Chapter 453: Before the Storm

As the divine realm where the Shadow Dragon's god-country had fallen, deep within the Shadow Mountains, magnificent structures from ancient times still stood tall.

There were ruined palaces taller than mountain peaks, hanging upside down, and there were natural moats even more winding than the mountain ranges, piled high with tiles and bricks.

These ruins lay silently upon this pitch-black land, and only occasionally would adventurers and tomb raiders dare to venture deep for exploration.

Those unfamiliar with shadow creatures would assume that firelight was the natural enemy of shadows, but experienced adventurers all knew that deep within the Shadow Mountains, firelight actually attracted shadow creatures more easily.

If you saw firelight deep within, don't hesitate, run immediately.

Because the ones warming themselves by the fire might not be human.

Deep within the ruins, a faint blue fire quietly burned.

Several shadows floated beside the fire, the flames dancing across their forms, pulling their silhouettes into flickering shapes that shifted between light and dark. This, ironically, gave these creatures a sense that they still existed.

In the pitch-black environment, even shadow creatures found it difficult to see each other's outlines clearly.

But here, they could touch the boundaries of shadow, could define their own existence.

They gathered around the bonfire, whispering, their voices echoing through the empty ruins as if discussing something, occasionally kneeling in worship toward the tall shadow in the center.

Then they fell silent again, leaving only the crackling of the flames.

No one knew how much time had passed when an Abyss fissure suddenly appeared near the campsite, emitting a sulfurous stench.

Two demon warlocks stepped out of the fissure, both wearing dark red robes, their skin like rock scorched by magma, curved goat horns on their heads glinting coldly in the firelight.

Following them, an even taller figure stepped out of the fissure.

This figure was draped in a wide black cloak, the hood completely concealing their face.

Just by standing there, they radiated a suffocating pressure, as if the very air around them had grown heavy.

The floating shadows instinctively retreated some distance, and only the taller shadow in the center remained in place.

The leading demon warlock spoke: "Gregor, we have come as agreed."

"But before defeating your opponent, you must first help us clear the obstacles and reclaim those four Totem Ice Pillars."

"We trust that the descendant of the Shadow Dragon will not easily break his word."

Gregor, the Shadow Scion, stepped forward from beside the fire.

The floating shadow creatures immediately lowered their heads upon seeing him, their bodies instinctively curling up, as if facing their king.

Gregor's outline was far more solid than theirs, his scarlet eyes burning like two coals in the darkness, coldly staring at the visitors.

"No, losing the Totem Ice Pillars is your problem. That's your own incompetence, nothing to do with me."

"According to the agreement, you must first help me defeat that damned giant shadow."

As one of the few Legendary figures among the Shadow Scions, his aura was more like that of a king, and as he stepped forward, he subtly pressured the two demon warlocks.

The demon warlocks steadied themselves, furrowing their brows: "Gregor, you need to understand, we're not negotiating with you."

"The ritual requires those four Totem Ice Pillars. Without them, nothing can proceed. Help us reclaim the pillars, and we will naturally fulfill our promise."

Gregor's shadow twisted, and he let out a cold laugh: "Your promise? Since when have demon promises been worth trusting?"

"You can't even watch over your own things, and now you're asking me to clean up your mess?"

Neither side was willing to yield, only the faint blue flames in the fire dancing, casting their shadows upon the ruined walls, twisted into bizarre shapes.

After who knows how long, the tall figure behind the two demon warlocks moved.

He reached out and pushed aside the warlocks blocking his way, walked up to Gregor, and slowly lifted his hood in the glow of the fire.

Beneath the hood was a massive skeletal head.

In the hollow eye sockets burned two points of faint blue Soulfire, cold and deep, like the gaze of the Abyss itself.

This was a giant Undead.

The giant Undead spoke calmly: "The Father God's resurrection ritual requires everything from the past, just as your Shadow Scion ritual does."

"Gregor, you need the help of giants and the Undead. Without us, you can never become the Shadow Dragon."

Gregor's scarlet eyes flickered violently, clearly struck to the core by those words.

"What do you mean?"

The giant Undead took a step forward.

"You know what I mean. To survive the final struggle and become the true Shadow Dragon is not something you can accomplish alone. You need help."

Gregor did not answer immediately, his gaze sweeping back and forth over the giant Undead, as if confirming the truth of his words.

"What do you need?" He finally asked.

The giant Undead's lower jaw opened slightly, as if smiling: "Very simple. We need a Shadow Legion."

"You need a Shadow Legion?"

The giant Undead raised a bony hand, pointing toward the east.

"Correct. Send your retainers, send these little creatures who can only survive by hiding in the shadows, into the land of the slimes. There, wreak havoc, kill, create chaos, and buy us time."

"Hmph, I hope your actions live up to your pride."

Gregor extended his hand, his palm closing loosely.

The surrounding shadows wrapped around him like living things, condensing in his hand into a scepter flowing with ink-black light.

Without even looking, he tossed the scepter directly to the giant Undead.

The giant Undead caught it.

When the scepter touched his skeletal palm, a faint hissing sound escaped, as if it were burning his soul.

But he paid it no mind, simply weighing the scepter in his hand, letting out a low, rumbling chuckle.

Gregor said no more, turned, and walked into the darkness, disappearing into the depths of the ruins.

The giant Undead watched his retreating figure vanish, then tucked the scepter away and turned to the two demon warlocks: "Let's go."

"It's time to let that Slime Emperor know what price must be paid for taking things that don't belong to him."

The fissure slowly closed behind them, leaving only the empty ruins and the still-burning faint blue bonfire.

Four days later.

The Abyss, deep sea.

Olivia slowly opened her eyes, her Legendary aura suddenly retracting until only a faint Golden Core pressure remained.

She nodded in satisfaction, bursting out of the deep sea, cutting through the silence of the ocean surface.

Above the Abyss, a figure sat cross-legged in midair.

Chen Yu's eyes were closed, his long hair gently swaying in the sea breeze, a faint Spiritual Glow swirling around him.

He sensed Olivia's presence, slowly opened his eyes, and his gaze fell upon her.

Olivia spun around in front of him, showing off her transformation, her tone carrying a hint of pride.

"So, Your Majesty, how do I look right now?"

Chen Yu swept his Divine Sense over Olivia. The Legendary dragon aura on her had indeed disappeared.

If he didn't look closely, even he would find it hard to tell that the Olivia before him was actually a silver dragon.

He nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad. Now you look more like a local of Xu Xuan Heaven than I do."

Olivia examined her own arms, feeling somewhat curious: "These spells sound a bit strange, but they're definitely working."

As she spoke, she suddenly thought of something and looked up to ask: "Oh, right, has Grandpa Oros returned?"

Counting the time, it had been decades since they last met.

"He returned to the Empire a few days ago, but he can't sit still. He went on a tour with the Dawn Council's expedition team. Counting the time, they should have reached Misty Bay Harbor by now."

Olivia wasn't surprised by this: "Grandpa Oros has always been like this. When you've lived too long, sometimes you do things others can't understand."

"He likes to take the long way around for everything, and in the end, he just says it's to pass the time."

Chen Yu said: "He probably wants to see with his own eyes what the Empire looks like."

"Maybe." Olivia smiled. "But I haven't seen him in a long time. I plan to go visit him."

Chen Yu flicked his hand, sending the intelligence he had gathered over the past few days to her through his Divine Sense.

"Coincidentally, there are some troubles over at Misty Bay Harbor. You might as well take care of them while you're there."

Olivia digested the information in her mind, her expression turning somewhat amused: "Why do these human nobles love mingling with demons so much?"

Chen Yu said: "Some people would rather sell their souls to demons than accept a new order. It's not surprising."

Olivia shrugged: "What am I supposed to do at Misty Bay Harbor, give them a lecture?"

"Then what about you, Your Majesty? How will you handle the demons on the Empire's western border?"

Chen Yu's tone was calm: "As long as I don't leave the Empire's territory, they can't do anything reckless."

"Those demons' target has always been the Totem Ice Pillars in my hands. Before I show myself personally, they won't act rashly."

"I need to wait for the true mastermind behind the scenes to reveal themselves. As for Misty Bay Harbor..."

He paused: "Just treat it as a trip."

"A trip?" Olivia couldn't help but laugh.

"And take care of some troubles along the way." Chen Yu added, "Along the way."

"Alright, alright, a trip plus taking care of troubles along the way." Olivia laughed and shrugged. "I'm off then."

With that, she transformed into a streak of light, diving into Chen Yu's sea of consciousness.

Not long after, within Slime City Palace, a snow-white, slender figure shot up into the sky, flying toward the eastern horizon.

...

Misty Bay Harbor.

The morning sea breeze carried a salty, briny scent across the harbor. Masts stood like a forest on the docks, gently swaying in the pale golden morning light.

Waves lapped against the stone embankment with rhythmic splashing sounds. In the distance, a few seagulls cried out, their calls echoing through the mist.

Everything seemed so peaceful, so tranquil.

Bakeries on the streets had already opened, the aroma of wheat and honey drifting out. Fishmongers arranged freshly caught seafood on ice, occasionally shouting out their wares.

When the expedition team descended on the harbor's open square aboard the Shadow Owl, they immediately drew countless curious gazes.

But thanks to the advance notice from the Slime Guard, the crowd didn't swarm them, instead maintaining a polite distance while watching and whispering among themselves.

Agrel jumped down from the owl's back, straightened his mage's robe, and surveyed the city before him.

He had visited many places in the Empire, but Misty Bay Harbor's style was completely different from the Empire's heartland.

Compared to other parts of the Empire, the ancient buildings, the bustling docks... everything exuded the atmosphere of a commercial capital, giving Agrel an indescribable sense of familiarity.

This place was very much like Dawn City.

And the Dawn mages had indeed originally come from here.

A thousand years ago, the founding mages had first established their school of magic on this very land.

Back then, this land had no proper cities, just a coastal fishing village. The founding mages and their followers built the first Mage Tower here, beginning their studies into the mysteries of magic and nature.

The school gradually grew, attracting more and more apprentices to study, and a city gradually rose around it.

Then the Visaji people came.

They brought

</path> war and plunder, turning this land into a battlefield.

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To preserve the spark of their school, the mages were forced to leave with their followers, traveling far to the south.

And this place was taken over by the nobles and merchants who stayed behind, gradually developing into today's Merchant Alliance.

Worth mentioning, the Dawn mages could be said to have turned misfortune into fortune.

After being driven south, they found a place more suitable for magical research there, gradually developing into today's Dawn Council.

The current relationship between the Dawn Council and the Merchant Alliance was more like that of employer and mercenary.

Whatever supplies the Council needed could be obtained through the Alliance's trade channels, while the Alliance profited under the Council's magical protection.

Now, returning to the birthplace of the Dawn mages, Agrel felt a strange sensation in his heart.

It was like a traveler who had roamed for years suddenly returning to the place where they spent their childhood. Old memories surged in his mind, yet he couldn't recall anything specific.

Just as he was immersed in these reflections, a "squish squish" sound came over.

A slime, accompanied by guards, bounced up to them.

It wore a delicate top hat and was draped in a deep red sash embroidered with gold thread bearing the insignias of both the Empire and the Merchant Alliance.

All of this made it clear that its status was far from ordinary.

It waved its gel hand and said: "Welcome to Misty Bay Harbor, welcome welcome! You must be the esteemed guests from the Dawn Council, right?"

"You may call me Gawain Slime, This Slime is the current administrative officer of the Merchant Alliance."

"His Majesty has already instructed me to take good care of you all."

With that, it made a "this way, please" gesture with its gel hand.

"Lodging has been arranged for everyone, right next to the Adventurer's Guild. Please follow me."

Agrel smiled slightly and bowed in gratitude: "Then we are in your care."

The mages behind him nodded as well and followed along.

Once they entered the city proper, passersby on the streets cast curious glances their way. Some well-dressed nobles even proactively approached, faces plastered with warm smiles.

"You must be the mages from the Dawn Council, I am Viscount Herman, welcome to Misty Bay Harbor!"

"Our trading house is just around the corner. If you're interested, you can come take a look at our newest shipment of magical materials."

Many nobles who smelled opportunity crowded forward.

Milo was among them, doffing his hat and bowing to greet the mages.

Agrel merely nodded politely in acknowledgment, offering no further response.

The smile on Milo's face didn't change, as if he had long expected such a reaction.

He straightened up, deliberately stepped back, and made way.

The expedition team continued forward.

He watched them pass, and only after they had walked into the distance did the smile on his face slowly fade.

He turned around, adjusted his cuffs, and walked away.

Just then, Sabrina suddenly looked back, as if sensing something, her gaze following the direction he had disappeared.

Her eyes lingered on the alley entrance for a moment, then she turned back and exchanged a glance with Agrel.

He was looking at her too.

Though Sabrina said nothing, Agrel could read the thoughts of this old rival.

He casually asked Gawain Slime walking ahead: "By the way, Sir Gawain, are there any interesting events in Misty Bay Harbor tonight?"

Gawain Slime looked back, tilting its head: "Hm? Events? Oh, there's a night market at the harbor. You should be interested in the local cuisine."

"Oh?" Agrel's face showed interest. "That's certainly worth looking forward to."

"Then let's get some good rest first, so we don't miss tonight's exciting activities."

Gawain Slime looked at him with confusion, feeling like there was something more behind his words.