Advent of the Archmage

Chapter 675: Link, You’ve Gone on the Road of No Return Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“How are you?” Link looked at Eliard with his pale face and cast Essence Vitality into him.

Eliard leaned against a big tree and took some deep breaths. He felt around his organs. “I’m okay. I’ve already recovered a lot, but I’ll need more than one hour to recover my spell-casting ability.”

This was the advantage of Sunlight Power’s great recovery ability. A regular Magician wouldn’t be able to move for a few days if they suffered this hit.

But one hour was still too long.

Judging from the previous situation, Lava Knight Mozur’s power was unbelievable. If they fought hard on, Link wasn’t his match at all. He could get killed with one mishap. He needed Eliard’s help.

But with Mozur’s power, if he chased with all his might, he could travel thousands of miles within an hour. He might not run to the Isle of Dawn, but no one knew what could happen along the way. For example, it was highly possible for the High Elves to provide reinforcement.

If Mozur had an additional helper—even if it was a Level-9 Magician—Link, who was already at a disadvantage, would truly have no chance of defeating him and getting the Divine Fragment back.

He couldn’t wait. He had to act now, and he had to do it alone.

After thinking quickly for a few seconds, balancing the odds, Link came to a final decision. He had to do everything to stop Mozur. He wasn’t Mozur’s opponent in a direct fight, but there were thousands of ways to defeat someone. Tricks and sneak attacks all worked.

Thinking of this, Link murmured, “Then you rest here. I’ll go stop him.”

Eliard knew how important this was. It affected the countless creatures on the Firuman Realm and Ferde’s future. He knew it was highly possible for Link to die, but they had no other choice.

“Be careful! I’ll go find you as soon as I can cast spells!” That was the only thing he could say.

Link nodded. White light already rose around him. An instant later, he disappeared and reappeared miles away. This repeated many times as he chased towards the Lava Knight Mozur with impossible speed.

Five transmissions later, Link found Mozur’s traces once again.

The other’s aura was very secretive and hazy. Link couldn’t pinpoint the specific location. Even if he completely focused, he could only narrow it down to a ten-mile range.

This range was too large, and he couldn’t determine where Mozur was hiding. This meant Link couldn’t attack secretively. Mozur was also a Level-15 fighter with sharp senses. Link couldn’t hide either.

Right now, Mozur must know Link was close. He might even be looking for a chance to attack.

To stay safe, Link kept his elevation at around 1000 miles and activated the Eagle Eye spell to observe the ground.

Different from before, this was a forest. The trees weren’t too dense, and there were scattered villages with small hills in between. Winding trails connected the villages. It was one or two in the afternoon now, and so many people hurried down the trails and in the fields.

Link could tell that this was the Whistling Hills in the northeast of the original Delonga Kingdom. It was mountainous, but the earth was fertile, and there were quite a lot of people. It was easy to hide here. In order to not hurt the innocent, Link couldn’t use a powerful spell to force Mozur out either.

Seeing this, Link sank into deep thought.

Ferde is up ahead. There’s the Divine Punishment protocol, so this guy won’t dare to go in. Then he can only go east into the sea. He’s only a Warrior and will need a ship… There must be High Elves at the coast.

Both Link and Eliard together had been defeated by Mozur alone. If he met with High Elves, then Link would have no chance by himself. If he was discovered, he could die.

Thus, he couldn’t let Mozur get to the coast. Then how should he force Mozur out of hiding?

Link thought back to how Dylosen had characterized Mozur. This guy was a genius and liked sneak attacks. He had explosive power and only cared about the Holy Maiden Milda. This could be used to easily anger the Warrior.

Milda, Milda, Link repeated in his mind. He thought of their experiences together in the Aragu Realm.

That night in the tree hole, the farewell before returning to Firuman, and the smiles and glances were right before his eyes. Sadly, hundreds of years had passed in the Aragu Realm. Milda was no longer the young and innocent High Elf princess from before. She was now the priestess of a cult and Link’s mortal enemy.

The changes in life were unpredictable. Right now, Link felt regret rather than anger.

Looking back at the ground, Link’s eyes had become emotionless. Since we’re enemies, then there are no taboos. Since Milda is your weakness, then I’ll use her against you!

After thinking carefully and confirming his battle strategy, Link cast a large-scale Soul spell: Soul Echo.

Soul Echo

Level-8 Secret Spell

Effect: Activate the soul’s power and create large-scale soul telepathy with no limit on the target.

The theory behind this spell was simple. It was Level-8 only because it had a wide range. It could stretch more than 20 miles, which was more than enough to cover where Mozur was hiding.

Focusing, Link looked down and sent an image with the Soul Echo. The image contained two people—one man and one woman—standing beside a tree. The man was Link; the woman was obviously Milda. Under the faint morning light, the beautiful High Elf Princess stood beside Link. She tilted her head to look at Link’s side profile, eyes filled with love and respect. She seemed to be talking. Her eyes never left Link.

To be honest, this was a very plain image. It was just a man and a woman talking on a forest path. At most, it would make people think of a couple dating. It was no big deal.

After this image suddenly appeared in the minds of the regular farmers, most were dazed. They found it strange that this image would jump out in their minds. Some guys had no reaction at all. They were exhausted from working in the fields. Who cared what they were thinking.

But to a certain person, this was a punch to the gut!

As soon as the Soul Echo ended, a fiery figure rushed out from the forest. Then a ground-shaking roar traveled into the sky. “Link, you’ve gone down the road of no return!”

The man had a gold-red battle robe and a Lava sword. Because of his fury, bloody rays of light shot out from his eyes. Flames flickered around his body. It was Mozur.

He’d voluntarily given up his chance at a sneak attack, but Link still wasn’t confident in defeating him. This didn’t sway him though. After coming to Firuman, he’d had countless battles. Ones that he was confident in winning were actually the minority.

Hovering thousands of feet above the air, he looked down coldly at the furious Lava Knight. “I’ve never gone down a path that I can return from,” he said indifferently.

Chapter 676: A Warrior’s Realm against A Magician’s Wit (1/3) Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Whoo, Whoo. The wind howled past Link’s ear.

All of a sudden, there was a soft whoom in the wind. At the same time, Link noticed that tiny grain-like points of red light had appeared out of thin air beside him. With a closer look, he quickly realized that these were balls of fire burning quietly in the air.

Whoom. Whoom. Whoom. The sounds came one after another at increasing frequency. With each whoom, a new dot of light appeared. These specks of light soon filled the air, forming a fiery red mist in it.

This red mist stretched from the earth to the high heavens. Floating a few thousand feet in the air, Link looked down and saw what appeared to be a sea of red. The crimson sea was giving off an intense heat. Everything in its area of effect, which had a radius of more than ten miles, was burned to a crisp by it.

At a glance, it was as if the whole world had been transformed into a hell on earth where the Lava Knight Mozur reigned supreme.

“So this is a Level-15 master’s realm…” breathed Link. Despite the realm’s simplicity, the knight’s realm was able to slaughter countless innocent lives in an instant with it. However, Link could do absolutely nothing about it. The only thing he could do right now was to continue keeping himself alive as long as possible.

Suddenly, the sound of ice breaking rang out around him. The space around him had transformed into ice. The layers of “ice” and the infinite reflective surfaces in it now seemed like the inside of a processed diamond.

Link had activated a spatial defensive barrier known as the “Multidimensional Barrier.”

Multidimensional Barrier

Level-14 spatial spell (personal creation)

Description: Space is folded and curved by the spell around the user in a unique pattern to form a dynamically stable spatial cocoon with extraordinary defensive power. It is especially effective against energy-based attacks.

(Note: No matter how fiercely the storm rages on, I will not budge.)

After years of intensive research on spatial magic, Link’s understanding of space had finally reached a high point. Not only had he gained a lot of experience in the area through his prolonged use of Spatial Power, but Link had also acquired the magic book “Sacred Realm” and an entirely new magical system from the Fedaro realm. Through the confluence of all the magical wisdom he had accumulated over the years, Link had given birth to a new breed of spells never before seen in Firuman.

The Multidimensional Barrier was one such spell.

Strictly speaking, Mozur’s flaming realm was an energy-based attack of sorts. Even though it was a powerful technique, to a Level-15 Legendary master, a realm served as a support spell. Its offensive capabilities were just one of its side-benefits.

That was the reason why the realm’s unbearable heat instantly vanished as soon as he cast the Multidimensional Barrier around himself. The tiny balls of fire that had appeared around him just now were also ejected from within Link’s barrier.

“Lord of Ferde, you can’t hide from me forever! Have a taste of my Lava Fire technique!” roared Mozur in the midst of the sea of fire.

A realm was the result of a Legendary master who had attained so much power his mere presence was enough to twist the laws of nature around him. In his realm, a Legendary master would receive a lot of benefits. Not only would the scale of his power see a huge boost, but a wide variety of never-before-seen battle techniques would also be open to him as well.

Mozur had opened up his own lava realm around him. Link had absolutely no idea how the Lava Knight would be able to attack him from thousands of feet away.

The only thing he should be doing right now was to stay out of Mozur’s realm and avoid a direct confrontation with him in his element as that would only lead to his demise. His wisest course of action now was to observe the situation at hand and patiently wait for an opportunity to retaliate.

Link did not respond to Mozur’s words. Gradually, the Multidimensional Barrier began expanding around him. Space had taken on a diamond-like quality as the barrier spread out more than a hundred feet in all directions.

Finally, Mozur made his first move.

With a boom, the ground beneath his feet turned red hot. Without warning, Mozur was launched into the air by a geyser of white lava that had erupted beneath him.

It was as if a huge hand made of lava had hurled Mozur into the air at incredible speed.

He would probably be able to reach Link within ten seconds.

However, this was not enough. Link was no fool. He would naturally try to avoid the Lava Knight that was coming at him fast. In the air, a Warrior would never be able to keep up with any unrestrained Magician who knew what he was doing.

However, Mozur still had another trick up his sleeve.

As Mozur closed in on his quarry, he drew out his sword and swung at Link. “Die!”

Battle aura surged out from his sword like a raging river, summoning all the floating balls of fire in the air to it. In an instant, the balls crashed into Link in a fiery wave.

At the same time, more balls of fire appeared, trapping Link in a thick crimson mist.

Link tried to move but soon realized that a mysterious force was inhibiting his movements. Right now, he could only move at a tenth of his original speed. This was way too slow. He would not be able to evade Mozur’s onslaught.

This was not all Mozur had to show Link.

Before the first wave of Battle Aura could reach Link, Mozur swung his sword a second time. The two waves of Battle Aura merged with one another to form a powerful flame strike, which glowed just as bright as the sun as it surged against Link’s Multidimensional Barrier.

From afar, one could see a huge pillar of fire rising from the ground. At the tip of this fiery pillar was a large ball of blue light, which managed to outshine even the sun.

At the same time, Link could feel the realm’s power restricting his movements more and more until he could no longer move a muscle.

In the air, Link noticed that the space around him was about to crumble under the concentrated force of Mozur’s flame strike. Cracks had appeared in it, and violent ripples were spreading out from the point of impact in the fabric of space.

His Multidimensional Barrier would not be able to hold out for long. Due to the disturbance of the spatial ripples, Link could not even cast an ordinary Legendary spell to save himself. He was now trapped in his enemy’s realm. At this point, he had no other choice but to confront the Lava Knight head-on.

Despite being enemies, Link could not help but admire Mozur’s awesome power. I think the only one in all of Firuman who could withstand his attacks may have been Morpheus himself.

“Hahaha, Link, enjoy being burned alive!” shouted Mozur gleefully. His eyes were now bloodshot, like those of a demon who had just gotten out of hell.

Link remained mute. He had not moved an inch even as he felt the realm’s hold on him.

Aside from the Multidimensional Barrier, he did not set up any other magical defenses around himself. At that point, he could only unsheathe the Ode of a Full Moon sword and pointed it at Mozur. The sword’s tip gleamed with light as soft as moonlight. He simply floated there without making any attempt to flee, as if he was now ready to intercept Mozur’s next attack.

“You overestimate your abilities, little man!”

Mozur was now 1500 feet away from Link. He unleashed his third attack, bolstering his previous two attacks against the spatial barrier. The din grew louder, and more spatial fragments appeared as if the Lava Knight’s onslaught was about to pierce through the realm of Firuman itself.

Mozur had used up all of his power with this third attack. This was his most powerful technique. None of his opponents had ever survived such an attack from him in the past.

He had once even used this technique to obliterate an entire city in the Aragu Empire.

The steady rush of power was inching closer and closer towards Link, threatening to swallow him up.

Just then, Link, who had remained motionless all this time in the air, suddenly moved. He swiftly swung the Ode of a Full Moon sword in an arc across the air before him.

When the sword’s tip touched the air, the latter parted like a curtain to reveal a portal in front of Link.

Link immediately stepped into the portal. In an instant, he was gone.

Despite managing to paralyze Link with the power of his realm, Mozur was unable to completely seal off Link’s spatial magic. At the last possible second, Link managed to elude Mozur’s grasp.

Chapter 677: Endless Curse

The next moment, there was a boom. Endless flames crushed towards Link but hit air. Link had already used a spatial spell to escape.

Indeed, space became unstable under the aggressive lava. It was also affected by the unique fire zone. Even Link couldn’t easily use a portal to escape. However, no zone was flawless.

Link had personally witnessed the God of Light’s power and had experienced countless Legendary Pinnacle battles in his previous life. He wasn’t ignorant. Faced with Mozur’s attack, he immediately saw through the fire zone.

If Link was a Legendary Warrior, he could face this attack head-on. But he was a Magician.

A zone was the composition of principles, and a Magician was the best at discovering and utilizing principles. It took ten seconds for the attack to go from Mozur to Link’s side. It was enough time for Link to find loopholes in the fire zone.

Using this loophole, Link could escape from Mozur’s fatal attack.

Boom. Link, who had just escaped, reappeared at Mozur’s side. His sword was already stabbed towards Mozur. A Despair Ball appeared halfway. The sword tip buried into it and came out at Mozur’s heart.

Mozur was dazed. He’d used all his power, but his attack had come to nothing. When one punched forcefully but hit air, it would take a while to rebuild power. Faced with the sudden attack, all he could do was raise his sword to block it.

With his Level-15 power and skills, he could definitely block Link’s attack, despite it being so abrupt. But when he unsheathed his sword, his action had been too fast. The wooden box with the Divine Fragment at his waist shook. His sword hilt brushed past the box, and it cracked. The force didn’t affect Mozur’s actions, but sadly, the Divine Fragment’s aura seeped out.

Mozur froze. Countless thoughts flashed past his mind.

Will the fragment fall out?

Will the tricky Magician steal it?

No, I can’t lose this treasure…

How could one get distracted when faced with death? Mozur knew that, but he was easily affected by the Divine Fragment. The result was obvious.

Squelch. Link’s sword stabbed into Mozur’s body. It passed through while Realm Essence also surged into him.

Huh? Mozur looked down at his chest. His power was quickly flowing out. Then he looked up at Link to see the black-haired Ferde lord was still emotionless. His all-out attack from before seemed to have been a joke to Link.

“You…” Mozur couldn’t speak, partly due to the fatal injury, partly because he couldn’t understand why he’d been distracted at this critical moment.

Link had already sheathed his sword. His expression was calm, but he found it strange too. To be honest, he didn’t think his attack would have succeeded so easily. Judging from the previous battle, Mozur honestly wasn’t a bad opponent. This should have been a bitter fight.

The result was beyond expectation.

Ding. The box at Mozur’s waist fell down with a soft sound. Already damaged, it opened by itself. A crystal-black skull rolled out. It was the Shadow Divine Fragment.

Seeing this, Link suddenly thought of Morpheus’ words, and it dawned on him. “Mozur, it doesn’t belong to you. You can’t control it.”

Mozur had already lost control of his internal control, and he fell from the sky. His eyes were also on the crystal-black skull. He looked regretful, eyes filled with clear obsession. Even if he was dying, his hands were still flapping, trying to grab the skull falling away from him.

In the end, he couldn’t catch it, and he’d completely lost control. He exploded with a boom, transforming into a giant fireball that plummeted to the ground. The Shadow Divine Fragment floated down, radiating shocking light. It attracted Link’s eyes.

For a moment, Link thought that he was facing the world he’d dreamed of.

According to Dylosen’s last words, he had to take this fragment to the Snow Mountain Archmage. But now, he didn’t want to.

This beautiful thing is in my hands so it should be mine. Why should I give it away? This thought popped up in Link’s mind, scaring him.

His logical mind appeared. No, this is the incarnation of bad luck. Morpheus is dead, Dylosen is dead, and Mozur is dead because of it too. My level is right between them. If I get it, I’ll probably die too.

Once this thought appeared, Link’s outstretched hand turned and grabbed the box. He caught the skull with the box and quickly closed it. The box was broken, but the blocking effect still worked. Link wasn’t as affected.

This was a hot potato. The longer it was in his hands, the more dangerous he would be. He had to send it away.

While Link was trying to figure out how to deal with it, a High Elf sprawled in the dense woods not too far away. He witnessed the entire fight.

Taking out a magic tool, he added in Mana and reported the situation. Mozur lost. The Ferde lord received the Shadow Divine Fragment.

This message traveled to a Silver Storm Sparrow in an isolated bay. It was quickly sent to the Isle of Dawn. After a short pause, it passed into the Void to the Aragu Realm.

In that realm, a woman was looking into a telescope from the majestic divine pavilion. She wore a beautiful gold-red dress. Her face was veiled, and her features were unclear, but her figure was alluring.

After receiving the news, she froze. Turning to look at the vast space outside the pavilion, she sighed after a long while. “It took me more than a century to reach this point, but he’d gotten here in a few short years. This man…”

She was Milda who had remained in the Aragu Realm to stop Saroviny long ago. Unfortunately, time had passed, and things had changed.

Sighing lightly, she raised a hand and rotated the ring on her hand. A short while later, the shadows behind her moved. Someone appeared out of thin air.

This person was shrouded in dark purple flames. His features were covered, but he seemed to be middle-aged. After appearing, he said in a low voice, “Saint, what are your orders?”

“Razer, Mozur is dead,” Milda said softly.

Razer was the head of the Lava Knights. He was known as Hellfire. He hadn’t attacked many times, but everyone who he’d attacked was dead.

“Impossible!” The middle-aged man was shocked.

“It has already happened. I need you to go to Firuman personally. Kill the Ferde lord and take away the Divine Fragment.”

“Yes, Saint.” Razer nodded. A few seconds later, he asked, “Does Saroviny know?”

“Of course, but don’t mind her. She won’t dare to object.”

“Understood.” The dark flames around Razer flared, and he vanished. He was a Level-16 Lava Knight and the third strongest in the Fire Sect. His only fear was Saroviny. As long as she didn’t interfere, he had absolute confidence in completing this mission.

Chapter 678: Moving in from All Directions (3/3)

In a dark underground palace.

Blue flames danced about in the darkness.

From time to time, a blood-curdling shriek echoed in the air.

In the dim light, a beautiful woman clad in black scaled armor was sitting on a throne made of white human bones. A man in a black battle robe was standing without a word below the throne, a sword dangling from his waist.

Five minutes went by in silence. Finally, the woman spoke out, “With Mozur dead, knowing Milda, she would probably send Razer next.”

“Yes, Mistress. My informant told me that he had seen Razer enter the Teleportation Temple. He should be in Firuman by now.”

The Teleportation Temple was a place specially built to facilitate the trans-realm journeys of any core member of the Fire Sect. It would not take a genius to know where Razer had teleported off to after Mozur’s defeat.

Saroviny smiled. She was extremely beautiful. There was now an almost palpable air of darkness swirling around her after centuries of refining it. Though the edges of her lips were curved up in a smile, her black eyes exuded nothing but malice as they gleamed with a cold, piercing light.

The black-robed attendant sank into a deeper bow before her. He knew just how terrible the Queen of Darkness’ fury was. An unspeakable fate awaited those who dared slight her in any way. The deaths of his predecessors were a testament to that fact.

Ten minutes later, Saroviny’s smile faded. She then said, “I think it’s time we take things into our own hands. We can’t just stay on the sidelines forever and let Milda hog all the glory now, can we?”

“But Mistress, none of us are a match for Razer. He’s just too strong.”

“Which is why I’m prepared to go there myself!” said Saroviny with a smile.

The attendant was stunned. “Mistress, you would be publicly standing against Milda if you do so. I don’t think the lord would be pleased about this…”

Before he could even finish his sentence, he realized that Saroviny was coldly glaring at him. Her eyes were now flashing dangerously. He quickly rephrased his words.

“Of course, Mistress, your wish is my command. If you still insist on doing this, I will make the necessary arrangements for you as soon as possible.”

“Quick thinking. I would hate to have to replace you so soon.” Saroviny laid back in her ivory throne. She then said lazily, “You don’t need to do anything. Just go about your business as usual. I don’t want anyone to know that I have left the temple. You better keep all this to yourself.”

“Of course, Mistress,” the attendant said, nodding furiously. From his perspective, this was his mistress’ way of showing that she still preferred not to go against their lord’s will. The consequences of her own actions concerned her still, and she would never go so far as to violate the pact that had been honored by both parties for so long.

This way, their lord would not lose his temper, and the attendant would not be part of the collateral damage of his mistress’ actions. He sighed in relief at this.

The black-robed attendant then said with a low voice, “Mistress, I also heard that they are now up against the lord of Ferde, who had come to the Aragu realm once with Milda a few centuries ago. Not only did the man kill Mozur, but he is also now in possession of a divine fragment. I don’t think it would be easy to deal with him right now.”

Saroviny waved an impatient hand at him. “I already know about that. Alright, you can leave now. Close the door behind you. And make sure no one comes knocking on it for the next two months!”

The temporal difference between Aragu and Firuman had begun shrinking as the two realms grew closer and closer. In the past, two months in Aragu was the equivalent of half a day in Firuman, However, right now, two months in Aragu now equaled four days in Firuman. This was more than enough time for Saroviny to prepare herself.

Without another word, the attendant hurriedly left the palace. Once outside, he closed the doors behind him as instructed, cutting off the dark palace from the outside world entirely.

When the attendant was gone, Saroviny said under her breath with a cold smirk, “What an obedient little puppy.”

Though he was officially Saroviny’s retainer, the attendant also served as an extra pair of eyes for the Inferno Archmage, observing her every move and making sure she did not step out of line.

In the past, Saroviny would never dare challenge the Inferno Archmage’s authority. However, things had changed.

She stood up from her ivory throne. Then, a magic seal glowed on the wall beside her. A door appeared on it. Behind the door was a secret room.

Once inside the secret room, the wall sealed itself shut behind her. There was no trace of the magical door on it. The secret room was a bit small; it was at least ten square feet wide. A seven-foot-tall statue stood in the middle of the room. A peculiar light seemed to be radiating from it as it alternated between light and darkness, reality and illusion. Anyone could tell that there was nothing ordinary about the statue.

Saroviny walked up to the statue and then knelt before it. She muttered, “Father, your daughter has returned.”

The statue glowed for a moment. Then, Saroviny could hear a clear masculine voice echo in her mind. “Oh, I already know what you’re going to tell me. The Shadow Divine Fragment that is now in Link’s possession would definitely suit you. It belongs to you, my child.”

Saroviny was overjoyed to hear this. With the divine fragment, she would be able to light up the Sacred Fire, ascend to godhood herself and extricate herself from under the Inferno Archmage’s thumb. She would soon be able to stand on equal footing with him. No, she could do even better than that, since her father was the one and only Ruler of Light and Darkness!

Saroviny then asked, “Father, how should I deal with Link? Should I obliterate him? Or should I sacrifice his soul in your name?”

“Give him to me. I’m forging the leader of my Battle Seraphim right now. His soul would make a fine ingredient.” He then added, “Do not underestimate him. He is a giftedfighter.”

“I understand, Father,” said Saroviny. A hundred years ago, she would not have been happy to hear this from him. She usually had a competitive streak when it came to matters concerning Link. However, the only thing she cared about right now was attaining godhood and freedom from the Inferno Archmage. She could not be bothered with anything else.

Saroviny had heard much about Link over the last hundred years. She had also dueled with him once in the past. She knew from experience that he was a man not to be trifled with.

“Good. You can go now,” said the clear, resounding voice in her head.

Ripples soon formed around Saroviny until her surroundings grew blurry. The blur around her persisted for three seconds. Then, the ripples subsided, and her surroundings cleared. She soon realized that she had left the underground room beneath the Fire Sect’s Temple and was now standing in the middle of a dark forest.

There was something familiar about the forest she was now in. Realization then dawned on her. “The Black Forest. What a wonderful place to teleport me into.”

A black light flashed from the surface of her body. When it faded, she was now wearing a black battle robe. After finding her bearings, she quickly sped off in the direction of the Skeletal Fortress.

Saroviny was no longer someone given to making rash decisions. As she was not at all familiar with the state of Firuman, her safest option now was to hide in the shadows and find someone to act as her proxy.

As a Level-16 master, she was now moving so fast towards her destination that she appeared only as a streak of light in the forest.

…

The Snow Mountain Archmage of the Aragu Empire naturally would not sit idly by as the people of the Fire Sect swarmed around Firuman like sharks that had just gotten a whiff of blood in the water. Around the same time as Razer’s arrival in Firuman, a bolt of lightning struck an isolated corner of Girvent Forest out of nowhere.

The bolt of lightning set the forest ablaze when it appeared. An old man with greying white hair stepped out of the inferno, leaning against a long magic wand as he walked.

The old man’s cheeks were hollow. The power he was exuding from his body was no more than Level-10. The only intriguing thing about him was his eyes, which were a pristine blue. At times, they glittered with a light which was as white as snow.

Panting slightly, the old man then began his journey towards Ferde in the southeast.

Three days ago, every timeline the old man had been able to foresee led up only to his own death. However, something had changed. He managed to discover a timeline which did not end in his demise.

The key to his continued existence lied in Ferde, in the Firuman realm. More accurately, his life now rested in the hands of the lord of Ferde.

This was his chance to make his final stand against death! He needed to seize it, whatever the cost might be!

Chapter 679: Archmage Tutor (1)

By using the Divine Fragment’s curse to kill Mozur, Link had created a huge disturbance, but he didn’t know about these changes in the background.

While the outside world was changing dramatically, he and Eliard had just arrived at the border of Ferde.

“Eliard, wake up!” Link raised his voice at Eliard.

“Huh? Oh, sorry, that thing is too tempting.” Eliard whacked his forehead and then shook his head, forcing his eyes away from the wooden box hanging from Link’s waist.

The box contained the Divine Fragment. For some reason, it radiated with a tempting aura. It made Eliard feel that it contained a world-class delicacy while he was a vagrant who hadn’t eaten for three whole days.

He also felt that if he possessed the box, he would immediately have all the good in the world. He would be the happiest person in the world and never have any regrets.

This feeling was 100 times better than his first time sleeping with his first love Ailina and his current love Evelina. He didn’t know how to resist.

Tearing his gaze away, Eliard could clearly feel a voice telling him, Just look again. It’s alright. Link won’t yell at me… Why can Link hold it? Why can’t I? Yeah, it’s better if I hold it… It’s better if…if it’s mine…only mine…

The voice was littered with pauses and had an indescribable persuasiveness. Eliard wanted to stop, but he couldn’t. He was embarrassed by his thoughts, but it didn’t stop him from thinking them.

Link will never agree to let me have that treasure. How can he? Look, he’s going to scold me again. If I ask him, he’ll even use the lord’s authority to punish me… How should I get it then?

Under the nameless desire’s urging, a thought that scared him finally popped out. What if I find a chance to…make Link disappear?

Once this thought appeared, his pallor changed. He gulped and quickly looked up. When he saw Link’s back, he lowered his head. His eyes stared at the ground, darkening.

The thought only lasted for an instant. Horrible guilt seized Eliard’s heart. No! How can I think that? I wouldn’t be where I am now without Link. I have my beautiful lover, Evelina, and prestigious status. Link never shows off his lord’s authority. He is my best friend and my comrade. We’re fighting together to create a human paradise. How can I think like that?

All the questions dissipated the shadows in Eliard’s heart. His eyes brightened again. But it only lasted a few seconds before another thought popped up. Will Link take the Divine Fragment for himself and use it to become a god?

He couldn’t repress this thought. It was like a seed underground that had gotten watered. It broke through the soil bravely. Eliard’s logical and ethical mind ripped it out, but more and more kept growing.

Suddenly, Link stopped walking and said, “Eliard, this can’t continue.”

“Huh, what?” Eliard’s mind cleared up. He realized that those chaotic thoughts still existed, but they didn’t affect him as much. After all, people needed company.

Ding. Link tapped the air and the space before Eliard solidified into a clear mirror. He saw his reflection in the mirror.

There was a familiar yet strange face. The contours were familiar, but the expression was not. His brows were tightly knitted, and his eyes were dark. The facial muscles were tense, and the corners of his lips were tight. It was a menacing and evil face.

Eliard was completely shocked. He felt his face in disbelief. “How is this possible?”

“The face is the reflection of one’s soul. The Divine Fragment is tempting you right now.” Link studied his good friend’s eyes, but Eliard’s gaze shied away. This would have never happened in the past.

Link was shocked—not at Eliard but at the Divine Fragment’s power. To be honest, he’d been affected deeply too. However, he’d seen Morpheus, Dylosen, and especially Mozur die with his own eyes. His heart could always warn him, so he didn’t fall in too deep. It seemed that Eliard had completely fallen.

“Eliard, this Divine Fragment is a curse. It will bring bad luck to you and I and Ferde. You’ve seen how powerful it is at tempting people. The more people there are, the stronger it gets. If we bring it to Ferde, who knows what will happen?”

By then, Ferde may fall into internal chaos due to it. It might even collapse.

Eliard was frightened, but the voice rose up again. See, see. He said he wouldn’t bring it back to Ferde. He must want it for himself. That must be it.

As soon as that idea was planted, Link yelled, “Eliard, bastard!”

With that, Link suddenly reached out and slapped Eliard crisply. It dazed Eliard.

As the saying went, you could hit someone but not slap their face. Even an unbothered person would forever remember a heavy slap. It was even more so for Eliard. As best friends, other than that fight at Tutor Herrera’s door, they’d never even gotten angry with each other, let alone slap each other.

Elard didn’t even know how to react. He just clutched his face and glared at Link in angry shock.

Unexpectedly, Link’s fury disappeared after the slap. “Okay, are you awake now?”

“Awake?” Eliard was confused, but he soon felt the change. The dark thoughts weakened a lot. They still remained, but they’d become fleeting clouds. They no longer affected his mind. When he thought back to those terrifying ideas, he found them incredible.

“Link, I…” Eliard felt strange and embarrassed.

Link waved his hand. “Don’t, I understand. When I first got the fragment, I had the same thoughts. Now, we have to get rid of the fragment.”

He was a powerful Soul Magician now. He didn’t slap Eliard just to slap him. He used this insulting action to sway Eliard’s heart. When a flaw appeared in his soul, Link yelled further to create an advanced defense barrier in Eliard’s soul.

The entire process was traceless but effective. It successfully helped Eliard escape from the fragment’s influence. Of course, this was only temporary. As long as the Divine Fragment was still beside them, Eliard could fall back into it. They had to get rid of it as soon as possible.

After he recovered his senses, Eliard felt belated fear. He didn’t dare look at the wooden box again. “You’re right. We can’t let this into Ferde… Link, are you preparing to go to the Aragu Realm now?”

“That’s the plan.” Link’s expression was strange. He looked to the Grinth Forest in the northwest. “But for some reason, a voice keeps telling me that the forest is the right direction.”

“Soul Premonition?” Eliard was a powerful Magician too. He knew that all strong Magicians had this ability. Link also had studied Secret spells before.

Link was a bit hesitant. “I think so, but to be honest, the Divine Fragment is too powerful. The enemies watching it are also impossibly powerful. I don’t know if the premonition is mine or if some creature is affecting me.”

The premonition was a good thing in lower-level battles. But at this level, most Magicians had touched on this field before. The so-called Soul Premonition wasn’t as trustworthy anymore. If he relied on it for directions, he could walk right into a trap.

Eliard had no solutions. “Which path do you choose? If you want to go with logic, it’s Aragu. If you want to follow your gut, let’s visit the forest. I’ll go with you either way.”

It was hard to choose.

Every physical appearance was a reflection of the heart. Right now, he was in a mess, so he decided to tidy it bit by bit. He looked carefully at the root and tip of each train of thought.

A few seconds later, Link opened his eyes. They were clear as water.

In that instant, Eliard was shocked by the clarity of Link’s eyes. They were as pure as a child’s eyes and as clean as a pool of water. But they also carried such wisdom. It was impossible to describe. He’d never seen this look on another man.

He believed that Link had the answer.

“To Grinth. There should be an elder waiting for us there,” Link murmured dreamily.

“Elder? Do you know who it is?”

“We’ll know when we see him. He shouldn’t be an enemy.” Link walked towards the forest; Eliard hurried after him.

The two were very fast. Around fifteen minutes later, they were at the edge of the forest. There was a clear creek with a flat stone beside it. An elder with a snowy robe leaned on his wand and sat there, smiling at the two.

When Link and Eliard approached, the elder said, “Ferde lord, you didn’t disappoint me.”

Eliard doubted the elder’s identity, but Link understood. He bowed and said, “Archmage, it is my honor to see you.”

With that, Link handed over the wooden box with the Shadow Divine Fragment. He didn’t want to hold it a second longer.

Unexpectedly, the Snow Mountain Archmage didn’t accept it. He shook his head. “Fate has told me that now is not the time yet.”

“What?” Link wanted to throw the thing down and leave.

“A powerful enemy is hurrying over. You and your companion need more strength. There isn’t enough time. Let us start.”

With that, a magic book appeared in the Archmage’s hands. He flipped to a page and pointed at a magic seal that was too complicated to be ever replicated. “Level-17 magic seal: World of Ice and Snow. Learn it in three days!”