Black Hearted Mage

Chapter 267 Tunnel 3

The photos Puppy brought back showed a group of about three hundred people. The majority, about two hundred, were guards in leather armor. The number of magicians was relatively small, only five or six. The rest were muscular warriors, tasked with digging tunnels and transporting rubble.

Thanks to the powerful acid, the Saint Laurents were digging the tunnel at a remarkable speed. However, just as everything was going smoothly, a vicious dog suddenly appeared and completely disrupted the entire excavation plan. This vicious dog was not only extremely ferocious, but also seemed to have no fear of the strong acid.

Under the vicious dog's rampage, the storage ring containing strong acid and other magical materials was lost, and even the precious magic crystal was not spared. Worse still, even the senior alchemist was seriously injured in the fight with the vicious dog and became disabled.

"That vicious dog isn't afraid of acid! It's definitely a high-level fire-type monster!"

In the open space outside the tunnel, the old mage's forehead was covered in sweat from the pain. Half of his palm had been bitten off, and blood continued to flow from the wound. Not only that, his storage ring, which contained all his healing potions and important items, was also lost in the chaos.

Faced with such a serious injury, the old wizard was no longer able to use conventional treatment methods. In desperation, he could only drink intermediate healing potions and use some paralysis poisons commonly used by assassins to temporarily relieve the pain.

"Master Ximan, more than 30 of our people were injured. They were all hit by that vicious dog!" a guard reported anxiously.

"I know the origin of that vicious dog. It is the battle pet of the new great magician, Caesars!" said the old wizard gritting his teeth.

"That's the correct answer!"

As soon as the old wizard Ximan finished speaking, a very abrupt voice came from not far away. This voice seemed to come from hell, making people shudder.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a figure standing on a high wall not far away. It was a very young man, dressed in a silver-gray magic robe, holding a transparent dragon blood wood staff. In the sunlight, the staff shone with a faint red light, as if dyed with blood.

What was even more surprising was that the guards who were supposed to be guarding the high walls had disappeared. And the vicious dog that had frightened Ximan was standing obediently beside the visitor, as if it was not a ferocious dog, but a docile puppy.

The newcomer exuded a powerful aura, and the old wizard could feel that he was definitely a very powerful magician.

Ximan stared at the newcomer and noticed that the magic badge he was wearing was very special. It was a silver badge with some strange magic patterns engraved on it. Ximan seemed to have never seen such a badge before, which made him even more curious about the newcomer's identity.

"Are you Caesars?"

Ximan looked at the newcomer in confusion. He couldn't believe that such a young person could be the new great magician.

"You got it right, but not only will there be no reward, I will also kill you!"

Caesar's voice was cold and ruthless, and his words were like a sharp sword, piercing Ximan's heart.

Ximan's face turned pale in an instant. He never thought that his answer would bring him fatal disaster.

As Caesar spoke, he began to cast a spell rapidly. His movements were as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest hesitation. The dragon-bloodwood staff in his hand trembled slightly, and a powerful magical power gushed out from it.

To ensure his loot arrives unscathed, Kaesus must choose his spells carefully. While powerful, Corruption spells would irreversibly damage the precious loot and must be avoided. Similarly, Shadow Bolt and other dark spells are ruled out, as they create a bloody, brutal scene and stain leather armor, making them look unappealing.

After careful consideration, Caesars finally decided to use the Curse of Pain and Life Siphon. The Curse of Pain was an extremely strange spell to most people. Caesars' hands flashed with gray-green magical light, and then this light struck the people of the Saint Laurent Empire with lightning speed. In an instant, the same magical light flashed on their bodies.

Then, a horrifying scene occurred—those struck by the painful curse suddenly began to let out heart-wrenching screams. The sound seemed to penetrate one's soul, making people shudder.

At that moment, the puppy leaped down from the high wall, landing steadily and nimbly at the only entrance, blocking the enemy's path with its body. Under the puppy's fur, high-level magic patterns loomed, emitting a blazing, dazzling red light, as if warning anyone who tried to approach.

Curse of Pain, as an instantaneous spell, consumed much less mana than Shadow Bolt. In just a few breaths, dozens of people collapsed in agony, losing the ability to resist.

Faced with such a horrific scene, the remaining people were terrified and fled in all directions, trying to find a way to survive. Among them, the old wizard who escaped the fastest chose to escape into the tunnel without hesitation, hoping to escape from Caesar's pursuit.

With an expressionless face, Caesars continued to clear out the people outside. His movements were swift and decisive, and each spell could take a life. After a few minutes, he finally stood at the entrance of the tunnel. The surroundings were dead silent, with only his breathing echoing.

He stood there quietly, waiting for the Soul Gem to absorb soul energy. At the level of a magician, his need for soul energy became greater and greater, and this Soul Gem was the key to his energy acquisition.

"You damn dog, guard the tunnel entrance and don't let them get out!"

Caesars shouted to the dog beside him. The dog seemed to understand his words and immediately squatted at the entrance of the tunnel, looking at the dim passage vigilantly.

Kaisas took out the soul gem that was emitting white light from his arms. It could no longer absorb the surrounding soul energy. He also took out a handful of dried meat from his backpack and threw it casually in front of the puppy.

Then, he slowly sat aside, holding the Soul Gem tightly in his hand, and began to slowly absorb the soul energy within. As the energy flowed, his body was gradually enveloped by a layer of faint light, and his breathing became steady and deep.

As Caesars began to absorb soul energy, an indescribable feeling of joy washed over him like a tide. It felt as if every cell in his body was cheering and every pore was breathing freely, immersing his body and mind in a state of extreme pleasure.

However, as he repeated this process over and over, the feeling of extreme comfort gradually weakened. Despite this, the feeling of itching in his bones was still intoxicating, like an irresistible temptation that made him unable to stop.

Old Ethan had once sternly warned Caesars that a mage could only absorb soul energy three times a month, and even if promoted to Grand Mage, the upper limit could not exceed five times. This was because excessive absorption of soul energy could cause serious damage to the body and mind, and could even lead to irreversible consequences.

A quarter of an hour passed, and Caesars, feeling relaxed, finally came to his senses from this wonderful experience and slowly stood up. Every time he absorbed soul energy, he could clearly feel his mind becoming more agile, and his meditation speed would also slightly speed up.

Caesars stretched his body with satisfaction, then cast his gaze into the depths of the tunnel. He stared at the dark passage, which was only two meters wide and high, and seemed to have been dug according to the size of a carriage.

Caesar decided to cast a dark vision spell on himself so that he could see the road clearly in the darkness and see the enemies hiding inside. He whispered the spell, and a faint light flashed in his eyes. In an instant, the entire tunnel became clearly visible.

After making preparations, Caesars took a step forward and slowly walked into the tunnel. His footsteps echoed in the silent tunnel, as if awakening a long-dormant secret.

Of those hiding in the tunnel, the most powerful was undoubtedly the senior alchemist. However, he had suffered a serious injury—half of his hand was missing! This injury severely impacted his spellcasting ability, significantly diminishing his once formidable strength. Furthermore, his storage ring and staff, crucial items that had kept him alive, were also lost.

In contrast, the others hiding in the tunnels were either mid-level magicians or advanced melee professionals. Although they also possessed a certain level of strength, the threat they posed to Caesars was relatively small.

Just as Caesars cautiously advanced, a sudden, sharp, powerful "bang" echoed from the darkness. Caesars' heart tightened, and he quickly dodged to the side. Instantly, a thick crossbow bolt streaked towards him like lightning, piercing the tunnel wall and sending up a shower of sparks.

This sudden attack startled Caesar, his heartbeat accelerating. However, he didn't panic, instead reacting swiftly. Without hesitation, he cast several powerful light spells deep into the tunnel, instantly dispelling the surrounding darkness. Then, he turned and cast a flash spell, vanishing from the scene like a ghost.

However, just as he had gained his footing, another crossbow arrow whizzed past him like a meteor and landed more than 20 meters in front of him.

The range of a powerful crossbow far exceeds that of spells. The range of a general magician's spell is about 45 meters, while the range of a powerful crossbow can reach more than 80 meters.

Caesars walked quickly to where the crossbow bolt lay, picked it up, and examined it carefully. The arrow's tip was cast from magic steel, with armor-piercing and piercing patterns integrally formed on it, clearly meticulously crafted. To reduce the crossbow's weight and increase its range, the shaft was constructed from a type of wood. This wood was both lightweight and highly sturdy.

Looking at the crossbow in his hand, Caesars frowned slightly, pondering to himself. Judging from the frequency of the crossbow bolts, those people possessed at least two powerful magic steel crossbows. While a junior mage's magic shield could withstand a single crossbow bolt, facing two or more simultaneously would likely be somewhat overwhelmed.

Caesars quietly pondered his strategy. Even if he couldn't seize their loot, he couldn't let anyone in the tunnel escape alive. He quickly searched his space ring, which held over two hundred powerful alchemical bombs, half crafted by the elves and the other half he had crafted himself using explosive crystals.

When Caesar's eyes fell on the small box of alchemical potions provided by the Thorn Flower Trading Company, a brilliant idea suddenly flashed through his mind. He quickly reached out and took out two bottles of blue potion, and then he took out a milky white crystal bottle from the box. This bottle of potion emitted a faint glow, and seemed to contain some mysterious power.

Caesars took a deep breath, focused his mind, and began to cast a series of buff spells on himself. First, he cast Magic Shield, a transparent energy shield that emerged around his body, effectively resisting all magical attacks. Then, he cast Magic Armor, a layer of hard magic armor covering his skin, enhancing his defenses. Finally, he cast Arcane Shield, which absorbed a certain amount of damage and provided him with additional protection.

After completing the Swiftness spell, Caesars felt his body become lighter and more agile. Before setting off, he also cast an Invisibility spell on himself. This spell made him completely invisible for a certain period of time, making it difficult for opponents to detect his presence unless they had special detection methods.

After everything was ready, Caesars walked briskly into the depths of the tunnel. His steps were light and silent, as if blending in with the surroundings. When he reached the location of the first crossbow bolt, he deliberately slowed down his pace, trying not to make any noise.

With the blessing of darkvision, Caesar's vision became exceptionally clear. He could clearly see figures deep within the tunnel, busily constructing simple fortifications. They had piled rubble into a low wall as cover, and atop it were five powerful crossbows, their arrows flashing with a chilling light.

This number exceeded Caesar's expectations. He originally thought that the other party would only have two or three crossbows at most.

The invisibility spell could only last for two minutes. Caesars drank the milky white potion and threw the two bottles of blue potion with all his strength. He immediately turned around, cast the flash spell, and then ran quickly towards the tunnel entrance.

Two blue crystal bottles erupted in the air, emitting intense magical light. While the people at the end of the tunnel were puzzled, the old wizard sensed something was amiss.

Ximan shouted, "Quick, block the glowing things back!"