Chapter 2564 - The Chessboard of the Lord of Darkness
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Mo Fan felt a great chill running down his spine whenever he thought about the things that were waiting ahead for them.
He finally understood why the Dark Plane was often referred to as Hell. It did not matter how strong and powerful they used to be in their world. They were nothing but wandering souls here!
They were walking feebly through the land of death with respect, fear, and only a little hope.
There were a lot of wanderers, but not many of them were willing to speak. This new world had surprised them so much that it had rendered them speechless. They could only follow the black tide toward the next abyss with their heads lowered.
The land of ashes and bones was left behind.
They were approaching a dark and gloomy forest. For some reason, the trees looked like huge deities and demons stuck in the ground, with only their curly or straight hair exposed above the surface.
The people subconsciously stuck closer together as they moved into the forest.
People were more united when they were in despair, but the first round had already made it clear that their numbers were not going to change the outcome of the game. The outcome would remain the same regardless of their numbers.
They had entered the Lord of Darkness' territory. He had full control here. Their only chance to leave the place alive was to follow his rules.
The people were only looking for comfort from one another.
After all, they were still enjoying their fortunes and lives in a luxurious city a few moments ago, but they had suddenly become criminals on their way to their executions.
They were allowed to move freely after entering the forest. Mo Fan and Asha'ruiya did not stay with the crowd.
Mo Fan was already having trouble looking after himself. The others would have to rely on themselves to make it out alive. After all, the man who they worshiped was the one who had brought them here!
"I wonder how Sharjah is doing," Mo Fan remarked.
"I doubt she's having a good time. Even the Archangel is just a three-year-old kid to the Lord of Darkness," Asha'ruiya replied.
"Do we have to find the way out from the forest? I can't tell where I'm going." Mo Fan looked around them.
They were surrounded by gray twisted trunks and roots that had intertwined like snake nests. Vines were dangling off the trees like hanging ropes. The rest of the area was filled with a thick dark substance.
The dark substance here was a hundred times stronger than the presence of dark magic from the Land of Darkness in their world. The darkness had a natural ability to suppress other Elements, thus it was unlikely for other Elements to exist here.
"Don't worry, Hamora will bring us out of here," Asha'ruiya said confidently.
"That's good to know…" Mo Fan was utterly helpless in the unknown territory.
Speaking of which, Asha'ruiya had a loyal Dark Swordmaster bound to her by a Contract. He had come to her immediately after she was brought to the Dark Plane.
Didn't Mo Fan also have someone in the Dark Plane?
The Elder of the Shadow Tribe!
Didn't he have a superior status in the Dark Plane, too? He was like a general under the command of the Lord of Darkness. Why didn't he show himself and come greet Mo Fan after Mo Fan came to his territory?
The Elder of the Shadow Tribe also had a Contract with Mo Fan, so his absence was an utter disappointment to Mo Fan!
The Dark Swordmaster was familiar with the woods. He led Mo Fan and Asha'ruiya in what seemed to be circles, but the plants around them had somehow lessened. They were obviously going the right way.
Mo Fan also noticed an aggressive dark substance trying to penetrate his body and alter his traits while he was in the forest.
He voiced his concerns to Asha'ruiya, who communicated briefly with her knight.
After leaving the forest, Asha'ruiya turned around and sighed, "I'm afraid only twenty percent of the people will make it out alive."
"Is the forest really that dangerous?" Mo Fan asked.
"Doesn't your country like to marinate meat before cooking it?" Asha'ruiya asked him.
"Do you really have to bring that up now? I'm starving," Mo Fan grunted.
"You felt the dark substance trying to corrupt your body inside the forest. It changes the qualities of our flesh to suit the taste of the locals inside the dark forest," Asha'ruiya informed him.
"Ugh…" Mo Fan no longer felt hungry.
"We didn't encounter any dangers in the forest. We also managed to leave the forest without encountering anything terrifying, but the people who are still in there are being slowly 'marinated' by the dark substance. Terrifying creatures will soon crawl out of their nests to enjoy a feast," Asha'ruiya went on.
Mo Fan looked at the Dark Swordmaster gratefully. Luckily, they had a local as their guide. Otherwise…
"AHHHH!!!"
Loud cries of agony soon rang out of the forest from different directions.
Mo Fan and Asha'ruiya continued forward as the screams continued. They did not look back.
Every traveler had their own destiny. There was no place for mercy or redemption here. Mo Fan's only focus was to leave this place as soon as possible.
It had been a while since he felt so uneasy, like a petty little shrimp in a river, especially after he became a Super Mage.
The Lord of Darkness was utterly terrifying!
If he could leave this place alive, he would focus on learning more Dark Magic to offer his insignificant energy to the Lord of Darkness.
——
Asha'ruiya and Mo Fan reached a flat and barren land after leaving the forest.
The land had a layer of sturdy perfectly cut crystals spread out upon it.
If Mo Fan could not see the sky above him and the forest behind him, he might even have assumed he had walked into a vast palace.
There was something strange about the place. The crystals were set up like tiles of two different contrasting colors, black and white.
The tiles were lined up in perfect squares, but every tile was the size of ten soccer fields!
Asha'ruiya's face paled as soon as she saw the place. She had realized what it was, but she was too shocked to say anything.
Mo Fan glanced at Asha'ruiya. He could see her eyes were filled with anxiety and fear!
"This….this is the Lord of Darkness' chessboard!"
