Advent of the Archmage

Chapter 680: Archmage Tutor (2)

Ever since he came to this world, Link had managed to master all sorts of powerful spells.

He was of the opinion that there was no spell in this world that he could not master without a bit of hard work. He grew even more confident of this after having mastered all the intricacies spatial magic.

However, he was not so sure about this anymore.

The reason was this: the Level-17 spell, “World of Ice and Snow,” that the Snow Mountain Archmage had taught him seemed almost impossible for him to master. Originally a Level-19 spell, the Archmage had simplified it considerably in order to facilitate Link’s learning process.

Even so, this less powerful version of the spell still resisted Link’s efforts to understand it.

After spending half a day trying to master the spell at a riverbank near the edge of Girvent Forest, Link sighed, cradling his head in dismay. “Your Majesty, I fear I may not have the capacity to comprehend this power of yours.”

Eliard, who had tagged along after Link to listen to the Archmage’s teachings, already had a glazed look on his face. This did not mean that he had no intention of learning from the man. Eliard simply could not keep up with the Snow Mountain Archmage’s train of thought. Every time he tried to force himself to listen to the Archmage’s every word, he would always end up having a throbbing headache.

When Link had said his piece, silence fell upon the forest once more. The only sound they could hear now was the sound of water flowing down the river.

Finally, the Snow Mountain Archmage heaved a long sigh. “Maybe I’m expecting too much from you.”

The enemies they had to go up against this time were incredibly powerful. Every one of them was a Level-16 master. In order to defeat them, Level-16 power would not suffice. Only Level-17 power and above would ensure their victory.

However, Link only had Level-14 power at the moment. Though his knowledge of the mystic arts was considerably more profound than the average Level-14 master, it was still not enough for him to make a three-level jump from his current power level.

When the Snow Mountain Archmage was done, the three of them once more sank into silence.

They all knew that if none of them were able to acquire Level-17 power right now, they would most likely be slaughtered by their enemies. The Archmage might be able to live just a little bit longer. However, he would lose the Shadow Divine Fragment in the process. It would only be a matter of time until death caught up to him.

The future ahead of them seemed so bleak and hopeless right now, it was almost suffocating.

“I’m just going to take a walk around here for a bit,” said Link suddenly, breaking the silence in the forest.

The Archmage nodded. “Alright then. Try to clear your head a bit. We still have a few days left, so I really do hope you don’t give up just yet.”

The old man sounded almost optimistic.

Link nodded back at the Archmage without another word. Patting a despondent-looking Eliard’s shoulder, he got up to his feet and began walking along the river.

The clear water flowed rapidly down the river with a tinkling sound. Oval stones polished by the flow of the river filled the riverbed. Green-feathered wrens flew about from treetop to treetop, warbling sweetly at the top of their lungs. It was springtime, and all manner of flowers were in full bloom to the celebrate the occasion.

The scene before Link was indescribably beautiful.

However, Link was not in a mood to appreciate the beauty of nature at the moment. The Archmage’s magical teachings were still buzzing in his head as he strolled along the river absently like a zombie.

He had not yet given up. As he only had a few days left to master this absurdly difficult spell, the only thing he could do right now was to wrestle with it until he figured it out completely.

As he walked on, lost in his thoughts, all of a sudden, Link’s ears pricked up to the sound of splashing water ahead of him. In a corner, he saw a 16-foot-high waterfall gushing down a slope. Beneath the sunlight, a small rainbow had appeared in the white mist which steamed from the foot of the waterfall.

Link came to a halt in front of such beautiful scenery, completely entranced by it.

Suddenly, a thought sprang up in his mind. “The Delas Space-Time Lock… the transformation of snow to ice… the Lafarsen Magical Conversion… the formation of a glacial realm… Hold on, I’ve got it!”

Inspiration struck him like lightning. The tightly knotted-up magical problems he had been wrestling with all this time finally seemed to loosen up a bit. He could now see the first glimmer of an actual solution for them.

Sitting down on a rock near the small waterfall, Link excitedly took out his magical notebook and began writing out his calculations.

Link soon lost track of time as he scribbled out his calculations. Every time he came across a hurdle or two, he could hear a disembodied voice whispering instructions in his mind. The voice served as a key to unlock the subsequent stages of his solution. Link was able to make further progress in his work by following its instructions.

The light around him gradually dimmed until night fell. Then, his surroundings brightened, and the sun appeared once more in the sky. It then set yet again, bringing the darkness of night back into the forest. Just as the birds in the forest twittered restlessly to greet a new dawn, Link finally set his pencil down with a long sigh.

He had diligently made his calculations in accordance with the concepts behind the Level-17 magic seal, “World of Ice and Snow.” Though he still could not wrap his head around the spell, this did not mean that his efforts were all for nothing. In fact, he had invented an entirely new spell with immense power.

Behind him, a voice spoke out, “This Level-16 Pinnacle spell is incredibly powerful. However, it is not a spell that you’ll be able to cast by yourself.”

Link turned around and saw the Snow Mountain Archmage standing behind him with an intrigued look on his face.

The Archmage was amazed that a Level-14 Magician was able to decipher a Level-16 Pinnacle spell. Even though he had given Link a few pointers halfway through, the hurdles Link encountered were not that difficult to overcome. If given a bit more time, the Archmage was sure that Link would be able to solve them eventually. He had rarely come across such an affinity for the mystic arts in anyone, even back in his own realm.

It was such a shame that there were so many things going on in the realm right now. No one would be able to stand in Link’s way if he were allowed to spend the next ten years honing his magical skills.

Unfortunately, to a Level-14 Magician like Link, this Level-16 spell was just beyond his grasp.

However, Link did not seem disappointed. He looked at the Snow Mountain Archmage and said, “You said that you couldn’t bring back the divine fragment to Aragu in your current form… You need my help to do so, don’t you?”

The Snow Mountain Archmage nodded. His main opponent was the Inferno Archmage. In order to prevent the Snow Mountain Archmage from laying his hands on the divine fragment, the Inferno Archmage had laid out a lot of traps in his path. The Snow Mountain Archmage could break through the barrier between realms with his current Level-10 form without drawing attention to himself. However, there was no way he would be able to bring the divine fragment with him on his way back.

“If that’s the case, I don’t think teaching me one Level-17 spell would be enough to compensate me for the risks I’m taking to help you,” said Link with a faint smile. There was an inscrutable expression on his face. However, what he said was right. This was a matter of life and death. The Archmage would have to offer something of equal value in exchange for Link’s help.

The Archmage remained silent. A few seconds later, he asked, “Do you really think I can help you increase your power level?”

“You should be able to help me reach Level-16… This shouldn’t be a problem for a Level-19 Archmage like you, should it?” said Link, smiling.

He was not making such a demand on baseless assumptions, but rather according to what he knew about the Fire Sect. There were presently three Level-16 masters in the Fire Sect. Even Milda and Saroviny were still at Level-16. As far as he knew, there were no Level-17 masters in the Sect. This could not be a coincidence.

The Snow Mountain Archmage nodded with a sigh. He then shook his head. “The Inferno Archmage may be able to do such a thing, but I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t have a divine fragment with me to store the power of belief from my followers. If I were to help you increase your power level, I would require this power.”

“The power of belief?” repeated Link, stunned. He suddenly remembered something about the Shadow Stalker Morpheus back in the game world.

After successfully killing Morpheus, the Shadow Fortress would drop at a certain rate a couple of mysterious black crystals for players to collect. These crystals were known as Shadow Crystals.

These Shadow Crystals were mission items. They served absolutely no use to the player and had no descriptions about their properties. However, the Legendary Magician Eliard who was already at Level-17 at that point would begin offering high-value rewards for any player who managed to gather these crystals for him. There was no limit to how many crystals you could give Eliard. The more crystals a player could give him, the better his reward would be.

Strangely enough, after giving out this quest to the player, Eliard’s power began to increase steadily. Every time the game released a new expansion, Eliard’s power would increase by a huge margin. When Nozama entered the scene, Eliard was already on his way to godhood.

Thinking about this now, Link suspected that the Shadow Crystals must contain the power of belief that Morpheus managed to accumulate in his lifetime. The Legendary Magician Eliard must have figured out a way to convert these crystals into power.

Link then asked, “If I provide you with an alternative source of this power of belief, do you think you’ll be able to help me?”

The Snow Mountain Archmage raised a brow. “Yes, I may be able to give you the power you seek with the aid of the Shadow Divine Fragment.”

Link was pleased to hear this. “Come with me. There’s a place I need to show you.”

Chapter 681: Archmage Tutor (3)

This time, Link traveled with the Snow Mountain Archmage alone. Eliard returned to Ferde. He was needed to organize everything and prepare against the upcoming enemy.

Link was now as fast as lightning. Less than 20 minutes later, he brought the Snow Mountain Archmage to the destroyed Shadow Fortress.

When they reached the ruins, the Snow Mountain Archmage’s expression changed before Link could even speak. “This place really has the Belief Crystal!”

He sped to the ruins and waved his wand. The fallen rocks all flew back from the force field. Soon, the Archmage cleared all the broken rocks in the ruins, revealing the smooth and flat land.

The ground seemed to be made of lapis lazuli. The zone was around 90 feet long and 150 feet wide. One couldn’t see anywhere a secret door could be hidden. The Archmage walked over and circled the lapis lazuli and smiled thinly.

“It’s hidden well, but the method is too low. It can only fool amateurs.”

As soon as he finished, faint gold light shone from his wand. The light was like a probe that scanned the lazuli. A few seconds later, it stopped somewhere, and the light grew brighter.

Standing to the side, Link could clearly see many faint black veins under the light. Even though the Archmage had pointed it out, the veins were still unclear. They just looked like regular veins while the lazuli was still a sheet of metal. There were no flaws.

Link wouldn’t think that there were any problems here. He couldn’t tell. This meant that Morpheus’ methods had surpassed his knowledge.

“Open!” the Snow Mountain Archmage exclaimed softly. The dark gold light coming out of the wand instantly condensed into a white-gold beam. Like a living worm, it wriggled into one of the veins. Then something miraculous happened.

The faint veins had been hidden, but when the light dug into it, they floated up like blood vessels under skin. Then they started glowing. Under the glow, the lazuli started melting, dissolving, and retreating. Finally, the originally complete piece of lazuli turned into a cellar of more than ten feet wide. It was shrouded in black mist that obstructed Link’s vision but not the Archmage.

“Wow, so many things. This Shadow Stalker really did hit it rich.” The Archmage’s voice was filled with joy. This was the first time Link saw him with emotion.

He pointed his wand at the cellar. Whoosh. Something jumped out. Beside him, Link looked over and saw a dark dagger-shaped crystal in the Archmage’s hand. At a glance, the crystal was translucent and colorless. But after a few seconds of being in that area, it became shrouded in shadows. As time went on, the shadows thickened until it turned into heavy mist. The crystal hid inside and disappeared from sight.

“The Shadow Crystal is formed by the believers’ belief in the Shadow Stalker Morpheus. There are so many here. It must be because Morpheus only takes and rarely blesses his believers with divine spells. A god and mortal must have a mutually beneficial relationship. No wonder he died.” The Snow Mountain Archmage had a face of disdain. If he’d accumulated so many Belief Crystals, he would have become a true god long ago. Not only was Morpheus unable to become a god, but he was also even killed by three juniors, the most powerful at Level-14. It was hilarious.

With that, the Snow Mountain Archmage looked to either side and suddenly sighed. “Dylosen was a pity. I hadn’t expected much from him, but he became my last hope.”

Sighing again, he turned to Link. “There are many Shadow Crystals here. Each one contains miscellaneous Shadow Power. I didn’t meld with the Shadow Divine Fragment, so I can’t turn them into pure power. It’s a pity. You could’ve used them to enter Level-18, but you can only enter mid-Level-16 now.”

“Mid-Level-16? That’s enough!” Link’s eyes brightened. His opponent was also Level-16. If he had this power, he would be at the same level. He wouldn’t get creamed.

As long as he was at the same level, he would be confident in winning. This confidence came from all his past victories.

The Snow Mountain Archmage nodded. “There isn’t much time. I can feel their power approaching. We must hurry! Give me the Divine Fragment, and you start preparing!”

Link did as told.

After the Snow Mountain Archmage received the Divine Fragment, he clutched it with his left hand while holding his wand in his right. His wand danced; crystals kept jumping out of the cellar.

Immediately after, the black-crystal skull shone with dark watery light. They wrapped around the crystals like tentacles. Whenever light got to a crystal, it would glow. The glow was dark purple at first. Slowly, the light divided into different levels. The outer level became as clean and gentle as moonlight while the inner level became pure black.

“The power is coming. Catch!” the Archmage called.

Link focused and guarded his mind. He stood there without moving. An instant later, the pure moonlight flowed towards him. When it got close to his heart, it buried in and disappeared.

That moment, Link felt his chest heat up. His heart started pounding as loudly as thunder. If Link’s body wasn’t as powerful as it was, his heart would probably burst now.

But if his heart didn’t burst and could bear the pressure, this was the best way to quickly meld with outer power.

The heart was a person’s core. Whether it was actual blood or power, they both converged in the heart to be cycled through the body. When the power entered Link’s heart, it melted into his blood. Link’s blood instantly started bubbling. If the outside world could see inside him, it would be a terrifying scene of boiling lava.

Under the powerful pressure of the heart, the boiling “lava” surged through Link’s blood vessels. During this, pure energy kept shooting out from the vessels, nurturing the organs along the way, even including Link’s brain.

With this nourishment, Link’s body started strengthening with his high recovery speed. The strengthening process sounded nice, but it also meant that his body was changing dramatically. During this process, his various nerves were stimulated, making Link feel all sorts of things.

For example, Link felt indescribable things from inside his body. Numbness, itchiness, pain, stuffiness… It was impossible to describe everything.

Faced with this, Link could only grit his teeth and remind himself that the outside was a reflection of the inside. He stood without moving, letting the Archmage pour power into him, letting his body change.

The Snow Mountain Archmage didn’t change; Shadow Crystals kept getting used up. Most of the power was actually wasted while only a bit was transformed and added to Link’s body. But because there were so many crystals all at Level-19, only 10% of the power was unimaginable to Link.

When half of the crystals were used, Link felt his brain shake. Something seemed to have broken free. His soul suddenly became extremely free. His mind was abnormally transparent. He could practically do whatever he wanted.

This feeling was amazing.

He didn’t know why it was like this and didn’t think too much into the change because power was still flying into him.

After a while, he suddenly felt his heart heat up. It was as if his heart had become a red-hot piece of steel. But even though it was hot, Link didn’t feel pain for some reason. Instead, he felt so comfortable. There was also an indescribable feeling of power. He felt that he could topple a mountain just by blowing.

He didn’t know what was happening, but the Snow Mountain Archmage saw everything clearly.

Right now, Link was covered in a layer of fiery light. At first, it had been as serene as moonlight. Gradually, it turned golden like sunlight. The range expanded until spinning images appeared in the air.

The images were unclear at first. The specifics weren’t visible. As more power was added, they cleared up. Now, there were huge golden dragons flying and roaring in the sky.

At this time, the light around Link grew thicker. There were more dragons as well. In the end, there were dragons within ten miles. It was like a land of dragons.

The Snow Mountain Archmage knew this was Link’s territory. He stood inside, calming observing the characteristics.

Five times more Dragon Power, Level-17 spell immunity, Instant Flash at will, ultimate dragon form… Ooh, nice. The Firuman Realm really blesses this man. He must be blessed to reach this level.

The characteristics of the territory were basically all the lifesaving-tricks Link used before. Now, they’d become solidified as parts of his territory.

There were weaker and stronger territories. It depended on the owner and also the environment. The reason was simple. The territory was the result of the fight between the owner and the realm’s principles. It couldn’t only depend on one side.

The Snow Mountain Archmage knew countless people and had seen countless territories. He’d never seen one as powerful as Link’s. If he wasn’t blessed by the realm, he wouldn’t reach this level.

Ding. The last Shadow Crystal was used up, and the power input stopped. Link kept standing there quietly. Around ten seconds later, he closed his eyes.

He’d just received the power and couldn’t control it yet. Golden light poured out of his eyes as soon as they opened, stretching on for three feet. The dragons in the sky started roaring too. They were soundless, but the mightiness seemed able to destroy the world.

A long while later, Link started collecting his power. The territory and phenomenon disappeared one by one. Finally, only golden veins remained in his eyes.

“Archmage, thank you for your help,” Link said.

The Snow Mountain Archmage nodded lightly and handed the Divine Fragment back to Link. “It’s up to you to bring this back to my true self.”

“I will do my best.”

Link took the fragment. Now, he could easily resist the fragment’s temptation. This meant his soul had become stronger and more perfect.

Putting the fragment away, Link’s ears twitched. He chuckled. “They’re almost here.”

“Indeed.” The Snow Mountain Archmage nodded. “Are you ready?”

Link unsheathed the Ode of a Full Moon and caressed the blade with his left hand. Golden veins snaked around the blade, turning the plain thing into a dazzling sword.

“My sword and I are ready.”

Chapter 682: The Final Battle Dragged on for a Century (1)

On a Storm Silver Sparrow ship out on the ocean

The leader of the Lava Knights Razer was standing on the deck with a sword in his hand, gazing off into the distance with a slight frown.

A while ago, he had sensed an incredible surge of power being set off 1000 miles away in the distance. There was a sudden pang of panic in his heart. He could feel that whoever this power belonged to might just be as powerful as he was.

Who could it be? thought Razer. The appearance of such a powerful player had raised the stakes in the Lava Knight’s plan to assault Ferde.

Despite how dangerous the situation now seemed, the fact remained that the divine fragment must not be allowed to fall into the Snow Mountain Archmage’s hands. The High Elves had also worked tirelessly on setting up countermeasures against the defenses of Ferde’s Mage Tower in order to ensure the success of this operation. There was no going back at this point.

We’ll just have to finish this as quickly as possible! Razer tightened his grip around the handle of his sword. He then turned towards the ship’s cabin and shouted, “Full speed ahead!”

With a soft hum, the magic seals on the ship glowed, and the ship sped off across the ocean’s surface in a blur.

At the same time, a battle airship was flying towards the South.

This airship resembled those of Ferde physically. However, as opposed to its blue-white Ferde counterpart, this vessel was painted black. With a closer look, one would also notice that its design was not as refined as the typical Ferde airship. It also seemed to be flying unsteadily in the air, as if it was about to drop out of the sky at any moment.

Eugene, Molina, and Saroviny were currently inside the airship’s main cabin, along with the Yabba pilot responsible for flying the airship.

Eugene and Molina were the allies Saroviny had sought out in the Black Forest. As followers of the God of Destruction and enemies of Ferde, none of them were too fond of Link. On the basis of having a common enemy, an alliance was naturally struck between them.

“Mistress, Ferde’s Scorched City is just 1500 miles up ahead,” reported the Yabba pilot. Just then, sudden turbulence hit the airship. The whole vessel began shaking uncontrollably, and everyone swayed about unsteadily in it.

“I would have traded this bloody airship for a broken down horse carriage in a heartbeat,” spat Saroviny. If it were not for the fact that this airship was capable of getting them to Ferde quickly, she would not have gotten on board in the first place. She swore that this would be her last time flying on this accursed flying contraption.

Eugene did not say a word. Ever since she was tricked by Molina, she had become reserved. Molina began apologizing to Saroviny. “My apologies, mistress. We are currently lacking in competent Yabba engineers to provide you with a more comfortable ride.”

“Forget it. It’s a good thing we don’t have to work with each other that often,” said Saroviny, waving her hand. She was about to continue what she was saying, but then she pursed her lips. Her face suddenly grew serious.

“Is something the matter, mistress?” Eugene sensed that something was amiss. However, she could not tell exactly what it was.

Throughout their journey, Saroviny had been maintained a haughty air about her. Just then, the haughty look on her face had given way to a grave expression. Ignoring Eugene, she stepped out of the cabin and climbed onto the deck, where the wind roared wildly.

Saroviny was able to pick up more information from the wind outside the cabin. I could feel an abnormal elemental disturbance in the air. The ambient power in it has gone down by 0.5 percent. Has someone in this realm actually acquired their own realm?

The number of masters a realm was able to support was extremely limited. A noticeable drop would occur in the realm’s power concentration in response to the appearance of a Level-16 master. This was due to the high levels of power they would be able to store in their body.

In theory, a realm could produce at least a thousand Level-16 masters with its natural power concentration. However, in reality, a realm would only be able to hold no more than 20 such masters in it.

As the number of masters increased, a realm’s Mana concentration would decrease, making it even more difficult for others to level up until no one else would be able to do so.

Still shaken by this, Saroviny then felt a power fluctuation in the air, which instantly confirmed all her suspicions. Someone has definitely reached Level-16 in the South. Considering that their power reeks of the light element, this person must be an enemy of mine!

She had only planned to observe the upcoming battle in Ferde from afar and, if possible, steal the divine fragment amid the chaos.

However, after sensing this powerful master’s presence, Saroviny hesitated for a few seconds on the deck of the airship. Finally, she returned to the cabin and said, “Change course for the Golle Kingdom. I want to meet this newly promoted master personally. It would be best if we could end him then and there. I can’t allow such a dangerous person to interfere with my plans in the future.”

Eugene and Molina looked at each other. Since Saroviny had given out her order, they had no choice but to comply. Molina said to the airship’s pilot, “You heard the mistress, fly around Ferde and head for the Golle Kingdom.”

The airship immediately changed its direction and began flying southward. After a while, Saroviny barked, “Pick up the pace, full speed ahead!”

The airship’s pilot glanced at Molina, who nodded. He then began channeling even more Mana into the airship.

Hum… Ksssch… The airship trembled as its speed began to increase by 50 percent. Soon, it was flying at 1300 miles per hour towards the South, leaving a long black arc behind it in the sky.

Forty minutes later, the airship had reached the Golle Kingdom’s domain. A thick forest appeared in front of them. From the airship, everyone on the airship could see a valley open up in the forest, at the far end of which stood the crumbling remains of a building.

With her extraordinary eyesight, Saroviny spotted two humanoid shapes standing near the ruins. Straining her eyes, she could make out a black-haired youth and a white-haired old man standing side by side on the ground. The two of them were looking back at her as well with a faint smile on their faces.

At the sight of the black-haired youth, the painful memory of tasting defeat for the first time sprang out from the depths of Saroviny’s mind. Even though more than a century had passed, she was still able to recall it vividly, as if it had only just happened yesterday. This was because the young man in the valley was the person responsible for her first ever defeat.

Saroviny growled through gritted teeth, “I can’t believe it’s you, Link!”

Since her defeat in his hands, she had imagined herself subjecting Link to all kinds of humiliation and torture she could think of and watching him beg for mercy on the ground. Alas, she never had the chance to act on those sadistic impulses until today, for the real Link had appeared before her.

If she managed to defeat him this time, she would be able to trample on him for real as she had fantasized herself doing over and over again for the last 100 years.

Eugene and Molina had also noticed the two figures in the valley. Eugene said in a low voice, “Mistress, that’s the lord of Ferde. Do be careful.”

Molina did not say a word. She immediately activated the Blessing of Destruction spell.

Saroviny smiled coldly. Purple-black destructive light began burning around her body. It then spread out rapidly, covering a 20-square-mile area around her.

Light had vanished without a trace in Saroviny’s domain. Black magical flames had completely enveloped the ground, while the sky seemed to have been razed by a black flaming vortex. A silhouette was now zipping about in the air menacingly. At that moment, the whole world had turned into a horrid hellscape.

“Eugene, Molina, you two deal with the old fool. Link is mine!” ordered Saroviny. Without waiting for an answer, she leaped out of the airship and began descending towards Link at lightning speed.

Before she even reached her mark, her voice reverberated across the heavens.

“Link, today you die!”

Chapter 683: The Final Battle Dragged On for a Century (2)

Saroviny used to like using the whip. But after coming to Aragu, she changed to the sword to forever remember the opponent who’d blocked her from success.

Right now, she charged at Link with a sword. Her territory contained sword techniques. Hundreds of feet later, she disappeared. She transformed into a dark 300-foot-long sword going straight to Link!

With her current speed, she could pass through the dozens of miles within four seconds.

Her territory was called Dark Throne. After coming to the Firuman Realm, its power was reduced, but she was still three times faster. It also gave her attacks a horrible corrosive nature.

To strong fighters like them, what kind of corrosiveness could be described as horrible? One would know after looking at the situation surrounding the Saroviny’s dark sword.

Wherever the sword passed by, there would be countless black threads stretching to all directions. At a glance, they looked blood vessels under a person’s skin. At closer inspection, one would realize that these were actually spatial cracks.

Even space couldn’t withstand this corrosiveness and broke down. The creatures inside the space would naturally be unable to withstand it either.

In Aragu, Saroviny had used her territory and sword techniques to become the best Warrior below the Archmages. Even Milda wasn’t her match in a direct fight.

The huge sword flew forward. But Link, its target, seemed unbothered. He kept standing there without moving. He didn’t seem to make any defenses either. He even mentally contacted the Snow Mountain Archmage beside him.

Saroviny is like an old friend. I can’t believe she’s reached this level. Her talent is quite nice. Link was using the Spiritual Transmission spell.

The Snow Mountain Archmage was a bit more “proper” than him. Her combat ability is quite powerful. Don’t underestimate her. She has a trick called the Finger of Death. In Aragu, only that old Fire guy and I can bear it.

Not bad, quite powerful. Link nodded. Saroviny’s attack indeed seemed scary.

The Snow Mountain Archmage only said that much. After that, he looked to the people behind Saroviny. Oh, one is a Saint of the God of Destruction. The other is… a Soul Snatcher. He’s quite precise with his actions.

Link smiled faintly. They’re probably planning to give you trouble. Can your incarnation deal with it?

The Snow Mountain Archmage scoffed. It’s a little troublesome, but I can deal with it. Just remember to bring the Divine Fragment to Aragu.

As soon as he finished, the Archmage transformed into a patch of broken light. The light instantly turned into an icy white-gold beam. With a whoosh, it shot towards the Dark Elf Princess and God of Destruction’s Saint with unstoppable speed.

The beam’s speed was already fast. It was also formed with the Snow Mountain Archmage by sacrificing his incarnation. Not only was it fast, but it could also adjust its angle. This made it impossible for people to escape or react.

With two puffs, the Dark Elf Princess and Naga Molina were hit in unison, their bodies getting pierced at once. An instant later, they turned into a block of ice and plummeted like a stone from the high elevation. Link didn’t have to look to imagine how they would end up—a mess of broken bones.

It had been an Archmage’s incarnation, after all. Even though it was only Level-10, it had a wealth of knowledge. The spell method caught people by surprise. Eugene and Molina were very famous figures in Firuman, but faced with someone so strong, they were killed before they could even react.

This was nothing to today’s battlefield though. The real battle would be between Link and Saroviny.

Eugene and Molina were killed, but the Snow Mountain Archmage’s incarnation was dead too. Saroviny took a glance and then refocused onto her opponent, Link.

“Link, you’ve run for 136 years. Let me see what you’ve learned!”

“You’ll see very soon.”

Link had already started controlling his power while talking and expanded his territory, the Golden Dragon Kingdom. Whoosh. Within a ten-mile range, everything seemed to be filled with sunlight. The gray clouds were chased away, and countless golden dragons roared in the sky.

The territory kept expanding, soon clashing with Saroviny’s Dark Throne territory. However, neither territory retreated. They were at a stalemate. Neither was more powerful.

Saroviny was shocked inwardly. The moment she saw the Snow Mountain Archmage, she knew that he’d helped Link rise to Level-16. However, she still attacked, hoping that Link was still unfamiliar with his territory. She’d entered this level decades ago, and her experience should be an advantage.

But in this clash, she actually couldn’t push Link back. This shocked her. The bit of disdain disappeared instantly.

One hundred years ago, this man hadn’t entered the Legendary level yet, but he could already cause such trouble. Now that they were at the same level, it would be even worse.

She’d really underestimated him!

These thoughts flashed past her mind. The result was that she’d planned on casting the Finger of Death with full force, but now she refrained from using all her strength. The next moment, she saw Link had also raised his sword, pointing in her direction. She immediately saw that the dragons circling in the sky seemed to have received some order, grouping towards Link.

Half a second later, these dragons arrived beside Link and melted into his body. Then Saroviny saw a glassy golden shadow appear before Link. This shadow expanded quickly, instantly turning into a 900-foot-tall giant.

This giant was covered in dragon-like armor. His single sword had only been three feet long, but it had now become a 300-foot-long golden sword. This was Link’s territory’s killer move: Ultimate Dragon Form.

The sword stabbed directly towards Saroviny’s Finger of Death.

This change happened too quickly. Everything had been ready and was imminent. Saroviny was shocked at Link’s power, but all she could do now was focus on attacking.

The next moment, the dark sword and the dragon giant’s golden sword clashed. Both Saroviny and Link were at the top level. Both their power and techniques were at the peak. In that instant, the two 300-foot-long swords managed to seem agile. They interlocked, pulling and fighting like two dancing butterflies.

This kind of technical fight lasted for a full half second. During this, both sides kept changing their techniques. The only goal was to find the other’s flaw and loser their own costs as much as possible.

But Saroviny’s swordsmanship had been refined for more than a century while Link’s swordsmanship was perfect. They kept changing tactics, but neither sword gave way.

Just then, all glamorous techniques melted away. Only the basic essence of a clash of power remained.

Boom! The swords were too large. The clangs grew heavy instead of being crisp. After the swords hit, both parties’ power started clashing intensely.

This was a fight of swordsmanship, while also being a competition between their knowledge of power and their territories, energy, Mana, and minds, as well as their understanding of principles. These were all expressed in their swordsmanship.

The Ultimate Dragon Power gave Link unimaginable power. He was also standing on the ground and had the earth’s support. He had the absolute advantage in strength. Saroviny’s Dark Throne gave her incredible speed. Since she was fast, her attacks would obviously be strong too. Thus, she could meet Link’s power for now.

But the power brought by speed couldn’t be maintained. Her speed dropped, and her strength plummeted too. If she couldn’t defeat her opponent and entered a stalemate, it would be really awkward.

Saroviny was in that awkward state. She’d used almost all her power in that hit, but Link had blocked it. Now, she discovered that things were bad.

After a while, her dark sword could no longer block the golden sword. Then Link’s power started advancing wildly like a tidal wave crashing down!

I’m not his match in a direct fight! Saroviny immediately realized this. She wasn’t happy, but she knew that if this continued, she would definitely lose.

Her advantage was in speed. Fighting like this wasn’t smart!

Saroviny instantly started retreating. Now, she was glad that she’d saved some power. Otherwise, she might not be able to escape safely now. With the retreat, she teleported to thousands of feet away. Then she turned and sped up, approaching Link from another direction. Her sword reappeared, stabbing towards the giant’s side.

The golden giant that Link had transformed into turned slightly and stabbed without any extra movements.

This clash was basically the previous one’s copy. After they used all their strength, the swords hit against each other again. Saroviny realized she couldn’t take Link’s brute force, so she retreated and attacked again.

Her sword was indeed fast while Link’s seemed a bit cumbersome. However, his swordsmanship was just a bit better than hers. It was practically flawless. Link wasn’t as fast, but in this small area, he actually had the advantage.

Because of all these reasons, Link became a seemingly clumsy tortoise with a sturdy shell. Saroviny was like an agile bird in the sky. Her attacks were sharp, but she just couldn’t hurt the big tortoise on the ground. If she wasn’t careful, she could get eaten by the “tortoise” too.

In this situation, Saroviny’s most logical solution was to retreat. Then she would either find help or think of another strategy to defeat Link. If this stalemate continued, any mistake could kill her.

Link could make a mistake too, but she was the active attacker and relied on her speed. The other’s strategy was defense. It was much more likely for Saroviny to make a mistake.

She wasn’t willing though. If she returned and people asked about the fight, she would be so embarrassed. Her father was watching this fight too. She couldn’t lose.

Because of all this, she decided to try again.

One more time! If this attack still doesn’t work, I’ll retreat!

Chapter 684: The Final Battle Dragged On for a Century (3)

Link had to admit that Saroviny was a formidable opponent.

He had spent a lot of power intercepting three consecutive Fingers of Death from her and was starting to feel a bit tired. However, this was a duel to the death. The victor would be allowed to live on, while the vanquished would simply perish. Naturally, Link had no intention of revealing his current state to his opponent.

On the surface, Link looked as if he still had a lot of power to spare.

This was not all he had to hide. Link still had a trump card up his sleeve—the new Level-16 Legendary spell he had mastered under the guidance of the Snow Mountain Archmage.

However, he still had not given this new spell a fitting name. He had not even given it a proper test-run. Right now, he was looking for a chance to use it against Saroviny.

Just as these thoughts popped up in Link’s head, Saroviny unleashed another attack at Link.

Despite its size, the massive green-black sword came at Link rapidly as if it was as light as feather.

Composing himself, Link lifted up the golden sword in his hand to intercept the attack.

Saroviny was an excellent swordswoman. It was almost impossible to anticipate which direction her sword would lash out. Anyone else standing in Link’s shoes at that moment would have been slain by her in a second.

Link had been parrying her attacks with everything he had. He could feel an incredible weight pressing down on him when he received her first attack. When the second attack came, he could feel that the sword’s weight lightened considerably. However, his nerves remained taut in anticipation of her subsequent attacks.

When the fourth attack came, Link had already seen through Saroviny’s attack pattern. When Saroviny swung her sword at him for the sixth time, Link was confident that he could now predict where her attacks would come from and counter them accordingly.

Ting! Tch! Tang! Both sides were beginning to come to an impasse as their swords clashed and clanged against each other. Shockwaves rippled out from the point of impact in all directions. As the duel went on, spatial cracks burst open and sealed themselves up almost at the same time, while spatial fragments swayed precariously around them. Most of the forest in their vicinity were long reduced to ash during the course of their duel.

In the midst of their fierce altercation, Saroviny suddenly felt a dip in Link’s power. This dip was almost imperceptible, but she was able to pick it up thanks to her unusually keen senses. The sudden drop in his power had left a tiny gap in Link’s defenses.

I see you’re finally getting tired! she thought gleefully.

Time was a precious commodity in death duels like theirs. Saroviny was not foolish enough to let slip such an opportunity to end the fight as soon as possible.

As soon as the thought surfaced in her mind, she stabbed out her sword at the gap that she had detected.

Tch! The sword struck the gap. Link’s defenses began to undergo a drastic change at that moment. It now seemed to be on the verge of breaking apart.

Moments ago, Saroviny felt that she had been clashing against a metal wall. When this sturdy wall began to crumble, she now began to feel a bit more hopeful about her chances of killing Link right then and there.

Truth be told, even though she had harbored a burning hatred towards Link for more than a century, deep down, she still feared the human Magician. She had half a mind to run away just now when she saw Link block her signature move with little to no effort.

However, she finally managed to turn the tables on Link. In her excitement, she began brandishing her sword at her opponent even more frantically. With Link’s defeat, she would be able to complete the mission that her father had entrusted her with and resolve her own inner demons once and for all.

Amid the clangs and booms that rang out from the clash of their swords, Link’s golden giant form finally began to waver as it took a small step back. The golden sword in his hand also seemed to quiver, as if it was about to shatter.

“Hahaha, you lose, Link!” shouted Saroviny with a maniacal laugh. She then unleashed another flurry of attacks with renewed intensity.

She could feel that Link’s defenses were now on the verge of falling apart completely.

Boom! The golden giant was forced back once more. Its attacks had become even more erratic and less powerful than before.

Saroviny easily deflected the giant’s attacks. She was now so close to victory she could almost taste it. Her attacks slackened somewhat when she sensed that her opponent was beginning to flag.

Even so, her defenses remained almost impenetrable. If Link’s power had really dropped to such an extent, he would definitely not be able to break through her Web of Death spell. However, this was all a feint.

In truth, though Link had spent much of his power trying to defend himself against Saroviny’s attacks, his power was still in its Legendary state. His actual condition was a lot better than what he was letting on. Link did not put on this facade for no reason.

Link had deliberately done so to fool Saroviny into thinking that she had already won this fight. Once her defenses were sufficiently lowered, he would move in for the kill immediately.

“Die!” screamed Saroviny. Confident that nothing now stood in the way of her victory, she lunged at the golden giant, her sword poised to pierce through its body.

She had put everything she had into this one attack. The momentum of her attack was so great that she would not be able to change her current trajectory midway even if she wanted to.

Boom! A loud explosion rocked the earth. Link’s sword managed to effortlessly deflect Saroviny’s attack.

At that moment, Saroviny sensed an incredible power running through her sword. The green-black sheen on the blade’s surface began to dissipate. Then, the sword began trembling so violently that keeping a firm grip on its handle seemed almost impossible.

“Where did this power come from… No, you tricked me!” Saroviny immediately figured out what was happening.

She had fallen for Link’s feint. There was almost no chance of recovering from such a fatal mistake in a duel of this level.

Saroviny’s instinct to flee the place kicked in. Though she had no intention of going down without putting up a fight, she began retreating away from Link, focusing all her attention now on avoiding his follow-up attacks.

However, this was all in vain.

Link chased after her as she tried to retreat.

He was able to close the gap between them easily with one single stride. Light began pouring out of the giant golden blade in his hand that the Ode of a Full Moon sword had transformed into.

The golden sword grew bigger and bigger by the minute, hanging over Saroviny menacingly like a grim reaper’s scythe. As soon as it reached her, her life would be extinguished like a candle.

Saroviny now grew desperate. She could see that Link’s sword was moments away from cleaving her in two. Finally, she broke down.

Still retreating, she screamed, “Father! Father, save me!”

Saroviny knew that there was nothing she could do now to save herself. In another second or two, she would be killed by Link.

Death would only be a breath away.

Just as Link’s sword was about to come down on her, Saroviny’s body suddenly began to glow. When the light subsided, she was gone.

This was not a teleportation spell, nor was it an invisibility spell. It was a divine spell. Taken aback, Link immediately pulled back his sword.

The all-powerful Ruler of Light and Darkness had intervened in their duel. He was sure of it. Right now, Link was still a mortal. There was no way he would be able to survive a direct confrontation with a deity.

Link drew a deep breath and muttered to himself, “Great, she escaped. I suppose I could go back to Ferde and take care of things there.”

Saroviny was a lot more gullible than Link had previously thought. She was already down before he could even use his new spell on her. Nonetheless, he could now return to Ferde without wasting precious time waiting for his power to recover.

Chapter 685: Ferde’s Calamity

Ferde, Scorched City

While Link and Saroviny were fighting to the death in the South, Scorched City was also facing its own strong enemy.

Boom! At least eight Silver Storm Sparrows appeared in the bay. The magic seals on the High Elf warships started wildly attacking the magic defense above Scorched City.

Their cannons were abnormally intense. Each attack reached Level-8, and the attacks were consecutive and endless. The defense barrier over Scorched City shook without stop. The Mage Tower had to use a great amount of energy to maintain stability.

“Sir, it’s getting there. The Ferde Mage Tower Mana output is already at its limit. Now, they need to activate auxiliary Mage Towers to activate the Divine Punishment magic seal. It will take two minutes!”

Lava Knight Razer nodded. He knew because these two minutes was the time he could operate safely. If he surpassed that time and faced the Divine Punishment’s attack, he would be in extreme danger. He might even die.

Jumping from the deck of the Silver Storm Sparrow, he walked in the water, steps as light as a breeze. Less than three seconds later, he’d crossed thousands of feet. Outside Scorched City’s magic shield, he unsheathed his sword and lightly scratched the shield. A six-foot-wide hole appeared in the thick wall-like shield.

The power around this hole vibrated. It tried to close the hole, but faint black flames burned quietly inside it, swallowing the magic power that converged here.

Due to the black flames, the hole was still shrinking, but the time allowed Razer to easily cross through.

Jumping in, Razer entered the business area of Scorched City. It was the wealthiest part of the city and developed alongside the pier. Due to the High Elves’ sudden attack, all the residents were hiding. The streets were empty.

This area had its own independent Mage Tower. When battles occurred, it also had its own small-scale shield. This shield was special. It was unlike the dome shield that covered the entire city. Instead, it stuck closely to the buildings.

Due to this shield, all the buildings in the city shone with shimmering light. It looked plain at a glance, but at closer inspection, one could see countless runes forming a sea of stars on the walls.

Not only was it beautiful, but it was also very powerful. With its protection, no spells below the Legendary level could damage the buildings at all. Even if it were Legendary power, they could defend against the shockwaves too.

This shield ensured that the residents of Scorched City wouldn’t get affected by the shockwaves of a large scale war.

Razer entered the area. Seeing the clean streets and dense but organized buildings, forming a scene multiple times fancier than the High Elf royal capital, he couldn’t help but praise it in his mind. I heard this city started off as a wilderness and reached this point within seven years. The Ferde lord is quite skilled.

Of course, this didn’t stop him from acting mercilessly. He was Hellfire. He would grind his enemy into powder without hesitation!

Time was tight; he obviously wasn’t in the mood to appreciate the scenery. After scanning the streets, he rushed towards the core Mage Tower in the distance.

He didn’t fly. It wasn’t that he couldn’t. It was just too dangerous.

He could feel countless eyes locking onto his location. They could attack him at any time. If he flew, he would definitely be blasted by countless attacks. Even if he could fend them off, he would still look pathetic. Running on the ground, he could adjust flexibly and make the enemy hesitate in activating a large scale attack.

On the street, his body was like a ball of shadows. His agility stole one’s breath; his speed chilled one’s blood.

In the core Mage Tower at the heart of Scorched City, Eliard, Evelina, Milose, and Elovan were each in charge of one part of the tower. They all discovered Razer. They watched his every move and were all terrified!

“He’s very fast. Judging from his aura, he must be at the peak of Level-16!” Eliard had fought with Level-15 Lava Knight Mozur before. The intruder’s power waves were stronger than Mozur’s, so he must be over Level-15. The High Elves had brought this nameless man, so he must be from Aragu. Eliard knew that in Aragu, the most powerful mortals were at Level-16, so this man must be at that level.

With that, the other three were all shocked. Of the four, Eliard was the strongest at the pinnacle of Level-11. Next was Evelina at the beginning of Level-11. Milose and Elovan were at the pinnacle of Level-10.

They were the peak of Firuman, but if they were to face a Level-16 figure, it would be like an ant against an elephant. They didn’t even dare to think about it.

Eliard felt their emotions and immediately said, “Don’t worry. We still have the Mage Tower. Our Divine Punishment protocol can send Level-19 attacks. He won’t be able to take it!”

“The Divine Punishment protocol still needs one minute and 37 seconds,” Lily reported.

Evelina gasped. “The attacks from the Silver Storm Sparrows outside the bay are at least three times stronger than usual!” she yelped. “They must’ve been modified. Now, there are eight ships attacking the shield at once, forcing us to strengthen our shield… This is a well-planned attack. The High Elves know everything about our power.”

After she said this, everyone understood that this minute would be the most dangerous moment of the battle. If they couldn’t grasp it, Scorched City would literally be scorched. The top human magic city created by so many people’s blood, sweat, and tears would be demolished!

But if they didn’t have the Divine Punishment protocol, how could they block a Level-16 enemy?

“Let’s give up the outer barrier,” Milose suddenly said. “Then we can instantly finish recharging the Divine Punishment protocol!”

This time, the Divine Punishment protocol became flawed because the High Elves used an attack that surpassed the city’s defense limit. Under this extreme situation, they were forced to activate the Mana storage to strengthen the shield. This contained the reserve for the Divine Punishment protocol.

In addition, they were spread too thin. Scorched City now spread more than ten miles in diameter. A shield that covered this area needed an unimaginable amount of power. If they gave up a portion, they would instantly receive a lot of Mana.

This suggestion made the other three Legendary Magicians sink into silence.

If they gave up on the outer city and activated the ultimate defense, they should be able to defeat the Level-16 enemy. However, the outer city would be flattened by the Silver Storm Sparrows. The tens of thousands of residents there would be dead too.

If they did this, all the years of effort would be gone. All of Scorched City’s prosperity would be over. No one would dare to live here again after this disaster.

But if they didn’t do this, their core Mage Tower would be destroyed by the enemy. Ferde would be even more completely destroyed.

Logic told them to give up on the outer city. Like a lizard breaking off its tail, it was a great loss, but there was still hope for recovery. If the core Mage Tower was destroyed, all the Magicians inside would die. The books accumulated over the years would be lost. Hope for the rise of humans would vanish as well.

Thus, giving up was the best choice.

But they would kill tens of thousands of people… Eliard, Evelina, and Elovan all sank into silence. This choice was too heavy and asphyxiating.

In the magic mirror, the Level-16 enemy was already two miles from the core Mage Tower. Sunlight Warriors performed suicidal attacks, and all the auxiliary Mage Towers were putting their all into stopping him.

These attacks were unable to hurt the Warrior at all. They were able to slightly delay him though… But it wasn’t enough to delay him for one minute.

They must act now!

Three seconds later, Evelina said, “Eliard…”

She couldn’t continue. It felt like something was in her throat, choking her. Her eyes felt hot; tears were about to fall down.

She’d stayed in Ferde for almost three years. She had given all her enthusiasm to this city, watching it develop, strengthen, and prosper bit by bit. Here, she’d found her true love. This was her soul’s home now.

How could she destroy it with her own hands?

Milose and Elovan didn’t have as deep of feelings, but they didn’t feel well either. Compared to the rigid Isle of Dawn, they lived comfortably in Ferde.

Right now, they were Master Magicians. Even Link couldn’t force them to do anything; he respected them instead. Their one word could decide the fates of countless people in the city. The atmosphere here was extremely relaxed. They would be compensated as long as they invested.

In other words, this city was their heaven.

They were silent.

Two seconds passed in silence. The strong enemy traveled another half a mile. There was only around one mile left. They couldn’t waste any more time.

Eliard finally spoke. “Give up the outer city and transfer the power. Recharge the Divine Punishment protocol!”

His voice shook. After deciding, he was in a daze. Only one thought was in his mind. How can I tell Link?

Link had given him the responsibility for this city, and yet he’d chosen to destroy it…

But then, Evelina’s voice rang out. “Lily, Master Magician S Authority, stop the order!”

The Mana transfer that had just started now stopped abruptly. “Eve?!” Eliard accused loudly in shock. He almost suspected Evelina was the High Elf spy!

“Look, the man stopped!” Evelina exclaimed. “It’s Nana!”

In the mirror, magic puppet Nana stood at the top of a bell tower. She only stood there, yet the Level-16 Warrior came to a halt.

Chapter 686: A Peerless Swordswoman

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

Nana had mostly kept to herself ever since her return to Ferde.

Other than carrying out the occasional missions she received from Link, Nana had kept such a low profile that almost everyone had forgotten she even existed.

However, she was first to step up one of Ferde’s defenders when the city was once again under threat. She always had a habit of making an appearance at the most critical moment, just like the time Link had his back against the wall back in the Black Forest.

Razer stopped in his tracks at the sight of Nana.

He did not stop before her out of any lingering respect he still had for her as a former guard of their saint. Rather, it was her power that he feared. As the leader of the Fire Sect’s Lava Knights, he was privy to all the well-guarded secrets in the sect. However, only one person had remained largely shrouded in mystery. Due to how little he knew about said person, he could not help but feel a certain wariness towards her.

And now, that person was standing before him.

“Nana, you betrayed the sect!” shouted Razer. He was gripping his sword tightly in his hand. Every muscle fiber of his body was now vibrating rhythmically as he began optimizing his current physical state for combat.

Though he had a schedule to keep, Razer knew that blindly rushing in would not be the wisest course of action.

Throughout the centuries of strife between the Aragu Empire and the Yan Empire, countless Level-17 and Level-18 masters had existed. However, someone had begun picking off these masters one by one. In the mist of history, each time one of these masters mysteriously perished, there had always been evidence of Nana’s involvement.

On the surface, Nana’s power level was only Level-13. No, she was now close to reaching Level-15. Razer did not know what Nana had encountered in Ferde. However, he was certain that Nana was now an even more formidable figure than before.

Nana stood before Razer, clad in black leather armor. She was holding the single-handed sword that Link had forged for her, the Last Nightmare sword. Upon her return to Ferde, it was on the verge of breaking apart. However, Link had fixed it up for her and even revamped it. The sword was now a shade of blue. Around its four-foot-long blade swirled a mysterious blue aura.

Seeing Razer, Nana gave him a faint smile. “It’s been a while, Razer. I see that you’re now leading the Lava Knights. Not bad. However, you’ve made a huge mistake today.”

As she spoke, the blue aura now crept across Nana’s entire body. From time to time, blue-white points of light flashed out in it. Beyond that, Nana remained as inconspicuous as ever before Razer.

However, upon seeing this, Razer immediately activated his realm as if he was in the face of a powerful enemy. Black fire broke out in the heavens, and a horrible wail filled the air as if the souls of hell had been unleashed into this world. The sky gradually darkened with the encroachment of dark fog.

Night had fallen upon Ferde!

Razer’s realm instantly reached Nana, who did not make any attempt to resist it. Curiously enough, the blue haze around her did not dim in the slightest amid the darkness.

Back then, in the Black Forest, Nana had also displayed this same blue-white power. With it, she was even able to break through the Dark Serpent’s defenses and kill the Divine Gear’s user.

Even as a Level-8 master back then, she was already capable of accomplishing this much. Now, she was a Level-14 pinnacle master whose power had become even more refined after having undergone countless changes and improvements.

On the outside, it did not seem as impressive as Razer’s realm. However, what Nana’s power lacked in range, it made up for in its purity.

“Razer, I’m coming for you!” announced Nana. Even though her surroundings had transformed into a literal hellscape, she still retained a casual tone in her voice.

Without even thinking, Razer rushed towards Nana with his sword pointed straight at her!

The attack came with the fanfare of wind and lightning in the background. The black fog began swirling around Razer until it settled into the form of a giant snake. The snake then lunged Nana at a frightening speed, threatening to swallow her whole.

However, no matter how fast the giant fog snake was, Nana was even faster.

The snake finally reached the bell tower where Nana had been standing and took a bite out of the building, reducing it into fine dust. However, amid the confusion, Nana had disappeared without a trace.

In the Mage Tower, Eliard and the others were all spectating the ongoing battle in a mingle of horror and surprise.

“Where’s Nana? I can’t see her.”

“Don’t tell me she’s already dead?”

“I don’t think she would be able to survive a Level-16 master’s attack!”

All of them had completely lost track of Nana.

Razer was the only one who had only managed to catch a glimpse of Nana’s blue-white aura.

Just when the snake bit into the bell tower, he saw an indistinct blue silhouette leaping out of it at an unimaginable speed. A shiver ran through him.

Sensing that his life was now in danger, he immediately switched to a defensive posture and swung his sword to his side.

His sword came in just in time. He suddenly sensed an overwhelmingly sharp power running through the length of the blade. A sharp ting echoed in the air. The sound was so piercing that Razer had half a mind to cover his ears against it.

His eyes could barely track the blue-white silhouette that glimmered around him like a phantom. Consecutive attacks came at him without any sign of letting up.

Ting, ting, ting, ting… Razer could not afford to waste any time planning out a counter strategy. Any delay in his reaction time would cost him his life. He was now defending himself against Nana’s attacks by instinct.

This was the first time he had experienced such a life-and-death situation ever since he became a Lava Knight. He had always known that Nana was a formidable figure in the Fire Sect who had chosen not to reveal the true extent of her power to the world, but he had no idea she would be this powerful.

The saint definitely did not know about this. Otherwise, she would not have sent him here on his own.

Ting, ting, ting… In just three seconds, Razer managed to block 70 blows from Nana’s sword. A numbness was now spreading across his arm. He then realized that his ears were no longer functioning properly. His cheeks felt warm, and he could feel a bit of blood flowing out of his ears. His eardrums were completely ruined by the piercing sound of Nana’s sword striking repeatedly against his.

Razer now felt cornered like a wild beast being hunted by a seasoned hunter.

If said hunter could not bring down his quarry with a single strike, he would simply need to resort to other methods, methodically forcing it into a trap that he had already set up in advance.

Right now, Razer felt as if he was about to step into a death trap of Nana’s design. Worse still, despite knowing the existence of this trap, he could not see a way out of it.

She’s too strong! If this goes on any longer, I’m going to be killed by her for sure! This thought ran through his head like a jolt of electricity. He had to do something. Otherwise, he would soon be dead.

The only advantage he had over Nana now was the overwhelming power he wielded!

Razer let out a roar. At that moment, power began to boil in his body. Hellfire flowed out of his body in waves, covering a 15-foot-wide area around him.

This was his maximum range.

In an instant, Razer’s hellfire burned everything to a crisp in its path. The incredible heat even managed to burn a hole in the space around him.

At that moment, Razer felt the flurry of attacks around him beginning to slow down. He immediately searched his surroundings for Nana’s blue-white form and saw that it had begun making its retreat. Though the hellfire was rapidly spreading out, it was still not fast enough to reach the blue-white figure, which managed to keep a 0.1-foot gap between itself and the encroaching flames.

This 0.1-foot gap was the only thing standing between Nana’s life and certain death.

Razer sighed inwardly, knowing that there was little to no chance he would be able to kill Nana now. He decided that there was no reason to linger on in Ferde any longer.

He had failed in his mission to assassinate the lord of Ferde. However, this was fine. He was still alive. There would still be another time.

All this time, he was still under the impression that the lord of Ferde was hiding somewhere in the Mage Tower.

Like a bolt of lightning, he fled the scene and soon arrived at Scorched City’s barrier. From there, he continued on his trajectory across the sea until he finally reached the Silver Storm Sparrow battleship.

Half a second later, he was already on board the Silver Storm Sparrow ship. Drawing a long breath, he said, “Let’s go back to the Isle of… Dawn.”

Suddenly, his foot gave way beneath him, and he fell to the ground on his knee. Then, he felt a sudden pain gripping his chest.

Groaning, he lowered his gaze and was dumbstruck by what he saw.

The black-gold scaled armor that he was wearing was Level-17 equipment of the highest quality. It was forged by the Inferno Archmage especially for him, the leader of the Lava Knights. However, Nana’s attacks had left a thumb-sized hole on the left side of its chest area. Blood was now flowing profusely out of it.

A few High Elves leaped to his aid. “Master, you’re hurt!”

A High Elf doctor immediately inspected his wound. A few minutes later, he frowned. “Master, one of your ribs are broken, and your heart has been punctured. I could also sense a mysterious power lingering around your heart. It may take a while to dispel it completely, I’m afraid.”

“Just tell me everything!” barked Razer. There was not a hint of panic in his voice. Injuries were to be expected in any duel between two masters. Razer was lucky to still be alive. I’ve never seen swordsmanship like hers, he thought to himself.

He realized that there was no way his own swordsmanship would be able to rival Nana’s. He would need to use his area-of-effect techniques in order to deal with someone like her who obviously specialized in close quarter combat. Today, he underestimated his opponent. This defeat was well-deserved.

Immediately succumbing to Razer’s imposing air, the High Elf doctor fell to the ground and stammered, “Master, I’m afraid that you will not be able to fight at your full strength for a month.”

“A month?” Though he did not trust the doctor’s diagnosis, he was well aware of his current physical condition. He decided that the only thing he needed to do now was to focus on his recovery.

“Forget it, let’s head back to the Isle of Dawn!” This was all they could do for now.

Just then, a High Elf pointed at the southern sky and shouted, “Look, there’s a golden cloud in the sky.”

Razer turned around. In an instant, his face went pale.

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Chapter 687: Crushed!

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

Razer was a Level-16 Territory fighter. His power gave him a more advanced vision than the others.

As soon as he saw the burning gold cloud, he knew immediately that it was someone’s territory. It probably was around his level too. But who was it?

It must be the one who’d just leveled up. An indescribable feeling of panic gripped Razer. He knew the comer was a foe rather than a friend.

Before attacking Ferde, he’d already felt power similar to this golden cloud. It was probably from the same man.

This man has recently entered Level-16. I can defeat him if I’m not hurt, but now… Razer looked down at the wound on his left chest and then at the Silver Storm Sparrows speeding across the sea. Helplessness flashed past his eyes.

The High Elves’ Silver Storm Sparrows were only mortal power. He had to face the unbeatable force that could crush the entire Firuman. The moment he arrived, the wounded Razer would already be defeated.

“Sir, what should we do now?” A young hardened High Elf walked over. He was the main commander of the Silver Storm Sparrow fleet and was at Level-11. He had a strange name—Dwacheon Juan. He was 45 years old, which was the golden period for High Elves.

He was young and in a high position. He also had Legendary power, allowing him to look arrogantly at Firuman. This made him extremely confident. Even when facing the Hellfire Razer, he was still calm and composed. He didn’t seem humbled and submissive like the other High Elves.

Razer had seen many people. He was more than 60 years old and didn’t have a serene life like the High Elves on the Isle of Dawn. His life had been chaotic. To him, Dwacheon was a rookie who’d just entered the cruel world.

His exuberance was good. In a good situation, it could help him get accustomed to the world quickly. But right now, they were in a dire state. This exuberance would only make him die faster.

Since he was an extraordinary figure from the saint’s mother race and they’d interacted well this entire journey, Razer said, “The comer is of the same level as I. The situation is very dangerous. Give up on the Silver Storm Sparrows and retreat. Go back as far as you can.”

Dwacheon froze. The Isle of Dawn had 27 Silver Storm Sparrows, and they were strategic forces. Now, Razer told them to abandon eight ships without any resistance. No commander could accept it.

More importantly, this was Dwacheon’s first time commanding a fleet. If he lost, this would forever taint his reputation.

A few seconds of silence later, he said in a low voice, “Sir, there are a total of 200 high-level Magicians on a Silver Storm Sparrow. The eight ships are enough to create a Level-17 defensive and offensive magic seal. Even if the comer is at your level, we might not lose.”

This was the fleet’s last card. Once they used it, the ships would be destroyed regardless of whether they could successfully force back the opponent. No amount of repairs would work. The ships could only be turned into waste material and recycled.

The cost was too high. The High Elves wouldn’t use this tactic unless there was no choice at all.

“Oh?” Razer was slightly surprised. He hadn’t thought much of the Isle of Dawn and hadn’t taken the time to familiarize himself with this temporary ally’s power. Hearing that they could construct a Level-17 magic seal, he was quite shocked.

He carefully inspected the magic seal. A few seconds later, he shook his head. “No, it’s useless. There isn’t enough Mana stored on the fleet, and it’s not resistant enough. The ship isn’t sturdy enough either. The magic seal is far from true Level-17 power. It’s too crude and can’t stop anything. Don’t hesitate and go!”

The only similarity between this Level-17 magic seal and a true Level-17 spell was the condensation of power. As for spatial locking, territorial destruction, and other true Level-17 characteristics, it didn’t have any.

In other words, the Silver Storm Sparrow fleet’s magic seal had great offensive ability. But no matter how great its offensive ability, it was only useful if it could hit the target. Using such crude power against a Level-16 enemy was like using a magic cannon to hit a mosquito outside the cannon’s range. It was basically impossible.

But Dwacheon still wouldn’t give up. Shaking his head, he said, “No fleet in the world retreats without a fight. If there is, I’m sure they aren’t High Elves!”

With that, he returned to the cabin, ignoring Razer’s warnings.

“Prepare to fight!”

“Construct the Doomsday Storm magic seal!”

Boom, boom, boom. Blueish-white light flashed from each ship. The lights quickly solidified into blue-white belts. They extended and tied all the ships together.

Click, clack, click. Guided by the belts, the Silver Storm Sparrows got into position. Finally, the eight ships fanned out into a stable flower shape with the heads facing in and tails out.

Soon after, the Mana pools on each ship operated intensely. Blue-white light poured out and formed a circular shield. It enveloped the eight ships without a single pore. From afar, it looked like the eight ships had become a huge blue sphere.

“Oh?” It seemed interesting and hope grew in Razer’s heart. Without saying anything else, he sat cross-legged on the deck. He took out a bottle of fiery-red recovery potion and focused on controlling the Mana inside him to heal his wound.

This potion was specifically for Lava Knights and was shockingly effective. Razer was often injured in battles and was experienced in healing. Focusing now, the potion and Mana worked together. He instantly felt warmth in his chest; it was a comfortable feeling.

But it didn’t last long before he felt something wrong.

Some force is stopping me from recovering. Nana left it. This is bad.

It wasn’t much, but it was very troublesome. He tried a bit, and he could repel it, but it would take a while. He wouldn’t be able to fight for three days.

Ah, the Dark Nightmare… is indeed terrifying! Razer sighed. The Dark Nightmare was one of Nana’s nicknames. She’d earned it after killing a Level-18 Magician in the Aragu Empire.

Razer stopped thinking. No matter what, all he could do now was to focus on healing his wound.

By then, the golden halo in the sky was already close. Razer had sharp senses. He could feel the enemy approaching at 1.5 miles per second. He was less than 30 miles away and could arrive within half a minute.

Around 15 seconds later, there was a huge explosion.

Boom, boom. The sound was muffled yet magnificent like rolling thunder. This was the sound created when the other tore through the air at an extreme speed.

By now, the power of his territory had stretched over. The sky above the sea had turned light gold. Countless dragons flew through this golden sky. They roared soundlessly; it was frightening.

“Steady! Steady!” Dwacheon’s voice sounded. He was yelling with all his might. Clearly, the enemy’s force gave him great pressure.

“Target locked! Target locked! Able to attack at any time!” a Legendary Magician called. His expression was one of excitement.

The enemy was Level-16. Their Level-17 Doomsday Storm magic seal had locked onto him and could release a fatal attack at any time. Killing a Level-16 Magician would be such a glory. It would be passed down the generations!

“Prepare!” Dwacheon was excited too. Level-16? Abandon ship and escape? Despair and hopelessness? No, they had enough power to kill the enemy. Level-16 was only mediocre.

Boom! Boom! The magic seal was operating at its limit now. The air around the fleet started bubbling, ready to follow the magic seal’s order.

But then something terrifying happened.

“No, the target is using Instant Flash! Continuously! Target lost! Unable to lock onto target!”

“No!”

In the distant sky, the dark spot no longer flew smoothly. He would vanish and then reappear at an unpredictable spot. He was also approaching the Silver Storm Fleet at a shocking speed.

This was Link’s Golden Dragon Kingdom territory. He could teleport freely within it, especially since there wasn’t someone at the same level that obstructed him. For example, he didn’t dare use transmissions when facing Saroviny because that was useless. Saroviny could overlook the spatial obstacles and attack him. But now, he could crush his opponents!

If the Silver Storm Sparrow fleet was unable to destroy this territory, it didn’t matter how powerful they were. They couldn’t harm Link at all.

Amidst all the shocked cries of despair, there was a soft scrape. Golden light brushed past the Silver Storm Sparrow fleet’s magic seal. Like cutting bread, it sliced the fleet in half.

At a glance, it seemed that Link had just taken out his sword. But Hellfire Razer knew that in that instant, faced with the Level-17 Doomsday Storm magic seal, Link had actually made 36 moves. He had used up all of the magic seal’s energy before cutting it in half.

A true Level-16 Magician crushing a group of low-level Warriors was how it should be. Razer didn’t feel any surprise.

After cutting the fleet apart, the figure flashed, and someone appeared before Razer. It was Link. Sword light flashed, and Razer felt something cold between his brows.

“Why won’t you kill me?” Razer looked up. Link’s sword was one millimeter away from his forehead. The deck shook, but his sword didn’t move at all. It was as steady as a mountain.

“You’re still useful.” Link smiled thinly.

Chapter 688: The Lonely Dragon Queen

Razer was sitting cross-legged on the ground in a basement prison cell beneath Ferde’s Mage Tower.

The cell was specially designed by Link himself. Its Level-19 magical defenses were directly powered by the Mage Tower’s central Mana pool. Link had personally installed most of them, including the magical circuits for spatial lockdown, temporal imprisonment, and Mana scrambling.

Simply put, even at his peak condition, Razer would not be able to break out of this place.

One side of the cell was transparent. There, Link was sitting on a jade chair which he had molded for himself using earthen magic. He was now drinking a cup of tea in front of Razer. Nana was there with him as well. She stood silently behind Link, blending herself completely into the darkness. The only evidence of her presence in the room was the cold glint of her Last Nightmare sword.

At that moment, Razer had been stripped of all his magical equipment. Clad in prison garb, his wrists and ankles were fettered with custom-made shackles. The wounds on his body completed the man’s wretched look.

If anyone from the Fire Sect’s higher echelons were here right now, he or she would not have thought that this stubbly old man was the same fearsome Hellfire Knight of the Fire Sect.

Ting! Link snapped the lid shut on his cup before putting it aside. Then, he asked, “How is Saint Milda doing?”

“Hmph!” Razer turned away from Link. A few seconds later, he spat out, “She is none of your concern.”

Link smiled. “I’m usually quite averse to torturing my prisoners, especially when they happen to be big-shots like you. However, I could be persuaded to resort to such an unsavory tactic if push comes to shove.”

The Shadow Divine Fragment was still in his possession. Even though the Snow Mountain Archmage had neutralized its ability to influence people’s minds, it would still be able to draw the attention of countless other masters. Keeping it here with him was not a good idea. He needed to deliver the fragment to the Snow Mountain Archmage as soon as possible.

The problem now was that the Snow Mountain Archmage was in the Aragu realm, which was sealed off by the Inferno Archmage and barricaded by the Fire Sect. Blundering into the Aragu realm without having the lay of the land beforehand would be equivalent to suicide.

Link then continued, “I would like to ask you a few questions. If you could answer each of them honestly, you have my word that I will let you go unscathed with all your weapons and equipment. I’ll even open up a portal for you to let you go back to Aragu. What do you think?”

For a moment, Razer was stunned into silence. “How gullible do you think I am?”

“If my word isn’t good enough for you, then perhaps a soul contract would be enough to convince you of my sincerity,” said Link with a smile.

Razer remained silent for a moment, his brows furrowed deeply. Then he said, “I know you’re planning to give the Snow Mountain Archmage the divine fragment. I should warn you, it will not be easy. If you let me go, rest assured it will be the last mistake you’ll ever make.”

“We’ll see. So… do you accept my terms?”

Razer narrowed his eyes at Link. “You can only ask at most three questions. Anything about our saint or our lord is off limits.

“Heh, aren’t you awfully picky? Very well, I accept your conditions,” said Link, nodding.

“Ask away, then.” Razer’s mood had improved considerably, knowing that it would only be a matter of time until the lord of Ferde released him from his prison as promised.

“Firstly, I need a detailed map of the Aragu Realm. Try not to leave out anything important in it.”

Razer shook his head. “I’m not that familiar with the realm’s entire geography…”

Before he could even finish, Link interrupted him, “Actually, you are. I know for a fact that a detailed map of Aragu is distributed to every high-ranking member in the Fire Sect, and that you are all required to commit everything on it to memory. Don’t fret about how I came to know about this. I have my methods. Just focus on drawing me that map.”

A normal map of Aragu was not difficult to obtain. However, what Link really wanted was a military-grade map. With it, he would have a more accurate picture of Aragu’s geography.

Despite knowing that such a map would be of great value to Link, he had no choice but to comply with his demand. This was the price he had to pay for his freedom, after all.

Sighing, Razer finally nodded. “You’ll get your map. However, as the information it holds is just too valuable, I can only allow you to ask one more question. If you don’t agree to this, then we’re done here.”

“Very well.” Link did not object to this. Any attempts to coerce a man like Razer would only prove fruitless and might even end up backfiring on him.

He then continued, “I would also like to learn more about Aragu’s history for the last 100 years, especially about events that have been influential to the course of history, as well as a few other confidential matters that you’ve been entrusted to keep secret. Of course, you could choose to leave out any sensitive information pertaining to your saint or your Lord.”

“What do you hope to do with such information?” asked Razer, puzzled.

“I have my reasons. So, what do you say?”

“Alright.” Razer nodded firmly. He was only required to give Link a lesson on Aragu’s history. He also had no problem divulging any classified information he had come across over the years. He did not think it would have a huge impact on the grand scheme of things.

When all was said and done, after signing a soul contract with Razer, Link gave him a pile of goat-skin scrolls and a set of cartographic tools for him to sketch out a map of Aragu.

In the meantime, he decided to visit the Red Dragon Queen Gretel.

Officially, Gretel was the lord of Ferde’s wife. However, Link had been living on his own even after their marriage. Given how hectic his life had been these days, he just could not find the time to be with his lawfully-wedded spouse.

However, there was now a lull in his schedule. He could use the time to drop by her place. He had more or less gotten over his breakup with Celine, anyway.

He had a mansion in the Scorched Ridge. It had a garden, a fountain, and a small lake. The scenery there was beautiful. However, as Link spent most of his time cooped up in the Mage Tower, he almost never had the chance to go back to it.

Rather than magically teleport himself there, Link decided to travel on horseback through the Scorched Ridge towards the mansion.

Link’s features were deeply embedded in the hearts of the people in the Scorched Ridge. However, everyone was visibly surprised to see him out in the open, as he was rarely seen outside the Mage Tower. All of them hurriedly bowed before him as his horse trotted on down the road.

Link gave them a slight nod in return. As there were just too many of them out on the street, he could only make eye contact with some of them. Those whose bows were returned swooned. To them, there was no greater honor than receiving any form of recognition from the lord of Ferde. It was probably the kind of thing they would brag to their friends and family over the dinner table for days to come.

Link did not bother fathoming what these people were thinking. He continued down the road, admiring the city that he had built from the ground up with his own hands.

As Link leisurely made his way towards his mansion, news of his imminent arrival had already reached the place.

The guards assigned to the mansion were all Dragon Warriors. Even the attendants there had dragon blood flowing in their veins. Ever since their queen officially became the lord of Ferde’s wife, the fact that the lord himself had never once returned to his mansion had left all of them in an awkward spot.

Though the queen had lost most of her power, her beauty still remained untouched. Even so, it was still not enough to pull the lord away from his magical research. As a result, the dragon queen was left to spend most of her days on her own. The royal dragon bloodline might come to an end sooner than they had feared.

With such a powerful lord at its helm and its Mage Tower growing even more influential by the day, Ferde no longer stood on equal footing with the dragon race. Naturally, this meant that every time Ferde’s survival came under threat, matters concerning the dragon race were all swept aside.

Elder Pettalong, who had been tasked with the oversight of the Scorched Ridge, sprang up excitedly when he heard that Link was currently on his way to the mansion. He then asked, “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes, I’m sure. There was no way I would have mistaken the Lord of Ferde for anyone else,” replied the attendant who had given Pettalong the good news.

It sounded like he was telling the truth. Despite his mundane features, Link was an easily recognizable person. Even his inscrutable air was not something most people would be able to mimic. Even a blind man would be able to recognize him from his footsteps.

Pettalong paced around the room, pounding his right fist into his left palm. He then said, “Go and tell the queen immediately about this. I’ll wait for him.”

“Alright.” The attendant quickly slipped out of the room to carry out his order. Pettalong then marched off towards the mansion’s gates to welcome Link’s arrival.

Soon, news of Link’s return to the mansion had reached the Red Dragon Queen Gretel.

Gretel was watering her flowers when she heard it. She had planted some in the garden in order to pass the time.

After her marriage with Link, Gretel had endeavored to fulfill her obligations as the wife of the Lord of Ferde as best she could. At times, she was even required to receive important guests from other kingdoms in the mansion.

However, whenever she was alone, she would always find herself either daydreaming about days long past or else praying for Link’s safe return. In some nights, she would quietly cry herself to sleep in the darkness of her room.

Ever since losing her power, she had become even more emotionally sensitive.

When the attendant brought the news to her, she let out a soft “ah” and dropped the watering can in her hand. Stunned, she then turned to a maid who was standing in a corner and said, “Let’s go back to my room. I’ll need to change my clothes. My hair is a mess as well.”

The maid quickly followed Gretel back to her bedroom and even stumbled over in her haste. However, she immediately picked herself up, dusted herself off and tried to keep up with the queen.

However, the Red Dragon Queen suddenly stopped before her. The maid then saw a black-haired man leaning against the side of the garden’s circular entrance. The man was looking at them with a smile.

The maid immediately blushed. Her thoughts were now in turmoil. Her feet swayed beneath her as she wondered why the Lord of Ferde was smiling at her. Then she realized that the lord’s smile must be intended for the queen herself.

The maid immediately realized that this was her cue to leave the scene. She then quietly left the garden with a slight air of dejection.

Chapter 689: Lead the Hero to Bow

Lord of Ferde’s residence, in the lord’s bedroom

Gretel’s face was like the pure moon, but today, the moon had two circles of red. Her eyes were like clear water as she gently helped Link with his clothes.

“Be careful when going to Aragu this time,” she reminded softly.

“I will.” Link nodded and looked down, away from the gentleness in Gretel’s eyes that he could drown in. She’d turned into this after they’d shared a night.

Of course, they couldn’t only sleep since they were in the same bedroom. Basically, they’d become much closer.

A few seconds of silence later, Link said, “I checked your body carefully. The Heart of the Dragon has stabilized and grew. If you don’t get outside help, you’ll be able to have power again after 100 years.”

The dragon royal bloodline’s Heart of the Dragon was more miraculous and stronger than one could imagine. Even after a destructive attack, it could still recover bit by bit with enough time.

Link couldn’t check Gretel’s body so closely before. He also didn’t know enough about the Heart of the Dragon, so he didn’t discover this. Last night was different though. Now at mid-Level-16, his vision was many times better than before. He could instantly see this.

“Oh, that’s good.” Gretel was happy, but the feeling wasn’t very strong. The recovery time was too slow. She couldn’t help Link at all. Further, she didn’t desire power as much anymore.

She was sometimes frustrated in Ferde, but after shedding her responsibilities as queen, her life had become much more relaxed. But this freedom of the soul made her see Link’s situation more clearly. Before, she only had to be responsible for the dragons. Now, Link had to support the entire human race.

In the past, Gretel had been terrified of making mistakes. Link wasn’t any better now. Thinking of this, Gretel felt pity. Her anger towards Link vanished too.

After fixing Link’s clothes, she rested in his arms. “I just want you alive,” she murmured. “No matter what happens, even if you fall into darkness, I’ll follow you.”

She was no longer the dragon queen, and her restraints were gone. She didn’t care about the responsibilities, the difference between light and dark, the debates between justice and evil anymore. She could ignore them all.

Link didn’t think Gretel would say these things. People all said that women were more emotional. Rather than using logic, one should just make them happy. He’d thought that the Red Dragon Queen was different, but it seemed that her emotional side was just hidden deeper.

Grasping Gretel’s waist—thin yet still with feeling—Link felt a bit hot. He smiled. “I’ll live well. Alright, let me adjust your Heart of the Dragon before leaving.”

He’d just checked it last night, and then Link thought about it the entire night. He’d already figured out the basic method to support the Heart of the Dragon… Those were only excuses.

Gretel’s cheeks reddened deeper, and she nodded.

Link used some power and scooped Gretel up. He walked to the bed in the chamber. After all, they needed a good environment to adjust the Heart of the Dragon.

“Ah,” Gretel gasped. “Your clothes will get messy again.”

“Then you can tidy it again.” It was rare for Link’s voice to be so gentle.

After a flurry and a storm, Gretel’s eyes brightened greatly. Her eyes were always pretty, but they’d darkened after she lost her power. Now, one could make out a dancing flame inside. It couldn’t be compared to the past, but the flame was still growing.

“I feel power again.” Her voice was lazy.

“I’ve recovered your Heart of the Dragon’s main structure. After this, you’ll only need to perfect the details. It should be fine within three years.” Link rubbed the Red Dragon Queen’s chest. That was where the Heart of the Dragon was.

He was very serious when speaking, making Gretel giggle. It was instantly like hundreds of flowers blooming. She was indescribably beautiful. Without saying anything, Link flipped her over and began picking the flowers again.

These things had to end at some point. Link stayed for another day before finally climbing out of Gretel’s gentleness. When he left the lord’s residence, he composed himself and sighed inwardly.

It was rumored quietly throughout the dragon race that the Red Dragon Queen was a natural charmer. All the dukes died early. After experiencing it personally, Link believed it. If not for his strong determination to leave, he would have been trapped by the beauty forever.

And the queen is wounded. If she’s at her full strength, I’ll be done for. Cold sweat beaded on Link’s forehead.

Returning to the core Mage Tower, he saw Hellfire Razer. Razer had already prepared the map and record of all important events from the Aragu Realm. Link took the scroll and checked it. When he had questions, he would ask on the spot. He asked quickly and urged Razer to answer without giving him time to think.

Razer was a Warrior. His mind couldn’t match a Legendary Magician. At first, he wanted to hold things back, but the interrogation made his head hurt. He just answered instinctively.

“What use does Milda’s wand have?” Link suddenly asked.

“Her wand is prophetic… Ah, you’re tricking me to talk!” Razer suddenly realized.

Link smiled. “This isn’t in the contract, and I’m not forcing you to answer. You answered yourself. Okay, thank you for your information.”

Razer was speechless. It was his fault that he reacted too slowly. Sighing, he asked, “When will you let me go?”

“Now.” Link smiled and undid Razer’s shackles. He returned Razer’s armor and sword too, putting the equipment on him.

Razer had wanted to attack, but he knew Link’s power. Nana was also behind Link. He hadn’t recovered fully either. If he attacked now, he would be dead, so he acted obediently.

When Razer finished putting the armor on, Link asked, “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” Razer nodded.

Link pressed a rune on the cell’s wall. The cell lit up blindingly, and Mana poured out, spinning quickly. Razer instinctively wanted to block it. He’d been repelling the foreign power these days and healing his wounded heart. About half of his power was back. As soon as he started using force, Link hurriedly called, “I’m opening a portal door. Don’t fight it or else it’ll collapse!”

Razer was shocked. Now, he felt that the wild power wasn’t hurting him. Instead, the space inside the cell started rippling. It was indeed the signs of a portal door.

He could only restrict his urge and let the energy within the cell go wild. The energy spun and spun, faster and faster. Finally, the speed made Razer’s heart pound. It was so powerful that it could crush him.

Boom. Suddenly, there was a soft boom. Razer felt an attractive force come from the vortex, sucking him in.

He wanted to fight back again, but then Link said, “Razer, I’m only responsible for sending you away, but we’re enemies. Do you really think that I’ll send you away nicely?”

Razer froze. Indeed, the contract was still effective, so Link couldn’t hurt him. But they were still enemies. It was understandable to send an enemy away roughly. While he was dazed, he was sucked into the vortex. Under the force, he started spinning.

If he wasn’t a Level-16 Warrior with a strong body, he would’ve fallen apart from the spinning. Even still, Razer felt dizzy and wanted to throw up.

Poof, poof, poof, pop! The vortex was still spinning quickly. Then there was a sound like a bottle opening, and then Razer was gone from inside the vortex.

He wasn’t dead, of course. After a great amount of power from the vortex entered his body, he shot out the Firuman Realm at a horrifying speed.

Right then, a dazzling beam shot through the Sea of Void. It was going in a foreign direction rather than the Aragu Realm.

The speed was too fast. All Razer could do was protect himself. With his shallow knowledge of the Sea of Void’s principles, he didn’t know how to slow down. He could only wait for the Sea of Void’s resistance to slow him down.

But the resistance was so weak. It would take forever for him to stop.

By now, Razer obviously knew what Link had done. Indeed, Link didn’t harm him, but if he couldn’t go back to the Aragu Realm, he obviously wouldn’t be an enemy anymore.

Dammit…ahhh, meteorite! Razer turned quickly and brushed past a meteorite the size of his head. A dent appeared in his armor.

With his extreme speed, he would die no matter what he touched. Razer was pissed, but he couldn’t get distracted. He had to focus on speeding through the Sea of Void.

On the other side, Link smiled at Nana. “Ferde’s safety is up to you.”

“Master, don’t worry.”

With that, Link was reassured. He opened the realm portal and disappeared.

He didn’t have to worry about getting stopped halfway through. The Sea of Void was boundless while Aragu was close to Firuman. He was also experienced in crossing the Sea of Void. He quickly found a small path and reached the outer layer of the Aragu Realm.

His plan was simple. He would find the coordinates of the Aragu Empire from the outside and teleport in. He should be safe inside the empire. Then he could easily find the Snow Mountain Archmage.

However, he’d underestimated the Inferno Archmage. While looking for the coordinates, a fiery-red figure flashed in the corner of vision. He turned and saw a six-winged angel with burning fire rush over from a distance. Judging from his force, he obviously wasn’t a friend.

Something from Razer’s scroll popped up in Link’s mind. Six-winged Burning Angel? This is a high-level magic puppet Warrior of the Inferno Archmage. Each one is at Level-15. The principles were copied from Nana. They were made from divine power and were consumables with shocking combat ability. There were more than 20, and they liked operating in teams of three.

Teams of three? Link looked and instantly saw the other two Burning Angels. The three were coming from three directions and were about to surround Link.

F*ck. Link didn’t dare fight in the Sea of Void. It would be troublesome if the Inferno Archmage was notified. Giving up on determining the coordinates, he found the general direction and dove into the Aragu Realm.