Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 597 - 550: The Eldest Son of the Dragon
The light of Manu gradually illuminated the gloomy cave, but Mr. Scholar and the great dragon, led by Marcelo, took no delight in the spectacle. They had not witnessed the new radiance, but the ancient afterglow still flickered. At the end of the passage below, the light painted the cave’s contours in purple, its intermittent brightness and darkness like breathing.
This purple glow was the light of gems, so intense that it illuminated the depths of the cave.
"The elder is inside, Lord Morocoy," Marcelo said, lowering his head to pass through the circular outline, inside which was a small room. The morbid Manu presented their swollen form at the center, bathed in its light. He sat in a crystalline cradle, his bloated elliptical body resembling a colossal gem, with limbs gone, leaving only four protrusions on his body. What should be his head, atop the crystalline body like an intergrown mineral, had features that were indistinguishable. Light emanated from his body like heartbeats, like breaths, like whispers.
"My people are being illuminated, welcome, my respected guests," the voice of the crystallized being was deep and weighty, and the chamber shook slightly as he spoke.
"Long time no see, Gem Sage Destan," Mr. Scholar said, tapping his staff on the ground, magic condensing into runes that blossomed with light at the top of the staff.
Destan let out a pleased groan, which to others resembled a minor earthquake.
"Your voice is still so comforting, Lord Morocoy. I deeply regret that I can no longer witness your grandeur or express my reverence. As you can see, I can’t even ’roll’..." A Manu joke, referring to their newborns as uncarved gems, and ’rolling’ was their inherent way of moving during their youth. However, no one responded with laughter.
"You are dying, Destan... Your body has crystallized more than half, beyond reversal..." Mr. Scholar’s voice was filled with melancholy as he observed the dazzling light on the sage’s broken body, which was the last flourish of his life. Destan was a Gem Sage of the Manu people, one of the Three Sages, his life as long as the existence of the Manu people, he was once eternal. "You have given up your eternity."
"The eternal time in my body has left a legacy, and I am glad it can still be of some value. I haven’t given up; I’ve merely passed on the eternity, which is the wisdom and... resolution of a sage." Destan’s light brightened a little, and his voice became more cheerful, "I am glad to hear your voice, wise one. You will surely find a better path for my people, better than mine. I intended to share my crystallization with my people, but it seems no longer necessary. Lord Morocoy, please allow me to offer myself as an inconsequential gift."
Mr. Scholar decided to skip this distressing topic.
"Destan, tell me what you know, what exactly has Kolosis done to his own people?"
The purple light gradually dimmed, maintaining a low frequency of flicker.
"He is full of regret, feeling guilty about the self-sacrifice of the great dragon Koranac. At the moment of epochal change, the mighty dragon saw into the future before all of us. He bowed his head, gazed at us, and chose crystallization. The shattered dragon scales turned into gems, and the dragon’s blessing ignited all the Manu’s veins; that day, we grew by half."
With a sigh, the scholar knew the dragon had foreseen its end and made its choice in advance. The decisions of these dragons, who had been companions to the Dragon Priest, were surprisingly consistent, just as they had once defected from their kin to protect the Dragon Followers. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
"Kolosis watched as his teacher disintegrated. He endured immense pain, a kind we Three Sages could not empathize with. Unable to console him, we could only manage the tribe on his behalf and hoped he would recover in his self-imposed isolation."
"But he went mad."
"When he emerged from the secret chamber, our warm welcome faced his madness. Gem Sage Ivesden was the first he killed, turning his remains into a gemstone. Through his crazed words, we understood his plan. Kolosis believed we had shared the power of the great dragon Koranac. He wanted to refine us, his own people, into gems, to recreate his dragon, even to restore the era of dragons."
"And the three Gem Sages were his main targets, he intended to use the crystals from the three of us to forge a Dragon Crown, so the resurrected Koranac could become the new Dragon King."
"Ivesden was the first to die, Mirta chose to stand alone to delay Kolosis for the sake of her kinsmen. I led my people to escape from Ashpurin, but Kolosis’s pursuit continued, and our gems grew scarce. Kolosis had already obtained most of the gems, except for mine, but it was only a matter of time before this place too was discovered. Thus, I sent Marcelo in search of the Dragon Calling Flute, to find the Divine Artifact discarded by Kolosis. I am glad, for he truly brought back hope."
Destan had just finished his story when the shimmering Gem Manu entered the cave together, bringing new light with them. Feeling the fresh gem aura of the Manu People, Destan emitted a thrill of exhilaration. Kate lifted little Chacha, allowing the newborn to touch the crystalline surface of the Gem Sage, one Gem Manu after another reached out to touch their Gem Sage, and the light passed between their bodies.
"Mr. Lyle, could you come closer, please?" When a purple boulder spoke like this, Lyle was actually a bit panicked. But following the nods from both his teachers, he still heeded Destan’s words.
"Please give me your hand, child." Lyle touched Destan’s crystalline body, and purple light converged in his palm, a novel sensation flowing into his body like a clear stream, a mind-expanding and intoxicating mental cleanse.
"I am Gem Sage Destan, I have the power to unite people’s hearts, to give them unwavering will. If you desire, I can also control minds, as part of my gem abilities."
Mr. Scholar brought the confounded Lyle back. "Destan, we have other plans for your fate, Lyle is not your owner."
"Your will." Destan ceased his self-promotion.
After all the gems were distributed, Mr. Scholar and the dragon shared Kolosis’s plan to forge dragons with Lyle and Zhiyan.
"Reviving a giant dragon with the crystals of the Manu People, this sounds a bit like the Spirit Summoning Skill, very similar to the dragon teachers’ plan, even... more sensible..."
The dragon repeated the superiority and uniqueness of his own plan once more.
"Sensible my ass, that half-baked Dragon Priest with his Spirit Summoning Skill, merely got a bit of fur by pushing the cart behind closed doors. I can assure you he has absolutely no way of resurrecting giant dragons. The branches of Spirit Summoning Studies are divided into bones, flesh, and soul, not just by words casually written with a feather quill. These three elements are the foundation of life."
"But their gem dragons came to life... without a single piece of flesh..."
"This..." The dragon could not explain the principle behind the existence of the gem-stitched dragon. Initially, he thought it was nothing but a puppet controlled by Kolosis, but since the gem dragon could inflict bites of the Corrosion Spell, this meant that, by definition in mysticism, the gem dragon was indeed a Spirit Summoning creation. Could it be... this was a new branch of Spirit Summoning Studies, Gem Spirit Summoning?
Mr. Scholar interrupted the wild speculations of the teacher and student in Spirit Summoning Studies; their thoughts had gone down a rabbit hole, now using facts to infer theory, which typically wouldn’t cause any issues. However, Spirit Summoning Studies was not just any theoretical subject, plus Lyle was the reality-distorting Evil God, heaven knows what trouble they could brew in their misguided state.
"Your theories are not wrong, but the Dragon Koranac is special."
"Koranac is the firstborn of dragons, the first offspring birthed by the father of dragons, Yelutal."
