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?

3. 77 - 108

Read Another World's Versatile Crafting Master - Chapter 77 - Terms online free - NovelFull

Chapter 77: Terms

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

So, without waiting for him to open his mouth this time, Lin Li shook his head and rejected him. "Don't think about it this time. I've prepared this for tomorrow's duel."

"Don't be a stranger, alright…?" A blush came to Gerian's aged face when his intentions were exposed. But with his character, it was impossible for him to acknowledge it. After laughing it off embarrassedly, he continued stubbornly, "I saw that you've been in the potion lab for a long time and came to see whether there's anything you need…"

"You could fool Kevin with that."

"Rascal, you don't know good from bad. I'm concerned about you!" Gerian turned angry from the embarrassment and grumbled. At last, he was unwilling to give up, and finally revealed his intentions. "Is it true you only concocted one bottle?"

"…" Lin Li only felt energy sapped from him.

"If it's really one bottle, then forget it…" Seeing Lin Li's expression, Gerian knew that this time was out of the question, and he dropped the subject. "For some reason, the more I thought about it these two days, the more I felt that something is wrong with the duel tomorrow… Do you think Matthew, that old jerk, has prepared some trap for me to jump into it?"

"You can't place a trap as and when you like. Without sufficient strength, it's useless even if you really set it up…" Lin Li shook his head, dispelling the doubts in Gerian's mind. "The situation in Jarrosus is too clear. You've already stepped on Old Merlin's face, and that old fellow didn't even dare to make a sound. What are you afraid of?"

"But…"

"There's no buts. I've also thought it through these few days. That day, there was only one reason why Old Merlin forced me into a duel with his son: his hope that Cromwell could kill me in the duel." At this point, Lin Li stretched out two fingers. "There are two benefits that arise from this. One, to weaken the strength of the Guild of Magic; two, to get rid of the threat of potions to the Merlin Family."

Gerian was still in doubt. "Cromwell has the ability to do it?"

"Maybe he does have… He's the only heir of the Merlin Family. Should I kill him in the duel, even if the Merlin Family doesn't die, they'd be crippled. Old Merlin's not that stupid. But luckily, I'm not stupid either, and my luck's not too bad too. After practicing with Mage Grimm for a few days, I've actually managed to climb to level-twelve by accident. Even if Old Merlin is formidable, he probably wouldn't have expected me to become a level-twelve Magic Shooter."

"Of course… Who would have expected?" At the mention of this, Gerian felt seriously resentful. They were all mages; by what virtue could this little rascal progress so fast?

"Besides, I've prepared some petty stuff to surprise him in the duel tomorrow." With the Torrent of Elements Ring and the Elixir of the Sages in his hands, Lin Li really doubted Cromwell could do anything to him.

"But just in case something happens…" There was still worry on Gerian's face. After hesitating for a while, he clenched his teeth and fished out a necklace from his pocket. "Why not wear this tomorrow…?"

"What's that?" Lin Li was stunned for a slight moment, then reached out his hand to receive the necklace.

"Careful, this is an expensive stuff, don't spoil it." Gerian was in great trepidation as he watched Lin Li handle the necklace carelessly. "This green quartz contains a Purge Spell. Activate it with the mana when you use it, it will help you remove undesirable conditions caused by spells below level-ten… You rascal must be careful with it when you use it. This was the only item Teacher Osric gave me. I didn't even use it myself. I'll lend it to you tomorrow, and when the duel is over, remember to return it to me…"

"Thank you." Lin Li nodded and prudently kept the necklace close to him.

"Oh right, and this." Gerian pondered and took out a pile of scrolls from his pocket. "Choose a few useful ones. They might come in handy when the time comes."

"Okay, leave it here first, I'll pick them out later."

After taking out the two stuff that he had long prepared, Gerian was still somewhat uneasy and began nagging at Lin Li about the things he should pay attention to during the duel. The Gerian at this moment seemed to differ from the usually arrogant president of the Guild of Magic. He seemed like a long-winded old man with his wordy advice.

"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye."

While the two men were talking, they heard the door of the potion lab ring.

Lin Li went to open the door; as it turned out, it was Kevin who had returned!

"Why did you come back?" Lin Li was slightly surprised seeing the wan expression on Kevin's face.

"Let me catch a breath first and tell you slowly…" Kevin had rushed back overnight from the Demon Fall Valley, and was already deadbeat. After entering the potion lab, he took in a few breaths and began explaining the purpose behind his return.

"I came back this time because of the hostages."

Lin Li vaguely remembered that the Shadow's Nest had launched a sneak attack on the Demon Fall Valley around last week, not only destroying two guard towers but also capturing a few mages. As soon as Gerian had received the news, he had asked Kevin to do everything he could to get the hostages back. He was asked to offer additional money if he couldn't exchange them with the hostages from the Shadow's Nest.

"Eiserhol was unwilling to exchange?"

"No, he's willing. But not exchange hostages with hostages…" Kevin shook his head and there was some helplessness in his expression. "What Eiserhol mean is, we can exchange for the hostages, but it must be done with potions."

"F*ck!" Gerian's anger rose in an instant. "What a grand dream he has!"

"Wait…" The old fellow was about to lose his temper but was stopped by Lin Li. "How do they know that the Guild of Magic has potions?"

Kevin carefully recalled and said with uncertainty, "Maybe the news got out from Jarrosus. The middle-aged man that Eiserhol sent seemed to have mentioned the Arcane Magic Potion auction once."

"How many do they want? Did they clearly state what kind of potions they need?"

"Ten bottles for a hostage, and they specified the Elixir of Empowerment."

"Then that's simple." Lin Li mulled it over and laughed all of a sudden. "Go and reply Eiserhol. Say that the Guild of Magic will accept his terms. 40 bottles of Elixir of Empowerment will be sent to him the day after tomorrow at the latest. Let him send someone to prepare for the exchange of the hostages."

"That won't do!" Kevin had yet to speak when Gerian, who was at the side, got anxious. "How can you agree to such terms so easily? It's obvious that the jerk, Eiserhol, is trying to extort us!"

"That's what I hope." Lin Li's smile was unfathomable. "If he doesn't extort us, I really couldn't think of anything else at the moment to stuff him to death. This time, we have to let that fellow from the Shadow's Nest know that pharmacists are actually capable of killing. And the more impressive the pharmacist is, the more impressive the way they kill…"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 78: A Different Person

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The next day, Jarrosus City seemed to be shrouded in an eerie atmosphere.

With the exception of the Merlin Family and the Guild of Magic, the leaders of the other 16 forces arrived at Daylight Square early in the morning. They put on their best clothes, as if they were going to a big dinner party. Whether it was the assassin leader or the casino tycoon, all of them seemed to get along very well on this special day. There was harmony in the Daylight Square. They talked about the changing weather, the chaotic Jarrosus, the results of the Arcane Magic Potion auction… But never about the duel that was to come…

At the beginning of the day, several streets near the Daylight Square were already blockaded. This was on an order issued by the Castellan Mansion and jointly executed by the 18 forces. No one could resist this force in Jarrosus City. Vendors and residents were temporarily relocated, leaving only an empty Daylight Square.

All those qualified to watch this duel were prominent figures in the Jarrosus City—Castellan Isaac and his attendants, the leaders of the 18 forces and their henchmen, and several wealthy businessmen and celebrities in Jarrosus City. The worst of them were at least eligible to attend the banquet at the Castellan Mansion.

The grand scene left the assassin leader, Old Odin, with some regret. Why hadn't he taken up some celebrities assassination requests before he came? In this way, he might've been able to earn some gold coins as an allowance after watching the duel…

But he only entertained such thoughts in his heart. This was a duel between the Guild of Magic and the Merlin Family. Even if Old Odin had a hundred times more nerves, he wouldn't dare to challenge the two giants of Jarrosus City—in particular the current Guild of Magic. Old Odin was in no condition to provoke them.

Backed by the wealth of the 18 forces, temporary stands were built overnight at the southern end of the Daylight Square. A polished marble table was arched around less than half of the Daylight Square. The previously harmonious atmosphere in the square immediately became quite distinct after a group of celebrities ascended the stands.

The six underground forces and the ten mage families were sitting at the top of the stands with the best view. Among them, three of the most prominent positions were left for Castellan Isaac, President Gerian, and Chief Matthew. The three most powerful men of Jarrosus City should naturally sit in the most prominent positions. Even Ysera of the Mannes Family and Reuben of the Saruman Family did not dare to lay their hands on these seats.

Among these forces, there was also a hierarchy. Among the mage families, Ysera and Saruman were the closest to the three seats in the middle. As for the six underground forces, Old Odin was the leader. After the rise of the Guild of Magic, this old friend of Gerian was suspected to be the leader of the six underground forces.

As for the rich businessmen and celebrities, they naturally sat below the 18 forces as befitting their position in Jarrosus City, where they had always been trampled by the 18 forces.

What followed was a long wait. It was as if the Guild of Magic and the Merlin Family had agreed beforehand; none had shown up at the Daylight Square. Although the leaders of the various forces on the stands waited anxiously, no one dared to complain, including Matsis of the Blood Brotherhood. Although he did dare to lash out at the leaders of the two powers behind closed doors, calling Gerian a lunatic and Old Merlin an old turtle, once he was in the stands, he would not dare to insult either of them even if someone lent him a hundred guts to do it.

Amidst the anxious and helpless waiting, two figures finally emerged from the end of the streets.

Cromwell was wearing a gray robe and clutching a staff embedded with magical crystals in his hand. His handsome, young face was brimming with confidence as he strolled through the streets with a radiant smile. On the contrary, beside him, the powerful Archmage Old Merlin looked somewhat aged and tired, and the smile he showed from time to time carried a hint of bitterness in it.

When the old and the young entered the square, several of the strongest people on the stands, such as Reuben from the Saruman Family, Ysera from the Mannes Family, and Andrew, the Castellan's mage, felt almost at the same time that Cromwell seemed a little out of the ordinary today.

Cromwell was the sole heir to the Merlin Family and also a famous genius mage in the younger generation of Jarrosus, so the Mannes Family and the Saruman Family had paid close attention to him every day. At the same time, the two men also had to admit that Cromwell was really good, having the strength of a level-seven mage at such a young age.

But when Cromwell showed up today, the two men suddenly realized they did not recognize him anymore.

Is this person really Cromwell from the Merlin Family? Ysera and Reuben looked at each other incredulously. If it was really Cromwell, how could they be frightened by the aura he exuded?

Both of them were powerful figures, and it would never be just a level-seven mage who made them feel the fear.

"At least level-fourteen…" The voice of the black-robed mage, Andrew, sounded from behind and startled both Ysera and Reuben. Apart from Gerian and Old Merlin, Andrew was definitely the most authoritative mage in Jarrosus. Now that even he had said so, Cromwell's strength must have grown by leaps and bounds…

"How… How is this possible…" Although Reuben specialized in conjuring, the Saruman Family had its roots in magic after all. How could he not know that the ascension of magic level was by no means as simple as one plus one equals two? In addition to the accumulation of mana and the training of skills, a great deal of time was required for research. He had not thought—not even in his dreams—that there would be someone like Cromwell, who went up seven notches in a month.

For a moment, the looks of the two family patriarchs were somewhat complicated. They were the first two forces to swing to the Guild of Magic at the auction for the Arcane Magic Potion. To some extent, they had been tied to the Guild of Magic. Cromwell having level-fourteen in magic was definitely no good news to them…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 79: The Duel

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Just as the two men were feeling complicated, another two figures appeared at the end of the street.

It was also a pair of an old and a young. But compared to the previous pair, the old looked full of confidence while the young was helplessly shaking his head, sighing. Gerian's presence always seemed to carry a sense of humor. The fellow shouted at Old Merlin from a distance before he entered the square, "Good morning, Matthew. You were too scared to sleep last night, weren't you? Look at your dark circles…"

"…" Half of the forces' leaders on the stand fainted on the spot. Could this old fellow be more arrogant, more unmannered?

"Gerian, you're like a fly." Old Merlin's face was livid. He shot a cold glare at Gerian and walked straight up to the temporary grandstand.

"Matthew, don't be in a hurry to walk away. Can't we have a little more talk?" Gerian refused to give up. He promptly followed Old Merlin onto the stand and plopped into the seat that was prepared for him. He even winked discreetly at Castellan Isaac, who was sitting in the middle, beckoning him to make way so that he could get closer to Old Merlin.

Lin Li stood in the middle of Daylight Square, shaking his head resignedly as he watched Gerian's overstaffed figure from the back…

"Now that both of them have arrived, let me, the overseer, say two words." Isaac ignored Gerian's harassment and rose from the marble seat, his voice booming over the square. "A month ago, the Merlin Family and the Guild of Magic had agreed on this duel. I, Isaac, am honored to be its overseer. I will do everything in my power to maintain the fairness of this duel!

"Now, allow me to introduce both sides of the duel. They are Felic of the Jarrosus Guild of Magic and Cromwell of the Merlin Family."

Isaac's voice had just dropped when there was a burst of applause from the stand. This was dedicated to Cromwell and Lin Li. In this chaotic city of Jarrosus, people only respected the strong and courageous. Whatever his status, the duelist who dared to walk in to Daylight Square was entitled to all the applause.

Isaac took his seat amidst all the applause, but his face was full of worries. After this duel, Jarrosus City would no longer have peace…

Old Merlin stood up with a weary look. His voice sounded hoarse, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "I only want to say, whoever humiliates the Merlin Family will have to pay the price."

In the condemnation of Old Merlin's double-edged remark, Gerian naturally rose to his feet. The smile on his chubby face was still there, but his voice spread like muffled thunder under the effect of magic. "F*ck the Merlin Family, so what if I humiliate you?"

"…"

The Daylight Square suddenly quieted down; there was a startled expression on everyone's faces. No one knew what exactly had happened, and they merely stared blankly at the two Archmages…

Old Merlin's face was livid and his eyes were fixed on Gerian as if they were about to burst into flames. Had it not been for Castellan Isaac sitting in the middle, holding the two men down, perhaps there would have been another battle between Jarrosus' most powerful mages on the stands before the duel below started.

"Forget it, I shall not teach you a lesson for the time being. I'll settle it with you after the duel ends." Gerian, who was just chewing out Old Merlin earlier on, swore in a fit as if he was the victim now. Only with Isaac's persuasion did he sit indignantly in his place.

There was a lot of drama on the stands, but Lin Li's attention had been on Cromwell.

Cromwell, on the other side, seemed to be very different from the past. Surrounding him was a powerful aura, something Cromwell had never had before; the magical wave emanating from him was even more powerful than Lin Li's own.

The Merlin Family is indeed impressive…

Feeling the surprise from Lin Li, a cruel smirk appeared on Cromwell's confident face. He had been waiting so many days for the moment when he would step onto the Daylight Square. He relished the surprise in Lin Li's eyes, and hoped that the mage who had humiliated him would show the expression of despair and fear in the face of absolute power in the ensuing duel…

The humiliation caused by the Waterfall Strike in the Emerald Tower had always been deeply engraved in Cromwell's heart. He could still remember how Lin Li had looked at him with condescending disdain, not regarding himself as a level opponent at all. The Waterfall Strike had knocked him out of the Emerald Tower, which seemed to him like throwing out a bag of garbage.

"Long time no see, Mage Felic." Cromwell greeted him in exactly the same way as when Lin Li was leaning over him on the steps of the Emerald Tower. Cromwell's heart was full of anticipation when he said that sentence. He anticipated seeing the expression of fear on his opponent's face, like how he did when he was lying on the steps.

"Long time no see, Mage Cromwell." Unfortunately, Lin Li disappointed him. The surprise in his eyes was only fleeting, and it was followed by a smile that Cromwell abhorred. This polite yet condescending smile instantly reminded him of his humiliation.

"I hope you can still smile later…" A faint gleam of malice was revealed in Cromwell's narrowed eyes.

"Same to you."

Just as the two were head to head with each other, Castellan Isaac rose from his seat once again.

"As the overseer, I declare that the duel begins now!"

As soon as Isaac's voice fell, Lin Li sensed a violent wave of magic. Then, he saw Cromwell lift his staff, and a ball of fire with a flaming tail in tow was roaring towards him…

"Damn!" Lin Li propped up his Elemental Shield while secretly regretting sneaking an attack on him with the Waterfall Strike. Not only did it trigger the battle between Jarrosus's most powerful mages, he even taught such a guy like Cromwell to be smart—he even knew how to play a preemptive strike now…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 80: Disadvantage

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

When the ball of fire hit the Elemental Shield and stirred up a dazzling spark, Lin Li couldn't help but startle. When did this fellow become so strong? Just a fireball had almost caused his Elemental Shield to collapse. He was probably nearing the strength of a Magic Shooter.

After barely receiving the fireball with his Elemental Shield, Lin Li dared not have the slightest negligence anymore. He prepared a wind blade in each hand, but was not in a hurry to release them. He was waiting for Cromwell to begin his spell recitation.

The smile on Cromwell's face deepened after the fireball. Although it failed to crack down the Elemental Shield completely, it gave him a good sense of his opponent's strength.

"A mere level-twelve…" In mages' battle, a difference of more than two levels almost meant that it would be a crushing of one side. Cromwell already had full confidence in winning this duel.

He cast an Elemental Shield on himself too, then began reciting at the full height of his voice.

When the light of the Elemental Shield shone, a wry smile appeared on Lin Li's face. This fellow had really smartened up. But now his arrow was fitted to the string, and he had no choice but to fire. The two wind blades tore through the air with a piercing sound and bumped into the Elemental Shield that was on Cromwell without suspense.

Lin Li knew very well that the two wind blades wouldn't do any damage.

With Cromwell's strength being close to that of the Archmage, the Elemental Shield that he held up could probably withstand even a level-fifteen spell, not to mention the two level-one wind blades. So, Lin Li did not dare to hope for any results at all. As soon as the two wind blades were released, he also began a long recitation.

With his massive mental strength, Lin Li barely caught up with the progress of the spell. Both of them completed a level-nine Flaming Storm almost at the same time.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

The blares sounded almost concurrently. In an instant, a fire rose in the middle of Daylight Square.

The earth-shattering collision between the two's spells had everyone on the stands exclaim loudly.

With the exception of a few, no one thought that they would see a battle of this level today. Before arriving at the Daylight Square, almost everyone's impression of them was that of young geniuses—they had talent and strength, but it was only among the younger generation.

Little did they think it would be a battle that could rival the level of the Archmages fighting.

Just look at their skillful and rapid spell-casting technique and the powerful magical wave they released. These people even had an illusion… Was it Gerian and Matthew who were battling in their stead?

Both were hit almost simultaneously by the Flaming Storm, but the results were different. The Elemental Shield on Lin Li was instantly broken by the crush of the magic level and the previous impact of the fireball. Cromwell, who was also standing in the midst of the flames, had maintained the faint halo on his body all the time…

The gap between the two levels was exposed in a flash.

"Are you still able to laugh now?" Cromwell revealed a cruel smile, pointing at Lin Li with the Aether Staff in his hand. The magical crystal at the tip of the staff glowered in a blue light, and the roar of an icicle followed.

At this moment, half of the audience's hearts were clenched. Most local forces were related to the Guild of Magic. Gerian, who was sitting on Isaac's right, tightly clenched his fists.

As an Archmage, his vision reached farther and was clearer than others'. Gerian knew Cromwell was nearing the strength of an Archmage with that fireball he released. And sure enough, he had also had the absolute advantage in the clash of the Flaming Storm afterwards. Now that Lin Li's Elemental Shield had been broken, even if he topped it up with the Ice Armor Spell, it might still be difficult for him to receive this icicle…

And then Gerian indeed saw the ice armor propped up in front of Lin Li. But for some reason, Gerian could feel that there was something wrong about this ice armor.

At the moment when the ice armor was propped up, the icicle had been shot.

"Tch!" At the instant the icicle came in contact with the ice armor, a piercing sound rang through the Daylight Square.

"Phew…" Gerian heaved a long sigh of relief, for he already saw that after that icicle hit the ice armor, it did not break it down as he had imagined, but swept past the glittering ice, bringing with it pieces of ice debris. It was then that Gerian understood why he'd felt there was something wrong with the ice armor earlier on.

The angle at which the ice armor was propped up was changed by shifting the elemental sequence. Kudos to this kid for thinking of it…

The ice armor propped up obliquely would naturally be more advantageous than the one propped up on the front in the face of an oncoming icicle.

The smile on Cromwell's face froze as he failed to score with the icicle. He had never imagined that his opponent would fend off the icicle in such a way.

There were gasps of awe from the stands, and the smile was still on Lin Li's face.

Perhaps only he knew that he had no need for the ice armor. He could totally receive the icicle with the strong magic resistance attributes of his Robe of Wrath. However, he didn't want to reveal the secret of the Robe of Wrath so early. He wanted to surprise Cromwell with it at a more critical time.

After a short Spell Cycle, Lin Li had gained a new Elemental Shield. At least on the surface, both sides were back to the same starting line once more.

But the disparity of two levels still existed. Just as Lin Li was putting up his Elemental Shield again, Cromwell began another round of outbursts. This time, he made use of a large amount of low-level spells. Even if his mental strength couldn't be compared to that of Lin Li's, with an absolute dominance in level, the amount of instantaneous spells he could release was definitely not less than Lin Li's. Numerous wind blades and arcane missiles landed unceasingly on the Elemental Shield, stirring up ripple after ripple on the sheer layer of light…

And under this storm-like attack, Lin Li's counterattack was equally sharp. Mind Control, Delirium… the harassment was so varied and numerous that Cromwell had to divert his attention to set up a mental protection field. Lin Li released a few wind blades from time to time, constantly trying to weaken the Elemental Shield on Cromwell…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 81: Impasse

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

In an instant, magical elements rose from the square. Magic runes were scattered among the brilliant lights and shadows and various magic spells collided with one another, sparking off dazzling sparks in the Daylight Square.

"President Gerian, the situation doesn't seem good. Do you think Felic would have…" The Mannes Family was the first to swing to the Guild of Magic. The battle in the middle of the square was heart-wrenching to watch for Ysera. There was worry in the young patriarch's voice as he watched the various spells released by Cromwell raging on wildly while Lin Li could only struggle for survival with an Elemental Shield.

"What would have? Open your eyes wide and watch. In less than a minute, Felic will kill that idiot Cromwell!" Gerian glared at Ysera, but his heart was in flames. Coming to tell me something doesn't look good in this critical moment. You're a f*cking crow, aren't you?

"Gerian, what's the use of losing your temper here? The situation now is clear even to a blind man. Your mage, Felic, won't be able to hold out for long."

Old Merlin's lukewarm voice fell into Gerian's ears and immediately angered him. "Matthew, you fool. I don't want to argue with you, but you'd better keep your mouth shut. Don't make me angry, or your tortoise shells may not be able to protect you."

Aaron Matsis, who was sitting below them, felt chills on his back when he heard the words "tortoise shells"…

"Gerian, there's no point in shouting here. Strength is strength. There's no use getting angry."

In the middle of Daylight Square, Cromwell had taken the absolute advantage. A large number of low-level spells formed an elemental storm, devouring the faint halo of the Elemental Shield. After a long period of forbearance, they were finally yielding some good results today. Old Merlin was in high spirits, such that he could not even care about the insults between Gerian's words.

Cromwell's advantage was simply too great. The continuous magic strikes had shaken the Elemental Shield that Lin Li had just erected. If it hadn't been for the previous Mana Retroaction to delay time, he would have been hit directly by Cromwell's spells.

Cromwell laughed wildly in the blaze of magical light. The endless elemental storm seemed to have served as an outlet for him to vent all the humiliation he had gotten in the past month. The feeling was simply delightful. He even hoped for his opponent's Elemental Shield to collapse slower so that he could enjoy the destruction process to his heart's content…

Looking only at the current situation of the duel, perhaps even Gerian had to admit that Lin Li had sunken into an impasse.

It was an overwhelming dominance, with no strength to fight back at all.

At the beginning, he could use auxiliary magic spells to fight back. But after Cromwell had set up a mental protection field and unexpectedly consumed two scrolls, Lin Li had no chance to deliver his strikes anymore. The only thing he could do now was to constantly switch between Ice Armor and Elemental Shield, and occasionally delay time with the Mana Retroaction of the previous spell. Otherwise, he could only watch Cromwell unleash the spells one by one, letting them shine brilliantly upon contact with the Elemental Shield.

"Boom!" Another fireball exploded on the Elemental Shield. The impact of the huge force sent Lin Li a dozen steps back.

The flames were burning all around, and the light on the Elemental Shield was dim. In the midst of the burning flames, Lin Li seemed to hear a shrill piercing sound tearing through the air.

The collapse of the Elemental Shield and the Mana Retroaction of the Ice Armor Spell all happened within the cooldown time. Lin Li could only watch helplessly as the wind blade cut through his leg…

"Tchh!" There was only a slight sniffle, and then Lin Li felt a tingle in his leg, followed by a sharp pain. His right leg seemed to lose its strength suddenly, and he knelt down weakly on the square…

Cromwell emerged from the flames and stared at Lin Li, who was kneeling on the ground. His face was filled with the satisfaction of successful revenge. The smile on his face was distorted and ferocious in the light of the fire, like a venomous snake eyeing its prey.

"Long time no see, Mage Felic. Hahahaha…" In the midst of his frenzied laughter, Cromwell shot out another wind blade. And this time, the target was Lin Li's left leg.

Then there was only a splatter of blood and Lin Li lost the support of his left leg. He was like a wooden stake, falling to the ground with a plop.

There were gasps of surprise from above the stands. It was obvious to everyone, including Castellan Isaac and the host of rich businessmen and celebrities, that the outcome of the duel had been decided. Many of them had expected the young pharmacist from the Guild of Magic to win instead of Cromwell.

At this point, the chips were down. Old Merlin stood up proudly, applauding towards the middle of the square where Cromwell stood. Out of the corner of his eyes, he glanced—unintentionally or intentionally—at Gerian. "I've already said, there's no use getting angry. Strength is strength!"

Hearing Old Merlin's annoying applause, Gerian's face was already livid as he was trying to hold his emotions in.

But even Gerian, who had infinite confidence in Lin Li, had to admit at this point that the outcome of the duel in the square had been decided. The gap between the two levels was irreparable. The reason why Cromwell had yet to kill Lin Li was just so that he could enjoy the fun of a cat catching a mouse.

"Castellan Isaac, if the Guild of Magic admits defeat, will it end this duel?"

Almost everyone thought they had misheard it when Gerian uttered the sentence. Is this really Gerian from the Guild of Magic? That Gerian, who never bowed down to any force even in the most desperate days of the Guild of Magic?

Gerian could only smile bitterly in face of the surprised looks from everyone.

How could he not see with his vision that the chips had been down for duel in the square? The only difference was Felic's life and death. There might still be a chance if he admitted defeat; if he did not, then Felic would no doubt die.

They had been together for more than a month. Even though they made no difference between the senior and junior when they talked to each other, in Gerian's heart, he had regarded this young mage as his own nephew. He couldn't just watch him die.

In order to save him, Gerian even lay down his dignity and bowed down to the Merlin Family for the first time.

However, Isaac's reply was exceptionally cruel. "I'm very sorry, President Gerian. I have to uphold the fairness of the duel. A request to end the duel must be agreed upon by both sides. Which means… If Chief Matthew agrees…"

"Gerian. If you kneel before me, I might consider your request…" Old Merlin roared with laughter, relishing the fun of teasing Gerian. He had not enjoyed the pleasure of Gerian bowing down in front of him for a long time. Ever since the battle outside the Emerald Tower, the Guild of Magic had been above the Merlin Family. From then on, Gerian had been taking the initiative in the confrontation between the two of them.

"You…" Gerian stared fixedly at Old Merlin, who was laughing away. It almost seemed that flames were about to burst from his eyes. He had even released a trace of mana a moment ago, wanting to blast a fireball at Old Merlin's repugnant smiling face.

But at the next moment, he saw Lin Li's bloody legs, and Cromwell who was closing in on him. The trace of mana that Gerian released vanished without a trace and the furious expression on his face gradually turned to hesitation…

Cromwell's face was full of satisfied smile. "Mage Felic, can you still stand?"

"Come over and see for yourself…" Lin Li tried to squeeze out a smile on his face, but it accidentally touched a wound, making the smile look unusually unsightly.

At the same time, a trace of mana was directed into the Torrent of Elements Ring. Lin Li only needed to magnify this mana and the ring would create a channel in an instant, guiding the impending magical elements into the ring.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 82: Cloud Storm

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Why, aren't you a pharmacist?" At the same time Cromwell humiliated his opponent to his heart's content, he released two fireballs, easily blowing off the Elemental Shield Lin Li had just put up.

It wasn't easy dragging through the last Spell Cycle, but now it was buried in the two fireballs Cromwell had released.

The few forces' leaders who had the closest relationship with the Guild of Magic sighed almost concurrently. It's hopeless, it's completely hopeless…

"Mr Pharmacist, where's your potion?" After two fireballs blew away the Elemental Shield, Cromwell was still not in a hurry to kill. He was enjoying the pleasure of humiliating his opponent. "Don't you like Ina a lot? Shall I tell you a secret?"

"What secret?" Lin Li startled when he heard Cromwell mention Ina.

"When I came out this morning, I sent someone to visit the McGrenn's house. If nothing unexpected happened, the father and daughter are most probably in the Merlin Family's dungeon now…" Cromwell's smile was full of a victor's pride. "After killing you, I'll go back and have fun with Ina. I can hardly wait just thinking about it. I wonder if Ina's long legs would be tightly clamped in bed…?

"But, don't worry… I won't kill you off so quick. I will torture you slowly, cutting you with shot after shot of wind blades until you have shed your last drop of blood. Only then would it be enough to wash away the humiliation you had given me." Cromwell released two more wind blades in between his words.

Without the obstruction of the Elemental Shield, these two wind blades cut through Lin Li's skin easily, bringing up a spatter of blood on the Daylight Square.

Lin Li didn't utter a sound but gritted his teeth and endured the pain. He could only hold on until opportunity presented itself.

Cromwell's smile was full of enjoyment. He was walking towards Lin Li step by step. He would release a wind blade for every step he took, and each wind blade seemed to bring up a spatter of blood with it. Cromwell kept this rhythm steady, neither giving Lin Li a chance to fight back nor killing him at once.

There was a dead silence in the Daylight Square. As Cromwell closed in, everyone knew that this duel, which was far beyond their imagination, was coming to an end.

"How about it, Gerian? Have you thought it through? As long as you kneel before me, I may agree to end this duel. Of course… It all depends on my mood."

Gerian did not say a word. He merely kept his stare fixed dead on Old Merlin.

He was struggling; he was struggling between his lifetime reputation and Lin Li's life at stake…

"Give it a good thought, Gerian. That is a genius who is able to concoct the Arcane Magic Potion. What's even harder to come by is that he already had a breakthrough to the Magic Shooter realm at such a young age, and his future is limitless. This is definitely a good deal for you. If you kneel before me, I might be happy and ask Cromwell to spare his life." Old Merlin looked down at Gerian with a triumphant smile.

It sounded like a slip of the tongue, but he had already made up his mind that Felic would have to die—even if Gerian knelt down to him. Being a pharmacist would be terrible enough, and today he had displayed the level of a Magic Shooter. Old Merlin would never allow such a figure to live. It would threaten the Merlin Family's dominance in the future.

"You ask Cromwell to stop first!" Gerian jumped to his feet. He was ready to risk everything. He had lived so long anyway; he'd rather be humiliated at an old age than watch Felic be killed.

"Hahahaha… Gerian, are you kidding? You have not kneeled down yet. How would I know if you'd not go back on your word after the duel ends? You know you've done many such things before…"

"Okay…"

Gerian shut his eyes and was ready to give it all.

However, he heard a recitation from the square. It was Cromwell's voice.

"Matthew, make him stop!"

Cromwell's high-pitched voice resounded in the square for long. The surging magical elements were clearly felt even in the stands; everyone knew that Cromwell had had enough fun, and that the next strike would be the most fatal one.

Old Merlin paid no heed to Gerian and merely smiled with contentment at the high-pitch recitation. Teasing Gerian was fun, but it was not the most important thing. Only by killing the young mage as soon as possible could the Merlin Family rise again.

Gerian sighed softly. He knew it was over. Both the Elemental Shield and the Mana Retroaction were going into the cooldown time. It was impossible for Felic to block off the level-fourteen Cloud Storm. Perhaps he would be torn to pieces by the endless lightning the next minute.

The Aether Staff was held high. The level-eighteen magical crystal at the top of the staff was wreathed in arcs, and a sizzling sound was heard under the mutual agitation.

"Die!" Cromwell bellowed, and endless thunderbolts seemed to burst out suddenly. The dazzling electric light seemed just like golden snakes dancing in disorder. The fierce electric light surged forward crazily, creating a gorgeous yet cruel scene in the middle of Daylight Square.

"I don't think so, Cromwell!" Lin Li had endured for long for this opportunity.

Almost at the moment when the Aether Staff was raised, Lin Li's mana was suddenly amplified, activating the Torrent of Elements Ring in an instant. All of a sudden, there was a distortion in the surrounding space. Violent thunder element and the boundless lightning danced wildly like golden snakes. There seemed to be a sudden change of direction as if some mysterious force was involved, and they were sucked into the Torrent of Elements Ring in a split second…

"This… This…" The smile on Cromwell's face stiffened, and his raised right hand that was holding the Aether Staff froze in mid-air.

After absorbing the last thunderbolt into the Torrent of Elements Ring, Lin Li did not hesitate any further; through the mental strength that was branded on the ring, he released a level-fourteen magic spell with his level-twelve status of a Magic Shooter with a mere thought!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 83: Touch

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Cloud Storm raged over the square once again, but unlike Lin Li before, Cromwell had no Torrent of Elements Ring on his hand…

Endless lightning fell and several gold snakes danced through the square. Even with Cromwell's infinite proximity to the strength of an Archmage, he was almost swallowed up in an instant by the Cloud Storm. Electric arcs twirled around the Elemental Shield, giving off sizzling sounds. The power of a level-fourteen magic spell was completely revealed in the moment.

This was a stunning scene for everyone. No one could've imagined there to be a drastic change in the duel that was nearing the end. Cromwell, who had had complete advantage earlier on, was suddenly engulfed by the Cloud Storm. Among the hundreds of spectators on the stands, perhaps only the leaders of the 18 forces could see through the series of changes before this.

Under the flash of the electric arcs, the black diamond on the ring was emitting a faint light. There was no doubt that all this was because of the ring.

"The ring is too scary…" After figuring out the key point, almost all the leaders of the forces expressed similar sentiments at once, but what really scared them was actually Lin Li's forbearance.

This was a character who sent chills to their hearts. He was completely suppressed by Cromwell from the start and did not seem to have the ability to fight back; he even received dozens of wind blades in succession towards the end. Although these wind blades were not fatal, the cruel torture was not something ordinary people could bear.

In such an unfavorable situation, the young mage remained unmoved and endured until Cromwell unleashed the Cloud Storm.

This almost perverted forbearance sent a shudder down the leaders' spines.

It wasn't until this time that some of them suddenly realized what a terrible monster the Guild of Magic had.

This was a real monster.

He was only in his twenties but was already at the level of a Magic Shooter, not to mention his proficiency in pharmacy… But for the leaders of the forces, this was not the worst.

What really made them shudder was the young Magic Shooter's forbearance that was far beyond that of ordinary people. This kind of enemy was undoubtedly the most terrifying. He was like a venomous snake hidden in the darkness, waiting patiently for a fleeting opportunity. Once you revealed your flaws, what awaited you would be a fatal blow.

Just like Cromwell, who was engulfed by the Cloud Storm currently. He had absolute superiority in terms of strength. The battle between mages was no longer a battle of levels once the gap between the two sides exceeded two levels. But the young mage Felic had dealt a powerful strike to Cromwell, who was far more powerful than him, at the very last minute with his forbearance.

The leaders of the dozen forces in the stands were all shrewd people. None of them wanted to make such a frightening person their enemy. Among them, Ysera and Reuben were secretly grateful that they had swung towards the Guild of Magic early…

Under the power of the Cloud Storm, even Cromwell, who was close to the level of an Archmage, could not avoid being mauled. It was the Elemental Shield that helped him absorb most of the damage and the magic resistance attribute of the Soul Branding Robe that saved him from danger at last.

Even so, Cromwell's injuries were no less serious than those of Lin Li, who had received dozens of wind blades on his body.

After the Cloud Storm had struck Cromwell heavily, Lin Li stood up shakily from the ground. The wounds cut by the wind blades were dripping blood as they dyed the Daylight Square red. His wounded knees were still weak, but with the support of the Winter Staff, Lin Li stood up steadily.

The one-sided battle earlier on was reversed almost in a flash.

Looking at Lin Li standing up slowly, everyone in Daylight Square believed that victory would eventually belong to the Guild of Magic.

With the exception of two men—Old Merlin and Cromwell.

Although this duel had gone out of their control, the Merlin Family's biggest secret weapon—the Aether Staff—was still there. With the staff, Cromwell could win the duel with a spell that could go up to level-nineteen.

Old Merlin gazed at the middle of the square with calmness in his eyes.

And when Cromwell struggled to get up from the ground, he even had a victor's smile on his face.

Battered by his own Cloud Storm, Cromwell had always thought of himself as the victor of the duel, for he still had the Aether Staff in his hand!

Through the activation of a trace of mana, the level-eighteen magical crystal on the Aether Staff began to emit a dazzling light. Massive magical elements surged in the Daylight Square, and an incomparable fear filled everyone's heart. Whether it was Archmage Gerian or the Chief Mage of the Castellan Mansion, Andrew, all of them felt an alarming magical wave from the Aether Staff.

This power was far beyond their imagination. He was stronger than Old Merlin and Gerian. From what they saw, it was even close to the level of Grimm Burnside…

Gerian's heart had just been set down, and in an instant it was hanging up again. This power was horrifying. Even with his strength, he could not help but tremble under it, let alone the injured Felic.

Absorbed in the immense power of the magic spell, no one noticed that an empty glass bottle was left where Lin Li had fallen…

Amidst Cromwell's high-pitched recitation, Lin Li waddled his way through without any Elemental Shield nor Mana Retroaction. With the support of a mere Winter Staff, he walked towards Cromwell step by step…

"Is he crazy?" Everyone was bewildered; no one knew what he was going to do.

And then… Everyone saw it. He pulled out a dark metal rod from his pocket and lightly tapped it on the tip of the Aether Staff!

The 13 magic nodes on the gold rod were activated as the source of magic turned to work from the end of the stick.The pure ruby was emitting a brilliant light and the gold rod coated with deep silver was so trenchant that the magical crystal at the tip of the Aether Staff was restored to the purest magic essence in a flash.

The level-eighteen magical crystal that was just exuding its own terrifying power was brought to a halt by the touch of the gold rod. The massive magical elements around it were instantly silenced. The pressure that shocked everyone suddenly vanished without a trace. Cromwell, who was reciting his spell in a loud voice, seemed to have been strangled at his throat…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 84: Shock

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

A gleam of light hung from the top of the golden stick. Lin Li could clearly see the expression of dismay and despair on Cromwell's face.

"This… this is impossible!" From victory in hands to a total despair, the change was like a fall from heaven to hell. Cromwell could not accept the reality in front of him at all; his voice was full of frenzied emotions.

The bite of mana brought on by the level-nineteen spell was like the end for Cromwell. Almost at the moment of failure, his mana had completely fallen apart. The overstepping spell was far beyond his ability, and so the consequences of the bite of mana were naturally far beyond what he could bear. Cromwell stood there, stupefied, but there was not a slight magical wave on him. At this point, he was a complete waste…

"This can't be real…" Cromwell recited spells desperately, but not a trace of mana was aroused. Endless despair rose from the bottom of his heart, and his hoarse voice even carried a tinge of sobbing tone.

There was a dead silence on the stands. What was happening before them was far beyond anyone's imagination.

The previous magic spell was terrifying; it was nearly divine. Just the aftermath of mana surge had set off an elemental storm in the Daylight Square. Everyone could not help trembling under the terrifying power of the mana…

Amidst Cromwell's high-pitched recitations, an image of doomsday emerged in everyone's minds—the upsurge of violent magical elements instantly tore apart the young mage and then swept across the Daylight Square in a destructive gesture, tearing apart the sky and the earth and leaving behind a deep scar in Jarrosus City…

It was as if even time had stopped, and everyone was sitting in their seats, dumbfounded, watching Cromwell recite his spell.

Then they saw something they would never forget…

It was just a light touch, and the whole world was cleansed.

Almost everyone's mind went blank after witnessing this scene.

Cromwell's magic had scared them, but that light touch of Lin Li's had completely plunged them into infinite fear…

No one knew how he did it, or even more so the secret behind it.

But the consequences of this light touch were obvious to them.

It ended an almost-divine magic and made a strong man with a strength that was infinitely close to an Archmage's into an invalid at the same time.

At the moment Cromwell's magic fell apart, everyone felt a chill rising from their hearts. It was a feeling of fear from the depths of their hearts.

In their hearts, the Guild of Magic represented by this young Magic Shooter had also transformed from a monster that they were unable to compete with to a monster that could not be measured by common sense.

In their view, the Guild of Magic today was even more frightening than a fire-breathing dragon. The dragon would at least inspire people to become a dragon slayer, but when faced with a monster like the Guild of Magic, there was no chance to dream at all. How terrifying was Cromwell's magic spell? Yet it was broken almost in an instant… How was such a power not one of a monster?

Whether it was the ten mage families or the six underground forces, who would dare to fight against such a power?

Aaron Matsis was regretful, and wanted to slap himself in the face. He had to be tired of living, daring to swear at Gerian. Although those words were said behind closed doors, a monster like the Guild of Magic could not be measured by common sense. Who knew if those words would reach Gerian's ears…

But luckily, Gerian had no time to bother about him at present.

Gerian was busy now—he was busy humiliating Old Merlin.

Gerian burst into a hearty laughter, patting Ysera's back while glancing at Old Merlin wickedly. "How about that, Ysera, I wasn't wrong just now, right? An invalid like Cromwell wouldn't even be able to get it up even if he was given aphrodisiac. It didn't even take a minute for Felic to thrash him. An invalid is an invalid, useless even with aphrodisiac…"

"Yes… Yes…" The fair and genteel young patriarch felt embarrassed at Gerian's vulgar metaphor, but had to force out a smile on his face in response.

"That is why, Ysera, sometimes heredity is really important. A useless father will naturally give birth to a useless son. But you are a decent kid, and your son will definitely be much stronger than the useless bum below. Do you want me to introduce some girls to you?"

"Uh… There's no need for this…"

"Gerian, don't go overboard!" In the face of Gerian's blatant provocation, the livid Old Merlin could no longer sit still and stood up abruptly.

"F*ck you, Matthew. I'm talking to Ysera, what has it got to do with you, fool?" Gerian looked at Old Merlin with taunting eyes. "Stop telling me what to do in front of me. If you're indignant, come at me. I've had enough of you too anyway."

"You…"

"You what?" Gerian glared. "If you don't have the guts, then shut it. Damn fool. Your son's on aphrodisiac, and you're on aphrodisiac too. In the end, you've got impotence at old age, not even having the guts to fight me. Matthew, I didn't mean to tell you, but you've lived in vain all your life…"

Hearing Gerian's outburst, Castellan Isaac wisely turned his face away. Several rich businessmen and celebrities leaned to the side subconsciously for fear that blood might spill on them.

Even some of the leaders who used to have a good relationship with the Merlin Family quickly turned deaf ears to the situation. Nobody dared to speak up for Old Merlin at this awful moment. Who in Jarrosus City did not know that once Gerian opened his mouth, the words he uttered would get increasingly vicious? Now that the Guild of Magic had gained the absolute upperhand, it was too late for all the leaders to butter up to him; who still had the leisure to treasure past friendship?

And it went without saying for the Saruman Family and the Mannes Family—the forces that had swung to the Guild of Magic long ago. Although they had not yet fallen to the point of openly lashing out at Old Merlin, it was undeniable that they were gloating in the dark. The looks that were cast on Old Merlin were not with the best intentions…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 85: The Winner

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"I can answer the questions you've asked just now." There was still a smile on Lin Li's face, but the fierce light in his eyes was as good as the one on the steps of the Emerald Tower. Cromwell had no doubt that the other party would kill himself with a lift of his hand. "Firstly, I am indeed a pharmacist. As for my potion…"

Lin Li looked back at the place where he had fallen. An empty glass bottle was lying there quietly. Not too long ago, it was filled with Elixir of the Sages.

So far, he was still pleased with his decision. It was fortunate that he had prepared a bottle of Elixir of the Sages before the duel…

When the Aether Staff released the massive magical energy, Lin Li did not hesitate at all. He took out the Elixir of the Sages from his pocket and drank it directly. The petal of the black lotus was very precious; but no matter how precious it was, it would never be more important than his own life.

The moment he drank the Elixir of the Sages, Lin Li had a complete grasp of what would happen in the next ten seconds. It was a thorough perception. Not only did he know that Cromwell was about to release a level-nineteen spell, he also knew that the power of the magic spell came from the level-eighteen magical crystal. He even knew that the recitation would take ten seconds…

Then everything became very simple.

As a matter of fact, Lin Li had only done two things in those ten seconds.

The first was to walk over.

The second was to tap the gold rod on the level-eighteen magical crystal.

The gold rod coated with deep silver completely restored the level-eighteen magical crystal to the purest essence of magic almost in an instant. How could it be possible to sustain a nearly legendary magic spell with the strength of Cromwell's level-fourteen Magic Shooter without the massive source of mana?

Under the terrifying bite of the spell, Cromwell's mana disintegrated almost concurrently and he had completely turned into a useless man.

This nearly divine scene from the audience's view was actually this simple.

A bottle of potion and a gold rod had utterly turned Cromwell into an invalid.

"Alright, Mage Cromwell, I've answered your questions. Now it is your turn to answer mine." Lin Li stared fixated into Cromwell's eyes. "Mr McGrenn and Ina, where are they now?"

Cromwell shrank back subconsciously as soon as he made contact with Lin Li's eyes. Having lost the protection of his magic, he was worse than a poor insect. His expression was dull and his eyes were wincing at the moment; where had his heroic spirit gone to? How was he looking like a level-fourteen Magic Shooter?

"Your time is running out, Mage Cromwell." Cromwell's silence made Lin Li frown. He disliked having to extort a confession.

"They… should be in the Merlin Family's dungeon…" Cromwell had difficulty swallowing his saliva; when he spoke, he found his voice incredibly dry.

"Oh, thank you."

Lin Li still had the warm and polite smile on his face as if he was talking about the weather with an old friend. But in the next moment, an icicle was released from his hand and shot through Cromwell's chest on the spot…

Lin Li was not Cromwell; he did not need to humiliate the other party, let alone have any feelings to vent. As to whether the defeated Cromwell would beg for mercy, Lin Li was even less interested in that.

To him, this was just a duel, and the goal of this duel was to kill the opponent.

He would not even have been interested in talking to Cromwell if he hadn't been trying to find out the whereabouts of McGrenn and his daughter.

There were no shrill cries, no cursing before death; just a "plop" and Cromwell fell down stiffly. Only then did he understand what the phrase "your time is running out" meant…

Old Merlin closed his eyes in anguish the moment Cromwell fell.

The hundreds of spectators on the stand felt chills rising from their spines at the same time…

This young Magic Shooter named Felic was fearsome. He could endure in adversity and stay calm in advantage. Once he had absolute control of the situation, he'd never give his enemy a slight chance. The icicle that killed Cromwell was neat and clean, prompt and effective.

If possible, they would never want to be enemies with someone like this.

After a short silence came a thunderous applause.

All but Old Merlin rose from their seats and gave the warmest applause to the winner of this duel.

"Well done!" Gerian was even more excited, just like a child. He stood high in his seat, jumping and shouting; his fat face full of ecstatic smiles as if he had won the duel himself.

"Congratulations, President Gerian." There was a touch of joy on Ysera's fair face. He turned around and shook Gerian's hand and then applauded Lin Li excitedly.

"Congratulations." Reuben had always been a man of few words, but there was still a glimmer of excitement in his voice.

"Hahahaha, congratulations to us!"

Compared with the two men's low-key voice, Gerian's laughter was so arrogant that almost half of the square could hear his gong-like voice.

Hearing Gerian's "congratulations to us", the smile on the two patriarchs' face deepened. This meant that Gerian had acknowledged them as the guild's allies. After this duel, the Guild of Magic's domination of Jarrosus would be unstoppable. In the future, it would not be a match of which forces were stronger, but of who had a closer relationship with the Guild of Magic.

And the two major mage families who first swung to the Guild of Magic would undoubtedly have the absolute advantage in this comparison.

Amidst the thunderous applause, Castellan Isaac's voice was clearly heard by all ears.

"Now, as the overseer of this duel, I declare the winner of this duel is… Felic, from the Guild of Magic!"

Isaac's voice completely ignited the atmosphere in the Daylight Square. The wealthy businessmen, the celebrities, and the leaders of the forces all chanted the winner's name at the same time to salute the winner of the duel.

"Winner—Felic!"

Jarrosus was a city that advocated the strong. At this moment, all except Old Merlin had put aside all other factors outside the court and also their feuds with each other. There should only be one main star and one voice in the Daylight Square—and that was Felic of the Guild of Magic!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 86: A Visit

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The applause in the square lasted for a long time—until Lin Li walked up to the stand with a smile.

When Lin Li stepped onto the stands, the square suddenly quieted down and everyone automatically made way for him. Eyes filled with all sorts of emotions—curiosity, envy, admiration and awe—fell on the face of the young mage. No one knew the background of this young Magic Shooter who had appeared like a comet; no one knew what else he could do.

They knew only one thing—after this duel, this young Magic Shooter would be the most dazzling star in Jarrosus!

Lin Li walked up to the stand surrounded by various looks. He greeted the audience with a smile first, then went straight into the crowd and found Gerian, who was jumping and shouting.

"Call a few Magic Shooters from the guild to go to the Merlin Family with me. There're two people I have to look for." When Lin Li finished his sentence, he suddenly saw that the place where Old Merlin had been sitting was already empty. He could not help but ask, "Where's Old Merlin?"

"Eh?" Gerian turned around and realized that his old rival Matthew had left unknowingly. But now that the result was certain, Gerian couldn't care less about Old Merlin. So what if he was an Archmage? Gerian could drink a bottle of Awakening Potion and throw another one away and still be able to tire him to death. The old fellow grinned lewdly. "He must have hidden away to cry after seeing that his son has died…

"Oh right, whom are you looking for at the Merlin Family?"

"I have two friends captured by Cromwell."

"Bloody hell! That little bastard Cromwell has guts, stirring things up when he was going to die anyway. Come, I will go with you. I'll be just in time to see that fool Matthew crying his head out… Haha!"

"You're experienced…"

It was less than two hours after the end of the duel; the leaders of the forces who had just returned home received a message almost at the same time—Gerian came out for a walk again!

Gerian, who was riding high, was walking ahead of the crowd. He swaggered with his obese body as if afraid that others might not see his upstart temperament. Walking beside him was the winner of the duel at the Daylight Square, the one who had just defeated a level-fourteen Magic Shooter—Felic.

But the young mage seemed to constantly have a helpless smile on his face, and looked as if he wanted to stay away from Gerian…

And behind these two people was a group of Magic Shooters who looked ferocious like a pack of wolves.

Over the past ten days, it had been these wolf-like Magic Shooters who had vividly and intuitively demonstrated what a bandit was like to everyone.

Everyone in Jarrosus City was kept on their toes as soon as this group of people came out from the Emerald Tower.

Up to half an hour later, the leaders of the forces finally relaxed.

For they had received news that the people from the Guild of Magic had arrived at the Merlin Family.

At this moment, they really wanted to cheer "hooray!"

The Merlin Family was based in the north of Jarrosus City. Although they were not as rich as the Mannes Family, the wealth that they had accumulated over the centuries was also extraordinary. Buying the next few streets was only a drop in the bucket for them. For centuries, this area had been managed tightly by the Merlin Family, as if it was a small kingdom by itself.

News had reached the Merlin Family as soon as the crowd from the Guild of Magic approached. In less than five minutes, Gerian saw Evan Merlin appear with a dozen mages with him.

In the chaotic city of Jarrosus, intruding into another party's sphere of influence without authorization was almost equivalent to a face-to-face taunting. Moreover, Gerian came openly knocking on the door with a few dozen Magic Shooters. This was akin to stepping on the Merlin Family's face and spitting on them.

There was anger on Evan's face. He wanted to ask Gerian what he meant by breaking into the Merlin Family's sphere of influence with so many people.

Unfortunately, Gerian did not give him the chance at all. He saw that it was Evan who had come out from a distance; that old fellow looked as if he had suffered some huge grievances. "Does the Merlin Family have any manners at all, letting you, a fool, to come out to meet us… Where's Matthew?"

"Gerian, what do you mean?" The Merlin Family itself was strong, and there was also the support of an Archmage. In his 40 years of living in such an environment, Evan had never been insulted like that before. Gerian's disdainful words almost blew up his lungs on the spot.

It was not only Evan who almost had his lungs blown out, but also the dozen mages he had brought out with him. These people were the elites of the Merlin Family, and the worst of them were nearing the strength of a Magic Shooter. How could they stand the insult? Although they did not dare to take action without Evan's orders, most of them had already tightened their grip around their staffs.

"Scram far! You are not qualified to talk to me yet, get Matthew out!"

Before Evan could speak, one of the mages could not tolerate it any longer; he was almost pointing at Gerian's nose as he denounced, "Gerian, the Merlin Family is not a place you can run berserk at, scram back to your Guild of—"

"Pom!"

Before he could finish his words, he was stopped by a burning fireball with a long flaming tail in tow. How could he, a level-ten mage, withstand the strength of an Archmage? Almost in an instant, the unlucky mage had turned into ashes under the burning fireball.

There was a sudden silence in the street. Evan had an incredulous look on his face. He knew that the Guild of Magic was a sun at high noon at present and that Gerian had always been arrogant, but he had never thought that this fat old man would be so unbridled and tyrannical to such extent. He was standing in the Merlin Family's sphere of influence and killed someone when he felt like it, totally disregarding the Merlin Family.

The fireball was like a bucket of cold water pouring over Evan's head. He finally remembered what day it was…

The young pharmacist was standing there, safe and sound. That meant Cromwell… The look on Evan's face suddenly froze.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 87: Release

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Even a dog dares to bark at me…" Gerian paid no attention to what Evan was thinking. He merely took a look at the ashes on the ground and cursed angrily.

For a moment, Evan's mind was in complete disarray. He did not know what to do in the face of an aggressive Guild of Magic and merely stood dumbfounded in the street, watching Gerian kill one of his men.

"Fool, bring your dogs and scram to a side, don't block my way." Gerian looked at Evan with disdain in his eyes. Among the three brothers of the Merlin Family, the one he despised the most was the one in front of him. He had no skills nor schemes; he was even tailed when he tried to bribe the few traitors from the guild. He was just like Cromwell, that useless bum. Sometimes, Gerian would even suspect whether this fellow was Cromwell's father instead.

Gerian swore as loudly as he could, regardless of the expressions of the dozen mages. He pushed Evan onto the street with his outstretched hand and spared him not another look. He led the group of wolf-like Magic Shooters across the street and barged into the Merlin Family's luxurious house.

In the past few decades, the Merlin Family was the only dominant force in Jarrosus. When had Evan suffered such an insult? Gerian's rough push was like a slap in the face. Evan's mood changed from humiliation to anger, and he clenched his staff tightly in his hand…

And then he heard a deafening "boom".

Amidst the loud noise, Evan's pupils were suddenly enlarged; he could hardly believe his eyes.

Gerian, that old bastard, had blown down the Merlin Family's door with a fireball!

"I've found this door an eyesore for a long time…" In the midst of the sparks, Gerian laughter was utterly unbridled, and his fat face was filled with contentment.

Seeing this reckless scene, the group of Magic Shooters who were described as bandits suddenly burst into tears. This was the real bandit… Compared with the heroic deeds of the President, what was it when they bombed the two merchant ships and burned down the dozen casinos? The President had blown down the hundred years of dignity that the Merlin Family held with a fireball!

The men from the Merlin Family were completely dumbstruck…

"Gerian, what exactly do you want?" Evan's voice was so hoarse that even he was surprised by it. There was probably no greater insult for a family with hundreds of years of history than this. The scene of a fireball blowing open the door made him tremble with anger.

"What do I want?" Looking at the shuddering Evan, Gerian's smile gradually turned cold. "You dared ask me what do I want? Do you not know what Cromwell has done?"

"What exactly did Cromwell do?" Evan was completely nuts.

"Cromwell had kidnapped two of Mage Felic's friends. Don't tell me that you don't know." As Gerian stared fixated at Evan, his ferocity was fully revealed on his face. "Mage Felic's friends are the Guild of Magic's friends. Bloody hell, the Merlin Family has really gotten bold, kidnapping friends of the Guild of Magic! I came to get them today!"

Evan's face became more and more unsightly; in the end, his face was ghastly pale.

He knew that Gerian was not lying. There was indeed an adventurer who was sent to the dungeon today.

With Evan's status in the Merlin family, he naturally wouldn't care about the life and death of an adventurer, so he had just taken a glance and forgot about it. He finally realized how serious the consequences were when Gerian made it clear…

It never occurred to him that a down-and-out adventurer would be Felic's friend.

What kind of character was Felic? He was someone whom even Gerian did not dare to make light of. Something had happened to his friends; who in the Guild of Magic dared not do their best to help? With the current influence of the Guild of Magic, if things became serious, how could the Merlin Family, which faced problems both internally and externally, withstand it?

Cromwell, Cromwell. You had brought big trouble to the Merlin Family this time…The more Evan thought of it, the more frightened he was. He was so suffocated that there was not a trace of blood on his face.

"But, since Matthew is not here, I can only go in and look for them personally." Gerian dropped the sentence and paid no more heed to the pale Evan. He led the group of Magic Shooters straight into the mansion.

"Wait… President Gerian… Please wait." How could Evan stand and watch it? If he let Gerian break in like this, what dignity would the Merlin Family have in the future?

"What?"

"I can have a say in this. Please wait for a moment. I will get someone to release Mage Felic's friends." Evan was flustered; he did not dare to raise his voice at Gerian anymore, and began to use a polite tone.

Gerian hesitated for a while, then looked at Lin Li with a consulting look.

"Forget it, there's a chance in the future anyway." With Lin Li's familiarity with Gerian, how could he not know that the old man had not come in search of someone and had wanted to humiliate the Merlin Family? But this concerned the safety of McGrenn and his daughter, and he didn't want to push the Merlin Family too hard.

"Release them." Gerian's tone was slightly softened by this persuasion. "But, Evan, you should know that I have no patience. If you let me wait for long…"

"I know…" Evan was relieved when he heard Gerian consent, but his heart was full of bitterness. It wasn't long ago that the Merlin Family interfered in the internal affairs of the Guild of Magic with great arrogance. However, it did not take long for the situation to turn around. Apart from killing the family's mage in the street, they had blown away the Merlin Family's door with a fireball.

But no matter what Evan's mood was, he dared not take what Gerian said as a joke. He knew very well that the old man really had no patience. If he got irritable from waiting, maybe he would even tear down the Merlin Family's house.

After temporarily appeasing Gerian, Evan dared not delay for a second. He immediately called several family mages to the dungeon and brought out the adventurers captured this morning.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 88: The Last Request

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After arranging the things to be done, Evan cautiously ushered the crowd into the hall. Now, he was really afraid…

In the process of waiting, Evan was always careful for fear of offending Gerian, the pestilence. The old fellow was determined to kill someone to establish his power today. Evan was constantly reminding himself, Never give him an excuse, never give him an excuse ; under this pressure, even talking became a kind of torture. Before Evan spoke, he had to think it over and over again for fear that if he made a mistake, he'd become the object of Gerian's bullying.

But luckily, the duration of torture wasn't too long.

Ten minutes later, there were sounds of footsteps in the secret passageway leading to the living hall.

A gaunt middle-aged man struggled to walk into the living hall with the support of two mages. His clothes were brand-new; it looked like he had just changed them. The wounds on his face had been treated; although clear whip marks could still be seen, at least crimson blood wasn't oozing out from the wounds anymore.

At the moment when the middle-aged man walked into the living hall, Evan's heart fell. He knew better than anyone what kind of place the Merlin Family dungeon was. Out of every ten living people who went in, nine would come out dead, and the only one who was alive would mostly be badly mutilated.

Even Evan felt the various kinds of torture in the dungeon were a little perverted.

Looking at Gerian's fat face, Evan could not imagine what kind of rage would erupt from Gerian if this adventurer had died.

But luckily, he was still alive…

Evan's hanging heart finally descended into its place. All is well, all is well…

"Mr McGrenn." As soon as the middle-aged adventurer entered the hall, Lin Li rushed over to hold him. His movements were light and careful as he was afraid of tearing the wounds on his body.

Lin Li always had an indescribable gratitude towards McGrenn for bringing him out of the Sunset Mountains. He was such a person. Once he had received the favor of others, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he would always remember it in his heart; just like in the case of Gerian and the Guild of Magic—the kindness Gerian had shown him and the respect that he had received from everyone in the Guild of Magic were things Lin Li had seen with his eyes and remembered in his heart. He did things for the Guild of Magic in the open and in secret without decline.

In Lin Li's heart, McGrenn was his friend and his benefactor.

Whether it was his friend or benefactor, Lin Li would not allow anyone to hurt him.

If he was hurt, then someone had to pay the price.

"Mr McGrenn, how do you feel?" Lin Li looked at the bruises on his face. There were streaks and streaks of them—which showed that he should have been whipped.

"It's… It's you… Mage Felic… How did you come?" Every word McGrenn uttered seemed to come with extreme difficulty. Every wound on his body was painful, like the bites of a venomous snake.

"I heard you've been captured by the Merlin Family…" Lin Li whispered and suddenly remembered Cromwell's words. His heart tightened as he cried out involuntarily, "Oh right, Mr McGrenn, where is Ina?"

"Ina escaped…" There was finally a smile on McGrenn's face, which was full of whiplashes and bruises. "I've helped her escape…"

"Oh, then that's good." Lin Li nodded, his heart finally at ease.

"Mage… Mage Felic…" McGrenn struggled again and called Lin Li's name with much difficulty.

"You're badly hurt. Don't talk for the time being, I'll get someone to treat you." Lin Li patted McGrenn on the back of his hand and coaxed him in a soothing tone.

But the voice of the middle-aged adventurer sounded exceptionally resolute. "No, I can't rest… Mage Felic, I have a request."

"I will agree to it as long as I can do it. Just tell me. But before that, you need to rest, Mr McGrenn. Your injury is really serious…"

"No need." McGrenn shook his head with a bitter look, but his spirits seemed to improve, and his face brightened a little. He pushed away the two mages holding him. "Mage Felic, no need to persuade me any longer. I can't live much longer."

"What!?" Lin Li was startled.

"In order to let Ina escape, I've used my family's secret method to break through to level-ten. Now my time is almost up…"

"I can cure you. Let me think, I will come up with something…" For a moment, Lin Li had completely lost his bearings. He desperately tried to recall the formulas for different potions, trying to find one that could cure McGrenn. But McGrenn was already cut off from life and could no longer be treated with potions. No matter how hard Lin Li tried to recall, he could not think of a possible formula.

"Mage Felic, I don't have much time left… Can you promise me to find Ina?"

McGrenn's spirit was getting better, and his face was getting rosier. Lin Li knew that this was the momentary recovery just before death. "I promise you."

"Thank you." McGrenn reached into his coat and trembled as he took out half of an arrow. "If you find Ina, hand her this half of an arrow. Tell her to bring it to the Eternal Shrine to look… to look for her mother…"

The voice of the middle-aged adventurer sank lower and lower, and the flush brought on by the momentary recovery faded. As he uttered his last word, his life also came to an end. His once strong body fell softly and the arrow in his hand dropped onto the thick carpet, rolling lightly as it touched the ground…

Lin Li quietly picked up the half an arrow from the ground and held it tightly in his hand. As he looked at the tightly shut eyes of the middle-aged adventurer, his face displayed an unprecedented seriousness. "Rest assured, I will hand this half an arrow to Ina… As for those who had hurt you, I will not let any of them off!"

After a long while, Lin Li turned around and looked at Evan coldly. "Where's another one?"

"There's another one?" Not to mention Evan, even Gerian was bewildered by the question. Didn't McGrenn just say that he had helped his daughter escape? When was there another one?

"She's called Ina."

Evan panicked. "But… But she has escaped…"

"I don't care. I only know that it was the Merlin Family that had captured her, and now I'll only look for the Merlin Family for the person."

Gerian suddenly realized that this gentle kid was even more aggressive than he was. He had more or less found an excuse for himself, but this kid didn't even try to look for an excuse; he had just made up a reason and planted it on them first.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 89: Investigation

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

However, that was exactly what Gerian wanted. He had come today to humiliate the Merlin Family. If it hadn't been for Lin Li's persuasion at the door earlier on, he would have blown up the living hall. Now that Lin Li changed his mind, he naturally had no opinion. The old fellow's expression turned cold, and he began raging.

"That's right! It was the Merlin Family who had captured them, so why should the Guild of Magic look for her? Damn it, Evan, are you looking down on me?"

"…" Evan broke out in perspiration as he thought inwardly, Who dares to look down on you?

"Mr Evan, you had better think it over. If you don't hand her over, it will most likely affect the friendship between our two forces. If something happens when the time comes, we, the Guild of Magic, will not be responsible."

"I really don't know where she is…" Evan was about to cry in panic. Darn it, what kind of place is the Guild of Magic? First there was the old shameless Gerian and now there is the young shameless Felic. Why are they all so unreasonable?

"Felic, cut the crap with him. You're not handing her out? I'll look for her myself!" Gerian couldn't wait and issued an order to the wolf-like Magic Shooters, "Search! Even if we have to tear down the Merlin Family's house today, we have to find Felic's friend!"

"Yes!"

The group of bandit Magic Shooters' eyes lit up at the words "tear down"; they were like wolves that had been hungry for days and suddenly saw a large piece of fresh meat. Before Gerian continued giving out his orders, everyone had gotten the message as they rushed out of the living hall.

"You guys… You guys can't do this!" Evan felt he was about to black out watching the group of wolf-like Magic Shooters hurrying out of the living hall. If this group of bandits was allowed to charge into the heart of the Merlin Family, the Merlin Family would be in ruins by the time they came out.

But everything was far from the end.

"Mr Evan." Lin Li's voice sounded again. "As a matter of fact, I, personally, am willing to believe that this is a misunderstanding; and I also believe that it won't affect the friendship between the Guild of Magic and the Merlin Family. But…"

Evan's heart tightened. "But what?"

"But, the Merlin Family has to hand over the murderer who hurt my friend."

"This…" Evan hesitated slightly. To be honest, this request was not too demanding. With the current strength of the Guild of Magic, they could take the person involved directly from the Merlin Family regardless of his objections. But Evan was absolutely not willing to do so until they had come to the final step.

In the hundred years of history of the Merlin Family, there had never been a precedent of voluntarily surrendering a member of the family. Once this precedent was set, it meant that the Merlin Family had lost the ability to protect its family members, and that the family had completely submitted themselves to the Guild of Magic. From then on, who would still be willing to work for a family that did not have the ability to protect themselves?

"Can you let me think it over?" Evan asked cautiously, afraid of angering the young Magic Shooter.

"You don't have much time." Lin Li nodded and did not rush him anymore.

The sweat on Evan Merlin's forehead became denser with every passing second. Under the tremendous pressure of the Guild of Magic, he had completely broken down. This decision concerned the future of the Merlin Family—if he refused, what awaited would be the wrath of the Guild of Magic and the insults from the other forces of Jarrosus; if he agreed, there would be dissension in the family, and no one but the core members would be willing to serve a family that might sell themselves out at any time.

Just as Evan was vacillating, footsteps were heard from the living hall.

Several Magic Shooters had returned, most of them smiling in excitement. Their bulging pockets indicated that they had brought something back with them.

"President Gerian, we found a suspicious place!" It was a middle-aged Magic Shooter who spoke. Gerian remembered that this fellow was Giorgio—he was the one who led the casino smash.

Gerian was surprised. "What place?"

"The basement just behind. Do you want to have a look?"

"Mm, we should investigate."

"…" Evan listened to this serious conversation and immediately wanted to vomit blood. Suspicious your foot! The basement behind was the Merlin Family's treasury. F*ck you, Guild of Magic. You're a bunch of bloody bandits!

Gerian rubbed his chin with a serious face, then went on to investigate the suspicious basement with a group of Magic Shooters, leaving the poor Evan crying to no avail in the living hall.

"Mage Felic, I… I will hand over the murderer…" Evan knew that the matter could not be delayed any longer. If it continued to drag on like this, who knew if the bandits from the Guild of Magic would find more suspicious places? At last, after repeated struggles, Evan gave in.

"Very well." Lin Li stood up from his seat and called over the few Magic Shooters who were standing guard by the door. "Go with me to the dungeon."

Evan followed them down the dungeon nervously, and then he saw Lin Li stretching out his finger. "This, this, this, this, and this… Bring all of them away!"

"Yes!" The few Magic Shooters had received the orders and got to work without further ado.

"Wait!" After a whole round, Lin Li had pointed out all the family's mages guarding the dungeon. Evan stopped him in fright hastily. "Mage Felic, you've said only to hand over the murderer!"

"Yes." Lin Li replied matter-of-factly. "But now, I'm not sure who is the real murderer that killed Mr McGrenn, so I'm going to bring all the people suspected of murder back for questioning. Why… Do you have any objection, Mr Evan?"

"…" It wasn't until now that Evan realized how good a person Gerian was as compared to this young Magic Shooter…

Most of the mages guarding the dungeon were only level-eight or nine in strength, how could they compete with the bandits from the Guild of Magic? There was no resistance at all in the process of arrest. A couple of control magic spells had brought them down completely, and then they were tied up firmly with ropes. After the dozen mages were arrested, they gradually understood what was going on. When they looked back at Evan, their eyes were full of hatred and disgust.

In the face of these looks, Evan, who knew he was guilty, could only lower his head and avoid any eye contact with them.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 90: A Rag

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

By the time Lin Li came out with the group of suspects, Gerian had returned from the basement. The old fellow seemed to have gained another round of weight. The large mage robe he was wearing was bulging out; it seemed that the basement was indeed very, very suspicious!

"There's good stuff, I'll tell you when we go back…" Lin Li had just walked into the living hall when Gerian leaned over in a haste. Then, he looked at the dozen mages who were tied up. The old fellow asked in puzzlement, "What did they do?"

"They are suspected of murdering Mr McGrenn."

"…" Gerian admired this kid from the bottom of his heart. What was the real meaning of having no sense of shame? This was—a dozen mages arrested on suspicion of murder. Compared with this kid, what was the big deal with investigating the basement?

Then, he found that his admiration came too early…

"Oh right, Mr Evan, I have to trouble you with something again."

"What is it?" Evan asked in trepidation.

"As far as I know, Mr. McGrenn was abducted into the Merlin Family by violence, so I hope Mr Evan will hand over the people involved in the kidnapping."

"What!?" Evan jumped up abruptly like a cat having its tail stepped on. Gesturing in a threatening manner, he screamed, "You're too much! This is impossible!"

As soon as Evan's voice fell, he noticed a sudden silence in the living hall. Then, he saw Gerian squint his eyes. Behind him, more than 30 Magic Shooters rubbed their fists as their eyes were filled with excitement.

Evan realized at once that he had said something foolish. At present, the bandits were eagerly looking forward to having an excuse to continue their investigation, and he was too foolish to give them the chance. Wasn't he pushing himself into a pit of fire?

"Mr Evan, you're unwilling to cooperate?"

"No, no… But Cromwell was the one who did it, I have no knowledge of it at all. Even if I want to hand them over, I have no idea who has done it…" Evan's face was troubled, but in his heart, he was secretly proud of his quick-wittedness. In such a critical situation, he could even think of pinning things onto Cromwell. Now they had no choice. Wanna know who had captured them? Sure, you can ask Cromwell…

"It's alright. If Mr Evan really doesn't know, the Guild of Magic can also find it out on your behalf. We can bring all the people back for questioning slowly. I believe someone will say it under tortures."

"…"

In the end, six more Magic Shooters were arrested. When Evan called out their names one by one, he really had the heart to die. The Merlin Family had never lost six Magic Shooters at once in its hundreds of years of history; and this time, he was the one who had pushed them out to die.

"Alright, Mr Evan. Thank you for your cooperation." Lin Li shook Evan's hand politely when they left the Merlin Family.

"Don't mention it. Mage Felic, you're too polite." Evan wiped his cold sweat off while squeezing out a stiff smile. In his heart, he had let out numerous sighs of relief. God bless, I'm finally sending away this group of bandits.

"However, there are still many questionable points about this matter. If necessary, the Merlin Family may need to cooperate with us in the future. I hope Mr Evan can understand." Who knew that the following words would almost cause Evan to pass out on the spot?

Evan had gone nuts. Things have ended up like this on the first cooperation. And you're still coming? Will the Merlin Family be able to live any longer?

By the time the people from the Guild of Magic left, Evan wanted to cry, but no tears would fall…

"Hahaha!" Gerian's laughter was rampant in the Guild of Magic's reception room. "I've long wanted to do this since 30 years ago. I've finally tasted the satisfaction today…"

But Lin Li, who was sitting opposite him, was obviously not in high spirits; he was merely staring at the half an arrow in his hand.

"You're still thinking about McGrenn?" Gerian laughed for a while before he sensed there was something wrong with Lin Li's mood, so he had to put away his laughter awkwardly and then patted Lin Li's shoulder with a comforting look. "Cheer up. No one can escape such matters as birth, old age, illness, and death. Even if you're grieving, it won't be able to bring him back to life."

"I'm not grieving." Lin Li shook his head and kept the half an arrow close to him. "I just think it's rather sad that a good, living person is gone just like that…"

"It is precisely because of this unpredictability that life appears more wonderful. Who can predict matters like life and death? Maybe it'll be my turn or yours tomorrow… Forget it, let's not talk about things that'll dampen our mood. I'll show you something good!"

"What is it?" Lin Li knew that his mood was inappropriate; so, when Gerian opened his mouth, Lin Li also headed off the topic along with him.

"Suspicious evidence!" The old fellow shamelessly took out a staff from the mage robe. "Do you remember how I told you about Matthew's million gold coins staff back at the auction?"

"This is it?"

"That's right!" Gerian smiled like a fox who had just stolen a chicken. "Matthew, that fool, had actually left the staff he had carried everywhere at home before going to the Daylight Square. When I saw it in the basement just now, I went ahead…"

"Eh…" Gerian went on unceasingly but not a word went into Lin Li's ears, for he saw that Gerian had dropped something on the ground when he took out the staff.

It was an old rag. It looked black, covered with all kinds of stains, and even had a foul smell. Most people would throw it away as an old rag when they saw it, but it was quite different when it fell into Lin Li's eyes because he had an exact same rag with him. The difference was that the piece of rag he had had been smeared with various dyestuff by the Leviathan Gorilla.

But apart from dyestuff and stains, the peculiar runes on the two rags were exactly alike!

Lin Li picked up the rag carefully and, perplexed, asked Gerian, "Where did you get this stuff?"

"Devil knows…" Gerian rolled his eyes and felt sympathy for him. It seemed that the kid had been hit hard. Someone who did not even appreciate the Mannes Family's treasury was actually holding a piece of ragged cloth and treating it as a treasure.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 91: The Truth Behind the Rag

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Then, Gerian saw the kid taking out an identical rag from somewhere. What was slightly different was that the rag he took out looked even dirtier and torn; it was also colorful, but it was unknown what was painted on it.

"What is this?" Gerian leaned over curiously.

Lin Li did not answer, but placed the two rags on the table and slowly pieced them together…

"As expected…" The originally jagged corners coincided and the adjacent symbols became an integrated whole at once.

"High Elves Print?" Gerian was an Archmage, after all; he knew the ropes once the two rags were pieced together.

"You recognize it?"

"No, I don't…" Gerian belonged to a very different kind of mage. Besides magic, he did not care about the other kinds of general skills and knowledge. He only took the entry level even for inscription, which every mage was required to learn. Now that Lin Li had questioned him, the old fellow could not help but feel embarrassed. After thinking about it, he probably felt he had made himself look bad with the answer, so he added shamelessly, "Actually, I recognize some of them, for example these symbols. Looking at the way they are spelled, I know that this should be a person's name. Let me see what this guy's name is…"

Gerian lay his overstuffed body on the table and carefully made out those peculiar symbols. "Osric Griffith… Damn! Highlord Osric!"

He was talking to himself in amazement, but the more Lin Li listened, the less he understood. "What Highlord?"

"You've never even heard of Highlord Osric?" Gerian looked unbelievingly at Lin Li as if he were looking at a visitor from Mars.

"Is this strange?"

"I really don't know what Andoine has taught you…" Gerian took the opportunity to denigrate Andoine, then explained with a face full of ostentation, "In the Dark Ages, the Felan Kingdom was ruled by six High Elves Highlords, of whom Osric was the most powerful. His territory stretched from Alanna in the west to Star Lake in the east, including Jarrosus City, and all this land belonged to him alone.

"Then, isn't he mightier than Isaac?"

"Isaac is peanuts…" Gerian sniffed at it and impolitely threw dirt on the Castellan. "In Jarrosus City, Isaac is at most a middleman. Not to mention the Merlin Family or the Guild of Magic, even if Ysera from the Mannes Family were to cough twice, Isaac has to worry whether the grocery prices would increase the next day. Try Osric instead. Ysera didn't even have to cough; even when he is exhaling, he'd have to cover his nose with his hands. Reuben is cruel for killing his own brother and parents, right? But that can't even compare to Osric. He's a real butcher. He hanged 30,000 rebels overnight without even even panting…"

"…"

Gerian finally had a chance to show off, and there was no reason why he wouldn't do it. "Go to the library more often, there are many books that record the stories of the great Highlord… Generally speaking, this was a ruthless and powerful ruler. He killed many people but did a lot of great things in his lifetime. The only pity was that he had lost his mind in his later years. It is said that in his old age, he was always afraid that his treasures would be stolen, so he built a huge mausoleum and buried the looted treasures with himself… Unfortunately, no one knows exactly where the mausoleum is…"

Lin Li listened as the old fellow pulled further off topic, and knew that the latter certainly did not recognize the other symbols. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dug these groundless stories up in order to divert the topic. "Does anyone in the guild recognize the High Elves Print?"

"You're counting on that bunch of junk? You could as well…" Gerian scolded in disdain, but hesitated halfway. "You don't say… There's really someone in the guild who recognizes the High Elves Print…"

"There's someone who knows?"

"Andoine, that old fella, knows. He is authoritative on the High Elves relics. Let alone Jarrosus, even in the whole Felan Kingdom, no one can match up to him in this respect. Too bad the old fellow never shows up all year round. It's not that easy to find him… The last time I saw him, he was picking herbs in the Demon Fall Valley…"

"From what I heard from Old Grimm, he was in Alanna recently. We'll talk about it again when we see him someday…" Lin Li was not in a hurry for this matter; anyway, the rag had been in the Ring of Endless Storm for almost a month. Having to wait a little longer was not a big deal. Instead, he was reminded of something when Gerian mentioned the Demon Fall Valley. "Oh right, any news from Kevin?"

"We've gotten our people back." Gerian knew he meant the hostages. The old fellow was somewhat discontented at the mention of it. "I say, what on earth were you thinking? The Shadow's Nest is asking for a thunderingly high price, we could just sit back and pay them off with money. You're giving off 40 bottles of Wild Elixir; since when have you become that generous?"

"If it hadn't been for fear of their vigilance, I would have given them 100 bottles at once."

"Those elixirs are fake?" Looking at Lin Li's determined expression, Gerian had understood a little of what was going on.

"How can it be? Pharmacists also have to uphold the integrity of pharmacists. It is too crude to cheat people with fake potions." Lin Li looked around and lowered his voice a little. "And it's too easy to see through it…"

Gerian, who had just gotten a grasp of the situation, was confused again. "Then what did you do?"

"I've increased the concentration of that batch of elixirs slightly."

If Old Grimm had heard this, he would have begun to sympathize with the people from the Shadow's Nest.

However, Gerian was a total potion-idiot; how would he know there were so many bends to increase the concentration of a potion…

"This is too complicated to explain in a short time. But rest assured, in three days at most, you can go to the Demon Fall Valley to collect the bodies of the Shadow's Nest."

Lin Li had 100 percent confidence in these 40 bottles of Wild Elixir.

Unless the people from the Shadow's Nest didn't drink it—but this was almost impossible; why did they specify the Elixir of Empowerment instead of the better-selling magic potions?

The increased concentration of the Wild Elixir was much more powerful than the Sobriety Potion. When you first drank it, it did enhance the strength and agility. But over time, the side effects of the netherbloom would gradually erode the body, starting from sluggish actions to feeling weak and powerless in the end; even Lin Li was in fear of the various frightening side effects.

It was no exaggeration to say that if a bottle of concentrated Wild Elixir was taken, a person would become a complete waste in a week at most.

40 bottles of Wild Elixir were sent out to destroy 40 members of the Shadow's Nest. This was a worthwhile business. And it was also 40 members with no low status. Lin Li did not believe that the Shadow's Nest would be so generous to distribute such an item as the Wild Elixir to their low-level members.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 92: Arrowhead

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

McGrenn's funeral was arranged on the next day by the Guild of Magic. With the present status of the Guild of Magic in Jarrosus City, the funeral was naturally a spectacular event. He was only a level-six adventurer before his death, but he had enjoyed the treatment that most beyond level-ten did not enjoy after his death.

Castellan Isaac and the leaders of the six underground forces had come; the patriarchs of the ten mage families had also come; even the Merlin Family which was being investigated the previous day had come as well, represented by Evan alone. As for the reason why he did not bring anyone along with him? No kidding… What if Mage Felic found a murder suspect among them again?

This was the funeral of Mage Felic's friend, and this alone was enough.

After yesterday's duel, Felic's name was louder in Jarrosus City than those of Gerian and Matthew. The horror of breaking Cromwell's magic was engraved in everyone's heart, and no one dared to have the slightest doubts about his power.

The funeral was grand and solemn, but Lin Li knew it was meaningless for McGrenn…

When Lin Li lay McGrenn's coffin into the grave, he leaned on it and repeated his promise with a voice that only he could hear. "Thank you, Mr McGrenn, for taking me out of the Sunset Mountains. Sleep in peace. I'll help you find Ina and take care of her as a sister."

Lin Li was rather depressed on the way back from the funeral.

Gerian consoled him for a while, but it didn't have much effect. He simply advised him to walk around the city instead of staying in the Guild of Magic all day; anyone who stayed inside all day would eventually turn moldy.

Lin Li thought about it and found it right; after living in Jarrosus for more than a month, he had yet to take a good look at the city.

"Might as well. You go back first, I'll walk around on my own."

After watching Gerian leave, Lin Li couldn't help pulling out the half an arrow from his pocket. After returning from the Merlin Family, he had looked at the arrow countless times. To be honest, the forging of this arrow was a bit rough—it was probably the product of the assembly line; there wasn't even a blood slot on it.

It was the metal used that surprised Lin Li.

This was actually an arrowhead forged with star iron—a really rare magical metal. Besides being extremely sharp, weapons forged with star iron often had magical attributes that were not in the least weak. Which was to say, the owner of this arrow was probably an archer proficient in magic.

Lin Li just couldn't understand why a rare magical metal was used in such a rough forging process.

After slight hesitation, Lin Li put the arrow in his pocket again. He decided to find a place to ask from whose hand did such a rough forging craft come from.

Perhaps through the sources related to forging could he find out where the Eternal Shrine was.

Speaking of it, the name Eternal Shrine had also been bothering him recently.

After returning from the Merlin Family, he had already asked many people, but no one, including Gerian, had ever heard of Eternal Shrine. This was a very strange thing in itself. What kind of gossipmonger was Gerian? He even knew that Osric, the High Elves Highlord, had gone mad before he died, but he didn't know where the Eternal Shrine was…

After the duel in the Daylight Square, Jarrosus was exceptionally calm.

It was as if time returned to more than a month ago, when Lin Li had just arrived in Jarrosus City. There were no more wolf-like Magic Shooters in the streets and no more buildings that were lit up in flames. Even the rich guests who went to the casinos in their spare time were relieved that they no longer had to worry about the Magic Shooters suddenly barging in to collect debts when they were halfway through their gambling.

Lin Li walked along the street aimlessly, looking at this familiar yet strange city with curious eyes. He had no particular place to go; he just wandered aimlessly until it was almost evening, when he stopped in front of a Gilded Rose.

This Gilded Rose was a special one. It dealt with all kinds of weapons and armor. A furnace was burning outside the door. There were two blacksmith apprentices in front of their anvils, with sweat pouring down their faces. The hammers fell heavily in succession and sparks spattered in the crisp sound of beating iron.

"Greetings to you, respected mage." The boss of this Gilded Rose was a fat middle-aged man, with a round face nearly catching up with Gerian's, but when he smiled, his eyes would reveal a loathsome shrewdness.

Lin Li specially wore a rune mage robe to attend McGrenn's funeral today. It was standard equipment provided by the Mannes Family for the Guild of Magic, done with fine workmanship and proper tailoring; it wore well on the fine-looking Lin Li, adding some bearing to him. The Torrent of Elements Ring on his finger was shining faintly, emitting a powerful magical wave.

With the shrewdness of the boss, how could he not see that this was a rich man?

Especially when Lin Li stopped in front of a few crossbows; the shrewd and enthusiastic boss thus greeted him with eager attention.

"Mr Mage, you have really fine eyes. These crossbows are all new products that arrived this morning. Made by the crossbow master of Alanna, they can fire three bolts at a time. They are simple and fast to load, suitable for mages like you."

"No need to explain it. Let me have a look by myself first." Lin Li frowned. The enthusiasm from the boss made him feel overwhelmed. It was natural to rip customers off when doing business, but it was detestable not to look at whom they were dealing with before ripping them off.

From what Lin Li saw, the crudest weapons in this Gilded Rose were probably these crossbows. So, he had come here to see if such rough crossbows had something to do with the rough arrow in his hand. He had not expected the boss to think he was interested in these lousy crossbows just because he was standing in front of them…

Lin Li did not know whether to laugh or cry at the situation. The arrow slot was casually polished and even the crossbow rear was loose; which mage dared to keep this kind of crude stuff as a concealed weapon? Perhaps he'd be shot to death by the crossbow himself even before he got to shoot the enemy…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 93: Rainbow Adamantine

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Probably because the Mannes Family specialized in magical equipment, there was very little good stuff in this Gilded Rose that sold weapons and armors. The only thing that caught Lin Li's attention was a double-edged sword.

To be honest, this double-edged sword was really odd. It was clearly made of winter iron, but there were no mageweaths on the sword blade. This was simply intolerable for Lin Li, who pursued perfection in everything. The winter iron itself contained powerful ice magical element. After the amplification of the mageweath, the magical element could be brought into full play. If there was a high quality ice magical crystal and a good Inscriber, this double-edged sword could definitely become a powerful magical weapon.

It's a pity…

Such a good piece of winter iron was ruined like that.

Then, Lin Li looked at the price and found that the price of such a double-edged sword forged with the winter iron was the same as that of a general iron sword.

Lin Li knew at once that he had found the wrong place.

The fat boss was very shrewd, but his vision was horrible. Would one expect a man who could sell winter iron as any other iron to judge the origin of the arrow from the forging process? It was easier to count on Gerian losing weight than to count on him…

Just as Lin Li was about to leave, there was another sound of footsteps coming from outside the door.

In came a young man in his twenties. Although at the same age, compared with Kevin, who was gentle and handsome, this man was at the other extreme—his face was tanned and contours sharp. His hands were rough and strong; it was obvious that he had been engaging in physical labor for a long time. He was sturdy and tall, and when he entered, he looked like a black bear blocking the door.

How could the astute fat boss not see that the stuff the young man had on his whole body was probably less than two gold coins? Just look at the leather armor and the leather boots—any beggar in Jarrosus City might be richer than him.

Let alone the mage next to him. Look at what he was wearing—it was a rune mage robe worth nearly 10,000 gold coins. Besides the Guild of Magic, no other mage in Jarrosus City dared to wear it everywhere. And there was the ring on his hand; that black diamond alone could probably buy ten Gilded Roses… It was a pity that such a rich man was merely taking a look and had no intention to buy anything…

The reception for two differently dressed people was naturally different.

When the young man entered the door, the fat boss did not even bat his eyelids. He asked listlessly, "What's the matter?"

"I'd like to sell this…" The young man said as he handed over a package to the counter. His voice sounded a little low. There was a strong reluctance in his eyes when he let go.

The fat boss was still buried in accounting and it was unknown whether he had heard the young man. It was only after the package had been put down for some time that the fat boss' vague reply was heard. "Oh…"

The young man waited for a long time, but nothing followed. He had to whisper a reminder, "Would you like to see it first?"

"What's the rush? Don't you see I'm doing the accounts?" The fat boss was a little unhappy at his urging, but after looking up and staring at the young man, he somehow shifted his eyes to the package. The fat boss uncovered the wrapped cloth, which revealed a dark sword blade. Judging from the length, it should be a double-edged sword.

"100 gold coins." After tossing out a figure, the fat boss buried his head again.

"100 gold coins?" There was some surprise and disappointment on the young man's tanned face. "Did you see it wrong? This is a weapon forged with the shadowforged siderite. How could it be only 100 gold coins?"

"What rubbish shadowforged siderite? Look at this sword blade, how does it look like a weapon forged with the shadowforged siderite?" Perhaps it was the first time that someone questioned his vision, and it came from a young man who looked even inferior than a beggar; the fat boss immediately got angry and pulled apart the cloth that was wrapped outside, revealing the dark sword blade. "See for yourself. This sword blade is darker than you. How can a shadowforged siderite produce such a weapon?"

"But… but…"

While the two men were arguing, Lin Li who was standing at a side had already seen through it.

The fat boss was right this time. The double-edged sword wrapped in the cloth was not forged with a shadowforged siderite indeed.

Weapons forged with shadowforged siderite also displayed a kind of black, but it was a shiny kind of black, just like the Torrent of Elements Ring on his hand. However, the double-edged sword on the counter was dull and without any shine to it.

However, the price offered by the fat boss was far short.

If Lin Li was right, this double-edged sword should be made of a rare magical metal—the rainbow adamantine. It was a metal more precious and rarer than the shadowforged siderite. Weapons forged with the rainbow adamantine would randomly produce a variety of magic attributes in the forging process—two at the very least and seven at most. The number of attributes depended on the level of the maker. Generally, a blacksmith that could forge more than four kinds of attributes could be considered a master.

Of course… This was not the case for Lin Li. The Smith Master was a devil-like existence and couldn't be measured by common sense. Once the rainbow adamantine fell into his hands, it was almost sure that there would be seven attributes produced.

But all seven attributes coming out at once was only a legend to most people.

Generally speaking, a weapon forged with rainbow adamantine would definitely sell at a high price if it could produce four attributes. This double-edged sword in front of them had at least five attributes, because the color of the weapon was just too dark. The more attributes the rainbow adamantine carried, the darker it would be. Only after having seven attributes could it return to the initial colorful rays of the rainbow.

So, Lin Li wanted to laugh. There actually was someone who dared to offer 100 gold coins for a rainbow adamantine weapon with five attributes. This was the kind of price that could allow you one look at the weapon. If it came across someone who knew his stuff, it could very well be sold for millions of gold coins. This was the best equipment that those who studied both magic and martial arts could ask for.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 94: The Shattered Shield

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

If a weapon forged from rainbow adamantine fell into the hands of those who knew how to use it, it would be a real killer. With only a trace of mana needed to control it, one could easily switch among the various magical attributes. This unpredictable way of attacking was enough to give any opponent a headache.

"I'm willing to give you 100 gold coins because I pity you. Open your eyes and see for yourself. Which weapon in my shop is not better than your sword? How much more do you want to sell such a lousy sword for? 1,000 gold coins, 2,000 gold coins?" Perhaps he felt that this man was affecting his business, but the fat boss looked up impatiently from his account book. "Anyway, I will only give you 100 gold coins. If you want to sell it, you can sell it. If you don't want to sell it, you can go away. Don't block me from doing business."

The young man opened his mouth and tried to defend himself, but when the words had come to his mouth, he said nothing. In the end, he wrapped his sword in the cloth silently and carried it on his back, then turned to walk out of the Gilded Rose.

"Wait." Just as he walked to the door, the mage who had not spoken called out to him. "How many gold coins are you going to sell this double-edged sword for?"

"Would you like to buy?" This sentence, like a light in the darkness, suddenly brightened the dull eyes of the young man. "1,000 gold coins… Oh no, no. 800 gold coins. If you give me 800 gold coins, it's yours."

"800?" Lin Li looked surprised.

For Lin Li, this shock was quite normal. Who could imagine that a sword forged with rainbow adamantine and possessing five magical attributes cost only 800 gold coins?

But for the desperate young man, this hesitation meant something else. He thought the mage found it too expensive. There was some hesitation on his tanned face, but at last he clenched his teeth and offered a new price. "600 gold coins. Mr Mage, 600 gold coins and you can have it."

Lin Li hadn't said a word yet, but the price had dropped twice in a row. He immediately understood everything.

This young man must have needed cash badly; if not, he wouldn't be in a hurry to sell the item off.

To be honest, Lin Li never thought he was was someone with a heart of gold. If it was in the past, he would probably have made use of the opportunity and accept an offer at a low price for the double-edged sword. "A person who does not take take advantage of a bargain is a bastard." That was what Gerian, that old fellow, said…

However, since he had made a windfall from the Arcane Magic Potion auction, this fellow had shown some significant restraint. This was probably what was meant by "establishing a character after making a fortune". It wasn't worth taking advantage of others for such a small amount of money…

Lin Li did not give a counteroffer, but asked, "You need money badly?"

"Yes, Mr Mage. My father is sick and we need money to buy the medicine." The young man recognized a glimmer of hope from the mage's words and a beam of joy appeared on his tanned face in spite of himself.

"How much do you need?"

"Around 1,000 gold coins…"

"How is 600 gold coins enough?"

"I can sell my house, it should be enough after adding them together." The voice of the young man was getting lower and lower, and at the end, it was actually a little bit hoarse.

"Forget it, don't sell the house." Lin Li nodded and pulled out a purse from his pocket, which Gerian gave him for petty cash. It contained exactly 1,000 gold coins. "I'll lend you 1,000 gold coins; the double-edged sword will be used as a collateral for the time being. When you have earned enough money, you can come to the Guild of Magic to redeem it."

"Really?" The young man looked up abruptly; his tanned face was full of surprise. "You're willing to lend money to me?"

"It's fine by me anyway. If you don't pay back the money, this double-edged sword will belong to me. I won't lose out; and, I'm not afraid to tell you the truth: this double-edged sword is worth more than 1,000 gold coins. Only those guys who have something wrong with their brains will offer a ridiculous price like 100 gold coins."

"Thank you, Mr Mage." The young man's face was full of astonishment. He took the purse from the other party with trembling hands. At this moment, he realized that he was not dreaming. He seemed to relax as he held the heavy purse in his hands. I have the money to buy the medicine, there's hope for Father…

"Mr Mage, what do you mean?" The fat boss, who had been buried in his accounting, could not help but lift his head when he heard Lin Li's words, and there was a somewhat discontented look on his chubby face. "It's your personal business that you're willing to help him, but what does it have to do with my vision? Do you really think this broken sword is better than the weapons in my shop? Stop joking…"

Lin Li chuckled. "You don't believe it?"

"Of course I don't." There was some arrogance on the fat boss' face. "I've been working in Gilded Rose for 20 years. I dare not say it about other things, but my eyes can never be wrong. Outside of the Adventurer's Guild, there are tons of scrap metal like this, and they are all for the lowest level of adventurers.

"I think there's one thing you haven't figured out. You're just a mage, not a blacksmith—not to mention an owner of a weapons store. When it comes to magic, you may be 100 times better than me, but when it comes to weapon appraisal…" There was some sarcasm in the fat boss' smile. "I may be 100 times better than you even if I close my eyes and use my nose to sniff. Don't think that a mage can do everything. I might have sold more weapons than you've ever seen them. Do you think you have the right to tell me that?"

"How about we just make a bet?" Lin Li really did not want to badger with him about his vision. For a man who could sell winter iron as ordinary iron, such a thing like vision was too profound.

"Bet?" The fat boss swallowed his saliva. He slightly wavered.

"You're afraid?" After spending so much time with Gerian, Lin Li did not learn anything much, except that his mouth had become more vicious.

"Who said I'm afraid!?"

"Very well, let's bet on whether the weapon in your store is better or the sword used by this low-level adventurer is better." With little effort, Lin Li took the double-edged sword from the young man's hand.

The scene fell into the eyes of the young man and he was immediately flabbergasted.

He was the one who'd brought out the double-edged sword, so he naturally knew better than others how heavy this seemingly ordinary weapon was. When Lin Li reached out to him, he was still a little stunned. He had no idea that the seemingly weak mage could pick up such a heavy weapon.

How could he have thought that the man standing in front of him was a total monster?

As a blacksmith guru, Lin Li's body was much stronger than it looked. Even if he had not received any training now, he had at least the physical qualities of a level-three or four warrior. If this fellow were to receive a good training, even though it was impossible for him to be versed in both magic and martial arts, he could at least be at the strength of level-five or six warrior.

Picking up a heavy double-edged sword was just as easy as having a meal to him.

"Bring out the best shield in the store."

"Alright." This fat man was not afraid of death, either. Hearing Lin Li's words, his temper acted up and he went straight up to the second floor.

When the fat boss went up to the second floor, the young man felt a little uneasy. The Gilded Rose was the best equipment store in Jarrosus. What if the fat boss really brought out some powerful shield and made the kind mage lose the bet?

And then he saw something that struck him dumb with astonishment.

The kind-hearted mage held the sword in both hands and waved it twice in the air, and at once the sound of a heavy crack filled the air…

Was there anything more bizarre in the world than a seemingly delicate mage hacking the air with a heavy double-edged sword that was almost half as tall as a man? The young man rubbed his eyes hard; he thought he had to be mistaken.

After chopping several times in succession, Lin Li finally stopped without blushing or gasping, and praised satisfactorily, "Good, good. It's a really good sword." Then, he asked curiously, "Oh yes, what's your name?"

"Mr Mage. I am Sean, Sean Poliro." Hearing the question from the mage who helped him, the young man respectfully reported his name.

"Sean, is it…" Lin Li was going to continue the conversation with him when he heard noise coming from upstairs. Then, he saw the fat boss coming down with a Tower Shield.

Lin Li couldn't help feeling exasperated. This guy was smart enough to bring a Tower Shield down.

The attack mode of a double-edged sword was chopping, and the Tower Shield was undoubtedly the most effective defense against said chopping. There was also an indistinct magical wave on the Tower Shield, which seemed to be another magic equipment processed by inscription.

But it didn't matter; under the rainbow adamantine, everything was ephemeral…

Lin Li was so confident in the rainbow adamantine forged double-edged sword. It was not a weapon that ordinary magic equipment could resist.

"Mr Mage, what do you want to bet on?" The fat boss was not a Smithing Master; he was covered in sweat, having dragged the hefty Tower Shield down from the second floor. But when he spoke, his voice was full of confidence. He had bought this shield at a high price from an adventurer. To improve its defense, he specially hired a mage to lay down mageweath on it.

He had tried many times these few days; every weapon in the store had been tested, but no matter how sharp the weapon was, as long as the chopping was done on the shield, it would never leave a trace. The fat boss definitely did not believe that the seemingly broken double-edged sword could be more powerful than the weapons in his store.

The bet was so interesting that even the two sweaty blacksmith apprentices beside the furnace could not help but put down their hammers and peer quietly into the doorway. Their strange behavior naturally attracted more passers-by. From time to time, people stopped outside the Gilded Rose and looked into the store with curious eyes.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of people surrounded the Gilded Rose, turning the deserted armor and weapons store into a bustling market.

"Let's bet 1,000 gold coins."

"Sure! I'd like to see if this broken sword is really that impressive."

"Move away, I'm afraid I'll hurt you…" After putting the shield in place, Lin Li kindly asked, "By the way, would it cause you any trouble if the shield is broken?"

"No…" The fat boss swallowed his saliva again. The mage's eyes had made him uncomfortable…

"Then that's great!"

When the word "great" was uttered, the heavy double-edged sword was already held high.

Then Lin Li's mana entered the blade of the sword, and in an instant there was a glimmer of a halo flowing on the double-edged sword.

With this trace of mana, the rainbow adamantine weapon immediately became foreign; a dense chill was radiating from the blade. Where did the previous dullness go? The halo passing through the sword blade was like autumn waters, smearing a shining track in the air…

The violent strike was like a flash of lightning.

And then, both of them heard a crisp splitting sound.

The air suddenly quieted down in the Gilded Rose…

Whether it was Sean or the fat boss, both were paralyzed with shock almost at the same time.

Sean had no idea that the kind-hearted mage could deliver such a ferocious strike with the sword.

The fat boss was completely dumbstruck by the sword ray. He had gotten a clear look of what happened in that instant. There was a gush of brilliant light on the originally dull double-edged sword the moment it came down. He had been working in the Gilded Rose for 20 years; how could he not recognize the unique brilliance of a high-level magic weapon?

It was equally quiet outside the Gilded Rose.

Almost all the onlookers, including the two blacksmith apprentices, were looking nervously at the Tower Shield. At this moment, not even a breathing sound could be heard.

After that sword of lighting, even time seemed to have stopped.

There was no change in the Gilded Rose. Lin Li held his sword in both hands, and the heavy Tower Shield remained intact.

"Hahaha… I've said it before. How could such a lousy sword split the best shield in my store!" The surrounding silence was astonishing, and the laughter of the fat boss spread far and wide.

"Crack…"

The sound was particularly harsh among the sound of the fat boss' laughter.

Then, everyone saw a crack that was beginning to spread on the seemingly intact shield…

With the crisp sound, the fat boss seemed to be strangled at his throat suddenly and the smile on his face froze.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 95: The Golden-Eyed Lizard

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The cracks on the Tower Shield were thin and dense, spreading like a plague with endless crisp sounds. In the blink of an eye, they had covered the surface of the shield.

The fat boss' small eyes also widened with the cracks…

"Pom!" Then, there was a muffled noise as countless tiny fragments spattered like scattered dust, filling up the spacious weapon store.

The strong and hefty Tower Shield was shattered with only one strike of the sword.

What kind of sick weapon was this…

Everyone was dazed. Their open mouths were wide enough to stuff an egg.

At the same time the Tower Shield was shattered, the fat boss plopped down on the ground. His heart was like the dying embers. It's over. Everything is over…

This Tower Shield was specifically ordered by Mr Aaron Matsis, but now it was broken into pieces by a sword. People from the Blood Brotherhood would be coming in two days to ask for it; where was he going to find another one for them? The fat boss wanted to kill himself. He could have continued with his business instead of getting involved in a bet, and he had placed a bet with a mage some more. Ever since Felic appeared at the Guild of Magic, all the mages in Jarrosus were no different from monsters. Why did he even court them…

"A 1,000 gold coins." Lin Li was in a good mood, having shattered the Tower Shield with one strike. Rainbow adamantine forged weapons were indeed different. He had tried to control it with a trace of mana, and it easily triggered the shattering attributes. This sharp weapon was the bane of all heavy armor; when it fell into the hands of a real powerhouse, even the mountains could be shattered, let alone a small Tower Shield.

The fat boss got up from the ground, trembling. He did not even have the time to pat off the dust on his clothes as he hurried to the back of the counter and handed over a heavy bag of gold coins to Lin Li. Even for weapon stores like the Gilded Rose, 1,000 gold coins was by no means a small amount. When the money bag was handed over, the fat boss felt a throbbing pain in his heart.

But he dared not default on the bet just because of the pain.

When the sword was delivered just now, he knew that he had hit the wall. Facing such a monster, who would dare to renege on his debt?

Lin Li reached for the money bag and weighed it. He then put it in his bag in contentment. Before leaving, he kindly asked the fat boss, "Surely there's no trouble at all?"

"No… There's really no trouble!" The fat boss gritted his teeth, but could only watch Lin Li leave.

"Eh, Felic, it's you?" Just as Lin Li stepped out of the Gilded Rose, he saw an acquaintance walking towards him.

"Ah… It's Chief Ysera. What a coincidence…" He had just broken a Tower Shield and had handily made 1,000 gold coins from him. Even if Lin Li was thick-skinned, he was also embarrassed greeting Ysera.

"Heh heh, Felic, you're being a stranger here." After witnessing the duel, Ysera dared not put on the patriarch air in front of Lin Li. "It's not a day or two that we know each other. We are about the same age too, so just call me Ysera. President Gerian calls me by the name as well."

"Okay, okay. Ysera." Lin Li himself felt awkward calling "Chief" here and there everyday. Since Ysera had said so, he'd certainly follow suit. He had the backing of Gerian, that old fellow, anyway. In Jarrosus City, he could call anyone by their name as he liked, including the Castellan. Who would dare to say a word about him?

"Felic, you're a rare guest indeed. How did you think of patronizing the Gilded Rose today?"

"I'm looking for a blacksmith to find out something." At Ysera's question, Lin Li was reminded of the half an arrow in his pocket. "Oh yes, Ysera, does the Mannes Family have a more powerful blacksmith? I have something in my hands to ask about its origin."

"A more powerful blacksmith…" On hearing Lin Li's question, a wry smile appeared on the young patriarch's gentle and handsome face. "If the Mannes Family had a powerful blacksmith, I would have opened several more weapon stores. Don't you know that in Jarrosus City today, selling weapons is much more profitable than selling magic equipment?

"By the way, Felic, it wasn't easy meeting you today. I want to discuss something with you. Can you get me a few bottles of Magick Potion? As I said to President Gerian last time, I only need three bottles in total. As a reward, you can choose any three items from the Mannes Family's hoard."

Ysera once again mentioned the Magick Potion, but this time it wasn't so good to decline it directly, so Lin Li had to give him some vague reasons, such as the difficulty in getting the ingredients. Finally, Lin Li was forced with no way out and had to promise him for the time being that if Ysera could get ingredients, he would make three bottles for him. As for the reward, he could give as he deemed fit…

The two men were talking business outside, and the fat boss who had just stood up in the store sat down on the floor in horror once more.

He was paid by the Mannes Family; how could he not know who the genteel and handsome young man outside was?

He had never expected that this mage would have a friendship with the family patriarch.

The fat boss felt that he had never been so unlucky and lost. What could he do now…

Just because he had made a bet with someone, the Tower Shield specifically ordered by Aaron Matsis was shattered into pieces. Then, he found out that this person actually shared a good friendship with the patriarch. Just look at the expressions of the two men when they talked; the patriarch even had something to ask of him. If the dispute earlier on was leaked, then the consequences…

After chatting for a while more, Lin Li saw that it was getting late. He then turned and left the Gilded Rose.

The fat boss' worries soon became a reality. Among the passers-by who had gathered outside the Gilded Rose to watch the earlier dispute, someone had already talked about it in exaggeration. Only a word or two had reached Ysera, but how clever was this young patriarch? He had deduced what happened in a moment's time with the couple of words he heard.

Only then did he understand why there was a strange expression on Mage Felic's face when he left…

"Joseph, you fool!" Ysera's face was terribly gloomy when he entered the Gilded Rose, and he looked as if he was about to devour someone. Whether it was the two blacksmith apprentices or the fat Joseph he called a fool, they had never seen the patriarch in such a rage before.

Joseph had just got up with much effort when he heard Ysera's roar, and flopped down in horror again…

"Do you know what you've done?" Ysera entered the Gilded Rose, pointing at Joseph with one hand that was shaking with anger. "You… Do you know, do you know whom you were betting against?"

"Chief, I know I'm wrong. I was blind; I'll be damned, I shouldn't have offended the Chief's friend." The fatty named Joseph had some sense. Seeing that Ysera was angry, he burst into tears and begged for mercy, "Please spare me this time for the sake of my 20 years of service to the Mannes Family…"

"20 years?" Ysera was livid with anger. "Of all people, you had to bet against him. If you offended him, you wouldn't even be able to pay for it with a 1,000 years of service in the Mannes Family, let alone 20 years!"

"Give me another chance. I'll go and apologize to Mr Mage tomorrow. He's your friend, he sure won't mind it…"

"Friend? Do you think that just because I'm Ysera, I'm qualified to be friends with someone like him?"

In that moment, Joseph could hardly believe his ears…

He was stupefied; one of his hands was frozen in mid-air and he was unsure where to place it.

What did the Chief just said? He seemed to say, Do you think that just because I'm Ysera, I'm qualified to be friends with someone like him?

Joseph seemed to have been struck by lightning. He stood dumbfounded. He could not imagine there'd be anyone in Jarrosus City even a family patriarch was not qualified to be friends with…

"Fool! He's Felic—Felic from the Guild of Magic!"

"Oh my God…" When the patriarch's angry roar reached his ears, Joseph finally knew what kind of figure the mage he had bet against was. Felic from the Guild of Magic… who else had a name louder than his in Jarrosus City today?

After a heap of reproach, Ysera's anger finally subsided a little. But he still wasn't totally relieved from anger when he thought about it again, so he kicked the fat boss who was on the ground severely. "Go to the Guild of Magic tomorrow and beg for Mage Felic's forgiveness. If you can't get his forgiveness, there's no need to come back. Go find a place to hang yourself."

"Ch-Chief…" Joseph finally heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing the Chief's words. With a feeling of having survived a disaster, he stretched out a hand and wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, then carefully asked with some hesitation, "Just now… Just now… When I was betting with Mage Felic, the Tower Shield that Aaron Matsis ordered was shattered by him. What should I do in case the Blood Brotherhood asks?"

"Blood Brotherhood?" Ysera sneered. "It's Aaron Matsis' honor that Mage Felic broke that shield. He can't even thank you enough, how would he look for trouble with you… Prepare yourself to go to the Guild of Magic tomorrow and ask for the forgiveness from Mage Felic."

"Understood!"

Lin Li had no idea what was happening in the Gilded Rose; he was on his way back to the Guild of Magic. He had walked around the city all day today. Although he hadn't found out the source of the arrow, the bet with the fat boss had made him feel much better.

"Mage… Mage Felic! Please wait…" It wasn't long after he came out of the Gilded Rose when Lin Li suddenly heard that someone seemed to be calling him from behind.

"Sean?" Looking back, he saw the young man from the Gilded Rose, who was strong like a black bear, gasping to catch up with him from behind. Lin Li halted his steps in puzzlement.

"Please wait, Mage Felic…" By the time Sean caught up from behind, he was panting from exhaustion. His tanned face was covered in perspiration and his breathing was heavy. His strong body that was similar to a black bear's was heaving violently.

Lin Li was rather puzzled. "Sean, how do you know my name?"

"Just… Just now I heard… heard Chief Ysera mention it at the Gilded Rose…" Sean wiped out the sweat off his forehead. The young man, who was as strong as a black bear, gave off an honest and good-natured feeling when he smiled.

"Heh heh, so, why're you chasing out like that?" Although it was only the first time they met, Lin Li was rather fond of this honest young man, for he felt that someone who could bear the vicious verbal abuse of the fat boss for his sick father would never be bad in nature.

"Is it for this?" Lin Li thought for a moment and reached out to hand the sword wrapped in the cloth to him. "If you don't want to, you can take it back first. When you get the money, you can come to the Guild of Magic to see me again."

"No, no…" Sean shook his head in denial as he gasped heavily for breath.

"Then, what is it for?"

Sean was hesitant at first; but after thinking it through, he gritted his teeth and said, "People in Jarrosus say that you're a very good pharmacist. So… so… I'd like to ask you to… save my father…"

"Save your father?" Lin Li was confused. "Is 1,000 gold coins not enough?"

"No, Mage Felic." Sean's eyes turned red as he continued, "My father and I are both adventurers in Jarrosus City. Just a few days ago, we took on the task of killing the Golden-Eyed Lizard. But when we were killing Golden-Eyed Lizard, Father accidentally got bitten by it… I heard you are a very good pharmacist… So… So…"

Sean's voice became lower and lower. After saying two "so" in succession, there was nothing that followed.

However, Lin Li understood. He had killed two Golden-Eyed Lizard back in the Sunset Mountains. This magical beast was not strong, but it was terribly toxic. Once bitten, it would be more troublesome to deal with than a curse.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 96: Fire Plume Ridge

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The venom of Golden-Eyed Lizard was so insidious that it was almost impossible to purge it completely.

It was not difficult to preserve one's life, though—even ordinary doctors could do it. But it was only removing most of the toxins; the toxins which had already invaded the body would continue to lurk there and slowly damage the body from the inside. With this destruction, the person who was poisoned would get weaker and weaker day by day. After about half a month, a vigorous man could turn into an invalid. It was as dangerous as Lin Li's concentrated Wild Elixir.

Apart from a Cleric's level-fifteen theurgy, the Life Awakening spell, the only thing that could completely eliminate this toxin was the Detoxification Antidote.

So when Sean mentioned the Golden-Eyed Lizard, Lin Li knew what he had to do.

"Bring me to your house." Lin Li clearly remembered that he had at least four bottles of Detoxification Antidote in his pocket; it was essential for survival in the Sunset Mountains.

Sean was stunned for a moment, then slowly understood the meaning of Lin Li's words. The simple-minded young man felt a moment of dizziness and ecstasy; he was so overwhelmed with joy that he even stuttered in his speech. "Thank… Thank you, Mage Felic… Thank you… Thank you!"

So, along the way, Lin Li kept hearing Sean's constant thanking. He had to admit that the young man, who was strong like a black bear, had little eloquence as all he said was "thank you" and nothing new. It was worlds apart from the businessmen and celebrities at the Castellan's banquet. However, it felt real and dependable in Lin Li's ears…

Sean's family lived in the west of the city, which had the lowest commodity prices and was near the Adventurers Guild. Most of the low-level adventurers would choose to live here.

Of course, in such a place, the quality of life was far worse in comparison to everywhere else.

Most of the buildings around here were dilapidated, and from their color, they seemed to be a few decades old. There were wooden huts in many places; they were simple and decadent, and looked like wind could blow them down. Along the way, they passed by some pedestrians, most of them wearing leather boots—the attire of a low-level adventurer. Sean, who was following closely behind, wore similar clothes.

"Mage Felic, we've arrived." After passing through several buildings, Sean stopped in front of a cabin.

Despite being mentally prepared, Lin Li was surprised to see the cabin. It was just too simple and crude. Even the Jarrosus Exchange at the black market looked 100 times better than it.

It was not that Lin Li had never been to an adventurer's house. But, it was the first time he'd seen such a shabby one…

The furnishings in the house were even simpler. Two chairs, two beds, and a wooden table were all the furniture in the house. There was a lot of sundries in the corner; various kinds of magical beasts' fur and herbs like the silverleaf were everywhere. A middle-aged man, who looked to be almost 40 years of age, lay in one of the beds. His skin was tanned and his body was strong, like Sean's. The only difference was the stubble on his tanned face, which seemed like he had not shaved for some time.

This should be Sean's father.

He was deeply asleep, with a patched blanket covering him. Looking at the sleeping middle-aged man, Lin Li could not help thinking of McGrenn, who had brought him out of the Sunset Mountains.

"Sean, go get some water," Lin Li said as he took out a bottle of Detoxification Antidote from his pocket. He did not pass it directly to Sean, but instead asked him to fetch some water. The antidote was too potent; if he drank it directly, the poison would be purged but it would loosen the bowels. Therefore, it was necessary to dilute it with clean water to tone down the effects of the antidote.

Very soon, Sean brought the water in an iron kettle. There was some embarrassment on his tanned face when he brought it in. "This is the only one in the house that can hold water."

"It doesn't matter. It'll be the same." Lin Li smiled and took the kettle from Sean. He opened the glass bottle and poured the viscous black liquid into the kettle.

To be honest… The smell of the Detoxification Antidote was terrible.

It used a large amount of ghostskin succus. The smell that it gave off after concoction was so smoky and pungent that one could tear up if one came close enough to it.

After the thick and black succus was poured into the kettle, Lin Li quickly tightened the kettle lid and carefully shook the antidote.

"Take this to your father and let him drink it. He'll wake up in ten minutes at the most."

"Yes… Yes… Thank you… Mage Felic…" Sean's voice choked. He had lived for over 20 years, and for the first time he was so happy that he wanted to cry.

In order to find an antidote for his father, Sean had travelled almost the whole of Jarrosus City, looking for one doctor after another, but even the cheapest medicine required 1,000 gold coins. For his family, 1,000 gold coins was simply a huge sum of money they could not afford.

In order to raise the money and save his father's life, Sean had done almost everything he could. All the things he could sell at home were sold and he even borrowed money from the Adventurers Guild, but it was still far from 1,000 gold coins…

Then, he thought of the double-edged sword…

In fact, even Sean himself had no idea about the origin of the sword.

He only remembered vaguely that his father had said that hundreds of years ago, a great man had appeared in the Poliro Family, and that sword was his weapon.

But the weapon used by a great man did not necessarily mean it could sell at a high price.

With this sword on his back, Sean had gone to almost all the weapon stores in Jarrosus.

But there was no one who was willing to pay 600 gold coins for it.

When he got to the Gilded Rose, Sean had lost all hope.

That was his last chance. If even the Gilded Rose would only give 100 gold coins for it, Sean really didn't know where he should go to get the 600 gold coins.

And then everything that followed seemed like a dream to him…

The heavy bag of gold coins, like a little light in the darkness, lit up Sean's eyes in an instant.

At that moment, Sean was like a drowning man struggling desperately in the water; but when he was about to give up, someone had offered him a warm hand…

Sean did not know any general principles. He merely swore to himself that he had to repay the kind mage regardless of what he had to do!

At that moment, Lin Li had discovered something strange.

It was among the sundries in the corner. To be more precise, it was stuck on a few silverleaves. It looked like a piece of black stuff, as if it was dirt…

Apart from those who understood its value, most people would only see it as weeds.

But Lin Li knew that there was another name for it.

Its name was black lotus!

"Sean, did you and your father ever sell herbs in the city?" Thinking back to the original batch of herbs he had collected, Lin Li gradually understood what had happened.

"How did you know it, Mage Felic?" Sean was apparently surprised.

"Sure enough…" Lin Li suddenly burst out laughing as he patted Sean on the shoulder delightfully. "Sean, you have done me a great favor this time!"

"Heh heh…" Sean's laughter was ingenuous. Although he didn't understand what Lin Li was talking about, he could see that Mage Felic was elated.

"Come, come… Sean, have a look at this first." Lin Li pulled the honest young man to the corner. Then, he stooped down and gingerly picked out half of the black lotus petal from the pile of silverleaf. "Do you remember where this herb was picked from?"

"This… This is also a herb?" Sean stared at the half black lotus petals and scratched his head with some doubt.

"Of course!"

"Aiya…" The simple and honest young man was very upset and slapped his forehead severely. With his magical beast-like strength, the slap went down with a loud rumbling clap. "The last time I went to pick the silverleaf, I picked up two of these as well. Later, I thought the flowers were too black and not good-looking. I was afraid that others would not buy them if I mixed them into the silverleaf, so I took them out and threw them away. If I'd known it earlier, I wouldn't have thrown them away…"

"…" Lin Li wanted to bang the wall all of a sudden.

Mixing the black lotus with the silverleaf, and then rejecting it because it was too black and unappealing… Was this what people would do?

"This is really a herb?" Seeing the strange expression on the Magic Shooter, Sean was much more cautious with his question.

"… Really."

"Aiya…" Sean slapped himself on the forehead again. "If I had known, I'd have picked up the other two as well!"

"What?" Lin Li jumped in surprise. "There are two more of it?"

Sean dared not be careless seeing that Lin Li had asked with such prudence. He carefully recalled for a while and replied with uncertainty, "It might also be three flowers…"

"…" Lin Li felt all energy sapped from him. "Where is it…"

"It's in the Fire Plume Ridge. Usually, when I go there with my father for a task, we'll pick some herbs on the way and sell them when we're back."

"The Fire Plume Ridge in Alanna?" Lin Li faintly recalled that Andoine seemed to have mentioned this place before. It was said to be an extinct volcano.

It was actually possible if you thought about it. The temperature of the extinct volcano should be able to satisfy the extreme environment requirement for the growth of the black lotus; but, it seemed a little too much to grow four or five flowers all at a time. Or was that not merely an extinct volcano?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 97: An Invite from Alanna

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

To some extent, the black lotus had gone beyond the scope of herbal medicine. Where it grew, it had to have rich fire magical element and an extreme temperature enough to melt steel. In the process of growing, the black lotus would continuously absorb the fire magical element around it until it fully matured.

This was a long process. It might take ten years for a black lotus to fully mature. During this long period of time, the fire magical element it absorbed was exceedingly huge in amount; the strength of it was even close to the magic of an Archmage.

This was already the case with one black lotus, let alone as many as four or five.

Lin Li couldn't believe that the Fire Plume Ridge could contain such amazing fire magical element.

"Sean, do you remember where you picked this herb?"

The big young man smiled and said, "It seemed to be in a cave, heh… I accidentally fell in."

In Lin Li's confused eyes, Sean began to talk about his experience.

The pair of father and son had gone to the Fire Plume Ridge to hunt for the Fire Crow, a level-five magical beast.

As a mage, Lin Li was no stranger to the Fire Crow. The difficulty of casting various fire spells could be reduced using the feathers of the Fire Crow. It was also a good-selling item in many magic stores.

This was a very interesting magical beast, with an innate advantage of being immune to fire spells. But its strength was not worthy of a mention; they were far inferior to the lions of the same level. Worst of all, they were voracious eaters. This weakness was extremely fatal. Even the lowest-level adventurers could trap them if they were aware of this weakness.

Sean and his father were such adventurers. That day, they went up to the Fire Plume Ridge and very quickly set up the traps, then began to wait patiently for the Fire Crow to take the bait.

For some reasons unknown, there were many Fire Crows on the hook that day. Initially, there was only a couple of them, but at noon, hundreds of Fire Crows poured out all at once, frightening Sean and his father badly. Even if they were the least impressive among the level-five magical beasts, it was by no means possible for humans to compete with hundreds of them. Seeing the huge piece of brilliant red in the sky, the two of them turned around and fled immediately…

The flight lasted for half a day; it was almost evening when Sean finally got rid of the Fire Crows' pursuit.

Then, he found himself separated from his father.

It was getting dark by the time. It was so dark in the Fire Plume Ridge that he couldn't even see the road in front of him. Sean was relying on a half-broken fire torch, groping with difficulty on the rugged mountain road. It wasn't long before Sean felt his foot slip, and the next thing he knew, he had crashed into a cave.

The honest young man did not have much in terms of eloquence indeed. He went back and forth but still failed to describe the cave clearly.

Lin Li could only barely guess the general location of the cave from his description. It should be somewhere on the top of the Fire Plume Ridge, where there were many winding forks; and in the corner of these forks, there were clumps of silverleaf.

Lin Li memorized these characteristics one by one, then asked casually, "Is the temperature in that cave higher than anywhere else?"

The honest young man was surprised. "How do you know?"

"Heh, I guessed."

Lin Li chuckled, but in his mind, he was confused. Where four black lotus flowers could be produced, the fire magical element should be intensely rich. That was a real extreme temperature. Even if a piece of cast iron was put in it, it would probably be melted into a puddle of molten iron.

Moreover, it was inside a cave. In the almost sealed environment, the temperature would be even more terrible. How could Sean walk into it and come out fine?

Could it be… that there was another source for the fire magical element?

This was not a good news…

Naturally formed extreme environments were terrifying but there were always ways to overcome them.

But if there was another source of the fire magical element, the force was probably something that human power could not contend with.

Nobody knew what was hidden in it. What if it was a mighty fire magical beast?

He should find a chance to see it… Lin Li quickly made up his mind. The temptation of the black lotus was too great; especially after having felt the power of the Elixir of the Sages intuitively, the temptation had grown even stronger. A black lotus petal could create such a miraculous realm; if it was replaced by the legendary Ephemeral Divinity Potion, perhaps he could even kill legendary-level characters at will.

Just as Lin Li was distracted, a sudden cough came from the bed.

"Father, are you awake?" Sean was pleasantly surprised hearing the coughing.

Although the venom of the Golden-Eyed Lizard had been cleared, the middle-aged man's body had yet to fully recover. There was an unconcealable weakness in his voice. "Sean… Who is this mage?"

"Father, this is Mage Felic." Sean put a pillow under his father to make him more comfortable. "Mage Felic is the one who treated the poison in your body."

"Mage Felic…" Perhaps it was because he had just woken up, but the middle-aged man was still in a daze at first. Then, he remembered the name that had spread all over Jarrosus. The name was too loud and clear, so the middle-aged man was still in disbelief after he had recalled it. "You… You are Guild of Magic's… Mage Felic?"

"Hello, Mr Poliro. I am Felic." Lin Li's head was pounding. Since the duel with Cromwell, almost all of Jarrosus knew his name, and that had caused him a lot of trouble. After all, he was only in his twenties and was not ready to become famous.

"Oh my God… You're really the Magic Shooter, Felic?" The middle-aged man was agitated and there was an incredulous look in his eyes. Felic from the Guild of Magic—the genius pharmacist, the youngest Magic Shooter. With all the glory and fame, he was like a legend. Poliro had never dreamt that, one day, the legend would stand in front of him and even cure him of his toxic injury.

"Sean… Help me up." The voice of the middle-aged man was still weak, but his tone was firm.

The honest young man hesitated at first. After all, his father had just recovered from a serious illness and should lie in bed to rest. However, under the persistence of the middle-aged man, he carefully helped his father up.

"Mr Poliro, with your current condition, it's not suitable for you to get out of bed…"

Before Lin Li could finish his sentence, he saw the middle-aged man break away from Sean's support then kneel down on one knee, scaring Lin Li into helping him up promptly. "Mr Poliro, what are you doing?"

"You saved my life, but I have nothing to repay you with." It was unknown where the strength to move had come from in the middle-aged man who had just recovered from a serious illness. Lin Li tried to pull him up twice in succession but he remained motionless. One of his knees was firmly nailed to the ground and his tone was extremely stubborn. "I can only express my gratitude in this way."

"Alright, alright… Please quickly get up. The venom of the Golden-Eyed Lizard has just been removed. You'd better stay in bed these few days and not walk around at will." After helping the middle-aged man up, Lin Li left them some advice in a hurry and was prepared to say goodbye to the simple father and son. Kneeling down to convey one's gratitude was touching, but Lin Li still could not adapt to it.

When Lin Li left, it was Sean who sent him out.

As they approached the Emerald Tower, the honest young man suddenly showed a look of desire to speak, but he did not do so on the second thought.

"Sean, is anything the matter?"

At Lin Li's urging, Sean bit his teeth and seemed to have mustered his courage. "Mage Felic… I would like to ask you for something."

"What is it?"

"Would you consider making me your attendant?"

"Making you my attendant?" Lin Li didn't expect Sean would ask for such a thing. He couldn't help feeling curious. "Why?"

"Because… Because I'd like to repay you."

"Haha…" Lin Li laughed, but did not reject him. He merely patted Sean on the shoulder. "Go back and discuss with your father. This is not a small matter."

"Mm." Sean nodded heavily and sent Lin Li all the way to the gates of the Guild of Magic. He stopped in front of the Emerald Tower. "Can I come to the Guild of Magic to see you after I've discussed it with Father?"

"Yes."

"Then, goodbye, Mage Felic."

"Goodbye."

After watching the honest young man leave, Lin Li turned around and entered the guild hall.

Then, he saw a plump figure. Gerian was pacing restlessly in the hall; his plump face was strained; his expression was as if he was constipated. Knowing that the President was in a bad mood, the guild mages tried to shun him, escaping far away. Nobody dared to stay too close to him at this time.

"What happened, Mr President?" Lin Li was probably the only one in the whole Guild of Magic who dared to approach Gerian at this point in time.

"Little bastard, you're finally back…" When Gerian saw that Lin Li had returned, the constipated expression on his face relaxed at once, but his nagging continued. "Are you a rabbit, you little bastard? You were out of sight as soon as you went out. I was about to go crazy trying to look for you!"

"Something happened?"

"A big one!" Gerian's expression was exaggerated. "But it's a good one!"

"What's the good thing?"

"When I came back at noon today, I received an official letter from the Alanna Council," Gerian spoke cheerfully. "They are providing a three-month study opportunity for each of the 30 magic guilds in the Felan Kingdom, and they require mages above level-seven and under the age of 25. The Alanna Council will arrange a trial after three months of study, and the guilds that win the top three positions will automatically receive the highest level of appraisal in this year's Supreme Council evaluation…"

"So… you're counting on me? I say, Mr President, can you be a little more humane? I just finished my duel with Cromwell. Can't you let me rest for two more days?"

"You kid don't know what's good or bad. I'm doing it for you!" Gerian was furious, and gently slapped Lin Li on the head. "This is a learning opportunity arranged by the Supreme Council. The mentor assigned to you is at least of the legendary level; it may even be one of the seven arbitrators. Your magic gift is so perverted. If you can spend three months with an arbitrator, you may even break through to the Archmage realm directly… Do you think such opportunity comes by every day? You don't wish to go, but a lot of people have sharpened their heads as they tried to drill into a spot. If Kevin wasn't too old for this, I would send him for it…"

"Is it that impressive?" Lin Li still had some suspicion. It was not that he didn't want to go to Alanna. It was just his innate laziness acting up; he could not change it in a short while.

"It IS that impressive!" Gerian's eyes were wide open as he came to a firm conclusion.

Gerian was so determined. Lin Li thought over it; he had to find Andoine to interpret the High Elves Print anyway, and he also had to go to the Fire Plume Ridge to search for the black lotus. The Alanna Council was on the way, so he agreed half-heartedly. "Then… When do I set off?"

"Three days later. It will take about two days from Jarrosus to Alanna. I'll arrange a carriage to take you there. Kid, you'd better not let me down. Get the first place for me at the trial. I'll see who dares to laugh at the Jarrosus Guild of Magic for not being able to foster talent then!"

"…"

"Oh, right…" After hesitating for a moment, Gerian lowered his voice and asked, "Do you have a potion that can hide your magic level?"

"F*ck!" Lin Li gave a start. "You want me to cheat?"

"What cheat? Don't make it sound so bad…" Even if Gerian was thick-skinned, he couldn't help but blush when he was exposed on the spot. But he was still stubborn with his words. "I was afraid your magic level would scare the other fools… Well, is there any?"

"Yes, there is. But how many levels do I have to suppress?"

"The standard on the official letter is level-ten. Why don't you be more resolute and suppress it to level-seven? Anyway, you're a freak. Even if you really did something out of the ordinary then, you could stretch the truth using your sick mental strength as an excuse."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 98: Attendant

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Hahaha… I guess those fools wouldn't even dream of Jarrosus sending a level-twelve Magic Shooter!" Gerian guffawed. "I'd like to see who can take home the first place this time!"

"You're sure the other guilds have no Magic Shooters under the age of 25?"

"Do you think everyone's a freak like you? Bloody hell, you're only 20 but you've dared to break through to the realm of a Magic Shooter. Why didn't God just strike you with lightning, you demon…" After Gerian had finished his indignant nagging, the expression on his face changed again, revealing a smile as if his plot had already succeeded. At this time, the President looked like a big fat fox that had just stolen a chicken. "Besides, it was written clearly in the official letter. This learning opportunity is only for mages above level-seven. Do you see it… Only for mages above level-seven. Magic Shooter? Just stay home and play with yourself! Why do you think I want you to cheat?"

"…" Lin Li was at a loss whether to cry or to laugh. The old fellow had made a point of cheating.

"Do a good job and get the first place at the trial. I'd like to see who still dares to look down on the Jarrosus Guild of Magic in the future!" The guild being at a low ebb in the past 20 years had always rankled Gerian. This time, he finally had the chance to hold his head high. Excitement was all over his chubby face.

During the past month in the Emerald Tower, Lin Li could see clearly how much effort this seemingly arrogant old fellow had spent on the Guild of Magic. To be frank, Lin Li was very willing to do something for him. It was probably due to his character—Lin Li was not used to giving any steadfast guarantees. He just nodded. "I'll try my best."

"Mm."

Lin Li's promise to try his best had immediately calmed Gerian's mind. He knew the kid's character too well—he never promised easily, but as long as he had made a promise, he'd fulfill that promise well above expectation. From the Arcane Magic Potion in the beginning to the Sobriety Potion, then to the duel at the Daylight Square—a level-twelve Magic Shooter had made Cromwell, who was level-fourteen, an invalid.

"Take these few days to get ready. You'll leave for Alanna in three days' time."

For the next two days, Lin Li was extremely busy.

After the Alanna trip was set, he suddenly realized that he still had a lot to do.

The 40 bottles of Wild Elixir seemed to have silenced the Shadow's Nest. At least there had been little movement in the Demon Fall Valley in the recent days. However, everyone from Guild of Magic did not take it lightly. The two had been long-time rivals; no one understood the Shadow's Nest better than the Guild of Magic. The rate of expansion of this particular force was like a plague. No one knew when they would suddenly exert their power.

In order to leave in peace, Lin Li had been cooped up in the potion lab for the past two days.

The lab was shrouded in a white mist; a strong medicinal smell permeated it. Amidst this, various kinds of potions were concocted, the majority being the Recovery Potion and the Mana Potion. These were two of the lowest-level potions; they had the most extensive use in treatment of minor injuries—one for the treatment of minor injuries and the other for the restoration of the mana. In a fierce battle, these two potions might be able to save many lives even if there was only one small bottle of each.

In addition, he had concocted ten bottles of Awakening Potion in one breath. It was specially prepared for Gerian. The old fellow was an Archmage, which meant there was no use in making him drink the Mana Potion. It might take two bottles of Mana Potion to make up for the consumption of a level-fifteen magic spell…

As for the other miscellaneous items such as the Sobriety Potion, the Detoxification Antidote, and the Elixir of Wisdom… He had concocted plenty of them each. Anyhow, in these two days, Lin Li did not even step out of the potion lab once. When he was tired, he'd sleep for a while, and then continue when he woke up. Even the meals were sent to the potion lab by one of the guys.

Perhaps only a pharmaceutics guru could do something like this.

Other than a near-demonic figure like Lin Li, other pharmaceutics masters would probably be exhausted to death if they were to do what Lin Li did. There seemed to be only a thin line between a pharmaceutics guru and a master, but in fact, the distance was vaster than ever.

It was not until the morning of the third day that Lin Li came out of the potion lab, both weary and drowsy.

Just as he opened the door of the potion lab, he saw Gerian, who was keeping watch outside.

Probably because of the long wait, Gerian was leaning against the wall and almost falling asleep. There was some tiredness on his chubby face and his yawns came consecutively. But when he heard the sound of Lin Li opening the door, he immediately opened his eyes.

This time, instead of looking into the potion lab, Gerian asked with concern, "Why did it take so long this time?"

The old fellow's concerned eyes warmed Lin Li's heart. He gave a weak smile. "This time, I'm going to be away for three months. I want to leave more things for the guild."

"Damn, you've stayed in for more than two days. Do you still want your life… How can your body stand it this way?"

Gerian kept on nagging, but Lin Li felt extremely warm as the words went in his ears. "Go in and take a look, I've prepared ten Awakening Potions for you. In addition, there are ten Iron Shield Potions, which should last for three months if used wisely. As for the rest, you can ask someone to take them to the Demon Fall Valley and give them to Kevin."

"Mhm, mhm…" Gerian nodded his head, then urged him to take a rest.

"Then I'll go take a nap first."

Lin Li was really worn out. He had concocted about 300 bottles of potions in less than three days. Even a pharmaceutics guru who was at the peak of his profession would have been both mentally and physically exhausted.

He walked into the guild's hall drowsily. He was about to return to his bedroom to sleep when he heard a pleasant voice coming from the steps of the Emerald Tower.

"Mage Felic!"

Lin Li turned around with some surprise and saw Sean's tanned face.

Apart from Sean, his father, who had just recovered from a serious injury, also came. The middle-aged man was just recovering, so he still looked rather weak. There was less color on his equally tanned face. The honest young man was carefully supporting him. The two men just stood on the steps, looking in the direction of the guild hall.

"Mr Poliro, why are you here? Didn't I tell you that the venom in your body has just been cleared and you're still very weak? You should stay in bed these few days and rest; don't wander around at will. Why did you…" Lin Li hurried to welcome them in. He carefully helped the middle-aged man into the guild hall, then found a chair for him to sit down.

"Sean, what's the matter with you?" After all this, Lin Li turned back and stared at the honest young man; his expression was rather stern. "Your father was just recovering, why not make him stay in bed?"

Sean looked a little sorry. He opened his mouth to explain, but when the words came to his mouth, they turned into an apology. "Sorry… Mage Felic…"

"Don't blame him, Mage Felic. I wanted to come on my own…" The middle-aged man's voice was hoarse and weak, and he was speaking slowly. "I'm here this time to ask you for something…"

"Please speak."

"Sean has been sensible since young. He has been running around with me for many years, but has not known better days all these years. I, as his father, have no ability to find a promising career for my son. So, I'd like to ask you, would you consider making Sean your attendant?" The middle-aged man gazed at his son with much warmth and love in his eyes.

The gaze reminded Lin Li of his father and of McGrenn, who had passed away.

To be honest, he was hesitant.

In a world of sword and magic, many mages had their own attendants. For example, Old Grimm, who had been to the Guild of Magic, had a legendary-level warrior attendant. This was not merely a subordinate relationship; in many cases, it also meant a responsibility.

Lin Li was not someone who liked to take responsibility. So, when Sean had made this request the other day, Lin Li did not agree immediately, making him go home and discuss it with his father.

Lin Li thought that it was just Sean's own idea; the middle-aged man might not necessarily consent to it.

But, in the end…

The middle-aged man not only agreed with Sean's idea, he even dragged his sick body to the Guild of Magic to persuade Lin Li.

Facing a father who hoped for his son to have a brighter future, Lin Li couldn't bring himself to reject him.

The expectant expression on the middle-aged man's face constantly reminded Lin Li of his father. When he had just graduated from school, his father ran all over the place, putting in good words for Lin Li as he tried to seek a relationship for Lin Li's own good. The expression on his face was exactly the same as that of the middle-aged man in front of him…

"I beg you, Mage Felic."

"Please let me consider…

"Sean, you see if this is alright…" Lin Li hesitated for a moment amidst their anticipation, and then told the honest young man, "I don't need an attendant yet, but there's one thing that I really need your help in, so I'm going to hire you for three months first. As far as the remuneration is concerned… What do you think of 5,000 gold coins a month?"

"5,000 gold coins!" The middle-aged man gave a start and quickly declined, "This is no good, Mage Felic. That will never do. 5,000 gold coins is too much. You saved my life. If you need any help, just order Sean to do it. How can we make you spend so much money?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 99: The Robbery Begins Now

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Things were settled. Lin Li hired Sean for three months with a monthly salary of 5,000 gold coins.

At daybreak the next day, Sean arrived at the Emerald Tower and sat down in the hall earnestly, waiting for the Mage Felic to get up. His tanned face was filled with excited smiles. Although he could not be Mage Felic's attendant as he wished, employment for three months was delightful enough for the honest young man. Lin Li was the most powerful character of Jarrosus and the benefactor of his family. For this simple and honest young man, whether it was being an attendant or an employee, it was sufficient to keep him up in excitement all night.

The past two days had consumed too much of Lin Li's energy. After sending Sean and his father away the previous day, Lin Li simply fell asleep as soon as he lay down on his bed and slept till late in the morning today.

When he came out of his bedroom, still groggy, the carriage had already been waiting outside the Emerald Tower for a long time. There were many people in the guild hall. Except for those who were far away in the Demon Fall Valley, almost all the guild's mages were here. Sean sat far away in a corner and observed the fascinating mages with curious eyes.

"Kid, you're finally up…" When Lin Li came out of the potion lab yesterday, his complexion was frightening. Gerian was so worried that he did not sleep well all night for fear that something bad might happen to the bushed kid. It wasn't until this morning, when he saw that the kid's face had returned to its former luster, that the old fellow was secretly relieved.

"I've told you everything's fine…"

"Have you brought everything? Take more clothes with you. The weather is cold in Alanna. If you get a cold or fever, it won't be worth it. By the way, you must remember to put your crystal card away; don't throw it around. Thieves in that place are not under Daphne's control. If you lose it, you may not be able to get it back." Gerian seemed particularly long-winded today, but Lin Li felt an unspeakable warmth as he listened.

"I know, I know. The older you get, the more long-winded you are…"

"You little bastard, you don't appreciate the good!" Gerian yelled. His eyes fell on Sean again, and there was some admiration on his face. "This young man has a gift."

"Mhm." Lin Li nodded. He knew that Gerian was telling the truth. Sean's gift was so good that it would make people really jealous. His innate strength had allowed him to reach beyond level-five of a warrior without any training. If he had a real expert to guide him, his future would be very promising.

"Sean, what are you looking at?" Lin Li approached the simple young man, only to find him looking around with curious eyes.

"I'm looking at them." Sean pointed his finger towards the guild hall; the expression on his face was rather exaggerated. "I've never seen so many mages in my life before…"

"You'll see it frequently in the future. Alright, Sean, we should set off soon…"

"Oh…" The honest young man nodded and reached for his sword that was leaning just beside him. Old Poliro bought this for him when he went out this morning. A bottle of Lin Li's Detoxification Antidote had solved all the problems, and also allowed the father and son to have more money to buy new weapons.

"I've prepared your weapon. You can leave that in the Guild of Magic." Lin Li shook his head and took out the sword wrapped in cloth from behind.

"This…"

"This what?" Lin Li forcefully stuffed this huge sword into Sean's hand. "You are the bodyguard I paid to hire. How can you protect me without a good weapon? As for the 1,000 gold coins lent to you… I'll deduct it from the remuneration when the time comes."

Gerian walked them outside the Emerald Tower, where a carriage had been waiting for a long time.

"Be careful on the way." Gerian did not forget to remind Lin Li as he saw him up to the carriage.

"I know, I know. Don't be too hasty about the Demon Fall Valley. If you can, you'd better put it off first. We'll talk about it when I get back from Alanna."

"Mhm. Bon voyage!"

In the crisp sound of horse's hooves, the Emerald Tower gradually faded away.

Sean was driving the carriage with a whip clicking on his hand. His tanned face was full of excitement and contentment—being able to drive for Mage Felic seemed like a dream to him.

Lin Li sat in the spacious carriage, drowsiness creeping in on him with every bump of the carriage. The tall spire of the Emerald Tower had disappeared from his sight a long time ago. The scenery on both sides flew by fast, and before he knew it, he was getting farther and farther away from Jarrosus…

Blackstone Town was close to the Night Song Forest, only 100 miles away from Alanna. These two places—one of them a paradise for low-level magical beasts and the other the heart of the Felan Kingdom—occupied such important geographical locations. Blackstone Town enjoyed exceptional advantages—whether it was adventurers hunting for magical beasts or businessmen in charge of goods all over the world, most of them would choose to take a rest when they passed through this town.

The huge migrant population had brought prosperity to the inn industry in Blackstone Town. In just a few hundred years, inns in Blackstone Town had mushroomed, emerging one after another. Presently, nine out of ten families in this small town run an inn.

The sky gradually darkened and there was silence between the mountains and plains, but Blackstone Town was bustling. For the inn owners, this was the best time of the day. The businessmen who had missed the stay and the adventurers who had just come out of the Night Song Forest were the best customers for the inns. They stayed in a room of five gold coins a night without blinking their eyes.

Compared to these big spenders, the mage earlier on was much more stingy.

A gold coin for one night, and two people were sharing a small room together.

"There's actually a mage this poor…" The maidservant looked at Lin Li with some disdain. He was handsome and fine, but she did not expect him to be so shabby. Not to mention squeezing in one room with his attendant, the mage robe he was wearing was old and worn as well…

After the two men were introduced into the room, the maidservant did not even hint at a tip and left with a coquettish twist of her hip.

"The quality of the maidservants here is so high?" Lin Li was stunned. He was reaching out into his pocket for money, planning to tip her with two gold coins before she left.

Fortunately, Lin Li did not know what she was thinking; otherwise, he would have died unjustly…

He wanted two rooms, but Sean refused that no matter what. He said that he was responsible for the safety of Mage Felic and that he had to stay close to protect him…

"Let's see how you'll protect me now…" Lin Li's brows furrowed as soon as he entered the room. A gold coin per night in a room which was so shockingly small. Two beds and one table alone occupied most of the space. With Sean inside, the room suddenly seemed extremely jammed.

"Mage Felic, you…"

"Shut up!" Hearing Sean's address to himself, Lin Li felt a great headache. "I've told you 800 times, don't call me Mage Felic. We are in an employer-employee relationship. Do you understand that? That is to say… I give you money, and you help me do work. We are equal in status. You can call me Felic or Mr Felic."

He then reminded Sean fiercely once more, "If you address me wrongly again, you'll go back to Jarrosus on your own…"

"Mr… Mr Felic?"

"Mm, very good!" It still sounded awkward, but it didn't matter. He'll get used to it after a few more times , Lin Li comforted himself inwardly. Then, he took off his Robe of Wrath and plopped into bed. "Hurry and sleep, but don't you snore!"

"I don't snore…"

The big man who'd said to never snore almost toppled the inn after being in bed for less than half an hour.

"Mm, you never snore… You only thunder!" Lin Li wanted to die. Sean's terrifying snores were like the howls of a magical beast. The bursts of thunder followed one after another, which alarmed the coquettish maidservant. She came to knock on Lin Li's door in the middle of the night, reminding the mage that it was best not to use magic in the room, because if anything was damaged, the compensation would be very costly!

"…" Lin Li was going to defend himself and make up for the tip earlier on when he heard a muffled bang coming from downstairs.

Then there was a flurry of footsteps, along with the inn owner's inquiries.

But it was a loud slap in the face that answered him.

Clap! The slap in the face was so loud and crisp that even Lin Li who was on the second floor could imagine the owner's swollen face.

The footsteps were getting nearer and nearer, and in the blink of an eye, they reached the stairs.

From the sound, there should be more than a dozen people.

Before the coquettish maidservant could understand what was going on, a dozen people had rushed up to the second floor.

The leader was a tall strong man who looked to be about 30 years old. He carried a deep and long scar on his face, making him look extremely ferocious. A group of heavily armed men followed behind him; each and every one of them looked fierce and aggressive. The strong man with the scar on his face did not stop when he walked past Lin Li's room; he merely shot a menacing glare at Lin Li. "Take out all your valuable things and kneel at the door. Someone will come to collect them. If you dare to hide a copper plate, you will die!"

"…" Lin Li stood bewildered at the door. He thought to himself doubtfully, Is this the purported robbery? Damn, how exhilarating!

Then he saw that group of strong men who were savage like wolves and tigers kick open all the doors one by one.

The successive rumbling awoke Sean.

"Mage Felic… Oh, no, Mr Felic…" Sean got up from bed with a sleepy face and rubbed his eyes as he approached the door and asked Lin Li, "What happened?"

"Hahaha, we are being robbed!"

"…" The coquettish maidservant looked at Lin Li as if she were looking at a madman. Was the mage scared silly? He was laughing so happily knowing that they were being robbed…

"Really?" Sean's eyes lit up, and he came forward excitedly.

"Two freaks…" The coquettish maidservant cursed inwardly, but she was dismal. She was finally earning some tips as a maidservant; she didn't expect she'd be so unlucky to meet the people of the Bloodwolves Thieves. Not only was she going to lose her money, she might even lose her life…

As the two freaks scrambled to take a peep outside, the doors had been kicked open. About 30 to 40 guests were driven out of their rooms; some wore pajamas, while others wore nothing at all. The only trace of sleepiness was scared away by the gleaming weapons. Most of the people were frightened pale and trembling with fear as they watched the group of robbers rush into their rooms.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the robbery begins now. Please cooperate." The strong man with the scar on his face stood at the end of the corridor, proudly announcing the situation to everyone.

"Now, please put all the valuable things in the doorway and then kneel on the ground with your hands on your head. Our people will come to collect them soon. Please cooperate and don't hide anything. Otherwise, unpleasant things may happen… I repeat, please cooperate and don't hide anything!"

"F*ck you, you Bloodwolves Thieves. I am from the Silver Hand, try to lay a finger on me if you dare!" At a time when everyone was at a loss, there was uproar in a room. A low-level adventurer with a machete was staring at the people of the Bloodwolves Thieves with a guarded expression.

Lin Li shook his head with some regret. How could he not see with his vision that the strength of the adventurer was too poor—a level-three or four at the most. On the contrary, his enemies, the members of the Bloodwolves Thieves, were all beyond level-five, and among them, the strong man with the scarred face was at least of level-eight.

It was no wonder they had the guts to rob the Sylvan Inn.

The Night Song Forest was a paradise for low-level magical beasts, so it would naturally attract only low-level adventurers. Adventurers who had reached level-eight or above would never take a fancy to it. The reward was simply too low. For those who possessed strength above level-eight, who would be willing to travel such long distance for a mere few dozens gold coins?

As for those who could afford the protection from mercenary corps, how would they seek a lodging in Blackhills Town? They could just pitch a tent anywhere in the wilderness. With dozens of mercenaries to protect them, which band of thieves would dare to look for trouble with them?

Most of the people who would seek a temporary lodging in Blackhills Town would be those who only shuttled short distances between Alanna and the surrounding cities. Their profits were not high, so it was impossible to hire mercenaries to protect them…

"These Bloodwolves Thieves are very good at calculating…"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 100: Two Bottles of Potion

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Lin Li's regret was reasonable. The strength of a level-three or four warrior was awfully low. The voice of the low-level adventurer had just fallen when he was kicked in his stomach; the machete in his hand was sent flying at the same time. Two wolf-like robbers pounced on him and delivered rounds of fat punches to him, knocking several of his teeth out on the spot.

"Now, who else has objections?" The burly man with a scar picked up the machete from the ground and looked around with a grin on his face.

There was dead silence in the corridor.

"Very well, it seems that everyone has no objections…" The man chortled haughtily. "Brothers, collect the valuables!"

More than a dozen vicious robbers spread out and began to collect the goods piled up in front of the doors.

Under the threat of death, the businessmen chose to give in. They knelt in front of the doors with their hands on their heads. In front of them lay all their income from this business trip—the shiny gold coins and jewelry were all over the place at the doors. In contrast, most of the adventurers were hardened. After all, they were people who had seen bloodshed before. Although most of them had already handed over their belongings, at least three or four of them had not knelt on the ground with their hands clasped around their heads.

"It seems that there are people who don't want to cooperate." There was some dissatisfaction in the tone of the burly man with a scar. With one hand holding the machete upside down, he walked towards the adventurers.

"You can't do that. I'm a Felan aristocrat. You can't do that to me!"

At this time, however, there were some disputes among the businessmen.

A middle-aged man with a paunchy belly was tearing at a few robbers. Lin Li listened and realized that the dispute stemmed from a gold tooth. After the robbers had finished collecting the belongings, they had taken a fancy to a gold tooth in the middle-aged man's mouth and wanted him to pull it out by any means. The middle-aged man refused to do it; he was fighting hard while crying out that he was a Felan aristocrat.

Not to mention the burly man, even Lin Li did not believe it.

If he was really a Felan aristocrat, how could he lodge at a room in Blackhills Town?

This was simply a farce.

However, the arm was no match for the thigh. Under the joint efforts of the four robbers, the golden tooth was finally pulled out. The middle-aged man screamed in pain; blood and saliva flowed down from the corners of his mouth, making it seem unusually bloody.

"You don't even have anything valuable?" The coquettish maidservant was trembling with fear having witnessed the bloody scene. She quickly pulled out a few gold coins from her brassiere and placed them properly at the door. However, when she looked up, she found that the two men beside her did not even budge.

Lin Li scratched his head, unsure how to answer the question.

Fortunately, at this time, a member of the Bloodwolves Thieves came to help him get out of this predicament.

"Kneel on the ground and put your hands on your head, didn't you f*cking hear it?" The man came over and saw that there were only a few gold coins at the door; he was about to fly into a rage when he saw that the two men out of the three people did not kneel down, so he gave them a slap in the face on the spot.

"Ah!" Then, there was a scream. Almost half of the Sylvan Inn heard it. The unfortunate fellow was covering his wrist desperately while rolling on the ground in pain. "My hand… My hand…"

"Ah!" The scream was followed by another scream, but it was let out by the coquettish maidservant this time. She had turned pale after seeing the bloody palm on the ground.

After severing the palm of the fool who had wanted to slap him with a wind blade, Lin Li announced with a smile on his face, "Well, now I declare that the robbery is over. Leave what you just robbed and you can go."

"You are… a mage?" the burly scarred face asked with some doubt.

Lin Li was stunned for a moment before he remembered that he had forgotten to put on his Robe of Wrath when he got up to open the door for the coquettish maidservant… It was no wonder that the burly man wasn't able to see his profession with his level-eight strength.

"Mr Mage, one of my men has offended you, and you've already discarded one of his hands. Everyone's even now. As for other things, you seem to be bent on having too much control over them, don't you?" The burly man's triangular eyes revealed a dim ray of menace.

"I repeat, leave the stuff behind and you can go." As a Magic Shooter at the peak of level-twelve, characters below the level-ten were just like ants in Lin Li's eyes. If he had not had other considerations in mind, he would have wiped them out completely at the time they'd told him to kneel down…

"Go!" The chief feature of the ant was that it had no self-awareness. In front of a mage with unknown strength, the burly man with a scar did not choose to retreat, but to fight to death instead. This was probably what "men die for money, while birds die for food" meant. The valuables on the ground made people covetous.

At the command of the scarred man, more than a dozen Bloodwolves Thieves abandoned their targets of robbery and grabbed their weapons, rushing toward Lin Li.

"I'll leave it to you, Sean." However, Lin Li did not release any magic. He handed two bottles of potion to the honest young man and told him, "Drink the yellow one first, then the red one a minute later."

Then, the fellow went into a theater-spectator mode completely.

"Ah?" Before Sean could understand what was going on, a dozen strong men had already pounced on him. Sean could only grasp his double-edged sword tightly and sweep at them in a hurry.

Ddang! Ddang! Ddang…

In an instant, the sound of gold and iron rang out without end. How horrifying was Sean's strange power—the innate strength was almost demon-like, bursting out in an instant. The robbers, who were equally ranked at level-five, all collapsed at the touch. In that moment, they felt as if they had hit an iron plate. Several robbers had no time to respond before they slammed into the wall heavily…

After the sweep had forced the crowd back, Sean opened the bottle of yellow potion and poured it down.

As soon as he drank the yellow potion, Sean felt a warm current growing in his body. And as the warm current flowed rapidly, his skin became rough and hard at once. When he touched it with his hand, it felt like rock…

"Sean, fight well."

"Yes! Mr Felic!"

Although Sean was slightly dim-witted, the change in his body was too obvious. How could he not realize that the potion he drank was definitely not a simple one? After all, Mr Felic was Jarrosus' famous potion master!

Sean was extraordinarily valorous with that layer of rock-hard skin as protection.

In the face of an enemy with numbers ten times his own, Sean did not retreat. He held his double-edged sword high in his hands and rushed forward like a tiger diving into a flock of sheep. In a moment, only a splatter of blood could be seen.

For the Bloodwolves Thieves, this was but a slaughter. The double-edged sword, almost half as tall as a man, was frightening enough. You'd either be chopped to death or crushed to death by it. And look at this monster—his skin was as hard as the scales of a magical beast. No matter what weapons were used against it, only tinkling sounds could be heard; it was impossible to hurt a single hair on his body.

With the addition of his terrifying strength, none of the dozen or so members of the Bloodwolves Thieves could confront him. Every collision of weapons would end with the members of the Bloodwolves Thieves being blown away.

"…" In the blink of an eye, the burly scarred man had lost several of his men. He wanted to throw up blood.

Before deciding to rob the inn, he had already looked clearly into the guests staying tonight, making sure that none of them was above level-eight. He could not understand how such a monster would suddenly appear.

Just look at the terrible strength and the formidable double-edged sword—the seemingly disorganized chops turned out to be so terrifying and acute. He had worked so hard to bring his men up; if he just let them die like this, there would be no one left in the Bloodwolves Thieves…

"Let me do it!" the burly scar-faced man bellowed and jumped forth with a machete in his hand.

The level-eight warrior did have some skills. Although his strength was not yet able to compete with Sean's, his skillful martial arts and rich combat experience were far beyond those of Sean. The machete was like a venomous snake—every strike was aiming for Sean's eyes. The protection of the potion, however powerful, could not protect the exposed eyes. So, Sean had to retreat again and again.

In an instant, there was an exchange of offense and defense. Sean managed to parry the offensive with strike after strike of the sword, but his feet withdrew repeatedly, and soon, he stood in front of Lin Li.

"Drink the other bottle!"

"Oh…" Sean delivered another powerful strike, sending the burly scarred man flying. He had no time to build on this victory; he quickly opened the bottle of the red potion with one hand and downed it.

The previous yellow potion had brought a warm feeling, but this red potion brought on a burning sensation. Sean seemed to sense a strong smell of blood, and in a moment, he felt a gush of vigor rushing straight to his head. His eyes swelled with pain, and even the scenery in front became blurred…

And all this brought about an unprecedented strength.

In that moment, Sean could sense that his whole body was full of explosive power. He seemed to hear the ground cracking with every step he took. He held the heavy double-edged sword firmly in his hand, but it felt as light as a feather. The extreme power filled his body, and it was as if he was going to explode.

"Howl!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 101: Invitation

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The burly man with a scar was swept away by the sword, but he was not at all flustered; he had already seen through the fact that the kid was merely a brute and his fighting skills were not worth mentioning. With the double-edged sword in his hand, all he knew from the start was only chopping. Although it looked impressive, it was actually not fatal.

He knew that what he needed was a little patience…

The burly man with a scar had thought it through—as long as there was a chance, he'd order his men to attack the mage.

The corridor was narrow; without the protection of this brute force kid, he might not be able to resist the siege of more than a dozen people even if he was formidable enough. Besides, he should be a mere low-level mage; otherwise, he would not have exhausted his mana with a single spell. Now he had to rely on this kid with brute force to buy time for him to restore his mana.

What was the difference between killing a mage who had exhausted his mana and killing a chicken? That was what the burly man with a scar thought…

Then…

He heard Sean's howl.

The howl that was full of rage awoke half of the Sylvan Inn. Sean no longer had the simple and honest demeanor at this time; his originally strong body similar to that of a black bear was further thickened at once. His tanned face was frenzied and ferocious; the initially honest youth was full of bloodthirsty aura at that very instant.

The scar on the burly man's face began to distort as he witnessed this astounding scene. Although he held the machete tightly in his hand, he had involuntarily taken a step back. It was a subconscious action—just like wild animals involuntarily taking flight when faced with stronger predators.

All of this was far beyond his comprehension.

From a rookie with mere brute force to a monster emanating a terrifying aura—all had happened in the blink of an eye…

"Go… All of you, go!" In the face of this unprecedented fear, the voice of burly man with a scar had become hoarse.

There was a dead silence in the corridor; only the hoarse holler of the burly man with a scar and Sean's heavy breathing that was like that of a magical beast could be heard. The dozen robbers seemed to be scared dumb—nobody dared to move a step. They just gawked at Sean, watching as the monster approached them step by step.

And then, there was an outright massacre…

How threatening and aggressive the dozen robbers were when they'd rushed into the inn earlier on? However, in just the twinkling of an eye, half of them were wiped out. After the furor, Sean was just like a violent and ferocious magical beast.

It was merely brute force and disorganized chops, but when the brute force was increased to the extreme, the power brought on by it had turned out to be so appalling. Every sweep of the huge double-edged sword in his hands was accompanied by the sound of breaking the air. Every strike contained endless power—there was no struggle and no resistance; it was only the purest of killing and the sound of chopping that would drive anyone mad. In an instant, the blood that was spattered had dyed the Sylvan Inn into a sea of red.

Everyone felt suffocated, having witnessed this horrible scene with their own eyes.

The burly man with a scar was utterly dumbfounded; he could only watch the killing helplessly.

The guests in the inn stared with their mouths agape as they kneeled at the doors, completely forgetting to stand up.

The middle-aged man who claimed to be a Felan aristocrat did not even blink. His mouth, which the gold tooth was knocked out from, was wide open. His chin was covered with blood, but he was too dumbstruck to stretch out his hand to wipe it.

There was an incredulous expression on the coquettish maidservant's face. Looking at Sean who was in a state of rage and then looking back at Lin Li who was nothing but relaxed… was like seeing an elephant getting banged by a mouse.

As the bloodstained sword fell once again, the last survivor fell down at last too. The previously clean corridor was filled with corpses now, most of them still holding onto their incomplete weapons. Blood gushed from the huge wounds and slowly flowed along the corridor and down the stairs…

Only the burly man with a scar was left of the dozen people who had charged to the second floor earlier.

He still could not believe that all of this was real.

He had always been proud of his strength, but in front of this monster holding the double-edged sword, he had turned out to be weak and frail. Boundless fear surged from the bottom of his heart. For the first time, he felt that he was so close to death…

The burly man with a scar broke down thoroughly when Sean began to approach him slowly.

Plop…

Then, everyone saw the imperious robber kneel stiffly on the ground. "Don't kill me… Don't kill me…"

The double-edged sword hung around his neck, but it did not come down heavily on him.

The Rampage Potion only strengthened the physical strength and stimulated the desire to kill in the heart, but it would not blind the mind of the user. Although Sean had killed more than a dozen people, he was still lucid. After he had halted his sword on the neck of the burly man with a scar, Sean cast an inquiring glance at Lin Li once more.

The burly man with a scar was not stupid. Upon seeing the monster's gaze, he suddenly realized that the mage who had been standing at the door was the one who would decide his own life and death, so he quickly turned to Lin Li to beg him for mercy.

Unfortunately, he did not understand what kind of person Lin Li was…

That was the man who killed a level-fourteen Magic Shooter without hesitation.

"Your plea for mercy came too late." After leaving this sentence behind, Lin Li walked down the stairs without even turning back. The Sylvan Inn was uninhabitable—too many people had died overnight, and the smell of blood was too strong. He'd have nightmares staying at such an inn.

"Ah!"

When Lin Li walked to the side of the carriage, another scream rang out from the inn…

After a while, Sean emerged from the inn.

After the previous slaughter, his clothes had been soaked with blood, but Sean had been hunting magical beasts with his father since he was young, so he was used to blood. Moreover, he came from a poor family and couldn't bear to throw them away. Hence, he left the inn wearing the sticky, bloodstained clothes.

"Sean, change into these first." Lin Li searched the Ring of Endless Storm, but could not find clothes suitable for Sean. In the end, he chose a Rune Robe for Sean to make do with it for the time being.

"Oh…" Sean received the Rune Robe meekly and looked at it with some curiosity. Then he quickly pulled off his bloody clothes and put on the large Rune Robe. However, his black bear-like strong figure was very unkind—what was originally a loose Rune Robe looked like a burglar's night tights on him…

"Just make do with it first. I'll get you new clothing in the day." There was nothing that Lin Li could do about it at the moment. The two men's statures were vastly different. Presently, Blackstone Town was unlighted and dark; even if they had the money, they couldn't find a place to buy clothes.

"Mr Felic… The two bottles of potions you gave me…" After Sean had put on the Rune Robe, there was a hesitant look on his face again. He wanted to ask what the two bottles of potions were, but he was afraid to anger Mr Felic once more.

"The yellow one was Stoneskin Potion, which can make your skin tough; the red bottle was Rampage Potion, which can greatly enhance your physical strength and stimulate your inner desire to kill."

"Oh…"

"You know why I made you fight them?"

"I don't know." Sean shook his head frankly. "I only know that anything Mr Felic says is definitely right."

"…" Lin Li chuckled resignedly, and did not continue.

Even Gerian couldn't help admiring the gift of this simple young man. He shouldn't be merely a low-level adventurer.

Although he was hired in name only, Lin Li, either intentionally or unintentionally, was constantly offering Sean opportunities. There was no reason for it, nor did he expect any returns from it; he simply could not bear to see Sean waste his talent. It was just like how Andoine had helped him back in the Sunset Mountains.

Sometimes, the improvement of strength was that simple.

Constantly fighting, and constantly honing.

It was a long night for Lin Li. First, he was tormented by Sean's snoring for most of the night. Then, he was woken up by the knock of the coquettish maidservant at the door. Before he got to return to his room, the members of the Bloodwolves Thieves had come… Lin Li thought it was not far from daybreak, and he was too lazy to find another place. So, he leaned his head on the carriage and intended to spend the night like that.

"Mr Mage!"

He was just getting a little sleepy when someone tapped on the carriage.

Lin Li poked his head out of the carriage and asked angrily, "What?"

Then, he found out that the fellow who had disturbed his dreams was the fat man who had his gold tooth knocked out. Lin Li recalled that he had called himself a Felan aristocrat earlier on.

The fat aristocrat showed some fear at once when he saw Lin Li's hostile expression. He had witnessed the mage's companion kill more than a dozen people in the twinkling of an eye. He did not want to irritate the two men who could kill without batting an eyelid because of something wrong he'd said, so he carefully considered the words with a pleasant smile on his face before asking, "Hello, respected mage, may I take the liberty to ask if you're going to Alanna?"

"Mhm."

"That's great!" Despite Lin Li's indifferent attitude, his affirmative reply delighted the fat aristocrat. The latter leaned forward mysteriously. "Mr Mage, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dugar, an aristocrat of the Felan Kingdom."

"What's it got to do with me?"

"Because I'd like to hire you. Of course… your powerful companion too."

"H-hire me?" Lin Li almost choked on his saliva.

"Yes, Mr Mage. I'm willing to hire both of you for a high price. After you've escorted me safely to Alanna, the remuneration will definitely be at least a four-digit sum…"

"…" Lin Li rolled his eyes. A remuneration of at least a four-digit sum? Is that 1,000 or 2,000 gold coins?

"Well, that's a decent reward, isn't it?" The fat aristocrat sounded rather pleased. He thought he couldn't have read it wrong. Although these two men were strong, they had to be quite hard up. Look at the mage—the mage robe he was wearing was so worn and old, and he couldn't even take out a decent wand. Even more so his companion, who was more powerful than a magical beast; the leather armor on him had to be worn for at least ten years. The huge double-edged sword had killed more than a dozen people, but how could the fat man not see that it was entirely due to his strength? He could stab the dozen robbers to death even with a wooden stick.

How could they not be tempted by a 1,000 gold coins with their financial situation?

Mr Mage did not respond, and the fat man was not in a hurry to rush him. In his opinion, this was just a means of raising the price.

"3,000 gold coins, what do you think?"

"3,000 gold coins? You're so generous…" There was some derision in Lin Li's smile, but when it fell into the eyes of the confident fat man, the very same smile seemed full of elation.

"You agree?"

"Mr Aristocrat…"

Just as Lin Li was about to reject his offer, someone else was approaching the carriage.

"Mr Mage!"

This time, it was the low-level adventurer who had a few of his teeth knocked out. This fellow had it worse than the fat aristocrat. The latter only had a golden tooth pulled out, but he actually lost several teeth. When he shouted "Mr Mage", it was leaky and indistinct, which made Lin Li all the more uncomfortable listening to it.

Bloody hell, would you all let me sleep? Lin Li cursed inwardly. The dissatisfaction on his face was apparent.

"Greetings, respected Mage." The Blackstone Town was enveloped in a curtain of darkness, and it was pitch-dark around the carriage. The mercenary who had his teeth knocked out could not see clearly the look on Lin Li's face. He rushed forward and ignored the fat aristocrat beside and introduced himself, "My name is Hank, a member of the Silver Hand Mercenary Corps."

"What?" Lin Li clenched his teeth as he struggled to suppress the urge to punch someone.

"It's like that, Mr Mage. May I venture to ask if you are interested in joining the mercenary corps?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 102: Alanna

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"…" Lin Li was about to go crazy. The fat aristocrat who intended to hire him had yet to leave, and here came another invitation for him to join the mercenary corps.

"Mr Mage, would you consider it? The Silver Hand has a well-known welfare system. We have a monthly salary of 300 gold coins plus team rewards after the completion of the task, and there is a 30 percent discount for all internal purchases. With the strength of you two, you could be promoted to a leader position very soon; and when the time comes, you will be able to command a team of adventurers on a large scale…"

The adventurer with missing teeth was rattling on and on, but Lin Li felt all the more drowsy as he listened.

He really had the heart to kill someone now. He hadn't slept for most of the night. He had finally managed to kill the robbers, but now he was being harassed by these two fellows.

Lin Li had endured all he could so that he would not blast them all away with a fireball even when he was towering with rage.

"Moreover, Mr Mage…" The toothless mercenary who was still chattering endlessly was not aware that he was in great danger. There was a lewd smile on his face as he leaned forward to Lin Li, obviously intending to share some secret with him. "The Silver Hand is famous for having many beauties. Not to mention our captain—Alanna's most prominent beauty, there are several other squad leaders who are all cream of the crop, especially the beautiful warrior who has just joined the mercenary a few days ago. Her blonde hair and beautiful legs are totally gorgeous…"

"Blonde hair?" Lin Li's heart tingled. "And beautiful legs?"

"Yes…"

"What's her name?"

"I think it's Ina…"

"F*ck!" Lin Li grabbed the toothless mercenary by the collar and dragged him into the carriage, at the same time threatening, "If there's no such person, you are going to die!"

"…" The toothless mercenary looked at Lin Li contemptuously. Damn it, everyone said that mages had cleansed their heart of all desire. How could there still be such a devilish pervert? He could even give up his life upon hearing the blonde hair and long legs…

"By the way, Mr Aristocrat, aren't you going to Alanna?" Lin Li thought it made no difference bringing both along since he was already bringing this one. So, he decided to count the fat boss in as well. "5,000 gold coins for a single trip, do you want to come or not?"

"Come! Of course I'll come!" The fat aristocrat got into the carriage without another word. These days, it would cost about 3,000 to 4,000 gold coins to hire one mercenary. It took him only 5,000 to find two such powerful bodyguards. Only fools would reject it…

To the surprise of the fat man, the journey after that turned out to be a safe one. They set off from Blackstone Town at dawn and saw Alanna by evening. Not to mention thieves and robbers, they did not even come across any decent magical beast along the way, causing the fat boss much regret. If he had known, he'd have set off on his own; he had also spent 5,000 gold coins in vain. This ride had cost him too much.

As the carriage was about to enter the city, the toothless adventurer pointed at a building outside the city as he introduced it to Lin Li enthusiastically. "Mr Mage, the mercenary station is right in front. Would you like to say hello first?"

Lin Li wanted to meet Ina quickly; but looking at the weather, he shook his head regretfully. "I have something to do today, how about tomorrow? You tell me the place, and I'll come to see you early tomorrow morning."

The official letter from Alanna Council had made it clear that all mages participating in the trial had to arrive within five days, and those who failed to arrive within the stated time period would be unable to participate in the trial. Lin Li carefully counted the days—they were delayed for three days in Jarrosus and had spent more than a day on the road. If they hadn't reported at Alanna Council before sunset, he could imagine the unpleasant look on Gerian's chubby face…

"No problem," the toothless adventurer replied coolly. "Look for me at the Adventurers Guild tomorrow. I am just going to submit a task there."

"Okay."

Accompanied by the crisp sound of horses' hooves, the carriage drove briskly towards the capital of Felan Kingdom.

Alanna was a hundred times more prosperous than Jarrosus. After being bombarded with questions by the city guards, their carriage passed through the lofty gate. What appeared before Lin Li was a straight, wide road paved with shiny stone slabs. The clear sound of the horses' hooves rang whenever they came in contact with the ground.

"What's that?" Lin Li seemed to return to the time when he'd first arrived at Jarrosus City. Everything in front of him was so novel and curious. At this time, he was looking up at the sky in surprise—a few magical beasts had just flown by…

"Mr Mage…" The fat man in the carriage had never seen such a bumpkin mage before. In order not to disgrace himself, he had to whisper to that fellow, "That's the Skyguards' Gryphon Riders."

"Gryphons?" At the fat man's mention of it, Lin Li recalled that Andoine had once told him about the Gryphon, a level-thirteen magical beast. They were suitable to use as a flying ride after being tamed.

"Nobody's controlling them?" However, Lin Li still had some doubts. The capital of Felan Kingdom actually allowed anyone to fly in the air? What if one day they decided to throw something down from the sky? It could crush a person to death.

"They are one of Felan's imperial guards directly subordinate to His Majesty, who dares to control them…?"

"Oh…" Lin Li nodded his head earnestly, but he envied those guys who were able to fly in the sky. He secretly made up his mind that he had to ride on one of those someday.

The carriage slowly entered the city and drove steadily forward along the crowded street.

With Gerian's familiarity with Lin Li, how could he not have known that this fellow was a country bumpkin? So, he had drawn a map of Alanna for Lin Li before he left. In order to prevent the latter from losing his way, he also marked the location of the Guild of Magic with a red circle.

At present, Lin Li was staring at the red circle.

To be honest, Gerian was thoughtful; the old fellow was certainly much more considerate than Andoine, who didn't even provide him with a map.

The bad thing was that the map he drew was a little abstract. Lin Li was unable to understand it even after flipping through it for half a day.

What on earth was painted on it? Except for the red circle, there were only messy lines on it. Lin Li couldn't help scratching his head. "This… Is this east or west?"

"Uh… Mr Aristocrat, may I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"May I ask, where is the Guild of Magic?"

"You're from the Guild of Magic?" The fat man who claimed to be an aristocrat was astonished. The young maged seemed so unsophisticated and was dressed in shabby clothes. He definitely did not look like someone from the Guild of Magic. Could it be that this was all an act?

"No." Lin Li shook his head honestly. Before he reported to the Council, he was not really a member of the Alanna Guild of Magic.

"Oh…" The fat man let out a sigh of relief as he helped Lin Li with the directions, all the while thinking in his heart, He scared me there. How could someone from the Guild of Magic be so poor?

Under the guidance of the aristocrat, Lin Li finally found a magnificent building.

The Alanna Guild of Magic and Jarrosus' Emerald Tower were completely different in appearance. The Emerald Tower stood alone, and here was an infinitely huge complex of buildings. The main building alone occupied almost the whole street. From a distance, it felt solemn and primitive, while at the same time emitting a mysterious aura.

As the carriage approached the main building, they saw an open gate. A dozen mages in long robes were entering and leaving the building hastily. Lin Li stood on the carriage and looked inside—the guild hall was at least several times more spacious than the Emerald Tower's. Large groups of mages were busying themselves in it, but it did not seem crowded at all.

"Mr Aristocrat, I have something to see to, so I won't see you anymore." As soon as he halted the carriage by the street, Lin Li took Sean and walked towards the direction of the gate, regardless of whether the aristocrat agreed or not.

"Darn it…" The fat man cursed, but there was nothing he could do about it. That was the Guild of Magic—he wouldn't have the guts to rush in and haul them out anyhow.

Lin Li entered the spacious guild hall when he suddenly remembered that he did not know whom to report to, so he cleared his throat and intercepted the mage next to him, who looked to be in his forties. "Hello, excuse me, where should mages who have come to participate in the trial report to?

"Participate in the trial?" The middle-aged mage shot an indifferent glance at him, and there were some mockery on his face. "Are you from the Jarrosus Guild of Magic? You've arrived early… Why didn't you just wait until the trial was over?"

"Ah?" Lin Li was bewildered.

"Which Guild of Magic did not arrive a few days ahead of schedule for the trial arranged by the Supreme Council? Only Jarrosus is the most promising indeed, arriving just before the deadline…" The middle-aged man finished his sentence with a poker face and looked at Lin Li again. "Gerian must give the Alanna Council an explanation for this matter. For now… You'll go handle the paperwork with me first."

On the way to handle the paperwork, the middle-aged mage continued, "My name is Darian, but you'd better call me Mr Darian because I'm one of the in charge of this trial."

Darian your head.. . Lin Li cursed in his heart, but he was all smiles. "Understood, Mr Darian."

The trial procedure was not complicated. Other than filling in the necessary information, it was Darian who would be arranging the temporary lodging. Lin Li was also notified of the points needing attention in this trial.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 103: Roommate

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After filling out the materials in the guild hall, Darian took Lin Li through the corridor and out through the back door of the guild hall. Outside was a linear path with sycamore trees planted in lines on both sides; surrounding the trees were wreaths of flower beds. The songs of birds and the scent of flowers filled the whole place.

Darian did not talk much along the way; he merely took Lin Li to an old building.

"You'll be staying here for these three months." Darian's face was expressionless and his tone somewhat stiff.

"Okay…" Lin Li did not say anything, but looked around—the environment was pretty nice; it was much better than the Emerald Tower.

They went into the empty hall and all the way up the stairs to the second floor until they came before an unlatched door, where Darian stopped. He took out a bunch of keys from his pocket, and after going through them, he picked one out and handed it to Lin Li. "This is the key to the room."

Lin Li nodded, but suddenly remembered something. "By the way, Mr Darian, does my companion also stay here?"

"No." The middle-aged mage shook his head impassively. "Only mages who are participating in the trial can stay here. As for your companion, the guild will arrange another place for him."

"Oh…" Lin Li heaved a long sigh of relief. Fortunately, he would not have to squeeze in one room with Sean anymore. The tragic experience in Blackhills Town terrified him whenever he recalled it.

Darian left after the accommodation was settled.

After watching the middle-aged mage leave, Lin Li gently pushed open the unlatched door.

Compared with the one-gold-coin-a-night room in Blackhills Town, this dorm was much more spacious. The living room alone was more than twice the size of the inn's room. There were also all kinds of furnishings in the living room, such as an antique wooden table surrounded by several rattan chairs. The afterglow of the sunset penetrated the balcony, sprinkling golden rays over the living room. Through the bright glass windows, Lin Li could clearly see the flower beds and sycamore trees that were downstairs.

Lin Li's eyes swept through the room, his heart filled with admiration. This was indeed the Alanna Council—the accommodation was much better than the Emerald Tower. But… why were there three bedrooms?

Just as he was wondering, he heard a quiet noise and one of the bedroom doors opened. Then, he saw a fair young man coming out of the bedroom. He was wearing a black mage robe and looked about the same age as Lin Li. He had a genteel disposition as well, but the excited smile on his face made people feel uncomfortable.

As soon as the young mage came out of the bedroom, he asked eagerly, "Felic from Jarrosus?"

"Mhm." Lin Li nodded and asked in puzzlement, "You are?"

"Great!" The young mage smiled in excitement and introduced himself enthusiastically as he welcomed Lin Li into the living room. "My name is Mason. I'm from the Chevan City's Guild of Magic. Felic, if you need any help, just say it. Don't stand on ceremony with me. We'll be roommates for the next three months!"

"Roommate?" Lin Li stood blank for a moment. "This dorm is for two people?"

"Of course not!" Mason shook his head. "How can two people live in such a big dormitory? There's another person who lives here in addition to us."

"…" Only then did Lin Li realize that such a big dorm was not for him to live alone in…

"But that fellow, you'd better leave him alone…" Mason said as he glanced stealthily at the bedroom opposite them, and pointed at his head with his finger. "He has a problem here…"

"…"

Perhaps Mason was satisfied with Lin Li's reaction, for he patted him on the shoulder gaily. "Anyway, you just have to hang out with me, Mason, and I promise you'll get a good place in this trial. I am a level-nine mage!"

"Idiot!" Mason was bragging when the closed bedroom door suddenly opened. A pale young man stood in the bedroom. He was about the same age as Lin Li and also looked genteel, but the feeling he gave Lin Li was quite different from Mason's enthusiasm.

The feeling that this guy brought to Lin Li was as if everyone owed him tens of thousands of gold coins, and there was a chilly gloom in his bones.

"Orrin, whom did you call an idiot? Say it again if you dare!"

"Whoever shows off his magic level is an idiot." Leaving that sentence behind, Orrin closed the door again without even taking another look at Mason.

Mason was infuriated by his words but couldn't barge into the room, so he could only shout at the closed door. "Orrin, come out if you dare! I must teach you a good lesson!"

Lin Li watched the farce from a side and shook his head helplessly…

Whoever shows off his magic level is an idiot —Mason did not understand the meaning of the sentence, but Lin Li was absorbed in ponderment about it.

With his almost perverted mental strength, his judgement of magical wave could be said to be so keen that no disguise could escape his eyes, including the Mana Concealment Potion that he drank.

Orrin's disguise could fool everyone else, but it absolutely could not be concealed from Lin Li. Almost at the moment Orrin opened the door, he knew that this guy was not just a level-nine mage. Judging from the magical wave he was emanating, he was at least a level-ten Magic Shooter, and might even had reached the peak of the level-ten.

This meant that… Orrin was also a cheater.

Standing at the height of a level-ten Magic Shooter, looking back at a level-nine mage was indeed like an elephant looking at a mouse. This was a difference in realm—no strength or skill could make up for it. It was like the feeling of utter powerlessness Lin Li had when he was facing an Archmage like Old Merlin.

Orrin was indeed qualified to say that…

Of course, Mason didn't see it that way.

"I don't know what he has to be so arrogant, carrying a dead man's face all day long." After screaming at the door, Mason's anger finally subsided, but he still looked a little resentful. He sat on a rattan chair and continued his unceasing complaints. "He really fancies himself a Magic Shooter. If he was a Magic Shooter, why would he participate in the trial…"

"Yes, yes…" Lin Li nodded with a guilty conscience, then quickly took the opportunity to divert the topic. "Oh yes, Big Brother Mason, what on earth is this trial for?"

Perhaps it was because he was being addressed as "Big Brother", but the anger on the guy's face disappeared immediately, and he revealed an excited yet lewd smile. He reached out and patted Lin Li on the shoulder, then said with great emphasis, "Brother Felic, you've asked the right person by asking me, Mason. I'll tell you, I'm afraid there's no one else except me who knows what this trial is exactly about."

"Oh?"

"Brother Felic, we're not strangers, so I'll tell you frankly…" Mason looked at the closed door again, then lowered his voice with a mysterious smile and whispered to Lin Li, " My uncle, Morris, is one of the leaders of this trial. He told me about all about it…"

"…" Lin Li did not expect that this roommate, who seemed to be quick with his intimacies, actually had such a strong connection.

"Brother Felic, let me tell you, this trial is quite different from those of the previous years." Mason smiled in contentment before continuing. "There are 24 Guilds of Magic including the Alanna Council. We will be divided into eight groups to complete the trial missions that will be announced by the Supreme Council…"

"Three in a group?" Lin Li understood at once; so this was the reason for the strange arrangement of the accommodation. The Alanna Council had it planned from the start.

"That's right." Mason nodded. "Us two, and that Orrin…"

"…" Lin Li had the thought to die. These two fellows… one being overly enthusiastic and unable to shut his mouth once he opened it, and the other being haughty as hell, as if he couldn't care less about anyone else. What were the prospects of passing this trial in the same group with these two fellows?

"Don't be afraid, Brother Felic." The look of disappointment on Lin Li's face turned into one of worry when it fell into Mason's eyes. The guy beat his chest and assured, "Although you are a little lacking in strength, I, Mason, will not abandon you. You can rest assured if you just follow my lead. Even if we exclude Orrin, I will guarantee you'll be able to bring a decent placing back to Jarrosus."

"Then… Thank you, Big Brother Mason." Lin Li could feel the corners of his lips twitching…

"Hahahaha! Brother Felic, you're too polite…" Mason pretended to be modest, but the smile on his face was unusually bright.

"Big Brother Mason, and then?" Lin Li had to whisper a reminder seeing the fellow had become delirious with joy.

"Oh, right… And then…" Mason remembered the matter at hand and quickly put away his smile before continuing, "According to Uncle Morris, in order to ensure everyone's safety, there will be an Archmage assigned to follow each team. The Archmage will not participate in the trial mission, remaining passive except when we are in real danger, but… If he does interfere, it would mean that the team has failed their mission."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 104: A Cheap Trick

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"I'll tell you, Brother Felic, it'll most likely be an Archmage from Sienna who'll be assigned to our team." The look on Mason's face was unusually mysterious when he said this.

"How do you know?"

"Heh heh…" Mason took a glance at the surroundings, then revealed the lewd smile on his face again. "My uncle arranged for it. He's old friends with the Sienna Archmage. When the time comes… Heh heh…"

"…" Lin Li was startled to hear that all the Guilds of Magic would actually risk doing anything for the trial. It was kind of Gerian to send a level-twelve Magic Shooter to cheat; look at Mason's uncle—he had simply manipulated the rules of the game by bringing in an acquaintance into the team. What was the point of all this in the end? The Archmage could just interfere when the time came and everything would be settled then. Anyway, it would only be the few of them who'd know; if no one said a thing, who else would know what had happened in between…

"So… Brother Felic, just rest assured and follow my lead. I guarantee you won't lose out."

Mason smiled proudly, but the closed door suddenly opened again and Orrin walked out with a gloomy expression on his face. He looked at Mason as if he was looking at some rare animal. After sizing him up for a while, he said coldly, "An idiot who only knows how to daydream."

"F*ck…" Mason was smiling in self-satisfaction when he heard what was said, and he immediately sprung up from his seat.

"Why, you want to fight?" Orrin stood there without budging, and a sarcastic sneer came across his face. "You think that only you have an uncle and everyone else is an idiot?"

Although Mason talked without much consideration, he was not a real idiot, after all. He held back his anger and asked, "Why do you say that?"

"I'm not afraid to tell you the truth. We in the Rotterdam Guild have received news long ago. The Archmages who will be following the teams will all be sent directly from the Supreme Council. The reason why the Supreme Council made such a decision is to target people like you."

"What!?" Mason was taken aback. This was not a joke. In order to get Sienna's Archmage into his team, whether it be Uncle Morris or the Chevan City's Guild of Magic, much consideration and effort had been made for the past few months. His Uncle Morris had sent several pieces of priceless magic equipment, including a magical staff worth at least a million gold coins, just to convince the Sienna Archmage.

If the truth was really as what Orrin said—that the Archmages who would be following the teams would be sent directly by the Supreme Council—then things would be bad. By that time, the gold coins and what they bought that would fall through wouldn't matter much; messing up the trial would be the real problem instead…

Mason suddenly felt his head pounding.

His two teammates… one was totally incompatible with himself, and would absolutely end up in a fight with him in three sentences; the other one, though easy to talk to and with personality much to his liking, well, in terms of strength… His uncle was right—Jarrosus Guild of Magic had been in a terrible state of decline these two years. They had actually sent out a level-seven mage for this trial… And he didn't even look like he had any impressive magical equipment with him…

This, this… How were they going to go about doing this?

Orrin glanced coldly at the pale Mason, then turned around and left the living room. Before he left, he gave a piece of advice to Lin Li. "You're Felic, right? I would advise you not to hang around with people like Mason. The trial depends on strength, not schemes and intrigues. Otherwise, even if you complete the trial missions, you will lose in the final guild qualifiers."

"Ah?" Lin Li was baffled by what Orrin said, but when he wanted to clarify, Orrin had already disappeared, so Lin Li had no choice but to turn to Mason…

"He's right." If it had been a while ago, Mason would have been talking big again. However, the bad news that Orrin had delivered had dampened his mood for bragging. At present, there was only one thing on Mason's mind—how to convey the bad news to his Uncle Morris. As for Lin Li's question, he briefly explained it. "After the trial mission is completed, a guild qualifying competition will be arranged to determine the final ranking according to the outcome of the competition. Alright, Felic, I have to go out now. I'll elaborate on the details when I come back."

"See you later." Lin Li nodded and watched as Mason left.

In the twinkling of an eye, only Lin Li was left alone in a room where three people stayed.

"There are three people sharing a room, and it turns out all three are cheaters. I wonder what the other teams are like…" Lin Li chuckled and began to tidy up his bedroom.

He had to admit that the Alanna Guild of Magic did a good job with the accommodations. The bedroom had been tidied up for Lin Li even before he arrived. The room was cleaned spotless; there was a rattan chair in the corner beside a small wardrobe, and the bed was covered with white sheets and a soft blanket. Although the bedroom was not spacious, it gave him a comfortable feeling.

Lin Li opened up the Ring of Endless Storm and took out a set of clothes to change into.

While he was taking his clothes out, he suddenly felt something familiar—the two crumpled rags.

Seeing these two rags, he thought of Andoine and wondered how the old fellow had been recently. Was he still bombing the potion lab every day like how he used to…?

He had heard from Old Grimm that the old fellow had been in Alanna. It seemed that he had to ask Old Grimm out for a chat someday and enquire about Andoine's whereabouts while he was at it. The old fellow had fooled him by saying that he'd return to Jarrosus in a week or two, but it had been more than a month, and he was still nowhere to be seen…

At the thought of Old Grimm, Lin Li fumbled through the Ring of Endless Storm once again.

Before Old Grimm left, he had left behind a ring with instructions that Lin Li would be able to find him at the Pharmacists Guild if he brought the ring there.

I'll go look for Old Grimm on the way to the Silver Hand tomorrow…

After deciding on the schedule for the next day, Lin Li started to feel a little sleepy. To be honest, he was really worn out these two days—the long journey was energy-consuming on its own, and they were met with the robbers at Blackhills Town. He had not had a good shuteye all night. Now that he was finally lying on a soft bed, he felt a wave of drowsiness overcome him…

That night, Lin Li had no idea when Mason and Orrin returned. He slept like a log in his room until dawn the next day, when he was awakened by a sudden knock on the door.

"Felic, wake up!"

Lin Li recognized Mason's voice. He hastily put on his Robe of Wrath and opened the door with a sleepy face. "Big Brother Mason, why did you wake up so early?"

"I've got no choice, I was forced as well…"

"What happened?"

"All mages participating in the trial must gather in the guild hall before nine o'clock this morning; if they fail to gather before the stipulated time, it'll be treated as forfeiting," Mason said in one breath, and looked at Lin Li in puzzlement. "Why, nobody told you about it?"

"No…"

"Who brought you here yesterday? How could he not have told you about such an important matter? It's so irresponsible of him…"

"It probably slipped his mind…" Lin Li smiled apathetically, but in his heart, he made a note of the middle-aged mage called Darian. From the first meeting the previous day, Lin Li felt that this man's attitude towards himself was a little out of the ordinary—he had been too harsh and too cold. They had no previous history of antagonism; even if he was unimpressed by his late-coming, he could have just reprimanded him. Why did he stoop to such a cheap trick and leave out such an important notice?

Lin Li could tolerate many things. For example, Mason's bragging in front of him, and Orrin's arrogant attitude. But playing such a petty trick behind his back was something that he could not tolerate…

It seemed like… he had to find a chance to talk to this Mr Darian.

Lin Li hurried to tidy up. Just as he was about to go out, Orrin came out of his room.

This fellow was still looking as if everyone owed him millions; he merely shot a cold glance at the two of them and left without turning back.

"So cocky for what…" Mason groused bitterly as he watched Orrin's receding figure.

But the Mason today seemed to be a lot more low-key; he said nothing more after the grousing.

Lin Li guessed that his uncle had brought him some bad news when he'd gone out the previous night.

By the time they arrived at the hall, there were already many people standing around. Over 20 young mages were gathered in groups of twos and threes, chatting away. A little farther away, there were some middle-aged men in long gowns engaged in discussion. Lin Li had a better vision—looking ahead, he spotted the fellow named Darian. The latter was talking to an elderly man with white hair and white beard. He looked very respectful, totally different from his cynical attitude the day before.

"Big Brother Mason, do you know who that man is?" Lin Li asked Mason, who was next to him, quietly.

"You mean the white-bearded one?" Mason looked at Lin Li with some doubt. "Come on, Brother Felic, you don't even know him?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

"No, I don't…"

"He's Aldwin, the President of Alanna Guild of Magic. Also… he's probably the most powerful mage in the whole Felan Kingdom…" Mason answered weakly. He thought that he might go crazy; sometimes, he really suspected whether this kid was pretending. How could a mage be this ignorant?

"So formidable?"

"It's more than that… It is said that President Aldwin had broken through to level twenty-one ten years ago. Perhaps only God knows what realm he's in now…"

"…" Lin Li was probably more aware than most people how horrifying a power beyond that of a legendary level was, for he had exchanged strikes with Old Grimm. Although Old Grimm had used only strength below level-ten, it was enough to suppress a level-twelve Magic Shooter like him. If he did not deliberately suppress his power, not to mention Lin Li, even Gerian would be reduced to ashes in a flash.

"If only I had half the strength of President Aldwin…" For a young mage like Mason, Aldwin was a true legend. Even though he liked to brag, he had not the audacity to say "as good as President Aldwin", but cautiously chose only half.

"The idiot's daydreaming again," Orrin said dryly.

"Damn it…" Mason's anger shot up at once. If they weren't at the guild hall, he'd have jumped on Orrin and fought him.

The two guys were now at battle pitch, but Lin Li ignored them. He had gotten used to it.

Anyway, this was the guild hall; even if they were given a hundred times more guts, they wouldn't dare to make trouble here.

Lin Li's eyes were fixed on Aldwin. He was full of curiosity about the legendary level twenty-one mage.

Like most old people, Aldwin looked thin and slightly hunched. He wore a long gray robe, which looked too big on him. Judging from appearance only, who could imagine that the most powerful magic strength of the Felan Kingdom was contained in this old body?

Compared with the arrogant Gerian, the president of the Alanna Guild of Magic was on the other extreme. When he listened to Darian's report, he was always smiling and his expression was serene. He expressed his opinions occasionally, but it was only in the intervals between Darian's words.

Lin Li was accustomed to Gerian's autocratic rule. He was curious for a moment—how did such a kind old man get his subordinate mages to be so docile and compliant?

This was Alanna—the heart of Felan Kingdom. In its Guild of Magic, there were over 30 Archmages and over 100 Magic Shooters. As for mages below level-ten, there were simply too many to count every one of them. The difficulty in Aldwin's management was not to be compared with what a Jarrosus rich man like Gerian faced.

At this time, Aldwin seemed to notice Lin Li's gaze on him. He gave a few more instructions to Darian, then turned to face Lin Li, who was shocked to have been caught while staring covertly. Aldwin did not seem to mind, though; he merely smiled kindly before turning away and leaving the hall.

As the thin figure faded away, Lin Li remained in doubt. He felt that there seemed to be some other meaning in Aldwin's smile besides the kindness and friendliness…

Lin Li was in a bewilderment when he heard Mason's muffled cry. "Why is Gryffindor here as well?!"

This time, it was not just Mason who was surprised; even Orrin's deadened face revealed an indistinct astonishment.

Seeing the looks on both their faces, Lin Li couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Who is Gryffindor?"

"You can't be…" Mason rolled his eyes.

"This person is famous?"

"Not just famous, but extremely, extremely, extremely famous!" Mason used 'extremely' thrice to describe him. "He was praised as Felan's first-ever magic genius at the age of ten. Don't you think he is extremely, extremely, extremely famous? He had become a mage officially at the age of ten and was a super magic genius who had advanced to level-nine at the age of 16…"

At the mention of this, a trace of doubt suddenly appeared on Mason's face. Disregarding the baffled Lin Li, he began to mumble to himself. "Gryffindor is one year older than me, so he should be 24 this year… It has been eight years, why is he still at level-nine… No, no. I must have remembered it wrongly…"

"Big Brother Mason, who exactly is Gryffindor?" Lin Li understood as soon as he heard what Mason said—it was another cheater. For a while, he was interested to know more about this super magic genius, Gryffindor.

"Look to the left; it's the one wearing the black mage robe."

Lin Li followed Mason's gaze and saw a young mage talking cheerfully there.

The young man was good-looking—he was tall and handsome. It was only a shame that his eyes looked a little too small. In particular, they would narrow when he laughed, making them look thin and long, giving off an effeminate feel.

His black mage robe was exquisitely crafted—it was probably made by a famous tailor. It also emitted a strong magical wave. From what Lin Li saw, the magical wave was even stronger than the Robe of Wrath's. But what really surprised Lin Li was the powerful aura emanating from the young mage.

The young mage's strength was far beyond Lin Li's imagination. Among the young people he had seen, perhaps only Cromwell, who had gone through the transformation, could compare with him.

He was at least level-fourteen, or even level-fifteen!

"Which Guild of Magic is he from?"

"The Alanna Guild of Magic, of course."

"No wonder…" Lin Li nodded and did not question further. Perhaps only the heart of the Felan Kingdom, the Alanna Guild of Magic, could foster such an impressive character.

Amidst their exchanges, Lin Li suddenly noticed the unusual expression on Orrin's face.

Orrin's pale face showed a hint of agitation as he saw Gryffindor. Although his hands were huddled in his sleeves, anyone could guess that his hidden hands had to be firmly clenched into fists from the quiver of the mage robe.

Lin Li was a little confused; Orrin had always been arrogant and indifferent. How could he have lost his sense of proportion at the sight of Gryffindor?

And then he saw Gryffindor coming in their direction.

"Heh heh… Orrin, I can't believe you're here!" Gryffindor's face was full of smiles, but as he approached the three guys, his eyes were fixed on the agitated Orrin. As for Lin Li and Mason who were just beside him, Gryffindor did not even spare a look at them.

Orrin did not speak, but only stared at the other party in the eyes; the hands that were hidden in his sleeves were trembling even harder.

"To be honest, Orrin, I was quite surprised. I've always thought you wouldn't dare to participate in the trial…" When Gryffindor laughed, his long, slender eyes were squinted once more; the effeminate feel he gave off annoyed Lin Li.

"Please go away." Orrin's words were still plain and concise, but judging from his husky voice, he was definitely not as calm as he sounded.

"Heh heh… Orrin, you're still the same. Alright, I'll leave right away. I hope I can still see you at the final qualifying competition." Gryffindor took a step backward with the smile still on his face, and his contemptuous eyes swept over Mason's face. There was some mockery in his tone. "But, to be honest, Orrin, your luck is really bad. Look at your teammates, he's actually a real level-nine mage…

"Wait…" As he spoke, he suddenly saw Lin Li, who was just next to Mason. Gryffindor seemed to have discovered a new continent. "Oh my God… If I'm not mistaken, this one should be a level-seven mage, right?"

"F*ck…" How could Mason swallow the insult? He clenched his fist and wanted to dash forward to punch him, but as soon as he took a step out, he was held back tightly by Lin Li. This was the guild hall. If Mason dared to make trouble here, he would surely be driven back to Chevan City. In the end, Lin Li could not just stand and watch him do something silly. They were roommates sharing the same dorm, after all.

As for the something-findor… Anyway, the coming days would be long; Lin Li was in no hurry at all.

"Orrin, you're really unlucky…" Gryffindor's laughter was pompous amid Mason's bawl. "You're actually met with such two teammates. Looks like I may not necessarily see you in the qualifying competition. Hahahaha…"

"Scram!" Orrin's hoarse roar alarmed everyone. The 20-odd young mages turned their heads and looked at him in confusion.

And then there were whispers all around.

"Look, that seems to be Orrin from the Rotterdam Guild!"

"Yes, yes, yes… I remember him. He's the magic genius who was beaten by Gryffindor three years ago."

"So it's him…"

"I heard that this fellow is really impressive. It's a pity he has met Gryffindor. How unlucky…"

Gryffindor seemed to revel in their discussions. It was not until the murmurs died down that he went away with a satisfied expression on his face.

"Orrin, if you're unable to complete the trial missions, come and beg me!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

"Let go of me!" Mason shouted as he struggled furiously.

Yet, how could he surpass the almighty Master of Blacksmith in physical strength? Lin Li had been accumulating his strength over the years by hammering on metals. Not to mention a Mage like Mason, a Warrior would not have escaped the grasp of Lin Li.

"Forget it, Brother Mason. You'd…" Just when Lin Li wanted to persuade him, his thoughts were interrupted by a group of men in black robes entering the guild hall in the distance. There were about 10 people in that group, and their leader, a dignified man in his mid-40s, had a magic staff in his hand.

This man looks familiar… thought Lin Li, though he could not remember where he first met him.

While he was still pondering over his identity, the leader had already reached the middle of the guild hall.

"Please be silent!" This command, despite being spoken in a voice not as resounding, was clearly heard by each and every individual present.

Immediately, the bustling guild hall became quiet.

"The trial starts now," announced the middle-aged man. Without further ado, he got to his point and instructed, "You are required to take one of the eight number plates from my hands. Take note of its number and go look for your mentor."

Right after ending his speech, a group of young mages crowded around him, and the quiet guild hall grew noisy again.

"I'll go," volunteered Mason as he dashed into the crowd. Yet, after a while, he was seen coming out of it with a very disappointed expression on his face. "I was too slow. This was the last number plate left…" said Mason in a dejected tone.

What's the great deal about being last to collect the plate when the order doesn't matter? thought Lin Li as he remained quiet.

"Felic, we've gotten a 'six'!"

Before Mason's voice faded, Lin Li saw a short and skinny old man walking towards them. He had a goat-like beard, and like the other mentors, he was dressed in a black robe.

"Those two sly fellas and that… and that idiot! Come here now!" that old man shouted from afar.

"Who's the idiot that he was referring to?" Mason asked foolishly in a low voice, but was ignored by his two teammates.

Lin Li and Orrin proceeded towards the old man diligently, leaving behind Mason, who was still standing there in a daze.

"Idiot! Are you not coming?" the old man shouted again. This time, Mason understood whom he was referring to…

"Let me first introduce myself. My name is Macklin, but you'd better address me as Mr. Macklin," ordered the old man in an unfriendly tone as he glared at them, hoping to make himself appear fiercer than he was. Yet, it was the goat-like beard that gave him away, revealing him to be a pretentious man instead. He continued, "I had made a bet with the others on this round of trial that my team would definitely enter the placement round. Regardless of your abilities, if you make me lose the bet, you are going to get it from me the hard way. Do you understand?"

"Yes…" mumbled the trio together as they gulped down their saliva anxiously. Their hearts had also started to curse this damn mentor…

"Louder!"

"Yes, we do!!"

"Very good. But before I win the bet, I need to verify your abilities," said Macklin as he glanced at Lin Li and Orrin. Then, he emphasized in a serious tone, "Remember, I meant real abilities!"

"…"

The underlying meaning of Mr. Macklin's instruction would have been clear to any dimwitted fella. Lin Li just could not understand how the old man could see right through him. The Mana Concealment Potion was so advanced that even Gerian would not be able to decipher the real level he was at!

"Is this very strange to you?" the old man asked, grinning, as though he knew how to read minds. Without waiting for Lin Li to respond, he continued, "When I was your age, this was what I did as well."

"…"

"Alright, shoot if y'all have any questions. If not, let me bring you to an interesting place now."

…

That was the Nightmare Mountains—the most dangerous place in Alanna.

The four of them stood in front of a pitch-black cave. Macklin pointed at the cave casually and told the trio, "There lives a little kitten inside this cave. I'll lure it out, and you are to battle it single-handedly. I would like to see who can kill it."

"I shall go first!" Mason volunteered enthusiastically after observing how relaxed Macklin was when he made his speech, thinking that it would be an easy task.

"Sure, you go first, then," said the old man with an amused laughter that caused his goat-like beard to twitch. Before Mason realized it, he had already gone far into the cave…

Soon after, a series of groans could be heard by the three men, and that was followed by two shadows emerging from the cave at top speed one after another like two arrows, shooting out from it.

"Mason, it's your turn now!" Macklin left the cave with the Levitating Spell, which allowed him to swerve off in the air, leaving the dumbfounded Mason by himself…

Looking at the pair of blood-red eyes before him, Mason's heart dropped.

W-W-Was this the "little kitten" the old dude was referring to??? Indeed! What a kitty! Damn him…

As a level-nine mage, never would Mason have dreamt of confronting a level-12 magical beast alone. What was more, this beast was the most powerful of the other level-12 beasts, and the killer of mages—the infamous Fantama Panthera!

Mason was facing the Fantama Panthera by himself.

"GRRR!" The beast growled as it pounced towards Mason like a threatening black stroke of lightning.

"Help! You've got the wrong man!" Mason cried helplessly. How would the Fantama Panthera entertain his pleas?

To them, all humans were prey. Who cared if they were plump or lean?

The Fantama Panthera instantaneously bridged the distance of at least 10 meters between them, and appeared in front of Mason.

Mason employed the Delaying Spell onto the beast and the Hastening Spell onto himself before scurrying off.

That old man had to be joking when he made a level-nine mage deal with a Fantama Panthera!

Lin Li saw the dire situation Mason got himself into.

Alternating between the Delaying Spell and the Hastening Spell would only let him stand a chance of defeating a beast of a level lower than 10. For the level-12 Fantama Panthera, however, doing so would only mean sending himself to death.

Mason had only run a total of 10 steps before meeting the red eyes of the Fantama Panthera again.

What followed was an unpleasant and terrifying roar from behind.

Before Mason knew it, he felt as though he was walking on mud. The lower half of his legs had already sunk into the ground too.

Apart from having the speed of lightning as well as a set of sharp and immensely poisonous claws, the Fantama Panthera was also extremely proficient in Dark Magic.

The Decaying Spell it unleashed landed Mason in boiling hot soup.

In such a frenzied state, there was no time for Mason to think anymore. Without hesitation, Mason started to recite a spell in a hurried manner.

He could swear that that was the first time he'd ever had such a thrilling encounter.

A Fantama Panthera sprang towards him like a bolt of lightning while he recited the spell in the middle of the sludge.

In that instance, Mason was so terrified that he nearly died from a heart attack.

Just when the blue toxic claws were about to come into contact with his chest, Mason finished reciting the last line of his spell…

"Pom!"

A deafening sound reverberated as the spell broke out. As a level-nine mage, it was no doubt that Mason's Power of Repulse erupted with great force, and the leopard got repelled at least 10 meters away from him. After pulling his legs out of the mud, he fled at once.

The three bystanders could only shake their heads in disapproval of Mason's shameless escape. That fella was such a weakling! The only method he employed throughout the confrontation was to escape. How could one even outrun the lightning speed of a Fantama Panthera?

The excruciating pain inflicted by the Power of Repulse agitated the Fantama Panthera.

"ROAR…!!"

This growl was shrill and penetrating. Almost everyone could sense a strange force of magical waves rising from their surroundings.

Amidst the ear-piercing snarl, Mason felt an agonizing and tight pain in his feet. Before he knew it, he'd lost his balance completely, and lunged towards the ground with his face.

While he tried to look back, what made him almost swoon with trepidation was a white skeletal arm grabbing firmly onto his ankle from the soil…

I'm dead! In that instance, this was the only thought that was in Mason's mind.

Then, he saw the coat of black rosettes prints leaping towards him stealthily…

Yet, the agony he was expecting never came.

Only a word came to him.

"IDIOT!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 107: The Mark of Decline

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Moron! What else do you know apart from fleeing from a small cat?" Macklin was so furious that his goat-like beard trembled. He continued ruthlessly, "Did you just use the Delaying and the Hastening Spell? Look at what a blockhead you are. Is this the limit of a level-nine mage? I can easily find any apprentice who can surpass you! Forget it… With the intelligence level you have, I recommend that you switch over to be a Blacksmith instead!"

"But—" Mason wanted to defend himself. That was a level-12 beast! How could he, a level-nine Mage, defeat it?

Yet, he was interrupted by Macklin, who stared at him in disdain.

"Did you want to rebut that that was an unfair battle? Did you want to defend yourself that the Fantama Panthera had a higher level as compared to you? Pfff… Excuses are for the weak. Now I know: you are not only a fool, but also a weakling!"

"I'm not!" cried Mason in agitation as his face flushed.

"You dare to rebut it? Then let me ask you. Why did you choose to recite the Power of Repulse when it was a great opportunity to make an attack?"

"I wanted to create some distance first…"

"What the hell, you are a Mage, not an Archer!" cried out the agitated Macklin as he nearly spat his saliva on Mason's face. "Who taught you that mages need to battle at a specific distance? With the powerful magical elements of mages, you're really dumb to have done so! If you had the time to create distance, why didn't you use it to aim a Fireball at your enemy? You could have defeated it!"

"I…"

"You'd better make sure whom you are battling next time. How would the Delaying and the Hastening Spell be effective against the Fantama Pantheras, which are experts in the field of Dark Magic? To adopt such a technique, you are really an incurable fool…"

"What did you want me to do, then?" asked Mason indignantly. "I'm just a level-nine Mage; if I don't distance myself from that leopard, do I wait for it to eat me up?"

"Moron, moron, moron, moron…" After snarling at Mason, the old man reached out with his finger.

Macklin's casual act seemed to have a great underlying force. The leopard that was previously lying calmly on the ground flew up uncontrollably.

After which, Mason witnessed how that short and skinny old man raised the leopard up by its neck single-handedly.

"Do you see this now?" Macklin lifted the Fantama Panthera up as he pointed at its exposed belly.

It was then that Mason realized it.

On the belly of the leopard, there was a dark-red light, which was flashing weakly.

Being a level-nine mage trained by the Guild of Magic, although Mason was not that skillful, he instantaneously understood what that speck of red meant.

That was the level-18 Dark Magic—the Mark of Decline!

At once, Mason's face grew crimson with shame…

The Mark of Decline would degrade any living being by at least three levels.

This means that the majestic Fantama Panthera he'd dealt with was just a level-nine beast. Being a level-nine Mage himself, it was definite that he would defeat the animal. With beasts being beasts, they not only lacked rationality as well as intelligence, but also depended solely on their natural instincts.

Yet in such an easy battle, Mason lost to the beast without a doubt. The mere thought of it made him very ashamed and embarrassed of himself.

The old man was right; Mason had been terrified.

If not for his fear towards the level-12 beast, how would he have attempted to escape from the start of the encounter, and not have any confidence to defeat it? The place where the Mark of Decline was was not concealed. If he had spared time to calm himself down, how could he not realize it?

"Do you acknowledge your stupidity now?" asked the old man. Although these words were indeed caustic, a glimpse of admiration flashed across his gaze.

Making a mistake was not scary. What made it terrifying was committing it repeatedly. Once a person realized his faults, it indicated that there was still hope for the person to grow.

"Yes, I do…" answered Mason with guilt. He nodded humbly as he got himself up from the ground.

"Very good, you can scram now." The old man waved at him, gesturing him to leave. Then, his gaze fell on Orrin. In a demeaning tone, he instructed, "That sly fella over there, it's your turn now!"

Orrin remained quiet as he walked towards Macklin.

"Wait a minute…"

Just when Orrin wanted to unleash his first attack, the old man stopped him.

"Compared to that moron, you are more astute. I can't let you do it so easily…" Macklin continued.

Orrin felt a wave of mana. After that, he saw the red glow on the belly of the Fantama Panthera dim.

Having escaped from the restraint of the Mark of Decline, the Fantama Panthera gave a deep growl of freedom. It had finally recovered its identity as the great and terrorizing level-12 magical beast again!

Orrin did not say anything. He just gave the beast a deadly stare, and started reciting his complicated spell. This created brilliant and dazzling magical runes around everyone. The surging mana mirrored the massive currents generated by a seething ocean.

"Magnificent…" Lin Li gasped from a far. Orrin's abilities were higher than what he'd previously imagined. It seemed that Orrin was at either the peak of level-10, or even level-11—just a little bit away from Lin Li.

"Grrrr!" At this moment, Macklin had also just loosened the restraint on the Fantama Panthera. A black shadow bolted out like a sharp arrow from the dark.

The distance of 10 meters was covered by it immediately.

Orrin's recital was a hastened one. As he raised his magic staff, a huge tremble was created in the ground, and what followed was an ear-shattering eruption.

"BOOM!"

Soil particles flew up into the air, and a thick stone spear pierced the ground from below.

Thereafter, everyone witnessed how critically the stone spear had struck at the Fantama Panthera.

Lin Li could not help but gape at that instance. When the Fantama Panthera was running at full speed, it could be said that it was as quick as a lightning bolt. At that moment, it would be almost impossible to attack it with the Ground-Piercing Spell.

Once the Ground-Piercing Spell was cast, a shrill cry from the leopard could be heard.

That arrow that emerged from the darkness seemed to hit a wall of copper. Everyone could hear the sound of bones breaking, and see blood splattering all over. After that, the Fantama Panthera escaped at top speed as though it was whipped.

The ear-splitting shriek echoed in the wilderness, while fresh red blood spilled on the soft ground…

Seeing how his enemy suffered massively from his Ground-Piercing Spell, Orrin did not spare it any time to recover. Without hesitation, he threw a few wind blades towards it from different directions. Although he was not as skillful as Lin Li when it came to the lower-grade magic, there were no faults in terms of his accuracy and impact generated.

Although it had the strength of a level-12 magical beast, the cruel force of the Ground-Piercing Spell was so ruthless that it crushed multiple bones with just one strike. Those bones not only tore through its soft and vulnerable abdomen, but also penetrated its viscera. With such grave injuries, the Fantama Panthera could only succumb to the lower-grade magic.

Each of the two consecutive shots of wind blades struck at the two front paws of the Fantama Panthera.

At that instance, what followed was another splatter of fresh blood.

"Arwooooo…" The Fantama Panthera howled in rage. The cry was so piercing that it felt like needles to the ears.

Subsequently, a wave of repressed magical elements rose up, and the surroundings darkened at once. The blackness cast by the Fantama Panthera's Obscurus Spell covered a distance of at least 10 meters.

"SH*T!" Lin Li was startled when he realized the leopard's ability to cast the Obscurus Spell. It was a considerably powerful spell in the field of Dark Magic.

Beasts like the Fantama Panthera were born with a certain amount of Dark Magic. The exact amount of Dark Magic, however, would be decided by nature. Taking the beast in front of Orrin for example, it could well be deemed a prodigy of the Fantama Panthera species.

Being surrounded by the Obscurus Spell, Orrin's recital started to become intermittent. His previously almighty magical wave also started to weaken greatly.

The Fantama Panthera that was still in dire straits not long ago started to recover under the Obscurus Spell. In the blink of an eye, its ribs that were crushed by the Stone Spear grew back, and the torn abdomen also healed gradually.

At that moment, everyone could see a shadow moving swiftly in the dark. Just like a wandering ghost of the night, its body carried a stench of blood.

Orrin did not cease his recital. There was no hint of fear on his ashen face, and the glow of determination and concentration remained in his eyes.

The distance between both of them pulled closer. Then, the Fantama Panthera leapt towards him with its bright and blue poisonous claws…

…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 108: The Invincible Lucky Star

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Orrin's spell recitation became faster and faster. The surging magical elements were frantically trying to break from the spell. It was like flood waters rushing against a dam.

This was a real gamble as Orrin was wagering his life against a level-12 magical beast.

At this instance, everybody's hearts were held in suspense. They watched Orrin chanting his spell recitation hastily while the Fantama Panthera rushed towards him like an arrow.

The Fantama Panthera would turn into ashes if he were victorious.

Should he lose, his chest would be torn apart by sharp claws.

Yet at this point, the levitating Macklin raised his magic staff.

And then… this gamble was brazenly halted by him.

Two blue water curtains, one each for the human and the leopard.

Within the rippling lights of the curtain, time seemed to stand still.

The leopard that lept up was weirdly stuck in the air. There was a blue flicker on the razor-sharp claws, and its deep red eyes were sluggish. Orrin held tightly onto the magic staff, and opened his mouth slightly. It seemed as though he was about to recite a portion of the spell, but the boiling magical elements appeared to have suddenly solidified, and the last phrase of the spell was stuck frozen in Orrin's throat.

Lin Li and Mason, who were standing far away, looked at Macklin in a daze.

Only at this point did they finally understand that this man with a goat-like beard was stronger than they had imagined him to be.

The blue curtains were actually a legendary level-19 spell, Shadow Prison!

What was the concept behind level-19…

With just a step forward, he could have entered the Legendary Realm.

Lin Li finally understood why he could not decipher the old man's magic level as well as his ability to see through the mana concealment potion with just a single look.

The gap between level-12 and 19 was too vast…

No matter how focused Lin Li was, he was not able to see through a mage that was close to the legendary-level. This had nothing to do with mental strength; it was purely an issue of suppression due to levels. For example, even if you were to give a child a hundred viagra pills, he would not be able to do anything as well. It was nothing more but the lack of prerequisites.

From the start, Lin Li already knew the man with a goat-like beard was formidable.

But Lin Li did not imagine that he was almost as strong as Old Grimm.

Old Grimm was a monster that could humiliate Lin Li, a level-12 magic shooter, with a strength less than that of a Magic Shooter.

Immediately, both Mason and Lin Li looked at Macklin with complicated feelings.

"Not bad." The old man with a goat-like beard nodded his head slightly with an approving look in his eyes. "You are stronger than that fool."

Following those words from Macklin, the blue water curtains disappeared in the air with a "poof" like a popped bubble. Orrin was released from the hold of Shadow Prison. His pale face was emotionless; he just stood there and listened.

"But, you are only slightly stronger…" Once the old man finished speaking, he stared at Orrin in a slightly angry manner. "You thought of dying together with a magical beast, you're really promising…"

"It would have died." Orrin's tone was firm, as though the issue was obvious.

"Would have died?" Macklin was so furious that his goat-like beard sprang up. "Even I am not confident in situations like that. What makes you so sure?"

"I only believe in my own strength."

"Such laughable belief!" The old man was almost driven mad by him. "You need to remember that you are a respected mage, not a damned magical beast. Your mentor and guild have spent a lot of effort on raising you. Go ahead and ask them if they are willing to trade your life for a level-12 magical beast. You would be lucky if they didn't give you two tight slaps. So damn idiotic!"

In the midst of Macklin's angry howling, Orrin's pale face was emotionless. He just stood there quietly and listened.

"Forget it, I do not much have time to lecture you. Go think about it yourself." Orrin had no reaction at all even though Macklin gave him a scolding. This made the old man feel exasperated, and he turned around angrily, pointing his magic staff at Lin Li. "Now it's your turn, you cunning fella."

"…" Looking at how Orrin failed to take down the Fantama Panthera, Lin Li knew that he would not be able to escape this. After hearing how Macklin shouted, he did not say anything much, and braced himself to face the music.

"How embarrassing. Such a small black cat, yet both of you couldn't take it down. You'd better buck up, cunning fella."

"I'll try my best."

After Macklin finished his sentence, he released the Shadow Prison.

This time, he shortened the time given to Lin Li.

The distance between him and the leopard was not more than 10 meters. When the shadow prison was released, the Fantama Panthera rushed out instantaneously. The rage induced by Orrin previously was now being directed towards Lin Li. Amidst the roars, countless Dark Magic power pelted down. Under the Decaying Spell, the surrounding soil started to simmer like a restless swamp.

Lin Li was calm; he cast Feather Fall on himself.

The effect of this low-level spell would not allow him to levitate like Macklin, but it was more than sufficient to deal with this swamp. Concurrently, an icicle whistled through. The reason as to why icicles were so ruthless was because it had the combined effect of a magical and physical attack. Even if it were a level-12 Fantama Panthera, it would have to dodge when facing the icicle.

"Howl!" With a flick of its tail, the Fantama Panthera became a black blur, and twisted in an arc. It dodged the incoming icicle; it followed with a kick from its legs, once again charging towards at Lin Li at an even faster pace.

However, Lin Li seemed to be oblivious towards it, and continued reciting the spell.

At the instance when the Fantama Panthera leaped, Lin Li had also finished reciting the Spell of Frost.

However, his target wasn't the incoming Fantama Panthera, but the area in front of him that had decayed.

After that, a gust of frozen air above the soft soil started to form layers of ice at lightning speed.

Orrin's pale face had a faint look of uncertainty, whereas Mason was anxious and nervous, tightly clenching his fists.

Both of them could not discern what Lin Li was trying to do.

The sharp claws of the Fantama Panthera were before his eyes, yet this level-7 mage only used a single Spell of Frost, which has failed, striking the decayed land instead of the Fantama Panthera.

"Swish!"

Before Mason and Orrin could understand it, both of them heard a sound, and saw that the Fantama Panthera had collapsed.

Their eyes seemed to have widened simultaneously.

A strong level-12 magical beast had actually slipped.

This slip was pretty serious due to the speed of the Fantama Panthera. It almost caused its innards to spill out. It slipped quite a distance on the ice before striking a tree with a thud.

"I'll be damned, how lucky…" Mason looked on with admiration. The luck of this kid was too good. It was supposed to be a failed Spell of Frost, but by some freak accident, it became a trap. It had managed to cause a level-12 magical beast to slip. Such an achievement was not something that he, a level-9 mage, had experienced before.

This fall was indeed a serious one. Even if it was the muscular body of a level-12 beast, it could barely withstand it. When the Fantama Panthera stood up under the tree, there was a trail of blood trickling from its mouth. This was the second massive impact it had received within a day. It evoked all of its ferocity, and its deep red eyes were filled with madness.

"Quickly, Mana Retroaction!" Mason became extremely anxious while watching.

However, he was too late. As soon as Mason's voice settled, some skeletal arms tore apart the soft soil, and suddenly appeared from the ground. Lin Li's legs were immediately filled with wounds due to the attack of these skeleton arms. He raised his magic staff while fleeing in panic.

After that, Mason saw this guy releasing Mana Retroaction.

"Are you for real…" Mason felt like dropping dead. Everybody had been releasing magic for half the day, and only now did he remembered to use Mana Retroaction? He really wanted to ask that fella if he dared to be any slower.

Just when Mason's face was as white as a sheet, he suddenly realized that the mana of the Fantama Panthera had been sealed. This also meant that the Mana Retroaction that was cast late had really sealed a spell.

"Damn!"

Mason almost jumped when he saw it. The Fantama Panthera's dark magic was all outbursting. It was challenging to reverse the instantaneous outburst of magic. He was only trying his luck when he shouted just now. Yet, under some freak chance, this guy actually managed to retroact the mana. What… what kind of luck is this?

At this instance, Lin Li had already escaped the dense skeletal arms, and stood on top of the layers of ice.

Once both his feet were on the ice, Lin Li cast the Delaying Spell.

If it were a normal Fantama Panthera, it would not be wary of the Delaying Spell. With just a Blood Rage, it could reach frightening speeds. The leopard currently could not do anything as its mana had been sealed, leaving it only physical strength. The Obscurus Spell and Blood Rage had all become nothing but an illusion. It could but stare helplessly at the enemy reciting spells on top of the ice.

Countless fire dragons flew out, and everyone heard a loud blast. The bright flare devoured the Fantama Panthera.

"Boom!"

Numerous fire flares sprang about instantaneously. It was as splendid as fireworks in the night sky when looked at from afar.

And then… everything became quiet.

Mason was dumbfounded, and stared at Lin Li who was on top of the ice. Only now did he start to use his wind blade to cut away at the skeletal arms that had appeared from the ground.

"I… I'll be damned." Mason could only use this sentence to describe how he felt.

First, it was a random Spell of Frost, and then it was followed by a coincidental Mana Retroaction.

When both were combined together, it created a fantastic leapfrog victory…

A level-7 mage had killed a level-12 Fantama Panthera. Mason did not know how to describe such luck. Is it the Invincible Lucky Star?

"Nicely done!" Macklin praised him generously while still Mason could not understand the battle at all. Macklin was an archmage nearing the Legendary-level, so how could he, just like Mason, attribute everything to luck?

Adept skill casting, a finesse grasp on timing as well as being a born combat genius. This level-7 mage was indeed the most cunning one out of the three.

It was especially so for that last Mana Retroaction. It was a definitely a classic example worthy to be used as a teaching material.

What was the concept behind retroaction and outburst spells?

Even though he was bordering the strength of a legendary-level, he only had a success rate of five or six out of ten tries. Looking at the calm and composed expression of this fella, he was in a stable state of mind. He'd already known that he would be able to retroact that Obscurus Spell.

Macklin felt that such a success rate was incredible.

His heart was filled with curiosity, and he wondered who this fella's master was. It was definitely not Gerian—his strength was pretty good, but not to this stage. He would not be able to produce such students. Other than Gerian, who else could be so powerful within Jarrosus' Guild of Magic? Andoine… Definitely not, that old man hid at the Pharmacists Guild every day. He hardly visited Jarrosus in the last eight or ten years, so how would he have the time to teach this fella?

"Sh*t, I will dig out this person one of these days…"

Macklin could not have imagined that this fella not only had the guidance of Andoine, but had also been training with another legendary mage, Grimm Burnside, for almost half a month.

"I consider that you have completed the first mission. Follow me back to the Guild of Magic. I will ponder which missions I will assign to you…"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter