Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 1946 Law of the Jungle

The sun rose high above the firmament of the secret plane.

Yet, no matter the position of the celestial body, sunlight barely filtered through the thick clouds. It was always gloomy and downcast.

At the very least, the vast majority of the monsters took shelter when the sun rose, so Genevieve was grateful for at least that.

Majority. But not all.

Crouching on the edge of the terrace, she watched as a pack of wolves cornered a boar-like monster. The prey struggled for only a dozen or so seconds before it was devoured by the pack. The wolves enjoyed their meal, leaving behind only bones.

Then they traveled down the streets at a leisurely pace, probably looking for more prey.

Genevieve watched the pack of wolves leave, her cerulean eyes gleaming with fascination. She noted how the alpha led the pack, the young adults spread throughout, the pups remained safely in the middle, the old and injured brought up the rear, and another powerful wolf guarded the pack from behind.

It was no random gathering. Every wolf had its place. The pack had hunted together, cornered its prey together, and fed together. Even in retreat, they moved in remarkable discipline.

How intelligent…

Her gaze lingered on the older wolves. One day they would die. Then the pups would grow into hunters and take their place.

Such was the law of the jungle.

The weak perished. The strong endured. And life marched forward, one generation replacing the last.

Similarly, the boar monster had died because it was weaker. The wolves had survived because they were stronger. But that, too, would not last forever.

Sooner or later, the pack would encounter a creature stronger than themselves. And when that day came, they would become the prey.

Then another predator would rise. The cycle would continue.

Such was the law of the jungle.

The weak were devoured. The strong lived. Until they, too, became the weak.

From the corner of her eyes, Genevieve watched as the alpha led the wolves away. There were other strong and capable wolves in the pack, but they all listened to the alpha.

There was strict discipline among the pack, and a proper chain of command.

Genevieveʼs eyes gleamed with a sharp light. She couldnʼt help but wonder:

An Enchantress specializes in the arcane art of influencing minds and bending othersʼ wills…

Enslaving a monster was far easier than dominating the mind of an intelligent being such as a human. The greater the creatureʼs intellect, willpower, and sense of self, the stronger its resistance to mental manipulation.

For that reason, many practitioners of the School of Enchantment begin by subjugating beasts and monsters. As their mastery grew, so too did their ability to influence increasingly intelligent targets, first with suggestions and illusions, then with compulsions, and eventually, if powerful enough…

Domination.

Genevieveʼs thoughts drifted to the many books she had read about the School of Enchantment back in the Citadel, when she was young.

According to the texts, truly powerful practitioners could command entire armies of creatures with a single thought. Beasts, monsters, and even intelligent beings would become extensions of the casterʼs will, carrying out every command without question.

To such practitioners, any army was not recruited. It was enthralled.

But, of course, as mentioned earlier, dominating the minds of intelligent beings was far more difficult than it sounded in theory.

A human possessed reason, emotions, memories, and an independent will. Each of those became a form of resistance. Even if an Enchantress succeeded in forcing obedience, maintaining control demanded an enormous amount of concentration and mana.

That was why, when it came to humans and other intelligent species, a practitioner of enchantment magic aimed to subtly, insidiously manipulate them into carrying out their will.

Monsters, on the other hand, relied far more on instinct than reason. Their simpler minds made them far easier to enthrall, allowing an Enchantress to command many of them at once.

And this secret plane was filled with monsters.

Suddenly, Genevieveʼs eyes narrowed, and she thought back to how Lady Kesha, one of the councilors at the City Hall, had shown her such generosity in the recent past, going so far as to even give first priority to withdraw multiple artifacts.

At the time, she couldnʼt help but wonder why Lady Kesha had acted like that. There had to be a purpose in her actions. Genevieve knew that the elf wanted something from her. Perhaps, to even become a part of her political faction.

What she did not know was why.

But, presently, when Genevieve studied the wolf pack and her mind thought of how she could utilize the packʼs strength and make it her own, she was beginning to realize why Lady Kesha had shown such interest in her.

As expected, her eyes narrowed as she slipped into deep thought.

How can someone like her, a Mana Seed Magus, act without purpose?

So this is what she wanted from me. Her actions were a form of investment into my future.

But why me?

Genevieveʼs brows furrowed slightly.

Werenʼt there other practitioners of enchantment magic in the City Hall?

But she quickly dismissed the thought. Very few Magi specialized in the School of Enchantment. The reason for that was simple.

It lacked direct offensive power.

Compared to Invocation, with its direct destructive spells, Necromancy with its undead legions, and Summoning with its bound creatures, Enchantment was often regarded as one of the weakest schools.

Even Warding could provide near-impenetrable defenses. Alteration possessed numerous offensive applications. Divination allowed its practitioners to glimpse the threads of fate and avoid danger before it arrived. While Illusion focused on deceit and trickery to gain the upper hand.

Compared to all of those, Enchantment seemed underwhelming.

As a result, very few Magi ever chose to devote themselves to its study. Yet Genevieve knew better than to underestimate any branch of magic.

There were no weak schools. Only weak practitioners.

Perhaps, she wondered.

I can use this to my advantage.

But a journey of a thousand miles began with a single step.

Until her trip to this secret plane, she had never stepped into the dangerous wilds beyond the city walls of Davos. The current predicament she was in could either bury her or sharpen her.

Genevieveʼs eyes followed the wolf pack as she took in a deep breath.

She had made her decision.