Chapter 925
(Unedited)
…
The Dark Duke… is what his people called him. On the outside, he is known as the duke of Zepa city, one of the heroes of the last war. However, the city suffered such a devastating blow after he became the Duke and many have left. Those who stayed do not have any choice about it and just live their lives accordingly.
According to the record that Shin Jiao is reading, the Dark Duke was once a young Arch Mage that belongs to the Tower of Light. He is a rare genius that has reached the Arch-Mage level at a young age. With his prospect, everyone is hopeful that he would be able to reach the Grand Magus realm in the future. But who would have known that he would suddenly fell sick after the first part of the war?
Because of his contribution, the prosperous Zepa city was given to him, becoming a staging point of the light mages against the dark ones.
As days go by his weird sickness became unbearable that it would make him howl in pain as if his skin is being torn apart. This would always happen every full moon.
Throughout his suffering, his family would always try to comfort him but to no avail. They could not help but watch him shiver and whimper as he tries to get through the painful night as his body felt like being torn apart from the inside.
It was a hopeless situation that even the best light mage healer could not do anything about it. Everything was hopeless, and the Tower of Light even consulted many Grand Magus but got no solution.
Then one day, a cloaked man visited the city and offered him a solution to his problem.
According to the records, the man's name is not written, but this man offered a solution to the Duke's problem.
The Duke seems to have agreed and after that man left, the Duke seems to have vanished from everyone's sight. The servants and people inside his castle have not seen him left, his family members, especially his wife was searching for him, his comrades became worried about him, and everyone he knows has not seen him from that time forth.
People began to search frantically for the missing Duke for one whole month.
However, after a month has passed, the Duke suddenly appears.
He seems to have been invigorated, his vitality seems to have been recovered even and a festive atmosphere could be felt within his castle.
Then it was known that the Duke has recovered from his sickness. And this made everyone happy and a 3 days festival was held in commemoration of the Duke's recovery from his disease.
The whole city was happy at that time, unwitting of the hidden danger lurking underneath the fa?ade and the disguise that the Duke is showing everyone.
"Hmm… What happened to the Duke? Why did he change?" Shin Jiao muttered as he came to the end of the page of the old journal.
He rummages through the pile of books once again and then found a few pages of a book with an almost worn-out letter written on it.
He carefully takes it out using his psychokinesis and carefully flips through its pages. As he reads the pages, his eyes began to glow in understanding.
"… A few weeks have passed after the festival and after the Duke has returned. Many people suddenly became sick. No one knew the source of the sickness but it was very unnatural… The doctors in the city were all baffled as they did not know what the cause of the disease is. However, one thing is for sure, every one of the sick people has the same symptoms. However, the reaction of their body differs from one another, and this has baffled all of the doctors…"
As Shin Jiao continue reading he found something strange. This is because these words seem to be coming from one of the doctors in the city who witnessed everything that is happening with his own eyes.
Shin Jiao continues reading…
The Duke made a rash decision to lock down the entire city with the premise to prevent the disease from spreading and also to catch the culprit.
No one knew that this was the start of the nightmare.
A month has passed and the city slowly opens its gates. No one from the outside knew what has happened, but what they fear is that in the whole one month where Zepa City is inaccessible, its surroundings began to die down and all of the plants and trees withered and were turned into dust.
According to the doctor's recollection, he describes it as the most gruesome time in his life. He saw one citizen after another being experimented on by them. Until they finally discovered a rare strain that is different from the rest.
That rare strain was the one that the Duke needed.
One night, while on his way to the laboratory, he decided to take a detour. When he arrives near a window, he saw the duke walking outside. He was a bit curious and decided to follow.
And because of that, he discovers the black magic that the Duke wields and the man who is slowly absorbing that black magic. He saw the artifact that they were using to extract those things from the body of the people in the city.
And from what he sees according to his own opinion, the cloaked man is the one responsible for everything and the Duke is just his henchmen.
He dare not stay in his hiding place and quickly left.
But 2 days later, he was called by the Duke privately…
That was the end of the writing.
Shin Jiao is now somewhat sure what has happened in the city. How it turned out to be like this. However, he is still troubled that the Duke actually did not close off the city for good.
"Is he not afraid that his schemes would be discovered?" he muttered.
But of course, the fact is in front of him. The Duke's plan was not discovered and until now the city of Zepa is still the same dead city.
"I guess, I just have to deal with the duke then, this way I can implement my plans with Marcus…" he muttered as he kept everything in his dimension before leaving.
…
Meanwhile, inside the Duke's castle, a tall and handsome man stood in front of a large portrait in a gloomy room. The portrait belongs to a very beautiful young woman with red hair and blue phoenix eyes.
She looks like a Western Asian descent with a good temperament.
While looking at the portrait the man gripped the cane he is holding tightly.
"My love… It was all my fault." He muttered.
"I was too preoccupied with my things that I have neglected you and our children…"
"I… I will forever be sorry for what I have done to you…"
After muttering those words, a line of green tears came out from the corner of his eyes.
Suddenly from behind him, an energy fluctuation appears. From that energy fluctuation, a large head of a sinister-looking man with glowing eyes slowly forms from the dark smoke.
"My disciple… the time is nearing its end. I am almost about to break through to the limits bestowed by this world. Once I broke through, I will be able to step into the immortal land, and you, my precious disciple… You will be rewarded greatly…" the eerie voice of the person said from the large head floating in the air.
The Duke's expression changed from melancholy to seriousness. He then turns around and kneels on one knee to the ground.
"This disciple is glad that my master's plan is in fruition… I will be always grateful, my master…" he said.
But the head seems to not believe his words as he glared at the portrait.
"Affection would bring you down. Your master has gotten rid of those things for your own good…"
After saying that, the large floating head did not say anything else. He just looks at the duke and a slight contempt appears on his dark face.
"Bring the remaining samples to me that I may absorb them to myself. After this, we only need one month before I can complete my power. After I finished everything, the desires of your heart would be bestowed upon you…"
The Duke takes out a few crystal spheres with black murky smoke inside of them.
The large floating head suddenly showed an excited expression. He began to absorb everything until the crystal turned transparent light green.
"Very good… Hahaha… It will be soon… It will be soon…" the head said as he slowly disappears from the room.
The Duke, on the other hand, did not stand up and just continue kneeling. His eyes have the look of slight excitement. He already knows what he wanted to ask from his master.
"My love… it will be sooner than I expected… Wait for me… Wait for me…" he said as he lifted his head up.
Upon doing so.... his expression suddenly changed.
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