Supreme Magus novel Chapter 3834

Chapter 3834: Deceiving Appearances (Part 1)

“Go, Ripha.” Salaark said. “We’ll take care of the Featherlings.”

Menadion nodded and returned to the Infirmary.

“Sorry for the wait.” The First Ruler of the Flames saw guilt and shame on the faces of her guests, but felt no need to console them. “You wanted the truth, Quylla Ernas, here it is.”

A wave of her hand conjured a life-sized hologram of the First King in his apex form.

Valeron was over two meters (7′) tall, and he wore the Saefel Set, leaving only his face and hands exposed. What looked like six feathered wings, each comprised of pure elemental energy, burst out of his back like jets of fire.

He had five extra eyes, arranged in the same pattern as his wings, and all seven of them burned with the power of a different element. The skin of the First King was a light emerald green that extended to his hair, gradually deepening to a slightly darker hue.

Every centimeter of his body was infused with so much Spirit Magic that he shone with inner light, and what reached the surface was just what he failed to contain.

“Good gods! How could I be so stupid? How could I forget about Valeron the First?” Morok said, taking the words out of Quylla’s mind.

“His wings are identical to the Engine’s and similar to yours, babe.” She pointed out.

“Similar?” The Tyrant snorted. “I’m not even worthy of being called Valeron’s prototype. He is majestic! His wings are a symphony of power and beauty! I’m bestial and my wings are wild and crooked.”

Morok shapeshifted into his real body and stood beside the hologram to highlight the differences.

“We are nothing alike.”

“I meant that your wings are made of pure energy as well, Morok. Valeron emits the power of the elements just like you.” Quylla pointed at the hologram. “Don’t be cruel to yourself. A white core always reaches the apex of their race, no matter their starting point, whereas you got where you are by yourself.”

“More like due to Glemos’ crazy experiments.” Morok stared at Lith, his face distorted in a grimace of envy.

It was an emotion alien to the Tyrant, and it took him by surprise as much as it did his friends.

“I don’t look much like him either.” Lith shrugged. “Eyes aside, we couldn’t be more different.”

“I disagree.” Morok replied, his voice now calm. “You have all your eyes on your face and multiple wings on your back. On top of that, you have yet to tap into your human side. Things might change as you learn what you can do.”

Lith nodded, both in acknowledgement and praise for the Tyrant’s self-control.

“What does Silverwing apex form look like?” Quylla walked around Morok, Lith, Tista, Solus, and Friya, touching their shoulders in turns to compare their life forces with her breathing technique.

“I beg your pardon?” Menadion tilted her head in confusion.

“Silverwing is a white core too.” Quylla said. “I’m curious if all apex forms look the same and if not, what the differences are.”

“Aunt Loka has no apex form.” Solus replied. “Or rather, she has yet to find a way to access hers.”

“It’s a shame.” Quylla pondered. “We could learn a lot by studying and comparing the different human ranks. Tower, display the available data on all evolved humans.”

“Are you saying that my blood affected Lith negatively and crippled his potential?” Salaark took such words as a personal offense and appeared out of nowhere.

“No, you misunderstand me.” Quylla raised her hands to calm down the angry Guardian. “Human and Phoenix blood do mix, or you wouldn’t have a Tiamat and a Hekate. The problem is that they mix too well.”

“Okay, now you’ve lost me.” The Overlord wasn’t angry anymore, just confused.

“Think about it.” Quylla said. “Lith has a vertical pupil and sees far away like a Phoenix, so you think he has the eyes of a Phoenix. His wings are feathered, so he used them only to emit Origin Flames.”

“And that’s wrong?” Lith was even more confused than Salaark.

“No, but just because it’s the right way to use your wings and eyes, it doesn’t mean it’s the only way to use them.” Quylla shook her head. “What I’m trying to say is that your Phoenix blood messed up the perception you have of yourself.

“That you have the eyesight and Origin Flames of a Phoenix and the seven eyes and feathered wings of an evolved human.”

Everyone stared at Quylla, but she could tell from their expressions that her words sounded like gibberish to their ears.

“Let’s put it this way. Balors and Phoenixes both have feathered wings. Are they the same?”

“No.” Lith replied.

“Exactly!” Quylla pointed at the Infirmary’s screens. “A Phoenix’s wings emit fire, whereas a Balor’s absorb energy. In Lith’s case, one thing doesn’t exclude the other. You knew of your Phoenix side, saw the flames, and thought that was it.”