Supreme Magus

Chapter 1403 - Shared Misery (Part 1)

”Well, well, well. One little mystery explained, one hundred big mysteries unanswered. My daughters know all about Lith and yet they never mentioned his abilities to me for all these years.

”Kids these days.” Jirni said with a deep sigh while she changed her plans according to her latest discovery.

Meanwhile, in Haugʼs tavern, Lith didnʼt take the abrupt ending of the conversation well. He roared in fury and released his blue-violet aura since there was no point in hiding it anymore.

The arrays of Lightkeep were even stronger than Beliusʼs, but this time there wasnʼt Kamila with him. Lith had no reason to hold back.

”That bastard! They are following their plan, killing the people close to me one after another. Iʼve got no time to waste. I need to find whoʼs taking the undead children and have Vladion move his f.u.c.k.i.n.g undead ass!”

The Travelling Tavern started to rumble and Lithʼs body to turn black.

ʼCalm down, Lith.ʼ Solus said, trying to find the right words in the middle of her own grief. ʼDonʼt you remember what happened in Jiera? Surrendering to your Abomination side takes much more than it gives.

ʼNo matter how much power you gain, thereʼs no one here deserving your fury. You would just become a monster that feeds on anyone just to survive. Have you already forgotten what you did to me the last time it happened?ʼ

Those words froze Lith in place, allowing him to realize the madness possessing him. He wouldnʼt hurt Solus again, no matter the reason.

ʼWe have to keep a cool head and predict their next target. If the culprit follows Balkorʼs methods, then they must first clear all the Past cards before moving to the Present.

ʼWe must warn your Professors. They are the only ones left with the Past card.ʼ Solus said as his Abomination side subsided.

ʼIʼd like to see them try! As long as Marth is inside the White Griffon, heʼs a god. Manohar is Manohar and Vastor is a monster. If Xenagrosh and the other Abomination hybrids live with him, attacking Vastor is suicide.ʼ He replied.

”Dammit, I need help.” Lith said the moment he noticed that, despite his and Solusʼs best efforts, the Abomination side still run rampant, exploiting his emotional distress to escape from its bounds.

ʼF.u.c.k me sideways! The more often my Abomination side breaks free, the harder it gets to regain control and keep the Chaos from destroying my body. I canʼt afford another slip up when Iʼm alone.ʼ

”Iʼm on it.” Haugh cast the tier three Spirit Spell, Chill Area, something he had created to deal with powerful patrons too drunk to control their own actions.

The spell used darkness to sap their strength, light and earth to conjure a straightjacket harder than diamond, and water to make it flexible. Lithʼs Abomination side didnʼt like darkness and tried to hide under his skin to evade contact.

”Guys, we need a team effort.” Haug said once he noticed the damages that Chaos inflicted upon his spell every time they clashed.

Chill Area wasnʼt meant to harm its mark, just to restrain them whereas Chaos had only one purpose, annihilation.

The waiters and kitchen staff joined the effort, feeding Haugʼs spell their own Spirit Magic tendrils to boost its power. After permanently hiring someone, the bartender usually Awakened the strays he picked up and made them his apprentices.

It was the only way to exploit the Council to protect them from whatever past they were running away from and to get a reasonably waged workforce. Two birds with one stone.

Their efforts combined with that of Lith and Solus soon beat the Abomination side into submission. Once the balance between his life forces was restored, Lith made sure to be calm in both body and mind before leaving the Tavern.

”You forgot to tip dude!” Dryna said. ”This asshole doesnʼt pay me enough and because of you, now I need to take the rest of the day off.”

”How dare you? I gave you a home, delicious meals, I Awakened you and-”

”And you work my a.s.s off every day for a measly pay!” The Wyvern snarled. ”Once Iʼm done with my apprenticeship, Iʼd like to be able to afford more than a ratʼs nest.”

Lith gave everyone a tip equal to the entire bill and left. His life was worth more than a couple of silver coins and, as a healer, he too liked to be paid for his services.

Once he returned to Vladionʼs house, he discovered that the Scorpicore had a face as long as his own.

”Mirim is dead.” The Scorpicoreʼs voice was firm, but her eyes wept.

Nyka was now able to move thanks to Scarlettʼs array and hugged her aunt without saying a word, just to let the Scorpicore know that she wasnʼt alone and that Nyka was there for her.

”Did you know Marchioness Distar as well?” Lith asked.

”Since her first year of Academy.” Scarlett replied. ”She was the future Lord of the Distar region and the person responsible for the White Griffon academy so her mother sent Mirim to me.

”We got along quite well. I helped her study as a student, as a mage, and I even trained her once she joined the Corpse. She was my friend and a good one at that.”

”Then you know what Iʼm about to ask you.” Lith said.

”I know and I understand your reasons, yet my answer is no.” The Scorpicore shook her huge head, l.i.c.k.i.n.g Nykaʼs face and enjoying her kind embrace.

”Why?” Lith clenched his hands so hard that his knuckles popped.

”Because that would mean playing into our enemyʼs hand. I canʼt rule out that the person who kidnapped the undead and killed Mirim is the same person. The timing is too damn perfect to not be suspicious.

”Mirimʼs death happened while the both of us were away and the Hors.e.m.e.n attacked. They knew that her death would make our blood boil and probably expect us to charge forward like morons because of our grief.” Scarlett replied.

”Your enemy is doing more than just killing. They are taking away everyone you hold dear, the people that make your life worth living. Your enemy wants you to become a blood-frenzied beast and to destroy with your own hands everything you have built.

”Donʼt you ever forget that humans are nothing more than particularly cunning animals and that the reason why normal beasts lose to humans before evolving into magical beasts is that we lack intelligence.

”After the evolution, instead, humans lose to us because they get so obsessed with what they are that they forget who they are. Donʼt let your enemy turn you into a mindless beast but never discard your feelings either.” The Scorpicore said.

”I strongly believe that evolution doesnʼt make our races more different so much as it brings us closer. Evolution gives intelligence to beasts, conscience to plants, and, if Iʼm right, it tries to force humans to look beyond their own nose.

”To remind them that theyʼre not the only sentient species on this planet. The key to our strength is balance, the same that keeps your life forces together.”