Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 419 The Resurgence of the Dark Lord

The once bustling port of Reno is now a battlefield. Destroyed buildings are everywhere, and the wreckage of warships floats on the sea. The armies of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire and the Qianwu Empire are engaged in fierce fighting, and the entire port is shrouded in smoke.

"The situation is more serious than we imagined," Silvermoon said, looking at the battlefield before her in shock. "They've started a full-scale war."

“And judging by the scale, this is no small-scale conflict,” Rowan observed the battlefield. “Both empires have committed significant military forces.”

From the air, one could see hundreds of warships locked in fierce combat on the sea, countless martial artists soaring through the air, and various law-based attacks exploding like fireworks. This scale of battle far surpassed ordinary inheritance competitions.

“We need to find a safe place to settle down,” Rowan said, searching for a suitable spot, “and then start gathering information.”

They chose a small island outside the port as their temporary base. The island was relatively secluded and some distance from the main battlefield, making it relatively safe.

“First, we need to understand how this war broke out,” Silvermoon began to formulate an investigation plan, “What was the specific trigger, and what is the timeline?”

“And there’s something even more important,” Rowan added, “we need to find the person or organization that originally spread the message of the Storm King’s legacy.”

The two divided the work: Silver Moon was responsible for collecting detailed information about the outbreak of war, while Rowan focused on tracing the source of the inherited information.

Silvermoon first contacted some civilians and merchants who had fled the port. Through conversations with them, she gradually pieced together the timeline of events:

Three months ago, mysterious figures spread rumors in the taverns and information exchanges of Reno, claiming to have discovered the exact location of the death of Severus, the Storm King. These rumors were extremely detailed, including specific coordinates, architectural structures, and even parts of his legacy.

“Strangely,” a fleeing merchant told Silvermoon, “these messages appeared in different places at almost the same time, and their content was highly consistent. It’s clearly an organized operation.”

More importantly, this news quickly reached the ears of the two great empires. Almost the day after the news spread, the Black Dragon Mountain Empire and the Qianwu Empire began to assemble their troops at Reno Port.

“This reaction speed is too fast,” Silvermoon analyzed in her mind. “Unless the two empires have been paying attention to this place for a long time, it would be impossible for them to react so quickly.”

Meanwhile, Rowan also made an important discovery. Through some special channels, he located several key figures who had initially spread the news. But surprisingly, these people had all disappeared.

“They vanished completely,” an information broker cautiously told Rowan, “like they evaporated from the face of the earth. And strangely, their behavior was very unnatural when they were spreading the word, as if they were being controlled by something.”

“Control?” Rowan astutely grasped the key word. “Could you elaborate?”

“I can’t quite explain it,” the information broker recalled, “but their eyes seemed vacant, and their tone of voice was very mechanical. And after they spread the message, they left immediately without taking any payment.”

This description reminded Rowan of the warriors in the Storm Temple who were affected by the wrathful magic array. Hollow eyes and mechanical behavior were typical characteristics of those under mind control.

"It seems there really is someone pulling the strings behind the scenes," Rowan confirmed his suspicions in his mind.

To obtain more information, Rowan decided to risk contacting some of the warriors still active in the port. Although the war was ongoing, some neutral forces were still active in certain areas of the port.

In a secluded underground bar, Rowan encounters a middle-aged man who claims to be an independent intelligence broker. This man claims to possess inside information about the conflict.

"You want to know the truth?" The intelligence broker smiled mysteriously. "The truth doesn't come cheap."

“Price is not an issue,” Rowan stated directly. “I want to know the real reason behind this war.”

The intelligence broker scrutinized Rowan for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "Three months ago, there was indeed a mysterious organization operating in the shadows. They not only spread news about the Storm King's legacy, but also provided some 'special intelligence' to the two great empires."

"What special intelligence?" Rowan pressed.

"Misinformation about the opponent's strength and intentions," the intelligence provider explained, "They made the Black Dragon Mountain Empire believe that the Qianwu Empire was planning an attack on them, while simultaneously making the Qianwu Empire believe that the Black Dragon Mountain Empire harbored hostile intentions."

This is a classic example of a divisive tactic. By providing false intelligence, it creates misunderstandings and hostility between two forces that are not originally in direct conflict.

"What are the characteristics of that mysterious organization?" Rowan continued to ask.

“It’s hard to say,” the intelligence broker shook his head. “Their members rarely show themselves, and when they do, they always disguise themselves. But there’s a strange detail: everyone who has come into contact with them experiences a period of memory lapse afterward.”

“A hazy memory?” Rowan’s heart skipped a beat; this was yet another sign of mind control.

“Yes, it’s like they’ve been brainwashed,” the intelligence provider confirmed. “And this phenomenon only occurs in people who have come into contact with that organization.”

Rowan obtained more details from his intelligence provider, including possible contact information and locations of activity. Although the information was limited, it was enough to form an investigative lead.

After reuniting with Yin Yue, the two began to organize the information they had collected.

"From a timeline perspective, this is indeed a meticulously planned conspiracy," Silvermoon analyzed. "First, they spread information about the inheritance to attract the attention of the two great empires, then they escalated the conflict through false intelligence, ultimately triggering a full-scale conflict."

“And the methods are very sophisticated,” Rowan added, “using mind control techniques to prevent the perpetrators from providing any useful clues. Even if things are exposed, it's very difficult to trace the mastermind behind it.”

“This method matches the ‘servants’ mentioned in the Storm King’s records,” Silvermoon thought, recalling the information she had found in the palace earlier. “The Dark Lord’s servants are indeed creating chaos.”

"The problem now is, how do we find out the true identity of this mysterious organization?" Rowan pondered his next course of action.

“I have an idea,” Silvermoon suggested. “Since they’re using mind control technology, they must need some kind of special device or magic array. We can start our investigation from that angle.”

This suggestion makes a lot of sense. While mind control is a sophisticated technique, it's impossible for it to be completely undetectable. Large-scale mind control, in particular, would certainly require powerful energy support and complex equipment.

"Is there any suspicious energy anomaly around Port Reno?" Silvermoon asked.

Rowan recalled the information he had sensed in the temple, "There were indeed some anomalies, but at the time our attention was focused on the inheritance, and we didn't investigate carefully."

“Let’s go check it out now,” Silvermoon suggested. The two left the island and began searching for suspicious energy sources around Reno Harbor. Using Rowan’s advanced perception abilities inherited from the Storm King, they quickly discovered some clues.

On a deserted island about fifty kilometers from Port Reno, there are obvious remnants of law energy. This energy has strong characteristics of spiritual laws and is on a large scale.

“There used to be a large-scale mind control array here,” Rowan carefully analyzed the remaining energy. “Judging from the traces, it operated for at least several months.”

“And its power is very high,” Silvermoon added, “enough to affect the entire population of the Reno Port region.”

They conducted a thorough search of the island and discovered the basic structural remains of the magic circle. Although the equipment had been removed, the basic rune inscriptions remained.

“These runes have an ancient style,” Silvermoon said, studying the markings on the ground. “They don’t seem to be from modern technology.”

“Indeed,” Rowan agreed, “I’ve seen this rune system in the Storm King’s records; it belongs to an ancient mind control technique.”

This discovery further confirms their speculation. The organization capable of using ancient mind control technology is very likely the "servants" mentioned in the Storm King's records.

“We need more evidence,” Silvermoon believed the existing clues were insufficient, “especially regarding the organization’s specific identity and objectives.”

Just as the two continued their search, a spatial fluctuation suddenly appeared on the island. Soon, a portal opened in front of them, and several mysterious figures dressed in black cloaks emerged.

“Someone is investigating our base,” the mysterious leader said in a low voice. “These informants must be eliminated.”

“Looks like we’ve found the right place,” Rowan and Silvermoon quickly got into battle mode.

These mysterious individuals are incredibly powerful, each possessing a level of at least the eighth rank of the Stellar Realm. More importantly, the skills they use exhibit clear characteristics of mind control.

“Mental shock,” one of the mysterious figures unleashed an invisible mental attack.

However, this attack posed a limited threat to Rowan and Silvermoon. Rowan was protected by the legacy of the Storm King, and Silvermoon, as a Domain Lord-level powerhouse, also possessed sufficient resistance.

"It seems you are no ordinary people," the mysterious man realized, recognizing the extraordinary nature of his opponents. "To be able to resist mental attacks, your strength is indeed impressive."

"Who are you people? Why are you trying to sow discord between the two great empires?" Rowan asked directly.

"We are the faithful servants of the Lord of Darkness," the mysterious figure openly admitted, "inciting conflict to gather more negative energy in preparation for our master's resurgence."

This answer confirms all the speculation. The Lord of Darkness does exist, and is creating chaos in the universe through his minions.

"When will your master recover?" Silver Moon pressed.

“Soon,” the mysterious man sneered. “Once enough energy is gathered, the master will return to this universe and bring a new order.”

“Then you can forget about seeing that day,” Rowan decided to take action against these dangerous elements.

The battle erupted immediately. These dark minions were indeed powerful and coordinated perfectly. Most of their skills involved mind control and negative energy, and their attack methods were quite unique.

“Shadow Binding,” a servant released black energy tentacles, attempting to control Rowan’s actions.

However, Rowan's strength, enhanced by inheritance, far surpassed that of ordinary stellar-level martial artists. He easily broke free from his restraints and repelled the servant with a backhand wind blade.

Silver Moon also demonstrated the strength of a Domain Lord-level expert; her water-based attacks were particularly effective against enemies who used dark energy.

"Purifying Water," Silver Moon releases a water-based law with purifying effects.

This attack is effective against dark energy. After several servants came into contact with the purifying water, the dark energy on their bodies began to dissipate, and their strength decreased significantly.

The battle ended quickly. Although these servants were not weak, they still had no chance of winning against the combination of Rowan and Silvermoon.

Before the battle ended, Rowan successfully captured a servant who was still conscious. Through mental probing, he obtained more important information from the servant's memories.

“I see,” Rowan said, his expression turning grave after concluding the probe. “The Dark Lord’s minions are far larger than we imagined. They operate not only here, but also have strongholds throughout the entire star system.”

"And their goal isn't just the conflict between the two empires," Silvermoon gleaned from the prisoners' memories, "they're planning a much larger war, plunging the entire star system into chaos."

This discovery deeply worried both of them. If the Dark Servant's plan succeeded, the entire star system would be plunged into an endless war. And the negative energy generated in this chaos would accelerate the Dark Lord's resurgence.

“We must report this to headquarters immediately,” Yin Yue suggested. “This is beyond our capacity to handle.”

“Agreed,” Rowan nodded, “but while we wait for aid, we can’t just sit idly by. We must at least do our best to prevent the current conflict from escalating.”

The two decided to split up. Silvermoon was responsible for contacting the headquarters of the Virtual Universe Corporation to report on the threat posed by the Dark Lord. Rowan, on the other hand, attempted to reach the commanders of the two empires, trying to ease the conflict through diplomatic means.

“Remember, the evidence we have right now is limited,” Rowan reminded Yinyue. “When reporting to the company, emphasize the urgency of the investigation.”

“I understand,” Silvermoon said, showing her understanding. “I will contact the higher-ups as soon as possible to try and get more support.”

Silvermoon arrived alone at a safe area some distance from the deserted island. The space here was relatively stable, suitable for long-distance communication. As a senior mediator for the Virtual Universe Company, she had special privileges to contact headquarters directly.

"I hope headquarters will take this threat seriously," Silvermoon murmured to herself, while activating her long-range communication device.

This communication device is the company's most advanced technological product, capable of traversing tens of thousands of light-years to directly connect to the headquarters' core communication network. Once activated, a semi-transparent 3D projection appeared in front of Silver Moon, displaying the connection status.

(End of this chapter)