Advent of the Archmage - Chapter 600

Chapter 600: Book of Revelation: Rosso’s Book of Spirits (1/2)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The interior of the ice cave looked like an ordinary living room.

It was approximately 100 square feet wide. There were two semicircular bookshelves hanging on the walls. In a corner of the room, there was a smaller room with an embroidered screen blocking its entrance. Through the screen, one could see a large bed in it. This must be the bedroom.

In the main room, there was a large circular table. Beside the table sat the bodies of a man and a woman. Their corpses were still intact, despite the fact that they had been desiccated thoroughly and now looked like a pair of withered branches.

The expressions on their faces remained the same as when they were still alive. The man was reading a magic book, while the woman was busy carving a golden bird figurine. Their faces were serene. The man even seemed to be talking.

There was a magic book which emitted a faint blue glow in the middle of the circular table.The empty sound that Link had heard just then was coming from it.

Lots of questions now popped up in Link’s mind. Who are these people? Why did they come to live here in the far north? And why did they leave this magic book behind?

Prompted by a desire to resolve these questions, Link began walking into the room of ice. No sooner had he taken his third step than a subtle current of magical power suddenly filled the air.

Stunned, Link stopped. His hand instinctively flew to the Ode of a Full Moon sword’s handle.

Two seconds later, a silhouette appeared in front of him. The silhouette swirled about in the room before coming to rest on the two corpses.

Strangely enough, when the silhouette wrapped itself around them, the two withered bodies began to swell up. Link could see that their skins was gradually regaining moisture, while their glassy eyes cleared considerably, as if the two bodies had been brought back from the dead.

A drastic change swept across the entire room as well. Everything in the room, which was initially covered by a layer of dust, now shone with almost surreal cleanliness.

However, Link knew that this was all just an illusion. In truth, the bodies still remained lifeless. The magical power that Link felt just then had simply refracted the light in such a way that the bodies only seemed to have come back alive.

A moment later, the man started speaking.

“Lucia, my life’s coming to an end soon.” The man’s eyes did not leave the magic book he was holding as he said this. His face remained expressionless, as if his death was about as unusual as a neighbor coming by to borrow a cup of sugar.

The woman beside him laughed, not at all perturbed by what the man said. She did not stop carving the golden bird figurine. “I see. I guess we’ll need to start making arrangements for that now, won’t we?”

The man nodded. He stood up, walked to one of the bookcases and then took out a magic book. Link peeked at it and saw that the book the man was holding was similar to the one on the table, at least on the outside. The only difference was that it was not glowing, nor was it making any peculiar sound.

The man returned to his seat with the book and then placed it in the middle of the table.

Link noticed that there was a simple-looking magical rune etched in the middle of the table. When the magic book was placed on it, the runes on the rest of the table began to glow. Light then began flowing from the rune formation into the magic book.

Link also realized that the light did not actually come from the rune formation itself. It was flowing out from the man’s hand. The magic book grew brighter and brighter as it absorbed more and more of the light. It then began to emit an empty, trembling sound.

The man was shriveling up visibly. He now looked to be 100 years old when he finally stopped pouring the light into the book.

“Dear, we can live for close to a thousand years with this power if we want to. Will you be angry at me for doing this?” said the man ruefully to the woman sitting beside him.

“No, Rosso, there’s always a beginning and an end to all life. We’ve completed our respective journeys in life. Another thousand years would only be torment for our souls,” said the woman, shaking her head.

Link noticed that for some reason, the woman’s face had withered like the man as well.

This couple must have used some kind of spell to bind their life forces together, thought Link.

Just then, the man, who was still barely alive, took out a pencil and began writing slowly on the magic book before him. The woman, not at all concerned about death’s approach, continued carving the golden bird figurine.

The man began reading what he was writing. “I am Rosso Schneider. I started studying magic when I was 28 years old. However, the first three years of my studies had been uneventful. When I was 31 years old, I stumbled across a Soul Stone. For whatever reason, it chose me, granting me an incredible potential for the mystic arts. Ten years later, I was given the honorable title of Soul Dominator. Another ten years later, I began studying Prophecy Magic for five years, but without any noticeable progress. One night, when I was looking at the stars, I had a sudden epiphany. At that moment, I realized that one needs to receive the realm’s blessing in order to master Prophecy Magic. No amount of rigorous training was going to help me accomplish that…”

The man was writing his life’s story in the book. Link patiently listened in a corner, curious as to how the man’s story ended. Ten minutes later, the man stopped writing. He gave a sideways look at the magic book that was emitting a faint blue glow for three seconds. His eyes then returned to the book in front of him. After looking at it for ten seconds, he resumed his writing.

“The gift of clairvoyance had allowed me to see what the future holds. It was both a blessing and the most terrifying curse one could hope to receive in this realm. I had lost all hope in life. In order to recover the hope I had lost, I had struggled upstream against the river of time, peering into the future until at last, I saw a turning point, 120,000 years into the future.

“120,000 years later, the realm’s timeline had diverged into multiple branches. It was like a tree that had begun to branch out, creating multitudes of possible futures. Some of these futures I had seen were bleak, some even completely annihilated. However, there were also some filled with light and hope. The possibilities were endless. 120,000 years was too long a time. Even if I ascended to godhood, I would not be able to live that long to see which future unfolded… I have seen my end. I have received the realm’s blessing, and then I will fade from this world as quietly as I had entered it. And so, I have decided to leave the Book of Spirits behind for posterity.”

The man finally put down his pencil. He lifted his head up and looked at Link. He then spoke, his eyes seemingly focused on nothing in particular, “To the future possessors of this book, your identities are legion. Demons, Beastmen, servants of the God of Destruction, elves, or even humans. Whoever you may be, the fact that you have come this far means that you have passed the Guardian’s test. You now have the right to possess this book. Take it. Finally, the wisdom I have accumulated for a lifetime has an heir.”

When the man finished speaking, the silhouette vanished. Everything was back to normal. Only the magic book remained humming on the table as if waiting for Link to pick it up.

Link was not in a rush to pick up the prophet’s book. He stood in the entrance and bowed low before the bodies of the two ancient sages. Only then did he walk forward and picked the Book of Spirits up from the table.

As soon as the Book of Spirits left the table, the room began to sway gently. Cracks appeared on the table, the withered corpses, the bookshelves, and even the small bedroom. They began to crumble, bit by bit.

In the blink of an eye, the whole room of ice collapsed into a pile of ash. Only the magic book that Link was holding in his hand remained unscathed.

The surrounding walls in the ice cave also began to crack, threatening to collapse all around him. At that moment, Link cast a spell to keep the walls intact as long as he could.

The sword spirit’s voice sounded in Link’s head.

He’s the Soul Dominator. He was the most powerful entity to ever exist in ancient times. He was the ancestor of Celine Flandre as well as a good friend of the Storm Lord. He had even tried telling the Storm Lord to keep his temper in check, or there would be consequences. However, his words fell on deaf ears. Soon, the Soul Dominator stopped telling his friend off, which ultimately led to Storm Lord’s downfall.

Link was moved by the sword spirit’s tale. He recalled Rosso’s life story and vividly felt the hopelessness that the prophet had felt due to being submerged in visions of possible futures. Link could only imagine what it must have felt like to bear such a curse throughout one’s life.

He bowed again at the Soul Dominator’s body before leaving the room. As he stepped out, the room lost the support of Link’s spell and instantly came crashing down.

Outside the cave, the Book of Spirits in Link’s hand stopped glowing. Link tried to put the magic book inside his spatial ring but failed. The book seemed to be resistant to spatial magic.

The book’s cover was made of a leather specially forged through alchemy. Link decided to simply bind the book securely to his waist.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light in his vision. The game system had brought up some information regarding the magic book Link had just gotten.

Player has received the magic book titled Rosso’s Book of Spirits.

Book of Revelation: Rosso’s Book of Spirits

Level-19 Flawless Divine Gear.

Special effect 1: Contains all the magical wisdom Rosso has accumulated in his lifetime.

Special effect 2: The caster will be able to activate the Level-19 prophecy spell, Divination of the Fates, by channeling enough power into the book. This spell allows the caster to divine the fates of everything that exists in the Firuman realm. Higher-level targets will require more magical power. (This spell can be cast on any target, regardless of its level.

Cooldown time: one year.

(Note: This world holds no secret from me.)

Reading the message, Link let out a sigh, before saying, “Such a terrifying spell. I guess that’s to be expected from a Level-19 master.”

Composing himself, Link headed towards the bottom of the ice mountain. Gretel was still frozen in stasis by his spatial spell. Her injuries were grave. Patching her up under these circumstances would be a difficult task, even for Link.

“What should I do?” said Link as he began thinking of ways to treat Gretel’s injuries.

Chapter 601: Can I Still Call You Duke?

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“Ah!”

The Red Dragon Queen felt warmth flow into her icy chest, forcing away the coldness and numbness. She instantly recovered her feeling. This wasn’t a good thing because what followed was an intense pain that made her go crazy.

It was terrifying, like someone plunging a blunt knife into her body and then cutting her into pieces, bit by bit, before rolling her into a ball of ground meat. She felt like her bones were getting shattered!

Under this extreme pain, all she could do was scream.

But the small movement brought new pain. The pain came in waves, each stronger than the last. It felt like her intestines were breaking and her soul was scattering.

What’s wrong? Who’s torturing me?

Gretel couldn’t think properly under the pain. Her vision was black, and she couldn’t see anything. Her mouth was numb and swollen too. There seemed to be a block of wood inside so she could clench her teeth.

Those two questions remained in her mind for a long while. Suddenly, another warm current surged. More numbness was driven away. Coming back to life, her body grew more sensitive. Even more unbearable pain came, shattering her mind.

She started floating in the sea of pain. Surrounded by darkness, she didn’t know when she would see land or why it was like this. She just waited for time to pass in the torture, confused and lost.

After who knew how long, a shred of light appeared in the dark sea of pain. It came from the sky.

The only thought in her mind was: what is that?

The light approached quickly. When it was close, Gretel vaguely saw that it was a hand. This hand of light came from the sky and grasped her body, pulling her from the endless torture.

It was like a hallucination but also a bit real. She couldn’t distinguish real from unreal.

But she felt that the pain had reduced to something bearable. Gretel also felt a bit of her vision recover. A blurry figure appeared—he was familiar. A familiar voice sounded in her ears too.

Gretel couldn’t hear the voice clearly, but it seemed to be warm like winter sunlight. She calmed instantly.

The warm current from before kept surging into her. This time, the pain reduced when it appeared again. What resulted was indescribable warmth and comfort.

Slowly, Gretel’s vision sharpened more, and she saw the figure clearly. She saw the young yet plain face and the black battle robe. The sleeves were rolled up, and the hands were covered in blood. They reflected the moonlight. There was something like a thread and needle in the hand. It was doing something in her chest and abdomen. The warmth she felt came from these hands.

The memories of before returned to Gretel’s mind. She’d run into the Light Magician Halino. She hadn’t been his match. A few moves later, she had been nailed to the wall by the Spear of Light. Then Link had appeared, and Halino had detonated the spear. She didn’t know what happened afterwards.

But Link was healing her now. At the very least, this meant Halino hadn’t defeated him…This young man was incredibly powerful. He’d killed the Black Magician Eugene who had been undefeatable for centuries. He’d also survived a battle with the Light Magician. Unfortunately, he had his own path and didn’t belong to the dragons.

Looking at Link’s focused expression and the sweat on his forehead, and feeling her body recovering quickly, Gretel stopped caring. She threw away all worries. Without speaking, she gazed at Link, looking at every curve and detail on his face.

She wanted to remember all of this.

On the other hand, Link was focused completely on healing Gretel’s injury. Instead of the flesh magic puppet spell, he used Vance’s anatomy method. He also used Realm Essence to urge Gretel’s body to heal itself. The effect wouldn’t be as fast as the flesh magic puppet spell, but it would help Gretel recover to its original state. There wouldn’t be many side effects.

Gretel’s injury was grave. That explosion had practically shattered her body. Link had used two hours just to keep her from dying. Then he used three hours to help her regain consciousness and get rid of the pain.

But she was still far from recovered. Link couldn’t help much during this process. It depended on Gretel’s own recovery ability.

After another half an hour, Link finally treated all the surface wounds. From the outside, Gretel’s body had recovered. There were just stitches everywhere that looked menacing and scary. To prevent scarring her mentally, Link washed the blood off his hands and wrapped her with the magic gauze he’d prepared.

“Your Majesty, your wounds are treated but are still grave. You need at least ten more hours before he can move.”

As he spoke, Link placed a fur cape on Gretel’s body and a clean shirt under her head for a pillow. Now, Gretel had collected the weak emotions that had come out. She was once again the Red Dragon Queen.

“How’s Halino?” she asked softly.

“He’s dead.” Link wasn’t surprised by the Red Dragon Queen’s actions. They’d chosen different paths and were both rulers. If the prior disagreement still existed, they would have no room for negotiations.

Gretel was shocked. She didn’t think that things were more dramatic than she’d imagined. Link had killed both Light and Dark Magicians. After a moment, she asked the most important question. “Did you get the piece?”

When asking the question, she wished that Link would tell her he didn’t. Even if it was a lie, she would accept it and move on.

So what if Link became the ruler? He had the ability. As the ruler of Ferde, the territory had prospered instead of sinking into darkness. Anyway, she didn’t want to care anymore. She couldn’t care. As long as Link lied, she wouldn’t be conflicted.

But Link nodded. “I did.”

The Red Dragon Queen’s heart turned bitter. She said with difficulty, “You shouldn’t have saved me. You should’ve killed me!”

Link smiled. He rolled down his sleeves and pulled a book from his waist. “Actually, we were all fooled by the protector. The piece can’t do anything. It’s just a key. What I received, in the end, was a book of Secret spells.”

Link opened the leather buckle on the book and flipped through for Gretel. “Do you see? It’s all Secret spells and some Soul spells. This was left behind by some powerful ancient Magician. It has nothing to do with the World Tree.”

“Really?” Gretel’s eyes sparkled with happiness. The pained expression in her brows dissipated.

“When have I ever lied to you? In reality, you’re the one who’s always lying. Do you still remember the Dragon Valley?” Link asked in return, smiling.

Gretel sighed in relief. Link was right. She’d indeed lied to Link many times, tricking him into the Dragon Valley. Of course, these were nothing now. Even if the Soul spells in Link’s book were mostly forbidden, that didn’t matter either.

The most terrifying disagreement between them had disappeared. They didn’t have to kill each other anymore. It was enough.

Gretel’s brows curved and her voice became gentle. Her entire temperament grew gentle. “Thank you for saving me, Duke.”

“Duke?” Link arched an eyebrow in confusion.

“I think that your idea before was right. The dragon race can’t remain in the same spot. When I recover, I will return and persuade the elders to share the secret of the Dragon Power.”

Then, fearing Link wouldn’t agree, she asked, “Will you come back?”

“Your Majesty, I’m very happy you can understand me.” Link smiled and nodded. He agreed.

“Duke” was only a title to represent that he saw himself as part of the dragon race. But now, he and the Red Dragon Queen didn’t have any difference in status.

In reality, this was like an alliance. Link lowered his title in consideration of the ego of the ancient dragon race. (Take the Qing Dynasty tribute trade for example. It was trade but was called “tribute” for the Qing Dynasty’s ego.)

Gretel obviously knew they couldn’t return to the past. But after experiencing this event, she understood something. Decisions shouldn’t be made in a hurry. She should look forward—it may be a good thing.

“Where are we now?” Gretel looked around and only saw icy walls. There was a magic light above her head.

“We’re still in the extreme north. This is a hole I dug randomly to keep warm.” Link chuckled. As he spoke, he felt that Gretel’s wound had used up all her power again, so he started feeding her power.

“Your injury is very grave. The power cycle may even be damaged, so every now and then, I must feed your power to boost recovery. A few hours later when you’re better, I’ll take you to Ferde.”

Right now, the Red Dragon Queen didn’t have any power at all. It was all supplied by Link. She couldn’t recover it anymore, and Link didn’t know why. But seeing as her body kept using up power to heal itself, it was highly possible she would recover.

Gretel nodded in agreement.

After a pause, she suddenly thought of something. “What about those who’d come with you?”

“They’re okay. The test we experienced was actually an illusion. My people have returned to Ferde. The Mountain Sage also returned to Dwarf Mountain. The Warrior from the Isomerism Realm has also disappeared. I checked the tracks in the snow. They seemed to have gone towards the Black Forest.”

“Oh, that’s good.” Gretel sighed softly. “This way, we won’t be able to stop the fusion of the realms. Firuman will have trouble.”

Link nodded. “Indeed, but we’re still alive. There’s hope that we can solve it.”

Gretel looked at the young man. He was calm when he spoke. Even something as shocking as the realms fusing couldn’t shake him.

She smiled and thought, You’re wrong. As long as you’re here, then there is hope.

Chapter 602: The Dark Magician’s Rebirth

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The Black Forest, stretching out as far as the eye could see

A faint dark light zipped through the thick forest. It was moving so fast that it appeared to be dragging a viscous band of light in its wake.

This band of light was filled with huge volumes of dark energy. In its wake, trees withered, and insects and birds dropped dead on the spot. All manner of wildlife in the vicinity fled the scene in an attempt to avoid this terrifying presence.

For half an hour, the ball of dark light had traveled 500 miles through the forest. A stone forest rose up in front of it as it approached the westernmost region of the Black Forest. Without hesitation, it burrowed itself into a crack on a stone in a secluded corner.

Beyond the crack lay a narrow passageway, which was no wider than ten inches and no higher than a foot. It was the kind of tunnel that small creatures like snakes and rodents could enter.

The tunnel was deep and winding. After taking a couple of sharp curves, a faint purple light finally came up before the dark light. As it approached, one could see that it was actually a purple, light membrane.

The dark light came to a halt In front of this layer of light. It then began to gather itself into a ball of light. The vague impression of a human face gradually surfaced on it until it resembled the Dark Magician Eugene’s face.

This was Eugene’s soul.

He had fled the far north all the way to the south. His soul was incredibly powerful. It was able to maintain its integrity for a long time without a body.

He floated in front of the light membrane for a few seconds. He then extended a tentacle-like band of light and touched a couple of flickering magical runes on the light membrane with it. There was a flash of purple light, and the light membrane was gone.

There was a five-square-foot wide secret room beyond the light membrane. The room’s walls were filled with magical runes. They made up a permanent magical formation, which ensured that the place stayed dry.

In the middle of the room stood a crystal container which was as tall as a human being. The container was filled with a green fluid. Inside it floated a sickly-looking female Dark Elf.

The female Dark Elf looked to be at least 25 years old, an age where one should be at the peak of their life. Her hair was golden. Her eyes stared out vacantly, showing a pair of black pupils. Her entire face was as dark as any other Dark Elf, but her limbs were exquisitely built, giving the impression of a painting that had come to life.

The female Dark Elf’s body was close to perfection, from her chest down to her long, slender legs. She would have been the most beautiful specimen of the female gender if she was dressed in some form-fitting clothes.

The ball of dark light swam around the woman’s body floating in the container. Finally, it came to rest on a dark rune on the lid of the crystal container.

The ball of dark light burst into specks of light, which slowly diffused into the rune and then came out of its other end. Once inside the container, the specks of light began integrating themselves into the Dark Elf’s body.

With each speck of light entering her body, the Dark Elf’s skin and vacant eyes grew even more radiant. It took ten hours for the specks of light to diffuse completely into the Dark Elf woman’s body.

Her chest began to rise and fall slightly. She was now breathing in the green fluid. This went on for another minute. Then, her limbs began to move. Finally, her eyes widened. She then stretched out her hand and lightly touched the wall of the container.

Cracks began spreading across the container’s surface like a spider’s web from where the Dark Elf’s hand was touching until they covered the whole thing. Without warning, the crystal container shattered into pieces, spilling the green fluid out. The ground immediately sucked up the fluid without leaving a single trace of it behind.

She then cast a Levitation spell on herself and floated out of the broken remains of the container towards one of the walls of the secret room.

There was a rune on the wall as well. She touched it with a hand and then channeled a weak current of Magical Power into it. The wall vanished, revealing a storage space behind it. Its contents included a magic wand, a Magician’s robe and a vial of magical potion.

The Dark Elf woman activated the Magician’s Hand spell, and the vial containing a light red potion drifted into her hand. She gulped the whole thing down and waited patiently for it to take effect. She then stretched her arms out, allowing the Magician’s robe to put itself on her.

Finally, the magic wand flew out from the storage space and into her hand.

At first glance, there did not seem to be anything special about the wand and the robe. Nobody would even bother picking them up if they were left on the street. However, when the Dark Elf gently touched a few runes on the robe and the wand, a dark golden light radiated from both items. Countless magical runes swirled in the air as well, like stars in a night sky.

“Robe of Eternal Night, Wand of Darkness, my old friends, we meet again,” said the Dark Elf. Her voice was soft and hoarse with disuse, but her tone was the same as the Dark Magician Eugene’s.

She was Eugene.

As a conniving Dark Magician, Eugene was always paranoid about people conspiring against him. As a result, he had prepared a couple of contingency plans for himself should the worst come to pass. One of those plans involved amassing a large number of bodies that were compatible with his soul.

The body he was now using had once belonged to a princess from the Dark Elf royal court two hundred years ago. She possessed an extraordinary talent for magic and had a bright future ahead of her. She could have even grown up to be a pillar of Dark Elf society.

She was only 24 years old when Eugene met her. She was already a Level-6 Magician, which was a rare thing at the time. What caught Eugene’s attention was the fact that his soul had a certain resonance with hers. He even felt as if he was able to read her mind as he got close to her.

Eugene was an expert in Soul Magic. He immediately realized that the Dark Elf princess was a perfect vessel for his soul. The only problem was that it was a female body. However, it was nothing he could not handle. He simply needed to adapt to a new life as a female Dark Elf.

That year, he was already a Level-11 Legendary master. There was no way he would let such a perfect specimen escape him. It did not matter that the body belonged to a princess.

And so, this talented Dark Elf princess had vanished from the face of the earth.

The princess’ disappearance remained unsolved to this day among the Dark Elves.

Though the vessel was flawless, the power it possessed was only Level-6. Eugene was only able to raise it to Level-8 even after drinking his specially-brewed magical potion. To a former Level-13 Legendary Magician, this was no more different than being a cripple.

He had Link to thank for his present state.

Taking a deep breath, Eugene said to himself, “I’ll admit that you are a better Magician than me. I was never a match for you, nor shall I be for a long time to come. However, your enemies are everywhere, and they also happen to be my allies. I would like to see just how long you’ll be able to survive our plots and schemes!”

When he was finished, he turned back and walked towards the crack in the stone. He then pointed his wand at it and activated the Stonesplitter spell. The stone began to crumble on both sides of the crack until it formed a long tunnel.

Eugene began walking down the tunnel until he reached the exit. He chuckled as he saw the dark forest in front of him and felt a cold breeze blowing from the North.

“Dark Elves, the prodigal princess has returned.”

Eugene’s Body Possession spell was flawless. No one would be any wiser as to who was inhabiting the Dark Elf princess’ body. She had returned to the Black Forest with Level-8 power. With her innate potential for growth, she would be able to easily rise up the ranks in Dark Elf society, especially considering the emaciated state of the Dark Elves at the moment.

…

Just as Eugene emerged from his lair in a new body, ready to enter Dark Elf society, a Silver Storm Sparrow battleship had entered the Dark Water port on the western side of the Black Forest.

An elegantly dressed High Elf with white sideburns stood silently on the deck. It was the High Elf King, Mordena.

Two Warriors dressed in crimson leather armor, the leader of the Dark Elf Magicians Lawndale, the priest Molina and a powerful Legendary Fallen Angel had come out on the dock to receive the High Elf King.

When the Silver Storm Sparrow entered the port, Molina was first to greet Mordena as he disembarked from the ship. She said in a low voice, “The lord of Ferde has the Book of Creation fragment.”

Mordena’s body quivered. He had braced himself for such an outcome, but still, he shuddered as he heard the news with his own two ears.

Composing himself, he said, “That’s one of the reasons why I have come here today. I think it’s time we start discussing about an alliance between us!”

Chapter 603: Dark Elves’ Starlight Rose (1)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Black Forest, Dark Water Port

“Hamilton, tell us in detail what happened at the tundra. Tell us all so we can be prepared.”

There was a castle beside the port. A group was in a meeting inside the castle’s main hall. That sentence was from High Elf Prince Mordena to the Inferno Warrior.

Hamilton wasn’t happy about Mordena’s commanding tone. However, he’d experienced the power of Firuman’s top figures and didn’t dare act too proudly now. He shrugged and started with meeting the Red Dragon Queen’s group. He continued with the extreme north, meeting the protector, and everything else.

At the end, he said, “I quit at the mountain. There were too many opponents, and they were all Magicians. I wasn’t their match alone. Afterwards, I stayed outside to observe. In the end, I only saw one person walk out unharmed. It was the Ferde lord.”

Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Of the Magicians that Hamilton had mentioned, only the Ferde lord and the Red Dragon Queen were well-known. The others, like the dwarf and Light and Dark Magicians, were unheard of to most of the people present.

The only one who knew everyone was High Elf Prince Mordena. He was also the most shaken. Every time Hamilton described one of them, he would subconsciously tap the table, his brows furrowing.

“Your Highness, do you know them?” asked Lawndale, head of the Dark Elf Magicians.

After that battle at the Orida Fortress two years ago, the Dark Elves had lost their elites and suffered great losses. They’d become a second-class race now, almost becoming servants to the Agatha Nagas. Lawndale was a Level-9 Magician, but he didn’t have much confidence when he spoke. He was very quiet and even bowed slightly to Mordena to show respect.

Molina and the others also looked to Mordena, waiting for him to explain.

Mordena nodded. “I’ve indeed heard of them. Perhaps you think that the Red Dragon Queen and Ferde lord are figures from legends. But I think that the other three Magicians all have comparable strength, especially the Light and Dark Magicians. They are the most mysterious. They’re behind many of the large events throughout the centuries.”

Hearing this, everyone exchanged glances. Then they thought of something else. They were all absolute powerhouses, but only the Ferde lord was unharmed in the end. Where did they all go?

Here, Mordena got an idea and asked, “Hamilton, you said you saw the Ferde lord walk out alone in the end but don’t know what happened exactly. This doesn’t mean he really got the key to the Book of Creation.”

“Yes, but that’s most likely what happened.”

This also meant that it wasn’t certain. Mordena relaxed slightly. To be honest, if the Ferde lord really got the so-called Book of Creation fragment, he wouldn’t know what to do.

Since it wasn’t certain, he had to figure out what had really happened and then decide what the Isle of Dawn should do. Of course, he couldn’t say what he was thinking. He decided to delay them first.

“No matter what, the Ferde lord’s threat is obvious,” he said. “I think it’s time for us to ally against him. How about we discuss the specific conditions of our alliance?”

Molina and the others obviously agreed. After that, they started discussing the specifics of their cooperation. Both sides fought for their own interests and haggled over every detail. Prince Mordena was the most difficult.

After arguing from morning to night, the agreement only had a few conditions. Something so important obviously couldn’t be completed in a day. They weren’t in a hurry either. After agreeing to continue tomorrow, they all went to rest.

Mordena and the two Inferno Warriors happened to go the same way.

On the road, Mordena cast a Soundproof Barrier and asked caringly, “I heard that you two were hurt. How are your injuries now?”

The two Warriors weren’t stupid. Exchanging glances, Hamilton asked, “Your Highness, please speak straightforwardly. The saint had told us to do everything to help you.”

“I see.” Mordena chuckled awkwardly. “I want you to go to Ferde and get some information. I must know if he got the fragment or not. This pertains to my race’s strategy. I must know clearly.”

Noa was unhappy at this. “We heard what had happened with rescuing Katyusha. Ferde is very dangerous. Your Highness, are you sending us to die?”

Mordena shook his head quickly. “No, no, of course not. The mission is a bit dangerous, but we’ve prepared well for you.”

As he spoke, he took out a scroll. Unfurling it, he revealed a map.

“Look, this is our map of Ferde’s defenses. It cost our spies a lot to draw it, but it’s highly accurate. If you follow the map, you won’t set off Ferde’s alarms… That’s not all. These are two transmission runestones. If you must escape, you can use this. The Isle of Dawn will open a long-distance transmission spell to take you back and save you. What do you think?”

These preparations weren’t insincere. He was also the saint’s father and was quite noble. After considering for half a minute, Hamilton accepted the scroll. “I can go, but I can’t ensure success. I can only try my best.”

“No problem. Just do your best.” Mordena smiled, but he was worried inside. The Inferno Warriors were so difficult. Could the Isle of Dawn truly control them after the realms fused? He wasn’t sure at all.

But the Elder Council had passed this, and it was already started. There was no room for regret. Mordena had some worries, but he could only keep going and try to make it succeed.

Canceling the Soundproof Barrier, Hamilton and Noa took the scroll and runestones. Without wasting any time, they hurried southward.

Mordena returned to the place arranged by the Dark Elves to plan the next step.

On the other hand, Dark Elf Magician leader Lawndale also walked towards his room. Dark Water Port was created by the Dark Elves, but it didn’t belong to them anymore. The Army of Destruction and demons were the new guards. The Dark Elves were the lower class, mistreated wherever they went.

Lawndale had high status, but he still had to be careful. He also had to try to help the Dark Elves so they wouldn’t become the cannon fodder. Trying to find the balance had used up much of his spirits. He wasn’t 30 yet, but his hair had already turned white.

He walked cautiously, being careful that his movements wouldn’t catch the attention of the guards. A full half hour later, he returned to his home.

As soon as he opened the door, he felt that the living room was off. The furniture hadn’t changed, but there was an unfamiliar aura. He immediately grasped his wand and cast a defense spell. Then he followed the aura timidly into the room.

There was nothing there, but the aura remained. It smelled faintly like flowers. It led him to the balcony on the second floor. There, he saw the uninvited guest in his home. Her back was to him as she gazed at a Starlight Rose.

It was a Dark Elf woman. Her side profile was already very, very, very beautiful. She also had an indescribably strong aura. Even though Lawndale had seen countless beauties before, his breathing still hitched and his heart sped up. He didn’t know such a beauty existed in his race.

What he didn’t understand was why such an extraordinary woman was unknown. She could be known throughout the entire Black Forest with just her looks.

Because they were of the same race, she was beautiful and didn’t show any animosity, Lawndale got through the initial shock and relaxed a bit. “Excuse me, who are you?” he asked.

The woman wasn’t stronger than him, but her aura was too oppressive. He reflexively spoke with respect.

The Dark Elf turned around. Her dark gold hair shimmered like pieces of starlight. Her pure black eyes blinked, and Lawndale shuddered at the light. Her side profile was already perfect. Seeing her face now, she was as mesmerizing as a goddess. Lawndale was intoxicated.

“Ellie Danas.” Eugene had already thought of a name.

Lawndale froze. He repeated the name and then exclaimed, “The lost princess? How? You’ve been missing for 300 years!”

“Has it been 300 years already?” Confusion flashed past the Dark Elf’s eyes. Her brows furrowed slightly; Lawndale wished he could smooth them for her.

“Your Majesty, what happened?” Lawndale subconsciously accepted her identity. The reason was none other than the fact that her features and aura were clearly from Dark Elf royalty. It was enough to prove her identity.

“I mistakenly entered a spatial whirlpool and recently broke free from it. I didn’t know so much time had passed. I thought it had only been 100 years,” Eugene said.

“Oh, I see. It is fortunate that you are back. Oh, the girl blessed by the gods is back. Oh, this is amazing!” Lawndale could feel that the other was at the pinnacle of Level-8 and was only around 24 years old. What did this mean? It meant that she had great potential and could become a Legendary figure.

To have such a talented royal return to a weakening race was so exciting!

On the other hand, Eugene knew everything about Lawndale’s thoughts. Waiting for him to calm down, she smiled. “Lawndale, I saw the Silver Storm Sparrow. Have we recovered our relationship with the High Elves?”

“Oh, Your Highness, the world has changed greatly. Please sit down. I will tell you what happened during these 300 years. You will need to know.”

Eugene smiled again. His body was too amazing. Not only was it talented, but it was also beautiful. No wonder this Dark Elf would freak out and call it the “girl blessed by the gods.” He’d easily shaken up the usually calm Lawndale.

Back when Lawndale went south, he could act cruelly to human beauties. This was different though. The other was a princess of his race. She was a flawless rose sparkling faintly under the starlight. He was drunk.

Thus, he tried his best and racked his brain to say everything that he knew about the mainland. Eugene listened attentively.

When Lawndale finished, Eugene fell silent as if in deep thought. A few minutes later, he chuckled lightly. “It’s not hard to deal with the Ferde lord.”

Chapter 604: Dark Elves’ Starlight Rose (2) Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

 

Hearing what Ellie said, Lawndale shook his head furiously. “Princess, you don’t understand. The Lord of Ferde is more terrifying than you can imagine. You have no idea just how many people want him dead, and how many of those people have ended up dead.”

He then let out a sigh, a little less optimistic about the princess’ chances in the world. She’s still so young and has so much to learn about the ways of the world. It would seem that she still requires training.

Eugene swept a glance at him silently. He had stood on the pinnacle of Firuman for 400 years. Compared to him, Lawndale was a lot less wise about the world itself. His mind was an open book to Eugene.

“You think I’m underestimating the Lord of Ferde?” asked Eugene softly, fighting off the urge to let out a bitter laugh.

“No, Your Highness, I just thought that you would do well to maintain a certain degree of reverence when talking about someone as accomplished as the Lord of Ferde.” Lawndale chose his words carefully in order not to hurt the princess’ pride. Of course, the Dark Elf’s attempt at euphemism had little effect on Eugene.

Eugene grew even more contemptuous of the young Dark Elf, whose sideburns had already grown white. However, he knew that if he were to climb up the ranks of Dark Elf society, he would need Lawndale’s support.

Also, Lawndale’s reaction allowed Eugene to recognize that Link had earned the respect of every race on the continent. Despite being so much younger than the veteran masters of the world and the fact that he had only made a name for himself not too long ago, Link had cast a long shadow over the world. Even his enemies could feel the heft of his influence all over Firuman.

Can Link really be the Avatar of the Realm? How else could he have grown so much? But he still seems to be lacking something that makes him a true Avatar of the Realm. Curious, curious indeed.

“You’re right, Lawndale, but first, don’t you want to hear what I have to say first?” said Eugene, humbly admitting that he was in the wrong, despite thinking otherwise.

“Of course, Your Highness, please say your piece.” Lawndale nodded immediately. There was no harm in hearing out the princess, anyway.

Eugene said, “You mentioned something about the crack in Dragon Valley. Even though the crack’s already been sealed up, it’s still not completely fixed, is it?”

Lawndale nodded.

Eugene continued, “Right now, things are going quite well between Ferde and Dragon Valley. This crack threatens the safety of the Firuman realm. If we break the seal holding the crack together, the Lord of Ferde will definitely rush over there to fix it, will he not?

Lawndale nodded again, finding nothing to contradict.

“When the Lord of Ferde leaves Ferde, we’ll have plenty of options to choose from. We could ambush him as he makes his way there, attack Ferde itself, or even incite chaos throughout the human cities beyond Orida Fortress. Ferde’s forces will be scattered all over the region in an attempt to maintain order, and we’ll be able to chip away at its defenses bit by bit.”

“But he’ll retaliate…” said Lawndale. It sounded like a solid plan, but his mind had grown duller recently. He would instinctively try to refute anything without forming an actual counterargument.

Eugene explained, “Of course he’ll retaliate. But don’t forget, we’re in the Black Forest. We can always retreat back into the darkness if he does. While the High Elves may have the World Tree to protect them, we are already protected by the geography of our natural habitat. We’ll simply have to be on the defensive, as we send in crack troops to harass the human cities. The humans live mainly on flat terrain. Once they’re scattered, they’ll be more vulnerable to our attacks. Trade among the humans will weaken considerably in the resulting chaos, and Ferde’s sources of income will be cut off as well. Follow my plan to the letter, and the humans will become so weak that all we need to do is give them a little push, and their entire civilization will fall.”

“Your plan sounds reasonable,” said Lawndale, mulling over Eugene’s plan. He was obviously moved by it.

Of course, it’s reasonable! Eugene was now becoming increasingly disdainful towards the Dark Elf, who seemed to have sunk so deep into the pit of abject failure there was no hope of pulling him out of it. Of course, she managed to hide her contempt as she continued, “This is only step one. There’s a step two to my plan.”

“Oh, do continue, Your Highness,” said Lawndale.

Eugene continued, “There’s the Syndicate to the south of the humans’ domain. Wasn’t Morpheus planning on ascending to godhood? Also, wasn’t he an ally of ours? Why have we stopped working together? Let the Syndicate harass Ferde from the South. Even if this proves difficult for them, they could still block off merchant ships bound for Ferde and disrupt business there. What do you think?”

“Yes, you’re absolutely right.” Lawndale’s eyes lit up for a moment but then shook his head, chuckling bitterly. “It’s a good plan, but I fear that it may be impossible to carry out.”

Eugene frowned.

An oppressive aura began to bubble up from the depths of Eugene’s soul. The radiance that the Dark Elf princess’ flawless features had afforded him on the outside had faded all of a sudden and was replaced by a chilling sternness.

At that moment, Lawndale sensed that the air was becoming hard to breathe. A shiver went down his spine as he looked at the princess. He quickly lowered his head, not daring to look at her in the eye. All the meanderings in his head had melted away like snow under a fiery sun.

As is to be expected by someone blessed by the gods themselves. I shouldn’t have opened my mouth so carelessly. She truly is the princess of the Dark Elves! All of Lawndale’s distrust towards Eugene was converted into admiration in an instant.

“Why would it be impossible to carry out?” asked Eugene.

Lawndale smiled bitterly. “Your Highness, I had come up with a plan similar to yours back then, but it had fallen on deaf ears. The Black Forest now belongs to the Nagas. Don’t let their feminine features fool you; in truth, they are as hard as steel and have always preferred head-on confrontations with Ferde. They have never been one for sophisticated plans like yours, Princess. What they do like, though, are one-off solutions along the lines of taking the fight straight to the humans at Orida Fortress. According to them, doing so will please the God of Destruction. Once he’s satisfied, they’ll receive more of his blessings.”

“But won’t they lose in a head-on fight?” Eugene held his forehead in his hand. He did not expect to hit such a problem here.

“Which is why they’ve decided to make their next move after the High Elves succeed in merging the two realms…”

“Damn it!” cursed Eugene before Lawndale could even finish speaking. He then took a deep breath, calming himself down. “The realm unification will destroy Firuman. The High Elves have gone mad, this is exactly what the God of Destruction wanted! Idiots… Lawndale, the Dark Elves will be taking the helm of this alliance. There’s no way I’m entrusting the fate of my race to a bunch of madmen and servants of the God of Destruction!”

Eugene’s words resonated with Lawndale. Deep down, he could not agree any more with them, but there was nothing he, or anyone else, could do at this point. He sighed. “Your Highness, our race has never been the same since the war between light and darkness two years ago. We can only leave these things to the realms of fancy.”

Eugene fell silent for a long time. Then he spoke, “I once came across a certain presence residing in a space-time distortion. It taught me a sacrificial technique that would allow me to increase my power considerably. I’ve tried it once. It was effective, but I’ll need your help to do it.”

Lawndale was stunned. “How much power will you be able to acquire?”

Eugene narrowed his eyes. “I’ll be able to reach Level-14 in three days if we can sacrifice more than 30,000 people.”

Before, he had only reached Level-13 with the technique in question. After his ordeal with Link, he was now able to easily solve some of the problems that had tormented him in the past. He was now confident that he could reach Level-14 this time.

“30,000? You can reach Level-14 by sacrificing 30,000 lives? Lawndale’s eyes widened. He could feel his heart thumping wildly against his chest. If the princess could acquire such power, the Dark Elves would be free from a fate of exploitation in the hands of others.

Regaining his composure, he said in a low voice, “Your Highness, how sure are you about this?”

“I’m 90 percent sure that I could pull it off, but I’ll need your help, Lawndale.” Eugene reached out and touched Lawndale’s face, looking fondly into his eyes. He could see that Lawndale was immediately entranced by his gesture.

“Don’t you worry, Your Highness, I’ll have 30,000 people ready for you in a day. They’ll be dying for a righteous cause!” said Lawndale, gritting his teeth in resolution.

Chapter 605: Dark Elves’ Starlight Rose (3)

 

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Black Forest, Dark Water Port

“No, no, no, we can’t agree to those conditions. Iridium is a precious material from the Isle of Dawn. It’s a strategic resource. Supplying 200 pounds per month is too much. We can’t give that much.”

At the table, Prince Mordena shook his head. There seemed to be no room for negotiations.

Molina was frustrated. She’d experienced the High Elf’s toughness many times these past days. He would repeatedly calculate each condition of cooperation; nothing was smooth. She wouldn’t waste time with these discussions that just went back and forth if he hadn’t shown some sincerity.

After discussing with her subordinates, Molina said, “Your Highness, it’s useless to keep trying each other. Just say what your bottom line is.”

“This, uh…” Mordena suddenly started coughing. At first, they were quiet, but after a while, they intensified. It sounded like his lungs were ripping. Suddenly, he spat onto the ground. It was red, and a metallic smell floated in the air. It was blood.

“Your Highness, what’s wrong?” The surrounding High Elves surged forward, protecting Mordena. They stared at the Nagas and demons with caution as if they’d done something.

Molina was shocked too. After all, they were serious about working with the High Elves after receiving the order from the God of Destruction. They wanted to help them fuse the realms successfully. They’d never thought of pulling tricks, let alone hurt the prince.

“Your Highness, what’s wrong?” she also asked with concern. She forgot about the negotiations immediately.

Mordena was still coughing but much softer. After half a minute, he finally took a breath and said weakly, “These past days were too tiring. My old injuries came back. I must rest for a while. I’m afraid I cannot continue coming.”

His face was pale as paper while speaking. There was also a shocking pool of blood on the ground. He was listless too.

Molina furrowed her brows. She wanted to say something, but Mordena continued, “The alliance can’t be delayed either. My subordinates will negotiate for me.”

“Okay, that’s fine.” Molina nodded and then asked in concern, “Your Highness, I am skilled in divine healing spells. Would you like me to help you?”

Mordena smiled wryly and waved his hand. “No need. My injury isn’t easy. Even the World Tree is useless. It isn’t too bad though. Just let me rest for a few days.”

With that, he nodded apologetically to Molina and then said to his servant, “Take me back.”

His servants helped Mordena away from the room. When he returned to his residence, he straightened and said to his adjutant that had followed, “Vader, it’s up to you all now. Argue with them if the conditions are too much. If the conditions are okay, then pick them apart. If there’s nothing to pick, then agree. Whatever you do, just drag it out, understand?”

The two Inferno Warriors hadn’t sent news back, but this information was too important. It directly affected their strategy.

If they couldn’t confirm it, the High Elves couldn’t fully cooperate with the Army of Destruction.

“I understand, Your Highness.” Vader nodded. He knew what his prince meant.

Lawndale was at the meeting room. “Saint,” he whispered to Molina. “The High Elves may be trying to delay things.”

Molina’s heart jumped. But before she could reply, she saw that High Elf across the table had good hearing. His eyes narrowed, and he said angrily, “Saint, is this your attitude towards cooperation? We’ve decided on quite a few conditions these days. Is it all nothing to you? We have no need to delay things!”

This was true. Things were going slowly, but the High Elves were still sincere. Once they decided on something, they would follow through immediately without any delay. This was one of the reasons why the negotiations hadn’t failed after this half month. The High Elves would occasionally toss out something sweet to keep tempting them.

The High Elf’s protest was effective. Molina’s worry was erased instantly. She knew she must soothe the other’s feelings. Turning to Lawndale, she said angrily, “Dark Elf, watch your words. Go apologize to the Isle of Dawn!”

Usually, Lawndale would stand up without hesitation to apologize. He would even give compensation. But today, for some reason, he grew tough.

Sitting in his chair without moving, Lawndale said coldly, “Saint, am I wrong? Do you not see anything wrong with their performance these days? The promises they’d gone with are all unimportant details. These benefits are like ants. It’s just to sate us. They always avoid the core problems.”

As he spoke, he huffed at the High Elf across from him. “Gore, I think that you’re waiting for news from the two Inferno Warriors, right? You want to confirm if the Ferde lord truly got the Book of Creation fragment because it pertains to the safety of the World Tree and the Isle of Dawn. Is that right?”

“You…nonsense!” Sweat beaded on Gore’s forehead.

“Then tell me where the Inferno Warriors went,” Lawndale pressed.

“That’s our private matters. I don’t need to tell you.” Gore composed himself a bit and turned to Molina. “Saint—”

Before he could finish, Lawndale started again. He stood up powerfully and slammed a hand on the table. “Look at me, Gore,” he roared. “Answer my question!”

That utterance was powerful and loud. Everyone was frightened, especially Molina. She froze and stared at Lawndale incredulously. The demon nearby blanked too. Then he pointed at Lawndale, laughing.

“Poor thing, are you still drunk? Do you still think you’re laying down next to a girl right now?”

Lawndale looked over and sneered. “Idiot! Your brain is filled with sh*t. What do you know? Shut up before you embarrass the Army of Destruction.”

“Huh, did you eat sh*t today and embarrass yourself so now you want to die?” The demon wasn’t easy to deal with either. He waved his fists.

Lawndale wasn’t afraid. He glared at the demon, pissing him off even more. “Looks like you don’t want to live anymore.”

Lawndale grasped his wand and inserted Mana. Thick black fog surrounded the dark gem at the wand’s tip.

Seeing that a fight was about to break out, Molina finally said, “Enough!”

Demons feared Agatha Nagas, especially Molina who could communicate directly with the God of Destruction. Hearing her yell, the demon stopped immediately. Lawndale also retracted his Mana.

Seeing that things were calming down, Molina looked to Lawndale. “Dark Elf, you’re different today,” she said, feeling strange. “What gave you the courage?”

The current Dark Elf race had no Legendary figures. The most powerful was only Level-9. The entire race only had around one million people. There were less than 5000 Warriors who could fight. With that power, they could only be subordinates.

But today, they suddenly straightened their backs. It was very strange.

Lawndale smiled. Standing up, he walked to the door and lowered onto one knee. “Welcome the princess,” he said respectfully.

“Princess?” Molina was confused. The Dark Elves had a royal family, but they only existed in name. All authority lay with the Silver Moon Council. The so-called princess was only a puppet of this fallen race. She only had symbolic significance.

The demons found it strange too. They stared at each other.

“When did the Dark Elves get a new princess?”

“A little girl can give Lawndale so much strength? Did he hit his head?”

“I think he’s gone mad.”

The High Elves didn’t say anything. They just watched the show. When Lawndale welcomed the princess, they looked to the door. They wanted to see what the princess was like.

Under all their anticipation, a veiled figure appeared at the entrance.

Seeing this person, Molina was shocked. She felt a very obscure dark aura. Only a Legendary figure would have this power. It had to be at least Level-12 too.

Really? Molina thought back to Lawndale’s actions, and fear appeared.

At this time, the figure raised her hand and slowly took off her hood. Light golden hair flowed down like a waterfall. The delicate features revealed now stole everyone’s breaths. The pure black eyes shone with indescribable authority.

When she appeared, the surroundings lost color. Everything became the background to show her off. It was as if all light in the world had gone to her. She was flawlessly beautiful; she was high and mighty, like a goddess in the clouds.

The room was silent. No one could speak.

After a long while, the High Elf behind Gore fell to one knee like Lawndale. Mesmerized, he murmured, “The rose illuminated by starlight, the moon’s daughter, unmatched. My only wish is to accompany you for eternity.”

Her charm was truly shocking.

Chapter 606: Time to Take On Ferde!

 

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Dark Water Port

Everyone in the great hall was stunned by the young High Elf’s action. However, a hush fell over the room as all of them realized that they could not pull their gaze away from the Dark Elf princess.

Even Molina was not immune to the princess’ beauty.

She immediately came to her senses and muttered to herself, “Forgive me, my lord, for I have sinned!”

On the other end of the room, Eugene laughed inwardly at the full attention she was receiving from everyone thanks to her new body. What a bunch of fools!

However, on the outside, she smiled at them. She then gestured at Lawndale and said sweetly, “Rise, my loyal servant.”

Lawndale stood up and followed close behind her.

Eugene then entered the great hall and said even more sweetly, “Everyone, I think you’ve forgotten something.”

“And what would that be?” asked a demon.

Eugene somehow managed to smile in an even more tantalizing manner. “The fact that the Black Forest and the Dark Water port are all part of the Dark Elves’ territory. They belong to neither long-horned beasts nor boneless servants of the God of Destruction. But now, the guests have become masters of the place, while the true masters have been reduced to mere servants. Everything’s gone upside down. Don’t you find that strange?”

Molina frowned, sensing that something big was about to happen. She did not like the way the Dark Elf princess was speaking. The fact that she could not accurately measure the princess’ power level gave Moli more cause for concern. After mulling over it for a while, she turned to a Level-10 Fallen Angel sitting beside her and whispered, “Go test her power.”

The demon seemed reluctant to do so. But Molina was the commander of the Army of Destruction. In the end, he yielded to her authority and walked up to Eugene.

“Little one, quite a big mouth you have there, eh?” said the demon gruffly.

Eugene observed the demon from tip to toe. He was around six feet tall with a pair of delicate wings composed of strands of light standing out from his back. Level-10 Dark Power billowed out from him. The corners of Eugene’s mouth curved upwards as if she was about to say something to the demon.

She suddenly pointed the Wand of Darkness at the Fallen Angel and channeled all her power into it. A beam of green light shot out from the wand’s tip in the next second.

The beam of light struck the Fallen Angel. For a moment, he stood there motionless. Half a second later, the point of impact on the demon’s body began to turn greyish-white. The discoloration quickly spread across his entire body until the Fallen Angel was transformed completely into a stone statue.

With a gentle flick of her wand, Eugene sent the statue flying off in the opposite direction until it hit the ground and shattered into pieces.

Everyone in the great hall was speechless. Only shallow breathing echoed off the walls.

The Dark Elf princess had killed off a Legendary demon with a single spell. Her charm and grace belied a tendency for cruelty and her incredible power.

Eugene looked around at everyone in the great hall, her smile showing no sign of fading from her face. These were all higher-ranking individuals in the Army of Destruction. Most of them were at least Level-8 in terms of power level, and they were all completely taken aback by her actions.

Finally, Eugene’s gaze fell on Molina. She asked smilingly, “Naga, you and your kind have outstayed your welcome. Tell me, should I kick all of you out of the Black Forest right now?”

The Dark Elf princess’ voice was calm and gentle as if she was simply having an ordinary conversation with Molina. However, Molina could feel an indescribable pressure weighing on her. Her legs had gone wobbly, and her back was sticky with sweat.

“Oh, Master…” She began to pray to the God of Destruction for solace.

Eugene waved her wand, and the black crystal on its tip began glowing with a black light. Before Molina could finish her prayer, Eugene said, “Your master won’t be able to enter the Firuman realm, and your so-called Divine Destruction spells won’t have much effect on me because I won’t be giving you any chance to use them on me. If you even think about casting any of your spells on me right now, I won’t hesitate to kill you where you stand.”

As an expert in Soul magic, Eugene would be able to easily read Molina’s mind.

Molina’s legs were now trembling. Forcing herself to regain composure, she asked, “What do you mean?”

Eugene chuckled and appeared beside Molina. She then walked around to face the Naga Priest. The Nagas and demons nearby took a few steps back, fearful for their lives. On the other hand, the Dark Elves were now watching their princess’ every move with admiration.

Eugene stopped smiling as she gazed around at everyone else from where she now stood. She then spoke with a raised voice, “The Black Forest belongs to the Dark Elves. Not the Nagas and certainly not the demons. From now on, no alliances with the Dark Elves will be forged without my consent. This isn’t a request. It’s an order.”

Eugene looked at the High Elf Lieutenant Gore and gave him a cold smile. She then shot a beam of black light at him. Gore’s body shook violently the instant he was struck by Eugene’s attack. His body began melting like candle wax until all that remained of him was a puddle of pungent black sludge.

The scene was horrifying.

The High Elves in the great hall were all surprised and angered by this, but for some reason, no one dared say a word. They were completely spooked by the Dark Elf princess’ true power.

However, Eugene remained calm throughout all this. “You High Elves must have all gone blind that you don’t even know who’s running the show here. This is the price you’ll pay for your disrespect!”

Saying this, she saw a High Elf sneaking out of the great hall from the corner of her eye, probably to inform his superiors on the events that had transpired here. She did not bother to stop him and simply waited until he was out of the hall.

An instant later, a white light appeared in the middle of the hall. It was a Teleportation spell. Someone was coming.

The figure of a certain someone appeared immediately in Eugene’s mind when she saw the white light. Anger began to rise up in her, and she pointed her wand at the ball of light. “This is my Black Forest. Get out!”

Hum… A translucent beam of light shot out from the tip of the wand and gathered itself into a translucent ball of light in the air. The ball of light then hurtled into the white light.

The clash of the two lights persisted for a few seconds. Then, the teleportation spell’s white light vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. No one was there in the hall when the white light faded.

The Teleportation spell had failed.

Eugene was not an expert in spatial magic, but she was a Level-14 master and had a few tricks up her sleeve capable of countering spatial spells. Even without them, her power had reached a point where she was now able to disrupt any spatial spell with her very presence.

A few thousand feet away, in a cottage, the High Elf King Mordena returned to his physical form just as Eugene disrupted his teleportation spell. He wobbled for a moment as soon as he reappeared. Once he regained his balance, he suddenly felt nauseous. Without warning, blood spewed out from his mouth.

Mordena’s face was filled with horror. “Who was that? How did they come by such power?”

He could feel that his opponent’s power level was above his by a huge margin. If he had not retreated sooner, there was no telling what might have happened to him.

Back in the hall, after killing Gore, Eugene turned towards Molina. whirling her wand casually in her hand. “Naga Priest, tell me, am I not the commander of this army?”

Molina went pale. She then nodded. “Your magic is powerful, far more powerful than any one of us. You are the army’s true commander.”

“Such a wise priest you are. Since that’s the case, you get to live.” Eugene sighed and then looked at the demons.

Before she even said anything, the demons all kneeled down before and said in unison, “Commander, we abide by your every command! Give us your order!”

Eugene clapped her hands gleefully at this. She then turned towards the High Elf and said, “Go tell that king of yours that the Isle of Dawn only has one option from here on out, regardless of whether the lord of Ferde has the fragment of the Book of Creation, and that is to form an alliance with us. If he delays his decision any longer, the Isle of Dawn will have to deal with Ferde by itself!”

The High Elves looked at each other.

“Now get lost!” barked Eugene.

The High Elves immediately ran out of the hall.

Eugene then sat on Molina’s seat and said to the demons, “Go spy on the High Elves. If they’re having second thoughts about an alliance with us or even thinking about running away, kill them all!”

Hearing this, Molina said hurriedly, “Your Highness…”

Eugene waved her wand, sealing Molina’s mouth in an instant. Eugene smiled coldly. “Bear this in mind, Naga. I know what the God of Destruction’s planning. He’s thinking about destroying Firuman, and I don’t like that. So, just giving you a heads-up: I won’t hesitate to cast a Level-13 Area-of-Effect spell on an Agatha Naga base camp if you don’t cooperate fully with me.

The muffling from Molina’s mouth stopped.

Eugene laughed. “Such an obedient little Naga. I like you. As long as I’m alive, you can stop thinking about that mad god of yours. Once I’m dead, you have my permission to do whatever you want. Right now, I want you to focus on the lord of Ferde. What do you say?”

If it was not for the fact that she still needed the Nagas’ power, Eugene would have slain them all without hesitation. She would probably dispose of all of them once she was done with Ferde. These servants of the God of Destruction had certainly outstayed their welcome here in Firuman.

Molina remained silent. She seemed vexed by what Eugene said. Knowing what the God of Destruction meant to the Naga, Eugene did not rush Molina. She waited patiently for her answer.

Five minutes later, Molina nodded. “Your Highness, you will have our full cooperation in defeating the lord of Ferde.”

The Dark Elf princess possessed extraordinary power, which the Army of Destruction lacked at the moment. Also, she probably would not try to abuse the Nagas in the God of Destruction’s presence. Molina saw no problem in letting the princess taking command of the army for now, especially when she was the one who had so eagerly volunteered to lead the charge against Ferde.

Gods all had one thing in common: Patience.

“Good,” said Eugene.

Just then, there was a commotion beyond the doors of the great hall. A fight had broken out between the High Elves and demons. A demon had entered with a report. “Your Highness, the High Elves refused to form an alliance with us. We’ve made our move on them.”

“Excellent. Molina, time to demonstrate your loyalty,” said Eugene, looking at the priest.

Molina beckoned at her sisters beside her, and the Nagas all slithered out of the great hall.

The fight out on the port lasted for ten minutes. Then, a heavily-scarred demon came before Eugene to deliver his report. “Your Highness, out of the 109 High Elves, we’ve killed 108 of them. The elves’ Silver Storm Sparrow ship was also destroyed. Only the High Elf king managed to flee.”

“Well done. Those High Elves are out of their minds apparently. Next time, kill them all on sight. Don’t even let their corpses go to waste. Gobble them up. Grind their bones to dust. Do you understand?

If the High Elves had not decided to proceed with their plan to merge the two realms, Eugene would not have gone all the way to the far north to retrieve the Book of Creation’s fragment, only to have his body be destroyed by Link and finally end up in the body of a Dark Elf princess. The High Elves were mostly at fault for his current condition.

Since the High Elves had no intention of forming an alliance, Eugene would not show them any mercy. Besides, the High Elves would not surrender to Ferde no matter what Eugene chose to do at that point.

“Yes, Commander!” Everyone said in unison.

This made Eugene extremely happy. She let out a laugh as light and sharp as a silver bell. Her face then grew solemn. “It’s time to take on Ferde!”

Chapter 607: Dragon Allies

 

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Roar! A dragon’s cry came from the clouds. After that, the people of Ferde saw dozens of fiery-red dragons of varying sizes. They circled in the air and then slowly landed on the roof of Scorched Ridge’s main Mage Tower.

The dragons were very slow and didn’t do anything aggressive. The residents had all experienced many things, so they didn’t fall into unrest now. The dragons descending only let the people on the streets have more to talk about.

Let us return to the Mage Tower roof.

There were around 20 dragons. The leaders were Elder Pettalong and young Felina—both familiar with Link. The others included three elders and a dozen rising stars above Level-8.

After landing on the roof, they transformed back into human form.

Many people were there to welcome them, including Link, Celine, Eliard, Evelina, Nana, and more. The core Magicians were all present. There were six Legendary figures, and the newest one was Eliard.

He hadn’t faced a Legendary Magician directly at the extreme north this time, but he’d passed the protector’s test. This helped him break through the bottleneck and enter a new world.

Elder Pettalong arrived first. After transforming, he looked to Red Dragon Queen Gretel. Seeing her pale face and unsteady steps, he immediately said, “Your Majesty, I heard that you were gravely wounded. How are you now?”

Pettalong didn’t avoid the Ferde Magicians while speaking. He took out a fist-sized red crystal. “Your Majesty, I brought a Flawless Dragon Power crystal. It is filled with Dragon Power and should be of help.”

Gretel seriously needed this; it could greatly speed up her recovery. She took the crystal and smiled gently at Pettalong.

“Just in time. My injury is quite serious, but I’ve already recovered much. It is okay now.”

The dragons were all relieved by this. The Red Dragon Queen had a unique lineage and had a true hereditary Legendary bloodline. If something happened to her, the lineage would lose a protector. If something big happened, the dragon race would weaken quickly. They couldn’t endure that loss.

Seeing that everyone was relieved, Link smiled. “Everyone traveled great distances and must be tired. Come, come. We’ve prepared a banquet so you all can shake away the fatigue.”

“Thank you, Duke.” Pettalong bowed to Link. They knew that the queen had re-accepted Link as a Red Dragon duke. Some dragons protested, but this was still an exciting thing.

Pettalong especially had witnessed Ferde’s fast development and Link’s power. He supported this wholeheartedly.

The other dragons all thanked him and found their seats.

At Felina’s turn, Link gave her a second glance. Surprised, he asked softly, “Are you at the pinnacle of Level-9?”

She was about to enter the Legendary level.

Felina smiled proudly but also with some regret. “Sadly, I just can’t get past it.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll succeed,” Link encouraged her. He could tell that Felina would get there sooner or later.

Felina nodded with force. She was motivated. Encouragements from others were just encouragements. But Link had amazing achievements. His words were practically like prophecies. If he said she could do it, then she definitely could.

After that, everyone took their seats. Then beautiful magic puppets walked up to take away the silver covers over the dishes. Instantly, a delicious smell spread about. Not only did the dishes smell so tempting, but they also looked great. Many of the dishes were so beautiful that they didn’t want to destroy it.

Link sat at the head of the table. “These delicacies were all procured by Ferde’s chefs from all over,” he explained. “Every dish has a unique story. If you’re interested, you can ask your magic puppet.”

The dragons were all intrigued by that. They started pointing at the dishes and asking questions. They couldn’t help it; the dishes looked too interesting.

There was a pot of broth before Felina. The broth was thick and semi-transparent. It kept bubbling and gurgling too. But what was interesting was that there were many thumb-sized, silver fish swimming inside. They seemed to be alive, but the milky broth radiated with such a delicious fragrance. There weren’t any Mana waves either. This meant that it wasn’t made with magic, which was even more confusing.

After asking, the magic puppet explained quietly, “This is called ‘Fishing for Silver.’ The fish are from a volcanic spring. They can survive extreme heat. After being caught, they’re fed with a special method, and their meat becomes crisp and sweet. They only need to be placed in the prepared broth before being brought to the table to create this delicacy.”

“Oh, why is it called fishing?” Felina was interested.

“Miss, look at this second dish. It is thin strips of a vegetable called green cassava. It is tasty in itself and also the favorite of the silver volcanic fish. Try putting the cassava into the broth.”

Felina picked up a strip of green cassava and lowered it into the broth. As expected, a fish nearby swam over and bit the cassava. It refused to let go.

After fishing it out, Felina saw that the fish was biting the cassava, but it wasn’t moving. It seemed to be asleep. “What happened?” she continued asking.

“The cassava is filled with a special ingredient. It makes the silver fish more delicious and also acts as a sedative. This prevents the fish from struggling in your mouth, which affects the taste.”

“Oh, great idea.” Felina took a bite. An interesting taste entered her mouth. It was crisp, light, fresh, and soft. It was like a pair of small hands gently massaging her tongue. The taste was incredible.

This put her in a great mood. “Interesting, interesting,” she praised repeatedly.

After eating that fish, she immediately took another piece of green cassava and continued fishing at the table. She ate one after another happily.

The other dragons were all like this, mesmerized by the dishes before them. Each happily ate their fill at the meal. The atmosphere was harmonious too.

Some elders who didn’t know the truth disliked Link because of had happened before. But after this great treatment, the hard feelings all softened.

Afterwards, the magic puppets speedily cleaned everything up and served the dessert. The Magicians and Red Dragon Elders started chatting about the specifics of cooperation.

Pettalong’s group came to see Gretel’s state and also negotiate the alliance. The core was the popularization of Dragon Power.

To Link, getting the secret of Dragon Power wasn’t as important after having the Seed of Sunlight. Of course, it would be better if he got it. It could improve Ferde’s Sunlight Power, but it was okay if he couldn’t get it.

Since it was just icing on the cake, he didn’t care as much. He gave Eliard, Vance, and the others full control over the specifics.

While they were discussing, Link waited at the side for the final result. Since he was free, he asked the Red Dragon Queen, “Your Majesty, I feel that your power is starting to grow again. Is it true?”

Gretel was on Link’s left. She glanced at Celine who was looking over and nodded.

“Indeed. Now that I have the crystal, I will recover completely within a month. You don’t need to give me power anymore.”

“That’s great news.” Link was relieved, and he sighed inwardly.

The past ten days, he would give Gretel power every hour and was tired too. It was okay for a small amount, but after the visits increased, Celine started suspecting him too. She got jealous many times. If this continued, they might get into a cold war. Link didn’t want that.

Gretel knew about Link’s situation too. She felt sad inside, but she forced a smile. Taking out a dark red bracelet, she gave it to Celine sitting on Link’s right.

“Madam, I’ve really disturbed you by resting here all these days. This is called the Heart of Flames. It is my gift to you.”

Surprised, Celine glanced at Link. He nodded slightly, so she accepted the bracelet.

“Thank you.”

Her opinion of Gretel improved but was still unfriendly. This woman was too beautiful and too powerful. In all of Ferde, only Link could act normally before her. When she stood beside Link, Celine felt that the two were a perfect pair. This upset her greatly.

On the other hand, the Magicians and Red Dragons acted quickly. They’d come to a mutual agreement during this short period and had drafted the terms of cooperation.

Eliard passed it to Link. He was satisfied after scanning it and stamped it. Then he passed it to the Red Dragon Queen. She also nodded and added the dragon royalty’s stamp.

Thus, Ferde and the Dragon Valley were allies once again.

Afterwards, Link arranged places to stay for the dragons. The Magicians returned to the Mage Tower to continue working. When everything was done, Link returned to his own tower to study the Book of Revelation that the Soul Dominator had left behind. He wasn’t alone though. Celine was also there.

Perhaps due to the connection of blood, Celine was shaken when reading it. The knowledge inside was very obscure, and she had difficulty reading it. But she could always figure it out in the end. There wasn’t anything incomprehensible. It was as if someone was guiding her.

Eleanor, Vance, and the others couldn’t understand it at all. In that case, Link naturally studied with Celine.

While reading in the library, the magic bell there started reading. Celine looked up at Link. “It’s an urgent message.”

Link pressed down on the bell. Scout leader Gildern’s voice sounded. “Lord, the Orida Fortress sent two very important messages. I think you should look over them personally.”

His voice was serious, and his words were rapid. Something must have happened!

Chapter 608: Is There a New Person in Charge?

 

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Gildern seemed to have something important to report. However, Link was already used to dealing with matters of great import. He said calmly, “Come to the conference hall. I’ll listen to your report there.”

“Yes, my lord,” replied Gildern, who then hurried straight towards the Mage Tower.

Link then said to Celine, “My love, I have something to attend to. Please continue without me.”

Celine’s eyes were still glued to the magic book in front of her, puzzling over an extremely difficult problem concerning Soul Magic. She waved a hand at him.

“Go do whatever you need to do, as long as it doesn’t involve flirting with that beautiful Dragon Queen.”

Laughing at this, Link touched Celine’s hand. He then let his hand run through her long, silky hair before lowering his head to give her a kiss on her forehead. Finally, he walked out of the study silently and headed towards the conference hall.

On his way, he saw Gildern hurrying towards him from the other side of the corridor. The two of them then walked side by side towards their destination.

Gildern said, “My lord, the problem we’re now dealing with…”

He stopped when he saw a Magician walking towards them.

Seeing how cautious Gildern was, once they were inside the conference hall, Link closed the doors and cast a Soundproof Barrier over the whole room. He then said, “Alright, now you can speak.”

Gildern handed two scrolls to Link. Both were black, which meant that their contents were extremely important.

Link opened the first scroll. It came from MI3 in Norton Kingdom. In it contained information on the Army of Destruction’s movements in the North. There was also a message scribbled in it by the writer.

The message was this: A veteran scout leader of Orida Fortress recently sighted a set of intriguing tracks in the Black Forest. He determined that it had been left by a 300-man shock troop of demon soldiers. Each member of this unit had a power level of at least Level-8.

A shock troop of this scale would be able to cause a lot of chaos anywhere in Firuman.

As soon as he made the discovery, the scout leader decided to take a couple of his subordinates to follow these tracks through the forest all the way to the depths of Hengduan Mountain Range. The enemy’s tracks stopped there abruptly.

As the enemy’s schemes had always been a great cause for concern, any information regarding them would be brought to Ferde in a black scroll to indicate its urgency.

When he was done reading the scroll, Link contemplated on it for a moment. He then asked Gildern, “Any word on the Beastmen of the Golden Plains?”

Ferde had set up scout outposts throughout all of the Firuman continent. These outposts formed a far-reaching information network, which was complemented with that belonging to Norton Kingdom’s MI3. This allowed Ferde to keep tabs on almost everything on the continent.

Gildern took out another scroll and gave it to Link. “My lord, the Golden Plains had sent us information regarding the demons’ appearances. They were sighted in five different spots. I’ve already marked them out on a map. Please have a look at it.”

Link took the scroll and unfurled it. A detailed map of the Golden Plains was depicted on the scroll, with five red markers on it which pointed out the locations where demons had last been sighted. These markers began from the northeastern corner of the Golden Plains, where the plains were connected to the Hengduan Mountain Range, all the way to the Korora Mountain Range in the southwest. It was clear where the demons were heading.

Link was stunned for a moment when he realized what the demons’ destination was. Are they heading towards the realm crack? But how did the Army of Destruction know where it was?

If the Army of Destruction had long known the precise location of the crack, they would have made a huge fuss over it a long time ago. They certainly would not have waited until now to do something about it. The God of Destruction would also be making a lot of noise trying to come through the crack from the other side.

Only now did they decide to move in to open the crack after it had been sealed up and the space around it had been stabilized. This could only mean one thing: They had just recently discovered the coordinates of the crack.

Regardless of how they came upon this piece of information, the demons needed to be stopped before they could break open the crack.

“When were the demons spotted?” asked Link.

“Any news from Orida Fortress would need at least three days to reach us. As all our scouts are given communication runestones, news from the Golden Plains would at most be delayed by two hours before reaching Ferde. Also, according to one of the scouts, an hour had passed since he received word on the demons’ latest movement and brought it to the nearest outpost in the Golden Plains, so there is a three-hour delay in total to the news that we’ve received,” answered Gildern.

This meant that information on the demons’ latest movements that Link now had was three hours old. He looked at the map again. The last marker was no more than a thousand miles away from the crack. The demons might already have started working to break its seal if they moved fast enough.

“I fear this unit of demons means to destroy the seal that had been placed over the realm crack.” Link tapped on the scroll, somewhat concerned. However, he showed no sign of panic.

The shock troop consisted of 300 Level-8 masters. There might even be a couple of Legendary demons in their midst. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with, but the dragon guards posted near the realm crack were no pushovers either. They had been guarding the crack for almost two years to prevent any Void creature from trespassing the Firuman realm. The Level-18 magical barrier erected around it had also been designed mostly by Link himself. It was an extremely intelligent piece of work and would not be easily overcome by anyone.

In other words, the barrier would be able to hold up against any enemy attacks for a long period of time.

Gildern’s face remained grave. He said, “My lord, this all seemed a bit too easy. In truth, if the enemy had intended to make their way across the plains undetected, they would have chosen a less frequented path and not leave such an obvious trail behind them. I fear that this is also part of some elaborate scheme the demons have cooked up for us.”

This had crossed Link’s mind as well. It was obvious that the enemy wanted Link to notice them. The demons would continue with their mission, regardless of whether or not Link decided to provide backup for Dragon Valley. If he decided not to interfere, the crack would be opened, and whatever horrors lurking behind it would be released into Firuman. If Link decided to help, there was a high chance he would be ambushed by the enemy as he made his way there.

He nodded. “You may be right. Such a scheme suggests an intelligent mind behind it. I think that there may be someone new calling the shots for the Army of Destruction now.”

Link then opened up the second black scroll.

The black scroll was from one of Ferde’s own scouts. In it, the scout had reported an attack launched by the Army of Destruction in Dark Water Port, to the west of the Black Forest.

The ones who had been attacked were the High Elves. Their attackers were the Nagas, demons and the Dark Elves. They had wiped out almost all of the High Elves who were there that day. The High Elves’ Silver Storm Sparrow warship had also been destroyed by the Army of Destruction. As an insult to injury, members of the army had cooked and feasted on all the High Elf corpses they could find. It was most likely a terrible scene to behold.

Looking at the report, Link said with a frown, “Weren’t the High Elves reported to be in talks with the Army of Destruction about forming an alliance? Why have negotiations broken down between them?”

As far as he knew, the current leader of the Army of Destruction was a Naga Priest, who had always preferred to deal with things through diplomacy. Someone like her would never have attempted something so brazen.

Gildern shrugged, evidently troubled by this as well. “My lord, during their negotiations, the Army of Destruction had sealed off a 5000-feet area around the Dark Water Port. This was all the information we could find about the incident.”

Link tapped a finger on the table. “Strange indeed… Tell me, do you think that there’s been a change in management in the Army of Destruction?”

Gildern could not give Link an answer. As an intelligence officer, he would never make baseless assumptions without solid information, as he knew from experience that the truth was always far stranger than one could imagine. Also, as he did not possess the near-clairvoyant instincts of a Magician like Link, Gildern’s predictions would probably not be as accurate as those made by the lord of Ferde.

On the other hand, Link’s instincts were extraordinarily accurate. This had been proven on multiple occasions in the past.

Before Gildern gave him a reply, Link muttered to himself, “I think that there’s a new commander at the helm of the Army of Destruction. He or she is extremely intelligent but does not seem to have any experience in leading an army. Their extreme actions and the fact that they were able to immediately inspire loyalty from the army meant that they possess incredible power. Also, the usurper had thrown Molina’s plans for an alliance out of the window. This meant that they might not be a Naga…”

Link rambled on, making one deduction after another in an attempt to determine the new commander’s identity. Finally, two potential candidates surfaced in Link’s mind.

“Assuming the Army of Destruction had changed leadership, there are only two people capable of doing such a thing. The first is Eugene. Knowing him, he must have prepared a contingency plan for the destruction of his physical body and regained his full strength by now. The other potential candidate is Saroviny… No, it couldn’t be her. She’s still in another realm and has already reached Level-16. The Eye of the Realm would have picked up any attempts made by such a powerful presence to breach the walls between realms. She also would have left some shred of dignity for the Nagas. This means that Eugene might be the one behind everything.”

Once he reached his conclusion, Link looked at the two black scrolls in his hands and began closely reading the description of the attack in Dark Water Port. Gradually, based on his memories of the Dark Magician, Link realized that the new leader of the Army of Destruction and Eugene had behaved exactly the same way.

However, Link had no way of proving his fears at the moment. What held precedence right now was the enemy’s plan to open up the crack. Under no circumstances should anything be allowed to happen to the crack.

The crack was not just Ferde’s problem. The dragons would also be greatly impacted by it as well. As they were now allies, this meant that it was a problem both sides had to confront together.

Link then said to Gildern, “Listen closely.”

Gildern stood up immediately.

“Assign a couple of scouts to the Black Forest. I need to know as soon as possible what is going on inside the Army of Destruction. Make this your top priority.”

“I understand, my lord.”

“Now go.”

Gildern turned around and exited the room to carry out his orders.

Link sat in the great hall, meditating on something for a few minutes. Then, he took the two scrolls on the table and set off to find the Red Dragon Elder Pettalong.

Chapter 609: Dragon Race Divides

 

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“What? They want to break the seals for the crack?!”

Elder Pettalong couldn’t keep sitting after hearing this news. He shot up, brows furrowed and gray whiskers trembling. Shock was written all over his face.

“Relax, relax.” Link pressed his hands. “It isn’t irrevocable yet. It isn’t easy to break the seals around the crack. Of course, we must respond to this quickly. Do you have any ideas?”

Pettalong leaned against the table. Half a minute later, he was still shocked. Worries and concerns flooded into him without stop. He forced himself to stay composed, but those thoughts were still affecting his mind.

If it was five years ago, he wouldn’t be so easily affected. But recently, so many things have happened in the Dragon Valley. Each event had been shocking. He had felt powerless each time.

The entire world was getting stronger while the Dragon Valley kept weakening. This was the worst period for the dragons.

Now, he was on edge. There were problems with the crack again. He feared that things would get to the point of no return.

A few minutes later, he sighed. “Duke,” he said to Link. “My mind is a mess. I’m afraid I won’t be able to make suggestions, but I only have one request. Do not let Her Majesty know. She’s heavily wounded and must rest well… Ah…”

Right now, the elder was depressed and feeling down. Link could clearly sense the hopeless aura coming from him. People who had racked their brains and still couldn’t change the current situation or see any hope were usually like this.

Link frowned, confused about Pettalong’s state. He was still a spirited man before. Why had he changed so much?

However, things were urgent, and he didn’t have time to wonder. He couldn’t expect help from a dragon elder like this either. Thinking a bit, he said, “In that case, please recommend someone to help.”

Pettalong paused and then said, “Then Felina. She’s young and vigorous, filled with bravery and courage. She’s the star of the younger generation, and you two are familiar. Duke, she can help you.”

Link was even more confused. “As I recall, there are ten elders here. Why don’t you recommend an elder?”

Pettalong shook his head. “No, Duke. We’re all old and don’t have energy. Things like war should be handled by the young.”

“Oh, that works.” Link knew Felina. Since Pettalong insisted, he didn’t have any complaints. “Then I’ll go now.”

“Wait,” Pettalong called out.

“What?”

“Duke, many things have happened, and many high-level dragons have died. There aren’t many left. Now, there are less than 1000 true great dragons… We cannot have more losses.”

Here, Pettalong lowered his head and avoided Link’s eyes. He wished Link could take care of the dragons to reduce losses, but since the demons wanted to target the crack, there would be an intense fight. If they wanted to lower dragon casualties, they would be replaced by humans.

Before, this would be no problem. But now, Ferde was huge and surpassed the Dragon Valley in every aspect. With Ferde, the humans were now a powerful race. Pettalong didn’t have confidence in saying this.

Link knew what he meant. Chuckling, he said, “I’ll try my best, Elder.”

With that, white light flashed. When he reappeared, he was at Felina’s door. He knocked. A while later, Felina opened the door.

“Duke, what’s wrong?” Felina was dressed in armor. Dark red dragon scales flashed all over her. Her hands had become dragon claws. She was panting heavily, her cheeks were red, and her forehead was covered in sweat. It looked like she’d been practicing in her room.

Her state was the polar opposite of the elder.

Link repeated what had happened in the Dragon Valley. After listening, Felina also asked strangely, “Duke, why are you asking for my opinion? You should ask the elders.”

“Elder Pettalong had suggested I find you.” Link found it strange too. He couldn’t understand Pettalong.

Felina couldn’t figure it out and shrugged. “You don’t need to ask me. You’re the duke. Whatever you want to do, just send the order.”

To Felina, Link was the dragon duke. Since the queen was hurt, Link was technically the leader now. His word was the law.

Link smiled wryly. He was only the duke in name, but now it seemed to make sense too. He couldn’t explain to Felina clearly right now.

Unexpectedly, Felina continued, “Duke, I actually know what’s happening. Some elders think you’re an outsider or that you’re only our ally and not a dragon. But I think they’re wrong. You passed the Mist Maze alone and was recognized by the ancestors. You received the dragon body too. You became a dragon long ago. There are no doubts! Those elders don’t admit it because of their bias and selfishness!”

Her eyes were determined as she spoke. There wasn’t any doubt. She’d already thought through this long ago.

Link flinched. Thinking closely, Felina wasn’t wrong. But he still hadn’t become the dragon duke legitimately. Some dragons could understand, but the others couldn’t. If he really acted like a duke with his current status, it would cause a storm within the dragon race.

Thinking of this, Link said seriously, “Felina, you must know that if I acknowledge what you said, it will cause a divide within Dragon Valley!”

“So what?” Felina moved aside so Link could enter. At the same time, she said, “Both Her Majesty and the elders care too much about the tradition. That isn’t wrong, but it isn’t right either. The dragon race is failing. If we never change, we may become extinct!”

In the past, the dragons had had horrible strength, but times had changed. The dragons hadn’t gotten weaker and had even improved. However, the other races had improved more. For example, the Beastmen Warlords could kill a dragon with one strike. Ferde, the demons, and the High Elves were all more powerful than the dragons. There was also Aragu. If the realms fused, the dragons would lower even more in status.

Basically, the predicted future for the dragons was dark. They must change!

Felina’s eyes had always glimmered, but now, they shone. They looked like two orbs of fire. Staring with a burning gaze, she said excitedly, “Duke, many young dragons actually worship you. As long as Ferde is willing to accept us, we can immediately leave—”

“Okay, stop! Stop talking. I understand,” Link interrupted. He didn’t think the Dragon Valley would secretly have such divisions. It was unexpected.

After a pause, Link asked, “Do the elders know?”

Now, he thought of Pettalong’s attitude, and his heart jumped. The elder must know, but he didn’t object or support it. He just chose to stay silent.

Felina shook his head. “They don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. The young dragons are stronger than the elders. They can’t stop us.”

“Have you thought about the queen?” Link asked.

“Of course.” Felina calmed down slightly and sighed. “In reality, it’s because of Her Majesty that we haven’t done anything, especially when you two had argued… But now, there aren’t any problems. We’ve thought it through. You are our duke, and we’re all free. We can choose to be loyal to any strong dragons. We can follow you and become your followers. No one can stop us, not even Her Majesty.”

Become his followers? That wasn’t too bad. Even though it was still getting close to the bottom line, they wouldn’t completely break apart. There was still room to amend things.

Now, there was one problem left. Should he accept the loyalty of the young dragons? Thinking, he asked, “Felina, how many people think like you?”

“Many. Most young dragons think this way. There are at least 300, all above Level-8. The strongest is Aonis. He’s already close to Level-10. Unless something happens, he should become a new Legendary dragon half a year later.”

There were more than 300 Level-8 Dragon Warriors. Unlike humans, these dragon Warriors had great potential to improve. They were likely to enter the Legendary level and could continue to strengthen to at least Level-16.

The dragons were a Legendary race, after all. After the Mana density rose, every race’s average power was rising. It was the same for the dragons.

But the problem was that dragons had long lives. Their improvements were relatively slower than the other races. Thus, they would be relatively weaker in the beginning. For tens of thousands of years, the dragons had been at the peak of the mainland. Now that they had fallen, it was logical that the young dragons couldn’t stand it.

But this was only temporary. After a decade, these young dragons would probably all become Legendary. The Red Dragon Queen would reach Level-19 too. This Legendary race would once again stand at the top of the food chain.

The game had proved this.

In other words, the dragons’ current state created the opportunity for Link to have a huge group of future strong figures. This opportunity would disappear quickly too… Three hundred Legendary figures were enough to tempt Link.

But despite being tempted, his expression didn’t change. After a pause, he put on a pained expression. “Felina, you’ve seen how Ferde has many strong people too. There are at least 1000 above Level-8 and six at the Legendary level. There will be more in the future. If I accept you all, the queen will be furious. The new alliance will probably fail too.”

Link was speaking the truth too. Felina had flown around earlier and had a general idea about Ferde’s strength. She was sad. Had the dragons gotten to the point where they would be looked down upon even while wanting to follow someone?

But Ferde’s power from these short few years was all due to Link’s leadership as the lord. Link was also recognized as one of the most powerful battle mages in the mainland. Countless people have been defeated in his hands. Ferde was also known as the cemetery for the strong. Even the renowned Bryant had been defeated here.

This was a place one yearned to be in.

To follow such an undefeatable man had long been the greatest glory for the young dragons. Felina was one of them. She was stubborn and wouldn’t give up so easily.

After thinking, she said, “Duke, we won’t make it hard for you. Just wait and see.”

Link worried over the alliance and the queen’s feelings. Felina didn’t think it was a problem. If anything, she could talk to the queen.

Link didn’t say anything. At this point, it was already decided. Now, he didn’t have to state his stance. He only had to wait for things to develop. If the Red Dragon Queen gave tacit consent, he would naturally accept these young dragons into Ferde. If she objected strongly, he would use even gentler tactics.

Of course, this would be in the future. Now, the Korora Mountain Range crack was the most important.

He passed the report to Felina. “Your matter isn’t urgent now. Look at the details and gather the Warriors to the Korora Mountain Range.”

Felina accepted the scroll and scanned quickly. A few minutes later, she said, “No problem. There are eight young Warriors here. The weakest is at the pinnacle of Level-8. I will call them over now.”

Link nodded. “Remember not to alert Her Majesty. Her health won’t allow it.”

“I understand.” Felina turned and walked away briskly. Different from the downtrodden Pettalong, she was energetic and did things quickly. She would do what she said without any delay.

Watching her leave, Link started preparing as well.

First, he found Evelina and informed her. Then, he sent her to chat with the Red Dragon Queen and distract her. Next, he found the Yabba airship commander in Scorched Ridge and called up the airship usage authority. Finally, he gathered the people above Level-8 in the territory. There were 300 in total. Two hundred and thirty-six were Sunlight Warriors. Sixty-four were newly leveled-up Magicians in the Mage Tower.

He could’ve found more, but many of the elites had been sent to the Orida Fortress earlier. Only less than half had remained in the territory.

These people didn’t make a scene. After receiving Link’s orders, they quietly hurried to the western suburbs of Scorched Ridge.

Around 20 minutes later, Nana, the Magicians, Sunlight Warriors, and eight Dragon Warriors had all arrived. This time, Celine had requested to join the temporary army and Link had agreed.

A short while later, there were buzzes in the air. Everyone turned to look and saw the Yabba airship fly over slowly.

This airship was called “City in the Sky.” It was a new super-ship created this year. Hundreds of feet long, it had a capacity of more than 500. It could travel more than 3000 miles per hour and was even faster than the dragons. With this speed, they could reach the Korora Mountain Range in around two hours.

The pilot was Merlin, someone Link was familiar with. After seeing Link, he immediately saluted. “Lord, everything is ready. We can depart at any time!”

Link nodded. “Depart immediately after everyone boards. First, fly south slowly. Sixty miles later, adjust the direction to the realm crack in the Korora Mountain Range.”

As he spoke, he suddenly felt something. Turning towards Scorched Ridge, his crazy vision allowed him to see Pettalong stand next to a window, gazing at them. Perhaps feeling Link’s eyes, Pettalong turned and pulled the curtains.

Link had an idea. Perhaps following Ferde is a common voice within the dragons. The objections to accepting these young dragons might not be as big as I thought.

This was good news, but Link had to stay calm. He continued to watch and wait quietly.

All participants were strong this time and were fast. Within five minutes, everyone was in place.

Ding dong, ding dong. Under crisp bells, the City in the Sky rose up slowly. Then it sped up and, following Link’s orders, it went southward first. Five minutes later, it had flown 60 miles. Then, Link added in his power and the airship sped up. It cut a smooth arc in the air and turned towards the Korora Mountain Range.

When it departed, a man and woman dressed as wandering vigilantes watched it in the suburbs. They were Hamilton and Noa. They’d traveled southward and had arrived five days ago. Mordena had told them to investigate the Book of Creation, but they wouldn’t really risk their lives for the High Elves. They’d just wandered outside the city these past five days.

Unexpectedly, something had changed.

“Did you see him?” Hamilton asked.

Noa nodded. “Yes. He’s the Ferde lord, and they’d gone south with so many people. They’ll need a few days, right?”

Hamilton laughed. “This is a great chance for us to investigate Ferde. Yes, I think the Saint must be interested in the inner power structure. If we’re lucky, we might even get the fragment. That’ll be even better, heh.”

They hadn’t come to Firuman to help the High Elves. Instead, they were missionaries. Since they couldn’t stop the fusion of the realms, the Saint wanted Firuman to become a new region of the Fire Sect. If they were to do that, they’d have to become familiar with Ferde, the power hub of Firuman.

“Don’t underestimate them,” Noa reminded. “There are still many strong people guarding the city.”

“I know. Don’t worry, the lesson learned in the Black Forest is enough.” Hamilton shook his head in annoyance. He wasn’t stupid.

As they spoke, they walked towards Scorched Ridge.

…

At the same time, in a grassy valley, thousands of miles away from the Korora Mountain Range

“When do you think they’ll arrive?” The speaker was a Magician. Heavy black light wrapped around him. His wand kept flashing with dark purple lightning. His eyes burned with dark red fire.

He was Glyn, a Black Blood Demon. He was the demon commander in this mission. In the Abyss, he was an important subordinate of Nozama. As a rare demon Magician, he was very strong. Even with the restrictions in Ferde, he was still at Level-13.

His hands didn’t stop as he spoke. They were speedily creating a magic seal. A Naga stood beside him—Priest Molina.

Molina was silent for a bit. Then she said, “It won’t be too long. Master has already seen them.” She raised her voice. “Hurry up. We don’t have much time!”

Her voice boosted the morale of the Magicians beside her. They sped up quite a lot. On the ground, a huge magic seal that crossed the mountains was quickly being built.