A Sorcerer's Journey - Chapter 217

Chapter 217: The Shadow Empire

Three days later.

Within the underground caves, more than ten Amonros were huddled together. They were chewing on the flesh mushroom within the Camphoragate Tree’s underground passage. Suddenly, the figure of a sorcerer descended from mid-air.

Some of the Amonros were startled. They turned around to look at the sorcerer.

A loose dark robe that flowed in the wind; a hair of long, blonde-hair; under the spiral pale gray mask was a pair of absolutely calm, intelligent-looking eyes. Perched on his shoulder was a red-green colored fat Myna. The ring of light on top of his magic staff was shining in an utterly mysterious hue of color. A faint five-colored light streaked across the air to create a ripple.

“Hehe, a great sorcerer has arrived. What might your orders be?”

An Amonro had reached to the level of soul exchange. It saw Grimm, who was slowly descending upon them and quickly bowed humbly while asking in a gentle manner.

These Amonros were systematically groomed by the demon hunters to become members of the Shadow Empire.

Time flies. The Amonros took only ten years to fully mature, but for a real sorcerer, that period of time was similar to weeks of research and observation.

Such was the level of difference between the lifeforms.

These Amonro minions’ place in the world was similar to soul slaves. After the demon-hunting war had ended, these Amonros would become part of the Stigmata Sorcerers’ stable supplies of soul slaves. Perhaps one could still see their figures in the academy of the three Stigmata Sorcerers as the guardians.

In a calm manner, Grimm said,” No one is to get near the Camphoragate passageway without my orders.”

“Yes, Great Respected master sorcerer.” The humbled Amonro replied on its knees.

Grimm no longer paid any heed to the fallen Amonro minions. He turned around and flew toward the entrance of the Camphoragate Tree. He planned to head toward the Shadow Empire to take part in the demon hunters’ assault on the Shades.

There were three major regions and twelve middle regions in the shadow world. Although the demon hunters had taken control of nine of the middle shadow regions, but in terms of actual landmass, the twelve middle regions couldn’t even make up one major shadow region, not to mention their resources as well as the number of Amonros.

After more than ten years, the demon hunters now had a foothold in the shadow world, while the Amonros regrouped their forces after their defeat to prepare their second assault against the demon hunters.

The intelligence provided from some of the Dark Sorcerers who had infiltrated deep within the enemy suggested that within the three major shadow regions, the shadow legions of the Amonros had now reached considerable forces. If they were to join forces to launch an all-out attack, it would be a more terrifying force than when the demon hunters first arrived in the world.

Therefore, the Battle Command of the Void Fortress had decided to launch a preemptive strike.

Two days later.

From above the sky, Grimm could sometimes see pockets of Amonros from the Shadow Empire converging. Apparently, they were also being rallied.

In more than ten years, the battle scars that painted the land had recovered. There were new flesh vegetation covering the area.

“Master, look!” The Myna on Grimm’s shoulder pointed at the distance.

Hmm?

Grimm stopped to look at the direction pointed by Myna. Across the land, a black spot was flickering. It was traveling at breakneck speed; like a trace of shadow streaking across the sky. At the sound of a buzz, the tiny black spot stopped ten meters in front of Grimm in a period of ten breaths.

It was an actual high-speed mechanical bee.

Click! The hatch of the mechanical bee opened to reveal seven demon hunters sitting inside. One of them was a rank-two demon huntress. There was a rank-three badge of honor on her cloak. The sorceress gave the order to Grimm, “Emergency mission, you’ve been commandeered by the Battle Command.”

Grimm was stunned as he looked at the dark eyes of the petite sorceress. Without any word nor hesitation, he flew into the mechanical bee.

Click. The hatch was shut. Grimm’s body was violently pushed back as the mechanical bee vanished across the sky into the shadow.

There were now a total of eight demon hunters within the mechanical bee, with enough space to accommodate two more people. Grimm and the Myna on his shoulder were quietly sizing up the dark sorcerer demon hunters inside.

The rank-two dark-eyed sorceress in the middle slowly reached out her willowy palm. She had very long black fingernails. There were some small creatures quivering under her skin. She passed the leather mission scroll that was in her hand.

Grimm opened up the scroll with gravitational forces.

“Hmm? Ten pieces of sorcerer’s essence!” Grimm was surprised. Such a high mission reward?

Normally, a reward mission would only offer one or two sorcerer’s essence. A mission like this that offers ten pieces of sorcerer’s essence could involve a corresponding level of danger.

Grimm could not help but study the mission on the scroll in detail.

There were nine regions in the Shadow Empire controlled by the demon hunters. They were the capital of the Shadow Empire and the other eight middle regions that were conquered by the demon hunters in their expedition.

Within the surroundings of the nine shadow regions, many more tiny and micro-regions were scattered around; making middle shadow regions’ borders.

The emergency mission on Grimm’s scroll took place in the ninth shadow region, the last of the shadow region conquered by the demon hunters.

According to the mission scroll, planned rebellions had broken out in the ninth shadow region a few times. The situation was almost out of control. However, the Demon Hunter’s headquarters was in the midst of planning a large scale assault against the shadows and were unable to send out most of the Bright Sorcerer Legions to quell the rebellion.

Intel suggests that within the ninth shadow region, although the Enigmatic King had become a minion of the demon hunter, there was an Enigmatic Prophet who wandered around the many tiny and micro-regions of the shadow regions to set up a resistance. It had caused quite a stir in the region. The sorcerer’s rule could be overturned at any moment.

Not being able to send out the Bright Sorcerer Legions to quell the situation, the Battle Command was forced to issue out a mission to summon dark sorcerers to counter their actions. They were to lay down destruction within the tiny and micro-regions of the shadow world to achieve a ‘balance’.

If they could sustain their operations until after the assault on the shadow world, the Bright Sorcerers would be able to stabilize the situation to achieve victory.

An Enigmatic Prophet!

Grimm had to be careful.

Although it was a tiny low-level world that had no chance of having too many Level 4 world guardian-type creatures raining upon them, intel suggests that there were only two Level creatures in the world: the Enigmatic King and the Ancestral Amonro. Even the lowest level world guardians were at Level 3!

If they were to encounter the guardians of this world, other than the Level 2 sorceress with the badge of honor, none of the sorcerers in the mechanical bee would have the confidence to run away.

After a few hourglasses had passed, two more demon-hunting Dark Sorcerers boarded the mechanical bee. The mechanical bee then headed toward a direction at full speed, so fast that only a trace remained across the sky. After the mechanical bee had flown some distance, a rumbling sound opened up. They were going supersonic.

Fifteen days later.

After passing through numerous crimson sun realms and shadow lands, the mechanical bee had finally arrived at the ninth region of the Shadow Empire. It landed on top of a gravel square.

A voidship was hovering silently across the sky. There were three mechanical bees on the square, ready to depart.

It seemed like the fallen Amonros’ authority was really at the edge of collapsing. If the region was to suddenly fall into turmoil during the demon hunters’ assault, they would be able to launch an attack against the void fortress, jeopardizing the whole battle plans of the demon hunters’ expedition.

That was what Grimm had in mind. The mechanical bee landed. The hatch opened up at the sound of a click. Ten reckless-looking Dark Demon-Hunter Sorcerers flew out from the mechanical bee. A mysterious, dark, cruel but calm air permeated the surroundings. The area was packed with a dense natural energy.

This was the deep region of the shadow land. The sky was very gloomy. A fallen Enigmatic Amonro flew in, leading tens of golden Amonros behind it.

“Great sorcerers, the respected Enigmatic King had been waiting for your arrival. Another ninety-seven sorcerers have reached the palace already,” the Enigmatic Amonro kneeled down and said in a humble tone.

None of the demon hunters said a word.

What’s there to speak to a slave?

Following the fallen Enigmatic Amonro, the group of sorcerers flew toward the sky. Grimm surveyed the surroundings. There were exactly twenty-eight Camphoragate Tree entryways that looked like long baguettes. The group entered the tallest one among them.

Although the flesh wall was squirming inside the passageway, there was a man-made cobblestone road in the middle. It signified the pride of the sorcerers, though no sorcerer would walk on it.

While the sorcerers were flying at high speed, groups of golden Amonros would sometimes poke their heads out and nod at the sorcerers like human beings, as if they were welcoming the guardians of the world.

After three hourglasses had passed.

Hundreds of Dark Sorcerers were gathered together. The underground palace had obviously undergone some kind of renovation. The stone tables and chairs were modest, but they were designed to fit the size of a human sorcerer. Occasionally, low-level golden Amonros were dishing out the fine cuisine of this world.

Munch…

A Dark Sorcerer beside Grimm was biting into a life limb bloodily. His mouth turned into many tiny tentacles⁠—his teeth were munching on the food while his tiny tentacles were continuously sucking on the bloodied limb.

Myna picked up one of the flesh fruits with its beak. After peeling its skin, it sat on Grimm’s shoulder to taste it slowly. Grimm was utterly silent and didn’t say a word. He crossed his hands as he silently waited while sitting on the stone chair. His eyes were absolutely calm and rational.

At a higher platform that reserved for more prestigious members, six Level 2 Dark Sorcerers and a pure-white Enigmatic Amonro were sitting at the same level.

The Enigmatic Amonro was a Level 3 Amonro. The seal on its soul—a Hearkening Whisperer had directly enslaved its soul.

No wonder a prestigious Level 3 Enigmatic Amonro would turn into a fallen Amonro.

“The founding of the Shadow Empire was a blessing from the Greater Sorcerer Civilization Co-Prosperity Sphere. It is a blessing to the proliferation of the Amonro race! The foolish Enigmatic Prophet, Enigmatic King, and Ancestral Amonro; how dare they attempt to resist the great sorcerers’ will? This is amountable to throwing eggs at a stone; they have a deathwish and they would break down the continued sustenance of the Amonro race!”

On the platform, the Enigmatic King’s soul rippled emotionally. Further away, the fallen low-level Enigmatic Amonros and Golden Amoros called out in resonance.

From an objective point of view in history, there seemed to be some sense in the Enigmatic King’s speech.

Of course, to make it more clear, it made sense since, under the sorcerers’ system of laws and principles, they were beneficial to the sorcerers’ civilization.

The Enigmatic King continued its emotional speech. “The things that we are doing; those rotten Amonros may curse our fall, their foolish ways would probably never understand our great sacrifices. But undeniably, our will is to fight for the prosperity of the Amonro race! We are fighting to proliferate our race so that the Amonro race would not be wiped off by the endless cruelty of the world!”

Hoo! Hoo!

“Now then, let those foolish, rotten Amonros taste the new world order! Let them taste the wrath of the great, venerated, divine sorcerers! This world shall once again revert back to peace!”

O, great sorcerers…

O, venerated sorcerers…

O, divine sorcerers…

The fallen Amonros viewed the Demon-Hunter Sorcerers as gods who had brought a higher civilization to the off-world. They were viewed as a cult. Their chantings continued for a long time.