Supreme Magus novel Chapter 843

Chapter 843 Desperation Part 3

Gremlik’s initial plan had been to steal Erlik’s research and to take his place as the new ruler of Laruel. The first part had succeeded, but he had never expected that the Draugr would parlay with the Sapling instead of dominating it.

The need to obtain the Sapling’s consent made it impossible for Gremlik to take Erlik’s place, and with it his chance to Awaken. On top of that, even if the Grendel managed to escape from the city, he wouldn’t be able to use the stolen data.

Finding another Sapling and persuading it to share its knowledge was possible, but if Leannan had really unraveled Erlik’s plot, then the other city-states would lock the undead out to make sure that Laruel’s situation didn’t happen again.

Dying by the hand of the humans, being the Courts’ errand boy, or serving Erlik were all the same for him. Gremlik was tired of running away, tired of obeying to people who were barely half as smart as he was, but his power never seemed to match his ambition.

He pulled Ruin out of his chest and threw it away before charging at his enemies.

’I have only one chance to get out of here on top. I need to survive until one of the new Sovereign is chosen. Then, I’ll see if all of my preparations pay off or if I’ve just wasted my life.’ Gremlik thought.

A group of fighters stumbled on the scene, but while Lith and the others had to spend more energy to get rid of the new enemies, Gremlik killed the undead and gobbled a wounded Fae. It was a far cry from filling his core, but enough to close his wounds.

Meanwhile, inside the Sapling’s barrier, between the darkness infused wooden spikes, the impending hail of spells, and Erlik’s giant form, Leannan the Titania had been painted into a corner.

Her only trick left was to fuse with the wooden floor and use the traitorous World Sapling as a shield.

"Curse you, Leannan. Come out and fight!" Erlik roared in outrage after seeing his best shot fail miserably. Not only the ability Leannan had employed was one of the many he had lost after being turned, but had also made him waste lots of mana.

Unlike true mages, a fake mage would consume their energy the moment they started to cast a spell, no matter if they completed it or not. Erlik wasn’t an Awakened, so he couldn’t follow the movements of the Titania’s energy signature while she moved inside the wood.

"Like you did after infiltrating my city?" Leannan’s voice oozed sarcasm. "You turned the Sapling against me, so it’s only fair for me to return you the favor."

"We’ll see about that!" Erlik snarled, clawing at the floor with his giant hands. It would allow him to feed upon the Sapling, regain his lost strength, and smoke Leannan out.

She could have been everywhere, but thanks to the many extra limbs he had sprouted, the Draugr would cover the entirety of the floor, leaving her no choice but to face him or become his meal. Two birds with one stone.

The Sapling quaked once again in indignation. In all of its life, it had always been an apex predator, yet now it stooped as low as a dog infested with fleas. The Sapling hated being helpless while the undead kept sucking on its lifestream, but it had no choice.

To defend itself it needed either the help of a Sovereign or to completely come out of its slumber. The former had yet to be chosen while the latter would mean reducing the centuries left of its lifespan into a few decades.

The World Sapling’s pain intensified and Erlik shared it through their bond.