Revelation

by Sisa, Michael

  Although Farsight wasn’t exuding killing intent, Lark knew that he wouldn’t hesitate to fire at him the moment he tried to escape.

  Should he reveal himself?

  Lark pondered for several seconds. Eventually he decided against it. It would be a pain in the neck if he had to stop and answer all of the questions of the royal court magician. Moreover, how would he explain the reason he came directly from underneath the lake?

  Lark decided to escape from the kingdom’s best archer.

  He pointed a finger at the lake below and cast a spell, causing pillars of water to shoot up like geyser, further concealing his presence. Using this opportunity, Lark flew toward Blackstone Town.

  He tried to.

  To his surprise, an arrow infused with mana shot toward him, unimpeded by the pillars of water. Looking closely, the arrow was spinning rapidly, enabling it to pierce through the water pillar without deviating from its intended trajectory.

  Lark cast a wind barrier in front of him, blocking the arrow before it struck his body. The arrowhead—clad in lightning—formed cracks and exploded into numerous shards.

  Impressive, Lark thought.

  If that same arrow was blocked by an ordinary, metallic shield, its target would have been blown back by the explosion and pierced by the shrapnel. Moreover, the lightning spell that clad the arrow was probably meant to temporarily paralyze the opponent, rendering him defenseless against Farsight’s next attack.

  Even if the first arrow failed, the second shot would definitely kill the target.

  And just like Lark had predicted, a second arrow shot toward him a split second after the first one exploded.

  The second arrow was faster and stronger than the first. It spun more rapidly, creating an ominous whizzing sound. Rather than an arrow, this one felt like a javelin.

  Lark reinforced his wind barrier with mana, successfully blocking the second attack.

  The pillars of water receded.

  Farsight didn’t fire a third arrow.

  Lark continued hovering there, right above the lake, as he stared at the archer on the ground below. Lark received a mental transmission from within the dungeon.

  “Lord Evander, should we dispose of the human?” said Jaraxus. The high-ranking nest guarding the main entrance must have told her what was happening outside.

  Lark replied, “No. He’s someone I know. Don’t touch him.”

  “Understood.”

  And the mental transmission ended.

  Elias ‘Farsight’ was one of the strongest men Lark had met so far in this life. Judging by those two arrows, he was probably in the same league as Sword Saint Alexander—but with a bow. It would be a great loss to the kingdom if Jaraxus killed him due to this petty squabble.

  Well, Lark was certain that Farsight wouldn’t go down without a fight in the first place, even if his opponent was the guardian of the dungeon.

  He’s retreating?

  To Lark’s surprise, Farsight suddenly retreated into the nearby forest and hid behind the trees, his eyes still locked on to his opponent. Although Lark was still concealed by his spell, Farsight was following his every movement, as though he could see him clearly.

  After several seconds, Lark realized that Farsight had no intention of fighting against him any longer.

  What a cunning man.

  The moment he realized that Lark was a formidable foe, he instantly increased the distance between him and his opponent. He carefully studied his prey, just like a hunter concealing himself in the forest.

  Well, this was much better than a useless battle.

  Lark stared at Farsight for a moment, and without uttering another word, flew toward Blackstone Town.

  After Lark was gone, Farsight came out of the forest.

  Farsight.

  Most people thought this name was given to him due to his ability to see his target from great distances. But the real reason was different. It was due to his ability to see through concealment spells. His ability to see his targets even hiding behind rocks or trees. Even if they’re hiding under water. An archer born with eyesight capable of seeing through pitch-black darkness.

  Farsight was certain of what he saw just now: The person who came out of the lake was the Lord of Blackstone Town.

  Farsight said to the soldiers hiding behind the trees, “Send a message to King Alvis. Tell him that Lark Marcus came out of the lake, at the place where the massive sphere of mana was first located.”

  VOLUME 7: CHAPTER 9

  Flying at top speed, Lark finally returned to Blackstone Town. He slowed down as he noticed the migrants below. There were hundreds of them. Lark surmised that they were part of the group who’d fled through Lion City’s southern gate. Although a large number of them returned to their homes after the monsters had been taken care of, a portion of them decided to finally leave the city and migrate to a ‘safer’ territory.

  Lark saw Clarkson and his men, in their police uniform, controlling the influx of migrants into the town. A temporary barricade made of wood had been put in place, deterring people from entering the town without permission.

  “Sir, we’ve been waiting here for more than a day already,” said one of the migrants. “How long do we have to stay here, before the town’s entrance?”

  Clarkson’s sword hanged on his waist. “Please understand. There are a lot of migrants this time. We can’t make a decision until the lord returns.” His voice was firm and resolute.

  Good work, Clarkso n , thought Lark.

  Lark initially doubted if Clarkson could properly perform his duties as the head of the police. After all, he’d been forced to come here to this small town by the order of the duke. But now, looking at how he was handling things, it seemed those were pointless worries.

  Lark flew straight to the mansion and entered his office through the open window. He undid his concealment spell, removed his cloak, and went to the hallway. He called the first servant he saw.

  “Tell Gaston to report to my office straightaway,” said Lark.

  The servant was surprised to see Lark. “Young master? You’re back!” He remembered Lark’s words. “Ah, r-right away! I’ll inform the head butler at once!”

  Lark went to his room and slumped on his chair. So many unbelievable things had happened these past several days.

  Who would have known that even after a thousand years had passed, he would meet his friend, Kel’ Vual, at the Lake of the Full Moon, of all places? Furthermore, he’d also learned of Agreas’ fate and the imminent demon invasion.

  “There are a lot of things I need to prepare for,” muttered Lark.

  It was tiring just thinking about it. But these were things that must be done, no matter what. Everything was for the sake of Blackstone Town.

  The gem tied on his neck softly glowed for a split second. A familiar voice spoke, “God… God Evander!”

  The last part was almost a squeak, as though the owner of the voice was trying its best to contain its excitement.

  “Blackie?” Lark replied through the communication crystal.

  “You’re finally back!”

  “Hey, let us speak to God Evander too!”

  “Shut up! It’s my turn now! I won our game of hayangji!”

  Hayangji was a popular turn-based strategic game in the kingdom. But how had the Scylla learned to play that game played by humans? Judging by their squabble, it seemed that they’d used the game to ascertain their rights to use the communication crystal.

  “You know how to play hayangji?” said Lark.

  “Yes, God Evander. The elves tasked to help us create the road were playing it. The rules are really similar to buyol, the game taught to us by the God of Poison.”

  Indeed, Quervanu was very fond of playing those strategic games. If his memory was correct, he’d only managed to win around five out of a hundred games against that disciple of his.

  Although Quervanu didn’t have monstrous strength like Kubarkava, he was one of his smartest dis
ciples, probably second only to Pollux.

  Lark smiled. He really missed those times.

  “Hayangji, huh?” said Lark. “Let’s play one of these days, how about it? We can also invite the elves.”

  “Really?”

  “Of course, we’d love to!”

  “We don’t mind even if God Evander invites those insects!”

  “I’m the best out of every one of us, God Evander! Please let me have the first match!”

  “This damn snake! Stop lying! You lost to me before! Bah!”

  “That was a fluke! You lost three times before that!”

  “What did you say?”

  Lark chuckled. He was glad that the Scylla found a game to pass the time at least. Living alone in the forest must have been extremely dull and boring. He was glad that Blackie had discovered a harmless game to play.

  “So, why did you call me?” said Lark.

  The fracas died down at once.

  “I apologize for the commotion, God Evander. The King of Elves and their priestess visited our sacred ground recently. They wish to speak with you, My God.”

  “The King of Elves and their priestess,” mumbled Lark. “And the reason for their visit?”

  “Although they didn’t tell us the exact reason, after observing them using surveillance magic, we’re certain that it was because of the demons. We believe that their priestess received a revelation from the temple.”

  It would be impossible to observe the elves from the golden statue all the way to the City of Aerith. The elves must have camped near the Scylla’s lair and stayed there until Lark returned.

  “The elves didn’t return to their city?” said Lark.

  “No, God Evander. They’ve been camping near the sacred ground for several days now, awaiting your return.”

  Lark furrowed his brow. Although King Melandrach had been acting subservient, he was still the king of a nation. Lark found it discomforting that the King of Elves had been camping in the forest for several days now just to meet him.

  “Blackie, send a message to King Melandrach. Tell him that he and his men are free to stay inside the castle.”

  This was the least he could do to show courtesy to the king of another nation.

  “But the golden statue is being kept inside the castle—”

  “I sealed the room with magic and reactivated the Hand of God spell, before I left,” said Lark.

  Although the range of Hand of God was extremely small compared to other spells, it was still a pinnacle-grade spell. After taking hundreds of gold coins, adamantite ores, and a bloodstone, Lark reactivated the pinnacle-grade spell embedded on the wall using a pinnacle-grade mana stone. Anyone aside from Lark would be crushed by the spell if they attempted to take even a single gold coin from the treasure room.

  “A pinnacle-grade spell is protecting the treasure room… We understand. We shall immediately relay God Evander’s message to the King of Elves.”

  There were no beds or fixtures in the castle the Scylla made, but Lark deemed that staying there would be a lot better than camping in the forest.

  Knocks were heard and the door to Lark’s office opened. An elderly man with ashen, brushed up hair entered the room.

  “You’re finally back, young master,” said Gaston. “You called for me, My Lord?”

  “I’ll visit the forest soon,” were Lark’s last words to the Scylla before he cut the supply of mana to the communication crystal.

  “It’s been a while, Gaston,” said Lark. “I want a detailed report on everything that happened in my territory while I was gone.”

  “Of course,” said Gaston. “It should ready before the day ends, Young Master.”

  Gaston adjusted his monocle as he studied Lark’s face. “You seem to be… very pleased, Young Master.”

  “Is it obvious?”

  “Yes. You’re smiling from ear to ear, My Lord.”

  “I see,” said Lark. “I… met an old friend.”

  “An old friend? Is it Lord Omie, Lord Renz? Or maybe it’s Lord Jepsy?”

  Those three were members of Lark’s little group before Evander took over his body. The self-proclaimed Masters of Lukas. His friends that partook in his hedonistic lifestyle.

  Lark shook his head. “No. He’s… someone you’ve never met before, Gaston.”

  Lark looked at open window. The sky was bright and clear. Just like the calm before a storm.

  “I see,” said Gaston. He did not pry any further. “Young Master… there has been a rumor circulating in Blackstone Town recently.”

  “A rumor?”

  “Yes. Hundreds of migrants from Lion City arrived at our territory just recently.”

  Lark remembered the migrants he saw at the town’s entrance.

  Gaston added, “I heard that those people left the city in fear of the monsters of the lake. The peculiar thing is… some of them have been spreading rumors that the young master was the one who killed all of the monsters that nearly destroyed Lion City. There are already bards singing praises of the young master’s exploits. Some people are even saying that you’re the second coming of the Sun God.”

  “Sun God, huh? It’s been a long time since people last called me that,” mumbled Lark.

  Gaston shot a quizzical gaze at him. “Young Master?”

  “Nothing,” said Lark. He didn’t confirm nor refute the claims. “Aside from the rumors, anything else?”

  “Big Mona arrived at Blackstone Town yesterday, Young Master. He’s been waiting since then for an audience.”

  “Ah, the letter.”

  “Should I ask the merchant to come here, My Lord?”

  “Yes, Gaston. Also, tell Austen, George, and Anandra to come.”

  “As you wish.” Gaston bowed his head. “Then, if there’s nothing else, please excuse me.”

  Several minutes after Gaston left, the brothers entered Lark’s office. The two of them were huffing. Beads of sweat covered their faces and their sweat-soaked clothes stuck to their skin.

  “Master! You’re finally back!” said Austen.

  “Thank Gods. We’ll be finally free from that hell!” added George.

  Lark said, “What happened?”

  The two slumped on the couch and sighed.

  George spat angrily, “It’s Anandra, Master! Ever since you left, he’s forced us to wear this thing during our training! That demon!” George raised his right arm, showing the wrist weight wrapped around it.

  “That old man! What does he think of us! I hope he turns bald!” cursed Austen.

  “Who do you want to turn bald?” A cold voice was heard.

  Austen and George looked at the door and saw Anandra standing there. The two of them froze, their faces struck with terror.

  “N-No, we’re talking about Gaston! The b-butler!”

  “That’s… that’s right!”

  Anandra stared at the brothers for a moment, effectively shutting their mouths in an instant. He walked toward Lark, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed his head. “You’re finally back, Master.”

  “Good work training George and Austen,” said Lark.

  The brothers’ eyes widened. Realization dawned unto them.

  “The young master is the one… who ordered this training?” said George. He sounded as though he’d been betrayed by his master.

  “Of course. Master Lark wrote it in his letter before he left,” said Anandra as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “The two of you skipped morning training. We’ll triple the laps later in the evening.”

  “No!” Austen was horrified.

  “Why do we have to do this… this monster freak training like you!” protested George. “We’re magicians! It’s not fair!”

  “Didn’t I tell you before? If the vessel is weak, it’ll be extremely hard to cast strong magic.” said Lark. “The two of you were used to hard labor back in Lion City. I don’t see why this little training would be an issue.”

  Austen and George didn�
�t dare to talk back to their master. The brothers had been wearing weights on their arms and feet for several days now. They made a lot of difference whenever they were forced to run around the town. Right now, their arms and legs felt numb.

  It was subtle, but they noticed the small smirk on Anandra’s face after hearing the master’s words.

  That old man , George and Austen cursed.

  “As for the reason I called the three of you here today,” said Lark. “It’s to ramp up your training.”

  The brothers groaned upon hearing the word ‘training.’

  “Anandra. Starting tomorrow, you’ll start training on how to infuse mana into your weapons.”

  “Understood,” Anandra readily replied.

  “Austen, George. Starting tomorrow, you’ll start training on quick cast. I originally planned on teaching this to the two of you once you’d mastered all the first-tier one spells of the basic elements, but right now, we simply don’t have the time for that.”

  “We don’t have time?” said George.

  Although the brothers had innately massive mana pools, they would probably die if they even fought a lesser demon. Their casting speed was simply too slow.

  “Here, take this.” Lark took out two metallic discs from his drawer and handed them to the brothers. Engraved on the discs was the first-tier magic formation he’d taught to them. “Apply some mana at the bottom of the disc. Not too much, not too little. Try it.”

  Austen and George nodded and did as Lark had instructed. To their surprise, their mana quickly flowed through the engravement and formed a magic circle. In just three seconds, a fist-sized ball of fire appeared right on top of the magic circle.

  “Easy, right? You’re already close to mastering the first-tier spells without the help of such a device. That thing is merely meant to help accelerate the learning process,” said Lark. “Keep repeating that exercise until it becomes similar to muscle memory. This is where monstrous mana pools become an advantage. Your average magician could probably do this exercise for eight to ten times a day, but it should be possible for the two of you to do more than a hundred. If the disc breaks, come to me. I’ll give you another one. Your goal is to cast that same fireball spell in half a second. Do you understand?”