Supreme Magus novel Chapter 3469

"We Hordes are a tight-knit community. Without a good reason, they won’t take the word of a stranger above that of their brethren."

"I agree." Lith extended his hand, an emerald green aura marked the presence of a mind link.

"Wait!" Lotho pulled Lith back from his shoulder, exploiting the physical contact to establish a hidden telepathic communication. Read the latest on empire

’Are you insane?’ He said. ’This matter should be kept secret. If the Hordes really can inherit the essence of the World Tree, they might become our competition. What if they turn against us? What if collecting all the fragments opens a new evolutionary path for them?

’One that allows them to breed and gain the hardness and magical-enhancing abilities of Yggdrasill wood? The Hordes would become unstoppable!’

’If the Hordes can inherit the essence of the World Tree as you say, then even if we kill one of them, the fragment will be passed on to the others.’ Lith replied. ’One Horde is a tough nut to crack but eight of them?

’We can’t beat them without reinforcements and even then, we have no guarantee we can capture the Hordes. Also, they might become *my* competition at worst. I’m the one with the fragment and only I can extract the others.

’You can’t do anything but accompany me.’ Lotho’s expression turned angry hearing those words but he couldn’t refute them. ’If they turn against us, it will indeed be a problem, that’s why I’m trusting Loma.

’One, we have no chance of success without Loma’s help, and two, Hordes have proven themselves to be wise and kind creatures. They were willing to sacrifice themselves to rid Mogar of the Plaguespreader and one of them died to protect a bunch of Awakened kids.

’Hiding the truth from the Hordes will only make it easier for the one with the fragment to manipulate the rest of the Hordes and turn them against us. I don’t know you but I don’t want another war between Awakened.’

Lotho grimaced but let Lith go. Too many plant folk and Fae had died fighting against Thrud and he couldn’t bear the thought of more dying in a conflict he could have avoided.

"Fair warning. It’s bad." Lith offered his hand to Loma again.

"Life usually is." Loma took it and learned everything that had happened since Lith and the others had reached Esor. "Great Mother almighty!"

The spheres-eyes went wide as the Horde looked at the fragment with fear, taking several steps back.

"Keep that thing away from me. I won’t have the will of someone else poisoning my mind again. How can Fae call that abomination a blessing?" The humanoid cloud of spores churned, turning its limbs into weapons and conjuring powerful spells.

"I told you it was bad." Lith closed his fist and sealed the fragment in a barrier of silvery flames. "I’m sorry for triggering your trauma but you asked for the truth and I trusted you with it."

"And I thank you for being completely open with me." Loma stared at Lith’s clenched hand as if it were a scorpion with its tail raised and ready to strike. "What do you want me to do?"

"Spotting the Horde infected by the fragment will be easy." Lith said and Loma nodded for him to continue. "Once we identify him, I need you to inform the rest of your people while I buy you some time.

"Convince them to help us, seal all exits a Horde like you can take, and stay away in case a fight breaks out. I’ve learned how to remove a fragment from a plant’s life force but not from a fungal one, let alone two or more."