Another World's Versatile Crafting Master

by Stayrr

Lin Li accidentally enters another world while playing with his smurf mage account just after he maxes out all kinds of crafting skills, bringing with him various top-grade materials. Although his character is practically powerless, what he gains in return is unprecedented magical talent! Can he survive by himself after being thrown into another world?

2. 33

Read Another World's Versatile Crafting Master - Chapter 33 - The Twilight Curse online free - NovelFull

Chapter 33: The Twilight Curse

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

McGrenn was covered with a thick blanket and snored slightly from time to time. He seemed to be sound asleep.

But his face was unusually pale, as if without a trace of blood. His eyes were deeply sunken and his face was ghastly thin. If it hadn't been for Ina's words, Lin Li wouldn't have been able to connect him with the McGrenn he knew.

McGrenn's physical condition had actually weakened to this extent even though he was a warrior above level-six, and his physical quality was ten times stronger than an average person's.

Lin Li frowned and cast a Detection Spell.

But the result was disappointing—McGrenn had no residual magical wave on him. That was to say, his slumber had nothing to do with magical attacks.

Lin Li looked at the gaunt McGrenn, unsure what to do.

"Have you called for a doctor?"

"I've called for them a few days ago, but they all said that father is very healthy." Tears were brimming in Ina's eyes; she fought hard not to let them fall.

"Don't worry, Mr McGrenn will be fine," Lin Li consoled Ina before shifting his attention back onto McGrenn.

"Eh?" This time, Lin Li had found something different.

It was an inconspicuous black line on McGrenn's right hand. It was thin and indistinct—if Lin Li had not looked carefully, he might not have discovered it.

Lin Li had a foreboding feeling in his heart as soon as he saw the black line.

Without bothering to explain it to Ina, he grabbed McGrenn's shirt's sleeve, and with a sniffle, he tore it apart.Taking another look at the arm, there was indeed a thin black line spreading to chest…

"It's actually this thing!" Lin Li felt troubled all of a sudden as his speculation was confirmed.

Never had he thought that it was the Twilight Curse that had put McGrenn to sleep.

The reason why Lin Li remembered the name of this curse was because of a herb called Heart of Death.

The Heart of Death usually grew only in places with strong death aura. The stronger the death aura, the easier it was for the Heart of Death to spawn. The places where the Heart of Death grew would usually be haunted by high-level undead creatures. After it spawned, the Heart of Death would need the power of a curse to grow; the Twilight Curse was one of the several curses that could breed the Heart of Death.

Lin Li had taken a look at some curses when he was studying herb knowledge, and among them was the Twilight Curse.

It would take at least a powerful level-twenty existence to master the Twilight Curse.They used their own blood and strength as a guide before they died, cursing all creatures which stepped into the realm and making them fall into eternal sleep.

At the thought of this, Lin Li knew that the black castle was not that simple as mentioned in the quest…

Lin Li heaved a sigh of relief as he found the cause of McGrenn's deep slumber. Although the Twilight Curse was formidable, it was not entirely unbreakable—at least he knew of two ways that could resolve it.

Of course, strictly speaking, one of the ways was slightly boring—using a flame to purify the bones of the cursed person in order to break the power source of the curse.

This was indeed boring. Casting the Twilight Curse before death would almost 100 percent turn someone into an undead creature. Just think about a strong existence above level-twenty turning into an undead; if he was a mage before he died, then congratulations, you might have encountered a Lich. Commiting a suicide would be easier than purifying his bones…

The other way was undoubtedly much more practical. One bottle of Purifying Potion would solve the problem completely.

"It's okay, Ina. I've found a way."

"Really?" Ina's eyes were full of tears, but there was a smile of surprise across her pretty face.

Ina had been in a panic ever since McGrenn fell into deep sleep. She had tried everything that she could think of, and looking for Lin Li was only a matter of hope. In her heart, this young mage had always been so reliable. He had saved her from the talons of the Wyvern, and then again from the hands of the Leviathan Gorilla. Perhaps he could save her father this time again.

So, she went to the Guild of Magic. In fact, she knew that hope was slim even when she went there. She had thought of so many ways, but her father was still in deep slumber. Although Mr Felic was an impressive mage, could he really wake her father up?

"No problem." Lin Li counted the herbs in his pockets and nodded affirmatively.

Just then, there was a knock on the door downstairs.

"It should be Doctor Rowling. Mr Felic, please wait while I get the door." Ina shyly wiped away the tears in her eyes, then ran briskly down the stairs.

Lin Li was in a pretty good mood seeing Ina had regained her vigor. He fumbled through his pockets and placed the herbs on the table. There were four ingredients required to make the Purifying Potion—silver hairgrass, sungrass, dreampetal, and terocone. Among them, the effects of the silver hairgrass and sungrass were similar: both had strong divine purifying effect. Using one alone would enable you to concoct a potion that could amplify the divine power; using two at the same time would enable you to purify almost every negative effect.

But it was also because the purifying power was overly strong that it had to be accompanied by the dreampetal and terocone. The dreampetal was used to calm the mind, while the terocone was used to protect the consumer's body from harm due to the overly strong divine power.

The four herbs complemented yet restrained each other. An ordinary pharmacist usually would not dare to concoct the Purifying Potion, because the dosage of herbs had to be accurately controlled. A small mistake could hurt the consumer.

Of course, to Lin Li, this was not a big problem. Besides, the preparation process was very easy. It only involved simple extraction and blending, and did not even require assistive tools.

Considering that he didn't even need any tools to aid him, Lin Li decided not to return to the Guild of Magic. He took out four glass bottles from his pocket and set them on the table.

Just as he was beginning to extract the succus, he heard footsteps coming from the stairs.

Lin Li turned around and saw a head of long, fiery-red hair.

Underneath the long hair was a stunningly beautiful face.

Lin Li glanced in a hurry, but he could only describe it as amazing…

It was an almost-fatal kind of aesthetic—proud yet cold. A person couldn't help but feel the desire to conquer her, and even with Lin Li's mental cultivation, he had gotten momentarily lost the moment he looked back.

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Chapter 34: Quack

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Seeing a stranger by the sick bed, the redheaded beauty knitted her fine eyebrows slightly with a hint of caution. "Ina, who is he?"

"Mr Felic from the Guild of Magic…"

"Why did you let him in?" The redheaded beauty had some discontentment in her tone, but when she saw Ina's innocent eyes, that trace of discontentment turned into helplessness. "Ina… I've told you many times, Mr McGrenn's illness cannot be cured by an average person. If mages were of use, I would look for one for you…"

"But, Mr Felic, he…" Ina was somewhat aggrieved, her big eyes blinking at Lin Li, asking him for help.

"Ina, be good and listen. I will find the way to cure Mr McGrenn." The redheaded beauty turned her autumn-like eyes to Lin Li after coaxing Ina. "Let me warn you, don't try to hit on Ina. If not, even if Gerian comes, he may not be able to save you."

By the end, the redheaded beauty's voice was bitterly cold. The imposing manner that was displayed by her inadvertently frightened Lin Li. It was an aura of at least a level-ten player. At this moment, the redheaded beauty was like a magnificent sword, full of murderous intent in her eyes that flowed like the autumn waters.

This was actually a warrior above level-ten! Lin Li was slightly surprised, but he showed no sign of it on his face and merely laughed gently. "If I leave, will you be able to cure Mr McGrenn?"

"This… This is none of your business!"

"None of my business?" Lin Li suddenly chuckled. "Mr McGrenn is my friend. If not for him, I would've probably still been lost in the Sunset Mountains. And you say this is none of my business? Furthermore, since you'd like to be in charge of the treatment, let me ask you: do you know where the problem lies with Mr McGrenn?"

"Hmph! Still thinking you're capable…" With the topic being what she knew best, the redheaded beauty lifted her fine eyebrows and a confident smile appeared on her face. "There are no wounds on his body, and there was no magical attack. There are only two possibilities for Mr McGrenn's current situation. It can be either a mental attack or a curse!"

"Not bad that you're able to see this, it means you're a decent doctor," Lin Li complimented her with a grin, but quickly changed the subject. "A pity your eyesight isn't good…"

As Lin Li spoke, he lifted McGrenn's right hand. "Look at what this is."

The redheaded beauty shifted her attention and turned pale from fear as she saw the thin black line. "Curse?"

"Do you know what this is?"

Lin Li stopped mid-sentence and did not reveal the answer. He sat grinning on the bed, looking at the redheaded beauty teasingly. The expression seemed to say: want to know? But I won't tell you…

That abhorrent look fell into the eyes of the redheaded beauty, and she was as annoyed as she could be. She cursed in her heart, Just a scoundrel getting his own way, I'll show you who's good sooner or later.

However, she could not hold back her curiosity. The redheaded beauty, who was as proud as a swan, had to put down her pride temporarily. "May I ask, what is the curse?"

Lin Li was highly satisfied with "may I ask". It was like having a cold drink in the dog days, the satisfaction going down from the top of his head to his feet. The fellow was dizzily immersed in it for a while before pointing out in a self-important way as if he was the senior. "Look carefully, a black line like this extending from the arm to the heart is called the Twilight Curse. No matter how powerful a creature is, once the Twilight Curse has fallen upon it, it will inevitably fall into a deep slumber and be gradually weakened in its sleep… until death."

Seeing how Lin Li was revelling in self-satisfaction, the redheaded beauty felt even more humiliated. After cursing silently "scoundrel got his way", she was quickly attracted by Lin Li's words.

The redheaded beauty was born to an illustrious family and had been instructed by a famous teacher. She had reached a strength of level-ten and above at such a young age. Her high attainments in medical skills far surpassed those of others. As a teenager, she had even received pointers from a pharmacist.

But she had never heard of the so-called Twilight Curse, nor had she thought that this Twilight Curse could kill people in their sleep.

Everything the young mage had said seemed to be from another world to her.

At the beginning, the redheaded beauty was slightly miffed, thinking that this young mage had made up some lies to deceive her and there was no such thing as Twilight Curse in the world.

But as Lin Li talked about the Twilight Curse, the redheaded beauty was finally moved. After all, she had been instructed by a pharmacist, and knew that there were some things in the world that could not be invented out of thin air.

Even if the Twilight Curse was fake, when it came to details, he would never deceive a real expert. Some of the things mentioned by this young mage were no different from those mentioned by the pharmacist who had instructed her. It was even more detailed and clearly explained than the pharmacist had at some points.

The redheaded beauty had a mix of emotions in her heart, somewhat surprised and somewhat filled with admiration. But when she saw how cocky Lin Li looked, she felt a sense of shame and anger once more.

"Anyway, this is what happened. This Twilight Curse is not a big problem, but it is not something you doctors can touch. I say, redheaded little sis, go back and be the quack doctor you are; don't come out for nothing and harm others." Regardless of her emotions, Lin Li was not at all polite to come to a conclusion after the long speech. But, he had spent too much time with Gerian, and became unforgiving in his words.

"You called me a quack!?" The redheaded beauty's apricot eyes were wide open, and a look of disbelief came across her face. She was born illustrious and possessed strong abilities. Since young, no one had dared to say a single harsh word to her—except her teachers. Since the opening of the hospital, countless lives had been saved by her. There had only been words praising her superb medical skills, and no one had ever told her she was a quack.

Never had she imagined that, this day at Ina's house, this young mage would have thrown out that word so easily. Recalling his cocky manner earlier on, the redheaded beauty could no longer contain her anger anymore.

In her wrath, the pair of beautiful eyes divulged boundless killing intent. A strong aura erupted from her; the red anger was like a flame that filled the air. From a distance, the redheaded beauty was as if a phoenix bathing in fire.

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Chapter 35: Concoction

Translator:Atlas Studios

Editor:Atlas Studios

Lin Li did not budge under the oppression of such strong anger; the words he uttered were not at all polite. "Why? Starting a fight because you can't outspeak me? You couldn't even find out the cause of Mr McGrenn's illness, yet you had the audacity to say you'll be responsible for his treatment. What do you think this is? This is not just any beast, it's a human life! Have you ever thought what you will do if I'm chased out by you and you couldn't cure Mr McGrenn? I really don't know how your teacher has taught you, treating someone's life as a joke. How are you not a quack?"

"I—"

The killing intent coming from the redheaded beauty subsided slightly, but her pretty face was flushed. She wanted to defend herself, but was rudely interrupted by Lin Li.

"What I? Are you going to say you'll find a way for sure? Alright, alright. I'll take it as saying you'll come up with a way sooner or later. But please open your eyes, look closely at Mr McGrenn's condition now, and think if he has the time to wait till you've found a solution!"

What Lin Li hated most in his life was quack doctors ruining the life of someone. If it hadn't been for a darned quack, his father would not have been left with a lifelong disability. Although his father had escaped death, pain and disgust for quacks were deeply engraved in Lin Li's heart, and could not be erased no matter what. When he was questioning the redheaded beauty, Lin Li had unconsciously taken her as the darned quack.

"It was your ridiculous doubt that nearly caused Mr McGrenn to lose his life. What do you treat yourself as, and what do you treat your patients as? You say you're not a quack; then what are you, a killer?" By the end, Lin Li was livid, and his tone was filled with endless resentment. It was as if the one standing in front of him was not a charming beauty, but the quack who had crippled his father for life.

The words were so serious that the redheaded beauty wavered because of them.

Lying on the sickbed, McGrenn's face was ghastly pale and his body gaunt; every breath he took seemed to exhaust all his strength. Looking at how extremely feeble McGrenn was, the redheaded beauty lost confidence for the first time. She asked herself repeatedly,Can McGrenn really wait till I find a way?

The answer to her question was cruel—absolutely not.

She didn't even know what the Twilight Curse was—don't even mention coming up with a way to break it. And McGrenn, who was lying on the sickbed, most likely couldn't even wait another day…

If this young mage really had the ability to save people, but was repeatedly stalled and even driven away by her, then wouldn't the result be…

The redheaded beauty was stunned by the possibility.

The curling flame was gradually put out and the aura of a level-ten power also vanished without a trace. The redheaded beauty at the moment was like a little girl who had done something wrong. She pulled Ina into a tight hug; her voice had a tinge of sob in it. "Sorry, Ina… I… I really wanted to help Uncle McGrenn… I've never thought… I've really never thought of…"

"Sister Rowling, I know, I know…" Ina held the redheaded beauty's shoulders and comforted her.

"If you know you're wrong, then go hide in a corner and cry. Don't get in the way here, it's tiresome." Lin Li shot a cold glance at her and paid her no more heed.

The control of dosage for the Purifying Potion was somewhat troublesome; Lin Li dared not allow himself even the slightest negligence. After a meticulous calculation of the amount of silver hairgrass and sungrass to be used, he took two terocones and twisted them in his hands. With tens of thousands of concoctions done in the past, Lin Li had developed a sensitive feel in his hands. With the two terocones in hand, Lin Li knew at once that the amount was too much. So, he took out a silver knife from his pockets and gingerly cut one of the terocones in half.

After finishing up all these, a beaker suddenly appeared in Lin Li's hand. Neither Ina nor the redheaded beauty could tell exactly how the beaker came to be there; the whole process seemed like a magic trick.

With a twitch of his wrist, the terocone fell into the beaker, followed by a Gas Blast Spell. Lin Li had controlled it carefully, releasing his mana bit by bit, turning an aggressive Gas Blast Spell into a slow compress. If Gerian had seen this scene, it would probably surprise him again. Such a subtle mana control would probably take at least a decade for an average mage to achieve.

Under the compression of the Gas Blast Spell, the two terocones began to deform slowly. As the mana released by Lin Li slowly increased, the two round terocones eventually turned into two thin pieces.

With a gentle pick of the silver knife, the two pieces of terocone peel were picked out. The clear beaker was brimming with thick terocone succus.

Looking at the bizarre scene in front of her, the redheaded beauty, with tears still in her eyes, could not help but ask timidly, "What… What are you doing?"

"None of your damned business…" Lin Li, who was completely absorbed, paid no attention to her. After cursing rudely, he added the dreampetal into the beaker.

It was followed by the recitation of the Spell of Flaming Hands. As usual, Lin Li was careful in controlling his mana, only lighting a small flame on his hand, then slowly roasted the bottom of the beaker.

After the terocone succus began to boil, Lin Li carefully grabbed the silver hairgrass and sungrass. The two herbs were added into the beaker almost simultaneously, which was followed by white mist rising into the air and a strong medicinal smell permeating the room. Even warriors like Ina and the redheaded beauty were deeply moved by the divine power contained in it.

Lin Li fed half a beaker of Purifying Potion into McGrenn's mouth and massaged him for a while to make the potion work as soon as possible.

Hearing McGrenn's breathing gradually stabilize, Lin Li finally breathed out a long sigh of relief.

"Everything's fine, Ina. Mr McGrenn will wake up in about half an hour's time."

"Thank you, Mr Felic…" Ina was pleasantly surprised. Her lips were pursed as if she was about to cry.

"McGrenn is fine now, you should be happy. Why are you crying…" Lin Li kept the beaker into his pocket, then carefully reminded Ina, "Although he's fine now, his body will still be extremely weak. I reckon it might still take some time for him to recover. You had better persuade him not to take on any quests for the next two to three months."

"Mr Felic, thank you. If not for you, I wouldn't know what to do." Ina's eyes were filled with gratitude. "You've helped us so many times, but I have nothing to repay your kindness with…"

"What's there to thank for. If it weren't for your help in the begging, I could still be stuck in the Sunset Mountains. I should be the one thanking you both." Such was the character of Lin Li—clear about kindness and enmity. He would remember for life the kindness and grace he had received from someone. McGrenn and his daughter had helped him unintentionally, but Lin Li had kept it firmly in his mind.

"If there's nothing else, I'll get going. If not, when your father wakes, he's going to thank me without end again…" Lin Li packed his stuff, getting ready to return to the Guild of Magic.

"Tee hee!" Ina could not help but laugh at his funny remarks.

Lin Li insisted on leaving, so Ina could not make him stay and had to see him out of the door.

After watching Lin Li's figure fade into the distance, Ina returned upstairs with a hint of reluctance. As soon as she went upstairs, she heard Rowling's crying out an apology. "Ina… Sorry."

"It's alright, Sister Rowling. You were kind enough to want to save Father," Ina comforted her gently, and the redheaded beauty stopped crying.

"That mage earlier on, who is he? How did you two meet?" Rowling wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, but couldn't contain her curiosity with regards to Lin Li's identity.

"I've introduced him, he's Mr Felic. I met him when Father and I were in the Sunset Mountains. He's an impressive mage who helped me and Father many times. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to repay him…"

"Felic!" This time, Rowling had finally heard it clearly. Never had she expected that the young-looking mage from just now was actually Felic, the pharmacist who had been the subject of heated discussions in Jarrosus recently!

"Father and I had been pursued by a Wyvern. It was Mr Felic who had appeared suddenly and saved us. And, and… Afterwards, I was captured by a large gorilla…"

Ina recalled the days in the Sunset Mountains, but Rowling could not hear a thing she said. She was still reeling in shock.

It was no wonder he could see the cause of Mr McGrenn's illness at once and concoct such a peculiar potion. So he turned out to be a real pharmacist!

The alternate identity of the young mage came to her mind, and Rowling's fine eyebrows were knitted once more…

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Chapter 36: The Delayed Auction

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Lin Li saw Kevin coming out of the door before he could enter the Emerald Tower.

"Felic, you're finally back…" Kevin wiped cold sweat off his forehead as he continued with a lingering fear in his heart, "If you had come back half an hour later, Uncle Gerian would have beat me to death!"

"What happened?"

"You went out in a hurry just now, so I forgot to tell you something." As they walked toward the Emerald Tower, Kevin explained the matter to Lin Li. "The auction for Arcane Magic Potion has been postponed!"

"Why?" Lin Li was taken by surprise. Could Gerian have taken the wrong medicine? This old fellow had waited for decades for the day when the Guild of Magic could finally hold its head up high. The 30 bottles of Arcane Magic Potion had given him the opportunity, how could he be willing to postpone it?

He had always thought that after the battle between Gerian and Old Merlin, those 30 bottles of Arcane Magic Potion would be sold. He was still thinking about when to ask for his bonus from Gerian on his way back to the Emerald Tower. Never did he expect the old fellow to delay the auction!

A bitter smile came across Kevin's face. "Because you weren't here…"

"What bird crap reason is this? He delayed it because I wasn't here?"

"That's what Uncle Gerian said. As for the real reason, he did not tell me, and I was too scared to ask…"

"…" Lin Li knew that Kevin was as scared of Gerian whenever he saw the fat old man as the mouse was of the cat. Since he said that he didn't know, then it had to be true. So, Lin Li did not pester him further. He instead asked, "Then, until when is it postponed?"

"Today, half an hour later. That's why I said earlier on that if you'd returned half an hour later, I would have been beat to death by Uncle Gerian." Kevin's fair face was full of joy. "That day, when Uncle Gerian found out you had locked yourself in the room, he said that you would complete your last breakthrough today. So, the new auction date has been set to today."

"Oh… Where is he now?"

"He just went to the reception room. He wanted me to tell you to look for him after you came out of the level certification hall, but I've forgotten about it…"

"Go and do what you have to do, I'll go look for him."

Gerian's chubby face came into his sight as soon as Lin Li stepped into the reception room.

"What excuse did you give?"

Gerian was taken aback. "What excuse?"

"The excuse to delay the Arcane Magic Potion auction!"

"Oh… Bad mood." Gerian was indifferent. "I've told them Old Merlin came fighting at our doorstep and it has made me very unhappy, so I delayed the auction for the Arcane Magic Potion."

"You're sick…" Lin Li wiped his sweat off secretly. Only Gerian could come up with this kind of excuse…

"Anyway, those 30 bottles of Arcane Magic Potion are still with the Guild of Magic. They can only watch with their mouths closed even if they have any dissatisfaction. Who would dare to talk about it in front of us…"

"What exactly is the reason?"

"Didn't I tell you, because you were not here." Gerian's expression was serious for the first time. "This auction will attract all the forces in Jarrosus. How can I introduce all these forces to you if you're not present?"

Lin Li was slightly puzzled. "Introduce to me for what?"

"I'm getting on age. I didn't want to admit it, but after the battle with Old Merlin that day, I knew I was really old. If I were ten years younger, I wouldn't need your Awakening Potion. I could crush him with one hand!" Gerian seemed to be a little dispirited. "Think about it, I am 60 years old this year. At my age, how long can I continue to manage the guild? Sooner or later, the guild will have to change leaders. If the new President doesn't know what kind of forces Jarrosus has, how can he manage the guild?"

"You're very ill. Do you want me to prescribe some medicine for you?"

"I'm not joking!" Gerian fixed his eyes on Lin Li; he looked more serious than ever. "You know the guild has no one of use. Look at those useless bums in the guild: the old are too old and the young are too young. The old are mediocre and the young are fools. None of them will work out. My hair is all worried white for these bastards. Luckily, we brought you into the guild. The disciple of the legendary mage Andoine, a magic genius, a potion master… Other than you, who else is qualified for the position?"

"Kevin."

"Don't kid me. Kevin turns weak in the legs whenever he sees me—how will the guild listen to him? After you've taken over my position, you can ask Kevin to help you out. He's pretty good at running errands…"

Lin Li stared at the chubby face for a long time and finally confirmed that Gerian wasn't joking. "You're serious?"

"Absolutely."

"F*ck! Can you choose someone else? I can make do with something else, but the President? Maybe I'll lose all your money in a few years…"

"None of my damned business!" Gerian's eyes were wide open as he answered with no sense of responsibility at all. "By the time you lose the guild, I'll probably be dead already. Why would I still care about whatever flood there is after I die…"

"Definitely no!" Lin Li would not do it no matter what. He really didn't want to be the President of any guild. This was not an easy position. If you wanted to do it well, you'd be exhausted to death; it would not be tiring fooling around, but you'd probably be criticized to death. Lin Li did not want to be exhausted to death nor criticized to death, so not being the President would be the best choice.

"Don't be anxious, it's not like I'm asking you to take over now. It's just my idea. You can think it over first; if you're still reluctant to take over in a few years' time, then we'll talk again…" Gerian knew not to push him too hard. He comforted him repeatedly, and with a roll of his eyes, changed the subject. "Other than this, there's another reason…"

"What is it?"

"Heh heh, I heard that some families are already starting to sell their family hoards in order to get the Arcane Magic Potions. I thought, rather than benefiting others, why not benefit the Guild of Magic instead? So, I told them it's alright if the money's not enough, they can use items. Regardless of ingredients or equipment, as long as it can be of use, the guild will accept it.

"I reckon that when the time comes, there will be a variety of things brought to us…" At this point, Gerian was shameless enough to flatter himself. "Although I am knowledgeable, I can't guarantee to know everything. In this guild, you, too, have a good eye for things besides me. You can help me keep an eye to see if I missed anything…"

"…" Lin Li thought, Just tell me straight up you want me to help with the authentication. Is there a need to beat around the bush so much?

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Chapter 37: Peeping

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Lin Li did not decline. He was a guru well-versed in all five series, plus a master in general skills. When it came to professional stuff, he would naturally have a better eye than Gerian. Besides, he was also very interested in what the major forces would offer; it seemed to him as fun as a treasure hunt.

The two jerks had a discussion in the reception room. When they came out, their eyes were shining—anyone who saw them would have the feeling of being targeted by wolves.

The preparation for the auction was almost done when they came out. All 17 forces of Jarrosus City were present; even the Merlin Family, which had a fight with Gerian just a few days ago, had shamelessly sent someone to attend the auction.

After entering the guild's hall, the two jerks who were supposed to be the main characters refused to greet them at the front. Instead, they creeped to the back row and sat between a group of mages from the guild.

"President Gerian!" The group of mages at the side turned around to see Gerian, and all of a sudden, they felt chills on their backs. Why did the old fellow come to sit here…

"Shut up! All of you sit properly and watch, no one should make a sound. If anyone dares to sell me out, I'll let him know what's to come after the auction…" Gerian glared, and all the mages shut their mouths in fear.

"See the little moustache, the one in the middle of the second row, wearing a red mage robe and looking all hussy?" Gerian hid among the group of mages, stretched his hand, and pointed pettily at the front row. "That is Evan, the third son of the Merlin Family and Matthew's younger brother. Among the three brothers in the Merlin Family, he's the good-for-nothing one, merely a Magic Shooter now…"

"Then what about the second son?"

"The second son is Fario, the only one I couldn't figure out among the three brothers. Speaking of which, this fellow has always kept silent and low-key. I've beaten him up a few times when we were young, and have always thought he's a useless bum. But, unexpectedly, this fellow has climbed higher and higher, and now he has climbed to the position of the Minister of Wealth of the Felan Kingdom. He is in charge of the economic lifeblood of the kingdom, but I heard he has some problems with Matthew and has not been back in Jarrosus for several years."

The two of them were whispering when a clamor was heard outside the Emerald Tower. Looking up, they saw a middle-aged man in luxurious clothing enter the tower. From a distance, he looked to be about 40 year old; his face was slightly pale, but he exuded an air of authority.

But what really surprised Lin Li were the two attendants he'd brought along.

One of them was wearing a black mage robe; his whole face was covered with a hood, making it impossible to see his features clearly. But the aura that was emitted from him could definitely be described as strong. Among the mages Lin Li had seen, besides Andoine, Gerian, and Old Merlin, this person had to be the most formidable of them all.

The other, probably also in his forties, had a shabby beard and a broad sword leaning on his back that was giving off a scorching aura. Lin Li could see that it was definitely an excellent weapon of fire attribute with just a glance.

"Damn!" Gerian's eyes were wide open at the sight of the middle-aged man.

Lin Li had rarely seen Gerian so without composure since he had joined the Guild of Magic. He couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Which big shot is it now?"

"The Castellan of Jarrosus City, Isaac…" Gerian's head began to throb. He pointed at the two attendants behind him. "See those two guys? One is Elliot, the strongest warrior in Jarrosus. He had made a clear breakthrough to level-fourteen last year; I don't even have the confidence that I can win against him. The other one is Andrew, Chief Mage of the Castellan Mansion. Besides Old Merlin and I, he's probably the most ruthless out of all mages in Jarrosus."

At this point, Gerian's chubby face was completely sullen. "We're in big trouble. If the Castellan is interested in those 30 bottles of Arcane Magic Potions, who else would dare to compete with him?"

"Probably not." Lin Li shook his head, disapproving of Gerian's speculations. "The Arcane Magic Potion has too many limitations. You know it too—only a mage apprentice below level-five who has drunk it can permanently enhance their mana. The biggest demand can only come from the 11 mage families. He's Jarrosus' highest official in name, how would this stuff interest him…"

"Makes sense…" Gerian scratched his head. "But just in case…"

"There's nothing like just in case. Send someone to get in touch with him quietly later and find out what's going on first…" Lin Li became active once interests were involved. "Taking a million steps back, even if he's interested in the Arcane Magic Potion, the demand won't be high, at most a few bottles. When the time comes, you will get him a few bottles from the basement secretly. And don't talk about money, just give it to him as a personal favor. We might come to some gains in the future; as long as he doesn't compete openly, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Mm, we'll do just that." Gerian nodded. He was going to entrust a mage with this important task, but hesitated. "I shall just do it personally, it'll seem more respectful this way…"

"Might as well."

After Gerian left, almost everyone arrived.

11 mage families, six underground forces, castellan of Jarrosus, Jarrosus Guild of Magic, plus a few dozen weaker forces and a few hundred wild men from all over the place. Everyone qualified to compete for the Arcane Magic Potion in Jarrosus was sitting in the guild's hall. For a moment, the spacious guild hall looked crowded.

What made Lin Li's jaw drop was that Kevin, who had always been genteel, had taken off his mage robe and put on a white, high-collared long-sleeved blouse this day. He, who wore a black waistcoat, stood on the stage holding a small hammer in his hands, temporarily acting as an auctioneer!

"Ladies and gentlemen! The biggest auction ever held in Jarrosus is about to commence!" Kevin, who was usually stoic and honest, showed no signs of stage fright acting as an auctioneer for the first time and his words were full of incitement. "What will be auctioned next will be nothing less than a miracle, a miracle created by the guild's potion master, Mr Felic!"

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Chapter 38: The Castellan of Jarrosus

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Kevin's rousing words were like a boulder dropped in the lake, at once causing a commotion in the hall.

Since the battle between Gerian and Old Merlin, almost everyone in Jarrosus City knew that there was a potion master named Felic in the Guild of Magic. But knowing it was one thing. The Guild of Magic had never admitted—nor publicly announced—on any occasion that they had a potion master.

Until just now, when Kevin finally admitted it personally.

Even if the people present already knew something, they could not hide the shock hearing Kevin admit it. What was the concept of a potion master? It was someone who was long out of the ordinary; a few small bottles of potions would be enough to make a power rise from decline and a huge family fall apart in an instant.

A character that only existed in hearsay had finally become a fact in Kevin's words, and all at once the guild's hall was thrown into a pandemonium. Everyone was whispering and looking about. The moment of ferment almost drowned out everything else in the guild's hall.

The scene was out of control, but Kevin was not in the least alarmed. He merely looked on with a smile on his face and waited patiently for them to quiet down.

At the same time, Gerian was having the most congenial talk with Castellan Isaac.

Not far from the two men, the leaders from several forces were looking around, trying to join in and form a friendship with Gerian.

The Guild of Magic this day was not the same as it was at the beginning. Before Lin Li joined, who would be willing to have any dealings with the Guild of Magic? They had no money nor talent; they had the title of the number one force of Jarrosus, but led a poorer life than anyone else. Not to mention the 11 mage families, the people from the six underground forces, and even the weaker forces, were most likely not interested in having dealings with the Guild of Magic, either.

But since news of the potion master was out, the Guild of Magic transformed from a pheasant into a phoenix. It became the most sought-after force in Jarrosus Guild in an instant; who wouldn't want to butter up to Gerian at this time? This was a guy who hung out with the potion master! If they could make good of their relationship with this old fellow, not to mention other things, just the auction alone would be worth at least 100,000 gold coins to make things convenient for themselves!

Moreover, that was a potion master. It was impossible for him to have only a few bottles of Arcane Magic Potion. As long as they befriended Gerian, they'd have a steady supply of potions…

Thinking back to the past, the Guild of Magic had already come down in the world, but because of the agreement made during the Dark Ages, they could get a batch of potions from the Pharmacists Guild every year. This had established their position as the number one force in Jarrosus.

If there was a constant supply of potions, who else could compete against them in the whole Jarrosus City besides the Guild of Magic?

It was a pity that Gerian already had his eyes on bigger things.

The leaders of the several forces cowered at a side. They wanted to come over, but were stopped by the two attendants of the castellan and could only turn to Gerian for help with their piteous eyes.

But Gerian had no time to care if they were dead or alive. The leaders stood there for a long time, but Gerian did not even blink an eye. He was busy having a heart-to-heart talk with the castellan now.

"Isaac, since you called me Uncle Gerian, then I can't be that petty as your uncle. It's only a few bottles of Arcane Magic Potion—if you need them, just tell me. I may not have much ability, but I can still make the call for such a small matter."

Isaac found listening to Gerian's endless talk both amusing and ridiculous…

He vaguely mentioned that his father had met Gerian when the latter had still been a young mage. To his surprise, the old fellow brought their relationship up another level with a turn of his eyes—they became old family friends, the other party even claiming to be Uncle Gerian…

This, this… He was almost 50 years old this year, and Gerian was no more than 60 years old. Was there such a young uncle like him?

But Isaac had been sitting in the position of the castellan for a decade—he was no ordinary character. Jarrosus was a place where all the major forces were tangled in warfare and chaos. He would have been devoured alive if he had no means to cope with it.

Although he felt somewhat amused and annoyed, he showed no signs of it on his face. He simply made use of the opportunity and acknowledged Gerian as his uncle.

In any case, it was not too bad to acknowledge Gerian as an uncle given his current position…

"Uncle Gerian must be joking. I have no desire for the Arcane Magic Potion. I've come to the Guild of Magic today to have a look at the legendary potion master." Isaac was somewhat of a genius; he had gotten a convenient uncle out of the blue, but addressed him so easily as if Gerian was really an old family friend…

"That won't do! It wasn't easy for you to come to the Guild of Magic. How can I, your uncle, let you return empty-handed?" Gerian was overjoyed hearing that he did not have the intention to compete for the Arcane Magic Potion, but he did not display it on his face. He wanted to give him a gift on their first meeting no matter what, and seemed just like an elder who doted on his juniors.

After a round of declining from each side, Isaac couldn't win Gerian at last, and a bottle of Arcane Magic Potion was stuffed into his hand.

Gerian walked away in contentment, leaving the castellan sitting there at a loss whether to laugh or cry at the situation.

After a long while, the chief mage of the castellan mansion came over and spoke to him in a whisper.

"Can't find?" When Isaac lifted his head, there was no trace of embarrassment at all; instead, his expression was serious and dignified. "You mean, you can't find the person?"

"Yes, Master Castellan. I've tried using the way Mr Grimm has mentioned, but I can't find the person completely."

"Could it be that Mr Grimm had guessed it wrong?" The castellan's face was serious; his eyes swept over all the faces in the hall. Once again, he lowered his voice and asked the mage in black robe, "Do you think it's possible that this person does not belong to the Pharmacists Guild?"

"I don't think it's possible. Other than the Pharmacists Guild, who else is able to concoct the Arcane Magic Potion…?"

"Are there no other possibilities?" Isaac massaged his temples; a pained expression seemed to come across his face.

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Chapter 39: The Auction

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The hubbub continued for about half an hour before the hall gradually quieted down at last. Kevin, standing on the stage, still had the smile on his face as he hit the table with the gavel in his hand. "The auction for the Arcane Magic Potion officially begins now!"

A simple sentence was more effective than a Terror Spell. All of a sudden, the spacious hall fell silent, and not even the slightest sound could be heard.

Just as Lin Li was patiently waiting for the auction to start, he saw Gerian return sighing in despair.

"How was it?"

"Lost a bottle of Arcane Magic Potion." Gerian plopped down on the chair with a resentful expression on his face. "Damn, this is such a big loss…"

"Only one bottle?" Lin Li rolled his eyes. What was the big deal about it, he thought they were robbing eggs…

"It's also money!"

"5,000 gold coins!" Just as Gerian was grudging over it, someone in the hall began bidding.

Lin Li got a shock as soon as the bid was called out. He knew the Arcane Magic Potion was worth a lot, and he also knew these fellows could afford it. But he had never thought that the first bid for the Arcane Magic Potion would be raised to such an alarming level…

What was the concept of 5,000 gold coins? If he were to think of it as a quest from the Adventurers Guild, then McGrenn and his daughter would have to kill 100 Manticores or look for 50 black castles before they could get the chance to exchange for a bottle of Arcane Magic Potion.

Moreover, 5,000 gold coins was merely a starting price.

It was a short young man in his twenties or thirties who had called out the price. He wore a mage robe with fine craftsmanship. Gerian couldn't remember his name even after taking a few looks at him—he was most likely a leader of some smaller force. This guy was probably just like Lin Li, not having seen too many gold coins. After he had called out 5,000 gold coins, he thought that victory was in his hands and was smiling smugly as he sat among the crowd, a smile that said the bottle of Arcane Magic Potion was his to claim.

But before he could sit tight, someone offered a new price.

"10,000 gold coins!"

It was a middle-aged man who participated in the competition. Gerian took a look at him and whispered to Lin Li, "This is Aaron Matsis, the leader of the Blood Brotherhood, one of the six underground forces in Jarrosus that is mainly in control of the casinos. This fellow is not simple; Old Odin has fought for the control of the casino rights with him, but not once did he succeed. Just look, that shorty is in trouble…"

The price was doubled abruptly, which was apparently beyond the young mage's expectations. It was obvious that he was at a loss, but at last, with clenched teeth, he offered a new price. "12,000 gold coins!"

"15,000 gold coins!" There was no hesitation from Aaron Matsis at all. The shorty's voice had just settled when a 15,000 gold coins bid was thrown out.

Aaron Matsis bidding without hesitation was a fatal blow to the short mage. 15,000 gold coins was not the latter's ceiling, but the other party's tone as if it was not 15,000 gold coins but only 15 silver coins made him feel despair.

"15,000 gold coins going once!" The gavel landed on the table, but it felt just like it landed on the short mage's heart instead.

"15,000 gold coins going twice!"

"20,000 gold coins!" Cold sweat broke out on the short mage's forehead. It was all of his assets; he had expected to get at least two bottles of Arcane Magic Potion, but now, the hope of getting even a single bottle was slim. He finally realized how deep the water for the auction was when he recalled how he had arrived at the auction with big ambition.

"30,000 gold coins!"

Aaron Matsis sentenced the short mage to death without even blinking his eyes. This was a price that would send someone into the depths of despair.

The hall was shockingly silent. There was only the sound of the gavel landing on the table.

All eyes fell onto Aaron Matsis. Even the leaders of several mage families were surprised; the Blood Brotherhood had always kept a low profile, and its reputation was far less impressive than that of Old Odin… To think that they had such wealth and guts.

"30,000 gold coins going thrice!" The gavel in Kevin's hand landed heavily on the table as he announced the first done deal of the day. "Deal! Congratulations, Mr Aaron Matsis!"

"This… this… It's 30,000 gold coins just like that?" Lin Li's mouth was agape; the money had come too easily.

"This is just the beginning." Gerian was dismissive of his reaction. "Although the six underground forces are running various lucrative businesses, they are still far from boasting the wealth accumulated by the 11 magic families over the past thousand years. Look on carefully; when the time comes for them to show their hands, it will be the real highlight of the auction!"

"How come these fellows have so much money?"

"We won't talk about the six underground forces. Almost all the lucrative businesses in Jarrosus are in their hands. But compared to the 11 mage families, they are merely a group of nouveau riche. You've seen Old Merlin; do you know how much the staff he was holding cost?" At the mention of Old Merlin's staff, Gerian's eyes were full of envy. "A million gold coins!"

"F*ck!" Lin Li almost bit his tongue off. A million gold coins for a staff? No wonder he had a son like Cromwell…

"Don't feel that it's too expensive yet. If not for Old Merlin's reputation, he might have not even got it for double the price." Gerian took advantage of the opportunity to educate Lin Li lest the kid always made a fuss about small things. He stretched out his chubby hand and pointed at the few mages beside. "And look at these useless bums, the gear they wear is worth at least 80,000, or even 100,000. A mage is such a profession, it all depends on spending money. Of course except for a monster like you. Damn it, I have never seen you buy a piece of equipment before!"

"Why do I need to buy equipment…" Lin Li mumbled softly. In his heart, he thought, I am a guru well-versed in all five series and I'm still buying equipment from others? If this goes out, where should I put my face?

At this point, Lin Li couldn't help but sigh. "No wonder the Guild of Magic is so poor…"

"Wrong again!" Unexpectedly, Gerian shook his head. "The guild is not poor. Just the three rare mineral veins in the Demon Fall Valley alone bring in a steady income of three million gold coins every year."

"Then why does it seem to me that all of them are emaciated and sallow? Do you abuse them usually? Wait, why do I feel like the name 'Demon Fall Valley' sounds familiar?"

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Chapter 40: Contend

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Whoever has the damn time to abuse these useless bums…" Gerian shot them a glare. The mages shrank back immediately, afraid that they might draw fire to themselves. Gerian then continued, "The first time you arrived at the Guild of Magic, wasn't I talking to someone from Shadow City? We were talking about the control of the Demon Fall Valley at that time, I guess you remembered it from there…"

"Oh! Yes, yes… I remember! That place belongs to our Guild of Magic?"

An "our Guild of Magic" had lifted Gerian's mood tremendously. This meant that Lin Li was gradually seeing himself as part of the Guild of Magic. This was definitely a good sign to Gerian. He believed that as long as he put in a little more effort, he'd be able to fit the Guild of Magic President's hat onto the fellow's head.

"That's right!" Gerian answered with greater patience in light of his good mood. "The reason why the Guild of Magic is still the number one force in Jarrosus today is that we have the control of the Demon Fall Valley. There are three rare mineral veins and a great variety of herbs in that valley. Most importantly, it also abounds in all kinds of high-level magical crystals. When the auction for the Arcane Magic Potion is over, I'll bring you there so that you can see for yourself."

As they spoke, three more bottles of Arcane Magic Potion were off the shelf. Among them, the lowest price was above 30,000, and the highest price even reached 60,000 gold coins.

"From this auction onwards, the number of Arcane Magic Potion will be increased to three bottles." The gavel in Kevin's hand landed heavily on the table. "The starting bid will be 50,000, and the minimum increment 5,000. Let the bidding begin!"

"50,000 gold coins!"

"70,000 gold coins!"

"80,000 gold coins!"

"100,000 gold coins!"

Kevin's gavel had just come down when the bidding calls rang out continuously, each higher than the other. In a moment's time, the price for the three bottles of Arcane Magic Potion was raised to a high of 100,000.

"See, the Rolin Family has shown their hand. The previous ones were all on the small scale. From now on, it is the highlight. Just watch; if the final bid for these three bottles of potion is less than 200,000, I'll screw my own head off!" Gerian laughed pompously at a side.

"120,000!"

"140,000!"

The leader of the Rolin Family had gone completely amok. Competing with him was a good-looking young woman around 30 years of age. She was beautiful and charming, her voice soft and sweet, and her every action was exceedingly fascinating and amorous. Perhaps only a wily old fox like Gerian would recognize her. The attractive young woman was Daphne, the leader of the Dark Moon, one of Jarrosus' six underground forces. She controlled all the thieves in Jarrosus.

Gerian told Lin Li, "Memorized the woman's face? If someday you lost your wallet on the streets, you must look for her. But don't get it wrong, she's the leader of the thieves, not a brothel madam."

"…"

Anthony Rolin was about to bleed from his nose out of anger. He had not expected that rather than the big families he was most worried about, he would have roused this mad woman instead. What was more surprising to him was that this mad woman could be so merciless; she raised the price to 140,000 and was refusing to let up. If this continued, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

140,000 gold coins had already exceeded the Rolin Family's budget, but Anthony Rolin had no choice but to hang tough.

These three bottles of Arcane Magic Potion were his best chance. Giants like the Merlin Family, the Mannes Family, and the Saruman Family had yet to make a move. Once he had waited for them to strike, the Rolin Family would have no chance at all.

Moreover, Anthony Rolin really needed these three bottles of Arcane Magic Potion. Out of his three sons, the youngest was already 16 year old, but was still a level-four mage apprentice. There was only one step away from level-five, just one step, but it couldn't be overcome no matter what.

Which parent in the world would not want their children to be successful?

So when he heard that the Guild of Magic was going to auction the Arcane Magic Potion, he was utterly thrilled and immediately started to raise money. He had even disposed of several profitable industries at a low price in order to make his three sons into mages successfully. But the Rolin Family was not the Merlin Family. The total amount of money he could gather was only about 200,000. If this mad woman continued to push on, Anthony Rolin dared not imagine what would happen next…

But this was often the case in the world. The more you didn't want it to happen, the more it would happen.

As he turned the idea in his mind, Daphne called out another bid once more. "200,000 gold coins!"

Anthony Rolin almost blacked out when he heard the figure.

At this moment, Anthony Rolin even thought of jumping on this woman to strangle her to death.

But this was merely a thought. Not to mention this mad woman was no less strong than him and he probably wouldn't be able to strangle her to death even if he did jump on her, just disrupting the auction alone would be enough to put him on the spot. This was not the Emerald Tower of the past. The Guild of Magic today was at the height of their influence; even the Merlin Family dared not compete with or challenge the Guild of Magic head-on. That would be no different than seeking their own death. With Gerian's character, he would probably be blown down by his fireball before he could get to jump on the mad woman.

Anthony Rolin hesitated for long before he finally put a hand into his pocket.

"200,000 going once!

"200,000 going twice!

"200,000 going…"

Just as Kevin was about to hit the gavel for the third time, Anthony Rolin suddenly emerged from the crowd. "Hold on, Mage Kevin!"

"What's the matter, Mr Anthony?" Kevin was inwardly delighted, but managed to put on a troubled expression on his face. "Do you have any doubts regarding the auctioning process?"

"No, no, no, I definitely don't mean that…" Anthony Rolin waved his hands. This was not a joking matter—having doubts about the auction would mean having doubts about Gerian's character, and it'd be equal to challenging the Guild of Magic. He would not dare to challenge the Guild of Magic which was at the peak of its influence even if he was given ten more guts.

"I remembered Mr Gerian had said that if cash is not enough, we would be allowed to replace it with items of equivalent value. Now, I would like Mr Gerian to evaluate how many gold coins this item is actually worth."

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Chapter 41: Deep Silver

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

There was a thin silver necklace hanging obliquely on Anthony Rolin's thumb, shimmering with silver light. But what really stood out was the blue gem mounted on the necklace. The oval gemstone was about the size of a thumb and wrapped in silver wires like a petal, giving off an air of mystery and elegance under a sheet of silvery light…

As soon as the silver necklace was taken out, the mages' eyes turned wide open, and even Gerian drew in a hissing cold breath. "What a big piece of Enigma Sapphire!"

The hall was exceptionally quiet. All eyes fell onto the Enigma Sapphire; even the attractive young woman who was contending with him couldn't stop amazement from showing in her beautiful eyes.

This was definitely a treasure a mage would wish for. Storing mana was too important for a mage. Even an archmage would not be able to fill such a big Enigma Sapphire.

A group of mages were whispering among themselves.

"It's worth at least 100,000 gold coins…"

"Such a big piece, I reckon it's more than 100,000…"

"The Rolin Family has always been low profile, but they can actually bring out such good stuff like this. Looks like the water is not regular deep for the 11 mage families…"

"But it's a little bit of a pity for such a big Enigma Sapphire to be set into the silver necklace. He should get a mithril necklace at the very least. It doesn't do any justice to the gem the way it is now…"

"How much do you guys have? Why don't we gather our money and acquire the necklace for ourselves, then everyone can take turns using it…"

As soon as the guy finished speaking, he realized there was no sound around him.

He looked around in puzzlement, only to see his colleagues who had been chatting amicably with him just a moment ago all far away from him. The expressions of fear on their faces were as if they were afraid of getting infected by the plague…

"What's with the expressions?"

The group of mages really wanted to jump on him and strangle him to death. You actually dared to come up with such a thought in front of Gerian… how was it different from putting your hand into the President's pocket and taking money from it? Moreover, you had even mentioned everyone taking turns to use it… You'd be lucky if Gerian didn't find someone to tread you over…

"Come, come, everyone, gather our money. I think I have 30,000 here, how much do you all have?" The group of mages tried desperately signal him with their winks, but the guy was utterly oblivious to it and still gathering money without knowing what death was like.

Everyone seemed to see Gerian's frown.

Under His Excellency's influence, the group of jerks couldn't care less about friendship and simply sold the clueless guy off.

"President, we swear we really don't know him!"

"P-President?" That slow-witted mage finally remembered whom he was sitting nearby. He felt cold sweat breaking out all over his body all at once, and tried to pull his face into a smile that was uglier than crying. "Heh… Heh heh, why are all of you so nervous? It was just… just a joke…"

Luckily for him, Gerian was too busy talking to Lin Li to notice his rebellious thoughts.

"What do you think of giving him 50,000 gold coins?"

"80,000." Lin Li did some calculations in his heart and decided to raise the price. "I reckon that fellow only has 200,000 gold coins in his hands. If we give too little, I'm afraid he won't have a chance against the thief leader. I have to get this necklace!"

"You're also interested in the Enigma Sapphire?" Gerian was slightly taken aback. He knew the kid too well. He had always thought that even if all the mages in the world would need the Enigma Sapphire, this kid wouldn't have any use for it. The scene at the level certification hall had left too deep an impression on him. A magic output 28 minutes long was absolutely beyond the scope of a monster, and could only be described as a demon's!

"I'll let you have the stone, I only want the necklace." Lin Li's eyes were glued to the thin silver necklace. He was too familiar with the aura emitted from the necklace. He had once felt the same aura from the enchantment guru back in the Endless World.

If his guess was correct, the metal used for the necklace was definitely the deep silver!

In the Endless World, the deep silver could only be found by luck, but not by searching.

In order to jolt his magical enchantment profession, Lin Li had used all his connections just to coat the gold rod with one layer of deep silver. But this stuff was just too rare, almost no one had seen it in the Endless World. For that period of time, Lin Li spent his days squatting at the auction house. The Mercenary Guild's private commission was hung all year round, and the reward was increased by a small amount every day and then saw a huge increase every three days, but no one had ever brought the stuff out.

Thinking it over, Lin Li felt that he was really pretty lucky…

With his wealth and status in the Endless World, he could do anything he wanted. But it was the black lotus and deep silver that he couldn't get even after trying everything possible.

To think he had encountered them a month after having transmigrated.

Lin Li was grinning from ear to ear just thinking about the gold rod coated with deep silver.

That was a genuine worldly weapon. In addition to strengthening the attributes of magical enchantment, it could also raise the enchantment success rate to a terrifying level. A 100 percent would be an exaggeration, but it could guarantee at least 90 percent. Just think about an enchantment guru with a 90 percent success rate, what a demonic thing it would be?

"We'll do as you wish…" Gerian only nodded after hearing what Lin Li said and did not ask what was so extraordinary about the necklace.

Then, the people in the hall saw Gerian, who was supposed to be the star of the auction, rising from a shabby spot in the audience. "From what I see, this Enigma Sapphire is worth around 80,000 gold coins."

"Thank you, President Gerian." When Anthony Rolin heard the figure, his suspended heart finally descended into place. He had a total of 200,000 on hand; adding the 80,000 gold coins, it would be enough to acquire the three bottles of Arcane Magic Potion.

"Then, let the auction continue." Kevin's gavel landed on the table again. "Madam Daphne had offered 200,000 gold coins. Anyone else with a higher bid than Madam Daphne?"

"250,000!" With Gerian's promise in hand, Anthony Rolin raised the price to 250,000 without any hesitation. This astonishing figure immediately drew murmurs from the guild hall.

250,000 for three bottles of Arcane Magic Potion; the average price had far exceeded the previous few bottles that were sold. To many, this was no longer an auction, but a fit of pique.

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Chapter 42: To kill three warriors with two peaches

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

250,000 was indeed a ruthless bid. Even a wealthy thief leader like Daphne did not dare to follow through.

After receiving the Arcane Magic Potion from the guild's mage's hands, Anthony Rolin was so agitated that he held the three bottles tightly in his arms for a long time, reluctant to let go.

With Kevin's gavel hammering down once again, the auction resumed.

Just then, Gerian suddenly noticed his convenient nephew coming his way.

"I'm so sorry, Uncle Gerian. I have some urgent matters on hand to deal with, and I'm afraid they can't wait until the auction is over." Castellan Isaac's face was regretful.

Lin Li was waiting for someone to deliver the deep silver necklace to him when he heard "Uncle Gerian" all of a sudden and almost bit his tongue off out of shock.

How could he not have seen before that Gerian had the talent of a social butterfly? Earlier on, he had said that he had no relations with the castellan, but after turning a circle back, he had been upgraded to "Uncle Gerian!"

"Important things come first, go and do what you need to do. Uncle will not make you stay any longer. But if there's time in the future, you must come to the Guild of Magic to visit Uncle." Gerian's smile was gentle and amiable, just like an affable senior's.

"Sure, sure…" Castellan Isaac felt his temples throbbing again. He answered vaguely in a hurry and fled the Emerald Tower. After stepping out of the gates, Isaac took a deep breath of the fresh air outside and swore to himself that he'd never come to this darned place again if he didn't have to!

"Master Castellan…" The three men walked out of the Emerald Tower, and the mage in black robe asked with some hesitation in a low voice, "We didn't find the person this time, will it be difficult to answer to Mr Grimm?"

"Mr Grimm is magnanimous and won't haggle over such trifles with us. Besides, with Mr Grimm's ability, how can he not find someone if he sets his mind to it? Looks like we were too meddlesome this time…" Since leaving the Emerald Tower, Isaac's expression was unusually relaxed. To him, no matter how bad things were, they couldn't be worse than facing Gerian, that old jerk.

After finishing the previous sentence, the castellan's brows were knitted again. He spoke to the mage in black robe in a low voice, "Andrew, if you have nothing much to do lately, you might want to pay more attention to the Guild of Magic. I'm actually also interested in the man Mr Grimm is looking for."

"Yes, Master Castellan."

After watching the three men leave, Gerian's expression was somewhat odd.

"Laugh if you want, why try so hard to hold it in. Aren't you scared you'll suffer internal injuries from holding it in…" Lin Li pouted and moved closer out of curiosity. "Come, come, tell me what exactly happened. Why did the Castellan address you as uncle? Could it be that you really know his father?"

"That's of course!" Gerian's face was boastful. "The Castellan said it personally. His father saw me 20 years ago; apparently he instructed me. Damn it, so many mages instructed me 20 years ago, how would I know which one was his father?"

"So, you became his uncle?" Lin Li's eyes were glazed and expression dazed. He took a look at Gerian in front of him and thought of the Castellan's age. He looked up to the heavens and sighed heavily. This shameless old man…

"You can't blame me. He was the one who wanted to pull strings. Since he wants it, then I'll give him the chance. Besides, he's so enthusiastic. If I don't become his uncle, he might be very disappointed…"

Lin Li felt a heartfelt admiration at his words. "You are a genius…"

As the old and the young were whispering away, another deal was completed in the hall.

This time, it was still the beautiful young woman and a mage family who competed, only this time, the beautiful young woman's rival was not the Rolin Family, but the Carreca Family. The result was still the same—when the price was raised to 230,000, the beautiful thief leader was defeated again.

Lin Li took a glance at Daphne and concluded in a low voice, "She has no chance anymore."

Gerian was stunned for a moment, and asked surprised, "How do you know?"

"Didn't you realize? Both times when the price was at tens of thousand, she would raise it to 200,000 all of a sudden. She should be trying to scare off the opponent, but to little avail. If my guess is correct, she only has exactly 200,000 gold coins with her. If I can see this, the other mage families can see it as well. Just look, if she participates in the next contest again, someone would surely second-kill her with a direct 200,000."

Lin Li was indeed correct. When the second round of auction began, Daphne was once again the first person to offer a bid.

"100,000!"

"210,000!" Contending with her was the Merlin Family. It was the mage in red robe whom Gerian described as "hussy", the third son of the Merlin Family. He quoted the startling price without so much as wrinkling his brows.

So, the hall fell into dead silence…

Although Daphne's expression was awful, she did not offer a higher price. Not to mention Gerian, even the mages who were sitting at the side understood that the thief leader indeed could not take out more money.

"Damn!" Gerian blurted out a swear. This kid was too accurate.

"210,000 going once!

"210,000 going twice!

"210,000 going thrice!" The gavel in Kevin's hand dropped heavily on the table. "Deal! Congratulations, Mr Evan!"

This was probably the weirdest auction of the day, with only a total of two bids from the start. The increment was unprecedentedly big—it was 50,000 higher than the starting bid, and a 110,000 increment at once…

However, after a brief silence, Kevin pushed the auction to a climax with a message.

"In order to get enough Arcane Magic Potion for everyone to buy, the guild has decided to take out another three bottles of Arcane Magic Potion for everyone to bid on. And the next auction will be a one-shot sale of ten bottles!" No one had expected the Guild of Magic to be this bold, going from three bottles to ten bottles at once. Even with the additional three bottles, there would only be two opportunities for them to contend.

"You taught him?" Lin Li glanced at Gerian strangely. When did the old man learn to be so clever, knowing to play the game of killing three warriors with two peaches.

"Heh heh. I used telepathy to inform him just now…" Gerian laughed in a gratified manner. "Three big families but only two chances. I'll see how they're going to compete…"

"Brilliant!"

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Gerian had indeed executed a brilliant maneuver this time.

Among the three major mage families in Jarrosus, except for the Merlin Family that had taken a whirl earlier on, the Mannes Family and the Saruman Family had not even made a move. The reason for their inaction was not hard to imagine—as one of Jarrosus three major mage families, they knew each other through and through and shared an unspoken understanding. The three families knew how many bottles each should take, and no one would undermine this tacit understanding.

Too bad Gerian would not give them the opportunity. You liked to play modestly? Then I'd simply give you a push. The Merlin Family had taken three bottles just now and would surely not be satisfied. Everyone knew they had the most level-four apprentices. The other two families had not taken any bottle and would be even less likely to give up. This was the Arcane Magic Potion: if the opportunity was missed, who knew when the next one would come.

This time, it would be impossible for the three families not to fight at close range, even if that was not what they wished for…

There seemed to be a hint of smoke in the quiet hall.

The three families were sitting at the first row, not far away from one another. They had occasionally exchanged a few words at the start of the auction. But as the alarming news came out, each of the three parties seemed to have erected an invisible wall around them. No one was in the mood for talks anymore; their eyes fell on Kevin, waiting for the small wooden gavel to drop…

The atmosphere in the hall became a little stifling at once, like the panic-stricken feeling one would get before the storm struck.

By this point in time, the six underground forces and the eight mage families had lost all their chances to contend in the auction. Their wealth and power were a far cry from the three big mage families'. In fact, even if they had had the chance, they would not have dared to step forward. In the entire Jarrosus City, who would dare to challenge the three giants head on besides the Guild of Magic?

The quiet guild hall was meant to be the stage for the three big families.

But they were still feeling nervous. The auction of the Arcane Magic Potion would likely change the currents in Jarrosus City. Even a small detail might decide the life and death of thousands of people.

"See, the guy in front wearing a black mage robe and covering his head with a hood is the patriarch of the Saruman Family, Reuben Saruman." The only people who were not tense would probably be the old and young hiding in the back. Gerian looked relaxed, stretching his chubby fingers out toward the front row and patiently introducing VIPs to Lin Li.

Lin Li took a glance from a distance and found the aura coming out from the leader of the Saruman Family a little peculiar. It was pure feeling, not about strength nor magical wave. It was just sheer sense that this person was weird, as if he was dead, and however you looked at it, it'd always give you an uncomfortable feeling.

"You felt it too?" Gerian chuckled as he saw the bewildered look on Lin Li's face. "Strictly speaking, this fellow is not really a real mage. He's actually a conjurer!"

"Conjurer?" Lin Li was startled by that word, and thought of McGrenn and his daughter. "You mean, he's skilled in curse spells?"

"That's right. Isn't it weird, the leader of a mage family is in fact a conjurer…"

"You have insider information?" Lin Li knew the old man had to have some insider information judging from the look on his face.

"Actually, it's not really an insider information, almost half of Jarrosus City knows about it." There was some fear in Gerian's voice. "In Jarrosus City, other than that old bastard Matthew, Reuben is the one I fear the most. This fellow didn't have any magical talent when he was young; he was still a level-four apprentice at 20. At that time, not to mention us, even his father had given up on him.

"Not long after his 25th birthday, Old Saruman announced his successor: Reuben's half-brother, Sosa. On the day Old Saruman announced the news, Reuben disappeared from Jarrosus City. His disappearance lasted for five years. No one knew where he went, and no one knew what he did in that five years. He did not return to Jarrosus until he was 30."

At this point, Gerian paused slightly before he continued, "After he returned, the first thing he did was killing. From his half-brother to his father, those who were qualified for the position of the patriarch were killed off by him in a night. After that, Reuben had the whole family tightly controlled in his hands with his iron fist. In the subsequent 30 years, he had even brought the then-small Saruman Family to become one of the three biggest families in Jarrosus today!"

"Ruthless!" This was Lin Li's only comment on Reuben Saruman.

"This guy is a lunatic." Gerian shook his head. There was a sense of frustration in his tone as he said, "Although Matthew is formidable, at least he has a weakness we can grasp. For example, his brothers and son. But this lunatic from the Sarumans, there's really nothing I can do with him. Unless you have an absolute power that can kill him with a flip of your hands… But this lunatic knows how to endure, and he will not provoke an invincible enemy unless he is absolutely confident."

Lin Li did not pay much attention to Gerian's final comment, for he had another thing on his mind.

Did the curse on McGrenn have something to do with the Saruman Family?

But after much deliberation, Lin Li could not figure out any possible reason behind it. McGrenn and his daughter were merely ordinary adventurers—their strength was only at a level-five or six. Wealth and power were far from the answer as well. With Reuben Saruman's status, there was no reason he'd want anything from them.

While Lin Li was racking his brains, Kevin announced the climax of the auction.

"Ten bottles of Arcane Magic Potion, starting bid 100,000 gold coins. Let the bidding start!"

"110,000 gold coins!"

"Right. Felic, you must know this person. The richest man in the whole Jarrosus City all the way till Felan Kingdom, the patriarch of the Mannes Family: Ysera Mannes!

"The Mannes Family?" On hearing the name, Lin Li couldn't help but think of the Gilded Rose that had bloomed over Jarrosus. If he hadn't seen the staff selling for thousands of gold coins in the Gilded Rose, he would not have thought of concocting potions to make money. But the funny thing was that after circling a round, that money would be made on Gilded Rose…

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Chapter 44: Ysera

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Lin Li looked up and cast a glance, only to find that the owner of the Gilded Rose seemed a little too young. He looked to be in his twenties and not quite 30. He was handsome, fair, and refined, exuding a scholarly aura that would leave a good impression on people.

"Why is he so young?" Lin Li was rather surprised, and even slightly stunned for a moment.

"What can he do? His father died too early and he didn't have many sons."

"He's not older than Kevin, right?"

"Two years younger than Kevin, but he's much more promising than him. The boy was only 20 when he took over the Mannes Family. At the time, us old fellows thought that the Mannes Family would be weakened this time. But who knew that, for all these years, not only did the Mannes Family not decline, it was more prosperous than in his father's hands." As Gerian spoke, he shot a discontented glare at Lin Li. "It makes me angry just thinking about it. Damn it, what kind of world are we living in? Why is Jarrosus full of this kind of demons? A few years ago it was Ysera, and now there's you, a little bastard even more demonic…"

"…" Lin Li scratched his head, wondering whom he had offended…

"Speaking of which, it's odd. The boy has been in charge of the Mannes Family for seven years but has not fought even once. No one knows what his actual strength is. You know Old Odin. A few years ago, due to some business strife, the old fellow sent a few assassins to sound him out. In the end, none of the people he sent returned, and a few days later, his beard was shaved while he was asleep. The old fellow woke up in the middle of the night and was scared silly on the spot. He ran over to the Mannes' house overnight, begging for mercy, and apologized for what he did. Only then was the matter finally settled."

While the two men were talking, the price for the ten bottles of Arcane Magic Potion was raised to 400,000.

"450,000." Reuben Saruman always seemed to have a gloomy chill around him. Every time Lin Li heard him bid, he'd feel a chill creeping over his body.

"480,000!" Ysera's smile was gentle like a breath of fresh air, but his bid was firm and quick: he raised the price by 30,000 almost as soon as Reuben's voice fell.

Reuben Saruman was also a ruthless character; if not, he wouldn't have killed his father and brother in one night. An emaciated arm was raised from under the black mage robe. "550,000."

This astonishing price was not enough to scare off the wealthiest man of Jarrosus. The emaciated arm was barely down when Ysera Mannes raised the price by another 30,000 yet again. "580,000."

"650,000!"

"Damn!"

The people in the guild's hall went completely mad as soon as the new price was out. The group of mages looked at each other and wondered if they had misheard. Lin Li drew in a cold breath and pinched his thighs forcefully. Even Gerian, who was sitting beside him, couldn't help clutching the armrest of the chair and yammered under his breath, "Too exciting… too exciting…"

"Mr Kevin, please hold for a moment." Ysera Mannes did not continue his bid, but requested for a break instead. "I remembered President Gerian said that if we're tight on cash, we could use items to replace it. Is that right, Mr Kevin?"

The hall fell silent all of a sudden, and all eyes were on Ysera Mannes. This sentence was much more shocking than the Saruman Family's bid. No one had thought that the second one who admitted that he did not have enough cash apart from Anthony Rolin would be Ysera Mannes—the wealthiest man in Jarrosus City!

"You are right, Chief Ysera…"

"Then, I would like President Gerian to evaluate how much this set of mage equipment is worth."

The young patriarch gave a quick order and his attendants quickly brought in a set of equipment.

There were three pieces in this set—a staff inlaid with a level-eight magical crystal, a black rune mage robe, and a mithril necklace hung with a singing crystal.

Gerian stared at the set of equipment without saying a word, but in his heart, he was berating him, Damn you, pretty boy, are you trying to make fun of me?

The stuff was good, all three pieces of equipment were excellent products—particularly the mithril necklace. Normal mages would be envious should they even get a look at it.

However, it was the auction for Arcane Magic Potion now.

Such an underachieving set of equipment would only reap in 20,000 gold coins from the Gilded Rose at most. In a business involving thousands of hundreds gold coins, these twenty or thirty thousand gold coins would not even create bubbles, much less if he wanted to pay with it. More like paying with life…

Everyone was in their own state of mind when the young rich man spoke again.

"To be frank, President Gerian, the Mannes Family is tight on cash recently." The smile on the young patriarch's fair face was gentle as always, but the words spoken next sent the Saruman Family into complete despair. "Therefore, we would like to use a hundred sets like this to exchange for ten bottles of Arcane Magic Potion. What do you say, President Gerian?"

"100… 100 sets?" Gerian swallowed his saliva with great difficulty.

"Yes, 100 sets."

"Deal!"

The hall was frighteningly quiet. This had to be the most absurd scene of the auction. The whole deal was not even validated by Kevin's gavel, but not one present doubted the validity of it. What struck them as absurd was the Mannes Family using 100 set of excellent equipment just to exchange for ten bottles of Arcane Magic Potion. They had even wondered if the young patriarch had gone mad…

And with the absurdity came the unprecedented sense of crisis.

The Guild of Magic today could be described as the sun at high noon. They had one of the most powerful mages in Jarrosus City and a real pharmacist. On top of this terrifying power, the Mannes Family gifted them a hundred sets of powerful magic equipment…

The leaders of several forces felt their heads numb just thinking about it. What a horrifying force would it be with 100 well-equipped mages?

Moreover, the leaders of these forces were not fools. After the initial sense of absurdity had passed, they quickly came to realize that the Mannes Family would not be doing a losing business for no reason. After taking out the 100 sets of excellent equipment, they would surely form a series of collaborations with the Guild of Magic. Everyone had the same idea in mind as they thought of the collaboration of these two giants: there was going to be a change of weather in Jarrosus City…

It was the richest man in Jarrosus City on one side, and the most powerful mage in Jarrosus City on the other. Before the faces that carried a variety of expressions, two hands were clasped tightly together.

"President Gerian, I have a small request," the young patriarch spoke in a soft voice as he held Gerian's hand. "I wonder if you can introduce me to the young pharmacist in your guild?"

"This is perhaps the only thing I can't decide. I'll have to ask him before I can make a decision…" Gerian's expression was helpless. Indeed, he couldn't call the shots in this matter. Lin Li could be said to be the most unique member in the Guild of Magic. No one could force him to do the things he didn't want to—including Gerian. Everyone knew that without this young mage, there would be no future for the guild.

"Then that's too bad…" Ysera was regretful, but quickly regained his smile. "Then, could I trouble you to tell the pharmacist that I happen to have a big deal on hand and am in need of three Magicka Potions? If he's willing to help, the reward will be absolutely satisfactory for him. He can choose any three items from the collection of the Mannes Family!"

"…" Gerian gasped in surprise. The Mannes Family was the richest in all of Felan Kingdom. Who knew how much good stuff they had hidden in the 1300 years after the Dark Ages. Gerian had never once imagined such thing as getting to choose any three items…

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Chapter 45: Sky-high Price

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Not long after the richest man in Jarrosus left, Gerian came over with a creepy look on his face.

"That kid wants to discuss a business deal with you, are you interested?"

Lin Li knew the old fellow had to have gotten something good judging by the look on his face. "What business deal? Tell me…"

"Three bottles of Magicka Potion. As for the rewards…" Gerian raised up three fingers and his expression was slightly exaggerated. "You get to choose any three items from the Mannes Family's equipment bank!"

"Not interested!" Lin Li replied without even thinking about it.

"F*ck!" Gerian felt his legs turn weak, and his old illness almost relapsed from the scare. The old man barely managed to steady himself by holding onto the chair and didn't even have the time to straighten his tilted hat; utterly discomfited, he roared, "You're not interested?!"

Faced with the President's sudden rage, the group of mages were scared silly at once. They looked at Gerian with trepidation and desperately shrank back for fear that the old fellow might spill blood on them. For the moment, there was a big space around Lin Li, and he sat there by himself as if nothing had happened and still had the time to stretch out his hand and point to Gerian's head, kindly reminding him of his image.

"Your hat is tilted…"

"Oh…" Gerian was taken by surprise at his words and quickly straightened his mage hat. But halfway through, he remembered the reason for his anger. "Damn it, don't change the topic. I'm asking you a question, are you sick? The Mannes Family's hoard is something that many people could not dream about. You get to choose any three items from them and you're still not interested? Are you trying to piss me off, you little bastard?"

"Sit down first, I'll explain to you slowly…" Lin Li pulled Gerian back to his seat and continued, "Say, you're an old man, how could you still have such a big temper? It'll hurt your health if you get too agitated easily… To tell you the truth, it doesn't pay for this business."

"How does it not pay?" As soon as Gerian heard the word 'business', all his anger was gone. In particular, he was dumbfounded when he heard that it would not pay, and looked at Lin Li with confusion on his face.

"The Magicka Potion is not that easy to concoct as you think it may be."

Gerian got anxious at his words. "Even you're unable to concoct it?"

"Not that it can't be concocted, it's just that the ingredients are not easy to get." Lin Li shook his head and held out his hand, counting each and every one out for Gerian. "The essence of two elements, fire and water, the blood of a high-level demon, magical crystal above level-fifteen. Can you get all these items?"

"I have a level-fifteen magical crystal, as for the others…"

"So, don't think about it."

Lin Li concluded with the sentence.

Actually, there was another reason that he did not reveal—mainly because he was worried it might frighten Gerian. The old man was 60-something this year, and if anything happened to him, it would lay heavy on Lin Li's conscience.

The Mannes Family was indeed the richest in Jarrosus. Lin Li had no doubt they had an abundant collection in the family. But choosing three pieces of equipment had no meaning for Lin Li. He was a guru well-versed in five series; as long as the ingredients on hand were enough, was there any equipment he couldn't get?

Gerian pondered over it and was unwilling to give up. "If not, I'll go ask Ysera again to see if he has enough ingredients?"

"Then you go and find out first…" Lin Li was not really interested in this deal, but Gerian was so enthusiastic it didn't seem nice to cast a damp over it.

At this time, he was actually more concerned about the auction going on in the hall.

There were only ten Arcane Magic Potion bottles left now, but out of the three families, two still had their eyes on them.

Particularly the Saruman Family, which hadn't gotten a single bottle yet. Now, the three bottles had completely driven them to the edge of the cliff. It was just as what Old Merlin had said before: 30 level-five mages coming into their own hands would be an icing on the cake, but if it fell into the hands of a rival, it would definitely be a deadly threat.

"500,000!" So, Kevin's gavel had just come down when Reuben Saruman announced a startling figure.

Lin Li and Gerian looked at each other. The auction had far exceeded their estimates—hundreds of thousands of gold coins and 100 sets of excellent magic equipment; if the last ten bottles were sold for a sky-high price, the two men would probably be reduced to the point of smashing people with money.

Both their eyes were glowing, but Little Merlin Evan was utterly regretful.

If he'd known that things were going to get this far, he would have made his move sooner. Nine bottles were sold off consecutively earlier on, and if he had gotten them, he wouldn't have been forced to fight at such a close range with the Saruman Family. Reuben Saruman was a lunatic, and a lunatic would not reason with you. Just look, this bastard had offered the princely sum of 500,000 at the beginning. Was he going to leave a damn way for others?

Little Merlin felt his scalp bursting at that price, but he had no choice except to shore up his offer. Before he left the house, Matthew had instructed him to at least get ten bottles of Arcane Magic Potion back. There was only a pitiful three bottles with him now, not even half of ten bottles…

"550,000!" Little Merlin said with utmost resolution, going completely head on with Reuben Saruman.

But what kind of a character was Reuben Saruman? He was someone who said he'd kill his father and brother and really did it without even batting his eyelids. He raised the price by another 100,000 once more. "650,000!"

Little Merlin felt his heart bleeding. He only had 800,000 gold coins with him. If he went with that lunatic Reuben's increment speed, it would only take two rounds for him to be kicked out of the contest for the Arcane Magic Potion.

"700,000!" Little Merlin felt his liver churn when he shouted the price out…

"800,000!"

As soon as Reuben Saruman uttered the price, everyone present fully believed the fellow to be a lunatic. 800,000 gold coins were thrown out without even a wrinkling of his brows. This was an absolute sky-high price! So what if this was the Arcane Magic Potion? With this 800,000 gold coins, you could get ten level-five mages with a just a throw of the money…

"…" Little Merlin could see nothing but blackness, and blood was almost spat out from his mouth. This fellow was really a lunatic. He didn't even have the strength to speak; he barely managed to lift his arm, and with the idea of leaving things to luck at last, he quoted a price with much difficulty, "8… 820,000…"

"You win."

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Chapter 46: Dividing the Spoils

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

No one had expected Reuben Saruman to let go at this time.

Sitting in the hall were leaders of the city's forces; how could they not see that Little Merlin was already a spent bullet? From the previous unstoppable momentum of a 100,000 increment to the last dying struggle of a 20,000 increment, everyone knew that this was all the cash the Merlin Family could offer.

At this time, even an addition of 10,000 would be enough to completely crush the Merlin Family, but Reuben Saruman did not do that. He watched Kevin's gavel fall and let the stunned Little Merlin bring home the last ten bottles of Arcane Magic Potion.

"Deal! Congratulations, Mr Evan!"

Until Kevin announced that it was a done deal, Little Merlin still stood there, dumbfounded. The feeling was too complicated; it was like a battle between two archmages: one saw that his mana was exhausted and struggled to unleash an icicle at the last moment, but as a result, the icicle stabbed the opponent right in the heart…

It was as if having survived a disaster, and Little Merlin was immersed in it for a long while…

Little Merlin did not realize what was wrong as Reuben Saruman turned around to leave.

When Reuben Saruman passed by the last row, he dropped a word to Gerian without a look back. "You owe me a favor!"

On hearing these words, the old and the young sitting at the last row couldn't help but laugh. This fellow, who did not even recognize his own kin, was indeed good at forbearing—just like Gerian said.

In the face of the Guild of Magic that was at its height of influence, he had wisely chosen to take the initiative to befriend them.

And the way he demonstrated his friendly intentions was simple and straightforward. For this auction, the greatest benefit was undoubtedly to maximize the value of Arcane Magic Potion, forcing out the bottom line of the Merlin Family with an astounding price. This alone was enough for the Guild of Magic to owe him a debt of gratitude.

But on further thought, this was like a magic show. It looked like dancing on a tightrope, but in actual fact, it didn't involve much risk.

He had created an aggressive momentum at the beginning, and at the end, he crazily got to an increment of 100,000, forcing the breath out of Little Merlin. But he was desperately calculating all along, figuring what was the exact bottomline for Little Merlin. Finally, he succeeded in pushing Little Merlin to stake all he had with a bid of 800,000.

Little Merlin had won the Arcane Magic Potion at last, but Reuben Saruman had won the favor of the Guild of Magic.

And the risk he had undertaken was not that high as he had imagined.

Even if he had miscalculated, he'd only have had to buy ten bottles of Arcane Magic Potion with 800,000 gold coins. It might be a little expensive, but he could still win the favor of the Guild of Magic nonetheless. The most foolish person would not reject a generous buyer, much less a shrewd person like Gerian.

The Merlin Family could only envy. Since the battle between Old Merlin and Gerian, there was no possibility of any partnership between the Guild of Magic and the Merlin Family. But it was still possible for the Saruman Family and the Mannes Family. The patriarch of the second family had chosen to take the wise path, though he had taken a slightly different approach…

Regardless, the Guild of Magic indeed owed the Saruman Family a favor. Though upon careful thought, it would seem that this favor was a rather cheap one…

The auction finally came to an end. The old and the young had brought out 33 bottles of Arcane Magic Potion and harvested over a million gold coins, 100 sets of excellent magic equipment, and a Guild of Magic at the peak of its power.

After this auction, everyone was clear that the Guild of Magic would be the single most powerful force in Jarrosus. Regardless of the 11 mage families or the six underground forces, no power would be able to contend with the Guild of Magic.

The leaders of the forces sat in the guild hall with different expressions on their faces but the same thought in their minds. Some of the clever ones were already planning in their heads how to hold on to the Guild of Magic. Even the slightly slow-witted ones were reminding themselves to control their men when they got back. They were not to approach and provoke any guys in Jarrosus City who were wearing long robes…

The follow-up work could not be sloppy for such a grand auction like this.

The leaders of the major forces who had attended the auction had to be served well. The gold coins they sent would need someone to count, of course; meanwhile, the 100 sets of excellent magic equipment sent by the Mannes Family should be open to the guild mages to apply for. All the matters were in a mess, and just thinking about them would make anyone's head ache.

However, the old and the yound took their hands off all of it and dumped the matters to Kevin. They openly hid in the reception room on the grounds of having something important to discuss.

The important thing they meant was to divide the spoils.

To these jerks, the dividing process was undoubtedly filled with joy and pleasure.

One million five hundred and forty thousand gold coins were divided into two shares. The Guild of Magic would take 300,000 and the remaining 1,240,000 would all go to Lin Li. After all, for this auction, the herbs and work were all provided by Lin Li alone. The Guild of Magic had merely lent him the space, so it would be perfectly justified to give him the bigger portion of the pie.

Moreover, there was the 100 sets of excellent magic equipment…

"This is your crystal card, that 1,240,000 is in it. You must keep it well. It'll be big trouble if you lose it." Gerian tossed him a translucent crystal chip with a few small letters etched on it with star sand. Lin Li took a look and realized it was the name he used in Anril.

"How do I use this stuff?" Lin Li was a little perplexed. He knew that the crystal had a memory function and was often used for recording after being processed by magical means such as magic spells and sound image. But, he was puzzled by a thin crystal card like this…

"I really don't know how Andoine has taught you…" Gerian was full of disdain. "Glittergold's crystal card can be used anywhere in Anril. There's a Glittergold Bank in every city in general; if you need money, you can withdraw it directly. Surely you wouldn't want to carry the gold coins around? That's over a million we're talking about. If melted into a golden ball, it'd be as tall as a house, can you even carry it…?"

"Oh…" Lin Li carefully put away the crystal card and took out the deep silver necklace from his pocket.

"The Enigma Sapphire is yours, the necklace is mine."

With a slight use of strength, Lin Li pulled out the Enigma Sapphire from the necklace. He tossed it to Gerian without even taking a look at it. Although storing mana was a powerful ability, to Lin Li, it was not really of much use. If his almost-infinite mana was exhausted, one more piece of Enigma Sapphire would probably make no difference…

Gerian received the gemstone cheerfully and then leaned in for another look. He asked curiously, "What exactly is this necklace?"

"Deep silver, something you don't understand."

"…"

After coming out from the reception room, Lin Li dived into the guild's alchemy lab before he could catch a breath.

He couldn't wait any longer now that he had the deep silver in his hands. He really wanted to know the kind of magical power a gold bar coated with deep silver would possess…

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Chapter 47: Gold rod

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

All the mages were gathered in the guild hall for the auction. When Lin Li entered the alchemy lab, it was quiet with no one in sight.

Feeling assured, he opened up the Ring of Endless Storm.

Looking at the dazzling array of metal ingots, even Lin Li himself had to admit that he was some kind of freak of collectormania. From the cheapest copper and iron ingots to the expensive adamantine and mithril ingots, and then to all kinds of magical metals that were rarely seen in everyday life, there were actually dozens of kinds when counted together…

What Lin Li had to do now was to select the materials for the gold rod from the dozens of metals.

The gold rod was different from weapons and equipment. It wasn't that the higher the grade of metal, the more powerful it would be. This was more like a trade-off: using ordinary metals would bring a higher level of stability for magical enchantment and greatly reduce the possibility of enchantment failure, while using magical metals as material would bring stronger enchantment effect. Different magical metals would also result in different enchantment effect.

For a high-level magical enchanter, stability would always be the first priority.

No matter how powerful the enchantment effect was, if it was not supported by stability, it would only be a joke in the end.

Hence, almost all successful magical enchanters would choose the Eternal Adamantine to forge the gold rod.

The Eternal Adamantine was known as the most stable of all metals in the world. A gold rod forged from it could also increase the success rate of enchantment by at least ten percent!

Lin Li had always been cautious. When he had begun to jolt his magical enchantment profession, the use of Eternal Adamantine had always been his aim. He had even prepared several pieces of Eternal Adamantine in advance for this purpose.

He had never imagined that he could get the deep silver one day.

Now that Lin Li had the deep silver in his hands, the metals that he could choose were just too many.

The stability of gold rods coated with deep silver already reached an appalling level. What he had to consider now was how to maximize the enchantment effect brought on by magical metals.

In front of Lin Li were three magical metals—dream iron, abyss mithril, and rune's adamantine. He had chosen them from the array of metals. Although there were many other magical metals, they were inadequate in various ways and did not fit Lin Li's requirements for the gold rod.

Only these three magical metals would task Lin Li's mind.

Forging the gold rod with dream iron might bring magical dispelling effects to the equipment.

Forging the gold rod with rune's adamantine would greatly enhance the element attributes.

Forging the gold rod with the abyss mithril would allow the equipment to possess a higher resistance to magic.

All three were rare magical metals, and getting even one of them would be enough to keep a mage awake at night. Perhaps only a beast like Lin Li could take out all three at once, and this led him to face a blissful problem.

… All three magical metals were so excellent, but only one could be coated with the deep silver he had on hand.

This was indeed a big dilemma for Lin Li. After spending an hour in the alchemy lab, he finally came to a decision with clenched teeth.

The effect of strengthening element attributes was too singular, and the magic dispelling effect could only activate with a certain probability. After weighing the gains and losses, Lin Li chose the abyss mithril at last. Compared with strengthening element attributes, the application scope of magical resistance was much wider and could work every time—unlike the magic dispelling effect, which could only depend on luck.

After deciding on the material for the gold rod, there was nothing else to worry about.

When he was trying to jolt the magical enchantment profession, he washed away countless amounts of gold rods. To do such a thing now was as facile as driving along a familiar road in a light carriage.

There was a small melting furnace in the alchemy lab which was usually used to smelt alchemy materials such as star sand and navy sand. The temperature was a little low, but it was not a problem for Lin Li. At the end of the recitation of a spell, the Flaming Hands was unleashed. The near-infinite mana fueled it wildly and the scorching flame clung to the bottom of the furnace. It took only a moment before the abyss mithril began to show signs of melting.

Lin Li used an iron clamp to pick the red abyss mithril up and, with the other hand, took out a hammer from the Ring of Endless Storm.

Sparks flew on the forging platform; the dazzling magical runes swung back and forth, magnificent like fireworks in the night sky. Under Lin Li's consummate skills, the gold rod forged with the abyss mithril begun to take its form on the forging platform.

A blacksmith guru was totally a demonic existence. In the blink of an eye, a gold rod was almost completed. The whole process was incredibly fast; there were still sparks dancing on the forging platform by the time Lin Li put the hammer down.

Then, he waited for it to cool. Unlike ordinary metals, magical metals could not be actively cooled down; otherwise, it would cause a huge loss of magical properties in the metal. What Lin Li could do was only to wait patiently.

While he was waiting, he put his hand into the Ring of Endless Storm once more.

This time, he took out a magical crystal the size of a longan.

The relationship between the gold rod and the magical enchanter was held together by the final touch of mental strength. The enchanter could not provide mana for the gold rod, so a magical crystal that was strong enough had to be embedded on it. Lin Li had chosen a level-fifteen magical crystal of a Void Walker. It was the strongest magical crystal he could take out at present. Although his hunter form had killed countless back then, he hadn't had the time to transfer most of the magical crystals to the smurf account. It had always been on Lin Li's mind ever since.

Of course, what really strangled Lin Li was the Dragon of Destruction, Azardas.

After the death of this legendary dragon, Lin Li could not find its magical crystal anywhere. The only thing that looked like a magical crystal was a stone found somewhere around its heart. But it was dull, thick, and rough; it didn't possess even the faintest magical wave—how could it be the source of mana for the legendary dragon?

In the end, Lin Li could only dismember its body in anger. After a round of sick ravage, the famous Dragon of Destruction was skinned to the bones and all its remains thrown into the Ring of Endless Storm.

But this was not important. The magical crystal was just to provide the gold rod with mana. If he could kill an even more powerful magical beast in the future, he could always replace the level-fifteen magical crystal.

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Chapter 48: Dragon's Blood Ink

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After putting down the level-fifteen magical crystal, Lin Li took out another two gemstones—a ruby and an emerald.

This was the core essence of the gold rod. The ruby and the emerald were collected from the nest of the Dragon of Destruction. After killing Azardas, the mountain of treasures there had left a deep impression on Lin Li; these two gemstones were embellished on top of the pile of treasure, like cherries on a birthday cake.

Lin Li had yet to find out the origins of these two gemstones. He only knew that they looked brighter and purer than ordinary gemstones, and this was the kind of quality the gold rod needed. The purer and brighter the gemstones, the better it would be for decomposition and fusion.

The ruby was used for decomposition, the emerald for fusion.

The gold rod had gradually cooled down and was lying quietly on the forging platform, exuding the unique aura of an abyss mithril. It was a dark and abysmal feeling, just like a bottomless pool.

Lin Li picked up the cooled gold rod. With a slight exertion of strength in his hands, he set the magical crystal onto the tip of the gold rod, followed by the ruby and emerald which were set at either side of the rod.

After Lin Li was done, he opened up the Ring of Endless Storm once again.

This time, he took out a small bag of star sand.

Lin Li looked around the alchemy lab, but couldn't find the amethyst vessel. He couldn't resist cursing the poor, wretched Guild of Magic.

Finally, he thought it over and pulled out a glass beaker from his pocket instead.

With one hand grasping the opening of the pouch, Lin Li shook it carefully, letting a little star sand into the beaker.

An azure blue halo appeared in the beaker with that little bit of star sand. Through the refraction of the beaker, it looked as gentle as if in a dream. But Lin Li did not dare to get immersed in it. The star sand had to be held in amethyst; otherwise, the mana contained in it would disappear. He was forced, having no other way but to use a glass beaker for the time being.

Once the star sand was poured into the beaker, Lin Li speedily took out a bottle from the Ring of Endless Storm.

As soon as the bottle stopper was pulled out, a thick scent of blood filled the alchemy lab. It was the blood of the Dragon of Destruction—the most important ingredient for the Dragon's Blood Ink.

Half a vial of the dragon's blood was poured into the beaker. It instantly merged with the star sand. If looked at from up close, one could even see thin blue threads swimming in between the crimson.

Another spell recitation for the Flaming Hands sounded. Lin Li carefully controlled the mana, letting the flickering flame stroke the bottom of the beaker gently. The dragon's blood began to boil, and a peculiar smell permeated the air. It was the smell of heated and evaporated blood mixed with the freshness of the star sand—a smell that was strange and pungent.

Threads of blue were slowly dissolving in the boiling blood.

This was a remarkably slow process. The dissolution of each blue thread seemed to darken the dragon's blood by a fraction. By the time the last strand of blue thread disappeared, a deep blue hue was faintly glowing in the crimson liquid.

Lin Li stopped the output of his mana and placed the completed Dragon's Blood Ink at a side.

Then, he opened up the Ring of Endless Storm again. This time, he took out a crystal pen carved from crystal.

The center of the crystal pen was hollow and the tip was covered with fine lines. Lin Li dipped it into the star ink. The thick dragon's blood ink flowed along the lines from the tip of the pen and quickly filled the pen as its lead.

Lin Li picked up the gold rod at hand. The crystal pen dipped in the dragon's blood ink leaped swiftly, sketching lines on the gold rod. Since seeing the deep silver, these lines had been played back in Lin Li's mind hundreds and thousands of times. Every line and stroke had been conceived countless times. There was no need to hesitate where to set the magic nodes and where to construct the magic circuits. With merely a gentle brush of the nib, the lines were there, as if undesigned.

If the owner of the mageweaths in the level certification was present, he would have to praise Lin Li once he saw how impressive the latter had been. The construction of two high-level mageweaths at the same time had completely transcended the scope of inscriptions; moreover, the two mageweaths were mutually opposed and mutually exclusive.

However, Lin Li was swiftly penning away at that moment.

In the blink of an eye, the two mageweaths had taken shape.

The two magic circuits led to the end of the magic crystal, from which magic was continuously absorbed. 26 magic nodes encircled the ruby and the emerald like a myriad of stars surrounding the moon. The power of the two mageweaths was thoroughly activated through the ruby and the emerald.

Lin Li drew the last line at the same time the dragon's blood ink dried up.

Lin Li let out a long sigh and looked at the abyss mithril gold rod on his hand. It had no trace of the previous coarseness. The luster was dark and abysmal, the patterns exquisite and delicate. Under the embellishment of the two sparkling, pure gemstones, a mysterious yet resplendent aura was revealed.

It would be an almost perfect gold rod if it was coated with deep silver.

After he was done with all these, he took out the deep silver necklace from his pockets.

Holding the necklace in hand, he unleashed the Flaming Hands again, the massive power recalled as soon as it was released. When he opened his hand again, the fine deep silver necklace had been melted into a thin piece. The whole process was tremendously fast, the release and recall of his mana was done in a flash. It was not until he had covered the gold rod with the thin piece of deep silver that he somewhat felt his palms burning.

Thereupon, the mana output was slowly increased, and the flame on Lin Li's hand burned more vigorously. The deep silver adhered on the gold rod began to melt under the blazing flame. Precise control was required. Any slight mistake could turn the valuable deep silver into nothing. Even Lin Li, who had always been calm, couldn't stop fine beads of sweat from breaking out on his forehead…

The melted deep silver glided over the rod. The mageweaths were like ravines. As the last ravine was filled, the previously mysterious yet gorgeous gold rod seemed to recover its original simplicity. It looked an integral whole, silently emitting a misty silver light.

Lin Li placed the gold rod on the platform and finally heaved a long sigh of relief.

Except for the madness before he had transmigrated, he had never been as tired as he was this day.

Creating a small gold rod utilized almost all the professions he'd acquired.

Weary, Lin Li's eyes fell onto the platform again, and when he saw the gold rod lying quietly there, he seemed to feel that everything was worth it. This was something sufficient to make all the magical enchanters crazy. Forged with the abyss mithril, using the Dragon's Blood Ink to construct the mageweath… two gemstones from the nest of Dragon of Destruction, and not to mention the last coating of deep silver…

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Chapter 49: Invitation

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Lin Li was not someone who could keep still. With such a deadly weapon in his hands, was there any reason not to use it?

After a short rest, Lin Li opened up the Ring of Endless Storm again. Without even looking, he grabbed a handful of magical crystals and counted them on the forging platform. There were about a dozen or so of these magical crystals, most of which were level-four and five, with one or two level-six and seven ones.

"I've become so poor?" Lin Li scratched his head in disbelief.

Fortunately, there was no one in the alchemy lab. If these words went out, he would most likely be struck by lightning…

Someone who could grab a handful of magical crystals at once actually had the gall to complain that he was poor?

However, this fellow quickly accepted the reality. He had miscalculated his steps and failed to transfer the magical crystals from the hunter at an earlier time.

More than a dozen magical crystals lay on the table. Lin Li held the gold rod in his hand; after a slight hesitation, he removed the Robe of Wrath he was wearing.

The Robe of Wrath did indeed look insignificant now.

The terrific thing about the Robe of Wrath was that it could carry 30 scrolls and could be activated in an instant. For the ordinary mages, this was definitely a treasure they'd dream about. But to make it fall into the hands of a freak like Lin Li whose mana was infinite was like casting pearls before a swine. It was like giving an eunuch an erotic painting—he could see it, but there was no way he could use it…

But Lin Li had always felt it to be fitting after wearing it for so long, and never thought of replacing it. Most mage robes were as such anyway, making an issue out of the scroll space.

Besides, a few low-level magical crystals like these couldn't really turn over any waves, so it wouldn't hurt at all to waste them away…

Lin Li tightened his grip on the gold rod with one hand and controlled with precision the mental strength he had previously imbibed. With the stimulation of the mental strength, the source of mana at the end of the gold rod began to run. A wave of mana was slowly released from the magical crystal and flowed through the complex magic circuit, at last activating the 13 magic nodes.

At the instant the 13 magic nodes were activated, the pure ruby gave off a dazzling light as well. Lin Li extended the gold rod forward; it landed on a level-five magical crystal. In an instant, a ray of light rose from it as the magical crystal was dissolved into the purest essence of magic, leaving only a glittering halo on the gold rod.

It only took the twinkling of an eye from the stimulation of the mental strength to the completion of dissolution. It was indeed different compared to the gold rods that were used in the past. Lin Li's mood was lifted at once; the gold rod in his hands moved swiftly, dissolving the magical crystals into pure magic essence.

After the magical crystals on the forging platform were emptied, there was a thick layer of magic essence on the gold rod. The glittering halo also seemed to have become thick and viscous.

With the change of the mental strength, the mana suddenly took a 180 degree turn, bypassing the complex magic circuit and activating the 13 magic nodes surrounding the emerald. Then, Lin Li lifted his hand, and the gold rod landed on the Robe of Wrath. A series of runes arose instantly and there was a distorted magical wave on the Robe of Wrath. By the time all these subsided, Lin Li completed his first magical enchantment in Anril.

Putting the Robe of Wrath back on his body, Lin Li could clearly feel that he was surrounded by a powerful wave of magic resistance.

Even Lin Li felt surprised at it. The power of this magic resistance was totally beyond his estimation. Usually, at least a level-fifteen magical crystal essence was needed in order to achieve such a powerful effect.

But, on the second thought, there was nothing strange about it.

The gold rod was certainly a sick item. The abyss mithril itself could strengthen magic resistance, and after being greatly enhanced by the deep silver, a low-level magic resistance attribute had been made incredibly potent by him. If the Robe of Wrath was worn out, it would probably make mages under level-five utterly depressed…

Lin Li meticulously put away the gold rod into the Ring of Endless Storm and began to envision other high-level magical enchantment. A low-level magic resistance attribute could be this sick; then wouldn't the Dragon's Clout and Flow of Eternal Wisdom send people to heaven?

By the time Lin Li came out of the alchemy lab wearing the enchanted Robe of Wrath, the leaders of the various forces in the guild hall had almost all dispersed.

Only a few leaders of the smaller forces still crowded around Kevin, desperately trying to pull friendship with him. Poor Kevin had been acting as an auctioneer for the whole morning and was so tired that his limbs were weak, and yet he was blocked by these leaders. This made it impossible for him to either leave or stay easily…

He seemed to have found a savior when he saw Lin Li coming out from the alchemy lab. He excused himself from the leaders in a hurry and quickly fled.

"Felic!" Kevin caught up from behind and greeted Lin Li.

Lin Li was a little puzzled. "Eh… How were those fellows willing to let you go?"

"I told them, why don't I ask President Gerian out to discuss the details with them?"

"Pft…" Lin Li nearly choked on his saliva hearing the words out of the blue. Discussing the details with Gerian? Kevin was trying to push him into the pit of fire…

"Oh, right. Proper business at hand." Kevin suddenly recalled halfway through the walk. "The Castellan has sent someone with an invitation, inviting Uncle Gerian to a banquet."

"What has it got to do with me?"

"Uncle Gerian's intention is for the two of us to go in his place…"

"Damn! Where's he?" Lin Li knew the old fellow was up to no good upon hearing what Kevin said. He was still thinking about making Lin Li the president of the guild; if not, why would he want him to attend the castellan's banquet?

"News just came from the Demon Fall Valley, there's something important and they want Uncle to go over. He should almost be out of Jarrosus by now."

"Oh?" For reasons unknown, Lin Li would recall the first time he came to the Guild of Magic and the middle-aged man who felt like a poisonous snake whenever the name of the Demon Fall Valley came up. "What happened there?"

"Seems like there's a conflict with Shadow City. Time was tight, so Uncle Gerian did not tell me the details. He only told me to inform you of the banquet."

"Then let's go just this once. When is the banquet?"

"Tomorrow night."

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There seemed to be some celebration today; the Castellan Mansion was brightly lit with lights.

Lin Li and Kevin got out of the carriage, and soon a servant came up to meet them. He took the invitation card from them with great respect and politely escorted them into the mansion.

Outside the richly decorated banquet hall was a garden full of exotic flowers and plants. The banquet had not yet started and many guests still remained in the garden. As the two passed through it, they naturally drew curious looks from the other guests.

Although Kevin was honest and low-profile, he was Gerian's nephew after all. Moreover, he was also famous for being the magic genius of Jarrosus City since young. There were some sharp-eyed ones among the guests present, and both of them had barely taken a few steps when they were recognized by these people.

The Guild of Magic was at the peak of its power now; who in Jarrosus City wouldn't want to claim a relationship with them? Now that Gerian's nephew had graced the event, how could the guests hold back?

In the blink of an eye, Kevin was surrounded by a crowd of guests.

"Mage Kevin, you don't recognize me? I'm your Uncle Rode. I came to the Guild of Magic about ten years ago. I even carried you in my arms then. To think you've grown so tall after not having seen you for more than a decade…" A chubby businessman looked at Kevin with kindness and relief.

Lin Li was listening at a side and he nearly burst out laughing. How come the fatties like to claim to be uncles nowadays?

"Oh, oh… So it's Uncle Rode. Long time no see indeed…"

"Brother Kevin, why have you not visited me for so long…" Kevin was politely playing along with the businessman when an affectedly sweet voice suddenly rang out from behind. He turned around in shock and saw a lady in her thirties pressing forward with her full bosom.

"When did I go to you before!" Kevin was almost half dead from the scare at her words.

The guests did not care whether he was frightened or not; they finally had a chance to befriend the Guild of Magic and were trying desperately to squeeze through the crowd just to have a word or two with Gerian's nephew.

As for that someone who was hiding at a side watching the comical scene, no one really paid any attention to him.

Since joining the Guild of Magic, Lin Li rarely showed his face in public. In addition, the Robe of Wrath he was wearing now was crumpled and old, giving people the impression of him being poor and miserable just by looking at it. Even if he entered the garden with Kevin, the guests only regarded him as Kevin's footman. It was already late to curry favor with the master now, whoever had the time to make friends with a footman?

"Excuse me, excuse me…" The chubby uncle had only said a few words and was accidentally squeezed to a side. How was he willing to take it lying down? He hurriedly pushed Lin Li away with his physical advantage and moved up to Kevin again. "Mage Kevin, how about having a dinner with me after the banquet? Uncle Rode has a business deal to discuss with the Guild of Magic!"

For a moment, Kevin was swarmed. He wanted to flee, but realized he was surrounded by people front and back, without even the slightest gap. He did not dare to move as well for fear that he would touch something that he shouldn't, for example the aunty who had addressed him as "Brother Kevin"…

"Brother Kevin! You have to invite me for a dance at the banquet later…" The aunty was still pushing herself on him so hard that Kevin felt the hair on his body rise. He was utterly regretful that he had agreed to attend the banquet now…

"Little buddy, how about doing me a favor?" Lin Li was hiding at a side, gloating at Kevin's misfortune, when someone leaned in on him unwittingly.

"What?" Lin Li was slightly stunned. When he turned around, he saw a lanky middle-aged man in his forties taking out a few gold coins from his pockets.

"A small token." Lin Li had yet to grasp the situation, but the lanky middle-aged already stuffed the gold coins into his hand. Then, he patted Lin Li's shoulders affectionately. "Little buddy, you have joined the Guild of Magic at such a young age and followed Mage Kevin. Your future is definitely promising!"

"Thank you for the kind words." Lin Li scratched his head, somewhat understanding what this fellow was trying to do.

"If my guess is correct, you must be Mage Kevin's assistant?" He wanted to say mage apprentice, but took back his words after seeing the Robe of Wrath Lin Li was wearing. With the Guild of Magic's financial resources, how could Kevin's apprentice be so underdressed?

"Mm, mm… Something like that…"

"Bright future!" The middle-aged man stuck his thumb up and took a letter out from his pocket. "When we get to the banquet later, can I ask you to do me a favor and pass this to Mage Kevin? Tell him that my little girl admires him very much and would like to invite him for a dinner at our place another day."

"Ah!" Lin Li took the letter, dumbfounded. The envelope turned out to be an equivocal pink with a bright-red lip print on the bottom right side…

"Little buddy, you can rest assured. The small token earlier on was nothing much. When it's done, I'll reward you handsomely!" The middle-aged man was flushed, addressing Lin Li as a "little buddy" ever so affectionately.

The mysterious gratitude of the middle-aged man made Lin Li feel a little anxious. In his heart, he was speculating that Kevin might have run up to some romantic debt and didn't dare to tell Gerian, but now the person came looking for him…

"Castellan Isaac has arrived!" Just as he was letting his thoughts run wild, he heard another clamor coming from outside the garden.

Lin Li looked up and saw Gerian's convenient nephew walk into the garden, still followed by the two powerful attendants.

As the Castellan of a city, the people who wanted to claim a relationship with Isaac were no less numerous than the admirers of the Guild of Magic. A throng of guests surrounded him like stars surrounding the moon as he walked into the garden, but Isaac was not at all flustered. He wore an adequate smile on his face, greeting the guests as he walked towards the banquet hall, neglecting no one on the way.

"Master Castellan." The appearance of the Castellan gave Kevin a breather from the misery.

Kevin finally found an excuse to flee when the guests gathered around Isaac. He saw Lin Li laughing at his discomfiture as soon as he got out of the crowd, and in that moment, Kevin lost his temper. "Felic, you're too unkind…"

"You should thank me." Lin Li took out the envelope from his pockets as he spoke, "Look, if it weren't for me hiding at a side, how would I have the opportunity to receive this love letter on your behalf?"

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Read Another World's Versatile Crafting Master - Chapter 51 - Banquet Hall online free - NovelFull

Chapter 51: Banquet Hall

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After Kevin took the letter, he merely glanced at the signature on it and threw it into his bag without opening it. Instead, he broke out in sweat hearing what had happened, and in his heart, he cursed the lanky man [Note: in the raw text it was written as "fatty", but after revising, the author was talking about the lanky middle-aged man who had approached Lin Li for a favor in the previous chapter] over and over. Reward handsomely after it's done? Mage Kevin's assistant? Kudos to him for coming up with that. Letting this kind of demon become my assistant…

The two talked for a little while and were about to enter the banquet hall when they were recognized by the eagle-eyed Castellan.

"Good evening, Mage Kevin!" The smile on Isaac's face was cordial. After greeting Kevin, he was slightly befuddled. "Why didn't President Gerian come?"

"I'm really sorry, Master Castellan. Something has cropped up in the guild and requires President Gerian to deal with it. He's unable to make it for the banquet today."

"Then that's too bad." The Castellan's expression was pained, but in his heart, he was secretly delighted. He would not have to address the old fellow awkwardly as Uncle Gerian now that he was not here. After returning from the Guild of Magic, Isaac felt regretful countless times. He could have talked about any other things, but he had to mention that his father had met Gerian before. This was like digging his own grave…

When Isaac's eyes fell on Lin Li, his brows were slightly furrowed. The Robe of Wrath was simply too old. Isaac furrowed his brows not because he thought Lin Li's appearance was shabby, but because he thought the young man seemed to have little respect for him. After all, this was a banquet hosted by the Castellan of Jarrosus City. People who attended the party should dress themselves decently. It seemed a little too casual coming to a dinner in an old mage robe like what the young mage was wearing.

But Isaac was, after all, a man of high rank as a castellan. Even though he was slightly unhappy, he still displayed a warm and gentle smile on his face.

"And this is…"

"This is Mage Felic from the guild."

"…" The smile stiffened on the Castellan's face. Felic of the Guild of Magic had been a legendary figure in Jarrosus ever since the battle between Gerian and Old Merlin. Even though Isaac was the castellan, he had never thought Felic would come to this banquet in person. He did not even imagine that the legendary potion master, who alone supplied the million gold coin auction, would be a young mage who looked no more than 20 years old wearing an old mage robe.

However, Isaac was a staid person. Although his heart was pounding, he managed to keep his emotions in control. His smile froze for a moment, and then he held out his hand amicably. "Welcome, welcome. I've never expected to have such a distinguished guest like Mage Felic."

"You flatter me, Master Castellan."

Isaac was so excited that he could no longer spare the effort to attend to the other guests. He warmly escorted the two of them into the banquet hall while at the same time expressing his admiration for Lin Li.

The other guests were slightly further away and so they were unable to hear Kevin's introduction. Although they found Isaac to be overly enthusiastic, they did not take it to heart. They merely thought that the Castellan was like themselves, hoping to befriend the Guild of Magic, and hence regarded the two young mages sent by the Guild of Magic as important.

The Castellan Mansion had evidently put in a great deal of effort for this banquet.

The spacious banquet hall was bright as day, illuminated by 12 crystal chandeliers. The floor was covered with a thick red carpet, and looked especially gorgeous under the crystal chandeliers. Lin Li entered the hall and felt as if the surroundings were basked in magnificence and filled with a luxurious aura. From time to time, handsome young waiters carrying trays of wine ambled through the hall, and beautiful waitress fluttered between the tables like butterflies.

Lin Li was somewhat unaccustomed to it, attending a banquet like this for the first time. Besides, he had no acquaintances at the banquet. He talked to the Castellan with a prudent look on his face, but it was mostly about unimportant matters.

Matters such as he had left in a hurry at the last auction and didn't have the time to say hello to Mage Felic, and that he was sorry about it…

Or that Mage Felic was so young but his attainments in pharmaceutics were so advanced, making Lin Li's head turn as big as a bucket. But he could not tell Isaac that he had smashed in countless gold coins and a Scroll of Wishes to attain his status as a guru of all five series. It was money that paved the way. You could do it as well if you had the money…

In addition, guests would approach from time to time to greet them, either asking the Castellan to discuss some confidential matters or trying to befriend the Guild of Magic. Lin Li gradually became bored, so he made up an excuse to leave, took a glass of red wine from a waitress, and went to hide in a secluded corner.

After he had withdrawn himself from the banquet and hid in the secluded corner, he found some interest in observing the company of guests.

The majority of the guests were distinguished personages of Jarrosus. Apart from the 17 forces, there were many rich businessmen and celebrities. The men and women were all dressed to the nines, fluttering about in the banquet hall like butterflies. It looked an extremely lively scene.

Among them, the 17 forces were obviously the main characters of the banquet.

For example, the previous owner of the deep silver necklace, the patriarch of the Rolin Family, was present at the banquet as well. When Lin Li spotted him, he was already surrounded by at least five or six guests blatantly flattering him.

And Mr Anthony Rolin seemed to enjoy the feeling. He was talking incessantly and eloquently in front of the guests with a triumphant expression on his face. Lin Li had not recognized him at first glance—he was nothing like the jittery patriarch of the Rolin Family who had asked Gerian for an evaluation the previous day.

He shifted his gaze away from Mr Anthony and saw someone he knew entering the banquet hall.

It was the redheaded beauty he saw at Ina's place!

Lin Li's eyes widened as soon as he saw the fiery long hair. He never thought that he would see this woman at the banquet in the Castellan Mansion.

And this redheaded beauty looked as if she was close to the Castellan. Upon entering the hall, she took Isaac's arm affectionately with a coquettish look on her face. Isaac seemed to be very fond of her as well, his expression kind and loving, just like how Gerian had looked at Lin Li in the beginning.

Seeing the scene made Lin Li even more confused.

McGrenn and his daughter could be said to be the lowest level of adventurers, and a reward of a dozen gold coins was sufficient for them to risk their lives in the Sunset Mountains. The relationship between the redheaded beauty and the Castellan was not at all shallow, and they most likely shared some family relations. Their statuses were far apart from each other, so how did she know McGrenn and his daughter?

As he was still puzzling over it, he suddenly saw Isaac along with the redheaded beauty coming in the direction of where he was sitting.

In that instant, Lin Li hesitated; to be honest, he wasn't keen on seeing this Rowling woman.

Unfortunately, regardless of how much he was reluctant to see her, the Castellan brought her to him.

As she got closer, Rowling saw Lin Li in the corner too. She was again reminded of what happened at Ina's place, and embarrassment could at once be seen on her pretty face.

"Mr Felic, why are you sitting here alone? Are you blaming Isaac for the poor reception?"

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Chapter 52: Apprenticeship

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Castellan spoke but found the atmosphere rather oppressive. With his acumen, he naturally caught on quickly that the people he was about to introduce to each other had already met previously. However, Isaac was tactful in his approach. After he had grasped the situation, he did not reveal it on his face. He gently patted the redheaded beauty's hands that were holding him. "Come, Rowling. Let Father introduce you to the famous Mage Felic.

"Mage Felic, this is my daughter, Rowling. She has been very fond of studying medicine since young and is also interested in potion making. If Mage Felic ever has the time, you might as well guide her along. Take it as giving me some face."

"You must be joking, Master Castellan. Miss Rowling has superior medical skills, how could she need my guidance…" Lin Li joked lightly, planning to play this matter off.

The speaker had no intention in his words, yet the listener read her own meanings into it. The phrase "superior medical skills" fell into the ears of Rowling, and at once her pretty face turned ghastly pale. Although Ina had never blamed her, what happened that day still weighed heavily on her mind. If it had not been for the young mage's insistence, she would have nearly killed her best friend's father. The thought was like a viper, lodging itself in Rowling's heart, and kept her in constant self-reproach and remorse.

The Castellan noticed his daughter's odd expression and asked out of concern, "Rowling… Rowling? What happened, are you feeling unwell?"

"It's nothing, Father. Go on without me, I'll be fine after taking a short rest here."

"Then, take a good rest." Isaac hesitated for a moment. Still slightly worried, he asked Lin Li for help. "Mage Felic, could you help keep an eye on my daughter for the time being? There are many guests today and I really can't excuse myself. Rowling has not been in good health since young, I'm afraid. Just in case…"

"This… Alright." Lin Li paused for a while, but nodded in response.

After Isaac left in a hurry, the atmosphere in the secluded corner became even more awkward.

Both of them did not speak at all until the redheaded beauty broke the silence. "Sorry…"

The sudden apology confused Lin Li. "Hmm?"

"I was wrong the other day. I shouldn't have doubted your intentions towards Ina, and even more so I shouldn't have stopped you from treating Mr McGrenn when I wasn't even confident…" Rowling was as proud as a swan since a young age. Although she had recognized her mistake now, when it came to apologizing, her pretty face was still flushed and her voice quiet like a mosquito.

Lin Li spared a great deal of effort before finally making out what she had said, and felt it amusing in that moment. "You sent the Castellan away on purpose just to tell me this?"

"I… I only wanted to apologize…" Being seen right through at once, Rowling blushed even brighter.

"There's no need for an apology, we don't know each other well anyway. If you're looking for peace of mind, save your apology for Mr McGrenn. The one who was nearly killed in your hands was him, not me." Lin Li always felt unsettled at the redheaded beauty who had nearly killed McGrenn. At her apology, he suddenly felt irritated for no reason, and put down his wine glass with a cold expression on his face. "If there's nothing else, can you please leave? I'm not used to being alone with a pretty girl, so leave lest I can't help my animal instincts from acting up and do something bad…"

"I…" Rowling had never been treated so unkindly by others before. She was aggrieved and angry in that instant; her beautiful eyes fogged and tears were glistening in her eyes, looking ready to fall anytime.

"Anything else?"

Rowling's red lips opened slightly, but she couldn't get the words out. Her expression was even more aggrieved, and tears started dripping on the dining table.

Lin Li was made even more frustrated by her crying. He placed his wine glass down and stood up. "You're not leaving? Then I'll leave!"

As soon as his obstinacy acted up, he had no care whether it was a black-haired beauty or a red-haired beauty. He kicked his chair aside and walked towards the center of the banquet hall.

Rowling was slightly taken aback, then realized he was indeed leaving. She couldn't care about the embarrassment anymore; with clenched teeth, she came to a decision. "I… I'd like to learn potion making from you!"

"What?" Lin Li stumbled and nearly fell on the thick carpet. He turned around with a look of disbelief and stared at Rowling for a long while before repeating what she said with much difficulty, "You… You'd like to learn potion making from me?"

"Yes!" Rowling's flushed face was masked with a look of determination now. "I'd like to learn from you!"

"…" Lin Li stood there in a daze for more than a minute, and asked unsurely, "Are you muddled from anger?"

"I am serious." Rowling's eyes were resolute, with a hint of enthusiasm.

"Looks like it's not mild. I'll have someone prescribe some medicine for you…" Lin Li did not dare to look into those fervent eyes. He mumbled a curse and was ready to slip away. That fervent look had frightened him, and he did not dare to continue hanging around this wench anymore.

"…" Rowling really wanted to learn potion making. She studied medicine from an early age and had been instructed by a pharmacist. After her medical skills gradually became profound, she discovered that the problems which couldn't be solved with medical skills could actually be solved with a small bottle of a potion. But pharmacists in Anril were rare; even with Rowling's noble status, to learn potion making was a purely imaginary matter.

… Until that day at Ina's place—after the ridiculous misunderstanding, she realized that the person she had misunderstood was actually the pharmacist she had been looking for all along. At that moment, Rowling had been utterly ashamed and regretful. She had been ashamed for she had almost killed her best friend's father, and regretful for she had let slip a pharmacist. Many times she had wanted to visit the Guild of Magic to apologize in person, but was held back by the hint of reserve in her heart.

To think that she would see the young pharmacist again at her father's banquet two days later.

This time, Rowling had abandoned her reserve. But the answer she got was "You're ill, and it's not mild…"

The aggrievement in Rowling's heart that she could not express turned into glittering tears that swirled in her eyes before falling in drip drops on the red carpet.

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Chapter 53: Rejection

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Walking in the splendid banquet hall, Lin Li suddenly felt a little amused at the situation. He had never expected the redheaded beauty to apologize to him out of the blue, and even more so to request to become his apprentice. From what Lin Li saw, this request was absolutely ridiculous to the core!

To be honest, Lin Li was not a stingy person, and he definitely did not have the habit of thinking highly of his own doings. Otherwise, he would not have given Andoine his best guidance back in the Sunset Mountains. Strictly speaking, Andoine really had no talent in pharmaceutics. He was in his hundreds, yet he couldn't even remember the simplest potion formulas and was brash and clumsy when concocting the potions, blowing up the potion lab on every occasion.

By comparison, Rowling, who was proficient in medicinal studies, was actually more suitable to become Lin Li's student. Medicinal studies and potion making had too much in common. Lin Li could even be sure that as long as he was willing to guide her with all his heart, Rowling, with her superior medical skills at such a young age, would be able to achieve good results in pharmaceutics within a year.

However, Lin Li had no intention to teach her at all. What happened at McGrenn's house had left too bad an impression on him.

Perhaps it was because his experiences were different. Lin Li had always felt that there was nothing more precious than life in this world. All lives should be respected; especially as a doctor, one should absolutely respect the patient's life.

Lin Li was essentially an introvert who preferred to keep things to himself. Unless someone—like Cromwell, who repeatedly provoked him and even spat directly in his face—picked a fight with him, Lin Li would not show any extreme behavior in general.

Lin Li could tolerate a lot of things, for example Rowling's self-righteous character.

He could even understand that such character was a privilege of a beauty, not to mention that Rowling was the daughter of the Castellan.

But she should never use this kind of self-righteousness on her patients. This was what Lin Li really could not tolerate. A self-righteous doctor, even if he mastered advanced pharmaceutics, would still be bringing lifelong misfortune and disaster to the patients.

After having experienced this bizarre transmigration, Lin Li had become more mature, completely over the age of being disoriented with a woman's beauty. Besides, he was not the kind of person who couldn't walk at the sight of a beautiful woman from the start. Rowling might be attractive in other people's eyes, but in Lin Li's eyes, she was merely a quack who almost killed her patient.

Rejecting a little redhead beauty was not much of a psychological burden to Lin Li at all…

However, whether it was Lin Li who had breathed a sigh of relief or Rowling who was secretly weeping, none of them had noticed that the scenario at the secluded corner had fallen into the eyes of a young man.

"Mr Anthony, do you know this mage?" The young man looked to be in his twenties. He had a handsome, fair face and gorgeous blond hair, dazzling like sunshine under the crystal chandeliers. He wore a well-tailored dress suit, which, judging from the fine craftsmanship, had been made by a famous designer. He had no other accessories—except for a ruby ring on the fourth finger of his right hand.

He'd merely held out his right hand and pointed pettily at Lin Li. The ruby reflected a pure and dazzling light under the crystal chandeliers.

"Looks a little unfamiliar, but he came with Mage Kevin, so he should be his attendant or apprentice of sorts…" Although he did not know the true identity of this young man, Anthony had maintained a respectful attitude throughout the conversation. This young man was introduced by the Castellan, who said that he had come from the capital of Felan Kingdom. From the way they talked and behaved, Anthony could clearly see that they were in no ordinary relationship.

Since the rise of the Guild of Magic, the Rolin Family had shown signs of declining. Seeing that he had been pushed to the border of the 11 mage families, and even the thief leader dared to compete with him fo the Arcane Magic Potion at the auction, Anthony had watched with an anxious heart. He had attended the banquet meaning to claim a relationship with the Castellan. In addition, when he heard that the young man had come from the capital, Anthony's speech and manners were all the more flattering and enthusiastic…

It was a pity that the Castellan had divulged too little information, and the young man was so secretive about his origins that, so far, Anthony only knew his name was Bathrilor, from the capital city Alanna of the Felan Kingdom.

"Is it…" Bathrilor nodded and did not question further. He excused himself and walked to Lin Li with a glass of red wine in his hand.

"Don't you think you should apologize to Miss Rowling?"

"Ah?" Lin Li was distracted with his own thoughts when he suddenly heard someone talking to him. From the voice, it seemed to be coming from a stranger. Lin Li turned around in doubt, only to see a handsome young man standing in front of him, carrying an expression that Lin Li didn't like…

It was an undisguised sense of superiority, just like how when Cromwell had told him "the Merlin Family does have a say in the Guild of Magic"…

"Do I know you?" Lin Li had always detested the idea of superiority, so it was natural that there was no politeness in his words. He merely took a glance at Bathrilor from the corner of his eyes. It looked like he was looking at some thing or a mass of air.

"You don't have to know me." Bathrilor's expression was still full of superiority. "Of course, you're not qualified to know me as well. A small mage like you should feel utterly honored to be able to step foot in this banquet hall. Why do you not know what is self-respect? Did you not look in the mirror to see what your status is before you pestered Miss Rowling?"

"When did I pester her?" Lin Li's eyes widened with anxiousness at his words, and in his heart, he was filled with injustice. He'd like to ask Rowling: did I ever pester you?

"You didn't pester Miss Rowling? Are you going to tell me that Miss Rowling was the one pestering you?" Bathrilor scoffed at Lin Li's excuse, and his handsome face was full of a disdainful smirk.

"Duh!" Lin Li rolled his eyes and decided not to pay anymore attention to him. In his heart, he thought, This person might have some psychological issues, I should suggest he sees a doctor some other day…

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Chapter 54: Infuriation

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Stop there! You're leaving after offending Miss Rowling?" Bathrilor was filled with just anger, and stretched out his hand to block Lin Li who was ready to leave.

"Mr I-am-not-qualified-to-know-who, can you tell me in simple terms what you want to do…?" Lin Li asked in a faint voice. He was about to be driven crazy by this fellow. He didn't even know where the fellow came from, what he wanted to do, nor even what his name was. However, he had been accused of pestering and offending Rowling. Lin Li couldn't understand at all; even if he did pester and offend Rowling, did it even have anything to do with him?

"This is Castellan Isaac's banquet, I don't want to blow things up. But I would advise you to apologize to Miss Rowling immediately!"

"…" The other party's pertinacious behavior rankled Lin Li, and his expression turned cold. "What if I don't apologize?"

"You'll know then…" The undisguised sense of superiority seemed to return in Bathrilor's smile. "You might get beaten up and then thrown out of this banquet. You might even get kicked out of the Guild of Magic. I think your master, Mage Kevin, would not choose to fall out with Castellan Isaac for an attendant…"

Lin Li listened agape to all sorts of horrible ends supposedly waiting for him. Could this be the legendary genius? He could speculate so many things with only a few tears from the redheaded beauty and even came up with all kinds of horrible repercussions. How strong an imagination was needed for all these? It would be a pity if this man did not change his profession to writing chivalric novels…

"Have you thought it through?" Seeing Lin Li did not respond for a long while, Bathrilor looked even more pleased. He seemed to already see the other party's humiliating admission of guilt and the apology to Miss Rowling after being pushed by him…

"I've thought it through. Simply put, if I don't apologize, I would be very, very miserable…" Lin Li nodded earnestly. He had indeed thought it through carefully. "But after thinking through, I've still decided not to."

Lin Li turned around to leave after tossing the words out. He was really reluctant to be near a wacko.

"You!" Bathrilor's expression froze; that high and mighty smile turned hideous at once. Lin Li's words were like a slap, smacking severely on his face. Bathrilor, who lived in prosperity all his life, had never been so discomfited before. After a brief stupor, anger instantly engulfed his reason.

Bathrilor raised his right hand forcefully and the ruby inlaid on the ring gleamed with red light.

Lin Li had just taken six or seven steps when he suddenly felt a violent distortion of the magical elements around him. Almost subconsciously, he felt something was wrong. But it was too late to react, so he only managed to put up an Elemental Shield.

Then, he saw a flash of light on the ruby, and dazzling flames spread out like fire dragons rushing forth, or like a giant flaming web descending from the sky.

"Bathrilor, stop!" Isaac was talking in a low voice with a middle-aged man. Who knew that when he looked up, he'd witness this horrifying scene. At that instant, Isaac was crushed. That was the treasure of the Guild of Magic. If anything happened to him at the banquet, that convenient uncle Gerian would probably tear down his Castellan Mansion…

But Isaac's shriek came too late.

At the moment he opened his mouth, dozens of fire dragons crashed into the Elemental Shield.

"Boom!" An awful rumbling was heard in the banquet hall.

A blaze of fire spattered and countless sparks fell on the thick carpet, burning black dots on it. Under the blast of the two magic waves, the tables and chairs were thrown upside down and a dozen white napkins danced around under the crystal chandeliers. Several guests who were closer were pushed to the ground by the blast.

In that instant, everyone was dumbfounded.

… Including Isaac—the Castellan of Jarrosus City watched the spattering sparks, his eyes full of despair. He held out his hand and pointed at Bathrilor, wanting to scold him, but found himself speechless. With a complex expression, he sighed and slowly lowered his outstretched hand.

Rowling, who was weeping like a pear blossom bathed in rain in the secluded corner, had also witnessed the gripping scene. In the light of the spattering blaze, Rowling's tear-streaked pretty face was filled with horror and despair. Her ruddy lips slightly opened, but she felt something being blocked in her heart. At this moment, she was actually worried about the young mage…

And almost at the same time, Kevin dropped the wine glass in his hands and lunged to the side like crazy.

"Why, Uncle Isaac?" Bathrilor seemed to be satisfied with his strike. He leisurely removed a napkin from his head and clapped his hands, displaying a relaxed smile on his face. But when he turned around, he saw Isaac standing there with an ashen face, and couldn't help but feel puzzled by it.

"Clap…!" What awaited him was a solid slap in the face. Isaac lost his usual grace in his fury.

"Un… Uncle Isaac… Why did you hit me?" The slap had Bathrilor stumbling a few steps back. He covered his left cheek with his hand and his expression was glazed.

Isaac was trembling with rage. "Do you know what you have done?"

"What have I done? Isn't it just a small little mage? If Uncle Isaac feels that it's a pity, I'll have someone send you 20 mages tomorrow." Bathrilor had never been slapped in public before. Isaac had slapped him now, and although he did not dare to confront him, his tone was more or less resentful.

"20 mages? Hahaha…" Isaac laughed in anger. "You're so generous. Unfortunately, not to mention 20, even if it's 50, it wouldn't be comparable to a strand of his hair. Forget it, do what you wish. I wash my hands off this. Besides, even if I wanted to help, I have no control over this as well. You write your own letter to your father, hopefully it's not too late before Gerian returns…"

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Chapter 55: Flames of Fury

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"There's no need to wait for Gerian to come back. I can deal with it on my own." Lin Li, who was undoubtedly dead in the eyes of everyone, turned over and stood up from the carpet.

"What I detest the most is someone sneaking in an attack from behind." Lin Li's eyes were fixed on Bathrilor, but on his hand he had already produced a handprint. Not waiting for the flustered Bathrilor to grasp what was going on, a shot of wind blade came whistling out. "Because I myself like to do it!"

Bathrilor could not understand at all how this person came to still be alive. Unfortunately, there wasn't time for him to ponder. Lin Li lifted his right hand and the wind blade raked over his hand. A "tchh" sound was heard and Bathrilor felt his hand tingle at once.

It was followed by a spatter of blood. Bathrilor's ring finger was severed by the blade and landed on the carpet with a few rounds of rolling. The ruby, now stained with blood, emitted an unearthly glow under the crystal chandeliers…

Lin Li was unwilling to stop after that shot of wind blade. An icicle was formed on each of his hands; the crowd heard a swish, and two long, thin icicles tore through the air.

The speed of Lin Li casting a spell was too fast. Before the crowd could react, Bathrilor let out another scream yet again. The two slender, razor-sharp icicles pierced through Bathrilor's palms, and in an instant, fresh blood poured out and drenched the thick carpet red.

The bloody scene fell into the eyes of the guests and at once triggered screams of horror. Isaac looked at Lin Li with a complex expression on his face. This was the first time he saw Lin Li infuriated, and it was also only now that he realized this seemingly harmless young mage in fact had a violent and cruel side to him.

Bathrilor's shrieks echoed in the banquet hall for a long time. The voice sounded like a wounded beast, full of malice and despair.

"Mage Felic…" Isaac tried to mediate for Bathrilor, but when he was about to speak, he heard a low rumble of recitation from Lin Li.

The Castellan's heart tightened when he heard it. He had not once heard Lin Li recite any spell when he had unleashed that awfully fast shot of wind blade and the two tyrannical icicles. At this point, he had suddenly recited a spell. Then, the spell that he was about to release, wasn't it…

The magical elements around distorted madly. A flame was blazing atop Lin Li's hands.

The searing breath was higher with every wave, and no one among the guests dared to take a step forward.

Bathrilor's hands were bleeding profusely, but his eyes were filled with fear and despair. He had never expected he'd die in a small place like Jarrosus. He did not even expect the abject-looking young mage to be so terrifying, not giving him a chance to repent at all and intending to kill him once he started his attacks.

"Boom!" Countless fire dragons roared past as the last spell fell. Compared to Bathrilor's ruby ring, the fire dragons summoned by Lin Li were greater in number and strength, like a torrential flame that was about to devour Bathrilor completely.

It had happened too fast for Isaac to stop. His heart sank and he felt hopeless like dying embers.

"Boom, boom, boom…" In an instant, only muffled explosions could be heard without end. Under the collisions of countless fire dragons, the blistering fire elements raged wildly and the whole hall was bathed in a scorching atmosphere. Before Bathrilor's desperate eyes, numerous fire dragons swarmed up and swallowed him whole in a flash.

The banquet hall was alarmingly quiet. Other than the bursts of muffled explosions, there was no other sound at all.

Everyone stared at the flame in daze, their hearts filled with shock. The young mage, who looked no more than 20 years old, had demonstrated strength that was infinitely close to that of a magic shooter. They were all rather curious—since when was there such a young genius in Jarrosus City besides Kevin and Cromwell?

Of course, there were those with a keen mind. From a strength that was infinitely close to that of a magic shooter and an age below 20, they associated it with the rumor that was recently raging in Jarrosus City…

In that moment, those with keen minds were astounded by their own guess.

If their guess were correct, the abject-looking young mage in front of them was currently the most legendary figure in Jarrosus City—the hope for revival of the Guild of Magic, the potion master below the age of 20, the one who had single-handedly facilitated the million gold coins auction, and the one who, after having triggered the battle between the most powerful mages, was wrapped up in rumors but rarely appeared in public—Mage Felic!

Just as everyone was in their own thoughts, the monstrous flame brought on by the countless fire dragons dissipated at last.

Only then did the crowd of guests discover that Bathrilor, who was supposed to be dead, was still standing unhurt in the ashes. Although his expression was lifeless and his palms were still dripping with blood, he was still alive—there was no doubt about it! Perhaps only a few guests were aware that the reason why Bathrilor could survive the fire dragons was due to a layer of magical shield.

This layer of magical shield was vastly different from that of Lin Li's Elemental Shield. It was the release of the purest mana without any spell at all.

At the moment Lin Li unleashed the Flaming Storm, he sensed there was something different. The violent and muffled explosion was caused by the collision of two magical elements. If it had hit Bathrilor directly, it wouldn't have made such a great noise. It would only take a flame to engulf him in an instant.

So, after he had unleashed the spell, he did not even look at Bathrilor but shifted his eyes to the banquet hall. That layer of magic was too peculiar and powerful; he was much more interested in the person who had cast the magical shield rather than killing Bathrilor.

"Little kid, you're Felic?" At this time, an aged voice was heard in a quiet corner of the banquet hall.

Lin Li's eyes followed to the source of the aged voice and saw an old man wearing a gray mage robe.

This old man looked to be around the same age as Andoine. His hair and beard were white, and his face was full of wrinkles too. But his gray mage robe looked clean and tidy, totally opposite in comparison to the scruffy Andoine back in the Sunset Mountains.

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Chapter 56: The Mage in Gray Robe

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Castellan heaved a long sigh of relief having seen the mage in gray robe intervene at last.

Tonight's banquet had been too tiring for him. The previous surprise attack by Bathrilor had already scared half his wits off; he was so afraid something would happen to Lin Li and draw Gerian's revenge. But then the situation plummeted; Lin Li stood up with a turn and dealt a heavy blow to Bathrilor with two instantaneous spells, and even unleashed the Flaming Storm to kill.

At that instant, Isaac had lost heart.

Bathrilor was born into an illustrious family. Even Isaac, with his status as a Castellan, had to fear it. If Bathrilor really died at his banquet, Isaac couldn't even imagine what the consequences would be.

Luckily…

Isaac's heart gradually descended back into its place when the mage in gray robe emerged from the quiet corner. As long as he was willing to interfere, Bathrilor's life should be saved…

"Felic, are you alright?" Right then, Kevin finally squeezed in from the crowd and inquired on Lin Li's injury with concern.

He was utterly frightened just now. Watching the moment when Lin Li was hit by the fire dragons, Kevin was stupefied. Lin Li meant almost everything to the Guild of Magic at present; his value even surpassed that of Gerian. Kevin would not have known what to do if Lin Li had died under those dozen fire dragons. The present Guild of Magic definitely couldn't afford such a loss.

"I'm alright." Lin Li shook his head, reassuring Kevin.

It was true he was unhurt. But the thought of the whole process unnerved him.

The power of the ruby ring was stronger than he had expected. When the dozens of fire dragons surged forward, it was equivalent to the power of a level-eight magic. Although Lin Li had weakened most of the damage with the Elemental Shield, there were still one or two fire dragons that broke through the blockage of the Elemental Shield, directly attacking his body.

However, with the strong magical resistance attribute of the Robe of Wrath, the fire dragons did not cause any harm to him. They disappeared in the magical resistant field upon contact in an instant.

Now that Lin Lin Li thought back on the perils in it, he couldn't help but feel fortunate.

Luckily, he had enchanted the Robe of Wrath with the magical resistance attribute. Otherwise, even though the fire dragons would not be fatal, they were also likely to injure him.

Then, Lin Li looked at the mage in gray robe doubtfully. "I am Felic, you are…"

"I am Andoine's old friend."

"Oh? You know Andoine?" It was the first time Lin Li had heard of news about Andoine after leaving the Sunset Mountains. He couldn't resist taking another few looks at the mage in gray robe. "How's he like now? Is he still as stubborn as ever?"

"Heh heh… Just about so. A few days ago, in Alanna, he mentioned you. I thought you were interesting, so I specially came to Jarrosus to have a look." The mage in gray robe smiled amicably. The eyes that were looking at Lin Li had a glimmer of admiration.

"You really flatter me." Lin Li's expression was modest and respectful, but his eyes were furtively glancing at Bathrilor. He was silently calculating the time Bathrilor's hands were bleeding while repressing him with a hint of mental strength.

"…" How could such a petty trick escape the eyes of the mage in gray robe? For a moment, the old man felt annoyed yet amused. However, in his capacity, he naturally could not expose him. He merely reminded Lin Li with a look of slight embarrassment on his face, "This… Felic, can you first let Bathrilor off? If he continues to bleed, I'm afraid his life will be in danger…"

"You know Bathrilor?" The dirty tricks he did in secret were exposed, but Lin Li was not the least bit embarrassed. He pretended to give a look of surprise. "So that's to say, the layer of magic previously was released by you?"

"This…" The mage in gray robe felt that he seemed to be bitten in the face at these words. However, since Lin Li had already asked, he could only try to mediate. "I saw what happened just now, it was indeed Bathrilor's fault. But I'm unlucky to know his grandfather. In order not to let that old fellow blame me for not doing anything to save his grandson from ruin, I had to intervene just now to help him. Besides, you've already taught him a lesson. Can you give me some face and forget about this matter…"

"Oh… So this is it," Lin Li answered coolly. He recalled his mental strength without hesitation. "It's only a small matter, I'll do as you said and forget about this matter."

"Then… I'll thank you on Bathrilor's behalf." The mage in gray robe probably did not expect Lin Li to agree so readily. He supposed it was unfair to Lin Li, so he gave his guarantee apologetically, "But you can rest assured. I will definitely make the old fellow from their family give you an explanation for what happened today."

"No need to trouble yourself with it. It's a small matter, I won't take offense at him."

Lin Li smiled agreeably but he had already assembled a wind blade in secret.

The mage in gray robe had just breathed a sigh of relief when he suddenly sensed a surge in magical wave. Before he could react, there came a ripping sound in the air.

Bathrilor had just been released from the mental suppression when he suddenly felt a tingle in his hand.

Then, a sharp pain shot through his left hand. When he lowered his head, he saw another ring finger landed on the thick carpet. In addition to the damage left by the previous icicle, Bathrilor's left hand was a bloody pile of flesh as well. The tearing pain went on and on, and Bathrilor fainted from the excruciating pain on the spot.

"Ai…" It was too late for the mage in gray robe to intervene. He sighed slightly and looked at Lin Li helplessly. "Why bother?"

"I can't tolerate him sneaking in an attack from behind. But you are Andoine's friend, I don't want to put you on the spot too." Lin Li was all smiles as if nothing had happened. "So, this is the best way out."

"Andoine was really right. You, little fellow, are a wolf. You must bite back at anyone who provoked you…" The mage in gray robe shook his head, his expression amused yet helpless. "Forget it. He had already lost a finger anyway, losing one more would balance it out…"

"You flatter me." Lin Li grinned modestly, but his eyes were fixed on the mage in gray robe. "Now, can you tell me, other than being Andoine's friend, do you have other identities?"

"I am Grimm Burnside."

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Chapter 57: Legend

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The casual self-introduction from the mage in gray robe seemed to hit the guests like thunder above their heads.

Everyone drew in a cold breath; the banquet hall was filled with surprised gasps. The name—Grimm Burnside—was a living legend to the people of Jarrosus City.

There were two of Jarrosus' most famous mages in the last hundred years. One of them was Andoine from the Guild of Magic; the other was the old man wearing the gray mage robe standing in front of them—Grimm Burnside.

To some extent, the two mages had a lot in common. For example, both were from Jarrosus City, both had reached the legendary realm every mage had dreamed of, and both were immersed in pharmaceutics.

And in the field of pharmaceutics, both had taken completely different paths.

Andoine's poor talent had reached such an astonishing level that even a pharmaceutics expert like Lin Li developed a deep sense of hopelessness when faced with him. Moreover, his obstinacy was simply a disaster. Just think, a stubborn old man who had lived for over a hundred years couldn't even get the most basic of equations right, but in his hands he possessed the formulas for high-level potions, attempting highly difficult concoctions such as the Bull's Strength Potion as and when he liked. It was an absolute miracle that all those lab accidents over the years hadn't been able to kill him…

Grimm, who was also a legendary mage like Andoine, was a rare pharmaceutics genius in Felan Kingdom. He had already made remarkable achievements in his twenties. His geniosity had even alarmed the Pharmacists Guild; on the day he'd become a Magic Shooter at age 30, the Anril Pharmacists Guild officially announced that they had accepted Grimm Burnside as an official member of their guild.

Decades had passed since then and Grimm Burnside was already at the mastery level in pharmaceutics. Even within the Pharmacists Guild, he was definitely an important person who had a say in the guild.

Under the two glorious halos of a legendary mage and a master pharmacist, Grimm Burnside had become the most representative figure in Jarrosus City, his reputation even surpassing that of Andoine, who was also a legendary mage.

In Jarrosus City, one could not know the six underground forces or the 11 mage families, or even the Guild of Magic and the legendary mage Andoine, but they could never not have heard of the legend of Grimm Burnside…

When such a legend which could only be looked up to stood living in front of everyone else, there was only one word in their hearts—awe.

At that moment, whether it was the fat man who wanted to introduce his daughter to Kevin, the aunty with the full bosom, or even Anthony Rolin trying to get Bathrilor's favor by flattery, the looks they gave Grimm Burnside were full of heartfelt admiration.

In Grimm Burnside's long life, he had long gotten used to being the center of attention. Surrounded by the crowd of guests, his wrinkled face still wore a gentle smile, and he even nodded at several familiar family leaders in a greeting.

But he kept his gaze on Lin Li.

In fact, the reason why he came to Jarrosus City was to have a look at this young mage. At the capital Alanna, Andoine had lauded the latter to the skies like there was nothing impossible for him. At the age below 20, he had already had a profound gift in pharmaceutics and was a magic genius comparable to that of the God of Mages.

Despite his friendship with Andoine, Grimm was still skeptical about it.

It wasn't because he felt that Andoine was lying; it was just that Old Grimm thought that, theoretically, such a person shouldn't exist.

Both magic and pharmaceutics required a lot of time to study, especially pharmaceutics. Old Grimm himself was a master pharmacist, hence he was most aware of the hardships thereof. Formulas that could never be mastered, equations involving astronomical figures, all the experiments and failures—even a little progress would need a lot of time to accumulate.

The mage in front of him was barely 20 and there was even a look of childishness on his face. Even if he had begun studying pharmaceutics the moment he was born, it would have been impossible to achieve such a huge breakthrough at this age. Moreover, he would need the same huge amount of time to study magic concurrently.

Speaking of magic…

Old Grimm had to admit that the young man named Felic was indeed a rare talent in magic.

The previous Flaming Storm was nothing. It was not surprising that he had unleashed a level-nine magic with his proximity to the realm of Magic Shooter. But the wind blade and icicle had instead left a deep impression on Old Grimm.

Skillful and precise mana control, amazing elemental sequencing speed… although it was just a wind blade and icicle, from what Grimm Burnside saw, it was definitely more surprising than a level-ten magic. Mana control and elemental sequencing were the fundamental skills that every mage was required to learn.

But it was only in his state that he understood how important these two fundamental skills were to a mage. It was like laying a solid foundation before building a house. Without a solid foundation, however tall and gorgeous the house might be, it could still collapse overnight.

As the magic level advanced, a mage's real strength was often judged by these fundamental things. A more precise control of mana and faster elemental sequencing could allow more variations and a quicker conjuration of magic.

It was like Old Grimm and Andoine at present: they were both legendary mages, but if they were to battle it out… Old Grimm had no confidence at all. After all, he had spent too much time on pharmaceutics. Though Andoine was equally immersed in it, he spent far more time on magic skills compared to Grimm.

In a battle of their level, the most fundamental thing had become the most decisive key to victory.

But Old Grimm still had some degree of doubt about the young mage's level in pharmaceutics.

He needed some time to verify whether this young mage was really a genius in pharmaceutics as what Andoine had said.

If he was really as good as what Andoine had said, Old Grimm thought that he could give him a little guidance and even lead him into the Pharmacists Guild.

As an important member of the Pharmacists Guild, Old Grimm was well aware of its current situation—decaying and withering day by day without any enterprise or energy. What the Pharmacists Guild needed the most now was fresh blood to tide over the possible crisis, and the young mage in front might well be a good solution…

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Chapter 58: Discuss

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

But with Old Grimm's eminent status, it was impossible for him to step forward like the aunty with full bosom. He was the most famous mage of Jarrosus, so he naturally had the reserve of a legendary mage. Hence, after the brief self-introduction, he waited for Lin Li to speak.

Unfortunately… Andoine had completely forgotten to tell him that the little fellow before him was a half-baked mage; not to mention Grimm Burnside, even if the God of Mages, Geresco, was standing in front of him, he would be ignorant of it and ask: who is Geresco?

"Uh… So you are the famous mage Grimm Burnside! I've heard so much about you…" Under Old Grimm's reticent gaze, Lin Li looked appalled. He tried hard to squeeze out a pleasantly surprised expression on his face while secretly nudging Kevin, and asked in a very quiet voice, "Who is Grimm Burnside?"

"…" Kevin had given up all hope upon hearing his words. While trying to hide the embarrassment on his face, he turned to face the other side, hoping to pretend that he didn't know Lin Li…

"…" A mage who reached the legendary realm had already surpassed the scope of this profession itself. As long as it was within the range of his mental powers, he could learn of anything he wanted. How could Lin Li's furtive whispers escape the eyes and ears of Old Grimm?

Even with Old Grimm's indifference to fame and fortune, his face turned liver-colored when he heard Lin Li's whispers…

But Old Grimm was someone who had lived for over a hundred years after all. Although he was embarrassed by Lin Li's question, he did not show it on his face. He merely chuckled with a self-deprecating expression. "Heh heh… Looks like Andoine, that old fellow, didn't speak ill of me in front of you…"

"Heh heh…" Lin Li laughed dryly, hoping to conceal his ignorance with it. Andoine indeed did not mention Grimm Burnside. Besides, he had made the old man memorize all kinds of potion formulas back in the Sunset Mountains, and he was also forced by the latter to fight all kinds of magical beasts. Both were about to fall apart from exhaustion at the end of the day, where would they have the time to talk about some Grimm Burnside…

Old Grimm shook his head resignedly. He could make out something judging from the young mage's reaction. This fellow had no idea who he was at all—not even what his achievements in pharmaceutics were.

"When we were in Alanna, Andoine has mentioned to me that other than your magical gifts, you are also a rare genius in pharmaceutics." Hence, Old Grimm had to find something to talk about. "Coincidentally, I'm quite a decent pharmacist myself. If you like, maybe we can discuss pharmaceutics issues together."

The hall was completely silent at Old Grimm's words. Everyone held their breaths, and it was as if their heartbeat had stopped.

The banquet tonight was a real thrill for all the guests.

They were startled twice in a row previously when Bathrilor launched the sneak attack, which was followed by Lin Li's retaliation. It was extremely risky, but fortunately there were no problems. Then, Lin Li's identity was exposed—the young man in the old mage robe was actually the mysterious pharmacist from the Guild of Magic!

When the mage in gray robe came out to reveal his identity, the guests were thoroughly shocked. No one had expected themselves to be able to see the living legend in person.

Even more so, they had never expected that Grimm Burnside would say words like "discuss together" to a young mage.

All the people present were either wealthy or respectable, and they were all prominent figures in Jarrosus. Even the lowest among them were the cronies of the leaders of a certain force. How could they not hear the meaning behind Old Grimm Burnside's words?

They had even gotten jealous of Lin Li's good luck.

Those words almost meant that Old Grimm had taken interest in a talent and would like to guide this young mage in pharmaceutics!

Just think… He was one of the most important figures in the Pharmacists Guild. With the guidance of a master like him, it was not impossible to join the Pharmacists Guild in the future.

The silence in the hall was frightening. Everyone's eyes fell on Lin Li's face. They would like to see whether the young mage would be able to continue keeping his calm in front of a godsent of an opportunity like this.

"You flatter me…" Lin Li smiled modestly. No one had expected to hear the words that followed. "But I've indeed encountered a lot of problems lately, so it would be great if I could talk to you about it. Do you have time now? Why don't we go over there for a drink?"

As soon as Lin Li uttered these words, a few guests fainted right on the spot.

Everyone looked at him as if they were looking at an idiot. Many had begun cursing in their hearts, How did such an idiot come out from the Guild of Magic? It was such a good opportunity to become Master Grimm's apprentice and he literally wanted to discuss with the master? Damn your stupid discussion…

Some were even suspecting that he was deranged after Bathrilor's sneak attack. How could such a clever-looking kid utter such idiotic words?

"Uh… I have time…" Old Grimm wiped his cold sweat off secretly. He was beginning to doubt Andoine's vision. However, he had already said the words and it wasn't good to take them back on the spot. He made up his mind to test Lin Li with a few difficult questions to see if he could come up with some constructive ideas. If he was satisfied with the answers, he would guide him; if he was not satisfied, then he'd use this as an excuse to leave…

Lin Li lifted his head and glanced around the banquet hall, only to find the place a mess due to the sneak attacks he and Bathrilor made on each other. At the moment, there was not a clean and secluded place in sight…

Just as he was at a loss, Old Grimm stretched out his hand and pointed in a direction behind him. "Let's sit there."

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Chapter 59: Sobriety Potion

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The legendary mage wanted to talk to Lin Li alone; who'd be insensible enough to intrude? Although the guests were curious, they had to disperse… albeit slowly. At the instruction of the Castellan, a servant came shortly to pick up Bathrilor, who was still in a coma, and soon the banquet hall was restored to its previous state.

The crystal chandeliers still emitted the soft light, and the music still sounded soothing and gentle.

The fatty continued to introduce his daughter to Kevin; the aunty with the full bosom continued to speak coquettishly; the mercenary guests were still working hard to secure their personal gains, and deals were picked up where they were left off previously.

It was as if the prior chaos had never happened before, and everything was back as it used to be at the beginning.

A few folding screens separated the quiet corner which was slightly dim under the hazy crystal lights, providing a suitable place for guests to talk about confidential matters. The old and young each found a chair to sit, and when they were about to speak, they were embarrassed to discover that there were others in the secluded corner. For a moment, both of them were stunned.

The tears had dried on Rowling's pretty face. Before the startled eyes of both men, she called out timidly, "Grandpa Grimm."

"Heh heh, so it's little Rowling." Old Grimm's smile was amiable, and the eyes that looked at Rowling were affectionate and kind. "Come, tell Gramps, why are you sitting here alone?"

Rowling glanced at Lin Li with a complex expression on her flushed face and said softly, "It's too noisy outside, I wanted to be alone…"

"Heh heh, then come and sit with Grandpa Grimm." Old Grimm had taught Rowling some knowledge of pharmacy because of his friendship with her grandfather, but he was caught up with something else and did not have the time to teach her anymore. Nevertheless, he had always liked this little girl who was proficient in medicinal skills. He had even had the idea of bringing her into the Pharmacists Guild.

In Old Grimm's mind, he was about to advise Lin Li anyway. It might be better to have the little girl sit in and listen as well, perhaps she could learn something. Despite his intentions, Old Grimm still asked Lin Li politely for his opinion. "Kid, is it okay with you?"

"Okay…" Since the old man had already spoken, Lin Li would not refute him in his face. Furthermore, it was not a secret matter; there was no harm letting Rowling listen to it.

Lin Li shifted his chair to make room for Rowling. The three of them sat down again around the table. Old Grimm then nodded at Lin Li and signalled that he could ask his questions.

"Please have a look at this bottle of Sobriety Potion." Lin Li pulled out a blue glass bottle from his pocket and passed it across to Grimm Burnside.

"Mm…" Old Grimm took the glass bottle. He removed the cap and brought the bottle close to his nose, taking in a slight whiff.

Then, Rowling, who had been sitting there quietly, noticed the look on Old Grimm's face changed at once. It was a look of disbelief, as if what he had seen was not a blue glass bottle, but an elephant bitten to death by an ant.

"This is impossible. Is this really the Sobriety Potion?" Old Grimm's eyes were wide open; he looked at Lin Li with a face full of doubt. "What's added in it?"

"Some netherbloom, and a little dracaena grass." Lin Li scratched his head, his expression troubled. "Recently, I have been trying to increase the concentration of the Sobriety Potion. In order to make the Sobriety Potion possess a higher degree of purity, I've tried over 30 kinds of herbs. In the end, I realized that if I mix netherbloom together with the dracaena grass, I'll get a similar effect. But…"

"But what?" Old Grimm was anxious at this point. He was a mage, so he knew very well what a concentrated Sobriety Potion would mean to mages—a longer time to cast a spell and a faster recovery of the mana.

The Sobriety Potion had been criticized for its short-lived effects; a bottle of Sobriety Potion could only last for ten seconds. Hence, even within the Pharmacists Guild, very few people would make the Sobriety Potion. Even if they occasionally did concoct one or two bottles, they were usually given as alms to the Guild of Magic.

When Lin Li said that he was "trying to increase the concentration of the Sobriety Potion", Old Grimm wanted to talk him out of it. The same attempts had been made by the Pharmacists Guild, but no one had achieved anything so far.

The potion itself was an extremely sensitive thing. All kinds of conflicting medicinal properties maintained a delicate and fragile balance in a small bottle of potion.

In particular, prescriptions like the Sobriety Potion, which had been passed down from the Dark Ages, had long been proven ones that could not be improved.

So, Old Grimm was completely stunned when he opened the bottle cap. Just this bottle of Sobriety Potion was enough to subvert the knowledge of most pharmacists.

He had always thought that the genius pharmacist in the words of Andoine's mouth was merely a young man with a gift in pharmaceutics; perhaps a little more gifted than Rowling, but definitely not by much, since Rowling was a rare talent after all.

However, when Lin Li had finished his sentence, Old Grimm realized that he had been wrong, and he was ridiculously wrong at that.

This young mage, Felic, was not a genius at all, but a potion master who had already achieved great success. He even had a good chance to surpass the mastery level in a very short time.

It was then that Old Grimm understood why this young mage Felic had been so brazen earlier to want to discuss with him…

… He was really qualified to do so. Lin Li had no intention to be an apprentice, nor had he thought of asking for advice. He simply considered Old Grimm as a peer for discussion.

After he had straightened out the matters, Old Grimm could not help feeling his face burn despite having lived for over a hundred years… It felt as if he had rushed forward with excitement but was suddenly slapped in the face. The embarrassment mingled with a sense of loss, so the look on Old Grimm's face was extremely complicated.

But Old Grimm was not like those young people in general. He had already lived for a hundred years and learnt to take things easy. That endless embarrassment was soon forgotten by him, and he turned his attention to discussing the Sobriety Potion with Lin Li.

However, this time, Old Grimm did not dare to treat him as a junior who needed advice, but a potion master who was qualified for a discussion together.

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Chapter 60: Ambition

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"But…" Lin Li shook his head helplessly. "After adding the netherbloom and dracaena grass, the concentration for the Sobriety Potion was indeed increased, but it also has potent side effects. I've tried drinking a little bit of it last time and it led to an extreme mental confusion. If it's the whole bottle…"

"So serious?" Old Grimm was slightly startled. A little of it would cause mental confusion; then, if one were to drink the whole bottle, wouldn't it cause a complete mental breakdown?

"Mm…" Lin Li nodded and spoke no more.

He had been really vexed by it lately. Ever since he had concocted the Arcane Magic Potion, Gerian had been pestering him to come up with some other potions no matter how to enhance the strength of the mages in the Guild of Magic. Lin Li had given it some thought at that time and felt it necessary as well. Although the Guild of Magic had ultimately risen, its influence was contained only in Jarrosus City.

Outside Jarrosus, there was a handful of forces hostile to the Guild of Magic, such as the one of the middle-aged man whom Lin Li had met when he first arrived in Jarrosus—the middle-aged man represented a force called the Shadow's Nest.

Because there were many rare mineral veins in the Demon Fall Valley, many forces were coveting that fertile land. Among them, the Shadow's Nest was the most direct; they had asked the Guild of Magic several times to leave the Demon Fall Valley, and even assassinated several guild mages as a threat.

The Guild of Magic today was far from being able to rest easy.

Lin Li was not an ungrateful man. He knew most clearly how everyone in the Guild of Magic treated him. Gerian, in particular, had even bet the guild's future on him. At that point, Lin Li felt obligated to contribute to the guild.

After a slight deliberation, he had chosen the Sobriety Potion.

In terms of combat effectiveness alone, the Sobriety Potion was the most cost-effective among the formulas Lin Li knew.

Three kinds of inexpensive herbs and an uncomplicated concoction process could produce an overstepping effect, plus a small amount of mana restoration.

And in the process of preparation, Lin Li also had the most intuitive understanding of the shortcomings of the Sobriety Potion.

Of course, these Sobriety Potions were enough for ordinary mages, especially the ones in the Jarrosus Guild of Magic. That was the smell of Sobriety Potion that they might never get a whiff of in a decade. It was a good thing that they got to have a taste of it; how would they still complain that the effect's duration was too short?

However, Lin Li, a pharmaceutics guru, would never be content with it. He had much more to consider than ordinary mages.

Ever since he had become a guru of all five series, he had always wanted to go even further and enter the illusory realm of the Divine Smith.

The near-infinite power of the Scroll of Wishes hadn't allowed him to enter directly into the realm of the Divine Smith, because the realm itself transcended the scope of knowledge and skills. This was more of an abstruse realm, and the phrase "a skill approaching the practice of Tao" was most likely referring to such a dimension.

It was because of this ambition that Lin Li had never stopped moving forward.

Although he was already a guru of all five series and had already reached the peak of his profession, Lin Li knew very well that there was still the illusory Divine Smith beyond this peak.

This was the difference between Lin Li and ordinary pharmacists.

Almost all the pharmacists, including Grimm Burnside, followed the formulas strictly. They had never considered the reasons why they had to do this or why they could not do that. They were bound by their imagination and dared not break the inherent rules. They might have the chance to reach the realm of a guru by their own efforts, but they would never be able to reach the realm of a Divine Smith.

After completing 100 bottles of Sobriety Potion, Lin Li had been wondering whether there was a way to prolong its effects.

Increasing the concentration of the potion was undoubtedly the most direct way, so Lin Li performed a series of experiments.

Unfortunately… At present, his experiments were a failure.

At least, he couldn't solve the problem of mental confusion caused by the increased concentration.

And Old Grimm, who was from the Pharmacists Guild, naturally became the best partner to have a discussion with.

In order to discuss with Old Grimm, he could even tolerate Rowling's presence, which was a very rare thing with his obstinacy.

Old Grimm thought for a very long time, but still could not quite grasp the reason behind it, so he asked in puzzlement, "I can understand the netherbloom is used for purification, but why do you add in the dracaena grass?"

"Besides being used for purifying, the netherbloom also has the effect of stimulating the growth of mental strength, which effect can be further amplified after heating. But the Sobriety Potion itself has the knot elixir which can also stimulate the growth of mental strength. The addition of netherbloom will cause a loss in balance of the medicinal properties, so I added the dracaena grass. When the potion reaches its boiling point, the calming effects of the dracaena grass will curb the medicinal properties of the netherbloom…" Lin Li said as he dipped his hand in the red wine and listed down a few equations on the table to explain the whole process more clearly.

Old Grimm listened attentively. It felt like he returned to decades ago, when he was still an apprentice, looking at his teacher with eyes full of the thirst for knowledge and listening to him explain mysterious and complex potion formulas to himself. He had completely forgotten Lin Li's age and was simply immersed in the knowledge of potions.

Rowling sat there quietly, listening to the conversation of the two men, but her gaze resting on Lin Li was more complicated than before.

She knew Lin Li was a pharmacist back at Ina's place. But Rowling had not imagined that he would be qualified to discuss pharmaceutical knowledge with Grandpa Grimm, and even dominating the discussion to some degree!

Rowling's pharmaceutical attainments had completely failed to keep up with their thinking. The equations listed down on the table were like Greek to her. But Rowling knew what kind of figure Grandpa Grimm was. He was someone of a mastery level, and even within the Pharmacists Guild, he was considered one of the most important members.

Looking at the old man who was listening modestly at the moment, Rowling had some doubts in her mind. Is this really Grandpa Grimm?

If I could learn potion knowledge from him… Rowling took another glance at Lin Li with a complex expression. The idea that had been abandoned earlier bred quietly in her heart once more, and this time, it was firmer than before.

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Chapter 61: An Idea

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The increased concentration of the Sobriety Potion leading to mental confusion after consumption was a very complicated problem in itself. It involved almost astronomical changes and conflicts. Other than a pharmacist of the Divine Smith level, there was probably no one else who could grasp each and every change in the potion.

The old and the young in the seats were considered top figures in pharmaceutics—one was a master and the other a guru. But they had talked for a long time and yet still failed to figure out any solution. Instead, Old Grimm learnt a lot from the discussion. What he had never heard nor thought about before came up in his head all at once, and all kinds of unheard of novel theories had been an eye-opener for Old Grimm.

As for Rowling, who was listening at the side, it all sounded Greek to her.

She only had a superficial knowledge of potions anyway, and sitting in front of her were a master and a guru in pharmaceutics. What they were discussing was already beyond Rowling's understanding, so at the end, she simply couldn't hear what the two men were talking about. She merely sat there, looking at Lin Li with a complicated expression, many times about to speak but saying nothing in the end…

"Mage Felic, I've got a few ideas these few days. Do you think it will work?" As the conversation went on, Old Grimm's tone changed from one of discussion to one of asking for advice.

"Oh?" Although the discussion failed to help solve the problems of the Sobriety Potion, Lin Li could feel from their conversation that Old Grimm really deserved the title of a master pharmacist. After all, it was decades of accumulated experience. There were some things that sounded new to a guru like him as well. Hearing that Old Grimm had come up with a question, Lin Li's interest was piqued as well. "Tell me about it, maybe we can study about it together."

"It's like that…"

Old Grimm had just begun to speak when someone else walked into the secluded corner.

Lin Li lifted his head and saw Kevin walking towards them with an anxious expression on his face. Something must have happened—Kevin looked tense and his footsteps were hurried; worry was written all over his fair face.

"Felic… Something has happened."

"What happened? Don't rush, speak slowly." Lin Li's heart tightened at his words. Kevin had always acted with poise, possessing a demeanor that wouldn't flip even if a mountain collapsed before his eyes. Lin Li had never seen him so flustered after being in the Guild of Magic for so long, especially when the first thing that he said was actually "something has happened"!

Lin Li knew very well that since Kevin said so, something had to have happened…

"Just now… Just now, there was news from the Demon Fall Valley that Shadow's Nest had launched a sneak attack, killing a dozen mages and even injuring Uncle Gerian." Kevin gasped for breath, finally making things clear.

"Shadow's Nest?" Lin Li knitted his brows and asked Kevin in a low voice, "Who else in the guild knows about this?"

"Only you and me."

"Return immediately!" Lin Li pushed his chair aside and said to Old Grimm apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mage Grimm. Something has cropped up in the guild, I have to return immediately. If you're still interested in studying potions together, you can find me at the Guild of Magic. I believe President Gerian will be very happy if he knows you're coming."

"Then I shall not hold you up anymore. In case…" Old Grimm hesitated slightly, then continued, "In case there's anything you need help with, you can send someone to look for me at the Castellan Mansion. I will be here these few days. Although I'm getting on in years and not as useful as compared to a few years ago, I should still be able to help you with trivial matters."

"Then I'll thank you in advance, Mage Grimm."

As this involved the lifeblood of the Guild of Magic, Lin Li dared not tarry further. After informing Isaac, he set off for the Guild of Magic with Kevin.

Looking at Lin Li's receding figure, Rowling bit her lips lightly. Her eyes revealed a complicated emotion.

"Why, little Rowling?" A hint of smile appeared on Old Grimm's face. With his experience, how could he not see what was on Rowling's mind?

Rowling bit her lips, and asked hesitantly after some time, "Grandpa Grimm, are all potion masters unwilling to impart their knowledge to others?"

"How could it be? There are only two things that a true potion master is proud of in his whole life. One is concocting a new potion, and the other is finding a disciple who can inherit his knowledge. Just like Grandpa Grimm. I am over a hundred years old but I'm still busying myself every day with trying to find a good apprentice…"

"Then you've come today…"

"Isn't it all because of Andoine, that old fellow's instigation. I was planning to take that young mage as my disciple. But who knew I'd arrive here to see that he was at the level high enough to be my teacher…" At the mention of this, Old Grimm's beard curled with anger.

"Heh heh…" Though Rowling was upset, she could not help giggling when she heard Old Grimm put it in such an interesting way. But after the giggle, there was a look of bashfulness on her face. "Then, Grandpa Grimm, do you think I have the gift to become the disciple of a potion master?"

"Little Rowling is thinking of taking someone as your teacher?" Old Grimm laughed slyly. "I wonder who's the lucky one, getting to teach little Rowling. Let me guess… Anyway, it sure isn't me. Oh right, is it Mage Felic who has just left?"

"Grandpa Grimm…" Rowling's pretty face was beaming red, but her voice was somewhat bitter. "But he doesn't want to teach me…"

"Why? You have the gift and possess medicinal knowledge. Where can he find such a decent disciple like you? Why is that kid unwilling to teach you? Tell Grandpa Grimm, I'll go look for him at the Guild of Magic tomorrow."

Pressed by Old Grimm, Rowling had no choice but to recount what had happened that day. Old Grimm's brows furrowed as he listened on, and when Rowling finished her story, Old Grimm let out a long sigh. "No wonder I felt you two kids were behaving awkwardly just now, so that's what happened… But little Rowling, it was really you in the wrong. As a doctor, you can't be wilful, especially in a situation concerning the life and death of a patient."

"I know that I was wrong, Grandpa Grimm." Rowling's expression was aggrieved. "But I've apologized after that…"

"Why won't Grandpa Grimm give you an idea?"

"You have an idea?" Rowling beautiful eyes lit up at those words.

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Chapter 62: Mole

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Lin Li had totally no idea what Old Grimm had in mind. He was in a hurry now.

After returning to the Emerald Tower, both of them had been trying to contact Gerian. But on the crystal ball, there was not a single tree or stone of the Demon Fall Valley. The crystal ball in the Emerald Tower was placed by Gerian personally; it was connected to the Demon Fall Valley through a hundred Warlock's Eyes spells. Such situation would not be happening as long as there was even one Warlock's Eyes.

Moreover, the Warlock's Eyes was a level-ten magic. With Gerian's level-fifteen strength, he could easily restore one with no effort.

The fact that the crystal ball was completely silent only meant that the battle in the Demon Fall Valley was far more intense than in the news Kevin had received.

"What do we do now?" Kevin's face was already strained after waiting for an hour in the guild's hall.

"We'll wait and see." Lin Li hesitated slightly. "If there is still no news by tomorrow morning, we'll have to make a trip down to Demon Fall Valley."

"Alright!"

The two of them waited by the crystal ball till the wee hours. Just as the two of them were in a state of extreme anxiety, the crystal ball, which had been silent, lit up finally!

"Felic, look, there's news!"

"I see it!"

Both of them rushed forward almost at the same time, only to see Gerian's chubby face.

Gerian looked exceptionally haggard in the image within the crystal ball. His usually rosy face was now frighteningly pale and he looked short of breath. This was the result of an overexertion of the mental strength. The old fellow took some grass off his hair and forced a smile at the two of them. Only then did he say in a weak voice, "Good morning…"

"…"

"What exactly happened?" Lin Li was worried sick; he was not in the mood for any greetings.

"What else can it be…" Gerian rolled his eyes. "It's all because of that rascal from the Shadow's Nest, looking for trouble in the Demon Fall Valley of all places."

"What about now?"

"Now? I just brought a bunch of people with me to fight back. I guess things will quiet down for the next ten or more days. Eiserhol, that jerk, really doesn't know how the word death is spelled. Just watch, I'll flip the Shadow's Nest over sooner or later…"

Seeing how Gerian still had the energy for big talk, the two of them who had been waiting in the hall for half the night were relieved at last.

"All's well as long as nothing happened to you. Other matters can wait till you come back. I'm deadbeat now after waiting for you for so long. You can restore the Warlock's Eyes slowly, I'll go sleep first…"

"Uncle, I'll go to sleep too…"

"Hey! Hey! I've not finished… You two little rascals, this is too much!"

…

Gerian returned to the Emerald Tower at noon the next day.

Gerian walked into the guild's hall with a murderous look on his face, asking people to find out where Kevin was. Unfortunately, Kevin knew he'd return today, so he had hidden away from the Guild of Magic early in the morning. Gerian couldn't find him anywhere in the Emerald Tower, and at last he had no choice but to knock on Lin Li's door.

"So early?" Lin Li had waited almost the whole night for news the day before and didn't wake up until noon today. He opened the door for Gerian with a sleepy face.

"I hurried back after I've restored the Warlock's Eyes. I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open on the road…" Gerian walked into the room and lay down on Lin Li's bed regardless of his protests. "It's so comfortable lying down…"

"Forget it, take a nap first. I'll let you have the bed…"

"No, I can't sleep yet." Gerian lay for a while, then sat up from the bed. "The more I think about what happened in the Demon Fall Valley, the more it feels wrong. I won't sleep today if I don't get to the bottom of it!"

"What's wrong?"

"Warlock's Eyes." Perhaps it was due to him being over-exhausted, but Gerian's voice sounded slightly hoarse. "Damn it, there were so many Warlock's Eyes; even I can't remember clearly where they were. How did the people from the Shadow's Nest know?

"Anyhow, something must be wrong. 125 Warlock's Eyes were destroyed almost at the same time and the Shadow's Nest arrived soon after, killing a dozen of our mages in the blink of an eye. If it hadn't been for my timely action, who knows how long the situation would have dragged on…"

"Could it be… They, too, have mages helping them?"

"That's possible. The Shadow's Nest has been expanding ferociously these few years, and could have recruited a few scums…" Gerian pondered, then shook his head and dismissed the speculation. "But it still isn't right. There were 125 Warlock's Eyes. Even I myself couldn't have possibly destroyed them all at the same time. If the Shadow's Nest really has such a formidable character, why would they still do a sneak attack? They could just kill me directly.

"Other than the Warlock's Eyes, there was something else that's abnormal too… These few years, because of the Shadow's Nest, I've spent a great deal of effort on the Demon Fall Valley. Apart from the 125 Warlock's Eyes, about 20 additional sentry posts were set up as well. But last night, these 20 sentry posts were as if nonexistent. The people of the Shadow's Nest had sneaked in all the way, but I didn't even receive any news…"

At this point, Lin Li sort of understood what Gerian was trying to say. The Warlock's Eyes were destroyed all of a sudden and the people from the Shadow's Nest had gotten ahold of the way to bypass the sentry posts. Almost all the signs were pointing to within the Guild of Magic.

"Mole!" Gerian made his judgment with clenched teeth. "There's definitely a mole!"

"No wonder you rushed back early in the morning…"

"Can't be helped. I'm worried there will be a greater disaster if I don't get rid of these guys."

"You have a clue?"

"Not currently. But it's not hard to look into. Apart from me, you, and Kevin, anyone that has access to the secret of the Warlock's Eyes has to be at least a Magic Shooter. And then, think again, among the Magic Shooters, who is the most likely to betray the guild?"

"Or, who are the people unhappy with you?" Lin Li had understood at this point.

"That's right!"

In that instant, both of them were invigorated. Gerian did not sleep; the old and the young conspired in the room to catch the mole. The discussion between the two men lasted until the evening. When Gerian was unable to hold out, Lin Li helped him pull up the blanket and quietly walked out of the bedroom.

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Chapter 63: Extortion of Confession

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Gerian was truly furious this time. At dawn the next day, he went out with all the Magic Shooters from the guild.

Such a terrifying force emerging from the Emerald Tower had shaken up Jarrosus City in an instant. The leaders of the various forces were trying desperately to get information about the situation, afraid that they would draw Gerian's fury to themselves. The Castellan Mansion was in a state of panic, thinking that Gerian had come because of what had happened at the banquet and was leading a troop of men looking for revenge. Isaac asked for protection from Old Grimm while loading Bathrilor onto the carriage, sending him back to Alanna on the same day.

… Until, around noon, all the forces suddenly realized that it was a false alarm.

It was as if Gerian was out for a stroll. After turning a round in Jarrosus City, he quietly brought the men back again. He was simply toying with them. The leaders of the dozens of forces broke out in curses: that old bastard Gerian had nothing to do, bringing so many people with him out for a stroll… could he be any more ostentatious?

Of course, no one dared to say it in front of Gerian. Every one of them was scrambling to hide from the fat pestilence when they saw him come out; who still had the guts to provoke him in his face?

Hence, no one had noticed that there was an unfamiliar face among the group of Magic Shooters he led…

"Now you can speak, who made you do it?" In the basement of the Guild of Magic, Gerian's chubby face was livid.

He was interrogating a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his forties. His eyes were swollen, but the mages present who had good memory mostly recognized this middle-aged man.

When Lin Li had first arrived at the Guild of Magic, Gerian had caused a lot of dissatisfaction within the guild in order to open up the highest privileges for him. Among them, the most vehement opposition came from several Magic Shooters, who even threatened to withdraw from the guild in order to pressure Gerian.

Who knew they would go for wool and come back shorn. Gerian's obstinacy acted up and he drove them out of the guild instead.

And the middle-aged man turned out to be one of the few Magic Shooters who were driven out by him. His name was something like Luke.

"I don't know what you are talking about…"

"You don't know?" Gerian's face was gloomy and his eyes looked as if they were about to be ablaze. "Then I guess you'd surely not know of the Shadow's Nest, or even the positions of those 125 Warlock's Eyes? As for the route that bypasses the sentry posts, it was surely not you who'd sold it to the Shadow's Nest?"

"Gerian, I don't belong to the Guild of Magic anymore. What right do you have to keep me in captivity?"

"Who the f*ck cares whether you belong to the Guild of Magic?" Gerian's expression was ferocious, and his angry roar echoed in the basement for a long while. "I am seeking revenge now. Seeking revenge, you understand? Go out and scream that the Guild of Magic has kept you captive, see whether anyone dares to speak up for you. Still talking about what damn rights… do I need them?

"Let me tell you, don't think that you can muddle through this by playing dead. You're still waiting for the people of the Shadow's Nest to save you, right? Dream the hell on. You're merely a tool, a tool that can only be used once! After they've used it once, they'll never be able to use it again. Do you think they will come and save something that is worthless?"

"You can't malign me… Gerian… You have no proof…"

"You want proof?" Gerian pondered for a while, and admitted, "Alright. I really don't have any proof. But it's okay. I am seeking revenge, and seeking revenge does not need any proof…"

"…" Lin Li was sweating cold sweat while listening at a side. "Is an extortion of confession like how you do it…?"

"I can't help it. He won't talk," Gerian answered boldly. "It's alright if he won't talk. Anyway, this could only be done by the few of them. Other than them, who else in the guild would do that?"

Gerian's words might sound crude, but his reasoning was sound.

Right now, the Guild of Magic dominated Jarrosus City, and even the Castellan had to offer his friendship. Wherever the guild's mages went, they'd receive the most generous treatment; even in the Gilded Rose, the equipment they bought would be given at least a 30 percent discount.

Since the auction, the benefits had never ceased.

First, there were the 100 sets of magical equipment gifted by the Mannes Family. They were excellent equipment worth 20,000 to 30,000 gold coins each. With a wave of his hands, Gerian sent it all to the mages in the guild. As long as they'd reached the level of a Magic Shooter, they'd be qualified to apply for a set.

And not long after, it was another 100 bottles of Sobriety Potion.

On the day the news was announced, a group of elderly mages was thrilled to tears on the spot. They could not remember how many years it had been since they had had a whiff of the Sobriety Potion. When they returned with a bottle of Sobriety Potion in their hands, they felt as if they were living in heaven.

It was no exaggeration to say that as long as Lin Li was in the Guild of Magic, no mage would be willing to leave.

What could the Shadow's Nest give them? It was nothing but money and equipment. The Guild of Magic had no lack of these. Every year, millions of gold coins were collected from the Demon Fall Valley; and now, 100 sets of equipment were provided at once, and various kinds of potions were distributed continuously. Bathed in such great happiness, who'd be willing to leave?

Perhaps only the few Magic Shooters kicked out of the guild would be that down-and-out to the point of betraying the secrets of the Guild of Magic.

Granted, strictly speaking, this would indeed not be considered a betrayal. After being kicked out by Gerian, they had no more connections with the Guild of Magic. Selling the secrets to the Shadow's Nest would only count as revenge on the Guild of Magic at most.

However, Gerian would not care about these. Whether it was betrayal or revenge, it had dealt damage to the interests of the Guild of Magic. Damaging the interests of the Guild of Magic would be equivalent to damaging his own interests, and the one who damaged his interests had to be destroyed—such was Gerian's logic…

"Forget it, let me handle this matter." Lin Li knew Gerian's character too well. He was afraid this unlucky Magic Shooter wouldn't say things right, getting Gerian all riled up to the point of blasting a fireball at him, and then they'd have nothing left at all.

Gerian was surprised. "You know how to extort a confession?"

"I don't know." Lin Li shook his head. He fumbled about in his pockets and pulled out a glass bottle. "But it knows."

"…"

"I'll make a trip to the potion lab for a while, don't touch him for now," Lin Li reminded Gerian before he left the basement.

"Mm, I'll listen to you this time." Gerian watched Lin Li leave, and threatened the unlucky Magic Shooter in a gloating manner, "Retard, you were given a chance just now but didn't know how to grasp it. Now, you've roused that kid. He may look gentle, but his strikes are more savage than mine. You've forced him to take action in person; who knows what kind of sick potion he'll concoct this time. Maybe it's the kind that itches and festers all over and takes a year of pain before dying…"

"…" The middle-aged man felt chill in his body as he listened to Gerian's horrifying description. But he was still holding out.

Because there was one thing that even Gerian would not have guessed. He did not sell the defense arrangement of the Demon Fall Valley to Shadow's Nest; instead, he sold it to someone else, and that someone else had promised he could worry not about the guild's revenge, because the Guild of Magic would be uprooted by him soon.

"Still won't talk? Forget it; even if you want to speak now, I won't listen to it. Anyway, that kid would be concocting the potion in a moment. You'd even come clean about the age you had your first wet dreams."

Lin Li, who was busy in the potion lab, had no idea how Gerian was intimidating the unlucky Magic Shooter.

He was meticulously calculating the dose of the potion now. This was the first time he'd actually concocted the Fear Potion since he had gotten hold of the formula, so he was naturally more prudent in the process.

Any person would have some negative emotions hidden in his heart. The effect of the Fear Potion was to trigger these negative emotions and magnify them indefinitely. Among the three ingredients, the nightmare seed and devil's tears possessed a similar effect. After mixing them, the effect would be greatly enhanced. In order to avoid excessive fear leading to a mental breakdown, a certain amount of peacebloom was added to calm the mind.

The succus from the nightmare seed was boiling in the beaker. Lin Li held a peacebloom in his hand, gingerly plucking the petals one by one. This was a very crucial process. Excessive amounts of peacebloom would seriously reduce the effect of the Fear Potion; if there were too little peacebloom, it would not achieve the purpose of calming the mind. So, every time Lin Li tore a petal off, he would gently shake the beaker and wait for the petal to dissolve fully in the potion before judging whether the dose was enough according to the color.

After all, this was his first concoction of this kind—unlike the Arcane Magic Potion, where the result could be judged by experience alone.

When the seventh peacebloom petal was added, the nightmare seed succus in the beaker began to turn turbid. Lin Li knew that it was a sufficient dosage of the peacebloom, so he picked up a devil's tears from his pocket.

The devil's tears was a kind of black fruit about the size of the pinky. It tasted bitter and astringent, and if consumed directly, it would create all sorts of horrifying illusions. Unless a tranquilizing drug was taken, one would never be able to get out of this illusion, and would continue to be tormented until he finally broke down.

Lin Li pulled out the silver knife from the Ring of Endless Storm and gently cut off the skin of the devil's tears. When he saw a drop of succus about to spill, he quickly dropped it into the beaker.

A plume of mist rose up instantly. The potion fused with the succus of the devil's tears immediately filled the potion lab with an intoxicating fragrance. It was a rather unique aroma, like one of a vintage wine that was too thick to diffuse and full of deadly allure.

Bearing the temptation of the fragrance, Lin Li poured the contents of less than half of the beaker into the glass bottle he had prepared and then secured the bottle opening tightly.

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When he returned to the basement, he overheard Gerian threatening the unlucky Magic Shooter.

"Don't blame me for not reminding you. You don't have much time left. When that kid comes out of the potion lab, I'm really afraid that it'll be too late for you to cry…"

"Cry what?" Lin Li heard Gerian slandering him upon entering the door.

"Heh… Nothing, nothing. How did the concoction go? If it's not done yet, you can go and study it over again. Such a thing like extorting a confession, I can do it as well…"

"You're still going to do it?" Lin Li was startled. "Another move by you and this guy will be scared to death…"

"I'm doing this for his own good!" The old fellow just had to boast shamelessly. Lin Li came to the Magic Shooter with the glass bottle in his hand.

"Do you drink it yourself, or do I feed you?"

"…" The shameless intimidation by Gerian had cast a shadow of potions in the middle-aged man's heart. When he saw Lin Li coming over with the glass bottle in his hand, he was scared out of his wits at once, shaking his head desperately while subconsciously retreating backward. But he had only retreated a few steps when his body pressed against the cold wall.

The middle-aged man's heart was cold, just like the wall behind him. His Magic Shooter strength was useless, having his mana sealed by Gerian. Now, he was no better than an ordinary man. He could only watch Lin Li open the bottle cap and let the intoxicating fragrance pervade the basement…

"You actually want me to feed you?" Lin Li frowned, his hand gripping the middle-aged man's chin. "The don't blame me for being too rough…"

"I… I…" The middle-aged man really wanted to cry. He was a Magic Shooter, highly respected everywhere he went. However, at present, he was held by the chin by a young mage who wasn't over 20 years of age who even threatened to douse him with the potion violently…

"You'll really drink it on your own?" Lin Li glanced at him skeptically, yet warned him kindly, "You'd better not have any tricks up your sleeves. I've concocted a few dozen bottles of this potion altogether. If you break this bottle, don't blame me for dousing you with bottle after bottle. I won't care if anything bad happens then."

"…" The unlucky Magic Shooter was about to break the bottle upon receiving it, but his hand froze in mid-air when he heard Lin Li's words. After weighing the gains and losses, the middle-aged man, trembling, eventually brought the glass bottle to his lips. At last, he accepted his fate, and with his eyes closed, he gulped the bottle of potion down…

"Drink slowly, won't be good to choke on it…" Lin Li reminded him kindly again, then turned to Gerian and said, "You do your interrogation slowly. I'm going out to take a breather first, let me know when there's news."

After sitting in the hall for less than half an hour, Lin Li saw the basement door open. Gerian emerged with a look of fear on his face, and the mages who followed behind revealed an expression of awe when they looked at Lin Li.

Gerian found a chair to sit in and asked Lin Li with lingering fear, "What potion did you give him, why is it so brutal? I've only asked him casually and that fellow spilled everything out while begging for forgiveness, asking me to have mercy on him. Damn it, I've never even done much to him…"

"The Fear Potion is like that, indefinitely magnifying all kinds of negative emotions. Anything would fill him with fear. Maybe you were tormenting him with various kinds of savage tortures in his fantasy…" Lin Li casually mentioned the effects of the Fear Potion and then asked curiously, "So, what exactly did he say?"

"Simply put, these three bastards were unhappy with me kicking them out of the guild. Then, someone offered a high price as a lure, so they coolly sold the defense arrangement of the Demon Fall Valley." At this point, Gerian sighed guiltily. "If we were to pursue this matter, it's actually my fault. After I had driven them out of the guild, I should have adjusted the defense arrangement of the Demon Fall Valley. The three of them had actually replenished the mana of 125 Warlock's Eyes back then, and those 20 sentry posts were actually arranged by the three of them as well… But I got so busy with the auction that I totally forgot about it. Plus, I actually thought that the Shadow's Nest wouldn't dare to mess with the Guild of Magic… Then it turned out to be such a big matter…"

"It is indeed your negligence…" Lin Li nodded.

"Apart from him, the other two fellows were the accomplices. But consider them lucky today that I didn't manage to pull them out when I went out this morning. According to this guy, they've sought refuge with one of the forces of Jarrosus City, but I've yet to confirm whether that is true. Looks like we have to hold another auction another day—I've got to dig those fellows out no matter how…"

"Quit counting on me!" Lin Li knew what the old fellow was thinking upon hearing his words. He did not want to spend his days in the potion lab. It was not easy for him to come to a totally unfamiliar world; there were still many places he had not ventured to, many things that he had not tried. How would he be content with staying in the potion lab all day?

"Just saying. Never mind, let's not talk about this. Let's talk about business…" Gerian pursed his lips and then lowered his voice. "You'll never imagine who bought the defense arrangement of the Demon Fall Valley from him…"

"Who?"

"Evan—Matthew's hussy brother!"

"Damn, he's got guts!" Lin Li was astounded, but quickly calmed down. "Evan Merlin's that stupid? This is such a shady business, he could have sent someone to do it for him. How could he be so stupid to do it personally and even be identified?"

"Evan didn't go personally, but sent a low-level mage to contact him. But this fellow was not assured after the contact, so he secretly tailed the person Evan sent. Just think, he has the strength of a Magic Shooter—it's nothing for him to tail a low-level mage. So after tailing him, he found out who was the mastermind behind it…"

"This fellow has saved us some trouble indeed…" Lin Li mulled over it carefully. The Merlin Family was really weird. Ever since the battle with Gerian, Matthew had disappeared from the scene, and even Cromwell had not shown his face in front of anyone. The only thing that was related to them was the 800,000 gold coins deal at the auction.

"Saved trouble?" Gerian swore as he grumbled, "The Merlin Family is sure to have something to do with the Shadow's Nest. Darn, I've got a headache just thinking about it. One Shadow's Nest is trouble enough, now there's the Merlin Family…"

"An enemy in the dark is a terrifying thing. Since we know who is looking for trouble now, this matter is much simpler. Why, could it be that… you're afraid of Old Merlin?"

"I'm afraid of him?" Gerian glared and was about to utter something crude when he thought of the battle outside Emerald Tower and smiled embarrassedly. "But he's surely not afraid of me too. If it wasn't for your Awakening Potion last time, I'd probably be dead in his hands…"

"What can one bottle do? I'm planning to give you a bag of it this time. Even if you drink one and toss the other one away, you can still tire him out to death!" Lin Li said with clenched teeth, and then asked Gerian again, "Oh, right, how long is it until my duel with Cromwell?"

"Not many days left. But that kid is a useless bum, no need to worry."

"Hard to say… Old Merlin is not an idiot. Since he dared to put in such a request, he must have his own plan. I need to seize the time and enhance my magic level. It'd be best if I can reach the Magic Shooter level before the duel, then I'll have more confidence to deal with Cromwell. Do you have any ways to enhance the magic level in the shortest time?"

"Dream on!" Gerian gave Lin Li an angry glare. "If there was a way to enhance the magic level in the shortest time, would dozens of bottles of Arcane Magic Potion be selling for millions of gold coins…?

"No, now I remember, there is indeed such a way!" Gerian hadn't finished his sentence when he suddenly recalled something. "I've read about it in a magic book some time ago. The High Elves have a way to enhance the magic level by force. It is said that the highest level it can go is by five levels. But after the enhancement by force, the person's potential for life will be completely exhausted, and there will never be any progress…"

"You can keep it to yourself. I'll just drink a few more bottles of potion when the time comes to keep it safe…"

"Why are you suddenly placing such great importance on this duel?"

"Because I don't want to worry about the Merlin Family doing something behind our backs when we're dealing with the Shadow's Nest…"

Gerian couldn't help the surprise showing on his face when he heard it. "You want to deal with the Merlin Family?"

"Not me…" Lin Li shook his head and smiled innocently. "The person who is going to deal with the Merlin Family is the Archmage, President Gerian. Starting tomorrow, President Gerian will be launching a comprehensive crackdown on the Merlin Family. By the time it comes to the duel, Old Merlin will probably be mad as hell and would vent it all on me. I think I'd better bring a few more bottles of potions to protect myself…"

"…"

The two bastards were discussing how to deal a blow to the Merlin Family when they heard a guild's mage come forward to inform them that Mage Grimm Burnside came.

"Grimm Burnside!" Gerian seemed to have been struck by lightning as he sat dazed on the chair for a long while before stammering out his instructions, "Hur… Hurry… Hurry and invite Mage Grimm Burnside in!"

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Chapter 65: Retaliation

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Gerian immediately went out with excitement when he heard about the legendary mage's visit, but halfway through, he stopped as doubt came over him. "Grimm Burnside never had any dealings with the Guild of Magic, why would he suddenly come calling?"

The mage who had passed on the message swallowed his saliva and replied with seemingly much difficulty, "Said… said he came to see Mage Felic."

"…" Gerian stared at Lin Li with jealousy. "How did you know Grimm Burnside?"

"He attended the banquet at the Castellan Mansion a few days ago."

"Damn! Kid, your luck is extraordinary. There are only two legendary mages in Jarrosus and you know them both…"

Gerian grunted as he walked out of the Emerald Tower. He saw Grimm Burnside standing below the stairs in his gray mage robe and quickly put on a warm smile on his face. "Welcome, welcome. The Jarrosus Guild of Magic is deeply honored by Mage Grimm's visit to the Emerald Tower."

"You're too polite, President Gerian." Old Grimm still had the gentle smile on his face. He then directed his smile at Lin Li. "Long time no see, Mage Felic."

The three men exchanged greetings below the stairs, and Gerian solemnly escorted Old Grimm into the guild hall. For the Guild of Magic, Grimm Burnside's visit was truly a sensational event. Even Gerian, who was usually arrogant, dared not show a slight negligence; the reception was of the highest class, enough to make the leaders of all the forces in Jarrosus red-eyed with envy.

In order to receive Grimm Burnside, Gerian had summoned all the mages in the guild; even those stationed far away in the Demon Fall Valley were to pass on their welcome message through the crystal ball in the hall. The scene was spectacular and lively, and even Grimm Burnside, who had lived for over a hundred years and regarded all things lightly, couldn't help but like Gerian a little more.

Looking at Gerian beaming away, Lin Li was worried for the leaders of the various forces in Jarrosus in spite of himself. Gerian had deliberately made it sensational so that news of this day's event could spread as far as possible. When the leaders of the 17 forces knew that the legendary mage had visited them, who knew how terrified they'd be…

After the impressive welcoming ceremony, Old Grimm and Lin Li went into the potion lab to continue the unfinished discussion they had had on the day of the banquet.

This time, Gerian, who always liked to be involved, did not follow them in.

He was in the guild hall, delivering a speech to all the mages.

The speech took a long time, but the content circled around a single topic—the Merlin Family and the Shadow's Nest had joined hands!

Such were Gerian's words: "You bunch of fellows are going to rot staying in the Emerald Tower for the whole day. From today onwards, everyone must hang around Jarrosus City. What you want to do is up to you; as long as it makes the Merlin Family uncomfortable, I will support it all. Whoever has the ability to do away with the bastard, Matthew, I will reward him with a year's worth of profits from the Demon Fall Valley!"

The Guild of Magic had put up with Gerian as long as the number of years he had been the president. Among the mages present, who had never experienced the contemptuous looks from others? Each and every one of the 17 forces in Jarrosus City had dared to throw their weight around the Guild of Magic. And among them, the Merlin Family had demanded from the guild time and again; even someone like Cromwell had dared to come up and demand that Gerian kick Lin Li out of the guild.

No matter how wise or how calm a mage was, it was inevitable to be antagonized in face of such reality.

After so many years of tolerance, the anger accumulated in their hearts was enough to ignite the entire Emerald Tower. And with the rise of the Guild of Magic, the fury in their hearts grew day by day. When the Shadow's Nest launched that surprise attack on the Demon Fall Valley, that fury was pushed to the peak. The Guild of Magic had been silent for these two days, but everyone knew that this was just the calm before the storm.

And now, Gerian's words had completely ignited the Guild of Magic.

There were 36 Magic Shooters and 113 mages in the Emerald Tower, in addition to the people who were stationed in the Demon Fall Valley. The mage apprentices below level-five were numerous, and by the afternoon, nearly half of them were driven out to the city by Gerian.

A terrible chaos was caused with such a force swarming into the city of Jarrosus.

Just this afternoon, the Merlin Family's businesses in Jarrosus City had suffered huge losses.

First, a fire was started in several industries located in the city center. Then, a few mysterious mages appeared in the casinos the Merlins ran with the Blood Brotherhood. It was obvious that the mages had come to make trouble, because they were utterly arrogant.

"Who is in charge of this casino?" The few mages demanded to see the casino's in-charge as soon as they entered. The men from the Blood Brotherhood went out to have a look, just to see they were people from the Guild of Magic. Who in Jarrosus City would dare to provoke them now? So they fled through the backdoor, leaving behind a few men from the Merlin Family who had no choice but to face them.

"Damn it, when are you going to return us the money you borrowed?"

"What… what money?"

The man from the Merlin Family only hesitated slightly and the few fellows who were at least the level of a Magic Shooter suddenly turned hostile. This was simply worse than a beast, totally not giving the other party a chance to admit they were wrong before smashing the casino with their magic powers, then finishing it off by igniting a fire before they left to look for another target…

The most immoral of them all was undoubtedly the gang consisting of more than a dozen mages.

This bunch of fellows turned around the city but couldn't find a place to start, so they went out of Jarrosus City, straight to the Mariana Canal. When they saw the Merlin Family's merchant ship in the middle of the canal, their eyes flashed like a hungry beast's seeing its prey.

Each of them downed a bottle of Sobriety Potion and a wave of spell recitation resounded.

Before people on the merchant ship could react, a monstrous blaze rose to the skies. That dozen of mages joined hands to unleash a level-eight Flaming Storm. To the people from the Merlin Family, it was like the end of the world. Countless fire dragons raged and roared, and the blazing flames devoured the huge merchant ship in a single instant.

The people on board were lucky enough to escape with a few small sampans. But the goods that were worth millions of gold coins on the merchant ship were burned to ashes by the fire…

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The news soon spread through the whole Jarrosus City like wind.

Everyone was flabbergasted, including Castellan Isaac. They were shocked by the Guild of Magic's high-handedness. To them, the Guild of Magic now was absolutely an unreasonable bandit. All the while, the forces in Jarrosus had been able to maintain a semblance of calm because everything was done behind closed doors.

The struggle between the major forces had always existed, but no one had dared to put it on the table.

Often, there were two forces fighting in secret, but when the two leaders met, they would talk harmoniously about wine and roses. It was like when the auction was held—of all the various forces present, who did not have any enmity with another? But under the seduction of the 33 bottles of Arcane Magic Potion, the auction still went smoothly and no one was killed on the spot.

Everyone knew that the Guild of Magic had the supremacy in Jarrosus now.

But no one could have imagined that they would be so arrogant and insolent, completely disregarding the rules of the game and directly putting the fight on the table. In just one afternoon, the Guild of Magic wiped out more than 20 businesses of the Merlin Family. These included several casinos ran jointly with the Blood Brotherhood and two merchant ships moored in the canal.

This afternoon alone, the Merlin Family lost countless gold coins.

For a while, all the forces were outraged, especially the Blood Brotherhood which had several casinos smashed by the guild's mages. Aaron Matsis almost had an heart attack from the rage. "F*ck you, Gerian! You're seeking death like this. If you continue to do this, we'll all just have to die together!"

But in the face of Gerian's anger, who would dare to go to the Emerald Tower to reason with him?

The leaders of the dozens of forces were not idiots. The incident that happened at the Demon Fall Valley and the Guild of Magic's revenge on the Merlin Family… it was obvious what was the connection between them. Everyone knew that Gerian was retaliating, so who would be that ignorant to offer themselves up in such a sensitive time?

The chaos did not subside until evening.

At this time, the Merlin Family was already in disorder. When news came in the afternoon, anger had seized Old Merlin's heart and he fainted right on the spot. When he woke up, his face was still livid as he ordered the servants to call for his brother, Evan.

"Look at what you've done!" Old Merlin seemed to have aged several decades after he woke up. The ever-energetic Matthew looked so old and weak at the moment.

"Big Brother… Let me explain…"

"Explain?" Old Merlin's face was leaden, and his somewhat murky eyes stared fixedly at Evan. "How many times have I told you? Things must be done cleanly and never leave any tail behind; look at what you have done? Of the three traitors from the Guild of Magic, two have been poached by other forces, and the remaining one is even more impressive, getting found by the Guild of Magic. I really can't understand, what exactly are you trying to do? Why did you not silence him? Do you think the Merlin Family today can still be as reckless as we were in the past?"

Evan opened his mouth, trying to defend himself. "I've only wanted to give it a shot, see if I could persuade them to work for the family. After all, they are Magic Shooters… It's a pity to kill them off. I'm doing it for the sake of the family…"

"For the sake of the family? Hahaha…" Old Merlin laughed in anger; streaks of blood were apparent in his eyes. "Now, are you happy? Just this afternoon, the Merlin Family has been greatly undermined. Do you know how much we have lost in the afternoon? Including the two ships in the canal, it's a total of 3,700,000 gold coins! Evan… It's 3,700,000 gold coins… Is the family earning so much in one year? And the two merchant ships were the ones that helped the Duke smuggle his goods. Fario had a hard time setting this up for us, but after what happened, do you think the Duke will still be willing to trust us?"

Evan was completely dumbfounded hearing the huge figure.

"Forget it…" Old Merlin sighed heavily, his expression dejected. "Let's not talk about this first. To be honest, I have to bear a little responsibility too. I knew you have been indecisive since young, but I still allowed you to handle this matter… How's Cromwell lately?"

"Cromwell is improving fast. He has reached level-twelve yesterday."

"Not bad…" There was finally a glimmer of relief on Old Merlin's face when he heard the news, but his expression turned gloomy at once. "This kid has been getting more sensible lately. Unfortunately, as descendants of the Merlin Family, we sometimes have to make some sacrifices…"

"Big Brother…" Evan hesitated. He paused between words as he said, "Cromwell is the only heir of the Merlin Family… Even if he could kill that pharmacist from the Guild of Magic in the duel this time, his whole life would be completely ruined. A Magic Shooter who would never progress… Isn't this a little too cruel to Cromwell?"

"It is a necessary sacrifice…" Old Merlin's expression was cast in shade, but the look in his eyes was extremely resolute. "What the Guild of Magic has today was brought by the mage called Felic. Do you remember my battle with Gerian? If he hadn't taken out the bottle of Awakening Potion, Gerian would long be dead. I knew then that as long as this young man is present, the Guild of Magic would come to dominate Jarrosus City sooner or later. The Arcane Magic Potion auction confirmed my speculations. Two major families had conveyed their friendly intentions at the same time. Did you think they were trying to butter up to Gerian? You are wrong… They were actually trying to butter up to that young potion master!"

"But, I heard that Felic is merely a low-level mage. Cromwell doesn't necessarily have to…"

"Low-level mage?" Old Merlin chuckled bitterly. "Didn't Cromwell tell you that the other party had only used a magic spell to cast him out of the Emerald Tower? This is a real magic genius. He possesses an extremely powerful mental strength and mana. Even I had to utilize my Archmage strength to defeat him. It will be terrifying to allow such a magic genius like him to grow… He has to die in this duel!"

When Old Merlin had finished, he closed his eyes wearily and never looked at the horrified Evan again.

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Chapter 67: Guidance

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Jarrosus City was in disorder, but the Emerald Tower was unusually quiet. About half the mages were out, leaving behind some mage apprentices below level-five and a few others, such as Gerian and Lin Li.

Old Grimm looked up from a pile of beakers and asked in a seemingly casual way, "Felic, when I saw you teaching Bathrilor a lesson that day at the banquet, you should have been at the strength of level-nine?"

"About there, I've reached level-nine just a few days ago." Lin Li nodded and then continued gloomily, "But strangely, lately I feel that I've run into a bottleneck again. It's the feeling that you know you have the potential, but you just can't exert it…"

"Oh?" Despite having some understanding of Lin Li's strength, Old Grimm did not expect that he would be encountering a bottleneck in his breakthrough to the Magic Shooter level at such a young age. For a moment, the old man was intrigued. "Does the Guild of Magic have a practice ground? I'll have a look at your situation first and then see if I can provide you with any suggestions."

"That'll be great."

After this afternoon, the old and the young gradually became familiar with each other. There was less politeness but more intimacy in their conversations.

The two men went downstairs and spoke to Gerian, hoping to find a suitable place for actual combat. But when the old fellow heard that the legendary mage was about to showcase his skills, he forgot all about the proper business and insisted on going with them to have a look. At last, Lin Li failed to dissuade him and had to let him bring the both of them up to the third level.

"This is the best place. You can use any spells here. As long as it's not a legendary-level spell, it will be no problem." Gerian fished out a key and unlocked the tightly shut door.

Initially, Lin Li thought he was bragging. But when he poked his head in to take a look, he realized Gerian was actually too modest… On the spotlessly white wall, there were six magical shield fields and six elements annihilation fields. With the 12 mageweaths laid out, the room was an impregnable fortress. Not to mention ordinary spells, even if a legendary-level spell was used, it would be difficult to blow the room apart.

"Impressive…" In Anril, even the general mages would have studied inscriptions, much less a legendary mage like Old Grimm, whose accomplishments in inscriptions were also extraordinary. The moment he entered the room, his eyes naturally fell onto the 12 mageweaths.

"This is by Delavi?" Old Grimm was rather amazed, passing before the 12 mageweaths.

"You have fine eyes, Mage Grimm. This was indeed designed by Master Delavi 1300 years ago, when the Guild of Magic was established."

Lin Li was rather lost. "Who is Delavi?"

"A level 22 mage." Old Grimm's expression revealed a look of yearning.

"Level 22!" Lin Li was startled. Even a half-baked mage like him knew that as the magic level reached the realm of an Archmage, even a single level of ascension could bring about a nearly qualitative change in power, not to mention the legendary realm above the Archmage. A level 22 mage would probably equal up to ten Andoines—and that was a conservative estimate.

Lin Li had no idea that there had been such a powerful person in Jarrosus Guild of Magic.

"But his greatest achievement in life was actually in inscriptions. If it weren't for him, the study of inscriptions today might be a totally different story. He was the first person to combine inscriptions and magic. Since then, inscriptions have become a required course for mages."

"Felic…" After talking about Delavi's achievements, Old Grimm took a few steps back. "That day at the banquet, I saw that you had done a good job in releasing the icicles. Why don't you try again now and attack me using the wind blade?"

"Okay."

"Just focus on your spell, don't worry about hurting me." Afraid that Lin Li would worry about hurting him, Old Grimm specially reminded him.

"Mm." Lin Li nodded, and his expression became serious.

There was no recitation nor even the slightest sign. Lin Li raised a hand and an icicle tore through the air. Driven by Lin Li's tremendous mana, the icicle was as fast as lightning. As soon as it was released, it disintegrated into the air, creating a blue stream of light…

But as the stream of light approached Old Grimm, it stopped without warning and just hung quietly in front of his chest. It was like there was an invisible hand in the air, catching it with an unparalleled speed.

There was a smile of approval on Old Grimm's face.

"Very well done. But it's still not enough this time. When you were teaching Bathrilor a lesson a few days ago, you had unleashed a few spells consecutively, so you should have ample mana. Don't stop. This time, we'll change it to the wind blade: release as many as your mana allows."

"…" Gerian touched his nose in spite of himself when he heard it.

"Okay!"

From the previous icicle, Lin Li knew that Old Grimm's strength was fathomless and that it was impossible to hurt him with his own strength.

Hence, he showed no mercy anymore and the wind blades came one after another.

In an instant, the shrill sound of tearing filled the air and dozens of wind blades fell down like raindrops. But all these wind blades, without an exception, were met with the invisible wall; none of them ever touched the corner of Old Grimm's robe.

With the strength of a legendary mage, it was impossible for Old Grimm to be hurt by a few low-level spells. He didn't even require any magical shields; it was enough to protect himself from harm just by releasing his own mana, like what he had done when he'd saved Bathrilor at the banquet.

There was deep admiration in Old Grimm's eyes as he watched Lin Li release the wind blades.

Andoine's judgment was indeed right—this was a true magic genius, skillful and with an abundance of mana, just like Andoine in the past. The only difference was, he was much younger than Andoine had been back then and had a deeper understanding of magic.

But as time went by and the wind blades Lin Li released were already in the hundreds, the admiration in Old Grimm's eyes gradually turned to amazement.

The mana of this young mage seemed to be overly abundant…

Although the wind blade was just a level-one magic, he couldn't afford to unleash it like this. The power consumed by more than 200 level-one spells was already well beyond the reach of a level-nine mage…

From the look on his face, the young mage did not seem to be tired at all. Over a hundred level-one spells was as easy as eating and drinking water for him. No wonder Andoine had mentioned many times that this kid was nothing but a monster. Old Grimm thought he was talking about pharmaceutics, but now it suddenly dawned on him that Andoine was talking about the kid's freak mana!

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Chapter 68: Bad Habit

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Gerian was laughing up his sleeve when he saw the look of amazement on Old Grimm's face, and the thoughts in his mind were more or less sinister. It doesn't seem to be a big deal being frightened by this freak back then. See… I wasn't the only one, now even the legendary mage is startled…

"Stop!" When there were about three or four hundred wind blades released by Lin Li, Old Grimm finally called for a timeout. "President Gerian, can you tell me, how long was his mana output when Felic was going through his level certification?"

"This…" Gerian paused for a while and crept beside Old Grimm's ear. "28 minutes…"

"What!?" Old Grimm almost jumped upon hearing it.

The look on his face was no different from Gerian's back then. He looked at Lin Li as if he was looking at a monster. In the face of such a freak with infinite mana, there was no difference whether it was an Archmage or a legendary mage. In fact, they did not know that what they were feeling now had been felt by Andoine several times back in the Sunset Mountains…

Old Grimm wavered. He had wanted to find the root of the problem from the strength of the mana, but now it seemed that Lin Li's mana was infinite, and so that seemed doomed to be in the wrong direction.

"Actually, I feel that what Felic lacks most now is actual combat."

Both of them were startled at Gerian's words. Lin Li mulled it over and realized it seemed to be true indeed. When he was in the Sunset Mountains, he was faced with different magical beasts every day—beasts from level-four to level-eight, from Manticores to Wyverns. He was struggling on the delicate line between life and death almost every day. In this struggle, his magic level had improved dramatically. From a mage apprentice to a level-eight mage, it seemed to be just the blink of an eye, without feeling any hindrance at all.

And then he got to Jarrosus City. There were better learning conditions, but the time he used magic was suddenly reduced. The number of real battles was pitifully few—a mere total of three and a half. In three of these, he had gained an absolute upper hand; the only time he couldn't win was the pure mental strength battle with Old Merlin. But none of them had used any spells, and so, strictly speaking, it should only be counted half a time…

At the same time, Lin Li's magic level stagnated all of a sudden. If he hadn't benefited greatly from the battle between the two Archmages, he would still have been at level-eight.

Magic was such a strange thing…

Having a huge mana and mastering a lot of spells did not necessarily mean a stronger fighting capacity. Many things could only be comprehended during actual combat. Just like pharmaceutics—someone who knew a large number of formulas was not necessarily a master of potions. He probably wouldn't be able to concoct a Sobriety Potion when it came to the application.

"President Gerian is right. Let's do it this way… I have nothing else to do these few days anyway, why don't I help you improve your actual combat experience?"

"This… doesn't seem appropriate?" Lin Li scratched his head and hesitated. "You are the legendary mage. Isn't it the same as seeking death if I practice with you?"

"Don't worry about this, I'll only use the strength of a Magic Shooter, and the spells I use won't be over level-ten."

Gerian was like an ant on a hot pan, glancing at Lin Li continuously. This little bastard will be the death of me. The legendary mage wants to deliberately suppress his power in order to give him advice, and he is still dallying there. If it was me, I would already jump on him directly…

"Alright…" Lin Li nodded and took a few steps back.

"Wait!" Old Grimm suddenly called out at this point. "This habit of yours is really bad."

Lin Li was about to cast an Ice Armor Spell on himself when he heard Old Grimm calling for a pause. He stood there dazed, and asked in bewilderment, "What habit?"

"Retreating before you cast a spell." Old Grimm pointed to the spot Lin Li stood at previously. "You did the same thing just now when you were releasing the icicles—taking a few steps backward before casting the spell. This is a bad habit. A mage is not an archer—there's no need to distance yourself deliberately, and even more so there's no need to make use of the surrounding environment to win a battle. A real mage can take control of the rhythm of the battle in an instant, at any distance, and in any environment. What we use is always our own strength!"

Lin Li listened quietly. He knew that this was indeed his shortcoming. His hunter profession in the Endless World had brought him a good sense of rhythm, but it also brought him a lot of deep-rooted bad habits.

For example, retreating before the battle out of habit.

For example, adding the Hastening Spell on himself during combat and using the Delaying Spell on his enemy to slow them down in order to maintain his advantage in speed.

For example, placing too much emphasis on the distance between himself and the enemy.

Et cetera, et cetera… For a mage, there was no need at all to do such things.

"You must remember: in a mage's battle, there'll always be two kinds of rhythm—control and outburst."

"I'll keep that in mind…" Lin Li nodded thoughtfully. At the same time, a shot of wind blade tore through the air. This time, he did not retreat at all.

"Heh heh. You've learnt fast." Old Grimm could only use the power of a Magic Shooter, and it was no longer possible to block the wind blade with his mana alone. But the old man still looked unhurried, and almost as soon as the wind blade roared, the Ice Armor Spell was summoned.

The wind blade cut through the glittering ice and made a shrill noise.

Old Grimm's counterattack was quite different from Lin Li's. Under the protection of the ice shield, the old man began his recitations. His recitations were not fast, and even were slower than Lin Li's to some extent. But there was a sense of skill and fluency, with no pause in the middle. By the time the last spell fell, seven Arcane Missiles had coalesced into shape.

With a wave of his hand, the seven Arcane Missiles fired at Lin Li at the same time.

In an instant, the ice armor was shattered, and the Elemental Shield that was just propped up was reduced to a thin layer. It would only take one spell from Old Grimm to break it completely.

Lin Li was barely maintaining the functioning of the Elemental Shield, but there was no panic on his face. He retaliated with Mana Feedback that interrupted the casting rhythm of Old Grimm; at the same time, he began to recite the spell for Delirium, hoping to drag the combat into a match of pure mental strength.

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Chapter 69: Classic Deceit

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The surging mana of Old Grimm slowed down abruptly following the Mana Retroaction from Lin Li. The seven Arcane Missiles lost control and vanished in an instant. Old Grimm still remained unhurried; his thin arm rose slightly and a mental protection field rose. Under the safety of the mental protection field, Lin Li's Delirium Spell was like a stone thrown into a pond, merely creating ripples on the calm water.

Both had amazing casting speed—one was swift and the other fluent. Lin Li was constantly challenging the limits of magic counter-reaction by virtue of his superior mental strength; Old Grimm relied on years of experience to minimize the length of the spell. Gerian, who watched from the side, exclaimed countless times in his heart. These two fellows—young and old—behaved nothing like a normal human being.

It was a dazzling combat with a tremendous rate of casting. The transition between attack and defense was often made in the blink of an eye. Often, they cast a spell and would cast protection on themselves before the spell could even fall on the opponent.

Old Grimm was a legendary mage after all. Although he was using only the power of a Magic Shooter, the legendary level vision and experience were still there. The choices he made in between the counterattacks, seemingly casual, often hit Lin Li's vulnerable point. Not to mention that, in his long life, he had accumulated a huge amount of spell-casting skills. In the face of such skills, any genius could not help but appear feeble and futile.

After the failure of the Mana Retroaction, Lin Li, who had been grappling for long, gave out at last.

At the moment the Mana Retroaction failed, Lin Li knew it was a trap.

Old Grimm first used a lot of low-level spells to suppress Lin Li, and when Lin Li was so overwhelmed that he couldn't even lift his head, Old Grimm departed from his usual style and cast a Flaming Storm instead. Lin Li was all too familiar with this level-nine spell—it had power comparable to that of the Magic Shooter and a horribly long recitation.

Lin Li, who had completely lost the opportunity, had only two options in the face of this level-nine spell. One was to force out the Elemental Shield, and be in a state of no protection from the Elemental Shield for about 30 seconds; the second was to risk being tricked again and carry on with another Mana Retroaction.

Lin Li chose to take the risk, and then he was tricked…

This was a classic example of deceit that was worth including in magic textbooks. As early as the moment the spell sounded, Old Grimm had already cut off the mana output. Breaking off a spell was a skill that every mage needed to learn, let alone Old Grimm, who was already a powerhouse in the legendary realm. For him, it was no more difficult to break off a Flaming Storm than to eat and drink.

At this time, although the spell was still being recited, there was no mana output at all.

Mana Retroaction, of course, could only react against mana. For a magic spell that did not produce any mana, the Mana Retroaction was like a punch in the air and had no effect at all…

Apart from a few low-level spells such as the wind blade, icicles, and the delaying and hastening spells, most other magic spells had their own cooldown time. After one use, one had to wait for the cooldown time to pass before one could use it again. This process was called the Spell Cycle.

Everything had its rise and decline, and magic was no exception. When a spell was used, it would surely go into depletion, and then await the next cycle. This was the law of things.

Of course, the time was not definitive. Many mages were able to compress the cooldown time with skills and mental strength, but such compression was almost negligible in most cases. Even a legendary mage as powerful as Andoine could only compress the cooldown time of Mana Retroaction by two seconds at most.

And Lin Li, who possessed a sick mental strength, was in fact close to the legendary level in this aspect. He could almost do as much as Andoine could.

But as far as the current situation was concerned, let alone doing what Andoine could do, even if he surpassed Andoine, it would be equally useless. Old Grimm didn't even give him a chance to wait for the next cycle and proceeded to drown him in a large number of Arcane Missiles. In a zero-interference spell-casting state, it was similarly terrifying even with the strength of a Magic Shooter. The Arcane Missile shot down incessantly and the Elemental Shield on Lin Li's body was extremely fragile. In a twinkling, the Arcane Missiles broke through the protection of the Elemental Shield and landed directly on Lin Li's body…

Lin Li was barely hurt under the protection of the elements annihilation field, but there was a look of disappointment on his face.

Since transmigrating, due to lack of actual combat, Lin Li had never been so miserable as he was today. The previous match with Old Merlin was more of mental strength, not to mention it was an absolute suppression of an Archmage. Though Lin Li had lost in the end, it could be said to be a glorious defeat.

But this time, Lin Li had lost, with nothing else to say.

Throughout the battle, Old Grimm did not use force beyond level-ten. Even when he was using magic, he chose some of the lower level ones as much as possible.

And the deciding factor—the Mana Retroaction deceit—left Lin Li chagrined. If he had been more composed then…

"Are you thinking you could have won if you had been more composed then?" Old Grimm's eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts; as soon as he opened his mouth, he said what Lin Li was thinking.

"Yes."

"No…" Old Grimm shook his head. "You were composed enough. I could feel that you were struggling between Elemental Shield and Mana Retroaction, but it doesn't matter at all. Whether it was the Elemental Shield or the Mana Retroaction, anyone who enters the depletion cycle will undoubtedly lose.

"So… this has nothing to do with composure." There was a smile of admiration on Old Grimm's aged face. "Actually, you're doing quite well at your age. Whether in skills or rhythm, you've already reached the limit of your age. I know you still possess an enormous amount of mental strength. Even I almost suffered with that Delirium Spell. In this spar, you've lost due to the lack of experience…"

"Experience?"

"That's right, experience." Old Grimm nodded and bagan analyzing the fight for him. "I was actually affected by that Delirium Spell. But you were engrossed in the mental protection field and failed to judge the situation right. Didn't you realize? After casting the mental protection field, my casting speed was slower than usual, and why was that? That is because I had to divide some of my mental strength to suppress the negative effects brought by the Delirium Spell…"

Lin Li pondered over it carefully and realized it was indeed as Old Grimm said. The latter's spell-casting speed had decreased significantly. If he had used a large number of low-level spells to suppress him then, the whole fight would have been a different story altogether…

"And that failed Mana Retroaction. If you have enough experience, it is entirely possible to judge quickly whether I was really releasing mana when I was reciting the spell…" At this point, Old Grimm paused for a while before delivering the conclusion, "President Gerian is right, you need actual combat!"

After pointing out Lin Li's shortcomings, Old Grimm identified the mistakes and highlights of the spar, then proceeded with a detailed analysis. It was almost evening by the time he finished. Old Grimm saw that it was late, so he fixed a time with Lin Li for the next day before he left the Emerald Tower and disappeared into the darkness.

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Old Grimm came every day in the days that followed.

While Lin Li continued to make up for his lack of practical experience, the chaos carried on in Jarrosus City.

The victory that day had put Gerian in a good mood. He insisted on taking a few bottles of Awakening Potion from Lin Li as a reward for the group of mages who burned the two merchant ships down.

Under the incentive of the Awakening Potion, the crowd's enthusiasm surged. Almost every day before dawn, the group of mages would depart from the Emerald Tower straight to the Merlin Family's businesses in the city.

Unfortunately, the Merlin Family had shrunk completely because of the devastating blow that day.

Dozens of Magic Shooters and more than 100 mages were searching around Jarrosus City like a pack of hounds. Eventually, only a few abandoned businesses were found, as well as a few members of the Merlin Family oblivious to the situation that dared to roam about at this sensitive moment.

Under the threat of this horrifying force, the forces in the city were all the more miserable. They were living in fear everyday, afraid that one of their men would offend the people from the Guild of Magic. This group of bastards was driven by bloodlust now; anyone who provoked them would be poking at a hornet's nest. They were a group of real bandits—barbaric and unreasonable.

Especially those of the six underground forces. Except Old Odin, who had maintained a good relationship with the Guild of Magic all along, none of the remaining five forces were not in a state of apprehension. When the Guild of Magic was down-and-out, they had each done their fair share of treading upon them. Although not as arrogant as the Merlin Family to the point of directly interfering in the guild's affairs, those wicked things done behind the scenes had long been remembered by all the mages.

These days, the leaders of the several forces were praying every day. They had never been so devout before. They were just hoping that the madness of the Guild of Magic would pass over soon, or the Merlin Family quickly wiped out; otherwise, if it continued like this, they would be driven to insanity.

Almost everyone was cursing—not only that the Guild of Magic was a bunch of bandits, but also that the Merlin Family was a herd of cowards.

The most reviled of them all was Aaron Matsis of the Blood Brotherhood. He was really driven to the wall. Because of them running a few casinos with the Merlin Family, it directly led to the people from the Guild of Magic smashing the casinos as soon as they saw one, regardless of whether the casinos were jointly run with the Merlin Family or not.

Aaron Matsis felt that he had been wronged. The bastards, Merlins, had offended the Guild of Magic but somehow he was hurt as well. More than a dozen casinos controlled by the Blood Brotherhood were smashed in the week. Aaron Matsis' heart ached when he thought about it, and whenever his heart ached, he couldn't help but curse, "F*ck you, Merlin Family. Your whole family was transformed from tortoises. You guys are at ease in hiding, while my casinos were smashed to ruins. If you have the guts, then hide forever, see how that old bastard, Gerian, is going to smash all your tortoise shells…"

Aaron Matsis' words were blood and tears, almost spitting onto the Merlin Family's face. But even so, there was still no news from the Merlin Family.

The forbearance was absurd to all the Jarrosus forces. The Guild of Magic now was as arrogant as if someone had stepped on your head and peed in your face, and the Merlin Family could still endure. This was just like the endurance ninja from legends!

Even within the Merlin Family, perhaps only a handful of confidants—like Evan—knew that Old Merlin endured only to wait for the duel that would take place a few days later.

All the problems would cease to be problems after Cromwell killed Felic.

The Guild of Magic's arrogance seemed to be stinking to the heavens, but in fact, they were nothing without the young mage. What about Gerian? Old Merlin was an Archmage as well. The battle before the Emerald Tower had already proved that the two men were neck and neck.

And with all the equipment hidden in the family, Old Merlin was even more confident of defeating the most powerful mage of Jarrosus.

Only Old Merlin who had personally experienced the battle knew how terrifying the young pharmacist was. It took only a bottle of blue potion to wipe out all his efforts. It was as if the winning ticket was held, but suddenly someone had struck you with a loud slap. What was most devastating to Old Merlin was that, after Gerian had regained his mana, the young pharmacist had even brought out an extra bottle as a backup…

The feeling of despair was still etched in Old Merlin's heart.

From that time on, he knew that to destroy the Guild of Magic, he had to kill the pharmacist first.

So, Old Merlin had been enduring. He did not even say a word when the two merchant ships in the canal were burned down, because he knew that the chance he had been waiting for was coming…

Old Merlin constantly had faith in the coming duel.

Because his only son, Cromwell, had broken through to level-thirteen this morning!

This breakthrough finally gave the guilty Old Merlin a glint of relief. Level-thirteen was a height that most mages could not achieve after a lifetime of hard work.

Although this height was bought with no further progress for life…

Looking at the confident Cromwell, Old Merlin kept a twinge of guilt in his eyes.

"Cromwell, how do you feel now?"

"Very good, Father." There was a faint trace of hysteria in Cromwell's confident eyes. The Waterfall Strike at the Emerald Tower was engraved in his mind. For Cromwell, it was a disgrace for life. He remembered vividly how he could not resist in front of the mage named Felic and how he was thrown out of the Emerald Tower like a piece of garbage.

So when Old Merlin asked him if he would like to carry out the family's secret ritual after he came back, Cromwell agreed without hesitation.

He knew that once the ritual was held, he would run out of his full potential and would not be able to make any further progress in his life.

But Cromwell knew well that this would bring him a powerful strength—enough to easily kill Felic.

Cromwell was imagining the whole time during the ritual—when he appeared with a powerful strength, would the hateful mage also show a look of fear in his eyes like how he did when he was lying on the steps of the Emerald Tower, looking up at him?

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Cromwell was absolutely confident about winning this duel.

He was intoxicated with the unprecedented powerful feeling after breaking through to level-thirteen. He believed that no one in Jarrosus' younger generation was his opponent—including Felic, who once made him feel fear.

The shame in Emerald Tower had to be cleansed with blood.

When he was answering Old Merlin, Cromwell began to plan in his heart how to kill his opponent as cruelly as possible. The humiliation through words alone was inadequate; it was not enough to wash away the shame on himself. The mage named Felic had to shed the last drop of his blood before he could die in endless pain and remorse!

"There are two pieces of equipment in the basement, in the third compartment on the right side of the door. I've told you before how to open it. Now go and take them out."

"Yes, Father."

Moments later, Cromwell returned to Old Merlin with a mage robe and a staff.

"These two things were meant to be given to you after you became a Magic Shooter. Little did I expect…" Old Merlin looked at the two pieces of equipment and remembered that Cromwell would never be able to progress in his life. He couldn't help but feel dejected.

"It's alright, Father. I am also a Magic Shooter now."

"Mm." Old Merlin nodded. He stretched his hand and picked up the staff. "Even I have never used this Aether Staff before. It has been passed down in the Merlin Family for more than ten generations and can be said to be the most powerful piece of equipment in the family hoard. Look at this magical crystal, what do you feel?"

"A powerful mana, at least level-fifteen or above."

"Not bad…" Old Merlin nodded. There was a glimmer of approval in his eyes. "This is a level-eighteen magical crystal. In addition to increasing the magic power, it also contains one of the biggest secrets that only the heads of the Merlin Family in previous generations knew… This level-eighteen magical crystal can be activated by a special method, and when it is activated, you can get a chance to cast an overstepping spell of five levels…"

Cromwell hissed, sucking in a cold breath. What did an overstepping spell of five levels mean…? Take himself as an example—he was a level-thirteen Magic Shooter. If the magical crystal was activated, he would be able to cast a level-eighteen spell. Such a terrifying level of spell would even be able to defeat Old Merlin and Gerian!

"And this Soul Branding Robe…" Old Merlin put down the staff and picked up the gray mage robe. "It has magic resistance attributes. After wearing it, chances of you getting hurt by low-level spells will be much smaller. In addition, it also has space for 16 scrolls. Before the duel begins, I will prepare 16 scrolls for you."

"I get it, Father." Cromwell looked at the two pieces of equipment with some disregard. He felt that Old Merlin was making a mountain out of a molehill. Now that he was a level-thirteen Magic Shooter, he might even be able to fight the leaders of the other mage families. That Felic was at most level-eight or nine in strength. He did not need any equipment to aid him; he could easily crush Felic with his strength alone.

"Are you thinking I'm making a big deal of a fuss here?" How could Old Merlin not see what Cromwell was thinking with that vision of his? It made Old Merlin helpless. Although Cromwell had grown up a lot after the setback at the Emerald Tower, his supercilious character had never changed completely.

"Father, I feel—"

"Say no more." Cromwell tried to justify himself, but Old Merlin waved his hand wearily. "There's one thing I haven't told you in order to avoid distracting you. That day, outside the Emerald Tower before Gerian came out, I tried to suppress Felic with my mental strength. Do you know what the result was?"

Cromwell looked at Old Merlin with surprise in his eyes.

"Ay…" Old Merlin sighed. "I wonder what kind of luck has struck the Guild of Magic to have such a genius with them. Not only is he a pharmacist, he also has an alarming magical talent. His mental strength is stronger than any mage's I have ever seen. At that time, if I hadn't suppressed him with the strength of an Archmage, I might have lost our Merlin Family's face without waiting for Gerian to come out…"

"…" For all his arrogance, Cromwell was not really an idiot. Especially after breaking through to level-thirteen in magic, he understood better than before what a powerful mental strength meant to a mage…

"Don't belittle your opponent. And don't forget, he's a pharmacist at the same time…" Old Merlin carefully handed the two pieces of equipment to Cromwell. "There are seven days left before the duel, and you still have a chance to complete the final ritual. If you can break through to level-fourteen in these seven days, the Merlin Family is really going to win this duel."

"I get it, Father." Cromwell nodded heavily. With the two pieces of equipment in his hands, he bowed himself out of the room and gently closed the door behind him.

…

Meanwhile, inside the Emerald Tower, Lin Li had once again fallen under the Arcane Missiles.

"Looks like you need a little luck…" Old Grimm, who won, had a look of relief on his face. If he hadn't cast the spell too fast to trigger the bite of mana, he might have lost the combat.

The young man progressed too fast. Andoine was right, he was a real magic genius. This speed of improvement was enough to make any mage jealous. At the beginning, he could use the strength of a Magic Shooter to triumph over him easily. But these days, Lin Li had made a leap from day to day. He had even required luck to win on this day.

Every time he entered the hall, Old Grimm would feel that he was standing in front of a stranger.

That kind of feeling was too strange—they obviously looked the same, but the strength was completely different.

It was less than ten days from the beginning, when Lin Li had no ability to retaliate, to now, when he could exchange strikes with Old Grimm himself. Old Grimm lived a hundred years and had never seen such a monster before. It was as if he had been born to learn magic; in particular, his terrifying combat talent gave Old Grimm chills whenever he thought about it.

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This hurt his self-esteem…

Old Grimm felt incredulous looking at the young mage before his eyes. The same person couldn't even tell if a spell was really released a few days ago, but in the battle just now, he accurately judged Old Grimm's intention with a Mental Confusion spell. He seized the brief pause after Old Grimm's spell-casting and successfully suppressed it with a few low-level spells…

Old Grimm's fear swelled as he watched Lin Li grow stronger day by day.

He recalled the shot of Ice Blast earlier on; if he had not encountered the bite of mana, the one lying on the ground now would be him.

"I'm still too impatient." Lin Li recovered from the dizziness caused by the Arcane Missiles, but he was not in a hurry to get up. Instead, he sat on the cold floor and summed up his earlier failure. This was a habit he had developed in the recent days. After each failure, he would analyze the combat and look for the key to his failure.

"This is just one of the reasons." Old Grimm shook his head. "With your current mental strength, even if your casting speed is fast, it would be hard to encounter the bite of mana. You were just unlucky this time to encounter it. Your real problem lies in your mentality.

"You have been losing these few days. Today, you finally got the chance to win, so you'd inevitably be a little out of your mind. You wanted to beat me with that Ice Blast, but in that situation, I was already under the spell of the Mana Retroaction and couldn't cast any spells for five seconds. Although the Elemental Shield was still there, it had already blocked off several low-level spells. Why did you not continue to use low-level spells to suppress me then? You only needed two or three wind blades to cut through the Elemental Shield. At that time, why did you choose to recite the spell for Ice Blast that took three seconds long? Did you ever consider that if there was a mistake with the Ice Blast, then the opportunity you've managed to grab would slip away from you and even put you in a passive position throughout the combat?"

Lin Li carefully recalled the situation at that time. It was indeed just as Old Grimm said; his mentality was unbalanced in the face of the coming victory.

Old Grimm's expression was stern. In his heart, he had already regarded Lin Li as his student. "The bite of mana this time was by coincidence. However, a real powerful mage would never leave any chance to his opponent. Such is the battle between mages. One such coincidence can be fatal. Maybe you're much stronger than your opponent. You can win him 99 times in 100 battles, but that one time could kill you and you'd never have the chance to fight him another 99 times."

"Thank you." The old man's words fell into his ears, and Lin Li felt a twinge of gratitude in his heart. He knew very well that the experiences Old Grimm mentioned were summed up in his lifetime. This was more precious than any magic knowledge, and no mage would be willing to speak of it except those who really cared about him.

"But, Felic…" At this point, there was a smile of relief on Old Grimm's face. "Your performance amazes me. If it had been two days ago, I would never have expected you to push me to such a degree. I even secretly used a Magic Steal once earlier on. This is a level-fourteen spell…"

"No wonder…" Lin Li tumbled. "I was thinking I had lost my Elemental Shield too fast…"

"Heh heh…"

"Why don't we do it again? But this time you promise you won't use Magic Steal…"

"Sure!" Old Grimm agreed readily. The battles with Lin Li these days had made him feel like he was a few years younger, as if he had returned to the days when he was a young man following the team of adventurers to every corner of Anril, hunting for magical beasts and precious herbs…

At the same time, the old man nodded his head. Lin Li, sitting on the floor, had released two shots of wind blades with a swish. He had prepared the two wind blades for long, only waiting for Old Grimm to accept the invitation. Old Grimm had said that himself—a mage was not a knight and should cast a spell whenever possible. There was nothing to worry about bad manners as long as you could kill your opponent; a dead body was not entitled to talk about manners.

"Not bad, you learnt fast." Old Grimm was not flustered. An ice armor was erected and easily blocked the wind blades released by Lin Li. It was then followed by a recitation that was unhurried yet remarkably fluent.

Just as his spell was about to end, he suddenly felt an abnormal surge of mana. The raging fire element seemed to have frozen suddenly. Old Grimm looked up and saw Lin Li's triumphant smile. This was a brilliant Mana Retroaction, released just a second before the end of the spell. It not only disrupted Old Grimm's spell-casting rhythm, but also successfully consumed the duration of his ice armor.

However, Old Grimm did not panic. With a thin layer of ice armor, he resisted the suppression of the low-level spells that came after.

The battle between the two men dazzled Gerian. Artful spell-casting techniques, precise time calculation, rapid attack and defense changeover—all kinds of qualities were displayed incisively and vividly. Especially in these two days, as Lin Li's strength skyrocketed day by day, the battles became more and more exciting, making Gerian reluctant to leave.

Unfortunately, he received a message from Kevin just as he was watching in excitement.

The Shadow's Nest had once again barged into the Demon Fall Valley.

"Eiserhol, you've got guts!" In the guild hall, the furious Gerian slammed his fist onto the table and nearly smashed the crystal ball connecting to the Demon Fall Valley. In his towering rage, Gerian spoke to Kevin in the crystal ball in a shouting voice, "What is the damn situation in the Demon Fall Valley now?"

"They have around a dozen thieves that sneaked in from the Night Song Forest. They destroyed two guard towers and took the mages in the towers hostage."

"Bloody hell!" Gerian broke out in curses. After a while, he gradually calmed down. "How many people have been taken hostage?"

"A total of four."

"Write a letter to Eiserhol right now to request an exchange of hostages. Didn't we capture a few Shadow's Nest people last time? Exchange them. If they don't agree, you can increase the price a little. Anyhow, we must get our people back," Gerian said in one breath and paused before adding, "There are seven days left before the duel, you must hang in there… If you can't keep the outlying guard towers, give them up. We can recover them anytime. The most important thing is that you are alright."

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Chapter 73: Level Twelve

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Kevin, who was holding his ground in the Demon Fall Valley, passed every day as if it were a year. Lin Li, who was in the Emerald Tower, felt like time was flying by. In the blink of an eye, seven days were reduced to one day left.

Accompanied by Gerian, Lin Li walked into the level certification hall once again.

Old Grimm had just left half an hour ago. Before he left, the old man's expression was somewhat hurt. In one afternoon, Lin Li had beaten him four times in a row, and each time was done neatly and efficiently. He'd even used Magic Steal on one occasion, but still failed to avoid a defeat…

Even Gerian, who was wild with joy while watching, couldn't help but curse inwardly. Beast.

Old Grimm was a legendary mage; though he used only the power of a Magic Shooter, it was hardly justifiable to beat him over and over again…

"Go and certify your level once more. With your current strength, you should have reached the Magic Shooter realm."

At Old Grimm's reminder, Lin Li suddenly remembered that he had not gone to certify his level for a long time. He wondered how much progress he had made after this period of tempering.

Still the same empty level certification hall, still the same crystal ball protected by the mageweaths.

Under the eyes of Gerian, Lin Li once again pressed his hand on the crystal ball.

As time went by, the light on the crystal ball became more and more dazzling. Lin Li had once again broken his own record. This time, the mana output was extended by a full two minutes to become a horrifying 30 minutes in total!

"30 minutes…" Gerian's jaw was wide open, and looked as if an egg could be stuffed into it. He stared dumbfounded for long before asking incredulously, "You little bastard, are you still human?"

To Gerian, this kid was a monster in human skin. The initial 28 minutes was enough to put people in despair. To think this beast in human skin could extend the time. Gerian was even wondering if this bastard would blow up the crystal ball directly when he came back in another few years' time.

Before Gerian's dumbstruck eyes, the brightness of the crystal ball soared through level-nine without a doubt, and then went straight into the realm of a Magic Shooter. What drove Gerian completely mad was that the light still showed no signs of stopping after it had passed the realm of the Magic Shooter, and it broke through level-eleven with an irresistible force…

"Damn! Magic Shooter, it indeed is the Magic Shooter!"

When the crystal ball's brightness rested at level-twelve, Gerian's screams almost lifted the roof off. "Bloody hell, it's a level-twelve Magic Shooter at that…"

"Level-twelve? That much?" Lin Li couldn't help feeling astounded. He had been practicing with Old Grimm every day recently, and he could really feel his strength growing by leaps and bounds. But he had never expected the extent of his ascension to be so great. Not only did he enter the realm of the Magic Shooter directly, he also reached a height of a level-twelve Magic Shooter in just over ten days.

"Heck, you tell me, are you human? After practicing with Grimm Burnside for a few days, you've jumped from level-nine to level-twelve…" Gerian had gone totally insane, grabbing Lin Li's neck and shaking it with all his might. "I've fought for decades, and had 800 if not a 1000 battles in total, so why have I never got promoted so fast before?"

"How would I know…"

"F*ck, this is inhuman." Gerian was extremely indignant, and looked at Lin Li with suspicion. "If you continue practicing with Grimm Burnside for another couple of days, will you break through to the Archmage realm directly?"

"You're dreaming!" Lin Li was at a loss whether to laugh or cry hearing Gerian's whimsical words.

"Right…" Gerian chuckled embarrassedly as he wiped off the cold sweat that broke out on his forehead. To break through to the realm of an Archmage could only be said out of fun. If there was really such a good thing in the world, why did they need to study magic? They could just battle with a legendary mage like Old Grimm or Andoine, who would probably be worked to death.

In fact, Gerian knew that the root of Lin Li's achievements lay not only in his unique talent, but also in his diligence and accumulation.

It could be said that Gerian had watched this talented mage grow up. From the level-eight mage when he first came to the Guild of Magic to the level-twelve Magic Shooter he had broken through today, Gerian was perfectly clear how much sweat and effort Lin Li had put in in the process.

Not to mention the Emerald Tower, even if you looked all over Jarrosus City, there was probably no mage beyond level-eight who still practiced the basic skill of elemental sequencing every day, and more so no one would stay in the library for a whole day just to find a shorter spell.

But Lin Li could. Gerian often found this genius mage staying in the room for a whole day. When asked what he was doing, his answer was actually practicing elemental sequencing. Jarrosus was the famous City of Chaos in northern Anril. There were 18 forces here and a life full of splendor and various temptations. Even an honest guy like Kevin failed to resist the temptation and sparked off a relationship with the daughter of a wealthy businessman a few years back…

But this young man, who was several years younger than Kevin, could resist the temptation. With his status as a potion master, the wealth of over a million gold coins on the crystal card, plus the strength of a level-nine mage, there would be countless ladies willing to throw themselves on him with him just standing around in the Daylight Square. But he did not, and was instead holed up in the Emerald Tower every day, studying magic or making potions, as if these were all his amusements.

This made Gerian perplexed but pleased at the same time…

The accumulation of diligence and perseverance finally broke out at once and led him to leap directly from level-nine to level-twelve. The combat with Old Grimm was merely an inducement. Without his previous diligence and perseverance, even if the legendary mage personally guided him, he would only obtain some additional combat experience, which would not be helpful to the ascension of magic level.

For Lin Li, the fighting over the past ten days was like a key that opened the door to his dreams. Before this, he had been wandering in front of the door for a long, long time…

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Chapter 74: Black Diamond

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After coming out from the level certification hall, Lin Li locked himself in his room once again.

The duel with Cromwell would begin in a day's time—he had a lot of things to prepare before it. As Old Grimm said, a truly powerful mage had to put an end to all accidents. Lin Li couldn't prevent all accidents by himself with his strength, so he had to prepare some items for himself.

It was a must to wear the Robe of Wrath which could carry 30 scrolls and which he enchanted with magic resistance attributes using the abyss mithril gold rod. The space to carry 30 scrolls was a little unnecessary, but the magic resistance attribute was definitely what Lin Li needed. How could Lin Li have gotten away unharmed at Castellan Isaac's banquet if he had not worn the Robe of Wrath?

After deciding on the mage robe, Lin Li fumbled about in the Ring of Endless Storm again.

But the result was embarrassing. Despite the extent he was rich to in the Endless World, he had forgotten to prepare a set of equipment for his mage smurf. The Robe of Wrath was the only thing he had.

So, Lin Li had to dig out the Winter Staff, which was the only equipment Andoine gave him. Although the tip of the staff was inlaid with a magical crystal from a level-eight Frost Troll, it was a handsome weapon for Lin Li, who had always loved ice spells.

"Eh!" Lin Li suddenly saw two familiar things when he took out the Winter Staff from the Ring of Endless Storm. It was a dirty canvas and a ring embedded with a black diamond.

Lin Li vaguely remembered that the two things should have been offered by the Leviathan Gorilla when he went to rescue Ina.

The dirty canvas was quickly thrown aside by Lin Li, for he couldn't understand what was painted on it anyway, but he was delighted by the ring. This was something that carried a strong magical wave. When they found it in the tree hole of the Leviathan Gorilla, Lin Li knew that it was at least on the same level as his Robe of Wrath.

But after coming to Jarrosus City, he had no use for it at the time, and he also had no time to use it. So, he had actually forgotten about it in the long run…

Now that he had found it again, Lin Li decided to study it in detail.

He first tried to input mana into the ring to see if he could trigger the magic attributes of the ring itself. This was general knowledge Andoine had taught him. If he was unable to judge the use of a piece of magic equipment, the best way to find out was to input mana into it. Under the stimulus of the mana, most magic equipment would reveal its own attributes.

What Andoine had taught him was indeed true. Lin Li had just begun to input his mana into the ring when the black diamond inlaid on it began to emit a faint light. The light was strange—deep and dark—like the eyes of the legendary Abyssal Demon.

Lin Li's confidence rose seeing there was a reaction from the ring.

He slowly began to increase the intensity of his mana output. It was a process that required patience. An overly intense mana output was likely to destroy rare magic equipment.

But very soon, Lin Li found that he was being too careful.

The intensity of mana output was constantly increasing, and the light coming out from the black diamond glowed brighter and brighter. But the true attribute of the ring was never revealed. Lin Li began to feel a little anxious. The increase of his mana output began to amplify from the previous caution to a subsequent full output.

But the strange ring remained the same…

"F*ck! What bird-crap stuff is this…" Lin Li knew his mana like the palm of his hand. At present, he was close to the maximum output of his mana. With such a massive influx of mana, even the most powerful magic equipment would be activated. How was it that this bird-crap ring had no response at all?

"Did I use the wrong method?" The method of mana input did not work, but Lin Li was not discouraged. After all, this was only one of the ways to judge the attributes of a magic equipment—it was just the most widely used method. Apart from this, there were many ways to activate equipment; some creators even deliberately placed traps on the magic equipment.

Lin Li gently held the ring inlaid with the black diamond in his hand and began his attempt to penetrate it with his mental strength. It was just like when he was forging the gold rod; he could establish a subtle connection with the ring with the penetration of his mental strength. Mental strength was a sensitive and delicate thing. Through the trace of mental strength, Lin Li could clearly grasp any situation that was in the ring.

Lin Li felt an anomaly the moment his mental spirit penetrated the black diamond.

It was a bizarre feeling, as if the trace of mental strength fully incarnated into Lin Li himself and that little black diamond had become the whole world.

The world in the black diamond was just like the deep, dark light it gave off, bearing a strong, peculiar aura. Lin Li was aware of the abnormality as soon as his mental strength seeped in. There was an endless gloom all around; it seemed that no trace of mental strength could escape the darkness. A powerful attraction force—chaotic and violent—poured in from all directions, as if to tear the thread of mental strength to pieces.

From the moment the powerful attraction force appeared, Lin Li knew he had done something stupid. The penetration of the mental strength was a very dangerous thing, not to mention doing it with a ring of unknown origin. If the mental strength was completely torn apart, even if he made great progress in magic in the future, it would not be able to make up for the flaw left behind in the mental strength.

However, it was too late to regret now. Under the pull of the powerful attraction force, he was unable to recall that trace of mental strength. Lin Li could only try to steady his mind and control the mental strength with caution. Shuttling swiftly through the darkness, his goal was the only glint of light in the endless darkness.

That glint of light was far ahead—faint and flickering but exceptionally brilliant in the endless darkness. The powerful attraction force was tearing in all directions, the darkness swept past, and every now and then, there were voices husky and deep, whispering and murmuring, and everything was as if in a dream.

And with these voices were all kinds of emotions—sadness, joy, laughter, and tears. These innumerable emotions seemed to pour into his mind all at once, and even with his sick mental strength, he almost collapsed in an instant.

After barely managing to steady his mind, Lin Li felt cold sweat breaking out all over his body. The pure mental attack was more frightening than a magic spell. It took only one careless move to plunge himself into a state of eternal damnation. At this point, he had begun to regret venturing to penetrate the black diamond with his mental strength.

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Chapter 75: Torrent of Elements Ring

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The sudden influx of a large amount of emotions was frantically tearing at Lin Li's mental strength. At that moment, he felt as if he had completely broken down, or as if he were a schizophrenic—at one time laughing, and at another crying. Accompanying the laughing and crying was a splitting pain. The pain that gushed out of the depths of the mind had nothing to do with the body. It was just the purest of all pain that couldn't be diverted nor relieved; he could only let it wreak havoc in his mind.

Lin Li felt that he had gone insane under the inhuman suffering. No one knew how long this pain lasted; perhaps it was only one second, perhaps it was a year. Just as he was on the verge of collapse, a ray of light tore through the endless darkness…

It was as if a red sun rising from the east at the darkest hour before dawn, shining in all its splendor and filling the whole world with life and vitality. This was what Lin Li felt at the moment. After that wisp of light tore open the endless darkness, boundless rays of light permeated it all at once and cleared away the haze in an instant. The world became pure all of a sudden.

The dream-like voices disappeared and the various emotions were gone without a trace. Through the mental strength, Lin Li could feel a kind of peace and tranquility very clearly.

Apart from the dazzling light, there was an immense void all around. There was neither time nor space around, only the purest and most primitive nothingness, as if it were all but for the purpose of making this piece of light exist.

After a short respite, Lin Li extended his mental strength and examined the bright light quietly…

With his recent lesson, he did not dare to be careless. Everything was done with caution. His tenuous mental strength was divided into dozens of feelers, probing around one by one.

The light seemed to contain some kind of power and rules; it maintained a tenacious and unyielding resistance to the invasion of that trace of mental strength from Lin Li. This resistance made the invasion extremely difficult, and Lin Li had to control his mental strength to wander around in search of cracks to penetrate.

This was a process that required patience. After a few thousand tries, a trace of mental strength managed to get through at last…

The mental strength fused with the light the moment it succeeded. At the same time, there seemed to be a loud noise in the deeper part of Lin Li's mind. It was a complete fusion, as if a soldering iron had come down, and a unique imprint of Lin Li had been branded on the ring.

The branding was more thorough than the one on the gold rod. The gold rod was only controlled by a trace of residual mental strength. However, this time, Lin Li left his own mental mark on the ring completely, making the ring part of his mental strength. To prompt it, he didn't need any mana or connection through his mental strength—a mere thought could activate the attributes of the ring.

"Good stuff…" When the ring was branded with his mark, Lin Li knew exactly what kind of magic equipment it was. It never occurred to him that a level-eight magical beast like the Leviathan Gorilla could come to possess such a powerful treasure.

What was really powerful about this ring was that it could create an elemental channel in an instant—all the magical elements that might hurt oneself would be guided into this particular channel. The magical elements guided into it would then be stored in their complete form; regardless of the elemental sequence or the magic structure, there would be no change. When needed, the owner of the ring could also release the stored magic by mana activation…

The only thing that was regretful to Lin Li was that the channel could only be created once a day, and the magic that could be guided into it could not exceed his own level by five.

But apart from these two flaws, this ring with the black diamond was absolutely invulnerable. Not to mention the opportunity for a magic immunity, there was also an additional powerful magic spell on the house. If the ring was utilized well, with Lin Li's current strength, he might even have the chance beat an Archmage…

"Not bad, not bad…" After putting on the ring contentedly, Lin Li was grinning from ear to ear. It was only after a long time of elation that he suddenly remembered such a handy magic equipment had yet to have a name. "Since it's used to immunize magic through a channel… I'll simply call it the Torrent of Elements…"

With this Torrent of Elements Ring, Lin Li felt that he had no need to go to Gerian again. The Guild of Magic had been poor for years, and the only magic equipment it could bring out were probably the one that the Mannes Family contributed. The magic equipment in the guild's warehouse either enhanced mental strength or supplied mana. What little enhancement did a monster like Lin Li who was almost like a magical beast need?

Fumbling through the Ring of Endless Storm again, there seemed to be no more equipment that could be used…

So, Lin Li naturally had his mind on potions.

After selecting several commonly used herbs, Lin Li hesitated for a while, and gingerly took out a black lotus petal.

This was probably what they called "character determines destiny." If Gerian were to fight in this duel, with the old man's arrogant character and an opponent who had been defeated easily before, he would have gone to the duel straight, without even bringing his staff…

But Lin Li had always been cautious. Even facing Cromwell, whom he had easily beaten before, he would still want to be fully prepared before the duel. Although the black lotus petals were precious, they were not worth mentioning compared to his own life.

Moreover, he would not be so naive to think that this duel would be easy.

Old Merlin had seen clearly what happened in the Emerald Tower that day. With his vision, how could he not see that Cromwell was no match for Lin Li? He was not an idiot. How could he send the sole heir of the Merlin Family to die knowing the disparity in power?

Lin Li was almost certain from all these unreasonable points that the Merlin Family definitely had something formidable up their sleeves for this duel. The Cromwell who would appear at the Daylight Square tomorrow would definitely be a lot stronger than the one he knew!

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Chapter 76: Elixir of the Sages

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

There was a heavy mist in the potion lab. Lin Li was busying himself with a solemn expression on his face.

He was about to concoct the Elixir of the Sages, a true master-grade potion.

This was the first time Lin Li used a master-grade formula ever since he'd transmigrated. The previous Sobriety Potion and the Arcane Magic Potion were merely medium-grade formulas. Even the Awakening Potion that allowed Gerian to stun Old Merlin outside the Emerald Tower was only a product of a high-grade formula…

A master-grade potion that made use of the petals of the black lotus was not to be mentioned in the same breath with the other potions he had concocted before.

Even Lin Li, who was accustomed to using the Flaming Hands for heating, lit up an amethyst lamp today. This was a luxury item that a real pharmacy master was qualified to possess. The amethyst was by nature extremely sensitive to mana. By filling it with a low-level fire magical crystal, the temperature could be precisely adjusted through the use of mana.

Half a small beaker of peacebloom succus was placed on top of the lamp holder woven by the Eternal Adamantine thread.

As the temperature of the amethyst lamp rose little by little, the beaker containing the peacebloom succus gradually began to boil.

Lin Li gently swung the test tube in his hands, carefully shaking the wild steelbloom succus up. But in his heart, he was carefully calculating the time taken for the peacebloom succus to boil. The Elixir of the Sages was a fragile thing, and would not allow any room for error. If the boiling time was too long, it would lead to serious volatilization of the potion, and the effect would be greatly reduced when used. If the boiling time was too short, its mind-calming effects would not be completely achieved. A bottle of Elixir of the Sages that could predict the future would likely become a maddening lethal potion.

The wild steelbloom succus in the test tube was completely shaken up, which was also the moment when the peacebloom succus in the beaker turned from turbid to clear. Lin Li quickly poured down the succus of the wild steelbloom. The mixture of two solutions—one cold and one hot—not only fogged the potion lab, but also quieted the boiling liquid in the beaker in an instant.

The wild steelbloom grew in dark, damp places and had some medicinal properties tending towards cold. It was suitable to be used to cool the boiling peacebloom succus.

After pouring the wild steelbloom succus, Lin Li did not adjust the temperature of the amethyst lamp. According to his calculations, it would take at least 30 seconds for the liquid in the beaker to boil again.

Although 30 seconds was not long, it was enough for him to complete a bottle of the potion.

Lin Li used the silver knife in his hand and gently cut four stalks of dracaena grass into portions of equal length. And then there was another cut, and a piece of terocone was cut in half. One half of terocone and the four stalks of dracaena grass were put into the beaker at the same time, and they floated lightly in the clear liquid.

After all these, Lin Li released an Ice Blast, creating a cold mist on the potion table. The little black lotus petal was enveloped in that mist. Under the stimulation of the two distinct attributes, a hiss was heard…

The cold mist dispersed almost instantaneously, while the temperature on the potion table was still hot.

Lin Li was not flustered as he released another Ice Blast.

The black lotus, which grew only in the extreme temperatures, naturally contained massive amounts of fire magical element. It did not look any different than usually, but once the medicinal properties were released or when it collided with other magical elements, the blazing temperature could erupt in an instant. If it was put directly into the beaker without any prior processing, it could probably evaporate the whole beaker of succus in an instant.

After cooling down with three Ice Blast spells, the black lotus petal was frozen at last.

Under the light, the frozen black lotus petal exuded a glittering mystery. However, Lin Li had no time to admire it. The three Ice Blast spells had used up nine seconds of his time.

When that piece of sparkling frost fell, the liquid in the beaker that was about to boil seemed to rest suddenly. No fog arose and no magical element stirred; only a refreshing breath overflowed the beaker…

There was a deep red glow in the previously clear liquid. This was the true color of the black lotus—as red as the fire, its own attribute.

Lin Li heaved a long sigh of relief after finishing all these.

This was probably the most tiring concoction ever since he'd transmigrated.

Although the required skills were not profound, it demanded the precise control of time. Every step had to be precisely calculated in seconds, in particular the last 30 seconds where the cooling of the black lotus petal had to be completed.

However, watching the full beaker containing the Elixir of the Sages standing there, Lin Li felt that all his tiredness was worth it. It was a master-grade potion using the black lotus petal. It would take only a small bottle to produce a time-warping effect, allowing the user to know in advance what would happen within 20 meters in the next ten minutes.

Even among the master-grade formulas, the Elixir of the Sages could be considered a true high-quality product. To some extent, forcibly distorting the rule of time was near to a miraculous realm.

As long as a bottle of Elixir of the Sages was in his hand, Lin Li really did not believe that Cromwell would be able to hurt him in the following day's duel.

The door of the potion lab opened suddenly as he was thinking of the duel.

Gerian poked his head in and asked with an obsequious smile, "Eh! Felic, you are concocting potions again?"

"Please cut the crap, President Gerian…" Lin Li rolled his eyes in spite of himself. He knew the old fellow would find his way here.

Ever since the Arcane Magic Potion, Gerian's nose seemed to become more sensitive. As soon as he smelled something coming out of the pharmacy, the old fellow would rush in and watch at the side, waiting for Lin Li to prepare the potion so that he could fill his pockets with one or two bottles.

Anyway, the old fellow was too thick-skinned to be driven away. After a few times, Lin Li simply paid no attention to him anymore. Moreover, it was really boring, waiting for the potion to boil. It seemed that time passed faster when there was someone nearby to talk to. As for the few bottles of potions he pocketed at the end, he'd just treat them as a payment for his company…

But this time it was the Elixir of the Sages. Even he himself had to think it over time and again before finally deciding to concoct a bottle, so naturally it had nothing to do with Gerian.

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