Chapter 15: Diana’s Fatal Side Story
There were two things that made life feel like more than just a gathering knowledge for a girl like me.
Coffees and hip sways.
They were secret hobbies of mine that I'd hide with my 'Archmage' persona. Pretending to be a genius.
In reality, the simpler things are what moved me.
I got that sunshine in my pocket. Got that fire like a rocket. My body was hot. And my heart was mean.
In a certain corrupted area far from the village, I moved my body to the rhythm of my heartbeat.
And it was erotic.
Farhon… Ah… Say the words you know I'm ready to go. You're missing out if your ignoring this romp.
My staff pointed at a nearby Demon Spawn.
A flame shot out to hit an enemy far away, but that demon was only a distraction for another to attack.
It snuck up behind me and fell in melee range…
But little did it expect I'd twist my Mage Staff and smack a fireball on it without materialising the fire.
A red torch burned on the top of my weapon.
More of them came at me, and I let them fall on this grassy dance floor. My hips swaying with the beat.
My tapping feet causing short range earthquakes.
An electro tone mix could be heard in the surroundings. I was bending the laws of magic.
This circular barrier was called a 'Simple Domain'.
Stretching my Mana around me into an area that manifested my knowledge of Formulas and Spells.
The two Wizard Class skills: 'Arcane Intellect' and the most used 'Circle Projection' was activated.
The latter allowed me to create Magic Circles directly from my mind, while the other boosted wit.
Allowing me to pull off feats impossible for others.
Though the real kicker was the source of my power I'd managed to form. A 'core' of Magic Circles.
Different from the way others used Artes Lines or Magic Pathways to mould Mana, I grasped it directly. I don't just talk that talk I'm talking. This was the truth. Yeah, I walk that walk I'm walking.
My 'Rhythm Domain' moving the world without words. Knew what I wanted. Changing just for me.
Ah… This feeling was nice.
Being a Magician felt like just being a geek. Being a true Wizard felt like being a painter using magic.
But being a Mage or Archmage was different.
You didn't need words to move the elements. Only needing to mould Mana to direct the flow of Ether.
I focused on both aesthetic and ease while moving around. Timing each of my freestyle techniques.
Setting up by increasing the moisture around me in the domain. Electrocuting it. Then freezing it next.
Which went back to shattering the Demons turned into ice sculptures with electricity a second time.
Goblins, Trolls, and those pig-headed Orcs.
They were entering my domain without any care for their lives after being possessed by the Demons.
Not caring about any injury while charging forth.
It was a tactic that seemed too obvious at first.
My eyes watched closely. In the midst of the horde was one shell-wearing Orc sneaked in my barrier.
I directed a flame towards it and exploded the fireball before actual impact. Pushing it back a bit.
But it wasn't enough.
There was no choice but to retreat when magic resistant armour seemed to have been worn on it.
'Bad luck…' Since demonic beings within corrupted territories didn't age and came from different parts of time, there'd sometimes pop one or two outliers from more civilised societies outside of humanity.
Not to say these beings were in any way 'Human'.
Trolls and their like came from the other side of the Miasma. They specifically aimed at humans to kill.
I'd never seen a non-possessed mystical creature like that in my life. It's no wonder they were collectively called 'Spectres'. Those beings that haunted humanity and would never leave them be.
The armoured Orc Spectre wielded an axe larger than its body. Throwing itself as my magic bullets.
Disturbing my rhythmic dancing.
I had to fight differently.
The domain around me dispelled, and I awaited the armoured orc that ran faster than the other fiends.
I held my index and thumb together towards it.
Staying completely still as a violent slash came down towards me. Threatening to bisect my body.
My hairs stood on end.
Every part of my body was screaming to do something quick. Forcing me to enter the zone.
The world slowed down…
Yeah, I'm already on it… which my body should've known. The technical mastery of my skills, the knowledge I had of Magic Formulas and Spell Circles were harmonising. Experience into one skill.
My life was flashing before my eyes. The dangers I'd personally took on for 'mere' coffee beans.
The experiences that made me who I was.
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At the Magic Tower in the Vermillion Kingdom, it was hard to see a Mage… much less an Archmage.
Only the Sage Blooded could become Mages, and they tended to live closer to guarded Faustus City.
Not even royals could scheme their way in getting them. Only being able to copy and mimic them.
This lead to the birth of 'Wizards'.
Regular Magicians who were armed with advanced Magic Equipment. It simplified the whole process.
Short Invocations that manipulated Ether through Formulas were kept, but not entire spell scripts.
This lead to Magicians being less than the overall.
And the more people active that didn't truly understand the magic they were freely wielding.
Careless about the implications.
It was in this sort of status-obsessed and privilege abusing environment that I'd first met Farhon.
He was attending to change his fate at the time.
Successor of the Archan Region of the Thornebrook Family. Someone of high standing.
But here, he was just a junior.
His background didn't stand out, and nor did my own in that fact. The playing field was different.
Only age mattered to them.
The older the you were, the more wisdom and experience you had. So seniors stood over juniors.
Even if it was just by one year.
"You are?" He asked me in an unfriendly manner and rude tone. Looking at me with violent eyes.
It looked like the pressure of the seniors got to him.
"It's Diana. Let us work hard together." I reached out to him. Feeling a kinship with how he'd felt.
I hated the Magic Tower much more than he did.
It was here I'd been sold to a professor, and here I had to learn Black Magic to escape my restraints.
I'd clawed my way up to my position by hook and by crook. Using every method to steal research.
It was how I'd become accustomed to bad looks and rose to be the most respect second year.
Even seniors above found me cute and lovable.
I didn't expect that not too long after, my expectations and future would turn into dust.
Perhaps it was because I'd learnt Black Magic and used it to form my Base Quality. My principles…
One day, after a while of getting to know Farhon and even becoming close to him, he took advantage of my trust. Entering my room late in the night and having his way with me to spite them.
Those seniors that bullied him…
My reputation was ruined, and word of me learning Black Magic spread after that incident happened.
Farhon had no problem flaunting what he had done. At first, I'd hated him while I was on the run.
So what if I made a professor lose his mind? That guy was a scoundrel who brought in little girls.
Buying them for his experiments.
If I didn't survive and use Black Magic to mess with his head, how else was I supposed to rise in life?
It's not like I could backtrack and be born a noble.
The only good thing that came from this was me getting out of the Magic Tower to experience life.
Although what happened with Farhon was traumatising, it wasn't the first time I'd been taken advantage of physically. I hadn't forgiven him, but I also didn't hate him as much as that professor.
If he'd kept my secret, I might have even written off what happened between us as the follies of his youth. The kind of excuse noble parents would use to explain away the behaviour of playboy sons.
I'd learnt the taste of coffee and how to gradually turn the berries off plants into proper coffee beans.
Learning how to dance from travelling Bards I'd worked for. Adventuring and seeing many sights.
After running around to escape for a while, I'd one day found myself working as a maid for Farhon.
"You… are…?" This time, he pretended not to know me in front of his wife. Apologetic, but not all kind.
He was still the same as always…
Not being able to do anything to me for a while.
I'd managed to become close to his wife and had become so intrinsic to their lives after three years.
And watched Steve grow up.
He'd sometimes remember the past and secretly check me out. I knew I'd got that good good healthy rear… so I flaunted it. Looking didn't cost anything, but touching would cost his limb.
Farhon was the weakest of us there, after all.
I didn't blame him. It wasn't the first time being leered at. People only ask because they want it.
They usually keep staring, with all their eyes are on me. Seriously, what do people even see in me.
Was my body THAT tempting?
I'd been chased around by stupid nobles for no reason because of this. They added it as charges.
Saying it's my fault many husbands were tempted.
Oh what a wicked femme fatale I was. Not that I'd ever tried ruining other people's lives like he did.
People say I'm spicy like the flavour.
However, those like Garcia knew I'm sweeter than as what the haters painted me. She was so kind~
Wasted on this guy…
That's what I told myself while checking out his abs every so often. Not feeling guilty since he did it too.
Did he want to get all a taste of 'me'an? Spicy is my flavour, so he should get ready to burn for a bite.
If you're so obsessed, then I'll have it my own way.
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Back to the present, I snapped my fingers and funnelled the sound through a unique Magic Circle.
It had been altered real-time…
Spell Circles used an 'Inner Spell' to add effects and an 'Outer Circle' to decide the Attribute.
Formulas, on the other hand, had restricted effects but could be used much easier than Spell Circles.
When I snapped my fingers, the sound was funnelled through a Wind Formula and amplified by a Lightning Circle. Turning into a line of sound that went through the armoured Orc's helmet properly.
There was no way to 'block' sound at this distance.
Similar to how a chainmail could protect the user against cuts, but not against stabs at close range.
No defence was perfect.
Which was how I literally blew the Orc Spectre's brains out before moving onto the rest of them.
"Let's dance." Since only a few weak Trolls were left, I took the Orc's corpse as my dance partner.
Shifting its weight and using the Orc to keep away the enemies. Then finished them off with a domain.
It was a lively dance of death…
Once I'd finished them off, I let the Orc Spectre fall and allowed myself to look around after a while.
My breath was chaotic.
This was a familiar place in the Corrupted Lands I'd visited often, but there were more Spectres than usual. It made me have no choice but to desperately use every trick in the book to survive.
All to find this one plant I always returned to.
In the centre of the silent battlefield filled with corpses was a glowing plant cleansing Miasma.
A pure white light exuded from its leaves.
I knelt down and checked the red berries on the plant. Looking for only the matured ones on it.
Taking care not to damage the plant itself.
These types of treasures were usually avoided by Spectres, but pulling them out made them die.
Losing all their effects.
It was why I was always content on taking simply fruits from here rather than taking it with me.
I had other places where I collected coffee, and there was also better places to get medicine for Steve. The reason I still risked my life… was so I could get the coffee variety from making this trip.
Nothing apart from that.
I was hoping I'd open Steve to the deliciousness of different coffee types and their artistry with this.
Maybe he'd even want to learn to brew from her.
Regardless, my job here finished. I packed my things and took them with me on a Spell Circle.
Instantaneously travelling back to meet Farhon.
Little did I expect the crazy things that happened while I was gone. Everything had turned awry.
And I had to focus on another man's 'daughter'.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone