Chapter 424 423: Surprise



Leone PoV

"-s exactly the way that we were meant to control this magic! Good job Leone! I am rather impressed at how swiftly you acclimated to this different set of runes! Learning Moon Magic is extremely difficult, even for a True Vampire!"

Pale white runes danced around my palm, their structure so different from what I was used to.

Normal runes and magic - what Mother was calling 'Elemental Runic Magics' - had uniformity and structure, using logical paths to achieve an end goal that you could determine by a correct set of runes.

These ancient magics, however, barely utilized runes at all, instead only needing them to activate the first of many spells that was shaped by your will instead of your acumen.

For instance, the first thing that Mother showed me with Moon Magic was rather... interesting, but rather situational.

If given a few moments of respite inside of combat, you could utilize Moon Magics to create illusions around your enemy, confusing and muddling their senses during your fight.

It seemed that this ancient magic was more conceptual then structured, affecting things in a vastly different way then elements did.

Where fire would burn the material, if I imbued it with this Moon Magic, I could create illusory flames that never actually damaged the targets body.

On top of that, as its attacking capabilities go, Moon Magic seemed far colder than even Ice Magic, giving me access to some rather interesting combinations...

After all, when something was incredibly cold it could leave burns just as harmful as something incredibly hot, but...

What could I create with flames that were so cold they still burnt you?

It broadened my abilities far more than I could possibly imagine at the moment, and this was all with just Moon Magic.

We hadn't even delved into Blood Magic just yet, which would offer some rather potent abilities in all forms of ways; offensive, defensive, and supportive.

To say that I was excited was an understatement, as the presentation of new magics to explore - magics that I could ACTUALLY utilize and not just speculate over, like Summoning Magic - made me so very giddy to just sit down and put pen to paper as I unraveled the mysteries of these ancient magics.

Especially since they grew to be double, if not triple as strong when I was in my True Vampire form, giving me the boost in power that I so desperately craved.

"So Mother, these ancient magics... it can't be just Blood and Moon, right? There has to be other kinds, just as conceptual as these are."

She smirked at me, pride in her eyes as she nodded, saying "There is. In fact, your Mother just so happened to track down and... liberate a rather old tome from a group of idiotic Nobles a few years ago. It's not as strong, nor as interesting as Blood or Moon Magic, but it does confirm that there is indeed other kinds of magics out in the world, waiting to be discovered and mastered! The tome I found was detailing how to utilize Glass Magic."

Frowning, I stared at her before looking towards the ground, wondering how you could utilize Glass Magic.

Reflections would certainly be apart of its repertoire, but what else?

It might be a rather sharp cutting power, but its fragile - to the point that most normal magics could block it and prevent it from doing any damage...

"Exactly! It's so very... odd of a magic type, isn't it? No true standout ideas come to mind with Glass that you couldn't do with Earth or Water. However, that confirms that there is different magics out in the world. Someone took the time - however many centuries, or even millennia ago - to learn how to create and wield Glass Magic. The tome is an interesting read, but you are not getting it till after I see some progress with what's already on your plate!"

She started off rather intrigued, but quickly turned into the strict, yet smart Mother that had raised me, even if I pouted at learning of something as juicy as different types of magics...

Clapping her hands together, she told me to return to figuring out Moon Magic some more when I paused, my mind blanking for a moment as I felt something.

The small grey crystal that hung around my neck felt warm, and I frowned as I reached for the pendant, wondering what was happening.

It was just around the corner of my mind, waiting for me to see it, but... I had no clue what was happening.

I SHOULD know, but... I don't.

Or, a better way to put it would be I just can't figure out what I need to know...

Staring at the crystal for a few more moments, I blinked in surprise as I felt the mark I placed on Jahi flare up, letting me know she felt a strong kind of emotion.

A... happy one at that...

What was she feeling?

It wasn't lustful, nor was it something minor like beating someone in a duel...

No, it was more...

"Leone?"

"Jahi... is extremely happy right now... Why?"

Mother just gave me a blank look, before her eyes widened slightly as she quickly said "You marked Katherine, didn't you? Focus on it! There's only a few things that would get that Asmodia brat excited!"

My eyes went wide as well, and I swiftly shifted my focus from the mark on Jahi to the mark on Kat, and I felt my heart palpitate as I noticed something.

She was close.

Somewhere off to the east, and really, really close...

Tears sprung to my eyes as I stood up, and I had to cover my lips before I screamed for joy, my heart beating wildly in my chest as I realized she was back.

Mother said something to me, but I couldn't hear it, my thoughts so focused on the mark I had placed on Kat, and how utterly glorious it was to feel it working again.

With her having been so far away, I had no read on her mark, but now...

She was back! 

Before I could even think, I was scrambling out of Mother's courtyard and rushing through the halls, making my way towards Jahi, knowing we would be setting off right now to go find her.

To get her back to our side, where she belonged...

This time, I would make sure she never left that spot, that there was no way she would ever be taken from us - from me - ever again.

Not in a million years...