Chapter 0165

Tempest felt herself floating in a bubble of water. After what the chaotic power put her through, she found immersing herself in its fluid touch soothing. The water pressure massage her aching body, loosening tense muscles and easing the tension she didn’t know she had. Her group members called her a lazy slug. When she was sleeping previously, she was not a lazy slug. This is the epitome of being a lazy slug. She doesn’t have to be wrapped up in layers and layers of bedding to be comfortable. She just has to lay her aching body down and rest.

“This water bed is so comfortable.” Tempest tried to snuggle deeper into the water bubble like she would a real bed but that wasn’t possible. “Noise, go away.”

“You don’t think we believe you do you?” Tempest suddenly sat up, or tried to as she was proficient in maneuvering in water. She floundered in the water bubble until she got her bearings then she stared at the scene before her.

Hannah Trellis was accusing them of set up a trap.

Without thought, Tempest swam to the image and tried to smack the haughty brat only to hit on air.

“Wah?” Tempest stared at her fist, puzzled. Tempest was not a morning person. Fenix and the rest of the group found that out the hard way. Graden’s method was by far the easiest and the gentlest since it works on one of Tempest’s needs instead of the abrupt shove into alertness. Tempest don’t do that.

The lazy slug rubbed her eyes a bit. She was sure she had her eyes open.

Look to the left - blackness.

Look to the right - blackness.

Look straight ahead - Hannah Trellis’ arrogant face was displayed front and center.

Tempest looked at her fist then look at the movie before her. Fist, movie, fist, movie.

If one doesn’t learn their lessons, given the same situation, one could easily expect the same reaction. Tempest flew, swam, up to the movie and tried to smack it. Nothing but air.

Now that Tempest was awake and more alert she began to notice the abnormal situation she was in.

“What is going on?” Tempest yelled into the emptiness. Nothing. Not even an echo.

Tempest didn’t like this feeling. It was like she was the only person in a dark theater watching a movie. Worse, the movie she was watching was what her body was doing right now.

“Ventus! What is going on?” Tempest yelled into the dark room. No one answered Tempest. “Mizu, Astrapi, answer me!” Still nothing.

“So this is how my mind looks like. Kinda empty huh.” It was the only conclusion Tempest could come up with. Since she tried contacting her spirits without getting a response, she realized she was in a place where the spirits can never enter, her mind.

“I will get you for this.” Tempest swore. Once she was done expressing her anger, sadness overwhelmed her and Tempest cried silently, looking incredibly pathetic and forlorn. She had always valued her freedom. Only someone who had been imprisoned would realize how precious freedom truly is.

She doesn’t want to be locked up again and it was done by the very being she was starting to trust. The betrayal stabbed Tempest deeply.

Betrayers must…

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While Tempest was feeling sorry for herself in the deep recesses of her mind where even the spirits can never touch, Astrapi took control of Tempest’s body.

The spirits were capable of taking over their mortal’s body. They generally don’t do so because they can die while they possess their mortal. Most mages knew about the possibility as well. They were confident their spirits would never take the chance to wrest control of their body away from them for long periods of time unless they become immortal because a mortal’s body is too fragile for them and there were better alternatives for the spirits if they want to manifest on the physical plane.

One of those alternatives is to have their mortals make clones of themselves when they become immortal and the spirits would use the clones to act on the physical plane. With the cloning method, should the clones dies, the spirits does not have to die with the clones. Should the spirits directly possess their mortal, should the mortal die then the spirits dies with them.

The spirits can possess their mortal for short periods of time. During the time the mages were possess, they become extremely emotional and their mood swings are the stuff of legends. PMS and bipolar got nothing on the emotional instability when a mage was possess.

Contrary to Tempest’s belief, Astrapi did not want to possess Tempest but rather, she was forced to.

Tempest couldn’t disperse the chaotic power running rampant in her body fast enough. It was ravaging her body faster than the spirits ability to heal her. Eventually the pain would drive Tempest insane. Astrapi had to do something or they risk losing Tempest.

Tempest is their darling. She never realized how much her spirits loves her and the spirits don’t tell her because they knew she wasn’t emotionally stable enough to understand. Parents would rather take the pain onto themselves if they could rather than let their child suffer. They don’t have the ability but the sentiment was there. The spirits does have the ability to ease Tempest’s suffering, so they did it.

They knew Tempest would blame them for their actions even though it was done with good intent. It is the nature of children to blame their parents when they are hurt or confused.

Another reason was Hannah Trellis.

The damn slut was out to get their darling. She had harassed Tempest over and over again. Tempest did try to retaliate against Hannah Trellis but circumstances weren’t ideal to kill the damn woman.

Well, Astrapi was going to change that.

Astrapi cast Paralysis Cage, a four circle area trap type spell that paralysized anyone in the cage unless specified. Only high level mages know how to create an exception within an area type spell. Astrapi is the spirit of lightning. She knows all lightning type spells like she knows the back of her hand. Creating exceptions to her own spells takes no more effort than a mere thought.

After Astrapi subtly wove her spell, she cast several other spells back to back.

Heart Spark, a complex three circle spell that affects the electrical impulses that regulate the heart. Heart Spark cause the heart experience symptoms associated with arrhythmia: tachycardia (racing heartbeat), bradycardia (slow heartbeat), chest pains, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, dizziness or fainting. The symptoms might not sound dangerous but in the middle of a fight, even the slightest distraction can lead to death. The best thing about the spell is how hard it is for cultivators to detect. Only the most skilled lightning and earth mages can detect the spell. Other cultivators can sense the spell at all.

Static Shock, a five circle spell that electrocutes the target. The beauty of Static Shock is the angle of attack. The spell attack from the ground. Cultivators know earth type spells can disperse lightning attacks. Most cultivators don’t realize the imbalance of electric charges within or on the surface of a material can be harnessed to create static electricity and with a little extra mana from a skilled lightning mage, the static electricity can create an electrical charge strong enough to kill a mortal. The body of a cultivator is much stronger than a mortal. Static Shock might not be able to kill them, but the damage is nothing to scoff at.

And finally, Atomic Fission, a six circle spell that attacks the cultivator at the atomic level. Atoms are composed of particles called protons, electrons and neutrons. Protons are positively charged; electrons are negatively charged and neutrons are neutral. Atom Fission breaks the charges between the protons and electrons, thereby the target at an atomic level.

Astrapi grinned evilly. She was going to kill the little nuisance for her little darling. Hannah Trellis won’t know what hit her.

All of the spells Astrapi cast were one circle lower but Astrapi added conditional triggers to the spells, making each spell a circle higher.

Many people thought lightning mages are flashy mages only capable of powerful but direct attacks using lightning. They never considered lightning mages had a more subtle side.

Astrapi’s target never put Tempest in their eyes or they would have seen the maniacal evil smile on Tempest.