The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Chapter 52 - 52 Four Night Talk

?Chapter 52: Chapter Four: Night Talk Chapter 52: Chapter Four: Night Talk Entering the Caucasus Region from Darman Pass, they were still one hundred and eighty miles away from the heart of the Caucasus territory—Ugru Town. As the daylight began to fade, Fran reckoned they could not reach their destination tonight and proposed an early camping rest.

They had already penetrated forty miles into Caucasus Territory, with barely a soul having traversed the nearly abandoned wilderness. The only road appeared seldom traveled; the bandits from the Leon Region, even if inclined to attack again, would likely find no way to do so. In such desolate lands, finding a hidden refuge was all too easy.

When the roaring campfire lit up, Fran, as usual, instructed the eight soldiers to split into two shifts, each with two individuals stationed as bright and dark sentries in two different directions. Although this area was deemed safe, Fran insisted they remain highly vigilant to cultivate their combat readiness.

Fran always believed that quality training couldn’t be achieved overnight; a troop, or rather a soldier, can only truly qualify as part of the army and as a warrior after enduring the trials of blood and fire multiple times. Situations like the one they had just experienced, where extreme tension of combat had been present, were often when soldiers would most likely relax and thus presented the best opportunity to train their resolve.

Komer, having meditated with closed eyes for a while, slowly opened them. Ilot and Puber sat silently resting by the fire, perhaps overwhelmed by the day’s events and finding them too much to process at once.

Komer’s mad performance made the two realize they were increasingly unable to understand their friend, but since they were already on the same path, they never intended to turn back.

Fran quietly sat a little further away from the fire. The four soldiers not currently on duty had already rested. Later in the night, they would undertake the duty of sentry. Baoling went to inspect the sentry posts as the howling mountain wind swept through the woods and valleys, the dancing flames seemingly beckoning attention with their endlessly changing and fantastic shapes.

“Looks like our journey this time really isn’t going smoothly, huh? First, we faced attacks from magical beasts and assassination attempts by fallen knights, and now, bandit ambushes. Heh heh, am I, Komer, really such a failure in life? So deeply loathed by others?”

With a slight smile, Komer casually threw a dry twig into the fire, gently stirring the flames, which surged higher, illuminating the faces of the four and casting their flickering shadows.

“Boss, we all know who’s behind this assassination attempt. Who can blame us for the vile deeds we did in the past? Heh, look at this setup—they want to take all three of us out at once. It seems following you was the right choice for Puber and me; otherwise, we would soon become floating corpses off the coast of Cyprus Seaport. Well, if we get past this, maybe we can cling to life a while longer.”

Ilot appeared nonchalant as he played with the S-shaped wide sword in his hands, agile tumbling it despite sitting on the grass.

“Hmpf, are we really just meant to survive by the skin of our teeth? Ever since that Balmore turned down our request for an escort, I knew this trip wouldn’t be that simple. Still, it seems the old guy has some reservations; had it been Balmore’s guards pulling a stunt like this, we wouldn’t stand a chance.”

A cold smile flickered across Komer’s face. “But once we reach the Caucasus, that old fossil will be beyond reach. Give us time, and I don’t think we’re destined to live forever beneath others, to be looked down upon by them.”

“Let’s hope so, boss. But the Caucasus isn’t such an easy place either. It might be a good place to flee, but making a stand there will be difficult.”

Puber wasn’t as optimistic. From a financial standpoint, he felt they were always on the brink of bankruptcy, especially after hearing Fran describe the total population of the Caucasus Territory as under five thousand, with a considerable number of Half-Beastmen, which made him even more pessimistic.

But when Puber thought of the unexpected performances Komer had displayed recently, his eyes shifted and a sly smile crept onto his face as he said, “However, if you, Boss, keep surprising us with displays like the one today, I think we may reap many rewards in the Caucasus. I’ve heard there are especially many adventurers there, and the territory is full of places worth exploring for treasures. If you’re not too busy, Boss, why not moonlight as an adventurer and hunt for treasure with us? Who knows, we might stumble upon an ancient hoard, and then we’d be set for life. Damarlinsk Castle is also renowned; maybe there’s a secret treasure buried inside.”

Hearing Puber’s dreamlike babble, Ilot couldn’t help but scoff dismissively, “Enough, Puber. If everyone pinned their hopes on such nebulous treasure hunts, wouldn’t the world be overrun with adventurers? You’d better stick to your own trade. We still have several thousand residents in our lord’s territory, and with careful budgeting, we might scrape by. If things get tough, we can always take on side jobs—acting as bodyguards, dabbling in trading, or, like before, slaughtering some lower-level magical beasts to make some money. Besides, aren’t the Barbarians to the south known for some unique Ores? Engaging in trade of that sort is the right path.”

Komer himself felt somewhat vexed at the discussion between the two of them. He couldn’t see any prospects for development in the barren Caucasus, a place even rabbits wouldn’t leave their droppings. His previous statement had mainly been to lift everyone’s spirits, but if he was forced to articulate a clear plan, he was completely clueless—at least for the moment.

“There’s always a way when you reach the mountain; don’t be so pessimistic, both of you. I refuse to believe that this vast area, spanning hundreds of miles, can’t support us. If the Caucasus is indeed so famous, there must be some secrets to it. Given our current situation, we’ve got no choice but to take a chance on it. Whatever it is, as long as it has value, we must give it a try. Be it Damarlinsk Castle or any other place worth adventuring, we won’t know unless we try.”

Komer shook his head, speaking in a deep voice filled with confidence.

“Many things are uncertain until you try them. If you don’t try, you’ll lose even that sliver of chance. To be honest, I’ve been surprised by my own performance these last few times as well. I’ve never exhibited such behavior before, and perhaps this is just a person’s potential exploding when pushed to the limit. The Caucasus will be our land of fortune, and we will prove ourselves there. I believe we will perform even better!”

Komer’s words brimmed with confidence, even possessing a strange magnetism. Not only were Ilot and Puber visibly moved, but Fran, who was sitting a bit farther away, was also deeply captivated after a moment of reverie.

Komer skillfully controlled his spiritual power, preventing any fluctuations until he had finished speaking. Seeing the expressions on their faces, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he had succeeded.

He had cast a magic upon the three of them. But this was no ordinary magic; it was a unique Dark Art, which is to say, it was a kind of Dark-based magic developed through special mental control abilities.

This was an exceedingly rare form of magic on the Continent, firstly because it was akin to Dark Class and Necromancy Class magics, which conventional mages looked down upon with disdain, and secondly, because this type of magic, due to its unique mysteries, required both a special talent to understand and accept as well as proficiency in both the common Dark Class and Necromancy Class magics and traditional magics.

For most mages, meeting such criteria was nearly impossible; White Magic and Elemental Magic, in particular, are highly incompatible with Dark Magic, especially Necromancy. There have been mages who attempted to master both incompatible schools of magic, but without exception, their ends were all the same—madness and death.

Throughout history, except for Franz Grisik, who rose meteorically to power 500 years ago during the Warcraft Crisis and attained the title of Holy Magician, purportedly reaching a divine union of holy and dark magic, it remained merely legend. There’s no record of Franz Grisik in any history books of the Continent; only the orally-transmitted songs of bards from generation to generation have managed to keep the legend alive. The true state of affairs, however, remains unknown to anyone.

Komer did not know why he possessed such a Dark Art. Subconsciously, he wanted to use this technique to boost the confidence and courage of his three companions, and this Dark Art was the perfect choice, as it could make people believe in themselves unconsciously, and its lasting power was far beyond that of ordinary Spirituality magic.

This reaction took place in Komer’s mind subconsciously, filling him with both excitement and anxiety, as he did not know how long this unexpected ability would stay with him. Perhaps he might awake to find all such skills gone from his mind, but at that moment, he had no other choice.