Black Hearted Mage

Chapter 140 Murder and Robbery 3

Caesars sat leisurely in a comfortable rocking chair, holding a steaming cup of rich, fragrant Barton black tea. He took a sip of the rich tea, savoring the aroma as it permeated his mouth, and ate a piece of sweet cheese from the plate beside him. He seemed exceptionally relaxed at the moment, quietly waiting for the night to slowly fall.

Beside him, the black snake named St. Paul lay lazily on the armrest of the recliner, raising its head from time to time and rubbing its slippery head affectionately against Caesars.

Seeing this, Caesar smiled and touched the black snake's head, saying: "Saint Paul, don't expect to eat viper today. We have an important mission tonight - killing people and robbing them. You are my accomplice, so you have to do your part. As for the fiery viper, I'll give it to you tomorrow. Come, have another piece of cheese to fill your stomach!" As he said that, Caesar took out a piece of cheese from the plate and handed it to the black snake.

The black snake quickly opened its mouth and swallowed the cheese in one gulp. Strangely enough, this snake used to be able to satisfy its hunger with a single feeding every five days, but now, for some reason, it was already feeling unbearably hungry after just two days. Perhaps it was the heat here.

Before he knew it, night had finally fallen completely. By this time, Caesars had already eaten and drunk his fill. He stood up swiftly, tossed the black snake into his backpack, and packed up his belongings. Then, he used a flash spell, his figure flashing like a ghost as he sped off towards the lava river.

The Golden Viper Mercenary Group's camp was bustling with activity. Hundreds of strong mercenaries were toiling away, working furiously. They had successfully hunted over thirty ferocious salamanders and were now diligently mining the fire crystals along the banks of the lava river.

Some mercenaries were sharpening their weapons, some were cutting up the flesh of salamanders, and some were turning over the lizard meat on the fire.

"Deputy Captain, some of the magic steel crossbow arrows are missing, and most of the arrowheads are worn out. They need to be re-polished before they can be used!"

Trudeau nodded slightly after hearing his men's report. The lost crossbow bolts had all ended up in the lava river. The leather on the back of the fire lizard was very tough, and each strike would destroy several magic steel crossbow bolts.

"No more salamander hunting today, let's all go and rest!"

As soon as Trudeau finished speaking, the mercenaries cheered and leaped for joy, their faces brimming with unconcealable joy. They eagerly and joyfully walked off into the distance. They had been tormented by hunger for so long, and hearing that they could now enjoy wine and meat was naturally a source of excitement.

Before long, all the mercenaries gradually returned to the camp. Meanwhile, a magician waiting at the edge of the camp swiftly waved his staff, muttering something. A dazzling beam of light shot out from the tip of the staff, instantly merging into the air surrounding the camp. Then, a faint, pale blue magic pattern slowly illuminated, enveloping the entire camp. After a few minutes, the magical light faded into the magic circle.

Inside the spacious and magnificent tent where the magician resided, several enormous screens of light suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes. Upon closer inspection, these screens clearly displayed the surroundings of the camp. This was a miraculous effect brought about by the magic circle, allowing for a constant observation of the surroundings at any time.

With the magic circle guarding the camp, the mercenaries, after a long day of hard work, could finally relax and rest. They gathered around the campfire, devouring a sumptuous and delicious dinner. The aroma of barbecue and strong, spicy liquor took center stage, and the mercenaries chatted and laughed loudly as they savored the meat and liquor. This hearty and unrestrained way of eating and drinking was not only exhilarating but also deeply satisfying. Mercenaries, who had always lived on the edge of life, loved this noisy and lively atmosphere.

Just then, two adorable, small, furry creatures suddenly emerged from the magician's tent. Their fur was as smooth and soft as snow, and they looked as adorable as two snowballs. These were highly alert lightning mice, native to the northern plateaus and the Icecrown Mountains. They were the pets of the great magician Laudno.

The lightning mouse was very afraid of heat, and after leaving the big tent for a while, it quickly went back.

At this time, Laudenor also walked out of the big tent and stood at the entrance, looking at the mercenaries drinking and eating large chunks of meat, shaking his head. He had a vague feeling that tonight would not be a peaceful night, and that attackers would definitely come to visit the camp.

"Teacher, can we catch the attacker tonight?" A middle-aged magician standing next to Laudno asked in a low voice.

Laudno did not answer, but just shook his head slightly.

"Do as we agreed. Don't worry about other things!"

Laudno turned around and walked back to the big tent. The tent now seemed empty, with six or seven magicians observing the magical images.

After a long time, a magician who was staring at the magic image suddenly shouted, "Teacher, the attackers are coming, just a hundred meters north of the camp!"

Laudno, who was resting, immediately stood up and walked quickly to the magic image, carefully examining the blurry figure in the image. The light in the northern part of the camp was too dim, and the magic image could not be displayed clearly.

The figure stopped sixty meters outside the camp. The image was still a little blurry, and the other party seemed to be watching something.

"Is there only one person? Are there other people in the images on your side?"

Laudno was a little confused and asked other magicians about this, but they all gave the same answer: it seemed like there was only one attacker.

"Teacher, do you want to inform Trudeau?"

"Let's take a look first and then talk!"

Outside the camp, Kaisas noticed the magical fluctuations around the camp and knew without hesitation that a magic circle had been set up. The magic circle's range was not very large, but he could sense a faint magical power constantly probing the periphery.

Kaisas was not proficient in magic patterns and only knew the basics. Faced with such a difficult problem, he cast an invisibility spell on himself and slowly retreated to a position where the magic could not detect him.

The black snake poked its head out of the backpack and made a slight hissing sound. It had found delicious food.

"Does the camp have your favorite magic rat?"

The golden-eyed black snake had been feeding on magic rats since childhood and was very sensitive to their scent. However, Caesars believed that the magic rats were probably captive, as the volcanic ash contained a high level of sulfur, making it unsuitable for magical beasts to survive there.

"I'll destroy a few magic circles in a moment, and you can go in and eat the magic rats yourself!"

The Golden Viper Mercenary Group's camp was heavily guarded, making it impossible for Caesars to sneak in. Caesars was running low on strong acid and undead rot, and only had a dozen or so bottles of lethal potions, but he still had plenty of alchemical bombs, and he could make simple ones at any time.

He rummaged through his space ring. He had never used the fierce fire oil given to him by Orcus. Its main ingredients were flame flowers and fire crystals.

After preparing everything, Caesars put on his alchemical mask and headed towards the camp of the Golden Viper Mercenary Group. The black demon snake was now very excited, with golden light emitting from its eyes. Now was the time when it was most aggressive.

Caesars walked to the edge of the camp and began to chant a spell. A large gray-green mist emerged. His Cloud of Corrosion fell on the magic circle. In less than half a minute, three magic circles were destroyed without making any big noise.

More than a dozen alchemical bombs were thrown into the camp, followed by five or six crystal bottles, which were also thrown out with full force.

"Saint Paul, go find something to eat!"

Caesars patted the snake's head and began to run quickly into the distance.

With a deafening roar, deafening explosions suddenly echoed through the camp. Instantly, countless tent fragments danced through the air like snowflakes, scattering to the ground. A horrifying scene unfolded—severed limbs flew everywhere, blood splattered everywhere, as if the entire world had been dyed crimson. And amidst this chaos, raging fires quickly erupted in several locations, flames soaring into the sky and thick smoke billowing, transforming the once peaceful camp into a living inferno.

Inside the massive tent at the center of the camp, Laudno stared intently at the frozen magical image before him, his face solemn. Within the image, a figure wearing a mysterious mask loomed, coiled beside it, a black snake as thick as an arm.

"The attacker is obviously a powerful magician. Even though he is wearing a loose magic robe, he can still run as fast as the wind warrior!" Laudeno frowned and muttered to himself.

At this moment, a student beside him suddenly spoke up, "Teacher, look at the style of his magic robe. It's exactly the same as the battle robe unique to the Thorn Flower Trading Company. The slits on both sides of the robe extend all the way to the hips!"

Hearing this, Laudenuo's heart trembled violently, and his body shuddered involuntarily. He knew very well that the Thorn Flower Trading Company was extremely powerful. If this attack was truly related to the Thorn Flower Trading Company, he was afraid that things would become extremely difficult.

At that moment, another magician, who looked to be in his forties or fifties, pointed at the image with astonishment and shouted, "Teacher, I'm sure that the snake that just appeared was the Golden-Eyed Black Demonic Snake! How could such a rare and ferocious monster be following the attacker?"

For a moment, everyone in the tent was gripped by a deep sense of fear and confusion. The Golden-Eyed Black Demonic Snake, regardless of size, could not be tamed. This was the conclusion of long-term experiments by various magical powers. Because its fangs could break through magic, it posed a deadly threat to magicians.

"Jiji!"

From the corner of the large tent, a lightning rat's screams echoed. Laudno quickly stood up and saw a pitch-black snake tail disappear into the gap under the tent.

The camp was now in chaos. Screams, cries, and shouts echoed through the air, interweaving into a terrifying melody. Trudeau, his face gloomy, led several battle-hardened mercenaries as they darted through the tents like hungry wolves, anxiously searching for the elusive attacker. However, despite their wide eyes and pricked ears, searching for any clue, their efforts were in vain, with no trace of the attacker.

"Great Magician, have you discovered that nasty attacker?"

Trudeau rushed into the spacious tent with a frantic heart. As soon as he stepped inside, he was immediately aware of something strange in the atmosphere. Several magicians looked tense and pale, as if they had encountered something horrific.

Standing in the middle, Laudenor took a deep breath, calmed himself, and slowly replied, "Trudeau, based on what we know so far, the attacker didn't break into the camp. He threw several alchemical bombs from the periphery, causing considerable panic and damage. From the magical images, it's easy to infer that he's a powerful magician, most likely connected to the Thorn Flower Trading Company. Even worse, he even brought a golden-eyed black demon snake with him as an accomplice. Just now, that damned serpent took advantage of our unpreparedness, silently sneaked into the tent, and snatched away a lightning rat in the blink of an eye!"

Upon hearing this, Trudeau's eyes widened, a look of regret on his face. "Oh! Great Magician, why don't you try to catch that golden-eyed black demon snake? This rare demon beast is what the Saint Laurent Church has been desperately searching for! If we can capture it, we'll have a great harvest this time!"

Facing Trudeau's slightly complaining question, Laudenau shook his head helplessly, and explained with a wry smile, "Do you think I didn't want to? That golden-eyed black snake was as fast as lightning. If I hadn't witnessed it disappear so quickly with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it had entered the tent. Now that things have come to this, there's no point in saying more. Trudeau, we'll set off back immediately after daybreak. You should quickly make the necessary preparations!"

"Great Magician, what should we do with those injured people? In the sudden explosion just now, more than a dozen people were killed, and six or seven were seriously injured, lying on the ground groaning in pain; there are more than twenty people who were only slightly injured!" Trudeau asked.

Laudenor frowned, his face heavy with thought, and said in a deep voice, "Trudeau, now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to split up on this return trip. This is an order from Earl Soren himself. If we encounter danger, we must immediately split into two groups. This way, we can ensure that one group can return safely."

Although Laudno and Trudeau were both members of the infamous Golden Viper Mercenary Group, they actually served different masters. Laudno followed Earl Soren, while Trudeau loyally served Earl Garon.

Upon hearing this, Trudeau, despite feeling incredibly reluctant and helpless, was completely helpless. He was well aware of Laudenau's ruthlessness, and he had long been dissatisfied with Count Garon's decisions. He considered the once-proud Count to be utterly foolish, having staked his entire fortune on the Saint Laurent Empire.