Chapter 59: The Sanctuary of Mishus

For safety’s sake, Rowen summoned two corpse wolves to clear the way ahead. He conjured a floating “fire lantern” with fire magic to illuminate the path before him, and simultaneously released his dark perception. As they ventured deeper into the cave, a foul beastly stench assaulted Rowen’s senses, making his head spin. Before long, the two corpse wolves halted, prompting Rowen to step forward to investigate.

The ground here was covered with a thick, messy layer of dry grass, interspersed with many black hairs. To one side, Rowen noticed several honeycombs of varying sizes. It seemed this spot was the dwelling place of the three great bears, and those honeycombs were likely honey shared with them by the blue-winged bees. After circling the area and finding nothing unusual, Rowen instructed the corpse wolves to continue onward.

They hadn’t gone much farther when Rowen felt the density of dark elements around them increase sharply, making the very air feel thick and viscous. This posed no problem for Rowen, being an adept of the dark arts, but at his side, Little Black was clearly struggling. Moments ago, the donkey had been as curious as a child, glancing about eagerly, but now it was restless and uneasy, its breathing heavy and labored.

“Little Black, if it’s too much for you, wait for me outside the cave. I can go in alone,” Rowen sent a telepathic message, concerned by the donkey’s distress.

“Huff… Rowen, I can manage! Hmph, I want to see for myself what’s so special about these ancient ruins!” the donkey insisted.

Since Little Black was so determined, Rowen did not press further. He now understood why the three great bears had chosen to make their home near the cave entrance—deeper within, the environment was simply intolerable for them. Yet for this reason, the beastly odor had vanished, and the ground was remarkably clean.

“It was the high concentration of dark elements here that first piqued my curiosity,” Kus remarked, his voice tinged with nostalgia. “That’s what led me to discover the ancient ruins all those years ago.”

Rowen nodded. Had Kus not been aligned with darkness, these ruins would have remained hidden, and Rowen would never have found his way here.

They pressed on, covering another ten yards or so, when a wave of heat rolled toward them. The farther they advanced, the hotter it became. In the glow of the fire lantern overhead, Rowen could see the surrounding cave walls faintly shimmering with a red, searing light.

Beside him, Little Black had already conjured its multicolored protective shield; without it, it would have been impossible for the donkey to proceed.

Were it not for Rowen’s innate fire affinity—and the effect of the white stone in his upper dantian—even as a third-level mage, he would not have been able to reach this place.

Suddenly, the two corpse wolves at the front let out a low growl—they had reached the end of the cave, and there was no way forward.

“Uncle Kus, what’s going on?” Rowen dismissed the corpse wolves with a wave, puzzled by the lack of any sign of ancient ruins in their surroundings.

Before Kus could answer, a figure abruptly emerged from the cave wall ahead, appearing before Rowen in an instant. Startled, Rowen saw that the man’s hair, eyebrows, and beard were an unkempt, tangled mass, almost growing together. Through the wild, weedy locks, Rowen could just make out the features of a burly middle-aged man. He wore a simple, coarse black robe, and if not for their current location, Rowen would have thought he’d run into some beggar from Bosang Town.

“Ah, let me see, what lucky fellow has made his way here this time?” boomed the rough-looking man, his gaze instantly locking onto Rowen.

After a moment, the man’s eyes lit up. “Not bad! This little one has quite a talent!”

Before Rowen could reply, Kus hurried forward. “Lord Mishus, do you remember me?”

Only then did the man turn his head in surprise. “Hey, you do look familiar. Wait, aren’t you that Kus fellow who came here more than a thousand years ago?”

Rowen’s mouth twitched. Kus, who had lived for thousands of years, was still called “little one” by this Mishus.

Embarrassed by the address, Kus forced a smile. “Yes, Lord Mishus, it’s me. Over a thousand years later, I’ve come to visit you again!”

Mishus smiled and nodded, then asked in some confusion, “Kus, why are you only a soul now?”

Kus sighed bitterly. “Ah, Lord Mishus, it’s a long story. After I left here last time, I went searching for a disciple as you instructed. But before long, a great purge against necromancers swept the Aragon Continent. By then, I’d made a name for myself and couldn’t escape. I was destroyed, but through some lucky encounters, my soul survived. Now, my soul is bound to this youngster named Rowen. I found he fits the criteria you mentioned, so I brought him here.”

Mishus nodded, sighing. “Your journey has indeed been full of hardships!” He then turned to Rowen, smiling. “This young man you’ve brought me is quite gifted—in the past ten thousand years, among more than a hundred who have come, he is certainly above average. We’ll see if fortune smiles on him and he receives my legacy.”

Rowen was startled. Ten thousand years! No wonder Mishus had called Kus “little one.” And so, over a hundred people had visited before him—had none received the legacy, or were there several legacies to be gained?

As Rowen pondered, Mishus’s voice sounded again, now full of curiosity. “Oh, this donkey may look like a Gale Donkey, but there’s more to it, isn’t there?” He scrutinized Little Black intently.

“That’s right, Lord Mishus,” Kus replied. “This donkey is unusual—even as a juvenile, it has the strength of an adult Gale Donkey. And earlier, it stood its ground against a sixth-level Black Lined Panther without flinching…” He tactfully omitted mention of Little Black’s peculiar heritage.

Mishus stroked his wild beard thoughtfully. “Fascinating. If I were still alive, I’d certainly study it closely!”

At this, the donkey shuddered and shot a wary look at the disheveled man, causing Mishus to break into hearty laughter. “Excellent! So, Rowen, you possess both fire and dark attributes, and you are a mage. You are qualified to enter my Mishus Sanctuary. Come in!”

With a sweep of his arm, Mishus caused ripples to appear in the stone wall at the end of the cave. Pointing toward the shimmering portal, he said, “Rowen, please enter. Welcome to the Sanctuary of Mishus!”