Chapter 500 - 470: Disordered Space-Time! Nightmare

Chapter 500: Chapter 470: Disordered Space-Time! Nightmare

Staring at the year on the newspaper, Roland narrowed his eyes slightly as his thoughts raced.

’Crystal Calendar, year 490... Is time in Silver Radiance City frozen at this point? Or... is this a fabrication created by whoever is behind all this?’

’Could the new Power Core mentioned in the report be the Entropy Ash Core?’

He quickly scanned the report’s details, trying to piece together more clues.

’From the looks of it, the Seventh Observation Station isn’t a facility belonging to any specific Race, but directly under Silver Radiance City itself. But if that’s the case, why was it built on the edge of the Aiselon Continent, far from Silver Radiance City?’

’What role does Silver Radiance City play on this continent? Is it the heart of an alliance co-ruled by the various Races, or... some kind of transcendent existence that stands above them all?’

Suppressing the swirling questions in his mind, he continued to flip through the inner pages of the newspaper.

A short article in the society section caught his attention.

"Sudden Fire in Lower City District, Cause Still Under Investigation."

Beside it was a slightly blurry black-and-white image.

Thick smoke billowed in the picture, and the faint outlines of low, crowded buildings were visible.

The caption below read.

"A fire broke out in the Rust Alley area last night. City Hall has dispatched personnel to help relocate affected residents and has promised a thorough investigation into the cause of the incident. Notably, this is the third fire of unnatural origin in the Lower City District this month."

Roland’s gaze lingered on this text for a moment.

"A fire of unnatural origin... To think that even a city as technologically advanced as Silver Radiance City can’t prevent such incidents."

He muttered to himself and flipped to the business and announcements section.

A conspicuous, framed announcement caught his eye.

"Rare Mount, Auction of Glory!"

The announcement was posted by a mount guild called Secret Silver Hoof. It claimed that the guild’s team of veteran Beast Tamers had successfully captured a "Nightmare Beast possessing a rare, ancient bloodline."

The announcement used flowery language to embellish the mount’s extraordinary qualities.

"A trace of ancient heritage flows through its veins, its potential far exceeding that of an ordinary Nightmare. A battlefield companion and symbol of glory seen but once a century."

The auction information was noted at the end of the announcement.

"In three days, at moonrise, a public auction will be held in the domed auction hall of the Secret Silver Hoof headquarters. Entry is restricted to those holding a VIP letter of recommendation or who pay a deposit of one thousand Golden Radiance Coins."

Roland’s fingertip gently brushed across the words "Nightmare Beast" on the newspaper, his eyes revealing a deep interest.

Among the many fantastical creatures, the Nightmare might not symbolize purity and sanctity like the Unicorn. Nor, like the Griffin, is it a staple of knightly epics, famed for its noble bearing and powerful flight. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

But it represented another kind of awe-inspiring power.

Pure Destruction and intimidation from the Lower Realm.

A typical Nightmare resembles an unusually powerfully built black steed, but its extraordinary qualities extend far beyond that.

Its coat isn’t merely black; in the light, it reveals a light-devouring darkness, as if the night sky itself had become its hide.

Its most striking features are the eternally Burning, ghostly green or deep red Flame on its four hooves, mane, and tail. These flames, either cold or scorching, will not burn a master it has accepted.

Its eyes are like red-hot coals, Burning with eternal malice and intelligence.

Compared to the sky-faring Griffin or the nature-attuned Unicorn, the Nightmare’s abilities are more geared toward practical combat and intimidation.

It is born with the ability to treat any surface as solid ground, including the air itself, giving it unparalleled mobility in complex terrain.

Furthermore, it has an extremely high resistance to Flame damage, is even immune to ordinary fire, and can breathe scorching fire.

More importantly, a Nightmare is constantly surrounded by an aura of Fear, enough to make untrained, ordinary horses bolt in terror and to shake the will of weak-minded enemies on the battlefield.

If the Unicorn is the sacred Guardian of the forest and the Griffin is the proud sovereign of the sky, then the Nightmare is the incarnation of war from the Shadow Abyss.

It is not a noble among mounts, but it is the most terrifying companion on the battlefield.

As they are mostly found only in the Lower Realm, they are extremely rare, and the appearance of a single one is enough to cause a sensation.

For Roland, who was seeking a mount that could match his own Power and handle future dangers, the Nightmare was undoubtedly a very tempting option.

Just as Roland was carefully studying the detailed description of the Nightmare Beast in the announcement, a light, teasing laugh came from the side.

"Well now, kid. Seeing you fumble around like that... is this your first day selling papers?"

Roland looked up and saw that Galvis had, at some point, sauntered over to the newsboy. He stood with his arms crossed, watching the boy with great interest.

The newsboy did indeed look quite flustered.

One moment he was looking down, counting on his fingers, and the next he was running to a nearby fruit and vegetable stall, apparently trying to get change in a hurry. Tiny beads of sweat were even forming on his forehead.

"I... I..."

The newsboy lowered his head, his cheeks flushed bright red. His voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, but in the end, he gave a slight nod.

"Galvis, stop teasing him."

Roland spoke with a helpless sigh, then turned to the newsboy, his tone gentle.

"Don’t worry, take your time."

With that, he took the newspaper, stepped back a few paces, and leaned against the Shadow of a nearby building to continue reading.

Seeing that this "big customer" holding the Golden Radiance Coin showed no sign of displeasure, the newsboy clearly breathed a sigh of relief and then explained in a low voice.

"I... At Xinfeng Posthouse, I don’t normally sell newspapers."