Chapter 467: The Dark Duchy

The journey away from the Source of Darkness seemed rather long. Starting from Water Curtain City, they had to cross Collins Forest to reach the Dark Duchy, located on the edge of the Meidis Empire on the continent!
With a small group but all possessing considerable strength, they managed to progress at a fairly fast pace. Of course, aside from the powerful group of twenty, Rod’s Scythe of Death Squad was also essential. Some of its members had already left the Source of Darkness earlier, following Sognar and Melon, so only about a dozen remained.
No reckless magical beasts harassed them along the way—their presence alone was enough to scare off any such creatures. Thus, their progress was smooth and easy. After ten days, the group finally left the Source of Darkness and entered Collins Forest, a buffer zone between the Source of Darkness and the continent, filled with countless legends and myths. Looking at the familiar Collins Forest, Rod was filled with emotion. He had been here many times. On his first visit, he was just a high-level warrior. There, he faced pursuit and eventually managed to turn the tables, killing a silver warrior and gaining a magic bag—a truly rewarding experience.
The second time was when he was already a silver warrior. There, he encountered a Earth Bear and nearly lost his life. It was that crisis that awakened the troll bloodline within him. From then on, Rod entered an era of rapid growth. It was a major turning point in his life.
Next came the third time, when he resisted the attack of the demon army in Iron Bar Town. That was the most intense encounter and also the longest stay there. There, Rod truly underwent trials of blood and fire. Eventually, after his identity was exposed, he boldly took a group of people into Collins Forest to train.
He himself accidentally entered the Void Space. By then, Rod’s strength had reached the imperial level, with continuous improvement. In just a few years, he had grown to an unimaginable extent. Who could have predicted such a situation back then?
Years of wandering had given Rod many things to reflect on and many experiences to endure.

“Damn it, it’s still three days until we reach the Dark Principality!” Complaints were inevitable in these lonely days. As soon as they stopped to rest, some couldn’t help but start complaining. The continuous travel made people irritable. At the same time, there was still concern about what was going on inside the Source of Darkness! Were the other two demon souls inside the Source of Darkness? That was the most crucial issue.
In the dead of night, deep in the forest, only faint light filtering through the leaves could be seen, making the forest even darker. Days of non-stop travel had indeed left people feeling tired and bored by the monotonous life.
Playing with his injured dagger, the Dragon Emperor remained silent. His delicate features made people feel ashamed every time they saw him.
“Well, three days will pass quickly!” Lilith replied impatiently, probably saying this for the umpteenth time. Perhaps only Rod and Lilith among them had the greatest patience!
“Do you think the continent will agree to our conditions?” asked the patriarch of the Scorpion King clan, frowning deeply. It seemed those conditions were a bit excessive. Thinking of the bottom line they had agreed upon, he felt somewhat ashamed.
“The Dark Principality must be preserved. After all, the Source of Darkness can’t stay shut off forever. We need to understand the outside world and participate when necessary. Of course, they don’t have to give us such a large territory, but at least a large town should be reserved. The Source of Darkness will decide, and according to Rod, we should establish a trade zone to improve relations with humans! Can we really continue fighting and being hostile forever?” The Wolf King spoke firmly and authoritatively, leaving no room for negotiation.
Actually, this plan was proposed by Rod, aiming to improve relations between the two sides. The Source of Darkness really couldn’t remain isolated any longer.
“Hmm, we can’t back down on this issue. If necessary, we’ll keep fighting. The Source of Darkness isn’t afraid of anyone!” Merk was also unusually firm. At this moment, the people of the Source of Darkness stood united in the face of the continent.
“They’ll agree!” Rod said, full of confidence.
In truth, Rod knew well that the so-called Dark Principality was nothing more than a collection of cities located next to the Collins Forest. That area had never been prosperous, as it was always used as a defensive zone due to its proximity to the Collins Forest.

Besides, the continent is so vast that these few cities mean nothing to them. With a firm attitude, those people will surely agree. More importantly, what will make them agree is that once these cities are handed over to the Source of Darkness, they won’t have to worry about the beast invasions that occur every few years or the attacks by magical beasts. All these problems will be handled by the Source of Darkness, saving them a lot of trouble.

At the same time, this Dark Duchy won’t station too many troops there, nor will it make them fear that these troops might take the opportunity to attack them! With such dual benefits, coupled with a firm attitude, the other side has no choice but to agree—Rod was very confident.

Because this situation brings no loss to either side; it could even be described as a win-win outcome.

Moreover, he had sufficient benefits to tempt those outsiders. Among the various countries on the continent, the powerful figures held significant influence, and Rod was well aware of this. The conditions he offered were enough to attract these powerful beings. Once they agreed, the matter would be largely resolved.

Seeing Rod’s confident demeanor, the people present also breathed a sigh of relief.

……

The next day, they set off again. After arriving at Collins Forest, they sped up even more. In just two and a half days, they reached the edge of what was known as Black Collins Forest. Here, they gradually saw human figures, as well as vampires and werewolves.

Among them, they even encountered a reckless vampire who mistook them for prey and tried to attack them. The outcome was predictable—they were given a thorough lesson.

They didn’t take his life, as Rod and his group didn’t care about such beings at all! Instead, they told him to go back and convey a message to the vampires and werewolves, telling them to gather their forces and wait for their arrival.

Upon learning the identity of Rod’s group, the vampire’s face turned pale instantly. Although they had been resisting the human armies on the continent, they knew somewhat about the affairs within the Source of Darkness. Take the demons, for example—Eida, the leader of the opposition, was certainly well-known to them. There was also the Wolf King of the wolves, the Dragon King of the dragons, the leader of the Black Phoenix clan, and the leader of the Scorpion King clan. Which of them wasn’t famous? Which of them didn’t command respect? All of these powerful figures, each capable of shaking the entire Source of Darkness with a single step, were gathered here? Could it be that times were changing?

They had already received some news of the defeat of the pro-war faction, so upon seeing these people, this vampire suddenly had a badbad feeling. After nodding repeatedly with a pale face in agreement, he left quickly as if relieved, drenched in sweat, and rushed toward the Dark Principality to deliver the news as soon as possible. Sognar, who had been sent ahead, seemed to have delivered the message successfully; this guy seemed to enjoy life here quite a bit! Good news kept coming in during this time, as connections were made with one powerful figure after another. Before long, the group left Collins Forest and arrived at the borderlands, where a huge city appeared before their eyes. Seeing these cities, the Wolf King and others were filled with emotion. Compared to these so-called small cities on the continent, even the largest city in the Source of Darkness paled in comparison—its scale was at least not as great. On the city walls stood soldiers from the wolf clan and vampires, fully armed and exuding a strong presence. Just as the group arrived at the foot of the city walls, wondering how to enter, they heard the city gates creaking open slowly. Soon after, a group of wolves and vampires appeared. Their arrival was naturally met with warm welcome from the wolf clan and vampires, indicating that the news had indeed reached them, and they had been prepared. There was no need to doubt their identities—given their strength and characteristics, the wolves and vampires quickly confirmed their identities. Moreover, there were a few defectors from the dragon clan in the city, and their expressions became complicated upon seeing the Dragon King. The Dragon King wasn’t in a hurry to confront them. Led by the vampires and wolves, the group soon arrived at the residence in the core city. Inside this residence, the main members of the werewolf clan and vampires gathered—these were the current rulers of the Dark Principality. The people here seemed uneasy about the arrival of Rod and the Wolf King. With news of the defeat of the pro-war faction already spreading, they naturally knew what kind of person Rod was and what he had done. Why had they left the Source of Darkness and come here instead of staying put? This caused concern among them, and they also became secretly wary. On the surface, everything appeared calm, but beneath the surface, tensions were high. Both sides had their own plans, waiting to uncover the final truth. There were only two outcomes: either the other side would cooperate with them or things would turn hostile.

Of course, Rhode and the others had already been prepared for all this; if things turned hostile, they certainly had ways to deal with it.