The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 742: Volume 22: Revival and Rise - 2: Is It Time to Fight Back?

Chapter 742: Volume 22: Revival and Rise Chapter 2: Is It Time to Fight Back?

He chuckled softly. After a gesture from Komer, the Vine Magic Plant swiftly retreated to a safe distance; the Sword Qi from just moments ago had almost struck the core of the Vine Magic Plant’s life. If it hadn’t been for the plant’s several previous close encounters with assassins, which gave it a certain prescience, Komer would have been powerless to prevent that sudden deadly strike, even though he was standing right beside it.

"Vladimir Koff, you really don’t hold back, do you? That attack nearly destroyed the Vine Magic Plant I’ve worked so hard to cultivate. Aren’t you just making things difficult for me on purpose?"

Vladimir Koff, who had already sheathed his sword and stood aside, responded indifferently, "Lord, you did not ask me to hold back. However, Lord, I personally think that this creature isn’t very useful, with weak attack power and slow reflexes. In combat, it would be torn to shreds by an opponent the moment it enters the battle."

Komer massaged his cheeks with a wry smile, well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of his creation. The Vine Magic Plant, a magical creature cultivated primarily from a plant and infused with dark corruption magic, naturally had weaknesses in attack power and reaction speed, due to its plant origins. Its strengths lay in its tenacious vitality and the ability to self-repair as long as it wasn’t fatally wounded.

Vladimir Koff, naturally viewing it from a knight’s perspective, would think the Vine Magic Plant fragile, yet he forgot just how different one such plant was from a Dark Knight like himself. Successful cultivation of this Vine Magic Plant meant Komer could easily cultivate several more, and summoning several at once during a battle could significantly hinder enemies. For a mage with a penchant for magic like himself, having such a barrier was crucial, allowing him to gain enough time to cast spells.

"Maybe, but what if I summon three Vine Magic Plants at once?" said Komer with a slight smile.

"It would still be useless. I can reduce three of those things to shreds in less than ten moves!" Vladimir Koff replied with a shake of his head and an arrogant shrug.

"Hmm, within ten moves, but in that same time frame, I can cast a ’Hammer of Thor’ coupled with a ’Wind Blade’." Komer countered calmly.

Choked by Komer’s words, Vladimir Koff was at a loss for words, not expecting Komer to respond in such a manner. But upon reflection, he realized it was true: he was merely engaging in a skirmish with a few magical creatures, whose master might be planning to use them to entangle him while he took that time to prepare magic.

"Vladimir Koff, don’t underestimate these creatures. They possess strong vitality and a certain level of intelligence. Merely for these two aspects, they’re worth my attention. Sometimes, victory or defeat are decided in a flash, and for a mage like me, even one extra second can determine the outcome of a war." Seeing Vladimir Koff quiet, Komer continued, "This is just an experiment. Perhaps there will be even more powerful creatures with higher intelligence that can be cultivated; those are my real goals."

Komer’s advancements in magic skills didn’t alleviate his worries. The pressure from the Caucasus would grow, and as the struggle for succession in the Kingdom of Nicosia intensified, the pace of Homer’s war preparations against Bruce and Leon was likely to accelerate. The very realistic Philip wouldn’t wait until the dust settled from the battle for the throne to deal with the Caucasus; he would definitely take advantage of the power Hoffman could wield to resolve problems in the south beforehand. Komer couldn’t just sit idly by, but figuring out how to counter this move was truly challenging. True power was the ultimate arbitrator—the real test of strength came at the final moment, no matter how many tricks or stratagems one used.

He couldn’t count on Katya, who herself was anticipating that he’d be able to deliver a significant blow to Philip with the resources at Hoffman’s disposal. Yet it was feasible to ask her to devise ways to restrict the Court Mage Corps’ interactions with Hoffman as much as possible. However, the Court Mage Corps wasn’t the decisive factor; it was just a strike force. What Komer truly feared was Philip utilizing Homer’s martial power at all costs, at which point the disparity in strength would mean the Caucasus stood little chance.

A resolute Barbarian face suddenly appeared before him, was he really going to ask the Barbarians for troops? Komer couldn’t help but sigh. Barbarians were seen as catastrophic beasts in the eyes of all Mortals, but in Komer’s view, they possessed a fatal flaw. This race, not adept at farming or herding, was powerless to fill their own bellies and faced unanimous hostility from Mortals and other races. Lacking commercial talents and with almost nothing noteworthy to mention other than individual strength, they were at a disadvantage.

And the formidable strength of individuals had been completely offset by the effective organization, discipline, and advanced weaponry of Mortals and other races. Proud of their Martial Power, the Barbarians suffered crushing defeats every time they faced alliances of Mortals and other races. Occasional victories couldn’t change the long-term disadvantages they faced. A resilient siege had them inexorably trapped in the Cordillera Wilderness, where they appeared to be slowly fading away.

His arrival in the Caucasus seemed to have given them a glimmer of hope, especially now that he had taken control of the southern Flanders Region. Information from the intelligence department had proven that due to Komer’s increasing influence within Barbarian Territory, even penetrating deep into the Cordillera Wilderness, a severe schism was already evident in the Barbarian Alliance. The Sanjia Tribe, alongside the Caron and Carter Tribes, had formed a bloc, undoubtedly determined to reconcile with the Caucasus and Flanders to seek more benefits for the development of their own tribes, while the Carlo and Sanwa Tribes, as the core of another group, were firmly against too much contact and interaction with Mortals. The Sanya and Kali Tribes remained indecisive, but Komer knew that the Sanya Tribe couldn’t resist the temptation from Flanders, while the stance of the Kali Tribe was hard to determine.

The Sanjia Tribe had not stopped cooperating with the Caucasus despite his departure. Komer believed that the prosperity of the Caucasus and the opening of the Catania River’s waterway, which supplied ample food, had made the Sanjia Tribe fundamentally dependent on the Caucasus. A large number of Barbarians compelled by livelihood flooded into the Caucasus, even Leon, to compete with the Half-Beastmen for job opportunities. These Barbarians could not only ease the pressure of food requirements for their own tribes but could also bring back considerable income for their families. Although both the Caucasus and the Sanjia Tribe were consciously strengthening the control over their interactions, Komer was clear that their increasingly frequent interactions were inevitable. It seemed unlikely to forcibly separate them; the only method was to go with the tide, using the weakness of the Barbarians to take the initiative and make them serve his own purposes.

And war seemed like a good opportunity to strengthen their relationship while binding the Sanjia Tribe to his chariot. This opportunity would require great balance; if he was not careful, he might hurt himself. If the situation indeed reached that point, he feared he would have no other choice. Looking around, Komer realized that his situation was somewhat similar to that of the Barbarians. Whether it was Homer, Galle, or the Central Kingdom, none genuinely supported him. They either wanted to annihilate him, weaken him, or use him. Eventually, once his value had been exhausted, or the timing was right, he would likely become their next target.

To break free from this predicament, he had no choice but to truly grow stronger, to become a power that surrounding forces could only rely on instead of exploiting. Only by reaching that level could he consider himself truly independent.

Komer never pinned his hopes on others, but now he felt he might have to make an effort. It was probably time to reach out to the Sanjia Tribe, to plan for the worst-case scenario. If he could persuade Dvanch, then the Sanjia Tribe should not be an issue. Thinking of Dvanch’s resolute figure, Komer couldn’t help but smile faintly. Heroes were inevitably utilized by others, and Dvanch seemed to fit that role perfectly.

A visit to the Kingdom was also necessary; he couldn’t let Katya, that little bitch, wait so easily to savor the fruits of victory. The Kingdom court wizards must strive to reduce the help they might provide to Homer, even if they had to resort to unconventional methods. He believed Katya would give him some good advice.

Back at the Count’s Mansion, Komer sat alone in his study, lost in a myriad of thoughts. Life’s journey was fraught with such unpredictable shifts, one moment at the crest of a wave and the next in its trough. From being exiled to the Caucasus to accepting immigrants from three lands marked one phase, while Homer’s blockade to his own forced venture into the Great Swamp Area denoted another. Just when he had managed to arrive at a climax after overcoming numerous hardships, he had not expected the Religious Court to suddenly cast him into the abyss, forcing him to flee far. And now, by turning passivity into initiative, he was rising again, yet it seemed the heavens were never in his favor, as the military threat from the North could once again render all his earlier efforts futile.

Komer reflected deeply on himself. Over this period, he had always been passively responding to the provocations of enemies, always trying to defuse their attacks. Wave after wave of troubles had left him scrambling to cope, seemingly trapped in a vicious cycle. Whenever he survived a crisis, another storm immediately followed. It looked like it was time to change this passive situation; otherwise, there would come a time when he would be overwhelmed by the storm.

(To be continued. For more Chapters and to support the author, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM, the home of authorized reading!)