Chapter 209: Shadow

Chapter 209: Shadow

Bran listened to Sean’s story, watching the old man vent his worries with a smile. He was not interested in the plan Sean mentioned. How could these people understand the world of Wizards? How much harm could mere mortals cause him? So, his reaction seemed quite cold.

But this was not what Sean wanted to see. He wanted to use Bran’s hand to let himself die with dignity. He also wanted to provoke Bran’s anger, to have him carry out revenge in his rage.

Looking at Sean, Bran’s slightly cold voice sounded again. “Hah! Look at you—Sean, how long has it been since you seriously looked in a mirror? Where is the steady, elegant old man from the Castle?”

Sean shook his head, straightened his clothes a little, and pulled his back slightly straighter, regaining some of his former bearing. Only then did he ask, “What do you plan to do?”

“Watch. Watch you all scurry about, adding some change and fun to this World, and for me too.”

“I thought you would feel angry.”

“I only feel pity for you.”

“For someone who wants to kill you?”

“Yes, for someone who wants to kill me. Although this is a bit unreasonable, I’ve been a bit abnormal lately. Under the influence of Mana, some emotions get amplified. It made me feel an undeserved pity for a once-familiar little old man.”

Bran sighed. “Look at you—Sean, how long has it been since you left the Northlands, hmm? How long since you picked up pen and paper? Are you still recording everything around you that you can? You are just an unfulfilled person, discarded into the wild Northlands. In the Northlands, you found meaning in living. Recording became part of your life, but you abandoned it.

Look at you—Sean, what is your reason for living? Don’t you regret it?”

Sean looked at the night sky outside the window for a long time without speaking. How could he not regret it?

Bran did not make another sound to disturb Sean. He aimlessly looked at everything beneath him. Here, he finally sensed the atmosphere a city should have. Even in the deep quiet of the Night, the Flame of Life of people still shone through doors and windows, forming rings of light that illuminated the entire city. The Mana flowing down in torrents intertwined with the city’s Flame of Life, making them even more brilliant.

Inspired by this, Bran suddenly took a deep breath, as if wanting to draw all of this into his body. The Mana gushing from the volcano crater also ignited his own Flame of Life. That fire burned brighter and brighter, gradually burning through the layers of Darkness shrouding Bran. And this seemed to anger the Night here, as endless Darkness from the world swept in.

The moonlight before Sean’s eyes vanished. In surprise, he softly called out, “Bran?” But there was no answer. With a sigh, he felt his way in the Darkness toward the head of the bed.

…

In this Royal Palace, Sean was not the only one with no desire to sleep.

Andong sat by candlelight every night, planning for the future of the Kingdom and his family. The recent changes caught him off guard and overwhelmed him. The power ful Demon Clan army was wiped out, but he wished they hadn’t been.

Despair! Helplessness! But he dared not show it. He was the King of this country, and too many people were watching him. He had no right, nor qualification, to show these emotions.

He would never have imagined that the person who brought him all this was sitting on the roof of his own Royal Palace.

Even though Bran had no respectable noble title, the power he possessed made no one dare to slight him. So, people had already been sent out to inquire and greet him. But Wizard Bran had disappeared, and those sent out found no trace of him.

He even suspected that someone was impersonating Bran’s name.

Bran was a guy who had killed countless people. Killing many inevitably left a fierce aura on a person. He did not believe Jenny had the courage to face that aura.

Flirtation? Andong chuckled and shook his head. It was a miracle she could come back alive! If all this was true, he wouldn’t mind giving that child a noble title. He only wished good luck would always be with her, and with the Royal Family.

The candle flame flickered, as usual. But Andong started to feel that everything was becoming different. The shadows under the candlelight seemed alive, struggling to break free. The once bright candlestick gradually turned into a dim mass, forming a beautiful ring of light.

Andong’s hand trembled unconsciously. He had finally come! At this moment, Andong’s mood relaxed instead. It was best to leave everything to fate. That child Jenny was right. He was a—Monster!

Someone in the Royal Palace screamed in panic. A guard stumbled toward his location. With a cold wind and a crashing sound, the room’s door was pushed open.

“Your Majesty! Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Have everyone keep quiet and stay where they are. No one should move around.”

At his order, the guards loudly relayed the command down the line. Andong sat quietly. Outside the window, it was pitch black. Inside, the candlelight had shrunk onto the wick, trembling.

As the command spread, the commotion in the Royal Palace gradually calmed down. What followed, however, was an even more terrifying dead silence. From the depths of the Palace, sobbing began. A woman softly hummed a lullaby, warm and soothing.

Bran sank into the Darkness. A woman hummed a lullaby, seemingly trying to coax him to sleep peacefully. And he did indeed fall asleep. Under the protection of the Darkness, he slept in the warm, peaceful Night.

A warm ray of sunlight woke the sleeping Bran. Huahua was diligently grooming him, her rough tongue scraping across his face.

What a good place for sleeping, Bran thought with emotion as he left the Royal Palace and headed toward the volcano crater.

Last night, directly absorbing the Mana here into his body had caused significant changes. That light forcibly taken in burned along with his Flame of Life, gradually merging with him.

The sunlight not only woke Bran but also dispelled the Darkness in the Royal Palace. After checking, people found nothing was missing and could not help but sigh in relief.

Some even began to suspect that everything last night was just a dream. But this suspicion quickly faded away, as Darkness fell again that very evening.

Andong wanted to curse, but he did not dare. Before the last glow of the sun had even faded, Darkness descended upon the Royal Palace. The people in the city gradually noticed the strange phenomenon there.

Shadow spread out from the mountaintop. First, it seeped into the Royal Palace. Then, it gradually seeped out from the Palace, flowing slowly down the mountainside toward them…