Billy just said something good. Instead of them only focusing on the bad things that will happen, why don't they think about what amazing things they can do with Magic?
"I agree with Brook," Adrien said. Then looked at Aurdis and Saeldir. "Do you guys know what else will happen at the beginning of Magic's awakening?"
Aurdis and Saeldir exchanged glances.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with telling them about that," Saeldir said.
But Aurdis didn't jump to the idea right away. "Are you sure? What if Aerchon finds out?"
"He'll find out eventually too, right?" Saeldir replied. "Magic awakening in this world, then about the coming Great Calamity."
Aurdis pressed her lips together. "You're right. In the end, we have to tell Aerchon about all of that."
"So, actually a lot of things will happen. Some of them are evolution," Saeldir started explaining to them.
"The creatures of this world will start changing into different forms and various kinds of strange abilities will also appear on their bodies."
Erend, Adrien, and Billy also suspected that. They had seen a fraction of what was in that other world so they could at least know what Magic could do to the body of a creature.
Daemons of Calamity, Ogres, and of course the Elves. It was already evident how terrifying Magic's influence was.
"Then, there will be something like a mental issue in creatures with sufficient intelligence," Saeldir continued.
"What do you mean?" Billy asked.
"There are records that say that there was some sort of widespread plague of madness when Magic first awakened long ago in our world."
"A plague of madness?" Billy seemed unable to believe how bad the news he had just heard was.
Saeldir answered with a nod. "It happened so long ago. I forgot about some of the details. But I do remember that awakening Magic the first time is never a good thing."
"Yeah, it does look like that." Billy looked down at his coffee cup and pondered. For a few moments, his positive thoughts had died out.
"Then? What happened next?" Erend asked.
"Well," Saeldir said. "Natural selection is working. Those creatures that can adapt to Magic and use their powers well will survive and thrive."
"And those who don't survive will just perish?" Erend asked again.
Saeldir gave a nod in response.
Erend sighed. "In the end, we really can't expect a lot of people to survive, huh."
"That's not necessarily true." Aurdis suddenly said.
All eyes were immediately on her. Except for Saeldir who already knew what Aurdis would say next.
"What do you mean?" Erend asked. "Is there a way to prevent that?"
Aurdis nodded and glanced at the three of them. "You guys can be the ones who can help the inhabitants of this world prepare. You already know how to use Magic, right?"
Adrien and Billy exchanged glances.
"You can teach them how to use Magic. So they can control their madness and fight the evolved beings," Aurdis continued.
"Uhh... I guess I should back off on that," Erend suddenly said. "My way of using Magic might be different from yours."
"Oh, that's right," Aurdis said. "Dragons are very powerful beings. So, how they use their power can be different from us."
"Aren't Dragons also ordinary creatures that evolve because of Magic?" Billy said. "Maybe they're just lizards."
Erend glanced at Billy. "Lizards?"
"Yeah," Billy said. "When you transformed you looked like a huge winged lizard breathing fire."
Aurdis let out a chuckle at Billy's comment.
"No," said Aurdis after successfully stopping her laughter. "Dragons are a being who possesses the power that surpasses all things in this world. According to legend, they can even transcend time and space."
"I'm not a lizard," Erend said, irritated.
Billy just snorted.
"It's even possible that our world was created by a Dragon. Though there aren't any accurate records of that and it's only considered a legend," Aurdis said.
"But after seeing what Erend can do, what Aurdis just said is very possible." Saeldir gives his remark.
Erend didn't feel any pride about everything he heard from them. Instead, he felt a pressure of responsibility.
"Let's get back to what we have to talk about," Adrien said.
"Based on what you guys are saying, Magic can make us go insane. But why didn't Billy and I?"
Aurdis turned to Saeldir because she didn't have an answer.
"The only thing I can think of is, since you guys spent quite some time with the Elves and Erend, somehow the bad influence didn't affect you."
Saeldir paused, he seemed to be thinking about something.
"Or... The effect just hasn't affected you for now," Saeldir said after a while.
"Oh shit." Billy gulped. "Isn't there some way to prevent it? Or at least to let us know the signs?"
"There's no way to prevent it. But if you start hearing strange voices from inside your head that could be one of the signs," Saeldir replied.
"Basically madness due to Magic is almost the same as ordinary madness," Billy muttered gloomily.
"You're gonna be fine," Erend said, smiling at Billy and Adrien. "I won't let you go crazy like that."
"Do you have a way to prevent it?" Billy asked.
"No," said Erend simply. "But I'll find a way if it does happen to you."
Erend's words brought them unexpected calm. Even if they were just words without clear evidence, they could still feel better.
They somehow believed that Erend could indeed do that.
After they finished their dinner, they immediately left the motel and headed for town again.
~~~
The ambulance was moving away carrying Conrad who was lying unconscious on the stretcher.
Conrad's face seemed to have lost all blood and became so pale it was almost white.
His situation looks worrying. But the doctor who treated him said that he was fine. It's just, he won't be conscious for a while because something happened to his brain.
Beside him sat Thomas who forced himself to come with the ambulance that brought him.
Thomas doesn't know what happened to Conrad after he could no longer see him because the camera was destroyed by the fight they had.
The last time he saw her was when she was fighting an Elf who turned out to be the mastermind of this infiltration.
Thomas only knows about that. Because he couldn't see anything as the fighting and chaos spread everywhere.
He couldn't possibly put himself in danger by insisting on seeing those fights up close. Although he was very curious about what happened and who had attacked the secret facility.
Thomas stared at Conrad from where he sat with his usual sleepy eyes. He had also suddenly felt quite tired these past few hours.
Maybe it was because he had been exposed too much to the mess at the facility earlier.
Thomas, who usually only heard chaos from his head that screamed many ideas and questions, now had to face chaos from outside.
It made him feel something like a shock that made him feel tired.
But one thing that worried Thomas when his eyes looked at Conrad.
Thomas thought that he would see Conrad die amidst the ruins and debris from the battle. But the fact that Conrad just passed out and said he would be fine didn't make him relieved.
'What if now his Magic power is no longer there?'
That question worried him. He choose to be nearby him so he could confirm it as soon as Conrad awoke.
After all, why didn't the Elves kill him right away? As someone who had stolen their Magic.
There was no way they would be merciful to Conrad after what he had done to them.
Most likely that was their purpose in sending troops to attack this facility.
About how they could know of this secret facility, Thomas didn't feel the need to think about it. They have Magic, after all
'Let's hope it's not true.'
Thomas hoped in his heart because if Conrad's Magic ability was really gone, it would be extremely bad.
Steve disappeared somewhere and Annie also seemed to be experiencing the same thing as Conrad.
Although he had quite a bit of data ― which he had managed to salvage with great difficulty ― but he had already lost the Magic's original source.
"Hahh..." Thomas let out a long, heavy breath.
One of the nurses who saw her said. "Don't worry sir. He's fine. He should wake up in a few days."
"A few days?" Thomas looked at the nurse with his weary eyes.
The nurse just gave a smile that seemed to tell him to be patient.
Thomas sighed heavily again. Knowing he still had to wait a few days made his feelings of anxiety increase even more.
The car was traveling at a moderate speed. Soon they will reach the city of Ascan.
Thomas was sure when he got there, the town would be buzzing with news about what happened at the facility.
Thomas was curious how General Lennard would handle this.
~~~
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