Black Hearted Mage

Chapter 314 Success

In just a few days, rumors of the newly crowned Mage Lord spread like a swarm of hungry locusts across a wheat field, devouring the entire information-deprived southern Roland Empire at an alarming rate. Meanwhile, dozens of unidentified intruders crept into the castle's underground passages like ghosts, their footsteps echoing in the damp passageway, unnoticed.

The puppy, lying on its back beneath a massive oak tree, its furry belly facing the sky, was snoring contentedly when it was startled awake by a subtle tremor from underground. The dark red puppy pricked up its ears, listening to the subtle sound from underground, its wet black nose twitching rapidly, and its scarlet pupils suddenly constricted.

The next second, this creature shot out like an arrow, its four meaty legs making rapid clattering sounds on the cobblestones. Its mind was full of the meat strips smoked with secret spices that Caesar had promised, and the glistening, delicious taste made it run even faster.

"They're coming?"

Caesar's slender fingers were caressing a crystal wine glass when the dark red puppy burst open the study door, his eyes darkening instantly. The puppy whimpered, baring its sharp white fangs, its short tail wagging like a paddle in a storm. Caesar needed no further information; he sensed a conspiracy—given the old fox that was Count Soren, this raid must have been meticulously prepared.

"Sean, clear the area!"

Upon hearing this, the butler immediately removed his gold-rimmed glasses. Three short silver bells rang, and the entire castle's servants vanished silently, like the receding tide. Caesars donned his scarlet fur cloak and inserted his pre-prepared alchemical potion into the slot on his belt, ready for immediate use. He gently kicked the puppy begging for food at his feet, his boot heel leaving a deep indentation on the carpet.

"You greedy dead dog! I'll give you some dried meat right away. You continue to guard the ventilation hole. This time, I'm going to keep them in the secret passage forever!"

Caesars pulled out a dozen strips of meat, stuffed one into the puppy's mouth, and placed the rest into its storage ring. Six bottles of highly corrosive acid sat on the vent beneath the oak tree. Any significant tremor would cause one to fall. If those people wanted to dig an exit, they would have to pay the price.

"Go guard the vent, you damn dog! If you kill a bad guy, I'll give you two delicious strips of meat!"

As soon as Caesars finished speaking, the plump puppy whined excitedly, its short tail wagging like a propeller. Its four short legs swung rapidly in alternation, and its plump body shot out like an arrow, like a ball of flesh flying close to the ground. Its greedy expression clearly indicated it had already smelled the alluring aroma of the jerky.

After watching the puppy leave, Caesars turned and walked towards the cellar entrance. He slowly closed his eyes, and several magical tentacles shimmering with a faint blue light extended from his fingertips, slithering into the cracks like nimble water snakes. These transparent tentacles snaked down along the veins of the granite, revealing the entire cellar.

In the damp, chilly cellar, six ventilation holes, each about the size of an arm, had been opened at some point. Dozens of masked men in nightgown bustled about methodically, their movements as light and graceful as a cat's, barely raising a speck of dust. Their work was clearly divided: some meticulously wiped the dusty walls, others swept the floor with a special broom, and still others specifically cleared the cobwebs from the corners. The entire cellar was impeccably clean, as if preparing to welcome some distinguished guest.

Just as Caesars was puzzled, several men in black gathered around a yellowed blueprint, whispering to each other. One of them suddenly pointed somewhere, and his companions immediately stepped forward to pry open dozens of floor tiles. These tiles were unusually thin, revealing a dense network of spike traps underneath. Each spike, stained dark red with rust, was about a foot long and as thick as a thumb, standing out like a venomous snake's fangs.

Even more surprising was the moment the men in black produced dozens of bulging animal hide bags. As the bags tilted, fine yellow sand poured into the trap like water, quickly completely covering the deadly spikes. They even used specialized tools to compact the sand, finally replacing the thin stone slabs used for camouflage. The entire process was so skillful, as if they had practiced it countless times.

The damp cellar walls were covered in insidious traps and mechanisms. Sharp, poisoned spikes and deadly blades loomed in the dim light. The leading black-clad figure expertly groped the walls, disarming each deadly mechanism one by one. The metal components clicked as they were released. Several black-clad men then unloaded heavy metal components from their bags. These fine steel components clunked as they were carefully placed on the ground. The alchemical bomb hanging at the cellar entrance was also carefully dismantled by a skilled black-clad figure.

Caesars's brow furrowed further and further. He noticed that while these black-clad men were well-trained, they lacked the immense strength of a paladin. So how could they remove the tens of thousands of pounds of demon steel door that pressed against the entrance? This question lingered in his mind.

Even as Caesars was puzzled, the men in black had already begun methodically assembling the metal parts. With the click of gears meshing and the creak of bolts tightening, a massive structure gradually took shape. When the last part was installed, Caesars' eyes widened—it was clearly a sophisticated mechanical device!

"Mechanical lifting device!" Caesars exclaimed in a low voice. This masterpiece of engineering, forged from fine steel and adorned with interlocking gears, was indeed capable of pushing open the heavy tomb door. He realized that the other party had clearly come prepared. These men in black were so meticulous in their actions, they must have other plans in mind. They certainly wouldn't come here to die in vain.

With the lifting device securely positioned for optimal load bearing, the man in black deftly removed the sturdy oak door at the cellar entrance. The mechanical device slowly rose, pressing against the magic steel pressing against the entrance. With the relentless sound of turning gears, the tens of thousands of pounds of magic steel were gradually lifted.

Beyond Caesar's mental range, several men in nightgown carefully carried several unusual small wooden boxes. These boxes were covered in a dense network of holes, each inlaid with a shimmering metal mesh, emitting an eerie hue in the darkness. As the heavy, magical steel tomb door slowly rose to the desired height, the men in black immediately tossed the strange boxes through the cellar entrance. The boxes slid rapidly across the ground, collided with the wall, and shattered upon impact. Simultaneously, the unsupported magical steel door collapsed with a deafening roar, stirring up a cloud of dust.

"Chief, all the wooden boxes have been successfully shattered!"

A man in black knelt on one knee, his voice filled with suppressed excitement. He was wearing special noise-isolating earmuffs, and it was clear that he knew what was about to happen.

In the darkness, a tall man in black nodded slightly, his voice deep and powerful: "Very good. Pass the order down, everyone stay on standby for three hours before taking any action. Immediately inform the people outside and tell them to be ready!" His order was concise and clear, but it revealed an unquestionable majesty.

Meanwhile, high in the cellar, Caesar shuddered at the sudden turn of events. As the nine crates were simultaneously hurled, his keen magical perception instantly picked up a violent energy surge. The intensity of the surge made him instinctively tense, believing the enemy had unleashed some kind of devastating alchemical bomb. However, the anticipated explosion didn't occur; the crates merely shattered, the debris scattered across the ground seemingly harmless. This uncharacteristic calm only heightened Caesar's vigilance. He tightened his grip on his magic blade, his gaze scanning the surrounding darkness, a vague sense that something more might be amiss.

Nearly a hundred tiny golden dots of light all converged on Kaisas, who stood to the side. They were small, vertically-shaped golden pupils, and over forty newly hatched, golden-eyed black demon snakes. These little snakes had never been fed and possessed a strong desire to attack.

Kaisas laughed. He hadn't expected Earl Soren to use the Golden-Eyed Black Demon Snake to clear the area. The young snakes were only the thickness of a thumb, making them difficult to spot, but their venom was no less potent.

Kaisas' dark magic flowed through his body at an accelerated rate. He took out a piece of golden cheese, crushed it, and threw it on the floor. The hungry little snake was difficult to approach and more aggressive.

The young snakes' keen tongues had already picked up the scent of food in the air, and dozens of slender black shadows shot towards the food like arrows from a bow. They squirmed frantically at Caesar's feet, vying to devour the scattered cheese crumbs. Caesar casually crouched down, precisely grasped the vital part of a small golden-eyed black demon snake, and lifted it up to examine it carefully.

"Tsk, it's not a pure-blooded golden-eyed black magic snake." Kaisas narrowed his eyes and roughly pushed aside the snake's scales with his fingertips to check. "The scales have mottled patterns, and the head shape is wrong. It's a mixed-blood hybrid." There was obvious disgust in his voice, and he threw the little snake back into the snake group.

At that moment, a rhythmic knocking sound suddenly emanated from the depths of the cellar, a dull thud like someone striking an ancient leather drum with a blunt instrument. This sound seemed to trigger some kind of alarm. Dozens of golden-eyed black demon snakes, previously engrossed in their feeding, instantly reared up, their scales rustling as they rubbed against each other. Their golden pupils shrank into dangerous lines, and they assumed a standard attacking stance.

Caesars calmly removed the glowing snake demon core from his bosom. As he began to absorb the energy contained within, a startling transformation occurred—mysterious dark golden lines spread across his skin like a living being, awakening an ancient power dormant deep within his blood. The young snakes, once poised for action, suddenly collapsed to the ground as if their spines had been ripped out, their signature golden eyes tightly shut in a gesture of absolute submission.

Caesars slowly extended his hand, the back of which was now covered in fine, dark golden scales. He used his inhuman hand to stroke the heads of each young snake in turn, as if performing some mysterious ritual. Then, with a single hand, he easily pushed open the heavy, demon-steel door, revealing a half-foot-wide, dark gap.

"Go!" His voice was filled with excitement and joy. "Bite all those rats down there to death."

Before he could finish his words, the snakes rushed towards the gap like a black tide. The friction between their scales and the ground made a creepy rustling sound, and in the blink of an eye, they all disappeared into the dark cellar.

Because the entrance to the cellar was in a dark storage room and drums were constantly beating in the cellar, no one in black noticed that the entrance to the cellar had been opened. When the first scream came from the cellar, the continuous drumming suddenly stopped as if it had been cut off by a sharp blade.

Caesars crouched at the entrance to the cellar, his fingers beneath his black robe counting the number of men in black as the screams rose and fell. The sounds of metal clashing, curses, and the rustling of tiny creatures crawling mixed together, forming an eerie echo in the vaulted cellar.

"Damn it! How did these things get down there?" A hoarse voice exploded in the chaos. "Light up everything that can emit light! Magic lamps, flares, torches, they are too small and hard to be seen in the dark!"

Caesars narrowed his eyes slightly. This was exactly the voice he was looking for - the leader of this group of men in black.

The last syllable of the invisibility spell faded into thin air, and Caesars slid into the cellar like a melting shadow. The scene before him was a nightmare: a dozen men in black scurried about like headless flies, some frantically clawing at tiny snakes burrowed into their clothing, others hacking wildly at the air. Three flares exploded in mid-air, illuminating the masonry of the stone walls with dazzling white light. At the far end of the cellar, a figure in a black cloak slowly retreated amidst the chaos, his left hand already reaching for the secret door mechanism. Caesars's lips curled into a sneer—this big fish was indeed trying to escape; his intentions were too obvious.

It didn't matter if the other men in black escaped, but this leader must remain. Through his soul, perhaps all the answers could be found. Why did Earl Soren send someone here? Where was that old man hiding?

A cold glint flashed in Caesar's eyes as he activated the Flash spell. Then, the dark energy gathered at his fingertips suddenly erupted. His slender fingers traced a dark purple trail through the air, and the dark impact roared out like a roaring dragon. Ripples spread through the air, and even light was distorted wherever the magical energy passed.

The black-clad leader's pupils suddenly constricted. He hastily raised his magic shield, which shattered like thin ice the moment it came into contact with the dark energy. The overwhelming force sent him flying, his black cloak rustling in the turbulent flow of magic. His back slammed heavily into the stone wall, a dull, teeth-grinding sound as bones collided with the solid surface.

"Ugh—!"

A groan of pain escaped from beneath his cloak. The aftermath of the magic still raged, pinning him to the wall, unable to move. Spiderweb-like cracks spread across the wall, centered around him, and fine stone chips fell. He tried to struggle, but found that the dark energy wrapped around him like a living thing, and every breath was filled with the smell of rust and blood.

Caesars approached slowly, shadow arrows flying left and right in the cellar, killing the black-clad men who were still jumping up and down. He stretched out his hand and clenched it, and the dark energy immediately tightened, and the mask of the black-clad leader cracked under the pressure.

Caesar's voice was full of teasing: "A wealthy magician, all struggles are in vain, your memory will be revealed to me!"