Ch. 22: A New Apprentice?

Levizla's P.O.V.

Amazing! Truly nothing less than amazing. Selk... No, Lord Selk saved my life by replacing the Soul stones I removed, and attached the new ones on my spine. The truly unbelievable thing about it is that I don't feel any pain what so ever. The first time I had soul stones implanted onto my body, I felt aching pains for days after the operation. Even after that, I could still feel mild pain from then on that I have to suppress with medications. Now, for the first time in fifty years, I feel no pain.

I had to show him how grateful I am for this remarkable gift he has bestowed upon me. Even if he is not the reincarnated Flesh God I thought he was, he is still an unbelievable existence since he is the secret seventh hero. The Champion of Flesh, and a person that I must pay my gratitude towards. I must learn from him the secret of the true Flesh Magic, so I'll need to humble myself willingly. Nothing less than total subservience must be shown towards my benefactor.

I got down on my hands and knees as I copied Prof. Lecter's prostrating pose to plead for Lord Selk to take me in as his apprentice. After all, a great mage like him should have more than one apprentice. However, Lord Selk interjected my plea.

Selk: "P-please, Prof. Levizla. Your one of the highest ranked teacher in this university. I don't think the school will allow a teacher to be taught by her students."

Lord Selk rebutted with a sound argument, but there's no way I would let this opportunity pass by. I assured him that I will keep this a secret between the two of us and that I am willing to learn anything he would teach me.

Allice: "Come on, Dr. Selk, it will be fine. I'm sure Ms. Levizla can be trusted. Plus she might be able to teach me a thing or two about other types of magic so I can become more helpful to you. Please let her be an apprentice like me."

Bless this child's pure soul. Allice pleaded along with me so that Lord Selk would be inclined to take me under his wing. I will not forget this kindness, Allice.

Selk: "Well, I suppose I can take another person as an apprentice, but there has to be three conditions before I take you in as an apprentice, Prof. Levizla."

Lord Selk said as I delightfully listened to the conditions he is about to set. First, I am not allowed to disclose any of the secrets I learned and are about to learn from this apprenticeship. Second, I will pray to Lord Gore Traveegal for at least once a day so that my Flesh Magic will be more effective. And Third, What ever his instructions are must be followed to the tee.

I agreed right away to the conditions set by my new master as I feel my uncontrollable smile spread across my face. I haven't been this excited since the first time I used magic when I was but A young elf.

Levizla: "You truly are an amazing person with a heart of gold, Lord Selk."

I praised my new magic teacher whole heartedly. However, Allice interjected with additional information that shock me to my core.

Allice: "Right? In fact, Dr. Selk is so amazing that he was actually the one that stopped the war and save the entire continent from destruction."

Levizla: "S-so it wasn't Ms. Rockforth who did that, but Lord Selk? Unbelievable! TO think that she would use Lord Selk to bolster her name in the kingdoms. How dare she."

As I fumed over what I just found out however, Lord Selk corrected the misunderstanding that was brewing within me.

Selk: "Hold on now, Prof. Levizla. I was the one who wanted that fact to be kept secret. I'm not interested in fame or status. In fact, I'm a bit guilty that I'm pushing all this fame on to Vina. But I just want to live a normal life as a magical doctor. You got that, Professor?"

Lord Selk chastised me for thinking that he needs any trivial luxuries like fame or fortunes. I should have known that the real accolade he must be looking for are from the ones that he will get once he has made the Life Creation Magic public. What a fool you are, Levizla. Just when I was berating myself in my thought, Allice called me for something.

Allice: "Ms. Levizla, since you're officially part of our group, I'd like you to meet someone."

And Just when I thought that nothing within this day could surprise me anymore, Allice started to call something that's been hiding under her bed this entire time. A creature unlike anything I've ever seen then emerged from it's hiding spot and crawled up to Allice's embrace.

The strange creature looks like a hybrid of a caterpillar and a manatee. It's plump and seemingly soft body is so adorable it makes me want to hug it as it gaze at me inquisitively.

Allice: "This is Ponpon. She was created from Dr. Selk's magic to help me practice my flesh magic. Say hi to Prof. Levizla, Ponpon."

Ponpon: "Kyuu, kyuu."

Upon Allice's prodding. the creature name Ponpon, who's apparently a female, made a cute sound to greet me. I was so unusually enamored by the cuteness of Ponpon that I failed to notice my mouth completely opened in awe.

Levizla: "M-may I hold her, Allice?"

I asked as my voice waivered from unnecessary nervousness. Yet, once Allice handed over the squishy creature named Ponpon, I felt bliss the moment it's malleable body touched mine.

Levizla: "Lord Selk, This creature is so Wonderful. What is it exactly?"

I asked my new young master as I continue to hug the cute and cuddly Ponpon.

Selk: "She's actually a fusion of an Imperial Caterpillar and a Marsh Dugong. I needed to make the most non-threatening creature I could so Allice can practice on it to build up her mana pool without having to resorting to soul stone implants like you and I did."

My ears twitched and my eyes widened upon hearing this revelation from Lord Selk. Who would have thought that he and I would come up with the same way to increase our mana pool's mana production.

Levizla: "S-so, You've implanted wyvern soul stones within your body too, Lord Selk?"

Selk: "Please stop calling me Lord, Professor. And yes, I'm afraid I did. It was an unfortunate necessity that I had to do if we were to win the war. Otherwise, I never would have done it."

Lord Selk said with a twinge of regret in the tone of his voice.

Allice: "So, how many soul stones did you implanted on yourself ,Dr. Selk?"

Without knowing, Allice asked the question I wanted to. Good job, Allice.

Selk: "...I-I'd rather not say."

Was the reply Lord Selk gave us as he averted eye contact.

Allice: "Oh, come on, Dr. Selk. Don't you trust us? I promise not to tell anyone else."

Selk: "I-it's not that I don't trust you two. It's just that... If you find out, you guys might not look at me in the same light."

Lord Selk said, worried that we might judge him if we find out the actual number of soul stones implanted in him.

Levizla: "D-don't think that we are so weak willed, Lord Selk. I'm sure what ever the number is, we will never change the way we see you."

I insisted to the young Flesh Mage.

Selk: "Sigh! Fine... It's ten..."

Levizla: "T-ten? That's not too..."

Selk: "...Thousand. I have ten thousand elder wyvern soul stones infused in my spine."

...Ten Thousand... Ten Thousand soul stones in his spine... My vision turn black and I felt like the ground pulling me down as I started to faint from the shock of what I just heard. The last thing that I saw before I completely lost consciousness was the sight of Lord Selk rushing over to catch me.

Meanwhile, in the Demonic Kingdom.

Hadan was in his large tent within the Wolfmen territory, waiting patiently for his sister's return. Just then, he heard footsteps approach his tent.

Nadira: "Dear brother, I have returned with Cocho."

Princess Nadira announced as she brought along a tall male Demon with hair as red as hot embers and Ibex like horn on his forehead. The Demon named Cocho, who was adorn with a reddish armor and holding a burlap sack. then knelt on one knee before the prince and bowed his head in respect of his audience. Prince Hadan then activated the sound dampener spell around his tent to prevent people from hearing what is about to be discussed.

Cocho: "Your royal highness. It is an honor to receive an audience with the great prince Hadan. To what do I owe this pleasure, sir?"

Cocho humbly greeted in all earnest.

Hadan: "Cocho, you are the greatest tactical general and retrieval specialist of our continent, are you not?"

Cocho: "Yes, your highness, that is the cold hard fact."

Cocho replied to the prince. No hint of boasting or arrogance could be heard from the tone of his voice. The prince smiled from Cocho's honest estimations of his abilities. Prince Hadan was then about to share the task he would like Cocho to undergo, but decided to see weather or not he is loyal to their cause.

Hadan: " Before we continue, I need assurance that you have willingly joined my side. Why has a loyal knight of the kingdom such as yourself have chosen to join my side?"

Cocho: "With all due respect, your father the king has lost his mind. I am here to serve a strong king that holds the demon race to the highest account. And yet, the king gave up after we lost our ultima weapon. To not fight till the bitter end is a shameful path no king should ever take."

Cocho spoke venom of prince Hadan's father as he address his new lord. The demon prince couldn't help but smirk from the deprecating words Cocho had for his father. Cocho then reached in the sack he was carrying, the move causing the prince to hover his right hand on the sword on his hip. However, Cocho slowly revealed the contents of his sack to be three heads of their demonic kin.

Cocho: "These head use to belong to my fellow generals whom I fought side by side with through the years. I met with them in secret to persuade them into joining your noble cause. Yet, they dejected me and said they will remain loyal to your foolish father. So I relieved them of their heads so they can no longer become a threat to your ascension to the throne."

The sight of the decapitated heads made the princess frown in disgust, but the prince had an opposite reaction to this gruesome sight.

Hadan: "Splendid work, Cocho. You have truly proven yourself an invaluable member of my court. Now, to get to the matter at hand. I need you to..."

Before Prince Hadan could disclose Cocho's new mission, the prince detected a presence in the spacious tent along with them. The prince drew his weapon and swung it on his back to block an attack from his rear. A humanoid framed of a hooded assailant wielding a battle axe was the culprit of this surprise attack.

The attacker had to jump back when sensing the attack from prince Hadan, narrowly avoiding the slash aimed at his neck. Cocho and princess Nadira proceeded to draw their weapons as well to protect the demon prince. Just when the fight was about to commence, however, a voice echoed throughout the tent, cutting the tension within it.

Benefactor: "That's Enough, Brix."

Nadira: "B-Benefactor? W-what is the meaning of this?"

The demon princess uttered the only name she knew of the man that came out from the shadowy corner of their tent. The Benefactor, the same hooded man that gave them the armors and formulated the plan for their take over.

Hadan: "Explain yourself, Benefactor! Have you come to show your true colors and betray us?"

Prince Hadan said, his words of spite directed at the mysterious man before him. The Benefactor only continued to smile as the demon prince glared at him with disdain.

Benefactor: "Relax, your highness! This young lad is somebody I personally recruited for your takeover. He, however, doesn't want to serve under someone who is weak. So I told him to try his hand on attacking you to see how skilled and powerful you truly are. So, Brix, how did you find his highness the prince's ability?"

The tall hooded Benefactor replied to the prince while asking the attacker named Brix his assessment of the prince's abilities.

Brix: "He's strong enough, I guess."

The mysterious hooded attacker said in a young voice that surprised the demonic royalties present in the tent.

Benefactor: "Good! Then, I can trust that you will let Brix here accompany sir Cocho in rescuing the young princess Abriela from the human's territory, right?"

Cocho was surprised upon hearing that the humans have the youngest demonic princess in their custody. Yet the most surprise in that tent were none other than Prince Hadan and Princess Nadira.

Nadira: "H-how did you come to know of my sister's where about? And further more, how did you even manage to get in here without notice? Our fortification of this domicile is nigh impregnable."

Benefactor: "I have my ways, my dear princess. Besides, nothing is impregnable. Now, you will let my subordinate here accompany you in this mission, will you not?"

The Benefactor retorted, now sounding more forceful in the latter part of his reply.

Cocho: "I don't know who you people think you are, but I need no help from hooligans like..."

Brix: "Let me stop you there before you finish that thought there, big guy."

Brix interrupted Cocho before he could finish turning him away.

Brix: "There's a monster in the form of a human where your little princess is, and I'm the only one who can take him on. So if you value the success of this mission and your life, then you're going to sit back and let me do what I need to do. Got it?"

The mysterious Brix continued, berating Cocho for thinking he could finish this mission on his own.

Hadan: "A monster you say? What kind of monster can take the form of a man? What do you call this monster?"

Prince Hadan asked Brix.

Brix: "He calls himself Selk."