Chapter 116

“Look at that bunch of dog pups down there—how energetically they’re running. Why not go down and burn their tails a little, make them run even faster?”

“Iroge, we have more important things to do. Don’t waste time on this,” Morax promptly halted the red dragon’s cruel whim; Iroge reluctantly extinguished the fireball forming on his claw.

A hunt was unfolding in the distance: several squads of Fear Demons moved across the plain, making almost no sound, their forms flickering in and out of shadows and mist like ghosts. Their movements relied on short, efficient leaps using terrain shadows.

A herd of corrupted wild cattle was silently herded and split apart by three Fear Demon squads. No audible howls passed between them, yet their coordination was flawless.

One Fear Demon feinted to draw attention, while two others lunged instantly from the shadows. The entire process was efficient, cold, like a precision killing machine operating autonomously.

Vex watched with keen interest as the Fear Demon horde surged below like a tide of shadows, his eyes gleaming with the same fascination one might reserve for a rare artifact:

“Fascinating… truly fascinating. These ‘dog pups’ whose brains the Abyss has gnawed on are far smarter than their material-plane relatives, who only know how to howl.”

“Not only did they not burn into madness, they’ve… awakened. Even shadows have become toys to them. Too bad—no matter how flashy their tricks, they’re still bottom-tier trash, not worth our attention.”

Morax stared at the Fear Demon captain’s silent command across the plain, his voice carrying a low, rumbling vibration like rock grinding deep within a mountain:

“Their organization is too high. This isn’t the order of beasts. A complete shadow faction is crouching right beneath our noses, holding and defending such vast territory—raw strength alone couldn’t achieve this.”

“They have strategy, patience, and some unseen ‘will’ pulling the strings behind them. Such intelligence isn’t surprising—but precisely because of it, the threat is real.”

Despite their mission, Morax intended to uncover the demons’ exact nature, to ease the burden on future clearing forces.

After searching, they finally located a camouflaged main nest. From afar, it resembled a jagged rock formation—but to the dragons’ vertical pupils, this clumsy disguise was useless.

The entrance was likely a massive spiral ramp descending underground, flanked by two totemic pillars over ten meters tall, embedded with massive shadow crystals and carved wolf-king skulls.

The surface portion was probably a low but sprawling dome-shaped fortress, its surface pocked with grooves and holes ideal for shadow concealment, with virtually no windows.

Surrounding it were multiple concentric defensive lines: the outermost layer consisted of nearly invisible shadow traps and warning runes; the middle layer, low walls lined with deep ditches and bone spikes; the innermost, a special “silent zone” patrolled constantly by elite Fear Demons.

Since they had no intention of attacking the Fear Demons yet, they refrained from descending to investigate, fearing they might alarm the demons and complicate their subsequent mission.

Built along the borders of other powerful demon tribes or key routes to the Mu River, these were purely military fortresses. Their walls, composed of layered solidified shadow matter and rammed earth, were extraordinarily resilient and capable of absorbing certain sound waves and energy impacts.

The ground outside the fortress was riddled with intricate trenches, pits, and tunnel exits, allowing Fear Demon warriors to maneuver swiftly, launch ambushes, and retreat.

There were no prominent towers, but numerous concealed firing ports and observation posts. At the fortress’s center likely lay a summoning/amplification array, used in wartime to enhance shadow energy in the area or deliver collective psychic shocks.

After careful observation, they noticed an intriguing phenomenon: traditional demons from the Abyss had not been fully driven out, but had firmly rooted themselves in barren lands.

In the northeastern corner of the plain, a region of blackened and dark red hues, the ground was riddled with countless smoking fissures, revealing faint glows of molten lava within. No green existed—only twisted, charred tree-like forms.

Even during daylight, sporadic pillars of flame or smoke from explosions could be seen. Humanoid tribal members, their bodies cracked with molten lava, gathered around the fissures, seemingly absorbing heat.

They could see crude, lava-poured walls and towers—roughly built but radiating aggression.

The border zone was a complete wasteland of shattered crystals and scorched earth—the result of intense energy clashes (fire and shadow). Both sides engaged in persistent small-scale skirmishes, forming a “burning front.”

On the western bank of the Mu River lay a range of dark red hills and open fields, relatively “natural” in terrain but littered with massive claw marks, impact craters, and piles of bones. No fixed structures existed—only temporary camps built from giant beast bones and hides, easily abandoned.

Here, massive, chaotic yet explosive hunts and migrations unfolded. Giant predatory demons surged like tides, chasing pitiful corrupted beasts. They frequently turned on each other in violent battles over prey or territory, their battlefields thick with faint red mists of blood.

The Shadow Abyss's shadow energy eroded the edges of their territory, attempting to "digest" the region. The Howling Blood Clan periodically launched suicide charges into the shadow mist, ruthlessly destroying everything, only to be silently consumed by the Fear Demons' shadow tactics. It was a pure, endless war of attrition.

At the southeastern end of the plain lay a deeply unsettling patchwork of purple and green. The ground was covered in a thick, writhing layer of unknown fungal mats, upon which grew enormous blisters, tumor-like growths, and constantly opening and closing sporangia. Slow-moving, viscous streams of pus flowed across the surface.

Almost no “individuals” in the traditional sense could be seen moving here. But the fungal mat itself slowly expanded, periodically erupting clouds of purple-green spores.

Sometimes, the mat would suddenly bulge upward, forming a temporary giant creature of flesh and chitin, moving for a while before melting back into the mat. It was a collective, slow process of consumption and transformation.

Here emerged the most bizarre standoff: shadow energy struggled to fully break down this tangible biochemical contamination, while the fungal mat attempted to “infect” the shadow energy itself.

The border formed a decaying, ever-shifting “swamp” of decay and shadow, where both sides suffered heavy losses but neither could eradicate the other.

Downstream along the Mu River lay a region with unmistakable metallic sheen: the ground featured orderly mines, furnaces, and forges. Structures were built from roughly polished metal plates, bones, and rock, riveted or fused together, with clear geometric forms—watchtowers, walls.

They could see squads of demons clad in crude metal armor, their forms more humanoid and robust, patrolling, transporting ore, and operating furnaces.

They had even tamed armored iron-beast monsters as mounts or pack animals. Clear, compacted road networks crisscrossed their territory.

These were the Fear Demons' most cautious adversaries on the plain. Both sides competed directly for the black iron ore veins. The border was a stage for fortress standoffs, trench warfare, and elite squad infiltration.

The Iron Bones Warband’s metal weapons and armor offered partial resistance to shadow attacks, and their discipline diminished the Fear Demons’ advantage in collective mentality. Their war had lasted for over a thousand years—clearly, neither side could eliminate or drive out the other.

After observing the entire plain, they flew across the Mu River toward the Mo Iron Mountains, following the river mentioned in their intelligence. After flying hundreds of miles, they finally found their target.

It was not a majestic river, but a timid stream hidden within shadows. Its channel was narrow, its water murky from minerals. The banks were densely overgrown with vines hanging into the water, nearly obscuring the entire surface. The twisted, Abyss-corrupted forms filled them with unease.

The three dragons descended, flying directly into the narrow “Darkstream Gorge.” Light instantly dimmed, as if entering another world.

Massive, twisted trees intertwined overhead into an impenetrable black net; blood-red sunlight pierced through only in scattered specks. The air reeked of rotting leaves and damp earth.

The river here flowed slowly, its surface black and littered with decaying leaves, its depths unseen. The three dragons sensed ominous life forces lurking beneath. Vex suddenly spat a breath into the water—a bone iron giant crocodile surfaced. This mutated giant crocodile was the absolute ruler of these rivers.

Beyond the narrow gorge, the view opened abruptly. Salt-laden sea breezes struck their faces; the full expanse of Shadow Bay finally lay before the five dragons.

It was a perfect horseshoe-shaped bay, guarded at its entrance by two colossal natural stone pillars. Inside, the water was calm and black, reflecting the steep cliffs surrounding it.

The shoreline was not an orderly port, but a chaotic, filthy encampment. Dozens of pirate ships of varying sizes were haphazardly moored at crude wooden piers—though these were no ordinary pirates, but corrupted fishmen.

Because they frequently infiltrated the plain via the Darkstream, harassing and raiding Fear Demons, and ambushing other demon factions passing by sea, they had become infamous—yet remained undisturbed, as no one could locate their position.

Of course, the main reason was that this place also served as a base for certain evil organizations. To avoid drawing the attention of demon lords, they disguised themselves as fishman pirates, ambushing other demons or seizing artifacts—resulting in the cliffside stronghold accumulating considerable treasure.

One of Morax’s objectives was to seize this place and claim its treasures, to pay the long-overdue military wages.