Re: Level 100 Farmer

Chapter 326 - Amon, The Burning One

The party heard Old Thane's words and began to move, knowing that if they wanted a guarantee of their survival, then they needed to find Li. 

"Where shall we find the Seer, though?" said Mason, and as Asala did not counteract his words this time, it was evident that there was no good answer to this question among the party. "He could be anywhere. He could be further in or he may even be outside of this dungeon."

Zagan, however, resonated his voice through the twin crimson eyes that poked out through Old Thane's broad, plate-like chest muscle. "The connection to the Seer that this personage possesses has dimmed considerably such that direct talk from mind to mind is severed. However, this personage still possesses the capacity to sense a faint link to the Seer.

Through this link, this personage thus knows that the Seer lies deeper within the dungeon."

"And the words of a demon-," began Mason before he was cut short by Mercer elbowing him in the side. 

"Demon, lead the way, and we will follow," said Mercer. 

"This personage is no mere 'demon'," said Zagan. "Ones such as yourselves shall address me with the title of 'Great'. No less than that shall be tolerated."

The power in Zagan's voice was self-evident, radiating outwards in echoing peals that seemed to rumble the earth itself. It was power that promised the simple truth that should Zagan desire so, every single individual in the party could immediately die under his gaze with not a single thing they could do to fend against it. 

"But this personage will tolerate a time of adjustment needed for you lowly mortals to address him properly. For now, there is a more pressing matter for this personage to attend to," said Zagan. "Human, move to the larger giant's corpse."

"Aye," said Old Thane, and he leaped up, crossing several meters in a surprisingly graceful instant as he stood over the great sword wielding fire giant's helmeted head. A pool of molten liquid, its blood, drained out from its severed neck, forming a burning, sizzling puddle underneath it. 

"This magic…I know of its scent," said Zagan. "It is not the magic of the Abyss, but demonic in nature."

"Are not these fire giants demons of their own right?" said Old Thane. 

"No. They may be demons, but they are far removed from the main See. They are more attuned to nature than the common demon," explained Zagan. "The fire giants served the Demonic See only once, in the First Darkening when they were led by the primordial flame titan Asmodai, the then Herald of Wrath.

With the fall of Asmodai, the fire giants returned to the Gigant, never again desiring to aid the demons for losses to their kind."

"And of this Darkening? Do ye know whether the giants come to the demon's aid now?" said Old Thane. 

"Last this personage was in the ranks of the Burning One, he heard tell that the fire giants were sought after, but unlikely to return an invitation to enter another Darkening," said Zagan. "For such is the nature of the Gigant. A self-contained world, and yet one of vast significance, its stability directly intertwined with the balance of weather in the greater world around it. Thus, no Burning One has ever tried to force the hand of the fire giants, for to break this balance would usher in change across the world unforeseeable." 

"And yet, me seems to think that the fire giants have taken a side now," remarked Old Thane. "Against the lad, they were prepared, aye."

"Indeed," said Zagan. "And this personage knows how. The stench of their magic is quite familiar to this personage. It is the magic of Amon, this personage's former pupil and the reigning Burning One."

"Young lads under our tutelage will always be rebellious, eh?" said Old Thane to Zagan with a fanged smile before he grew more serious. "But to create new spells? This Amon has some skill to his name, aye. Me thought new spells impossible to forge again." 

"Not impossible," said Asala. "Our great goddess Zahaka governeth the Spellstream. The river of magic and mana from which mana and magic derive. With her blessing, users of magic could forge and tune spells to their will.

Mine sisters and I were emissaries of this process, acting as intermediaries by which spells and magic could be changed. 

But alas, thine kind, or rather, human and elven kind alike hath turned their backs upon us, and thus, spell forging hath become an extinct art."

"Your knowledge is commendable but incomplete," said Zagan. "The Spellstream is governed not solely by Zahaka, elsewise she would have taken magic away from the demons during the First Darkening when she herself fought against us. 

The Spellstream is a vaster power than any of us. Any demon, any god. It is a primordial force interwoven with the fabric of reality itself, reality that spans beyond this world to the countless others in the distance of the starry void and beyond. 

Zahaka is merely a conduit for it in this world. There is nothing that prevents another from tapping into it provided they possess the adequate power, or, in Amon's case, the proper set of forbidden rituals."

Zagan paused for a moment, his crimson eyes leering down at the deceased fire giant. "Last this personage saw of Amon, the child had yet to perform a breakthrough to reach true access to the Spellstream. 

It would seem that the child has surpassed these hurdles. No doubt, utilizing in some part the forbidden and heretical powers of the Abyss."

"That is so, my dear teacher." A new voice echoed from the fire giant's corpse. It was a calm and measured voice, one nary any emotion. Coldly calculating. 

The puddle of molten blood underneath the giant's head bubbled before swirling upwards, floating in the air in a sphere that then molded into the visage of a large, all-seeing eye.

"So this is the company that you now sully yourself with? Come now, my once master, will you not join my side again?"