Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 1745 Nothing Yet

At the Empireʼs army camps, the situation was far less severe.

Although the soldiers there were similarly sleep-deprived and utterly exhausted, they didnʼt have to return to their tents after sunset and worry about assassins rising from the shadows and plunging a dagger into their necks.

They had been fighting the Unionʼs soldiers for a long time on this battlefield. By now, they had a general understanding of their enemyʼs capabilities.

In the beginning, the Union had sent several Magi to raid silently at night. However, all of them had been dealt with. Proper contingencies had been put in place to deal with anything similar.

Moreover, they were very certain that the Unionʼs assassin would never be on the level of the shadowkins. These devils could literally slip in and out of shadows, move vast distances unseen, and carry out assassinations.

Could the Union Magi do the same? Could any Magus on Tron do anything even remotely similar? The answer was clear to them.

So when they heard the alarm bells start to ring in the three camps across the battlefield, many of them couldnʼt help but snicker.

Security was still tightened in the Empireʼs camps, and soldiers patrolled the roads at regular intervals. Just because the other side didnʼt have assassins like the shadowkins, they didnʼt lower their guard.

How could they?

The other side had the Dark King, after all.

Just the presence of that one man was enough to put a colossal weight on their shoulders. The swift fashion in which he had killed several Mana Core Magi and hundreds of weaker Magi the other day was still fresh in their memories.

So, no. They did not let down their guard.

”Would you look at that?” An Empireʼs soldier on patrol paused and turned toward the south after hearing the warning bells ring in the enemyʼs camps.

”Serves them right!” said another.

”A few more nights like these, and weʼll be fighting sleepy weaklings during the daytime.”

”Not even the Dark King can save every one of them from the assassins. The camp sites are long and vast—”

”Hey, shut it!” An older soldier quickly grabbed him by the collar, glaring at him.

”W-What?”

The older soldierʼs eyes trembled. ”Donʼt take that manʼs name!”

”Who? The Dark—”

”I said shut the fuck up!” The old manʼs eyes turned bloodshot as sweat trickled down the side of his face.

He scanned the nearby surroundings and saw that everything was fine. Apart from him and his men, everything appeared normal.

Finally, he took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

”Never take his name!” he said to the soldier.

”B-But why?”

The old man sneered. ”They say he becomes aware of anyone who speaks his name. Youʼd do well to remember that, boy.”

”W-wait!” The young man panicked. ”I just spoke his name aloud. D-D-Does that mean…?”

The old soldier scoffed and turned around. ”Keep quiet and follow along.”

He and a few other soldiers turned around and resumed their patrol.

”Wait for me!” The young man quickly followed behind them, fear gripping his heart.

Long after the patrol group had left, the area slipped back into silence.

But soon, a faint hiss broke it.

It lingered for a moment… and was gone.

The shadows stirred faintly before everything returned to normal.

***

In the dark of the night, while the Unionʼs camps were thrown into chaos by the shadowkins, something subtle but sinister was brewing in the Empireʼs camps.

The Dark King had openly made his presence known in the heart of the Unionʼs army camp. So everyone knew where he was.

While everyoneʼs eyes were on him, he sent forth his serpents to the enemy camps.

So what if the enemy had assassins from hell? He had versatile serpents from the Coil.

The serpents, ranging from the Mana Foundation Rank to the Mana Vortex Rank, specialised in shadow magic. Although they were not as attuned to shadow magic as the shadowkins, they were skilled enough to travel through the shadows of the material world.

And so, they slipped into the Empireʼs camps, slythering through the shadows until they reached their destination.

All the shadowkins, including Rekan, were currently hiding in the shadows amid the Unionʼs camps, so the serpents were able to slip by unnoticed. It would be hard for even the Mana Core-level cultists to spot them.

Rekan was prowling in the darkness, waiting to strike the Dark King. That was exactly why Adam had made his presence known. It was to draw the leader of the shadowkins and ensure the devil didnʼt notice his own schemes.

Because if there was anyone who could sense his serpents, it was Rekan.

From the darkness, dozens of snakes slipped forward. They moved slowly and silently, their bodies gliding through the shadows, unseen beneath wagons and along the edges of the terrain.

One by one, they crossed the distance and reached the Empireʼs rear supply camps.

The guards never noticed, and the artifacts werenʼt equipped to pick up on traces of movements taking place inside shadows.

The snakes slid inside crates, under tent flaps, and along the stacked barrels. They coiled around sacks of grains, climbed onto storage racks, and dipped their fangs into water casks.

Venom spread quietly into the food and water supplies, leaving no trace but its effects. By the time they were done, the supplies looked unchanged.

The supplies were still in place. Only now they carried death within them.

Once their work was over, tiny, untraceable portals opened in the shadows, and they returned to the Coil.

***

Back in the Union campʼs main command tent, Adamʼs tenebrous eyes gleamed with a peculiar light. He straightened ever so slightly and looked northward.

”Did something happen?” Anna asked.

Several other commanders, who were discussing battle plans with him, turned toward him with solemn looks on their faces.

”No,” Adam whispered. ”Nothing happened.”

Nothing yet, he added inwardly.

Ever since the devils arrived on the battlefield, he had begun suspecting even his own shadow.

His cautious nature prevented him from saying anything valuable, fearing that the shadows might listen. He warned the other commanders about it as well. Thus, the most important details regarding any plans were shared through Mind Whisper.

He kept the matter of poisoning the enemyʼs supplies to himself. For now.

The poison would not affect the enemies immediately. But within the next few days, the results would become blatantly evident.

Then he would see which proved deadlier…

The shadowkins.

Or the serpents.