Black Hearted Mage

Several days later, with all preparations complete, Caesars finally set out on his journey. This time, he brought only three large wagons laden with goods, and the magical archers who had accompanied him were nowhere to be seen. His only companions were three elves dressed as chariot drivers.

Most elves living in the crater possess an extremely proud disposition. Those who are able to work at the Thornflower Trading Company are carefully selected from among their peers, and their character is truly exceptional.

However, it was somewhat surprising that the three elf drivers seemed to harbor some degree of resistance towards Caesar. Since setting out on their journey, their exchanges with each other had been few and far between, not even exceeding ten sentences in total.

But Caesars didn't take it too seriously. He was familiar with the elves' personalities, and he could clearly sense that the three elves held no ill will. Their indifference was simply due to a simple reluctance to engage in conversation with strangers.

It's important to note that the elves and humans have vastly different understandings of the word "stranger." Elves have long lifespans, so their definition of "stranger" is measured in years. In their eyes, having only just met Kaisas, they were far from familiar.

Each of the simply decorated and incredibly sturdy carriages of the Thorn Flower Company was equipped with an extremely precise magical compass. These compass needles seemed to possess life, accurately and unerringly indicating the direction of travel.

As the convoy slowly entered the canyon shrouded in thick fog before the Northland Tower, an astonishing scene occurred—the carriages showed no signs of slowing down. They bravely moved forward at their original speed, rushing into the thick fog without hesitation.

Half an hour later, the carriage finally made it through the misty valley, shrouded in mystery. The view before them suddenly became clear: the vast expanse of the northern plateau unfolded before them. The sky here was a deep, pure blue, like a giant sapphire. Snow-white clouds drifted leisurely in the air, seemingly softer and lighter than clouds elsewhere.

Standing on this vast plateau and gazing north, one can clearly see the majestic Northland Tower in the distance, towering into the clouds. Like a giant towering above the heavens, it stands silently above the earth, exuding an awe-inspiring aura.

For Caesars, time has flown by like a fleeting moment since he first set foot on this land and arrived at this magnificent northern tower. Nearly eleven years have already slipped by in the blink of an eye. This delivery trip is undoubtedly a revisit to an old haunt, and he inevitably feels an indescribable sense of emotion.

About half an hour later, the carriage came to a steady stop in front of the Northland Tower. Just then, a middle-aged man in a simple apprentice's robe hurried out of the tower. His eyes scanned the carriage eagerly, and when he saw the prominent Thorn Flower Merchants emblem on it, his tense expression relaxed. He quickly pulled a gleaming communication stone from his pocket, clutched it tightly, and began relaying a message to the tower's interior.

Soon after, the tower's higher-ups, having received the news, responded one after another. Then, under the gaze of the crowd, the carriage slowly entered the Northland Tower. Finally, it stopped in front of the majestic Alchemy Tower.

At that moment, the alchemy tower's doors slowly opened, and a tall, kind-looking old man emerged with a smile. This old man was none other than the renowned Master Alchemist, Kandel. Behind him followed a dozen young apprentices, all of them energetic, yet a subtle hint of fear lingered in their eyes.

The Great Alchemist was in a good mood today. The Thorn Flower Trading Company agreed to the request of the Northland Tower and sent more than sixty thick black magic snakes.

"Open the carriage and let the great alchemist inspect the goods!" Caesars said to the three coachmen.

The Thorn Flower Merchants' truck was completely sealed, with only the ventilation holes open. As the driver opened the wooden door, he revealed pitch-black figures lurking within the neatly stacked magic steel cages. A strong, warning hissing sound emanated continuously from the carriage.

Kandel, with his snow-white hair, was now focused on the large iron cage. Although it was full of ordinary black magic snakes, they were all thicker and stronger than those raised in the high towers in the north.

"Good stuff! How come the black magic snakes raised by your Thorn Flower Company are much thicker than those in the Northland Tower?" The great alchemist asked in confusion.

The thicker the black snake grows, the more venom can be extracted, and the more antidote can be made.

"The climate in the crater is warm and spring-like all year round, creating the perfect environment for the growth of black snakes. The feeding time for black snakes is also shortened by two days compared to the tower!"

"How do you know when the tower feeds the black snake?"

Kandel looked at Kaisas with a puzzled expression. This should be the other party's first time to deliver goods to the North Tower.

"Master Kandel, there must be something wrong with your eyes. I am Kaisas, and I have fed black demon snakes here!"

"Are you Caesars?"

The great alchemist was a little surprised. Although the other person had long black hair, he was almost as tall as him. His face no longer had the childishness of the past, and he didn't look like the little figure sleeping in the iron cage back then.

"Ordinary black snakes can't spray venom. Carry the cage into the feeding room and learn how to change the cage from Kaisas later!"

The new apprentices of the Alchemy Tower began to carry down the iron cages. Groups of four carried the iron cages and walked into the Alchemy Tower.

"Are you really Caesars?"

"Master Kandel, is there any need to doubt this? I want to make a deal with you, a private transaction between us!"

The old magician looked at Kaisas with some doubt. He was just a snake breeder at the Thorn Flower Trading Company. What good things could he come up with? However, Kaisas's current strength surprised Kandel.

"Boy, wait until the black snake enters the cage in the tower, then we can talk in detail!"

Not long after, after all the magic steel cages were moved, it was Kaisas' turn to help.

"Kaesas, where is the little golden-eyed black magic snake?" Kandel asked curiously when entering the alchemy tower.

"I didn't bring it out. It's as thick as my arm and it's not convenient to carry around."

"What did you feed it to make it grow so big?"

"The magic rat plus the magic core of a low-level dark monster!"

"What a waste of gold coins! If the tower continues to feed the black snakes like this, it will probably go bankrupt in a few years!"

Kandel walked with his head shaking, leading Kaisas to the feeding room of the black magic snake. The magic steel cages corresponded to the empty cages in the tower one by one.

Caesars walked slowly and steadily to the impenetrable magic steel cage. His gaze was fixed on the cage, as if it held not a terrifying black demon snake but a rare treasure. He gently raised his hand, grasped the cold lock on the cage door, and twisted it hard. With a crisp sound, the cage door swung open easily.

Kandel and his apprentice stood by, their eyes wide open, their faces filled with astonishment as they watched the scene unfold. They had originally imagined that Caesars would don thick protective gloves and carefully reach out to grab the terrifying black snake. However, at this moment, they heard Caesars's deep, powerful command: "Go!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the black demon snake, coiled in the corner of the cage, began to twist its long, slender body, as if it understood Caesar's words. Its inky black scales rubbed against each other, making a soft rustling sound. With astonishing speed, the black demon snake slithered out of the magic steel cage covered with thorny flower patterns and rushed towards the large iron cage in the Northland Tower without hesitation.

Soon, the black magic snake successfully got into the larger iron cage, and at the same time, the cage door was closed.

Caesars followed him to the largest iron cage. Inside, a massive, golden-eyed black demon snake stood tall, its body erect, its dark, lightning-fast tongue flickering in and out. Its golden eyes shone with an eerie, mysterious light, a terrifying presence.

However, facing such a ferocious golden-eyed black demon snake, Kaisas showed no fear at all. On the contrary, he unhesitatingly reached his right hand into the cage and accurately slapped the smooth jade-like scales on the snake's head.

Then, Caesars turned around, his face filled with confidence and complacency, and said to the stunned Kandel behind him: "Master Kandel, look, it still remembers me!"

At this moment, Kandel and his apprentices were all speechless with shock. They couldn't understand why the golden-eyed black snake, always considered untamable and extremely violent, would show such docile obedience to Kaisas. Kaisas's action undoubtedly completely overturned their inherent perception of this dangerous creature.

"Kaissa, can you command the black snake?"

"Almost. I raised all the black demon snakes at the Thorn Flower Trading Company. Some of them recognized me as soon as they hatched from their eggs!"

Kandel stood there, his face hesitant, as if he was struggling to speak out some unspeakable secret. Meanwhile, Caesars swiftly replaced the black snake's cage with a brand new one, and the apprentices who followed him deftly carried the empty cage back to the carriage.

Three coachmen wearing masks walked up to Caesars, greeted him, and then drove away in their carriages.

Caesar has a lot of things to deal with on this trip. Not only does he need to purchase a large number of magic crystals, but he also has to find the whereabouts of his uncle Jack, whom he has never met.

Kaisas suddenly turned around, looked at Kandel with a determined gaze, and said loudly: "Master Kandel, I hope to make a deal with you. If you can help me get a high-level magician's badge, then I am willing to use a bottle of extremely precious golden-eyed black snake venom in return!"

Caesars spoke these words with unwavering conviction, not shying away from the students present. Hearing this, Kandel was momentarily taken aback, then frowned and replied, "Hey, when did you become a high-level magician? Don't you know you can go to the fifth floor of the main tower and redeem a badge on your own?"

Facing Kandel's question, Kaisas shook his head helplessly and explained, "Respected Great Magician, have you forgotten that I am no longer a member of the Northland Tower?"

After listening to Caesar's explanation, Kandel pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Even so, anyone who has been to the Northland Tower still has the right to submit a corresponding assessment and obtain a new magician badge. This rule has always existed!"

"Then save this bottle of venom. Great Mage, please sign the receipt for the goods. I'm going to the main tower to get the magic crystal and take the senior magician test at the same time!"

Kandel was filled with regret, wanting to slap himself in the face. Just because he'd said a few words, that precious bottle of golden-eyed black snake venom had vanished without a trace. Resigned, he picked up a pen and signed his name on the Thorn Flower Merchants' invoice.

"Kaesus, news has come from the North that a number of demonic snakes have been discovered. They are said to have emerged from deep within the cracks in the earth. Old Roman has already rushed over to investigate!"

Upon hearing this news, Caesars frowned and fell into deep thought. Suddenly, as if a thought struck him, he said, "I seem to have seen a related record in an ancient book. About ten thousand years ago, a severe landslide occurred in the northern grasslands, and at that time, a large number of demonic snakes emerged from the ground."

Beneath the collapsed area, there were rich deposits of magical gemstones and magic crystals. However, due to concerns that the powerful magical beasts lurking underground would take advantage of the opportunity to escape and wreak havoc on the grasslands, these veins were eventually backfilled and no further mining continued.

"The ground fissure that appeared this time is not at the same location as the last collapse, but the distance between the two is not far, probably only about 20 to 30 miles." Kandel added a few words, but he felt that the underground world must be connected.

"Master Kandel, the records say that there are super monsters deep underground. This can't be wrong, right?" Kaisas said thoughtfully.

"There's no mistake. This record is in the Northland Tower and also in the Fire Maple City Magic Guild. Many people saw the super monster back then. It was a huge dark lizard. Deep beneath the Northland Prairie, there's a vast underground world. According to the records, it's estimated to be hundreds of miles in size!"