Chapter 3: Slaying Demons (1)
Komer also felt an improvement in his magical abilities. Now, he would enter the realm of nightmares almost every other night. The memories of Kainifer III’s past life had been replicated in Komer’s mind almost entirely through this so-called “mental imprint” magic. The various aspects of Kainifer III’s past life gradually seeped into Komer’s psyche, turning him into a hybrid over time—a fact Komer himself had already realized, though he didn’t reject it. Komer had already believed everything that Kainifer III said in those nightmares, but he had no intention of becoming Kainifer III’s successor and raising the banner to restore the Dark Empire. Of course, if circumstances changed in the future and it became more advantageous for him to take on that role, that would be another matter. But for now, the Dark Church had long become a synonym for history and heresy in the mortal world, so Komer certainly wouldn’t risk everything to do such a foolish thing.
After returning to the Caucasus, Komer immediately entrusted the powerful Kafli to borrow a large number of books on the history of the Dark Empire and the Light Holy Church from the kingdom’s libraries and private collections. As expected, there were very few books documenting the history and legends of the Dark Empire. As for the rise of the Light Holy Church, its history was as pure as that of angels in myths. The title of “Holy Maiden” existed, but it was associated with nothing but purity and goodness. The successive Holy Maidens of the Light Holy Church had always stayed in Marco, serving the God of Light their entire lives, never leaving Marco’s territory, seemingly unrelated to anything else. Nevertheless, Komer managed to uncover some clues from historical books in some private collections. It seemed the Dark Empire once existed on the Azure Continent, and the so-called Dark Church was once prosperous hundreds of years ago, even becoming the state religion of that empire. The Dark Empire had controlled a vast area, roughly corresponding to the barbaric regions in the northeast of the current kingdom, which were connected to the Vast Continent. No one except adventurers wanted to approach those places, not even orcs.
However, all historical records contain no accounts or descriptions of the demise of the Dark Empire and the Dark Church, as if such a vast empire and a once-mighty sect simply vanished into thin air. This made Komer suspect there must be some hidden secrets involved, but now was not the time to uncover them. What Komer needed now was to hurry and master the endless treasures brought to him by King Canifer III’s memories—various magical spells, especially the dark divination arts, which he favored the most.
Standing on the top of the hill, Komer and Ilot shaded their eyes and looked into the distance. It was a landscape of undulating low hills. Perhaps due to the dry climate, there were few trees taller than five meters in this area, while shrubs and various weeds covered the ground below three meters. Komer and Ilot had arrived in Bahomon three days ago. Initially, Komer had planned to go on this expedition to eliminate the ogres alone. But Ilot, who was nearly driven mad by the tedious training, insisted on joining Komer after hearing the news. Komer couldn’t refuse him, and moreover, Ilot’s sword skills had improved greatly after Komer guided him using King Canifer III’s memories. Komer also wanted someone to keep an eye on him, so he agreed to let him come.
Apart from the lord’s guard, after the immigrants arrived, Komer recruited 500 members of the Caucasus Self-Defense Forces from the entire Caucasus region to supplement the lord’s guard, in order to balance the immigrants’ feelings. Many of them were immigrants from the Principality of Melen.
“Boss, it’s already been three days. Why haven’t we found any signs of ogres? I clearly remember encountering ogres here last time. Could they have migrated?” Although it was still early spring, this place was at the southern end of the Caucasus, with a warmer climate. The midday sun had a drowsy, hypnotic effect. However, sub-high-level monsters like ogres not only possessed strong attacking power and agile movement skills but also keen senses and considerable intelligence. Once they detected intruders in their territory, they would quickly choose the right moment to attack. Therefore, on this land, Komer and Ilot dared not slack off at all. Komer also deliberately used minor perception magic to expand his sensory range, so as to keep a broader overview of the surrounding situation.
“No, from what I know, orcs are different from other magical beasts. Once they choose a habitat, they rarely move, unless confronted by natural enemies. Under normal circumstances, they don’t migrate at all,” Komer shook his head solemnly. His enhanced dark magic abilities had also greatly improved his perceptual skills. With the help of his magic sensing, he could already sense the presence of magical beasts in the vicinity. He couldn’t be sure they were orcs, but he was certain they weren’t ordinary small magical beasts. “I can sense their presence, but it seems they’re not near us right now. We need to search carefully.”
Komer’s words sent Ilot into shock, making him immediately alert. The last time he had managed to escape was thanks to magic scrolls. Before setting out this time, Ilot had specifically asked Komer to create several powerful yet easy-to-use traditional magic scrolls for him, hoping that if he were attacked again and unable to defend himself, these cost-effective scrolls could help him escape once more. He was growing increasingly confident in his boss. When Komer carefully handed him the three magic scrolls, Ilot placed them carefully around his waist and on the outside of his thighs, so he could unfold them and cast spells as quickly as possible. After all, when facing highly dangerous high-level magical beasts like orcs, Ilot didn’t want to risk his life.
Following the gaps between the bushes, Komer and Ilot quickly passed through the mountainous area, which was easy to hide in. For Komer, this area was also the most dangerous, as magical beasts could easily use their abilities to hide there and strike at intruders at any moment. In such situations, the chance of a fatal attack was high. Komer’s continuous use of sensing magic had already made him aware that magical beasts were nearby.
Choosing a relatively flat area as a combat preparation zone, Komer instinctively took a deep breath. Orcs were different from gray wolves—they were high-level magical beasts with considerable intelligence, capable of assessing their situation and choosing their attack methods. Such intelligent magical beasts were even more dangerous than some large beasts that relied solely on their physical strength. Especially since they were social creatures, once they launched an attack, it would likely be a fight to the death.
Komer sensed four objects radiating intense magic quietly approaching from the left wing, now less than fifty meters away from their position. He tightened the close-fitting armor he wore—though it had been stripped from corpses, giving it an unpleasant feel—yet for the sake of survival, he couldn’t afford to care too much. Komer’s minor perception magic allowed his already keen senses to detect the exact location of monsters within a hundred meters. If the magical community of the continent learned of this, countless mages who had spent years practicing spiritual magic would surely lose sleep over it.
The monsters had closed in to within thirty meters—a dangerously close distance. Komer cast Light Shield Protection on Elotega, who stood in front of him. It was a defensive spell that, although requiring considerable magic power each time it was cast and having a short duration, could greatly enhance a person’s defensive capabilities in a short time, offering effects similar to a knight’s combat aura, though not sustained.
Elotega knew danger was approaching when he felt his body heat up and experienced a floating sensation—his leader was strengthening his defenses. Taking a deep breath, he stepped back slightly with his right leg, adopting a defensive stance that combined defense with offense. His eyes stared straight ahead, his focus at its peak. His giant sword, glowing faintly, was already drawn, its blade radiating a chilling coldness; even the runes inscribed around the blood groove could be seen, carved there using special techniques. This was also Komer’s doing. Though Elotega was physically strong, his sword was too large, lacking agility and being quite heavy. To reduce Elotega’s physical strain in battle and increase the sword’s attack speed, Komer had used a rather obscure corrosion inscription spell from dark divinity magic upon arriving in Bahomong to engrave an ancient battle acceleration rune on Elotega’s sword. This rune also originated from the court of the ancient Dark Empire. According to King Kenifer III’s proud claims in his nightmares, no one on the Azure Continent currently understood this auxiliary acceleration magic, whose effects could last up to a week.
The four monsters filled with dense magic from the left wing stopped when they were less than twenty-five meters away from Komer and Elotega. They could even see the branches swaying slightly in the bushes with the naked eye. The magical beasts seemed to sense the strong hostility emanating from Komer and his group, as if trying to determine what kind of targets they faced.
The two sides remained in a stalemate. The four monsters slowly separated into two groups at a distance of twenty-five meters, their pace growing slower and slower. It was clear that these intelligent monsters had realized these two hostile targets were different from the prey they usually encountered, especially as both emitted an aura that filled them with fear.
Komer inwardly groaned as his senses detected two larger monsters quietly moving toward them from the front, while the other two continued to approach slowly. It seemed these monsters also understood the strategy of dividing forces. Komer had chosen a flat and open area where he could clearly see their movements in advance. Otherwise, relying solely on his senses, the enemies could easily launch attacks from the bushes, making it difficult for his side to react in time.
With heavy breathing, two figures nearly three meters tall finally appeared before Ilot and Komer. This was the first time Komer had seen such terrifying magical beasts. Judging from the two huge breasts hanging from their chests, Komer deduced they were two female ogres. Their heads, the size of baskets, were covered in a foot-long coat of hair, with only the facial hair slightly sparser, allowing a faint glimpse of their facial features. Their egg-sized eyes glowed with a purplish-red light, staring gloomily at the two of them.
Their flat nostrils were covered with a series of pimple-like protrusions. Their basin-sized mouths occupied half of their faces, with two thick fangs at the corners resembling miniature ivory. Their arms, longer than their knees, were strong and muscular, with sharp nails that seemed to bear faint traces of blood. Komer could even clearly see the glandular sacs under their armpits—critical weak points on an ogre’s body from which the nauseating stench emanated. Komer had already warned Ilot to avoid attacking head-on and instead strike these weak points from the side, as they were the most vulnerable areas in battle.
Without time to think further, Komer murmured softly. He bent his index finger of his left hand and joined it with his thumb. A strange distortion occurred in the space centered around his fingers. “Strike first” had always been Komer’s principle. Before the two ogres in front of them could react, two arcs of lightning flashed through the air and struck them. This was the simplest and most practical lightning magic—Thunder Break. Almost any mage of average skill could cast this spell, which was highly effective against enemies with strong defenses. It was also Komer’s first wave of attacks to test the ogres’ defensive capabilities.
A deafening roar, as if tearing through the sky, roared above the orcs. The magic that drew in the lightning elements from the sky delivered a tremendous impact, knocking the two orcs, who were probably facing such an attack for the first time, off their feet. Yet orcs were still orcs; although the lightning strike dealt them a heavy blow, it did not cause them any real harm. Their naturally resilient skin, which had some resistance to magic, provided strong protection against such ordinary spells. This not only failed to scare them but also immediately ignited fierce anger in the two orcs.