Versatile Mage

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

It looked like a different space had been moved here. The scene was incompatible with the vast grassland and open sky.

As the old herdsman was filled with astonishment, he suddenly saw a giant silhouette appearing at the spot where the lines crossed paths.

The silhouette felt like an illusionary projection at the start. It was unreal.

However, its outline gradually became clearer. The old herdsman realized he was looking at a structure the size of a hill. The stairs leading up to the narrow top were made of golden stones. Each golden stone was perfectly cut, with sharp edges!

Each cut stone was far taller than a person!

The entire building was made of tens of thousands of these golden stones. They were stacked together to form a magnificent structure with triangular surfaces!

The old herdsman felt like he was dreaming. He never thought he would see such a golden structure at such close range. It had suddenly appeared on the grassland, as if it had just mysteriously traveled here through space!

As it became more real, the old herdsman began to feel an enormous pressure from it…

Why would it show up here!?

Why would a pyramid show up here!?

“This is the real mirage,” the old herdsman heard the young man say.

The old herdsman fell to the ground, feeling like his soul was crumbling to pieces under the imperious aura of the pyramid that traveled across space. The pieces of his soul were drifting in a new wind that was filled with the aura of death…

“Can you feel it?” the young man said, sounding like a devil now. “This light that doesn’t have any heat, it’s even sending chills down my spine and making my hair stand on end… this is the light of the Underworld!” the young man proclaimed.

The old herdsman saw it and felt it too.

It was exactly what the young man had described. Even the sun had darkened under this light. The sky had turned gray and gloomy. The land was shrouded by a mist, and the temperature had dropped significantly too!

The light of the Underworld!

The gloom that allows the dead to roam freely!

The old herdsman finally realized everything that the young man had said was real.

Ghastly shrieks came from across the place. The old herdsman broke out in a cold sweat.

“The kingdom of the dead exists in another dimension, and the gate that leads it to the mundane world isn’t our land, but Osiris’ residence, and the places its light can reach!” the young man said.

Every sentence that the young man said was like a heavy blow to the old herdsman. He could barely withhold the shock he was receiving!

The grass had wilted. The plants had fallen and scattered about.

If the grassland was a huge green painting, it was like someone was scribbling on it with black, gray, and dark colors, giving it a spooky, terrifying shade. The process did not last long, moving quicker than a scene suddenly shifted in a nightmare. It was unbelievable…

The icy land cracked apart. One after another, ferocious-looking undead climbed out of the cracks. They were restless under the brilliance of the pyramid, and had a dangerous vibe. The sounds they produced spread into the distance…

Their numbers continued to increase, soon as dense as a herd of livestock. When the wind blew from the town, the scent of the living roused them. Their eyes emitted a savage flicker!

The undead were unaware of the presence of the old herdsman, the young man, and his subordinates. They let out starving cries and sprinted toward the town the old herdsman came from wildly.

The army of undead was like Osiris’ soldiers. The old herdsman clearly felt Osiris’ hatred and anger toward humanity in that particular moment…

The old herdsman finally reacted after some time. He ran as quickly as possible when he saw the undead heading toward his home.

However, the old herdsman could not mount his horse, which had already fainted. He used all his strength to keep running. He fell to the ground feebly, but he did not feel the pain. He rose to his feet numbly again…

The old herdsman’s speed was obviously no match for the undead. When he stood on the hill panting heavily and trying to catch his breath, he looked down at the town and saw how the beautiful, kind town had been replaced by Hell!

Bloodstains were everywhere. White bones were scattered across the ground. Cries of agony howled on the wind across the land. The people that he was close to and the strangers had all turned into corpses, all beyond recognition when the old herdsman reached the town. Most of them were no longer intact.

The daughter that he was most proud of…

His healthy, optimistic mother…

His diligent wife…

His poor yet friendly neighbors…

The people of his tribe who believed there was still kindness in the world…

Not a single one of them was alive!

Why, why, why did they do this!?

The old herdsman turned around. He could not shed a single tear. Tears were meant to vent the sorrow in a person’s heart, but even shedding tears would not make any difference when grief had reached its limit. All that was left was the confusion, doubt, anger, and hatred that had filled up the old man’s chest.

“Why…why?…” The old herdsman was like an empty shell.

The young man slowly approached and said with a calm voice, “Didn’t I already say it? I’m having a bet with you.”

“A bet?” The old herdsman could not believe his ears.

For a moment, the old herdsman believed the young man held a strong grudge against them. He had surely endured prolonged suffering and torture if he would go so far to get his revenge.

Yet the people of the Qiqige Tribe had always been friendly to the others; since when did they provoke this devil?

“Yeah, so do you hate me now?” the young man asked.

The old herdsman almost lost his mind when he heard the question.

This bastard had killed all his family and people, and yet was asking him the question so calmly!?

What was his answer? It was obvious! He had the urge to eat the devil’s flesh alive, to gnaw his bones, and drink his blood!

“You’ve lost,” the young man smiled. He could see the answer from the old herdsman’s twisted expression. “You should be like Qiqige. You should cast away your hatred and grudge, and continue to be friendly toward me. That way, I would give up on my role as a Red Cardinal, I would undo the sins I’ve inflicted on your tribe… but you couldn’t do it. You hate me, you detest me, you’re angry at me…”

The young man paused briefly. The gentle smile on his face gradually became icy and aloof, with a strong hint of disdain and loathing.

“You lost, and as the price, I will be taking your insignificant strength of faith!”