The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 385: Volume 7: The Awakening Spring Thunder, - 10: Illusion and Residual Shadow_2

Chapter 385: Volume 7: The Awakening Spring Thunder, Chapter 10: Illusion and Residual Shadow_2

Komer never took Puber’s threats seriously. To a person who craved power as if it were life itself, if you told him to take a rest, he would likely fall ill from idleness. To Komer, his old friend was a typical paranoid, perhaps because he had been bullied so much that once he got his hands on great power, he wanted to enjoy it to the fullest. However, Puber’s performance was nothing short of exemplary. Though he was a bit stingy, that was just him being economical on behalf of his lordship; and although he was somewhat lecherous, that was his private life. Komer believed that one day, when he could no longer withstand the draining lovemaking skills of those Half-elf Prostitutes, he would naturally stay at home, drooping both his big and small heads. As for work, there was no need for Komer to worry at all. Even Fran and Reese, who were known for their professionalism, had to admire the Administrative Officer’s diligence and felt ashamed of their own shortcomings. Maybe he subconsciously regarded his job as his everything.

"What’s the matter? Look at you, Puber, I’ve warned you not to get too close to this forest. Do you know what kind of forest this is? Green Maple Forest, Wind-element Forest—be careful, or a gust from the gathering Wind Elements might blow you away. Then Ilot and I really would have a hard time finding you. I suggest you better carry a couple of Iron Ingots in your arms. Bahomon’s Iron ore has already been transported to Ugru, right? I bet their Ironworks should have refined the first batch of iron by now. With your status as an Administrative Officer, I reckon they would definitely give you the face of two Iron Ingots." Komer, lying on the Vine Hammock, didn’t even bother to glance at his unsteady approaching friend, but indulged in teasing him with face turned up to the sky.

"That’s rich coming from you, Komer! I’ve been working my heart out for you, and this is the thanks I get. If that’s the case, then let’s fight it out to the death!" Puber, who hadn’t yet entered the forest, was immediately choked with anger. Although he knew his old friend had returned to his former glory, he couldn’t help but feel agitated by such sharp ridicule.

"What’s the matter? Totally drained or burned out?" Komer turned his head lazily, stretched, and teased with a smirk, "Poor Puber, I believe the last night of your glorious and great life will surely be spent on a woman’s belly."

Seeing Puber, pretending to be uncontrollably angry, rush towards him with bared teeth and claws, Komer burst out laughing. With a thought, he casually pointed, and three Skeleton Warriors, much taller but with similar body shapes to Puber, suddenly appeared in front of him, standing in a row. With empty eye sockets dark and menacing, they stared at their prey with a hungry look.

Rusted shields, spotted bone spears, two ragged pieces of leather armor, one over the chest and one over the non-existent lower body, their mouths emitting threatening hisses, turned the previously serene Green Maple Forest suddenly eerie and ghostly.

Taken aback, although already familiar with his old friend’s magic capabilities and knowing that Komer had long surpassed the average Mage in divine magic, seeing three Skeleton Warriors appear before him still sent a shiver down Puber’s spine. "Boss, you bastard, take these things away! Ah, these guys can even spray zombie poison, ah, I’ve been poisoned!"

While yelling loudly, Puber also feigned a dizzy, fainting act, yet he was helpless; he didn’t dare to provoke these creatures that he couldn’t even bear to look at—Skeletons, Zombies—just thinking about these things disgusted him, but his old friend seemed to enjoy it.

"Enough, enough, stop pretending over there. These are just Illusion Traces; they’re not real Skeleton Warriors. What zombie poison? I think you just spent too much energy last night." With a wave of his hand, the three Skeleton Soldiers disappeared into thin air. Komer finally rolled out of the hammock, sitting lazily on the stone stool nearby, picked up a cup of wine and took a gentle sip, "Would you like a cup?"

"Of course!" Puber exclaimed in surprise, glancing around. The three skeleton warriors had vanished without a sound or even a puff of green smoke. It was too eerie, and with a hint of envy, he glanced at the other person and asked, "Boss, those were clearly the skeleton warriors you and Ilot talked about fighting the ogres with. So, what’s this about ’Illusion Traces’?"

"Ha, these magical things, you wouldn’t understand even if I explained them to you," Komer replied with a mix of smile and not, a slanted glance in the other’s direction. "Simply put, skeleton warriors require actual puppets to be refined into being. After refining, their combat power varies based on the level of the original person’s skill before death. As for illusion traces, that’s a form of psychic magic. In short, your eyes were deceived. The images that appeared before you were just illusions; there was actually nothing there." He smiled wryly. "Interested, are you? If so, you could give it a try. I’d be more than happy to have another comrade in the practice."

"No, no, by that logic, doesn’t that mean you could dominate anyone’s eyes?" Puber cocked his head, politely declining though his heart wavered. If he could use such magic for fun with women, that wouldn’t be too bad, right? Any beautiful woman or princess—just cast the spell to make her see him as her lover, and wouldn’t he then enjoy her as he pleased?

Seeing the drool about to spill from his partner’s mouth, Komer knew exactly where his thoughts had wandered. Psychic magic was, indeed, the least favored type of magic for a mage to cultivate. Not only was it fraught with risks and dangers, but the rate of failure was also significantly higher than any other type of magic. If psychic magic failed, the mage’s fate was to be lost in a haze for the rest of their life, a condition even worse than death itself. Mages who specialized in this type of magic were one in a hundred on the Continent. If not for the memories and secrets passed down by Kennifer III, he would never dare to dabble in such magic.

As Komer spoke as if it were easy, he could only give a bitter smile and shake his head, "If it were that powerful, what would be the point in cultivating other types of magic? Every mage on the Whole Continent might as well just cultivate psychic magic. Against those with strong wills, this type of magic is useless. If someone is on guard against it, it’s worthless. Most importantly, psychic magic not only consumes a great deal of spiritual power but also lasts only a short time. Specifically, this illusion can only morph into certain predetermined images and is not as versatile as you might imagine."

Hearing this, Puber lost interest completely. Cultivating magic was already a tedious and dangerous task, seeking fleeting glory at the expense of endless time and effort. This was certainly not something Puber was willing to do. If he could make a sudden breakthrough like Komer with a unique crystal stone, he might consider it, but to truly devote himself to cultivating such a trinket? Puber would flatly refuse.

"Hmm, you’re right. If it were that way, the world would indeed be in chaos." Shrugging his shoulders, Puber took the wine cup Komer offered him, drained it in one gulp, and slumped onto a stone bench with a sigh, "Life’s unfair, why do some people get to lounge leisurely in a vine hammock while others have to scurry about?"

"Yeah, that’s true. But I think some people seem to really enjoy that kind of life. To call it squalid might be too harsh, so let’s use another term that’s more accurate—obsessive or disturbed," Komer replied, indifferent and sneering in jest.

Facing his companion who had returned to his usual self, Puber knew he could never win a verbal joust with him. Steering the conversation elsewhere, he said, "Alright, let’s not bicker. I chose this life and I like it, so that’s that. But I’ve taken a lot of the burden off your shoulders, that much is true, isn’t it? In light of both emotion and reason, shouldn’t you let me try out your legendary Treasure Health Elixir?"