Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 435 Nevermore
With his magical ability to discern, he naturally wouldn't mistake these things that looked like black smoke for something as simple as someone burning coal in a kiln under the castle; it wasn't smoke at all.

Perhaps "fog" would be a more appropriate term. In the eyes of a spellcaster who has some knowledge and research on the various planes and changes in their forms, the essence of this shadowy fog is the infiltration and erosion of the prime plane by the shadow realm.

However, some clergy see this as an extension of the power of the Supreme Being.

Why wasn't this situation reported to me?

Viconia had just silently praised Lady Shadow in her heart when the lord's interrogation came crashing down on her.

"The few Word Bearers who were on duty monitoring dared not get too close. They were not spellcasters, so they must have mistaken the Shadow Mist for the monster's aura."

Viconia tried to defend herself, but fortunately the mage didn't take it too seriously.

After all, it was she who had initially focused on preparing for the ceremony, so it wouldn't be right to shift the blame to someone else.

"This phenomenon was not observed during the first in-depth reconnaissance three days ago. It must be a reaction from something below that has alerted them."

The monk pondered for a while, then made a decision:
"It's a bit troublesome, but not a big problem. The Word Bearer will flank the two sides, and the Omniknight will be in the front. Everyone will stand by for now."

After making slight adjustments to the deployment, the mage took out the scroll that his teacher had given him before parting—a level seven summon monster.

Although it was meant to be a last resort, one cannot hesitate or be stingy when faced with such an important matter. If this trip fails, there will be no way to discuss any follow-up plans. Fortunately, I have had the scroll for several days and have gained some understanding of it through studying it. After some effort, I have finally managed to put it into practice.

"Facio, Voro, ferre!"

Before the light and shadow of the summoning spell had faded, flames suddenly erupted from the magic circle, licking the surrounding air, and the intense heat distorted the light and even the field of vision.

This fire is no ordinary fire. The fog of shadow itself is phototropic; it will chase and hunt the source of light and heat, neutralizing and absorbing it until it extinguishes and withers away. But what is before us?
The shadows intertwined and embraced the flames like the most intimate lovers, but instead of eroding or neutralizing them, they acted as an accelerant, making the flames burn even brighter.

Shadowflame—that's perhaps the best word the mage can think of to describe the scene before him.

Within the shadow flames, a demon king appeared, his body seemingly constructed of shadows and flames. The scorching and terrifying shadow flames flowed and swirled within and around his body, like a submissive pet, or like the pulse of blood.

Majestic and imposing, noisy and restless, and...

Full of flamboyant charm~
The newcomer was none other than Shadow Fiend's most eccentric, Dota world's infamous genitalless dance performance artist—Navimore!
"Ah, after sleeping in the cage for so long, I have finally been able to come to the other world. Is this Faerûn?"

"The scent of shadows, the lost souls, they are beckoning to me! Thank you, Administrator, Nevinmore salutes you."

Shadow Arm swayed and moved with the fiery body as the Shadow Fiend greeted the mage with somewhat exaggerated movements.

"Welcome, Soul Eater, Shadow Flame."

The mage nodded slightly in response, then beckoned to Eirima to drive the shadow that he had deliberately controlled with divine magic to the Shadow Fiend's presence.

Strangely enough, the dark undead, whose will was originally chaotic and ignorant, had long lost its fear and was left only with its instinctive hatred and craving for living things. However, when it was forced to approach the Shadow Demon, it showed visible resistance, trembling, and struggle.

"Hmm, a weak soul, but it's not too bad as a little treat after a long wait."

The Shadow Fiend made a casual comment, but his words came quickly. With a wave of his hand, two streaks of dark flame flew towards the Shadow, who finally stopped his desperate struggle after being hit.

Shadowflame, also known as Soulbind Flame, is known for imprisoning, devouring, and exploiting souls—a specialty of both it and its master, Nevenmore. While the Shadow Fiend summoned into the body of a chess piece lost its signature triple-kill combo, it retained the abilities of Soul Devour and Soul Lament.

To his delight, this body was also composed of shadow flames, almost identical in essence to his imprisoned original body, making it easy and unhindered to control.

This is probably an advantage of the existence of energy beings like Shadow Fiend, Morphling, and Enigma; perhaps it's a compensation for their lack of a lower body?
Master Zhang speculated with no small amount of malice.

Flames and shadows rose together, like twin serpents of fire and shadows coiling and biting at the physical form of the shadow. The latter, which was already somewhat elusive, now surged and vaporized violently like boiling water, turning into black smoke and dissipating.

With just two casual basic attacks, the previous shadow was reduced to ashes on the ground in the blink of an eye.

A portion of soul essence was also extracted and swallowed into the Shadow Demon's lava-cave-like maw.

"A delicious soul, I want more."

Nevin Moore's eyes blazed with fire as he stared intently at the entrance to the shadowy, misty dungeon, looking as if he couldn't wait to rush in and feast.

However, Shadow Fiend managed to suppress his agitation.

Having appeared in this world in this body, he understood very well the consequences of disobeying the orders of the administrators. For the sake of a momentary craving, he could be deported, sent back to jail, or even lose the opportunity to travel on parole...

Even in the eyes of the irritable Demon King, it was far too worthless.

"Axe King leads the charge, Omniknight provides support, and Keeper of the Light uses Shockwave to clear the way."

The mage issued commands to adjust the formation, his tone serious but not tense.

“Nevenmore followed the vanguard and advanced to this position,” the mage pointed to a spot on the hand-drawn map, roughly halfway between the entrance and the central area:
"Release the Soul Elegy directly, but be careful not to go too far or hesitate."

"If I could devour more souls, I would play a final funeral dirge for all those who dare to be your enemies."

Nevin Moore made a small suggestion.

The mage shook his head and refused after a moment's thought, not because of Shadow Demon's selfishness, but because this battle was all about seizing the initiative, and the longer it dragged on, the more difficult it would be to handle.

They were trying to push forward with their lineup but were also focused on farming and developing their own resources. As the game progressed, they realized they were outmatched and had to admit defeat.

After taking their positions, the two Guardians of Light began to gather shockwaves, the mage cast Haste and Heroism on the entire team, and the negative energy damage protection from the two Drow priests was also applied to the mage, the tauren, and themselves.

As for Kegan and the ogre brothers, they're prone to rages and don't need this thing.

As the light of the blessing spell and the battle tide shone forth, the sphere of light in front of the Light Mage also solidified.

It exploded!

Countless rays of light converged here, transforming into a mighty celestial steed galloping towards the underground palace, determined to illuminate all the darkness here with the light of dawn.

Thank you to the following readers for their monthly ticket support: Integrity Starship, Daytime Moon, Chess Piece on the Board, Uncle Li's Boar, Blue Polar Star, Book Friend 20190225204357297, Flying, Book Friend 20170318204145364, Silver Bow's Black Tea, and Moon's Min! Thank you everyone! Happy New Year to all my readers!


(End of this chapter)