Black Hearted Mage

Chapter 153 Icecrown Mountains

In the evening, the setting sun was blood-red, its afterglow casting a shadow over the elegant Cavill family mansion. Kandel hurried into the courtyard and spotted the sturdy, golden-eyed black demon snake and Caesars, who was drinking fine wine.

The golden-eyed black demon snake was enormous, covered in a layer of scales that shimmered with a black light. Its eyes were like burning golden flames, revealing a frightening majesty. However, at this moment, it lay docilely beside Caesars, seeming to trust and rely on him.

Kandel needed to go to the Northland Plateau. This black snake could protect their camp from viper attacks. The Great Alchemist used some tough measures to finally get the reluctant golden-eyed black snake into the extremely solid magic steel cage.

Meanwhile, members of the Northland Tower and the Magic Guild were frantically preparing for tomorrow's trip to the Northland Plateau. Kandel invited Caesars to join them, hoping to leverage his ability to command the Golden-Eyed Black Serpents to deal with the dangers of encountering vipers. However, Caesars rejected the offer without hesitation.

For Caesar, following these two major magical forces to the Northland Plateau wouldn't bring him much substantial benefit. With Joanna already stationed at the Northland Tower, Caesar had little say there. If he followed them, the benefits he could gain from this adventure would be greatly reduced.

A few days later, all preparations were complete. Caesars boarded a carriage bound for the Northern Plateau alone, slowly driving out of the bustling Fire Maple City.

Fire Maple City lies in the northeast of the continent. To its northeast lies a perilous pass that traverses the Frostwind Mountains. There, stands a massive and imposing war fortress—Frostwind Fort. Like a sleeping giant, this fortress silently guards the passage to the north.

Coldwind Fort not only boasts towering walls and thick, solid gates, but is also equipped with numerous sophisticated weapons and equipment, along with well-trained soldiers. As the headquarters of the Empire's First Legion, it bears the heavy responsibility of protecting Fire Maple City and defending against invasions from northern enemies.

Thousands of years ago, the Northmen were called barbarians. The Northmen near the North Tower were gentle, while the Northmen from other tribes on the grasslands and plateaus had hot tempers and were not very willing to reason.

If the North suffered a severe snowstorm, the people would migrate south. If the Roland Empire didn't rescue them, they would immediately launch a war. Therefore, the massive granary built in Frostwind Castle normally provided food to the First Legion, and during severe snowstorms, it would be used to provide food to the people of the North.

This aid was not free. After the great snowstorm, the people of the North had recovered their lives and would provide cheap meat to the Roland Empire. The Roland Empire would also provide clothing, ironware, refined salt and other necessities at low prices, all of which were provided by the caravans.

The caravan leader said that trading with the northerners was a very pleasant experience. As long as the quality of the goods was not bad and the prices remained at the same level as in previous years, it was possible to sell all the goods on the first day of arriving in the northern tribes and return immediately to prepare the next batch of goods.

Anyone who dared to sell counterfeit goods in the North would be beaten by the Northlanders at best. The worst result would be that the entire caravan would be beaten to death, and their bodies would not even be buried.

After three days of travel, the caravan arrived at a large tribe of northerners, and Kaisas could only dismount and walk. It was still a long way to the Icecrown Mountains, but he wasn't in a hurry. He hadn't come to the Northern Plateau for the vipers, but to stuff the little golden-eyed black demon snake into the lightning rat's cave.

After leaving the Northerner tribe, Caesars walked alone across the vast grasslands, with the little black snake following behind him. Lightning rats were rarely seen in places with tribes, as they were one of the Northerner's favorite snacks.

A few low shrubs appeared ahead, a common sight on the prairie. These shrubs were a low-level magical plant that produced tempting red fruit in the summer, not meant for northerners. Instead, they served as a natural laxative for cattle and sheep with indigestion.

Seeing this red-fruited shrub also signaled the time to leave the northern tribe's grazing area. With the sun already setting in the west, Kaisas needed to find a place to camp. As the sun sets, the temperature on the prairie will drop rapidly. While frost may not occur, it will certainly bring a bone-chilling chill.

Kaisas chose his campsite at the foot of a slope that was higher in the north and lower in the south. The higher slope on the north effectively blocked the cold wind. There were also several circular holes on the slope. The black demon snake could no longer hold back.

"Saint Paul, don't eat too many lightning rats in there, otherwise you'll get stuck in the hole and can't get out. Kill the magic rats and bring them out. Save them for later!"

As Caesars unrolled his proposal, the quietly coiled black snake suddenly reacted. Its small golden eyes instantly gleamed with light, like two golden gems embedded in its inky black body. This was undoubtedly the outward expression of the black snake's inner joy.

Immediately afterwards, the black snake's dark head nodded slightly, expressing its approval and agreement with Caesar's proposal. Then, with astonishing speed, it transformed into a black lightning-like shadow, and with a "whoosh" sound, it quickly drilled into a nearby cave, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, Kaesus calmly pulled a hardened leather tent from his backpack. This tent, meticulously crafted by the elves, was an essential piece of equipment for their wilderness camping adventures. Made from a double layer of incredibly tough, high-grade beast leather, it could easily withstand the elements, whether it was howling winds, torrential rain, or raging hail. Even ordinary magic steel arrows would struggle to penetrate it.

Night gradually enveloped the land, and the temperature had dropped noticeably. After dinner, Caesars, feeling the air growing increasingly cold, quickly retreated into the warmth and comfort of his tent. As for the black demon snake, he didn't need to worry too much. After all, this was the northern plateau, and there were very few magical beasts that could pose a threat to the black demon snake.

After entering the tent, Caesars first took out several magic crystals, essential props for practicing magic. He then lay down on the animal hide mat, closed his eyes, and began to slowly guide the magic power in his body to resonate with the magic crystals in his hands, gradually sinking into a state of deep meditation.

There was a rustling sound outside the tent, then it quickly faded away. After a long time, the low sound reappeared, then disappeared again. It wasn't until early morning that the sound finally stopped.

Kaisas opened the tent and was startled by the scene before him. In front of the tent lay a pile of dead lightning rats, nearly half his height. A rough estimate suggested there were at least a hundred of them. A black demon snake, its belly bulging, coiled itself atop the pile of demon rats.

"You've been busy all night!"

The black snake opened its eyes, took a look, and then closed them again. The busy night made it feel tired.

Caesars washed up simply, then made some tea and prepared to enjoy breakfast in the morning light.

On the vast, lofty Northern Plateau, the activity of magical elements far surpassed that of the Roland Empire to the south. This vast expanse seemed imbued with a magical power, especially within the seemingly desolate plateau, where countless precious magic crystal veins lay scattered throughout.

Traveling upstream along the Raging River to its source, one will be surprised to discover that even on the upper reaches of the riverbank, precious magic crystals can be easily found. However, while the magic crystal resources in the southern part of the Northland can be mined and utilized to a reasonable extent, the magic crystal mines in the plateau region are absolutely forbidden. For beneath this seemingly peaceful surface lies a vast and unimaginable universe.

Over ten thousand years ago, a devastating catastrophe unfolded. At that time, a few greedy nobles, blinded by greed, secretly exploited the magic crystal mines of the plateau. As their excavation progressed, the ground began to show ominous signs—cracks and collapses followed one after another. Finally, a terrifying scene unfolded: a vast number of magical beasts, previously trapped underground, broke free and surged out like a tidal wave.

Fortunately, most of the first beasts to escape were relatively small and extremely sensitive to bright light. Therefore, they typically emerged quietly to forage under the cover of night. Even so, this sudden change brought devastating disaster to the people of the North. In just a few days, several small tribes of Northlanders became prey to these beasts, resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of innocent lives.

Even more astonishing was the discovery that within that bottomless underground cavity, a self-contained, complete underground world existed. Here, a variety of bizarre magical plants grew, and numerous subterranean magical beasts of all shapes and sizes lived. Furthermore, within this mysterious underground world, a terrifying super-magical beast inhabited, its body so massive it could rival that of a ground dragon.

In order to prevent the underground monsters from pouring out, tens of thousands of people worked day and night to fill the cracks and pits with boulders and soil for three months before they prevented the super monsters from coming to the surface.

More than half a month later, a massive iceberg towering into the clouds was already within sight. It was the Icecap Mountains, the tallest and longest mountain range on the Roland Continent. To its north lay the permafrost – the polar ice sheet and polar ice sea.

The hot springs that Caesars wanted to find were located in the easternmost reaches of the Icecrown Mountains, while the Highland Ogre Tribe was located in the west, a distance of over 10,000 miles. However, Caesars planned to visit the Ogre Tribe because there stood a massive statue of Jerry Rhodes, the greatest shaman of the Ogres and his ancestor's best friend.

For the past half month, this tiny, pitch-black snake had exhibited a unique and regular pattern. As the sky gradually brightened and the morning light filtered down to the earth, it would curl up lazily, as if drained of all strength by the sun, and quietly drift into a drowsy sleep, remaining in this drowsy state throughout the day. However, once night fell and the bright moon hung high in the sky, the snake seemed to transform, instantly becoming vibrant and energetic. Its once dull eyes now gleamed with a sharp light, like two dazzling golden gems set in the darkness. At this time, it was time to go out hunting.

Its targets were the agile, small lightning rats. With its innate keen senses and exceptional hunting skills, the black demon snake could stealthily approach its prey under cover of darkness, then deliver a devastating blow with lightning speed. After this period of relentless hunting, the harvest was quite bountiful—the number of captured demon rats was so great that it practically filled an entire storage ring.

The Icecrown Mountains were still covered in a thick blanket of snow. His gaze remained fixed on the seventh peak, counting from east to west. Although it appeared within easy reach, reaching its base proved difficult. He dragged his heavy feet, advancing slowly, step by step. It took him the better part of a day to reach the base of the Icecrown Mountains. Looking out, the ground was covered in a thick layer of snow, now two or three meters deep. This accumulation not only made walking extremely difficult, but also significantly slowed Caesar's progress.

Standing there, Kaisus gazed at the vast expanse of white before him, a wave of disappointment welling up in his heart. The hot springs he had longed for were nowhere in sight, not even the rising steam. However, he didn't give up his search, but resolutely continued his journey toward the mountainside. The snow beneath his feet had begun to melt, forming a slippery layer of ice, forcing him to be extremely cautious with every step, lest he slip and fall.

"Saint Paul, don't sleep! Wake up and smell if there's any human scent left!"

Caesars paused, reaching out and gently patting the animal hide backpack he carried. Hearing its master's call, the black demon snake slowly emerged from the backpack. It glanced around warily, sniffing the air for various scents. After a moment, it suddenly jerked its head forward, signaling Caesars to proceed in that direction. A distinct scent emanated from the front...