Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 843
A tall figure slowly came out of the shadows inside the tower.
Their face slowly became visible. It was a face worn down by the vicissitudes of life. Dark freckles scattered along the man's slightly tanned skin. His eyes inspected the group of uninvited guests. The alert in his eyes indicated that he was not just a normal guardian.
The man was slightly hunched over, yet he was still more than half a head taller than Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan. It clearly showed how huge the watcher was when he was younger!
"Kids shouldn't be playing around here. Demon creatures might kidnap you and slice your belly open if you wander around late at night!" the watcher spoke up when he realized the visitors were a few young a.d.u.l.ts.
"Are you the watcher here?" Mo Fan asked.
"Why do you even ask? Go back to town, the sea has been a little rough lately," the watcher answered gruffly.
The watcher was likely an old soldier. He was still wearing an old military uniform.
"We just want to ask you about Dawn Island. You must have been here for many years. Do you know roughly how many Featherless Birds are there on Dawn Island?" Mo Fan asked.
"Just leave, it's no place for busybodies like you," the watcher said impatiently.
"Have you heard of the Totem Beasts?" Mo Fan pressed.
---
The watcher had no intention of interacting with them. He dismissed Mo Fan and the others right away.
The group wandered aimlessly along the cliff after failing to learn anything useful. Jiang Shaoxu recalled Mo Fan's last question. She could not help but ask, "Mo Fan, do you think Totem Beasts are as common as cabbages? Did you really just ask a random person if they knew about the Totem Beasts?"
Mo Fan scratched his head and explained awkwardly, "Isn't that the common setting for a strange-tempered old man living in an abandoned place in a drama, video game, or a novel? They are usually protecting something. I thought the old soldier might be a guardian since there are traces of Totem Beasts around here, so I asked right away."
"..." Lingling, Zhao Manyan, and Jiang Shaoxu were left speechless. Speaking of a mentally ill person and his wild train of thoughts...
"It's better if we investigate the place ourselves. There's no point wasting our time here," Zhao Manyan stated.
Zhao Manyan had come for the Totem Beasts that he desperately needed, so he was surprisingly energetic. He brought out his spectacular pair of golden wings and confirmed the rough direction of Dawn Island.
"I'll go scout first. Wait for my news here," Zhao Manyan said.
Twenty kilometers was not too far for someone with the ability to fly. Zhao Manyan beat his golden wings and soared into the sky. The others could faintly see him flying across the calm sea and disappearing into the distance.
Watching Zhao Manyan heading toward Dawn Island, Mo Fan exclaimed, "This is my first time seeing Zhao Manyan taking the initiative to do something!"
"He must be irritated," Lingling said.
---
The dark sky only had a faint silver glow originating from Zhao Manyan's back. It felt like the sea and the sky had merged into one when the moon and stars were absent. It was impossible to differentiate between the sea and the sky.
The most troublesome thing about it was not to differentiate between the sky and the sea, but to tell the right direction.
The moon and clouds were not suitable to be treated as references, since they were constantly moving. It was impossible to keep moving in a straight line in such an environment, similar to walking in a straight line with one's eyes closed. The person would most likely stray away from the line.
The island was quite a distance away, especially since Wanggui Town was already a remote location along the coast. The island was basically cut off from the rest of the world. Due to the terrain, there were hardly any boats that would pass by the island, either.
Zhao Manyan was not flying quickly. He was slower than a helicopter. His Wing Magical Equipment was generally slower than a Wind Mage's Wind Wings, since a Wind Mage could use the airflow and their control of the wind to surpass the speed of most flying equipment.
The Wing Magical Equipment consumed energy, too. Zhao Manyan noticed an irregularly-shaped island just as he was wondering if he was flying in the right direction.
The island had a diameter of over ten kilometers. The thick plants on it were stacked into layers. The tallest spot on the island was similar to the mountains inland, while the lowest spot was a jagged beach.
Zhao Manyan could only see one side of the island. The island was big and he was not flying at a great altitude, so there was only so much he could see.
Dawn Island was very quiet. It looked like a desolate island covered in vegetation instead of being overrun with untamed demon creatures. Zhao Manyan continued forward without a care, when he suddenly heard the water splashing fiercely underneath him!
Chapter 1817 - Boomerang on the Sea
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"I'm after the birds on Dawn Island. What the hell do these fish in the water want from me!?" Zhao Manyan cursed.
Zhao Manyan was annoyed when he saw that the fish in the area of Dawn Island had been alarmed.
Several blue-brown figures sprang into the sky amid fountains of water. The creatures were jumping right at Zhao Manyan, who was flying in the sky.
The creatures were surprisingly quick. Zhao Manyan did not expect them to be able to reach a height of two hundred meters in no time. His left arm was cut when he could not dodge in time, leaving a deep bloody wound on it. He immediately felt a burning pain from it!
"Assholes!"
Zhao Manyan looked into the sky where the blue-brown figures had gone. He was shocked to see them diving back to the water after reaching over three hundred meters!
"What the hell is going on? Are there SAM turrets on Dawn Island or what?" Zhao Manyan watched the things diving back into the water in astonishment.
There was more than one blue-brown creature. A few more of them flew at Zhao Manyan not long afterward. This time, he managed to dodge in time. They dove back into the water just like before.
Suddenly, a huge bunch of blue-brown creatures shot up from the water, flying at Zhao Manyan like a series of bullets. It felt like countless huge boomerangs had just been fired at him from under the surface of the sea, leaving Zhao Manyan with nowhere to run!
"F**k me!" Zhao Manyan cursed.
He quickly flipped his body and placed his hands together to Summon a Water Curtain on both sides. He then connected the two Water Curtains by bringing them closer to one another!
The number of boomerang creatures was quite shocking. If something was flying into the sky, the creatures could easily cut it into a pile of bones in a matter of seconds. Zhao Manyan's Water Curtains were under great pressure. The barriers were thinning continuously, yet the attacks showed no sign of stopping!
It totally made sense since the things would return to the water after each attempt, like a boomerang that flew back to its thrower. It would be thrown at the target again after some time. Once the boomerangs reached a certain number and timing, the attacks would become endless, so even the sturdiest defense would be worn out gradually!
"What exactly are those things!?" Zhao Manyan's hands were already a little numb from the vibration of the Water Curtains every time they received a hit.
Zhao Manyan still could not see the creature's true appearance even after he was bullied for a while. They were constantly spinning at an insane speed, so Zhao Manyan could not even tell if they were living creatures or just some sharp objects...
A huge blast suddenly took place in the sea. A wave exploded over fifty meters high, as if the blast had blown a huge hole in the waters.
Zhao Manyan glanced down and almost felt his heart jump out from his throat. An enormous boomerang was smashing its way through the tiny boomerangs, heading right at him.
It felt like he was watching a whole mountain crashing towards him after lifting his gaze amid a little hail!
BANG!
The big boomerang was also spinning at high speed, preventing Zhao Manyan from seeing what it was clearly. However, his new shield consisted of two overlapping Light Spells
Zhao Manyan felt like he had just been run over by the wheels of an enormous tank. He was knocked flying by an enormous force. His c.h.e.s.t was experiencing burning pain, while his organs felt like they were going to shatter into pieces at any second!
Zhao Manyan did not dare to stay any longer after he was injured. He immediately poured his energy into his wings and left the area.
He turned around to take a quick look and happened to see the enormous boomerang creature falling back to the water, leaving the same huge hole in it.
However, he still could not see its true appearance. He headed back to the land with great shock and many injuries.
------
Zhao Manyan glided down when the land was within view. He failed to stabilize himself and fell to the ground in front of Mo Fan and the others, ending up covered in dirt and grass.
"Weren't you going to scout the place? Why do you look like you have just been through a fight of life and death?" Mo Fan stared at Zhao Manyan's miserable appearance in shock.
"How the f**k would I know? Thousands of weird things suddenly flew out from the ocean when I was getting closer to Dawn Island. They took me by surprise, too," Zhao Manyan swore.
His injuries were not too serious. They did not endanger his life, but he was extremely displeased by the outcome.
Most importantly, he did not manage to see what the creatures were, because they kept spinning!
"Lingling, do you know what they are?" Zhao Manyan asked.
Lingling rolled her eyes and answered, "Who could possibly tell what the creatures are from your description?"
"It sounds like Dawn Island isn't something to be messed with, either. Zhao Manyan ended up like this before reaching the island," Jiang Shaoxu murmured.
"We'll wait until Mu Bai gets here tomorrow and decide how we're going to deal with those creatures," Mo Fan said.
Mo Fan was at his worst when it came to fighting in the water. He would not stand a chance against the strange creatures that Zhao Manyan had described unless he could reach the land. Even a defensive Mage like Zhao Manyan had been injured.
Mu Bai's Primary Element was Ice. The Ice and Water Elements were quite similar, so he might have a plan to deal with the creatures.
---
The group went back to town to get some rest. Zhao Manyan suddenly stopped everyone as they were going back to their rooms.
Mo Fan turned around and saw Zhao Manyan holding onto the wall feebly. Even the color of his skin had changed slightly.
"Old Zhao?" Mo Fan quickly inspected Zhao Manyan's wound. He noticed the cut on Zhao Manyan's arm had turned blueish. It did not fester, but it seemed like it was frozen.
"I...I think I'm poisoned," Zhao Manyan gasped.
"Those creatures are poisonous?" Jiang Shaoxu swore.
They had inspected Zhao Manyan's wound previously. The wound showed no sign of festering, so they had only treated it with simple medicine. To their surprise, the wound left a frozen mark behind after it healed. Zhao Manyan was already panting heavily from just walking!
"It's an uncommon kind of poison. Let's hope it doesn't get any worse," Lingling said.
Uncommon poisons were tricky to deal with, since normal antidotes were useless against them. Even a Healer would be clueless about how to deal with them.
Chapter 1818 - Useless Enforcers
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Mu Bai arrived early in the morning on the second day. He was casually taking the high-speed rail. When he heard Zhao Manyan was poisoned, he immediately shook off his worn-out look and became intent.
"I happened to have come up with a new way to get rid of poison!" Mu Bai's eyes were smiling like a cunning fox who had finally found its prey.
"Piss off, don't you dare try and put something strange into my body again!" Zhao Manyan cursed after he recalled how Mu Bai had mended his broken bones in the past. However, he sounded a little feeble due to the poison in his body.
Mo Fan's eyes widened when he heard the exchange between the two. "I have been wondering why the two of you either have no girlfriend or keep changing your girlfriend. I suppose you two already have intimate contacts with one another?"
"Here is a silkworm I discovered behind Fanxue Mountain. The species specifically nurtures itself with poison. If you want to recover as soon as possible, you should swallow the silkworm. It will absorb the poisonous substances in your body," Mu Bai said sternly.
It was a great discovery that Mu Bai had made while he was cultivating in seclusion recently. He had asked Yu Shishi to raise a few of the species he had found. Antidotes were always in short supply, and even the best Healer would struggle to heal a few kinds of poison. By bringing a few of the Antidote Silkworms with him, he would be able to guarantee his own safety!
Mu Bai would definitely open a store if he could figure out a way to mass breed the Antidote Silkworms. He would be able to earn some funds to buy himself some Magic Equipment!
Zhao Manyan was struggling to make up his mind. He eventually ate the silkworm when he remembered his goal was to look for the Totem Beasts and achieve the Super Level.
The Antidote Silkworm was very effective. Zhao Manyan regained his vigor as the rest of the group had their meal. He was back to normal only an hour later!
"Time to go, those sons of b**ches, we'll force our way onto Dawn Island and get our revenge!" Zhao Manyan exclaimed.
"By the way, Old Zhao, have you taken a dump?" Mu Bai asked him.
"What dump?" Zhao Manyan was puzzled.
"You have to get rid of the silkworm first, or do you want it to climb out of your throat after crawling through your intestines? I don't really mind either way," Mu Bai informed him.
"Ugh, screw you!" Zhao Manyan cursed in dismay.
------
Zhao Manyan had learned two important things when he tried to scout the island. First, there were a huge number of highly aggressive creatures hiding around Dawn Island. These creatures would attack anything that tried to reach Dawn Island from the air. Defensive spells were not enough to hold the creatures off for a long time. Second, the creatures were poisonous, and the poison would drain away its victim's focus and energy. The victims would lose their ability to fight and escape after an hour or two. Therefore, they had to be extremely careful not to get injured.
"Our problem is that we can't reach the island," Mo Fan said.
Mo Fan's fighting ability would be reduced greatly if he was not on land. He needed somewhere to stand, be it flying or traveling on a boat.
"What if we ask Mu Bai to freeze the water, the same thing we did when we were on the national team?" Jiang Shaoxu suggested.
Zhao Manyan immediately shook his head, "Those boomerangs were destroyers. They would instantly smash the ice to pieces!"
"My Ice Magic's freezing is pretty normal too. Mu Ningxue can easily freeze a huge area with her Innate Ice Domain, but it's a strenuous task for me, and would cost me a huge amount of energy, too," Mu Bai agreed, shaking his head.
Mu Ningxue was able to freeze the surface of an ocean, but that did not mean he could do it too. It was not about his cultivation, but his capabilities!
"I hated fighting on water the most," Mo Fan shrugged, considering the ocean his greatest nemesis.
"Why don't you ask your teacher if she has any ideas?" Jiang Shaoxu proposed.
"Yeah, she has been here for quite some time. She should know what the creatures in the water are and how to deal with them," Zhao Manyan said.
"What teacher?" Mu Bai had to ask.
---
The group found Tangyue and the others, who were watching the sea from the cliff.
This time, it was not just Li Dong and Zhu Min with her; another nine members of the Enforcement Union were standing behind her too. They seemed to be taking orders from Tangyue. The two Enforcers who were patrolling the cliff while smoking last night were among them. They seemed to be worn out, whether it was because they had been working overnight, or they had gone to enjoy themselves somewhere in town.
"These Enforcers seriously lack some discipline," Lingling murmured after observing Tangyue's men from a distance.
"Mm, I bet they are a bunch of seniors who aren't really controlled by their superiors," Mo Fan said.
Mo Fan had often crossed paths with the Enforcement Union. Most Enforcers had a stern aura, but judging from the attitudes of the two who were patrolling the cliff last night and the behaviors of the others today, it was very likely that Tangyue was leading a bunch of useless Enforcers.
The Nanxi Mountain Enforcement Union had been around for a long time, and had been reluctant to obey the Lingyin Enforcement Union's orders for many years. Tangyue was like an ambitious general assigned to a camp of unambitious soldiers. It explained why the case was not yet resolved. How was it possible to resolve such a tricky situation without an elite squad?
"Vice Chief, please don't treat our lives as a joke. How can we even make it to Dawn Island with our numbers? Even if we did, how are we going to make it back alive? The lives of a hundred townsfolk that were poisoned are precious, but ours aren't?" a middle-aged man who had been patrolling the cliff last night said. He was even holding a cigarette between his fingers, as if he was going to light it at any second.
"Vice Chief, we want to save their lives too, but if you are only planning to bring the few of us along, there's no way we can make it alive according to the information we've gathered. If we all die, Wanggui Town is seriously in deep trouble," another Enforcer added.
Tangyue's c.h.e.s.t was rising with her angry breathing. These Enforcers of Nanxi Mountain Enforcement Union were beyond unreliable!
It had already been a month, but they had failed to find any useful clues, nor had they come up with a plan to resolve the situation. They did not even investigate the island. She could not help but wonder why the Magic Association and the country even bothered feeding these people!
