Legacy of the Dark Sage

Because of the array formation that Kyran set up in his room, the noise and even the leakage of magic energy were contained inside. None of the Eidums passing by down the hall noticed anything strange. The only issue that arose was the Abbot’s sudden disappearance again.

It was not that big an issue, though. Only, they wondered where he went without advising anyone. Kyran was one thing, but the Abbot rarely did that.

In any case, since Azikh and Gidan did not seem worried, none of the Eidums worried that much.

It took the Abbot and True Void around three days to stabilize Kyran’s condition. If this happened in the Human plane, the Abbot would have collapsed before the second day ended because of the magic energy limitation of a human’s magic core. One would not last more than a day, even more so three days, unless they had several high-grade energy-replenishing potions on hand.

True Void was glad they were in Somuli, where its inhabitants possessed Divine Armaments that could generate their own magic energy. If not, there was no telling what would have happened to Kyran during the initial phase of his evolution.

With Kyran’s condition stabilized, the Abbot and True Void’s next concern was to transfer him to a better and cleaner room. Kyran did bleed a lot and even shed some skin, making a huge mess of his bed.

It was a ghastly scene for the Abbot, to be honest. It was his first time seeing someone undergo such torturous treatment.

The Abbot thinking True Void had treated Kyran was understandable. Although he was right about the white potion being the Elixir, the description written on the old Apothecary record he read was lacking. For instance, it did not include the prescription and only vaguely discussed its required ingredients. If the Abbot knew that it required crushed dragon bones, not to mention a drop of a dragon’s essence, he might collapse in fright.

Pure dragon ingredients were not available in the Lower Realm, after all.

“I’ll have someone prepare a new room for him,” the Abbot told True Void while they rested for a few minutes.

True Void did not reply at once. But when he did, he shook his head and said, “No, let’s keep his condition between us. We can’t have others thinking that something happened to him.”

“True, but he is already stable. I’m sure by the time a rumor spread about his condition, he’d be in tip-top shape.”

True Void shook his head, “You underestimate the potency of the potion I gave him. The first time he took a sip of that potion, he was out cold for more than a day. This time, I forced him to take the whole bottle. How long do you think it would take until he recovers?”

“A sip took him out for more than a day?” the Abbot blurted in shock. He read what the Elixir could do, but apparently, he had underestimated it a bit. “You mean to suggest that Nar might stay unconscious for a while?”

“Yes,” True Void nodded. The reddish-purple light that made up his eyes dimmed slightly, and he added, “I only glimpsed who… or what he encountered before escaping back here, but those two… they are not someone… or something that we can handle by ourselves given our current level.”

A cold shiver ran up the Abbot’s spine as he blinked in fright, “Are they the Sovereigns Nar told us about?”

True Void shook his head, “No.”

He paused and sighed before rephrasing, “Well, the other one should have been a Sovereign. Or at least, he was one when we first met him. But even as an essence, he could match that other guy that even Void Halfling could not, then it means he has already broken through the shackles of a Sovereign.”

“There is a higher level than a Sovereign?” the Abbot asked in surprise.

“I don’t know,” True Void replied, shaking his head. “My master— Void Halfling’s predecessor, believed it, but whether he managed to prove its existence or not, I don’t know… Gah! This is frustrating! Really frustrating! Darn it, Void Halfling, it’s because you’re too complacent that this….”

True Void’s voice trailed off, and in the end, he could only heave a sigh.

Frankly, True Void did not think Kyran had not been complacent. He knew how careful Kyran was to the point that he would not even warp, even if his life was in danger if it would leave a trace of his magic behind.

As far as Kyran’s enemies were concerned, he was not in Somuli. If they discovered he was there, then things in Somuli would have gotten even more complicated. True Void knew Kyran wanted to avoid an all-out war between Sovereign factions there— not until he conquered enough of its land and united its inhabitants to defend against those big forces. Only then could Somuli survive. Of course, this would only be possible with Kyran leading the defense at the helm. If he absorbed or marked all of Somuli’s best mages and knights, then they would receive a boost in magic and strength with his Void’s and Sigil’s Blessings.

Unfortunately, two of Kyran’s enemies had already found him. One of which had been after him at the beginning of his journey and another that True Void did not recognize.

“If they are not those Sovereigns, then… are they Nar’s enemies?”

True Void sighed, “At this point, I can only say I don’t know. One of those two had considered Void Halfling his prey but… he is an odd one, I give you that. But the other one…”

True Void fell silent as he recalled the moment he took a look at the other one before Kyran activated the token and escaped.

“I’m not sure who… or what that is. But Void Halfling did not stand a chance.”

“Will staying here be bad for him?” the Abbot asked in concern. He paused after realizing his words could be misinterpreted and hastily explained, “Don’t get me wrong. While I am afraid my people might end up getting caught in the crossfire, I don’t want to leave Nar on his own during his time of need. He had done a great deal for us, and if staying here might expose him to danger… I want to do something and prepare for the worse.”

True Void looked at the Abbot curiously. Earlier, he had been so worried about Kyran that he did not get a proper look at him. Even when Kyran talked to the Abbot, True Void never really took a good look. Now that he had, he realized the old man was quite powerful. If not, he would not have succeeded in containing Kyran and True Void during the initial phase of the Elixir’s effect.

“Old man, what’s your name?”

The Abbot nearly fell off his seat, his brow twitching while looking at him.

“Did Nar not tell you?”

“No, he calls you old man, so it stuck.”

“Well, the truth, my name meant old, thus the nickname,” the Abbot explained with an awkward smile. “Alter Nachum. You can call me Alter or Nachum. Either one is fine.”

“I’ll call you Nachum then.”

“That is fine.”

“Void Halfling more or less told me everything, but I never really got to absorb them all. I mean, I could barely speak your language.”

“You are doing fine, to be honest.”

“Thanks. Anyway, correct me if I’m wrong, but you were that guy, right? The complete being who is supposed to be the true Sovereign of Somuli?”

“Yes, that is correct,” Nachum replied, feeling a little disconcerted. After Kyran told them about the Sovereigns and how they were eyeing Somuli because of the rumored birth of their Sovereign, Nachum felt that his decision not to ascend had brought this complicated situation. It made him wonder if all of this would have been avoided if he had chosen to ascend that time.

“From my understanding, the only reason those guys are brazen enough to enter Somuli is because the Sovereign’s Cradle is not as powerful as when a real Sovereign summons it.”

“Sovereign’s Cradle?” 𝑜𝓋𝓁xt.𝗰𝗈𝐦

“You can say it is a defensive net that filters outsiders wanting to enter a plane. The current Sovereign of Somuli is a fake and his control over the cradle will crumble as soon as the power boost he received from the Mistress is gone.”

Nachum nodded his head, “Yes. Nar said it is the real reason the Anshel wants Sisi. So she can continually boost his level to a Sovereign.”

“Anshel?”

“Ah, that is his name… err… the fake Sovereign.”

True Void shook his head, “Such a sly fox. Since he is not the true Sovereign, he can still interfere in the plane’s internal affairs while possessing the strength and abilities of a Sovereign. Void Halfling should have just killed that guy.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” Nachum commented with a wry smile. “The outsiders seem adamant on recruiting Anshel. If Nar killed him, then he will only succeed in gaining more enemies.”

“What’s new?” True Void sighed, slumping his small shoulders in exasperation. “That guy already have a few Sovereigns after his ass.”

“Including those two that did this to him?” Nachum looked at Kyran again in concern.

“Well…” True Void shrugged, “I don’t really know what happened between him and that… whatever that guy is. But going back on topic, I know a way that can delay those guys until Void Halfling recovers.”

“Pray tell, how?”

“Ascend. Claim your right as the true Sovereign of Somuli. Activate the true Sovereign’s Cradle and keep those annoying people outside.”