Supreme Magus novel Chapter 3484

"And?" Menadion was still utterly confused.

"And when that failed, we started researching the things you had Forgemastered for us and improved on them. Sure, every Forgemaster developed their own method, but that doesn’t change the fact that all modern techniques share a common root you." Fyrwal shrugged.

"You are a celebrity now. Some sort of god of Forgemastery."

"That’s Sally!" Ripha replied in denial yet finally understanding the reason all the subjects Silvering and Baba Yaga taught her sounded oddly familiar.

"She would be, if Salaark bothered explaining something to us from time to time." The Hydra said. "Let’s just say that you have a lot of admirers who consider every piece you left behind a treasure of knowledge."

"That’s ridiculous!"

"Nonetheless, it’s true. Brace yourself." A snap of Fyrwal’s fingers Warped everyone inside the secret lab.

The ceiling was over 40 meters (132’) high, with no inner walls and so packed with people that Menadion couldn’t see farther than a few meters in any direction. She would have easily mistaken them for humans if not for their vertical-slitted yellow eyes and the up to six small snakes sprouting from their necks.

Judging from the width of the underground cave, Lith guessed that the Hydras had to have hollowed out at least one mountain to build the lab, if not more.

Pillars of light formed by a series of arrays stacked one over the other were visible at regular intervals throughout the cave.

The distance between the different sets of magical formations ensured that the spells cast by each team of researchers wouldn’t interact with those nearby and that each pillar received a steady supply of world energy.

The entire network of Forgemastering labs, Healing facilities, and diagnostic tools was centered around a massive glass tank about 35 meters (115’) high, where usually Ufyl was immersed in nutrient fluids.

This time, however, he was in human form as well, escorted by Hydra guards who were supposed to keep an eye on him but had all fourteen of them staring at Menadion.

"Uhmm, Hi, there." Ripha said awkwardly.

"Master Menadion!" Every Hydra just uttered those words but they were repeated by hundreds of mouths at the same time, booming together in a choir that made the cave tremble. "Please, bless us. Please help us."

People approached her while bringing their children and Menadion hid behind Lith’s back.

"Please, Master Menadion, say something to our Hatchlings so that they may grow up enlightened by your wisdom." A Hydra who looked like a chestnut-haired man in a lab coat said.

"Study hard and don’t slack off." Ripha said the first thing that came to her mind. "Hard work will never betray you."

Everyone cheered as if Menadion had said something deep and the small Hydras stepped forward, offering her little hand-made stuffed dolls wielding a toy hammer shaped in Menadion’s image.

"Thank you. They are beautifully made." They weren’t, but Ripha acted by instinct, taking the dolls and patting the Hatchlings on the head.

The child-looking Hydras danced with joy while holding their heads. The rest of their peers stared at them with a mix of hatred and envy.

’Oh, shit!’ Menadion tried to defuse the situation by shaking the hands of the other young Hydras.

"She touched my head! I’ll be a genius!"

"You left an entire set of artifacts to us to ensure the research of the Awakened community would progress even in case something happened to you. The disciples to whom you entrusted the different pieces betrayed you and your intentions, but that’s none of your fault."

"When you put it that way, I sound quite impressive." Menadion nodded.

"What about me?" Fyrwal grunted. "I was Ripha’s friend and I’m a damn good Forgemaster, even if I have to say it myself."

"Who in here isn’t a good Forgemaster, dear sister?" Xorn, Fyrwal’s brother, said. "If you want accolades, tell me, what’s your greatest accomplishment?"

"I founded the Kingdom with Valeron. Remember?" She replied.

"That’s a military feat." He dismissed her claim with a sweep of his hand. "I mean a magical one. Something we all benefitted from."

Fyrwal opened her mouth multiple times but ended up closing it without saying anything.

"My point exactly." Xorn said with a smug grin. "Ruler Menadion’s Mana Well technique, instead, is something that every Awakened Forgemaster still uses to this day and gives us a precious edge over non-Awakened."

"Wow." Silverwing said. "They treat even Fyrwal like crap and then they have the gall to be surprised I didn’t give a damn about them all this time. You Hydras are just like the rest of the Awakened: an ungrateful bunch.

"Without Fyrwal, there would be no Griffon Kingdom and no long-lasting peace. You would be too busy fighting the other clans of Emperor Beasts for territory and resources to build a facility like this." She waved at the state-of-the-art laboratory.

"Without me, there would be no academies and rogue Awakened like Lith would have gotten nowhere simply because he wasn’t born in a magical bloodline. On top of that, the competition with the fake mages is the only reason Awakened magic has made any progress at all in the last seven hundred years."