Chapter 10: Public Sentiment

The magic message spread quickly through Eve, who had been staying in the Caucasus. Upon receiving Eve’s message, those who had been wandering in the Cordillera Wasteland in search of the evil dragon’s lair immediately returned at top speed.

The evil dragon’s range of activity was extremely vast, and the Baden Gold Mountain Range was filled with towering peaks and cliffs. Finding its lair among these cliffs was like searching for a needle in a haystack unless one first detected the dragon’s presence. At that time, it seemed the evil dragon had disappeared into the Baden Gold Mountain Range, as if it had gone to play in the Abyssal Sea, rendering the formidable forces already assembled useless against it.

Not everyone was unaware of the drastic changes in the Caucasus. At least Xuro’s two other Patriarchs of the Great Abyssal Church had some vague sense of it. As the ruler tasked with reviving the Dark Holy Church, Komer had already been marked by Xuro with a special mental control spell. Although Xuro couldn’t fully track Komer’s movements, whenever something significant happened, the spell would promptly send feedback to him. Xuro believed Komer must have sensed this as well, though neither side had brought it up.

The chaos inside Damansky Fortress enraged everyone. The Inquisition of the Light Church might be an absolute authority that no mortal in the mundane world dared defy, but for this group of powerful allies—puppet mages, dark knights, dark believers, sleeping undead, and ice dragons—it was merely a formidable opponent. Though the Inquisition was strong, it wasn’t enough to make them flee. Even if they were at a disadvantage, such an aggressive provocation was beyond what these remnants of darkness and heretics could tolerate.

Especially for Uma, who had no qualms, she still hoped the heir to the Dark Dynasty could find her a better body to reshape herself in. Although the male body she currently inhabited was quite perfect, the gender difference made it hard for her to adapt. But this sudden blow filled her with rage.

“Hmph, what are you still thinking about? What else could there be to think about? It must be those damned Light thugs at work. Half-orc boy, you’re right—they must have kidnapped Komer. We must fight back with equal force!”

A gloomy voice echoed through the room. Only this mysterious and cold figure dared to call the judges of the tribunal thugs—a term that made even Eve shiver with fear. Who exactly were these people? Eve couldn’t see through any of them. Almost each of them possessed secret arts to conceal their true thoughts, making it impossible to understand their inner selves. It was certain they were not native Caucasians. How could Komer have befriended such a group of strange and peculiar individuals?

Being called a “half-orc boy” made Mahagumi feel uneasy, but upon seeing the opponent’s expressionless face and dark, profound gaze, he felt a chill run down his spine. He knew his master’s friends were all extremely powerful individuals capable of overturning the world; in front of them, he was as fragile as an ant.

“Mr. Uma, the situation isn’t that simple. The power of the Church of Light is far greater than we realize. Just Nojola and Lorenzo already possess the skills of archmages. In the holy city of the Church of Light, there are countless strong fighters. Either Archbishop Frenst or Vazinki is beyond our ability to deal with. Though I’m proud, I also know my limits. With Frenst or Vazinki’s strength, they could easily handle three magicians like me. Their light magic has reached the pinnacle, and Nojola and Lorenzo are hardly inferior to them. Moreover, there are many other strong fighters around them, each with strength comparable to ours.”

Mihajic’s expression grew grave. “There’s also the Pope of the Church of Light, who hasn’t appeared in public for a long time. He’s a figure almost like a god. We have no idea what level he’s reached, but one thing is certain—he’s certainly beyond the realm of archmages. As for whether he possesses the power of a sacred archmage, we can’t say.”

“You mean we simply can’t compete with those guys from the Church of Light?” Uma spat out the words through gritted teeth, his sinister tone chilling.

“Mr. Uma, I must admit that your magic power and skills are already quite remarkable. But never underestimate the Light Church—they have ruled the continent for hundreds of years, and it’s certainly not by chance. To be blunt, you might be able to compete with the two leaders of the Tribunal on your own, but I don’t think you’re strong enough to defeat the two archbishops.” Mihajevic wasn’t intimidated by the cold tone. As a fellow figure from the dark world, although he didn’t know Uma’s true identity, Uma’s resurrection magic couldn’t hide from him.

“Mr. Mihajevic, the Light Church is indeed powerful, but it’s not invincible. In the north and central parts of the continent, they may dominate unchallenged, but in the vast south, they can only struggle under pressure. Do you think that’s because they can’t cross that divide between north and south? No, that’s not it.” Xuro had to step in at this point. If these people firmly believed in the Light Church’s invincibility, it would undoubtedly affect many future events, and Xuro couldn’t tolerate such a mindset.

“Oh? Does Mr. Xuro think there are people in the south who can challenge those strongholds of the Light Church?” Mihajevic asked casually with a faint smile. Of course, he knew this man was connected to the dark forces in the south, but he wasn’t sure about their origins nor particularly interested in finding out. These people had gathered because of Komer, and with Komer missing, Mihajevic wasn’t sure if the group could still hold together.

“Mr. Mihajevic, what do you think? Do you think they don’t want their so-called holy light to spread to every corner of the continent?” Shaking his head, Xuro’s gentle expression overshadowed the deep darkness in his eyes. “They don’t have that strength yet. There are still people in this world who make them wary; they can’t do as they please.”

Mihajevic nodded thoughtfully and said nothing more. He didn’t want to argue further on this topic. At least he knew the true strength of the Light Church, but he was also curious about how powerful the forces of the dark world really were.

“What exactly are you people arguing about?” Shatima snapped angrily. “Is this the time to argue about how powerful the Church of Light is? What we need to do right now is find Komer—whether he was captured by those people from the Tribunal. That’s what needs to be determined first. Only once we know where he is can we move on. If he’s really gone, then why are we still standing here? Let’s just scatter and go our own ways.”

“Miss Shatima, according to our astrological observations, it seems Lord Komer wasn’t captured by the Tribunal. His current condition is quite strange, and we can’t yet determine exactly what’s happening to him. But he appears to be in the southeast direction from where we are, quite far away from the Caucasus.”

Xuro’s calm and firm response surprised everyone.

“You mean Komer wasn’t kidnapped by the Tribunal? Are you sure?” Uma’s eyes gleamed as she stared at him intently.

“I can’t pinpoint his exact location, but I’m sure he’s in the southeast direction from here. His vital signs are very faint, making it impossible to determine anything. It’s quite far away—at least three thousand li.” Xuro remained calm.

“Three thousand li? How is that possible? How could he be three thousand li away in just three days? Unless he can fly!” Shatima was equally incredulous.

“No, it’s not that he can fly. If Mr. Xuro’s astrological readings are accurate, the only possibility is that he’s been thrown into another dimension.” Uma’s voice was low. In fact, her intuition and forebodings had already told her that the young man who had inherited Emperor Kenifer’s dark powers would surely face a trial. Only by overcoming this trial could he truly inherit all of Emperor Kenifer’s powers. But what exactly this trial was, Uma didn’t know. Xuro’s words undoubtedly shed light on her doubts.

“Another dimension? Oh, then how can he return?” Almost everyone was shocked. Another dimension? That term was too unfamiliar and terrifying. Perhaps it was right beside them, accessible with just one step, or perhaps it was sealed in a world unreachable, with no chance of escape. Everyone knew that term represented uncertainty and the unknown, and an almost infinitesimally small possibility.

“If it’s true that we’ve been sealed into another dimension by someone from the Church of Light, then all our efforts are in vain. Even the people at the Tribunal don’t know what an alternate dimension really is—perhaps we can only describe it as long-term or permanent disappearance. We can’t place our hopes on that.” With a somber conclusion, Newman, as a magic caster with considerable knowledge of alternate dimensions, was undoubtedly the most authoritative voice. “The only thing we can do is wait and pray, praying for a miracle to happen.”
Everyone fell silent.
Where is Neko Mer now? What is he doing?