Supreme Magus novel Chapter 3159

Chapter 3159 Know Mercy (Part 1)

Derek snarled, not caring one bit about the travelers.

'For all I know, they are the cause of my pain. Those thugs were a measly meal and I'm still hungry.' He slowly raised to his feet, a mix of emotions still clouding his judgment.

He glared at the woman with spite, smelling the stench of urine coming from her clothes and from those of the rest of her family. It was one of the most common effects of being electrocuted, but to Derek, it was a sign of weakness and cowardice.

And he hated cowards because they were a bully's best friend, ready to cover up any injustice just to not be the next victim. He hated the weak, because they reminded him of his past, helpless self that Derek despised with every fiber of his being.

"Don't." Ragnar?k begged, feeling the anger of the Abomination rising and a spell forming on his lips. "Not you."

Derek's eyes were ablaze with mana as she stared at Agra. Then, her crouching figure was replaced by a majestic red-furred wolf with kind emerald eyes.

"Don't do it, Scourge. This isn't you." The Voidfeather tapped into Lith's memories to give sense to Ragnar?k's words. "Wisdom without power is hot air, but power without wisdom is the greatest madness."

"Protector?" Another fit of pain blurred Derek's vision under the Ry's loving gaze.

"Remember what I taught you about Abominations. They aren't defined by what they do, but by what they are. Sometimes you've acted like a monster but you've never been one. Don't become one now." There was no judgment in the Ry's words, only worry.

More memories flashed in front of the Void's eyes but this time they belonged to Protector.

Back when Lith had saved his friend's life, the exchange of life forces had allowed the Skoll to learn everything about Lith and Solus but it had also allowed Lith to learn everything about Protector.

He watched the Ry giving a speech, always the same, to every new litter of cubs as soon as they reached adulthood.

"From today onward, you are not just a responsibility of the pack but one of its members. One day, you might take my place as the King in the east. That won't happen just because you are the biggest or strongest of the pack.

"Those things make you a great warrior, not a leader. The King must know mercy and allow his pack to kill only when needed. Our prey are weak, but if we cull their numbers during spring, we'll starve during winter.

"Spare their lives today so that we'll prosper tomorrow. Someday, they might evolve just like us. Someday, they might fight by your side against a common enemy, as all Kings do."

The words were followed by the images of a foolish human child attacking the Ry to get his hands on a broken stone. Protector could have killed the kid or even tracked his scent back to the small boy's home to exact revenge.

Instead, the Ry had let the young Lith go, hoping the child would learn his lesson without the need for senseless violence. Then, Derek watched Protector gifting a magnificent stag to the same boy, just slightly older, after he had defeated the King in the west, Irtu.

Once again, the wolf could have easily preyed on the weaker youth but he chose to befriend the boy.