Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 455 Interdimensional Archaeology
They had hoped to freeload, but instead encountered this group of down-and-outs, who were like centuries-old bones, yielding not a single drop of oil.

Well, at least we've achieved the most basic objective. In any case, we've got the fortress. Right now, the priority is to search the entire castle and scout out the surrounding area.

The entire Mirror Castle was thoroughly looted by these foreign visitors, leaving it truly impoverished. Even a mouse that sneaked in would leave with tears in its eyes. It was far worse off than the High Cliff Castle in the main plane, which at least had some remaining supplies and currency.

Upon closer reflection, I realized I had misunderstood. Even in the Shadow Plane, there are no freebies. Without the accumulation and management of intelligent beings, a treasure chest can't just grow out of thin air, can it?
After a brief reorganization, leaving a few people to guard the area, the mage led the expedition team out of the castle and officially launched their exploration of the Shadow Plane.

The castle gates have long since decayed over the years, or perhaps there was never such a gate in the first place. The thick black curtain of shadows has replaced the former function, and standing behind the gate, one can only see darkness.

Without the mage lifting a finger, the Shadow Demon reached out and grabbed, tearing off the irregularly undulating, black-tide-like screen as if it were a rag. With the portal suddenly opened, the world shrouded in shadow revealed itself.

"This view..."

The mage frowned. Even though he had prepared night vision and arcane vision beforehand, so that he wouldn't be completely blind in this dim place, he still found it was not enough. When he looked into the distance, it was as if he was looking through a dim filter, and he could only see the general outline and could not see clearly.

The High Cliff Fortress in the Shadow Plane is also situated in the mountains. Looking around, one can vaguely see towering peaks, and its terrain is not much different from that in the Prime Plane.

But upon closer inspection, they are quite different.

The area surrounding the castle in the material plane, though affected by erosion and lacking the lush, verdant mountains of the past, still possesses a sparse distribution of vegetation, displaying a certain vitality. But here…

There was no color whatsoever; all that met the eye was gray rock and black soil. The word "life" seemed to have long been alienated from this plane of existence.

Of course, this is just an illusion. After all, the native inhabitants and original life forms of the Shadow Realm are real. However, in this desolate corner, all that can be seen is this scene that resembles a black and white silent film.

Looking up at the sky, I saw no azure expanse; gazing into the distance, all I saw was the low-hanging night.

This world has no sun, so there is no sunrise or sunset, no seasons or hours. In the eternal night, a purple moon hangs high, casting its deep and enchanting light into the silent world below.

The Shadowmoon, also known as the Purple Moon of the Eye of Sha'er, is the only celestial source of light in the Shadow Plane, and the only one capable of penetrating endless darkness to reveal its existence throughout the entire Shadow Realm.

However, when that radiance, richer than that of violets, shone upon the earth, which was as dark as if painted with lead and ink, it did not give people even the slightest feeling of brightness or warmth. It was as if the fluorescent light shining on the black velvet cloth further highlighted its pure color, revealing the deep night and shadowy world to people.

The Night Lady's will prevailed above all else, devoid of any warmth.

Strolling under the deep, dim light, the mage took in the various exotic landscapes, descended the steps, and arrived at a flat area halfway up the mountain.

In the primeval plane, this flat and open area in the mountains was originally the private garden of the High Cliff Lord. It was only a short walk from the sturdy and closed fortress on the mountaintop to this place for a visit. Even today, with the territory abandoned and in ruins, one can still see the original owner's love for it and the effort he put into it from the remaining ruins, stone pillars and sculptures.

In this gloomy world, it was impossible for another garden landscape to exist, but what stood before the monk and his companions still surprised them.

It was a mausoleum, a rather simple and shabby tomb that sat quietly on the flat ground on the hillside.

As they cautiously approached the tomb's entrance, they gained a clearer view of the site. The tomb's main structure was made of the same material as the castle—deep, dark rock—but the traces of time on it seemed even more profound than on the castle.

What is this? How did such a grave suddenly appear at his doorstep? Master Zhang, who had already taken Reflection Castle as his private property, couldn't help but scratch his head. Although he knew that Gaoyabao was a special place, he did not expect it to be such a feng shui treasure, with gardens and cemeteries, truly an upper-class place.

Since we're already here, why not go in and do some archaeological research? It'll be part of exploring the film industry.

The monk pondered for only a moment before making a decision. How could he allow someone else to sleep soundly beside his bed? It was also inappropriate to leave an unknown tomb blocking his doorstep.

Besides, after making such a big fuss to go on an expedition to a foreign land, they ended up with almost nothing to show for it. Not only the mages, but also the Word Bearers who had their own interests were somewhat unwilling to accept this.

At a command, the drow, led by Viconia, shouted and cracked their whips, urging the rest of the team to form ranks. After casting several support spells and resistance spells, they were about to open the tomb gates.

“If the three of you were to go down into a tomb, you’d probably smash the tombstone. It would be better if you stayed at the entrance to keep watch.”

The mage looked at the three figures before him, each one a massive behemoth. The shortest, the white bull, was nearly four meters tall, Enigma was even taller, and the Shadow Demon was over five meters tall, looking like a fire tornado.

In other words, the Spectre's size is still considered normal.

"This is not difficult."

"My body is my command!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the bodies of the Soul Splitter and the Shadow Demon underwent a violent, blurry distortion, as if being squeezed and collapsing inward.

After the changes subsided, upon closer inspection, both had shrunk considerably, resembling two miniature versions.

Although described as miniature, it is still three meters tall, but it is still barely big enough to fit inside the tomb.

"So you two can transform?" the mage asked, somewhat surprised.

"This is the condensation of elements and energy, not some profound transformation technique."

"A piece of cake."

White Bull spoke honestly, while Shadow Fiend remained smug.

Thus, apart from Rick, the chess piece Enigma, and a minotaur who were stationed on the perimeter, the rest of them all crowded around the mage as they arrived at the tomb's entrance.

The stone door remains intact despite the erosion of time and shadows, and there are no visible handles or locks on it.

The entire door is like a huge, deep, dark rock, blocking the entrance and acting as a barrier to prevent dragons from entering.

Thank you to Li Keyi, Qu Luo Man Tian Xing, and Wan Liu Tong Yuan for your monthly ticket support!


(End of this chapter)