Supreme Magus

Chapter 3310  Nothing Alike (Part 1)

Rage abandoned Ananta's features and was replaced by compassion.

"Valtak died because of me." Lith said. "Saving Solus means the world to me but the price I- we all paid is too high. This doesn't change the fact that many of you risked your lives for me and coming out alive doesn't make your efforts less valuable.

"I want to make a fair decision. If it was up to me, I'd give the Ears to the Fire Dragons, the Eldritches, and the undead."

"You actually can." Dragon greed glimpsed behind Irslak's eyes. "Assuming master Menadion chooses to remain among the living, she can Forgemaster more."

"True, but I won't." Ripha snorted. "Forgemaster more copies of the Ears, sweetie. I'm not going anywhere." She rushed to add after noticing Solus' misted eyes.

"You have my word I'll call you all and let you know my final decision in a few days. Now, I need to sleep." Lith was still panting. He had used Invigoration so much that it barely had any effect left.

"What about those?" Ayleen jabbed her thumb at the hundreds of thousands of elves who had sought refuge near the borders of the Fringe. "Are they still up for grabs?"

"Yes." / "No!" Lith and Solus said in unison.

"Make up your gods-damned mind!" The Liches roared.

"The answer is no!" Solus said. "Mo- Menadion would have never managed to break me out of prison if not for an elf called Ghar'mar Riverflow. She knew what the World Tree was doing was wrong and guided us to the exit.

"She died in the escape, but I haven't forgotten my promise to her. I swore that I would spare her people in case we won and I'm not going back on my word."

"Sweetie-"

"What?" Solus' fiery gaze cut Menadion short.

'I want the elves dead. All of them.' The First Ruler of the Flames said via the black chain.

'Me too, but Solus' happiness comes first.' Lith replied. 'She's gone through too much. I don't want to make her associate her freedom with bloodshed and a lifetime of guilt.'

"What she said." Lith actually said. "I mean, there's plenty of corpses to go. The elves have already lost a lot. Those responsible are already dead, the balance, and all that stuff. Peace. I'm out of here."

"Lith!" Solus glared up to the colossal Tiamat.

"I mean, I'll leave the Fringe last to ensure no one attempts funny business."

"But-" Ayleen tried and failed to object.

"You heard him." Erghak the Fire Dragon said. "Enough blood has been spilled. I just want to retrieve Grandfather's corpse and go home to honor him as he deserves. Stand in our way and the Brood will treat you as an enemy."

The Wyrm patriarchs, Surtr, and Sinmara turned towards the Maker of All Liches with mouths ablaze.

"I still have your phylactery." Baba Yaga the Asura clenched a masterfully cut white crystal the size of a melon in her palm.

"That's one compelling argument. Let's go, people." Ayleen snapped her fingers and the Liches followed her inside Bloodhaven.

"Too much greed is dangerous." They said, trying to look innocent. "Yeah, we've already gotten a lot. There's no point endangering our phylacteries, I mean, arguing with our allies for such a petty reason."

Of course, no one believed them.

"Before we leave, there's something you need to know." Erghak turned towards Lith. "As per Grandfather's wishes, after the funeral, his corpse will be turned into a powerful set of armor and his claws into weapons."

"I'll attend the funeral, but why are you telling me the rest?" The Tiamat asked.

"Because the set of equipment will not go to Grandfather's family but to the next Father of Fire and you and your sister are among the candidates listed in Grandfather's will." The Fire Wyrm replied.

"Fuck." It was all Lith could say to express how unworthy he felt of Valtak's friendship.

"Fuck indeed." Erghak clasped wrists with Lith, the Dragon scales letting them share the depth of their feelings for the Elder Wyrm. "Don't beat yourself up. Friendship is a gift, not a trade. Grandfather did what he wanted until the end.

"Don't tarnish his memory with pointless bitterness. He sure didn't." The Fire Wyrm nodded at the corpse whose expression in death was fixed into a peaceful smile.

"I will try." Lith let go of the wrist and opened a Warp Steps leading on the opposite side of the Fringe from the elves.

"Weak." Tezka weaved his finger around, enlarging the opening to the point a human army could comfortably pass through it.

"Show off." Lith returned to his human form and so did the rest of the Divine Beasts. "Now, who wants to get out first?"

He had yet to complete the sentence that the Fringe's boundary opened to the outside world.

"Since when can you do that?" Tezka asked.

"I can't." Lith took a few steps back and the mist closed again. "Either it's a consequence of mixing my Tiamat Fear with the world energy earlier or Mogar just wants us out."

"Let's see which is it." Tezka stepped forward but nothing happened.

He touched the mist and confirmed he could move through the veil like usual but that was it. After Baba Yaga, Silverwing, and the patriarchs tried and failed, Lith moved closer to the boundary, opening it again.

"I swear I'm not doing anything." He said.

"I can confirm that." Baba Yaga nodded. "It's not him. Mogar doesn't trust us. Now let's get out of here."

Bloodhaven and Silverspire went first, bringing out the rest of the undead. Then it was the Eldritches turn who Warped away as soon as they could, starting from the Master.

"See you around, boy." Vastor winked at Lith before disappearing.

"Can we, uhm, stay?" Bytra moved her eyes from Lith to Menadion, wringing her hands while Zoreth held her shoulder.

"It's fine. I have news to share with you two anyway."

"Yes!" Solus said with an overly enthusiastic tone at the idea of the baby boy. "I mean, sure." She lowered her voice to a dourer register.

"I'll allow it." Ripha said with a deadpan voice.

As the greeds of Dragons left the Fringe and fewer and fewer foreigners remained, the elves found the courage to send an ambassador to understand the invaders' intentions.

Azit Mo'rauh of the Shadow Elves tribe needed two Steps to reach Lith after getting the short end of the stick.

"Greetings, human. I'm-"

"Not interested." Lith replied, rushing people out so that he could join them. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Where's the new World Tree? How can we reach it?" Azit pushed his luck despite Lith's glare and Menadion's violent killing intent.

"The World Tree is dead." Lith replied.

"The old one." Azit pointed out. "But the new one-"

"Cadaverific." Lith cut him short. "Your late master told me there was no chosen successor. Either a random World Sapling got the title or the Yggdrasill lineage is over. Forgive me if I hope for the latter."

"What will we do?" Azit asked. "How will we survive without a World Tree?"

"The better question is: how will you survive without a head?" Ripha lifted the elf's chin with her hammer.