Chapter 4518: Diminished (Part 2)
Chapter 4518: Diminished (Part 2)
Lith had just finished cleansing Meln’s essence from Althika’s body, killing the extension of the Dead King’s consciousness he wasn’t aware he had spawned.
’I don’t know.’ Night answered the incomplete question. ’Also, you were right. Something is wrong with you. Your aura just dimmed for no apparent reason. Let’s call Jorl!’
The Storm Griffon was an accomplished Light Master and the best Healer among the Upyrs. He gladly answered the call, eager to learn more about the Dead King’s life force and maybe discover an easy way to kill or restrain him.
"I agree with Night. Something is wrong with you, but it’s nothing any of my spells can detect. Even my breathing technique says you’re fine. This doesn’t make any sense."
"I called you for help, not-" Orpal’s voice broke into a scream of pain that rose in intensity and became shriller as Lith dismantled Erkin’s Vurdalak life force.
The Dead King felt every incision and cauterization. He experienced the cleansing touch of the Dread Flames as they killed a part of the Vurdalak bloodline. When the procedure ended, both father and son were changed.
Orpal looked smaller and weaker. His entire being was diminished by the loss. The Dead King felt as if part of his soul had been burned alive, and he with it.
"I’m going to kill the first person who tells me I’m fine; I don’t care who they are." He snarled, the intensity of his suffering taking Night and Jorl by surprise, but for completely different reasons.
The Horseman of Night too felt weaker, needing sheer willpower not to fall asleep again. Jorl, instead, hadn’t felt that well since the day Light Soul had stolen part of his Griffon life force.
The pain in his chest abated, and the Vurdalak side’s relentless attack on the Griffon life force ceased.
"I’ll order Erion to reach his contacts for news." Jorl said. "You’d better rest and stay out of sight. We can’t let our soldiers know of your condition. If anything else happens, don’t hesitate to contact me."
"Thanks, Jorl." Orpal grunted. "What if someone asks you where I am and what I’m doing?"
"I’ll tell them that you’ve gone out to pick up Jiera’s most gorgeous women for your harem, and they’ll believe it." The Storm Griffon replied.
"I like how you think." The Dead King was still thanking the gods for having a reliable second-in-command when he fell asleep.
’Fuck!’ Jorl thought. ’Night is still awake, or I’d Sealed Space them to cut them off from Moonlight and bring them to the Black Throne while they are weakened.’
He turned around and left the room, bolting to meet the cursed tower as soon as he made sure he had covered his traces properly.
"You did the right thing, apprentice." The Black Throne revised Jorl’s memories, studying Orpal’s life force and current condition. "The Dead King’s affliction is neither physical or magical.
"His life force and mana core are at full strength and ready to fight. Alone and without a plan, you had no chance against Night. The information you brought me is priceless and greatly increases our chances of victory and of healing you.
"Enter the crystal tank, quick!" The Black Throne Warped the Storm Griffon to his lab and operated on the contaminated life force in Jorl’s chest.
"The Vurdalak fragment inside of you is as weakened and stunned as Orpal." The cursed tower said. "This is a perfect chance to fine-tune your treatment."
The Black Throne used his Body Sculpting spell, Needlework, to restore the corrupted life force to its original state and stimulate the Griffon side to reclaim what it had lost to Light Soul.
Much to Jorl and the cursed tower’s surprise, the Vurdalak side offered almost no resistance, and the Griffon side fought it beak and talon. By the end of the procedure, the corrupted life force was permanently weakened, and the Griffon side had regained a millimeter of lost tissue.
It was a small, almost imperceptible victory, but a victory nonetheless. The pain in Jorl’s chest had sensibly diminished, and he could finally breathe easily again.
"Don’t get your hopes up, apprentice." The Black Throne said. "If the Dead King’s condition improves, yours will deteriorate. You’ll be in almost as much pain as before, so keep yourself ready to hide your illness."
"Still, this is progress." Jorl nodded.
"No, this is a breakthrough!" The cursed tower laughed. "Maybe the first of many. I’ll stop my travels for a while. If this happens again, I want you to collect as much information as you can and then rush to me.
"We’ll use everything we learn to improve on your treatment and rid you of the Vurdalak, apprentice. Or rather, to keep it under control until Orpal is dead. Without him, his tissues should lose their semi-sentience.
"Once that happens, you’ll take his place as the main Vurdalak and with my help, you’ll become the most powerful Divine Beast Mogar has ever seen!"
***
Garlen Continent, Verhen Mansion.
Bloodhaven appeared in the keep, yet the end of the trip marked the start of Lith’s troubles.
"Althika is still sleeping. This will make things easier, but not by much." Lith said. "Solus, put Starforge in position. I’ll have everyone assemble while Grandma and Grandpa take the kids away."
The Guardians invited the children to play in an amusement park they conjured out of thin air. Even if the kids took each ride only once, Lith would have all the time he needed.
"You’re making me worry, son." Raaz said once the Verhen family had been brought together, even at the cost of rudely dismissing their guests without a shred of explanation. "What’s going on? Why all this secrecy?"
"I’m about to tell you something important, Dad, and even though the Ernas and Ryla are our good friends, they are not part of the family." Lith replied. "They won’t take part in our decision until we’ve made it.
"I don’t want you to feel peer-pressured into doing something you don’t want."
"Okay, I’m still confused, but now I’m also worried to death." Raaz said. "What’s going on, son? And this time explain yourself in a way that makes sense."
"One moment." Lith conjured Trion and all the other Demons, but only allowed his older brother and Menadion to stay. "You are family, Ripha, and have the right to weigh in on this."
"Thanks?" Menadion scratched her head in embarrassment.
"Take my hands for a mind link, or this will take all day." Lith shared the details of his day from Lotho’s call to his return to the Mansion with his family, sparing them only the gruesome details of the procedure.
"We are going to have a grandchild?" It was the first time Elina said those words with pursed lips and blood draining from her face instead of a joyful expression. "From Meln?"
She looked at her husband, noticing he was frozen in horror. No one hated or despised Orpal more than Raaz. Being tortured by his disowned son had left deep mental and emotional scars that would haunt Lith’s father for the rest of his life.
The idea of having Orpal’s blood under his roof was more than he could take.