Chapter Fifty-Six: A Tangled Mess

PS: I want to hear more from you and receive more of your suggestions. Search for the official WeChat public account “qdread” and follow it now to give “Lord of the Dark” more support!

"Humans?"

Elet set down his wine glass, his face tense.

"Is this information accurate?"

"Yes, my lord. The news from Brandon Stone City confirms that they’ve indeed had a conflict with humans. The entire city is now under martial law, and it looks like they’re about to take action against those humans!"

"This..."

At these words, the three leaders of Onyx Stone City exchanged uneasy glances, utterly at a loss. They had originally gathered a large force with plans to show their strength at Brandon Stone City, hoping to intimidate their rivals. Yet, upon arrival, they found the city already under lockdown—and, to their astonishment, not because of them.

Such are the perils of delayed information in the Underdark. The tunnels are perilous and treacherous, making communication extremely difficult. This time was no exception: the people from Onyx Stone City had already reached Brandon Stone City’s gates before they realized something was amiss. If they hadn’t sent scouts to investigate, things might have turned out far worse.

But now... what should they do?

Sensing the other’s eyes upon him, Elet frowned deeply. According to their original plan, coming to Brandon Stone City was not about starting a war; it was about entering openly, flexing Onyx Stone City’s muscle, and persuading those greedy, cunning gray dwarves to back down. Only then would they negotiate the previous issues regarding the merchant convoys.

Yet the sudden appearance of humans had thrown their plans into chaos—especially after learning that a human army was nearby. Now, the people of Onyx Stone City were anxious and uneasy. Unlike the gray dwarves, who had firm roots in the Underdark, Onyx Stone City was a newcomer here, utterly lacking a foundation. Worse yet, among the three races, Onyx Stone City had suffered the most at the hands of humans—why else would they have fled the surface and retreated to this sunless abyss?

The subordinates Elet brought along had, for the most part, fought humans on the surface. Now, hearing that humans had entered the Underdark, there was an immediate uproar. Some demanded an immediate retreat; after all, it appeared the humans were here for the gray dwarves, and Onyx Stone City had no reason to get involved. It would be best to leave at once and reconsider their options.

But others argued that fortune favored the timely: since these damned humans dared to show up at their doorstep, it was time to let them taste the might of the Underdark. Humans knew little of this place, but the Onyx Stone folk were well-acquainted with its dangers—they were, after all, the local powers. If they could seize the opportunity to strike a heavy blow against the humans, it would at least be a satisfying act of vengeance.

The hatred of Onyx Stone City for humanity was boundless, so this proposal garnered much support, though it also met with strong opposition.

The supporters, mostly radicals, despised the humans’ ruthless purges that had driven them from the surface to this dark, cold domain. They would do anything to cause trouble for humanity. And here, Onyx Stone City had the home-field advantage: even if things went awry, they could easily feign an attack and escape without much trouble.

The opponents, however, were conservatives. They, too, hated the humans, but the memory of humanity’s merciless purges had instilled fear. They couldn’t fathom why these humans would leave the comfort of the surface for the Underdark. If they angered them again and brought another purge upon Onyx Stone City, what then? Here, without any roots, a second wipeout at the hands of humans would mean total annihilation.

“Phew...”

Elet raised a hand to his forehead, the sounds of heated debate echoing around him. It was no wonder—everyone had finally steeled themselves to confront the gray dwarves, only to find, upon arrival, an unexpected and most unwelcome guest: humans.

"For now, that's enough. We'll consider our options further. All of you, leave."

At Elet’s words, the others immediately fell silent and swiftly departed. In the blink of an eye, only the three leaders of Onyx Stone City and the scout who brought the news remained.

"Do you have something else to report?"

Seeing the scout still standing there, Divo glared at him in irritation. As a tiefling, Divo felt even more anxious at the mention of humans; tieflings faced harsher persecution on the surface than the serpentfolk or dhampirs. At least dhampirs could pass for human in their youth, and some lived their entire lives without awakening their vampiric heritage; serpentfolk, for all their persecution, maintained tight-knit tribes and strong bonds.

Tieflings, however, were different—hybrids of demons and other races, most of them the result of cultist rituals, outcasts from birth, and the most tormented by humans. Tieflings distrusted even their own kind, never forming a unified alliance. It had taken Divo immense effort to suppress dissent and bring them here to confront Brandon Stone City. Now, to find humans in the Underdark as well—what madness was this?

This mounting chaos weighed heavily on Divo’s mind, and seeing the scout dawdle only increased his irritation. He shot the man a cold, piercing glare, and the scout, feeling the force of it, shrank back nervously.

"Y-yes, well, I have another very important matter to report to Lord Elet."

"What is it?"

Elet’s attention sharpened at this, and the scout quickly supplied his answer.

"It’s like this: while I was contacting Brandon Stone City, I... heard news regarding Lady Elise..."

"Is that true?!"

At these words, not only did Elet leap up in astonishment, but Divo and Russ also stared at the scout in shock. No wonder—the true reason for Onyx Stone City’s ostentatious show of force was, in large part, the disappearance of Elise. She was not only Elet’s daughter and the city’s princess; to the three leaders, she was the force destined to lead Onyx Stone City to glory. At not yet twenty, she was already a high-level mage—and a rare sorceress at that. Dhampirs lived long lives, two or three centuries easily, which meant Elise would one day become a legendary spellcaster, and perhaps even ascend further—to the rank of demigod.

In the Underdark, strength alone commanded respect. Even the likes of Elet had only just reached legendary status. Should Elise surpass them, a legendary archmage or even a demigod’s presence would guarantee Onyx Stone City’s security for generations.

It was for this reason that the three leaders had personally led the search to Brandon Stone City. Elet refused to believe his beloved daughter had fallen to gray dwarves. He’d convinced the others to come in hopes of finding her, for after his wife’s death, Elise was his only remaining hope.

"What exactly happened? Tell me everything—start from the beginning!"

"Y-yes, of course."

Faced with Elet’s demand, the scout dared not hold anything back and, sweating profusely, began his explanation.

"It’s like this... According to the gray dwarves, they had recently assembled a team to eliminate goblins nearby..."

"Eliminate goblins?" Elet frowned. They were well aware that goblins plagued the area around Brandon Stone City, a persistent thorn in the dwarves’ side—no secret there.

"Yes. For this mission, Brandon Stone City dispatched a team, and they succeeded admirably. Not only did they wipe out the goblins, but they destroyed their lair as well. I heard..." Here the scout lowered his voice. "I heard that a necromancer and three young ladies accompanied the dwarves, one of whom was apparently Lady Elise."

At this, Elet was visibly startled.

"What’s going on? A necromancer? Since when did the gray dwarves have a mage? And what about Elise?!"

"It’s like this..."

After the scout’s explanation, Elet finally understood the situation: the dwarven governor had recruited a necromancer, who in turn had helped them solve a major problem and thereby earned the right to reside in Brandon Stone City. Now, this necromancer had helped them eliminate the goblins, and was becoming quite a notable figure in the city.

"To think such a thing could happen..."

Elet’s expression darkened further. He was certain that the necromancer was the key. Elise was a high-level mage; the gray dwarves couldn’t possibly be a match for her. But a necromancer—now that was another matter. As Elise’s father, Elet knew well the bane of arcane fire. If his daughter had faced a powerful necromancer, her defeat was not impossible.

If that truly was the case... The thought cinched Elet’s heart with dread. Necromancers showed no reverence for life. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong—if Elise had been slain and turned into a corpse-servant, what then? It was a possibility too grim to dismiss. If she was still alive, why hadn’t she escaped? And by the scout’s account, Elise had helped them willingly—what could that mean?

"Elet, what should we do now?"

Russ’s face was grave as he turned to the dhampir. Elet mulled over his options, teeth clenched, and finally made a decision.

"For now, we do nothing. I will go to Brandon Stone City myself to see the situation!"

(The novel “Lord of the Dark” will feature more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, along with a 100% chance to win fabulous prizes! Open WeChat now, tap the “+” in the upper right corner to “Add Friend,” search for “qdread,” and follow the account—hurry while it lasts!)