Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 446 Reopening the Door
Master Zhang knew exactly what Viconia was thinking. He thought she was just putting on a brave face, but all she really wanted was to gain control of the Shadow Gate.

The success of the ceremony gave the female drow a lot of confidence, to the point that she developed the illusion that if her thighs were so powerful, she must also be very strong, and naturally some ideas began to arise.

This shadow gate, transformed from a gap in the shadows, is located in the castle's underground palace, which can be described as the core area. Moreover, it relies on the shadow divine power gathered by the altar to regulate and mitigate the distortion of its energy tides and the shadow demon network. In Viconia's eyes, it is simply a lucrative position left for her by her own goddess.

Having the ability to independently manipulate the opening and closing of the Shadow Gate is a different concept from needing the cooperation of others to complete it; the weight and influence they represent are vastly different.

Although Viconia was somewhat proud of having risen to the position of leader of the Word Bearers, she was also well aware of her status as a leader of servants—she was still just a servant.

Their initial smugness vanished in an instant; their pursuit of power and status is beyond question.

With great power comes great responsibility, and vice versa. The drow priestess is eager to take on the important task of being the key to the Shadow Gate. Even if she is still bound by the male mage Garuk, she will have enough leverage to gain more power.

Unfortunately, the opportunity came, but I was useless!

After struggling for a long time without making any further progress, the black pupil-like shadow that had been suppressed and pushed to the center of the Shadow Gate by the divine power suddenly expanded. The scattered and explosive Shadow Realm Source Energy broke through the already exhausted binding power in an instant, sweeping across the altar directly opposite the gate.

Viconia, who was still prostrate before the statue, was the first to be hit and was knocked flat on her face. Fortunately, as a dark elf, she had considerable magic resistance and was also a night shepherd, so she did not suffer any real damage, just a bit disheveled.

The surging tide of shadows rushed in, coating the washed-out ground with a thick black blanket, only splitting apart as it flowed past the statue, seemingly in reverence for the lost lady it represented.

The mage on the side naturally didn't get to enjoy this detour; he was about to be swallowed up by the sweeping wave and experience the blissful feeling of being bathed in shadows and negative energy.

"A pleasant atmosphere."

Just then, the Shadow Demon, who had rushed back from outside the underground palace, flashed in front of the mage and stood in front of him without fear of the black tide's onslaught.

Indeed, there is no need to be afraid. Just like when a normal person sees a bowl of sweet cream spraying towards them, they certainly don't think of fear, but rather open their mouth wide to welcome it.

As the Shadow Demon raised his arms, flames blazed brightly around him, and dark flames swirled around his body like a vortex of fire, drawing in all the dark tides that flowed through him.

The shadow, like a heavy black robe, swirled and enveloped Nevinmore, making him appear as if he had returned to his original state, his entire body dark and gloomy, truly becoming a "shadow" demon.

However, beneath the veil of darkness, the chilling shadow energy failed to extinguish the burning demonic fire, and the ever-flowing, silent shadow flames...
The replenishment from the Shadow Mist was like adding fuel to the fire, making it even more vigorous. It spun and roared under the darkness, bulging out one after another like a lung that was about to burst at any moment.

Call ~
The flickering flames, appearing and disappearing in the darkness and flashing more and more rapidly beneath the screen, finally exploded with a deafening roar. The rapidly spinning whirlwind of flames tore through the already nearly burned-out mist of shadow, swirling and dancing, illuminating the dark underground palace like lava gushing from the ground.

At this moment, the Shadow Demon, who had unleashed a storm of fire, was like a towering pillar of fire clouds. The scorching flames he emitted were so intense that even the mage could hardly bear it and quickly took two steps back to let him restrain his overflowing power.

Having finished digesting, Nevenmore didn't linger. The power and temperature he had released quickly converged and compressed towards the center, and after a few breaths, he was still the Lord of Shadow Flames.

"I just gave you an extra meal, time to get to work." Master Zhang pointed to the Shadow Gate and urged the Shadow Demon to get to work quickly. Nevin Moore, who could not resist the philanthropist boss's urging, had no choice but to sway his body and come to the Eternal Oath Array.

The altar, the Shadow Gate, and the Oath Array form a triangular configuration, with each of these three points forming the three vertices of an equilateral triangle. Shadow energy surges from the Shadow Gate and is drawn in by the altar. A portion of it is channeled into the array, while the remainder is retained within the statue to control the opening and closing of the Shadow Gate.

The energy absorbed and accumulated by the altar statue is quite abundant, but it is not something that Viconia can use at will at present. Naturally, the previous little plan has gone down the drain, and there is no one to blame but herself.

What followed was a natural progression. The Shadow Fiend, who wielded the power of shadow with ease, was far more powerful than the Drow. While the latter was still trying again, the Shadow Fiend faced the Shadow Gate, which was halfway closed, and forcefully brought his hands together in a gesture of embrace.

The enormous vertical pupil instantly transformed into a thin, straight line hanging in mid-air, almost invisible in the dimly lit underground palace.

At this moment, the gap in the shadows finally closed!

Seeing this, the mage breathed a sigh of relief. A great weight lifted from his heart, and his expression brightened considerably. He stepped forward and helped the still dejected and exhausted female drow to her feet.

"You've done a good job. Ability and responsibility should be matched. Taking too big a step can easily lead to problems."

Although the words were meant to comfort, their underlying meaning made Viconia feel like she was choking on her own blood.

The little thing I planned before, I'm afraid it was all...

"Administrator, behind this dimensional portal, I always feel that something is attracting me."

Shadow Fiend spoke hesitantly, his tone filled with both strong desire and a hint of uncertainty:
"How about we open the portal again and let me explore the other side?"

"If you go and something really happens, not only will you lose this body, but who will close this door then?"

The mage also had some concerns, but the female drow beside him didn't seem to care.

"For people at your level, the inherent dangers of the Shadow Dimension are nothing. Besides, don't forget that the one guarding and occupying this gap was a being like the Giant Insect Nightshade. What foolish Shadow creature would come here to die?"

The mage thought about it and realized it made sense. The higher the level of a creature, the more aware it is of territorial boundaries. Those low-level shadow creatures that are muddleheaded and pose no threat are fine, but if other powerful shadow creatures attempt to invade, they have to consider the consequences of going up against the giant insect night shadow.

The giant insect has been entrenched in this rift between shadows for many years, and its power is considerable. There is unlikely to be any rash intrusion into its original territory in the short term.

Thank you for the monthly pass, Yuezhimin!

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(End of this chapter)