??Chapter 159: Chapter 14: Dark Knight
Chapter 159: Chapter 14: Dark Knight
Through his interactions with Rebury over several days, Kor realized that his entire system of magical knowledge within his mind had undergone an earth-shaking cleanse and supplentation. Many previously vague concepts had been clarified, and nurous forrly intractable problems were smoothly resolved before him. For Kor, this experience was like that of a traveler groping his way through a path bristling with countless traps, who suddenly finds himself on a bright and even highway. All potential pitfalls had been marked, eliminating the fear of falling into peril from which he couldn’t extricate himself. This feeling of having both a teacher and a friend was beyond the re pleasure and exhilaration that could be conveyed in a few short words.
However, when faced with Kor’s myriad of strange and curious inquiries, Rebury, who had traveled across the Continent and prided himself on his extensive experience and superior knowledge, also found himself with an imnsely troubled mind. Each question from Kor either surpassed the scope of his magical understanding or subverted the magical principles he held sacred.
But he had to admit that Kor displayed genius in magical innovation. The mixed magic, which normally only Archmages would dare experint with, was as easy for him as moving his own arm. Rebury himself wouldn’t dare dabble in the Dark Erosion Magic, yet Kor casually combined it with mixed spell assisting techniques to enhance the defense and offensive capabilities of equipnt or weapons. Apart from clapping in admiration, Rebury couldn’t use any other expression to describe soone whom he believed could not rely be called a magic genius but rather a magic freak.
Rebury could never understand how soone so young could possess such formidable magic power and spiritual power. Besides having strong Dark Magic force, Kor could even perform a move or two of proficient White Magic and Light Divine Techniques. While it wasn’t impossible for these two inherently incompatible magics to appear in a single mage, this required at least several decades of experience in the cultivation of Psychic Magic. However, from any perspective, the man before him didn’t look like soone over thirty years old. Even if he had started cultivating from a very young age, it would be impossible to have such power. In fact, Kor was not yet twenty years old.
Regarding the specters entrenched in Damarlinsk Castle, both Rebury and Kor dared not take them lightly. After all, since the misfortune of the first Lord over a hundred years ago, magicians from Cyprus had also entered the Castle to sweep clean the place, yet they gained nothing. Successive Lords still could not escape misfortune. This indicated that whatever lurked deep within the Castle was not an ordinary undead creature but a being of considerable intelligence, and perhaps even cunning.
Whether it was ghosts, grudges, or even successful ghostly spirits, or an even rarer breed of demons that had evolved from the Land of Underworld—sothing that even they had no knowledge of—the pair could not be certain. To use Rebury’s words, they could only take each step as it ca, and only after personally witnessing could they ascertain the truth.
Various magic scrolls and props were indispensable. For magicians with insufficient strength, these were life-saving amulets, and Kor was no exception. Even Rebury, who was typically proud, would not dare to underestimate their importance. Various preventive potions were equally crucial. In the Land of Underworld, they could hardly avoid encounters with attacks from Dark and Necromancy Classes. Apart from defending through magic, potions could also often play a supporting role.
This was where Kor excelled. After seeing the various auxiliary potions that Kor had devised on his own, even Rebury continuously sang his praises, declaring that if Kor were not a lord, he could fully rely on this skill to beco the most successful rchant in the adventurer’s world. His endless supply of potions and props was extrely popular rchandise among magicians, adventurers, and even knights.
The person Rebury had been waiting for finally arrived. When Rebury asked Kor whether they should adventure alone or seek so reliable friends to join them in exploring Damarlinsk Castle, Kor hesitated for a mont before deciding to accept the more cautious suggestion.
However, he requested that Rebury not delay too long. As the territory continued to thrive and people of various races began to appear in Ugru with increasing frequency, and as more officials and representatives of the citizens ca for an audience, the farm that temporarily served as the Lord’s Mansion was becoming increasingly inadequate to suit Kor’s status. Kor hoped to resolve this issue that he was bound to face sooner rather than later.
Hiding half of his gaunt face behind a partially concealing black iron helt, when he removed it, Kor was surprised to realize that this man wasn’t very old—probably only around thirty at most. His dark, somber eyes were imbued with indifference and detachnt, only sparking to life intermittently with flashes of fla when Rebury spoke of the interesting objects within Moreske Castle.
His physique was not robust and could even be called slender. Yet, the knight’s spear hanging from his stalwart horse was no ordinary item. Kor surmised it to be an ancient weapon dating back at least a hundred years. The thin-bladed long sword slung across his waist appeared more like an accessory. The fish skin scabbard adorned with silver threads and erald at the tip seed to be the insignia of those long-standing, ancient families from the mainland southern regions. However, Kor sensed a bloodthirsty aura stealthily emanating from that ornantal sword scabbard.
It was an unadulterated instrunt of murder. Although the stone that resembled an erald deliberately suppressed the aura within the scabbard, this weapon, which must have tasted the blood and souls of over a hundred people, was not so easily tad.
Prior to this, Rebury had only briefly inford Kor that the visitor was a Dark Knight. This was Kor’s first encounter with the Dark Knight Sorrenberger, renowned throughout the Continent, who dwelled at the edge of the swamp in the Gratz region south, in the southern part of the Galle Region, also being the closest comrade Rebury could notify.
Kor noted that the relationship between Rebury and this Dark Knight wasn’t as close as he had imagined. Instead, their relationship seed like a strange combination of mutual need and veiled rivalry. Discussing and testing each other’s skills seed to be their best ans of improving their levels. After the Dark Knight’s arrival, Rebury rely briefed him on the upcoming mission before heading to an unknown location with the Dark Knight. Kor wondered how the two would test each other. Yet, the sight of both n upon their return to the farm was astonishing.
Rebury’s eyes were dark with bruises, and even his arms were soaked with purplish-black bloodstains; he was so weak that he seed to float as he walked. The Dark Knight appeared to be not much better off, his helt clearly dented by a heavy blow, his solemn knight’s attire riddled with scars, and a large gash torn across his waist. The blood at the corner of his mouth proved that his wounds were not minor either.
Although Kor couldn’t understand why the Dark Knight had traveled so far in response to a call, only to engage in an inexplicable battle with this scruffy mage, he knew that this would definitely have so impact on his own plan to conquer the castle. As expected, Rebury proposed a three-day delay before continuing the expedition and seized most of the carefully prepared potions Kor had brought, fortunately noticing that so of the potions had already reached the Dark Knight’s desk. Kor resigned himself to revisiting his old profession and once again took on the role of a potion master.
With clear skies and a pleasant climate, it should have been a perfect ti for an adventure. However, Kor declined the requests from Ilot and Hesse, knowing that when facing spectral undead creatures, warriors and adventurers were of little help, and having an extra person would only hold the others back.
The moss and vine-covered door opened silently before the trio. Due to its ancient age, Kor couldn’t make out the inscription above the doorfra. Noticing Kor’s focus on the inscription, a flash of cold light passed, and the moss and dirt on the doorfra suddenly fell to the ground. Thanking the silently standing Dark Knight with a nod, Kor could finally read the firm script: “With the blessings of the gods, my glory shall be forged.”
“Let’s go. Such a door isn’t worth our lingering gaze; I’m afraid we might not find our way out even after a week,” Rebury glanced at the doorfra and shook his head, still wrapped in his dark grey mage robe with voluminous sleeves hiding countless secrets. Kor had never seen him change out of this enduring attire, but this ti it appeared much cleaner.
The three figures disappeared behind the door, and a Human-Faced Spider, following the trail of a spider thread, seed to watch their backs intently before gracefully contracting and springing back to hide in a gap beside the doorfra.
Sorrenberger’s gaze fell on the high and profound City Walls on either side. From what he could see, this was a typical defense fortress-style Castle, with a dark, deep alley between the two layers of walls, shorter on the outside and taller on the inside. Every fifty ters, there was a round or semi-circular Defensive Tower, with windows covered in cobwebs and dust, as if to record the glorious history of the castle in bygone days.
Upon receiving the letter, Sorrenberger had long been without news from his companions living across the Continent, practicing Necromancy Class Magic. He referred to these mages and knights as “companions” because Sorrenberger couldn’t think of a precise term for their relationship. Practitioners of Dark Magic were considered outliers in the world of magic and heretics and the embodint of evil in the eyes of the self-proclaid holy and orthodox Church of Light. Yet, that didn’t sever the connection between them.
It had taken Sorrenberger ten years to transform from a conventional knight into a Dark Knight with a notable reputation even among his peers. The decade had deepened Sorrenberger’s obsession with exploring the Dark Heavenly Path. The endless Dark Space seed like a doorway to a different world; once he stepped through, he could never, and did not want to, turn back. The feeling of wandering within it was sothing others could never understand.
The young Lord behind him also sparked Sorrenberger’s curiosity, although not as much as the Castle he had just entered. He could sense the dense Dark Demonic Aura within the Lord, consistent with the information brought by Rebury in his letter. This seemingly innocent young man was indeed a dangerous individual—not just because of the Dark Magic Force he possessed but because his ambitious heart combined with his Power posed a real threat, not only to people but potentially to the entire surrounding world.
The enormity of Damarlinsk Castle caught even the prepared Kor by surprise. It was only then that he realized viewing the Castle from the outside and being inside were entirely different concepts. An elliptical corridor stretched wide and winding, extending for two kiloters. Kor could only imagine how much effort and Money the first Lord must have spent to build such a Castle. The re cost of stones alone ant the expenses were astronomical, and to let such a magnificent building fall into disrepair seed unforgivable.
It took half an hour for the trio to circle the alleyway between the inner and outer walls, treading carefully and using Perception Magic to sense any abnormalities due to their sensitivity and caution toward the outside world. However, what reassured yet sowhat disappointed all three was that nothing seed to happen along the way, and even the cold presence that both Kor and Rebury had felt before had vanished without a trace.
Finally, they returned to their starting point. The outer Castle’s Door had closed without their notice, the emptiness and silence pressing oppressively on their hearts.
“Alright, it’s ti to move on.” The carefree expression that usually graced Rebury’s face was gone, replaced by a thoughtful and cautious countenance.
Reviews
All reviews (0)