Versatile Mage

Chapter 3132: A Palace Made of Blood

The dazzling, blood-red palace was beautiful in a way that seemed almost enchanting. As one of the rulers on the Dark Plane, the Bright Blood King had a taste for the bizarre. She enjoyed collecting many things that appeared meaningless but held terrifying secrets upon closer examination.

Her most famous collections were the Bright Blood Flowers, which looked like blood-red tea roses. Similar to dried flowers in the mortal world, they could last for a long time, and they hung upside down around the beautiful crystal dome of the hellish palace. They were a constant reminder to those who had made contracts with demons that a terrible fate awaited them.

It was like walking into a fancy store run by loan sharks. The lavish decorations suggested that they had plenty of money, but the finer things often came from the bones of people who could not pay their debts. They served as a warning to those who tried to work with or betray darkness.

MO Fan would not risk giving such power to students of magic if he was not an experienced Black Mage. Compared to the destruction caused by Ocean Demons, Black Magic seemed like a better choice. Contracts merely required both sides to agree. To MO Fan, harming and stealing from others were the actual evils.

The Bright Blood King was a female ruler who was similar to a majestic dragon. She flaunted her grand palace to MO Fan and asserted her dominance with lavish displays.

MO Fan knew that he was in a risky situation.

There would be drawbacks from letting students of magic serve such a Dark King during the awakening phase. He could already foresee them.

After all, MO Fan had witnessed firsthand the damage Kongsi caused to her country.

The Bright Blood King’s relentless curse could seriously affect an entire country’s fate.

“I’m beginning to wonder if you’re sincere about your suggestion. It feels like I’m giving you my power for free, while your people will only serve and respect me when they feel like it. I’m not here to do charity!” The Bright Blood King’s tone changed.

There was hypocrisy and trickery on the Dark Plane, but most creatures showed their emotions directly. With such a big difference in power, negotiating was just a waste of time for both sides.

“You’re more than aware that Mad Soul and Cold Prince have hurt our lands. People in our northern region resent your power. We would truly appreciate it if you could show some goodwill in our first collaboration,” MO Fan explained.

“I don’t have to pay for other people’s sins. I merely provide weapons. I’m not concerned about the harm caused by those who wield them against you.

Besides, experiencing such power in fear might lead to obsession more easily.”

The Bright Blood King casually swirled the glass in her hand and crossed her legs gracefully, like a skilled politician. Her legs were covered in scales that resembled numerous blood-red gems.

“The Black Magic Association in the mortal world doesn’t represent evil and has a lot of rules. These rules require Black Mages to be careful with their powers, especially with the Curse Element and Poison Element. Allowing young mages, who aren’t emotionally mature or morally developed, to use these powers freely can cause more harm than good. We need Black Magic to protect ourselves, but we also have to ensure that it doesn’t disrupt our whole magical system, ” MO Fan explained.

“That’s something you and your leaders should worry about. I won’t do charity. I’m not here to give away my power for free just because the people in your country have potential. I believe in making deals!” the Bright Blood King replied.

MO Fan was not too upset when she refused.

In fact, he wanted to know more about her principles and way of doing things.

Since it was a collaboration, this was a good thing.

No matter the cost, there would be a day to repay it.

The interest continuously adding up and people going back on their word scared him the most. He did not want a deal to turn into never-ending debt as this would leave no hope for the future.

“Alright then. Let’s talk about the price. Black Magic isn’t often the first element that young mages awaken to because they are still growing. They don’t even have enough resources for themselves. How could they offer magic power and Soul Power to you?” MO Fan explained.

“We can discuss that. Do you have any good ideas? I can’t be the one to figure out solutions for you weak mages.” The Bright Blood King nodded.

“My suggestion is to let them awaken to Black Magic as their first element but wait until they reach a higher level to pay you back,” MO Fan proposed.

“What level do you think is suitable?” the Bright Blood King asked.

“Super Level. A Super Level Black Mage can offer considerable magic power during every Lunar Eclipse Night,” MO Fan immediately replied.

“No! That won’t work!” The Bright Blood King shook her finger in disagreement and said, “I’m not ignorant of your world. Even with a large population, Super Level Mages are extremely rare. You’re basically telling me to do charity because it’s hard to get a return.”

“Well, that makes things difficult.” MO Fan wore a bitter smile. “As you said, Black Magic is a terrifying weapon. To introduce young mages to it early, we’d need to set up a department to monitor and control the increasing number of Black Mages. Once people have heavy debts, they’ll be prone to extreme actions.”

The Bright Blood King hesitated and glanced at Asha’ruiya.

As a Six-Winged Fallen Angel, she knew everything about the mortal world. At the same time, she was also the Dark Plane’s messenger.

“Your Majesty, MO Fan has a point. In some countries, the use of Black Magic is still not allowed. While MO Fan’s country is open-minded, they lack deeper knowledge of Black magic due to pressure from other nations. It’s understandable that he’s worried. They need more people to learn about it. If you deny them access, they won’t understand it fully.” Asha’ruiya supported MO Fan.

“Super Level is too high,” the Bright Blood King repeated.

“MO Fan, you need to think about the king too. She’s a contractor, not a devil who takes and takes endlessly. She wants everything done according to the contract, not for people to cheat her with tricks. She doesn’t care about the little magic power those young mages offer. What matters is that nobody deceives her!” Asha’ruiya explained.

“Alright. I get it.” MO Fan nodded. He already knew how he was going to steer the conversation. “Your Majesty, how about this? You can’t get much magic power from Basic-level and Intermediate-level Mages who awaken to Black Magic as their first element. Since Super Level is too high and unfair to you, let’s compromise and settle on… Advanced Level!”

Advanced Level!

When Black Mages reached Advanced Level, they gained strong ruling power and mysterious abilities through Advanced Black Magic. At the same time, they would start repaying their debt for using this power. The debt of Black Magic was straightforward.

It was magic power.

Black Mages had to offer magic power during the Lunar Eclipse Night every month.

During the repayment period, Black Mages were weak, so it was hard for them to use Advanced or Super Level Black Magic, which required a lot of energy.

They could also pay with pure Black Magic Crystals instead of magic power, but these crystals were pricey.

All kinds of Black Magic items were acceptable.

Things like Black Magic Crystals and Black Magic items were called offerings.

Just like house loans, Black Mages had to pay monthly.

MO Fan was a powerful Black Mage. He never had to pay monthly dues because he had Little Loach.

His magic power recovered quickly, and he often had surplus magic power from multiple elements. He could use Little Loach to convert and offer this extra magic power.

In simple terms, MO Fan’s robust energy allowed him to clear out unused magic power occasionally. It even sped up his magic power’s metabolism.

MO Fan did not need to worry about repayment, but not all mages were as energetic and powerful as him.

That was why many Black Mages often looked thin, weak, and tired. They could not bear the monthly payment.

In the early stages of learning magic, magic power was valuable.

They needed to repeatedly practice Star Orbit, Star Pattern, Star Constellation,

and Star Palace. They would not obtain magic power if a spell failed during

practice. Basic-level Mages could only practice their magic skills a few times a

day. They could do nothing else without additional support.

So, it was rare for Basic-level and Intermediate-level Mages to become Black Mages.

“Advanced Level is acceptable.” The Bright Blood King wore a satisfied smile.

In truth, the magic power in Basic-level and Intermediate-level Mages’ Black Magic was often not pure. The Bright Blood King might not be very interested in them. Being a ruler of the Dark Plane, she was entitled to human offerings, and she valued potential.

A mage with potential became more valuable the sooner they embraced Black Magic, and one of them could surpass countless inept followers.

“You truly are a decisive ruler.” MO Fan smiled.

The Advanced Level was what MO Fan wanted.

A mage was usually close to thirty years old when they reached the Advanced Level. It happened to be when humans were most resilient.

Besides, Advanced Black Magic held immense ruling power. If they had more Advanced Black Mages, the big gap with the ocean demons would shrink!

One Warrior-level demon was as strong as ten Intermediate-level Mages.

A Warrior-level ocean demon was three to five times stronger than a land-based one when in water.

So, a Warrior-level ocean demon was incredibly frightening. An attack from one would be disastrous for small towns and villages.

However, the situation would be different if the magic team had a Black Mage.

Demons were ten to twenty times stronger than humans of the same level. It was not just because they were physically strong but also because the composition of mages in a team was often repetitive.

For example, a class team often had many Water Element, Light Element, Wind Element, and Earth Element Mages, who were weaker in the early stages.

To demons, facing five Basic-level Mages was not much different from facing just one Basic-level Wind Element Mage. None of them could harm the demons.

However, as the level increased, the difference in power between demons and mages of the same level decreased. This happened because mages gained more skills, and their methods became less repetitive.

When demons attacked, they always came on a massive scale.

Basic-level and Intermediate-level Mages needed to unite, but having too many mages with weak elements reduced their effectiveness.

If more people awakened to Black Magic, the gap would lessen as the variety of magic teams increased.

MO Fan’s negotiation with the Bright Blood King was about introducing Black Magic as the first awakening element and agreeing on the price for it.

They only needed to repay Black Magic’s magic power when they reached the Advanced Level.

MO Fan was happy with this collaboration since it brought significant changes to the magic schools.

Having climbed up the ladder from his student days, he knew just how crucial magic resources were.

As the messenger of the Dark Plane, Asha’ruiya traveled to and and from the mortal world while working for the Dark Plane. She was an ideal witness for this negotiation.

For some reason, she thought about those political scenes she saw on TV in the mortal world.

Through open and friendly communication, both parties reached satisfactory agreements. They shook hands and hugged each other warmly.

Even the formidable Bright Blood King became MO Fan’s collaborator.

The two of them toasted and laughed heartily. If Asha’ruiya had not known that MO Fan was genuinely working for the welfare of his country, she might have thought they were two capitalists admiring the growth of their cash cows!

“By the way, Brighty, I’ve noticed many Bright Blood Flowers releasing hexes. They’re like sickly flowers in a forest. If they aren’t useful to you, I can help remove them. I know a bit about gardening,” MO Fan said.

Brighty?

Asha’ruiya could not find the words to describe her emotions.

Perhaps MO Fan was the only one in several thousand years who dared to call the Bright Blood King “Brighty.”

“Sure, those annoying hexes are getting on my nerves. My gardeners are busy dealing with Shadowborn Vampires. I was thinking about how to remove them without leaving any smell,” the Bright Blood King said.

“You don’t have to worry about such things. I have the perfect tool here to get rid of them easily. I’ll make sure to keep your garden smelling good!” MO Fan replied confidently and patted his chest.

Little Loach was already hungry.

It looked like it could have a buffet soon.

It could eat a lot!

During previous battles, Little Loach would always be hungry when it transformed into Azure Dragon to protect itself and the country.

The Bright Blood Flowers formed by the resentful and tormented souls were all Soul Essence!

For someone as mighty as the Bright Blood King, even Soul Remnants were not good enough to be the wildflowers in her garden. Each Advanced Soul Essence filled with resentment was Little Loach’s favorite and ideal for recharging his Demon Element!

After successfully negotiating a big project, MO Fan even received such a generous gift. The Bright Blood King was indeed generous. He decided to visit her more often in the future.

“Sly businessman!”

Asha’ruiya raised her head and gave MO Fan her opinion on his actions.

“Haha. Since she’s given me such a good deal, I should lend her a hand.” MO Fan tried to deny it.

“The Bright Blood King isn’t a harmless and friendly person. She has her own plans,” said Asha’ruiya.

“Which generation is she from? Is she really the one who brought the curse of underworld light to Cairo?” MO Fan asked.

“The Bright Blood King can be reborn. When she starts to feel old, she enters the Blood Sealing Phase, which can last for years or even decades. After this phase, she essentially rejuvenates her soul. Although she retains some memories from her past, she often doesn’t recall much. She then becomes the new generation’s Bright Blood King,” Asha’ruiya explained.

“Won’t her power change? Will she become weak for a short period after the rebirth?” MO Fan hurriedly asked.

“Her power might decrease slightly, but the upper limit increases. That’s also why she’s willing to cooperate with you. She needs more offerings,” Asha’ruiya replied.

“I see.”

“Don’t worry. She won’t forget about this collaboration.”

“I’m a man of my word. And when it comes to making deals with devils, I ensure they benefit greatly and make them regret for dealing with fools in the past.”

“Oh, I almost forgot that you’re also a devil.”

“You’re rude. Please call me King MO Fan from now on.”

“Your Majesty, did you see the Bright Blood King’s skeletal reflection?”

“I didn’t. Oh yeah, why doesn’t she have a skeletal reflection?”

“What you see and hear in her palace is her skeletal reflection.”

“What? Her skeletal reflection is her palace? No wonder I didn’t see a thin layer of water inside the palace!” MO Fan exclaimed.

“She’s a palace made of blood.”

“That’s cool!”