Chapter 165

Chapter 165
Chapter 165
## Chapter 165: Whose Disciple? (6)

—Derek, who is this boy?

A dark and evil energy danced in Phee’s pupils. Her gaze distilled an intensity laden with poison, similar to that of a young woman desperately clinging to her only treasure in the world.

Everything happened in a blink of an eye. Katia was barely starting to process the situation when the disaster was unleashed.

— Vrrr!
— Crack!

The tide of magical power shifted with such absurd speed that it left no room for a counterattack. A crimson mist erupted from Phee’s body, trapping Katia immediately and lifting her into the air. It was a lethal grip that pressed against her throat, limbs, and torso, stealing her breath.

— Ghk! Hahk…! Keuk!

Katia was not just any sorceress; she was a witch bordering on Grade 4. Although Derek’s off-the-charts growth usually overshadowed her, she remained a formidable expert in the mystical arts. However, faced with Phee, her abilities seemed insignificant. She was standing before a being capable of manipulating magical essence at a speed that surpassed the limits of human perception.

In that instant, Katia understood that the young woman covered in bloodstains was no ordinary person. She was not just an elite mage; upon noticing how the spirits stirred with terror around her, Katia’s eyes widened in shock.

She was a practitioner of black magic!

Despite the anguish, Katia could not utter a word. The magical force gripping her threatened to crush her bones at any second.

—Do you really intend to tell me that this nobody is the mentor you value so much?

Phee let out a laugh laden with contempt toward Derek.

—What a joke of bad taste. A weak magical flow, a clumsy reaction, and achievements that border on mediocrity. Derek, pay close attention: if you keep learning from someone so common, your progress will stagnate forever.

—Hahk… keuk… ghh…

—Oh? Now that I see her up close, her face looks familiar to me. Mmm… a spoiled little aristocrat from the eastern lands, right? Katia, Katia… Yes, I am sure we crossed paths once.

—Impossible…

—What name were you using back then…? Amy? Lani? No… it was Catlan, right? Yes, that was it.

Upon hearing that name, Katia’s astonishment grew. Catlan. It was a name that only evoked memories of her childhood. A young noblewoman with whom she crossed paths during her preparations to debut in society; an acquaintance with whom she shared magic lessons and the worries typical of youth.

—How time flies. The restless boy of the Flameheart lineage has become a mentor. But you should have been more selective with your pupil. This stupid fool is a mistake!

—You… who are you really?

—Don’t be so curious. The affection Derek still holds for you seems to be clouding his understanding. If you truly care for him, you should understand that stealing his time under your mediocre guidance brings him no benefit.

— Crunch, crack.

—Your presence alone is a burden to Derek. Maintaining this farce only makes him waste crucial moments. For the well-being of your precious student, I hope you understand this, even if the price is high.

Phee increased the pressure of her mystical trap, leaving Katia without oxygen. Phee’s magical superiority was so absolute that no effort on Katia’s part could close that distance. Phee’s blood-stained face looked like a terrifying specter watching from above. Her lips curled into a grimace of pleasure amidst the red stains. She was willing to destroy Katia just to ensure Derek was hers alone.

— Gack! Retak!
— Swish!

Suddenly, the magical structure imprisoning Katia was dismantled by the intrusion of an external force.

— Crash! Explosion!

—Hack! Hack! Hack… hack!

Katia collapsed to the floor, struggling to breathe, while Derek quickly knelt by her side to assist her. Fortunately, she did not seem to have permanent damage.

—Are you alright?

—Kuhk… yes… Derek… I’m okay…

Through a transformation technique, Derek dispersed Phee’s necromancy energy into the air. Seeing this, Phee fell silent for an instant. Although she knew he was progressing quickly, she didn’t imagine he was already capable of neutralizing her spells.

—Derek… you have learned how to nullify the magic of your own master…!

—Ms. Phee. Tell me what happened in the Tigris region.

Derek shook the remains of energy from his palms and stood up, maintaining a tense expression under an imposed calm.

—What happened? Who cares? Whatever happens there has no relevance anymore.

—I don’t know what impact you might have gone through, but it is clear that you are not in your right mind. Please, try to regain your sanity.

—Derek, I have never seen things so clearly. Never before. Everything has made sense now. Derek… you have to trust me fully.

— Whoooosh!

The magical blackness flooded the room again from Phee’s position. Her blood-stained clothes fluttered, and her hair hung in disarray. The moonlight filtering through the window seemed to concentrate only on her, giving her the appearance of a living corpse under the dim light.

—Derek… you are my only disciple… Believe in me and follow me. As your mentor, I will lead you to a peak that no one else knows…

— Crack!

Phee clenched her fists tightly, plunging the office into total darkness. Infinite shadows devoured the place, creating the sensation of being sucked into an absolute void. Derek went on guard, his magic ready to act while he protected the weakened Katia. His eyes reflected a hostility directed entirely toward Phee.

— Swish!

In the midst of that magical whirlwind, Phee locked eyes with Derek and stood frozen. He was looking at her like an adversary. Upon assimilating that reality, she undid her magic and began to speak in a faint voice.

—Derek… Why… why do you give me that look?

—I did it thinking of you. My only student, Derek… this is all for your own good…

—Nona Phee.

—I told you to call me master.

—I suggest you calm down, Ms. Phee.

As Derek drew that sharp boundary, Phee swallowed hard, visibly affected. Clenching a lock of her lavender hair, she began to whisper:

—Derek… you belong to me. You are not the disciple of anyone else, only mine.

—…

—Ah… I understand… yes… it is your inexperience that causes this confusion.

The tone of the room shifted when Phee let out nervous laughs before offering a forced smile to Derek, who was still holding Katia.

—Yes, I understand. Studying under such an ordinary woman could be a learning stage. As a good mentor, I will respect your choice for now. I have eternity with me, so I can patiently observe my student’s deviations.

Derek had never seen her act in such an erratic and loquacious manner. That sudden transformation left him plunged into bewilderment.

—That’s right. A master must have patience in the face of poor judgment. When you realize how stupid it is to play student with someone so incapable, you will return to the place that belongs to you, by my side.

— Whisper! Swish!

Phee’s crimson energy condensed into a horde of bat-like figures that surrounded her. From the center of that swarm, she watched Derek with a look of disturbing devotion.

—You are the only one for me. Never forget it. Being with me is your best destiny. When this stage of rebellion ends, go to the Tigris region whenever you please. Your one and only true master will be waiting for you, tending with tenderness to the beautiful remains while she awaits your arrival.

The weight of her affection was indistinguishable from terror. A single drop of that obsession seemed capable of corrupting everything.

It was obvious that something terrible had happened in the Tigris region. Derek prepared to speak, but with a quick flutter and a hiss, the swarm disappeared, taking Phee with it. The office remained in silence, stained with blood. Katia leaned against a chair, trying to catch her breath while the servants arrived, alarmed. Derek remained there, his brow deeply furrowed.

*

—Derek, that girl from a moment ago…

—She is the other mentor I mentioned to you, the necromancer. As you have been able to verify, she practices the dark arts.

Katia fell silent, stunned. That Derek was receiving lessons from a black mage was a devastating revelation. Even without being the direct practitioner, involving himself in such arts was a capital crime. Sitting on the sofa, Katia put her hands to her head, feeling the world spinning.

—How… how could something like this happen…?

—It is complicated to detail, but no matter what happens, you must take extreme precautions, Professor Katia.

Although order was physically restored, the atmosphere remained charged with tension.

*She went to the Tigris region to bring back Kalimford. Did she fail?*

Derek knew that Phee mastered the arts of resurrection at the highest level. However, the Phee he had just seen seemed like an emotionally broken shell, as if she had lost something essential. It seemed that, to fill that void, she had obsessively turned toward him. Analyzing this only made Derek’s concern increase.

—Derek, I need many answers.

For now, the most urgent thing was to give a coherent explanation to Katia.

*

Humming with joy.

Back in the Tigris region, Phee moved with light leaps among the service staff. Her jovial attitude, as if she had lifted a weight off her shoulders, would have seemed like pure instability to anyone who knew her. To strangers, she simply seemed like a young woman in a good mood, although her eyes looked gloomier than usual.

The servants greeted her as they saw her pass by so lively.

—The weather is splendid today. Spring will not take long to arrive.

Phee replied with a radiant smile:

—You are right, it is a wonderful day.

The instant she finished the sentence, blood spurted violently from the servants’ faces. In that mansion of the Tigris barony, while the most powerful sorceress crossed the hallways with carefree gestures, scarlet flowers sprouted in her path. A wave of crimson magic flooded the place, breaking the mind of everyone who crossed her path. In Phee’s joy, madness and ecstasy were mixed.

—Sooner or later you will return to me, Derek.

Throughout her countless lives, few mages had shown the potential and passion of Derek. She was sure that he would seek to reach higher magic levels through her guidance. With that certainty, she began to decorate the Tigris Barony with blood, like someone preparing a home for an expected visit. With the precision of an orchestra conductor, each movement of her hands sowed the mansion with bodies. Everyone surrendered to her will.

—To teach well, a proper environment is needed. Let’s beautify this place. Let’s prepare the training area, let’s make space. Let’s eliminate any distraction from this sacred place.

There were no pending matters left in the Tigris Barony. Everything would remain under her absolute dominion. Vines full of thorns surrounded the property while a gloomy energy took hold of the air. The barony was transformed into a bastion of necromancy. Unlike the Beltus property, its reduced size and isolated location would allow the change to go unnoticed for longer.

Phee needed time to ensure total control of her new kingdom.

— Swish!

Derek knew that an outburst from Phee was inevitable, but the consequences were taking a turn he did not foresee.

—Derek… although I have all eternity ahead of me… do not make me wait too long…

She murmured to herself, curled up on an improvised throne amidst ruins and thorns. The gloom in her gaze became absolute.

— Whoooosh!

In the frozen lands of the north, in the Rocheste mansion, Melberot let out a deep sigh while observing his domains from his mount. His breath formed clouds of steam in the gray air. After his daughter’s departure to the southwest, he focused on managing his lands, although his concern for Sirine grew with each passing day. Despite not being a man of letters, the silence unsettled him. While he looked at the snowy plain, snowflakes began to cloud his vision. Suddenly, he spotted movement in the distance.

—…

A figure advanced with difficulty through the deadly cold, dressed in rags. Attempting to cross that desert of ice on foot was madness. Melberot sensed danger and narrowed his eyes, activating his detection ability to recognize who was arriving.

—Lord Melberot. Someone is approaching from the snowy wasteland.
—I know, I see it.

As he focused his vision, the silhouette felt shockingly familiar to him. His eyes widened as he processed the reality. Although the face was emaciated, wounded, and worn out, it was an image he could never forget.

It was the face of the deceased Great Mage, Kalimford.