Blackwell leisurely descended the stairs, his form semi-transparent but solid enough to give him a distinct presence. His long, tattered robes fluttered as though blown by some unseen wind, and his face was a gaunt, deathly visage—like a decayed skull wrapped in pale, translucent skin. His eyes were pits of blackness, faintly glowing with a ghostly blue hue. A pale crown of mist circled his head like a dying halo.
Jacob impassively stared at the completely unfamiliar dark being in front of him. Despite Blackwell hiding his aura, Jacob could clearly sense danger from him. He didn't dare let down his guard.
After all, Jacob knew that Blackwell might be under the impression that he was also a dark being and a powerful one who could tread in these deadly lands. As for his intentions, whether they were pure or malicious, Jacob was ready for anything.
At this moment, Jacob's hand instinctively twitched because Blackwell suddenly raised his hand. But he soon discovered that there weren't any mana fluctuations; instead, he saw something in Blackwell's hand.
Blackwell held a ghostly wine gourd in one of his skeletal hands, glowing with a sickly, pale green light. As he raised it to his lips, a low chuckle escaped his throat, and the liquid inside swirled like captured souls, their faint cries barely audible.
It was clear the wine was no ordinary brew—it seemed to be made from the very essence of living souls. Jacob could hear their tormenting wails, which made him astounded. He never imagined he would see something like that.
Although Jacob had killed countless people, he had never done so for the pleasure of it, and seeing that wine gourd in Blackwell's hand was like seeing the true cruelty and pleasure of killing!
"Ah, nothing like a sip of soul wine to start the conversation," Blackwell crooned, his voice a hollow, echoing sound.
He turned to Jacob, his eyes gleaming with amusement as if he sensed Jacob's reaction. He flaunted his ghostly wine gourd in front of Jacob and grinned, his mouth hollow like a black hole.
"Care for a taste, brave brother?"
Glancing at the wine gourd as the wails of souls were ringing from its pitch place mouth, Jacob remained impassive as he replied, "Not my palate. How about you tell me why did you bother to interfere?"
Blackwell didn't seem bothered by Jacob's rejection as he took another sip. The ghostly lights in his eyes shrunk as he smacked his lips; he appeared intoxicating before he spoke, "You've managed to survive the marshlands longer than most. That makes you...interesting."
Jacob's fingers twitched again as he wanted to draw his weapon but resisted the urge to draw it. This being wasn't one to be underestimated, and his aura screamed danger.
Blackwell didn't seem bothered by Jacob's rejection as he took another sip. The ghostly lights in his eyes shrunk as he smacked his lips; he appeared intoxicating before he spoke, "You've managed to survive the marshlands longer than most. That makes you...interesting."
Jacob's fingers twitched again as he wanted to draw his weapon but resisted the urge to draw it. This being wasn't one to be underestimated, and his aura screamed danger.
He remained silent, his gaze locked on Blackwell, before he replied coldly, "Do you think I'm a fool?"
Blackwell seemed to relish the tension, taking another swig from his gourd before drifting closer, his eyes never leaving Jacob's.
"Relax, brave brother. If I wanted you dead, you'd already be joining my crew as a fine new ghost slave. But no, you intrigue me. Few enter the Valley of Sunless Dusk and leave as anything more than bones, yet here you stand. Oh, forgive my mistake; it seemed you're already bones, hahahaha!"
The flames in Jacob's eyes flare fiercely, and he doesn't like Blackwell's tone since it reminds him of the annoying cursed book.
Still, Blackwell knew more about this place than he did, and he had already learned its name, so he was sure that Blackwell knew exactly where they were and how to get out of it.
Jacob's voice was steady, though his vigilance never wavered. "Valley of Sunless Dusk? Can you tell me which Great Cosmic Continent this is and who is the ruler of this place?"
Blackwell seemed startled by Jacob's unexpected response before he smirked as if he heard a joke, his skeletal features twisting into an eerie grin: "Brave brother, you're not telling me that you don't even know you are in the Valley of Sunless Dusk and without knowing you're already so deep in Necrotic Marshlands?"
"Usually people entered the Valley of Sunless Dusk for three reasons, first, they want to experience the law of Death here and made progress in the Necromancer profession.
"Second, they came here to search for treasures of the Cursed Necromancer King, which is akin to seeking death; ahh, those brave souls, this Blackwell still admires them.
"The third reason is if they are running for someone and have no choice but to enter this forbidden region or stumble here because of their ignorance. In both cases, they are still seeking their death."
Blackwell looked at Jacob deeply as if he wanted to see through his thoughts, "But you, my brave brother, don't give me the impression of the latter two reasons. On the contrary, you are already a legendary rank dark being who seems to have comprehended a tiny part of the law of Death. Now it seemed I've misjudged."
Jacob remained impassive as he heard this new information, and he was secretly shocked. He never expected the Path of Legend to teleport him to this forbidden region, the Valley of Sunless Dusk.
Furthermore, the title Cursed Necromancer King drew his attention more than anything since he already sensed the unusual atmosphere here. But he didn't feel any power of curses since he was more sensitive towards them than anyone.
"Then, how about you? What do you want?" Jacob suddenly questioned. Blackwell replied without hesitation with his eerie grin, "What do I want? I'm an adventurer, and the Valley of Sunless Dusk seemed quite interesting, so I came here around a thousand years ago or maybe two; well, I don't remember clearly.
"However, this place is delightful since there are many wandering souls for my exquisite wine, so I'm living my best life without worry or tension. Well, I also enjoy a little company from time to time.
"But that won't last long since everyone wants to search for the Necropolis of Shades, an ephemeral city that was the imperial capital when the Cursed Necromancer King was alive. According to rumors, this is also the place where his inheritance lies.
"However, trust me, I never managed to break past the Wailing Peaks. It's nothing but a death trap, and whoever had gone there never returned. So, I gave up long ago. Drinking wine is more joyous to me than risking my life for something that might not even exist.
"You see this valley, this entire region, is cursed. You're in the domain of the dead now, whether you like it or not. So, why don't you accompany me, and we'll share our adventures? I have excellent wine, and you seemed like someone with excellent stories."
Jacob was somewhat speechless because Blackwell's words held no lies; he could easily tell, and he really wondered if there was something wrong with this ghost's brain.
Still, the information he received sounded like nothing but trouble, and he knew he was in a very dangerous place.
But Jacob also sensed an opportunity here because if this place was as isolated as Blackwell told him it was, then it was an excellent place to keep his head low and remain undetected!