Chapter 49: Chapter 49
The boat in which Laxus and Lilith traveled soon arrived in the city of Agultis. One of the most prosperous hubs of the Thalassa oceans. This underwater city was part of the Orkhan empire, one of the three great powers in the oceans.
The city had facilities specially designed for land and air visitors. This area of the city that was protected in various ways corresponded to a twelfth of the city.
"What are we doing here?" asked Lilith.
The young elf was fascinated looking around. She had never traveled to an aquatic city. The structures and machines that appeared in her vision were very different from anything she had ever seen on the surface before. Agultis looked like an artificial coral reef. But this was not the only thing that caught Lilith's eye. The different creatures that had evolved in the water were very different from what was considered normal on the surface. Terrestrial and most aerial creatures tended to be humanoid; while the aquatic varied in many more ways. The ones she could identify as she walked behind Laxus had forms of fish and octopuses.
"I need some materials before I get to Gigacor," replied the human.
"Hmm!" Lilith inflated her cheeks enraged.
Laxus spoke in a cold and dry way as always. His tone of voice made the young elf think that he saw her as an annoyance.
She had already thought several times about leaving on her own but remembering that they were looking for her and that Laxus had saved her from the trolls, those thoughts of traveling by herself quickly vanished.
Also, Lilith had no idea where she should go. She didn't know what she wanted to do or what she should do.
During all her short life she had followed what her parents and the adults around her told her, so now that she could decide on her own she was overwhelmed by the lack of a direction. That's why she convinced herself that she would follow the chosen human while thinking things through and deciding what to do from then on.
While Lilith thought about the situation in which she found herself, they began to walk down increasingly narrower paths until they reached the slums. The damned smell almost made Lilith vomit. In this new area, air recyclers were second-hand machines that barely worked. Worse still, the city did not offer thermo illumination in this place making the cold of the deep ocean permeate the skin of the inhabitants of these neighborhoods.
Walking down the narrow dirt-filled streets, Laxus began taking out the food he had bought as soon as the boat landed on Agultis. Every time he met someone, he offered them some of the food he was carrying.
"Giving food is very good and all that, but in the end, you are not solving anything. You should do something to improve their living conditions if you want to make an impact," Lilith said when she saw that they had been walking through the slums giving away food for an hour.
"I don't have the time to dedicate myself to eradicate poverty from Tellurus. But having lived the same life as them I know that even a small action like this can be a great blessing."
"Giving them something to eat is better than just looking and doing nothing," Laxus replied handing over a new package of food.
Lilith took Laxus's response as a personal attack.
"But you are strong enough to make all leaders treat people better."
"If you see poverty as monophasic and blame someone else as the cause you are part of the problem."
"I'm not blaming anyone. I'm just saying that if I had your power I would do something to eliminate poverty."
"With your power is that you can end poverty. With mine you must make sure everyone is still alive."
Lilith was silent for a moment thinking about what Laxus had said. It was then that they came to a store full of trinkets. All kinds of strange and flashy things were scattered around the place.
"What do you want?" Asked roughly a creature that seemed a combination of octopus and jellyfish.
" Tuhad Nagu sent me, " said Laxus, lifting the visor that covered his face.
Lilith realized it too late. She had imagined different reasons why Laxus never took off his visor and when she could see his face for the first time ... Laxus had already put it on again.
The strange being began to think as its tentacles moved around him.
"Many, many years ago, I had not heard that name."
"How he looks?" asked the sea creature.
"Huh?" Lilith couldn't help but be surprised by the strange way the being talked.
"His face looks like that of an owl without a beak. He has big black eyes. It is not a Quinoid, it is a Nohad," Laxus replied.
Unlike Lilith, Laxus knew that the creatures of the oceans did not speak Terram, so he was not surprised by the way the creature asked. Ulhnaikumon in his attempt to conquer all Tellurus died before being able to spread across the oceans, so only land and air creatures were unified under the language that he imposed. Over 200 languages and thousands of dialects were spoken in the oceans, making the easiest way to communicate to find a translator or a sea creature who knew how to speak Terram.
"Humans don't live that long. How did you meet him?"
"He is still alive, on one of the islands on the other side of Gorgo."
"His cat hasn't killed him?"
"Reginal wouldn't hurt a mouse."
"It's good to hear that he's still alive. Speak, what do you want?"
"I need 4 golems of Caulobacter crescentus."
"Do you know how expensive it would be to assemble a single golem?"
"I have the money."
"What do you use them for?"
"To save someone."
"These golems do not save. They catch."
"That's why I'm requesting them."
The creature that looked like a combination of an octopus and a jellyfish showed what looked like a smile.
"It took me two months for each golem."
"I need them in half the time."
"That would cost more."
"As I said: I have the money."
"Not money. Job."
"I'm not going to kill anyone."
"Don't kill no golem."
Laxus let out a frustrated sigh as he confirmed that he was being asked to murder a living being.
From the moment he understood what life was, he limited himself to murdering the beings that would serve as his food. Only in extreme cases was he willing to use his power to end lives.
"If what you need is so important as to attract the Ulmay to Agultis you can give me the job."
The Ulmays were a race that was believed to be only a myth until they began to appear around Tellurus attacking specific locations. According to legend these beings descended from Deux the only god who belonged to the factions of creation and destruction. The Ulmays, his children, participated in the war of the gods. Which culminated in the destruction of everything that existed. According to stories, the supreme god used the energy of this war to build everything again, but this time without gods, without Ulmays.
Everything that was believed before had been questioned when the first Ulmays attacked and as Laxus himself could see: these beings who could not use magic were much stronger and smarter than any other race. The most alarming thing was that they were starting to use new technologies at a terrifying rate.
"It is important," replied the creature after thinking his words carefully.
"Tell me," Laxus said letting out a sigh again.
"Do you know Bimalen?"
"More than I'd like. The golems I need are a gift for them."
The creature smiled upon hearing Laxus' words.
" My name Gurlwarlg, " he said, gesturing with his tentacles.
"I am Laxus," replied the human touching his chest "these two are Dinamo and Shield." He pointed to the two spheres "and she is Lilith," he said pointing to the young elf.
" She is not a chosen one, " said Gurlwarlg, showing with the reddish colors of his body that he did not want to speak about Bimalen in front of her.
" No. But she is not evil, you can believe me, " replied Laxus.
Gurlwarlg nodded and began to tell Laxus what was the job he needed him to complete.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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