Black Hearted Mage

After four or five days, the autumn rain in Felwood finally stopped temporarily.

Kaisas took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air after the rain, and then resolutely left the cave and walked eastward along the Yellowstone Mountains. He knew that he had to leave this dangerous forest as soon as possible, because the continuous rain for the past four or five days was just an appetizer for the rainy season.

The wound on his waist had completely healed, even the gap in his ribs was back to normal. The dozens of black scales also fell off on their own, as if they had never existed.

Caesars had originally intended to collect these scales for later study, but things turned out differently. When the scales fell off, they quickly disintegrated into tiny fragments. The entire process took less than two minutes, leaving him no time to react.

At this moment, Caesars, donning an elven transmogrification mask, transformed into a silver-haired elder. He wore a black magic robe and held a nearly pristine blackthorn staff. A small, golden-eyed black snake coiled neatly atop his staff, emitting a frighteningly dangerous aura. His attire and demeanor made it clear at a glance that he was not to be trifled with, like a powerful and sinister sorcerer.

After walking for less than half an hour, we heard sporadic sounds of fighting, shouting, and screaming from the front.

Caesars continued to walk forward slowly, heading towards the direction where the sound came from. Deep in his heart, he had a desire for killing.

In an open space at the foot of the cliff, more than a dozen mercenaries were in trouble, surrounded by dozens of people, and a life-and-death struggle was about to break out.

The besieged mercenaries wore a haphazard array of gear and weapons, appearing rather shabby. The other group of mercenaries surrounding them was completely different; their weapons and equipment were clearly superior. Their leather armor was uniform in style and color, and even their magic steel armor shone with a brilliant luster, as if freshly forged.

Meanwhile, Kaesus stood quietly not far away, watching the fierce battle with great interest. He held a recording stone in his hand, intently recording everything before him. It turned out that the larger group was actually an old acquaintance of his—the Golden Viper Mercenary Group.

"Damn it! Go kill that magician! He's recording!"

A middle-aged man in armor, watching the battle from outside, suddenly spotted Caesars' presence. His eyes widened, and he roared in anger. However, Caesars showed no sign of retreating, instead continuing to record the evidence of his crimes with the Photo Stone.

The Golden Viper Mercenaries reacted, and several archers had already drawn their bows and arrows. As several Wind Warriors rushed towards Caesars, the archers had to lower their bows to avoid accidentally injuring their own men.

After Caesars retrieved the Reflection Stone, his expression grew serious. He picked up the Blackthorn Staff and flung the small black snake entwined with it to the ground. The snake quickly coiled itself around the staff, seemingly unwilling to leave. However, its presence hindered Caesars's spellcasting.

Without hesitation, Caesars cast a series of protective spells. He muttered a spell, and Magic Shield, Magic Armor, and Swiftness quickly applied themselves to form a powerful defensive shield. Simultaneously, the staff in his hand shone with a mysterious light, its engraved shadow bolts activated.

Four shadow bolts shot out like lightning, carrying immense force and a shimmering purple-black magical glow as they whistled towards the enemy. Their speed was so swift that they reached their targets almost instantly. The four leather-armored Wind Warriors were struck in the face by the shadow bolts before they could react. They fell straight down, twitching non-stop.

This sudden change surprised the people of the Golden Viper Mercenary Group, and they watched everything happening in horror.

However, Kaesus was not satisfied with the strength of the Shadow Bolt's attack. He took advantage of the brief free time to quickly replace it with a more powerful staff and put on the Frost Crown Badge, emitting a powerful magical fluctuation.

"Dragon blood wood staff!"

The middle-aged man from the Golden Viper Mercenary Group couldn't help but exclaimed in surprise. His eyes were like those of a hungry wolf, staring at the staff in Caesar's hand with extremely greedy eyes, as if he had seen countless glittering gold coins.

In an instant, six dark shadows shot out like lightning, fiercely slamming into the Golden Viper Mercenaries. This time, the impact of the spell was even more powerful than before, sending the targets flying like kites with their strings cut, accompanied by a horrifying sound of bones breaking.

A sense of excitement welled up in Kaisas' heart, because he realized that the shadow arrow engraved on the dragon blood wood staff in his hand was an advanced spell with extremely high attack power. The only drawback was that it consumed a lot of magic power.

As an intermediate magician, Kaisas estimated his own magic power and estimated that he could activate the magic pattern of Shadow Bolt about fifty times. If he drank a bottle of high-level mana potion at this time, he could increase it by about ten more times.

Shadow bolts rained down upon the members of the Golden Viper Mercenary Group like a raging storm. Each one carried immense power and a terrifying aura, making it impossible to dodge. And Caesars felt an unprecedented sense of exhilaration, as if all his stress and worries had been released along with the shadow bolts.

In just a few minutes, dozens of members of the Golden Viper Mercenary Group had collapsed. Most of the mercenaries were dead, with only a few warriors wearing magic steel armor still breathing.

"Magician, you've caused a big disaster. We are from the Golden Viper Mercenary Group!"

The middle-aged man in the magic steel armor coughed and yelled. His internal organs were damaged and he had lost the ability to resist.

"Really? If you weren't from the Golden Viper, I wouldn't bother to do anything, because I'm going to kill you. I know there are a lot of you and you have a powerful background, but I can kill you all slowly. Look, I've killed dozens of you today!"

Caesar cast a corruption spell, causing the middle-aged man to die in excruciating pain, wailing non-stop. A dozen mercenaries huddled in the distance, staring at Caesar in terror.

"I saved your lives, now it's your turn to serve me. Give me everything from the dead. If you dare to keep it, I don't mind killing you all!"

Caesar leaned on his staff and looked at the frightened mercenary team. The little black snake climbed up the staff again and hissed at the people in the distance.

"Master Mage, as long as I give you the things, will you let us go?"

An archer in the mercenary team bravely asked Caesar.

"Nonsense! Killing you is a waste of my magic power. Hurry up! I'm in a hurry!"

The mercenary team immediately took action. They seemed to be too professional and stripped all the corpses naked.

Looking at the pile of items, Kaesus frowned. Most of the leather armor and suits had been damaged by the shadow bolts, leaving only the magic steel weapons intact. He picked and chose, taking the storage ring and magic steel weapons, then headed towards the horses.

"Master Mage, don't you want these remaining things?" the mercenary leader asked.

"The rest is yours. By the way, does the Golden Viper Mercenary Group have a base nearby?"

Kaisas picked a strong horse and asked the mercenaries questions. He knew very little about the Golden Viper Mercenary Group.

"To the east of Felwood, on the border of the Redstone Kingdom, there's a magic crystal mine. There's a base of the Golden Viper Mercenaries there. They have a lot of people, probably around three or four hundred. Adding the people from the Redstone Kingdom, there's probably a thousand of them there!"

"The super-rich mine of magic crystals - the Sighing Mine?"

Hearing the name, Caesar's eyes lit up, a surge of curiosity and anticipation welling up in him. The Redstone Kingdom's magic crystal mines were renowned for their richness, and the Sighing Mine was particularly renowned. He eagerly inquired with the mercenaries about the details of this mysterious mine.

"Yes, it's the Sighing Mine. It is said that the Golden Viper has a considerable share of the profits in the magic crystal mine!" A mercenary answered excitedly.

Upon hearing this, Caesars couldn't help but frown and asked doubtfully, "Really? The Sighing Mine is a vital resource of the Redstone Kingdom, and has always been firmly controlled by the Redstone Kingdom itself. How could the Golden Viper possibly get such a large share of the profits?"

He expressed his doubts, but he couldn't completely deny the possibility. After all, the world is so big that there are many strange things.

The mercenaries nodded, confirming the story. While they didn't know the specifics, rumors suggested a close connection between the Golden Viper and the Mines of Sigh. However, Caesars decided to personally investigate the rumors. Only by seeing it with his own eyes could he confirm the truth.

With doubts in his heart, Kaisas continued his journey eastward. His goal was to reach the Kingdom of Stonebreak and purchase soufflés from the Safin family to complete his trial mission.

Meanwhile, a dozen mercenaries stood there, bewildered, looking at the corpses, weapons, and over thirty horses scattered across the ground. These spoils were undoubtedly a huge fortune for them. If they could bring them back to town and sell them, the profits would far exceed their income from collecting herbs.

Faced with such a lucrative reward, the mercenaries were caught in a dilemma. These weapons and equipment all had the Golden Viper mark on them, and they needed to remove it before they could take them back.

In the rainy season, few mercenaries were willing to stay in Felwood. The environment here was cold and damp, with large swamps, making people feel uncomfortable.

Caesars rode his horse slowly along the Yellowstone Mountains, still a long way from the Gravel Kingdom.

The Golden Viper Mercenary Group's background is becoming increasingly complex, with multiple factions drawn into the mix, seemingly hiding a vast conspiracy. Not only are there the Church of Saint Laurent, the Roland Empire's nobles, and the magic guilds, but now the Redstone Kingdom has also joined the fray. Faced with this situation, Caesars is forced to reassess his foes; they seem too vast.

Kaisas decided to abandon his plan to pick herbs and, after passing through Windwhispering Canyon, headed directly to Safin Castle. He planned to buy some more puff pastry and then explore the Redstone Kingdom.

A few days later, Caesar finally arrived at the ancient Safin Castle. The old butler was as enthusiastic as ever, and when he saw Caesar, his face immediately broke into a smile, even showing his back teeth.

As a qualified and excellent steward, he needed to consider every aspect and take care of the entire castle in detail. Since last autumn, the Safin family has started making soufflés. If Caesars doesn't come to buy them again, Count Safin might be worried.

"Mr. Caesars, please come in!"

Before Caesars dismounted, the old steward had already impatiently taken the reins and led the horse into the spacious castle courtyard.

"Old housekeeper, you didn't just prepare the cream puffs, did you?"

Faced with such an enthusiastic old butler, Caesars felt a little uncomfortable.

"We do have plenty of soufflés, and we've also bought some of the herbs you need!"

"Great! I just happened to bring some weapons and equipment you need!"

The Safin family values ​​force, and the Stone Kingdom is not a peaceful place. Everyone in the family is a professional skilled in physical attack. Therefore, the castle's front yard is not an ordinary garden, but a huge training ground where almost all family members practice martial arts.

"Mr. Caesars, this is great news! The Earl is in the living room, let's go in quickly!"

Upon hearing the news, Kaisas immediately jumped off his horse. His face showed excitement and anticipation. Large quantities of magic steel bows were not easy to sell, so if the Safin family needed them, that would be the best thing.

The old steward quickly took the reins and handed the horse to the guards. He then led Caesars hurriedly towards the castle. His steps were particularly hurried, as if he couldn't wait to inform Count Safin of the news.

The atmosphere in the castle's living room was a bit tense. Five or six people sat together, whispering about something important. Their expressions were serious, their eyes focused, as if they were weighing the pros and cons.

When Caesars walked into the living room, everyone's eyes were focused on him. Count Safin quickly stood up with a smile and warmly welcomed him.

"Mr. Caesar, have you brought the strong bow?" Count Safin's younger brother, Seuss Safin, asked impatiently, with a hint of urgency in his voice.

"Of course I brought it. Everyone in your family can get one! However, I want to know the situation. Is the Stonebreak Kingdom in such chaos now that it needs to use strong bows to resist the enemy?" Caesar's tone was full of doubt, and his eyes swept over everyone present.

Count Safin sighed and explained, "Because of our acquisition of herbs, we had some minor conflicts with outsiders. The other party was also a count, so we had to take some defensive measures."

Caesars nodded in understanding. He knew that in such a situation, it was crucial for the nobles to protect their families and territories.