Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 453 Sublimation
If ordinary people can only feel the effects of the shadow position on their physical body, then as a spellcaster, he truly felt the veil and deflection that the Shadow Fiend Web exerted on arcane professionals.

It was a situation that was clearly perceptible in one's mind, yet difficult to describe in words. It was not as direct and intense as the Death Magic Zone or the Chaos Magic Zone, but rather like swimming in a coat—an indescribable awkwardness and burden.

The Magic Network, this magnificent creation of the multiverse, has tentacles that extend across the heavens and cover almost the entire world of Toril; no one can fathom its power.

However, it also has its setbacks, such as the little private outfit created by one of its own mothers, Ms. Shar, called the Shadow Magic Net, which was quite unrefined.

How dare an illegitimate son compete with his eldest son for the position? This is outrageous!

The saying "All things carry yin and embrace yang, and achieve harmony through the interaction of qi" applies to Toril to some extent as well. The Shadow Fiend Network, which originated from Shar, has been highly biased and limited since its inception. Although it has unique advantages in certain areas such as weaving shadows and applying negative energy, overall, it is almost incomparable to the original magic network, which has almost infinite inclusiveness and possibilities.

Expanding its business is out of the question, but in its own territory, Shadow Fiend Network can still firmly hold its own against the competition.

In this plane where the Shadowfiend Web dominates, spells that guide and shape positive energy, such as Sunburst, are naturally greatly suppressed, while the power of Shadow Shaping spells and Negative Energy spells has increased significantly.

Fortunately, they had made preparations in advance, and the spellcasting school was not too affected. Moreover, they had the Dawn Gem and the laser generator as trump cards.

Only after detaching himself from his own feelings and thoughts did the monk have the mind to observe his surroundings.

Compared to the dimness of the main plane's underground palace, this place, shrouded in shadow, appears even darker and more secluded. The gray mist swirling around every inch of space is even thicker than in the previously uncleaned underground palace, giving the impression that it will devour even the slightest glimmer of light.

Relying on the illumination of the Light spell, arcane vision, and their innate night vision, these new guests who had stumbled into this unfamiliar plane did not become headless flies. After looking around, they understood their situation.

It was another underground palace, a second one with an area and structure almost identical to the one at the other end of the Shadow Gate.

This discovery excited everyone. If there was a mirrored underground palace, wouldn't the existence of a mirrored castle be a logical conclusion?
The mage's previous deductions and prophecies now had decisive evidence: a bridgehead in another dimension was now almost undefended right in front of them.

The joy of the Seekers was not without reason. They were promised a certain degree of autonomy in the film industry and could also enjoy a share of the profits from their expeditions, although it was only 30%, with 70% going to Master Zhang and the remainder probably depending on the landlady, Wiconia. But it was still much better than working for free before.

"Hiss~ Ha! The scent of shadow is growing stronger."

"Huchi~huchi~"

At this very moment, the pieces in the team underwent an astonishing change.

The Shadow Fiend and the Soulbreaker, both possessing complete consciousness projections, roared to the sky. Their deep breaths after the roars almost sucked the surrounding air dry, forming visible vortexes above their mouths and noses.

Like a deep sea eye opening in the shadows, a dense, compressed mist surged into their mouths, flowing into their seemingly bottomless bellies.

The Soul Splitter, who was already three meters tall, now swelled up as if inflated, his appearance drastically different from when he was in the prime material plane.

The pale white mane extending from his back to the top of his head swayed without wind, like white flames burning fiercely, spewing out shadowy clouds of smoke that rose upwards. The black and white colors intertwined and merged, making him look like a savage beast struggling to break free from an ink painting. The Soul Splitter's stable beast form in the material plane was like a cage that had been broken open, and Balasen's berserk nature, originating from the elemental realm, was released here. His body blurred the boundaries between matter and energy.

The two minotaurs on the side were a bit dumbfounded. They had thought the other was also a minotaur, but when the other person tore off his mask, they saw who he was.

Bull Demon King?
There are poems:
The young hero, carrying a jug, travels the world, shattering the netherworld to display his merits;
A swift raid covering ten thousand miles is called divine speed; a thousand troops flee in terror is called great protection.

Not to mention the two minotaurs staring at each other with their eyes wide open, the strange phenomena stirred up by the Shadow Demon on the side were also quite impressive.

If the Soul Splitter is liberating from a physical body to a semi-energy form, then the Shadow Fiend, who is inherently an elemental being, seems to be undergoing a sublimation.

Nevinmore's body, constructed of shadow flames, is like an ever-burning furnace, forever flickering with fire and smoke, with flames and shadows intertwining and forming a strange balance.

This balance has been broken.

The Shadow Demon was noticeably dimmer than before; its fiery red flames were covered by surging shadows, making it appear at first glance as a large black figure, though with a hint of red within the blackness.

Compared to his previous fiery demon-like form, Nevinmore now seems to have returned to his original form, truly a "Shadow Demon".

The gloom brought by the shadows did not last long. Shadows and negative energy are excellent fuel for the Shadow Flame, and the current temporary darkness is just a process of digestion.

As if the sun had pierced through the dark clouds, raging flames surged from Navenmore's body. Under the intense burning, the original orange-red flames took on a golden-red hue, howling, swirling, and bursting forth to envelop the Shadow Demon's body, intertwining once again with the equally concentrated shadows, restoring balance.

What appeared before everyone was a demon king who was much taller and fiercer than before. Not only had he grown a meter taller, but his originally slender body had also become strong and rugged.

Especially the part below the waist, if it was previously graceful like a water snake, now the Shadow Demon's lower body has transformed into a violent vortex of fire. The shadow fragments and flames splashed up by the high-speed flowing shadow flames scattered in all directions, causing onlookers to retreat.

This look, this appearance...

Ragnaros?
The more Mr. Zhang looked at the man, the more familiar he seemed. He almost blurted it out, but in the end, he held back and swallowed his words.

Looking around at the other believers, their eyes darted about, their expressions a mixture of fear, awe, and a hint of excitement.

They're very familiar with this tactic: clinging to powerful figures to bully and plunder. They just didn't expect this powerful figure to be so formidable. This kind of influence seems to rival even the rumored Drow families who worship black dragons as henchmen.

Compared to the dazzling and flamboyant presence of Shadow Fiend and Spirit Breaker, Tinker Bosh and his two other one-star underlings have been much quieter.

Thank you to Ssczy, Lejunreckon, Hongyunhuanhai1, Yuezhimin, KABANA, and Ayi for your monthly ticket support!
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(End of this chapter)