The battle instantly devolved into a brutal struggle. Shadows could ignore most attacks, but their claw-like shadowy tentacles could easily tear through the warriors' leather and mail, leaving deep, bone-chilling wounds laced with cold energy. Screams continuously erupted; every time a shadow pierced a body, the victim seemed to have part of their vitality sucked away, their faces turning pale.
Viserys quickly wielded "Blackfire" until sparks flew, while simultaneously channeling his full Psychic power, attempting to disrupt the existence of these pure energy constructs. He found that whenever he focused his mind to strike the two red lights on the shadow's head, he could cause its movements to freeze momentarily. However, this was extremely taxing on his mind and required others to create opportunities for him.
"Arthur. Coordinate with me," he roared.
Ser Arthur met his gaze and understood instantly. He wielded "Dawn" in an airtight defense. He no longer sought to kill outright but used his exquisite swordsmanship to pressure the shadows, luring two of them near Viserys. Viserys seized the opportunity, stabbing his Psychic power like an awl toward the core of the shadow's red light, causing the shadow to tremble violently. Arthur took the chance to stab the stiffened shadow with his sword; with a flash of light from "Dawn," the shadow was easily cut in half. This was much easier than killing them alone.
They repeated the same tactic, constantly wearing down the shadows' strength. But the price paid for eliminating each shadow was incredibly heavy. The soldiers used their bodies and fire to delay the remaining shadows, and people kept falling. Two of the three Maesters were also grazed by a shadow because they couldn't dodge in time, instantly collapsing and dying.
When the last shadow was eliminated by the combined attack of Viserys and Arthur, fewer than a hundred people remained standing on the platform. The ground was littered with corpses and wounded, and the entire platform reeked of blood. The castle gate remained open, but the darkness inside was still profound. The remaining people set up camp on the spot to organize the bodies and supplies.
Viserys was also greatly exhausted after the bloody battle, so he could only arrange for the remaining people to camp where they were. After all, the castle gate was still open, but only profound darkness could be seen inside. He decided to search inside during the day; after all, the Shadow Creatures had already given him a huge "surprise," and he was still unsettled.
Early the next morning, Viserys led thirty relatively intact warriors into the Obsidian Castle. They chose to go straight into the castle's inner hall, opening the place where the shadows had appeared last night. They only saw an empty and dim great hall, where several stone pillars stood, carved with strange spirals and dragon patterns, many areas already eroded and broken.
They cautiously searched every corner of the hall. A relatively complete fresco remained on one wall, depicting volcanic eruptions, dragons diving, and figures wearing ornate robes holding strange magical artifacts, performing some kind of Blood Sacrifice or Summoning Ritual. Blood and fire were the eternal themes, and the summoned subjects resembled the twisted shadows they had first seen last night. These frescoes clearly spoke of the power favored by this family: Blood and Shadow.
In the deepest part of the hall, on the wall behind the raised platform opposite the entrance, Viserys noticed something different. The wall was painted with a tall sword-wielder standing on an unknown bone, with a burning city behind him. Crucially, below the fresco, there was a slightly protruding stone sword rack. A longsword lay horizontally upon it.
Viserys walked closer and drew the longsword. The sword had a slender blade, slightly narrower than "Blackfire," but still sized as a greatsword. It was a deep, profound black overall, with only the edge flowing with a faint, dark red sheen. The guard was strangely shaped, like two folded dragon wings. The hilt was wrapped in long-dried black leather, but most importantly, the pommel was carved with the Satherean family's Triple Spiral Sigil.
This was another valyrian steel sword.
He tried two practice swings; the blade sliced through the air, emitting a low hum. The sword's weight distribution was excellent. Although heavier than a typical greatsword, his physical conditioning made it easy to use. Furthermore, he had long wanted to use Dual Greatsword Technique, but using other swords alongside "Blackfire" felt unbalanced. This sword, however, was just right. From now on, he would use "Blackfire" in his right hand and "Blood Shadow" in his left. "Blood Shadow" was the name he had just given this sword.
They continued searching. They arrived at a room that might have been a study or a private altar. The room was small, and the stone shelves against the walls were piled with scrolls and stone tablets, most of which were rotted and destroyed. However, several scrolls sealed in metal tubes were preserved intact.
Viserys carefully opened one metal tube. Although the papyrus inside was yellowed, the writing was clear, using Ancient High Valyrian. These documents clearly recorded the Satherean family's secret Blood Magic and Shadow Magic.
However, the various spells recorded here almost all required a "Sacrifice." From livestock to slaves, and even close kin, the more powerful the spell, the more demanding and cruel the Sacrifice required.
Viserys rolled the scrolls back up. Although he couldn't use them now, that didn't mean he wouldn't use them in the future. Besides the documents, the most eye-catching item in the room was placed on a table. It was a candle, made of neither gold nor stone, presenting a translucent texture, like a strange jade or colored glaze. The body of the candle was carved with intricate patterns. Most astonishingly, a pale flame was quietly burning on top of the wick.
"Glass Candle," Viserys whispered. He had heard the legends from The Citadel about such a magical artifact, which only lit up when the Tide of Magic returned, serving as a sign of magic's existence. Its appearance was almost identical to the candle before him. If this truly was a Glass Candle, it would prove that magical energy should be quite abundant, at least in the core area of this castle.
However, Viserys himself did not feel the surrounding magical energy was much denser than outside. Perhaps the magical energy here was restricted in some way, or he had not yet been acknowledged. Nevertheless, he carefully put the candle away. This was also an important discovery and a clue for future research.
The biggest surprise, though, was that Ser Alliser and the others discovered other Valyrian Weapons in the armory: some spears and standard longswords. They also bore the Triple Spiral Sigil. These weapons were likely used by the Satherean family to reward their subordinates, but now they benefited him. He awarded the longswords to several knights, including Ser Arthur, which would also make it easier for him to use his dual greatswords. Previously, he had only used "Dawn" because ordinary weapons were useless against most creatures here; now, he could unseal them. As for the remaining spears, they were naturally distributed among the soldiers to strengthen the team's self-preservation capability.
Searches of the other rooms yielded little. Some gold and silver jewelry, a few ornaments with faint magical fluctuations, and some strange apparatus that might have been used for magical experiments or rituals.
Regarding the gold and silver jewelry, Viserys directly ordered, "Divide it among yourselves. Take what you can, but remember not to be greedy and hinder our movement." The soldiers let out a low cheer, slightly breaking the oppressive atmosphere. These valuables were a small compensation for their risks and Sacrifices.
While the soldiers happily organized the treasures, Viserys stood by the window, looking out at the heartland of the peninsula shrouded in smoke and dust, pondering their next direction.
"Awwwh—"
A deafening, majestic Dragon Roar, like a clap of thunder, came from the sky.
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