Chapter 287: Talk
"W-what the fuck!" The man stutters, stepping back, his mind racing with the implications of Kael's revelation. 'T-that dragon? Oh shit, that could've ended badly. Who the hell is this kid? Is he even a kid? There were only two people who saw me that day, and they were both women. This kid is strange... he has an artifact that I couldn't detect, the artifact is not normal either, to manipulate its size to such a degree... He's also been relatively calm this whole time,' he thinks, bewildered and uneasy.
"Tsk, you're not a kid, are you? Are you a dragon?" he asks, suspicion creeping into his voice.
Hearing this, Kael laughs, a deep, hearty sound that echoes slightly in the chilled air. "Pfffhahaha, a dragon? No, I'm not a dragon and I'm not a kid," he says casually, settling himself on a rock with an air of nonchalance. "You almost killed yourself, you crazy fuck. I know you're capable, I know who you are, where you came from. You can probably outrun most dragons but her mother is a different story," Kael mumbles, suppressing a yawn.
The man glares at Kael, his expression a mixture of respect and frustration. "You're right, I can't beat that dragon, she's a mythical dragon... If I had known this girl is her daughter, I wouldn't have tried to kill her," he mutters, turning to see Lysandra snoring peacefully next to Kael.
He then sighs and sits down himself, his thoughts swirling. 'There are two ways dragons are born. The first way is the common way of the mother laying an egg. The second method is much more difficult and complicated. I only know about it thanks to my connection. Instead of laying an egg, both the father and the mother condense a large amount of their mana into an egg-like shape. I think they add their blood essence, but the thing is... I don't know exactly how they do it, but they create an egg with the guarantee to hatch a dragon with complete control over their element. I did hear the chances of it working are extremely low. I wonder if this girl... No, I should back off,' he concludes, a newfound caution tempering his earlier aggression.
"You're quite confident you know me. You lured me in with the rumors of a human using elven arts. What do you want from me?" he asks, fixing Kael with a probing look.
"Hmhmhm, You know, out of everyone in the Dead Sea, you're my favorite," Kael mumbles, toying with a platinum coin between his fingers, a sly smirk playing across his lips. "You're smart, you're strong, and most importantly, you know how to survive," he adds, flipping the coin over to the man known only as the crazy fuck.
"Huh... do you have a job for me?" the man asks, catching the coin with a practiced flick of his wrist. His smirk mirrors Kael's, a spark of interest lighting up his eyes. "You know I'm expensive. It doesn't matter if it's a human, a dragon, or a giant. I don't give discounts," he states confidently, pocketing the coin.
Kael leans back, his gaze assessing. 'This guy... he's as strong as Rose, even though he's Zeke's age. He was born in the Dead Sea, ruled it to the point he got bored and left. He can't really use even a quarter of his abilities here since he would instantly either be teleported back or break the ceremony's array and end the test on the spot. In the original story, he was imprisoned after he tried to steal from Lilith, then offered a chance for freedom if he joined the war, but unfortunately, he himself couldn't deal with an entire family. I'm going to change his story,' Kael thinks, a plan forming in his mind.
"Money isn't a problem. This is going to be a fun job for you and your buddies, I'll hire you all," Kael states, reaching into his pouch and pulling out another, smaller pouch. He opens it and dumps it upside down, letting three dozen platinum coins spill out. The man's eyes widen, and his mouth waters slightly, his fingers trembling at the sight. 'So much money...' he thinks, barely containing his excitement.
Kael observes him with a knowing smirk. 'This is costly, but the benefits outweigh the costs,' he muses internally. Extending his arm, he offers, "Are you interested?"
The man clears his throat, composing himself. "Hmm... Just what exactly will we do?" he inquires, curiosity piqued.
Kael stands up and leans forward, gently covering Lysandra's horns. "You're aware of the incoming war, right? The dark elves are tired of enslavement; the war is inevitable," he mumbles, stifling a yawn.
The man laughs, a dark, rich sound. "Hmhmhmhm, don't tell me you care? I won't get involved in the war; war is boring and stupid," he scoffs, dismissing the idea with a wave of his hand.
Kael nods in agreement. "I agree, I don't want you to fight. One of the targets will be a tourist area. Your job is simple. You and your buddies will protect the other races from the elves until they all manage to evacuate, gain publicity, I will give you all custom suits and masks," Kael explains, laying out the terms of the engagement.
Kael flicks a TSI towards the man, who catches it deftly. "I will contact you 10 hours before the attack happens," Kael mumbles, settling back onto his rock. "I don't care how you deal with the elves as long as you don't torture them. The war won't happen anytime soon; they'll wait till after the festival to attack."
The crazy fuck examines the TSI with a raised eyebrow, recognizing the device's rarity and value. 'Huh... I heard about this, only premium customers in the underground auction can buy these. They're like MSTs but better. I heard they were relatively cheap when they came out but soon prices skyrocketed after dozens of features the MST doesn't have were added. It's worth at least 4 platinum coins... hmhmhmhm, this day turned out better than I imagined,' he muses internally.
Then, his gaze shifts back to Kael, curiosity piqued. 'Hmm... I wonder who he is. He's most likely wearing some type of magical mask to make himself look young and dumb while he takes care of the dragon.'
Kael, noting the man's speculative look, pulls out a piece of paper. "If the other races don't listen, you can knock them out but don't kill them or cripple them," he instructs, his tone firm but casual.
The crazy fuck smirks, eyeing the pile of coins. "Nope," Kael says quickly, pulling the coins back into his pouch. "You get your money when the job is done."
"Come on, I need a down payment," the man retorts, his annoyance evident as he exhales sharply.
Kael points at the TSI. "That's your down payment. I'm not going to give you money so you can run off into a fucking whorehouse and spend it all before disappearing."
The man stands up, a chuckle escaping him despite his frustration. "Tsk, aaaah you got me... Fine, I'll wait, this is an easy job... By the way, do you know my birth name?" He asks, his tone suddenly serious and cold.
Kael smiles slightly, maintaining his composure under the man's intense gaze. "Do you want to hear it?"
The man turns away, his voice low. "Don't. I gave up that name when I left the Sea."
Kael sighs, "Okay, now I'll tell you how to use elven arts."
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Tsk, you damn barbarian, I know you're low on mana," Isabella says coldly, her eyes narrowed in a calculating stare. 'I know it, I can beat him,' she clenches her fist, casting a huge lightning sword above. She holds her arm and sweats. 'I need to constantly repair the magic circle since this rain keeps melting it.' The purple lightning crackles in the sky. Boom! It strikes Zelo, but when the lightning disperses, Zelo stands there, unharmed, scratching his head. "Dammit you noble, just how much mana do you have, girl? Anyone your age should be empty by now," he mumbles, exhaling heavily.
"Should we help?" Kaida whispers to Biana, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
Biana raises an eyebrow, scoffing at the suggestion. "Help?" she echoes dismissively.
Isabella turns sharply after hearing Biana. "Don't get in my way, this is all happening because of you," she snaps, her voice icy.
"Fuck you, I wasn't going to help you to begin with," Biana retorts, rolling her eyes as she turns to walk away. "Isadora, time to see you lose again," she yawns, her disinterest palpable.
Isadora blinks, following Biana without a thought behind those eyes, her expression blank yet somehow resigned.
"Hmhmhm, it's funny," Zelo exhales, his smirk widening. "If it wasn't for the restrictions I'm under, beating you would be as simple as snapping my fingers." He then snaps his fingers demonstratively.
Isabella rolls her eyes, her frustration mounting. "Yeah, well too bad. Cry about it once I beat you. I've lost twice, once against you, and once against an asshole that ignores me," she grumbles, gripping her wand tightly.
Boom! Boom! Boom! They both exchange explosive blows, Isabella using lightning attacks while Zelo counters with wind blades. The area around them shakes, the intensity of their magic casting shadows over the battlefield as both fly on their sticks at high speeds.
"You're very good at adapting," Zelo mumbles as he appears behind her, but she blocks with a wall of flames.
"I don't need compliments from a barbaric criminal. I'm aware of my talents, and I hate it," Isabella snaps back, her voice laced with bitterness.
Zelo casts a magic circle, which promptly makes it rain wind blades. "You hate it?" he asks, confused by her vehemence.
Isabella counters his spell by casting a lightning bolt that connects to the wind blades in a chain, destroying them. "I am tired of people saying I'm strong because of my gifts and affinities. I have never once relied on my affinities; I don't use the casting method my sisters use. I won't rely on others to grow. I will become the greatest mage, without relying on my 'gifts'. My own effort, my own studies, my own creations, that's why I will become the best," she declares fiercely.
Zelo scratches his head, baffled by Isabella's assertions. "Huh... I don't get it. Aren't you using your affinities right now? You have multiple affinities, and you've been using them this whole fight. You also used a spell made by your mother. You're contradicting yourself," he mumbles, slicing the air with a wind scythe.
Blocking the attack with a wind barrier, Isabella glares at him coldly. "You're partially right but completely wrong. Lightning, wind, earth, fire, ice—these are the lowest usable affinities I have. The spell I used is based off my mother's, but I recreated it myself. You cannot judge me, criminal. Someone like you is nothing. I will face stronger people, they might have the right to judge me, but not you." she says, casting six huge lightning swords.
"You wouldn't understand, just like everyone else," she adds dismissively, her gaze sharp and unyielding. Zelo looks around, puzzled. 'Is she casting a spell? I don't see the magic circles...' he thinks, confused by her technique.
"Have you ever wondered about ancient magic?" she asks coldly, her voice echoing slightly in the charged air.
He exhales, visibly annoyed. "I see... You might want to give up that dream, ancient magic is lost. Researching it will only make your life miserable," he mumbles, yawning as he dodges another of her attacks.
"You're just like every other person. Pathetic, every mage these days are pathetic. Do you know why I'm telling you this?" Isabella scoffs, her disdain clear as she prepares her next move.
Zelo casts a magic shield, bracing as he's attacked from all angles. "I love seeing people's reactions, thinking I'm crazy," she states, a cold smirk playing across her lips.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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