Chapter 3938: Fires of Envy (Part 1)

"Dawn is the only reason I could hold my ground against the World Tree until everyone came to my rescue." Solus said. "On top of that, Dawn took part in the final battle of the War of the Griffons and gives Light Mastery tips to Aran and Leria whenever she visits.

"That’s a huge plus on Lith’s book. He doesn’t trust her or Acala, but Lith considers them valuable assets who share his enmity against Meln. Unless you can provide something of similar value, I don’t think Lith will consider helping you."

"What if I teach him the tower crafting technique that I devised for Silverspire?" Silverwing asked.

"You dare call that rickety shack a mage tower?" Menadion scoffed. "Please, you wouldn’t have ever completed it without Yaga’s help. Moreover, as long as Lith treats my daughter right, he can count on receiving my legacy along with Solus as soon as I’m caught up with modern magic."

"Also, let’s not forget that your so-called Silverspire tower was so poorly made that you dismantled it soon after we returned from the World Tree’s Fringe." Baba Yaga said.

"Of course I did." Silverwing groaned. "That version of Silverspire was a patchwork of what I managed to learn about tower-crafting by myself and the techniques that I derived from what I remembered about Ripha’s tower.

"It was full of holes in its power core that you filled with bits and pieces based on your Bloodhaven, Yaga. No respectable mage would call that thing her mage tower. It was a group project at best.

"Maybe the Silverspire I envision won’t be as powerful as Ripha’s tower or as spacious as yours, Yaga, but it will be tailored to my needs."

"A noble sentiment, but also one more good reason for Lith to refuse your offer." Menadion said. "Assuming he and Solus go their own way when her life force fully heals, why learn from you when he can learn from me?"

"What if I promise to help him against one of his enemies?" Silverwing had to concede the point and tried a different angle.

"I’m sorry, Loka, but you’d be asking for something he can give you now in exchange for a maybe." Solus replied. "There is no trust between you. Why should Lith believe you’d drop everything you are doing at a moment’s notice and run to his help?

"What if your amulet is not available or you consider what you are doing more important than Lith’s request?"

Once again, Silverwing had no good answer. She took one of Vexal’s chocolate wands and munched it furiously.

"This thing is really good." She grunted. "Also, I’m still going to try to convince Verhen to help me. The only thing I ask you, Solus, is not to shoot me down before he does."

"Sure." Solus said and turned toward Baba Yaga. "There’s something I don’t understand, Malyshka. How can Loka’s lifeforce be so different from Lith’s? She’s a rank 4 human, is she not?"

"She is, Solus." The Maiden nodded. "And you are right. Lochra’s life force, or rather, her apex form’s life force, is bound to be similar to Lith’s, but more complex and powerful."

"Are you telling me white cores have two life forces? One normal and one apex?" Solus tilted her head in confusion.

"No, child." Baba Yaga shook her head. "We have only one life force. Yet white cores are special. We can... easily alter our bodies with no side effects. Think of Lochra’s situation as Lith’s with his human life force.

"She gained her apex form the moment she achieved the white core, but since she never used it, all the parts of her life force that trigger the transformation are atrophied."

The Maiden referred to a white core’s ability to shift their body from matter to energy at will. It was akin to Leegaain’s Spirit Fusion, but the changes in the energy form were not lost once they reverted to their physical bodies.

"Can you at least explain why Surtr, Retia, and Sinmara achieved their apex form with ease, whereas you had to learn how to tap into it, and Loka and Aylen never even suspected it existed?" Solus asked.

"That’s actually pretty simple." The Maiden nodded. "Divine Beasts are already rank 3 beasts. Their life force is but one step away from their final destination. Once they achieve the white core, the apex form comes natural to them. It’s no different from a magical beast turning into an Emperor Beast.

"The foundations are already laid, and the road is paved. All they have to do is take one step forward. It’s the reason even someone like Thrud, who had only become a Divine Beast for a short while, achieved her Golden Griffon form.

"People like me and Lochra, instead, belong to the bottom of the barrel of our species. Can you imagine how hard it is, not only for our body, but also for our mind and sense of self, to jump from rank 0 to rank 4?"

"It must be difficult, if not even traumatic." Solus’ eyes widened in understanding. "Lith’s human aspect evolved bit by bit, but he never noticed because he considered himself a regular man. He needed your input to discover his Indech form."

"And he already had it, Solus." Baba Yaga nodded. "Lith missed the steps, but he took them nonetheless. He was a rank 3 human who kept repressing his form, but not his powers.

"He used many human abilities as a Tiamat and had also started training his human wings with Ryla’s help. All I had to do was lift the veil from his eyes. In Lochra’s case, instead, she has lived as a rank 0 human for over a millennium.

"She has no wings or eyes to train, nor a human melody to follow because she is human. As for Aylen, she already was a Lich when she achieved the white core, so there’s no telling what monstrosity she’ll become if she ever achieves her apex form."

"Do you understand now why I need Verhen’s help?" Silverwing asked. "If he teaches me how to feel my wings and eyes, I’ll be able to stimulate my dormant mana organs and let them guide me towards my apex form."

"I understand, Aunt Loka, and so will Lith." Solus replied. "Yet this doesn’t mean he will care about it."

***

Jiera continent, ruined city of Talgor, at the same time.

The news of Ruugat of the Earth’s defeat had spread like wildfire since the day Vladion had reclaimed the fortress of Detemer. The Awakened Council of Jiera had also broadcast the recordings of the battle to placate the tensions between the Jierans and the settlers from Garlen.

The Council’s goal was to showcase the benefits of cooperating with those that the vast majority of Jierans considered as invaders. One lost city had been sealed, and a native Jieran feudal lord had reclaimed his ancestral land.

The operation had been a complete success, and Lith demonstrating there was still hope for human evolution had ignited a fire in the hearts of most Jierans, Awakened and not.

Most of them now saw the people of Zelex and the Fomors in particular as priceless assets. Awakened and regular humans alike strived to establish a friendly relationship with them while waiting for a cure for their condition to be found.

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