Chapter 282: A Letter from the Shadows
Storm Fortress, a merchant caravan from the Storm Territory was traveling along the trade route leading to the Dark Realm.
It was called a merchant caravan, but its members were almost entirely composed of adventurers or mercenaries. Especially the caravan leader, Eric Henderson, who was even a veteran knight retired from Storm Fortress.
They served the current ruler of the Storm Territory—Princess Louisa. According to the original plan, they would pass through the planar rift beyond the Evernight Domain, enter a transit station called the rift snowplain, and finally reach the Dryad domain to purchase grain.
Eric had expressed his concerns about this route to the official in charge more than once.
The reason he was assigned as the leader of this special caravan was precisely because he had ventured deep into the Dark Realm multiple times on reconnaissance missions in his youth. Naturally, he understood the dangers of this land of eternal night better than most knights who lived under the sun.
Not to mention the complex terrain of the Dark Realm, which was littered with bottomless chasms, underground streams, sudden cliffs, and Death Swamps.
Just the road conditions alone were enough to give any experienced guide a headache. There were no real roads here, only trails trodden by beasts, tunnels dug by grave robbers, or earthen paths worn by adventurers.
Even the sturdiest, thickest-hoofed northern Draft Animals from the kingdom often found it difficult to advance here, let alone carriages laden with Goods.
Moreover, numerous dangerous figures lurked along the way: bandit gangs entrenched in ruins, fugitives who had fled the kingdom, ancient treasures, grave robbers active in tombs and ruins, evil dark creatures, and those wandering Undead beings—they were tireless and feared no pain...