【Interstellar Contract Magician】Ruyuanke

Chapter 369 [Empire] "Source"

The further I walked, the more my brow furrowed. I suddenly stopped and asked Nightingale, "Who named these strange beasts Black Mist?" He looked at me in surprise, clearly confused as to why I'd suddenly stopped and asked, "Perhaps the first people to discover them?" I pressed, "Did they manage to destroy the Black Mist while still alive?" Nightingale was stunned again. I breathed a sigh of relief, "I don't think this is Black Mist, but Black Candles..."

Nightingale's eyes flickered, as if he understood the meaning of my words, but he didn't respond immediately. He simply stared at me silently, a subtle hint of alertness flashing across his eyes. I could feel the atmosphere suddenly become solemn. That feeling came from my previous speculation—that it wasn't "black fog," but "black candles."

"Black Candle?" Nightingale's voice was low and questioning. "You mean... these strange beasts seem to have been turned into candles by something?" He seemed to be trying to understand what I said, but was obviously unfamiliar with this way of naming.

I nodded, my suspicions growing more and more certain. "Black candles, their form resembles melted candles, not ordinary mist. They constantly drip liquid, and that liquid seems to be corrosive. Like candle wax dripping, it consumes everything. I suspect the name 'black mist' is misleading, perhaps because the people who first discovered them couldn't accurately describe their nature. In reality, they're more like an extremely corrosive entity, like a black flame, slowly devouring everything around them."

Nightingale's expression grew serious, his eyes fixed on the front. The blurry shadows swam in the mist, seeming even more ferocious. "You're right," he finally spoke, a hint of coldness in his voice. "The attack methods of these beasts are indeed similar to the corrosive nature of fire. Their very existence is like an invisible black fire, consuming the energy and matter around them."

My heart suddenly shuddered, and I felt an inexplicable chill creeping up my spine. "If they truly are like black candles, then their 'core' shouldn't be a specific part, but their 'fire source.' If we can find and destroy their 'fire source,' these beasts should quickly lose their power."

Nightingale frowned, clearly realizing the seriousness of the situation. "Are you saying that their black fog isn't naturally formed, but driven by some external force? Like some kind of external energy concentration point?"

I nodded. "This isn't just the emanation of black mist, but the continuous spread of a special 'molten candle flame source.' The reason they can devour light and absorb energy isn't just due to their own abilities, but more likely because they have some massive energy source behind them. That energy source might be the foundation of their existence."

Nightingale was silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating my words. Suddenly, a glint flashed in his eyes. "If that's the case, then we must find these 'sources' of fire,' rather than simply fighting these beasts. Attacking their 'source' is the most effective approach."

I took a deep breath and quickly decided, "In that case, there's no time to delay. We have to find their source and destroy it."

In the dark fog, the slime advanced silently, carrying a faint but determined light. It seemed to understand our plan and began to accelerate towards the denser black fog area.

We followed, a clear goal in mind—this battle was no longer a struggle against the alien beasts, but a life-or-death struggle with the source behind them. And once we found that core, perhaps all of this would come to an end.

However, as we approached, the black fog grew thicker, the air more corrosive. I could feel each step draining our strength, the fog nearly blocking our senses. The air grew thicker, breathing became more difficult, and the scene before me grew blurrier.

"We're almost there." Nightingale's voice came again, with a hint of solemnity, "But be careful, once we get close to the source, these beasts will become even more crazy."

I took a deep breath and clenched my fists: No matter what, this battle must end.

Just as I was about to go deeper, the surrounding black fog suddenly ignited as if by an unknown force. It was ripped apart into wisps of black smoke as it spread, and the entire space instantly became more oppressive and heavy. This was followed by a sharp sizzling sound. The bodies of the black candle beasts began to burn, and billowing black smoke billowed from their surfaces, as if ignited by some force.

"They are fighting back!" Nightingale's deep voice instantly cut through the air, carrying a sense of alert urgency.

These beasts didn't disappear after being set ablaze. Instead, they became even more violent. Their black bodies gradually twisted and expanded, and black smoke spread from their bodies like scorching flames. Their attacks became increasingly frantic, as if driven by some primal rage, losing all reason and only caring about attacking and tearing apart everything around them.

The scene before us was like a scene from hell. Those strange beasts were like burning monsters of fire, waving their twisted limbs and rushing towards us without restraint. Their movements were extremely fast and carried a kind of almost destructive power.

"Quick! Get out of the way!" Nightingale grabbed me and pulled me towards the shadow nearby.

The Black Candle beasts' attacks were incredibly fierce. As their bodies burned, they released a pungent, corrosive odor. Black smoke spread, seemingly engulfing the entire space. I could feel the temperature in the air rising sharply, and even my skin began to burn.

"This situation is not good." Nightingale's voice was calm, but also slightly nervous. "They are completely out of control. We can't solve the problem by simply attacking these monsters."

I clenched my fists tightly, trying to calm myself. "We can't wait any longer. We must find their source," I whispered. "The reason these beasts are out of control must be related to their 'fire source'. Only by destroying it can we completely eliminate their threat."

Nightingale nodded, her eyes determined. "I'll cover you. Try to find its source as quickly as possible. We can't delay this any longer."

I took a deep breath and scanned the surroundings. The black candle beasts were attacking indiscriminately, their flaming bodies devouring almost everything around them. In this chaotic environment, the only thing I could do was to avoid them and quickly find their source.

"Slime, follow me." I whispered.

The pink slime immediately followed me, its body emitting a faint light. Although not strong, it was still particularly bright in the darkness. It jumped lightly, moving through the surrounding beasts, seemingly unaffected by the black candle beasts.

I also began to accelerate forward. The oppressive feeling of the black fog gradually subsided, replaced by a terrifying scorching aura. I knew that we must find the "source of fire" of these strange beasts and destroy it to completely reverse the situation.

At that moment, I suddenly stopped, my gaze fixed on an open area in the distance. There, the black smoke was thickest, and the activity of the strange beasts seemed to be increasing, suggesting that some even more powerful force was being unleashed from there.

"There," I whispered.

Nightingale looked in the direction I pointed, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "That's the source of the Black Candle Beast. We can't delay any longer. Hurry!"

I stepped forward, following the slime as it approached the smoke-filled area. With every step, the air grew hotter and more corrosive. The black candle beasts, completely enraged, pounced on us frantically, but their loss of control also made them even more chaotic, their attacks less accurate.

"Hurry!" Nightingale's voice came again. He grabbed me and quickly led me around several black candle beasts that were rushing towards me, trying to avoid their attacks as much as possible.

When we finally reached the area with the thickest black smoke, my heartbeat quickened. Before me stood a building seemingly engulfed in the fog, its surface coated in a thick black substance that emitted a strong, corrosive odor.

"Right here," I whispered.

Nightingale was ready to deal with any emergency at any time. "Then go in."

I nodded, took a deep breath, and quickly stepped into the darkness. As I approached the center of the building, the black smoke grew thicker, making it almost impossible to see my surroundings. The corrosive air made it almost impossible to breathe, but I knew that only by finding the source here could I end this crisis.

Destroy the source of the Black Candle Beast and save the city.