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Chapter 3571: Different Futures (part 2)
Supreme Magus

Morok yelled at the two crying women with an angry voice. "I'm trying to celebrate my friend here and you're spoiling our happy mood with your sob story!

"We all have a human girlfriend here and if I have to listen one more time about the gap in our lifespans, this party will turn into a gods-damn funeral!"

Dryna and Zelima became pale as ghosts and their tears dried up the moment they realized all the Tavern's patrons were staring at them. They had started discussing the Wyvern academy like everyone else, so they had never isolated themselves from the rest of the conversation.

"I'm so sorry." Zelima bowed left and right in apology, wishing Mogar would strike her down with a bolt of lightning. "I didn't mean to disrupt your evening."

'Thank the gods he stopped me before I got to the babies part.' She thought. 'Why didn't someone intervene sooner?'

Because the discussion was heart-wrenching and the matter delicate. No one wanted to butt in while two people in love were having a moment, no matter how awkward listening to them was.

No one but Morok, of course.

"Don't mention it, cook lady. Just don't spit in my food once I place the order and we're even." He said, making most of the patrons snort with laughter while Lith hid his face in his hands. "I'm sorry for you two. You look like a wonderful couple."

"Thank you." Dryna whined, wishing that dying of embarrassment was more than a figure of speech.

"You are welcome." Morok nodded. "By the way, if you want the easy way to longevity, cook lady, become an undead. Maybe a vampire. They look cool and in your line of work, you should have gotten used to dealing with blood."

"That's a wonderful idea." It wasn't but Zelima was in a rush to get away from the crowd. "I'm sorry, they are calling me from the kitchen. Have a nice meal."

"Children." Morok said with a sigh while waving the couple goodbye. "Always making drama."

"Do you realize that aside from me everyone at this table is close in age with those two, do you?" Protector said.

"I meant emotional maturity." Morok tutted. "I've made plenty of scenes in taverns all over the Kingdom, but at least I made people cry of laughter, not sadness. That stuff was heavy. My beer almost tastes bad now."

He gulped down the whole mug.

"Almost." He burped with relish.

"I agree on the last part." Lith sighed. "I mean, human Awakened live a thousand years at most whereas as a Divine Beast I might leave way longer and so will you guys. If Kami…"

He couldn't finish the phrase and sought the comfort of the blonde ale in his beer mug.

"I guess I'm the only one who doesn't have to worry about that." Nalrond shrugged. "I should live as long as Friya since she's going to become Faluel's Harbinger. That brings up a whole lot of different problems, though."

"I don't know how long I will live, but I have to admit the thought of outliving Selia is scary." Protector stared at the full moon, his mind haunted by countless memories. "I don't want to lose another mate."

"What do you mean, another?" Nalrond asked.

"You dog!" Morok punched Protector's shoulder. "I mean wolf. Whatever you are. Are you telling us you have a harem hidden somewhere? That would explain why you're always short of money and out of town!"

"I'm a Skoll and no, I don't have a harem you insufferable Moron!"

"Morok." The Tyrant corrected Protector.

"Moron."

"Fine! Back to the harem, though, and don't skip anything of the spicy stuff." Morok said.

"I don't have a harem." Protector sighed. "For your information, I didn't spend my life as a monk before Awakening and wolves mate for life."

"Then you should have stopped after the first one. Unless you want me to believe that Selia got pregnant by proximity." Morok scoffed.

"Not once in a lifetime, you Moron, for life." Protector snarled. "It means one mate at a time. My previous 'wives' died of age, wounds and illness. I was the first magical beast of the Trawn Woods to become an Emperor Beast.

"I outlived most of my pack. Now that I'm married with Selia, I don't entertain any other woman. I'm always short of money because human babies need a lot of stuff that cubs don't and I'm always out of town to earn that damn money!"

"Then your mistake was not picking a loaded woman. Like us. Right, bro?" Morok offered Nalrond his fist and the Agni glared at him.

"I didn't court Friya for her money and having lost someone myself I don't find this conversation one bit funny." He grunted. "Being reminded of my dead fiancée while celebrating my engagement to Friya spoils my mood even more than those two lovebirds."

"Fine. Let's talk about something else." Morok shrugged and turned to Lith. "Garrik sends his love, Lith. He would appreciate it if you came to visit us more often. He misses you."

"Tell him I miss him too." Lith sighed. "I've been so busy recently that I barely had the time to leave my lab. How is Garrik doing?"

"Mostly bored." Morok waited for the food to be served and the drinks refilled before activating the table's Hush array. "He loves going to school with Aran and Leria in the Desert and hates missing all the events that don't take place over a mana geyser.

"I wanted to take him with us tonight, but there was no way to reach this place unnoticed, even with your tower." All oases formed above a mana geyser but the Desert had no Warp Gate Network.

There was no way to bring Garrik to the Travelling Tavern without exposing the existence of Menadion's tower to the young Tyrant and everyone else.

"How is his life force developing?" Nalrond had a similar problem in the past and could relate with Garrik's sense of isolation.

"Great. That technique Lith created for us is allowing him to improve by leaps and bounds." Morok's voice held gratefulness and envy in equal measure. "Not opening the seventh eye seems to be the right move for a Tyrant.

"Garrik's Fomor life force is still fallen, but it's getting more stable as he practices the breathing technique. He should be able to leave the mana geyser by sixteen, and when he's twenty, he might not need to choose between his life forces.

"And it's all thanks to you. Thank you, Lith."

"It's nothing." Lith nodded. "What about you?"

"As you can imagine, I'm making progress at a snail pace." Morok swallowed his sorrow medium rare with a side of spiced potatoes. "I've already opened my seventh eye and got rid of my human nature years ago.

"My Tyrant life force is stable and altering it requires lots of time and effort. My only consolation is that I can pass everything I'm learning on to my twins. If they start using the breathing technique from a young age, they'll surpass their old man in no time."

"Have you already decided about the names?" Nalrond asked.

"Have you checked the gender of the babies or do you want it to be a surprise?" Protector asked.

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    Chapter 3576 Holding Back (Part 1)

    "I may have relied on the work of geniuses but what matters is that I surpassed them." Lith said. "I'm the only one who noticed the connection between the elements and turned what others considered a crazy idea into a new branch of magic.

    "Any attempt to deny it is just the empty prattle the mediocre use to feel better about themselves. Look at it this way. Even if Bytra and I are lesser Magi, we are still Magi. What have those who criticize us ever achieved?"

    "A fair point." Quylla drummed her fingers on the armrest of her chair. "But it still sucks having to ask you for help. Yes, Solus?"

    "What did you mean when you said the Behemoth was using the elemental spheres all wrong?" She had been waving her hand in the air for a while to get Quylla's attention.

    "That he was smart enough to notice the same problem I'm facing but too dumb to come up with a real solution." Quylla replied. "Using two tier five spells like he did consumes a lot of mana and has too many limitations.

    "On top of that, it's nothing new. I found such a technique described in detail in the Ernas library. The theory behind it has been discredited centuries ago. Sure, Awakened can recover their mana with Invigoration, but it's still not worth the cost.

    "That Behemoth made it work only because the Hippogriff infused him with Life Maelstrom. A discipline that requires being Awakened and having a specific bloodline ability is like a house of cards. Ready to crumble at the first bump in the road.

    "That's why the Behemoth collapsed the moment you took the Life Maelstrom away."

    "And what would the right way be?" Lith had never learned the elemental god series of spells, let alone researched its history and limits.

    'There's no point in working my ass off on this when Quylla is already an expert and is willing to share it as part of her Magus legacy. I can invest in her research, help her as I can, and reap the benefits while working on my own projects.' He thought.

    "I'll answer your question only on the condition you will keep our conversation a secret and not use anything I'm about to show you in battle." Quylla replied.

    "I trust you and Solus and if you're going to help me, I need to be open. Yet if word of this spreads out, no one will give me credit for my work. They see you use my spell even in its embryo form and everyone will think it's your work."

    Lith and Solus exchanged a glance before saying: "Deal."

    "First, I must give you a practical demonstration of the reason why even though tier five magic spells can easily conjure two elements, no one teaches this at the academy." Quylla narrowed her eyes in focus for a second and four elemental spheres appeared, two of fire and two of darkness.

    "In theory, I have sacrificed my armor but in exchange, I have a much more versatile version of your beloved Final Eclipse. Correct?"

    "Yes." Lith nodded, inwardly cursing himself for not thinking about it years ago.

    "Wrong." Quylla shook her head. "I only have two spheres of highly compressed energy per element whereas your Final Eclipse has the equivalent of three spheres of highly compressed energy per element.

    "This is the weakness of the elemental god series. Regular tier five spells have fixed form and effects, but that grants them an output limited only by the amount of mana the mage imbues them with.

    "The elemental god series, instead, keeps the elements in a neutral form that can take any form and effect but that comes at a price.

    "The mana expenditure and the focus required are so great you can't conjure a second element. Sure, you have a fourth sphere, but its raw power is nothing compared to the synergy different elements can produce.

    "That's why rather than use the fourth sphere for offense, it's used to conjure an armor. The protection the elemental god series offers and its versatility makes it a true tier five spell. Yet take even one sphere away and it becomes inferior to a tier four spell."

    "And that's not even the worst part. Watch." Quylla took a deep breath, conjuring an aura that far surpassed that of a bright violet-cored Awakened.

    The mana cores of the twins in her womb acted as powerful auxiliary cores that nearly tripled her abilities. Lith's and Solus' mouths gaped as a black eye opened on Quylla's forehead, a red one appeared on the back of her left hand and a yellow one on the right.

    "What are you staring at?" Quylla's teeth were now pointed and sharp like those of a shark. "You've seen Kamila shapeshift into a pseudo-Tiamat countless times. Why is my transformation upsetting you so much?"

    "Because you look scary and took us by surprise." Solus replied. "I didn't know you could do that. How does it feel?"

    "Natural." Quylla replied. "I now have no doubts that Tyrants are the evolution of humans. These powers come easy to me, like I dream I had forgotten. But that's not the reason I'm showing you this. This is."

    As she exhaled, three different elemental spheres appeared around her and a fourth one covered her in a layer of armor.

    "This is what the final form of my discipline should look like. Three elements at a time that I can switch at any moment, giving me access to all elements and spells. As you can imagine, there's a catch. Look at me with Life Vision."

    Lith and Solus activated their mystical senses and noticed that the spell was weak despite Quylla's powerful aura. Even if she combined the three spheres into a Tower Tier spell, its output would be barely half than that of a tier five.

    "I see." Solus nodded. "A single elemental sphere means little raw power. Even synergizing the elements can only improve it up to a point."

    "It's worse than that." Quylla stood up. "Let's assume I get attacked and need to reinforce my armor."

    She consumed more mana, making the magical armor grow thicker and harder. At the same time, the other three spheres grew bigger and brighter.

    "Or that I need to deal the finishing blow." She poured more mana in the attack spell and the armor kept growing. "Do you see it now? This is the second and biggest limit of the elemental god series.

    "A single spell conjures all the four elemental spheres. It means the mana is always split evenly, no matter my needs or circumstances. So let's say that at the start of the fight you conjure an element that later becomes useless, at least one fourth of your mana is wasted."

    "That's why you need Void Magic." Lith said.

    "And also why I'm still working on conjuring two tier five spells at the same time instead of just one." Quylla dispersed the spheres and closed the eyes on her body. "There's no point practicing something that will become inaccessible to me once the babies are born.

    "I'm using the extra juice and temporary elemental affinities to work on a level slightly above what I can do at my normal condition."
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      Chapter 3577 Holding Back (Part 2)

      "It makes it easy to organize my findings in a technique with solid foundations that anyone can use." Quylla said. "I'm preparing to pass down my research to my weakened future self.

      "Otherwise I would have made much more progress yet I would have ended up writing down gibberish I'm unable to understand or perform after I give birth."

      "That's brilliant." Lith pondered. "I'm glad we had this talk. I would have wasted a lot of time just to get where you are now."

      Lith took a thick tome and a small ring studded with a white crystal out of his pocket dimension.

      "This is the latest version of Void Magic's textbook. We'll ask the Royals to add you to our lessons but in the meantime, you can study it on your own. As for the ring, consider it a gift. You must promise me no one will study it, though.

      "Not you, Faluel, and especially not your father."

      "Deal!" Quylla jumped from her seat and hugged Lith. "What does Faluel have to do with this?"

      "The pact you made with her to get your apprenticeship, remember?" Lith said. "Everything you create also belongs to Faluel and you need her permission to share it."

      "Shit! I had completely forgotten about that." Quylla whined. "That's great. Working my ass off and making a great discovery isn't enough to become a Magus. I have also to get Faluel's permission."

      "Would you have gotten here without her help?" Solus asked.

      "No." Quylla ruefully admitted. "I wouldn't have even Awakened or gained many insights about the elements if not for her teachings and Spirit Wand."

      "Then it was worth it." Solus said. "One word of advice. Use your powers as little as possible, or losing them will affect more than your research. After Elysia was born, Kami fell into a deep depression that lasted months.

      "Going from a powerful mage with all elemental affinities to a weakling with none hit her hard."

      "I know." Quylla sighed. "I already use my extra eyes only when I face a wall I can't surpass and plan to work only on this project until the end of the pregnancy. The power I get from the twins is intoxicating. Almost addicting."

      Four extra eyes opened, the fourth was blue and opened on the palm of her right hand.

      "I now have five out of six affinities. I get new insights simply by practicing the elements with chore magic and their mana flow comes effortlessly. You have no idea how hard it is for me not to tap into the twins' powers at the first obstacle I met."

      "Damn, Tyrants are better than Hydras in that aspect." Lith whistled in admiration. "They are born with two elemental affinities like a magical beast whereas Hydras need to master one element to gain an extra head."

      "Yeah, and I'll be honest, once I opened four eyes, I stopped looking for more." Quylla returned to her human form. "I'm afraid that if I push myself any further, Kami's depression will look like a walk in the park compared to mine.

      "She's just an apprentice who has no idea what she can do with her temporary talents whereas I'm a professional. My magic is a huge part of me and every progress I make fuels my ego. Realizing I'm not as talented and brilliant as I thought would kill me."

      ***

      Jiera Continent, at the same time.

      The Awakened Council had assembled to take stock of the situation and update their respective plans to restore their continent to its former glory.

      "As much as it pains me to admit it, the colonization parties from Garlen have contributed greatly to contain the threat of the monster tides." Aren Dolm, Jörmungandr and beast representative, said.

      "Their presence has drawn the attention of the monsters and reduced the frequency of the attacks on our cities. The number of casualties per skirmish has also decreased and our numbers are finally growing again."

      "It's more than that." Gyrwin Isaar, human representative of the Council, said. "Their allies have also played a key role in crippling the strength of numerous monster tides and preserving Jiera's natural resources.

      "The elves, the citizens of Zelex, and the undead, have also worked together and wiped out monster hordes before they could grow into new tides. On top of that, since they have occupied the mana geysers to build their strongholds, no new species of mutated monsters have been encountered.

      "This has allowed us humans to expand our cities and reclaim the fertile lands around them. Our situation is still dire but I dare say we are no longer at risk of extinction." The other representatives needed but one look at Gyrwin to believe her.

      The human representative had regained much of the weight she had lost since the plague outbreak in Jiera and even though she still looked tired, she no longer appeared like she might faint at any moment.

      "I bring good news as well." Maeve the Morrigan, the plant representative, pushed the mana crystal at the center of the stone table and conjured a holographic map of Jiera. "Many open wounds remain across our land but it has finally started to heal."

      The map was divided into green, red, and yellow areas. Green marked the regions where nature still thrived and the local flora was enough to sustain animal life without endangering its own survival.

      Most of the green areas were around or at least near the Awakened settlements. Humans and beasts needed fruits and vegetation to survive and had sacrificed many lives to protect them.

      The rest were scattered around the map, spared from the endless hunger of the monster only due to sheer luck or a very powerful creature that had chosen that particular spot as their dwelling.

      The red color marked the areas where there were still bits of green but not enough to sustain any life but their own. Even worse, for one reason or another, the soil of the areas marked in red had been depleted of nutrients.

      Plant folk and Fae couldn't hasten the regrowth of the vegetation without the risk of impoverishing the soil to the point of exhaustion.

      It was unclear if Abominations, Eldritches, Lost Cities, or trolls had caused such devastation. They all had the ability to consume even the most minuscule life forms and turn a luscious land barren in just a few days.

      Which was exactly what had happened to the yellow areas that covered half Jiera.

      Yellow was the color of the sand and marked the places that had become desertified. The water had disappeared from the surface and the soil had become so dry that no plant could take roots any longer.

      "As you can see, we have reconquered half of our continent." Maeve continued. "It will still take time to turn the red areas green again, but their desertification process had been halted and reversed.

      "Once the red areas have stabilized and the soil is fertile again, we'll move on to the yellow areas. Until then, we'll let the monsters lie in the bed of their own making."

      All the Council representatives nodded. The longer a territory remained barren, the longer it would take to restore it. Yet vast desertified areas also meant the monster tides had nothing to feed upon.
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        Chapter 3578 The Dangers of Peace (Part 1)

        Without prey, the various monster tribes would turn against their weakest members and then against the other monster tides. The blood of the fallen monsters would irrigate the dry soil and their corpses would be excellent fertilizer.

        "Half the continent?" Aren asked. "I'm not complaining, but how could you restore so much land in a little more than two years? During the last assembly, you said it would take the Fae decades to undo the damage Jiera has suffered."

        "Verhen." Maeve spat more than spoke the word, her face twisting into a disgusted grimace as if it coated her tongue in sour poison.

        Her expression spread to her peers like a plague.

        Breganoth, the Lick King and undead representative was the most shocked and outraged of them all. Despite the little flesh covering his face, the burning red light of his eyes conveyed the righteous fury possessing him.

        Breganoth's love for his land and passion for their common cause moved the rest of the Council representatives.

        At least until he opened his mouth.

        "Who's Verhen? Who are you people and what are you doing in my home?" The Lich King opened his arms, conjuring his Davross staff, Starbrand, and the fury of a natural storm in the Council Hall. "Prepare to pay for your crimes, you knaves!

        "You're done stealing my toilet paper!"

        "This is not your home. This is the Council, you idiot!" Fenagar the Leviathan and current Guardian representative didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "What even is toilet paper and why should someone break into a Lich's domain to steal it?"

        The light of Breganoth's eyes went on and off for a few seconds, as if he was blinking.

        "You're right, my home is nothing like this rathole." Breganoth looked at the luxurious furniture in contempt. "As for your question, you disappoint me, Guardian. How can you be so barbaric that you don't know toilet paper?

        "It's a soft kind of paper you use to wipe your butt once you are done with your business."

        "First, that's a waste of paper since darkness magic is a thing." Fenagar retorted. "Second, when was the last time you used a bathroom exactly?"

        "Around the time you took your seat in the Council." Breganoth pondered the question hard before replying.

        "That's two millennia ago! Your toilet paper must have turned into dust by now!" The Leviathan roared.

        "That explains what that pile of dirt in my bathroom was! You're a genius, Fenagar."

        "As I was saying, since Verhen's second trip to Jiera, things got better for us." Maeve decided to ignore the Lich King for the rest of the assembly. "Thaymos the Eternal Fortress was destroyed, Argantyr the Elemental Lord recaptured, and Auros the Bringer of Unity started to behave.

        "In the span of a few months, we got rid of three lost cities. Without their negative influence on the land and the protection they offered to the monster tides, we managed to reclaim many regions after the various colonist parties reinforced their presence in the area."

        She pointed at the locations of the Fringes hosting the elves' root cities and the settlements of the Kingdom, the Empire, the Desert, and the citizens of Zelex.

        "Wait, what do you mean, Auros behaves?" Breganoth asked, and for once Maeve didn't roll her eyes at his question.

        "Auros doesn't attack us anymore unless we invade his turf. He sticks to it and protects it from monsters, other lost cities, and even Eldritches. Even though unwillingly, he is helping us.

        "All we had to do was send some of the biggest threats to our safety his way and Auros disposed of them for us."

        "Finally!" Gyrwin sighed in relief. "After so much misfortune we deserve a lucky break."

        Luck had nothing to do with it.

        Auros lacked the strength to fight opponents of that caliber for long, but the Organization was a different story. Whenever the Bringer of Unity was in danger, he would call for help and receive it.

        After facing Orulm once and being crippled by the encounter, no lost city wanted a rematch with the Breaker. Eldritches were nigh immortal but the vision of Tezka walking through a Chaos Gate was enough to send them running.

        As for the monster tides, any Eldritch of the Organization could deal with them. They had infinite hunger and endless strength. Aside from trolls, a single Eldritch could slaughter millions of monsters in one night.

        "A break that still cost us dearly." Aren pointed at the foreign and elvish strongholds. "We are still losing our land."

        "But at least Jiera will live on." Fenagar chimed in. "I've talked with the Guardians of Zima and they have deactivated all the contingency measures to destroy us. Now that the crisis is contained and the advance of the monster tides halted, my fellow Guardians have moved their attention back to their business."

        Everyone around the table let out a big sigh of relief.

        There was a thin line at the borders between the turfs of the Guardians of the two continents. If a single creature, even one monster, were to cross it from Jiera to Zima, a barrage of mass-destruction Guardian Tier spells would have turned Jiera into a memory.

        "Our constant efforts and success have gained us the trust of my peers. Zima's Guardians have been reassured that Jiera poses no longer a threat to their turf and are willing to trust us to resolve any issue that might arise at our borders."

        Fenagar showed more confidence than he actually had. His body had yet to fully recover from the beating he had taken from Vastor's hybrids and Roghar was in even worse shape.

        Zagran was the only Guardian of Jiera at full power, which limited their options a lot when dealing with lost cities.

        "This is all good and proper but you have overlooked a few major aspects of our predicament." Much to everyone's surprise, Breganoth was staring at the map with a focus they had never seen before.

        "You keep focusing on the present and forget that with each step forward we take, new problems will replace those we have just solved. There is no time to waste enjoying our current peace.

        "We must be ready for what comes next or everything we've painstakingly rebuilt will crumble when the storm comes."

        "What storm?" Aren asked.

        "With the monsters' numbers dwindling, the lost cities will soon need more victims to fuel their powers and those who don't prey on living beings will have an easier time infecting our land unopposed." Breganoth replied.

        "The Liches and I are working with Vladion the Firstborn. We found a method to put the lost cities under new, stable seals that will not only contain them, but also allow us to study the lost cities from a safe distance until we learn how to destroy them safely.

        "Useless to say, we haven't succeeded once but we've learned something important from our attempts. Cursed objects have some type of communication network, and use it to call for reinforcements when cornered.

        "We are not Guardians and lack whatever power Verhen used to ground Argantyr to dust. To seal a lost city takes days, but before we are done, another cursed object appears and destroys the temporary containment field."
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          Chapter 3579 The Dangers of Peace (Part 2)

          "I hereby request the Council's help to find a way to isolate the lost cities or at least jam their communication system. Otherwise, sooner or later, the lost cities will join their forces against us and we won't be able to deal with them with our current strength."

          "A fair point." Maeve was as impressed as she was dumbstruck by the Lich's wisdom. "Anything else?"

          "Yes, can't you see?" He pointed at the mostly yellow and red map. "As soon as the conflict is resolved and your people stop dying in droves, Jiera is going to face a famine. On top of that, birth rates of all species must be contained until we have the means to feed everyone.

          "Without an external enemy to fear, our species will turn against each other for the smallest morsel of food and ensure their babies are the ones allowed to be born. We'll go from war to civil war and at that point, all our defences will be useless."

          "Good gods." Gyrwin turned pale from fright. "A Lich speaking sense is the sign of the end of times. We're doomed. Mogar is about to end."

          "That's not funny!" Breganoth's head snapped 180 degrees to stare at her. "They call me the Lich King instead of the King of Liches for a reason. I was a king before turning myself into an undead. I know how these things work."

          "You were?" Everyone was flabbergasted.

          "Yeah, until I understood that ruling over others wasn't difficult so much as pointless. They are all idiots." Breganoth snorted. "There's one more point I want to bring to your attention."

          He had circles of light appear around the foreign settlements.

          "We'd better start the negotiations about splitting our land right now, while the situation is still chaotic and unpredictable. We need to establish clear, firm boundaries that all the involved parties must swear not to cross."

          "Right now?" The Jörmungandr echoed.

          "You want to give our land and resources away to invaders?" Gyrwin's tired expression turned feral.

          "Yes, and yes." The Lich looked at the two representatives and memories of his last apprentice flooded his mind. The youth had been brilliant but lacking in common sense. "This is not our land, Gyrwin. Not anymore.

          "We've failed to protect it and now it belongs to those who can. With our limited numbers and resources, there's no way we can secure our territories from the monsters even in times of peace, let alone if we fight against our neighbours like morons.

          "Remember that all it takes for a monster tribe to become a horde is a few weeks. Give it months and you have a tide. A single tide would bring us back of months and cause countless casualties.

          "Can your humans ensure regular culls of all monster tribes across Jiera?"

          "No." The human representative's outrage faded away, replaced by helplessness and bitterness.

          "Then you have your answer. Also, consider that with their Trans-Oceanic Gates, we can trade with Garlen for food and get master artisans who can teach our people all the crafts that have been lost after the plague.

          "Art, bakery, engineering, every discipline we Awakened didn't care to preserve can be regained if we stop considering our new neighbors as enemies and see them as a resource.

          "Garlen will be vital in the phase between the eradication of monsters and the full restoration of our lands. You can't expect everyone to abide by strict birth control laws, and unless you plan on going around to kill babies, we need emergency food."

          At those words all eyes steeled. The representative knew that no matter their race or magical powers, parents would fight to the death to protect their children.

          "As for your question, Aren, yes. Right now." Breganoth continued. "As you can see, most of Jiera is barren or incapable of sustaining life. Hence we must set now the following boundaries for everyone.

          "The land belongs to those who restore and nurture it. No one is allowed to steal someone else's work and any attempt to rob or sabotage will be punished by death. This way, everyone will focus solely on what they can control.

          "All races will work hard to restore the land because it will be theirs. Our protection will ensure that no one monopolizes the fertile grounds and that those who care for Jiera will be rewarded. Bad behavior must be nipped in the bud.

          "Our new society must be better than the previous, and to achieve that we must nurture merit and competence. On top of that, this will prevent any further territorial disputes.

          "It's easy to make claims on a fertile land inhabited by small and cute animals whereas it takes guts and brains to see the potential of a monster-infested wasteland and fight to make it bloom."

          "These are excellent points." Fenagar was dumbstruck by the Lich's foresight and sensible suggestions. "Your idea will help the elves and the citizens of Zeska feel at home and our people to recognize the struggles of those they now see as invaders.

          "This should facilitate building a long-lasting peace and break the boundaries between the four races. All in favor?" The Leviathan raised his tail and soon four more hands followed.

          ***

          Griffon Kingdom, Nestrar Region, Twin Axes Palace.

          The life of Phillard the Lindwurm had been filled with hardships ever since he had left Lutia. At the time, Lith couldn't help Phillard learn how to shapeshift into human appearance and had no knowledge of Spirit Magic.

          The Lindwurm had travelled the Kingdom far and wide during the past seven years and learned everything about his new body and powers. Emperor Beasts had taught him how to shapeshift but Spirit Magic had remained a mystery for a long time.

          Until the War of the Griffons broke out.

          Then, Phillard noticed Thrud's interest in Dragon's blood and accepted the Council's offer to train him in exchange for his service on the frontlines. The Lindwurm was no descendant of Leegaain but he had naturally evolved into a Lesser Dragon.

          The Mad Queen's emissaries were very interested in cutting him open and seeing how Phillard had achieved his current form while the other Lindwurms put their hopes in him. They welcomed him like a Brood Brother and took Phillard in their ranks.

          After all, if a mere Kroxy possessed such raw talent to ascend to Lesser Dragonhood, maybe he would take one more step and become a true Dragon if properly instructed. Phillard appreciated their sentiment and avoided telling the Lindwurms he had no idea what they were talking about.

          'I didn't Awaken by myself.' He thought. 'I was a victim of Lith's experiments for months before I reached my current state and simply did whatever he asked me without even trying to understand what he was doing.

          'Maybe Lith tinkered with my life force. Maybe his Dragon blood awakened mine. Maybe it was just dumb luck. Whatever the answer, I'm not the kind of reptile to turn down a free meal.' And he meant it both literally and figuratively.

          The Lindwurms fed his appetite for food as much as for knowledge. Phillard had never been much of a student but the War of the Griffons brought out the best in him. His survival instinct.
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    Chapter 3572 Patient Healer Confidentiality (Part 1)

    "Please, as if a Healer like Quylla wouldn't check the babies a hundred times a day just to make sure they are fine." Morok snorted. "As for the names, we are still discussing them. At least officially."

    "Between us, I was thinking about suggesting something starting with 'ph', like Phreesia. Quylla still misses her sister dearly and I want to honor Phloria's memory."

    "That's unexpectedly thoughtful of you." Lith narrowed his eyes, speaking in between morsels of meat. "Phreesia is a girl name. Are they both girls?"

    "A boy and a girl." Morok tutted with pride. "At least I'm beating you at this, Lith. I'm doing in nine months what is going to take you more than two years."

    "That's a weird thing to brag about, but okay." Lith shrugged. "What about the boy?"

    The question was innocent, yet the Tyrant almost choked on his beer and stared at Lith like he had poisoned his ale.

    "What?"

    "One second." Morok bit his own hand until it bled and then had his friends heal one tooth wound each, paying them one copper coin for the job. "Everything we say from now on is covered by patient-Healer confidentiality. Remember that."

    "You have just redefined the concept of going overboard!" Nalrond was flabbergasted. "You could have just asked us to keep this discussion for ourselves."

    "Yeah, right." Morok scoffed. "Then one of you lets it slip during sex and I'm screwed in the not-funny way. Women talk. No matter how much they assure you they will keep your secret.

    "They will tell it 'in confidentiality' and in five minutes everyone knows."

    "I can assure you that you are never on my mind whenever I do something even remotely intimate with my wife." Lith emitted a retching sound. "Also, you're wrong. Kami kept my identity as a Tiamat secret until Meln exposed it.

    "She never mentioned that or my tower to anyone, even after we broke up."

    "That kind of secret, I believe." Morok nodded. "Do we want to talk about the Dragon and the Maiden? The Demon Lord and the Princess? The Healer's Kiss?"

    It was Lith's turn to choke on his beer and spit most of it all on the floor while gasping for breath.

    "How do you know those names?" A look around the table revealed that his friends were staring at the sand or the sky, playing it cool while holding in a laugh. "How does everyone know them?"

    "As I said, women talk." Morok said. "Isn't that right, Mister Longclaw?"

    Nalrond went pale and held his throat as a piece of meat blocked it. A blast of darkness magic cleared his windpipe and saved his life.

    "What about you, Big Bad Wolf?" Morok spoke casually, but Ryman turned paler than moonlight.

    Yet he knew it was his turn next so the Tyrant found the Skoll prepared. He had stopped eating and drinking as soon as he understood where the conversation was heading.

    "I heard you've given the dear old riding hood a whole new meaning." Morok played with his keg, keeping his eyes on Protector without a hint of humor in them or his tone.

    "I get your point." Ryman nodded. "Patient-Healer confidentiality it is. Not a word will escape my lips."

    "Agreed." Lith and Nalrond nodded.

    The worst part of that revelation was that despite the shock, none of the three men had missed the awkward look of the other two when it was his turn to be grilled by Morok.

    Everyone at the table knew intimate details of the others through their spouses and believed to be the only one whose privacy was safe.

    Not anymore.

    "Going back to my baby boy, Quylla has not-so-vaguely hinted that she'd love to name him after her father. I responded by not-so-vaguely hinting that I'd rather name our son after Lith. No offence." The Tyrant raised his hand and nodded in apology.

    "None t- Why should naming someone after me be a bad thing?" Lith snarled.

    "Dude, are you serious?" Morok looked at Lith like he was the weird one of the two. "Your life seems out of a bard's tale. The secrets, the struggles, the fights to the death, and the whole bunch of people you've seen die since you've learned how to walk.

    "Those things are exciting on paper but having a life like that is a nightmare. I want my baby boy to be happy and live comfortably. Not to be forced to slaughter his way just to buy a piece of fresh bread."

    "I can't argue with that." Just the thought of the recent events involving his mother made Lith sigh heavily. "No offence taken, then. But what's the problem with naming the baby boy after Orion?"

    "Again, are you serious?" This time anger twisted the Tyrant's usually aloof face. "The guy barely tolerates my existence. Orion doesn't like me and makes no secret of it. He doesn't respect me in the slightest.

    "I feel no desire to honor such a man. On top of that, what if it jinxes my bond with my son? What if due to their shared name Orion and my child develop a good relationship, and Orion's mean attitude toward me rubs off on my child?

    "No, no, and no!" With each "no", Morok slammed his fist on the table harder. "My in-laws from hell may be fun to spectators like you but not to me. I'm not going to reward their bad behaviour. I would just enable them to raise the bar further."

    "Whatever is in this food, we need to stockpile it." Nalrond pondered. "If it makes even Morok wise, we should treasure it dearly."

    "I am wise, jackass." The Tyrant snorted. "I just don't see the point of being wise in my daily life. It's boring and wastes a lot of time."

    "I agree with you." Protector nodded. "Just tell Quylla what you told us. She loves her parents but not to the point of being willingly blind to their behaviour. The conversation might hurt her feelings but might also push her to mend bridges between you and her parents."

    "Agreed." Lith nodded. "In your shoes, I'd also limit the grandparents' access to the children if they don't change their attitude. It's a privilege you grant them, not a right."

    "I'm sorry for you, dude." Nalrond poured Morok another beer. "I'll try to make Orion and Jirni see reason."

    From there the conversation took a lighter note. They deactivated the Hush array and the mood improved as more food and drinks were served.

    "Thanks for earlier." Haug approached them when he was sure he wouldn't intrude a delicate conversation. "If not for you, Dryna and Zelima would have ended up airing their laundry in front of the entire Tavern.

    "I wanted to stop them, but didn't know how to do it without sounding like an insensitive jerk."

    "No problem." Morok swept the air with his hand. "Insensitive jerk is my middle name. If you are grateful, though, feel free to give us a discount. These animals eat like animals."

    Protector was an Emperor Beast, Lith a Divine Beast, and while the exact nature of Nalrond's Agni bloodline had yet to be determined, he consumed a lot of food as well. Compared to them, Morok was a lightweight.
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      Chapter 3573 Patient Healer Confidentiality (Part 2)

      On top of that, at the Travelling Taver Lith and the others could forego human manners and eat without worrying about keeping up appearances.

      "A discount would hurt my pockets." Haug laughed. "Friendship is a beautiful thing but business is business and I rarely serve so much food to a single table."

      "It's no big deal. I'll cover the bill." Lith said. "We are here to celebrate our friend, not to worry about small stuff."

      "Thanks." Morok and Ryman inwardly sighed in relief.

      Morok didn't like spending too much money due to his bad relationship with his in-laws while Protector had a lot of expenses already. Since Nalrond wasn't supposed to pay for his own bachelor party, even after splitting the bill three ways, it was bound to have a long series of zeros.

      "I've heard you met this Ghirslak in person, Haug. Can you tell me your impression of him?" Lith asked.

      "It's too early to tell but so far he's a breath of fresh air compared to Xedros." Since he was already there, he started grilling the meat and vegetables at the table. "I don't know if it's because of his age or the current crisis the Wyverns face, but Ghirslak seems ground-to-Mogar.

      "He rejected Meln's offer off the bat, aided the attempt to capture him, and now Ghirslak has turned his bloodline's traditions upside-down. If his actions match his words, the Wyverns will enter a golden age in a few centuries.

      "In the future, they might even catch up to the Hydras."

      "Being better than Xedros is a low bar but knowing how these things go, the new patriarch might have easily been someone even worse." Ryman pondered. "Having a stand-up guy as Xedros' replacement is double the good news. What about his policy about children?"

      Haug's face turned sour at the mention, making the table worry they had spoken too soon.

      "It's going great." The barman stabbed the meat into skewers with a vengeance and served them. "More than great. The bastard was here just two days ago. After speaking with Dryna and offering her a scholarship, he stopped at the Tavern to eat.

      "Between a dish and a drink, Ghirslak had the gall to whine about his project being too successful. He told me that most of the interested parties in his Wyverns repopulation program left after a few hot nights, yet some decided to remain.

      "He has now something like ten Awakened women competing for the pecking order and working their way to become his wives."

      "Wives?" Nalrond echoed. "Plural?"

      "Yes!" Haug snarled. "Ghirslak can offer them powerful bloodline abilities, lots of treasure, a bloodline legacy, and important seats in the Council. On top of that, once he dies, he'll split his possessions evenly among his children. He's quite a catch.

      "The poor Ghirslak complained that between his magical academy and his repopulation program, he can barely keep up with Invigoration. He thanked me for the hospitality because he needed some time alone to catch his breath."

      "In other words, you are green with envy." Morok nodded.

      "Oh, no. I'm not just envious." Haug shook his head. "I'm absolutely livid! I'm a man dying of thirst watching another man drown. There is no line of women wanting to be with me. What does he have that I don't?"

      "Let's see." Morok rubbed his chin. "A whole mountain as huge luxurious lair, wealth, and mastery over one of the most elusive branches of light magic-"

      "I know that!" Haug threw a murderous glare at the Tyrant. "I wanted compassion and maybe a few nice words, not an honest answer."

      "I understand." Morok nodded. "Don't beat yourself up, old man. True beauty comes from within and you have a lot to offer. Like a discount."

      "Thanks." Haug rolled his eyes while the rest of the table laughed.

      "Here, have a beer. My treat." Lith poured Haug a glass which he gulped down like medicine.

      "Have a seat." Nalrond pulled a chair. "If there's something I've learned about women, it's that if you stick to Lith you'll find the right one. It worked even for Morok so it should be a piece of cake for someone normal like you."

      "What do you mean, even for me?" Morok grunted and the barkeep finally found his smile back.

      ***

      A few days later, Lith was working on a new project when he received a call from Vastor.

      "Is everything alright, Zogar?" Lith asked as soon as the hologram of the professor appeared.

      "Yeah, don't worry." Vastor replied. "I'm not like a certain someone who calls his friends only when he needs something from them. This is half a social call and half business. I finished studying the Emperor Beasts' papers about Hatorne's research a few days ago.

      "I've reverse-engineered the tattoo potions and the first batch of injection materials is ready. I don't know if the Royals will uphold their end of the bargain so I wanted you to know that I got you covered."

      "Thanks, Zogar." Lith chatted for a bit before moving to another topic that interested him. "I have a question for you. While I was in Kophar, I faced a Behemoth who cast two spells of the elemental god series."

      "Two?" Vastor echoed in disbelief.

      "Yes." Lith nodded. "He used them to conjure spells of all tiers and effects without burdening his mind. Has this kind of technique been researched in the past? It seemed powerful but I've never seen Awakened or Professors using it before."

      "And for a good reason." Vastor replied. "Keeping two tier five spells active consumes a lot of mana and focus. Under normal circumstances, you don't have the time to cast more than one tier five spell.

      "Even if you succeed casting two, your options are limited and your mana will soon run out. Awakened can afford it with Invigoration, but even they know better. It's great for shock and awe, but it lacks versatility.

      "If your opponent has the means to counter one of the two elements, your entire strategy falls apart. Three elements would be great, but then you'd have a Tower Spell and those are the stuff of legends." He shrugged.

      "Too bad. It seemed an interesting strategy." Lith said.

      "It is." Vastor said. "You might want to call Quylla. The last time I heard from her, she was researching something similar."

      "How could she-" Lith stopped halfway as he answered his own question. "The twins."

      "The twins." Vastor nodded. "I told her it's a waste of time. Her power boost will last only for a few more months. After that, Quylla will be a mortal like the rest of us. She was determined, though. She seemed to be onto something."

      "And you didn't pry?" Lith asked.

      "About another's mage private research?" Vastor scoffed. "That's so rude I might as well have asked her to undress. Knowledge between friends can only be offered, not stolen, my boy."

      Lith then shared his worries about his mother with Vastor and Vastor his problems with Zinya.

      "She wants to be Awakened but knows that if I do it for her, Filia and Frey will ask me to do the same for them." He sighed.

      "What about you?" Lith asked.

      "I don't want any of them to Awaken." Vastor replied.
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        Chapter 3574 Lesser Magus (Part 1)

        "I'm afraid that once Zin understands more about Eldritches and figures out the real nature of my associates, I'll lose her. The problem is I have no reason to refuse. Heck, even if I do, Zin can always ask Kamila to Awaken her. Either way, I'm screwed." Vastor sighed.

        "I'm sorry for you, Zogar." Lith sighed. "If there's anything I can do, just ask."

        "Thank you, Lith. Zogar out."

        'He should have told her the truth when she asked him to marry her before giving her his reply.' Solus' voice echoed in Lith's head via the mind link.

        'I know, but an "I told you so" rarely makes things better.' Lith replied. 'Is Quylla still here?'

        'She and the rest of the Ernas family. They have moved here with Jirni and never leave her side.' Solus chuckled. 'We should turn the mansion into a hotel and make them pay rent.'

        Solus was happy to have company and spend more time at the Verhen Mansion. The powerful mana geyser and the keep allowed the tower to remain active and hidden from the guests.

        At the mansion, Solus was no different from a normal person. She could feel her body and core getting stronger as if she were using Accumulation non-stop. The fewer floors the tower had to rebuild, the more energy it focused on restoring her body.

        'We'd better not. Over the years we've spent a long time at the Ernas Household. If they present us the bill for our vacations, it would be a devastating blow to our finances.' Lith shuddered at the thought, making Solus laugh harder.

        'Can I come with you?' She asked.

        'Of course you can.' Lith replied. 'Quylla is our friend.'

        He walked to the park of the mansion, where Jirni spent most of her time during the morning. She had been locked up in her own home for so long that she craved freedom more than anything else.

        Dripha grew stronger and healthier by the day and there were plenty of people to stimulate her young mind.

        Garrik and Ryla had moved back to the mansion along with the handmaidens, Ophya and Vyla. That on top of the several magical beasts hanging around the confining Trawn Woods ensured that mother and daughter were always cared for.

        "Mom, I want a little sister too! Dripha is so cute." Garrik rocked the baby in his arms with love, but his words made his mother spit her drink.

        "We'll see, dear." Ryla cleared her throat in embarrassment.

        "First your mother needs to find a good man, Garrik." Elina smiled, caressing his head.

        'Gods, the only thing more awkward than giving "the talk" to a child are the questions he asks his parents until they do.' She thought.

        "But knows a good man!" Garrik replied. "What about my big brother? He is an amazing guy!"

        More spitting ensued but while Quylla had to hold her tongue her parents stifled their laughter.

        "A good man you are not related to, dear." Ryla blushed up to her ears.

        "Uncle Lith, then?" Garrik tilted his head in confusion.

        "I'm sorry, but I already have children and they are my priority." Lith looked at Kamila in a silent plea for help.

        "He's right, sweetie." She said. "A child needs both parents and Lith is very busy with Elysia and Valeron."

        "I see." Garrik nodded. "A good man unrelated to me and childless. Uncle Nalrond, can you give me a baby sister? Mom just needs a special hug."

        At that point, the Agni's mouth was already empty.

        "Over my dead body." Friya said. "I mean, he's taken, dear. You need a single man."

        "Why is this so complicated?" Garrik whined. "It's just a hug and I just want a little sister!"

        "Because we lack a Harmonizer for her." Ryla inwardly thanked the gods for giving her inspiration. "Once you grow up and don't need yours anymore, you can have a little sister."

        'More importantly, by then we'll have the talk and you won't ask me the impossible anymore.' She inwardly added.

        "That's a long time." Garrik pouted for a while but then Lilia and Leran invited him to play and he forgot about the issue.

        "Quylla, can we talk a bit?" Lith asked. "In private."

        "Sure." She said while glaring at her parents. "Mom, Dad, once I'm done with him, we need to talk."

        The phrase filled Orion with dread. No matter if he heard those four words from his wife or daughters, they always spelled trouble.

        As for Jirni, she had heard them only once and it had almost cost her her marriage. After almost losing her husband and Phloria's death, Jirni was ready to comply to Quylla's demands the moment those four ominous words left her daughter's lips.

        Morok had followed the advice of his friends and had a long conversation with Quylla about what he expected from her parents if they wanted to be involved in his life and those of his children.

        At first, Quylla had hesitated bringing up such a sensitive subject while her mother was still recovering from the failed attempt on her life. Yet her concerns had burst like a bubble after witnessing Jirni's and Orion's hilarity at Morok's expense.

        'If Mom is healthy enough to mock my husband, she's healthy enough to take a verbal beating.' Quylla thought, having a hard time repressing her fury.

        "We are supposed to go to my study." She moved so quickly that Lith needed to walk briskly to catch up with her while Solus had to jog.

        "Oh, okay." Quylla knew the house almost as well as her own and had no problem finding Lith's room.

        She waited in front of the closed door for the other two to arrive.

        "Angry?" Solus offered Quylla a comfortable padded chair and a footstool while Lith served chamomile tea and pastries for everyone.

        "No, furious." Quylla thanked Solus. "My parents will pay for it later. What's this about?"

        Lith had yet to finish showing her the full projection of his fight with Kugoh when Quylla cracked her armrest with a fist.

        "Son of a bitch! He almost stole my idea." Luckily for Lith's wallet, the furniture had been enchanted to self-repair. "Wait, no. He's an idiot. He's doing it all wrong."

        Once the hologram faded, Quylla sighed in relief and sipped her tea.

        "I wanted to talk to you about this." Lith said. "That Behemoth took me by surprise by combining two spells of the elemental god series. It would have been a very effective strategy if not for the Hands of Menadion.

        "I was thinking of giving it a try myself but before researching the spells I consulted Zogar. He told me you are already working on something similar and here we are. I want to know how far you've gotten and if you've spotted any major flaw in this technique.

        "There's no point wasting my time just to reinvent the wheel."

        "Are you working on this too?" Quylla frowned a bit.

        "No, I haven't even started. I'm still collecting the existing research material and analysing the footage from the fight to determine if it's a line of research worth pursuing."

        "It is." Quylla said. "Let me show you."

        A wave of her hand conjured six glowing spheres the size of a tennis ball with chore magic, each of a different elemental color.
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          Chapter 3575 Lesser Magus (Part 2)

          "In theory, if you cast a spell like this, there's no limit to what you can do." Water, earth, and light fused into a shield construct while air, fire, and darkness formed a small cloud of black flames.

          Then the elements split and rearranged into a heat ray, darkness-infused bullets, a snowstorm, and stone blades.

          "In practice, however, this is nigh impossible." Quylla shook her head. "Conjuring multiple elements in a neutral state is just too hard.

          "The elemental god series forms four spheres of a single element despite being a tier five spell because you need enough raw energy to manipulate it freely and skip the materialization step as you shape it in different spells.

          "If there's too little elemental energy, you need to waste time conjuring more and the entire spell becomes slightly better than a tier four spell."

          "Four spheres?" Solus asked. "I've always seen only three… The armor!"

          "Exactly." Quylla nodded. "One fourth of an Elemental God spell is consumed to protect the mage. If you sacrifice that, this is the best you can do."

          Another wave of her hand generated three spheres of light and a fourth of earth.

          "This is something anyone can do. The problem is that there is not enough earth element to affect the light component. This is what I'm working on, instead."

          Quylla opened her other hand, conjuring three spheres of fire and another of earth.

          "Earth again?" Lith asked in confusion. "Wouldn't air or water achieve more versatility?"

          "I'm not done yet." Quylla replied. "Remember that these are just two tier five spells, like that Behemoth did."

          She joined her hands and the various spheres of the same element merged into one, leaving three elemental spheres orbiting around her.

          "I see now." Solus nodded. "You chose earth as the same extra element for both spells to combine them."

          "Yes, but that's not the only reason." Quylla replied. "Air and earth are almost everywhere. Unlike the other elements that require to be condensed at high-density to be effective, I can increase the size of the earth sphere by taking more from the battlefield. Now watch."

          She cut the air with the fingers of her right hand and the light sphere turned into darkness.

          First in the form of a black fog and then into an array. The darkness turned into light again, forming a small army of constructs that fused with the fire spheres to form burning weapons and earth spheres to form heavy shields.

          "Void Magic?" Lith was flabbergasted.

          "Only for the light and darkness element." Quylla sighed. "Even with the power up from the babies and their affinities, I can't figure out the rest. Yet imagine if I knew Void Magic.

          "I could switch all elements and achieve the closest thing to Tower Tier spells with just two tier five spells."

          "Indeed." Solus pondered. "But doing that in the living room of our house is one thing. Conjuring two spells on the battlefield is another."

          "Yes and no." Quylla showed them two elaborate rings on her fingers, each powered by a white mana crystal. "Tier five spell-holding rings are a thing. I had Dad make two for me, but with your Forgemastering technique, Lith, one ring would be enough."

          "Then why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" Lith asked. "You got this far on your own already. If I taught you Void Magic and gave you one of my rings, you would have progressed much more in your research."

          "And ask another mage to share his opus and secret Forgemastering techniques with me for free?" Quylla snorted in outrage. "That would have been so rude that I might as well have asked you and Solus for a foursome."

          A mage's research was something sacred. The only law that every continent and country of Mogar had in common was that no mage could be forced to share their work with someone else. Even the local Awakened Council and political ruler were no exceptions.

          Without such law, not only would every mage hide rather than risk being extorted for their hard work the moment they achieved something, but also magical research would come to a screeching halt.

          What point would there be pouring time, sweat, and blood into any line of research if it was going to be taken away the moment significant progress was made? Mages would just do standard work that had no risk of being stolen by someone more powerful, and the magical disciplines would become stale and rot.

          "You could have at least asked." Solus said and the others stared at her like she had gone insane. "About Void Magic! I was talking about Void Magic, not the foursome. We are already teaching it to the fourth-year students of the six great academies, their professors, and the Royals.

          "Including you in our lessons, Quylla, would have cost us nothing and just required permission from the Royals. With the Ernas family's standing, the King would have never refused your request. You guys have a perverted mind!"

          "Solus has a point about Void Magic." Lith glossed over his perverted mind. "As a Magus, sharing part of my work is not an issue. On top of that, I don't need to reveal my Forgemastering technique to you.

          "I just need to craft one of my tier five magic holding rings to help you with your studies. You would just be one of my many clients."

          "True, but asking for so much help still hurts my pride." Quylla sighed. "Everyone called me a genius since I entered the White Griffon academy, yet years after graduating I have not made any groundbreaking discovery.

          "By my age, Manohar had already learned Light Mastery as a self-taught and found a cure for degenerative diseases while working full time in the Light Magic Department. I want to create a new branch of magic, share it, and fulfil my dream of becoming a Magus.

          "I wanted to achieve it by myself, not rely on someone else's work. It sounds stupid, I know, but I didn't want to share the spotlight with others not to end up like Bytra. Her work brought us where we are today, but many people consider her a lesser Magus because she 'just' improved on Menadion's work."

          Solus lowered her eyes at those words, knowing that she had been one of those people and vocal about it.

          "I see your point." Lith nodded. "But those people are wrong. What Bytra did was incredibly hard. So much so that nobody else before and after she divulged her discovery made a single improvement on Runesmithing.

          "Also, consider this. My Void Magic was born when I saw Manohar and Scarlett switch the light and darkness elements. You could say that I just improved on their research and extended it to the other elements.

          "Yet even if you did, I wouldn't feel offended."

          "You wouldn't?" Quylla asked in disbelief.

          "No. I would just point out that not only have I made a discipline that only geniuses could practice accessible to everyone, but I have also brought it further than its inventors ever believed it possible.

          "Scarlett and Manohar never worked on the other elements. They were as blind about the nature of the world energy as everyone else."
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    can anyone paste chapters here?
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      Here you go satisfied
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        Thanks man!
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    Legion where are youuuuuuu!!!!!
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      Abaporu
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      He started writing again on 03/19, the problem is here
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    Wul
    Wul
    + 8 ⋅ 1 -
    Legion is on break for a week and so is the novel gloom
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