Book 5: Chapter 68: Vultures of War

Zeke stood there, surrounded by a field of corpses. Dismembered bodies lay scattered, blood pooling on the ground. It was a scene of horror and nightmares, yet Zeke felt an unsettling sense of comfort, as if he was meant to be here. He had never felt as powerful as in this very moment. The feeling was intoxicating.

No wonder Blood Mages were called the vultures of war. They participated in most of the larger conflicts across the continent, and many of them were likely drawn to the battlefield like moths to a flame.

Unwillingly, he recalled the stories he’d heard in the empire about Blood Mages—slaughterers, fiends, monsters, butchers. They were called many names, none of them flattering. He had once dismissed those tales as imperial propaganda meant to demonize their enemies, but now, he wondered if there wasn’t a kernel of truth to them.

Zeke could easily imagine someone with a weaker will getting lost in the euphoria of such power, where indiscriminate slaughter would seem inevitable. It was a terrifying thought, and it brought back the age-old question: Did the Core influence your personality, or did your personality determine the nature of your Core?

…Or, in other words, had this fascination with bloodshed always been a part of him, or had it been sparked by his Perfect Blood affinity?

Zeke took a deep breath, frowning at how much he relished the scent of blood. He quickly channeled a burst of Mind Mana, releasing it without casting a spell. The effect was immediate, like a splash of cold water, clearing his thoughts. This was no time for philosophical debates, not in the midst of battle. His objective was clear: ensure as many of Winter’s Descendants survived the conflict.

Before the next wave of enemies could reach him, Zeke teleported to the roof of a nearby building. From this vantage point, he could survey the battlefield and plan his next move.

[Bloodbound Clarity].

The world seemed to freeze as Zeke’s mental state accelerated. It was the first time he had used his combination spell since his advancement, and the changes were immediately clear. Normally, this state came with mounting pressure on his mind and body, a constant warning of the strain. But now, that burden was almost entirely gone.

Though his body was frozen in time, Zeke’s mind was not. Using his Sphere of Awareness, he quickly examined himself and was astonished by what he found. The red and blue saplings within him were unusually active. The red sapling, connected to his heart, was working overtime, pumping oxygen to his brain to sustain its vastly overclocked state. With the immense amount of blood in his body, he had plenty to fuel it.

However, the blue sapling was even more intriguing. He had thought its shell-like form was merely an extra layer of protection around his brain. But now, in use, he saw its true purpose. It acted as an additional layer of brain matter, a web of interconnected pathways that extended his mind and reduced the strain on his physical brain.

This discovery only strengthened his theory that the saplings' forms were not random. The real question was: what had influenced their development? Was it the spells he practiced? His thoughts? His desires? Or was it something else entirely? Zeke eagerly anticipated the day he would uncover all these answers.

However, for now, he shifted his focus to the battlefield ahead, using his Spatial Perception rather than his eyes. With ample time at his disposal, he concentrated on creating a clear picture of the entire situation.

Akasha had done well directing the troops, and he noticed that most of them were fighting from advantageous positions. However, with his constant teleporting and intense use of his Core, it must have been challenging for her to use [Telepathy] on such a large scale. Casting differently attuned spells simultaneously was difficult enough, but with his reckless fighting style, it must have been a true nightmare.

Zeke scanned the enemy ranks, quickly identifying new targets to attack. With his newfound ability to control the blood of his foes, he could significantly impact the battle. Combined with his ability to teleport freely, it was nearly impossible for the Frostscale warriors to counter his flanking maneuvers.

“What do you think, Akasha?”

[Answer]

Host did a good job with the surprise attack, but I advice against any further acts of aggression.

“What? Why?”

Zeke asked.

“We could significantly reduce the casualties on our side by targeting the ranged attackers, and if—”

“Host,”

Akasha interrupted, materializing on the ledge before him.

“Haven’t you forgotten something?”

“What do you mean?”

Akasha made a sweeping gesture, indicating the battlefield behind her. “All of this is meaningless,” she said. “No matter if we eliminate every single enemy, it won’t matter one bit if the wolf loses his fight.” ṝ₳𝐍ɵᛒΕs̈

Zeke’s attention turned to the distant plain, where the two Progenitors were locked in battle. Akasha was right; if Winter died, it wouldn’t matter if they won or lost their skirmish. Shassra could extinguish their lives with a mere sneeze. It seemed his bloodlust had truly clouded his judgment.

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“What do you suggest, then?”

Akasha smiled, and Zeke was momentarily surprised by how natural the expression looked on her face.

"I suggest we fight this battle defensively. We've already dealt a crippling blow; now we just need to run out the clock until the real fight is decided."

Zeke considered that option. “What are your predictions on casualties if we went with your plan?”

“Negligible,”

Akasha replied confidently.

“By using the tunnel as a choke point and implementing a rotating defense, I anticipate no more than a 5% casualty rate—at most.”

“What if we launched an offensive?”

“Tripple the numbers,”

Akasha said right away.

“However, that is not even the worst of it.”

“What is?”

Zeke questioned. Was there something else that he had overlooked?

“If the wolf returns, what does Host think will happen?”

Zeke answered instantly.

“The Frostscale tribe will either surrender or die...”

Akasha nodded, and Zeke couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy at her ability to move freely while he stood frozen in time.

“Which of these scenarios is more likely?”

“…They will most likely choose to surrender,”

Zeke said after a moment of thought. He had witnessed how the Chimeroi reacted to the pressure of a Progenitor and could hardly imagine them standing up against Winter. Suddenly, it dawned on him what the Spirit was getting at.

“So, by fighting aggressively, we not only increase our casualties but also reduce the number of prisoners if we were to win?”

Akasha nodded again, indicating he had correctly guessed her thoughts.

Zeke had never directly inquired about the fate of the survivors from the losing side, but he found it unlikely they would be killed. Without their Progenitor, they posed little threat to the tribe. And even if that was to be their fate, he could likely step in. After all, he had many uses for such a potent fighting force.

Considering those considerations, Zeke had to admit Akasha’s analysis was sound. “Instruct them according

to your plan,”

he ordered.

The Spirit nodded curtly before disappearing from his sight. Almost immediately, Zeke felt the familiar drain on his Core as Akasha relayed her commands. He realized how foolish he’d been not to consider this could be done during his [Bloodbound Clarity]. But it made perfect sense. Unlike spoken words, [Telepathy] was instantaneous. Communication happened directly through the mind, and the sensation of hearing a voice was merely an interpretation by the brain—a kind of mental illusion.

Zeke’s thoughts halted as an idea struck him like lightning. This discovery had far more implications than he initially realized. While Akasha continued instructing the Icefang warriors, he considered the feasibility of his new plan. Matter couldn’t move during his heightened awareness, but anything without mass could. Mind spells were a good example of this... but what about space?

[Notice]

I am done. Host can now undo the spell.

"Just a moment,"

Zeke murmured, a surge of giddy excitement rising within him. He focused on a point at the edge of the battlefield, barely within his Sphere of Awareness. His mind was racing so much that he nearly botched the spell, but thanks to his extensive practice with short-range teleportation, muscle memory guided him through the process.

A moment later, Zeke vanished from his spot and reappeared exactly where he'd aimed. A quick glance confirmed that the world was still frozen, with every warrior moving at a snail's pace. It worked! It had actually worked!

However, his success came at a price. Casting spells in this heightened state carried a significant cost. His newly advanced Core, which could typically handle dozens such spells, felt noticeably drained after just this one burst. There had to be a factor at play when casting multiple spells in an instant. Perhaps it was because his Core had no time to recover before rapidly switching between affinities?

Even so, this was a monumental achievement!

[Question]

…What was that, Host?

Zeke smiled inwardly. It wasn’t easy to make Akasha speechless, and he relished every instance of it.

“I used [Short Range Teleportation].”

[Notice]

I am aware, Host. But what made you try something like that?

"You did, actually,"

Zeke explained.

"I realized that, like the Mind affinity, Space isn’t bound by the constraints of time."

[Question]

…Does Host realize the implications of this?

“I can think of a few,”

Zeke said, excitement building in his chest. By using his Space affinity in this manner, he could likely chain [Short Range Teleportation] to travel a large distance without any time passing. This would allow him to escape from almost any fight if he chose to do so. More importantly, he could move to his allies and bring them to safety if Shassra won the battle.

And those were just the possibilities he thought of on the spot…

For the first time in a long while, Zeke understood the true power of his first combination spell. By merging Blood and Mind, he had crafted a spell that could nearly replicate the time-stopping ability the Exarch had used in Tradespire. No wonder Maximilian had scoffed at the idea that single-affinity Mages were superior to those with multiple elements.

If this was the result, he would have to invest much more time in discovering synergies between his affinities. In fact, wasn’t this the perfect moment to test one of his theories? He had long suspected another potential synergy between his Blood and Mind spells, something he had always hesitated to try. But this situation was ideal for that spell. If it worked, he might...

Zeke focused on a nearby Frostscale warrior, oblivious to his presence. For the warrior, only a fraction of a second had passed since Zeke had appeared nearby.

A perfect subject...