One-Eyed Monster

Wizard Reed’s life and body were obliterated in the Evil Flame.

Unbeknownst to all, the Moonflow Stream on Guru Mountain regained its tranquility, yet an eerie atmosphere once again enveloped the mountain.

Both Kevin and Kuyi Tulan could clearly sense that the danger had not yet passed.

For one thing, the Moonflow Stream itself remained devoid of any moonlight, which was the greatest abnormality.

Moonflow Stream was never a typical place. This was because moonlight inexplicably cascaded down there regardless of the weather. Whether the sky was overcast or clear, the area always basked in moonlight. Even during the harshest winters, when snow fell incessantly all day long, moonlight would still radiate here.

Therefore, when there was neither moonlight nor song, it signified that something was abnormal.

The cause for this anomaly could be none other than the invasion of the Dark Force. The onslaught of the Dark Force had compromised the normality of this place. Moonlight and melody were no more, and a stifling silence pervaded.

The spot where the Evil Flame had burned was charred black, a stark contrast to the snow-covered landscape. Snow was still falling, but that blackened spot resembled a Black Hole, a bottomless one at that. No matter how fiercely the snowflakes fell, they could not cover that charred area; it seemed as if the blackness had devoured all the snow.

Everyone stared blankly at this charred piece of earth, all sharing a premonition that a more formidable enemy was about to emerge from it.

This premonition stemmed from their battle-hardened instincts, warning them that matters wouldn’t resolve so simply.

The Power of Darkness was invariably inscrutable. The fact that it had taken so many of them to deal with a single Dark Wizard was, frankly, quite pathetic.

But this was not the time for them to dwell on such sentiments. The uncertain reality prevented them from acting recklessly for the time being.

Even with Jemma and Joseph, they had no way of knowing what had truly transpired. No ability, whether Night Vision or reconnaissance, could decipher what the Death Wizard had done.

All they had witnessed was the Death Wizard tearing his body apart in an extremely cruel manner, then ending his own life in a flamboyant display. What exactly was the purpose of his actions? Was it really because of failure? But then, what was the meaning of that smile on his face?

Everyone fell into deep thought. They couldn’t comprehend the intentions of the Dark Force, nor did they know what they were about to face.

This feeling of uncertainty was the most unbearable. For a simple-minded person like Kevin, it was especially insufferable. They felt tormented and were better suited to a straightforward, satisfying fight.

Kadi looked at Igor. If Igor were conscious, he would likely have figured something out. Unfortunately, Igor still had his eyes closed, lost in his Inner World.

Actually, Kadi himself didn’t know that even if Igor were present, he would have been equally clueless about what had happened.

This was, after all, the Dark Force’s final trump card. Moreover, ordinary Dark Wizards wouldn’t use such a method unless forced into a desperate situation. This was a ploy used only in dire straits, and Wizard Reed had resorted to it only because he truly had no other way out.

Furthermore, this method was only found within the Dark Arts and had never before appeared in this world.

In other words, this was the first appearance of this dark Secret technique.

Even Wizard Reed, the one who performed it, was likely unaware of the actual effects of this Secret technique.

Everyone was watching and waiting. Though they didn’t know what they were waiting for, their instincts told them something was definitely going to happen.

They couldn’t tell if this feeling was anticipation or something else. They just knew something was about to happen, but as for themselves, they didn’t know whether they hoped for it to happen or not...

This truly was a contradictory state of mind, making them very uncomfortable.

However, they could only wait restlessly, burdened by such ambivalent emotions.

Wizard Reed’s life had indeed ended, but he hadn’t gone directly to the Eternal Tranquility Realm. He had experienced similar situations many times before; he was a man devoted and loyal to the Dark Arts, and nothing could stop his obsession with them.

Now, most of his consciousness had followed his long-disintegrated body to an unknown place. Perhaps that place was the Eternal Tranquility Realm, perhaps not—he had no idea about this. He only knew that place had given him new power.

Now, he was left with only a lingering remnant of his will. He only knew that he had to exchange it for power to deal with those who had pushed him into this desperate situation.

This lingering remnant of his will had sustained him until now. He had forgotten who he was, forgotten what this place was, and forgotten what he, as Wizard Reed, was supposed to do…

That remaining trace of his consciousness was merely a desire for revenge. This desire told him to completely eliminate everyone on the mountain before him.

This lingering remnant of his will wanted to let everyone know that in a land invaded by darkness, there was no such thing as survival. He would Devour everyone, merging them into this darkness, leaving not a sliver of a chance to live.

Let the earth tremble! Let this sky grow dim! Let the entire world fall into despair! Everything will become insignificant before power; everything will vanish like smoke.

Only when everything returns to tranquility will this world understand what the Power of Darkness truly is.

This lingering remnant of Wizard Reed’s will grew arrogant. Because what remained was the desire for revenge, a reckless madness. Regardless of how much of Wizard Reed’s memories he possessed, at this moment, he was drawing upon the boons of darkness. His power was continuously rising, becoming greater and stronger, about to reach its peak.

This must be the Energy obtained from sacrificing my own life! Even without a physical body, his lingering will could sense the formidable nature of this power. This strength… it can no longer be described merely as ’crushing.’ It’s like a human facing an Insect Worm. Against an Insect Worm, a human needs no effort, no thought; a mere flick of a finger could obliterate it, leaving not even bones behind… Such power needs no further description!

Fueled by this realization, the lingering remnant of Wizard Reed’s will became even more conceited.

HEH HEH HEH… HA HA HA…

It was Wizard Reed’s signature maniacal laughter, echoing through the mountains once again.

The people on the mountain couldn’t see where the owner of the laughter was, but they could all experience the familiar feeling this laughter brought.

This feeling was complex because it meant they were about to fall into a bitter battle again. Although it was something they were unwilling to face, it was happening, and there was no way around it. Furthermore, this familiar feeling gave them a sense of acceptance—what was to come had finally come. There was no longer a need to worry about even worse situations.