The cavern went silent after Zephyr made his last modification, and the air beca heavy with unspoken tension. Lytheron, who had been placid and unmoving, opened his eyes calmly.
The Voice of The World sounded again, utterly indifferent to the high stakes of the conversation.
[Proctor Lytheron A’Uthiel Ryx has received the Scion’s proposed contractual andnts. Proctor will now respond.]
"Modify," Lytheron stated without hesitation, gazing straight at Zephyr.
"You chose to amnd the clauses. Good. It shows you at least have a good grasp on such nuances," he nodded slowly. "If you had accepted this contract without probing its weaknesses, jumping right in blindly, I would have questioned your intelligence. The idea of claiming your body sooner rather than later would have grown heavier on my mind..."
Zephyr felt a chilly unease mixed with a bit of vindication at Lytheron’s words — vindication that all he had modified were fully justified. Even with how seemingly fair the clauses were, Lytheron had still colored it with things that would favor him right from the start. It was never absolutely for Zephyr’s benefit — or the benefit of whoever the Scion could have been.
"Let us address your first concern... Adherence to Purpose of Origin," Lytheron continued. It seed he was not modifying Zephyr’s clauses silently like the boy had. Instead he was actually negotiating his terms out loud right as he made the modifications.
"You seek to prevent yourself from violating your present moral codes, self-harm, or endangering your established loved ones... I accept this modification," Lytheron stated passingly.
"You have bound to reveal the goals of Origin and ensure they do not require you to act against your current morality. That is plausible, and I can accept it," Lytheron nodded.
"But know this. The Will of Origin is one that will inevitably set you on a path where you will lose your loved ones," he stared Zephyr straight in the eyes, "you will lose friends, family... even your so-called morals... All that will follow you is hate... and death."
Zephyr’s jaws tightened. If Lytheron was trying to convince him to accept the contract, he was spectacularly failing at it. Every word that ca out of his mouth right now was simply killing any interest he had in the first place.
That was such a grim and bleak future that outweighed any benefit the contract could provide.
"...Though from the looks of things, it seems you were already headed down that path yourself," he muttered mysteriously, making Zephyr frown.
Zephyr was just about to seek further clarification when the elf suddenly moved on to the next clause, cutting him off.
"Your second andnt. You ask for a 50% guarantee on the transfer of my total Mana Core Potential, encompassing the increase in your Mana Node Count, without exception, and not limited to..." Lytheron cracked a smile at this. "You sought clarification on the scope of the reward you would receive in a precise, and frankly succinct way..."
A trace of admiration crossed Lytheron’s eyes. "I accept this modification... but," he raised a finger, "with the condition that this fifty percent of my magic potential isn’t absolute. You can only get it if you are capable enough to digest up to that amount."
"Hold on—" Zephyr cut in. "You said if I can reach fifty percent, right...?"
Lytheron nodded with an amused smile playing on his lips, seeing where Zephyr was going with his train of thought.
"...then what if I can digest more than fifty percent?" Zephyr asked. "You’ve made it so I now have to work for it... so what if I actually surpass your expectations? Can I take it that there is more beyond fifty percent of your original magic potential...? Just how much can you I get?"
Lytheron grinned. One that leaked condescension of the highest order. As if he was looking at a child who didn’t know the height from the earth to the sky.
A deep chuckle couldn’t help but escape his lips, echoing through the cavern. "Sure... I can make such an andnt," he said with a flourish, chuckling as he did.
Zephyr nodded at the confirmation. He could obviously tell what Lytheron thought of his request, but he still felt it wouldn’t prove as difficult as the elf thought it to be.
’As long as it involves mana nodes...’ Zephyr held back his own smile.
Lytheron would be the one in for a real surprise instead!
Lytheron wiped the last traces of humor from his face, reigning his expression till it beca flat and cold.
"And now, we arrive at your Failure Clause."
Lytheron stared at Zephyr. "So you attempt to deny my consciousness of its final, absolute necessity for survival — the ability to claim your otherwise dead body and continue the purpose. This contract is a two-way wager. I have given you the keys to power, guaranteed half of my life’s work, and conceded to your moral limitations."
"What did I demand in return? Only that if you fail — if my gamble on your life is lost, I get to use the vessel that was you to continue the purpose..."
"I refuse this modification. It is non-negotiable. I will not allow my ultimate purpose to be dependent on the final, spiteful decision of a failed vessel. I will not trade my absolute right to existence for your petty reason."
Lytheron t Zephyr’s eye with a direct, lethal challenge. "I have accepted your first and your second clause. Now, it is all up to you, young Zephyr..." Lytheron spread his monster hands. "Your life, and your body — if you fail — in exchange for the knowledge and potential I offer. Knowing I see your wily ploy, and knowing I refuse to concede this one point, what do you do now? Will you decline the Scion contract just for the sake of a petty test?"
Zephyr did not respond imdiately. The atmosphere was thick with Lytheron’s challenge. A blatant test of whether Zephyr valued his pride over the monuntal potential being offered.
’He’s certain I’ll fold,’ Zephyr thought, analyzing the elf’s steady gaze. ’He knows the terms are too appealing, and my need to survive is greater than my need for control over my own corpse.’
Zephyr knew Lytheron was right. The potential power at stake — the 50% Mana Node Count guarantee — was too monuntal to throw away over a contingency for a future death he planned to avoid anyway. Declining now would be foolish.
But accepting now would also an he was submitting to Lytheron’s power play entirely, and that was sothing he didn’t want to allow just like that...
He needed to exert the control he had already won.
"You do know what you’re saying is useless for now, right?" Zephyr suddenly asked. "Before I can decide to Accept or Decline this agreent, I must first fully understand what I am committing my life to."
Lytheron frowned slightly, confused by the abrupt shift in focus.
"The first clause I modified, the Adherence to Purpose of Origin, already binds you to fully reveal the goals of Origin before I make my choice," Zephyr reminded him. "You conceded that point freely. You stated that the Will of Origin is a path that will cost my loved ones, my morals, everything..." he repeated Lytheron’s words right back to him.
"Before I sign a contract that will chain my life and body to that path, you need to explain the specifics of this will..."
"Hmm" Lytheron let out a soft sigh of amusent. It wasn’t like he wasn’t aware of the clause. But Zephyr bringing it up now had dulled the montum he’d just built up.
The boy had taken control of the negotiations again.
And for Lytheron... the feeling wasn’t one he was used to. Especially against one so young.
Without preamble, he triggered the Voice of The World again.
"I acknowledge the activation of the Unbarred Truth covenant established in the Scion’s terms," Lytheron stated.
"I agree to adhere to the stipulation that the Will of Origin must be fully revealed to the Champion ZeroOne Sovereign, true-nad Zephyrus Sol Ra’Elis before the contract can be finalized..."
A short beat of silence reigned for a mont before the familiar, indifferent Voice of The World sounded in Zephyr’s mind.
[Proctor Lytheron A’Uthiel Ryx has successfully invoked the Unbarred Truth covenant. Contract finalization will be halted until the Proctor has fully disclosed the Will of Origin and the Champion has acknowledged full comprehension.]
[Proctor Lytheron A’Uthiel Ryx is now bound to provide an absolute and truthful disclosure of the Will of Origin.]
Zephyr nodded. "Well, that’s it. So tell what this Will of Origin is and how I co into play, such that you were willing to bet your entire existence..." he asked Lytheron, folding his arms.
If Zephyr said he wasn’t curious, he’d be lying right through his teeth. The brief history Lytheron had revealed had only made him even more curious to know more.
Algernon. The human genius. Father of spell logic.
Aurelis. The elven enigma. The ’mother’ of mana cores and nodes as it was known today...
The elven history Lytheron had revealed... How much of it had been objective and uncolored by his bias.
At least now the elf was bound to be truthful to him, so that should redy any other bias that might co into play. He’d get the truth, and the truth alone.
Lytheron turned and walked back to the center of the room sitting back in a lotus position. He stretched out a hand, gesturing for Zephyr to do the sa.
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A/N: This Chapter’s special thanks goes to DestroyerMagus and John_Smith2224 for the Golden Tickets and continued support. 🤙 I really appreciate.
In regards to my second book, I ssed up the timing a bit. Most of the webnovel editors in charge of vetting a book before it can be published are on their leave of absence and won’t be back till Thurs/Fri. So my new book would not reflect publicly until then...😮💨
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