Legend of the Arch Magus- The Expansion

by Michael John Sisa

  Chapter One

  Who would have known that Evander Alestaer, the so-called Arch Magus, would die not on the battlefield but from a curse? Over a dozen disciples of Evander surrounded him on his deathbed, their eyes brimming with tears.

  “Teacher! You promised me that after I become a Royal Court Magician, you’ll tell me the secret of the Void History!” said a young girl wearing a white robe. “You can’t die! You promised!”

  Evander smiled and stroked the hair of the young girl. She was the youngest of all his disciples and also the brightest. Five years ago, he journeyed through the Endless Desert in the West. Along the way, he passed by a village devastated by a Ground Dragon. Although those creatures were weak before Evander’s eyes, they still possessed enough strength to lay waste to a village or two. The desert clans were unable to subdue the Ground Dragon, resulting to hundreds of casualties. And this girl was among those that survived.

  After killing the Ground Dragon on a whim, the young girl suddenly started following him around. It was easy for Evander to shake off the tail, but his curiosity got the better of him. After three days, he finally turned around and confronted the young girl.

  “Why are you following me?” he asked that time.

  “How did you do that?” said the young girl. It had been three days since she started following Evander in the desert, and Evander had never seen her eat even once. Furthermore, the skin flask containing the water she carried with her had long been emptied. The girl definitely followed her through sheer will alone.

  “Did what?”

  “I saw how you killed the Desert Beast. The Dragon. Please,” she knelt down in front of him. “Teach me.”

  Others may say it was foolishness, but for Evander, it was one of the most precious memories he had in his short life. Picking up this frail girl had given him a sense of purpose. Back then, he had been killing monsters left and right just to satiate his curiosity, to get rid of his boredom. But after that, he decided to take in disciples, nurturing them to lead the path of the next generation.

  And right now, those very same disciples surrounded him in all directions, spouting things one after another, telling him that he should be strong and resist the curse.

  Unfortunately, this curse was something he got not from a monster, but from a failed experiment. When he was young, he kept searching for the elixir of immortality, the way to transfer souls, the way to extend a mortal’s life. After countless experiments, this was the result. Instead of prolonging his life, the curse started eating his soul. And now, at a young age of fifty, he was slowly dying.

  Looking back on his youth, he knew he had been foolish. It was decades after his countless experiments before he realized the true beauty of life. Life without end was not beautiful – it was nothing but torture.

  If he could have travelled back in time and meet with his younger self, he would have clearly told him that what he was seeking was nothing but foolishness, a futile thing that would do nothing but create an endless cycle of agony and suffering.

  “Teacher! Please don’t leave us!”

  “Teacher!”

  “Lord Evander!”

  Under the constant sobs, Evander felt his strength leaving his body. He could no longer open his mouth to speak. Moreover, his fingers started disintegrating into ashes. It was only a matter of time before he disappeared completely.

  Using what remained of his magic, he spoke through everyone’s mind. “I regret that I would no longer be able to accompany everyone through the path ahead. The war with the Demons will be surely tough, but I have faith in every one of you.”

  “Leanne,” said Evander to the young girl. “After my death, go to the Forbidden Tower and take my research. Inside those books I have written is the secret of the Void History. I’ve arranged it so that the Forbidden Tower will react to your magic.”

  The young girl still had snot dripping down her nose as she nodded. By now, only the trunk and the head of Evander remained. Everything else had vanished into dust.

  “Pollux,” said Evander.

  The oldest of his disciples, a bald old man, replied, “Teacher.”

  “I entrust the disciples to you.”

  Pollux bit his lips as tears fell down his cheeks. “Yes, Teacher.”

  Evander closed his eyes. Moments lingered and his entire body turned to dust.

  ***

  Evander never believed in the afterlife. To him, the gods were nothing but an aggregation of magic, nothing more.

  But right now, he was starting to doubt his belief. After all, he should be dead, but for some reason, he could feel sensations throughout his entire body. He could feel the pain on his chest and knees. He could taste blood in his mouth. He could smell the scent of burnt flesh.

  What’s happening?

  Evander heard numerous voices.

  “You damn, incompetent bastard!” shouted someone. “I told you to give him a lesson! Not kill him!”

  The sound of a fist hitting flesh resounded. The scent of vomitus wafted through the air.

  “B-But Boss! That damn noble’s too arrogant! He even spat on my face when I talked to him!”

  “So what?!” The sound of wooden boxes flying and breaking was heard. “Tell me, how are we going to get the ransom with a dead body?! Tell me!”

  The owner of the voice was filled with vehement fury that Evander could feel his rage pierce his very flesh. With what he heard, Evander tried putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

  “M-Maybe we can still revive him? Let’s try asking some magician in the—”

  “—There’s no magic capable of reviving the dead! Argh! God, Damn it!”

  A moment of silence followed. Only the sound of heavy breathing was heard. Evander tried opening his eyes but failed. The cloth wrapped around his head prevented his eyes from opening.

  “Boss, what should we do?”

  “Burn the body. We can’t leave any evidence behind. Burn this damn place too after that.”

  “But what about the ransom money?”

  “Didn’t you hear what I’ve told you?! How are we supposed to get the ransom with a dead body! If you understand, go and burn the damn body!”

  Evander felt numerous hands untying him. His eyes were still blindfolded, but the ropes tied around his feet were cut.

  Evander was confused on what was happening. He was sure that he died on his bed, but now, he suddenly found himself tied and gagged by some unknown individuals.

  “Wait… Boss.”

  The men carrying him froze. Slowly, they put his tied body down on the ground.

  “He’s… He’s still alive!”

  “You felt it too? There’s definitely a pulse!”

  After that declaration, the sound of someone running was heard. He felt someone palpating his neck to check for the pulse. A shout filled with glee erupted.

  “The damn bastard’s alive! He’s alive!” shouted the Boss. “Quick! The water!”

  The cloth stuffed inside Evander’s mouth was removed, along with his blindfold. Without warning, cold water splashed on his face. He blinked thrice then spat out the blood that clung inside his mouth.

  It took his eyes some time before it was able to finally adjust to the darkness. Looking around, he realized that he was inside a small chamber. Two small torches were latched on the walls on the sides, while wooden boxes were piled on top of each other nearby. Surrounding him were five grown men.

  The one at the center breathed a sigh of relief. He stared at the blinking Evander, then grinned.

  “Little pup, so you’re still alive,” he said. He did not conceal the chuckle in his voice. “You got us worried f
or nothing!”

  Judging by the voice, this person was probably the one they called Boss. Evander first imagined him as a large, bulky man. But contrary to his expectations, this person was a thin guy with long, unshaven chin. Numerous tattoos were on his skin. Two large metallic rings pierced his nose.

  Still stunned by what was happening, Evander remained silent.

  “Speak up!” snarled the Boss.

  A fist struck Evander’s face, sending a tooth out of his mouth. The taste of blood became increasingly familiar.

  After coughing thrice, Evander spoke his mind. “Where am I? What’s happening? I don’t understand.”

  His mind was filled with numerous questions. He almost failed to notice the pain that permeated his entire body due to his confusion.

  The men around him looked at each other. Eventually, one of them replied. “Pretending you don’t remember?” He spat on Evander’s face. “Look, if your father doesn’t bring us the money soon, we’ll start cutting off your limbs one by one.”

  The confusion within Evander increased. Father? Money? A lot of things did not make any sense.

  For now, he decided to get rid of the wounds on his body. Although he was used to pain due to his experiences in the battlefield, it was still an unpleasant sensation.

  “The floor feels damn cold,” he mumbled.

  To the men’s surprise, the ropes tied around his hands burned and turned to dust. Evander slowly stood up, dusted off his clothes, then channeled his mana through his body. Slowly, the wounds on his skin closed.

  The five men took several steps back upon seeing the phenomenon. They have seen magic numerous times before, but not something like this. It was supposedly impossible to heal all of those wounds in a matter of seconds.

  Evander looked around. The door of the chamber was locked with a metallic chain.

  “I have some questions. I hope you’ll answer them for me,” said Evander.

  He frowned. He knew that this was not his body. There was no way he was this small and thin. Furthermore, the clothes he wore was too gaudy, with frills at the neck and the sleeves.

  “W-Who are you?” breathed the Boss. He locked eyes with Evander for a moment and couldn’t help but feel a chill crawl up his spine. The previously fearful eyes of this young noble had become predatory. The same eyes of those that have taken numerous lives before.

  After wiping the blood that was stuck at the corner of his lips, Evander replied, “Who am I? That’s what I’m trying to find out.”

  Chapter Two

  Evander flicked a finger and five orbs of light appeared above his head, clearly illuminating the chamber with an azure glow. In front of him, a small mirror made of water magic appeared. Evander stared at the figure reflected. Short silver hair, blue eyes, ivory skin. Although tattered, his clothes appeared gaudy, with golden patterns embroidered on the chest. The frills at the hem reminded Evander of dresses usually worn by women.

  A young man?

  His mind was filled with various thoughts and questions. He was sure he was dead. After resisting the curse by sheer magic strength alone, his mortal body finally crumbled and turned to dust. There was no mistaking that.

  A snarl broke Evander out of his stupor.

  “What are you?! There’s no way the incompetent son of the Marcus Family’s capable of silent magic!” The Boss took out his sword from the scabbard. At the same time, his men did the same. Numerous sheathing sounds were heard inside the quiet chamber.

  “Grab him!”

  On command, four men shot towards his direction. After getting a feel of his body, Evander realized that the mana pool of his current shell was low. The magic he had just performed consumed almost half of his entire mana. Compared to his previous self, the magic capacity of this body was like a drop in a lake.

  “I still have some questions I would like to ask,” said Evander. “But the leader should be more than enough.”

  Evander flicked his fingers and the orbs of light vanished, the flames on the torches dissipated, and darkness permeated the room. Inside the darkness, he dealt blows towards the assailants one after another. The Boss could not see anything, but he knew that his men have been knocked unconscious. He shivered upon this realization.

  The Boss felt a hand grab his neck. In that instance, all of his strength left his body. He could not move. He wanted to scream but no sound came out.

  “It’ll be a waste of time to ask,” said the voice within the dark. “I’ll just read your memories.”

  Read memories? There was no such magic! The Boss felt that what the young noble just said was absurd, but his instinct was screaming at him otherwise.

  “Now, sleep.”

  Upon the utterance of those words, the Boss lost consciousness.

  ***

  Evander Alestaer still couldn’t get over his shock. After reading the relevant memories of the leader of the group, he found out that the current body he possessed belonged to a young noble from the House of Marcus. This young noble was well-known for his hedonistic lifestyle. A conceited, invidious young man that would sexually harass every pretty woman he met along the way.

  Memories read by magic were usually fragmented and incomplete, that’s why Evander was surprised that despite the limit of this spell, he was able to see so much information about his current shell’s notoriousness. It seemed that the previous owner of his body was someone hated by everyone. A noble that used the name of his family as he pleased.

  Most probably, the true owner died in the hands of these guys, and for some unknown reason, his soul took over the body. It was a phenomenon he had never expected before. After all, Evander did not believe in the afterlife. It was the same reason why he kept seeking the elixir of immortality when he was young.

  Who would have thought that there was really a life after death? A retake? Evander chuckled.

  “Amusing,” he said. “So, this is the Kingdom of Lukas, huh?”

  He could not remember a Kingdom with such name. Was this the same world but a different continent? A different timeline? Or maybe, a different world entirely. He shivered as he smiled in glee. His current shell was young, probably fourteen or fifteen years old. He would have a lot of time to explore this whole new environment.

  Evander sat on a wooden box. Near him, the unconscious bodies of the five men laid on the ground. It was dark, but his eyes had already adjusted to it. He summoned a pebble-sized orb of light on his palm.

  “Just as I thought,” sighed Evander. The magic capacity of his current body was small, almost nonexistent, definitely the same as that of a common person. The series of simple magic he had cast before almost consumed his entire mana pool.

  If he were to explore the secrets of this world, he would need a stronger vessel. He decided that he would first train this body in order to achieve his goal.

  The sound of numerous footsteps was heard outside. Evander estimated that there were more than two dozen of them. Immediately, he dispersed the pebble-sized orb of light on his palm and darkness once again filled the chamber. Using what remained of his magic, he amplified his senses. He soon heard the hushed voices outside.

  “He’s still alive, right?”

  “Of course! He should be! Lord Drakus will kill us if he finds out that his son died!”

  “Be ready to charge on my signal.”

  Evander realized that these men must be the ‘magicians’ mentioned by his assailants. They must be here to rescue him.

  “This is really amusing,” said Evander. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

  He stood up from his seat then laid on the ground, pretending to be unconscious. He did not know why he was suddenly given a second chance in life, but he might as well enjoy it. For now, he decided to see where things would flow.

  BAM!

  The sound of the door breaking into smithereens reverberated. Splinters of wood flew in all directions as the metallic lock clanked. Although his eyes were closed, Evander could feel numerous presences enter
the chamber. And they all halted at once.

  “What the hell…”

  “Who did this?”

  There was momentary silence. They were probably surprised to see the enemies that they were supposed to fight unconscious.

  “The Young Master’s here! Over here!”

  Evander felt two large hands lifting him up. His eyes remained closed as he waited for things to unfold. In his heart, he could not help but grin in anticipation. He got to admit, this was exciting.

  “How’s the Young Master?”

  “He seems fine. No injuries too!”

  Ah! Damn it.

  Evander almost bit his lips. He forgot that he healed his entire body. It would definitely be suspicious that there was not even a single scratch on him. He inwardly reprimanded himself for being unable to think of such an obvious thing.

  “Thank God. Lord Drakus would kill us if something happened to his son!”

  Evander could feel the heartfelt relief from the owner of the voice. He felt someone gently slapping him.

  This is it. I can finally play that role.

  Slowly, Evander opened his eyes. He blinked thrice then looked around him.

  “Young Master!”

  Surrounding him were relieved faces of men and women. Unlike the guys from before, these group were wearing cerulean cloaks. On their chest was the emblem of a rose and a shield.

  Evander pretended to be dizzy as he slowly sat up.

  “What happened?” said Evander.

  “Young Master, I’m really glad you’re safe!” said an old man with monocles. He was wearing a brown chaleco and a matching bowtie. His ashen hair was neatly combed to the back. “We’ve been searching for you for days!”

  He pretended to be familiar with the old man. “You finally came. I’ve been here for so long…” He looked at the unconscious men on the floor. He widened his eyes in an attempt to look surprised.

  “They’re unconscious,” said the old man, his brows creased, eyes grim. “Young master, what happened here?”

  Silence befell them. Evander shook his head. “I don’t know.”