Alibuda Chronicles Part 2: Volume 1, Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Witchcraft and Evil Arts

"Sigh, Sara has been having a really rough time lately. A bunch of things just popped up out of nowhere, it's like fires are raging everywhere!"

"Bullshit! You're involved in all of this, you old geezer, trying to walk away from it all?"

"I don't seem to have any reason to be blamed like this by the mastermind. Besides, he's enjoying his soup while I'm getting beaten up like a panda."

"What does it matter? Anyway, Master Oren always wears sunglasses, you're getting off easy."

Sara City has indeed been quite turbulent these past few days. The Ishtar people insisted on the promise of "catching the culprit within seven days," and Leng Linglan used new evidence from the serial rape and murder case to deflect the question. As a result, one side was speechless, and the case stalled. Both sides suffered in silence, so behind-the-scenes maneuvering was inevitable.

Driven by a desire for revenge and to vent their anger, the group of Ishtar sorcerers practicing dark magic continued their clandestine abductions of women. However, this time Leng Linglan was on guard, and the Ishtar people fell into an ambush. A fierce battle reportedly ensued, with Leng Linglan killing several dark magic masters and suffering a heavy loss.

Afterwards, the Ishtar people pretended to know nothing and secretly restrained the delegation's behavior. Leng Linglan treated them as unidentified bandits, announcing the case solved to the public. However, anyone with discerning eyes could see the tension between the two beauties escalating with each encounter.

As for the talks, which had been hoped to make progress with the arrival of the Ishtar representatives, they were now completely deadlocked, becoming a stage for power struggles among several powerful nations.

Even a blind man could see the danger posed by the Black Dragon Society, but people were always relaxed until it directly affected them. Although no one wanted the Black Dragon Society to rise and dominate them, it would be disastrous if they were to fall and someone else were to dominate them instead.

From the perspective of the collective interests of the nations of the land, forming an alliance is necessary, but...

"To ensure that peace on the land can be maintained in the long term, relying solely on one-way short-term contracts between nations is ineffective. An alliance composed of united nations has a stronger binding force. However... it would be good if the Ishtar people could understand this as well."

Ryan and Yueying privately hosted a banquet for Mao Yan'an to apologize, and I naturally accompanied them. When discussing the progress of the meeting, Ryan, as the Grand President, had particularly deep feelings.

"It's true that some people believe struggle is the driving force of biological progress, that every war propels civilization forward. But I don't agree. If we put aside struggle and work together to advance civilization, I believe we can achieve even greater progress. Therefore, my lifelong political philosophy is to eliminate war on earth, maintain peace between nations, and allow the people of this land to live and work in peace."

"Idealistic thinking is certainly possible, but isn't it a bit too idealistic?"

I said. "Struggle is fundamentally part of the biological nature; how can you eradicate it?"

If His Majesty the King saw me directly confronting a head of state, especially the President of the Golden Flower Federation, he would surely be terrified. However, Ryan, who was already accustomed to discussing ideas with scholars and celebrities on equal footing, answered calmly, without anger or agitation. From this perspective… perhaps working under a wise ruler is truly a blessing.

"Many people have asked me the same question, but John, have you ever considered what the end result of a civilization that progresses through struggle is?"

I was immediately speechless. After all, I'm not a philosopher; how could I have thought about such a ridiculous thing? However, being a soldier, I was constantly exposed to the idea that "war can advance civilization," and it had become an established notion.

"Not every instinct is good. For example... self-destruction is also one of the instincts of living beings. The purpose of every living being's struggle to survive is to die in the end. So, should we follow this instinct and end our lives from birth? I don't think so."

Ryan spoke eloquently. In private, he was a very charming man, possessing not only the intellect of a political leader but also the wisdom of an artist and the erudition of a philosopher. Although his sexual preferences were unusual, this actually allowed me to view him more objectively.

Gay men wouldn't steal women from me, but a handsome man who excels in every aspect would. So, I initially had no liking for Fang Qingshu. But upon reflection, Fang Qingshu and Ryan were quite similar in many ways. Could it be... that guy's gentlemanly behavior towards women was proof that he was gay?

The more I thought about it, the more disgusted I felt. I shook my head, missing a few sentences of discussion between Mao Yan'an and Ryan.

"For living things to survive, this is our way of not yielding to our nature. Therefore, only by resisting struggle and destruction can the people of this land survive for a long time and have a better future. This is naturally incredibly difficult, but if I don't try, it will never be possible."

"The President's words are truly invaluable."

Mao Yan'an raised his glass and toasted Ryan. The two seemed to get along very well. Ryan had been trying to persuade him to return as a national policy advisor, but Mao Yan'an had declined, saying he was too free-spirited for official life.

Leaving aside official business, two rumors have recently caused a stir in Sara, becoming the most talked-about gossip.

The first is the currently popular "Shadow Beauty," who always appears on the streets late at night, ethereal and dreamlike, with a pure and beautiful celestial appearance, like a white night-blooming cereus blooming quietly under the moonlight, fading before dawn. No one knows who she is, where she comes from, or where she is going.

Fueled by rumors, people began staying up all night, lingering in the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of her beauty, or even a kiss. A large group of people staying up all night naturally led to security problems, forcing Leng Linglan to send out patrols. Before Yueying and I officially became a couple, I, still hoping, even volunteered to lead patrols for two nights, but unfortunately, I didn't encounter a single ghost.

The second rumor, unfortunately, also involved me. That night, Yueying's drunken dance was so alluring and sexy that it captivated everyone. Although she didn't reveal her identity, those who witnessed it in the bar that night couldn't forget it, treating it as a rare encounter and spreading it around with great relish. Among them were some powerful and wealthy people who even offered a large reward. There was also a rumor about a useless rich young master who was pushed down by the crowd in the chaos that night, failing to reach the stage. Afterwards, he became lovesick, constantly declaring his intention to marry that mysterious beauty as a concubine.

Rumors, spread by word of mouth, fermented, and for a time it seemed as if two mysterious beauties had appeared in Sara City: one as pure as a lily, holy and elegant; the other as radiant as a rose, sexy and alluring, each with their own charm.

Knowing the truth, I chuckled inwardly. After a tryst with Yueying, we talked about it, and I whispered in her ear, "Sister, if I hadn't been there that day, I would have been just like those fools, guessing you were the one who ran out in the night… Only then did I realize you're such a charming and seductive woman."

As for the third rumor, it seemed unrelated to me on the surface, but thankfully it remained just a rumor. Otherwise, if the attack on the inn where the President and President's wife of the Golden Flower Federation were staying were to become public knowledge, I don't know how we would have managed to handle it.

That day, Ah Xue and Mao Yan'an barged in, knocking out over a hundred people; the matter was too big to hide, and of course, it caused a commotion. Fortunately, Ryan explained to Leng Linglan that it was a drill, and publicly denied everything that had happened, so the matter became a rumor. Otherwise, it would have become another conspiracy, and I, the security chief who had embezzled, would have been in trouble.

Thinking about it, it's still unbelievable. Although most of the hundred-plus people were servants and maids, there were still quite a few armed guards with excellent skills. Even if an army were to break in, those with weaker strength wouldn't be able to get in. Ah Xue, with her superhuman strength and Violet's help, could have stormed in amidst chaos and bloodshed, which, while lucky, wouldn't have been surprising.

However, Ah Xue's infiltration was like a night breeze. When the hundred-plus people were questioned afterward, none of them had seen her; they only felt a sudden chill and lost consciousness, waking up still feeling bewildered.

Several very brief battles occurred, causing some damage, but Ryan didn't tell me the details. Judging from his expression, there were things he seemed reluctant to say, and he clearly couldn't understand how Mao Yan'an had managed to infiltrate the area.

To conceal Ah Xue's existence, Mao Yan'an only claimed it was the result of using some illusionary tools and secret treasures. This scoundrel's lying skills far surpass mine, and even knowing he was lying, Ryan couldn't directly expose this "Master Mao." Not only Ryan, but even I felt bewildered. Could it be that, without my knowledge, the charming little fox girl at home had made significant progress, becoming a formidable expert? This didn't seem so unbelievable, yet it was undeniably strange.

However, it really is true that fortune can change in an instant. Living such a blissful life, I hadn't anticipated that, before I could even question Ah Xue, the answer to this question would automatically appear before me.

Because Ryan's hospitality was so lavish, my uncle and I both drank a few extra glasses and became somewhat tipsy. Of course, Yueying didn't touch a drop of alcohol the entire time, and Ryan seemed to know about her chronic inability to drink.

On the way back, although I wasn't completely drunk, my steps were a little unsteady. As we returned to the long, empty road in front of the Earl's mansion, a sudden pain shot through my head, a kind of trembling sensation that made me involuntarily tense up. A strange feeling… somewhat like the ominous premonition before a surprise attack on the battlefield.

"Nephew, do you usually enjoy making friends?"

"Hey, what's the point of having so many friends? Making so many friends for no reason, you might get betrayed from the beginning of the year to the end."

I shook my head, cooling my head. Suddenly, I noticed a faint blue light emanating from Mao Yan'an's breast pocket. I was surprised to see him pull out a round crystal, about the size of a palm, thin on the sides, flickering like a firefly—a dark, eerie, and captivating glow, a mesmerizing allure.

The azure light seemed familiar. I suddenly remembered—this was the very thing Mao Yan'an had dug out from the abandoned dwarf mine during the Fog Valley incident. I'd asked him about it a few times then, but he'd given me vague answers, and I'd been too busy to ask again. At that moment, under the flickering azure light, the quiet, dark alley ahead underwent a strange transformation.

The once empty, pitch-black void rippled like water. Though the ripples were fleeting, I clearly saw something moving within it.

(The stealth magic of dark magic…)

The thought crossed my mind. Just then, I heard Mao Yan'an say, “Hey, nephew, are they your friends?”

“Hmph, do I look like the kind of person who would make friends like that?”

It seems I underestimated my own worth. The previous chance encounter allowed me to escape, but this time the Ishtar people specifically laid an ambush to kill me. In such a dangerous situation, without any expert by my side, it seemed like a near-death experience. Fortunately, Uncle Mao exposed their plan first, giving them their only chance to escape before they could react.

"Hey, Uncle..."

I'd barely uttered the command when my neck suddenly tightened, as if an invisible, thick rope had snagged it. A sharp pain shot through my neck, and before I could utter a word, I was lifted off the ground and flung away at high speed.

This invisible, transparent rope felt icy cold, as if it possessed an evil life force. It writhed and twisted around my neck like a serpent. The Blood Nightmare Chronicles recorded this "Air Serpent Manipulation Technique," a mid-to-high level of dark magic, allowing the caster to manipulate the air from tens of feet away. This spell, capable of killing from a distance and in mid-air, is more suitable for assassination than high-destructive black fire or vengeful spirit curses, especially when one doesn't want to be recognized as a black magic user.

There are three ways to break the curse. First, use a more powerful spell to dispel it, such as a holy purification or exorcism; second, kill the caster directly, and the cursed snake will naturally disappear.

Neither of these methods is feasible for me, because I neither know holy magic, nor do I know where the caster is, nor am I powerful enough to directly curse them with black magic if I can't find them. Therefore, the only option is to use a weapon with holy power to attack the cursed snake.

The short sword Hyakkimaru, hidden in my sleeve, is one of the ten divine weapons of the earth, originally a treasure from the Cihang Jingdian Palace, blessed with multiple holy incantations. A single swing would be enough to slay the cursed snake, making it the ideal tactic.

Unfortunately, these were just thoughts that flashed through my mind in my dying moments. Perhaps because of my previous narrow escape, the Ishtar people completely regarded me as being on par with Leng Linglan. To a master of magic, there wasn't just one cursed snake coiled around my body. As it tightened around my neck, snakes silently and swiftly wrapped around my hands and feet, leaving me no time to resist.

Everything happened so fast; I felt like I was flying through the air, my throat cracking as if every breath was being squeezed out, my eardrums buzzing, my vision blurring, feeling my life rapidly slipping away. My grandfather, who had been dead for many years, seemed to be smiling and waving at me, while Mao Yan'an's shouts seemed to come from a very, very far place…

"Ah? Nephew, what did you say? You want me to avenge you and offer incense every year? No problem, your uncle promises."

Promise you, my dear mother, that's not what I wanted to say…

"Roar!"

Just as I was about to lose consciousness, a deafening roar, accompanied by an invisible, intimidating force, reverberated towards me, producing an effect similar to the holy "Lion's Roar" spell, causing the cursed snakes tightly binding me to loosen their grip.

Breathing in the fresh air, my spirits suddenly lifted, and I mustered all my strength, drawing my sword from my sleeve and slashing. A flash of crimson light, and all the cursed snakes were severed in mid-air, shattering and disappearing. I crashed to the ground.

In a flash, I only saw the gates of the noble mansion open, and Violet... Lan stood proudly at the entrance like a guardian beast, while a strange black light, like liquid, rapidly spread along the ground, extending outwards from the mansion. It moved so fast that it covered an area of ten feet in the blink of an eye, then vanished just as quickly.

Although it was brief, I clearly saw that as the eerie, liquid-like black light spread along the ground, some creeping weeds withered and died the moment they were touched. When the black light disappeared, those plants all rotted and decayed, turning into a pile of inconspicuous, rotten matter.

(It was Corruption...

The timing was perfect. As the black light disappeared, I landed on the ground. Aside from the ligature mark on my neck that made my eyes water with each breath, I had no other injuries. But before that, I clearly heard muffled groans coming from several directions nearby.

Corruption is a fundamental dark magic spell, easily cast by any apprentice. Within a certain range, anything in contact with the ground will be harmed. However, Corruption isn't very lethal, especially to animals where it only causes pain, not injury. It's usually used in fields to weed and scare away pests, greatly aiding farming. No wizard would use it to attack an opponent. Yet

, to cast a Corruption spell ten feet wide in the blink of an eye, with such mastery, is something no one below level five magic cultivation could achieve. Although it has no real lethality, if you were hit directly, the pain would be like plunging your feet into corrosive acid.

"Hmph!"

"Ah!")

"Hmm!"

"Ouch!"

A series of muffled groans rang out as four or five ghostly, dark figures staggered backward like ripples in the air. Judging from their disheveled appearance, some might have even lost their footing and fallen to the ground. These wizards, sent to attack me, were naturally quite skilled. Judging from their ability to conceal themselves in the void, they were indeed experts. But they never dreamed that they would be forced to reveal themselves by this prank-like, rudimentary trick.

Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary—this is the skill of a master, and also a grave warning. If what was just cast wasn't a basic corruption spell, but a high-level "Black Moon Eclipse," the consequences would have been far more than just making a fool of oneself. Just this one move alone must have changed the expressions of these wizards.

"Good, I only thought the Farrell family had declined with each generation, losing all their ancestral prestige. I never imagined the noble mansion harbored such a powerful wizard."

A beautiful and alluring figure appeared eerily in the darkness. Her entire body was shrouded in a cloak woven from a special material. Although the moonlight shone on her, no shadow was cast on the ground, and her figure was so faint and almost imperceptible that without sharp eyesight, one couldn't even see that there was anyone there.

As soon as she appeared, the other wizards vanished like the receding tide, revealing her identity. Even a fool could see that Narcissa, dissatisfied with her subordinates' failure, had personally intervened.

Those who practice dark magic are all ruthless individuals who prioritize self-interest over others, never doing anything without personal gain. The female demon Phoenix is the best example. Who is Narcissus? Would she really challenge someone to a duel simply because her subordinate embarrassed herself?

I thought about it again and realized the reason. Currently, outside of Ishtar, the wizards employed by various countries are at most at the fifth level of cultivation. This is because the higher-level dark magic spells above the sixth level are practically monopolized by Ishtar. Unless one is exceptionally talented, reaching the fifth level is the limit. Moreover, I've heard a rumor that to maintain their advantage in dark magic, Ishtar will attempt to recruit any wizards with outstanding talent from outside, and if unsuccessful, assassinate them immediately.

Within the Duke's mansion, the only one who can use dark magic, in my opinion, is Xue. In other words, Xue's performance has already attracted Narcissus's attention. So, what will be the outcome of a duel between two powerful wizards?

The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt, especially since I was caught in the middle of these two people. If I were to get caught in the crossfire…

Thinking of this, I endured the excruciating pain in my throat and limbs and ran towards the gates of the noble mansion.

“Where do

you think you’re going?” Narcissus wasn’t joking. Without any visible movement, several dark orbs the size of human heads shot towards me. These were aggregates of corpse poison or demonic energy; if they hit me, my body would immediately rot into a mass of pus and blood.

I fled as fast as I could, but those dark orbs seemed to have eyes, chasing me and changing direction. Just when it seemed I couldn’t escape, a sudden tremor ran beneath my feet. With a deafening roar, a massive wall, five feet long, two feet wide, and one foot high, suddenly rose from the ground, blocking my path. “Poof! Poof! Poof!”

Several loud sounds followed, blocking all the dark orbs.

(Well done...wait, what did Ah Xue do?

I turned around and was shocked by what I glimpsed. The thick wall wasn't made of bricks, but of countless skeletons, intertwined and piled together to form this sinister and terrifying giant wall of bones. And this wall wasn't simply made of bones; powerful magic combined with the skeletons easily blocked the dark energy that could corrode metal.)

"Wall of Bones? Where did you learn that?"

Narcissus's voice was filled with anger and doubt, because the "Wall of Bones" was a spell exclusively possessed by Ishtar, impossible for outsiders to learn. Now it was being used to block her attacks. If there wasn't a traitor within Ishtar, then Ishtar's spells had been leaked.

Of course, this witch never dreamed that Blood Nightmare had written down all his life's research in his personal notebook, which contained many advanced spells that should have been Ishtar's secrets. Given his selfish and self-serving nature, there might even be some spells that even the people of Ishtar didn't know about, and now they had all been transferred to Ashe.

"Who are you? Why don't you show yourself? I want to see who you are."

You woman... if you want to see, then go into the manor! You talk big, but your attacks are all directed at me. What kind of person is that?

In the short time that followed, I truly narrowly escaped death. Narcissus continuously used dark magic, from witchcraft curses and hellfire to soul-stealing spells, all the way to summoning a nighttime hawk. The most dangerous time was when six withered heads, their bloodshot, resentful eyes wide open and their sharp white teeth clenched tightly, lunged at me. But I was bewitched by Narcissus's spell, thinking that was the manor's gate, and ran over excitedly.

If Violet hadn't rushed out in time, biting my thigh and dragging me back, I might have been stupidly torn apart by those six dead heads, eaten away until only a pile of bones remained.

Throughout the entire battle, Ah Xue remained hidden inside the manor, acting as a sorcerer... It was a natural long-range duel, but despite her skillful techniques in deflecting Narcissus's attacks, it was clear to everyone that she was still at a disadvantage. If it weren't for the assistance of Violet's flames and lightning, she might have already been defeated, not to mention that Narcissus clearly wasn't going all out.

However, the fact that she could compete with Ishtar's top witch in dark magic to this extent was enough to surprise and enrage Narcissus, especially when I finally stumbled into the mansion, and Narcissus's cold laughter perfectly represented the rage within her.

In the end, Narcissus returned empty-handed, choosing to abandon the battle.

There were two reasons for her abandonment: first, like all cliché dramas, after a period of delay, she remembered that she wasn't some idle idiot, and timely mobilized her troops, bringing reinforcements; second, when I rushed in... For a fleeting moment, though brief, I did see hundreds of ghostly figures, flickering amidst the eerie blue will-o'-the-wisps, swirling and howling around the Duke's mansion.

The sheer scale of the spectacle forced even the powerful Narcissus to hesitate. Unwilling to escalate the situation, she led her men away.

Having narrowly escaped death, besides cursing Ishtar's vile and treacherous nature, I also felt a sliver of joy. This contest had definitively proven that Ah Xue was no longer a foolish fox spirit relying solely on brute strength, but a dark mage whom no expert could underestimate.

Although this matter was serious, it was still the kind that had to be covered up and wouldn't be publicly acknowledged. After all, we lacked concrete evidence, and Narcissus wouldn't be foolish enough to admit to any conspiracy.

However, the way things had unfolded provided Ishtar with a bit of ridicule. A sarcastic remark and a warning are necessary to prevent them from becoming emboldened and taking advantage of the situation, only to try again

if things don't go their way. Based on this, I do indeed need to take some self-protective measures, and from now on, I think things will escalate rapidly, one wave after another, and things won't end well. Narcissus has noticed Axue's existence, although she doesn't yet know who the dark

magic expert in Farrell's mansion is. However, given his existence, from Ishtar's perspective, there's absolutely no reason to ignore him. Even someone as oblivious as me can easily imagine the immense danger that would posed to Ishtar if Alibuda obtained Ishtar's dark magic technology and developed a magical army. Moreover, Alibuda has always been friendly with the Golden Flower Federation. If His Majesty the King, in order to curry favor with the Golden Flower Alliance, were to pass on the acquired dark magic technology to the Cihang Jingdian, Ishtar would certainly be in deep trouble.

"Hmm... the more I think about it, the more troublesome it seems. This is really going to be difficult."

Despite my thoughts, I didn't pay much attention to them because at that moment, only one thing occupied my mind: how to help my pretty female apprentice, who had just used black magic, deal with the inevitable aftereffects she would face.

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