The black sun hangs high

Chapter 307 Devouring and Growth

Despite the various shortcomings of the Dharma Council's monks and their generally unpopular status throughout Vain, they now seemed incredibly pleasing to Hugh.

Merlinle had clearly given these mages some orders.

The language used by the monks when they greeted each other showed that they were well aware of the real significance behind the visit of Shug and his companions.

Hugh's arrival did not represent him personally, nor the Ernst family, nor the Kingdom of Walter... He represented a newly emerging large society, a massive organization completely different from the societies known to the residents of Vaan.

For Merlinle and the mages, who were on tenterhooks, the existence of the Dawn Society was of paramount importance.

As an astonishingly large organization that has clearly taken a stand against the Black Sun Society, the Scions of Dawn are now practically a flag raised in Vaan.

Although Merlinle's understanding of the Scions of the Dawn was still very limited, as the Black Sun Society's primary target, they were eager for the Scions of the Dawn to gain a foothold in Vaan.

Even if the Dawn Society plays a limited role in direct confrontation with the Black Sun Society in the future, Merlinle hopes to set a new standard for the entire Vanne: that the Legal Committee is willing to cooperate deeply with any organization or country that can take the initiative to confront the Black Sun Society, and even provide them with support at various levels.

Hugh had anticipated this, and the mages before him were also well aware of it.

As for what the portly local official in charge of guiding them was thinking, that was none of Hugh's concern.

However, in order to ensure that the Dawn Society's activities in this area could proceed more smoothly, Hugh made some arrangements and countermeasures. Before the monks accompanying the Dharma Committee left, he stopped the extremely embarrassed local official and introduced him to one of the accompanying Dawn Society members.

"Sir, my trip this time cannot represent any organization other than the Dawn Society. If Blue Algae Harbor or anyone else is willing to become friends with the Dawn Society and cooperate, we are of course welcome. But if it is only for my personal or my family's business, then there is no need for it."

"As you can see, the Dawn Society is preparing to engage in some in-depth exchanges with Merlinler, which is an open signal... If my affairs are difficult for you to explain to others, you might as well remind them of the Dawn Society's affairs... I think this will definitely help you solve a lot of trouble."

This member of the Dawn Society had previously worked as a senior clerk in a city government and had also founded a merchant guild. He was very skilled at the things that Hugh said, so he quickly calmed the official down, and the two of them headed together toward the so-called "meeting place".

According to the Dharma Committee monks, all the important passengers who needed to board the "Windless One" had arrived, and the escorting ships were ready to depart. As soon as Hugh and the others boarded, it would set off on time, sailing along the route east of the Goddess Plains towards the North.

So Hugh and the others quickly headed towards the port with the Legal Committee's team.

After boarding the vehicle prepared by the Legal Committee, there were no further obstacles along the way. In just over ten minutes, the group arrived at the large dock of Blue Algae Harbor. At around 3:30 p.m., under the guidance of the Legal Committee's monks, Hugh and the others successfully boarded the "Windless One".

The "Windless One" is actually an old-fashioned cruise ship. Its voyage this time is different from the past, so the Legal Committee and the Duchy of Burt have made some special modifications to the cruise ship. Walking in the corridor of the cruise ship, both Hugh and Verin can feel the magical girders that are operating stably.

As the mages leading the way said, the vast majority of passengers had already boarded the ship, and these people were mostly important figures from all walks of life who had been invited by Merlinle and were preparing to travel to the North.

In the corridors of the Windless, many people recognized Hugh and went up to greet him. However, these passengers all noticed that although the young nobleman who had become a legend in Vaan was very polite, his face was quite pale...

Some of them instinctively turned their gaze to Vivian, who was walking to the side, and then showed a strange "I see" expression.

Hugh was quite helpless about the speculations of some unscrupulous people, but he had no intention of reminding or clarifying them now, because the fierce struggle that was taking place in his mental world was nearing its end, and the metal disc seemed to be facing a special change.

Faced with this unprecedented change, Hugh dared not be negligent. After entering his own cabin, he put down the few pieces of luggage he had brought with him, then sat down on the bed and closed his eyes.

Upon seeing Hugh's actions, Vera frowned. Instead of leaving, she quickly set up multiple protective rituals in Hugh's cabin and lit a magical incense burner to stabilize his mental state.

After completing these preparations, Vera locked the cabin and sat down on a chair not far from Hugh, observing his condition while slowly flipping through the books she carried with her.

At this moment, Hugh's entire attention was focused on his own mental world.

The metal disc is rotating at a steady rate, and the cause of this change is the two grooves connected by the power of the Dark Abyss.

Hughes saw that the numerous mechanical structures on the metal disc were rapidly reorganizing due to the vibrations emanating from the two grooves, and a previously unseen chasm was slowly forming between the two grooves.

Inside the "battlefield" of the trough, the Dark Abyss Spiders and the Palace Hounds, who were engaged in this deadly battle, had also reached their limits.

The hound is now two sizes smaller than it originally was. On its long, narrow head, most of its dark red eyes have lost their luster, and several shockingly large holes have appeared on its body, which has no clear outline.

The Dark Abyss Claw Spider, which came later, was in a much worse state. Three of its originally symmetrical legs were now broken off, and its metallic body was covered with terrifying wounds of varying sizes and depths. Part of its sharp pincers had been torn off, and judging from the marks, it was very likely that the court hounds had used their special abilities to cause the damage.

The two sides in the standoff still appeared to be evenly matched, but Hugh knew that this life-or-death battle was about to end.

As the owner of the metal disc, he could clearly sense the Dark Abyss Spider's current decline—the Dark Abyss power within its body was constantly draining away, and the recovery of its physical injuries had completely stopped.

It seems that even in this unfamiliar battlefield, the hounds, as the most dutiful patrollers and hunters in the Dark Abyss Palace, are still strictly carrying out their "missions," while the spiders, as "targets to be eliminated" in the Dark Abyss, have not been able to change their fate here.

The Dark Abyss Spider did not send a distress signal to its master. It seemed to have accepted its defeat. Facing the hound that was still repairing its own damage, it staggered and launched one last attack. However, this slow and sluggish attack was destined to be meaningless.

Faced with its dying prey, the hound once again displayed its uncanny attack skills. In the misty battlefield, its form vanished instantly. After successfully avoiding the bites of the Dark Abyss Spider, it emerged from an unexpected blind spot. Its curled tentacles, accompanied by sharp fangs, gnawed at the spider's body. With its last remaining strength, it burst forth, turning the spider's hard body into nothingness.

Then, the brutal devouring began.

Hugh clearly sensed the demise of the Dark Abyss Spider; however, only the will and body of this Dark Abyss beast had vanished. Its original power was now being absorbed by the Palace Hounds in the form of mist. The Mirror Messenger, who had been huddled in the room, let out a silent cheer. Then, it joyfully opened the door and, through the mist connecting the grooves, arrived beside the Palace Hounds.

The moment of change has arrived.

As the palace hounds slowly gnawed at the Dark Abyss Spider's body, its tattered form gradually began to recover. The Messenger in the Mirror stood quietly beside it, gently raising its hands, and between its fingers appeared a strange musical instrument that resembled a flute.

The messenger in the mirror began his performance.

Amidst the turmoil of the mist, an incredibly strange sound entered Hugh's mind.

It didn't sound like a melody, but rather like the murmur of some creature, sometimes high-pitched, sometimes low. It seemed to be some kind of language, but upon closer listening, it sounded like meaningless babbling...

This strange performance, however, seemed to bring great benefit to the court hounds.

The process of devouring began to accelerate, and the mist that was originally sealed in the other grooves was also mobilized. As a result, all the spaces related to the Dark Abyss Palace were connected into one. The huge grooves on the surface of the metal disc that were used to connect the grooves were also completely formed. It was like a stable canal, ensuring the connection between the two different bodies of water.

"Roar……"

A roar came from the depths of the mist, and Hugh clearly captured the emotions in that roar—relaxation, joy, and unprecedented satisfaction.

And so, in Hugh's vision, a strange new pattern began to slowly form.

The patterns originally used to identify the court hounds began to expand gradually, and the strange wolf-like patterns that were initially lying on the ground stood up and transformed into a crouching posture.

Its body became even more robust, its head was raised and looking upwards, several huge fangs extended from the side of its mouth, its body, shrouded in mist, rapidly expanded, and a long, narrow wolf tail covered with spikes extended from the rear of its body. Moreover, it seemed to have the same dark red pupils growing on it.

It seems that the hunting dogs, which were originally just ordinary members of the palace wolf pack, have now been "promoted" because of their successful hunts.

But the changes did not stop there.

With a series of soft sounds, Hugh was surprised to see the hound's back suddenly explode open, followed by the emergence of several thick wisps of mist that instantly formed several additional legs.

These legs look exactly like those of the Dark Abyss Spider.

The change finally came to an end.

The agitation in Hugh's head subsided, and the metal disc resumed its rotation. However, several conspicuous grooves appeared on the huge disc, through which countless misty powers flowed continuously. The mechanical mechanisms associated with it emitted sounds similar to the "music" played by the messenger in the mirror.

It seems that the creations belonging to the Dark Abyss Palace have solidified their "position" within the metal disc through these actions.

Hughes didn't seem to care much about it.

What he cares about is the specific benefits that this change can bring to him.

Hugh opened his eyes and rolled up his sleeves. He then saw that the wolf fang tattoo that had been around his wrist had also changed.

The thin lines that originally connected the wolf fang pattern have now changed their form.

The dense black mist, under the control of some force, transformed into a twisted rope, and the original wolf fangs were now covered with a deep metallic sheen, making them look somewhat similar to the giant pincers of the Dark Abyss Spider.

"Looks like you've made some new discoveries?"

Virin's voice came from the side, and only then did Hugh notice that the female mage had been sitting quietly not far away, with an incense burner constantly emitting a calming fragrance. She was holding an academic book, and her curious gaze fell on his face through her glasses.

Hugh nodded, and then, in front of Verin, he gently flicked his wrist. Amidst the flashes of magical light, a cold touch appeared in Hugh's palm.

To his surprise, the original "Hound's Fang" had completely abandoned the "revolver" design. The cylinder used to fill the wolf fang bullets had disappeared, making it look more like an automatic or semi-automatic pistol from another world in Hugh's memory.

Hugh gently rubbed the crystal-like gun barrel of "Hound's Fang," and then he discovered that several faint magical lines were extending from this magical weapon. They flowed through his fingers and palms like blood vessels, and finally connected with the strange tattoo on his wrist.

Hughes placed his finger on the trigger mechanism. He certainly wouldn't conduct the test inside the cabin, but with this action, a lot of information related to the court hounds immediately appeared.

"The court hounds roam the courtyards, their pursuit never ceasing, their hunt never ending... This is your boundless hunting ground, praise be to the great, invisible wolf!"

Following the original statement, even more strange characters appeared.

"Biting, devouring, endless growth."

"Only through an eternal hunt can the alpha wolf of the Dark Abyss be forged."

(End of this chapter)