LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 570-574
Chapter 570: We Need Power (1/2)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The Isle of Dawn, royal courtyard of the High Elves, Andwar
There was a clear brook behind the palace under the World Tree. It was called the Brook of Tranquility. The water was always clear, its flow gentle. At night, the whole brook would shine with an ethereal glow under the moonlight.
Palm-sized flowers floated on the water’s surface. A soft purple glow radiated from every flower. Soft tinkling sounds rang out from them like wind chimes. The sound was clear and pleasing to the ear, and anyone who heard it would have all their worries and emotional turmoil melt away.
On that day, ten High Elf Elders were by the brook with the High Elf Queen. She was holding a flower that shone with a golden glow. She slowly walked to the brook, knelt down and placed the flower on the water.
The water flowed on, carrying the flower with it. Its golden glow began to form the image of a young High Elf woman in the middle of the flower. It was Ariel. She was holding a long, narrow sword in her hand. She danced and brandished her sword in the middle of the flower, repeating the same form without any hint of exhaustion.
The flower floated off into the distance along the brook.
The queen saw the flower off till it finally disappeared into the hazy moonlight.
A breeze was blowing, and she shrank back against the cold wind.
A middle-aged High Elf man with white sideburns came to her side and put a green cape over her shoulders. He muttered, “My love, Ariel is now finally at rest. Let’s go back.”
The man was the queen’s husband, King Mordena. He was also one of the masters in High Elf society who had chosen to live as a total recluse.
Most people believed that Bryant was the most powerful master among the High Elves. This was not entirely wrong. In terms of sheer power, Bryant, who possessed Level-12 power, undoubtedly was the most powerful High Elf in the Isle of Dawn. However, in terms of magical knowledge and actual competence on the battlefield, Bryant’s number one status might not be as secure as one would be led to think.
During his youth, Mordena had been the most prominent High Elf prodigy. Back then, Bryant had looked up to him and had sworn that he would someday be a pillar of High Elf society just like Mordena.
It was because of this that, despite his modest upbringing, Mordena had caught the High Elf Queen’s fancy, who at that time was still just a princess in the royal palace. The two fell in love and soon were married to each other.
Ever since then, Mordena had stood in the queen’s shadow, maintaining a low profile till he faded away from the consciousness of the outside world. 30 years had passed since. Even the High Elves nowadays would be hard-pressed to remember Mordena’s glory days.
Despite living as a recluse, Mordena never abandoned his magical training. No one knew just how powerful he had gotten. This was because no one had seen the fruits of his training with their own eyes for the last 30 years.
The only thing people could sense from Mordena was the power within his body. Though he had already reached Level-11, Mordena usually kept his power hidden deep within him. Upon meeting him in person, normal Magicians would have the impression that they were facing a vast ocean stretching out into the horizon.
The queen did not try to put up a brave face in front of her husband. After putting on the cape, she turned around and leaned her forehead against his chest. She began to weep silently.
Mordena did not speak a word as he patted the queen’s back. He said consolingly, “Everything will be alright, Your Highness.”
He looked on at the golden flower that drifted further and further away from them as he said this.
His vision was better than the High Elf Queen, who was still a Level-9 Magician. He could still see the image of her daughter brandishing her sword about on the flower.
Looking on at such a familiar sight in the distance, Mordena drew in a long breath. The composure that he had maintained all these years was finally broken by a growing bloodlust in him.
He had kept a low profile for the queen for at least ten years, staying out of the Isle of Dawn’s affairs and simply focusing on his magical studies. But now, the Isle of Dawn was under threat. Even their own daughter had been killed. He could not stand on the sidelines any longer.
The queen never knew who her own husband really was, as a person. The love they had shared in their youth had long since eroded under the slow grind of time. Before Ariel’s death, the queen had not seen him for almost half a year and did not even know what he was up to during that time.
Suddenly, the queen sensed something in him as she was leaning against him. She shivered and raised her head to look at Mordena. “You…”
She sensed her bloodlust.
“Your Highness, I am Ariel’s father. I need to do what must be done,” whispered Mordena.
“But you’re not his match.”
“That remains to be seen.” Mordena smiled faintly. He extended a hand. With the force of his will, a noticeable curve appeared in the air above his palm. “I can perform spatial magic as well. As for the martial arts, I wandered the island as a wandering knight when I was young. When it comes to swordsmanship, no one was my equal. Or have you already forgotten this?”
“You…” The queen felt as if she no longer knew the man standing before her.
Mordena said once more, “Your Highness, the Isle of Dawn is in need of my power more than ever. When it no longer requires my help, I will once again return to my place behind you.”
According to the traditions of the Isle of Dawn, its king should never dabble in politics. It had always been this way for more than 10,000 years.
The elders behind the queen had heard what Mordena had said. If it had been under any other circumstances, they would have been the first to voice their objections. Right now, the High Elves were facing a problem unlike any other in the past. The elders were silent. A few tried to say something, but in the end, they simply let out a collective sigh.
Mordena had come from humble beginnings. Right now, he possessed power that the Isle of Dawn sorely needed. Once he had done what needed to be done, everything would still be able to return to normal. Besides, there was no immediate harm in breaking the old ways once or twice.
The queen was also of the same opinion. She sighed and touched Mordena’s face. “It’s been so long, and you haven’t changed one bit. I’ll allow this, but be careful. I can’t bear to lose you again, my love.”
With that said, everything was settled.
Mordena nodded. “I won’t overestimate the enemy, nor will I underestimate him. I won’t even try to confront him head-on. I’ll do whatever it takes to facilitate the reunification of the elves.”
The reunification of the elves was something the High Elf Elders had come up with after Ariel’s death.
The High Elves and Dark Elves had existed on the Firuman continent for a long time. However, 3000 years ago, before the occurrence of the Mana Disaster, the two races had belonged to one race. The fact that they both shared a common ancestral line was grounds enough to work with each other now.
The way things were going, the Isle of Dawn would not be able to keep Ferde under its thumb any longer on its own without risking retaliation. They needed outside help.
That outside help came in the form of the Army of Destruction in the north.
This was the Isle of Dawn’s approach to restoring the balance that they had worked so hard to maintain for the last 3000 years. A few years back, the High Elves had formed an alliance with the humans to resist the forces of darkness. Now, they were forced to ally themselves with the Army of Darkness to keep the humans down.
The High Elves would only switch sides if this alliance threatened to wipe out the humans and disturb that balance once more.
However, this time, things were different. The enemy that the Isle of Dawn now faced possessed immense power. As a result, the High Elves were forced to come up with a response to deal with this threat.
The High Elf Queen said in a low voice, “No, it’s too dangerous to proceed with the reunification of the elves now. I’ll leave this matter to Bryant. Also, this will only be a temporary solution to our problems. The Isle of Dawn is still in need of power to carry out its ends… I want you to execute the reunification of the realms.”
Realm reunification was another response the elders had come up with.
Once the two realms of Firuman and Aragu were reunited, with Milda as the center point, the Isle of Dawn would be able to strengthen their forces with the large number of elves living in the Aragu realm.
If they were able to reunite both realms, the humans would effectively lose the advantage they had over the High Elves with their numbers. The High Elves would be able to fight the humans to the bitter end on equal ground.
Hearing what the queen said, Mordena frowned.
“Link was the one who had provided the coordinates for the Aragu realm. Knowing him, he must have set up a countermeasure against anyone trying to use them. Building a realm portal is just too risky.”
“I know. That’s why I’m letting you do it. My love, our daughter Milda is still in the Aragu realm.”
Mordena jolted at the name. He nodded. “I’ll do whatever it takes to build that realm portal.”
Due to him having stayed out of High Elf politics for quite some time, Mordena did not fully grasp the whole idea of realm reunification. He had assumed it meant building a realm portal.
But that was not the case.
“No, not a realm portal, you’re going to reunite the two realms!”
Mordena was stunned. “That’s just impossible. Combining both realms would require an unlimited power source!”
“Don’t forget, we have the World Tree on our side,” said the High Elf Queen.
“I… I understand. I’ll do as you asked!” Mordena nodded, letting out a long sigh.
Chapter 571: The Foundation of Cooperation
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
North, Black Forest
In the dark forest, a beam of green light shot between the black pine trees. He was impossibly fast, crossing thousands of feet within a second. Half an hour later, he’d broken out of the Dark Forest and was in the icy wintry world of the North.
Here, he continued northward. Five minutes later, a giant fortress made purely from bones appeared before him. This was the darkest and most terrifying structure in the North—Skeletal Fort.
Once, this was the residency of the Dark Serpent’s first owner. Now, it had become the camp of the Army of Destruction.
When the green light was around six miles away from the Skeletal Fort, two Level-9 four-winged fallen angels flew up to meet it on either side. Their spears formed a cross in the sky. One cackled coldly. “High Elf, flying is forbidden here. Descend if you want to live!”
The green light immediately turned in the air and landed obediently, transforming back into human form. It was an elder with white hair—the Prophet, Bryant.
Standing in the snow, he said, “I asked to see Holy Priest Molina. I believe she knows that I am here.”
The two four-winged fallen angels also landed. The one that had spoken before continued, “Priest Molina has told us. Follow me.”
With that, the two fallen angels turned to lead Bryant. They didn’t go to Skeletal Fort though. Instead, they turned left and walked towards a small wooden building on a hill.
Bryant didn’t say anything. He pulled his bearskin cloak tighter around him and followed.
When they reached the building, the two fallen angels stood on either side of the door. At the same time, the door creaked open by itself.
Bryant walked in. There was a large room with a fireplace warming up the place. Naga priest Molina stood quietly inside the room. Her brows were slightly furrowed as if there was a troubling matter.
Hearing the noise, she turned around. Seeing Bryant, the worry disappeared, and she smiled. “My apologies for the simple conditions. Please bear with it.”
“No problem.” Bryant found a warm corner near the fireplace to stand. He looked down at the dancing flames and said, “You seem to have something on your mind.”
Molina smiled bitterly. “You must know what happened. Katyusha is in Ferde’s hands now. I can sense that she isn’t dead yet, but she is in danger. Ferde seems to want to control her soul.”
Bryant wasn’t surprised. Since Link dared to kill Ariel, controlling Katyusha’s soul wasn’t too much for him. Those Magicians of Ferde dared to do anything behind the scenes.
He nodded. “The Isle of Dawn suffered great losses too. Princess Ariel was murdered. Our queen views the Ferde lord as the biggest enemy now. We prepare to support your army.”
“I am sorry for your misfortune. However, I must say that our cooperation isn’t enough. You supplied various types of magic equipment, alchemy, and potions, which is good, but we need Magicians the most. The more, the better. You have so many Magicians but won’t even send one over to help. This is insincere.”
“Indeed.” Bryant actually nodded in agreement, but then he changed his tone. “This is in the past. Soon, we will send at least 1000 Magicians, all above Level-6.”
“One thousand? Ha, it seems that the Isle of Dawn is really sacrificing a lot.” Molina twisted her boneless body and walked to the fireplace. She stoked it with a rod, saying lightly, “To be honest, 1000 isn’t enough. It’s like placating some beggars. Everyone in Firuman knows what the Isle of Dawn thinks. If you want me to help you fight Ferde, 1000 Magicians isn’t enough. I need to add another condition.”
“Yes?”
“Help us rescue Katyusha and get the Spear of Victory back. If you succeed, we can continue cooperating. If you can’t, it’s over. If any High Elf dares to enter the Black Forest after that, not only will we attack, we’ll spread the news all over the mainland. I’d like to see if the humans would still buy your magic equipment!”
After that, Molina stoked the fire casually, patiently waiting for Bryant’s response.
Crackle, pop. The fire crackled lightly. Under Molina’s movements, sparks flew. Gradually, a human face appeared from the red flames.
Not only that, the face’s mouth opened and a low raspy voice said, “Molina, this is the one you said you would cooperate with?”
The voice was very strange. Just hearing it shook one’s mind, making one feel uncontrollable. The voice seemed to represent boundless and endless darkness.
Standing in the corner, Bryant inhaled sharply when he heard the voice and subconsciously uttered, “Nozama, Lord of the Deep.”
Nozama, Lord of the Deep, was at the pinnacle of Level-19. One step away from entering the godly level, he was the most powerful of all mortals.
He was always watching Firuman. Throughout history, he’d activated tides of darkness into Firuman many times. It could be said that he was the one responsible for the wild tide two years ago.
Three hundred years ago, Bryant had personally faced Tarviss, the Legendary demon that Nozama had sent. During the battle, Bryant had met Nozama’s projection into Firuman. That meeting had shattered Bryant’s hopes and was the major reason that pushed him to join the Isle of Dawn.
The face in the fireplaces moved and cackled. “You still remember me. You have a good memory, but you just won’t improve your skills. After so many years, you’re still only at Level-12. Not fun, so not fun.”
Bryant was angry too and couldn’t help but say, “You’re the same. Three hundred years ago, you reached the Legendary Pinnacle, but you’re still there. Why didn’t you improve? I guess you’ll never see the mysteries of the divine territory. Just die from an old death in the Abyss.”
“You…Haha, you have a smart mouth, but you’re right. We shouldn’t laugh at each other. We’re both failures.” Nozama laughed easily. Despite the flying sparks that crackled and popped, he wasn’t angry at all.
Seeing that the two were about to fight, Molina interrupted, “Gentlemen, don’t forget what we must discuss. We must rescue Katyusha and take back the Spear of Victory!”
“Oh, alright.” The fiery face moved and two eyes made of black coal turned to Bryant. “I’m not familiar with the current Firuman. What ideas do you have?”
Bryant shook his head. “I don’t have ideas. I can’t do it, and you can’t do it. Ferde’s power is beyond our imagination. The lord is terrifying… I don’t know what level he is now, but I’m definitely not his match.”
“Oh…” A sigh came from the fireplace. Then there was a huge explosion. Flames flew in all directions, splattering across the room.
“That bastard took my daughter and my other daughter is missing too. If I get my hands on him, I’ll turn his soul into a candle and light it for a thousand years!”
Bryant scoffed. He patted off the dust on him and mocked, “It’s useless to lose your temper in the Abyss. Think of a way to deal with him.”
The fireplace calmed instantly. After a while, the remaining fire formed another face. It could be seen that Nozama had composed himself. His coal eyes turned to Naga Priest Molina.
“I don’t have any solutions unless you can think of a way for me to enter Firuman without any damage to my power. Otherwise, we can only watch that proud little bastard.”
Molina actually did have an idea. A runestone appeared in her hand. Chaotic dark red aura wrapped around the runestone. As soon as it appeared, all light in the room turned dark red. Under it, the yellow fire turned the room a bloody red color.
This time, even Nozama was shocked. “This is…the Sacred Rune of Destruction?”
Molina nodded. “Indeed. There is only one use for this sacred rune—restriction of time. After activation, everything within two miles will be frozen in time. The stronger the power that is frozen, the shorter the duration. Judging from the conditions in Ferde, it can freeze time for one second.
“One second? That’s too short!” Bryant frowned. The sacred rune was indeed powerful. One second gave them the chance to rescue Katyusha, but after that second, they could even lose their own lives if they messed up afterward.
But Nozama nodded. “One second? Not bad, not bad. A god is truly powerful. Here, make a portal door, and I’ll send my last daughter over. She will be powerful enough to help you rescue the person. If there’s a chance, kill that Link boy too and give me his soul. I need a candle!”
“Thank you.” Molina nodded.
As soon as she finished, the fiery face disappeared. Nozama’s conscience left too. Molina turned to Bryant. “The Isle of Dawn and Ferde haven’t declared war yet. You should be able to get close to Ferde’s core, right?”
“What a f*cked up mission!” Bryant swore, but he still agreed. “Wrap up the sacred rune. Don’t make it so obvious. It’s best if you use some sacred spell. I don’t want any accidents!”
Chapter 572: Time Veil (1/2)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Argh!!! No!!!”
In the quiet bedroom, Celine, who was fast asleep, suddenly let out a cry. This startled Link, who had been studying a time magic book at his desk.
He placed a paperweight on the page he was reading and turned down the brightness of the magic lamps in the room. He then walked over to the bed where Celine slept. However, her sleep seemed troubled. From time to time, her brows would furrow, beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, and her hands were gripping tightly on her sheets.
Must be having another nightmare. Link sighed inwardly. He sat beside the bed and held Celine’s hand gently.
This was one of the major side-effects that came with Celine’s clairvoyance. She was just about to transcend Level-9, and her ability to foresee the future was becoming even stronger. Nevertheless, she still could not master this ability. As the situation on the continent was becoming even more complicated, her prophetic nightmares became even more frequent.
These nightmares suggested that danger was imminent, but the core Magicians of Ferde did not need a clairvoyant to tell them what they already knew. The ship that was Ferde was now already sailing across stormy waters.
There was an air of tension among Ferde’s high-ranking Magicians as they braced themselves for war.
Usually, Link only needed to hold Celine’s hand in order to calm her down. This time was no different. After holding her hand quietly for ten minutes, Celine’s brows relaxed. Her breathing was steadier, and she slept soundly once more.
Link did not move away from the bed. He took off his robe, leaned back against the headboard and beckoned at the desk. The magic book on it floated obediently towards him.
He then turned on a magic lamp beside him and continued reading the impossibly difficult time magic book.
The three main pillars of the realm were space, time and energy. Link already had a profound understanding of space and energy. Only the mysteries of time remained uncracked by him. He was still a beginner at this stage.
As he was absorbed in deciphering a magical formula, Celine, who had been sleeping beside him, suddenly turned around. Her hand touched Link’s waist, and she spoke, “Still awake?”
Link closed the book and asked, “Did I wake you up?”
“No, I just had a dream. I was woken up by it,” said Celine lazily. She took the book from Link’s hands and looked at its cover. “Is this book that hard?” You’ve been studying it for more than two months, and you’ve only finished the first chapter.”
Link’s head was already on the verge of bursting. When Celine snatched the book away from him, he decided not to read it any longer. He massaged his throbbing forehead and laughed bitterly.
“It’s not just hard; it’s very, very hard. It’s way past my power level. I may need to reach Level-14 first if I hope to make any progress in my research.”
Back in the game world, the first time spell available to a Magician was Time Acceleration.
All the spells a player had acquired before Level-14 were incompatible with time spells. Spatial spells were incredibly difficult to master, but time spells were a hundred times even more difficult. Time spells involved complicated calculations of causality, logic arrays and time ripples, which were enough to cause Link’s brain to overheat.
Despite noticing the tired look on Link’s face, Celine did not tell him to get some rest. Instead, she steered the conversation towards another topic that required less brainwork. “How’s the Naga?’
“The Naga?” Link smiled. “Progress is going smoothly. Vance and the others have found a reliable way to put her under our control. The only problem we’ve encountered was her Spear of Victory, which was built to automatically defend its mistress. But the weapon’s power is limited. I estimate that it would use up all its power in a week.”
“That sounds great. But I just had a dream that was related to the Naga. Do you want to hear it?”
“Tell me.”
Celine placed the time magic book on the bedside table. She then sat up and leaned against Link’s shoulder, before saying, “The dream was a blur, and it was mired in metaphors and symbolism, but it was also strange and frightening.”
Link never dared to take Celine’s dreams lightly. He listened attentively.
Celine closed her eyes as if trying to recall the dream she had. A moment later, she said in a low voice, “In the dream, I saw my father. Ever since I had my Demon Power suppressed within me, this was the first time I had seen him in one of my dreams. In it, I saw a figure heading towards Ferde from the ocean. The figure was strange. There was blood gleaming off of it. From afar, it looked like a High Elf. But up close, it looked like a girl with a pair of goat horns on her head. The girl’s face was indistinct. As she reached Ferde’s port, I think she saw me. I then heard her saying something to me. It was clear and distinct, like it was real. She said, ‘Big sister, Father misses you.’ When she was done, she suddenly transformed into a man shrouded in shadows. Even though I couldn’t see his face clearly, I knew deep down that it was Nozama. He spread out his wings and grabbed me with a huge claw…”
Celine’s dream sounded outlandish, as if it was simply the stuff of her overworked imagination. But what she had described was enough to send a shiver down his spine.
“Nozama, a High Elf, the glint of blood, you being called sister, this is just a bit too eerie to be a simple dream. Why don’t we pay Elin a visit? She’s not called Lady Fortuna for nothing. She specializes in dream interpretation, so she’ll probably be able to tell us something we don’t know about your dream.”
At the mention of Celine’s younger sister, Link immediately thought of Saroviny. But she was supposed to still be in the Aragu realm.
Saroviny had probably spent a few hundred years in Aragu by now. Could it be that she had attained enough power to break free from the realm? Or could it be that Nozama had found her there and proposed an alliance with her?
All these scenarios in his head made Link a bit jumpy.
“Alright, I’ll go with you. But it’s already getting late. Get some sleep, try not to worry too much about it.” Celine tugged against Link’s arm, trying to get him to lie down.
Link allowed himself to be pulled down by her. He lay back on the bed, relaxed himself and before long, fell into a deep sleep.
The night passed by without a word from either one of them.
The next day, Link went to check up on Katyusha’s condition. Making sure that everything was progressing smoothly, he brought Celine along with him to the Yabba people’s Blue Stone Isle.
The island was originally an uninhabited island, but after a year of development by the Yabba people, the island was beginning to look more like a city.
When Link saw the island in the distance, he began to slow down and lower his altitude. He then used Void Walk to complete the rest of the journey and finally came to rest on an airship platform by the docks.
When the airship supervisor saw Link landing on the platform, he immediately went out to greet him. A small airship was prepared for him immediately after Link told the supervisor where they were going.
Link and Celine got on the airship. The vessel took off and flew low in the sky. Five minutes later, they reached an elevated region on the cliffs near the sea, where a small Mage Tower stood. This was where Elin resided—the Tower of Fate.
Link and Celine walked towards the tower. Before they could even knock on the door, it opened. A 12-year-old Yabba girl stood at the threshold. She looked at Link with a pair of emerald green eyes and said with a high-pitched voice, “My lord, the prophet has said that she’s prepared afternoon tea for the two of you on the balcony. She’s been expecting you.”
Link and Celine looked at each other before entering the Mage Tower. The tiny Yabba girl led the way, skipping and hopping all the way to a great hall on the third floor. Outside the hall was a balcony. Elin was standing beside a round table outside, smiling at them.
When Link and Celine stepped out onto the balcony, Elin said to them, “Welcome, my lord and lady.”
Though both of them still had no plans for marriage, everyone knew what sort of relationship they were in. Link intended to officially marry Celine once they had defeated the Army of Destruction. Everyone knew about this as well. As such, Link and Celine were both fine with Elin calling Celine “lady.”
All three were seated around the table, and before Link even had the chance to speak, Elin said with a smile, “Not a word. First, let’s draw two cards out, shall we?”
Elin then took out a deck of tarot cards and lay them out across the table.
“My clairvoyant ability is now one with this deck of cards. My lord, just like before, think of the question that you want answered, and the deck will give you its answer.”
Link nodded and focused on the dream that Celine had described to him the other night. He then drew out two cards.
Seeing that there was no one else on the balcony other than the three of them, Link flipped them open.
What they saw shocked the three of them.
There was nothing but a grey blur on the two cards that Link had drawn out, absolutely nothing for Elin to make a prediction with. Upon a closer look, they noticed that there was, in fact, an image on each of the two cards. There was an indescribable power obscuring the images, making it impossible to decipher their meanings.
Sensing the strange power around the two cards, Link jolted up and recalled something he had read in the time magic book: a Time Veil!
A Time Veil was what would happen when a future chain of events sent out time ripples so violent one’s premonitions would be severely distorted by them.
Link’s face grew solemn as he saw the fogged-up cards. He sensed that the imminent danger they were about to face this time was unlike any other they had faced in the past.
“What happened?” asked Celine.
Link looked at Elin as well, expecting an answer from her.
Elin was shocked as well. She took the cards and gently felt the patterns on the backs of both cards. She had familiarized herself with every card in the deck. By feeling for the patterns’ subtle differences, she was able to tell the cards apart.
A strange look came over her face when she felt the backs of the two cards. Her mind suddenly went blank as she tried to figure out what the images on the two cards were.
Finally, she gave up. She then said, “Forgive me, my lord, but it seems to me that whatever you want a prediction is completely beyond my clairvoyant powers. I think you should tell me everything yourself.”
Chapter 573: The Prophecy’s Reminder
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Tower of Fate
Celine recounted her dream again. This time, she added more details. After she finished, Elin sank into deep thought.
She didn’t speak or even move; she just sat there like a statue for over three minutes. Finally, she started organizing the tarot cards in her hands speedily. When she finished, she started taking out cards.
Glancing at the cards she took out, she shook her head and put them back. Then she shuffled, took cards, and repeated.
Repeating 18 times, Elin suddenly coughed. Blood appeared at the corners of her lips. Celine was shocked at this; her mouth dropped open. “You—”
Link immediately covered her mouth. “Shush, don’t disturb her!”
Elin was forcefully predicting the future right now. Any disturbances could make all efforts go to waste.
Ignoring everything around her, Elin kept going without stopping. She pulled cards three more times. At the third time, her pupils constricted as she shoved two cards back into the deck.
Now, her face was ghastly pale and flushed; her body wavered. Her big emerald eyes were dull and half-closed. She looked like an eggplant covered in frost.
Link immediately cast an Essence Vitality spell for her. After more than ten minutes, Elin had recovered a bit.
She let out a long sigh and murmured, “The future is very lost. Many forces interfere with my sight, but just then, the fog lifted slightly. I saw a god of death approaching a poisonous snake.”
“Oh?” Link was shocked. The god of death represented misfortune and the poisonous snake… Was it Katyusha?
“Huh?” Celine had some thoughts too.
The two exchanged glances, and Link stood up. “Elin, thank you for your help. Please take a break.”
“It’s alright. I’m happy to help.” Elin smiled weakly.
The two stopped disturbing Elin. Link used a transmission spell, and under the flashing light, he appeared on the sea thousands of feet away. Then he used the Void Walk to fly towards Ferde.
“So it seems that the Army of Destruction is planning to rescue Katyusha?” Celine asked.
Link nodded. “Indeed. I couldn’t think of how they would save her, but a High Elf appeared in your dream. I’m afraid they’ll have a hand in this rescue mission.”
“Don’t forget, there’s also a demon,” Celine reminded. “She called me sister. Perhaps because of our shared blood, she was especially clear in my dream. I could even see her horns. They were curled and short like a goat’s. Her eyes were faint green.”
Link slowed down and thought. After a while, he said, “It isn’t very possible for this demon girl to enter Ferde directly. She will probably get help from the outside. The High Elf is the one who will truly enter Ferde.”
Judging from Celine’s description, this demon girl probably wasn’t Saroviny. It was probably Nozama’s other daughter. After all, that guy had so many descendants. It was normal that there were daughters that didn’t appear in the game.
However, Link wouldn’t be afraid even if Saroviny came. Ferde’s magic defense wasn’t weak. For example, the Divine Punishment protocol that attacked proactively was only Level-15 at the beginning. After many upgrades, it was now Level-19. Any mortal who came would die.
Thinking of this, Link asked, “Which High Elf do you think it’ll be?”
Celine already had an answer. Looking to Link, she discovered he was looking back at her. “I believe it will be Bryant. Didn’t the Orida Fortress send a message that there were traces similar to Bryant in the Black Forest?”
“I think that too.” Link smiled.
The two continued analyzing Celine’s prophetic nightmare.
“The High Elf was covered in a bloody light,” Celine said. “But thinking more closely, it doesn’t seem like a bloody light. It might be the power of the God of Destruction. Do you think Bryant would have some sacred gear?”
Link shook his head. “Sacred gear? If there’s sacred gear, the Army of Destruction can just come southward. Who can stop them? Why would they care about the Spear of Victory?”
“Then maybe it’s just a sacred rune?”
Sacred runes were one-time tools and could be made with the addition of sacred power. It was far from sacred gear.
Link nodded. “That should be it, but I don’t know what function it can have.”
Here, the big picture was clear. If the Army of Destruction wanted to come rescue Katyusha, regardless of whether they used Celine’s prophecy or objective observations, Link and Celine’s proposed rescue plan was still possible. If Ferde didn’t prepare, the enemy could very possibly succeed.
But now, Link was prepared.
After returning to the Mage Tower in Scorched Ridge, Link didn’t alert anyone else. The rescue would definitely be a sneak attack without many people. If he and Celine prepared well and had Lily’s help, it would be enough.
Celine went to practice with her fire gun. Link went to the top level and started adjusting tower spirit, Lily. He wanted to improve Lily’s ability to discern the power of the God of Destruction and demons. Then at critical moments, she could see through the enemy’s disguise and attack.
Link was very familiar with these two types of power. There were samples in the Mage Tower too. He could use them to experiment now.
This adjustment took Link more than ten hours. After that, he went straight to the enchantment room. He needed to make something else. It was called the Order Compass!
Link thought that since the enemy dared to rescue Katyusha, they must possess something that Ferde didn’t have. Now, Ferde had most powers from the mortal world. The only one missing was the power of time.
The power of time was highly mysterious. It could make someone’s brain explode to research its principles. But to a god, it was nothing. The sacred rune from the God of Destruction should be related to time.
Link still only had a shallow knowledge of time power, but this didn’t stop him from using it. After all, he had the game system and close to 600 Omni Points.
The game system used the power of the God of Light. Link didn’t have enough knowledge about time, but the God of Light definitely did. The Omni Points were equivalent to usage rights that the God of Light gave. Link had 600 points now. It was enough to buy any Legendary spell.
Of all the magic cards, there was a very powerful time spell called the Order Compass.
Order Compass
Level-16 Legendary Spell
Cost: more than 20,000 Realm Essence points
Effect: Incomparable power consolidates into a unique material. This creates the compass of time. Within a range of 3000 feet, the controller can speed up or slow down the flow of time after paying sufficient power.
(Note: Chase the arrow of time.)
Link’s current max was 8300 Realm Essence points. If he relied solely on his own power, he wouldn’t be able to use the Order Compass. This was okay though. He was in the Mage Tower and had more than enough magic material.
He could save up his power and solidify this Level-16 spell into a rune. This was a one-time-use rune, but with it, Link wouldn’t have to worry about the enemy defeating him with the power of time.
Going to work immediately, the motivation surged in Link, and he started creating the Order Compass rune.
While Link was working hard on preparing against the rescue attempt, a High Elf ship slowly entered the pier three days after Link returned to Ferde.
In the cabin, Bryant gazed at the lively Ferde port through the window. His eyes were complex.
Ferde lord, will today be your last day?
While thinking of this, he gazed at his wrist. A small white snake with yellow stripes wrapped around his wrist. After sensing his gaze, it suddenly said, “Old man, stop looking at me. You’ll expose me!”
This was Nozama’s daughter. She was only Level-10—not as strong as the others. However, she had no demonic aura about her. She could also shapeshift, which was an ability that others couldn’t prepare against.
This wasn’t a spell. Her body could truly transform. For example, she was a tiny snake less than one-foot long.
Chapter 574: Rescuing the Naga (1)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The wheels of the carriage that the port administrator had arranged for Bryant rattled on as it drove straight towards Scorched City.
The stretch of road that Bryant was on was at least 20 feet wide and had been leveled flat through the use of a Petrification spell. The road ahead of the carriage was practically a straight line. There were tall buildings neatly lining both sides of the road, from the port all the way to the Scorched Ridge.
Looking out from the window in front of the carriage, he could see groups of buildings crisscrossing with each other. A few miles down the road, skyscraping Mage Towers rose up from the horizon.
From afar, one could clearly see networks of Mana intersecting with each other around the Mage Towers. Under the faint golden light emanated by the Mana, the whole city seemed even brighter and warmer as if the place was illuminated by a sun that never set.
Bryant could not help but feel calmer and cheerful at the sight of this magnificent city being bathed in everlasting sunlight.
He had just left Skeletal Fort in the North and was somewhat depressed by its sight. The city’s golden glow dispelled all the negative emotions in him in an instant.
“What a beautiful city,” he exclaimed.
From his sleeve came a hissing voice. “Like hell it is! I hate it here! It’s too bright and hot, and it stinks of humans everywhere. This is a disgusting place! If my father rules this place one day, I’ll make sure to have him tear down that tower in the distance!”
Sensing the clammy wriggling in his sleeve, Bryant warned, “I think you’d best keep it down. We’re approaching the Mage Tower. Wouldn’t want to risk getting exposed now, would we?”
“I don’t need you to tell me twice!” grumbled the voice in his sleeve, and then it went silent for the rest of the journey.
The carriage pressed on until it finally arrived at the entrance of the Scorched Ridge. Bryant was stunned by what he saw there. Looking out of his carriage, he saw a black-haired young man standing at the entrance, smiling at him.
The young man was wearing a standard magic robe. He was holding an ordinary-looking magic wand. He looked like an ordinary Magician’s Apprentice. But Bryant knew all too well that this was simply a magical illusion. The aura that he sensed from the young man had already revealed to him who he really was.
It was Link himself.
The “Magician’s Apprentice” walked towards the carriage, opened the door for Bryant and then gave him a Magician’s salute.
“Master, please follow me.”
Bryant felt his heart beating even more quickly. Link’s appearance had caught him off guard. This was unexpected.
Though Nozama had asked him to kill Link, Bryant never intended to do so in the first place. The Time Stop spell would only last for one second, which was just too short. If he wanted to end Link, he would need to be sure of where Link was and be close enough to him in order to activate the divine time seal.
However, Link could easily turn on him if he tried to activate the divine seal. Bryant might even be killed by him before he could even activate it. No matter how powerful the seal was, it would all be for naught.
Seeing Link coming out to welcome him personally, Bryant could not help but feel suspicious about this. He suddenly had an impulse to turn around and leave.
However, he managed to get a hold of himself. Bryant coughed and then said, “I did not expect you to come out personally, Link.”
Saying this, Bryant’s arm tensed up, warning the little snake hidden inside his sleeve to be careful. She wriggled back in response. Bryant could feel that the little snake was also nervous. She had not moved a muscle when she saw Link standing before them. It was as if she had already entered hibernation in his sleeve.
What Bryant did not know was that Link had seen this little exchange between him and the serpent. He had already suspected Bryant was up to something. Seeing the High Elf personally at the entrance, Link was able to confirm his suspicions about this meeting.
He let out an inward sigh. Seems like Celine’s dream was true. I never knew that the High Elves would be working with the Army of Destruction.
Still, the smile on Link’s face did not fade.
“I’ve been quite free lately. When I heard that you were coming for a visit, I thought I might greet you personally. You said that you were coming to discuss the matter of reconnecting with the Aragu realm. Well, I’m all ears.”
Reconnecting with the Aragu realm was what Bryant wanted to discuss with Link, at least on the surface.
Bryant did not think that Link would be interested in the subject. Somewhat startled, he smiled and said, “I see. After you.”
The two began walking along the street of the Scorched Ridge.
Compared to the bustling outer city of Scorched City, the Scorched Ridge was a different matter altogether.
Ordinary folk lived in the outer city. Though their houses were laid out neatly, due to how fast construction had taken place, some of them looked shoddily built. There were still places in the midst of construction.
Those living in the inner city belonged to the upper circles of society, including high-ranking military officials and Magicians. The buildings here were all splendidly built. However, it was extremely quiet in the midst of this splendor. There were few people on the street, each one of them dressed in high-quality attire. There were even a couple of young Magicians hurrying about.
One of the pedestrians had his head lowered as he walked, apparently deep in thought. A few others were huddled together in a heated discussion about something as they passed by. Everyone walked at a brisk pace, as if they had all come out for a jog out on the street.
Bryant also saw a few Magician’s Apprentices buried in their magic books as they ate something.
One would not find such bustle in the Isle of Dawn.
The High Elves’ lifespan was thrice that of humans. They were also more gifted in the mystic arts than the human race. The High Elves had always preferred peace and tranquility. It would be diligence of the highest order if a young High Elf Magician was willing to spend eight hours a day in his or her magical studies.
Bryant walked on, amazed by the sight before him.
He remembered his days as a young Magician. At that time, he had been so obsessed with unlocking the secrets of magic. However, when there was not much else he could learn from human magic, Bryant decided to set out into the world.
He had basically left his mark across all of Firuman. He had climbed mountains and crossed oceans to learn magic from the dwarves, the Yabba people, the High Elves and the dragons. However, his time studying magic in Andwar had left a deep impression in him.
In order to study magic in the Isle of Dawn, he had paid 200,000 gold pieces up front. During his time there, he had even helped the High Elves carry out many questionable deeds on the Firuman continent. In the end, the magic books he had gotten for his effort were no more than Level-8.
When he walked along the streets of Andwar, the High Elves would avoid him like the plague and then whisper behind his back. They would look at him as if he were a monkey in a zoo.
His magic might have seen a drastic improvement during those years, but it was also one of the most humiliating times of his life.
Looking again at the scenery around him, Bryant said to Link, “My lord, you’ve already built a Mage Tower. All these young Magicians are now thriving in your city. You don’t need to travel the world just for a bit of magical knowledge here and there.”
Link shook his head, still smiling. “Whether this place will thrive tomorrow, or the day after, still remains to be seen. I may have built myself a Mage Tower, but I’ve also angered many people. This city may seem prosperous now, but it may also be reduced to ashes tomorrow. Take me for example. I may be the object of adoration and envy today, but one of my enemies may get the chance to destroy my body tomorrow and subject my soul to whatever horrendous torture they could think of. Who’s to say for sure what fate has planned for all of us?
Link’s words seemed to be hinting at something. Hearing this, Bryant jolted and laughed weakly. “Surely you’re joking, my lord?”
Link gave a vague smile. The two of them reached a courtyard garden. Link extended out a hand, inviting Bryant to enter the place first. “After you. Whatever it is you wish to speak, we’ll be discussing it here.”
Bryant raised his brows in surprise. Glancing at the not so distant Mage Tower, he asked, “Hasn’t it always been tradition to discuss matters in the Mage Tower?”
The Sacred Rune of Destruction he had with him was telling him that Katyusha was currently being imprisoned in the Mage Tower. But now, there was no way to enter the place, determine where she was being held prisoner or spring her out of captivity.
Link smiled, “The Mage Tower is now no longer open to guests. It’s one of the new rules I’ve enacted.”
“I see. Then we’ll talk here.” Bryant was somewhat disappointed. This was unexpected, but also understandable, seeing that there had been many clashes in the shadows between Ferde and the Isle of Dawn.
He had a backup plan.
Once they were inside the courtyard, a beautiful magic puppet maid came over to lay out treats on a table. Casually seating himself beside the table, Link said, “I’ve read the documents you’ve sent me. I take it that the Isle of Dawn is prepared to reconnect with the Aragu realm?”
Bryant nodded. “In truth, we’ve already begun building a small-scale portal. Princess Ariel has vanished without a trace, but the royal line must continue. So, we’ve been working to reconnect with the Aragu Realm and bring back Princess Milda. During the process, slight vibrations will be felt in the realm. But rest assured, this is all normal. We hope that Ferde will not overreact to this.”
“I understand,” said Link, nodding. It sounded as if Bryant had feared that Link would begin jumping to conclusions when this happened, and so decided to let Link know what was going on beforehand.
After pausing for a while, Link asked, “Is there anything else?”
“There’s one other thing. Opening a realm portal is a complicated and dangerous business. We aren’t really confident about all the details of this operation, and of course, nothing must happen to the princess during the process. And so, I’ve brought the magic circle we’ve designed for the portal. Our highness wants you to take a look at it and see if there is anything that could still be improved on. You will be sufficiently compensated for your work, of course.”
“I see. Do you need it soon?” asked Link.
“The sooner, the better. I’ll be waiting here for the next few days. When you’re done, I’ll bring the plans back with me.” Bryant even handed Link the blueprint for the realm portal.
Link gave it a look. The design was incredibly complicated, but it did resemble a realm portal’s magic circle. He nodded and said, “I’ll have it ready as soon as possible. I’ll need at most three days.”
“Thank you. I’ll wait for you in the outer city then,” said Bryant.
“No need. You can stay here in this courtyard. It’s much quieter here.”
Bryant nodded, accepting Link’s offer.
Without another word, Link turned around and left the place. After seeing Link off at the courtyard’s entrance, Bryant went back into the courtyard.
“Alright then, I guess it’s all up to you now, Merna. Be careful, though. Link’s acting strangely. I think he may be on to us.”
“Understood.” Merna was the name of the snake. She slithered out of Bryant’s sleeve, made her way to the middle of the garden and finally squeezed into the opening of a drain out in the street.