Warlock of the Magus World

by Stayrr

What happens when a scientist from a futuristic world reincarnates in a World of Magic and Knights? An awesome MC is what happens! A scientist’s goal is to explore the secrets of the universe, and this is exactly what Leylin sets out to do when he is reincarnated. Dark, cold and calculating, he makes use of all his resources as he sets off on his adventures to meet his goal. Face?

6. 140

Read Warlock of the Magus World - Chapter 140 – The Golden Giant online free - Light Novel Full

The Golden Giant

"A Golden Giant is in the process of moving towards us!"The Magus on night duty exclaimed hurriedly. "The Sentinel Slate used to alert the others have been completely eaten by it, too!"

"F*ck!"

After hearing these words 'Golden Giant', Leylin quickly heard the startled oaths of nearby Magi.

The Golden Giant was a type of elemental species. Its power was close to that of a fully converted elemental Magus. On top of that, it has its own unique racial talents. Only a rank 2 Magus had the capabilities to thoroughly kill or banish it.

"Wasn't it said that the Golden Giants from the Golden Desert are extinct? Furthermore, it appeared conveniently in our way. "

The old leader clenched his jaws in a state of madness. His eyes emitted a green radiance.

"Can we avoid it for the time being?"

Lancey suggested. "The Golden Desert is so huge, he might not be able to find us!"

"I am afraid not!" Leylin was the first to interject. "The Golden Giants have a natural instinct to chase species with high energy levels. The energy propagating from our bodies acts like a lamp in the darkness for the giant's eyes. The more we move, the more likely the Golden Giant will assault us!"

"If that is the case what should we do?" A look of despair appeared on Lancey's face. "Unless we have a rank 2 Magus within our party, we will all fail to escape the assault of the Golden Giant…."

There is a large gulf of difference in power level between the official Magi of different rankings

Leylin and his party of six were only slightly stronger than a rank 1 Magus. They would even have difficulties going head on with a semi converted elemental Magus. They had no chance of surviving an encounter with a fully converted elemental Golden Giant.

Semi elemental conversions refer to Magi whose elemental essence conversion has reached a level of 50% and above. At this stage, their increase in magical power due to the elemental essence conversion starts to become very obvious. When faced with budding Warlocks, they held a great advantage.

While Leylin was still an acolyte, he had an encounter with a semi converted storm elemental sprite while on the dirigible. If not for the fact that there was a large gathering of Magi from the different academies, the only outcome would have been death.

In the current predicament, Leylin had to face something far more powerful and dangerous than the semi converted storm elemental sprite.

"Perhaps, we should scatter and escape in different directions…"

The large bloke hesitated for a while before suggesting.

Upon hearing the suggestion, the Magi present entered a state of silence and eyes started flickering nonstop.

"Are you people mad?"

The old geezer interrupted the large bloke in a fit of anger. "If we fled in different directions, can you guarantee that you individuals are lucky enough to escape the assault of the Golden Giant? Furthermore, what will you do after you reach the Kary Vultures' territory?"

The two sharp questions abruptly brought about a deeper silence.

After fleeing in different directions, they could once again head towards the intended destination. If they were lucky, there was even a chance of heading back to Broken Axe Pub.

However, this was only the last resort. The Magi will not accept their foul fate just like that.

"Quick! Another three of my babies are dead!" The night shift Magus said with a heavier breath than before.

"Maybe we could use the Sentinel Slate along with a rune which dissipates energy continuously to distract the Golden Giant. While it is distracted, we could do our best to restrain the energy emitted from our bodies and sneak away… If it fails, we could do as mentioned earlier and scatter in different directions…"

In the midst of silence. Leylin suddenly spoke up.

"Although this plan is unreliable, we obviously have no better options…"

The old geezer let out a sign of deep resignation and pointed at Leylin. "We will do as he says! I happen to have the material for a few Sentinel Slates…"

Following which, he handed out vials filled with grey powders to the night shift Magus.

Having looked at the materials handed out by the old geezer, the night shift Magus displayed a look of unwillingness. However, he still received the materials from the old geezer. "Alright, let's try it! But I cannot guarantee that it will work!"

Soon after the chants from the nightshift Magus, a few pieces of Sentinel Slates that resembled the destroyed one rose up from the sands.

At this moment, the people in the camp could clearly see a golden glow appearing in the eastern direction.

This glow was like the sun dissipating the darkness and brought about a glimmer of warmth.

In front of the solar disk was the colossal shadow of a giant.

The giant's body radiated a golden light. It was armoured very simply. A leather armour on this upper body with an iron hoop in the middle that joined the two shoulder pads.

On the shoulders rested the head of the giant with rigid face lines that looked like it was caused by the scrapes and slashes of weapons. The tangerine hair on top of its head looked like it was burning mightily.

[Beep! High energy species life form spotted, determined to be a Golden Giant, recommended to leave immediately!]

At the same instant, the A.I. chip displayed out of a red warning screen.

"Quick! Quick!" The old geezer's voice was filled with urgency.

"I know a few energy concentration runes, hopefully, it is of use!" The other usually quiet Magus stood up and said. Following which he applied what looked like a mixture of circular and triangular runes on the Sentinel Slate.

After the rune was inscribed, it radiated brightly and suddenly a power energy surged out from the Sentinel Slate. This enormous energy fluctuated chaotically causing the Golden Giant to let out a roar and accelerate towards it.

"Nice! It grabbed the Golden Giant's attention!" Lancey exclaimed happily.

"Let's add this on top!" Leylin uncorked a red test tube and poured its content on the inscribed Sentinel Slate.

After the liquid from the red test tube assimilated fully into the Sentinel Slate, the Sentinels let out angry snarls and transformed to be bigger and with stronger limbs.

"Hopefully, this will help them hold out longer!"

Leylin tossed away the empty test tube. The energy propagating out of his body was reduced from that of an official Magus to a normal person.

This was done using the Transfiguration Spell. It diluted the level of energy propagating from his body.

After which, he went over to his Seated Lupin Wolf, placed a cover over the wolf's mouth and gave it a pat on its head.

The Seated Lupin Wolf seemed to be aware of the presence of the incoming Golden Giant. It got low to the floor with limbs trembling and waited for Leylin's command.

The other Magus followed Leylin's action.

They also used the protection of the environment to conceal their whole body.

Finally, the Golden Giant was nearer to the camp. It was less than only 500 metres away!

At this sort of distance, Leylin was able to see clearly every single hair on the giant.

"It's up to you now, babies, attack!"

"Attack! For our father!"

The burly and buffed up Sentinel Slates roared. Some of them rushed head on towards the Golden Giant while the others split up and ran in different directions.

Whether it was the brave Sentinels Slates who charged heads on towards the Golden Giant or the others who ran in different directions, their bodies carried a large source of energy which pulsated out of them. The energy was almost like that of a rank 1 Magus.

"kjfl" The Golden Giant let out an unknown type of shout as if swearing.

It stretched out its large palms in a posture like it was hiding the sky and covering the earth. It pushed against the ground and dredged up the earth.

A few of the Sentinels were picked up by the Golden Giant

"For glory! For protection!"

The Sentinel Slates roared as their little fists rained down upon the giant's large arm.

"Creak Crunch!" The large Golden Giant placed the captured Sentinels directly into the mouth. It sounded as if he was chewing through biscuits.

After ingesting the Sentinel Slates, the Golden Giant let out a loud roar and chased after the fleeing Sentinel Slates with large strides.

"Now!"

The old geezer's voice was soft. The six men covertly pulled the Seated Lupin Wolf and left the camp area.

Everyone was doing their utmost to contain the energy pulsating from their bodies. There was even a cover on the Seated Lupin Wolf's body. Like moles, they stealthily left the area

The Golden Giant shouted at the fleeing Sentinel Slates and chased after them. It never gave the camp a second look.

"Run!"

Someone exclaimed softly after the golden glow disappeared. Without hesitation, everyone ran at the speed of light.

……

Crash!*

The wolf pack ran past, kicking up a dust of sand and stones. The dust glittered a faint glow of gold.

Leylin and the party had been on the run without a break ever since he was disturbed from his rest state at the camp. This, coupled with the Golden Giant incident had caused Leylin to have an unhealthy complexion.

From the pitch black darkness of the night to a fully risen sun, almost half a day had passed while on the run.

However, the thought of the Golden Giant spurred the party on and nobody grumbled about the lack of rest.

"We were lucky the Golden Giant does not seem to have high intelligence! It only knows how to mindlessly chase after high energy life forms. If not, the stealth attempt yesterday would have failed. It was a really suspenseful situation…"

Leylin felt a lingering fear in his heart.

Although he has advanced his magical powers and is considered to be someone of considerable power in the world of Magus, the Golden Giant was something that was entirely out of his league.

"However, the Golden Giant is an elemental species. It does not have a bloodline. If not, I would rather like to have a few drops of the Golden Giant's blood for my experiments…"

Leylin's eyes betrayed a glimpse of regret.

There were countless types of mythical species in the Magus world. The Golden Giant belonged to the elemental species. Its whole body is made up of various type of elements and minerals. There is not even a drip of blood in it, naturally there will be no blood line.

In ancient times, the paths to becoming a Magus were many. The Warlocks chose the path of the bloodline.

And obviously, the Golden Giant chose a different path.

There are different paths to reach the pinnacle. Leylin's plan was to follow the path of the Warlock.

"Shall we rest? If we do not meditate and recuperate our spiritual force…" Lancey's voice was heard from the front of the party. She travelled together with the old geezer on the Seated Lupin Wolf.

All Magi make use of the both their spiritual force and magic power to perform miraculous magic. Due to the Golden Giant incident yesterday and the constant travelling, the six Magi were unable to mediate to recuperate their spiritual energy. Looks of exhaustion were spread across their faces.

"No need for that, we are yet to be out of the danger zone, the Golden Giant might catch up to us anytime soon…"

The wind carried the old geezers reply though the party.

After hearing the old geezers reply, the party sank into a solemn silence and carried on with their hasty escape.

The Magi feared the Golden Giant more than any other dangers in the Golden Desert.

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Kary Vultures

Whoosh Whoosh!*

A gale carried up the sand, bringing about a glittering gold color.

On the endless Golden Desert filled with death and danger, a pack of six large wolves padded across the soft sands at a relentless speed.

Upon the backs of the wolves, there sat a couple human silhouettes.

"We are here! Before us is the Golden Oasis!" The old geezer studied the map and exclaimed brightly.

"Are we here at last?" the rider of a Seated Lupin Wolf raised his head slightly and said. With his astonishingly powerful eyesight, he looked into the distance and saw a blanket of green.

Ever since their encounter with the Golden Giant, Leylin, and his party had been on edge, and had been easily startled by the slightest of things. They had only just started to relax after having been on the run for more than ten days. As a result, they also reached their destination at a faster time than they had originally planned.

This was the Golden Oasis, the only large water source in the Golden Desert.

Also, it was the only traversable path through the Grand Canyon Margaret. The other paths were wrought with dangers that far surpassed the capabilities of a rank 1 Magus.

Leylin spotted a few large bird-like creatures in the far distance that were taking off and landing at the oasis.

They were the Kary Vultures, the main culprits that occupied the land.

The six Magi stopped and stationed their Seated Lupin Wolves at a sand dune not far from the Golden Oasis.

The Seated Lupin Wolves were great against some of the lower level life forms in the Golden Oasis. However, against the adult Kary Vultures, which were comparable to a rank 3 Acolyte, they had no chance of surviving once trapped in their kill zone.

The Seated Lupin Wolves were still needed for the journey ahead. Furthermore, the wolves were borrowed. If the Wolves perished, a huge sum of magic crystals would be needed to compensate the handlers who were supposed to take back the wolves on the other side of the Grand Canyon.

"We can't press on anymore! The Kary Vultures are capable of flight. We will surely be spotted by them from the air!"

The old geezer surveyed the surroundings, "We need to conceal the position at which the Seated Lupin Wolves are situated as well!"

"I might be able to help in this aspect!" Leylin let out a faint smile and waved his two hands at the shadow of the sand dune.

Under Leylin's hand, the black shadow warped and swiveled. As if a giant behemoth hiding in the shadows, it opened its maw and swallowed the entire sand dune.

"Darkness is the natural friend of concealment." In the shadow of the darkness, the large wolves vanished.

"Good job!" Lancey praised Leylin.

In her eyes, although Leylin was still just a budding Magus, she admired his nimble mind and weak, but practical spells.

However, this was just a false front by Leylin.

Upon hearing Lancey's compliment, the big bloke incessantly let out a cold snort, "If it were up to me to do it…."

"Ok, ok! We are a party after all, why the need for that?"

The old geezer interrupted the big bloke, "Our enemies at the moment are the Kary Vulture flock and their King!"

"Lancey, you shall explain the situation to the party!"

Lancey stepped to the middle of the party and produced a blue gem from a small crevice in her chest region.

"This magic artifact is modelled to act as a spying eye, and can examine images within a ten kilometre radius!"

Lancey finished her explanation and placed the gem in her hands. She dripped a few drops of water from her water pouch onto it and chanted a few incantations.

A beam of light blue light was emitted from the gem. The light warped and stretched until it looked like a mirror's surface.

On the mirror like surface, a beautiful lake could be seen. Green shrubbery and coconut trees grew around it. Occasionally, large red birds could be seen ascending and descending from the forest.

The vision on the mirror surface continued to pan in. Leylin could see the true appearance of the Kary Vultures.

The Kary Vulture's wingspan spanned 5 metres and was covered in scarlet feathers. Its talons looked cold and sharp. The pink bald patches on its head were a disgusting sight. A tumor-like muscle bulged on its curved and completely bald head.

There were more than a hundred of these Kary Vultures in the oasis. If they were all fully grown and under the leadership of an official Magus-like Kary Vulture King, the band of Magi stood no chance.

"More than a hundred? This amount is too much! Can we see the Kary Vulture King?"

The old geezer hastily questioned.

"I will try my best!" Lancey was uncertain but continued to pan the mirror in the direction of the flock of Kary Vultures.

Over yonder, there stood a gigantic tree with a peculiar hollow that looked like a den. Hidden in it was an incomparably massive Kary Vulture.

While Lancey was trying to zoom in the mirror to get a closer look, the massive Kary Vulture seemed to notice her presence and let out an angry screech.

"Ga Ga!"

It sounded like a crow, but somehow unexplainably different. Suddenly, the surrounding Kary Vultures in the flock were agitated and stirred up.

Following the angry cry, a terrifying sonic wave swept towards all four directions.

"No way! It discovered my presence!" Lancey's complexion changed for the worse.

Pa!* The mirror shattered into pieces like a broken crystal. It turned into a blue glow and dropped onto the floor.

"Ga Ga!" The Kary Vulture King's screech echoed from the distance. The Kary Vultures shook their large red wings, and like trained soldiers split up into sections. They spread out like carpet that covered the sky and searched the surroundings, not missing a single area.

"Sorry!" Lancey apologised with a look of embarrassment on her face.

"No problem! At least we saw the situation clearly, didn't we?" The night shift Magus replied quickly.

"That's right! That's right!? The old geezer replied with a brief flash of shame across his face. It was him that allowed Lancey to search for the Kary Vulture King.

"Ga Ga!" The large Kary Vultures patrolled the sky for a long period of time, but it was to no avail. At last, they violently attacked some of the land creatures in the area. The Kary Vultures swooped up what looked appeared to be large lizards, and flew back into the oasis.

For Leylin and the official Magi, it was an easy task to hide from the pursuit of the Kary Vultures.

"Ok! Let's discuss how we should deal with that goddamn flock of bastard birds.

Below the ground, in a temporary hut crafted using magic, the six Magi regrouped.

"A hundred Kary Vultures with power levels similar to level 2 or level 3 acolytes, plus a Vulture King whose power is far beyond what we expected!"

The old geezer looked at the other Magi.

"What else is there to do? Let's follow the earlier plan and observe their hunting paths and patterns. We will then kill off the small hunting packs before mounting an assault into the oasis!" The big bloke was the not even the least bit concerned as he waved them off with his hands.

This was the plan that was discussed earlier — simple and practical.

However, after the incident with the Golden Giant, the people in the party started to have a pressing sense of urgency and were unwilling to waste time on such plans.

Furthermore, the Golden Desert was the Golden Giant's habitat, and they did not wish to bump into it again.

"Alright! However, we have to increase the frequency of our attacks, and get through here quickly!"

Having observed Leylin and the rest of the party approving this plan, the old geezer grudgingly agreed to it…

A black scorpion-like creature guided by the darkness stealthily crawled along the desert floor. Its hooked tail swung from side to side as it moved along. There was an unusual bright red colouring on it, which was obviously an indication of it being poisonous.

Shuck!*

All of a sudden, a muddy yellow tongue lashed across at speed unseen by the naked eye and pulled the scorpion into a sand dune.

Boom!* The sand dune split open, revealing a muddy yellow lizard. The lizard was covered by bits and pieces of fish scales and had a large beautiful comb growing on its head.

Zi Zi!* The lizard opened his mouth, and with one gulp and a movement of its neck muscles, the scorpion was eaten.

After ingesting its food, the lizard swayed its stocky body and used its front limbs to rapidly dig into the sand and bury itself in it.

"Ga Ga!'

Almost immediately after the lizard buried itself, an unpleasant vulture screeching echoed in the night sky.

Whoosh!* Following the vulture's cry, a violent gust of wind swept by.

The large Kary Vulture swooped from midair, and using its black talons, it knocked the sand dune apart and clenched its claws.

Kacha!* The sharp black talons directly hooked into the flesh of the lizard, and the lizard let out a howl of pain violently flipping its stocky body.

"GaGa!" The Kary Vulture let out a screech of delight and pecked at the lizard with its hooked beak.

Pu!* The mud yellow lizard's skull had been split. Its brain matter and blood left a mess on the sands.

The Kary Vulture grabbed onto its prey tightly and began to fly back to its den.

Although normal vultures liked rotting meat, the Kary Vultures obviously preferred to ingest fresh and living mammals.

The mud yellow lizard was two metres long, but in comparison to the Kary Vulture's stature, the bird looked like it was grabbing a small fish.

"Latent Fireball!"

Somewhere from within the darkness, several black colored fireballs suddenly appeared and struck the Kary Vulture that was carrying its prey.

In a flash, the black fireballs were all over the Kary Vultures body.

Bang!* Without a sound, the Kary Vulture, along with its dead prey, were reduced to ashes.

The following fireballs did not decrease in intensity. They shot right up into the sky and killed the remaining Kary Vultures.

Following his attack, the ground vibrated and the sand parted, revealing Leylin's face.

"A.I. Chip! Present the degree of attack!"

For these few days, he had been on watch in the area to hunt down those Kary Vultures that had swooped down looking for food.

Just now, Leylin had been experimenting with the rank one spell that the A.I. Chip came up with.

Long before, when he was a rank 3 acolyte, Leylin had tasked the A.I. Chip with simulating a rank 1 defensive spell model.

However, after receiving the teachings of the great Magus Serholm and advancing to a Warlock, this task had been delayed.

Entering the Golden Desert left him feeling that his attack techniques were lacking. As someone who lacked a conventional attack technique, Leylin decided to place the task back on the agenda.

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Latent Fireball

What Leylin had wanted to simulate earlier was a defensive spell.

However, it was meant to be used by magicians who wanted to have a breakthrough with the Grine Water, so naturally, Leylin, having turned into a Warlock, did not need it anymore.

As if struck by inspiration, Leylin added in a few rank 1 spell models from the Book of Giant Serpent and let the A.I. Chip make its modifications and optimizations, devising a rank 1 spell that was suitable for his elemental affinity.

After advancing into a Warlock, Leylin's spiritual force had significantly increased. Even the A.I. Chip, which was bound to his soul, seemed to have obtained many benefits. Just two days ago, it was finally able to simulate a rank 1 spell model.

[Beep! Data collected, scanning in progress…]

The A.I. Chip's voice intoned.

[Latent Fireball! Classification: Rank 1 spell: Darkness and Fire. Degree of attack: 30.3. Added elemental bonus: 0.3 degrees]

Right now, Leylin's elemental essence conversion was 1%. Hence, he obtained a 1% increase in the might of his darkness element spell.

Although it seemed like the increase was insignificant, once the elemental essence conversion reached 50% and above, every Darkness element spell would be stronger than regular Magi by more than half!

"Not bad! This might is enough to deal with most Magi's innate defensive force fields!"

Leylin continued to analyse the data, his face revealing a satisfied expression.

It wasn't that the strength of Magi's defensive force fields were always the same. However, normally, Magi who had just advanced only had a defensive force field with the capability of 20 degrees. However, with the progress of their spiritual force, coupled with them seeking for some precious resources to increase the might of their magic spells, their defensive force fields would often become strengthened.

The range varied for each individual, which was truer for magicians who cultivated in high-grade meditation techniques.

As for Leylin, who was a Warlock, as well as having unearthed his bloodline, the defense might of the Scales of Kemoyin would also continue to become stronger.

A magic spell of 30 over degrees was enough to break most regular rank 1 Magi's defensive force fields.

That was to say, apart from his own trump card of his defensive force field, Leylin had another powerful method to deal with other Magi in the future.

However, it could only be that way.

If possible, Leylin would, of course, want the A.I. Chip to custom make a mighty rank 1 spell that could cover speed, strength, defense, detection, and all other various aspects.

However, it was a pity, as the A.I. Chip was only able to simulate the Latent Fireball spell due to Leylin having amassed large amounts of information. Also, it was due to the contributions of Darkness and Fire spells from the Book of Giant Serpent that made Leylin able to create the Latent Fireball after a long period time.

The few rank 1 spells in the Book of Giant Serpent were from the great Magus Serholm, who was also a Warlock with the Kemoyin bloodline. His elemental affinity was naturally towards the Darkness and Fire aspect, so the spells he collected were of these two elements, which allowed Leylin to benefit greatly from it.

As for these kinds of conditions, they would never be met again in the near future.

Hence, in this span of time, unless Leylin discovered a new type of Darkness and Fire element spell model, the A.I. Chip would not be able to simulate any new spells.

As he thought about the Book of Giant Serpent, Leylin involuntarily touched his chest, where the corner of a hardened black notebook was exposed.

This was the Book of Giant Serpent, which had been obtained from the Dylan Gardens, and kept securely by Leylin at all times. It was made of a special kind of material where the pages of the book carried a strange sensation to the touch. As if made of some creature's hide, every page could store large amounts of information.

Inside the book, not only were there a dozen rank 1 spell models, there were also three rank 2 spell models, together with the great Magus Serholm's travelling experiences and lab experiments. The information inside was aplenty, and it was Leylin's most valuable item that he'd gotten apart from the high-grade meditation technique.

Weng Weng!*

At this moment, a pocket-sized diary that was hanging like a keychain trembled.

Leylin opened the diary and flipped to the page that was shaking.

This pocket-sized diary was only the size of a child's palm. On the faint yellow page, a secret imprint that had the shape of 3 rocks stacked together was letting off a slight glow and trembling.

Leylin reached out his finger and lightly dabbed on the secret imprint.

"Haha! Leylin, you have killed a lot of them haven't you? The Vulture King where I am at has already dispatched all of the Kary Vultures, so be careful when you conceal yourself!"

The voice of the huge bloke sounded from the secret imprint.

This pocket-sized diary was what official Magi used to collect the secret imprints of their friends, professors, colleagues and other people that they wanted to keep in contact with.

Some Magi, however, preferred to have the secret imprints inscribed on their bodies. One example was the huge bloke. Leylin saw that one of the huge bloke's arms was fully covered with the secret imprints.

Those densely packed imprints left Leylin feeling rather dizzy.

Although it was rather troublesome, he preferred to use the diary to collect the secret imprints.

"Alright, I got it!" Leylin said to the secret imprint.

Afterwards, he closed the diary and hurriedly left the area.

Very soon, Leylin saw the dark figures on the far horizon.

They were the shadows of the Vulture King, which, having been enraged, brought the entire flock with it.

However, compared to a few days ago, when they could cover the sky, the flock was now rather thinly spread out. Their numbers had dwindled from over a hundred to less than half, at around forty or fifty. This was the fruit of Leylin and the others' labours from over the last few days.

Even from this distance, Leylin could sense the violent energy waves radiating from this furious Vulture King.

"Ga Ga!"

With the Vulture King in the centre, the tremendous energy waves continued to radiate into the surroundings. This kingly figure was venting its frustration and rage at the continuous loss of its subordinates!

[From the energy waves radiated, target's Vitality is over 20, Strength estimated to be 17-19. Concrete data is unknown!]

Creatures like this, who had reached the stage of an official Magus, often had a layer of defensive force field around them. Leylin's A.I. Chip still could not penetrate through and obtain any concrete stats. It could only analyse the strength that the target displayed, and give a rough estimate.

However, these stats alone made Leylin's face change.

Creatures like these often possessed immense strength and vitality and even had innate spells which were terribly difficult to deal with.

Looking at the Vulture King snarling above a few piles of ashes, the other Kary Vultures in the surroundings also cawed in anguish. Leylin stared intently at the Vulture King before leaving the area.

Deep in the night, in an underground room that was temporarily carved.

"Today we have killed another 9 Kary Vultures, well done!" The old geezer smiled.

"Right now, those damned trashy birds only have a strength of 50 odd!" The huge bloke was also excited.

The materials from a Vulture King, which rivalled the existence of a rank 1 Magus, were extremely precious. Moreover, they could also reap the rewards from both sides that governed the Great Canyon Margaret.

"However, the Kary Vultures that are still alive now very seldom hunt for their prey in the areas that we have set up. There are also signs of them relocating soon…"

"We have to hurry and find a way. If not, we could lose this bonus bounty reward…"

Lancey, who was standing on the side, poured cold water on their conversation.

The families governing both sides of the Great Canyon Margaret did mention that they could pass through the Golden Oasis when the vulture flock had relocated. However, against this Vulture King that had its forces greatly reduced, and a bountiful reward assigned to it, Lancey and the others naturally did not want to let the Vulture King go.

"Perhaps we could…"

After some silence, the old geezer suggested an idea.

A fireball-like sun was hanging up high in the sky, and heat waves rising from the desert distorted the view.

Inside a stone forest that was temporarily created by spells, Leylin and the other five were huddled up.

"How is it? Can that old geezer do it?" The huge bloke spoke offhandedly as usual.

"You have to believe that old man. He is an official Magus, after all!" Lancey's brows furrowed, "Has the ambush been set up?"

With a flash of a yellow light, Leylin came out from a side of the stone forest with the yellow light still glittering around him, "The side that I am managing has been completed!"

"It's all set up now!" From the other side, the night shift Magus and the other quiet one spoke.

"Great! As long as that old geezer is able to lure the Vulture King here, I will rip that damned bird apart!" The huge bloke clenched his fist, his knuckles crackling.

Looking on, he was a magician that specialised in physical training and the reinforcement of his body, possessing strong muscles and strength.

"For the materials of the Vulture King, even the old geezer is spending a lot of effort!"

Leylin figured that if not for some precious ingredient the Vulture King had, the old geezer would not be this zealous and even offer to be a bait to lure it over.

"They're coming!"

The A.I. Chip's detection allowed Leylin to discover the other party first. Very soon, on the horizon, a thinly spread layer of black figures appeared.

There was also a human figure, with a green hurricane engulfing his body as he wildly rushed over.

"Everyone, return to your individual posts, and pay heed to the orders! Quick!" Lancey shouted nervously.

In a flash, the Magi who were present disappeared.

Closer, even closer!

The old geezer dashed extremely fast. From his concealed area, Leylin could even distinctly see that on the sides of his wrinkled face, blood continuously flowed out from both of his ears.

Whoosh!*

The old geezer rapidly entered the stone forest, at the same time transmitting his voice. "Be careful of the Vulture King's sarcoma. It is able to emit a sound attack. I took a hit from it earlier!"

After seeing the stone forest, the Vulture King hesitated.

However, thinking about the prey it was chasing, whose energy waves were not much different from its own, and the fact that it had even killed its children…

"Ga Ga!" The Vulture King's eyes turned bloodshot as it led the flock into the territory of the stone forest.

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Andre Town

"The target has reached the kill zone. Begin!"

The hasty transmission passed through the secret imprint and simultaneously sounded out in five different locations.

Upon hearing the transmission, Leylin's hand radiated a scarlet red glow, and he proceeded to press his hands against the obelisk in front of him.

Bang!*

A circular wave of tremendous magical power erupted violently. The colorful spell glowed, and trapped the Kary Vultures within it like a cage.

"Ga Ga!" The Kary Vultures screeched furiously while the tumour-like muscles on their bald heads grew in size and glowed a bright red, finally culminating in a violent explosion.

Ting!*

The resulting ear-piercing sound wave continued to reverberate within the cage. The remaining Kary Vultures continued to vibrate their tumour like muscles, amplifying the sound wave in the process.

"This kind of attack…"Leylin widened his eyes, the sound waves pounded on his skull like a hammer. He started to fall into a state of dizziness.

Under the agitation of the sound waves, the ring of light on top of the cage started to flicker and fade.

"The attack coming from such a lowly beast is stronger than expected. Furthermore, it can be amplified by the rest of the flock. If the Kary Vultures from before were still present, they would have surely broken free from the cage!"

"Plan A is not working, time for plan B!"

Lancey's exasperated voice emitted from the secret imprint.

"Copy!"

Leylin whispered to the secret imprint and transfigured a magic spell

[Estimated countdown to entrapment detonation: 10 seconds!] The A.I. Chip stated.

"Let's go!" Leylin took a last look at the Kary Vultures that were still struggling in the cage and fled the scene.

Bang!*

10 seconds later, at the stone forest, a violent explosion occurred.

The sound of the explosion filled the area, and black smoke shot up into the horizon.

In the blaze, colorful and fine potion powders occasionally dispersed.

To increase the power of the spell, Leylin had added a ton of explosive and conflagratory potions.

"Haha! Beasts are still just beasts!"

Looking at the Kary Vultures that struggled in the fiery blaze, the big bloke, who was also present, laughed out loud, condescendingly.

Two streams of blood flowed down from the big bloke's ears. Evidently, the Kary Vultures' attack had done considerable damage to him.

"This Kary Vulture King has realized its racial talents. The tumour like muscle on its head can be used to emit sound wave attacks, and it can be amplified by the flock. The level of danger will have been increased by at least two levels. When I get back, I must demand more money from those despicable merchants."

The old geezer cursed.

"Talks about the price increase can be discussed later. Where is the big fellow?" Leylin pointed at the heart of the explosion.

Slowly, the blaze started to die down. From the original stone, forest emerged a large, soot covered, bird-like figure.

Half of the scarlet feathers on this Kary Vulture were burned off as a result of the explosion, and the other half of them were covered in black soot. There was also a large blood stain on its bald head. It was a funny sight, but Leylin and the rest of the party did not dare to let their guard down.

"The explosion just now had an estimated power of 30 degrees or higher. How unexpected…" Lancey hung her jaw open in shock.

"After all, it is not a weak bodied Magus but a high-level species with a powerful body!" Leylin said quickly, "Go forward and surround it! It is about to escape!"

"Damn it!" The old geezer reluctantly looked at the Kary Vulture King, which was already in flight, and cursed. He rapidly chanted an incantation.

Following his chant, a faint azure breeze converged, and formed two large azure wings on his back.

"I executed both the baiting and the intercepting, so I must get a larger share of the loot!"

The old geezer blustered. He vibrated the wings on his back and floated into the air.

Whoosh!* The old geezer traveled at a very quick pace. He was as nimble in the air as he was on the ground. From the looks of it, he had much practice in air combat.

"Ga Ga!" The Kary Vulture King angrily cried out. Sadly, a large portion of its wings were damaged by the explosion, and it was no match for the old geezer in the air.

After hovering and swooping for a while, the old geezer grabbed an opportunity. With a green ray, he pierced one of the Kary Vulture King's wings.

Peng!*

With one wing pierced, the Kary Vulture King lost its balance and crashed down into the ground. A large cloud of sand floated around the downed Vulture.

"Advance!"

Leylin and the rest of the party immediately rushed up and surrounded the Kary Vulture King.

Blood flowed out from the multiple wounds on the Kary Vulture King. Looking at the Magi who surrounded it and the human figure floating in the sky above him, its eyes betrayed a sign of hopelessness.

"Haha! Goddamn beast, I shall tear you apart!"

The big bloke laughed out coldly. A green-greyish stone skin appeared on his body as he leapt at the injured Kary Vulture King.

"Ga Ga!"

The Kary Vulture King sounded an abnormally high-pitched shriek and shook its wings.

What remained of its unharmed wing slashed across like a knife, with feathers erect like steel blades. The wing clashed with the big bloke's fist.

Bang!* A dull explosion sounded out in midair and shook the ground below.

The big bloke quickly retreated, his greyish stone skin letting out a crackling sound like the popping noises of popcorn.

The Kary Vulture King let out another screech, and its body turned red. It looked like the Kary Vulture King was pumping all of its blood into its head. The originally shattered tumour on its head begun to rise and swell again.

"Careful, he is about to let loose a sound wave attack!" Leylin rapidly shouted out. He grabbed the tumour with his palms. "Restrict!"

Sssii!*

The countless black tentacle-like objects reached out from the Kary Vulture King's shadow and bound it tightly. Extra effort was placed in tying up the Kary Vulture King's skull region.

"All together!"

Leylin yelled wildly. Together with the other two silent Magi, he attacked the Kary Vulture King.

Various intensely fluctuating magical spells landed on the Kary Vulture King's body.

The spells tore apart the Kary Vulture King's chest, causing large amounts of blood to spurt out of it.

Kacha!*

The old geezer, who had been floating in midair, let out an emerald air-blade attack, which chopped off the bound tumour.

The Kary Vulture King screeched a couple of times as the light in its eyes started to extinguish, and it thudded onto the floor.

Pa!*The old geezer landed on the ground, and his magical green wings disappeared.

The six Magi surrounded the Kary Vulture King's corpse. They all had complex looks on their faces.

"What a chore this has been! If not for the additional remuneration from the pub, this would have been a complete loss!"

The lack of serious injuries on the party was a poor reflection of the difficulty level of killing off the Kary Vulture King. They had to spend a lot of time to prepare the traps and come up with the various materials needed for the potions. On top of that, the fact that they needed 6 Magi to complete the task proved how big of a challenge it was.

The materials that were scavenged from the Kary Vulture King's corpse were barely enough to cover the expenses of the effort taken by the party.

If anyone was dead or seriously injured from the incident, this would have been counted as a big loss.

Magi were a rational bunch. They could calmly perform cost-benefit analysis under different circumstances. If the cost was greater than the benefits, they would avoid doing the job.

This time, if not for the fact that the Kary Vulture King was obstructing the way towards their destination, the party would have left such a high-level creature alone.

"No matter what, the fact that our party has sustained no serious injuries is good news!"

The old geezer smiled widely and said, "Now let's discuss how to distribute the plunder from our efforts…"

Afterwards, true to Leylin's expectations, the old geezer claimed the majority of the feathers and the pair of large wings with the argument that he had put in the most work. From the looks of his happy face, he must have needed it urgently for an experiment or for crafting.

The rest of the party followed suit and claimed what they felt was fair for the amount of work they had done.

Leylin took only a bit of the blood and flesh from the tumour and nothing else.

As a Warlock, he was extremely interested in the bloodline of high-level creatures. Although the benefits of the Kary Vultures' bloodline were not documented, Leylin wanted to experiment to see if he could extract anything from it.

At night, in the Golden Oasis, the 6 Magi cleaned up the remains of the Kary Vulture King and refilled up their water supplies in the nearby water source. The Seated Lupin Wolves, which had been hidden for a long time, happily cleaned themselves in the lake.

In a glowing tent nearby, Leylin looked at the surface of the tumour, which he had retrieved with a glint of excitement in his eyes.

"A.I. Chip, record data, assist in the experiment!"

Leylin silently chanted a sentence, and immediately pulled on a pair of white rubber gloves. He held out his thumb and pressed on the tumour.

The blood on the tumour flesh has dried completely by now. There were bloodstains on it and it was shriveled.

"It is very light, there seem to be meridians and air sacs…"

Leylin's eyes glowed blue. Using his other hand, he used a scalpel to break the surface of the tumour.

Inside the flesh, there was an oddly small amount of muscle and blood vessels, and it was comprised mainly of small air sacs.

Many of the air sacs were layered over each other, forming what looked like a lattice shape that resembled a beehive.

"This kind of composition…"

Leylin muttered to himself, "A.I. Chip, record the image!"

……

After the experiment was finished, Leylin cleaned up his makeshift laboratory, picked up a goose feather quill, and wrote in his goatskin notebook: Sound vessel composition and sound wave attack…

The path after the Golden Oasis was much less dangerous. They did not have any further encounters with powerful, high-level life forms such as the Golden Giant.

……

Andre Town was a small town located on the other side of the Grand Canyon Magret.

The Kary Vultures had caused the town to become empty and desolate. However, upon exiting the Grand Canyon, they saw a few people.

"May I know if you people are master Lancey and company?"

There was already someone standing by the roadside. He was clad in the pub's working attire. Upon sighting Leylin and his party, he bowed respectfully. "The incident with the Kary Vultures was already relayed to us by a secret imprint. Please follow me back to the pub to collect your rewards…"

"Ok!" Lancey and the old geezer stepped out among the group and gave their agreement.

After reaching the pub the attendants unhitched their luggage, and with a whistle, the Seated Lupin Wolves hurried into their feeding area at the rear of the pub.

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The Chase

"It's only renting for a few months, but it costs five hundred magic crystals. Your boss sure knows how to make money!"

The big bloke complained.

"In fact, we generally charge one thousand magic crystals per rental of the Seated Lupin Wolf. We only charged the minimal maintenance costs this time, as you Sirs took on the task…"

The smiling waiter explained.

As the old geezer arrived, he immediately threw the Vulture King's skull onto the counter.

"Mission accomplished! Have a look!"

From behind the counter, a white-bearded, bespectacled old man in a bartender's uniform came out. However, from the energy waves exuding from him, he also seemed to be an official Magus.

The white-bearded old man carefully examined the Vulture King's skull for a long while, only then did he put it away.

"It is indeed the Vulture King's head. According to the agreement, each one of you will be able to get…."

Mr. White Beard was nimble. He immediately took out bags filled with magic crystals and magic materials and gave it to everyone. It seemed like he had prepared this beforehand.

"In actuality, I belong to the great Dorian family…"

After completing the delivery, the old geezer put on a kind smile and extended an olive branch to Leylin and the rest.

These kinds of big families would recruit foreign magicians from time to time to further strengthen their family.

Moreover, Leylin and the rest had decent strength, and since they had come from the eastern part of the Grand Canyon, they were not likely to be spies sent by their enemies.

As long as they didn't have a massive headache that they brought with them, it was likely that the local large magisteriums would be most willing to offer shelter for such talents.

Leylin noticed that the big bloke's face obviously displayed his intention to agree. The two magicians who were together, however, seemed indecisive. As for Lancey and the old geezer, they did not hesitate to reject the offer.

Leylin himself did not consider this option.

When magicians joined other big families, it was because they wanted to obtain higher level meditation techniques, magic resources and the like. Leylin already had meditation techniques, and as for magic resources, he could just use medicine to trade for them. Besides, compared to such closed families, Leylin was more willing to join an educational institute or an organisation. Hence, the olive branch the families threw to them, had a lesser appeal to Leylin.

"Come! In any case, we've operated as comrades! How about we go and have a drink?"

The leader old geezer suggested.

"Maybe not. I still have other matters to attend to, let's keep in touch…"

Lancey left in a hurry, seeming like she had an urgent matter.

"I'll pass as well. It has been a tiring journey. I just want to find a place to have a good sleep!" Leylin rejected him with a smile.

He had only become temporary comrades with these people to hurry along with the journey, so there was not much friendship between him and them. Besides, the crime he had committed was not light, so it would be better if he rushed to the domain of the light Magi as quickly as possible.

After Leylin, the big bloke, and the other two magicians also rejected the old geezer's suggestion.

The old geezer shrugged helplessly and looked at Leylin as he left the bar.

Outside the pub were a couple of narrow streets that were pawed with flagstones. It was dark all around, and only the lanterns outside the pub still gave off a couple soft rays of light.

"It's already dark!!" Leylin checked out his surroundings "It's probably wise to first find a place to rest…"

[Warning! Warning! High energy force field convergence detected ahead, determined to be a rank 1 offensive spell!]

The moment he stepped out of the bar. Leylin felt his scalp go numb, the blood vessels deep inside his body also started to surge and boil, emitting a sense of foreboding.

At the same time, A.I. Chip also started to project a large amount of red letter of warning.

"This attack is aimed at me!"

Leylin's mind was working on overdrive. His body turned into a blur as he dodged to the side.

Boom!*

Suddenly, powerful energy waves exploded in front of Leylin. Dozens of weapons made of a silvery metal formed a metallic storm, which raged at the area where Leylin had previously stood.

The bar was directly cut in half, and the ceiling was shattered, exposing countless stupefied magicians and the painful groans of those who had hurt by the aftermath.

"Kid, I have found you!"

As the debris settled, upon the ruins stood a midget, who was staring at Leylin's face with a pair of eyes that were like daggers.

"You are… part of the Lilytell family?!"

Leylin patted the dust off his body, and calmly squared off against the midget.

Among the people and powers that he had offended, only that elder of the Lilytell family could have this kind of enmity and capability. In addition, the spell was similar to what Bosain had used.

"You are courting death!"

Leylin's actions had clearly enraged his opponent. The midget waved his hand as countless metallic fluids floated up in midair to form weapons such as long spears and giant swords. On the surface, it even radiated the acute radiation of energy forcefield.

"Go!" With a point of his finger, the metallic weapons once again chopped down at Leylin.

"Latent Fireball!"

Leylin chanted his spell at lightning speed. From the shadows a dozen black fireballs emerged and collided against the metallic weapons, causing violent magical explosions.

[Target's magic determined as Metallic. Degree of attack: 32 degrees!] The A.I. Chip probed this information, which let Leylin release a breath of relief.

"You do have some skills, no wonder you could kill my subordinates and my grandson!"

The midget said.

"So you are the elder of the Lilytell family and the grandfather of Bosain? Quite without scruples!" Leylin retorted.

"This… gentleman, this bar is under the protection of the Dorian family, within this…"

From the ruins, the old geezer with the white beard and glasses that was tending the bar finally stepped forward.

"I know!" the midget tossed over a piece of metal. "I have met your family's Buffett a couple of times, this is his keepsake! And there is even a message on it!"

"So, it is Master Lilytell, who is here to apprehend a criminal!"

The old geezer threw Leylin a gaze of pity, then hurriedly bowed to the midget. "Since that's the case, the Dorian family will maintain a neutral stand on this!"

"Huh, kiddo, you're able to escape well! Did you think the rules here could save you?"

The midget looked at Leylin with an unspeakable expression filled with schadenfreude, as if he wanted to see Leylin's expression of despair. "The strong dictate the rules, and the weak can only obey. This is the norm of the world".

The midget spread his hands. "The ignorant fools that dare to provoke my Lilytell family must pay the price in blood!"

Rays after rays of white metallic light appeared from the body of the midget. In just a moment, a silvery metal armor formed on his body.

The metal energy particles in the air kept revolving around the midget, emitting bright and dazzling lights.

"This… this kind of strength! It's a semi-converted elemental Magus!!"

The large bloke and the leading old geezer who had arrived with Leylin hadn't left, and they were now looking with shocked gazes at Leylin and the midget as they stood in the middle of the battlefield.

"No wonder he was in such a hurry to leave, he had actually gotten himself in such big trouble, tsk tsk! A semi-converted elemental Magus…"

A hint of schadenfreude flashed by the leading geezer's eyes. According to him, since the opponent was a semi-converted elemental Magus and Leylin had been caught up to, it spelled certain death for Leylin!

In the Magus world, a semi-converted elemental Magus was a Magus with an elemental essence conversion that was higher than 50%!

This kind of strength was pretty good in the entirety of the south coast. If no chairman of some major academies or the like stepped in, you could basically walk around the south coast uncontested.

One could say that even if all the Magi in the whole bar came together, they still wouldn't be able to stop this one lone midget.

What about Leylin? He was only a fledgling Magus, and might not even know what elemental essence conversion was. The leading geezer didn't even think Leylin would survive this.

"Right! There are also these people!"

After recklessly leaking some of his power, the midget turned around to look at the geezer and the big bloke. He then said, "Is he one of your acquaintances?"

"My Lord! My Lord!"

The geezer was now bowing, his head almost touching the ground. "I did not know this person's past, and I also did not know that he was someone that was wanted by the great Lilytell family! Otherwise, I would have…."

Pa! Pa!*

By the time that the geezer had said half of his plead for mercy, Leylin and the midget had charged towards each other in the shadows. The ruins were unceasingly shaking.

"He only used you to disrupt Leylin's attention…" The big bloke, standing at one side, said with a laugh.

"What do you know?" the leader old geezer said, as he awkwardly got up.

At this moment, Leylin's body was covered in fine black scales. It gave off a brilliant shine, and his body muscles began to bulge. He kept colliding into the silver-armored silhouette.

The surrounding buildings could collapse immediately at the slightest brush. The two men seemed to have morphed into ancient beasts, recklessly displaying the violent strength of their bodies.

Bang!*

The silver-armored silhouette waved his fist, and a mass of liquid metal automatically adhered to it, turning the normal fist into a barbed fist cover.

Leylin's expression didn't change. His hand emitted a dark red glow, as he fiercely rammed it against the barbed fist.

Boom!!!* The atmosphere continuously exploded, resulting in plumes of dust particles.

From the inside of the dust, two figures could be seen flying upside down.

Bang Bang!* Several houses at both sides were knocked over, but the ones who lived there were mostly acolytes. Upon seeing official Magi fight, everyone distanced themselves from the fight, and no one stepped out to discuss the fight.

"Sure enough, at an official Magi battle, the key is to be able to use formidable magic in the blink of an eye. The enemy will not give you much time to prepare any magic!"

Leylin waved his right hand, which was turning numb.

Crash!* After turning numerous somersaults in the air, out emerged the silver-armoured midget, "I've underestimated you, kid!"

The midget revealed a sinister smile. "However, no matter what, you'll have to die here today!"

"Oh really?"

Leylin showed a smile on the corner of his mouth, "But I think I can still live for a long time!"

"Unfortunately, this is just a body!" The midget suddenly said a strange verse and his body started to make rattling and crackling sounds.

Hong hong hong!!!* The midget's face became twisted, and his body muscles began to swell. In the blink of an eye, he turned into a three-metre tall giant!

Kacha!* *Kacha!*

The giant's clothes split open, and on the left side of his chest, there was an old man's face, with silver coloured hair, and metallic ornaments on his face.

"Today, you're doomed to die here. Your spirit will burn forever!"

The old geezer stared at Leylin as he opened his mouth to chant an incantation.

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Teljose City

"This looks like it was caused by some sort of body possession spell!"

The knowledgeable Leylin was quick in assessing the situation.

"Old geezer, you only have the strength of a semi-converted elemental Magus, and you want to take me down?" Although Leylin looked like he could not have cared less, his right hand had already reached into his belt pouch.

Boom!*

With a flip of his hands, a couple of potions exploded on the giant's body. Following the explosion, a cloud of purple flame engulfed the giant's body and continued to erode it.

"Negative energy flames? Child's play!" The giant shook his head and widened his mouth to let out what seemed like a vacuum force, sucking all of the flames into his abdomen.

"Now, it's my turn!" The giant let out a satisfying belch and grinned at Leylin.

In an instant, the giant turned into a silver flash and appeared right in front of Leylin.

The giant's huge body structure and protruding muscles were faintly oppressing Leylin.

Whoosh!* The giant's skin was suffused with a metallic silver tone. It swung its mace-like arms towards Leylin, and Leylin could only raise both his arms up to protect his chest.

Peng!*

Like an artillery shell, Leylin's body was rammed viciously into a wall, causing a large building to collapse in half.

Bang!* The rubble rolled apart and revealed Leylin's figure.

[Host's ribs fractured, multiple muscle injuries, immediate medical attention recommended!] The A.I. Chip alerted.

"Such great strength, it must be at least 15 or greater! On top of the amplification caused by its metallic element"

Leylin's eyes flashed blue, "A.I. Chip, input the site information, activate the prediction system!"

[Site data transmitted, simulating opponent's information!] The A.I. Chip's voice intoned. Moreover it projected a 3D image for Leylin to look at.

[According to the opponent's movement, the next attack will appear at an angle of 38 degrees on the right side. Probability: 98.7%!]

Shua!* Just then, the giant charged over again.

[Most optimal action: Duck to the left at 63 degrees, jump backwards!]

Leylin's body twisted and barely avoided the attack of the giant, before hurriedly jumping back.

Pu*

At this moment, many half-metre-long metal spikes were piercing the ground where Leylin had stood before. If Leylin were still standing there, he would have died.

To outsiders, Leylin was extremely nimble, making inconceivable dodging movements and evasions as he avoided a barrage of attacks.

"He could actually stall a Magus who has converted half of his elemental essence and also has a reinforced body!"

The old geezer was drenched in cold sweat. "I still thought…"

"You thought that he was just a budding Magus that can be bullied easily, right?" The huge bloke said. "Count yourself lucky, old man! Managing to survive to this point hasn't been an easy task!"

On the other side of the battlefield, the giant was visibly agitated because of Leylin's successful evasive maneuvers. The human face on top of the left side of its chest blustered, "Damnit! Goddamn pest!"

After which, the giant executed a maneuver.

Using its large hands, it broke apart its own stomach and pulled out what looked like a golden hoop.

"Hoop of Imprisonment!"

A bright white light emitted from within the golden hoop and immediately struck Leylin.

As the white luminescence fell upon him, Leylin was shocked to realize that his body had been weighted down by what seemed like an entire mountain. He could not move a single inch.

"Although this type of magical artifact is only of middle grade, It has been said that even a semi-converted elemental Magus would be shackled for at least a minute by its imprisonment powers!"

Blood continued to flow from the silver giant's abdomen, and its guts were visibly hanging out. Unperturbed, the giant advanced towards Leylin and started choking his neck. Its eyes danced with gleeful ridicule, "Now, run for me, little thing!"

"It's over!"

The crowd in the vicinity sighed.

"Being in a deadlock with a semi-converted elemental Magus for such a long time did not change the fact that he is just a budding Magus. On top of that, the opponent had a middle-grade magical artifact!"

The bespectacled, white-bearded, old geezer from the pub lost his earlier look of pity, and with a tinge of regret, he said, "What a shame! He was a gifted Magus"

"Young man, say your last words!"

A cold smile spread across the silver giant's face.

"The person who should be saying his last words is you!" A wide smile spread across Leylin's face.

"Fallen Star Pendant, activate!"

A dark red ray projected from Leylin's chest and spread to his four limbs at a rapid rate. Immediately, Leylin held down the giant's two hands. His pupils became vertical slits and carried an amber luster as they radiated a mysterious light.

Innate Spell—Eyes of Petrification!

Kacha! Kacha!"

The silver giant's expression became blank, after which an ash-grey color started to grow from the giant's eyes. The ash-grey color covered the giant's face in no time and spread quickly towards its chest and limbs.

"Petrifying magic? Goddamn!" The old geezers head on the giant's chest cried out in an alarmed tone.

Following which, the old geezer ground his teeth, and spat a mouthful of blood on the giant's body. With a metallic flash, the rate at which the petrifying spell was spreading on the giant's body slowed down.

"To hell with you!"

Leylin reached out his right hand, and the glow from the Fallen Star Pendant turned into what looked like a long sword, which was then swung down.

Pu!* On the first swing, the giant's skull flew up.

On the second swing, Leylin directly dug out the old midget's visage from the giant's chest.

Pa!* The face fell onto the ground. "I will not forgive you!" it shouted.

"It is I who will not forgive you!" With a cold look, Leylin stepped onto the human face.

"Ah…" A depressed voice sounded out, and a puddle of green blood slowly formed under Leylin's foot.

……

Huu Huu*…

A light breeze passed. There was a deathly stillness in the crowd.

"He… he actually managed to slay a semi-converted elemental Magus!"

The old geezer with his hanging mouth opened constantly surveyed the surroundings as if he was looking for something.

Immediately, upon seeing Leylin's gaze turn towards his direction, the old geezer put on a smile and flattered him by saying, "Master Leylin! Please forgive me for offending you, it was a misunderstanding…"

Looking at the old geezer who had changed his facial complexion, Leylin shook his head and was not prepared to deal with him.

There will be no benefit even if I were to murder him. Leylin concluded that he himself was no homicidal maniac.

He picked up his bundle and the loot from his victory, and hastily left the scene. The surrounding crowd naturally opened up a path for him to exit. Magus or acolyte, nobody dared to make eye contact with Leylin.

"I must leave this place quickly!"

Leylin looked at the rapidly shrinking Andre Town in the distance and muttered to himself.

The midget from earlier was obviously just one of the many clones of the opponent.

This aligned with Leylin's earlier reports. According to the report, the Lilytell family's elders' powers should have reached an elemental essence conversion rate of 80% or more, which was the minimum requirement for initiating one's advancement to a level 2 Magus.

Based on an estimation, the midget earlier had, at most, a 50% elemental essence conversion rate. It was not very stable, and the difference between his and an elder's true strength was too huge.

Leylin had been introduced to this type of Magus before. It was not easy for them to create a clone, as a copious amount of time and precious materials were needed. Furthermore, if their clone were destroyed, the Magus would be heavily affected as well.

So far, only the clone had chased him up till this point.

Leylin guessed that either the opponent was not able to be here physically, or the clone was intentionally placed on the other side of the Grand Canyon to facilitate communication and to do his bidding.

Regardless, the next wave of attacks from the Lilytell family would arrive soon.

"Speaking of territory, I am still within the boundaries of the dark Magi. Once I reach the domain of the light Magi, even the Lilytell family will not dare to trespass…"

……

Leylin turned his head to take one last look and vanished into the darkness.

Months flew by unconsciously.

In the span of these months, Leylin hurried along his journey with little rest. He traversed large kingdoms, and finally entered the boundary of the light Magi's domain.

In the south coast, there were two types of Magi. One type of Magus advocated violence, believed in natural selection, and looked up to the enduring dark Magi, while the other type was fond of peace, and revered the scientific research of the light Magi.

Within these two factions, there lay many different groups and academies. While there was a lack of cohesion and an abundance of friction between these groups and academies, they would always stand together as one whenever it was against an enemy.

The extent of the rule of the light Magi lay in the heart of the south coast, while the dark Magi occupied the more desolate outlying areas.

From Leylin's observations, this sort of distribution of territory looked like a couple of concentric circles. The light Magi occupied the most fertile land in the middle, while the dark Magi occupied everything else around it.

After a prolonged period of travel, Leylin found it hard not to admit that the light Magi territory was generally more prosperous than that of the dark Magi. The commoners in the light Magi territory also enjoyed more peace and stability.

In regards to government administration, the light Magi had to do much more than the dark Magi in order to keep a firm hold on the vast and rich territory

According to the map on the A.I. Chip, Leylin would reach the market place of the light Magi domain, Teljose City, by today.

Leylin had few opportunities to change out of his black robe. He changed out into a clean set of leather armour.

The exquisite armour comfortably fit Leylin's well-proportioned body, and brought about an air of heroic spirit, making him look more masculine.

The light Magi instinctively viewed the dark Magi as their adversaries, so Leylin did not wish to incur any trouble by doing something rash.

Although it might only be a trade centre, there would surely be people, like the dark Magi, who were there to sell their contraband items. Leylin took extra caution and kept a low profile.

Following the horses, Leylin forged on ahead. He observed that the pathways became wider and wider, and the people used a larger variety of transportation devices to aid in their travels.

Upon further observation, he came across a variety of new and odd things.

For example, he observed a female Magus on a winged steed, and an old geezer on a hot air balloon. Hanging from the hot air balloon, there was a banner, which read, "Welcome to Hookety's miscellaneous goods shop, we have a supply of…"

Furthermore, Leylin even saw a few machines that resembled the components of futuristic vehicles. The machines, which carried a bunch of dwarfs, roared and rumbled loudly as it sped along the road.

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Jenna

Amongst those who were travelling on the same route as Leylin, there were not only magicians, but also many regular people.

Most of the regular people rode on horse carriages, and they stored large amounts of vegetables and fruits at the back.

Even though they might treat magicians with much respect, it was obvious that they held no fear when facing them. It seemed that in the light Magi domain, magicians were often revered, yet were on close terms with the civilians.

This situation somewhat puzzled Leylin. In a kingdom where the dark Magi ruled, the mere mention of Magi would give rise to thoughts of terror and bloodshed. Even an acolyte would be enough to scare away a whole town of people.

"By the looks of it, the fact that light Magi and regular humans are able to coexist harmoniously is true!" Leylin glanced at a farmer who had taken off his hat to greet him, and nodded in acknowledgement.

"And…" His blue eyes shone, "There is no trace of radiation in his body. Does this have to do with the purification tower?"

In the area under the light Magi's rule, white lofty towers were erected a distance away from each other. The towers were able to neutralise the radiation from magicians, which was vital in allowing magicians and regular humans to mingle within this area.

As for the area ruled by dark Magi, Leylin had once seen inside the library at the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, the designs for the Purification tower. But, it was apparent that the dark Magi were disinclined to build such a thing in their own territories. Besides the problem of the costs of constructing such a tower, Leylin guessed that the dark Magi liked to rule the commoners with a bloody and terrible regime.

As the mount was continuously flying, Leylin felt that his horizons was continuously expanding.

Green waves, almost like the waves of an ocean, was rippling in the breeze, giving off a thick atmosphere.

Here was the Teljose Great Plains which covered an area of several thousands of square kilometers and had several cities with population larger than 100,000.

And the Teljose City was located in the middle of this huge plains, and was the central zone of this huge region.

"The vegetation is lush and abundant here!"

Leylin heaved a heartfelt sigh. The closer he got to the Teljose City, the more lushly the crops were growing, as if they were fond of people. There were even wheat plants which were as tall as a man — seeing which Leylin felt moved.

"Isn't this very amazing? Are you a Magus from outside this region?"

A red pony suddenly drew to a halt besides Leylin's own saddled mount, and the female Magus sitting atop this red pony, spoke to Leylin.

This female Magus wore a white, Chinese-styled gown, and wore a necklace strung with pearls and precious stones around her neck. Her appearance was quite ordinary, but on her face, she wore a gentle smiling expression.

Leylin had experienced this feeling of tranquility a few times.

Although this female Magus radiated the energy waves of a rank 1 Magus, she had very little actual combat experience. There was only one layer of innate defense spell upon her body, which appeared to suffice for her.

"That's right, Miss, I come from afar and am a wandering Magus! You can call me Leylin!"

Leylin put on a harmless smile as he introduced himself.

"My name is Jenna, I'm a local Magus of Teljose. You are surprised upon seeing these many crops, aren't you?"

The female Magus smiled and struck a conversation with Leylin.

"Indeed, you seldom see wheat grow this tall and let's not forget the quantity… "Leylin's face suffused with a puzzled expression.

"This is a Magus' blessing! In a while you can experience it by yourself!"

The female Magus wore an expression of mystery but also expectation.

"I'm looking forward to it!" Leylin smiled briefly.

He could judge with just a look that this woman is like an innocent sheep, lacking the experience of meeting Magi of her peers and extremely curious about everything.

Just like a young lady from a large family, that has wandered off.

Afterwards Leylin stopped observing these matters, as the City of Teljose was appearing in front of Leylin's eyes.

In Leylin's line of sight, there first appeared a black dot.

Afterwards, that black dot increased in size as if it turned into a dark cloud, enveloping the whole sky.

Leylin's jaw dropped — he saw a tall and erect mountain, reaching through the clouds and standing quietly on the plains.

Leylin had seen a lot of large mountains in his past life, but he was sure that he'd never seen a mountain so large that it could cover the skies.

In addition, on that large mountain there were numerous tightly packed buildings and black dots moving around on the many layers on that mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, a large tall city wall was erected in a circular fashion. A visual estimate gave its height at a couple of dozen meters and that it was entirely made out of grey granite. It looked extremely impressive.

At the giant peak of the mountain, there were layers of luxuriant snow. Smoke was continuously emitted from the peak, as if it was going to erupt at any given moment.

"An active volcano! Teljose City is erected on an active volcano!" Leylin gasped.

"Correct! Keep on looking around!"

The Magus Jenna pointed towards the opening of the volcano with a laugh.

Boom!

Countless black smokes were rising, the whole volcano was coming to life. Just like a mythical giant laughing sadistically at the sky.

A giant pillar of smoke rushed into the sky, coloring part of the sky black.

"Strange, why were there no tremors?"

Leylin came to sudden realization, "this must be the work of the Magi of Teljose City?"

"Correct, continue to look!" Jenna pointed towards the black clouds, "Magus' blessing will soon descend!"

Rumble!

A soft rain was arising, tiny droplets of black rain were falling through the breeze.

Back rain fell on the ground, turning the whole ground ashen grey.

Soon a couple of farmers ran out from the fields, kneeled in front of Leylin, Jenna and other Magi and kowtowed respectfully as they said, "We thank our lords, the Magi, for our harvest!"

"This is volcanic ash?!"

Leylin's body started to emit grey light, it enveloped the giant steed and kept the black rain on the outside. He extended his right hand to collect a drop of grey rain drop and started to examine it.

"Looks like some artificial things have been added to it, it resembles nitrogen-based fertilizer!"

Volcanic ash was naturally nutrient-rich, which was conducive for plant growth. Coupled with some other things the magicians had added, it was no wonder crops here had an astonishing form and output.

"That's right, the Magi control the Teljose Volcano's eruption. They transport and evenly distribute the volcanic ash across the plains and fertilize the land. As for resources such as geothermal energy, the Magi will collect them and convert them into a source of power for Teljose City. Hence, the alternate name for Teljose City that I love even more — Nightless City!"

Jenna explained

"….. This technology is simply amazing!" Leylin murmured. Teljose Volcano, as compared to the biggest volcano Leylin saw before his reincarnation, was much broader. To control such a big live volcano, they needed constant maintenance and magic spell formations, which exceeded what Leylin could have thought of.

Furthermore, to directly control a volcano as a power source and a place to live… This kind of design and boldness left Leylin feeling admiration towards these Magi.

"But, please forgive my bluntness, I've once travelled to the eastern region. The magicians there don't seem to spare a thought for the normal people…"

Leylin properly expressed his curiosity.

"Yes, magicians are a group of intellectual people. They did this because it was for their benefit." Jenna nodded her head. "The way we see it, the normal people that are alive are also a type of resource. Besides, as long as there is sufficient people, they can serve us at all times, procuring resources, and in addition, sow our seeds and producing acolytes of excellent quality, increasing new bloods…"

"Hence, in the middle of our light Magi region, not only were there Magi who specialised in solidification innate spells to be used for helping to prevent all kinds of natural disasters, there's even a full-time Magus in charge of farming land and increasing harvest yield…"

"This… this really is…"

Leylin wore a shocked expression while secretly releasing a breath of relief.

Although Jenna seemed pure and straightforward, she still considered herself superior to regular humans, similar to how the dark Magi thought.

The one difference they had was in their system.

Akin to the herding of sheep, dark Magi tended to operate in a more boorish manner and would reap the harvest at irregular intervals. In comparison, light Magi adopted a micro-management style, taking special care of each and every sheep.

But they both had the same purpose — to obtain the needed materials from regular humans.

Just based on this process, Leylin felt that the regular humans in the light Magi region had a more comfortable life, compared to those living in Poolfield Kingdom.

However, although Leylin could lament over the hardships faced by the regular humans, it did not mean that he thought of reducing the power and authority that the Magi held; it was foolish to advocate an ideal of achieving equality between all humans.

Not mentioning the mysteries and strength of the Magus world, even Leylin himself only believed in one truth — that one's status would determine one's course of action.

Leylin himself was a Magus and fully supported the privileges and political power that all Magi had. As for those who had delusions of overthrowing the Magi in power, they would be killed immediately.

As part of a higher tier in the social pyramid, it was only natural to consciously defend the rights and privileges of that social class.

Naturally, there were also the strange ones who chose to betray their peer's interests, and would eventually be abandoned by their own peers.

Leylin concluded that: unless there were any signs of the Magi falling out of power, he would definitely not betray his peers.

"Very surprising, isn't it?"

Jenna laughed, "Seems like you've always been travelling around the dark Magi region. But once you've arrived at the Nightless City, you'll need to learn to acclimatize, and adapt to the new rules…"

Jenna's words implied that she had discovered Leylin's true identity.

But Leylin only picked up his eyebrow and didn't seem to care in the slightest.

Teljose City, or reputed for being a Nightless City, on one hand was the accumulation of the light Magi's hard work, and on the other hand was supported by the dark Magi.

If the dark Magi was totally removed, then Nightless City's total trades would immediately fall by more than half!

No trade center would reject a dark Magi member from joining them.

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Prophecy

From what Leylin gathered, dark Magi from all over the continent disguised themselves in order to enter Nightless City each day. Their aim was to trade items, amongst other activities.

The guards of the city turned a blind eye to their actions.

It could be said that Nightless City's prosperity was largely dependent on the dark Magi.

Within the city, as long as dark Magi did not intentionally reveal their identity, light Magi would not bother about them.

Hence, Leylin simply smiled and told Jenna, "I came to the Teljose Plains to seek a peaceful way of life. I'm willing to abide by the rules here."

"Nightless City is a fertile and beautiful city. I'm sure you'll like it here!"

Jenna laughed and said.

Leylin made small talk with Jenna and managed to gather quite a lot of exclusive information about the city.

Leylin had seen a glimpse of Volcano City in the afternoon, but it was only after the sky dimmed that he reached the gate.

At the moment, there were rows of people queueing up in front of the gates of the city.

The numerous heads seemed like ants as they were separated into different groups and entered various entrances.

Leylin noticed that beside the many small doors, there were also several huge passages. The gates to the city itself were over ten metres high, and the passageways were closed.

"These doors are for giants and large creatures, so they aren't usually open!" Jenna explained at the side.

"As for us, we are official Magi, so we are able to enter by the prestigious pass!"

Jenna explained as she led Leylin to a smaller door which was quieter.

As for the doors on both sides, there were even a dozen guards with the strength of level 3 acolytes, their bodies radiating the energy waves of their magic artifacts.

"Respected Lords, may I ask if it is a temporary or permanent lodging…"

After seeing Leylin and Jenna, these dozen acolytes immediately bowed and greeted them.

Leylin noticed that they held a circular item that was emitting the glow of a magic spell, in their hands. Looking at the runes on the surface, it should be the runes formation to detect energy waves.

Jenna immediately raised her right hand and revealed a white ring on her finger.

The ancient ring had a silver body with detailed inscriptions on the surface, constantly emitting bits and pieces of light.

"So it's a Lord who has a permanent residence. Please enter!" The acolytes respectfully made way.

"It's my first time here. Are there any procedures I need to follow?" Leylin asked the acolyte from before.

"Yes. For magicians who enter for the first time, we have a simple procedure. You can pay 200 magic crystals and obtain permanent residence, or spend 10 magic crystals and stay in Nightless City for a month!"

"Handle a permanent residence for me!" Leylin immediately tossed out two high-grade magic crystals.

"Of course. Please wait a moment…" The acolyte quickly produced a piece of parchment and scribbled something on it. "May I have your name?"

"Leylin Farlier!" This was the light Magi's territory and the Lilytell Family's influence did not extend to this area. Leylin decided to use his real name.

"Here is your token. Please keep it well!"

The whole process was surprisingly straightforward. The acolyte merely asked for Leylin's name, noted it down, and then passed him a silver ring.

"This is a token you will need to enter the city. Please keep it safe! Also, please do not linger on the streets after 12am. If not, the law enforcement group will apprehend you!"

The acolyte reminded him as he bowed.

Leylin nodded in understanding before leaving with Jenna, who had been waiting at the side.

"Jenna, I've been waiting for you!" Leylin went through a passage that was around five or six metres deep, and before he even had the chance to look around the city, he heard a hoarse voice.

A burly blonde man who had been standing at the door for some time immediately rushed forward with a worried expression.

"Uncle Manla!" Jenna put on a coquettish expression and immediately embraced the large man. "Jenna missed you!"

"Haha…Me too!" The burly man smiled and looked at Leylin beside her.

"This fellow reeks of blood, it seems like he's from the eastern marshes!"

The murderous aura and strong scent of blood from Leylin's body immediately caused the man to raise his guard against Leylin. He positioned himself between Leylin and Jenna.

"This is…" The burly man's glared at him, as if ready to make a move the moment he misspoke.

"This is Leylin, someone I met along the way!" Jenna hung on to Manla's arm.

"He's a wandering Magus who is planning to stay in Nightless City!"

"Really? This is a city that advocates peace and harmony, so I hope you'll enjoy your stay here. Here is a complete map of the city!"

The burly man showed him a kind smile and passed the map to Leylin. It was very obvious that he did not want Leylin to travel together with Jenna.

"Many thanks!" Leylin grinned brightly.

He could understand where the man was coming from. If he were a parent who saw his child mixing with a suspicious person, he would have the same reaction.

"It was great fun travelling with you! I'll see you again, milady!" Leylin turned to Jenna with a smile and gave a gentleman's bow, and Jenna answered with a bashful expression.

Having received the map, Leylin took a quick look at it and entered the trade centre of the south coast, also known as the Teljose Volcano City, where the night was as bright as day.

The burly man waited till Leylin was completely gone before turning to the female Magus, a stern expression on his face.

"Jenna, from what I know, you don't usually get this close with strangers?"

The large man put on a puzzled expression.

"I don't know why, but I have some premonition that makes me want to get closer to him…" Jenna's eyes seemed to cloud over.

"Or perhaps, this is what fate decreed!"

"That seems plausible!" The man scratched his head. "The high-grade meditation technique that you're cultivating in may not be very powerful, but at times, it is able to accurately pinpoint a trace of the future. Since that Magus gives you such a peculiar feeling, do you need me to send someone to check out…"

"Leave it! I have a feeling that if we do that, it'll definitely incur his displeasure."

Jenna's eyes suddenly turned completely white, with no hints of any other colour.

"Twice! You actually made two prophecies about him!"

The burly man looked shocked. "That Magus' fate is sure to be intertwined with yours!"

"Not me, but the whole of the south coast!"

The female Magus' eyes regained their colour, cold sweat pouring down her face. She looked as if all of her energy had been wrenched from her.

"Quick, send me back to grandmother's place!"

Jenna spat out and immediately fainted.

"Jenna! Jenna!" The expression on the burly man's face was grim as he held her in his arms and quickly left the area…

Leylin, however, was completely oblivious to the situation. He was currently strolling through the streets of the Nightless City.

The moment he entered, Leylin's first impression was—People! A sea of people!

Numerous heads were gathered close to each other, forming a sea of blackness. There were also various stores, as well as stands that were messily displayed. The constant haggling and bawling noises attacked the ears.

Many Magi and acolytes who were dressed in different coloured clothing were arguing aggressively with the vendors.

This almost reminded Leylin of the markets in his previous world.

However, the different races that he saw within the masses brought him back to the present.

There was the scaly marine race, the sub-humans with fur and marks all over their bodies, the smaller version of giants who were over five meters tall, as well as the little green people who had pairs of transparent wings on their backs, dancing gracefully in the air.

Many lifeforms from the Magus world were communicating with each other, their speech slipping back to parts of their own languages.

Among the humans, Leylin even saw several regular humans who had absolutely no energy waves radiating from them, and yet they were still confidently trading items on the street out in the open.

"My Lord, is it your first time in Nightless City?"

Leylin's intrigued expression naturally attracted the attention of many people. A man who was so skinny that he was like a stick approached Leylin as he bowed, wearing a flattering expression on his face.

"Do you need a tour guide? My fee is definitely the lowest. Moreover, my home is within Nightless City, so I am familiar with every nook and cranny in this place!"

"Are you the 'ears' of this city?"

Leylin inquired to clarify.

"Of course. If there is anything that you want to know, I could also make some inquiries…"

"What is your name?" Leylin asked.

"Sean! My Lord, you can call me Sean." The thin man was delighted as this situation meant it was possible to seal the deal.

"Good. I wish to stay here for an extended period of time. Take me to a place where I can rent some lodgings. It must have all the facilities!"

"If you wish to stay here for long, renting an apartment which is in the heart of Nightless City would be the most worthwhile!" Sean said quickly without needing to think.

As if fearing that Leylin did not understand, Sean quickly went on, "The heart of the city is controlled by several large factions that back Nightless City. There are different types of apartments for sale, and they are generally quite safe and convenient…"

"Very well, let's go there!"

Leylin nodded his head, and Sean hurriedly led the way with a gleeful expression.

After going through the throng of people and walking for about half an hour, Sean brought Leylin to a small door.

"Nightless City has five zones, and the outermost zone is meant for regular people and acolytes to live in. Its organisation is the most chaotic, and as long as one is in possession of a token, he or she can enter and leave the city at will."

"The second zone is reserved for those who have done the paperwork to stay here permanently. Of course, Official Magi are allowed to stay here too!" Sean brought Leylin to the queue in front of the door and explained further.

"As for the third and fourth zone, they are the residences of the official Magi. There is also a trade area specifically catered to the official Magi erected within the zone."

"Lastly, we have the fifth zone, where various powers have established their branches there. Usually, they are not open to the public and if you are not a member, you are not allowed to enter!"

Sean gave Leylin a clear explanation.

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The Communal Centre

The queue progressed quickly, and within a few minutes, it was Leylin's turn.

Leylin produced the ring he had recently acquired, and showed it to the guard, who respectfully stepped aside to allow him to pass.

The second zone was a lot bigger than the first, and the shops were arranged in an organised manner, unlike the situation in the first zone.

Thud Thud *

His leather shoes thudded as they descended upon the marble floor.

With Sean's guidance, Leylin arrived at the centre of the second zone.

What was known as the communal centre was situated at the middle of the second zone. It was a humongous building that, based on its outward appearance, looked like a person's inverted palm pressed to the ground.

Each of those fingers was a wide entrance.

Magicians formed long lines, looking like ants as they constantly went through the entrances.

"This is where the Nightless City's internal affairs are conducted. These includes the renting of lodgings, the applications for store licenses, the issuing of missions, and so on."

Sean brought Leylin into the passageway on the forefinger.

"This is the second passage that is specially catered for the Magi who wish to rent lodgings. Of course, we also provide property agents, though the price will be higher and the rentals may not be of the best quality…"

"Sir, would you like to rent a lodging? Come to Old Hork's place! Our facilities are complete, and there are even snake and fox girls who will serve you!"

"No! Come to our side. Our prices are the most reasonable here, and we're even willing to gift you ten regular human servants."

The moment Leylin entered, he attracted the attentions of multiple agents, who all looked ready to gobble him down.

"He's my customer! Get out of the way! Move!"

Sean guided Leylin to a passageway nearby, pushing away the overzealous hands reaching for him.

Within the passage was a spiral staircase. When they got to the second level, Leylin suddenly realised how quiet his surroundings were.

As they passed through a door frame that read "Hall No. 762," Leylin saw a large domed hall.

On the ceiling, there was a huge crystal chandelier from which multicoloured rays of light bounced off, casting a phantom image on the ground.

To the side of the domed hall, there were many counters, and a few seats meant for people to wait in. A few magicians were already seated, their eyes glazed over as if they were about to fall asleep.

On the right wall, there was also a black screen. There were words in red on it which were constantly being refreshed.

"Apartment #332, West Hall Street West, small sized — costs 6700 magic crystals!"

"Apartment #893, Flamingo Street, of medium size — costs 85000 magic crystals!"

"These lodgings are all second-hand. The prices here are considerably cheaper, and many people wait here, hoping they might be lucky enough to get a good price…" Seeing the look of interest on Leylin's face, he launched into an explanation.

Leylin was speechless, the thought of a real estate agency from his past life suddenly came to his mind.

"If you wish to rent an apartment, you can proceed to counters 1 to 15. Would you like me to queue on your behalf?"

"Fine," Leylin nodded.

Even though he had quite a sum at hand, he was unwilling to splurge on an apartment so quickly, when he had not yet made sense of the situation in Nightless City.

Seeing all of these ridiculously high prices made Leylin think of the acolytes back in the academy who were so desperate for magic crystals that they wished a magic crystal was worth twice its actual value. The image made him want to cry and laugh at the same time.

There were many counters in the hall. After Sean left to join a queue, Leylin found himself a seat and began to flip through one of the magazines left on a table.

"Rose Sanctuary and Fresh Blood White Bones are currently in a conflict. They are currently gathered in Margaret City, and the number of casualties is unknown…"

"It has been reported that magicians have found the culprit that caused the tsunami in the Eastern Sea- an Ancient Whale. Currently, Ennea Ivory Ring Tower is holding an emergency meeting to discuss countermeasures…"

"Looking to purchase large quantities of purified gems. Name your price."

There was plenty of news in the magazine, though they seemed outdated. Furthermore, the majority of the content was on advertisements, sponsorships and the like.

"Sir, it's your turn now!"

Sean's voice travelled over. Leylin put down the magazine, heading to the 13th counter where Sean was standing.

"Welcome! How may I help you?"

Behind the counter was an adorable girl with a professional smile on her face, who was wearing something that was similar to lace. She seemed quite young, and Leylin guessed that she was, at most, eighteen or nineteen years old.

Leylin's gaze shifted to the back of the counter, where he caught a glimpse of the white ball behind the maiden's shapely backside.

"Of all the half beasts, someone who's half-rabbit?" Leylin chuckled inwardly, not expecting the centre to actually hire a rabbit maiden.

"I wish to rent a house. The facilities must be complete, and it is best if it includes a laboratory, and the defensive spell formation has to be of at least this standard…"

Leylin stated his requirements.

"Please wait for a moment…" The rabbit maiden quickly flipped through the stack of parchments in front of her, closing her eyes from time to time while caressing a crystal ball with a metal base, as if she was communicating with someone.

"We have many houses that fit your requirements, but in order to rent a lodging in Nightless City, we require you to show evidence of… Ah! My lord! My sincerest apologies!"

Upon seeing the silver ring that Leylin revealed, the rabbit maiden's previously absent-minded expression completely changed.

She stood and bowed, showing her charming body and sturdy thighs, and the rabbit's tail behind her backside occasionally appearing. It gave one the urge to reach forward and grab hold of it. "So it was an official Magi! Please excuse Bayjess' rude behaviour!"

"It's fine. Tell me about the houses!"

Leylin withdrew his right hand.

"For an official Magus of such high esteem, we strongly recommend apartments that are in the third zone or above. There is a total of thirteen empty houses that meet your requirements…"

As she spoke, she continued to rub the surface of the blue crystal ball.

Rainbow coloured lights converged in front of Leylin and the multicoloured streaks formed many three-dimensional figures.

From the looks of it, it was a map of Nightless City, on which there were thirteen bright spots.

"All information about the apartments are on it, and there are also figures that allow you to view the structures of the lodgings."

Leylin took a quick look. All of the apartments were in the second zone or above, and the total area of the land was rather large. They were at least medium sized villas that included gardens and other entertainment facilities.

Nightless City was built on a mountain, and the higher up one went, the more valuable every inch became. In a place like this, the privileges and extravagant lifestyle that magicians were entitled to were especially evident from the area of land they had access to.

Leylin raised his hand and pressed on the villa that he was interested in.

Ding!*

With a flash of white light, the model was magnified, and a three-dimensional figure was displayed in front of him.

"Medium-sized villa's location: Nightless City Zone 3, Large Whale Street #56. It includes a laboratory, a defensive spell formation, a negative energy reaction pool…"

Beside the 3D figure, there was also a white frame that displayed more information about the villa.

"While this technology is based on magic, it's just too similar to how it was in my past life…"

Leylin suddenly sighed.

While the foundations of the two worlds were extremely different, one being science, and the other being magic, it somehow made Leylin feel a little nostalgic.

"I'll take this one. How much is the rent?"

Leylin pointed to one of the models and asked the rabbit maiden.

"Sir, the rent for this villa is a thousand magic crystals per month…" She peeked at Leylin, looking as if she wanted to say something, and eventually made her mind. "If you join any one of the powers backing Nightless City, you'll be gifted a villa, and…"

"Alright. Which family do you come from?

Leylin was very much aware that these employees were part of the powers behind Nightless City, and it was naturally their job to attract talents. They were sure to receive attractive rewards for their work if they were successful.

"The Mordeken family! I come from the Mordeken Family!" The rabbit maiden lowered her collar and revealed a brand in the shape of a palm under her shoulder.

The shape of the palm was a little strange. Instead of having five fingers, as was the norm, there were actually six.

The sides of the brand were a little charred and twisted. From the looks of it, a branding iron had been used directly on her skin in the past. The contrast between that and the rabbit maiden's delicate skin gave rise to an abnormal sense of beauty.

"I understand! If there's anything I need in the future, I'll consider the Mordeken family first!"

Leylin's expression remained the same, seemingly unmoved by her attempts. Sean, on the other hand, was salivating at the offer.

"Here are the magic crystals. I'll be renting it for a year." Leylin threw a small bag of magic crystals towards the back of the counter.

After being rejected, the rabbit maiden's expression slightly darkened, but she immediately forced a smile.

Even though she wasn't able to convince an official Magus to join the family, she would still receive some rewards from this transaction.

The rabbit maiden asked for the ring on Leylin's finger, and placed it in a device behind her, within which an exotic symbol was inscribed. She then respectfully returned it to Leylin.

"The pattern of the villa's defensive spell formation has already been marked onto your ring. You may enter the villa using the ring, and also make changes to the spell formation…"

Following which, the rabbit maiden passed Leylin a bunch of keys and a document.

"Here are the keys to the rooms in the villa, as well as some important information. I hope you have a pleasant stay there!"

Leylin retrieved the items and walked out of the hall with Sean.

"He actually spent over ten thousand magic crystals in one go…"

Sean still had a look of disbelief on his face.

Although he had heard of how certain magicians were able to spend unimaginable amounts of wealth, being in actual contact with someone who had the means to do so was still an entirely different feeling.

"Having met such a magnanimous customer, my rewards will definitely not be meagre. I might even be able to get a generous tip as well…"

Sean began to let his imagination run wild.

"Bring me to the villa and these will be yours!"

Leylin smiled, tossing a few magic crystals that were glistening temptingly.

"Of course! Your wish is my command!"

Sean's eyes brightened, and he quickly ran to the front. "Please follow me! There's not one place in Nightless City that I, Sean, am not aware of!"

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Trifling Issues

Rumble!*

Crystal clear spring water continuously flowed from a white canteen.

Under the white canteen was a half-nude marble statue. The statue was depicting a poised, long-haired maiden. In her eyes, there was an expression of indolence and perplexity. One hand was tugging on the skirt on her lower body, and the other hand was holding a white canteen upside down.

The spring water gathered below, forming a small pond. Different colored pebbles and fishes in the pool were reflecting the light.

Next to the pond were was a small garden. Inside the garden were different coloured flowers of unknown names. Different fragrances were mixed together, but it didn't feel jumbled; instead it provided a unique scent that made one feel refreshed.

Leylin leisurely walked around the garden before returning to the villa.

This was the new villa that he had recently rented for a year. The address was: Nightless City Zone 3, Large Whale Street #56.

There were very strict regulations for each of the three zones.

The zones above the third one were only for official Magi and trade, with the exception of some specialised servants that were permitted to pass through.

This villa had a huge area, and its magic defenses against spells were also strong. According to Leylin, a level 3 acolyte, or even an official Magus, would have no chances of entering. If they wanted to destroy this place, it would require a huge amount of effort from them.

However, Leylin still wanted to add some modifications and more defensive spell formations to this place.

Regarding the spell formations that the Nightless City had, Leylin didn't trust them enough.

In the area around Leylin's villa, there was another Magi. Previously, there was even a red haired old man who waved to Leylin. He seemed quite friendly.

Click!*

They sound of a copper key entering the lock could be heard, followed by the sound of a door opening with a squeak.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Leylin leisurely strolled around his villa.

This villa had 3 floors, two of them being above ground, and also a basement.

The apparatuses in the lab were very complete, and the furniture and other things were up to date, making Leylin feel that he had truly received his money's worth.

The bedroom was on the second floor and even had an open balcony.

Leylin stood on the balcony and observed the distant scenery.

The sun was setting; the dark curtain of night gradually enveloping the surroundings.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!*

By the side of the road, one lantern after another was being lit, extending far into the distance.

The little spots of light had an effect as they lit together, finally forming a huge body of light.

A bright — but not blinding — light flooded the entirety of the Nightless City.

"No wonder that Teljose City was referred to as the Nightless City!" Leylin exclaimed.

While he was used to this kind of setting in his previous life, the Magus world was different. A huge amount of energy was needed to be able to support this many lights, and perhaps only the volcano's never-ending geothermal energy could barely support the city's needs.

Ding!*

Something like an incandescent light bulb lit up inside Leylin's room.

"All of this energy, this overbearing splendor, is provided by the communal centre free of charge!"

Leylin shook his head and commanded, "A.I. Chip scan the whole villa, and in addition, try to modify the defensive spell formations!"

Following Leylin's command, a spot of glittering and sparkling blue light flashed in his eyes.

[Beep! The overall layout of the villa has been recorded, no tracking spells have been detected!]

The response from the A.I. Chip came after a very short amount of time.

[According to the Host's request, modifying the spell formation of the entire villa allows an optimization of 13%…]

Afterwards, the A.I. Chip projected the places where the spell formation needed to be altered in front of Leylin's eyes.

"Spell formations requires extreme fine-tuning, and once they are altered, even the places where they were previously concealed will be exposed…"

With a confident smile, Leylin brought out some materials from his bag in order to alter the villa's spell formations.

By the time that Leylin had hurriedly finished his work, it was already midnight.

Leylin then placed a warning spell outside his bedroom, before reclining on his soft bed.

The effort of constantly running while covering his back to prevent assassination attempts from the Lilytell Family had caused Leylin to be mentally exhausted.

Now that he had finally reached his destination, even the Lilytell family couldn't do anything inside the Nightless City. Leylin felt like a huge mountain had been lifted from his shoulders, allowing him to relax completely.

"Speaking of which, I only have these things left ever since I left the academy…"

Leylin opened the package and emptied its contents onto the bed.

A silver colored metallic hoop, a couple of separately packaged flowers and such, and an assortment of different materials and magic crystals appeared in front of Leylin.

First, Leylin brought out the metallic hoop.

This was the spoil of his fight against the clone. It was a counterfeit Hoop of Imprisonment recovered from the body of the Lilytell elder's clone. Even if it was a counterfeit, this magic artifact was still a middle-grade artifact. At that time, if it wasn't for the fact that Leylin had activated his Fallen Star Pendant, he might not have been able to escape the confinement of this magic artifact.

According to the A.I. Chip, there were no hidden traps, so Leylin took it for his own use. He was planning to later alter it, or just simply sell it.

Ever since Leylin's advancement, the A.I. Chip also received a huge upgrade.

A lot of things that he couldn't discern back when he was an acolyte were now laid bare before him.

That Lilytell elder was simply at the level of a rank 1 Magus, and couldn't hide anything from Leylin.

"Also, these ingredients need to be used soon. I've kept them for too long, and their medicinal properties are decreasing…"

Leylin looked at the several remaining stalks of plants and flowers which were under some preservation spells.

This was his loot from the Dylan Gardens. Previously, he had harvested them in a hurry, so their current appearance was not too pretty. Afterwards, he had been on the run, so he could not find much time to add more layers of preservation and maintenance spells. Hence, they currently were in a rather withered and dried up state.

A black diary lay quietly at the side. It was the Book of Giant Serpent, and even now Leylin had to flip through it every once in a while.

Although he had recorded everything with the A.I. Chip, Leylin still felt that the methods of the great Magus Serholm did not just end with the writings.

Moreover, the materials used to make the Book of Giant Serpent were extremely strange. The amount of information it could store was alarming, which gave Leylin the urge to conduct more research on it.

What was left was the Fallen Star Pendant hanging on Leylin's neck, as well as some magic crystals and some other miscellaneous items.

Everything that was present, if added together, was all of what Leylin had.

"A rank 1 Warlock wishing to advance must never lack in the meditation and bloodlines. If not, just based on hard work, it is simply too difficult. One requires the aid of resources!"

High-grade meditation technique required precious resources as a complement and they were extremely precious. Some even existed only back in ancient times, and they have been extinct by now.

Leylin summed up his wealth and realised that he would at most lead a comfortable life in Nightless City. If he thought of relying on what he currently had to obtain enough resources to advance into a rank 2 Warlock, it was no difference from a pipe dream.

Subconsciously, he looked at his current stats.

[Leylin Farlier. Rank 1 Warlock, Bloodline: Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Strength: 7.1, Agility: 6.7, Vitality: 8.5, Spiritual Force: 28.4, Magic Power: 28 (Magic Power is in synchronisation with Spiritual Force). Elemental essence conversion: 1%. Status: Healthy]

Every day, Leylin did not neglect his cultivation in a high-grade meditation technique. The Kemoyin's Pupil was indeed a well-suited meditation technique for his bloodline. Leylin could feel that his spiritual force was growing at a steady pace daily.

As for the progress of the elemental essence conversion, it was not that satisfying.

"According to the records of the meditation technique, the conversion progress is more difficult the higher it is. The stages of a semi-converted elemental Magus of 50% and a Magus with an elemental essence conversion of 80% especially are two bottlenecks. I wonder how many Magi had been obstructed from advancement because of this!"

Leylin's face was somewhat solemn, "Right now my spiritual force could be increased with a high-grade meditation technique, and my bloodline is extremely pure. These two aspects do not require further planning for now. The only thing holding me back right now is the progress of the elemental essence conversion!"

The breakthrough of a high-grade meditation technique will often lead a Magus to breakthrough automatically. Right now Leylin had 3 levels of the Kemoyin's Pupil meditation technique, so his spiritual force progress would just be a breeze.

As for the aspect of bloodlines, he had obtained the purified blood of an ancient creature, the Giant Kemoyin Serpent. This creature, in its mature stages, could reach the level of a rank 4 Magus — a Morning Star Magus.

Right now Leylin was just a rank 1 Warlock, and with respect to the concentration of his bloodline — it could most likely surpass a pre-pubescent Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Every day, he could feel the strength of the bloodline affecting his body. According to Leylin's estimations, his second transition stage ever since obtaining the bloodline was soon approaching.

These two aspects left Leylin extremely satisfied. The one thing slowing down his progress was the elemental essence conversion.

The elemental essence conversion progress seemed to have something to do with the aptitude of a Magus' soul. As for Leylin, he only had a third-grade aptitude, which was a common, middle tiered aptitude.

The higher the aptitude of a soul, the faster the conversion would naturally become. People like Leylin could only slowly improve through the passing of time.

Leylin was, however, on the wanted list of a Magus family, so naturally, he did not want such a slow progress.

Apart from relying on time to progress, some precious ingredients could also hasten the progress of the elemental essence conversion.

However, Leylin looked at the ingredients on his bed.

"The Book of Giant Serpent must never be sold! The Fallen Star Pendant and Hoop of Imprisonment are rather handy for me at this stage, and are also magic artifacts which I'm lacking, so I cannot sell them too."

"The only choice left are these plants and the amassed magic crystals from before!"

Leylin was somewhat frustrated.

These items would at the most exchange for only a few of the resources he needed. His current situation was akin to pouring a cup of water on a burning cart of firewood.

Right now, he was reminiscing about the Dylan Gardens.

That was a secret plane left behind by a rank 4 Warlock. Just the harvest each year was worth a million magic crystals! With it, Leylin would not have to worry about the resources needed to advance to a rank 2 Warlock.

It was a pity, however, that the Dylan Gardens was destroyed by a self-destruct formation left by the great Magus Serholm.

"Perhaps, he did not wish for his inheritor to obtain too many items, for fear of losing the will for improvement!" Leylin surmised.

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Crystals

After hastily keeping the items on his bed, Leylin performed his routine meditation, then fell into a slumber.

It was a very deep sleep. When he finally woke up, it was already midday of the next day.

Leylin thought for a while, dressed up in a comfortable gown, and headed into the wilderness.

Along the path between the villas, Leylin followed the map he had obtained the day before, and walked towards the fourth level of the Nightless City.

"Good day sir!"

The red-headed old geezer, whom he met yesterday, was pruning his lawn. Upon seeing Leylin approach, he smiled and greeted Leylin.

"Hello!" Leylin felt a strong spiritual force propagating from within the old red headed geezer's body. It did not feel like that of a budding Magus but that of someone who had halted in rank for a long time, and had accumulated a lot of essence.

Furthermore, looking at the traces of energy particles hovering around the old geezer, the A.I. Chip had estimated that he was at least a semi-converted elemental Magus.

The old geezer's power level was similar to that of the clone from the Lilytell family that had been hunting Leylin.

"I wonder, what is his true battle prowess?"

The light Magi were better in the matters of theory and research. Leylin did not get the slightest feeling of similarity of a dark Magus from the old geezer. Obviously, he was a light Magus.

Being in a higher state does not necessarily mean that the fighting capabilities are high too. This was proved by the fact that despite having an elemental conversion of only 1%, Leylin managed to barely defeat a semi converted elemental Magus.

"My name is Crew. It has been a long time since any new neighbours have moved in!"

The old geezer smiled and placed his shears on the ground. From the looks of it, he was very excited to see Leylin.

"I am Leylin, and I have just arrived at Nightless City. It is a tranquil city and I love it here!"

Leylin bowed slightly as a sign of respect.

From the old geezer's body, Leylin felt a sense of peace. The old geezer also had a heavy scent of books and scrolls, and had the temperament of a scholar

In the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, all of the instructors brought about an air of intractable chill. The acolytes were afraid of them.

"Haha…you made a good choice!"

Upon hearing Leylin's words, the old geezer's wrinkly face creased with laughter.

"Where are you headed?" The old geezer sat down on a stool in the gardens. "Would you like to drink some red tea with an old geezer?"

"No thanks, I would like to have a stroll in the city and take a look at the trading district!"

Leylin rejected the old geezer's suggestion with a smile on his face and left the area.

"This is really a peaceful city, maybe I should stay here for awhile!"

Leylin wandered around the streets.

The third zone of the Nightless City was very different from the first two zones, especially the Magi's quarters. All of the villas were widely spaced, and they were adorned with eye-catching symbols.

Besides, the third zone's city walls were constructed using meteorites.

The meteorites were not only visually attractive, but were also capable of absorbing loose energy and radiation.

According to estimations from the A.I. Chip, the city walls exceeded an amount of two million magic crystals to construct. It left Leylin speechless.

There were significantly less people in the third zone. Occasionally, official Magi and their attendants could be spotted.

Leylin even spotted a few bodies that were intertwined with the energy of vengeful spirits and fresh blood.

Obviously, Leylin was spotted by the others as well. It was easy for those of the same kind to spot each other.

However, due to the rules of the Nightless City, and perhaps for other reasons as well, Leylin and the other dark Magi only exchanged looks from the distance, and left their positions in haste.

Leylin reached the fourth zone of the city after passing through a heavily guarded gate.

Many different types of stores dotted the vicinity. Occasionally, Magi could be spotted entering and exiting the stores.

The Magi that passed through the area had energy levels of official Magi and above. Not a single acolyte was seen.

"From the looks of it, this is the trading district set up for official Magi!"

Leylin was very pleased. The light Magi region was the trade center of the south coast, and Nightless City was one of the biggest cities within it. Congregated in here was some of the best the south coast had to offer. With an endless amount of resources available, it would definitely satisfy his needs.

Leylin looked around at the various store signs as he walked along the path towards the center.

"Old Gelling's medicine store!" "Cape of good hope refined gold goods!" "Clothes manufacturing shop" "Refined gemstones store" "Mythical creature trading store…"

Leylin was bewildered by the large variety of shops available.

However, he followed the information obtained yesterday, and made a beeline straight towards the fourth zone's central plaza.

Smack dab in the middle of the district packed full of stores was a large open plaza. Eighteen pillars that were as thick as the human skull were erected around it.

Occasionally, there were Magi on the plaza using their hands to feel the pillars with their eyes shut. It was as if they were interacting with something.

Some of the Magi that looked directionless and lost gained a sense of purpose in their movements after interacting with the pillars. They hurried along their way out of the market or towards a certain shop.

"We have reached the trade plaza!"

Leylin let out a gasp, and a flash of expectation came over him.

Following which, he queued behind a red-robed, middle-aged man.

There were only a scant few Magi on the plaza, so Leylin's turn came quickly.

Leylin took in a deep breath, and stood in front of the pillar, his palms pressing upon it.

Buzz Buzz!*

The moment his palms felt the rough stones on the pillar, Leylin experienced an extremely ice-cold spiritual force creep from the pillar and bore into his forehead.

Leylin's skin slightly stretched, and a few streaks of dark rays passed by. He felt as if he had been suppressed while the spiritual force bore into him.

"Data transmission interface detected, awaiting permission to enter"

"Allow it!" Leylin commanded.

Following which, a large amount of scripts and diagrams were circulated into Leylin's mind like a message. The information converged into what seemed like a hefty book.

Leylin's spiritual force gingerly touched the book and flipped to the first page.

"Material types" "Finished goods types" "Knowledge types" "Potion types"…

What entered his vision first was a densely packed index catalogue. Leylin hesitated for a while, before opening the "Knowledge types" segment.

Bang!*

A silver light flashed. Following which, a lot of sub-clauses appeared before Leylin's eyes.

"High level dwarf enchanting studies"

"Comprehensive details for flame runes"

"Introduction to crafting of medicines"

"Soul research date"

……

Many different branches of high-level academic knowledge appeared before Leylin.

There were many branches of discipline which Leylin himself had never heard of before. The names appeared to be very strange to him.

"However, there was no data on high level meditation. There was also no information in regards to the advancement of a Magus. It looked like it was intentionally hidden…"

With a slight flash in his eyes, Leylin turned to the "Material types" section.

Blue-gold stone, bayern flower, essense of wilted tree, black rose, heart of light blue lizard. There were many materials, some of which he had never heard of before, and some of which even had depictions that were very realistic looking.

"Search—crystallised Darkness energy particles!"

Following which, the majority of the data disappeared, and only a few lines of information from the hefty book remained.

"Looking to buy egg of a Fire Ingesting Bird at a favourable price, can choose from the following for trade: I have wood spirit 200 grams, crystallised Darkness energy particles 100 grams, Firestone 800 grams, Rotten Cloud medicine, and various types of liquids…"

"Store sells the following: crystallised Darkness energy particles, dragon grass, ghastly sunflower…"

On the hefty book, only these two statements appeared. It looked pathetic.

"There is only such a minute amount, and one of them only accepts the egg of a Fire Ingesting Bird for trade!"

Leylin frowned.

In order to increase the elemental conversion rate, other than relying on hard work, the A.I. Chip suggested that he could also ingest crystallised energy particles that suited his elemental affinity.

This sort of high energy concentration crystals were only formed in nature under very strict elemental conversion criteria.

Once a Magus ingested the crystals, he would be able to increase the rate of his elemental conversion.

Through this method, Leylin would be able to rapidly increase his elemental conversion rate, and fix his shortcomings.

However, these type of crystals were very valuable. Furthermore, the Darkness elemental ones were very rare, causing the whole database to only contain two lines of information in response to his query.

"Whatever. This is better than having to go search for the information myself."

While Leylin was using his spiritual force to reply to the message selling the crystals, a small messaged appeared: Elm Street #231!

This was the address of the shop from earlier.

Leylin threw a high-grade magic crystal into the stone pillar's interface.

A considerable fee was needed when information was obtained from the trading plaza. Leylin rolled his eyes at the fact that the profitable areas were dominated by the powers behind the Nightless City.

Upon analyzing the situation, Leylin found that he was not willing to part with another high grade magic crystal to obtain the contact information of the trader requesting the egg of fire ingesting bird.

After leaving the trade plaza, Leylin found the small shop written on the message in no time.

The tiny shop was rather inconveniently located in a small alley. If not for the definite address, Leylin would not have found it.

The shop was dimly lit and its floor was dusty.

The racks in the store were filled with transparent glass jars. Different types of organs and tissues were submerged in a faint yellow liquid within these glass jars. Leylin even saw a few that resembled a human embryo.

"What do you want?"

From the sales counter, a female witch wearing a tall pointed hat walked out. Her face was filled with fine wrinkles and her nose was hooked like an eagle's talons.

"I was looking at the trading board. Are you selling crystallized Darkness particles?"

Leylin asked with anticipation.

"Whoa! Look what I found, a Magus that majors in the cultivation of Darkness energy particles…"

The old female Magus laughed out as fire green light appeared in her eyes.

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Absorption

"You reek of blood, young man."

The old witch cried out in exaggeration.

"You are a dark Magus, am I right?"

"Is there anything wrong? I don't know of any rule in Nightless City that states that you can't sell to dark Magi." Leylin's brows furrowed.

"Hehehe… Don't worry, I'm a dark Magus too, though that's a matter from over 200 years ago. Ah, just remembering those times makes me feel nostalgic…"

The old witch chuckled, which sounded like an owl hooting.

"For you young people who want to take shortcuts, the price of crystallised Darkness energy particles is not something a newly advanced Magus can afford. I doubt you have that many magic crystals, so as a favour as your senior, I'd like to offer you another option…"

Leylin furrowed his eyebrows even more. "What option?"

"A trade! You should be aware that once we get to this level, all ordinary resources mean nothing to us. Only fellow Magi on the same level as us have the supplies we require…"

"What do you need?" Leylin didn't have a good feeling about this.

"One thousand! I need a thousand spirits brimming with energy! If you provide me with them, all of these Darkness crystals will belong to you."

The old witch's eyes shone with excitement.

"Are you out of your mind? If you want me to collect a thousand spirits within the light Magi domain, you might as well be telling me to commit suicide!"

Leylin replied indignantly.

Extracting spirits was a meticulous task, and in order to obtain the amount that the old witch desired, at least ten thousand people's lives would be consumed.

If Leylin were to harvest such a gargantuan amount, he would definitely be on the death list of white Magi!

"I'm not asking you to harvest spirits here. You can do it in the dark Magi's domain!" The old witch's face was nonchalant.

"That's much too far, and will consume too much time. Furthermore, I do not wish to incur the wrath of more dark Magi forces!"

Leylin immediately shook his head and rejected the old witch's request. "Since you posted a notice at the trade centre, I imagine you still require some magic crystals. It's not as if there aren't any spirits sold in the Nightless City. At most, you'd have to spend more time to amass them…"

"Alright then. However, young man, I have to remind you that the price of the Darkness crystals is not to be underestimated!"

The old witch had an internal struggle for a while, before realising that her requirements were a little too much, while walking back behind the counter.

Ping Ping Pang Pang!*

After rummaging through the drawers for quite a while, the old witch finally placed a conical glass bottle on the counter.

At the bottom of the glass bottle was a layer of semi-solid crystals. It let off a mysterious lustre as if wanting to suck in the souls of those peering at it.

"300 grams of crystallised Darkness energy particles. Every gram will cost 100 magic crystals!"

"Kiddo, I'll still reiterate my earlier suggestion. As long as you bring me 1,000 spirits, these will all be yours!"

The old witch tried her best to tempt Leylin.

"No need for that!" Leylin shook his head. However, the given price did surpass what he could pay.

Most of his magic crystals were earned from selling potions that he had brewed. After the bloodbath in the academy, he also managed to earn a huge amount, obtaining many magic crystals and precious ingredients.

However, to offset the amount he spent yesterday, those resources were mostly diminished.

Leylin did not plan to be so foolhardy as to harvest 1,000 spirits just for the sake of this small amount.

Even amongst the dark Magi, if one were to massacre large amounts of humans and harvest their spirits, he or she would be seen as the evilest of existences.

Leylin did not wish to live the life of a street rat1 in the south coast, receiving animosity from everyone.

"Can I use other ingredients to compensate for the remaining amount?" Leylin asked.

"Yes!" The old witch nodded. "However, I only accept ingredients pertaining to spirits. As for those kinds of items, I will only offer a 90% rate for them!"

"Spirits?"

Leylin suddenly understood that this old witch was a Magus who was most likely specialised in spirits. Right now, her experiments had reached a critical point, and she required large amounts of materials for her conjectures and theories.

Leylin did have plenty of precious ingredients on him, but many were still useful to him, and he did not plan on letting go of them anytime soon. Upon the realisation that this old witch was also researching spirits, Leylin's eyes flashed as he came up with an idea.

"How about… Advanced information regarding spirits? Will you accept that?"

Leylin asked.

"Advanced information? Let me have a look first!" The old witch's expression brightened.

Leylin chuckled, withdrew a pearl the size of a thumb, and handed it over.

This pearl was a special tool used to store memories. While conducting his research as an acolyte, Leylin had recorded some information regarding spirits and stored it within the pearl.

Although Leylin was only an acolyte at that time, with the help of the A.I. Chip, his research on spirits was extremely profound. It could even surpass the knowledge of his academy's professors.

Moreover, Leylin only intended to reveal some of the information that he had discovered in his earlier stages.

As for the experiments such as optimising the Blood Vengeance Potion and the bit of information that he had obtained from the Book of Giant Serpent, he was prepared to keep it for himself.

The old witch gave it a once over, "It seems to be research materials at an acolyte level. I won't reject…"

However, with the passing of time, her expression turned solemn, and she even seemed to be entranced.

"Such exquisite experimentations! Also, the unique perspective! How about the rest of the information! Hurry up and show them to me!" The old witch snarled, looking slightly deranged.

However, upon seeing this scene, Leylin smiled confidently.

"So then, we should be able to discuss and work out the price of this information…"

A dozen minutes later, Leylin left the old witch's shop smiling.

The glass bottle containing the Darkness crystals was nested safely within his robes.

He had somewhat underestimated the zealotry that the old witch had for spirit research. The information earlier had been sold for a price of 20000 magic crystals almost immediately.

After Leylin withdrew another 100 high-grade magic crystals, the Darkness crystals were immediately sold to Leylin.

Moreover, after looking through Leylin's experiment research, the old witch seemed to have a complete change in attitude. She became extremely affectionate towards Leylin and even invited him to collaborate in an experiment.

This was quite a sensitive matter, and Leylin eventually rejected after giving it some thought. However, he did leave his secret imprint with her. Although her craziness made Leylin rather reluctant to befriend her, it was undeniable that she had quite a few useful items. Moreover, Leylin had a plan that required a partner like her to carry out.

……

"Magus Leylin, it's you again. How was your afternoon?"

Under the flickering lamps of the street, Leylin returned to his villa.

Along the way, he coincidentally met that red haired geezer, Crew.

This old geezer was resting on his couch with a contented look on his face. Beside him were several maids with voluptuous clothing, who fed him delicacies time to time.

"Does this old geezer have a fetish for being the target of voyeurism?"

Leylin was somewhat speechless regarding Crew's nonchalance about seeking pleasure out in the open.

However, he still smiled on the surface. Resting against the fence, Leylin said, "It went okay. I managed to purchase some of the items that I yearned for…"

"Haha… After staying here for a long time, you will realise that Nightless City has everything you need!"

The old geezer chugged down the grape wine in his glass, before grabbing a maidservant beside him and smooching her out in the open.

As for the other maidservants, they chuckled, as if it was a common sight.

Although Leylin knew that after advancement, some Magi would give up on further improvement and turn lewd, engaging in wanton ways, it was still a first for Leylin to see such a sight. It had somehow widened his perspective. After exchanging several more sentences with Crew, Leylin returned to his villa.

Leylin laid on his bed upon returning to his bedroom, recollecting the day's events.

After obtaining the old witch's crystallines, Leylin saw that there was still some time to kill. At the same time, he contacted the Magus that wanted to trade the Darkness crystals for the egg of the Fire Ingesting Bird with wishful thoughts, wanting to purchase it off of him through other methods.

However, Leylin did not succeed, as the other party only wanted the egg of the Fire Ingesting Bird. Even though Leylin offered a 50% increase from the market price, it still did not move the seller.

Finally, Leylin could only reluctantly spend several hundred more magic crystals, and put out a notice at the trade centre saying that he wanted to purchase Darkness crystals, before returning to the villa.

"A.I. Chip! Show me my stats and simulate the best way to absorb the Darkness crystals!"

Leylin thought inwardly.

[Mission establishing, gathering Host's data, beginning model simulation!]

After receiving the command of its host, the A.I. Chip began to rapidly calculate, and rows of data began to flash past Leylin's eyes.

The next day, Leylin relaxed while strolling throughout the city, finding a restaurant to have a sumptuous feast before returning to his villa.

The basement of the villa had been remodeled, and a large spell formation had been carved into the surface of the floor.

Leylin placed the Darkness crystals that he had recently acquired at the centre of the formation.

"Based on the A.I. Chip's calculations, the crystals' absorption rate will achieve an efficiency of 94.7% when placed within this formation."

Leylin murmured to himself, as he came to the centre of the formation.

"Activate!" He said the opening command in the ancient Byron language.

Buzz buzz! *

The entire spell formation vibrated, emitting a bright light.

In the heart of the formation, the Darkness crystals began to melt. First, they shifted from a half-solid state to a liquid state and filled in a bizarre rune. Immediately after, a bright red light flashed, and the liquid within the rune vaporised into black smoke, which circled within the basement.

The black smoke converged, and seven indistinct snakes with red eyes emerged, twisting around Leylin's body.

Ice cold and slimy, the little snakes formed from the smoke resembled a real snake in every way, giving Leylin a bizarre sensation.

Leylin breathed in deeply.

Sssii!*

Two tiny snakes were immediately sucked into his nose.

Leylin felt as if his body had expanded, and he felt tipsy as if he was drunk.

1. TL Note: Unanimous hostility from everyone

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The Bloodline's Transition

The five remaining tiny snakes issued cries of terror while struggling to escape Leylin's reach.

Suddenly, Leylin opened his mouth and inhaled sharply.

All five tiny snakes were all swallowed inside his stomach.

Meanwhile, the spell formations on the ground emitted black lights, engulfing the entire basement.

Wrapped in darkness, Leylin had a feeling like he returned to his mother's womb— serene and comfortable.

Only the constant notifications from the A.I Chip could be heard.

[A large amount of essential substances are entering the Host's body, confirmed to be Dark energy particles, absorption in progress…] [Host absorption rate greatly enhanced under the effect of the Darkness rites, crystal utilisation increased!] [Absorption complete! Host's elemental essence conversion greatly increased, currently 35%.]

Di!*

A crisp tone sounded in the centre of the formation. Following which, the black light converged into the shadow of a figure at the centre.

"Huff…"

Leylin gradually opened his eyes, and a flash of black light streaked past his eyes.

"This feeling…"

Having the elemental essence conversion increase to 35% so quickly was a strange sensation. Leylin could clearly feel that in the surrounding void, tiny black particles of the Darkness element were hovering around like fireflies.

Although Leylin had a Darkness elemental aptitude, being able to sense the energy particles in the air this easily was still a first for him. It was a feeling of novelty. Moreover, Leylin could sense that it required less spiritual force than before to control the energy particles.

"Latent Fireball!"

Leylin quickly chanted the spell, and from the darkness of the basement, countless black fireballs flew out.

Flames gathered in Leylin's hands and became five times larger in an instant.

Corrosive flames continuously formed and raised, and even the roof of the basement gradually turned red, seeming to be on the verge of melting.

"A.I. Chip. Calculate the current stats!"

Leylin muttered inwardly.

[Rank 1 Magic: Latent Fireball. Degree of attack: 40.5. Additional damage from elemental essence conversion: 10.5!]

"As expected! The might of the latent fireball has risen sharply compared to before, and the amount of spiritual energy and magic power needed has been decreased."

Leylin's lips quirked in a slight smile.

His elemental essence conversion had already reached 35%, which allowed him to have an increase in prowess when he cast Darkness spells. Moreover, as it was energy particles that were from his elemental affinity, the consumption of spiritual force and magic power was lowered too.

"If my elemental essence conversion reaches 100%, I wonder what kind of extent will it reach…"

There was an outward expression on Leylin's eyes.

Right now, his elemental essence conversion was only at 35% and it had brought him this many benefits. If he was a fully converted elemental Magus, then he could rival the existences of those ancient elemental beasts!

Of course, Leylin was clear deep down that humans were, after all, not elemental creatures, so the possibility of 100% elemental essence conversion was minimal at best.

To some Magi, as long as they reached 80% elemental essence conversion, they could attempt to advance to a rank 2 Magus.

As for those with 90% elemental essence conversion and above, they were the geniuses that were groomed by powerful guilds.

"100% is an unreasonable goal. However, with so many good conditions that I possess, I must have at least a 90% elemental essence conversion before I advance to rank 2!"

The studier the foundations were built, the more benefits one could reap after advancement in the future. This logic had been long since comprehended by Leylin back when he was an acolyte.

"Crystallised energy particles! I need large amounts of crystallised Darkness energy particles!"

His eyes were blazing with a fiery passion.

After waiting for a few minutes, Leylin went to the spiral staircase in the basement.

"A.I. Chip! Check my current stats, and see if there are any residual effects or injuries on my body. Calculate the amount of time needed before I can use the energy particles again!"

A flash of blue light appeared in front of Leylin.

[Leylin Farlier, Rank 1 Warlock. Bloodline: Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Strength: 7.1, Agility: 6.7, Vitality: 8.5, Spiritual force: 29.8, Magic power: 29 (magic power is in synchronisation with spiritual force). Status: Healthy]

Based on the stats that A.I. Chip had calculated, after using the crystals, not only had Leylin's elemental essence conversion rapidly increased to 35%, his spiritual force had also risen.

[Residual substances have appeared in Host's body, determined to be elemental impurities! Currently in the process of expelling impurities from the body. Estimated time needed: 4 Months, 21 Days!"

The results that the A.I. Chip gave left Leylin somewhat shocked.

Magi who used external resources to advance would often cause themselves some problems. He had known this since long ago. However, he didn't think that the damages would have been this much lesser than expected.

"This can't be correct! According to the meditation technique and the Book of Giant Serpent, after using the crystals, the backlash will only be the invasion of negative energy and a temporary loss in ability to sense the energy particles in the surroundings?"

Leylin was somewhat puzzled. If using such crystals had such a good outcome, then the price should have been several times higher.

The reason for the circumstances that happened to him most likely stemmed from his own body.

"A.I. Chip, find out the reason why!"

Leylin could tell that this probably had to do with his Warlock bloodline. Ever since his body had taken in the ancient blood of the Giant Kemoyin Serpent, his body had been continuously merging with the blood, also transforming his physique.

The change in his body when he advanced into a Rank 1 Warlock had been minimal. There was also still a large amount of blood that was constantly merging with his body, which unknowingly gave him many benefits.

[Mission establishing, obtaining authorisation! Beginning microscopic analysis. Scanning in progress!]

The A.I. Chip quickly cast a light blue diagram in front of Leylin.

It was a diagram of a human's DNA helix structure.

The difference between him and regular humans was that on Leylin's diagram, there were many barbs on his helixes. These barbs vaguely formed the shape of a mysterious rune.

This rune was somewhat similar to the rune that Leylin saw while transplanting the bloodline. Furthermore, it seemed to expand continuously, as if wanted to cover the entire model of Leylin's DNA.

[Abnormality in genetic information found in Host's body. Endocrine secretion is different from normal humans. Cell activity increased, increasing effect of expelling poison!]

At the bottom of the diagram, the A.I. Chip came up with a conclusion.

From the A.I. Chip's conclusion, it could be seen that upon receiving the bloodline, Leylin's body was constantly getting stronger. His body's ability to expel poison had also exceeded most rank 1 Magi, to the point that it was able to dispel the residual impurities caused by the usage of the crystals.

[Beep! Based on analysis of the Host's DNA, the Giant Kemoyin Serpent's bloodline is getting stronger, and will soon undergo a transition. Estimated time: 1 Year, 09 Months.]

The A.I. Chip prompted Leylin with another frame.

"Bloodline transition?"

Leylin suddenly thought back to the records in the Book of Giant Serpent.

If a Warlock's bloodline was extremely concentrated, and if the level of the bloodline exceeded that of the Warlock by a large margin, the power of the bloodline would remain stagnant within the Warlock's body, and accumulate until it underwent a transition!

For every transition in the bloodline, the Warlock's body would undergo a drastic change!

What Leylin had transplanted was the purified bloodline of the ancient creature, the Giant Kemoyin Serpent. If one were to quantify its level, it would be at least a rank 4 Morning Star Magus.

As for Leylin, he was only a rank 1 Magus as of now! The concentration of the bloodline was too high, so it could only be dormant within his body. After Leylin's elemental essence conversion and spiritual force had reached a certain threshold, it would then enhance him with a deeper harmonization.

"It seems that the ancient creatures' bloodlines are mysterious yet powerful, which far exceeds my expectations!"

Leylin who was walking up suddenly halted.

"There's still 1 year and 9 months huh?"

The second transition would bring immense benefits to Leylin. The most obvious change would be the leap in power!

"If that is the case, a lot of my plans from before should now be modified!"

Leylin's eyes flashed, "A.I. Chip, are there any methods to hasten the arrival of the second transition?"

[Mission established! Searching within the database!]

The A.I. Chip quickly began to compute. [Lacking in data, unable to proceed! Beginning simulation!] [Possible methods — 1: Using Bloodline Crystals. 2: Obtaining a spell formation that can strengthen the bloodline…]

That was also one of the benefits of the A.I. Chip being upgraded. When important data was missing, it could establish conjectures, and provide a case scenario with the highest rate of success to the Host.

"Weren't these two items already extinct within the south coast years ago?"

Leylin was somewhat speechless, "Is my only option to wait this out?"

After walking to the top of the spiral staircase, Leylin opened a wooden door that had a metal hoop and came to the study room of the villa.

"It seems that I have to look for some servants and the like!"

Leylin sized up the empty villa.

There were multiple rooms here, as well as a professional kitchen and stable. By the looks of it, these had been prepared for a Magus' servants.

After most Magi advanced, they would usually find themselves a few servants or followers, and some might even accept apprentices to service them.

It was a very rare situation for Magi who had advanced to still live alone, as Leylin did.

"I guess I should make changes to the original plan!"

Leylin looked around the villa. "It's a good opportunity to stay here for a while and take care of matters such as getting servants."

Originally, Leylin had been planning to undergo a series of expeditions to acquire resources for his advancement after settling down in the Nightless City.

However, from the looks of it, since he already knew that his strength would be greatly boosted in 2 years' time, he could afford to give it some time and wait it out.

For Magi, two years were not a very long period of time. As for Leylin, who had the bloodline of an ancient creature, his lifespan was higher than most Magi.

"Since I have decided to stay in Nightless City for a while, I should not be idling around. I have to create potions for sale and join other guilds to obtain protection and high-grade information. These can all be carried out at the same time!"

Thoughts ran through Leylin's mind as he suddenly remembered his neighbour, the red-haired geezer.

This neighbour of his would definitely be helpful in this area.

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Seeking Entry

"Come on! I specially got someone to bring this black tea all the way from the eastern islands!"

The simplistically carved wooden teacup was giving off steam, which vaporised into the air, bringing about the fragrance of brewed tea.

With a hospitable smile on his face, the red-haired Crew brought a cup of black tea to Leylin.

Sometime after Leylin finished consuming the crystals and made the decision to be a resident of the Nightless City, he bought a gift and paid the Magus Crew a visit.

"Come, this is a honey cake made from the honey of Pomelo Bees! The taste is delicious!"

After seeing Leylin drink the red tea, old Crew directed one of his maidservants to serve a plate of extremely sweet mini cake.

The maidservants wore extremely exposing uniforms, only covering the few crucial areas. Most of her glossy skin was out in the open, which looked extremely alluring.

"If you like them, I can gift you a few!"

Crew laughed absent-mindedly.

"Please don't tease me!" Leylin shook his head as he forced a smile. "Haven't I already told you the purpose of this visit?"

At the mention of getting down to business, Crew's expression became stern.

He waved his hands, and the maidservants in the surroundings bowed deeply, before quickly taking their leave. They were obviously trained and did not make any sound as they retreated.

"Do you wish to join an organisation in Nightless City?"

Crew's expression was solemn.

"Yes, for the sake of high-grade information and some precious ingredients needed in experiments…"

What Leylin said was the truth. Obviously, he could brew his own potions and earn magic crystals, leading a very comfortable life in the Nightless City.

However, even if Nightless City was known as a trade centre, some precious items were still under strict regulations.

For example, only a few official Magi were able to access high-grade information, as well as some information that was related to breaking through bottlenecks.

These materials were heavily regulated, whether it was by magisteriums and guilds operating behind the scenes of the Nightless City, or through strict control and distribution on a periodical basis. As for wandering Magi like Leylin, there were no chances of obtaining them on the streets.

Perhaps a couple things could be found in black markets, but the amount would definitely be extremely little, and the prices extremely farfetched.

If that was the case, it was better to join a guild, even obtaining privileges at times.

"Well… the magisteriums in Nightless City are quite regulated, and…"

Crew may have omitted some information, but Leylin was well aware of what he was implying.

While Magi organisations and families may have had the tradition of recruiting wandering Magi or those who were on the run, there was a crucial requirement said Magi must not have created trouble that might bring harm to the organisation backing them.

For a Magus like Leylin, whose history was unknown, Magi organisations would do a complete investigation into his background, and then judge whether or not he was permitted to join their group.

"My full name is Leylin Farlier. I don't have anything to hide, as you'll find if you look into my history."

Leylin didn't have any plans on hiding anything about his background.

He was from the Chernobyl Islands, and was a noble's son. All of his experiences from when he was a child up till now had been recorded, and he was definitely not afraid of being investigated.

Furthermore, the only enemy that he had was the powerful Lilytell family. Unfortunately, the Lilytell family was a typical dark Magi family.

They were the arch enemy of the light Magi, who were in control of Nightless City. Countless dark Magi had lost their lives within the light Magi's domain.

Leylin had always been sticking to his role as an acolyte. There was no evidence that indicated he was insane or sick in the mind, such as having massacred regular humans at will.

As a result, his identity would not affect his entry into an organisation in Nightless City.

"There were some disputes over interests before. Due to some personal conflicts and interests, I killed the heir of a family, and am now on their wanted list…"

Leylin briefly explained his past.

After hearing Leylin's recount, Crew's face turned even gentler.

"Be at ease. I personally do not have any animosity towards dark Magi. Moreover, you have already abandoned their camp, have you not?"

As if afraid that Leylin was worried, Crew even explained himself.

"We of Nightless City will still welcome Magi like you, so be at ease!"

Crew sipped the black tea from the appealing wooden cup, before he slowly said, "So then, there are many guilds in the Nightless City; which one are you planning to join?"

"It's precisely because I don't know much that I'm here to seek your guidance!"

An embarrassed expression surfaced upon Leylin's face.

"En! Let me think, where should I begin?"

Crew racked his brains, and after thinking for a while, he said, "There are many guilds in the Nightless City. Ennea Ivory Ring Tower, Mercifura Academy, Four Seasons Garden, Hand of Femke, Human Faced Lion's Eye…"

"These are all guilds that are more powerful, monopolising the trade behind the Nightless City. On the surface, there are a few other small organisations. Those ones aren't that strong, some even having only a semi-converted elemental Magus as their backer. If at any time they were to die, the organisation would naturally be dismissed…"

"They are only guilds in name, and their shares of resources are extremely few, to the point of almost being negligible. Some are even just based on friendships and the collaboration of experiments. After some time, groups like that will naturally be formed. These types of groups have no backing at all, so don't even think of joining them!"

Crew advised Leylin with a good heart.

"As for the application, you only have to go to the communal centre, and request an application. Once you pass the test, you will be granted entry!"

"Of course, the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower might have some special welfare and restrictions…"

Leylin did not pay Crew a visit just to find out superficial information such as this. He also wanted to understand more about the inner workings of the large guilds in Nightless City. This information could only be known by older Magi who had been a resident of Nightless City for a long time.

Of course, Crew knew of this, so he leaked some important information further on in their discussion, allowing Leylin to grasp a better understanding of the various guilds.

Several hours later, Leylin bade Crew farewell with a huge grin on his face, and he returned to the villa.

In the study room, a white ball formed from magic was floating in mid-air, giving off vivid rays of light that were not too harsh on the eyes, and brightening up the entire study as if it were day.

Leylin sat on an armchair, holding a stiff goose feather quill pen, and seemingly deep in thought.

On the surface of the piece of parchment spread out over the table, there were several handwritten lines written in black ink.

At the very top of the list was Ennea Ivory Ring Tower and Mercifura Academy, followed by Four Seasons Garden, and the tier below was the Hand of Femke, Human Faced Lion's Eye, Aide Society, and the like.

These were obviously the names of the true powers behind Nightless City.

"Ennea Ivory Ring Tower and Mercifura Academy are both schools and have the harshest requirements for Magi who wish to enter. They even demand that Magi hand over a part of their spirit, and make an unbreakable vow! Even though their treatment is the best, I won't go there."

From the very start, Leylin crossed off Ennea Ivory Ring Tower and Mercifura Academy from the piece of parchment.

"As for the Hand of Femke and the Human Faced Lion's Eye, they are both organisations formed by and for half-humans. The ratio of pure humans to half-humans is quite low, and there are rumours that they are discriminated against, so I'm not going there either!"

Once again, Leylin struck off two organisations from the list with a wave off his black goose feather quill pen.

"As for Aide Society, they are more partial towards using positive energy magic. It's an organisation made up of light Magi who are known for their healing abilities, which is definitely not my cup of tea…"

Leylin struck off the characters that represented Aide Society.

There was just one lonely option left on the parchment.

"Four Seasons Garden. I guess this is my only choice…"

Leylin had a bitter smile on his face. From the information that he had received from Crew, Leylin had a certain level of understanding regarding the organisations backing Nightless City.

However, many of them did not meet his requirements.

He was thinking of entering an organisation as an external lecturer or a visitor, but most organisations required their recruits to pledge their absolute loyalty to them.

There were some with more lax prerequisites, but unfortunately, their specialisation did not coincide with Leylin's interests, so he could not learn much from them.

No matter how he saw it, Four Seasons Garden was his only option.

Four Seasons Garden was a large scale Magi organisation. There were rumours that it was founded by a formidable Potioneering organization, and even now, Four Seasons Garden was still well known for its cultivation of vegetation, as well as Potioneering.

This coincided with what Leylin was studying.

The requirements to enter this organisation were also laxer, and those who had talent in Potioneering received excellent treatment.

Leylin had already achieved a certain level of attainment in Potioneering, and with the help of the A.I. Chip, he was almost as good as his mentor, Kroft. If he revealed just a small portion of his talent, it would definitely be enough to gain the respect of the Magi at Four Seasons Garden.

Since Four Seasons Garden was a Magi organisation renowned for Potioneering, it was sure to have many formulas, even including those ancient Potioneering formulas.

In addition, the large quantities of documents and books that they possessed would definitely be extremely helpful for the A.I. Chip's database.

As Leylin pondered, a trace of anticipation flashed within his eyes.

The next day, Leylin donned leather armour, with a cross blade in a silver scabbard, and went to the second level of the communal centre in the Nightless City.

The level of activity in the construction resembling a gargantuan palm was very high; every now and then, magicians walked in and out like scurrying ants.

This time, Leylin entered through the passage that resembled the thumb.

Most of the Magi here were rank 1, with cold auras that deterred others from getting into close proximity with them.

"These are most likely wandering Magi coming here to seek an opportunity!"

Leylin inadvertently scanned his surroundings and saw several strangely dressed Magi. Just based on the energy waves radiating from them, Leylin felt a sense of danger. With just one look at them, one could tell that they were no pushovers.

There was a large hall at the end of the passage, and straight ahead of it, there were several counters that were separated by glass windows. Within those counters, several magicians seemed to be scribbling on their papers.

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Four Seasons Garden

As there were only a few official Magi, empty counters were readily available.

There were a few magicians sitting on the big benches around the hall as if waiting for something or someone.

Leylin looked around and arrived in the front of an empty counter.

"Hello!" The young maiden behind the counter seemed to emit the energy waves of a level 3 acolyte. Upon seeing Leylin, she greeted him cheerfully, as her face brightened up with a smile.

"I wish to join Four Seasons Garden, hence I'm here to apply!" Leylin directly told her his purpose for arriving.

"Nightless City welcomes you as our newest member!" After listening to Leylin's request, the young maiden's smiling expression was more pronounced. "Please show me your ring!"

Leylin removed the silver ring from his finger and handed it over to her.

The young maiden reached out for the ring, placed it onto an instrument from behind the counter, and then respectfully handed the ring back to Leylin.

"Please fill out this form, and we will send a reply to you as soon as possible!" Subsequently, the young maiden handed a sheepskin parchment form to Leylin.

Leylin glanced at the form.

The questions on the form were simple. They asked for a name, aptitude, elemental affinity, address, and so on. On the back of the form was a note, allowing magicians to fill in other information they deemed as important.

Leylin quickly filled out the form and handed it back to the maiden.

The maiden accepted the form from Leylin and pressed on the crystal ball in front of her as if consulting something. Soon after, her face reflected her joy.

"Lord Leylin! A few examiners from Four Seasons Garden will be here this afternoon to conduct a test. You'll only have to wait for a bit…"

"Oh? It seems like lady luck is shining on me!"

Leylin smiled as he nodded his head; he had finally found out what those magicians in the hall were waiting for.

According to Crew, after wandering magicians handed over their application forms, they would have to wait for the examiners of the various guilds, who would classify their abilities through an assessment.

The timing was not fixed. It could be as short as a few days, or as long as a few months.

This time, however, Leylin had managed to catch the right timing.

"Thank you!"

Leylin thanked the girl behind the glass window, and proceeded to a corner of the hall devoid of others, and closed his eyes as he waited.

"Hello Mister, would you like some lunch?"

A somewhat timid female voice sounded near Leylin.

Leylin opened his eyes and realised that a maid pushing a white dining cart had come up to him.

On the dining cart, there were a few silver plates on which a temperature-maintaining spell had been cast. Even though they were covered, the food's aroma still drifted over to Leylin's nose.

"What kinds of dishes are there? Do they require magic crystals for payment?" Leylin asked with curiosity.

It was evident that it was the first time the maid had seen an easygoing magician like Leylin; her reaction was sluggish. "There is roasted lamb thigh, calf loin… As for dessert, there's an assorted fruit salad! All of these are complimentary…"

Leylin nodded his head. It seemed that official Magi were treated pretty well in the Nightless City.

This was common sense. It didn't matter where it was; a person who had mastered a certain degree of power or ability would always be valued.

"Give me one portion of the roasted lamb thigh, as well as a portion of the fruit salad!"

The lobby was very large, and there were even customised compartment rooms that one could choose so stay in. Other than meals, it seemed that there were other special offers.

Leylin personally witnessed a huge magician pulling a maid into one of the compartment rooms. Following which, sounds of repressed moans could be heard.

"L… Lord, if you want…" The maid servicing Leylin was also quite a beauty and combined with her slightly shy demeanour, caused one to feel lusty, and desire to ravage her.

"There is no need. I'll just eat outside!"

Leylin shook his head. Inside the hall were some round tables and long benches, similar to the layout of a coffee place from his past life, where one could stay to dine.

Leylin considered whether he had his sperms acting as a brain. With the assessment commencing this afternoon, how could that magician still think of something like this? Wasn't he afraid that his current actions would adversely affect his state of mind and ability to produce results during the assessment?

Upon hearing Leylin's response, the maid released a sigh of relief. Soon afterwards, whether it was because she felt like she had been relieved of a huge burden, or she just felt empty, Leylin had made his way into her heart.

While the maid looked at Leylin, who exuded elegance and charisma, she momentarily felt an indescribable feeling.

Leylin, on the other hand, did not notice the maid's feelings.

He was currently skilfully controlling the knife and fork in his hands, sending the lamb thigh meat into his mouth. Every move he made had an indescribable feeling of elegance and grace to it.

In his previous life, Leylin was someone who paid extra attention to etiquette, and as the heir to an aristocrat, the previous Leylin had also undergone etiquette lessons over a long period of time.

As a result, the original Leylin was very noble-like, and when coupled with the charisma he had gained from the Kemoyin bloodline, plenty of young female magicians favoured him.

Just by walking along the streets of Nightless City, the present Leylin would spot several young ladies stealing glances at him.

There were even a few voluptuous female magicians that directly requested a date with Leylin, causing him to be dumbfounded.

After having a pretty tasty lunch, Leylin waited for a while before entering the hall, in which a large commotion was occurring amongst the magicians.

"Are they here?"

Leylin watched attentively as two Magi, who wore white robes imprinted with four unknown flower designs, walked to the center of the hall.

Next to them were two other Magi wrapped in white cloaks, revealing nothing but two pairs of green eyes.

"Today is the day of assessment for Four Seasons Garden and Hand of Femke. Those who have submitted their application form and would like to join Hand of Femke, please come with me!"

One of the Magi with green eyes spoke first in a hoarse voice as if his vocal cords had been damaged.

At the moment that he began to speak, the surrounding air started to faintly vibrate. Circles of aquamarine light started to loom around his body.

"This is …… a semi-converted elemental Magus?!" Leylin blinked.

This type of energy wave was similar to the one that he had seen from the clone of the elder of the Lilytell Family.

After the cloaked figure revealed his strength as a semi-converted elemental Magus, the whole hall turned silent.

Magi only respected and answered to power and strength, and this was even truer among wandering magicians and dark Magi.

Furthermore, under normal circumstances, wandering magicians and wanted Magi had no fixed ways of breaking through their bottlenecks due to the lack of means to obtain advanced academic knowledge, potions, and the like.

As a result, wandering magicians were generally of lower levels. Even amongst the wandering official Magi, it was extremely rare to find a semi-converted elemental Magus.

While the large Magi organizations of Nightless City could easily dispatch two semi-converted elemental Magi as examiners, this kind of power was something that smaller organizations could only hope to achieve.

After the cloaked figured finished his speech, he left without delay, and headed to a nearby side tunnel, while his companion followed behind without a word.

Upon hearing the words of the green eyed magician, many magicians in the hall stood up and followed closely behind him.

Leylin could sense a mixture of energies emanating from these magicians. Some even had fur on their faces, which was an obvious trait of being half beast.

"It's a pity, They're just a tribe of sub-human Magi and not Warlocks!"

Leylin now anxiously wished to be able to find another Warlock organisation.

He simply had too many unanswered questions regarding this ancient branch of Magi, the Warlock. With just the Book of Giant Serpents, he wouldn't be able to go far upon the path of his bloodline.

However, unfortunately, warlocks seemed to be extinct within the South Coast. Leylin had travelled this far and had only been able to find a little girl in the Inlan Dukedom, who had a very slight connection with warlocks.

"Hello, everyone! I am Wade, a Magus from the Four Seasons Garden! This person next to me is Tyne!"

In comparison to the lack of politeness received from the men from Hand of Femke, the two main examiners from Four Seasons Garden were friendlier.

Wade, the middle-aged magician with golden hair, had taken the initiative and introduced himself. Tyne, who was next to him, was silent and taciturn, and sometimes even absent-minded.

However, from their bodies, one could feel that they possessed the strong energy waves of a semi-converted elemental Magus, discouraging wandering Magi from causing trouble.

"Now! Those who want to be assessed for Four Seasons Garden, please come with me!"

The golden-haired Wade turned towards the side road in the opposite direction that the Magi from the Hand of Femke had taken. Tyde followed closely behind.

Leylin and the rest of the five or six magicians exchanged glances and started taking strides to catch up.

The side road was long, and the path was made of an unusual and bizarre material. The floor had no traces of cracks, and it was smooth and glossy. Leylin could even see his own reflection on the ground.

After walking for about ten minutes, Leylin and the rest arrived at a hall that was slightly smaller than the one from before.

In the middle of the hall, there were several experiment tables and equipment for Potioneering.

Upon seeing this, Leylin instantly knew what the Four Seasons Garden was going to evaluate them on.

"As we all know, our Four Seasons Garden is famous for our specialisation in Potioneering. Therefore, we have some requirements in the area of Potioneering for new members. The test is very simple. Within the established time, successfully brew a bottle of Jeffrey's Purifying Potion!"

Wade spoke softly, but it seemed like some sort of magic technique was being used, and his voice was clearly heard by every magician's ears.

"Raw materials are arranged on the experiment tables; we have prepared three portions of raw materials for each of you. In other words, you'll only have two chances to fail!"

"This kind of request…."

Leylin squinted for a bit. Jeffrey's Purifying Potion was a type of middle-grade medicine, which, even amongst potions of a similar tier, was famous for being extremely difficult to brew.

Brewing this potion with only three portions of ingredients and within a specified time limit was something only those who were at a level comparable to Potion masters such as Kroft would be able to pass.

"Tsk…."

Sure enough, after the listing the requirements, Leylin heard distinct hisses from the magicians around him.

"In recent years, the larger powers within Nightless City have made their recruitment criteria increasingly stringent…"

At this time, a sound of complaint travelled to Leylin's ears.

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Jeffrey's Purifying Potion

"Silence!"

Seeing the chaotic scene, Tyne, who had stayed quiet all this while, suddenly spoke.

In a split second, tremendous spiritual power swept through the hall like a storm.

"This is the assessment to enter my Four Seasons Garden. If you have no wish to participate, the door's right there. Please feel free to leave."

Tyne pointed to the small door at the side.

It instantly became unnaturally quiet.

"Good! Are there none who want to withdraw? In that case, let the examinations begin!" Wade glanced at the Magi under him, nodded, and a golden hourglass appeared in the middle of the room. Grain by grain, the sand started to fall.

Seeing that it was time to begin, the magicians quickly ran to their workbenches and started to handle the materials they had.

Leylin found himself a space in the corner, and since there were many workbenches within the hall, nobody was going to fight him for this place. At the moment, he was still relaxed enough to be judging the performance of the acolytes.

Since these Magi had all chosen Four Seasons Garden, it was natural that they had achieved a certain level of attainment in Potioneering. All of the magicians began to operate the equipment on the workbench in a skilled manner, motions quick and methodological.

"From the looks of it, I'll have to reveal a bit of my skills…"

Leylin grinned and got to work…

"Hmm?"

Tyne, who had been sweeping his gaze over the applicants, suddenly made a sound of surprise.

"What happened?" Wade asked his friend in a hushed tone.

"That Magus! His brewing methods are extremely… perfect!" Tyne came up with the word after a long pause.

"Look! Even though the other magicians are skilled, they tend to make mistakes. However, there isn't the slightest bit of a lapse in his hands or in his movements. Everything is so stable as if it's a textbook example but in real life."

"Hmm… You're right! If you hadn't brought it up, I would have missed it!"

Wade watched the young man in the corner who was engrossed in handling a green plant.

The young man was currently using his right hand to heat up the beaker, the fingers on his left hand constantly emitting yellow flames. When combined together, the colour became a striking red.

"This is the Flame Combining Method unique to the dark Magi domain, and is a high level technique used in Potioneering. To think that he's so proficient in this method…"

Wade wore an expression of admiration on his face. "It looks like we've found ourselves a promising seedling. Let me see what his name is…"

Wade immediately went through the stack of application forms and quickly found the young man's name on the last piece of parchment.

"So he's called Leylin? He comes from the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy in the Poolfield Kingdom, and has offended the local Lilytell family!"

"If that's all there is, it seems like we're going to be welcoming another comrade soon!"

Tyne's usually emotionless face twisted in a smile.

For the magicians in the light Magi domain, they were uncaring of the fact that Leylin had offended those in the dark Magi region. After all, these two areas were at odds with each other in the first place.

What they were most afraid of was if Leylin had offended any of the local large-scale Magi organisations. That was the most troublesome.

At times, in order to maintain the guise of unity and solidarity, they had no choice but to reject talented Magi who were on the light Magi organisations' wanted lists.

The magicians were focusing on completing their own potions, and seemed not to have heard the two Magi, who were engrossed in conversation.

All of a sudden, a Magus dressed in a black cloak made a sound. His hand trembled, and the chemical within the test tube that was already transparent instantly became cloudy.

"Bastard! You're looking to die!"

The black-cloaked Magus roared, countless black rays gathering in his hands as he dashed towards a blonde female Magus at another side.

"Stop right there!" Wade bellowed, his body shimmering with light. A rune nearby the experiment tables shone, trapping the Magus within the area.

"My lord, she…" he protested.

"I didn't see her doing anything, I only saw you trying to attack a fellow Magus participating in the assessment!" Wade snorted.

"If this happens again, you'll lose the right to participate."

The black-robed Magus seemed extremely dissatisfied as he clenched his fist. After tarrying for several minutes, he then dispelled the radiation of energy waves in anger.

"I am going to kill you!"

He glared viciously at the blonde Magus. Afterwards, he picked up another set of ingredients and began his brewing again.

"This is… An attack on the sly?"

Leylin's hands did not stop moving yet his emotions began to surge.

Just then, the A.I. Chip's scan detected a tiny trace of an extremely covert spiritual force from the female blonde Magus that had attacked the black robed Magus.

Potioneering was a highly delicate process, and any tiny slip up could cause the whole brewing process to fail.

The black robed Magus had been interrupted at a crucial moment, and the potion he was brewing was naturally destroyed in an instant.

Although a spiritual attack was slight, a semi-converted elemental Magus would definitely be able to sense it.

However, these two examiners prevented the black-robed Magus from seeking revenge.

"Could it be that the test allows one to strike covertly, but it cannot cross a certain margin nor be too obvious?"

Leylin surmised.

With this said, the difficulty of the test had increased again. Leylin was stunned by the harshness and reality of this test from the Four Seasons Garden.

"However, on the other hand, the stricter the test is, the greater the benefits obtained later on!"

Right now, he was fuelled by a fervent desire.

Bang!* *Bang!*

The commotion from just now seemed to have caused some sort of chain reaction, and in a short moment, another two Magi slipped up.

There was a cold glint in Leylin's eyes.

Using the A.I. Chip, he could distinctly feel that there were two minute waves of spiritual force aimed towards him.

Their target was the Potion in his hand that was close to completion!

"A two pronged attack?"

Leylin laughed. To talk about the minute control of the spiritual force, Leylin who had the A.I. Chip to help him would not be afraid of anyone!

"A.I. Chip, begin secondary task and destroy the spiritual forces together with me!"

Leylin commanded inwardly. Very soon, a layer of spiritual force that had a trace of Darkness aura met the two similar spiritual force head on.

Ka-Cha!* *Ka-Cha!*

At the point of contact between the spiritual forces. Leylin's spiritual force had rapidly overlapped, turning into the form of a small snake. Its tiny strength continued to stack, and after several rounds, its might momentarily multiplied by several times!

Boom!*

The two opposing spiritual forces were destroyed the moment they came in contact with Leylin's spiritual force.

Not only that, Leylin's spiritual force still followed the pathway of the two spiritual forces and began a fierce counterattack.

"Urgh!"

"Argh!"

Two sudden cries were sounded in the hall suddenly.

The potions of the black robed Magus and female blonde Magus immediately turned to ashes. Furthermore, two streams of blood flowed down from their noses.

"Interesting! Earlier, I felt that the acting of the black robed Magus was somewhat poor, but now, have they been colluding?"

Leylin smirked. His elemental essence conversion had been significantly boosted. Also, with the help of the A.I. Chip, these two were unaware, and had actually taken a small hit from him.

They most likely had to recuperate for a period of time before fully recovering from the spiritual force attack from earlier.

"My Lord! I forfeit!" The black-cloaked man glanced at Leylin in fright, and promptly lowered his head, afraid to look him in the eye any longer.

"Me too!" The blonde Magus yelled.

"Permitted!" Tyne answered.

The two Magi quickly gave Tyne a bow, and darted out of the hall.

Unexpectedly, neither of them had any complaints or glared at anyone.

"At least these two know their place!"

Leylin thought nothing of their behaviour.

Magicians respected power. In the earlier exchange, he could tell that the two Magi's elemental essence conversions were not higher than 10%, so they most likely had only just advanced.

They posed no threat to the current Leylin.

It seemed they were well aware of this fact, and quickly withdrew from the assessment, even being afraid that Leylin would pursue the matter.

"Did you see that? What an interesting performance!"

Wade grinned as he spoke to Tyne.

"Yes, his elemental essence conversion is of a rather high level. His ability to manipulate spiritual force is also amazing!"

Tyne nodded, his expression stern.

"And I was still worried that he was a spy from some organisation! I'm afraid nobody would be willing to use someone like him as a spy!"

"So this is your conclusion?" Wade blinked. This was the first time Tyne had such a good impression of somebody.

"No! This is just my hypothesis!" Tyne's usually expressionless face suddenly had a mischievous smile.

"You!"

As Tyne's colleague, Wade naturally knew that his counterpart's frosty indifference was just an act. In fact, Tyne had a mischievous mindset.

As for Wade, who looked more normal between the two, he often had to take the blame for Tyne's behaviour.

"The Jeffrey's Purifying Potion! I've completed it!"

At this moment, Leylin indicated his completion by waving his hands.

This voice was extremely abrupt in the originally silent hall. In a moment, many gazes from magicians glanced at Leylin.

Firmly held in Leylin's hand was a test-tube with a milky white substance.

Wade came in front of Leylin, and carefully took the potion from him. He then began to scribble on a form.

"Very well! You can leave now. Ten days later, come to the recruitment area at the communal centre, and await for your results!"

Wade gave Leylin an extremely warm smile.

"Many thanks!"

Leylin smiled and bowed before leaving from a side door.

He understood that the test had been successfully passed. As long as there were no problems when they reexamined his current status, the Four Seasons Garden would never deny his entry.

Outside of the communal area were the wide streets of Zone 2 in Nightless City. The bustling activity on the streets continued, as people continued to pass by.

Anyone who had registered and provided their paperwork were allowed to stay in Zone 2, so Leylin was even able to see some regular humans here.

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Pass

Regular humans who lived in the domain of light Magi had better lives than those in the dark Magi domain.

Furthermore, the revered magicians even allowed them to obtain resident rights in Zone 2 as long as they continuously worked hard for it.

However, from what Leylin saw, it was only a different form of management.

Regular humans were treated at the same level as wild grasses in the dark Magi domain, and they did not receive management very often. The only thing was that they would be harvested in times of need.

As for the light Magi, they treated these humans as pieces of property; hence, they could afford to invest huge amounts of time and effort to manage them in order to reap greater benefits.

Even in the most open minded domain of the light Magi, magicians always had a position far above regular humans. Furthermore, this gap in status surpassed the gap between regular humans and nobles.

Leylin saw many situations in which regular humans, even those that seemed to be nobility, respectfully moved aside and gave a deep bow when they saw an acolyte.

Leylin paid no mind to these situations, however. The test today was rather taxing, and he was prepared to enjoy a hearty feast, then proceed to Crew's house to inquire about some matters.

The old geezer was very talkative, and Leylin wasn't planning on asking him anything confidential, so he was naturally willing to entertain Leylin.

Crash! *

"Ah!"

Suddenly, a little girl in a white dress, who was chasing something like a rubber ball, bumped into Leylin's leg.

Rather than Leylin, who stayed in the same spot, the little girl fell backwards onto the ground.

She opened her eyes wide, and when she saw Leylin in his leather armour, she promptly began to cry in fear.

The congested street instantly became quiet, and regular people quickly backed away. Even a few acolytes yelped, "official Magus," and phrases along those lines, and bowed while drawing back.

"My lord! Please forgive my daughter for unwittingly offending you!"

At the moment, a slightly plump noble prostrated himself in front of Leylin. He had cold sweat dripping down his quivering body.

In the Nightless City, the authority of the official Magi were extremely high. Even if they were to casually kill several humans, they would, at most, only be fined a set amount of magic crystals.

If Leylin's mood wasn't good, he could just kill these two people here, and they wouldn't be able to do anything but accept their fate.

The plump noble kowtowed as he pulled the little girl to kneel as well. "Quickly, seek forgiveness from the Lord!"

This atmosphere that seemed like a befalling calamity had also influenced the little girl. She held back her sobs and blankly stared on.

"It's alright!"

Leylin picked up the rubber ball on the roadside and handed it to the little girl. He even ruffled her hair with his right hand.

"It's no big deal! No need to worry!"

"Thank you, Lord!" "Thank you, Lord!"

With a feeling of a renewed life, the fatty's words were choked back. Even the little girl that he had brought along seemed to heave a sigh of relief.

"Do not be this impudent in the future anymore!"

Leylin nonchalantly lectured the fatty before leaving the scene in large strides, as the revered gazes of the passerby stared on.

"Do not be this disobedient in future anymore. Fortunately, this time, it was a kind magician. If it wasn't…"

The fatty wiped off the sweat on his forehead as he scolded the girl.

As for the white-robed girl, she looked at the direction Leylin headed towards with admiration.

……

Nine days later, in a spacious room.

An old Magus with a head of white hair and gilded spectacles was looking at the pieces of information he was holding in his hand.

Within a transparent crystal ball, lines of text appeared.

"Leylin Farlier! From the Chernobyl Islands. Entered Abyssal Bone Forest Academy in the year 20987 of the Saint Yuan Calendar!" Next to these words, there was also a picture of a boy who was around thirteen or fourteen years old, and very similar in appearance to the current Leylin.

On another crystal ball nearby, there was a detailed record of Leylin's experiences in the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy. As long as the information was made available to the public, it was all written there. There was even an article regarding the matter of how he had offended the Lilytell family.

"Hm! For the sake of a couple remnants? Seems reasonable!"

The old Magus nodded.

"Look, should we ask him to hand over the research materials he obtained from the ruins?" A Magus with a third eye on his forehead said.

"No, all official Magi have their own secrets. We need to learn to be lenient and tolerant, or else all of the magicians in the organisation would end up only acting for their personal benefits, leading to the segregation of groups!

There were several Magi who had journeyed throughout the south coast and managed to break through. If Four Seasons Garden demanded Leylin hand over his research, it would definitely draw the ire of other Magi, which would definitely provide no benefits for them.

"However, based on Wade's information, that Magus called Leylin had a slightly different aura than regular Magi. He might have broken through with some ancient methods…"

The Three-Eyed Magus was somewhat unresigned.

"Those alternative paths that a Magus might take may not have the advantages that you think they might…"

The old Magus looked at Three-Eyes beside him, and could not help but remind him.

"Time is the best judge. In the long history of competition, several tens of thousands of years have already passed. Branded Swordsmen, Elemental Bards, and Divine Warriors have all become extinct with the passage of time. Only we, who are the most traditional of magicians, have been preserved. Does this not explain everything?"

The old Magus' eyes shone with wisdom.

"For some subclasses, although they might have favorable conditions when they advance, most of their routes on the path of advancement become blocked. It's not even close to us, who can see continuous progress with constant cultivation in meditation techniques.

"Moreover, one must believe in time and the power of influencing through good will! Learn to embrace them!"

The old Magus smiled with confidence.

"We should not treat him as an enemy, but as a friend. After some time, he will naturally sense our good will. Moreover, the bountiful reserves of our Four Seasons Garden will definitely contain something that he needs!"

The old Magus merely adopted a soft approach instead of a hard one. Even with such an approach, it did not mean that he had given up on obtaining the information.

"Other than the Lilytell Family, is the Magus called Leylin really not a criminal wanted by anyone else?"

The old Magus asked again.

"I've checked multiple times, Mentor!" Wade bowed, "After Leylin went to the south coast, he usually stayed within the compounds of the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy to study. He had little contact with other powers, and nine days ago, he…"

Next, Wade gave a brief summary of how Leylin let go of the father and daughter a few days ago.

"Look, he's still on the side of the light!"

The old Magus smiled as he spoke to the three-eyed Magus.

"Hmph! It's just for show!" The three-eyed Magus made a sound of contempt.

"We always look at their actions, and not their heart!" the old Magus said a proverb.

"Even if it's a show, it also shows his willingness to enter a white Magus' faction! That's a lot better than those unrepentant dark Magi!"

"In that case, do you mean…?"

Three-Eyes bowed slightly.

"Tell the Potioneering team that we have found them someone with potential…"

……

Naturally, Leylin would not know of such events. However, he more or less grasped the general situation.

With the strength of the Four Seasons Garden, it was very likely that all of his experiments from a young age until now would be displayed in front of a table that would be vetting him!

Furthermore, they would most likely infer that he had killed Bosain for the inheritance and was now on the run.

However, he was not worried at all.

The great Magus Serholm had utterly destroyed the Dylan Gardens. Since the dead party could not verify anything, they would at most reckon that he had obtained some subclass Magus information, and could have only advanced to an official Magus with some luck, so his future progress would be extremely limited.

Moreover, he was now an official Magus. Other guilds would definitely have official Magi who advanced under similar circumstances, and if they were to try to get to the truth, they would not be able to gain the trust of these Magi who had advanced in special scenarios. At the very end, they were still forces of the light Magi, so no matter how they thought inwardly, they had to show a good reputation on the outside.

As long as Leylin was able to hide the meditation technique of the great Magus Serholm and the A.I. Chip's purification of bloodlines, he was not afraid of letting them find out about other things.

Just as he expected, the moment he reached the reception area, he could see that Wade, who he had previously met, was already there waiting for him.

"Nice to meet you, Magus Leylin!" Wade smiled as he bowed towards Leylin.

"Congratulations on passing the test. From here on, you are a member of the Four Seasons Garden!" Wade gave a passionate smile.

"I am also honoured to enter such a great organisation as the Four Seasons Garden!"

Leylin had a look of excitement on his face.

"There are still a few contracts and procedures we need to go through regarding your entry. Please follow me!"

Wade walked in front and led the way, bring Leylin out of Nightless City.

Seeing the look of doubt on Leylin's face, Wade explained, "Even though Four Seasons Garden has a few laboratories and a reception area in Zone 5, our headquarters is in the outskirts of Nightless City."

"I see!" Leylin nodded, following Wade to a region near the gates to the city.

In front of Leylin was a large square, and in the middle, there were several wooden crosses, to which creatures of all shapes and sizes were tied.

"This is one of the Four Seasons Garden's contacts, from which you can choose a specialized mount!"

Wade pointed at a giant magical creature that had just landed from the air.

"Although you can rent them, I suggest that you buy one for your personal use as transportation!"

Wade walked to a small wooden hut beside the plaza and greeted the person inside through the window.

"Madre, give me two Dragon Crown Nighthawks, as I wish to go to the headquarters!"

"I got it, I got it. You told me already!" The man behind the window impatiently answered, and tossed out two green metal sheets.

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Reynold

"Let's go!" Wade called towards the distracted Leylin.

"What, do you like these guys?"

Wade pointed at a creature in front of Leylin that looked like an elephant, but had a layer of white feathers on its body that appealed to Leylin.

"I'm very interested in these kinds of strange creatures!"

Leylin gave a slight smile while he made a decision. He would come here often and look around, and if he was lucky enough, there might even be a few creatures with ancient bloodlines!

"Come on!"

Wade brought Leylin to where two gigantic Dragon Crown Nighthawks were.

These huge birds that resembled eagles had steely black feathers covering their bodies and their necks were dyed red. On their head, there was a beautiful protruding bone in the shape of a crown.

Wade unlocked the bronze collar on the Dragon Crown Nighthawks' necks and tossed one of the green metal sheets Leylin.

"This is the key to controlling them. Come, let us leave!"

Leylin climbed on one of the Nighthawks' backs in curiosity. On its back was the leather saddle of a mount. It seemed to be manufactured for the comfort of the riders.

Leylin sat on the saddle and willed a trace of his spiritual force to enter the green metal sheet.

The moment his spiritual energy touched the metal sheet, Leylin could feel his mind instantly connecting with the Nighthawk.

The Nighthawk's mind was very simple, and it was only able to receive commands such as fly, drop, increase speed, turn, and so on. Its intelligence was similar to that of a child of around seven or eight years of age.

[Dragon Crown Nighthawk. Strength: 5.2, Agility: 7.6, Vitality: 4.9, Special abilities: None.]

The stats given by the A.I. Chip were simple. From the looks of it, this type of Dragon Crown Nighthawk was only suitable as a means of transportation.

"Let's go!"

The large Nighthawk spread its wings, and in doing so, swept up a dust tornado.

Following two cries of the Nighthawks, Leylin and Wade made themselves comfortable on their backs as they flew into the sky.

Whoosh*

The strong air pressure made Leylin feel as if he were in the middle of a hurricane.

"Hehe! Leylin, how does it feel?"

Wade, who was on the Nighthawk beside Leylin, spoke up.

Leylin's eyes closed in a contented manner as he enjoyed the scenery zooming past him on both sides, as well as the blue sky and white clouds that seemed to be in close proximity.

For official Magi, whose bodies were much more resilient than the regular human beings, this sort of pressure was akin to a slight breeze.

"It's not bad!"

"Haha… Back then, I had regretted that I had not memorised a flying type spell. However, ever since I got my precious, I did not have those thoughts anymore. Perhaps one day, you can have a look at it! I swear that you will be enchanted by it…"

Leylin chatted with Wade along the way as he observed the flying path of the Dragon Crown Nighthawk.

Ever since he had left the Nightless City, the Dragon Crown Nighthawk had been flying eastward.

With the passing of time, the air in the atmosphere turned chillier.

Finally, a snow covered mountain range appeared in front of Leylin. The Dragon Crown Nighthawk let out an excited growl, and began to soar upwards.

On a patch of ground covered with white snow, the Dragon Crown Nighthawks that carried Wade and Leylin landed.

"Welcome to the Four Seasons Garden's headquarters!"

Wade led Leylin into a tall passageway.

Two acolytes that seemed to have been waiting for them began to receive the Dragon Crown Nighthawk, and brought them to their stables, before beginning to scrub and feed them.

The passageway was extremely winding, and the walls were covered with pure white snow. On the inside, however, a warm wind was circulating.

From the various forks on the passageway, Leylin could see several Magi with acolytes walking past them. They carried notebooks and seemed to be in a hurry.

After half an hour and several checkpoints, they finally reached their destination.

"We're here, this is my mentor's room, Lord Reynold's office!"

Wade pushed open a big black metal door while explaining to Leylin.

It was extremely spacious behind the door, and there were many green vines creeping in the surroundings.

The ancient tree vines were twisted and intertwined, taking the shape of the table and chairs. Also, where some knots were, several beautiful white flowers were blooming, emitting a sweet fragrance.

Behind the desk made of black vines, an old, white-haired Magus wearing gilded spectacles smiled at Leylin.

"Welcome!"

"An honour to meet you, my Lord!" The energy waves radiating off the old man's body completed surpassed that of a Rank 1 Magus. Leylin had only come across this sort of undulation from the chairman and a couple of other Magi at the bloodbath in the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy.

It was obvious that this old man was at least a rank 2 Magus.

"Don't hold back. The Four Seasons Garden was created by the great Potions Master, Amesandenisa, for the sake of exchanging research and potion formulas. Our objective is to create equality and freedom!"

The white-haired man laughed with a kind demeanor.

"Being able to enter the Four Seasons Garden is an honour, my lord!"

Leylin bowed once more.

"Now then, are you prepared to sign the contract?" Reynold asked.

"I hope you don't mind, but could I see the contents of the contract?" Leylin asked.

"Right! Don't mind me, I've already gotten so old that I have forgotten these things…" The old man chuckled and pointed at a piece of parchment on the table.

Leylin picked it up and looked through the conditions.

Just as he had expected, the specifications were quite lax.

It was stated that Leylin had to swear not to harm the Four Season Garden's interests and that he had to complete a specific number of missions per year. In exchange, the Four Seasons Garden would provide him with information and resources. In all other areas, the conditions were lax and did not restrain him in any way. There wasn't even any mention of what would happen to Magi who left the organisation.

"It is just as Crew mentioned. Due to some history, the Four Seasons Garden's pact is quite loose!"

Of course, Leylin was aware that this was just for him to gain access to some of the Four Season Garden's resources. He was unable to gain further access to the more important items.

That was only possible from the start if the contract was much more strict, to the point that he had to leave a part of his spirit here.

However, Leylin wanted to enter a large organisation by taking on the role of a guest professor or special guest. It was for his convenience to obtain high-grade information and resources in the future. He had planned to travel across the world in the future and search for various Magi remnants and did not want to just be tied down in one place.

Leylin took extra care to examine the margins of the parchment paper, which was extremely clean, with no additional conditions or runes inscribed onto them.

Some ancient characters were extremely difficult to notice and even similar to runes. Leylin had heard that many magicians loved to use such devious traps in order to trick others.

Although the Four Seasons Garden might not stoop down to such a level, Leylin still felt that he had to be more careful for his own sake.

"A.I. Chip! Scan! Check if there are any pitfalls or unknown constraints in the contract!"

Leylin commanded silently.

[Mission establishing, beginning detailed scan!] The A.I. Chip's voice intoned.

Currently, after several upgrades, the A.I. Chip was still able to hide all traces of its existence before a rank 2 Magus.

[Beep! Scan complete! No strange or concealed restraints on the contract!] The A.I. Chip's voice intoned.

"These conditions are very good, I have no reasons to refuse them!"

The A.I. Chip's indication could only be heard by Leylin. From Wade's point of view, Leylin had only given it a cursory glance, before readily agreeing.

"Very well!" Reynold chanted an incantation.

Buzz buzz!*

There was an undulation in the air, and immediately, a mysterious eye appeared in mid-air.

This eye was completely black, save for the scarlet light within the pupil.

"Trial's Eye!" Leylin said inwardly.

This eye was extremely similar to the clone he had summoned, but it was at least ten times bigger than what he had seen before!

It was obvious that when summoned by a rank 2 Magus, the Trial's Eye's might would be multiplied.

If it was said that the Trial's Eye that Leylin had summoned when he was an acolyte had less than a billionth of the strength of its true body, this vertical eye that Reynold had summoned would most likely have the strength of a millionth of the Trial's Eye's real body.

The Trial's Eye floated in mid-air quietly, and Leylin seemed to even see a trace of intelligence within its pupils.

"This is different from a phantom that has no consciousness when summoned by an acolyte. The might of the Trial's Eye, when summoned by an official Magus, is even stronger. Moreover, it is intelligent and can think on its own, so it is able to judge the contract fairly between both parties!

Reynold explained to Leylin.

That was to say, if this Trial's Eye had appeared in the past, Leylin's past ploy in deceiving the vengeful spirit Roman with a word game would have been exposed, and he would have suffered the punishment of the Trial's Eye.

"I declare that the ceremony starts now!"

Reynold announced in a low voice, and the moment he spoke, the Trial's Eye trembled. Leylin could tell that the atmosphere in the air had changed and became denser.

"Witnessed by the mighty and impartial Trial's Eye! Leylin, do you agree to sign this agreement?" Reynold asked, his voice clear and powerful in the ancient Byron language.

"I agree!" Leylin answered his speech also in the ancient Byron language.

The moment the words left his mouth, he could feel his spirit tremble, seeming to repeat the words that he had just said.

The phantom of the Trial's Eye shook, seeming to be the witness to this contract.

"So then, I, Reynold, hereby declare the contract as established!" Reynold called out.

Boom!*

The contract on the parchment paper in Reynold's hands suddenly combusted, turning into ashes as they entered the phantom.

Xiu Xiu!*

The Trial's Eye exploded and turned into two black rays, entering Leylin and Reynold's bodies at a speed that the naked eye could not follow.

"Congratulations. From today onwards, you are now an extrinsic Magus! Not only can you obtain a portion of precious resources every month, you are also allowed access to most of our labs and the library!"

Reynold said to Leylin.

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Decarte

"Good, now let's speak about your allocations…"

Reynold told Leylin.

"According to Wade, you have an amazing talent and ability in Potioneering. We cannot allow such a talent to be neglected. After some consideration, we are prepared to arrange you into the Potioneering team. Do you have any objections?"

"I couldn't wish for anything better!" Leylin smiled.

Since there were Potioneering teams, there should be other alchemy teams, battle teams and more. Leylin only wanted to enter the organisation to get a salary and gather some resources. He definitely would not be willing to endanger his life fighting battles for them.

As for being able to join the Potioneering team, the requirements should be related to Potioneering, which was something he specialised in.

It seemed that intentionally having exposed his innate skill and strength from before had helped him in his promotion.

"Alright! Wade, bring Leylin to the Decarte of the Potioneering team, and then come back. In regards to the Moonflower Flame incident, I think there are better ways to deal with it…… "

"Yes, teacher!" Wade gave a bow, and took Leylin away with him.

"What do you think? My tutor is a good person, right?"

Wade asked Leylin with a sense of pride and boasting. Being in front of Leylin, who was now a fellow comrade, he was visibly much more relaxed.

"He is a wise and amiable senior!" This time, Leylin naturally would not sing a different tune.

"Ha ha…… everyone says that. Come, let me bring you to the Potioneering team. Decarte, over there, is overly conservative, but he still attentively cultivates truly talented young magicians…."

Wade divulged a quite a bit of information without much thought.

At the end of the turn, a magician in black robes emerged.

This magician exuded a twisted and chilling murderous aura with faint howls from vengeful spirits, causing Leylin to feel sensitive.

The most eye-catching thing about this magician was his vertical third eye in the middle of his forehead.

The vertical eye was always open, and its pupil was pitch-black. It seemed to lack feeling or sensation, causing one to not help but shiver.

"Wade, this new Magus doesn't seem to be very polite……"

The three-eyed Magus said coldly. An icy spiritual force immediately pounced onto Leylin.

"Hmmm?!"

Leylin was caught by surprise, and immediately gathered his spiritual force to defend.

Pop!* Fine bubbles of air in the atmosphere began to pop.

The moment their spiritual forces met, Leylin could feel that his opponent's spiritual force contained a strong aura of fresh blood. This kind of odor was so dense that Leylin nearly suffocated as he could not dispel it.

And besides, his opponent's level of elemental essence conversion far surpassed that of semi-converted elemental Magi. Leylin's spiritual force collapsed under his opponent's attack.

As if a sledgehammer had smashed into Leylin's chest, he stumbled two steps back, and his face turned white.

The three-eyed magician looked bewilderedly at Leylin, "Your spiritual force is not bad, but it's a pity that it was still insufficient…"

Subsequently, he did not take another look at Leylin, and proceeded past them.

It seemed that the Magus was trying to show off and demonstrate his prowess.

"Are you okay?" Wade looked a little worried for Leylin.

"No problem, my spiritual force is just a little shaken up. A few days of rest is all I need to get better!" Leylin looked in the direction of three-eyed Magus as he left, "Who is he?"

"He is Lord Caesar, a Magus personally nurtured by the Four Seasons Garden, and with valiant fighting strength. He is in charge of the hunting team, and is the role as our deputy commander!"

Wade looked at Leylin with a bitter smile on his lips.

"Lord Caesar believes that foreign magicians will only damage the Four Seasons Garden's unity, and believes that recruiting new magicians should be banned…"

As if afraid that Leylin would worry, he added on, "Of course, my teacher, Lord Reynold, does not agree with his point of view. Furthermore, my teacher was one of the pioneers of this organisation. At the present, the Four Seasons Garden's higher authorities are still in favour of recruiting new magicians…"

"Head of the hunting team……"

Leylin glared in the direction of Lord Caesar, and a ray of light flashed from his eyes.

"A.I. Chip, estimate the opponent's strength!"

[Based on the spiritual force emitted by the opponent, target's strength estimated: Rank 1 Magus with peak strength, elemental essence conversion above 80%…]

"With this kind of strength, it bears a resemblance to the elder from the Lilytell Family. By the looks of it, if I was paired to battle against him, I'd have little chance of winning…"

Tons of complicated ideas were swirling around in Leylin's mind.

"Okay, let me bring you to the Potioneering team…"

Wade quickly changed the topic, and Leylin followed behind Wade without comment.

Along the way, Wade tried his best to speak about other topics, hoping Leylin would forget about the unhappiness from earlier on. Even though they both knew it was impossible, Leylin still acted as if he was listening attentively.

"After becoming a part of our team, you can live here permanently in a house for free. However, life here is very monotonous; we just conduct experiments after experiments. Hence, many magicians like to own housing in the Nightless City, so that they can have a vacation over there from time to time…"

Wade responsibly told Leylin what to expect. After crossing several forks in the road, they came to a stone bridge that spanned mid-air across an overhanging cliff, which led to a botanic garden.

The floor here was made of metal, and the surroundings were a tidy and clean shade of white, causing the misconception of returning to his laboratory from his past life.

On both sides of the road, there was also transparent glass.

Behind the glass were petri dishes, in which various sorts of exotic plants had been planted.

Walking Earth Grass, Giant Food Flowers, Face Vines… With just a casual sweep of his eyes, Leylin found countless precious plants. Some were even important ingredients for cultivating spiritual force, but of course, they were only effective for acolytes.

Any newly recruited rank 1 Magus would be astonished at all these things, but Leylin had seen the great Magus Serholm's Dylan Gardens that he had personally cultivated, and all these plants were nothing compared to what he had seen before.

However, a shocked expression still flashed across his face.

"We've arrived. This is the Potioneering headquarters!"

Wade brought Leylin through the garden, and arrived in front of two huge stone statues that resembled monsters.

"Password!" The statue started to speak.

"Tell Decarte that I've brought someone here for him! And also, don't make jokes to amuse yourself! If it happens again, I'll tell the teachers to change all guarding systems in this facility! You should know that I have that power!"

Wade bellowed at the statue.

As if he knew that Wade wasn't joking, the enormous stone statue monster chuckled before getting out of the way.

"These two statues seem to have been manufactured defectively. The creator mistakenly stuffed a couple of mischievous spirits into the statues. Just ignore them!"

Wade brought Leylin through, then told Leylin.

"Mischievous spirits?" Leylin stared blankly, while immediately recalling a written account from an illustrated handbook.

"Those that resemble goblins, and tease people for their own pleasure… Those spirits? This is really… it deserves our sympathy!"

"To be honest, I also have some sympathy for myself!"

While Leylin was speaking, a tunnel behind the stone statue was opened, revealing what seemed like a structure of a ginormous auditorium.

There was a huge gold chandelier suspended from the ceiling of the auditorium. There were plenty of giant candles on it, illuminating the auditorium.

In the auditorium, there were numerous unusually long white birch tables with all sorts of delicacies spread on top. There were only a few magicians, and they were sitting far away from each other. Only a few of them who seemed to have a better relationship huddled together to chat.

The voice from earlier on belonged to a middle-aged magician on the platform.

"Here, let me introduce to you, this is Lord Decarte, the head of the Potioneering team. He is a Magus at the peak of Rank 1, and on the verge of breaking through to Rank 2!"

Wade smiled as he saluted Decarte, then said to Leylin.

"Lord Decarte!"

Leylin quickly bowed.

"Hehe, I know you! I've seen the clip of you brewing the medicine; your technique was really admirable! From now on, we'll be colleagues! Everyone, please give a toast to our newest comrade!"

Decarte snapped his fingers, and two cups filled with mead flew in front of him and Leylin.

"Cheers!" All of the magicians present raised their cups.

"Thanks!" Leylin took the cup. The mead's alcohol content was not high, and it tasted like sweet liquor. Its taste was pleasant.

"Well, since I've sent Leylin here, I will be taking my leave!"

Wade drank his wine in one shot, "My dear teacher is still waiting!"

"Since you still have something to attend to, I shall not delay you any further. Leylin, come! Sit here!"

While Decarte was speaking, the acolytes beside him immediately arranged a new long table. Countless kinds of delicacies and fruits were continuously brought to the table, quickly piling up onto the table.

Leylin slightly bowed and arrived at his own seat.

Only at this time did he have the chance to size up Decarte, the formidable Potioneering team leader.

Decarte wore white robes, onto which green plant designs had been embroidered.

His face's shape was common, and on his forehead was a dark green headband, making him look extremely indolent.

Around Leylin, there were also a couple of servants, who were dressed glamorously. From the aura they gave off, they were level 3 acolytes from noble families.

He took a look around. Solely in this auditorium, there were at least thirty official Magi, and countless acolytes.

This was only a Potioneering team. In terms of overall strength, it had already surpassed the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy.

The banquet carried on for about an hour and a half. After the majority of the magicians had finished eating, the acolytes brought beverages of different colours. The atmosphere in the auditorium slowly cozied up, resembling the tea parties Leylin had attended in his past life.

"Alright. This meal and welcoming ceremony are over. Let us discuss the allocation of work now…"

Decarte spoke on the platform, his voice resonating to the ears of every magician present.

Upon hearing this, the magicians put down their cups.

"Elmo! How's the progress of the Giant Dragon Strength Potion?"

A voluptuous female magician stood up, "I am about 70% done with deducing the formula, and am currently stuck at some crucial points. I am applying for the third centrifuge and supplies from the fifth garden…"

"Good. After the banquet ends, submit an application form!" Decarte nodded in agreement.

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Exchange

"How about you, Martin? How is the brewing of the monthly 300 doses of Frost Potions?"

Martin was a short old man, and when his name was called, he seemed uneasy as he stood up.

"Si… Sir, you know it. I am having a shortage of manpower… Also, recently, the apparatuses have…"

"I don't care what your reasons are, Martin. Isn't this the third time already?" Decarte's face darkened.

"Please… Please forgive me, Sir!" Martin's face reddened.

"It's timely that you're lacking in manpower. Leylin will first be assigned to your team, and I will provide you with another 3 synthesizing machines. If you are still unable to complete your task by next month, your allowance for this year will be greatly reduced!"

"Yes, Sir!" Martin could not help but to wipe the sweat off of his face.

Leylin, who heard his name being called, got up.

Next, Decarte called on several other magicians, inquired about their progress, and made the necessary arrangements.

After the banquet, Leylin took the initiative to slow his footsteps and walk alongside Martin.

"Having you come to my team… I'm sorry…" Martin apologised.

"It's not a problem!"

In any team, all newbies had to suffer at the beginning, and Leylin was well aware of this fact.

"Alright, let's move on. I'll bring you to the lab and your room. There's also some stuff that you'll need to know."

Even though Martin looked quite inept, he was enthusiastically guiding Leylin through the registration processes.

"Take it. They're the keys to your room, as well as your identity token!"

The old geezer Martin brought Leylin to a house that was constructed of black stones. Also, he handed over an old bronze key and an identity token to Leylin.

The ancient key was modelled in an old fashioned way.There were even some characters inscribed on it.

As for the identity token, it was made of a translucent metal, with Leylin's name and other information carved onto it.

"Just with this token, you are able to go to the organisation's resource point and obtain a portion of precious ingredients, as well as some advanced information."

Martin explained to Leylin with patience.

"This token is extremely important, and if you lose, it there will be quite a hassle. You must definitely protect it well…"

Seeing that Leylin nodded his head to express his understanding, Martin brought Leylin to view the experiment labs and rooms.

"The experiment lab is a common shared area, and its number is dkh-328! The apparatus in it is rather decent, and enough for an official Magus. Furthermore, if you have any other special requests, you can apply for it through the organisation. As long as you have enough contribution points, the organisation will do their best to fulfill your requests…."

Leylin had heard Martin mention contribution points before. They were a method that the Four Seasons Garden used to gauge the merits of individual Magi. After finishing the appointed amount of work required, an official Magus could obtain contribution points.

These points could not only raise the status of the team but could also be used to exchange for essential resources and knowledge.

From what Leylin could tell, this was a form of currency in the Four Seasons Garden.

"Speaking of contribution points, since you have only just entered, I'm sure you don't have enough. How about it? Do you want to accept one or two acolytes? These kinds of assignments give the most contribution points."

Martin suggested helpfully.

"Actually, I don't have any plans on teaching anyone anytime soon!"

Leylin smiled and refused Martin's request.

"However, how does the academy function to protect a member's family?"

Leylin briefly stated the issue of him offending the Lilytell Family to Martin.

Under the insurance of safety and personal benefits, Leylin would not mind leaving a lifeline for the previous Leylin's Farlier family

After all, he was still the eldest son and heir to this family in name.

Also, if the opportunity presented itself, Leylin wished to make up for the fact that he had borrowed the body of this family's child.

"Oh, don't worry about it!"

Martin listened to what he said and shook his head.

"Our Four Seasons Garden is a lot more powerful than the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy. As long as we get in contact with them, the Farlier family in the Chernobyl Islands will definitely be taken good care of! Furthermore, based on the contract that you've signed with us, before it's certain that you're dead, the Lilytell family will definitely not be able to hurt your family of regular humans."

"There's such a rule?"

Leylin was a little curious. No matter that world he was in, it was acknowledged that harming one's family was a very good way causing one to seek revenge, much less in the Magus world, where the regard of law was lacking.

"Is this… the fear of revenge?" Leylin guessed.

"Exactly. You're fast!"

Martin looked pleased with Leylin. "An official Magus that has nothing to tie him down is the scariest. Especially the fact that the Lilytell Family's members are not all magicians. There are definitely acolytes and normal human beings amongst them…"

Leylin understood that this was a mutual fear of each other.

Before his death was confirmed, as long as the Lilytell Family dared to strike at the Farlier Family, it would definitely incur the wrath and revenge of Leylin.

Also, with the strength of an official Magus, slaughtering those humans and acolytes would be as easy as eating rice and drinking water.

Even if the Lilytell Family was rather established, they would definitely not be able to handle such a loss.

Hence, the Farlier Family would completely be safe.

"What's more, you've joined us!" Martin's expression was one of pride, and perhaps conceit.

"The Four Seasons Garden's might is not something that the likes of the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy can even begin to compare to. After hearing that you joined our side, they might have even thought of withdrawing their order for your capture!"

"I don't really care about that!"

Leylin thought about Bosain, who he had killed. This acolyte of nobility seemed to be the sole grandson of the elder of the Lilytell Family.

In addition, they had also dispatched a rank 1 Magus to kill him, who had ended up dying by Leylin's hand.

This enmity could not be so easily resolved.

"I've heard that the competition to be the next head of the Lilytell Family has reached the most crucial point. That elder is also known for being headstrong, and will not tolerate my existence. Otherwise, his image and reputation will be ruined…"

On the contrary, as Leylin thought of this, a look of anticipation appeared in his eyes.

Right now his strength was rapidly increasing. Moreover, once he underwent his second transition of his bloodline, his strength would definitely be boosted by a significant amount. At that time, it would not be a matter of whether the enemy would let Leylin leave, but whether Leylin would let them go.

……

Four months later.

Leylin wore a loose white robe, with patterns of green plants embroidered on the sleeves and collar.

This was the uniform that official Magi in the Four Seasons Garden wore.

He was presently passing through the side roads in the mountain of the Four Seasons Garden's headquarters.

After walking through a tunnel full of little plant people, he arrived at an ancient square.

The square seemed to be constructed in the heart of the mountain and was very large. The ceiling was made of solid rock, and an innumerable amount of everlasting light spells had been added to the wall, brightening up the entire room.

This was the place in the Four Seasons Garden where he could exchange contribution points for resources.

Here, whether it was an acolyte or Magus, one could use contribution points and gain the materials and information that they wanted.

In addition, as an official Magi, Leylin was able to gain his monthly allocation for finishing his monthly tasks.

Many magicians who wished to join the Four Seasons Garden were attracted by this temptation, which was second only to having a large backer supporting them.

Leylin specifically walked towards to counter that handled the redemption of contribution points for official Magi.

The staff member in here was actually an official Magus as well. This official Magus was a female, with ocean blue hair that softly rested on her shoulders. On the sides of her lips, there were traces of gills.

"Hello, may I ask what you require?" The female Magus asked using the common language of the south coast, her voice extremely gentle and pleasing to the ears.

"This feeling…" Leylin was instead alarmed, "It's extremely similar to the time when I was brewing the Azure Potion, where the voices of mermaids singing were heard…"

"It seems that this woman has a trace of the mermaids' bloodline…"

Leylin's expression on the surface was indifferent, as he looked at the woman and handed over his token. "I am here to retrieve some ingredients; is there a catalogue for them?"

"This is the catalogue of the items that you are currently able to exchange for!" The female Magus swept her eyes over Leylin's token and seemed surprised as she looked at Leylin. After that, she pretended that it was not a big deal, and handed over a catalogue to him.

Leylin looked at the list of items on the catalogue in detail.

This list was extremely long. Not only were there many resources that were precious even in the Nightless City, there were also many pieces high-grade information, and the latest results of experiments.

Furthermore, Leylin even saw some spiritual force potions that were meant for an official Magus' consumption. However, the contribution points required were so high that Leylin could only long for them.

"Sky Flower Welk Fruit, Dwarf Frost Runes, Elemental Crystals!"

Leylin's fingers stopped when they traced the words of 'elemental crystals' on the catalogue. His previous backlash from consuming them had now disappeared, so he could once again obtain more crystallised Darkness energy particles to raise his elemental essence conversion.

Leylin fervently looked through the entry of the elemental crystals, and finally, at the end of the list of the names of energy particles, he found the name that he was searching for.

"Crystallised Darkness energy particles: able to effectively raise the elemental essence conversion of a Magus. Also has major residual effects. Use at your own risk! Available: 5850g. 1g = 1 contribution point. Limit: Regular team members can only buy a maximum of 50g per month!"

"This price?"

Leylin frowned.

Based on this method of calculation, he could purchase 50g of elemental crystals at the most, which would deplete his contribution points by about half.

He had used up 300 grams of crystals, which raised his elemental essence conversion to 35%. With another 50g, at the very most, he would be able to raise it to 40%, which just wouldn't be enough!

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Four Seasons Secret Plane

"Why is the price of these crystals so expensive?"

Leylin could not help but blurt out, "Also, there's a limit to the quantity that I can purchase?"

From the looks of it, with such a method for calculating the price, elemental crystals were one of the most expensive items in the catalogue. Their prices were only second to that of a spiritual force potion.

Leylin had stayed in the Four Seasons Garden for four months and had been allocated 10 contribution points per month. This meant that even if Leylin stayed idle, he would be able to get ten contribution points per month from the Four Seasons Garden. Furthermore, he had joined Martin's squad, and every time he completed a mission, he would receive a fixed amount of contribution points.

However, even after adding all of these up, it was actually still not enough to buy many items.

"Although the backlash of the elemental crystals is great, it is undeniable that it can boost the strength of a Magus. Naturally, it is an item that is highly sought after."

The female Magus seemed to have heard these questions countless of times, so she did not hesitate with her reply.

"Give me 50 grams of elemental crystals, and on top of that, add these two pieces of high-grade information!"

Leylin paused and thought, before pointing to the catalogue and saying to the female Magus.

He knew that he had made a mistake; the Four Seasons Garden's monthly allocation of resources could not be stacked up, but was instead fixed for every month.

That was to say, Leylin could obtain up to 50 grams of elemental crystals per month, but he was not able to wait and receive several months' worth of allocations at the same time.

Moreover, even if he knew beforehand that the monthly allocations could not be accumulated, he, who had just joined, did not have that many contribution points allocated to him in the first place.

"A total of 80 contribution points!"

The female Magus took Leylin's badge and waved it above a black machine. Bright red lights flashed.

Following that, she then retrieved the items that Leylin had requested from behind the counter.

"Thank you!"

Leylin stuff the items in his robes and left the plaza with a heavy heart.

"Leylin! Leylin!"

A short magus, with a height of merely one meter and a skull like a gnome, hurriedly ran to Leylin.

"You're just in time. Follow me, Martin was just looking for you!"

From what Leylin knew about this short Magus, he had also been temporarily assigned to Martin's group. The two of them had accomplished a significant amount of missions together and had a decent relationship with each other.

"Is anything wrong?"

Leylin was a little curious.

As the leader, Martin would usually lead and plan the task. In other areas, however, Martin had little presence.

"It seems like this is related to this month's task!" Leylin said. The short Magus revealed a delightful smile.

"Ever since Leylin joined Team 3, our rate of success has been steadily increasing, allowing Martin to gain favour with Lord Decarte! In addition, since our group has been performing exceedingly well, Decarte has started assigning us other more challenging tasks with higher quality rewards."

"This time, it probably has to do with this matter……"

"Other tasks?" Leylin was a little curious.

Ever since he had joined Team 3 under Martin, the tasks that had been assigned to him had always been the brewing of frost potions and the like.

In this complicated and taxing task, the presence of the A.I. Chip had begun to show its advantages. Leylin's completion rate was exceptionally stunning.

Thus, although Leylin consciously hid some of his progress, deliberately committing mistakes, his contribution to the small team was remarkable, gaining him the respect of many of the members.

Leylin followed behind the short Magus, passing through a couple of long and narrow forks, and eventually arriving at Team 3's meeting point.

Pong!* The iron door opened up at once.

"Leylin!"

Martin was slumped over at a long table and using a red pen to write, but after noticing Leylin, he briefly put his existing work on hold, his face revealing a pleasant smile.

To him, Leylin was basically his savior.

With Leylin's entry into the team, he had been able to complete his own task, assuredly securing his own resources this year, and also helping his team accomplish some marvelous tasks.

It was only now that he believed that Leylin was his lucky star.

There were other members of Team 3 in the spacious room. Upon seeing Leylin, their faces displayed amicable smiles.

"Great! Now that everyone is present, I shall talk about this month's task!"

Martin happily took out a scroll wrapped with a golden ribbon out from his robe, steadily opening it in front of Leylin and the others.

"Our task this month is to maintain a specific area within the secret plane. Reward: 50 contribution points each!"

Clamour*

Even though they were aware that the task this time around would be very good, the Magi situated below were in chaos.

"It's actually to enter the secret plane! This is really…" The short Magus had a very excited look on his face.

At the corner, Leylin revealed his surprise too. "Such a huge reward, and also, a secret plane?"

A secret plane was a domain that ancient Magi had constructed in order to house resources or conduct experiments. It was isolated by spells, and by the looks of it, the Four Seasons Garden possessed such a place as well.

"I almost forgot, Leylin, you have just joined not long ago, and probably are still unaware of the secret plane!"

Martin closed and rebound the scroll, smiling as he walked towards Leylin.

"Leylin, from what you know, what is the one thing that a Magus values the most?"

"Talent and resources!" Leylin answered without hesitation. This was the common consensus from all Magi in the south coast.

"Not bad. A Magus's aptitude is set from birth, and is impossible to change, and the only way to make up for it thereafter is in the resources aspect!"

"With sufficient resources, even a Magus with an average aptitude can possibly reach the footsteps of a gifted Magus… …"

Martin showed a face of awe.

"Thus, once ancient Magi advanced, they would search for an area that had a high concentration of elemental energy particles, and construct a secret plane to nurture and grow resources… For this reason, it is the root of many ancient Magi remnants that you see now!"

"As for the current generation of Magi, they are far from the overpowering might of ancient Magi, who could cast isolation spells on their own, and set up spells that could stretch and compress space… some needed resources like space rocks for the construction, which cannot be found by the current age Magi!"

"Thus, at the current south coast, the inner circles of magisteriums have joined forces to open up and cultivate a part of a secret plane as a mainstream activity…"

"Perhaps, there are a few lucky ones. Those who are so lucky that they can cause jealousy, obtaining ancient remnants and inheritances and controlling a secret plane. That is really a story of instant success…"

Martin's face was tinged with envy.

Of course, Leylin knew what a secret plane represented, as the knowledge that he had previously gathered at the Dylan Gardens had been deeply etched into his memory.

Simply owning a part of a secret plane would mean the provision of limitless resources!

For a Magi who especially required resources, this was an irresistible offer.

However, the capability of a Magus was limited, and one unable to build a new secret plane on his or her own. Only when working together could Magi build a secret plane.

Leylin had predicted the existence of similar places in the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, but because his level had been lower back then, and he had advanced into a Magus after leaving the Academy, he was unable to prove this point.

"Leylin, you have only been here for a few months, and yet, you are entering into the secret plane. The upper management seem to have a lot of confidence in you, huh!"

Martin patted Leylin on his back in a friendly manner.

"Not at all! Not at all!" Leylin gave a modest expression, appearing rather shy.

"Ha Ha… …Let's go!"

Martin laughed and took the lead, and Leylin himself followed closely behind him.

The entrance to the Four Seasons Garden's secret plane was near the headquarters so that it would be easy to deploy forces to guard the entrance.

Leylin and the rest followed behind Martin, and after following five to six roads, they reached the entrance to the secret plane.

On the way there, Leylin used the A.I. Chip, and felt the five or six energy waves scanning over his group.

Furthermore, the Magi guiding the entrance were of semi-converted elemental strength and beyond.

These types of stringent and vigilant checks caught Leylin by surprise.

Standing in front of them, the stern looking Magi examined the scroll that Martin was holding once more. After which, Martin turned back and shouted to Leylin and the rest, "Get ready, the entrance is about to open!"

The entrance to the secret plane was a door made out of a big slab of stone, and the borders of the big door were embossed with differing intricate designs.

On a platform beside the entrance, there was a Magus sitting cross-legged, whose countenance was concealed. Extremely mysterious and strong energy waves radiated from his body.

"This is the guardian of the academy! Hurry up and greet him!" Martin led the group of magicians and bowed first.

"This is… At least a rank 2 Magus' energy waves. It seems like the importance of this secret plane has far surpassed my guesses!" Leylin's eyes flashed as he bowed like the others.

"Since the inspection is now over, let us enter!"

The guardian waved his arm and chanted an incantation.

Weng Weng!* The stone door moved, and a white light radiated from behind the door, giving off a feeling of energy waves emanating from the void.

Having had previous experience in exploring secret planes, Leylin was familiar with the undulations that indicated the opening of the plane.

At the same time, a bright light was produced from the scroll in Martin's hands, and enveloped the entire group.

When the white lights met and fused, it produced a blinding glare.

As the glare eventually vanished, Martin, as well as the other magicians, were revealed to have disappeared.

"Ugh!"

Leylin rubbed his eyes, which were stinging in pain. "This is really uncomfortable!"

He found himself standing on top of another platform, on which many acolytes were walking around.

Unlike the previous scenery, the surroundings were a sea of green.

The sky was a pure blue, and the surrounding air was extremely fresh.

"Are we within the secret plane? It seems quite large!"

Leylin stroked his chin. "A.I. Chip, analyse the surroundings!"

[Beep! Scanning in process! Compared to the air in the outer world, the density of energy particles within the secret plane is higher by 34.7%!]

The A.I. Chip displayed a chart in front of Leylin, quickly giving him the data that he required.

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Man-made Rain

"This is shocking, isn't it?"

Martin joyfully said as he walked closer. "This is the Four Seasons Garden's four seasons secret plane, which has an overall land area of more than one hundred thousand mu, and is abundant with various types of resources… …"

"One hundred thousand mu?" Leylin was extremely surprised; this was the land area of a couple countries from before he was reincarnated added up together.

"Yeah, there are not only valuable objects and magical living creatures, but normal humans are in here too…"

Martin pointed towards the distance at what looked like an area of small towns and villages. "We employ normal humans to help us with farming and even working at some plantations for the Magi. This proves that being well organised, well planned with training, and more highly invested human resources, we can produce even more resources…"

"The entire Four Season's secret plane is the foundation of our Four Season's Garden, and is an unending stream of treasure!"

"Building the secret plane, cultivating resources, and harvesting; these are the main resources used to furnish the white Magi's power!" An intoxicating look flashed through Martin's eyes.

"These one hundred thousand mu of land have such a high energy concentration, and adding the special care and maintenance…" Leylin sighed, as he thought to himself in his heart.

Leylin also felt that the old him was always living in the shadows of the Magus world, whereas right now, he could finally see the differing ideologies of the dark Magi.

The light Magi cultivated the various plantations and animals within the secret plane, thus reaping great resources.

On the other hand, the dark Magi seemed to prefer using violence to obtain these resources.

"Leylin, do you know why the previous check that we went through was so stringent?"

Martin asked unexpectedly.

"Why? Could it be because of the fear of the dark Magi?" Leylin shared his speculations.

"Yes, it's those wretched beings!" Martin was fuming with rage when he spoke of the dark Magi.

"Those bloodthirsty dark Magi always seek to profit using other people's toils, and cannot be bothered to run their own secret plane. Instead, from time to time, they plot against our light Magi's secret plane.

The short magician who was at the side revealed the reason.

"Every year, there would be a successful occasion of dark Magi raiding our secret plane! Although they took only the presently available resources, and the secret plane was able to resume production, it was still a tremendous loss…

On the contrary, Leylin was surprisingly knowledgeable about the reasoning behind it.

Although the dark Magi grew up in a bloody and vicious environment, it was undeniable that having grown up in such conditions, these dark Magi were more powerful than the average light Magus.

In the eyes of the dark Magi, whose methods involved preying on the weak, the resources of the white Magi were a veritable gold mine.

Moreover, these kinds of smaller scale battles could even be used as a way for the dark Magi to train their forces.

If the white Magi had not been well organised and united, and the black Magi themselves also had flaws and trust issues, perhaps the balance of power of Magi in the entire south coast may have been altered.

"Alright, I will allocate the next task!"

Martin stood at the corner again and waited for all the Magi to make their way over, before giving his speech.

"Our task is to clean up an area in the north division, getting rid of the insect pests and diseases within. We also have to pay attention to the disease that is affecting the grassland in the east division. Black spots have appeared on the surface of Horse Milk Grass, and we need to use the First Jacklin Potion to take care of it."

"Fire Eyes and Hakob, go to the first east division! Oak and Leylin, you two go to the second east division."

Next, Martin started to announce people's duties.

"Let's go!" The midget Magus named Oak told Leylin.

After everyone's duties had been distributed, the Magi in the third team left the platform in groups of twos and threes.

"There is still a very large distance that we need to traverse to reach the north division, but we have already arranged for a mount, and will be able to reach our destination quickly… …"

It was obvious that Oak had been here a few times in the past. He brought Leylin to the edge of a building. Facing the window, he asked for 2 of the green metal plates.

"The controlling device for the Dragon Crown Nighthawks?"

By now, Leylin understood that the Four Seasons Garden totally controlled the secret plane.

With the two piercing cries of the Nighthawks, the two Dragon Crown Nighthawks flapped their wings and flew towards the east.

After flying for a distance, if one were to look at the riders from they had set off, one would only be able to see some tiny black specks.

The whistling of the wind continued to sound in Leylin's ears.

Leylin sat on the wide back of the Nighthawk, sweeping his eyes over the land under him.

In the secret plane, where the amount of energy particles was much denser, all types of vegetation grew very well.

For as far as the eye could see, there were lush green fields, within which there were several organised patches of blue flowers that gave off a sweet scent.

This was the Honey Milk Flower. Not only was it often used by acolytes as an ingredient used in Potioneering, the nectar within the flower was also a food that all beings in the Magus world enjoyed.

With the use of the A.I. Chip, Leylin could see that within the sea of blue, there were several people looking like ants as they worked diligently.

Beside the sea of flowers, there were several obviously man-made constructions, which seemed to have the sole purpose of watching over the flowers.

"Regular humans are in charge of plants that acolytes use as ingredients. As for ingredients that the official Magi usually use, which are more precious, they are more heavily defended, and are bred in special environments that simulate the environment of the outside world."

After flying for nearly half an hour, they descended into the outskirts of a small town.

"Greetings, my Lords!"

At this moment, a bunch of housewives and children came out from the town, and led by a town mayor and an acolyte, they respectfully greeted Leylin and Oak.

"We have definitely told you everything regarding the general events that have been taking place! This is my identity token! Bring me to the surveillance tower!"

Oak handed over a badge to the acolyte.

The acolyte seemed to be very old, and there were streaks of white hair behind his ears. He took the badge and traced over the surface of it with his thumb while chanting an incantation.

With the incantation, a layer of white light emerged from the badge and formed an image in midair. The screen listed Leylin's and Oak's profiles.

"Lord Leylin! Lord Oak! Please follow me!"

After seeing the image and information, this acolyte seemed to heave a sigh of relief, as he led Leylin and Oak to a tall stone tower within the small town.

"This is the organisation's surveillance tower. I have been taking on the role as a guard and have been maintaining the tower. Right now it is operating perfectly fine." The acolyte opened the doors of the surveillance tower as he made his report.

The surveillance tower was extremely simple, and the walls were the colour of ashen grey rocks.

The first floor made up the living quarters of the acolyte, and goods such as the stones and crystals used in the maintenance of the tower were haphazardly stocked on the second floor.

After going up the long flight of spiral steps, Leylin reached the highest floor of the surveillance tower.

Outside the door of the highest floor, there was actually a living magic creature. It was a painting of a lizard mounted on the wall. "Give me the password!"

"The great mother earth has bestowed upon us her powers!" The acolyte recited in a singsong voice.

"Password confirmed!" Following the reply of the lizard, the door opened with a creak.

"Even though he is only a level 3 acolyte, he's not bad!"

Leylin looked at the lizard within the painting that was still crawling and commented, before entering the room.

The room at the highest level was very small. There were windows installed on the four walls, and through them, one could observe the scenery surrounding the town.

"This is an apparatus that monitors the weather, and these spell formations complement the fine tuning of humidity and temperature. The controls are extremely simple, but since this is still your first time, Leylin, you can watch me first…"

Oak walked towards a black apparatus.

"Our initial purpose for coming here is to treat the disease that is affecting the Horse Milk Grass…"

Oak pressed on the apparatus, and immediately put on a red plastic mask on his face.

Ka-Cha!* A depression appeared in the apparatus. It was the size of a thumb, which could fit a test-tube in.

"First Jacklin Potion!"

Oak placed several test tubes in the depression. Immediately, the green liquids water level slowly fell.

"Rain!" Oak spat out the word in the ancient Byron language. At the same time, water element particles were constantly converging in his palm.

The energy particles were magnified through the apparatus and were eventually expelled out of the tower.

"To have used the magic of magicians to replace science and create man-made rain, this is incredible!" An intoxicated expression appeared on Leylin's face as he thought.

Any and all paths of progression would eventually converge at the same final destination.

The magicians who harnessed the mysterious powers of magic in this world had nearly achieved the same feats attained in Leylin's previous world.

Ka-Cha!*

Above the small town, patches of ominous clouds gathered and seemingly grew denser by the second.

Pitter Patter!*

Droplets of green rain fell from the sky.

Dark clouds amassed, and the rain descended upon the grassy plains.

With the onset of rain, the black spots on the surface of the Horse Milk Grass became noticeably lighter. It seemed that with the treatment contained within the rainfall, the grass could have a complete recovery

"The management of the secret plane is also a skill! The method of creating rain is the simplest of all of the techniques that we use. We also need to be aware of the compatibility of the flora and the fauna. For instance, if Night Lotus Flowers and Midnight Bees are put together, not only can this raise the efficiency of the production of the Midnight Lotus Flowers, it can also increase the vitality of the Midnight Bees, and increase the chance of there being a Bee King. Furthermore, the honey made from the pollen of the Midnight Lotus Flower is also a cosmetic item highly sought after by female Magi."

Oak gave Leylin a brief introduction.

Leylin's experience in managing a secret plane was completely non-existent.

Hence, he attentively recorded Oak's words in his memory and asked questions from time to time in order to lessen his doubts

"However, it's a pity! If I am able to let the A.I. Chip manage the activities within the secret plane using science and technology, I am confident that I can increase the productivity of the secret plane by at least 20%!"

After understanding the general situation within the secret plane, Leylin felt that this was a pity.

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A Meeting

No matter how great the Four Seasons Garden's secret plane was, it did not belong to him. Therefore, Leylin did not want to reveal his trump cards for the sake of it.

Also, as a newly advanced Magus, it was just a pipe dream for him to own a secret plane all to himself.

Apart from these couple stray thoughts, Leylin did not have any better methods that he wanted to employ.

……

Seven days later, the crisp caw of a Nighthawk sounded. Leylin sat on the back of a Dragon Crown Nighthawk while flying back to the Nightless City.

The missions to maintain the secret plane were indeed some of the most popular missions.

Leylin and Oak only spent seven days to cleanse the eastern part of the secret plane. Not only was the disease cured, they managed to drive away droves of ferocious beasts.

After which, Leylin and the others who, had nothing else left to do, were sent out of the secret plane. On each of their tokens, there was a huge number of contribution points added.

"I can try my earlier plan now. Also, I need to find several more servants. If I were to do everything myself, it would be a waste of my time…" Leylin thought.

After a span of four months, the backlash from consuming the Darkness crystals disappeared. However, the Four Seasons Garden's supply was far from enough, so Leylin could only shift his attention to that old witch in the Nightless City.

He remembered that the old witch's shop had a number of good items.

The sea of people in the Nightless City was the same as before. Leylin flew directly to the passage that hosted the revered magicians and showed his ring to the guards, before entering the city under the respectful bows of the guards.

Suddenly, Leylin's robes shook. A green light forcefully radiated through his robes.

"En?"

Leylin furrowed his brow, and withdrew a pocket sized diary.

A green secret imprint flashed with light, and from it, the voice of an old lady sounded. "Hey Leylin, are you here yet?"

From the tone of the voice, Leylin could detect a sense of urgency.

Ever since he had handed over a copy of his research on spirits from when he was an acolyte to the old witch, she had proved to have an extreme interest in it. Furthermore, she even given her secret imprint to Leylin.

During these past few months, she seemed to have gotten some progress in her experiment, but she was caught in a bottleneck. Hence, she had been continuously sending messages to Leylin.

It was a pity, however, that Leylin had been inside the Four Seasons Garden brewing potions to exchange for contribution points, so he hadn't paid her any heed.

However, this old witch was extremely patient, and had been sending Leylin a message every few days.

"What is it? Didn't I say that I would try my best to come over as quickly as possible?"

Leylin said to the secret imprint.

At the same time, his footsteps halted, and changed directions towards a deserted alley. He also applied a layer of isolation magic on his body.

"This time, I have amassed many items. Do you remember the crystallised Darkness energy particles? I have a total of 500 grams here, and I swear that you won't regret it…"

Knowing Leylin's temperament, the old witch hurriedly tossed out her bargaining chip.

"500 grams?" Leylin's brows relaxed, and the original feeling of tension disappeared.

With that many Darkness crystals,combined with the ones he had been saving, it would definitely bring his elemental essence conversion up by another notch.

However, the Darkness crystals were not almighty. According to Leylin's estimation and the A.I. Chip's calculations, if these crystals were to bring his elemental essence conversion up to 70%, then it would already be a godsend.

What's more, the backlash would be extremely terrifying. If his vitality was not superior to other normal magicians, he wouldn't dare to be this crazy.

"Yeah, this time I spared no expense, and even owe some old freaks a couple of favours now… Do you remember our previous transaction? Give me the latter half of the information, and all of these crystals will be yours. Also, there is some prospect of the things that you mentioned to me before happening. As for the details, wait until you come to my shop…"

The old witch's voice gradually faded, but Leylin could tell that she had a certain amount of confidence.

"Okay, wait for me. I'll be right there!" Leylin closed the diary, and hastened his footsteps.

Within Nightless City, Elm Street #231!

"Hehehe… You actually got here so quickly. It seems like you're also anxious to get the items I have!"

Seeing Leylin entering the shop, the witch immediately closed the main doors. It seemed that she was prepared to stop operating her business for the rest of the day.

"You and I are both Magi, but if not for the fact that we both had something the other party wanted, we would not be gathered like this. Don't bother trying to play these mind games!"

Leylin carefully scrutinised the old witch's appearance.

She looked more aged as compared to before. Furthermore, her hair was shrivelling and falling out. It seemed like she had gotten older by thirty to forty years.

"What has happened to you?"

Leylin casually asked.

"It's nothing much, just a backlash from an experiment!" The old witch obviously did not intend to elaborate.

"All 500 grams of Darkness crystals are here!" The old witch shook her head and placed a black bottle on the counter. Her body was extremely thin, as if she could collapse and die any given moment.

Inside the bottle, there was a layer of half solid and half liquid translucent crystals—the same as what Leylin had seen before.

"Before this, how about the thing I had entrusted you to look for previously? Are there really any prospects now?"

He had made a request to the old witch before, and that matter was no ordinary task.

"Of course, people who are similar are the most sensitive to one another. From your aura, I completely believe in your identity as a dark Magus. Furthermore, the guild behind me is very willing to have you join us…"

The old witch panted and sat on a chair made of vines while talking.

What Leylin had asked of the old witch from before was naturally to seek out an organisation operated by dark Magi.

Even within the Nightless City, which was controlled by the light Magi, there would definitely still be the existence of shadows. These were the grounds where the dark Magi would operate!

After all, Leylin was still a dark Magus through and through. To him, slowly gathering resources like other Magi, and spending time and effort to seek a chance to break through, was far too inefficient for him!

Furthermore, Leylin did not own a secret plane, and with his current wealth, he would definitely not be able to establish one. As a result, he could only work for an organisation in exchange for resources. Such a cumbersome process was unbearable to him.

As for the crudest way of obtaining resources, it was always done through bloodthirsty means. How could a slow and steady accumulation beat the instant gaining of resources through plundering? Although this method had a certain degree of risk, after doing some calculations, Leylin felt that it was within his risk threshold.

In fact, this was the most common thought of the dark Magi.

One could nurture a secret plane on any given day, but once there was an immediate increased need for resources, looting or plundering would have to be done.

As for the previous encounter, Leylin realised that this old witch was not just a dark Magus. Her shop was most likely a contact point for the disposal of stolen goods, and a meeting place for the dark Magi.

Hence, he had a notion about what was to come.

After all, with his current capabilities, he would not be able to plunder a secret plane, so he would need the help of other magicians.

"En! When will you bring me to see your head?" Leylin asked.

"What about my reward?" The old witch refused.

"First, look at this!" Leylin tossed a scroll to her after thinking.

The old witch caught the scroll, and her eyes squinted. "En! It seems to be an introduction to a type of spiritual force potion. The ingredients required are really rare; you actually need a spirit…"

"Guk Kuk…" Suddenly, as if something got stuck in the old witch's throat, she let off a gag, her face filled with disbelief.

"This is… A spiritual force formula of the ancient Magi! The primary steps have actually been filled in…"

She looked at Leylin in alarm. "Give me the rest of this information, and the deal will be sealed! I can even give you other types of compensation, and my treasures will be for your taking!"

Towards the old witch's suggestion, Leylin scoffed. "Are you kidding? A copy of a spiritual force potion of the ancient Magi is only worth this much?"

"Then what do you want?"

The old witch's face darkened, and a dark spiritual force energy wave emanated from her body.

Whoosh!* As if a strong wind had passed through, the items in the shop began to shake.

"You wish to attack? Don't forget that we're in the Nightless City right now!"

Leylin reminded her as he smiled gently. After which, his eyes flashed, and an immense wave of spiritual force with an inconceivable darkness enveloped the shop.

Bang!*

The two forces clashed, and several explosions occurred in the air. The glass bottles in the surroundings cracked open, and several organs and fresh blood seeped from them.

"You actually have such a huge improvement in your spiritual force?" The old witch staggered back two steps, apparently shocked.

"Not only that, look at this too!" Leylin withdrew the identification badge of the Four Seasons Garden, and flashed it at the witch.

"The identity token of the Four Seasons Garden! To think that you had already joined them!"

The old witch was evidently more afraid now.

"Hey hey! Is this Elm Street #231, Marie's Emporium? I detected strong spiritual force energy waves from your shop earlier; do you need any assistance?"

A milky white light from a secret imprint floated on the old witch's counter.

"No… It's nothing. Just a leakage of a failed experiment from earlier…" The old witch looked Leylin in the eye, and said to the secret imprint.

The other party was silent for a moment. "Then I will make this record. Moreover, you have flouted clause 762 of the Nightless City's security law; please come to the communal centre to pay your fines before the 13th…"

Evidently, the other party had his suspicions, but as the perpetrator of this event, the old witch did not voice any problems, so the other party did not bother to pursue the matter any further.

"I know!" The old witch answered the other party in a superficial manner, before shutting off the secret imprint.

In the Magus world, strength alone was not everything. One needed to have some kind of backing as well.

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Collaboration

Not only did Leylin display his immense might in front of the old witch, he even revealed that he had the backing of the Four Seasons Garden. Hence, the old witch now had no choice but to take him seriously.

As for the possibility of the other party catching hold of Leylin's weak point?

Right now Leylin had not joined any dark Magi organisations, so why would he be afraid of that?

Also, after successfully joining the organisation that the old witch was in, everyone would be in the same boat. Leylin also had other plans, and would never allow this old witch to reveal them to others.

Crash!*

A heap of high-grade magic crystals that radiated huge energy waves was emptied on the table, along with a dozen black magic crystal cards.

These magic crystal cards were made of the essence of 1000 magic crystals, which was the origin for many formations source of energy. Hence, they were extremely sought after.

"All of my magic crystals are here. Every item in this shop, as long as you want them, can be yours. If only you could give me that potion's formula."

An earnest and pleading expression appeared on the old witch's face. It seemed that she needed this potion's formula very badly.

This turn of events left Leylin somewhat shocked.

From what he thought, this old witch would definitely be enthralled by it, but not to such a crazy degree.

However, this situation was naturally more favourable towards him now.

Leylin appeared indifferent as he swept up the magic crystal cards and crystallised Darkness energy particles and stored them in his robes.

"How precious is the formula of a potion that can increase the spiritual force of even official Magi? It isn't even easy for me to get this kind of item!"

Leylin said nonchalantly, and despair was drawn on the old witch's face.

"Although the formula cannot be given, we can still cooperate!" Right when the old witch was about to burst in rage, Leylin gently spoke again, causing the old witch relax the energy particles that she had gathered.

"Cooperate? How are we going to do that?"

"You're an expert in the field of spirits, and the raw ingredients for this spiritual potion are all spirits! You'll provide the ingredients and do all of the other preparatory work, and I'll be in charge of brewing the potion. As for the potions that are successful, I'll get 60% of them, and you'll get the remaining 40%!"

Leylin suggested.

It was obvious that this proposal seemed to hit the old witch's soft spot.

In terms of potential, she couldn't take down the present Leylin, and the power backing Leylin was also one that caused her some amount of fear. In addition, this potion was extremely important to her.

"The ratio is too little. I'll be obtaining the spirits and doing all the prep work, which is much more dangerous. If I ever get caught by the light Magi, I'll definitely be chased to the ends of the world!"

The old witch emphasised the fact that she'd be in the most danger.

"That's the best you'll get! It won't get any higher than this!" Leylin wore a deadpan expression. "After all, the formula is in my hands. As long as you agree, we can immediately sign a contract and summon the Trial's Eye to bear witness to it!"

"…Very well!" The old witch was silent for a long while, before forcing the words out of her mouth.

After picking another time to meet, Leylin left the area with a smile about his lips.

He had been planning on collaborating with her since after their first meeting.

The spiritual force potion that he had shown earlier was naturally the ancient potion formula for the Tears of Mary.

Back when he was an acolyte, he had already completed a simplified version of it—the Blood Vengeance Potion.

After he had advanced into a Rank 1 Warlock and upgraded the A.I. Chip, Leylin finally possessed the capabilities to restore the original incomplete formula of the potion.

This potion was indeed befitting of use by the ancient Magi. According to the A.I. Chip's simple calculation, the Tears of Mary currently proved to be extremely beneficial for Leylin to speedily increase his spiritual force.

A large amount of spirits that had to be harvested, combined with the early stages of preparatory work, was extremely complicated and savage. The brutality contained was leagues above that of brewing the Blood Vengeance Potion! If the light Magi were to find out, Leylin's only outcome would be a chase to the death, and even interrogation regarding the formula.

Leylin did not have the time and effort to take on such a risk.

Moreover, due to the potion formula's special nature, the magicians who could handle the preparatory work had to have to strength of an official Magus and a deep understanding regarding the aspect of spirits.

Right now, the old witch was the only one that fulfilled this criterion.

Within the Four Seasons Garden, there were sure to be Magi who were able to fulfill these requirements, but Leylin wouldn't even consider it.

This spiritual potion, which was suitable for official Magi, was much more costly than those suitable for acolytes. Furthermore, it was an ancient potion! Leylin wasn't so stupid as to think that he could keep possession of this formula. It would definitely be seized in the name of the organisation.

Even though the organisation was sure to give him some benefits, would it outweigh the advantages of having sole possession of the formula?

A potion that could raise one's spiritual power was a temptation that no official Magus would be able to resist.

As a result, with Leylin's persuasion, the old witch quickly agreed.

In addition, the two of them made an unbreakable vow, to which the Trial's Eye bore witness.

The old witch was even forced to swear not to leak any information about Leylin or the potion formula.

This was, of course, at Leylin's request. This way, even if someone found out the old witch's secret, they would not be able to trace it back to Leylin.

In fact, Leylin pushed all the risk of material gathering onto the old witch!

Hence, he did not hesitate to give her 40% of the potions that would be brewed!

As for the formula of the potion, Leylin had given the old witch most of the contents of the first half. As for the few most crucial steps, it was solely controlled by him.

As long as he held on to those key steps, Leylin didn't need to worry about the old witch possibly rebelling against him.

These last few procedures were not only extremely tedious but also required the help of the A.I. Chip to achieve true success. Even if others had gotten the complete formula, they might not be able to brew the potion successfully.

As for the witch who needed the potion, she had no choice but to toil for Leylin, taking on the extreme risk of harvesting souls, and also completing the bloody preparation of the early stages of the brewing process.

After signing the contract, Leylin and the old witch were, to some extent, in the same boat, so the matter of being referred to a dark guild would naturally be followed up.

"But that old witch's reaction was a little strange. She agreed so easily in order to obtain the potion. I was prepared to give her more materials, but she actually agreed to my conditions so quickly, almost as if the potion wasn't for herself, but for someone else…"

The wheels in Leylin's head were constantly turning as he ambled along.

"No, this is better for me. If I have misgivings about this arrangement, then I will have something that I can use as blackmail material…"

Under the setting sun's light, Leylin's shadow was drawn out onto the streets, looking somewhat malevolent, as if it were a devil…

In the shop from before.

The old witch stood there silently until she confirmed Leylin's departure. After that, she walked to the counter and pressed on a hidden area.

Boom!*

A mechanical sound was heard, and the wall at the back of the shop was pushed backwards, revealing a flight of steps that headed downwards.

The old witch held onto her cloak as she slowly walked down.

The staircase was extremely short, ending after just a couple of steps.

This was a basement, and it was positioned right below the old witch's shop. Moreover, there were many runes inscribed onto the walls of the basement room.

There were a few human bones scattered in the corners of the room as well.

There were many traces of scars on these bones, which could only let one imagine the torture and suffering that the owners went through while they were alive.

A frosty aura continuously encircled the room.

If Leylin was here, he would definitely recognise this familiar feeling. It was similar to the lab back in the Extreme Night City, where he was trying to create vengeful spirits.

Sssii!* The old witch lit a candle in the centre of the room.

This candle was a transparent white, yet the flame was a dark green. The old witch's horrendous countenance looked even more malicious under the flame.

"Mother…"

Whoosh! A black tornado swept across the basement, and after a flash of black gas, there was suddenly a translucent figure in the basement.

This figure belonged to a young girl wearing a simple dress. Her shadow was extremely faint as if she was on the verge of dissipating.

"My daughter!" A kindly, yet heartbroken expression appeared on the old witch's face.

"What happened just now? Why did I feel a strong and vicious energy burst out upstairs?" The girl's expression was one of suspicion.

"No! It's nothing, just a slight dispute while I was doing business…"

The old witch looked tense. "Did it hurt you?"

"I'm alright, it's only that…" The girl crouched on the floor and hugged her knees. "Don't bother with me anymore; it has already costed you large amounts of resources to protect my existence. If not for me, wouldn't you have long since advanced?"

"My dear daughter!" The old witch's eyes reddened, and she wanted to hug her daughter, yet her two hands could only weave through the girl's ghostly figure.

Following which, the girl's arms turned even more illusory, as if they were going to scatter any moment.

"Oh! No! Why is this even faster than before?"

Fright appeared on the old witch's face, and she frantically withdrew various items from her robes and placed them on the floor, forming a tiny spell formation.

In the center of the formation, there was a spirit trapped within a crystal ball.

"Almighty Defiling Mother, I hereby sacrifice the fear of this spirit in return for your blessings…"

The old witch continued to chant in an extremely awkward sounding incantation, all while pointing at the spirit.

"Ah…" The sound of anguish and terror travelled outwards from within the crystal ball, threads of silvery-white gas constantly being drawn out from the spirit's body.

The silvery-white gas quickly supplemented the girl's body, and her almost dissipated body gradually became more stable.

"It's starting again! I don't want to do this… It's too… too cruel…" The girl quietly sobbed.

"I found a potion today, and the formula is said to have been used by ancient Magi to raise their spiritual power. It'll definitely be effective for you! Stay strong! Stay strong for a little while longer, and mother will definitely help you regain your physical body."

The old witch continuously consoled her.

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Participate And Plunder

Leylin did not know of the incident that happened after he left the small shop.

After coming to an agreement with the old witch, he first went to the most famous and lavish restaurant in the Nightless City for a sumptuous meal. Following that, he brought gifts to Crew's villa to thank him for divulging some information beforehand.

As for Crew, after he saw Leylin who had successfully become a member of the Four Seasons Garden, his shocked expression almost caused Leylin to laugh.

Although the Four Seasons Garden was rated as first class with complete experimentation facilities, it was undeniable that in terms of enjoyment it was still lacking to what the Nightless City had to offer.

Leylin finally understood why many members who had a dormitory in the headquarters of the Four Seasons Garden still visit the Nightless City during their vacation period.

For Magi, their long lifespan and inhuman strength allowed them to easily obtain much influence and status.

And apart from research and analysis, these mortal pleasures became one of their ways of entertainment.

Upon seeing no hope of advancing further, many elderly Magi would retire from their organisations and into Nightless City, enjoying their life to the fullest.

Leylin's neighbour, Crew, was a good representation of those kinds of people.

However, for the time being, this matter was too far in the future for Leylin to even be thinking about, since he was still young and had a lot of potential to rise in power. It was far too early to get discouraged.

Whiling the time away was just a method for him to vent and relax during his free time.

……

Time passed quickly, and three days later, Leylin abided by the promise and met with the old witch once again.

"Follow me! I'll bring you to a meeting with the organisation that's backing me!"

She brought Leylin out of Nightless City.

In a rather isolated forest, the old witch took out a ghost mask and put it on. "The dark Magi organisations and light Magi ones are different. Any divulgence of information will lead us into trouble. Hence, many members conceal their identity. You had better cover your face and think of a nickname!"

It seemed that before obtaining the complete formula of the Tears of Mary, the old witch had already treated Leylin to be in an alliance with her.

After all, compared to promises and pledges, the constraints bound by benefits were more everlasting.

"My nickname is 'Old Devil'. Don't call me by the wrong name!" The old witch reminded him, apparently worried.

"Concealing identities? I like this idea!" Leylin nodded, and his facial muscles twisted. The colour of his hair also changed from jet-black to silver white.

At the same time, he fitted a mask onto his face. "When we reach there, call me 'Blood Rogue'!"

The dark Magi's system was much more appropriate for Leylin's tastes.

In addition, hiding his identity would also be useful for his work within the Four Seasons Garden.

The meeting was conducted at the bottom of a swamp.

Even though this place could be likened to hell for regular humans, for Leylin and official Magi, this was just a matter of walking a few steps further.

After passing through the swamp, which was emitting a putrid smell, Leylin found himself in a space under the ground, which had been set up at that instant.

"You're late! Old Devil! And you seem to have brought in fresh blood?"

A black mouse, the size of a burly adult, stood on its hind legs, as it stared fiercely at Leylin, its small eyes full of distrust.

"Yes, he is the one I've spoken about before. His name is 'Blood Rogue'!"

"Although the blood reeking aura on him tells me that he is a dark Magus, but those turncoat trashs who had gone to the light Magi's side are too many. We need a deeper level of confirmation…"

Besides the black mouse was a bald Magus whose facial features seemed to have melted. There was also a large black boa coiled around its body.

"He has frightened my baby!"

The boa, upon seeing Leylin immediately retreated with fear, as if seeing its natural enemy. Afterwards, it then respectfully laid down on the floor showing its allegiance to Leylin. This turned the bald Magus' expression extremely unsightly.

Leylin understood then that the fact the boa bowed in front of him was due to his Giant Kemoyin Serpent's bloodline.

This was an ancient creature's bloodline, which had a natural disposition and control over its own species.

"Damn it!" The bald Magus attacked.

Something that looked like bestial claws appeared in the air and pounced at Leylin, the attack accompanied by the howls of wild creatures.

"You're looking to die!"

Leylin roared, and a scarlet light bursting out of his body as he scratched at the air with his right hand!

Innumerable black shadows emerged from the darkness and twined around those bestial claws. *Sssii!* White vapour emerged unceasingly, and the beast claws engulfed within the black shadows began to dissolve, turning into drops of black liquid that dripped onto the floor.

"Ugh!" Meanwhile, the bald Magus turned pale and he retreated a few steps, seeming to have taken a little damage.

"Hahahaha… What did I just see? Venom Snake, you actually cannot even control a newbie!"

A female Magus wearing a white mask mocked him.

"Hmph, you just wait!" The bald Venom Snake stared coldly at Leylin but did not attack him a second time.

Before arriving here, the old witch had already given Leylin a brief introduction.

This small organisation was formed by a few dark Magi after several trades, so there weren't any strict rules, so much so that all the members had their identities concealed.

However, after some time, the organisation expanded in power, and could already rival the existence of medium tiered guilds.

As the members were all dark Magi, the entry requirements were extremely lax. Many members had enmity between them, but against the immense pressure from the light Magi, they still chose to ally themselves with this organisation.

As for the previous few Magi who tried to make things difficult for Leylin, it was a mere formality.

Right now, Leylin had displayed his prowess, so naturally, no one else dared to provoke him.

"Alright now! Blood Rogue is referred by me. Furthermore, I can vouch for him!" The old witch said.

"Since Old Devil's already said this, and all who join us need to make a soul pledge, it's definitely not a problem!" A Magus, with the head of a tiger, spoke.

From what Leylin had heard from the old witch, she had entered this organisation a long time ago and could be considered an elder. From the looks of it, this seemed to be true.

"Alright! The reason why we're gathered here today isn't to welcome the new guy… How is the plan from the previous time we met going on?"

Another Magus, who had enveloped himself in a green fog, inquired.

"Since we're all here, then it must mean that we're all into this. Also, we can give our newbie a test!" The baldy Venom Snake stared at Leylin.

"Attacking a secret plane huh? Count me in, but also give me an equal portion of the resources obtained!"

Leylin said blandly.

This was something that the old witch told him earlier.

Such a large group of dark Magi gathering was not just to exchange resources.

To them, self-production was too slow. The best way was still to plunder resources from the light Magi!

Also, it was not that the dark Magi did not produce their own resources. However, during the time of managing their own secret planes, they also plundered to increase their harvest.

Leylin only understood all these recently.

But the reason why he had joined a dark Magi's organisation was precisely for this reason, so he was naturally supportive of their plan.

"Good! Since everyone's in agreement, I'll go through the entire plan."

"The secret plane I've discovered this time is located in a small-scaled secret storage plane used by the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower. There's an enforcement group comprised of official Magi keeping an eye on it, and the strongest Magus among them has an elemental essence conversion of above 80%. I'll lead him away, so I want 40% of our profit!"

The Magus within the green fog spoke.

"I agree!"

"I agree!"

… This had obviously been agreed upon previously, and the surrounding Magi looked at each other and quickly voiced their agreement as they nodded.

"To be so certain that he can guide that Magus away must mean that that Magus within the green fog is very strong! He must be on the verge of advancing to the 2nd rank!"

Leylin shivered inwardly. He was very clear about the strength he held, and his position in the group.

Just based on the advantage of Warlocks in the innate spells and vitality, adding on to his current elemental essence conversion, right now he could defeat a semi-converted elemental Magus head on. However, towards those Magi with over 80% elemental essence conversion, he still did not stand a chance.

As for the members in this dark Magi organisation, they were mostly semi-converted elemental Magus, who would be considered as elites within the south coast.

As for small scaled secret planes, they were different from the Four Seasons Garden that Leylin saw previously which spanned over 1 million mu.

The small scaled secret planes were set up by Magi who wished to store resources and other precious resources. Just like the Dylan Gardens, the area might not be extremely vast, but the items within were extremely valuable.

As for Four Seasons Garden's secret plane, it was a large scaled resource production point. As the area was vast, the construction cost was extravagant. Hence they had a rank 2 Magus guarding over it.

It was evident that if this organisation that Leylin was in attempted to rob the Four Seasons Garden's secret plane, the number of members who went would spell the number of deaths.

However, to deal with a small scaled secret plane which only had a rank 1 Magus as the guardian, as long as the plan was executed perfectly, it was very likely to be a success.

"Alright! Since there are no other questions, then let us set off now!"

The Magus in the green fog withdraw a watch and looked at it.

"Let's go! My precious is already longing for fresh blood!" The baldy Venom Snake smiled in a savage and malevolent manner…

……

In a place not too far from Nightless City.

There were several man-made buildings, from which Magi in disguise frequently entered and exited.

"This is the branch of Ennea Ivory Ring Tower. The secret plane that I inquired about is within this place…"

The voice of the Magus within the green fog travelled over, faintly discernible, "I'll lead the guardian away. You have to plunder the secret plane before the guards of Nightless City arrive. Act based on the plan and remember, your time limit is 5 minutes!!!"

"Don't worry, it's not like this is our first time working together!"

The Old Devil, which the old witch was playing the role of, laughed coldly.

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Crimson Palm

"Go!"

With the command, the Magus enshrouded in green mist acted first.

After an incantation, he floated in the air, green mist continuously emanating from his body.

Whoosh!* All of the dark green fog turned into a hurricane and struck at a part of the division in Leylin's field of vision.

Sssii!* This green fog seemed to have extremely acidic properties.

Several acolytes wailed as they turned into white bones after the fog engulfed them. Even the surrounding ground turned even softer and muddier, turning into a marsh.

Even the light from part of the defensive spell formation trembled under the corrosive power of the green fog, as if it was going to shatter at any moment.

"Who is it? You actually dare to attack a division of the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower?"

An enraged voice sounded out. Following which, a figure wearing black armour flew up into the air.

"Kill!" The black clothed figure coldly shouted, and smoke billowed from the ground, turning into a skull as it struck the green fog.

"Hehehe…" The Magus in the green fog cackled. Under his command, the green fog took on the form of a scorpion as it clashed with the skull.

Boom!*

Bang!*

The surroundings seemed to have been struck by 10 different hurricane force winds, which then dissipated in all directions.

The mighty destructive power immediately caused the division's building to be shaven off by a layer.

"Is this the might of a Magus who has fulfilled the requirements for breaking through to the next rank?" Leylin watched the actions of the Magus in mid-air closely, a strange light in his eyes.

With the Magus in the green mist taking control, the battle in the air became increasingly one-sided.

"It's our turn now!" Rodent, who was half the size of a regular man, licked his lips.

"Newbie! Don't get intimidated! If you hinder this operation, I'll be the first to claim your life!"

Venom Snake threatened him.

"If you obstruct me, you'll definitely be the one dead!"

Leylin, who was going by the name of Blood Rogue, made a sound as he snickered. A potion exploded and formed a red membrane on his body.

"Giant's green fog is an extremely powerful type of area of effect spell. It can deal devastating damage to all targets within the area of effect!"

The old witch who was wearing the mask explained to Leylin.

"Be careful; although Giant has lured the strongest enemy away, the remaining enforcers won't be easy to deal with either…"

"Hehe… Those light Magi are like little rabbits. I've long since wanted to rip open their chests and savour the taste of their innards…"

A zombie-like dark Magus licked his lips as he turned into a gust of black wind, charging into the division's building, whose defensive spell formation had broken down.

Whoosh!*

As if his action signalled the start, dozens of strange colours with powerful energy waves radiating from them charged towards the division.

"Crap! It's a trap, inform the team leader quickly!"

The light Magi who were by the entrance watched the dozens of dark Magi dashing towards them, and their expressions immediately changed. Even their voices cracked.

"Haha… Boss Giant may have some difficulty killing your leader, but it's not a problem for him to stall for time! Even if your leader finds something wrong, it'll be too late for him to save you…"

The old witch laughed loudly as she tossed two silver coloured metal balls towards the building.

Boom!*

The silver metal balls both exploded like grenades. After the shock waves had dissipated, a spell continuously encircled the area and the air was contorted, even to the point that the energy particles in the air were unstable.

Bzzt bzzt* The sound of electromagnetic interference boomed throughout the area.

"Not good! It's an Elemental Fluctuation Bomb! They actually have something like that!"

The light Magi's faces were ashen as they quickly retreated.

"Alright! None of the communication spells work, and space magic is now impossible to use. Comrades enjoy this blood fest! You only have a limit of 5 minutes…"

The old witch waved her hand.

"Spirit Explosion!"

Boom!* A translucent spirit suddenly appeared in the surroundings of the light Magi and exploded.

Against the energy waves that targeted the spirit, one light Magus retreated several steps. Blood began to flow from his seven facial orifices.

However, in the instant that he retreated, a translucent worm appeared from the contortions in the air, directly charging towards the light Magus.

Ka-Cha!* A defensive lightning shield appeared around the light Magus' body, protecting him within.

Pu!* The lightning shield crumpled like paper in the face of the worm, shattering from just the first touch. The crystal like worm drove its way right into the Magus' mouth.

"Ugh…" The light Magus' face turned purple, looking like an eggplant as he clutched at his throat and collapsed.

"Hehe, I don't usually have the luxury of using magic as I please and collecting souls! Same rules, all spirits collected in battles must be handed over to me. I guarantee a good price!"

Silver light permeated the old witch's hands as she retrieved a crystal ball from her robes and approached the light Magus, who had lost all signs of resistance. Her lips moved non-stop as she chanted something.

Following her incantation, the light Magus' eyes became blurry, and an indistinct human figure was pulled out from that Magus' body.

"This old witch is really a lunatic! She's actually collecting spirits directly from the battlefield!"

Leylin watched her work, unperturbed by her surroundings, and suddenly began to regret his initial decision.

However, it was just for a moment that he shot a glance in the direction of the old witch. Immediately after, he spilled some red powder onto his two hands.

"Crimson Palm!"

As he chanted, a layer of crimson coloured light suffused both of Leylin's arms. His palms turned extremely slender, and his fingernails turned razor sharp and also slightly transparent.

This was a rank 1 spell from the Book of Giant Serpent that Leylin had long since recorded into his memory through the A.I. Chip.

Although his rank 1 spell's might was a little lower, with only a degree of 20 or so, with the addition of his elemental essence conversion, it was enough to deal with a normal rank 1 Magus.

Right now, Leylin was hiding his identity, so innate gifts and spells that were eye catching could not be used.

However, he had already prepared another set of spells to cast in times like this.

[Host's palms have had a slight adjustment in strength. Strength in arms are now stronger, with an added effect of poison!] The A.I. Chip's voice intoned.

Looking at the surroundings, where every Magus had found his or her own opponent, Leylin smiled as he casually picked on a light Magus who came charging at him.

Crash!*

The slender, yet extremely menacing fingers clawed through the void, and large energy waves surged through the air as if the surface of a lake had been ripped through.

Leylin's body flashed as his red shadow rapidly moved around on the battlefield, leaving behind only a series of mirages.

"Who exactly are you guys? Which organisation are you from?"

The opponent that Leylin chose was a middle-aged man wearing loose white robes, yet an extremely aged voice came from his larynx.

Leylin only clawed viciously as a reply.

Thump!*

Leylin struck with his right hand, directly slashing a few marks onto the opposing Magus' body.

In front of Leylin's Crimson Palm, the official Magus' standard white robes were like paper, getting slashed into pieces, and leaving behind a large hole.

"Elemental Shield!" The middle-aged Magus roared.

Brown energy particles gathered unceasingly and solidified to form a thin, yellow, full-body armour, protecting his entire body. Even his head was shielded with a helmet, leaving just a pair of sparkling eyes.

"I will ask again, who is behind this attack, dark Magus!" The middle aged man continuously staggered backwards, his hands stealthily reaching into his robes.

"You talk too much!"

Leylin struck again, his crimson claws leaving a scratch on the yellow armour.

"It's useless!" The middle aged Magus howled. Traces of brown energy particles were continuously being absorbed into the dents of the armour, quickly restoring most traces of damage.

[Target's innate spell has been scanned and recorded. Beginning simulation and parameter testing to find out the weakest point!]

The A.I. Chip's voice intoned. It also projected the 3D image of a human figure wearing the yellow armour. Several points on the armour were marked red, representing the weak points.

While Leylin attacked, the middle-aged Magus withdrew a scroll from his robes, from which tremendous energy waves emanated.

"A formidable spell in a scroll? I can't let him activate it!" Leylin's pupils contracted as he let loose an extremely high-pitched shriek.

"Hisssss…" This was the voice of an extremely venomous snake, and was so unpleasant to the ears that it could draw goosebumps from others.

When the sound waves reached the middle-aged Magus, a blank look appeared on his face, and the speed at which he was opening the scroll slowed.

"Right here!" Leylin's footsteps moved in a bizarre manner as he rapidly increased his speed and covered a distance of over ten meters. In the blink of an eye, he arrived in front of the middle-aged Magus.

The bright red light of the Crimson Palm on his right hand shone even more vividly as he clawed at the area 3 inches above the Magus' abdomen, which was protected by his armour.

The first claw! A depression the size of a fist appeared in the brown armour, and a large part of the armour fell.

The second claw! The middle-aged Magus' innate defensive spell was destroyed by Leylin.

"No! Please forgive me, the value of a Magus kept in captive is high!"

It was obvious that this light Magus was used to living a privileged lifestyle, and lacked the will to even fight for his own life, sinking to his knees in front of Leylin.

However, Leylin's face was ice cold, like a thousand year old frost. His right hand struck again, crushing the middle-aged Magus' head like a watermelon.

Crunch!*

White brain matter and scarlet blood stained Leylin's hands. His hands seemed even more demonic and alluring.

"There's an unexpected reward!"

Leylin picked up the Magus' scroll, his face filled with glee.

"A pretty good scroll; the energy waves are extremely strong. It seems like it should be able to hold its own even amongst rank 1 spells! It should be worth quite a bit of magic crystals…"

Right at this moment, a wretched scream caught Leylin's attention.

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A Successful Retreat

Leylin turned around and saw the baldy's snake shoot an ice bullet, which shattered the innate defense spell of his opponent.

At the same time, the precious boa of his charged, revealing razor sharp fangs and sinking them into the light Magus' neck.

Baldy's opponent was a rather young looking Magus with blonde hair and blue eyes. He had an extremely cheery disposition.

It was a pity, however, that right now, this light Magus had death written all over his face. With the continuous constriction of the boa, his life was drained away.

After killing the light Magus, the baldy's Venom Snake threw Leylin a provocative look.

However, Leylin acted as if he saw nothing, and dashed right into the division of the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower.

"Right now, he wants to be petty about such things and not steal treasures? This Magus is definitely somewhat mental!"

Leylin hurriedly ran past the doors and arrived at a place that seemed to be a library.

"These are all information meant for acolytes, so I'll forgo them. A.I. Chip, scan!" Leylin's eyes hurriedly swept the area. This library consisted of two floors, and the total area was rather huge. However, Leylin had read most of the books found here before, so they were not of much value to him.

[Beep! Mission establishing, beginning scan…]

After which, a light blue image was formed and appeared in Leylin's vision.

Through this image, Leylin could easily discover that between the two floors, there was an extremely tiny passage.

Right now, there was no one in the library, and books and chairs were strewn across the floor. It seemed that the people who were here had escaped quickly.

Leylin strode past the lobby and came to the hidden spot.

"It's in here huh?"

Leylin looked at the wall before his hands punched into it without hesitation!

Boom!* Dust flew around in the room, and an extremely narrow passage was revealed at the collapsed portion of the wall.

"Hmm?"

The passage was extremely short, and at the back, there was a small room. There were several shelves upon which some memory crystal balls sat on. Moreover, in the room sat three quivering acolytes.

"Ennea Ivory Ring Tower huh? George isn't here!"

Leylin gave a quick scan and slightly waved his Crimson Palm.

A blurry red light filled the small room.

The three acolyte's eyes turned red, and they immediately lost consciousness, their bodies still trembling as signs of life became less obvious. From the looks of it, they wouldn't live past today.

In front of an official Magus like Leylin, these regular acolytes' lives were like those of ants. With just a slight misstep, he might accidentally kill a few of them.

Leylin paid no mind as he stepped across the acolytes' bodies, which were still involuntarily trembling, and came to the front of one of the wooden shelves.

"Elementary Meditation Techniques" "Potioneering Foundations…" "Rune Theories" "Study of Particles"

The crystal balls on the wooden shelves were more valuable items, which could immediately transmit information into a magician's mind without them forgetting anything.

Leylin's eyes swept past the crystal balls and noticed that they contained information meant for acolytes, which was not of much use to him. However, there was a clutter of black crystal balls in the middle of all of them, with various tags showing the high-grade information stored within. This caused Leylin to grin…

A dozen seconds later, Leylin walked out from the library, which combusted in flames just seconds later.

At this moment, the whole division was in chaos, with magic spells being continuously fired across the battlefield.

After killing most of the official Magus enforcers, most of the division's defenses fell apart.

Some were even acolytes who couldn't resist the attacks of a group of dark Magi!

The dark Magi wilfully plundered resources as they deemed fit, destroying everything they could see before them, and letting loose their inner cravings for darkness.

Leylin watched the scene with a blank expression, using the A.I. Chip to scan the entire branch.

He didn't have much time, and there was at most a few minutes before Nightless City's allied forces arrived. No matter how insane Leylin was, he wouldn't dare to contend with a large number of light Magi.

"From the structure, this isn't a division of the academy. Rather, this is more similar to a research organisation, with a lot fewer people here…"

Leylin traversed an area with disorganised architecture and idly looked around.

"I found it!"

An excited voice rang out. "Guys, come here! I've found the entrance to the secret plane!"

"Hm?"

"That's great!"

Multiple equally eager voices came for all around the region, and the dark Magi from before all gathered in a small garden.

Here, the large Rodent Magus was constantly rubbing his black claws, his beard sticking up, and his tiny eyes greedily fixated upon an oval object in the sky.

That object seemed to be a mirror with silver rays of light surrounding it. In the centre was a deep and dark spiral.

"I'm sorry, my magic can only show you the entrance to the secret plane. It will take some time to forcefully gain entry!"

The large Rodent immediately asked, "Which of you captured any opposing Magi? Interrogate them and get the password and method to enter!"

"Look for Old Devil, she's an expert in this field!"

The zombie-like Magus was carrying the naked corpse of a female acolyte, gnawing her flesh from time to time as if savouring a delicacy.

"Hehe… That Magus' spirit was extracted smoothly by me earlier; it seems like this will be a great harvest!"

The old witch cackled and walked towards the silver circular hole, while chanting an extremely awkward sounding incantation.

Weng Weng!*

The void emitted energy waves as the circular entrance became enlarged, revealing the dark space of what seemed to be a storage.

"Haha… We have struck the jackpot…" The giant mouse rushed in like a whirlwind, with the following dark Magi following behind.

"I'll stay behind to keep watch!" The old witch tossed several powder-like substances on the ground. "Anyway, we have to divide them in the end…"

Leylin exchanged a meaningful look with the old witch as he went into the secret plane.

This secret plane was extremely small—about the size of a large warehouse. There was only one passage for people to walk about. On both sides of the warehouse, there were many labeled items and ingredients.

"Hurry! Pick the most valuable items and go, and burn the rest that we don't need!"

Zombie tossed the female corpse aside and looked at the door of the warehouse, before stepping in with a snort.

Leylin looked at the dark Magi who were happily shoving items into their pockets, and could not help but shake his head.

In the Magus world, those magic artifacts which had spatial capabilities were extremely precious. At most, Leylin had only heard of them in legends and folklore. Until now, he had never seen any Magus owning an item like that.

Hence, most Magi could only carry the most valuable items with them. Every time they went on a mission, they would be carrying many sacks, with some even having horse carriages that were filled with empty chests.

As for right now, there were too many items in this warehouse. Leylin and the others could only choose the most valuable ones, and as for other large items, these dark Magi, who were already consumed by greed, could only choose to destroy them.

"If I had a spatial ring or something like that in future, then it would be much more convenient!"

Leylin rushed into a section where the shelves were filled with various ingredients, as well as heaps of magic crystals that had been tossed in a corner like trash.

Leylin quickly stuffed the precious materials into his own pockets. He immediately ignored the low-grade magic crystals, and only the high-grade magic crystals and magic crystal cards caught his eye.

At this moment, he was still indulging in his fantasies.

"Of course, rather than getting any spatial ring, the best thing to do would be to occupy this territory. That would be real profit without any investment!"

Leylin was a little regretful about this, but he could only bury his delusions into the bottom of his heart.

[Beep! 4 Minute 37 Seconds have passed in the countdown, reaching close to the value set by the Host!]

The A.I. Chip's voice intoned.

"There's no more time! Retreat!" Leylin's eyes reflected his resolution, and he speedily left the warehouse.

"Nightless City's forces are arriving. Run!"

After Leylin left the secret plane, he heard Rodent's flustered voice.

"Go!"

Leylin and the old witch nodded, and transformed into two streaks of shadows, which disappeared into the air.

After the retreat of all the dark Magi, Leylin turned back to observe the sight of black flames emitting from Ennea Ivory Ring Tower.

Some of the Magi from the Nightless City who were using rank 1 flying magic descended from the sky.

……

A giant beast dashed past the land.

Looking on, this beast was over 50 metres tall and 200 metres long. Its appearance closely resembled a large hippopotamus, and its jaws occupied almost half of its body size.

With every step that this gargantuan beast took, deep imprints would be made on the ground. Also, there were also tremors, as if mini earthquakes were occurring.

The surrounding animals would scatter and flee after seeing this beast, not daring to stay a moment longer.

Within this beast, the group of dark Magi from earlier were gathered inside of a large hall.

The Magus wrapped in green fog, who went by the name of "Giant," stood unscathed in the middle, and his aura had not even decreased by much. It was evident that he had disposed of his opponent with much ease.

"Alright! Since all of us here have made our vows and have undergone the judgment of the Trial's Eye, take out 50% worth of the items that you have plundered!"

Giant spoke in a cold voice.

Despite the chaos of the Magi below, under the constraints of the power of the higher ups, as well as their oaths, they hastily piled some magic crystals and materials in the centre of the hall.

Soon enough, the materials and magic crystals formed a small mountain.

"This all amounts to at least ten million magic crystals!" Leylin's eyes flashed as he mentally calculated.

"Moreover, this is only 50%. Which is to say, the division of the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower has lost close to twenty million magic crystals, along with the destruction of other items… The Ennea Ivory Ring Tower is going to go nuts this time…"

After giving it some thought, he was a little curious and asked the old witch beside him in a low voice.

"Do we really have to give up 50% of our profits? Isn't that too much?"

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To Maraud

"You thought… the magic crystals are all for Giant?"

The old witch snuck a glance at Giant, who was saying something, and answered Leylin under her breath.

"Am I wrong?" Leylin was a little astonished.

"Of course not. Even though Giant is pretty impressive, he's no rank 2 Magus. Out of this pile, he'll get at most 40% of it!" She pointed to the little mountain in the middle of the room.

"As for the rest, they'll all go to 'Boss'!" The old witch was vague.

"Boss?!" Hearing this phrase started Leylin's imagination.

Magi only respected power. For even the old witch to call someone 'Boss', this must mean that this person, Boss, was at least a rank 2 Magus, right?

"Who else? Who do you think is the one warding off the light Magi's divination magic?"

She retorted with a manic laugh.

"According to what I know, there are at least two to three dark Magi organisations like us. As for their backers, there will also be various people controlling from behind the scenes…"

As they were in a mutual alliance through the previous agreement with the potions, the old witch was evidently placing more trust in Leylin, hence she just told him some information that had been withheld from him.

"Marauding the light Magi's secret plane is definitely not carried out on a whim by the dark Magi. On the contrary, these operations are systematic and are all premeditated!"

A notion quickly flew through Leylin's mind and occupied his thoughts.

"Who knows, there might be several powerhouses behind the dark Magi domain that also have a hand in this!" Leylin grinned.

"This seems to be getting more and more interesting…"

However, this had nothing to do with Leylin. His current goal was to join in the dark Magi organisation's looting operations and obtain large amounts of resources.

Just the efforts from tonight had brought in a revenue of five to six hundred thousand magic crystals! This was obviously more convenient and faster than doing missions for the Four Seasons Garden.

Of course, the risk was no small matter and if he were to be found out, he'd be chased to the ends of the world and be killed.

This was also why every member who joined concealed their identity, and even the few leaders of the organisation had no idea of the real identities of their members.

"Alright! Collect your own share! Remember not to squander them quickly. It's better to spend them only after some time!"

"Also, after this mission, those mad dogs from the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower will definitely go around biting people blindly in a rouse to find our locations. So remember to stay low…"

Giant who was wrapped in green fog continued to explain of some matters as he waved his hands, "It's alright now, you guys can leave. Our exchange meetings must also be halted for a while, as for the concrete details it will be made known again…"

……

Baldy Venom Snake had had half of his face melted and the other side filled with many bumps. He was continuously combing through the black forest.

And, with a big black boa lay coiled on his body, he presented a rather horrifying appearance.

Bang!*

Suddenly, Baldy's face changed as he rolled to the side.

At the same time, an explosion caved in the ground on which he had previously stood. A purple flame blazed in the surroundings, creating a hundred square meter radius of charred zone.

"Blood Rogue! It must be you! Get your ass out here!" Baldy Venom Snake snarled.

A layer of stiff hair grew on his body, altering his appearance to that of a gorilla.

What he received in answer were multiple fireballs that appeared from within the shadows.

Boom!*

The speed of the black fireballs was incredibly quick. Before he even had the chance to react, they had reached his body and exploded in front of him.

The bald Venom Snake's chest was charred. Black hair kept falling off, and the pit of his stomach was hollowed in. There was even the piercing sound of bones breaking, and his body flew out as if he had been hit by the head of a train.

The boa that had been hung around his shoulders was immediately burnt by the flames, turning into white ashes, scattering onto the floor bit by bit.

"Such a mighty spell?" The bald Venom Snake did not even have time to lament for his precious pet. He was frightened silly by Leylin's Latent Fireball.

"This spell has to be a model that is modified by various large Magi organisation or had its might amplified. Who exactly are you?"

Venom Snake looked at Leylin who slowly walked out from the darkness, suspicions streaked across his face.

"Who I am is not important. What's important is that you will definitely die here today!" Leylin had even used his Latent Fireball, so naturally he revealed the determination to kill this baldy.

"Aren't you afraid of the organisation tracing it to you?"

Venom Snake lay on the floor as if he had lost his mobility and was not able to get up.

"I have only signed a contract not to divulge the organisation's secrets, but not one that doesn't allow me to pursue a personal vendetta against my enemies!"

Leylin waved his hands forward and countless phantom hands appeared from the void, grabbing a small tree behind the baldy and crushing it to pieces. A yellow bug was retrieved from within the tree.

Pu!* The yellow bug was smashed into bits in Leylin's hands.

"Don't do such useless things anymore!" Leylin stepped in closer.

"You're leaving me with no choice! Second transfiguration!" The baldy bellowed.

Crash!* In the blink of an eye, the muscles on his body grew and dense black hair grew out once again. Behind his back, two strips of flesh constantly raised, bursting out of his clothes. They turned into two furry claws.

His teeth became sharp, eyeballs completely red.

From the looks of it, he had turned into a mutated gorilla with four arms.

With the transformation of the bald Venom Snake, a strong energy wave was constantly emitted from his body.

"Activate!" Against this creature which was brandishing its fangs and claws, Leylin only smiled and chanted an incantation.

"Ding!" A crisp noise sounded and several green vines and muddy shafts emerged from the ground, turning into a prison like shape, suppressing the beast within.

"I gave you time not to let you prepare a spell, but for me to lay a trap!"

Leylin spoke leisurely, "You must have had the limbs of a powerful creature transplanted into your body to achieve such a transfiguration, huh? Moreover, it seems to be compatible with your innate defense spell…"

"A pity however that you only transplanted the forelimbs of the Vajra Gorilla. As for creatures like these, they are suppressed by the energy particles of the Earth and Plant elements…"

All this were naturally the simulations done throughout the battle by the A.I. Chip.

After adopting the A.I. Chip's suggestion Leylin completely controlled the pace of the battle. He had to admit that it all felt pretty good.

"Urghhh…" The gorilla creature in the cage continued to beat on its chest, showing the rage it was in.

Following which, many small plants and rock spears appeared from the ground within the cage, piercing through the creature's body.

"Aooo…" The gorilla continued to roar in anguish, as his entire fur coat was dyed a crimson red.

Bang!* A large explosion sounded.

Only two furry arms remained where the black gorilla had been, and the bald Venom Snake had disappeared without a trace.

Looking at this scene, Leylin was not surprised but smiled in a satisfied manner.

"He had even used the substitution spell that can only be used once a day?"

Following which, the sound of a spirit explosion was heard. The trees parted and the old witch carried Venom Snake who had fainted in her hands.

"How is it? Is it still going smoothly?" Leylin inquired.

"Not bad. There was still an amulet on his body limited to a one-time usage that caught me by surprise!" The old witch's green eyes shone.

"This is a good opportunity since an official Magus' spirit is extremely difficult to obtain!"

"Also, you'll get half of the items here and I'll take the other half!" Leylin had already gone through the bald Venom Snake's belongings from his crippled body. In addition, He gave half of Venom Snake's sack of loot to the old witch.

He was still prepared to maintain the trust between the two of them since they were going to be collaborating for a long time.

The old witch's gaze revealed some fear while she looked at Leylin. Even though she was confident she could defeat the bald Venom Snake, she wouldn't be able to do it so easily, and definitely not in this place. Such precise pre-calculations were beyond her.

Leylin was even able to predict the opponent's escape route, and that was what shocked her the most.

"But by killing Venom Snake, aren't you afraid the organisation will…" The old witch reminded him.

"Stop trying to scare me!" Leylin laughed, not at all bothered.

"Dark Magi are just a group of indifferent, self-serving people. Why would they seek trouble with me for a dead person? Furthermore, the grudge I had with Venom Snake was apparent to the others, so who could say anything about it?"

"It seems like you have already planned everything!" The old witch looked at Leylin, her expression complicated.

Leylin smiled without a reply.

It was indeed true that he had planned to kill Venom Snake a long time ago.

There were two motives behind it. First was to establish his might! He was a newbie who had just joined the organisation, so he would definitely undergo some suppression by others. In many organisations, the bullying newbies was a form of tradition. Through such means, Leylin could quickly show his prowess as a deterrence and to protect himself.

Of course, he only dared to do such a thing within dark Magi organisations. If it were inside a light Magi organisation, no matter how powerful he was he would be beaten heavily. Who knows if he might even take the rap and be labelled as someone who had tried to sow discord amongst the unity of the light Magi?

As a result, while he was in Four Seasons Garden, Leylin had always kept a low profile and did his work without any complaints. Until now, his leader and teammates still viewed him in a positive light.

As for the second motive — which was Leylin's main objective — it was only for the benefits!

From today's operation of plundering the secret plane, Leylin managed to obtain five to six hundred thousand magic crystals. On top of that, he had also gotten Venom Snake's portion, and the total value came up to around a million, thus doubling his loot.

Wasn't Leylin's reason for joining a dark Magi organisation to obtain enough resources? Since that was his reason, why wouldn't he attack others?

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In Retrospect

Of course, even within dark Magi organisations, there were rules and regulations.

If Leylin kept doing this, it would result in others ganging up on him and eliminating him under the pretext of self-defense.

That was why Leylin needed to first cause some conflict, and then be able to act with a good reason to do so.

Honestly speaking, even if Venom Snake had not challenged him, he was also planning on instigating some of the weaker Magi and then blow the whole thing out of proportion.

Afterwards, he would use revenge as an excuse to righteously kill and then seize their treasures!

But that was it.

Leylin assessed that after this affair, other dark Magi would be slightly dissatisfied with his actions, so he couldn't let this get too far.

"You're really…" The old witch was suddenly regretful, "I haven't seen a youngster that's as cool headed but also crazy in a very long time…"

"Nope! I'm just someone with the will to live!" Leylin said with a brilliant smile.

"What about you? When will you get your goods?"

The moment this was brought up, the old witch's face stiffened. This was the only reason why she was working with Leylin and had been dragged along in the end.

"Today's harvest was pretty good, especially since we got two souls from official Magi. It shouldn't take long before we can finalize the product!"

"Notify me once it's finished, I'll be at Nightless City these few days!" Leylin nodded.

Following which, he approached the bald Venom Snake and undid the concealment spell, revealing the face of a middle aged man that had a venerable countenance.

"It's him!" The old witch cried out in alarm from behind him.

"You know him?" This aroused Leylin's interest.

"No, I've only seen him a couple of times!" The old witch appeared rather rueful.

"He's the head of a small light Magi faction, and he's got a good reputation! Apparently, he's quite skilled in transformation spells. I didn't know he was actually a dark Magus!"

"This is quite normal! Dark Magi like to assume a righteous personality, just like you and me!"

Leylin's silhouette melted into the darkness…

In the following days. Leylin lived a very pleasant life in Nightless City.

It couldn't be denied that Nightless City was an unusually large Magi City, in which Leylin was able to enjoy all kinds of services tailored for a Magus' pleasure.

Splash! Boiling tea water flowed out of an exquisite silver teapot into a tea cup engraved with purple flowery designs. A rich fragrance of black tea permeated the air of the whole lounge as it wafted back and forth.

Leylin sat in an armchair to the side with a serene expression. Behind him and under each of his legs were beautiful maids in revealing clothing who were extending their lily white and seemingly boneless small hands to massage him all over his body.

"How is it? The skills of maids are quite good, right? Want me to gift you a couple…"

A red-haired old Magus, who was standing to one side, was saying as he directed another maid to feed him grapes. Around him were a number of maids who waited upon him like he was a god.

"Don't blame me for saying this Leylin, but your villa is much too simple. It doesn't even have a guard dog! You'll be the laughing stock for other Magi if you don't do anything about this…"

Crew was squinting his eyes. His face revealed an expression of rapture.

"Stop trying to sell me your maids!" Leylin revealed a bitter laugh, "But you must know a lot of merchants in this field, right? You should introduce them to me someday!"

Leylin admitted that it was strange for there not to be a single person in the whole villa. Besides, he felt that he did need some people to help around while he lived in Nightless City, such as servants and the like.

"No problem! I'll take you to Nightless City's slave market tomorrow. Once you're there, all your needs will be satisfied. Besides, there are even slaves from other races!"

Crew revealed an expression that said 'I'm glad you came to your senses'. When he mentioned different races, a lewd smile was revealed on his old face.

Seeing the expression of this old pervert, Leylin was speechless.

He conveniently grabbed something that looked like a newspaper from the table and was immediately attracted by the eye-catching title.

"Ennea Ivory Ring Tower's division under attack! Severe losses!"

"Tragedy! Dark Magi attack the Tallinn Highlands. All Magi present have perished!"

"It's a declaration of war! The dark Magi have initiated the third great Magi war. What are you going to do? Please listen in detail to the analysis by our special guest, Nicholas Kajitel…"

Scenes of the havoc that Leylin and the others had wreaked were splashed all over the headlines.

In addition, all of the reports came had very eye-catching headings, and some even exaggerated to say that this was provocation from the dark Magi and a forewarning that there were plans to begin the third Magi war.

"Look at this! All they've been reporting these days is about that incident. The Ennea Ivory Ring Tower really suffered a massive loss, this time, worth at least a hundred million magic crystals…"

Crew looked to be rejoicing at their misfortune, and Leylin briefly wondered if there was some history between Crew and the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower.

"Tsk! A hundred million crystals! What wouldn't I do to get those many crystals?"

Leylin, too, had an expression of obsessive desire on his face, "But these dark Magi are really quite daring to even provoke the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower!"

Leylin's facial expressions and movements were flawless as if he really had no knowledge of the incident.

"Sigh… This has happened multiple times in the past, just that nobody can tell whether it's the Night Crows or the Zombies," Crew continued.

The Night Crows and Zombies were dark Magi organisations that operated in the shadows of Nightless City. Before Leylin's arrival, both groups were infamous for having committed several huge crimes with ruthless methods.

The dark Magi organisation that Leylin was a part of was not either of these groups but another —it was called the Thousand Meddling Leaves — though they were just as notorious.

"With Ennea Ivory Ring Tower's Magi enforcers and help from Nightless City, it should be possible to capture those bold dark Magi, right?"

"I'm afraid that's not possible!"

Crew shook his head immediately. "The powers backing the dark Magi aren't to be trifled with. Magi specializing in divination have had their spells achieve no effect, and we suspect that there's at least a rank 2 Magus backing and giving them orders. We believe there might be even more than one of them…"

"I see."

Leylin nodded, his expression turning to one of longing.

"A rank 2 Magus! I wonder if I'll ever reach that level in this lifetime."

His look made Crew's expression darken slightly.

Leylin was young and still had hope to achieve that.

But he was different. After consuming a large part of his lifespan, his body's vitality could no longer withstand the strain from another advancement. Furthermore, he had chosen the simplest route and broken through with the Grime Water, increasing the difficulty of breaking through to the next rank.

"Oh! My apologies!"

Upon noticing Crew's expression, Leylin gave a bow in apology.

"Don't worry about it. I just got nostalgic about some events in the past." The desolate look in his eyes faded away. "Thinking back to my decision then, I've missed too many opportunities. If given the chance to relive my life, I think I'd still choose to sign that contract, though."

Leylin understood his train of thought.

For many acolytes, even if they were aware of the existence of high-grade meditation techniques, they had no choice but to break through with the Grime Water.

After all, only strictly-managed Magi organisations and large Families held possession of high-grade meditation techniques. Typically, level 3 acolytes had no social connections nor any strong background, and it was basically impossible for them to obtain those techniques.

Hence, they would rather use the Grime Water and break through, and hope that after they advanced to an official Magus, they could find a way to make up for the disadvantages of this method.

However, even if there was such a method, it was not something any ordinary Magus could come into contact with. It might not even exist in the entire South Coast, and was more likely to be found only in the central continent.

As a result, most Magi could only service their organisation for their entire life, and then retire, living aimlessly the way Crew was now doing.

"Alright! Enough about this mood-dampening topic. I'll bring you to the slave market tomorrow to see a friend of mine. She has quite a few quality goods, like the snake girl from the previous time that remains fresh in my memories. You definitely can't miss this chance!"

At this point, Crew's mood seemed to have brightened.

Leylin kept Crew company and they chatted for a while, and he had an exceedingly alluring time and sumptuous dinner before leaving Crew's villa.

Sssii!*

At this moment, the pocket-sized diary trembled, letting off a slight glow.

"Leylin! I've already prepared what you wanted. When can you come over?" The old witch's voice traveled to his ears from a green secret imprint.

"Give me a moment, I'm on my way!"

Leylin was delighted at the message, as the old witch's efficiency was better than he had anticipated.

Elm Street #231. It wasn't Leylin's first time here.

The shop was located in a very remote area, and most Magi would not be able to find their way here.

After Leylin entered, the old witch closed the door and hung a sign that read "Closed".

Leylin, unconvinced by this level of security, set up a sound-proofing spell around them.

"Rumours have been flying recently. How is it on your end? Have you been discovered at all?" Leylin asked, somewhat worried.

"Don't worry. I've lived in Nightless City for over a century, and I do have some contacts…" She seemed rather pleased with herself.

"Also, these are the materials that were mentioned in the contract. I processed them using the method in the information you gave me! I did everything perfectly!"

The old witch positioned a dozen crystal soul spheres in the size of a thumb in a row, and placed it on the counter.

Within the soul, sphere were tens of expressionless spirits that seemed on the verge of dissipating. At the moment, many of them had lost their human form, which must have happened after brutal, inhuman torture.

"Has it really all been dealt with? The spirits need to have been immersed and soaked in immense suffering and hopelessness in order to achieve the best effect!"

"Hehe… I even captured a few spirits and experimented on them beforehand. On top of the basic pain that I can inflict, I also tortured their very souls. The effects are marvellous!" The old witch laughed excitedly, though it was a sound that caused others goosebumps.

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Tears of Mary

"Hm! The result appears to be not too bad! You can try increasing the quantity the next time round!"

A ball of milky white light emitted from Leylin's hand, as it scanned across the many confining spirit spheres on the table, before Leylin gave a smile of satisfaction.

"Alright! I will bring these with me then. I will bring your medicine back at the earliest period of 10 days to latest 15 days!" Leyin made his promise.

"I would naturally believe you, after all we are under the constraints of the Trial's Eye and signed an unbreakable pledge…" Though the old witch looked as though she trusted Leylin, Leylin still felt the mistrust in her heart.

However, this was not an unusual situation.

After this deal was successful, her amount of distrust will drop tremendously and the connection with benefits between both parties would also be closer.

After leaving the old witch's small inn, Leylin hurriedly headed back to his villa.

It had been a while since his spiritual force had a great increase, so now he couldn't wait to attempt and brew the Tears of Mary, once again enjoying that delight of experiencing a huge boost in the spiritual force.

After activating the entire defense formation, Leylin went to the room at the ground floor of the villa by himself.

This place had undergone remodelling and things were now in order. At the lowest level was an area for experimenting with spells, which had absorption runes for reinforcement at the four corners.

As for the secret room situated at a corner, it had already underwent a special reformation to become a Potioneering lab, and contained all of the various high grade apparatus.

Clearly, for these things to be obtainable, Leylin had used his relationship with the old witch, with the resources he had seized to purchase and exchange for them.

Otherwise, with his current financial resources, even if he were to brew potions every day, it would take him more than 2 years to purchase all of the apparatuses.

After all, he could not possibly use all his magic crystals for building his laboratory as he would need some for his daily expenses and other necessities.

And from the previous time, with the haul from the plunder, the laboratory was built from scratch.

"A.I. Chip!" Leylin made a command in his heart.

[Beginning brewing of the Tears of Mary! Obtaining administrative rights from the Host to monitor the whole process and make informed reminders. Beginning to coordinate with Host's spiritual force energy waves…]

The A.I. Chip's voice intoned.

……

"Let's begin!" Leylin took a deep breath and picked up a confining spirit sphere which had a spirit sealed within in.

In the blink of an eye, it was the dawn of the second day.

Leylin gasped for air and sweat dripped down his face continuously. However, his vigour was brimming with energy as he smiled and fixed his eyes on the transparent liquid he held in his hand.

The test-tube was made from nitrogen crystal glass and was extremely strong. It even had the effect of extending the expiry of the medicinal properties. Hence they were always stored by Magi and only used for important potions.

Looking at the crystal clear and transparent potion, a look of dejection appeared on Leylin's face.

Thinking back, it had been 3 to 4 years since he took the potion formula from his mentor, Kroft.

He managed to brew a dose for the Azure Potion soon after it was given to him, yet there was no progress in brewing the Tears of Mary. He only managed to simplify some of the processes and brew the Blood Vengeance Potion. However, it was only useful for acolytes.

Right now, he held this potion which was a final product completely based on the ancient formula! It had a tremendous effect even in breaking through the spiritual force bottlenecks of ancient Magi.

"Besides, the success rate is not too bad!"

Leylin looked at the 3 broken confining spirit sphere on the floor, and his face revealed a pleased look.

In the final stage of the brewing process, he specially added a few steps which required the use of the A.I. Chip. It was not only successful in the restoration of the formula, but also increased the rate of success in brewing. Surprisingly, the success rate hit an astonishing 30 to 40%!

In other words, the 16 confining spirit spheres he received from the old witch could be used to configure 5-6 portions of this finished product.

This discovery made Leylin feel extremely happy.

After all, the origin of the ingredients of these potion were extremely savage, and it was not easy to obtain. Hence, he wanted to increase the success rate.

Due to the restraints from the Trial's Eye, he had to abide by the agreement and give forty percent of it to the old witch.

Although this percentage was rather high, Leylin considered them to be worth it.

The old witch was also under the restraints of the Trial's Eye. Once she was caught, she could not reveal any news of Leylin at all, hence he would be absolved from all risks.

"A.I. Chip, what is the result of the analysis of the medicinal properties of this potion?"

Leylin looked at the test-tube in his hands and suddenly asked.

[Beep! It has been completed, the medicinal properties has been recorded and stored in the data bank.] [Ancient potion — Tears of Mary. Original ingredients: Powerful spirits filled with grievances and despair. Effect: Great increase for an official Magus's spiritual force, and a chance to helping a Magus breaking through a bottleneck.]

The A.I. Chip's analysis was extremely concrete. And the last few words it uttered, led Leylin into deep thoughts.

In the Magus World, potions which could directly increase the spiritual force was extremely exorbitant.

Just like the exchange point in the Four Seasons Garden, the prices of several potions which could increase the spiritual force was even above that for the crystallised elemental energy particles.

Compared the spiritual force potions, potions which could aid a Magus in breaking through the bottleneck was even a tier higher.

Even though the chance of Tears of Mary which could aid the breakthrough was extremely little, it would cause Magi to go crazy after it.

"It seems like this effect has to be concealed. Since I already have a contract with Old Devil, she would not be able to reveal any news of the potions to outsiders, so I can rest my worry for the time being…"

Leylin withdrew a golden watch that was decorated with diamonds.

"It's still early now, and I have an appointment for lunch with Crew only in the afternoon. I can even try the effect of the potion now!"

Leylin took the transparent dose of potion and went into the spell testing area below the experiment lab and sat in a cross-legged position.

"Activate!"

Leylin chanted an incantation. Soon after, the nitrogen glass test-tube seem to open like a flower engraving, revealing the potion liquid within.

A rather bland and sweet smell which seemed to be able to induce sleep and hypnosis began to envelop the room.

……

Under the effect of this fragrance, Leylin entered the meditative state in an instant…

While doing his meditation, Leylin felt as if his spirit had calmed down and floated on the clouds, enveloping the sun. This extremely harmonious and serene feeling flowed through his thoughts.

"What a pleasant experience!" Leylin opened his eyes after an unknown period of time.

Meditation was a physically taxing activity for Magi, and many would often choose to enter a deep sleep right after. This was to make up for the consumption of vitality during the process.

This effect would be even more apparent when a meditation technique was of a higher grade.

Compared to before, even if Leylin's vitality was 8.5, after the meditation of the Kemoyin's Pupil every day, he would feel extremely exhausted and could not wait to fall asleep immediately.

As for today, after a round of meditation technique, he felt extremely comfortable in every part of his body. His spiritual force was extremely robust, and his condition in a state that was difficult to enter again.

This was an indescribable feeling, as if ripping off a layer of the nature, everything to his senses was extremely distinct. It also felt like someone who always had been in darkness suddenly seeing the light.

"This feeling is just awesome!"

Leylin grinned.

At this moment, he realised two warm streaks of moisture flowed down his face.

"These are… tears!"

"With the current control of my physical body and the help of the A.I. Chip, I actually teared unknowingly…" A look of admiration appeared on Leylin's face, "The effects of these ancient potions has far surpassed my expectations!"

Only at this moment did he consider to check his stats.

During the meditation, the A.I. Chip showed a stream of data, but Leylin was able to look at this data only now.

[Ancient potion — Tears of Mary assimilation in progress!] [Due to the effects of the potion, quality of meditation increases, spiritual force increased by 0.5] [Due to the effects of the potion, quality of meditation increases, spiritual force increased by 1.0] [Ancient potion — Tears of Mary reaching threshold, Host's spiritual force greatly increasing…] [Kemoyin's Pupil's meditation technique completed, huge boost in Host's spiritual force, recalculating data…]

After which, the A.I. Chip reloaded Leylin's statistics.

[Leylin Farlier. Rank 1 Warlock. Bloodline: Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Strength: 7.1, Agility: 6.7, Vitality: 8.5, Spiritual Force: 36.8, Magic Power: 36 (Magic Power is in synchronisation with Spiritual Force). Elemental essence conversion: 35%. Status: Healthy]

"7 points! One portion of Tears of Mary actually directly increased my spiritual force by 7 points!"

Leylin could not conceal the excitement on his face.

"That means that even if my body develops a resistance to the potion in the future, I can still quickly increase my spiritual force so that it meets the requirements to break through to a rank 2 Magus?"

"Also, I can use the crystallised Darkness energy particles that I've been collecting again!"

The stats of a Magus were all intercorrelated.

Previously, Leylin's spiritual force and concentration of bloodline was enough, yet the elemental essence conversion was lacking. Hence he could use the Darkness crystals to fill in the gap and achieve a 35% elemental essence conversion. However, after that time, Leylin's elemental essence conversion was enough, but his spiritual force was lacking instead. Hence, according to the A.I. Chip's estimations, before his spiritual force reaches certain value, using the crystallised Darkness energy particles would render no effect.

Hence, the 500g of crystallised Darkness energy particles he took from the old witch previously, with the amount he exchanged at the Four Seasons Garden had been kept aside by him.

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Princess of a Vanquished Nation

Noon came shortly after, and Leylin took a shower with a happy mood. He donned a set of comfortable white robes and went to Crew's villa.

"Welcome, Leylin! My dearest friend!"

Crew gave Leylin a hug, looking somewhat bewildered.

"Your aura seemed to have increased again, it really makes people envious!"

Previously, he had already been astonished by Leylin's age and potential. Towards a Magus who had such unlimited potential, establishing connections beforehand would often reap unexpected benefits.

However, Leylin's rate of improvement far exceeded his expectations.

"This is just the result of a successful experiment!" Leylin gave a modest laugh.

In truth, this was the result after Leylin had used concealment spell to hide most of his spiritual force. If not, with Crew's intelligence, he would definitely be able to guess at something.

Crew did not buy Leylin's humble words, but the aspect of spiritual force was always among the most guarded secrets of Magi, so any prying would result in hostility.

Hence, Crew could only amicably smile and hold Leylin's hand.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. Come, let us go to the slave market!"

……

The slave market was in Zone 4 of the Nightless City and took up a very large area. Moreover, it was overt, even having a signboard.

"Lord! Come to us, we have various types of slaves. There are even two snake girls from eastern mountain deserts, and their skills are top notch, you know!"

"Lord! Look over here, beautiful rabbit girls, fiery fox tribes. There are also beauties from the cannes tribe, with incredible strength comparable to Grand Knights. They are extremely good looking and long lasting. Moreover, they only cost 800 magic crystals each…"

"Look here quickly, this is the princess of the Dirk Dukedom! Her bloodline is extremely royal. The Dirk Dukedom is a dukedom comparable to kingdoms

There were many shops in this slave market, hence, to attract people over to their stores, these shops had all kinds of gimmicks.

Leylin walked alongside Crew as he listened to the various calls of the shop owners.

The provocative rabbit girls and fox girls revealed a large amount of skin, only having on a few pieces of clothing the size of a palm to cover their private parts. Their fluffy white rabbit tails and fiery red fox tails were bunched together. It was an extremely sharp contrast to the shy expressions of those rabbit and fox girls.

"How is it, sir? Do you want to take a look at this princess' figure?"

Crew was obviously interested in the slave that was referred to as a princess. He made a stop in front of that shop.

Leylin was judging the girl behind the shop owner. She was tall, her pupils were golden, and she emanated an extremely noble aura. This was something that definitely could not be imitated, and had to have been developed from a young age.

This beautiful young lady was wearing a gown that one would usually see at a palace banquet, and she was even wearing a diamond-encrusted tiara, as if she was a princess who had ran out to play—that is, if you didn't consider the blank and resigned expression on her face.

"She's quite a beauty!" A look of desire appeared on Crew's face. "Now that I think about it, even though I've played with tons of women, I don't think I've ever trained a princess before!"

"This is definitely a genuine princess. Her father was the former Duke!"

The shop owner was extremely eager to market his goods. "Moreover, this woman has not suffered any violations of the body, and is a complete virgin…"

"Dirk Dukedom, I seem to have heard of its past. A coup d'etat occurred, right?" Crew stroked his chin and pondered. "It better not have any leftover troubles!"

"No way, no way! The previous duke wanted to control his own forces, and broke all ties with magicians. He had already been forsaken by the Magus family backing him, and in reality, this coup d'etat was orchestrated by that Magus family…"

The shop owner explained to Crew in detail.

Leylin noticed that after that princess heard of the events, her head was bowed. Fear and hatred began to show on her face.

Although this expression lasted for but a moment and was concealed well by her, how could it have been missed by the magicians present?

"Not bad! Does she have a fierce personality? Challenging… I like her." Crew was immediately aroused by her, and asked, "Tell me directly! How much?"

"Two thousand magic crystals! That's the lowest price I can give you!" The shop owner answered confidently.

"Two thousand magic crystals!!!" Crew's eyes bulged. "Just for a regular human who isn't even a knight? Do you think I was kicked in the head by a donkey as a child?"

"This is a unique situation! I only managed to get this princess at a great cost, and you can only find her in this shop in the Nightless City! Other princesses all have Magus families backing them, and goods like this are only available now. Whether you'll be able to get your hands on someone like her in the future will depend on your luck…"

The shop owner expended a huge effort on convincing him.

"Two thousand magic crystals is much too expensive! It's enough to fund a few of my large-scale experiments!" Crew helplessly shook his head.

He turned to Leylin. "Sorry for the wait. Let's go!"

Leylin shrugged and ignored that princess of a ruined dukedom, walking out of the shop alongside Crew.

"I was sure that you would insist on buying her, but now…" Leylin was somewhat shocked. He had seen firsthand Crew's pervertedness and fetishes, so he could not believe that Crew would give up this easily.

"You don't know…" Crew blinked, his face revealing a smirk and a clever look.

"This slave's price tag is too expensive. As long as they're not magicians who are desperately in need, she will never be considered by anyone." The old geezer explained to Leylin.

Official Magi always required resources. Unlike Crew, who had no more hope of advancing anymore, was extremely lecherous, and only wanted to live in retirement, they would never have any interest in such kinds of slaves.

"I have several ties with the magicians in this kind of circle. As long as I notify them, nobody would snatch her from me!"

"Hehe… By then, this shop owner will only be able to hold this stock in his hands. Later, when I look for him again, I will be the only one to whom he can sell the slave. I am confident that I can haggle the price down to a thousand magic crystals or below…"

"Then what reason have you prepared to convince your friends?" Leylin asked in curiosity.

"Hehe… Of course, such a collaboration to push down prices would be done in turns!" The old geezer did not hesitate to reply.

"If you have any interest in her, then after I'm done with her, I can lend her to you to toy around with for a few days!"

The old geezer seemed extremely generous at this moment.

"No one can surpass your skills in such an area…" Leylin felt as if he was utterly defeated, and no longer knew what to say.

After which, Leylin, who had been following Crew, finally approached a shop that seemed slightly strange.

This shop was obviously a lot larger than the surrounding shops, and there were also two green, magically summoned creatures standing guard. Just by the presence and the construction costs of this shop, the value of the other shops were immediately lessened.

In addition, there was a thick curtain draped in front of the door, and one could not see anything inside unless they lifted the fabric. This heightened the curiosity of the Magi.

"We're here! This is the slave market that my friend opened!" Crew gave a series of passwords in a practised manner, and received permission to pass from the two magically summoned creatures.

"This is only open to members, and members can only bring one regular customer. The requirements are stringent, but it's only at this sort of place that you'll be able to get lots of great goods!"

Crew obviously had a mountain of experience, and he brought Leylin into an office.

"Lucia, my friend! I have brought you business!"

What exceeded Leylin's expectations was that this slave trader Lucia was, in fact, a female magician.

She wore robes with a high collar, yet a small heart shape was cut out at her bosom area, revealing deep cleavage.

"Crew! Have you grown sick of the snake girl from before?"

Lucia bowed at her slender waist and greeted Crew, quickly retreating back.

Looking at Crew, who wanted to take some liberties with Lucia, but was also embarrassed, Leylin rubbed his nose in shame.

He had a feeling that he could have been ripped off by this lecherous old geezer.

"Is this the customer that you have brought?"

Lucia gave a slow smile as she advanced, and Leylin's nose was filled with a very concentrated smell of perfume. While strong, it did not repulse him, but was rather like a strong drink that made men brim with the desire to explore further.

"What a handsome fellow!"

Lucia chuckled and gave Leylin a tight hug, her two large, satiny lumps of softness pressing directly against Leylin's chest, and giving rise to a passion within.

"Young Magus, what kind of slave are you looking for? Fox girls, rabbit girls, or snake girls? Sister has everything here, and can even give you a discount!"

The beautiful slave owner with a provocative figure blew against Leylin's ear as she whispered in a low voice.

"This… I apologise!"

Leylin gently pushed Lucia away, causing Crew to roll his eyes at him and Lucia to coquettishly laugh. "Oh my! Looks like our customer got embarrassed!"

"It is really your hospitality that makes it hard to breathe!" Leylin bowed and kissed Lucia on the back of her slender and pale palm, before receiving a jealous look from Crew.

It was not that he could not contain his urges, but that this beautiful slave trader was also a rank 1 Magus! Moreover, according the A.I. Chip's detection, her elemental essence conversion was at least 50%!

Although Leylin was rather aroused, he did not want to have a knife stabbed in his back while bedding this woman. Moreover, how could a female slave trader be a simple character!

"Actually, my reason for coming here is to purchase a few special slaves!" Leylin made his request.

Once the official matter was raised, Lucia put on a serious face.

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Magician Slaves

"No problem, we have the largest warehouse. As long as you make a request, we'll immediately find a compatible slave for you!"

Lucia stated with confidence.

"Also, even if we don't have it here, as long as you pay enough deposit, we can even organise a team to catch slaves and train them and teach them, customising them to your needs…"

Such a business model and industrialised chain of processes, also the special service provided for esteemed guests led Leylin to recall the VIP statuses back in his previous world.

"No need for that, my requirements are extremely simple!"

Leylin smiled, "First of all, it's 5 slaves with the strength of Grand Knights. The race is to be humans, gender is unimportant. I need those with intact intelligence with no obvious flaw or damage on their bodies…"

He did lack a few workers in his villa to do odd jobs and maintain his image.

Furthermore, it was impossible for Leylin to take care of all miscellaneous tasks by himself.

Deep inside Leylin's heart, he also had another plan. He had received one portion of resources for the Branded Swordsman from his trade with Dorotte. Even though it was incomplete and virtually impossible to break through with those materials, with the A.I. Chip's deduction and Leylin's own experiments, he had also garnered some results.

At the moment, he was thinking of trying out the fruits of his labour on a Grand Knight.

These Grand Knight slaves would definitely have spirit seeds planted or some form of branding that would ensure they were 100% loyal. Their bodies were extremely strong as well and were the best people to experiment on to become Branded Swordsmen.

"We have five Grand Knights here, you may pick them later. Each one will cost 700 magic crystals. Moreover, your big sister I will give you a discount. Amongst the 5 Grand Knights, there would be two beauties!"

Lucia smiled. "I believe that apart from their duty as guards, they will definitely fulfill the other 'duties' as well!"

For Magi whose vitality surpasses that of normal humans, normal girls would not be able to satisfy their needs. Hence, cultivating some Knights and Grand Knights as maidservants was a common practice. Hence Lucia did not lack any goods in this aspect.

Towards such a benefit, Leylin only nodded his head, not feeling anything special.

The Grand Knights were only a small matter. Leylin immediately stated his true purpose of coming here.

"And then, I require an acolyte grade slave, it's best if the strength is of a level 3 acolyte! Also, they have to know simple Potioneering and alchemy!"

At this point, Lucia no longer had a relaxed expression. Even Crew looked at Leylin in surprise.

In the Magus World, there were many tiers for slaves. Maidservants who have been nurtured, princesses or female nobles whose countries have been destroyed only belonged to the lowest tier of entertainment and consumption. Apart from the special cases of princesses and the likes, their prices were all extremely low.

Further up, it would be the level of Knights and Grand Knights who could be of use to their owners. The increase in expenditure was not small. If they also wanted slaves from different races of a beautiful slave, the prices would often be taken up another notch.

However, none of them could be considered high-grade slaves.

In the south coast, there was only one type of slave that was considered to be high-grade. They were the magician slaves!

Whether regular humans or knights or Grand Knights, their bodies were unable to resist the energy pollution that Magi unwittingly emitted. In addition, they did not have any spiritual force to defend their Magus masters, nor help out with spell formations and the like.

Hence, upon advancing to an official Magus, many would usually recruit a few acolytes to assist them in their own experiments.

However, on the south coast, some things still had to be adhered to. Even if one was in Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, the mentors could not use the acolytes as their guinea pigs and experiment on them as they wished, and had to tempt them with magic crystals or swindle them into a contract.

Rather than using the pampered acolytes, using slaves could solve this problem entirely.

Due to the existence of a spirit brand, slaves were typically loyal to a fault. In addition, the moment that a master buys them, their lives would immediately belong to their master's. No matter how the Magi experimented on the slaves, they would not cause any trouble!

"Handsome fellow, you're quite gutsy!"

Lucia seemed quite bewildered as she looked at Leylin. "Level 3 acolytes aren't that cheap!"

"Does that mean you have them?"

Leylin picked at his eyebrow.

The origin of magicians slaves was quite simple. They were either wanted criminals or captives after a war.

In addition, their existence was not the most welcome, and even in Poolfield Kingdom's Ellinel Market, Leylin did not see any shop that dared to publicly sell acolyte slaves.

Leylin had only asked without expecting for there to be any results and had met with an unexpected surprise.

Nightless City was the entire South Coast's main trading centre! To think that it was possible to find high-grade slaves in a random slave shop!

"Don't worry. As long as you can find someone, the price isn't an issue!"

Leylin threw a black pouch to Lucia.

"I didn't think a little guy like you has magic crystals!" Lucia checked the contents of the pouch and nodded, immediately ringing a red hand-bell on the table.

Ding-ling-ling!*

With the ring of the bell, a maidservant pushed open the door, "My Lady! Do you have any orders?"

"Go bring Damien here!" In front of her servants, Lucia put on a frosty expression with no traces of smiles. Her every movement was filled with a domineering aura.

As for this maidservant, she did not even dare raise her head in front of Lucia's orders and hurriedly led the room.

"Come! First, have a taste of this 'chugu'! This is a special product from the Sicily Islands!"

After the door was shut, Lucia resumed her enchanting demeanour and brought out a fiery red flask, pouring a drink that seemed to be a mix between coffee and chocolate, for Leylin and Crew.

Leylin took a sip and the mellow yet invigorating taste swirled in his throat.

"The taste is excellent! It's rather similar to the Coco Fruit. Moreover, it had the effect of increasing vigour. If it can be popularised, it will definitely gain the attention of Magi!"

Leylin said indifferently.

"Lucia! You're too much, how could you not give me several flasks of such great stuff!" Crew began to raise his loud.

"Young brother you have the foresight. I am preparing to open a new shop and promote this drink item as my brand item…" Lucia looked at Leylin in surprise, before smiling in an enchanting manner. "How about this, do you want to invest in this as well?"

"My apologies, I don't have enough magic crystals. Especially after this round of purchasing slaves, I'm afraid I'd have to amass another fortune before considering such an investment…"

Leylin naturally refused such a suggestion.

As for Lucia, there was no disappointment on her face; it only seemed that she had asked on the spur of the moment.

"Lucia, why don't you consider me?" Crew put on an eager expression.

"You?" Lucia looked at Crew with disdain, "A fellow who only knows how to throw magic crystals on women, I have no faith in you at all. 27 years ago, it was you who took my investment and…"

After Lucia talked about past events, Crew's face reddened, and he kept his head down like a small boy who had done something wrong.

As for Leylin, he only cared about sipping his drink, pretending not to see or hear anything.

"My Lady! May I come in?"

This atmosphere was quickly broken by a request to enter the room.

"Is it Damien? Come in!" Lucia smoothed her hair and sat behind her desk once more.

Creak!* The door to the office opened, and a silver-haired level 3 acolyte entered.

This acolyte was not young, and his face was wrinkled like the skin of a tangerine. In contrast, his clothes were neat and tidy, and not a single hair was out of place. He seemed to be in good spirits, looking nothing like a slave.

"Damien! This is Magus Leylin, and he has expressed his desire to buy you. Now, he'll ask you some questions." Lucia pointed to Leylin, who was seated on a sofa at the side, and introduced Damien to him.

"It is my honour to meet you, my lord! I hope I am able to service you in the future!" Damien bowed respectfully.

"You don't have to be so polite! I hope you'll meet my requirements too!" Leylin looked undisturbed.

"In that case, if you blend the liquefied form of a Sun Flower and the stem of a Three Night Flower, what will happen?" Leylin asked a question related to Potioneering without any second thoughts.

"There will be a substitution reflect, and it will produce…" From the looks of it, this old geezer called Damien did have some attainments in Potioneering. He only needed to think for a short while, before fluently answering.

Next, Leylin asked a series of other questions.

At the beginning, Damien's expression was relaxed, but as they got further along, cold sweat started to form on his back.

A little over ten minutes later, Leylin stood up, feeling satisfied, and told Lucia, "I want him. How many magic crystals?"

Through the little test that he had just conducted, Leylin concluded that Damien's attainments in Potioneering and alchemy were definitely considered pretty good amongst acolytes who were in the same tier as him. It would definitely be worth it to buy him.

"16500 magic crystals!" Lucia smiled, "Adding on to those 5 Grand Knights, it amounts perfectly to 20000 magic crystals!"

"No way, this is too expensive! His age is already so high. Normally, acolytes only have a maximum lifespan of 150 years…"

As for Damien, he stood there quietly by the side, as if the person they were haggling over was not him.

After Leylin left Lucia's store with Crew, 6 more figures followed behind them.

There was Damien, and the other 5 Grand Knights. Amongst the Grand Knights, there were two good looking girls with sexy figures, who also didn't have any bulging muscles that destroyed their aesthetic beauty.

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