Chapter 3: Nightmare
Seemingly noticing the doubts, fears, and questions in Komer’s eyes, the statue’s face gave an unusual slight smile: “Ask whatever you want—quickly, for I don’t have much time. Fate brought us together, allowing me to find relief before my fate is fulfilled, so that my countless efforts poured into the Mystic Jade Magic Crystal are not in vain.”
Komer’s mind seemed to grasp something suddenly, yet also felt as if it understood nothing. One thing was certain: this half-human, half-statue creature must be related to the crystal in his arms.
“Who exactly are you? Why am I here?” These were probably the first questions anyone would ask in such a situation.
“Hehe, this is the Dark Temple, the most sacred place in the Dark Empire. Only the great Dark King can dwell here. You came here because of the favor of the God of Fate and a stroke of luck.” The statue’s face showed a desolate yet proud expression, its green eyes glowing with a dark light as if trying to pierce through the dark hall and reach the black sky. Its expression blended memories, pain, contemplation, and excitement—impossible to describe precisely.
“As for me—who am I? I don’t know how long it has been since your era. I believe my name has long been forgotten. The victors never let records of their vile and ugly history spread. So, it’s meaningless for me to say it.” Every expression on the statue’s face appeared subtle and real, making Komer doubt whether it was a real head or just an illusion conjured by magic.
“Then why did you bring me here?” By now, Komer had completely calmed down. This nightmare-like illusion made it hard to distinguish reality from fantasy. But given the already bizarre and complicated events he had encountered over the past couple of years, one more didn’t matter.
The statue seemed very satisfied with the visitor’s reaction. Its thick lips curled slightly, revealing snow-white teeth. “Guide, all my wisdom, experience, and memories will be passed on to you. I’ve waited too long. Ever since the fall of the Dark Empire, I haven’t felt this relieved in ages.”
The Dark Empire? Komer’s heart stirred. He seemed to have heard this term before, but it felt quite unfamiliar in his memory. Perhaps his master had mentioned it by chance, but he never heard it again after that.
Every expression on Komer’s face was clearly visible to the statue. The statue was somewhat surprised by the other party’s sensitivity to the Dark Empire, but it no longer had the energy to explain further. “Guide, I tell you—remember well that I am using the spiritual imprint transmitted before my destruction to speak with you. I am conveying my origins and everything I need to tell you. As for the path you will take from now on, that depends entirely on you. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Dark Empire, or perhaps it’s unfamiliar to you, but I tell you: the Dark Empire was the most powerful empire on the Land of Azure three hundred years ago. I, Kenifer III, was the last emperor of the Dark Empire. Its downfall began with me, and it ended with me.”
An empire perished because of him, yet he spoke of it so calmly, as if it were nothing significant. Komer wasn’t sure whether to believe him, but he felt that everything he said couldn’t be entirely false.
“Young man, I know you possess great dark magic within you, including the power of my Mystic Jade Magic Crystal. But before that, you should at least be a dark mage—otherwise, you couldn’t absorb my dark magic and experience. Tell me, in your opinion, which is right and which is wrong between the path of darkness and the path of light? Don’t hide anything from me.” The statue’s expression became especially solemn at this moment.
This seemed like a simple question for anyone, but it had been lingering in Komer’s mind for a long time. The scene of his conversation with Malon echoed in his mind again, along with those razor-sharp gazes scanning him. Yet Komer wasn’t affected by those menacing looks. After a long while, he slowly said, “I don’t know. But I know I should act according to my own heart. Why fear what others say? Even if everyone in the world calls it evil, if I believe it’s right, then it is right!”
“Good! You have spirit!” The gaze that seemed capable of piercing Komer’s soul finally withdrew from him. “It seems no one can easily change your views, not even me. Then I’ll tell you a story that has been buried for three hundred years. As for right or wrong, merit or fault, I don’t want to judge. Let everything be tested and proven by you.”
The rattling carriage finally woke Komer from his drowsiness. He looked around carefully—he was still in the carriage, though the sky had grown slightly darker, likely nearing evening. His mind was still foggy, but everything from his dream appeared crystal clear now: the strange stone statue, the gloomy and majestic palace, the atmosphere like a demonic realm—all of it felt like a bizarre nightmare.
But Komer knew this was by no means a simple nightmare, for the strange crystal in his hands now appeared much dimmer. Perhaps, as that stone statue said, once this crystal known as the Dark Jade Magic Crystal fulfilled its purpose, it would likely become no different from an ordinary stone, and every act of information transmission would drain a great deal of its magical power. The story told by that so-called Kenifer III in the nightmare was utterly bizarre; although Komer instinctively felt the other party wasn’t lying, he wondered what kind of shock such a story would bring to the entire continent if it were true?! At this thought, Komer subconsciously shook his head. As the other party had warned him, whether it was true or not, without an absolute advantage in strength, it was best not to probe into the truth of history—any rash action would only lead to one’s complete destruction. This indeed made it worth the Light Church doing whatever it took to reclaim these items. But what puzzled Komer was that, under those circumstances, the Rema Knights could have simply searched the targets to rule out all concerns—why didn’t they realize this at the time and just kill the targets and leave, only realizing it later? Komer didn’t think it was due to carelessness on the part of the Rema Knights; there must be something strange going on. Either they were only tasked with killing the targets and unaware of the items the thief carried, or they simply didn’t know about these items and only pursued the thief because of his value in itself. Either way, it proved that this zombie thief still under his control had considerable value. Things were becoming increasingly complex and interesting. If what that ghostly last emperor of the Dark Empire said was true, then he might indeed have the chance to see that magnificent Dark Temple. Although the Dark Empire had fallen, it didn’t mean everything it left behind had disappeared—there might even be unexpected gains. However, that Dark Temple was located east of the Mogan Wasteland, northeast of the Kingdom of Nicosia, a place even orcs avoided living near. With rampant magical beasts and extreme danger, aside from adventurers, no one on the Azure Continent would go there.
Thinking of the Dark Temple, Komer was reminded of Fort Damorlensk in his own territory. The curses of the demon gods, spoken by that last emperor, now seemed like nonsense. In his mind, aside from the Vast Land, which could be considered a true realm of darkness, any place in the Blue Land could be regarded as safe. King Kenifer III’s arrogance was enough to make anyone look at him with awe. Komer didn’t know if this so-called great ruler from a past life truly possessed supernatural powers, but his bold claims did ease Komer’s fears somewhat. After all, the unknown is always the most terrifying. The dark magic crystals fused within his body also gave Komer considerable confidence. No matter what lay hidden there, with his powerful dark magic and extensive magical knowledge, he could master this power quickly. Perhaps it would be up to him to solve the mystery of Fort Damorlensk.
Leaning lazily against the cushion behind him, Komer’s expression was unpredictable. This nightmare had come far too suddenly. In fact, he had already had some premonitions earlier—before each improvement in his magical abilities, he would experience strange dreams and nightmares. Giants, chimera, dragons, skeletons, magical beasts, puppets, zombies, elves—various races and creatures flashed through his mind like fleeting scenes, just out of reach, leaving him in a daze. But today’s dream revealed the truth behind all these strange occurrences. The title of “guide of the dark god Hades” and “heir of darkness” had fallen upon him. It seemed utterly absurd, yet it seemed to be a stroke of fate.
If we went by what King Kenifer III said, he was undoubtedly one of the greatest tragic figures in this war that shook the continent. Yet he himself seemed to feel no regret over this defeat that determined both his own fate and that of the entire Dark Empire. Komer couldn’t understand it. Was it really true, as he claimed, that true love meant remaining devoted even after being deceived and betrayed by one’s beloved? Such ideas were utterly ridiculous. Komer believed he would never be able to understand this.
Tracy’s beautiful face flashed through his mind before fading away. Komer could now control his emotions quite well. Although memories of the past still surfaced from time to time, they had gradually become less intense. Time was the best remedy for all emotional wounds—a lesson Komer had learned from his own experiences. Yet, seeing the persistent, fanatical light in King Canifer III’s eyes, unchanged even after hundreds of years, made him doubt the authenticity of his own feelings. To remain devoted to a woman who knew she would betray and deceive him, even leading to his death and the downfall of his country, was it pathological obsession or a deeply rooted love? Komer couldn’t be sure. But could such a feeling even be called love?
Komer didn’t want to delve further into King Canifer III’s love story. In his view, Canifer III had let his emotions cloud his judgment, resulting in his death and the destruction of his country—a rather ordinary tale, only complicated by the intricate powers and nations involved. It surprised him that the Holy Maiden of the Light Church could play such a role as a seductive serpent.
Although King Canifer III hoped to uncover this buried dark chapter in history at the right time, Komer made it clear that he shouldn’t place too much hope on him. Though he could agree verbally, it was practically impossible. Firstly, the Light Church and the nations involved were extremely powerful, and secondly, he was just a minor lord in the countryside, struggling to survive. Achieving the level of ignoring their strength was an utterly hopeless fantasy, so he couldn’t promise such an uncertain request.
Still, Komer was deeply interested in the fascinating historical snippets the other man shared. Many of these events were beyond the reach of ordinary people, and perhaps they could prove useful at certain times. King Canifer III’s love story was indeed admirable, as was the tragic fate of the Holy Maiden Umma. But what impressed Komer most was the Light Church, hidden behind all these national powers, which managed to unite them to bring down the once-mighty Dark Empire at the critical moment. This showed the church’s abundance of talented individuals.
The Dark Empire—a history deliberately buried by those in power—had now come to light through this strange coincidence. Could he be the one to uncover it?
Looking at the buildings gradually taking shape on the horizon, Komer gazed enviously at the city rising abruptly in the vast plain beneath the sky. This was the heartland of the empire’s most powerful lord, Duke Zelin—the region of Galle. It was an even larger and more fertile plain than the Bosen Plains under Duke Philip’s rule, stretching for hundreds of kilometers with continuous farmland, well-developed irrigation systems, excellent road networks, and canals running east to west. Gutenburg, the capital of the Galle region, was located right by one of these canals—namely, the city before Komer’s eyes.
As the kingdom’s largest grain-producing area, it was undoubtedly the biggest grain trading hub as well as a distribution center for many important goods. The canal connecting Gutenburg to Antwerp was the most crucial route linking the coastal areas of the Abyssal Sea to the interior of the Azure Continent, and its traffic volume ranked among the top three in the entire continent. The continental road running north to south passed through the city, and its importance, both militarily and commercially, was self-evident. Its status as a key transportation hub and the core of a major grain-producing area gave Duke Zelin a position in the kingdom comparable to that of the king himself, and it also made Duke Zelin’s treasurer the largest creditor in the kingdom’s financial department. The Rebirth Knights guarding Gutenburg were the second-strongest knight order in the kingdom, second only to the Fire Shadow Knights under the king.