The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 367: Volume 7: Spring Thunder Awakens the Hibernating Creatures, - 3: The Fox’s Tail_2

Chapter 367: Volume 7: Spring Thunder Awakens the Hibernating Creatures, Chapter 3: The Fox’s Tail_2

Komer naturally was not willing to risk deciphering the Magic Array lightly, and Rebry and Solonberg likewise were not willing to make such reckless moves without assurance. It had become a consensus among the three to delay the study to a later time, making them even more excited, patient, and meticulous in their subsequent search efforts. However, much to their disappointment, the search didn’t yield many valuable results afterward. Aside from a collection of oil paintings and Artworks found in a secret chamber—which might represent a significant find for Komer—for Rebry and Solonberg, it was meaningless.

Fortunately, the two sealed locations had already satisfied both the Mage and the Dark Knight. After all, this was only the initial exploratory search, primarily aimed at eliminating any potential hidden dangers. In the eyes of Rebry and Solonberg, the cold aura that both Rebry and Komer had felt was undoubtedly some sort of strange object created by the reliance on the Eye of Darkness. And it surely resided in the Underground World beneath the castle. It behaved so obediently today, perhaps because it realized that the three challengers who entered were no ordinary individuals; it too needed time to observe and determine its strategy.

The first expedition to Damarlinsk Castle thus ended with little fanfare. While the trio had their modest gains, Komer felt somewhat disappointed due to the exceedingly high expectations he had set for the adventure—it was almost completely devoid of danger and lacked interesting or novel goods. Even the Magic Arrays or magical seals seemed to be beyond the trio’s current level of expertise to solve instantly, which left the question of whether Damarlinsk Castle was suitable for habitation still open for debate. On the contrary, Rebry and Solonberg were eager to move in soon and, with the arrival of some of their friends, hoped to join the exploration and study of the castle perched upon the Eye of Darkness sooner rather than later.

The exploratory trip stirred a sensation that Komer had not anticipated. Although the trio managed to keep their venture a secret, Komer’s unique status made his friends and subordinates worry about potential risks; they had already agreed that if there was no word after three days in the castle, a larger group would forcibly enter for a search. Many people opposed Komer’s brash decision, especially the new Immigrants who now saw Komer as their pillar of support. The appearance of Half-Beastmen and Barbarians in the territory made the Mortals feel the need for a strong Lord for survival, and they vehemently opposed Komer’s knightly adventurous conduct, though this wasn’t enough to douse Komer’s plans significantly.

The adventure of the trio soon caused a sensation in Ugru, with nearly everyone discussing and paying close attention to the expedition, especially the Indigenous People who had lived there for decades or even generations. They told colorful and vivid stories of the castle’s legends, adding countless animated listeners to the Taverns and coffee shops.

Was Damarlinsk Castle, deemed an inaccessible region, now conquered by the Lord and his two friends? Although the residents of Caucasus were yet to fully accept this reality, individuals like Puber and Neptune leveraged this event for a publicity campaign that once again earned the respect of people across the Caucasus Region. For years, Damarlinsk Castle had been the source of fear in the hearts of the Indigenous People—evoking a sense of dread even stronger than that caused by the threat of Barbarians—and the new Immigrants had largely been influenced by this sentiment as well. Damarlinsk Castle was one of the main topics of discussion in Taverns and coffee shops. But now, it seemed the castle lay prostrated at the feet of the Lord.

While Komer was still embroiled in heated debates with his friends and subordinates about whether to relocate to Damarlinsk Castle or not, the unkempt Mage and the Dark Knight had already unhesitatingly moved their scant personal belongings into the castle. To Rebry and Solonberg, this castle was nothing short of a divine gift from Hades, the god of darkness—a natural Holy Land for Cultivation of the dark arts. To fail to make use of it would be to incur the curse of Hades.

Although Komer did not immediately move into Damarlinsk Castle with Rebry and Solonberg, deep down he was extremely eager to explore the mysteries of the castle with them. Inside the castle, especially the above-ground structures, there didn’t seem to be many real dangers—at least that was what Komer thought. The real threat lay beneath. However, Komer found that deep within his heart, he was not afraid of the undead creatures, which people regarded as ghostly. Perhaps his own dark aura had seeped into his mind and body, gradually imbuing him with darkness. He felt an indescribable sense of familiarity and affinity toward those things of a dark nature.

The advice from Puber and Hesse and the others was still quite important. After all, the castle was still shrouded in a layer of mystery. Moreover, according to Komer himself, it was highly possible that undead creatures existed in the castle’s underground structures. Although the Lord had two friends to protect him, it was best to avoid such risks if possible. They suggested that it would be better to wait until the Lord’s two friends had resided in the castle for a period of time to observe. Then, once they were sure that there was no significant danger, the Lord could choose a time to move in. This suggestion also won the support of Ilot, Fran, and others. After all, they had all felt the threat of the castle’s cold presence from outside the castle; they were not afraid to fight, but the thought of facing an unimaginable undead creature made them shiver without being cold.

Green sat casually at the round table next to the bar, gently sipping from his glass. A faint trace of melancholy always lingered on his handsome face, and the warm smile of the past seemed to have dimmed a little. His graceful and composed elegance kept the surrounding tavern customers subconsciously at a distance. The flirtatious glances and smiles of the female servers seemed to have no effect on Green, whose deep gaze, even in the dimness of the bar, still made him stand out.

Jep hadn’t come back yet. It seemed that the castle was indeed not simple. Aside from feeling something unusual the first time, he hadn’t detected anything of value in the following attempts—it was as if it had vanished into thin air. Green somewhat regretted not being bolder and joining Jep to quietly infiltrate that castle to see for himself what was odd about the famous Magic Castle of the Kingdom of Nicosia. However, his aura as a Thunderhorse Knight restricted his actions. Now, the Lord had returned from his adventure with no significant discoveries, and his friends had even moved into the castle, which left Green in a foul mood for a long time.

There must be some problem with that castle, but as a Knight of the Church of Light, he could still feel that in addition to the vanished cold presence, the location of the castle seemed to be a naturally cold place. However, this natural coldness was entirely different from the previously discovered chill, which felt like the presence brought by some particularly powerful and strange undead creature, filled with evil and sneakiness.

Living in such a cold place, aside from those who practice special internal energy or magic, unless one is protected by an artifact of light or fire, long-term residence would inevitably harm the bodies of ordinary people. Since he dared to live in the castle, it seemed that the Lord’s friend must be quite confident. But Green was curious to know what exactly his two friends were relying on—was it some divine artifact or their own innate abilities?

A faint cold smile emerged on Green’s lips. A fox always shows its tail eventually. Although it was possible that the Lord’s two friends practiced Ice Magic, which enabled them to reside there, Green thought this unlikely. Birds of a feather flock together. If these two could be confirmed as Dark practitioners of Black Magic, then Green could also determine that the Lord was indeed the target that the Corps Commander had been searching for. This guy had just been better at hiding, managing to perform so naturally in front of Green.