Supreme Magus novel Chapter 173

"What do you mean?" Tyris asked.

"We already know how Abominations are usually born. An Awakened one gets too greedy, impatient or both, and ends up losing his body. After that, either they find a way to stabilise their energy form or death ensues.

In this case though, someone has purposely Awakened humans, beasts and monsters against their will and then attempted an experiment as brilliant as much as twisted. Newborn Abominations are made entirely out of energy, with little to no sense of self at all.

By merging them together, our culprit has found a way to stabilise their ethereal forms while at the same time making easier for them to possess a body. Since they are almost mindless hungry beings, they offer no resistance to the merging process.

Energy is energy after all, they perceive it as feeding until it’s too late. Also, being hybrids of multiple species, they can inhabit almost any body. On paper it’s a great idea, but once they start regaining their minds, the conflicting personalities are incapable of coexisting.

As we have witnessed, their constant fight for control turns into madness."

"Are you sure about this?" Tyris was pondering about the implications of their discovery. The situation was already bad, but if Leegaain was right, it was just the beginning.

"Very." He nodded.

"Once I established the connection, I was assaulted by at least one hundred different minds, each one of them marked by the pain of captivity and of being forcefully turned into Abominations.

Too bad that before I could sort out their memories and ask some questions, they recognized me as a foreign mind and piled up on me all at once."

"For once, I think you are wrong, old friend." Tyris started pacing in circles, trying to ease her nervousness.

"When everything started, I would find single Abominations, indistinguishable by normal ones except for their abnormal spawn rate. Now we have faced a small group, that not only had evolved, but despite their madness coordinated their attacks, both in the physical plane and psychic one.

What does this tell you?"

"That our opponent has spent quite a lot of time perfecting his method, and now he’s attempting to further step up his game."

"No, you are underestimating whoever this is. Yes, they were mad, but still able to work together. Also, you told me that once they recognized you, they stopped fighting and attacked you as one. This means that their maker already has a degree of control over them.

He left them behind in order to escape from us, even predicting that we would have tried to probe their minds, leaving a trap behind. How badly would you be injured without my help?"

Leegaain inwardly cursed at his stupidity. Either the mental attack had been stronger than he had suspected, or he was really becoming an old fool.

"Physically, not much. Even giving them hours, their attacks were still too weak. Their combined psychic attack, though, took me by surprise. I would have needed weeks, if not months to heal the telepathic scars."

"Exactly. Our enemy is getting bolder with every success. It’s only a matter of time before the Gorgon Empire starts getting targeted too."

"I wish you were right, but we are past that point already. In the last months, a few Abominations wreaked havoc in several border cities. At first I was happy about that. Milea never fought one, so I thought it would do her good to have some practice.

But when she reported me to how many of those monsters she encountered, I couldn’t help but worry. There were more than usually spawn in a year. Why do you think I accepted to come here? It was obvious that your problem had turned into our problem."

Hearing those words, Tyris couldn’t help but worry.

"This explains a lot. He conducted the first step of his plan in my country, the second in yours, probably hoping I would not notice, and then escalated things here again. We need to warn Salaark. Her territory is the biggest, and has so many uninhabited areas you could hide whole armies. She could be the next target."

"Are we talking about the same Salaark? The harbinger of chaos? The scorching Sun? The red death? Unlike us, she has never kept a low profile. It would be crazy messing with her."

"If I’m right, the one behind this madness knows about us Guardians and it’s testing our limits. Getting on the black list of three Guardians instead of two is not a big deal."

***

"What do you mean you have lost them?" Captain Locrias of the Queen’s corps couldn’t believe his ears.

Toman was the most skilled member of the unit at tailing their target, yet she had lost track of Lith many times during his last visit. He moved so fast and erratically that it was impossible for her to keep following him and not get discovered.

This time though, things were even worse. Lith and his odd friend had met outside the huntress’s house and then had disappeared like ghosts.

"I’m sorry Captain, but I had to keep my distance and couldn’t use any eavesdropping air spells to maintain my cover. I don’t know how he does it, but in the past that barbarian has been able to perceive me every time I got too close or used air magic.

He then just suddenly pops behind my back and asks me why I was following him, forcing me to escape, but never attempting to chase me." Having suddenly became incapable of doing her job frustrated Toman to no end.

"Dammit, with what face can I report this to the Queen? It was fine not knowing anything about this Ryman guy, as long he was just the huntress’ lover and kept a low profile. After what has happened today however, he is now one of our priorities."

"Indeed. Someone that can put his hands on that sociopath and get it back in one piece could be useful leverage." Said Peicus, the second in command.

"That’s why I hate backwater villages." The Captain said shaking his head in frustration. _{freёwebnovel.com}

"It’s impossible to perform a decent background check on newcomers. No one knows him and no one cares about his past. According to Toman’s report he is a great expert, even able to use Warp Steps for instant movements.

We need to find out who he is and bring him to our side. The fact that he can keep Lith’s murderous impulses in check is just the icing on the cake." Actually, Ryman was incapable of using dimensional magic, he was just that fast.

"I’m sorry, Captain." Vykaros, the liaison with the Mage association, had an embarrassed expression that didn’t bode well.

"No one matching Ryman’s name or description has ever attended an academy, nor is registered in any guild based in the Griffon Kingdom. The guy is a ghost."