Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 452 Entering the Film World
The Tinker ignored the bewildered One-Star Enigma and the Spectre, and after greeting the Soulbreaker, he launched into a barrage of envy and complaints.

This grumbling, which had ulterior motives, was naturally overheard by the mage beside him, but he was too lazy to pay attention to it. He greeted the Soul Splitter, gave some instructions, and then walked towards the altar.

Are you kidding me? You think the Clockwork Dimension of the Mechanical Realm is so easy to enter? Do you think it's your backyard?

As the group arrived at the altar, a bored Shadow Fiend was busy inhaling the wisps of mist escaping from the closed Shadow Gate, as if smoking. Upon seeing the mage arrive, he swayed over leisurely.

"Alright, Balasan, I hope you can adapt to your current body. I don't want to have to take care of you while exploring other dimensions."

Nevenmore's arrogant tone was truly unpleasant to hear. The Soul Splitter exhaled two puffs of white breath from his nasal nose, but did not retaliate, only replying curtly:
Instead of worrying about me, you should restrain your own foolishness and greed, lest you ruin the manager's plans.

"We can begin now. Nevenmore, return to your magic circle. Viconia will preside over the ceremony."

The subsequent commotion was interrupted by the mage, and the Shadow Fiend who had been called upon did not waste any more words, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Pairs of eyes were focused on the drow who was praying before the altar, and the emotions in their gazes were not all the same.

Unlike the scrutiny or expectation of the chess pieces, the remaining drow within the Word Bearers looked at Vicania with a burning jealousy that was almost bursting forth. If it could materialize, the latter would probably have been burned to ashes long ago.

None of the dark elves were fools; they all understood the significance of what was happening before them. Viconia, who was nominally the leader and commanded the entire Word Bearers squad, had demonstrated irreplaceable value in this crucial moment, which essentially confirmed the stability of her position.

No matter how unwilling they were, and regardless of any past grievances, in this small, elite society they were in, the other party had already firmly secured their position at the pinnacle of power.

Narrow-mindedness, grudges, cruelty, and malice are indeed true characteristics of these dark-skinned people, but on the other hand, flattery, forbearance, and clear class distinctions are also their traits.

Amidst their jealousy, the drow began to reassess their relationship with each other, with the most complex feelings belonging to Eirima, the third daughter of the Aberre family and the Spider Queen priestess.

Seeing his old rival gaining more and more trust, and realizing that he himself had no comparable resources, he feared that even selling his own flesh wouldn't be enough to match the other's status.

If I had known that worshipping the Lady of the Night had such benefits, perhaps I should have…

Eirima quickly shook her head, forcefully banishing such blasphemous thoughts. Putting aside whether it was too late to convert on the spot, even if she did, would she really dare to offend the vicious and petty Spider Queen?
She was, after all, the third daughter of the family. Although her position in the succession and the family's own strength were only so-so, she still held a political status.

Eirima was still blinded by greed, thinking of using the High Cliffs' help as an ally to make a move in the power struggle within the family. What if she betrayed the Spider Lady?
Let alone returning to her family, she wouldn't even dare to go into Menzoberranzan.

This Viconia was originally an exile from a fallen family; how could someone with such a promising future compare to that destitute family?
The priestess consoled herself with a mixture of jealousy and hatred.

Amidst differing thoughts, the Shadow Gate, forged by the combined efforts of Viconia and the Shadow Fiend, burst open. A golden ring, over three meters in diameter, served as the gate's frame, encircling and fixing the entrance to the dark, shadowy realm. The entire gate resembled the entrance to a black hole, shrouded in gloomy mist, leading to a lightless, unknown world. A group of people formed a crescent-shaped formation around the Shadow Gate. Apart from a few fearless three-star pawns, most, including the mage, were hesitant and apprehensive.

However, this stagnant atmosphere was broken in the blink of an eye.

“Let’s go. When the time comes, we must be bold. Let Balasan lead the way, and let those who wish to speak follow.”

As expected, the mage didn't have much time to waste on hesitation. The assigned Soulbreaker took the lead, and the subsequent Word Bearers had no choice but to follow under the urging gazes of the mage and the powerful figures like Shadow Fiend and Enigma.

The group passed through the shadowy doorway one after another, heading towards that unfamiliar place. The scene was as if someone had been thrown into a deep ancient well, or as if an invisible monster had opened the gaping maw of an abyss to swallow the ignorant and reckless.

"Manager, this place appears to be safe at the moment, and there is no danger."

The first Soul Splitter to enter the Shadow Realm relayed reconnaissance feedback in their mind, indicating that the dimensional barrier could not sever the deep connection between the chess piece and the mage.

Having received the news, the mage strolled forward and stepped into the golden gate before him.

Ok?
The mage, who had just passed through the Shadow Gate, stood still, sensing the differences between the Shadow Plane and the Prime Material Plane. This was his first time traveling between planes in his true form (excluding the previous time when he couldn't even figure out what was happening). The physical perception was definitely different from his previous mental exploration.

The first feeling is cold. This cold is different from the steep, harsh cold and the relentless, biting wind of the North. Instead, it is like an invisible, cold serpent wrapping its icy body around you, even burrowing into your limbs and bones, penetrating to the very marrow.

Ordinary creatures living in this environment for a short period might only feel uncomfortable, but if they live here for a long time, the symptoms will be mild. Being exposed to the shadow mixed with negative energy and becoming a semi-shadow creature is common. Even worse, they will be robbed of their life force and will not be able to go to the underworld after death. They will become ghosts and wander in this world that never sees the sun.

The Shadow Dimension is not the Underworld. Where do you think those wandering Shadow Undead came from?

These minor discomforts were nothing to Zhang Yuan. He had an extraordinary physique and was fearless even in the harsh environment of another dimension. His cultivation had been successful, and his internal energy flowed continuously, like a gushing hot spring, spreading throughout his body and washing away all evil and cold. He seemed to be immune to all poisons and warded off all evil.

This is of course an illusion. In terms of Qi cultivation, he is far from reaching the level of a high-level martial monk. It is already good enough that he can resist negative environments. As for reaching the Vajra Indestructible Primordial Body, well, that's just a matter of time.

Looking around, everyone except the chess pieces seemed somewhat uncomfortable. Fortunately, they either had excellent natural magic resistance or extraordinary physiques, so nothing went wrong.

There is indeed merit in the path of Qi cultivation. Zhang Yuan was considering whether to allocate more time to comprehending the path of Qi in his already very busy schedule. However, with so many things to do at the moment, he decided to postpone such a time-consuming endeavor.

Thank you for your monthly pass support, Xingyu!
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(End of this chapter)