Chapter 10: In the Darkness (1)

The surging holy light clearly could not suppress these creatures that had long survived in darkness—whether they were undead or exotic magical beasts. Their interest and attention toward each other had been replaced by those directed at Koemer and his group. Countless gazes surrounded them, sharp and piercing like stingers and needles, cold and sinister, filled with deadly menace, enveloping the group layer upon layer. The immense pressure made even seasoned explorers like Rebril and Mihajevic realize this was an extremely dangerous trial; a single misstep could lead to ruin.

The milky white holy light surged like a tide, covering the exotic magical beasts within its range. The scorpion demons, armed with claws and tail stingers, were among the darkest magical beasts that preferred to live deep underground. Their bodies were filled with dark, corrosive magic, allowing them to unleash instinctive corruption spells at will. These beasts were natural masters of darkness. Though not large in size, no one dared underestimate them. If not for their innate aversion to emerging from the ground, their threat to humans could have been many times greater. However, such dark magical beasts were rare even on the Continent of Azure. Instead, they were said to be found occasionally in the deep valleys of the Continent ofMang (máng). It was unexpected to encounter dozens of these vicious beasts, fond of devouring human brains, all at once in the Fortress of Damorlesk.

The scorpion demons’ constantly changing colors seemed to resist the attack of the holy light—shifting from black to deep blue, then from blue to purplish red. It seemed that with each color change, the burning effect of the holy light diminished. The crimson cores spat from their narrow, sharp mouths appeared even more like an indication of their desire to savor human brains. Having not smelled the scent of living humans for countless years, they were almost on the verge of frenzy.

Rebri looked troubled at the restless scorpions before him. Though these scorpions were vicious and cruel, they didn’t pose much of a threat to him. However, they were not only numerous but also extremely resilient—ordinary physical attacks and simple magic had little effect on them. That didn’t mean he couldn’t deal with them, but behind them lurked even more dangerous creatures—the snake-like beasts as thick as buckets, the true powerhouses: the Comora Pythons, devourers from the Dark Abyss. They were not only the rulers of the Dark Abyss but also magical beasts of the earth element. It was said they evolved from earth-based magical beasts corrupted by the murky gases of the Dark Swamps. Even Rebri had long doubted the existence of such magical beasts, but now he had seen three of them at once.

“Be careful above! Those are Black Magic Bats—they feed on people’s eyes. They can release poisonous mist that causes people to fall asleep and die.” Newman huddled in the defensive formation he had just set up. His chapped lips showed his anxiety. He had never seen so many magical beasts at once, most of them rare creatures on the continent. As for the kings among the two necromancer warriors—the Black Knights—they remained on the sidelines, which only increased Newman’s worries. If those two Black Knights were waiting for orders, then this expedition had really complicated things.

The group of skeleton warriors also stood in formation at a distance from the two Black Knights, motionless. It was clear they belonged to the same faction, though not directly subordinate. Komer guessed that both the Black Knights and the skeleton warriors were waiting for some command. Although they lacked intelligence, the creatures hiding behind them were no ordinary undead.

Dozens of scorpions half as tall as a human were clearly agitated by the presence of living beings, emitting continuous screeching noises. They surrounded the first line of defense formed by Shatima, Sorenberg, and Vladkov. These creatures unleashed astonishing strength in front of their prey—leaping over a meter high with ease. Their swinging pincers and the erratic stingers on their tails were their most deadly weapons. Their distasteful narrow mouths spat out venom that looked extremely vicious. Their finger-sized, dark eyes rolled constantly, and the small feet on their abdomens allowed them to move with remarkable agility.

Yet this seemingly terrifying scene did not frighten Shatima, who was right in the middle of the front line at all. On the contrary, an indescribable excitement filled her heart, making her eager to take action. These little reptiles dared to oppose the great dragons—they were simply seeking their own deaths. Even though she was in human form, these creatures should still be able to smell the scent of dragon breath on her.

The blade of her massive dragon spear emitted a faint blue glow as Shatima waved her weapon arrogantly, laughing shrilly, “Reptiles, come and taste death! You fools who have no idea what the world is like—oh, I’m wrong. You might know how thick the ground is, otherwise why would you hide underground? I’ll show you the joy of bloody brutality! Haha, I can’t wait! Come at me!”

Komer watched Shatima, who appeared wildly excited, with concern. It seemed that dragons were somewhat twisted. After all, she wasn’t a true human—perhaps animalistic impulses were more inherent in them. Her eyes had turned ice blue, and her crimson tongue licked her pink lips, showing an eager anticipation. It was clear that Shatima was now eager to attack.

Komer had previously warned Shatima not to get carried away by the urge to fight and forget her responsibilities. She was tasked with holding the defensive core. If she impulsively rushed into the darkness to vent her anger, she might feel satisfied, but it would put even more pressure on those behind her.

Fortunately, it was Komer who was responsible for assisting Shatima in defense. At this moment, she understood she couldn’t hide anything. The three dark fire skeletons she had trained hard for were ready in herThe bag of limitless space. bag. As a last resort, releasing theunfinished fully perfected golden corpses could also serve as a contingency plan. But before that, Komer thought it was better to fully test the experience she had gained from her meditation over the past half year. Mixed magic provided an opportunity to prove its power. Komer had never truly unleashed it at full strength before—after all, such an opportunity came rarely. With a group to cover each other, today seemed like the perfect chance for practice.