Chapter 268: Shadow Alliance

Xia Nai stared at the murals, her expression as still as water. Kaide's reckless speculation happened to hit the truth.

Eight years ago, Xia Nai, already self‑reliant, had become a disciple of her former Transformational Mentor and discovered an ancient book in her mentor's laboratory.

The book mentioned that in some corner of the Am Empire there was a portal leading to a certain demi‑plane.

This ruin belonged to a powerful figure whose name had long vanished from history.

A half‑god lich who had crossed the Legendary realm—Yaser Lieke.

For a thousand years, countless adventurers have entered that shadow‑shrouded demi‑plane; the overwhelming majority vanished forever. Yet a few lucky ones escaped and left records about it within the Am Empire.

It is said that within the Am Empire there exists an evil group hidden in the shadows—the Shadow Alliance.

The Shadow Alliance despises sunlight and the races that live under it; the vast majority of its members can wield shadow energy.

After Xia Nai found the book, her former mentor openly told her that it was a book she had unintentionally collected herself.

The Masked Mage Society stepped in at that time, showing interest in acquiring the book, but the mentor hoped Xia Nai could locate the inheritance left by that god‑level Spellcaster, and therefore declined.

And that very night, Xia Nai once again saw the nightmare she had experienced at age fourteen.

The man who had killed her parents and cut off their heads reappeared. Unlike before, the man with a long scar on the left side of his cheek slaughtered her mentor's household, and her mentor, before dying, used every ounce of strength to get her to flee with the book.

"Be careful. Shadow Alliance."

Those six characters were the only words her mentor left her before dying.

Once again, Xia Nai lost her home.

All these years, Xia Nai has been searching for the Shadow Alliance her mentor mentioned before death, using every possible means.

She suspects that the man who killed her parents and mentor came from this so‑called Shadow Alliance.

After years of investigation, Xia Nai uncovered clues about the organization, only to be shocked to find that this obscure group virtually controls the dark side of the entire Am Empire.

Even with only a preliminary probe, Xia Nai attracted the group's attention, which dispatched many assassins to hunt her, one of whom was the scar‑faced man.

Fortunately, though young at the time, Xia Nai was already cautious, constantly using disguises when meeting people, and escaped the danger.

After that, she realized she could no longer search for clues so brazenly.

Thus, she turned to join the Masked Mage Society—the Am Empire's most powerful unofficial Mage group—as her shield.

Xia Nai's gaze grew distant as she continued to recall memories from these years.

After joining the Masked Mage Society, she kept covertly investigating the Shadow Alliance, but she dared not make any bold moves, so there has been no further progress in recent years.

Later, she obtained the Throne and, in a frenzy to boost her power, plunged into spell research. She left Sword Bay and set out on a journey across the new continent.

She had even begun to forget the memories sealed away in winter.

Until half a month ago.

She received a message learning that the Shadow Alliance had resurfaced, and had almost brazenly slaughtered an entire noble family in a small town.

Xia Nai did not hesitate; she immediately decided to return to the Am Empire, knowing this was her latest chance to confront the Shadow Alliance.

After returning to the Am Empire, Xia Nai hurried to the city, investigated the victimized family, and was surprised to discover that just over a month earlier the family had spent a fortune at an auction to purchase a book describing ancient lich ruins.

Xia Nai immediately realized that this so‑called "book" was probably the one her mentor had collected. At that time, being still young and inexperienced, she had intended to keep the mentor's legacy but lost it during an adventure mission.

She had thought she would never find it in this life, yet unexpectedly encountered it here again.

This instantly made her understand why the Shadow Alliance killed her mentor and that noble family.

It was probably to seize that book.

At that moment Xia Nai felt both confused and relieved. She was puzzled about why her parents had originally been killed by the Shadow Alliance, and relieved that although she had lost the book, she still remembered most of its contents.

Including the location of the portal.

In Livip Port, the Am Empire's second‑largest city, beneath the Wojin Temple lies that portal.

Wojin Temple—the Am Empire's most powerful faction, bar none.

Sneaking into the underground of a Wojin Temple is as impossible for ordinary adventurers as climbing to the heavens.

Fortunately, Xia Nai is no longer the destitute mage apprentice who once roamed the streets.

She apprenticed under Sae Fal, attaining a 13th‑level Mage rank; years of arduous cultivation have rewarded her.

!

Xia Nai expended much effort, but finally entered the temple's underground.

There, she saw a portal and, nearby, several assassins on guard.

At a glance, Xia Nai recognized that these assassins wore the same attire as those the Shadow Alliance had sent to hunt her, indicating the portal was already under the Shadow Alliance's control.

Her only rational decision was to turn back and seek the dragon's aid, to deliberate.

But, with her mind suddenly heated, she could no longer wait to finally confront the revenge target she had long sought.

She decisively struck, killing the assassins around the portal and entered it. Amid a whirl of sky and earth, she awoke again, now inside that demi‑plane.

"Xia Nai? Xia Nai?"

Xia Nai, the Arrow God, heard the call, a shiver waking in her memory; she saw Erbiss's slightly worried gaze and forced a smile: "It's fine."

But how could it be fine?

The Shadow Alliance's operative, the dragon corrupted by phantom shadows recorded in the book. She does not know, with her own power, how to escape this place.

"As long as you're okay, we should move on," Erbiss looked at Xia Nai with a hint of meaning, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

Who exactly is this female Mage, and why does she know this place so well?

"Alright."

The group continued toward the end of the corridor; the murals multiplied, all depicting the same person.

The demi‑plane's master, a scholar who manipulates shadow and Arcane Power—the half‑god lich named Yaser Lieke.

At the corridor's end, a massive black door stood before them; Erbiss surged ahead, pushing the door open without hesitation.

A biting north wind surged in, and heavy snow blew through the doorway. Erbiss rubbed his eyes, his mouth gaping at the scene outside.

"Mimistra is up there, who on earth built this?" Kaide exclaimed, his face awash with shock.

(End of chapter)