Just to make sure, I asked her once more.

"Before we settle on the node blast option, can you clarify the other solution with the black magic clean-up done by a mage? Which mages do you know?"

She chuckled, a sad sound.

"To save time, I'll begin the ritual while we talk. I'll let you know when we reach the point of no return for the decision."

"Alright."

She seated herself in the dust and started to gently rub the black magic dust onto my naked body in specific patterns.

"It needs to follow the black magic pathways inside the body," she explained, referring to the specific pattern she was creating with the dust. She continued, "As you may know, I'm acquainted with Mephisto."

She chuckled. "He might heal us, after thoroughly enjoying the situation, but I can't guarantee we'd be released without strings attached. It all hinges on his mood and desires. He would undoubtedly extract a hefty price for his service. I'm unsure whether he'd let us go unchanged or if he'd wish to 'assist' in other ways. If you're open to the idea, we can consider it."

“I don't think this is an option we should consider...”

She chuckled, continuing with the ritual.

"Then there's the infamous necromancer of Yaga, Thorheval. He could be a potential ally, but his assistance wouldn't come cheap. He might initiate by severing your head, considering my ability to heal from such a wound, just to acquire a complete body for his necromantic pursuits. And mind you, that's only the beginning of his demands. He might even repeat the process a few times to gather spare parts. While we might settle the payment with gold and artifacts, he could insist on a binding contract obligating us to 'secure' certain specific artifacts for him. Despite the risks, he could be our most viable option. Are you willing to gamble on negotiations with him?"

If he's the best option, what could be the worst?

"You could heal me after a decapitating strike? Wow, but hell, quite the sense of humor you have! What's the next option?"

“Styxa, the Witch of the Mountain. Imagine her reaction when she finds out Cala is with us. And she will certainly find out when she will work to cleanse us. There are other options, but they're all as dangerous or even worse.”

Oh, did I ask what could be the worst case? I guess I got my answer: Styxa, she might be the most dangerous one to deal with.

Flo continued speaking in a slow, methodical manner, as if it were part of the ritual.

"While searching for a black magic mage, we could gather as much black magic from the node as we could carry, but then I'd have to cleanse myself almost constantly with it. That might buy us some time, but remember; it won't completely halt the worms."

"There must be another way; otherwise, the black magic mages would have unleashed these worms and taken over the whole world!"

"Well, these magic-eating worms are a well-documented and extensively studied species. They infect almost only humanoid species; however, some snail species serve as intermediate hosts. Certain goblin tribes are occasionally affected due to their consumption of raw snail meat.

The worms and their eggs tend to degrade quickly in natural surroundings. Some snail species consume excrement, including the eggs of these worms. Inside the snails, the eggs can remain viable for a much longer time, entering a form of suspension within their organs. Ingesting the raw meat of an infected snail or person can lead to an infection, particularly if the person consuming it is already weakened.

Human settlements can also be affected if they don't adequately clean their food and utensils, mostly from excrement contagion. Humans rarely consume raw meat, not to talk about eating humanoids, but there have been cases. More advanced goblins have learned to infuse the snail meat with the necessary magic before consuming it."

I wasn't entirely sure I needed to know all these intricate details; it felt a bit like having a biology lesson.

Regardless, she carried on:

"Simply cooking the food or subjecting it to an arcane blast would effectively kill the worms and their eggs. The challenge for us lies in the fact that these parasites are already within us.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

In human settlements, this ailment is often treated by black priests. However, the real challenge is finding a black priest whose magic surpasses mine because he needs to overpower my own magic. I can think of only a couple who might fit the bill. The archbishop of Debenzin could be one, although I'm not entirely certain. The High Priest of the Golden Empire is another option. However, the latter might not be advisable. As for the archbishop of Debenzin, he is a fanatic, he would undoubtedly attempt to exorcise me, and if he succeeds, it could mean the end for Cala and perhaps even myself."

"Alright, I agree that negotiating with the High Priest of the Golden Empire is not an option; however, your magic's strength surprises me; I had no idea you were that strong. Is there no other avenue we can explore?"

"In the grand scheme of things, my magic isn't exceptionally powerful. There are many others with far greater magical abilities than mine. As I mentioned, the challenge lies in locating the right individual within the limited time we have.

We could attempt to venture into the black dragon realms; there are certainly some who fit the criteria, although they're not typically known for gently blasting you in order to help heal you, but rather to shoot first and ask questions later. The pair I knew, Sid's parents, appear to have disappeared."

She cast her gaze around us.

"We're approaching a critical juncture in the ritual; we should soon decide if we go for it or not."

My skin was now aglow, and I could feel tiny sparks and sporadic electrical pulses all across it.

She turned to look at the eerie alien landscape before us. Odd structures resembling twisted towers and oddly contorted rocks littered the landscape. Strata that seemed as if they had been sliced like a dissected cookie laid bare for a geological inspection. Rocks and dust, an abundance of dust, all shaded in various tones of gray, a faint hint of color barely discernible — a touch of violet, perhaps blue, or even a hint of green.

“You see?” she spoke, her voice carrying an unsettling weight. “No life here, not a single trace. That green is not grass but some minerals. Not even the undead roam this desolation. Some undead creatures venture to the outskirts for meditation, but even they dare not tread this far into the core of this node. This is the very heart of death magic, a point of absolute convergence. Even they, with their twisted existence, would succumb. It's amusing, really; white mages can better endure the overwhelming death magic inside the node. Only a profoundly potent life mage can penetrate this far. The reason is that your internal magic needs to counterbalance the node's magic.”

She resumed the ritual, tracing my body with the dust once more.

"So, what do you say, do we do it? Is this the path we choose?”

I wanted to nod, but since I couldn't, I projected my agreement inwardly. "Alright, let's do it!" I whispered in my mind.

She acknowledged with a nod continuing to chat loudly.

“Yes, it's perilous. To put it bluntly, most who attempt it meet their end. When the torrent of death magic engulfs them, and their system can't reboot, they effectively obliterate themselves. However, the risk isn't as severe for us. Given that I already possess robust white magic with formidable channels, the impending explosion won't be able to overpower my pathways. It might elevate my black magic strength to match my white magic.”

“Essentially doubling your magical capacity?” I wondered.

She confirmed my supposition:

“Exactly. It will exponentially boost my black magic, nearly equating it to my current white magic level.”

“Wow! But then, why didn't you try it before?”

She chuckled.

“I attempted it once when I was younger, and I nearly lost my life in the process. Back then, my white magic was feeble, much like my black magic. Plus, I wasn't venturing as deep into the node. I managed to survive, and that's when I gained the potency of black magic that I possess now. It might not seem like much currently, but it was a significant leap for me at that point. However, as time went on, I started to understand that your magic isn't just power; it's intertwined with your very essence. I didn't want to tread the path that led Mephisto astray. He was my older brother, once kind and loving, or at least that's how I remember him. Do you see? I witnessed his transformation over the years.”

“How does black magic change people?” - I wondered.

“Magic is a reflection of your inner self, shaping your identity. Think about what you accomplish with your magic. Black magic is an intensely potent force of destruction. You learn to dismantle, obliterate, reduce things to ashes in various manners, extinguish life, absorb it, control and manipulate. Only necromancy holds a faint glimmer of constructive purpose if you could even label it that. But the majority of black magic revolves around domination and annihilation, while white magic is rooted in comprehending the body and its restoration. When your focus primarily revolves around mastering destruction, you eventually become a tool of ruin.”