NOVEL NEXT Chapter 198: Blue
A few hours later, Van approached Julia quietly, but not silently.
This time, he was no longer using his Aura Cloaking and was simply suppressing his Aura as a First Level.
"You're late for your chores…" Julia said without looking up.
Van gave a tired half-smile. "I've paid Sarah and Xiel to do my part."
Julia's lips twitched faintly, but she still didn't lift her eyes from the page. She already knew that Van was quite different.
Still, since he was loyal, he didn't mind it as long as they weren't neglecting their duties.
"You're not just here to ask me for more books, are you?"
He stepped closer and shook his head.
"Ahh… It's about what I heard from you this morning… About the rebellion. About the Tower possibly getting involved."
That made her stop reading.
She closed the book slowly, as she finally looked at him.
"And?"
"I want to know what you know. I just want to be prepared... If there's war coming, and we're going to be used as pawns since we're slaves—I deserve to know."
Julia studied him for a long moment and gently nodded... "You've grown bolder."
"Strong, too," Van said. "You taught me to get stronger in order to serve you. I've done that…"
Julia let out a slow breath and leaned back on her chair.
She considered where to start, as this information was something she had just confirmed a few hours ago.
"The Rebel Mages is not just rumors," she said at last.
"There is a rebellion. A sect of mages calling themselves the True Sorcerers. Zealots. They claim that modern spellcasting has tainted magic's purity, that alchemy and augmentation are blasphemy against the Magic God."
Julia paused for a moment as she recalled the information that was passed to her by her father's aide… Although she couldn't see her father due to his important magic research, he still had other assistants who could send a message to her or even protect her at times of need.
"It wasn't announced yet but they've already attacked three Towers. Not just one… They even burned one to the ground. The Dispel Tower was hit hard last week. One of them survived and informed the rest of the towers…"
Van frowned. "And our Tower?"
"They haven't made a move on us yet. But…" Julia hesitated, "…we're on their list. The True Sorcerers hate alchemists. Our Rukh Tower had dozens of them. They consider our Tower one of the greatest heresies in the region."
Van frowned. "So we could be next."
Although he didn't care about the other towers and magicians dying, he was worried after hearing the fact that only one survived in the Dispel Tower.
It means that even the slaves and other servants weren't spared. It was important information that Van wanted to know.
After all, if these Rebel Mages only hated other magicians, he hoped that they would spare the servants or ordinary people. However, that was wishful thinking. He really had to plan on how to escape this place.
"It's highly likely that we're next." Her voice softened.
"The Third-Circle Magicians are trying to avoid panic. But the Tower's Council has already begun reorganizing. Several instructors are being reassigned. Others are being armed."
"And the servants?" Van asked.
Julia's face darkened. "Support units. Scouts. Logistics. Cannon fodder, if it comes to that."
He was silent.
"Why tell me this?" he asked quietly.
Julia stood, brushing off her robes. "Because you're not stupid. And because you're not like the others. I've watched you work. You move like someone with something to lose… or someone with something to gain."
She stepped closer and said softly.
"Van, if it comes to war, the Tower will survive by feeding its weakest to the flames. If you don't want to be one of them, you'd better keep growing stronger. I might be able to assign you with the logistics, who will help with the escape route…"
He looked her in the eye. "I'll do my best."
Van replied as he felt really lucky that this young girl wasn't corrupted by other magicians who think too lowly of their slaves.
"Good," Julia nodded. "Because if this goes where I think it's going, no one is safe. Not even me… For now, I'll just trust my father."
There was a moment of silence between them as she said this.
Then she added… "You can return now… We probably have four or five more days… There may be reinforcement, but we can't rely on that."
Van gave a single nod. "Thank you, Master Julia."
She turned away, waving her hand casually. "Don't thank me. Just don't die. I'd hate to waste all that effort training you."
***
The next morning, Van approached Sarah and Xiel with a pouch of gold coins.
"Three days," he said. "Cover for me."
Sarah raised a brow. "Are you sure? I can tell that you just made some advancement in your training… You shouldn't push it too much."
"I'll be fine," Van replied. "This is the last push."
Xiel grinned and gave a nod. "We'll cover for you. Just don't die in there, alright?"
Van smiled faintly. "Wouldn't dream of it."
***
Van slipped into Julia's private training ground again. He had cleaned it perfectly days before, and she hadn't said a word about the keys.
Locking the door behind him, Van activated the seals, and soon he began his ritual.
He placed the reinforced pill box on the altar.
Third Level... he thought.
He opened the box. Ten pills remained…
He sat down and meditated briefly, and selected the third Aura Advancement Pill before closing the box.
Gulp.
The effects came slower this time. His body had adapted, and although weaker, since he had already gained some resistance from the drug, it was still filled with energy…
The Gray Aura flared within him as it accepted the energy from the pill. It was helping him since the Pill was trying to burst past its boundaries.
Van's breathing deepened. The training ground was filled with Aura, and it even triggered the Formation Array that was protecting the chamber.
Yet after an hour of controlled breathing and directed circulation techniques—
[ Core Saturation: 97.2% ]
[ Stage Advancement Probability: 61% – Plateau Detected ]
[ Suggestion: Supplementary stimulant required for breakthrough. ]
Van grimaced.
"Still not enough," he muttered, sweat beading on his forehead.
He retrieved a fourth pill from the box and, without delay, swallowed it.
After reaching the second level, he knew that his limit had already increased.
This time, the energy felt calmer, but it was disjointed as resistance surged within his Aura Core.
[ Assimilation Rate: 72% – Partial Resistance Detected ]
[ Neural Activity Spiking. Adrenal Output: Elevated. ]
[ Recommend Physical Stability Breathing Pattern. ]
Van bit his lip, following the Lens's rhythmic guide.
His aura then started to move, trying to stabilize the Pill's energy…
Still… not enough.
He didn't even wait. He took the next pill.
A full-body tremor struck him immediately.
"Urghh…"
The combined force of three pills in a short span was beginning to fray his nerves.
[ Danger: Muscular Saturation Threshold Exceeded. Risk of micro-tearing and internal bleeding. ]
[ Partial Aura Condensation Detected. Core at 99.1%. Advancement Efficiency: Severely Reduced. ]
[ Critical Suggestion: Halt Aura Circulation. Begin Recovery Mode. Advancement aborted. ]
Van felt extremely frustrated as he clutched his chest…
His body had begun rejecting the flow.
He panted, feeling like he'd run fifty miles while carrying molten iron on his back. Every breath was heavy.
He had made it to the very edge—one step away from the next level.
But no breakthrough.
"Tsk… I should continue after some rest…"
***
Van remained in bed, barely moving. His body was riddled with fatigue and dull aches.
His muscles twitched at odd intervals, and it was definitely not a good sign…
Sarah and Xiel had taken extra shifts.
Thankfully, Julia had not asked questions as Van's body had slowly healed.
[ Recovery: 86% ]
[ Aura Pathways: Stabilized ]
[ Core Status: Semi-Rigid. Advancement Conditions Met. Efficiency will spike with multiple synchronized catalysts. ]
He had read that most knights wouldn't even dare to use more than one pill at once. But he had no time…
He could only maximize the usage of his Ocularis Lens to help him survive this advancement.
Just like that, he returned to the chamber on the morning of the third day.
The pill container was beside him, and he had already finished his meditation…
"This will either work—or ruin me."
He took out two pills at once.
He hesitated for only a breath… then he tossed them into his mouth and swallowed.
GULP.
The result was immediate.
A blast of heat erupted from his stomach, rising through his chest and exploding across his Aura Core.
"Aarggh!"
[ Two Pills Consumption Detected ]
[ Aura Core Reaction: Accelerated Mutation! ]
[ Risk: Catastrophic Overflow. ]
[ Neural Stabilizer Circuit: Online. Cognitive Dampening initiated. ]
[ Core Crystallization Detected… ]
Van's mind felt like it was floating underwater. His vision blurred while his arms and legs felt as if electricity had nested in his bones.
Aura flooded through him...
But this time—it wasn't Gray.
It was Blue.