Supreme Warlock System : From Zero to Ultimate With My Wives

Warlock Ch 136. Progress is Progress

Damian scooped another spoonful of shimmering Starlight Caviar. The triumph in his voice was as rich as the delicacy on his plate. "Honestly, Cas, this might be the best perk of being in your care."

Cassius leaned back, his piercing gaze steady. "Yeah, that's seriously something."

Damian chuckled. "You know what—" He didn't get to finish.

Cassius flicked his fingers, and Damian's mouth snapped shut with an audible click. His eyes widened as he realized he couldn't speak. Worse, the spoonful of caviar hovering near his lips was now useless.

[Spell Activated: Silence]

[You have been silenced. Speech and vocal incantations are disabled until the spell is lifted.]

"Mmm!" Damian glared at Cassius, jabbing a finger at his mouth as he tried to protest. His muffled grunts were met with a calm, smug look from his so-called mentor.

Cassius sipped his tea leisurely, the very picture of composure. "What's the matter? Is the reincarnation of the great Kaelan Voidweaver unable to cancel a simple Silence spell?"

Damian's eyes narrowed, his expression practically shouting 'Are you serious?' He jabbed a finger at Cassius, his other hand clutching the spoon as if it were a weapon. He gritted his teeth. Then he nodded repeatedly, accepting the challenge.

'Fine. You want to play this game? Let's play.'

Setting the spoon down carefully, Damian closed his eyes and concentrated. He took a deep breath, feeling the flow of Mana in his body. The Silence spell was a clever piece of work, designed to suppress vocal magic and disrupt the connection between a mage's will and their voice. Breaking it required precision, focus, and—annoyingly—more power than he currently had at his disposal as a rank C Warlock.

'But I've done this before,' he thought, his mind racing. 'I mastered this trick when I was a rank B warlock. The principles haven't changed. I just have to... remember.'

The flow of Mana around his throat was tangled, like a knot in an otherwise smooth thread. He carefully unraveled it in his mind, channeling his Mana to counter the spell. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he worked, every moment sharpening his focus. The key wasn't brute force—it was finesse.

[New Skill Unlocked!]

[Dispel Lv. 1: Breaks the effect of specific spells and debuffs on the caster or an ally. Effectiveness depends on the caster's level and Mana control. Cooldown: 60 seconds.]

Damian's eyes snapped open, and he grinned. With a flick of his hand, he activated the newly unlocked skill.

[Dispel]

[Status effect removed: Silence.]

"Ah!" Damian gasped as his voice returned, his grin growing even wider. He picked up his spoon and dramatically stuffed the caviar into his mouth before turning his victorious smirk on Cassius. "Looks like your little trick didn't last long."

Cassius raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Impressive. I didn't think you'd figure it out so quickly. Then again, you are Kaelan."

Damian leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms smugly. "Damn right I am. Silence spells? Please. I've dealt with worse in my sleep."

Cassius chuckled softly, his amusement evident despite his stoic demeanor. "Perhaps, but don't get cocky. You still needed this 'challenge' to unlock Dispel, didn't you?"

Damian's grin faltered for half a second. "Hey, progress is progress," he said defensively, though his pride still swelled at the accomplishment. "Besides, you're the one who threw me into a Titan fight and then hit me with a prank spell. I'm just adapting."

Cassius gave a small, approving nod. "Adaptation is a good quality for a warlock. Overconfidence, however..." His gaze sharpened. "That will get you killed."

Damian waved a hand dismissively, reaching for another bite of food. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Don't get cocky. Respect my enemies. Eat my caviar. Life lessons noted."

Cassius shook his head, though the faint smirk lingered. "You're impossible."

"You just said that twice. Evelyn said the same thing before and you wouldn't have it any other way," Damian quipped, enjoying the moment of levity between them.

After lunch, Damian pushed back his chair with a satisfied sigh, patting his stomach. "Alright, Cas, I'm recharged. Let's get back to business. You still owe me a summoning session."

Cassius arched an eyebrow. "You think you're ready for that after eating your weight in caviar?"

Damian shot him a mock-serious look. "I'm not just ready. I'm eager."

But then, Cassius paused abruptly. The faint flicker of amusement on his face faded, replaced by something colder. He straightened, his expression unreadable.

"We have a guest," Cassius said flatly.

Damian tilted his head, the playful energy draining from the room. "A guest? Who?"

Cassius's gaze darkened. "Victoria."

The name hit Damian like a slap. His grin froze before slipping away completely. The room fell silent.

"She probably realized it was you," Cassius continued, his tone even, though his eyes betrayed concern. "That you're Kaelan."

Damian's jaw tightened. "If she does," Damian said slowly, "then why was the one who kidnapped me Malthus, and not her?"

Cassius crossed his arms, his face thoughtful. For once, he didn't have an immediate answer. The silence between them grew heavy.

"So," Cassius said at last, "should I throw her out? Or do you want to try meeting her?"

Damian didn't answer right away. His mind raced, weighing the options. Victoria, a powerful vampire matriarch, was dangerous in every sense of the word. If she held a grudge, things could escalate quickly. But if she was here for a reason other than revenge… What reason could that possibly be?

And then there was the question Damian couldn't shake. 'Why did I kill her husband?' He couldn't remember. As far as his fragmented memories went, he had no vendetta against vampires or their faction. Yet the fact remained… he had done it.

Damian exhaled slowly, meeting Cassius's gaze. "Let her in."

Cassius raised a brow, his skepticism clear. "Are you serious?"

Damian nodded. "I'm not sure she knows I'm Kaelan. Maybe she just… senses something. Either way, I want to know why she's here. And to be honest—" he hesitated, his voice dropping slightly—"I want to know what happened. Why I did it? Why I was so…" His voice trailed off before he forced the word out. "Evil."