervert!

'Snap~'

Fiona Carter lashed out a third time. As Logan Bennett endured endless pain, he spoke slowly, "I hate liars the most."

"I'm not, everything I said is true," Logan Bennett replied weakly, nearly fainting.

A dreadful silence filled the hall.

After a long while, Rebecca Bennett's voice sounded again: "Alright, alright~ Since you're so insistent, I'll believe you for now. Grant Howard~ Grant Howard~~"

Fiona Carter raised his voice, calling for his loyal servant.

The door was pushed open, and Grant Howard walked in, head lowered and back hunched. When he was about ten meters from Fiona Carter, he suddenly dropped to his knees and prostrated himself, mumbling in his throat, "I'm here, master."

"Go inform Captain Griffin Bennett. Have him take two squads—no, four squads—to the valley and bring those two feeble worms back to me! Remember, I want them alive."

"Yes, master." Grant Howard turned and left.

"Oh, wait."

"Master, is there anything else?" Grant Howard asked, his voice muffled.

"On your way back, bring a worm from the pen. I need it. After that, if anyone dares disturb me, just eat them directly!" Fiona Carter said.

"Yes, master." Grant Howard licked his lips excitedly and hurried off.

"As for you," Fiona Carter looked down at the convulsing Logan Bennett curled up on the ground, "I know you're in a lot of pain right now, and you must hate me in your heart. That's fine, go ahead and hate me. What I love most is seeing you, even though you hate me so much, even wish you could kill me, yet you can only submit to me humbly. Hahahahaha~~"

He began to laugh, at first quietly, then louder and louder, until he was almost hysterical.

Suddenly, he stopped laughing and said gently, "Hang in there, my little enchanter. Don't die so easily. I don't want another living corpse named 'Logan Bennett'."