Chapter 993: Dark Undercurrent Exile
As it turned out, the scale of the Mole Man population was much larger than Noland Lee had imagined.
Within half an hour after Nolin began to manipulate the Mechanos to search the Mole Man caverns, she found two deserted Mole Man cavern clusters one after the other.
Similarly, these two cavern clusters also contained abandoned Shadow Magic Arrays and Mole Man skeletons.
The Moleman’s Spine, as if it didn’t exist at all, was not found in either of these two cavern clusters. noveldrama
Time passed, half an hour, an hour, two hours, and one after another, Mole Man cavern clusters reduced to skeletons were discovered by Nolin.
Nolin used the magic access meter to draw out the pathways of the Mechanos and the distribution map of the cavern clusters.
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Noland Lee cast “Mind View” at Nolin and, through her perspective, saw the map on the magic access meter.
This was an extremely vast and intricate underground cavern cluster system.
Its vertical drop was estimated to be around 2,000 meters, extending at least 20 kilometers horizontally and consisting of more than 30 Mole Man cavern clusters.
These cavern clusters were distributed around the Underground Ore Veins of Barren Stone.
It was conservatively estimated that its interiors had long been inhabited by more than 6,000 Mole Men.
All the Mole Men had died, all transformed into shadow energy and bare bones.
Their corpses accumulated next to the Shadow Magic Arrays, creating a ghastly white carpet of bones.
Even having seen the Grave Vaults of the Undead Cult, Noland couldn’t help but feel horrified by the glaring white bones.
And these were only the Mole Man caverns that Nolin had explored.
Beneath 2,000 meters underground, there could be even more caverns.
The Mole Men there might have also met untimely deaths.
“What exactly is that elusive Shadow Wizard up to…” Noland wondered.
While commanding Nolin to move the skeletons, Noland recalled the Reply he had just received from Professor Erica.
In her letter, Professor Erica introduced Noland to the mysteries of Shadow Magic.
There are three sources of shadow energy.
The first source is the conventional one, which involves using the Meditation Method to extract shadow energy from the “shadow” phenomena in the Natural World.
The so-called “shadow” phenomenon refers to an environment devoid of light.
In above-ground environments, a lightless environment is the darkest one possible, with no other environment darker than it.
This means that the speed of extracting shadow energy from the “shadow” phenomenon on Ground Level is restricted by the conditions of light.
Even in a completely dark above-ground environment, Shadow Wizards can extract shadow energy only at a rate of 1,000 points per hour.
Shadow Wizards would certainly not be satisfied with such an inefficient means of power acquisition.
That led to the second approach for obtaining shadow energy:
Either head to the gathering places of shadow energy – the Ancient Lomis Continent, or they would have to explore vertically downwards, to the depths of 5,000 meters.
The area between 5,000 and 10,000 meters below the surface of any continent is referred to as the “Dark Zone.”
Below 10,000 meters is the “Darkest Zone.”
Generally speaking, the “Dark Zone” is the limit of exploration for Shadow Wizards.
The “Darkest Zone” is the domain of ferocious demons, where apart from shadow energy, no other types of energy exist.
All Circle Wizards not affiliated with the Shadows Faction would lose their Spell Casting Ability in the “Darkest Zone.”
Shadow Wizards, on the other hand, would be assimilated by the rich shadow energy in the “Darkest Zone” and be compelled to transform into pure shadow energy.
The “Dark Zone” is somewhat safer than the “Darkest Zone” where humans can still survive, but for wizards, it’s far too dangerous.
Is there a more comfortable channel for collecting shadow energy?
There is.
Through years of continued research, Shadow Wizards discovered the third method for extracting shadow energy.
This method involves using a shadow pupa cocoon to Realise it.
The “Shadow Pupa Summoning Technique” holds an era-defining significance in the world of Shadow Magic.
By tormenting the soul, applying negative mental effects, and breaking the willpower to survive of Life Creatures, thereby fostering their dark emotions and desires, it is possible to harvest both mental energy and shadow energy simultaneously – that is the principle of a shadow pupa cocoon.
Specifically, any Life Creature trapped by a shadow pupa cocoon will fall into an inescapable mental illusion.
In this illusion, the Creature will repeatedly experience a perfect, happy life, but every time, just at the peak of elation, a sudden tragedy will shatter the beautiful dream.
After experiencing several shattered dreams, creatures that have tasted perfect lives will desire fervently to relive their life’s peak once more.
In this fantasy, they will stop at nothing, using all sorts of treacherous and crafty means to obtain everything they want.
At that moment, the dark personas of the creatures become a source of shadow energy and mental energy.
“Using this method to extract shadow energy is far more expedient than extracting it from natural phenomena, Jarvis,” Professor Erica wrote in the letter.
“According to the records from the Wizard Advancement Association’s experiments, a Five Ring Wizard Criminal consumed by a shadow pupa cocoon can produce up to about 1.5 million points of shadow energy and 150,000 points of mental energy before they are completely broken down by the cocoon.
“I’m not too clear on the situation of the Mole Men, but it should not exceed the experimental data of the Five Ring Wizard Criminals.”
1.5 million points of shadow energy.
6,000 Mole Men.
That would be a maximum of 9 billion points of shadow energy and 900 million points of mental energy then?
Noland blinked, rifling through his mind for a moment to locate the transaction prices at the Starlight City Energy Exchange.
The Average Selling Price for 10,000 points of shadow energy is 7,000 gold coins.
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