Heir of Synthesis: The World Mage

Shione, Lumiere, and Flaris watched that scene more and more stunned. That girl changed facets like someone changing clothes. But when they shifted their eyes to Priam, the three noticed something different.

His expression was gentle, relaxed. His fluctuations gave off genuine serenity, an almost shocking contrast with the sterile and melancholic emptiness he had been in since the great calamity that wiped out the Ylisse clan.

They finally saw a spark of real curiosity and excitement return to Priam’s eyes.

”Calm down. No need to show your claws over something small,” Priam said, holding the girl’s fierce gaze without wavering. ”If you help me with a few simple questions, we’ll already consider the bet paid.”

Dandara snorted, crossing her arms, and the aura of a murderous beast simply evaporated. The switch of her aggression was turned off just as quickly as it had been turned on.

Priam allowed himself a faint smile before firing off:

”First question: where does your race come from? Do you have a father, a mother...”

He threw out a flood of personal questions right away, catching everyone by surprise.

Behind him, the trio of companions exchanged knowing looks. They felt that Priam’s interest in that eccentric young woman went beyond mere amusement; he seemed to be evaluating her character, possibly thinking about recruiting her.

Dandara blinked, confused by the drastic change in subject, but surprisingly, she didn’t complain. She took a deep breath and began speaking directly.

Her beast race was known as the Growlyns. They were Divine Beasts in wolf form that, in past eras, were revered as sacred creatures because of their direct and pure connection with nature energy.

The remnants of her species still survived in the deep forests of a neighboring planet. That was a place that produced extremely high-level medicinal herbs. Because of that, this branch of the outer sect minimally protected the place from Sorcerers.

As for her humanoid side, the story was more unclear.

Dandara explained that, in a very distant past, a race of almost completely extinct humanoids mixed with the Growlyns.

As the generations passed, the Bloodline of those humanoids disappeared, and the vast majority of modern descendants inherited only the bipedal physical build, without retaining the strength of the original Bloodline.

Dandara, however, was born as a rare anomaly, inheriting both Bloodlines. And the greatest irony of her life was discovering, by pure chance, that she also possessed the minimum talent to become a Mage.

This was a rare chance for her race, because... the Ironweald sect protected the forest, not the races that lived there.

It wasn’t uncommon for Sorcerers to attack stealthily and destroy the natives of the forest. The sect always prioritized protecting the natural treasures and, many times, used the races as shields to weaken the enemies and then kill them safely.

In other words, safety was something the Growlyn race had never truly had. As for their natural power, it was ridiculous compared to real Mages.

”When I discovered my talent, I took what I had and went to a city of Mages on the same planet, still very young. I wanted to understand what I was, I wanted to study, I wanted to become strong to protect my race,” Dandara said casually, shrugging.

However, the instant the word city left her lips, her fluctuations changed. The exuberant warmth of her chaotic personality gave way to a cold rigidity.

She didn’t go into detail about what happened there, but her wolf ears pulled slightly backward, and her fingers tightened around the fabric of her own clothes, an instinctive defensive reflex she was clearly trying to hide.

She didn’t say any of this directly, but one didn’t need to be a genius to read between the lines.

The scenario for a beast hybrid in a metropolis of arrogant Mages was brutal.

A young girl, without a single protector to defend her. In the minds of ordinary people, Dandara was a pathetic half-animal abomination, trying to imitate the power of Mages.

The contempt, the crooked looks, the doors slammed in her face, and the complete isolation must have been her daily routine.

She had no benefactor masters, no red carpet. If she wanted to survive and obtain crumbs of knowledge, she needed to be smarter than those who humiliated her.

It was on that cold pavement that Dandara was forged. She learned to read people, listen behind walls, and map other people’s secrets before they could use her wild nature against her.

The business of selling information wasn’t born from greed; it was born as a shield for survival. She needed to accumulate advantages, coins, and influence to ensure that, when she stepped into the Ironweald sect, no one could step on her again.

When she finished speaking, adjusting her posture with a forced commercial smile to disguise the sudden mist in her eyes, the atmosphere around the group had changed.

Shione, Lumiere, and Flaris stared at her with renewed respect.

Priam looked at her fixedly. His smile now carried deep understanding. He knew, better than anyone there, what it tasted like to fight for everything he wanted.

”Right, Boss Priam, which faction do you intend to rely on?”

Looking around to make sure there was no one nearby, Dandara asked discreetly, full of curiosity.

Priam smiled lightly. It was when he opened his mouth to answer...

”You half-beast bitch! How dare you trick me?!”

Suddenly, a furious shout echoed, approaching them.

It was a tall and strong man, with skin in intense reddish tones and deep blue eyes.

He approached with a spear in his hands and a bloodthirsty gaze directed at Dandara.

”Mr. Baels, what is the meaning of this?!” At that moment, Dandara turned to him seriously, with a tense expression.

”You still have the nerve to deny it?!” Baels roared, striking the base of his spear against the stone ground, making the floor tremble slightly with a shockwave of red energy.

”That garbage information you sold me was extremely incomplete! Because of your negligence, my group was ambushed in the heart of the forest! I lost valuable resources to get out of that hell alive!”

Dandara tried to maintain a rigid posture, taking a step forward to protect her space.

”Mr. Baels, be fair! At the moment of the transaction, this little sister repeated three times that the route was incomplete. I clearly warned you that I only had old information about that dangerous zone! You bought it knowing the risks!”

”Shut your mouth, hybrid worm!” Baels cut in, his reddish face shining with murderous fury as he pointed the sharp tip of his spear directly at Dandara’s chest.

”Half-beast trash like you has no right to bargain or make excuses! You left out the most important parts on purpose, so I’d be forced to pay more, didn’t you? Your cursed race is only fit to live in the mud, and you thought you could make a joke out of my name?!”

The heavy insults echoed through the courtyard, drawing the gazes of other distant candidates.

Priam, who was watching everything in absolute silence, narrowed his eyes.

His gaze fixed on Dandara. From the outside, the girl looked like a beast ready to attack. Her wolf ears were fully raised, and her aura burned with aggressive defensiveness.

However, what Priam and Flaris secretly felt coming from her... was pure terror and despair.

She wasn’t guilty, but she wouldn’t demand justice, because she knew the weak didn’t have that right.

She had no chance at all of defeating that young man. Her only way out would be to flee far away, even fleeing the planet itself. But... if she did that, she would lose her chance to enter this sect.

All her dreams, all her effort and suffering over the last ten years, everything was slipping away before her eyes.

The despair and rage she felt were indescribable.

”I’ll recover my losses here and now,” Baels declared, taking a heavy step forward, the energy of his spear beginning to spin like a crimson fire whirlpool.

”Hand over your spatial ring with absolutely everything you have inside, kneel, and ask forgiveness for your filthy blood. If you do that, maybe I’ll leave your arms intact so you can beg for scraps outside the sect. If you refuse... I’ll personally clean the Outer Branch of your disgusting presence!”

Dandara froze in place. Her face twisted, her fists clenched with all her strength, and she trembled with rage.

Baels didn’t even wait. He raised the spear, his bloodthirsty eyes fixed on her neck, beginning the thrusting motion.

But...

*POW!*

Suddenly, all the disciples watching the scene almost jumped backward in fright.

With a heavy sound, Baels flew far away like a kite whose strings had been cut.

He crashed into the ground far away and rolled for several meters before stopping...

”Pathetic.”

At that moment, Priam spat completely indifferently. In his hands... something peculiar was seen by everyone.

He snorted, puffing out his chest slightly.

”I barely arrived... but the Heaven-Wrecker, World-Ender Branch has already made its first victim in the Divine Plane!”