Dark Magus Returns - Chapter 1536: Starting Something Big (Part 1)
Chapter 1536: Starting Something Big (Part 1)
Raze and the Pagna warriors, along with Kelly, had gotten to work immediately, each of them slipping into the roles assigned for this part of the task. Kelly’s decision to join Raze had not been a casual one. Her reasoning was simple, though it was not something she wanted to voice too loudly. It wasn’t exactly that she distrusted Harvey, at least, not in the strictest sense of the word, but there was something about him that always put her on edge.
Harvey carried an intensity that was difficult for her to handle. Every time he spoke, it seemed to carry an unshakable authority that made it hard for her to give her own input. If the discussion was about the Dark Guild and its progression, she often felt her opinions would only be disregarded or drowned out, so more often than not, she simply kept her mouth shut.
That was why she had chosen to come here instead. With Raze, even if he did not always respond warmly, she could at least speak her mind. Along with her came Sophie, who perched on her shoulder as usual, unwilling to leave her side. Sophie’s presence was steadying, a reminder that she was not alone in these choices.
The location Raze had chosen for them was the Underside.
The Underside world was massive, unbelievably vast, stretching far in all directions. In sheer size, it could rival the capital city of Alterian itself. In some parts, it even seemed to stretch further. They only needed to head toward the center, because that was where the Dark Guild had made its base.
Coming from Alen’s place, the group had entered through the edge of the city and descended directly down into one of the sewers. The deeper they went, the stronger the stench became, but what struck the group most wasn’t the smell, it was the people.
Even though Raze had already told them about the Underside, it was still shocking to see it with their own eyes. The place was swarming with life. Crowds filled the streets, the alleyways, the cramped corners. It was almost a mirror of the city above, the population just as large, maybe even larger.
“When these people fall down here, they don’t have the will to move,” Raze explained as he caught the murmurs from the others behind him, their hushed voices carrying shock and unease. “It’s not as if things suddenly become better if they move deeper into the center. Life remains much the same, no matter where they go.”
Liam’s eyes drifted over the individuals they passed. He studied them carefully, noticing how so many of their gazes were empty, drained of light and hope. Yet at the same time, there were others who smiled, others who laughed as though this was nothing unusual. People dug through massive scrap heaps to find whatever materials they could salvage, dressed in worn-out hazmat suits, their gloves patched again and again.
“It doesn’t all look bad,” Liam commented softly, his tone a mixture of surprise and thoughtfulness.
“Right,” Raze replied, his voice calm but flat. “It’s not as bad as it once was, not for those born here. As generations live and grow up in the Underside, they adapt, they find their own ways to survive. But unfortunately, we’re not here to look for the joyous ones.”
Raze came to a sudden halt in the middle of a worn-down street. His head turned, his sharp eyes locking onto a frail man scratching at the side of his arms. The man’s body was thin, his skin pale, and yet he wore a magic blazer, one that had clearly once belonged to someone who lived above.
Without hesitation, Raze reached out with his hand, pulling the man’s head up so that his vacant eyes met his own. There was no reaction, not even a flicker of awareness.
“Although those in the Underside rarely have the ability to use magic, that doesn’t apply to everyone,” Raze explained, his tone even. “Some of them once lived above, and when they fell down to this place, they never left. This man probably hasn’t even taken that blazer off since he first ended up here.”
“Right,” Liam muttered, wrinkling his nose. “I mean, we could smell he’d never changed his clothes. I don’t think I needed the system to figure that out.”
“Stop being like that,” Beatrix scolded sharply, giving him a quick kick. “These people aren’t in a situation where they have much of a choice. Where do you think they would even get clean water from?”
Kelly’s gaze lingered on the man in front of them, and her chest tightened. The sight of him brought back memories she tried not to think about, memories of her mother and the hardship they had endured together. It was hard to stomach, but in that moment she realized what Raze was planning.
“You’re trying to track it down, aren’t you? The path of the illegal substances?” Kelly asked, her voice low but firm.
“Right,” Raze answered. “I’m already sure that a large portion of them are being made by Gizin. But we can’t just start at the top. We have to trace it properly. First the sellers, then the suppliers, and finally we’ll get to the source.”
He paused, his expression hardening. “But that’s not all I plan to do.”
Raze turned toward Safa, his eyes locking with hers.
“Do you remember what we did to fix the Wilton student’s core?” he asked. “I want to try the same thing here. The plan is simple: I will use my Dark Magic to destroy the interference from the illegal substances, and you will heal the rest of the body.”
He continued, his voice steady but heavy. “It will be an intense procedure for both of us, especially you. You’ll need to use your god eyes to pinpoint exactly where I should destroy the interference, because it won’t just be in the core. A lot of it will be spread through the body, substance in the brain, threads in the channels. If the healing isn’t quick enough, the person could perish.”
In truth, there might not have been anyone else in the world who could attempt something like this. With Safa’s god eyes, her powerful light magic, and the Lux spear that carried her will, and with Raze’s destructive mastery of Dark Magic, they might be the only two people alive capable of completely curing someone like this on the spot.
“I’ll try,” Safa said firmly. “If we can help, then that will be for the best.”
Together, Safa and Raze knelt down by the man’s side. He seemed almost oblivious to the world around him, unresponsive even now. The two began their work, Safa calling out and explaining everything she could see, guiding Raze’s magic with the precision of her eyes.
The procedure dragged on, every second stretching into an eternity. It took nearly thirty minutes of relentless effort, both of them sweating, their focus razor-sharp as they worked. Finally, when the last threads of corruption were burned away and the final healing light sealed the wounds, they could see a faint glow of life returning to the man’s eyes.
The entire process had been a success.
A tear slipped down Kelly’s cheek as she watched. She couldn’t stop the thought that entered her mind: why couldn’t these two have been around when her mother had been alive? If they had, maybe she and her mother wouldn’t have had to endure the pain and suffering they had gone through. Maybe things would have been different.
“Let’s clear one of the buildings and let him rest,” Raze instructed. His voice carried no triumph, only purpose. He turned to Kelly. “Kelly, do you mind buying supplies from those above? We’ll need him fully energized. Because I don’t just plan to get information…”
He narrowed his eyes, his words firm.
“We’re going to start a revolution.”
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