Chapter 29 – Bloodline Wizard Marlek
The sky above Drenwick churned with gray clouds as though the heavens themselves bowed under some unseen weight.
Glic was in the study reviewing a list of equipment upgrades when a ripple shivered through the ambient mana. It wasn't subtle — like the flare of a beacon in the night, it pressed against the soul, carrying weight, age, and authority.
The System whispered at once:
> [Warning: High-Tier Spell Signature Detected.]
[Classification: 4-Ring Wizard – Earth/Physical Dual Specialization.]
[Identity: Wizard Marlek of the Tower.]
Glic set his quill aside. So. They sent someone already.
Outside, the ground trembled faintly with each step. From the horizon came a figure that seemed carved from stone.
Marlek stood over two meters tall, broad-shouldered, skin mottled with faint gray undertones. His arms bore veins of faintly glowing ochre mana, as though molten earth ran through his blood. When he drew close, one could see traces of the troll heritage in the slight tusks peeking from his lower jaw and the slitted amber eyes that surveyed everything with primal weight.
He wore the Tower's robe, though plain, reinforced at the shoulders with iron-thread embroidery. No ostentation, no jewelry. The air around him smelled faintly of loam and stone dust.
A whisper ran through the Goldbear guards. "A bloodline wizard…"
Marlek stopped before the estate gates, his deep voice reverberating like rolling boulders.
"Viscount Goldbear. I am Marlek, dispatched by the Tower to investigate the matter of the dungeon discovered under your lands."
Glic stepped forward personally, his "Master Artificer" illusion shimmering faintly behind him for cover. He bowed at the waist — respectful, not subservient.
"Wizard Marlek. Your presence honors us. Our household welcomes the Tower's scrutiny."
Amber eyes studied him for several long seconds. Then Marlek grunted, the sound like a landslide.
"You are younger than I expected. And cleverer, if half the rumors are true."
"Rumors rarely flatter truth," Glic replied smoothly.
Marlek snorted. "Politics. Always politics." He stepped past the gates without asking permission. Each stride shook the earth faintly. Guards moved aside instinctively.
Inside the manor's council chamber, Marlek sat heavily upon a stone bench conjured with a wave of his hand. The earth itself bent to his will, shaping perfectly to his frame.
"Let us speak plainly," he said. "I care nothing for your noble games. Nobles squabble like children over bread crusts. My task is simple: ensure the Tower's interests are not endangered, and that the arcane balance of this region remains intact. Do you understand?"
Glic nodded. "Perfectly."
"Then answer me this," Marlek said, leaning forward, eyes narrowing. "How did an apprentice, barely upon the path, uncover a dungeon that eluded the Tower's scrying? And why do whispers claim you conjure artifacts no apprentice should be able to craft?"
The question was a blade. A direct test.
The System pinged:
> [Intrigue Response Required.]
Options:
– Lie outright (high risk, chance of exposure).
– Deflect with noble politics (low credibility with Marlek).
– Mix truth with misdirection (balanced risk, potential respect).
Glic considered. Marlek loathed politics, and he was too sharp to believe blatant lies. That left only one path.
He inclined his head. "The discovery was chance. A collapse in the old mines revealed a mana-rich cavern. I merely had the sense to investigate further before sealing it away. As for artifacts…" He allowed a small smile. "It is true I experiment. My family's merchant wealth affords me access to raw materials others of my stage lack. But I make no claim to rival the Tower's Artificers."
Marlek's eyes bored into him. For a long, tense moment, silence reigned.
Then the bloodline wizard chuckled — a low, gravelly rumble. "A half-truth, but spoken well. You have wit. Better than the puffed lords who waste parchment writing their petty accusations."
Abruptly, Marlek stood, towering. "Words are one thing. Power is another. If you would claim right over this dungeon, then show me your worth."
He extended a hand, summoning a boulder of condensed earth. "Strike me. With all you have."
Gasps rippled through the chamber. Reinhardt half-rose in alarm, but Glic raised a hand. His heart hammered, but he steadied himself. This is a test, not an execution. He wants to measure me.
The System pulsed.
> [Combat Challenge Triggered.]
Opponent: Wizard Marlek (4-Ring).
Objective: Demonstrate Potential, Not Victory.]
Glic summoned his spiritual sea. Rings of mana whirled, brighter than before since his advancement. He chose a merged spell — Lightning Lure + Frostbite, fusing whip and cold into a crackling serpent of ice-laden electricity.
The whip lashed out, striking the boulder shield. Frost blossomed instantly, crackling against stone, lightning searing fractures across its surface.
Marlek did not move. He let the strike wash against him, shattering the boulder into shards that scattered harmlessly across the chamber.
Then he laughed. Loud. Unapologetic. "Good! Very good! Raw, but inventive. You wield spells as tools, not crutches. I see the hand of ingenuity here."
Satisfied, Marlek sat once more. "Listen, boy. The Tower does not care for your noble enemies. We care for stability, growth of magic, and proper tithe of arcane resources. If you wish to keep the dungeon under your charge, you will present a quarterly report and send a fair portion of findings to the Tower for study."
Glic inclined his head. "That is reasonable."
"Good. Because if you fail, I will personally return — and the earth will bury your estate."
There was no threat in his tone. It was simple fact.
Yet as Marlek rose to depart, he paused. His heavy hand came down on Glic's shoulder, nearly crushing but not cruel.
"You are no Tower's favorite yet. But you have potential. Grow it. Perhaps one day, you will climb our steps not as petitioner — but as peer."
And with that, the mountain of a man strode from the manor, leaving the faint tremor of earth in his wake.
When silence returned, Reinhardt exhaled sharply. "By the gods… a 4-ring wizard, here. My lord, had he wished…"
Glic shook his head, though his own knees still trembled faintly from the mana pressure. "He did not wish. That is what matters."
The System chimed softly:
> [Event Complete: Tower Envoy Test.]
[Reputation with Wizard Tower: Neutral → Guarded Respect.]
[Skill Gained: Aura Endurance (Lesser).]
Glic allowed himself a thin smile. He had survived. More than that — he had earned a sliver of credibility.
The nobles had sought to crush him with the Tower's weight. Instead, the Tower had sent a mountain that now walked away not as foe, but as wary ally.
And that, in politics, was as good as a victory.