Supreme Magus

Chapter 3951: Intertwining Lives (Part 2)

"You know what I mean." Selia refused to back down. "I feel like a disgusting old hag!"

"Better?" Tista reverted to her human form.

"No, this just makes it less bad, but thank you nonetheless." Selia grunted.

"I’m sorry, but I have to agree with Selia." Rena sighed. "Please, don’t keep your evolved human forms outside of training. It’s disheartening for the rest of us."

"Really? It doesn’t bother me in the least." Elina stared at her children with the dreamy eyes of an artist contemplating her masterpieces.

"Same." Raaz shrugged.

After spending so much time in Tyris’ company, even the beauty of someone like Zoreth or Urhen became ordinary.

"That’s because you’re biased, Mom." Rena said. "As for you, Dad, you’re just insensitive and don’t understand the heart of a maiden."

"What maiden?" Raaz’s sincere astonishment hurt like a whip covered in salt. "Selia is the farthest thing from a maiden I know, and you are a grown woman, Rena. Instead of playing beauty pageants in your head, you should worry about the example you set for your children."

He pointed at Leria and the triplets, who were staring at their mother in bewilderment.

"Why are you envious of our aunties, Mom?" Leria asked.

"You are the most beautiful mom in the world!" The triplets said, daring anyone to contradict them.

"You’re right, Dad." Rena embraced her children one by one. "I have no right to complain. I’m the luckiest woman on Mogar."

"I’m sorry, Mom." Selia’s children whined and whimpered while clinging to her legs. "We didn’t mean to offend you. You are the prettiest."

"And you didn’t!" Selia hugged them. "I’m sorry for making you worry. Mom is a bit silly sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Protector raised an eyebrow as though it was about to leave his face.

"Don’t be smart with me, wolfhead." She growled. "I didn’t miss that you are the only one who said nothing about my charms."

"Fine. Thanks to your diligent practice of magic, you have become a fine mage." Protector replied.

"Not my literal charms!" Selia replied. "You’ll pay for this, you oaf."

"I already am." Thought about all the daily expenses that awaited him in Lutia every time his family left the Verhen Mansion. "I already am."

***

The Verhens spent the rest of the day in Lutia, returning to the Mansion only for training.

"This is so annoying." Lith sat on the control throne of the tower, staring at the indicators of the different floors. "Why can’t we draw more energy from the mana geyser?"

The Spark, Thievery, Crucible, the crystal mines, Armory, and Greenhouse each received an equal share of the tower’s current maximum output, leaving the other floors dry.

Lith could have hastened the cracking of the magical runes of the Odi ring if he shut down the other floors, but his wallet ached at the idea.

"I’m struggling so bad right now. Whatever floor I depower, we lose something."

"You can stare at that screen for as long as you like. Nothing will change." Solus replied. "The tower has its limits, and we have a lot on our plate. Too many artifacts rely on the Spark to be upgraded, and we rely on them for our survival.

"We can’t postpone studying the Odi ring any longer. Not with Meln still around and the new enchantments the tower gained from the Skull of Bytra. Everything else is just resources. You can shut down the Crucible-"

"How can you say that?" Lith said with a bleeding wallet. "After lending all that Adamant to Tista, we are back to having mostly silver and Orichalcum reserves! We can’t craft a decent piece for our lives."

"What about the crystal mine?" Solus asked.

"Do you have any idea how big a white crystal must be to fit Double Edge?" Lith clicked his tongue. "Crafting my Voidwalker armor already emptied the mines. If I want to upgrade Double Edge before Meln shows his stupid face, I need to keep the mine working."

"Then stop complaining." Solus clicked her tongue back. "Unless you know a way to hasten my breakthrough, there’s no solution to your problem."

***

Faluel’s lair, at the same time.

"Did something happen?" Friya asked, surprised by the summons.

The Hydra spent most of her time either working on the Harmonizers with the rest of her clan or helping Ajatar to awaken his dormant Dragon bloodline. Whenever Faluel had something to say to Friya, she would do it via the communication amulet.

They didn’t meet in person unless there was an emergency like Zoreth’s fractured life force.

"No, but thanks for caring." Faluel replied.

"Then why am I here?" Friya said.

"Because saving Zoreth’s life gave me several insights into my situation, and we’re done setting up our own version of the Infirmary." The Hydra pointed at a life support tank filled with nutrient potions.

"We? Who’s we?" Friya asked in confusion.

"She’s talking about me, kid." Ajatar the Drake walked into the room in his Lesser Divine Beast form, carrying heavy equipment in his hands. "As you should know, Drakes are the evolutionary step right before Dragons.

"Faluel helped me to collect data about my condition so that she could use it for herself in the same way Quylla’s experiments on Ryla will also help her treat Urhen."

"With the significant difference that you and I are on the same level, smug lizard." Faluel’s eyes narrowed. "You are not that much better than me."

"If it helps you sleep better at night, sure." Ajatar shrugged. "And since you’re here, this is your tank, Friya."

"My tank?" Friya echoed in confusion as the Drake assembled a second, smaller life support system and connected it to the rest of the Hydra-sized apparatus.

"You are my Harbinger, Friya, and the moment I undergo any change, so will you." Faluel said.

"I know." Friya nodded. "I remember what happened the last time you worked on the Dragon Eyes, but I thought you had decided to postpone your experiments on yourself. At least until I give birth."

"That’s the idea." Faluel nodded. "Yet I’d rather be safe than sorry. I want to set the parameters for your tank ahead of time, in case I get hurt and turning me into a Dragon is the only way to save my life."

"What about the Infirmary?" Friya asked.

"The Infirmary can host only one person at a time, child." Ajatar explained. "If Faluel dies, you die as well, and your children with you. Don’t think we are taking the small lives in your womb lightly.

"We are doing this because if Faluel were in Zoreth’s place, you would have both died. Without the Infirmary, the changes in Faluel’s life force would have killed you, and the loss of her Harbinger would have aggravated Faluel’s condition beyond saving."

"I see." Friya swallowed hard.

Any wound on Faluel’s life force would appear on Friya’s as well, and with only one healing tank in the Infirmary, Friya wouldn’t survive a major treatment.

"How is this going to work?"

"It’s pretty straightforward." Faluel said. "We enter together in the tanks, and I start stirring my dormant Dragon bloodline. The enchantments of these artifacts will register the changes in my body and how they reflect on you."