162 Letting Go of a Suspicion

'The first declaration?

'Is to not investigate... one another?'

Thales revealed a puzzled and suspicious look.

"Mystic energy is the foundation of our existence. It is also the reason why we are called Mystics.

"Never ever, ever, ever ask another Mystic about his understanding of mystic energy. Also, never expose your own understanding to any Mystic," Asda looked cold as he used three continuous "ever"s to emphasize his current stance.

"This is what it means 'to not investigate one another'."

"Mystic energy? Understanding of mystic energy?" Thales raised his eyebrows upon hearing those words. "So, that is a Mystic's weakness. Once your 'foundation and fundamentals' are discovered, you will be attacked by another Mystic?"

However, Asda only kept his icy stare steadily locked on Thales.

It lasted a good few seconds.

"What's wrong?" Under his cold stare, a sense of fear rose in Thales' heart.

"Whether the understanding of mystic energy is a weakness, foundation or fundamental thing doesn't matter—what you're doing now is exactly an attempt to discover my understanding of the mystic energy." Asda finally muttered. His words caused his listener to turn pale with fright. "Among Mystics, this will be regarded as a declaration of war."

Thales jumped in surprise and retreated without realizing.

'This is regarded as… a declaration of war?'

Thales immediately recalled the words the Blood Mystic had mentioned before: Mystic Civil War.

"Alright, alright, I will ask no more." The second prince nervously shrugged. "So, Mystics cannot discuss mystic energy among themselves? Your daily interaction involves only greetings of hello, goodbye, and have you eaten; no contact or dealings after parting ways—"

"This is not a joke."

Asda interrupted him coldly.

"The Three Great Declarations of the Mystics were summed up through countless experiences and examples by our predecessors. It doesn't matter which one is violated, there will be bad, grave, and unpredictably terrible consequences." The Air Mystic's eyes flashed as a chill ran down Thales' back.

Thales was stunned. He could not help but blankly say, "There will be… what consequences?"

"You will find out." Asda shook his head. "Now, you just have to remember the first declaration and that it should never be violated."

Thales sighed. "What about the other two great declarations?"　　

"You're still far from being able to comprehend their level." Asda still shook his head mysteriously. "When you become a Mystic and find your own 'name of origin', I will tell you—don't ask me what a 'name of origin' is, you will find out later as well."

Thales, who was prepared to speak could only hang his head in disappointment when he heard those words.

"Alright, then at least… help me by rectifying a suspicion?"—

Asda nodded lightly. His face seemed to have relaxed a little.

"Whenever I utilize it—what you call the 'mystic energy', the effects are different in every instance. But I feel intense pain almost every time once I'm finished. Not to mention, recent encounters almost took my life." Thales revealed a worried expression.

As Thales spoke, some worrying scenes floated in his mind.

'In the dungeons at Vine Manor, the stocks and chains on Ralf's body.

'In front of Renaissance Palace, that young Psionic Assassin and his warm, beating… heart.'

'In Black Sand Region, before the Mystic Gun, red rays scattered in all directions and Arracca's Motionless Bow.'

Thales silently clenched his fist. "What's going on?"

He suddenly noticed Asda frowning upon hearing his words. The Mystic had always looked indifferent, so that highlighted the unusual changes in his expression.

"'Utilize'?" A while later, Asda squinted and shook his head as he snorted. It seemed like he did not believe Thales' words.

"You haven't even touched the door to being a Mystic, how could you have utilized mystic energy?"

Thales was stunned.

"Do you remember that time in Red Street Market? You squeezed me…" The second prince rubbed his hands in embarrassment as he observed Asda's facial expression. He decided not to describe the night's events in detail. "In short, we blew a house up and you discovered that I had a Mystic's physique or something… It was the feeling at that moment…

"I later discovered that as long as I was bleeding, I could utilize that power. It was the same kind of feeling…"

Asda's expression changed again.

The room went quiet for a few seconds. Asda stared at the ground, seemingly deep in thought.

After a while, the Air Mystic raised his head and solemnly said, "No, your performance that night, we usually refer to it as…"

"'Losing control'."

Asda pursed his lips.

"Right! Losing control!" Thales clapped his hands in realization. "I remember now. You said those words that night…"

'Losing control…'

The next moment, Thales' face was bleach-white and he did not continue.

He suddenly understood what the Mystic meant.

'Losing control

"Losing control." Thales was in shock. He murmured, "Losing control?"

Asda watched him silently, the expression in his eyes unclear.

"You mean, this power, this so-called mystic energy… can't be controlled?" Thales frowned as his breathing quickened.

"I can't actively 'utilize' it?"

Asda squinted, apparently surprised at how fast Thales handled the situation and reacted.

"You can't, at least not at your current level," Asda shook his head and confirmed Thales' conjecture.

Thales looked at Asda with doubt.

"Impossible. I can utilize it every time I bleed." Thales gritted his teeth and felt his head. "The feeling's just like waking up from a chaotic dream…"

At this moment, the Mystic's face changed.

He suddenly raised his index finger.

At the next second, Thales' voice broke as he felt the surrounding air stagnate. Then, he could not inhale anymore!

In shock, Thales stared at Asda, who had his finger raised!

But the Mystic just looked at the prince coldly, without a word.

'How?'

Thales held his neck, and opened his mouth with much effort, yet he still could not get any air.

It was as if all the gas particles around him had frozen.

'Do you want to suffocate me?'

Thales opened his mouth in vain as he could not make a sound. All he could do was to display a furious expression, until the lack of oxygen flushed his face bright red.

Just as Thales was ready to reach for his dagger, Asda finally put his finger down.

Air started to flow again.

"Hu…" Thales finally took a breath of air. Paralyzed on the chair, he gasped and swallowed big mouths of air.

"Why?!" Thales, who just recovered his access to air looked at Asda with fury and dissatisfaction.

"Have you already forgotten so quickly?" The Mystic leaned forward and looked into his eyes. His face remained the same, but his voice was unfriendly, "What did I tell just you?"

"What did you tell me? We just met for…" Thales was stunned at first, but he came to his sense., "Umm, we just…"

"Alright, fine," Thales murmured as he remembered Asda's words.

"The first mystic declaration." His face fell and he sighed.

"To not investigate one another."

'Damn it.'

Asda watched him intently and gradually nodded.

"Don't forget again."

"Also, don't tell me how your mystic power feels like again."　

The Mystic gave Thales a meaningful look as he sat back in his 'seat'.

Having experienced that, Thales was still in a bad mood as he continued to straighten out his breath.

At the same time, his previously lowered vigilance was raised to the highest once more.

'Abominable.

'This fella… definitely can't be treated like an ordinary human being.'

As Thales silently cursed, Asda slowly lowered his head. His expression was unclear.

A strange silence fell between them.

After a long pause, Asda finally said. "Apart from your feelings and understanding of the state, tell me the background as well as conditions when you actively 'lost control'."

Thales sighed. He complyingly explained it all, from Vine Manor to Broken Dragon Fortress.

A few minutes later.

"Apart from Red Street Market, the rest do not seem like having lost control.

"Already utilizing mystic energy at the subconscious 'contactor' phase? That's extremely unusual," Asda muttered.

"This is my first encounter, or I should say, there has never been such an occurrence in the history of Mystics.

"And, it accompanies the body's increasing damage and burden?"

Asda's eyes glimmered as though he was in deep thought.

In that instance, Thales could swear that he saw a glimpse of blue light graze past the Mystic's eyes.

Thales slowed his breathing; he could not help but feel nervous.

The feeling was just like waiting for the doctor to read out a diagnosis.

Finally, Asda raised his head and plainly said, "Nonetheless, every Mystic is one of a kind. Maybe, you're one of the more unique ones, we don't know yet.

"But, before we start progressing incrementally, you will not utilize mystic energy anymore—I don't want you to turn into a corpse before you become a Mystic."

'One of the more unique ones?

'Why, why am I more unique?'　

Thales heaved a sigh in his heart.

Upon saying that, a thought appeared in Thales' mind.

He remembered a key incident.

"Right, Mr. Asda." Thales hesitated. "May I know…"

Asda narrowed his eyes and waited for his question.

"If you have lived this long, you must know your kind… umm, peers." Thales paused for a while and finally gritted his teeth. "May I know if you know this other Mystic?"

"Her name is…" He took a deep breath,

"TherrenGirana."

Asda's face remained unchanged.

Thales raised his head and looked straight into Asda's glimmering eyes.

"She could be my mother.

"And also the reason for me being unique."　

Asda leaned back into emptiness.

A few seconds of silence proceeded again.

In the midst of the silence, Thales could hear his heart beating.　

But instead of urging him, he awaited Asda's reply as he looked at him nervously.

This may be a great opportunity to unravel the mystery of his physique and his origins.

Thales looked at the Mystic and silently thought, 'I can't waste it anymore.'

Furthermore, he had long since doubted the identity and… race of his birth mother.

As Thales' mind wandered, Asda's voice gradually sounded.

"Why do you think so?"

The Mystic plainly said, " Why do you think that your mother is a Mystic?"

Thales was startled.

"It is only possible that I inherited the physique of a Mystic from her, is it not?" Thales touched his head and nervously said, "Additionally, I was thinking, if my Mystic physique is an inheritance, could it be that my mother is also…"

'Also…'

Worried, Thales thought about his strangely gruff, fast-recovering physique, his abnormal brain capacity, and the retrieving of memories from his past life via flashbacks.

'And it doesn't stop there.

'From King Kessel, Gilbert and Jines' ambiguity towards his mother to King Kessel and Ritual Master Liscia's suspicious conversation during the Bloodline Ceremony; from the Head Ritual Master's display of hatred towards his mother to Yodel's words of "to be tangled up with mystics" at Mindis Hall…'

'All of the above, don't they indicate that—'

"Impossible," the clear, male voice rang.

Thales looked at Asda in shock.

Asda looked into his eyes. Sternly and decisively, he shook his head.

"Firstly, a Mystic's physique cannot be inherited. It has nothing to do with your bloodline. A wizard once experimented on this. He divided five thousand men and women into five groups… Forget it, you wouldn't want to know about it. Long story short, Mystics are not an hereditary occurrence," Asda said with indifference in his eyes. 　

Thales frowned.

Asda closed his eyes and opened them again. "Secondly, Mystics are no longer ordinary beings—once we completely become a Mystic, a tremendous change will occur in our physique. It's not the same for everyone, but the common characteristic is, it is no longer possible for us to have interracial offspring."

Thales' mouth hung open in surprise.

"Thirdly, apart from you, the world's Mystics—including the sealed ones—come to a total of fourteen people. I've met every single one of them, none with that name," Asda's face was solemn, his tone definite.

Thales looked at him in a daze.

'Fourteen Mystics.

'So few?

'And among these fourteen, none of them…'　

"In short...

"Your mother cannot be a Mystic." Asda definitely shook his head and his tone was as hard as iron.

Upon hearing that, Thales completely paused for a good ten seconds.

He then nodded in realization.

'That's how it is.'

"So, there is no Mystic called TherrenGirana." Thales exhaled as an unknown tightness eased itself in his heart.

"It is not possible for Mystics to have offspring."

With his prediction deviated, he leaned against his chair with a sense of emptiness. He pondered on the mystery of his origin.

A few seconds later, Thales exhaled as he revealed a self-deprecating smile.

'I suppose this is considered as letting go of a suspicion.　

'A suspicion that has long gnawed at my heart.'

But at the same time, Asda shook his head.

Asda crossed his arms and said thoughtfully, "However, strictly speaking, there is a Mystic with the ability to create life—although I don't think that it is truly in the sense of the word 'giving birth'."

A chill struck Thales' heart.

The second prince's pupils contracted. He slowly raised his head. "Who?"

Asda uncrossed his arms and raised his head.

"A bad-tempered woman, who's also one of my partners." Asda revealed a bright smile.

Then, the Mystic mentioned a name...

A name that changed the color on Thales' face.

"Giza Streelman," Asda plainly said,

"The Blood Mystic."