Another World’s Versatile Crafting Master c1-1074, page 243
However, although the one in the sky was not a Lich, the magical waves it emitted was not any weaker. He could tell that it was mightier than a Lich.
"F*ck…" That feeling made him breathless. "Why is there another Legendary character…?"
"How would I know…?" Lin Li replied as he rubbed his nose. While his expression stayed the same, he reached his hand to open the Ring of Endless Storm discreetly. Although he had not taken a good look at who that threatening newcomer was, he was certain that it was a powerful person in the Legendary-realm.
Lin Li could guess the motives of that man. To soar above him so c.o.c.kily, that Legendary powerhouse should not be a mere passer-by.
A level-19 Archmage could easily wipe out the entire Syer Bandits and kill Vanskore, but he might face some difficulty if his opponent were someone in the Legendary-realm. Perhaps Holy Light and Gloomy Dark could be of help to him. Oh, if he were to summon the Humerus Wyrm, he would have good odds…
At this point, even Lin Li failed to discover the shift in his mindset. If it was a few days ago, the first thing Lin Li would think of when he saw somebody in the Legendary-realm would be to escape.
However, defeating that level-20 Lich in the Scar of Death gave Lin Li tremendous confidence. It not only brought him up by a level, but also enabled him to battle as a Legendary figure. Although it was with the help of the All-Knowing Potion, the experience he acquired was the most valuable gift.
Hence, when Lin Li faced another man in the Legendary-realm, the first thought that appeared in his mind was not to escape, but to get rid of him…
As the dark figure loomed closer, the magical waves became even more vigorous and suffocating. The massive Death aura which it emitted was not as pungent as the Lich's. Instead, it was like a boulder that caused people to be extremely breathless.
At the same time, Lin Li also pushed his mental strength to the limits.
The two equally able mages confronted each other in a very unusual way. Although it was not a physical exchange, their confrontation was one that was more threatening. Under the demonstration of the two great forces, the magical elements in the environment fell apart, and the sky started to distort. However, despite the risky interaction between the two forces, Lin Li's posture was not affected at all. The huge gust of mana was like tide waters, pouring out of his body…
Seconds trickled by. Beads of cold sweat trickled down Lin Li's forehead as well. His method of calling out his mana was a self-destructive act. Even though Lin Li's mental strength was stronger than normal people's, he would not be able to sustain it for long. Yet, he knew he had to press on. If he were to show any sign of faltering, Lin Li would be greatly disadvantaged. How could an Archmage with a drained mana be able to fight a real Legendary-mage?
Hence, Lin Li could only persevere, no matter how hard it was…
One minute, two minutes, three minutes…
Although only 10 minutes passed by, it seemed like an eternity to Lin Li. Every second was tortuous to him. At that point, Lin Li's mental strength was like a taut bowstring that had been stretched to its limits.
Simultaneously, it was the same for the figure in the sky. The suffocating conflict between them weakened by a great extent and vanished gradually…
"Phew…" Lin Li sighed, and fell weakly to his feet when the last bit of pressure went away. It was a terrifying encounter that placed a great deal of stress on his physical body and mental capacity. If not for his extraordinary mental ability, Lin Li would have gone entirely berserk.
It was fortunate for him to be able to withstand that challenge…
Lin Li drew several big breaths, and fished out an energy potion from his pocket.
Lin Li downed a whole bottle of the Awakening Potion, and regained some energy for his weakened body. However, he did not have any way to replenish his mental strength, as it was impossible for people under the level of a Divine Smith to do so. His Awakening Potion could only trigger existing mental strength to hasten the rate of mana recovery. It was of no use to him now when he lacked mental strength.
Lin Li's current weakness was no secret to the man from the Legendary-realm. As the black figure descended from the sky, it symbolized the official beginning of the battle between them.
Yet, Lin Li was not afraid at all. Right from the beginning, he had no intention of using his energy to defeat that opponent.
The Humerus Wyrm had been flapping its long and bony wings in the air. Lin Li knew he could let it spit out terrifying ice flame at any moment. Gloomy Dark and the Holy Light could be triggered at any time from the Ring of Endless Storm, which had been opened long ago.
Seeing that an earth-shattering battle was just a step away from them, everyone held their breath in anticipation and fear.
No one realized that there was a menacing presence hidden in the thicket not far away…
It was Hutton, who had followed Sendros all the way here…
In reality, Hutton had reached that place very early, and witnessed the start of the indirect confrontation. Yet, he was hiding in the thicket so as not to alarm Sendros. Hutton had to admit that the exchange was not one that he had expected.
As a level-18 Archmage, he was one of the more powerful mages in the whole Breezy Plains. Even Adelo had to bow to Hutton's superiority despite entering the industry earlier than him. Hence, Hutton generally gathered more understanding from that exchange as compared to the others.
Sendros's ability is actually on par with that dude's!?
Hutton had to admit that the young President of the guild of magic was the most powerful talent he had ever met…
How could a young man aged around 20 be able to emit such a threatening aura?
Not to forget, his opponent was the most powerful High Priest from the Darkness Shrine—Necromancer Sendros in the Legendary-realm…
Hutton could not believe that the 20 years old young President could be on par with a mighty man like Sendros.
Hutton had mixed feelings about that absurdity. He was not only impressed and jealous, but was also filled with awe and fear. Having become a level-18 Archmage before the age of 30, and been recognized as the first mage with a huge potential by the strictest Mentor Cheyenne, Hutton had always thought himself to be the most talented magic genius in this world. He believed Cheyenne's words that it was only a matter of time for him to reach the Legendary-realm.
His belief stayed the same even when he sensed the vigorous magical waves earlier on, which made him wonder if that young President of the guild of magic was really a level-19 Archmage.
Hutton had felt that his being at the peak of level-18 made him not a bit weaker than that President. Estimating himself to be able to reach level-19 in half a year's time, Hutton was certain that he could get closer to the Legendary-realm if he were to devote his time spent on the management of the Malfa's business to research on magic.
But now, Hutton finally realized the existence of that wide gap between people of the same level…
At least, he did not have the guts to challenge Sendros. He even had to muster all his courage and energy to engage in a casual conversation whenever he stood before Sendros. The ability of a Legendary-mage was horrifying—especially for Sendros, who did not care to suppress his energy. Any slight sense of energy he emitted would suffice to create nightmares for a powerful man like Vanskore for a few days.
Therefore, how did that 20 years old President do it to even be on par with Sendros??
Hutton felt a sudden disappointment when he witnessed that exchange between Lin Li and Sendros. To a genius, the hardest thing to accept was the existence of a more talented individual. It was the same for Hutton now. He'd never felt so ashamed and insulted, as he understood very well that he would never catch up to Lin Li's standard. Hutton knew he would fall further behind Lin Li as time passed by.
To him, it was a fact he could not accept.
Hutton was elated when he saw Sendros descending from the sky. He knew that it would be the death of the mage the moment Sendros touched the ground. No matter how talented Lin Li was, he would never be able to defeat Sendros before reaching the Legendary-realm.
If the motive behind Hutton's decision to silence Lin Li at the start was to keep the secret of the treasure map, his reason now would be to get rid of this rival. As long as this talent existed for one more day, it meant another day of insult and disappointment for Hutton.
Hutton's eyes lit up when Sendros' feet came into contact with the ground.
At that instant, Hutton imagined countless Undead creatures crawling out from the soil, and tearing that young talent into pieces…
Unfortunately, it did not happen as Hutton had expected. He saw a friendly Sendros walking towards that young mage. "I'm very glad to meet you here, Mage Felic. As compared to the last time I met you in Doland, your abilities have improved a lot…" said Sendros as he patted the young President.
Hutton could not believe his ears.
That was not the hardest thing for Hutton to accept. Hutton's jaw dropped when he saw Sendros' genuine smile—it was as though Sendros had met an old friend.
"Master Sendros, you gave me a very special greeting…" Lin Li laughed as he glared at Sendros. Internally, he was condemning both the Lich he met in the cave as well as the man before him. Why isn't Necromagic practiced by any neurotypical being?
Chapter 422 - Spy
"I was only curious to find out how much you have improved after leaving Alanna…" said the Necromancer as he laughed. That was perhaps the only time for that corpse-like being to have a human-like smile on his face.
His genuine smile was a symbol of trust Sendros only showed certain people.
Strictly speaking, the young and old were very far apart in terms of their ability and position. In terms of ability, while Sendros had broken to the Legendary-realm decades ago, Lin Li had only reached the doorstep of the realm. In terms of position, while Sendros was the most powerful High Priest in the Darkness Shrine, and had created true legends, Lin Li had just become the President of the Breezy Plains Guild of Magic, which even the Castellan of Doland City might not be aware of…
However, there was something Sendros would never be able to match Lin Li in—the attainments in Pharmaceutical studies. It was this achievement that made Sendros consider Lin Li to be on the same level as him.
In reality, Sendros was not alone. People like Balbo, Englos, and Burnside would never dare to display their pride as a Legendary powerhouse in front of Lin Li, or treat the young man like an inferior. They would converse with Lin Li like normal friends, and consult him humbly if they were to face any issues.
Of course, that was only known to only a few Master Pharmacists.
People like Hutton and Adelo would naturally not be able to access such secrets…
Hutton nearly spat blood when he watched Sendros smiling cautiously at Lin Li.
He could not believe his eyes at all. Did that President Felic gobble a bear's heart or a leopard's gut? How could he have the courage to display such a stance before Sendros? Did he not acknowledge Sendros's influence and power? Sendros was a man whom even his mentor Cheyenne would not dare to offend.
What's wrong with this President Felic?
The wait was what agitated Hutton the most. When was Sendros going to show any sign of anger towards Felic? How could this renowned legend be so meek in front of him?
At that moment, Hutton thought he saw the sun rising from the west…
…
"Call Adelo over," said Hutton the moment he stepped into his tent.
Hutton was not as useless as Harvey. Once he found out that Lin Li might have a strong relation with Sendros, the first heir of the Malfa Family stopped to brainstorm about the implications thereof immediately.
It was very obvious that matters had gone out of his control.
He suspected the support behind President Felic to be more than what he could imagine. Otherwise, the conversation between Felic and Sendros would not be so friendly. Apart from the president from Alanna Guild of Magic, which president from the other 23 guilds would have the guts to speak so casually to Sendros?
Furthermore, it seemed that President Felic had terrifying powers as well.
Hutton witnessed the scuffle between the youth and the elder first-hand. Although he was hiding a few hundred meters away from them, Hutton could sense the threatening force emitted by Sendros very clearly. The President Felic had to be very powerful to be able to match Sendros' energy.
Where on earth did that Felic come from?
When he thought of that question, Hutton was stunned.
He suddenly realized that he knew nothing about President Felic.
Although the Malfa Family had a strong network of connections, it seemed insignificant before President Felic.
As of now, Hutton only knew that President Felic was from Jarrosus Guild of Magic. He heard that this man performed very well in Alanna, defeating Gryffindor and also Matthias from Nightfall City. His achievements were acknowledged by the Supreme Council, and got him his position today—the President of the Breezy Plains Guild of Magic.
What about other information?
As of now, Hutton admitted that he had no idea who Felic's mentor was. He wouldn't be the President of the Jarrosus Guild of Magic, Gerian, would he? That plump old fella was just a level-15 Archmage, who suffered a loss fighting a team of bandits not long ago, and should be in a very bad state now. How could that man produce such an outstanding disciple?
Furthermore, how did the young President even know Sendros…?
It was a well-known fact in Anril that Sendros did not have many friends due to him being an eccentric and unsociable man who studied Necromagic. That certainly did not explain the close-knitted relationship between the old and young duo. Sendros' cautious smile before Felic's rage was a scene that should only appear in a dream.
Hutton could not fathom Felic's identity at all. To him, it was as though the young man was birthed from a rock and got to become a President without any reason. If he had not witnessed that situation today, Hutton would never have believed that the young mage aged 20 owned such a formidable strength…
He could not help but feel threatened by that terrifying strength.
On the way back, Hutton just could not step out of his state of disbelief. He called Adelo over to learn about what Felic did throughout the journey in the Scar of Death.
Adelo entered Hutton's tent after a minute.
"Brother Adelo, you must be tired."
"It's nothing…" Although Adelo entered the trade many years before Hutton, he never dared to treat Hutton as an inferior. While Hutton might be addressing Cheyenne as his mentor, that man was actually his biological grandfather. On the other hand, Adelo was just another high-ranking servant of Hutton despite working for the Malfa Family for over 10 years.
But, Adelo was especially disgruntled with Hutton. How could he have instructed Vanskore to launch a sneak attack without discussing it with the team, and at such a critical timing at that? Now that things had been done, the relationship Adelo had previously built with Felic was lost as well.
Although it did not seem like Mage Felic had any intention of starting a commotion yet, Adelo did not dare to be reckless when he interacted with him. The examples of the Lich and Vanskore made evident that it all ultimately depended on Felic. If Felic decided to confront them overtly, he would not give them any chance to regret.
The 20-year-old mage was indeed a frightening man…
"Oh, yes, Senior Brother. How's the trip to the Scar of Death? I hope things went well?"
"Yeah, it was good…" Adelo replied as he nodded his head. "But, why did you let Vanskore do it?" Adelo asked after a moment of hesitation.
"Why did I let Vanskore do it? Senior Brother, did you forget what Mentor Cheyenne told us before we went to the Blackstone Mountains? This time, our target is the Immortal King's treasure map. If the information were to be leaked to other people, it might bring about the fall of the Malfa Family…" Hutton replied Adelo in a condemning tone. "Do you not understand I'm trying to cover up for your mistake?"
"You didn't know the situation at the Scar of Death at all…"
"What happened at Scar of Death?" Hutton's rage simmered as he asked Adelo curiously. Although he had been using magic to communicate with Adelo all the while, he did not know more about the Scar of Death trip than the others. Otherwise, he would not have instructed Vanskore to launch such a foolish sneak attack.
"You ask me what happened?
"Have you met thousands of Vampires, over 30 Death Knight riding on Shapeshifters, a Humerus Wyrm that's a dozen meter long, or a Lich with unlimited powers? I had seen all that in the Scar of Death…" Adelo listed the incredible occurrences like a bullet train. "And because of that, it ascertained my stand that instructing Vanskore to launch that attack was the worst mistake you have ever committed in these few years."
"Oh?"
"Since you have never experienced Scar of Death yourself, you would never be able to imagine how terrifying and formidable Mage Felic was. I understand what you were thinking. You must have thought that a level-19 Archmage would not be able to fight back. You must have thought that you could employ Mentor Cheyenne to get rid of this man who had greater powers than you."
"Isn't that so?"
"If Mentor Cheyenne were to interfere, I'm not very certain that it would succeed. But, that Master Sendros you employed to deal with Felic is for sure not going to be able to help us…"
"That can't be!" Hutton sprang up front his seat. He was both angry and amused by his senior brother's senseless words.
That was right. Hutton could admit that Felic's ability was absurd and almost impossible to believe. Yet, how could he even reach Sendros's proficiency? Hutton was an Archmage at his peak. How could he be unaware of the great difference between level-19 and level-20? Not to exaggerate, even if Felic was really a level-19 Archmage, he wouldn't be able defeat the Legendary powerhouse. This was general knowledge to every mage. How would Adelo sprout such an absurd nonsense?
