Chapter 450 - Warlock Bait

Hey guys, thanks for waiting. Just finalising the edits and they will be posted tonight, but I didn't want to make you wait longer for the c

Hey guys, thanks for waiting. Just finalising the edits and they will be posted tonight, but I didn't want to make you wait longer for the c

Hey guys, thanks for waiting. Just finalising the edits and they will be posted tonight, but I didn't want to make you wait longer for the chapter so here it is. The summary is below. Chapter 445 is already updated, that one has the most significant changes. The other chapters aren't updated yet but they will be more subtle.

List of Edits

• Book of Infinite Pages levels up with Hump in Chapter 445, with Compact formations and Spell Storage advancing.

• Hump no longer learns his new Tier 7 spell Erupting Core from the Three Eyes library. He instead gets it from his spellbook.

• Minor tweaks to fix continuity such as changing the conversation with Aldric a bit to make it work.

Being the bait in a trap was not something that came naturally to Hump, though there was little complexity to the task. All Prince Gregory wanted was for Hump to be seen. The easiest way to accomplish that was to have him in the training yard, practicing, on full display like a circus animal. In some ways, it was convenient. He needed the time if he were to learn to use Erupting Core before they were attacked again. The only issue was that it was the most disturbing training Hump had ever done.

The thing about the palace was that there were always people around: guards, servants, visiting nobles and other guests, and of course the friends and family of the monarch living on the grounds, of which there were many.

So, when Hump went and sat in the grounds outside, cocooned by a powerful enchantment layered over the training area to ensure his practice did not cause any damage, he did so with far more spectators than he was used to. Of course, they were subtle about it—peeking through upper windows or walking just a little too slowly through the gardens nearby. The very fact that Hump knew people were watching was enough to put him off, and with magic of this tier, it hardly meant for the most effective training.

But it went to show that the plan was working. If Kassius had any interest in him at all, there was no way he hadn’t become aware of his presence. In Hump’s mind, it was a long shot, but if luck was on their side Kassius would make a mistake to get to him. Just in case, Hump’s party members were nearby in case he needed support, participating in training with Prince Gregory and his guards. Dylan had taken on the task of supervising Nisha, working with her on combating an opponent with a weapon. As for Celaine, she was somewhere in the palace keeping watch over Kassius.

In the meantime, Hump did his best to study and train. He closed his eyes, staff in one hand, spellbook in the other, trying to imagine that he was alone. In a way, that in itself was good training. He needed to be able to gather his focus at any time and any place. It came so easily in combat. The adrenaline, the fear, the thrill of battle—all of it helped to heighten his mind. Yet now that there was an audience, Hump felt uncomfortable. It was a feeling he needed to overcome.

As he began channelling his essence into his spellbook, running it through the Erupting Core spell formation, he couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if he blew himself up. The White Flame wizard dead to his own spell. He’d be remembered as the punchline of a joke.

And with this spell, more so than ever, that was a real possibility.

He thought he understood what complexity meant in magic. At the lower tiers, spellcasting was a matter of simple cause and effect—shape the essence, apply the correct intent, and let it go. A Tier 2 spell might use only a handful of runes, strung together with a few channels. Easy to visualise, easy to cast, and easy to recover from if something went wrong. but with each successive tier, the structure of spells evolved.

By Tier 5, spells required more than power and precision. They demanded intent layered upon intent—multiple ideas fixed in the mind to bring about a complex effect. Runes branched out into secondary spell circles, essence channels curved and looped to sustain greater energy, each element building on each other in harmony. Rivers of Lava had pushed Hump. It used chains of formation, each invoking the essence of fire and earth, and all requiring an immense amount of power and control.

But Erupting Core was well beyond that. Hump had expected it to be challenging, but the leap was even larger than he’d imagined. To form it, Hump had to maintain multiple independent spell circles at once, each a structure of volatile essence held by his will in a tenuous balance. One to call and compress essence into a dense core, another to imbue it with the heat and pressure of the deep earth, and a third to keep it from exploding in his face.

Theoretically, the will holding the spell together was the only limiting factor. Given the chance, the spell would drink in every bit of essence it could, growing in power all the while. But there were other complexities that made the spell treacherous. Too much essence too quickly, and it would rupture, too little and it would collapse on itself. Let it go too early, and it would be underwhelming while consuming a huge amount of essence. Too late, when the caster’s concentration lapsed and their hold over the spell broke, it would erupt in an uncontrollable burst of magma that Hump really didn’t want in his face.

For now, Hump had only gone through the motions. With the upgraded capabilities of the Book of Infinite Pages, the Spell Storage function now worked with spells up to Tier 7, but it took a long time to pour enough essence into the book to actually use it. By Hump’s estimate, he could pour all of his essence in for three days and it would be enough. Obviously, that was not feasible. It would leave him exhausted. Instead, he was aiming to be done within the next ten days. That would leave him the strength to train and fight, while still being fast enough to be useful.

And it was a good way to practice. He could envision the many channels and runes, memorise them, and feel the way his intent should pass through them. The more familiar he was, the less likely it was to end badly when he first began attempting it. Unlike the Rivers of Lava spell tree he’d acquired in Sheercliff City, for this, there was no line of spells to prepare him. He had some of the necessary skills, but for the rest, he could only rely on intuition and common sense.

That, and the advice Wizard Aldric gave him. He had made it sound easy when he’d explained it—to break down the three core spell circles into separate pieces, and work on them independently. In practice, each of them was as challenging as a Tier 6 spell, but at least the chances of them blowing up in his face was lessened.

***

The next few days passed by quickly. It was not long before the Army of Alveron was gathered for their march into the Remnant Realm to lay siege to the warlock stronghold. Soldiers marched through the streets in parade, and the citizens of Elenvine gathered on either side to send them off. Cheers, flowers, prayers, and blessings went with them. It was a stoic event. Hump watched with mixed feelings, knowing just how dangerous the battle ahead was. So many of these people would never return.

And Hump wasn’t even sure there was a point.

What he did know was that when the warlocks struck Elenvine, they would be ten thousand soldiers short.

Marcela was amongst them. She had visited before leaving and their parties had enjoyed a meal together at one of the finest restaurants in the city. Hump had informed her of the situation with Mav and the stolen children of Elenvine. She would look for them in the stronghold and bring them home if they were there. It was an odd feeling not to go with her. He had been a part of her squad for many months now, from Fort Nordric to the Infernal Halls, and then back to Elenvine through the Remnant Realm. Now, all Hump could do was wish her luck.

***

Hump stared down at the corpse with hard eyes—a young woman, not much older than him. The body was crumpled like a discarded rag, face frozen in terror. But it was the eyes that held him. Blackened sockets, charred at the edges, the very soul burned out of them, devoured by the warlocks of this place. Nisha leaned against his side, staring too but not really understanding why.

Across the body, Bud was on one knee, praying for whatever good it would do.

“A gruesome sight, isn’t it?” came a voice beside him. “It’s heartbreaking to see one of my people like this. Killed in such a horrible way.”

Hump looked to find Prince Gregory watching solemnly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His face was pale, but his jaw was clenched, his eyes heavy with something that felt real. Not just the horror of it, but the weight of responsibility.

Bud glanced up from where he knelt. “This is one case where I fear the sight is far less gruesome than reality.”

Prince Gregory turned to him. “What do you mean by that?”

“Their soul was consumed,” Bud said. “Eaten by the warlocks. It is gone. Not even the gods can save it now. They are simply erased.”

Gregory’s faced fell. His fists clenched at his sides. “I… That is awful,” he muttered, voice tight. His brow furrowed—disgust, grief, fury. “I knew what they did, but I never made the connection.”

“There is no fate worse,” Bud muttered, turning his glare on the surviving warlocks. “They are the lowest of the low.”

Despite being assigned to protect him, Hump found that Prince Gregory’s tendency to understand the work of the people under him continued. As they were not joining the fight in the Remnant Realm, the prince insisted on being part of the hunt for warlocks in the city instead. Today was their first excursion, taking part in a coordinated raid on a lair discovered in one of the more affluent parts of Elenvine.

Eight warlocks had been living as part of society from a manor. It wasn’t a hard fight. The most powerful of them had barely reached Rank 3, and they all folded quickly under the pressure of Prince Gregory, his guards, and Hump’s party. Three had been captured alive but had told them nothing of their true purpose here. They would be handed over to the Inquisition. Perhaps they would get answers.

They’d found the lair using a refined version of the locator beacon Hump had helped to create in Sheercliff. It had come a long way since then. The warlocks no longer used the same black stones to communicate, and the new versions were impossible to track, at least currently. Instead, the new locator beacon picked up a signature that no amount of effort could hide—the essence of a damaged soul, the echo left behind after one was consumed. It was grim, but it did the job.

By the time they returned to the palace, victorious but exhausted, the sun had begun to set. There was a crowd waiting for them at the gates—servants, guards, and nobles, all cheering the prince’s safe return. Hump barely had time to catch his breath before they were ushered through the corridors to the throne room.

The royal court was in full attendance. Nobles filled the curved banqueting tables that encircled the chamber, their attention shifting as the doors opened. A red carpet stretched from the entrance all the way to the foot of the dais. The scent of wine and scented oils clashed with the soot and grime still clinging to Hump’s cloak.

At the far end, King Henry rose from his throne, an empty throne to his left that must have belonged to the late queen. This was Hump’s first proper look at the man. The crown of Alveron sat upon his head, gold studded with glimmering gemstones of different colours, each rich with essence. At a glance, Hump had to admit, he looked like a king. His face was lined but handsome in a regal way, his brown hair touched with the first hints of grey, and a neatly trimmed beard filled in his face.

“Gregory!” the king called warmly, stepping down from the dais. “Welcome home, my son. Congratulations on your victory.”

Gregory gave a respectful bow. “Thank you, father. It was an informative outing.”

“Come,” the king said, voice ringing through the chamber. “You must tell us everything.”

And then a familiar voice. “I look forward to it, cousin.”

Kassius rose from his seat nearby, tall and stately in green and brown, his coat’s trim glittering gold. He moved with the easy grace of a man that belonged here. His smile was smooth, his tone cordial, but his eyes were ice as they settled on Hump.

“Wizard Humphrey,” he said, giving a shallow nod. “Good to see you working so hard for the good of the realm.”

Hump opened his mouth to reply, but his staff responded first.

A crimson light erupted down its length, flooding the throne room in a blood-red glow. It painted every surface in shades of blood, cast the nobles in sharp silhouette, and drew gasps from every direction. Hump stared at it, stunned. He hadn’t cast anything. Hadn’t even reached for his essence.

But he recognised that light. There was no forgetting it. That was the light of the core of a Tree of Damnation. The very same core that formed his staff’s focus.

Kassius stepped back, genuine shock flashing across his face.

The moment he moved away, the light vanished.

Silence swallowed the room. The king’s guards stepped forward, hands on their hilts. Nobles muttered uneasily. The tension was thick as a storm cloud.

Kassius quickly composed himself. “An… interesting display,” he said. But his voice lacked the polish it had just moments before.

“What was that light?” the king demanded, eyes narrowing.

“My apologies, Your Majesty,” Hump said quickly. “A little residue essence in my staff after fighting so recently.”

“Relax, everyone,” Prince Gregory said with a chuckle. “Wizard Humphrey was instrumental in today’s victory. Let’s not jump at shadows.”

The crowd eased slightly, though many eyes lingered on Hump’s staff.

As the prince launched into the tale of their success, Hump rejoined his party.

“You all saw that, didn’t you?” Hump asked.

“You reacted to Kassius?” Bud asked.

“Not me. My staff. Specifically, the Tree of Damnation core used as a focus.”

“What in the world could cause that?” Emilia asked.

“Any ideas?” Hump asked Dylan.

Dylan drew in a breath, thinking. “Some sort of essence resonance, perhaps.” He shrugged. “I don’t know how it would be possible. It’s never reacted to a person before, has it?”

“No,” Hump said. “It hasn’t.”

“He seemed shocked,” Celaine said. “It wasn’t something he anticipated.”

“Good.” Hump eyed his staff. “Though it makes me wonder if I should replace my staff. If it’s reacting to Kassius unpredictably, I can’t exactly trust it.”

“Stop talking about it here,” Emilia said through a forced smile. “And try not to draw any more attention to yourself, Hump.”