Chapter 652 - Its Just Survival of the Fittest (2/2)

Nozama seemed pleased to see the Magician appear before him. “So you’re still alive, High Magus Taric.”

In ancient times, “High Magus” was the highest title a Magician could ever hope to attain. High Magus Taric had stood at the pinnacle of the world in his prime. As everyone back then knew who he was, so too did Nozama.

Taric shook his head. “I never would have guessed that that roguish disciple of mine would end up becoming one of the most terrifying demons to ever exist in the Sea of Void.”

He too knew who Nozama was. Nozama had gained quite a reputation back then, though mostly for all the wrong reasons.

Nozama smirked. “Yes, it would seem that time has changed both of us. I’m here to extinguish the light. I suppose you’re here to stop me?”

“Of course,” said Taric softly. With a hum, the barrier of light expanded tenfold around him, melting away more of Nozama’s black tentacles.

“You’re no match for me, Taric,” said Nozama, shaking his head. He then extended a hand. He was holding a black piece of stone in it. The stone’s surface was smooth, evidence that he had been playing with it for quite some time.

Taric was stunned when he saw the stone in Nozama’s hand. “The Stone of Darkness… You’re not Nozama, you’re his puppet!”

“Puppet? Well, that good-for-nothing disciple turned out to be quite useful after all. As an empty husk for me to inhabit, that is.”

Ignoring High Magus Taric, Nozama gazed up at the Stone of Creation, which was still floating in the air. He shouted, “God of Light, I have returned. Why don’t you show yourself?”

As soon as he said those words, a beam of light streaked down from the Stone of Creation, before coalescing into a 200-foot wide sphere of light in front of Taric.

A clear, resounding voice spoke out, “You shouldn’t have come back, the darkness in my… soul.”

Nozama let out a crazed laugh. “What’s the matter? Am I not welcomed here? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten who you really are, after being worshipped as the God of Light for 200,000 years? Or were those times we spent consuming one realm after another just too horrible to think about?”

The black tentacles around his body were now winding around the ball of light. What happened later came as a shock to Taric.

The God of Light did not even struggle against the tentacles as they began coiling around him.

“My lord, why?” exclaimed Taric.

“I can’t stop him. Be it light or darkness, he is still a part of me. Taric, I may have lied to you. Back then, the Firuman realm had been too powerful. There was an accident when I broke through. I was injured. You didn’t really bring me back to life. I simply let you exercise the darkness in me.

Taric was stunned. He could feel everything he had ever believed in crumbling away. “What? So everything you’ve ever told me has been a lie?”

“Not everything. Some of them have come from the light side of my personality.”

The dark energy continued flowing into the God of Light’s body, which was now growing dimmer and gradually radiating a purple glow. Taric was now panicking. “If light and darkness are polar opposites of each other, why is someone as radiant as you just letting yourself be consumed by darkness?”

As a High Magus, Taric sensed that this union of both light and darkness would bring forth an abomination unlike anything anyone had ever seen in the Sea of Void.

“Light and darkness have always been two sides of the same coin, mortal. My real name is the Ruler of Light and Darkness. The union of light and darkness is my true nature, and they obey my every command.”

Taric was now on the brink of despair. “If you’re that powerful, why would you still want to destroy the realms?”

“Destroy? No, I consume realms. Let me ask you something, Taric. Let’s say you’re eating an apple right now. Would you even stop to consider the feelings of the worms living inside it when you’re munching down on them? This has nothing to do with good or evil. It’s just survival of the fittest, plain and simple.”

A shiver ran down Taric’s spine. All that he could feel now was utter despair. “Then why would you still bother replying to a question from a worm like myself?”

“Hehehe…”

At that moment, Nozama had vanished completely. The ball of light that had been the God of Light had turned purple. From it, a genderless voice laughed out. “Well, you’ve been quite the obedient little pet to me for a long time. Of course, you deserve some special treatment from me. Compared to other mortals, you hold a special place in my heart.”

“What are you going to do now?” said Taric. His voice rang hollow with despair.

“Now? I’m a bit hungry now. It’s been 10,000 since I’ve eaten anything. I see this apple called Fedaro has already ripened enough. It’s looking mighty tasty now.”

“No!!! I won’t let you!” The aura around Taric converged into a single beam of light, which then pierced through the purple ball of light like a sword.

With a bang, glass-like fragments sprayed out from the purple ball of light. However, Taric was now nowhere to be seen. He had been completely disintegrated into a wisp of smoke.

“Poor Taric, he would rather bite a chunk out of me at the cost of his own life rather than stay on just a bit longer as my pet… That’s one way to excite someone’s appetite.”