[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-black-dragon-necromancer":3,"chapter-black-dragon-necromancer-black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-65":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Black Dragon Necromancer",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2312825,4521,"Chapter 65: Imperial Archive","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-65",65,"\u003Cp>After instructing Grap to take care of his health, Sakavi set out for the location mentioned on the parchment by Alamir Chenhui; in their previous conversation, he had said nothing about the assassination target, only asking Grap to deliver the parchment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The domain's operations are currently running smoothly; all Grap needs to do is manage affairs concerning the Duofeng Republic—they have shown no change in attitude despite Bishop Ignatius's release. Though Clausuna is well-liked, she clearly lacks political acumen; Grap, next to Verna, is the most capable in this regard across the entire duchy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the parchment’s instructions, Sakavi, wearing the Mask of the Impostor, arrived at the Valuga Major Plane—a place of extreme complexity, where the human empire dominates the plains, the orc alliance holds the highlands, and the high elves rule the rainforests; add the naga forces of the deep sea, and you’ve got enough for a mahjong table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is said that after suffering heavy losses in the Plane War three centuries ago, the orcs were forced to retreat into the Mormodo Highlands, where they united numerous subhuman factions to form the Resistance Alliance, barely halting Kuno Dan’s advance; under the mediation of the high elf kingdom of Merian, both sides reluctantly agreed to a border along the Androdo Mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though chaotic, this place is exceptionally powerful—there are alone four true god-tier experts; any faction lacking this level is unworthy of sitting at their table, such as certain underground gray dwarves, drow cities, dwarves hiding deep in the mountains, or sea elves on distant islands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disguised as a human scholar, Sakavi rode in the cart of a kind farmer he met along the way, arriving at Chenhui City, the three-thousand-year-old capital of the Kuno Dan Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What first greeted him was a quiet, oppressive weight. The city gate was carved from a single block of “Laviah White Gritstone,” a stone that shifts with sunlight—from milky white at dawn to golden yellow at noon. The outer walls were engraved with the deeds of the empire’s first true god, the Guardian Astrolon, who dredged canals and diverted floods to irrigate the plains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The statues were rendered in a realistic, monumental style, every muscle brimming with power, yet their eyes carried the wisdom and weariness of a philosopher. The guards at the gate wore armor polished to a shine; upon closer inspection, it was pitted with fine scratches and dents. They stood silent, eyes sharp as hawks, inspecting every cart and traveler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inspections here were efficient and strict, yet devoid of the usual arrogance; instead, they reflected a millennia-old caution, etched into the marrow by constant threat. The air carried the scent of wheat from distant plains, livestock, and the cool, rain-like aroma of the white gritstone itself. After thorough questioning and inspection, they let Sakavi pass directly into the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Extending from the gate was the Emperor’s Avenue, a hundred paces wide, paved with three materials: the center, polished black basalt reserved for the military, temple processions, and urgent dispatches; the sides, worn dark red sandstone for merchants and carriages; the outer edges, rough granite packed with pedestrians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The buildings lining the avenue were like a living chronicle of history. Near the gate stood the oldest “fortress-style” structures—windowless lower levels built of rugged stone, reflecting the empire’s early military aesthetics. A few miles onward, the architecture grew elegant, adorned with elven flying arches and intricate reliefs—a cultural fusion from the empire’s honeymoon with the high elves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Further ahead, orc-style bronze ornaments and massive totem poles were seamlessly integrated into human structures, silently testifying to the peace and assimilation following the highland wars. Near the city center, even dwarf-style buildings appeared—rough in appearance yet exquisitely crafted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continuing forward, the broad “Imperial Canal” cut through the city, crossed by a massive stone bridge. Its piers were shaped like warships breaking waves, commemorating a decisive battle against the naga. The bridge bore both elven delicate carvings and orcish heavy stone reliefs, yet neither clashed with the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the canal, elven merchant ships from the rainforests, orc freight rafts from the highlands, and human flat-bottom barges moved side by side, their cargoes emitting the mingled scents of spices, leather, and deep-sea pearls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond the architectural chronicle, the view opened into the temple district surrounding the Imperial Square. The main temple of the Light Faith resembled a vast fusion of academy and fortress. Its dome, woven from colossal crystal frameworks, was said to gather sunlight and regulate the capital’s climate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the side streets, human merchants shouted in imperial official tongue, hawking grain and cloth; beside them, a minotaur vendor offered enchanted quills and calming incense in halting Quenya; nearby, an orc selling tools used common tongue and gestures to fiercely haggle with a customer over the price of highland refined iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a quieter alley, beside an unmarked shop, a drow woman, radiating her signature elegance and chill, sold exquisite underground silk and mysterious magical potions; a small circle of space naturally formed around her, the onlookers’ eyes a mix of curiosity, wariness, and a barely perceptible need.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At a stall selling books, Sakavi learned that north of the Imperial Square stood the Imperial Archive, facing the main temple of the Light Faith, and together with the Temple of Justice, forming the three landmark structures of the temple district.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the stall owner, the archive’s location declared that knowledge and faith, reason and miracle, were the empire’s twin pillars of survival: the temples represented divine guidance and power, while the archive embodied human exploration, wisdom, and the transmission of history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to Sakavi, its proximity to the seat of power meant that the collection, organization, and interpretation of knowledge remained under the empire’s control and watch. Its texts primarily served the empire—as a counterweight to the Light Church and a channel to expand its own influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Observing the Imperial Archive from outside, one saw its base as a standard imperial square structure, built of massive Terraviah white gritstone, radiating unshakable solidity. Yet above the base, the main structure fused a peculiar spiral tower with square cloisters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond the main stone, one could see dwarf-forged bronze doors, carved with the World Tree and figures of various intelligent races. Even on load-bearing pillars, orcish stone totems depicted ancestral legends and secrets of nature—this itself was a physical manifesto of the empire’s cultural crucible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The archive was encircled by a shallow water channel, its gentle murmur effectively muting the square’s clamor. The only access was a bridge of solid black basalt. The entire area radiated solemn silence, as if knowledge itself carried weight, crushing all frivolous noise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon stepping through the bronze doors, the outside clamor vanished entirely, as if entering another dimension. Before him stretched a vast circular atrium, its ceiling seemingly unreachable. Sunlight poured through a spiral dome embedded with crystals, filtered into soft, sacred beams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless bookshelves spiraled upward along the circular walls, like a tower built of books. Floating magical orbs, like winter suns, illuminated the entire archive. The silence was so profound one could hear their own heartbeat and the rustle of turning pages—whispers of knowledge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the librarian, the ground floor was open to all citizens, displaying imperial histories, basic laws, agriculture, and handicraft manuals. It was the busiest level, frequented by commoners, merchants, and low-ranking officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above it, only paying members could enter, housing elven magical and philosophical texts, oral epics and shamanic traditions of orcs and other subhumans, and even a humid, magically isolated water chamber holding naga tidal runes and underwater historical scrolls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surrounding the central spiral shelves were concentric levels called the “Circles of Contemplation,” spreading outward like ripples to accommodate varying reading needs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The public reading area, at the outermost Circle of Contemplation, featured spacious open space with heavy long tables and comfortable benches. Feather pens and ink were permitted, and quiet conversation was allowed, creating a lively ambient hum. Students and casual readers from all over frequently gathered here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Discussion rooms were designed as independent circular stone chambers, scattered beside major sections. Their walls were lined with naga-supplied deep-sea sound-absorbing sponge, absorbing all noise. A small crystal light on the door glowed softly blue when occupied, signaling “Do Not Disturb.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the librarian’s directions, Sakavi entered the Hall of Seeking Knowledge, where rows of crystal orbs stood. Placing one’s hand upon a sphere and visualizing the desired book—whether by title or content summary—would accurately locate it; upon confirmation, the book would auto-transport to a table below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As one of the empire’s core zones, this area teemed with powerful figures; for someone of his unknown origins, it was perilous. After selecting a book titled “The Poems of Luo Ge,” Sakavi swiftly paid at the front desk and left the place before trouble arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>",1462,"2026-06-20T13:10:04.638Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4cc52c835c2aef87d0f98071ceb8b2b30178e10aca00a97183d08fcd6f18e8e2","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-66","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-64",145,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fblack-dragon-necromancer-cover.jpg"]