Another World’s Versatile Crafting Master c1-1074, page 363
As Legendary-mages, they were incredibly s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to magical waves. The sudden spike in mana shocked and distracted Cheyenne, who was still thinking about the partnership with the elves. He knew that the mana would not belong to his old rival nor the elves. Within this mana, he sensed rage and tyranny.
Could it be from intruders? How could anyone trespass the elven's campsite? Cheyenne stopped harboring over the benefits of the partnership. He exited the tent anxiously and headed towards the raving mana.
Yet, the sight of the source of the mana made Cheyenne lost for words. How could he have thought that it was Felic who had created such a commotion? Felic had never done anything in their journey!
He took in a breath of cold air when he saw the spell used by Lin Li. Could that be the rare instantaneous level-21 Legendary spell, Hand of Nihility? Yes, it has to be it! He was certain that he would not have seen it wrongly!
The ability to cast spells instantaneously was the dream of every mage. Magic had definite power in Anril, and time needed to cast spells was its sole disadvantage. Regardless of whether it was battle between mages, or against other occupations, the shorter the time needed to cast spells, the greater advantage one would have. Ever since magic was discovered, no one had stopped researching on how to shorten the time needed for spell-casting.
Their hard work paid off. They managed to raise the levels of instantaneous spells as time passed. Despite it, the casting of instantaneous spells had tremendous requirements that would be challenging for normal mages to master. No one, however, could deny the existence of instantaneous spells, and everyone set them as their goals.
As the God of Mages, Geresco had invested heavily in the research of instantaneous spells, and had successfully discovered some strong ones. Since his ancestor was Geresco's disciple, Cheyenne naturally knew about the Hand of Nihility.
Ordinary instantaneous spells were either weak or at the lower ranking. Yet, Cheyenne had once seen the description of the Hand of Nihility in his ancestor's notes. That was a level-21 Legendary-level spell that could not only be cast instantaneously, but also leave people flabbergasted by its might.
Chapter 613 - Seven Sages
Although that gigantic hand grabbing the elf appeared to be phantom-like, it had the terrifying power to strangle a level-18 magical beast to death with ease.
After all the shock, Cheyenne could only look upon Lin Li's figure and smile bitterly as he shook his head. What did that elf do to trigger Young Master Felic enough to use such a powerful spell?
Cheyenne had some understanding of the personality of Young Master Felic. After all, the Malfa Family had been interacting with the Tower of Dusk rather frequently. At the beginning, when they were completing their mission in the Blackstone Mountains, their relationship with the young president was not as friendly as now.
Regardless of the reason, it was a fact that Hutton had indirectly agreed to Syer Bandits' sneak attack, and asked the Necromancer Sendros to get rid of the young President Felic. Yet, instead of turning the Malfa Family and the Tower of Dusk against each other, they became partners in a lot of matters. Cheyenne knew that the young President was not an impulsive and reckless person.
However, the same young President was willing to mobilize the entire Tower of Dusk when a small town in the vicinity was attacked by the Syer Bandits. He even convinced the Malfa Family to invade the Dragon Mountains to wipe the Syer Bandits from the Breezy Plains.
To Cheyenne, Lin Li was a man with a contradictory personality. Sometimes he would go all out to get whatever benefits he wanted, while at other times he would do the same to forgo all the benefits. But, he was vexed that Lin Li did not employ his rational self in the territory of the elves.
We are here for the Immortal King's treasures. No matter what the trigger was, how could he not hold it in? Didn't he meet those Legendary powerhouses of the elves? The combined effort from both of us wouldn't be able to give us the right to mess with them! Cheyenne thought. He really regretted inviting the Tower of Dusk to this mission.
It wouldn't matter if they were not to receive any help from the elves. After all, the elves weren't a part of their initial plan. It was not about losing assistance of the elves if they were to provoke them. Cheyenne felt that with the power of the elves, a minor hindrance from them was sufficient to affect their entire mission. He felt headache at the thought of the huge impending trouble.
Cheyenne's old opponent was not as worried. Despite being comrades for the current mission, he did not have any good feelings for the young Legendary-mage from the Tower of Dusk. After all, that mage had nearly killed his precious son.
The sight of the Hand of Nihility cast by Lin Li stunned Borg as much as Cheyenne. As one of Geresco's disciples' descendant, and having heard about Lin Li's performance at the Abyss of Tharlen, he could not help but feel shocked with what he had just witnessed. He knew that he had belittled the young Legendary-mage. Since this 20-year-old man had entered the Legendary-realm at such an age, his talent had to be second only to that of the God of Mages, Geresco.
Unfortunately, youngsters are still youngsters. They tend to act on impulse due to the lack of worldly experience. Although it is normal for them to make mistakes, it was a bad decision to offend the elves at such a timing.
Borg was not worried that this would affect his partnership with the elves. He knew that the Tower of Dusk was one of the three combined forces due to the Malfa Family. If the Malfa Family had not needed additional assistance to balance the gap with the Dark Blade, Borg would not have agreed to have an alliance with a two-men team. It was as good as Dark Blade being in a deadlock with the two other forces.
Furthermore, he had never seen President Felic from the Tower of Dusk do anything to the attacking magical beasts throughout their journey here. How could someone hope to gain advantages without working hard for them? The plan of entering the Haiga Mountain Range with the elves was not something that could be changed easily.
Although additional forces would mean additional protection in the Haiga Mountain Range, it would be hard for the Tower of Dusk to contribute meaningfully to the mission. Despite being a Legendary-mage, his nonchalant attitude would turn him into a ghost member. Hence, it wouldn't matter if he were part of the team.
Therefore, Borg was looking upon the conflict like how he would watch a movie. He was curious what the young Legendary-mage would do next. Compared to Cheyenne, Borg had a better understanding of the elves. He knew how much the elves had invested into this campsite. How are they going to resolve this conflict?
With this in mind, Borg directed his gaze to the older elves. They were not strangers to Borg. He knew that these several elves were not only the leaders of this mission, but also the higher-ups in the Elven Kingdom. That was because all of them had the same surname: Queldana.
The Queldana Family was not as well-known as the Helios Family to people outside the Elven Kingdom. Yet, Borg knew that the Queldana Family was the most powerful family in the Elven Kingdom, and that they were even more influential than the renowned Helios Family.
Ever since the different races overthrew the High Elves and ended the Dark Age, they started to build their own kingdoms. The human race who played the greatest role in the revolution occupied most of Anril, and their kingdoms adopted the ruling system of the High Elves that appointed royals and nobles.
Similarly, the elves who were said to be the descendants of the High Elves took over the Emerald Forest to build a kingdom of their own. Yet, the governing system they had adopted was vastly different from the High Elves' system. While they, too, had a noble and respectable queen, it was the Emerald Council that decided on all the policies.
In that catastrophe that'd nearly eliminated all the elves, there were seven elven powerhouses who led the other elves into the Emerald Forest that helped to protect and sustain the elven race. These seven elven powerhouses were the seven sages, as the elves referred to them. One of them was Bruchegar, the descendant of Helios and the father of Vidas. There was also Garrincha-Queldana, the descendant of a druid and the husband of the queen…
Borg's gaze landed on the oldest elf, who was standing in the middle. He knew that these elves were not only the higher-ups in this campsite, but also at the Queldana Family. Besides, that elf who the others had addressed as their elder was definitely not just the elder of the Queldana Family.
The elder was Bruchegar-Queldana, the oldest of the higher-ups. He was not only the brother of Randy-Queldana, but also the eighth elder of the Emerald Council. Although he did not have the title of a sage, his position in the Elven Kingdom was as high as those of the queen and his brother, Bruchegar. Borg could not believe that the elder was actually leading this team of elves.
Frankly speaking, the Dark Blade's partnership with the elves was actually a partnership with the Queldana Family. Although there were also heated conflicts within the elven race, they were not as brutal as those among the human race. Yet, it was tacitly agreed that the stronger force would have a greater right to speak in the council.
Ever since he got ahold of the treasure map, and knew that the treasure of the Immortal King was hidden deep within the Haiga Mountain Range, Borg knew that the ability of the Dark Blade would certainly not bring them to the treasures. Despite being the most powerful force in the Breezy Plains and one of the top forces of the entire Felan Kingdom, it did not have sufficient power to get through more than half of the Haiga Mountain Range with all its lurking dangers.
The only way to overcome this issue was to establish alliance with other forces. Yet, the choice of the partner would be a crucial one. As no one would sulk over receiving too many benefits, the Dark Blade would not want to share the treasure of the Immortal King. The alliance formed with the Malfa Family and the Tower of Dusk was the last resort. After all, it was a fact that both of these forces had Immortal King's treasure map.
The combined effort from the three forces, however, was inadequate to cover the entire Haiga Mountain Range. Sure, being a team that had five Legendary powerhouses, they had the ability to flatten Breezy Plains if they wanted. However, the outer region of the Haiga Mountain Range, the forbidden zone, was a tricky region even for them.
Coincidentally, the Dark Blade learnt from the Elven Kingdom that the Queldana Family had plans to travel to the Haiga Mountain Range to look for their lost treasure. Although he was not certain of the credibility of the news, Borg decided to travel to the Elven Kingdom personally and approach the Queldana Family for a possible partnership. To his p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e, the news was true. The Queldana Family really had plans to search for their ancient relic.
Chapter 614 - Punishment
Although the Queldana Family was the mightiest family in the Elven Kingdom, the loss of ambition would cause them to move dangerously close to decline. The recovery of their sacred weapon would no doubt bolster the position of the Queldana Family in the kingdom.
The Dark Blade could only venture further with the help of the Queldana Family. At the same time, the Queldana Family would require timely information from the Dark Blade as they searched for their lost relic. Since the goals of both parties were not clashing, they knew that they had to rely on each other. Therefore, a secret pact was signed between the two.
Borg's gaze landed on Cheyenne, who was standing a distance away. He smiled when he caught the deep frown on the forehead of his foe. Although it was not the time to take action against Cheyenne, Borg was ready to bring him down after they get hold of the treasures.
Lin Li could sense the presence of many powerhouses in the vicinity. He knew that the elder and his right-hand men from the Queldana Family were armed with Legendary-level power. Yet, this knowledge did not convince Lin Li to restrain himself. He proceeded to tighten the Hand of Nihility.
Just when the onlookers were guessing how the elves would be settling the matter, they were shocked that the high-level elves did not stop Lin Li when they arrived. They paid full attention to the other elves who were injured and asked them about the situation patiently.
The gaze of the elder swept past the elves. His calm and gentle disposition was like the water of life that helped them forget their injuries. Their negative feelings such as anger, anxiety, and fear subsided immediately. All of them were united by the same thought: everything will be fine if our elder is here!
"You have to be the elves on patrol duty. Can anyone let me know what had happened?" That was one of the higher-ups standing beside the elder. He was composed, and his tone was unrushed.
The elves stopped feeling anxious. Although Jacques was still under Lin Li's control, the presence of the elder and the higher-ups convinced them that the human mage would not have the guts to kill their friend.
They gave the older elves a respectful bow before fixing their glares on Lin Li. "It's like this. We are in charge of tonight's security duty. When we were patrolling the grounds earlier on, we noticed a Vampire who tried to trespass our campsite. As our best archer, Jacques intervened immediately. He injured the Vampire with his Seven Star Archery Skill," an elf whose name was Troy said. He was donned in a leather armor.
The higher-ups nodded, gesturing for the elves to continue with the explanation.
"Of course, we did not kill that Vampire immediately. That's because we suddenly remembered that one of our human guests had a Vampire buddy. In order not to create any misunderstandings, we were trying to get this Vampire to tell us his origins," Troy said plainly. He did not even blink upon mentioning the words "kill" and "injured". It was as though that was not a bloody conflict, but a drizzling rain in the campsite.
Furthermore, Troy appeared to be equipped with the art of eloquence… or the skill to deny responsibility. His words transformed the bloody conflict into a rationalized act of self-defense.
The most important thing was his repetition of the word 'Vampire'…
"Vampire?" As expected, the word put a frown on one of the higher-ups. A glint of disdain flashed across his face. "Who brought the Vampire into our campsite?"
"It is that mister mage over there." Troy pointed to the silent Lin Li. "This is actually a misunderstanding. We did not know that the Vampire we had injured was the buddy of this mister mage. But, the mage did not give us any opportunity to explain ourselves when he arrived. He targeted Jacques immediately and wanted to kill him…"
"Is that so, Mage Felic?" the high-level elf inquired with furrowed brows. It was a fact that they were in the Haiga Mountain Range, a holy place the Goddess Monferra endowed to the elves. It was blasphemy for the human mage to bring a Vampire here. Moreover, he nearly killed Jacques!
If not for their partnership, and the good relationship the elves had with the Dark Blade, the human mage would have become the enemy of all the elves.
"Human, if you do not stop now, you are really going to commit an irreversible mistake."
Lin Li did not respond to the senior elf. It was as though nothing had been said. Lin Li proceeded to increase his magical force when he discovered that Jacques had become weaker. Jacques, who had begun to lose his consciousness, could only continue to vomit more blood.
This scene carved a deeper frown on that senior's forehead. He realized Lin Li's determination to kill Jacques. He really could not understand the thoughts of that human mage. How much did that dirty Undead creature mean to him? What made him act upon such irrationality?
The high-level elves could sense the rapid decrease in Jacques' life force. They knew that the most important thing they had to do was to get Jacques down. If not, they were really going to lose him. It would be too late to save Jacques even if they were to punish that human mage then.
"Mage Felic, if you do not agree with what they were talking about, you can let us know about your point of view. We will certainly make a fair judgment of the situation. Before that, can you let Jacques down? Even if that Vampire is your partner, this is after all a sacred mountain range that belongs to the elves. Hence, I'm sure you can understand Jacques' actions," the higher-up said gently as he tried to persuade Lin Li to let Jacques down.
At last, Lin Li shifted his gaze onto that elven leader. "I only know that anyone who dares to harm my teammates will have to pay for it. It does not matter who he is. I don't believe in the sacred mountain range. If it really is a sacred place, the elves would not have to seek refuge in the Emerald Forest," replied Lin Li plainly.
Lin Li's words stabbed the elves' old scars. Not only did the higher-ups have a change in expression, the elder who had been looking composed also started to frown.
The elves had been announcing that the Haiga Mountain Range was a sacred mountain range bestowed to them by the Goddess of Forest. What was eerie, however, was that Nature Magic failed to work in the Haiga Mountain Range. The elves could only guard the Emerald Forest at the Haiga Mountain Range, and not take over the entire sacred mountain range.
Everyone in Anril knew about this awkward situation. This became an embarrassment for the elven race. Yet, there were no one person or force that dared to speak of it.
Lin Li's words angered all the elves on the scene. However, the senior elf knew that the priority was to save Jacques from Lin Li. Hence, he suppressed all his anger as he prepared to persuade Lin Li further.
However, before that senior managed to speak another word, the elder who had been standing in the center spoke. "Human mage, Jacques is indeed wrong as he has injured your friend with his arrows. Yet, as your friend is still alive, it will be too overboard if you are to kill Jacques. Since you want an answer to this issue, I will give you a satisfying answer."
Lin Li diverted his gaze onto the elder. Instead of putting Jacques down immediately, he waited silently for the elder to continue with his conditions.
"Your act of targeting Mage Felic's friend presumptuously has damaged the friendship between the Tower of Dusk and the elves tremendously. You have created a misunderstanding due to your recklessness. It seems that you are not suitable to undertake the heavy responsibilities of a guard for the campsite. As the eighth elder of the elves, I order you to give up 10 years of your Heart of Nature." The words of the elders stunned everybody, including the higher-ups, yet no one dared to defy him.
