Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1682: A Meeting Of The North (Part 1)

The three were put in a very tricky situation, especially Alen. He was a man who had been trained from the beginning to help and save people, not to cut them down. Although Guild members were generally considered warriors who were willing to sacrifice their lives for their cause, it still felt different to Alen. He didn’t feel comfortable or right fighting against fellow mages of the North.

These people... they are doing things out of fear, Alen thought as he looked at the hostile mages surrounding them. They aren’t loyal to the Noble Guild because they believe in Idore. They are only doing it for the sake of saving their own lives and the lives of those they protect. They don’t want to fight us, but they feel they have no other choice.

"We came here to warn you and this is how you repay us!" Londo shouted, his voice echoing through the open space of the shopping mall. "We are the only chance at making sure Alterian can go back to being a place of peace! We are the only ones who can truly rid this world of the Grand Magus’s corruption for good!"

"Have you ever stopped to think that there might be different forms of peace?" the Guild leader countered, his voice booming from the ticket stand. "Living under the Noble Guild... if we all simply moved there and accepted their rule, wouldn’t it mean that everyone could live peaceful, structured lives? Didn’t we all live peaceful lives while the Grand Magus was in charge before? It was only because the Grand Magus’s power had fallen that the chaos started. Our own power has weakened because we lost that structure."

The Guild leader didn’t wait for an argument. He gave the signal, and his mages began to chant. Londo, Kelly, and Sophie, who stuck to Kelly’s side at all times, didn’t hesitate. They pooled their Dark Magic together, creating a shimmering, dark orb that acted as a reinforced shield.

Spells of fire, ice, and light hit the orb continuously, the impact sounding like thunder. However, the dark energy of their shield was potent; the incoming spells disintegrated the moment they touched the black surface. But they couldn’t hold it forever. The moment the Dark Orb started to disappear, a large hole could be seen in the floor.

Since they were in a shopping mall with multiple levels, using Dark Magic to break through the flooring and escape to the lower levels was the fastest way out. The trio dropped through the hole, disappearing into the shadows of the shops below before the mages above could react.

"Should we go after them?" one of the mages asked, peering down into the darkness.

"No, there is no need," the Guild leader replied, waving his hand. "Our job isn’t to get rid of them ourselves. We’ve done enough. We’ll just report all of this to the Noble Guild and let them handle it. There’s no doubt that the Dark Magus is planning something big since he sent these people to the Guilds. I’m sure the Noble Guild will be very happy to hear about his movements."

While the three of them were in the middle of their escape, breaking out of the shopping mall and into the cold air of the streets, they were absolutely infuriated with what had happened. The betrayal stung more than any physical wound.

"The World of Alterian was never truly peaceful," Londo grunted, his breath hitching as they ran. "That’s why so many people joined the Dark Guild in the first place, hoping to change a broken system. Just because the Grand Magus swept everything out from public view didn’t mean the suffering wasn’t there. And can’t those mages see? If Idore had the power to do this now, it means he was willing and planning to do this for a long time. The current chaos just gave him the perfect excuse to act on his greed."

Regardless of their anger, the situation was what it was. Eventually, as everyone in the group had the same idea to continue visiting all the nearby guilds, the different parties ended up meeting back up with each other. When they finally all came together in a safe zone, they shared what they had learned.

"The situation is a difficult one," Raze said, his expression grim after hearing the reports. "After having lost their Guild leaders, even though you might have helped some of them get rid of the Noble Guild representatives, there is a good chance that they have now decided to join the enemy anyway for the sake of safety. They saw how easily their leaders were killed, and they are terrified."

He looked toward the horizon. "I’m not sure there will be many willing to act after having felt the Noble Guild’s strength firsthand. This recruitment drive by the Noble Guild has affected the North much more than I thought it would. Right now, I guess we should head back to the River Moon Guild. We can discuss our next movements there; it’s the only place I think that is truly thankful for what we’ve done and hasn’t folded yet."

The group traveled together and returned to the River Moon Guild. Song, along with the other survivors, welcomed them back with open arms. It was safe to say, however, that the River Moon members were clearly nervous. They knew that by harboring Raze, they were making themselves a primary target.

In the end, they returned to the tea room. The room was still in good condition since most of the violent fighting had happened outside the main walls. They sat down to discuss the survival of the North.

"I see," Song said. He was looking much better than before. There was a skilled Light Mage at the Guild who had tended to his wounds after the battle was over. "If you ask me, despite the grim situation that has occurred, you should still try and reunite the North Guilds."

Raze looked at him, surprised by the suggestion.

"I understand how you feel and how they might feel," Song continued. "But after you have defeated the Noble Guild right in front of them, there might be those who can finally think more clearly. They will see that Idore isn’t invincible and will decide to join you on the task. The situation is the same in my eyes, only that the North Guilds have lost some power from before."

Song leaned forward, his eyes showing a spark of his old authority. "But remember, there aren’t just the Guilds in the North. There are other organizations, ex-police force members, government officials, embassies, and more. All of these people had decided not to join the Noble Guild originally, and there had to be a deep-seated reason for that. They don’t want Idore’s version of peace."

He gave a firm nod toward Raze. "If you want, as we are the biggest Guild remaining here, we will send out an invite to all of them. Just like Idore did, we will do the same, but with you at the helm as the Dark Magus."

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