Chapter 162 Gods of Midnight Dominion!
As Pyris and his companions stepped through the shimmering portal, the world around them shifted. In an instant, they found themselves inside a small mansion, its exterior appearing weathered and abandoned.
Outside, vines crept along the walls, and the paint had long since chipped away, giving it the look of a forgotten relic. Yet, as you moved inside, the true nature of the mansion revealed itself—gleaming with life and opulence, it was a secret base of House Obsidian, meticulously maintained and hidden from prying eyes.
Luxurious furniture adorned the rooms, with state-of-the-art surveillance and magical wards ensuring their safety.
Pyris knew they would be safe here, but time was of the essence.
Before they could carry out their mission, they needed to fully understand the complex landscape of the Sunstone Empire, especially the dangerous region known as the Midnight Dominion, where their target, General Kassius, resided.
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As they settled into the room, Mira stepped forward. Her cold demeanor softened slightly as she took in the faces of her companions. This was their first dangerous mission, and she knew the importance of preparation, proper discussion and briefing.
"The Sunstone Empire," Mira began, her voice clear and calm, "is unlike any place we've ever been where we know peace. It's a crumbling giant—still dangerous, still powerful in some ways, but riddled with instability."
Aurelia leaned back against the couch, crossing her arms. "Sounds like a perfect place to get caught in the crossfire of a thousand factions."
"That's exactly the problem," Mira replied, nodding. "You have to understand, the social structure of the Sunstone Empire is broken. The Emperor is nothing more than a figurehead at this point, clinging to old traditions. His power barely extends beyond the capital, which is the Midnight Dominion."
Alexa, who had been silently listening, tilted her head. "The Midnight Dominion? That's the capital?"
Mira shook her head. "Not just the capital—it's the most notorious place in the empire. The Dominion serves as the heart of the Sunstone Empire's corruption and decay. It's ruled by warlords, mercenaries, and criminal syndicates.
"Each faction is vying for control, and the Midnight Dominion is where they all collide. Think of it as the dark, twisted version of a capital—a lawless hub of power."
Aurelia let out a low chuckle. "Sounds like home."
Pyris, listening intently, nodded. "So the Emperor doesn't control it anymore?" Your next chapter awaits on empire
"No," Mira continued, "the Emperor is more of a symbol than a ruler. The nobility, remnants of the once-powerful Sunstone Houses, still cling to their titles, but in reality, the warlords are the ones in charge now. The empire is fractured. Everyone's grabbing for power, and General Kassius—our target—is one of the most dangerous among them."
"So we're diving into a political nightmare," Pyris commented, his tone thoughtful.
"Exactly," Mira replied. "Politically, the empire is in chaos. The warlords control different parts of the empire through military strength, and Kassius is one of the most formidable. He's about lead a rebellion against the Emperor, aiming to overthrow him and take control of the empire himself. He's gained a lot of support because people see the Emperor as weak."
Alexa leaned forward. "But if Kassius overthrows the Emperor, won't he just become another warlord?"
Pyris nodded. "He could. But Kassius is different—he's not just another power-hungry leader. He has the backing of powerful cursed warriors, which makes him almost untouchable."
Aurelia raised an eyebrow. "Cursed warriors? Like undead?"
"Yes and no," Mira confirmed. "Kassius controls an army of cursed warriors— but not entirely undead soldiers bound to him by an arcane gauntlet he wears. They're incredibly difficult to kill and serve him without question. The gauntlet is the key to his power. Without it, the cursed warriors would fall into disarray."
Pyris's gaze sharpened. "So if we will take the gauntlet and we will cripple his army."
"Exactly," Mira said. "That's our mission. Infiltrate the Midnight Dominion, eliminate Kassius, and retrieve the gauntlet. But it won't be easy. The Dominion is heavily fortified, and Kassius has surrounded himself with powerful mages and mercenaries. We'll need to be careful—subtle. No alarms, no witnesses."
Mira didn't mention another thing, the general has been quiet for some time, telling the girls that might lead them to slightly drop their guard down.
Alexa frowned slightly. "But if he's in the middle of a rebellion, won't people notice if he disappears?"
"They might," Mira admitted. "But the rebellion has so many moving parts, no one will know for sure what happened to him. We can make it look like an internal conflict, an assassination by one of his own men, or maybe sabotage by a rival faction."
Pyris had caught the underlying loopholes in the mission, it stated the mission should be a quiet one, but they never said it shouldn't be flashy; the quietness meant, the death of the general should not be linked to the main force who gave this mission to the Eclipse Syndicate!
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Pyris rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "And the economy of the empire? How are people surviving in all this chaos?"
"The economy has taken a massive hit," Mira explained. "Trade routes have collapsed, resources are scarce, and most of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of the warlords. The black market thrives, especially in the Midnight Dominion. If you need something—illegal goods, weapons, slaves, rare artifacts—that's the place to find it. The Eclipse Syndicate, as you know, controls most of these black markets."
Aurelia smirked. "Sounds like a good place to make a fortune if you're unscrupulous enough."
Mira glanced at her. "Exactly. That's why we have to be extra careful. The economy here isn't built on trust or stability—it's built on deals made in dark alleys and backed by a knife to the throat."
Alexa shuddered. "It's hard to believe a place like that still functions."
Mira sighed. "Barely. The commoners are the ones suffering the most. They live in fear, caught between the ambitions of the warlords and the rebellion. Many have turned to crime, while others just try to survive. For them, this is life now—constant instability."
Hearing this, Pyris felt an opportunity for his family bussineses, all he had to do was attach himself with the ruling forces, or become one of the ruling forces and given what he was capable of, gf could achieve either of the two without much problems.
[Pyris places like these tend to attract the attention of gods and immortal!] Lia cried out in a eerie whisper to him.
Pyris interjected as he Lia whispered to him. "And the religious aspect? Who do they turn to for hope?"
It was a well-known fact in the mortal realm that gods held sway here in the Mortal Realm—the treacherous waters Pyris had yet to explore.
The gods were worshiped across Argos, the mainland of the mortal realm, and beyond.
But such matters were something he chose to avoid, at least until he was powerful enough to contend with them.
Take the Dragon Empire, for instance; they revered the mighty Zorynthar, the Dragon God.
"Traditionally, the Sunstone Empire worshiped Heris, the Sun God," Mira explained. "But as the empire decayed, the temples to Heris, have fallen into ruin. The priests are nomadic now, offering blessings where they can, but most people don't believe the Sun God is listening anymore."
"Heris, the Sun god," Alexa murmured. "It makes sense they'd abandon him in times like this."
"Exactly," Mira said. "In his place, people have turned to the Dark Pantheon, a rumored group of gods associated with death, war, and rebellion. In the Midnight Dominion, worship of these dark gods has grown strong. There are rumors that General Kassius himself has made a pact with these gods to control his cursed warriors."
Aurelia's eyes sparkled with interest. "A pact with dark gods? That's how he's controlling them?"
"It's a possibility," Mira replied. "But the real control comes from the arcane gauntlet. That's what binds the cursed warriors to him, and that's what we need to take from him." It was possible the gods he worshiped gave him these gauntlets but direct involvement of the said gods was still debatable!
[What's their plan?] Lia asked herself... maybe she knew about these gods?
Pyris leaned back, his mind processing the information. "So, to sum it up: Kassius is leading a rebellion, controlling an army of cursed warriors with an arcane gauntlet, and we need to infiltrate his base in the Midnight Dominion, kill him, and retrieve the gauntlet. All while avoiding detection. Anything to do with gods, it's none of our businesses until I say it is."
Mira nodded. "That's the mission." She too felt that they shouldn't overstep into businesses to do with gods, of there were chances to avoid them, it was better to do that.
Alexa glanced at Pyris, her eyes filled with concern. "And no one else can know about it before the mission is accomplished. If we fail, or if word gets out, the consequences could be catastrophic. The entire balance of power in the Sunstone Empire could collapse." That wouldn't be their problem unless their identifies were compromised, but it meant they had failed their mission and he won't get the information on the Blood Chalice!
Pyris's gaze hardened. "Then we don't fail. We go in, get the job done, and leave before anyone knows we were even there."
Aurelia stood, stretching her arms. "Sounds simple enough. When do we start?"
Mira gave a thin smile. "Soon. But first, we need to review our infiltration plan. Kassius isn't just going to hand over the gauntlet."
Pyris rose from his seat, his eyes flashing with determination. "Let's get to work."
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We're soon stepping into the treacherous waters, are you ready?
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