NOVEL NEXT Chapter 437 – Syrreneth
As soon as Kassorith stepped into the cavern leading toward his master's residence, Percy felt the ambient mana grow even thicker. The air outside had already been about twice as rich as Remior's, but it climbed by another thirty to forty percent in here. It was a modest improvement, yet one that was bound to pay dividends if Percy spent years training in this environment.
'Is it because of the runes?' he wondered, examining the colourful symbols shimmering along the walls and ceiling of the narrow corridor.
This wasn't his first time coming across a large-scale, mana-gathering array, but the one they had in the Alchemists' Guild couldn't compare in quality. Percy was tempted to ask his host to pause so that he could jolt the enchantments down on a piece of parchment, to take back with him.
But he knew there was no point. The runes would lose most of their power if he drew them without understanding the Thess'kalan language. Besides, the enchantments were incompatible with his own, and he could probably get better runes from the Vault.
'Let's leave it for now. It's not like I have a use for the array while my main body is on the run…' Either way, Percy had more important things to worry about.
Oblivious to his thoughts, Kassorith slithered through the dim tunnel, eventually reaching a vast hall. The temperature seemed to plummet the moment they entered, a dense mist lowering visibility.
Deep inside the room, a single man sat atop his own coiled tail, meditating silently. To Percy, this person looked no different from the other male Thess'kalans he had seen on the way. Still, the man's Violet core, matching tunic, and the passive aura of authority he radiated left no doubt as to his identity. If those things weren't enough, Kassorith sealed the deal by standing quietly by the entrance, not daring to make a sound without his master's permission.
Percy was taken aback by that, not used to seeing his host so respectful. It didn't take long for him to understand why Kassorith was acting like this, however. Evidently, the elder was the type of person who left his disciples waiting. What wasn't as obvious was whether this was just the man's style, or if he was punishing his subordinate for something specific. It wasn't until about an hour later that the elder finally deigned to speak.
"You're late," he said, slowly opening his eyes.
They cut through the mist like ruby daggers, though the Violet didn't even bother to turn his head, not sparing his disciple a single glance. Even so, Percy felt like he was being stared at by a hungry beast, the air freezing in his lungs.
'Meh… Baldy can probably beat this guy. Hell, I bet I'll be able to do that too – as soon as I reach Green,' Percy reassured himself to dispel some of his nervousness.
Obviously, there were plenty of powerful Violets on Thess'kala – capable of fighting above their grade – but this person wasn't one of them. Like Kassorith had said, his master's tunic was woven out of a plain violet fabric, lacking the characteristic trim of a grand elder.
Percy's host still cupped his fists politely, before responding. "I ran into trouble. The town had more Blues than our intel suggested and–"
"Silence," the Violet spat, the disappointment in his voice sending a chill down the Blue's spine. "I've no interest in your excuses. You are a trained disciple of the Broken Fang Sect, sent to kill a bunch of nobodies. Can't you even accomplish that without issue?"
"I-I did! They're all dead! It just took me a little longer than expected!" Kassorith said with a stammer, his agitation palpable.
"A little longer?" The elder chuckled, though his eyes narrowed, devoid of humour. "How many times do I need to explain that your poor performance reflects badly on me? As a newly promoted elder, I'm only allowed up to five disciples. The number of missions you complete each month affects my ranking in the sect. Do you understand?"
The elder's scathing words made Kassorith swallow hard.
As for Percy… his feelings on the matter were mixed. On one hand, he didn't like his host. Leaving aside the fact that Kassorith had slaughtered a bunch of innocents, the bastard had even tried to double-cross him. So, part of him enjoyed watching him chastised by his master.
On the other, he couldn't help but think that the Violet's treatment of his disciple was a little unfair. Percy's host had won against at least two Blues – maybe more – as well as several Greens. Even if the townsfolk had been untrained, Kassorith had to be stronger than most of the Blues Percy had faced on Remior to have defeated so many opponents. Maybe he wasn't quite at the level of an elite disciple, but he was likely very close.
'I guess they have higher standards than us…'
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Kassorith clenched his fists, his soul boiling with indignation. But he didn't dare to show it. "I understand. It won't happen again."
"Very well." The Violet nodded. "I've had the details of your next two assignments sent to your chamber. Go. I want them both completed in half the indicated time."
Kassorith turned around, seemingly about to leave. Percy didn't let him, however. Upon realizing that his host couldn't summon the courage to reveal the true extent of his failure to his master, or negotiate on his behalf, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
"Would you like a more useful disciple?" he asked, taking over the Blue's mouth.
'What are you doing?! Are you trying to get us killed?!' Kassorith asked in shock.
Percy ignored him. It was too late to debate this with his host anyway – his words had already caught the Violet's attention. The elder was staring at them in confusion, his brow creased.
"Kassorith died during the mission," Percy explained. "He's only alive thanks to me. You don't look like you'd give a shit if he had stayed dead, but I might be able to do something to increase his value in your eyes."
"Who are you?" the Violet finally asked, his curiosity clearly piqued.
"You first. Kassorith never mentioned your name, and I'm not going to call you 'master'."
The Violet didn't seem to take Percy's straightforwardness that well. A powerful domain descended upon him, slamming him face-first into the cold floor. Perhaps, they could have resisted the pressure somewhat if they had deployed their own domains, though Kassorith clearly had no intention of defying his master, and Percy didn't want to pour more oil in the fire either. He could tell the Violet was only probing him. The elder could easily release more power if he wished to harm them.
"Are you done?" Percy asked, his voice still as a lake.
Kassorith wasn't nearly as calm, however.
"Master, please hear the outsider out! He's stitched up my soul to keep me alive – he can kill me with a thought!"
Percy smirked upon listening to his host. Kassorith had spoken in a desperate, arguably even pathetic, tone, seemingly advocating Percy's case. In reality, that was just an act. The Blue had merely seized the opportunity to inform his master about Percy's abilities, probably hoping that the elder would save him. Regardless, Percy didn't much care about his host's ploys. He was still confident he could strike a deal with the Violet.
"My name is Syrreneth. I take it you're here for Thess'kala's life-extension method?" the elder asked, unperturbed by his disciple's words. His domain continued to press down on Percy and Kassorith with the weight of a mountain.
"I'm Percy. I'd rather talk to you face-to-face," he replied, having no interest in conversing like this.
The Violet shrugged, finally withdrawing his domain.
"You're braver than my spineless disciple, I'll give you that. You'd better have more than that though, if you wish to make a deal with me."
"I'm indeed here for that leaf," Percy admitted, rolling his host's shoulders and stretching his arms. "I can turn this sack of shit into one of those fancy elite disciples. Is that good enough?"
"Oh?" A spark of interest flared inside the Violet's slit pupils. "And how are you planning to accomplish that?"
"That's my business," Percy replied non-committedly.
He wasn't ready to share any of his secrets with Syrreneth. He didn't know if the elder had any sinister intentions toward him, but he hadn't forgotten that the elder was the one who had sent Kassorith on that mission to massacre those people. But that wasn't the only reason he'd given the man a vague response.
Frankly, Percy had yet to decide how to strengthen his host. He'd already passed the Moirais' Decree to Kassorith, but the second core would be useless in the short-term. The man was a Yellow-born, so the new organ would be two grades lower than his first one, providing him with a negligible boost. Circulation wasn't on the table either. Percy had no intention of sharing the boosting art with these people. Even if he did, tempering Kassorith's channels would take time. Suffice to say, Percy's options were rather limited. In any case, he could worry about delivering his end of the bargain after Syrreneth agreed to his terms.
"What do you say?" Percy asked again. "I imagine that having an elite disciple will look good on you."
Percy felt his host's soul flare up with greed. Clearly, Kassorith was also interested in getting stronger. But nobody in the room cared about the Blue's opinion.
"It will," the elder admitted, before shaking his head. "Yet, it's not enough to warrant the kind of reward you want. Our sect does get a few extra leaves per year, but they're highly sought after. Our grand elders and deputy sect masters want to get one for their less talented descendants. The cost of getting involved in the conflict is too high."
Noticing the Violet's phrasing, Percy couldn't help but smirk. The man hadn't declined outright – he was simply haggling for better terms.
"I don't care what you need to do. Just tell me what you want in return."
The Violet smiled too.
"I like talking to someone smart. Kassorith will take the evaluation ten days from now. Make sure he gets his trim. After that, you'll be eligible to enter the regional tournament. If you place in the top sixteen, I'll get you your leaf."
"I can do that," Percy replied, not having the slightest clue what this tournament involved. Worst-case scenario, he could always leave and let Kassorith deal with the mess. "Though I'm a bit surprised you're this open to getting me a leaf. I expected more resistance."
Syrreneth didn't reply immediately. His forked tongue flickered a couple of times, his eyes scanning his disciple from head to tail, seemingly searching for something. Eventually, he gave up.
"That's because you don't know much about the leaves. They're valuable for sure, but each can only be used by a single person, so we don't really care if a couple leak outside Thess'kala."
Percy nodded. He still had plenty of questions about both the leaf and the tournament, but he could ask Kassorith later. Returning control of the body to the Blue, he stifled a laugh as he watched Kassorith slither away in a hurry, seemingly unwilling to remain in the Violet's sight a moment longer than necessary. Yet, Percy's amusement barely lasted a second. Remembering the steep terms he had just agreed to, he let out a sigh.
'Ten days… I need to find a way to make Kassorith a lot stronger by then…'