Dark Magus Returns

The small poison blade had bounced off Raze's clothing and fallen onto the floor. A small clang was heard as the knife hit the ground.

It was quite clear that the blazer he had worn, which had a hidden trait like Dame's gauntlets, had activated. A strong energy barrier was created that would reflect magical attacks and physical attacks as well, to a degree.

When fighting against the middle-stage warrior in the Neverfall Clan, the blazer had activated back then as well. It stopped the slashes of a sword from piercing his clothing and skin, but the strength from the Qi and the impact itself couldn't be stopped. The attacks still flung Raze around the room, and the Qi still hit his body.

In this instance, the Qi that was placed in the blade and thrown wasn't strong enough to do anything, which is why it had given off the image as if the blade had just fallen onto the floor.

Looking at it on the ground, Raze could see it had been laced with something. He had been observant around a particular person that dealt with poisons in and out, and had a few conversations with him as well.

'When I was a mage, the number one thing to winning a battle was thinking ahead. Trying to guess their next move and using the spells to build up your attacks.'

There was a small window of reaction, trying to figure out what spell was best to counter another, but not like this.

'I didn't expect something like this to be used. The world of Pagna is very dangerous.'

Raze was right, and poison was something that was frequently used in the world of Pagna. The clans were surrounded by people wishing to take their position at any time.

One closest to you could slowly poison you over time, making you sick and weak, or create a potent poison that would take you out in one go from a drink or slash.

It was a power that was deadly and transcended the levels of stages. A stage 2 warrior going up against a stage 4 warrior with poison, the battle could be very different.

However, as one increased through the stages, one's body got stronger and stronger, so the poison needed to be used needed to be stronger as well.

Thinking about what could have happened, Raze started to walk towards her. Lisa was frightened; from every ally she had in this place, there was now no one to help her.

"You were confident that small blade would kill me, and judging by your reaction, I would guess it was laced with poison," Raze commented.

Ricktor picked up the small blade and held it in the light. He then turned it left and right, and he could see traces of dried liquid on it.

"But you would never be able to get a poison that could take someone like me, at the higher initial stages, to kill me. My guess is you got a little gift from your clan, right?" Raze said as he now was within striking distance.

"Did no one see what I just saw?" Lisa pleaded to the people around her. "This man, the sword bounced off him, he's... he's not human. We need to get rid of him, if we want to protect the clans, we need to get rid of him!"

There were those that were glancing over, still stuffing their mouths. They were paying attention to what was happening, but in the dimly lit room, and with them being ever so tired, they hadn't seen the same thing as Lisa.

To them, it was just the ramblings of a person who had lost it all, and she knew that.

She readied her fist and swung it forward; it did nothing but strike the air. Right in front of her eyes, she saw the blade swing down.

She didn't even hear the strike, but she knew, as she heard a thud, and saw her own arms falling to the ground.

"There's a saying, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and don't worry, I'll be taking out the whole tree soon."

Raze placed his hand on Lisa's head and started to use the extraction technique as soon as possible. What he noted, while using the extraction technique, was that it worked quicker depending on a number of things.

If the person was already defeated and worn out, it would work quicker, and if a person had less will to put up resistance, if their mind wasn't ready to fight back. Which is why Lisa's body was quick to meet its end as Raze dropped her onto the floor. It was done; the main disciples that had betrayed them were dealt with.

None of them were good to begin with; Raze still remembered when all five of them had cornered him, planning to kill him right there and then.

However, Ricktor and Mada, he would let go. He needed their help, and for now, if they agreed to join, at least they hadn't done anything to break their future trust yet.

Shortly after, Dame quickly went over to Raze's side.

"I told you that it wasn't best for you to use that, especially in front of all the others," Dame said.

"The extraction technique," Raze replied.

"Many in here won't know what it looks like, so you might be okay, but if you use that in front of the adults, they will think you're working for the Demonic Faction," Dame commented.

"And besides, absorbing another human... the feeling of it, it's similar to what you saw the other students do in the Dark Space."

"You're taking their life force while they're still alive, for many, that won't sit right with that. If you're going to preach about how far they have gone, then what about you who's using the extraction technique."

Dame was saying this out of concern. He truly did see the Dark Magus as an ally; he saw Raze as someone who they could build up a future with together.

Which is why he didn't want him to go a step too far. The clans were ruthless, but there were just some lines that one didn't cross.

Taking the energy of your enemies or those trying to kill you, Dame could accept, but if he started to just take the energy of those who were strong.

Or target those with power just to increase his own, that was too far for Raze.

"When I said those words to everyone, I was talking to them, not about me," Raze replied. "I've already gone too far, more than once…"

"I'm already a lost one, but I am me. I know I can at least trust myself."

Raze looked like he was ready to head back down the hallway, back into the seclusion room after all that. He thought he might have stayed with the others, talked about what had happened.

There was a part of Dame that felt like he was seeing more of Raze, seeing him relax with the others more, but since his return, it was almost like something had happened.

Something had brought him slightly back to the Darkness he had inside him.

"Raze, does this mean that you don't trust anyone?" Dame asked.

"It was trust in the past that got me so hurt in the first place," Raze replied.

"If you live a life like that, a life where you can't trust anyone, then that is not a life worth living."

"I know," Raze answered, and almost immediately he felt something in his stomach.

He went down to one knee, as he could feel a surge of power inside of him. The energy he had absorbed he could feel it, it was settling into his dantian.

Sweat was coming off his body, and it was slightly black in color.

"I can feel it... after absorbing Lisa... I'm growing, I'm becoming a 6th stage warrior!"