Supreme Magus

Chapter 3798: Creeping Madness (Part 1)

"Are you still having fun?" Lith took numerous pictures of Morok’s smudged, disheveled appearance.

"No." The Tyrant replied, trying to catch his breath. "I guess I owe you an apology. That wasn’t fun at all. By the way, you’re not really going to show those pictures to Quylla, right?"

"Right." Lith nodded. "This is blackmail material."

"Thanks, man." Morok sighed in relief. "I- Blackmail?"

"You heard me." Lith snapped a good close-up. "With this, I can shut you up whenever I want, and it’s worth to me more than you think. Besides, it doesn’t take you much to get out of my thumb. Just tell Quylla."

"Yeah, right." Morok cleaned himself with darkness magic. "Because she’s going to take it well."

"She won’t, but it’s better than hearing about this from someone else." Lith shrugged. "That’s why Kami knows of all the times someone hit on me."

"All of them?" Morok asked in disbelief.

"All of them." Kamila snarled. "It’s infuriating in the short term, but in the long term it builds trust because I know he’s not hiding anything from me."

"Good point." Morok sighed. "I’ll come clean with Quylla as soon as we return home. Who would have thought the women of Zelex had the hots for me?"

"Anyone with half a brain." Solus clicked her tongue. "You are the son of their god. The savior of their people. Their hope for a brand-new future under the sun, and free from their cursed existence. What did you expect?"

The Tyrant raised his finger to object, just to bring it to his lips as he mulled over her words.

"Another good point!" Morok cursed his own stupidity. "But why me? Why does nobody care for Lith or Tista? They have the legendary seven eyes!"

’Because we gave you all the credit for defeating the Demons.’ Solus answered via a mind link. ’Lith’s official role is as a mediator with the Awakened Council, but that’s it. Also, Lith’s and Tista’s appearance reminds the people of Zelex of the demons of the legends too much.

’The members of the Fallen Races find them creepy.’

’Third good point and I’m out.’ Morok sighed. ’I’m done with stupid questions for today.’

"Lord Verhen!" A feminine voice said, and Kamila’s head turned so quickly that Lith expected her to get whiplash from it.

"Rem, what are you doing here?" Lith walked toward a plump, middle-aged merfolk with sky-blue hair that matched the color of her skin. "Did the negotiations with the Blood Desert not go well?"

"Quite the contrary." She weaved at what looked like a metal one-piece swimsuit that would cover her privates once her skin dried and she reverted to a more human appearance. "We’ve reached a mutually beneficial deal and are in the process of establishing our first city on Garlen.

"Or rather, two cities. One in the deep for us merfolk and another on land to trade and interact with the people of the Blood Desert."

"Glad to hear." Lith nodded.

"I’m sorry for not contacting you earlier, but diplomatic negotiations and construction works took most of my time. We merfolk want to give you a proper welcome and share with you the fruits of our labors, not the labors."

Kamila had met the merfolk race only once, but it took her a glance to recognize the supple forms wrapped in the scant metal clothes of their women. Living underwater meant developing a body capable of resisting the water pressure and the physique of a professional swimmer.

"Once you’re ready to open the two cities to the public, it’d be my honor to attend their inauguration." Lith gave her a small bow that Rem immediately returned. "What are you doing in Jiera, then?"

"The people of Zhen and Yhen will fight by your side when you rid Jiera of another cursed city." The merfolk replied, rapping her fist against her chest in salute. "You fight for us, we fight with you."

"Thanks. I appreciate that." Lith was moved by her words.

’She has no reason to be here. The merfolk could have stayed in the safety of the Blood Desert, and instead they chose to come back for me.’

"And so do I." Kamila felt her annoyance at the merfolk women lessen. "What do you guys want?" She glared at a group of elves.

"Are you still adamant about your husband, Lady Verhen?" Le’Ahy Birdsong, the only woman to have kissed Lith after his marriage, asked.

"I’m not Adamant, I’m Davross about him. Are we clear?" Kamila replied.

"Crystal." Le’Ahy sighed. "I’ve come here as a representative of the vine cities of Setraliie and Medolin. We’ll also fight alongside Lord Verhen."

"Good to know." Kamila nodded. "Anything else?"

"Actually, yes." Le’Ahy could almost hear the ’otherwise, scram’ implied in the human woman’s tone. "I’ve been asked to pass you a message, Lord Verhen. It comes from Lord Zak’Nar Talesweaver, first Chronicler of the new World Tree."

"Excuse you?" Solus went pale at those words, and her knees almost gave out.

"Where is he?" Ragnarök appeared in Lith’s hand in a burst of emerald flames, its seals held together by strings thinner than a hair’s breadth.

"He’s not here." Le’Ahy raised her hands in a sign of peace. "Lord Zak’Nar predicted your hostile reaction and kept his distance from the campsite. He only wants to talk to you and Lady Solus. I swear it upon my name and those of my ancestors."

"Calm down, Lith." Aalejah conjured a solid stone chair for Solus to sit and held Lith’s arm. "You entrusted me to choose the new World Tree, and I did, remember? I vetted the current one for a long time and explained in detail why you killed their predecessor.

"The Sapling would have learned about it the moment I gave them the acorn anyway, and talking about your feud with the old World Tree gave me the opportunity to observe the Sapling’s reaction with Soul Vision."

"And?" Lith nodded, glad for her ingenuity.

"And the Sapling was horrified by the actions of the past two Yggdrasills and empathetic toward you, or I would have never made them the new World Tree. Remember that no one can hide their nature under Soul Vision."

"I believe you, Aalejah." Lith nodded, putting Ragnarök to his hip. "But can you guarantee me that after becoming the World Tree, the power didn’t change the Sapling’s mind?

"That the knowledge they acquired didn’t make the new Tree reevaluate the circumstances of their predecessor’s death?"

"No, I can’t." Aalejah shook her head. "I can check this Zak’Nar, though. If you accept his invitation and bring me with you, I can question him while using Soul Vision. The old generation of Chroniclers is dead, and he’s greener than I am as an Awakened. I’m sure I can expose any lie he tries to sell you."

The delegation from the vine cities of Setraliie and Medolin resented such allegations toward the Yggdrasill, but said nothing. Even without knowing the reasons for Lith’s animosity, there was no point in making an enemy out of someone who could kill a World Tree.

"Your reasoning is solid, Aalejah. You can come with us." Solus was pale and her hands sweaty. She held the Fury tight like it was a lifeboat amid a storm. "But I don’t feel safe enough with just you. Tista?"