Black Hearted Mage

The night was as dark as ink, the outline of Fire Maple City looming in the darkness. Caesars stood on the castle's high terrace, his fingertips unconsciously caressing the rim of his wine glass. While he didn't know the true mastermind behind this conspiracy, the one who could mobilize such vast resources must be a powerful noble in the Roland Empire—someone who not only maintained a private army but also controlled an astonishing amount of wealth. At this thought, Caesars sneered, the amber wine reflecting the coldness in his eyes. He shouldn't have been drawn into this power play, but since someone insisted on using him as a pawn...

A noise at his feet interrupted his thoughts. The dark red puppy nuzzled his leather boots with its moist nose, its belly growling—he'd only gotten half a piece of roast venison tonight. Caesars crouched down, his white hand suddenly grasping the back of the puppy's neck. "Only by going hungry can you stay alert. We'll have a midnight snack when we get back!"

Before he could finish his words, the puppy, blessed with the Feather Fall technique, was thrown over the high wall and slowly fell into the grass outside the wall. Behind him, another figure jumped down from a high place and landed next to the puppy.

In a nettle thicket drenched in night dew, the puppy shook its fur. A cool spring breeze, carrying the flutter of grasshoppers, brushed past its ears, but the beetles that normally burrowed into its fur were unusually retreating. Confused, it tilted its head, suddenly noticing a lingering fragrance—the repellent potion Caesars had applied to it.

"Woo..." The puppy called softly, and Caesars quickly came to its side. The man and the dog walked quickly towards the north of the gold mine - the border of the territory.

The border of the territory was a ditch, over three meters wide. It held little water, and on either side grew weeds more than a meter tall. The puppy walked eastward along the ditch. When it caught a whiff of something wafting from afar, its muscles tensed. It curled up in the grass like a rusted iron block, its dark red fur blending in with the dirt.

Caesars cast a spell swiftly, and as a faint light flashed from his fingertips, his figure gradually became transparent. He glanced down at the puppy at his feet and quickly cast another spell, making the fat fellow invisible as well. On a nearby path, a group of heavily armed patrolmen advanced slowly, torches in hand. The flickering firelight illuminated their worn leather armor, and the long swords dangling from their waists swayed gently with their steps, their scabbards clinking against the armor. These men wore armbands embroidered with the crest of the House of Solomon; they were the most elite patrolmen stationed outside the gold mine.

Only after the patrol's footsteps completely faded to the east did Caesars emerge from the dense grass with the puppy. He glanced around cautiously, pricked up his ears to confirm there was no other movement, and then whispered, "Let's rest for a while. The patrol just passed by!"

As he spoke, he pulled out two strips of meat. They were dried meat marinated with special spices and then baked, exuding an enticing aroma. The puppy carefully grasped the strips of meat between its teeth, fearing to make too much noise. Caesars gazed at the night sky to the east, his brow furrowed slightly. Whether the stalker would arrive today was still uncertain, but his primary purpose for this trip wasn't to capture him, but to leave a guiding mark for the teleportation spell near the border.

About half an hour later, Caesars patted the puppy's head and signaled him to continue moving forward. When they passed a dry ditch, several tall oak trees on the opposite side came into view.

The chubby puppy's ears suddenly pricked up, its wet nose twitched, and then it raised one of its front paws and pointed accurately at one of the oak trees with the thickest trunk.

Caesars immediately summoned his magic, sending several translucent tentacles snaking towards the oak tree like serpents. After a careful inspection, he confirmed there were no figures either above or below the tree. However, he noticed several fresh scratches on the trunk, as if the bark had been damaged by a sharp weapon. The weeds beneath the tree had been trampled flat, suggesting someone frequented this area, perhaps more than two.

Caesars carefully examined the dense, damaged marks on the bark. They weren't claw marks from wild animals, but rather the marks of some sharp metal—possibly a dagger, a short sword, or more likely a claw. He leaped across the three-meter-wide ditch and arrived at the base of the thickest oak tree. His fingertips gently traced one of the marks, feeling the fine lines left by the scratched bark.

"It's a climbing grappling hook. It seems someone got there before us." He muttered in a low voice.

The puppy circled nervously at his feet twice, whimpering softly, as if sensing some danger. Caesars pulled out a small crystal bottle and poured the alchemical solution onto the thick tree trunk. The magical power wavered ever so slightly, silently imprinting itself on the bark, melting into it like dew.

"Dead dog, remember the taste of this potion!" He stood up and brushed the dust off his hands.

At that moment, the puppy's ears suddenly perked up, and it turned sharply toward the bushes to the north. Caesars immediately held his breath, his fingers silently resting on the magical blade at his waist. In the distant darkness, something seemed to be moving—not a patrol, but something lighter and more subtle.

"Looks like tonight's guests are here!" He raised his lips slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. Then he and the puppy hid in the grass not far away, using the invisibility effect to quietly observe the incoming uninvited guests.

The jet-black leather armor clung to the three men's figures, its surface treated with a special matte finish that completely eliminated even the slightest reflection. Made from the tanned hide of nocturnal lizards, this armor remained invisible even in the midday sun, making it an ideal choice for stealth. Their movements were swift and precise, each one calculated countless times, leaving even the dry leaves beneath their feet silent.

They slowly approached the ancient, gnarled oak tree. Its thick trunk was covered with cracks and wounds from the passage of time, like a silent face observing their approach. Three unfamiliar faces, hidden beneath the shadows of their hoods, were only vaguely visible, their cold eyes and clenched jaws. One of them raised his hand slightly, signaling his companions to stop. They were only a dozen steps from the bushes where Caesars was hiding. Any closer and they would have entered the enemy's defensive range.

The three exchanged a few quick gestures, then spoke in hushed whispers, their voices practically carried away by the night wind. A moment later, they moved simultaneously, like three bolts of black lightning, silently leaping across the ditch. One rolled close to the ground, using the weeds for cover; another slid into the shadows like a ghost, slipping stealthily through the dense grass; and the third leaped onto a tree trunk, sprinting swiftly toward the gold mine. Their movements were clean and precise, evident in their thorough training.

"Get to work, you damned dog." Caesars whispered an order, scratching the back of the puppy's neck gently with his fingers. "Don't bite them to death, just bite off their legs. I'll have to use magic to pry their mouths open."

A coquettish whimper escaped the puppy's throat, its tail twitching excitedly. The next second, it transformed into a blurry black shadow, instantly darting across the ditch, so fast it was almost invisible. At the same time, a faint blue magical glow emanated from Caesars' fingertips, and the glow of Flash illuminated beneath his feet.

Just as his figure hit the ground, the first shrill scream suddenly tore through the silence of the night, startling the night birds in the woods and echoing in the pitch-black wilderness.

Caesars was also slightly stunned. The puppy was too fast, and the person in stealth state became the first unlucky person.

The puppy's sharp teeth precisely bit through the ankle of the first man in black, and the crisp sound of broken bones was particularly clear in the silent night. The man stumbled to his knees, and before he could even let out a second scream, Caesars, who had followed closely behind, slashed his neck with a knife, and he collapsed like a broken sack.

The other man in black turned his head sharply, just in time to see his companion fall. He reacted quickly, turning and fleeing in the other direction. He was running ahead, and the puppy, with its mouth wide open, chased after him, determined not to delay its midnight snack.

As the second scream was heard, the puppy quickly turned its head and ran towards the mine. Its speed could only be described as flying close to the ground.

The second man in black was beaten unconscious by Caesars. He picked up one man in each hand and ran towards the mine.

The man in black was a little terrified. Two of his companions had met with misfortune one after another. A fierce look flashed in his eyes. He pulled out a yellow-green crystal bottle from his pocket and also took out a few flash bombs.

As the puppy approached him, he threw a flashbang. But just as he was about to throw the crystal bottle, the puppy pounced like black lightning and accurately bit his wrist. The crystal bottle fell to the ground with an eerie hissing sound and immediately turned into a pool of bubbling acid.

"What a pity, my fat dog is not afraid of strong acid!" Caesars sighed and swung the Blade of Law Breaker with force. The blade hit the man's head heavily, and the man in black twitched and fainted.

At that moment, the patrol outside the gold mine arrived, torches in hand, forming a circle. Their faces were filled with shock. In the flickering firelight, Caesars cast a long shadow on the ground, and at his feet lay three unconscious men in black. The patrolmen exchanged glances, some swallowing unconsciously and gripping their spears even tighter.

"Tie these three up, I'll interrogate them right away!"

Kaisas' voice was as calm as if he were discussing the evening's weather, yet every word carried undeniable power. He then pulled out an oil-paper bag from his interspatial ring. The moment he untied the string, the rich aroma of spices immediately permeated the night air. It was a leg of barbarian beef marinated with a secret recipe, its surface gleaming with an alluring sheen.

With a clang, a magic steel bowl, larger than a baby bathtub, was dropped to the ground, sending pebbles bouncing. The puppy circled anxiously around it, its wet nose twitching and whining eagerly. As the bull's leg plopped into the bowl, its scarlet eyes suddenly lit up in the darkness. It suddenly turned toward the patrol, which had come too close, baring its sharp white fangs. A deep growl rolled from its throat, causing everyone to step back.

"This guy's quite protective of his food. Stay ten steps away from him until he finishes his midnight snack!" Caesars said, looking at a man in black. He took out a small piece of ice and thrust it into his chest. "Now, let's see who you're really working for..." His fingertips glowed a faint blue as he slowly pressed them to the forehead of the first man in black to fall.

The man in black woke up and felt the pain in his ankle. When he looked at the firelight around him, he was filled with fear and anxiety.

"I, Caesars Rhodes, am the lord of this territory and a great magician. Tell the truth and I will spare your life. Otherwise, I will interrogate you with the most cruel magic. I will give you five minutes to think about it. If you don't cooperate, you will become a corpse, and the chance to live will belong to your companions!"

Caesars slowly produced an exquisite magical hourglass. Its dark gold metal frame was intricately engraved with magical patterns, and in the torchlight, it shone with a mysterious blue luster. This palm-sized hourglass was filled with precious star sand, each grain gleaming with a star-like brilliance. The moment he turned the hourglass over, the silver sand suddenly burst into a soft magical glow, flowing rapidly like the Milky Way.

The puppy's sharp ears suddenly perked up, its moist nose twitching slightly. As a high-level magical beast, it was exceptionally sensitive to energy fluctuations. The magical energy emanating from the flowing star sand caused it to turn its head immediately, its small scarlet eyes fixed on the flickering light source.

"You idiot, don't even think about the star sand." Caesars gently pushed the puppy's head away with the toe of his boot, the hourglass spinning gracefully between his fingers. "This is nothing compared to your favorite barbarian beef leg. It doesn't even have the slightest meaty flavor." He turned his cold gaze to the bound high-level stalker, his mouth curled up cruelly. "But when this gentleman dies, his corpse can be a snack for you."

The puppy snorted hot air in dissatisfaction, revealing a mouthful of sharp white fangs. It used its front paws to dig at the pickled animal leg in its food bowl—in its opinion, this living person smelled far less delicious than the wild ox leg. It simply wanted more food, but it had no idea how terrifying this action would become in the eyes of the stalker.

The Rogue's bloodshot eyes fixed on the pup's sharp teeth. Those fangs, powerful enough to shatter demon steel, grew ever larger before his eyes. He vaguely imagined his own remains lying in a saliva-soaked food bowl, the pup's fangs tearing at his flesh. This horrific image finally broke his last mental defenses, and cold sweat soaked his back.

"I tell you! I confess everything!"

The Stalker screamed in despair, his voice distorted by fear. He trembled violently, as if wanting to spill the secrets deep within his soul.

Caesars said a few words to the back, and a low table was placed aside. On the table was a stack of papers and a small bottle of ink. A middle-aged man sat at the low table, holding a quill pen in his hand.