Cate sat next to a small lake they had come across in the forest. The lake looked normal, but after their previous encounter at a body of water, the three were more cautious. They had set up their camp a few meters away and secured the area with powerful protective magic.
They had hunted a few of the more normal-looking creatures and roasted them over a fire for food. The meat was chewy, but since it was filled with magic, it was quite the treat.
They ate the rabbit while making conversation. It was actually more like Cate and Mary spoke, and the Mage Born nodded or rolled his eyes whenever Cate complimented Mary on her looks. The Mage Born had very thin skin and was easily embarrassed by the sexy banter between the two women.
After their meal, Cate sat by the lake and began her meditation as usual. For the past few weeks, she had been meditating on the same spell over and over again. Even though magicians could use a spell as soon as they learned the words that connected it to the world, there were stages of mastery for each spell.
The stages of Spell Mastery were Genesis, Mastery, Sky, and Exodus.
The levels of Magic Comprehension for magicians were: Novice, Apprentice, Master, Supreme, Legendary, Mythical, and Divine.
The stages of Spell Mastery dictated how much power a spell could draw from the world, while the levels of Magic Comprehension determined what kind of spells a magician could use and how much magic they could channel overall.
Cate was a Master Sorcerer on the brink of breaking through to become a Supreme Sorcerer. In her past life as Médousa, she had many spells she used, but she lacked enough blood of the Old Ones in her veins to increase her Magic Comprehension beyond the Master level. Since she was stuck at that rank, Cate had focused on increasing her mastery over the spells themselves.
With determination and endless willpower, Cate had increased all her spells until they reached the Exodus stage. She was able to go through all the stages; Genesis, Mastery, Sky, to reach Exodus. This feat had allowed her to defeat more powerful magicians who had reached the Supreme level and beyond, earning her the title of the greatest spell master in history.
When the understanding of a spell reached the Exodus stage, a magician could begin altering the spell as they wished, even if they were not the original creators.
Cate had a spell called the Scrying Spell. This was the spell that allowed her to see through the weaknesses of things and people, which she had used to see the vampire's vulnerabilities. This spell was very old, and even though she had possessed it since her time as Medusa, Cate had never managed to increase its understanding beyond the Sky stage. It was the only spell that had defeated her for so long.
Over the past few weeks, she had been meditating on the Scrying Spell in an attempt to increase her understanding of it to the Exodus stage. Cate believed that, at the Exodus stage, she would be able to use the spell to see through the secrets of the Edgeless Forest, allowing them to escape its confines. She had been stuck for thousands of years and yet now hoped to break through and reach a new understanding of this spell in a matter of months, a feat that bordered on insanity, but one she didn't care about judging.
At that moment, Cate felt Mary approaching her from behind. She opened her eyes and smiled.
"Have you finally decided to fall for my sweet words?"
Mary chuckled at this. For the past few days, Cate had been sweet-talking her, but the two had never crossed the invisible line between them. Mary sat down next to Cate.
"I have been craving a bath for weeks now," Mary said.
Cate smiled at this. "You could use a bath yourself," Mary continued.
Hahahaha. Cate burst out into laughter. It was very true that she did not smell as fresh as she usually did. For the past few weeks, they had been fighting powerful monsters and other participants, and in the chaos, Cate had cared a little less about hygiene.
"I do not see why we shouldn't have a bath," Cate said, looking at the lake before them. Its water was very blue and clear, but so was the lake from earlier.
Mary looked at the cold water longingly, so Cate decided to do something about it. She had already sensed that the water was not safe, but this was a problem that she could solve.
Cate cast a spell and floated above the lake.
"What are you doing?" Mary asked with a smile on her face.
Cate did not chant. She simply reached into the magics of the world and brought about change with her will.
A thin film of magic covered the lake. Before Mary could say anything, the lake began bubbling as though it had been placed on a hot stove. Soon, a shriek came from the lake. A creature that looked like a crocodile, but far more grotesque and sinister, shot out of the water. It crushed into the thin film of magic. This collision caused it even more pain than being boiled alive.
The creature continued its struggles, writhing in the water as its tail overturned the lake. Cate just continued channeling more magic into the lake. The steam was trapped within the lake, increasing the pressure on the creature. Mary looked at everything with her eyes wide open. Her beautiful blue eyes held a feeling that Cate knew very well.
As she continued boiling the lake, Cate remained calm, but her mind was filled with all kinds of emotions and thoughts. Soon, the creature could no longer struggle against its death. Its skin peeled off, and its flesh fell apart. Its bones were exposed, and it closed its eyes for the last time. Cate did not show any mercy, even after seeing the despair within its eyes.