Black Hearted Mage

Chapter 270 Endless Forest

Caesars stood before the small stone house in Violet City, his shadow stretched long by the setting sun. The distant sky was tinged with a lavender haze. A few returning birds flew over the treetops, chirping sweetly. He took a deep breath, savoring the delicate fragrance of grass and trees, and his tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

Since his ascension to the rank of Magister, his sense of danger had become acutely acute. While the magic steel crossbows of Safin Castle wouldn't be aimed at him, the sense of uncontrolled threat still lingered. He hated the feeling—it was like a thorn stuck in his throat, unable to swallow or spit out. So, he stayed there for only two days before hastily leaving the Stonebreak Kingdom with Emilie.

Emily had returned to the small castle ahead, happily distributing the clothing and delicacies she had brought back from the Stone Kingdom to her family. Caesars could imagine the joy gleaming in her bright eyes, and a slight smile rose at the corners of his mouth. But then his thoughts returned to reality—he still had a "debt" to repay.

The rare herbs Fatty Dog had stolen from the crater had already caused widespread complaints among the elven alchemists. If he didn't replenish his supply quickly, he might be greeted with fierce glares instead of friendly greetings the next time he visited. While herbs in the Endless Forest were hard to find, finding them would not only offset his losses but also allow him to trade for magic crystals with the Roland Empire.

He lazily slid into the flame maple recliner, his fingertips gently stroking his space ring as he counted the inventory. The fire crystals piled up like a small mountain, enough for Fatty to squander for ten years. But his reserves of magic crystals made him frown—even if the amount he gained from this transaction was considerable, it would only last for eight or nine years at most. And if he successfully ascended to elemental mage, the rate of depletion would be even faster.

"You idiot, we have to go to the Endless Forest in a couple of days to look for herbs. They're the same ones you stole in the crater." He glanced at the plump puppy lying on the grass, his tone filled with helplessness. "These herbs can be exchanged for gold coins, and gold coins can buy more delicious food. Do you understand?"

The fat dog raised his eyelids lazily and hummed at him, obviously not interested in this proposal. Gold coins were meaningless to it, far less real than a piece of tender roast meat.

Kaisas had already figured out its intentions, and a sly smile appeared on his lips. "The magic rabbits in the Endless Forest are fat and tender. Peel off the skin, remove the internal organs, and slowly roast them over charcoal fire... Then sprinkle them with Master Kaisas's secret spices. Tsk, that taste..."

Before he finished speaking, the fat dog's eyes widened, its scarlet tongue drooped uncontrollably, and saliva dripped onto the grass. It rolled over and stood up, rubbing its furry head against Caesar's boots in a flattering manner, its tail wagging like a windmill.

"Oh, you greedy dog." Caesars reached out and rubbed its fluffy fur, a smile flashing in his eyes. "Don't worry, there are plenty of magical beasts in the Endless Forest, enough for you to eat in different ways every day."

The fat dog howled excitedly, as if it had smelled the aroma of barbecue. Caesars looked up at the darkening sky, mentally pondering his next move. The Endless Forest was fraught with danger, but for the magic crystal and this greedy fat dog, he had no choice.

A few days later, early in the morning, Caesars left Violet City and headed for the Endless Forest. He hadn't been idle during those few days, going to the market during the day to buy various ingredients and making over 300 kilograms of secret seasoning.

Starting from the west gate of Violet City, heading north along the broad limestone road, the scenery on both sides of the road gradually changed from fertile fields to barren wilderness. Further ahead was the northern foot of the ring mountain, a forbidden area that Violet City's chariot drivers would never dare to tread—the arrows of the elven rangers would never show mercy to intruders.

Shortly after leaving the city gate, Caesars unfurled his elemental wings. Dark elements coalesced into jet-black feathers behind him, carrying him across the wilderness to the northern crater. Landing, he retracted his magic power, his boots rustling softly as they stepped on the soft humus. From now on, he must proceed with caution. The Endless Forest was not a friendly place—low-level magical beasts lurked in the shadows, and deeper within, even supreme beasts teeming with threats worthy of the Magister lurked.

Rare herbs are almost impossible to find near the crater, having been plundered clean by the elven rangers. Caesar's target lies further west—the vast canyon that stretches for thousands of miles from north to south. Legend has it that tens of thousands of years ago, when the demons invaded Roland Continent, a devastating arcane explosion tore through the earth, creating a bottomless chasm that destroyed the elven capital and nearly wiped out the arcane elves. During the demonic invasion more than 10,000 years ago, a massive earthquake further altered the landscape, causing the chasm to collapse in sections, ultimately transforming into the present-day Grand Canyon.

Standing on the canyon's edge, Caesars squinted his eyes, peering across the canyon. Thick fog obscured his vision, making it impossible to gauge the canyon's width. He continued north along the cliff face. The map indicated a collapsed pass ahead, a path through the canyon. There, he found the herbs he needed, but also harbored dangerous swarms of mutant snakes.

"You dead dog, take a break first." Caesars stopped and patted the furry head of the puppy beside him. "There's a snake den ahead. I'll grill some snake meat for you later."

The puppy whined and wagged its short tail happily, seeming to be looking forward to dinner.

Caesars pulled a thick animal hide from his pack and spread it across the damp woodland. He then retrieved several magic crystals, preparing to restore his own magic. He pinned the Frost Crown emblem to his chest—a symbol of the authority of the Frost Crown, the Holy Magical Tower. The territory west of the Grand Canyon would save him from considerable trouble.

Over an hour later, sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting tiny specks of light through the gaps between the branches and leaves onto the damp earth. The puppy spun in circles restlessly, its paws pawing the ground nervously. From time to time, it would glance up at Caesars, who was still meditating with his eyes closed. A low whimpering sound would emanate from its throat, as if silently urging him on.

Finally, Caesars slowly opened his eyes, the dark halo of magic dissipating at his fingertips. He glanced at the puppy and said impatiently, "You idiot, why are you pushing me? It's because you're so heavy that I've wasted so much of my magic power." He stood up, casually rolled up the animal hides spread on the ground, and took out the blood-red dragon's bloodwood staff. While the all-metal Death Staff was powerful, holding it all day was tiring. In comparison, the dragon's bloodwood staff was light and comfortable, perfect for clearing away the dense grass.

He swung his staff, the tip of which easily split the tangled vines and bushes ahead, clearing a barely passable path. Just as he was about to take a step, a rapid "swish" sound came from behind him—the puppy was frantically scratching its neck with its hind paws, its short dark red fur matted and even showing faint bloodstains in some places.

Caesars frowned. The high-pitched scratching sound was like nails scraping against stone, making his teeth ache. He sighed and pulled out a standard-sized crystal bottle from the leather pouch at his waist. The light blue liquid in the bottle shimmered in the setting sun.

"Hey, you idiot, here are two drops of repellent potion. That way, the bugs won't crawl onto you and you won't have to scratch all the time!" He shook the bottle, his tone filled with disdain. "This is an elf formula. It's much better than those inferior repellent powders. It won't itch unbearably, and it even has the scent of the mind-regulating flower—a hundred times better than that dog odor you have."

Upon hearing this, the puppy hummed in dissatisfaction, and the high-level magic patterns on its body suddenly lit up with a faint light. Then it shook its body violently, and dozens of tiny insect corpses killed by the magic power fell to the ground, like a light black rain.

Kaisas's eyes twitched, and he gritted his teeth, "Stupid dog! You're wasting your magic power again! There are enough bugs here to devour a hundred ground dragons. Are you planning to just use magic patterns to get through?" He grabbed the puppy's triangular ears and forced its head down. "Behave! Two drops of potion will keep you safe for most of the day. If you use magic patterns recklessly again, tonight's dinner will be cut in half!"

The puppy's ears drooped instantly, and it reluctantly leaned closer to Caesars, letting the two drops of cool blue liquid land on its fur. The moment the potion touched its skin, a refreshing herbal fragrance filled the air, and the buzzing ants and insects around it quickly retreated as if encountering their natural predators. The puppy sniffed, finally settling down, though its tail still flicked twice in defiance, sending a few drops of mud flying, landing precisely on Caesars's boots.

"...You damned dog!"

Caesars kicked the puppy lightly, and this guy also got angry.

Walking along the edge of the Grand Canyon required constant caution. The ground here had been eroded by years of wind and rain, with jagged rocks interlaced with loose soil. A single false step could send one plummeting into the bottomless chasm. Caesars, clutching his dragon-bloodwood staff, took each step with extreme caution. The crisp sound of his boots crushing dead branches was particularly piercing on the silent canyon's edge.

The puppy took to the terrain like a duck to water. Its stocky frame nimbly moved through the dense grass, its moist nose moving constantly as it carefully discerned every scent carried by the wind—the earthy tang of rotting leaves, the stench of distant beasts, even the delicate fragrance of wildflowers tenaciously growing in the cracks of the rocks. Suddenly, it stopped abruptly, its ears perked in alertness, and it let out a short, sharp whimper at Caesars.

Caesars stopped immediately and looked around cautiously. The weeds here were growing wildly and almost unruly. The half-man-high blades of grass intertwined and tangled, forming an impenetrable green barrier. Not only was it difficult to see the grass, but even the ground beneath his feet was difficult to see.

"Dead dog, where are the herbs?" he asked in a low voice.

The puppy didn't reply, simply pointing its stubby, powerful paw toward the grass to the right. Without hesitation, it dove in, its short, dark red fur quickly swamped by the blades. Caesars sighed, forced to use his staff to push aside the tough grass stems, and followed with difficulty. After a few steps, the view suddenly opened up—a plant with leaves as broad as palms, lush green, quietly growing in a small clearing, its veins faintly streaked with golden veins.

"Golden ginseng?"

Kaisas's eyes lit up. This was a crucial ingredient for refining potent potions. Such a robust plant was extremely rare, even in the elven lands. He squatted down and carefully examined the precious herb. After confirming that it was intact, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.

"You idiot, I'm a man of my words." He turned to look at the puppy squatting beside him, slapping the ground with its tail. "As long as you find a rare herb, I'll reward you with a big cheese!"

The puppy's ears instantly stood erect, its dark eyes gleaming with anticipation. Caesars smiled, reaching out to ruffle its coarse fur. He then pulled out a large, oil-paper-wrapped cheese from his interspatial ring, a special treat from the Safin family. The rich aroma of milk, mingled with the sweetness of honey, instantly filled the air. The puppy's nose twitched wildly, drooling almost to the ground.

"Here, it's yours."

Caesars handed the cheese cake over, but the puppy did not pounce on it immediately. Instead, it raised its front paws. The storage ring hanging on its neck lit up slightly, and a soft wave of magic flashed by, and the cheese disappeared out of thin air.

Kaisas raised an eyebrow. "Tsk, you're quite particular. You even know how to stock up on food?"

The puppy grinned proudly, revealing a row of sharp teeth, as if mocking Caesar's surprise. It clapped its front paws contentedly, and the storage ring flashed again, as if showing off its trophy.

Kaisas shook his head, too lazy to argue with this greedy guy. He carefully dug out the golden ginseng root and stored it in his space ring. The puppy's contribution to finding rare herbs so easily in this dangerous canyon was indeed not to be underestimated—although his attitude was really tempting.

"Let's go, you dead dog." He stood up and patted his muddy hands. "Maybe there are better ones ahead. If you find another one, I'll give you a snack tonight."

The puppy's tail immediately shook like a windmill, and it rushed into the grass with full energy, nose to the ground, and began a new round of search. Seeing its eagerness, Caesars couldn't help but chuckle. Then he gripped his staff tightly and followed the dark red figure. The canyon wind swept through the grass tips, bringing with it the scent of distant lands. Their adventure had just begun.

Before noon, the man and the dog reached the location indicated on the map. The canyon floor was only a hundred meters above the ground and appeared very flat. Dense jungle grew, even denser than the trees on the ground. There was a small, gentle slope to the bottom of the canyon, but it was extremely dangerous.

The gentle slope that you see with your eyes is just an illusion. It is actually a thick and dense vine. There is nothing underneath the vine. If you step on it, you may fall directly to the bottom of the canyon.

"Luckily, Old Ethan marked it on the map, otherwise I would have missed a step and fallen!"

Kaisas looked at the map again and explored it with his magic tentacles. He was sure that this "gentle slope" was a natural trap.