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?

29. 883

Read Warlock of the Magus World - Chapter 883 – Meeting online free - Light Novel Full

Meeting

Leylin obviously would not let go of this city of magic. Dambrath didn't have much information past that to get to the higher ranks, forget becoming a Legend. Furthermore, the A.I. Chip deduced from the ancient notebook Leylin had obtained that the inheritance of arcanists and Arcane Arts was likely to be found in the northern lands. Given all this, it was necessary for Leylin to go to Silverymoon City.

"While the journey took almost a year, it's not as if I gained nothing…" Leylin smiled as he took a look at his stats.

[Leylin Faulen. Age: 18. Race: Human, Rank 11 Wizard. Strength: 10. Agility: 10. Vitality: 10. Spirit: 11. Status: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Elementary Perfect Body. Spell Slots: Rank 5(2), Rank 4(4), Rank 3(6), Rank 2(???), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)]

After obtaining a Perfect Body, Leylin sensed his body could adapt better to terrible environments. On top of that, his spirit seemed to have broken through some bottleneck. His rate of improvement had increased, as if there was a further boost to his own innate talent in wizardry.

Leylin had broken through to rank 11 after a year of meditation, even without the ability of the Devilblood Dagger. He could now cast rank 5 spells!

In the World of Gods, rank 3 wizards could cast rank 1 spells, rank 5s could cast rank 2 spells, rank 7s rank 3 spells and so on. A rank 11 wizard could cast rank 5 spells, and once one became a rank 15 wizard, they could cast rank 7 spells without backlash. That was when one became a high-ranked wizard.

High-grade professionals above rank 15 would get special treatment no matter where they went, and that was especially so for high-ranked wizards. With a large number of spells that affected groups, their destructive power surpassed that of those that relied purely on their physiques. This put them at the peak of power.

Were there no gods in this world, given that they could cast spells of priests, druids, and sorcerers would long since have named the World of Gods the World of Wizards.

Wizards held the balance of power in the World of Gods. The arcanists had even established a tremendous empire after the the twilight of the gods, but with the comeback of the gods they soon collapsed…

'It's because of the powerful abilities of high-ranked wizards that information on these spells are strictly regulated in all nations. The only place where things are less stringent is Silverymoon…' Leylin thought inside.

This was so because they were extremely wealthy and also had the backing of Mystra, the Goddess of the Weave. They naturally had the means to do so.

'It's said that the master of Silverymoon City, the Chosen of the Weave Goddess who is rumoured to be her daughter, is a peerless beauty…' Leylin stroked his chin, 'The secret rumours state that one can get the favour of the Goddess of the Weave by growing close to her, and it's even possible to increase the number of low-ranked spell slots in one's possession…'

This slight benefit was nothing to Leylin. Having analysed the first three levels of the Weave completely, he no longer needed these low-rank spell slots. Furthermore, if he were to get too close to the Goddess, his disguise could be noticed. That would be a true tragedy.

'Come to think of it, the analysis has progressed more quickly ever since I hit rank 11. Level 3 is almost completely done.' The higher the rank of a wizard, the further one could make contact with the Weave. The A.I. Chip could therefore analyse the Weave at a faster rate, which was something he had already tested before.

'Given the resources Silverymoon can provide it won't be difficult to become a high-ranked wizard, but I'll need to get lucky to become a Legend. The Devilblood Dagger won't help much either, there's no point smelting another one…'

With stats below 5, the dagger's boost remained obvious. Even from 5 to 10 points it would be found lacking, not to mention its weakness later. On top of that, it wasn't logical to carry a devil's item by one's side for such a slight increase in stats.

After all, this was not a rural area like Dambrath. There were legendary wizards here, but on top of that there were the Chosen, who were personifications of the gods. Leylin had no confidence in facing them.

Since the dagger did not give him any obvious boost, Leylin was already prepared to stop using it even if it had not been destroyed, and perhaps hand it down to his underlings.

'When it comes to raising strength quickly, there are quite a number of ways in Beelzebub's memories. They can all help one reach the realm of Legend and above… It's a pity that there's either terrible repercussion or the contamination of devilish energy. It's far too troublesome to deal with that. I guess it's better to walk the path of a wizard step by step… It'll be even better if I can get the inheritance from the arcanists…'

Just when Leylin was deep in thought, a shy voice sounded from his side, "May– May I know if you are a wizard apprentice heading towards Silverymoon City?"

It pulled Leylin out of his thoughts, and he eyed the three females behind him– No, the three little girls behind him. They had evidently heard about the sea having calmed down and come on deck.

The one who had spoken was the youngest of all. She had brown hair, and under her fair forehead were a pair of azure eyes. The slight smile on her lips easily gave one a favourable opinion of her.

Beside her were two female companions, one taller than the other. They seemed to be sisters, with similar faces and both wearing blue checkered skirts with little flowers at the edges.

Tiff glared at the girls who had interrupted his young master. Though he concealed his strength, his aura alone left the three girls feeling suffocated and terrified.

"I– I'm sorry, mister! I– I was just curious!" The girl in the middle grasped her skirt, looking on the verge of tears. Though they had housekeepers and nannies sent out by their family by the side, they had never faced an old man so stern that it was frightening.

"Stop it, Tiff. You're scaring our friends!" Leylin saw the figure behind him and chuckled like the warmest spring wind. It melted away the terror.

"My apologies, young master!" Tiff took a step back, "And the three young ladies as well!"

"It's alright…" The girl spoke more fluently now, "My name is Bessany, and the two sisters here are Ena and Isadora. We're all looking to apprentice in Silverymoon… Are you the same, mister?"

'Wizard apprentices…' Apprentice wizards were below rank 3. They had talent in wizardry and could use magic, able to cast rank 0 spells. Leylin scanned the girls to see that they all had the spiritual undulations of wizards, and they'd all made contact with the first level of the Weave.

"My name is Leylin, and I'm a wizard!" Leylin smiled, hiding his rank. After all, there was no point in that.

"As expected!" Isadora spoke from beside Bessany, "Where are you from, Leylin? Why do I hear a southern accent from you?"

These girls were like excited little sparrows as they surrounded Leylin, asking a whole bunch of questions noisily.

Leylin smiled as he conversed with them. This was the sort of infectious power he had, able to instil a favourable impression in the hearts of weak existences. Of course, this could also be attributed to his training as a noble.

From his conversation with the three girls, Leylin quickly came to know of some basic information. Bessany and the sisters came from two little families in the north. They had tested with talent in wizardry, and their families had sent them to train in Silverymoon.

Bessany was good-natured and spoke the most enthusiastically. As for the sisters, Ena was not as carefree and bright as Isadora, seeming more shy.

"My family gave me 500 gold coins this time, and I'll need to use it sparingly. Hopefully, I'll be able to train under a middle-ranked wizard…" Bessany suddenly sighed, looking worried.

500 gold coins was obviously a huge amount that was enough for even a noble to live liberally for five years! However, this amount was far from enough for the development of wizards.

But what could be done? Bessany's family was merely the smallest of noble families. The 500 gold coins themselves had required quite a bit of effort, and they'd had to sell some property to raise that much.

Still, it would all be worth it if a wizard arose from their ranks. At this thought, Bessany inwardly gritted her teeth.

"The registration fees for the poorest wizard academy in Silverymoon is already 100 gold coins. As for studying under a middle-ranked wizard? That's basically impossible… Apprentices like us from small noble families can only help others with experiments or copy scrolls to earn money…" Isadora laughed wryly. Evidently, she had a better understanding of the training of wizards.

Leylin realised something. These wizards were probably sucking up to him so that they could become allies.

'As expected of nobles, huh? After studying so much, they consider more than the average person. It's a pity that most of it is useless…' Leylin sighed.

He looked less than 20, and without the emblem that showed his wizard ranking it wasn't surprising for him to be mistaken as an apprentice. If he really was a low-ranked wizard, he might have played along for a while, but he had no intentions of doing that— they were not at the same level!

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The North

Having made up his mind, Leylin naturally made his stance clear.

"In that case… we won't bother you longer…" Bessany sounded somewhat disappointed and even upset as she pulled at Ina's hand to leave. Isadora, on the other hand, seemed unresigned, but similarly did not say a word.

"How nice it is to be young…" Leylin stared at the backs of the three disciples and sighed. If he added up the years from his main body as well, he was old enough to be their grandfather's grandfather, perhaps even older than that. He naturally was qualified to say such a thing.

Tiff, who was beside him, saw how old and experienced Leylin seemed, and his eyes revealed a trace of shock.

"Oh, we've reached the harbour!" Leylin cast Eagle Eye on himself and gazed at the harbour in the distance, unable to stop the smile blooming on his face. The sailor on the observation deck noticed this as well, and cheers immediately spread through the ship.

After getting off the ship, Leylin first parted ways with Tiff, telling him to work from the shadows. He, on the other hand, hired a carriage and hastened towards Silverymoon City. With how close the port was, it only took about a day via horse carriage.

The coachman driving the coach was an old man with a crooked back. Lean muscles protruded on his arms, and there were a few long scars on his face which seemed to be memories from a time adventuring or in the army.

He was called Old Bayer, and was rather entertaining. His smile revealed a few missing teeth, but not only did it make him look less threatening, it even made one fond of him.

Pak!* Old Bayer swung his whip in a practiced manner while talking to Leylin, "You must have great foresight to have chosen our company. Honestly, do you think there's an area here Old Bayer doesn't know well? The northern lands, especially… When I first joined the army…"

Leylin's eyes darted everywhere as he took in the sights. The first impression he had was that the northern lands were vast, the boundless plains not having a soul in sight.

The second thought he had was that it was cold! It was not yet truly winter, but the people outside were already wearing thick coats.

Seeing the white breath steaming from Old Bayer's mouth, Leylin chuckled, "Army? So you're a retired soldier? Who did you go to war with?"

Upon hearing this, Old Bayer made a conclusion, "You must be from another land, yes?"

"Indeed. I come from the south, the Dambrath Kingdom!" Leylin had nothing to hide when it came to his birthplace. He had no criminal record, and the only thing worthy of picking at was his work as a pirate, but the king himself was vouching for him which rendered it meaningless. After reaching Silverymoon, he was prepared to show his status as a noble and see if he could get special treatment.

"The south… That's a good place…" Old Bayer sighed. "How can there not be battles in the north?"

Not waiting for Leylin to ask, he continued, "We have to fight off the invasion of the orcs and other ambitious human kingdoms, and even clear the plains of the green-skinned goblins. Those wretched goblins really know how to breed, and we have to wipe them out practically every year. Compared to the orcs and knights from other kingdoms, I'd rather stay on the plains and kill the elves…"

"Orcs?!" Leylin slapped his head, "Right, I forgot about them…"

The World of Gods was huge, and Silverymoon City of the north was only the most northern human-occupied region. Through the Sunrise Mountain Range and past the boundless wilderness, there were many orc tribes and even a kingdom!

Humans had their gods, and the orcs also had their own. Under the command of the master god of the orcs, Gelsh, there were practically wars every year as they invaded the civilised world. Due to having their own circumstances and personalities, the gods had divided factions and clashes when it came to their own organisations. They even fought themselves

"Seems like gods can never rid themselves of their emotional state of mind. Of course, it's the same for Magi who comprehend laws…" The so-called gods and Magi of laws were merely powerful mortals. Leylin knew this well.

Of course, he preferred it this way. If he lost his personality and emotion, even if he became a true supreme god what difference would there be between him and a computer. Immortality and freedom were two aspects that could never be separated.

WIth varying circumstances, the orc empire frequently had clashes with the kingdom, and even caused war to break out. Those in the north obviously would not wait to get killed. They gathered in Silverymoon, and with some guidance formed an alliance. They used the power of magic to tenaciously resist the invasion of the orcs.

In this world, humans had a great advantage. Their divine strength far exceeded that of the orcs. Even with internal strife, it was still possible for Silverymoon to stand tall.

With the unceasing battles, Silverymoon's status grew higher and higher, to the point that the lands they had influence over expanded bit by bit.

There were already faint cries for the Chosen, the ruler of Silverymoon, to become the queen and establish Silverymoon Kingdom, and even unify the northern lands! This was the cause of the current biggest crisis and catastrophe.

Of course, Old Bayer hadn't said everything. Some things Leylin had gathered from his descriptions.

'New nobles wish to rise, and older ones are unwilling to let go of their status and land. There's an obvious backlash! The orcs wouldn't let go of this opportunity, which is why the human world is now in chaos. The external support the northern lands get is very little, and from the looks of it the past few decades have not been calm…'

A slight smile rose on his lips, 'It's good that things aren't calm. It's better that things aren't calm!' As a foreign noble, it was still impossible for Leylin to get into the core of Silverymoon and obtain knowledge limited to high-ranked or legendary wizards, even as a middle-ranked wizard.

No matter where nobles or wizards were from, they all were prejudiced against foreigners. This still held true even in Silverymoon that preached openness and freedom.

Under normal circumstances, unless Leylin stayed here for a few centuries and went through life and death situations for the city and signed a large number of unfair contracts, he would not have hope of entering the core of the government.

However, with war looming ahead, everything would change! In times of war, everything could be by-passed for the sake of victory. The usually harsh rules for advancement could be disregarded. As long as one had military merits, then advancing quickly was possible, perhaps even to the core— But only if one did not fall before succeeding.

Hence, for Leylin as he was right now, war was a huge opportunity! It would save him a great deal of time in getting to the core of Silverymoon, and was the best path to gain high-grade and legendary spells. As for danger? Haha… When had Leylin ever been afraid?

"Tiff needs to work quickly. I'll have to change my plans. Rather than entering the Wizards' Guild, I'll do all I can to become a guard of the city…"

War marked suffering for commoners, but it was a stage for heroes! With the trails of blood and elimination of rotten old organisations, there were plenty of opportunities for new organisations to rise.

Leylin was obviously going to take this opportunity. While it would bring great suffering to the people, what did that have to do with him?

'Once I sneak into the city guard, I'm sure I can gain merits rapidly through battles in exchange for high-grade information on spells… It'll be much faster than entering the wizard tower and slowly accumulating merits…'

The city guards belonged exclusively to the master of the city, which meant that he would directly be subordinate to the Chosen. Mystra would be another guarantee of his safety.

"I'm pretty lucky…" While Leylin was nodding inwardly, his expression suddenly changed. Old Bayer stopped the carriage and cursed, "Damn it! There's trouble ahead!"

"Mm." Leylin jumped off the carriage. His clairvoyance and the quality of his body now making it easy for him to see the scene ahead. There were three carriages lined up one in front of the other, and they had been surrounded by a group of creatures.

It was a group of green-skinned monsters, looking like dwarves with muscular dystrophy. Their heads were large, and their noses and mouths protruded. They were mostly naked, holding wooden clubs, rocks and all sorts of weapons as they surrounded and attacked the carriages.

"That darned bunch of goblins are out again. Are they preparing food to tide them over for the winter?" Old Bayer cursed and laughed bitterly, "I'm afraid we're in trouble. Those goblins have noticed us…"

The goblins in his line of sight had already discovered Leylin, and dispatched a wave of green streams that surrounded them.

Though legends stated that goblins could not even win against a child of ten or so years old, Leylin guessed that there were over 500 of them! If the numbers were vast, in the hundreds and thousands, even the weakest worm possessed terrifying strength! That wasn't even considering the large goblins and bugbears in this wave.

These two types of goblins had bodies similar to regular humans. They even wore tattered armour, and had weapons that required elite human warriors to take care.

"For the winter? Tiding them over?"

Leylin recalled the contents of a geography book he had read before, 'The extremely cold winters in the northern lands can even freeze the earth. Going out in these conditions means certain death! The elves and other wandering beasts in the wilderness, and even the orcs at the Sunrise Mountain Range all attack humans to build up their food reserves, and do not even mind starting wars…'

This was a battle for survival, which was why the closer to winter it was, the more these living beings would become crazed. This was because if they did not have enough food, they would be the ones dead in the end!

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Summoning Spell

Leylin noted the bloodshot eyes of the goblins that were charging towards them. As winter drew near, even the weakest and most cowardly goblins would go crazy.

They were small, and it was hilarious to see a group of green-skinned, short people pouncing towards you. However, their gazes were as fierce as wolves, enough for even a retired soldier like Old Bayer to tremble in fear.

Dying at the hands of enemies was just death, but dying by the hands of goblins meant that their corpses would be dragged back for food! Old Bayer shuddered at the very thought.

"Please mount the horse and leave, my guest!" At this moment, a trace of decisiveness flashed on his face. He produced a rusty longsword from under the seat of the carriage and released the old horse that had been pulling the carriage.

"It may be a worn-out horse, but these bunch of short-legged creatures won't be able keep up with you. After you break out of here, just go backwards. Don't stop till you get to the harbour!"

Old Bayer passed the ropes to Leylin, turning back and now in a defensive stance, "As a noble young master, you must have learnt how to ride, yes?"

"Mm," Leylin nodded, but did not leave since his luggage was still on the carriage.

"Can you tell me why you're leaving your chance at survival to me?" He asked, slightly curious.

"I'm hot-blooded, that's why! You nobles are so troublesome… Quick. Quick! There's not much time left!"

Old Bayer yelled. The goblins had already surrounded them, so close that they could see the filth on the goblins' green skin. Their putrid smell invaded their nostrils.

"You are a true soldier! But… I am not like those weak nobles…" Leylin calmly walked ahead. He abruptly closed his eyes, and a threatening aura burst forth.

Intimidation! A domain with the might of a dragon erupted from him, making the goblins halt their attacks immediately.

"You filthy vulgar bastards! How dare you block the way of a mighty wizard. Even death would be too kind a fate for you!"

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!* Bundles of dazzling flames abruptly appeared by Leylin's side.

Lesser Fireball! Numerous spheres of blazing energy shot out, and then exploded amidst the group of goblins.

Rumble! Rumble!* The flames ripped apart the bodies of the goblins, throwing them everywhere together with the soil. Even those bugbears could not resist the power of magic. Numerous huge pits appeared in the ground, and the goblins then completely collapsed!

They may have gone crazy for food, but the goblins wouldn't challenge an enormous dragons. There was a warning from their very souls, that if they proceeded forward they would all die.

"Ooga!" "Ooga!" Amidst the terrified cries, Leylin's spell had murdered tens of the hundreds of goblins. The rest howled as they fled. The road was covered with the wooden clubs and stones, and some goblins were even trampled. The goblins that were grievously injured crawled in the opposite direction from Leylin, as if evading a demon.

"You're an esteemed wizard after all!" Old Bayer wiped off the cold sweat from his forehead. As someone living near Silverymoon, he was no stranger to the power of magic.

"Thank you very much!" Old Bayer sincerely thanked Leylin. If Leylin had not been around, he would be reduced to the fate of becoming goblin shit. That was not an honourable way of dying.

'With this strength, he's probably not a disciple or elementary-ranked wizard. He's at least a mid-ranked one…' Old Bayer thought himself.

At this moment, there seemed to be a ruckus in the carriage ahead, revealing the frightened expressions of a few female disciples.

"Sister… I've used up my spell slots!" Isadora scowled miserably. Apprentices had few spell slots anyway, and the problem was that they were not that powerful. If the target was not directly hit, they could not even kill a single goblin. This was why rank 0 spells were also known as cantrips.

"Hold on! We'll get reinforcements from Silverymoon soon!" Bessany gritted her teeth, misty rays shooting out from her hands.

Vertigo! A hobgoblin who had been charging forwards fell to the ground in a daze, dropping the wooden club in its hands. It rubbed its head, but before it could react further, someone who looked like a housekeeper used a giant axe to chop off is head.

"Good job.." A joyful expression appeared on Ena's face, but she then saw the housekeeper being pushed to the ground by even more goblins, a few of them widening their large brown mouths to reveal sharp teeth.

"No…" Bessany wept. The sounds of gnawing had her on the verge of breaking down.

"Are we going to die here? I don't want that! I'm a noble, and I'm a wizard. I shouldn't die like this. M–My fate…" At the other side, Isadora looked ready to fall apart. Ena was usually quiet, but at such a crucial moment she was able to persevere. If not for her care, Isadora would long since been dragged away by the goblins.

Just as Bessany was on the verge of total despair, a carriage behind them suddenly caught her attention. Powerful spell undulations were transmitted, and a young wizard got off te carriage and took care of the goblin attack with a few fireballs.

"It's… Leylin! We have hope!" Bessany looked ecstatic, suddenly waving the handkerchief in her hands.

"Leylin! Mister Leylin! Please save us!" The tender voice of a girl pierced the air and attracted Leylin's attention.

"Oh, I didn't think I'd meet acquaintances!" Leylin recognised the young ladies he had met on the ship, "Since we meet again, you're in luck!"

Leylin didn't mind a passing kindness. After all, he could improve their favourable impression of him. Of course, he still found these three wizard apprentices beneath him. What he truly valued was Silverymoon's evaluation of him.

The city guards of Silverymoon would definitely investigate the incident. An impression that he was kind was much better than one that he was wicked and callous. Leylin never did anything that went against his principles. Everything was based on benefits.

"Rank 4 Beast Summoning!" Summoning rays flashed, and four wild wolves which were two metres tall jumped out of them. Spell rays flashed on Leylin's body again, and after two more summoning spells he now had control over 12 wild wolves.

These large carnivorous animals had stiff fur, sharp canines and an astonishing jumping ability. Their eyes were filled with bloodlust.

"Charge!" With the guidance of Leylin's spiritual force, 12 wild wolves charged towards the group of goblins that had already crumbled mentally.

Awoo!* *Awoo!* Wolf cries could be heard faintly in the distance. As their gleaming white teeth tore at the flesh of the slower goblins. There were even miserable shrieks from the goblins that had fallen from the ground and been torn to pieces, further causing others to flee.

With Leylin's attainments in his spiritual force, controlling the wild wolves was no issue. Under his command, the direction in which the goblins fled was controlled, and they began to pounce towards the carriages ahead.

"Ooga!"

The large hobgoblin ahead roared, smashing the head of a deserter with a mace in its hands, but that did nothing to deter those who were now frantic. It was quickly drowned out by the goblins.

The hundred goblin deserters who had surrounded Leylin darted into the goblin formation behind, resulting in great disorder!

Though goblins weren't orderly beings from the start, they had orders to attack and withdraw. Now, however, they were in great disarray. Howling and trampling could be noticed everywhere, and even the hobgoblins and bugbears found themselves useless.

The faint howls of the wolves sounded. All of a sudden, a wild wolf perked up and threw itself at a bugbear, its sharp canines biting through its neck. Under Leylin's directions, the wolves ignored the fleeing goblins, targeting the active group instead and prioritising the hobgoblins and bugbears.

Their command system completely broke down, and it was natural that the goblins were defeated. Numerous goblins abandoned the wooden clubs and rocks in their hands, fleeing in all directions and leaving behind the carriages and survivors.

Only 8 remained of the 12 wild wolves under Leylin. All of them had injuries, but Leylin did not feel bad for them. After the spell dissipated, they would return to the place they had come from. If they died, then so be it.

'Even if it's a mid-ranked wizard, it's not that easy to defeat 500 or so goblins…' Old Bayer's eyes were filled with astonishment and shock, 'That last attack in particular had strategy to it! Is that the art of command that the corps leader once spoke of?'

Leylin was also quite satisfied with the results. Casting suitable spells at opportune moments was something all wizards had to learn. Being able to disperse this group of goblins at the most minimal cost and limiting the casualties of the attack wolves was something that made him proud.

"Are you alright?" Of course, he limited his pride to that single thought. Leylin had the abundant experiences of his main body and if he couldn't manage even this he should just have killed himself.

"We're alright. Thank you, Leylin!" Bessany thanked him gratefully, eyes reddening as she began to bawl over a destroyed corpse nearby, "Sob… sob… Uncle Eita…"

This corpse already had several parts missing, and there were also many small bite marks. It looked exceedingly horrifying. This was the masterpiece left by the goblins from before. If Leylin had arrived a little later, everyone in the carriages would have been reduced to this state.

The aftermath had Ena and Isadora quivering in fear as they expressed their gratitude to Leylin over and over again.

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Enlist

Leylin and Old Bayer were speechless at the scene before them.

The victims' remains were collected, unable to be buried here lest they were dug out by goblins. They would be taken to Silverymoon City, given their final rites and blessings by clerics, and then buried.

"Thank you, Lord Leylin! Are you a mid-ranked wizard?" Bessany had recovered, and her eyes had swollen to the size of walnuts.

"Yes, I suppose so. I'm also going to Silverymoon City to study," Leylin looked at the scenery outside and indifferently replied.

After meeting Bessany and the others, and since they were going to the same place, Leylin naturally did not mind accompanying her. The others happily welcomed him with open arms, as that last attack had scared them into cowardice. Without Leylin's protection, perhaps no one would dare to continue on the journey.

The young ladies in the carriage were all surprised, it was rare to find a mid-ranked wizard as young as Leylin after all.

"How amazing… I always thought that mid-ranked wizards were all white-bearded grandfathers…" Isadora exclaimed. She'd actually recovered quite quickly.

"It's nothing, there are many more wizards who are more gifted than I am. Mm, there will be many of them in Silverymoon City," Leylin replied modestly, and after chatting for a while the atmosphere of the carriage grew more solemn.

After all, a mid-ranked wizard was a big deal to minor nobles. Isadora and the others did not dare to say anything more in fear of offending him. Bessany seemed as if she was about to speak, but she was not able to say anything until they reached Silverymoon City.

Leylin understood her intentions, as she had recently told him on the boat that she was looking for a tutor. However, he would gain no benefits from taking her on as his apprentice, and it was not something that could be done with no extra trouble. Where would Leylin even find the time? As a result, he could only pretend that he did not know.

……

"You were attacked by a goblin swarm?" A patrol officer from Silverymoon City seemed to take the matter very seriously, and had personally come to register them. "I understand, our city patrol will soon leave on their watch. The monsters in the wilderness have increased greatly in recent times, you must all be more careful."

A clerk began to record the identities of Leylin and the others as well as their ranks. When he got to Leylin, his pen paused, "Wizard, please show me your proof of identity…"

"Mm," Leylin nodded, taking out his proof of nobility as well as his wizard insignia and handing it to him, which immediately made the clerk cry out in surprise.

"Please take back your identification, mid-ranked Lord Wizard!" A rank 10 wizard was uncommon even in Silverymoon City, especially one who looked as young as Leylin. It was actually rather scary.

"Good, I want to join the Silverymoon City guard, do you know where I can enlist?" Leylin asked with a smile.

"You want to join the city guard?" It wasn't just Bessany and the others that were extremely astonished. Even the officer from earlier walked over, attentively sizing Leylin up.

"Yes, I hold Lady Hope in the highest esteem, and I would love the atmosphere of Silverymoon City. I hope that I can fit in here." This Lady Hope was the ruler of Silverymoon City. Her name was Alustriel, and she was a tolerant and good person who was one of the Chosen of Mystra.

It was rumoured that this city ruler had a very liberal attitude towards her subordinates from different races. She very much enjoyed disguising herself as an ordinary person outside of her palace to observe the lives of common folk, which won her the support of the lower classes.

Naturally, Leylin was telling a bald-faced lie. His true purpose was to assimilate into the lady's troops as quickly as possible, and make preparations for the war ahead.

News of the war had broken out. Perhaps many knew, but information would be limited to the city ruler's core organisation. This was precisely where Leylin would be able to seek benefits.

"You must be clear on this— once you truly join Silvermoon City, there will be many restrictions on your freedom, Sir!" Although the human fiefdoms all recognised the other's' nobility, the nobles on the continent all traditionally thought that only those with hereditary titles and with their own territories could be considered true nobles.

It was evident that Leylin's title as an honourable viscount was not equal to the respect he got as a mid-ranked wizard. Perhaps if he really inherited Faulen Island it would be different and he'd be treated better, but Baron Jonas was hale and hearty so Leylin could only remain his heir.

Noble heirs like him were usually called sirs, and did not gain any particular privilege or preferential treatment. The office reminded Leylin of this point, and naturally made other implications.

"That won't be a problem," Leylin calmly shook his head, indicating that he already clearly knew all of this.

Although foreign wizards could occasionally receive missions from the city governors, and receive patrol duties, it was clear that it was part of the system for outsiders. They were destined to never become part of the inner circle of governance.

When the war came, those patrolling wizards would not be able to escape their fate of forced enlistment. As a result, Leylin thought that since he would have to eventually participate in the war, it would be better to join in advance with his status as a noble heir.

The officer stared at Leylin, as if trying to predict what the wizard was trying to do. In the end, he could only grudgingly give up. Afterwards, he called another officer to take Leylin away, "In this case, Aulen, go through the procedures with this wizard Leylin."

Even as she saw Leylin's back disappear into the streets, Bessany retained the expression of disbelief on her face.

"He's immediately joining the city guards? Perhaps Lord Leylin is actually a second son of a noble family, and hopes to get knighted through this method?"

Alustriel naturally had the power to confer noble titles, and in reality the authority she possessed in the north was not at all inferior to any human country's king. She was very generous as well. For second or third sons of nobility, or even other adventurers, serving Alustriel to become a viscount was a rather good option.

As a noble wizard in the city guard, he would naturally receive more attention and preferential treatment compared to the others. What other benefits would an heir get?

"Perhaps serving as a military wizard would grant higher authority in Silverymoon City's wizard library, and they can read even more advanced books. Lord Leylin probably had this thought in mind when he joined…" Ena shook her head from next to Bessany as she expressed her own opinion. It had to be said that although she was normally rather uncommunicative, her guess was close to the truth. However, they had their own family interests, and could not be as reckless as Leylin was and do as they pleased.

"It's such a pity… As a wizard, we should of course immerse ourselves in the sea of knowledge, and not wander around attacking and killing," Isadora was the most dim amongst the three, and felt that Leylin's decision was a great pity, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Which college should we go to? I've heard that Silverhand is rather good, but they don't offer accommodation. And if we choose it…"

The three apprentice wizards very quickly forgot all about Leylin under Isadora's influence, and began to discuss their future studies. For them, this was the truly most important issue at hand.

……

"It really is very nice," Leylin followed behind the officer named Aulen and sized up the facilities around him. As the city of wizards in the north, Silverymoon's design was extremely exquisite, and was filled with a sense of artistry, borrowing from the artistic sense of the elves.

In addition, Leylin saw many different races on the streets, including dwarves, halflings, elves, pygmies, and even beast slaves. This country appeared to be very liberal.

"What, is it surprising?" Aulen smiled as she took off her helmet, revealing shiny long hair as bright as silver and pointed ears as well as fair and delicate skin. It was clear that this guard was an elf.

Although most elves heeded the call of the elven god to live in an enormous island overseas, there were still many tribes who stayed in the continent. In the north, Silverymoon City was an important elf settlement, and no more than 40% of the population was pure humans. A fifth were free elven citizens.

"Mm, it's because I used to live in the south," Leylin lightly explained.

Although dwarves and halflings could be seen in the Dambrath Kingdom, they were few in number. As for elves? They were the highest grade of slaves, and were very rarely seen outside.

Ever since the Baltic archipelago had fallen, Faulen Island's Port Venus had received part of their slave trade, and there had been a few pureblood elves amongst them. Naturally, neither Leylin nor Baron Jonas would admit to this.

After that, the elf officer Aulen led Leylin to the city hall. Every year, Silverymoon attracted many wizards and outsiders into joining it, and they had a well-established process/

The procedures were completed smoothly, as Leylin's identity had not been fabricated after all. The arcane imprints on every file were completely in order.

"All done. Congratulations on becoming a member of the city guard, child!" Leylin's professor was an elderly wizard who looked very energetic. He wore a handsome military uniform which molded to his body, and had sharp eyes from many years of serving in the army.

This wizard was a battlemage, and his experience definitely far exceeded that of those who worked in laboratories. In addition, the undulations he gave off made Leylin wary of underestimating him— at the very least, these were the undulations of a high-ranked wizard!

Although talented wizards were scarce, Silverymoon City obviously didn't lack in them.

A military uniform set was handed to Leylin under the high-ranked wizard's blessings, similar to the one he wore. It only lacked the medals of honour and other military decorations.

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Elven Wizard

"With the uniform, you're now a member of the Silverymoon city guard. The magic equipment is enchanted with three uses of Mage Armour and one Cure Moderate Wounds. Please use them sparingly…"

"Yes, sir!" Leylin played his role very convincingly as he accepted the military uniform.

The uniform was soft in texture yet it felt tough and durable, and glowed with magic. Leylin couldn't help but sigh at the luxurious and rich Silverymoon City.

Eternal enchantments were naturally very precious, so the wizard uniform was naturally limited in its uses. However, every year the guards would receive a new set, which could be considered a very good perk.

"Tell me, why did you want to join the city guard?" The elderly patrol wizard finally asked in a respectful manner. Leylin felt hidden magic undulations probing him.

'Is this Lie Detection? It was personally cast by a high-ranked wizard as well… Such a shame that I'm the target.' Leylin inwardly laughed coldly to himself as he raised his head and puffed out his chest, his face lightly flushing with emotion, "I wanted to quickly raise my ranking as a wizard, obtain many more wizard resources for my research and to study. I could only receive these benefits as a city guard, sir!"

The elderly wizard sensed the answer his secret spell fed back to him, and his eyes softened considerably. "Mm, you're very honest. At ease!"

"Yes sir!" Leylin saluted smartly and respectfully withdrew himself. The elderly wizard inwardly nodded to himself at this swift and decisive reaction, 'I haven't seen a young man of his calibre in a very long time.'

A beam of light lit the room up once Leylin left, and a portal opened unexpectedly. A high-ranking elven wizard dressed in green exited it. The robe was embroidered with many plants, and looked almost like an ornate and exquisite dress.

"What's the matter? Is there a problem?" The elderly wizard furrowed his brows together.

"No, I've investigated the recruit's background. He is the heir of the Faulen family of Dambrath, and he matches the major image as well!" The elf nodded lightly, and continued in a graceful voice, "In addition, he has shown a powerful aptitude for magic since he was a child, and passed the rank 10 wizard certification when he was 18 years old."

"Impossible! He's already rank 11, his speed of advancement makes us in the older generation blush with shame," the elderly wizard smiled wryly, "So you're saying that there aren't any problems with him?"

"I can only determine that there are none at the present. After all, we don't have any conflicts with those human kingdoms in the south. As for his temperament, his reason of choosing to join us for more advanced magic spells is acceptable."

The elven wizard nodded, "This sort of genius wizard will be a huge advantage for us in the future. Remove some limits on him for a few basic resources."

"Understood," The elderly wizard nodded solemnly. As a high-ranked wizard of Silverymoon City, he had already begun to anticipate the dangers the lay in the future.

……

"Congratulations, wizard Leylin!" Aulen congratulated Leylin on the outside, seeing him clutch the military uniform.

"You are now one of the patrol wizards in our city guard. A benefit of being a new recruit is the private accommodation in our barracks. You can set up a small laboratory in there, and Silverymoon City's wizard database will be open to you. You have three days to report to duty at the barracks." Aulen began to explain several things of note to Leylin.

Given that patrol wizards were fully integrated into the military structure of the city, and they even had restrictions on their freedom, they received excellent benefits and a great salary. With him being a noble genius, Leylin obtained even more than normal.

"Although we're part of the city guard, we usually don't have much else to do apart from a few patrols and inspections. I'm hosting a banquet in five days, and my hand-made scallion pancakes are really very good… I hope you can come, I can introduce a few people to you!" As an elf, Aulen had a long lifespan. However, she did not seem to renounce her desire for art and beauty, and still enjoyed life pleasurably.

Leylin could easily discern her character from her appearance and other aspects. On the other hand, it was difficult to find an elf's gender without the A.I. Chip or spiritual force scans.

Aulen clearly regarded Leylin as a true colleague, extending this benevolent invitation.

"Of course, thank you for inviting me," Leylin thanked her sincerely.

After he parted ways with Aulen, Leylin strolled around Silverymoon City, in his hand a map that she'd given him. As it was a city of wizards, there were a lot of them out on the streets. Many of the shops nearby sold magical resources as well.

Leylin leisurely walked into a shop and looked at the magic materials inside a transparent crystal showcase.

'Mm, I've almost used up all of my magic materials, I should replenish them,' Leylin looked at a few materials which looked like blue crystals, 'This blue diamond is very pure, I never thought I would see this inside a normal shop in Silverymoon City…'

Leylin called the shopkeeper over and replenished all the magic materials he was lacking. Of course, they were only his most basic resources. He later headed towards the sections with magic potions and alchemical reagents.

'There are a lot of low-grade potions and limited-use alchemical items, however there are very few premium products. Perhaps I can work a bit harder to find some,' Leylin nodded to himself, noting the sky-high prices written below the high-grade alchemical items.

Rank 10 and fifth level spells were a very important threshold in alchemy. This was because of Permanency, a rank 5 spell which could make any spell effects permanent.

Permanency was something one couldn't do without when they wished to practice making magic items and everlasting alchemical items.

Even in Silverymoon City, wizards who could use rank 5 spells were not exactly a dime a dozen, and there were even fewer who had high attainment in alchemy. As a result, the extremely high price of high-ranked magic items was understandable.

'In addition, as the war draws closer, those high-ranked healing potions and completed sets of magic items which can rapidly increase strength will naturally soar in price. For the same reason, the price of raw materials will drop.' Leylin couldn't help but stroke the Ring of Wizardry on his right hand. If he auctioned his ring, which was nearly legendary, it was sure to create a violent commotion.

'Perhaps, I can refine a few toys to earn some money…' Wizards would never turn their backs on earning more wealth, and Leylin was the same. To become a Legend required the support of enormous wealth and resources, and poor little boys who dreamt of soaring in advancement after putting in back-breaking effort were just dreaming up a fantasy.

"In comparison, low-ranked wizards and apprentices can only undertake the most basic processing tasks, and they don't earn much from it. It would be difficult for them to maintain their lifestyle and continue with more advanced studies,' Leylin thought about this indifferently, before taking out a gold card account from the church of wealth.

Just when the serving girl had respectfully left, several other acquaintances had entered.

"Wizard Leylin!" Bessany called out in astonishment, with her Ena and her sister.

"Wow! That's a gold card from the goddess of wealth! Only those with property worth at least 10,000 gold coins can have it…" Isadora's eyes were fixed on the gold card in Leylin's hand, and countless stars seemed to appear in her eyes. She only regained her senses once Ena pinched her hand.

"Oh, it's you. Have you entered a college?" Leylin asked indifferently.

"We've already registered at 'Oakleaf', their tuition is cheap and they have inexpensive student accommodation as well. We've come to buy some materials,' Bessany had been similarly shocked by Leylin's net worth, but she felt that this level of wealth was appropriate for a mid-ranked wizard.

Although she was still a little bitter in her heart of hearts, Bessany still managed to smile, "Has Lord Leylin joined the city guard?"

"It's alright to just address me as Leylin," Leylin appeared very amiable and approachable, "As for the city guard, I have of course become a patrol wizard. I hope I can still meet you all in the future."

Every wizarding college in Silverymoon had its own assignments, and the compensation for joining the city guard on their patrols was very generous. If the three of them continued to stay here, they would certainly have the chance to meet Leylin again.

"Really? That's amazing! I wonder where Mister Leylin lives, I hope I can come and visit soon," Bessany bit the bullet and decided to seize the opportunity.

"Visit?" Leylin looked at the little girl and shook his head, "My residence is in the military barracks. I'm afraid that without a pass, you cannot enter."

After hearing this, the little girl's eyes were filled with disappointment.

"However, I'm preparing to buy some property in Silverymoon City, to begin alchemical experiments and the like. If you agree, we can meet there."

"I agree! Of course I agree!" Bessany immediately shouted, and her face flushed immediately, "What I mean is that… The three of us are very willing!"

Establishing a relationship with a mid-ranked wizard was a very good decision, so Ena and her sister both nodded as well.

"Very well!" Purchasing reagents and collecting resources, as well as selling the products afterwards were all tedious tasks. Leylin had long prepared to employ a few apprentices to do this. If they were already acquaintances, then it would be even better.

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Moonwood

A year passed very quickly.

North of Silverymoon, in the enormous Moonwood. Gigantic trees which towered into the clouds hid the moonlight filtering through them. The still pitch-black surroundings filled one with a sense of foreboding.

A small squadron with both humans and elves wearing the uniform of Silverymoon city guards were now pushing their way through Moonwood without rest.

"It's here!" The squadron leader, Aulen, parted a thick shrub and saw dark brown blood stains on the ground, with a grave look in her eyes.

"Leylin," she turned and looked at the patrol wizard behind her.

Detect Evil! Leylin was currently clad in his wizard uniform, and looked very dignified and solemn with a mature air about him.

Sss! Sss!* Black streams of air began to soar, centering on that particular area, before it pointed to somewhere in the distance.

"Stay vigilant!" Aulen said in a low voice, and at her call the others gripped their weapons tightly. Even Leylin had a very grave expression on his face.

It was because this place was the Moonwood! It was a dangerous place filled with werecreatures who believed in the god of the hunt, Malar. They had formed a powerful tribe called the Blackblood, and hated the civilised life of Silverymoon City.

The guard's skirmishes with the werecreatures had turned to battles, and they had become the biggest complication apart from an invasion by Sunrise Mountain's orc empire.

"I see you!" Aulen and the other members followed the spell guide to the entrance of a pitch-black mountain cave. Aulen quickly gestured to Leylin.

With the mutual understanding they'd developed over a period of time, Leylin nodded his head. The surrounding members involuntarily let out a breath of relief, and shortly after Leylin pointed towards the middle of the cave.

Light! A blindingly white light momentarily illuminated the area, and several crossbows with Spellslayer Arrow loaded were aimed there.

Under the brilliant light, they swept through the cave with a single glance. However, there was not a soul in sight apart from some ragged clothes and a human skeleton on the floor.

The clothes were severely damaged, and the style could be vaguely related to a city guard uniform. Several scraps were even found covered in mottled bloodstains which had turned dark brown.

"Kell Rosa. This is the missing bowman," Aulen took out an emblem from the rags of clothes bearing the name, and although Leylin thought it looked like a dog tag, he pensively muttered, "This arrangement, is that the ritual of the god of the hunt? Those wretched werecreatures!"

The god of the hunt, Malar, was one whose name many were too scared to mention. Although he was a weaker god, he very much enjoyed slaughter. His believers were a bunch of savage werecreatures.

They were different from orcs in that werecreatures only retained part of their beastly characteristics, and they had some unknown hereditary disease. From Leylin's view, they looked like the symptoms of genetic instability. It was rumoured that these werecreatures came from the laboratories of a wizard, and Leylin was in favour of this opinion.

The suffering that the werecreatures went through made their minds more prejudiced, and they were filled with hatred towards other living beings. As a result, they enjoyed slaughter, and they just so happened to hold the same view as the god of the hunt.

There was a chance that captured orcs could become slaves, but as for werecreatures, this was just a dream. Moonwood was the gathering place for the werecreatures, and they occupied the entire north of it. Blackblood was large enough to threaten Silverymoon.

The ruler of Silverymoon City, Lady Hope, due to her kind heart and other considerations, had once actively sent out bowmen in the hope of improving the lives of those residents of Moonwood, but they had frequently been attacked.

This Kell had been one of the unfortunate ones.

"Kell Rosa was a loyal, brave ranger. The suffering of the world can no longer tarnish your soul, may you go in peace to the kingdom of god…" Aulen prayed. Other than being a powerful ranger, she was also a cleric.

As Aulen prayed, Leylin and the other squadron members lowered their heads one after the other in tribute.

It was at this moment that Leylin's eyes suddenly widened.

"Someone's there!" The thief in their squadron was the second one to notice, and a dagger immediately flew into the shadows.

A dull whining sound came from the shadows like a wild animal's growl, and the nearby tree leaves began to tremble.

"It's a werecreature!" An armoured fighter went over to brush away what was obscuring the werecreature, and only saw a bloodstain. Still, the beast fur nearby was very conspicuous.

Those werecreatures had innately inherited some unknown disease, but at the same time they possessed tremendous life force and other strange abilities. It was rumoured they'd been created by a Legend.

"Our task was to search for them, not to kill! The werecreature must have gone to find its comrades, we must all leave for the time being," Aulen held her elven rapier at her waist, but finally they left without a choice.

Playing hide and seek with the werecreatures in the Moonwood was something only an insane person would do. They were very good hunters, and with the advantage of being in their homeground, unless the entire main force came with high-ranked wizards as well as Legends to clear the path, they could push through the Moonwood.

Although Aulen and the others retreated very quickly, the werecreatures were soon about to overtake them.

The roars of wild animals came from all around them, and all the damned werecreatures hid in the shadows of the trees. All the squadron members had unsightly expressions on their faces.

"Damn! Leylin!" Aulen took off the longbow on her back and notched an arrow with a grey eagle feather to it.

"Mm. Enchant Weapon!" Leylin and Aulen had worked together many times, and they had established a deep rapport. A burst of magic spread across the arrowhead.

Ss!* Elves were excellent at archery, and Aulen was a ranger. The minute she let go of the bowstring, a muffled grunt could be heard in the darkness and an enormous shadow fell from the branch. While a common arrow naturally would not penetrate the defenses of a werecreature, a magic arrow would have no problems doing so.

Enchant Weapon! Forcefield! Bull's Strength! With Leylin's tireless actions, many of the squadron members glowed with the light of amplification spells.

"Well done!" Aulen praised him. In reality, she had always been afraid that this new colleague would be haughty and arrogant because of his status as a genius wizard, and would not listen to her command. However, Leylin's performance clearly exceeded her expectations.

Not only did he obediently obey orders, he even fit in very well with the other squadron members— he really did not seem like a wizard at all!

'Perhaps after we return, Leylin's titles should be changed… With Leylin's qualifications and contributions, he might be promoted this month,' Aulen thought to herself, but afterwards pushed the matter to the back of her mind. No matter how much she thought about it, they had to make it out alive before they had the privilege of enjoying promotions.

"Kill them!" A jarring sound of metal scraping against metal came from the darkness, and the surrounding werecreatures seemed to go mad as they charged towards Leylin.

"Follow me, we need to break out of this!" Aulen gritted her teeth, and the bow and arrow in her grasp shot out arrow after arrow. Once done, she tossed the bow away and replaced it with a slender rapier that had been hanging at her waist.

As a patrol wizard, Leylin was protected at the centre of their formation, and did not suffer any injuries.

'In battle, a wizard's spell slots should be used to serve their comrades. However, a wizard's spell slots are limited, and so they must leave their own safety in the hands of their teammates. In this situation, unless they were good friends who would give their lives in return, it would be almost impossible for them to remain on good terms with one another.'

"I'm almost out of spell slots!" He shouted gravely, but in reality he was lying. Whether it was spiritual force which would allow him to directly use the first few ranks of spells or the Ring of Wizardry, Leylin still retained a great deal of power. However, he had to keep it a secret.

"How many spell slots do you have remaining?" Aulen looked at Leylin anxiously. At the moment, she did not have the time to even wipe the traces of blood off her face. She no longer had the grace and elegance of an elf.

Without the support of spells, they basically could not break through the siege of these werecreatures.

"I still have Cloudkill, and I only have rank 1 and rank 0 cantrips left," Leylin replied with a solemn expression on his face, "In this forest, I don't have the ability to meditate and recover."

"Damn! Everyone, immediately break through the siege and run for your lives. Whoever can make it out will make it. Leylin, follow me and immediately cast your spells once most of the others have left!"

Aulen had another cleric in her squadron. Jinx's palm lit up radiantly with a divine spell. Although Aulen's rank as a cleric was very low, the divine spells of a cleric did not require spiritual force and mana. One only needed to pray every day to obtain divine spell slots, and it could be considered very convenient.

After several healing spells, the other fighters all seemed to have recovered their vitality one after the other. Even the small wounds they had accrued on their bodies seemed to have been restored.

With this power, Aulen and the others finally broke through the tight encirclement.

"Now!" Aulen roared.

Cloudkill! Leylin pointed behind his back, and the terrifying Cloudkill dispersed, engulfing all the werecreatures within it.

"Let's go!" The other fortunate people began to summon up their courage one after the other in the hope of making it out alive, and followed behind Aulen.

……

"We've finally made it out!" Aulen looked at the scattered squadron members behind her back with an expression of hatred.

"Those damned werecreatures, they've been acting up more and more frequently these days… Leylin, our escape is all thanks to you. Your spells were fully put to use and very precise, and I will include this in the report."

Aulen looked at the distant silhouette of Moonwood with a heavy expression in her eyes. Once she turned away from it however, her expression had changed completely. "Now, let's go home!"

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Life in Silverymoon

'Even the ordinary soldiers feel the looming shadow of war?' Leylin nodded expressionlessly as he reflected on the issue in his mind. He didn't remain in the barracks upon their return, instead returning to the property he'd bought.

'I'm done with yet another mission. The contribution points I earned should be enough for me to buy that information, right?'

The database for wizards in Silverymoon could not be accessed purely with money. There were specific requirements to get things, and high-grade information on spells required contribution points to access. This was part of why Leylin had entered the city guard.

At this thought, he couldn't help but glance at his stats.

[Leylin Faulen. Age: 20. Race: Human, Rank 12 wizard. Strength: 10. Agility: 10. Vitality: 10. Spiritual force: 12. Status: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Elementary Perfect Body. Spell Slots: Rank 5(3), Rank 4(5), Rank 3(7), Rank 2(???), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)]

Silverymoon City was truly the birthplace of wizards in the northern lands. With ample resources and research material, Leylin was able to move up a rank just by diligently working towards it. With more information, the progress on analysis of the Weave had also advanced at lightning speed.

'Analysis of level 3 of the Weave has already progressed to 99.99%. There's just a little left…' Leylin sighed as he entered the workroom.

"Good- Good morning, Mister Leylin!" Three wizard apprentices jumped up just like startled rabbits. Bessany looked a little flushed, and the sisters behind her were obviously trying to clean up the messy lab table.

"Welcome home, sir!" Bessany spoke in the end, having gathered her courage. A year of study had taught them how difficult it was to cross rank 10, which meant that this young noble in front of them had a lot of talent and status in the wizarding world.

"Mm," Leylin nodded sternly, "I hired you at the price of ten gold kronas per month; you also have permission to use my workroom. You don't have to feel embarrassed…"

While helping with Leylin's work, these girls had also been attempting to train their alchemy. It was a pity that without guidance from their mentor, it was difficult for them to improve by a large extent even if they had an alchemy lab.

"Oh!" Just as Leylin's voice sounded, Isadora cheered, "I knew Mister Leylin wasn't a stingy person…"

"So… that's how you thought of me in the past?" Leylin rubbed his nose, scaring Ena into dragging her sister to apologise with her. There were countless apprentices in Silverymoon City, and their chances of finding such a good job were meagre. If not for their coincidental meeting with Leylin, the three of them wouldn't even have been able to get this position. Hence, Ena treasured her current job.

"Forget it… I was just joking!" Even if it was what he had said only in passing, the beautiful apprentices in front of him were already cowering in fear. Such was the power of a high status. This power originated from Leylin himself, and nobody could snatch it away from him.

Leylin waved his hand with waning interest, approaching the sales counter on one side and opening its magic lock.

"How have the sales of magic items been lately?" Leylin took out a black boxing glove from the locked counter. The dark hide on the surface had a chilly glint to it, and looked to conceal some sort of strength. Under the guard was an incomplete magic formation. A few parts of the circuit were obviously broken off.

"The two items we asked Hawke's Bazaar to sell have already gone on the market. We have received a total of 8000 gold coins. Based on the contract, they will receive 10% of the profits and the funds have been remitted to your account at the Goddess of Wealth's church, able to be withdrawn at any time… Also, a few other magic item shops and auctions have contacted me, saying they wish to obtain your masterpieces…" Bessany reported normally.

Leylin was a Grandmaster Alchemist in his previous life. Once he made sense of the rules of alchemy in this world and got a hold of Permanency, his magic items were rather good. Bessany was definitely envious of Leylin given that the items he made randomly sold for thousands of gold coins.

It was a pity that she was only qualified to take care of the sales records and statistics. Whether it was delivering magic items or transferring money, this was something Leylin personally took care of with the clients. There was no way for her to interfere.

Tempted by greed, humans could abruptly gain terrifying strength and not even twitch in the face of death. Knowing this well, Leylin obviously would not give her the chance to betray him.

'It looks like Bessany is rather skilled at this type of work. There's some value in nurturing her…' Leylin thought to himself, placing the boxing glove on the table while putting on a device over his eyes which was similar to a magnifying glass.

A fine powder mixed with mithril floated down softly from Leylin's fingertips. It emitting a shiny silver luster in the ink bottle it landed in, after which Leylin used a fountain pen and dabbed at the ink before beginning to draw on the magic formation.

Bessany and the sisters immediately held their breaths, watching his actions closely. Alchemy masters all had their unique techniques. Even in Silverymoon, it was rare for people to let others watch without reservations. The other alchemy apprentices would go crazy over this if they found out!

His movements as fluid as water, Leylin quickly finished drawing the last magic formation. A radiance then appeared on his hands. With the incantation done and energy provided, the magic formation began to radiate energy that enveloped the glove.

"Now!" Leylin's eyes shone, and he unhesitatingly cast a rank 5 spell. The gorgeous, powerful lustre of Permanency caused the girls to look intoxicated. With it, the rays from the magic formation grew in strength, and then began to be hidden within the guard.

[Beep! Glove of Strength successfully created!] A prompt sounded from the A.I. Chip, followed by the item's stats.

[Item Name: Glove of Strength. Weight: 525g. Materials Used: Giant Skin, Limestone, Mithril. Effects: Able to increase user's strength by 1 point (limited to those under 10 points). Description: This is a glove filled with strength, the love of all warriors and knights. The maker used a unique technique in creating it, giving this guard even more power!]

"Hm, not bad." An item of this rank was something Bessany and the rest could not even hope for. For Leylin, however, it is was merely something to practice his skills on.

After soaking the fist guard in a solution from a glass bottle, he proceeded with the last adaptability procedures. Leylin then spoke to Ena, "Tell the people in the shop to come over and get the goods."

"Understood, Mister!" Ena bowed respectfully and left the room.

"How is it? Did you understand?" Leylin glanced at Bessany, a teasing look in his eyes. As for Isadora, he completely ignored her.

"No! Sire's techniques are even more profound than those of the elven masters…" Bessany unknowingly used honorifics. She obviously wanted to become Leylin's official student, but it seemed like he had no intentions of taking her on whatsoever.

"Alchemy needs to be learnt systematically. It's natural you can't understand it for now…" Leylin looked at Bessany, seeing her thirst and determination towards magic. Out of the three, perhaps only she would be able to succeed.

"In that case… Are you willing to give up your pay every month and work for three hourglasses more everyday? This will be in exchange for half an hourglass' worth of time every week being mentored on alchemy," Leylin asked. Passing on knowledge in exchange for manual labour was common amongst high-grade wizards. There were even cases of female wizards giving up their bodies in exchange for tutoring.

"I am! Of course I am" Bessany immediately grew so ecstatic that she kept repeating her words. With her background, truly studying alchemy was but a dream. Besides Leylin, no master would be willing to take her in as a apprentice.

"Good! Come to my room after you get off work." Leylin nodded and headed out of the shop.

He could not keep staying here to create more magic items. Since Bessany had interest and talent in this area, there was nothing bad about teaching her.

"Congratulations, Bessany!" Behind him, Isadora's congratulations and Bessany's tearful delight sounded out. A ruminating smile was left on Leylin's lips.

Things that belonged to a devil were not so easily obtained!

……

At the heart of Silverymoon, in the Wizards' Guild next to the palace. After passing through a series of stringent tests, Leylin came outside the wizards' vault.

The tower genie's robotic voice sounded, "Welcome, Lord Leylin Faulen. As a middle-ranked wizard with the army, you can view the content at the first three levels. Level four and above can be accessed through contribution points."

The wizards' vault was a small library, and inside a few old wizards were reading. Leylin did not bother them as he found a book he was in the middle of. He began to read 'Exploring The Sixth Level Of The Weave.'

The A.I. Chip continued to work, recording everything he saw.

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Farewell

"Tower genie, I wish to exchange contribution points for 'A Brief Introduction To The Four Great Elements', as well as Gandalf's 'Exploring the Cosmic World'!" When it was time to leave, Leylin spoke to the managing genie of the wizards' vault.

"Lord Leylin, you now have a total of 580 contribution points. Exchanging for these two magic resources will require 80 contribution points. Continue?" the tower genie asked.

"Yes!" Leylin touched the emblem on his chest. With some secret probes, he could sense that the tower genie was communicating with the information in his emblem and refreshing it. Soon, it deducted the correct number of contribution points.

Boom! Boom!* Two earthen statues walked over, holding crystal balls with information inside them.

The tower genie's voice sounded again. "Please note: The information is only meant for the wizard to use alone. It must not be shown to outsiders, or you will be punished by the enforcers of the palace."

Leylin already knew about this rule, and he shrugged his shoulders, taking the two crystal balls and walking out of the guild.

'Regular wizards can only read the information on the first two levels, and there are even some restrictions on that. My permissions are already the highest that all foreigners can get…' Leylin sighed inside.

Whatever it was, he was still a foreigner who had enlisted for less than a year, and was only a middle-ranked wizard. While he had a little bit of a reputation as a genius, he was nothing before he had fully grown into his power.

'All the research and procedures that are free to read in the wizards' vault has been stored in the A.I. Chip. I need to spend contribution points for the rest…'

Short of becoming a Legend, he couldn't access the vault free of charge. He could only use his accumulated contribution points to slowly get the information on the disciplines he wanted. Were there no war, it would have been delusional to completely obtain all the information he wanted with his current means.

However, things were different now. Leylin's eyes glinted icily, "Soon… The shadow of war will soon be upon us…"

The advent of war was no secret. Intelligent people like Leylin could tell this was about to happen years ago, and now even the junior-most officers like Aulen had found out.

The most obvious evidence of this was the obvious decrease in the number of wizard apprentices and official wizards coming to Silverymoon. The crowd on the streets had even thinned out. The city guards had been mobilised more often recently, and they were even openly recruiting.

Of course, those who joined now would not have the great treatment that Leylin had gotten. With his own foresight and the advantage from his information, Leylin had made the most of this final chance to enlist. Now, if he was lucky, he could be recruited into the middle ranks.

However, this was obviously not what Leylin needed. What did that mean to him? What he needed was to have achievements; by unceasingly getting more contribution points and spreading his fame, he could soar straight to the inner circle of Silverymoon City.

His actions would definitely be hindered by those stubborn conservative members, which was why it was necessary to walk the less trodden path.

'Tiff is doing well right now. He's gathered some power that I can make use of…' Leylin continued to scheme.

"Oh my! Isn't this our genius foreigner from the south, mid-ranked wizard Leylin?" This peculiar voice and the sarcasm in mentioning Leylin's title made him immediately aware of who it was.

"Commander Cassley!" He inwardly rolled his eyes, but on the surface Leylin still straightened his chest and saluted.

"Mm! I heard that you did well this time and saved Aulen and the others from a group of werecreatures. Not bad…" Standing in front of him was a young officer. His ears were slightly pointed and he had fair skin from his elven heritage. His appearance concealed his true age.

He was a true high-ranked wizard! On top of that, he was also a higher-up amongst the city guards, and Leylin had to treat him with respect. He obviously knew that the instant he seemed disrespectful, things would be deliberately made difficult for him. Hence, all his actions strictly followed the etiquette in the army with no errors.

Seeing Leylin's display, Cassley had an shady look in his eye and even some restrained fear.

"I heard that your next mission is a punitive expedition. Work hard. Once we expand the army, it'll be a chance for you youths."

Taking the general encouragement, Leylin got out of the way and stood by the side of the road. Only after the commander vanished from the Wizards' Guild did he continue forward, sighing in relief.

Even a world with extraordinary powers was similar to ordinary human societies, with factions and power struggles. Leylin's achievements that outstripped his age already left a lot of people unhappy with him. With the quick promotions, his increasing contribution points, and the spread of his name, this discontent had reached the limits.

In order to get more opportunities, Leylin had taken the initiative and entered Aulen's faction, thereby relying on the bigshot behind her. There was no other way around it. If he wanted to climb forward, his own strength was far from enough. It was necessary to get be backed by other factions.

Without anyone backing you, it was only a matter of time before you were eliminated. While he found this beneath him, lacking in strength Leylin could only play by the rules. In that case, was there a faction better than his own immediate superior?

By relying on Aulen and the power backing her, Leylin had been able to survive up to this point. However, this also led to him offending the other factions. The high-ranked wizard Cassley, for instance, was obviously from another faction. Leylin and Aulen had long become eyesores to him.

Of course, with Alessandro and the elders around, this competition was still positive. Nobody dared make a move in public. Hence, since Leylin had presented himself perfectly, Cassley could find no excuse to reprimand him.

"Looks like he's going to give our team trouble in the next mission…" Leylin muttered to himself. This degree of treatment was still within the scope of the rules, and his backer must have also done something as well.

'But he's taking the lead to make things difficult for us and is unafraid of telling me about the dangers of the mission. Does that mean they are absolutely prepared?' Leylin's expression was grim. This action of his implied a 60 to 70% confidence.

Of course, Leylin was already used to concealing his strength. A plan based on his surface strength would fail to account for his true might. This alone could lead to Cassley losing everything he banked on.

"It's a good idea to discuss this with Aulen as soon as possible, and see if the bigshot behind her can help us…" Leylin had a feeling that this was a confrontation between the two organisations, and his team had coincidentally been involved. The two sides had long since discovered the incoming battle and were now doing all they could to suppress their opponents and gather more strength.

That he was pushed to the front of the stage to become the vanguard meant things were now very dangerous. As the bannermen, they would obviously be attacked at full strength.

'But danger is also an opportunity!' Leylin laughed grimly to himself, 'As long as we can get past this, the rewards won't be meagre. How else could this be fair?'

Leylin never feared danger.

'Leylin! Hey, hey! I'm here!' The young girl's tender voice attracted the interest of many people, causing them to stop and look on. However, the person who had called him out did not seem to be affected in the least, and was even waving her arms.

'Is she finally here?' The feeling from the devil's mark already told Leylin the identity of this person.

He looked up and came before the female knight, "Long time no see!"

"Long time no see, Leylin!" Rafiniya was still in a knight's attire, but there were now a few servants guiding the horse. It seemed like she had matured quite a bit in these two years, and grown a few centimetres taller. Her powerful and lush thighs immediately stopped passersby in their tracks.

It did not feel good to be ogled at like this, so Leylin brought Rafiniya away.

"You're a wizard! I knew it; you were bluffing me all this time! Also your name is Leylin, not Ley!" Rafiniya exclaimed huffily, her personality still the same as before.

"Haha… that was all a disguise in the past!" Having been seen through, Leylin didn't even blush.

"By the way, why are you here?" There was a huge distance between the north and the west. Leylin had reached Silverymoon ahead of Rafiniya, but the fact that she had actually come here still surprised him slightly.

"I'm travelling around now, and I heard rumours that a war's going to happen here. I came because you were here too." Rafiniya spoke seriously, "As a knight, my dream is to maintain justice and protect the peace of Silverymoon!"

'I knew it…' Leylin massaged his temples. Only foolish girls like Rafiniya would run to battlefields when there were no benefits. He glanced at the servants behind her, eyes full of pity, "With a mistress like this, it must be exhausting."

Upon hearing this, the servants behind Rafiniya nodded vigorously, but when Rafiniya turned back, their expressions immediately changed, looking indignant.

"Struggling for a career of righteousness is all I live for!"

"The miss' methods are correct. We support you wholeheartedly!"

"How is it? So many people are supporting my dreams! Silverymoon City will definitely win this time, and the evil orcs will definitely lose!" Rafiniya proudly raised her head.

"Yeah, yeah. Have you joined the city guard?" Leylin asked bluntly.

"Not yet. I came to meet you once I arrived!" Rafiniya answered truthfully.

"Good! I'll introduce you to people then. How about joining my team?" Leylin suggested. With Aulen's authority, taking a new recruit into his team was no issue.

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Deliberately Making Things Difficult

While Rafiniya had a screw loose, she was still a real high-ranked knight. A hot-headed idiot like her was still useful in battle, able to take care of things on the front lines. As long as he brought up the path of knights and justice to sway her, this little lady knight would be charge forward like an enraged bull in spite of the dangers ahead.

"Well then, I'll leave things to you!" The female knight casually spoke, making the few servants behind her turn pale.

"Miss, the master let you come out and travel, not to join the army. You're making it hard for us to answer to the master…" the oldest servant summoned up the courage to say.

Boom!* However, before he could finish his words, the the little girl's slender fist struck his right eye directly and he toppled. The power of a high-ranked knight was not something that a mere servant could take on.

"How shameless… Too shameless…" Rafiniya's entire body trembled, "Such a person with no heart for justice whatsoever is my servant? That's an insult to me!"

"How about you? Anyone against it?" Rafiniya's metallic gloves produced sharp sounds, causing the other servants to immediately shake their heads and toss the unlucky guy on the floor aside.

"There's no problem now!" Rafiniya clapped.

"You guys… come with me!" Leylin had a dark cloud over his head but did not say much in the end as he led the way.

……

In the barracks.

"Hey, Leylin! There's trouble…" Aulen's anxious expression did not ease up, and she didn't seem to notice Rafiniya who was behind him. She looked completely disheartened.

"What's going on? Is this the mission that Cassley messed up further?"

"You know about it already? That bastard mixed blood! If not for his sorcery, it would have been impossible for him to become a high-ranked wizard even in three centuries…" Aulen cursed. Life in the army had caused the elves to lose their original elegance.

"Skill with sorcery? Bastard mixed blood? Haha… Aulen, I never knew you were good at swearing…" Leylin chuckled. The A.I. Chip had already told him Cassley had both elven and giant dragon blood in him.

With three bloodlines, he truly was a mixed blood. Giant dragons and elves were both proficient spellcasters, and with their blood Cassley had become a high-ranked wizard before he turned two hundred. That was a classic example of relying on the heavens to succeed.

"Oh, there's also an outsider here! My apologies!" It was only now that Aulen saw Rafiniya behind Leylin. The female knight was astonished by the profanities the elf had spouted.

"This is Rafiniya, a high-ranked knight and an old friend of mine. She wishes to join us." Leylin introduced her to Aulen, as this was basic courtesy amongst nobles. "Rafiniya, this is Aulen. She's not usually like this…"

"A high-ranked knight? Not bad, not bad! Is this the external help you got for this mission?" Aulen's eyes brightened.

"No! It's actually just a coincidence. Besides, I don't know the contents of the mission in detail yet…" At the mention of proper business, Aulen turned grim.

"It's an extermination mission. They want us to annihilate a camp of werecreatures, with at least five high-ranked Professionals and even possibly Malar priests. Damn it, it's basically telling us to go on a suicide mission…" Aulen spoke aggrievedly.

"How about that elven wizard? Has he managed to get us anything?" Leylin was referring to their backer.

"He seems quite determined now. A team of theirs with powerhouses is also going on a dangerous mission, and the upper house as well as master of the city have approved it…" Aulen laughed wryly, "All that he's obtained for us is a group of new soldiers and some supplementary items. We still have to do the mission though."

"Never mind the new troops. They aren't that powerful and might affect our rapport. What do you think about roping Rafiniya in?" Leylin suggested.

Aulen had the same thoughts as Leylin, and she nodded, "Mm, that's what I was thinking! As for those stupid new recruits… I know them better than you do…"

"Well then… Are you willing to enter the city guards and join my team, Miss Rafiniya?" Aulen asked seriously.

"Of course! Spreading justice and punishing evil is the reason I'm travelling around, and my lifelong path as a knight!" Rafiniya's face seemed to glow.

"Great. Welcome! From today onwards, you are a comrade that we can rely on." Aulen exclaimed seriously. She seemed to have a favourable impression of this female knight whose thoughts were incomparably pure. Rafiniya had always been very carefree, and that personality allowed her to integrate into the team quickly.

Upon noticing this, Leylin asked for information regarding the mission and headed out of the camp. He walked along the streets aimlessly, suddenly disappearing into a little alley.

A layer of dark magic light began to spread around Leylin's body and completely concealed his figure.

In a private house nearby, Leylin caught sight of Tiff.

"Young master!" Tiff had now swapped to another face and was wrapped up in a black coat, emitting a strange aura. After seeing Leylin's arrival, he immediately bowed respectfully and set up a powerful isolating barrier.

With his strength nearing the legendary realm, nobody would be able to see through it unless the Chosen herself decided to stalk him by intention.

'Is he already about to break through?' As the 'god' that Tiff believed in, Leylin had a great understanding of Tiff's feelings. The energy in Tiff's body had already almost been completely purified, and he was truly only one step away from becoming a Legend.

Observing the process of someone else becoming a Legend was a huge source of enlightenment and motivation for Leylin now.

'The realm of Legends holds true power in the World of Gods. It's also the beginning on one's path to godhood, not as easy as purifying one's power…' While Tiff was not purely a wizard, there was still much information that Leylin could make use of. Light flashed in the depths of his eyes, and Tiff's stats and aura undulations were accurately copied by the A.I. Chip.

"Mm. How have things been lately?" Leylin indifferently asked.

"I've taken in more followers, though a few organisations have begun to take notice of this… Also, news of the incoming war can no longer be hidden. It's quickly being spread amongst the regular people, and the price of rations and weapons in the black market has been steadily rising…" Tiff reported conscientiously.

He had initially been a loyal believer of the winged serpent god, Kukulkan. He now treated Leylin as the saint of his god and his substitute, so if his loyalty was quantified it would be at the highest possible value.

With Tiff's strength approaching the legendary realm, he was one of Leylin's trump cards. Leylin sent him out to gather strength, ready to make a move at the most opportune moment. He was someone who had been able to do as he pleased for a long time due to his strength. His abilities and schemes were marvellous, and with Leylin's financial help, the plans proceeded smoothly.

After reselling some rare and scarce items, he had even earned much wealth.

"The war has yet to break out, and we still have our most important mission. Once the invasion of the orcs begins, nobody will have time to watch us closely…"

Leylin rubbed his chin, "Perhaps our mighty and benevolent city master will announce something that can coincidentally rid our group of all suspicion…"

War was comparable to allowing the people to carry arms, and demanding that they bring their own rations and take care of themselves. When the situation was dire, the city master probably would not raise too many objections against these empty promises of titles.

"Understood, young master, your will is my command." Tiff nodded gravely to show his understanding.

"Also, there's a large base in the dark forest. Do you remember it?" Leylin immediately produced a map used by the military and pointed at the location where the mission was to be carried out.

"This place…" Tiff's brows furrowed, as if he had been put in a difficult position. Such an expression on Tiff's face meant that something was abnormal, and it could even be dangerous.

"What is it?" Leylin immediately asked.

"This is a werecreature camp on the outskirts. I've had dealings with them before…" The people Tiff took in were obviously not good, pure people. They were the elites of the dark world, and werecreatures were included on the list.

It was completely normal for him to have had dealings with the Moonwood or even the Blackblood tribe before.

"How powerful are they?" Something that put even a near-legendary being on the spot was naturally not easy to take care of. Even knowing that Cassley would definitely give him the most difficult mission, the difficulty it posed seemed to have surpassed Leylin's expectations.

"There's a being there that even I feel is dangerous. Also, they have priests of the God of the Hunt there…" A being that could make Tiff feel danger was at least on the same level as him. On top of that, if this organisation had a priest, then they would be at a completely different level than before.

"If young master must attack this base, please allow me to follow you in secret!" Evidently, Tiff was not optimistic at all about Leylin's mission.

"Alright. Add the more powerful ones you've recruited as well, and have them tail us secretly." Leylin did not try to make things hard for himself. He was merely a rank 12 wizard now, and there was quite a number of people who were more powerful than him in Silverymoon.

"However, compared to the great tide of orcs and orc Legends, as well as the god backing them, the Blackblood tribe is rather weak…" Leylin sighed.

Given how difficult this mission was, Leylin would probably rise to the middle ranks of Silverymoon after it was completed.

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March

'Cassley… I'll remember this!' Leylin obviously wasn't someone who'd take a blow lying down. Everything Cassley had done to him would be returned tenfold, even a hundredfold! Wasn't everything possible in times of war?

……

As the cold wind whistled, a small team slowly set out from the gates of Silverymoon, radiating a solemn atmosphere. Although they know that the journey was perilous, they could not escape their orders. Such was the sorrow of enlisting in the army.

"Rafiniya, knights can't be mounted in the Moonwood. There are too many trees and brambles…" Aulen was still telling Rafiniya about things she should take note of.

"Don't worry! My skill is passable. I don't need to work together with a warhorse…" Rafiniya patted her black sharkskin scabbard, looking relaxed.

Mounts were usually half the strength of many high-ranked knights, but things were different with Rafiniya. After her previous experiences, she had deliberately trained herself in this area. She still retained much of her original strength even without a mount.

She was on a completely different level when compared with those who could only become heavy-armoured fighters once they lost their horses.

"That's good… Let me introduce you to the main forces of the troops!" Aulen exclaimed happily while introducing her to the rest of the men.

"You already know Leylin, our wizard. That is our scout captain, the thief Lanshire…" Aulen pointed towards a slender figure wearing tight-fitting clothing with half his face covered.

"Then there's the brothers who lead our warriors, Ogg and Otto." As the defensive forces in the team, Ogg and Otto had sturdy muscles and carried halberds, claw hammers and other heavy weapons.

Behind them were almost twenty elite warriors wearing steel armour like chainmail. They were rank 3 warriors or greater, and could be considered rather strong.

"Hello!" Ogg and Otto smiled and greeted her. Their expressions were very innocent, a stark contrast to their insanity in battle.

"And then there's our healer and the beauty of the team, the cleric Jinx!" Aulen approached a blonde girl. She wore white cleric robes, and sat on a white horse summon.

"Sister Aulen… don't tease me. What do you mean by beauty…" Jinx blushed slightly. With her cascading golden hair, she had a calm aura.

"We used to be a team of 50, but due to a bitter fight, tens of our men died. We haven't had the time to replace them…" Aulen brought Rafiniya to take a look at the team, looking desolate and regretful. Even she did not dare bring in new friends when they were about to carry out a dangerous mission, not to mention that there could be spies in their midst.

"Rafiniya, you're a knight. As usual, you will be assigned two servants and four grooms. Every month, you'll receive an extra salary for them. Don't hesitate to report your name," Aulen waved her hand generously.

"I only have four servants. Sister Aulen, just do what you need to…" Rafiniya answered without care. With her background, she naturally did not think much of the allowance from the army. However, for many commoner knights, this was great wealth.

In order to get more gold coins, commoner knights did not mind reducing the number of servants and grooms while still earning the same amount. Leylin could not help but sigh— embezzling money by adding nonexistent servants to the payroll was a common situation everywhere, it seemed. It didn't need to be specially taught.

"Alright then. We'll treat it as two servants and two grooms…" Aulen watched Rafiniya attentively, but discovered she was not acting strangely. She could not help but shake her head, feeling ashamed of her thoughts.

"Oh look, are those goblins?" Rafiniya's mind was obviously not on this matter, and her attention was already on something else.

There were a few green-skinned creatures in the wilderness, looking exactly the same as the goblins Leylin had seen before. They were staring at the group greedily but did not dare charge forward, seemingly timid and afraid.

"Yes. Don't worry, they wouldn't dare attack fully-armed human troops…" Aulen exclaimed, and then watched speechlessly as Rafiniya urged her horse to go forth. She then looked towards Leylin, who shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"Alright, I finally understand why you had such a reluctant expression when introducing Rafiniya to me…" Aulen urged her horse to Leylin's side and rolled her eyes.

……

Though the journey was more fun with the lady knight Rafiniya, they were now increasingly closer to the Moonwood. The atmosphere in the group grew increasingly solemn.

Night came, and tens of tents were erected in the army camp. Heaps of bonfires were ignited in an orderly manner, with simple army rations cooking above them. Leylin had opened a can and poured solid fish floss into the boiling soup.

"It's fish floss! I often ate this while travelling in the south!" Rafiniya, who was seated beside Leylin, twitched her nose.

"Is that so?" Leylin smiled slightly, not revealing that he was the master of the supply chain. Due to the location and matured supply chain, the church of wealth hadn't left the Faulen Family alone in its work. They'd invested in them to gain most of the ownership rights to the fish floss.

With the support from their tremendous wealth and network, sales of fish floss had extended to the north in a few years. It had even become the required army rations in Silverymoon, which made him feel rather honoured.

While imitations had begun to appear in the market, the quantity, scale and techniques could not compare with the shrine of wealth. Hence, the profits would be maintained for a long time. Leylin received these updates as the family sent him money every year.

Although he was improving himself, Leylin hadn't relinquished control of his family and other organisations. Becoming a Legend, or even a high-ranked wizard would be enough for him to do as he pleased in the World of Gods, but his goal wasn't just personal improvement.

He wanted to become a god, and personal strength wasn't enough for that. Even the great gods who were high above needed support from followers.

'Actually, the rules to become a god in the World of Gods aren't that strict…' With Leylin's foresight, he could obviously see through many things, 'If I become a new god, it will be easier to get support from the world origin force. A thousand pious believers are enough to support the birth of a new god. It's the old ones facing more trouble. They need to expand about tenfold, and can easily become enemies to other gods with similar roles…'

Leylin's eyes glinted, 'Of course, there's an easier way to become a god; through luck! If I I manage to obtain divine power crystals as well as the godhood of a fallen god, it would be easy to become one… But even after becoming one that way, I would still be a mortal. Resurrecting as a god will not be a certainty…'

Leylin actually thought little of these gods that had gotten lucky. Comprehension of the powers of laws could not be completed in a day. Even high-ranked Legends may not be able to fully comprehend the power of laws, much less those who had once been regular people.

It was like using a child's strength to brandish a huge hammer. The result would be obvious.

Of course, Leylin was different. His main body had the experiences of a near rank 7 Magus and assistance from the A.I. Chip. If he ascended to godhood with weak divine power, it was still possible for him to embrace and support it.

'It's a pity… Something as good the heavens granting divinity no longer exists… The gods will never be forgotten. Even if they die from unnatural causes, godhoods and divine weapons will still land in the hands of the gods that killed them. It can't be given to others…

'Comprehension of another law like this will only pollute my path…' Leylin looked incomparably grim. He was still a Warlock at heart, and followed the path of Magi. Rank 7 Magi needed to completely grasp the power of one law, and rank 8 Magi needed to comprehend multiple laws.

Only by finding their own path and smelting the power of laws into oneself would a person find themselves at the peak of rank 8, peering into the realm of rank 9. With a rough idea of the path, Leylin wasn't willing to mix in more laws.

'Unless it's a law of divinity that I need, even should a godhood with powerful divine power dangle before my eyes, I won't pay it any mind,' Leylin gave a deep sigh.

"Heh… what are you thinking about?" His expression naturally aroused the interest of Rafiniya beside him.

"I'm wondering when this fish soup will be done." Leylin shook his head. If he were to tell the female knight beside him that he was considering becoming a god, she would definitely think he was a lunatic. Someone who wasn't even a rank 15 high-ranked wizard dared say that he wanted to become a god? Even those Legends did not have the guts to do so!

"Mm, almost there." Rafiniya breathed in deeply. She obviously had more experience from before, and seemed to have some culinary skills.

"My apologies for bothering the two of you!" Jinx came over at this moment, her pure white robes gliding across the grass. She radiated a sense of exceptional beauty.

"Captain Aulen told me to notify all officers who are squadron leaders or higher to come to the central tent immediately…"

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Spy

The flame of a thick wax candle flickered within the tent, illuminating the area brightly. Leylin, Rafiniya and the other team leaders formed a circle with Aulen in the captain's seat. The map of the Moonwood was hung on one side of the tent.

"This mission is going to be quite difficult. Do any of you have viable plans?" Aulen furrowed her slender brows, but the responses disappointed her.

"Leylin, what do you think?" She looked over to Leylin expectantly. As an army wizard, he held a remarkably high position. Besides, he had already proven his ability before; he was second only to herself in the team.

"There have been no further intelligence reports. I only know their rough position and the presence of high-ranked werecreatures within their team. In this situation, we can only reinforce our security and wait for the right opportunity to grab them by the throat."

Although what Leylin said made sense, it wasn't enough to satisfy her. Aulen knitted her brows once again. Leylin naturally understood her worries; he did indeed have a plan. However, it required Tiff and the devil worshippers, so he naturally couldn't tell Aulen and the team.

She looked around the room disheartenedly, before waving her hand to dismiss them, "Well, alright then. I'm sorry to have interrupted your dinner, let us end the meeting here." Despair was evident in her face.

"Don't worry, sister Aulen! Justice always prevails, those damned werecreatures will not win against us!" At this point, the only one left who was full of confidence was of course the young female knight.

Ultimately, this was still a world led by physical strength. Rafiniya only attended the meeting because she was a high-ranked knight: it afforded her a position equivalent to a military officer who was a low-ranked captain.

"I trust you." Aulen smiled helplessly, unable to find the strength to respond to Rafiniya in any other way.

"Leylin! Why did Aulen look so dejected towards the end?" Rafiniya wasn't able to contain her curiosity after leaving the tent, "Is the mission too challenging?"

"No idea," Leylin shook his head, and realised that the girl hadn't been changed at all by prior experience.

"The fish broth is done, miss." Rafiniya's servant brought up two bowls of fish broth and the staple white bread, not forgetting the wild berries they picked along the way.

"Woo!!" Rafiniya cheered and began digging in.

Leylin laughed mindlessly at Rafiniya and tore his bread unhurriedly before dipping it into the broth and sending it into his mouth. He only called out to her as they were about to part, "Rafiniya!"

"Yeah? What's the matter?" There were still leftover crumbs on the side of her lips, and she resembled a gluttonous little kitten.

"Nothing, I just have a premonition that tonight won't be peaceful. Keep your weapons close." Leylin notified her.

After going their separate ways, Leylin looked around to make sure no one had their eyes on him before sneaking into Aulen's tent…

The silver moonlight was exceptionally dull this night, broken only by a few lone storm clouds that passed the region every once in a while.

The winds howled and temperatures dipped, and everyone else but from the patrolling soldiers had long ducked into their respective tents. Only the unfortunate soldiers on night duty were left to fend for themselves as they cursed at their luck.

Out of nowhere, a thick dark cloud floated across and swallowed the moon whole. The moonlight disappeared completely in the span of a second, and the only remaining light was from the handful of bonfires around. The guards' line of sight grew hazy and they could only see things within 5 metres even if they sat by the bonfires.

"What a dark night… And such dense fog!" A patrol soldier grumbled.

"Come on! I've seen even scarier fogs in the endless wilderness, to the extent that you can't see your fingers even when you've stretched your hand out." Another patrol soldier replied with disdain.

"Well, you're right!" The younger soldier nodded his head, but then he tightened his grip on his weapon, "Who's there?"

A shadow approached them in the fog. "It's me!" it spoke with a familiar voice.

"Oh, it's the captain. Ma'am!" The patrol soldiers saluted immediately. However, in the instant they bowed, a few slashes flashed coldly in the night.

"Ack-" Fear and confusion brimmed their eyes as they tightly pressed their hands to their necks for dear life, blood seeping through the fingers. The collapse of both their bodies attracted no unwanted attention.

The hazy shadow seemed to let out a sigh of relief before arriving in front of another tent.

"Who's there?" Leylin asked from within the tent.

"It's me, Lanshire." The shadow sounded calm.

"I see, is there anything? Hold on, I'll deactivate the alarm!" The tent lit up for a brief moment and Leylin lifted the entrance open with confusion written all over his face, "Come in!"

Walking into the tent, the bright light carved out the figure of the shadow. She was slender, as thin as a thread, and wore a mask that covered half of her face. It was the scout of the team—Lanshire

"It must be urgent for you to visit at such an unearthly hour." Having shed his wizard robes and wearing only a plain white shirt that revealed his firm chest, Leylin exuded masculinity.

"Well.. I have an idea with regards to the mission." Lanshire's voice was rather strange.

"Idea? Why didn't you bring it up during the afternoon meeting? Was something preventing you from mentioning it?" Leylin's expression turned dark and he took a step closer to her.

"Um, actually…" Lanshire lowered her voice causing Leylin to move closer towards her in an attempt to catch what she said.

Something unexpected happened at that moment. A bright silver dagger appeared in Lanshire's hand out of nowhere as she mercilessly slashed at Leylin's throat, the moment he was completely defenceless.

Given that she was a high-ranked assassin, there was only one way for this to end. Leylin would die.

Pew!* The dagger cut into Leylin's throat without difficulty, but the situation was different from what Lanshire had expected. Instead of having blood splatter all over, Leylin's body turned into a huge soap bubble, burst in front of her and left nothing but a strong gale in its wake.

"This must be… High-grade illusion!" All colour drained from Lanshire's face upon realising that the Leylin she had just encountered was just a fake. She fled from his tent.

But things did not go well for her as she walked out into a group of people surrounding her. The real Leylin was wearing his robes neatly and was already aiming his staff at her, with a fully-armoured Rafiniya by his side.

And in the midst of them all, Aulen looked at Lanshire in disbelief and, of course, disappointment.

"Lanshire! I can't believe it's you. We've already been friends for more than 50 years, and you still couldn't resist the temptation of having power!" Aulen looked sorrowful.

"Friendship? Really?" Lanshire removed her mask to reveal a youthful face, but the remnants of a scar were still evident on her left cheek. It was like a flaw on a piece of art, completely destroying her beauty and rendering her rather ugly.

In a world of divine powers, scars like these would be easily healed. But the people who had gifted her this scar back then left a destructive power in the wound that deterred the healing abilities of any divine powers.

"Since that night, I've never been the same!" Lanshire laughed coldly before putting her mask back on with hatred-filled eyes.

"I see, you've never been able to let it go…" Aulen said in a sorrowful voice, "Who are you working for exactly? The werecreatures? Or another faction?"

Leylin couldn't care less about emotional entanglements like these. He stood out from the crowd and sent orders to surround Lanshire completely. Anyone who fought him was an enemy, and if they could not be roped in then he could only kill them. This was the code of law in the World of Gods!

"Kneel and confess all your sins! This is your last chance of survival!" Leylin stated fiercely, but he knew a surrender from Lanshire was almost impossible. She was a particularly determined avenger with a strong will. People like her could even drag others to hell with them just for revenge.

Leylin was familiar with unmoving fellows like these, thus he sent the command just as Lanshire smiled: "Kill!"

Magic and vindication clashed in the blink of an eye. Lanshire was just a high-ranked assassin, and though she could certainly bring much trouble to Leylin and his team if things were done in the dark, an open face-off like this was obviously not a strength of hers.

Having cast Slow and with Rafiniya's help, Leylin brought Lanshire down in no time. She was stabbed in the abdomen by two enormous steel swords, and hot blood trickled from her wounds.

"Cripple her of all fighting ability! Jinx, treat her!" She was Aulen's friend, after all, Leylin still had some sense in him.

"Hah! I'd rather die than receive treatment from you! And do you think this is over?" Lanshire's mask had fallen off long ago in the middle of the fight. Blood trickled from the corners of her lips, and she looked even scarier than before with her menacing appearance.

"What?" Aulen's expression didn't look too good.

"Cap- Captain!" Just then, Ogg who had originally been in charge of planting traps and exterior defenses was carried in by the others, and it was clear he had suffered an attack.

"It's the werecreatures! Their abilities are beyond what we've imagined!"

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Ambush

The roars and howling of beasts filled the vicinity, putting everyone on edge.

Lanshire laughed hysterically, "Hah! All of you will die with me! You can never beat those werecreatures! Every one of you will be torn apart and then swallowed; your souls will be caged in the depths of hell!"

After spitting out her malicious curse, Lanshire's face flushed and fresh blood spurted out from her mouth. Her aura completely disappeared as she died.

"Ignore her! Listen to me, engage defensive formation." Seeing that Aulen wasn't in a good condition, Leylin took over command.

It was only now that he found out what exactly had happened directly from Ogg, and began to organise the troops. In reality, everything that happened tonight was within Leylin's plan. Firstly, he found Aulen and told her that they may have a spy within their ranks to win her support, which allowed him to plant the trap.

And to make things easy for the possible attack, the brothers, Ogg and Otto were sent out to be on standby.

"There were high-ranked werecreatures, so many of them, I– I can't be sure of the exact number, but my brother tried to protect me- He tried to protect me and-" Ogg's eyes swelled red with tears and his facial muscles began to twitch.

"Heal!" A spell flew forth from Jinx's hands, and swiftly cured most of Ogg's severe wounds.

"I'm gonna kill those damned beast bastards!" He stood up and grabbed his enormous claw hammer without waiting for his wounds to recover completely.

"Were you the only one who managed to escape in the close combat team? It looks like I underestimated our enemies this time round." Leylin looked slightly ashamed, but a light flashed deep within in his eyes.

Whether it was done intentionally or not, the capture and exposure of Lanshire's identity as a spy and her death had dealt a huge blow to Aulen. Moreover, the troops led by Ogg and Otto were now left with casualties, and Otto had even died; Silverymoon City would have to compensate Otto's family for that later on. Jinx was a priest and under heavy restriction, while Rafiniya was a new member and did not have enough experience.

The event seemed to have cleared quite a number of obstacles for him, but Leylin would never admit to that. He would probably say that it was a coincidence!

By then, the werecreatures were already directly outside the campsite, their mountainous shadows and the screams of the guards causing horror to tinge the atmosphere.

"Everyone stay close, we're in trouble." An Eternal Flame spell lit up Leylin's palm, and he managed to repel a large amount of the fog. As the soldiers gathered together, he managed to see the werecreatures more clearly.

This was a humongous group with at least 200 of the monsters among them, six of which had exceptionally strong physiques and savage auras.

"High-ranked werecreatures, and there's 6 of them!" Even the perturbed Aulen was now anxious. The werecreatures' strength had greatly surpassed their expectations. If they were at all careless, their troop would be completely wiped out.

Suppressing her emotions, Aulen returned to her cool-headed self and sent out commands, "Defensive formation number 2!"

How could she not have realised that Lanshire had conspired with the werecreatures to kill everyone here?

"Lanshire, my friend. I'm sorry!" Aulen muttered to herself and drew out her elven sword, the shaft decorated in plant motifs. Its lustre suggested that it was an enchanted item.

Boom! Boom!* Giant footsteps sounded out, and several giants that were at least ten metres tall emerged from the fog. They were like walking hills clothed in coppery skin.

"G-Giants! These werecreatures managed to tame giants!" Aulen's hand trembled ever so slightly as she watched these human-like but also bizarre creatures, and some soldiers even yelped in despair.

"Giants? Those extraordinary creatures from the north?" Leylin massaged his temples in distress as data of the creatures was presented to him.

[Name Unknown. Race: Giant. Strength: 15. Agility: 6. Vitality: 13. Spirit: 2. Feats: 1. Strong 2. Regeneration 3. Armoured Skin. Description: A unique creature that only exists in the north. Cruel and fierce in temperament, unintelligent, easily tamed by other barbaric tribes.]

"Looking at this strength, they're most certainly connected to the Blackblood tribe. They might even be a branch! Cassley obviously wanted us to die." Aulen laughed bitterly.

"Prepare to break through! We can only evacuate as many as we can." She now seemed to have lost heart.

"Elf from Silverymoon City, and other humans!" A shadow walked out from the group of werecreatures.

He was 2 metres tall, and had an appearance similar to that of a human. The difference was that he had unusual beastly patterns all over his face, and certain body parts of a beast.

He choked in disgust after sniffing in the direction of Leylin and the rest, "Damn Silverymoon City! That is a place of evil, it should be wiped clean!"

As followers of Malar, the werecreatures were naturally hostile towards the civilised beings of Silverymoon City and hated all who dwelled within it. The city guards were undoubtedly their first target.

"All of you will die here today! You are all too worthless to even be sacrificed to my Lord!" The werecreatures growled, and more petrifying shadows headed towards them.

Werecreatures had robust physiques and a staggering jumping ability. The temporary barriers by the side of the campsite posed no deterrence to them. *Roar!* The giants grunted and every step they took was like a miniature earthquake, flipping tents and crushing soldiers under their feet.

"Damn it! Leylin, protect me!" The elegance of an elf was long forgotten to Aulen as her eyes were red with anxiety and she pulled the elven bow from her back.

Greater Magic Weapon! Leylin's expression became heavy as the lustre of a high-grade spell burst forth from his hand.

Phew!* Silver arrows went off like shooting stars, the spell-filled arrowheads hitting the giants right in their eyes, their weakest points. The giants' defences still couldn't match high-grade spells, and this was aimed at their eyes.

The giants roared as their eyes cracked apart in a soft explosion, copious amount of shimmering liquid and blood dripping everywhere.

One pressed a palm against his injured eye as he went berserk, charging towards Aulen.

Grease! Spell rays enveloped the giants as Leylin took advantage of this moment. He wouldn't be himself if he let go of the chance to target the giants' weakness.

Bang!* Magnificent lights shot out of his hands like fireworks, and the group of giants immediately went berserk. Even the werecreatures were unable to calm them down.

Everything was in a frenzy as they roared wildly and attacked everything in their vicinity, including a handful werecreatures who were shredded into pieces.

"It's a high-grade spell attack! Get rid of that darned wizard, I'll dispel it!" A werecreature clad in a priest robe stood out in the chaos. He, too, had strange decorative motifs and paint on his face.

"Kill!" Aulen made use of this chance and charged forwards with Rafiniya and the rest. The only way they could survive under a situation like this was to go all-in. The soldiers were well aware of this too as they plucked up their remaining courage, following Aulen's lead and charging ahead.

Roar!* The clash of the two opposing sides created a fierce orchestra of howls and clangs of steel meeting steel.

And yet everything was in vain. Aulen's numbers started to dwindle, and they could not win no matter how great their fighting spirit was. The werecreatures were just too many.

"Go to hell!" Having been enhanced by magic, the sword in Aulen's hand was brighter than ever. It could easily pierce through the defences of the werecreatures and cause unimaginable damage to their internal organs.

With it, Aulen severed the heads of 3 werecreatures in a flash and attracted the attention of their companion— a high-ranked werecreature.

"I admit you're strong. But too bad; you're still going to hell!" The werecreature priest suddenly towered over Aulen like a huge and tenacious mountain which she could not scale.

……

"I'm your opponent!"

Leylin had already cast Fly, and was blocking the priest from saving his companions.

"Mid-ranked wizard, you're not worthy to become a sacrifice!" The werecreature said in pity, and looked into Leylin's blood-lust-filled eyes as if looking at his prey. It caused Leylin to furrow his brow uneasily.

'I can't be sure what other abilities this rank 15 or higher priest has. Hopefully Tiff and the rest will make it here soon!'

But of course, Leylin had more than one plan. He was also confident of escaping. As a wizard, there were countless life-saving spells. A simple Fly could get him out of the scene in a matter of seconds as long as he wasn't shot down. Rank 15 wizards would escape death even more easily with Teleport.

This priest in front of him would just be a headache.

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Taking Over

'Although it's possible for me to deal with a magic-based Professional at rank 15 or above, it really doesn't make sense…' Leylin watched the werecreature priest while feeling a headache coming on.

He was only a rank 12 mid-ranked wizard, and could not do anything that stepped beyond the boundaries of what was proper. Such a thing would attract the attention of powerful forces, which was the last thing Leylin wanted.

However, with spiritual force that exceeded that of regular wizards, as well as the scanning functions of the A.I. Chip, Leylin was able to discover some magic undulations that had been concealed.

He abruptly stepped sideways, turning left to dodge a sudden long green arrow. This corrosive arrow did not reduce in strength as it whizzed right through the body of a werecreature, turning it into froth.

High-grade Poison Arrow! Leylin looked grim, and the Mage Armour inlaid in his uniform activated.

"Why are you not in your Blackblood Tribe? What are you doing out here?"

"Hehe… that's not something you need to know, because your head's about to become my loot!" The priest opposite him snickered.

At this moment, the situation changed again. Another high-grade werecreature suddenly emerged, launching a sneak attack on Aulen!

A dagger with terrifying black corrosive energy stabbed into her chest. "AH… AULEN!" Upon seeing this, powerful and dazzling qi burst from Rafiniya. It seemed to have a burning effect, causing the other werecreatures around her to back off as she took Aulen into her arms.

"See this? Your leader's going to die. Give up! As long as you give up your faith, swear in the name of the God of the Hunt and join us, I can let you off…" Tempting words left the werecreature priest's mouth. Perhaps he had also realised that Leylin would be difficult to deal with. While it was possible to win, there was a high chance that Leylin would run off.

"Hmm…." Leylin chuckled, and it caused the priest's expression to change suddenly. Seeing the summoning rays light up on the opponent's body, Leylin knew that his preparations had been successful.

Even as the priest looked confused, he suddenly retreated and activated the spell scrolls he had prepared long ago.

Magic Barrier II! Thorns! Summon Guards!

Immensely powerful spell barriers instantly cleared out the area, enveloping Leylin and his teammates. Meanwhile, a thorny forest rose swiftly from the ground. Heavily-armed soldiers were constructed from the soil, rising to confront the werecreatures.

"What's going on?" After seeing the fall of the werecreature priest, a few leaders immediately headed over.

"Our base is being attacked. It must be a plot by those crafty humans!" The priest spoke in frustration.

The other werecreatures' expressions quickly changed, "What do we do?"

The high-ranked werecreatures watched Leylin and the others within the barrier. While basically everyone had injuries, they naturally still were able to fight to a certain extent and had magic protection. While it wasn't impossible to break through and wipe them out, they needed time…

In this period of time, their own camp could be wiped out! However, if they were to divide their troops, not knowing the power of the opponent would be very dangerous. Leylin's troops were not the benevolent type.

These vile humans were of no importance at all compared to their own mission. While werecreatures were synonymous with brainless savages, the ones who could become leaders still possessed some level of intelligence.

"Let's go!" The leader suddenly waved his arms, and the others quickly retreated.

"What about them…" One of them looked unwilling to do so, but was immediately shot down, "Just think for a moment with your stupid brain. What is more important, our camp or these humans?"

The priest was also in favour with this decision. As he left, he gave Leylin a deep look. "This isn't the last you'll see of us!"

"I look forward to it!" Leylin answered with a slight smile.

They retreated quickly. In tens of seconds, they'd completely disappeared.

Arcane Eye! After using a few detection spells, Leylin nodded in surety, "They really left and didn't leave behind any traps…"

"Oh, we succeeded!" "Haha… I survived!" "I knew I wouldn't die so easily…"

The ecstasy of living through a desperate situation immediately caused the soldiers who had survived to descend into a chaotic mess. Many of them even began to cry.

After this excitement, they looked at their camp that now looked to be in complete disorder, as well as their comrades who were dead or gravely injured. A soldier began to sob, and soon and all sorts of wails began to burst out from the others.

"Ley- Leylin!" Aulen had a huge wound on her chest. Even with Jinx applying pressure and casting divine spells with milky-white light, the blood still gushed out. The bright blood dyed Jinx's pure white priest robes red, making her look slightly disturbing.

"I'll leave my brothers to you. Promise me that you'll bring them back to Silverymoon alive!" Aulen's lips were cracked, looking like a traveller on the verge of dying of thirst.

"What do I do? What do I do? This sort of wound needs a Cure Serious Wounds spell at the very least! I've used up all my divine spell slots…" Jinx sobbed. Clerics and priests that used up all their divine magic were even more useless than wizards without spell slots.

"I promise!" Leylin nodded grimly.

"Then… I can relax now…" Aulen's hands hung down, her eyes closing slightly.

"Captain! Captain!" Jinx began to weep.

"She's not dead yet!" Leylin was speechless as he pulled Jinx aside, a spell scroll abruptly appearing in his hands.

Create Water! Freeze! The powerful magic encased Aulen in a gigantic later of ice like an insect. There was still a look of shock on her face.

"She might be able to hold on for a while longer." Leylin looked serious, "Jinx!"

"Yes!" The female priest looked up, stunned.

"I have an important task for you!" Leylin looked at the priest before him, "I need you to escort her back. You're our only cleric beside Aulen, only you can keep her alive… As for safety, I'll send a few people to accompany you!"

"No problem!" Jinx wiped off her tears and answered quickly. After they lost Aulen, Leylin now had the right to command them all.

"Wait, won't you go back with me?" Jinx only managed to react after a moment, asking in surprise.

"Go back? Do you want to be court-martialled? Cassley definitely won't let us off…" Leylin looked serious, "I'll stay behind and complete the mission!"

Leylin now had a noble aura similar to a hero, which touched Jinx's heart.

"Oh…" Her tears began to flow again, "Don't worry, I'll complete the task without fail and tell the church of your achievements…"

As she was a cleric, Jinx was one who would not be criticised. She obviously believed that Leylin was giving her this chance of survival, which completely moved her. Leylin picked two soldiers who seemed alright to send Jinx and those who were gravely injured back.

After Aulen left, the entire squadron was now entirely in Leylin's control. With the priest leaving, there was nobody who would be monitoring Leylin, and he could now act without reservations!

"But this method… will it work? I've never heard of it before…"

Watching the large horse carriage with ice inside leave, Rafiniya stood by Leylin's side, looking confused, "Can using ice slow down the worsening of injuries?"

With this method, business at the shrine would pick up. Wizards would also begin to pay more attention to ice-type spells, but Rafiniya had never heard about this before.

"Yes, in theory. I haven't tested it out before though…" Leylin nodded.

"IN THEORY!" The female knight shrieked.

"Yes. That's at least some hope!" Leylin answered irresponsibly, and then clapped his hands to gather the rest of the soldiers.

Standing high above, Leylin looked at the few men they had below. The team had had less than 50 people originally, and with last night's massacre and today's injured leaving, there were only a dozen or so people left. It looked rather pitiful.

"You'll definitely ask me why we aren't going back…" Leylin's voice was low. Now, with the deaths of the many leaders and those who had gone off, he had the most authority here and was the only reasonable commander.

Of course, Leylin only needed this authority. It would be much easier for Leylin to just die than make use of these scattered remnants of a defeated troop. To get them working together, Leylin even spoke of what had happened before with the mission, as well as their hostility with Cassley/

After saying all this, he saw looks of despair in the soldiers' eyes.

"Yes. With Cassley around, we will become deserters if we go back and be sent to trial… Don't think about escaping, because your identification as free citizens as well as your family are all in Silverymoon…" Leylin's voice had a strange infectious effect.

"This battle is not just for yourselves, it's for your future! We must eliminate those wretched werecreatures. At the very least, we need to succeed in battle and return without blame…" The soldiers below were first bewildered and afraid, but flames were now blazing in their eyes. Noticing it, Leylin secretly burst into laughter.

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Bestow

'Once their commander was defeated, the subordinate stood out to lead their ruined army. They faced powerful enemies and obtained an unimaginable victory! Indeed, this is how a hero should be!' Leylin nodded inside.

His thought process was completely based off some melodramatic models in his previous life, but it appeared to be popular in this world too. After placating the soldiers and ridding himself of Rafiniya, Leylin left the camp in the name of investigating the situation.

"Young master!" Tiff appeared from the shadows.

"Mm, you did well. What harvest did you reap?" Leylin asked calmly.

Leylin's plan had two parts, one in the open and one in the shadows. In the open, he would attract all the attention onto himself, while in secret, Tiff had brought his men to the vicinity.

This is why he had allowed Lanshire to get in contact with the opponents and reveal the location of their camp, allowing for the attack. While the werecreatures turned out in full strength, Tiff would destroy their nest.

Meanwhile, with the perfect timing, they could also take care of the siege surrounding them. While Leylin alone could not match up to the joint attack of the high-ranked werebeasts, he would crush them in terms of intelligence.

"Their camp was very strictly guarded and they recovered very quickly. We only managed to break through a part of the surrounding camp and did not manage to get to the core campsite…" Tiff looked serious as he produced a scroll with powerful spell remnants. However, it had obviously been used once already.

"Based on the traces on the outside, their goal seems to be to slaughter dragons."

"Slaughtering dragons?!" Leylin froze slightly. Dragons naturally still existed in this world, and they were extraordinary high-grade beings. They were also considered a legendary species, purebloods of which could naturally become Legends upon reaching adulthood. With skin that was basically immune to magic, they were effectively the children of the gods.

The group of high-grade werebeasts had conspired for a long time, and it was obviously not to kill a few mixed-bloods or subspecies. They would probably target an adult dragon, a Legend!

'Why would they slaughter dragons?' Leylin pondered over this. While the heroes of human legend gained benefits and divine items upon slaughtering dragons, he knew that things weren't quite as simple. The dragon race was very powerful, and they had their own backers. If one were tainted with the vengeance of a dragon's soul, they would be pursued with hatred by the entire dragon race.

Even historically, unless the heroes that slayed dragons had strong backing, few ended up well. On top of that, not every one of those dragons were wealthy enough to rival a country. Wanting to make a fortune off slaying dragons was just a fantasy.

Of course, many werebeasts were lunatics, and they could not be judged by normal standards.

'Could it be a ceremony for the God of the Hunt? A legendary dragon would be enough for the god to show his grace…' With a god acting, the dragons could do nothing even if they harboured a grudge.

"But… What they would lose from this would be far too much to bear. Unless there's something else that's attracting the higher ups of the werebeasts…" Leylin muttered to himself and asked Tiff, "Have you found their target?"

He first unrolled the scroll Tiff had gotten. There was a map of the northern lands here, with detailed markings of the various villages, mountain ranges, forests and rivers. Even the copy Leylin had made with the A.I. Chip's records was only slightly better than this, and a map with this much detail would absolutely fetch a great price in the northern lands.

On one mountain range was a little blood-red mark of a beast tooth, looking formidable and evil.

Tiff pointed at the mark on the map. There was a label beside it— The Nether Mountains. "I used Memory Retrieval used on a few slaves, this should be their goal. The werebeasts have received intel of the existence of an adult red dragon there through various means. They aim to behead it!" he answered with certainty. While Memory Retrieval was thought to be a sinister spell, neither Leylin nor Tiff cared about it.

"Nether Mountains? The red dragon…" Leylin mumbled, the glint in his eyes brightening. All of a sudden, his eyes suddenly flashed as the Nether Mountains combined with an incomplete image of the map formed by the A.I. Chip.

'A.I. Chip, show me the part of the northern lands where the inheritance of the Arcanists could be!' he immediately commanded inside.

The A.I. Chip worked quickly, and a slightly blurred map appeared with a few tags. This map was something Leylin had copied from the notebook of the arcanist. Sadly, with the passing of generations, most of the map was lost even with the magical protection.

Leylin looked unperturbed as the A.I. Chip copied a version of the map from the scroll and overlapped them.

'As expected…' Seeing the location where the arcanist inheritance was and the beast tooth marking match up, Leylin's eyes flashed with understanding. Tiff beside him obviously could not see changes in the A.I. Chip, but he knew that Leylin had discovered something. Still, he did not ask. This was smart of Tiff, and Leylin could not help but nod inside.

'Red dragon… Werebeasts… The arcanist… What is the relation between the three? Did those werebeasts obtain clues of the arcanist inheritance? Or am I thinking too much, and they purely want to offer a sacrifice to Malar?' Leylin's eyes flashed with all sorts of emotions, but then went still.

'Whatever it is, the werebeasts must be wiped out!' Leylin made up his mind. He put a silver mask on his face, and his eyes turned a frightening red and white. Terrifying unstable strength burst forth from his body. In that moment, he changed into his identity of the divine devil.

"My lord!" Tiff changed his method of addressing Leylin, knowing that he wanted to hide his identity.

"Alright, let's go see the underlings you recruited!" Leylin nodded, the glow of Fly coming forth from his body…

In a hidden valley, Leylin stood on high ground to look at the underlings Tiff had brought. Almost all of them were scattered around secretly, being of various races. The only commonality was the bloody and savage aura they possessed, making people fearful at the sight of them.

"Welcome, brothers of my sect!" Leylin now wore the robes of a high priest. His clothes that were lined with gold fluttered in the air, making him appear splendidly luxurious. Tiff stood behind him respectfully, emphasising Leylin's status.

"The winged serpent god Kukulkan is a powerful and rewarding god!" Leylin scanned through these men who would be considered the trash of their races. They had no faith to speak of, and only believed in strength. This was how they were subdued by Tiff, "As long as you believe in our god, you will then be rewarded!"

Leylin saw the looks of disbelief in their eyes and pointed at a beastman wrapped in beast skin, "You, come here!"

"What is it?" The beastman had the head of a lion and a sturdy body filled with muscles and scars. There was a rebellious look on his face.

"You will receive the blessing of our god." Leylin's arms wrapped around himself as he moved in a modest and respectful way. When it came to acting as a medium, Leylin had nothing to learn.

Meanwhile, powerful energy undulations exploded from his body, filled with a dignified and heavy aura. Even the air was beginning to freeze.

"Hss…" A bundle of flames in the air turned into a strange giant snake with two wings. The giant snake's pupils were trained on the lion-headed man, and a terror from his very soul got him to kneel, body quivering.

"My master, the mighty winged serpent god, Kukulkan. I finally meet you again…" Tiff who was at the side knelt down piously.

"My master is the only serpent of the world and possesses boundless strength. Your mighty divine force can swallow the heavens…" Leylin began to chant ceremonial verses, and a black ray of light descended from the snake's mouth, falling on the lion-headed man.

Boom!* The moment the black light descended, it turned into the most ferocious of flames for an instant as it wrapped him within itself. Miserable cries sounded out from within.

Such a terrifying scene left the audience silent in their fear. However, before they could even think that Leylin was reprimanding him, the figure of the winged serpent god and the black flames had dissipated, revealing the figure of the lion-headed man.

However, there was now a huge change to his body. His golden fur was now completely black, and there was even a black skull brand.

"Thi- this…" He touched his body after the transformation, looking to be in disbelief.

"My master has enlightened you with abilities in magic, transforming you into a sorcerer!" Leylin's eyes were aimed at the ground as he spoke calmly.

"Sor–sorcerer?" The dark lion-headed being looked puzzled, and then lifted his right arm.

Demonic magic rays lit up on his body, and the black skull brand on his body flickered layer by layer. This was Summon Undead!

Crash!* The ground split open, and numerous incomplete skeletons crawled up.

"It's really magic!" "This is a sorcerer!" "How terrifying! He can actually bestow the gift of magic and sorcery!"

Amongst the stunned looks, the lion-headed man immediately knelt in his ecstasy, "My god, the winged serpent god! I believe in you…"

As a Professional who specialised in physical attacks, just a bit of magic would be a huge help to him. The lion-headed man sensed that he now possessed the power of a sorcerer of at least rank 5, and there even seemed to be a possibility of raising this strength. How could he not be delighted to the point of insanity?

When compared to the rewards, his faith was nothing.

"Winged serpent god… You are the serpent of the world and possess boundless strength…" The eyes of the others' began to shine as they started to pray, voices filled with sincere piety.

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Once More

'Faith is actually a contract between gods and mortals. Mortals place their faith in the gods, and in return they receive divine skills. When they die, their souls will have the right to advance to the kingdom of the god.' Leylin watched those fellows who were fit to be ordinary believers with bright eyes.

'If they receive more benefits in return, they won't hesitate to make offerings and worship even a bogus god. This is why there are still so many worshippers of devils and demons in this world…'

Of course, there was a limit to the worshippers that gods took in. They naturally couldn't bestow their divinity without restriction, or they would make a loss. They could possibly lose a chunk of their divine force, even their godhood!

Leylin was currently in the early stages of building the foundation of his church. He had to give hris first believers more benefits than normal. How else would he attract the faith of others and have them believe in this non-existent feathered serpent god?

As his main body was still in deep slumber, he was completely unable to respond to his followers' prayers and bestow them with divine skills. In reality, that winged Targaryen phantom and the bestowal of the sorcery was all part of a show that Leylin had fabricated and performed with this body.

Given that he was but a part of the main soul, even Tiff wouldn't be able to discover any flaws once he disguised himself. As for the magic-like abilities, although those with bloodlines in this world could only rely on what they inherited, Leylin had no fear of bloodline transformation experiments. He was already a mid-rank 7 Warlock after all.

Warlocks had always been the best among those who possessed bloodlines. Leylin himself had reached great peaks in the use of bloodline energy, and to use a few captured bloodlines to manufacture a few fake sorcerers did not take much effort.

Of course, in the World of Gods, this was a miracle that only gods, demons and devils could achieve, explaining the fervent looks of these men. Sorcery could even be passed on to their children!

These benefits were attractive enough to make his subordinates gather around the church of Kulukan, and unite under its name for the time being. They were all ready to drench themselves in blood and fight for Leylin.

Another voice sounded at this moment, and Leylin's lips lifted even higher than before.

[Beep! Rank 3 Weave analysis: 100%! Host body has obtained all rank 3 spell models. Spell amnesia has been blocked automatically. Casting of rank 3 spells no longer requires materials.]

The analysis of the third level of the Weave had already been at the final leg, and now the conditions were ripe enough for it to complete. Leylin couldn't help but feel that the world origin force was watching over and taking care of him.

Gods always achieved success. None were unfavoured by the world origin force, and they were said to be the World Will's darlings!

'Seems like the dormant will of the World of Gods can't control the world origin force anymore. There's a vacancy for me, eh?' The edges of Leylin's lips spread even wider. "In the name of our god, let's make war!"

"Kukulkan! Kukulkan" Everyone's thirst for battle had already reached its peak. Of course, Leylin wouldn't admit that he had intentionally influenced this.

Within the high-ranked werecreature camp in the Moonwood.

"Damn it! There are actually other humans!" The werecreature commander ruthlessly flung a trembling werecreature onto the ground as he huffed.

"Luckily, only the outskirts were taken down, and they didn't reach the core camp!" The werecreature priest on the other side added coldly as he held onto his human bone staff.

"We need to tighten security across the entire camp, I'm ready to carry out a large-scale sacrificial ceremony for our Lord's favour. He'll send out hunters from his kingdom to assist us." The lesser God of the Hunt, Malar, was a gigantic monster similar to apes and monkeys. It didn't get rid of most of its bestial characteristics after it successfully deified, and had a morbid thirst for slaughter.

The hunters were an exotic species in Malar's kingdom, and they were created specifically to hunt prey. The weakest of them was more powerful than a high-ranked Professional, and if the sacrifices of his followers in the mortal world pleased Malar, he would even open up a passage to dispatch the elite forces of his kingdom.

Although such forces from the heavens were definitely a little weaker as compared to a incarnated deity, the advantage was that they could be replenished without much heartache.

"Hunters?" The highly-ranked werecreature grimaced; the sacrificial offering required clearly cost him dear, "Our forces were already enough, but in order to ensure nothing will go wrong, let's go ahead with that! I believe… if we can use the legendary red dragon as an offering in a moment, our master will surely be very pleased…"

"Then I will begin…" The werecreature priest arrived at a miniature altar within the camp. This was clearly the core of the camp; it did not suffer from any damage from Tiff's surprise attack.

But the instant the priest entered the temple, his expression changed drastically.

Wooo! Wooo! Wooo!* Crimson divine force poured out from the altar into its surroundings, the dazzling radiance representing some sort of special message.

"There's an enemy…" The sound abruptly came to an end, following which an icy cold ray of light flashed past. With a blade cold enough to freeze the entire room, it ferociously thrust itself into the chest of one of the highly-ranked werecreatures.

"A thief who has almost reached the rank of Legends! It's the person who launched a sneak attack on us!" The werecreature chief roared violently, and landed his fist on the ground with a thump. Powerful undulations spread in all four directions.

Earth's Fist! A high-level physical Professional skill erupted in a series of invisible ripples, forcing a black shadow out of thin air.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!* The silhouette bounced around nimbly, and ran several hundred metres away, his figure barely visible. The werecreatures he passed by on the way collapsed with their hands covering their throats.

"You won't get away, despicable raider!" The werecreature chief had a fierce look on his face as he followed behind at supersonic speed.

But right when the chief was at the entrance of the camp, the priest's voice could be heard. "Be careful, it's a trap! He might have a formidable spellcaster!"

The reminder obviously came a little too late. Just as the werecreature chief came to a halt, a sinister figure with a silver mask suddenly appeared, with a terrifying spell instantly taking shape on his palm.

Rank 5 spell: Dragon's Breath! A powerful corrosive force instantaneously swept across the entire area, scorching the hair on the werecreature chief's chest.

"Damn it!" The werecreature flew backwards as a dark green radiance on his body flickered continuously. A powerful force was resisting against the corrosive effects of the Dragon's Breath at lightning speed. The werecreature priest behind the chief was constantly employing treatment spells.

After retreating more than ten metres, the werecreature chief had already completely broken away from the attack range of the Dragon's Breath. However, the average werecreatures around them were not so lucky. They all collapsed onto the ground, and the entrance to the camp was instantly filled with victims everywhere.

The crowd controlling powers of wizards were always one thing that commanders were most fearful of.

"Who are you?" The werecreature chief clearly didn't recognise Leylin, who was in disguise. Moreover, his opponent was formidable and nefarious, which made him feel as though he was facing his greatest foe.

"This feeling, as if he was devouring everything around him!" The werecreature chief's pupils constricted. He now saw Leylin as the most dangerous enemy he had ever met.

Zoom!* Without giving the chief a chance to even speak, Tiff immediately charged forward. His powers as a highly-ranked Professional, which were close to being legendary, burst out from him completely. His magic abilities flashed on his body from time to time, and he actually managed to forcibly stall five highly-ranked werecreatures although it was one against five.

"Kill! Argh!" A wave of troops charged towards the camp. An eldritch lion-headed person who was almost entirely covered in black led the front line. With a ferocious roar, a suit of armor made of bones appeared on its body, along with numerous bony pikes that suddenly thrust forward into the line of werecreatures that couldn't flee in time. Fresh blood dripped continuously along the bony pike.

"Charge!" The army of scum instantly broke into the werecreature camp. They were from different walks of life and all kinds of races, but had been brought together by Tiff recently. After seeing what happened to one of them earlier, these dregs of society were investing 120% of their strength in combat in order to obtain the power of a bloodline and even let their descendants inherit it.

Even though their opponents were blessed by the lesser god of the hunt, Malar, they too were protected by the mysterious feathered snake god, Kukulkan.

It was undeniable that those who were chosen by Tiff were all rather strong and talented. They were on par with the werecreatures in the camp.

Mass Frenzy! Mass Healing! The werecreature priest hid somewhere behind as he watched the enemies solemnly.

The races that made up the opponent's army were very diverse, thus he couldn't think of which influential party they belonged to at all.

"Could it be that a new influential force is already emerging in the vicinity? With their nearly-legendary experts, this group cannot be belittled!" The werecreature priest muttered. He raised his hand and continued producing a spell which he had been preparing for a long time.

Dispel Magic!

A violet pillar of light descended from the sky, interrupting the werecreature priest and hindering him from casting spells. Leylin folded his arms, calm and unruffled in the midst of chaos, as he stared at the werecreature priest on the ground.

"Your opponent is me!" Leylin's eyes were ice-cold. Previously, he couldn't employ all of his strategies in order to conceal his true strength. But with his identity as a 'divine emissary', he didn't need to have any considerations!

He raised his hand, and lightning chains shot out. Pale blue electric currents bounced across the place, causing a few low-level priests to collapse to the floor.

When in combat, kill the clerics first. That was the norm in practically every battle, and Leylin certainly wouldn't sit idly by and let those low-level clerics leisurely heal and assist their troops.

After Leylin fixed his attention on him, the werecreature priest suddenly felt a chill in his heart, as though he was facing a gigantic dragon. Vast amounts of probing spells flashed by, yet shortly after they returned with a message that made his expression change drastically.

"Divine one! Which god do you serve?" The werecreature priest asked in a deep voice, scared out of his wits by Leylin's false godhood.

On the continent in the World of Gods, stronger beings who could obtain divinity were scarce. The greatest possibility would be that they were bestowed divinity by the gods. Evidently, this werecreature priest considered Leylin as the saint of some deity.

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Hunters

Communication between gods was an extremely solemn affair. If a powerful being was bestowed with divinity, he was bound to have an eminent status even in a god's church.

As for a subordinate of one god provoking another? That would practically be the beginning of a war between the gods! The werecreature priest began to feel rather dizzy. Although there had been conflicts and friction between churches and even between the gods themselves ever since the dusk of the gods, starting an undeclared war like this was a rare event.

After all, even a weak god would almost be unrivalled in their divine realm. Battle between two gods was a very grave matter, and it could span various dimensions and thousands of years!

As a cleric, the priest undoubtedly knew this. He watched Leylin with restrained fear.

"You had the cheek to covet our master's wealth!" Leylin's reply was very vague, but the werecreature priest's expression changed drastically. "As expected, it had to do with the Nether Mountains…"

Although the priest stopped himself in time, Leylin still got what he wanted. 'Sure enough, these werecreatures are up to something. It's not as simple as just the red dragon…'

He didn't give the priest another chance to speak. Leylin moved swiftly in mid-air, and the spells that he had been preparing for a long time shot out continuously.

Fog Barrier! Missile Storm! Fireball!

A layer of dense fog formed both a barrier and a cage, confining Leylin and the werecreature priest within. It prevented outsiders from intervening and probing them while spell attacks rained down like terrifying meteors with great destructive force.

"A presumptuous extremist that started a battle on his own initiative. You shall suffer from punishment by the gods!" The werecreature priest had a pious expression on his face. He seemed to be clothed in a milky white suit of protective armour, and a strong radiance kept emanating from his body.

Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!* The missiles rebounded off his glowing vest. It flickered, and eventually exploded.

The enormous scorching fireball struck the ground. Chrome yellow flames started spreading in all directions, continuously engulfing everything in their way. They quickly formed a gigantic depression in the ground that was covered in black scorch marks, as if it had been crushed by the bottom of a black pan.

The werecreature priest stood at the edge of the blackened pithole, his expression extremely solemn. The priest robes he was wearing had been torn into shreds, and he was almost entirely charred.

"Master, Malar, Please grant me strength…" The werecreature priest murmured. He stripped off his robes in one stroke, exposing his hairy torso. His muscles started to throb, and the dark scars from the flames burst open.

[Beep! Opponent has activated an innate skill, Wild Surge!] A glimmer of light flashed in Leylin's eyes. The Eye of the Hawk, coupled with the probing abilities of the A.I. Chip, revealed everything about the opponent right in front of his eyes.

[Wild Surge: A special ability of the followers of the Lesser God of the Hunt, Malar. Activation buffs strength and vitality by one point, additionally granting hunting vision. (If in the massacre state, the ability will bestow mid-rank regenerative effects. Cell activity will increase by 50%)]

The extraordinary Wild Surge technique was an unusual ability bestowed by the Lesser God of the Hunt to his followers, and its usage would lead to terrible aftereffects. The increased cell activity would drain one's vitality to make up for the deficiencies, and the use of this skill would reduce life expectancy greatly.

But it was undeniable that this technique was still incomparably formidable. Leylin could feel the werecreature priest on the ground enter a strange state. Not only had the injuries on his body completely disappeared, sharp claws had even shot out of his fingers. Even though he was just a clergyman of the Lesser God of the Hunt, he seemed to have transformed into a horrifying Hunter after activating the skill!

"AAHH…" The muscles on the priest's leg twisted as he leapt more than ten metres high. His cold razor-sharp claws ferociously slashed across Leylin's face.

'So fast!' Leylin's eyes sparkled.

"Your greatest mistake was to falsely think that you could take me on alone!" Two white puffs of air spurted out from the werecreature priest's nostrils.

"I have a premonition that you will be the most terrifying enemy us werecreatures will ever have! I must kill you here, and this little amount of strength is not enough! Not enough!" The priest roared. He suddenly pointed his claws towards himself, and ripped out a huge chunk of skin and flesh.

"Our god, I offer you sacrifice! Please bestow me with the strength to kill this foe!" The two clumps of flesh started to squirm violently, and then exploded. A temporary portal opened to reveal two enormous beasts.

'Dimensional summoning? This creature does not seem to be from the prime material plane of the World of Gods…'

Oo Ooh Aa Aah! Oo Ooh Aa Aah!* What appeared before him were two giant primates covered in green scales. They were over three metres tall, and their sharp claws were nearly a foot long. Their crimson eyes were filled with bloodthirst.

'A.I. Chip!' Leylin inwardly commanded. The chip loyally returned information on them in the blink of an eye.

[Hunter: Strength: 13, Agility: 15, Vitality: 10, Spirit: 5. Feats: 1. Wild Instinct 2. Poison Claw 3. Extraordinary Regeneration. Description: This is not a creature from the mortal world, but a beast bred by the God of the Hunt in his divine domain. It has been specially bred for the hunt, and has almost no rationality. If Malar is pleased with his worshippers' sacrifices, he sends down these creatures to assist them.]

'It has flesh, blood, and a life force, and it even requires a sacrifice of the soul?' Leylin thought indifferently as he watched the light dim in the eyes of the werecreature priest.

"Kill him!" The two tall hunters at the werecreature's side saw a finger point directly at Leylin.

Swish!* The two hunters who previously seemed to have been playing a game instantly disappeared into thin air. Even Leylin with his powerful sight could only see the afterimages of their movements.

'They're even faster than the priest when he activated Wild Surge!' Leylin rapidly ducked under the sharp claws sweeping across him, but a shadow flickered and another hunter emerged behind his back. Two arms twisted with muscles violently swept towards Leylin, seemingly wanting to tear him to pieces.

Bang!* Mage Armour II appeared on Leylin's back, buying him a second's time. Once that was done the clothes on his back seemed to get shredded completely, the scraps flying up into the air like scattered butterflies.

Thump!* Leylin hit the ground heavily, and dust and smoke flew up into the air.

Oo Ooh Aa Aah! Oo Ooh Aa Aah!* The two enormous hunters surrounded Leylin, one on either side of him. They roared loudly together.

"You can't outrun them. Hunters can bring out their utmost power while hunting!" The werecreature priest stood opposite Leylin, his eyes filled with a longing for fresh blood. He could already see his claws tearing across Leylin's throat.

'It deserves to be called a creature made by a god. I didn't know the hunters of legend had such power.' A crack appeared in Leylin's silver mask, and he stood up as his body shone with a healing glow.

'However, even high-ranked hunters still have their weaknesses,' Leylin's hands hung down, enveloped in his billowing sleeves.

"Kill him!" Having lost his ability to fly, the werecreature priest found it more beneficial to stay on the ground with the hunters. Both the priest and the hunters seemed to have transformed into black hurricanes, enveloping Leylin in their midst.

The formidable wind swept up several small rocks, smashing them to powder. As dust and dirt flew around the area, the three clawed beasts completely sealed off Leylin's escape. They flew at him violently, and with evil intent.

"Even if they are a god's creation, they will still have some defects," Leylin sighed. In the instant before the clawed beasts arrived, he urgently used the Ring of Wizardry on his hand.

OOOOOOHH!* A piercing and shrill female voice rang out suddenly, and in a moment overwhelmed their senses. The earsplitting noise was like that of metal scraping metal, and it brought everything in that space to a standstill.

The ear-piercing sound became an air explosion which pushed the three shadows apart.

"Ow…" The werecreature priest cut a sorry figure as he departed, blood trailing from his eyes and ears.

"Sound wave attacks? Wail of the Banshee? No, if it was that I would be dead already!" The werecreature priest was already in this state, and the two hunters were in an even worse situation. They rolled back and forth on the ground, letting out pleading cries as if they had suffered an injury to their very souls.

"Wailing Howl… The power of this simplified version of Wail of the Banshee is rather good," Leylin touched the ring on his left hand. He'd released the spell from his Ring of Wizardry a moment ago, pulling off an attack against his enemies.

Even a god could not create life, and those hunters were clearly hybrids that Malar had cobbled together from different animal characteristics and souls. Once they were attacked by sound, they immediately became violently unstable.

When it came to experiments on flesh and life, were Leylin to claim second nobody would dare claim first. He was the pinnacle expert of the World of Gods in that field. This was the pride of a bloodline Warlock.

"Very well, I've seen most of your spells and abilities. Let's bring this to an end," Leylin looked at the werecreature priest before him as dispassionately as he would look at a corpse, with neither joy nor sorrow in his eyes.

"To an end?!" The werecreature priest's expression grew heavy, and his heart was filled with a dark premonition. A rune of a beast fang had soundlessly fallen into his hand.

"Up!" Along with his command, the two hunters who had already stopped their plaintive wails once again threw themselves at Leylin. The runes in his hand flashed with the light of a portal.

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Absorption

Using its inborn sharp senses, the werecreature priest immediately felt a sense of danger— one that was enough to threaten its very life! Hence, it happily abandoned the two hunters behind to serve as cannon fodder and activated the transportation device it had to leave.

But how could Leylin give it the chance to do that?

"Dimensional Anchor!" Exquisite control over this spell allowed Leylin to destroy the werecreature priest's transportation rays in an instant. Afterwards, the now-grim priest saw something it could never believe, causing its huge mouth to gape even more, to the point of dislocation.

Seven-coloured rays of light were launched from Leylin's hands

Rank 2 spell: Colour Spray! The effects of such a weak spell only forced the hunters to pause for a while, but then they charged over again without hesitation.

But Leylin's performance was far from over. Colour Spray, Colour Spray, Colour Spray …

Nine spell rays flashed at Leylin's hands as if from rainbows, each one cast instantly. While a low-ranked spell had limited effects, a large enough number would result in a fundamental change unless one was completely immune to them.

Evidently, these two hunters were swallowed up by these many spells, and they sunk into dizziness and hallucinations.

Flaming Sphere, Flaming Sphere, Flaming Sphere… Fireball, Fireball, Fireball…

Numerous rank 2 and 3 fire spells took shape in Leylin's hands, forming a scene like the stars in the sky. While they were all low-ranked fire-type spells, amassing them like this made them similar to the legendary spell, Meteor Shower!

Even the two hunters that had broken away from the attack before still sensed immense danger and retreated quickly.

"Consider it an honour that you're dying under this move." Leylin smiled slightly. With the guidance of his spiritual force, the flames in the sky descended like meteors.

Rumble!* Continuous explosions sounded out, and the two hunters were drowned out by the multicolour spells.

"Hehe… The internet in my previous world also had the five fireball school, where they took over the world with five casts of fireballs. But this isn't just five!" Seeing the dazzling flames, Leylin continued to let his imagination run wild.

Meanwhile, the werecreature priest saw the hunters who had exploded till there was nothing left of them, and now had a very grim look.

"So many spell slots, and you can even cast them instantaneously? Are you a Legend? No, even Legends can't do anything about the limit of nine spell slots…" The werecreature priest now looked to be in a complete mess, on the verge of a breakdown.

Leylin smiled at the priest's reaction. Spellcasters suffered in this world; while they could use the Weave, they were restricted by spell slots. On top of that, Mystra took something from them every time they cast a spell, holding a part of their spiritual force. For this reason, a few wizards could only cast some low-ranked spells. Even Legends lost all battle power after casting a few legendary spells.

But Leylin was different. He had completely analysed the first four levels of the Weave, and there were no restrictions whatsoever on rank 0 to rank 3 spells. As long as he had enough spiritual force, he would be able to cast low-ranked spells instantly!

On top of that, he'd refilled his spell slots the day before. Leylin could cast spells now, but also had extra ones from before and therefore more spiritual force to spare.

This resulted in his terrifying abilities in casting spells. In terms of the number of low-ranked spells, he surpassed regular wizards by several times, and could easily use the power of his low-ranked spells to drown his opponents out. As long as the opponent was not completely immune to spells, he had nothing to fear!

Of course, this was his greatest trump card. If news of it were ever to spread, the consequences were obvious. Hence, all those who saw his trump card would have to die!

With Leylin's previous identity, he had not dared used this without thinking it over. Now, this werecreature priest was fated to die here.

Watching Leylin unceasingly drawing close, the werecreature priest now looked to have given up all hope. All of a sudden, his face twitched, "I know, I know! You're an arcanist. You must be an arcanist! Your companion is in my hands… I can… Ah…"

Terrifying spells flooded out once more. While they were merely low-ranked rank 0 to 3 spells, they were enough to drown out opponents. Watching the priest melting away in the flood, Leylin's interest was visibly piqued.

'What a surprise… I never thought a werecreature priest in a remote camp would know of the existence of arcanists! On top of that… a companion, huh…' It seemed like the priest had also met an arcanist before, and had even kept them captive. As long as he killed the priest, everything in the camp would belong to him. Why would Leylin bother trying to bargain with him?

The misty barrier dispersed, and Leylin looked at the surroundings. The entire camp was in chaos. Numerous werecreatures and the bodies of their comrades had fallen everywhere, the flowing blood enough to even form little streams.

Motivated by the great rewards, Leylin's underlings had gone all out, and they were all immersed in battle.

On another battlefield, however, even with near legendary strength Tiff was still on a disadvantage. He was facing five high-ranked werecreatures, and looked to be in a sorry state.

"Let's go!" With Leylin's arrival and the disappearance of the werecreature priest, the high-ranked werecreature leader's expression changed, and he abruptly waved his arms.

He was intellectual, and could obviously tell that his spellcaster had been taken down. Now that the other side's high-ranked spellcaster could attack as he wished, there would be a calamity. While he was unwilling to do so, he still gritted his teeth and sent down the orders to retreat.

But how could Leylin give him this chance? While he could not cast a torrent of spells again, as someone who was nearly a high-ranked wizard he could still turn the tables.

Greater Entanglement! Hold Person! Greater Vertigo! After taking a casual glance at the battlefield, Leylin flew over to Tiff's battle. Debuffing spells rained down like a storm.

"Damn it, he has so many spell slots? What's up with the priest? He didn't even make this person use up that many spell slots and died so fast!" The werecreature leader roared, but no matter how hard he thought about this, he could not guess the truth. He could only fly into a rage and then welcome the attack from above and around him.

After seeing the death of the high-ranked priest, the werecreatures' morale had already dropped, and Leylin was now even more ruthless. Considering the circumstances and taking one of them captive, Leylin then began to crush the werecreatures.

Moon Bow! A dazzling lightning bow and arrow descended from the skies, piercing through the orc leader's chest.

Even with this terrifying attack, the leader could still persist for a while before it crumpled to the ground, exhibiting its powerful life energy. After the deaths of the spellcaster and high-ranked werecreature, the entire werecreature camp lost all courage to continue resisting them.

Numerous werecreatures howled as they left, while some were hacked to death by some underlings who had gone mad in the fun they were having in the slaughter.

"Clear out the camp and maintain order. Prepare a few slaves, I have uses for them." After handing the only surviving high-ranked werebeast prisoner to Tiff to tie up, Leylin did not care any longer and headed into the core of the camp.

The ground still had bloodstains that had yet to dry, and it was still slightly sticky when one walked across. However, the battle had ended quickly and the main infrastructure had not been damaged.

Boom! Boom!* With Leylin's lead, the statue of Malar and the altar was destroyed. Traces of dim golden rays were still shining from the fragmented pieces.

"Even a true god will still have restrictions. For instance, they can only sense the surroundings of the altar up to a certain distance, and if they were to descend, they would need to cooperate with the priests here, where they would offer sacrifices or even trigger a holy tide… But there's nothing here at all. Coming down here forcefully would result in damage to one's divinity. Why would that happen for a few high-ranked werebeasts?"

Leylin guided the underlings outside, and only after Malar's statue was destroyed did he enter the range of the altar.

"Once it's completely smashed up, he won't be able to sense anything around it…" Until now, the altar had been the safest place. With a wave of his arms to send away a few men who were quivering on tenterhooks, he arrived by the altar..

"While there's no divinity here, I can still sense the God of the Hunt…" Leylin closed his eyes, caressing the shattered giant cyan rocks of the altar and sensing the divine force left behind by Malar. An aura filled with bloodlust, death and hunting lingered around him.

"While this is a lesser god, the accumulation isn't half bad…" Leylin sighed, the darkness in his eyes expanding, "Devour!"

Traces of golden divine force surged out of the remains of the ruins, and Leylin devoured it all. While it wasn't quite possible to grasp divinity like this, he could still ingest some divine force. In the World of Gods, gods still sent down their divine force to help their followers advance in their professions on occasion.

But Leylin was different. He was not Malar's follower, and Malar would not bestow his grace upon him. Since the god wouldn't give it on his own, Leylin would take it himself. This was the kind of person he was!

As the divine force entered his body, a terrifying, fragmented conscient slowly awakened in Leylin's sea of consciousness, turning into a huge incomplete ape monster.

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Helen

Devouring divine power like this was a very dangerous thing. Even if incomplete, even Legends couldn't resist a divine conscient. If any idiot devoured the power of an existing god, he would either go crazy due to the huge conscient or get devoured by the divine force instead and become an incarnation of that god.

Yet Leylin was different. His original body was equivalent to a demigod to begin with, and he had the conscient and memories of his host body. He wasn't the least bit afraid of this incomplete conscient.

Hiss!* An unnerving phantom of a winged snake emerged from Leylin's soul, glaring at the disabled monkey in front of it. Even if it was only a conscient, the monkey screeched in fright. The monkey screeched out of fright despite that it only being a conscient.

Boom!* The Targaryen looked at the monkey with disdain before swallowing it whole. Leylin's body trembled involuntarily as the A.I. Chip made a report: [Beep! Unknown energy absorbed by host body! Determined to be divine essence, near high-grade. Spirit increasing…] [Beep! Energy fully absorbed by host body, Spirit1.]

Leylin's spirit force increased to a stunning 13 after devouring Malar's divinity. His spirit was raised substantially, and he could make contact with more of the Weave.

Meanwhile, the A.I. Chip was still giving him feedback.

[Host body's spirit stat has reached 13, host has advanced to rank 13 as a wizard.] [Host has received one rank 6 spell slot, one rank 5 spell slot, and one rank 4 spell slot!]'Did I finally break through?' Leylin looked at his updated stats.

[Leylin Faulen. Age: 20. Race: Human, Rank 13 Wizard. Strength: 10. Agility: 10 Physique: 10. Spirit force: 13. Condition: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Elementary Perfect Body. Spell Slots: Rank 6(2), Rank 5(4), Rank 4(6), Rank 3(???), Rank 2(???), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)[Weave Analysis Progress: Level 0: 100%. Level 1: 100%. Level 2: 100%. Level 3: 100%. Level 4: 56.77%. Level 5: 12.15%. Level 6: 0.01%.]"A 20 year old rank 13 Wizard. I reckon there aren't many like me in Silverymoon City. I'm almost on par with a Chosen now, though I guess I did advance with the grace of a god…" Leylin had fully digested Malar's energy, and whilst the god himself realised that he'd lost some of his divinity he had no idea why.

'Well, it seems like I'll be entering an eternal feud with the God of the Hunt now.' Even if he hadn't devoured Malar's divine force, Leylin would have made an enemy of the god's church anyway. He had killed too many of his werecreature followers.

'I'll have to face a god sooner or later anyway. The God of the Hunt? Interesting domain.' Leylin smirked.

…..

"My Lord." Tiff, who was waiting outside the altar, was aware that Leylin had changed. However, he didn't point it out. "We've detained and imprisoned a group of captives according to your orders and… I found something in the cell at the core of the campsite."

"Oh? Bring me there to have a look." Adrenaline rushed through Leylin as he came to a securely sealed cell with Tiff.

"I'm the only one who's entered the place. I thought it would be better for few people to know about this." Tiff bowed before positioning himself beside the door like a loyal guard.

'Can it be…' Leylin had a few guesses in his heart, but he was still hesitant as he pushed the door.

Clang!* The thick and heavy door bellowed.

The light inside was dim, and it was covered in the distinct runes of the werecreatures that gave off a barbaric aura. Leylin could tell that it was a high-grade anti-demon spell formation to block off contact with elemental energy and the Weave.

It evidently a trap, and the person within the cell moved suddenly and raised their head.

"You– You're not a werecreature!" They mumbled, so softly that Leylin could barely hear.

Cling clang!* The chains scraped against each other as this prisoner moved, and Leylin noticed the unique cuffs on their hands. "Antimagic cuffs? Looks like they were really wary of you."

Leylin sized the captive up—they were humanoid, but looked like a half-elf. Beneath their long viridescent locks were a pair of pure obsidian eyes and translucent fair skin. Their aura was distinct in spite of the long imprisonment.

A faint energy was emitted from their body, but restricted by the antimagic cuffs on their hands. It was clear that this captive was a wizard.

"A female half-elf wizard? Tell me, why did the werecreatures imprison you?" Leylin asked.

"I heard screaming and slashing just now. Have you eliminated all of them?" The female wizard raised her head and shot Leylin a glance with her unreadable eyes.

"Hm, I guess you can say that!" Leylin nodded in agreement.

"Then aren't you going to release me?" She waved her cuffs in question.

"Nope. Law says you're now my captive, unless you have something of value to exchange for your freedom." Leylin shook his head. "Besides, you're a half-elf wizard, you should know your value."

This was the standard practice in the mainland, but things were different in Silverymoon. The city's leader was good, and if she heard of the situation she might even have redeemed the half-elf with her own money. But Leylin didn't plan on reporting it.

"Redemption? Hah, I guess you came because of 'that' too. Ignorant idiot. You don't know the suffering it will bring you." The female wizard laughed, her eyes brimming with complicated emotions. Leylin saw a brief moment of regret.

"Are you talking about the inheritance of the arcanists near the Nether Mountains and red dragon territory?" Leylin was sick of beating about the bush. And as expected, the moment he mentioned the Nether Mountains, red dragon, and arcanists, her expression changed. "So you knew."

"Actually, I know more than what you think I do." Leylin looked at her robe which was evidently different from the regular robes of other wizards and snapped his fingers.

A scorching light struck between her hands and melted the antimagic cuffs. Boiling molten iron dripped to the floor and sizzled, producing white fumes in its wake. But the female wizard had better things to pay attention to, as she stared at Leylin unbelievingly, "Instant cast? It can't be! You- You are an arcanist!"

"An arcanist? I've yet to become one, I just have a few incomplete arcane spell models, just like you." Leylin smiled at her.

The use of arcane spells was obviously different from that of normal spells. The biggest difference was that one didn't need the help of the Weave to use them, instead using the elemental particles in the air.

Leylin had made these plans long ago, but the A.I. Chip was busy with the Weave. Still, he'd managed to build a few arcane spell models in his leisure. The scorching ray that he casted just now was one of them.

Given his abilities, it wasn't impossible for Leylin to completely reconstruct the arcanists given enough time. Still, it could take tens of millennia. The transformation of normal spells into arcane spell models would be enough to keep him busy.

When there were ready-made ones, why would he continue to make them himself? Leylin's real interest lay in the research of those arcanists and the inheritance from those Magi who had comprehended laws.

There was more than one Magus who comprehended laws in the final war, and countless rank 8s who were similar to the Mother Core. An understanding of their paths and laws would be extremely beneficial to Leylin. Being a localisation of Magi, arcanists must have received the teachings of the ancient Magi. It was quite possible that they possessed information in those fields.

'Observing the different paths of law will be a great benefit. Though the ultimate path of every Magus is definitely different, it can at least give me a general direction.' Leylin looked at the female wizard as multiple thoughts ran through his head.

On the other hand, she let down her guard after seeing Leylin cast that spell. Her expression loosened up, and a sense of pity and reliance overcame her. It was as if she had found her own kind.

Bam!* A ball of green elemental particles started burning on the tips of her fingers, and she made a bizarre gesture, looking cautious.

"In the eyes of the Arcanic Fire, I will comply with the path of truth and abandon confusion, weakness and suffering. I will succeed the path of the arcanist. The light of Netheril will never be dimmed. My name is Helen. May I know who you are, my Lord?"

Helen looked over to Leylin after the ritual with expectation.

"Is that how ancient arcanists greet each other? I'm sorry, but I really don't know how to do this." Leylin spread his hands out and laughed helplessly, "Honestly, I'm just an ordinary wizard who got some fragments of arcanist inheritance."

After a round of confusing explanation and using the arcanist notebook as proof, Leylin finally proved his identity. Helen's own origins gradually grew clear before his eyes.

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Pretense

The half-elf in front of Leylin was called Helen Carter. She claimed to be a survivor of the ancient arcanist empire who dabbled in the arcane arts.

The inheritance of her family had been badly damaged by the oppression of the churches. She was actually a rank 11 wizard, and other than Arcane Fire which she used to prove her identity, she knew no other arcane spell models. If things were put in perspective, she was weaker than Leylin.

As for her motive in going north, she'd found something akin to the inheritance of an ancient arcanist in her old family tome. She was hoping she could find something there to revive her bloodline.

"Even with this world's strict prohibition of them, arcanists still exist?" Leylin touched his chin. As a matter of fact, this was a very good thing. It meant that even if he managed to become an arcanist in the future, he wouldn't have to work too hard to conceal his identity.

"Yes. Even with the disapproval of the churches, any wizard that has reached the rank of Legend will have to set foot into the essential step of Weaveless Casting. The Netheril empire didn't leave their inheritance in a single place. Even though most were destroyed in war, some people have managed to luck across remnants of it."

Helen tucked a few strands of hair neatly behind her jade-like ear. Her beauty was really on another level.

"That being said, Legends still have to do their research on arcane spells in secret, and once non-legendary wizards are found to be affiliated with any form of arcane spells, they're absolutely done for." Helen laughed bitterly as she spoke about it, as if she was was reminded of something she didn't want to be.

It seems like she and her family had endured their fair share of suffering at the hands of the gods and their churches.

"In any case, thank you for saving me from the werecreatures. I can tell you everything my family knows about the arcanist inheritance in return." Helen told Leylin sincerely.

That was a wise choice. Even if she rebelled, Leylin would have his own methods of achieving what he wanted, such as spells like Memory Retrieval. Helen wasn't a match for him. Additionally, she recognised that Leylin was someone related to the arcane arts anyway. That alone had led to her lowering her guard against him.

"Thank you. When I find the documents and information I'll make a copy for you." Leylin didn't reject her offer. He certainly thought that he deserved it all, "Before I discover any remnants of the arcanists, I'll need you to move within range of my detection, is that okay?"

"Yes, that will be alright!" A consequence like this was already a whole lot better than being imprisoned by the werecreatures, where she might eventually become a sacrifice. Helen readily agreed to Leylin's request without any negotiation, she was aware that her life was in his hands now.

"My Lord!" Tiff showed no signs of surprise when he saw Leylin bringing Helen out of the room.

"Right, this is Miss Helen. You can consider her our client." Leylin said ambiguously. Helen wasn't pleased about how she was being introduced but she chose to not voice it out.

"We've cleared the entire campsite. The high-ranked werecreature and tens of normal ones that we've knocked out have been put aside." Tiff resembled a hard working housekeeper, reporting everything to his owner.

"There's enough food for 200 people here, and enough weapons to equip an elite combat squad. I also found some half-done high-grade magic potions and other magic items in the leader's room. They're all very strong, probably intended to kill the dragon."

"Got it, take away all the weapons and armour and leave half of the food." Leylin kept the high-grade ingredients that Tiff handed him. These materials were valuable even outside their use for killing dragons.

"Bring me all the captives, I have some use for them!"

Things got simpler after he saw the people who participated in the battle and helped transform their bloodlines. He then asked Tiff to bring Helen along and lead the rest to bring the supplies away before changing his appearance back to how he looked before.

"Why took you so long?" Rafiniya's grumble could be heard the moment Leylin returned to the campsite, "If you were a little more late, I will already be on my way to find you!"

"Something cropped up, gather everyone now and prepare for attack!" Leylin was flushed with excitement.

"Why?" Rafiniya mumbled to herself but the rest of the men had very quickly assembled themselves.

"I recced the area just now, and I found that the werecreatures' campsite was completely transformed." Leylin sounded ecstatic.

"There were attacked and a few of their leaders died. If we go there now, we will be able to wipe them out completely and uproot them! We can finish this damned mission!"

All the eyes of the soldiers' lit up upon hearing Leylin's words.

……

Alec opened his eyes, and that wizard's face surfaced in his mind once more.

"Damn it! My head- Ugh-" Alec stood up with much difficulty and saw his almost-destroyed campsite and collapsed captives. Looking at the few survivors between the corpses, even if he wasn't that intelligent, he knew that the mission had failed.

He kicked the fainted captives violently in an attempt to wake them up and ordered them to do the same to the others as he sat down. His head still hurt, and messed up his already chaotic thoughts.

"Human, wizards, attack…captives! Where's the captive?" Alec ran to where Helen was imprisoned before, only to arrive at an empty cell.

"Those bloody humans–" Alec growled in anger causing everyone around him to cower in fear.

"I'm the biggest here, I'm the head of you all!" He struck a few of the stronger werecreatures to show his authority. The rest could only whimper in submission, he was a high-grade werecreature after all. He exceeded the rest in both strength and speed.

"We, go back— Blackblood…" Alec made a decision, he could only abandon the campsite in its current state. But before anyone could object, a voice sounded in his head.

'Don't go back! Those darned humans, I haven't made my revenge on them. The others will mock me if I go back!' The voice circled his head and overtook his previous decision. Alec got dizzy for a bit and decided to abandon his decision and gathered all his subordinates.

"Those despicable humans, me, Alec, your new head will avenge!" After announcing his decision, he received stares of fear instead of excited growling— Leylin's previous attack had frightened them.

Before Alec could think of anything else, chaos erupted at the entrance of their campsite. A group of human adventurers barged in. No, it was the city guards, but they seemed to be few in number.

Alec scratched his head. He'd attacked both guards and adventurers before, the only distinction in his mind was that guards were greater in number and had more tender flesh.

"They want to attack us just based on that amount of people?" Alec was triggered despite his low intellect.

"Kill them!" He bellowed before charging forward in front of the rest. The first person he saw was an armoured young female knight emitting a dazzling aura.

"A strong one from the humans!" Alec was taken aback, but that didn't last for too long before he charged at her.

"Kill them!" The remaining city guards were filled with bloodlust, charging forward for their future and life, as well as for vengeance. They burst forth with bloodshot eyes and the last remnants of their strength.

The werecreatures who had endured the previous battle were only at half their strengths, and the rest carried injuries that made them weaker than before.

"Perhaps we really can win this time!" The soldiers watched Leylin, who ran before all of them, with a glimpse of hope.

Mass Bull's Strength! Cloudkill! Enchant Weapon!

"Charge! Victory is ours!" Leylin roared, spells shooting out from his hands as the knights slashed at the werecreatures with their swords, sending a werecreature's skull rolling to the floor.

'The paralysis effect is still not over, especially on the high-ranked werecreature. The spiritual suggestion is still working though!' Deep inside, Leylin was actually observing the battle quietly.

He'd left these captives behind on purpose, to give the city guard some achievements, How else would he return? Light from a large-scale spell shone, and Rafiniya noticed in shock that her strength had increased greatly.

"A mass buff? Rank 6 spell?" She looked at Leylin in confusion.

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Reward

"He's actually broken through!" Rafiniya's eyes widened slightly. She obviously knew what the casting of Mass Bull's Strength implied. It was a rank 6 spell that only rank 13 wizards could cast. This sort of spell that could boost a group was very popular in the army.

As a noble, Rafiniya knew more than regular people and definitely understood how terrifying this was.

"He's only twenty!" Rafiniya glanced at Leylin, who was so young that it was ridiculous, and suddenly felt down. While she was considered a genius, she was nothing in comparison to him…

Aoo aoo!* However, getting distracted during battle was very dangerous. The female knight had made this exact mistake. Alec thundered from opposite her, his muscles bulging bit by bit. His claws swept forth, seemingly severing even the air itself.

Wild Burst! He had clearly obtained this power from Malar.

Boom!* Rafiniya felt a burst of strength from his hands, causing her double-handed blade to whistle sharply as it flew off.

"Crap!" She wanted to retreat, but it was already too late. The high-ranked werecreature charged forward, his coarse pores and nauseating skin distinctly visible to her.

Alec snarled, only having one thought in mind. Tear! He would tear this knight in front of him apart!

'Am I going to die?' Rafiniya slowly shut her eyes, 'How could I let myself get distracted in battle?'

However, the pain that she anticipated did not appear. Rafiniya opened her eyes and found Leylin's tall figure in front of her, blocking the attack.

A sabre fell, and the high-ranked werecreature's head rolled to the ground, blood spurting out of his neck like it was a fountain.

Woo woo…* The other werecreatures saw that their new leader had fallen at the hands of a human, and the emotions of terror that had been accumulating ultimately exploded. They whimpered and turned to escape pathetically, yet were easily pursued and killed by the human warriors. Most deaths in battle came when one fled in chaos, as such opponents were the easiest to take care of.

'Is he a hero like in the legends?' Rafiniya got up, gazing at Leylin with his sabre. Something glinted in her eyes, causing a slight flush to rise upon her cheeks.

……

A meeting was being held in Silverymoon, regarding Leylin and his men.

"I'm against this!" Cassley slammed the table, causing a small earthquake. "There's something wrong with squadron 5's mission completion!" His face was flushed.

"A huge camp with numerous high-ranked werecreatures, as well as an altar of the God of the Hunt. How could they have defeated them all?" He'd seen Leylin before, "I firmly stand against them being given credit and promotion!"

Cassley was almost on the verge of shouting at this point. Such ungentlemanly behaviour caused all of the other members to frown slightly.

'He's a sorcerer after all, he's far too emotional. Not like a wizard at all, what a fortunate guy…' More than one high-ranked wizard was silently thinking of this.

"We've already gotten our men to take a look and verify the bodies of high-ranked werecreatures and the others. What else do you want?" The elven wizard whom Leylin had seen once before asked coldly. "Besides, did you only just find out how dangerous this mission was? Who was it that had guaranteed at the beginning that it was only a 'tiny' camp?"

Unusually, the elf wizard was obviously out to get someone.

'Looks like Cassley's side is at a disadvantage…' After seeing this, the other big shots all nodded, now having a better understanding of the struggles and strife between the elf wizard and Cassley.

But this was the truth! When both sides' strength were about the same, it was impossible to deny or fake anything.

"You've seen the report! The camp had already been raided by some unknown organisation before, which was why squadron 5 got it easy…" Cassley still did not let up, "Therefore, we can't consider this as squadron 5 completing the mission. We need to investigate this carefully!"

"Gods! How could you not distinguish what's right and wrong here!" The elf wizard was so furious that he was trembling, "Our Silverymoon has never banned anything like that. Even if Leylin got external help, that's because he's capable!"

"Enough!" A deep voice sounded from the person sitting at the head of the table. He had an immense presence that seemed to have gone past some sort of boundary, entering the domain of Legends.

"Commander!" Cassley and the elven wizard were immediately discouraged as they saluted and apologised.

"The reason we have gathered is not to discuss the achievements of a subordinate's squadron. There are more pressing matters at hand!" The old wizard spoke slowly, looking like a regular human. He had muddy eyes and wore a simple grey robe. There was nothing special about him whatsoever. However, it was this old man that had control over all the high-ranked military officials in the hall.

"Silverymoon is an open city state confederation. Obeying rules is the basis of our existence. Even if squadron 5 overstepped any boundaries, they still completed the mission and should therefore get what they deserve!" The old wizard made the final decision. Cassley's lips twitched, but he did not say anything in the end.

After all, if Leylin had truly succeeded and completed the mission, he could at most only fault him for the process. Legitimacy belonged to the victor, and that had always held true. Seeing the elven wizard opposite him look all smug, his heart blazed even more.

He had brought up this issue and taken care of everything in the shadows himself. He'd thought that he could ruthlessly give Leylin a setback, but the result had surprised him. The defeat this time would mean the people in the faction would view him less favourably, and the effect on him was practically destructive.

'Leylin, is it?' Cassley thought over this name ruthlessly, 'In a situation where the captain had to return with grievous injuries, he still finished the mission resolutely. On top of that, he was even lucky enough to get the werecreatures at their weakest… If he's trying to be a hero, hehe…'

Leylin had gotten just a bit of attention before, but henceforth Cassley would ferociously attack this little wizard.

As a person in a leading position, he was now seeing a pawn have the guts to move in a way he had not planned it to, and one that was even baring his fangs at himself.

Even if that was the current situation, Cassley would never imagine that the fellow he'd treated as a pawn would be hiding something terrifying.

"Our next topic is the allocation of funds for the perpetual fortification on Sunrise Mountain Range…" Cassley perked up again.

One loss meant nothing. What was more important was the orcs' upcoming attack.

……

"This is all thanks to you, Leylin!"

The sunlight shone through the windows of an infirmary room that was obviously of a high-grade. The motes of dust floating through the air were rendered visible..

Aulen looked slightly pale as she lay in bed, surrounded by the group of officers who had survived.

"With saving my life and completing the mission, you've helped me twice. I will remember it!" Aulen guaranteed.

"It's nothing. I did it for myself too!" Leylin smiled. Aulen now looked nothing like she had been as a soldier, instead seeming rather delicate. It seemed like the matter with Lanshire had given her a huge shock.

"After this, I'm no longer fit to stay in the city guard. I've already submitted my resignation. I hope you can take care of our brothers for now. It won't be long before you get your rewards…" Aulen smiled bitterly.

"Squadron 5 is my foundation. I'll never give up on them!" Leylin guaranteed, looking enthusiastic.

"That's good… cough cough…" Aulen began to cough violently for a while, and then eyed Leylin, "As for your rewards this time… You'll definitely become a battalion commander.That's a high-ranked officer in the city guards, and you might even be granted a hereditary title. Even in other countries, you will be recognised…"

At the mention of this hereditary title, the other officers began to look envious. Once one became a noble whose title could be succeeded by his descendants and held his own land, he would truly enter the upper classes of society. His children and grandchildren would become noble youths above the rest.

That was the dream of all the officers at the bottom tier, but in less than two years of entering the city guards Leylin had won it all. While some jealousy arose, these feelings melted like ice in the sun after seeing the wizard emblem on his chest,.

This was a rank 13 wizard at such a tender age. That achievement was more than enough for him to get everything, and the huge gap caused the feelings within them to dissipate.

By the time Aulen returned, Leylin had gotten his newest appointment and rewards.

"As expected, I'm now a battalion commander and a baron." Leylin sent the soldier who had come to send the order away, and then glanced at the parchment paper with an enchanted imprint on it. He smiled as if thinking about something.

Individual strength was rather powerful in the World of Gods, especially the city guards of Silverymoon. It had a powerful army made of practically all sorts of Professionals. Having the authority to command over 200 people was already rather powerful.

If this was times of peace, Leylin would never get this role. However, they were expanding the army in preparation for war, and Leylin was considered an 'old soldier' from before, which gave him an advantage.

From this appointment, Leylin could smell the war that would soon arrive.

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Alustriel

To be given the title of baron, as well as receive a hereditary title, it was usually necessary to meet with the city's ruler. To tell the truth, Mystra's Chosen was also the Lady of Hope from legends— Alustriel. Leylin was rather excited to meet her.

In his two years within Silverymoon, he had never met with her. He had only caught sight of her a few times from the sidelines. Rumour had it that this lady had a very good temperament and even enjoyed blessing the celebrations of ordinary citizens randomly. She was even willing to help beastmen.

Leylin's judgement of her was like this: A political idiot, an empty-headed and hot-blooded fellow like Rafiniya who, if not for her formidable power and the elders and the city hall wiping her ass would bring down the entirety of Silverymoon.

Leylin felt that Alustriel was more suited to be a humanitarian than a politician. Her naive and natural personality was ill-suited for politics and court, just like Rafiniya. That hot-blooded and righteous lady knight was a very good companion and friend, but she was not a good superior. If she was allowed to run a city, it would all end in disaster!

Now however, Alustriel governed Silverymoon City properly, and the most impressive thing was that she possessed even more formidable personal power. In times of peace, everything had been good. However, Silverymoon now faced the orc invasion which amplified every flaw in her governance. Leylin gradually grew aware that a great calamity would soon be upon them.

Court etiquette was a very big problem for newly-promoted nobles. They could not be lacking in manners during the ceremony to confer titles as well as their audience with the city's ruler, else the other nobles would mock them. Nobles who had risen from nothing had always found this process very difficult.

It was also the main reason why those old nobles despised the new ones. In their eyes, those country bumpkins did not deserve such a position, and neglected the vitality that came with interactions between different social classes. In the end, they had only slowly declined.

Fortunately, Leylin had received instruction from an etiquette teacher. He had learnt it quickly and after a single afternoon, the etiquette teacher, who had been specially sent by the court, had left satisfied.

Alustriel also wanted to meet him before the ceremony. This sort of private meeting did not matter much to him, as he did not feel she would be able to see through his false identity unless he was face-to-face with her god's true body.

……

Leylin had seen Silverymoon's imperial palace in the distance several times. However, he did not care much about any outstanding wealth in the palace. He was only interested in the rumoured legendary spell resources that it could contain.

However, once he truly entered the palace, he drew his spiritual force firmly back into his body and did not dare to carelessly investigate.

'There were at least five high-ranked magic probes at the gate. There will be many more high-ranked wizards guarding the palace itself…' Leylin lowered his head but something flickered in his eyes.

Silverymoon's palace and the Wizards' Guild were the most well-defended and strict places. It was rumoured that the strongest in these places could not be bribed, and even Legends did not dare to provoke Silverymoon City, who had the backing of the Goddess of the Weave.

However, Leylin never had the intention of robbing the place, and was thus very calm. He was currently clad in the splendid attire of a noble, the clothes which were embroidered in gold thread stifling him. He looked like a peacock who had spread its feathers.

There was nothing that could be done. The clothes of a noble were rich and garish, as if they wished to put everything he had on display. Leylin normally wore robes or leisure clothes at home, but it would certainly be inappropriate to wear those now.

"Her majesty the queen wishes to receive her guest in the side palace hall." At this moment, a female official trotted over and announced in a steady voice. Leylin then followed her to a separate part of the palace.

"Here it is!" Leylin was not left waiting for long. In a moment, he felt the security around him had increased to its utmost, and there were even two powerful soul forces near him. He immediately contemplated them inwardly.

"Good day, Sir Leylin Faulen!" A peal of laughter rang out like a silver bell, and Leylin finally saw Alustriel.

Her eyes were like moonlight, and she seemed like the very embodiment of beauty. She only wore a simple gown, but she was naturally breathtaking.

"I do apologise for my lateness. I went to Uncle Cooper's roast meat banquet, and I brought a blueberry pie that he personally baked for you. It can't be a more appropriate congratulatory gift for you…" Alustriel fixed her gaze on Leylin with a smile on her face, passing a basket of roast meat to Leylin.

"Your majesty!" Leylin rather speechlessly accepted the gift, and respectfully bowed exactly as he had been taught by the etiquette teacher.

"Your majesty, how could you see your vassal in such a manner! There are still a few more items on today's schedule to address as well…" A white-bearded old man chased after Alustriel into the palace, with thick sheets of parchment and quills in hand. After seeing Leylin, he even smiled helplessly.

'Scholar Buren, full name Buren Eustace. Alustriel's clerk and the leader of the elders, as well as her most trusted subordinate. He's actually the prime minister of Silverymoon…' A string of information flashed across Leylin's mind.

Naturally, what drew his notice were the powerful magical undulations coming from both Alustriel and Buren. It meant that they had both broken through mortal limits and had entered to realms of Legends.

Alustriel's body possessed a trace of divinity from the Goddess of the Weave, and it in particular attracted a deep interest from him.

'I really want… I really want to devour her! Such a pity. If I did that, the Weave Goddess will be the first to hunt me down…' Leylin sighed in his heart.

"Haha, Baron Leylin! You don't need to be so formal and stiff, you don't seem like a 20 year old youth at all!" Alustriel undeniably had an aura that was as refreshing as a spring breeze. Conversing with her made Leylin loosen up considerably. Her charisma was great.

"Your title ceremony will be held in three days' time. Tell me Leylin, tell me like a friend; do you have any requests?" Alustriel gently said as she looked at the wizard before her.

"If it's like this," Leylin took a deep breath as his eyes filled with determination, "I hope I can freely read through the court's collection of wizard resources…"

"You may!" Alustriel agreed very readily, surpassing Leylin's expectations and filling him with astonishment. Hey, hey! Wasn't she meant to ask him to climb to her inner circle before finally being allowed to peek at those documents? Was it really alright to give it to him so happily?

"Cough cough… Your Majesty!" At this moment, the saviour of the show appeared. Scholar Buren coughed with all his strength, attracting Alustriel's attention over.

"Although Baron Leylin is a genius, legendary spells will only pose difficulties for his current state. For his own good, we can give him those resources that are below the rank of Legends."

"Oh, I apologise! I've forgotten that point," Alustriel looked at Leylin, "Because of the rigid nature of Legends, the Legend-ranked resources would not be beneficial to your growth now. I can first give you those resources below that rank, and once you advance to become a high-ranked wizard…"

"Cough cough…" Scholar Buren looked at this failure of a queen and began to cough like he was choking to death.

"This is more than enough already. Thank you, Your Majesty," Leylin smiled as he bowed, and his elegant demeanour astonished even Buren. Disappointment had indeed flitted across his heart, but he did not show it at all.

For those wizards below rank 15, research materials at or above the legendary realm really was too complicated, and Alustriel had meant well when she restricted them. However, Leylin was different. He was not some low-ranked wizard, and he could even understand information on godhood if it was given to him. However, he could not admit this.

Buren's actions could also be understood. If this sort of thing was handed out now, then how would he be rewarded for outstanding service in the future?

Just because he could understand the reasoning behind the forceful interruption did not mean Leylin's heart was not ill at ease. After chatting with Alustriel for a while and receiving the visitor's pass for the palace library, Leylin left the palace.

It had to be said that Leylin had developed a new understanding of Alustriel after meeting with her. It could be said that he had a favourable impression of her, but maybe not of Buren.

"What did you think of him, Buren?" Alustriel asked with interest as she cupped her face with her hands. Even if she was naive, she had changed with the polish of many years of experience, although the changes were not particularly big.

"He did not have any traces of evil intent or the aura of a devil on him," Buren's eyes turned crimson, looking extremely terrifying, "And his thirst for knowledge is sincere, not faked!"

"If it's like this, then how come you didn't allow me to give him the authority to view those resources?" Alustriel said, feeling hard done by.

"Resources ranked legendary or above must be exchanged for contributions, this rule is the cornerstone that protects our Silverymoon City!" Buren looked at Alustriel, who was acting like a little girl, with a helpless and bitter smile.

"Also, giving an insignificant wizard like him those high-ranked and above resources is more than enough. After he reaches rank 15 and swears the oath of eternal loyalty to the Styx, then we can pass on the legendary-ranked resources…"

"Alright, alright," Alustriel waved her hand, "You can make the decisions. Oh, tonight I have to attend Mister Nudu's dinner party."

"Please forgive me, but I must remind Your Majesty that as the ruler of our Silverymoon City and the alliance, it is highly inappropriate for you to suddenly turn up at the party of our ordinary citizens…"

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Beginning

Buren's warning was serious, but Alustriel seemed to have had enough of him. She waved her arms, and a teleportation gate flickered into existence as she disappeared.

"She's so…" Watching this irresponsible queen, Buren could only roll his eyes speechlessly.

Under the terrifying magic formation in the castle, only the Chosen of their goddess could make use of teleportation gates at will. Even though Buren had already reached the realm of Legends, there was nothing he could do.

……

Leylin used this period well, staying in the library to copy all of the information on under legendary magic. After a series of long and complicated arrangements, he was conferred his title.

He obtained some uncultivated land next to the Moonwood. He changed its name to the Violet Territory, and he became the Violet Baron.

There was no way around it. All lands that were fertile, rich and safe had long since been taken up by the nobles. Getting them to spit it back out was far from an easy task. The area surrounding the Moonwood was filled with danger and the frontlines for the battles with the orcs. That was why it was being given out.

However, it was only a wasteland now. The only good thing about it was that because the intention was to compensate Leylin, the area was two times larger than the land given to normal barons.

'I have no plans to live here permanently anyway, so it doesn't really matter…' Leylin thought as he fiddled with the noble coat of arms he had designed himself. The main body was a violet with intricate plant decorations around it.

If Baron Jonas were to know of this, he would definitely be delighted. A title and land was something the upper class people in the World of Gods desired the most.

Leylin could not only gain the title as Baron Faulen, but also be the master of the Violet Territory. Once he had a son, he would let the boy take over and help the Faulen Family branch out. That would count as expanding the power of the family.

With joint marriages and swallowing up of families, there would be changes and exchanges in titles. Once the scattered territories linked together, a huge noble family would be formed, maybe even a kingdom. Such a rise usually took a few centuries.

Of course, the possibility of such a thing was very low. At most, the later generations themselves would begin to bicker amongst themselves.

This had nothing to do with Leylin. The only thing that left him more satisfied was that he was now a true noble, and no longer had to work in the name of the next in line. The power and treatment a true noble and an heir had were completely different.

He was quickly appointed as a captain of the city guard, and he was assigned a complete troop. The army expanded from the 5th legion, and had 200 Professionals and about the same number of troops and commoners. Altogether, there were about 500 of them.

'This power is sufficient for me to do a lot of things. Of course, compared to the orc army that's coming, it's not much…' Leylin observed the dark clouds in the horizon, his brows gradually furrowing together. With the orc tribes maneuvering, the gloom of war was already enveloping the northern lands.

Shops had closed permanently even in Silverymoon, and pedestrians were moving hastily. The Sunrise Mountains and the orc tribes were practically synonyms of savagery and war. Not only were these orcs born with powerful bodies, but the also had the protection of their own god. Their god was powerful.

In the World of Gods, orcs and humans were huge races that each did not lose out to the other. Their gods had powerful divine force, comparable to peak rank 8 Magi. This was practically the limit of what the universe could accommodate.

Without the protection of a powerful god, the treatment one was given in the World of Gods was entirely different. Under the huge incoming threat, even the fall of the entire northern lands was likely. Leylin had intel that the members of the mobilised tribes were very powerful, and it wouldn't be trivial like the simple fights and robberies before.

With so many tribes banding together, there was a sense of a fledgling empire taking shape. If left unchecked, an orc empire would rise up!

If they wiped out the Silverymoon Alliance and took over the northern lands, then this empire would form atop the corpses of their enemies. Perhaps this too was a hope of their god.

As for the human faction, Leylin had also heard about something that did not mean well for them. The Silverymoon alliance was too powerful, referring to Alustriel in particular. She was a Legend who was also the Chosen of the Goddess of the Weave. The influence of Silverymoon had risen in recent times, and there were more and more cries proclaiming her to be the Empress.

The Silverymoon Alliance was an alliance amongst the northern lands' organisations. This included all the human cities in the northern lands, as well as a few other large territories. At the beginning, the intention was to fend off the orcs more effectively, and they had built up offensive and defensive strategies.

Alustriel had used her personal charm and the great strength of Silverymoon to keep her position as the head of the Silverymoon Alliance. With her lifespan and reputation, she could very well integrate the scattered federations in the next few centuries and form one terrifying empire!

This was obviously something the orcs did not want to see. Of course, there were many amongst the nobles in the northern lands that approved of this and even helped to achieve it. Meanwhile, there were those strongly against it, doing what they could to hinder it in secret.

'How interesting… The accumulation of these conflicts is now allowing the orcs to invade them?' Leylin chuckled as he glanced at the castle behind him. Powerful spell rays lingered eternally on the walls and magnetic bricks, giving it a unique beauty.

'The conflicts between humans and orcs, the contradictions of whether to be unified or to split, and even the conflicts between gods… With this spiral of events, I wonder how long the beautiful and fertile Silverymoon can last…' Leylin's eyes flickered with wit.

[Beep! High-ranked wizard information has been recorded. Spell model database is now complete. Constructing host's wizard spells.]

The A.I. Chip suddenly showed this prompt. After he spent a lot of time scanning through all information below the rank of Legend in the palace, the Chip's database was now complete. At the very least, Leylin would not be hindered before he became a Legend.

'Good! A high-ranked wizard, at rank 15, is publicly known to be someone powerful. A.I. Chip, how long will I take to reach that point if I meditate as I do now?' Leylin asked.

[Beep! Mission established. Checking compatibility with host. Proceeding with theoretical tests…]

The A.I. Chip quickly calculated, numerous 0 and 1s flashing by in front of Leylin's eyes. In a few seconds, it gave an answer. [Based on host's current stats, estimated time to reaching rank 15 is in 731 days 13 hours.]

'Around two years? That's probably the time that the orcs will attack…' All of a sudden, Leylin's expression changed as he looked towards the north.

"This undulation… It's from a legendary spell! And it's at the fort of the Sunrise Mountains! Could it be…"

……

North of Silverymoon, Sunrise Mountains!

This was a huge mountain range that extended through the humans' northern lands and the boundless wilderness of the orcs. It allowed for a clear divide between the worlds of the two.

The humans in Silverymoon had used spells and a lot of manual labour to construct a large defensive fort, and they deployed their military to guard it. Atop the black steely wall was the newest results of Silverymoon's research: the Automatic Magic Cannon.

The troops stationed at the garrison were the most powerful of Silverymoon. There were over 20 high-grade wizards there, and there were even rumours that there was a Legend in charge.

Over these many years, this fort alone had forced the orcs to return with their tails between their legs. No matter how crazed the attacks were, the fort had stood tall like a reef in a tsunami.

For this reason, the original name that had been complex and awkward had been discarded. In its place, it was given the beautiful name of 'Unfallen Moon Fort'. It represented the silver moon flag of Silverymoon that, at the front of the city in the fort, would never fall!

Pak!* However, at that moment, the beautiful and intricate silver moon flag had slowly descended into the burning flames, turning entirely into ashes.

Roar!* *Roar!* Numerous snarling werecreatures shouted crazily as they crawled up the walls that were said to never fall. Werejackals, werelions, wereleopards… There were even gigantic behemoths, snakemen, and foxwoman priests.

Numerous orcs with varying appearances arranged themselves in a square-shaped formation, crowding around a golden werelion as they cheered enthusiastically, "Saladin! Saladin! Emperor of the werecreatures! Emperor of the orcs!"

This orc called Saladin had fur that pointed up like steel spikes, and his eyes were electric. Numerous Legends, heads of their respective races, could only prostrate themselves before him.

He was Saladin, emperor of all orcs, and the Chosen of the orc god Gruumsh. He who possesses the divine weapon of the orcs, the Thunder God's Hammer!

With the power of the divine weapon, he had destroyed the fort's defences in an instant, and even killed the human Legend.

"I, Saladin, emperor of the orcs, king of all kings, shall conquer the northern lands as a jewel on the crown of my god!" Saladin snarled, and the many orcs cheered together.

Calendar of the gods, year 37665. Unfallen Moon Fort fell to their enemies, after being completely invaded by orcs on all sides.

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War

With their huge numbers, the orcs had many peak experts. The fort quickly changed hands. There weren't even many magic warnings issued, allowing them to have the time to lay low in wait for the reinforcements once the original guard was taken care of.

After a few rounds, the teleportation rays no longer flickered, and the orcs controlled the fort with ease, setting up their own teleportation spell formations. The Unfallen Moon Fort had its own arrangements for escape routes. The wizards had left themselves teleportation gates that would allow for convenient access for assistance. The orcs in turn had messed up the spatial undulations here and sealed off all teleportation.

Just as the camp was in a frenzy, a pair of golden eyes looked down from above. In that moment, the Weave within tens of kilometres seemed to rebel, and powerful thunderclouds formed silently.

"Mystra, what's happening? Are you trying to go against our contract?" A gruff voice sounded, and the thunderclouds in the sky dissipated to reveal shining moonlight. The orcs below did not even realise that they'd been at death's door, and they all silently gathered their loot.

The dim golden eyes did not make any more movements, and instead seemed to streak through the sky and focus on an orc.

"Gruumsh!" The owner of the golden eyes called out the name of the werebeast, the flames of her fury growing.

"You saw that. I didn't make the first move! It's a result of the guys' fight!" The orc god chuckled, sounding gleeful.

"Furthermore… We've gotten the support of many gods, for instance the guy who's been following you…" Gruumsh reported another piece of news and then was satisfied to see the anger in Mystra's eyes.

The powerful conscient left, looking exasperated at seeing such a conflict happen so close.

"I can't suppress someone as powerful as the Goddess of the Weave even at my peak. However, the competition on this path is ruthless. Whether in the dusk of the Magi and Gods, or now…" Gruumsh mumbled, and then he disappeared after sending down a powerful oracle. With their priests, the maddened orcs seemed to spread throughout the north.

Survival and reproduction were the two main goals of living beings. The orcs were like locusts as they looted all that they saw, and much blood was spilt. The states that were lucky to survive in the northern lands sunk into an arduous battle after being summoned by Silverymoon. The situation was in a deadlock.

On one hand, the land that the orcs obtained needed to be governed, and the soldiers needed to be reorganised. On the other, with the sudden attacks, the Silverymoon Alliance had suffered continuous losses and desperately needed some respite.

Another great wave of attacks could burst forth, and small skirmishes were a constant thing these days. The mercenaries, adventurers and even dreamers of the human world risked their lives to come to the northern lands, hoping to get some part of the glory. More merchants and commoners fled, which was a huge headache for the country.

In this chaotic world, a name that had been in the shadows before began to grow in intensity and shone in the battle with the orcs, thus earning the name of a hero…

……

Unwittingly, a year passed. Year 37666 of the calendar of the gods, Silverymoon City.

A handsome black horse galloped along the road, its bloody hooves evidence of it having passed through a battlefield. The troops following behind it held orc ears, proof of merit and rewards. The knight at the head was astonishingly a female!

"It's the Knight of Light, Rafiniya!" An adventurer along the road saw the female knight, their eyes filled with obvious admiration and worship.

"Mm! I heard that the lady became a high-ranked knight at a young age. She's been shining in battles with the orcs as of late." A young girl's eyes twinkled, "Even more worthy of admiration is the fact that Lady Rafiniya is like the personification of justice. She treats commoners and nobles all the same and does her best to protect the interests of the weak… Just like the city master…"

"That's why so many adventurers are coming from all over the world!" Someone who was obviously the leader beside the girl supplemented, though he was critical on the inside, 'Few agree with the city master's ideals and want to participate in battle. Most people prioritise benefits.'

Although he knew this, he wouldn't say such a thing allowed. Merit was the best way for adventurers to become nobles. The city master of Silverymoon was known for her generosity, so what harm was there in keeping mum?

'Her commander, Baron Violet, seems to be a great example of this…' The adventurer leader thought inside and urged his people on, "What are you looking at? Go to the Mercenary Guild and get the rewards from the mission!"

Due to the war and the surge of many mercenaries and adventurers, Silverymoon strangely seemed to be prosperous. The citizens who had lived calm and comfortable lives had disappeared, and in their place were mercenaries and adventurers who reeked of blood.

Besides hotels and the shops at the sides of the streets, there were many shops that sold all sorts of steel weapons and low-grade potions and the like. In general, they were items that would raise one's battle might. The Mercenary Guild's business was going so well that they were filled with adventurers every day.

'Mercenary missions can only give money… Who knows, after a period of time when the war eases up, I'll want to take a walk amongst the city guards…' The leader was still considering his plans for the future. These were the true thoughts of unimportant characters in a chaotic world. They did not care who was in charge and only bothered about their own benefits.

……

The female knight naturally did not care about this group of adventurers by the road, this was a common thing in Silverymoon.

The procession entered one of the camps, and Rafiniya took off her armour to change into a casual outfit. She entered Leylin's tent. He was blanked out while looking at a huge map of the northern lands, as if he hadn't noticed Rafiniya entering.

Upon noticing this, Rafiniya suddenly had a mischievous look on her face and sneakily ran to Leylin's back.

"Stop playing around, Rafiniya!" Leylin spoke unenthusiastically, causing Rafiniya to deflate like a ball.

"Come on, can't you just let a girl have her way? What happened to your gentlemanly attitude?" Rafiniya expressed her discontent to Leylin, who seemed to have grown a pair of eyes on his back.

'Haha… With the spiritual force of a wizard, she wouldn't be able to escape the detections of the A.I. Chip no matter how cautious she was, unless she was a high-ranked assassin or thief.'

"Have you completed your mission?" Leylin was now the main commander here, and Rafiniya was his underling.

"Yes! I've completely wiped out that group of scouting orcs. What bastards! They massacred three whole villages!" Rafiniya exclaimed, feeling indignant. This had always been a life or death struggle between two races, and Leylin merely raised his eyebrows a little but did not say more.

In addition, he had another thought in mind.

'They're killing so much in the areas of their enemies!' Leylin sighed. His intel said that old, ill, weak, and disabled orcs were already entering the areas that had been taken over, and clearing the land for cultivation. They had scattered seeds and were clearly trying to restore life to the land.

What surprised Leylin more was that these orc villages already had signs of human slaves.

'There's someone capable among the orc invasion…' This was not a short term policy, and that caused fear among the higher-ups of Silverymoon. Leylin, however, was unperturbed. As their desires and goals were different, their worries varied. Watching those nobles down on their luck, Leylin even felt refreshed.

'A.I. Chip, show me my current stats!' Leylin commanded. The A.I. Chip loyally carried out Leylin's orders, and showed a group of stats.

[Leylin Faulen. Age: 21. Race: Human, Rank 14 Wizard. Strength: 12. Agility: 11. Vitality: 10. Spirit: 14. Status: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Elementary Perfect Body. Spell Slots: Rank 6(3), Rank 5(5), Rank 4(7), Rank 3(???), Rank 2(???), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)] [Progress of analysis of Weave: Level 0: 100%, Level 1: 100%, Level 2: 100%, Level 3: 100%, Level 4: 68.88%, Level 5: 37.91%, Level 6: 12.36%!]

Leylin had risen by a rank in the past year, which the other wizards found unimaginable. If not for the war, he might even have advanced faster. Given his continous outstanding military service, he'd even obtained Legend-ranked information.

It had to be said that the World of God's structure of the high-grade magic strength system was still a great inspiration to Leylin.

'I've already checked the Nether Mountains a few times, and can confirm that the red dragon's cave and the ruins of the arcanists are there…' Leylin's eyes glowed brightly.

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Contract

Leylin had never forgotten his original objective. His long-term goal in the World of Gods was to ascend to godhood and allow his main body to enter this world. On the other hand, his short-term goals included advancing to the rank of Legend as quickly as possible, and obtaining enough power to protect himself.

His main purpose in coming to the north was to find the inheritance of the arcanists, as well as information on legendary spells from Silverymoon City.

Compared to these goals reputation, territory, nobility, and riches were nothing but dog shit.

Although he now looked as if he was pursuing those things, it was only to give others the wrong impression. When it was time to abandon it all, he would do so without the slightest trace of hesitation. What were those things compared to eternal life and freedom anyway?

"I always thought you were a fellow with a lot of secrets," Rafiniya mumbled to herself as she glanced at Leylin, sitting down with a melancholic air.

'Such keen perception… She really is a first-rate tool,' Leylin inwardly smiled to himself, but it was a pity that this lady knight had such an exceedingly pure soul. She had not seen past the facade into his true nature, else she would have been scared to death, forget daring to stay by his side.

"Alright, what are you looking at the map for? Is it time for us to act?" Rafiniya nibbled at an apple, propping up her toned and slender legs directly on the table. After serving in the army for a year, this lady knight had thrown her aristocratic grace and reserved nature away to the outer seas.

"Mm, it looks like we're in trouble," Leylin replied, adding emphasis on 'trouble'.

"Is it that Cassley? I want to chop him up!" The lady knight exclaimed.

"The day will soon come," Leylin stuck a small flag onto the map, marking down several lines of letters.

"Tell me, how is he going to trap us this time?" Rafiniya rolled her eyes.

"It can't really be called a trap… He needs troops to go and defend the territories of several noble families near the Moonwood, those orcs are acting up again. There have even been rumours of the Blackblood tribe colluding with the Orc Empire…"

"Then why is he demanding that we go? He's asking us to die!" Rafiniya shouted. Just the Blackblood tribe was enough to challenge Silverymoon City, and if orcs were added into the mix then it would be a complete deathtrap.

"We don't have a choice, those nobles whose territories are being threatened are getting anxious. Additionally, my Violet Territory is also near there…" Leylin's lips curved into a mocking smile.

If he was truly a minor noble, then it would have been imperative for him to go. Otherwise, neither Silverymoon City nor Cassley would let him off. The secular world's shackles as well as strict martial law could not be joked around with.

In Leylin's view however, what did they matter? Naturally, he'd put some effort in on the surface. He also had no choice in actually going to the moonwood, but it was entirely up to Leylin whether he wanted to fight sincerely.

"Send the command, all personnel have had their holidays cancelled. They must go into standby mode, prepared to set off at any time." With Leylin's order, the entire barracks was immediately thrown into chaos. Against such powerful enemies, even the officers trembled in fear.

However, Leylin didn't bother with his subordinates. After he had gave the command, he mounted his horse and travelled alone to his residence in Silverymoon City.

"Mister Leylin!" Only Bessany remained in the vast residence's laboratory. She appeared to be very cold and cheerless. After the news of the great war had erupted, Ena and her sister had been strictly ordered by their families to return. Only Bessany had stayed.

"I'll run the bath for you, sir. Also, the funds from the previous business deal have already been transferred to your bank account. Here is the receipt," Bessany immediately left the alchemy table and bowed to Leylin. She had kept everything in good order while he was gone.

It had to be said that this young lady took her work quite seriously and worked hard. 'After all, she's a seedling that I raised myself,' Leylin thought.

"No need for that," Leylin waved his hand, "Bessany, I have something that I would like to ask you." Leylin looked at Bessany attentively. She had grown up very well, and had even reached the realm of a rank 5 wizard.

It was a shame that her power was nothing but a speck of dust in front of the great army of orcs.

"Please tell me, Sir." Bessany clasped her hands and seemed rather ill at ease.

After spending such a long time with Leylin, she naturally understood that he was enigmatic and impossible to predict. Questions that even the high-ranked wizards of the colleges could not answer were easily solved by him.

She had only been able to break through to a rank 5 wizard under his guidance. Compared to her, Ena and her sister were still lingering in the realm of rank 3 wizards!

For all this, Bessany knew that she had to pay the price. It was only that when the moment came for her to do so, she seemed rather uneasy.

"With the orcs pushing the battle closer to this place, Silverymoon City will become very dangerous. Don't you wish to go home to your family?" Leylin looked at his apprentice and asked with great interest.

"My family?" Bessany smiled rather bitterly, "I don't want to go home! I want to continue walking the path of a wizard and advance. If I go home with my current strength, I'll have to serve my family until I die…"

As a low-ranked wizard and alchemy apprentice, Bessany's family would absolutely not allow the goose who laid golden eggs to marry out of the family. Bessany's only future was to be a sacrifice for her family, and silently devote her life to them until she died of old age.

Or perhaps her family would want to carry on the bloodline of a wizard, and adopt several men she disliked into the family.

Just envisioning this sort of life made Bessany feel like she was going insane.

"Then… Do you wish to continue receiving my instruction?" Leylin asked, looking deeply into Bessany's eyes.

"If… If that's possible, then my gratitude will know no bounds!" After hearing the thing she wished for the most, Bessany felt that she was the most fortunate person in the world, and almost fainted in happiness.

"Alright! I would now like to hire you as an alchemist for the Faulen family. Have a look at this contract," Leylin passed a scroll of parchment to Bessany.

"A contract?" Bessany opened the parchment, looking at the contract which had been written in black ink. It stipulated that she needed to serve the Faulen family for 50 years, and through that obtain Leylin's financial assistance and advice as a wizard.

It was a spirit-binding contract, and there was a beautifully intricate pattern around the parchment.

"I have no problem with this. I agree!" Bessany scanned through the contract and confirmed that she had no issues before gritting her teeth and agreeing.

"Alright, then sign your name in your own blood." This demand was a little strange, but Bessany still bit her thumb and signed her name at the end of the parchment.

Crash!* In the blink of an eye, the entire scroll floated into midair and spontaneously combusted. Bessany's eyes grew dazed as she felt herself losing something she could not name. However, she also felt like nothing had really happened.

"Good, the contract has been established. On behalf of the Faulen family, I welcome you into our ranks," Leylin smiled as he placed several items down on the table.

"Here's a hundred gold coins, as well as several scrolls and magic items. Take them with you just in case. Tomorrow, you will go to the south, to the Faulen Islands. There you will find wizard Ernest, who will set up arrangements for you…"

"Scrolls? Alchemic materials?" Bessany gently stroked the magic scrolls with her fingers, and the powerful energy in them made her quake in fear. Leylin had personally smelted these magic items, and they were absolutely priceless. Compared to that, the gold coins were worthless.

"Why must I leave? Could it be that Mister Leylin is not optimistic about the future of Silverymoon City?"

"Mm," Leylin answered without the slightest hesitation. His answer made Bessany's body sway on the verge of collapse.

"How is that possible? The city is under the protection of the Goddess of the Weave…"

"Our enemies have their own gods. Additionally, only the ruler of our city can survive. It doesn't mean that you ordinary people will," Leylin's cold voice shattered her delusions, "Of course, after Silverymoon City, it won't be possible for the battle to spread further south. Your family won't be in danger, so there is no need to worry."

Sending this rather distracted young lady away, Leylin smiled as he looked at his right hand. A trace of the purest soul origin force had arrived in his palm.

Even if Bessany died now, her soul would belong to him. This was the power of a devil!

"My young lady; if you don't pay attention when you sign a contract, it's difficult for you to not lose out…" Putting tricks into a contract was the favourite method of many devils from all dimensions. The decorative border around the parchment was the simplest trick.

Naturally, even if Bessany had heard of such a thing, she didn't regard Leylin as a devil. As a result, she most likely had not even considered that he would do such a thing.

'It's just child's play, whatever happens will happen…' Leylin could easily educate many alchemy students to her level, but since it seemed that Bessany was innately gifted, and her luck was rather good, he didn't mind helping her a little.

"Silverymoon City…" Leylin sighed softly. What he had said earlier wasn't just fear-mongering. The possibility was real.

'The Silverymoon Alliance has already threatened the central human kingdom, and those kings do not wish for a powerful human kingdom to rise in the north. There are many nobles who share this thought in the north, and as a result the support that the Silverymoon Alliance will receive is limited…'

This was still the material plane after all, the gods of human factions could not unite in solidarity. Mystra could only rely on herself to take on all the orc gods. Even with the assistance of several gods she was on good terms with, the city did not have hopeful prospects.

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Rescue

On the contrary, Leylin felt at ease when gods held conflicting views and were petty.

If the gods all presented a united front, there was no way he could have been able to survive and grow in the main world. His alternatives were either the deep abyss or hell itself.

"The consequences of the will of the World of Gods, the Overgod, falling into slumber had encouraged many gods to harbour their own agendas.

Leylin recalled the World's Will in the World of Gods.

The gods were the children of the world, and the World's Will was their leader. The one and only Overgod!

In Leylin's opinion, the Will of the Magus World and the World of Gods had reached the realm of rank 9. Omniscient and omnipotent, they were but one step towards eternity.

Back then, not only did the Magus and the Gods exchanged blows, but even the Wills partook in the battle, with both sides perishing and entering a heavy slumber.

Before its slumber, the Will of the World of Gods had completely sealed the world with a layer of crystallised wall that isolated the world from any form of communication.

This move had effectively protected the World of Gods and allowed the growth of newer gods. However, after they had finished dividing up the faith they had, the limited source of worshippers had caused a huge conflict between the gods.

Having lost their foreign enemies, the gods had now turned inwards into fighting against one another.

At the very bottom of Leylin's heart, he held a strong conviction that there were gods who had coveted for the seat of the Sovereign.

Afterall, gods will fall with the dwindling of their worshippers, unless they were able to directly extract the world origin force and surpass the existence of a god!

The only thing standing in their way was the World's Will!

"Isn't this ironic? To nurture a child that would eventually oppose you…"

Leylin's eyes narrowed with a gleam of determination.

……

"Wizard Cassley, good morning!"

Outside the city walls, Leylin bumped into an entirely unexpected person.

"Good morning, wizard Leylin," Cassley nodded at him, "Perhaps I will ride out with the troops with you, so when the time comes I hope you will cooperate."

'Cooperate?' Leylin's eyes narrowed, but the smiling expression on his face did not change as he slowly left.

Although he was slightly less powerful than Cassley, their status was almost equal. He no longer had to give way to the other wizard as he had been forced to do in the past.

Since the troops were mobilising, coordination was purely organised between the mid-ranks and not an order given by the higher ups.

It was important not to underestimate this point, as it could be used to devastating effect in the midst of true battle.

At the very least, it would put an end to Cassley's informal and unnecessary orders, and eliminate the possibility of him sending the troops off to die.

"Damn!" After Leylin's back disappeared from view, Cassley's gently smiling expression completely collapsed. It was substituted with the most chilling intent.

Leylin Faulen! This name had grown offensively conspicuous ever since the orc invasion. Most notably, Cassley's several retaliatory attempts against the wizard had all been played down by him, and even served to enhance the other man's reputation.

In the end, many people had gradually come to lump him and Leylin together, likening the two of them to the brightest new stars in the sky.

From Cassley's point of view, the fact that they had gone as far as to place someone from the younger generation on the same level as him was a bold-faced insult!

Additionally, after he had suffered defeat, the faction backing him had gradually withdrawn their support. This was something that he absolutely could not stand.

There was only one way to resolve this mess, and that was to make the source of trouble, Leylin, disappear entirely from this world.

"I look forward to the face you'll show me before you die…" A trace of darkness flashed across Cassley's eyes, and he returned to Silverymoon City without looking back.

……

Two days later, nearly a thousand troops slowly left Silverymoon City.

"I've always found that Cassley an eyesore, and now he's even deliberately riding out with us. He's trying to make trouble for us, I'm sure!" The lady knight seethed next to Leylin.

"I'm afraid that he won't simply cause trouble for us," Leylin was well aware of the murderous intent that his companion was so clearly radiating.

"Only… I'm not sure what will happen in the end," A strange smile curved at the edges of Leylin's lips.

"We're now entering the danger zone, stay alert!" As they drew closer to the Moonwood, even Cassley became even more vigilant as it was possible that the werebeasts could attack.

After the orc invasion, the forces near Silverymoon Alliance began to get restless, especially the Blackblood tribe who had immediately occupied the entire Moonwood. In the past, the patrol rangers had previously been able to routinely enter and collect intelligence there, but entering the forest now was a death sentence.

The alliance between the werebeasts and the orcs now seemed entirely possible. After all, humans all thought that they had similar looks and characteristics.

Working together was natural when the conditions were right.

Once the Blackblood Tribe joined the orc faction however, Silverymoon City would suffer an inconceivable setback.

'The queen of the city, her majesty Alustriel, must be in distress…' Leylin indifferently thought to himself.

A loud chirping sound abruptly sounded. It came from a grey and white eagle, an animal companion of a druid scout in their troops.

"I've seen Baron Andrew's castle! It's now under siege!" The druid immediately reported to Leylin.

"A siege?" Leylin furrowed his brows. He could faintly see smoke and ash rising at the edge of the horizon, "By orcs or by ogres?"

"It's the orcs! I'm very certain, as I've seen the Blackblood tribe's flag there!" The druid nodded vigorously.

"What are we waiting for, let's go!" Rafiniya drew her longsword. Ever since she had seen the village massacres of the orcs and the ogres, she had become the resolute believer in human superiority.

"Wait, we should at the very least inform Cassley," Leylin helplessly grabbed Nick's reins and let an orderly inform their allies. There was a rather begrudging expression on his face as he said, "I've known you for so many years already, but you haven't even matured a little…"

Before long, the orderly had already brought back Cassley's reply.

"Commanding Officer Cassley says that he is in charge of the defence corps, and he will leave these matters for you to resolve!" The orderly announced loudly, and bowed as he left.

Before they had set off, he had not known what tricks Cassley had employed, and in the end he had unexpectedly obtained the mission of defending a few nobles.

The mission Leylin had received was to attack and push the orc's frontlines back into the Moonwood.

Far behind the front line, Cassley was in charge of defence. He had even incidentally blocked his grain supply channels.

The impression he had gotten was that Cassley's true mission was to defend the area when Leylin had completely failed. His mission was similar to defending the city walls, but Leylin had been the pioneer who had taken the initiative to attack.

'This fellow is already thinking of the unthinkable outcome behind my back…' Leylin shook his head. If an ordinary person was in his position, perhaps they would die playing Cassley's game. It was clear how deeply Cassley hated him from how readily he had issued the command.

'Those who are meant to back me haven't supported me at all. Is it a question of loyalty?' Leylin sighed a little. He had risen to power too abruptly and had not truly won their trust. Otherwise, they wouldn't have behaved so passively.

'Once a high-rank wizard of Silverymoon City reaches rank 15, they sign a very powerful contract to pledge their loyalty. Its effect can even extend all the way until the wizard reaches the realm of high-ranked and Legend…'

Leylin suddenly thought of a rumour which now appeared to be true.

'Once I reach rank 15 and become a high-ranked wizard, something similar may befall me. In comparison however, Cassley who had signed the high-ranked wizard contract seemed to be trusted more easily.

The troops under Leylin saw a look of unswerving determination on their leader's face.

"Onwards!" Leylin finally issued the command.

A besieged castle rapidly appeared before them, and the village next to it had already been burnt to the ground. There were corpses strewn everywhere on the ground, and many of them were badly damaged.

"Charge! Leave none of them alive!" At the sight of this scene, the soldiers immediately saw red. Leylin duly issued the command to attack.

"Kill!" Rafiniya led the way on horseback as the captain of a small squadron of knights. She and her subordinates fiercely advanced like black jackhammers into the orc army.

The people in the castle let out a cheer at the sight of the reinforcements' arrival.

'There are very few orcs here, and they have spent their energy attacking the castle. If we coordinate with those inside the castle, they'll have no luck in defeating us,' Leylin's gaze swept across the entire battlefield as he demonstrated his natural leadership skills. The army made up of 200 Professionals became the most precise and accurate tools in his hand, calmly and efficiently reaping the lives of the orcs before them.

When Cassley finally arrived from the rear, he only saw the scene of the auxiliary troops sweeping the battlefield clean.

His eyes narrowed at Leylin's abilities, and afterwards a dense killing intent leaked from him.

"I am Baron Andrew, and I thank you all for coming to our aid!" At this moment, the securely shut castle door was flung open. A middle-aged noble walked out with his retainers, with a trace of fear still lingering on his face.

"I am Cassley from Silverymoon City. You and your people have been saved," At this moment, Cassley stood at the forefront and willingly took the credit. He looked as if he had no qualms about doing this, and Leylin's subordinates were extremely angry at the injustice.

'Haha… This is reality. Even geniuses must be restrained by the rules,' Cassley had absolutely loathed this rule in the past, but now he felt very carefree.

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Unscrupulous

At the sight of Cassley stealing his credit right in front of him, Leylin subtly lowered his eyes and concealed the strange expression within them.

"Then I have to express my thanks towards you, sir! I have already prepared a banquet to welcome everyone as well as rooms. Please come back to the castle with me and rest." Baron Andrew naturally would not be able to tell what had happened in a single glance, and attentively received the guests.

After following the Baron into his castle, Leylin saw many refugees within with panicked expressions on their faces.

"These damned werecreatures, our harvest this year is ruined…" Baron Andrew grumbled as he walked in front of them. Afterwards, he instructed his housekeeper and his wife to make preparations for the feast.

A magnificent feast was held within the castle's enormous great hall. Roast chicken which looked a little scorched, wine as red as liquid ruby, and mountains of white bread were brought out. It could be said that to host Leylin and the men, this Baron Andrew had taken out what remained of his store of quality items.

Naturally, no matter how the world changed, the lifestyle of those in the upper classes would always be much better than those below them. Leylin swayed his wine glass and watched the dark red wine swirling within it, a strange smile on his face.

"Please be assured, Baron Andrew. Silverymoon City will not sit idly by and watch these werecreatures attack. The tax exemption is an entirely different matter, and you will need to contact the city hall…" In the position of the guest of honour, Cassley was cheerfully chatting with the baron. His manner of speaking made Baron Andrew nod slightly, looking completely convinced.

Even those young ladies near him who were clearly his daughters had peculiar looks in his eyes.

"Wizard Leylin!" Just at this moment, Cassley called out Leylin's name.

"Lord Cassley, how can I help you?" Leylin did not move from his seat and nodded slightly to indicate he had heard. His action filled Cassley's eyes with dissatisfaction.

'This fellow, he should have died long ago!' Cassley raged within his heart. On the surface however, he still wore the smile he had on earlier, "According to military command, I will organise the nobles' defences in the rear. I'll leave the fighting on the frontlines to you!"

Baron Andrew looked at Cassley then at Leylin, his eyes filled with astonishment. He wasn't a slow-witted person, and now he seemed to see something different..

'This wizard Leylin, he seems to have rather good standing. However, he seems to have some conflict with high-ranked wizard Cassley,' Baron Andrew would normally exploit this relationship for his own gain, however he was now worried.

'In these times, infighting will just exacerbate the wear and tear on one's own troops. What are those fellows in Silverymoon City thinking?' Baron Andrew grumbled, and at the same time thought of his previous actions. Only until he had confirmed that he had not neglected Leylin and his faction did he secretly let out of a sigh of relief.

At the same time he also decided to disregard the situation between Leylin and Cassley.

"Of course, that is my original mission after all," Leylin very readily agreed to Cassley's demand, which went completely against his expectations and left him feeling rather astonished.

"Then, I'll ask you to go towards Vaughan Village and station the men there," Cassley replied, as if this was all as a matter of course.

"Please forgive me for this, but you have no right to interfere. The front line is under my command," Leylin smiled as he rejected him, which made Cassley flush bright red.

"Very well…" After rudely huffing a few times, Cassley began to forcefully pressure him, "However, to maintain our line of communication, I need to send a contact member out with you. Your troops also need support in terms of rations from my group."

This was a restriction and also an unspoken threat.

"I can agree to this," Leylin expressed his approval after thinking for a bit.

Cassley watched Leylin's troops slowly depart from the top of the castle, his expression immediately becoming malevolent.

……

Two days later, amongst Leylin's troops.

"Lord Leylin, I feel that we should not continue towards Cade village," A gorgeously dressed fellow broke formation and came to Leylin, a highly arrogant look on his face. Rafiniya watched him walk over with a look of loathing, and urged her horse ahead to leave them behind.

This fellow was named Malfoy, and he was the communication liaison that Cassley had forced on him. He reportedly was the heir of a Marquis and was well-placed in Silverymoon City. Unfortunately, he had Cassley backing him so he was rather unscrupulous. He did not even address Leylin with the minimum amount of respect.

"Oh? What do you propose?" Leylin calmly looked at this impertinent fellow.

"I believe we should follow Lord Cassley's previous proposal, going to Vaughan village is the correct decision," Malfoy replied fearlessly. He had the backing of a formidable faction and was a knight of Silverymoon. How would a bumpkin like Leylin dare to do anything to him?

"I refuse," Leylin looked at this fellow with a trace of ridicule. Perhaps the strength of a faction would be useful in times of peace. Since they were in an era of war, however, the man who held greater military might would be the stronger power. This fellow who couldn't even understand that would just die.

"What?" Sir Malfoy's anger was out of this world, "You actually dare…"

His fingers trembled as he looked at Leylin, as if he was seeing his greatest enemy. Malfoy never thought that he would meet such a rude person, and thoughts of Cassley flew out of his head. Perhaps he did not realise that his life lay in Leylin's hands. In this situation, how could Leylin dare to rebel against him?

Thump thump!* Right at this moment, an enormous dust cloud swept over them. The dust had been kicked up by a great number of troops and their horses.

"Stay alert!" The alarm rang. Malfoy almost fell to the ground in fright, his face paling rapidly. His behaviour made those knights around him smile disdainfully.

The deafening sound of hooves clopping against the ground was followed by a huge squadron of troops appearing in their field of view. The purple flag of the Violet family was dazzling as it hung on the carriages.

"It's the Violet flag! The insignia of the commander's family!" The soldiers all cheered.

"This… This is…" Malfoy trembled as he saw the massive squadron ahead slowly integrating together with their own troops. An old man who looked like a housekeeper even personally came to pay his respects to Leylin.

'Almost 500 personal troops, as well as so many carriages full of grain…'

Leylin's carriages were full of elite soldiers, and there was even an enormous cart in the fleet with sacks filled to the brim with grain.

'At this point, his power is really…' Malfoy's face grew pale. With this assistance as well as Leylin's original 200 Professionals and 300 auxiliary troops, he commanded over 1000 soldiers. He could even provide rations for his troops by himself, and he did not need to Cassley's support at all.

'The most frightening part is that if these men only answer to Leylin, and if they decide to rebel with him, then perhaps it's enough for them to…' Malfoy grew even more frightened, and his voice grew shrill, "No, that's impossible! How do you have so many men?"

"Perhaps you've forgotten that my Violet territory is here?" Leylin taunted him with a smile.

"Violet territory?" Malfoy stared at him blankly, and immediately thought of Leylin's fiefdom which was only a huge wasteland. Even savages did not live there.

Looking at Malfoy's stunned expression, Leylin laughed inwardly to himself. Although his Violet territory indeed possessed nothing, it served well to boost his position and aid his pretense.

After receiving this title, Tiff and the others in the organisation all became Leylin's vassals. They could even transport their previously hoarded resources and rations, as well as weapons and other military materiel to this place.

Everything had happened in one go, resulting in this.

"Young master, we've received the news," Tiff's expression grew sombre as he murmured into Leylin's ear.

"Oh, that? I understand…" Leylin looked at Tiff, who had broken through his limits to become a Legend.

"Spread word of my command, we will go west. Our target is the Nether Mountains!"

"What? What?" Malfoy was the first to blurt out, "Lord Leylin, please take note of the orders you are under! Don't tell me that you're thinking of disobeying Silverymoon's army?"

"Even if I disobey, what can you do?" Leylin smiled as he ridiculed the man, watching as blood drained from Malfoy's face.

"Did you really think that martial law and Silverymoon's noble title would tie me down?" Originally, Leylin's subordinates were all Silverymoon's men. Whatever plans he had could not be realised unless he left by himself, and he would become a wanted criminal.

Now, everything was different. The private vassals of a noble would be absolutely loyal to him alone. With this power in hand, Leylin could now completely coerce all his subordinates.

In the beginning, he secretly controlled over half of this unit. After a year of leading them, he now no longer had any problems.

"What? You dare to disobey orders?"

"Mm, I've always found you an eyesore. Drag him down and behead him!" Leylin waved his hand as if he was swatting a fly.

Two bulky and muscular vassals immediately hoisted Malfoy up from under his arms, wringing him like a chick.

"Since you're about to meet the god of death, I'll tell you some news," Leylin drew closer to Malfoy, a malicious smile on his face, "The orc hordes have already launched a surprise attack on Silverymoon City, and have completely surrounded it. In other words, that privileged noble status which you have been so intensely proud of is about to disappear…"

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Nether Mountains

The orc armies had launched a surprise attack! Silverymoon had been besieged! This was the earth-shattering news that Tiff had given Leylin. Tiff was a Legend of the dark world, and the network under his control passed this information to him even faster than Cassley did.

Leylin counted on this news when he made the decision to abandon everything. After all, the so called martial law, the rules and nobility of Silverymoon, was built on the basis that it still remained. What about when it was no more?

Looking at the larger picture, even if the defence of the city was ultimately successful, the chaos of war would continue to spread. In times of such disorder, what were the deaths of one or two knights?

Given his power in the region, those in Silverymoon could still be forced by the circumstances, giving out numerous rewards for Leylin to send his troops out to 'save the country in times of danger.'

"However, the situation doesn't seem good with the Goddess of the Weave. I'm afraid there might already be traitors in the alliance…" Leylin muttered to himself, "She's still a powerful greater god, and she will definitely be unscathed. With her status as a Chosen, Alustriel will probably be safe as well. The ones who suffer the most in war are the commoners, who are at the bottom of the hierarchy…"

Of course, none of these had anything to do with Malfoy. The pitiful knight had been rendered completely lifeless after hearing Leylin's words.

Only when the soldiers began to drag him out did he begin to yell, "Ah… forgive me! Please forgive me, Sire Leylin! Lord Leylin!

"Silverymoon needs you! I guarantee that as long you bring me back, I'll tell my father to give you everything you want… Everything! Ah…" After a short period of pained cries, Malfoy's voices came to a stop with a grunt.

Leylin's underlings had gotten used to these scenes and were expressionless. Only Rafiniya looked slightly disturbed.

In her eyes, no matter how hateful the other party had been, Leylin had gone too far, and her heart was a little shadowed by the traumatic experience.

"What was he saying about Silverymoon at the end?" Since Leylin had whispered those words directly into Malfoy's ears, the girl did not know the full story.

"Just some nonsense!" Leylin carelessly chuckled, "My butler has already given me the newest information. Thanks to the Goddess, those simple-minded werecreatures only have thoughts of occupying the Moonwood and then come out and rob people. They have no interest in allying with the orcs to eliminate the Silverymoon alliance…"

"Thank the gods!" Upon hearing this, Rafiniya heaved a sigh of relief. She hated the idea of this beautiful city being destroyed just like this.

"In that case, what was it you said about the Nether Mountains?"

"That's nothing. Since it isn't that dangerous here, I'm planning to do something private and explore some ruins that I found a while ago!"

Leylin now looked relaxed and satisfied as he flung the horsewhip, "Didn't you hear my orders? We're changing directions towards the Nether Mountains!"

Leylin's authority had solidified over the year. Even in front of these ordinary troops, it was necessary to emphasise the need to obey superiors, much less one like Leylin.

The troops of Silverymoon had planned to risk their lives against the werecreatures, but with Leylin's personal troops inciting them, they soon went with the flow and obeyed the orders. The army of men and horses changed direction, heading west towards the Nether Mountains.

'Cassley… I hope you like the present I left behind for you…' Leylin snickered inside. In this sort of situation, it was difficult to understand what exactly the werecreatures were thinking. In addition, once his main forces retreated, Cassley would face with the brunt of the pressure from the werecreature armies.

When the time came, 2]would he retreat to Silverymoon and ask for support or stay behind to take care of the werecreatures? Leylin anticipated his choice.

"He… He's changed…" Rafiniya watched absent-mindedly as the groups of men and horses brushed past her, looking to be in disbelief. The Leylin just now was very different from the one she was used to.

While he was as handsome, straightforward and refined as always, he had a domineering aggression to him. Or rather, the aura of impetuousness and a devilish charm.

"He's like a completely different person. Why…" Rafiniya's mind was now turning black as a huge sense of fear appeared.

"Captain, are you alright?" A knight nearby asked in concern after seeing how she was acting.

"I- I'm fine!" Rafiniya managed to spit out. She urged Nick to catch up to the troops ahead, but her brows furrowed further.

……

The Nether Mountains were a straight vertical stretch in the north. While there was nothing horizontal across it that created a divide between the northern lands and the wilderness of the vast Sunrise Mountains that belonged to the orcs, it was an important dividing line in the northern lands. It clearly divided the Moonwood and the orc organisations.

The mountains had a terrifying spell pollution and energy isolation. Even the Weave was a little weak here, and in some areas it was even impossible to detect. These places were known as magic-dead zones, and whether they were wizards or priests everyone turned useless in these regions.

Due to the terrifying contamination, the plants and animals in the Nether Mountains went through a bizarre transformation. Not only were they more powerful, they were also more savage and bloodthirsty.

Legends said that this was a result of the battle between two divine soul saints which completely changed the geography, turning the place into a forbidden zone for life.

A group of human soldiers had abruptly entered these mountains on this day, cutting the trees and thorns as they moved on, relying on the strength of powerful spellcasters and warriors to enter the depths of the mountains.

"The Weave seems to be much better here compared to those dead-magic zones." Leylin had gathered all the senior officers in the heart of their camp at night. There were two factions among them, Leylin's personal troops and the officers of Silverymoon.

"I have gathered you to discuss our current target: a fully grown red dragon!" Leylin announced in a low voice as he looked at the huge Nether Mountains' map on the wall.

Tiff did not voice any objections upon hearing this, evidently knowing of it. However, the officers of Silverymoon caused a storm of protest with Rafiniya at the head.

"An adult dragon? That's a Legend, a powerful being!" Never in Rafiniya's wildest dreams did she think that Leylin harboured such insane thoughts of slaying a dragon. A dragon was in the legendary realm, and they were normally more powerful than human Legends!

"Mm, it's not like we don't have any Legends on our side." Leylin pointed towards Tiff, and he exploded forth with terrifying energy. It was like the might of a dragon itself, the roars of an ancient beast.

"Legend?" Rafiniya gaped, looking towards Tiff and then at Leylin, suddenly feeling bitter, "Is that what you've been preparing for? The wealth and glory of slaying dragons?"

"All I need is for you to do is deal with some dangers in the surroundings to restrict it from a distance. You don't need to deal with it head on. How about it?" Leylin sighed ruefully. If not for having an army of a thousand Professionals, it would be difficult to enter the Nether mountains. The endless monsters they had met on the way were already enough for small adventuring groups to be wiped out.

"Understood, commander!" The officers who had come from Silverymoon looked towards each other. While it wasn't surprising that senior officers of the army would use their troops to do personal work, it was rather rare for people to be so brazen and unbridled.

However, after watching Tiff who seemed to be a regular fighter let loose his aura, as well as Leylin's personal troops staring at them intently, they decided to submit.

This actually was possible thanks to Leylin gathering all communicative tools from them. Because of the geography of the Nether Mountains, this group temporarily had no contact with the outside world. If not, and they learn that Silverymoon was in a siege, they could possibly have descended into complete chaos.

Leylin could suppress the dragon with his own troops when the time came, but this obviously would weaken his battle power.

"Alright, I'll assign your roles now," he ordered without inhibition, especially satisfied with this situation.

Once the meeting was over and the officers had left, Rafiniya stayed back alone. The female knight stared at him, "You haven't answered my question."

"Oh, that," Leylin nodded, coming to a sudden realisation, "I came to Silverymoon to obtain more information on spells. After finding out about the existence of the red dragon, I started to make plans regarding it. Is there a problem?"

Leylin's utter honesty caused Rafiniya to be at a loss. It felt like her heart broke at this moment, and it hurt.

The female knight bit her lips, "Alright then. I'll help you this time, but I'll leave after that."

'Is this girl finally aware of the cruelty of reality?' Leylin's quirked up in a slight smile, "Of course. I'll also give you a portion of the wealth from slaying the dragon."

"I don't need it! Take that filthy wealth of yours and die." Rafiniya flipped the entrance of the tent and jogged away, leaving Leylin scratching his head, "While she knows this is cruel, she's still not practical enough…"

Whatever it was, Leylin's plan was still carried out well. With a Legend in charge as well as the temptation of glory and wealth from slaying a dragon, these officers and their underlings were very enthusiastic.

The good news came soon enough. The exact location of the dragon had been found.

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Slaying A Dragon

Roar!* A huge silhouette streaked across the sky, and a huge monster that was tens of metres long immediately pulled its terrifying meaty wings before disappearing into a dark cave.

"Mm, that truly is the red dragon." Leylin nodded. Dragons in the World of Gods were like huge lizards with wings, though they looked far more sinister. Their eyes that looked like spheres of lava left an especially deep impression on him.

"Ye– yes, my lord!" Helen answered from next to him, her body trembling.

"Is this because of the dragon's aura?" Leylin looked at Helen, suddenly understanding and shaking his head with regret.

'Looks like the Professionals under rank 10 shouldn't come. They can't handle the intimidation from the aura…' he concluded. In his view, this fearful draconic aura was a weakened version of a spiritual force domain. Just facing the dragon would be a problem if one lacked a strong mind or spiritual force training, let alone attacking it.

'As expected, the regular troops can only fight in the surroundings.' Without alarming this huge creature, Leylin brough Helen secretly back to the camp. Following that, the team did as Leylin ordered. Like a huge, intricate robot, they began to work automatically.

"My lord, it's done!" Tiff brought a group of elite Professionals to Leylin. In each of their hands were weapons with high-grade enchantments, and they seemed to be coated with something else as well.

"Mm. This magic potion we got from the werecreature tribe is meant to deal specifically with dragons, it should hopefully be useful!" Leylin could not help but think back to the werecreature camp. They had obviously been making preparations to slaughter the dragon, but all their materials were now Leylin's.

Now, what they had gathered would serve the same purpose.

"Mm. Give the dragon intoxication potion and other items to the high-ranked scouts to sprinkle at the dragon's cave. Hopefully, it'll fall for the trap…" While there was a large distance between the camp and the dragon cave, it was still unsafe considering the range that the red dragon could see. On top of that, it wasn't hibernating like many of its kind, which left Leylin on guard.

This camp was too eye-catching. It would be found the moment the dragon flew out on patrol, and its fate then would be obvious. Hence, Leylin did not count on the high-grade assassins' poison trap working. The next day, he brought fifty people to the entrance of the dragon cave.

The bare ground had not even a blade of grass growing on it, and seemed very solid. There was also a strange smell lingering in the air.

"This is the smell left behind by the dragon. Most animals wouldn't dare approach this place…" Leylin glanced at the group behind him. They were all high-grade Professionals, including Tiff and Rafiniya.

"Based on the observations of our thieves, this is the time that it usually rests. Furthermore, the red dragon has also eaten the goat with special ingredients that we especially prepared for it…" Leylin muttered to himself. At this moment, a dark shadow emerged from the sides, calling out in a low voice, "Boss!"

"How's the situation?"

A high-ranked scout began his report, "I can confirm that the red dragon is inside, and our route is very simple. There is only one pathway, and there's a possibility of other creatures in the way!"

"Good. Guide the way in front." Leylin let the thief walk ahead, and a procession of excited people clutched the weapons in their hands as they entered the cave.

The passage was long and seemed to go all the way to the belly of the mountain. It was very vast, and the walls were dry.

"It's up ahead!" The thief ran to Leylin's side as he spoke. Leylin nodded and ordered the group to stop. They were now extremely quiet, making no sound at all.

"Bring me there." Leylin and the thief went forward. After they passed through a curved path, they came upon an even larger karst cavern. Boiling hot light flickered at its entrance, with some quartz and shiny items present within.

Two other strange creatures were standing guard at the cave's entrance, as if on sentry duty.

'Hm? Earth Dragons? A subspecies of the dragons? But it's not exactly similar.' Leylin looked at the two which were obviously subspecies with auras that greatly resembled those of purebloods. His eyes glinted with wit.

'Rumour has it that once an adult dragon gains intelligence, it normally enslaves some members of other races into working for it. Ancient dragons can intimidate entire races, I never thought the red dragon would do this as well.

Past the two earth dragons, Leylin sensed an even more powerful life undulation in the cave. It was heaving with rhythmic breaths, evidently in a deep sleep. In this situation, any sounds could wake it up.

"Tiff!" Leylin immediately called the Legend in his team.

"Young Master!" Tiff arrived by his side and bowed slightly.

"Can you kill them without alarming the red dragon?" Leylin asked.

"It will be slightly troublesome. This type of subspecies have very tenacious life force. I can make one disappear without a sound, but I can't take care of two in an instant." Tiff frowned slightly.

"That's alright. I'll help you in that area!" Leylin answered lightly.

"Then that's fine…" Tiff's eyes flashed with strands of black, and he quickly disappeared.

……

By the cave, a red earth dragon was loyally protecting its place, occasionally looking towards its comrade. All of a sudden, it saw something that appalled it. A dark figure seemed to appear from the air, raising its arms as if opening up a black hole to devour its comrade.

Shadow Jump! Singularity! Just as this Earth Dragon was about to howl out in warning, it was surrounded in light that rendered it immobile. This was Hold Monster. The dark figure darted out, and the giant black hole swallowed its body as well.

The whole process was a hair-raising experience, yet only happened within a few seconds. Not even a peep was made.

'Noiseless casting!' Helen's pupils shrunk from behind Leylin. She'd witnessed the whole process.

"Let's go!" Leylin made a sign, and entered the cave with Tiff.

Inside, they found the target of their expedition snoring. The red dragon had dark red scales with smooth murky patterns on them that shone like metal. Its two meaty wings were ashen brown and hidden on its back. Its neck twisted sinuously like a snake's as it buried its vicious head into its chest. Its nose occasionally puffed out two streams of white smoke.

A dense spiritual might was being emanated from its body, enough to cause the cowardly to break down.

'It really is a dragon, and it's an adult that's reached the realm of Legends!' Rafiniya's palms trembled slightly, and she could not help but hold tightly onto her longsword.

Only she, Tiff, and Leylin were in the cave right now. The rest were standing guard outside; even asleep the dragon had powerful senses.

'Based on its detection abilities, only Tiff has the ability to attack it once. After that, it'll definitely awaken…' Leylin gave Tiff a look with his eyes, and he immediately understood. Tiff drew closer to the giant, holding onto a golden dagger.

Rafiniya and Leylin also prepared their own attacks.

"Begin!" Tiff's golden dagger pierced into the triangular scale under its neck. That was its reverse scale, and the largest weakness.

Roar!* In that moment, blood splattered everywhere. The red dragon roared abruptly— it was now awake!

Pak!* Tiff was sent flying by a red tail, his figure wrapped up by many shadows while in mid-air.

"You… You despicable mortals. How dare you harm the mighty Sylvester…" While the injury Tiff had given it with its dagger was much smaller than the area of its body, the red dragon still snarled in its fury, preparing to give these little ants a lesson such that they'd repent in hell.

"You're even thinking of using something like a toy…" It roared, eyes like fireballs trained on Leylin. All of a sudden, its voice disappeared.

"My strength… What's going on? You wretched worms, what have you done to the mighty Sylvester?" The red dragon's voice was filled with astonishment and anger, while Leylin was very pleased with the results of Tiff's attack.

The golden dagger that he had held was a Dragonslaying Dagger Leylin had specifically prepared for this. The powerful toxins and curses were something even a dragon could do little against.

'A.I. Chip!' Leylin ordered calmly. At this moment, the A.I. Chip immediately showed its stats.

[Name: Sylvester. Race: Red Dragon (Adult) Strength: 21 (25), Agility: 10, Vitality: 19 (21), Spirit: 16 Status: Weakened from curse. Strength, vitality weakened. Feats: 1. Intimidating Aura 2. Dragonscale Defence 3. Dragon's Breath 4. Suggestion spell. Description: This is a creature that has reached the realm of Legends. It possesses extraordinary strength and can even destroy a small city or army. It has acquired the magic and memories of the pureblooded dragon race, and there is a chance that its bloodline can improve further.]

"Do it!" Leylin yelled, his attack and Rafiniya's reaching the red dragon's body at practically the same time.

The longsword was edged with sharp qi. The enchanted weapon glinted as it ruthlessly tore through the dragon's huge meaty wings. Leylin's attack struck just then.

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Secret Pathway

Chain Lightning! Freezing Sphere! A burst of powerful light appeared from Leylin's hands and struck the two wings on the back of the red dragon in an instant, causing a chilling cold in the air.

Leylin proficiently controlled the power of the spells, launching attacks on the wings with powerful spells.

Dimension Hop! At this moment, Tiff's figure flickered behind the dragon's back, and two curved knives ruthlessly slashed into the base of the red dragon's wings. With added support from powerful spells, even the defensive dragon scales began to show signs of damage, scalding dragon blood spurting out.

"Damn it, damn it! You bunch of wretched worms!" The red dragon exclaimed, blasting crimson flames from its throat that were hot enough to smelt metal.

"Let's go!" Leylin summoned numerous walls of ice in succession, but with the dragon's breath, they could only hold on for a few seconds. That allowed him to escape from the cave with Rafiniya.

Their strategic goal had been reached. Staying behind any longer for a fight to the death would be foolish.

Dragons possessed wings, and once they soared into the sky, the others could only blink and watch with a dumbstruck expression except for Leylin and Tiff. That was why Leylin had chosen the battlefield to be in the cave and focused entirely on the wings. This would cripple the red dragon and render it unable to fly.

Once it no longer had the advantage of flight, he would use his men to tire it out and then kill it.

"Quick, attack!" Seeing that Leylin and the other two had run out of the cave, Helen immediately launched huge fireballs from her hands, targetting the red dragon behind them.

"Attack! Are you all deaf?" With Leylin's yell, those high-ranked Professionals jolted to awareness, brandishing the large weapons in their hands and charging forth.

"You darned worms! I will tear you to shreds!" The red dragon Sylvester continued to shout. These human mercenaries seemed to have come prepared. Not only had their weapons been smelted with special methods, there were also toxins smeared on them. Even its thick hide and muscles could do nothing against them.

Roar!* A huge figure flashed past, and the red dragon flung its tail. A few Professionals who could not dodge in time were sent flying, spilling blood in mid-air and fated for death.

Rumble!* The red dragon opened its mouth once more, and a powerful cone of flames spewed forth violently. Tens of Professionals who could not evade were incinerated into ashes in that moment.

"You will pay for your foolishness, mortals!" The red dragon roared, its mouth full of sharp teeth holding a Professional within. Horrifying sounds of chewing could be heard, and great chunks of the corpse's flesh and bones tumbled to the ground.

The poor fellow still had half of his body hanging outside the dragon's jaws and was shrieking bloodcurdling screeches.

It was only at this point that the Professionals came to their senses. The being in front of them was a legendary dragon, and while slaying it would give them abundant wealth, it was not something they could even begin to set their sights on.

With the dragon's fear aura, terror weighed down on their rationality and sanity. A Professional howled and quickly ran in the opposite direction.

Pu!* The light from a blade flashed, and that Professional's head fell. Following which, Tiff's figure was seen in the air.

"Based on military laws, all deserters will be executed!" Tiff had a cold look on his face, and strange flaming scales appeared on his body.

"A sorceror! I never expected Lord Tiff to be a Legend in sorcery!" Tiff soared into the air, eyes trained on the giant red dragon in front of him. With a raise of his hand, numerous spells flickered into existence.

Dimensional Imprisonment! Absorption!

"As expected, these Professionals are only passable with someone guiding them." Leylin was not surprised by this sight. As he watched Tiff guide the other close-combat Professionals to stall the red dragon, his expression was calm.

"Pay attention. Shoot!" Under his guidance, many archers released the Spellslayer Arrows in their hands. With powerful magic held within, the arrows landed on the dragon's body like raindrops.

There were terrifying devices mixed into this rain of arrows.

[Beep! Surrounding physical environment data has been successfully scanned. Trajectory calculations complete.] Leylin was now controlling a ballista, aiming the crossbow that was four metres long and as thick as a person's arm at the red dragon.

Thump!* The entire ballista thundered when the mechanism was pressed down. An explosion rang out as black lightning streaked through the air and penetrated into the red dragon's chest. The huge groove on the arrow tore at its injuries, causing boiling dragon blood to flow unceasingly, forming a dark pool on the ground.

"Dragonslaying Arrow! How could you have the blueprints to it?" The red dragon spat out in disbelief.

"Someone gifted it to me!" Leylin glanced at the ballista that had fallen apart, not looking to find this a pity at all. These items were prepared by the high-grade werebeasts, and this was their final attack. It was a pity that it only had a one-time use.

The red dragon Sylvester had a bad feeling that it was really going to die, and suddenly began to fight harder, all its might put into the constant use of powerful magic.

It was a pity that with Tiff in charge and Leylin the wizard around, it had no chances at all. Even the dimension was completely sealed off, giving it no chances of escape.

"Let me go! In the name of the Dragon God, I, Sylvester, vow to give you all my wealth and never seek revenge!" The red dragon thundered.

"Hehe… a dragon's promise?" Leylin snickered, grabbing a large vorpal sword and charging forward.

"Tiff!" Leylin yelled.

The Legend had also launched his last attack now. Terrifying corrosive energy struck the dragon, causing a large portion of its chest to wither up.

"Hah!" Leylin's sword pierced into the wound from the Dragon Slaying Arrow, ferociously splitting it open.

Chain Lightning! Freezing Sphere! Disintegrate!

The terrifying wounds tore apart once more, and the flesh and blood even glinted as they charred up. Huge amounts of scalding blood splashed onto Leylin's body, practically turning drenching him.

"The dragon race will not let you off!" The light in the red dragon Sylvester's eyes gradually weakened till it disappeared. Its enormous corpse that was like a hill crumpled to the ground, causing a small earthquake.

"You won't let me off?" Leylin snickered, and then sensed an aura similar to a vengeant spirit spilling out of its body and pouncing onto him.

"Is this something like a revenge mark? Hehe…" Leylin's eyes glinted, and in that instant he wiped this mark out thoroughly, leaving nothing behind. The hot dragonblood bath still continued, and the A.I. Chip's voice sounded out.

[Beep! Host has been baptised by dragon blood. Strength 1. Vitality 2. Skin has increased resistance. (Matches with part of Perfect Body and has been combined!)]

"The power within dragon blood?" Leylin experienced the burning with his senses, "It holds so much strength! Even the Devilblood Dagger wouldn't be able to devour everything…"

This sort of dragon blood was basically poison for all with a vitality below 5. They could not handle the corrosive energy within and would only be fated for death. However, for high-grade Professionals, this was a pretty good boost, though only if they could withstand it.

"Gather the dragon blood! Do it fast!" Dragon blood was a very precious magic ingredient, and wasting all of this had even Leylin feeling a tinge of regret.

Afterwards, the red dragon that was like a hill was dismembered by Leylin's underlings. Its blood was gathered first, followed by a complete layer of its hide. This would be a great material to make armour out of. There were also the dragon bones, dragon crystals and the like, which were pretty good.

When Leylin's underlings saw the treasures in the red dragon's cave, the excitement in their eyes could not be concealed as they began to cheer. Dragons liked to collect shiny objects, and while most would be quartz and glass, there were also many precious metals and even magic items which must have belonged to some poor fool.

"I want the materials from the red dragon's body. As for the gold and silver, divide it amongst yourselves!" Leylin kept the materials from the red dragon in his bag of holding, not even giving the various metals piled like a mountain there a second look. After hearing this order, all the troops' cheers increased in intensity.

In the night, the soldiers set up a feast to celebrate their success in slaying the dragon. Being able to witness the birth of a dragonslayer was something they would be able to brag about for their entire lives. The participants would receive even more glory. The celebration went deep into the night. Besides the guards on duty, everyone was completely drunk.

A few dark figures arrived at the dragon's lair at that time.

"Are you sure it's here?" Leylin gently touched a black wall, the traces left behind from a great battle still vivid in his mind.

"Yes! I can confirm that the gate to the ruins is here." Helen crouched down and found a twisted rune at the corner of the wall.

'The inheritance of the arcanists was under this red dragon's lair. Is this a coincidence or an intentional arrangement?' Leylin's eyes had a searching look in them. Some arcanist flames then blossomed from his hands, disappearing into the twisted rune in the corner.

Rumble!* A secret passageway appeared. The fact that it had been undiscovered by the red dragon for such a long time exhibited its terrifying concealing abilities.

"This should be some sort of space-time technique." Leylin nodded and entered the passageway with Helen, while Tiff stood guard outside.

'What is the difference between arcane spells and those of Magi?' Leylin's eyes glinted, holding within them a trace of hope.

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Ruins

"Where is this place?" Helen asked as she touched the solid metallic walls in the surroundings. They had a silver-white lustre, making them look like a product of science fiction.

"It seems like it is a pocket dimension made by an arcanist, though it's quite small…" Leylin closed his eyes, and his astounding senses spread out. They allowed him to feel the undulations connecting the dimension.

"This place is already on the verge of disappearing. It was always sealed, but now that we've activated the dimension we've started the countdown to its demise." Leylin had an interest in this spatial overlay technique that sprung from the depths of his heart.

These preparations showed that once the Magi who comprehended laws showed them the path, they'd combined those experiences with advanced technology to do amazing things.

"What a pity…" There was a trace of regret in Leylin's eyes. The pocket dimension was incredibly tiny and only as large as two football fields. It was on the verge of being destroyed now, so it held no value.

If not for that, were this pocket dimension to be revealed all wizarding Legends would try their utmost to obtain it. A wizard tower constructed atop this place would make for a covert and stable den,

Once they became a god, this pocket dimension could even be transformed into a divine realm! Of course, with the current state of the plane, it was impossible to remodel it.

"A pocket dimension? Destroyed by this sort of spatial storm?" Helen shivered. A dimensional storm caused by destruction of space was something even Legends weren't guaranteed to survive.

"Mm! But we should still have three hourglasses' worth of time…" Leylin snapped his fingers, and light flashed as an Endurance spell enveloped him. The environment in the pocked dimension would not be the same as in the prime material plane, possibly more extreme.

Of course, this place shouldn't have been that way given that it was prepared by an arcanist, but Leylin liked to be ready just in case. After seeing what Leylin had done, Helen suddenly came to a realisation and did the same, adding another layer of protection.

Rumble!* The silvery metallic door was pushed open to reveal rooms that were arranged like in a honeycomb. The floor was spotless, and even one's image could be reflected in it.

"That's all the information I have. How about you?" Leylin looked at Helen behind him.

"I only managed to see some fragments left behind in my ancestor's notebook…" Helen's smiled wryly.

"Looks like we can only check them one by one…" Leylin glanced at the flickering chandelier, "The core energy is still working, so there might be some traps left behind by the arcanists. Be careful!"

While it was possible for arcanist inheritances to be here, Leylin wasn't sure if arcanists shared the eccentricities of wizards.

"Don't worry, my lord!" Helen nodded, her slender figure disappearing into the passageway.

'Looks like she's going to rely on luck to get her through…' Leylin nodded before shaking his head, and then he placed his hands behind his back and entered a random room. The two of them went their separate ways…

Inside one of the secret labs in the arcanist's pocket dimension, a light blue screen brightened to show images of Leylin and Helen. Lines of red text streaked across it.

"Beep! Invaders discovered. Activating rank 1 defensive measures."

"Arcane spell elemental reserves 1.09%! Unable to activate… Legendary Golem, Dimensional Banishing Spell Formation scarce. Implementing plan B…"

"Scanning of alchemic golem complete, is 34.17% intact. Beginning charging."

"Charging complete. Starting preparatory defensive mechanism number 0331."

After the lines of text appeared, a door that had been closed for a very long time opened up ftom one of the rooms, and an alchemic golem that was almost three metres tall walked out.

"Number 2133 awaits commands. Received mission, beginning task." Blood red light brightened in its eyes, and a screen appeared with a projection of Helen. Sounds like the cracking of knuckles rang out, and the golem charged in her direction.

Rumble! Rumble!* Leylin was reading a book, and the slight vibrations caught his attention.

"Hm?" He put down the incomplete draft in his hand, and thought hard, 'Looks like the defensive mechanism of the laboratories aren't completely damaged. That makes things much easier…'

Besides deducing the existence of arcanists, Leylin knew nothing about the ruins. With the time limit till this place would break down, he would be unable to take too many things. However, as long as there was an intellectual core or tower genie, the laboratory would be the most valuable region.

Setting aside the items in his hands, Leylin headed in the direction of the vibrations.

……

"Leylin, save me!" Running for her life, Helen saw Leylin walking over and brightened up. She cut a sorry figure.

There was a beast skin scroll in her hands, with the energy undulations of high-grade magic on it. This wasn't an enchanted item, the energy was similar to those of magic artifacts from the Magus World!

With the way Helen refused to let go of it, this had to be something good. Still, Leylin as he was now thought nothing of it.

Thud! Thud!* At this moment, the alchemic golem that had been pursuing her appeared before Leylin's eyes. It was like an armoured knight from the medieval ages, though there were two small barrels on its shoulders that looked to be a fusion of magic and science.

"Beep! Discovered primary target, annihilating…" After seeing Leylin, its eyes emanated a terrifying crimson luster.

"Beginning charging of miniature magic honing cannon!" A layer of terrifying energy undulations condensed within the barrel on its shoulders, causing Leylin to feel a slight sense of danger.

"This is completely different from the techniques used before." Leylin looked interested, and he moved abruptly.

A rumble sounded out as the miniature cannon fired, hot light causing even the metallic groudn to show signs of melting.

Pu!* Leylin was struck by those bright rays of light, but then turned into dark shadows and exploded.

'It's a high-grade illusion!' Helen hid aside. A battle of this level was something she had no say in, 'But as long as we hold on for some time, Lord Tiff who's guarding us on top should be able to come down. With his legendary strength…'

Helen was still making calculations as she grasped the scroll tightly. However, she then gaped in shock.

"After tens of thousands of years, it's still preserved to this extent. Not bad!" Lights flashed, and Leylin appeared behind the alchemic golem, noting the damaged armour, adamantine runes and other lines.

"A pity though… The energy here is about to be completely consumed. Even legendary teams can't come in…" The passage of time was the most terrifying of attacks. With its tempering and developments, even the stup of arcanists would leave holes behind.

"A completely different tower genie from the World of Gods and the structure of this intellectual core… They're all like decorative items in front of me…" Leylin sighed. With some light at his finger, he pressed the puppet.

[Beep! Attack beginning. Target interface scanned, searching database… Cutting off information] The A.I. Chip's robotic voice soudned.

Arcanists were mostly born of Magi, so of course they would've used or improved upon the ideas of many Magi. They were like kids playing house to Leylin, especially with the help of the A.I. Chip. Connected with the puppet, Leylin's soul immediately reached the core control room through the network in the pocket dimension.

At this moment, a piercing giant red font filled the screen in the hidden room. "Warning! Warning!"

"External information attempting to rewrite core authorisations. Rejecting, activating defensive wall…"

"Activation of defensive wall failed. Beginning self-destruction. Countdown: 3, 2, … Beep! Core authorisations modified. Leylin Faulen is now the absolute master. Self-destruction halted."

"Wha- What's going on?" From Helen's perspective, what just happened was like a magical show. Once Leylin made contact with the alchemic golem, the entire pocket dimension had begun to tremble, and the lights had flickered unsteadily. Huge blue arcs of lightning had sparked out, making it seem like the end of the world had come.

A moment later, however, everything returned to normal.

"Come." With authority over the laboratory's core, Leylin now had a different aura on him that compelled Helen further. She was astonished as he brought her all the way to the core of the laboratory, as if this was a familiar route.

Be it the password-locked door or any other hindrance, all obstacles were easily taken care of in his hands. It was like he was the owner here.

"Identity verified. Welcome, master!" A door with a statue of an angel on the left and one of a devil on the right opened with a rumble. Helen followed Leylin inside, watching the door with fear.

'He passed through a legendary curse so easily?' This ease was unbelievable, and it made Helen realise that Leylin had an increasing number of secrets to him.

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Arcanist

'Who on earth is he? He's just a minor noble of Silverymoon City on the surface, but secretly he possesses the power of a Legend. Besides, he seems to be very familiar with this place… So why did he lie to me earlier?' Helen was completely puzzled, but she carefully hid all her thoughts. After all, Leylin now held the right of life and death over her.

The core of the control room was unexpectedly small, and it only had an area of 5 or 6 square metres. At the centre was a strange hexagonal prism with all sorts of strange screens next to it. Some of them had already lost their glow or were filled with a grayscale static, while others were working.

"Open!" The outer shell of the hexagonal prism opened with Leylin's command, revealing a blue crystal structure within.

"This is…" Helen looked at the splendid and magnificent blue crystal which sparkled beautifully, it was like she had been bewitched.

"This core port controls half of the laboratory and is also a communication terminal. Many resources can be downloaded here," Leylin said lightly, unconcerned as to whether Helen understood him. He pressed his palm to the surface of the blue crystal.

[Beep! Spiritual force interface established.] In a split second, Leylin seemed to have become a demigod, and nothing in the pocket dimension could be hidden from him anymore.

'Weapons, live specimen libraries, database!' Various images and words appeared before him, and it was only at that moment that Leylin realised how fortunate he was to grasp it all.

'Its energy reserves haven't even reached 2%, and its powerful weapons cannot be activated at all. The magic and spell formations are also damaged, and half of the golems have been destroyed. It looks like I can only send out one or two defective items…' Leylin sighed. He believed that this pocket dimension would have been able to hinder even high-ranked Legends at its peak. Now however…

Of course, it would have been very difficult to seize control of the entire core back then. Whether it was a legendary wizard, thief, or even an elf, they would not be able to attack the lab's intelligence core through the communication terminal. After all, they were on completely different planes.

However, Leylin was different. He was very familiar with this type of structure in the ilk of those made by Magi, and the A.I. Chip supporting him had even more knowledge reserves. It was purely because of this reason that he managed to seize the entire core unharmed.

[Beep! Laboratory's power source reserve has reached its critical point, and is unable to absorb more energy from the abyss. Time before collapse: 1h 13min.]The A.I. Chip displayed yet another message in front of Leylin.

'As expected, the demiplane has deteriorated with age and is about to collapse. Is it too late to stop it? If it's like this, then the most valuable thing here is…' Leylin's eyes were filled with regret at first, but then his expression brightened considerably.

'A.I. Chip, record all the information from the terminal.'

[Beep! Mission established, initiating download program.] The A.I. Chip executed Leylin's task immediately. The magnificent light shining from the hexagonal prism was projected onto the walls all around him, as well as onto all the screens.

Leylin was bathed in its light, and a multitude of data and characters flashed across his eyes. The most important bits about the arcane arts and spell models, various alchemic experiments, research, improved meditation techniques, and anatomical records were presented to him. There were also diaries and other useless news from the terminal, and that too was fully copied by the A.I. Chip.

The extensive library of data was transferred in a split second. Compared to this, the tiny little bit of information Helen had almost given her life for to obtain was worth nothing.

[Beep! Information about the arcanist profession has been collated, and overlaps with the host's wizardry. Combine?]

"Yes," Leylin replied without the slightest hesitation. Afterwards, his aura began to change. An arcane flame began to burn, and powerful force poured into his sea of consciousness and began to remodel and process his profession. Leylin soon saw his status change from that of a wizard into that of an arcanist.

Snap!* Leylin almost blacked out at the acute pain that came from his very soul. He felt his connection with the Weave instantly break off.

Fortunately, this severed state lasted only a moment before it reconnected once again. However, the connection was now somewhat different. In this split second, there seemed to be a pair of golden eyes focused on him. However, it was immediately deceived by Leylin's grasp of the first 4 layers of the Weave.

The A.I. Chip's reminders continued to ring out.

[Beep! Host has become an arcanist. Profession changed.] [Beep! The host has gained arcane specialties: Energy Detection, Amplification.]

There was a detailed description beneath each of the specialties.

[Arcane Energy Detection: Arcanists are able to supercede the Weave's restrictions and directly perceive the arcane energy in the environment, drawing it in to form arcane spells.] [Arcane Amplification: Arcane energy is amplified by 10-20% when an arcanist casts a spell.] [Beep! Host's spiritual force has broken through, Spirit 1. Host has advanced to become a rank 15 arcanist.] Leylin's mind suddenly jolted, and afterwards his spiritual force directly made contact with the 7th rank of the Weave.

Looking at the Weave from an arcanist's perspective gave him a completely different feeling. The feeling of jumping out and watching the Weave from afar increased the speed at which the A.I. Chip analysed the Weave.

Leylin's stats had also changed.

[Leylin Faulen, Age: 21, Race: Human, Rank 15 Arcanist. Strength: 13, Agility: 11, Vitality: 12, Spirit: 15, Arcane Energy: 150, Status: Healthy, Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Elementary Perfect Body, Specialities: Arcane Energy Detection, Arcane Amplification.]

'As expected, the greatest benefit of becoming an arcanist is to break away from the Weave's method of performing magic. Additionally, arcane energy has replaced my spell slots,' Leylin nodded. Moreover, his separation from the weave affected only that aspect. This meant that Leylin could now also prepare rank 7 spell slots, and wait to use them the next day.

Naturally, due to the restrictions of rank, he only had 1 rank 7 spell slot.

'Using arcane energy to cast arcane spells would perhaps consume more energy than using the Weave to instantly cast low-ranked spells. However, it will use up fewer spell slots,' Leylin stroked his chin in thought. After fully analysing rank 0 to rank 3 of the Weave, he could instantly cast low-ranked spells. Overwhelming his opponent with a torrential number of spells had always been his killing move, but it was of course established within the authority of the Weave. It was equivalent to stealing Mystra's power for himself.

If he only used arcane spells, then he wouldn't have this benefit anymore. However, the greatest benefit of being an arcanist was that he could retain wizard spell models instead of forgetting them, and at the same time he could use the Weave!

'As a result, I'm now outside the system but I can still enjoy the system's benefits. Just using its power without any of the obligations, it's so straightforward…' Leylin sighed, 'It's a pity that if more people like me are born, then the Weave would fall apart.'

"You've broken through?" Although Leylin had only taken an instant to advance, Helen distinctly felt that something was different.

"Mm, I have," Leylin smiled. What he had gained today couldn't just be described as a breakthrough though.

'I'm now an arcanist, and I have a great number of arcane arts with me. My improvement from now will be rapid. As a rank 15 Professional wizard, I'm of the highest class…' Leylin was turning the idea over in his mind. He was a genius who had advanced to become a high-ranked wizard at the tender age of 21. Apart from the gods' chosen or demigods, he was near the peak of the prime material plane.

"This place is very dangerous, it's best that we leave as quickly as possible," Leylin furrowed his brows and took Helen away from the core database.

The trip had gone fairly smoothly, and he had obtained resources from the arcanists as well as many arcane arts. It all saved him a lot of effort, but he hadn't accomplished his most important goal yet; he didn't get the inheritance of those Magi who had comprehended laws!

The A.I. Chip hadn't found anything related to such Magi amongst all the resources it had scanned, and it filled Leylin's heart with disappointment. The direction and experiences of the ancients would have been of great help to him.

'It's a matter of course. Not every arcanist can receive the instruction of a being like the Distorted Shadow, and even if he left an inheritance it wouldn't be here…' Leylin comforted himself, 'The profits this time are sufficient. Just what the A.I. Chip has stored in its database would be enough to fetch an extremely high price.'

"Let's hurry up, there isn't much time before the pocket dimension collapses…" Leylin suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned his head in astonishment. He discovered that Helen had disappeared into thin air without his notice.

'Impossible! I've always paid attention to my back, and I even have an arcane mark on her. How can the A.I. Chip's sweeps not discover her?'

'A.I. Chip! Sweep the entire laboratory and find Helen!' Leylin immediately ordered. He had seized the core authority in this place, and even if most of the equipment was depleted or damaged a basic search was still possible.

Very quickly, the results were sent back to him. However, Leylin's expression turned even more unsightly at the information.

'Nothing! There isn't a single trace left of her, and she didn't even leave a corpse. It looks like she just disappeared suddenly…' He had not felt such a powerful sense of déjà vu for a very long time.

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Distortion

"Is this the effect of a high-ranked Magus' radiation?" Leylin murmured, "To achieve this even after thousands of years, only someone at rank 7 or above could do such a thing…"

Leylin stood by himself in the empty and desolate passage, slowly shutting his eyes. He slowly found traces of energy from a completely different world.

"The power of distortion! As expected, it's Distorted Shadow… Over there!" Leylin's eyes were filled with excitement as he suddenly advanced in another direction. He had sensed a clue to the inheritance of an ancient Magus who had comprehended laws!

Such an incredibly precious treasure was enough for him to brave the risks that surely lay ahead.

'The ancient Distorted Shadow's path of laws should deal with space or distortion, or something related to that. No wonder he could make so many dimensions overlap…' As he ran, Leylin instantly thought of the the fold in space he had encountered just before, 'Legend states that Distorted Shadow was at least a rank 8 Magus, and he was a peak rank 8 who had perfected his own path!'

Bang!* He followed his instincts to a laboratory, and a strong gust hit his face when he opened the door.

Arcane Missile! Leylin's fingers shot out a more powerful version of Magic Missile. The thing was full of arcane energy, and it smashed the metal gears that were wrapped within the strong wind to the ground, leaving behind dents in it.

"This place…" he looked around him. The room was modelled like a giant workshop, with many metal lathes and machine arms tidying and moving things back and forth. Some of the machines had a layer of green rust on them.

'Is this some golem processing workshop?' Leylin followed his instincts and found a trace of distortion left behind.

"Mister Leylin, save me!" Just at this moment, Leylin suddenly turned his head and he heard Helen's voice came from his side.

"Helen?" He suddenly shouted, and several layers of protective light glowed on his body.

"Save me…" The only reply he received was her weeping.

Leylin gritted his teeth and walked towards the direction of her wails. He passed through a tall fireplace, and saw the back of a silhouette that seemed like Helen sitting in the darkness and crying. "I… I can't get up…"

"Mm?" It was only then that Leylin discovered that the originally smooth floor had become spongy. There were several black hands spouting out of it, holding firmly onto Helen's ankles.

A faint black shimmered in Leylin's pupils as they widened, and he called out in the ancient Byron language. "Malicious intent? Get lost!"

"Sss…" His soul essence had already transformed into a phantom Targaryen, and it suddenly began to roar.

Puff! Puff!* The sound reverberated in the room, and those enormous black hands suddenly swelled as sarcomas boiled out from under their skin. These tumours grew larger and larger until one could see veins within before finally exploding.

"Ah!" Helen let out a blood-curdling shriek. The giant black hands had disappeared, but a layer of skin on her ankle had been torn off as well, leaving behind a horribly infected wound. The black pus seemed to have great corrosive ability, and it ate away half of Helen's clothes in an instant.

Sss!* Great quantities of the black rain landed on the metal surfaces nearby, corroding everything it touched.

Cure Moderate Wounds! Leylin immediately cast a healing spell and raced to Helen's side, "Are you alright?"

"I'm… I'm alright…" Helen sluggishly turned her head, and Leylin's eyes narrowed. What appeared before Leylin was a strangely distorted face. Her facial features were screwed into incorrect positions, and it was full of distorted veins and scars. It was more disgusting than the most disgusting monstrosity!

"What on earth are you?" Leylin immediately moved away from it, watching this freakish monster who was undulating Helen's soul force.

"Sir Leylin, it's… It's me, Helen…" The monster let out a panicked voice, but its distorted face wore a malevolent expression. The huge mouth on its forehead opened, revealing sharp yellow teeth and a barbed green tongue.

'It looks like Distorted Shadow never had the intention of leaving an inheritance behind. Perhaps he had only come here and left an evil spiritual parasite. Now that the pocket dimension is about to collapse, the evil intent has awakened…' Leylin was startled as he thought of this possibility.

An evil intent left behind by an ancient rank 8 Magus would put him in grave danger, and could even kill him.

Fireball! Fireball! Fireball!

Scorching Ray! Scorching Ray! Scorching Ray!

Leylin launched his killing move in this life or death situation. Many rank 2 and 3 fire spells combined to form a meteor shower from the sky.

"Spell Torrent!" The violent surging blaze submerged the monster in its flames. The effect of many low-ranked spells piled up on top of each other to reach near-legendary power.

Bang!* The blazing fire melted the surrounding lathes and mechanical arms considerably, forming white-hot molten iron that slowly pooled to form a stream on the ground.

After the torrent of spells, Leylin saw a bare passage appear before him. The monster had already disappeared without a trace, and seemed to have been burnt to ashes.

The molten iron was red through and through now, making the black material look even more unsightly. It hadn't been corroded, instead bobbing up and down unsteadily.

"That's the beast skin scroll Helen had before" Leylin was suddenly alarmed, and a stony grey hand emerged from the scroll. The black hide was stained with blood, but it did not dissolve in the molten iron. This made a strange expression appear on Leylin's face.

"Leylin! Save me…" As the voice sounded, the hand suddenly broke through Leylin's spell defences. A power of distortion struck Leylin's shoulder.

Crash!* Whether it was his robe or armour, or even his body's own defences, everything was torn apart like paper by this hand.

"Damn it!" Leylin's expression grew fierce, "Fuck off!" The Targaryen phantom felt the danger as well, and its vertical eyes narrowed. A formidable devouring power spread into the surroundings.

Blink! Leylin's silhouette flickered and he arrived outside the workshop. He didn't even bother looking back at the monster within as he broke out into a run. Several Haste spells flashed on his body as he dashed out of the exit.

Although Leylin would take risks to obtain a rank 8 Magus' inheritance, he definitely wouldn't court death for it. The moment he discovered that the danger here far exceeded the benefits he could gain, he made the prompt decision to leave.

Chirps and honks sounded as a twisted laughter rang out from behind him. He felt a terrifying force pursuing him as the entire passage began to distort, like a rag being twisted to pieces.

Freeze! The torrent of spells appeared once more, and many Freeze and Create Water spells formed a mountain of ice behind him. The enormous ice mountain immediately blocked off the entire passage, and stopped the terrifying creature's pursuit. Still, crack after crack formed on it without end.

Leylin seized the chance to suddenly rush to the exit, throwing himself outside. Furry green claws distorted as they swiped at Leylin's back. Thankfully, he'd managed to make it out in that instant and they only managed to cut the corner of his clothes.

A loud rumble suddenly sounded. Leylin immediately jumped out of the secret entrance, and soon after it was submerged in a silver storm. The pocket dimension had already begun to collapse, and many disasters had arisen within.

"Young master!" Tiff walked over to him with a worried expression.

"I'm alright, I only ran into a storm in the plane. I was rather lucky." Leylin smiled, a healing glow already spreading across his shoulder.

"Lord Leylin?!" He heard a woman's voice and trembled at the sound of it.

He turned his head rather stiffly and was greeted by the sight of Helen! Helen stood there, hale and hearty, with a concerned expression on her face.

"What? Weren't you still in there?" Leylin's eyes narrowed.

"What?" Helen's astonished expression deepened, "You had me leave first after we exited the core control room, my Lord. You said you wanted to continue exploring alone…"

"I indeed saw Miss Helen arrive first!" Tiff testified for her.

'Then the Helen I saw earlier, who was it… It even distorted my senses…'

"Then this thing? Do you recognise it?" A black blood-stained scroll made of beast skin appeared in Leylin's palm.

He had used various methods to verify that Helen was really made of flesh and blood. The soul undulations were the same, and she was not disguised by some evil intent.

"My scroll…" Helen exclaimed, touching the bag of holding at her hip. Her face slowly paled, "Gone! It's gone! I had it in my bag of holding…"

'Ha… As expected of the Distorted Shadow!' Leylin sighed deeply, 'Having already grasped the concepts of distortion, space, and time, he even managed to distort my senses?'

"Young master, is there an enemy?" Tiff now realised that something was wrong. He stood on alert next to Leylin, his eyes fixed on Helen. If she made the slightest wrong move, he would kill her where she stood.

"It's nothing… Just a mishap," Leylin waved his hand. He had experienced far stranger things than this in the Magus World, and developed some immunity to this sort of thing.

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