Chapter 158: Magian Matters

  Somewhere in Bask an underground laboratory stretched vast, its cavernous walls reinforced with ancient stone and enchanted metals. Flickering blue crystals lined the ceiling, casting an eerie glow over the massive corpse that dominated the center of the chamber.

  The remains of the Earth Giant King, a being from an age long past, lay sprawled across the ground like a fallen mountain.

  Despite its lifeless state, it still exuded an immense presence, as if time itself refused to let it fully fade into history. Its cracked, earth-like skin was riddled with deep fissures, overgrown with strange vines that occasionally released faint wisps of brownish emerald light.

  Small critters, unlike anything seen on the surface, scurried across its form, some burrowing into the hardened exterior, others feeding off the strange flora growing in its crevices.

  Every so often, a low, ancient groan rumbled from deep within its core, making the entire laboratory tremble before fading into silence.

  Verdant and Stone hovered in midair above the colossus, their robes swaying slightly from the residual energy that still clung to the corpse.

  Their eyes held an equal measure of awe and deep contemplation.

  Verdant broke the silence first.

  His voice, calm yet tinged with curiosity, echoed faintly in the vast chamber. “Even now, it still emits power. The residual energy is different from what we felt during the battle—it no longer has that twisted, puppet-like corruption clinging to it. But it’s still… refusing to die, in a way.”

  Stone nodded, his gaze fixated on the deep grooves of the ancient being, studying them as if they contained a hidden truth. “It’s more than just residual energy. Its body isn’t just stone either—it’s layers upon layers of time, compacted into a form beyond our comprehension.”

  Another groan reverberated through the air, sending loose dust and particles floating downward.

  The laboratory’s resident constructs—strange, octopus-like creatures with segmented metal limbs scurried about, carrying beakers filled with luminous liquid, adjusting monitoring arrays, and transporting objects with a precision only creatures of pure logic could manage.

  Occasionally, the air thrummed with an unseen force as one of the wall’s embedded crystals realigned itself, adjusting some esoteric mechanism beyond mortal comprehension.

  The entire laboratory felt like a living entity, its heartbeat synchronized with the movements of its tireless, clockwork servants. These automated workers seemed like a speck of dust near the gigantic figure.

  Verdant crossed his arms, his emerald eyes narrowing. “I’ve been analyzing the traces of mana left in its body. It almost feels… connected to the land itself, beyond what we understand as elemental manipulation.” He turned to face Stone. “And that affinity, whether you like it or not, is just like yours.”

  Stone remained silent for a moment, his mind working through the implications.

  Then, he exhaled, a slight smirk forming on his lips. “You’re not wrong. But understanding something like this isn’t as simple as meditating in a mana zone or absorbing some ancient knowledge. This thing is a relic of a forgotten era. If I want to truly grasp the essence of what it was, I’ll need to study it—break it apart piece by piece.”

  Verdant raised an eyebrow. “And what if it breaks you apart first?”

  Stone chuckled. “Then at least I’ll be closer to the truth before I go.” His gaze hardened. “But we both know we can’t afford to stay stagnant. The Rollen Kingdom is out there somewhere. Even with our new independence, we need more than just time—we need power. The kind of power that makes even a king hesitate before making a move. The Stone Dragon is good and could serve as a deterrence but we need more.”

  Verdant nodded. “Then you agree that we need to accelerate our growth.” His voice grew quieter, thoughtful. "But we need a healthy growth..."

  The laboratory remained eerily silent when they paused their discussions, except for the occasional distant groan from the Earth Giant King’s corpse, and the mechanisms of the laboratory.

  Above it all, Verdant and Stone hovered in silent contemplation deep in thought after what had been said, but as they did that they couldn't help but feel the energy emitting from the corpse.

  Drifting through the expansive chamber their gazes remained fixed on the colossal beneath them. It was like a chef tasting the ingredients of a dish, they could feel so much from the body that it allowed them to get an understanding of its power and affinity.

  Verdant finally broke the silence again, his voice steady yet tinged with uncertainty. “So, we’re an island now.” He didn’t phrase it as a question. Instead, the words settled between them, heavy with the reality of their new existence.

  The implications stretched far beyond the physical, Bask had severed itself from the mainland, cut loose from its chains but also from the stability it once knew.

  Stone exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable as he traced a slow arc around the massive corpse. “It’s a double-edged blade,” he murmured. “We’re safe from immediate invasion—the Rollen Kingdom can’t just march its armies in anymore.”

  Verdant folded his arms and nodded, his emerald-green robe shifting slightly with the movement. “Duskfang has been surveying the coastline and the new borders. We don’t know how far we’ve drifted or if there are other islands out there near us.” He shook his head. “If the land of Bask has buried horrors from past ages, who’s to say the sea doesn’t hold its own?”

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  Stone's gaze darkened. “That’s what worries me the most. Our apostles need to grow stronger, and fast. We need Magians, Verdant. More of them. We can’t rely on just the three of us to carry Bask forward. If we don’t start shaping the next generation now, we’ll crumble before we even establish our independence.”

  Verdant smirked, a rare crack in his usually composed demeanor. “I agree but you sounded eager. Maybe a little too eager. Remember, we need a healthy growth, Independence in two months? After everything that just happened? You might want to pace yourself. A month has passed and now what? We have more questions than answers.”

  Stone exhaled through his nose, his gaze drifting.

  His desire to push forward was undeniable—it burned inside him like a relentless flame—but Verdant had a point. Rushing blindly into the future without accounting for the unknowns would be reckless.

  “I want to start rebuilding as soon as possible,” Stone admitted, his voice carrying the weight of his conviction. “Bask needs to be strong—not just in name, but in infrastructure, in system, in power. We can’t afford to be fragile. I don’t want us to simply exist—I want us to thrive.” His gaze hardened. “But I’ll admit, there’s too much we still don’t understand.”

  Verdant’s expression lost its humor, nodding in agreement. “Exactly. That thing’s corpse alone could take years to properly study. And that gaping pit it crawled out of?” His voice dipped lower, almost conspiratorial. “We’d be absolute fools to ignore it. For all we know, that pit leads to an entire underworld teeming with creatures that make this thing look small.”

  Stone sighed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The sheer implications sent a shiver of excitement and unease down his spine.

  Bask’s future was in their hands, but so was its survival. “Then we postpone. Another four months should give us the time we need—to study this corpse and get a very basic understanding, to probe the depths of that hole, to survey the surrounding waters.” His eyes narrowed. “And most importantly, to gauge how the bigger families in Bask are moving. None of them have responded to our messages yet, and that silence isn’t something I like.”

  Verdant’s eyes glimmered with approval, his posture relaxing slightly. “Perfect! Five months from now, then. We’ll go claim our independence, commemorate it, and solidify our place in history.” He tilted his head, smirking slightly. “By then, we’ll have a much better grasp of what we’re dealing with… and if anything else is lurking in the dark, waiting for us to stumble.”

  The two Magians floated in silence again, the mechanical constructs continuing their quiet, ceaseless work in the background.

  Independence was coming.

  But first, they had to make sure Bask was ready to survive it.

  Stone shifted the conversation. “There are five Rank 5 Apostles in Bask, but we need more. If we want to hold our own, we have to create the conditions for more breakthroughs. That means access to better resources and knowledge. No more hoarding power like the Rollen Kingdom does—we cultivate it.”

  Verdant’s expression turned serious. “Agreed. The towers must become more than just places of learning. And if more Rank fives emerge, we might even see new Magians rise soon.”

  Verdant broke the silence. “What about the rewards?”

  Stone glanced at him, eyebrow raised.

  “For those who helped secure Bask’s survival,” Verdant clarified, arms crossed. “If we’re moving forward, we need to recognize the ones who stepped up when it mattered.”

  Stone nodded. “It’s already in motion. The towers will be distributing artifacts, resources, and privileges to those who made a real impact. Some of the Rank 5s will be receiving specialized training, and I plan to give certain individuals access to the deeper archives.” He exhaled, rubbing his forehead. “This calamity forced a lot of people to reveal what they were truly capable of.”

  Verdant’s gaze flickered with curiosity. “Speaking of which… what about the Apostle who found the spirit?”

  Stone’s expression shifted slightly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Ah, Stargazer.”

  Verdant raised an eyebrow. “Stargazer?”

  Stone shrugged. “That’s what he goes by.”

  Verdant let out a thoughtful hum. “Interesting. What do we know about him?”

  Stone’s smirk faded into something more thoughtful. “Not much, apart from the fact that he was experimented on by an evil Apostle and gained a star affinity. But the most interesting part is that he’s been making some... intriguing developments. He was just promoted, and yet he’s already a Rank 2 Apostle.”

  Verdant's eyes narrowed in surprise. “Already? That’s rare.” His fingers tapped against his arm. “Especially for a non-gifted affinity. Star affinity isn’t weak, but it’s far from the easiest to advance in. Pushing that fast is dangerous. If he’s not properly building his foundation, gathering runes without fully digesting them…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “His body and mind might not be able to withstand it.”

  Stone’s gaze darkened slightly. “That’s what I thought, too, but here’s the strange part.” He turned his attention back to the giant’s corpse below while in his own mind, as if still trying to wrap his head around his thoughts. “His affinity—despite being a Star affinity—feels… different. Unique. There’s something about it that I can’t quite put my finger on.”

  Verdant’s brows furrowed. “Different how?”

  Stone took a moment, as if searching for the right words. “It’s not just that his power is growing fast—it’s that it’s refining itself. Most Apostles who rush to collect runes struggle with the integration. Their mana flow becomes unstable, their power weakens under the burden and pressure. But Stargazer?” He exhaled sharply. “It feels like he’s digesting his runes properly. Even his second one.”

  Verdant went silent, considering the implications. That kind of control wasn’t normal.

  Even gifted prodigies needed months or even years to stabilize multiple runes, and yet this so-called ‘Stargazer’ was adapting as if he had some deeper understanding of his power.

  “…He obviously has his secrets,” Verdant finally muttered.

  Stone smirked again. “No doubt. But secrets aren’t a crime.” He turned to Verdant. “And regardless, he’s earned proper rewards for what he’s done.”

  Verdant studied Stone’s expression. “You trust him?”

  Stone gave a small chuckle. “I trust results. And Stargazer has delivered. Besides, he came up in my tower, so it's only right to trust him.”

  Verdant exhaled, shaking his head with an amused smirk, clearly happy with the answers. “If you say so.”

  The conversation momentarily lulled as they both stared down at the Earth Giant King’s remains.

  The lab’s eerie silence was broken only by the quiet rustling of the strange, mechanical constructs that scuttled across the floor, carefully studying fragments of the corpse, analyzing, recording.

  Then Verdant spoke again, his voice carrying a note of anticipation. “So, are we finally ready to dig into this thing?”

  Stone’s eyes gleamed with a mixture of excitement and scholarly hunger. “Oh, absolutely.”

  With that, they descended toward the ancient corpse, ready to uncover its buried secrets.