Chapter 4085: Uncontrolled Variable (Part 2) It was exactly what the ancient noble households of the Kingdom had tried to do to him, but instead, he had become the god of death. Dripha belonged to a noble and powerful household, but she was just a baby girl. She reminded Balkor of his own daughter, Eylen, and the promise he had made on the day of her birth to give her a normal childhood. There were already too many monsters on Mogar, and every time Balkor looked in the mirror, the grey streaks in his hair reminded him that he was one of them. Yet he considered himself a monster that only killed other monsters to keep them from infecting others with their touch. Balkor gripped his battle mace, Mourningstar, with his free hand and wished there was a Gernoff alive on whom he could vent his fury. "Still, you have our gratitude." Orion nodded. "I still can’t believe it’s possible to infuse constructs with mana and life force to give them an energy signature. When I first saw the replica you made of me, I thought I had a lost twin sister." "I didn’t believe it either until Manohar used that same trick to fool Night and me." A half smile creased the god of death’s face at the memory. "The bastard left me fighting for my life while he hid behind the safety of Night’s throne." "And you managed to imitate that after seeing it only once?" Jirni’s expression remained neutral, but she was deeply impressed by Balkor’s genius. "Like Verhen’s Void Magic, it’s not that hard once you know it’s possible." Hearing Balkor refer to Void Magic as "not that hard" sent a cold shiver down Orion’s and Jirni’s spines. "Besides, Manohar and I worked together for a while. "During that time, I got accustomed to his way of thinking and understood the fundamental principles of his magic, just like he understood mine. That and the fact that your replica wears your enchanted items, Orion, makes it impossible to distinguish from the original. "Yet I must warn you that my constructs are not perfect, Jirni. If wounded, they won’t bleed exactly like a human would. If pierced through, their organs won’t move like the real deal. Not even Manohar could do that. "If you plan to fake your death with one of my constructs, I doubt they’ll fool someone as skilled as you say the Gernoffs are." "I never thought about doing that." Jirni shook her head. "Go back to the Desert and let me worry about the rest. The Gernoffs are done with me for today." "Are you sure?" Balkor asked, holding the smiling little Dripha tighter. "Also, why kill the assassin like that?" Orion chimed in. "We could have captured him alive and interrogated him. This way, we’ve learned nothing, and the Gernoffs’ loss is negligible." "Yes, I’m sure." Jirni nodded to the god of death before turning to her husband. "There was no point in taking risks to capture the assassin, dear. He would have killed himself the moment he thought he had no way out." She waved at the small pile of Eckor’s remains to emphasize how his equipment would have been lost anyway. "Moreover, you are wrong about the rest. Today, we learned how deep the Gernoffs can reach when they infiltrate a powerful noble mansion. I got to test my skills against one of their best assassins and lived to tell the tale. "I’m certain that once we review the footage, we might discover even more. Isn’t that right, my Little One?" "We got him since he left the ballroom until he turned into dust, Mom." Quylla’s voice came out of a small gem. Balkor, Jirni, and Orion had no idea how it was possible, just like they had no idea that every mirror in the Mansion had been replaced by a Sentry. With her disciple status in the tower, Quylla needed no help to access the Mirror Hall. As Eckor followed Jirni, Quylla followed his every move through the Sentries. It was the reason she had taken so long to leave the Ballroom. She wanted to lull the Gernoffs into a sense of false security and remain in sight until the assassin was dead. It was also the reason Jirni had reacted in time to the ambush. Quylla had kept her updated on Eckor’s moves in real time. "As for the Gernoffs, their losses are incalculable." Jirni continued. "Not because of the death of one of their agents, they don’t care about things like that. Their peerless ability to collect intel failed them, and the feeling of uncertainty I planted in their minds will cloud their judgment. "They had scouted the Mansion and kept active surveillance on us all. They had me exactly where they wanted, and yet I survived. The Gernoffs aren’t afraid of failure. They are afraid of variables they can’t control. "They’ll waste time and resources to solve a mystery that can’t be solved. No one knows of our alliance, and I doubt any of us will go around bragging about it or Balkor’s skills. "While the Gernoffs squirm, they might offer me an opening. If they do, they’ll find me ready to strike. Now, we’ve already lost too much time. Let me take Orikan and Jirya. I must return to the ballroom like nothing has happened." *** Jirni’s second part of the plan worked like a charm as well. Switching Orion with his construct was equally easy. The fake Orion went to the bathroom, where the real one waited for it. A quick exchange of clothes and Quylla’s report about what the construct had said and done during Orion’s absence allowed him to act as if he had never left the Ball Room. Orion insisted on dancing with his wife and daughters again, but that surprised no one. He had done the same at Quylla’s marriage, and there was no reason to think that Orion would treat Friya any differently. After the music ended, butlers and maids set up tables and chairs in the Ballroom for the wedding dinner. It was supposed to be the chance for the guests to rest their feet and enjoy the hospitality of their hosts before leaving. The convened nobles and Awakened understood something was off when Meron and Sylpha stepped on the now-empty bandstand and raised it higher from the ground with the flick of a switch. Things became even odder when Lith, Tista, and Kamila holding Elysia joined them. "Dear friends and guests." Meron said. "This is Friya and Nalrond Ernas’ special day, yet they have been so gracious that they granted us their permission to make it special for the whole Kingdom. "Supreme Magus Verhen has something he wants to share with us and a few words to say." The King and Queen stepped to the side, leaving the center stage to Lith. He stood between Kamila and Tista, the lineup reminding everyone of actors waiting for applause at the end of a play. Before Inxialot could ask Raagu what he had missed, Lith’s body shapeshifted. He became over 2,5 meters (8’3") tall, and his skin turned to a crimson shade of red. Lith’s seven eyes opened, and a set of pristine feathered wings formed on his back.