Advent of the Archmage - Chapter 406

Chapter 406: The Yabba’s Attachment

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

In the forest, beside the ruined airship

Riel tried to describe what he had seen. “It was too far, and the sky was dark. I couldn’t really see it clearly, but there were many black figures that looked like they were swaying a lot, like a snake. There aren’t many, just about 40 of them I think.”

Link’s heart stirred when he heard this description. He had come across something like this in the game!

In the game, these creatures were called “Agatha Nagas.” They were the slaves of the God of Destruction. The tribe was completely made up of females. They had the body of humans but were soft as snakes; they were soft to the point that it felt like they didn’t have bones. They could contort their bodies in incredible ways, such as turning their heads 360 degrees, turning their bodies over backwards or rotating their limbs in unimaginable ways. They could easily do things that humans would think impossible.

Their bodies were soft and gentle. However, if you underestimated their strength because of that, you would pay a heavy price.

In reality, the Agatha Nagas had bodies as tough as the strongest demons. In front of them, human Warriors were like second-rate trash.

In the game, the Agatha Nagas were most commonly found in the Silversand Islands, located to the southeast of the southernmost kingdom of Doska. They possessed mighty strength and were minimally Level-8. They also dropped valuable loot. Every now and then, a boss-level creature would appear on the island. After players reached Level-11, they frequently ventured to the island to farm for resources.

Seeing the Agatha Nagas appear here, Link’s doubts were washed away. It was no wonder why Akensser could cause the collapse of the magic net and evade the notice of the God of Light. It was because the God of Destruction had a hand in this.

Riel’s news made Franklin extremely anxious. He exclaimed, “Akensser must have brought those things into the city. Nothing good will come out of this; we must stop him!”

He instructed Merlin who was standing next to him. “Go get the musketeers to prepare.”

“Yes, Lord!” Merlin saluted and ran off to complete the task.

However, Link knew that the musketeers would only be sending themselves to their deaths. The Agatha Nagas were extremely fast that they could evade the Yabba musket shots. They could also easily invade the Yabba camps and slaughter them.

Even then, Link did not immediately try to stop the Yabbas. Making use of the time Merlin took to gather the troops, he asked, “Sir, are there guards left in the city?”

“Yes, about 5,000 more musketeers,” Franklin nodded.

Link said, “Akensser probably knows the strength of Lariel City’s defenses. For him to still dare to bring 40 snake people into the city shows that they are definitely not weak.”

Franklin squinted his eyes and pondered for a moment. After a brief period of silence, he said, “We don’t have a choice.”

They truly couldn’t ignore the snake people’s attack. Inside the city, there were still 150,000 Yabbas. They were the hope of the Yabba’s revival, so nothing could be allowed to harm them.

Suddenly, after keeping silent for so long, Elin screamed. “Lord, those are the slaves of the God of Destruction; they will drag our clan to destruction!!!” Elin was trembling visibly. Her face was pale, and she sweated profusely. The future she had seen must have been extremely shocking.

At this point, Franklin no longer dared to ignore the advice. He frowned and asked, “Elin, what do you suggest?”

Elin shook her head in anguish. “I don’t know, I don’t know! My vision says that we will immediately head southwards, but there are still 150,000 people in the city! How can we just abandon them?”

As she spoke, she looked at Link with big pleading eyes. However, she did not speak. Link had already helped them many times. This time, the enemy was simply too dangerous, she didn’t feel it was right to ask him for help again.

At this point, a message appeared in Link’s vision. It was a new mission.

New Mission: Investigation

Description: Return to Lariel City and find out what Akensser, the traitor, is up to.

Mission reward: Void Aura dispelling kit (One-time use)

Awesome! This mission was like delivering coal in the winter, exactly what he needed. Link desperately needed to use his spells. Only with his spells could he turn the situation around.

His spells were the key to creating a miracle!

Link immediately accepted the mission. He inhaled deeply and took a step forward. “Lord Franklin, Lariel’s situation is unclear, and it might be dangerous for you guys. How about letting me go in to investigate first?”

Franklin was stunned. He felt conflicted. He knew that Link had already done plenty for the Yabbas. Now, knowing that the situation was dangerous, Link still volunteered to help them investigate. If they accepted his help, their debt towards him would be very hard to repay.

However, could they say no? He couldn’t.

There were only less than two million Yabbas left. Every single one was precious. They could not sacrifice even a single one anymore. After pondering for a moment, Franklin sighed. “Lord Link, I swear by the name of the God of Light. If my clan makes it through this calamity, we will move to your territory and be forever loyal to you and your descendants!”

This was a serious oath. Yet, Franklin knew that this was the only way forward. The Yabbas had lost much of their magic arsenal. It would be hard for them to re-establish their might in the current world unless they were led by a stronger power.

Link was one such power!

Earlier, he was still in a position to bargain and negotiate. After all, he had a powerful fleet of airships as well as Lariel City and its thousands of years of accumulated resources backing him up. All that had long since gone up in smoke.

Link was delighted. If the Yabbas were willing to join him, that would be for the best. Their skills in magic technology were unparalleled. They would be able to help Ferde develop rapidly.

As expected, Link did not reject them. To do this mission, Link would also be risking his own life. It was only fair that he got something in return.

He placed his hand on Franklin’s shoulder and promised, “I’ll do my best!”

“Lord, I’ll go with you!” Elin said. She had already considered Link to be her lord.

“Okay!”

Elin was a Level-7 Magician. Link could not use any spells for the moment and needed a Magician to accompany him. Green would have been a suitable choice too, but it was probable that he had expended most of his Mana during the earlier battle.

“I’m going too! My bones are itching to beat up some enemies,” Riel declared, waving his hammer.

Unexpectedly, Link shook his head and rejected him. “Riel, someone needs to protect the Yabbas here. The demons may come back anytime!”

“Oh… well alright then. Beating up demons is fine too!” Riel was easy to talk to.

“I’ll come too!” Another clear voice rang out.

Link looked at the owner of the voice. It was Lannie who was holding a magic musket. Beside her was Magician Green. Link rejected her offer. “Just me and Elin will do. It’s easier to sneak around with fewer numbers. Anyway, the people here need your protection.”

Lannie pouted; she was unhappy at being left out. Nonetheless, she obeyed.

After sorting everything out, Link grabbed Elin and placed her on his shoulders. “Let’s use an Invisibility spell,” he suggested.

Elin waved her wand, and a watery light appeared, wrapping the two of them within it. The two of them disappeared.

“Hold on tightly, I’m going to run.”

“Okay,” Elin said. She cast a Lightweight spell onto herself, turning as light as a feather. This also reduced her inertia greatly. This way, Link would not feel her weight and be influenced in any way. Link started increasing his speed. Two seconds later, he was at the mountaintop. He saw the black figures that Riel had talked about.

His eyesight was many times better than Riel. He could see much further and more vividly than Riel. It was indeed the snake people—that was obvious from the swaying of their bodies and the gait of their walk.

He counted 43 of them. In the middle of them walked a short Yabba. It was the traitor, and he was wearing a deep purple Magician robe and had a head full of purple hair. He even had a purple beard. Along with his eagle-like nose, he looked extremely shady and scheming.

They were now half a mile away from the crystal wall. Link was ready to set off when he heard the sound of wind blowing. He turned to look and saw the demons that retreated earlier had regrouped and were getting ready to attack again. There were about 300 flying demons. Among them, there were five Winged Howlers and many other smaller demons. There were also about a thousand low-level demons but no particularly strong ones.

“They’re headed for Lord Franklin!” Elin said, worried.

“Don’t worry, me and Riel have just returned from another dimension. Riel has also reached Legendary level. He can deal with this many demons.”

Elin’s eyes lit up when she heard what Link said. “If that’s the case, then I’m not that worried.”

“Let’s go; let’s see what Akensser is up to.”

Link continued down the hill. Because they were invisible, Link decreased his speed slightly. Three minutes later, they were standing at the entrance of Lariel City.

Having gone through the surge in Mana, the city was already in ruins. The density of Mana in the city now exceeded other areas by five times!

Link noticed that his Dragon Power recovery rate was already 38 points per second. It was a shocking number.

After walking for a bit, Link noticed something odd. About 90 feet ahead of them, there was an area where the air was vibrating and shimmering. It was kind of like the heat waves above an open fire.

Elin noticed it too. She said, “Lord, I feel danger. It’s like there is a pair of eyes hidden behind this thing, and it’s watching us.”

Chapter 407: Nagas Ready to Do Something Big

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

It was already five in the evening. Being winter, it was dark now.

But with this kind of lighting, the swaying air waves became even more obvious. The starry bits of light in the ripples danced like fireflies.

The situation was odd and Elin whispered, “Let’s go around it.”

Link nodded. He looked at the ball of ripples and walked for around 150 feet. But then something even stranger happened.

He discovered that even though he was going straight and towards the same direction, the path curved without him realizing. The ball of ripples appeared before him again.

As a spatial Magician, Link naturally knew what had happened.

“We can’t avoid it. The space here has been completely distorted. We’ll run into it no matter where we go.”

Elin was a bit frightened. “What should we do?” she whispered.

“Let’s go meet him.” Link took a deep breath. Taking out his Dragon King’s Fury sword, he walked over to the ripples.

Around 30 feet away from it, the air suddenly shook and a wispy voice said, “Mortal, go south. This is already a land of destruction.”

As the voice spoke, there was an inexplicable pressure. Under this, even Link couldn’t take another step, let alone Elin.

There was nothing before them but in their minds, there was an extremely steep mountain. They were faced with a bottomless abyss and neither could walk forward.

Link wasn’t a brash person. Once he felt this pressure, he retreated.

The wispy voice rang out again. “Mortal, that is a wise choice.”

Link didn’t speak. He kept retreating until he was 200 feet away. Elin was a bit confused. “Are we really leaving?” she asked softly.

Instead of speaking, Link just shook his head lightly. Retreating more, he said softly, “I can’t feel its presence anymore. Do you feel danger?”

Elin closed her eyes to sense and shook her head. “I can’t feel it at all.”

“Then we should be safe. Now, I’ll teach you a spell. Do as I say, understood?” Link said.

“Yes.” Elin nodded.

Link took out his notes and flipped to a page. Pointing at a Mana structure, he said, “This one. Construct this portion now.”

This spell was Link’s greatest accomplishment in spatial magic—the Spatial Sphere. The structure was extremely complex. If Link guided Elin as he’d done for Master Green, she would definitely fail.

Thus, Link divided the spell into portions for Elin to construct while he would control the precise vibrations of the Mana structures. The process was complicated but Link did all the cumbersome work so it didn’t take much time.

After around 30 seconds, Link said, “Alright. Now don’t think about anything but don’t relax your control on the structures. Yes, like that. Relax, relax some more. Give some of the control to me… Yes…”

For a moment, Link felt that his thoughts were combined with Elin’s. Not only was he controlling the vibrations of Elin’s Mana, he also felt some of her emotions. There was fear, worry, and reliance. It was complicated.

While controlling the vibrations of the structures, Link also tried to smooth the unexpected feelings.

After a second, there was a soft hum; a Spatial Sphere appeared. Link moved his thoughts and Elin immediately felt it. She controlled the Spatial Sphere and threw it towards the air ripples.

Distortion. Increase spatial frequency! Link thought.

There was another soft sound. The Spatial Sphere exploded in the heart of the air ripples. The swaying ripples suddenly tightened like someone squeezing a ball of cotton.

It disappeared just like that.

Link let out a breath and sped forward. When he passed where the ripples had been, the huge mental pressure didn’t appear.

For some reason, Elin’s face was red. “Lord, was that spatial magic?” she asked curiously.

Her voice was still chirpy like a child’s but it also felt soft and a bit coquettish. Link guessed that it was because of their psychological exchange earlier. He just pretended he didn’t know and nodded.

“Yes, that was spatial magic. On the surface, it increases spatial frequency but it actually thickens the Space Barrier.”

Elin immediately tossed the strange feeling behind as she grew curious. “So you mean that the air ripples earlier were actually caused by the Space Barrier thinning?”

Link nodded. “Yes. The Mana density there was too high. Mana has the effect of enlarging space. The denser it is, the more space swells. The entire space will thin as well, the force of laws weakening. Of course, the barrier is still there so the other can only sense unclearly. When we retreated enough, he couldn’t see us anymore.”

Hearing this, Elin understood already. She gripped Link’s shirt in fear and asked, “Then is the existence in the Void a god?”

Facing a god was terrifying for mortals. Link guessed that it was the God of Destruction, but no one was sure about things in the Sea of Void. It was only a guess. All he could say now was, “Maybe but I’m not sure. But we’re inside the realm. Even the strongest god can’t come into the mortal world. Don’t be scared.”

There was something Link didn’t say. If the realm was like a house protecting mortals, then the house of Firuman was now collapsing. However, this reality was too scary. Link didn’t want Elin to be worried for nothing.

“Oh,” Elin replied. She was still anxious and gripped Link’s shirt without relaxing.

The sky grew darker as the two continued going after Akensser.

They passed through three streets and entered the main road of the inner city. Link saw Akensser’s group from afar.

At this time, they were less than 1000 feet away from each other. Link could faintly sense the levels of the enemies. Surprisingly, the Agatha Nagas were all at Level-9. One was physically small but her aura was obscure and deep. When Link sensed her, his heart trembled.

He could feel that this Naga probably had Legendary power. Different from those soldiers in Aragu, she was a true Legendary fighter!

Of the 43 people, 42 were at Level-9 and one was in the Legendary level. This was truly a horrifying force. Even if there were more than 5000 musketeers inside the city, it was useless. They would be destroyed.

This must be the first batch of the God of Destruction’s army. And they’re elites, Link thought.

“I feel that the Nagas are an abyss of death,” Elin whispered. “Each one is really, really scary. They’ll destroy my people!”

Link nodded lightly while plotting in his mind.

He was alone. Elin could only help hide him; her combat power was basically zero. Faced with 43 powerful enemies, there was no way to win. In reality, if he couldn’t use magic, he would feel accomplished to just kill ten with guerilla warfare.

But he didn’t have to force himself to fight now.

The game system’s mission was to capture a Naga and interrogate about their specific motive. By that time, he could complete the mission, receive the reward, rid himself of the Void’s breath, and recover his magic ability.

That way, he would be able to fight with these Nagas.

Thinking of this, Link realized that the only thing he could do was create a commotion and find the chance to capture a Naga. With that in mind, he turned around. At the nearest corner, he took out one of Riel’s bombs. He had nine left; it would suffice.

He adjusted the bomb to detonate after 15 seconds and tossed it overhand.

There were two benefits to this type of throw. One, it was slow and quiet, making it hidden. Two, it would fall from the sky while landing. They couldn’t determine where exactly it came from.

Five, four, three, two, one, go!

Boom! The bomb exploded amongst the group of Nagas. A huge white fireball rose up.

“A sneak attack!” Akensser’s sharp voice cried. He was a craftsman, but while Yabbas researched magic machinery, craftsmen were all Magicians as well. He knew basic defensive spells. The light of magic wrapped around his body now and he was unharmed.

“From where?”

“I don’t know!”

“Master told me that the powerful human is coming. You, you, and you—you three go stop him! The rest hurry and follow me! We can’t delay Master’s orders.” The voice came from the smallest Naga.

Two Nagas started going backwards while the others, including Akensser, sped towards the Light Wall.

The Light Wall was relatively independent. Even if the magic net collapsed, the wall would still stand. It was a Level-9 shield and was very sturdy. However, without the magic net’s support, there was no energy supply. At this time, the wall’s light was gradually dimming. It had lost the ability to attack objects that approached it as well.

A Light Wall like this couldn’t stop the Nagas at all.

Link heard the Nagas clearly. He was certain that these Nagas were preparing to do something big.

Chapter 408: Cruel to Themselves Too?

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

The three Level-9 Nagas did not split up nor did they come looking for link. They just stood where they were, along the main road to the light wall, obstructing the way and waiting to see who might turn up. They held their unique triangular spears in their hands.

The Nagas were fast and strong, and their attacks were unpredictable. Link had to be careful when dealing with even just one Naga. Now, there were three watching each other’s backs. Furthermore, they didn’t need to win, just draw out the battle.

As they occupied the main road, they had a wide and unobstructed vision of the entire area. Anyone who wanted to sneak past them would have to make a large detour and end up wasting even more time. If Link had come alone, he definitely wouldn’t have been able to deal with this barricade. Thankfully, he had Elin with him.

Elin said, “Lord, I’ll use a spirit attack. Hopefully, it’ll create an opening.”

Link shook his head. “It’s no use. These Nagas didn’t appear here naturally. They were summoned. For them to be summoned, they must have traveled through the void, and all creatures that can do that have very strong spirits.”

It wasn’t just the Nagas who were like that. The demons were like that too. One time, Eleanor met a low-level demon in the Girvent Forest. The demon had managed to thwart all her spirit attacks.

“Then what do we do?”

Link thought for a moment before coming up with a plan. He took out his magic notebook and flipped to one page. Pointing at the spell structure inscribed in it, he said, “Let’s use this spell.”

Elin studied the spell structure and noted. “It uses a reflection to create an illusion of us while hiding our actual position. Then… what happens?”

Link continued with his explanation. “After that, we will trigger these grenades to explode,” Link said, drawing out the set of Yabba grenades he had gotten earlier. He combined the explosives into a bundle and threw them into a simple hole he had dug with his foot. “Later, when the enemy reaches this spot, use the Magician’s Hand to trigger these grenades to explode, got it?”

“Yup,” Elin nodded. It was very simple.

“Alright then, let’s choose a suitable spot, hmmmm…. There!”

The spot Link chose was 210 feet away from the grenades. It was also behind a small stone cottage which provided cover from the grenades’ explosions.

“Okay, let’s begin.”

Link once again opened the magic notebook. Elin directed her Mana according to the spell structure she saw in the notebook. After the spell structure was completed, as before, Link took over part of the control of the spell and began to control the oscillating frequency of the Mana.

After half a minute, strange things started to happen.

The air surrounding Link’s body rippled, and the vibrations gently extended out to an area of 300 feet before stopping.

The whole process resembled the ripples that would result when somebody touched a big water balloon, except now, the whole space had become a big water balloon. It rippled violently for a moment before slowly calming down.

On the surface, there was no change in the space around Link, and everything seemed normal.

Being at the center of it, Link and Elin weren’t affected by the vibrations and in fact couldn’t feel a thing. Outside, the three Nagas blocking the road immediately noticed the abnormality.

“Look, there he is!” one Naga shouted and pointed to the corner.

“He came over to us! Get ready, this guy can’t be easy to handle.”

“He has drawn his sword. This guy is strong. Don’t let him take the initiative!”

One of the Nagas bellowed a war cry. She rushed forward while her body was enveloped in deep red Battle Aura.

“Haaaa!” She screamed. Her body stretched back unbelievably, bending like a big bow drawn to its limit. Twang! Her body suddenly rebounded back, and the spear in her hand was flung towards Link as though shot out from a bow.

Whoosh! The spear flew so fast that it was almost invisible. On its body, the deep red Battle Aura rotated, forming into threads of silk-like red strands that were spinning unbelievably quickly. Each of these strands emanated terrifying power.

Whoosh. It was like the spear was surrounded by a tornado. Everywhere the spear passed, it dragged rubble and stones into the air along with it, flying towards Link.

In an instant, the spear reached “Link.””Link” ducked to the side. CRACK! There was a loud sound as the spear penetrated deep into the ground. The spear continued burrowing downwards like an earth dragon, throwing up dirt and rubble behind it until it reached a depth of 60 feet. Finally, it stopped.

What shocking power!

This was not all.

When the first Naga threw her spear, the other two Nagas rushed forward in a coordinated attack. They split to the left and right, reaching Link about half a second after he had avoided the spear attack.

Both Nagas stabbed their spears towards “Link,” who had ducked to the ground earlier.

Swoosh, swoosh. That was the sound of the two spears cutting through the air. However, clearly, the spears had hit nothing but air.

“Where did he go?”

“What?”

The two Nagas exchanged a glance in confusion at first, which was soon followed with horror.

Behind the corner 210 feet away, Link told Elin, “Now!”

Elin had been waiting for this moment. The moment she heard Link’s command, she used the Magician’s Hand to activate the grenades hidden in the ground.

BOOM! The simultaneous explosion resulted in an earth-shaking sound wave. The explosion also emitted blinding white light, flames, and a shock wave that threw up gravel and dirt in all directions, enveloping the two Nagas within.

Eight bombs, each with a strength of Level-5, had simultaneously exploded. Although in terms of absolute strength, these bombs weren’t very strong, the knockback from the explosions was very strong.

The two Nagas were protected by their red Battle Auras and were shielded from the heat of the explosion. Nonetheless, even though they had defended themselves from the heat, they were still thrown back by the shockwaves.

Link had already calculated the direction that the Nagas would be blasted towards. They would land in an abandoned row of houses, and by the time they reached back about ten seconds later, they would be too late.

The first Naga who had thrown the spear was a little slower to react. She was a distance away and wasn’t directly hit by the explosion from the bombs. Nonetheless, before she had time to react to the sneak attack, a human figure rushed out from an alley.

The figure was moving extremely quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was in front of her, swinging its sword towards her neck.

It was Link.

This Naga had thrown her spear and now had no weapons. Being attacked by Link, she instinctively retreated.

Link pursued at full speed.

Between the one retreating and the one advancing, it was obvious who held the advantage in terms of speed. Link easily caught up to the retreating Naga and slashed downwards with his sword. Without any weapons to defend herself with, she had no way to block. Her arm was immediately hacked off.

“Ahhhh!” The Naga screamed in pain. However, there was no one around to save her. Her two companions were thrown far away by the bombs. The rest of the Nagas had broken into Lariel City and were in an even lesser position to help her. There was no chance of her escaping.

After chopping off the Naga’s arm, Link changed to using the blunt side of the sword and slammed it hard against the Naga’s forehead.

Crash. A muffled sound, the Naga jolted as her eyes turned white and she crumpled to the ground.

Link grabbed the Naga and headed back to the side alley. When he reached the alley, he stretched out his hand and grabbed Elin who was waiting there for him, placing her back onto his shoulders.

Running in the alley for a while, Link spotted a crack in the ground leading into an underground passage. Without any hesitation, Link jumped into the passage, which was about 30 feet deep. He ran for another 150 feet before throwing the Naga to the ground.

“Elin, Light spell,” Link instructed.

Here, Link was not worried about other Nagas attacking. The passage was very narrow. Even if there were a hundred enemies, they would have to face him one-on-one and could not surround him with their numerical advantage.

Therefore, this place was safe.

Whoosh. The Light spell illuminated the whole passage, allowing Link and Elin to see the Naga’s body carefully.

The Naga had similar facial features to humans. However, their features were much sharper. For example, their eyes were thin and long, and their eyebrows were sharp. The lips were thin as well. The most defining feature would definitely be their long, sharp tongues, which looked sharp enough to slice through paper.

As for body figures, they were way better than humans.

The proportions of the Naga’s body were extremely shapely. They had a beautiful waist, big breasts, lovely thighs and long legs, just like the most beautiful celebrities on earth. Their clothing was also extremely revealing, covering only their breasts and their groin. The style was similar to that of Amazon female warriors.

However, these were merely their external features. Ultimately, they were servants of the God of Destruction. If one were to fall for them or have any feelings for them, one would soon discover what true despair was.

Link tapped the face of the Naga with his sword. Feeling the touch of the cold blade, the Naga woke up.

She looked first at her missing arm and then at Link. Suddenly, she moved, swinging her leg to kick at Link.

Swish. Link swung his sword and cut off the Naga’s leg.

The Naga snorted as it came to terms with its present situation. She glared at Link and said in spite, “Warrior, your victory is only temporary. Soon, you will begin to realize the taste of destruction!”

“Destruction? That is exactly what I want to ask you about.” Link said as he pointed his sword at the snake’s neck.

However, in the next moment, the Naga did something that left Link and Elin in shock.

The Naga’s mouth started to fill with blood until it was overflowing. Along with the blood, there were internal organs and bits of other things. With her final breath, the Naga gasped in a voice that reeked of blood, “Human Warrior, wait patiently. Soon, you will see the most terrifying future!”

After that, the Naga’s head slumped, and she was dead.

Link checked the Naga’s injuries before saying gravely, “She forcefully destroyed her own organs from the inside.

“Are they that cruel even to themselves?” Elin was at a loss for words. How much pain would you feel if your internal organs were all destroyed? She couldn’t even begin to imagine it.

Link looked at his mission status. It was still incomplete. That meant that he was not yet able to recover his ability to use spells. With a gloomy expression on his face, he stood up and said, “We won’t get anything else from this Naga. Let’s go, we must continue on.”

Chapter 409: God’s Treasure

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

Link returned from the original path.

Before he reached the exit, he saw someone jump down. It was the Naga that had been hit earlier. Glancing at her companion’s body, she screamed. Her small mouth opened wide, the corners almost reaching her ears and turning into a bloody gaping hole.

“Ah!!” Her voice was really sharp, like scratching a piece of glass with a knife. It made the listener regret having ears.

“Ah!” Elin cried and covered her ears. Her entire body shook; she’d completely lost the ability to cast spells.

Furious Scream

Agatha Naga Talent Battle Skill

Effect: Disrupts a Magician’s spellcasting with ear-piercing screams. The success rate is extremely high.

(Note: one of the three loudest voices of Firuman.)

Link was also in pain by the Naga’s voice, his features twisting. But thankfully, he didn’t need to cast spells now, so it didn’t affect his combat ability much. With a lunge, Link pierced the screaming Naga.

Instead of blocking, she stabbed at Link’s chest, wanting to bring him down with her. If there were two Nagas and they tried this trick, it would actually cause some problems to Link. However, this tunnel was too narrow. She could only face Link alone.

With an extreme dodge, Link missed the attack by a millimeter. He unsheathed his sword, and the Naga’s head flew off with a squelch.

Fighting by making both sides lose was powerful, but if there was a big difference in ability, it could end with instant death.

Once the Naga died, Link took Elin and continued running. At the tunnel opening, Link muttered, “Shield!”

Elin started casting a spell. With a whoosh, she and Link’s bodies were covered in colorful light. It was a Level-6 defensive spell.

Link also took out a Yabba fire bomb. He activated it and tossed it out the tunnel. But without stopping, he rushed past the surface with the bomb.

Boom! Squinting his eyes, Link saw a Naga in a defensive pose beside the tunnel exit. She was hiding by the exit for a sneak attack but didn’t expect a bomb would fly out first.

Link had a defensive spell on him and was also mentally prepared. He overlooked the wild flames and shot forward, bursting from the fire. His sword came down on the Naga’s head.

The Naga didn’t expect this at all. She dodged instinctively but didn’t make it. With a crack, her head was gone.

Link didn’t hesitate. He spun and sprinted towards the city. Two minutes later, he was before the Light Wall shield.

A ten-foot-wide opening appeared on the shield. There were a few deep footprints on the ground before it. The surrounding air contained the unique chaotic aura of the Nagas.

Link observed for a few seconds and said, “There is still some Mana left in the Light Wall opening. Elin, how long ago do you think they entered?”

“At most, one minute.” Elin was very familiar with the shield.

“They shouldn’t be far. Elin, high-level Invisibility!”

As soon as he spoke, a ball of faint light appeared in the air, covering both Link and Elin. They disappeared again.

Elin’s Invisibility spell didn’t have any Supreme Magic Skills, but it was still useful. It could hide sounds, shadows, and smells. As long as they were 150 feet away, they wouldn’t be discovered.

It was darker now, and because of the Light Wall, the inner city was even darker. Link couldn’t see his hands in front of him.

However, the inside of Lirico wasn’t damaged by the fighting. Most of the buildings were stone, and the roads were well-organized. The streets were smooth, and Link had good vision. He didn’t have to worry about tripping.

Link followed the faint footprints and chased after them. After around 150 feet, the footprints suddenly vanished. He looked around and realized that all the marks had disappeared. The Nagas seemed to have evaporated.

“Where are they?” He couldn’t figure it out.

Just as he was confused, there was a sudden pained cry. It sounded pitiful, and he could tell the person was in extreme pain.

Elin shuddered. “Over there!” she exclaimed.

Link nodded. He turned and walked towards the source of the sound. After 20 steps, another cry came from the same place. This time, the cry was even sharper. It was a female Yabba, and she was in the same place as the man.

Hearing this, Elin was in a panic. “They’re killing people everywhere. Oh god, these demons… Akensser, you traitor!”

She was in a mess. However, after the second pained cry, Link actually slowed down.

“Link, hurry, hurry!” Elin was about to jump down from Link’s shoulder and run herself. Her only thought was to go save them.

“Wait!” Link pressed down on Elin’s shoulder. “It doesn’t feel right. It’s most likely a trap!”

The two cries were three seconds after one another but were from the same place. This meant that the killer wasn’t moving and the situation was off. From what he’d seen before, they were hurrying into the city to do something big.

Killing two Yabbas was nothing big.

Thus, Link decided it was a trap. They used Yabba cries to disrupt Link and lure him into an encirclement. If at least five Nagas surrounded Link, it would be troublesome. He might be able to escape, but Elin would definitely die.

Thinking of this, Link still walked over to the source of the cries because it was the only clue at the moment. He was very careful.

Instead of going on the main road, he ducked into an alley.

After walking for about 100 feet, a ten-foot-high stone wall appeared before them. “Hold tight,” Link whispered.

Then, he gripped the cracks in the wall and quietly climbed up. At the top, Link looked over and saw an open yard. There was a fresh bonfire in the center with two Yabbas laid next to it—one man and one woman.

They weren’t dead yet; they were still struggling.

The man’s hands and feet had been chopped off. He lay there, moaning. The woman’s waist had been hacked, but someone had stopped her bleeding so she wouldn’t die for now. Because of the endless pain, she used her arms to crawl on the ground. Every time her body moved, she would make a muffled grunt. It was shocking.

As for the Nagas, there was no sign of them.

Elin’s body trembled. She wanted to help them but didn’t dare disrupt Link’s plan. She forced herself to stay quiet.

Link padded along the wall. After a few dozen feet, he jumped down lightly onto the second-floor balcony of a stone mansion. The view was unobstructed, and the bonfire was bright. Link crouched on the balcony and looked around.

Around ten seconds later, he saw a Naga behind a big tree. A second one was behind a carriage not far from the bonfire. A third Naga was at the door of the courtyard. He also discovered a fourth one hidden in the rose bush… Link found seven Nagas in total. They hid quietly, waiting for him to take the bait.

So tricky but it won’t work.

Link continued observing. After a while, he saw faint footprints outside the courtyard. They led straight towards the city center. Instead of alerting the Nagas, he jumped off the wall and followed the footprints. A few hundred feet later, he took out a bomb. Activating it, he tossed it towards the position he’d memorized.

He couldn’t save those Yabbas. They were too heavily injured. In that case, he would end the misery for them.

After tossing the bomb, Link continued forward. Four seconds later, there was a boom. The bomb went off.

Elin wiped at her tears and pursed her lips. She gripped her wand tightly, vowing inside to take revenge. She would make Akensser pay!

Torches appeared in the buildings on either side of the road. They’d been lit by the Yabbas in the city. There was no one on the street, but there were many corpses. The Naga had passed by and killed everyone they saw. They’d been extremely fast and didn’t waste any time.

“What’s in the city center?” Link asked softly.

“The central control for the magic net, the activation core for the Light Wall shield, the Craftsmen’s Treasury, library… Our valuable items are all there.”

Link frowned. With so many targets, he couldn’t decide what the Nagas wanted. He could only keep chasing.

Three minutes later, a huge castle appeared. There were countless corpses before the entrance—all Yabbas. Two Nagas stood guard.

“Where is this?” Link asked. It seemed that the Nagas had all entered the castle.

“The Craftsmen’s Treasury! All the rare materials we’ve accumulated are kept there, as well as incomplete Mana machines,” Elin explained.

Link’s brows knitted. “Materials and incomplete products?”

These things couldn’t produce power immediately. Why would the Nagas go in there? Was it for some rare material?

While he was wondering, footsteps sounded at the gate. Many people came out. Surprised, Link immediately retreated and hid behind a stone slab.

A few seconds later, Link saw Akensser and 20 Nagas walk out of the castle. Eight Nagas were carrying a 30-foot-tall stone statue. It was at least 20 tons. The Nagas huffed as they carried it towards a tower in the distance.

Elin didn’t understand this. “That’s the statue of the sage. Why are they carrying it to the control center of the magic net?”

Link found it strange too. However, he was distracted by the statue. “The material looks strange,” he said. “What is it made of?” It was a bit dark, and they were far away. He couldn’t see clearly.

“I’m not too sure. I think it’s Black Kun rock.”

“What?” Link was shocked.

“Black Kun rock. It’s the local specialty of the northern Darian Mine. It’s not that valuable,” Elin said.

Link knitted his brows and shook his head. “No, no. To mortals, Black Kun rock is very common, but to gods, that thing is precious. It’s a huge treasure.”

Chapter 410: Stop Them!

 

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

Lariel City

When Link found out about the Black Kun rock, he saw something flash in his vision. A message appeared.

Mission complete: Investigation.

Reward: Void Aura dispelling kit (One-time use)

New Mission: Stop Them!

Mission Description: Use your strength to tell the slaves of the God of Destruction that they are not welcome in Firuman!

Reward One: Assassin’s Boots

Reward Two: 200 Omni Points.

Amidst the flashing lights, a dark blue rune appeared in Link’s field of vision. It was the Void Aura dispelling kit! Along with it, there was a message asking Link to make a choice.

Do you want to use it now?

Link did not even need to consider. He immediately chose to use it.

The moment he made his choice, Link felt something in his hand. It was a pebble-sized rock that was slightly slippery and warm to the touch. Without even looking, he knew it was the Void Aura dispelling kit.

Rubbing his fingers on the little pebble, Link soon found an opening in the rock. He channeled his Dragon Power into the rock.

Instantly, Link felt something warm flowing into his body, spreading throughout his body. The feeling lasted for a moment before disappearing.

Then, Link discovered that the strange force around his body interfering with his spell formation had disappeared. He bowed his head and channeled his Dragon Power into his fingertips. The Dragon Power energy immediately solidified like a crystal, looking resplendent and perfect in every way.

After the Dragon Power was released, it automatically condensed itself into a droplet. This was a characteristic of Legendary-level power.

Regaining his ability to cast spells, Link sighed in relief.

Without magic, he was merely a swordsman that could only escape when faced with large amounts of enemies. With magic, he was a Legendary powerhouse!

The time it took for the Void Aura dispelling kit to take effect felt very long to Link. However, in reality, it had lasted only a few seconds. Elin assumed that Link was just deep in thought and did not think much of it.

She asked, “Is there something special about the Black Kun rock?”

Meanwhile, the Nagas were still moving the statue. They weren’t moving very quickly. Link noted the positions of the Nagas while replying softly to Elin’s question. “The Black Kun rock is useless to the ordinary Magician. It is merely harder than on ordinary rock and very good for engraving on stone. However, Black Kun rock is a core material for constructing dimensional teleportation portals. Only those with Legendary power can make use of it.”

Elin immediately understood the gist of it. “You mean to say that these Nagas are going to construct a dimensional door to let more of them into Firuman?”

“Right. This portal would not be ordinary. It would be very stable and extremely difficult to destroy. They would be able to enter and exit as they please and it would not consume any power. If they really manage to open the portal, these Nagas may quickly enter Firuman, and form an army within a day. With the help of Lariel City’s various magic technology and resources, these Nagas would even be able to quickly arm themselves with flying airships… That would be completely devastating.”

The demons had not been pushed back yet, and now the Nagas had come. To make things worse, they were servants of the God of Destruction. Their job was merely to establish a foothold in Firuman to allow the God of Destruction to enter. That was the true disaster.

Elin also began to feel anxious. She watched the statue getting gradually closer to the center of the magic net. She gripped onto Link’s clothing with a small hand and asked anxiously, “How can we stop them? You can’t use your spells now, right? What do we do?”

Link smiled slightly. “Actually, the Void Aura on my body is almost dissipated. I should be able to use some spells now.”

“Really?!” Erin was overjoyed. She knew how powerful Link was when he was using his spells.

“Yeah!” Link nodded. “I’m ready to go. By the way, do we need Akensser alive?”

Akensser was a Level-7 Magician, but he was not a combat Magician. He excelled in craftsmanship, building and operating magic machinery. Once the battle started, though, Link predicted that he would become cannon fodder.

Elin gnashed his teeth: “I can’t wait for him to die!”

“Understood. Then hide and stay a bit further back. I’m going to start.”

“Okay.” Elin agreed and retreated back 150 feet. Link was still dissatisfied and gestured for her to go even further back.

Elin retreated back another 300 feet. Link was finally satisfied and pointed for her to hide behind a huge rock.

Elin obeyed.

Then, Link turned back to track the position of the Nagas, calculating the flow of the battle.

He had the advantage of being concealed! This advantage was enough to help him win.

Three seconds later, Link took a deep breath. The Dragon Power in his body was surging. He held the Burning Wrath of Heavens wand in his left hand and the Dragon King’s Wrath sword in his right hand. He began to multi-task.

Because he was hidden in the darkness, he had plenty of time to cast his spells.

The wand in his left hand summoned the Demon Slaying Whip, while the magic sword in his right hand controlled a ball formed using 4000 Dragon Power points.

A second later, Link attacked.

Whoosh. An invisible dimensional ball flew out soundlessly to the Nagas three hundred feet away. It fell to the ground beneath the stone statue and vanished.

Meanwhile, the crystal red Demon Slayer Whip also shot out. Under the influence of Link’s new Legendary power, the appearance of this whip had changed slightly.

It had become finer and more hair-like. The vibrations from the thorns were even more powerful. Each of them had become even more eye-catching, looking as though they were a dozen suns in the night sky. Their radiance illuminated the whole of Lariel City.

“Enemy attack!” The petite Naga who had Legendary-level strength screamed in warning. Before her scream had even faded away, she had confirmed Link’s position. With a sudden burst of strength, she rushed towards Link, ready to kill.

“Spatial Collapse!”

Link had long prepared for this development. With just a simple thought, he triggered the space under the statue to collapse on itself.

Spatial Collapse: Within the radius of a spell’s effect zone, the mass of all objects will drastically increase, causing the gravity of each object to increase proportionally. The specific range of the spell is dependent on how much Mana is consumed to cast the spell.

Link had used 4000 Dragon Power points to cast the spell; that was equivalent to 8000 Mana points. The power was immense.

In an instant, the gravity acting on every object within 150 feet around the target zone increased by 50 times!

All the Nagas were included within this space. Suddenly, they felt their weight increase by 50 times.

Needless to say, the Black Kun rock statue that eight Nagas were lifting became much heavier. It originally weighed slightly over 20 tons, but now, it was a whooping 1000 tons!

The statue had become 1000 tons in weight, while their own weight had also increased by 50 times. However, their physical strength did not change. Therefore, things that could have been lifted easily before were now heavy enough to crush their organs into paste.

“Ah?! Not good… ah!!!”

“It’s heavy!!”

“We’re finished!”

The eight Nagas were the first to bear the brunt of the spell. Their bodies were directly pressed into the soil and crushed into a meat paste by the 1000-ton statue.

The other Nagas desperately unleashed their strength to flee this area. Unfortunately for them, 50 times their weight was still a huge burden to bear. They struggled to even walk forward. There was no need to mention fighting.

The Legendary Naga had it the easiest. Nonetheless, her attack was also disrupted by Link.

She had already calculated her attack carefully. She was going to lunge towards Link and immediately finish him off. That was a distance of 210 feet. However, when the gravitational force changed, her jump trajectory was also affected. She fell back to the ground after traveling a mere nine feet.

She was more than 210 feet away from Link initially. What difference did a mere nine feet make? There was essentially no difference between her and a normal person now.

After falling to the ground, she was like an iron pillar rooted in the swampy ground. She gradually sunk deeper into the mud.

At the moment, she did not even have the ability to deal with Link.

Then, Link’s Demon Slaying Whip reached the Nagas.

Boom, boom, boom! As the thorns of the long whip hit the Nagas, small explosions like mini-firecrackers started to sound out. Each attack of the whip accurately hit the head of a Level-9 Naga.

These snake people were restrained by a strong gravitational field and had no way to dodge. Their heads were instantly smashed, and this included the traitor Akensser.

In a blink of an eye, Link was only left with the Legendary-level Naga.

Boom!

The Naga exploded with her full strength. Her body was shrouded in a blood-red glow, and she broke herself out of the soil. As she did, she left a big crater about 15 feet wide in the ground.

The Naga forcefully broke herself out of Link’s gravitational field and arrived in front of Link, quick as lightning. She stabbed her spear towards Link’s heart.

Legendary skill: Heaven Breaking!

“DIE!!!” She shrieked.

However, her strike hit nothing but air. In front of her eyes, Link’s body faded away and reappeared 300 feet away from his original position.

Legendary spell: Instant Flash!

Link felt a trace of fear in his heart. If not for the fact that he was very familiar with the attacks of Nagas as well as knowing the skill Instant Flash, he might very well be dead. Even if he had Legendary-level strength, without these two conditions, he might have instantly died at the Naga’s sudden attack.

This was the danger of facing against Legendary Warriors. Although the Warriors might not have a great arsenal of attacks and would always have to defend against the attacks of Magicians, once they had the chance, they could instantly unleash their full strength and pose a great danger to all. Comparatively, although Legendary Magicians were strong, the moment they exposed a gap in their attacks, that could cost them their lives.

After re-appearing, Link waved his sword through the air. Eight Dimensional Balls dropped soundlessly to the ground around him.

Swish! The Demon Slaying Whip struck again, attacking the Legendary-level Naga.

The Naga screamed hysterically. “You ruined the work of our master! Die, die, die! Stab of Purgatory!”

Once again, she unleashed another Legendary skill.

In Link’s eyes, her figure suddenly became faint and illusory, as though she was made of mist. She darted forward seemingly with no predictable path. Because her speed was too fast, Link could only make out her after-images and could not determine her true position.

Link’s Demon Slaying Whip thus could not accurately target her, and the Naga was now about to reach his side.

Since there was no way to accurately hit her, then just use a wide area-of-effect attack! Link thought.

Link controlled the Dimensional Balls around him to explode. Boom, boom, boom, boom! There were eight flashes of light as the eight Dimensional Balls exploded simultaneously, surrounding Link within.

“Shackles!”

Link possessed Legendary strength, but then, so did his opponent! There was no way his spell could completely restrain his opponent, but there was no way she could break through instantly either.

The next moment, the Naga was caught in the Spatial Shackles spell. Her body slowed down visibly. The after-images created by her speed vanished.

Swish! Making use of the chance, the Demon Slaying whip struck towards her. Regardless of if she tried to block it, her speed was too slow and could not keep up. Link accurately struck the Legendary Naga who was now trapped in the Spatial Shackles spell.

The burning hot energy struck the Naga, causing her to tremble violently.

Immediately, Link followed with a second attack, and then a third, and a fourth. The Demon Slaying Whip was like a living animal that constantly attacked the Naga without giving it a chance to rest.

In a single second, Link had hit her almost ten times. After the ninth time, the Naga successfully broke out of the spatial shackles and retreated backwards. However, while in mid-air, she was hit in the head one more time.

BOOM! Her skull instantly exploded. Steaming, hot blood gushed out, spraying like a geyser. Her body also exploded and turned into a bloody mist before she could escape.

After the Legendary-level Naga was killed, Link saw a message appear in his vision.

Mission complete: Stop them!

Chapter 411: That’s Strange

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

The battle before the Yabba Craftsmen Treasury started quickly and ended quickly. The entire thing took less than four seconds.

The Level-9 Nagas were quite unfortunate. They were just “scraped” by Link’s magic and ended up dead. It was honestly an instant kill. The truly shocking part was the fight between Link and the Legendary Naga. It took two seconds, which didn’t seem long, but Link had brushed shoulders with death.

After the battle, Link waved at Elin who was hiding in the darkness to show it was safe. Then he walked towards the fallen Legendary Naga.

She had been hit ten times by Link’s whip. Her head was gone and so were her simple clothes, revealing a broken but healthy body. Link obviously wasn’t appreciating the Naga’s sexy body. He was trying to determine her status.

A Legendary fighter couldn’t be someone insignificant. If Link killed her, he should at least know who she was. This could help when he faced the God of Destruction’s other followers.

Link walked to the body and bent down to search for any characteristics. After a few seconds, Link saw a crescent moon mark on her inner arm. This gave Link an idea. He then picked up her spear.

Since she was a Legendary fighter and was the herald for the God of Destruction, her weapon was obviously nothing common. This spear was of Legendary quality. It was five and a half feet long and was a dark gold. There were some detailed dark red runes densely packed near the tip, making the tip look blood-red.

Link checked it carefully. Finally, he found two strange words at the grip of the spear. He stared at it for a few seconds, and the game system displayed the spear’s information.

Blood Moon

Low-Level Legendary

Effect: unknown

(Note: it was once the physical reincarnate of glory but had become the puppet of destruction!)

This was enough for Link to confirm her identity. Oh, it’s her.

Blood Moon Aklie was a world-class boss from the Silversand Islands in the South that should appear later in the game. When the player was at Level-12 and was fighting a bloody battle with the Southern Syndicate, she would appear with her overbearing Level-16 strength.

For the kill, dozens of guilds formed a super team to fight her. They ended up sacrificing 90% of the team to pass the level. For a world-class boss, the difficulty wasn’t too high. But interestingly, other than receiving game items after killing the boss, there was also a book—Hyrri’s Chronicle.

Some players would read it patiently and discover it was a record of life in a different realm called the Hyrri Continent. The residents there are physically identical to the Agatha Nagas, but their personalities were completely different.

The chronicle described a completely peaceful and ordinary world.

Some guessed that this must be the world of the Agatha Nagas before all the organisms in the realm started following the God of Destruction. Aklie kept this book with her, perhaps because she missed the old world or only for the memories, and brought information about that realm to Firuman.

Aklie is a powerful general under the God of Destruction and will get even stronger. It’s a good thing I killed her now.

Link sighed and stood up. He used the Spatial Rend and turned the body to dust. As for the spear, it became Link’s loot.

At that time, Elin’s voice came from the near distance. “Link, hurry over! There are spatial ripples again!”

Link turned around. He saw that in the distant sky, a ball of ripples containing faint Mana light was slowly forming. It looked identical to the one they saw outside the city.

He hurried over to Elin’s side, protecting her behind him. At the same time, he raised his wand and pointed at the ripples to chase them away.

But then, the wispy voice from before sounded. “Mortal, do not be impatient. Let me speak.”

Link halted. He did want to know what this guy wanted to say.

The voice continued. “Your world has already lost hope. Mindless struggling is useless. Young man, I can let you and your three companions go. What do you think about that?”

Hearing this, Link smiled as if he was satisfied with the voice’s suggestion. “That sounds nice,” he said cheerily. “F*ck you!”

Halfway through, Link’s expression suddenly changed. He cast Spatial Distortion and mended the air ripples that were about to be ripped apart. The voice in the void was cut off.

He wanted to trick Link into leaving the realm and then kill him in the Sea of Void? Only a fool would believe that.

Elin stared at Link with wide eyes and suddenly whispered, “Link, what did he mean by lost hope?”

Link saw terror and despair in those big eyes. He knew that Elin must sense something from the world cracking. As the Lady Fortuna, she definitely had this sensitivity. She just didn’t know what exactly was happening.

But today, she’d already suffered enough. Considering this, Link said, “I’m not too sure, but the world’s Mana is rising. The Emerald Circle has discovered this and is preparing to hold another meeting. They’ll find the answer.”

Elin stared at him. She seemed to sense that Link was hiding something, but she didn’t keep asking. She just said, “Hopefully.”

The good thing about her was that she could quickly organize her feelings. After a while, she was relaxed again. “We’ll take things step by step,” she said. “There’s good news now, at least. Akensser is dead, and the Dark power has been forced back. The world will get better!”

“Yes, it’ll get better. So what should we do now, little thing?” Link asked teasingly.

“Don’t call me that.” Elin pouted and then said, “We must immediately notify Master Franklin about this good news… Link… Lord, I think that our entire race must migrate now.”

“I’m honored,” Link replied.

The tasks after this were simple. Link remembered that there were seven more Nagas in the city. Naturally, he would pursue them. Elin cast a flight spell for herself and went to the mountains outside the city to spread the news.

One hour later, Link found the Nagas. He killed six, but one escaped. She had used the opportunity created by her companions and ran quickly, vanishing. Link pursued for a while but realized that the other was very careful and didn’t leave any marks behind.

It was already late night now. For safety reasons, Link was forced to give up.

After waiting inside for a while, Master Franklin’s group came. Riel was with them. As soon as he saw Link, he yelled, “Master Link, it was awesome! So awesome! Those demons are like paper. They can’t take my hammer at all!”

The surrounding Yabbas all gazed reverently at the dwarf. Link guessed that his performance must have been impressive this time. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have so many fans.

Link walked over and patted Riel’s shoulder. “My magic has recovered too. I think we can go visit the fortress.”

He had his magic back, and Riel was a Legendary Warrior. With the two together, they could definitely defeat a demon legion without a commander!

Riel’s eyes brightened. He waved his battle mace. “Indeed, it’s time to teach those bastards a lesson!”

At that moment, Master Franklin asked, “Lord, why didn’t I see Aknesser’s body?”

Link found this strange. “Isn’t it on the ground by the Treasury? Didn’t Elin take you there?”

They were in the city center but were still around 2000 feet from the Craftsmen’s Treasury. Link didn’t know the specific situation, but he remembered clearly that his whip had exploded Akensser’s head. Even a god couldn’t handle that kind of injury.

Then Elin walked over. Seeing Link, she shrugged in confusion. “Li… Lord, Aknesser’s body really disappeared.”

Now, this was strange.

Chapter 412: I’m Doing This Alone

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

“Someone brought him away. Look at the traces, he was brought in that direction.”

At the Yabba Craftsmen Treasury entrance, Link inspected the ground and saw traces of blood as well as faint footprints. He traced it along for about 150 feet before it suddenly disappeared.

“It’s that Agatha Naga that escaped. She’s crafty!” Link said to the rest of the Yabbas following him.

Elin could not wrap her mind around it. “Don’t tell me he is planning to revive Akensser? But even his brain is smashed. Is his corpse going to be of any use?”

She knew that the enemy was backed by a god who could probably revive the dead. But even then, wouldn’t Akensser just be revived as a headless zombie?

Link had no way to accurately determine the actions of the God of Destruction. He thought for a moment before saying, “It doesn’t matter what methods he uses, he has one objective: He wants to bring more Nagas into Firuman, and Lariel City is an excellent place for him to start his invasion as it contains many resources. Therefore, we must move out these resources.”

Before they were killed, the Nagas were preparing to move the Black Kun Rock to the center of the magic net. This showed that Akesser was able to manipulate the magic net in order to open up a dimensional portal.

Some of the other Yabbas might not be able to comprehend the depth of the danger they were facing but Elin could. In this short night, she had come into contact twice with the god hidden in the void… Anyway, no matter the case, they couldn’t stay in Lariel City anymore. Even if they managed to repair the airships and the magic net, they still couldn’t stay here.

She turned to Link and said, “After the magic net was destroyed, the Mana density here has been increasing, making this place unsuitable for living. Lord, let us quickly head south.”

Franklin looked around forlornly. After a long moment of silence, he nodded. “Elin, you were right, we should have listened to your advice. We’re going to head south now,” he said.

He turned to Link. “Lord, you have fulfilled your promise, so we Yabbas will keep our side of the bargain and move over to your territory. I heard from Elin that there is an island off the coast of Ferde…”

Link smiled and replied, “Elin is very familiar with this, you can check the details with her.”

Elin nodded and took out a book filled with her notes and handed it to Lord Franklin. These notes were created during the time she spent with Link in the Dragon Valley.

Franklin looked through it carefully before nodding his head. “I’ve no issue with this, let’s go!”

The Yabba craftsmen were gathered beside him. Franklin turned to them and instructed, “We will get rid of everything here. Those that can be brought with us, bring them, those that can’t, destroy them. Once we reach south, we will rebuild what we have. The Lord has promised us a territory on an island where we can live and manage ourselves.”

That being the case, the craftsmen had no other disagreement. They began to discuss the details on the clearing out operation.

These details were naturally something that Link was not familiar with and did not need to bother with either. It was better for him to stay out of it and do something else. Since he was bored, he decided to inspect the Yabba’s Saint statue.

The statue was made of a material that could be used to make a permanent magic portal. They obviously could not leave it here for the enemy. The Yabbas were prepared to dismantle the statue and bring it with them to the south.

In fact, the Yabbas were even prepared to destroy the mine where the materials for this statue had come from.

Watching them struggle with the work, Link decided to help them.

He figured that he could use some spells to speed up the process. Thinking about it for a moment, he decided to use the Demon Slaying whip. After instructing the Yabbas to keep their distance, he unleashed the Demon Slaying whip. A thin gold and red strand of silk appeared which began to wrap itself around the statue, turning it into molten rock.

“Break!”

The crystal red silk suddenly tightened up, and the statue was sliced into sheets not more than half an inch thick. Once the sheets crashed to the floor, they shattered into tiny pieces that weighed not more than 22 pounds each.

“Alright, let’s move it,” Link said to the stunned Yabbas.

Not long later, all the Yabbas were helping out with the moving effort. Even Link and Riel were helping out. The Yabba craftsmen were in the process of repairing the flying airships, and the worked without rest. Even when Link and Riel had stopped to rest, they were still continuing with their work.

This lasted for three days. After three days, the Yabba craftsmen actually managed to completely repair a full medium-sized battle airship, as well as over 20 small airships. This allowed the Yabbas to regain a significant amount of their fighting strength.

At the same time, the 200,000 Yabbas inside Lariel City were like a swarm of ants, clearing out the entire city and turning it into a ghost town.

Everything that had value or could be used were taken away.

After another two days, besides the Yabba craftsmen who were still hard at work repairing the planes, the rest of the Yabbas had started their journey on the road south.

From a piece of high ground outside of Lariel City, Link, Riel, and the Yabba commanders were watching the migrating Yabbas.

Link said to Franklin, “The situation in the south is not that good either. Necromancer Andrew is attacking Girvent forest. Most likely, Hot Spring City will also have fallen. As you guys move south, don’t go too quickly. We will first liberate Orida Fortress from its siege. Once we do that, the alliance army will head over to your assistance. I estimate it will take ten days.”

“Understood,” Franklin nodded.

Of course, the south was also not at peace, but no matter what, it was better than the situation in the Hengduan Mountain Range. Most importantly, in the south, there was Link, a Legendary level expert standing guard. This gave everyone a greater sense of security.

Originally, Riel was planning to return with them to Orida Fortress to get his vengeance on the demons. However, due to the Yabbas relentless pleading as well as a couple of beautiful Yabba girls who had come to entertain him, he gave in and agreed to escort them south. Riel could not resist the bright and beautiful Yabba eyes with the pleading look in them.

As for the situation at Orida Fortress, Riel knew that Link could handle it on his own. At this time, a small airship flew towards them. Lannie was piloting it, and as she neared them, she curved in a slight arc, bringing the craft to a gentle stop.

The airship cover opened up and Lannie’s baby-like face beamed. “Lord, this craft has been modified to fit two people. Let me take you to Orida Fortress first,” Lannie said.

Link took a look and saw that as Lannie had said, there was now a space with a nice comfortable chair. Link had no reason to refuse. Turning to Franklin, he said, “Then, I’ll make a move first.”

“Be careful,” Franklin said.

“Lord, come back quickly,” Elin couldn’t help but say as well.

“Link, help me thrash those dogs of demons,” Riel shouted. He waved his warhammer ferociously. Evidently, Riel was still itching for a fight.

“Don’t worry, I will,” Link replied.

Link laughed and climbed into the airship. Zip. The cover of the airship closed and Lannie shouted, “Okay, taking off!”

Link suddenly felt his body getting heavier before they shot off into the sky. Only after they reached a height of 9000 feet did the airship stop ascending and turn towards Orida Fortress.

The airship was pretty fast, traveling at about 900 feet per second. Furthermore, it was traveling in a straight line directly to Orida Fortress. It was the perfect mode of transport for rushing about.

Lannie adjusted the spell formations controlling the airship and laughed. “In three and a half hours, we will be at Orida Fortress.”

“Marvelous,” Link praised. The interior of the airship was actually pretty spacious. He could lie back comfortably in the seat and relax. Lannie was focused on piloting the plane, and Link was bored, so he took out a textbook and begin studying.

He was looking at a book titled Essence of the Flame. Previously, there were many areas in which he did not understand. Now that his power had attained the Legendary level, some things which he did not understand before now began to make sense.

Once one possessed enough strength, some things would come naturally to you.

He got more engrossed the more he studied the book, deepening his understanding of the essence and the laws of fire. As he read, he took notes. Every now and then, he would get a flash of inspiration and would draft out designs for new spell structures.

Time flew by quickly.

As he was getting very engrossed in his work, Lannie’s voice suddenly reminded him of the present situation. “Lord, we’re reaching Orida Fortress in a bit.”

“Oh, that’s fast!” Link reacted. He stretched out his head to take a look and realized that the yellow barrier around Orida Fortress was still intact. That told him that the fortress had not been breached. He exhaled in relief, before looking towards the demon army around the fortress.

After looking for a moment, Link frowned.

Six thousand miles away from Orida Fortress, Lannie could just barely make out the fortress but could not see the actual situation on the ground. “What’s wrong?” She asked.

“It looks like the number of demons has decreased by a lot.”

At a glance, it was clear that the number of demons had gone down by about half. Where could they be? Did they go back to the Black Forest? Or did they proceed south?

Link considered many possibilities.

There would certainly be no issue if they went back to the Black Forest. However, if they had proceeded south, there would be trouble. The path towards the south was obviously defended. However, most of the troops garrisoned there were called towards Orida Fortress, leaving the defenses weak. The demons would be able to break through easily.

As he thought of this, Link saw about six demons running out of Orida Fortress and heading back towards the Black Forest.

These demons weren’t moving in any coordinated manner. It was obvious that they were running separately and without any semblance of order. It was almost as if they were deserting the army. Looking at this, Link exhaled in relief. “It seems they’re in chaos because of the loss of their commander.”

Saroviny was trapped in Aragu. That was a good thing.

Thinking about this, Link said, “Let’s descend here. There are about 20,000 demons outside Orida Fortress. We mustn’t let a single one escape.”

“Lord, that is 20,000. Are you sure? Lannie was shocked. She had assumed that Link would head directly into Orida Fortress and lead the Warriors from inside out to do battle with the demons.

She had never even considered the possibility that Link would… decide to do battle all by himself. It was incomprehensible.

“Don’t worry about me. Just descend here and stay hidden. I’m going to begin my sneak attack,” Link said. He drew out the Dragon King’s Wrath sword.

Chapter 413: To Be Honest, You’re All Corpses

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

Plop. Link jumped out of the airship and landed in the forest a few miles south of the Orida Fortress.

“Wait nearby for me!” he called. After waving to Lannie inside the airship, he began rushing over to the Orida Fortress.

After a while, he walked out of the forest and onto the wide road. Here, he walked while observing the footprints on the ground. It had rained a few days ago, and the ground was muddy. He could easily see the footprints.

A while later, he sighed. There are demon footprints but not too many. They’re messy too, so they should be running disorderly. It’s not too troublesome.

Confirming that the demons didn’t have a large-scale southward migration, Link was much more relaxed. He cast the Invisibility spell on himself and sped towards the fortress.

Ten minutes later, he was below the Orida Fortress.

It had only been ten days since that final battle. The demons wouldn’t clear the battlefield either, so the fortress still looked the same as that day.

The dirt was all red and littered with corpses. Because it was winter and the temperature was low, the corpses were only slightly decayed. The air was filled with the heavy smell of death. Outside the fortress, there were wild dogs and vultures everywhere. They tore at the endless corpses.

Reaching the first layer of walls, Link saw a Level-1 demon gnawing on a body. Its lips smacked and looked like it was enjoying the meal. Link ignored the demon and went around it.

Maybe it was because they were closer. The low-level demon felt something and stopped eating. It made a noise and looked in Link’s direction. The pair of yellow vertical pupils stared where Link was standing with suspicion.

Link decided to walk over. He twirled his sword and with a stabbed the demon’s head. With a clean sound, the demon was nailed to the ground.

The commotion was very small and didn’t alert the higher-level demons. Link pulled his sword out and continued forward.

At the inner square of the Orida Fortress, the situation was more hellish than hell. There were at least three layers of corpses piled on the ground. Blood formed various small puddles on the ground. The bodies of humans, Dark Elves, and demons formed mountains.

Many demons squatted in the sea of blood and mountain of bodies. It seemed to be lunchtime. The demons grabbed casually at the bodies. Some ate humans, but most ate Dark Elves.

The reason was simple: Link had cooked the Dark Elves, and they were less rotten. They tasted better.

Crack, smack. Mmm…

The sounds of cracking bones, tearing at meat, and swallowing bloody water all mixed together. It sent chills down one’s spine.

This was true hell!

Even though Link had witnessed countless tragedies before, this still made his scalp numb. All he wanted to do now was to burn it all with fire!

He counted the demons before him. There were around 18000. At least this saved Link the time from finding them all.

Standing at the tunnel door of the city wall, Link started casting spells. Rather than offensive spells, he used Spatial Spheres.

Poof, poof. Two Spatial Spheres flew out. One landed at the opening while one landed in a hole not too far away. Then there was a burst, and two Spatial Restraints appeared, blocking the exits.

“Huh?”

“Who’s there?”

“What happened?”

The demons were surprised. They stopped feasting and looked to the door. Link canceled the Invisibility spell and stood near the door. Gazing around the square, he said, “I’m back.”

The demons exchanged glances.

“Who’s that?”

“He’s covered in fog. I can’t see his face.”

“He’s alone. Did he bring fresh food?”

The demon closest to Link roared menacingly and rushed over at him. It was a Level-6 Blade Demon. It was more than eight feet tall, and its hands had transformed into swords. Its body was like a praying mantis, so it had another name—the Mantis Demon.

He went into a hunting pose and pounced at Link.

Link didn’t move. He activated the surround attack effect of the Dragon King’s Fury sword. At the same time, he activated the Demon Slayer Whip. A thin string whipped towards the Mantis Demon.

Kapoof! With a strange sound, the demon was halved in the air. The cut was scalding, and plumes of hot steam rolled out.

The other demons had been getting ready, but seeing this, they all froze. Many even retreated.

“I recognize him. He’s Link, the human Magician!”

“Didn’t the Princess go capture him? Where is Her Highness?”

“Did something happen to her?”

The princess was gone, but the terrifying human Magician was back. He’d even sealed off the exits. What was he doing? Was this going to be a massacre?

The demons stared at one another awkwardly. They felt doubtful and fearful. They didn’t have a commander and were clueless as to what they should do.

Link walked forward. His murderous intent was to the extreme. He’d become cold and calm like an icy lake. “To be honest, you’re all corpses to me already,” he said in a frigid tone.

“Presumptuous! Kill him!” A Fodor Flaming Demon shot up and charged at Link.

“He’s alone!”

“We’re not failures like those Dark Elves!”

The battle had begun!

The demons started charging, but Link moved forward instead of retreating. Spatial Restraint, Instant Flash, the Demon Slayer’s Whip, crowd attack effect, and the Assassin’s Robe were all activated instantaneously and cast at once.

Fiery red fog appeared and covered the entire square within seconds. Then it grew heavier, heavier, and heavier until it blocked all vision.

…

Orida Fortress

Duke Abel patrolled the inside of the fortress as usual. Only then could he calm the more and more obvious restlessness.

It had been ten days, and there was still no news of Link. He was anxious.

But as the general, he couldn’t show any of those emotions. While patrolling, he endlessly cheered the soldiers on. It had only been ten days, but he was already mentally and physically exhausted.

Now, the only good news was that the demons outside the fortress were reducing. He didn’t know why but it was still encouraging.

Just then, a soldier ran over.

Abel furrowed his brows. He recognized this soldier to be a sentinel from the rooftop. “What’s the hurry?”

“Something strange happened inside the fortress. Duke, I think you should take a look.”

Duke Abel’s heart jumped. “I’ll go now. Who else knows?”

“General Kanorse, Princess Annie, High Elf Romilson, and the others are all there,” the sentinel reported.

As they spoke, Duke Abel arrived at the rooftop. He could look down on the entire fortress from here. Doing so, he discovered a very obvious ball of fiery red fog above the square in the distance.

The fog was very thick so he couldn’t see the exact situation. He couldn’t hear outside the fortress either due to the barriers.

“Does anyone know what’s happening?” Duke Abel asked.

No one replied. After half a minute, Romilson said hesitantly, “It looks like Master Link’s power, but it’s too far away. I can’t tell.”

“Kanorse, what do you say?” Duke Abel asked.

Kanorse shook his head. “I don’t think so. Look at the fog. It’s fiery red and a bit transparent as well. Instead of fog, it looks like water… No, it’s like a ball of burning fire. Look, the air above it is distorted. It should be the fire’s heat waves. Master Link isn’t that strong.

“Look, that demon wants to climb out.” Annie suddenly pointed at a black spot on the wall.

Everyone squinted and saw a Fodor Flaming Demon appear on the tall fortress wall. It looked really pathetic. Its entire body was scorched black, and smoke rose up from it.

That wasn’t it. Its body was still on fire. The fire was very strange—the flames were as beautiful as crystals. The Fodor Flaming Demon continuously used his strength to extinguish the flames but to no avail.

Not only were the flames not put out, but they grew even bigger!

The demon seemed to be screaming. Its entire body on fire, it stumbled for a few dozen feet on the wall. Then it dropped to the ground.

The fire continued burning. Under everyone’s eyes, the demon was burned to ashes.

“It’s very pure flame power,” Romilson couldn’t help but say. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s unbelievable!”

Kanorse stared at the red fog and whispered, “Clearly, a very powerful figure has arrived. It is highly possible that it is the reinforcements Master Link found. This power reminds me of the Legendary dragons.”

Duke Abel also stared unblinkingly. The red fog would dissipate sooner or later, and they would see the truth.

It didn’t take long. After around ten minutes, the fog started thinning. Then with a whoosh, the fog broke apart. A young black-haired man in a dark blue battle robe jumped onto the wall.

“It’s Master Link!” someone yelped.

“How can it be him?”

“When did he become so strong?”

Just as everyone was in shock, a Dimensional Demon appeared behind Link. It was covered in flames as if wanting to make a suicidal attack.

Everyone yelped involuntarily. But then they saw Link stab backward without even looking back. His sword glinted, and the demon was cut into two. It screamed and fell from the wall.

Seeing this, Duke Abel let out a sigh of relief. “We’re safe. Activate the shield and open the gate,” he ordered. “Welcome the Lord of Ferde back!”

He didn’t know why Link suddenly became this powerful, but the demons were defeated. That was enough.

Chapter 414: The Death Scythe of the South Translator:Nyoi-Bo Studio | Editor: Vicky_

 

In the Black Forest

Dark Elf Lawndale Markins looked at Orida Fortress from afar.

When Link returned, he started a decisive battle to wipe out the demons. Lawndale had watched the entire process.

At the end of the battle, not a single demon had escaped the fortress. All of them perished.

Using the Eagle Eyes spell, he saw the light of the protective barrier around the central of Orida Fortress disappear. Then, a bunch of people rushed out and greeted Link. After killing thousands of demons, Link still looked perfectly unharmed. In fact, from his stride, it looked like he was still at full strength.

Lawndale saw Link being led into the fortress by the human army. The attitude of the humans was as though Link was a god descended from the heavens.

“From what it seems, the Princess Saroviny you talked about is dead,” a female voice said next to Lawndale’s ear. It was a deep and raspy voice.

Lawndale sighed deeply. “The demon army has lost, and about 80 to 90 percent of my people have been killed. The Divine Gear has also been pushed out of Firuman while the humans now have a Legendary-level Magician… We have lost completely.”

“That is indeed the case,” the female voice agreed. She swayed her graceful body and walked up to Lawndale’s side. She said, “However, there is no permanent victory or defeat. All you need is a new army.”

Lawndale did not reply. He was lost in thought. After a while, he said, “Ashali, we’ve only known each other for three days. I don’t know what you want.”

“That’s true,” Ashali replied. She turned around and walked back towards the deeper part of the Black Forest. As she walked, she said, “We’re different from the demons. We don’t like to clash head-on, and we don’t like unpredictable elements. We enjoy controlling the flow of the battle and slowly clinch our way to victory. After you think it through, you can come find me anytime.”

The moment she finished speaking, she jolted forward and disappeared into the Black Forest.

Romand was present too, although he didn’t speak. After Ashali left, he said softly, “Lawndale, I think we have two options available. One is to find a strong ally to continue our cause. The other is to return to the Dark Realms and fight for space with the creatures there… No matter which you choose, I will be behind you.”

Lawndale was not even thirty years old. Yet, he was already faced with a decision that would determine the future of his clan. He felt like he was in a hopeless situation and just wanted to end it all.

However, he knew that he couldn’t do that. Time was precious. If they waited till the king of the Norton Kingdom wiped out the forces in the south, they would definitely face the Norton Kingdom’s vengeance. Even if they were to retreat into the Black Forest, the humans would pursue them into the forest to wipe them out.

No one could fight against the power of a Legendary Magician.

The Silver Moon Council Chairman, Romand, was a genius Magician. However, he was not adept at commanding an army, and he himself was aware of the fact. He thus decided to leave all of it to Lawndale.

Time passed silently. Five minutes later, Lawndale said, “Chairman, if we rely on an ally, we will have to depend on them and tread carefully around them. However, that will still be better than going back to that dilapidated world…”

Romand nodded. “You’re right, I understand. The demons are strong, but they are unreliable and wild. If we were to rely on an ally, then we should find a strong one!”

These creatures that call themselves Agathas were not a bad choice. Ashali was a Level-9 expert. According to her, their people had Legendary-level experts that could help them fight against the Norton Kingdom.

With Romand’s support, Lawndale made his choice. He turned towards the Black Forest. “Time is tight; we must seize this opportunity. Let’s go look for Ashali now.”

…

Meanwhile, Link was ushered into Orida Fortress and was now recounting the experience of his escape and his rise to the Legendary level.

Finally, he took out the Thorn Necklace and handed it to Romusen.

“Princess Milda chose to stay in Aragu to fight against the demon princess. She bade me to pass this on to the queen.”

Romusen sighed, but he understood that this was her choice. “Thank you,” he said softly.

Link turned to Duke Abel. “Duke, what do you plan to do now? Go south to reinforce Hot Springs City? Or begin repairs and reinforce Orida Fortress as the stronghold in the north?” Link asked.

They had yet to clear out the demons in the north. There were at least twenty thousand demons that had escaped, mostly back into the Black Forest. A small portion had escaped towards the south. These remnants could become a threat once there was someone to rally them together.

Duke Abel had already made plans. He replied, “We cannot abandon Orida Fortress! But as for the south…”

Duke Abel looked expectantly towards Link.

Link’s power had reached the Legendary level. He was now an imposing threat against anyone. He believed that with Link going down south, he could easily force the Kingdom of Delonga to retreat and behave themselves.

Link understood his intentions. “I was planning to go south… if there’s nothing else, I will be leaving soon.”

Celine’s safety had always been a concern weighing on Link’s mind. If not for the situation in the north that affected the whole of Firuman, Link would not have even come to the north.

Duke Abel was relieved. He took out some scrolls and handed them to Link. “Lord, if you don’t mind, as you pass by the strongholds along the way south, please hand these scrolls to them. Orida Fortress is too weak right now, and we need reinforcements and resources from these strongholds.”

“I understand,” Link received the scrolls from Duke Abel. He didn’t plan to tarry much longer. Turning to face the rest of the commanders, he said, “Everyone, the north will depend on you now.”

Then, Link disappeared in a burst of white light as he teleported out of Orida Fortress.

An instant later, Link appeared outside of Orida Fortress. After a series of successive teleportation, Link was back at Lannie’s airship.

“Let’s go, the trouble has been resolved. Let’s regroup with the rest,” Link said.

“I saw it all! You destroyed all the demons!” Lannie said in amazement. She could not even begin to comprehend the extent of Link’s power.

“Nothing is impossible with magic,” Link said, laughing. “Let’s go, let’s not waste any more time.”

“Okay,” Lannie replied. She had a newfound respect for Link. Lannie operated her airship, and it quickly rose into the sky, heading towards the south.

Very quickly, Link returned to the Yabba campsite. He didn’t stay there long either. After briefing them on the situation at Orida Fortress and discussing some plans for their travel towards the south, Link took off again.

Together with Lannie, they went from one stronghold to another, handing out the scrolls as Duke Abel had bid him to do and informing the various commanders of the news of Orida Fortress and the Yabbas.

At the same time, he got news of the war situation in the south from these commanders. It was not very good, but there were positive signs.

East Cove Magic Academy was still protected by their magic defenses. However, they were unable to send out any troops to help the war effort as they were besieged by Andrew’s Undead army.

The worst news was that Hot Springs City was already destroyed and in ruins. At the last moment, King Leon escaped from the city under the protection of palace Magicians.

Supposedly, King Leon was pursued all the way until he reached the Ferde territory whereupon he was saved by a Lich.

Amidst the chaos, the Lich had injured Andrew and forced him to retreat back into the Girvent Forest. Yet, Andrew was then attacked and killed by a musketeer named Celine. He did not manage to escape.

According to rumors, this musketeer Celine was very strong. She was known as the “Death Scythe,” and she lurked within the Girvent Forest, killing many commanders of the Delonga Kingdom.

It was said that the enemy commanders were so afraid that they did not dare to reveal themselves. They would plan their strategies deep within their camps. During battle, they no longer wore their commander uniforms so as to not stand out from the rest of the soldiers.

Due to her actions, King Leon managed to escape safely to Ferde.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Delonga occupied the Girvent forest but were now in a sticky situation. To their southeast was Ferde, while to their north was the allied army led by the Norton Kingdom. They were sandwiched between two big forces and had to constantly be on the alert.

This was naturally good news for Link, especially because Celine was doing well.

Originally, Link had planned to immediately head straight back to Ferde. However, just as they were flying over the Girvent Forest, Lannie pointed at a few black dots outside her window. “Lord! There’s something there, like… a dragon!”

This caused Link who was engrossed in his magic textbooks to look up.

Link was surprised. He looked over and saw a big red dragon about 30 feet long engaged in battle with a flight of Griffin Knights.

These griffins looked very strange. Their eyes were bloodshot, and their feathers were grey. As they flew, there was a trail of black aura behind them. They didn’t seem to know fear or pain and would throw themselves against the dragon in a frenzied manner. The knights riding the Griffins were also fiercely attacking and shooting at the dragon.

Although the dragon was strong, faced with frenzied suicidal attacks like this, even it would start to take damage. Link looked carefully and realized that he knew the dragon. It was Felina!

“That’s Felina! She was probably here for me,” Link said. He instructed Lannie, “Let’s go help. I know that dragon.”