After bombarding Lailah with questions, Michael just left the hall, leaving her alone. He simply didn't want to argue with a mother who was in pain of losing her child. He was on his way to the interrogation room when Azazel appeared before him.

"My lord. The items you asked the twins to acquire are here,"

Michael finally heard some good news as Azazel continued.

"I ordered the men to put everything in Alchemy hall, my lord," said Azazel. As much as Michael liked to have separate halls for everything, the construction works had been halted due to a lack of funds until he received two hundred million gold coins from King Porter Forbes as a price for lifting Chanel's curse. Luckily for Michael, the dwarves finished the alchemy hall. Thanks to the two hundred million gold coins, Michael was able to buy everything he needed to get his new brew business up and running as well as the construction materials needed for the dark castle.

Once Michael paid the twins fifty million to buy everything he needed, he thought the rest could get the construction materials to continue the work for at least a month. However, the dwarves informed Gaya that the materials they bought could only last for a week. The dark castle had turned into a money pit, especially after Michael bought some blueprints from the system and ordered them to be built accordingly. Michael didn't even want to imagine how much the weapons, turrets, and special defense arrays from the system would cost him in gold coins.

"We shall go take a look," Michael changed his path and headed to Alchemy hall, located next to Elidyr's hall, where they had the teleportation portal. The smell of fresh paint and luminescent orbs filled the air as Michael reached his newly built alchemy hall. Due to his recent activities, he had no time to stroll through the castle and enjoy the sight of his new home. Michael placed his hand on the black door as an emerald green chakra appeared between his hand and the door. The chakra glowed for a second before the door clicked open. As he entered the hall, a gigantic cauldron that occupied almost half the hall welcomed him. The towing cauldron stood at least fifteen feet high and twenty feet wide or more. Surprisingly Elidyr was waiting for him in the hall.

"There you are," Elidyr walked toward him with creased brows.

"I remember you told me you are going to grow everything you need in this hall. Explain it to me how you plan to night verdana with a giant burning cauldron beside it?" asked Elidyr.

"Then do you remember that I told you this before my plan to start the new brew business?" Michael asked Elidyr while walking toward his cauldron.

"But you are right, I cannot grow a plant with ying properties in a high-temperature hall. No one below the Soul Refining stage would survive in the hall after we put a fire under the cauldron," Michael agreed with Elidyr that he wouldn't be able to grow everything he needed in this hall as he had planned before. Unfortunately, the circumstances forced Michael to change his plans.

"That's why I thought of something else, something I need your help with," Michael had been planning this for quite some time. To be exact, ever since he stepped into the Abyssal in the dark forest. Until now, he didn't have any need to resort to his new plan. His words made Elidyr curious. The elf loved challenges, and every task he received from the Dark Lord was nothing but a challenge.

"I want a pocket dimension connected to this alchemy hall," said Michael. The system required two million badass points to locate a hidden pocket dimension. According to the system, it could teleport the pocket dimension to the dark ocean. However, it required another three million badass points to anchor the dimension to the alchemy hall. That was where Elidry came into the picture. Since he was a 6-star runemaster, Michael could order him to perform the task instead of spending three million badass points.

"I assume you have the location of a pocket dimension," asked Elidyr. At first, the Dark Lord's requests and tasks surprised him. But at this point, he grew accustomed to the Dark Lord and everything he did. Hence, when Michael asked Eldiry to connect a pocket dimension to the hall, he wasn't surprised as he once would have been.

"I can bring the dimension here soon. Until then, we cannot grow any plants in this hall. The brewing must be prioritized," said Michael. While Elidyr was processing Michael's request, he studied the intriguing runes and etchings in the cauldron. Whoever forged the cauldron engraved it with various runes and chakras to withstand intense heat. He doubted the cauldron could survive the Dark flame's heat, but it would certainly survive the lava in Mount Hades. Luckily, Michael didn't have to bring in the lava to heat the cauldron. Instead, typical flames from burning firewood were enough to refine his new brew.

"There is no time like presence," After Michael circled around the cauldron, he turned his gaze toward Azazel.

"Bring me all the firewood we have. I will start the brewing before I leave," said Michael.

"Forgive me for questioning you, my lord. But where do you plan to go? We still have no clue about the spirit child," said Azazel.

"I have a feeling we will have soon,"

Not even a minute had passed when Gaya entered the hall with blood all over her face. Blood trickled down all over the floor from her robes as she made her way toward Michael.

"I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?" asked Gaya.

"Start with the bad news," said Michael.

"The elf didn't know anything except he received a task to kill Eratos and bring Lailah to an empty place in the fire realm. You know what it means, he and hew minions were sent to clear out all the loose ends. Whoever sent him wants to be in the shadows pretty bad," said Gaya. Deep down, Michael expected the elf to be clueless. He was all bark, not bite.

"As for why he acted pretty tough, because he was from Nelthanyr," said Gaya.

"Figures. So how is he doing now?"

"His heart gave up when I pulled his last tooth out," Gaya simply shrugged. Michale sighed, thinking about his lost experience points because the elf died within the void line. But he had bigger things to worry about than experience points.

"Azazel, go have an eye on Lailah,"

"As you wish, my lord," Azazel walked out of the room, leaving Michael with Gaya and Elidyr.

"What's the good news then?" asked Elidyr.

"I found where this comes from," Gaya opened her palms and showed the shark head medallion Michael took from Eratos. It was drenched in blood, but Elidry could vaguely see the tiny complex web of runes engraved on it. These runes were so small that they required the special eyesight of a runemaster to see them.

"When I saw this shark, I contacted Mutrad and asked him if he could recognize it, considering he came from the stinking sea,"

"And he recognized it," Michael finished her words before she could brag about her instincts.

"Yes," Gaya gently punched him in the shoulder for ruining her moment and nodded.

"Now let me be clear, Mutrad didn't know exactly where Eratos got this medallion. But he was certain the medallion belonged to the Sea Folks,"

"He outright admitted it came from his world," Michael tilted his head as Gaya rolled her eyes.

"I may have threatened to burn down everyone he loves and give him a one-way ticket to hell," Gaya admitted of threatening Mutrad. Mutrad would have never admitted that the shark medallion hailed from his world. He was one of the few who witnessed the horror that transpired during the last days of the Itholan war. No one could blame Mutrad for fearing and trying to stop the Dark Lord from doing the same to his world. Mutrad had quit trying to take down the Dark Lord a long time ago. Now, all he wanted was to keep his Sea Realm safe from the Dark Lord. That was the only reason he agreed to be the Dark Lord's spy in the first place. The Mutrad before Itholan would certainly die of shame of the current Mutrad.

"Let me go talk to them," Suddenly, Gaya and Michael heard the squirmish outside the door.

"My lady, you cannot-" He heard Azazel's voice followed by Lailah.

"Ghost,"

"Let her in," Michael said to Azazel as the door clicked open, revealing Lailah and Azazel.

"My lord, she is not listening to me," Azazel complained. Ignoring the demon butler, Lailah rushed toward them.

"What did he tell you?' Lailah asked Gaya, completely overlooking the giant cauldron, the blood-drenched robes of Gaya, and the half-elf standing next to them.

"We know where they might have taken Harry," Instead of Gaya, Michael answered Lailah.

"Where?" Lailah almost shouted.

"The realm of Sea Folks," Michael said. His eyes glistened with cold, killing intent.

"What?" Lailah was shocked. No matter how hard she thought, she couldn't find a single person who might have taken Harry to the Sea Folks.

"I have on good authority that the shark medallion Eratos wore was forged in the Sea realm," Michael said while Lailah was speechless.

"It can't be. Why would anyone want to take Harry to them? Who would take him there? The sea realm is not a place anyone can get in and out as they please,"

"You need someone high in the sea folk world to bring an outside into their world, yes we know," said Gaya.

"Eratos was outside, and he somehow had what belonged to them," said Michael.

"Plus, whoever sent Eratos after you ordered the elf to take out Eratos and bring you to a secluded area," said Gaya.

"I know this doesn't make any sense to you. But this is the only lead we have. If someone has ever touched a single hair on his head, I will wipe them off the face of this world,"