Chapter 25: Waiting
The convoy began the day in quietness, with many soldiers waking up in surprise.
“Huh? We slept through the whole night—it’s already bright outside!”
“I still lack confidence in the captain. I was worried yesterday that he wouldn’t arrange night watch. But look at this!” …
Perhaps because of the pleasant morning, the soldiers were in high spirits, even the two seriously injured soldiers were recovering well.
“I was a bit worried at first!” Green said with a smile after checking the soldiers’ injuries. “Now it’s fine. With your progress, recovery is just a matter of time.”
“Really? That’s great! I’ll be able to fight again soon. Thank you, Mage Green,” the soldier said gratefully. In his past experience, mages were always aloof and arrogant, so this was the first time he had met someone like Green.
Green smiled slightly, offered a few more words of comfort, and gave some instructions before leaving the tent.
Hes, who had been by Green’s side earlier, said, “The water-based healing magic has improved greatly; that warrior is recovering very well.”
Green replied honestly, “There’s progress, but it won’t be this significant.”
Hes glanced at Green in surprise. Perhaps due to their professional pursuit of accuracy, mages unconsciously brought this habit into their daily lives. As a result, they usually spoke plainly and truthfully, neither exaggerating nor being overly modest. “The wounded are recovering well overall. Does that mean it’s thanks to the medicines used by the medics of Star 745?”
Ni stepped forward and replied, “The medics’ healing methods are truly innovative. They seem to represent the highest standard of physicians in Frey at present. Interestingly, my Berserkers also received similar treatment. I was there, and the techniques used were exactly the same, with no significant difference in the medicines. As you know, Berserkers have strong recovery abilities…”
Hes nodded. “Very strong.”
“But they can’t compare to the wounded from Star 745,” Ni said firmly.
Green added, “Moreover, any healing technique leaves detectable energy residues in the recipient—except…”
Hes’ eyes lit up. “Life energy is inherently connected to life. It promotes healing through activation, rejuvenation, or direct replenishment, with almost no side effects.”
Ni smiled and said, “The secret behind Star 745’s ability to create miracles of no casualties in battles lies probably here.”
“Digging into others’ privacy isn’t a good habit,” Eran said, joining them. He joked, “Someone didn’t return home all night, yet their charm soared to unprecedented levels.”
Ni replied generously, “I must admit, this person has indeed succeeded in piquing my curiosity.”
“I’m curious too,” Hes added in agreement. “I still can’t figure out how he did it!”
“Let’s first think about what ‘success’ meant last night. Once we understand that, it might not seem so miraculous anymore.” A deep, resonant voice rang out as the speaker approached—who else but Neo?
“I’m all ears,” Green was the first to spot Nio approaching and greeted him with a smile, the others following closely behind.
“Well, even without strong liquor or dried fruits this time, I still want to boast a bit—travelling head down is such a boring affair,” Nio said with a sunny expression and a relaxed tone. “But first, we need to set off steadily as usual, keeping an eye out in the distance…”
Lies were always a constant accompaniment to secrets. This time, Nio lied to his colleagues, and in doing so, he found himself becoming increasingly skilled at it, adept at acting! Just like skilled swindlers, his words, expressions, and body language were all perfectly timed…
Often, it’s these subtle gestures that ultimately determine the listener’s judgment, as many people foolishly think the details they notice are the real clues that reveal the truth.
Half an hour later, the caravan was already on its way to Aidalah.
“So, in other words, all you actually did was verify and ensure that the misleading information sent by our internal traitor ended up in the hands of the monster commander. Is that all you did last night?” Hes asked, incredulous, after hearing Nio’s account of his actions.
“What else could it have been? Dressed in golden armor, wielding a blade, with the moon rising behind me, charging at countless monsters like a legendary warrior?” Nio laughed. “Real battles rarely look like that—nothing grand or heroic, unless we want our relatives and friends to remember us through inscriptions on stone tablets.”
Green and the others also laughed. In front of Simon, Hes, who was several years older, seemed rather inexperienced.
Hes shrugged habitually. Though Nio’s words were somewhat preachy and he was joking at his expense in public, they were delivered lightly and didn’t seem too annoying.
Finally, Nio summed it up, “In short, last night, I spent over 95% of the time sneaking around and hiding, anxious and bored. It was just like executing a planned mission before—doing what I thought was right, over and over again. Only when necessary would I describe it in a biased way. The kings, heroes, or scoundrels known to the people probably all rely on such descriptions.”
Everyone laughed. After laughing, they agreed it made sense. They had also been fortunate enough to watch recordings of the Sacred Realm mages in action. It could only be said that the Eye of Magic faithfully recorded the entire process—no buildup, no multiple angles, not even any peaks or lows. If you weren’t careful, you might miss the decisive spells and attacks; it was like a mediocre performance. Many magic apprentices who admired famous figures must have thought, “The truth dies when exposed!”
Of course, Neo also knew that completely deceiving several clever mages couldn’t be done just with a simple account. It was like him, a conspiracy theorist, who would remain skeptical about certain things out of stubbornness. Those who believed him would accept even the most bizarre claims, while those who didn’t believe him would claim “what you see is not necessarily true” even if they witnessed it with their own eyes. As for the majority in between, they relied on time to slowly “prove” things. For now, this answer seemed quite satisfactory—almost good enough. After all, the outcome was what everyone truly needed.
While Neo and Green joked about their experiences from the night before, the “eyes” of the dark forces had already sent back the intelligence to the Ice Valley. Sauron didn’t show any extra reaction, but his calm demeanor made his subordinates believe he had “known this all along; everything was within my expectations.” Thus, Sauron’s “farsightedness and wisdom” was elevated to an unimaginable height through such speculation and easily accepted by these people. People always believe what they want to believe. This saying was perfectly illustrated in this case.
With this premise in place, the tasks Neo assigned to the dark forces that night made perfect sense. The enemy was powerful, and sheer numbers alone wouldn’t suffice—they needed to strengthen themselves first and then gradually take on smaller challenges. More importantly, these dark forces either admired or feared Sauron, but no one questioned his identity.
Over the course of one night, nearly a thousand various monsters gathered. Roughly, they could be divided into three categories. The first category consisted of true chaotic beings—hidden and suffering, emerging at the right time, just like the chaotic monsters Neo encountered in the Blood Battle of the Earth Split. However, they weren’t organized; they were scattered individuals with different fates, resulting in a wide variety of forms and abilities.
The second category was the infected. Hylfanis was full of monsters—birds, beasts, and reptiles—that, at the right moment, became these terrifying creatures. Not all of them were useless; some, like the Howling Wilds, already carried dark imprints in their bodies. When the power of dark decay surged, they thrived and could even develop astonishing or even enviable abilities. Their strength was secondary—their potential seemed good.
The final category was the rest, which included even more diverse cases, such as stones coming to life or water taking shape. Anyone who saw them couldn’t help but marvel at the wonders of the world—how such things could develop consciousness and exist as living beings.
Of course, the most miraculous of all was the plant known to the dark forces as the “Demon Brain.” It was only after successfully eroding Sauron’s memories that Neo realized his earlier assumptions about the remnants of the “evil demon plants” were just the tip of the iceberg. Although the dark forces couldn’t restore the “evil demon plants” to their once-mighty state, after thousands of years of careful research and cultivation, they succeeded in transforming them into a system of extraordinary power. It was called extraordinary because it had extreme “law immunity” in Aemera. It was like the supervirus Nancy had explained to him—stealing power to strengthen itself. It was the weapon the devils had prepared from the start to control the chaotic monsters in their early stages.
Sanders is one of the dark commanders possessing derivatives of the Mind Brain. This is not only a symbol of status and power but also an acknowledgment of ability—those with inferior skills cannot wield such magical artifacts as the Mind Brain. Soren is merely a “descendant,” and intricate relationships have made him the second-in-command of this dark faction. When Neo successfully attacked him, Soren was refining the key to controlling the derivatives of the Mind Brain: the Vine Staff.
The appearance of the Mind Brain indeed resembles a brain—tumorous, with an uneven surface and distinct hemispheric divisions. Yet it doesn’t look like a human brain but rather a sheep’s brain, with a wet sheen on its surface and internal movements resembling those of maggots, exuding a sinister aura. Below it, a dozen thick vines twist and extend, resembling roots or jellyfish tentacles, supporting the massive structure like water towers, leaving a deep impression on Neo the first time he saw it.
Though one can’t expect pears to grow on apple trees, Nancy does have ways to utilize some functions of the Mind Brain to create a force of magical creatures distinct from ordinary ones. For example, in bioengineering, Nancy is highly skilled—a field where even the creators of the Mind Brain may not match her abilities.
Neo naturally agreed to Nancy’s proposal. He has always been uninterested in weak, diverse forces, and the model of Star 745 only reinforced his resolve to pursue a lean, elite force. To achieve this goal, the Mind Brain could no longer function primarily as a means of “emitting special signals to summon magical creatures in the area.” This is what was meant by the “blood sacrifice” mentioned when Neo gave orders through Soren’s voice.
In its incomplete form, the evil plant can only grow by absorbing biological energy. This prerequisite is essentially irreversible, and Nancy doesn’t attempt to change it, as she can use this opportunity to collect diverse demonic imprints and observe their development and physical manifestations. After all, the gathered magical creatures represent the activation of demonic genes in various forms.
Numerous magical creatures are gathered like livestock—chaotic yet not noisy—under the Mind Brain’s control, which functions like a form of hypnotic consciousness. They are now merely moving cargo.
Higher-tier magical creatures are unlikely to appear here, as they have some resistance to the Mind Brain’s calls. As part of the hierarchical system, Sanders’ Mind Brain has C-level authority, with two higher levels above it and the ultimate Origin Mind Brain at the top. This means that the higher the authority, the stronger the magical creatures that can be summoned.
Occasionally, there may be creatures with lower intelligence, damaged, or still in their larval stage—reasons that might lead to the presence of higher-tier creatures, equivalent to level 5 or above professionals. These are the targets chosen by demon tamer recruiters. They have their own methods of breeding them, with pros and cons aside, as there’s no other choice—only they can tame demons to cultivate pawns and fodder for the organization to use.
Now, Nancy doesn’t rely on these things; her focus is far more sophisticated and profound. She values potential rather than current strength. What Nancy is working on is a vast system akin to a global species gene bank. She possesses advanced life gene technology. While creating new species still presents many challenges, modifying species with the Magic Brain has already resolved the main difficulties. Under the awed gazes of her subordinates, Thoren, wearing only underwear, broke into the Magic Brain and entered it. The entire process was extremely disgusting due to the viscous, foul-smelling substances splashing around, yet it also reflected Thoren’s toughness, as no one saw him frown even once. “How can the master breathe in there?” asked one insect master, only to be ignored by most and met with rolled eyes from a few. The insect master’s leader, Lombard, spoke in a sinister tone, “There are things you don’t need to know. You shouldn’t ask, and no one will answer if you do.” “…Yes!” Contrasting with their luxurious and indulgent lifestyles, the Dark Ones face an extremely harsh environment in their official roles. According to researchers, the prevalence of perverts among the Dark Ones is closely related to this extreme treatment. Inside the Magic Brain, those viscous, foul-smelling substances are merely a protective and nutritional outer layer. What truly functions are the root-like structures. To better control it, Nancy has a better method than using the Magic Vine Staff—directly connecting with these core root structures. Thoren is now just a shell. As he approached the root clusters, countless thin vines grew on his body—these were vines from the Blood Heather under Nancy’s control. They moved like serpents, sensing the locations of the roots emitting strange signal fluctuations, then wrapping around them one by one. About two hours later, Sandiago, the leader of the Dark Sorcerers, received Thoren’s message: the blood sacrifice could begin. Unlike previous sacrifices involving bloodletting, decapitation, heart removal, and ritual dances, this sacrifice resembled a meal. The Magic Brain produced nearly a hundred vines as thick as fingers, their sharp tips glowing with dark purple light. They easily pierced the skulls of the victims, then began sucking energy, slowly draining them to death! Although the victims were under hypnosis, they still had instinctive reactions. The scene was extremely cruel and bloody. Even the Dark Ones shuddered at such a death method—truly embodying the demons’ saying: “Obedient to me, and I’ll let you die painlessly!” While bloodthirsty plundering took place in the icy valley, Neo and his group had safely arrived in Esok. As the homeland of the Aedaran ancestors, Esok was abandoned over 200 years ago due to environmental constraints. Yet, with nearly ten thousand people living there, its facilities were far more advanced than those of ordinary towns.
Of course, all of this is in the past now. After the army of monsters slaughtered Idara, they turned their attack on Esok. The human army arrived too late; by the time they got there, there was nothing left to do even to collect the bodies of the townspeople. Interestingly, the monsters did not set fires while killing; to them, wealth and possessions were nothing but dirt. Thus, it was only natural that the chaotic state of Esok as seen by Neo and the others was largely caused by the human army’s cleanup efforts.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve arrived at our destination. Esok—here we will receive new orders for our mission,” Neo said from the city walls, overlooking the town, which still appeared eerie even under the midday sun, to Green and the others.
Along the way, Neo had already mentioned the change in mission to them. Green and the others also learned from Neo that the human army surrounding Idara was very likely trapped in a counter-encirclement. For this reason, Green brought together the leaders of the spellcasters to listen to Neo detail the information he had “accidentally” obtained.
Upon hearing this news, the leader of the spellcasters, just like Green and the others, first exclaimed, “Luck!” If they had rushed in headfirst, with such a small force, they wouldn’t even be enough to fill the enemy’s teeth. Naturally, no one objected to Neo’s proposal to base themselves in Esok. Although no official response had yet arrived, Neo’s actions clearly seemed like unauthorized decision-making.
“Kokar, work with Miss Ni to conduct a thorough search of the entire town. We need to be wary that this might be a trap or has become a nest for monsters.”
“Understood!” Kokar, the blood-cursed horseman from Star 745, went with Ni. One of them controlled evil spirits, highly sensitive to dark fluctuations, while the other controlled ferocious dogs—no strange noises or smells could escape their senses—enabling them to explore the town quickly and thoroughly, efficiently saving time and effort.
“Kanito, take the skill masters and map out the area from atop the siege spiders. We not only need to garrison here but also prepare space for allied forces who might arrive soon, especially for the air cavalry who might get there first. Identify areas with dense houses and winding roads and demolish them.”
Neo spoke so casually mainly because the convoy had giant rhinoceroses and siege spiders, making it easy to knock down houses and level the land.
After Kanito, Neo arranged tasks such as taking care of the wounded, setting up guards, and restoring infrastructure. Unlike Fangyan Post, given the massive chaos that had occurred in Idara, a small team like Star 745 wouldn’t be able to get involved even if they wanted to. So, they truly treated this place as the end of their mission, preparing to rest on the spot while waiting for the arrival of allied forces.