"I'm not, but I will not underestimate them, either, my lord," the mage replied, getting a sigh of frustration from the Undergod. "I'm disappointed in you, Masked One," he said sardonically. "I had hoped that you would differ from the others of your world, and show true strength and wisdom unlike the ones before you. Yet here you are, acting as foolish as you consider your servant to be," Volzuk said.
The mage's eyes flared with mana momentarily. "I have not come to grovel at your feet, nor do I want you to look down on me. I will uphold my end of the bargain if you hold up yours," he gritted his teeth beneath the mask. "You and I both know just how powerful the Synners can be, even with their dwindling numbers. I am warning you not to underestimate them, as they can pose a threat to our plans," he continued.
"A threat? To whom? To you, perhaps, but not to me. Their fortresses, armies, weapons, and spells mean nothing to me," Volzuk said angrily. "If they truly pose no threat, then why do you need my help?" the Masked One asked, knowing the risk of doing so. Athar, who had been trying to maintain his composure, nearly gagged at the Undergod's swelling power.
"Silence!" Volzuk shouted, losing his composure. "You dare to use that tone with me, you insolent worm?" he continued furiously. "I can just as easily strip your power from you, leaving you to rot like the flesh upon my body," he said, his voice vibrating both the mage and servant's bones.
Holy shit, I can't breathe, Athar dropped to his knees beneath the pressure of the Undergod's flaring mana.
Even as a projection, it was still enough to make even the Masked One flinch.
"You should already know what the gods of the Ethereal have done to me. There is not a moment more that I will waste discussing this. Uphold your end of the bargain, and bring me what I asked for. If you fail me, you will suffer," Volzuk said frustratedly.
The Masked One sighed. "You seem to have forgotten who I am, my lord. It's true that you are powerful, but you're not all-powerful yet," he said in a dark tone, making the Undergod raise a lump of flesh where his eyebrow would have been.
"You could strip me of the power you have given me, but may I remind you that I had no small amount of power before pledging my allegiance. Now that I know the inner workings of the dark power you gave me so long ago, it would only be a matter of time before I could overthrow you," the Masked One replied.
"You dare threaten me?" the Undergod growled. "All I'm saying is that you should perhaps consider taking better care of your allies, my lord," the mage shrugged. "Ah, like you take care of your slave?" Volzuk sneered, shifting his gaze over to Athar, who was still sitting on his ankles and clutching his chest.
He leaned in toward him, prompting Athar to look upward at the towering, rotten figure before him. "I know who you are, and with every word your master speaks, it makes me wonder whether keeping you around will even be worth it in the end. Make no mistake, Athar, the insubordination you see from him is not something I will continue to tolerate," he growled, gesturing with a large finger to the Masked One.
How does he know? Was that pressure I felt from him looking into my core? Athar wondered, still clutching his chest.
"I-I understand, Great One," Athar struggled to get the words out. "You're not strong enough to maintain yourself in both Realms. Perhaps you should consider that before you make threats," the Masked One tilted his head. "You wouldn't dare…" Volzuk snapped to him. "I might, but if our deal and unlikely partnership is to be upheld, it doesn't do well to threaten your only allies, does it?" the mage asked wryly.
"You grow bolder by the day, mage," Volzuk growled, realizing he was right. "I have to be if I'm going to do your bidding, my lord," the mage sneered. "It would seem you've grown almost too bold, mage, but to answer your question, Athar: Yes, it was. However, I will not spoil the fun," he gave what could easily have been mistaken for a crooked smile.
"Train him to use mana, mage. He will play a vital role in the coming days, and I would be remiss if he didn't have the strength to do my bidding as well," Volzuk commanded, making Athar's eyes grow wide in surprise.
I know you can hear me, lord, so why does he want me to train in mana manipulation? Athar asked, hoping it had only gone to his master.
"I can also hear you, boy, but if you were even half the man you think you are, then you will voice those questions aloud," Volzuk sneered, making him flinch. "O-Of course, Great One, but it's difficult to speak under this pressure," he gritted his teeth. "Do it anyway," the Undergod said without a hint of compassion.
With a grunt of exertion, Athar did his best to get to his feet. His knees trembled as he did so, but even the Masked One looked at him in surprise. "Why do you want me to learn to wield mana?" he asked in a similarly cold tone, sweat pouring from his brow.
Volzuk raised the fleshy portion above his eye again. "Oh, the boy can stand after all," he said with an air of surprise. "Think of it as a form of security, Athar. I need you for my plans, but like your master, I cannot afford to have you be weak if you're going to be a part of them. You will play a vital role, but that is all you need to know for now," he said cryptically.
"I understand, Great One," Athar nodded, still struggling to even move in Volzuk's presence. "Do not fail me," the Undergod said, snapping his fingers with a squelching sound as he undid the summoning spell.
The little shit is already taking after my example, the Masked One grinned.
As the Undergod vanished, the pressure in the room quickly released, making Athar stumble as his muscles faltered momentarily. "Damn it," he muttered, looking at his shaking hands. "It looks like you need to start your training right away," the mage began, his eyes fixed on Athar's trembling hands. "Come with me," he motioned before turning to leave the study.
"Where are we going, my lord?" Athar asked. "You'll see," his master replied coldly. Athar had difficulty keeping up with him, since his augmented height caused his stride to be much longer than Athar's. After what seemed to be an eternity of winding, dark halls, they had finally made it to the entrance of his master's study.
"Whoa," Athar said, his excitement showing clearly. The bookshelves lined the twenty-meter-high walls, packed so tightly a knife's blade could barely fit between them on some shelves.
"I want you to use the time you have here to study as much as possible. The books I've gathered here over the centuries will likely be of great help to you," the mage gestured to them.
"You want me to learn from these forbidden books, master?" he asked, recognizing a few of the titles. "Forbidden for whom? There is no such thing as forbidden if one has enough power. Like the Undergod suggested, however, you must prove yourself worthy of them," the mage gestured to the wall of shelves where he wanted him to begin his studies.