Published at 31st of March 2026 7:40 am

Chapter 1637 Dark King's Reputation

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

The Agents of the Brotherhood watched the newcomers with wary expressions.

Despite Krummor's assurance, their hands remained firmly on their weapons and spell components, ready to act at the slightest sign of hostility.

And their caution deepened when they sensed the faint aura of the arriving group.

Every one of them was a powerful Mana Vortex Magus!

And the one leading them, the blue-eyed youth, subtly radiated an even greater aura of danger. Not quite at the level of a Mana Core Magus, but not far either. The realization made the tension in the air grow heavier, especially considering these men were deep inside enemy territory.

Edward, however, had a relatively flippant attitude at meeting this group. He didn't feel wary. If anything, his blue eyes displayed bright curiosity.

He first glanced at the dwarf, then he scanned the faces of the other men.

"So this is the secret order he and Old Man Berger are a part of," Edward murmured with fascination.

The Agents' eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Just who was the blue-eyed young man? To even know about their Brotherhood...

Krummor could see the growing alertness in his men's eyes. So he said the only thing that came to mind that would completely lower their guards.

"These are the Dark King's men," he said in a low voice. "And this young man..."

The dwarf's gaze intently studied Edward.

"He has been trained by Councilor Glynhorn himself."

"The Dark King!" A ripple of surprise spread through the Brotherhood's men.

And when they realized that Edward had been trained by the legendary Ghost of Twilight, there was admiration gleaming in their eyes. They finally lowered their weapons and put away their spell components.

Meanwhile, Edward turned to the dozen Mana Vortex Mago behind him and said in a low voice, "These are the Dark King's people. They're the group he instructed us to rendezvous with."

His men nodded in understanding.

Despite being stronger and holding a higher arcane rank than the Agents before them, the Mana Vortex Magi stepped forward with polite nods and introduced themselves one by one. There was no arrogance in their manner whatsoever.

Such was the reputation of the Dark King- a reputation he had fought tooth and nail to reclaim and protect. Anyone acting under his banner, or even remotely related to him, was treated with due respect.

Once the brief introductions were out of the way, the two groups wasted no time and quickly got down to business.

The two parties gathered around the map Berger had given to Krummor.

"So what exactly do you know about this mission?" Edward asked in a solemn voice as he trailed the path they'd take to the Cult's base.

"Anything specific the Old Man has mentioned, no matter how trivial, please lay it out."

Hearing the youth refer to the famed Councilor of their Brotherhood as "Old Man", the dwarf found the corner of his lips twitching. But given the relationship Edward and Berger shared, he didn't point anything out.

In a solemn tone, he said, "He designated this operation as a rescue mission. That there would be minimal combat on our part. The risk is high, but is manageable."

"Got it." Edward nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Did he say who we are rescuing?"

Krummor couldn't help but subconsciously swallow. His men looked to him, for they were still kept in the dark regarding the specificity of the mission.

"...Children," he said at last.

"More precisely, children who haven't been... for the lack of a better word, tampered with." Edward sighed heavily.

No matter how cold and heartless that sounded, they were not here to save children who had already been "turned" by the Cult. Those ones were — after

heavy debate

deemed a lost cause.

Their mission was simple in theory.

Rescue the young ones who were still relatively intact. It did not matter if they were subjected to physical experiments. As long as their minds had not been broken or reshaped by the Cult's methods, they were to be saved.

Krummor's Agents remained frozen for a moment after listening to Edward.

Shock spread across their faces. Several of them stared at the map in silence, as if struggling to process what they'd just learned.

Then... the shock quickly turned to anger.

Some clenched their fists so hard that their knuckles turned white. While others lowered their heads, trying to contain the fury rising within them.

The Cult of Bones has always been vile in their eyes.

But this...

This went beyond anything they had imagined. The hatred in their heart burned even stronger than before.

Edward gave them a few moments to recover themselves. Then, he pointed at a specific point on the map and continued.

"This mountain right here," he said. "The entrance to their base is at the bottom

of the structure, right here. Two Mana Core Magi and ten Mana Vortex Magi in total are guarding the base. The rest are scholars at the Mana Liquefaction and

Foundation ranks."

Krummor's eyes widened. "Two Mana Core Magi?!"

Berger hadn't told him the specific details of the Magi in the Cult's base. This

naturally came as a great shock to him, especially considering there wasn't a

single Mana Core Magus in their group.

"Indeed." Edward nodded calmly.

Noticing the confident look in the youth's face, Krummor felt there was more

to the plan. "Is the Dark King personally coming?"

The Agents held their breath, anticipation bubbling in their hearts.

"Not him." Edward shook his head, smiling.

Inwardly, he added, Not yet.

"We have another Mana Core Magus in our force," he continued. "And he's

pretty damn powerful."

Krummor breathed a sigh of relief. This sounded much more like a plan.

"So while he distracts the enemy by taking care of the base's security, we sneak

in and rescue the kids, aye?" He asked solemnly.

"Simple, right?" Edward joked to diffuse the tension in the air.

Krummor snorted. "Things are rarely simple."

"Still, you can rest assured." Edward smiled.

He glanced toward the mist-covered slopes before adding casually:

"The Mana Core Magus with us... well, let's just say he's planning to go all out.

He's been looking for a way to vent some pent-up frustration, you see."

***

A figure dressed in gray robes descended from the clouds, his arms crossed and his posture straight.

He pierced the thick mist and came to a stop just before the invisible mana barrier protecting the mountain where the cult's base lay hidden. "That damned cat..." Balthazar muttered, his expression darkening. "So

annoying"

Flames slowly gathered around his fists.

And then...

The white mists wre swallowed by black fire!

Share