CHAPTER 188: INSANE CLAUSE: MAGIC POTENTIAL

Why was someone so great and mighty... An ancient figure with such deep and vast knowledge, trapped here?

Zephyr could already infer a few things from the information Lytheron had given so far.

Lytheron had mentioned that his, and the other grey clothed’s souls were trapped in these monster bodies to "nurture the current generation..."

If that was the case, then what was in it for them?

What did they stand to gain?

Lytheron had not looked like he was being forced into divulging the secret history of Astralis at all.

In fact, he’d looked very eager to do it.

And that was what rubbed Zephyr the wrong way.

An elf of his stature. A Tier 8 Paragon. Reduced to the point where he now inhabited the body of a stout, weird-looking monster, living in a deep cavern underground some unknown world somewhere... and yet he was still eager to perform his duties?

No. That didn’t sit right with Zephyr.

He’d concluded that the old elf stood to benefit something that would free him of his current body — which was very likely considering the elf had even called it a vessel himself...

Or, there was some other benefit Zephyr couldn’t see yet.

Either way, any benefit must still very likely relate to him being set free.

How this would come about, Zephyr didn’t know.

It might be like Zephyr was suspecting, and had something to do with him probably becoming Lytheron’s new vessel, basically granting the elf a new lease on life. A second life basically... and in the current era too...

Or, it might actually be wholesome, Lytheron’s plans might not be as dubious as Zephyr had made it out to be, and it could in fact origin granting the elf a great benefit for ’being of service.’

But Zephyr wasn’t willing to take that chance. The massive power gap between both of them meant that whatever Lytheron could do to Zephyr would fly right over his head without him knowing the beginning of it.

A Tier 8’s methods was just that far beyond what Zephyr could fathom...

All these doubts, and very possibly paranoid thoughts brewed in Zephyr’s mind as the elf had narrated the history of Astralis to him.

That was what led him to noticing the fact that the previous pressure he’d felt... did not actually affect his body.

That in itself wasn’t anything of note, one would assume that if someone was powerful enough that they were able to mentally suppress you to the point where you could barely move, then they could just as well have done the same physically...

But Zephyr questioned that.

He remembered that when he stepped out of the cavern the first time, that pressure had disappeared.

There was a mechanism — a limit — in place that restricted Lytheron. Probably by the deliberate design of Origin.

His probe had simply tested that limit even more. It had been a very dangerous probe, but one that Zephyr had been confident in.

All the champions had barely been here for more than a few days, so there was no way someone as powerful as Lytheron would be allowed to roam around freely just yet.

That was most likely why he was trapped here...

Coupled with the fact that Zephyr had heard him chanting those elvish words in meditation, he became sure that Lytheron had been suppressed so much, he was nowhere close to his real level of power at all.

’Which means right now, I have a shot at suppressing him!’ Zephyr’s gaze locked in concentration.

The only thing Lytheron had as an absolute advantage was that ’mental pressure’ of a Tier 8 Paragon that no matter how watered down, still brought Zephyr to a standstill.

But whenever that was used, Lytheron also couldn’t cast any other spell.

’I need to find a way past that spatial barrier!’ Zephyr muttered anxiously. Every second he spent looking for options gave Lytheron more time to reorganize himself... though he was doing a bad job of that at the moment.

Lytheron was still stuck in a daze, unmoving, as blood spilled down his chest and arm from the large, sizzled-edge gash that Zephyr had somehow created.

He was still struggling to understand what had happened, when suddenly a thought flitted through his mind.

Impossible...

His head snapped up at Zephyr with a fervent gaze.

Zephyr was already at the other side of the cavern, close enough to the doorway that he could step through at any moment... out of the reach of Lytheron.

But that didn’t seem to concern Lytheron, as his gaze grew even more fervent the more the stray thought rolled in his mind.

Zephyr shuddered, taking a step back immediately, feeling threatened. ’What is that look?’

He became alert again when Lytheron suddenly raised both hands out of the blue, and with a deep sonorous voice, called out: "WORLD CLAUSE!"

For a moment, it felt like the world pulsed. Like something had been unlocked, or activated.

Zephyr went into a panic, dashing out of the cavern immediately. He didn’t know what Lytheron had just done, but he knew he’d felt something.

Weren’t the elf’s powers supposed to be limited?!

"PROCTOR RIGHTS DECLARATION: I, Lytheron A’Uthiel Ryx, name the champion, true named, Zephyrus Sol Ra’Elis, as my Scion—"

"What the fuck does that mean?! What is he trying to do?!!" Zephyr’s body felt terror grip him. That feeling from before — of the world acknowledging something — came back stronger. Something was about to happen...

But thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long to find out what if was.

Not long after Lytheron said those words, the Voice of The World sounded in Zephyr’s mind.

[Notice: Proctor Lytheron A’Uthiel Ryx. Paragon of Flux. Has named you: ZeroOne Sovereign, as his Scion.]

[You will be given a choice to accept, decline, or modify the clause.]

"Decline! Decline! Decline!" Zephyr shook his head, not willing to hear anything at all.

But the Voice of The World simply continued without care.

[Terms and benefits granted to Proctor Lytheron A’Uthiel Ryx’s Scion will be listed.]

[Champion – ZeroOne Sovereign will only be allowed to make a choice after the terms have been listed.]

[Listing Terms.]

[1. Unbarred Truth: The Proctor is permanently bound to truthfully provide the Scion with all relevant information concerning the Trial World’s mechanics, the full extent of the ancient consciousnesses’ constraints, and the Proctor’s explicit motivations. Any intentional deception or omission shall result in the immediate and permanent dissolution of the Proctor’s consciousness and link to their current Scion.]

[2. Exclusive Legacy: The Scion shall receive direct, prioritized, and total instruction in the Proctor’s core mastery, especially the ancient knowledge of Mana Node Structuring and Spell Processing Pathways. This transfer establishes the Scion as the Proctor’s sole successor, granting access to knowledge that is otherwise restricted by the Trial Rules.]

[3. Singular Status and Protection: The title of Scion is irrevocably singular, preventing the Proctor from ever taking on another Scion. The Scion is granted Full Immunity from being targeted for a Vessel Contract by any other ancient consciousness. Furthermore, the Proctor is now limited to declaring only one additional contract of lower rank (such as Acolyte), whose terms will be less favorable and more binding to the recipient.]

[4. Mental Linkage: Upon acceptance, a permanent Mental Link will be forged, enabling two-way communication between the Proctor and the Scion. It will be absolutely non-coercive and beneficial to both parties. This link also permanently voids the Proctor’s right to initiate any form of consciousness overwriting or body transfer against the Scion or any other being within the Trial World.]

Without any pause, the Voice of The World continued, not giving Zephyr the chance to even analyze anything yet.

[Proctor Lytheron A’Uthiel Ryx has accepted the above clauses. If the Scion – ZeroOne Sovereign, true-named – Zephyrus Sol Ra’Elis, also chooses to accept the clauses, below are the requirements expected of him.]

[1. Adherence to purpose of Origin: The Scion acknowledges that the goals of Origin — the ultimate purpose of the Convergence Trial World as will be fully revealed by the Proctor — are now of paramount importance. The Scion is bound to pursue these goals and the Trial World’s ultimate objective with strong resolve.]

[2. Victor Benefits: If the Scion successfully completes the convergence trial and is declared a Victor, the full memory fragments, specialized innate magical talent (such as mana core potential), and vital experience of the Proctor shall be safely and perfectly digested by the Scion’s consciousness and very being.]

[3. Price of Failure: Should the Scion fail to emerge victorious in the Convergence Trial, the Proctor’s consciousness shall, as a benefit, assume full and permanent control of the Scion’s, otherwise dead body. This fully integrated vessel will then be deposited on another world with a sole purpose of furthering the goals of Origin.]

[4. Binding Exclusivity: The Scion cannot enter into a Vessel Contract, Scion Contract, or similar binding agreement with any other ancient consciousness in this Trial. The Scion is irrevocably committed to this singular Proctor and this singular contract.]

[Champion – ZeroOne Sovereign will be allowed ample time to make a decision in regards to the terms and clauses of the contract.]

[Waiting for confirmation. Accept. Decline. Or Modify.]

Zephyr’s previous agitation was nowhere to be found any longer.

All he could do was stand rooted... mostly in disbelief... and partly in trepidation, processing the terms and clauses he’d just heard.

And his main gripe was... It was too skewed!

The clause were too skewed in his favor!

This was what filled him with trepidation!

From the clauses, it’d already been established that it was indeed possible for Lytheron to possess Zephyr’s or any other champion’s body. Zephyr had been right in that regard.

But what surprised him was that despite that fact, Lytheron had abruptly chose to trigger this contract. One that put him in such a disadvantageous position, he could be equivalent to Zephyr’s history library if the boy wanted it. A repository of knowledge that Zephyr could use as he saw fit, with barely any limiting terms.

And then there was the fact that he could actually devour the elf’s consciousness if he emerged as the victor of this convergence trial — A devouring that also touched on something Zephyr felt was too good to be true... Magical Talent!

Was Lytheron crazy?!!

Zephyr couldn’t understand the elf’s motive at all!

They had only met for less than an hour or two.

So why had Lytheron done it?

If Zephyr chose to accept the clauses, then he’d be bound to the boy for life.

What had he seen that made him come to such a decision unhesitatingly...?

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A/N: I will be launching another book on the 5th of October, which is next month. It will be my entry for the Rising Stars competition (this year’s themes are Supernatural or Cyberpunk) that runs from October till January on webnovel.

I’ve been building the world for a while now, taking what I’ve learned writing Mana Processor into the new book, right from the start. So I hope when it releases, you all can show some support there just like you have for Mana Processor. And hopefully I can go on to win!

Mana Processor also continues uninterrupted. I will be writing the two books concurrently — already am, so there should be no cause for alarm. We’re just getting to the main parts of the story where a lot of things will be revealed and Zephyr gets into the radar of... 😉