Advent of the Archmage - Chapter 170

Chapter 170: The Awakened Prophet White Stone

 

Eliard was extremely decisive. He immediately set off the next day with Link’s letter in hand.

At the moment, the Flamingo Band of Mercenaries were destroying the bandit’s hideout in the entire Ferde Wilderness with the help of Magician Carrido. Carrido did not go through official magic training and lacked a comprehensive understanding of magic. Many a times, his strength was not sufficient.

Eliard, on the other hand, did not have this problem. He was a Level-2 Magician and had a solid foundation in magic. With his help, the process would be a lot smoother.

In the letter, Link specifically instructed Jacker to take special care of Eliard. It would be fine if they slowed down the clearing process, but Eliard must be kept safe.

Link strongly believed that Eliard would recover from this state of depression after making some new friends and training together with the mercenary band.

As for Link, he was still completely focused on magic. Everything else was secondary.

Now that Eliard’s matter was resolved, Link could focus entirely on his magic research, increasing the efficiency exponentially. He gradually spent more time on it until he merely slept four hours a day.

Herrera was horrified at the sight of such insane dedication. She was afraid Link’s body would not be able to withstand such intense hours. However, after failing to persuade him to take more rest, she started giving Link strange potions said to nourish the body and forcing him to drink them.

Link had no choice but to drink them. He did not expect them to really be effective. When he felt his energy getting boosted, he was pleasantly surprised and delved into his research with even more fanaticism.

The days flew by. After 20 days, Link had made huge progress with his biggest achievement being a thorough understanding of the magic structure of a Level-6 spell.

He possessed the precious Fire Star Thorium and preferred fire elemental spells in general. This Level-6 spell was naturally also fire element based, called the Fist of Firomoz.

The Fist of Firomoz

Level-6 spell

Effect: Concentrates fire elementals into a giant fist. It possesses terrifying offensive power!

(Note: Inspired by a scroll fragment left in the mortal world by Flame Titan Firomoz)

The Titans were an extremely powerful ancient civilization. It was rumored that they had not gone extinct. However, Link had never met any of them even when he was playing the game.

The reason he chose to learn the Fist of Firomoz was simple. This spell was basically an upgraded version of his Level-5 spell, The Flaming Hand. There were many similarities in the magic structure of both spells, giving Link the inspiration to unify the good ideas in both of them.

A fist and a hand. If the fingers of a hand were tucked in, wouldn’t it become a fist?

He should have mastered a Level-6 spell in half a month. However, Link spent almost a whole month at it instead, due to his stubbornness in putting the innovation into practice.

He had already achieved the initial success. All that was left was the execution.

As it was a Level-6 spell, the elemental pool in Herrera’s Mage Tower would not be sufficient. Link then headed towards the Heaven’s Thorn to conduct his experiment.

In order to prevent any careless mistakes, Link gave himself a good rest the night before.

Early in the morning, Link could be seen rushing to the Heaven’s Thorn. The door opened quickly after a few knocks and Selasse, Herrera’s senior in magic, stood behind the door.

“Why are you here so early today?” Selasse was Anthony’s disciple. However, his magic talent was ordinary at best. He had only achieved the strength of a Level-3 Magician even though he was almost 40 years old. His expertise lay in the literary world. He had already written more than ten poetries well known across the Norton Kingdom. He was an extremely talented person as well. He was also kind and amiable. Usually, he would be Link’s host whenever Link decided to visit the Heaven’s Thorn.

“Is the sub elemental pool occupied today?” Link asked. The elemental pools in the Heaven’s Thorn had the best functions in the entire academy. It was always fully booked and would rarely have any empty slots.

Selasse smiled and said, “You are the first one today. You have 90 minutes.”

Ninety minutes was already very generous. On normal days, Link would only get 50 minutes in the elemental pool, which was already a long duration on the account that he had a good relationship with Anthony. Other Magicians usually only got 30 minutes in the elemental pool and would have to apply for it a week in advance. They could not simply enter and use it as freely as Link.

Link then followed Selasse into the Mage Tower. When he reached the hall, he saw two people clad in purple robes. They seemed to be waiting for someone.

Their magic robes had many unique characteristics. They were light purple in color and extremely thick. There were patterns similar to that of a bramble sewn onto their sleeves with silver threads. On their chest was a picture of a roaring lion. At the same time, the surface of the magic robe seemed to be covered in a layer of a special, sticky liquid.

Link recognized this magic robe. It was a magic robe of the Norton Army Magicians. The sticky layer of liquid was a defense spell specially developed by the Royal Magicians in the Kingdom called Tenacity. As the Magicians climbed in rank, the color of the robe would change ever so slightly and the strength of Tenacity would also increase.

There were a total of six levels: Basic Tenacity, then going into Mid-Level Tenacity, High-Level Tenacity, Heroic Tenacity and finally, Endless Tenacity.

This defensive spell could defend against both magical and physical attacks. It also had excellent stability and strength. It was rumored that the strongest Endless Tenacity could defend against a Level-6 offensive spell head-on.

From the magic fluctuations coming from these two Magicians. They should be in the Mid-Level Tenacity stage. They also had the presence of a Level-3 Magician, probably Elite Magicians in the Kingdom. They were casually chatting and seemed to be in a good mood.

“Are they any good news about the war in the North?” Link asked curiously. If they had lost the war, the two Magicians should have been depressed and silent. The gleeful look on their faces could then only mean one thing.

Selasse then introduced them with a smile, “We are victorious in the Battle of the Ice Peak. The Kingdom army charged ferociously ahead and left the Dark Elves unprepared. We have already secured three consecutive victories. The rest of the Kingdom’s army was also converging to the Ice Peak to support the war and continue our winning streak.”

Link was relieved and elated to hear this news. This was a victory unheard of while he was playing the game, which was proof that he had indeed changed the course of history.

“That is good news; it is indeed time to teach them a lesson. However, the Kingdom is still rather unprepared. Isn’t it too risky to go all out in this state?” Link was still slightly worried. He felt that the Kingdom was being too rash and arrogant, probably due to their bolstered confidence from the consecutive victories.

Selasse shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t know much about the military. I would believe that the generals have their reason for doing this.”

“That is true.” Link nodded. He was not well-informed about the situation in the North. He was thus in no position to comment on the general’s decisions.

He then turned his attention away from the Royal Magicians. He had limited time in the elemental pool and had to make good use of it.

While Link was observing the Royal Magicians, they also noticed his presence in the hall.

The two of them were originally Magicians from the academy. However, they left the academy two months ago for the war in the North. At that time, Link was still not famous.

In the Battle of the Ice Peak, the two of them performed exceptionally well and had gotten credit for their achievements. They were promoted to a first-class captain and a second-class captain respectively. This time, the reason for their return was to apply for more magic materials from the dean, while also giving him an overview of the current situation.

Both of them felt extremely puzzled that such a young Magician was able to enter the Heaven’s Thorn.

“Arthur, who is that young man?” one of them asked.

The person named Arthur knew slightly more than his comrade. He said, “He is Link, a member of the Morani family and the disciple of the great beauty Moira. I heard that he is already a Level-4 Magician. He is extremely talented.”

“Level-4…what talent. However, I don’t reckon he will do well in a real-life battle. He looks so young and inexperienced.”

“Who knows.” Arthur shrugged his shoulders. “It does not matter even if he is bad in combat. With his talent, he would definitely reach the upper echelons of the academy in the future. He might even become a member of the six-man council. He would not even need to go on the battlefield.”

“Alright, what a blessed life.” This Magician sighed with a slight look of contempt on his face.

He had already spent more than two months on the battlefield. In that period, he had survived seven battles and killed 15 Dark Elves. He was no longer the rookie Magician in the past. Those Magicians who were still studying in the academy or had just graduated from the academy were all termed as rookie Magicians.

Hence, despite Link’s fame in the academy, he was merely an inexperienced rookie Magicians in his eyes.

Link had already disappeared into the staircase passage. Arthur then waved his hands and said, “Alright let’s stop talking about him. Romey, now that the situation in the North is optimistic. I might get promoted to a general after the war and even wear a magic robe enchanted with Heroic Tenacity.”

Romey laughed, “You shouldn’t stop there. My aim is the Endless Tenacity magic robe!”

Chapter 171: The Revived Prophetic White Stone (Part 2)

 

At the Heaven’s Thorn Mage Tower.

The Elemental Pool here was slightly larger than the one in Herrera’s Mage Tower, although the layout and the function were still identical. The positions of the various runes on the controlling magic seal were basically the same as well, so after nearly a month of use, Link now knew every inch of this Elemental Pool like the back of his hand.

Because it was the same type of spell as the Flaming Hand, the Fist of Firomoz also had similar Mana consumptions pattern with the former spell. It consumed 100 points of Mana in spell structure construction and 15 points per second to maintain it in normal conditions, which meant that it would consume 900 Mana Points per minute. When in active battles though, it would consume as much as 30 points of Mana per second or even 50 points per second if the battle was especially fierce.

Link’s current maximum Mana limit was 1950 points, so if he used this spell in a battle all of it would be depleted within one minute. This was just not good enough for Link, so after some consideration Link decided to spend some of his Omni Points to increase this limit.

Link had 210 Omni Points at the moment. There was one active mission left which was the mission to investigate the truths behind the Black Moon Conspiracy. Although he had rooted out the mole in the academy, Elena, he still received no notification that confirmed the completion of this mission, and so naturally he hadn’t received the rewards as well. This was one of the main reasons why Link had felt uneasy all this while

“System, raise the maximum Mana limit using 100 Omni Points.”

Are you sure?

“Yes!”

In a blink of an eye, Link felt a warm surge in the depths of his body. He felt no pain this time. Instead, it actually felt quite comfortable, as though the dry desert sand was quenched with a torrent of reinvigorating rain. Every single cell in his body seemed to be singing in joy at the upgrade.

This wonderful feeling lasted for five seconds. Link then checked his own status and found that his maximum Mana limit was now 2950.

Now that’s a maximum Mana limit fit for a Level-6 Magician!

Then, Link checked his Mana recovery rate and discovered that it was currently at 100 points per hour. It wasn’t too bad, so Link decided not to change anything about it.

So now Link still had 110 Omni Points. He thought it best to keep these points as a spare, just in case he didn’t have enough power when the demon, Tarviss was released and needed the extra Omni Points to purchase a high-level spell.

Now that his maximum Mana limit was raised, Link then began to experiment with the spell.

He focused all of his spirits and entered the state of absolute calm that was spellcasting. Bit by bit, his Mana was directed into the controlling magic seal. Because this was a Level-6 spell, its structure was more complicated and intricate by twofold, and now it was even more so because it had been modified slightly by Link. The number of runes used in this spell was as high as 989, with the complexity in its connections and stacking structure at a degree that was unimaginable for ordinary Magicians.

Even Link whose soul’s strength was far beyond that of the average Magician still didn’t dare to commit any mistakes while constructing the spell structure. In the end, he spent five full minutes to complete the links and connections between the 989 runes in the Fist of Firomoz’s spell structure.

A brilliant array of light spots then appeared on the controlling magic seal. At a glance, it looked very similar to the map of constellations Link had seen in his previous life. Soon afterwards the magic structure began to oscillate and the fire elements in the pool responded to this immediately as the Fist of Firomoz began to take form.

The speed at which the fire elements surged was so rapid that there was a whistling sound in the air which was unlike any other spell that Link had mastered so far.

Yet, this was only the scaled down version of the Fist of Firomoz simulated in the restricted environment of the Elemental Pool. Had it been used in actual combat, the speed at which the fire elements converged in real time would definitely have been a terrifying sight to behold.

Then, Link suddenly recalled the Level-6 spell Herrera had used in the Mist Basin called the Edge of Zenith, where she cut down the mighty giant hydra in one single move. He didn’t pay much attention to it then, but right now he truly appreciated the Level-6 spell’s intricacy and complexity not to mention its awesome power.

It was a totally different experience from the game.

Although the game was an immersive holographic online system with very sensitive controls that made it feel life-like, it still paled in comparison to the details and subtlety of actually being in this world.

The Level-6 Magician will be called a Master Magician, thought Link. Not just because of the extreme difficulty in the process of level advancement, but also in the power of the spells. What a terrifying power these spells contain!

About 20 seconds later, after the elements were fully assembled, Link noticed that the amount of fire elements in the pool had dropped by 80% and was replaced by a giant Flaming Hand that curled its fingers into a fist emerging from the middle of the Elemental Pool.

Because it was just the miniature version at only 10% of its full form, the fist was only about ten square feet in size. It was glowing very faintly and was enveloped by rings and rings of red-hot flame. This was a type of force field that Link had modified into the spell which would help Link control the fire elements in the spell, so they would explode at the very precise moment that he wished them to.

Attack! Link directed the spell through the magic seal.

The fire elements in the fiery fist immediately got agitated and radiated a blinding ray of blue light. The light coming out of the fist was as bright as the sun at noon when one wouldn’t be able to look directly at it.

When the Fist of Firomoz was used to attack an opponent, the fist would rush towards the target at an unimaginable speed within the range of 300 feet and anything that stood in its way would be leveled to the ground.

In the game, this spell was Link’s favorite to use against city walls because with a single punch, the walls would crumble down like a house of cards, creating a beautiful yet at the same time terrifying effect that would strike terror in the enemies’ hearts.

Transform! Link gave out another command to the spell.

For a brief moment the flaming fist dimmed its brightness and slowly opened up its fingers one-by-one, which in the end formed into a giant hand that seemed to be ready to claw into something.

It was not the Fist of Firomoz anymore now, but was instead, a new spell modified with Link’s Supreme Magical Skill—an upgraded Level-6 Flaming Hand.

This kind of modification was totally unthinkable in his previous life in the game. But now that he was in this world, Link was able to create this brand-new spell by fusing his deep understanding of the structures and properties of the Flaming Hand and the Fist of Firomoz and transformed them into a uniquely powerful spell.

Link’s heart was filled with a sense of accomplishment when he finally saw the new spell in its full form.

Return to normal, ordered Link with a thought. He must ensure that there were no defects in this spell whatsoever.

The upgraded Flaming Hand then clenched into a fist, but just as it was returning to its former shape, a problem emerged.

The originally stable flames suddenly wavered as the fire elements within it vibrated violently. Link could feel even then that the spell structure was beginning to collapse.

He tried with all his might to stabilize the spell structure but realized only a second later that the problem was too big to control. He might even break his arm if he persisted, so he decided to let go of the spell and let it collapse.

Boom!!!

The Flaming Hand was only halfway in its process of turning back into a fist when it disintegrated and exploded. Fortunately, this happened in the Elemental Pool so Link was protected from the force of the explosion and was unharmed. The scattered fire elements then flowed back into the pool under the guidance of the magic seal with no incidence.

Then, Link began to examine the structure of the spell closely.

“System, activate the playback of the spell formation,” Link ordered the gaming system.

Link could’ve just used the system to perform the simulation of the spellcasting like he did when he was on his way back to Pufferfish County, but he chose to use the Elemental Pool to experiment on the spell as the simulation would exert too much energy from his soul and give him debilitating headaches afterwards. There wouldn’t be any problem, though, if he only used the simulation to replay the process of the spell formation.

There was a bright flash on the interface. Soon, the whole spellcasting process was re-enacted before Link’s eyes starting from the surge of Mana, to the interactions between the magic runes, the synergy between the runic wheels in the spell structure and so on. Every detail, however minute, was shown without any omission.

After three minutes Link finally found the source of the problem. He started fine-tuning to fix the spell structure which took ten more minutes, and then he went right back to experimenting.

This time, the Fist of Firomoz completed six movements in half a minute until it collapsed with another boom.

Link persisted and tried one more time.

He fixed the spell structure then tried casting it again. This time it completed 13 moves before it collapsed.

Link tried one more time.

This time it managed until the 19th move, then collapsed.

One more attempt.

Another collapsed spell…

…

Link had completely forgotten how much time had passed in the Elemental Pool. He was surprised that no one had come in to remind him of the time today.

Neither did he remember how many times he had been modifying and fine-tuning the spell.

The spell in front of him was now as flexible as a real human hand and could move in a variety of delicate movements just like a real hand. Apart from being able to do things that even a real hand couldn’t, such as bending a finger backwards until it touched the back of the hand, there was no difference between the front and the back of the giant hand, so it was futile to use the concepts of the palm and the back of the hand with this spell. In fact, even the fingers could transform into the palm and the palm could just as easily split into multiple fingers.

After experimenting it for a period of time that even Link wasn’t sure how long, he had successfully performed hundreds of different movements perfectly with the giant hand.

Ah, I’ve finally mastered it! Link thought proudly.

Then, a notification appeared on the interface.

Player successfully created a new spell, 20 Omni Points rewarded.

Player successfully became a Level-6 Master Magician, 120 Omni Points rewarded.

Please name the new spell.

Ah, it feels nice to be rewarded, thought Link. Then he suddenly noticed that something was amiss. He didn’t recall getting rewards for advancing to Level-5.

“System, where are my rewards for rising up to Level-5?” Link asked the gaming system.

Player used the system’s spellcasting simulation program when advancing to Level-5, which consumed an extremely high amount of energy from the system. The Omni Points from the rewards were used in place to repair the system of the depleted energy.

“Then why wasn’t I informed about it?” asked Link, his face darkened. He should’ve gotten at least 50 Omni Points from the level increase and it was gone just like that. Had he known that it would come at such a high price, Link wouldn’t have bothered using such an expensive way to learn a spell.

System is unable to answer this question as the issue is still unresolved.

“…” Link was thrown off by such a perplexing response from the system. He didn’t have any desire to press the matter further either, because even though the spellcasting simulation had come at such a high price, it was ultimately worth it. It was because of that Level-5 spell that he managed to defeat three Level-5 Dark Elves, after all, so Link decided to just let the matter slide.

As for the name, Link considered it for a while and said, “I’ll name the new spell the Titan’s Hand.”

Spell successfully named.

Titan’s Hand

Level-6 Master Spell

Mana Consumption: 14 points per second in normal conditions, 29 points per second in active battles.

Effects: This is a versatile spell that possesses great power and is perfect for close-distance battles both for attacks and defense.

(Note: Link’s masterpiece!)

Link was gladdened by the information he received in the series of notifications, especially of those two descriptions of “Master Magician”. It wasn’t just in a game now, Link had actually earned the title of a Master Magician by his own crazy amount of effort, and he couldn’t help but feel proud of himself.

Link then cast Elemental Cure on himself as he felt quite exhausted now. He then sat down and rested for a while to regain some energy before walking out of the Elemental Pool. When he opened the door, he discovered that it was all quiet outside without a single soul in sight. Link looked out the window and was shocked to see that the sky had turned dark outside.

“Has it been so long?” Link wondered. “But why didn’t anyone remind me of the time?” He remembered that he was only allowed to use the Elemental Pool for 90 minutes, but by the looks of it he’d spent the whole day inside! He walked into the great hall on the first floor where the lights were still on and saw Selasse sitting there alone at his desk writing.

When Selasse noticed Link approaching he looked up at him with a pair of eyes that glowed with admiration and respect. Not only that, but he then stood up abruptly and gave Link a bow that Magicians of lower levels usually gave to other Magicians of higher levels.

“Master Magician Link!” greeted Selasse.

Master Magician? Link was stunned and puzzled at how this Magician would find out he was already at Level-6.

“When your stay in the Elemental Pool almost reached 90 minutes, I was going to go in there to remind you of the time, but was prevented from doing so by the dean,” explained Selasse. “The Elemental Pool in this Mage Tower has a very strict control system, and it detected your experimentation with a Level-6 spell. Now that you’ve come out, it must mean that you’ve successfully mastered a Level-6 spell, isn’t that right?”

Selasse then stared at Link with eyes full of awe and respect. Magicians who were able to advance to Level-6 were few and far between, but a 17-year-old Magician who’d achieved that level was simply unprecedented. Selasse realized that he was standing in front of a living legend!

Oh, this is worth writing an epic poem about! Selasse thought. I’ve even got the opening sorted out, this is how it should go – the sky of magic was dark and barren, no stars had shone since the time of Bryant, and lo! Said the God of Light, let Link be born and he’ll shine bright!

Selasse didn’t care what anyone else thought, all he knew was that he was quite proud of the poem himself.

“Yes, you’re right,” said Link, feeling more and more awkward with Selasse’s strange stares. He then hurriedly added, “It’s pretty late now, I must go back and get some rest.”

“Oh, go ahead, Master Magician!” replied Selasse. “You must take care of your precious body!”

“…” Link had no idea how else to reply to this Magician-Poet so he just took the opportunity to flee and return to the safety of his room.

Link was relieved that there was no one else bothering him all the way back to Herrera’s Mage Tower, so Link went back peacefully to his room. He looked at the time and found it was only nine in the evening. Usually he would still be studying his magic textbooks at this hour, so naturally he didn’t go to bed yet and just took out a book called The Path of the Master and started to read it.

After a while, Link took out the white stone the High Elf prince gave him and played with it in his hands just out of habit. But a while later he discovered that there was something wrong about the stone this time.

The normally plain and ordinary white stone was actually glowing faintly in a white aura!

“Huh, what’s going on here?”

Chapter 172: The Awakened Prophet White Stone (Part 3) ?

 

Originally, Link had already given up on the white stone he received from the Prince of the High Elves as he simply could not find anything special about it. The dim glow emanating from the stone was thus a pleasant surprise.

He carefully observed the stone for a long time but to no avail. Apart from the faint glow that it was emitting, it was no different from its dormant state.

Link was not about to give up so easily. He then took out the magnifying glass he usually used during enchanting to observe extremely small-sized runes.

This magnifying glass was a necessary tool for every enchanter. Link had also made some modifications to it, allowing him to increase the magnification to a scale 50 times larger. He was able to clearly see runes that were less than 100 nanometers in size with the help of the magnifying glass.

Link had also attempted to view the stone through the magnifying glass previously. However, the surface was still smooth and uninteresting at that time. Link was thus unable to get the information that he needed.

But things were different now.

The magnification coupled with the glowing light of the stone, Link finally got a glimpse of the true nature of the stone!

Through the lenses, the stone’s surface still looked smooth, not having the slightest indent. However, there seemed to be a voluminous number of light spots on the surface.

As the light spots were too small, it was impossible to get a good look at their shape even under 50 times magnification. One could only determine that the spots were arranged according to a certain pattern.

Could it be runes? How can runes be so small? Link was in disbelief. He concluded that the runes were so small that they fell out of the measuring range of nanometers. That could be the only reason why his magnifying glass was unable to even get an approximate shape of the rune.

What should I do?

Link then turned his attention to the magnifying glass. He needed to create one that possessed an even higher magnification, something that would be termed a microscope.

Link had a good knowledge of the optical theories on Earth. He simply had to stack two high convex lenses with high magnification power together. Coupled with Link’s magic knowledge, this would be an easy task. He could even challenge the limit of optical theories by using the magic to strengthen the magnification strength of his new microscope.

Link immediately got to work. He took out a few crystals and first refined them using transformation spells until they were completely transparent. He then made use of the Higgs Field to reshape the crystals. In a moment, two high-quality convex lenses were made.

Link did not bother with the structure that would hold the lenses in place. He simply used the Magician’s Hand to keep the two convex lenses stable in the air while he made adjustments to their positions. After checking that the magnification was around 1000 times, he was satisfied.

Link then adjusted the light in the room and placed the white stone under his simple home-made microscope.

Under the magnification, it was clear that the light spots were runes. However, they were not composed by merely a single rune, but a circle of them with each circle containing at least hundreds of runes. Even under 1000 times magnification, Link could not determine the exact shape of these runes.

“This stone has at least 1000 over light spots, meaning that there are at least 1000 circles of runes. This is only the surface of it, I have not even delved into its internal structure. What person could have made this monstrosity! Could it be God?”

Link could not help but swear at the sight of the complexity. This was completely beyond his imagination.

Link was bursting with curiosity and once again refined his microscope. This time, he increased the magnification strength to 2000 times. This was the limit. If he increased the strength any further, there would be visible signs of diffraction which would seriously impede his observations.

Link took a deep breath and stared through the microscope again.

This time, he got an extremely clear view of the runes. The rune circles were arranged in a manner that he could not comprehend. He could recognize a small part of the individual runes within the circles. However, much of it were runes that he had not seen in his life! There were also some indistinct shadows beneath the surface, suggesting that there were more layers to the stone.

“Unbelievable! This is unbelievable!” Link repeated the words countless times. After he became a Level-6 Magician, he thought that he already had a general understanding of magic in the World of Firuman. Even if it was something new, it could not possibly go too far away from this framework that he knew. However, this white stone had shown him a brand-new horizon, making his previous achievements seem extremely insignificant.

“My knowledge is merely a drop in the entire ocean!” Link could not help but exclaim. An unfathomable ocean of knowledge lay right in front of him in the form of a white stone.

At that moment, Link felt some lights flashing in his field of vision. It was the in-game system providing him with information.

It was the information of the white stone!

The Prophet White Stone (Uncharged)

Quality: Legendary

State: 0.1/100

Effect: When this object is fully charged, it could greatly enhance the power of a particular spell. The strength of the spell would increase by three levels.

Limitation 1: This object can only be used for three times.

Limitation 2: Only spells Level-6 and above can be enhanced.

(Note: The secrets of magic are endless.)

Link did not expect this to be a Legendary item. Furthermore, the effect of this item was simply insane. If he could enhance the strength of his spell by three levels, his Level-6 Titan’s Hand could be directly strengthened to a Level-9 spell. He could then defeat Tarviss in just a single hit!

Link immediately became excited and even heaved a sigh of relief.

Although he had successfully mastered a Level-6 spell, the Titan’s Hand after a month of insane practice, the continuous high intensity of magic research had left him burned out and even made him slightly tired and disgusted of magic. Many a times, he wanted to escape from the academy and his stash of magic books and live a life of relaxation.

If learning a Level-6 spell required this much effort, he would absolutely go insane if he tried to learn a Level-7 or Level-8 spell.

He only persevered because he knew of the imminent dangers.

However, he did not expect such a useful item to appear in front of him at such a crucial moment.

Who is the prophet of the High Elves? He seemed to know exactly what I needed. This stone could enhance a spell by three levels, a power just enough to defeat Tarviss.

Link was slightly curious but stopped thinking about it soon enough. He believed that the person harbored no hostility and when the time was ripe, he would naturally meet this Legendary person.

The imperative was then to charge up the white stone.

Link attempted to charge his mana into the stone. The stone immediately reacted to the inflow of mana and absorbed in like a sponge. It had an almost insatiable appetite for mana and at the same time, the glow surrounding it became slightly stronger.

Link continued charging the stone until he exhausted all 3000 Mana Points. The stone now glowed slightly brighter, much like the brightness of a firefly.

Link the observed the state of the white stone.

Prophet’s White Stone (Uncharged)

State: 3/100

Link was horrified. This stone was a bottomless pit. It needed 1000 Mana Points to recover one state point!

On second thought, the stone had an incredible effect. It was only natural that the Mana Points requirement would be enormous. Link then accepted it without any issue.

Link’s current Mana Recovery speed was 100 Mana Points per hour. His Maximum Mana was 2950 points as he had just become a Level-6 Magician. Compared to his Maximum Mana, his Mana recovery speed seemed to be lagging behind.

Use 100 Omni Points to increase Mana recovery speed, Link thought

A warm glow enveloped his body and after it dissipated, Link’s Mana recovery speed had increased to 200 Mana Points per hour. He now needed less than a day to fully recover his Mana Points.

If Link used all his Mana Points in charging the Prophet’s White Stone, he would be able to charge it fully in a months’ time. By then, it would still be one month before the bloody April 15th.

Link took a long breath at this thought. Screw Tarviss, the Black Moon Conspiracy and screw the Dark Elves as well, I can finally rest.

Link put away the white stone and lay peacefully on his bed. Within a minute, he drifted quietly into the world of dreams.

The sleep was unusually blissful. In his dream, he met the Demon Princess Celine. She was smiling gently at him, causing his heart to flutter.

The next morning, Link recalled the dream with fervor. He then cast a concealing spell around him and took out his treasured black feather. The feather automatically floated after appearing in the air, with many translucent light balls swirling around it. It was exceptionally beautiful.

Link couldn’t help but think about Celine. He seemed to see the playful and charming face right in front of him as he thought, Celine, I have already caught up to you.

He was now a Level-6 Magician and had a strong foundation in magic. He would no longer be a burden to Celine.

His only problem was that he had no idea where Celine was. After some thought, Link decided that he would track Celine down the moment he settled the issues in the academy and in his territory.

He had to tell her that she would be safe on his territory!

Link then put away the feather and washed up before heading down to the first-floor hall.

The hall was still crowded as usual. The only thing different was everyone’s look of surprise when they saw Link. This had nothing to do with his achievements, but one that had something to do with the time. Link had been the first person to wake up and the last person to sleep in the entire Mage Tower for the past month. However, it was already 9 o’clock in the morning and he had just woken up. It was extremely peculiar.

“Master, are you free today?” Rylai walked up and asked timidly.

She had accumulated many questions over the past month. They were not terribly difficult questions and she could get her answers from any of the more experienced Magicians in the Mage Tower. However, she felt that their explanations were always vague and not as defined as Link’s. She hence kept all the problems and decided to consult Link one day.

“Of course.” Link felt slightly guilty. He had been too busy and had neglected his disciple. He patted Rylai’s head gently and pointed to a table nearby. “Let’s sit there.”

Link then took Rylai’s notes and started browsing through them. He then stared at his disciple with a somewhat surprised expression, “Have you started learning Hydrotherapy?”

Hydrotherapy

Level-1 Support spell

Effect: Creates a water bubble that contains a large amount of water elementals and air. When the target is within the water bubble, their recovery ability will increase significantly.

“Yes, but the structure is complex and I don’t understand some parts of it.” Rylai was unusually nervous. She felt that the intangible pressure from her master had become even stronger. She was afraid to even speak.

Link immediately sensed Rylai’s apprehension and understood almost immediately. He had used 200 Omni Points consecutively and his strength had increased exponentially. This sudden increase in pressure was bound to scare Rylai.

Link started to contain his magic presence and concealed much of the pressure emitting from his body. He then looked at Rylai again and noticed that the tension on her face had largely dissipated.

Link had never learned Hydrotherapy. However, he had a good knowledge of magic and could understand this magic structure in one glance. He could also tell the exact places Rylai had doubts in. After thinking for a moment, he then began to answer them one-by-one.

Rylai listened intently to Link’s teachings. Meanwhile, the Magician’s Apprentices around them stared enviously at Rylai. She was one of the newest and youngest apprentices in the Mage Tower. To think that she would have the honor to be taught personally by a Level-4 Magician!

Even though Rylai had accumulated many questions, Link answered all of them within an hour. Following which, under the respectful gaze of Rylai, he began to formulate a study plan for her. At that moment, an apprentice walked towards them with a merchant behind him.

Link turned around and saw a familiar face—it was Warter.

Link had been enchanting equipment whenever he was tired of his magic research for the past month. He had almost used up all the materials he had and created nearly 20 pieces of Level-2 to Level-3 low-level magic equipment. His total profit was more than 20000 gold coins and the Green Leaf Merchant Firm’s reputation had also soared. From the gleeful look on Warter’s face, one could tell that he had also earned his fair share from this collaboration.

Warter greeted Link before saying, “Mr. Link, I am here to collect the equipment.”

“Oh, right.” Link was prepared. He handed over a necklace and a ring. Both of which were intricately crafted.

Warter carefully put them away into a wooden box. He then handed over a letter to Link. “I have a letter here. A lady I met had entrusted this to me.”

Link felt strange and immediately opened the letter. A tight frown then appeared on his face. This was a letter from Eleanor and only contained one line of words. She wanted to meet him alone in Hot Springs City.

At first glance, Link thought that she was simply here for her magic bracelet. That would not be a problem as he had already crafted it. However, there was something amiss. The handwriting on the letter was extremely sloppy and there were even visible pauses in that line of words. This could only mean that the writer was not in a calm state of mind.

But Eleanor was a Level-6 Secret Magician. While she might not be able to maintain calm in all situations, what caused her to delve into such panic? She was either in great danger or was under pressure from someone to write the letter.

Many thoughts flashed through Link’s mind. Finally, he decided to make a trip to Hot Springs City. After all, not much could instill such fear and panic into a Level-6 Magician.

He then stood up and told Rylai, “I am going out for a while. If Master Moira asks, tell her that I went to Hot Springs City.”

“Alright.” Rylai nodded.

“Mr. Link, I am also about to return to Hot Springs City. The carriage is pretty empty. Shall we go together?” Warter immediately offered.

“That would be great.”

Chapter 173: The Demon’s First Appearance

 

The weather in the Girvent Forest was nice and sunny that day and the rays of sunshine felt luxuriously warm and rejuvenating to bask in. Link was in Warter’s carriage on his way to the capital as he listened to sweet birdsongs from both sides of the King’s Lane. The pleasant sights and sounds outside the academy had relaxed him considerably from the anxiety he felt caused by Eleanor’s urgent letter.

Link played with the wand in his hand out of boredom and soon enough his unsteady heart began to settle. He currently had two spells fixed with the Glyph of Soul and one powerful Level-6 spell, so even if he had to face a Level-6 Assassin he was confident that he could defeat him easily. Besides, they would be in Springs City and Link believed that the person who’d put panic in Eleanor’s heart would be so brazen as to chase her right into the heart of the capital city.

It was quite a distance between East Cove and Springs City so after having calmed down considerably Link began to chat freely with Warter.

“Mr. Link, you wouldn’t believe how popular your creations are in the capital,” said Warter, wanting to strike up a conversation with Link as he noticed that Link was a bit quiet in the carriage. “Those noblemen who know nothing about magic are lining up to pay a fortune for them. They even sent their servants to wait at my door so they could be the first ones to buy your magic gear the moment I got them back to my shop.”

“Are they really that popular?” asked Link with a laugh, visibly improving in his moods. “But if they didn’t know magic and aren’t fighters, then what do they buy my creations for?”

“To use them to woo their beloved ladies, I presume,” replied Warter. “Your handcraft is as close to perfection as any ever existed. Did you know that people in the capital call you the Soaring Bird Master?”

Soaring Bird Master? Link wondered. Ah, it must’ve come from the signature I left on my creations. But what a vulgar name!

“Anyway, there are some customers who were genuine users of magic,” continued Warter. “Some of them are Magicians, others are Warriors. They thought that although your handcraft is nothing short of exquisite, the spells are all of low levels. They would really like you to create some magic gear that was incorporated with higher-level spells. They’d be willing to pay for the materials themselves and have even given a specific price offer.” Warter was the kind of person who would always come back to talking business no matter the time or occasion, as he did now when he brought up matters of business just as they were chatting casually.

Link considered it for a while and thought this was indeed a good deal.

“What price did they offer?” he asked.

“For Level-4 defensive gear such as shields and the like,” began Warter earnestly, “they’d pay you 2000 gold coins for the enchantment work, not including the spending on materials. I could still haggle the price of course. Meanwhile, for attacking gear like swords and such, they’d be willing to pay 3300 gold coins…I don’t think I could give you a detailed enough explanation verbally. Please give me a moment, I’ve prepared a list of specific orders for you.”

Warter then slipped out a scroll and handed it to Link, who opened it up and was immediately startled at the list he was holding in his hands.

It was such a professionally prepared list. Not only did it distinguish the various types of equipment and weapons, but it was also neatly categorized by level and types of spells. There was even an extra charge for modifications by Supreme Magical Skills and an order for the creation of a wand.

For a Level-4 wand of fine quality modified with Supreme Magical Skills to give it an attacking boost, the price would be 5000 gold coins. If its quality was epic, the price would be increased to 8000 gold coins. Plus, Link wouldn’t have to pay a single copper for the costs of materials.

What an unbelievably good deal!

Link wasn’t so naive, though. After perusing the list, he turned to Warter with a laugh.

“That is a well thought out list! It’s only been a month, how did you run into so many potential buyers?” With such a comprehensive list Link wouldn’t believe that Warter hadn’t made any extra effort in drawing in new customers himself.

Warter chuckled nervously at Link’s question and came clean right away. He was only an ordinary man, after all, he wouldn’t dare to lie through his teeth to a Master Magician like Link.

“I did pull some strings myself,” he confessed. “I would get some benefits from these deals as well…about 100 gold coins for every order…”

100 gold coins, so that was what Warter got for making these deals for Link. It was nothing compared to what Link made from his magic gear, but it was still a massive amount of gold coins for the average merchant.

Warter didn’t know that was how Link felt, though. He spoke very timidly in fear of Link’s disapproval.

But he was wrong in that regard about Link. Although he was a Magician, Link wasn’t completely ignorant of how businesses were run. He knew and appreciated Warter’s help in doing the legwork for him in getting him such serious buyers which had saved so much of Link’s energy. Link felt that Warter had earned every copper of those 100 gold coins. He also realized that their cooperation would only flourish and expand if both of them made profits from it.

“I like this plan, it’s an excellent plan. We’ll go with it,” said Link. “You’ll prepare a list just like this for me from now on, but don’t take too many orders. I can only handle three per month, and no spells above Level-5.”

“That is not a problem at all!” said Warter, relieved and overjoyed. “I’ll prepare a list for you every month, then.” Three pieces of magic gear per month, that would make him 300 gold coins richer each month! It wasn’t all that much, to be frank, but this cooperation with Link would greatly expand the reputation of his merchant firm which was his aim after all. He’d already felt this benefit after only slightly more than a month of cooperation with Link.

Meanwhile, Link began to consider expanding his production scale of magic gear. He couldn’t possibly do that alone, of course, so must now find a helper.

The best helper would be a Magician’s Apprentice, Link mused. But right now, there’s only Rylai. I wouldn’t waste her talents on such a menial job, though. Besides, I don’t have my own Mage Tower yet, and my collection of magic textbooks is still too small, so I wouldn’t attract any gifted apprentices to be my disciple…Now that the building of my estate has started, it’s time to think about building my own Mage Tower as well…

Link was now a full-fledged Level-6 Master Magician and had more than 60,000 gold coins in his pocket, so the time was ripe for him to consider building his own Mage Tower and start receiving his own Magician’s Apprentices now.

After discussing business matters, Link and Warter went back to chatting casually along the way to Springs City. The topic they lingered on the most was none other than the war in the North, or rather, Warter was the one speaking while Link listened to him intently.

Warter was a well-informed merchant who kept up with the latest updates about the war in the North. He could recount the developments on the battlefields with baffling details.

“Overall, things are looking good for our side at the moment,” said Warter. “It seems that our army could always accurately guess the enemy’s next moves and attack them accordingly. I must say that the MI3 is doing a particularly good job, they seem to have outplayed their counterpart, the Death’s Hand, by the looks of it! I’m sure we can chase the Dark Elves back under ground where they came from soon enough!”

Link listened then laughed quietly at this report. He knew that the cypher scroll he’d discovered had more or less aided in the successes of the army.

Warter, on the other hand, shone with excitement and pride of his kingdom’s apparent victories. He was very optimistic in his predictions of the war’s future outcomes. Link himself heartily hoped that such a situation would continue until the final and decisive victory was achieved.

Time passed quickly during the chat. Without them realizing it, several hours had passed and the massive walls of Springs City already loomed in the distance.

Even though there had been a tragedy on Jade Street not too long ago, the authorities had handled the situation very well, and everything was repaired swiftly afterwards. This, coupled with the continuing victories reported from the battlefields in the North, had helped the populace of the city recover from the shocks of the tragedy and move on with their lives.

They did more than move on, though. Link had heard people talking optimistically of the war in the North all along the way from the academy to the capital city. There was even a premature festive atmosphere in the air where people danced and celebrated the future victory of the Norton Kingdom and the seemingly assured demise of the Dark Elves.

Link looked on with slight worry at this blatant and irrational optimism of the people in Springs City. It just struck him the wrong way and made him feel more anxious at the hubris the people were showing.

Still, he had no intention to rain on their parades, so all he did was look on in silence while the town folks carried on in their merry ways.

Soon, the carriage had reached the Blue Hermit Inn of the Magician’s District where he was to meet up with Eleanor. Link put on his hooded cape and covered his face with the hood, then he bid farewell to Warter and climbed out of the carriage.

Link didn’t enter the inn straight away, though. He cast a detection magic and checked for any suspicious auras within the range of 300 feet around the inn. Only when he was sure that it was safe then he walked into the inn through its front entrance.

“I am looking for a lady by the name of Eleanor,” he said in a low, deep voice when approached the innkeeper at the counter inside. “May I know which room she’s staying in?”

The innkeeper was accustomed to people with Link’s attire because that was how Magicians liked to dress anyway, so he took notice of it.

“Miss Eleanor is indeed staying here,” he answered, “but I will have to ask you a question before I am allowed to tell you her room number.”

The Blue Hermit Inn was famous for its strict safety protection measures for its guests. This must be the reason why Eleanor had chosen this place to stay in. Link estimated that Eleanor had instructed the innkeeper to ask him a question that Link would know the answer to.

“Go ahead,” said Link.

“Which bracelet is Miss Eleanor’s favorite?” asked the innkeeper.

“The Phoenix bracelet,” answered Link without having to think about it.

“That is correct,” said the innkeeper with a nod. “Her room number is 350, it’s at the end of the corridor on the third floor. If I am not mistaken she hasn’t left the room yet today.”

So Link went up to the third floor and found the room with the number that the innkeeper had informed him of. Link hid behind the stone wall outside the room and reached out his hand to knock gently on the door, just in case someone inside might attack him as he was standing there waiting to be let in. The possibility that this might actually happen was slim, but someone who was able to terrify a Level-6 Magician like Eleanor must be formidable indeed, so it wouldn’t hurt to take every precaution he possibly could.

“Who is it?!” said a familiar voice from the inside of the room. It was definitely Eleanor.

“It’s me, Link,” he answered. “Are you safe now?”

The moment his last word was uttered, the door opened with a click. Eleanor emerged from behind the door, her face was a picture of terror and trepidation at first, but once she discovered that Link really was there she calmed down gradually.

“Oh, thank the Lord of Light!” she exclaimed. “You’re finally here! Come in!”

Link nodded and followed Eleanor into the room. He was still on full guard, though.

“What happened exactly?” he asked the moment they settled down in the sitting room.

“I was hunted down by a horrifying black shadow,” answered Eleanor, still slightly trembling in fear as she talked about it. “If it hadn’t been for the Phoenix bracelet, I would’ve died in the middle of the Girvent Forest. That’s why I’m taking refuge here in the capital city. I don’t think that…thing…would dare to follow me into Springs City.”

Eleanor’s expressions as she recounted her experience made Link feel the fear she still felt even right now of the opponent she had faced in the Girvent Forest.

“Tell me more details about what happened,” said Link.

“Sure,” nodded Eleanor. “The last time we parted ways, I went into the Girvent Forest and stayed there. Nothing happened for a while until about a month ago, when suddenly I sensed the presence of a strange soul. I was curious, so I followed the scent until I found it. I saw that soul enter the body of a dead young woman, bringing her back to life! I’ve never seen this kind of magic before and I didn’t know how it happened, so I kept following her to find out. On the third day, I saw that reborn young woman meeting secretly with a black shadow. The shadow thing was very perceptive, the moment I made a slight noise it instantly detected my presence and hunted me down. None of my magic had any effect on it, so I persisted until it let its guard down a little and attacked it with the Flame Blast in the Phoenix bracelet. That worked on it alright! It was almost blown off into the distance! I think it was quite seriously injured, so I quickly ran here to escape from it. I could still feel, though, that it was still lurking somewhere in the darkness waiting for me. I’m sure that the moment I leave this city I will be toast!”

“You mean it could resist your spells?” asked Link in surprise. “What did you mean by a black shadow? You referred to it by the word ‘it’, does that mean that you don’t think it’s human?”

“It was definitely not human,” answered Eleanor. “I don’t know what it was, but it had red eyes and a black knife-like protrusion on its arm – my head was nearly cut off by that thing!”

As she spoke, Eleanor lifted her chin to show the cut wound that mysterious ghoul had left on her skin. Link examined it and saw a very deep cut with a very strange bloodstain surrounded by black web-like scars around it. It was a truly ghastly sight.

Eleanor seemed to be in pain just by this slight movement of raising her chin as her tears began to roll soon after Link examined it. Eleanor didn’t understand why but she had become so fragile in front of Link and was ashamed of herself for crying over such a small matter.

“The wound hurts really bad, and it’s full of dark elements,” she said. “The elements seem to be alive in its own way. I should probably go to the priests and let them have a look at it, but you know that would cause some problems because of who I am. I’ve tried washing it with holy water but the wound hasn’t recovered one bit in three days—it’s even gotten worse instead.”

Link started to examine the wound even more closely now with a detection spell. Under the light of the spell, Link could clearly see the dark auras emanating from the wound. It seemed to have felt threatened by Link’s spell and recoiled even deeper into Eleanor’s skin. This made Eleanor shriek loudly in pain.

The pain must really be unbearable to cause this powerful Master Magician to cry out in such a manner. In Link’s mind, there was only one thing that could cause Eleanor such harm.

“I’m afraid you’ve been attacked by a demon,” said Link as he sat down. “Not just any demon, though, but a pureblood demon from the abyss.”

“What?!” screeched Eleanor in utter shock. “But aren’t demon creatures of a different realm of existence?” Eleanor’s face was completely drained of color now.

Chapter 174: Sacred Silver

 

The races who worshipped the God of Light in the World of Firuman had a term for all dark creatures who hailed from the abyss. They were collectively termed as demons.

Just as how there were many races in the World of Firuman, there were also different kinds of demons in the abyss varying in strength. Not all demons were as strong as Tarviss or the Lord of the Deep, Nozama.

However, there was still no denying that demons possessed combat capabilities way above that of the races in Firuman. This applied to every single demon, more specifically, it was termed the “Abyssal Attribute”.

In most cases, it would be difficult for a Firuman race to defeat a demon if they were of the same level of strength.

In the room of the Blue Hermit, Eleanor’s face sank upon hearing that she had encountered a pure-blooded demon. She panicked and said with the tears rolling down her face, “I’ve heard that it is impossible to dispel the demonic forces and the victim will be continuously eroded by it till they become a demonic puppet. What do I do now?”

Eleanor was speaking the truth. If she did not find Link in time, the situation might have been unsalvageable. At this point in the timeline, demons had not begun their large-scale invasion into the World of Firuman. People hence had no idea how to deal with damage and wounds caused by demons. Usually, those who were corroded by demonic forces were met with tragic deaths.

In the game, players could often see an entire village of demonic puppets caused solely by the corrosion from the demonic forces.

This situation continued until a brilliant bishop named Diego Benson discovered a strange metal that could restrain the powers of the demonic forces.

This strange metal could not be found naturally. It was created synthetically and was called Sacred Silver.

Sacred Silver

The general term for all holy metals.

Effect: The flawless product from the fusion of silver metal and the power of light. Has the ability to restrain demonic forces.

(Note: The higher the quality of the metal, the better the effect of the Sacred Silver.)

What were silver metals? Normal silver and Thorium could all be considered under the umbrella term, silver metals. After one processed them using some secret techniques, they would then become Sacred Silver.

If Eleanor had been injured a month ago, Link would have been clueless on how to dispel the demonic forces. Although he knew that Sacred Silver worked wonders in restraining demonic forces, he had no idea how to refine them.

However, in the past month, he had been researching on methods to help him gain an advantage over Tarviss. Naturally, he would also have taken time to research on Sacred Silver. Coupled with the help of Anthony’s extensive library of magic books, he had successfully made his first batch of Sacred Silver.

Upon seeing Eleanor’s pitiful expression, he then comforted, “Don’t worry, I can cure you.”

“Really?” Eleanor was elated. She would have treated those words with suspicion if anyone else had said them. However, Link was different.

“Rest assured that you’ll be alright,” Link said once again with confidence. He then took out the bracelet that he promised to craft for Eleanor previously and handed it over. “Here, the bracelet that I promised. It contains a Level-4 Edelweiss spell that I recently modified.”

Link put in a lot of effort into this bracelet. Under the stressful circumstances of learning a Level-6 spell, he still took half an hour every day and half a month in total to complete the product.

The body of the bracelet was made of pure gold, while 80% of the runes were made from ordinary Thorium. The remaining 20% were made from the extremely precious Fire Star Thorium.

The bracelet also had an intricate design. The bracelet was in the shape of a dragon with its wings tucked in. This dragon had a slender and long body instead of the giant and bulky ones people were used to. It was somewhat similar to an oriental dragon. The runes carved onto the bracelet were mostly silver in color and contrasted well with the dark gold main body of the bracelet, making them shine like the dragon’s scales. One could also see crimson hues being reflected off the bracelet due to the runes made from Fire Star Thorium.

As the effect of Fire Star Thorium was extremely strong, the bracelet emitted a light crimson hue that sparkled with silver brilliance. One look at the bracelet was all someone needed to determine its quality.

Eleanor’s attention was immediately captured by it and she seemed to have momentarily forgotten about the pain from her wounds. She took the bracelet and observed it carefully. Upon seeing the Fire Star Thorium, she gasped, surprised at Link’s generosity.

“What is it called?” Eleanor could not help but ask. She would not name it herself this time. Such a work of art should only be named by its creator.

“Since you have one that is called the Phoenix Bracelet, let’s name this the Dragon Bracelet,” Link laughed.

In his eyes, the bracelet had these statistics.

Dragon Bracelet

Quality: Epic

Effect: Contains the Level-4 Defensive spell Crimson Edelweiss. Able to defend against both magical and physical damage. At the same time, the burning forcefield generated can damage enemies that come within a 15-foot radius of the user. The offensive power of the flames is Level-4 in strength.

(Note: Link’s gift)

Eleanor was in love with the bracelet. She immediately wore it on her arm and concentrated her mana into the bracelet. When the Edelweiss spell was activated, a translucent crimson circle surrounded her body.

As the crimson circle began to increase in size, it came into contact with a desk on its side. Upon collision, the crimson circle burned through the desk without any resistance, leaving a huge circular gap in its wake. There were also sparks generated from the process and in an instant, the entire desk was burned to ashes.

Eleanor kept silent as she observed the full power of the defensive spell. After which, she exclaimed, “Link, your enchanting magic is just extraordinary, this is close to a miracle!”

This was the first time she saw anything like this after living for a century.

Link smiled with not a hint of complacency. After seeing the complexity of the Prophet’s White Stone, the pride that he had generated ever since he stepped into the World of Firuman was completely shattered.

He said, “We need to treat your injury immediately. I’ll purchase the ingredients needed for the treatment. Be back in a while.”

“Oh, how long will it take?” Eleanor’s attention shifted from the bracelet immediately.

“Around one to two hours.”

“One or two hours?” Eleanor was persistent.

Link felt that it was a strange question and something unbecoming of a Master Magician. However, considering that she was afflicted with what would be deemed a mortal injury, he patiently replied, “I will try my best to come back earlier. No promises though.”

“Alright then. Please be quick.” Eleanor nodded reluctantly.

Link then left the room. Almost immediately after the door closed, Eleanor began to look forward to Link’s knock on the door.

That was of course, impossible. She then pranced around in the room, flipped through a few pages of a magic book before throwing it to the side and staring out of the window. She hoped to see Link in the crowd, but alas, she was unsuccessful.

Overwhelmed by disappointment, Eleanor sat down on her chair again and different scenarios flashed through her mind. On one hand, she was afraid that Link might have lied and left her alone, defenseless and injured. On the other hand, she was also afraid that Link might encounter the demon or even get knocked down by a carriage along the way.

All kinds of strange ideas began popping out of her head, causing her to feel extremely uneasy. In the entire Hot Springs City, Link was the only person she trusted.

After what seemed like an eternity, she heard a knocking on the door. Link’s voice echoed through the room, “I am back.”

Eleanor heaved a sigh of relief and rushed for the door.

“How was it?” She asked.

“It went very well.” Link shook the bags of ingredients in his hands. They were a bottle of scared water, a piece of silver and many different bottles of strange liquids respectively.

Link then placed the items on the desk and started mixing them together while explaining to Eleanor the principal behind Sacred Silver.

“Sacred water contains the power of light, the nemesis of all demonic forces. However, scared water has its limitations. The power of light will be greatly diminished by the soft and gentle properties of the water elements. It would thus be futile if you applied sacred water directly onto the wounds.”

Link then poured the sacred water into a huge cup and submerged the silver into the solution. He then poured a bottle of blue liquid into the cup which caused the entire solution to boil. Before long, the silver was melting at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“Is this blue liquid a solution that decomposes metallic substances?” Eleanor was after all, a Magician with some background in enchanting magic.

“Yes, it’s role is to break down the silver particles into gold particles. However, that alone is not enough.” Link then poured a few other bottles of liquid into the cup and started shaking them.

As the cup moved, the solution inside the cup started changing. After around ten minutes, the liquid had divided into two clear layers. The upper layer was a clear and transparent liquid like ordinary water. The lower layer was a silver viscous liquid similar to mercury.

Link cast the Magician’s Hand and carefully extracted the upper layer of clear water, leaving only the viscous silver liquid in the cup. Upon closer inspection, one could see a faint glow being emitted from the liquid, exuding a cold and sacred presence.

“This is Sacred Silver, the fusion of the power of light and silver metal. Borrowing the sharp characteristics of the gold element, the power of light within the sacred water can be heightened to its limits.”

As Link spoke. He cast the Higgs field spell and fished the ball of viscous silver liquid out of the cup. He then began to shape the liquid until it became the shape of a scalpel before hardening it. The liquid had then transformed into a little silver knife shining with brilliance.

“Here, lie on the chair while I treat your wounds. It will be slightly painful, please endure it.”

“Alright.” Eleanor had complete faith in Link. She sat on the chair and lifted her chin, exposing the horrible wound on her neck.

Link then used the Magician’s Hand to control the Sacred Silver knife and cut off the dead flesh surrounding the wound piece by piece. This process was extremely painful, especially when the power of light on the knife clashed with the demonic forces in the wounds. As the knife made contact with the wound, sizzling sounds could be heard and green smoke would emerge. It was a terrible scene.

Eleanor gritted her teeth as she stayed motionless. Tears started flowing out from her beautiful pair of eyes.

It took Link over 30 cuts before he removed the corroded flesh from the wounds. Now that the demonic forces had been completely dispelled, he then put away the knife and asked, “How do you feel?”

“There is this burning sensation. However, the numb feeling is already gone,” Eleanor said. She knew that this meant the demonic forces had completely been dispelled.

“That sounds great.” Link then took out a bottle of clear sacred water and used the Magician’s Hand to create a ball of water. He then used it to gently rub Eleanor’s wound until the blood and dirt were completely removed before bandaging the wound with a clean white towel.

Eleanor heaved a sigh of relief after all was done. She wiped her tears and said in an embarrassing tone, “I have cried more today than in my entire life. It was really painful.”

Link then put away his tools and laughed, “I have heard that women are made of water. I used to not believe it, but maybe now I do.”

“Tsk. You are still young, don’t talk like an adult.” Eleanor glanced at Link in displeasure.

Link shrugged his shoulders and stayed silent. He did not want to continue the subject and said, “You mentioned that a soul was reborn using a corpse in the Girvent Forest around a month ago. Can you bring me to the village?”

The moment he asked the question, Link felt a flash of light in his field of vision. It was the previous task that required him to investigate the details of the Black Moon Conspiracy.

This was an obvious clue. The soul that was resurrected was related to the Black Moon Conspiracy!

“There might be a demon outside of town…”

“I have the Sacred Silver. Furthermore, my fire elemental magic is extremely effective in restraining these abyssal creatures.” Link was never afraid of demons. No matter how strong they were, they would still be burned to ashes under the wrath of his flames.

“Alright then. I’ll take you there. The person made me so miserable, I need my revenge!” Eleanor said with vengeance.