Black Hearted Mage

Chapter 170: Gravel Castle 2

On the bumpy and swaying carriage, Caesars was full of curiosity and asked around about Geralt's various deeds. As the two little girls continued to talk, the old mercenary's face turned red, and when he heard about Geralt's shocking family situation, the old mercenary's ears turned redder.

It turns out Geralt's wife was once a seasoned mercenary! Furthermore, she was renowned for her incredible strength, particularly her skill with a shield, making her a formidable shield warrior. It's no wonder, then, that even at home, Geralt occasionally suffered from his own brutal attacks.

Not long after leaving the bustling city of Abel, Caesars was surprised to discover a towering, imposing stone mountain rising in the distance to the southeast, resembling a city wall. These mountains had clearly been mined on a large scale, with countless high-quality stones being continuously transported away to build the incredibly solid rubble fortress and the embankment of the winding Emerald River.

Due to the long-standing military threat from the Saint Laurent Empire, the riverbank on the Roland Empire's side naturally dared not neglect it in the slightest, its height far exceeding ordinary people's imagination. This towering line of defense seemed like an indestructible barrier, firmly blocking out any potential invading enemies.

The imposing, breathtaking war fortress, the Rubblestone Fort, nestled snugly against the stone mountain. This behemoth, so vast it rivaled the size of a small city, rested upon a massive stone platform over ten meters high. This section, deliberately preserved during the quarrying of the mountain's rock, was intended to provide a solid foundation for this crucial strategic fortress.

The rubble fort itself reached a staggering height of over 40 meters. If the height of the platform is included, the total height of the entire structure exceeds 50 meters. From a distance, this imposing fortress resembled a ferocious beast resting on the ground, emitting a chilling aura of majesty.

Rodman's home was three or four miles east of Gravel Castle. It was a large village, enclosed by a six- or seven-meter-high stone wall. The houses were built in a strange style. They were two-story huts built of huge stones, with narrow doors and windows, requiring one to stoop to enter or exit.

"Geralt, why is your house built like this?" Caesar walked towards the carriage and asked, looking at the house with a strange style.

"Kaisas, the people in our village are all descendants of the soldiers who guarded the Stonebreak Fort. Ever since the Saint Roland Empire was established, they have been harassing the Roland Empire whenever they have the chance. We are closest to the border, and we are also the most unlucky, so our houses must be sturdy and easy to defend but difficult to attack!"

After Geralt's explanation, Caesar finally understood the reason. The Saint Laurent Empire was a cancer on the Roland Continent, constantly preparing for expansion. The Saint Laurent Church studied demonic creatures, creating extremely terrifying ghouls and aberrations.

The door of the stone house was opened from the inside, and a figure in a linen dress came out. He was tall and strong, with his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, and started yelling at Geralt.

"Geralt, you damn bastard, why did you come back today? Are all the fruits sold out?"

"Dear Mary, my dearest child, the fruit is all sold, even the fruit on the tree. Look, I have brought back the buyers!"

Mary was half a head taller than Geralt, and she was glaring at him. Hearing Geralt's disgusting tone, Caesar felt goosebumps all over his body.

"Shirley, Fili, is that so?"

Mary asked her two daughters. She didn't trust Geralt very much.

"It's like this, mother. The wizard wants to buy all our fruits, so let father live on the fruit tree today. I've had a runny nose all day!" The youngest girl, Fili, said while sniffing.

"Damn it, Geralt! You pushed my little Fili out of the bed! You'll be picking fruit tomorrow morning!"

Mary looked at Caesar and Liv, a smile on her face as she spoke, "You're Caesar. That bastard has told me about you several times. You're the young black-haired magician. That time when you were exploring the abandoned mines of the Violet Alliance, you got over a thousand gold coins and bragged about it for days!"

"Geralt, did you get more than a thousand gold coins that time? I don't remember it being that much!" Caesars asked with some confusion.

"I hid a few high-level magic crystals and didn't take them out at that time!" Geralt explained a little embarrassedly.

Caesar looked at Geralt with contempt. This old guy was really scheming.

"Geralt, it's not like I didn't give you the gold coins, so why did you hide the high-level magic crystals?"

"Kaisas, if one person takes too much gold, what will the other members of the mercenary team think? The best option is to make a fortune quietly!"

Geralt's explanation made Caesar nod repeatedly. The most difficult thing to understand in this world is the human heart. The enemy in front of you is not to be feared; the knife in the back is the most terrifying. Therefore, Caesar adhered to the teachings of his ancestors and tried not to establish close relationships with humans. Just like when he traded golden ginseng with Solomon, he only wanted the magic crystal and would leave as soon as the transaction was completed.

Because the walls are more than two feet thick, this stone hut seems a bit narrow. There are no extra empty rooms in Geralt's house, only a room for storing miscellaneous items.

In the largest living room, there is a small wooden round table that can only accommodate seven or eight people dining at the same time.

"Geralt, why don't you build your house bigger?" Caesar asked after observing it for a while.

"Kaisas, our house is primarily made of stone. The larger the house, the heavier the roof, so it needs to be reinforced with thick wood. By the way, to prevent leaks and to block the flow of flaming oil, the roof is covered with two layers of stone slabs over an inch thick, with a layer of clay between them."

After hearing Geralt's explanation, Caesars looked at the thick wooden beams, which were indeed paved with smooth stone slabs. Stone floors, stone roofs, and solid stone walls were all designed to prevent attacks from the Saint Laurents and protect his family.

After the not-so-sumptuous dinner, Caesars also discovered something. Geralt's appetite was not big, but his wife and two daughters were very good eaters. The three of them ate a large pot of stew.

"Geralt, can you enter Stonecrush?"

After dinner, outside the small stone house, Caesar chatted with Geralt.

"You can go in, but why? Gravel Castle is much more secure now than usual. The defenses are extremely tight, and you'll probably be searched if you go in. I heard that Hawkeye's spy chief is there, and there's even a duke in charge of Gravel Castle!"

"Which Duke?"

"It seems to be Duke Solomon of the Iron Triangle of Power!"

"This is the first time I've heard of the Iron Triangle of Power. Who are they?"

"The sinister and cunning old emperor, Duke Solomon who holds military power, and the spy chief who controls all kinds of information!"

"I'm going to Stonebreak Castle tomorrow and staying in a spacious house for a few days. I'll also practice some magic!"

"Kaisas, don't do anything rash. The defenses of Gravel Castle are tighter than those of Fire Maple City. The people there only recognize tokens and won't let you in!"

"Then pick the fruit early tomorrow, and take me to Gravel Castle when you're done!"

"Go tomorrow afternoon!"

Geralt thought for a moment, then nodded.

The night was as dark as thick ink, deep and silent. Geralt, dragging his slightly exhausted body, slowly returned to the stone house. The room was dim, with only a few rays of moonlight filtering through the narrow window, casting patches of pale light onto the ground.

In the open space outside the house, Caesars and Liv were setting up their respective tents made of hard armor leather. Just as they were about to finish and lie down to rest, a sudden, crisp cracking sound shattered the quiet of the night. It was the sound of something extremely fragile being roughly kneaded and crushed.

"Enemy attack!" Accompanied by a terrified cry, the shrill sirens came from far away and then approached. In an instant, the originally calm and peaceful atmosphere was instantly replaced by tension and fear.

Everyone in the big village was on edge, realizing that danger was approaching.

Almost immediately, behind Caesars, he heard the dull sound of falling rocks. He hurriedly turned to look, only to see that the previously open doors and windows of the hut were now tightly sealed with large and small stones. Furthermore, looking around, he discovered that every household seemed to have suffered the same fate, and the entire area was plunged into chaos and panic.

"Liv, pack up the tent! They must be the Saint Laurent Empire!" Caesars shouted anxiously. He frantically began to put the tent he had just pitched back into his space ring. However, when he turned around again, he was shocked to find that Liv and the tent had vanished without a trace.

At this moment, the situation was becoming increasingly critical, leaving Caesars no time for reflection. He quickly cast a series of buffs on himself: strength-enhancing spells, agility-boosting spells, defensive spells... Then, just to be on the safe side, he cast an invisibility spell on himself, hoping to avoid the enemy's sight and find an opportunity to strike back.

In the dim moonlight of the night, thanks to the blessing of the dark vision spell, Caesar's sight was able to see everything clearly. In the distance, he could see houses made of solid stone. However, apart from these cold and solid buildings, there was no trace of any other human activity around.

At that moment, a subtle, almost inaudible sound reached Caesar's ears, gradually approaching his direction. Drawing on years of experience and keen intuition, Caesar instantly guessed the identity of the newcomer—it must be a stealth stalker skilled in stealth and assassination!

Kaisas didn't have a powerful reconnaissance skill like Eagle Vision, so he couldn't clearly see the specific location of the enemy hiding in the dark. He could only use his magic tentacles to carefully explore the surrounding environment, trying to catch the trace of the stalker.

Time slipped away like sand in an hourglass, making Caesars increasingly nervous. His invisibility spell only lasted two minutes. If he couldn't locate the enemy and strike back within that time, then once the invisibility wore off, he'd lose his chance to ambush them.

As the seconds ticked by, the two-minute deadline was rapidly approaching. After a relentless search, Caesars successfully located three stalkers, now within sight. There were undoubtedly far more stalkers lurking in the village than just these few, but at this moment, his invisibility was about to fail.

Without hesitation, Caesars raised the Death Staff, emitting a mysterious black light. Instantly, an immensely powerful dark magic burst forth from the tip of the staff, coalescing into a surging dark shockwave. With Caesars' position as its center, a terrifying circular shockwave rapidly spread out in all directions like a wild horse unleashed. The roar it evoked was immense, like the roar of a ferocious beast.

Three masked figures wearing leather armor were blown away by the shock wave. One of the stalkers flew more than 20 meters away, and the other two crashed directly into the wall of the stone house. Just by listening to the huge impact sound, it was clear that they were either dead or disabled.

A death coil accurately hit the stealth fighter who was about to stand up. Kaesas would not let him escape. How much gold coins is this exquisite magic pattern leather armor worth?

The rogue let out a shrill scream, Death Coil was destroying his vitality and wearing away his body. Kaesas was promoted to Grand Mage, and Death Coil was also promoted, with higher spell damage.

A chaotic sound of footsteps could be heard in the distance, and then over twenty people in pitch-black leather armor appeared. They all wore black masks, revealing only pairs of sharp, terrified eyes. They stood motionless, staring intently at Caesars not far away and his companions who were screaming miserably.

At this moment, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted at the top of their lungs, "Run! He's a dark magician!"

This shout was like thunder exploding in everyone's ears. The masked men turned around and ran away as if their butts were on fire.

Each of them moved with agility and swiftness, dashing towards the nearly eight-meter-high, solid wall. A series of crashing sounds followed, as the stalkers effortlessly scaled the seemingly indestructible wall. Another series of crackling sounds echoed from the wall, making Caesars curious about what had broken.

Looking at those quickly fleeing figures, Kaisas couldn't help but mutter, "Are dark magicians that scary?"

Liv, standing by, lifted her stealth mode, walked over to Kaisas, and whispered, "The reason they're so afraid of dark magicians is mainly because you have dark vision. It's also very simple to break their stealth mode. Just cast Illumination or Bright Light. Once the stealth mode is broken, it will take at least two minutes to re-enter stealth mode. Kaisas, you're not proficient enough in the spells you used in this battle. If you encounter a stalker, you should first cast Bright Light without hesitation to expose them, and then take the opportunity to launch a series of powerful spell attacks to bombard them. Although these guys are all high-level stalkers, they are a whole level lower than you in strength. If the spells are used properly, it won't be difficult to eliminate them all!"

After saying that, Liv smiled and patted Caesar's shoulder, her eyes full of encouragement.