The Dark Mage Of The Magus World-Chapter 131 - 132: The Choice
Hutson narrowed his eyes, watching the man before him.
"An Overseer?" He hesitated for a moment before inclining his head in greeting. "It’s an honor to meet you, Master Salin."
Salin settled into the opposite chair, his expression calm yet unreadable.
"You were attacked by Malcolm recently," he began, his tone measured. "There are a few things I’ve been meaning to ask you.
However, given the severity of your injuries, I refrained from visiting until now. Would you mind answering a few questions?"
Hutson nodded. "I don’t mind."
Salin’s gaze sharpened.
"Why was Malcolm so determined to kill you?" His voice was direct, cutting through pleasantries. "Barty’s report suggests that it has to do with his brother’s death. Is that true?"
Hutson met Salin’s piercing gaze and chose his words carefully.
"To be precise, I witnessed his brother’s death." His voice remained steady. "But I had nothing to do with it. At the time, I was only a first-tier apprentice, whereas Luen was a third-tier. I had no means of harming him."
He did not lie—but he also did not reveal everything.
Salin studied him for a moment before moving on. Clearly, this was not the reason he had come.
"I’ve observed something about you," Salin continued. "You don’t intend to remain in Moonlight Grove, do you?"
Hutson considered his words, then nodded. "I prefer freedom."
Salin sighed. "That presents a problem."
His voice took on a heavier tone.
"If you leave Moonlight Grove, Malcolm will hunt you down. No matter where you go, he will find you." He leaned forward slightly. "Knowing this, do you still wish to leave?"
Hutson had been asking himself that very question for days.
Even if he advanced to a full-fledged sorcerer, it was unrealistic to think he could immediately defeat Malcolm.
If he stayed, however, Moonlight Grove would only allow it under one condition—a hundred-year contract.
It wasn’t the length that bothered him.
It was the binding nature of the contract—one that would place his life and freedom under the absolute control of Moonlight Grove.
Salin watched him closely.
"Take your time to decide," he said. "But understand this—once you advance to a full sorcerer, you will no longer belong to Moonlight Grove. Your current contract will end automatically, and without a formal binding agreement, we cannot allow an unaligned sorcerer to remain in our territory."
The message was clear—an official sorcerer was an entirely different status.
Without a contract, he would be forced out.
The only way they would allow him to stay was if they could control him.
Hutson didn’t answer immediately. His thoughts churned.
Finally, he said, "Master Salin, I need more time to consider this."
Salin nodded. "Of course. But I urge you to think carefully—choose what benefits you most."
"Thank you, Master Salin."
Salin didn’t linger long. It was clear—he had only come to gauge Hutson’s intentions.
Once he left, Hutson sat in deep thought.
He had come to a stark realization—if he were just an ordinary third-tier apprentice, no one from Moonlight Grove’s leadership would have visited him.
Perhaps... it was because he had survived Malcolm.
Perhaps... that had put him on their radar.
Hutson debated his options.
Had it not been for Malcolm, he wouldn’t even consider staying.
But Malcolm had retrieved Luen’s soul.
Hutson suspected that Luen had likely died in the Abyssal Plane, which meant his soul was not even in this world. That explained why it had taken Malcolm so long to recover it.
"The Abyssal Plane..."
His thoughts drifted to something else.
The wooden disk in his spatial ring.
The artifact tied to his strange encounter with Shivaro.
Why had he ended up in that strange space?
Why had he met Shivaro in the first place?
The answers remained elusive.
Not long after Salin left, Larry arrived.
Hutson greeted him with relief. He needed guidance.
As they spoke, Larry’s gaze flicked to Bessie, who took the hint and excused herself, heading downstairs.
"I’ll let you two talk."
Larry turned back to Hutson, smiling apologetically before leaning forward.
"Your problem is simple," he said. "Stay, and you face a hundred-year contract. Leave, and you face Malcolm’s wrath."
He paused, then added, "But... there is one way to solve both problems."
Hutson’s eyes sharpened. "What way?"
Larry smirked.
"Work for me."
Hutson frowned slightly. "...What do you mean?"
Even if he worked for Larry, it wouldn’t allow him to stay in Moonlight Grove freely.
Then what exactly was Larry offering?
Larry’s words echoed the very thoughts stirring within Hutson’s mind.
Power.
Only with true strength could one stand unshaken, unbound by the reliance on others.
Two days later.
A faint, silvery light bathed the dim chamber as Hutson’s breath steadied. His body remained weakened, his wounds yet to fully heal. Even now, he needed Bessie’s support just to stand. But his spirit burned stronger than ever.
He cast a glance at the floating interface of his own abilities:
Hutson
Strength: 8.6Agility: 7.7Constitution: 9.3Spirit: 19.7Mana: 100%
Twelve stars now flickered in the vast void of his consciousness—proof of his deepened meditation. And yet, injuries still anchored him to frailty.
He reached into his spatial ring. The cool touch of countless magic stones met his fingertips—two thousand three hundred in total.
That would be enough.
If he was to leave Moonlight Grove after becoming a full-fledged sorcerer, then his remaining days here had to be spent wisely.
Knowledge and resources.
This sanctuary of sorcery held an abundance of both, and he intended to seize all he could before stepping into the unknown. Many forms of wisdom, especially those hoarded by the sorcerer orders, would be near impossible to attain once he left.
Among them, Necromancy.
A path of magic he had never truly touched.
It was time to change that.
But knowledge of death’s mysteries came at a price. The teachings of necromancy were not openly offered—he would need a full-fledged Moonlight Grove sorcerer to pass them down. It would be costly. But Hutson could afford it.
