I Alone Breed Dragons

Chapter 64: News About The Council

Each pulse, I absorbed it into me, each stronger than the last. My grip loosened slowly from the grimoire, the wave of the mana spread around the void, a dark purple energy.

My shadow shifted, illuminated by its mana. I needed to finish this quick, it already filled my shadow, if not contained will begin to spill out.

I pushed absorb to the limit, forcing every bit of the dark mana into my soul. My muscles swelled, arm vibrating with power.

It kept going on and on till it reached its peak. A last violent pulse.

Slowly, the pulse slowed, the glowing pages of the book dimmed back.

I released the book, the air levitated into the air, I exhaled, it worked... I looked at my arm, the crawling veins on my arm had reddened.

I flexed my hand, still feeling the burning heat in them, nevertheless my arm was still functional. It didn’t affect my arm, as bad as I thought.

That aside, I noted as the pages of the grimoire got clearer. Readable words appeared on the pages, at the header of each page was the name of the technique, label.

I swiped through the pages, going through hundreds of forbidden techniques, some with questionable procedure, which explained why they were forbidden.

Kept searching till I landed on it. Forbidden domain techniques, death dungeon.

I dropped my eyes down to the description and I read: cast a death domain, trap foes, till the created boss of your domain is destroyed, none shall leave. Exactly what I’m looking for. Quickly I moved to the procedure and spell.

"Sacrifice 50 years lifespan, of an innocent soul. Demonic curse of torment inflicted on a soul, ye buried alive at the edge of the domain—"

I stopped there, even if the text still read on about the procedures, I was disappointed, but what did I expect, this was forbidden magic, they wouldn’t be forbidden if their method of casting was simply godly.

If all forbidden techniques was this edgy, what about the binding curse, was it far more demonic as just laying yourself a curse, the question gnawed at me, and I had to search for an answer.

Flipping to the page of the grimoire, here. I traced a finger through the writing, binding curse, inflict self with a binding curse towards a particular spell, collateral of your offspring’s souls if curse is broken. It was a simple spell just as Quinette had explained, during the dungeon.

I lingered in my shadow, I flowed around, while my mind worked in silence. The bubbling dark mana had absorbed was already settled, still I didn’t exit till I was sure I had an alternative.

Using a dungeon was out of the picture, if it said any soul I would have considered maybe finding a random bandit and doing as such with him, maybe tag it as justice for all the people he had robbed, but an innocent soul could be a young boy or girl, man, anyone with no crime or blood on their hands, suddenly buried alive, I wasn’t sadistic to do such. Even if it had a purpose.

Then I realized the answer, I searched for, I was currently floating in it. If I can pull some into my shadow it can act as a domain, but since I was the only one who could enter my shadow, I’ll need a peel to do such, I, there the binding curse came in.

So I inquired of the grimoire, the pages, spelled as another page opened up, words filled it, a message unto me: in exchange to pull another into your domain, your control of shadow affinity will be revoked inside your shadow. Do you wish, you, to be granted the curse.

That wasn’t a problem with either affinity, like ice I could handle threats, having multiple affinities was my loophole, exploiting the binding curse.

I accept.

The page then ripped off from the book, it, rolled floating to me. Just a single touch, it sank into me, trailing through my veins as it settled into my mana core.

[A curse has been inflicted, on mana core!!!]

The book slammed shut. I stretched out, to grab it, submerging out of my shadow. I peered out of the shadow, Maltie was standing, arms crossed.

"You actually managed to unlock the grimoire while taking care of the flare on your own. Impressive."

I tossed the grimoire to her, she didn’t catch it, letting it fall to the ground.

"I don’t need the grimoire anymore, neither did I need its twisted technique, the curse was already implanted in me, using binding curse was already made possible. And also now I had absorbed the dark mana, I could use the dark mana to cast the forbidden curse in my shadow realm when needed to trap enemies in it."

"You can take the grimoire with you, I guess you wouldn’t have trouble hiding it, since I already absorbed most of the dark mana."

Maltie looked down at the grimoire at her feet, with astonishment.

I then turned around, walked back to the village, having secured all what I needed, today was a rather fruitful day. ’I wonder how far Randall has gone with his training, with Madel teaching him, all hope he learns as quick as possible.’

"Hold your right there," Maltie snapped. She stormed to me, holding the grimoire, I didn’t slow my step, she grabbed my—, shoving me around, "why do you keep—, me. I’ve given you all you request, still... you haven’t kept your side of the deal."

I tilted my head, "aren’t you the first to try and manipulate me? Forgotten the aphrodisiac?"

"Well, you had your payback... please."

I forced my arm from her and kept walking.

"Come back later, I’ll think of it. Or—" I stopped halfway, "can you tell me what the council is doing about the next village chief, then I’ll truly consider your request."

Knowing Maltie has spy information brokers, there’s a way info would have reached her ears. With the desperation already building up, she would be willing to do anything to please me.

"I do have information, but swear on your life this isn’t another trick or lie from you, in fact, use a binding curse."

"I already inflicted myself with a binding curse, I can’t do such."

"Tsk, just swear and give a date, don’t be vague."

"When I return back to the kingdom, so you can help me with the information, quickening my return or keep it to yourself, delaying my return, ruining your chance."

"That’s fine by me."

"Good, now talk."

"The council are planning to install another village chief, they’re scamming, Baran’s will. Putting their own, not you. That way the powerful nobles have all the seats at the table." Maltie paced around, "that’s all I know."