Black Hearted Mage

Chapter 127 Collapse 2

"Boom!"

There was only a muffled sound, deep and powerful. In the distance, birds in the swamp screamed and flew into the sky, quickly escaping into the distance.

As the dense magical energy surrounding the stone mountain dissipated without a trace, a deep, deep sound suddenly emanated from deep underground, as if a long-dormant beast were slowly awakening. Though the sound wasn't loud, it carried a terrifying power that made the hairs on your back stand on end.

"Oh!"

At the same time, the ground began to tremble slightly. At first, it was just a slight tremor, but then the vibrations became more and more noticeable. Each tremor was like someone beating a huge war drum underground, making a dull sound. Moreover, the sound gradually grew louder, and the amplitude of the vibrations also increased.

The underground tremors repeated again and again, occurring approximately every half a minute. Although the amplitude of each tremor was modest, its impact was immense. The emerald green weeds in the distant, muddy swamp surged like surging ocean waves, rising and falling, tumbling endlessly. These weeds, more than a man tall, swayed in the wind, colliding with each other, creating a rustling sound that blended with the trembling from the ground, creating a strange and terrifying scene.

After just a few minutes, the ground shaking suddenly intensified. From the originally modest rocky hill, rocks of all sizes continuously tumbled down the slope. Some were as big as fists, others as large as carriages. They slid down the hillside at a rapid speed, sending up clouds of dust. Some even smashed directly into the trees and grass at the foot of the hill, crushing them to pieces.

As the shaking continued, startling cracks began to appear on the mountain. These cracks crisscrossed and spread rapidly like a spider web. Furthermore, lines of varying depths and depths also appeared on the ground, some curved, some straight, resembling scars on the earth.

"Kaisas, let's run!"

Rad stood up in panic, his face pale and bloodless, with cold sweat dripping down his forehead. His eyes were wide open, filled with fear and despair. He shouted and involuntarily stepped back.

"Rad, don't be afraid. The tremor is only this strong. It will shatter all the rocks underground and completely bury the underground passage. We are safe here!"

Seeing Rad's startled appearance, like a frightened rabbit, Caesars finally couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. The laughter echoed in the air, as if bringing a bit of relaxation to the tense atmosphere.

Hearing the laughter, Rad turned to look at Caesar awkwardly, but quickly shifted his gaze back to the stone mountain in front of him. He first carefully observed the towering stone mountain, then carefully moved his buttocks and sat back on the soft animal skin beneath him.

At this moment, the ground suddenly shook violently! With each tremor, the rocky mountain began to slowly collapse, as if being kneaded by an invisible giant hand. The originally towering mountain gradually became low and shaky.

A deep gully was slowly forming, stretching from the southern side of the rocky mountain to the distant muddy swamp. It was as if the earth had opened its massive mouth, wanting to devour everything that approached it. Vast tracts of weeds were uprooted, and waves of foul-smelling black mud surged into the gully like a flood.

Witnessing this scene, Caesars knew full well that the underground passage deep beneath the earth had already begun to collapse. The hard rubble would roll down like an avalanche, quickly filling the entire underground cavity. Meanwhile, the ever-increasing mud would flow through the cracks between the rubble, gradually filling the entire space.

Time passed minute by minute, the tremors continued. After about an hour, everything finally calmed down, and the heart-pounding vibrations completely stopped. The inestimable scroll of forbidden spells had also successfully completed its mission.

Looking back at the stone mountain, where was it now? Where was the mountain still there? It had long since been reduced to a pile of rubble, completely devoid of its original appearance.

"It's over! Rad, go back. Liv and I are going to the Yellowstone Mountains."

"Caesars, what are you doing in the Yellowstone Mountains?" The gray-haired Rad stood up and asked curiously.

"We're going to cross the mountains and the Gravel Kingdom. We're going to buy puff pastry and cheese, and we can also pick some high-quality herbs along the way. We should be back in ten days!"

When Rad heard they were about to cross the mountains to reach the Stone Kingdom, he stared at Caesars and Liv with wide eyes, his face filled with disbelief, convinced they were crazy. Yellowstone Mountain was so steep, with no visible path, that climbing it was practically impossible! However, Rad didn't question their decision too much, as he had more important matters to attend to—his students were anxiously awaiting his return.

Rad boarded his beautifully decorated carriage, and the wheels slowly rolled away, gradually disappearing into the distance. Meanwhile, Caesars and Liv headed towards the towering Yellowstone Mountain in the east, which reached the sky.

In the bustling city of Violet, as night quietly fell yesterday, a mysterious demonic assassin, like a ghost, infiltrated Count Leonard's mansion. Unfortunately, the assassin's luck was terrible. The moment he entered the mansion, he was ambushed by shadow warriors. These shadow warriors, nimble and coordinated, instantly defeated the demonic assassin, leaving him defenseless. Ultimately, the poor demonic assassin was knocked unconscious, bound like a lamb to the slaughter, and taken to the crater. There, he would face a brutal and horrific experiment. Crassus, the mastermind, would not let him off easily and would drain every last drop of his blood.

A few days later, it was a sunny morning with a gentle breeze.

Several luxurious carriages, inlaid with golden emblems, rolled into Violet City in a grand procession. The Grand Duke of the Roland Empire had arrived. This prominent figure had chosen a very low profile for this trip, traveling with only a hundred or so fully armed elite guards.

The arrival of the Grand Duke of the Roland Empire had already stirred a great deal of excitement within the noble alliance of Violet City. Although Solomon was the Grand Duke of the Roland Empire, his status and position completely overwhelmed them. Besides being the Grand Duke, he also commanded the Second Legion of the Roland Empire, making him a truly powerful noble.

In this magnificent Violet City, people were whispering and discussing the renowned Grand Duke of the Roland Empire. Just as this heated discussion was surging like a tide, another piece of shocking news spread throughout the city like thunder.

The extremely stingy Count Ronald had unfortunately contracted a severe case of dementia, and according to reliable sources, he was already terminally ill, with no hope of recovery. This sudden change plunged the entire city into an uproar.

At that moment, several richly decorated carriages slowly rolled through the streets. The spy chief, seated inside, peered out the window and saw the streets crammed with nobles and commoners watching the excitement, but not a single person to greet them. He cursed bitterly, "These damned country nobles—a bunch of uneducated, undisciplined people! The Duke arrives in town, and there's not even anyone to greet him!"

However, in stark contrast to the spy chief's fury, Solomon, sitting nearby, appeared quite calm. He frowned slightly and said softly, "Carlos, we're here to handle serious matters, not to enjoy the sights. Let's head directly to Count Leonard's mansion and first pay a visit to that poor, demented Count. All I need to do is show proper etiquette and grace. Once we're settled into the mansion, those rural nobles will realize their impoliteness and will surely line up to pay us a visit, bearing gifts."

Duke Solomon stroked his beard and smiled faintly at the spy chief. He knew the people in the Noble Alliance well. While they appeared to be watching, they were deeply anxious. Given the Roland Empire's strength, reclaiming the Violet Alliance would be a piece of cake. The Saint Roland Empire was the real threat.

"Solomon, are you so sure?" the spy chief asked.

"Carlos, you're a good source of information, but you don't know the thoughts of those rural nobles as well as I do. Caesars isn't in Violet City right now, so we'll probably have to wait a day or two!"

As Duke Solomon spoke, the carriage had already arrived at its destination—County Leonard's Mansion. As the carriage entered the garden castle, the latest news about the Grand Duke spread through various channels throughout Violet City.

At the magnificent castle gate, sunlight shone on the ancient, heavy stone walls, casting dappled shadows. Kashiqi, clad in a gorgeous long dress, stood gracefully. Beside her, the guards stood in unison, each with a solemn and respectful expression. They waited silently for the supremely distinguished Duke Solomon to alight from his carriage.

Finally, the extravagantly decorated carriage slowly came to a stop. The door gently opened, and a majestic figure appeared before everyone—it was Duke Solomon. He was dressed in a formal suit of black and gold, meticulously tailored and crafted from the finest materials. It was inlaid with dazzling gems and gold thread, gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight.

Duke Solomon's gaze was as sharp as a torch as he slowly scanned the figures who greeted him, his eyes revealing a kind of majesty without anger. These people all came from the prestigious Solomon family, and each of their faces was filled with reverence and awe.

"Greetings, Your Excellency the Duke!" Kashiqi was the first to speak in a clear and loud voice, and at the same time she bowed slightly to show her respect to the Duke.

Seeing this, others followed suit and shouted in unison: "Greetings to the Duke!"

Duke Solomon nodded slightly, then stepped out of the carriage with steady, powerful steps. Each of his steps seemed to contain boundless power, inspiring awe.

"Let's go in and talk." Duke Solomon said briefly, his tone calm but unquestionable.

"Grandfather, please!" Kashiqi hurriedly stepped forward, stretched out her hand in a gesture of invitation, and led Duke Solomon into the castle.

The group ascended the spacious staircase and soon arrived at a luxurious and elegant living room. The living room was beautifully decorated, with exquisite paintings hanging on the walls, soft, thick carpets covering the floor, and a variety of valuable furniture and decorations placed around the room. Just then, several maids in uniform glided in, carrying trays filled with steaming, freshly brewed tea and a few exquisitely prepared snacks.

Kashiki smiled and nodded to the maids, then waved gently. After receiving the instructions, the servants and guards filed out and quickly left the living room, leaving only Duke Solomon, Kashiki, and the others.

"Delong, you should go out too."

Duke Solomon turned to his personal guards and gave them a calm instruction. A burly guard commander, wearing composite leather armor, immediately responded, "Yes, Your Excellency!" He then turned and walked towards the castle gate.

In the spacious living room, only the masked spy chief, the smiling Duke Solomon, and Cassi, who was about to report, remained. As for the dazed Count Leonard, no one really went to visit him.

"Kasqi, was a very powerful assassin captured here yesterday?" asked Duke Solomon.

"Yes, he's from a secret force that Leonard is colluding with. He's very strong against us, but very weak against the people from the Thorn Flower Trading Company."

As Kashiqi finished speaking, the spy chief nodded repeatedly. He was well aware of the strength of the Thorn Flower Trading Company. He had once challenged Ocus without knowing his own limitations, but was subdued in a single round.

"Who is the other party?" asked the spy chief.

Kasiqi replied, "It's the Demonic Tribe. The Thorn Flower Trading Company told us not to worry about it. The Demonic Tribe will find a way to clean it up!"

"Demon? Carlos, have you ever heard of this name?"

"no!"

Upon hearing Kashiqi's answer, Duke Solomon looked bewildered, and the spy chief was also bewildered. They had never heard of this term before, and they had no idea what kind of power the Demonic Race was.

"What does that demonic assassin look like?" Duke Solomon asked.

"I didn't see it either. The demon had just sneaked into the castle garden when he was ambushed by people from the Thorn Flower Trading Company. He was knocked unconscious before he could even resist!"