Chapter Twelve: Entering the Path

Newman could sense that cold aura emanating from beneath the ground, hovering just dozens of meters below his feet. Although he was inferior to his two companions in terms of magic power and spiritual perception, he had many precise tools and devices to compensate for this weakness. It seemed this creature had already sensed the immense power of the castle’s inhabitants, perhaps fearing being captured and transformed by them. While everyone was still living in Damalsk Castle, that cold aura remained dormant, and even Rebril and Mihajic found it difficult to detect its presence. Yet Newman, using the exploration needles he had developed, could sense that the creature was hiding deep in the dark and cold underground. According to Newman, it was likely located about five levels deep beneath the underground palace.

This creature also had a decent sense of perception. Two days after Komer and his group left the castle, it seemed to become restless, seemingly aware that its magical power was far weaker than that of those who had left. This intrigued Newman greatly—such a cowardly creature still possessed such abilities, which piqued his strong interest in it. That cold aura soon rose to the second level underground but refused to ascend to the first level of the palace, indicating that the creature was cautious—or perhaps timid—fearing ambushes or traps in the first level, which the others often visited. It preferred to wander around the second level instead.

To gather more information about this creature, Newman deployed all the detection tools at his disposal. The Omnipresent Compass, which could detect various signs of biological activity, was highly valued by Newman, and he placed it on the first level beneath the palace. It had captured traces of the creature several times, but the creature seemed very sensitive, quickly retreating deep underground whenever it sensed magical detection devices, preventing Newman from obtaining a detailed understanding of it. Still, Newman gained valuable insights—the creature’s negative aura was particularly strong, not solely due to the Dark Eye beneath the castle but also related to its own nature. In Newman’s words, the creature seemed to have been a woman in life and possibly a magic practitioner. As for why it had transformed into a necromantic creature, that was beyond Newman’s knowledge. Could it be that it was trapped under the Dark Eye by the castle’s builders? Then why could it now move freely around the castle?

To track this elusive creature, Newman brought out all his possessions—advanced magical artifacts such as the Omnipotent Compass, the Prison Gate, the Celestial Needle, and the Web Detector, which he rarely showed to others. He placed them throughout the castle. Out of concern for his own safety, the timid magician dared not descend to the second level of the underground palace alone, thus reducing the effectiveness of these artifacts. Nevertheless, through the Celestial Needle’s detection, Newman discovered that the structures beneath the ancient castle were extraordinarily large and complex—with intricate passages, multiple layers of buildings, and various unpredictable magical black holes. The more he studied them, the more astonished and intrigued he became. The Omnipotent Compass and Web Detector also revealed not only that chilling presence but also many other undead creatures. Newman even found evidence of non-undead life in the underground palace, a discovery that kept him excited for nights on end. However, due to the limitations of the placement of these detection tools, he couldn’t obtain more precise details about this discovery. He could only monitor continuously in the hope of uncovering even greater surprises.

In his free time, Newman also began studying the book *Pavarro’s Star Arithmetic* obtained from the treasure chamber. This ancient text, which recorded ancient star magic arrays, provided detailed insights into the design of magical artifacts and the creation of magic arrays. Although it didn’t offer specific instructions on designing such artifacts or arrays, its theoretical perspectives were immensely beneficial to Newman, greatly broadening his horizons and guiding him. In particular, it helped him decipher the magic array at the center of the Archangel Square, clearing away many of the mysteries.

A month seems insignificant in the long history of the continent, but it was undoubtedly a period of tremendous change for the entire Homer region. For the first time, the Leon region broke completely away from Homer’s control, and the land route from Bruce through Leon to the Caucasus was severed. This meant that the Caucasus was also effectively cut off from the Homer region, unless by sea. Slave revolts were not new, but the scale of these uprisings was unprecedented on the continent. It dealt a severe blow to the Homer region and its rulers. The kingdom seemed to adopt a puzzling ambiguity toward this situation—neither condemning it nor calling for forceful restoration, nor could it show understanding for the rebelling slaves. Yet it was this strange silence that made everyone feel the kingdom’s growing dissatisfaction with Homer’s rulers. The atmosphere in Homer’s upper classes was suffocating, as if it were about to solidify.

The documents submitted to the kingdom’s Star Chamber to strip Poninsky of his title and noble status had reached Jazair, but there was no response, as if they had vanished into thin air. This was within Philip’s expectations. Leon had fallen, and it would be impossible to reclaim it in the short term. Poninsky had effectively lost his territory, and it was only a matter of time before his noble status was revoked. Even if the kingdom intended to protect him to strike at itself, he could not retain his title. Surrendering territory to the mob was entirely different from losing it in a foreign war—it was unforgivable, and the kingdom dared not set such a precedent.

Yet the kingdom’s deliberate stance invited speculation, and Poninsky’s bold challenge to Grand Duke Philip’s authority sparked a sense among the nobles of Cyprus that had never existed before—like a long-aged wine whose lid had been lifted, releasing a faint aroma: the scent of royal power. Of course, whether that lid could be sealed again depended on the tactics of Grand Duke Philip, the sole ruler of the Homer region.

Returning to Ugru, Komer went straight to his secret chamber, bypassing the magical barriers and traps he had set up. He entered the innermost part of the chamber, his most hidden laboratory, which was divided into three rooms. The innermost room was used for his own cultivation, the middle room housed a zombie that was constantly growing, and due to the special circumstances of this Light Mage, Komer also placed her in the last room of the chamber. This chamber was identified by Rebrí and Newman as the location of the Eye of Darkness. With its naturally abundant dark energy, it was the perfect place for cultivating dark magic. As the owner of the castle and lord of the territory, Komer rightfully designated this area on the second floor as his restricted zone. Meanwhile, several mages and Dark Knights also occupied several rooms on the first floor around the Eye of Darkness for their own training, experiments, and rest.

The zombie lay quietly in a stone chest—more accurately, a stone sarcophagus. The lid was open, revealing its square face with eyes slightly closed. Its slightly furrowed brows seemed to indicate that it had lost its life after experiencing some pain. It still retained its original appearance; several battles seemed to have had no effect on it, aside from some damage to its outer clothes. Its golden skin appeared to glow under the light, as the potent poison from the Alsophila tree had penetrated every part of its body, and even after becoming a zombie, it could not be dispelled.

Komer had given this unknown zombie a new name: Galan. The word “Galan” came from ancient Dravidian languages and meant “immortal god.” Using this name for a zombie would undoubtedly be the greatest blasphemy and insult to a god in the ears of others, but Komer didn’t care because he liked the name. He gently touched Galan’s cold skin. Since entering Damorlensk Castle, he had used this stone sarcophagus as the zombie’s dwelling. The dark energy of the Eye of Darkness was also excellent for enhancing the zombie’s physical condition. Even when going to Leon, Komer didn’t bring it along, hoping that it could absorb as much dark energy as possible to improve its physique.

After carefully observing Galan’s condition, Komer left the room satisfied. He had been busy transforming the Light Mage next door and had somewhat neglected training the zombie. Fortunately, with the Eye of Darkness available, he could use this time to further enhance Galan’s physical condition, thereby reducing resistance in future training.

Komer found himself increasingly conflicted. The endless depths of the Dark Path meant that even dedicating a lifetime to studying it would only allow one to grasp a glimpse of its mysteries. The growth of zombies and the transformation of light mages had consumed most of his energy, not to mention crafting magical weapons for pirates. The complicated secular affairs also left him with no time to spare. Thus, a month passed in Leon in the blink of an eye, leaving Komer feeling utterly overwhelmed.

Komer realized that his own thoughts were also gradually changing. He seemed to have become a fickle polymorph. When he felt success in pursuing the path of magic, the excitement and joy were irreplaceable. At times, he even wanted to give up everything and devote all his energy to it, just like Mihajic and Rebril, wandering endlessly in the ocean of the magical world without ever returning. Yet when he tasted the sweetness of secular power, he felt that this might be the life he truly desired deep in his heart—fine wine, beautiful women, wealth—every sensual pleasure seemed to stem from power. Without it, even pursuing the Dark Path might bring more setbacks and obstacles.

These two seemingly contradictory things somehow had an inevitable connection, a fact that even Komer found confusing. He didn’t know how to make a choice between them. He could only take things one step at a time, trying to maintain balance as carefully as walking on a tightrope, until the day the rope broke.

The naked girl remained unchanged from when he left her. Her porcelain-like skin was smooth and flawless, and even her breathing was steady. Lying peacefully on the wooden table, her perfectly proportioned body appeared utterly relaxed and natural—what a delightful sight! Komer took a deep breath. It seemed his first experiment had gone smoothly; she had successfully passed the initial light sleep stage and entered deep sleep. His mental hypnosis skills weren’t particularly advanced, but his strong mental power helped him out. The next step was the cleansing phase, the most crucial one. He needed to make this determined girl forget everything deep within her heart. It was an extremely difficult process; the slightest carelessness could lead to failure. Most mental mages failed at this stage. Now it was Komer’s turn to tackle this challenge.

Komer didn’t dare act rashly; he needed more preparation. This Light Mage was a Cathedral Guardian of the Light Church, whose willpower and magical power far surpassed those of ordinary people. To erase the beliefs rooted in her mind over decades while preserving as much of her original magical power and skills as possible, Komer intended to shape her into a model—a true example of defying the odds. This was almost a task beyond the imagination of other mental mages, but Komer was determined to take on this challenge. Perhaps his only advantage was that he had expertise in both dark magic and white magic. Having absorbed the power of Kenifer III, his mental strength had also improved rapidly. With this captured prey, he had no reservations about using any spells on her, which might help him better utilize his own abilities.

After lingering for a long time admiring the girl’s body, Komer finally withdrew his gaze. It was undeniable that the Light Church had a reason for dominating the mortal worlds in the central and northern regions of the vast continent. Just from the performance of this Cathedral Guardian, it was clear that the upper ranks of the Light Church possessed extremely high levels of magical ability and innate talent. If this Light Mage hadn’t accidentally inhaled the Mist of Madness intended for mages other than dark mages, causing impairments in judgment, and if she hadn’t happened to encounter a group of top figures from the dark world, no one could have turned her into what she was now. Komer didn’t know how many such powerful individuals existed within the Light Church, but he believed it was certainly no less than twenty. Imagining the consequences of openly confronting the Light Church filled him with dread.

Perhaps the envoy sent by the Great Secret Sect could have matched this Light Mage. Recalling the chilling green glow in that envoy’s eyes, Komer had long wondered if the legends about this Great Secret Sect being remnants of the Dark Empire and the Dark Holy Church were true. Maybe it would be worthwhile to visit the stronghold of the Southern Great Secret Sect at an appropriate time—there might be other unexpected gains.

Gently pulling back the velvet cloth to cover the girl’s body again, leaving only her delicate, exquisite face exposed, Komer sat quietly on a large chair beside the wooden platform, lost in thought.