Chapter 198: The Spirit Realm (2)
Deep within the heart of the Schwarzwald, where the legendary elven sacred ground of Elfo Sagrado stood, there existed another, much darker presence. At the forest’s edge, shrouded in ancient trees and perpetual twilight, the main stronghold of the Cradle of Darkness had been established—a festering blight hidden within the world’s most sacred grove.
The cult had claimed their foothold in the most brutal way possible. They razed a nearby village to the ground, slaughtering every last inhabitant. Now, their leader used the former village chief’s home as his own. The state of the house left no doubt about its new occupants: blood and torn flesh caked the walls and floor, a macabre reminder of what had become of its former owners.
A black-robed dark mage approached the leader, its steps measured and quiet.
“What is it?” the leader asked, voice calm but tinged with disinterest.
“They failed in their assault.”
The leader didn’t seem surprised. “Of course they did.”
Several days earlier, a contingent of dark mages had launched an attack on the elven sacred ground, but the truth was, that incident hadn’t been sanctioned by the Cradle of Darkness. One of their own—a Transcendent dark mage—had defied orders and acted on his own accord.
“Did he really think some foolish suicide attack would work against one of the world’s greatest Heroes? What an idiot.” The leader shook his head in disdain. Disgust clouded his expression as he spat contempt for the dark mage who had acted without orders and now lay dead. “What about casualties?”
“We lost a Transcendent dark mage, three Advanced dark mages, and a significant number of powerful monsters.”
The leader clicked his tongue in irritation. Those weren’t insignificant losses. If they’d lost that much power during a sanctioned assault on Kalosia’s holy land, the only option would have been to retreat immediately.
However, the leader’s demeanor remained detached. “It’s fine. It’s not worth worrying about.”
“Yes, sir.”