Chapter 50 – Floor 3 – Apology

Older Clico and the younger Nillvia waited patiently for the young Clico to wake up. Clico stared at Nillvia. Seeing her, even her younger self, made him extremely emotional. Tears occasionally streamed down his face, but Nillvia could not see him. Hours passed in silence.

When the younger Clico awoke later that night, Nillvia cried and begged for forgiveness.

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I just didn't want you to waste your life." She blubbered. The younger Clico was mad.

"No, you wanted me to live the life you really want." The young Clico scolded her.

"I'll forgive you if you believe what I said. When I'm a Wizard of the Association, and you're free from your curse, I will fulfill my promise to you. I promise you; we will do it together." Young Clico smiled but was still a little mad at Nillvia because he lost his daily pay.

"You're right. I was jealous of you. I was wrong to attack you. Please accept my apology," Nallivia tried to compose herself back to her usual indifferent demeanor.

"No, I won't accept your apology unless you believe me. Even if you're strong, it's not right to bully the weak. I will free you from your jealousy when I'm a Wizard and cure you." Clico assured her.

Nillvia smiled. "Fine. Even if it's hard for me to feel it, I will choose to believe you as penance."

"Don't bully the weak anymore. Our world tells us to follow the natural order of things: the Authorities rule, the mortals serve, and our lives are written by our ancestors, but the First Deathless, one of the strongest Authorities, chose his own path. He was once a mortal, a human who challenged the Authorities, but he rose against them, against destiny.

If one powerless mortal can overthrow the Authorities, it isn't much for us to overcome our physiques, right?" Clico stared into Nillvia's beautiful eyes. Nillvia was taken aback. When he said it that way, he made it sound like they could really do it easily.

The scene melted away to darkness. The dungeon's menacing darkness made Clico feel lonely, but the cutting eyes of Lavilin appeared. It was as if he was at the bottom of the Ocean of Souls in eternal darkness.

"You did what you said right? You indeed became a powerful Wizard of the Association. In fact, you even became a Sage, but what about Nillvia?" He looked around as if looking for something.

"You even figured out how to cure Nillvia! Before you could do the Soul Splitting Ritual at the cost of thousands of aura credits, it was too late. Your best friend and Nallivia's twin became a Shade and assassinated the King of Galeon." Lavalin laughed manically.

Clico's fists balled up in anger, but he said nothing.

"Not everything is as it seems, old friend. You said that even a mortal could overturn the Authorities. Using the example of The First Deathless, you promised Nillvia something that seemed impossible at the time. I brought you here because I think you can save us.

I'm still counting on you like Nillvia did back then. Please save us." Lavilin bowed his head in desperation. Clico was confused. All this time, Lavilin tormented him, but now, he was asking for help?

"Find us on Floor 19. Get stronger. I'm sure you don't believe me, but like you told Nillvia back then, together, I believe we can overcome our destinies." Lavilin's silhouette faded into the dungeon.

There was no way Clico could believe the devil who murdered friends of the Academy in cold blood. Clico had tears in his eyes. He couldn't lose her to Lavilin again. Lavilin and Nillvias' souls were linked; if he lived, so did she within him.

His greatest fear was losing her.

Together, they had overcome their physiques, but their happy ending was shattered by Lavilin at the last moment.

On Floor 19, Clico would be prepared to save her. The dungeon faded back into Agate Academy's hospital room. Clico was even more confused; wasn't the illusions supposed to be finished now?

"Clico, can you train with me from now on?" Nillvia asked the younger Clico.

"Sure," Clico said as Nillvia helped him out of the bed. The good thing about the Academy was its supreme level facilities. Originally, Nillvia planned to injure Clico and not take him back to the Academy as to prolong his recovery, but now, she wanted to help him.

The following day, Clico sat next to Nillvia in their classes. Everyone watched them talk nonchalantly. Nillvia, the number one in their class, was now friends with the weakest. Aventi and Stern gossiped quietly along with the rest of the class but didn't dare to say anything.

The older Clico watched in the back of the room and laughed to himself all day long. Watching younger Stern and Aventi squirm was entertaining. After the classes ended, Nillvia and Clico headed to the training grounds together, where they started to discuss how to train. The whole class watched at a distance but pretended not to notice the duo.

"So, how do you plan on becoming a powerful Wizard? Obviously, your current plan is not sustainable" Nillvia teased.

"Simple: The Runic Path." Clico smiled.

"Isn't that a class we will take in our last year at the academy? Learning the runic language is really hard." Nillvia wondered. It was clear Clico couldn't use the Natural Path, and the Scientific Path he was using at the present was unsustainable. Then again, wouldn't there be the same problems if he pursued the Runic Path?

"With my salary, using aura credits to inscribe runes will be much more cost efficient compared to funding my expensive Artifacts. In fact, I've already been learning the runic language quietly. Within the next few months, before finals, I will be able to use basic runes in combat. For the midterms however, I will be in a tough position." Clico explained his plan.

"Hmm, how about I give you a few extra bucks? I don't spend money anyways. Then you can use runes and your Artifacts." Nillvia suggested.

"I can't take your money." Clico protested.

"Take it or else!" Nillvia threatened.

"Or else what? You'll beat me until I lose consciousness?" Clico said flatly.

"Sorry…" Nillvia went silent.

"Honestly, I think we could do a summoner spell to fake my way through the midterms if you want?" Clico suggested.

"What? Isn't that much more dangerous than taking a few extra aura credits from me? The Summoner Path is almost as hard to use as the Authority Path. That's crazy. You're crazy!" Nillvia punched Clico weakly in protest.

Everyone watched closely.

"How did that wimp seduce the strongest person in our class? By next year, she might even be the strongest in the whole school!" Stern exclaimed to Aventi.

Even Emelia watched in awe.

"I guess love really is unfathomable…" Emelia gasped out.

"Emelia, do you still love Nillvia's mysterious twin brother?" Aventi nudged Emelia, whose face went bright red.

"No!" Emelia yelled.

Lavilin, Nillvia's twin brother was being personally tutored by Headmaster Githl. Being a personal apprentice to the Headmaster was a huge honor that only one person got in the whole school. Technically, Lavilin wasn't even a student but a full-on apprentice of the Wizard's Association because of his affiliation with Headmaster Githl.

Only appearing at the end of midterms and finals, Lavilin took the examination after the rest of the students. Every time, his results were astounding, and he could easily be the number one student in the Academy Rankings. Yet, because he wasn't technically a student, he was not included in the rankings.

"How did he do it? He's a God amongst men!" Stern watched from afar as Nillvia teasingly punched Clico. Everyone in their class had a crush on Nillvia, but only Clico could break through her cold exterior.

"Maybe he was blessed in other ways apart from magic…" Aventi contemplated.

"I mean, he did seduce you too…" Stern contemplated. Aventi smacked Stern on the back of the head in anger.

Meanwhile older Clico watched as he and Nillvia bantered back and forth, discussing their plans.

"Do you even try to get more powerful?" Clico teased.

"I rarely bother." Nillvia shrugged.

"Don't give up on yourself. If you get strong enough, can't you overcome your physique?" Clico asked.

"Actually, by getting stronger, it will actually accelerate the process in which my body deteriorates. Only by using body tempering techniques can I prolong my condition. Other means overexerts my vessel." Nillvia explained. Body tempering was generally expensive and exquisitely painful.

"So, when are you going to body temper next? If I were you, I would be spending every last penny in delaying my death while I looked for a cure." Clico explained his point of view.

"I think I gave up on that a while ago. Even with extreme effort, I can only buy myself a year or two at the most." Nillvia shrugged again.

"I won't be able to cure you without that extra year and a half, so you better start training besides the lame weapons practice I usually see you doing. I always wondered why someone as powerful as you only focused on trying different weapons. The Scientific Path sub-path that trains with weapons and Artifacts doesn't really suit you, I think." Clico told Nillvia playfully.

Younger Clico was glad to finally have a friend at Agate Academy. Nillvia felt the same way. As a prodigy and twin of Lavilin, others wouldn't approach her. People thought she was cold and aggressive, but in reality, she was really just shy.

"Fine. I guess I'll start body tempering…" Nillvia shyly responded.

"Were you serious about the summoner skill? That really is dangerous." Nillvia asked about Clico's offhanded remark. Using the Summoner Path was considered to be advanced tier magic, and they wouldn't even learn those types of skills at the Academy.

"Yes, then you can share some of your aura with me. My hypothesis is that if I take on some of your burden, it could help your vessel." Clico theorized.

"Maybe, but it sounds too dangerous. Just take some of my money instead." Nillvia teased.

"No! Go buy body tempering materials!" Clico yelled.

"Take it!" Nillvia said while chasing Clico with an aura credit in hand from her storage ring. Since she was rich, she was one of the few people at the Academy that could personally afford to have a storage ring.

"No!"

"Take it!"

The two ran around the track as the class watched in awe. Older Clico chuckled. Times were simpler back then.