Several necromancers rushed forward and quickly disarmed the mercenaries in a matter of seconds.
The eight burly men huddled together pathetically, heartbroken over the loss of their swords.
[Master, where should we put these weapons?]
A necromancer asked while holding the swords.
"Hold onto them for now. Get a few more undead to tie them up," Luo Wei raised her chin and summoned several more necromancers.
Only when the mercenaries were bound so tightly with vines that they couldn't move a finger did she approach them.
"I'll give you two choices," her voice carried a bone-chilling coldness. "First, stay on this island and complete the tasks I assign you. After three years, I'll let you leave."
"Second, die on this island, become undead, and complete all tasks I assign you, never able to leave."
"Choose."
"If you don't give me an answer in three seconds, I'll assume you choose the second option."
The mercenaries were in tears - were these really two choices? It was clearly just one choice!
One would enslave their bodies, the other would enslave their souls.
Even the cruelest lords weren't this ruthless!
Luo Wei started counting mercilessly: "Three."
"Two."
"We choose the first option!" the mercenaries shouted in unison. Being late meant losing their lives and being forced into eternal servitude.
"Oh? No one chooses the second option?" Luo Wei looked at Walke, who had been the most aggressive earlier. "Didn't you want to kill me? Since you hate me so much, wouldn't working under me while alive be torture?"
She drew a dagger from her waist, removed its sheath to reveal the gleaming blade tip, and lightly touched it with her fingertip as she raised her deep dark eyes: "I'm giving you a chance for release."
"Once you're dead, I won't make you work anymore."
Walke was furious but didn't dare speak. Was this really a chance? This was just forcing him to commit suicide!
He was wrong, so wrong! If time could go back, he would definitely treat this ancestor with utmost respect!
"I was wrong!" Walke tried to kneel and beg for mercy, but since he couldn't move, he just fell over and writhed on the ground like a silkworm.
He cried with snot and tears streaming down his face: "My Lord, Demon Lord, I was wrong! I'm willing to work for you, I don't hate you at all!"
"I'm overjoyed to be able to work for you, please don't kill me!"
"Oh?" Luo Wei let out a mocking laugh. "I really can't think of any use in keeping you alive. Why don't you give me a reason not to kill you?"
"I'm useful, really useful! I can... I can..." Walke's mind was spinning so fast it could generate sparks. "Right! If you don't kill me, I can use my status as a living person to recruit many more mercenaries to come work for you!"
The other mercenaries: ...
How could someone switch sides so quickly? Already starting to help the tiger catch its prey?
"And I'm strong, I can do the work of three men!"
"Also, also, they only work for you for three years, but I can work for six years, no, ten years!"
"No no no, I'll work for as many years as you want!"
The other mercenaries: ...
Great, great, great, you've taken all the credit for yourself!
Even manual labor has become competitive. Is there no more love and peace between people?!
"You do sound somewhat useful," Luo Wei coldly looked at him. "I'll spare your life for now. If you try to escape, I won't stop you - as long as you can make it out alive."
Before Walke could pledge his loyalty, she directly appointed a necromancer as overseer: "Keep an eye on him. If he takes one step off this island, take his head and grind it to feed the fish."
The necromancer bowed with his hand across his chest.
[Yes, Master.]
Luo Wei glanced at the now stiff-faced Walke. This kind of cowardly yet cunning mercenary could never be trusted. The only way to control him was to keep him in fear for his life.
Making an example of one to warn the others was just the first step.
Luo Wei had the undead bring Cleveland before her and ordered: "From now on, you're their team leader. I'll give tasks to you, and you'll direct them to complete them."
With his rich experience, Cleveland calmed down faster than the others: "My Lord, what do you need us to do?"
Luo Wei had already planned this out: "You have three months to clear at least ten acres of land here and build at least ten wooden cabins."
"I'll give you design plans, and you'll build according to the blueprints."
"Yes, My Lord," Cleveland nodded in acknowledgment.
Luo Wei looked at the undead holding Cleveland, whose blue flame eyes were the brightest, likely the strongest among all the undead.
"What's your name?"
The undead moved his white jawbone and neat rows of teeth.
[Patrick Sandek]
"Patrick, count the number of undead on the island, register their names and death information, then find a plot of land for your cemetery and build tombs according to headcount."
"From now on, no undead is allowed to lie around randomly or scatter bones everywhere. You must return to your own tomb to sleep, with door numbers written on the tombstones."
[Yes, Master.]
Luo Wei then turned her attention to Matt: "Have you been to school?"
Matt stammered in response: "Y-yes."
"Good, from now on you're their deputy leader. Besides clearing land and building houses, you have an additional task."
"Carve a stone tablet: Demon Island welcomes all witches and non-human intelligent species, shelters homeless women and wandering children, accepts redheads and followers of the God of the Dead."
"I'll come check in three months."
"Y-yes, Demon Lord." Matt was so scared he almost bit his tongue.
After some thought, Luo Wei added to Patrick: "Demon Island is sealed for three months. During this time, no living person or undead may leave the island. But if anyone intrudes, make them join this group."
Free labor that comes voluntarily shouldn't be wasted.
After giving all the instructions she could think of at the moment, Luo Wei fell into contemplation.
One person's ideas were still too limited. It would be nice if she could find a think tank somewhere to help her strategize.
Currently, there wasn't enough food on the island either. She'd need to find a ship to deliver supplies for these eight people.
It's a pity the griffin wouldn't fly to the island, otherwise it could serve as an air transport.
Speaking of which, why hasn't Troy found his way here yet? Did he get lost in the forest?
Luo Wei waited and waited but still didn't see Troy. Finally, she dispatched all the idle undead to search for him.
The moon had risen to the treetops when several undead missing arms and legs came back to report that they found someone hanging upside down by magic vines in the forest.
Luo Wei frowned: "Why didn't you bring him here?"
The undead hemmed and hawed for a while before explaining the reason.
[The previous master hung him up, saying his head must be full of water since he's so stupid, and needs to be drained.]
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