Advent of the Archmage - Chapter 250

Chapter 250: Human Ghouls?

 

When the concentrated cries traveled over, everyone in the cabin was shocked.

Link immediately walked out. He did not care about convincing Romilson anymore. When he passed the man, he suddenly shouted, “Romilson!”

“Huh?” Romilson was frightened. He didn’t know why the usually calm Link would suddenly be like this.

Before he could react, Link hit the back of Romilson’s neck. He acted decisively. No one could have guessed that a Magician would fight physically instead of with magic.

With this hit, Romilson’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground—he passed out.

“Uh…” Grenci and Ferdinand were dumbfounded. They didn’t know what Link was planning.

Link hurriedly explained, “He would definitely go back to save the princess, but with the current situation, he’ll certainly die. We need him alive. Otherwise, if anything happens to the princess, we won’t be able to explain it.”

Romilson was a witness to prove the innocence of the Ferde Wilderness and the Norton Kingdom. Afterwards, Romilson and the High Elf Kingdom would hate the humans for this, but they were forced to do so.

The two Master Magicians shuddered. They were old and wise; they instantly understood the meaning behind Link’s actions and nodded.

“Sirs, I’ll hand him over to you two while I go out to deal with the attackers.” They were two Level-6 Master Magicians. Link believed that the attackers would be unable to break through their Advanced Defensive Barrier within a short period.

With that, Link shot a glance at Celine. The two walked towards the cabin’s exit.

At the door, Link stopped. He pulled out the Burning Wrath of Heavens wand and murmured to Celine, “Follow closely.”

Being with those two old guys should be safe, but after hearing Celine’s dream, Link subconsciously wanted to keep Celine by his side. Only then would he be reassured.

After Celine nodded, Link activated the spell, Edelweiss and opened the door.

The moment he did so, a figure outside pounced on him. He was so fast. At the same time, he raised an arm, and a crossbow appeared.

Pop! Pop! Pop! The crossbow fired continuously at Link, each one glowing with an eerie blue. They were super anti-magic arrows!

Using the magic lantern inside the cabin, Link saw the attacker’s features clearly. He had a black mask, only revealing his eyes and some bits of skin. The eyes were dark brown and contained signs of a familiar rune. His skin was grayish brown and looked scary.

Link flinched. He thought, A human with runes in his eyes…is it a human ghoul?

The attacker’s inhuman speed proved that. Since it was a ghoul, Link knew what to do. Faced with the flying anti-magic arrows, his eyes focused, and he pointed at the attacker with the Burning Wrath of Heavens wand.

“Spatial Distortion!”

The structure of Spatial Distortion was not complex and didn’t need time to gather elements. It was created in an instant.

The three people in the cabin saw Link raise his wand and twist the air before him. There were three pops, and three arrows changed direction, burying into a wall on the side. Immediately after, there was a sharp shriek—it was the spell, Whistle. Then, there was a soft thud. A Whistle had crashed into the charging figure, and he was stopped.

This was not all. Without ceasing, the air before Link blurred. This time, it was a Vector Throwing Force Field. Under this force field, the Whistle hit the figure and forced him back.

This retreat gave Link enough time to cast an advanced magic spell!

With a whoosh, fire elements gathered quickly in the air. After 0.3 seconds, Titan’s Fist appeared, rushing down at the figure.

The figure was still retreating and had to maintain his balance. Hence, he had no time to dodge. Titan’s Fist flung him in the air and then grasped him, clenching tightly. He was burnt to a crisp instantly!

The Assassin had overestimated himself by trying to fight Link alone. With his speed, Link might not be able to catch up if he focused on dodging. However, he chose to fight face-to-face. This was no different from looking for death.

After returning from the battlefield in the North, Link’s battle techniques had improved. He could fight with ease and was practically invincible. The Assassin was no match for him.

Every move Link had just done only took one second. Those who reacted slowly couldn’t even see what he did clearly. Coincidentally, the three in the cabin managed to keep up and had an idea of the order of Link’s actions.

Ferdinand and Grenci exchanged glances, impressed. They knew that Link was a Battle Mage and had powerful abilities. However, they never had a concept of just how powerful he was.

Now, they saw Link kill someone with their own eyes. The two old men were speechless. Before this, they knew Link was powerful. Now, they realized he was ten times more powerful than rumored!

As for Celine, she had already seen Link’s magic before. Rather than being surprised, she was a bit annoyed. This guy improved again. What a jerk. He must’ve gone through a lot of hardships going to the North alone!

After killing the Assassin, Link had an accurate estimate of his power. He turned back and called, “Sirs, the Assassins are similar to the northern ghouls. He was at the pinnacle of Level-6. Be careful!”

Then he walked out of the cabin with Celine following closely.

Inside, the two old men exchanged glances and started establishing the defensive force field.

Outside, Link scanned the area. The streets of the camp were filled with Assassins in black clothing. At a glance, there were about 50 men. They didn’t have a target; they killed whoever they saw with frightening efficiency.

Some soldiers tried to stop them but were killed immediately. The difference was too big; they couldn’t even put up a fight.

Link saw Lucy. She had a few soldiers beside her and was preparing to block an Assassin. However, another Assassin already noticed them and was charging towards them.

Lucy was a Level-4 Assassin but was nothing compared to a ghoul at the pinnacle of Level-6. If they really fought, the ending would undoubtedly be Lucy’s death.

Link focused on the Assassin and prepared to stop him. But then there was a whiz in the air. A Whistle had appeared out of thin air. It accurately dodged the Assassin’s block and slammed into his face.

The Assassin stopped.

Link turned to see Eliard walk out of the cabin behind Lucy. With a stern expression, Eliard waved his wand. Whistles flew out one after another, endlessly attacking the aggressors.

He was very fast. He could release four Whistles per second, and they were all accurate. The Assassins could dodge or block as much as they wanted but on average, three out of every four Whistles would hit them square in the face.

The Assassins were masked so the Whistles couldn’t injure them gravely. However, they successfully countered the Assassins’ movements, greatly reducing their killing rate.

Link cheered inwardly, As expected of the number one magical genius of the continent. So awesome!

Link didn’t waste any time either. He cast a Macro Sound Spell and roared, “My soldiers, your lord is here!”

The camp was in chaos, like a pack of dragons without a leader. They needed a core, and this was Link’s responsibility as the lord.

He wore the robe of a Flame Controller, firelight flowing through him. He also held the wand of the Burning Wrath of Heaven that radiated with a blinding light. It was abnormally eye-catching in the dim camp.

Reassured, the soldiers immediately gathered towards him. Lucy, Gildern, Jacker, Eliard, and the others all came.

Link did not stop casting spells. He used all the old tricks against these attackers who were similar to the ghouls in the North. He used the force field to destroy the others’ balance and then burned them with Titan’s Fist.

He was unbelievably fast, and the Assassins had no chance. They went down at a rate of one per second.

Suddenly, one Assassin yelled, “There’s only one of him. Charge and kill him!”

At this moment, there were only 40 Assassins. They immediately scattered, preparing to attack Link from all directions.

Link immediately ordered, “Retreat to the city walls. Don’t get surrounded!”

If they were surrounded, Link knew he could protect the group around him by himself but only temporarily. His attacks would be greatly affected as well. If they had the sturdy stone walls behind them, they would only have the face the Assassins before them. It was much easier.

Hearing the command, everyone began retreating to the wall with Link at the center.

The Assassins attacked as if they’d gone crazy. They were constantly killed by Link, but they also killed many common soldiers. Link could not help it. Scorched Ridge lacked strong soldiers, and it was hard to fight off the Assassins’ direct attacks. Even if Jacker charged forward, he would be using his life to win Link enough time to cast spells and attack.

If not for Eliard on the side, Jacker would have died many times already.

The battle intensified. The Assassins decreased by one per second, but the soldiers were decreasing by twenty per second! Without Link, the soldiers would have been defeated long ago.

At this rate, even if Link could kill all the Assassins, the camp would suffer greatly as well. The soldiers would probably all be dead. If they were not careful, Link might not survive either.

But then, a sudden roar came from outside the walls.

“You bastards dare to fool me! Dorias is angry!”

Dorias had returned at this critical moment!

He had spent his recent days in Scorched Ridge comfortably. He had good food every day, and there was someone just for brushing his hair, picking his teeth, and cleaning his claws. When he had time, he could go have fun in the Girvent Forest. It was like living in paradise.

In his mind, Scorched Ridge was his territory. Now, people were wreaking havoc in his territory, and they’d lied to him too. This…this was unforgivable!

With an aggressive growl, a giant tiger covered in blue-green light pounced onto the wall and down to the ground. An Assassin charged at it.

With another roar, Dorias opened his claws. Dagger-like claws shot out from the pads and slapped at the Assassin.

As a Wind Magical Beast, he was shockingly fast—even faster than the Assassins. As an old monster who had lived for centuries, he had rich experience, and these Assassins were no match.

Rip! There was a tearing sound. The Assassin had been torn to shreds by Dorias’ claws!

Another Assassin rushed over, trying to make a sneak attack.

As if he had eyes on the back of his head, Dorias slapped his tail down on the man’s neck. The neck snapped with a crack, and his head hung limply. He fell to the ground, convulsing, but didn’t die.

Link’s eyes were sharp. Seeing this, he was even more confident. This type of vitality had destroyed the equilibrium. It was definitely related to the Dark Divine Gear of the North.

Rather than retreating to the wall, he yelled, “Dorias, come here! Cover me!”

“Coming!” Dorias sprang up and landed behind Link. With this violent big cat, Link didn’t have to worry anymore. He started to go all out.

Titan’s Fist, Titan’s Hand, Vector Force Field, Spatial Distortion were cast one after another. The Assassins in Scorched Ridge decreased rapidly.

“Retreat!” There were only ten Assassins left. They realized they had no chance and were ready to run.

“In your dreams!” Dorias rushed over like the wind. His huge body had a burst of speed faster than the enemies. Gnashing and blocking left and right, he blocked all their escape routes by himself.

With his cooperation and Titan’s Fist, Link burned all the Assassins to dust in half a minute. There were only five living, left on purpose by Link.

After killing them all, the camp residences looked at Link with pure reverence. Even the Magicians from the East Cove Magic Academy had a look of awe on their faces.

They couldn’t deal with a single one of these extremely powerful Assassins, but Link killed them all as if they were chickens. This gap in ability was unsurpassable.

Eliard sighed involuntarily. His friend was getting stronger and stronger. Eliard had worked hard, but he was still a Level-3 Magician. Link was getting further and further from him.

Dorias received a considerable amount of reverent gazes as well. He raised his head, puffed out his chest, and rubbed his claws. Over the clattering, he huffed, “These cowards want to cause trouble on my watch? Humph!”

Link didn’t have time to be proud. He found Lucy and said, “Calculate the casualties and arrange for pension.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Jacker, lock up the Assassins still living. Feed them this and then nail their hands and feet.” Link pulled out Sacred Silver.

“I understand.”

Then Link said to Dorias, “I’m going out now. The safety of the camp is on you.”

Fifty ghouls was a big force. Even in the Skeletal Fort, Link had never seen a group of more than 100 ghouls. He believed that this amount was the maximum number of attackers, so the camp should be safe now. It was time to save Princess Milda.

Dorias was still busy being proud. Hearing Link, he immediately patted his chest.

“Link, don’t worry. Give this to me. There won’t be any problems!”

He had shown that he was truly powerful. Link could rest easy with Dorias there. He said a few more words to comfort the camp residents and returned to the cabin.

“Master, is he almost awake?” Link asked Grenci. He needed Romulsin’s help to find Milda.

“Should be soon. Should I wake him?” Grenci asked.

Link nodded. “Sure.”

Chapter 251: Heartless and Cold-Blooded Lord

 

“Damn it, why did you stop me!”

Romilson was extremely agitated the moment he woke up. He rushed towards Link and grabbed him by the collar as he screamed.

Even if he were to ignore the fact that Link prevented him from going to Milda’s rescue, Link actually knocked him out using brute force! How could a Magician ever resort to such tactics?

It’s simply unbelievable! A savage, crazy man!

Link allowed this High Elf to roar and go berserk for half a minute. After making sure that he had calmed down, Link laid out his hands helplessly and said, “Have you calmed down? You must understand that every second you waste is also one second more dangerous for Princess Milda.”

This sentence was akin to a bucket of ice water, dousing Romilson’s fiery rage in one blow. He then picked up the blood-stained rocks on the table and strode towards the door. As he walked, he turned to Link and said coldly, “Magician, I’ll remember you! When I return to the Isle of Dawn, I will request for an audience with the queen. I’ll make sure you are blacklisted as one of the unwelcomed people of my race!”

He then opened the wooden door in rage. After taking just a step out of the house, Romilson stopped and stared at the scene in front of him in horror.

There were bodies lying helplessly on the ground as the mercenaries and residents cleaned up the mess silently. One could see some people weeping for their losses, some places on fire, some collapsed wooden houses. The stench of fresh blood filled the atmosphere. It was the complete opposite of the peaceful and calm Ferde Wilderness Romilson had seen just a while ago.

“How long have I been sleeping?” Romilson asked as he imagined the fierce battle that ensued.

“Not more than half an hour,” Link said as he walked towards him.

“There were many assaulters I assume?”

“There weren’t many, only 50 of them. However, each one of them was extremely powerful. If I wasn’t present, my territory would have been in ruins by now.” Link’s voice was calm. He seemed unaffected by Romilson’s previous threat.

Romilson could not help but turn to look at the human Magician beside him. There was not a shred of agitation or rage on Link’s face. Usually, a lord would have been enraged and depressed after suffering such huge losses. How could he stay so calm?

Romilson was baffled by this Magician in front of him. He also did not want to understand his peculiar mindset. The tragedy in front of his eyes completely doused the rage he had as he whispered, “I will be going off to find the princess.”

“I’ll accompany you.” Link stayed by his side.

Upon hearing those words, the rage that just subsided within Romilson’s heart was once again ignited. He bellowed, “Oh, you are finally interested in saving the princess? To think that the princess gave you the Heart of the Puppet in the carriage just now. It would be fine if you refuse to save the princess yourself, but how could you stop me from going as well? What a cruel and heartless lord you are!”

“You will die if you go alone,” Link reminded.

“Then I will die with no regrets!” Romilson growled.

Grenci had had enough of Romilson’s tantrum and shouted furiously, “Young lad, Master Link did what he was supposed to. The person who made the decision to leave was Your Highness herself. Since she was the one who made the mistake, she naturally has to bear the consequences.”

“Hmph, I know what you people are planning. You guys are afraid to be implicated by the princess’ death and are only leaving me alive as a witness. Humans are such hypocrites!” Romilson shouted as he strode out of the territory.

When Romilson reached an open space, a warm glow enveloped his wand as he summoned a black horse. He then mounted the horse and headed straight towards the East gate of the camp.

“He is a young lad after all. How stubborn,” Ferdinand sighed.

There was no right or wrong in the decisions made throughout this incident. The only thing that mattered was the difference in perspectives. Ferdinand was of the human race and would definitely support Link’s approach to the matter from his perspective. He would have done the same if he was met with this dilemma.

Grenci then sighed, “He is still too young and arrogant. He is talented and powerful, but he is not seeing the big picture.”

As Romilson was about to leave the territory, Link said, “Alright, I’ll leave the territory in the hands of the two Masters. I’ll be accompanying him to find Princess Milda. Celine, you will stay with the Masters.”

Link knew what he had to do and would not be easily swayed by Romilson’s insensitive words.

Link could care less about what Romilson said; the High Elf Magicians in this timeline were generally the same after all. They had enjoyed peace and luxury on the Isle of Dawn for over hundreds of years. The younger generation had never quite understood the cruelties of the world.

“Alright, you take care then,” Celine said in a concerned tone. She was also not angry at Romilson. In her eyes, the High Elf was merely just a little more than a moody little brat.

Lin nodded and summoned the Wind Fenrir immediately, chasing after Romilson all the way out of the Scorched Ridge.

Grenci stared at the disappearing figures of the two young Magicians into the darkness and finally said, “Let’s hope that Romilson will stop throwing his tantrums on the road.”

Ferdinand nodded as he said, “Both of them are young genius Magicians. However, Romilson’s character is a far cry from Link. He is too unreliable, indeed, a disappointment.”

Why did the two Masters not harbor a single shred of suspicion towards Link when they received the letter and the dark soul stones? Apart from the fact that it was a clear framing technique, Link’s usual conduct was a major reason as well.

From the beginning when he handled the Darris’ ambush incident with maturity, to the revelation of Bale’s experiments with dark magic and finally to his glorious victory against Demon Tarviss, Link had displayed a large number of commendable qualities.

He was thoughtful, sensitive, objective and rational. He would never judge anything or make a decision purely based on personal emotions.

When Dean Anthony did not believe Link’s warning regarding Tarviss’ appearance, Link did not even utter a sentence of defiance. He simply spent all his time studying magic and eventually saved the entire academy.

While it was fallacious to say that Link would never experiment with dark magic, it would be fair to say that Link would never allow himself to be exposed by such careless tactics. All in all, Link was a young lad that deserved their trust.

…

Around 600 feet outside the Scorched Ridge, two dark shadows were overlooking the situation in the camp from behind a small hill.

“It’s over,” one of them said.

His voice was raspy and low. He wore black leather armor and tied a dagger to each of his thighs. These daggers looked slightly special, having a rare crimson color and were enveloped in a layer of flaming brilliance. They looked gorgeous.

From his gears, one could tell that he was an Assassin.

“He has become even stronger. Our plan this time has failed,” The other person spoke. This person was clad in a hooded robe and held a wand in his hand—he was a Magician.

Although they had killed many people, they were all insignificant mercenaries. Their primary targets had all been well-protected and suffered practically no damage. The framing techniques that they had employed right from the beginning were all meaningless.

“He is already building his Mage Tower. Based on his current progress, it will be completed in about a month’s time. With the monitoring ability of the Mage Tower, we will not have another chance at a sneak attack.”

The ambush this time around took advantage of the absence of a Mage Tower in the Scorched Ridge. However, now that this disadvantage would be addressed, the only way to deal with Link after the completion of the Mage Tower would be to use brute force.

This was a devastating result.

However, the black-robed Magician suddenly emitted a quizzical sound and pointed to the Scorched Ridge in the distance before saying, “Look, two people are running out from the territory. It is the escaped High Elf and Link.”

The Assassin squinted his eyes to take a look and eventually nodded. He then said, “It is indeed them. From the direction of their travel…they should be looking for the High Elf Princess. We have a chance!”

The Magician then shook his head and said, “We have around 13 Assassins left. Even after adding us both, it would only make us 15 men strong force. It would be more than enough to deal with the High Elf. However, Link would be a problem. That guy knows how to use a group transportation spell.”

A transportation spell like Burst might not increase the combat powers of a Magician. However, it was an exceptionally useful spell to use for escape purposes. Not only could Link manage this spell, he could even bring people along with him, making him extremely difficult to deal with.

Even if they were to send 100 people to ambush him, he could also easily escape from the predicament.

This was the exact reason why they did not intend to kill Link from the beginning even with over 60 Assassins on their side. They chose to frame him with the crime they committed instead. Alas, the Assassins that they sent to the Scorched Ridge did not seem to get the memo and fought against Link in a direct battle. The end result was telling enough.

However, the Assassin thought otherwise. He stood up and chuckled, “The task of framing Link had not completely failed. As long as we kill the High Elf Princess, not only would the Ferde Wilderness be in trouble, so would the Norton Kingdom! The ties between the High Elves and the human race would then become estranged, giving less pressure to you guys in the North.”

The Magician nodded but was still hesitant. He then said, “That might be true. But the High Elf Princess is extremely good at hiding. How will we find her?”

“That is easy!” The Assassin smiled as he said. He then pointed at Romilson from afar and said, “Look, the High Elf didn’t take the main road the moment he left the camp. Instead, he ran straight into the wilderness, why do you think that is?”

The Magician was extremely smart as well. He immediately continued the sentence, “He can bring us to the High Elf Princess!”

“Yes. Notice the direction that he travels in. It is basically a straight line. This suggests that he is finding the princess through some sort of connection. Extrapolating this line of travel would probably lead us to the High Elf Princess. We can totally get ahead of him and kill the princess first. If we have the time, we can even plan another ambush. Perhaps we can kill the High Elf this time around.”

The Assassin was extremely pleased with himself the more he thought about his plan. By making use of the High Elf’s eagerness to save the princess, they would follow his tracks and first kill off the princess. It was a perfect plan!

The Magician also praised him from the bottom of his heart.

“This plan is indeed good. It is worth a try. I will then wish you success in the advance.”

The Assassin was taken aback and said, “You are not taking part in this?”

“Me?” The Magician smiled as he said, “Of course not. The only reason for my trip to the South is to bring you the Divine Liquid. Furthermore, I have just reached Level-6 and do not specialize in combat spells. I would only drag you down if I join this mission.”

The Assassin then shrugged his shoulders and said, “Alright then, watch my wonderful performance!”

Chapter 252: Confrontation in the Wilderness

 

Ferde Wilderness.

Romilsin’s summoned unicorn was even faster than Link’s Wind Fenrir. After a few minutes, he was more than 300 feet ahead of Link.

However, he was not stupid. He knew that if he wanted to save the princess, he needed Link’s power. So, after getting more than 300 feet ahead, he did not speed up and just maintained this distance.

The princess’s blood aura in the stains was fading. This meant the princess’s life was fading too.

Romilson must get to Milda as fast as possible. Not a second could be wasted!

The wilderness terrain had no pattern. Sometimes there would be boulders in the way, but that was okay. His Level-4 unicorn was very powerful and helped him quickly pass through these obstacles.

“Hey!”

Romilson controlled the unicorn to jump over a boulder and then land before continuing forward at breakneck speed. He then heard a call from behind him. It was Link, trying to say something to him.

He wanted to ignore the man. The humans were cold-blooded, selfish, and fake. If he didn’t need Link’s power to save the princess, he wouldn’t even slow down to wait.

So what if you’re the number one human Magician? So what if you can do spatial magic? F*ck you! Anger rose inside Romilson. He stopped controlling the unicorn’s speed and prepared to charge wildly.

But then, he suddenly heard a whoosh sound behind him. At the same time, there were violent Mana waves—it was a magic spell. Someone was attacking behind with a spell.

Looking back, he saw a metallic tip piercing towards him. The Mana on it showed that it was Link’s spell.

“Link? Attacking me! What is he doing?” Romilson grew even more furious. Getting an idea, he instantly cast the defensive spell Shield of Thorns.

Shield of Thorns

Level-2 Elite Spell

Effect: Rattan thorns created by solidified natural elements form a flexible shield. It can effectively block all piercing attacks.

(Note: exclusive High Elf spell.)

A green light flashed in the air, and countless thorns formed instantly. They wove together and created a ten-foot wide shield.

Poof! The Whistle collided with the shield and exploded. However, the countless thorns absorbed all of the destructive force. It was basically ineffective.

Romulsive instinctively began to fight back.

He pointed his wand at the ground. A beam of dark green light shot into the soil.

“Poison Ivy Puncture!”

Poison Ivy Puncture

Level-3 Elite Spell

Use: Creates a bundle of ivy vines that snakes across the ground. These vines are very resilient, highly penetrative, and poisonous. They can pop out of anywhere within 210 feet and attack the enemy.

(Note: exclusive a High Elf spell.)

A flood of vines slithered across the ground, stretching toward Link who was catching up.

Using the delay caused by the Whistle, Link had decreased the distance between them to around 180 feet. Seeing the vines coming for him, he scrutinized the soil for any changes and guided the Wind Fenrir left and right.

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

With each explosion, the soil beside Link burst. Bundles of black, thorny vines shot up rapidly. If Link was hit, he would either die or the poison would make him wish he were dead.

Unblinkingly, Link multitasked while dodging the poison ivy. With a slight change of thought, he hurled a Level-1 Vector Protective Force Field at Romilson who was 120 feet away.

While maintaining his summoned unicorn, Romilson focused on controlling the poison ivy to attack Link. Seeing how Link was dodging pathetically, he thought that Link would be unable to cast spells and didn’t give himself any defensive spells.

He was wrong.

The Magicians who practiced with him in the Isle of Dawn couldn’t do it, but that didn’t mean Link couldn’t.

Multitasking with two tasks or even three, and counter-attacking while defending was something every Magician needed to know in a battle. If you couldn’t do it and didn’t want to die, then you should just hide in the back and play nurse.

Boom! Romilson was instantly hit by the force field.

The force field wasn’t very strong, but it was still painful for an average man. Romilson was stronger than most people, yet he still toppled down the unicorn in a jumbled mess.

He dropped his wand too. The unicorn and poison ivy all vanished.

Footsteps approached him. The Wind Fenrir had reached him. Link perched on the Fenrir and pointed the wand at Romilson. The Vector Protective Force Field was in preparation; the semi-transparent force field easily restricted Romilson on the ground.

Romilson stared at Link in disbelief. “You want to kill me? Are you really studying dark magic?”

Link sighed, feeling sad for the High Elf’s brain. He said coldly, “I’m stopping you from killing Princess Milda!”

Romilson was instantly furious. “Kill Princess Milda? Bullsh*t! I’m saving her!”

Link’s patience had a limit too. He pointed in the direction Romilson was heading to. “Is the princess in that direction?”

“Yes! Let go of me!” Romilson roared.

Link said coldly, “There are most likely still Assassins hidden in the wilderness, including at least one Level-6 Magician. If you go directly, the enemies will easily find where the princess is hiding. You’re killing her!”

“You…” Romilson uttered before he finally processed it. He shuddered and the blood drained from his face.

Seeing that he understood, Link let go of the force field. He waited for the High Elf to stand up dazedly and growled, “What are you waiting for? Where’s your unicorn? Hurry up!”

“But this will reveal Her Highness’s hiding spot.” Romilson had broken down like a system’s collapse; his IQ was plummeting too. It was useless to hope he could do something.

“Summon your unicorn!” Link changed his tactic and ordered.

Romilson mumbled something and wanted to argue, but what he had just done was honestly too stupid. He had no confidence now. After hesitating a bit, he summoned the dark brown unicorn again.

Link said again, “Go. You point the way, and we’ll take a detour!”

“Which way?” Romilson asked another stupid question.

Rather than berating him, Link pointed in a random direction. “That way and speed up!”

“Uh…okay.” Romilson obediently steered the unicorn and then sped up. He honestly had no self-esteem now; he went at Link’s speed.

Link asked, “How far are we from the princess?”

“Around five miles away.”

Link quietly estimated and then said, “Then, the princess will be absolutely safe within five minutes. After five minutes, she’ll be in danger, so we have five minutes to act.”

Romilson didn’t understand. “Uh…how did you calculate that? Are you sure it’s five minutes? Won’t they be confused by the direction we’re going in?”

To make him cooperate, Link explained, “It’s a simple deduction. I hypothesized that you were discovered the moment you ran out of the territory. The enemy also guessed the princess’s hiding spot at once and sent the command immediately. It’s around five miles from the territory to that spot. If the Assassins go directly there at top speed, it’ll take five minutes.”

This was a really simple math problem. The shortest distance between two points was a line. Divide the shortest distance by the enemy’s highest speed, and you would get the period of absolute safety.

“They might use magic communication to send the message,” Romilson tried to argue.

“Impossible!” Link said decisively and explained, “Firstly, I didn’t sense any strange Mana waves around here. Secondly, that command is complicated and temporary. It’s hard to use magic communication to send messages like this.”

Romilson was speechless and completely convinced. After a few seconds of silence, he asked, “What if they’re fooled by what we’re doing now? Will it help win us some time?”

“A little but not much. If I were them, I’d choose to split my men into two groups. One group would follow the original direction. The other would follow us.” Link had thought it through.

Hearing this, Romilson grew anxious. “Then why don’t we just go in a straight line?”

“Calm down.” Link seemed to have already won. After a while, he suddenly said, “Okay, change your direction and go at top speed, then keep the distance between us to 160 feet.”

“But this is the wrong direction! It’s wrong by a lot!” Romilson honestly couldn’t understand.

“I know, but stop hesitating and just go!” Link had become strict again.

Romilson’s self-esteem had recovered a bit, but he still couldn’t fight against Link’s command. Gritting his teeth, he started galloping towards the direction Link had pointed out.

After a while, he turned around and saw that Link’s Wind Fenrir had started galloping too, maintaining the 160-foot distance between them.

This was slightly reassuring.

…

At night in the wilderness.

“Chief, they changed direction.”

“Changed direction? How?” The Assassin speaking held two dark red daggers.

“Link caught up to the High Elf, and they seemed to have a scuffle. Then, they changed direction.”

“Heh, don’t hesitate. Continue searching in the original direction. And send two more men after them. Don’t lose them.”

“Understood.”

Half a minute later, another Assassin came to report. “Chief, they changed direction again.”

“They seemed to have argued and the High Elf ran forward again. He’s super fast.”

“Oh?” The chief sank into thought. After a few seconds, he asked, “Is it the original direction?”

“It’s at least 20 degrees off.”

“Tell the men to change direction. Follow the High Elf’s current direction. Hurry, they must hurry!”

“Understood.”

Seeing the man leave, the chief sped up too. He was extremely fast—even faster than Link’s Wind Fenrir. After sprinting for two minutes, the High Elf and Link appeared in his vision.

He cackled, “Link, so what if you saw through my plan? It’s not my fault that High Elf is stupid, ha!”

Thinking a bit, he felt that it still wasn’t safe. The two were too fast and might get to the High Elf Princess first. He must slow them down so his men would have more time to search.

Chapter 253: Humiliated

 

Ferde Wilderness

As every second and minute passed by, Romilson felt increasingly anxious. It would only be around one mile before he would miss Princess Milda’s hiding spot.

The presence of her blood was getting thinner, suggesting that her life was only hanging on by a thin thread. She must have suffered some fatal wound.

If I do not get there in time, I am afraid the princess…Romilson did not dare to continue on that train of thoughts.

After ten more seconds, Romilson could not help but look behind him. He then saw Link leisurely following him 150 feet away. Romilson could clearly see the calm expression on Link’s face as the distance separating them was short. Link appeared to be in control of the situation and even nonchalant, as though all these things did not matter to him.

Upon seeing his calm demeanor, Romilson could not help but shout, “Link, The Highness has suffered a fatal wound. She can only last for half an hour more!”

Romilson then turned back as the Mana within himself surged immediately, activating the defensive bracelet on his wrist. With a light buzzing sound, a light green crystal barrier surrounded him. This was a Level-5 defensive spell, Natural Rune Barrier.

Following which, he saw a dark figure standing on a huge rock around 150 feet away.

This person wore pure black leather armor and was surrounded by a crimson miasma.

He also held two daggers that surged with streams of bloody red brilliance.

He didn’t make a move, only standing on top of the 12-foot-tall rock and said, “It is not very safe to be running across the wilderness at this time, my two dear Magicians.”

“Who are you?” Romilson pulled his unicorn to a halt.

Without waiting for the Assassin to answer, Link had already caught up and ran past Romilson without slowing down his speed. He had also completely ignored the Assassin and said, “Why are you bantering with him? Saving lives takes precedence!”

“But he…” Romilson wanted to say that there might be an ambush lying in wait for them.

However, Link had already run past him as he said, “He is merely stalling time, can’t you tell?”

Romilson was immediately enlightened and felt his face turn hot. He then immediately willed the unicorn to charge at full speed and quickly caught up with Link.

He then stared at the Assassin on top of the rock and felt a wave of anger rush through him. He then raised his wand and fired a spell at the rock.

“Venom Ball!”

Venom Ball

Level-5 Spell

Effect: Concentrates natural elements to form an extremely corrosive light ball.

(Note: exclusive High Elf Spell)

A green light then began concentrating at the tip of Romilson’s wand and quickly, an emerald-colored ball of more than one foot in length appeared. Romilson then flung this ball straight towards the rock without hesitation.

“Go to hell!” The venomous ball traveled at an insane speed.

The Assassin snickered and leaped backward right before the venom ball was about to hit his body. He then fell swiftly from the rock and escaped this spell in the nick of time.

The Assassin’s speed was so fast that Romilson could not react in time. The venom ball had already flown past the rock and hit the ground around 180 feet away.

Bang! The venom ball exploded, and the ground within a 15-foot radius was immediately reduced to a pile of dark green mush. It also bubbled and emitted a turquoise colored smoke, showing its destructive, corrosive power.

The Assassin then looked behind him and felt a shiver down his spine. He was lucky to have escaped the attack swiftly. If not, even his bones might have been melted by the destructive attack.

He then stared at the distant figures of the two Magicians and frowned. This High Elf was merely a young, immature brat; he would be easy to deal with. However, Link was the problem.

The Assassin felt extremely bitter as he watched them going further away. He then shouted, “Link, aren’t you afraid that I will attack Scorched Ridge right now?”

Link then replied, “If you truly have the strength, why would you still be chatting with me?”

Along with the reply, Link had also greeted the Assassin with two Whistle spells. The spell was extremely fast and was fired at a precise angle. The Assassin immediately used his dagger to shield himself from the direct blows of this attack.

However, before the dagger could hit the Whistles, they exploded in mid-air, causing the Sacred Silver fragments to splatter around him, encasing him in a rain of deathly metal fragments. He was unable to escape.

Left without a choice, the Assassin could only retreat while shielding his face using his hands.

Most of the Sacred Silver was blocked by his leather armor. However, a few managed to slip through the cracks in his armor and pierce into his body. A sharp pain then seared through his mind.

The Assassin felt terrified and immediately hid behind a rock.

Behind the rock, he observed his injuries and realized that there were a few holes the size of a fingertip in his hands. Silver liquid flowed within these injuries, and turquoise smoke could be seen oozing out from those wounds as well.

“So this is Sacred Silver; it truly is powerful!” The Assassin decisively brought out his dagger and severed the flesh affected by the Sacred Silver.

The moment the silver liquid was removed, the gory wounds started wriggling and healing itself at a speed visible to the naked eye.

These wounds then disappeared in five seconds.

The Assassin then heaved a sigh of relief and said in satisfaction, “The power of the Divine Liquid is truly amazing.”

He then emerged from behind the rock and realized that Link and the High Elf had already moved forward another few hundred feet. He immediately picked up his speed and chased forward.

Although Link was a difficult person to deal with, he would stall as much time as he could. As long as he could kill the High Elf Princess, his mission would be accomplished.

On the other side.

Romilson no longer took the lead arrogantly. He ran beside Link as they charged together towards their target.

“Link, that guy is chasing us again,” Romilson said.

“I know. Let him do it. We have two people. He is merely irritating us.” Link had a clear view of the situation.

Romilson still could not help but look behind and gasp.

“How can he be so fast? He should have been injured from the previous attack. He looks completely unscathed.”

Link then observed his surroundings, and after making sure it was safe, he explained to Romilson.

“That Assassin is pretty strong. He should be around Level-6 in strength even before he was strengthened. Now that he has received the blessings of the Dark Serpent, he should be at the peak of Level-7. This grants him extreme vitality. The small injuries that I dealt previously probably healed in around a few seconds’ time. In order to deal with these creatures, you have to completely destroy their bodies. Even crushing their hearts would not kill them off immediately. They can still maintain a few seconds of combat following that fatal wound.”

“Then what is his weapon? Do you recognize it?” Romilson asked again. His attitude towards Link had already changed for the better. He probably didn’t realize it himself.

“I don’t recognize it. However, for an Assassin to be using such a conspicuous weapon, he is either an idiot or that the weapon is extremely strong. If we really end up in a direct battle, we need to be careful.”

In fact, Link recognized those two daggers. He had seen them in the game before.

A crimson body and a fiery red aura—this pair was an extremely famous epic-quality weapon called the Reaper’s Gaze. He remembered that this pair of daggers had an extremely powerful special effect. If they were forcefully brought into a battle against this Assassin, Link should be able to deal with it. However, if Romilson was careless, he might be killed easily by his opponent.

Upon this thought, Link added, “After we find the princess, I predict that this person will try to intercept us. Do not try to attack him then, just protect yourself.”

This was Link’s good intentions and him trying to be kind. However, it sounded pretty insulting. One should know that by the ranking of strength, Romilson was a Level-7 Magician while Link was only Level-6. To be warned by a Magician lower in rank was humiliating for Romilson. He thus sneered, “You don’t have to care about me.”

 

Link simply glanced at him and smiled faintly.

Romilson could not take it anymore and shouted, “What kind of glance is that? Contempt? Disdain? Let me tell you, while I might not be as strong as you yet, I am still able to take on one Assassin by myself.”

“Let’s hope so,” Link shook his head as he spoke. He had exchanged a few strikes with this High Elf just now and already had a basic understanding of his skills. Link could only say that this young High Elf was truly overestimating his abilities and had clearly not gained enough battle experience.

“Heh, are the both of you really afraid of me?” The Assassin’s voice sounded from behind again. He sounded really provocative.

Romilson then stared at Link and saw that he was unmoved. He hence also kept his rebuttals to himself.

The voice then sounded yet again, “I say, are the both of you cowards? Haha, the Flame Controller that has his name known throughout Firuman is actually keeping silent in front of me.”

Link pretended not to hear those words while he calculated Milda’s exact location in his head.

Romilson, on the other hand, could not stand it anymore and growled, “You cowardly mouse! Take one shot of my magic if you dare!”

“Oh, do you really think I am dumb? If you can hit me then come at me.” As he spoke, this Assassin swiftly ducked behind a huge rock, only revealing his head.

Romilson gritted his teeth as he finally saw through the intentions of this guy. He hence started learning from Link to ignore and not reply to his provocations.

After two more minutes, Link suddenly spoke, “Prepare!”

“What? What do I do?” Romilson could not react in time.

Link did not explain and merely surged his Mana through his body and cast the Dimensional Jump spell.

In a blinding white brilliance, Link and Romilson disappeared from their current location, and in an instant, they were transported to a place a mile away.

The moment they landed, Link asked, “Is the princess nearby…Never mind, I already see her.”

Just 60 feet away between two boulders, Princess Milda lay on the ground drenched in blood. Her face was turning blue, and her breathing was faint. A crossbow arrow had pierced deeply into her right abdomen.

Link then quickly walked over, and after some observations, he said, “The arrow did not hurt any key organs. However, there is fatal poison smeared on the arrow!”

As he said those words, he did not hesitate to pull the arrow out from the wound. Blood then gushed out from the wound, and the half-conscious Milda whimpered in pain.

Romilson was heartbroken by this scene and growled, “What are you doing? Are you trying to kill Her Highness?”

“Shut up! I am trying to save her!” Link pressed his hands on the wound and cast the Blizzard spell to concentrate water elements, encasing the wound in ice. It was completed within three seconds.

Although this would not cure Milda’s injuries, it could greatly slow the spread of the toxins through her body.

Link spent less than five seconds accomplishing all these. He then cast a floatation spell on Milda and turned to Romilson and said, “You bring the princess along; we will head back to Scorched Ridge immediately!”

“Ah, oh okay!” Romilson summoned the unicorn and used the Magician’s Hand to place Princess Milda on the back of the unicorn. He then charged straight in the direction of the Scorched Ridge.

Link similarly summoned his Wind Fenrir and stayed by Romilson’s side the entire time, keeping his sensors on high alert.

On the other side of the forest, the Assassin stared at the empty plot of land where Link and Romilson once stood dumbfounded. It took him several seconds before he recollected himself and slapped his thighs in agony. Link you truly got me, I still fell for your trick!

Needless to say, the first direction which the High Elf proceeded with was the correct one. The change in direction was definitely something planned by Link. He deliberately chose a twenty-degree turn from the original to give the illusion that they were merely adjusting their direction of travel.

He had gotten information from the Dark Elves that Link’s transportation spell had a maximum distance of a mile. It had been four miles since they made a change in direction. As they merely made a slight adjustment of running twenty degrees away from their original trajectory, their displacement would then be only a mile away from their original destination. After a few adjustments in the spell, it would become a perfect distance for Link to cast his Dimensional Jump spell.

Link had managed to use his group transportation spell to once again create a huge time advantage for himself.

“Damn it! I hate this guy!” The Assassin recalled Link’s behavior all this while and realized that Link had completely seen through his tactics. This was truly humiliating.

At this moment, he saw his own underlings in front of him. He immediately bellowed, “Follow me; let’s intercept them!”

Link had already used the group transportation spell once. He did not believe that Link could cast it again! Even if he could, they would merely be a mile ahead. They could still catch up if they went at top speed.

He was interested in seeing how much Mana Points Link still possessed after the huge battle at Scorched Ridge!

Chapter 254: Thin Line Between Life and Death

 

Ferde Wilderness

Link looked up at the sky. The moon hung high, casting down silver light and covering the wilderness with a layer of frosty white fog. It was a clear night and was suitable for flying.

“Romilson, don’t use the unicorn. Use a flight spell so we can get back quickly,” Link said. He was pretty sure the Assassins would try to stop them. If they flew, they could pass over the trouble.

Unexpectedly, Romilson grew awkward. “I don’t know how.”

“Aren’t you a Level-7 Magician? You don’t know any flight spells?” Link knitted his brows. This was an awkward situation.

Romilson became more embarrassed. “I don’t like being in the air…How about you do it?”

Who would’ve thought that he was scared of heights?

Link shook his head. “I don’t have much Mana left, and one of the enemies is a Level-6 Magician. I need to be ready for any sneak attacks.”

He had encountered a Level-6 Hellfire Magic Seal earlier. This meant that the enemy had a very powerful Magician that he must be careful of.

The gears in Link’s mind moved, and he suddenly had an idea. Giving up on the original plan of returning to the camp, he steered the Wind Fenrir and started running towards the coastline. “Follow me!”

“To where?” Romilson hurried to catch up.

“There’ll be Assassins on the way back. It’s not safe,” Link said. If it was just the two of them, Link could battle it out. But now they also had to protect the gravely injured Elf Princess Milda, so he wasn’t confident.

Romilson didn’t have any other ideas and could only follow Link closely. After a while, he suddenly yelled in panic, “Link, Her Highness can’t keep going anymore. What should we do?”

Link turned to glance at Milda. Her pallor was sickly, and her light golden hair had lost luster. Looking closer, he saw that Milda’s breathing had become weak. Her Mana aura was extremely chaotic.

Chaotic Mana meant that one’s consciousness was slipping and losing control of one’s body. Warriors had a similar phenomenon. Many times after a powerful Warrior died, the Battle Aura inside would collapse. Sometimes, it would even cause a Battle Aura tornado.

If this was happening to Milda now, it meant she was on the brink of death. Even if they could return to Scorched Ridge, probably no one would be able to save her.

“Did you bring medicine?” Link asked.

“Yes, but they’re useless. Her Highness always has Elf Nectar with her. It’s a type of sacred medicine with great detoxification effects. She’s already taken it, but it’s useless. This poison is too powerful.” Romilson’s expression was grim; he looked like he was about to cry.

He used to live a peaceful life in the Isle of Dawn but ran into this mess as soon as he arrived in the Norton Kingdom. Now, even his princess was about to die. He was having a complete mental breakdown.

The problem was that even the Elf Nectar was ineffective against this poison. It was a rare feat.

Thinking of something, Link said, “Let me check her injuries.”

With that, he activated the Magician’s Hand and moved the princess from Romilson’s unicorn. This time, Romilson didn’t stop Link. He was already a mess and Link, ever so calm, was his last thread of hope.

When Milda reached the Wind Fenrir’s back, Link controlled the beast to run smoothly. He cast a Flash spell for illumination and carefully lifted Milda’s eyelids.

The crystal-like eyes had no luster, and the light purple irises had become dark green. Her pupils had dilated and, this was bad news.

Link turned Milda’s hand over. He pinched the skin on the back of her hand and studied it closely. He’d seen her hands during the day. At that time, the skin was still smooth and flawless like cream. Now, Link discovered that the skin had darkened. When he pinched and pulled the skin taut, he could see little dark green dots underneath. At a glance, it was like countless little bugs under her skin.

Seeing this, Link had some idea what kind of poison had been on that arrow. He thought, System, I need specific info about the toxin, Gray Blood Poison.

After a while, information on the Gray Blood Poison was displayed in Link’s vision.

Gray Blood Poison

Epic Toxin

History: it first appeared in the year 1229 of the Divine Calendar. The first generation blood poison was created by Deans, a disciple of Dark Elf Master Magician Aymons. After countless modifications, it has become a practically incurable poison.

Use: fusing into the victim’s blood, the poison destroys the cells along the way. There will be dark blood spots under the victim’s skin. Then their organs will begin to dissolve, followed by the muscles. Finally, the victim will be reduced to mostly undamaged skin and a skeleton.

Special circumstances: High Elves severely lack immunity to this poison. Even with a cure, the victim may not be able to survive if they are a High Elf.

Solution 1: Moonlight Potion

Solution 2: Blood purification

(Note: this toxin must be removed as soon as possible. If the organs begin to dissolve, it will become truly incurable.)

Link scanned the information quickly. Having a general idea, he quickly pulled open Milda’s shirt. He pressed down lightly on her chest to test the status of her organs.

Milda’s body was now covered in dark and pale patches. There was no beauty to speak of, so Link was not distracted. After a few seconds, he closed Milda’s shirt and said, “I have an idea of what poison it is. It can dissolve her organs. I checked, and her organs have some small changes already. She can last for half an hour at most.

“Ah!” Romilson gasped. Staring at Link, he said, “Master Link, you have a solution. You must have a solution, right?”

“Yes, but we have to get rid of the enemies in the way first.” Link could already sense the Assassins behind him. They didn’t disguise themselves and used their advantageous speed to pursue Link and Romilson.

Now, they were more than 2000 feet away. At their rate, they would be here in five minutes.

Romilson could feel it too. Furious, he yelled, “Those d*mn Assassins! I’m gonna kill them all!”

“No, we can’t fight them. He princess won’t be able to handle it.”

Link calmly considered the situation. Milda was running out of time; her life was hanging by a thread. He must detoxify her immediately!

Romilson was about to cry. He kept looking behind him or to the princess on the Wind Fenrir. His thoughts were a mess, and it would probably affect his casting of spells!

“Relax, Romilson. The princess won’t die. I have a way to save her, but you have to do what I say!”

Romilson also realized that he had lost it. Forcing himself to calm down, he nodded. “Okay!”

Sitting on the Fenrir, Link produced some magic materials. He didn’t have any Moonlight Potions and didn’t know how to make one either, so he couldn’t consider the solution.

As for solution two, he needed a blood purifier.

The theory behind blood purifiers was simple. It was basically a precise water purifier with a simple transmutation magic seal on the filter. Then, the Magician must control the magic seal precisely and remove the toxin without damaging the blood cells.

All in all, the Magician must have a very strong enchantment foundation, which Link obviously had.

Link didn’t have a blood purifier either, but it wasn’t too complicated. He had the materials so he could quickly make a simplified version now.

Without saying anything else, he focused and started making it.

Romilson caught up and asked anxiously, “Where are we going?”

“Don’t disturb me! If anyone comes, stop them!” Link had to control the Wind Fenrir and create the blood purifier at the same time without making any mistakes. It was extremely hard.

All hope of saving the princess was on this human Magician. Romilson didn’t dare to say anything. He followed Link quietly with a wand in hand. He was ready to attack any Assassin who appeared.

The seconds ticked by. Link could feel the Mana fading from Milda, and she was barely breathing. She was about to die.

Romilson kept an eye on Milda’s status too. He was so nervous that it felt like his heart had jumped into his throat. He just wished Link would hurry up!

Around two minutes later, there was a blood purifier made of Mithril in Link’s hands. It was shaped like a small heart with an entrance and exit for the blood. The center was an empty atrium the size of a fist. It was crudely made, but he didn’t have time to worry about that.

After testing it a few times to confirm that the thing worked, Link lifted Milda’s shirt again. He pressed down on her chest and back to discern where the heart was. Then he applied pressure and stabbed the two tubes into Milda’s heart from under her armpits.

With the two tubes in her body, Link extended his perception along the blood purifier. Higg’s Force Field also extended into it.

The force field changed the tube’s shape with minor adjustments. It carefully connected the tubes to the aorta. Certain that there was no error, Link activated the spell on the blood purifier.

The Mithril heart glowed dimly. Then, Link saw viscous black blood get sucked out of Milda’s body. It flowed into the blood purifier and flowed back into her body after being purified by the magic seal.

The cycle repeated.

Link carefully controlled the magic seal on the blood purifier. Bit by bit, the Gray Blood Poison was picked out.

This was highly technical work. He needed to ensure the stability of the Mana waves and distinguish the toxin. If he messed up, Milda’s blood would be destroyed even if he got rid of the toxin. She would definitely die then.

Link focused entirely on this work to avoid any problems.

After around two minutes, the blood from Milda’s body contained some slivers of red, while the purifier grew darker. Milda’s breathing also grew heavier.

Success! Link thought in relief.

As an amateur, he had succeeded the first time he performed such a complex heart surgery. He was truly blessed by God.

To be honest, he had been relying entirely on his strong perception as a Magician to feel around. It had been like walking in the dark. He had no clue if he could succeed and just tried his best.

Since there was some effect, he needed to keep it up.

Link continued to operate the blood purifier. He estimated that at this rate, Milda’s blood would be completely detoxified in ten minutes. All his focus was on the blood purifier, but he was also worried about the Assassins.

“How’s the situation?” he asked Romilson.

Romilson had seen Milda’s state. Link was suspect of groping the princess’s body, but she truly had recovered, so Romilson had nothing to say.

To answer Link’s question, he quickly reported, “They’ve caught up. They’re only around 400 feet away now.”

“Four hundred feet?” Link glanced back. Using the moon for illumination, he saw a dozen black shadows racing towards them. The one at the front was the one who had the Reaper’s Gaze dagger.

“I need ten more minutes for the blood purifier. I can’t cast spells, so you have to stop them!” Link exclaimed.

“Uh…There are 14 of them. I don’t think I can handle it.” Romilson didn’t dare overestimate his power.

Link continued, “Just do what I say. If you can’t follow directions, then just say so.”

“What do I say if I can do follow directions?” Romilson asked stupidly.

Link sighed. He was losing patience from dealing with this imbecile. He growled, “If you can what I day, then just do it! What else do you need to say? Do I have to teach you this too?”

“Ah, oh, oh. I get it.” Romilson realized immediately that he had asked something stupid.

“Now, cast the Magic Light Spell at the sky! Keep going, don’t stop.”

This was an illumination spell. It was simple, and Romilson obviously knew how to do it. He didn’t know why Link wanted it, but he just followed the order.

Bright balls of light streamed from his wand and rushed into the sky. The formation of white light lit up the area as if it were daytime. No secret attacker could hide in this brightness.

Link looked up at the coastline in the near distance. He adjusted his direction and ran to the beach.

The Assassins behind them were now within 300 feet. Link glanced at the cave on the beach and saw the two familiar eerie green Flames of the Soul inside. Making a decision, he ran another 600 feet and said, “Now stop and cast a Level-7 offensive spell.”

“I need at least three seconds. They’re not stupid, and they’ll definitely dodge it. Then, it’ll be over for us…!” Romilson cried.

“Do what I say!” Link ordered. The High Elf had wasted two seconds with his nonsense.

Romilson jumped in fright. He immediately started casting the spell Thorn Jungle.

Thorn Jungle

Level-7 Master Magician Spell

Cost: 3500 Mana Points

Effect: Rattan thorns created by solidified natural elements form a dense and deadly thorn array within 240 feet of the spell caster.

(Note: this is a semi-supplementary, semi-offensive spell, used mainly to trap the opponent.)

Chapter 255: I Am Truly a Fool

 

Nightfall, the beach.

The Assassin leader chuckled when he saw Romilson channeling his spell. He then said, “My brothers, retreat further behind; this guy is panicking.”

His underlings then erupted into bursts of laughter. They were around 300 feet away from their opponent. Judging from the magic fluctuation around Romilson, it should be a Level-7 spell. Emerald light glittered around him, and he was encased in an elemental brilliance at least six feet in diameter.

However, a spell would be for naught if it could not hit its enemy.

Just to be safe, the Assassins retreated a little further and were prepared to watch the show from the beach.

“To tell the truth, a Magician looks pretty darn scary while they are casting a spell.”

“I did not believe people when they said that High Elves are good-looking. But geez, even I am feeling something for this Magician.”

“If we manage to kill them, I’ll have a shot at taking that good-looking elf for myself. Heh.”

As they conversed, Romilson’s spell had taken form. With a whooshing sound, a large number of thorn vines appeared from the ground with him as the center. The thorns on these vines were as sharp as daggers, with their tips shaped like hooks. Under the illumination of Romilson’s magic aura, the vines looked like snakes slithering in all directions.

In an instant, the area within a 30-foot radius around Romilson was covered in such vines, completely sealing off the only way forward for the Assassins.

At the same time, violent magic fluctuations could be felt.

The Assassin leader frowned slightly as he said, “This spell is slightly troublesome…Not good, it’s a sneak attack!”

As he spoke, he could feel imminent danger approaching. He immediately released his Battle Aura, causing a crimson glow to envelop his body. He then immediately moved away from his location, retreating almost 150 feet in an instant.

However, although he could escape this attack, his underlings were not so lucky.

As he spoke, red flaming runes more than 15 feet in diameter appeared on the spot his underlings were standing at.

These runes overlapped one another, forming a complex formation of countless runes. It was also situated at a perfect location, trapping five Assassins at once.

These Assassins who were distracted by the Level-7 spell of the High Elf naturally reacted slowly to this sudden attack. By the time they wanted to dodge, it was too late.

Almost an instant after the runes appeared, an explosion sound rumbled through the beach as a 15-foot thick incandescent pillar of flame rose from the ground. It reached an altitude of 150 feet, consuming the Assassins in the process.

Arrghh! The five Assassins were burned to ashes after only a few screams of despair.

This was the power of a Level-7 spell!

Fortunately, there were eight other Assassins who instinctively retreated in time.

Although they just had a close shave with death, they immediately let down their guard and thought, Lucky I am still alive. However, little did they know that the attack had not yet ended.

Almost immediately, another rune formation appeared at the most precise location once again, accurately predicting the eventual position of the Assassins following their retreat. It engulfed four Assassins this time around. To be exact, it seemed as though the four Assassins stepped into the rune formation of their own accord.

Boom! After another huge flaming pillar eruption, four Assassins uttered the final scream of their lives.

Four Assassins remained.

The four of them exchanged glances and were already terrified. They were prepared to flee and give up on this battle when the rune formation appeared once again.

Boom! With the sound of another explosion, two more Assassins were consumed by the attack. Within a tenth of a second, another spell erupted, taking the lives of the last two Assassins.

Apart from the Assassin leader, the rest of his underlings were completely annihilated.

Although the process might seem long, the entire duration of this spell was less than a second.

Within a second, four separate rune formations appeared in the area around the Assassins. Four consecutive flaming pillars then erupted from the ground and consumed all the Assassins in the process.

These four incandescent flaming pillars formed a complete Level-7 spell.

“Level-7 spell! Instantaneous spellcasting speed as well!” The Assassin leader was horrified. He knew that his opponents must have gotten some backup and immediately thought of retreating. He then released his Battle Aura as he turned in the opposite direction.

“Won’t you stay?” A voice rang from the shadows of the forest followed by a beam of emerald light.

It was the Level-6 spell, Metal Decay.

Spells that were light based in nature traveled extremely fast. In the darkness, one could see a beam of light flashing through the air, charging straight towards the heart of the Assassin leader.

However, the Assassin leader was experienced as well. He released a huge amount of Battle Aura in the last moment and managed to escape to one side.

This was not to say that the Assassin leader was faster than the spell. He merely predicted his opponent’s attack beforehand. When a Magician cast a spell, he would first have to determine the position where he wanted his attack to land. The spell would then take time to travel to that location. All these processes took time.

In the eyes of other professions, this time was called the “Golden Period.”

Different types of spells had different Golden Periods as well. The length could be as long as half a second. For example, Link’s whistle needed to travel through the air before reaching its target. In that time, an experienced Warrior could easily erect his defenses. Of course, the practicality of the defense then depended on the Warrior’s judgment and skills.

Short Golden Periods could be only around ten microseconds long. Within these spells, the light-based spells were known for having extremely short Golden Periods. Most of these spells had a foundational Golden Period of not more than 100 microseconds long. If the Magician was an experienced one, he could even shorten it to under ten microseconds.

With a buzzing sound, the Metal Decay beam shot across the Assassin’s arm and left a charred mark on his hand. It then hit the ground, causing a pile of rotten mud more than nine feet in diameter to appear immediately.

The Assassin leader had succeeded in avoiding the attack.

However, the Metal Decay attack was not completed. This spell was similar to the fire pillars previously and was made to fire in bursts.

After the first beam, three consecutive beams emerged from the shadows. Each of this beams had been carefully adjusted to aim at the Assassin leader’s fatal spots.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Three beams of light flashed across the atmosphere. The Assassin leader also changed his stance three consecutive times in an instant, escaping these deadly beams one by one.

His speed was outrageous. From other’s perspective, his body seemed to have split into multiple images in that instant. Every beam seemed to pass through the image but was just so close to hitting his real self.

The attack ended after a second with all four beams landing onto the ground. All the images of the Assassin leader then converged into a tangible body. He then immediately headed in the opposite direction. He was running for his life!

“You stay!” Romilson was the one shouting this time around.

The unexpected support was a huge confidence booster for him. He had already canceled his Thorn Vine spell. When the Assassin leader was busy dealing with the spells coming from the shadows, Romilson skillfully manipulated his unicorn and charged straight at the Assassin.

As the Assassin leader was about to flee, he raised his wand and pointed it towards the Assassin leader before shouting, “Poison Thorn Vines!”

Whoosh! A series of noises sounded from the ground as countless magic vines sprung up towards the Assassin. Boom! Boom! the vines appeared one after another, charging towards the Assassin leader in all directions.

However, this Assassin leader had just escaped a light-based spell. These vines would be a piece of cake compared to the close shave with death he just encountered. He skillfully dodged left and right, escaping Romilson’s attacks while showcasing a beautiful dance. Romilson could not seem to land a hit.

“Damn it! How can he be so fast!?” Romilson was terrified. He felt as though he was punching the air when the enemy was right in front of him.

However, his attack was not useless. It had successfully trapped the Assassin leader in his location and gave the figure in the shadows enough time to cast a spell.

“Flame Blast!” The figure in the darkness used a standard fire-elemental spell.

An incandescent fireball charged towards the Assassin leader. Although it was a Level-4 spell, the destructive force of this spell was terrifying. If the Assassin leader was engulfed by these flames, he would be heavily injured and most probably done in by the next few follow-up spells.

The attacking range of this spell was huge as well. After the explosion, the area within a 90-foot radius of the point of the explosion would be engulfed in flames; there would be no place for the Assassin leader to hide.

In an instant, Romilson felt a sense of relief as he thought that this battle was settled.

However, at the moment, Link’s voice sounded, “Fool! Get back!”

“Back? Why?” Romilson had not reacted to the situation.

The next moment, he felt his heart palpitating at an insane rate, as though he had been targeted by an ancient ferocious beast. It was an intense feeling. More importantly, although he felt this dangerous premonition, he had no idea where the danger would strike.

In his state of panic, he could only follow Link’s instructions and give up on his Poison Thorn Vine spell and ran back with his unicorn mount.

But he was too late.

The next instant, he heard a huge explosion behind him. It was the Flame Blast spell. Following which, Romilson realized that the Assassin leader had disappeared.

“Where is he? Where did he go?” Romilson instinctively cast a defensive spell on himself.

Before the defensive spell was completed, he suddenly heard the sound of howling winds. Following which, he saw a dark figure beside him. It was the Assassin leader who was just getting cornered a moment ago!

How can he be so fast? Romilson was horrified.

The Assassin leader smiled cruelly as he raised his dagger and plunged it straight towards his heart. The speed of this attack was outrageous.

It’s over! I won’t be in time!

Romilson knew that he would not have the time to complete his defensive spell. In fact, the emotional fluctuation that he was going through had already undone whatever progress he had made in casting the spell.

As the dagger was about to pierce through his skin, Romilson felt his body tremble at the very last moment. He then noticed that a faint crimson glow was enveloping his body. He then took a look at the Assassin leader and realized that the speed at which the dagger was reaching his heart had slowed down significantly. Furthermore, within this red glow, the black leather armor on the Assassin leader ‘s body began to burn.

Link cast a defensive spell on me! Romilson finally reacted to the situation. He felt as though he was just pulled back from the brink of death.

The Assassin leader decisively gave up on his assault after this delay and retreated a total of 30 feet in a single leap. After 30 feet, a dark crimson miasma could be seen enveloping his body.

Whoosh! An emerald light beam pierced this crimson miasma and almost dissipated it.

However, after the miasma dissipated, the Assassin leader was nowhere to be seen. He seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

“Where is he?” Romilson could not wrap his head around this situation.

“That was a Battle Aura illusion. His real self was concealed under some sort of stealth spell,” Link explained. It was a shame that he had to concentrate on curing Milda. If not, the Assassin Leader would have been a corpse by now.

“I am here. You fool!” A voice emerged from afar.

Romilson stared in the direction of the voice and saw that several hundred feet away, the Assassin leader was waving to him. This guy was laughing hysterically and suddenly turned his body around. He then accelerated and disappeared into the darkness.

He was gone. Two Level-7 Magicians were unable to stop him. If not for Link’s intervention at the end, Romilson would already be dead.

Romilson was devastated at this result. He then thought back on his immature ravings and felt his face turn hot. He almost wanted to find a hole in the ground and bury his head in it.

He remembered that his mentor had told him before he left the Isle of Dawn, “You are now an official Magician. However, you are still not fit for combat. You must be extra careful when you go to the Norton Kingdom.”

He thought nothing about it then. This was because the strongest Magician in the entire Norton Kingdom was Dean Anthony, who was merely a Level-7 Magician like him. How dangerous could such an undeveloped place be?

But now he totally understood the teachings of his mentor. His path of magic had just begun. As Link and this Assassin leader had said, in a real battle, he was nothing but a fool!

This was truly a painful realization.

Chapter 256: And Then, a Demon King Will Appear

 

High Elf Romilson stood dazedly on the beach.

From the corner of his vision, he saw the black-robed Magician leave quietly. He did not know who that Magician was or why he would help them. He’d even sensed a dark aura from the Magician’s magic, but Romilson didn’t want to stop him.

No matter who he was, he had saved them and that was a fact. Romilson knew he wasn’t a match for the Magician either.

The sea breeze blew by, and the crashing of waves traveled to his ears constantly. He stood for a good ten minutes before he finally recovered and went back to Link’s side.

Link was sitting on the beach now. Princess Milda was still leaning in his arms. Her clothing was a bit disorderly with two Mithril tubes reached inside her collar. There was a thin aura of blood coming from her.

“How is she?” Romilson asked. He could see that the princess was much better. Her breathing was more stable, and the darkness of her pallor had faded to nothing.

Link was still focused on detoxifying and nodded when he heard Romilson. “Not optimistic.”

Romilson’s heart clenched. Seeing Link’s state, he didn’t dare disturb him and just waited patiently.

After another ten minutes, Link’s finger moved. He said, “The purification is mostly done, but Her Highness’s body is greatly damaged. It’s hard to say…Come, help me hold this.”

Romilson hurried over. He knelt down in the sand and held the crude yet effective Mithril blood purifier with both hands.

With his hands free, Link started casting the Higgs Force Field. He connected the entrance and exit tubes with a click. Then, he twisted the dirty filter off.

Romilson pointed at the Mithril tube still connected to the princess’s body and asked, “What about this?”

“The Mithril tube is connected to Her Highness’s artery. Without a priest, the wound won’t be able to heal promptly, so I can’t take it out for now. Hold it, and I’ll anchor it on her ribs with a cloth.”

With that, Link pulled out a clean shirt from his dimensional storage gear and tore out a few strips. He lifted Milda’s shirt and tied the tube tightly.

After detoxifying, Milda’s skin was different. It was dazzling white with pinkish breasts. Romilson quickly looked away. Link moved as fast as possible too. He anchored the tube tightly and made sure it wouldn’t move and damage Milda’s artery. Then, he quickly pulled her shirt down.

“Done. Do you have Elf Nectar?” Link asked.

“Yes, yes, yes, I have a bottle,” Romilson answered quickly.

“Good. Feed it to Her Highness to replenish her fading vitality.”

“Okay, okay,” Romilson answered. He pulled out a beautiful crystal bottle filled with purplish emerald liquid.

Link lightly pinched Milda’s chin and throat. Her mouth opened subconsciously, and Romilson carefully poured the Elf Nectar in.

Milda was still unconscious and couldn’t swallow. During this process, Link used the Magician’s Hand to close her windpipe.

After a full five minutes, the mere 50-milliliter bottle of Elf Nectar dripped into Milda’s stomach. Romilson was covered in sweat when they finished.

The Elf Nectar was definitely powerful. Without the Gray Blood Poison’s restrictions, it was fully effective. Milda’s pallor recovered visibly; her breathing became stronger as well.

Link opened Milda’s eyes and saw that the pupils were pale purple again. He used the Flash Spell and the pupils restricted immediately. This meant it responded to the light.

Fully relieved, Link said, “Good, she won’t die. However, she’ll be very weak for a long time.”

Romilson wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed. He mumbled, “As long as she’s alive, as long as she’s alive.”

It was okay if she was weak. The High Elves had tons of ways to restore her health.

Link cast the Levitation spell on Milda again and helped her up with the Magician’s Hand. He said, “Summon your unicorn. Let’s go back to Scorched Ridge.”

“Okay, no problem.” Romilson obeyed Link’s orders without any temper.

He summoned his unicorn and used the Magician’s Hand to gently place Milda on the beast’s back. Link also summoned his Wind Fenrir and they started back.

After 300 feet, Link turned back. He saw Vance in the shadow by the beach and smiled. Subtly, he made some complex hand gestures to the Lich, saying, Thanks, I’ll come find you after I settle these matters.

Vance reached out his skeletal hand and gestured that he understood. Then, he retreated and disappeared into the shadows.

Nothing happened on the way back. The two men reached Scorched Ridge without any obstacles.

In the camp, the corpses all over the ground had been gathered. Occasionally, there were sniffles and cries but the fire was put out, and order was reinstated.

Seeing Link return, Jacker welcomed him. “Lord.”

Link nodded. “Good job, but there’s something else.”

“Please tell me.”

Link pulled out his wand and a sheepskin parchment. He pointed the wand at the parchment and activated a Level-1 Magic Image.

A few seconds later, a clear image of the lead Assassin appeared on the parchment. His two daggers were especially detailed, practically identical to the original. Link then used the Copy Spell to write down the leader’s specific characteristics, going into more detail about his weapon. He even wrote down the special effects.

In the end, Link gave Jacker the parchment. “He is the culprit who attacked the territory—a powerful Level-7 Assassin. Release an announcement that he’s wanted. Those who can provide accurate information will be rewarded 100 gold. Anyone who can kill him will get 10,000 gold! One of his weapons is 20,000 gold!”

Jacker gasped. “Lord, isn’t that too much?”

This would be the highest reward money in the history of Firuman.

“It’s not too much. Anyone who can kill this Assassin is worth the money.” Link saw that Jacker had more to say and waved his hand. “Don’t. I’ve already decided.”

He had an idea of what had happened. The Syndicate of the South and the Dark Elves of the North had schemed together against his territory.

It was a very good move. They’d publicly declared war on him. However, both the Syndicate and the Dark Elves seemed to have forgotten that the world was not so simple. The Syndicate did not own the South either.

There would always be a powerful solo Warrior; there would always be powerful mercenaries. If he provided an extremely high reward, someone would do everything for the money.

Seeing Link like that, Jacker remembered that they’d discovered a clay mine in the territory and had more money than they could spend. He had no need to argue anymore and nodded. “I’ll do it this instant.”

Link nodded. He turned to Romilson and said, “Let’s go find a priest.”

Scorched Ridge may be small, but it had everything. There was already a small church with a mid-level priest.

When they arrived at the church, the priest saw that it was the Lord and the patient was the High Elf Princess so he naturally worked as hard as he could. Half an hour later, Milda’s outer wounds were mostly healed. The Mithril tube was removed as well.

Afterwards, Romilson took Milda to rest. This was the High Elves’ business, so Link didn’t bother them after arranging their lodging and guards.

Rather than going to rest himself, he started taking care of the other matters. He worked deep into the night until two in the morning. Finally, everything was settled, and peace started settling in Scorched Ridge again.

…

Huff, huff. A black shadow sprinted across Ferde Wilderness, not stopping until he had run ten miles. He panted heavily.

It was the lead Assassin who had escaped earlier.

The previous battles seemed easy, but actually, he had always been hanging by a thread. He had used all his might in every second.

After a short rest, he heard something beside him but didn’t sense any danger. Looking up, he saw the Dark Elf Magician.

“Here for the show?” He was a bit angered. He wouldn’t have lost if this Magician hadn’t helped earlier.

“You must be blaming me, right?” the Magician chuckled.

The Assassin was furious. “Humph, you’re still laughing now?”

The Magician sighed. “It’s great news that you escaped alive. Of course I should laugh.”

The Assassin huffed. “But if you helped, my men would still be alive. We could’ve killed the High Elf Princess too!”

The Dark Elf Magician shook his head. “No, you’re wrong. If I joined, we might’ve been able to kill the High Elf Princess, but then Link would’ve been freed too. Then you would realize that you’re faced with a Demon King. We would’ve died in that wilderness.”

The leader winced—he hadn’t thought about this. He was only thinking of killing the princess and didn’t consider Link’s potential revenge afterward.

During the fight, Link seemed to have been treating the princess the entire time. Despite that, he was still able to easily stop the fatal attacks. The Assassin thought of Link’s track record he’d heard rumors of. If Link had fought freely…The Assassin shuddered. He truly had been careless.

When he snapped out of it, the Dark Magician continued, “I’m here to remind you that Link will definitely take revenge when he returns. If I were him, I’d announce a great reward to catch you. For example, 5000 gold for your head. How many people do you think would go crazy for that?”

The Assassin paled. Trying to stay strong, he said, “Let me see who dares to accept the challenge. I’ll kill anyone who comes!”

“What if they come in tens or hundreds?”

The Assassin gulped. He sighed and said to the Dark Elf, “Thanks for the reminder. I’ll go hide now.”

With that, he started flying to the South without stop.

Seeing the Assassin disappear into the dark night, the Dark Elf Magician sighed. “The mission still failed. That Link is so difficult.”

He had to return to the North promptly as well. The Dark Serpent did not have much more time left in Firuman. The victor of the northern war must be decided.

Chapter 257: It’s a Shame You Are Not a High Elf

 

Ferde Wilderness

These few days, news about the Ferde Wilderness spread around like wildfire. The most popular one was not the one regarding the ambush, but rather, the outrageous compensation the Lord of the Ferde Wilderness was offering!

The head of the Assassin was worth 10000 gold coins while his weapon was worth a whopping 20000 gold coins. This news was like a red-hot iron being thrown into a bucket of cold water. It exploded and splattered across the Norton Kingdom swiftly, reaching the ears of even the most elusive people.

A huge crowd gathered in front of the bulletin board outside Scorched Ridge every day, commenting on the rewards.

“It would be a wonder if the Assassin can stay alive after this declaration. I will feel safe staying in this place.”

“I bet there will be someone sending his head over in a month’s time.”

“One month is way too long; half a month is more than sufficient!”

“If I had any battling skills, I would definitely hunt him down as well.”

These discussions happened every moment throughout the day. Anyone who set foot on the territory would first and foremost be attracted by this notice. The residents of the Scorched Ridge prided themselves on this aspect of their land.

This also greatly reduced the negative implications the ambush had on the reputation of the territory. However, it was still the truth that the territory was ambushed by an enemy. Such a thing must not happen again.

The day after the ambush, Gildern rigorously sieved out the Syndicate spies from the mercenary band. The Magicians also doubled the construction speed of the Mage Tower. High Elf Romilson also joined the team to facilitate the process.

In return, Link also increased the commission for the Magicians.

Under the efforts of the Magicians, the Mage Tower seemed to have a new look every day. With this speed, the Mage Tower should be completed in half a month’s time.

As for Link, he dedicated two hours a day to deal with the administrative things regarding his territory. He then spent the rest of his time experimenting with magic, especially the theories regarding the construction of a magic puppet.

The third day after the ambush, Link was studying theories regarding magic puppet construction in the top level of the administrative building as usual.

These few days, he delved deeper into the theories written in The Heart of the Puppet and Vance’s Theory of Magic Puppet. After combining the wisdom from both books, a magic puppet theory unique to his own understanding was slowly forming in his mind.

But it still wasn’t enough.

“I don’t have enough relevant books regarding this field. If I am able to read more theories regarding magic puppets and extract the essence of their theories, that would be great.”

The wisdom of the predecessors was necessary in order to attain greater heights. Link was now eager to attain this wisdom. Unfortunately, the magic foundation of the human race was way too weak. Link was already at the peak of knowledge and strength in the human race, only second to Magician Bryant.

Link then heard someone knocking at the door.

Link frowned as he checked the time. It was two o’clock in the afternoon. He had instructed his servants to let no one disturb him during this period. What happened?

“Is there something wrong?”

“Sir, Princess Milda is awake and wishes to see you.” The voice of a young girl sounded outside the door. Link remembered this voice. It belonged to a female servant which he specially assigned to Milda.

It was his duty to pay Milda a visit when she woke up. Link then put away his magic book and opened the door before saying, “Let’s go.”

The princess had to be given special treatment everywhere she went. Princess Milda lived in the only house built from stone in the entire territory. This was a house which Link commissioned the Magicians to build just for the purpose of Milda’s visit. It was a two-story villa and had a large balcony and a small garden.

Link passed through the small garden that was built in a rush and entered the villa before finally reaching the bedroom on the second floor. In the bedroom, Milda leaned her back against the bed frame as a servant carefully fed her meat soup.

As she saw Link walking into the room, she smiled and pointed to the chair not far away from the bed, whispering, “Sit.”

Link sat down and observed Milda’s face. As compared to the first day when he saw her, she still appeared pale, and her eyes were dim and lifeless. She wore plain white pajamas and let loose her golden brown hair. Without the overwhelming presence of a High Elf Princess, she looked more like a girl next door. Of course, the features of this girl next door were too delicate and gorgeous to be true.

“I have some things I wish to speak with Lord Link alone.” Milda waved her hands at the two servants who bowed slightly before leaving the room and closing the door behind them.

Silence took over the room for a few seconds before Link said out of courtesy, “I’m glad to see the princess in good health.”

To his surprise, the moment he said those words, Milda chuckled and said, “Are you truly glad? Link, I actually woke up way earlier this morning. Romilson had already told me the whole story. I’m afraid that in your eyes, I am merely a princess whom you can let go anytime you want.”

Link lifted his head to look at Milda in shock. He realized that she was also staring right at him, her pair of amethyst eyes shining with sarcasm.

Link was also not surprised by those words. When he made that choice, he had also predicted that this would happen. He did not make any excuses for himself, but merely changed the topic of the conversation, “Your Highness, your reason for summoning me is?”

Princess Milda sighed helplessly upon seeing his reaction.

She had complicated feelings towards this Magician. She had great respect for his magic talent and was grateful to him for saving her life. However, she was also depressed at his previous choice, although she could totally understand his perspective as the princess of the High Elf race. Her political education from young had informed her that Link’s decision was the correct one. If she were in charge of the situation, she would have done the same. Though, she would never have accomplished it nearly as perfect as Link did.

“I apologize for my actions that night. I should not have suspected you.” In the end, Milda said an unexpected line.

Link then looked at Milda in shock. From her reaction that day, he thought Milda was just like Romilson, merely a fledgling young Magician who had no experience in dealing with issues. Her sarcasm just moments ago further confirmed his suspicions. However, her sudden apology had reversed Link’s negative impression of her.

She seems to be slightly more mature than that brat Romilson. Link had a slightly better impression of Milda now.

“You don’t have to apologize. If I had encountered such a situation, I would not have trusted the other party as well,” Link said.

“Indeed, but you never would have left in a fit like I did.” Milda had a self-loathing expression when she said this. “If you had encountered the same situation, you would not reveal any signs of dissatisfaction or distrust. You would even show support for the other party. If it was a misunderstanding, the other part would be grateful for your trust, and even if the other party had indeed dabbled in dark magic, your trust and support would have won you a good reputation. Others would then recognize your character, am I right?”

Link thought for a moment before nodding.

If he was really caught up in that situation, he would settle it as per what Milda had said.

It might seem silly to trust someone unconditionally. However, this was actually a smart investment. As long as one invested enough in self-protection and strategized carefully, they would become the ultimate winner in this exchange.

Using this strategy would gain you more loyal allies the further you down the road of power.

On the contrary, Milda’s actions looked shrewd and applaudable at first glance. However, if she continued on this path, her allies would slowly reduce in size, and she would eventually be left alone.

The difference between these two choices laid in the magnanimity of the person.

After a long sigh, Milda’s said with a depressed expression, “You are not like me. Not only did I offend you, I even caused Latour to lose his life. Even I almost died in that incident. I feel horrible looking back at my actions.”

It was impossible for Link to reply to this statement!

After some thought, he could only comfort, “Everyone makes mistakes. It will be fine as long as we change for the better.”

Milda laughed as she said, “Look, you always make the best choice. When you first entered this room, I was enraged at your decision and could not help but ridicule you with my sarcastic tone despite the fact that I knew it was wrong. However, you did nothing as such. You still saved me in the end even though I suspected you. You comforted me even when I was rude to you just moments ago. I am extremely curious. Don’t you have any emotions at all?”

Link frowned. He did not wish to be talking about such superfluous things with Milda. He then said, “Your Highness, did you call me in here just to say all this …”

He nearly said the word “nonsense” before he stopped himself.

Milda’s smile grew even brighter upon seeing his expression, “It seems like you still have emotions. You are just not going to hold it against a young an inexperienced girl like me. Alright then, I will stop spouting nonsense. This is what I want to say. I feel that you are a reliable ally worthy of the strong support of the High Elves.”

Link raised his eyebrows. This was a result he did not expect.

“You are surprised, yes?”

“It was truly something I didn’t expect.” Link was surprised at the sudden maturity of this young girl.

Milda then said softly, “My mother once said to me that if the High Elves wished to stay strong forever, we would need a reliable ally. A true reliable ally is not one who stays loyal to you indefinitely, as those people simply do not exist. Reliable allies are those that can benefit from a mutual cooperation and have a common interest. This is the only way a cooperation can last long. You are the person I am looking for.”

Cooperation between races had never been a one-sided connection or a highly-imbalanced exchange. Even if it existed, there was bound to be suspicion and fury after some time.

Link then nodded as he commended, “You mother is truly wise.”

As Link brought up her mother, Milda’s face lit up with pride. She continued, “You are a perfect Magician. I heard that you have been studying magic most of the time during the day?”

“Indeed.”

Milda then laughed as she said, “I will put this bluntly. While the human race does have some interesting magic, the magic you have in general is still crass and vulgar. You guys don’t even possess a complete Level-8 magic book. Even if you have exceptional magic talent, you can at most reach Level-7 in strength.”

Link felt that something huge was happening and he straightened his body to look at Milda.

Milda stared at him as she straightened her body and curled her lips slightly before saying, “Hence, I invite you for a trip to the Isle of Dawn. We have a magic library on the island which contains the magic knowledge my race has accumulated throughout the years. When you are free, you can stay there for around…three months.”

Link was truly touched by this offer. His eyes lit up as he bowed to Milda respectfully before saying, “I am extremely honored.”

Milda then took out another magic book named Freedom and Puppet. This is a book written by the Legendary Magician of our race, Rafael. It is a book regarding the workings of the magic puppet. You might need it.”

Link was elated and immediately flipped open the book as he received it. After merely a few pages, he felt that the book was filled with undiscovered knowledge he had never imagined possible. However, he also had a question.

“Your Highness, why do you have so many magic books with you?”

Milda then smiled as she said, “I actually brought a mini library with me. I have many copies of famous magic books back on the Isle of Dawn.”

Link was extremely envious of Milda’s accessibility to knowledge. The High Elves were truly a race that built their foundation on magic. Not only did they possess a vast amount of magical knowledge, but they also possessed a lot more magic books than the human race.

Milda could not help but chuckle at Link’s expression, as she said, “Link, it is such a waste that you are not a High Elf. If not, you would definitely become one of the greatest Magicians in the history of our race.”

Link merely dismissed her last sentence as it was impossible for him to ever become a High Elf. He was already eager to delve into the mysteries of the magic book he just received. After asking Milda to take good care of her body, he was prepared to leave immediately and go back to his study room.

Milda then added, “I have at least ten more books regarding magic puppets over here. You can exchange it with me after you are done with that one. The information regarding the Divine Gear has already been passed on to Isle of Dawn by a messenger. I will be staying here to recuperate for some time.”

Link once again thanked her for her generosity before hurrying away.

Milda then got down from her bed and walked to the window beside her bed, keeping her gaze on Link until he was no longer in sight.

She sighed once again, “What a waste that you are not a High Elf.”

Chapter 258: Potentially an Unbeatable Monster

 

After receiving a new magic book, Link was like fish in water. For the next few days, he spent almost all his time on the book Freedom and the Puppet. He practically forgot to sleep and eat.

Celine was unrestricted and could disturb him while he was studying magic spells, but he closed his door to everyone else.

The morning three days later, Link had flipped to the last page. He had pretty much figured out the entire book.

“This is such fine and flawless wisdom, but there’s not enough,” Link sighed sadly. He picked up the book, ready to look for Milda and exchange for another one.

He was completely obsessed with the puppet theory. After finishing this one, he had his eyes on the other nine books Milda had. If he didn’t read them, he would feel something missing from him.

Just as he went to open the door, someone knocked on it. Tuk tuk, tuk tuk. The rhythmic tapping meant that it was Celine.

Link walked quickly and opened the door. He was in a good mood; seeing Celine’s lovely face, his mood became even better. Smiling, he said, “My dear, how can I help you?”

It was the first time Link used such an affectionate term. Surprised, Celine blushed and whined, “Go away. I’m not your dear.” She looked inside the room. Seeing that the book wasn’t on the table, she asked, “Are you busy now?”

“I’m free.” Link moved to the side with a smile, letting Celine in.

Once inside, Celine took out her basic wand and said, “For some reason, my power is increasing faster and faster.”

With that, there was a Mana influx in her wand. It merely rushed in without constructing any Mana structures, but Link was affected by it. He was shaken.

Wow, it’s only been one week, and her power has doubled, Link thought, amazed. Soul Dominator bloodlines were truly powerful.

Seeing Link’s surprise, Celine was a bit proud. She giggled and said, “That’s not it. My premonitions are getting stronger too. Instead of long-term premonitions, they’re short-term, like some really weird gut feeling. Like just now, I was outside and thought that you would be free, so I knocked on the door.”

“Huh?” This ability was curious. Link couldn’t figure it out, but after thinking for a bit, he pulled out a gold coin. He said, “I’ll toss it and guess heads or tails.”

“Heads.” Celine’s answer was definite.

Link tossed the coin, and it fell to the ground half a second later. It rolled and landed heads up. It may have been lucky so Link tried again and again. He tried ten times, and Celine was guessed correctly each time without any hesitation.

This was probably a short-term predictive ability, and she was completely accurate too. The ability was very powerful. However, since it was short-term, there should be a time limit.

Link tried something else, still using the coin. “This time, I’ll toss it five seconds after you guess. Try it.”

But Celine shook her head. “I can’t. There’s no feeling.”

“Just guess.”

“Then tails.”

Link waited five seconds and tossed. The coin dropped onto the table with a clink, spun, and landed heads up. He tried this ten times again, but Celine was only right four times. Her rate was about 50-50, just like the average man.

Link reduced the time, going from four seconds to three, then two. Finally, Celine’s feeling came back at 1.5 seconds. Her accuracy shot up to 100%.

This meant that she could guess anything that would happen within 1.5 seconds with almost 100% accuracy. Of course, guessing heads or tails was simple. If it was a more complex matter, the time might decrease further.

Link tried other tests. In the end, he concluded that Celine could choose correctly between two options if the time frame was 1.5 seconds. If there were more choices, such as three, four, or even ten, the time frame went from 1.5 seconds to around 0.5 seconds. More complicated guesses were still maintained at 0.5 seconds.

This meant that Celine could accurately predict anything that happened within 0.5 seconds.

Half a second was short, and she couldn’t do much to change the big picture. However, if one had this ability in a fight, one’s combat power would at least double. If trained well, Celine could become an unbeatable monster.

“Awesome! Awesome!” Link praised repeatedly. He spun Celine in the air and then studied her as if looking at a rare treasure.

A little shy, Celine said awkwardly, “Actually, there’s something else.”

“Tell me,” Link said.

“I don’t have any power now, and it feels weird.”

“Would you like to learn magic with me?” Link’s eyes brightened even more. A Magician with short-term predictive abilities would honestly be unbeatable in battle. If he could have this ability, he would be invincible.

Celine shook her head furiously. “No, no. I have Mana talent, and I can learn some basic spells, but when I look at advanced books, my head hurts. I think I’m better as a Warrior or something but definitely not a Magician.”

Link was disappointed, but he understood Celine’s interests. He knew she wasn’t suitable for learning magic. Pondering, he asked, “Do you have any thoughts?”

Celine furrowed her brows. “I…I haven’t thought much, but I don’t want to be like now. When the Assassins attacked, I could only stand to the side. I couldn’t help you and had to be protected. I don’t like this feeling at all.”

“Oh, then you think over it, and I’ll help you think too.” Link started wondering what Celine should do.

It should be a professional that was safe and didn’t require killing people directly. It had to take advantage of Celine’s talent as well. It would be best if she could develop combat power quickly without needing any difficult training.

This was a lot of requirements. Link racked his mind, and suddenly, an idea popped up. “The Yabba race has a type of Magic Pistol. It’s really destructive, and I’ve seen it before. The structure isn’t that difficult, so I can make one. How about I make you a Magic Pistol?”

Celine thought it over, and her eyes brightened. Her blushed cheeks were so cute. “That’s a great idea. Please help me make a Magic Pistol. It has to be accurate and powerful.”

“It’s on me! You’ll definitely be satisfied,” Link promised.

Link wouldn’t dare brag about other weapons, but for pistols, he could use memories from earth for reference. There were a bunch of enchantments he could use too. If he couldn’t make something incredibly awesome with all that, he should just jump off a cliff.

Celine smiled brightly. Link’s enchantments were renowned throughout Firuman. Since he promised, this Magic Pistol would definitely be powerful.

Actually, ever since the Storm Lord sealed the demonic power in Celine’s body, her personality became brighter, and she loved to smile. Whenever she smiled, her eyes would turn into crescents. Her lips were pink and plump, bright and beautiful. Seeing it, Link became happy. He couldn’t stop himself from pulling Celine into a hug.

Celine froze. At first, she was tense, but she quickly softened. She didn’t protest, but her face was as red as a tomato. The two hugged quietly, enjoying the sweet serenity.

After a long while, Link unwillingly let go. Smiling, he said, “I’m going to find Princess Milda for another book. Your Magic Pistol…How about three days? I’ll find time these three days to make it.”

Celine shook her head. “No need to hurry. Wait until you’re free to do it. I need to start working out again too.”

Hearing this, Link suddenly thought of the Epic Battle Art he had taught Jacker and the others. Hitting his forehead, he said, “Your body leans more toward the water element. I have an Epic Battle Art for the water element. Take it to practice but don’t work too hard.”

Celine giggled. “I was waiting for that. Give me the Battle Art!”

Link placed the book in her cream-colored hands. They shared another moment, and then Link kissed Celine’s forehead before leaving. As for the Magic Pistol, he decided to start on it as soon as he exchanged the book!

When he reached the stone house, Link saw Milda working in the small garden. She had recovered well. She was still weak but could do some light physical work. Planting flowers and such helped her recover even faster.

She saw Link and took off her dirty gloves. Smiling, she asked, “What, you finished the book?”

“Indeed.” Link returned Freedom and the Puppet to Milda. “I want to get another one.”

Milda was straightforward. She took out a book with a purple cover. The title was One Hundred Twenty-Nine Ways to Connect Joints. Rather than a theory book, this was an explanation of specific techniques. Link accepted it, thanked her profusely, and turned to leave.

“Hey, not so fast,” Milda called out.

“How can I help you?” Link’s attention was already on the new book.

Seeing him like this, Milda sighed. She asked, “I heard you accepted a disciple called Rylai?”

Link smacked his forehead. He had been so busy these days that he practically forgot about Rylai. He was honestly an irresponsible teacher. “Indeed,” Link admitted, a bit guilty.

Milda shook her head. “Oh, you’re really wasting her high talent. She spends all her days frolicking with the Wind Tiger. I see that you’re too busy while I have nothing to do so why don’t you let her study with me?”

This was great news. Link quickly agreed.

“Okay, go do what you need. I’ll tell her myself.”

Link left quickly, unwilling to waste any time. Looking at his back, Milda shook her head again.

“No wonder he’s accomplished. He’s obsessed with learning.”

On the other hand, Link had forgotten all about Milda. When he returned to the cabin, he flipped through the new book and scanned it roughly. Then he took out papers and pens to sketch the blueprint of the Magic Pistol.

This was for Celine. He had to do his best!

Chapter 259: A Huge Fire Gun for The Beloved

 

In the World of Firuman, the small built Yabbas were known to be extremely adept in their handicrafts. They were the experts at engineering, and amongst their many ingenuity, the magic pistol was one of their greatest inventions.

Although they would strictly be categorized under the gun category as well, the construction of a magic pistol was ten times more complex than a normal gun on earth. Naturally, the firepower of the magic gun also put the gun on earth to shame.

Link had already reached a level of his own in the area of enchanting magic. He was undoubtedly the best within the human race when it came to enchanting. Even Master Enchanter Weissmuller in East Cove Higher Magic Academy could not compare.

He would naturally have no problem crafting a magic pistol.

After thinking for a moment, he had a rough idea in his mind and began sketching the blueprint for the magic gun.

This magic pistol needed to have strong firepower and simple controls. It should also be reliable and should not fail under any environment or circumstances. Most importantly, it must be safe for use.

These were all basic requirements for the magic pistol. Link then tried to recall the appearance of those powerful sniper rifles on earth as he sketched the first blueprint.

The first step of the process was simple enough; Link completed it within ten minutes. Following which, he then started revising his blueprint according to the magic principles in the World of Firuman.

Although Celine has a dimensional pendant, it is not really safe to put a weapon inside it. It would be a tragedy if the dimension collapses with the weapon still in it. Hence, this pistol will have to be portable. It must be small in size, meaning that the barrel has to be short. If I want to maintain the firepower while reducing the length of the barrel, I will have to improve the fire elemental pressure within the barrel…This way, the material requirements for the pistol will be pretty high.

Link had planned to create a magic pistol that could forcefully blast its way through a Level-6 defensive spell. This way, it would even be possible to blast through a Level-7 defensive spell if coupled with a special type of anti-magic bullets.

He would need an extremely strong barrel to withstand such tremendous firepower. Link then recalled the materials he had in his storage and finally wrote a note on the side of his blueprint: Mysteria Gold

Mysteria Gold

Epic Quality

Effect: Incredible strength and can withstand high temperatures. Has near perfect resistance to magic and performs well as a vessel for magic runes.

(Note: This metal is made using transformation magic and is extremely valuable.)

Vance had three blocks of Mysteria Gold in his storage. They totaled 15 pounds, and they were so rare that their price on the market could not even be estimated. It was more than enough to create just a single barrel.

The barrel is the first step. The rune formation on the pistol is the second step. It must be made using a reliable material. This material also cannot conflict with the properties of the Mysteria Gold. What should I use?

After a few minutes, Link then wrote down another main material on the blueprint: Shattered Star Thorium

Shattered Star Thorium

Epic Quality

Effect: An extremely powerful magic conductor. It is the perfect neutral material.

This was a metal that was of the same grade as Fire Star Thorium. On the Hot Springs City market, one gram of Shattered Star Thorium cost 987 gold coins. Link did not have a lot of these on hand; he merely had 50 grams.

Clearly, 50 grams of Shattered Star Thorium was not sufficient, so Link decided to use these materials only on the most crucial parts. He would then use Fire Star Thorium to fill in the rest.

As such, Link wrote down the third material on the blueprint: Fire Star Thorium.

After he settled on the three main materials he would be using, the remaining things would be simple. He simply had to choose materials that complemented the qualities of the three main materials. Half an hour later, Link wrote down a list of materials.

Although the rest of the materials were not as expensive as the first three main materials, they were also treasured items. The estimated total cost of the materials on the list was millions of gold coins. Alas, it was only an estimated price. No one would use gold coins to purchase these materials. For such ultra-high value materials, people usually trade for them by bartering.

After confirming the materials, Link then started sketching the second version of the blueprint.

This blueprint was more detailed than the first. Link took a total of three hours before he was done. It was dinner time by that time, and he took the blueprint to the dining area.

This was a private dining area especially made for Link and Celine. When Link arrived, Celine was already waiting for him. He then passed her the blueprint and said, “I intend to build a magic pistol based on this blueprint. See if you are satisfied with it.”

“That’s fast.” Celine was elated and immediately started observing the blueprint.

In the blueprint, Link not only sketched the appearance of the product but also included the functions of each specific parts and structure. From Link’s perspective, Celine should be able to understand it easily.

After five to six minutes, Celine returned the blueprint to Link. It was difficult to tell if she was satisfied with the design.

“How is it?” Link was actually quite nervous about Celine’s opinion.

If this scene was seen by the people from the mainland who quoted high prices for Link’s equipment, they would definitely be bitter and dumbfounded. This was a weapon which Master Link had specially tailored, to think that he would be worried about his customer’s satisfaction level!

Celine then laid out her hands and said, “It looks beautiful, and I can roughly grasp the workings of the pistol. However, I do not have a good understanding of it and cannot determine the quality of a gun. I’ll let you decide for me.”

“Alright then.” Link probably read too much into it.

After dinner, Link started revising the blueprint for the third time. He was extremely detailed this time around. Roughly four hours later, the third version of the blueprint was completed. It was already ten o’clock at night by then.

Link did not intend to give himself a break. He immediately pointed to the blueprint and asked the in-game system, “Can you begin the simulation?”

Yes, please confirm to begin the simulation.

“Confirm.”

The next moment, he saw a hologram of the magic pistol in front of him. It was translucent, and one could easily see the internal structure of the magic pistol.

The magic pistol was around three feet in length and had a precision sight mounted on it. Link adopted the Yabba race’s Sorvada Linkage structure to ensure the reliability of the sight. The exterior of the pistol had similarities to a sniper rifle on earth. However, the style of the two guns was starkly different. The magic pistol had a large number of magic runes carved on its exterior, giving it a rustic aesthetic.

“Shooting simulation,” Link said.

The magic pistol had no trigger. It employed a touch sensor magic rune. When the rune carvings lit up, one could hear a light popping sound of a gun firing.

The in-game system even simulated the sound of the gunshot. This was because Link had carefully adjusted the volume of the gunshot to a minimum. This would ensure that Celine’s position would not be exposed after firing just the first bullet.

After the sound reached his ears, Link slowed down the movement of the pistol in his field of vision. He could clearly see every single detail, the accumulation of fire-elementals, the potential energy of the magic bullets, and how it rotated at high speed out of the gun chamber.

The in-game system then reported the simulation results.

Chamber speed is at 6300 feet per second, and the bullet flame is hidden. The wind-elemental magic formation is activated and gravity balance spell is activated…Preliminary results estimate that the traveling distance of the bullet will be 5900 feet. Any distance further than that and the bullet will start to veer in directions too complex for the system to predict.

Link was pretty satisfied with this result. However, he still had no idea how reliable the pistol was.

“Simulate burst firing, 1000 times, one shot per 0.5 seconds.”

Boom! Boom! The in-game system faithfully fulfilled Link’s instructions as the bullets continuously fired from the chamber. At the shot number 532, a loud sound suddenly erupted from the chamber. It was a chamber explosion!

In an instant, the accumulated fire elemental energy and the bullet fragments flew in all directions. Although this was only a simulation, one could tell the devastating force of this explosion. It was no weaker than an explosion from the Flame Blast spell.

Link could not help but squint his eyes at this sight. This was too tragic. If Celine met such an accident while she was using the magic pistol, she would definitely be killed in the process. Getting killed by your own weapon was too much of a joke.

“Replay the chamber explosion process.”

Link then started analyzing the reasons for the chamber explosion and started making adjustments to the pistol. Luckily, the structure of a magic pistol was not that complicated. It merely took him half an hour to make those changes.

“Begin simulation.”

This time around, the pistol lasted a total of 900 shots before the chamber explosion happened.

Link then continued refining the pistol and simulating it.

He repeated this process again and again. Time flew and four hours passed in an instant. Link was just about to begin simulation after yet another round of adjustments.

This time around, Link reduced the firepower of the magic pistol slightly. From Link’s perspective, he could see the bullets being fired one after another, 100 to 200 to 300 and so on. This continued until the shot number 6932, where the chamber explosion finally happened.

The situation after the chamber exploded was also vastly different.

When the chamber explosion happened, a defensive spell seemed to appear on the magic pistol almost instantaneously. This magic enveloped the user in an instant, offering protection from the flames and metal fragments. The user would be completely unharmed.

Link was finally satisfied with the results. He felt slightly tired but was too lazy to return to his bedroom. He laid down on a shabby wooden table and fell asleep.

In his semi-conscious state, he felt as though someone had entered the room. As he did not feel any sense of danger, he did not force himself up from the bed. Not long after, he felt a warm feeling spreading through his cold body. Someone had covered him with a blanket.

There was a familiar fragrance in the air as well. Link knew that it was Celine and slept with a peace of mind.

After a good night’s rest, Link felt refreshed and started crafting the magic pistol right after he had his breakfast.

The blueprint was already completed. Link acted fast. Due to his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, he had to make sure every part was perfect until he would decide to use them.

Fortunately, Link was skilled in his enchanting techniques and did not spend too much time in the entire process.

He started work in the morning, and by dusk, a brand new magic pistol had appeared in his hands.

The magic pistol weighed 26 pounds and was three feet in length. The exterior was dark green in color and seemed inconspicuous at first glance. However, closer inspection would reveal a large number of magic runes, giving the pistol a heavy and reliable tone.

It looked like a ferocious beast that could explode into a frenzy any moment.

This magic pistol was probably the most non-aesthetic equipment Link had ever crafted. However, it was also the equipment with the greatest firepower.

The in-game system then sent a message

Player Link has successfully crafted an Epic quality magic pistol. Omni Points +50 (payable in 112 days), please name the weapon.

“Let’s call it the Huge Fire Gun.” Link seriously had naming issues.

Naming completed.

Huge Fire Gun

Quality: Epic

Shooting Frequency: 0.3 seconds per shot

Penetration Level: Level-7

Note: Link’s Huge Fire Gun, a gift for his beloved.

Link fell speechless looking at this information. Why would such decent equipment be paired with such a peculiar description by the system?

Since the equipment was completed, it would have to be given to its owner. Link then took the gun and proceeded to approach Celine.

However, the moment he opened the door, he saw Celine already lying in wait outside.

She then smiled as she said, “It seems like my premonitions were right. The gun is completed?”

“Of course; have a look.” Link gave the Huge Fire Gun to Celine as though it were a treasure.

Celine then took over the gun and observed it from all angles. She then shook her head and said, “It looks ordinary enough. Is it really powerful?”

Link was dumbfounded. His ability and reputation were at stake! He would not tolerate this.

“We will test out the gun right now!”