The God of Jesters
Chapter 102 - 2.28.1 Choice

Chapter 102: 2.28.1 Choice

No matter how much Farhad struggles, no matter how much he screams and cries to be in control of his fate. But he had lost that choice the moment his fate was intertwined with me.

Pushing a mind so weak was easy for me, even in that wonderful dream, where I felt powerless against fate. It was easy for me to push it aside and recover the control of the mind of a boy that had never experienced any struggles, hence making it harder for him to develop a strong mentality.

Bound by a rope made out of flames that barely hurt me, while surrounded by a spell that caged me to a small corner. I can already assess what happened to Farhad when I gave him the control. And looking at the eyes of Maisel, I was sure that the trick worked.

He was bright-eyed as ever, probably planning to disrupt the plan that the beautiful people of Blue Lotus have worked for centuries.

Of course, my words also attracted his attention for a while, who after showing anger and frustrations, turned into nothing, as Maisel’s eyes stayed on the man in the coffin.

A man with a rotten arm and closed eyes, with little movements in his chest, showed that the man still remained alive.

Although, it won’t be for long.

"What is this?" Angered over the state of the only remaining survivor of the fight with me. Maisel asked, furiously. But the answer he received was a simple one.

"He carried with him the will of a god and survived to tell the tale, of course, he will be the perfect vessel to carry another one."

To understand this, we have to go back a few years to when I first met with the higher-ups of Blue Lotus in the presence of Adam, who still appeared as a young fledgling during those days.

"It’s impossible wraith... one can’t survive."

The man was the leader of Blue Lotus and someone very close to attaining godhood as he had broken past the barrier of an archmage.

But even for him, the fact that a human has survived the descent of a god was an absurd thing to fathom.

And although this descent was that of a vestige, a phantom, the fact that someone survived and held that vestige back was enough for the man to consider this tale a lie.

Which is where he is wrong. "The vestige remains in his body."

During his youth, Maxim was meant to be the strongest of his generation, someone with high compatibility of Radiant blood, he had reached the level of a master without much struggle and was going to be the one to hold the Samadhi flames in his heart.

Fate forced him to take something else in his heart, seal it up and forget about it. Something that I released after damaging my body.

And in order to suppress that vestige of god, all the blood of Maxim was corrupted and burnt to act as a seal. In case this vestige is taken out of Maxim, he might even reach his previous peak in a single instant, as his body would be free of such a burden.

But that is impossible to happen. Instead, his body would now be used as the vessel for a true body of a god to descend. Though the god here is still an incomplete one, unlike the one whose vestige Maxim carries.

"I have witnessed a true descent of a god might be higher than the one you are after... so I can be said to be someone with some experience."

"Of course, I require something from you as well and not something as baseless as the boy that is eyeing me from your back."

Those were the words that started this whole collaboration.

I would provide them a chance to resurrect the woman that took all the knowledge with her to her grave. While I would be provided with a ... not now.

I won’t speak of it now.

"Where do I come in all of this?" Looking at the state of a man that can be said to be his friend, Maisel had to harden his heart and ask this question. "Do you wish for another sacrifice?"

Maisel didn’t know what Adam meant by vessel here. He was not much learned in occult or ritual studies, but he still had some inklings. Making him wonder whether he too would be used as something similar.

A sacrifice to awaken something powerful, something dangerous.

Though, the true answer was something unexpected. "All we require of you is your flames. The pure one, not the one you mix with your magic."

The mixing with magic is what made them fail so many times. If only Maisel had used the pure flames on his enemies, it would be perfect.

But as it happens, the flames can never hurt the uncorrupted, and it only targets the soul. It was why Maisel had generally used his own magic to make it more potent and capable of hurting others.

"Is this it? The reason you have been after me all this time?"

"Why else would we not do something like this? We have learned of the nature of the flames you carry and I have to thank a mutual friend for it." Adam said, pointing toward me, causing me to blush.

Which disgusted Maisel, before he too came to a conclusion why he never faced my wrath with Maisel.

He understood how wrong his prior predictions were about my inactions, how I never cared for his flames.

No, if I wanted to hurt him, destroying his family would be my priority, destroying them till Maisel had no choice but to beg for death.

Which I might do after I am done with him here.

As I have delayed it all for a bit too long.

"I don’t want to listen, just tell me what you want to do and tell me a way to get rid of that bastard." Maisel wanted to hurry now, which is what Adam preferred as well.

"Of course, we too wish to hurry."

With those words, Adam looked toward them with a mischievous smile, before ordering his men to bring the goblet which contained bones that were filled with strong curse energy.

"Light them up with your strongest flames and your work will be done." There was not much needed at this point. Maisel just wished to complete his work and leave this place. Move someplace far away.

Seeing the goblet in front of him, he knew the moment he burns it, his job will be done and he can leave this place freely. But before he could light it, his hands stopped.

"What are you wondering about, Marshall?" Adam on the side asked, But Maisel didn’t speak this time. The face of his dead comrades and that certain day appeared in his head.

Along with Maxim’s old master, who gave his life to transfer the kiln of the Samadhi flames to him.

And the promise he had made with him that way.

The flames that had saved his life were now going to cause immense destruction in this place.

"Marshall, we really do have a method to get rid of that wraith out of your son, as for the curse, it’s even easier as long as you collect the ingredients."

Adam from the side, gave assurance to Marshall, preventing him from having any second thoughts.

"And if you fear for the people in the city. Let me assure you, Marshall, we are not that bloodthirsty. No harm will come to them, I can assure you of that."

Rationality told Marshall to not do this, he couldn’t believe the words of someone he deemed to be a terrorist, but the life of his family was on the line.

Causing pain in his heart as he struggled to choose one from the other.

Before he looked at me, the smiling me. But I understood, he was not looking at me, he was looking at his son that had fallen into the dream once again. The son who he thought was already dead.

And the moment I saw the change in his face, I understood that he had made a choice.

With a flick of his hand, a small flame left his hand and fell into the goblet, lightning up the cursed bones.

"Done!"

Maisel said, before turning to Adam for his end of the bargain.

"Of course, there is no need to hold it back anymore."

With those words, Adam wrote down some ingredients for the curse as well as sending the method to drag me out of Farhad’s body through a voice transmission.

Which caused immense changes in Maisel’s face, who asked. "Is this a joke?"

"No, that is the truth, just do as I told you, he will leave your son’s body on his own."

******

It was 8:15 when the Dyadic moons rose into the sky, causing the spread of the curses to accelerate and attracting the eyes of the mages as well as knights active in the city.

"What is happening?"

Everyone in the meeting left their seat and the mages flew into the air while to get a better look over the city.

"So much curse power?" Holfaraz, the master of Arcana Tower mentioned with worry written all over the place. Before he lifted his hand in the air and released a flurry of spells into the air, that created multitudes of explosions, lightening up the already moonlit sky.

Venglebod, with the agreement of other mage masters, announced. "A giant curse is blanketing the city, every mage capable of battle, come to the front gate of the institute..."