Chapter 181: Dark Forces

Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Dark Forces

A sigh seemed to echo from the other side of space.

The golden text suspended in mid-air also gradually faded, the edges of the characters beginning to dissolve. Everything signaled that this remnant thought was about to disappear.

[Destined ones. I do not expect you to change anything for the Mialans continent. I only hope you remember today’s matter, remember what you have seen, and pass the word to the living beings of Sylvanor.

There still remains a portion of the bloodline left behind by the Mialans survivors there. I do not wish to see them die. Nor do I wish to see the living beings of Sylvanor implicated without reason, and ultimately fall into the exact same ending as Mialans.]

The moment that text appeared, the marks on the backs of all five people’s hands lit up simultaneously.

That meant the contract was re-established.

As long as they fulfilled this dying wish, the contract they accidentally signed in the undersea tower that year would be completely annulled.

Jeremy had inherently intended to bring the documents back, so this dying wish wasn’t a hurdle at all.

He answered decisively: "Rest assured. I will do my utmost to fulfill it."

Since the Captain had spoken, the other four naturally had no objections, consecutively chiming in with an agreement.

The other party seemed to have smiled. But still could not emit a sound, only continuing to communicate via text.

[I trust you.]

The Demon Emperor changed his form of address.

[But there is one point, I hope you engrave it well. In no more than twenty years, these Aberrants will evolve one more time. When that time comes, they will possess independent consciousness, and know how to devour the souls of others to become a complete ultimate evolutionary form.

Their forms will also change unpredictably - even capable of disguising themselves as any living being.

They will also completely break the sealing layer we left behind, then flood into Sylvanor to slaughter. I hope before that time, you manage to prepare in all aspects and find a countermeasure strategy.]

"..."

The depths of Jeremy’s eyes darkened.

No more than twenty years.

Independent consciousness. Flood into Sylvanor to slaughter.

Those words made him inadvertently recall the novel he had once read back on Earth.

Now he knew everything in it was a future image that Sylas managed to see. It was all a future that truly existed.

The timeline when the dark forces appeared in that novel, counting until now, was also less than twenty years. There were only a short dozen or so years left.

Could it be... that the Wasteland magical beasts, after completing that high-tier evolution, were exactly the so-called dark forces that abruptly descended later on?

That thought just kindling, every clue in Jeremy’s head instantly linked together.

He asked immediately: "Then do you know, after the Aberrants break the seal, in which direction does the passage to Sylvanor lie?"

The Demon Emperor could read their memories. Naturally, he could also read the memories of others.

If the previous destined ones were all living beings of Sylvanor, then he must have also grasped the continent’s geography through their memories.

As expected, the answer appeared very quickly.

[The southwest of the continent’s center. If your map hasn’t changed over these years, then the connecting location of the seal lies right in the middle of a place called the Alan Riri mountain range.]

Jeremy fell silent.

The moment the words "Alan Riri mountain range" appeared, he was certain.

The dark forces that Sylas saw in the flow of the future were exactly the Aberrants after evolving another tier, when they already possessed an independent soul and free will - which was exactly what Sylvanor called magical beasts.

Jeremy had never thought the problem weighing heavily on him since the first day he transmigrated to this continent would find an answer after a mere year.

Current high-tier magical beasts were already terrifying enough.

If they evolved one more time, to what level their strength would jump was something no one dared to imagine.

He intended to ask further: is there a way to reinforce the seal? Aside from the first-generation nemesis medicine, is there any other nemesis that can cure those Aberrants?

Unfortunately, the other party’s answer was no.

During that exchange of less than half an hour, the Mermaid Demon Emperor’s remnant thought was also completely exhausted.

The last sentence he left behind was no longer in text format.

But a voice transmission, using up his last sliver of soul power -

"Very fortunate to have met you. I hope you will like my gift."

That elegant voice had just faded, and this entire space collapsed.

Beneath the five people’s feet appeared a glowing magic array circle.

When the light extinguished, they had returned to the seabed palace.

Before their eyes were no longer countless repeating ice jade doors. The magic array had sent them straight to the outer gate area of the palace.

The palace gate was open.

Perhaps no one had ever set foot in this place. Looking from the outside it was desolate, encrusted with dead coral. But looking from the inside it was even more luxurious and exquisite than the empire’s royal palace.

Jeremy and his four teammates stepped inside, originally intending to find where the gift the Demon Emperor left behind was located.

But just passing the threshold, they saw Griffin.

He was sitting on the throne higher up, his posture so lazy it was hard to believe.

He wore a pair of glasses with a tassel hanging on one side, draped in a loose thin cloak. The two buttons near his collarbone were unfastened, revealing the sharp line of his collarbone and a patch of cold white skin.

His long legs were crossed. One hand rested lightly on the throne’s armrest, the other propped against his cheek. His eyelashes drooped, absentmindedly turning the pages of the magic book resting on his lap one by one.

Clearly in the middle of the Wasteland - a place where every step could be traded with one’s life - yet he still maintained that indolent demeanor. His expression was utterly bland, yet noble to the bone.

The feeling he gave off was like this place wasn’t the Wasteland, but his backyard garden.

Hearing the movement, he slowly raised his eyes. His voice was clear yet hoarse, so lazy he drew out the final syllable:

"How was the harvest?"

Between his eyebrows was a bit of laziness that couldn’t be bothered to care. Even the way he raised his eyes to look over exuded the demeanor of a superior looking down from high above.

Jeremy: "...Passable, sir."

Before the group stepped into the Wasteland, he had said he would "be right there."

Looking at his appearance now, no matter how you look at it, he seemed to have only arrived not long ago.

While the five of them rolled around for nearly two months in the illusion, getting pierced through the abdomen, locked in prison, soaked in glass cages - he was probably sitting somewhere reading a book.

Jeremy only dared to mutter in his heart. He wasn’t bold enough to expose him directly.

But him being here made things easier.

All the recorded documents and scenes, he had already copied into multiple versions beforehand.

One version would be given to the hidden ancient clan member to handle first. The remaining few versions would be left for his parents to pass on to the royal family, the Divine Temple, and the Magic Tower.

Doing this also ensured that all information regarding the Wasteland would cover the entire continent in a short amount of time.

Regarding the authenticity of those images, Jeremy no longer harbored any doubts.

After confirming the dark forces were exactly the army formed from the ultimate form of Wasteland magical beasts, he was certain everything truly existed.

As for what the Magic Tower, the Divine Temple, and the empire would think, that depended on how they researched it.

Jeremy and Evelyn stepped up to hand the image-recording magic tool to Griffin, simultaneously recounting everything that happened over the past few days.

But Griffin had no special reaction whatsoever.

He listened to it all, didn’t interrupt, didn’t ask questions, didn’t even change his sitting posture. Hearing the part about Aberrants and the origin of magical beasts, he merely turned to the next page of the book.

His personality was well grasped by all five. They reckoned even facing the apocalypse he wouldn’t have any significant reaction. So facing that excessive calmness, no one felt surprised.

Waiting until they finished telling, Griffin abruptly held out a storage ring.

Jeremy stood the closest so he took it: "This is?"

Griffin replied, his voice flat: "The things of some value in this sea area are all in there. Collected them ready for you lot, saves time."

The five looked at each other.

It’s "this sea area" - not "this palace"?

Meaning including the very palace they were standing in, he had also cleaned it out entirely?

While they were still communicating through their eyes, an icy voice rang out:

"Not leaving, do you want to camp here for a few more years?"

If that voice quality was placed in the modern era, it would be more than enough to be a top-tier voice actor. But the gloomy intonation right now was exactly the style of a demon just crawling up from the abyss.

"We’re coming, coming right away." Jeremy hastily replied.

The remaining four also immediately stepped forward, only afraid their beloved teacher would throw an immortal tantrum again.