Chapter 22: Four Times of Speechlessness
If not for the unique characteristics of the valley, Hylfanis’ climate would be little different from that of its neighbors or the edges of the desert. Hot during the day, cold at night—of course, this applied to the flat, hilly landscape visible from afar. Inside the valley, conditions varied greatly due to its topography; one could find warm valleys retaining the warmth of the day, while others, like the one before them, were bitterly cold, with remnants of last winter’s snow and ice even in the most secluded corners.
Nio strode confidently toward the core area where the monsters were concentrated, as if on a routine journey, utterly unconcerned about the noise he made or the fact that several monsters were less than 30 meters away.
Nio wasn’t reckless, nor did he go about slaughtering everything in his path. This wasn’t only because he used his usual trick of masking his presence with a special aura this time, but also because he understood these dark creatures, these evil minions.
To be more precise, it was Nancy who understood them. As a top authority in life engineering and related fields, she could fully comprehend a species with just a standard sample and a thorough autopsy, even deciphering the instinctive thoughts passed down through generations.
Nio trusted Nancy, so he could move boldly among the grotesque monsters, staying within limits and advancing safely.
The gray ice mist commonly seen in the highlands filled the valley, blocking out the light of stars and the moon. Even Nio, with his dark vision, could only see about 30 meters ahead; beyond that, he relied on vague senses. As he moved forward, he pondered why the dark forces had chosen such a place as a gathering site. From a military perspective, the terrain here was extremely poor, and it was quite far from the caravan.
“The devils dwell in hell, and demons come from the abyss. That saying holds some truth. Considering that the devils were once the enforcers of the gods, who personally destroyed the demons of the Emira world and lost many of their own comrades in the process, and that the dark forces rampant in the surface world are the agents of the devils, even if the two sides are in a temporary truce due to some common agreement, it’s unlikely that the agents of the devils would care for the demons’ minions. So, choosing such a place must have some important reason!”
Nio wanted to find out, but given the rare opportunity, compared to eliminating the enemy commanders outright, other issues could wait.
In a certain part of the valley, there was a cluster of interconnected earthen caves. These caves were man-made, spacious but irregular in shape. They had once been used as cheap refrigerators by bandits active in the area, but now only thick layers of frost remained, covering everything.
Due to the bone-chilling cold, Soren, the commander of the dark forces, couldn’t help but sniff frequently. He hated the cold. He wished he could sit by a fireplace with blazing fire, covered with a cashmere blanket, sipping hot chocolate or tea slowly. But now he had to endure this environment—for at least another hour.
On the ground in front of Soren, a temporarily erected magic circle was in operation. In the void above the circle, countless deep blue fragments of ice—resembling sand grains in the Gobi Desert—of various shapes and sizes rotated counterclockwise. In the void directly above the center of the magic circle, a wand about 30 centimeters long floated quietly. The wand appeared rough, like a piece of wood without its bark removed; the only thing that set it apart was the icy blue magic light flowing within its natural texture. The ice particles rotating counterclockwise gradually grew larger—not simply by expanding in size, but by gathering energy and becoming increasingly cold. Light spots and mist gradually formed in these clusters of ice particles, creating a magnificent sight akin to a miniature galaxy. As time passed, more and more ice particles began to emit brilliant light. Once they reached a certain threshold, they would emit thin icy blue arcs that landed on the wand at the center. The corresponding part of the wand would glow slightly before dimming again. However, as the arcs increased in number and frequency, they eventually formed a swirling web of electricity. At this point, the wand could no longer “cool down” and gradually emitted a nearly transparent bright blue light, like sea iron scorched by magical flames. Soren was now fully focused on controlling the magic circle, ignoring the cold. Sweat began to trickle from his forehead and temples, but he didn’t bother wiping it away; eventually, he even held his breath. With a series of sharp cracking sounds, the floating ice particles shattered into dust and scattered in spirals, leaving only the wand at the center, floating and shining brightly. “Phew!” Soren let out a long sigh. Though his expression showed fatigue and distress, his eyes sparkled with joy. Over the past few days, he had gradually come to understand the wonders of this wand. If he continued to refine it in this manner for another three to five days, he would be able to fully master it, and then a miraculous power would be entirely under his control. Just then, Soren suddenly noticed someone standing nearby—someone who had appeared out of nowhere. When he saw who it was, he was utterly stunned. “Sanders! You’re not dead!?” “No, he’s dead!” This time, the voice came from the other side, but the hand reaching for Soren’s head appeared from behind him, silently. Soren felt the world spin before his eyes, and then the memories of his life rushed past—his birth into a declining noble family, his upbringing, his misdeeds as an adult, and his later joining of the Dark Church. Every detail surfaced, including some things he thought he had forgotten. Yet all the memories flowed by so quickly that in the blink of an eye, his life story was complete. Infinite darkness surged in, engulfing him before he could fully process anything.
In reality, as soon as Soren’s head was captured by Neo, his body began to convulse involuntarily. After about a minute, the convulsions stopped. Soren did not turn into a mummy, and there were no obvious changes in his physique. But if one paid attention to his skin, it would be clear that there was not a trace of life left in it. It gave an eerie impression, somewhat like asbestos that had lost its heat, but far more so.
To wait for this moment of Soren’s greatest vulnerability, Neo held his breath underground for over 20 minutes. Finally, with the help of two Blood Guards, he succeeded in capturing Soren by breaking through his mental defenses.
Blood Guards are hybrid puppets created based on twice-evolved chaotic monsters (full name: Chaotic Blood Energy Puppet Creatures). There are six in total, and strictly speaking, they are just soulless shells that require an intelligent brain clone or spirits like thorns or spines to be useful.
However, due to a lack of materials, only five intelligent brain clones have been completed so far. The remaining materials were used for a secret project in the spider caves deep in Four-Leaf Valley. Moreover, since intelligent brain clones are not as powerful as their original forms, they need some medium to control the physical bodies.
A crucial element in solving this problem is the Bloodthorn Rhododendron—these extremely special larval forms of battlefield rhododendrons that act on instinct eventually fuse with the shells of hybrid puppets to establish a new nervous system. Initially, intelligent brain clones controlled hybrid puppets by manipulating these Bloodthorn Rhododendrons. But this method had limitations and was not a perfect solution.
The emergence of remnants of the Evil Plant brought exciting news. By incorporating the plant’s crystal fusion ability, the hybrid puppets became truly alive. So far, under Nancy’s guidance, Neo has completed the initial fusion of two hybrid puppets. All of this required extensive preparation, along with the use of energy therapy chambers to overcome technical challenges. Today, these two Blood Guards were deployed in combat for the first time. One of them was modeled after Simon Windwalker, while the other was temporarily the Faceless One. Before this operation, it wore the mask and robes of the black magician Sanders, whose head had been blown off by Neo, and used magic scrolls to temporarily change its voice. This allowed it to intimidate Soren at his most relaxed moment, enabling Neo to successfully deliver the critical “mental breakdown” strike.
After obtaining Soren’s memories, Nancy quickly analyzed and dissected them. This wasn’t the first time she had done this. She sorted through the memories with ease, just like a butcher slaughtering a pig—deciding where to place the head and hooves, where to dispose of the offal. She identified what could be discarded as worthless, what were important technical knowledge with far-reaching implications, and what the most urgent information was that could be used immediately. In no time, a person’s complete memories were thoroughly broken down into a special type of material resource.
“Your decision now seems wise. This Soren is indeed a very valuable piece,” Nancy said as she summoned an energy therapy chamber. Soren was dead, but Neo needed him to “live” in another way. What led Neo to make this decision was Nancy’s reminder not long ago: You can be the Demon King.
Whether to become a demon king or not, Neo felt it wasn’t something he needed to consider at the moment, but this led to the opening of a new perspective. Why must one choose direct confrontation? Why use such a rigid format—kill three of mine, I’ll kill half of yours? Engage in sword fights, harming a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of one’s own? Even demons know to learn from humans and make full use of tools. Why then, having grown up in human society, lacks he such flexibility?
So Neo said to Nancy, “I want to build a force under our control, not just within the Light faction or the Good faction.”
“It will take time! At least three hours.” Shortly after Sauron was placed in the energy therapy chamber, Nancy gave him a rough estimate.
“First, I need to analyze the structure of his vocal cords and add some commands for him.” Neo stared in a certain direction—about 20 meters away, behind a doorframe, there were two Eternal Night Warriors.
Neo still had a deep impression of this dark profession. Gorton, one of the Eternal Night Warriors, had been one of his major enemies during the migration team’s journey eastward. So far, he had used dark magic only a few times, one of which was in a confrontation with Gorton in the underground tunnels of Wurtzburg. The lingering effects of that dark magic still required him to expend ten times the effort to eliminate them. Naturally, whenever he dealt with those enemies using dark magic, he would unconsciously think of them, almost as often as he thought of Melian, whom he longed for day and night.
The Eternal Night wasn’t what demons and devils desired; they sought to dominate the plane system. It was the vampires who truly craved the Eternal Night. Thus, those who carried this name were first and foremost vampires, or rather, used to be. Warriors, in Aemera, referred to those who mastered advanced combat skills and voluntarily adhered to certain rules and systems. Holy Knights were bound by the rules of the Light Cathedral and also received its blessings. Eternal Night Warriors were skilled in using dark blood power, which the beings of the three major factions preferred to call “poisonous blood combat energy.”
“Done!” Nancy informed Neo and told him about the tone and rhythm of Sauron’s speech.
Suddenly, the ears of the two Eternal Night Warriors heard Sauron’s voice—not loud, but clear enough: “The ritual is postponed. No one may enter for any reason until I speak.”
By then, thesoundproofing magic scroll Neo had used earlier to infiltrate the underground chamber and attack Sauron had run its course.
Cough! The two Eternal Night Warriors, clad in sleek black full-body armor, drew their broad swords from their waists and crossed them at the entrance in an X shape.
Neo smirked and said to Nancy, “The upper echelons of the dark forces rule with an iron fist and maintain strict order. But once the leaders are successfully replaced from within, it becomes even easier to take control of their subordinate forces.”
“Before the deception is exposed, this is indeed a highly practical and effective tactic.”
Neo smiled faintly. If you walk by the river often, your shoes will get wet eventually. Any trick used too frequently will eventually expose itself or alert others. So, one reason not to rely too much is that there must be a limit. “The next target should be a real devil…” Neo thought of the witch Dasteney he met in Solth City. He still couldn’t afford to deal with such a devil now, but the devils who worked for that witch were more or less on his level.
“Guess what Sorren’s full name is?” While waiting for Sorren’s body to be transformed, Nancy happened to talk to Neo about him. Nancy clearly knew how to talk in a way that could ease Neo’s tension. After all, this was enemy territory, with enemies not far away. Even if those two Eternal Night Warriors glanced back, they might notice something wrong, rendering all their efforts—such as having one AI clone and one chance to use the energy healing chamber—useless. Anyone would feel nervous in such a situation.
“Could it be… Ambentus? Or Olivier?” Neo almost blurted out Greenhill (Victor)’s surname.
“Ambentus,” said Nancy. “That high-level black magician Sanders you killed before had the surname Olivier!”
“…” After a brief pause, Neo laughed. “It seems I really am good at causing trouble. After offending the Greenhill family, the most prominent surname in the Duchy of Sanvest, I’ve also angered the family behind Viscount Edrith and the lord of Hylfanis.”
Nancy was immune to Neo’s dry humor. She continued, “Guess Sorren’s status and family relationships within his own family.”
Neo shook his head. “I really can’t guess that.”
“Do you know Bennett, the second son of the head of the Olivier family?”
Neo frowned. Bennett Olivier—he indeed knew this man. Not only because he was a famous genius from Frey and led the renowned Oak Leaf Knights, but also because he was a follower of the Natural Faith. Neo didn’t expect Sanders to be closely related to him.
Yes, very closely, Nancy told Neo. “Nominally, Sanders is Bennett’s uncle, but actually, he’s his biological father.”
“…That makes sense. The head of the Olivier family isn’t known for his magical abilities. It seems Bennett’s talent for magic comes from his father.” Neo wondered, “How could Sorren know such secrets?” He knew that although he had sealed Sanders’ head in time, his soul hadn’t escaped. And given Sanders’ strong mental strength as a high-level spellcaster, he hadn’t lost his identity either. But cracking open this powerful being’s ‘soul mouth’ wasn’t easy. So, the secrets about Sanders must have come from Sorren.
“Bennett’s birth mother was nominally the eldest daughter of the previous head of the Grot family, but actually, she was the illegitimate daughter of the previous head of the Ambentus family who had an affair with Lady Grot. She is Sorren’s half-sister.”
“…” This was already the third time today that Neo felt speechless. “What kind of messed-up relationships are these among the nobles!” Though similar rumors weren’t rare, facing them firsthand still left him overwhelmed. Sanders and Thoren—one Bennett’s biological father and the other his uncle—had somehow developed a deep enmity for no apparent reason. With Bennett’s abilities, hailed as those of a ‘Holy Land Seed’ and capable of reaching quasi-saint status, he possessed great powers and knowledge of his own origins, able to unravel many secrets. Even someone as formidable as Sanders must have his own unique methods of communication—far more than just creating a vengeful demon. So, expecting anything to happen ‘secretly and unnoticed’ was out of the question.
“In this noisy world, true believers are already scarce, and those who stand out even less. I was thinking… Hey!” Neo said nothing more. He wasn’t afraid of most strong enemies—killing involved karma after all—but emotionally, he still felt a bit regretful facing such a situation.
Nancy changed the subject. “I have a bunch of bad and good news here. There’s one important piece of each. Which do you want to hear first?”
“Okay! Let’s start with the good news.”
“The two commanders of the dark forces responsible for intercepting the convoy have both fallen into your hands. The convoy is now safe, and if handled properly, you might even be able to gain a group of dark forces to work for you.”
Neo nodded happily. “That’s truly wishful thinking—great news indeed!”
“The bad news is that the situation in Eradah is terrible. The army has rebelled. So instead of a large army surrounding the monsters and waiting for the spellcasters to arrive for the final blow, the part of the army that still sides with us is now trapped, waiting for rescue. Moreover, the monsters’ conquest of Eradah isn’t just random—it hides major secrets even Thoren and Sanders don’t know about. Right now, the rebels are waiting patiently for news. If we get wiped out along the way, that’s another story. But if we manage to reach them, they’ll surely welcome us warmly.”
“…” Fourth time speechless.