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?

13. 364

Read Warlock of the Magus World - Chapter 364 – Meeting online free - Light Novel Full

Meeting

"Hm, that is indeed a good idea! But…" Baelin had nodded, but then felt a little guilty.

He had only left behind a letter when he took Jenny away, not even wishing the man goodbye. It was slightly irrational, and even ungrateful.

This had always been a thorn in his heart. However, he had been impulsive as a teenager, and his worry for Jenny's safety had led him to go through with what he had done.

He had planned to wait until things got better and he managed to make something of himself. He would return as a successful man with a reputation. If he then begged for Leylin's apology, he believed he would be forgiven.

"Lord Leylin might even make an exception and acknowledge me as his disciple!" Baelin occasionally dreamed of such.

However, the timing was still not right. He was a poor, penniless youngster who was even being chased by the dark elves. If he were to head over now, he would even need to rely on Leylin for help.

Blood rushed to Baelin's head, and his cheeks flushed.

"What's wrong?" Memphis asked.

"Oh, nothing, it's nothing. You have a great idea. Let's do it!"

"I don't recommend you do that." At this moment, a cold female voice sounded beside them.

"Who is it?"Baelin immediately jumped a distance away, his cloak fluttering open. His Bio Boosting Armour, comprising of countless eyes, fused with his body and the Underground Winder Spider Emperor on his shoulder hopped off as it expanded from the size of a fist to that of a two-storeyed building. It turned towards the voice, a translucent liquid dripping from its white teeth.

On the other side, Memphis started to prepare his spells as well, his body glowing. The relentless pursuit they had escaped from until now had made them paranoid, and they were easily startled.

Red flashing lights revealed the source of the voice to be a female Magus.

This woman wore a large white robe; her charming eyebrows were long and narrow, and the lines on her face were soft and exquisite. She could be considered a rare beauty.

What made her stand out was the five-coloured gemstone bracelet on her pale neck. Energy fluctuations that did not lose out to that of an official Magus emanated from her body.

"Who are you?" Baelin asked guardedly.

This human Magus seemed to be proficient in stealth techniques. She had been able to come close without being noticed, closer than even the dark elven forces that had chased them could get!

"I have no bad intentions." The female Magus smiled good-naturedly, and then spread her arms.

"My name is Vinas, and I'm a wandering Magus. I'm here to give you some advice" The female Magus' voice was very calm, and there was a mysterious aura about her. It was an aura found only on the erudite and wise, like elders who had long since learned the ways of the world.

'No, not erudite! She's confident, as if the entire world is a toy in her hands!' Memphis was secretly shocked. This confidence was seldom seen even among matriarchs. This conclusion drove him to further shock, and he went on high alert.

This sort of person was bound to have unfathomable strength or a special ability. It was best if he and Baelin did not do anything that they were not sure would go well.

"Alright! Well then, Ms Vinas, what would you like to tell us?" Memphis had stealthily retreated a few steps, and was using his right sleeve to conceal his actions as he took hold of a simple magic scroll.

"You don't have to be so wary. I'm a friend who is here to help you!"

Vinas smiled wryly, and without waiting for Memphis to enquire, she began to narrate, "There's a traitor among the upper ranks of Twilight Zone's Magi who has colluded with the dark elves. I don't know this person's identity yet, but I know he's shrouded by the fog of destiny. However, he might have a guardian, be it the guild leader of a large-scale guild, or even the Magus Leylin you spoke of! If you enter their hands, the consequences will be dire."

"There's a traitor among the higher-ups of Magi?" Baelin cried out, "Where did you get that news?"

"The guidance of destiny lets me see this, just as it lets me see your futures." A pious expression appeared on Vinas' face as she walked forward, focusing on Baelin's face.

"You will become a hero in the future, and I shall be your most loyal subordinate and assistant." As she said this, she actually half-knelt and performed the rites to vow her loyalty and devotion to him.

"I- I- I'll become a hero?" Baelin seemed to turn a little stupid, but Memphis had zoned in on the main points of her speech.

"A prophecy? Could you be the legendary witch of destiny, capable of peering into someone's entire life?"

"Under the guidance of destiny, nothing can be hidden!" Vinas nodded and confirmed her identity.

"A female Magus that can predict the future! So cool!" Baelin cheered.

"History has given birth to many legendary figures like the Lion King and John the Golden Knight. Each of them had a wise and powerful Magus aiding them, one with the power to see the future. Only with this aid did they become the masters of their generations!"

The stream of fortuitous meetings, as well as having the witch of destiny standing on his side made him feel slightly complacent. "Perhaps… I really am destined to be a hero!" These thoughts could not be contained as they took root in Baelin's mind, a seed that kept growing.

"Baelin, wake up!" Memphis was a little speechless.

They hadn't even ascertained whether this person was friend or foe, or whether her prophecy was real, yet he had already begun to daydream…?

"My Lady Magus, can you prophesize the conspiracy stirring amongst the dark elves?" Memphis asked what he was most concerned about.

"I'm afraid not! The current of destiny is far too powerful, and I can only see certain images, of specific times and places." Vinas smoothed her long hair at the back, laughing wryly.

"Also, the dark elves seem to have a helper that is the same as me, able to predict the future."

"What?" Baelin and Memphis involuntarily cried out at the same time.

Since when did terrifying Magi who could predict the future become so commonplace that they could be found everywhere?

"Alright! Looks like I wasn't the only one. Well then, Vinas, are you willing to become our companion and adventure with us?" Baelin laughed, stretching his arm towards Vinas.

"It would be my honour!" Vinas' voice revealed a tinge of emotion. However, the moment their hands touched, her expression changed.

A white circle spread from the centers of her eyes, turning her pupils pure white.

In her line of sight, a young Magus with a black ring was rapidly rushing in their direction. That person also looked in this direction; as if through the power of destiny; they had also noticed her existence.

"This is bad!" Red light flashed from her body, and she quickly turned to leave.

"Don't even think of running!" On the other end, Aaron now knew the reason why he had been hurrying his journey and feeling so restless.

Another person training in Sacred Flame had already rushed ahead of him and arrived first.

Boom! Boom!*

Two rays streaked through the horizon, causing Baelin and Memphis to be unable to make heads or tails of the situation.

"Is she the other Magus?" Aaron's expression was dark as he asked in his mind.

"Yes. I can feel the aura of another magic artifact I forged on her!" Merlin's voice was low as he answered quickly.

Rumble!*

The two rays clashed, and quickly separated.

However, with that attack, Aaron and Vinas could now see each other clearly.

It was a beautiful female Magus, Aaron judged, but immediately after, a powerful desire exploded from the depths of his heart. This was a violent surge that could not be stopped.

'Devour her! Devour her! Devour her!'

"What's going on?" Aaron pressed his hand to his heart, looking ashen. He asked Merlin, "Why do I feel like I need to kill this woman to be whole?"

"Sigh…" Merlin huffed out a long breath, "It looks like the necklace contains a memory fragment of mine, and it has imparted Sacred Flame to her as well!"

"Sacred Flame is an exclusive high-grade meditation technique. In other words, only one Magus in a generation can successfully train in it. The rest might not die, but they won't be able to attain a higher level in their meditation technique. My apologies…"

"Don't worry." Aaron was now a lot more mature, "If not for Sacred Flame, I might have died countless times. Why would I care about that?"

"But does that mean I'm enemies with that female Magus?"

"Yes! Only one person will be able to have the last laugh between you two, and I hope that will be you," Merlin's voice travelled, "Don't worry, I will do all I can to support you!"

……

"Everyone has gathered. The show is about to start!"

Leylin occupied the central tent in Nature's Alliance's temporary encampment, and it was the most luxurious.

Through the A.I. Chip, he was now checking up on his guinea pigs and their progress in Sacred Flame.

By distributing the old grandpas and his modified technique, he obtained not only a lot of experimental data but also the high-grade meditation techniques that he'd had them steal.

These high-grade meditation techniques were normally only passed on to guild members. However, with an unwitting spy amongst their ranks, obtaining them was very easy.

"Looks like I've managed to successfully modify prophecies!" Leylin scratched his chin.

That prediction of a traitor had been a cock and bull story he had conjured up, but it had successfully deceived Vinas. This allowed Leylin to be even more confident in his future plans.

"But that last guinea pig is really exceeding my expectations! He actually chose to side with the dark elves. How daring!"

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Life Absorption

Leylin was actually full of praise for the last guinea pig.

To be able to overcome the pressure to help their own race, and to disregard the norms and side with the enemy race, that required courage and decisiveness that not many possessed.

"It's a pity that since all the information you get is transparent to me, it's useless no matter what you do." Leylin sighed, eyes flashing with a dangerous light.

"My lord!" At this moment, a Magus' voice sounded outside.

"Come in!"

"Yes!" The fabric for the tent was pushed aside, and a kindly old geezer entered. This was Iren, the peak rank 1 Magus Leylin had forced into his service.

He had many plans for the central region, and had naturally brought his strongest helpers to put them into practice.

"The inconveniences around Ardent Gale Lake have been taken care of. We can move in at any time," Iren respectfully lowered his head, reporting to Leylin.

Though the central region had gone all out and agreed to give Nature's Alliance resources that were usually reserved for large-scale guilds, there were still many problems which Nature's Alliance needed to handle themselves.

Magi could be controlled, but dangerous creatures would not obediently listen to the orders of the war council.

"You did well!" Leylin nodded slightly.

Ardent Gale Lake was where they were going to be garrisoned. It would be Nature's Alliance's headquarters in the central region.

Iren responded deferentially to Leylin's indifferent commands, and withdrew quickly.

"Also!" Just as Iren was about to leave, he heard Leylin's voice, "I want to go out for a bit, and I'm leaving you in charge. Be careful of the surrounding dangers."

"Of course, my lord." Iren bowed even lower.

"En!" Leylin nodded, waving his arms and letting Iren leave.

The next job was construction, something that was both troublesome and time-consuming. Leylin could not be bothered with helping, so he left everything to Iren.

If this was his previous world, this might result in him becoming a mere figurehead, but the Magus world was different.

His own strength rivalled or even surpassed that of the rest of Nature's Alliance combined! Not to mention, he still had full control of Iren's life. He still had the man's spirit source!

Hence, Leylin did not worry one bit that Iren would betray him.

"It's also time to see some old friends." Leylin laughed slightly, and his body was suddenly engulfed in black mist.

Pak!* With a light noise, the black mist suddenly exploded, and Leylin's figure disappeared from the tent.

……

"Ernis, are you sure that he is vulnerable right now? This is a rank 2 Magus we're talking about!"

Somewhere else underground, Longbottom wore his black robes with an image of a spider twisting on the back. Eight jet-black claws stretched towards the air, as if trying to draw in some mysterious energy.

"Of course, my lord!" The Magus named Ernis was a pale, sturdy man. His features were clear and he wore exquisite handmade armour. The tattered notebook in his hand stood out, as if it didn't belong there.

"The great Magus Rosby, the guild leader of Green Waters Garden, will be weakened by restrictions in his high-grade meditation technique, and his strength will fall from that of a rank 2 Magus. I've already foreseen the exact time, and even his hiding spot!"

Ernis sounded very confident.

Ever since he'd begun practicing Sacred Flame, every prophecy he'd made had played out in real life. Naturally, he had grown to be sure of their accuracy.

"Good! This operation will be a big one!"

Longbottom closed his eyes, as if he was communicating with the spider on his back. He then suddenly spoke, "The Magi that belong to guilds all own the most land and have the best resources, and restrict us from advancing. They monopolize high-grade meditation techniques and cruelly exploit we acolytes and Magi who have humble backgrounds. Can you tolerate that?"

Longbottom's body floated to the air, sound magic amplifying his voice tenfold such that it resounded in the underground cavity.

"No!" "No!"

Within this cavity, there were a few acolytes and Magi besides Ernis. Though they looked to be down and out, their eyes seemed to be ablaze.

Few magicians were lucky enough to find inheritances on their own. If the rest were not nurtured by guilds, their futures would be bleak.

As a result of unfair treatment and having been pushed around for a long period of time, Longbottom had easily lit their hearts aflame. He had needed to spend little energy in gathering a large group of magicians to his side.

With the secret support of the dark elves, as well as Longbottom's generous distribution of high-grade meditation techniques, these magicians had increased their strength by a level or two.

Magi who were able to survive in the cracks of society were all quite capable in their own right, and the amount of power they had been able to muster had left Longbottom tongue-tied.

Now, by brainwashing them into desiring change by revolution, Longbottom had played these Magi into the palm of his hands.

"What do we need?" Longbottom's voice boomed.

"Revolution!" "Revolution!" "Revolution!"

The sound waves almost launched Ernis off his feet. He stood aside, hearing the acolytes and even official Magi's shouting themselves hoarse, and flushed red. He felt incomparably cold inside.

At this moment, he felt a mysterious power shrouding them. It seemed as heavy as the mountains and seas, but it had no element to it.

After training in Sacred Flame, Ernis was extremely clear of what this energy was.

"The power of destiny, and so concentrated at that!" Ernis muttered.

"We are now going to destroy a large-scaled guild and kill the rank 2 Magus, Rosby." Longbottom ordered, full of spirit. Behind him, the spider totem's eyes suddenly brightened.

Ka-cha! Ka-cha!* Soft booms sounded from Longbottom's body as elemental rings of light appeared around him. These were the symbol of a semi-converted Magus.

Immediately, numerous energy rings appeared, creating brilliant lights and vibrant colours. Longbottom's aura constantly strengthened, until it would not lose out to a peak rank 1 Magus.

"'Life Absorption,' a high-grade meditation technique used by dark elven matriarchs. Through drawing on the life force of others, one can advance very quickly, but the aftereffects are severe. If they cannot gather the requisite amount of life energy every day, then the Magus' own life force will quickly wither, until the technique has drained them completely of their life."

Ernis lowered his head, hiding the glint in his eyes.

"Looks like Longbottom has been gaining a higher status at the dark elves' end, and I have pretty much entered the dark elves' camp and turned into a traitor."

A sardonic smile appeared on his lips, "But so what if I betrayed them? Magi should only consider their own benefits. My counterparts are still contesting the other child of destiny, how would they have the advantage I gain by being alone? I will be the one with the last laugh!"

Ernis roared in his heart. He felt his own body twist, and the meditation technique that had been advancing at a snail's pace began to progress at a rapid rate.

He suddenly raised his head and looked at Longbottom, who was ready and waiting.

In his vision, of the powers of destiny that had gathered on Longbottom's self, a part had quickly turned towards him.

Ka-cha!* As if he had broken through some bottleneck, tiny elemental rings appeared in his hands, along with a crisp sound emanating from his body.

From a normal Magus who had just advanced, he had become a semi-converted Magus.

"As expected. By changing the course of the river of destiny and taking in its power, Sacred Flame can improve at a rapid pace!" The burly man's eyes were filled with a crazed excitement.

"How is it? I didn't lie to you, did I?" A voice suddenly sounded from the tattered notebook.

"En! I was too careless previously. I apologise, dear Magus Merlin!"

The man did not hesitate to lower his head, since he would lose nothing by apologizing.

"You really are quite gutsy to dare tamper with destiny on such a large scale. Longbottom could very well die there!" The old geezer Merlin touched his beard, "Even I have rarely done something this crazy in the 3200 years of my life!"

"Hehe. Longbottom is a child of destiny, he won't die so easily. As for the other Magi? What do their lives have to do with me?" Ernis snickered, "Even if the child of destiny really were to die here, that will alter the course of the river of destiny as well. How much power could I get from that?"

"And after that, you will be devoured and killed." Merlin refuted without hesitation.

"It's all a gamble. I don't care." The burly man chuckled, radiating an aura of determination and madness.

These two auras mixed together and formed something even more contradictory.

Merlin sighed, but did not speak further. Inside, however, it was sending the main A.I. Chip and Leylin some information.

[Target has developed type 2 mental breakdown. Data has been recorded as such: …]

"Hm?"

Somewhere at a high altitude, Leylin halted his footsteps.

"Interesting! What an interesting plan!"

His lips quirked up in a smile.

"The central region is unstable right now, but it hasn't been pushed past the tipping point yet. Let me be the one to do that."

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Backlash

The field had been partitioned, with a large mill occupying the center.

Not far away, there was a small farm and a stone castle. However, it was very small and lacked a moat.

At a glance, it looked to be the territory of a small aristocratic family.

In a shadow, Ernis had respectfully lowered his head and was reporting to Longbottom. "My lord, I can confirm that this is a secret stronghold of the Green Water Gardens guild. The Great Magus Rosby who is in his down period is hiding here."

"En! This is their nest, and there should be many defensive spell formations. Since they're a rank 2 Magus, even if they were weakened temporarily, they cannot be compared to an ordinary peak rank 1 Magus!" Longbottom muttered to himself, and then glanced at his subordinates.

Those following him were all official Magi, but few were even semi-converted. He could unearth their potentials, but what he needed was time.

He had brought them along now as a declaration of allegiance, to form an impassable divide between them and the ruling class.

Longbottom glanced at the few figures dressed in black robes. These people had slim bodies and had concealed their features with large cloaks. The cloaks were so large, in fact, that one could not even tell the men from the women.

These were the backup he had been given by the dark elves. All of them were at the peak of rank 1.

As for the rank 2 matriarchs? Every single action of theirs was being monitored; it was impossible for one to sneak across the border to conduct an assassination.

In addition, even if they somehow got in, they would be surrounded and attacked by the Magi of Twilight Zone.

Dark elves could bear the deaths of rank 1 Magi, but rank 2 matriarchs were the backbones of their clans; their presence was a spiritual support to the clan members, boosting their morale. The death of a matriarch was a heavy loss for any clan.

It was for this reason that Fendix, who had killed a matriarch, had gained large rewards from Twilight Zone as well as a huge bounty from the Dark Elven Empire. Honestly speaking, the rewards that the crazed dark elves promised had even tempted Leylin.

Fendix himself was so frightened that he spent all his time at the headquarters of his guild, and had naturally not come to the aid of the central region.

"Go!" With Longbottom's order, flames of death descended on this peaceful field.

Rumble!* Fireballs rained down like meteors, sending sparks flying everywhere.

"What's going on?" A knight dressed in the garb of nobility rushed out, shocked.

"A- An attack from Magi? Why? Are they dark elves?"

Xiu!* After seeing the situation, he retreated without the slightest hesitation, leaving his territory, subjects and even family behind.

As a knight who had entered the battlefield before, he knew the terror that Magi brought with them. He knew that once they attacked, this place was doomed.

"Don't let any of them go!"

Longbottom watched the knight who was darting away and pointed at him like one would at an ant.

A deathly light streaked across the sky and reached his back. Like cutting through cotton, it easily penetrated the knight's defence and exploded on his back.

Bang!* A hole that could fit a basketball was opened up, revealing white bones and black blood. The knight's eyes were filled with fear, as well as shock. The powerful inertia allowed him to run a few more steps before he fell with a thud.

Under the constant onslaught of spells, the village turned into a sea of fire. None of the peasants lived, and it soon turned into a white land.

However, Longbottom was still not satisfied and ordered the Magi to quicken their actions.

Layers of soil were lifted, revealing a glossy rock wall, with runes on it concealing any energy fluctuations.

"Hehe, he's actually liked a groundhog hiding under the feet of regular humans, and has even carved energy runes to conceal his aura. This Magus Rosby really is rather timid…" Longbottom sneered, and pointed at the magic wall.

"Destroy it!"

Rumble!* Numerous spells were interrupted by several rays of light before they could reach the rock wall.

Rumble!* The rock separated, revealing a large door.

Thud! Thud!* Accompanied by heavy footsteps, four large silver guards walked out.

These silver guards were all adorned in heavy armour, and their expressions were moulded to be blank. There was even some light flashing out of their eyes like a searchlight.

Ernis immediately stepped forward and spoke "Rosby is very careful and cautious. He hasn't revealed this location to any other Magus, and even the guard has been set up by him alone, consisting only of Secret Silver Puppets. Hence, he's the only one in here. We need to prevent him from fleeing." As for how he had found this out, it would stay a secret.

"When working together, these four Secret Silver Puppets are equivalent to two peak rank 1 Magi. The two of you, go up there and stop them. The revolutionary army will be around to keep them from fleeing." Longbottom quickly sent down the command.

The two black-robed people charged up without a word.

Roar!* The Secret Silver Puppets yelled and brandished their large silver swords, battling the black-robed elves.

Immense energy fluctuations gave rise to a storm, sweeping through the region.

The revolutionary army Longbottom had brought with him dared only to watch on from a distance, occasionally supporting the two and pinning the guards down.

"Ernis and the rest, follow me." Longbottom shook his robes, and the rest of the dark elves and Ernis followed him.

Only after they were far from everyone's eyes did Longbottom speak to Ernis, "Quick! Find the escape routes Rosby could be using!"

"Come with me!" Moments later, Ernis led the way.

"Go!" Longbottom watched Ernis who was leading the way, eyes darting everywhere. Nobody could guess his thoughts.

In a little farm about five kilometers away…

Pala!* The soil flipped over, revealing a dark pathway.

A grim middle-aged man in dark red Magus robes walked out. After glancing at his surroundings, he immediately unfurled a scroll. Green hurricanes blew forth, and a large pair of wings formed on his back.

"I can't stay here any longer. How did this get out?"

This Magus was obviously Green Water Gardens' rank 2 Magus, Rosby.

He was obviously in a stale mood. The location that only he knew of had been leaked, and someone had even found him while he was weak. The whole situation reeked of a conspiracy.

However, he had another question. "I didn't tell anyone about this place. How did they find out?"

However, he did not dare dwell on this for long, "This place is dangerous. I'll think about it after I leave."

Just as Rosby was about to spread his wings, an extreme sense of danger came upon him.

He immediately retreated, his figure turning into an afterimage.

Rumble!* A large explosion occurred right where he had been standing, and the energy particles that were dispelled caused massive damage to the ground.

Xiu! Xiu!* Two black streaks of light flew across the sky, forming a cross in mid-air. These arches accurately homed in on Rosby's wings.

"This trajectory? It's the dark elves' curved archery! You are dark elves!" The wings fell apart, and Rosby paled before crying out in alarm.

Shua!* Black light flashed, and a distortion appeared in the air, revealing a few figures.

Longbottom took the lead, and the two robed people behind him also took off their clothes, revealing pale, handsome features and pointed ears.

The twisted runes on their fantastic black bows were now flickering.

"Humans and dark elves! Looks like you are the revolutionary army that has been causing such a ruckus. You are the leader, right? Longbottom?" Rosby calmed down.

"Yes!" Longbottom bowed, "As a rank 2 Magus, you are my senior, but for our hopes and future, please die."

Rumble!* Just as his words sounded, the dark elves suddenly attacked.

Black streams of air formed what looked like a spider web and fell from the skies. On Longbottom's body, the phantom image of a large giant appeared and jumped onto the web, hissing loudly.

"Combination magic? Its power is almost as much as that of a rank 2 spell!" A strange smile appeared on his face, "But just that isn't enough."

Rumble!* A torrential power exploded forth from Rosby's body, as if a landslide or tsunami had come upon the area. Silver spiritual force slashed at the skies like a sharp sword, and quickly severed the web into two. The phantom image was also bisected, causing both Longbottom and the dark elves to pale.

"Rank 2 strength! You're not weak anymore!" Longbottom had become deathly pale, his voice quivering.

"Impossible! Impossible!" Ernis could not believe it either.

"Recognise the reality of it! Your opponent is a rank 2 Magus. How could he not have a few trump cards? Even if his strength might have been lowered because he was in his down period, he can still suppress that for a while and reveal true rank 2 strength!" Merlin's voice sounded in Ernis' mind.

"How is this possible? I didn't predict…" Ernis was flushing red, but suddenly became silent, like a duck that had been grasped at the neck.

"Do you understand now? You're only a rank 1 Magus, and in ancient times you'd be considered as just having crossed the gates of becoming a Magus. With just this bit of strength, it's impossible for you to completely predict the trump cards of a rank 2 Magus using Sacred Flame, even if he were weakened or heavily injured. The fog of destiny may shroud him, or even counterattack!"

Merlin's voice was as cold as ice. "Now, do you know why I fell?"

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Clone Seed

Ernis looked defeated. "So I'm definitely going to die?"

Merlin sneered in his mind. "Not necessarily! Longbottom is a child of destiny, and is not one to fall so easily. Besides, do you think the matriarch backing him doesn't have any contingency plans?"

"You dare offend me, a respected rank 2 Magus? You will pay for this humiliation in blood!"Rosby declared grimly, and a line of spiritual force converged that was tinged silver.

The rank 2 Magus had even been slightly frightened. If he hadn't possessed a technique that could temporarily suppress his weakness, he could have died just then.

A rank 2 Magus dying at the hands of a group of rank 1 Magi would be the biggest joke in Twilight Zone's history!

Rosby felt like a robust adult who had been bitten by an ant. The humiliation irked him to his soul.

This secret technique was not without cost. His period of vulnerability would be extended, and in the times of war, this could have had deadly consequences. Hence, he was now truly enraged.

"I shall turn you into maggots, making you rot and suffer underground for ten thousand years. I swear it!" Rosby's eyes were completely red, and great amounts of solidified silver spiritual force swept through the area.

"Damn it. Use that!" Longbottom yelled.

The two dark elves behind him exchanged a glance and nodded, silver rays shooting out of their eyes. In that moment, their expressions were that of those preparing for death.

They then produced jewelled daggers with a strange curve, aimed them at their own hearts and jabbed in.

Puk! Puk!* Two peak rank 1 elves collapsed, a bloody mist spreading from their chests.

The phantom image of the spider behind Longbottom had been seriously injured by spiritual force and was on the verge of disappearing. However, it suddenly twitched and absorbed the red blood-mist, quickly restoring itself. Its aura continually strengthened, until it was almost strong enough to rival the rank 2 Magus ahead of it.

"What- What's going on?" Ernis was astonished.

"Hehe, nothing much. It's just a sacrifice! The same old thing that the dark elves always use." Merlin laughed sarcastically.

"Dark elven society is made up of clans. Every clan has its matriarch, and they all have immense control over their descendants. This control runs deep in the blood, and is very difficult to free oneself from. Even if it's a peak rank 1 Magus, a mere spiritual suggestion would convince them to kill themselves without hesitation."

"The meditation technique Longbottom is training in is one that absorbs life energy. After absorbing that of two peak rank 1 Magi, although he can't defeat his opponent, he will most likely escape…"

"Hm? What about me?" Ernis was suddenly put in a difficult spot. Longbottom could leave, but he was just a semi-converted Magus. How was he to escape?

"This is the retaliation of destiny! Longbottom, being a child of destiny, can escape successfully. You'll be left behind as an outlet for the rank 2 Magus to vent his anger upon!" Merlin's voice was frigid, rendering Ernis silent.

His eyes turned white again as he tried to think up some countermeasures. He was trying to make a prediction, but he did not get anything.

"What should I do next?" Ernis' voice was hoarse.

"Pray! At this point, you can do nothing but pray!" Merlin's voice displayed his helplessness, "If I still had my body, killing him would be as easy as crushing an ant. But now? You can only hope he doesn't prolong your life to torture you."

"No! No! I still have hope!" Ernis stared hard at Longbottom, "As long as my lord is willing to save me, I can…"

Ernis' words stuck in his throat. He watched as Longbottom, who was manipulating the phantom spider and battling with Rosby, quickly withdrew.

Black gas flew everywhere and increased his speed. In a moment, he disappeared into the horizon.

"I… I…" Ernis' eyes were filled with despair.

On the other end, Rosby who had lost Longbottom turned his attention to the semi-converted Magus.

A giant silver claw flew forth, its strength not something that Ernis could resist, and grabbed him!

"Am I going to die? I can't accept this!" Ernis closed his eyes. Powerful solidified spiritual force causing the magical power in his body to become sluggish in its movements. He could do nothing in the face of a rank 2 Magus' wrath.

"Rosby!"

At this moment, a low voice sounded from the horizon a long distance away, carrying with it a berserk energy.

"Hm? An opportunity! A person seeking revenge against Rosby seems to have appeared. I'll use my power to cover your presence. Quick, run!"

Merlin's voice was hurried, and with a sudden feeling of coldness infiltrating his senses, Ernis found himself able to move once again. He quickly escaped, dodging the attack of the giant claw. Without looking behind him, he quickly left.

Rosby did not pursue him, because a rank 2 spiritual force was now focused on him. He raised his head and saw a black figure rushing over from the horizon.

This figure's face was shrouded by black mist, causing him to be unable to tell the real appearance of this person.

"Who are you? I don't think we've met." Rosby sounded out.

He was currently in a very dangerous situation, and his secret technique could lose its effect at any time, causing him to fall down to rank 1. That would be very dangerous.

"It doesn't matter who I am, but this is a seed I planted. How could I let you harvest it?" The figure's voice was robotic, obviously having been altered.

"Seed? Harvest? Are you…" Rosby's stunned expression immediately warped into an immense fear.

Mist! Large amounts of black mist brought with it a silver luster, forming a large maze that trapped him within.

"He plans to limit my strength, and after my secret technique stops working, he'll deal with me." Rosby could tell his opponent's intentions with a glance. He waved his arm, and numerous silver arrows flew into the mist.

Pu pu! Pu pu! Pu pu!*

The arrows of light flew into the wall of mist and instantly disappeared, causing Rosby to pale.

"You don't need to consider calling a friend or anything of the sort. This place has already been sealed by me, and no information can be transmitted out."

The voice from before sounded in the black maze, but it did come from a single location.

His opponent was very cautious in dealing with a rank 2 Magus that had used a secret technique to somehow return to his regular strength. He had not appeared, preventing him from using some powerful force that could destroy everything.

A look of hopelessness appeared on Rosby's face.

Ten or so minutes passed, and Rosby bellowed, unresigned. The aura on his body quickly weakened, and lines of wrinkles appeared on his face. His appearance changed from that of a middle-aged man to that of an old man.

This meant the secret technique was no longer in effect. He was once again weak, vulnerable.

Seeing this, large amounts of mist pounced on him…

Pak!* The black maze dispersed, and a single black flame fell, burning Rosby's corpse to ashes.

Leylin weighed the green ring in his hand, a smile blossoming on his face.

"As expected of the guild leader of a large-scaled guild. He's accumulated plenty of things, and there's even a spacial magic artifact!"

He stared closely at the ring in his hand. It was extremely slender and looked like it was for a female to use. Its surface was decorated with flowers and vines, forming an exotic image.

"There are many good items in this spatial ring, but the defensive layer on the surface is slightly troublesome. I'll need to use the A.I. Chip and slowly analyse it."

Leylin scratched his chin and kept the green ring away.

Rosby was a rank 2 Magus and had a spatial item. He would definitely have a lot of resources on his body, the total value of which could even exceed that of those stored in Green Water Gardens' headquarters.

Gaining this was akin to robbing a large-scaled guild, as well as all the property belonging to a rank 2 Magus.

"The gains aren't too bad this time. Also, hehe…" Leylin laughed coldly.

On the surface of the ring, he felt a tiny connection to a being a distance away. This meant that Rosby had yet to truly die.

The connection was minute, and if not for Leylin already being a rank 2 Magus, as well as the A.I. Chip's help in carefully scanning the ring a few times, he might not even have noticed this.

If his opponent were to escape this time and find the ring on Leylin's person, things would be bad.

But now? Leylin glanced in the direction that Ernis had fled, a slight smile on his face.

"It's great that you could come back!" Longbottom glanced at Ernis, revealing a bright smile.

"I was just lucky!" Ernis laughed wryly, though the seed of distrust had been planted within him.

The two of them had already returned to the little manor.

The four Secret Silver Puppets had been reduced to dust after being attacked by the two dark elves and many Magi.

"Do you know who that Magus is?" Longbottom asked Ernis.

"No, but he should be an enemy of Rosby's. The strength of a rank 2 Magus is too far off, so I couldn't gather any useful information." Ernis seemed a little regretful.

All of a sudden, he felt a prophecy entering his mind, and his eyes turned white.

"Rosby is dead, but the seed of a clone is still within the headquarters of Green Water Gardens!"

Ernis quickly passed on this information to Longbottom and asked, "What should we do?"

"Is there a need to ask?" A sinister smile appeared on Longbottom's face.

"Summon our people. We shall go to their headquarters!"

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Intrinsic Quality

There was still something else that Longbottom had not mentioned.

"Since the Magus that appeared seemed to have some squabble with Rosby, I'll definitely get into the good books of that Magus if I kill Rosby completely in Green Water Gardens and destroy his guild. I can then try to rope them in…"

As a spy of the dark elves, Longbottom never forgot his own mission — create chaos and lower the might of Twilight Zone. If he could rope in a rank 2 Magus, that would be an immense merit!

At this thought, his heart began to blaze.

It had not been a mere day or two since the dark elves had infiltrated Twilight Zone. Longbottom immediately procured a map of Green Water Gardens.

In addition, Ernis had supported him with information about their defensive spell formations and weak points.

Green Radiance City was the central region headquarters of Green Water Gardens. Today, it had been met with a calamity.

Flames burned everywhere, painting the sky half red. The defensive spell formations had collapsed, and the Magi lying in wait outside all charged in.

"Kill!" Longbottom took the initiative, mysterious green light bursting from his hands.

The Magi who were obstructing him wilted, drying up into corpses on the road. Amongst them were Magi who, like him, were at the peak of rank 1!

Green Water Gardens was a large-scale guild, and there were quite a few peak rank 1 Magi and contracted creatures in charge of it. However, under the attacks of Longbottom's revolutionary army and the dark elves, they were unable to endure for long.

"This way!" Ernis' eyes turned white, and like someone familiar with the route, he brought Longbottom further in.

Minutes later, they arrived beside a large ancient tree. *Crack!* The ancient tree was prised open violently, revealing a descending passageway.

Luminescent defensive spell formations appeared. Having been set up by a rank 2 Magus, they possessed immense magic power.

Longbottom sneered, "Looks like Rosby's clone seed really is underneath!"

He did have a certain amount of knowledge about these clone seeds. Each seed could only live on and grow after the death of the original body.

In addition, he could not immediately regain his strength of rank 2. It would be miraculous even if he managed to keep the strength of a rank 1 Magus.

The value of a clone seed was that it was a second life. Even when one was training their way up again, there would be no bottlenecks impeding them from achieving their original rank.

The clone would originally be very weak, but as time passed, it would grow even more terrifying than the original. Hence, it was wise to exterminate it as soon as possible.

Ernis tested the formations with an instrument, and his expression warped instantly. "These defensive formations set up by a rank 2 Magus are quite strong. A peak rank 1 Magus will have to attack them for about half an hour to break them apart."

"There's no need for that!" Longbottom waved his hands, producing a black crystal.

"This is a gift from the matriarch. Sealed within is one of her full-powered attacks. It just so happens that this is a good place to use it!" Longbottom crushed the crystal in his hands.

Chi chi!* The confused cries of numerous bugs echoed out.

A huge phantom spider appeared, this one purple. Its compound eyes shone with wisdom, even sentience, as it swept past Longbottom, Ernis, and the rest.

Ernis felt his heart go cold. When he was being stared at by this spider, it felt as if all his thoughts and secrets had been discovered by it.

Pak!*

The purple phantom spider condensed into a ball of energy, striking the defensive radiance.

Creak!* A large depression appeared on the defensive layer. All sorts of runes flashed, and there were also sounds of something breaking.

Upon seeing this, Longbottom's eyes brightened and he shouted at Enris. "Attack together!"

All sorts of spells and lights crashed onto the surface of the defensive spell formation.

Like the last straw that broke a camel's back, the two's spells reached the layer and caused the spell formation to tremble.

Petals of light with runes on them continuously withered and fell, turning into little bits of light that floated away like fireflies.

The defensive spell formation set up by a rank 2 Magus were broken through with their combined effort!

"I can feel his aura inside!" Longbottom's eyes brightened, as if he had smelled something delicious. His eyes glowed green as he rushed in.

Ernis hesitated for a moment, and followed him inside.

"Haha…" After passing through a short passageway, Ernis heard Longbottom laughing maniacally.

He entered an underground laboratory to see Longbottom holding a little boy's throat, laughing loudly.

"Great Magus Rosby, guild leader of Green Water Gardens, O powerful rank 2 Magus! Where is your power? Where is your might? Where is your grace? Where has it all gone to?" Longbottom chuckled brashly in front of the child.

Vile characters always sought revenge not past the night. He had just escaped from his opponent with difficulty, but he could now grasp his opponent by the neck, controlling his opponent's life and death. Longbottom was left feeling drunk on this feeling.

He had even assumed Rosby to be another rank 2 Magus.

Ernis was shocked to find that this little boy's face was similar to Rosby's, who he had seen previously. His skin was slippery, with the placenta and mucus still attached to him. At this moment, he knew this person's identity.

Although Rosby had successfully reincarnated using the seed he had prepared beforehand, his current body only held the power of an acolyte. In front of Longbottom, he was as weak as an ant.

"But you still have your uses!" The green in Longbottom's eyes seemed to solidify.

"Though you are an acolyte, you are still a rank 2 Magus at your core! Absorbing you will further my insights into rank 2!"

Longbottom smiled slightly, and lights flashed in his hands. Thin threads of red and green were drawn from the boy's body, entering his palm.

The boy aged rapidly even as Longbottom seemed to be drunk with pleasure.

Moments later, face frozen in terror, Rosby collapsed to the ground. As if a mere dried husk, his body cracked apart on contact.

Longbottom's face flushed red, as if it had received some great supplements.

"Quick! Move everything of value away before support arrives. Destroy what we cannot take!" Longbottom's aura had changed after absorbing the life force of a rank 2 Magus. Ernis deferentially lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze.

……

At the same time, in the cover of shadows, Leylin's figure somehow appeared above Green Radiance City.

Pak!*

With the complete death of Rosby, the green ring in his hands also produced a crisp sound. Scans by his spiritual force and the A.I. Chip revealed that all connection to the outside world had been broken completely.

This meant that Rosby's clone had been annihilated.

"Not bad!" A smile appeared on Leylin's face.

The prophecies from before were planted by Leylin, letting him eliminate Green Water Gardens and Rosby's clone.

Furthermore, with the most valuable items all in Rosby's spatial ring, Leylin had no intentions of vying over anything with these paupers.

"Time to leave!" He looked up at the sky far away, and disappeared with a shake of his head.

Moments after Leylin left, the sounds of hurried huffs sounded from that very position. The Magi who had newly arrived looked very benevolent.

Green Radiance City was now in a state of chaos…

A few days later, a monumental piece of news was transmitted throughout central Twilight Zone. It spread to the other regions as well, and at an alarming rate. Green Water Gardens, the large-scale guild, had been destroyed by Longbottom's revolutionary army!

Even Lord Rosby, their guild leader who was rank 2, had fallen in this battle.

The fall of a rank 2 Magus caused a sensation. With the loss of Rosby, their official Magi, and their inheritances, Green Water Gardens would soon become an unrated guild even if there were a few acolytes lucky enough to survive.

With this task, Longbottom's name spread throughout Twilight Zone, and the war council put out an astronomical bounty on him; his danger had even been rated at seven stars!

……

Elsewhere, Leylin had also visited Logan, the Protector of the East.

Logan was one to abide by his promises, and he'd brought his guild to the central region. He had even stationed himself near Nature's Alliance and a few other guilds.

"We need to suppress them! I've already sent out the enforcers and soldiers to wipe out their strongholds."

Logan huffed roughly, but Leylin maintained a thoughtful silence.

"These rogue Magi are really out of control. And then there's Longbottom. We need to behead him and store his spirit in the council as a reminder to all Magi!" Logan heaved.

Leylin laughed in his mind. Logan was truly feeling anxious.

Previously, rank 2 Magi could disregard Longbottom and his revolutionary army, but now that one of their own had fallen at his hands, they could ignore him no longer.

"In the middle of a great war, there are still so many lawless Magi who are causing trouble at home. We definitely can't give way. We have to suppress them mercilessly!"

Logan declared his stance, "This is the unanimous decision of the war council. In addition, no matter which wandering Magus it is, as long as they dare have any opinions about having sympathy or support for the revolutionary army, they shall also be punished."

Leylin nodded. Guilds still held immense influence, and were entirely capable of ending these fads.

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A Competition For Geniuses

Leylin deliberated over his phrasing. "But to do that, you'll have to deploy the higher-ups!"

If the guilds joined forces, they could naturally extinguish the scattered rebels, but part of their forces would be tied down. With the north down, and casualties stacking up at the center, the cost outweighed the benefits involved.

"Then what do you suggest?" Logan seemed to be able to tell the hidden meaning in Leylin's words.

"The rebels led by Longbottom definitely need to be suppressed and exterminated, but I believe we can try to pacify the wandering Magi."

Leylin stroked his chin.

"How? Twilight Zone has a limited amount of resources. Are you, Nature's Alliance, going to pay out of your pocket?" Logan was slightly annoyed.

"No, of course not!" Leylin smiled while he shook his head, "What do you say we hold a competition for young Magi?"

"Competition?" Logan was baffled.

"Yes, a competition between geniuses! It will be targeted at young Magi, with generous rewards and the opportunity to join some guilds. If they obtain a certain ranking, they can even enter a guild of their choice!" Leylin declared his scheme.

"With this, not only can we unite more wandering Magi and express our goodwill to the organisations behind them, we can also shift their focus from the unfairness of guilds to the vying for a position, causing internal friction!"

"This… Let me think…" Logan scratched his beard.

Leylin paid no attention to him and smiled, because he knew Logan was considering his suggestion.

As expected, minutes later, Logan roughly slapped the table, "It's a good idea! Of course! Why didn't I think of it?"

He stood up and quickly paced around the room. "No matter how much we try to tempt those old Magi, it's all going to be in vain. They've already lost all chances of improving anyway, and won't be able to cause many problems!

"On the other hand, the competition offers young Magi more than just glory. The generous rewards and the opportunity to join a guild will surely tempt them! We just need to hand some things out, and it will definitely change the dynamics of their army. We might even be able to pick up some good seedlings! Not bad… not bad at all!"

Logan kept nodding. He, too, knew that pressuring the lower strata was not a good idea, especially in times of war. Prying them apart would lead to a much better ending.

"I'll go and report your suggestion to the council, they'll definitely agree!" he did not even bother to hide his excitement, yelling out his agreement.

Meanwhile, Leylin revealed a profound smile. There was something else he had yet to say, but he was sure Logan understood it as well.

Setting up a competition to select Magi and taking them into guilds was also a type of revolution. This was a step in the direction of the setup of the academies on the south coast.

This way, Longbottom's righteous cause would be wounded in multiple ways. When that happened, it would be the best time to capture and kill him!

At the same time, the various Magi training in Sacred Flame all fell into a stupor. They were all receiving a prophecy.

"Countless stars are congregating there. It is the location of both the beginning and the end of everything!"

Aaron's eyes recovered from having been all-white, the fear still lingering in him as he patted his chest.

"I actually automatically made a prophecy! Looks like the force of destiny is unprecedentedly powerful."

"Of course! A competition between genius Magi! Not only wandering Magi, but also geniuses of guilds can also enter. The judges will be the protectors of the four regions who are at least rank 2, and the legendary protector of all regions might even appear!"

In front of him, Vinas rolled her eyes and said sarcastically.

"You-" Aaron was so furious that he turned red, almost getting up.

"Alright, alright. Can you not quarrel!"

Baelin was now wearing his Bio Boosting Armour, his aura more vast and profound as a result of the power of destiny converging on his body. Though he couldn't feel anything himself, for Aaron and Vinas who trained in Sacred Flame, the change was as obvious as the lighting of a torch in the darkness.

"What did you see?" Baelin asked curiously.

Under his supervision, these two prophetic Magi were currently at peace, having decided to first crush the dark elves' conspiracy before battling it out among themselves. Sometimes, however, the two would be at odds, which would end up giving him a headache.

"Not too long later, central Twilight Zone will hold a competition for young genius Magi! The only restriction is that one must be younger than 50 to attend."

"In addition, the champion of the competition will even be able to meet the great protector of all regions and be given access to profound Magi academic knowledge, as well as assistance to advance forcefully."

Aaron couldn't help but gulp. Even he was enticed by such temptations.

The young female Magus called Vinas continued, "Most of Twilight Zone's geniuses will attend, including Longbottom who's sided with the dark elves. He'll be waiting to cause trouble!

"And because there's another Magus like us helping him and covering him with a fog of destiny, I can't tell for sure what their exact plan is and whether they'll succeed."

"Longbottom…" Baelin muttered, his eyes dim.

He knew that this kid that he had thought highly of had quickly become an official Magus and even sided with the dark elves. He'd probably played a big role in the fall of the north.

"I remembered him being a very polite and enthusiastic boy… and his sister…" Baelin's expression looked complicated. If Leylin had chosen to impart his knowledge to Longbottom, everything would have been different.

Aaron noticed Baelin's indecision. "Lord Baelin, Longbottom is now a traitor to humanity, a destructive person who is masterminding a rebellion. You need to draw the line, and capture him yourself!" he advised.

"That's right! I can tell that the large conspiracy in the central region involves many rank 2 Magi, and they will show their strength during the competition. You need to defeat Longbottom there and thwart their plans to save humanity!"

Vinas sounded incomparably resolute. She believed she was now walking the path of ancient heroes and was working hard to protect the harmony and stability of the human race. There was an aura of piety about her.

"I understand…" Baelin smiled wryly.

Somewhere else, Longbottom had also obtained this information from Ernis.

"A competition for young geniuses? A pageant for the Magus world? Many rank 2 Magi and protectors will even appear there as judges?"

Upon hearing this, green light shone out of Longbottom's eyes, "This truly is a great opportunity to finish everything in one fell swoop!"

Ernis was silent as he felt two powers other than his own in the river of destiny. They would surely meet at the competition.

"Is it finally here? The final victor shall be me! Only I will be able to train in Sacred Flame till the peak and become the ruler of Twilight Zone!"

Ernis roared in his heart, though he looked calm on the outside.

"Send down the orders. All sections are to halt all activities and enter stealth mode, preparing for the upcoming competition. Also, inform the matriarch that I need support. Powerful support!"

Ernis respectfully bowed his way out upon hearing Longbottom's orders.

Longbottom's aura had become an enigma. After absorbing the essence of a rank 2 Magus, his strength had soared so high that Ernis could not tell the limits of his strength.

"Leylin, Baelin! Everything shall be settled there!" Longbottom mumbled, and the large phantom spider figure became more solid, as if becoming real.

……

Time passed, and news of the central region holding a competition for young geniuses spread like a hurricane to all four corners.

There was only one requirement for entry; all participants needed to be below 50 years of age. The rewards were very generous; not only were there great amounts of precious resources and research to be won, the top thirty could freely enter a guild of their choice. The large-scaled guilds in the central region all provided a few places, and there was even a small rumour going on that the Guardian of the Realm would meet the champion and take them on as their disciple!

All of Twilight Zone was elated. Many young wandering Magi, and even guild geniuses, all left their stations and headquarters to head to the central region.

Many of them cared little for both the resources and the opportunity to join a guild, but apprenticeship to a rank 3 Magus was a temptation they could not resist.

Leylin expected this.

The plan was accepted as soon as Logan reported it. The Magi of the council were definitely smart enough to see the benefits of such an event. They even decided to make it a recurring thing, to ward off such troubles permanently.

However, even Leylin was initially surprised that the Guardian of the Realm would announce such a thing. It led him to make a few guesses.

"Looks like the Guardian of the Realm doesn't have much time left. I just don't know if the inheritance is meant to draw out the malefactors, or is sincere." Leylin touched his chin.

However, he was very optimistic towards all this. With it, the competition would be even more popular, and work even better for his plans.

Those so-called 'genius Magi' probably brought with them forces of destiny. Though they could not be compared with Baelin and Longbottom, when they were all added together, the sum was not something that could be ignored.

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Response and Countermeasure

The dark elves were rather quiet in this period of time.

Although they had managed to take over the north, navigating through territorial disputes with the dwarves and gnomes consumed most of their energy.

Hence, although central Twilight Zone was under immense pressure, the situation seeming dire, all they had to deal with till now were a few scouts and wandering riders.

Balanced on this razor's edge, the central region had still remained peaceful. The preparations for the competition even made it seem like it was flourishing. As more and more Magi rushed over, it had gained fresh blood and increased strength.

After seeing this, Leylin suspected this was another intention of the war council. They wanted to attract more Magi over to increase their fighting strength

……

In a shady swamp.

A toxic purple fog permeated the place, the rotten sludge concealing the bones of various darkness beasts. Occasionally, a few three-eyed crows would caw as they flew past, which was jarring to the ears.

In a dimly lit cave.

The walls were lined with spells that made them impermeable to the sludge and fog.

A black-haired old man was running his hands through the hair of a young Magus, his touch containing affection. "My child! In the ten years you've been here, you've learned everything I have to offer. Now, you are free to explore…"

"Gom has brought back some information. The holy land for us Magi, the central region, is holding a competition for young geniuses. Not only can the champion obtain great rewards, they can even meet with the Guardian of the Realm, a rank 3 existence. What's more, they could even get the opportunity to become his inheritor…"

"A rank 3 Magus?" The youth, who had until then not looked in the least bit serious, suddenly turned solemn.

"Yes. You are the most formidable genius I've ever seen, and I believe there are few who can match you in the entirety of Twilight Zone. I believe the victor shall be you, though I'm afraid I won't get the chance to see it…"

The old man sounded slightly regretful, and his hands halted in mid-air.

His originally smooth and tight skin began to age rapidly, layers of wrinkles forming as if an old branch that had lost all its moisture. His black hair gradually greyed out.

His body withered at a rate that could be seen by the naked eye, ending up a dried corpse.

"Master? MASTER!" The young Magus was dubious as he looked at the master who had always accompanied him.

Thud!* The old Magus turned into a withered, dried black corpse.

Poof!* The youth bumped into the Magus' arm, and the corpse turned to dust in front of his eyes. Ashes spread out, leaving a complete set of Magus robes on the bed.

The young Magus was dazed, and only recovered after a long while.

Even if Magi could manipulate the radiation of energy particles to obtain a longer lifespan than regular humans, there was still a limit.

Even with dangerous modifications to the body, Morning Star Magi could only extend their lifespans by a few decades. It was difficult to succeed, and could cause Magi to end up with a strange, terrifying appearance.

This old Magus' life energy had been exhausted, and he had reached the end of his life.

Regular rank 1 Magi, those that were not of ancient branches like Warlocks, had 200-year lifespans. This old Magus had lived for a very long time, and had not advanced in his meditation technique. His time was now up.

"Master!" The youth stood there silently, images of the times he spent with his master flashing across his mind. A long while later, he turned and left.

Rumble!* After he left, the earth caved in, forming a void that allowed the surrounding sludge to enter.

"Master, don't worry! I will definitely be the glorious victor!" The youth swore to the heavens, and left without hesitation.

As he left, a tear fell from the corner of his eye.

……

"The family's honour is in your hands."

In the southern region, in an ancient Magus' castle.

Dim rays of light fell on a long, rotten table. This black wooden table was about ten metres long, and extended from the head of the hall to the door.

On the tablecloth, there was a silver lampstand and all sorts of fruits and delicacies. A few figures were seated sparsely around it.

The old woman at the master's seat, who wore a black high-hat and multiple red gems and emerald rings, was giving a young girl a reminder.

She was silent for a while, and then spoke resolutely, "I understand, grandmother."

Only she knew that, under the cover of luxury, this family was already waning.

The wooden table was already rotten, and the castle had not been repaired for decades. Even their defensive spell formations were deactivated due to a lack of magic crystals. Among the aristocratic Magi, they were basically a joke.

The silver lampstand and delicacies at this table, too, had been gathered with some difficulty. The ornaments on her grandmother's fingers? Fake trinkets! The originals had long been pawned off.

The girl was silent, knowing that in order to raise a Magus like her, they had paid a large price.

"I'll definitely become the victor of the young Magus competition and revive the family!" She vowed.

"Good! Let us drink to Lilina's promise!" The old woman laughed and raised her cup.

"Cheers!" The rest of the relatives all cheered and finished all the alcoholic drinks in their hands. After, they pounced on the delicacies on the table.

Even though they were the descendants of a Magus family, fruits were not things they could have often!

Upon seeing this, the old lady had a bitter expression. This caused Lilina to be even more resolute in her convictions.

……

In the faraway northern region of Twilight Zone.

Groups of human slaves were tied up with thick ropes, and herded towards a city.

There were countless humans, and the one similarity between all of them was the shared expression of despair and numbness.

All of them were originally people of the northern region, but after it was attacked, they lacked the time and strength to move and all turned into slaves.

They would be lucky to be enslaved. Most captives only had one choice, which was to become offerings to the various matriarchs!

At the highest point of a city built in corundum, an absolutely beautiful dark elf maiden was staring on coldly.

"Human's reproductive ability is too powerful. Their population is tens or even a hundred times ours! How should we rule them? The only way is to kill them until they are fewer than us or to the brink of extinction. Then we wouldn't have to worry about any instability."

A command that was cold, detached and inhuman was produced from her lips.

Behind her, elite dark elven secret guards drew back respectfully and passed down the order, resulting in the formation of a red sea.

What was more terrifying was that the corpses of these humans would be recycled to be used as army provisions for the gnomes, dwarves and even dark elves!

"How is it going with the Underground Winter Spider Emperor?" She asked indifferently.

"Through investigations, we can confirm that the mother body is not dead, and we've also appeased our elite knights. However, in the holy land, the disappearance of the mother body's aura is still causing a disturbance amongst the Underground Winter Spiders."

Another matriarch with a gold crown on her head in black leather revealed a great amount of skin as she bowed and reported.

"Trash!" A cold glint flashed in the maiden's eyes, "Sacrifice the original head guard of the holy land!"

"Yes!" The icy intent behind those words caused the matriarch behind her to quiver.

"That mere human dares profane the holy land of us dark elves? We need to use his flesh and soul to scrub off this humiliation!" The maiden vowed.

"My lord, here is the newest intelligence from Longbottom!"

At this moment, the door opened. A dark elf shrouded in translucent black muslin held a brass circular cylinder and knelt, offering it to the maiden with both hands.

The girl laughed slightly, and a slight wind blew the cylinder over to her hands.

After seeing the letter, she bit her lips, her reddened lip providing a stark contrast to her pale skin, causing the guards around her to gulp.

"A genius competition in the central region?" She muttered to herself again and then ordered, "Gather the matriarchs. I to convene a meeting of Dark Nobility!"

She felt that this was a turning point that could give her the chance to take care of the Magi in the central region in one go.

However, she had a sense of extreme danger from the will of the darkness.

After pondering over this for a long while, the maiden sighed and decided to put this question up for discussion.

……

After news of the genius competition spread, the entirety of Twilight Zone and even the surrounding dark elven, gnome and dwarven empires all responded to the news.

All sorts of Magi, regardless of race, hurried towards the central region.

In that moment, there really seemed to be a sense of instability.

Leylin, who was meanwhile waiting for the fish to bite, patiently waited for the competition to begin. As he had been the person to suggest this and was plenty strong himself, he was able to get a position as a judge.

As for the people in Nature's Alliance? All of them had been sent off on miscellaneous missions.

As Leylin's number one subordinate, Iren was nowhere to be found every day, and nobody knew what Leylin had ordered him to do.

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The Competition Commences

The competition was to be held on the Walker Plains in the central region.

This place was close to the central city, so a few large-scaled guilds had branches nearby that could send out resources and personnel if anything unexpected came up.

The miraculous abilities of Magi ensured that it took but a few months to transform the heart of the Walker Plains into a vast field.

Before the competition started, a few Magi had arrived earlier to settle down and do business. Thus, a few fairs had sprung up on the outskirts. Many fairs merged together, forming a rudimentary Magus city.

If this competition could be pulled off without a hitch, given the war council's plan to make it a regular affair, the place could really become a new Magus city, even surpassing the cities of the other four regions.

……

Waves of Magi surged in from all over the place and filled the area.

Seeing such a bustling scene, Baelin took a deep breath and pulled off his cloak, and then hastened as he rushed through a street.

He walked quickly, and after seven or eight turns, he arrived in front of a residence and knocked.

Ka-cha!* The door moved slightly to form a narrow slit, and a pair of guarded eyes appeared. After realising it was Baelin, the eyes disappeared into the darkness and then opened the door.

Baelin turned sideways and squeezed in, not letting the door open fully.

It was a small room inside. The oil lamp produced a dim, flickering yellow light, while Aaron, Vinas and Memphis were all waiting quietly.

Memphis was in the worst state. Not only were there many black bandages around him such that he was similar to a mummy, his ears had even been pierced through with a large nail, revealing a large hole.

"Hey, when can I free myself from this weird appearance?"

Memphis raised his hands with bandages wrapped around them, looking like a mummy as he protested.

As a former member of the nobility, he could not stand being low-profile.

Baelin furrowed his brows as he explained. "Wait a while longer. This place is being monitored using bloodline aura detection spell formations. Even if you're siding with the humans currently, we can't let the fact that you're a dark elf be revealed!"

Vinas shot Memphis a glance, "Don't bother with him! He's just been restrained and wants to go out to breathe some fresh air. My lord, how's the situation outside?"

Aaron gestured to show that he was listening.

"There are far too many Magi gathered here. I couldn't find Longbottom and the others, so it's very likely that he's modified his appearance or is in hiding."

Baelin smiled wryly, "Looks like we can only catch them during the competition!"

"Competition? Do you mean you're planning to enter the genius Magi competition?" Aaron got the point quickly.

"Yes, that's right. I'm only thirty years old, and Bio Boosters are considered a branch of ancient Magi. In that case, I meet the qualifications to enter!" Baelin laughed.

"Only in the competition will I have the chance to meet Longbottom and persuade him to turn back!" Baelin mumbled.

Vinas and Aaron, who knew that this child of destiny's shortcoming of idealism was making itself known again, could only sigh.

Honestly speaking, this child of destiny was basically perfect, but his flaw was in his kindness.

In Twilight Zone, kindness was the one thing that one could not have. Sooner or later, Baelin would pay the price for this.

Aaron and Vinas exchanged a glance, as if having made some decision.

Baelin was totally oblivious to this, still sighing for Longbottom.

In his memories, Longbottom had always been a good child. What had happened?

……

At the registration point, a deathly pale Magus in green robes walked out.

"Hehe, Leylin, Baelin, I'm here!"

Longbottom's appearance had undergone a huge change. His spiritual force had been suppressed till it was that of a semi-converted Magus.

On the Walker Plains, this level of strength was considered mediocre at best and not eye-catching. It was unknown what methods he had used to get past the detection spells at the registration point.

The youth looked to the centre of the competition area. Hatred, elation, and an emotional struggle all flashed by his expression, before they disappeared.

He quickly took his coat and used his hood to conceal his face, disappearing into the crowd.

Leylin could somewhat sense the arrival of these people, but he could not be bothered with them currently. He was in his personal laboratory, an empty test tube beside him.

Threads of black liquid were still wriggling at the mouth of the tube, producing slight hissing sounds.

The Giant Serpent's Breath potion. It was the fruit of his labour, formed from ten years of study, and with the help of Fendix's hearts of Earthen Fiends, he was finally able to make it. Leylin turned green after he ingested it, his aura dark and unstable. This situation continued for an entire night before he recovered.

Leylin glanced at his condition.

[Leylin Farlier. Rank 2 Warlock, Bloodline: Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Strength: 22.5, Agility: 16.3, Vitality: 31.1, Spiritual force: 145.5, Magic power: 145 (Magic power is in synchronisation with spiritual force).]

"A standard Giant Serpent's Breath potion can increase my spiritual force by ten points, and the other attributes also increase as well. Not bad! Based on this rate, after taking five standard Giant Serpent-Breath potions, I'll meet the spiritual force requirements!"

Leylin looked at the numbers, his eyes sparkling.

Giant Serpent's Breath potion was the culmination of his hard work in these ten years. With the ancient rank 2 Magi of Twilight Zone as the foundation, he was able to create a spiritual force potion suitable for Warlocks.

With the aid of this potion, he was confident that the estimated 200 years given by the A.I Chip could be shortened.

"The requirements to become a rank 3 Magus is to raise spiritual force till the 200 mark, and then completely solidify it!"

These were the two requirements for Magi to advance, and neither could be overlooked. Warlocks also had specific requirements pertaining to their bloodline.

Leylin laughed, raising his hand. A thread of bright silver spiritual force shot out from between his eyebrows. Like a mischievous little snake, it wriggled livelily between his fingers.

Though it was only as fine as a strand of hair, this thread held within an immense energy.

The solidified spiritual force of a rank 2 Magus was something lower ranked Magi were unable to comprehend.

All spiritual forces that had not reached this level would be smashed through in a direct clash.

Hence, rank 2 Magi were usually capable of crushing lower-ranked opponents. This was also one of the reasons why rank 2 Magi could lead.

"Amongst rank 2 Magi, to appraise the extent of solidification of spiritual force, one needs to look at how deep the silver colour is."

Leylin muttered. After gathering numerous high-grade meditation techniques and with the simulations by the A.I. Chip, he was extremely clear on what he was supposed to do to advance.

"At the early stage of solidification, spiritual force is a light silver. At the middle stage, it will become more concentrated and become silvery-white! At the peak stage of the solidified spiritual force, it will be a bright silver!"

After reference to countless other meditation techniques, Leylin had broadened his perspectives and progressed at a rapid pace in his own.

He smiled lightly as he peered at the light silver spiritual force in his hands, and produced a thought.

This bright silver spiritual force danced in the air, attracting energy particles of various elements and formed spell models of various shapes, and then disappeared back between Leylin's brows

"I've completed all my homework on the solidification of spiritual force, and my manipulation of it has reached the peak."

Leylin evaluated his own strength. Through ten years of settling down and working towards rank 3, he had accumulated a lot. He had even touched the boundary of rank 3, and even Logan, the Protector of the East, was no longer in his sights.

"With my current strength, I'm probably the furthest ahead amongst rank 2 Magi. With the bonus from my bloodline, I'm basically matchless within rank 2!"

With the help of the A.I. Chip, Leylin was very confident in his strength.

"But there's still ways to go before I can handle rank 3 Magi!"

At this point, the ones capable of causing Leylin fear were only Anya, the dark elven Empress, the Guardian of the Realm, and the remaining few rank 3 Magi.

"No matter what it is, this competition is tied to my own advancement, as well as my choices and conjectures about destiny. It must proceed smoothly, even if a rank 3 Magus were to attempt to stop it !"

Leylin made up his mind, eyes sparkling.

……

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Multi-coloured fireworks exploded into the air, various spell lights and tassels forming gorgeous images in the sky.

The genius Magi competition held in the central region had begun magnificently.

The competition area was similar to the ancient Roman colosseum.

With support from magic, this construction was much larger than the ancient roman one. It was big enough to hold tens of thousands of Magi.

At the heart of the colosseum, tens of individual arenas had been created. The young Magi who were participating would first begin with the elimination rounds.

"How boring." Leylin and the eight other rank 2 Magi sat on the platform which had the best seats, doing their jobs as judges.

Though Leylin was seated here, he had long since gotten annoyed by the host's speech. The only reason why he was still sitting here was because he was forcing himself to do so.

As for the other few rank 2 judges, they looked just as bored.

The battles at the beginning were usually not very intense. The Magi were lowly-ranked, and most were level 3 acolytes. With a competition of this level, it was more than enough for peak rank 1 Magi to watch over them.

Hence, Leylin and the others were bored to death.

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Fire Scorpion

Luckily for Leylin and the other judges, they were rank 2 Magi and had a very high status. Even if they were discontent, the audience did not dare show this on their faces, and instead placed their attention on the competition going on.

Leylin's eyes brightened at this moment.

Following his gaze, there appeared a person he was interested in on an elevated stage at the southeast corner.

"Arena 34, the fifth round of the selection! Here are participant numbers 273 and 35!" The announcer was a peak rank 1 Magus dressed in formal Magus attire, his hair perfectly combed.

Almost at the very moment his words ended, a line of fire flashed, and a beautiful woman with a great body arrived at the centre of the stage.

This female Magus had voluptuous, sexy curves and had intentionally worn tight clothing, her chest bursting out of the seams of her clothes. However, she looked a little young, as if she had yet to be of age.

This angelic appearance and devilish, arousing body immediately garnered the interest of the audience.

"Oh, I remember now! She's Fire Scorpion of the western region. She actually came here!" A Magus blurted out, and through many layers, the voice entered Leylin's ears.

"Fire Scorpion?" Leylin was slightly flabbergasted at this nickname.

"Haha, has Magus Leylin gone to the western region before?" Also on the platform, a rank 2 Magus laughed after hearing Leylin's voice.

He had a white cloth wrapped around his head and his pupils were blue. This was the typical style of the western region in Twilight Zone.

This Magus was the leader of a large-scale guild in the western region.

Though the central region was the main essence of Twilight Zone with many highly-ranked Magi, they could not take up all the spots for judging. It was necessary to hand out a part of the seats to Magi of the four other regions.

"Fire Scorpion is rather famous at our side, and it's said she's rather ruthless. She even killed a few of her husbands, which earned her nickname as the Fire Scorpion!"

Without waiting for Leylin's answer, the rank 2 Magus continued, "Actually, if not for her specializing in fire magic, we would definitely call her the black widow!"

"No, I just hear about her occasionally." Leylin shook his head.

What he was focusing on was not Fire Scorpion, but her opponent.

With the impatient looks of the judges on the platform, the opponent who was late had opened up a route for himself and entered the arena.

This was a youth in green Magus robes, a sinister look in his eyes.

"Hmm, this youth?"

Before Leylin could speak, the rank 2 Magus was already surprised.

"What is it? Do you know him?" Leylin asked with a smile.

"Yes! The Magus in green robes is another formidable character known in the western region— Green-robed Carl. How unexpected that they're matched together in the first round!"

The rank 2 Magus also from the western region sighed lightly, as if finding it a pity that these two geniuses were matched so early.

"Green-robed Carl?" Leylin was laughing inside.

Rank 2 Magi were very sensitive to auras. Whoever they met with, if left with a deep impression or memorable aura, the next time they met, it would be difficult for the other parties to conceal themselves.

For this reason, the Magus was confident in his judgement.

However, through his mole, Ernis, Leylin spied on his opponent.

Yes. This Green-robed Carl was, in reality, Longbottom in disguise.

Through the lingering spirit in the notebook in Ernis' hands, Leylin had watched in high definition the real Green-robed Carl being killed by them. He watched as they then skinned the man and, using special magical means, used it to transform Longbottom's appearance.

What was even more wonderful was that Ernis had no idea that he was unwittingly leaking information while he was hell-bent on working for the dark elves. Hence, for any spells that could sense and test one's thoughts, there was no reaction at all, which allowed him to survive.

At this moment, the A.I. Chip sounded.

[Skin Covering spell model has been completely analysed. Inputting into rank 1 spell model database!]

This Skin Covering spell was what Longbottom used to deceive everyone. Though it was only at rank 1, mysteriously it was able to trick even rank 2 Magi.

In addition, this spell did not originate from Twilight Zone, but rather, from a hidden inheritance of the dark elves. No Magi would expect this.

It was a pity that Leylin knew this beforehand, which caused their hard work to be in vain.

Even this spell model had been intercepted and taken by Leylin in secret and, with the A.I. Chip, completed.

If Longbottom knew this, he might really spew out blood.

Leylin had a sick interest in this but held it in.

Sometimes, the fruits of victory would taste better when waited for.

"Who do you think has the larger possibility of winning?" All these thoughts passed through Leylin's mind, but he still continued the conversation with the rank 2 Magus.

"Hm…" The rank 2 Magus muttered to himself and decided, "Though Carl's corrosive spells are renowned, and he possesses a middle-grade magic artifact, Fire Scorpion is a decade older and thus, has accumulated a decade more of experience. In addition, fire energy particles are capable of restraining corrosive-type energy particles, which is very remarkable."

"I think differently. Perhaps that kid called Carl can really create miracles!" Leylin laughed lightly.

"Oh? Can you tell me the reason?" The old Magus looked interested.

"About that, please let me keep it a secret." Leylin rejected with a slight smile.

"You…" The old Magus laughed as well, but gave more attention to arena 34.

Meanwhile, Longbottom who had transformed into Green-robed Carl, was feeling terrified. "Damn it, a rank 2 Magus' gaze swept this location quite a few times. What is it that piqued their interest?"

He quickly considered, "I previously gained much information regarding Carl's habits, and I've even secretly grasped his signature spells. The Skin Covering spell shouldn't have an issue, so what went wrong?"

"No, it's possible that there's nothing wrong. It's just that my battle with Fire Scorpion has attracted their attention! After all, this is still the start. It's very rare that two official Magi get matched together at the start."

Longbottom racked his brains, considering it from all angles. If Longbottom knew everything had happened only because of Leylin's sick sense of humour, he might really get so mad that he would collapse.

This careless attitude of his had obviously enraged the opposing Fire Scorpion.

"Carl, you dare underestimate me! I'll make you pay the price!"

Fire Scorpion was so furious that her face was flushed red, her chest quivering and shaking her breasts, which caused the surrounding Magi to hiss in excitement.

"Fire Scorpion!" Fire Scorpion shouted under her breath, and quickly began to chant in broken sentences and syllables.

Traces of bright red energy particles converged, forming large numbers of little scorpions crawling out from the ground and surrounding Longbottom.

"Rain of Corrosion!" Longbottom chanted in a low voice.

Droplets of green rain fell from mid-air, and every time the droplets made contact with the ground, a faint sizzling sound of corrosion could be heard even as white gases were being formed.

After the white gas disappeared, a deep hole was seen on the ground.

Those fire scorpions were even more pitiful. Clustered raindrops were inclined towards them, and in no time, they had all turned into a pool of pus-like liquid.

"It's appeared! Green-robed Carl's Rain of Corrosion! It's an omnidirectional attack with no dead angles, with an offensive power of up to 40 degrees!" A Magus of the western region who had his head wrapped shouted excitedly.

Whether it was the corrosive raindrops or the fire red scorpions, the moment they reached the boundaries of the elevated stage, they would immediately fall apart due to the layer with translucent defensive ripples, turning into pure energy particles and being absorbed into the spell formation.

This was a defensive and absorption spell formation that was set up under every stage to limit the damage range to within the stage.

"Flames of Rebirth!" At this moment, Fire Scorpion's expression showed her confidence in prevailing.

With her chants, a blue fireball suddenly appeared and exploded in front of her. The small blue flames dispersed like starlight and fell into the liquid on the ground.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!* Like flower petals, blue flames blossomed on the ground, and fire scorpions crawled out once more, spitting threads of fire.

"Rain of corrosion!" Longbottom yelled once again, corrosive raindrops falling.

"It's useless!" Fire Scorpion shot out a spark and revived the red scorpions that had fallen.

"I have more spiritual force than you, and the spell 'Flames of Rebirth' absorb 50% of the energy I've expended from using spells. With such a fierce consumption in our competition, you're definitely not a match for me!"

Fire Scorpion attacked and did not forget to hurt her opponent's morale with her words.

"Damn it!" With the increase in red scorpions, Longbottom's activity scope had been reduced to a corner of the stage, and he looked about to fall off.

"If I didn't have to worry about those rank 2 Magi, I would use my true strength! With just one hand, I can drain you till you become a dried-up corpse!"

Longbottom thought mercilessly. "I can only use that."

He punched his hand deep into the ground, and traces of black liquid appeared from within his arm and entered the surface of the ground.

"Gushing Dark Springs!" A black corrosive fluid first appeared under Longbottom's fist, spreading in all directions like a ripple.

The red scorpions were drowned by the black fluid.

Though Fire Scorpion was expending all her effort on employing 'rebirth of the flames', the fire scorpions that were resurrected were still swallowed up by the black spring.

After seeing this, Fire Scorpion turned deathly pale.

Finally, the moment the black fluid was about to cover her body, she raised her right arm, "I admit defeat!"

"Hmph!" Seeing this, Longbottom had to give up all thoughts of pursuing the matter despite his unwillingness to do so.

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Finals In The Secret Plane

"He actually used up all his spiritual force and formed a corrosive attack able to cover the entire area of the stage!"

The old Magus beside Leylin was astonished as he touched his beard, "Looks like Carl has improved quite a bit! It's a pity that with this method, too much spiritual force is consumed. He's destined not to succeed in the next selection battle!"

"That might not be so," Leylin laughed and pointed in a direction, "Look!"

"Oh?" This rank 2 Magus looked in that direction and laughed, "He actually used a precious spiritual force restoring potion? Such a thing could save his life at a crucial moment!"

In a corner, Longbottom's hands trembled and he almost flung out his potion bottles.

"Again! Again!" His expression darkened.

Leylin snickered in his heart. His own gaze was now at a stage where Longbottom could not discover it, so he constantly attracted the attention of the rank 2 Magi beside him to the fellow, giving him a lot of stress.

Having teased him enough, Leylin did not want to shoot himself in the foot and directed the attention of the rank 2 Magi away. "By the way, are you interested in visiting my laboratory after the competition ends? Nature's Alliance's special fish is somewhat effective for rank 2 Magi…"

At another end, Longbottom sighed, "Then again, Green-robed Carl's original strength loses out to that of Fire Scorpion. Though I tried to conceal it, I still attracted attention. I'll need to be more careful in the future…"

"My apologies, please let me pass!" At this moment, a Magus squeezed in, looking hurried.

"What are you doing?" Longbottom pushed the other person away.

The two were suddenly caught in a daze.

Though they had disguised themselves, Longbottom was still able to recognise Baelin at first glance, while Baelin had also recognised his former buddy.

The two of them stared at each other, but because of some unspeakable reasons on both ends, they silently swallowed their words. They did not attempt to expose each other's identities.

"Number 188! Number 188!" At another end of the stage, the judge was starting to get impatient.

Baelin's body trembled and he hurried on. "I will stop you!" he said softly when passing Longbottom.

"I'll wait and see!" was the immediate reply.

As match after match went on, a few geniuses made a name for themselves, resulting in the adulation of the audience.

Leylin had also picked out a few people. "Lilina from the western region, Haylon of the voodoo marshes, and then Baelin as well as Longbottom and their friends and subordinates will take up the top few spots in this genius Magi competition."

With his knowledge as a rank 2 Warlock, he easily found those so-called 'geniuses'.

Usually, these geniuses would be considered the 'main characters' of the era and were important figures in history. However, such influence was nothing compared to Leylin!

"The champion should be either Baelin or Longbottom." Leylin concluded.

"They really are the converging point of Twilight Zone's forces of destiny. Their strength has risen by so much, and I believe these two have even touched the boundary of the rank 2 realm."

Leylin sighed in awe. With this rate of improvement, even Aaron and the other 'fake' geniuses he had made with his grandpas, leave alone Lilina and Haylon, were left in the dust.

The preliminaries were very quick.

By nightfall, about half out of the numerous contestants who had signed up had been eliminated. Numerous Magi became familiar with some of the great battles here, and some were even turned into videos and supplied to large-scale guilds to pick from.

Baelin and Longbottom, as well as the other contestants that Leylin had thought highly of, had not failed their missions. They passed through the preliminaries, and even earned themselves a reputation.

Amongst the Magi at the competition area, they had become somewhat famous.

"Haylon!" "Lilina!" Carl!" and the like finally reached the ears of rank 2 Magi.

……

"The forces of destiny have converged further!"

While resting that day, Leylin proceeded to a luxurious room that was especially prepared for him and looked out the window at the sky.

In this short period of rest, many events were unfolding.

In a contestant's room, a few black-robed Magi were threatening Haylon from the voodoo marshes, "If you see our young master tomorrow, you must forfeit! If not…"

"Scram!" Haylon raised his eyebrows.

"What did you say?" The few Magi were instantly enraged.

"I told you to scram! Didn't you hear clearly?" Haylon stood up, his eyes now completely red.

Black and red rays of magic exploded from his body.

"There are Magi from large-scaled guilds monitoring this area. You dare-"

These Magi evidently did not expect him to be so stubborn and irritable. The moment there was a difference in opinion, he attacked without hesitation.

Rumble!*

Several rays of magic burst in the rooms, the stray ripples surging and shaking the surrounding walls till they turned to powder.

"What's going on?" A group of Magi wearing the patrolling uniform rushed over. They represented the dignity of the organisers and were backed by many rank 2 Magi. Since they had such powerful backers, they naturally confident.

The few black-robed Magi exchanged glances and everyone saw the helplessness in their eyes, "Please!"

Meanwhile, they had a deep hatred for this person who was ruining their plans and could not understand the situation.

The youth seemed to sense something and gazed into the distance, revealing for the first time a hint of grief within.

"Seizing the championship is Master's dying wish. Anyone hindering me from achieving it will die!"

……

Under the dim yellow light, Lilina looked at a blue pearl in her hands, seeming undecided.

The light blue pearl was smooth, round and beautiful, with little flecks of gold that formed the image of a palm at the heart of the pearl.

This was the last treasure of her family. However, it also held within it horrific side effects, which was why Lilina was feeling hesitant.

She then thought about the sacrifice of her family, and their current condition.

Though their family was a Magus family, resources were not so easily obtained in the Magus World. With all hopes of revival left to her, her shoulders were weighed down by far too much pressure.

"I must become the champion and lead my family on the road to revival!" Her expression turning resolute under the lights, she pressed the blue pearl to her forehead.

Sssii!* The pearl merged into her forehead.

A smear of deep blue began to flicker on Lilina's body.

……

"My lady!" Longbottom removed his disguise and gazed at the human figure within the black mist, kneeling deferentially.

"En! Little Longbottom, though you are beginning to carve your own route and have almost reached rank 2, the accumulation that happens with time cannot be overcome so easily." A charming female voice sounded from within the black mist.

"I will now condense all the life force essence of my race onto you in order to help your Life Absorption meditation technique truly break through to the second level."

"Many thanks, my lady!" Longbottom looked ecstatic.

In his mind, he instantly recalled the figure sitting on the platform. "I've finally, finally caught up to you! I really want to see the expression you'll have on your face… Leylin!"

……

"What are you thinking about?"

Aaron watched Baelin, who was standing aside.

"No… It's nothing. I saw Longbottom, and he's changed so much…" Baelin sighed, looking worried.

"Listen to me, Baelin! Longbottom has now completely sided with the dark elves and will cause bring chaos to the human race. Your mission is to stop him. You cannot forget this!" The expression on Aaron's face became serious.

"Yes, I will stop him!" Baelin repeated, strengthening his tone of voice.

Days later.

With the Eternal Light spell as well as strength of the Sun Stones, the area was illuminated.

A Magus wearing the attire of a host first bowed towards the platform, and then announced the schedule for the competition.

"All of you are the best who have gone through round after round of selection! A victor will appear amongst you today, and the top thirty will have the opportunity to choose a guild to enter! This includes any large-scaled guilds…"

The moment these words left the host's mouth, the area was filled with an uproar.

The hundred or so remaining contestants' eyes revealed different emotions. There was passion, contemplation and excitement.

Cough!* The host coughed lightly, and the area fell silent.

"The competition shall be held here!" He pointed at the stage right in the centre.

A giant spell formation had been set up atop the stage, while crimson runes were spread around. They emanated a strange light that caused one to shudder in fear.

"The finals of the competition will be held in a secret plane. You will be sent to a random location in the secret plane, and there is only one way to win. Defeat your opponents and obtain the points on their amulet!"

The host raised a milky-white amulet that was only the size of a finger with a simple number written on it.

"In the secret plane, there are no rules. Besieges and usage of external items is allowed."

"I would like to remind all of you that even though we will install a spell pattern that will teleport you out the moment you are at the brink of death, there are always accidents. Hence, there is the real possibility of death in the secret plane, and I want you to consider this carefully."

The host spoke indifferently, and a bloody smell assaulted the nostrils. Baelin was surprised. With this lack of rules, it was easy to slip up. Even with the aid, it would be difficult to keep one's life.

After all, the mysteriousness of magic could not be surmised by the regular person. Perhaps there were methods that could forcefully break the life-saving methods the organisers had set up and cause a large number of deaths.

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Clash

Although the host talked about potential dangers in the finals, nobody drew back.

The world of magicians was no paradise. Those who managed to survive this rat race had seen blood time after time again, and were well prepared for such a situation.

The generous rewards that the large-scale guilds offered and the chance to become the inheritor of a rank 2 Magus had convinced them to bet their lives on this competition.

"Good! Since nobody's backing down, let the finals begin!" The host waved his hands.

Peng! Peng! Peng!* Three giant fireworks flew across the sky like colorful comets, and the music reached fever-pitch.

Buzz!* Purple energy condensed into the spell formation, constantly increasing its strength until a hole was ripped open in space.

The finalists stepped forward one after the other, receiving their amulets and spell formations before they disappeared with a flash of light.

After the last of them entered the secret plane, a giant curtain of light was formed around the competition area. Their figures blinked onto the curtain, each contestant occupying one of the dozens of square partitions.

They were monitoring every inch of the secret plane, which surprised many of the Magi present.

"Such a clever monitoring technique, and so expensive as well…" Leylin murmured to himself.

He, too, could develop a technique to monitor the whole plane, but it would cost too much.

Even with the leadership of the joint conference and the sponsorship of several large-scale guilds, they could only maintain this technique for a day or they would go bankrupt.

But the result of ignoring such costs and using this technique was rather good. Nearly every contestant could be seen on the screen.

……

"Something's wrong!" Baelin said as he brandished his cross blade.

A sword wave streaked across the air, chopping a giant leech into two. However, the two halves didn't die instantly. Instead, it writhed in the mud and splashed water all over the place.

Being attacked by this leech the moment he was teleported into this marshland gave Baelin a bad omen.

"Be careful, master. I sensed a powerful monitoring ability here!" His armour split apart to reveal an eye. The Bio Boosting armour was communicating with him.

"It's the Okell's Great Observation Spell from the Plant affinity, which uses the roots and vines as transmission channels. If you want to act in secret, my lord, you must avoid any places that have plants in them" it said to him in his mind.

As a Bio Booster, Baelin's gains from inheriting the Bio Boosting armour of an ancestor was not limited to a significant boost in strength. Having the armour with him was like carrying around an old grandpa who would help him with his knowledge and experience.

"No wonder I feel uncomfortable, we are being watched!" Baelin nodded, and left the marshland quickly.

Just when he reached the edge of the marshland, Baelin heard something and pointed his cross blade at the bushes nearby. "Who's there? Get out!"

"Don't! We mean you no harm!" Two Magi stepped out who were similar in appearance.

"Lord Baelin, we were just teleported here." "We are only trying to help any Magi who have fallen into swamps!" "Also, Lord Baelin, we admire your strength from the bottom of our hearts. How could we dare to harm you?"

"Yes! Yes!" The twin Magi spoke one after the other without pause, leaving no chance for Baelin to say anything himself.

In fact, Baelin's power with his cross blade and fleshy armour left deep impressions on the competing Magi. The respect of the very Magi he once feared left Baelin feeling quite smug.

"Lord Leylin should feel satisfied after watching this scene! In fact, Lord Leylin was on the judging platform all this while. Maybe I should find an opportunity to talk to him…"

Baelin venerated his Master from the depths of his heart. Not for a moment would he suspect Leylin of being the traitor among the upper circle of Magi. Had he not been stopped by Vinas, Aaron, and Memphis, he would have gone to Leylin's mansion the moment he'd arrived.

"Haha…Haha…" Baelin stroked his head embarrassedly, a smirk on his face.

Seeing this, the twin brothers glanced at each other, a strange look flashing past their eyes.

"Lord Baelin!" One of them said as he approached him, "Since this place is so dangerous, how about we stick together?"

Pang!* Just as he finished his words, several green brambles stuck out of the earth, tying Baelin's feet up.

"Now!" he shouted.

"Profound energy blast!" The younger brother standing behind him crushed a crystal rune. Together with a chant, a powerful attack was launched.

A ball of purple liquid, filled with corrosive white bubbles, rushed directly towards Baelin's head.

The twins had gathered intelligence about the awesome power of this armour, so they had aimed instead at Baelin's unprotected head.

The twin brothers' co-ordination was perfect, and their final strike reached an offensive power of around 60-70 degrees! Such an attack could even corrode mountains.

"Haha! Stupid! Even if you are more powerful than us, this is a competition! Why wouldn't we take a gamble?" The elder brother laughed, looking at Baelin with a little excitement.

He was not pleased when Baelin stole the limelight, and this chance for vengeance made him happy.

"Master!" The second before the corrosive liquid ball arrived, eyes arose from every parts of Baelin's armour.

These eyes were smaller, but they blinked with wisdom. Now, they were showing signs of rage.

Pang!* A membrane of flesh formed like a helmet around Baelin's head, protecting it.

As the profound power blast hit the membrane, Baelin's body was launched backwards. But weirdly, not a drop of blood flew out.

While Baelin was still in the air, his armour changed significantly.

Flashy membranes hardened to form real armour, and the dozens of eyes merged into thirteen big ones that were scattered along it. This terrifying appearance, was the most powerful form of the Bio Boosting armour.

Bzzz!* The purple corrosive energy still attacked Baelin's body, but it was nothing in front of his armour. There wasn't even a tiny depression formed.

This fact stupefied the twin Magi. They looked at each other, and immediately came to an accord. "Run!"

Magi who could defend against a joint attack of theirs were far more powerful than they could handle. They did not want to be thrown out this easily.

"You!" Baelin was about to blow his top, and jumped forward in a rage.

Crack!* Pits were formed under Baelin's feet as his jump landed him in front of the twins in an instant.

"Die!" Baelin raised his cross blade. Baelin's strength was already at the peak of rank 1 Magi, approaching the boundary of rank 2. Once he made up his mind, it was easy to kill mere semi-converted Magi like them.

Pup!* The cross blade ran through the neck of one Magus, then a light came out of his body.

His body was covered by a milky light column, and disappeared immediately.

"You go along with him!" Baelin took no pity on them this time, and shoved his cross blade into the other's heart.

Peng!* This one disappeared into the white lights as well.

After killing the twin brothers, Baelin took a milky amulet out of his pocket.

Beep!* After a flash, the number in this amulet turned from 1 to 3. Baelin stared at this in a daze, a wry smile on his lips…

Outside the secret plane, in the middle of the arena.

A light column burst out, an indistinct figure inside it.

"Quick! Medicine!" The host ordered with experience.

Several Magi dressed in milky robes with the symbol of a snake and cross rushed around.

After the light dissipated, the Magus who was eliminated first showed up, his face pale and the wound on his neck bleeding.

"I will stop bleeding first, prepare the life spell!" The medical team consisted of healing Magi, several of whom emitted energy fluctuations at the peak of rank 1.

A milky light bathing him, the wounded Magus was cured and the wound on his neck disappeared.

A second later, his younger brother was also sent out, and the medicine team took care of him as well.

Up in the platform, what happened just now was seen by Leylin, but he had an impulse of cover his eyes.

"Very adaptable, but still stupid! It seems that the years of exile and adventure taught him nothing. Fortunately, I didn't tell anyone that I taught him! What an embarrassment…"

"Look! Haylon and Carl ran into each other!"

"The stars of the competition meet, this should be a good show!" Some Magi smiled gloatingly.

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Teaming Up

Leylin turned his attention to another screen.

In the sky above a verdant forest, Longbottom, disguised as Green-robed Carl, had run into Haylon.

These were two favoured dark horses had a large possibility of gaining victory. This immediately attracted attention.

Many contestants had already been eliminated in a short period of time. With fewer participants remaining, the remaining screens had increased in size.

……

Within the secret plane.

"Green-robed Carl?" Haylon glanced at the strange youngster in front of him.

"I'd originally wanted to skip the trouble of defeating you guys one by one, and had decided to wait to make a move and harvest a large number of points at once, but forget it. I'll make an exception for you and take your point right away."

Longbottom looked at Haylon in front of him, a sinister smile on his face. Now that he was getting closer to the goal, he did not have to disguise himself so carefully. His opponent's identity as a genius made Longbottom, who had been born a commoner, feel a sense of disgust.

"You seem to hate me?" Haylon's brows furrowed, "It's alright, anyone who obstructs my path shall die anyway!"

"Jeje, who do you think you are!" Longbottom laughed weirdly, and released part of the bindings on him.

Cold! Powerful!

A berserk wave of spiritual force swept across like a hurricane.

"Peak rank 1?" Haylon's expression that had always been as cold as ice was immediately smashed through.

Longbottom's 'burst' had also caused a frenzy outside the plane.

"Peak rank 1? I remember Green-robed Carl is only forty-five years old, right?" A judge wearing reading glasses asked a Magus behind him, "Fano, when did you reach the level you're at?"

The Magus by the name of Fano was an old geezer with a white beard. He looked ashamed as he spoke, "Your subordinate is ashamed. After training hard on the Icy Throne for 70 years, I reached this realm at 115 years old."

"If he studied on his own, this Carl really is a genius!" This judge raised his spectacles, "Run checks on him. If there's nothing wrong, we can consider enticing him into entering our guild."

Leylin, who was also on the judge panel, saw that many of the other judges had sent down the same order and couldn't help but laugh inside.

If this was a few days ago, they might be able to find out about Longbottom, but now? By the time they had run their checks, Longbottom might already have achieved his goal. What use was it then if they found out?

"You're already at the peak of rank 1!" Haylon blurted out, unable to maintain his indifference any longer.

"This is the expression! This is the expression!" Longbottom chuckled aloud, "I want those people who look down on me to realise how wrong they are!"

He laughed crazily, flushing red as if he were sick.

"You're crazy!" Haylon's voice became cold, and large numbers of silver-white light blades appeared from his robes, swirling in formation.

"Go!" Haylon pointed at Longbottom, and the many light blades formed a dense mesh and tried to pull Longbottom in. Meanwhile, he turned into a black shadow and disappeared into the sky.

"You overestimate yourself!" Longbottom snorted coldly, a layer of green mist surging forth.

Tss tss!* Great numbers of silver-white light blades entered the mist and immediately produced sounds of corrosion, dissipating one by one.

"Come here!" Longbottom's right hand became a phantom image and reached deep into the air.

Next, a black shadow was pulled out from the surrounding space.

Haylon's expression was that of disbelief. "That's impossible. This concealing technique is my master's special technique! How could it…"

"That strong aura of life on you betrayed you!" Longbottom explained, his expression showing his disdain.

Meanwhile, Haylon went limp, as if this was a huge blow to him.

"Kid, you're very luckily. If we'd met earlier, you'd long since have turned into a corpse, but now?" Longbottom halted his intentions of using Life Absorption and turning him into a dried-up corpse.

This was still within the secret plane, and he was being monitored by the Magi outside.

If he hid his true strength, he could pass it off as being exceptionally talented or having gained some inheritance. Whatever it was, Twilight Zone was huge and it was no surprise to have some fortuitous encounters.

However, Life absorption was a dark-elven meditation technique. If it was exposed, the competition would be halted, and he would be faced with several rank 2 Magi who would combine their efforts to kill him.

"But I really don't want to just let you off!" While lifting Haylon, a smile appeared about Longbottom's lips.

This smile was enough for Haylon's hair to be raised, and he immediately thought of using the spell pattern for escape. However, it was too late!

A green light sword ripped through Haylon's forehead, and with the corrosive force invading, he could only cry out miserably.

"Ah…" Amidst the painful screams, Haylon's body was bound in light pillars and transported out.

Longbottom took out his own amulet and saw the number rapidly rise to thirty, and revealed a satisfied expression. After closing his eyes for a short while, he began to hurry towards another location.

Thud!* Outside the secret plane, Haylon's body fell to the ground, large amounts of black blood flowing out of his orifices.

"His mind has been damaged! Quick, get Master Dojek here!" The healing Magus who came over took a look and quickly shook his head.

A moment later, Dojek narrated something to Leylin and the other committee members at the judging area.

"His sea of consciousness has been destroyed? There's no cure?"

"Yes, Haylon's sea of consciousness has completely been destroyed by a corrosive spiritual force. There is no way to restore it. At most, I can only save his life. From hereon, he can only live on as a commoner…"

Dojek's expression was dim. Haylon truly was a genius, but he had not realised that no matter how amazing the genius, they could fall before they truly matured.

However, his long life had allowed him to experience much, and with a sigh, he left.

Leylin and the committee members had a brief exchange regarding the issue, before they promptly tossed this matter to the back of their minds.

The final competition carried the risk of death! Just crippling a Magus wasn't much.

What they were more interested in were the methods Longbottom had used to heavily injure Haylon before he had been transported out.

"It seems to be a combination spell. By instantly transmitting large amounts of energy particles to destroy the composition of the sea of consciousness…"

There was a flash in Leylin's eyes.

He felt that after large numbers of geniuses had fallen in this competition, the force of destiny shrouding the area had become richer till the extreme.

The surging river of destiny was like a giant gunpowder warehouse. With just a little spark, it would explode violently.

"I didn't expect the three of them to meet. Time for a good show!"

Right after, Leylin realised something else and changed his focus to a screen at a corner.

"Based on the guide of destiny!"

Three voices sounded in unison, with both male and female voices.

Aaron, Vinas, and Ernis who were all training in Sacred Flame, the geniuses Leylin had created himself, finally came together.

If anyone had been focusing on these three Magi, they would realise that after entering the secret plane, they had not fought with any Magi and instead, had been hurrying forward.

Just as they were about to encounter enemies, they could predict and evade them.

Hence, the three somehow passed through half of the secret plane and met at a corner on the plains.

"It's the first time we're meeting in real life! I'll introduce myself. My name is Ernis!" There was a smile on Ernis' face. His gaze swept past Vinas and Aaron, and stayed on Aaron's ring and Vinas' multi-coloured necklace for a long while.

"Aaron!" "Vinas!"

"Are you going to repent for all you have done?" Aaron asked, standing with Vinas.

Though they were competing against each other, he and Vinas were on the humans' side, and had no good feelings towards Ernis of the dark elven camp.

"I'm just used to looking at issues from a different point of view!" Ernis laughed, obviously not wanting to say more.

After all, there was a large group of Magi watching. How could he expose himself?

"Then die!"

Just a moment before, they had speaking nicely, and in the next, Aaron immediately became hostile and attacked.

A silver cross blade hilt appeared in his hands, and was only a third as long as a regular cross blade. It had lost its sword blade and point, but a sharp energy fluctuation burst out from it.

A ray of light streaked through the air, bringing about with it numerous ripples and aimed at Ernis.

Ernis seemed to have predicted it and dodged, looking delighted at the sword hilt in Aaron's hands.

"So you've forged it too! I won't have to conceal anything anymore."

A silver-white slender long sword tip appeared in front of Ernis. The sharpness it emanated was even above that of Aaron's attack.

"Go!" Ernis pointed at Aaron, and great amounts of silver light shot out from the tip of the blade.

Formless ripples collided with the silver light and quickly dispersed, as if nothing had happened.

However, the surrounding grass had become much shorter, cut through smoothly as if it had been sliced through in that instance by some light.

"This is it. All devious plots are useless to us. All we can depend on is solely strength to fight it out!"

Ernis yelled, his sword tip flying into his hands and shooting out great amounts of light.

Seeing this, Vinas sighed and retrieved a silver-white sword blade from behind her back and besieged Ernis with Aaron.

"Hmm?"

The Magi outside suddenly made sounds of astonishment.

"These three middle-grade magic artifacts have reached the peak. Also, why does it feel like the sword hilt, sword blade and sword tip can be combined to create a magic artifact with more power?"

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A Clash Of Destiny

"These three are definitely high-level artifacts, to the extent that they can be combined to make a magical weapon!" The Rank 2 Magus sitting beside Leylin guessed.

"I think so too!" Leylin smiled and nodded, his gaze secretly heating up.

In the center of the secret territory, three silhouettes continuously collided fiercely, and the glowing radiance emitted by the magical artifacts in their hands destroyed the meadow around them until it was unrecognisable.

"Kill!"

Aaron and Vinas looked at each other and exerted their spiritual force to its extreme so that the silver sword flew towards Ernis.

"Battle Chain!" At that moment, a different expression flashed across Ernis' face and a black chain covered in black runes flew out from his chest, covering Aaron and Vinas.

"You really thought I was so foolish, eh? One person against the two of you?"

Upon seeing the chain, Ernis finally had a smile on his face, indicating that he had achieved what he had wanted.

"This is the secret weapon of the Haylin Guild. It can bind two semi-elemental Magi for at least 10 seconds. I had never thought that this Magus would be in possession of it. The others will definitely lose!" Some of the Magi outside secret territory could recognize this evil object.

But soon after, they were struck agape.

They only saw Vinas smile indifferently. Another "Vinas" appeared from the center of her body, and the other Vinas, one with a stern and firm aura, charged towards Aaron.

Among the flickering light rays, Aaron, who was bound by iron chains before, was now floating in mid-air and the Vinas-doppelgänger replaced him.

"Quick! Now!" said the two Vinases. The constantly tightening iron chains made the defensive runes on Vinas' body shatter one after another.

"Doppelgänger! Using a doppelgänger to be free from the binds of the chains? This is actually very worthy of study!" a Magus said while stroking his white beard.

Aaron, who saw Vinas vomiting blood, was somehow enraged and charged forth towards Ernis.

It was obvious that Ernis, who was trying to restrain the binds of the chains, had used up a huge amount of his spiritual force and magical power, and was thus unprepared to deal with Aaron's sudden attack.

Aaron's eyes turned red. Drawing the sharp end of his sword, he held the sword's handle and pierced Ernis' chest.

But Ernis did not summon any escaping spell and only had a weird expression on his face, as though he was crying and laughing at the same time.

"What happened? Is there something wrong with the spell? Extract him!" a Magus immediately commanded.

But the characteristic white light had not appeared yet.

"Sigh…" Ernis coughed out a huge amount of blood.

"You…You've won!" Ernis said as he struggled.

"What? Why aren't you escaping?" Aaron asked. He found this all extremely hard to believe.

"Tsk tsk! Why do I have to escape?" Ernis' facial expression changed, as though he had changed into a completely different person.

"Don't… don't kill me!" Soon after, a dreadful expression shadowed Ernis' face.

But following the huge loss of blood, the expression gradually disappeared. And everything eventually returned to its original state.

"You need…. Need to be careful of the black hand behind. My brother, I saw….."

Ernis shuddered and gave the long double-edged sword and calligraphy pen to Aaron. His eyes suddenly turned white and without finishing his last prophecy, he lost his life's aura.

Peng!* Ernis fell to the ground.

Kacha!* Aaron felt a mysterious energy emerge from Ernis' body and enter his own as Ernis died. The Sacred Flame rapidly swirled, as if it were absorbing something unknown from his body.

Soon after, he broke through the semi-converted elements and finally achieved the position of a peak rank 1 Magus. But he was not happy at all.

"Let's go," said Aaron, as he helped lift Vinas, who was seriously injured, and disappeared among the milky, white light beams.

The day's events had been thoroughly confusing for him, so much so that he no longer held any interest in the final showdown between Baelin and Longbottom.

Outside the secret territory, Leylin touched his chin as he pondered deeply.

"Schizophrenic symptoms are getting more severe. Signs of benevolence, viciousness, weakness and other personalities along with intense suicidal tendencies are being exhibited! This experiment is a failure! Even if one is alive, it's no use!"

He appeared regretful as such thoughts passed through his head.

Soon after, he then turned to the last screen and said, "Let the first fated confrontation start!"

In the center of the secret plane, a majority of the Magi had already been eliminated. The only two to survive were Baelin and Longbottom, who, combined, had more than forty wounds on their body.

Furthermore, these two people were gradually getting close to each other, on the verge of converging.

"If no mishaps happen, the champion will arise from one of these two Magi. Let us wait and see!" The host excitedly declared as the screens on site constantly fused and finally, the two last huge screens were split respectively on Baelin and Longbottom's side.

The two screens merged, as the two Magi walked closer towards each other. They were going to form a single large screen.

"We finally meet again!" The strong body armour on Baelin had 13 eyeballs with oddly-shaped cyclones on them, as though they were absorbing something from the surroundings.

"Can you stop me?" Longbottom, disguised as the green-robed Carl, sneered.

"Whatever happens, I must defeat you today!" Baelin firmly said with confidence as he pointed his crossbow towards Longbottom.

"Tsk tsk! You know what, Baelin? The more I see you, the more annoyed I get, ever since I saw you at Potter Town!"

At this time, Longbottom said to Baelin: "Why did Leylin choose you the previous time, and not me? What do you have that's much better than me?"

"So you still do care about this!" Baelin's expression darkened upon hearing all this.

The other Magi outside the screens looked doubtfully at the two Magi settle down without producing any energy waves.

"So these two Magi knew each other beforehand?" questioned some Magi as they exchanged doubtful looks.

Xiu!*

And at this moment, the two Magi in the middle of the screen started moving.

Energy particles stormed forth from their bodies just like a gale, producing immense pressure and causing the airflow around them to reverse.

It was an uncommon sight to see two rank 1 Magi competing against each other in Twilight Zone.

Leylin, who understood and knew these two Magi, naturally knew that what they showed to the public now is far from their true powers.

Bang! Bang!*

The green and red silhouette continued bumping against each other in mid-air so much that the air around them got compressed and exploded.

"I never thought that you can also enter the Rank 2 Realm!" Longbottom said to Baelin in the midst of the intense battle.

The Magi outside did not notice anything strange with Baelin and Longbottom's first showdown between the screens. Although the energy waves were only at the peak of rank 1, only Baelin and Longbottom, who knew each other very well, could tell the terrifying capabilities of each other!

On top of that, they were able to control these abilities without the slightest spillover and maintained the facade of being rank 1. With this amount of strength, it would be a good showing even for a rank 2 Magus.

"Give it up now, Longbottom!" Baelin said as his willpower decreased a little.

Originally, Longbottom was not someone with such big aspirations and ideals. Furthermore, to even confront face to face with a friend he knew since young, he simply had no strength to do it.

"Give up? I'll give up now!" With a fierce front, huge drops of green corrosive liquid started forming at Longbottom's lower body, forming a whirlpool.

"Whirlpool of Death!"

Zila!* But this was just the beginning. Longbottom tore open a scroll upon seeing strong energy particles being emitted, provoking the whirlpool to increase in size. This sparked the radiation of a dangerous aura, causing some rank 2 Magi to frown and disperse from the sides of the whirlpool.

"It's the scroll of a rank 2 spell!" cried out some of the Magi, standing outside the battlefield.

This sort of thing was so rare to see. Even if a rank 2 Magus were to create such things, a lot of time and effort is wasted and success is not even guaranteed. Thus, it is rarely seen in the marketplace. Who would've thought that such a precious thing will be in the hands of Carl?

Besides, was it even worth it to waste such a precious thing during this competition?

"To use a rank 2 Magus' scroll for protection now, is it because he has to resort to using all of his strength in a split second?" Leylin said outside the battlefield as he chuckled lightly.

"If nothing untoward happens, the champion will obviously be our Carl from the Western Regions!" exclaimed the rank 2 Magus who had spoken to Leylin previously, as he stroked his beard with a hint of pride on his face.

"Not exactly!" Leylin shook his head. Baelin was a destined child, and he would not lose so easily.

"What now then? Do you want to bet with me?" the rank 2 Magus from the Western Regions immediately said. He was inwardly very worried as he remembered how he was previously defeated by the Fire Scorpion spell.

"No need! I do not have anything good to bet against you, Sir!" Leylin said as he forced a smile and shook his head.

"No worries, we won't bet with money. Just a simple bet of the outcome!" said the Western Region's rank 2 Magus.

Leylin nodded. He knew that these rank 2 Magi have already reached their limits of what they could achieve on the path to becoming a Magus. Thus, they focused all their energies on other areas such as upon younger talents.

This rank 2 Magus from the western region had previously won over him. If Leylin did not win this time, he was afraid of the discomfort that will remain in his heart for a few years.

The enormous and brutal whirlpool continued expanding, like how a monster widens its mouth, and immediately engulfed Baelin.

Upon seeing this scene, Longbottom smiled.

"Die!" Longbottom suddenly charged into the middle of the whirlpool and came out holding a green sword handle.

Rumble!* The 13 eyes on Baelin's armour started staring and in the middle of the pupil, numerous fine-textured runes shot out, spiralling around Baelin's body and forming a strange pattern.

The runes on the armour started evolving and radiated dazzling rays of brilliance. The whirlpool of death emitted huge ripples of corrosion, striking the armour. Yet, it caused no damage

Pa! Pa! Pa!*

Baelin roared and the entire whirlpool surprisingly broke apart. Longbottom was not prepared for the sword slash that was aimed at him.

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The Conspiracy Unravelling

"Ripple of corrosion!"

A green circular ripple immediately appeared before Longbottom, and shook continuously, as if it was trying to push Baelin out.

However, Baelin's face remained composed, and from his blade large amounts of vertical eye phantoms appeared.

"Bio Boosting armour and sword!"

The sword with the vertical eye phantom gave off rays of flames, and evaporated all the green ripples. With indomitable strength, it directly targeted Longbottom's right chest.

Blood flowed through the corner of Longbottom's mouth, and a long wound opened up on his chest. He flew through the air, and landed on the ground, giving rise to a long trail of blood.

Boom!* The many soil layers behind him had piled up into a small mountain, and had finally offset the inertia in Longbottom's body, which had caused him to be unable to stop.

"You lost!" Baelin landed calmly in front of Longbottom, his emotions complex. There was no visible hint of joy or victory in his expression.

"I lost!" Immediately, Longbottom's face registered his defeat.

Cough!* He violently coughed out a mouthful of fresh blood: "Bro… Brother Baelin, I have some things regarding my sister that I wish to talk to you about!"

"What about your sister?" Having heard Longbottom's familiar address, Baelin's heart softened. Moreover, Longbottom's sister was his first love!

Baelin could not help but lower his body.

"My sister, she… she…" Longbottom's voice gradually became softer, which caused Baelin to get closer to him.

"She wants you to die!" After seeing that situation, a hint of a maniacal smile flashed across Longbottom's face, and a crystal in his hands was launched like a lightning bolt.

"Not good!"

Baelin's eyes widened, and he unceasingly flew backwards, his Bio Boosting armour continuously adding layers of defense.

But it was too late. A grey ray of lightning detonated in front of Baelin's chest, and smashed the milk-white talisman.

Boom!* A pillar of light enveloped Baelin, and caused him to disappear from the secret plane in an instant.

Crash! Bang!*

Baelin's figure appeared at the site of the competition, his face still registering shock and grief. He looked at the charred area above his chest and remained silent.

"Haha! Even though the tactics weren't entirely legitimate, at least I won!" The Magus from the west, who had bet against Leylin, immediately laughed loudly.

"That's right! You won!" Magi were not knights, and did not have to conform to a code of honour. Even though Longbottom's tactics were overboard, and he used whatever he could to obtain success, he was undoubtedly the champion! Leylin naturally had to recognise this point.

What was more important was that there was nothing wagered on this. To concede defeat was nothing much.

Leylin's attitude actually caused these Magi to feel embarrassed.

"Actually, the Magus that you thought highly of was strong too. Not only has he reached the level of a peak rank 1 Magus, he is walking the ancient path of the Bio Booster. If I am right, his armour was inherited from at least an ancient rank 2 Bio Booster. If we were to compare their true strengths, he would still surpass Carl"

"En!" Leylin nodded outwardly, but he did not agree with the claim.

Even though Baelin was strong, Longbottom was not a person to be provoked. A son of destiny just like Baelin, his most terrifying dark elven meditation technique and other secret cards had not been revealed.

Of course, both of them had suppressed themselves for the sake of the Magi who were watching, and Baelin himself had concealed his trump card, the Underground Winter Spider Emperor. Were the two to have battled without considering the consequences, both parties would have equal chances of winning.

By now, Longbottom had finished off the remaining few Magi in the secret plane, dominating his opponents, and the host announced loudly, "The champion has already emerged. He is Green-robed Carl from the west! Let us cheer for him!"

"Carl!" "Carl!" "Carl!""

The Magi present instantly let out cheers of happiness, and welcomed Longbottom.

"What are we to do? Should we openly reveal his identity in public?" Aaron secretly communicated with Baelin.

"No! Not at all! He threatened me earlier on. Should we do so, he will immediately initiate his plot and bring huge amounts of casualties to the Magi present. Before we clearly understand what he's planning, it would be best not to do so!"

Baelin hesitated, and was seemingly indecisive.

Regardless of how they were communicating secretly, the process of the competition had been advancing bit by bit.

"Now, may we invite our champion and the other 30 Magi on stage, for our 9 most distinguished and high-ranked judges to give out the prizes…"

Along with the host's voice and cheers, a stage decorated with gold and silver, bedazzled with numerous rays started rising slowly from the middle of the site.

Other than Baelin, Longbottom, and a few other Magi who held other intentions, the 30 Magi who had obtained a high enough score walked up to the stage emotionally.

To them, this was the pathway to fame, the glorious road to success.

"Let's go. They are actually having us present prizes to them! What a bother, couldn't they just have passed down the prizes?" A rank 2 Magus from the west complained to Leylin.

"This is actually the important stage where budding Magi obtain credit due to their ambitions. Even though it's only a ceremony, it still has to be done!"

Leylin smiled and got up, and went to the golden stage together with the other rank 2 Magi.

"I, Victory, rank 2 Magus and guild leader of Glorious Sword, solemnly announce that this Magus from the west is the champion of this season's young genius talent competition!"

The rank 2 Magus standing in the middle announced, at the same time placing on Longbottom a golden crown encrusted with gems.

"Carl!" "Carl!" "Carl!"

Many Magi were cheering, and bouts of cheers got overpowered by other bouts of cheers.

"Other than obtaining the reward previously, Carl, you have the opportunity to choose a guild to enter! What is your choice?"

Victory had high hopes for Carl, and hence in his voice held a tinge of excitement and pressure, as well as feelings of enticement.

"My choice is obviously…"

Longbottom deliberately hesitated a while and then said, "It's obviously the Dark Elves, you idiots!"

"What?" The jaws of numerous Magi dropped open. They all thought they'd heard wrong.

"Not good, we have been cheated by him!" On the other side, Baelin's face immediately changed, the armour on his body once again surfaced. He had wanted to rush over, but unfortunately, it was already too late.

"Mud membrane!"

A layer of clay-coloured invisible film surfaced from Longbottom's body, with 9 rays of lights shooting out of his body, directly shooting at the 9 rank 2 Magi judges on the stage who had no time to dodge the attack.

Kacha! Kacha!*

A deep blue ice layer immediately spread out on their body, and caused all 9 Magi to freeze into ice sculptures.

In the ice sculptures, the numerous rank 2 Magi had life-like expressions of anger or fear.

This sudden change had shocked all the Magi present at the site.

"Longbottom! What are you doing! Release Master Leylin now!"

Baelin suppressed the rage within, having seen the ice sculpture of the already frozen Leylin. He had originally wanted to undo his pretense here and give Master Leylin a big surprise!

Furthermore, from the bottom of Baelin's heart, he respected Leylin and had treated him like a teacher. Having seen Longbottom's actions, he instantly felt anger.

"Carl! What are you doing!" The face of the host on the stage instantly became more solemn, a ray of a peak rank 1 energy wave imploded from his body.

Boom! Boom!*

2 rays of spells attacked the surface of an ice sculpture, yet it was entirely useless, and could not leave any traces on the crystal clear surface of the ice sculpture.

"There's no use, the matriarchs of the dark elves used one thousand years to extract this essence of the cold abyss. Even rank 2 Magi cannot be able to overcome it…" Longbottom's voice was unhurried.

"As for Leylin? I've wanted to kill him for so long! And now, he is finally in my hands. Do you reckon I would easily let this opportunity go by? Haha…"

Presently, Longbottom had removed all restrictions, and laughed hysterically.

Boom!* A light ray flashed across, Longbottom removed the skin alteration spell on his body, and recovered his original appearance. At the same time, a strong and enormous energy was released from his body like the surging waves of the ocean.

"And this noisy crow, I've borne with you long enough!"

Longbottom lifted his hands and a dark silver spiritual strength exploded. The body of the host, not having time to react, exploded into a rain of flesh.

The Magi standing on the stage immediately retreated, with one of them shouting out, "Solidified spiritual force! Rank 2 Magus!"

"This is the leader of the revolutionary army, Longbottom! I saw his face in a picture once!"

"It's already too late. Attack!" Longbottom shouted.

Swish! Swish!* Numerous shadows appeared all around the competition site, all tearing apart magic scrolls.

Dark clouds instantly enshrouded the area, and large numbers of tiny spiders were shot out of the dark clouds. The spiders spat out threads continuously, binding up the entire area in a short duration.

From a distance, the competition site that was enshrouded by a white silk wall looked like a giant cocoon.

Baelin's face dimmed, and the aura on his body exploded forth. He treated Longbottom as a rival. "So your target was not only the 9 judges but also all the Magi in this competition site!"

He was secretly shocked. Around 20% of the elite Magi of Twilight Zone were present at the scene, and if they were to all die here, it would be a terrifying blow to the humans.

"Kill!" At this point in time, the black-clothed men hiding amongst the crowd immediately took action, and many more spiders drilled their way through the cocoons, surrounding and attacking the human magicians.

Large amounts of silk wove together into a formation, weakening the human Magi while channeling the strength to their opponents. Immediately, lights flashed and explosions occurred everywhere.

The obstruction made it impossible for the human Magi to escape. Some Magi, eyes turned red, fired off spells in all directions, adding further to the chaos.

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Channelling Of Lifeforce

"These aren't just the people of the revolutionary army!" Baelin stared at the many black-robed Magi and his expression darkened.

"Haha… Of course!" At this moment, Longbottom had no more qualms. "The matriarchs of the dark elves have already infiltrated this area. Not long after, blood will flow, and the dark elves will rule the subterranean world!"

Longbottom's face was slightly flushed.

"You lunatic!" Baelin roared, and charged at Longbottom.

"Life Absorption!"

Longbottom shouted, and a large phantom image of a spider appeared behind him.

Compared to the last few times, the image had become even larger and even held a terrifying aura. From the eyes of the spider, a very human light could be seen, as if it now held an intelligence of its own and had now become alive.

"Aru!" Baelin whistled for a while, and a gold phantom darted out from within a small crack amongst the spectators and dropped to the ground. Its figure suddenly increased in size, and in the blink of an eye, it was two stories tall.

This was a giant, golden Underground Winter Spider. The stripes on its body gave it a very elegant feeling, and the phantom image on Longbottom's back kept snarling, as if its honour was being challenged.

"Underground Winter Spider Emperor! So you are really the sinner responsible for the theft of the sacred creature!"

The cold glint in Longbottom's eyes expanded, and several greyish-green streams of air rose from his body.

"Ah!" "Ah!"

Two short yelps were heard.

These belonged to the two official Magi who were unfortunately struck by the stray streams of air. The moment they had contact with the greyish-green air, their bodies wilted and they turned into dried corpses that had died in an incomparably pitiful manner.

"You dare rob life force that does not belong to you. You'll be devoured by it sooner or later!"

Baelin's expression was dark as he rode the Underground Winter Spider Emperor, looking like a gallant knight.

"How would you understand how brilliant Life Absorption is?" Longbottom merely gave a cold answer to Baelin. Meanwhile, the giant spider phantom image pounced forward, the strange streams of air like black holes that greedily sucked in the life force within Baelin.

Baelin's expression became grim as he patted the Underground Winter Spider Emperor he was on and collided with Longbottom.

The energy particles formed from the clash between two rank 2 Magi created havoc as they sent a few people unlucky enough to be hit by stray particles flying. They were seriously injured.

Within the greyish-green vortex, a knight on a giant golden spider was emanating red light. He looked like an ancient dragon-slaying prince as he charged towards the heart of the vortex.

The battle kept changing location and caused a few stages to be completely destroyed.

At this moment, the nine judges were trapped. The rank 2 Magi were already the most powerful in this entire competition area.

The result of Baelin and Longbottom's match could even decide the life or death of all the Magi here!

Hence, even while battling with the revolution army and dark elves, many Magi tried to spare some energy and watch the battle.

What attracted their interest the most were the nine ice sculptures on the platform!

These Magi knew very well that a small part of their chances of survival depended on Baelin, while most of it depended on whether these rank 2 Magi could break out of their restrictions.

Even Longbottom would be reduced to dust under the combined attacks of nine rank 2 Magi.

"Cough! Wake up, my lords!"

At this moment, light flashed in a corner and a grey-haired Magus appeared.

He mumbled spell incantations, a huge blazing fireball striking the nine sculptures and turning the podium made of gold and silver into a sea of fire.

This Magus despaired as he saw the flames soon dying out under a layer of white frost. Dense icy mist lingered and froze the whole podium into ice and snow.

Meanwhile, not even a corner of the nine ice sculptures had melted.

"What a waste of energy. This is the icy air from the abyss and is a rank 2 spell which can be sustained for a long time." Longbottom watched on and began to laugh coldly.

Without waiting for his orders, a few dark elf special guards in black-robes charged forward and began to battle with the Magus in grey robes. Not long after, a sharp dagger pierced into his chest.

After seeing this, the many Magi who had plans to rescue him all fell silent, putting away all thoughts of rescuing the judges.

Most of them wanted to break away from their opponents and successfully leave this place.

At this moment, the battles in the area became more brutal and intense.

Outside the competition area, everything had yet to die down.

Teng! Teng! Teng! Teng!*

At the horizon far away, a black line suddenly appeared. It gradually closed in and the two ends began to shrink, and it felt like the line would surround the whole competition area.

When the black shadows came closer, it could be seen that they were actually the elite Underground Winter Spider knights. There were a great number of dark elven Magi, which included multiple matriarchs and even Anya.

"Seal off that area and don't let any human get away" Anya commanded, and then pointed at the cocoon in the middle, a gentle voice transmitted to every knight's ears.

"Fight for Her Majesty!" "Fight for Her Majesty!"

The many dark elven Underground Winter Spider knights cheered and then began their attacks.

"Prepare for Joint Earth Pitfalls Spell! Begin!"

At this moment, brownish-yellow lights flashed and countless depressions appeared in front of the Underground Winter Spider knights. They were like long trenches, with earthen spikes piercing upwards and stopping the knights in their tracks.

There were a few knights who had moved too quickly and fallen into the trench, their chests, arms, thighs, and even faces pierced through like skewered meat. Those who had yet to die kept howling in pain.

Three figures appeared in mid-air, causing Anya to furrow her brow slightly.

"The protectors of the east, west, and south have all arrived. What about that old Guardian of the Realm?"

"I'm right here. I wouldn't need you to worry about me!"

Green light flashed, and the the old protector appeared before Anya. Though he seemed weak and did not have much of an aura, Anya looked as if a great enemy had appeared in front of her.

"I didn't expect you, Anya, to use the dark elves' crown as a means to enter Twilight Zone without letting even the dark elven knights know about it…" He smiled slightly while greeting her.

The crown of the dark elves was a sign of the authority of the Dark Elven Empire. It was also a very powerful magic artifact.

It had a very simple function, which was to conceal the energy aura of a large group of people and their mounts. The key point was that it could turn around the battle. However, every time it's used, it can only be used again after a fifty-year wait, which is why this inherited magic artifact of the magic elves could not be used flippantly.

Now, the dark elven crown could finally exhibit all its strength and shield numerous dark elven armies into the central region, almost wiping out all the Magi at the competition area.

"Except for the protector of the northern region who has died, all of the lord protectors are here. What's this? Do you want to stop me?" A little green vortex appeared above Anya's hands, glimmering with a mysterious light. It attracted the attention of everyone to look at the vortex, which had the intention of sucking human spirits in.

"Protecting Twilight Zone and the human race was our vow when we took on the role as protectors. This is an honour worthy of exchanging our lives for!"

The Guardian's face was filled with layers of wrinkles and he looked about to die of old age. However, his eyes still shone with light.

Anya sensed that, although the life force of the Guardian was like a flame that was sputtering out, it still emanated light and warmth that even caused her to be worried.

The allied Magus army appeared behind these few protectors confronted the dark elves.

"The plan was actually leaked out. Who was it?"

Anya's brows furrowed and then straightened out, "Whatever it is, we've finally restrained your nine rank 2 Magi. There are still many elite Magi and acolytes within the competition area. In other words, we have a sure victory in this war!"

"Attack!" Without waiting for the opposing Magi to finish their preparations, Anya immediately ordered for the dark elven matriarchs to attack.

With a flash of her body, she somehow disappeared from the air and, when she reappeared, she was in front of the Guardian of the Realm.

A fair palm brought with it a terrifying devouring strength and was pressed towards the old man's chest.

"Floating Light!" The light in the old protector's eyes became brighter and he exclaimed.

Numerous tiny rays of light surged out continuously and formed a protective shield in front of him.

The moment Anya's hand made contact with the shield, a low sound was produced, and the ground suddenly trembled, the space even beginning to quiver.

"Old geezer, how much longer can your life force sustain you?"

Anya's expression remained unchanging as she continued her attacks.

A tremendous vortex formed behind her, and any Magus that was sucked into it, turned into a dried corpse in an instant.

"Activating combination spell pattern!"

The expressions of the protectors of the other three regions changed greatly, and as if they had made up their minds. They headed into the skies, shooting out great amounts of green threads that connected with the Guardian of the Realm.

Tremendous rays from light force wrapped around him, and the next time he reemerged, he had already become a handsome and sunny middle-aged man.

If not for the familiar spiritual aura about him, nobody would recognise him.

As for the three other protectors, they began to age visibly.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Anya bit her lips. She could naturally see that the three rank 2 Magi were entrusting their life force to the Guardian. However, this meant that, after today, the four of them would have all their life force consumed and lose their lives.

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Fury Overflowing Through The Heavens

"All obstructions are futile! The dark elves will rule over Twilight Zone from today!" Anya mumbled, and a dark grey shadow extended from her back over the area.

Within the dark grey world, the plants and animals were drained of their lives, turning to ashes at a surprising pace.

"Wilting Domain!" Anya shouted in a low voice, and within the domain, a circle of grey light exploded from the bodies of the Underground Winter Spider knights, allowing them to be even bolder and fiercer.

As for the enemies that had been affected by the domain, they soon found their bodies aging and their life force disappearing.

"A false domain! Anya, from beginning to end, you've always been ahead of me."

The protector who looked like a middle-aged man sighed, and then shot out large amounts of gold light that were like a giant sun.

The two domains collided against each other, and the air seemed to shatter, causing tremendous spatial distortions and then exploding.

On the ground, the Magi used the trenches as their first line of defence. However, the dark elves were still proceeding with their attacks. In that moment, the area was filled with the scenes of war.

The Magi spent all their energy here, and did not have any to spare to break the giant cocoon and save the others.

The large white cocoon was standing proudly, and even if magic were to brush past it, it remained unharmed, displaying its immense defensive ability.

Even if there were stray streaks from the battle between the rank 3 Magi causing it some harm, there would be multiple little spiders crawling up and spitting out threads to patch it up.

Such a powerful regenerative ability caused the Magi within and outside the arena to feel despair.

"Haven't you found it yet?" Vinas glanced at Aaron.

They now had their backs against each other. Parts of the silver-white Meteor Sword floated, withstanding the attacks surrounding them from the Magi of the revolutionary army, dark elves as well as countless little spiders.

The situation on the battlefield was what Longbottom's side intended it to be, and it was progressing in a way that benefited them.

Not only were the nine strongest rank 2 Magi restricted, many people from their own side had also snuck in. Under the unexpected attack that nobody could have responded to in time, many Magi died in their comrades' arms.

In addition, within the competition area, Longbottom had also arranged for something.

"Not yet!" Aaron smiled wryly, "Longbottom's conspiracy is too complex. He actually used himself to draw our attention, and left the key to the battle on the battlefield itself."

He brandished his sword hilt, and great amounts of sharp white lights severed the threads in the air.

"It's very difficult to identify these threads, which are spread out all over the area. The moment they wind around the body, they will consume spiritual and magic force, which is used to complement the running of the spell formation! To break this spell formation, we need to find the very center of it!

"But I can't see it in my predictions!" Aaron's expression was incomparably dark.

"Grandpa Merlin, what's going on?"

"Seems like an even more powerful Magus is using the power of destiny to conceal the important part. To be able to hide it from your prophecies, it must be a powerful person, at least at rank 2. I even suspect it could be a rank 3 dark elven matriarch personally doing this!"

Grandpa Merlin's voice was serious.

"Then we can only search one by one at the places where energy converges?" Aaron's expression was serious.

He suddenly raised his sword towards the right.

Weng!* White light blades streaked through the sky, and a dark elf's face showed his disbelief as he was slashed into two. The badly damaged corpse fell to the ground, large amounts of fresh blood and multi-coloured intestines flowing out.

Chaos! Aaron thought that this was utter chaos!

Many Magi of the revolutionary army, dark elves, as well as summoned creatures all battled in the giant area, and there were even a few Magi secretly taking revenge on their rivals. These bloody battles caused the situation to become even more chaotic.

At the very centre, Baelin was riding the Underground Winter Spider Emperor, he and Longbottom in the middle of the final showdown.

The energy from the battle between the two rank 2 Magi overflowed everywhere, and the surrounding Magi automatically avoided them.

Not far from the battlefield, nine ice sculptures stood tall. Despite the stray waves from the battle between rank 2 Magi, none of them were in the least bit hurt, creating a stark contrast between them and the complete disorder in the surroundings. There was even a circle of dried corpses around them, and they were the Magi of Twilight Zone who had wanted to secretly unseal the rank 2 lords.

"Even with an ancient inheritance and an Underground Winter Spider Emperor with the strength of rank 2 as your magical pet, you still can't win against me, because trash will always be trash!"

At this moment, the rank 2 battle was nearing its end.

Longbottom's face was filled with black gas, and the phantom image of a spider behind him rushed into his body.

"Ah!" His expression began to distort.

"All living things disintegrate, and return to earth!"

A great dark chilly aura shrouded the area and it became deathly quiet, as if they had entered apocalypse.

Longbottom was suddenly like the grim reaper, dancing with precise steps as he strolled to Baelin's front.

"Seal!" With a palm strike, Baelin was sent flying while coughing blood, and he then stood atop the Underground Winter Spider Emperor's head.

Chi chi…* The Underground Winter Spider Emperor Aru made sharp sounds that could be of fury, or terror.

Immediately after, it saw Longbottom produce a black metal bottle with a thin mouth aimed at it. A feeling of an imminent catastrophe filled its heart in that instant.

"How dare you fail to appreciate the matriarch's kindness! The great Matriarch couldn't be bothered to deal with you, which was why she got you to stay in the holy land and be a sacred creature. How dare you betray your own race!"

Longbottom looked pleased at that moment, especially when he saw the urgent expression on Baelin's face as he spat out a few more mouthfuls of blood. Feeling like he had wreaked vengeance on Baelin, he was especially thrilled.

Threads of little runic chains extended from the mouth of the bottle and then covered the body of the Underground Winter Spider Emperor.

"Aru!" Baelin yelled hurriedly. Through the long time they had gone on adventures together, he had long since considered Aru a companion he could trust. Now that it was gradually being sealed, he was extremely anxious.

Pu!*

In that moment, however, he suddenly collapsed and spat out a huge mouthful of greyish-green blood.

Longbottom's power full of perishing and withering had invaded his body, and was continuously devouring his life force.

In this situation, even the Bio Boosting armour found this a thorny issue and without more time, it could not dispel it.

Baelin could only watch as Alu's body shrunk until it was sucked into the metal bottle.

"Did you see that? This is what happens to all that have helped you before, whether it's Leylin or this Underground Winter Spider Emperor!"

Longbottom's voice was clear and cold as he sealed the bottle and then kept it in his bosom.

He unhurriedly walked to Baelin's front, "How is it? Are you unable to move? My Death Decay isn't so easy to withstand!"

Boom!* He gave Baelin a flying kick, pushing him tens of metres away, his face dragging and forming a giant trench.

Even with the protection of the armour, Baelin also flushed red and then paled, and what followed was the sound of bones breaking.

The Bio Boosting armour also produced a groan, indicating it could not bear this.

"Wh-Why?"

Baelin looked at Longbottom, gritting out the words through his teeth.

"Why?" Longbottom went forward and stepped on Baelin's face, pushing his head deep into the ground.

"You're asking me why?" There was a sinister smile on Longbottom's face.

"Why were you the one chosen by the Baron? Why were you the one to work at Blazing Hammers? At the end, why were you the one chosen by Leylin?" Longbottom snarled.

"So- So you still minded all these…" Baelin coughed and was stepped on once again ruthlessly, taking a mouthful of soil.

"Exactly. I minded all this, but it doesn't matter to me now!"

Longbottom began to laugh maniacally. "The Magus Leylin who looked down on me, and you, who has been snatching away my opportunities, are now lying like dead dogs in front of me! I once swore that I would make anyone who scorned and humiliated me pay the price, and now, both of you are left. Let me see, should I first take care of Leylin or you… Oh, right! I heard you have a wife, right? I heard it's a missus born in nobility. Don't worry, I'll take care of her well."

"You- You dare…"

Baelin was so furious, the veins on his face popped up, but he was then stamped on viciously.……

"What do I do? The child of fate is now fated to lose!"

Aaron struck and fended off the attack of a dark elf, but there was also an injury from a corrosive spell. The corroded flesh was constantly expanding.

"In the prophecies, I do not see any hope of him turning the tides!"

"There's definitely hope! It is every Magus' power and duty of Twilight Zone to look to the light in the darkness. Humans of Twilight Zone will definitely survive, and the glory of Magi will remain eternal!"

Behind him, Vinas muttered, and a misty-eyed look appeared in her expression.

"What's going on? Did you predict something?"

Aaron was startled, and he sensed the person beside him collapsing.

"What's wrong?"

Aaron immediately turned back, and what he saw caused his eyes to widen.

Vinas lay down weakly, and there was a sword tip glimmering with silver light in front of her chest. It had already pierced into where her heart was.

"You…you… why? I'll treat you right now!" Aaron felt two bouts of heat flowing below his eyes.

"No! Don't!" Vinas extended her hands filled with blood and resolutely stopped Aaron.

"Only by my death and allowing Sacred Flame to unite, as well as gathering all the parts of Meteor Sword, can you put up a fight with Longbottom!"

"No, no, no! There must be a way! There must be another way!" Aaron's hand trembled, and he began to roar.

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Baloney

"Don't be silly!" Vinas laughed weakly as she reached out and caressed Aaron's face.

"Sacrificing me, a single person, will allow you to save the entirety of Twilight Zone, what's there to hesitate?"

At the present moment, although her lips have gone pale and chapped from the loss of blood, her face remains full of radiance and it hurt Aaron to see her like this.

"No! You're doing this for me! You're doing this for me!"

Advancing to the second rank did not ensure that he could match up to Longbottom, but it would at least greatly increase his chances of escape.

Aaron wept, tears flowing down his face uncontrollably.

Vinas laughed, her tone full of gratification "This impermanent fate! We were destined to be enemies, yet we fell in love… with each… other"

Bang!* Vinas' palm fell listlessly.

Shortly after, a strong current of concentration, along with a warm and gentle scent, was injected into Aaron's consciousness.

Sacred Flame started to revolve quickly, causing Aaron's aura to rise sharply, and he broke through the bottleneck of a rank 2 Magus.

Snap! Snap! Snap!*

The three parts of Meteor Sword assembled together, emitting bright silver rays, and from the light, a tall and thin sword shaped like a cross slowly appeared. The aura of a high-level magic artifact, also much closer to the level of becoming a magic weapon, spread out in a powerful manner.

"AAAAAAAAHHH!!!!"

Aaron roared as he lifted the Meteor Sword and he transformed into a long arc as he charged into the midst of the battlefield.

Any magi who obstructed the path, be they from the Twilight zone or from the Dark Elven Empire, all faded into the air under the power of the Meteor Sword.

"What's the matter?"

In the middle of the battlefield, Longbottom stared at the huge incoming arc. With fierce eyes, he stopped toying with Baelin. A fireball aimed right at his head hit him.

Pew!* The Meteor Sword released a ray of light, accurately targeted at the attack launched by Longbottom.

A great and powerful wave of energy surged forth like raging waves.

Although at this moment Longbottom could still kill Baelin, he would definitely suffer huge amounts of damage.

"Rank 2?" Longbottom's pupils froze. Energy at this level, in addition to a high-level magic artifact designed for offence, was a great threat to him.

As such, Longbottom made a choice. Without moving his body, his quickly moved backwards, layers of grey-green protective shields formed in front of his vision.

"Kill!" In the middle was Aaron's silhouette. At this moment, as he charged forward with the mighty sword, silver threads of spiritual force continued to condense onto the arc, causing the sharpness of this high-level magic artifact to increase exponentially.

Bang! Bang!* The protective shield set up by Longbottom was torn apart like crisp paper, and the blade of the sword even touched Longbottom's eyes.

"Are you trying to kill me? With just you alone?" Longbottom had a sinister expression on his face, and the shadow of a spider appeared on his body, with its mouth wide open, clasping directly on the long sword.

Snap!

The sound of a slight explosion rang in the air, following which, the silhouette of two people flew away, retreating.

Longbottom stroked his face, as below his left eye, a stream of blood flowed.

Whereas on the other end, Aaron's arm produced a bone crunching noise as he quickly retreated to where Baelin was.

"You… are you alright?" Baelin finally expelled the Corrosive spell's energy left by Longbottom within himself and he stood up.

Although he did not witness the previous scene, he felt that the expression on his friend's face was not right.

"Your strong armor has been damaged! Use this!" Aaron glanced at Baelin. He then passed the cross-shaped sword in his hand to Baelin. "The energy it can display in your hands will be much much greater than what it displayed in mine"

Now was not the time for idle talk, Baelin immediately took over the Meteor Sword, but the deathly stillness in Aaron's eyes still frightened him.

"This again! This again! Why is it that everytime I am about to succeed, there will always be more obstructions sprouting up?" On the other side, Longbottom observed this scene with a grim complexion.

"So what? Having one more rank 2 Magus does not change anything! You will all die here today!"

Longbottom roared. The phantom spider on his back suddenly did something unpredictable.

It ruthlessly widened its mouth and plunged its sharp incisors into Longbottom's shoulders.

Strings of red which were visible to the naked eye was extracted from Longbottom's body. And the spider image on his back grew redder and started to expand.

Although Longbottom's body continued to become thin and weak, leaving only skin and bones, which looked terrifying, the energy in his body was increasing exponentially, as though there was no limit.

"Dark Elven Ritual of Life! We cannot let him complete it or he will advance into the peak of rank 2, even though he will have to pay for it with his life…"

Aaron's voice grew hoarse, but he immediately transformed into a silvery arc as he rushed at him.

"Old friend Aru! This time I will not hesitate and be benevolent. Just you wait, I will save you!"

Baelin gripped the Meteor Sword tightly. This melee weapon, when in the hands of a powerful warrior, also let out a deafening screech.

"Kill!" Baelin had a face of determination. The eye on his armor opened once again, and a huge restrictive aura suddenly arrived at the site, aimed at Longbottom who was in the center.

"Haha… Come! Come!"

Longbottom who had a stick-thin figure laughed wildly, and engaged Aaron and Baelin.

Bang!* After the ritual of life, not only did his aura increase, it seemed to have experienced a transformation, allowing him to gain a huge boost.

He raised his bony right arm against the Meteor Sword in Baelin's hands.

Bang bang!* The two came into contact, letting out a horrifying sound of metal brushing against metal. The Meteor Sword in Baelin's hand could only cut the skin on Longbottom's hand, following which it was blocked by Longbottom's arm which was stronger than steel.

"Huh!" Baelin face was full of shock, he chopped another time, but the long sword that pierced Longbottom's face was stopped by his teeth clenching hard.

"Sacred Flame!"

Aaron pointed at Longbottom, a wave of pure white blaze laced with threads of silver fell, causing the area around Longbottom's body to burn.

Longbottom's Magus robe, rings and accessories were all melted in the blazing fire but his body remained intact, just like sturdy metal.

"What is happening?" Jumping on this chance, Baelin finally drew out the long sword, standing up with Aaron who had retreated to a corner.

"The Ritual of Life has begun, and at this point his life does not belong to him, it belongs to the noble Mother of the Abyss. Simply put, the source of his life has been transferred and his body is only a puppet now. Whatever harm we inflict upon his body won't have any effect."

Aaron's face turned serious, with a hint of frantic "But his ritual of life has not been completed, so the core should still be in the process of transferring, later I will control and mark him, take care of the rest!"

"Got it!" Baelin nodded "How are you going to…" he could not finish talking before Aaron madly dashed in.

"Die!" Longbottom watched Aaron charge towards him, his eyes full of vengeance and violence.

He abruptly sent out a fist. The black fist collided with Aaron's chest, letting out a crisp sound.

Snap! Longbottom's face suddenly changed and he retracted his fist. On his knuckles, a bone had already been pierced through and strands of black solidified blood could be seen.

"Wh…What's happening? How can an ordinary Bone Piercing Spell take down my defenses!" There was a huge change in Longbottom's expression, and he seemed to have thoughts of retreating.

Bang! Bang! Bang!*

But it was too late, Many silver bone piercings started to come out from Aaron's body, and his eyes turned white. Surprisingly, he was able to predict Longbottom's retreat route. After dodging his long range attack, he clung onto Longbottom.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

Several bone piercings acted like a trap and pierced Longbottom all over, but Aaron grew even worse, blood spurting out of his body.

"Heh heh… This is my upgraded version of the Bone Piercing Spell, enjoy!"

Aaron's face was a mixture of madness and relief as he yelled, "Vinas, I am coming!"

"You lunatic!" Longbottom roared. He pounded on Aaron's back with his fists, and the great tremors even caused the ground to vibrate.

"Quick! Over there!" Aaron was bleeding from his nose and mouth, he used a sliver of spiritual force to mark out a position.

That was on the flowery pattern on the abdomen area of the spider tattoo on Longbottom's back. It was now shining with a silver light.

"Kill!"

Baelin's expression was calm as a great silver aura was released, forming silver white flames.

Large amounts of flame gathered on the Meteor Sword, a terrifying energy wave spreading throughout the entire competition venue, causing the surrounding Magi to involuntarily stop what they were doing.

The huge wings behind Baelin rose, carrying him into the skies, causing him to look like a red meteor streaking through the skies.

"Die!" At this moment, Baelin no longer showed signs of hesitation and unwillingness. The long sword ruthlessly pierced through the defense of the spider image, the blade directly cutting through the marked position.

The illusory spider screeched, and its eight legs started to tremble irregularly. Suddenly, it was sent tumbling down. It then turned into black smog and dispersed.

"Ugh …glug….." Longbottom's expression was very weird; he looked as though he wanted to say something but could not, all that could be heard was a constant gurgling noise made within his throat.

The light in his eyes dimmed until they were a dead black.

Bang!* Longbottom's corpse fell to the ground and sent a huge patch of dust flying.

"We… succeeded!"

Baelin mumbled to himself, feeling as though he lost a part of himself. He felt empty, as though he had lost something very important to him.

"Be careful, the darkness has not ended!" Both of Aaron's eyes turned white and he fell to the ground, a pool of blood forming beneath his body.

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Coin Of Destiny

"Darkness? What darkness? Hasn't Longbottom's scheme been thwarted?" Baelin was doubtful, but he no longer had the time to think. He scooped Aaron up in a hurry, preparing to treat him.

Strands of green rays emerged from Baelin's fingers, and merged with the horrifying wound on Aaron's body, helping him stop the bleeding and mending his tissues.

"Aaron, Aaron! Are you alright? Hang in there!" Baelin constantly cried out, large amounts of tears spilling from his eyes.

"Longbottom! Lord Longbottom is dead!" At this time, in the middle of the competition venue, the revolutionary army and dark elves who had just lost their leader all fell into a state of chaos.

Cough Cough!* Aaron coughed violently and opened his eyes. "I… I'm still alive?"

"Of course, you're my prophet. How can you die without my permission?" Baelin covertly brushed away his tears and laughed.

"Oh no!" Aaron suddenly started to struggle.

"What's happening?" Baelin hurriedly helped him stand up.

"Danger is still near! In fact, it's in our immediate vicinity!" Aaron's face showed increasing terror, "He… He is…"

Bang! Bang! Bang!*

A person wearing an exquisite black robe emerged amidst sudden applause. Every move of his held an inexplicable aura of authority and grace, and he slowly entered their field of vision.

"As expected of a Magus practicing Sacred Flame. Once you reach rank 2, even I cannot escape your prophecies!"

"Master Leylin! Weren't you…" Baelin looked at Leylin. At first, he felt joy, but then he noticed the nine statues erected in the center.

"A mere Ice Seal of Eternity, what can it do to me?" Leylin laughed casually, not revealing that he had known about Longbottom's plan from Ernis. Even if he hadn't known, though, his frightening power and affinity with frost would have let him escape quite easily.

Bang!* As though to verify Leylin's words, one of the nine ice sculptures suddenly exploded, revealing the silhouette of a puppet which quickly dissipated.

"What… What's happening? Ah! Haha… Haha… I get it! Master Leylin, this is just a prank, isn't it?" Baelin laughed forcefully, but the unease in his heart had reached its peak.

"Prank? Oh! Yes, I love cracking jokes with you, just not today. I was just excited by your performance and wanted to excuse myself!" Leylin snapped his finger.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!* Light flashed everywhere, and a large number of Nature's Alliance Magi appeared. Some came out from beneath the stages, some from behind the seats, and some just materialised from the shadows.

These Magi all had their concentration and powers intact, and embarked on a ruthless massacre the moment they entered. The dark elves and Twilight Zone Magi all fell at their hands, and were swept in a matter of seconds.

"Second level seal enhancement begin!" The leader, Iren, immediately tossed out a scroll.

Bzzzt Bzzzt!* A frightful wave of energy dispersed, and an even larger fleet of Magi appeared at the center of the competition venue, reinforcing the gigantic spider cocoon.

"Lord Leylin? Why?" Baelin kept retreating, looking as though he was on the verge of breaking down.

"You are one of the higher-ups in Twilight Zone, and also someone I look up to. Why…"

"No particular reason, after directing a play for so long, it's time I came to wrap things up!" The corners of Leylin's mouth turned into a sinister smirk.

"Play? What kind of play?" Baelin did not dare to think further.

"A comedy about a silly hero, and a group of foolish Magi!" Leylin smiled subtly, and pointed at Baelin's neck.

Boiling hot! Scalding hot! Baelin felt an unnerving heat exuding from his neck, penetrating through his armor, roasting his skin and muscles.

Boom!* A streak of gold light emitted from his neck and returned to Leylin's palms.

It was a peculiar gold coin, one face of which had a lucky bird and the other a skull. The sides of the coin also had elaborate patterns and prints on them.

"This was the gold coin you gave me, was it all planned from the very beginning?" Baelin laughed pathetically.

"No! I did not have such plans back in Potter Town, but on the way to the Eastern Capital, I found out that you were the Child of Destiny, so I decided to do this!" Leylin looked at the gold coin in his hand, excitement written on his face.

"Hehe….. You are all liars! Liars!" Baelin laughed hysterically. Rays of silver light burst forth from his body, and he charged forth, Meteor Sword in hand.

Pow!* A fist of immense strength landed firmly on his cheek, causing the Meteor Sword to be swung out of his grasp even as he was sent flying.

Alas, the Bio Boosting armour on his body failed to hold any longer and disintegrated midair.

"Your destiny was to become the victor of this revolution in your battle with Longbottom! And after Longbottom was taken care of, how do I put it… You are no longer of use to destiny. And without destiny on your side, you are but a dead dog to me…" Leylin ruthlessly attacked Baelin.

It was the truth. Before Baelin completed his mission, were Leylin to have made a move, he had a premonition that something would inexplicably block his path. But now? There was nothing that could stop him.

This was the very reason why many accomplished heroes never got another chance to take risks and could only choose to live in seclusion among the commoners..

"Coin of Destiny, step one accomplished!" Leylin turned around and looked over at where Aaron was.

Pew!* At this moment, a stream of light also emitted from Aaron's ring, and in front of him appeared the Great Magus Merlin.

"Little Aaron, what did you promise me then?"

"I promised that other than collecting your shards, I'll have to help you complete another task!" Aaron's expression was a mix of terror, alarm, and agony.

"Now, I request of you, to return to me the Sacred Flame!" Merlin's voice was extremely calm, but Aaron couldn't help but turn pale at his voice. "Grandpa Merlin, I've always been respectful to you as though you were my own grandfather…"

"But, the moment you advanced to the second rank, you realised it, no?" Merlin's illusion transformed continuously before settling on the image of Leylin.

"So all of this; me gaining the inheritance, practicing Sacred Flame, meeting with Vinas; it was all your doing?"

Aaron turned around and looked at Leylin, his pupils pitch black.

"At first it was, but the melodrama at the end was something I couldn't predict either. It looks like the stability issues with Sacred Flame still have to be solved!" Leylin's voice was extremely cold, "Now, hand it over!"

"AH!" As soon as Leylin voice sounded, Aaron felt as though his consciousness was split open by someone who wanted to extract something.

The extreme horrifying pain caused him to roll around, and his face contorted into demon-like expressions.

Shortly after, Aaron felt the spiritual force he had so painstakingly cultivated with the Sacred Flame was drawn out from him entirely.

Strands of silver spiritual force formed a vortex in midair, and Aaron who lost his meditation technique had his powers depleted progressively, from rank 2 to rank 1 before hitting rock bottom—an acolyte.

"The spiritual force of Sacred Flame!" Leylin's smile broadened. He sang with excitement, "Along with the sacrifice of a Child of Destiny!"

With his deep voice sounding, the surface of the Coin of Destiny shone with a thin layer of light and was lifted into the air.

"With the magnanimous power of destiny, along with the foundation and spiritual force of the Sacred Flame that split apart and then merged together!"

Leylin pulled out a crystal already full of golden liquid, and threw it into the spiritual force vortex.

All of a sudden, a surge of silver white flames emerged from within.

"There are still three broken and unwilling souls!" Leylin's smile became even wider, and two items flew out from Aaron's body.

They were a worn-out notebook and a five-colored necklace. At this moment, an illusion flickered on each of the two items.

"Vinas! Vinas!" Aaron struggled as he saw the face of his lover on the five-colored necklace, however, Vinas' expression was ever-changing, from tenderness, to detachment, to distraught…

"You can join too!" Leylin pointed at Aaron's forehead and it exploded like a watermelon. The black ring in his hand also flew into the air, joining into a triangular formation with the other two items.

"With great power from the fragmented souls as the main body, the Sacred Flame meditation technique as the core, and finally injecting a large amount of the power of destiny…"

Leylin's voice grew in fervency.

Following the chanting, the triangular formation and meditative vortex grew closer, giving off small explosions.

"AHHHHHHH……" Baelin hissed violently and charged forth once again, but before he got close, he was already thrown out by the airwaves.

"Seal!" A complex and awkward-sounding ancient incantation finally fused into two short seals.

Boom Boom!* A gigantic vortex formed, compressing the vortex and triangular formation into the Coin of Destiny like a funnel.

When everything ended, flashes of light appeared on the Coin of Destiny, yet it seemed as though nothing had changed.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Leylin let the gold coin float in midair and with a wave of his arm, the Meteor Sword voluntarily flew into his hands.

"You did all this, just for those two items?"

Baelin was beyond miserable, his eyes with a tint alike to flames.

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Epilogue

"It was mainly to attain the power of destiny. The Meteor Sword was just something that came along with it. Besides, it's not even complete!" Leylin was in a good mood as he explained the details to Baelin.

Soon after, a great number of alchemy ingredients appeared before him. Brilliant rays of light started seeping into the sword and making it shine brighter.

"The truth is, the Meteor Sword was designed by and customised for me, and it is missing the most important step!" Leylin drew the sword and held it up, his eyes glistening with excitement.

"Toxic Bile!"

The terrifying image of a devil king started to manifest behind him. But this time round, the Toxic Bile was concentrated on the Meteor Sword instead of a large-scale attack.

Menacing, deathly strands of black crawled onto the sword and the once-bright silver glow started to dim before turning a glistening coal-black.

This was the original intention of Leylin to forge the weapon.

The scope of the attack by the Toxic Bile was too large. Leylin thus confined its poison within the sword, preventing it from diffusing freely.

Henceforth, anyone who was injured by the sword would immediately be poisoned. In addition, Leylin could use his own innate spells to supplement its already-great power.

Leylin looked at the dark sword shining in his hands, unable to mask his happiness. From here on, the power of Toxic Bile would not be used recklessly. Rather, it would be his common means of attack, greatly increasing his strength and power.

"There is one last procedure!" Leylin glanced over at Baelin, with a sharp look in his eyes.

Baelin had understood how this was going to turn out. He looked at Leylin and told him fearlessly, "I believe in the fairness and righteousness of Twilight Zone. You'll be punished for everything you've done!"

"Haha… Fairness and righteousness ?"

Leylin shook his head and laughed, "The glory of my achievements will be recorded and sung by the people. As for the unglamorous stories behind the glory, who would pay any attention to them?"

A ray of black swooshed across. Baelin's head was decapitated, and before it could land on the ground, both his head and body had started to decompose.

Blood splashed on the surface of the gold coin and the once brilliant shiny surface became dull. It seemed to faintly be emitting a hint of history.

"Lastly, with the sacrifice of the child of destiny! Unique magic item—Coin of Destiny, complete!" Leylin finished his last incantation.

The gloomy yet glowing item lay ominously in his hand.

"Unique magic item—Coin of Destiny! With the Sacred Flame at its core, and the blood sacrifice of the child of destiny, will bring forth a magic item that has an astonishing amount of power. The coin can guide us through the path of the future to a certain extent, and may produce uncertain results!"

The A.I. Chip tried to generate a description for the coin. However, it was very clear that even the A.I. Chip could not make an accurate judgement of its powers; after all, things such as fate and the power of destiny could not be assessed by the current A.I. Chip or expressed by data.

The supposed unique magic item was hard to be categorised.

In the Magus world, there were always magical items that possessed a power which surpassed magic equipment. However, the physical quality itself might be weak, while some others contain bizarre capabilities. Hence, they were not categorised the same as magic artifacts and magic equipment but had a classification of their own.

Amongst the unique magic items, some possessed limited capabilities, while there were others that display a horrifying amount of power!

A ray of silver lit up and, in a flash, Coin of Destiny had vanished into the bag Leylin was carrying.

"Kill the dark elves and the revolutionary army! As for the Magi of Twilight Zone, kill them too if they don't pledge allegiance to me!"

Leylin looked around and inspected his surroundings.

The Magi of Twilight Zone may have had an advantage in numbers, but the lengthy battle had exhausted them of their stamina and magic power. They were no match for the fresh Magi of Nature's Alliance.

Furthermore, the Alliance had the support of Leylin, a rank 2 Magus.

As time passed, the field got progressively quieter before settling for silence.

"Sire! What do I do with these captives?" Iren asked with a bow.

There were weak and dispirited Magi all around, many of them covered with wounds and blood from multiple injuries.

"They are to hand over their spirit sources to me, kill them if they refuse!" Leylin gave the order indifferently.

Soon after, Leylin moved towards the remaining eight Magi encased in the ice sculptures and pointed at them.

"I shall add another layer of seals on these eight Magi. They will be transported back to headquarters to be interrogated by me!"

The Magi from Nature's Alliance were lying in ambush and the plan was carried out according to what he had planned. And sure enough, the results at the end were very favourable. The exhausted and injured Magi from both sides were eliminated at one stroke.

In fact, Leylin was the one who notified the Guardian on the outside and asked for his assistance.

"The war outside should be ending about now?" Leylin smiled. He held up a special artifact and sent a communication signal through it.

"My Lord! Reporting on our status. The Magi on our side as well as the dark elves are severely injured. The dark elves have withdrawn their troops, but we cannot pursue due to similar losses on our end!" one of the Magi on the battlefield reported.

Any attempts at communication had been blocked long ago by Longbottom. With Leylin's enhancement to the cocoon, only his own artifact could communicate with the outside.

"Very good! The current situation is the best of the three scenarios that I had anticipated!"

Leylin swept his eyes over the Magi from Nature's Alliance and smiled, "As long as we follow and advance according to the plan, soon the entirety of Twilight Zone will be ours!"

Leylin had never led before, but he had experienced much in the Magus world. With his ability to influence their minds, Leylin's words were bewitching and convincing.

Although there were some Magi among the crowd below that seemed to be somewhat hesitant, Leylin was pleased to see the obvious fiery ambition sparkling in their eyes, dispersing any sign of restlessness and confusion.

"As long as you are a living being with wisdom, it is difficult to remain unwavering in the face of temptation!" Leylin rejoiced covertly in his heart but also let out a sigh…

The news about the incident at the young genius competition spread like wildfire through the Twilight Zone.

The leader of the revolutionary army, Longbottom, had disguised himself and snuck into the competition as a contestant. Once he was crowned champion, he plotted against the judges.

Thereafter, the dark elven forces, under the conceal of their crown, joined to complete the ambush.

Even though their troops retreated in the end, a huge amount of damage was inflicted on the central region, causing numerous casualties.

The situation of the arena was worse. The losses there were tremendous, and only a few Magi had survived.

Leylin, most powerful of the survivors as a rank 2, issued complaints about the dark elves' conduct, calling for action from the central region.

After his return to the base, Leylin immediately gathered all of his Magi. Seeking the assistance of the other Magi who favoured his cause and started organising an army.

The central region was currently in a state of tremendous chaos. A large number of high-level Magi had perished. The Guardian of the Realm, as well as the other Protectors, had all vanished without a trace as well. In the name of righteousness and for other reasons, the remaining Magi all united under Leylin's banner.

Leylin, who was at the centre of attention, headed towards a different place on his own.

This single empty space seemed to have emerged from the Earth's crust, it was narrow and cramp, the continuously faint but hurried breathing could still be heard.

Bang!* A massive explosion sounded and crushed rocks flew everywhere.

In the midst of the mayhem, Leylin smiled as he walked forward with the Coin of Destiny in his hand, "Lord Guardian of the Realm, and Protector Logan, you both are truly very good at hiding. It took me awhile to find this place!"

Leylin took a quick glance around and realised that there were 2 dead bodies lying in this cave and on their corpses, some rank 2 energy was still present.

A half-naked old man, whose body was covered with incantations and coloured spots, leant against a rock trying to catch a breath. On the other side was a familiar face, Logan from the east. When he saw Leylin, he couldn't believe his eyes.

It seemed as if after the battle with the dark elves and Anya, two of the Protectors had died. Logan and the Guardian of the Realm were still struggling with their breaths.

"Why.… Why is it you?" Logan asked with a pale face.

"Oh?" Leylin raised his eyebrow, "Looks like there are many Magi out there who miss you! So much so that you do not even dare to go back to your old nest, preferring to hide outside…"

But he didn't mind because, in the face of true power and capability, any crafty conspiracy would seem like a joke.

"How did you find us? Forget it, that is not important right now. I just want to know, young Magus, do you belong to us or the dark elves?" the Guardian by the wall struggled to ask.

"There's no need to worry. The dark elves are not rich enough to bribe me! As for Twilight Zone's Magi, they shall step on the path to glory under my leadership!"

"Well then! Go ahead!" the Guardian smiled, his eyes gleaming with wisdom.

"…." Leylin bowed slightly in respect to the Guardian who dedicated his whole life to serve the Twilight Zone. Soon after, a thick black darkness shrouded the entire area.

The border between the northern and central region of the Twilight Zone.

At this moment, in an open plain, two enormous armies were about to confront each other.

On the north was the dark elven army, their skilled knights riding Underground Winter Spiders and emitting continuous energy waves from their bodies.

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A Fallen Empress

The human camp was more complicated.

Many Magi, acolytes and even common soldiers had been gathered together like a mixed flock of birds.

It had turned out this way due to the lack of core leadership. The deaths of the Guardian of the Realm and the Protectors had left them without a stable chain of command. Hence, many problems arose, not the least of which was disputes in command. Many ambitious parties were working from the shadows, plotting their own schemes.

"Oh? People are gossiping about me?" Back at his own camp, Leylin was updated with the latest report, and his face revealed a mysterious sinister smile.

"Don't bother with them. These rumours will be deemed baseless soon enough!" Leylin waved his hand and flashed a faint smile.

Suddenly his face changed as he looked towards the northern skies, "She's here!"

A tiny black speck suddenly rose from the northern skies, bringing a huge and irresistible power to bear upon the two armies.

"Your Majesty." Numerous elite Underground Winter Spider knights knelt down to salute with zeal in their eyes.

Anya looked up to face the human army, her beautiful face and body exuding a mysterious charm.

"Where is your commander? I want to see him!" she spoke with a sweet yet icy tone to her voice, as alluring as a rose in a bloody scene. It was tender and beautiful, yet dangerous and deadly.

And so that voice with the strength of a Magus was heard even on the side of the humans.

Numerous ordinary troops started fainting and dying, many of them shedding patches of hair and bleeding furiously.

This was the result of radiations emitted recklessly from a high ranking Magus's spell, causing the destruction of the normal human's body.

The acolytes too started to faint one after the other, until only official Magi could remain clear-headed, although even their fighting strength was heavily reduced.

Streams of green air could be seen, being drawn out from the human camp and transferred to Anya who was hovering in mid-air.

"A false domain! There were rumours that the dark elven empress had attained such a high level— the ability to suck life and power out of them is a formidable gift!"

Leylin's expression showed signs of interest and he turned to look at the other high ranking Magi.

In the human camp, the rest of the high-ranking Magi were waiting in their tents in silence. Waves of spatial magic power permeated the air.

"The battle has yet to begun, and you're already about to run away?" Leylin laughed uncontrollably, but then felt that it was only right. After all, these Magi had thought that the empress of the dark elves had been severely injured. If not, the Guardian of the Realm would have survived as well.

What now?

"At this moment, the Magi outside would mostly likely be vehemently cursing me, huh?" Leylin shook his head, as his body floated to mid-air.

Roar!* A massive, ferocious aura that seemed to emanate from a predator of ancient times burst forth.

A wave of violent air rolled and surged through, causing huge chaos to the opposite camp. The other Magi noticed that this wave of energy was not inferior to that of the dark elven empress!

"Bloodline Skill—Intimidating Gaze!"

Snap!* Leylin's life force rose ferociously, as if a chain or seal had been broken, and at that moment, he had crossed the category of a rank 2 Magus and entered a deep and unmeasurable realm.

This kind of change upset Anya, "Rank 3! You have already advanced to rank 3! "

Yes! Before the murder of the Guardian of the Realm, Leylin had secretly arranged for his advancement to a rank 3 Magus.

With the Giant Serpent's Breath potion and the usage of a large amount of top-notch resources, Leylin's spiritual force had turned bright silver long ago, and his power had been enhanced greatly.

As for the next level in Kemoyin's Pupil, Leylin already had it! In fact, with the A.I. chip's enhancement, it had become even more all-encompassing.

That in addition to the enlightenment from the Tree of Wisdom formed the perfect conditions to ensure success.

Leylin's intention was to elevate his power to be on the same level as the best of Twilight Zone, so that he would have the confidence to carry out his plans.

The breakthrough had surprised Leylin. His materialised spiritual force had been refined continuously and, at the same time, the foundations of the spiritual force crystal had been constructed. The swiftness and ease of it had left Leylin with an unfathomable feeling.

It could be the result from the use of the Giant Kemoyin Serpent's blood or from the accumulated knowledge from the A.I. Chip. It might be the great essence of wisdom found in the ancient tree that no one knew about. Or it could be the different factors all coming together that assisted Leylin in acquiring his current position. It had surely surpassed his own expectations.

The enhanced A.I.Chip thus refreshed Leylin's status.

[Leylin Farlier, Rank 3 Warlock. Bloodline: Giant Kemoyin Serpent, Power: 23.6, Agility: 20.1, Physique: 35.7, Vitality: 203.4, Magic Power: 203(Magic power is in synchronisation with spiritual force)] [Host has obtained an innate spell upon advancement— Intimidating Gaze!] [Intimidating Gaze: After numerous blood purification, the Giant Kemoyin Serpent, as an elite ancient predator, has its might absorbed and assimilated into the bloodline Warlock. They who held the dignity of creatures from ancient times has a force field with an intimidating effect! Effect: any living being that is within the perimeter will have their powers suppressed. Those with weak willpower will enter a state of confusion. Rank 1 Magus will have their abilities weakened by 50%, rank 2 Magus weakened by 30% and Magi of the same rank will have their stats reduced by 10%!]

With such an ability to suppress the power of his enemies, Leylin seemed genuinely ready to dominate the field. In fact, he could be considered an ideal Magus to dominate everything!

Unlike the domain of a Morning Star Magus, which gave them complete control, Intimidating Gaze only applied certain effects to those caught within its area of effect.

With Leylin now using Intimidating Gaze, the Underground Winter Spider knights felt as if an eye from the depths of hell was gazing upon them, which caused them to collapse to the ground. As for the matriarchs, their faces turned ashen, warping with terror.

Leylin took a calculative look at the empress in front of him. Strictly speaking, this could be considered their first meeting.

His relentless gaze transcended the opposing party's demonic charm, instead, he paid more attention to the decorative design on her body.

A moment late, Leylin sighed and responded faintly: "So… You were already seriously injured!"

The suppression of injuries by the branding of runes on the body, as well as the familiar scent, reminded Leylin of the Guardian of the Realm who had perished. The vicious fight with him and the Protectors had obviously caused Anya to suffer serious injuries, leaving her with no choice but to retreat.

Anya looked at the youthful Leylin, showing a bitter smile.

"Do you know? Dark elves' lives are filled with hardships. When I was young, every winter I would witness many dark elves firmly geared up with weaponry. My mother told me they were gearing up for war, and after the war, we would have enough food and provisions to survive…" Anya's face was filled with loss, her voice angelic. The corners of her eyes sparkled.

"My mother told me that, far away on the southern side, there was a huge empire of the human race. It was continuously fighting with us for survival. Hence, every year we suffer huge losses and death. I'd decided then that I would lead an army of dark elves and break this cruel cycle…

"But now, unfortunately, I am unable to do so…"

Anya turned to look at the dark elven camp one more time, and at this moment, an enormous uproar occurred. Several rank 2 matriarchs disregarded the frightening energy wave and stormed straight forward.

"Can you promise me, that you will preserve the dark elven race?" Anya lowered her once arrogant head, pleading.

Looking at the intelligent and well-respected empress of the dark elves in front of him, Leylin nodded his head lightly, "I promise you that I will preserve the dark elves and see that they remain in Twilight Zone…."

"However, what the other Magi do afterwards will be out of my hands. Moreover, whether the dark elves are able to survive within the ecology laboratory is also another unpredictable matter…' These words were left unsaid.

"Thank you so much!" Anya smiled, the crown on her head giving off a glaring ray of light.

The moment Leylin swung his hand, a huge golden Spider appeared and landed in the center of the field. It sat facing the Underground Winter Spiders across it and started hissing loudly.

The Underground Winter Spiders then became increasingly restless, and many of them started to show signs of instability. Some even turned against the dark elven knights riding them and started biting at them.

Aru, the Underground Winter Spider Emperor, had originally been sealed by Longbottom. Leylin had unsealed it after the events at the arena and subdued it for his own use.

To a certain extent, Aru might be the common ancestor of all Underground Winter Spiders, hence to have such unbelievable power for use by him, he was thrilled to possess this killer weapon.

"Here we go!"

Leylin exclaimed lightly, fine black scales appearing on his body and striking Anya's at the same time…

Along with the loud hissing of both opposing spiders and the clash of the two Magi, the two opposing troops on the ground also started to assemble and started the attack in full force, the roar of their voices shaking the earth….

Twilight Zone, year 5782. Magus Leylin Farlier led the human army to crush the army of the dark elves along with their empress. Magus Anya, along with rank 1 and rank 2 matriarchs, were not spared. Together with the rest of the army, they collapsed at the scene and countless lives were lost.

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Guardian of the Realm

After Leylin's progression to rank 3 and the defeat of the dark elves, all the dissent and secret plots in the central region quieted down as if they had never existed.

As a newly promoted rank 3 Magus full of vitality, one who wasn't struggling to even protect the realm, Leylin could easily find the time to destroy those guilds that did not subject themselves to his rule. He was poised to control Twilight Zone for centuries to come.

Faced with the pressure from such great power, no matter how unwilling the Magi in the central region were, they dared not offend him.

At this moment, the few survivors from other guilds appeared, diminishing all talk against Leylin.

They were all elite Magi from different guilds, and a few rank 2 judges were also among them. They joined together to testify that what Leylin had said before was the truth, which waived all doubts immediately.

They were all Leylin's captives at that time. Those rank 2 Magi had long since submitted to Leylin. They were not fools. Knowing Leylin's power and their own waning influence, most of them recognised the truth.

Of course, there were some stubborn ones that all perished gloriously in the "war."

Twilight Zone year 5783. Aided by his rank 3 power and the glory of defeating the dark elves, Leylin was pronounced the Guardian of the Realm under the witness of many Magi in the central region.

From then, Leylin became the sole power controlling Twilight Zone's Magi, and the sacrifices and darkness behind his radiant glory were often ignored by the masses.

People would only end up remembering Leylin's glorious achievement of defeating the dark elves. They composed folk songs and legends in his praise, leaving out the hard work of Baelin, Aaron, Vinas, and even the previous Guardian. Those names were buried beneath the documents and historical records concerning Leylin's eternal brilliance, and his legend continued.

After succeeding the title of the Guardian of the Realm, the first order Leylin passed was aimed at making Nature's Alliance the core strength of Twilight Zone. He gathered large masses of Magi to construct the Nature's Alliance Academy at the heart of the central region.

Although Leylin had not planned to do so originally, the present him did have the strength to implement the academy system, reaping great rewards in the process.

After establishing the Nature's Alliance Academy, a few large-scale guilds who had good relationships with the Alliance made a high-profile announcement. They would merge with Nature's Alliance Academy to form a formidable guild. Of course, this was all due to Leylin's control in the background.

Following that, Leylin no longer had to worry. The rapidly rising academy naturally edged out other nearby guilds, continually expanding its capability and area of influence.

It was clear to Leylin that the south coast's model was more just and fair than the guild system followed by Twilight Zone. They had also relinquished the tradition of inheritance from master to disciple. Although there were still many mentors, very few of them continued treating their acolytes like slaves.

Furthermore, how many acolytes could a mentor take on? How could they compare to the large-scale classrooms of an academy?

Many large guilds started to relinquish their narrow-minded restriction of meditation techniques to combine forces, as it would definitely be much stronger than the strength of individual guilds.

This was the success of the system! It was also the improvement of an era, once it became a trend, it could not be stopped!

The guilds that were left behind, in order to not be overshadowed by the academies, also had to establish institutes and enroll many acolytes to survive.

This allowed talented commoners to have a very good chance.

Academies that were more free and open could also accept roaming Magi. Without the meditation technique restriction, it became much simpler for roaming Magi who wanted to join academies.

Leylin had noticed this long ago. Although guilds that practised the same kind of meditation technique were very united, they also became highly xenophobic. After joining a guild, if a Magi did not practice that guild's meditation technique, they became targets for ostracization.

But academies did not face this problem. The flames of the revolution started by Longbottom were also snuffed out gradually by the institution of academies.

Leylin did not actually mind this. What he prioritised was still the meditation techniques of the guilds and their valued research.

Indeed! Under the advocation of fair, just, transparent and free communication by the academy's rules, guilds that joined the academy had to contribute their unique meditation techniques and some precious research.

Under Leylin's leadership, this large amount of precious information was stored in the academy's library for all Magi to peruse, and this trend developed ardently.

It must be said that after relinquishing the narrow-minded notion of a guild, such open communication and probing indeed benefitted the Magi a lot, causing the Magi of Twilight Zone to improve their abilities.

As for these meditation techniques and research, all of it was naturally kindly accepted by Leylin, greatly increasing the A.I chip's database.

It can be said that at this point in time, a large portion of Twilight Zone's meditation techniques and high-level research was pocketed by Leylin, including all precious resources.

Nature's Alliance was now the most influential in the central region. No matter what Leylin desired, as long as it was within Twilight Zone, he needed but to ask. A large number of commoners, acolytes, rank 1 and even rank 2 Magi would unhesitatingly go get it for him no matter the cost.

This was the benefit of authority.

Time passed.

Twilight Zone, year 5785.

Sensing that every party had completed their preparations, Leylin, with his title of Guardian of the Realm, sent out an appeal ordering alliance forces from all regions to recapture the north!

Indeed! After murdering Anya, Leylin chose to retreat and did not directly attack the North region, but that place was now easily obtainable.

It was very clear to him that though he had exceptional abilities, he first had to sort out his own skills. Although impulsively sending troops to defeat the dark elves, recover their lost lands and gain reputation could work out, the real gains would definitely be reaped by others harbouring ambitious schemes.

In addition, at that point in time, he did not have the title of Guardian of the Realm! Leylin was not foolish enough to fight on the front lines and let the Magi at the back reap the fruit of his efforts.

Hence, he would rather watch on as the north's remaining dark elves waged war against the dwarves, gnomes, and even themselves, letting them wear themselves out before he would act.

But now, the time was ripe.

Compared to the previous appeal, Leylin was now the Guardian of the Realm, the ruler of Twilight Zone. The orders of the greatest leader of the Magus world naturally carried more weight.

Once the order was passed down, not only did all the guilds in the central region send out Magi and soldiers to form an alliance, even the east, south and west regions sent out large masses to help.

Something worth mentioning was that Leylin only had true control over two regions— the center and the east.

As for the west and south, their attitudes toward Leylin as the Guardian of the Realm were rather ambiguous.

But Leylin did not care, after organising the center and east, relying on the strength of the academies in these two regions was enough to crush the other party.

He had abstained from doing so earlier because his time was occupied by internal restructuring.

But now? The other regions had also sensed that conditions were not favourable for them, and they started to yield.

After all, sending out armies in accordance to the appeal was an act of allegiance.

Leylin stroked his chin, the corners of his mouth curled up in amusement.

North Twilight Zone.

Throngs of troops lined up neatly and advanced forward constantly.

Meanwhile at the back were large numbers of Magi riding peculiar transports.

The troops were neat and orderly, and unified by the same order, compared to the previous army organised by Leylin, this one seemed much more powerful.

Due to the passing of the dark elven empress three years ago, most of the dark elves had already withdrawn from north Twilight Zone. Only some of the more stubborn members of their race were left struggling along with the dwarves and gnomes.

And such strength, to a congregation of many Magi, especially the human troops led by Leylin, was as insignificant as dust.

The troops had an irresistible force. They conquered expansive plots of land by barely expending any energy and even pushed through to Potti city.

At the entrance of the city, the flag of the dark eves could be seen flying high, amidst thick smog, giving off an ominous feel.

"Potti City! The original line of defence of the north, and also the place where Protector Yade died!" Leylin looked at the few dark elves and sneered, "This is a strategic border town, could it be the dark elves are still dreaming of dividing the land with us?"

"Pass down the order, all troops are to pitch camp here, we will attack tomorrow!"

Leylin casually passed the order to his left and right-hand men, and they passed down the message layer by layer. The entire troop stopped and found themselves suitable spaces to pitch camps. At the moment, the Magi and normal soldiers were busy, but they were not in disorder, displaying the good control Leylin had over his army.

In the center of the closely packed camps was a big gold tent, decorated with exquisite gemstones and incense. There were even teams of Magi patrolling outside of it.

Although the Guardian of the Realm did not fancy all this, it was necessary etiquette.

"Hm?" Leylin who was meditating in the middle of the gold tent suddenly opened his eyes and his mouth turned into a smile.

After a few minutes, a congratulatory voice could be heard "Master!"

"Enter!"

The front curtain was unveiled and a middle-aged man with white hair entered, his being radiated with the scary energy of a rank 2 Magi, but at this moment, he kneeled down on one knee as a form of respect to Leylin.

"Reporting to master! There is a rank 2 matriarch of the dark elves who claims to be an old friend and wants to see you!"

"An old friend?" Leylin smiled, "Let her in."

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Allegiance

The rank 2 Magus deferentially accepted the order and left, and minutes later, a rank 2 dark elven matriarch in skintight clothing walked in.

Her face was extremely delicate, her skin pale and exquisite. She was evidently a beauty that was hard to come by, though her expression now held apprehension.

"Alicia! As expected, it's you!" Leylin laughed.

Out of all the dark elves, it was just this one matriarch that he had been standing against for ten or so years in Dolon City, and they could somewhat be considered acquaintances.

"Alicia greets the lord Guardian of the Realm!" The dark elven matriarch Alicia bit her lips, and then knelt and leaned down, respectfully touching her head to the cold ground.

She was still slightly dazed. This young Magus that had contested with her for over ten years had long since reached the apex of the Magus World and had left her far behind. When she saw him, she even needed to kneel. She did not want to do this, yet could not express it on the outside.

From Leylin's point of view, he took in everything, from the pretty and flirtatious matriarch's exquisite jade-like back, rounded taut buttocks, to her slender, firm thighs.

As if noticing Leylin's gaze, a look of bashfulness appeared on Alicia's face, but she secretly wriggled her body, revealing a silent charm.

In her heart, however, she felt an intense feeling of humiliation.

Though dark elves were very open when it came to promiscuity to the point they could have boy toys of different races as well, it was always the dark elves dominating in the psychological aspect, with their mental belief in their stance as masters and owners who were untouchable.

But now? This experience of offering herself up as a gift and fearing the other party not accepting was difficult for Alicia, a matriarch of fewer than 200 years and a very mentally sensitive dark elf.

"So what is your intention in coming here?" Leylin withdrew his gaze. He had always been able to control himself when it mattered.

In addition, after advancing to be a rank 3 Warlock and taking over as the Guardian of the Realm, there were more than enough women wanting to climb into his bed. There had even been dark elves who had attempted this— after the great defeat of the dark elves, there was a large dive in the prices of dark elven slaves in the slave market, and there were many dark elven nobles on sale! It had to be said that because of their great outer appearance and innate skill at magic, dark elves were truly the most suitable choice to be Magus slaves.

Even if Leylin did not express anything, there would be Magi racking their brains on how to please him and sending him captive dark elves for him to enjoy.

"I represent the dark elven race and am here to offer my allegiance to my lord! Please let my race go!" Alicia's voice brought with it sorrow as she continued kneeling, passing over a fine crown and a black crystal.

"This is the symbol of our power—the dark elven crown, as well as the complete volume of the high-grade meditation technique, 'Life Absorption.' We dark elves are willing to completely withdraw from north Twilight Zone, even pulling back till the north of the river. We will also supply top-grade exclusive slaves and many precious resources. Please let us off!" Alicia continued to beg while kowtowing.

"This…" Leylin pondered, fingers circling and rapping to create a regular rhythm.

Alicia's breath almost stopped, awaiting the judgment of destiny in terror and anticipation.

"Fine." Leylin nodded in agreement.

After the human race's allied force recovered the northern region, it lacked the ability to advance and gain more.

In addition, Leylin still had other ideas.

An absolute power meant that once the human race completely extinguished the dark elves, gnomes, and dwarves with his help, they could very well decline quickly due to internal strife. This was not what Leylin wanted to see.

A constant, unyielding external pressure would evidently be able to serve the function of spurring on the humans.

"Many thanks, my lord!" Alicia was so elated she was on the verge of tears.

Though Leylin could immediately enjoy the enthusiastic desire of this matriarch to serve him, he still chased her out.

It was obvious that Alicia's value could not compare to the dark elven crown and high-grade meditation technique.

"Magic equipment— Dark Elven Crown!"

Leylin caressed the surface of this magic equipment. As it had been used recently in the war, the crown's surface was dim, and it seemed unremarkable.

If not for knowing about it beforehand, Leylin might have been tricked by its outer appearance and missed this magic equipment.

In the world of the Magi, magic equipment ranked far above magic artifacts. They held a mysterious power within, and usually, only Magi at rank 3 and higher would have the opportunity to come into contact with one.

[Discovered magic equipment, beginning scan!] [Beep! Scanning complete. 45.9% could not be analysed. Obtained high-grade concealing and icy runes, as well as traces of incomplete high-grade illusory spell formation runes…]

Many prompts from the A.I. Chip appeared.

"This is just the start. If I can completely analyse the inner workings of this magical device, I might even be able to forge my own…"

Leylin could tell that this was a great opportunity for him. He had been unable to improve his alchemy and high-grade enchantment skills in recent times.

"And this!" Leylin picked up that black crystal.

Large amounts of information streamed in front of Leylin's eyes. They were written in the dark elven language, but this was nothing important. Earlier in the eastern region, Leylin had obtained much fundamental academic content through the library in Nature's Alliance. Things like the dark elven language were nothing much.

"Life Absorption!" This was a high-grade meditation technique passed down by the dark elves. Only dark elves who were as powerful as matriarchs were qualified to train in it.

From this, it could be seen that Longbottom had really been doing well with the dark elves, and had gained their trust.

"This meditation technique…" Leylin touched his chin, recalling the information the A.I. Chip had just recorded.

Even though this bit of time was not enough for him to completely analyse the meditation technique, he largely knew its characteristics and uses.

Life Absorption was obviously rated as high-grade and was in the top class even in Twilight Zone. If not, dark elves themselves had many high-grade meditation techniques. Why would they make it a rule that it was a meditation technique to be passed down?

The characteristic of Life Absorption was that it could increase the spiritual force by robbing life force from other creatures, thus helping with breakthroughs.

The higher the level, the easier it was to gain the life force of various creatures. At the end, it could even cause a deathly vortex that was similar to a calamity, and all creatures in range would be attacked regardless of what they were.

However, this meditation technique did have its disadvantages.

As it relied on robbing life force to improve, its foundations were not stable. There had not even been a single matriarch who could break through from the rank 3 level into the Morning Star realm.

Besides, when one reached the more profound parts of the meditation technique, the Magus himself or herself would find their life force disappearing. This could not be compensated with any method other than the life force of other creatures.

The moment the life energy gained was too immense, or if the Magus' rank was too high, the Magi who trained in Life Absorption would lose their life force at a faster rate.

This meant that every time Magi who trained in Life Absorption used it, it meant they were one step closer to the abyss of death. However, with the growth of strength and the later loss of life force, it was like a drug that influenced many Magi to use it and eventually destroy themselves.

"To cultivate in this sort of meditation technique, it's best to find an ancient creature with enough life force and drain all its life force, succeeding in training in this meditation technique all at one go."

Leylin's plentiful experience allowed him to think of a few methods to solve this issue, but he then shook his head.

"It's not just the difficulty in advancing in meditation techniques. Ancient creatures that have great life force cannot be underestimated by even rank 3 Magi… Unless it was their remains…"

At this thought, Leylin naturally thought about the Icy Cave.

If nothing unexpected happened, in the deeper parts of the Icy Cave, the Icy World held within the body of a creature with the strength of at least Morning Star strength, as well as the blood of an even more frightening existence.

"With my current strength, what will it be like if I go to the Icy World?"

Leylin was silent for a while, and a gold light suddenly flashed in his hands, a simple gold coin appeared in his palm.

Bling!* Leylin flung the coin, and there was a sole golden arc in the air that then landed on the back of his hand.

Leylin lifted his palm and he saw the side with a skull engraved on it pointing up. Its eyes seemed to be ridiculing him with its smirk.

"It won't end up well?" Leylin murmured, and gave up all thoughts of proceeding forth.

Ka-cha!* Immediately after, a slight crack appeared on the surface of Coin of Destiny.

As the unique magic item, Leylin had created by exhausting his thoughts, Coin of Destiny had the terrifying ability to predict the future!

However, there was also a limit. Though Leylin had given it a sacrifice using the child of destiny, as well as added much spiritual force from Sacred Flame, he did not train in this meditation technique and thus, could not obtain images and specific information. He could only approximate the judgment through positive and negative predictions.

Besides, due to the constraints from Sacred Flame's level and the ranking of the sacrifice, there was a limit to how many times Coin of Destiny could be used.

If he wanted predictions on rank 3 Magi and below, it could be used for a long time, but once it got up to the Morning Star realm, each usage would result in great damage to Coin of Destiny itself and then cause it to fall apart.

Leylin had asked for predictions on the situation if he headed to the icy caves. The skull head was up, implying that if Leylin really did that, it would not end up well for him.

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Radiant Guardian

"It's still a no." Leylin kept the Coin of Destiny, feeling slightly crestfallen.

The Coin of Destiny had been cast rather crudely. Due to the involvement of Morning Star Magi, it was already damaged, and if it got worse, Leylin truly had no idea where else he would find a child of destiny to offer as a sacrifice.

Though he could make prophecies the way he had used Aaron, they had no way to make predictions regarding higher-ranked existences, and the risks in that were too huge.

Humans were creatures full of possibilities. If the Magi that Leylin had chosen managed to advance till they were on the same level as Leylin and managed to prophesize his actions, there would be no way Leylin could benefit from it

Leylin would rather use these dead creatures. Though they were troublesome, they were convenient and very safe! That was what he prioritised.

"Even I with my rank 3 strength will meet with dangers that cannot be measured in the Icy World. Looks like that's still a place that I can't peek into." Leylin was clear on his situation. He now held most of Twilight Zone in the palm of his hand and had nothing to be anxious over.

The Icy Cave would always be present, so the things inside would be his sooner or later!

After the entire dark elven race surrendered, all that was left to take care of in the northern region were the gnomes, dwarves and few remaining guilds there.

Leylin could not be bothered with this and used his overbearing power to take care of it.

A few days later, a shocking rumour spread.

Lord Leylin, Guardian of the Realm in Twilight Zone, charged into the dwarves' stronghold, the Taline Caves, alone.

They said that the lord relied on his own power and barged in head on, and went all the way into the dwarves' royal court.

Berserk lightning and the terrifying aura of death constantly shrouded the area. The battle continued for numerous days before it stopped.

From then on, however, the royal dwarven court sent out an announcement, saying that their respected ruler, King Greybeard, and various other important ministers had died from illness. The young dwarven price inherited the throne and immediately withdrew his troops…

The same thing happened in the gnome kingdom.

This time, the explosions could be seen with the naked eye. Their machinery was ruined, and the three godly weapons which represented the peak of their alchemic skills were turned into trash. Many of their outstanding artisans were also kidnapped, and thus they lost many essential resources and research material about advanced alchemy.

From then on, Leylin's fame spread throughout Twilight Zone. Besides humans, even when dark elves and gnomes mentioned him, they did not dare call him by his name. He had been titled the Radiant Guardian.

His image had been recorded as a legend by other races, and news of his being an exceptionally terrifying existence was passed down.

Of course, Leylin had not considered all these. He was now sitting on the most respected gold throne in Potti City and instructing Iren.

"Divide the resources in the newly-recovered northern region, and prioritise the guilds who've sided or displayed their goodwill towards us. As for the rest of the harvest, confiscate it all."

Leylin's intentions in attacking north Twilight Zone was not to be a good samaritan, but to get rich.

Through many years of development, there were various abundant resources in the northern region. Most guilds had died out during the chaotic war, which gave him another excuse to take them over.

As for those lucky enough to survive? Besides those who sided with Leylin's side, whom he gave special treatment to, he was not planning to bother with the rest.

"Then… How about the Magi who've set up organisations there?" Iren was slightly hesitant.

Due to the chaos, not just other races but also other guilds from Twilight Zone had dispatched people to the former north Twilight Zone. They attempted to seize some things and even occupied a small territory, having a long-term confrontation with dark elves and managed to survive with their tenacity.

This was a result of Leylin killing the opposite party's great matriarch in one blow. If not, no matter how gutsy they were, they would not dare even consider this area.

"Handle this in the same way. Also, for those stubborn guilds unwilling to submit to me, arrest them on the grounds of treason and colluding with the enemy. As for the evidence? Just look for Alicia. I'm sure she'll be willing to supply it." Leylin smirked.

This was basically an act to eliminate all outsiders, but Leylin's crushing strength and his advantage of acting on an absolute righteous cause allowed everything to seem calm and organised.

In reality, Leylin was building north Twilight Zone up as the headquarters of Nature's Alliance.

In the other regions, the strength of the Magi made everything tricky, and it was difficult to just insert an exceptionally large-scale guild within.

Nature's Alliance Academy in the central and eastern region had expanded to its peak already.

If this was in the past, Leylin could simply continue expanding outwards, but the situation was now different. Due to the war, the northern region was destroyed by the chaos and many guilds had died out. The nobility and other chains of command had almost completely been wiped out as well.

Though this partly had to do with the cruelty of dark elves, most of it had to do with various organisations who were hidden deep within. Leylin had also played an important role there.

After most of the original organisations in the northern region were purged, it was time for the strong to divide up the feast.

Leylin, who held an absolute advantage and Nature's Alliance Academy, gained the largest part of the benefits!

A few months later, a large branch academy of Nature's Alliance was established there. Besides being a branch in name, the facilities and allocation of staff were based on the highest standards and even bested the headquarters in the central region.

With the completion of the branch academy, Leylin gained complete control of north Twilight Zone. For the two areas which were still hesitating, this was a huge shock.

In the year 5786 of Twilight Zone, the western and southern regions that had only been pledging their allegiance on the surface could no longer hold on and announced their agreement to support Nature's Alliance academy in the central region. They received guidance from the great Guardian of the Realm and built a joint academy.

Twilight Zone was unified, and the prestige of the Guardian of the Realm, Leylin, was deep in the hearts of the masses. Human society also began to develop at a quick rate.

It was a new page of history. The end of the former era, as well as the ascension of the new one, proceeded so quickly that many Magi found it hard to react to.

North Twilight Zone, in Nature's Alliance Academy.

"Crap, I'm going to be late!"

Will quickly got out of bed and hugged his thick notebook and textbook, a sandwich fresh out of the oven in his mouth as he dashed across the roads of the academy.

The academy was illuminated with large amounts of sun stones and eternal flames. There were even bonsai transplanted to the side of the roads for viewing pleasure. This would have been unthinkable in the past.

On the roads, there was the occasional sight of acolytes who were all darting towards their own classrooms.

"Mentor Jeline's reaction field theory is so profound. I don't understand at all…"

"The principle behind the construction of spell models is very important. It is the basis of all spell models that can be performed, and it needs to be solid. There cannot be any mistake!"

"It's almost time for the academy competition. Rumours say that the victor can even get guidance from an official Magus!"

Many conversations flew into Will's ear, and there were even many familiar voices. However, his feet did not stop moving as he ran at a flying speed.

As an acolyte chosen from among the commoners, he truly appreciated this hard-to-come-by opportunity.

It was because he had been up studying till late last night that he had overslept.

After passing by the teaching plaza, all acolytes would respectfully bow towards a statue in the middle.

The statue was carved out of black dazzling stone and formed the image of a handsome young man. His gaze was set far away, as if surveying the scene in the distance from his elevated position. Under the statue, these words were carved in the language of Twilight Zone—

'Distinguished Guardian of the Realm, Leylin Farlier. Rank 3 Magus, the founder of Nature's Alliance Academy, once gloriously killed the dark elven empress, dwarven king and gnome prophet in battle, saving all humankind. The patron saint of Twilight Zone, he also has other names, such as the Hand of Sacred Light, the Glorious Guardian and so on…'

"The lord Guardian of the Realm!"

Will bowed slightly towards the statue, admiration apparent in his expression, "If only I could become such a mighty Magus one day…"

Immediately after, however, he couldn't help but laugh. He really was imagining the wildest things.

Some time after passing by the sculpture, Will couldn't help but turn back and look, only to find a figure under the statue that had the exact same face as the sculpture.

"It's- " Wale's eyes widened, but when he looked once more, the figure had disappeared, as if all he had seen was merely an illusion.

Shua!* Celine drew the curtains, and the giant French window revealed the current bustling, lively situation of Nature's Alliance.

"How is it to see the splendour you created by your own hand?"

Celine laughed as she embraced Leylin's waist from the back.

"Also, welcome back! You've stayed in the laboratory for about fifteen years, haven't you?"

Celine gently placed her head on Leylin's back.

She, who had tasted power, was now even more alluring than beautiful, as enchanting as a poppy.

However, Celine was very aware where her power and status had come from. This was especially so during the period of debauchery Leylin had engaged in when in the central region. She had, at that time, come to realise exactly how stable her position had been. She had even abandoned her work in the east and dashed to Leylin's side.

It was a pity that Leylin's thoughts were all on gathering high-grade meditation techniques and all sorts of information, giving Celine the cold shoulder.

"I don't really feel anything." Leylin was quite indifferent to all this. The reason why he had established an academy was just so that it would be more convenient for him gather meditation techniques and precious resources.

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Discovery of A Warlock

Celine watched Leylin who was bathing in the light from the sun stones, seemingly intoxicated by the sight.

Leylin still retained his handsome young appearance, as if the passing of time did not leave any traces on him. He, who was glimmering with golden rays, seemed to be a war god wrapped in golden robes.

It was this young man who had already reached the apex in Twilight Zone, having seized immense authority that nobody could even imagine of possessing!

"How are the results of the experiment?" Celine asked.

"Quite alright!" Though there was a smile on his face, it seemed slightly dark, and Celine tactfully did not ask further.

Leylin's hand groped around her body, but his thoughts were someplace else.

Through supplements from numerous high-grade meditation technique, the A.I. Chip's meditation technique databank was becoming even more complete, and it had even simulated the fourth level of Kemoyin's Pupil!

However, Leylin was still slightly worried. He planned on searching for the original Kemoyin's Pupil meditation technique to compare as well as improve his own. It was always better to be more careful when it came to anything that had to do with the spirit.

If the situation with the meditation technique was a good thing, there was something else that made Leylin's mood the worst it could be. He looked at his stats.

[Leylin Farlier. Rank 3 Warlock, Bloodline: Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Strength: 23.6, Agility: 20.1, Vitality: 35.7, Spiritual force: 206.5, Magic power: 206 (Magic power is in synchronisation with spiritual force).]

"Fifteen years! It's been fifteen whole years, and the improvement in my meditation technique has been slight. If not for the numbers given by the A.I. Chip, I would have suspected I had completely stopped improving."

Leylin's expression was dark. In these fifteen years, he had hovered around the level of a rank 3 Warlock that had just advanced. He had not even reached the Vapour Phase of his spiritual force. This speed was making him go crazy.

Though Leylin liked to enjoy himself, those were things he did while he was not increasing his strength. At his level, he might not have a rival in Twilight Zone and be the tyrant he was. However, how was this the life that he wanted?

Before obtaining the greatest strength at the apex, Leylin did not plan to slow his footsteps.

"The resources of Twilight Zone are plentiful for rank 1 and 2 Magi, but for rank 3, they're insufficient. In addition, based on calculations by the A.I. Chip, to become a rank 3 Magus with gaseous spiritual force, I need to have a Vapour Phase spell formation, but it doesn't exist in Twilight Zone!"

Leylin pondered, "In addition, there's still the Kemoyin's Pupil meditation technique. Though the A.I. Chip has simulated a portion of it, it's better to get the original and refer to it."

"All these can't be obtained in Twilight Zone!"

Leylin made his mind, while the beautiful woman beside him let out a frail gasp.

Leylin, who had come back to himself, realised that his hand seemed to have reached a very deep place that was causing Celine to let out pants.

Without telling Celine his plans, Leylin embraced and ferociously rolled her onto the bed…

……

Even though he enjoyed this pleasure, Leylin did not lose himself to it. He rejected Celine's suggestion of gathering the Magi of Nature's Alliance Academy and instead left, keeping a low profile and travelling around Twilight Zone.

On one hand, Leylin was filled with curiosity about Twilight Zone. After all, he had never truly toured the area, and only gathered information through maps and the information in the A.I. Chip, which was only one aspect of it.

More importantly, Leylin wanted to try his luck. He might even be fortunate enough to discover the legacy of some ancient Magus!

Leylin rejected Celine's requests to accompany him and went on the road since he was used to travelling alone.

He weaved through Twilight Zone. He went deep into the nests of darkness creatures, but also headed to the edge of the world, to see the Magma Sea that stretched as far as the eye could see.

While journeying, Leylin disguised himself as a common wandering Magus. With the A.I. Chip and directions from the coin of destiny, he found quite a few inheritances and the like.

It was a pity that these were all small harvests, and were dispensable to Leylin.

The more dangerous areas, such as Icy World and the Weeping Ghost Grounds that were extremely terrifying, would cause damage to the coin of destiny and were not places Leylin could go to as of yet.

Even so, with his own instincts and the slight directions of the coin, Leylin continued to wander.

A thick darkness constantly shrouded around the earth, and only the light on the carriage persisted, illuminating the surrounding area.

"Is that Grand Ivy Canyon is a ruin left behind by Morning Star Magi?"

On the carriage, Leylin was conversing with another wandering Magus.

Leylin was now concealing his frightening rank 3 aura, and also made adjustments to his outer appearance. Nobody would be able to recognise him as the legendary Glorious Guardian.

After all, he did not want to be surrounded and watched everywhere he went.

He was now having a delightful conversation with a wandering Magus he had just met.

"Yes! I once excavated the outer portions of a ruin and found part of a sculpture there… The surrounding aboriginal culture has also recorded this matter." The slender blue-haired Magus with a goatee was speaking excitedly.

His name was Pharen. Though he was merely a rank 1 official Magus, he was unusually interested in travelling and adventures. He had once explored many famous ruins and had a great reputation amongst wandering Magi.

Leylin listened quietly while sitting beside him, occasionally asking a few questions and providing opinions, which caused Pharen's eyes to sparkle.

With his current knowledge, there were few in Twilight Zone who could be compared with him. With just a few words, Pharen was full of praise for him.

Leylin chatted with him once in a while, forcing down the anxiety in his heart.

"I forcefully made a prophecy while disregarding the damage done to the Coin of Destiny. I finally found out that the way to improve further is in the west, but now that I'm here and almost at the Magma Sea, why haven't I discovered anything yet?"

Leylin dug his hands into his bosom and caressed the surface of the coin of destiny.

On the simple gold coin, there were already two fine cracks, causing Leylin to feel pain in his heart.

"Oh! By the way, may I know what Sir Reynold's intentions are in accompanying me deep inside here?" Pharen asked.

This was a question that had been in his heart for a long time.

"This is the common territory of the dark elves and dwarves. Though us humans have now seized control, if they see us in the outskirts, we could easily be surrounded and attacked."

"There are a few things I have to take care of. Besides, I want to see that magnificent scene you mentioned about the lava tides." Leylin laughed slightly in answer.

Pharen's eyes brightened, feeling like he had found someone who could understand himself.

"Not bad. Based on my guesses, the lava tides that are going to burst out will be the largest in a whole century! They might even surge to the surface!" Pharen's face was flushed.

"That's impossible. There are several hundred kilometres of earth crust until we reach the surface!" While Leylin said this, his heart suddenly lurched.

The surface? This was something worth considering. Perhaps the directions from the coin of destiny had to do with this.

Of course, Leylin was not going to start fantasising and think that he could use the magma and break through the crust. That was something even Morning Star Magi might not be able to do.

"But this is still possible in theory. As long as I find a suitable place and channel, such as a volcano…"

Leylin touched his chin, thinking that he would need to inspect a few lava lakes that could link him to the surface.

While Leylin was deep in thought, a strange undulation caused him to awaken in surprise.

"This is…" Red rays flashed in his eyes, "A resonance with my bloodline… Who is it?"

He abruptly looked in a direction, stirred up and grim.

"What's going on?" Pharen waved his hand curiously, and the carriage stopped.

Immediately after, he felt Magi's energy fluctuations travelling from the direction Leylin was looking at.

"So it's a battle between Magi! Sir Reynold's acuity is truly admirable!" Pharen sighed in heartfelt awe.

Just this extraordinary sensory ability made it clear that this Magus called Reynold was ranked far above him.

An energy aura far away sensed something and began to head in this direction at a mad dash.

"Sir Reynold, it looks like they are going to use us as a shield!" Pharen sneered.

Such a scheme was as crude and laughable as a little tease in the eyes of Magi. However, seeing someone dared provoke himself, Pharen's eyes flashed with an icy glint.

Shoo!* A brownish-yellow ray launched over.

The response from his bloodline became more intense.

The yellow light stopped in front of the carriage, revealing a middle-aged Magus. His skin let off a bronze light, and there were numerous traces of burning on his skin. The lines on his face were resolute, and even while heavily injured, he still emanated the charm of a mature man. What was even more eye-catching were his eyes, which was a pair of amber pupils!

"A Warlock! He's definitely a Warlock, and he has a deep relationship with my bloodline!"

Leylin's eyes met with the other's, and they immediately understood each other's identities.

After seeing Leylin, the middle-aged Magus' expression slackened and he produced something like an emblem to Leylin, "My lord, please save me!"

He used the Byron Language, which was a mandatory subject for all Magi. Leylin naturally understood.

Thud!* As if he had relaxed too much, the middle-aged man could not hold on any longer and collapsed, fainting on the ground.

Pak!* The emblem accurately fell in the palm of Leylin's hand.

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Mankestre Bloodline Warlock

The emblem was rather small, the back being a bronze base.

After seeing the symbol on the front, Leylin's pupils suddenly shrunk.

It was a giant black serpent formed from numerous runes, holding its tail in its mouth and forming a strange circular imprint.

"That symbol! I've seen it before in the Dylan Gardens!" Leylin obviously would not have forgotten this. The memory was still fresh in his mind.

When he was in the Dylan Gardens, there was a large oil painting of this black snake holding its tail in its mouth in Great Magus Serholm's inheritance. Behind that oil painting had been where Leylin had obtained Kemoyin's Pupil.

This symbol could be said to mark the beginning of Leylin's path as a Warlock!

"Him being a Warlock, the resonance of our bloodlines, and the symbol!" Leylin weighed the emblem in his palm, "Looks like he was what the Coin of Destiny was leading me towards."

"What? Reynold, you know him?" Old Pharen asked.

"No, but I need to rescue him." Leylin's tone was light but held within an unquestionable resolve.

"My apologies, but if you insist, we can only part ways here. I don't want to meet with any trouble."

As a Magus, Pharen instinctively declined.

A rank 1 Magus like that usually represented some form of trouble, and Pharen had no wish to provoke it.

Besides, he and Leylin had merely met en route and just got along well. He wasn't close enough to Leylin that he'd take risks for him.

"Of course. You can leave first." Leylin answered, not finding Pharen's choice strange.

If Pharen was the type to ardently insist on staying with him, he wouldn't have been able to live to this age.

"I'm sorry!" With an apologetic look on his face, he made to get on the carriage and leave.

"Stop right there!" At this moment, a sudden sound was heard, bringing with it a loud boom.

Five or six streaks of glaring lights shone over from the skies, and by the time the shine dissipated, the figures of six different Magi had appeared.

They were evidently a mix of races, and the presence of dark elves and dwarves surprised Leylin,

Rumble!* Amidst the flying dust, a group of elite Underground Winter Spider knights and dwarven soldiers hurried over.

"Human Magus?"

The dwarf and dark elf in charge furrowed their brows after seeing Leylin and Pharen.

Twilight Zone was now a place where the human race had the highest status. Even in the outer regions, human Magi would be respected. Of course, if they were in the desolate outskirts, there would be situations where these races murdered humans and robbed them of their treasures.

Although such acts occurred, there would be no traces left behind, lest the humans use it as a cause to invade.

It was difficult to eliminate two Magi and prevent news from spreading.

"This is a despicable thief that stole the sacred item that our two races are jointly protecting. Magi, please don't misunderstand!" The dark elven and dwarven Magi warned them.

"Protecting a sacred item? What is it?" Leylin curiously scanned the unconscious middle-aged Warlock with his spiritual force and then found a green bundle of vines in his arms.

A concentrated life force extended from within the vine ball.

"So it's this!" A look of understanding flashed in Leylin's eyes.

This bundle of vines was actually called the Vitality Fruitvine, and it held within a large amount of life force essence. To those races that trained in meditation techniques like the dark elves' Life Absorption, it was truly invaluable.

It could replenish much life force and treat injuries or even save lives and was naturally thought of highly by soldiers and the artisan dwarves. That was why these two races were looking after it together.

The reason why Leylin was so knowledgeable on this was because this fruit had always been a major product in the dark elves' and dwarves' yearly offerings, and Leylin enjoyed a whole portion of them alone.

Because of him, there was a shortage of these Vitality Fruitvines. Even the theft of one fruit would result in one getting in much trouble and being hunted down.

"Though you are human Magi, these sacred items have to be offered up to the Guardian of the Realm, Lord Leylin!"

Seeing Leylin still unmoved, a dark elf threatened.

"Magus Reynold, you've brought me trouble!" Pharen laughed bitterly.

Pharen naturally knew of the famous Guardian of the Realm. Se was the ruler of the entirety of Twilight Zone!

Even he, a wandering Magus, had many mentors and acolytes to take care of. He could not truly break away from them.

At the mention of the legendary rank 3 Magus, Pharen seemed to have plans of casting away this troublesome matter. "Reynold, we…"

"Pfft-!" Leylin could not hold it in and began to laugh.

The smile on his face became so big that he even bent down, holding his belly with both hands, unable to rein in his laughter.

"Human Magus, why are you laughing?" Their leaders exchanged a glance, having a bad feeling.

At this time, they took note of the handsome young man in front of them, his face seeming to be exceptionally familiar with them.

"It's the first time someone's used my own name to threaten me!" After laughing, Leylin's expression darkened.

At the same time, there was a strange change to his face, as if there was a spontaneous removal of some concealing method.

An aura similar to the awakening of an ancient wild beast began to emanate from his body.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!* The eight legs of the Underground Winter Spiders began to tremble and they weakly fell to the ground. The Underground Winter Spider knights and Dwarven soldiers all fell.

Leylin took a step forward, and space seemed to freeze.

The six Magi in mid-air were forced to the ground, expressions full of terror.

"You- You- You're Leylin Farlier, the Guardian of Twilight Zone, the Great Emperor of the Night!"

Pharen's mouth widened, his goatee sticking up. His fingers were trembling and he was so scared he was almost unable to speak.

Goodness! So the one who had been journeying with him was the lord Guardian whose name had spread far and wide? The one who was almost deified?

Pharen immediately searched through his memories until he found he had not said anything unpleasant about Nature's Alliance or Leylin himself, and then heaved a sigh of relief.

After that, however, his heart got stuck in his throat once more.

Previously, he had been planning on leaving Leylin and that Magus to flee for his life. Would this behaviour gain the displeasure of the Radiant Guardian?

Compared to the inner conflicts Pharen had, the blow Leylin's appearance had towards these other races was completely different.

"Greetings to lord Guardian of the Realm!" The dark elven and dwarven Magi immediately bowed.

Even if he were a fake, the unique energy undulations from a rank 3 Magus could not be mistaken.

The Magi of both races had a very deep impression of Leylin's expression, and even if they were turned to dust, they would not get it wrong.

After all, Leylin had destroyed the splendour their two races had possessed, and even killed their rulers brazenly!

Leylin was now like a devil king or monster to them.

"En! Tell the people behind you that I'm going to take this man. This Vitality Fruitvine will also be considered part of this year's portion." Leylin indifferently ordered.

He was not planning to use raw force because that would just be bullying them.

"Understood, my lord." The dark elven and dwarven Magi heaved a long sigh, bowed, and then withdrew quickly as if there was a great monster chasing them.

The news of Leylin's appearance here was much too mind-blowing, and they had to bring this news to their higher-ups immediately to be able to respond.

……

"Are you awake? If you are, come here!" The middle-aged Magus opened his eyes, Leylin's voice sounding by his ear.

He immediately got up and saw Leylin standing aside, playing with a test tube full of blood. Within that test tube were strands of earthen-yellow that had congealed, unable to scatter.

"Kubler greets my lord!" he immediately knelt respectfully, looking deferential and awed, as if a wolf that had seen its king.

Leylin had sensed this. He had the feeling that through his bloodline, he could influence this Magus.

This was a terrifying thing.

"The Huge Mankestre Snake! Your bloodline comes from the Wilted Huge Mankestre Snake." Leylin concluded.

"Yes. Warlock of the Mankestre Bloodline, Kubler, greets my lord!" he bowed once more.

"No wonder…" Leylin shook his head.

He finally understood the strange feeling he got from this man.

The Wilted Huge Snake Mankestre was said to have a trace of the bloodline of the Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Though it was thinned out, it was still a descendant of the Kemoyin Serpent.

In the face of a true Warlock of the Giant Kemoyin Serpent, it was natural to be affected and suppressed by him.

When Leylin was still an acolyte, he had once seen a Huge Mankestre Snake. Though it was still young, it was enough to cause him a headache.

The matured body of this Huge Mankestre Snake was comparable to that of an official Magus. Though it was nothing in Leylin's eyes now, that was a terrifying strength for acolytes.

"Well then, tell me your history and your reason in coming here."

Leylin spoke expressionlessly, though his eyes were enough for Kubler's heart to turn cold.

Though he could not use spirit-searching spells on official Magi, it was very easy for Leylin, a Warlock who had already advanced to rank 3, to completely smash the spirit and extract spirit fragments from him.

Though he would not get a complete set of information if he did that, and this Warlock would definitely die, it was very possible.

Fortunately, Kubler was evidently a sharp-witted man and deathly afraid of Leylin. Soon enough, he systematically narrated his origins.

After hearing a few words, Leylin's expression became grim.

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Central Continent

Kubler claimed to be a Magus from the central continent.

The hometown of the great Magus Serholm, the core of the entire Magus world, The sacred land of Magi—the central continent!

As for why Kubler was at this place, Leylin could not care less. On the contrary, he was very interested in the route Kubler had taken to get here.

If they were to walk this path in the opposite direction, would they be able to successfully reach the central continent? Leylin spoke the question in his mind,

Kubler's face showed a moment of hesitation before he respectfully divulged the truth, "In actual fact, the surface right above this subterranean world is the central continent! I learnt of the exact spot where the lava erupts from a research manual passed down through my family. After calculating the weaker points in the lava, I followed the pathway to arrive at this place.

Having heard Kubler's account, Leylin more or less understood the procedure of his entrance.

On the whole, this was like what he had previously envisaged, and would also explain why the other party's body had horrifying burn wounds—no matter how precise his calculations of the lava's weak points were, the flames and the high temperature were not something a rank 1 Magus could bear.

If he had not by chanced upon the Life Vined Fruit, he might have already become a charred corpse!

"Mmm! I already settled the inconvenience with the dark elves and dwarves. You can have this as a reward for being open with your information!" Leylin waved his hands and threw the Life Vined Fruit into Kubler's hands.

"Thank you, my Lord!" A tinge of gratitude appeared on Kubler's face.

To him, managing to keep his life had already been a huge reward. As for the fruit that was full of vitality, it was a welcome surprise.

Sizzle!* A few fine red blood vessels sprouted forth from his fingers, drilled into the insides of the fruit, and started to draw large amounts of life essence.

With a lively green radiance appearing on his body, his burn wounds recovered quickly. The scars gradually faded, eventually disappearing without a trace.

The scene reminded Leylin of the parasitic body of the Huge Mankestre Snake he had seen as an acolyte. The two seemed to have a certain level of similarity in their abilities.

Moreover, the method of directly drawing in vitality seemed to be inspired by the meditation techniques that could absorb others' spiritual force.

Of course, those were all small matters.

Having seen Kubler's state improving, Leylin then asked him about the Black Serpent emblem "Also, this symbol. What meaning does it actually have?"

"What? My lord actually doesn't know?" His response further surprised Leylin, but Kubler calmed down a moment after his reaction. "It doesn't matter, the bloodline cannot be faked."

After seeing Leylin's look of puzzlement, Kubler immediately explained to Leylin: "This is a symbol of our organisation—the Ouroboros Clan!"

"The Ouroboros Clan?" Leylin nodded, that name was indeed very vivid: "Is that an organisation of Bloodline Warlocks?"

"Yes! Furthermore, within the Ouroboros Clan, we only accept Warlocks who hold the bloodline of the Giant Kemoyin Serpent or its descendants!" Kubler answered very certainly.

"Additionally, a Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlock with great power, simply by joining the Ouroboros Clan, could instantly obtain a relatively high rank…" he added after shooting Leylin a glance.

"Since this is the case, then I have nothing much to hide!" Leylin laughed. "In actual fact, I too am a wandering Magus. I came to Twilight Zone by accident and chanced upon the inheritance of the Giant Kemoyin Serpent among historical remains! It was there that I first saw the symbol of the Ouroboros Clan!"

Leylin spoke honestly. Even though he spoke vaguely, and did not reveal any real details, Kubler was smart enough to not ask further.

On the contrary, he fed large amounts of information regarding the central continent to Leylin.

From this information, and records that he had obtained from ancient books, Leylin finally pieced together an image of the Sacred land of the Magi.

The central continent was the core of the Magus World. It spanned across a huge area, and had an abundance of precious resources!

There, official Magi were as common as the clouds, and rank 2 Magi were the elites! Rank 3 Magi were respected, although there were different ranks to them. Only Morning Star Magi truly held clout.

Organisations in the central continent needed a Morning Star Magus to oversee their development if they hoped to grow in power. Some small organisations were occasionally built by rank 2 or rank 3 Magi, but they were short-lived, typically being destroyed after a short period of time.

"You say we have Warlocks at the Morning Star realm overseeing the Ouroboros Clan?" Leylin was most interested in this.

After all, they were rank 4 Warlocks with the bloodline of Giant Kemoyin Serpents! This was clearly his path ahead!

"Yes!" Kubler was clearly very pleased with Leylin's usage of "we," with his tone and expressions being much intimate.

"Among the ranks of our Ouroboros Clan, the Grand Elder, Second Elder, and Third Elder have all reached rank 4. If they joined forces, they could even contend with a rank 5 Radiant Moon Magus! As a result, our Ouroboros Clan could be said to have some fame in the central continent!" Having said this, Kubler clearly felt proud.

"Rank 5! Radiant Moon Magus?" A doubtful expression crossed Leylin's face, and he asked Kubler to clarify the rankings of Magi after the Morning Star realm.

Official Magi had a total of 9 ranks, and they were respectively termed Magi from rank 1 to 9.

And for every 3 ranks, there would be an extremely large bottleneck.

From rank 1 Magi to rank 3 Magi, and from the rank 4 Magi to rank 6 Magi, and eventually rank 7 and above, the differences between them was extremely terrifying.

The central continent was slowly regaining the splendor of ancient times.

Not only were rank 4 Morning Star Magi becoming common, even rank 5 Radiant Moon Magi and rank 6 Breaking Dawn Magi would appear periodically.

Morning Star, Radiant Moon, and Breaking Dawn were the honorific titles of rank 4, 5 and 6 Magi respectively.

"Am I akin to a moon or sun?" Leylin laughed in his heart, "However, just a Morning Star Magus has a lifespan of more than a thousand years and possesses tremendous strength. The even greater glory and radiance rank 5 and 6 Grand Magi possess can be understood from just that…"

Kubler had not discovered Leylin's thoughts and continued to narrate, "I don't qualify to know about what comes after the Breaking Dawn realm. Moreover, the few Magi who are at rank 6 are all the most influential leaders of the central continent, and are titled our 'Kings!'"

"King of Magi? This term has a lot of meaning to it!" Leylin nodded.

"There are three main powers in the central continent. The Warlocks tied together by bloodlines, the Magus organisations that hold a lot of high-grade meditation techniques, and the Academies where various powers mingle with each other! Together, these three sets control over 70 percent of the resources and land of the entire continent. The rest is occupied by an assortment of human Magi and other species…"

With Kubler's description, a blueprint of the central continent gradually appeared in Leylin's mind.

Strange species! Large amounts of resources! High-ranked Magi! And a larger stage and space for improvement!

A flame ignited within Leylin's eyes, as well as an even stronger urge to immediately rush towards the central continent.

Immediately, he suppressed the desire and impulse.

"Alright! Now can you explain to me why you would risk your life to escape from the central continent?"

Leylin's eyes that radiated coldness glanced into Kubler's, which immediately made the latter feel a chill in his heart.

"Ac… Actually…" Kubler's did not look good. After which he knelt down before Leylin, and placed his forehead tightly on the ground.

"Lord Leylin! Please accept me as one of your henchmen!"

"What do you mean? Please explain yourself clearly!" Leylin's face remained unchanged. After which, he heard some untasteful stories from Kubler.

To put things simply, Kubler had offended someone in the Ouroboros Clan, which had left him with no choice but to leave. Now, he wished to obtain Leylin's protection so as to once again return.

Honestly speaking, from the looks of the central continent Magi, the subterranean world and other areas were all desolate. If not for the fact that he was forced into such circumstances, why would he willingly leave his hometown?

"Why do you think I can protect you?" Leylin desired to know. Before asking clearly, he would not easily promise anything.

"Of course! My lord has already achieved rank 3, and is a Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlock, with a bright future. How can people like us rival that?" Kubler said matter-of-factly, and had a faint tone of admiration and inferiority.

"This subordinate has offended a Black Horrall Snake Warlock, who has the potential to at most grow to rank 3. The high-ranked officers of the Ouroboros Clan would definitely not side with him…"

"Growth potential?" Leylin was alarmed and understood that he heard something extremely important.

"Does My lord not know yet?" Kubler, on the other hand, had already in favour of himself, changed his address of Leylin.

"The inheritance I obtained did not contain any object in this area, please detailedly explain!" Leylin's face looked upset. His heart had a bad omen.

"Yes! Subordinate will not hide anything!" Kubler's attitude was extremely upright, and he had started to follow the standards of vassals; Leylin could not be bothered to correct him.

As Kubler narrated, Leylin's face got gloomier, and eventually was like that of the sky before an imminent storm.

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Bloodline Shackles

Warlocks were a branch of ancient Magi, and possessed enormous strength as a result of their bloodlines.

Warlocks of a rank not only had all the abilities a regular Magus of that rank held, but also the amplification of their bloodline. Their powers greatly surpassed those of regular Magi.

Why couldn't such a powerful branch dominate the Magus World? Why, instead, did they lay low in the South Coast and Twilight Zone, with even the central continent only containing a small number of them?

All of this could be attributed to their main problem—the shackles of their bloodlines!

According to Kubler, unlike Magi who could continuously improve, the advancement of Warlocks was largely dependent on the bloodline they inherited.

That was to say that, for a Huge Mankestre Snake Warlock like Kubler, because of the bounds of his bloodline, he was destined to never advance further after being an official Magus! No amount of effort could promote him to rank 2! This, was the shackles of a bloodline!

Similarly, the peak of a Black Horrall Snake Warlock's development was rank 3! Such a Warlock would never enter the Morning Star realm!

For a Kemoyin Giant Serpent Warlock like Leylin, even though his pure bloodline could support him in his advancement to rank 2 and rank 3, it was of little effect against the obstacles to becoming a Morning Star Magus.

Moreover, after advancing to a Morning Star, he too would lose his potential to advance. It was impossible for a Warlock to alter his own bloodline, and hence there were nearly no solutions to this problem!

In reality, Magi like Leylin could be considered to be quite fortunate. After all, Morning Star Magi still held some clout even in the central continent.

The more miserable ones were Warlocks who could not even advance to become official Magi, due to the limits of their bloodlines! For instance, if Kubler had used a young Mankestre Snake instead of a matured one, then his entire life would be spent with him as an acolyte. No matter how great his talent was, it would be useless!

Having heard all this, even Leylin who had considerable knowledge broke out in a cold sweat.

Initially, if he had coveted convenience and directly used the blood of the Black Horrall Snake to advance, he might have been restricted to being a rank 3 Magus, and lost any hope of progression!

And now? Although Kubler had said that the limits of his potential were that of a rank 4 Warlock, at least it was better than before.

Moreover, even in ancient times, Morning Star Magi were prominent figures. With their strength, they were likely to have interacted with regions on a broader scale than a rank 3 Magus. As a result, there might already have been some solutions to this!

Lastly, there was still the rich resources of the Icy World and the legendary Snake Dowager, which presented a gleam of hope!

Due to Leylin's confidence in himself, he was only somewhat dispirited before he recovered.

He thought back to what had come up when he obtained the Kemoyin's Pupil meditation technique: "All those who walk on the path of bloodlines will eventually be shackled by the very bloodline itself…"

The line had baffled him then, and had left him with an ominous premonition. From the looks of it now, though, it was a reference to the shackles of a Warlock's bloodline.

"At that time, Great Magus Serholm was cultivating the Giant Kemoyin Serpent bloodline. He had conducted a lot of experiments on bloodlines, perhaps this was why…" Leylin thought of this again.

Very evidently, even in the Circle of Ouroboros, Warlocks of different bloodlines have different positions.

The Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlocks held the highest status, to the point that some pureblood Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlocks could merely rely on time to elapse and enter rank 3 automatically in a few hundred years. They even had the hopes of becoming Morning Star Magi.

As a result, pureblood Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlocks like these would be elite royalty in the Circle of Ouroboros. Viewed as future Morning Star seeds, they were protected and nurtured.

On the other hand, the Black Horrall Snake Warlocks had a bloodline limit of rank 3, and would forever not be able to improve. However, in any case, they relied on the strength of their bloodline and did not have any problems advancing to be rank 2 Magi. There was a possibility to become rank 3 as well, so they ranked just after Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlocks.

As for Huge Mankestre Snake Warlocks like Kubler? They were a bunch with the most miserable status, only slightly better than the acolyte Warlocks. Even rank 3 Warlocks with a slightly better bloodline would look down on them.

This wasn't intentional. Just a result of differences in strength.

Hence, for higher status and better treatment, many lower ranked Warlocks chose to go under the wings of Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlocks, forming the relationship of a master and vassal. This was how Warlock clans came to be.

Kubler had detected the bloodline resonance of Leylin's Giant Kemoyin Serpent bloodline, and immediately sold himself to Leylin in exchange for protection.

Upon hearing that, Leylin sighed internally. "Looks like no matter where you are, as long as any organisations exist, there will be a hierarchy of power and unfairness, exploitation and oppression!"

Having seen Kubler's nervous and hopeful expression, he laughed weakly: "I, Leylin Farlier, accept you as my vassal! I hope you'll be able to abide by the rules of our master-servant contract! The prestige and status of the family of Leylin Farlier…"

"As you wish, Master! From now on, your wish is my command, as witnessed by this drop of blood!"

Kubler's face was solemn. He cut his hand, and smeared the bright red blood with a tinge of yellow on his forehead, kowtowing low.

Bam!* After he paid his respects, Leylin instantly felt a contracted connection, the bloodline contract. To him, there were few restrictions, but the impact on Kubler was much greater.

Originally, Leylin could only hint at and impact Kubler to a small extent through his high-level bloodline. With the contract having taken effect, that influence was amplified. Even if Leylin were to order Kubler to die, Kubler would probably have to follow the orders!

"This control of a higher rank has over a lower rank is this strong?" Having seen this point, Leylin did not experience any joy, but instead, fear had arisen in his heart.

Since the Giant Kemoyin Serpent was a species with a snake bloodline, should it meet a snake species of a higher rank, or even the Snake Dowager, the other party could easily butcher it!

"No! Absolutely not! My will is mine alone!" Leylin shouted violently in his head, and even resolved himself secretly.

Even though he had many considerations, from Kubler's point of view, Leylin was merely mildly startled before accepting his oath.

"Master, I arrived at this point from the spurting of the lava, this is the map and the site of the volcano!"

After Kubler got up, he immediately passed on a map to Leylin with both hands.

"Are you in a hurry?" Leylin looked at the map; at the top, there was labelled a curvy path. In the upper region were more detailed lava sites. The only drawback was that there were damages and stains in some areas, which could not be seen clearly.

"Master, I made use of the dormancy of the volcano to get here. Large amounts of the lava had solidified into pathways to this place. If we are to get out, we must rush to do it before the volcano erupts. If not, large amounts of lava will block the pathways. This conditions will only last a few days. If we miss this opportunity, we will have to wait for at least a hundred years…

Kubler's thoughts naturally would not be able to keep Leylin in the dark, hence he just said it out directly.

Even though he had just arrived here, he already disdained the nasty conditions of Twilight Zone. Not only was the energy particle concentration here much lower than that of the central continent, the resources were also much poorer.

For instance, the Vitality Fruitvine might not have been common in the central continent, but rank 3 acolytes could get a hold of them. It wasn't big enough for official Magi to fight each other over.

Seeing his longing to return, Leylin's anticipation towards the central continent immediately increased.

The prosperity of the central continent seemed to have exceeded his expectations. The description even contained traces of the golden age of the ancient Magi.

"This can come later. First, I'll go check out where you came from…" Leylin stroked his chin and kept the map.

Even though he had decided to proceed towards the central continent, there were many things to settle in Twilight Zone as well.

After all, in a guild as big as Nature's Alliance, there were a lot of vested interests. Also, were Leylin to disappear, the human race would be thrown into chaos, and this might even extend to beings of other species.

Bloop! Bloop!* This was a huge lava lake. Large amounts of fresh red lava continuously boiled to the top, radiating heat. The lava at the central had grown so hot it was golden-yellow, the glow of the ripples captivating even in its danger.

"This high temperature," Leylin's face slightly changed, "I'm afraid that even with my defense I could withstand it for ten hours at most!"

Above the lake was a giant hole. It was pitch black, with no exit in sight, but there were traces of wind howls transmitting out from it.

"Above us is the main entrance towards the giant volcanic mountain range. Normally, the lava level is so high that it covers the entrance. Only once in a hundred years, during the short dormancy, does it drop down low enough to travel through…" Kubler explained.

"I know!" Leylin's body rose into mid-air, as he felt the edges of the cave. A strange feeling of a solid glow with a tinge of heat was transmitted over.

After being immersed in large amounts of lava, the surface of the rock was not composed as it was before. It had become an alloy of metal and crystal.

"We need to make the most of the time we have! If not, we won't be able to make it back to the surface of the earth before the lava engulfs the area!" Kubler's expression looked peculiar. Similarly, he had not thought that having just arrived at this place, he would have to journey back again.

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Planning For The Afterlife

"No, don't worry! I have better plans!"

Leylin smiled faintly: "Furthermore, I still have some things to settle here…."

Kubler's heart was too full of worry. He wondered whether his Lord was going to wait a hundred years for the next cycle.

Mankestre Bloodline Warlocks like him did not have a long lifespan. He could, at most, last two or three hundred years. A hundred years was, to him, a significant portion of his lifespan!

But… Kubler looked at the man whom he now served. As a vassal, the Lord has the last say, so what more could he do than laugh bitterly?

"I'll be heading out for a while. Stay here and monitor the lava flow data, and contact me periodically using our secret imprints. In the meanwhile, use the special rocks here to make one of these. All you have to do is follow this blueprint!"

A fluorescent blue light flashed in Leylin's eyes. It took him but a moment to form a design and imprint it into a crystal ball.

Kubler's face changed slightly as he received it, and he respectfully lowered his head. "Yes, my Lord!"

"Alright!" Moments after the order was given, Leylin transformed into a dark silhouette and disappeared.

A black streak pierced through the sky, creating friction with the air and leaving behind an ear-piercing screech.

Even if he had time to prepare, it was running out, so it was important to make the most of it!

Nature's Alliance, North Twilight Zone.

Celine sat behind the huge and luxurious office table and stretched lazily, revealing her perfect curves.

Although doing irksome corrections and office affairs every day was very troublesome, she found the tiring job enjoyable.

It made every cell in her body shiver with excitement — and even made her slightly moist down below — every time she thought about how every word she put to paper, even every sentence she uttered, would make a big difference to the fates of numerous acolytes and even Magi.

"But it is a pity that my position here is not fully secured…." Celine glanced at her flat and smooth abdomen, a rather reluctant expression on her face.

"What's wrong? Are you still grumbling that you're not with child?"

The voice of a young man suddenly sounded from inside the office.

"Ra… Radiant Guardian!"

When the other female Magi and office administrators saw Leylin, they could not contain the excitement in their eyes. Files were overturned and cups of tea spilled as they rushed to bow.

"Mmm!" Leylin said as he nodded and waved.

All the Magi except Celine left the office quickly, completely silent.

"Yes!" Celine looked into Leylin's eyes without fear.

Although the mental state of this impeccably handsome man was rather decent, his attire was somewhat dusty and messy.

'Could this be the aftermath of rushing and being nervous?' As a keen and observant woman, Celine immediately realized this…

"Leylin, you're currently standing at the peak of Twilight Zone. One step and you can turn the entirety of it into a Magus kingdom, and pass it on through the generations!" Celine's voice held a mixture of excitement and confusion, "A child! All you need is a child! An inheritor to your power!"

Her eyes clouded up as she hugged Leylin.

If it was the past, Leylin definitely would not hesitate to argue with her over it. But now, Celine noticed the calm in Leylin's eyes; calm like the still waters of an old well.

A realization hit Celine, making her immediately sink into immense fear. The day she loses Leylin's affection would be the day she loses everything. This was also the reason why she strongly wished to bear Leylin's child.

Even as she struggled to think of a method to show her affection, Leylin's next words beat her down into the abyss.

"I have to go!"

"You're going?" Celine was feeling slightly giddy, "Where to?"

"I'm leaving this place! Leaving Twilight Zone!" Leylin paused at every word, making sure Celine heard everything clearly.

"Are you mad? Why do you want to leave this place? You're the king here! You're my sun and my star. You are my everything…."

What would happen once Leylin leaves? The mere thought of scenarios that might happen if he followed through with his words made Celine sink into extreme fear. She hugged Leylin tightly, tears flashing at the corners of her eyes.

And yet, Leylin cruelly pushed her away, his hand cold as steel.

Celine calmed down and gazed at the emotionless Leylin.

"As you know, I'm actually not even a Magus of Twilight Zone, it was all an accident!" Leylin slowly said.

Regarding his history, after going through so many interactions and investigations, this woman had probably speculated a lot already.

Sure enough, Celine's face remained unchanged and she evidently did not feel surprised.

"I seek the pinnacle of the Magus world. The scene of different worlds from the top will be the most beautiful view one could ever hope for… So I cannot stop advancing. I must continue forward until I achieve my goal! I believe you too can understand this!"

Leylin looked into the depths of Celine's eyes.

At this moment, Celine had already completely calmed down. 'Or rather, was it all just an act before?' Leylin's thoughts stopped here as he couldn't help but secretly feel a little annoyed.

"I do! I've always known that when this place is can no longer fulfill your requirements any further, you would leave. I fully understand that, but I never thought that our separation would be this quick, or in this manner!"

Celine chuckled bitterly as she combed through her messy hair.

"Fate is unpredictable!" Leylin tried to hide the news about the central continent. "Plus, I've also made appropriate arrangements!"

"What arrangements? I can't keep the other races and rank 2 Magi in check. Even I rose the ranks to the peak with your help, I'm only a rank 1 Magus, not someone they'll listen to!" Celine was indeed very realistic and had already accepted the reality of Leylin leaving and was already planning her own future.

Swish!* Leylin flicked his finger and a black ray of light penetrated the window, landing on the huge black stone sculpture in the plaza in front of the teaching block.

Buzz!* The sculpture started trembling and a thin barrier of light flickered at the top.

"I left some of my aura on this sculpture. As long as my main body doesn't die, this barrier of light will never dissipate… Believe in the deterrence of this rank 3 Magus and you'll still be able to continue for a very long time!"

Other than being a clear indicator of whether he was dead or alive, there was absolutely nothing else that was useful about this aura.

But as long as the Magi of Twilight Zone knew that Leylin was still alive somewhere, he would be a terrifying deterrence to them. And this was a way of assuring that the relations and power he left behind still existed!

"Good! What else?" Celine's voice finally contained some hope.

"These!" Leylin handed her a few fine, white crystal chips.

"These are some spirit sources that I control: Iren, Gogoer and a few Rank 2 Magi! As long as they're in your hands, there will never come a day where they betray you!"

These Magi were the core strength of Nature's Alliance. In fact, as long as Celine had them under her control, the entirety of Nature's Alliance would be subject to her manipulation.

As long as there was no internal conflict, Nature's Alliance was the most powerful in the entire Twilight Zone. Even if Leylin suddenly went missing and caused a stir, it would not affect Nature's Alliance too much.

After all, this was still Leylin's backup plan. He still had the treasures of the Icy World waiting to be excavated and he would not give up on them so easily. This was also the reason why Leylin specially rushed back to prepare. Celine herself wasn't an important enough reason for him to return.

"Besides, when I disappear, you can simply claim that I've gone to a secret facility for research. Anyway, it's common for high-rank Magi to spend a decade on research, no?"

"Alright, good bye!" Leylin finally said and left.

This was similar to how a person working at an office would act before leaving every morning. Leylin simply left after a few words, not at all like someone who was going to leave for someplace far away.

In any case, Leylin had already seen Celine for who she was: a woman whose heart will never truly be moved. She was just calculative and thirsty for power. Looking at her suppressed excitement as she held the spirit sources, she must have already been rejoicing on the inside.

"Hold on! This will not be the last time right? What I said before was true, I will take care of your bloodlines, and turn them into the Guardian of the next generation…" Celine bit her lower lip.

"I'm sorry. I don't have much time!" Leylin's figure transformed into a black ray of light and he shot into mid-air, disappearing into the horizon in a flash.

Leylin understood Celine's plans very well.

Bloodlines of high-leveled Magi were hard to come by. Furthermore, he progressed incredibly fast. Celine thought that his bloodline was from an ancient, fearful creature. Hence, she wanted him to leave some of his seeds behind.

In actual fact, Leylin was now a first generation Bloodline Warlock. The blood descendants he left behind would also have the Kemoyin's Bloodline and would naturally be Warlocks! With a bit of nurturing, they would be unbelievably strong!

But why would Leylin do that? Even when he fooled around with numerous girls before, he had secretly controlled his secretion and made sure not to leave any descendants behind.

A clink sounded in Celine's hands as Leylin walked away, leaving behind remnants of a delicate gold cup.

She always had great confidence in her charm and knowledge, but looking at the situation now, it seemed like Leylin did not have the slightest bit of concern towards her. This hurt her pride badly.

But a smile crept onto her face once again as she stared at the huge number of spirit sources in her palms.

Now that Leylin had left, the power of Nature's Alliance truly lied in her hands! A wave of happiness drowned her heart as her face flushed.

Everything had happened just as how Leylin had predicted. Under Celine's leadership, Nature's Alliance naturally became stronger.

Though there was unrest in the Twilight Zone for the 10 years after Leylin's absence, it would still be contained.

This, too, was related to Leylin's prior subjugation of the power-hungry Twilight Zone Magi and the major powers of other races.

Gradually, the tales of Radiant Guardian Leylin turned into a legend. As for Leylin, a new journey was just beginning for him…

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The Central Continent

Magma roiled around like water in a rough sea, emitting heat waves that swept across, a hint of the incredible power beneath.

A sheet of golden liquid lay at its center, as if a lake within the lake. However, this magnificent sheet could stop Magi in their steps.

Above the lava lay a giant passage, tiny voices sounding from it now and then. The rock around this passage was very hard, and no one knew where it led.

Swish!* A silhouette appeared on the shores of the lake. The light dispersed to show a very young Magus, his long black hair tied up casually and his skin fine and smooth. His handsome face was filled with the dignity of a ruler.

This was naturally Leylin, but his robe was currently a little dusty. The hurried round trip had drained him.

"My Lord!" a middle-aged Magus with bronze skin saluted.

"Are you finished?" Leylin asked casually.

"Yes! Please follow me!" Kubler led Leylin to a hole he'd dug near the lake.

A giant ball lay at the center. The dark ball seemed to made of stone, its surface was a glossy black. On a side of the ball was a door which revealed that it was hollow.

"According to your blueprint and orders, all parts were made from the hardest layer of this metamorphic rock to bear the high temperature of the central magma. The joints were even reinforced by runes…" He reported at Leylin's side like a loyal servant.

He didn't even mention the difficulty in collecting the rock and casting it into shape.

"Good job!" Leylin nodded, looking at the runes inside the ball with surprise.

This Mankestre bloodline Warlock was much better than he'd expected at alchemy.

"No, it's my pleasure to serve my lord, there is no trouble at all!" Kubler saluted humbly with his hands crossed before his chest.

This sort of respect was expected in front of Magi with higher bloodlines. Kubler had grown used to it during his time in the Ouroboros Clan.

"The lava lake is becoming more active recently. I'm afraid this means that it's about to erupt!"

At that time, the place would be flooded with lava, blocking the entirety of the passage.

Kubler had come down here when the volcano was dormant, and had still suffered horrific burns. This had left him in fear of the lava. Although he went with his lord's plan, he was still worried. However, the servant had no right to make the final decision. He could only make suggestions and had to follow his master's orders.

"I understand. The eruption will occur in an hour and 23 minutes. Prepare yourself!" With the A.I. Chip's ability to observe and forecast the eruption, Leylin knew the timing much better than Kubler did.

He had run this plan by his A.I. Chip's calculations, and the success rate was over 90%. Why would he risk his life if not?

More than an hour later…

A black ball was floating on the red lava as if it was in the water.

Kubler sat inside with Leylin, face pale. Watching the lava outside through a magic screen, he stammered out, "My… my Lord, this plan is too dangerous!"

Once the ball was crushed, they would be devoured by endless lava! Even if he was a Magus, this kind of horrifying death made him shiver.

"Calm down!" Leylin stared at lava outside calmly.

Blub! Blub!* The lava had reached its boiling point, and the whole cave began to tremble, dust falling off the walls.

[Beep! Eruption will occur in 10, 9, 8…]

The A.I. Chip had begun the final countdown.

"Now!" Leylin's eyes flashed, and the terrifying strength of a rank 3 Magus burst forth.

"Freeze!" With his hands as the centre, a layer of deep blue ice spread out along the walls. Cracking sounds rang out as this phenomenon soon extended to the outside, enveloping the ball in ice.

This ice was so cold even the boiling lava could not melt it. White vapours arose as the two surfaces came into contact.

"This can earn us some time!" Leylin said with a smile, and then looked at the screen of the A.I. Chip.

[3! 2! 1! Critical limit reached!]

Boom!* With the prompt of the A.I. Chip, Leylin and Kubler felt tremors envelop the ball. It was like they had entered the body of a terrifying ancient monster, and that monster had woken up with a thundering roar!

"AAAAAAH!" Kubler screamed with fear, his hands waving around as he struggled to find something to hold on to.

Then, he felt a force that could be from the explosion of the universe as a huge impulse hit the bottom of the rock ball. The lava rose into the sky like a dragon taking flight, except this dragon had a small rock ball on the front.

Lava surrounded them and rushed into the passage. The ball shook continuously as it hit wall after wall, but what frightened Kubler to death was instead the high gravity!

As the ball had rushed up like a rocket, the two inside dealt with an equally large gravitational force.

The intense force pulled at Kubler's skin, making him feel like he was being bitten all over by ants. The pain made him lie on the ground like a frog, and he felt like if he wasn't a Warlock with a strengthened body, he would have died long ago.

Booms sounded out and the trembling continued. The terrifying power of nature made Kubler feel like a tiny ant. All he could do now was pray; pray for an early release from this torment, pray that this rock ball would hold out

Thumps and explosive noises continued to sound out. This was a giant volcanic range, and today its central volcano had accumulated enough pressure to erupt.

Masses of black smog were ejected into the sky, forming a sea of gray clouds that shrouded the nearby lands in darkness.

Rivulets of lava flowed down the mountain slopes, looking like arteries on flesh.

BOOM!* Finally, with a huge explosion that caused an earthquake, the volcano erupted.

It was as if heaven and earth were torn asunder, and the world was ruined. Red lava, dotted with gold, burst into the sky transforming into countless fire dragons that flew in every direction.

Fire raged, and explosions rang forth even as the earth quaked. It was like armageddon.

Amidst this terrifying lava were multiple rocks. Boulders that were as large as hills hit the ground with great force, cracking the earth underneath and ruining everything around them.

Bang!* Among the countless boulders in the sky was one rock with a particularly regular shape.

This rock ball streaked across the ground, leaving behind it a long track of burnt black. The surface of the ball was still a dull red, as if it was ready to melt any moment.

The ball soon began to crack apart, and a portion was thrown off with a bang, revealing a hollow interior.

"So this is the central continent ?" Leylin came out of the ball, exhaling a breath that was as hot as fire itself.

The hellish scene nearby did not affect him. Instead, he was filled with delightful anticipation. "The central continent, here I come." he murmured in his mind.

It took a while for Kubler to slowly crawl out of the ball, coughing. His body was in a mess, with some burn marks on it.

The layer of ice Leylin had made had been thawed within a few dozen seconds of the eruption. Afterwards, the rock ball had heated up to extremely high temperatures. They would have been roasted had they not been Magi.

"Exciting! This is so exciting!" After retching for a while, Kubler wiped his sweat off, fear in his eyes.

"Relax! We got out safely, didn't we?" Leylin turned back and smiled. "It's quite fair for us to pay a small price for concentrating a day's journey into a few minutes!"

"Yes, my Lord!" Kubler could do nothing but smile.

"So is this the central continent?" Seeing Kubler collect himself, Leylin wanted to confirm it with him.

"Yes!" Kubler said even as his expression turned complicated, "This is the Mt. Asura of the central continent. The land that we are standing on now is undoubtedly of the central continent."

……

Three days later, in a small town.

A giant gleaming revolving gate swung around as carriages and people wearing strange clothes passed by, some of them official Magi.

Leylin was sitting in a hotel room, the pudding and juice in front of him all but untouched. He was staring outside with a dreamy gaze.

At that time, the door was opened with a thump and Kubler stepped in.

"My Lord! I've bought tickets for an airship heading to the Black River Domain that leaves tomorrow morning! In at most four days, we will arrive at the headquarters of the Ouroboros Clan!" His voice was tinted with excitement.

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Airship Network

"Hmm!" Leylin nodded his head inattentively.

"I see many Magi here!" He pointed to the outside.

A Magus who was dressed like a wandering poet was playing a pipe organ. A group of residents were watching and cheering him on.

"Yes! Over here, official Magi often mingle amongst the commoners and the residents know them very well too…" Kubler explained to Leylin. "In the central continent, the Magi and nobility communicate in the Byron language. Hence, my Lord, you do not need to worry about a language barrier. In fact, here are some materials about the central continent and a few variants of maps as well as information about communication. "

Kubler respectfully handed over a crystal ball filled with information to Leylin.

For a Magus to learn the Byron language was compulsory. Thus, Leylin and Kubler could communicate the moment they met. They could understand each other immediately.

Leylin helped himself to a scoop of dessert.

A rich, fragrant, and sweet flavour excited his taste buds, "Nice delicate food, looks like the lifestyles of the commoners in the central continent are better than in Twilight Zone….."

"Naturally. This is the central continent, the core of the Magus world!" Kubler exclaimed with a hint of pride. Leylin smiled and shook his head.

Even if the seven layers of the subterranean world did not agree with such a statement, during the ancient past of the central continent, there was at least a rank 7 Magus overseeing it.

But now? Only a slight hint of their past glory had been restored.

As for this problem, Leylin did not want to do anything about it. After all, the current situation in the central continent might suit him better.

After a night of good rest, Leylin and Kubler headed towards a location outside of the city.

The busy road there was filled with horse carriages and other means of transportation. Loads of luggage and goods were being transported on them and the place looked prosperous.

In addition, every passerby on the street had some level of energy undulations on them. There were very few commoners present.

Leylin and Kubler crossed the wide and sturdy road and saw what looked like a futuristic airport. There were many white oval-shaped airships at the huge flat field, some taking off and others landing. A throng of people moved in and out of them like an army of ants.

Some of the airships were towing truckloads of goods, with workers calling out to their partners to off-load the cargo and luggage. The scene was hot, busy, and messy.

The central continent was huge, its lands vast and boundless. Ground transport was not only slow, but it was also much more dangerous. Hence, airships had become their common mode of transportation.

Even within the small section of a city, there was an airship docking point with a few Magi and acolytes on duty manning it.

Their responsibilities included maintaining law and order in the city and the maintenance and repair of airships.

On top of that, there was a pool of specially trained engineers for the job. With bodies as thin as a match, bulging eyes and balding heads, Leylin saw them working between the bases of the airships and the tunnels with spanners and other tools in their hands.

Construction cost and maintenance fees for such airships were very high. Still, as long as the air route was secure, there were profits to be made. It was a case of large investments yielding great profits. And such investments could only be made by Magi who possessed great wealth.

The airships of the south coast were smaller than the ones here. Their air routes were limited and their flying times were regulated. They simply could not be compared to those from the central continent.

"Who is behind these various air routes?" Leylin asked Kubler in a soft tone.

A single airship ticket in an ordinary cabin cost one hundred magic crystals. For Leylin and Kubler, who naturally chose to travel in the superior cabin, their journey alone had cost them six hundred magic crystals.

Fortunately, Leylin was rich and imposing as he had control of an entire region's resources. Money came easily at his beck and call. He had an abundance of magic crystals, so he would naturally not be a scrooge.

Even though Leylin had the great support of Twilight Zone's resources, when he compared himself to the enormous airship business, he felt that he was still lacking.

"The central continent's entire airship route is single-handedly managed by the Fallor Family, it is their private property!"

"Private property?" Leylin was shocked, and immediately asked, " Who is the Magus on their side?"

Such enormous benefits that included crucial traffic involvements, if their background was not up to par, they wouldn't have been able to manage such a thing.

And for the Fallor Family to dominate the entire continent until now, surely their support was a formidable one.

"The Fallor Family themselves have two Morning Star Magi. Of course, it doesn't count for much. The crucial one who has their back is the Monarch of the Skies!"

"Monarch of the Skies? Breaking Dawn Magus?" Leylin nodded his head.

With a Magus who stood at the pinnacle of the central continent devouring those deals, the Fallor Family were basically relegated to housekeepers. The actual one who had the control over the entire airship's business was the Monarch of the Skies after all.

"Yes, under the rule of the prestigious and intimidating Monarch of the Skies, the safety of the airships is guaranteed," Kubler remarked, a ray of yearning in his eyes.

Rank 6 Magus! This was the highest level in the central continent! Every single action of his would affect the lives of innumerable Magi underneath!……

……

Woosh* With the whirring of the wind, the airship retracted its anchors, and it started to drifting upwards into the sky.

Leylin stood on the deck enjoying the wind, a pleased look in his eyes and a smile on his face.

With a mix of sunshine and the taste of fresh green grass, the cool wind blew and lingered around him.

"It's been too long! Too long! I have not been under the sun for so long…."

Leylin looked at the blue and white sky and the golden rays of sunlight. Momentarily, he felt emotional.

Although there were sun stones and spells of everlasting light in Twilight Zone, they were artificial after all. They could never be compared to the the light and warmth the natural sun gave.

Those who lived in Twilight Zone for a long time constantly faced a land and sky made of thick black rock. It left them depressed, and on occasion could lead to serious problems as well.

Even though Leylin didn't have such misfortune, he did not want to risk it anymore. He never wanted to leave the luxurious space and experience the radiance of the actual sun brought again.

Those constantly under the sun would never understand the others who had been in the dark and who looked forward to its natural radiance!

As the airship picked up speed, the airflow on the deck increased tremendously, enough to blow away an adult.

Of course, in such a situation, Leylin was unfazed and couldn't hear the announcement made for everyone to retreat to their rooms. He allowed the strong winds to envelop him all around.

"Very beautiful, isn't it ?"

A sweet female voice was heard. Leylin turned to his right and saw a young lady holding tightly to the railing. She was tip-toeing and attempting to gaze at the scenery beneath.

Beneath them, past the sea of clouds, patches of farmland and crops could be seen. The windmills appeared to be toy-sized and the outline of the city far away. Tiny dots of black were moving about on the roads.

The young female Magus was not frustrated that Leylin ignored her, instead she started to ask more questions.

"What kind of power do you possess? Where do you intend to go? Do you like the flower cape jasmine? I like staffs made of walnut, I believe they enhance my magic power, and they smell nice too…" She chirped on like a sparrow, asking a chain of questions.

"You…" Leylin rolled his eyes and was about to speak up when another voice spoke from behind him.

"Jessia, What are you doing?"

Leylin turned around. A young Magus wearing a golden white robe with a red ruby emblem on it walked towards them, anger hidden in his eyes.

"No… nothing… I am just out here looking around…" Jessia pulled back her head, looking pitiful.

"Since you are done looking, head back in now! It is dangerous out here!" The youth repressed the smile on his face.

"Sir Leylin, I'll look for you next time!" Jessia waved while walking away, and the youth was clearly displeased.

He looked at Leylin, his lip parted to speak, but did not do so. He shot a darting look filled with warning towards Leylin and turned to walk back into the cabin.

"Ridiculous!" Leylin shook his head in disbelief.

He knew the young female Magus had used him as a human shield and he had negative Impressions towards both of them.

It was clearly evident that they had not discovered Leylin's hidden undulating energy, hence one regarded him as a saviour, yet another unknowingly did not dare to challenge him.

"Kubler, come here!" Leylin looked at secret imprint on his hand.

"Master! What are your instructions?" Kubler got onto the deck swiftly and replied respectfully with a bow.

"Do you know this symbol?" Leylin projected an image of the red ruby emblem that the young Magus was wearing.

Judging from the proud persona of the young Magus wearing the ruby red emblem on his chest, Leylin suspected it could be the symbol of a powerful Magus. Unfortunately, he had no idea at all and had to endure the critical look from him.

Luckily, following Leylin along this journey was a Magus from the central continent, who was knowledgeable and was able to answer many of his questions.

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Engaged

"This is the crest of the Rolithe Family!" Kubler took a quick glance and concluded.

He knew that his master was not of the central continent and knew nothing about this matter. He went on to explain, "The Rolithe Family is a rather famous Magus Family in the Black River region. It's said that there's a rank 3 Magus in charge there!"

"A rank 3 Magus? What stage is he at?" Leylin asked on.

Rank 3 was a period where one prepared to become a rank 4 Morning Star Magus. It took a long time and was extremely difficult to cross. Within it, there were a few smaller stages, and each stage meant a large difference in strength for Magi.

For instance, a rank 3 Magus at the Vapour Phase was definitely capable of suppressing a few Magi who had yet to reach that stage.

"All information regarding the strongest Magi is confidential. We subordinates know very little about it…" A look of shame appeared on Kubler's face.

"But that Magus Rolithe once won against a rank 3 Vapour Phase challenger, so his might cannot be underestimated."

"Is that so? I understand." Leylin seemed absent-minded. As long as his opponent was not at the Hydro Phase or above, he was confident in his abilities.

"It's all up to you now. I hope you won't continue to provoke me, or else…" Leylin lowered his head, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.

The first class cabin not only had individual rooms but also had the luxury of a dining hall with fine wine, all included in the ticket price.

After all, given the value of magic crystals, normal food and drink were all very cheap.

Only precious ingredients and high-energy beings could be used to make delicacies that were effective for Magi. That was why they were sold at such a high price.

"Sit, Kubler." Leylin sat down at a round table with a white tablecloth spread over it without asking anyone and then called Kubler over.

Kubler bowed respectfully, and seated himself at the edge of the seat, not daring to get comfortable.

He was now a retainer of Leylin and was similar to a high-grade servant. It was natural that he acted respectfully, lest he be punished by his owner.

Leylin noticed this and sighed inside.

Kubler's behaviour showed how rigid the hierarchal system in the Ouroboros Clan was.

Luckily, he was not only a Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlock with a pure bloodline but also a rank 3 Magus. The moment he went there, he would be considered one of the higher-ups and would not have to suffer.

"The fourth level of Kemoyin's Pupil, as well as information regarding the shackles of bloodline! I have to obtain them from the Ouroboros Clan." Leylin schemed.

Though he had successfully simulated the level of Kemoyin's Pupil through the A.I. Chip and information regarding multiple meditation techniques in Twilight Zone, he was not that confident. Hence, he still had an intense desire for the original.

High-grade meditation techniques were usually not for training the body. They also related to a modification of the spirit, and this was something the A.I. Chip would not be able to calculate.

Just like Sacred Flame before, the A.I. Chip had made changes, but there were a few issues during the experimentation stage with the guinea pigs. Leylin did not want a repeat of this disaster, especially since this was not going to be on any guinea pig but himself!

"Mister, do you need anything?" At this moment, a waitress in black, low-cut maid attire with white socks arrived in front of Leylin's table, asking respectfully.

Leylin opened the menu and took a look. There were all sorts of dishes, and they could be considered quite sumptuous. "Give me a calf steak and cider. As for Kubler, ask him yourself."

The atmosphere in the dining hall was not half bad either, with warm light from a crystal lamp and a pleasing fragrance from the fresh flowers on the table.

At a corner of the dining hall, they had even placed a bard who was currently performing.

Even Leylin felt like he had made a good choice in spending those magic crystals!

"Mister Leylin!" After the fresh calf steak was brought out, Leylin arranged the napkin and, with a knife and fork in each hand, sliced up the steak that was emanating steam. The calf steak here was of a good quality, and the chef had also spent great effort on it. The moment the fork and knife made contact with the steak, boiling gravy gushed out.

Just as Leylin raised his wineglass and was about to enjoy himself, he heard a voice like that of a skylark.

He looked aside and found Jessia, who had seen before, waving her arms with all her might, while that Rolithe's face was as sour as a lemon.

"Oh!" Leylin greeted casually, and then turned his attention to his own food.

However, it was evident that the other party had no intentions of letting him off. Lifting her skirt, Jessia ran over in little steps, sitting right beside Leylin.

"Mister Leylin, do you like cider? In the Jessia Family, there's a bottle that's not bad in our cellar…"

"Even if you're looking for a shield, does it have to be me?" Leylin raised his head gloomily, taking a look around.

He then found out that he really was the only choice she had. After reaching the rank 1, Magi could use energy particle radiation and alter their appearances, retaining their young, bright looks.

There were very few geniuses who, like Leylin and Jessia, had become official Magi before the age of 20.

Many rose to rank 1 after fifty, and female Magi obviously wanted to retain their most youthful and beautiful looks. On the other hand, many male Magi chose to keep their image at the time they advanced.

Hence, in the Magus World, there were old and young male Magi, but most female Magi were around twenty to thirty years old in terms of their looks. There were few who presented themselves as old women.

In the dining hall Leylin was situated in, it was not that there were no official Magi, but most of them were middle-aged or elderly men. The few young acolytes and the like did not dare flirt with official Magi or rival anyone for the affection of the people around.

Thinking about it, it seemed like Jessia's best choice was Leylin.

Firstly, though she could not tell Leylin's strength, he was definitely an official Magus. That was the most important thing! Next, Leylin was young and rather handsome, which was enough for other men to get mad at.

However, towards this unexpected luck with women and the calamity it could cause, Leylin rolled his eyes.

"Can I sit here?" At this moment, the young man whose expression was dark also arrived.

Leylin nodded and watched as he sat by Jessia's side, much to her visible displeasure.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Nolan, Nolan Rolithe! This is my fiancee, Miss Jessia!"

Nolan laughed slightly, putting emphasis on the words 'Rolithe' and 'fiancee'.

"En! Honestly, this engaged couple is quite compatible! Both are just as young and full of talent!" Leylin nodded.

Through their conversation, the aura and waves that were unwittingly emitted, and even their eyes helped him deduce their general age.

Usually speaking, this would be a perfect pair, but it was a pity that the female did not seem satisfied with this wedding.

Though there were two extra members here to disrupt things, Leylin was able to enjoy his meal, completely ignoring Jessia who paid much attention to him, and Nolan who was about to explode.

Before leaving, the guy called Nolan secretly sent Leylin a transmission, "Get away from my fiancee, or else you'll regret it!"

"Master?" Kubler looked at the expressionless Leylin and asked, sounding him out.

With Leylin's command, he would immediately kill the moron Nolan who dared offend his master. Though they were all rank 1 Magi, these two were obviously rookies who had just advanced. It was impossible for them to survive under the hands of Kubler, a Warlock.

"There's no hurry," Leylin waved his hands, though he had some questions. Magi were rational people, and while Jessia's actions would give rise to Nolan's displeasure, he would definitely recall everything and not start a feud with another Magus over such trivial matters. Besides, Leylin and Jessia had only exchanged a few words.

In addition, Leylin would not kill the two of them over something so insignificant. It was not beneficial to him.

"Looks like the female Magus called Jessia might continue with some tricks!" Leylin touched his chin, feeling like he was watching a show.

"Yes, master!" After hearing Leylin's instructions, Kubler was unwilling but did not bring it up again.

Two days passed by quickly, the airship stopping outside a station at a middle-scaled city in Black River Region.

Leylin held a cane and put on a hat, wearing something like a suit. He seemed even more elegant than young masters of noble families, having the dignified aura only a ruler would have as he walked down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Kubler was like a loyal butler, following close behind and holding something in his hands.

"Mister Leylin!" Jessia's voice sounded. This was also her stop.

Leylin laughed and approached her.

Nolan stood aside, though he was full of smiles as if he had understood something.

"Sire Leylin, my apologies for my behaviour!"

Nolan resumed his good behaviour, washing away the impatience and seeming poised.

He had realised his mistakes and was now coming forward to apologise.

"It's fine! If I had such a pretty fiancee, I'd be overly suspicious of everyone else well!" Leylin teased.

Jessia rolled her eyes at Leylin and asked, "Mister Leylin, where are you going?"

It wasn't the first time she was asking this, and Leylin had refused to answer.

"Me?" Leylin saw a hint of nervousness in Nolan's eyes, and couldn't help but shake his head and break into laughter.

No matter how poised and calm he looked, his eyes would give him away in the end.

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A Scene

"I would like to walk around for a while, you may leave here!"

Leylin saw a hint of disappointment in Jessia's eyes after he told her that, and Nolan heaved a sigh of relief.

He chuckled as he turned around and raised his hand and disappeared among the stream of people, with Kubler immediately following.

With his astonishing senses, Leylin faintly heard two people behind him arguing in constrained voices.

"This is really…." Leylin shook his head, "Instead of focusing your limited energy on pursuing the truth, you focus on such things…"

"But I suppose this is probably a commoner's pleasure right!"

He nodded his head after shaking it, called out to Kubler and continued his journey.

"After entering the Black River Domain, the Ouroboros Clan Headquarters—Phosphorescence Swamp will be very near…" Kubler was naturally very familiar with this place and had a tinge of both fear and longing.

After hiring a horse chariot, both he and Leylin enjoyed the scenery along the way.

If they had hastened on with their journey, they would not have been so slow in progress. However, Leylin was not in a hurry and had wanted to enjoy the sights and sounds of the central continent, hence he chose to travel by chariot.

As night fell, the two arrived at a small town.

Accommodations at the inn were cramped, and the air was filled with the odour of alcohol, sweat, and manure.

Leylin furrowed his brows at such conditions. Since this was the only inn in town, he still reluctantly accepted it as it was still better than spending the night in the open.

After putting down their luggage, Leylin and Kubler headed to the main hall intending to have a meal.

The menu for dinner was beef and potato stew with some fresh vegetables. That was all the town had to offer. Surprisingly it was deliciously prepared with an enticing scent to boost one's appetite.

"Huh?" At this moment, Kubler's expression changed.

A gush of profound ash-colored dust started stirring from the main door of the inn, spreading continuously and extending to the other parts of the inn enveloping other travellers and the owners themselves.

Crackle! Crackle!*

The commoners, whose bodies were covered with the ash-colored dust all stood frozen, their bodies as stiff as a candle.

"It's a freezing spell! There is a Magus around and we are the target!"

A shocked Kubler stood up and exclaimed with anger. Yellow energy emerged from his body and spread all around.

A circular radiance surrounded their round table, protecting them against the fate of the other travellers.

Leylin was totally unfazed by what was happening and was still enjoying the town-brewed wheat wine.

Bang!*

The wooden main door burst open and 2 Magi wearing black robes entered the room. In front of their chest, Leylin saw the familiar red ruby emblem.

"Nolan! We meet again!" Leylin raised his glass and greeted casually.

Indeed, Nolan was among the two entrants. He had a vexed expression and stood, glaring at Leylin. "Where is Jessia? Where? Hand her over!"

"Jessia? Isn't she with you?"

Leylin chuckled.

"She left! I thought she was abducted. Based on the location markings marked on her body, I am sure she is here!" Nolan's eyes turned red.

"Location markings?" Leylin laughed in amusement, "How insecure are you? To put such a spell on your lover?"

"I do not care. Uncle! It is him! I am sure this is the Magus who took Jessia!" Nolan tugged at the sleeve of the Magus standing beside him and pointed at Leylin.

The accompanying Magus shifted his eyes and abruptly took a step up.

A ray of silver flashed by and the light barrier on Kubler's body collapsed immediately.

"A rank 2 Magus!" Kubler mumbled under his breath.

Nolan looked on proudly upon hearing it while the other Magus had no expression on his face.

In his eyes, he did not regard Kubler who was a semi-converted Magus. However, he was distracted by the silent Leylin who sat quietly by the side.

"Sir, we the Rolithe Family have no intentions to use force. The fiancée of our successor has gone missing and it is a big matter. We need to inspect this place and we seek your cooperation…"

Power was exhibited first, followed by etiquette. It was a remarkable way of handling the situation, much better than what Nolan did.

"Absolutely!" Kubler was surprised that Leylin agreed instantly.

"Many thanks!" Seeing how cooperative Leylin is, the two Magi eased the tension on their faces and Nolan fell silent.

"Over here!"

Nolan looked into an odd mirror he was holding in his hand and rushed forward.

"Let's take a look!" After his satisfying meal, Leylin got up and together with Kubler, stepped forward as well. The two Magi followed closely as if they were afraid of Leylin's escape.

"Ah…. Jessia…… My Jessia……"

Upon reaching the room where Leylin and Kubler's luggage was, they heard Nolan's cries.

"Bad news!" Kubler rushed in and saw a white coloured woman's dress on the bed, there was a big patch of blood stain on the stomach area and some portion had dried to a dark colour.

"What happened?"

"Jessia! Jessia! How dare you…." Nolan's face flushed a fiery red as he yelled and stormed forward.

"This is trouble!" Kubler frowned, a layer of yellow scales appearing on him and his huge hand and suppressed Nolan who had lost his self-control onto the ground.

"Warlock from the Ouroboros Clan?"

The Rank 2 Magus expression immediately changed to become a vicious one as well.

"Even if you belong to the Ouroboros Clan, abducting the fiancée of our Rolithe Family's successor and treating him with such disrespect, you have to give me an explanation!"

The rays of silver in his eyes amplified and streaks of silver whips appeared in his palm.

"Wait!" Leylin smiled subtly, his hand on the shoulder of the Rank 2 Magus.

"Huh? What is happening?" Although it is just a hand, but it felt like a mountain. In fact, the Rank 2 Magus felt his body stiffen and couldn't even lift a finger.

"Innate spell—Ring of fire resistance!" the Rank 2 Magus emitted a layer of flame from his body, forming rings of fire with it, with streaks of silver on the edges, blazing the surrounding atmosphere ferociously.

"Annihilation!" Soon after, he heard Leylin mouthing the word.

Hiss Hiss!* The blazing flames were put out immediately, leaving no room for the smoke to reignite the fire.

An enormous and horrifying spiritual force assaulted the Rank 2 Magus, destroying his defences, took over his consciousness and confined his magic power.

"Ra… rank 3 Magus?" The Rank 2 Magus turned his head with difficulty, his throat dry and rough.

Leylin had been using his skills to suppress his spiritual force and energy undulations all this time. Now, he undid the suppression bit by bit, and a huge tide of energy was released causing the atmosphere to become heavy.

"So tell me, if I want Jessia, do I need to be sneaky about it?"

Leylin shot them a look and asked sarcastically.

"Of… of course not! It is our mistake! We're sorry!" the rank 2 Magus shook his head promptly. In the central continent, the sighting of Magi might not be uncommon, but it was not easy to witness the presence of a rank 3 Magus. And among the large-scale powers, rank 3 Magi were high-ranked with stable power and authority. They did not need to resort to any unscrupulous methods when dealing with rank 2 Magi.

At this time, Nolan was speechless. Although Kubler had lifted the spell on him, he lay helplessly on the floor with cold sweat trickling endlessly.

The Magus with the highest power in the whole of the Rolithe Family was only at Rank 3. If Leylin was displeased and had them killed, the other Magi might not even have the ability to seek revenge.

Thoughts of killing them crossed Leylin's mind, but he eventually let it slide.

To him, there were no benefits in killing either these 2 Magi or even Jessia. Additionally, he might provoke an enemy with rank 3 strength.

Even though he was not afraid of the opposite party, he did not want any trouble.

"Follow me!" As such, he looked nonchalantly at the rank 2 Magus and Nolan, who was still lying on the floor before heading out.

Kubler followed Leylin closely, with the rank 2 Magus and Nolan close behind. In the face of a Rank 3 Magus, they had no chance of trying any tricks, hence they could only follow Leylin's orders.

Leylin walked on with a destination in mind and soon they left the town and reached a paulownia tree forest.

Nolan didn't quite understand anything, he merely followed suit.

Leylin came upon what seemed like the biggest paulownia tree, and knocked gently on the trunk as if he were knocking on a door. "Anyone there?"

Dong Dong!* The tree trunk produced a dull sound, but there was no response and all was quiet.

"You are very clever! And attentive to your set-up. However, you are still not wise. After completing your work, you can't help yourself but return to find out the reactions of others!"

"I have already noticed you, you should show yourself! Otherwise.…." Leylin's voice turned chilly.

"Humph! Alright, alright, here I am, what are you going to do about it?"

Shhrrk, the surface of the tree trunk split open to reveal a round door. Jessia, whom they had first met on the airship, jumped out and grabbed Leylin by the arm.

"Brother Leylin! You are so awesome! How did you discover me?"

On the other side, both the rank 2 Magi and Nolan were speechless, anger filling them to the brim.

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