Advent of the Archmage - Chapter 380

Chapter 380: Average Foundation but Incredible Vision

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio | Editor: Vicky_

“You want the slave girl?” Rockman was shocked.

“That’s right. I’ve taken a liking to her,” Link pleaded.

Rockman found himself facing a dilemma. Before seeing the magic bracelet, he would have instantaneously rejected Link. The slave had cost him 1000 gold, and she was meant as a gift for Great Lord Bal. Most importantly, he had informed Lord Bal about the news and Bal was very excited. He couldn’t simply swap her out like this!

However, the magic bracelet was worth at least 300 gold. He would make a profit of 200 gold, and could easily cover the cost of 1000 gold. He needed to take good care of this golden goose that could help him earn big money.

Pondering the matter, Rockman decided on a compromise. “I can’t give her to you, she’s been promised to Great Lord Bal. How about this, I’ll let you have any two others to your liking.”

Link was stunned. He now knew who Great Lord Bal was. He was the lord of this region of about 77 square miles. In Firuman, that would be the equivalent of a Duke. His son, Bloody-Butcher Balha was the lord of Spring Leaf City.

Not only did Great Lord Bal have a high status, but his personal strength was also terrifying. He was the strongest in the region and was a Level-15 Legendary Expert.

It was said that Bal was hot-tempered. He would kill over slight disagreements. The slaves killed by his hand numbered over 5000. His nasty personality was inherited by his son, Bloody-Butcher Balha.

No one would dare to provoke a person like this in the whole realm. Link’s face was immediately full of “disappointment,” and he shook his head in regret. “It’s alright then, I’ll go with the magic book.”

Rockman let out a sigh of relief. “Haha, young man, if you want to go far in life, you must properly study magic. Don’t get caught up by lust. Come with me, I’ll give you two Tier-1 magic books. As for that girl, don’t think about her anymore. I’ll get you another pretty one soon.”

He opened the door to the circular pagoda and led Link inside.

The first floor of the pagoda was a spacious hall. Along its walls were bookshelves, forming half a circle around the room. The shelves were stacked with books.

“Here, the Tier-1 books are on this side. You already have some knowledge of magic, so you can choose any two books that are suitable for you,” Rockman said generously.

Link nodded and walked towards the bookshelf. Rockman did not bother Link while Link browsed through the books. He was engrossed with the magic bracelet that Link had made.

It was a truly splendid piece of work!

He had only given the blueprints for the talismans to be built into the bracelet but did not specify any shape or design. That was left entirely up to Link.

The final product was a simple, flawless circular band. However, the various colors blended to create a magnificent scene of two Red Spear Birds locked in battle. The birds looked lively and full of vigor, emanating the ferociousness of a live bird.

He used magic to magnify the details and couldn’t find a single flaw in all the details. Even the wrinkles and curls along the birds’ eyes could be seen, making them appear extremely realistic.

He channeled Mana into the magic bracelet and felt keenly for the changes. He could detect that the magic flowed smoothly into the bracelet, encountering no hindrances or obstruction. The entire bracelet emanated a warm and rhythmic magic aura.

This rhythm indicated that the magic formation in this bracelet was almost perfect!

Aesthetically pleasing and flawless, it was the most perfect thing ever. Rockman found that even he himself was reluctant to part with it now.

This thing is truly unique, one of a kind. Rather than selling it, I could give it as a gift to the Great Lord’s daughter. She loves collecting these kinds of things to play with. I’m sure she’ll like it. Who knows, I may even be able to get a Tier-3 magic book as a reward.

By now, Link had decided on two magic books. They were The Basics of Magic Analysis and Top Skills of Tier-1 Magic.

“Teacher, I’ve selected the books,” Link said.

Rockman brought his attention back to Link. He looked at the magic books that Link had selected and instructed, “You can bring these two books back with you. Return them after two weeks. Also, here is the blueprint for the new talisman, this time, I want a magic sword. Do you have confidence?”

Link received the blueprints from Rockman.

The basic formations in the blueprint were simple, although they were slightly harder than the magic bracelet. They were equivalent to Level-6 magic. However, the way they were arranged was also more complicated, roughly possessing the complexity of Level-9 spells.

Link looked at it for a moment. He thought about it for a while. He knew that it would only take him a week if he tried. He nodded and said, “Teacher, this is a little more difficult. I think I will need three weeks.”

Unexpectedly, Rockman was delighted. “Only three weeks? Great! Truly someone with potential. Okay, you don’t have to tire yourself out, I’ll give you a month.”

“Thank you, teacher.”

Just then, Fu appeared at the entrance to the pagoda. “Master, Lord Balha’s men are here.”

“What do they want? Haven’t I already given this month’s medicinal tribute to the army quartermaster?” Rockman frowned.

“It seems like the Great Beast Forest’s Blood Eyes goons are up to something again.”

Rockman’s expression turned dark. He turned and said to Link, “Alright, you may return. Good luck with your studies, and don’t forget the sword!”

“I got it, teacher,” Link nodded his head. He now knew what kind of people he had provoked in the Great Beast Forest. The Blood Eye Mercenaries were formed from a group of oppressed and outcast halflings. They were the scourge of the Spring Leaf Village.

Their members numbered over 500, with 50 core members possessing over Level-10 strength. Their chief was known by his name Blood Pupil and possessed Level-13 strength. His strength was similar to Spring Leaf Village’s Balha and Magician Rockman.

It was said that Balha and Blood Pupil had fought before, resulting in Balha’s loss. If Balha hadn’t escaped fast enough, he would now be dead.

“Go on,” Rockman frowned. His mood was solemn.

Link left the pagoda. Before leaving, he saw Rockman walk away with a fully armored soldier. The soldier seemed extremely sturdy. Standing there, Link felt like he was an unmovable mountain.

Hmmm, another Legendary Warrior. Probably Level-10. Link thought. He was starting to get numb.

In this world, the Mana density was high. It was easy for all living things to grow. Without much effort, one could easily reach Legendary level. However, there was a drawback. Perhaps because they gained strength too quickly, they didn’t have a good foundation and understanding of skills.

For example, among Rockman’s students, there were many who possessed enough strength to reach Level-6, however, because of a poor understanding of magic, they were stuck at Level-2 and could only use a few simple spells.

Therefore, Link’s control of magic was far greater than his peers of the same age. In fact, in some ways, he was even superior to Rockman.

Of course, power was still power. With enough power, it doesn’t matter even if you had no skills. A simple punch could unleash incredible destruction. Link would probably be killed by any random punch from Rockman. This was just winning by force.

Thinking about this, Link was anxious to quickly raise his strength.

He followed the path back to his residence, passing by the slave training yard along the way. He could see Saroviny still learning to dance. Then, he stared, stunned. He realized that in just a short period of time, Saroviny had gotten much better at the dance. Earlier, she was like a wooden block with stiff movements. Now though, her body flowed like water, her limb movements were supple and smooth. There was something about her that now captured people’s attention.

Did she have a change of heart?

At this moment, the halfling instructor praised. “Good, good. At least you’re not wasting your good looks. Continue working hard, considering your good looks, I’m sure Great Lord Bal will treat you well.

Link’s heart clenched. Bal ruled the lands around here. If Saroviny got his favor and influenced him, wouldn’t that become a great threat for him?

Link felt Saroviny’s gaze and detected a trace of cold killing intent. The moment he looked over though, the killing intent vanished and was replaced by a warm smile.

Link knew that he wasn’t mistaken though. He didn’t tarry a second longer and quickly headed back to his own residence.

In this world, he couldn’t remain a small and unimportant person. He needed to quickly become strong and create a name for himself so that Bal couldn’t simply kill him when he liked.

Over the next few days, Link entered his previous state of fervor when creating the magic bracelet and began constructing the magic sword.

When he was free, he would study the two books of magic. Princess Milda would look at the books with him. As for Riel, he would use wooden swords to train against Nana.

After a few days, Princess Milda said, “The content in these books is somewhat normal. However, the discussion about magic is very in-depth. This book on magic analysis is still alright, it’s about Level-8. This book on top skills, however, is more difficult and requires at least Level-9 magic knowledge to be able to make use of it.”

“It is something like that. I’ve looked at it and gained a lot from it. Furthermore, this is only a Tier-1 magic book in this world. After that, there’s still the Saint and Archmage level. There’s no end to their field of vision,” Link sighed.

After possessing enough strength, your field of vision would naturally increase. Perhaps they might be lacking in some ways in their magic foundation, but the world in their eyes was surely something that Link could never imagine.

Without standing on the mountain peak, you would never understand how wide the view from the peak is!

Link tried his utmost to absorb the magic knowledge from this world.

Two weeks passed by in a flash. Link’s magic sword was completed three days ago. His dragon power now reached 7500 points, successfully pushing him to Level-9 while Princess Milda and Riel reached Level-8.

Here, there were no barriers to increasing their strength. Naturally, they would grow quickly.

Perhaps it was because there were no barriers to their growth which was why the Aragu people considered everything under the Legendary Level as Level-1.

This day, Link was practicing the new magic knowledge he had learned when he heard a clamor from outside the building. Something had happened.

As Link was still thinking about it, Riel’s voice came from the second-floor balcony. “Link, Link! Something’s up. Rockman was carried back by some people. His body is covered in blood.”

Chapter 381: Take All Opportunities!

 

With Rockham in trouble, Link couldn’t stay indoors anymore. He could feel that this was an opportunity!

After thinking, Link took out his finished magic sword. Placing it in the sheath, he ordered, “Stay here and don’t open the door for strangers.”

“I know. We’re not kids,” Riel answered.

Taking the sword, Link left the house and jogged to Rockham.

When he got close, he saw Rockham lying on a stretcher. He was covered in blood. There was a bloody hole below his liver. The bleeding had mostly been stopped blood was still seeping out slowly.

Rockham was being taken to the round tower by two slaves. When he saw Link, a weak smile appeared on his pale face. “Heh,” he laughed at himself. “I’m old now and got stabbed by that bastard without realizing.”

As far as Link knew, there were no priests or healing spells in this world. If Rockham’s wound wasn’t treated properly, it could be fatal.

The apprentices stood in the courtyard, watching from afar and muttering amongst themselves.

“It’s karma for this money-slave. I think he’s going to get it this time!”

“I’m afraid the Bloody Butcher will find another stingier Magician after he dies.”

“How can he teach us magic if he’s so injured? He promised to answer my two questions last week.”

They just watched without doing anything. Rockham was too stingy and mean to them usually. Of course, Rockham didn’t need them; he had many slaves. Seeing Link beside him, he said, “You don’t have to come. I won’t die.”

Link took down his wooden case with the sword. “Tutor, actually I already finished the sword and was about to give it to you.”

“Ah, you finished so quickly.” Rockham was surprised, but he quickly smiled. “Follow me then, but you’ll have to wait. My wound still needs to be treated carefully… Ah, that damn bastard was so cruel!”

Link followed Rockham’s stretcher all the way to the round tower. When he passed by the slave yard, he looked inside subconsciously. It was empty. The slave girls didn’t come out to practice today.

They quickly arrived at the tower. After entering, the stretcher was taken to the second floor and inside a spacious bedchamber. Rockham was placed on the bed.

The doctor that had followed them went forward. He cut open the bloody clothing with practice and started treating the wound. The doctor’s methods were similar to surgeons from earth. He cut open Rockham’s wound and used very thin thread to sew the injury to Rockham’s internal organs. Then he sewed up the cut quickly.

After around twenty minutes, he was done with sewing. He also poured some blue medicine on it. It sizzled softly, and many bubbles appeared.

Rockham grunted and his body tensed. Five seconds later, he felt much better and let out a long breath.

“Lord,” the doctor said. “You injured your intestines and bled a lot. You must rest for three months. During this time, you mustn’t work too hard. Otherwise—”

Rockham lost his patience. Waving his hand, he said, “I know. It’s not my first time getting hurt. You may go and tell Balha about my injury. Say that I need to rest but nothing will be delayed. Tell him to not bother me if it’s not important.”

In the Spring Leaf Village, Rockham was a Magic Official. He was responsible for the magic affairs and had high status. This could be seen from how he spoke to the owner of the village, Balha.

The doctor nodded. He collected his tools, left some bottles of medicine behind, and left.

A few pretty elven servants came up. They carefully cleaned up Rockham’s bloody clothes and dirtied sheets. The room was soon tidied up.

During this, Link waited quietly in a corner, but he didn’t waste time. He had a book borrowed from Rockham and was reading seriously without making a sound. When everything was taken care of, he put his book away. He stood up and waited for Rockham with his arms lowered.

Fortunately, Rockham didn’t forget about him. He patted his bed and said, “Come, kid. Show me your sword.”

Link took the sword out of the wooden case and offered it to Rockham with both hands.

The sword had a sheath made from the skin of a python unique to Aragu. It was brown-gray and wasn’t attractive. Of course, the sheath was made as intricately as always—there were no flaws.

Seeing this, Rockham nodded. “Good. A sheath that hides the sword should be more low-key. This is interesting.”

He looked to the hilt. There were many grooves for better grip. Holding it, it felt a bit rough but also a bit soft. “It won’t be slippery and can also absorb sweat. You used soft magic steel, didn’t you? You adjusted the property very well.”

Rockham was already very satisfied by the sheath and hilt. He used a bit of force, and the sword was unsheathed with a clang. The air in the room turned cold as soon as the sword appeared. A couple of the elven servants around Rockham let out soft cries and retreated involuntarily.

“Get out of here…a bunch of idiots ruining my mood…hmph.” Rockham was upset and spoke loudly, affecting his wound. He grunted again.

The elven servants scurried frantically out of the room. A young girl even fell hard, hitting her head against the corner of a table. Blood flowed out of her pale forehead. Without making a sound, she used all her limbs to get up and walked out of the room dazedly.

The room quickly quieted down.

Rockham rested for a bit and pulled the sword again.

Clang! With only some power, the sword sang again. It was clear and high like a dragon’s cry. Rockham was a Magician, but he’d worked with all sorts of magic gear and weapons. Hearing this, he couldn’t help but praise, “I know it’s a good sword just from the sound!”

He slowly pulled the sword out. Pale white fog appeared on the blade. Under the fog, the silvery-white sword seemed to turn into crystal. The room’s temperature dropped even more until the cold seemed to dig into one’s bones.

Rockham praised again, “You were able to use the ice enchantment to this extent. So amazing!”

The runes on the body of the sword were flowing and intricate. Not only did it use the enchantment’s effect to the extreme, but it also twisted around the sword, creating an ancient and thick groove.

If not for the low level of the enchantment, Rockham would think that this was a Master-level Legendary weapon!

He finally pulled the sword out entirely. As soon as it appeared, the room glowed faintly, and the temperature dropped again. The sword’s arc was smooth and natural. It was light without a bit of murderous intent. The surface was covered in a faint layer of even white light. Around the glow, snowflake-light spots of light floated around.

Rockham studied the body, looking at the runes one by one. He grew more and more focused, even forgetting about his injury.

After a long while, he sighed. “I can’t believe that I’m able to see such a magic sword before I die. Ah, what a pity. If only the enchantment was higher, at least at Tier-3, I believe it can be sold for up to 6000 gold coins. Right now, it can only be 2000 coins at most. Ah…”

No, he couldn’t sell the sword. He should use it to forge more connections. With his injury, he would definitely have to overlook some matters in the village. Balha never liked him. Rockham had to use this sword to stabilize his status.

Lord Balha liked swords. Yes, this sword must be given to him. This sword came at just the right time and solved one of his worries.

Rockham put the sword away and looked at Link. His eyes had become so gentle as if looking at the love of his life. Link got goosebumps.

“Kid, your artistry is very good. Are you interested in becoming my student?”

“Student? Tutor, aren’t I your student already?” Link looked confused, but his heart was pounding. He knew his chance had come.

“Ah, that doesn’t count. How is this being a student? It’s just working physical labor for me. But you’re different. If you’re my student, I will pass down my magic print and tell the entire village. As my student, you can read all my books at will, and I’ll answer all questions for free. While I’m recovering, you can be responsible for the magic workshop. What do you think?”

Rockham wasn’t saying this casually. He hadn’t disturbed Link, but after receiving the magic bracelet, he’d kept an eye on Link.

The result was that this young man was a bit soft and was overly nice to his slaves. People like that are easier to control. Plus, he had such great enchantment skills. There would be many benefits to having a student like him.

As for being responsible for the magic workshop, Rockham had considered this thoroughly. He’d seen two of Link’s enchantments—the bracelet and sword. He could see from the items that the man was careful and smart. There would be no mishaps if he was in charge. Rockham could also lasso Link in like this. It was two birds with one stone.

Link was surprised. He didn’t expect all these benefits. Raising his head and seeing Rockham’s enthusiasm, he thought a bit and nodded. “Tutor, I am so honored!”

There were both pros and cons. The most obvious negative was that, after becoming his student, their relationship would be very close. Rockham’s bad reputation would affect him heavily. There were many more pros than cons though.

More importantly, Link didn’t have other choices. This was the best chance to get a hold in this world. There was no reason not to accept.

Rockham clapped his hands and laughed. “Great. I didn’t think that at my age, I could find a true disciple. Heh, come, I’ll add the magic mark for you!”

Chapter 382: A Simple Matter

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

Clang! In the fortress in the center of Spring Leaf Village, a fully armored Warrior pushed open the door and walked into the main hall.

This Warrior was wearing blood red armor, a bright red cloak, and a helmet with fire red feathers. Looking from afar, he was completely dressed in red. When he walked quickly, he naturally gave off an extremely oppressive air.

He was Spring Leaf Village’s lord, Balha.

“Master…” a young, elven slave rushed forward, wanting to help this Warrior remove his armor as usual.

“Scram!”

Balha’s hand swung forcefully, his hand landing on the elf slave’s face. Crack. The body of this elf slave who was less than 17 years old stopped, his neck was completely twisted around.

Without caring about this pathetic elf, Balha continued to walk forward until he reached the seat at the very end of the main hall, then he finally stopped. He shouted angrily, “Where are my slaves? Quickly come and help me remove my armor!”

Another two elf slaves approached cautiously, carefully helping Balha remove his blood red armor.

This time, Balha waited patiently for his armor to be removed. Then, after his armor was removed, he sat down. After a few seconds, he suddenly raged, violently throwing the wood carving beside his chair onto the ground.

Crack! The wood carving broke into pieces, forming a large hole in the ground. Balha roared, “Damned Laguans! Damned Blood Eyes! Don’t let me catch you!”

This time, he personally led 1000 Warriors to clear the bandits. In the end, they were ambushed halfway. Never mind that over a hundred Warriors died, even Master Magician Rockham was stabbed by a sword and almost died.

Although he did not see eye to eye with Rockham, it was only an internal problem within Spring Leaf Village. Now, Rockham was almost killed, and it was because the Warriors did not protect him properly. This was a blow to his face!

Huff, huff. He sat on his chair, breathing heavily. His facial expression was livid. The surrounding people did not dare to make any noise, especially the two elven slaves who were afraid that they would end up like the previous slave if they were not careful.

The atmosphere in the main hall was so heavy that it was difficult to breathe.

Clack, clack. At this moment, light footsteps sounded. After a short while, a black-haired woman walked out from the main hall’s back door. The woman had skin as white as chalk and a round face with beautiful features. Wearing an exquisite dress, she carried herself gracefully. When she reached the main hall, she saw the slave who had been beaten to death. She frowned, looking at Balha and said, “Lord, you vented your anger on others again?”

Weirdly, although Balha was originally in a rage, a smile actually appeared on his face once he saw this woman. “My wife, I lost control for a moment; it was not on purpose.”

This woman was Balha’s wife, Anlis.

Balha had a brutal personality, and people called him the Bloody Butcher. This wife was the very reason why his brutal personality was always displayed outside but hardly ever in his home.

Balha would fight and kill people as he wished, but for unknown reasons, once he saw his wife, his temper would disappear, and he would not scold a single person.

The whole of Spring Leaf Village knew of this.

Since the person had already died, and it was only a slave, Anlis did not nag Balha anymore after that.

“Carry him out and bury him,” she said to an elven slave.

Once she appeared, everyone in the main hall let out sighs of relief. When the elves heard her instruction to bring the elf out to be buried, they said gratefully, “Thank you, Mistress.”

If it were left to Balha, the elf would surely be taken to be chopped into meat slices and fed to the dogs.

After the young corpse was brought out, Anlis sighed and sat down beside Balha. Her discerning eyes stared at Balha. “Lord…”

Balha couldn’t stand his ground under her gaze. He hugged his wife and said in a gentle voice, “Call me Jon. Don’t call me Lord. I’ve told you many times.”

“Alright, Jon, I don’t wish for the house to constantly be filled with blood. It scares our child,” Anlis said.

“Nonsense! My child would never be so cowardly… Alright fine, I won’t do it again, I swear!” Balha said. He had one arm wrapped around Anlis’s waist, while he raised his other arm to affirm his promise.

“Alright, I believe you,” Anlis nodded. “Were those bandits that hard to deal with?”

Once she raised this up, Balha’s anger was stoked again. He was about to rant and vent, but under Anlis’s stare, he immediately quieted down. “That rabble has no true ability, they’re just like little rats scurrying about. My Warriors were wearing heavy armor and couldn’t catch them. Hmph! Tomorrow, I’ll request for 100 black-robed soldiers from my father!”

The black-robed soldiers were Great Lord Bal’s strongest soldiers. Every one of them had minimally Tier-2 strength. In total, they numbered 3,000 strong. They went through harsh training and had plenty of battle experience. They were the sharpest sword in Bal’s realm.

Anlis stroked Balha’s face, and said softly, “Alright, calm your anger. It’s not worth flaring up over the bandits. In my heart, you, Jon, are the strongest Warrior. You’re the one my child, and I will rely on.”

Balha felt happy. He felt like his heart was melting and he hugged his wife tightly. However, in his heart, he swore. Laguan trash, just wait. I’ll wipe the lot of you off this planet.

…

The Great Beast Forest

The floor was covered in blood and gore. There were over 300 corpses. Two hundred or more belonged to the halflings and elves, while about a 100 of them were Warriors from Spring Leaf Village.

At the edge of this battlefield, there was a group of people scavenging through the corpses. A large portion of them were halflings, while a few of them were elves.

They retrieved all the armor and weapons they could find, especially when they came across Spring Leaf Village Warriors. Even their underwear was not spared.

Among these halflings, there was one garbed in pitch-black leather armor. On his back were two transparent blue short swords that looked like crystal. Other halflings had a blood eye scar carved onto their foreheads. His, however, looked more like a bloody red eye constructed from magic talismans. It seemed almost real.

This was the Blood Eye Mercenaries’ leader, Blood Pupil Maude. He stood quietly at one side, surveying the remains of the battlefield.

In this ambush, they traded the lives of 200 Laguans for 100 Araguans. This was a battle record with nothing worth being proud of.

After some time, a middle-aged halfling walked to his side. He was using a human Warrior’s underwear as a handkerchief to wipe the blood off his face. After walking to Maude, he said, “After this, Balha will definitely come for revenge. We’ll have to go back into the Great Beast Forest to hide for a while.”

“I know. I also know that tomorrow, he will go to his father, Bal, to get reinforcements. If I’m not wrong, he must be preparing to go to Black Eagle City right now. Within three days, he will head out,” Maude said, confident in his prediction.

The middle-aged halfling was stunned for a moment, but he quickly understood Maude’s intention. “You mean to assassinate him along the way?”

Maude nodded. “Hehe, but of course. Anyway, we’ve got to escape. If we kill Balha, our fame will skyrocket. Then, even more, Laguans will come to join us.”

The middle-aged halfling thought for a moment and nodded his head. “This is risky, but if we’re going to kill him, then we need to plan this well.”

Maude laughed and looked at his most trusted deputy. “Derek, you’ve got any good ideas?”

Derek laughed. Shing. He sheathed his sword and said, “Indeed I do. I heard that Balha dotes on his wife the most. Balha’s temper is extremely volatile, and the elves hate him to the bone. I suggest we get some suicide troops to kill Balha’s wife and throw him into a rage. That way, whether he goes to Black Eagle City to get reinforcements or comes out to battle us directly, we will still easily be able to rout him.”

Maude pondered over this plan and laughed. “This plan is truly vicious. Haha! I love it! Let these Araguan’s learn the taste of losing a loved one!”

“Hahaha… That year, my daughter was only nine. Nine!” Derek clenched his teeth in hatred.

Maude also exhaled slowly. He didn’t say anything but patted Derek’s shoulder. Within his mind, there appeared the figure of an elven woman. She was called Lili and was his older step-sister.

From young, the Laguans had mocked him for being a halfling. Only Lili had stayed close to him. Every time he was bullied, it was her who would seek justice for him.

Therefore, his stepsister became a hero figure in his heart, until one day, Warriors from Spring Leaf Village invaded and kidnapped the elven girls. Among them was his sister. They said she was just going to drink with them for a bit.

That night, he could hear his sister’s voice, screaming helplessly for help.

The second night, all he saw was his sister’s bloody mangled corpse. From then on, Maude swore that he would make all the Araguans from Spring Leaf Village pay the price of blood!

Clenching his fist, Maude stared at the sky. Up in the sky, it was as though a gentle girl was smiling at him.

“Sister, I will help you get revenge!”

At this moment, a scout ran out from the trees. After looking around cautiously, he ran up to Maude.

“Leader, I’ve found traces of the murderer!”

“Hmm, who is he? Where is he now?” Maude questioned.

“His name is Link, he’s a Tier-1 Magician. He’s currently hiding in Spring Leaf Village and is a student of Magician Rockman.”

“Oh, is that so? Derek, find some brothers and sneak into the city. Find the chance to get rid of them and get revenge for our brothers!”

“Haha, it’s a simple matter,” Derek laughed.

Chapter 383: A Way Back to Firuman

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

Link’s small cottage

There was a library on the second floor of the cottage. The table was originally very small, but Link had now become Magician Rockham’s official disciple. He was also in charge of the magic workshop now. There were many things to do. Link exchanged the table for a long one quickly. Four to five people could sit and work at the same time with no problem.

By the table, Milda was carefully looking at the production documents of the workshop. She was a princess and had now become a Level-8 Magician. This was a small matter for her.

Link, on the other hand, was studying a book while studiously taking notes. The best thing about becoming Rockham’s disciple was that he could read whatever he wanted. He definitely wouldn’t let such a good opportunity pass. He’d been reading like crazy for the past three days.

He was spirited and read very quickly. With the additional aid of the system, he wouldn’t forget anything. Even if he didn’t understand, he would write it down first and then deal with it.

Rockham was at Legendary Level-13. There were around 35 books pertaining to power. Link stood before the bookshelf and scanned them voraciously. Rockham knew about this, and he didn’t mind. What could one learn by just flipping through it? He thought Link was just scanning it out of curiosity.

Riel practiced martial arts with Nana as before. Though his power was locked, he found that after practicing a lot, his inner strength could rise faster.

In Firuman, he was stuck in Level-7 and hadn’t improved in a long while. Now, there was obvious improvement every day. This made him happy every day.

Everyone was focused on their own work. Time passed quickly and half a day passed in a blink.

While organizing the workshop documents, Milda said to Link, “I’m mostly done. The situation is quite good. On average, the workshop can make a profit of 100 gold coins every day. What is your plan? Maintain the current situation or raise earnings?”

Link put down his book and thought. “Just maintain it. We need to figure out how to get back to Firuman. Magic is the necessity. There’s no point in wasting effort on other things.”

Even though time passed slowly and they had enough time to think, it didn’t mean they should just stay here without moving.

“Then there isn’t much to do with the workshop—just ordering raw material and supervising the apprentices to complete the orders on time. There are people in charge of that now. We just have to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

Link nodded. He pushed his notes to Milda. “This is Analysis of Time-Space Structure that I borrowed. It’s Level-10 and explains the hypothesis of realm transportation. It should be able to take us back to Firuman.”

“Oh, what does it say?” Milda was immediately interested. She took Link’s notes and started reading earnestly.

In the notes, Link described two ideas of realm transportation.

The first was direct. He drew two bubbles, representing Firuman and Aragu. The center was connected by a thin neck. It was empty outside the realms. Link marked it as the Sea of Void.

The other was Link’s specific calculations. There was a string of obscure spatial structure changes beside the picture. Milda glanced at it and gave up on understanding the specificities. She only checked if the equation was complete or not.

It was, meaning Link had come to a specific conclusion.

“You really found a way back?” Milda was slightly excited. This world was too scary. For her especially, it was like hell. Once people found out about her beauty, she couldn’t even imagine what kind of future awaited her. She’d already had many nightmares about this.

Link nodded. “Speculated from everything we’ve seen, I realized that Aragu and Firuman are actually one entity.”

Of course, it was mainly due to the game system’s reminder, but Link couldn’t say that. As he spoke, he snapped his finger. A head-sized Spatial Sphere appeared in the air. Link manipulated it, and the center grew thinner until it turned into an hourglass.

“Now, for some reason, the connection has become thinner and thinner to the point of almost breaking. I’ve pretty much found the reason too.”

Link waved his hand. The Spatial Sphere disappeared. He took out another book titled Genesis. It recorded an Araguan legend.

Flipping to page ten, Link pointed at a line and read aloud, “Moses had a vision of a disaster. He brought his people south to the Promised Land. Halfway there, the world-ending disaster occurred. The saint (Moses) waved his staff and used his power to split the sea of the world. Everyone was safe, and they made a home in the new world.”

After reading that, Link took out another book. This was the Aragu Annals. He had also taken this from Rockham’s library. Official disciples had no restrictions in borrowing books. He also took unimportant books, so Rockham didn’t care at all.

“This annal was written officially by the Aragu Empire. I read it. Even though it glorifies the Aragu Empire at times, it’s still reliable.” Link flipped it open and pointed at a passage. “It records here that Moses was a real person. It’s unknown when he was alive, and there are practically no records of his life. However, one part is clear. Look at this description. ‘Moses may be the most powerful Archmage in the history of Aragu. It is said that he has the power to break through realms.’”

Here, Milda finally understood. Excited, she said, “I know what you’re saying. This matches my race’s records of the Aragu Empire. Taking both into account, this means that a catastrophe happened to the World of Firuman in the ancient times. During this, a powerful Magician named Moses retreated with a portion of Araguans. Finally, he split Firuman into two halves… Oh, if this is true, that power must be unimaginably incredible!”

Link nodded. “There are many details that must be confirmed, but the general idea is right. I did some spatial experiments these days. The data matches the spatial thesis I worked on with the Red Dragon Queen. I received the spatial variant—”

Milda shrugged and stopped him. “I don’t understand that. Just tell me the conclusion. How do we return?”

“There are two requirements. First, we must find a spatial coordinate—Firuman’s spatial coordinate. Second, we must have Legendary Level-10 power. All of us must. My portal will pass the Sea of Void. Without Legendary power, we’ll die from the void’s corrosion.”

Milda thought and said, “With our rate now, it won’t be hard to reach Level-10. But how can we find Firuman’s spatial coordinate? Link, do you have an idea?”

To be honest, when she asked that question, she didn’t think Link could reply immediately. But as soon as she asked, Link took out another book.

This book was called Continental Natural History.

Smiling, Link said, “This is the best part about being Rockham’s disciple. He’s only a regular Magician, but he’s lived more than 70 years. He has many interesting books and quite a few rare ones. For example, this book is the only copy, written by an explorer named Eurosan. He made a record here. Look.”

He flipped to a page that included a short story. He read aloud, “This person is very interesting. She’s not even three feet, even shorter than dwarves. But strangely, her secondary sexual characteristics are mature. Her possessor tried to impregnate her to produce more small creatures, but sadly, he failed. His anatomy was too big, and she was too small. She was tormented to death.”

Milda overlooked the crude content and asked, “The Yabba race?”

Link nodded. “Yes, the Yabba race. There are Yabba in Aragu, and this one appeared suddenly. I believe the Yabba came from Firuman. Look here.”

Milda’s interest grew because of Link. She became excited and forgot about the customs. She got close to Link and continued reading.

Without a doubt, this is a new race. I am very interested. When the little thing was alive, I asked where she came from. She said that she didn’t know how she got here. She crossed through a cave. When she came out, she couldn’t go back again and came to this terrifying world…

Yes, she described our world as “terrifying.” I think that in her eyes, it is just like hell while her owner is a demon of this hell… I used five gold coins to find the specific position of the cave. I hoped to find something special but was disappointed. The cave is nothing different from a regular cave. I searched for a long time but gave up in the end—Eurosan, 3142 Spring.

“It’s Year 3162 now. This was from 20 years ago?” Milda’s eyes brightened, and her heart started pounding. She could feel hope now.

Link nodded. “Eurosan is quite famous. I believe the cave is just like the wind vortex we traveled through. It’s a connection between Firuman and Aragu. It’s temporary, but as long as it had existed, it’ll leave a mark in space. I can find Firuman’s spatial coordinates.”

Milda thought for a bit and asked in confusion, “Why don’t we try to find the entrance we came from?”

Link shook his head. “I can’t do it. I also did a test. Look here, I invented this spatial cross chord.”

Link took four runic spheres from the dimensional storage gear. He added Mana and tossed the balls in the air. They hovered immediately. Two faced each other with a beam of light between them. The two beams intersected, creating a stable cross.

“This spatial chord can sense spatial disruptions within 60 miles. The place we came from is approximately 30 miles away, two miles in the air. If a spatial disturbance of that scale appears, the spatial chord will definitely vibrate, but it didn’t. That means that the tunnel we came from has probably closed now.”

Link put it away. He sighed and shook his head. Milda slightly knew about spatial magic but could still understand Link’s words. “Okay, so when will we go look for the cave?” she asked.

“How long do you think you need to level up to Legendary?” Link asked.

“Probably one month is enough.”

“Riel is probably the same. During this month, we’ll make some preparations and set out,” Link said.

Now, they were very familiar with Aragu. Even if they didn’t have enough power, nothing bad should happen if they’re careful.

A bell suddenly rang outside the window.

Ring, ring! Ring, ring! Ring, ring! It was very loud and spread throughout the entire village.

“It’s midday now. Does the bell mean something happened?” Milda asked curiously.

Link frowned. “No, it’s a mourning bell!”

He had specifically checked Aragu’s customs, which included the meaning of bells. Rapid bells meant incoming enemy. A long bell was welcoming. If it was two rapid rings and a pause, it was a mourning bell. Someone important had died.

Chapter 384: Advent of the Bloody Butcher

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio | Editor: Vicky_

“Arghhh!!!!”

Immediately after the bell stopped tolling, a roar reverberated throughout the village. This roar contained hatred, anguish, and insanity. It made all those who heard it tremble in fear.

In the fortress in the center of Spring Leaf Village, in the cafeteria, Balha sat on the ground, hugging his wife in his embrace and crying loudly out to the sky.

“Ahhhhhh, ahhhhh!” His voice had broken, his eyes were wide open and bloodshot. The sides of his eyes were marked with tears and blood, turning into a light red liquid that trickled down his face.

His wife’s face was green and her lips black. She already had no strength left in her. At Balha’s side was strewn the corpses of elves. No, that’s not right. It was more appropriate to say that elven body parts lay around Balha, because there was not a single elf corpse that was still intact.

Every single elf in the hall was killed. None was left alive.

After hugging her for a long time, Balha suddenly said softly, “Anlis, my dear, sleep peacefully. In the other world, you will not be alone. I will send many Laguan slaves to accompany you and serve you and our child.”

Carefully, he placed Anlis’s body on the ground and stood up. One step at a time, he walked towards the main door. Upon reaching the door, he declared loudly, “Men, hear my orders! Kill every single Laguan in the city. Do not leave even a single one alive.”

The captain of the guard hesitated. “Lord, that…”

Balha hatefully stared at him, killing intent brimming in his eyes. “Anlis is dead, don’t tell me I’m not supposed to get revenge? My unborn child was killed, should I not get revenge?! This was done by the pathetic Laguan Dregs. They will pay the price!”

The captain of the guard decided to hold his tongue. He could vaguely feel that if he said anything more, he would be the next one to die.

“Understood, Lord. Kill all the Laguans!”

The order quickly transmitted throughout Spring Leaf Village to all the army camps. The soldiers in every army camp rushed out like fierce wolves and tigers, spreading out in all directions and killing every single Laguan they saw. The dwarves were not spared either.

Most of the Laguans in the Spring Leaf Village were slaves and wore slave collars. They simply had no strength to resist.

The whole village was suddenly engulfed in a stench of blood.

In the magic school, Link was still unaware of what was going on. However, as he stood on the balcony, he noticed soldiers killing elves en masse in the streets.

They didn’t stop with slaves on the streets but rushed into the shops and residences. “Lord’s orders, all Laguans are to be killed!”

Link watched as the soldiers dragged elves out into the streets, where they were beheaded and diced into small parts. Some residents attempted to stop what was going on, but they too were simply chopped to death by the soldiers.

There was no compassion, no pity, no hesitation, only bloody, cold-hearted slaughter.

These soldiers were blood-crazed!

Link found his heart pounding. He didn’t know what was going on, but he knew that the situation was not good. He might be safe, but as for Princess Milda and Riel, they would definitely be killed.

The magic school was now in chaos as the enslaved elves were trying to escape in any way they could. Link saw Fu standing guard at the gate, trying to maintain order. However, he was simply ignored.

Very soon, the soldiers approached the school. Fu walked up to them and raised his hand to obstruct them, declaring, “This is Magician Rockman’s property. You cannot—”

The blood-crazed soldiers obviously paid him no heed. They raised their weapons and slashed off his head. Link was stunned.

He knew that he could not hesitate any more. The recent changes spoiled his plans to slowly raise his strength in a safe environment.

He turned back into the house and looked at the frightened Princess Milda and Riel. “We can’t stay here anymore; we’ve got to go. Milda, let down your hair, try to use it to cover your ears. Also, wear a hat.”

Milda had been staying inside the building without going out. She thought that she would be safe, so she was wearing a simple dress.

The dress was simple and plain, and it would look normal on a regular person. On her, however, the plain dress made her look as beautiful as an angel from the moon. It was enough to make people go crazy with desire.

She had to change her clothing.

Princess Milda ran into the room and hurriedly changed her clothes. Just as she had removed her dress, the stone door was kicked aside and a soldier covered in blood rushed in. “Hand over all your Laguan slaves or die!”

This soldier was an expert, and his speed was naturally fast. He wouldn’t give people any time to react. When he saw Riel, he immediately rushed over with his sword striking out.

Clang. Nana intercepted his blow with her dagger.

“What? You dare? Looking for death!” The soldier was a Level-8 expert. His short sword flickered and changed direction towards Nana’s neck. Nana immediately retreated, and Link rushed forward in her place.

Link held the Dragon King’s Wrath in his right hand and the Burning Wrath of Heaven’s wand in his left. He pointed the wand forward, casting a Spatial Shackles spell.

Whoosh. The Spatial Shackles appeared, and the soldier’s movements immediately stopped. Link took the chance to attack him, slapping hard onto his neck.

Smack. The hit knocked the soldier out. His eyes turned white, and he collapsed to the ground.

Seeing another soldier rushing towards the house, Link shouted, “Come with me!”

He turned and rushed towards Milda’s changing room. “Milda, we have no time, we’re leaving now!”

As he said this, he pushed open the door to the room.

“Ahh!” Milda was halfway through changing, and her top half was still exposed. As Link charged in, Milda yelped and turned around. Link saw a snow-white body, with skin as fair as jade. There were two shapely round mounds on her chest, with a cherry red tip at each end. Link was momentarily stunned.

Riel was behind Link and couldn’t see what was going on. He immediately asked, “What! What’s going on? Did they charge into this room too?”

Link did not have time to explain. He took out a mantle and draped it over the blushing Princess Milda, covering her exposed chest and body.

Just then, a shout of rage came from the door as a soldier charged in. “Who! Who dares to defy the Lord’s order?!”

Whoosh. Link cast a dimensional jump without the slightest hesitation, and the group vanished, reappearing in a small street half a mile away.

The instant he left, Rockman appeared from the pagoda. He was fuming. “Who’s kicking up a ruckus in my yard!”

He saw a soldier rushing into the slave girls yard and was about to begin killing people. Immediately, he flew into a rage and, not caring for his own injuries, grasped at the soldier from 30 meters away. An invisible force appeared and grabbed onto the soldier’s clothing, throwing him out.

Slam. The soldier smashed into a stone wall and crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Magician Rockman’s status was high, and he was also very powerful. No one could simply kill him that easily. One leader ran up to him and explained, his face solemn. “Sir, the Laguan’s poisoned Lady Anlis. The Lord has ordered for all the Laguan’s to be killed. We are carrying out his orders.”

“What! Anlis was killed? F*ck, this is a disaster!”

Rockman was very clear about the implications of this. Balha was a crazy dog. Anlis was the only one who could control him. Now, Anlis was dead, and she was also carrying another life inside of her. That was two people killed! Anyone would be enraged at something like this. One can only imagine how Balha would react.

At this moment, Balha must have lost all sense of reasoning. Even Rockman didn’t dare to go forth to stop him.

Rockman sighed. “You may kill all the Laguans you see. However, there is a black haired girl that isn’t a Laguan. She’s a gift for Great Lord Bal. Leave her alive.”

Rockman had already compromised. The leader didn’t dare to ask for anything more. He waved the rest of the soldiers forward. “Do as Sir Rockman ordered,” he instructed.

…

Outside the city

Link and the others reappeared in a street outside the city. Before they even had the chance to regain their footing, they heard the sound of horses coming from behind. Not far, a troop of soldiers was riding down a large street from the city gates. Judging from their direction, they were probably going to attack the Laguan village.

There were 30 soldiers, all of whom were over Level-8. The one at the front who was most likely the captain was Level-10. At this moment, they laid eyes upon Link’s party, specifically Princess Milda.

There were many small differences between humans and elves. This wasn’t limited to their ears, but also their figures, skin tone, hair color. To Araguans, this difference was very obvious.

Two seconds after seeing them, the captain shouted. “Stop right there! Hand over the Laguan slave.”

Only an idiot would stand still at this moment.

Link immediately cast a dimensional jump.

“Dare to leave?” The captain bellowed. He immediately drew out his bow and fired an arrow at Link.

The captain was a Level-10 Warrior. Even if he casually fired an arrow, the arrow’s power would still be immense. The arrow flew forward, leaving a streak of light behind it. Around the arrow’s body, the air rippled. In fact, there were even sound vibrations, like that of thunder.

It wasn’t just him. The other 30 soldiers also released their arrows, covering the sky in a rain of arrows. The arrows were fast and numerous. Against an attack like this, Link didn’t dare to multi-task. That was too dangerous.

He immediately canceled the dimensional jump and instructed Nana. “Bring them away, I’ll stop these guys!”

While he said this, Link focused his power and consumed 1000 Dragon Power points to cast a Spatial Distortion spell. The space distorted and knocked the rain of arrows aside. Amidst the distortion field, all the arrows experienced a strong attraction force. After leaving the field, the arrows changed direction, landing around Link but never getting within three meters of him.

“Hmph! You still dare to oppose us? Kill him!”

The captain released his Battle Aura. He jumped from the horse’s back, releasing more and more Battle Aura as he sailed through the air. He took three mid-air steps, instantaneously crossing a span of 150 feet, appearing 30 feet in front of Link. From that distance, he slashed down with his sword.

Chapter 385: This Guy is Ruthless

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio | Editor: Vicky_

This was Link’s first time facing a Legendary Warrior of a mortal race in real life.

Compared to the game, real-life Warriors had a more obvious intriguing aura. His actions were more agile and incredibly fast!

In the game, because of the average man’s reaction speed and for equilibrium between the careers, lightning-fast speeds like this would never appear.

Even if Link had Legendary power, if he met a Warrior like this when he first arrived at Firuman, he would be defeated immediately. But now, he wasn’t a rookie anymore. He was a master at fighting!

In the blink of an eye, the leader had charged to 30 feet before him. He raised his sword and cut through the air. A crystal-like strand of Battle Aura shot towards Link.

I can’t block Level-10 strength!

Link’s mind went crazy. In the corner of his vision, he saw Nana retreating 60 feet while carrying Milda and holding Riel. She had rich battle experience. When she ran, she didn’t maintain a straight line with Link. Instead, she ran towards the side, making it impossible for the Legendary Warrior to kill them all.

This made Link a bit relieved. He started reacting with full force. He couldn’t block the hit, but he could hide.

The opponent used the Battle Aura to fly through the air. Link already predicted his next move. He pointed somewhere on the ground with the Burning Wrath of Heavens wand in his left hand. Spatial Spheres appeared continuously. Bit by bit, they flew all around Link.

His control on the Abstruse Meaning of Space had increased again. In the past, his Spatial Spheres were only the size of a sesame seed. One could see it by looking closely.

Now, the frequencies of the Spatial Spheres were 100 times higher. When tightened to the extreme, they couldn’t be seen by the naked eye. Even Link couldn’t see them. He only knew they existed by the subtle Mana they emitted.

While making this trap, he flashed in the opposite direction of Nana.

Now, his Dragon Power was halfway into Level-9. His physical strength was at this level too. Because of his prediction, he dodged the general’s attack by a millimeter. Then he pushed off the ground and stabbed towards the general.

“Oh, a Magician knows swordsmanship. That’s interesting!” The knight was still in mid-air. Link was extremely fast. A non-Legendary Warrior would definitely be dead, but he wasn’t at a loss.

Whoosh. The crystal-like Battle Aura erupted again. The general’s body seemed to teleport. In a blink, he landed on the ground from three feet in the air.

He was so fast that when he hit the ground, there was a faint afterimage behind him. Before the afterimage disappeared, his body transformed into a streak of light again as he charged at Link.

During this, he continuously brought his sword down. Strands of Battle Aura hurled towards Link. There were three. One attacked Link directly while two sealed off his exits. He couldn’t hide or dodge.

“Die!” In the general’s eyes, this low-level Magician was definitely dead meat.

But then something happened!

The moment before the attack arrived, Link did two things. First, he activated the Dragon King’s Fury wand. Instantly, his strength multiplied by ten and his speed multiplied by five. Next, he activated a Spatial Sphere he’d planted in the path of the general knight.

Buzz. The Spatial Sphere erupted. It instantly turned into a foggy ripple ten feet wide and blocked the knight.

“Spatial Rend!”

This time, Link didn’t use Restraint. The difference between Level-9 and Level-10 was too big. Spatial Restraint wouldn’t be effective and would just waste a chance to attack. On the other hand, the strange phenomenon created by the Spatial Rend could stun the opponent and delay their reaction.

Inside the Spatial Sphere, the force field became chaotic with Link’s thoughts. Inside it, leaves, grass, rocks, and dirt all turned into fine white powder. Regardless of how powerful his attack was, the visual was already impressive!

The knight had been charging at Link. Seeing this, he was stunned, and his steps faltered. This had nothing to do with battle experience; it was his protective instincts!

When something incomprehensible happened, an animal’s natural instinct would be to avoid it. They couldn’t just charge forward stupidly.

The general’s pause gave Link a chance.

When the Battle Aura came, Link’s rising power burst out. The basic swordsmanship techniques that Kanorse had taught included footsteps. They came in handy now.

With the great power he had, Link flashed even faster than the general. The three Battle Aura arcs came one after another. Link stepped to the side, dodging the first arc by a hair’s breadth. Then he moved his foot and flashed back to his original spot, dodging the arcs that followed to seal off his exits.

His speed was extreme. At a glance, it was like he didn’t even move. The Battle Aura arcs passed by him as if he was just a shadow.

“Okay, you have nice tricks!” The knight was shocked too. Link’s speed was honestly too fast!

And that wasn’t all!

While performing those actions, a fiery-red light appeared on Link’s Burning Wrath of Heavens wand. With a whoosh, a crystal red whip lashed out. It cut a graceful arc in the air and whipped towards the knight’s head like lightning.

Stunned, he hacked at the whip. This move was also an instinct. Whether one could control one’s instinct during battle was the difference between a Master and a regular Warrior.

Before a Battle Mage like Link, using instincts was the biggest taboo. Especially after Link learned basic swordsmanship, he was even more familiar with the defensive moves a Warrior would use.

Thus, the knight missed. The Demon Slayer Whip twisted slightly, brushing past the sword. It looked like luck, but it was actually Link’s prediction. With this mistake, the knight lost the chance to protect himself. Link’s whip successfully broke through and hit the back of his head.

Crack! Crystal-red light splattered in all directions. The knight’s head swayed a little. At the last moment, he activated his Battle Aura and protected his head. However, even though the pure Battle Aura was at the Legendary level, it was too rushed. The structure was too loose and wasn’t as condensed as a Battle Aura Cut.

The result was that a shred of Link’s power successfully seeped into the back of the knight’s head. The back of one’s head was a fatal shot. A regular person could kill someone while playing with a bit of pressure there. In a life-or-death battle like this, getting hit in the back of the head was a sign of getting killed.

The knight felt a little dizzy as if the world was spinning. He started seeing double and knew that he was in trouble!

“Argh!” he roared. He waved his sword and started attacking wildly in front of him.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Crystal threads of Battle Aura overlapped in front of him like a fan. The frequency was so dense that it was impossible to dodge.

But this was useless. Link had predicted this early on.

If the general was alone, he would definitely get killed. But he had around 30 knights behind him. Seeing that their general was in trouble, they immediately started shooting arrows at Link.

Link wasn’t obsessed with fighting; he’d already started retreating. During this, he didn’t look towards the arrows. Distinguishing their positions by sound, he pointed the Burning Wrath of Heavens wand casually—Restraint!

Whoosh. A ball-shaped force field appeared at the tip of the wand. It increased to ten feet in diameter. The next moment, dozens of arrows arrived. They dug into the force field. Like candles going into a cake, they froze in the air.

These knights were at most at Level-9 and couldn’t break free from Link’s magic. Before the general could recover, the white light of a Dimensional Jump appeared from Link’s Dragon King’s Fury wand. The light enveloped Link like water.

Nana saw this and immediately stopped retreating. She turned and rushed towards Link. Soon, she entered the range of the spell. The white light covered them all.

With a hum, the group disappeared.

The next instant, the restrictive force field disappeared. After dozens of twangs, the arrows in the air suddenly sped up and stuck into the ground.

The general had finally recovered too. Clutching his heavy head, he looked up in utter shock. He had truly felt the threat of death just then even though the Magician wasn’t even at Tier-1.

“Who was that Magician? Does anyone know him?” he asked, his voice low.

“I think he’s called Link,” a knight answered, unsure. “He’s Rockham’s new apprentice… an official apprentice with the magic mark.”

The general was a bit shocked. “Oh, it’s him… Whatever. Since he escaped, we won’t chase after him. Let’s continue to the Lagu tribe.”

He didn’t have anything against Link and was only carrying out a command. Since Link was Rockham’s apprentice and had escaped from him, he had no reason to continue this. He would just see it as doing Rockham a favor… But that guy truly was ruthless!

Humm. Thousands of feet away, white light flickered in the forest. Link’s group appeared again. They were in a high area. If they climbed a tree, they could see the nearby situation and the knights on the road of the city gate.

After appearing, Link scampered up a tree. He looked towards the Spring Leaf Village. As he predicted, the knights didn’t come after them. The general stood in place for a while and then went in their original direction.

Link let out a breath. That battle had been shocking. When he faced the Legendary Warrior, the pressure of the thin line between life and death suffocated him.

Climbing down, Riel looked at him reverently. “Master Link, you just defeated a Legendary Warrior!”

Milda also looked at him with shock. Her eyes shone with unshed tears.

Link didn’t feel any pride. “It was just luck. This is Aragu. These Warriors have Legendary power but aren’t battle Masters.”

Other than the dragons, Legendary fighters of Firuman were all grandmasters of battles—undefeatable fighters who had survived hellish experiences. It would be impossible for someone on a lower level to beat them. It would already be a feat to escape alive.

“Let’s go. We can’t stay in Spring Leaf Village. Balha has probably gone crazy already. Faced with a madman like that, Rockham can only give in.”

“Are we going to go find that cave?” Milda asked.

“Of course. According to the annals, it’s in the Darrow Peak outside Black Eagle City 100 miles to the north. It’s not too far.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Riel couldn’t wait to get out of this f*cked up world.

…

Spring Leaf Village

Three halflings hid in the shadows outside the magic workshop.

“He escaped using a portal.”

“Bullsh*t. How can it be a portal? He’s not a saint. Where can he get the power for that? He probably used short-distance Burst. He can’t be too far. Let’s go find him.”

The three halflings retreated into the shadows and disappeared.

Chapter 386: Supreme Magic Skill: Instant Flash

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

Spring Leaf Village was no longer an option. Link and the rest could only proceed inconspicuously to the northern forest outside the city.

The forest was not the safest place. There were constantly soldiers charging out from the city towards the forest. This was because the elves in the city were mostly all dead and the soldiers could only go outside to look for more elves. Link’s party proceeded carefully and were fortunate not to meet any nasty surprises along the way.

In this manner, they proceeded 15 miles north. As the sky turned dark, the soldiers from Spring Leaf Village returned. Link and his party sighed in relief.

“There are roughly 1,500 soldiers in Spring Leaf Village. With this much distance between us, we should be safe,” Milda said. All this time, Milda was being carried by Nana and hadn’t had the chance to change her clothing. She was still wearing the mantle and beneath it, she had one simple skirt. However, her top was bare.

Unfortunately, she could only use the mantle to cover her body until they had a chance for her to stop and put on her clothes.

After walking for a few more miles, the sky turned dark. Riel suddenly said, “Look, there’s a hole at the base of the tree. It looks pretty big; we could rest there for tonight.”

Link looked over and could only see dense leaves. He bent down. It was only then that he discovered what Riel saw. There was indeed a little hole at the base of the tree. The tree was big, about 60 feet across. The hole in the tree trunk was five feet wide. If it opened up even more inside, this would make a good place to pass the night.

“Careful, holes in trees usually have wild beasts living within them,” Princess Milda said.

Link nodded. After thinking for a while, he used a Light Spell to probe into the tree. The spell emanated soft white light, gently filling up the tree.

About three seconds later, a big bear with six-feet-wide shoulders rushed out of the tree. It roared as it ran along, and one could hear the fear in its voice as it roared. It probably never encountered something like this light spell before.

In its panic, it didn’t look where it was going and stumbled. But quickly, it picked itself back up and continued running. Soon, its big round butt disappeared from view.

“Alright, the tree should be safe. That timid looking bear probably won’t be back any time soon,” Link said.

The four of them entered the hole in the tree. Riel was the first to go in. As he entered, he couldn’t help but pinch his nose in disgust. “Ugh, this smells worse than dwarven women’s panties.”

Link immediately casted a Cleansing spell. He waited until the Cleansing spell had cleaned the hole entirely before he walked in.

The hole still had a faint smell but at least, it was now bearable.

After entering the hole, Link did not rest and began inscribing talismans around the side. About ten minutes later, the tree hole entrance was covered up by a magic door. This magic door’s texture was almost the same as the tree trunk. Furthermore, no trace of magic was able to leak out. It looked extremely realistic.

Only when he was done with all of these did he return inside to rest.

The hole did not look big from the outside, but inside, it was actually rather spacious, covering an area of 210 square feet. More importantly, there was a small passage near the top of the hole that allowed a single person to crawl through.

It could be seen that this passage opened up where the tree branches started to fork out. That was about 90 feet above the ground. It was a great escape route.

Link used magic to attach a light to the top of the tree hole. With the light, he brought out rations and water. These were items that Link usually kept on standby. In this perilous world, he knew he often had to be on the move.

After walking for a whole day, everyone was hungry. They ate their food in silence.

After eating, Princess Milda found a corner and, using the cloak as a curtain, she quickly changed her clothing.

Riel was not aware of the situation that Princess Milda was in. Watching her, he asked curiously. “Milda, what are you doing? You can’t be pleasuring yourself in this situation, can you? Save your strength, we’re on the run right now.”

Milda’s face flushed red. She hatefully glared at this dwarf who did not know how to control his mouth and shrieked, “Shut the hell up!”

Riel looked helplessly at Link. “I had good intentions…”

“Alright, don’t be nosy. Go rest.” Link knew that the dwarf was in the mood for poking fun at people. He quickly handed Riel a bear skin mantle and urged him to go to sleep.

Riel was also pretty tired. His energy was spent. He had traveled all this way on his own and was not carried on Nana’s back. After receiving the bear skin mantle, he laid down. Soon, the tree hole was filled with the soft sound of snoring.

Link rested for a while after finishing his meal, and very soon, his energy was all recovered.

He sat himself down on another mantle and took out a magic note, making inscriptions on it.

The battle against the soldier captain earlier was extremely dangerous. However, under the immense pressure, Link suddenly felt like he made a breakthrough. He gave into the inspiration he felt, going along with the feeling and making various calculations.

Very soon, he was immersed in the feeling. As he scribbled on the magic note, a new dimensional spell was gradually taking shape.

Link was concentrating so hard that he did not notice his environment. Suddenly, he felt that someone had closed up to his side. He smelt a familiar fragrance and realized that Princess Milda had come to watch what he was doing. This happened more and more frequently to the point that Link was already used to it. He brought his attention back to the note that he was writing, continuing to make various calculations.

After a period of time, Link suddenly felt a weight on his right shoulder. Turning to look, he saw that Princess Milda was now leaning against him and resting her head on his shoulder. She had already fallen asleep. Maybe it was because of the night cold, but her body was huddled up and pressed tightly against Link.

Link kept his body absolutely still as he carefully used the Magician’s hand to reach over, picking up the mantle that had fallen off to the ground and used it to cover her body.

Then, he turned to look at Nana. Nana had never been able to feel fatigue. At this moment, she was watching the bugs crawling up and down the tree hole with great interest.

Link laughed before turning back to his work. Suddenly, he realized that there were some changes to Nana’s body. Link realized that Nana’s strength had increased and there was even some traces of Mana in her body.

This must be due to the Essence of Life. When it is safe, I need to properly investigate it. Link’s focus was now completely on the spatial spell that he was creating, and he had no time to check Nana out. He continued the calculations for the spatial spell.

Time passed slowly.

After another hour passed, Link finally wrote down the final inscription on his magic note. Now, a fully formed Mana construction formed on the paper.

This was a completely new piece of magic that could replace Link’s primary escape magic, Dimensional Jump.

Although the Dimensional Jump was a Legendary Level-10 spell, Link had used it very frequently. Furthermore, he was a spatial Magician. This meant that he knew the spell like the back of his hand. Nonetheless, it was still a Legendary spell, and its design was extremely well done. There was little that Link could have done to improve it. That was until now.

Link had finally made a breakthrough with the magic.

A message popped up in his field of vision.

Player Link has created a Legendary Supreme Magic Skill. Attained 500 Omni Points.

Please name the spell.

Unexpectedly, he was rewarded with such a huge amount of Omni Points. This made Link very pleased. Thinking for a moment, he said, “Let’s call it Instant Flash.”

The system displayed a new message.

Instant Flash

Level-10 Legendary Spatial Spell

Consumption: 2500 or more Dragon Power points (Increases as the teleportation distance increases).

Casting time: 0.01 seconds

Effect: User can appear anywhere within 700 feet immediately after casting the spell.

(Note: Go ahead and burn your Dragon Power)

This description gave Link a heartache. This spatial spell was excellent and could be used offensively in combination with his sword skills and magic. It was a great killing spell. The only problem was that its consumption rate was a little high.

One Instant Flash cost 2500 Dragon Power points. Even with Link’s immense recovery rate, it was something that he could not keep up with. Essentially, he could only use it twice in an entire battle.

The less time it takes to cross the distance, the more Mana will be consumed. This was a simple law of nature, Link thought to himself and sighed.

The design of the spell was fairly simple, even easier than the dimensional jump. Furthermore, Link was the creator of the spell and was definitely the most familiar with it. Even without practice, he was already extremely familiar with the spell.

As for the 500 Omni Points, Link looked at his maximum Dragon Power limit—it was currently at 7700 points. Link had a strange feeling that he was about to reach the threshold into the Legendary realm. He just needed a small push before he could.

Right now, his strength was rapidly increasing. He decided to conserve the 500 Omni Points. In the future, if he encountered any issues, he could use these points to breakthrough.

Finally, Link was starting to feel fatigued and prepared to rest.

Carefully, he leaned against Princess Milda and laid them both down on the mantle.

Closing his eyes, he quickly started to dream. It was a very nice dream. He dreamt of Celine.

He dreamt that he was enjoying life back in Ferde. He dreamt of himself, gently stroking Celine’s flawless skin, slowly tracing his finger up to caress Celine’s soft chest. Celine laughed and told him off for teasing her. Then, she reached out and grasped his hard member, taking it out. The two of them then began talking dirty.

The things that were said between them were muffled, and Link couldn’t remember exactly what he had said. Anyway, it was a warm and calm feeling. After that, the two of them hugged and laid down on the bed, tossing and turning. At some point, they were connected with each other.

Link found himself engrossed in the sweet dream of Celine.

As he was preparing to continue, Link heard a soft cry of pain from beside him.

This cry shook Link awake. What is it?? Could it be an enemy?

After waking up, Link was stunned.

He was having a sweet sappy dream, but right now, in reality, he was actually hugging a girl. It wasn’t just anyone but Princess Milda.

He was covered by the wide mantle, and beneath him lay Princess Milda. Their two bodies were pressed tightly together. Link could feel Princess Milda’s feverish warmth on his skin.

“Ooops…” Link was speechless.

What made it worse was that Nana was squatting in the corner. She was no longer looking at the tree bugs. Rather, she was looking at them.

Chapter 387: Unavoidable Blood-Eyed Robbers

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

This was very awkward!

It was okay if Nana saw it. She was a magic puppet who didn’t understand this stuff. Link turned carefully to look at Riel. Thankfully, he was still snoring and deep asleep.

Looking back at Milda, Link didn’t know what to say.

Link was very open-minded about sex. He didn’t care that much and had only acted intimately with Celine, but he wouldn’t stay monogamous purposely. He didn’t feel bad about what happened—just awkward.

He never thought that an erotic dream would become real. Milda must have cooperated. Otherwise, he would at most just hug her and rub a little.

But now that they were at this point, should he stop or not? If he stopped, he would feel a bit sad. If he didn’t…what even was this?

While he was still debating, Milda hugged Link tightly and murmured in his ear, “Finish your dream.”

Okay. Link decided to continue.

There was a flurry and a storm. Afterwards, Link and Milda both used a cleaning spell and quickly fixed their clothing. He didn’t know how to face Milda anymore. Clearing his throat, he pulled out a book. “Rest well. I’ll read for a bit.”

Milda giggled. She sat up and latched onto Link’s lower back. “Now you’re a true man. Before this, I thought you only knew magic spells…”

Link started sweating. Just as he was trying to answer, his ears twitched. He heard something unnatural. Seeing Milda was about to speak, he reached out to stop her. Then he cast the Silence Spell on Riel. The snoring disappeared instantly.

Weak cries of insects traveled in from the trees outside. There were soft scrapes within the noise.

Link’s hearing was very sensitive. He listened hard to distinguish it. After a few seconds, he wrote some words with streaks of light in the air. People are coming. There are three.

They were in the wilderness. No matter who it was or if they were discovered, they must be prepared to defend themselves.

Link gestured at Nana and pointed at Riel. Nana quietly walked to the dwarf and shook him awake.

“Ah, what’s wrong?” Riel asked blearily, not fully awake yet. His voice was quite loud. Thankfully, the Silence Spell surrounded them and the people outside the tree couldn’t hear.

Link increased the range of the spell, covering the outside of the tree. “Shush. There are people outside.”

Riel shuddered. He was immediately awake. Climbing up, he asked, “What do we do now?”

The footsteps continued outside, growing more obvious. The other party seemed not to be hiding themselves. This meant they weren’t discovered yet.

Link pointed to the tunnel at the top of the hole. “We’re going up.”

Riel was the closest to the hole, but it was a bit high; he couldn’t reach it. Nana walked over and grabbed his neck. Using some power, she tossed him into the tunnel. Next was Milda. She was already wearing comfortable clothes. Link cast the Levitation Spell and pushed her arm, pushing her into the hole.

“Nana, you too,” Link said while he chose to leave the tunnel. He walked towards the magic door of the tree.

His magic hole didn’t seal the hole completely. There was still a tiny peephole for him to see the situation outside.

Beside the door, Link tapped beside the peephole. A Spatial Lens appeared in the air. A thin thread extended from the end and through the hole. Then it enlarged slightly, turning into a Spatial Sphere.

It was already light outside. After outer light waves passed into the sphere, they were turned into strands and taken to the Spatial Lens. Thus, Link could see a 360-degree image.

As expected, there are three people. They should be halflings with bloody eyes carved on their foreheads. They’re from the Blood-eyed Robbers…They really won’t leave us alone. It’s already been so long, but they still pursued us to kill us.

Link could understand this. For a group of robbers that used their horrible reputation to instill fear, they must do this to maintain that reputation. It would put fear in everyone and lower their cost for robberies.

Otherwise, rumors would spread that someone killed a Blood-eyed Robber and survived. The horrible reputation would decrease greatly. In the future, people might fight against them during robberies. Then people would die, and the cost would rise.

What Link didn’t expect was that they were so tough!

Judging from their postures and movements, two of them were at Level-9, and one was Level-10. They looked left and right, full of vigilance. They must have felt something odd but didn’t discover anything wrong.

The situation was tricky, but it wasn’t hopeless.

Link grabbed the Dragon King’s Fury sword and carefully watched the opponents’ positions, planning out how to do the sneak attack.

The three stood in a triangle. The Level-10 robber stood at the front while the two Level-9 robbers were fifteen feet to either side of him. This meant Link couldn’t attack the Level-10 robber. It was too risky; if he messed up and didn’t kill the robber, he would be surrounded by the three.

The seconds ticked past. Riel and the others were almost to the top of the tree. Suddenly, Riel stepped on a withered branch and popped up. There was a soft crack that traveled outside the hole. Link saw the three all look toward the branch. They heard it and were distracted!

Now was the time!

Link continuously used Instant Flash. His Dragon Power surged, and 2500 points evaporated instantly. Then Link’s figure slowly faded like an apparition. At the same time, Link appeared abruptly behind the outermost Level-9 robber outside the tree.

His position and timing were perfect. As soon as he appeared, the tip of his sword was right against the robber’s back. All Link had to do was push lightly.

Squelch. Unsurprisingly, the sword pierced the robber’s back and killed him.

“Who is it?!” The Level-10 robber immediately turned around.

“Loch!” The other Level-9 robber shouted his slain companion’s eyes, shock in his eyes. This attack was too sudden.

One down, two to go but Link didn’t have another chance.

Before the Level-10 robber turned fully, he already hurled his axe towards Link. It cut a three-foot bloody arc in the air.

This must be some type of battle technique. It crashed towards Link like a meteor. Under it, the ground split open deeply. Fallen branches and leaves spun quickly under some mysterious power. The trees nearby were bent by the blood-colored light as if sucked by a magnetic force.

It was the torque. The ball of light forced everything else to start spinning. Link was affected as well. He lost his balance and was almost sucked towards the battle technique. His movements were affected too. The light came crashing towards him, and he couldn’t hide.

This Legendary battle technique was terrifying. If hit, Link would die without a doubt. He couldn’t attack again and used the Instant Flash to escape.

Whoosh! The ball of light crashed into Link’s shadow and hit the tree fifteen feet behind him. Crack, crack. With an ear-splitting crack, the thick tree was halved. The cut area had turned into wood splinters. The top half was twisted by the rotating force and flew 60 feet into the distance.

Link didn’t see this, but he was chilled by the sound. After the Instant Flash, he didn’t continue attacking. Instead, he went to the others and used the Dimensional Jump without hesitation.

Whoosh. The group disappeared inside the tree.

The two Instant Flashes used up 5000 Dragon Power points. The Dimensional Jump was 900 points, and so Link now had 1800 points left. Even though it regenerated quickly, it wasn’t enough to face two strong fighters.

After reappearing, Link immediately cast the Traceless Spell on everyone. Then he said softly, “You two stay here and wait. Nana, come with me.”

Only running was meaningless when Legendary fighters were after them. It would only use up their strength. He had to attack.

As he spoke, Link sneaked towards their original position. After staying low for 600 feet, he stopped and hid under a large leaf. He gestured at Nana and pointed towards a pile of grass in the other direction. Nana crawled over and hid in the grass with a giant leaf on her head. After adding an invisibility spell, it was impossible to detect her existence.

After all that, Link began waiting patiently.

If the Level-10 robber could find them, his pursuit abilities must be shocking. They could definitely feel their existence, so they followed over. The most probable path was a straight line from where Link used the Instant Flash. This was the best chance for a sneak attack!

…

The other side

“Oyes, that guy escaped again!” The speaking halfling hugged his companion’s body tightly. He was furious and sad.

The one called Oyes had a dark expression. He sensed carefully and pointed in a direction. “He’s there. I can feel them. I’ll go after them and leave marks. Bring Loch back and report to the head. Tell him to bring more people. This guy isn’t that powerful, but his spells are strange. He runs like a rat too. We need more men.”

“Okay, be careful.”

“Don’t worry. He’s not my match at all. His little tricks are like jokes to me.”

Oyes carried his battle axe and charged deep into the forest.

Chapter 388: The Possibility of Removing the Slave Collar

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

In the forest

Link waited patiently. He wasn’t disappointed. After three minutes, there came the patter of footsteps.

From the time they concealed themselves to now, it had only been three minutes and thirty-five seconds. Link’s Dragon Power recovery rate was 27 points per second. In this time, he had already recovered over 5800 Dragon Power points, fully recovering the amount he consumed earlier on.

This was the benefit of pure dragon power.

As their opponents got closer, Link gestured towards Nana. It was to say, I’ll take the lead, you take the chance to sneak in an attack.

Nana’s strength had increased, but even still, she was still only at Level-8. It would be foolish to let her initiate the attack on a Level-10 expert, tantamount to suicide.

In fact, Nana was only a backup plan. If things went smoothly, she would not even have to reveal herself.

Nana nodded. She could feel her opponent’s strength. She gripped her Breakpoint dagger tightly.

Tap. Tap. The footsteps slowed down. It seemed that the opponent detected something.

Link crouched low under the huge grass, squinting his eyes to look at the opponent. He saw that the bandit was only 90 feet away. The bandit gripped his axe tightly and poised his body in a defensive posture.

The bandit was wearing simple leather armor with little defense. Whether it was Link’s Dragon King’s Wrath sword or Nana’s Breakpoint dagger, either one would easily pierce their defenses.

The axe he was holding also seemed to be made of simple steel. This would be a great weapon for a normal Warrior, but for a Legendary Warrior, it was far too inferior.

Although the Warriors in this world are strong, their equipment is pathetic. This fellow doesn’t even have any magic equipment; he’s just a sitting duck. Link sighed. In terms of equipment, Link had an extreme advantage.

At this point, the bandit came within 30 feet. His movements became even more cautious and alert. When he walked into the foliage, he alarmed a dog-sized rat. As it jumped and escaped, the bandit was in turn alarmed and turned to face the rat.

Whoosh. Link naturally would not waste this chance. His body immediately disappeared from his original position, instantly appearing to the bandit’s seven o’clock, behind the bandit’s left shoulder.

This was an ideal position for sneak attacking, as it was a dead angle for the opponent. Link could focus on attacking while the bandit could only dodge and not counter.

Swoosh. Link’s sword stabbed at the bandit’s back. At the same time, he pointed his Burning Wrath of Heaven’s wand to the space in front of the bandit. He released a dimensional ball that stopped in front of the bandit, cutting off his escape path.

The bandit Oyes detected the killing intent from behind him and immediately reacted, lunging forward as Link had predicted.

As he was in mid-air, he forcefully spun his body around, raising his axe to strike back at Link.

Wham. The dimensional ball exploded, trapping the bandit within.

Revolve!

This time, Link didn’t use Spatial Shackles or Spatial Rend. Instead, he simply used the distortional force produced by the spatial energy to create a rotating force. The huge force acted on Oyes’s body, causing him to spin around mid-air.

Oyes was shocked. He immediately re-adjusted his body and forcefully activated his skill. Swoosh. A blood-red light appeared and headed straight for Link.

This skill was extremely forced. After releasing it, he found himself in an awkward position, and he couldn’t maintain his balance.

Link had long since expected this development and had activated Instant Flash before this happened. When the blood-red light reached, all it hit was Link’s after-image. The real Link had already reappeared behind Oyes’s body and once again stabbed towards his back.

This stab was in a perfect position and had perfect timing. It was immediately after the opponent had used his skill and was in a refractory period. The bandit simply did not have time to make any follow-up moves.

The sword stabbed into the opponent’s back, sliding smoothly into his body. Just as the sword tip entered, Link noticed a few scars on the bandit’s neck. Link felt a sudden impulse and twisted his blade, avoiding the bandit’s heart.

Nonetheless, the blade still pierced right through the bandit’s lungs. The pain was incredible, and the bandit involuntarily released a cry of pain. Still suspended in the air, his body lost all its strength and went limp.

Link pulled back his sword and slashed once more, cutting off the bandit’s arm that held the axe.

Crash. The bandit’s body crumpled to the ground. He no longer had any strength left to resist.

After creating the spell Instant Flash, it was a simple matter for Link to deal with regular Level-10 experts.

Link walked forward and stepped down hard onto the bandit’s body, which was still jerking about in pain.

Link pressed his sword tip against the opponent’s throat and asked, “What happened in Spring Leaf Village?”

“I dare you to kill me!” The bandit shouted. He wanted to spit his blood covered spit at Link. However, the moment he exerted his strength, he started coughing in pain. The wound in his lung caused him to cough up huge amounts of blood and nearly stop breathing.

Link moved his sword to poke into the bandit’s finger on his left hand, like a sharp nail.

“Arghhh!” The bandit screamed in pain. He could see that Link was going to slowly and repeatedly pierce his finger with his sword. Panicking, he explained. “We poisoned Balha’s wife. He’s gone mad!”

“No wonder,” Link said in realization. In Spring Leaf Village, everyone knew that Balha’s soft spot was his beloved wife. Even though Link had only stayed in the village for a short time, he had also known about it.

There was little that strong people like Balha would fear. That was with the exception of the people that he cared about. Watching as the bandits kill his beloved, it was no surprise that Balha would go insane.

Link couldn’t understand it. He asked, “But you guys are just a bandit gang…”

“Mercenary troop!”

“Fine, mercenary troop. For a mercenary troop to go up against the lord of Spring Leaf Village, aren’t you afraid of retaliation? I’m sure you know that Balha’s father is Great Lord Bal. That’s a Level-17 expert.”

“Heh,” the bandit laughed. His smirking mouth was covered in blood. “We are just slaves, trash with nothing to our names. All we have are our lives. What wouldn’t we be afraid of doing? Anyway, Bal is busy with his own troubles. Where would he find time to bother us? Hahahaha.”

Important figures had their own work to do; this was something Link understood very well. Back when he was cleaning up Ferde’s bandit problem, he had let the mercenary troops manage the problem. He had not gone out to clean them up himself, as he was far too busy with other things.

Link asked another question. “How do you remove the slave collar?”

This question caused the bandit to pause. “Remove the slave collar? What are you planning…? Oh, I get it. You Araguans are up to something. I’m never telling you!”

Although the bandit refused to answer, it gave Link a clue, letting him know that there was a way to remove the slave collar. Furthermore, it wouldn’t be too difficult. Otherwise, a simple bandit troop would never be able to release it on their own.

This made Link happy.

Link sized up the bandit again. The bandit was tough and unmoving, stubborn to his bones. It would probably be difficult to make him open his mouth.

Link had no time to waste with him. Raising his sword, he ended the bandit’s life.

There were three bandits from just now. Now that two were dead, there was one more Level-9 bandit. Link thought for a moment and said to Nana, “Go, protect Milda and Riel. I’m going to kill the pursuers.”

“Understood,” Nana said. She turned and left.

Link, on the other hand, turned back towards the tree hole they were hiding in before. He was going to deal with a Level-9 bandit. This would be a piece of cake for him, and he hurried onwards.

Half a minute later, he exited the dense foliage and found himself back where the tree hole was.

The surroundings were covered in flesh and blood, the remains of the first Blood-eye bandit he killed.

Link carefully studied the tracks on the floor and quickly determined the direction the last bandit had left in.

His speed isn’t fast; the footsteps are much deeper than before. There is also a lot of blood trailing along. The bandit probably brought his comrade’s corpse along, Link deduced.

Link followed the trail. After about three minutes, he noticed something new.

His speed suddenly increased. Based on the speed and the distance, this must have been when I killed the third guy. He must have realized that the situation was bad and decided to speed up. Unfortunately, he’s still not fast enough.

Link increased his speed, determined to chase the bandit down.

After another five minutes, Link stopped. At the side of the road, he saw a corpse. This belonged to the first bandit he killed. At the same time, the footsteps on the trail disappeared. At least, with the naked eye, there were no obvious tracks on the ground.

Link thought for a moment. He must have decided that he couldn’t escape fast enough, so he threw aside the body and hid his own tracks, choosing to hide instead.

If Link was a Warrior in this world, he might not be able to continue tracking down the bandit. Fortunately, he was a Magician.

Link pointed the magic sword in his hand forward and said softly, “Clear Sign!”

Clear Sign

Level-3 Hidden Spell

Effect: Greatly increase the user’s senses and filter out irrelevant information.

(Note: Use it to uncover the truth.)

After using the spell, Link felt like he woke up. The world in front of him changed, and all the unhelpful phenomena in front of him, like the wind and the sound of bugs and bird calls, disappeared.

Link’s mental realm became silent. The surrounding imagery became somewhat vague. Meanwhile, Link sniffed hard, picking up the scent of blood. There were two different scents: One came from the corpse in front of him and was very dense. The other scent was a lot fainter and pointed towards a particular direction.

The other bandit has got this guy’s blood on him. I can use it to find him too.

Link maintained the state of Clear Sign, tracing the scent of blood and chasing it.

After walking for about 300 feet, Link stopped. He pointed the sword in his hand towards a patch of green nine feet away.

“Come out!”

The foliage was quiet at first. Then, three seconds later, a figure lunged out towards Link. It was the bandit!

Whoosh. Spatial Shackles!

The bandit was Level-9, and Link used 2000 Dragon Power points in this spell. The bandit immediately slowed down, moving as slow as one centimeter every second. It was like he was in a thick, viscous paste.

Link waved his magic sword, negating a portion of the Spatial Shackles. In the end, the bandit’s body was still trapped within the Spatial Shackles space, while his head existed in normal space.

On this bandit’s neck were also some scars. These scars were probably left by a slave collar.

Pointing the Dragon King’s Wrath at the bandit’s forehead, Link began to speak.

“I’ve got no patience. I just want to know one thing. If you answer me, I’ll spare you, otherwise, …”

“Just kill me!” The bandit stared hatefully at Link.

Link laughed. If the bandit had stayed calm, Link wouldn’t have any confidence in prying the information out of him. However, it was obvious that this was just a brave front in the face of death.

People in this state seemed fearless, but it was only temporary. After a while, their survival instinct would naturally kick in.

Link paused, dragging out the time. After a while, he continued, “I will count down from ten. You can make your decision by then…ten… nine… eight… three…”

Link took his time counting down. Finally, when he had reached three, the bandit spoke up. “Will you really let me go?”

Chapter 389: Someone Wants to be a God

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

Forest in the mountain

Using Link’s thoughts, there was a ding. The Blood-eyed Robber’s short sword was flicked 1000 feet by the force field. Finally, it buried into a tree. At the same time, Link undid the robber’s restraint. With a plop, the robber fell onto the ground.

Link retreated ten feet and put his sword away. His action had a strong hinting effect. The robber saw this and let out a breath. He climbed up slowly and asked, “What do you want to know?”

Link didn’t ask about the slave ring immediately. Instead, he explained his situation, “I have two friends, one Laguan and one a dwarf. Because of an accident, slave rings were put on them. I want to take it off for them.”

The halfling’s expression relaxed slightly and the animosity reduced by a bit. Sneering, he said, “Since when were Araguans nice enough to see Laguans and dwarves as friends?”

Link smiled faintly. “Not everyone is like the Bloody Butcher Balha. Actually, I don’t support slavery.”

The halfling fell silent. If someone else said this, he wouldn’t believe it. However, to assassinate Link, he’d watched the man for many days. He truly treated his slaves well. It was understandable if he wanted to get rid of the ring.

More importantly, if he didn’t answer, he would die.

Thinking of this, he said, “The one who helped us get rid of the ring is the Laguan prophet Greer Seymor…ah…ah…ah!”

Halfway through, an accident happened! Link saw smoke suddenly come out of the halfling’s throat. A few seconds later, his neck turned black from the inside out. The smoke coming out of him turned into scalding sparks of fire.

Link smelled the thick smell of something burning. Then, right before his eyes, the halfling caught on fire. He burned for more than ten minutes. When the fire went out, all that was left was a human-shaped pile of ashes.

Shocked, Link squatted down. He sifted through the ashes and sniffed it. A spicy, garlicky scent rushed into his nose.

He closed his eyes and felt for the aura. There was a very subtle and mysterious power within the ashes.

It’s a silencer curse for a specified target. This type of curse is extremely difficult and is at least Level-17. It is probably done by the prophet Greer Seymor that he mentioned. This was the experience Link received in the game. The game had replicated the signs of the spell very well.

This was strange.

According to the halfling, the prophet was Laguan. If he didn’t want to be revealed, he could just say so. Why did he use such a powerful curse?

From the halfling’s reaction, he didn’t know about the curse at all. This meant that the prophet wasn’t a secret amongst the halflings. They didn’t know about the taboo either. The curse would only be activated if the information was revealed to an Araguan.

The process was very interesting as well.

The man didn’t completely make the secret forbidden. The curse only started after uttering the name. That means the name has a special power.

With that thought, Link took out his Burning Wrath of Heavens wand to write down the name. He wanted to see if the name contained any special magic or contract. But just as he was about to start, he stopped.

If the name contains power, the other must be extremely strong. I have to be prepared.

Thinking of that, Link returned to Nana. He and Nana had a special magic bond, so he quickly found the group.

“How is it?” Milda asked. She’d returned to normal without a sign of the past. The redness on her face had faded and returned to the alabaster color. She looked at Link normally as well. There was no difference—at least, none that Link could see.

He let out a breath of relief. Composing himself, he moved on from that ridiculous thing. “I might have found a way to remove the ring, but it’s extremely dangerous.”

“Oh, tell me.” Riel was interested as well. His power was rising quickly; he was about to break into Level-9.

Link began recounting what happened to the two halflings. During this, he replaced Greer Seymor’s name with “elven prophet.” Then he said, “I don’t know what kind of power the prophet has. Milda, do you have suggestions?”

The scope of elven magic was very wide. Link believed Milda could help him.

Unexpectedly though, Milda had spaced out. Hearing his voice, she jolted and asked with embarrassment, “Sorry, what did you say?”

Beside her, Riel instantly lost his temper. “Your Highness,” he huffed, “how can you be distracted about something so important? What are you thinking about?!”

Milda looked ashamed, and she reddened again. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“Okay, I’ll say it again.” Link knew the reason. It seemed that last night had indeed affected Milda. He really regretted sleeping so close to Milda now, resulting in that stupid thing. Now, it was getting between their friendship… It was so awkward.

Composing himself, Link repeated himself.

This time, Milda was finally back to normal. After listening attentively, she pondered and said, “According to our secret records, names carry power. This usually appears after Legendary Level-15. The power a name contains is different and divided between three categories—Mana, soul, and law. Legendary Level-15 can only contain Mana power. Above Level-17, it will involve the soul. At Level-19, it will involve the laws. The next step would be a demi-god.”

This was the elven heritage. Hearing those details, Link suddenly thought of someone—Morpheus, the Shadow Stalker of Firuman. In the game, this guy actually reached Level-19 as a human Assassin. He even understood a portion of the god territory and started searching everywhere to be turned into a god.

Even though he’d always lived in obscurity and never did anything big, once he reached Level-19 in the game, he’d sense whenever someone in Firuman said his name. If he was mentioned multiple times within a period, he could even cast down bad luck. His name probably carried the power of the laws.

Thinking of this, Link said, “Then we’ll test what kind of power the name carries. Nana, get ready.”

Nana nodded. She pulled out the Breakpoint dagger.

Milda didn’t understand. “How will you test it? He’ll definitely find out and might even find us with it.”

Link pointed his wand at the air and cast a Spatial Sphere. Then, the sphere started warping. Finally, it formed a special structure. It was entirely caved in with a thin link connecting to the outside world.

“Break this link if anything happens,” Link said to Nana. Then he said to Milda, “Nana’s dagger is a bit special. It can break many illusory things. I can’t explain it, but we’re safe.”

The Breakpoint dagger could even destroy a god’s soul. No matter how strong the prophet was, he couldn’t be stronger than a god. Link wasn’t worried.

After the distorted space appeared, Link wrote Greer Seymor in the air with Mana.

Once he finished, his heart started pounding. It felt like someone had his eyes on him. At the same time, the constructed space was disturbed by some strange power. It started undoing itself uncontrollably.

“Nana!” Link exclaimed.

Nana brought the dagger down. The link was cut with a snick. The heart tremors instantly disappeared. Looking at Milda and Riel, they looked relieved too.

“It felt like I was at the edge of a cliff and could fall down at any time. It’s terrifying!” Riel patted his chest, still not recovered.

Milda clutched her forehead. “That power is very strong. Not only did it instill fear, it even destroyed the spatial structure…”

The answer was close to being revealed.

Link was the constructor of the Spatial Sphere and felt it deeply. He uttered what Milda didn’t say, “It’s the power of the laws. Judging from this, the prophet should be the strongest in Level-19. He… might be looking to be made a god!”

“Is that possible?” Riel started tugging at his beard again. This world felt more and more dangerous. It was one thing to find Legendary people everywhere. Now, there was someone at the pinnacle. What could a mortal like him do?

Milda agreed with Link. “Your thinking is right. In Aragu, the hatred between the Laguans, dwarves, and Araguans have accumulated for centuries. Now, it’s like an active volcano. Once the power is released, it’s enough to change the world and push a Level-19 into the godly level.”

She said what Link was thinking. He continued, “The Blood-eyed Robbers are just a start. They’re the first weapon of this Legendary man!”

“Who is he?” Riel asked. “Araguan? Elven? A dwarf?”

“He must be an Araguan,” Link and Milda said at the same time. Then they met eyes and smiled knowingly.

In this world, Araguans held absolute knowledge and power. Only they could reach the pinnacle of Level-19.

Riel was shocked. “Are you sure? An Araguan is purposely making elves and halflings to go against his own race? Doesn’t he know this will destroy his race? Oh my god!”

Milda shook his head. “Before eternity, races are just a shackle that can be abandoned.”

“Races are cradles. You can’t stay in a cradle forever,” Link explained.

Aragu was on the brink of a revolution; they were right when the sparks were about to be ignited.

Riel looked miserable. “So there’s no hope of getting rid of this damn ring?”

The one who could undo it was at Level-19 and they’d become rivals with the Blood-eyed Robbers. They were looking for death if they tried to ask the prophet to remove the ring.

Link smiled. “Actually, there’s a lot of hope.”

“How? He’s not a good guy.” Riel shook his head furiously, not believing Link at all.

Link put his wand away and explained, “The church should appear soon. With that, there would be altars and the first batch of priests. These priests might not know curing spells, but they’ll know how to undo the ring and free the slaves.”

Each freed slave would be the church’s fervent believer. They would become the church’s Warriors and begin massacring the Araguans under the motivation from centuries of hatred.

Not only would the church give them freedom, but it would also give them power and knowledge. With time, the slaves would become a force that could not be ignored.

At that time, Aragu would become chaotic. They could take advantage of it and find a priest to undo the rings.

“What should we do?”

“Hide somewhere and focus on strengthening. Between half a year and a year, we should be able to leave this world.”