Magus Supremacy

"What? What will they become?" Grey asked as he moved forward, his heart thumping loudly at what might come next from Thalos' stone lips.

"They will become corrupted," Thalos said, and Grey instantly halted mid-step.

"Corrupted? What do you mean by corrupted? What is a corrupted beast?" Grey asked, gulping loudly as his mind scrambled for an explanation that made sense.

"Do you know why my master is different… or rather, was different?" Thalos asked, and Grey's brow rose in mild confusion.

"How does that have anything to do with corrupted beasts?" Grey countered.

"He was different because, despite lacking Ki like the inhabitants of this continent, he compensated for it with his brain, his wits, and his magic," Thalos replied, choosing to answer his own question and ignore Grey's.

"He went from clan to clan, challenging their leaders, studying their fighting styles that required Ki, and then altering those techniques to work with mana instead. That was the kind of genius he was."

"Why would he go from clan to clan challenging their leaders?" Grey asked, tilting his head.

"Don't you know the saying? Keep your friends close but your potential enemies closer," Thalos grinned.

"I'm sure that's not quite how the saying goes," Grey muttered, furrowing his brows.

"Anyway, my master loved to think and plan ahead. He was always preparing for something that might not happen for years. His mind never stopped working, and eventually, that led him to try to create something," Thalos said, causing Grey's expression to tighten.

"Create something? Create what?" Grey asked.

"A hybrid," Thalos replied, his usual grin spreading across his face.

"A hybrid? A hybrid of what?" Grey asked again.

"My master… I never knew where he truly came from. But he told me that since he possessed this 'mana' within him, he couldn't learn Ki. If he tried, it would kill him," Thalos explained with a sigh. "And Yun warriors, for their part, could not learn magic. My master was obsessed with this limitation. He wanted to challenge it by creating a being capable of wielding both Ki and magic."

Grey's eyes narrowed. "A warrior trained in both arts… that would make them far more powerful than either side alone."

"Exactly. They could surpass the Yun warrior stages and even the magic stages. But when he attempted the experiment with a willing volunteer, the subject died. Mana and Ki clashed violently inside the body, unable to coexist. The energies tore each other apart," Thalos said gravely.

Grey's eyes widened in sudden realization.

'Wait! Didn't I go through something like that? When I tried to form my Dantian, that strange power inside me fought against my Ki. It nearly killed me. Is that why they battled?'

"Now, back to your question," Thalos said, snapping Grey out of his thoughts. "If my master had succeeded, and a hybrid was born, what do you think would have happened?"

"They could combine their Ki and magic into a single attack breeding something far more destructive than either power alone. They'd break past their current limits completely," Grey said slowly, beginning to see the implications.

"Exactly. Just like you did against me. You mixed martial skill, Ki, and magic together and defeated me—me, a being with the strength of a Divine beast. And you were only a stage 1 warrior then. Now imagine a high-stage warrior doing the same."

Grey swallowed. "They… they would become a god."

"Now that you understand, let's return to the real question. What is a corrupted beast?" Thalos' smile returned, his golden eyes glinting.

"A corrupted beast is one that fails to complete its evolution because of the unbearable agony and energy strain. Instead of dying, like most Yun warriors, their body mutates. Their energy turns unstable and chaotic. They lose all reason, all control, all balance. What remains is a twisted, monstrous version of their former self."

Grey's voice dropped. "How strong would they be?"

Thalos' lips curled into a smirk. "Think of me as a beast. I said I'm at the level of a Divine beast, right at the cusp of evolving into a Primordial. Now, if I became corrupted during that process, how strong do you think I'd be?"

Grey blinked. "How would I know that? If I knew, would I be asking you?" He rubbed his face as Thalos sighed heavily.

"You're truly hopeless," Thalos muttered. He strode toward Grey from four meters away and, in an instant, stood right in front of him.

'Damn it! He's too fast,' Grey thought, staring up at the gargoyle.

"When a beast becomes corrupted, it surpasses its current strength level. A Divine beast that becomes corrupted could rival a Primordial ranked beast. Now… imagine a Primordial beast becoming corrupted. Think about what would happen when one of those attacked," Thalos said, taking a deliberate step back.

Grey's eyes widened, his entire body going cold as the hairs on his arms and neck stood on end.

"I… it… it became as strong as a Godbeast?" Grey shouted in disbelief, his voice cracking with shock. The slow, deliberate nod from Thalos was all the confirmation he needed, and it sent a chill racing down his spine.

"That is exactly why the Noxarian faction and the Aetherian faction were forced to unite in a rare alliance. Even together, they couldn't truly destroy it. They only managed to drive it away, leaving it with wounds so severe that it had no choice but to retreat," Thalos said, his voice low but firm.

"That's also why I mentioned the hybrid earlier," he continued. "If one had existed during that time, they might have had the power to face such a beast on equal ground—perhaps even defeat it."

Grey swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry as sand.

'Damn… damn it! I don't even have my memories. I don't know how to call on this so-called magic of mine at will. It bursts out at random, like a wild animal, and I can't control it. How am I supposed to become as strong as a hybrid? Curses!'

"That is why you must grow stronger," Thalos said, his eyes narrowing. "I am sure you have already formed bonds in this continent—people you do not wish to lose. You must strengthen yourself to protect them, because these corrupted beasts are not the only danger here.

There is something far worse lurking in the shadows. Something that even the strongest among us are powerless to face right now. Something… that was the reason my master founded the Aetherian faction in the first place."

Thalos' stone body seemed to tighten, a coldness settling over it as if the very memory chilled him to the core. Grey noticed it immediately.

"Huh? What is it now? What threat am I facing this time?" Grey asked, his brow arched in suspicion.

"That… that I do not know," Thalos admitted, shaking his head. "My master never revealed it to me. Back then, I was far weaker, so he kept that knowledge hidden, saying he would only share it when I was strong enough. Until then, I was left in the dark. And even now, I am still clueless."

'Wonderful. Just wonderful. Another mystery in this cursed place. What is really going on in this continent? What have I been dragged into this time? Will Finral and Ray be alright? By now they must have entered the academy, and if so, they will soon be facing the academy's true purpose.

They are strong, yes, but strong enough to handle what's coming? I can't say for sure. I need to grow stronger—far stronger. At my current level, I'd be crushed instantly by those arrogant direct descendants, let alone anything worse. I must gain more power.'

"So… now that your questions have been answered, well, some of them—can we head to the academy? I will disguise myself along the way," Thalos said with a small, knowing smile.

"No. I'm not going to the academy yet," Grey declared without hesitation.

"Huh? And why is that?" Thalos asked, an eyebrow lifting in curiosity.

Grey took a step back, then suddenly dropped to one knee. His hands pressed firmly against the ground, his head bowed slightly, and his teeth clenched with fierce determination.

"Please. I want more strength, more skill, more power… and you are the only one who can help me achieve that. I have fought you, I have felt your power, and I know exactly how terrifyingly strong you are.

That is why, Thalos, I am asking you to take me as your student. Train me. Teach me. Help me grow into someone who cannot be underestimated. Only then will I return to the academy—not as the weak Grey they all know, but as a force they will never forget."

Thalos stared at him for a long moment. 'This kid… he is just like the master. Never content with what he has. Always pushing, always reaching for more, because deep down he knows he can become more.'

"What do you say, Thalos?" Grey asked, lifting his head to meet the gargoyle's gaze.

"I say… let's do it. Now," Thalos said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Wait—now?! I'm still sore from our death match. Don't I get a break first?" Grey exclaimed, springing to his feet in alarm.

"Not my problem. We begin immediately." Thalos' grin widened even further.

"Curse you, Thalos!" Grey roared.