Confronting the Dark Mage and Dark History

Drawing upon my magical abilities, I summoned forth a quartet of Thunder Spear spells that interlocked with the oncoming Nether Bolt. While my own spells were successful in neutralizing the majority of the incoming attack, a few of the bolts managed to evade my defences, leaving painful scratches upon my cheeks and hands as I frantically dodged and weaved.

"You possess dark mana, the force behind the sudden evolution of those Hoppers?" I inquired, casting Fire Bolts towards the mage. Our spells clashed, nullifying each other's power.

"You arrogant brat! You've meddled in matters that should have been left untouched," the mage retorted, his voice filled with anger.

"Nether Mist," he invoked, and a dark mist began to engulf the surroundings. A sinister presence crept in, causing the once vibrant flora to wither and fade.

I invoked "Stormrider's Call," a second-order spell, seeking to blow away the encroaching mist. But to my dismay, it proved ineffective. The mist held its ground, exerting its malevolent influence.

"It seems your efforts are in vain," the mage sneered. "The mist shall consume all that lacks dark mana."

Upon hearing his words, a semblance of calm washed over me

"When did you acquire such dark power? Does Captain Lucius have knowledge of it?" I inquired, attempting to understand the mage's motives.

"That fool? He knows naught but gluttony and boastfulness," the mage cackled.

"Once I have completed the evolution of all the forest's creatures, that fool and your wretched noble kin shall meet a wretched demise," he proclaimed with twisted glee.

"Haha! Do you think evolving every beast in the forest will be an easy feat? It will consume your entire lifetime," I remarked, trying to maintain my composure.

"Alone, perhaps. But what if I were to join forces with a legion of dark mages?" The mage fixed his gaze upon me.

Hearing his words, I recalled that the dungeon outbreak and monster outpouring will occur in few months.

They would be the harbingers of the impending dungeon outbreak, unleashing a torrent of monsters in the coming months.

"Why would you commit such an atrocity? To amass more dark mana and corpses? Or is there another motive?" I inquired of the dark mage.

"Does the darkness require a reason to destroy? Even if I did have a motive, I am not obligated to share it with you," he retorted.

It became evident that he was not going to reveal anything regarding the dungeon outbreak, and thus, I felt no need to hold back.

Suddenly, the mage's countenance changed. "Why hasn't the Nether Mist finished you off yet?" he questioned with a hint of unease.

My silence confirmed his suspicion. "No-no way you have dark mana?" the mage asked in quavering voice.

"Galestorm Rupture," I invoked a powerful wind elemental spell, which was a creation of my own design, it is not from the spell books of this world.

The spell formed sharp wind blades that rotated around me, forming a cyclone with me at the centre, which grew in size rapidly.

Sensing the danger, the mage attempted to flee, but my spell was quicker, and it soon caught up to him.

"Aghhh!!!" his anguished cry echoed through the forest.

"Damn you, you are a third circle mage, but do you think you can halt us? This kingdom will fall, inevitably, and your noble family will crumble," he cursed bitterly.

Before he could utter another word, the wind blades ripped him apart, and his body crumpled to the ground.

The devastating impact of the spell left the surroundings in ruin. Trees stood severed and broken, and the once serene ground lay ravaged.

The chaotic aftermath compelled me to swiftly depart from the site. Making my way towards a crack in the wall, I slipped through the narrow opening, leaving behind the remnants of my clash with the dark mage.

A sense of relief washed over me as I found myself in the safety of a nearby village. The hustle and bustle of everyday life carried on, oblivious to the unfolding events of dark magic and treacherous plans.

"Why did you choose to kill him? Wouldn't it have been wiser to capture him and extract the truth through relentless torture?"

It was in this moment, amidst the calmness of the village, that Galadriel, who had remained mostly silent, questioned my choice to end the mage's life rather than capturing him for interrogation and torment.

"You may not be aware of recent history," I began, preparing to shed light on my reasoning. With earnestness, I continued, "In your time, the acquisition of dark mana often involved contracts with dark spirits, pacts with demons or—"

"Or the rare occurrence of being born with an innate affinity for dark magic, much like yourself." Galadriel interrupted my explanation.

I continued, "Indeed, but few hundred years ago, a figure named Morvin Darkwood emerged and founded a community known as the Dark Forces. Within their ranks, they sought various means to amass dark mana, resorting to despicable methods such as harvesting it from lifeless corpses, embracing death itself, and even profiting from the horrors of warfare. The corrupted nature of this dark mana inflicted mages with madness and ferocity. To my dismay, I discovered that when I subjected these dark mages to torture before my regression, instead of experiencing pain, they derived perverse pleasure."

"I see", Galadriel replied and went silent as usual.