Chapter 1542 – Power of Friendship

Invidia could see it. Even better, he could taste it. Addictive, delicious, it was a languid, warm flavour that rolled over the demon’s tongue and sent shivers of joy running down his thin, spindly arms.

He hadn’t even known such a delicate flavour could exist, so much more complex, with so much more depth than what he had gotten accustomed to before. Now, he couldn’t imagine living without it. He was captured. He was enslaved. He was obsessed.

[Thanks for your help, Invidia. I really appreciate you providing those shields. Saved my bacon out there,] said the human mage.

Invidia grinned broadly.

[We thank you for your assistance, guardian,] the ant general said, after Invidia had volunteered to provide artillery support. [The Colony appreciates your efforts.]

The little demon licked his lips with joy.

[Cheers, Invidia. I’ve been trying to get my hands on a glow-silver necklace like this for ages. My girlfriend is going to love it! Thanks, mate.]

Invidia chuckled evilly.

Yes. Yesssssssss. They counted on him. They depended on him! He was their ally, their dependable aid, their comrade. Their friend.

He floated in the centre of the platform, his prodigious brain working overtime, twisting mana into detonations, shields, healing energy, all while lending a sympathetic ear to their worries and concerns. He was a font of sage advice, a shoulder to cry on, and a close confidant to one and all.

It was… delicious.

This particular day was progressing much like any other. The monsters of the fifth were disgusting, slimy things, vastly inferior to demon-kind, in his opinion, and he had no qualms about blasting them to oblivion whenever he could. No doubt, his master would be exceptionally pleased with his performance. Already, he could sense the gratitude rising from the battalions around him like a thick, tasty cloud.

Against the wave, he had noticed just how difficult it was to work any sort of magic due to the corrupting properties of the native mana. Usually, he would have no problems reaching out and manipulating his mana at range to form the detonations that were the signature spell of the gas and fire combination. It was a technique that required extreme levels of external mana control, along with unwavering mental fortitude, which were things that Invidia possessed in abundance.

However, extending mana out into the natural environment was not conducive to successful spellcasting in the fifth. The native mana ate away at his own, corrupting and consuming it the moment he pushed it out beyond the safety of the platform. The longer the wave went on, the more virulent it became, forcing the demon to expend more mana, to exercise even finer control, and to find closer targets.

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Another pack of creatures advanced from within the filth, and Invidia watched and waited. The ants were already reacting, preparing for their arrival and looking to engage as the monsters drew closer. The demon bided his time. He knew exactly, down to the centimetre, how far he could extend his magic. Managing the strain on his mind and the mana in his core were two of the major challenges.