Chapitre 106: Chapter 100: Confusion
Fars intentionally dispelled the cold weather that had spread over a hundred miles. If the climate were to change for an extended period, it might attract the attention of powerful beings he couldn't afford to provoke. However, he felt confident that he could handle the old mage from Yao City and the one-armed man if they dared to come after him. As a bloodline count and mage, Fars's combat strength had reached a level where ordinary mages would struggle to contend with him. Yet, he knew there were still formidable mages among them, just as high-ranking magical beasts could easily overpower their lesser counterparts.
Having initially grasped the law of cold wind, Fars found it easy to reverse the harsh weather. The severe cold retreated quickly, but the frozen Inlay River would require sunlight to thaw completely.
Nearly twenty days had passed, and Fars began to worry about Yuna, Lilith, and Linte, who were left unattended. He decided not to linger or trouble the old mage in Yao City any longer. During the day, he spread his shadow wings and swiftly flew north along the Inlay River. In the Inlay Principality, he believed there was no one who could impede his progress.
As a bloodline count, Fars had a natural resistance to sunlight, allowing him to fly freely under the blazing sun without needing to shield himself with magic. In contrast, Danys, who could also fly, lazily clung to Fars's shoulder, maintaining her usual demeanor.
Although things seemed to be going well, Fars had never anticipated that he would break through to the count level so quickly. He had thought it would take him over a decade to achieve such an ascension. However, he was troubled by the instability of the magic circle in his consciousness.
With the six foundational runes supporting the magic circle yet to awaken, the operation had been slow but stable. Now that five runes were under his control, the entire magic circle was in motion. However, the rapid activation of the dim yellow rune was causing some friction, leaving Fars deeply concerned. The imbalance had become his greatest worry.
In seeking a solution, Fars realized that the only way to restore harmony to the magic circle was to awaken the final rune. He felt that once he mastered all six runes, he would truly be a mage.
But how could he activate this rune? The Derlon bloodline within him had likely thinned to the point of being undetectable. Relying on instinct to awaken the bloodline's power was no longer feasible. Could he rely on comprehension? This was the typical path for mages, who often delve deeply into understanding a law before grasping its corresponding rune. Yet, Fars's situation was the opposite; he had obtained the runes first and was now trying to comprehend the laws they represented.
Could he still control the powerful earth element? Fars found himself doubting this. He recalled the records of his family's history, where their exceptionally talented ancestors wielded tower shields like immovable mountains, empowered by the earth element to become invincible warriors. They had cultivated earth-based fighting energy, which resonated with their bloodline's innate abilities. However, Fars knew he lacked the talent for cultivating fighting energy and was unwilling to abandon his path as a mage to pursue it; that would be counterproductive.
What about practicing earth-based spells? He could sense the earth elements surrounding him, but they seemed to repel his vampire body, making it impossible to use them.
No, after pondering for a long time, Fars suddenly realized that he shouldn't be able to practice ice and snow spells either. His body should reject those elements as well, so why was he able to wield ice spells with such power? Was it all thanks to Danys acting as a medium? Fars tried to distance Danys from him and summoned a snowstorm, easily succeeding. This confirmed that he had indeed mastered the awakened ice runes.
The word "medium" sparked a revelation in Fars's mind. Perhaps he needed to find a medium with a strong affinity for earth elements to help guide his runes toward awakening. Once the runes were activated, he might be able to wield the immense power of the earth without relying on a medium.
These were merely his speculations, and he had no suitable medium on hand to test this theory. Nevertheless, it gave him a glimmer of hope and a direction to pursue. He resolved to keep an eye out for such mediums in the future and to postpone his own growth in power to prevent the magic circle from destabilizing and collapsing.
Another concern was Danys. Now in her growth phase, her appetite had increased significantly, becoming a burden for Fars. The large supply of ice crystals he had gathered from the cold pool was nearly depleted after a year of feeding her. Where she once felt satisfied after a few crystals, now she would look at him with pleading eyes after consuming a dozen, still seeming hungry.
If this continued, he would soon run out of ice crystals. Fars considered waiting until they reached the Roland Empire to find a larger city where he might purchase ice-type magic cores or crystals. However, ice-related items were typically found in the northern cold regions, and the market for special elemental materials like ice and wind was scarce. Even with money, it would be difficult to acquire them in bulk.
The bigger problem was how to obtain a large quantity of high-quality souls to feed Danys. He couldn't just kill anyone he encountered along the way. If he did, he would quickly become a high-profile fugitive across the continent. If he attracted the attention of someone truly dangerous, his life would be at stake.
Heading north might be the best option. However, if this disrupted his plans to travel east, Fars sighed as he contemplated his situation, only to be further troubled by Danys—this little, no, this big creature was indeed a handful. Raising a child was no easy task, especially one with such picky tastes.
The journey from Yao City to the southern border stronghold of the Roland Empire, Lubao, would take about ten days by land. However, traveling upstream along the Inlay River would extend the journey to over twenty days. Water transport was valued for its safety and capacity to carry large quantities of goods, saving significant manpower and resources. This was why many merchants favored water routes between the Inlay Principality and the Roland Empire.
After several days of relentless travel, Fars finally caught up with the cargo ship that was nearing the imperial border. He had delayed for so long in Yao City, and he imagined Yuna and the others must be worried sick by now. Stealthily boarding the ship, Fars chose not to burst through the door to surprise them but instead lurked outside.
Lilith sat quietly at a wooden table, engrossed in a basic magic book that Fars had left behind. Meanwhile, Yuna was growing restless, having been cooped up on the ship for too long. The only outlet for her frustration was poor Linte. Fars had entrusted Yuna with teaching Linte martial skills, and she took her responsibilities seriously, diligently instructing him every day. Unfortunately, being linked to a lonely and frustrated woman was likely Linte's misfortune.
"Linte, after finishing your sword practice, hold your horse stance for another hour."
Yuna paced the small room, her boredom palpable. Spotting Linte diligently practicing his swordplay, she casually added another task to his already daunting goal of a thousand sword swings.
Linte grimaced upon hearing her words. While swinging the sword was manageable, maintaining balance in a horse stance on a swaying ship was a challenge. Each time he lost his footing, he was met with Yuna's scolding. Her frustration had to be directed somewhere, and Linte, being the most hardworking and obedient, became her target.
After over twenty days of basic training, Linte's sword swings had become precise, his movements standardized, and his strength well-measured. The cramped space on the ship made it impossible to practice sword techniques, so he focused on these fundamentals, and the results were evident.
Fars, watching from outside, found it somewhat dull. No wonder Yuna was feeling so restless; just observing their repetitive daily life was enough to make him feel stifled.
However, as soon as Fars moved, Yuna sensed someone outside and quickly rushed to the door, flinging it open. This caught Fars off guard as he had been about to push the door open himself. Their eyes met, and an unspoken connection flowed between them.
After more than twenty days of absence, her beloved had returned. Yuna felt a rush of emotions she couldn't articulate, and despite her usual strength, tears streamed down her cheeks. She knew Fars had gone to confront the church, and a fierce battle was inevitable. The days of his absence had filled her with worry, and she longed to return to him. She also felt responsible for Lilith and Linte, having promised Fars to take care of them.
"Wuwu, you're back! I thought you had died in that wretched place!"
Yuna threw herself into Fars's embrace, releasing all the pent-up emotions from the past days. Tears flowed down her delicate face, soaking Fars's robes.
Gently holding Yuna, Fars felt a pang of guilt. He had made a woman worry for so long, day and night. At that moment, all he could do was offer her a warm embrace, allowing her to vent all her negative emotions. He couldn't think of a better way to soothe her feelings.
Linte, understanding the situation, sheathed his sword, bowed to Fars, and quietly slipped out of the room, leaving the two alone. As for Lilith, she had no choice but to continue pretending to study diligently, allowing the two to enjoy their reunion. In her heart, she held a conflicted sentiment toward Fars. Part of her wished he wouldn't return, so she could escape his control and return to Nordan. Yet, another part of her hoped for his safe return. After spending so much time together, she could clearly feel his care for her, and she found it hard to deny her concern for him.
— Un nouveau chapitre arrive bientôt — Écrire un avis
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone