The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 651: Volume Eighteen: Stormy Secrets, - Two: Defying the Heavens

Chapter 651: Volume Eighteen: Stormy Secrets, Chapter Two: Defying the Heavens

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Cultivating Double Origins was undoubtedly a dream that defied the heavens, and Komer had no intention of undertaking such an adventure that seemed likely to result in a swift death. However, a dire situation left him with seemingly no choice. The power of the Church of Light lingered persistently in the Caucasus and no matter how much he tried to accommodate Priest Beran and Pastor Gustav, it was clear their influence was limited, unable to sway the upper echelons of the Church of Light. Even the Thunderhorse Knights refused to leave, which proved just how suspicious the Church had become of him. As his policies in the Caucasus and Leon inevitably encroached upon the interests of many, those individuals, now aware of the Church’s hostility towards him, would likely exacerbate the situation. In the end, to survive this ultimate challenge, he could only rely on his own power.

His nominal status as a secular noble might have some impact on the Church of Light, but this was not a decisive factor. Once his real identity was determined, not even the king of the Kingdom of Nicosia could protect him, so the burden ultimately fell upon himself. Being able to Cultivate Double Origins would no doubt be a way out—to conceal the Dark Origin with the Light Origin or Elemental Origin and perhaps pass the test, but cultivating both was easier said than done.

In fact, after acquiring sheepskin scrolls and related books, Komer began his experiments. The annotations and insights left by Kennifer III in those books were tremendously helpful to Komer. Although Kennifer III did not delve deeply and eventually gave up, his failures provided Komer with shortcuts, especially in balancing and harmonizing the conflicting powers of Double Origins—valuable experiences gleaned from the brink of life and death that were priceless.

Five months later, the Elemental Origin within Komer began to take shape. While still insufficient to conceal his Dark Origin, it was a good start. Komer did not dare choose the Light Magic Origin, not because he feared the two origins were irreconcilable, but he was afraid their stark contrast might make them conspicuously detectable by high-ranking clergy of the Church of Light. It was less risky to opt for the more neutral and moderate Elemental Origin, and the Thunder Element Power Origin he ultimately chose could significantly mask the traces of Dark Power.

The four primary elements of earth, fire, water, and wind, along with the derived powers of ice, thunder, and wood, composed the seven factions of the Elemental Magic. Ice stemmed from wind and water; thunder from wind and fire; wood from earth and water. Aside from these, there were metal and light, which, while not elements, were closely linked to Elemental Power. For instance, metal interacted with wood in both antagonistic and harmonious ways, and light shared a special connection with the element of fire, even capable of energy conversion under certain conditions.

Komer chose the Thunder Element Power as the foundation for his second magic origin because of its dark tendencies. Being derived from wind and fire, the origins of thunder displayed certain dark characteristics in many of their manifestations. The destructive and ruinous power often exhibited by thunder magic was akin to Dark Magic, a resemblance that could help conceal traces that might otherwise be difficult to hide.

The successful foundation of Thunder Power Origin gave Komer hope for success. He didn’t dare assume that the thunder-based origin could replace the Dark Origin in combat, but if the thunder-based origin could make insiders believe he was an Elemental Mage, that would be enough. All his cultivation efforts revolved around how to disguise himself as a competent Thunder Mage.

In the days that followed, Komer focused on strengthening the transformation and cultivation of his thunder-based origin’s power. The solid legacy left by Kennifer III provided him with a robust mana foundation for cultivating his second origin, indicating rapid progress. However, this was just an illusion; Komer knew that his second origin’s cultivation was short-lived and merely a rudimentary framework. To truly use it in life-and-death situations was still far off, but for the short term, it was enough to deceive and pass muster.

Now was the time to test the fruits of his long efforts in cultivation. The Court officials had passed Mandu and were heading towards Muscat. He estimated they would reach Ugru in a week, and then the moment of truth would arrive.

Upon entering the Caucasus Border, Caru and Boritz could feel the change in their surroundings. Although the quantity of Half-beast Men was still high, the proportion of Mortals had increased significantly. Muscat was evidently a Mortal town—even though Half-beast Men could still be seen everywhere, the streets and buildings were all styled after Mortals, even resembling the Northern style of Meine and Susoer, clearly indicating a Northern immigrant town.

Muscat was a fortress town. Although its military importance had decreased significantly since the stabilization of the Leon Region, the presence of one hundred Half-beast soldiers and fifty Elf Archers highlighted the unique style of the Caucasus. Whether in Leon or the Caucasus, the Military Power seemed to be predominantly Half-beast, with Mortals a rare sight, and Half-beast Men filled the ranks of mid and low-level officers, with Mortals only visible among high-ranking officers.

The prosperity of Muscat carried a distorted air. Before the official lifting of the blockade at Bruce’s River Harbor, this town had become the central transfer station for goods in the entire Leon Region. Even after the Nissai River was reopened, bringing in massive quantities of supplies from Mandu and Izmir through here was still more cost-effective than via Bruce. The abundant local resources of bluestone and basalt near Muscat also became important building materials for the development of towns in the Leon Region. Although transportation was a bit more challenging, with the regional special, long-haired cattle used for Cart pulling, the speed might have been slower, but the cost was significantly reduced.

"Nothing! Again, nothing!" With a flick of his Horse whip, Boritz’s eyes were filled with rage, yet he had nowhere to direct it, "The atmosphere here is suffocating—faithless Half-beast Men, dwarves addicted to alcohol, proud yet simple-minded Elves, and the remaining Mortals are all profit-seeking merchants. This corner has been forgotten by the Gods. Look at the various kinds of stone produced here, such good conditions, and I haven’t seen a single decent church, oh, except for a few damned statues of Mars!"

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"Boritz, maintain a calm mind and cool reason; these are the basic requirements of being a judge. Not finding anything is not necessarily a bad thing; it actually means two things: either this Caucasus is truly a barren land, where although there are some other forms of idol worship, they can’t have much impact on this world, and their inevitable end is to be self-extinguished. Or, someone has gotten ahead of us to sweep and hide what they think might cause them trouble, which is good, as such action indicates that there are things behind this we want to uncover. The attempt to conceal only makes them more conspicuous; perhaps behind it lies a big fish. Either outcome is good for us. Actually finding something but if it is only trivial, that would be closer to reality, yet so disappointing."

Caru casually brushed off the dust from his cloak, finding Muscat too prosperous for a town of the Caucasus; it resembled more the towns near Jazair, but the complexity of the races was rather distasteful.

"Oh? Caru, which likelihood do you think is greater?" Boritz pondered over his companion’s words and nodded. He was no fool; he obviously understood what such cleanliness signified.

"I hope it’s the former, but I also know that good hopes often mean being unrealistic, so..." Caru offered a meaningful smile and said no more.

His eyes sparkling, Boritz’s sharp gaze flickered with excitement as he took a deep breath to suppress the excitement within him. A lust for slaughter wasn’t a virtue in a judge of the Church, and Boritz was aware of that. But he found it difficult to overcome this weakness and didn’t want to, for ridding the darkness of its filth was the most crucial duty of a judge, and it was sufficient as long as the edge of slaughter was directed towards the dark.

"However, this time there may be a surprise."

The additional comment by Caru caused discontent in Boritz’s heart, "Why?"

"No reason, just intuition." Caru’s words were cryptic, further irritating Boritz.

"Intuition? Caru, aren’t you the one who hates the word intuition the most? Aren’t you the one who emphasizes evidence the most? Why are you now talking about intuition?" Boritz was even more annoyed; his partner was always so frustratingly contradictory. After multiple partnerships, he had had enough of the other’s attitude, yet every prediction seemed remarkably accurate, which was quite vexing.

"I dislike others’ intuition, but I trust my own," replied Caru, his tone even, yet the assertiveness in his words was unmistakable.

His partner’s sharp words stuck in Boritz’s throat, and after a while, he could only say resignedly, "Fine, you’re always right. Let’s just wait and see."

"Boritz, I seldom have intuitions, but when I do, they tend to be accurate. This time, I have a strange feeling that we might pass by uneventfully, or we may cause a huge stir, yet I can’t be sure which feeling is more precise," said Caru, his gaze distant as he looked at the bustling street ahead. "Maybe we shouldn’t have come this time."

Second update, hoping readers will support the new book "Exotic Hunting in different space and time", book number 141568. Aiming for the new book potential list at twelve tonight, hoping to enter the Top Three! Collection, clicks, Recommendation Tickets, collect Recommendation Tickets! None can be missed! (To be continued, for further updates, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM. More Chapters are available, support the author, support Authorized Reading!)