noveldrama
Chapter 102: Unorthodox
Chapter 102: Unorthodox
Warlock Ch 102. Unorthodox
Damian opened his mouth, ready to launch into a tirade about the absurd amount of life-threatening situations he'd been thrown into over the past few hours. But he stopped himself, pressing his lips together and letting out a resigned sigh. 'What's the point?' Complaining to Cassius was like yelling at a brick wall—only the wall had a sharp tongue and an even sharper ability to turn complaints into worse punishments.
Instead, he picked up his fork and stabbed another piece of steak. "Right," he muttered, shoving the bite into his mouth. No complaints. Just food. Food was safe.
He chewed quietly, trying not to let his mind drift to the sheer insanity of the day. Five hours of nonstop training, brutal battles, and Cassius's unrelenting standards. And yet, as much as he wanted to whine about it, he knew why it had to be this way. He needed to get stronger—fast. He wasn't just another player in this world; he was a target. A big one. And if he didn't keep leveling up, someone would eventually catch up to him.
Cassius, meanwhile, poured himself a cup of tea with the same deliberate precision he applied to everything else. Damian watched him out of the corner of his eye, hoping for some kind of shift in his demeanor—a smile, a sigh, something that might show he wasn't plotting the next round of sadistic training methods.
Instead, Cassius sat down across from him, his hands wrapped around his cup as he stared. It wasn't a casual, relaxed kind of look. Oh no. This was a calculating, dissecting stare that felt like it could peel away Damian's very thoughts layer by layer. Damian tried to ignore it, focusing on his food, but the intensity of Cassius's gaze made the air feel heavier.
Finally, unable to take the silence any longer, Damian raised an eyebrow and said, "Can I help you with something, or is this just your usual attempt to make me squirm?"
Cassius didn't react immediately, taking a deliberate sip of his tea before speaking. "I will give you more books today," he said calmly, setting the cup down with a soft clink. "I hope you can study them tonight."
'More books?' Damian swallowed and tried to keep his voice neutral. "Of course, books. You wouldn't want me to get too comfortable."
Cassius ignored the jab, his gaze unwavering. But the mention of books jogged something in Damian's memory. He put his fork down and looked up at Cassius. "Speaking of books… yesterday, you mentioned a special one. Were you talking about the one written by Kaelan Voidweaver?"
Cassius nodded slightly, confirming it.
Damian leaned forward, curiosity sparking in his eyes. "Are there… any other books written by him? I mean, you must keep them somewhere, right? There should be two more, right?"
Cassius's eyes narrowed slightly. "Did Evelyn tell you that there were two other books?"
Damian shook his head quickly. "No, she didn't say anything. This may sound strange, but I just know. It's like… something deep down tells me there are two more."
Cassius studied him for a moment, his silence stretching on long enough to make Damian shift uncomfortably in his seat. Finally, he nodded. "I will give them to you later. The two books."
Relief washed over Damian, and he smiled faintly. "Thank you."
He returned to his meal, the promise of the books swirling in his mind. But the more he thought about it, the more questions bubbled to the surface. He glanced at Cassius, who had resumed sipping his tea, and hesitated before asking, "Do you know who Kaelan Voidweaver is?"
Cassius lowered his cup and set it carefully on the table. "I know him," he said, his voice carrying a weight that made Damian sit up a little straighter. "He was a strong warlock. Stronger than me."
Damian blinked in surprise. Stronger than Cassius? That wasn't something he heard often—or at all.
Cassius continued, his gaze distant, as though recalling something long buried. "His methods and teachings were unorthodox. Most people considered them reckless. But they worked, and that's what made him… interesting."
The faintest smirk crossed Damian's lips. "Unorthodox methods, huh? Sounds familiar."
Cassius didn't take the bait, his expression as impassive as ever. Damian leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table. "Do you think I could meet him someday?"
For a moment, Damian thought Cassius wasn't going to answer. But then Cassius looked at him, his gaze sharp and strange, as though weighing something.
"I don't know if you can meet him or not," Cassius said finally. "That choice would be his, not mine."
Damian frowned, trying to parse the cryptic response. "So… he's alive, then? Or is he one of those mythical figures who pops up in dreams and visions to give you cryptic advice? Or maybe… a weird one, too. Just like you?"
Cassius's lips twitched, almost a smile, but not quite. "He is… different from me. He was carefree, energetic—a man with a boundless passion for magic and knowledge."
"Was?" Damian asked, catching the past tense. "What happened?" he added.
Cassius's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing. "Something changed him. Something profound. He became… quieter. Focused in a way that was almost obsessive."
Damian felt a pang of unease. "Changed how? Did he—"
"Enough," Cassius interrupted, his tone firm. "That's all I'll say for now. Focus on what's ahead of you. You'll find your own answers soon enough."
Damian picked up his fork again, not entirely satisfied with the cryptic answers but too tired to push further.
He finished eating, feeling more recharged than he had any right to after the day he'd had. As usual, Cassius handed him a pile of books that was somehow even bigger than yesterday's. Damian stared at the stack, wondering if Cassius was secretly summoning these books just to mess with him. But then, something caught his eye—two of the books in the stack bore the name 'Kaelan Voidweaver'.