Published: March 11, 2025
Chapter 55: Dark Mage
Zhao Hai and the others returned to the castle and immediately had Meg prepare everything. They were planning to go to the Versailles Principality in the next two days, and they intended to take everyone with them.
In fact, the preparations were quite simple. They didn't have much to carry, and since they had everything in their space, the slaves had also lived in the space for a while, so there was no need for extensive preparations. They just needed to inform everyone.
Two days later, the slaves once again entered the space, but this time Zhao Hai did not go in with them. He needed to travel outside with Galen.
Last time, Galen traveled alone. As a master, he could use his fighting spirit to speed up his journey, so he moved quickly. However, this time Zhao Hai was running alongside him, so their speed naturally slowed down.
Fortunately, they had previously collected many undead beings into the space. This time Zhao Hai released the alien creatures, and he and Galen rode on their backs. Although this speed wasn’t as fast as Galen traveling alone, it was still quite efficient. The alien creatures were undead beings; they didn’t know what it meant to be tired. As long as they knew the direction, they could keep moving like perpetual motion machines.
Sometimes Zhao Hai would also let Merlin and the others out. After all, there weren’t many of them, just over a hundred, while Zhao Hai’s warehouse now contained over a thousand undead beings, enough to carry everyone.
The Black Earth Wilderness was indeed vast. Even with the alien creatures moving at a speed comparable to galloping horses, it took them three full days of relentless travel to reach the outskirts of the Black Earth Wilderness.
During these three days, the alien creatures maintained a steady speed. They traveled day and night without slowing down, and it was hard to imagine just how large the Black Earth Wilderness was.
Fortunately, the alien creatures were large and had very sturdy bones. Zhao Hai simply laid wooden boards in their chest cavities to create a makeshift bed, effectively turning them into a mobile caravan.
In the Black Earth Wilderness, the only thing worth mentioning was probably the stone-paved road. This road had endured the wear and tear of a thousand years yet remained remarkably even. This clearly showcased the superb craftsmanship of the dwarf clan.
This road was once quite busy. The dwarf clan used it to transport vast amounts of iron ore, which they then turned into various iron products to sell across the continent.
However, after the iron ore was exhausted, the area transformed completely. There used to be adventurers attempting to conquer the Corpse Swamp who would travel this road, but for nearly a hundred years, it had seen no foot traffic. If it weren’t for the fact that grass doesn’t grow here at all, perhaps there would be no road left now.
Three days later, Zhao Hai and his companions finally reached the outskirts of the Black Earth Wilderness. From here, they could see a patch of green in the distance. Although it was still far away, it lifted Zhao Hai’s spirits.
For three whole days, the only scenery they had seen was the endless black earth, a sight that nearly drove Zhao Hai to the brink of despair.
Galen also breathed a sigh of relief. Although he didn’t have to walk, the monotonous scenery, unchanging for seemingly a millennium, was truly torturous for travelers. During these three days, he and Zhao Hai spoke less and less, and in the last half-day, they hadn’t said a word. They just sat there, staring at the boundless black earth, as if their souls had been absorbed by it.
Imagine the impact when a hint of green suddenly appeared in such a bleak landscape, even if it were just a small patch.
Zhao Hai cheered and started running. Galen relaxed his expression, chuckling lightly at Zhao Hai’s enthusiasm, and said, “Young master, that area is the outskirts of Iron Mountain. Once we pass there, we will have entered the Versailles Empire. The places we have previously traveled through are all territories of the budah family.”