Supreme Magus - Chapter 159

Chapter 159: 159
Lith's mind wouldn't have spun so fast not even if his little brother Carl suddenly resurrected in front of him . At least in such case he would only experience two conflicting feelings: disbelief and joy .




Instead, his thoughts were subverted into a chaotic maelstrom . Nurture and nature were clashing like never before, uncapable of finding a common ground .
- "I have to save him . I have dedicated most of this live saving strangers, even when they could not afford to pay . Hating humans is all right, but a two years old kid?
My biggest gripe with children is them being noisy and obnoxious, hence I never wanted to have kids of my own . But killing one is another matter entirely . What will happen to his parents and siblings if I let him die? Will they by scarred by their beloved's death, like it happened to me?" -
This was the reasoning of his healer side, the one that had been raised with love and affection by his family over the past twelve years . Its arguments were solid, Lith had experienced first hand the pain of loss, the suffering of a mother that could only watch her daughter die slowly .
He was unwilling to make someone else go through such experience out of mere egotism .
- "It's no big deal . The weak are bound to suffer and are always the first to die, It's the law of the jungle . I don't know and don't care for him . Saving him would be reckless . First, I would show Kilian that I am capable of healing the parasites on my own .
Second, this kid is not like me . If he gains any sort of power, he will become a threat to himself and others . There are countless risks and no rewards . Good deeds never go unpunished, if I help him, I'll pay the price . " –
The arguments of his 'human' side were solid as well . Lith actually didn't care about strangers, he never did . When he had helped them in the past, there was always a hidden agenda behind his actions .
He was no hero, he had killed countless times and never lost a single night sleep .
While his mind was frozen, his body acted out of habit, taking the child from the guard's arms and placing him on the table to evaluate his conditions . The number of parasites was low, the child was so magically weak that they couldn't thrive in his body .




Yet twenty-two worms were enough to downgrade the mana core below the red level . It wasn't black, he wouldn't turn into an Abomination . The core had shrunk to the size of a pinhole, turning completely grey . Only a few deep red streaks remained, while the rest was losing its density .
The grey parts were foggy, not because of the toxins, but because the core was falling apart .
- "There's no reason to argue, you dimwits . " Lith's logical side chimed in, shutting up every other voice in his head not with feelings or pessimism, but with cold facts .
"Unless his core possesses outstanding recovery abilities, he is as good as dead . The most merciful thing we can do is put him out of his misery . " –
Lith would have expected that not having a choice anymore in the matter would make him feel relieved, instead it only made things worse .

- "There are so many things that I still ignore . Maybe I'm wrong, and the kid can still be saved . It's the first time I encounter a situation like this, I can't be sure unless I try . On the other hand, this is a unique opportunity to experiment on what happens when a core turns grey . " –
His inner conflict lasted barely a few seconds, but to those present, Lith seemed to have stopped for hours .
"Is there something you can do?" Kilian's voice was dispirited . Knowing Lith, he assumed that all was lost . It was only a matter of time before plague started to reap the youngest among the infected .
"Don't you know light magic's first rule? If the patient is still breathing, there's always hope . Why are you doing nothing?" Nindra wasn't a healer, but she had great respect for them, as for Lith .

She couldn't believe the situation was beyond his abilities . Before meeting him, she had already resigned to live her last days in captivity . She was aware that without a cure, the plague or the Kingdom would have sooner or later killed her .
He had given her hope .
Lith had no answer to their questions, torn apart by his selfishness and the desire to become a better person . Someone real, that his loved ones could be proud of, instead of the mask he used to deceive the world .
He started sweating profusely, yet he felt a cold sensation in the pit of his stomach, like needles were prickling him from the inside . His guts twisted in a painful knot .
- "Solus, what should I do? I never wanted for any of this to happen, there is no contingency plan . "
"It's not something for me to decide . I'm your companion, but the life is yours . I know that it's probably the scariest situation you've ever encountered, there is no lying or killing your way out of it .
The only thing I can tell you, is that whatever you'll choose, you'll have to rethink your way of life . After all our talks about changing and growing as a person, it's time for you to decide if you just feel empty or if you really are empty .
Whatever you'll become, I'll always be by your side . " –
Those last eleven words were all he needed to hear . Solus knew him, the real him, but she had never judged or shied away from him . She knew every dirty secret he had, everyone of his shameful thoughts and flaws, yet she wholeheartedly accepted him .
Lith decided it was time to become worthy of such affection, instead of basking in its light giving it for granted .




- "I don't really know if this kid can or cannot become an Awakened one . The only thing I know, is that I can't avoid taking hard decisions only because I'm scared of the consequences . If I really want to become a better person, I must at least try being one!" -
Not even five seconds had passed since Lith had completed the diagnosis . His hands started to form fake seals, while his mouth pronounced random latin words, while Invigoration swept away the toxins .
After Nindra's and Garith's treatments, it was all too easy . Not only the parasites had been unable to multiply, the lack of nutrients had also prevented them to form a cocoon, leaving them exposed, easy prey for the dark tendrils .
No one collected the toxins, that went wasted, but nobody cared . It took Lith several minutes to completely cleanse the body, and the effects were visible at the naked eye . The blue veins first deflated and then disappeared, the kid's skin regained some of its colour, yet remained terribly pale .
"I should have cleansed his system . The parasites are still there, though . " He lied, to protect his secrets . If the kid survived, Lith had to avoid at all costs that another healer examined him, adding him to the rooster of his patients .
That way, he could always pretend to have cured him bit by bit, instead of in one go .
"Then why he is still unconscious?" Kilian asked .
"Because there is no telling what damage his body sustained . I did all I could, now it's all up to him . " Aside from avoiding mentioning the mana core's status, Lith had told them the truth .
- "Using light magic or giving him some of my life force is useless . His body is in perfect conditions, the problem it's the core . How is it going, Solus?"
"Not good . Even after you took out the toxins, the mana core has yet to show any sign of recovery . " –
"Bring him back to his parents . There is no point in keeping him here . "
"His parents aren't in the last tent, nor in any other . " The soldier explained .
"We never managed to found them, they are either dead or have run away when everything started . "
Lith nodded .
"I don't want to leave him alone while he is still like this . Do you mind if we postpone your treatment to tomorrow?"
"Not a problem . " Nindra replied, afraid to touch the kid's hand and worsening his conditions . She was still infected, and had no idea how the plague spreaded .
"Mind if I keep you company?" Lith shook his head, and soon started pacing around the little tent .
He started to rack his brain, trying to find a way to infuse mana into the kid's body without harming him, but to no avail . Lith knew from experience that sending mana straight into the core was akin to poisoning it .
According to Solus, making his own mana circulating into another's body via Invigoration never harmed it, but it also did not affect the core either . During the cleansing progress, the world energy that Lith had pumped into the little body had not been absorbed, no matter how close he brought it to the core .
Maybe it was because it still retained Lith's mana imprint, but the mana core ignored it, refusing to draw nourishment from it . An hour passed, and the another, until the core turned completely grey before disappearing like a puff of smoke .
- "He is dead . " – Solus told as soon as she saw the child's life force disappear .
Lith passed the news to the others . His voice was calm and collected, but inside, he was in anguish, questioning how much was the parasites' fault compared to his own . Maybe if he had not hesitated, things would have gone differently .
Maybe he was just a monster, and didn't deserve to be loved .

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