Chapter 14: The Dark Knight

During his few days with Rebrí, Komer realized that his entire existing knowledge system of magic had been thoroughly revised and expanded. Many vague concepts had now been clarified, and numerous previously unsolvable problems had been easily addressed. For Komer, it was like a traveler navigating a path full of traps suddenly stepping onto a bright and smooth road, with all hidden dangers marked—no longer needing to worry about falling into difficulties. This relationship, blending mentorship and friendship, could hardly be described in just a few words of ease, joy, or happiness.

Faced with Komer’s various peculiar questions, Rebrí, who had traveled across the continent and prided himself on his extensive knowledge, also found it extremely troublesome. Each of Komer’s questions either exceeded the scope of his own understanding of magic or challenged the magical principles he held as sacred. Yet he had to admit Komer’s genius in magical innovation. Mixed magic, typically only attempted by grand magicians or above, came naturally to Komer, who even used dark corruption magic—something Rebrí himself dared not touch—to enhance the defense and offensive capabilities of equipment or weapons through combined spells. Other than sighing in admiration, Rebrí couldn’t find another expression to convey his feelings toward this man, whom he could neither call a magical genius nor simply a freak.

Rebrí could never understand how someone so young could possess such formidable magical power and mental strength. Besides his powerful dark magic, Komer also wielded decent amounts of white magic and light divination spells. While it wasn’t impossible for these incompatible types of magic to exist in one magician, it required at least decades of practice in mental magic. Yet this man, from every perspective, didn’t seem to be over thirty. Even if he had started practicing at an early age, it would still be impossible for him to have such power. In fact, Komer was not even twenty years old.

Rebri and Komer neither dared to take lightly the sinister forces lurking within Damorlensk Castle. After all, more than a hundred years had passed since the first lord met with misfortune, during which time magicians from Cyprus had also entered the castle to search but found nothing. Subsequent lords still could not escape their doom, indicating that the creatures hidden deep within the castle were no ordinary undead beings but rather intelligent, even cunning, entities. Whether they were ghosts, vengeful spirits, successfully cultivated ghostly beings, or some unknown exotic monsters nurtured in the extremely rare dark lands of this continent, the two could not be sure. In Rebri’s words, they could only proceed step by step and determine things only after seeing them with their own eyes.

Various magic scrolls and artifacts were essential. For magicians with insufficient strength, these were life-saving protective tools, and Komer was no exception. Even the usually proud Rebri did not dare to underestimate them. Various preventive medicines were equally important. In dark lands, one would inevitably face various dark and undead attacks. Besides magical defenses, medicines could often play a supporting role, and this was Komer’s strength. Even Rebri was impressed after seeing the various auxiliary medicines Komer had developed on his own, believing that if Komer were not a lord, he could easily become the most successful merchant in the world of adventurers thanks to his skills. His endless array of medicines and artifacts were undoubtedly the most sought-after goods among magicians, adventurers, and even knights.

The person Rebri had been waiting for finally arrived. When Rebri asked Komer whether they should go on the adventure as the two of them or find some reliable friends to join them in exploring Damorlensk Castle, Komer hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow the safer option. However, he asked Rebri not to delay things too much. As the territory prospered, people of various races began to appear in Ugru, and more and more officials and representatives of the people came to pay their respects. The farm that currently served as the lord’s residence could no longer accommodate Komer’s status. He hoped to resolve this issue that was inevitable sooner rather than later.

Half of his lean face was covered by a half-masked black iron helmet. It was only when he removed the helmet that Komer realized the man before him wasn’t very old—probably around thirty at most. His dark eyes held a coldness and indifference, though they occasionally flashed with intensity when Lebri introduced interesting things about Fort Damansk. He wasn’t particularly muscular, even somewhat thin, but the knight’s lance slung across his hips was nothing ordinary; Komer guessed it was an artifact over a hundred years old. The slender long sword hanging at his waist seemed more like an ornament, its fishskin scabbard adorned with silver threads and emeralds, likely belonging to some ancient family from the southern part of the continent with a long history. Yet Komer sensed a murderous intent emanating from that decorative sword—a true killing weapon. Although the gem that resembled an emerald suppressed the scabbard’s aura, such a blade, having drunk the blood of at least a hundred people, wasn’t easy to control.

Earlier, Lebri had simply told Komer that the visitor was a dark knight. This was Komer’s first encounter with the famous dark knight, Sorenberg, who lived on the edge of the swamps south of the Gratz region, south of the Calais area—the nearest companion Lebri could reach.

Komer found that Lebri’s relationship with this dark knight wasn’t as close as he had imagined. Their relationship resembled that of strange rivals who needed each other yet despised one another. Discussion and competition seemed to be their best ways to improve. After the dark knight arrived, Lebri merely briefed him on the upcoming mission before heading off with him to an unknown place. Komer had no idea how they would compete, but when they returned to the farm, he was shocked. Lebri’s eyes were dark purple, his arms stained with dark purple blood, and he was so weak he could barely walk. The dark knight didn’t seem much better either—his helmet was dented from being struck by a heavy object, his ornate knight’s armor was covered in wounds, with a large tear in his waistcoat, and blood streaks on his lips indicating he had also suffered severe injuries.

Although Komer couldn’t understand why this Dark Knight had traveled such a long distance just to be summoned and then engaged in a battle with this disheveled mage for no apparent reason, he knew it would surely have some impact on his plans to conquer the castle. As expected, Rebril suggested delaying the expedition by three days and took most of the medicines Komer had carefully prepared. Fortunately, Komer saw that some of the medicines had already ended up on the Dark Knight’s desk, forcing him to resume his old role as a pharmacist once again.

The weather was clear and the climate favorable—perfect conditions for an expedition. Komer declined Ilot and Hes’s requests, knowing that warriors and adventurers were of little help against undead creatures like ghosts. Having an extra person would only slow down the others.

The moss-covered and vine entwined gate opened silently before Komer and his two companions. Komer glanced up at the lintel, but due to its age, he couldn’t make out the inscription there. As he stared at it, a cold light flashed, causing the moss and dirt on the lintel to fall to the ground. The Dark Knight nodded silently in thanks, and Komer finally managed to read the bold inscription: “By the grace of the gods, my glory shall be forged.”

“Let’s go. One gate isn’t worth staring at for so long. I’m afraid it will take us a week just to get out,” Rebril said, glancing at the lintel and shaking his head. Still clad in his dark gray mage robes, his wide sleeves concealed countless secrets. Komer had never seen him change out of those ever-present garments, though they seemed cleaner this time.

The three of them disappeared behind the gate. A spider with a human face, descending along spider silk, seemed to gaze at their retreating figures before lightly retracting and slipping into a gap beside the lintel.

Sorenberg’s gaze fell on the towering city walls on either side. From what he could see, this was a typical defensive fortress castle. Deep passages lay between the two layers of walls, with outer walls being lower and inner walls higher. Every fifty meters, there was a circular or semi-circular defensive tower, its dark windows covered in spider webs and dust, seemingly bearing witness to the castle’s glorious past.

By the time he received the letter, Sorenberg had not heard from his companions for a long time. He referred to these magicians or knights who practiced dark magic in various parts of the continent as companions because Sorenberg simply couldn’t find an accurate term to describe their relationship. Practitioners of dark magic were considered outsiders in the entire magical world, and in the eyes of the Light Church, which saw itself as a defender of holiness and orthodoxy, they were embodiments of heresy and evil. Yet this did not prevent them from maintaining connections.

It took Sorenberg ten years to transform from a legitimate knight into a dark knight renowned among his peers. Over those ten years, he became increasingly obsessed with exploring the path of darkness. The endless dark spaces seemed like a gateway to another world—once one stepped inside, they could never and did not want to turn back. The experience of wandering there was one that others could never comprehend.

The young lord behind him also piqued Sorenberg’s curiosity, though not as much as the castle he had already entered. He could sense a strong aura of dark magic emanating from this lord, consistent with the information Rebrí had conveyed in his message. This seemingly innocent young man was indeed a dangerous figure. It wasn’t just his dark magic; it was the combination of his fierce ambition and his power that posed the real threat—threatening not only people but perhaps the entire world around him.

The enormity of Damorlensk Castle still took some surprise from Komer, who had been mentally prepared. Only then did he realize that the view from the outside and the interior were completely different. The wide, oval-shaped corridors wound back and forth for a full two kilometers. Komer had no idea how much effort and money the first lord must have invested to build such a castle. Just the stone materials required would have amounted to an astronomical cost, and to let such a magnificent structure lie in ruins was an unforgivable waste.

It took the three of them half an hour to walk around the corridors between the inner and outer castles. Out of sensitivity and vigilance toward external threats, they slowed down as much as possible and used perception magic to detect any abnormalities. Yet, to their relief and slight disappointment, nothing seemed to have happened along the way, and even the chilling aura that Komer and Rebrí had sensed before had disappeared.

Finally, they returned to the starting point. The gates of the outer fortress had closed again at some point, and the silence enveloped the three of them with a sense of oppression.
“Alright, it’s time to go.” Rebrí’s usual indifferent expression was gone, replaced by a thoughtful and cautious look.