Acolyte
“Huh?”
Hyder looked at the old woman, a little confused.
“What I’m trying to say is… Rather than guinea pigs, the results would be better if you could do tests on a Magus who has also been cursed. Am I wrong?” The old woman looked cold and indifferent as if she was a block of ice.
“Theoretically speaking, that’s true, and it would be even better if it’s an official Magus…” Hyder unconsciously muttered to himself, and suddenly came to a realisation. “You’re thinking of using Manla?”
Hyder could not hide his shock at her words. Though this lady’s family had a long history, official Magi were few and far between. There were not more than 5 of them; this act would sacrifice a fifth of their power!
“If that’s what fate dictates, then so be it!” The old woman looked to be in a trance as she gazed at Jenna, who was in a deep sleep within the ice coffin. “She is the seer and nothing can be allowed to happen to her!”
“The seer? No wonder!” Hyder repeated after her. He had also heard about the family’s strange ability to foresee the future.
“Kill him! The traitor that goes against fate!” At this moment, Jenna suddenly opened her eyes, revealing the whites of her eyes as she spoke expressionlessly.
“Those who offend the seer will have their spirits cast into a bottomless hellhole with black flames, and receive endless torture. Hehehe…” All of a sudden, Jenna’s expression changed, and she began to laugh crazily.
Next, the whites of her eyes disappeared, and a look of suffering appeared. She looked to be on the verge of tearing as she stared in the direction of the old woman. “Grandmother…”
This expression quickly dissipated, and the colour of her face changed. Several images appeared, forming different faces.
“Hsss…” As if stimulated, the black snake runes on her pale neck began to extend.
Lines of black veins instantly crawled all over Jenna’s face.
“This is bad!” Hyder immediately went forward, pouring a bottle of blue liquid into her mouth.
*Ka-cha! Ka-cha!* On the surface of Jenna’s body, countless shards of blue ice appeared, causing her body to freeze.
“Sleep!” Hyder spoke slowly; the expression in his eyes was hard to make out and was somewhat intimidating.
Blue threads from his fingers went deep into her body.
After a long period of time, Jenna finally went back to sleep, and the snake curse returned to its original shape, though it looked a little bigger than before.
“A fractured spirit! Or no, is this the fusion of spirits? How pitiful…”
After all that work, Hyder began to look at Jenna with pity in his eyes.
As a healing Magus who was friendly with this family, he knew about the divination ability they possessed.
This strange ability came from an incomplete high-grade meditation technique.
All who cultivated in this meditation technique would automatically gain the ability to receive premonitions of the future to some extent. As they progressed and cultivated further, they would even be able to observe fragments of the future.
Unfortunately, this incomplete high-grade meditation technique had stringent limitations, and only the female members of Jenna’s family were able to cultivate in it.
In addition, within each generation, only one member would succeed in it and gain the power to predict the future.
These people were called the ‘seers’!
If that was all, the situation would be manageable. However, with the passing down of this technique, a more scary phenomenon appeared.
The spirits of the seer through the years were somehow preserved, and they would possess the body of the current seer.
Hence, with the accumulation of more and more spirits, the seer’s mind would become mentally unstable, and she would become schizophrenic.
Hyder had previously accepted the task of producing potions that could stabilise the mental state or spirit of the seer.
The current Jenna looked like a single person, but within her body resided the spirits of the past seer.
With the increase of spirits within her body, Jenna’s mental health and rationality became frail, and there came a point where she did not even know what she was doing. The spirits of the seers from previous generations would even occasionally take over her body.
As a result, she would do some strange things that were unthinkable to the regular person.
Hyder was very much aware that after gaining this ability, Jenna’s family had become a little neurotic.
Not only did they say that pretty much everything they did was in the name of the protector, and were unwilling to accept any criticism, but they were also used to saying nonsense like “following what fate had in store for them.”
As this continued to happen, several families that had previously been on good terms with them distanced themselves.
After all, Magi were a bunch of rational and free people. Nobody wanted to be with someone who would constantly criticise their actions.
What had once been a large clan inevitably fell. Just looking for some external help was difficult, and they could only find a sole healing Magus—Hyder.
”How is she?” The old woman inquired worriedly, though she pointedly ignored Manla at the side.
Hyder sighed, feeling pity for Manla.
“Though I was able to temporarily suppress the outbreak of the curse, Miss Jenna’s unstable mental condition means that the outbreak can recur at any time!”
Hyder gave the old woman a long, meaningful look. “Also, with that outbreak just now, the date which the curse on her body will completely erupt has been brought closer.”
……
Leylin knew nothing about what was happening.
It was just the opposite. He was surprised that he hadn’t heard anything about Jenna’s family trying to find him through other organisations.
From the looks of it, Jenna’s speech about being on good terms with large white Magi organisations was just a ploy to scare him in a life or death situation.
Though Leylin had made some preparations, the feeling of having made preparations but there being no signs of attacks directed at him left him feeling a little dejected.
“But the time limit that I set is approaching! They will definitely look for me soon!”
The corners of Leylin’s mouth curved into a cold smile.
His curse came from the rank 4 Morning Star Magus, the great Magus Serholm. With the A.I. Chip’s simulation and encryption methods, it was basically impossible for anyone else in the entire south coast to undo it.
To save these two people, the family supporting Jenna would have to beg him for help!
Leylin was also quite interested in Jenna’s divination ability and desired to know more about it.
……
*Whoosh…*
The sounds of fierce wind whistled past Leylin’s ears.
*Awooooo!” The Venom Wyvern, Hawke, made sounds of excitement as it soared through the air.
The gale that met them ruffled Leylin’s clothes, producing the sounds of fabric flapping. Leylin closed his eyes in enjoyment, looking content.
“The Abyssal Bone Forest Academy and the Lilytell Family! It’s time to sever things off completely!”
Thinking back to the information he had gained from those few Magi, a merciless glint appeared in Leylin’s eyes.
He was quite knowledgeable in the field of spirits and had learned about methods in torturing spirits. Leylin even had the ability to use certain combinations of potions to search the souls of newly-advanced Magi.
Under the endless torture methods that Leylin had employed, the five Magi that Leylin had taken prisoner quickly relinquished all that they knew.
From their very lips, Leylin was able to obtain a very detailed distribution chart of the Abyssal Bone Forest’s forces in Hunting Zone 3.
What aroused Leylin’s interest was a stronghold that was headed by the Lilytell family!
In the beginning, in order to obtain the Kemoyin’s Pupil technique, he had killed off Bosain. This had offended an elder of the Lilytell family, so Leylin had no choice but escape from the academy. Scenes of his past flashed by Leylin.
This was a dispute that had come about in one’s pursuit of power. There was no right or wrong, but since he had garnered animosity from them, Leylin was prepared to eliminate this liability!
Though Giant had promised to mediate, one could only trust himself! The best enemy was a dead one!
That elder from the Lilytell family who specialized in metal had reached the apex of a rank 1 Magus. If Leylin were to make his move now, it would be a bit difficult.
However, he would be able to cut off his opponent’s wings and weaken his family!
It would be even better if that elder himself was around. Leylin was certain that he would be able to withdraw safely, and that he would be able to collect large amounts of data and command the A.I. Chip to simulate the best way to kill him!
The Venom Wyvern soared through the air at a frightening speed, causing animals and acolytes alike to only see a black blur.
“We’ve entered enemy territory. This is where most of the enemy Magus activity is.”
Leylin suddenly having an idea. He produced large amounts of grey clouds from within his sleeves, concealing both him and the Venom Wyvern.
With the spread of the grey clouds, the large figure of the Venom Wyvern actually become the same colour as the blue sky. Even the immense life and heat waves from it vanished.
……
On a valley floor, an obese-looking acolyte in grey robes was being chased by a group of wild wolves.
”Faster! Just a little bit faster, and I’ll reach one of the strongholds of the academy!”
The acolyte ran, cheering herself on while tightly grasping a unique red ore.
“Awoooo!” A wild wolf howled, surrounding itself with a ring of green particles. Its speed immediately increased fivefold, turning into a black line as it headed straight for the acolyte.
With green light shooting from its eyes, the wolf opened its mouth to reveal sharp teeth that reeked of blood, and snapped at the acolyte’s hand.
“Bite it!” This acolyte resolutely surrendered the left hand that the wolf was aiming for.
*Ka-cha!* The pathetic defense of the acolyte’s robes was pierced through.
Immediately after, the wolf fiercely bit onto the acolyte’s left arm, and a muffled sound similar to something biting on leather was heard.
“Hah!” The acolyte swung her left arm.
The wild wolf was swung away as she exerted her enormous strength.
At the next moment, however, multiple wild wolves caught up to her.