The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 633: Volume Seventeen: Dark Descends on Earth - Five: Crisis of Light

Chapter 633: Volume Seventeen: Dark Descends on Earth - Five: Crisis of Light

Once the situation at Bruce Fortress had stabilized, Komer knew he might have to face the most serious problem yet. Utilizing Dark Undead Power had indeed driven Homer’s army out of Bruce Fortress, but it had also put him directly in confrontation with the Church of Light. Homer might not mobilize a large force to return to Bruce immediately, but the Church of Light would never tolerate a region overrun by Dark Forces, especially not in a place like Homer. No matter the necessity, such a situation would be resolutely stopped and banned. How to face the impending purge by the Church of Light was the grim reality Komer had to confront.

However, there was some time in between. Komer didn’t yet possess the strength to directly confront the Church of Light and could only use other means to stall. It was indispensable to clear all dark marks from Caucasus and Leon, pushing the Priests of Light who had established churches in Caucasus to the forefront as a cover. As for the natural worship of other races, Komer had no intention of stopping it. An overt operation might, in fact, raise suspicions among the members of the Church of Light, who were not easily dealt with, especially since Homer had never banned the worship of other faiths, which aligned more with the reality of Caucasus and Leon.

After delegating the daily affairs of Bruce Fortress to Puber, Komer devoted himself entirely to negotiations with the Great Mysterium Sect and to surveilling the situation of the kingdom. Although Uma did not explicitly reveal his identity to Xerob, Xerob’s sensitive instinct made him realize that Mr. Uma must have a deep connection with the Dark Lineage. Similarly, Uma placed high expectations on the shrewd and capable Xerob. While both men did not disclose their secrets, the tacit understanding of belonging to the Dark Lineage soon led them to apply pressure on Komer together. They demanded that Komer give a definitive answer on how to revive the Dark Lineage and restore the glory of the Dark Holy Church—a question too significant even for the prepared-minded Komer to digest comfortably.

Though Uma was indebted to him, this fellow was clearly not one to eagerly repay favors. His extreme obsession with the Dark Holy Church, the Dark Empire, and the unfulfilled grand aspirations of Kennifer III, made him more inclined to force Komer step by step down the road of reviving the Dark Lineage. And with the base of the Great Mysterium Sect in the South, a foundation was ready for Uma—especially since the Sect had a solid foothold there. This opportunity was perfect for the Dark Lineage’s resurgence. Xerob also vaguely sensed that Mr. Uma possessed considerable influence over the Dark Lord, even some level of control. By joining forces, they could slowly push the Dark Lord onto the ship of the Dark Lineage, and by then, it would be impossible for Komer to disembark.

Their alliance indeed made Komer feel like he was being coerced. For them, destroying him would be as easy as turning over a hand, not just physically, but merely by divulging a bit of information to the Church of Light, the fanatical arrival of the Court would leave him with no place to die. Of course, Komer didn’t believe they would do so; after all, he was carrying out all of Kennifer III’s legacy. Without him, their hopes of reviving the Dark Lineage would be as elusive as a reflection in water or a moon in a mirror. It was this wolf-beating hesitation from both sides that led Komer and his opposers to seek a compromise that both could accept.

Uma and Xerob’s combined pressure did weigh on Komer, who they criticized for his obsession with the struggle for secular power. They also disagreed with Komer’s argument that expanding secular power would favor the Dark Lineage’s future expansion. While expanding secular power did help somewhat, the most pressing task was to integrate the dark forces in the South into the soon-to-be-unveiled Dark Holy Church. Only by pooling all of the Dark Forces could they truly confront the Bright Holy Teaching. However, it was apparent that the baron’s enthusiasm for this task disappointed both Uma and Xerob.

Komer knew that without presenting a clear statement or detailed plan, he would find it hard to win Uma and Xerob’s full support again. But to give up everything he had struggled to achieve to develop the vague and uninteresting enterprises of the Dark Holy Church in the South was certainly impossible. Uma and Xerob were aware of this too, and finding a way to bridge the gap between their intentions became key to compromise.

The negotiations led to a satisfactory enough outcome. Komer finally agreed to visit the South when the time was right, to meet with important figures of the Great Mysterium Sect, and to make contact with other smaller Dark Sects active in the South. This would enable a better consolidation of the forces within the Dark Lineage, hastening the restoration of the Dark Holy Church’s influence. In the meantime, Uma and Xerob agreed to temporarily withdraw the Dark Forces from Caucasus to prepare for a potential purge by the Church of Light. Both knew that it was not yet time for the Dark Lineage to openly confront the Church of Light, as neither the strength nor the opportunity permitted such a revelation.

Although the Great Mysterium Sect had temporarily left Caucasus, they would be at Komer’s call should he need them to return at any time. For the Sect, Caucasus could serve as a bridgehead in the North for the Dark Lineage, taking advantage of the region’s unique circumstances to gradually infiltrate the Dark Forces there and lay the groundwork for the eventual restoration of the Dark Holy Church.

Uma would return to the South with Xerob and his entourage, while Mihailovich, Newman, and two Dark Knights would make their way back to Ugru first. Komer estimated that the Church of Light would soon receive the news and begin a net-style search of the regions including Bruce Fortress and the areas of Leon and Caucasus, in order to find traces of the Dark Lineage’s activities there.

Damarlinsk Castle would no longer be the safest place for Mihailovich and others. Once the Church of Light arrived, they would surely search the castle first. Therefore, Komer had to take precautions and prepare Damarlinsk Castle, especially modifying the underground structures to prevent their discovery by the Church of Light—after all, they bore deep traces of the Dark Lineage which would be too easily recognized by the Church.

(To be continued. For further developments, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM. There are more Chapters available, support the author, support authorized reading!)