Supreme Magus - Chapter 494

Chapter 494






'Another tribe of monsters already?' The news left Solus shocked .

'We dealt with another one less than two weeks ago outside Kogaluga . How can they possibly spawn so fast despite our rounds and the lack of resources due to winter? Don't tell me it's more trolls . Those things are disgusting, they give me the creeps . '

'No trolls, it seems they are dealing with a pack of warg . Also, I agree with you, it shouldn't happen this often . ' Lith thought as he dispelled Scanner and Scalpel .

'I can only think of a few possible explanations for this . If we are lucky, it's just them coming out of their nests after running out of resources . Monsters are as powerful as they are dumb . They are incapable of planning ahead for a whole season . '

'Worst case scenario?' Solus asked .

'Someone is making them spawn to further their own agenda . '

'Yeah, right . ' She chuckled . Even by Lith's standards, that was full blown paranoia . 'I wonder where you left your tinfoil hat . We don't want aliens to read your mind . '

***

Free country of Lamarth . Beyond the eastern borders of the Gorgon Empire .





The Master had been on cloud nine for months now . The incident in Othre had given them exactly what they needed to put an end to the slump their research had been in during the last two years .

"I'm telling you, Xenagrosh, this is the will of Mogar . Everything happens for a reason . " The Master's usual mean, lecturing tone had been replaced by one of a child on a sugar rush .

They spoke with a shrill voice, talking fast as their hands operated the experimental machinery the Abominations were assembling in the magical lab . Ever since the Master had managed to acquire a copy of the Spellbreakers' report, they had barely slept .

Xenagrosh, the Eldritch Abomination who served as their right hand was worried about the Master . Their maniacal enthusiasm for magical research was a double edged sword . It had brought them far, but had also caused many casualties among their ranks .

Abominations were even rarer than Awakened ones, their numbers were limited .

"Four years ago, Balkor taught everyone with a working brain how Abomination's tissues can be implanted inside other creatures to control and empower them . At first, I thought it was as ingenious as it was useless, until Thrud showed me how wrong I was .

"She brilliantly solved the main problem of Arthan's Madness' low energy assimilation rate by converting her victims into copies of herself before harvesting them .

"I've devised a way to fuse Balkor's and Thrud's research which has solved many of our problems . Abomination's tissues are much stronger than human's, they can take root in any living being .

"By creating copies of our associates, we can boost your powers endlessly and get rid of the madness which ensues after fusing several Abominations into one . If they share the same mind there will be no conflict . It's just perfect!"






Xenagrosh's enthusiasm was limited . She had been a powerful Awakened before turning into an Abomination and being forced to rebuild her strength from scratch . She knew all too well that saying and doing were two very different things .

"I don't know . Even if I knew I was just a copy of the original, I'd rather die fighting than let myself being sacrificed . Also, we still need to kidnap a lot of specimens for your experiments . I don't see much difference in our situation now . " She shrugged .

"How can someone who once was so brilliant have become so idiotic?" The Master sighed . "We'll harvest them before they reach full sentience, we can't risk a civil war of our own . As for the specimens, we're only going to use monsters for the trial runs . "

Xenagrosh was stunned by her mentee's brilliance . Monsters spawned fast, had great magical potential, and no one cared how many of them died .

"What about the orc shaman's crystal?" The Master asked interrupting her musings . "We need it as energy source, otherwise mass breeding Abominations will take too long . "

"It's… lost . "

"What do you mean lost?" The Master's good mood disappeared .

"The retrieval team spooked the shaman enough to make him detonate along with the mana crystal rather than let it fall in the hands of 'demons' . "





Both the Master's rage and eloquence reached a new peak, making them say words so crude that it's best for them to remain forgotten .

***

City of Maekosh, Prancing Griffon tavern .

It was Lith's second time being there and his first visit hadn't degenerated into a brawl solely because he was as happy to leave as everyone else was eager for him to go .

As long there was a mana geyser in the proximity, Solus's company was the only thing Lith needed to enjoy his stay in a new place .

"As I told you the last time, Ranger, your money is most welcome here . You, however, are not . " Xelos, the tavern's owner, was glaring at Lith in such a way that if looks could maim, the Ranger's remains would easily fit into the establishment's trash bin .

Like many medium sized cities in the north, hospitality wasn't a strong suit of its inhabitants . Most Northmen lived in fear of the borders and of the spies that might come from the Gorgon Empire .

Uniforms and badges could be counterfeited, so even during the good season they only trusted strangers as far as they could throw them . Winter made everything worse .

With no Warp Gates and snowstorms that could isolate a city for weeks, a single foreigner mouth was one too many . No one was willing to share their rations and risk suffering from starvation in case something happened or if the cold lasted longer than expected .

The tavern's usual patrons shared Xelos's hatred for Lith . Everything he ate or drank was something they wouldn't get to enjoy . Even if he was paying for his meals, they still considered his presence like that of a thief .

"And as I replied to you last time, you will give me what I paid for, or suffer the consequences . " Lith considered Maekosh a shithole, but the variety of beers they brewed there were top notch .

He had got a taste of them from a merchant in Othre and found them a marvel for his taste buds, even at room temperature . Served cold they were simply divine . Lith had added as many kegs as he could to his stocks during his first visit .

Unfortunately, they didn't amount to much . Winter was coming and most of the supplies were already sold .

"Like what?" Xelos sneered . "You are nothing but a military dog, so follow your precious orders and get lost!"

"I'm glad you asked . " Lith replied with a soft smile, as his mouth and fingers weaved an incantation .

"You can't use your magic!" Xelos didn't lose his spunk . "Everyone here is my witness . Uniform or not, the Griffon Kingdom won't stand criminals . "

"Indeed . " Lith opened a Warp Steps right behind Xelos, using a bit of spirit magic to push him through it before closing the Gate . The patrons jumped from their seats in outrage, but he remained calm .

"I'm a civil servant, not a slave . There's a big difference to it . According to the law, robbing a Ranger, refusing to serve him, and slandering him are all criminal offenses punishable by imprisonment .

"Which means that you only have two choices left . Waive my protection and face the monsters on your own or join your friend in a solitary cell for the entire time I'm forced to stay here . "

Silence befell the tavern . When pride and fear clashed, the latter usually won by a landslide, especially when monsters were involved . The patrons went back to their seats and no one protested when the barmaid served the Ranger his meal .

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