Earth's Greatest Magus

After the shocking incident in the courtyard, the atmosphere within the stronghold shifted. The air grew tense, thick with unease. Emery watched as the fortress erupted into a flurry of controlled activity. Dozens of new warriors arrived at the gates, reinforcing security. Spirit masters clad in glowing robes moved swiftly through the compound, scanning acolytes, interrogating officers, and calling out individuals to be brought in for further investigation. The tension was palpable, as if the entire place braced itself for an invisible, creeping enemy.

By noon, Emery received a summons along with the other alchemists and captains of the newly arrived forces.

Inside the chamber, standing like a pillar of might, was Illir Batara—the famed Warmaster. A supreme figure whose mere presence could silence a room. His silver hair flickered like embers, his aura pulsing with a barely contained inferno. Despite his intimidating appearance, his tone was surprisingly solemn.

“I offer my apologies,” he began, his deep voice echoing across the room. “Due to recent events, we have had to enforce stricter security measures.”

A murmur swept through the room.

The Warmaster began explaining the growing tension over the past few weeks. Not only had more Travelers in dark robes entered their realm, but increasing numbers of northern barbarians had also joined the fight. Yet the most alarming development was the enemy hidden among them.

This news stirred confusion among the captains.

Stepping beside him was the formidable female expert Emery had met the day before—Feil, vice commander and one of the most powerful generals in the Pardera Kingdom. In her gloved hands, she held a reinforced glass case. Emery’s eyes widened as she revealed its contents.

It was a lump of flesh—faintly pulsing, disturbingly organic, as if still alive. Its skin was pale, slick with a wet sheen, veined in black. As the room’s light touched it, several tiny eyes began to open across its surface—blinking, twitching, scanning the room with inhuman intelligence.

A wave of unease rolled through the crowd.

Then suddenly—bang!—the glass vibrated as the creature inside surged forward, striking the interior wall of its prison with a burst of spirit energy. The protective runes etched into the glass flared instantly, glowing red-hot as they held the parasite at bay.

“This,” Feil said, voice unwavering, “is what we’re dealing with… a parasite from another realm.”

Emery exchanged looks with Horus and Ivaris. The younger noble’s warning from the night before now carried far more weight.

“This is the scourge we’ve been battling on the Northern Front,” the Warmaster said grimly. “An enemy that could hide in our ranks, taking our bodies… and our minds.”

The hall fell into stunned silence. It was uttered that the Warmaster had never shown fear, but now his voice carried a note of unease.

Feil stepped forward once more and began to explain. “These parasites are capable of controlling even the most powerful cosmic experts. They are nearly undetectable. Only a few select spirit masters, those trained to identify the slightest ripple in soul energy, can find them in time.”

The Ember Sage, Gelael, one of the top alchemists present, frowned. “Is this the real reason we alchemists were summoned? To deal with these parasites?”

“You’re half right. Aside from supporting the forces in dealing with any mysterious phenomena in the other realm, this will be your main task,” Feil replied, her gaze steady. “For months, a few selected alchemists have been involved in studying these creatures. Even Master Caliborne of the Skyroot Clan worked on it. But… we still have no real solution.”

She continued,

“We believe the source of the scourge lies beyond this realm and its solution.”

She turned, gesturing to the maps projected before them. A detailed terrain of the Northern Territories shimmered into view, highlighting seven massive strongholds.

The visual changed to several red-marked zones outside the strongholds—spatial ruptures.

“These are where the travelers came from,” she said. “Most are unstable… but three remain active. We’ve successfully secured one of them.”

Her finger tapped a point on the glowing map.

“The Northstar Stronghold. A critical outpost where we are building a Stargate. In the next two weeks, reinforcements will arrive from the neighboring kingdoms. Once assembled, our combined forces will begin the expedition into the Scourge Realm.”

Emery felt a rush of urgency. The mention of spatial ruptures immediately caught his interest. If he were to return home, this could be the solution.

When the briefing ended, Emery made a move to approach the Warmaster. But the great general took flight, vanishing into the sky without a word.

Feil, ever composed, took charge. She led Emery and the four other chosen alchemists through the fortress until they arrived at a high-security research wing—a lab dedicated to the parasite study.

Inside, the lab buzzed with activity. Half a dozen senior alchemists were already stationed here, poring over samples and ancient records. The place smelled of herbs, ash, and sterile iron. Instruments floated in the air, guided by invisible energy as the experts performed their analysis.

Ivaris leaned toward Emery and whispered, “Don’t underestimate them. They’re not as famous as Grand Master Caliborne, but their names are well-respected throughout the realms.”

Gelael, clearly unimpressed, snorted. “If they’ve been working for months and made no progress, they’re useless.”

He snatched up a sample and began running tests himself. Ada, another alchemist, followed suit, not willing to fall behind.

Emery remained calm. He moved quietly to the side, picking up copies of the compiled research. He sat cross-legged, poring through the documents. Diagrams, spiritual readings, samples, experiments—all of it detailed.

As he focused, he received a familiar pulse from within his mind.

[Data is incorrect based on Archive 2105-B of Celestial Research.]

[Anomaly in parasite response contradicts model from Cycle 4123.]

VIA, his AI assistant from the Celestial Vault, began cross-referencing the research in real time.

Emery’s eyes lit up. Of course—the Celestials had battled this scourge before. Their database spanned millennia of conflicts across dimensions. While the locals struggled for months, Emery was being fed insights from a cosmic library.

He smiled.

“This… should get the Warmaster’s attention.”