Supreme Magus novel Chapter 236

Lith took the bottle away and locked the cabinet. He didn’t want to risk for Yurial to go from one addiction to another.

"At this point, you should have realized the meaning of what I told you after the second exam. Life is like a crucible. It pushes us until we break apart and then it melts the pieces to forge something new.

"The mold is always the same, but the person that comes out it’s not. Our beliefs and our convictions are put to the test every day. Some we keep, others we discard. When it happens, a part of us dies, never to return.

"You are not the same person you were when the academy started, just like you are not even the same person you were after passing the second exam. It’s the same for everyone.

"My only choice is to embrace the change or keep mourning my past self as much as I mourn Protector. I need my closure. If I back away without even trying, I will regret it my whole life and sooner or later that weight is going to kill me."

"I understand." Yurial replied.

"I’m the same. I know that things can’t go back to the way they were, but I can’t accept my current situation either. Unlike you, I have yet to find an answer. I won’t try to stop you anymore. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"Actually, there are two things you can do. The first is to stay the heck away from the liquor cabinet, the second is to not tell the girls that I’m gone." Lith was back to his peak condition and had made up his mind.

’I can’t risk their lives for something like this. I don’t want to lose anyone else.’ He thought.

Lith was about to leave when Yurial stopped him by standing in front of the door.

"I know that you could knock me down with a single punch, just like I know that you believe you are doing the right thing, but you are not. This isn’t protecting us. This is casting us aside because you think of us as a weakness.

"I’m aware our friendship isn’t that deep, we started talking for real only recently, but your relationship with Phloria should matter something to you. If you run away behind her back, you’ll betray her trust. At least have the guts to tell her the truth."

Lith sighed, Yurial was right.

"Man, bad habits die hard. I was about to make the same mistake I always do. Treating people like they are too weak or stupid for their will to matter. Please, come with me outside. Otherwise Phloria will kill me."

Lith let Yurial out of the dimensional tent first. As he expected, Phloria was waiting for him outside. When she saw the door opening, she was about to give Lith a piece of her mind. Yet Yurial came out of it instead, leaving her surprised and relieved at the same time.

"You know me well, don’t you?" Lith said.

"Let me guess. You were about to sneak out and leave us in the dark. Just like you did to your family for all those years." Phloria’s calm didn’t last long. Not when she saw the determined look on his face.

"Yes, I was. Yurial already talked me out of it. There is no need to scold me again."

"Are you saying you are going back to the academy with us?" Phloria couldn’t believe her ears.

"No. I’m sending you guys back, but only after explaining the situation to you. Please, come inside. Yurial, please, leave us alone."

Back into the boys’ tent, Lith cast the Hush spell. He had no idea how the magic distorting the tent’s space worked. Lith wanted to be sure what he was about to say would remain between the two of them.

"Spit it out, let me hear your excuse." Phloria refused to sit, leaning against the wall with her arms folded.

Lith saw her die many times in a short period of time. Her face melted after being splashed by Clacker’s poison, her head was bitten off by something, and lastly, her chest was pierced in multiple points while blood drenched her clothes.

All those visions didn’t make him waver, they only strengthened his conviction.

"No excuses, only the truth. You have heard the dryad. The mining town has probably been taken over by the Clackers. Even remaining here it’s too dangerous for you guys. Use the emergency device and go back to the academy. You’ll be safe there."

"Why should it be any different for you? Why don’t you come back with us? There’s no reason to risk your life for a corpse. If the dryad is right, the Clackers have probably feasted on it already."

Lith felt his rage seethe at the thought, but he managed to suppress it.

"It’s different because I am different from you guys. You have seen me in action. I am faster and stronger than any of you. While I was underground, I killed two of those giant Clackers, while you only took care of the one I served you on a silver platter."

"Since when is this a contest?" Phloria retorted. She was determined to not back down.

"It’s not. I’m only saying that it’s much easier for me to go in and out of the mining town alone. I promise you I’m not going to risk my life meaninglessly. If the place is infested with Clackers and the situation turns out to be too dangerous, I’ll run away.

"I have to at least try. I need to see Protector one last time, even if it’s just an empty grave or an egg infested corpse. He is... was my best friend, my mentor, my partner. When he died, I was so conceited and self absorbed I never got to tell him goodbye. I owe him that much."

Phloria saw Lith blink too often for it to be normal. She knew he had still a hard time fighting off Death Vision and how painful it was for him seeing his loved ones dying again and again.

’I don’t want him to go, I want him to be safe. Yet maybe going there can help Lith overcoming his trauma. I can’t live with the thought of being even partially responsible for his continuous suffering. I hope that Raaz is right and letting him go is the right thing to do.’

"Fine, but I can’t let you leave just like this." She took out a bastard sword from her dimensional amulet.

It resembled a longsword with a blade 110 centimeters (3,6 feet) long, but the hilt was longer, allowing the wielder to use it with one hand or both according to the circumstances. _{fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com}