Chapter 20: A Battle That Shook the World (3)

If Komer approached this battle with mixed feelings, Umma was filled with eager anticipation.
The alliance between the Wind Riders and the Inquisition? To Umma, who had long lived in the darkness, this was nothing short of a blessing. She certainly wouldn’t forget why she had waited for three hundred years in that gloomy place at Damorensk Fortress—the suffering inflicted upon her by the Light Church. She longed for revenge a hundredfold.
However, Komer’s initial strategy of restraint forced Umma to suppress her desire for revenge, and the fact that her true form had yet to find a more suitable vessel was another major constraint preventing her from acting freely.
But now, it seemed all those problems no longer existed. Elena’s body was almost entirely saturated with her own dark power. Aside from that tiny spark of light, her entire body had transformed into a dark magical form. Moreover, the original light sacred energy within Elena’s body, after being eroded by dark forces, had given rise to a strange new power—one that combined the corrosive effects of darkness with the penetrating power of light. This made it particularly effective against ordinary elemental magic.
With this body, Umma’s joy was indescribable. Although Komer warned her that she might never be able to extinguish that tiny spark of light, Umma didn’t believe his warnings. She had all the time in the world.
She could also sense that the faint flame of light within her was almost completely dormant. No matter how much temptation came from the outside, that flame couldn’t be reignited. Umma even deliberately had the Holy Maiden of Lome use healing magic to enhance her body, hoping to observe any changes in that flame of light, but the result remained utterly silent.
Only after obtaining this result did Umma’s heart finally settle. Now that the Light Church was offering her such an opportunity, how could she possibly give it up so easily? Especially on Damorensk Fortress, her own domain, she had every reason and strength to deliver a true baptism to these arrogant hypocrites, showing them that followers of the Dark God also possessed the power to rule this world.

Of course, before that, Umma also needed to make full preparations. The Wind Riders had already gained fame across the continent three hundred years ago. Back then, they were not only pioneers in fighting evil but also the top killers against the dark forces. Now, with the Church of Light at its peak for three hundred years, one could imagine just how powerful the Wind Riders had become. The slightest slackness or negligence could lead to disaster. Umma did not want Komer to make the same mistakes as King Kenif III in the past, and she certainly would not repeat those errors herself.

Looking at the gloomy passageways, each spot soaked with her tears and sweat, she thought about how, for three hundred years, she had wandered here like a headless fly. At this moment, Umma’s heart suddenly felt incredibly peaceful. Though lonely, this place always gave her a sense of safety and tranquility. It was the only true home she had. And now it was time for her to mobilize all her strength to defend it.

It was time to open this underground world. Umma scanned every corner of the space, aware of what lay hidden behind each dark restriction. Besides various ancient dark and necromantic spells, many spaces concealed exotic magical beasts that were beyond human control. Over the centuries, most of these beasts had died, but the souls of the higher-tier ones had transformed into ethereal forms under special restrictions—what were known as necromantic beasts!

Umma had only gradually uncovered these secrets in recent decades. She wasn’t particularly interested in controlling such necromantic beasts and only unlocked two space restrictions out of boredom, creating two such ethereal beasts: the Single-Clawed Flying Dragon and the Demon Ape.

Although she had created these two beasts, her own ethereal body had never acquired a true original form. As a result, they could only operate within the dungeons of Damorlesk Castle. Otherwise, once outside the dungeons, Umma wasn’t sure if she could fully control such terrifying creatures.

But now, all those restrictions no longer existed. With Elena’s body, Umma no longer had to worry about her own strength. She could even use dark magic to nourish the two ethereal beasts, restoring and enhancing their wisdom and spiritual power to reach a higher level.

A greenish, dim spell flashed through the dark space, and a vague ripple arose in the silent darkness—a sign that the space was being opened. Umma waited quietly.

The long-sealed space was opened again. Would what emerged be demons or angels?

A grayish-white light flashed by, suddenly flying to mid-air just three meters away from Uma before hovering there motionless. With its dark gaze fixed on Uma, it seemed to be identifying her. After a long while, this eerie flying dragon vanished in an instant, disappearing into the darkness.

Uma breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that despite decades passing, this ethereal flying dragon had not forgotten her. Once the necrotic mark was embedded in its soul, it would follow her forever.

The heavy footsteps sounded sluggish, but if you listened closely, you could hear the rhythm accelerating, becoming lighter and lighter, until it turned into a strange, soundless motion.

A three-meter-tall hairy giant ape appeared at the end of the corridor. Its dull and ferocious gaze seemed not yet fully awake from its slumber in darkness. With hands reaching past its knees and slightly bent legs, along with a thick, long tail, its stark white teeth and crimson gums were exposed, as if savoring the taste of freedom.

A demon ape.

Upon spotting its target, the demon ape became extremely agile. In the blink of an eye, it crawled in front of Uma using all four limbs. Its terrifying face appeared before Uma in an instant, causing her to feel disgusted.

The demon ape’s massive body trembled violently, as if suddenly sensing the familiar presence of its target. Its dull and fierce gaze softened. Uma gently pointed, and a black mist penetrated the ape’s brain. Its body trembled again, but its gaze became clearer, almost human-like.

Good, Uma thought with satisfaction. Everything is ready!