Silas’ cry of shock was almost comical, his single eye was bugging out of his head, as shock and disbelief clouded his mind.

The red crystals that were the sign of the Archmage’s fury on his body, were beginning to grow and supplant his flesh, his cries grew shrill as the crystal devoured his entire legs and he watched in shock as his member fell off before being replaced by smooth red glass.

He tore the remains of his clothes from his body, as he watched the crystal consume his abs and his chest, and quickly surged up his neck.

“Great one, why…”

He was silenced by the crystal shield that once protected him from the Tier 5 spell snapped shut like a vice, covering him up and blocking his voice, the crystal began to transform what was left of his flesh into glass.

The last thing he heard was a cold female voice, “You failed me dog, my hounds found nothing and time has passed, now I take matters into my hands…”

The Alchemist backed away, he was surprised at this turn of events, Jonathan Melbrooks had given it his all, and his old bones could not take any more fighting, he could run, but something told him that for what was coming it would be useless.

He searched around his body for his pipe and he could not find it, it must have fallen or was destroyed during the previous confrontation. He wanted to smoke at this time, and he sighed as he guessed his craving would have to go unsatisfied.

The bait he had spread around contained his Aura and Andar’s. The Cloud Whale was an unknown factor, not easily found in the Black Federation. As he expected, the Mage went after the bait, and by now Andar should be too far away for them to stop him.

He looked impassively as the body of Silas began to twist and compress, he did not hear the sounds of breaking bones, only a weird shrill noise like fingernails being scratched on a board. If he was not wrong he was about to be visited by an Archmage, but he had no fear or regrets, this was a fitting way to go, considering how he had lived his life.

When the transformation was over, a female form stood before him that resembled a bloody crystal, the eyes of this being were pink and it had no nose or mouth, and that was all he could observe before a formless force dragged him and brought him before the being.

He did not struggle, but he still ended up coughing deeply, and when he spat, it was filled with blood, his lungs had been shredded in the fight.

The force that dragged him to the Archmage was not gentle, and the battle he had just fought had destroyed a significant amount of his body. Only the vitality and tenacity of a rank 4 Mage kept him alive.

“You know who I am, yet you do not bow.” A cold female voice that made the Alchemist feel as if a mountain had been placed on his chest entered his mind.

With a force of will that had been honed over many centuries of strife and struggles, the Alchemist whispered, that was all he could do as he barely had the strength to breathe, “I do not bow to enemies.”

The figure cocked her head to the side and brought a finger up to the Alchemist’s chin, raising his head higher so she could look into his eyes.

“You are an interesting specimen. I can see from the scars you have on your consciousness that you have mutilated your Spirit so I cannot peer into your mind without turning you into a fucking retard.”

The voice was calm yet still possessed a shocking coldness and pressure that made the Alchemist struggle to draw breath.

“Jonathan Melbrooks, that is not your name, for it doesn’t resonate with your Spirit. You have changed your physique and shattered your Spirit Matrix before. Hmm, fascinating, you were previously a Rank 9 Mage. Someone like you cannot be unknown. Now I’m getting interested.”

The figure chuckled, “Your Apprentice would still become mine, with you by my side. That is a foregone conclusion, also your history must be fascinating, a Mage on the cusp of becoming an Archmage yet shattering your own Spirit Matrix, how… tantalizing.”

The figure seized the Alchemist by the nape of his neck like a little puppy and the surroundings blurred, and she arrived before the three Glass Hounds, and she absorbed them into her body.

She began constructing a formation in the air with her free hand. Her hands were moving so fast it was almost a blur as she produced countless Rank 9 Scripts, as she was working she shook the Alchemist held in her hand in a distracted manner like he was made of a few pieces of clothes, “Stop trying to kill yourself.” She said, “You’re annoying me with such stupid actions, I thought you were smarter than this.”

The Alchemist began to cough and strained to raise his hand and touched the middle of his forehead with his index finger, and he whispered, “I am.”

The world around them was unexpectedly swallowed by an intense bolt of lightning that originated from up ahead. A while later the lady made from crystal appeared unharmed but the Alchemist was gone and she was alone. seeming to be deep in thought, she sighed and finished the Formation she was creating.

An ethereal door appeared before her that seemed to exist in many dimensions at the same time, as it faded in and out of reality.

She stepped through the door and her body began to break apart and it reassembled back into two people, Silas and the Mayor.

The Mayor looked around in shock, touching his naked body. Silas was also whole except he had lost his right eye and left arm.

Silas did not complain even though he knew the Archmage could have easily remade his body without any flaws, he dragged the confused Mayor down and they both bowed.

A fading voice in the breeze echoed, “I have created a gate to the Trial Zone in the Town, use it. Silas when you meet Andar give him this.”

A gleaming crystal appeared in front of Silas, and he accepted it with a deep bow, “Extend my goodwill towards him, and don’t antagonize the young boy. If he requests for your head in anger, you shall present it to him while smiling.”

Silas grimaced, yet he still bowed.