Supreme Magus

Chapter 4514: Two Decades Old Daydream (Part 2)

Jagged blocks and barbed wires that oozed a black substance filled the molten sphere, with six volcano-like protuberances forming a ring around it.

The sphere didn’t burn so much as liquefied and reformed as the volcanoes erupted, each spreading a different kind of sickly light. The molten sphere changed its color accordingly, often turning grey when too many volcanoes erupted together.

The melody of the Vurdalak, instead, was a discordant mess of flat notes. It sounded as if a group of teens had put together a band even though none of them had ever played an instrument.

There was no harmony, tune, or feeling to it. It was a cacophony of noise that desperately wanted to be music, but didn’t know the first thing about it. Like a spoiled kid who believed putting on a lab coat would miracolously grant him the skill of a real doctor.

Lith saw and heard everything, but the thought that such life force and its melody fit everything he knew about Orpal didn’t cross his mind. He was a Healer, and he faced that monstrosity like he would a disease that distorted his patient’s healthy life force and the melody it produced.

Spirit Vision broke complex structures down into their components, scanning every nook and cranny of the Vurdalak’s essence. Lith checked his findings over and over, until he understood what he was against and what he had to do.

He leaned forward, putting both hands on Althika’s womb and leaning so close to it that she could feel his breath on her skin. Yet neither his touch nor presence burned. The Dryad felt as if someone had covered her with a warm blanket to protect her from a winter storm.

’Don’t worry, Carl, your big brother is here.’ Lith thought as he retracted his face mask and opened his mouth. ’This time, I won’t let anyone ruin your happiness.’

He exhaled a gentle, placid stream of Dread Flames that split into several small rivulets upon touching the baby’s Vurdalak life force. Althika and her unborn child felt nothing, the silvery flame as ethereal as mist.

Lith kept breathing until every lick of fire was in position and perfectly balanced. Baba Yaga and Solus followed his work closely, and to them, it looked like the life force had been caught in a fiery, irregular fishing net.

Lith studied the Vurdalak life force one last time, and unleashed the full power of the Dread Flames on it. They burned along the junction lines that connected the edges of the different parts, eating at Night’s demented Body Sculpting modifications from every side.

The Dread Flames didn’t affect the life force directly. Their purpose wasn’t to harm the Vurdalak, but to destroy everything that gave it shape and purpose. Althika felt a sting, a reflection of her baby’s discomfort.

It was painful, but not cruel. Like a needle used to take a blood sample or place an IV. Althika prayed to the gods for help and begged them to protect her son.

At the same time, in the Blood Desert, the many documents floating around Salaark’s desk fell to the floor. The Overlord’s eyes went wide in disquiet and confusion as the events taking place inside the Redleaf Household drew her attention.

She turned to look in that direction, but her desk was in the way. When Salaark stood up from her chair, her knees gave out, and she needed to lean on her desk not to fall to the ground.

Leegaain experienced something similar, but much worse. The Gorgon Empire was his turf, and he could witness the events with his breathing technique, Worldkeeper, as if he were standing right beside Althika.

His vision blurred, and he felt dizzy as his mind spun in a whirlwind of fear and excitement. The Father of All Dragons tried and failed to sit down, falling butt-first against the stone floor of his lab.

Leegaain needed sheer willpower to turn towards the Redleaf Household, and what he saw squeezed the air out of his lungs.

Meanwhile, Lith kept breathing Dread Flames and watching the progress of his work with Spirit Vision, altering the intensity and flow of the flames as the Vurdalak life force slowly collapsed.

Lith kept releasing a constant stream of Dread Flames that burned, severed, and cauterized. He kept the Spirit Eye focused to the extreme, detecting the smallest changes in his patient as soon as they manifested and adapting the treatment accordingly.

Lith’s willpower was laser-focused in the Dread Flames to the point that its countless tendrils moved like the most elite army on Mogar. They attacked, stopped, and repositioned themselves with peerless teamwork and dogged determination.

Althika, however, had no way to know any of this. The silvery fire kept stinging at her, and she was aware that she only experienced a fraction of what her unborn baby was enduring.

To make matters worse, weakness spread from her womb to the rest of her body like a silent disease. More strength abandoned her by the second, and staying awake required all the focus she could muster.

The Dryad could feel in her heart that she was losing something precious and that she would never get it back.

Lith stopped the procedure, recalling what was left of the Dread Flames inside his body, and Althika realized that her greatest fear had become true. After losing her Upyr life force, her mass was back to being that of a Dryad, yet she felt as if her body had turned to lead.

Moving a finger was a struggle, and even heaving her chest to breathe was torture. Every fiber of her being screamed in exhaustion and begged for the sweet release of slumber.

If not for the Crone rushing to the Dryad’s side and using Sun and Moon to restore her vitality, Althika would have lost consciousness.

"It is done." There was finality in Lith’s voice, but mostly sadness and remorse. "I-"

"I’ve lost my child." Two tears streaked down the Dryad’s cheeks, plopping on her bedsheets. "I know something happened to him because I can’t feel his strength anymore. I’m empty. Emptier than I’ve ever been, in mind and soul."

Althika sobbed, her tears forming rivulets on her face.

"You’ve done the best you could, but the curse of the Dead King was too strong."

"No." Lith spoke loud enough to drown the Dryad’s voice, his face tense. "I kept my promise. Your son is alive."

"What?" Lotho, Althika, and Naphila said in unison.

Baba Yaga Hushed the Treant and squeezed the Titania’s flower so they wouldn’t disturb the grieving Dryad again.

"Then why do I feel so weak?" She wailed so hard that her words were barely understandable. "Why do I feel like I’ve lost something important? Why do I feel so empty?"

"Because your son is no longer a Divine Beast." Lith said, his words freezing even the clan elders in shock. "He’s now a healthy human child. Check on him yourself if you don’t believe me."

Althika wiped her snot and used her breathing technique to visualize the contents of her womb.

"Thank the gods, you are right!" She said, new tears running down her face, but this time filled with joy.