Chapter 357 Aftermath 2
Daneel was in a bind.
Really, he was in a big, big bind.
For once, he had no countermeasures or plans in place to handle the situation right now.
He was in some underground room, and there were 8 Warrior-level mages around him.
No matter what he did, there was no way that he could break through them and escape.
Even if he did, where did that leave his Kingdom? His people?
No, there had to be some way to solve this.
"QUIET!"
As a man shouted this and silenced the room, Daneel looked up and felt like thanking him.
He was clearly the leader of this team, as it seemed that everyone else deferred to him.
"King Daneel, I'll be clear with you. According to the rules and laws set down in the Accords, I do not have the authority to harm you in any way. It is also law that no one can ask about or demand information on one's inheritance, but there are…other things that can be done. For instance, we can spread a rumor that you have a Hero-level inheritance; something that has never been seen on this continent. That WILL pull out all the hermits in hiding, and you won't have a moment of peace. But, on the other hand, if you accept a small request of ours, we can tell everyone that your inheritance is simply Warrior-level, and that that display from before had been a fluke because you were worried about having your real body destroyed. Not everyone will believe it, but it will give you some time to grow stronger. Now, how does that sound?"
Right now, Daneel was in an iron cell, with his body completely bound.
He could only move his neck, and as he looked around, he saw the ravenous expressions on the faces of the mages around him, as if they wanted to devour him whole.
Yes, casting magic without using a mageroot was awesome and unprecedented, but did it require this much interest from a bunch of Warriors?
Clearly, Daneel had underestimated its importance.
He had only found out about it before the tournament began, as he had had a doubt that there might be some forces that would try to derail everything.
Hence, for safety, he had gone through all the available skills in the system with a fine-tooth comb.
After all, new skills kept being unlocked without his knowledge, so he had not wished to be unaware of anything that might help him at a crucial juncture.
It was then that he had found out a specific skill in the library that had amazed him.
[Mageroot-less Magic: 1 Spell.
Cost: 20,000 EXP for Human level spell, 50,000 EXP for Warrior level spell(only base level is counted, not the level reached after modifications by system).
Description: By progressing steadily on the path of magic, host has unlocked the ability to learn and cast a spell without needing to use mageroot. This has been derived from all the spells and information that host has collected so far.
Clues and indications found in various texts have shown that mageroot-less casting of spells is the key to entering the Champion realm.
After this was established, a sub-routine in system was triggered which has resulted in the unlocking of this skill.]
It had all sounded very mystical, and Daneel had been so captivated with it that he had been tempted to use it then and there.
After all, just the notion of being able to cast a spell without using the mageroot was so…magical.
However, his limited EXP had stopped him, and he had vowed to get back to it as soon as he had enough.
Of course, it had still been on his mind, hence, at that moment when all had almost been lost, he hadn't hesitated to use it.
Yet, now, he found himself in this situation.
What was he supposed to do? Revealing the system was, of course, out of the question.
And if he wanted to bluff about inheritances, he didn't know one bit about them.
What were they? How did one find them? How did they work?
Without having the answers to these questions, it was foolish to think about trying to fool those in front of him.
As the silence stretched on for a few seconds, the team leader's face took on an expression of frustration.
Daneel had been looking down while in deep thought, so when he suddenly spotted something in the corner of his eye and turned to his right, his eyes widened with shock.
His right hand, which had been hanging at his side all this while, was shriveling in front of his eyes.
While he watched, wrinkles came on the skin and the entire arm became smaller and smaller, as if someone was sucking all the muscle, tissue and water out of it.
In a few seconds, all that was left was the bone, and even this became dust and disappeared.
In the end, only a stump remained.
Daneel opened his mouth in a soundless scream.
The worst thing was that he still couldn't feel a thing!
The system was saying something in his head, but he was too fixated on that stump, so he couldn't comprehend anything else.
Even magic would take a long time to heal something like this, and even if it did, there would be a major drop in his power as a Fighter.
Hopelessness and desperation.
These feelings filled him, and he wished that he was powerful enough to kill all of these 8 mages in one go.
Alas, he was just an Exalted Human who was at their whim.
Frustration and rage accompanied the other two feelings as he looked up.
BANG
As the door of the cell was kicked open by a man who looked similar to the bald-headed one from before, Daneel felt something…change.
"Avery, stop it. I could report you for this."
As Marcus calmly said these words, Daneel once again looked to his side, and the shock in him returned with greater intensity when he saw that his arm was back to normal.
It had all been…an illusion.
Unable to believe it, Daneel stared, before finally realizing that the system had been saying something.
[Host's brainwaves have been affected by a spell. Host is under illusion. Please upgrade the system to nullify the illusion.]
He was right. It had been fake.
Realizing this, Daneel narrowed his eyebrows and looked at the team leader.
Clearly, the man's plan had been to break him so that he could extract whatever information he wanted.
However, he was naïve if he thought that that small scare would be enough.
Hearing Marcus's words, the team leader retorted in an angry tone, "Marcus, you have no right-"
"THAT'S LORD MARCUS TO YOU! Your work here is done. The culprits have been imprisoned, and you had no reason to apprehend this individual. You are out of line. Take your team and get out."
These words made the team leader fume with rage, but after a few seconds of silence, he just said "Disperse" before teleporting away along with his team.
However, at the last moment before he disappeared, he shot a look filled with rage at Daneel, making it clear that they were not done.
In response, Daneel also glared at him, as if to say 'bring it on'.
A team of Warrior mages was impossible to handle, but against one, he had his own tricks.
"Now then, King Daneel. Like I said, I was looking forward to speaking with you. So, tell me. First, how were you able to take control of the doom mosquitoes, which almost annihilated Angaria long ago? Second, how were you able to cast a spell, that too, a Warrior-level one, without using your mageroot? This is a feat that only an extremely talented peak Warrior level mage would be able to do, and that too, only if they are just one step away from breaking through to being a Champion. Don't try to bluff. I ignored your inheritance before, but I need to know now, for the good of Angaria. Speak."
Daneel had thought that he had been saved, but hearing this speech from the Matron who had just closed the door, he realized that he had landed from the frying pan into the fire.
"System, is there anything you analyzed that can help me out?"
The system was always actively scanning anything and everything he saw, so he asked this question out of desperation.
However, hearing its answer, one corner of his lip turned up, as he realized that he might have found a way out.
Ignoring the Matron, he looked at the bald-headed man in the room who had been called 'Marcus'.
Obviously, he was related in some way to that man who had collapsed in the stadium before.
Daneel wished that he had more information to judge this man, but right now, all he could do was gamble.
Hence, with no other option, he tossed the dice.
"I don't know exactly how you are related to the one who collapsed in the stadium, but I would like to propose a deal. I want to keep my secrets, and I also want to be protected in case someone tries to uncover them, like that team leader just now. In return, I will make it so that that man isn't crippled anymore."
"Wh-what? Lucas? Crippled? It can't be!"
"Why don't you check on that?"