Northwest of the capital, a range of dark mountains stretches endlessly.
The name itself is fitting – Laoheishan.
"Black" describes its appearance, while "old" indicates its long existence.
It is a colossal object left behind from ancient times. No one knows how many years it has existed, nor how many secrets it holds.
All that is known is that its mountains rise and fall, layer upon layer, like a giant dragon winding along the horizon, its dark body appearing even more profound and unfathomable in the endless haze.
In the mountains and forests, ancient trees reach for the sky, their branches and leaves intertwining into a dense, impenetrable net that completely blocks out the sky, swallowing up even the few rays of light that can be seen.
A thin mist lingers in the mountains year-round, not the morning dew, but a persistent miasma that hangs and lingers like a ghost.
In this place ruled by the forces of nature, life thrives and multiplies in a strange way.
Countless snakes, insects, rats, and strange beasts found their paradise here, either lurking in the darkness or quietly emerging after nightfall, becoming the rulers of this land.
The occasional hissing and squeaking sounds echoed through the silent forest, creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.
Deep within this eerie, untouched forest, a massive black castle stands abruptly, like a nightmare, its stark silhouette appearing and disappearing in the mist.
The castle's outer walls are made of dark, inky stone. Even in the daytime, the dark stones absorb all light and do not reflect any luster, making the entire building look even more silent and cold.
The towering tower pierces the sky, its sharp roofline carving a razor-sharp angle against the heavens, as if trying to pierce the thick clouds.
The most bizarre thing is that the castle is surrounded by a moat, and the water is an eerie, thick, dark green.
Beneath the surface, some indescribable force seems to be lurking, with occasional faint ripples spreading out, suggesting that the underwater world is not at peace.
From time to time, a low gurgling sound would emanate from underwater, as if some enormous creature was slowly swimming within it. The eerie sound was exceptionally clear in the deathly silent forest, sending chills down one's spine.
A strange, eerie wind blew open a rusty window on the dark wall, revealing a suffocating darkness inside.
The long corridor stretched to the horizon, almost entirely devoid of light, with only occasional glimmers of light seeping through the narrow, high windows, barely outlining the surroundings.
Along both sides of the corridor, the doors of the rooms were tightly closed. The thick, heavy door panels were carved with intricate patterns, which have become blurred and indistinct over time, leaving only the marks of time.
Occasionally, faint footsteps would echo from the depths of the castle, reverberating in the empty corridors, but as the sounds faded into the distance, everything returned to deathly silence, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.
The room at the far end of the castle's top floor was pitch black. A flash of light appeared, and a huge projection was cast onto the stark white wall.
The projector's beams of light blurred the outline of the room, and behind the huge desk, a sinister figure leaned back in an office chair, his form hidden in the darkness.
A flash of light appeared on the projection screen, and the image suddenly changed, revealing a blurry figure on the screen.
A strange mist swirled around him, obscuring his face. Only a slender, pale hand emerged from the mist, resting on the table and gently caressing an old tarot deck.
"The assassins you sent weren't very obedient."
A somber, cold voice suddenly rang out, and a hint of cold light flashed in those sinister eyes that were half-hidden in the darkness.
"Hehe, they're not the monsters you created. Isn't it normal for them to have their own thoughts?"
A strange, magnetic voice came from the projection screen.
"Because of their miniaturized ideas, I was unable to retrieve the reagents."
"Heh~ I've kept my promise and sent you three S-class assassins. You had your own ulterior motives, so can you blame anyone else?"
"I need you to send me some strong reinforcements; these three people alone are not enough!"
After a moment of silence, the sinister figure hidden in the darkness spoke in a cold voice.
"Hehehe~ You're scared~"
"Back in his lair, looking at that bunch of monsters, while his true form was still holed up elsewhere..."
"You actually want my help?"
Upon hearing this, the person on the other end of the screen suddenly let out a strange, sinister laugh, the laugh carrying obvious sarcasm.
"I can no longer help you with this matter. The three S-class assassins have already aroused suspicion..."
Hahaha!
Before the words on the other end of the screen could finish, they were interrupted by a chilling laugh.
The figure hidden in the darkness suddenly sat up straight, a pair of gloomy eyes flashing with a strong sense of mockery in the darkness.
"I'm scared?"
"You seem to be more scared than I am!"
A strange glint flashed in his eyes, his fingers tapped lightly on the table, and he suddenly softened his tone, speaking in a sinister voice:
Let me guess.
"You are a diviner with spiritual powers, you believe in destiny, but you cannot see through the variables beyond the fate of the celestial maiden favored by God."
"A diviner can calculate the heavens and the earth, but he cannot calculate himself."
"You can't see through them, and you can't see your own future clearly, so you're afraid."
“You’re afraid of being caught by them, you’re afraid of being punished by God, you want to use me to get rid of them, but you also want to hide behind the scenes and not expose yourself.”
"hehe……"
With a chilling smile, he suddenly stood up, his hands braced on the table, his extremely cold eyes staring fearlessly at the person on the other side of the screen whose fingers were unconsciously clenching.
The voice was as cold and sinister as a demon from hell, as it spoke:
"But don't you know what you've done?"
"From the moment you harbored wicked thoughts when her fate was weak, you were doomed."
"Now that I'm your shield, they naturally won't have the energy to investigate further, but as soon as I'm gone..."
How long do you think you can hide?
"Given what you've done, do you think they'll let you off the hook?"
Seeing the enigmatic person on the other end of the screen fall into an unprecedented silence, he snorted coldly and sat back down in his chair, his hands clasped in front of his chest.
A pair of cold, sinister eyes gleamed in the darkness, making them appear even more sinister and menacing.
"Don't think I'm that easy to fool."
"You and I are now in the same boat..."
On the screen, as the slender, pale hand clenched tighter and tighter, the eerie mist surrounding her also became chaotic.
Even through the screen, you could almost feel the terrifying pressure emanating from her.
After a long while, she gradually loosened her clenched fingers, and her magnetic, feminine voice was slightly low and muffled, revealing no emotion.
"I'll find you a strong ally, so be prepared..."
"If you can't get rid of them, you're not far from death!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the eerie mist around him surged violently, and the screen went black instantly.
"Oh!"
With a cold snort, the figure hidden in the darkness stood up and slowly walked to the window.
"I don't believe in fate!"
As the window was opened, a cold, sinister face was revealed to the air—it was Vito Rosso.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
