Chapter 30: The Surging Darkness (II)
Since the Golden Age, humans succeeded the orcs and elves as the victors of the Alliance Wars, occupying the most fertile Eastern Continent.
In the early days, the concept of nations did not exist among humans; they lived on the Eastern Continent in regional groups. Perhaps longing for the strong, the weak relied on the strong to form nations—a pattern that defined human society for hundreds of years thereafter.
By then, the orcs had been driven far to the west, the elves were embroiled in internal strife between High Elves and Low Elves, and dwarves and barbarians were fighting the giants of the North for control of the Northern Continent. It was during these times when these highly intelligent races were preoccupied with other matters that the concept of nations finally emerged among humans.
The nations of that era, by modern standards, were merely regions of varying sizes, which gives an idea of how many nations humans once had.
Although all were part of the human camp, the civilizations that formed these nations, as well as their beliefs and venerations, varied greatly. Some nations revered strength through military power, some worshipped gods, and others, like the barbarians and orcs, worshipped the strong among humans throughout history.
Among these numerous nations, there once existed a glorious civilization—Serraland!
Perhaps the name of this ancient nation can now only be found in “History of Ancient Magic” or “History of Ancient Civilizations,” but back then, before the rise of the Saxon kings or empires, Serraland was one of the wealthiest nations in the human world, renowned as the “Land Blessed by the Gods.”
For a hundred years, there were no wars here; all its inhabitants lived in harmony and kindness. There were also no natural disasters—no storms, no thunderstorms. You could never witness such things on this land. Every day, the sunlight on one’s face was warm; every breeze that touched one’s face was gentle.
One or two days, one or two months might not be enough to prove this miracle, but over a full hundred years without natural disasters or wars was sufficient to prove that the legend of Serraland as the “Land Blessed by the Gods” was not unfounded.
To repay the gods for their blessings, the people of Serraland built an altar on this land to worship them. On each of the altar’s massive stone pillars, a goddess was carefully carved.
The Spring Goddess Taro, who brings plants to sprout; the Summer Goddess Oxo, who promotes plant growth; the Winter Goddess Kalbo, who causes plants to bear fruit; the Goddess of Dawn Ogg; the Goddess of Sunrise Anatole; the Goddess of Noon Mosenbria; the Goddess of Dusk Hesperis; the Goddess of Sunset Dithis; the Goddess of Twilight Alctos; and the Goddess of Justice Dike, the Goddess of Peace Eirene, and so on…
This altar, completed over decades, was once a sacred place in the hearts of the Serlanders. Each goddess depicted on the stone pillars was so lifelike—it was almost a miracle beyond the technology of that era. The Serlanders used this altar to express their reverence and gratitude to the gods.
But just as day is eventually replaced by night, no one could have imagined that the glorious Serland would be reduced to ruins in just three days. No one could have imagined that the once peaceful and kind-hearted Serlanders would turn against their own people.
During those three dark days, when travelers from other lands passed by Serland again, they could hardly believe what they saw: ruins everywhere, vast dead forests, rivers emitting foul odors, and corpses scattered across the land…
Was this still the Serland blessed by the gods?
But whether they believed it or not, the fact remained that the glorious Serland had fallen within just three days.
From then on, in the songs of bards across the land, Serland, once a land blessed by the gods, was replaced as a land cursed by them—even hundreds of years later.
No one could have imagined that the once glorious Serland was now just one of the regions under the empire. Even more embarrassingly, perhaps because the land was truly cursed or because people didn’t want to live in this cursed place, most Serlanders migrated elsewhere.
Although it was only a hundred or two hundred miles away from one of the empire’s most prosperous cities, the imperial capital of Sassen, Serland today could truly be called the “empire’s slum.” Anyone with some wealth would not choose to stay here, and even merchants were unwilling to invest in this land. Though not far from the imperial capital, it seemed truly abandoned… this “land forsaken by the gods”!
Those who still live here are mostly pure-blooded Serlanders. They are one of the important sources of troops for the imperial army, but in terms of treatment, they are far inferior to the Altaks—mere pawns at best.
This might be the reason for the prejudice—due to Theland’s poverty, the Empire did not invest much effort in developing this land. Not to mention development, even the most basic defensive forces, such as guards, were understaffed. I doubt anyone would want to go to a place as food-scarce as Altak. As a result, law and order in Theland are extremely poor. Apart from pure-blooded Thelanders, only wanted criminals would choose to live here. Out of dissatisfaction with the Empire, Theland is also one of the regions where rebellions are most severe. Let’s not discuss this for now. Food and law and order are the most serious problems facing the Thelanders today! Although it is under Imperial rule, aside from October when conscripts are recruited each year, the Empire hardly supplies anything to the Thelanders. Over hundreds of years, the Thelanders have rebelled many times, but these uprisings have always been suppressed. After all, a tenacious character alone cannot be used as a weapon to defeat enemies. Ultimately, Theland is not Altak; the Thelanders lack heroes who can lead battles. It is precisely because of this that the Empire did not completely eradicate the rebels in Theland. After all, as fellow humans, the Empire does not wish to commit such cruel acts. Of course, the most important factor is still interest—after all, the poor Thelanders are an important source of troops for the Empire throughout the ages! Perhaps anger and hatred are only temporarily suppressed, but eventually, when anger can no longer be contained and hatred cannot be extinguished, then the volcano known as Theland will erupt with the fiercest flames… And no one would expect that the culprit behind all this is not the deity sung about by bards, but rather an unremarkable old man by Argus BartClarkfield’s side—a demon named Hampa, who, for some reason, was sealed inside a small golden bottle and buried deep underground… Of course, the demon mentioned here is not one that lives in the [River of Flame] or the [Abysmal Depths], as that is merely a general term humans use for evil, dark creatures. Throughout nearly a thousand years of human civilization, there have been many demons like Hampa. Some of them appear in the guise of justice, protecting the humans in a place; others appear in a sinister form, taking pleasure in killing and destruction. In short, such demons mostly act according to their own desires. Ancient alchemists referred to them as [Demigods]!
Demons that act based solely on personal preferences, without regard for justice or evil, nor pure kindness or brutality!
The alchemists of old never obtained a clear answer as to the origin of these demons. They knew only that they were not the demons said to dwell in the abyssal spaces, but rather lived in the same world as humans. Some legends claimed these demons were formed from humans with intense resentment after death, taking on a form somewhat similar to [spirits]. Others suggested they might be a highly intelligent species that emerged over the course of history, even originating from a civilization older than humanity.
It is worth noting that, perhaps due to some special laws of the world, these demons have an inexplicable connection to the [Dark Kingdom] and the [Land of Death]. They can hardly be killed and can only be sealed away.
Demons are extremely powerful and possess certain special abilities. Even if some individual demons lack great strength, they can still unleash unimaginable destructive power through their innate abilities, just like Hampa, who led to the destruction of Theland.
According to historical records, there are not many demons—only about a few dozen. Human magicians have found large stone slabs inscribed with the names of these demons in ancient ruins. They also discovered that there is a fixed ranking among them, though this ranking has no direct relation to their strength.
The wind in Theland, as always, carried a faint stench—perhaps from the nearby rivers or from the land beneath Argus, stained with blood…
But Argus didn’t care much. Having acquired a new servant, he was in high spirits, as evident from the smile on his face. It was hard to believe that such a cheerful man was considered by Father Andrew, one of the twelve cardinals of the Church, to be the most threatening man.
“Master,” Hampa said, as if he had known this man as his master for decades, without any awkwardness or discomfort, “don’t you have important matters to attend to? Why do we still need to stay here?”
“I’m just waiting for someone!” Argus said with a laugh, running his hand through his messy hair. “Besides you, we have another ‘companion’…”
“Companions?” Though it was the same puzzled question, Simonley and Hampa’s tones were distinctly different. Unlike Hampa’s confusion, Simonley said in a deep voice, “Master, are you referring to those bone scraps?”
“Hehe,” Argus gently shook his fingers and smiled, “Those are our future companions. Bone scraps… heh, it’s quite apt, but a bit rude, isn’t it?”
“Hmph, so what? They’re just ‘temporary companions’!” Simonley sneered.
“That’s true,” Argus nodded as if in agreement, narrowed his eyes, and said softly, “Even if they’re temporary companions, they’re still companions.”
“The master is right,” Hampa said obsequiously, though he didn’t understand whom Argus and Simonley were referring to. “Those with the same goal are companions, all of them can be used…” He glanced secretly at Argus and, seeing no sign of disapproval in his new master’s eyes, he dared to add, “Even if it’s temporary… hehe, we still have to wait until they’re no longer useful.”
“Well said!” Argus nodded in approval, then said to Simonley, “You need to be careful about this. Don’t anger our ally over trivial matters and ruin everything!”
Simonley turned his heavy horned helmet to glare at Hampa. After making him lower his head, he spoke in a low voice, “Yes, master. I’ll be more careful from now on!”
“Good!” Argus snapped his fingers cheerfully, then his gaze turned distant as he smiled and said, “Look, our temporary companion is arriving.”
“Hm?” With the sound of clanking armor, Simonley turned around and saw a figure in a gray robe walking step by step toward them across the desolate land.
It was only about two miles away, but the man took half an hour to get there. Perhaps that was his only walking speed, or maybe… it was out of contempt for Argus, his future temporary ally.
“Is that guy our future companion? He seems weak!” Hampa frowned in confusion, making his eyes even smaller and giving him an oddly comical appearance.
“Hello!” After half an hour, the mysterious man in gray finally arrived in front of Argus. Without any form of greeting, he simply said hello coldly.
Perhaps in an attempt to please his new master, Hampa stepped forward before Argus could speak, pretended to be angry, and slammed his walking stick hard on the ground. In a threatening tone, he whispered, “Do you know who you’re talking to? You rude wretch! I’m thinking about turning you into an ugly slug…” As he spoke, he maliciously poked the other man’s chest with his stick.
But just as the stick was about to touch the man’s chest, a purple light suddenly emerged from it. Then, a pale skeleton arm stretched out from the purple light and firmly grabbed the stick. Immediately afterward, a deep voice came from within the cloak, “If that’s your choice, then I’ll have no choice but to turn you into a skeleton first…”
“You!” To be honest, Hampa didn’t have much strength. No matter how hard he tried to pull the stick away, the skeleton arm remained motionless.
“Enough, there’s no need for this pointless farce!” Argus smiled faintly. With just a wave of his hand, a flash of black light appeared between the two of them, and instantly, both the stick and the skeleton arm disappeared.
“…” Glancing at Argus, the mysterious man frowned.
Argus wasn’t bothered by his cold attitude at all. After gesturing for the embarrassed Hampa to step back, he bowed slightly and said with a smile, “I’m extremely grateful that you’ve come from afar to help me…”
“No need. I’m merely following orders to help you!” The man in the gray robe interrupted Argus coldly. “You can call me Pule. For the time being, I’ve been tasked with helping you. Remember one thing: I’m not your subordinate… And tell that tall guy with the sword to put it away!”
“Of course, of course,” Argus waved his hand to make Simmonley step back a few steps, then said with a smile, “For better cooperation in the future, let me introduce myself first. I’m Argus, Ah…”
“I know you,” the mysterious mage Pule interrupted Argus again, speaking in a low voice. “Argus BartClarkfield! You’re just our temporary ally. There’s no need to forge a friendship!”
“Ah, ah,” anyone who has their words interrupted repeatedly would feel annoyed, and Argus was no exception. With a faint smile and a shake of his head, he stroked the messy hair on his forehead before suddenly darkening his expression and speaking in a threatening tone, “Of course I know I’m just your temporary ally. So… for the sake of your life, it’s better not to provoke me too much. Believe me, I’m not someone with a good temper…” As he spoke, a vast expanse of deep darkness appeared beneath Argus’s feet—a pure darkness like an bottomless abyss, its swirling aura constantly signaling to Pur that this energy was powerful and dangerous.
In the daytime with the sun still shining, that pure darkness almost absorbed all light, turning the area occupied by Argus into something akin to night—a truly unimaginable sight.
“What a powerful, exhilarating force of darkness!” Hampa said, with a hint of delight and flattery.
Indeed, it was an extremely powerful force of darkness, like an overwhelming victory. Faced with such immense darkness, Pur could feel how insignificant his own strength was.
“Your power is truly terrifying, Argus!”
“Hmph,” In just a few seconds, Argus retracted that suffocatingly powerful darkness and then stretched out his hand to Pur, smiling and saying, “Of course, if you spend more time with me, you might find that I could be a rather easy person to get along with! Hmm?”
Pur frowned at Argus’s outstretched hand, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately shook it. His subconscious told him that truly provoking this man could be a very frightening and foolish thing to do!
“Very good!” Satisfied, Argus withdrew his hand and pointed at Simmonly and Hampa, casually saying, “Welcome to join us temporarily. These two are my companions—Clark and Glee. Introduce them to our new companion!”
“Yes!” Simmonly nodded his large, terrifying horned helmet, speaking in a toneless voice, “Clark Simmonly!”
“Hmm?” Pur’s face showed clear confusion and disbelief. After staring at Simmonly several times, he murmured, “Simmonly? That name… seems familiar…” Then his eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed, “The Demon God? Are you one of the ancient demon gods sealed away? The commander of the army of ghosts, the mighty Dark Knight Simmonly?!”
“You know quite a bit,” Hamper said with his irritatingly hoarse voice, laughing mockingly before Simmonly could speak. “Your strength is quite good, human. Hehe, I’m Gley Hamper…”
“Hamper…” Poole glanced at him with disgust and said disdainfully, “You?”
Hamper was the terrifying figure who had destroyed the magical kingdom of Theraland. Like Simmonly before him, he was also part of the Demon God’s faction. But this guy… If he wanted to kill him, it probably wouldn’t take much effort. Such a fellow…
“What’s that attitude of yours? Dismissing this great lord?” Hamper grew annoyed and furious amid Simmonly’s cold laughter filled with disdain, arrogance, and mockery.
But Poole didn’t pay attention to this clown-like figure. Instead, he turned to Argus and said, “The organization has approved your plan, Argus. At this stage, your goals are the same as ours. That’s why the organization sent me to help you—of course, with surveillance as a purpose as well… If anything happens to me, you’ll become our eternal enemy!”
“Hahaha,” Argus laughed, then waved his finger. “I like honest people. Don’t worry, I won’t turn on my companions, including you as a temporary companion… You can monitor me anytime. I believe that if you understand me well enough, you’ll realize I’ll be your best ally… I need your strength, and at the same time, I have the right to stand equal to you…”
Poole instinctively glanced at the silent Simmonly and nodded. “If you have a few more such ‘companions,’ you indeed qualify to be our ally…” Just by seeing how the legendary warrior and Dark Knight, Simmonly, treated this man, Poole understood that if the legendary Demon God hadn’t subdued him with great power, why would he treat that man with such arrogance?
The 66th-ranked Demon God, the commander of countless undead armies throughout dark history—the mighty warrior and Dark Knight, Clark Simmonly!
And…
That guy named Hamper. If he really was a legendary Demon God as well, then this ridiculous fellow would rank even above Simmonly—38th-ranked, Gley Hamper!
“What do you plan to do, Argus?” Though somewhat frightened by his reputation, Poole still asked very carefully. Like most people in the organization, he didn’t have much goodwill toward this man named Argus. He had an inexplicable feeling that this man… wasn’t trustworthy!
“As you wish,” Argus said softly with a normal smile, “to destroy the empire!”
“That’s exactly why I’m asking you. You can’t possibly think that we alone can destroy the empire, right? If you had such strength, you wouldn’t need to work with us at all!”
“Hehe,” Argus smiled slightly and waved his finger. “You’re wrong. I don’t intend to take action. That kind of task is better left to him…” He pointed at Hampa.
“Hm?” Poole was confused. Even a demon god ranked thirty-eighth in the dark history probably wouldn’t possess the power to overthrow the empire. Moreover, that guy didn’t seem very strong at all…
Poole’s contempt angered Hampa, who was eager to please his new master. Suddenly, a voice came from afar…
“Brother, it seems there are a few people standing over there…”
“Really? Great! Let’s go ask them for some food…”
“But brother, will they give it to us?”
“Hmm… let’s try. If that doesn’t work, I’ll go to the nearby river to see if I can catch a fish…”
“Aren’t there no fish in the rivers here already…?”
In the eyes of Argus and his group, two ragged, dirty children approached from afar. The older one was only about eleven or twelve years old. As the older brother, he carefully protected his younger brother behind him, hesitantly approaching Argus and the others with a hint of fear.
“Hehe, what lovely little kids,” Hampa said with a sinister smile as he watched the two ragged children coming from afar. He walked over with a fake smile on his face. “Hungry, little ones…?”
“Hm!” It seemed that Hampa’s elderly appearance won the children’s trust. The older brother nodded vigorously, lowering his head and saying softly, “Old man, could you give us some food? Just a little bit…” While he spoke, his younger brother peeked at Hampa curiously yet fearfully from behind his brother.
“Hehe, of course…” Hampa knelt down, stroking the older boy’s head, showing a false kindness that made Poole feel disgusted. “It must be hard living here, taking care of your brother too…”
“Mm,” the older boy nodded, then puffed out his chest and said, “But it’s nothing. I’m the older brother; I’ll take care of him!”
“What a good brother, hehe…” Hampa smiled wickedly. Suddenly, a strange purple light flashed in his eyes, and at the same time, the expressions of the two children turned blank.
“Hm? What does he want to do?” Pur asked in confusion. He didn’t think that guy was acting out of kindness by approaching them.
Sure enough, Pur saw Hampa crouch down and say a few words to the two children. Then, something incredible happened—the brother who seemed to care so much for his younger brother suddenly reached out and choked him, while the seemingly weaker younger brother also frantically choked his brother…
“Yes! Yes! Kill him! Only by killing the other can you survive… Hehehe!”
“This…” Watching the two brothers, who had seemed so harmonious just moments ago, now turn against each other as mortal enemies, Pur felt a chill run down his spine. When he looked at Hampa again, his gaze was filled with wariness.
Legend has it that the glorious Serland was destroyed in just three days, with hundreds of thousands of kind-hearted Serlanders killing each other senselessly for no reason. Is this legend true?!
No one present intervened; they simply watched the two children kill each other indifferently.
“Hehe!” Amid Hampa’s exaggerated laughter, two small bodies lay on the ground. Throughout it all, Hampa only kept laughing maniacally.
“Disgusting guy!” Simonli snorted lightly.
“…” Glancing briefly at the two small bodies, Argus showed no expression. He simply raised his head to look at the sky and murmured a sentence in a voice barely audible, tinged with self-mockery and indifference.
“A sad era… Since this world has chosen darkness, then… I will return with an even deeper darkness!”
Ps: Thanks to a book reader for pointing out the BUG. Indeed, Hampa is number 38—I got it wrong. Also, starting from this chapter, Clark will be referred to as Simonli.