Primordial Sage: Plight of Immortality

Half an hour ago, at the main square of Faruin City.

Brynjar, at that very moment, was reading the reports of the events that happened during the expedition.

He was sitting in a big tent that he had built in Faruin City when they initially entered the ruins for the first time.

However, he was in a very foul mood, and his subordinates didn't have the courage to be in his vicinity at all. Only a few were silently guarding the entrance to the tent.

'Someone got us right. We played right into their hands as they got everything without much effort. Those fools piss me off so much.' Brynjar scowled for a second before shaking his head lightly.

'No… It wasn't easy. They managed to fend off Vanda and Varel. Even though Varel was injured, he isn't someone to be trifled with. The most important thing is that their schemes are simple yet hard to defend against. We only know that they are two highly dangerous individuals—an acolyte and a warrior. However, they could have someone backing them up or have other men under their control. While we are in the light, they are in the shadows, waiting for us to make a mistake, tch…'

Brynjar knew exactly how dangerous it could be for such men to remain hidden, waiting for him to misstep.

'However, there seems to be some kind of hint at least.' He narrowed his eyes as he looked at one piece of information that was already several days old.

'If the information here is right, then the acolytes who attacked the new physician were actually these guys. But what were they aiming for? To make Aziro and acolytes realize that they were being ambushed? No, the communication was cut off. It didn't achieve much… Then was it to delay the opening of the citadel? They would have destroyed the entire research then instead…' Brynjar frowned as if realizing there was a problem.

Just as he started to ponder over this, an urgent message was delivered to him.

"Sir Brynjar! There is important news!" The messenger entered the tent with a crimson face from running here, breathing heavily.

"Calm down first and drink this." Brynjar's face was still frowning, but he still placed a cup of water on his table.

"T-thank you very much!" the messenger said with difficulty as he gulped down the entire cup.

After finishing his drink, Brynjar asked him, "So, what did you want to tell me?"

"Ah, yes! There is news about the rescue team that Vanda sent yesterday," the messenger said, now with a much calmer expression.

"Oh? Did they find that young man's body? No, since you say it is so urgent… Don't tell me…?!" Brynjar unconsciously stood up, his eyes wide open.

"The physician Kaoran survived! He is being taken care of by the physicians on-site, but his situation is critical, so they are transferring him back to the city for Young Lady to treat him since she is the best physician here…" The messenger wanted to continue, but Brynjar's expression made him stop as his voice turned feeble.

"Who allowed them to decide that?! My daughter is part of our clan. They don't have the authority for this…" His eyes flashed with a cold expression when he heard about this.

"It was Miss Vanda's man, sir. But—"

"To hell with Vanda and her men! Tell them that my daughter isn't for them to use!"

The messenger trembled with fear as he bowed his head down.

There were very few things that made Brynjar this agitated.

One was his beloved wife, who had passed away many years ago.

And the second was his daughter, who had a very weak constitution.

"I… I understand! I will relay your words, sir!" the messenger said with a trembling voice as he waited for the moment Brynjar moved his hand.

He sighed in relief as if being pardoned from a great sin and immediately scurried away from the tent.

"Wait."

However, before he managed to leave, he heard the chilling voice of Brynjar.

"Y-yes, sir?" He turned around with an uneasy feeling.

"Tell the interrogation team to take the men who were supposed to watch over the physician's outing back then and find out what exactly happened."

Brynjar stood there, his face covered in shadow. But the messenger knew.

That he was furious.

"After that… execute them."

"Y-yes, sir!" The messenger bowed even deeper as he answered with bated breath.

"You may leave."

"Thank you, sir!"

Finally, the messenger disappeared from the tent, and Brynjar was left alone.

"Haah…" Brynjar, seeing this, sighed as he heavily sat down on his chair.

'Those bastards… Don't they know that she is not an official physician? That stupid geezer is making it difficult again by teaching her this useless stuff…'

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Brynjar felt his intestines twist as he thought of his father, Vael.

But there were more important things to consider at this moment.

'That young man… How did he survive?' Brynjar narrowed his eyes as he felt his mind fill up with suspicion…

…….

Just as the news of Illyan being alive spread across Faruin City, the whispers still didn't reach the ears of Vanda as she was busy.

"Sigh… Big brother, why are you always like this? I warned you several times that acolytes are not to be trifled with! Now your leg is left in tatters! You know how difficult it will be to make that bastard Ezekiel help you recreate a new one!"

Vanda was complaining as if she were a small girl while changing the bandages on the stump left on the man's leg.

"Hoho~ So many years have passed, yet you have never changed. Always so caring for me… But you don't need to worry. There is something Ezekiel wants to do, and he will need our gang's strength for that. I will just use this as an opportunity to get a better leg, hah."

The old man, who seemed frightening with a face filled with scars, had an endearing expression on his face as he talked with Vanda.

If someone unrelated looked at them, they would think of a granddaughter scolding her grandpa for being too reckless in his old age.

However, the truth was often stranger than fairy tales.

Vanda wasn't talking to her grandfather but rather to her big brother.

Despite the shocking age difference, it was not unusual in the eyes of acolytes.

Vanda was a mana user. Despite not reaching high in her studies, she had been circulating mana inside her body for decades, which allowed her body to maintain its highest potential.

Of course, that also meant her youth depended on her mana.

Once her mana reserve fell below a certain level, her body would start aging again at best or start rapidly aging to her original age at worst.

Many magicians had died in such a way, as they were old monsters using mana to keep their bodies alive.

But to Vanda, her magic was now much more important as they were on the verge of a great breakthrough that would allow them not just temporary youth but actual eternal life!

"Maybe, but if you were careful enough, then instead of a leg, you could give him a different request. Didn't you say that your age is making it difficult for you to move the way you want anymore?"

Despite making a sound argument, Vanda still huffed in annoyance.

Varel looked at his little sister's pouting baby face with envy as he sighed.

"I didn't underestimate Svanor. It's just that guy wasn't just good. That guy made a thorough trap. Even Brynjar wouldn't be able to escape unscathed."

Varel groaned as he thought about that bastard.

Not only had he made Varel suffer such an injury, but he had also managed to escape alive.

If that wasn't an unbearable humiliation, then Varel truly didn't know what was.

'Oh, maybe the guy who kidnapped my son created this mess on purpose.' Varel chuckled as sarcastic thoughts flooded his mind.

Vanda, who saw him laughing on his own, was even more annoyed.

In fact, the only reason she was somewhat bearable to be around right now was that this was her only family.

The last few days had been a complete catastrophe in her opinion, and her mood reflected that.

However, just as she wanted to keep pestering her brother, a messenger came back and gave her a letter.

"Hmm? What's this? Wait, don't tell me?" Vanda's eyes shone as she received the letter and read it immediately, ignoring her brother.

A few minutes later.

"Hahahah!" Hysterical laughter resounded from the vicinity.

"There is still luck on my side! My dear is truly a sturdy man~"

Varel watched with a dumbfounded expression as the humming Vanda left him alone with a half-finished bandage.

'That harlot…' He just clicked his tongue as he lay down with a tired expression.

…….

Soon, the news circulated through every important individual inside the city.

A few felt that it was a miracle that someone managed to survive on his own in such a harsh environment.

However, some felt that it was suspicious. After all, the attack on his group was sudden and seemed pointless to those who knew what happened.

Of course, most didn't think that Illyan was the one behind it.

Especially after learning the state he was in when they retrieved him.

Instead, they thought that he was a victim who was being used by their enemies to fulfill some unknown objective.

'We need to check if his body wasn't tampered with.' All of them thought in unison.

Especially Brynjar, who immediately went to visit Ezekiel, who had secretly entered the city.

He visited the tent where the mayor's son was being treated after getting an arrow in the chest.

However, no one stopped him as they all assumed he was one of the few physician apprentices who had managed to survive.

Little did they know that the apprentice they thought was treating the poor man was actually already dead, and his face had just been recreated by Ezekiel's magic.

Yet nobody could discern such changes as he was treating the wounds in the same way the apprentice would have.

In fact, Ezekiel's ability to disguise was so impressive that nobody in the Vanaras Kingdom was able to recognize him unless he revealed himself.

Only Aziro, who was obsessed with him, was able to interpret his thought process, which allowed him to predict his attack on the underground arena. With a few other hints, like his manner of speech and other small habits Ezekiel had, he was discovered.

But that was not common.

As of now, nobody was suspecting him. The only ones who had any chance to figure out his identity already knew about it.

"Well then, sir. Please bear with the pain; it will be better for your health." Ezekiel, with the face of a young man, grinned, which made his face seem unnatural as he reached for the wound on the man's chest with his bare hand, which seemed to have writhing maggots underneath the skin.

"N-no…! W-who are you?! You are not Jamal! Guards! Help—Argh?!"

Hatar yelled as much as he could, but Ezekiel was fast. His hand tore open the bandages that were tied around his chest and inserted his fingers inside.

As he did so, he used his other hand to cover the man's mouth as he writhed around, trying to scream in pain.

"Shhh! It will be over soon, hihihiheh~" Ezekiel grinned in a strange manner as the dark matter that writhed under the skin of his hand started to flow inside the open wound.

'Finally, we will have the mayor under our thumb once we take control of his son. However, keeping him alive while controlling him will limit my strength by a lot. This better be worth it.'

Ezekiel groaned as he started to perform strange rituals. He spoke in an ancient language, using herbs and the blood of beasts to feed the drooling man on the bed, who was already unconscious.

The thing he was trying to accomplish was one of the more complex spells of a Biomancer: [Living Puppet].

Life was preserved, but the mind and body were suppressed and controlled by Ezekiel's will.

It was his favorite spell from the inheritance he had managed to steal, and with his disguise, it was a perfect combination that made him hard to kill.

His talent for disguise stemmed from his genes of a Dark Elf Lineage, but the actual spells were still those of Biomancy.

He could temporarily change his bone structure, skin tone, and much more to alter his own and his puppet's appearances.

But it took time and effort. Thus, this time his disguise was lazier, as he had simply cut the apprentice's face off and glued it onto his own. This caused distortions whenever he showed big expressions, like a grin, which was what Hatar saw in his last moments.

"Ezekiel." It was at that moment that someone entered the tent without permission, calling out to Ezekiel.

"It is Jamal now, though, hahah." Ezekiel laughed as he turned to face Brynjar.

Brynjar didn't even react to the joke that Ezekiel made and immediately got straight to the point.

"I need you to confirm something." His eyes were completely cold as he looked Ezekiel straight in the eyes.

"Oh?" Ezekiel, seeing this, smiled as his eyes turned into crescents under the skin mask, creating a grotesque image for anyone who could see it.

"Is it about that physician? I already know and will visit him soon…"

Hearing these words, Brynjar nodded, turned around without saying anything more, and disappeared.

"Hah…! What a boring bastard…"