Player or Pawn?

Tap, tap, tap...

Lucian's fingers drummed rhythmically on the wooden table as he reviewed the books on fey lore in front of him. Despite his gaze remaining on the pages, his mind was busy sifting through everything Bennett had said.

"I suspect there might be a hidden realm connected to the fey near Cossay Island. Perhaps... even the legendary Fey Sanctuary..."

Abruptly, Lucian's hand stilled. He realized he'd just hit on a critical flaw in Bennett's story.

Bennett had used vague, ambiguous terms—"suspect," "might be"—throughout his explanations. These words were convenient hedges, meaning that even if his "intel" turned out false, he hadn't technically lied or violated the oath he had made with them.

Using this realization as a springboard, Lucian picked up his quill and quickly compiled a list of Bennett's statements, marking every one that included fuzzy phrasing.

Swiftly, he gathered his things and rented a private study room, activating the security array for privacy. Once settled, he systematically organized all the information Bennett had given and cross-referenced it with his own observations, including the involvement of the half-fey and the Formal Wizard, Herli.

"The true prize on Cossay Island, the one that would lure half-fey to such dangerous lengths, couldn't be the Fey Sanctuary. Bennett knows more than he's letting on, and he likely dangled the idea of the Fey Sanctuary to mislead us."

With his feathered pen, Lucian circled a single word:

Bloodline.

The only thing capable of drawing in the half-fey with such fervour would be a high-ranking fey's bloodline. It could be the corpse of an ancient fey or some relic that could elevate fey bloodline concentration.

After eliminating other possibilities, Lucian honed in on two terms:

Fey Tomb; Fey Baptismal Pool.

The former was straightforward—a resting place for the remains of powerful fey. Within the tombs of high-ranking fey, one might find relics capable of bestowing potent bloodline inheritance. The Baptismal Pool, however, was an even more coveted treasure, dating back to the ancient fey who designed it to transform half-fey and other fey-blooded beings into purebloods.

The pool was one of the fey's greatest creations in bloodline research. In essence, it simulated the gestation process of fey embryos, allowing non-pureblood creatures to merge with stored pureblood essence and complete a full transformation. For half-fey, this meant crossing an impossible chasm and becoming truly, fully fey.

If the transformation succeeded, they would inherit the pureblood fey's strengths and receive an enormous spiritual power boost as they matured. For most half-fey, a successful transformation meant becoming a wizard of immense potential.

"Still, the Baptismal Pool has no appeal for me," Lucian noted, studying his notes with a faint smile. While transforming into a fey might be tempting for other wizard apprentices, it would only limit his future growth.

The fey bloodline, though initially advantageous, posed a bottleneck at advanced levels, requiring extensive time and resources to purify and enhance. Furthermore, Lucian's system—the Knowledge Upgrade System—was primarily compatible with human wizardry, making the fey path incompatible.

"I have no need for such a transformation," Lucian thought, closing the book and gazing out the window.

Slowly, he was beginning to piece together the situation. He suspected he had unwittingly become a pawn in some elaborate scheme orchestrated by a Formal Wizard.

"If my guess is correct, Herli's plan is indeed cunning." Lucian exhaled softly. "But so long as his interests align with mine in the early stages, he'll likely divert any other Formal Wizards' attention. For me, that means more time and safety to strengthen myself."

A confident smile played across his lips.

"And when I do advance... that's when the tables will turn."

Deep in the Greybone Forest, a black cat with three tails prowled around the enormous crater left by the Abomination's explosion. Its green, slit-like eyes glimmered with a mischievous glint as it surveyed the scene.

"Mrowww..." Stretching languidly, the cat extended its front paws, arching its back in a yoga-like "cat pose." Behind it, the three tails stood upright, swaying rhythmically.

As the tails swayed, wisps of grey mist coalesced and began to gather, forming the outline of a blurred human figure. The figure's face bore an eerie resemblance to Norian, yet twisted and distorted with monstrous features.

The remnants of Norian's soul muttered and twitched, emitting garbled noises.

The cat's green eyes narrowed, and with a soft "Mrow," it opened its mouth, inhaling deeply. The apparition was sucked into the cat's mouth, followed by a faint scream that quickly faded into silence.