Chapter 1087: Chapter 1086: Caliph (2)
Chapter 1087: Chapter 1086: Caliph (2)
Despite being outnumbered, the other two Fingers were somehow capable of holding their own against the Death Jackals and my lovers, the sheer amount of spells wreathed around them keeping them alive and well as they just kept adding more and more.
A lightning storm was raging inside the library and each bolt of lightning was accompanied by a rain of fire as they kept everyone else at bay whilst they focused on defending against the closest attackers, their focus alternating between one group and the other, as well as one another as they aided their comrade as best they could.
The sheer quantity of enchanted items and magic being used by these three was enough to give me a migraine as I imagined trying to fund this sort of group, only to realize that most likely that funding was being justified by whatever it was that they were trying to steal; anything was on the table to justify their goal... whatever that may be.
"Surprised? It's what happens when a quality warrior and mage is given access to anything and everything they could ever want when it comes to gear. Personalized and tailored just for them, earned off of merit. They fought and bled for that gear, and it shows doesn't it? The same way those pricks in black bled for their positions, but where they lick the boots of an unworthy Dogkin upstart and operate in the shadows as glorified guard dogs, we run freely in the open. That's the glory of being untethered from the state."
Standing across from me still, the Caliph grinned as he gestured at his various pendants and rings, displaying his wealth and additional firepower happily as he added "This is what we offer to those who deserve it. Wealth, power, a place to belong. Those dumbasses outside are a different story; yes, we are murders, druggies, smugglers and so much more, but we know how to incorporate ourselves into a society. A society made by us. They weren't able to comprehend being apart of this bigger picture; they wanted drugs in their veins and a bitch on their lap..."
He clicked his tongue and shook his head, turning to point at his comrades as he just kept talking, giving me the time to come up with a few more ideas to try on how to get rid of this nuisance and save as much of this library as I possibly could, though from the sounds of the lightning strikes below me, I doubt there would be too much to save.
"And yeah, we want the same sometimes too, but we also want a place to belong too, somewhere to call home. That's where this library comes in, and that's where birdbrain came in as well; the knowledge we needed for that plan to come to fruition is here, somewhere, and I already have enough to get the rest of us kickstarted on expanding any of the oasis' that we desire into something better.
Bring prosperity to this hellhole of a country; can't really blame the Sultana for not wanting to do this, but hey... sometimes someone needs to make the tough decisions for the betterment of the talented few instead of the unworthy many, right?"
There were a handful of ideas floating around in my mind at the moment, and the primary one was to just replicate what I had done to that Fiend from earlier; it was by far the simplest idea to execute, and whilst there were risks with not being able to control it afterwards, I needed to learn about the effects of utilizing Lust Mana in that way sooner or later, and I think this would be the best time to try it out!
Obviously not, but it was an incredible trump card to have up my sleeve, and against an opponent like this I just felt like I needed to pull that out right away, lest I manage to give up this very slight advantage I had on him and bring myself back to an even playing field.
He had all those enchanted baubles on his person, sure, but what exactly could he do against Fiendish Magic with his own normal magic?
I don't even know if the magics that Leone had been genetically blessed with - her Blood and Moon Magics - could do much against Fiendish Magic in terms of repelling it, let alone a type of magic that alters the mind... though Moon Magic did seem to specialize in just that, so... I don't really know.
Would it be outlandish to assume that he might have a trick up his sleeve to match my own somehow?
I mean he did have access to a Fiend and he even made a deal with one - even if he was a single part of a larger collective - so maybe he had some interesting, never before tricks that I just wouldn't know how to anticipate and react to if I acted so brazenly.
"Must be a real- good thinker there, baby~! Careful now, you don't wanna hurt yourself... I'll tell it to you straight, part of it anyways... We want to get rid of the desert. Sounds hard, but it really is actually kinda simple. Mana in the air, it's Fire Mana primarily right? So what would happen if we gave it a good ol' switcheroo to Water Mana? Balanced it out like... like balancing the ratio of flour to yeast when making bread. You need a bit more of one to get a delicious loaf, right? Fire Mana is good and all, but in abundance it is by far the most lethal of the four basic elements. You following?"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
It was more than a good thing that this man loved hearing his own voice, and if it gave me more time to prepare and let him spill a few more grains of information for me to make use of later, than I was all for it honestly, even if I was finding his tone grating.
"At first it would be... chaotic. You can try this yourself in a controlled area, though it really is nowhere near as ideal as you would want for a test. Things go out of wack fast, even if you change it slowly. Climate gets messed with, everything goes to shit. So if you do it really quick and give the world no time to figure out what happened, you can mitigate a little bit of damage.
The weak will undoubtedly perish; the old, the young, the feeble and injured... all are most likely going to die. But from those deaths we can achieve a nice paradise for the rest of us; remember, the unworthy many give us talented and incredible few a really nice life~!"
"You want to kill thousands upon thousands of people to completely change this country's climate? Do you realize the damage you would do? Not even counting the people, the shift would decimate any and all wildlife that were living in this area, all the flora and completely misalign the land you stand on! It's sheer idiocy!"
He grinned even more at that, perplexing me immensely as I wondered if he was just that crazy or what, though he answered that quickly as he replied "That's the thing though, Fiends have a large amount of control on the world itself. Born of it, molded by it, devoted to it... it
answers them, not us.
We're... pests at best while they are its children, to put it simply. So if you get a couple of really powerful Fiends together, draw them in with promises of death, change, knowledge and good fun when it's all done, well... baby, you can change the world."
The Caliph barely even reacted when I sent a barrage of overcharged needles at him, each one tearing a chunk out of his barrier and slowly peeling it open to allow me to land a single attack on him to end this all.
"We've got deals and contracts up with so many hungry Fiends I don't even know if you all can understand what's happening... see, we used to be small time runners and smugglers; see a pretty girl and nab her, sell her to some pervert as a slave and make some real good coin. Short term was immaculate; long term was bloody. Each day was a risk; were the Death Jackals gonna find us, was a monster going to put a talon in our hearts? Or was a 'friend' going to stab you in the back and spit on your corpse?
All sorts of things went on each and every day, uncertainty littered our lives, but now? Baby, now that the Fiends have come back..? Oh, life is getting so much better~! They want revenge, and some of 'em are so blinded by it that they can't even recognize how times have changed! Some are so simple they'd do almost anything you ask if they get that thing they
want.
And if you get them all grouped together, working towards a common goal of bathing this country in blood to bring about its change, to fulfill your heart's desires however you could with the knowledge you take? The world really is changing, and for the weak of body or the weak of will, that's downright terrifying and dangerous. But for us willing to ride the waves and fight for our futures? Baby I'm in love with the way the world is right now~! And you
should be too!"
Yet another pendant shone on his neck, and I braced myself as I noticed the lightning wreathing his legs as he prepared to launch himself towards me, his mana swelling as he was given yet another boost by his gear to enhance his strength and speed.