'What did this foolish copy do?!'
Dread's icy finger gripped his heart and made his body shudder in fear as Gaston's words settled.
'Three archmages working together! Selene alone will overpower the other two, even if they band together to stop their alliances.'
His Macuahuitl dropped to the ground as pure terror consumed him.
"You still have time! Focus on building alliances to protect yourself and what you hold dear. Fortunately, Shepard backs you. With his kingdom project and partnership with the Temperance, you might resist them."
"W-Why would I? I can join them since we already interacted."
He stuttered, his jaws hanging open against his will and his thoughts swirling into a chaotic mess.
"Sure, be my guess. They'll enslave every earthling, including you."
Gaston's lips curled into a sneer as he shook his head, his eyes glinting with contempt.
"Since the beginning, you only had one choice. I played by the rules and explained everything to you, not because you forced me. But to make you understand the political undercurrents rocking the world before they collide and destroy everything. Now, give me your answer."
"I don't want to work with you!"
What an irony. The man who held the number one spot on his hate list for so longue, but he had to help him revive?!
'What kind of sick joke is that?! All for what? A potential war that might not happen?'
Yet, he shuddered at the thought. What if it happened? Gaston's words sounded too real to be dismissed.
He cursed in his mind as his frame trembled like a leaf battered by the wind.
And finally, he made a choice. Not the one he wanted to do, but a choice, nonetheless.
"If you try anything funny, I'll behead you before you notice it. I don't care about your pseudo-flaw cleansing. Show me you are trustworthy with your actions."
Truthfully, Gaston's arguments were too many and too sharp. He could kill him now. But then what? Struggle when everything spiralled out of control?
'I'll use him instead. He is good at planning and manipulation, not to mention his strength.'
A steely glint flashed in his eyes as he gritted his teeth.
"You have one chance."
"I don't need more. And you can trust me. I'll make you benefit from the chaos so much that you'll smile."
Gaston extended his hand, a vicious grin twisting his lips before he added.
"Oh! Before I forget, I know where the island the cleaver spoke about is. It's the Tide Caller's current residence, so you won't have much trouble finding it."
He clicked his tongue, begrudgingly shaking his old nemesis' hand before turning.
"Focus on the werewolves for now. Do you have a plan, or do I use brute strength as I initially prepared?"
"Only a few adjustments. I'll counter their spells while you overwhelm them in melee. That way, the pressure on you will diminish. For the vampires, negotiation might work. They are less violent, so propose a few items or threaten them using Selene's name."
He saw Gaston shrug and rolled his eyes.
'You changed nothing to my plans. I'll only add that Selene is an archmage to threaten them.'
He sighed, hating the situation, before closing his eyes to leave the soul sea and Gaston.
'The less I see him, the less infuriated I'll be.'
When he reopened them, he saw the verdant forest extending before him and the two dark mages' corpses littering the ground. Nothing had changed, and the sun hadn't moved much.
In the distance, he noticed Aurelius' worried expression distorting his teenager's face as he raced toward him.
Like a gale, the boy reached him in the blink of an eye.
"I got the XP notifications. I can't believe two mages ambushed you."
"Yeah. That's why it's better if you two return. The trip will become more dangerous, so please, don't make things harder for me."
Fortunately, Aurelius nodded this time, forcing a sigh of relief out of his lips.
"I'll train harder not to be a burden. Next time, I'll show you how I'll take care of those mongrels!"
Despite his confident words, he had been trembling in his hiding spot the entire time, too afraid to come out and help. Anya was the same. She remained silent because of her guilt. But they both knew they had overestimated themselves severely this time. After all, they weren't in a tower's trial. Death here would be definitive.
After bidding goodbye and ensuring they had enough money to return, he engulfed himself in the forest. Twigs cracked under his steps as the natural scent filled his nostrils, yet the tranquillity of the wood contrasted with the storm raging in his mind.
'Did I make the right choice? Is Gaston manipulating me using truths instead of lies? I can see this insidious prick do it...'
Despite his plan, doubts gnawed at his heart. The worst part? His instinct didn't help a single time, as if the nightmare's threat didn't exist.
'Is it because I'm stronger now and it can't detect troubles too far in the future? Or is he genuine against all odds?'
He kicked a tree in frustration, the noise of shattering wood and angry birds echoing as the trunk caved in.
'He doesn't deserve to live. Why is it so much harder to be honest than to be like him?'
The question plagued his soul for a moment, his fists clenching as he struggled to suppress the rising anger. If he had no scruples and cared for no one, he would have killed him. But again, where would he find powerful mages to hold the fort? After all, even the system said Gaston had enough potential to become an archmage.
He pondered the question as his steps took him deeper into the forest until what he told Julius resurfaced in his mind.
'Let it go? What a joke!'
He snorted at himself in self-mockery, ignoring the progressively louder howls reverberating around him.
'Let's see where this folly will take us. But one thing is for sure: I'll never forgive him. Well... If he brings back old Theo, I'll do.'
With this last self-deprecating thought, he focused on the colossal wolves surrounding him, peering into their blue and golden eyes without fear.
'Here is the stress relief squad. Exactly what I needed!'
As his Macuahuitl appeared in his hand, he banished Gaston from his thoughts and grinned viciously at the beasts.