"Damn it, that is the third person and other than getting a blistering headache and nearly losing my mind, I've gotten nothing useful." Tion cried as he slammed his tightened fist on the ground and raised his blood-red eyes to the ceiling.
"...…"
"Yeah, well like you said, their avatar spirits are totally trash, we can't exactly expect such people to contain valuable information that can help me circumvent the palace's barriers and the eyes of whatever shadows are actually watching over me.
"......"
"You make it sound like people who are pros with magic formations are common, do you know how hard it is to learn to draw formations, the intense mana control needed and the patience and steadiness needed for it, formation masters are extremely valued everywhere," Tion said as he rolled from his kneeling position and sat staring at the whiteness of the holy room ignoring the three unmoving bodies to the side.
"...….."
"Killing prisoners is one thing, attacking mages of the Empire is a completely different thing and something which we are never doing." Tion seriously said to the black gourd getting satisfied when he felt it agree with him and then being puzzled when it brought out a new suggestion.
"...…."
"Ehh your idea isn't bad, but I don't think Warden Joe will allow me to bully a prisoner who is formation master out of his hands, he will probably take the risk of facing my mother's wrath especially now that she is out to make me a sort of pariah in the palace.
Such high-level targets are going to be difficult to get access to"
"....."
"Now, now, don't be sad, I said difficult, not impossible. I already laid down my pride and went begging Leah, going to beg Mom isn't much different. "Tion grumbled.
"...."
"Hahaha, I'm glad to know my pride also extends to you, but there are times when you just got to swallow it and do what it takes to survive."
"...…"
'" Yeah, I know our pride is our identity, but when it comes in the way of our progress, then it's our enemy, and we need to get rid of it, we own our pride, our pride doesn't own us."
"...…."
"Na I wish I could take this compliments, but those words to my father, when he was alive he would go about reciting provers and preaching wise words to me whenever I made a mistake.
Back then I always thought that was an annoying habit of his, but now when I find myself stuck in making a decision or confused in life, his words just ring in my head and I find myself remembering the appropriate ones and with that, I make an answer and put myself on the right path.
"...…."
"Urghh, that's a good question, I really don't have any proof that I am on the right path, but then again, what is the right path?
For me as long as I'm moving forward and doing what I want to do, then I am on the right path."
"....."
"Yeah, that's naive but you're right, we'll march forward till we either step into paradise or enter hell," Tion said with a chuckle and then he stood to his feet and then began doing stretches.
Wordlessly, Tion stopped his exercise and stood to his feet and then without a word, a book releasing black ethereal flames appeared in front of him and from it, dark-red light dots began spilling out.
"This is the most useful one I got so far, the rest didn't have any worthwhile to learn and the only thing I got so far from their avatar spirits is a terrible headache and the possibility of nearly losing my mind.
Though this observation was really incredible, I don't think we can use it as we fantasied it is something to be used after careful calculation and consideration" Tion said this time his words coming out loud.
While Tion spoke his last words, he watched as the first of the light dots he had released moved far away from him and then with a grin, a chain reaction of explosion starting with the first red light began.
"Damn it, imagine using this to set up an ambush," Tion muttered as he rapidly took a few steps backwards before the shock wave from the about 60 red lights could touch him.
"Alright, let's do this again, but this time bigger" Tion muttered and as he finished speaking, he slammed his palms together and with a smile watched as an ethereal book appeared once more, this time the book causing a slight tremble in the air as it appeared and without wasting a second, it began spitting out red lights dots at a fast pace.
Though a massive chunk of Tion's mana disappeared almost after the ethereal book appeared, the grin on Tion's face stretched wider as he watched more than 100 red lights shoot out of the book and go travelling forward.
"Something tells me I should really move far away."
Tion muttered taking two massive leaps backwards and watching with relish as more than 100 quite powerful small explosions happened almost simultaneously and brightened the already scaringly white room.
Of all the avatar spirits Tion had devoured, the lightning avatar spirit was by several leaps the best out of them all and it was no surprise considering it belonged to a man who was bound to have become an Ace.
Though Tion felt sorry for the man who had unfortunately met a force that his talent and years of training could do nothing against, when he considered the amount of knowledge he had gotten from the avatar spirit, he couldn't help but be happy for his death.
"How powerful would I be if I could devour multiple avatar spirits on the same level as the lightning avatar spirit."
This had been one silent fantasy thought of Tion, and after he had been pushed to the wall by Barak, the boy had found himself a fingertip away from this fantasy.
After using the lightning avatar spirit to feed his drained mana core, Tion proceeded to kill Barak, and it was then that he and his black gourd learnt something very important.
"Avatar spirits gotten from mages whom Tion had personally defeated were far easier to devour."
Within just several hours, Tion had been able to completely absorb Barak's avatar spirit and while this new information initially excited him, when you find the memories of a person's entire life being downloaded into your head and threatening to replace your existence, dread and fear tends to fill you.