Chapter 1211 - Under the Sea (Part 1) (1/2)

”You are seeing the glass as half empty, as usual.” Solus said. ”There is no risk in trying. As Xoth said, we can leave at the first sign of trouble. Also, if this is really an attempt to trigger a tribulation, then it already failed.

”World tribulations don't happen if you want them to. Last, but not least, I want to believe in Faluel's kindness. If she sent us here, it's because she hopes that by helping Jiera we can also help ourselves.

”The Forbidden Sun will affect both of us and even if it doesn't cure our respective condition, it will provide us with invaluable knowledge about Forbidden Magic that we wouldn't be able to acquire without committing unspeakable crimes.”

”And you are seeing the glass as half full, as usual.” Lith replied. ”You are right about the tribulation, but the problem is that I don't want it to trigger because I don't want to die, so the risk still stands.

”Whatever her reason for sending us here is, I hate being manipulated. She should have come to me and said everything straight to my face. The only thing we agree on, is that passing the opportunity to check on the effects of Forbidden Magic would be beyond idiotic.

”The Odi, Arthan's Madness, they all require a healthy individual to work with whereas my life force is already cracked. I can't overlook the possibility that all our planning might become useless if my condition causes side effects with those kinds of procedures.”

”Yeah, right.” Solus scoffed. ”Faluel should have been upfront, just like you did your whole life.”

Her words made the girls chuckle and made Lith even more gloomy.

”Faluel may have set you up, but she also left you a way out. If you don't want to do it, we can just get in, stay a few minutes, and then get out. If you claim to have experienced side effects, no one can question your words, not even Faluel.

”You can pass the test without even trying.” Solus said. ”This is how wisdom works. It's not about being always ten steps ahead or having an ace in the hole. Those things help, but what really matters is what you do with the opportunities you are given.”

”Do you want to come along?” Lith asked to Tista and Phloria.

”I'd rather not.” Tista shook her head. ”During the last few days, I've seen so many horrors born from Jiera's plague that the only thing I want is to go back home and enjoy the peace of the Griffon Kingdom until I die of boredom.

”Yet I'm not going to leave you alone, little brother.” She hugged him, trembling at the idea that what shocked her to the core was just a minimal part of what her brother had faced to become an Archmage at such a young age.

”We need to think about a contingency plan.” Phloria didn't even consider the idea of letting Lith kick a hornet nest the size of a lost city without her watching his back. ”Solus might lessen the burden on you, but she might also make it worse.

”We don't know if the Forbidden Magic ritual will treat you as a single individual or as two different persons. In the first case, you should be able to endure the ritual as long as you need, otherwise you might actually be forced to get out even faster than a regular person.”

”You're right, Phloria.” Solus sighed. ”Not only is my core cracked, but also my life force has always been my weak point due to its link with the tower. Without a mana geyser to sustain my other half, I rely on Lith to survive.

”Worst case scenario, I'll double the strain on his life force instead of relieving it.”

They spent the next couple of days over a mana geyser that Tista had found during her missions, preparing for every scenario they could predict and crafting the tools they might need.