LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 625-629
Chapter 625: A Powerful Magician from Ancient Times
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Nana, draw the Aragu Empire’s sign for me.” Link passed paper and pen to Nana.
“Yes, Master.”
Nana took the paper and pen and started drawing. On the side, Piasce also looked curiously. He didn’t understand why everyone had seen what he’d seen in the Sea of Void.
The sign wasn’t complicated. With a few strokes, Nana accurately recreated the sign on the paper. It was completely realistic and identical to the real thing.
“Here, it’s like this. Don’t you think it’s similar?”
The paper was on the table. Everyone could see it. Link, Celine, and Piasce all looked over.
There was a badge on the paper. It contained one eye with an eight-sided gear around it. Nana had drawn in detail. Looking closely, one could see that the eye was made up by many detailed runes. What was shocking was that the runes were practically the same as what Piasce had drawn.
“This doesn’t make sense.”
Piasce carefully compared the two images and found it increasingly hard to understand. When he’d seen the gear in the Void, he’d thought that it was an intelligent creature from some realm. He’d circled it but didn’t find anything.
Now, an image of the same source appeared in another realm. It had even attracted the interest of Nozama. What exactly was it?
His curiosity was piqued.
In reality, everyone present was the same. Link looked up. “Nana, Aragu should have more than one sign. Is there anything special about this?”
“Yes. This is the sign of God-given Wisdom, the core magic workshop of Aragu. The eye is called Wright’s Eye.”
“God-given Wisdom? Magic workshop?” Piasce asked hurriedly. “Do you know which god the so-called god-blessed is referring to?”
Nana thought a bit and shook her head. “I’m unsure. Apparently, this magic workshop has been around for many years. It’s a name passed down from ancient times. Maybe it had a special meaning in the beginning but was lost. It’s probably just called this by habit now.”
Link had wanted to ask another question. Hearing Nana’s answer, he didn’t have much hope, but he still asked. “Who’s Wright?”
This was another critical question. All three turned to look at Nana with hopeful eyes. If they knew who Wright was, they could follow it to get another clue.
This time, Nana didn’t disappoint. She supplied another piece of information. “Apparently, Wright is the name of an ancient enchanter. Princess Milda had researched this question, so I read some material. According to legends, Wright was one of the creators of God-given Wisdom. He was the most skilled in creating magic puppets. Not only were his puppets extremely realistic, but they were also very smart. In some ways, they were even more intelligent than humans. Later, Wright disappeared. No historical records said where he went.”
The three all felt that Nana should’ve said more. The information was too little and crude. It was basically useless.
Link couldn’t help but ask, “Nana, is that all? Think more closely.”
Nana “cruelly” shook her head. “Nothing more. These are all ancient legends. Princess Milda could find it because the Aragu Empire split and no one supervised the library. There are more than 100,000 books there. It took Milda a month to find this much. I could see it only because I was her personal bodyguard at the time.”
Everyone sighed at this. Too much time had passed. The truth of history was hidden in the passage of time. It was depressing.
Link walked up. He used a print spell to print the Wright’s Eye that Nana drew and the eye on Piasce’s mysterious gear. He turned them into magic projections and compared them carefully in the air.
This way, he found something new.
“Don’t you think that the runes forming the gear’s eye are more detailed than Wright’s Eye? It seems like the revised version.”
Piasce nodded. “Now that you say that, it does seem that way.”
Celine looked carefully and nodded too. Pointing at some of the runes, she said, “I also think that. Look at these runes, here, here, and here. The former is clearly a variation of the latter… Wait, I remember. I’ve seen this eye in a book!” Celine suddenly exclaimed.
“Which book?” Link’s spirits were lifted. Right now, he really wanted to understand the source of the eye. A voice inside told him that the key for Aisenis’ dark prediction was perhaps in this eye!
Celine didn’t reply. She ran to her bedroom and ran back after a while with a magic book in her hands. It was the Book of Revelations. Before opening it, she glanced at Piasce. The man was curious too and was staring at the book. Sensing Celine’s eyes, he chuckled awkwardly and looked away.
Finally, Celine opened it and flipped to the last few pages. One page had a picture.
“I flipped through while I was bored and saw this picture. Don’t you think it’s similar?”
Link looked over. The picture described a Soul spell called Eye of Insight. Despite the name, its appearance was extremely similar to the design of the mysterious gear. The runes weren’t even that different. It was quite similar to Wright’s Eye too.
“That’s strange.” Link read the spell’s description.
The inspiration for this spell is from the remains of an ancient book I found by accident. The author is named Wright Skynar. There isn’t much recorded in the book, but using the information, I can conclude that Wright was an excellent Magician. Unfortunately, he has passed. It is such a pity that I could not be in the same era as a Magician like him.
Wright Skynar. Another clue had appeared; new questions also appeared. This was a complicated matter.
Link carefully studied the Eye of Insight on the Book of Revelations. Suddenly, his heart jumped. He finally understood why the mysterious gear had felt familiar at first glance.
“I remember! I remember!” he cried excitedly. He took out a dark gray square rock. Its surface had some strange magic veins.
This was the game system’s reward to him for defeating the God of Destruction’s Saint—the Astral Whetstone. Link didn’t know what its use was. When he first got it, he’d looked at it and tried sharpening the Ode of a Full Moon. It hadn’t been too effective, but he was busy these days and put it away without studying it.
But now, he realized the magic veins on the stone were extremely similar to Wright’s Eye, the Eye of Insight, and the mysterious gear.
Celine realized it too. “Hey, Link, where did you get that rock? The veins are so familiar.”
Link didn’t keep it from Piasce.
“The style is completely the same. I think it’s made by the same person,” he quickly concluded.
Here, Link had formed a vague hypothesis, but there wasn’t enough information. He couldn’t confirm it. Looking at the coordinates in Piasce’s book, he said, “I guess we’ll have to go see the gear personally in the Sea of Void.”
Piasce immediately said, “How will you go? My Void Ferry? It’ll definitely attract Nozama and his Dark Army!”
“No, no, no, not your Void Ferry. It’s too shabby. I have a better idea,” Link said, smiling.
Chapter 626: Savior of the Realm
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Korora Mountain Range, realm crack barrier
“Commence preparations for the magic seal’s activation!” ordered Link. He was standing near the crack, observing the magical current within the large-scale healing seal.
The Firuman crack was a hundred feet away from where Link stood. Strategically-positioned runestones had cast a 200-foot-wide film of light across the crack.
One could vaguely make out the thick purple clouds swirling beneath the film of light. The clouds were in fact clumps of saturated Mana. Mana usually existed as a colorless element in nature. The fact that it had reached such a state spoke to just how saturated it was beneath the film of light. Link estimated that if this concentration of Mana were to be released into the realm of Firuman, the realm’s Mana concentration would sharply increase by at least ten percent.
Though Mana was usually harmless by itself, an explosion of such a high concentration of Mana would instantly kill everyone in the vicinity. Also, there was a real risk of breaking the seal while trying to seal up the realm crack. If anything went wrong during the procedure, the resulting explosion would blow them all up to kingdom come.
In the face of such a risk, Link could not afford to be careless. After giving out his order, Link soon heard sounds of activity coming from every magical node around him.
“Everything normal in magical cyclic node Alpha!”
“Same goes for the Ptolemic Mana Surge node!”
“Nothing unusual going on in the realm’s turbulent currents…”
The activation of the large-scale healing magic seal was proceeding smoothly. Link looked at the Crack Seal in front of him. He then psychically gave out his next command. “Good. Now, activate the seal!” There were more than 300 Magicians present. Each one of them was higher than Level-8, and they were all working on one of the largest magic seals to ever be conceived in the history of Firuman. As soon as Link gave his command, these Magicians began channeling their power according to the restrictions that had been imposed upon them beforehand.
Hum…
Hum…
The large influx of Mana hummed softly. It sounded almost peaceful. However, it belied a raging torrent of Mana now flowing within the magic seal. There was now a visible distortion in the air around the barrier.
At that moment, there seemed to be some sort of heat wave emanating from the ground and rising into the air. Huge waves of Mana began radiating from the seal, causing the wildlife in the surrounding forest to flee in terror. Link served as the pivot of the healing magic seal. As the most powerful Magician present, he was responsible for controlling at least 40 percent of the power circulating in the magic seal.
This was an extremely demanding task. In all of Firuman, there were no more than five Magicians capable of withstanding such a strain. Even if they were physically sturdy enough to endure it, there was no guarantee that they would be able to seal up the realm crack completely. The Magician at the pivot of the magic seal would also need to endure the pressure for a long time. In short, the success of the entire process hinged on both the Magician’s power level and their mental fortitude.
At that moment, Link’s mental processes were working at top speed. He was distributing the influx of power evenly throughout the magic seal while making sure that power was flowing in uniformly from every Magician.
There were more than 300 Magicians present possessing either Dragon Power or Sunlight Power. Their power and spellcasting levels also varied greatly from each other. With their combined powers, they had produced a smorgasbord of different flavors of power circulating within the magic seal.
Link currently played the role of a chef, meticulously adjusting the proportion of each flavor of power so that they either merged with each other or canceled each other out. This delicate step was necessary in order to produce a flavorful mix of powers. Link’s Realm Essence Power was depleting rapidly. Large amounts of energy had to be spent to sustain the rapid thought processes currently running through his mind. His soul was literally burning up inside him as he pushed himself to his limits in order to control the power flow within the magic seal.
His eyes were now glowing with a silver light which grew brighter by the minute. This was the fire within Link’s spirit. Before long, Link’s entire body was enveloped in the silver glow.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of rumbling sounds rang out from the Void. Beams of translucent light appeared in the air within the barrier. At first, there was one beam of light, then two, then three…
They intersected with each other, forming a luminescent web in the air. The brilliant web of light then descended from the sky, covering the crack completely. During the process, the translucent beams of light grew in number until every gap in the web-like structure was filled in.
At this point, Link was burning through his own power at a terrifying speed while handling every aspect of the procedure. He was now spending more than 100 Realm Essence Power points every second. His body was also slowly deteriorating due to the strain.
“Arrgh!!!” Link roared out in pain.
He feared that his thought processes would be affected if he kept his pain bottled up in him. He absolutely could not afford to make a mistake at this crucial juncture.
Outside the web of light, Celine saw what was happening in the magic seal and panicked. She closed her fist, then opened it. She then felt her palm. It was wet with cold sweat.
“Something’s not right,”
said Celine to Piasce, who was standing beside her when Link roared out.
Piasce was also closely looking at the situation around the realm crack. To him, the sealing of the realm crack was a good thing. It would mean that Nozama would not be able to track him down. The Lord of the Deep would also have a hard time entering Firuman. Piasce would be able to rest easier with the realm crack sealed.
Like Celine, he was also looking at the whole process with a concerned look on his face. He then said,
“As the pivot of the magic seal, the lord needs to endure most of the magic seal’s strain. This is a risk he has to take. Should he make even the slightest mistake, it would set back the entire process and may even cause the Crack Seal to collapse in itself. It would be a catastrophe of the highest order.”
Piasce had goosebumps just thinking about what Link had to endure. If he was in Link’s shoes right now, he would probably have collapsed from exhaustion within minutes.
During their brief confrontation, Piasce was able to place Link’s power between Level-12 and Level-13. Although Link was much stronger than him, there seemed to be no discernible distinction in the essence of his power.
He had no idea how Link was able to hold out for so long. Celine grew even more worried when she heard what Piasce said. As the magic seal’s circulation process was extremely delicate and could not be interrupted at any point, Celine could only watch on helplessly from the sidelines. Nana was standing beside Celine at that moment.
When she heard what Piasce had said, she said flatly,
“Piasce, you’re thinking too much. My master will not fail.”
There was a vague look of condescension on her indifferent face. Piasce shrugged.
“Of course, I don’t want him to fail. I’m just stating the facts as they are right now.”
Nana turned to look at the magic seal. “I’m also stating them as they are.”
Though Piasce possessed Level-11 Pinnacle Magical Power, he was merely a scholar. Someone like him would not fully understand her master’s power and resolve.
As he was still a bit wary of Nana, Piasce decided to not argue with her any further. Just then, the translucent web of light had fully merged with the Crack Seal. It began to shrink, expelling all the Mana within the Crack Seal out of the Firuman realm.
As the pivot of the magic seal, Link was now shining so brightly that no one could look at him directly. From afar, he now resembled a silver sun that had descended to the ground. No one knew how long he would be able to endure the strain of the process.
As everyone looked at Link, anxiously worried that he might collapse at any moment, the purple clumps of Mana within the Crack Seal began to shrink. Three minutes later, the Mana clouds vanished completely. Soon, the dark earth on both sides of the seal began pressing towards each other, and the crack grew smaller and smaller.
All of a sudden, there was a clear ting from the crack. The sound was so resonant that it seemed to vibrate through every person on the scene. It was then that the crack vanished completely. The healing magic seal emitted a few flashes of light which then died out gradually. At the center of the magic seal, the blinding silver light also began to fade away, slowly revealing Link’s form in the center of it all.
Link was half-kneeling on the ground, with one hand gripped tight around the handle of the Ode of a Full Moon sword. He was taking in huge gulps of air. His body was drenched in sweat. Despite looking as pale as a corpse, he was wearing a huge, relieved smile on his face. Celine rushed over to his side, immediately helping him up.
She asked, “Are you alright?”
“I’m alright, but I may need a few days’ rest after all this.”
Link was still staring at where the crack had been moments ago. Though he was physically exhausted, he now felt at ease, as if he had just downed a glass of cold beer during a hot summer’s day. Felina and the young Red Dragon Warriors quickly came over. They were all looking at him with awe and reverence. Suddenly, Link could hear a series of disordered footsteps coming towards him. It was the Red Dragon Elders. They hurried over to where the crack had been. After observing its current state, they turned towards Link and asked incredulously in unison,
“Duke, is the crack sealed up for good?”
Despite what they had seen, the elders still required confirmation from their duke in order to quell their fears once and for all. Link nodded.
“Yes, it’s sealed up. The space here isn’t just repaired; it’s also been fortified by the magic seal. Now, not even teleportation spells can be cast here.”
The Red Dragon Elders were overjoyed! The dragon race had finally rectified the crime committed by the traitor known as Isendilan. With the threat towards the entire dragon race now gone, every dragon present was now able to heave a sigh of relief. No one would ever forget what Link had done for all of them. Though the Red Dragon Elders were not as quick as the younger Red Dragons to express their gratitude, there was a noticeable change in their behavior towards him.
They were now humbler and more respectful towards him. Such a change could only be felt personally. Link had a feeling that if he were to declare himself as dragon king at that moment, none of these rigid-minded dragons would have been too averse to the idea. His reputation among the dragon race was not the only thing to have benefited from the sealing of the realm crack. After successfully closing up the realm crack, a message from the game system popped up in his field of sight.
Achievement: Savior of the Realm
Description: Through the activation of a healing magic seal, Player Link has successfully sealed up the crack in the Firuman realm.
Reward: Crystal Essence.
Link had no idea what a Crystal Essence was. Thankfully, it came with a description.
Crystal Essence Quality: Tier-18 Description: A mysterious type of Astral Meteorite. It is soft like rubber and almost impossible to cut through. Through the application of Legendary Magical Power, it will crystallize to form a 0.2-ton material with near flawless magical resistance without changing any of its innate properties. This allows it to resist all kinds of magic.
Not only will it have near perfect magical resistance, but it will also be able to retain all of its original properties. This is indeed a gift sent down from the heavens! thought Link. As a grandmaster of enchantment magic, Link was immediately able to come up with a few ways to put this piece of Astral Meteorite to good use. He would be able to forge perhaps the most powerful magical equipment in all of Firuman with it. Suppressing his joy, he turned to Felina and the other dragons and said,
“The realm crack has been repaired. I’ll need to rest now. Tomorrow, I’ll be leaving for Ferde.”
With the matter of the realm crack resolved, he was now able to move on to more pressing matters at hand. He still had a lot of business to attend to, such as searching for the mysterious gear in the Sea of Void, preventing the realm reunification, fighting off the Army of Destruction in the North, and so on and so forth. Felina said,
“Duke, I’ll accompany you back to Ferde.”
“Me too.”
“Me too!”
“And me.”
“The queen is still in Ferde. I wish to be by her side while she recuperates.”
A crowd of young Red Dragons had formed around Link, pestering him to allow them to accompany him back to Ferde. The Red Dragon Elders looked on at this with a tired smile but did not bother stopping any of them. Link nodded.
“Alright, go get ready then. We’ll be leaving tomorrow.”
…
The moment the realm crack was sealed up, slight changes rippled across Firuman. Masters inside and outside of the realm were all able to sense a change in the air. In the Skeletal Fort, to the north of the Black Forest, Eugene suddenly jolted.
The Mana disturbance has disappeared. What’s going on?
She stood up and was about to head out and seek an explanation, when suddenly Molina came up to her and said,
“Your Highness, my master has informed me that the realm crack near Dragon Valley had been sealed up.”
“Sealed up? Of course!”
Eugene was stunned. She fell silent for a moment. Then she sighed.
“Must be the lord of Ferde’s doing. He’s certainly stronger than me when it comes to matters like this.” …
Abyss There was the sound of breaking glass. Lord of the Deep, Nozama had smashed his wine glass into pieces on the ground. His Succubus servants were all trembling in a corner, fearing that they might end up as the next target of their master’s ire. However, Nozama completely ignored them. He growled through gritted teeth,
“Link, time and time again, you’ve obstructed my every move!”
With the realm crack mended, entering the Firuman realm just became a lot harder. Not only had this accursed human Magician robbed him of two of his daughters, but he had also repeatedly foiled his plans without fail. Barely restraining his own anger, Nozama now turned his attention towards the realm that he had recently conquered.
“Puny one, by all means, let this little victory go to your head. Once I find my prize, I’ll let you have a taste of my wrath!”
Chapter 627: Your Majesty, What are You Doing?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Whoosh, whoosh. A strong wind blew around the territory. This time, even the war-hardened Firuman residents couldn’t keep calm. At least 50 dragons appeared in the sky.
Dragons weren’t gentle birds. Each one could create a bloody storm in a regular city. Their breaths could bake the earth into a fiery hell. If so many dragons flew over from the Grinth Forest and were Ferde’s enemies, this would be war.
While the residents were terrified, the dragons circled above the city and then started landing in the suburbs.
Whoosh, whoosh. Under the violent wind, dirt was lifted, and grass shook. After the 50-some Red Dragon Warriors landed, they transformed into their human forms amidst crystal-red flashes.
Every dragon Magician had carried some Warriors and Magicians from Ferde. They jumped down now.
Before, regular humans could never ride a dragon. Those who dared to try would be turned to ashes. Now, the dragons were won over by Link’s power. They all wanted to join Ferde while the Ferde Warriors had their airship destroyed. Things were urgent, so they dealt with it.
Dozens of small airships were already waiting. The dragons and Warriors boarded the airships and were taken to their own residences.
The Red Dragon Warriors were taken to the Scorched Ridge, so they flew into the city with Link.
These smaller airships were mostly for civilian use. They weren’t fast, but they were enough for use within Ferde. Around ten minutes later, Link, Celine, Nana, Felina, and the Red Dragon Warriors arrived inside Scorched Ridge.
Here, the dragons were shown to their rooms. After everyone was settled, Link prepared to visit the Red Dragon Queen.
He needed to go find the mysterious gear in the Sea of Void. This required a very powerful Void Ferry, and the best Void Ferry in the world had to be the dragon body. He had to find Gretel to undo the seal inside him.
But unfortunately, Evelina and Eliard found him before he could do that.
“Lord, there are two guests,” Evelina said softly. She emphasized the last word. Clearly, these two had no good intentions in Ferde.
Link twitched and asked, “What, you couldn’t handle it?”
They were just two outsiders with bad intentions. With Ferde’s current power, there was nothing to fear.
Eliard shrugged. “We were going to, but you happened to be back, and they’re a bit troublesome. We’re afraid we can’t control the significance of the matter.”
Link was curious about their identities. He nodded. “Oh, tell me in detail inside the tower.”
They entered the Mage Tower and walked straight to the core hall on the top level. Evelina clapped softly. “Lily, show us the target under heavy supervision.”
“Yes, Magician,” Lily’s voice rang out. After that, powdery light suddenly fell from the center of the room. They quickly changed, forming two extremely realistic magic projections.
They were two young people—one man and one woman—around 30 years old. They wore plain flaxen clothing. The man was a carriage driver and was traveling into the city. The women looked like an average woman. She was spinning linen in a workshop.
At a glance, they looked like the representation of the busy people in Ferde. But Link realized that they were familiar. After looking closely, he asked Eliard, “Isn’t the man the Inferno Warrior we saw in the North?”
“It’s him.” Eliard nodded and provided more detailed information. “More than a month ago, they infiltrated the city and seemed to be looking for some information. We used the most secretive full perception magic seal to follow their tracks. They don’t know that we’re watching. The man is called Hamilton, and the woman is Noa. They’re at Level-14 and are very troublesome.”
They were two Level-14 Warriors. If they attacked secretly, Ferde’s Divine Punishment protocol most likely could kill them. But if it failed, it would anger them. If people as strong as they were started killing in the city, it would be a bloodbath. Tens of thousands could die.
Clearly, this couldn’t happen to Ferde. Thus, Eliard and the others didn’t dare do anything.
Studying the two, Link thought for a while and then chuckled. “It’s troublesome for me too, but this time, I brought back a powerful Soul Magician.”
“Powerful?” Eliard was instantly interested. There weren’t many Magicians in Firuman that Link would say was powerful—and a Soul Magician at that. He’d like to meet them. Evelina thought the same.
Link used Telepathy and said to Piasce who was in his room, “Mr. Piasce, I might need your help.”
“Whatever you say, Lord,” Piasce replied immediately. Ever since Link mended the crack, Piasce had become even more reverent. He’d revealed his wishes to stay in Ferde. Link obviously wouldn’t bar someone so talented.
After receiving the reply, Link located Piasce and used the Transmission spell. An instant later, white light flashed in the hall. After the light faded, the blue-skinned Piasce appeared.
“Lord.” Piasce bowed at Link and then looked at Eliard and Evelina. He was very shocked. The two before him were very powerful. They were at the Legendary level and were unexpectedly young. Thinking back, most of the powerful figures he’d seen in Ferde were young.
Seems that I’ve made the right choice. This place is filled with vigor and potential to grow, he thought.
On the other hand, Link introduced, “This is Magician Evelina. She specializes in plants and dragon magic. This is Magician Eliard, who specializes in elemental magic.”
Then he said to Eliard and Evelina, “This is Piasce. He specializes in soul magic.”
Everyone present was at the Legendary level. They had strong perceptions and could instantly sense what level everyone was at. They greeted each other politely, calling each other “Master.”
After the introductions, Link explained the situation. When he was done, Piasce studied the two Inferno Warriors for around three minutes. Then he smiled.
“These two Warriors are powerful but don’t have determined souls. I can easily control them.”
Link wasn’t surprised. These Warriors were from the Aragu Realm. They’d reached Legendary only thanks to their realm. With their own talent, they could only reach Level-6 in Firuman.
He chuckled. “Then it’s up to you.”
“Soul magic takes a while to become effective,” Piasce said. “The most widely used tactics are hints and metaphors to not raise any alarms. Lord, please give me three days.”
Link didn’t mind. He chatted with the others for a while and prepared to find Gretel. Just as he turned, he received a message. Lord, Her Majesty is coming down.
Link was surprised. What’s wrong? She can just send someone. Why would she come personally?
Just then, the rune of the door already lit up. Gretel’s voice came from outside. “Duke, are you there?”
Was she in that much of a hurry?
Link found it strange, but he still said to Lily, “Open the door.”
The magic door disappeared, revealing Red Dragon Queen Gretel. She wasn’t alone. There were two elders behind her—Pettalong and Wardaas.
Link didn’t follow the Dragon Valley’s situation, but he knew that these two were the most powerful elders. Then he looked at Gretel. She wore a very formal gown, her hair was done up, and she’d put on makeup. It was a rare formal look.
The situation was strange.
Gretel looked the side and saw Evelina and Eliard. “Since you two are here, you can witness it.”
“Witness? Witness what?” Eliard and Evelina stared at each other. They didn’t understand Gretel’s motive.
Gretel then looked at Piasce and smiled. “You must be Master Piasce from Omir.”
Piasce was still shocked by Gretel’s natural elegance and nobility. He quickly bowed deeply and said, “Yes, Your Majesty. I entered from the crack and was quite rude. I’d been looking for a time to visit you and beg for your forgiveness.”
Gretel shook her head. “There is no need to ask for my forgiveness. No need.”
With that, she walked to Link and suddenly lowered onto one knee. She raised her slender and pale hands. There was a crystal-red bracelet in her palms. Link recognized it. It was the bracelet of the dragon king—the symbol of the dragon king’s identity.
Her actions scared Link. It was too sudden and unexpected. The noble queen of the dragon race was kneeling before him. If the other dragons knew, they wouldn’t know what to think.
Link quickly moved to the side. “Your Majesty, what are you doing?”
Evelina, Eliard, and Piasce were shocked too. The scene before them was absurd. They were dumbfounded even as spectators.
Gretel looked up at Link and murmured, “Link, the ancestors’ souls at the Dragon Altar already gave the prediction. They’ve already chosen you as the next dragon king, but because of our arrogance and bias, we stubbornly refused this fact. But now, we must accept it.”
The bracelet floated from her hands. It glowed crystal-red and floated towards Link. The light grew brighter as it got closer to Link. At the same time, the color turned to a silvery black, just like the black dragon form Link once had.
“Link, accept it. Become the next dragon king.”
Chapter 628: The Past Shapes Us All
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Become the Dragon King? Link had never thought of that. In truth, he had thought about bringing the young Red Dragons into the fold, but only as part of Ferde, and only some of them. He had never actually thought about ruling the entire dragon race. Also, if he became Dragon King, where would that put the Red Dragon Queen? As a dragon, she was still young. With royal dragon blood flowing through her veins, she could still live for 2000 years. There had never been any record of a king or queen as young as her retiring at such a young age.
Link was stunned for a moment but quickly composed himself. Even though the Dragon King’s Bracelet was drifting in the air towards him, he did not take it. Instead, he stepped forward and bent over Gretel, trying to pull her up. “Your Highness, what are you doing? Please get up.” He was worried that Gretel might have been coerced by someone into doing this, which seemed possible, considering she still had not regained her full strength. More than a month had passed. Link noticed that Gretel still had the Red Dragon Crystal on her, which meant that she still required external assistance to replenish her power.
To his surprise, Gretel did not budge from her half-kneel when Link tried to pull her up. In order to resist his efforts to get her up, she grounded both her knees to the ground. She then looked up at Link, her eyes slightly red.
“Duke, I’m more than aware of my current physical condition. I fear… I won’t be able to return to my full strength. Right now, I’m both physically and mentally unfit to lead the dragon race. I’m also aware of what the young Red Dragons are thinking now. I do not wish to see the dragon race fall apart because of me…”
Link frowned. He channeled his power into Gretel’s body through his arm in order to gauge how much she had recovered from her injuries. Link was a bit surprised by what he discovered. It had been close to two months, and Gretel’s wounds had indeed healed for the most part. Though her external scarring had vanished completely, the deeper parts of her body showed no signs of recovery, especially her Heart of the Dragon, which remained just as lacerated as it had been two months ago.
The damaged Heart of the Dragon was still pumping out Dragon Power. However, this new Dragon Power flowing in her seemed weak and turbulent. It was definitely a far cry from the near flawless Dragon Power she had before. Her current state was a lot worse than Link had anticipated.
With his limited understanding of the “Dragon” magic book, Link was unable to help Gretel with her predicament. Even the Red Dragon Queen herself and the Red Dragon Elders, who had a much more profound understanding of Dragon Power, could not think of any way to restore Gretel back to her former glory, so it seemed unlikely that Link would fare any better than any one of them.
“See?” Gretel let out a slow breath.
“I’m no longer the queen the dragon race deserves.”
With her Heart of the Dragon in tatters, she was now a mere shadow of her former self. If word of this got out, ambitious Red Dragons would begin circling around her like sharks, scheming to usurp her. In the worst case scenario, Gretel might even be assassinated to make room for a more competent ruler.
Gretel was intelligent enough to see the danger she would be putting her life in if she remained on the throne. On account of his many contributions to the dragon race, Link was the only candidate for the position of Dragon King that she recognized at the moment. Finally understanding why she was doing this, Link looked at Red Dragon Elder Pettalong who was standing behind her. The aged Red Dragon wordlessly gave him a nod.
He had already accepted the cold hard reality of his queen’s condition. Link then looked at Wardaas, another Red Dragon Elder. He was much younger than Pettalong. He also had Level-9 Pinnacle power and was probably close to hitting Legendary. He seemed displeased about this, but when Link’s gaze fell on him, he immediately suppressed his dissatisfaction and said with a low voice,
“Duke, you are the only person fit to rule us right now.”
From the looks of things, even though there were differing voices on the subject among the dragons, they seemed to have reached a temporary consensus. If Link was willing, he would be able to transition smoothly to the role of Dragon King. With his current power level and intelligence, he might even be able to rapidly rise up the dragon’s ranks and become an actual Dragon King! Should he accept their offer then?
Link began weighing the pros and cons of becoming Dragon King. The benefits were clear as day. He would have the loyalty of the entire dragon race. Dragons possessed near unlimited potential. Legendary masters would emerge among them under his guidance, and these masters would in turn provide a huge boost to Ferde’s military strength. In the long run, however, this could spell disaster for him!
The dragon race had always been fixated on maintaining the balance of the world. Due to their currently weakened state, they had temporarily set aside tradition in order to focus on more important matters. However, maintaining the balance of the world had always been an integral tradition of the dragon race. Since time immemorial, it had been ingrained so deeply within the consciousness of every dragon.
Once the dragon race regained their former glory under Link’s leadership, their obsession with tradition might flare up once more. If any of Link’s actions ever ran contrary to the dragons’ tradition, their desire to maintain the balance world might drive them to resist Link’s rule. It would be the end for him if he failed to appease them.
Link was more than aware of his own character. He had never cared for the balance of the world. He was only ever content with admiring the dragons’ guiding principle from a distance.
It could be said that a race’s current state was but a shadow cast by its own past. The dragons had a long history behind them. They were made by their millennia-long tradition of safeguarding the world’s balance. In other words, there might be a clash of interests between Link and the dragon race in the future!
The outcome of this conflict could also be foreseen. One faction of dragons would remain loyal to him, while another faction would rise up in revolt against Link’s rule. At that point, the dragons had already become an integral part of Ferde’s strength. Ferde would be caught in the crossfire of this conflict as a result.
An age of darkness loomed menacingly in his future still. Such chaos and internal strife would only push Ferde closer to the edge of destruction. All these thoughts flashed through his mind in the blink of an eye. Finally, he made his choice. He could bring a couple of young progressive-minded Red Dragons into Ferde, which seemed a lot safer than the alternative. However, this would mean that he would not be able to become an actual Dragon King!
Link then forcibly pulled the frail Red Dragon Queen up to her feet. With a wave of his hand, he activated a magical Distortion Field, forcibly pulling the two Red Dragon Elders up to their feet as well. Link then took the Dragon King’s Bracelet, which was pulsating with a silver-black light. However, he did not put it on. Instead, he put it back around the Red Dragon Queen’s snow-white wrist.
“Duke?”
Gretel was stunned. She did not expect him to refuse her offer. She also could not understand why he had refused it. Link took a step back and bowed deeply before her. He then said seriously,
“Your Highness, I am a Duke of the dragon race, and I will forever pledge my loyalty only to you, queen of the dragons. If any of your young dragons wish to further hone their skills, they are more than welcome to come work in Ferde. Should they grow weary of Ferde, they could always return to Dragon Valley. As for your injuries, that won’t be a problem. I imagine that the dragon ancestral spirit, who had given me the Heart of the Dragon, will also be able to heal your wounds.”
Pettalong was now looking at Link in confusion. Back then, he could see the fiery fire of ambition burning in the young man’s eyes, which was the reason why he did not object to the Red Dragon Queen suggestion to retire from the throne. Link was the one who had sealed up the realm crack. Such a feat had helped improve his reputation among the dragons. If the queen had held onto the throne, Pettalong feared that Link would resort to more radical means to reach his goal.
However, he did not anticipate Link’s outright refusal of the throne. He stared at Link incredulously. Have I misjudged him? Evelina and Piasce, who was standing in a corner, also looked at Link in surprise as well. They could not understand why Link would do such a thing. Only Eliard was able to grasp Link’s intentions.
He looked at his friend and sighed inwardly. I see my old friend could still remain clear-minded even with potential fame and glory dangling before him. He truly is something. At that moment, Eliard felt nothing but pride and respect towards Link. The Red Dragon Queen looked at the Dragon King’s Bracelet around her wrist. She then turned to look at Link in the eye. His eyes were still the same shade of black. Both his pupils glistened with a light as clear and penetrating as before. It was as if they were staring straight into her very core.
She and Link had researched spatial magic together, had fought the Void Tyrant side by side, and had even traversed the Sea of Void with each other. They had also worked together to formulate a magic seal capable of killing a god. Though they were not related by blood, they had known each other for a long time. Gretel finally understood Link’s intentions as she stared into his eyes. Taking a deep breath, Gretel shook her head and smiled bitterly at him. “Duke, the dragon race never had a depowered ruler sitting on its throne. This bracelet may well be the end of me.”
Link laughed heartily. “Who would dare come at you with me around?” Gretel’s eyes glistened moistly when she heard Link’s reply. Her red lips moved, as if she wanted to say something. However, the shadow of someone surfaced in her mind, and she decided against it. Gretel sighed. “Many thanks, Duke, for your support.” “Your Highness, try to focus on your recovery. I’ll also help you look for ways to hasten your recovery process.” Gretel nodded and then turned around to leave.
When the three Red Dragons left the place, Evelina walked up before Link and asked,
“My lord, why did you reject her offer?”
Link shook his head. “The past never stays completely dead. It defines who we all are. The dragons are an ancient race whose roots are deeply embedded in their past and tradition. I don’t think I would be able to handle such a monolithic race on my own.”
Piasce was also pondering on this question. He was stunned when he heard what Link said. He realized that he had hugely underestimated this human lord’s foresight. Suddenly, Link slapped his forehead. “I forgot to have Gretel unseal my Void Ferry. I’m going to go look for her.” Whoosh. Piasce’s superiority complex over Link had crumbled altogether. He could not help but chuckle. I guess he’s still a youngster at heart. Must be good to be young, though.
Chapter 629: Dragon King of Light
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Before Gretel could sit down after returning to her residence, Link arrived with a Transmission.
“Duke, what’s wrong?” Gretel didn’t understand. She suspected that Link regretted his decision.
Pettalong and Wardaas were there too. They also looked at Link.
Link chuckled and said, “Your Majesty, I think it’s about time to undo the seal on my dragon form.”
Gretel laughed awkwardly. She’d been both disappointed and furious at Link at the Island of Secrets. In anger, she’d sealed Link’s dragon form. Thinking back, she didn’t have to do that. It had just been a clash of opinions. She didn’t have to be so extreme.
Since Link agreed to continue being the dragon duke, the seal should be undone.
Holding the bracelet gently, Gretel fed her power into it to activate it and undo Link’s seal… Wait, there was a problem. Something was wrong with the bracelet.
Gretel looked down at her own bracelet. According to past experience, it should glow with crystal-red light after adding her power. Then, she could seal or unseal any dragon’s form at will.
This was the authority that belonged only to the dragon ruler.
But it was different now. She fed her power into the bracelet, but it was completely unresponsive. It didn’t turn from silvery black to crystal-red. It was still silvery black, like a plain metal ring.
Seeing this, Pettalong opened his mouth to speak but stopped. He knew the reason.
Gretel understood quickly as well. She shook her head and smiled wryly. “Duke, I’m afraid I won’t be able to unseal it for you.”
With that, she took the bracelet off and gave it to Link. “It already recognizes your identity as the dragon king. It doesn’t belong to me anymore.”
It was strange. When the bracelet approached Link, it flashed with silvery black light again. It was identical to the color of Link’s dragon form. When it was three feet from Link’s body, it didn’t need Gretel to hold onto it anymore. It hovered automatically and floated towards Link.
Link furrowed his brows. He didn’t expect this would happen. He didn’t wish it either. The bracelet floated over, but he didn’t reach out to accept it.
Gretel continued, “Duke, you are the dragon king chosen by the ancestors. No one except you is qualified to wear this bracelet—not even me. I am no longer the ruler.”
“But…” This was beyond Link’s expectations.
Pettalong walked up. “Duke, don’t hesitate,” he urged. “The dragons need a strong leader. The bracelet will only choose its next owner.”
“But Your Majesty, you’re the one with pure royal dragon blood.” Link didn’t want this position. It didn’t match his future plan.
Wardaas had unhappy because Link had only joined the dragon race halfway through. Link was strong, but he wasn’t that legitimate. But seeing the bracelet’s situation, he had nothing else to say.
The bracelet wasn’t that powerful, but to the dragons, it represented ultimate authority. If it chose a ruler and another dragon wanted to become king or queen, they had to challenge the chosen and win.
But who was Link? He was a Level-13 Legendary Magician and was known throughout the Firuman Realm. It was like suicide challenging him.
In that case, Wardaas didn’t have any objections. Seeing that Link was still hesitant, he thought that Link was worried about Gretel. So he said, “Duke, I actually have a good solution.”
“Enlighten me.”
“Her Majesty has always been looking for a qualified duke,” Wardaas said discreetly. “Since she has stepped down from the throne, why don’t you two marry? This way, the royal bloodline will not die—”
Before he finished, Gretel’s porcelain skin turned red. Link’s brows furrowed. Why was this elder talking about this again?
Before Link replied, a voice said, “Shut up!”
Link was familiar with this voice. It was Celine. He turned around and saw a dark shadow rush over with extreme speed. A few jumps later, she was inside the hall of the queen’s residence.
She strode to Link’s side and slapped the bracelet floating towards Link. It fell to the ground with a crisp clang. She glared angrily at Wardaas. “Old man, mind your business. You want to get into our personal matters?”
Wardaas was so angry his whiskers shook, but he didn’t speak. He naturally knew about Celine. He could only shrug and keep silent.
The blush on Gretel’s face subsided, and her eyes darkened. Right, there’s still Celine.
She waved at Wardass. “Wardaas, you can go now.”
He was feeling awkward. Now, he bowed to Link and Gretel and scurried away.
Celine looked angrily at Gretel and pointed at Pettalong. “Make him leave too! I have something to say. Just the three of us!”
Gretel didn’t know what Celine was planning, but she still nodded at Pettalong. The elder also retreated.
Only three remained in the hall.
Celine cast a Soundless Barrier around them and looked at Link. “Eliard told me about what happened, and I heard of some things too. Link, I just have one question. Do you still have feelings for her? Tell me the truth. Don’t lie!”
At this question, Gretel also looked at Link, waiting for his answer.
Link kept quiet. He was asking himself this question too. What exactly was the relationship between him and Gretel? Pure friends? Or something else?
All their interactions flashed past his eyes—the Dragon Valley, Sea of Void, Island of Secrets, and finally, the extreme north. Especially there, he’d asked himself when faced with Halino’s threat. At that time, he knew he didn’t see Gretel as only friends.
In the past, he’d repressed himself because of Celine so he wouldn’t cross the boundary. But now that Celine asked, he couldn’t lie.
“I…”
“Okay, I know the answer.” Celine’s eyes were misty. Unshed tears rolled inside. Her face was pale, and she bit her lip.
Link couldn’t stand it. He grabbed her hands and said, “Okay, let’s go back. I won’t care about the dragon king or dragon race. Let’s go back.”
Unexpectedly, Celine sighed. “Now, I finally understand the pain that my ancestor, Soul Dominator Rosso, had felt.”
“What?” Link looked at Celine. He discovered that the purple flames in her eyes were even more obvious. They kept flickering, and she seemed to be able to see into his soul and the entire world.
“Link,” Celine murmured. “I knew this day would come long ago. I’d dreamed of it before. I had also dreamed of the terrifying future…and the scroll you hid.”
As she spoke, she picked up the glowing dragon king bracelet and put it onto Link’s wrist. “I didn’t tell you, but I know that you know what the future will be like. But I know more than you. I also know that to change the future, you must become the leader of the dragons. That is only the first step.”
She walked to Gretel and took her hand. “You will be his good wife, but I can’t. The talent given by the ancestors isn’t a blessing. It’s a curse. A lonely curse.”
Holding Gretel’s hand, she placed it into Link’s hand. Celine’s tears had flowed out, dripping down. “Link, I know you want to keep me here now, but it’s no use. I must travel far! I want to find a quiet place and practice the magic left by my ancestors… Dummy, this isn’t a farewell. Someday in the future, when you need me, I will come back.”
Link was heartbroken. “You can’t study in Ferde?” he asked, not understanding.
“No. I have the talent of prophecy, but the realm helps me. My talent is too weak, and I must strengthen it. I will walk down the cultivation path of my ancestors. I wanted to do it later, but now is a good time.”
Celine looked to Gretel. “Your Majesty, take care of him for me.”
Link didn’t think this would happen. He’d just wanted to unseal his dragon form and go to the Sea of Void to look at the mysterious gear. When he came to see Gretel, he’d been happy. How did things turn out like this?
He knew that Celine was about to leave, but he didn’t know what to say. He understood Celine too well. Since she already said it, it meant that she’d thought it over countless times. It was also the result of a prophecy. No matter what he could say, it would be useless. But he didn’t want her to leave.
The longing and anxiety reddened Link’s eyes. In a panic, he lost his mind and blurted, “I’ll go with you. I won’t care about anything. Firuman is so troublesome. We can find a peaceful realm. There are so many realms in the Sea of Void. There’s got to be somewhere quiet, right?”
“Dummy!” Crying and laughing at the same time, white light glowed around Celine. She was using the powerful transmission magic equipment that Link made for her.
Her last words came from the white light. “Link, you have to keep living well. Ferde has to keep doing well. Wait for me!”
With that, the white light faded.
Something went missing from Link’s heart. Footsteps sounded beside him—Gretel. “Duke,” she said. “She’ll come back.”
“I know, I know. Your Majesty, I’ll go back now. My mind needs a few days to rest.” Link hurried away. He didn’t use the Transmission spell. His heart was in a mess; he didn’t dare.
Stumbling, he returned to his Mage Tower. After he entered his room, he didn’t come back out. He didn’t care about anything or see anyone.
This went on for seven days.
Seven days later, his bedroom door opened.
Link walked out. In the hall, the first person he saw was Red Dragon Queen Gretel. Then he saw Eliard, Evelina, Vance, many of Ferde’s core Magicians, and then the Red Dragon Elders.
He had recovered his calmness. He would strengthen Ferde and use all his might to face the incoming dark era!
Someday, Celine would come back. He wanted to give her a bright future!
Everywhere he went, people bowed.
“Your Majesty.” Gretel had already changed the way she addressed him. She could sense that Link had undone the seal, admitting his status as the Black Dragon King.
“Lord.” That was Eliard’s group.
“Our king!” That was the elders.
Roar. The young dragons in the sky roared brightly.
In the Year 1061 of the Light Ages, the third month of harvest, Ferde Lord, Legendary Magician, the Chosen One of the God of Light, Link Morani was recognized by the dragon king bracelet, becoming the 57th dragon king of the dragon race. He would be known as the Dragon King of Light.