Another World’s Versatile Crafting Master c1-1074

by Zhuang Bifan

  This was the new identity that Andoine had prepared for him. Lin Li had thoroughly memorized it along the way, and now said it so naturally and fluently as though Felic was his real name all along.

  The middle-aged man had not expected the seemingly powerful yet mysterious young mage would be this amiable and easy to approach. He was rather flattered and expressed his sincere gratitude all over again before introducing his party of three to him.

  The injured middle-aged man was called McGrenn, one of the many adventurers in Jarrosus City. He had entered the Sunset Mountains after accepting a quest from the Adventurers Guild to obtain a Manticore's tail. The beautiful lady with the long blond hair was his daughter Ina; she was an adventurer just like him.

  As for the mage who looked like he came from a good family, McGrenn was vague in his introduction of him. He only mentioned that his name was Cromwell, and that he was a warm-hearted mage they had met on the way.

  Lin Li stifled a laugh at this. A warm-hearted mage? More like he's trying to court your daughter. Who else would be that idle, coming to the Sunset Mountains being warm-hearted and all…

  "Everything was going well in the beginning. After a few days of search, we found a lone Manticore, so we'd deployed a trap near the place where it nested this morning." A bitter smile came across McGrenn's face. "And then, we hid in the forest, waiting for it to fall into the trap. But who knew the trap would attract two Wyverns instead of the Manticore? God knows what happened; a trap that was meant for the Manticore had provoked the Wyverns' attacks on us in the forest. I'd killed one of them, but was badly hurt by it before it died. Cromwell had no choice but to bring Ina and I out of the forest… And then, fortunately, we met you. If it hadn't been for you, I really wouldn't have known what to do…"

  "How unfortunate…" Lin Li looked regretful, but rejoiced secretly in his heart. Luckily they had encountered the Wyverns; if not, where would he have gone looking for people to lead the way? This cursed forest was much trickier to deal with than a Wyvern…

  Chapter 8 - Accident

  Lin Li felt a lot more relaxed with McGrenn leading the way. After all, the latter was a veteran adventurer with nearly 30 years of hunting experience. To quote McGrenn, in this 30 years, he had spent more time in the Sunset Mountains than in his own home.

  The forest that was initially like a labyrinth seemed more pleasant all of a sudden.

  It only took half a day for the party of four to walk through the dense forest.

  The trees ahead were gradually thinning, and the woods were no longer dark. Warm sun rays fell through the gaps in the trees and landed on their bodies. Warming up with the sun rays was Lin Li's mood—he was finally able to leave the cursed Sunset Mountains.

  After studying the map, McGrenn told Lin Li, "It would probably take another day to get out of the Sunset Mountains."

  "Then what about tonight?" Lin Li was somewhat worried. The Sunset Mountains were a dangerous place, and they could encounter ferocious magical beasts anytime—especially during the night, as many magical beasts that were rarely seen in the day would leave their nests then, lurking in between the ravines and waiting to pounce on the sleeping prey.

  Every night spent out in the open in the Sunset Mountains was equal to putting life in danger.

  "Not a big problem." McGrenn looked calm. "I know of a safe place. We just need to speed up; we should be able to reach it before dark."

  "That would be great." Lin Li nodded and said nothing more.

  "Mr Felic, can I ask you a question?" Just as he was about to push on with the journey, the beauty with the long blond hair hurried up to him from behind.

  The blond beauty was still wearing the red vest. It revealed a gorgeous curve with her tall figure and slender legs that was further outlined by the vest. Perhaps it was due to the rush of the journey, but a tinge of red glow appeared on her fair face. Her long blond hair hung straight and dazzled in the sun.

  The forest paths were narrow, so it was hard to avoid being close when two people walked side by side. Breathing in the faint scent coming from Ina's body, Lin Li suddenly felt his head hurting. He wasn't sure what happened on the way, but the blond beauty seemed to like asking him questions.

  If it were on other occasions, Lin Li would definitely be delighted.

  This fellow had been an otaku before he transmigrated, and he'd not met any pretty girls before. After the transmigration, all he saw was the old face of Andoine. He was not some Buddhist monk who practiced abstinence. Being approached by a pretty girl was too good a thing to ask for, so how could there be any reason to turn her away?

  However, the situation was giving Lin Li a headache, for he had no idea how to answer Ina's questions.

  "Mr Felic, are you from Jarrosus City?" How should Lin Li answer this kind of question?

  "Erm… This… I guess not really…" Lin Li was fretting over it when, fortunately, he thought of something else and hurried to change the topic. "Oh, right. Ina, don't you need to kill a Manticore for this quest? I heard Mr McGrenn mention just now that you both had just laid down the trap when the Wyverns discovered it. What will happen to the quest now that you had not managed to hunt down any Manticore?"

  "It would be considered a failure, and I'll have to compensate some money." The topic that Lin Li had chosen wasn't bad at all—the blond beauty finally stopped asking her questions after Lin Li had mentioned the quest. Her pretty face revealed a hint of helplessness. "The Manticores live in groups, so the probability of encountering a lone one is extremely low. We had followed them for a few days before coming across one, but it was ruined by the two Wyverns."

  "That was a pity…" Lin Li rejoiced while he came to a decision. When they reached Jarrosus City, he would definitely have to come up with a flawless background. Otherwise, it would be a loss of face when he was asked by the beauty and couldn't easily engage in a conversation with her.

  To avoid another questioning of his background from Ina, Lin Li took the initiative to bring up some topics to chat with her. For Lin Li, the content of the conversation was not important, what was more important was not to let her have the time to raise questions.

  Lin Li was really good at chatting. Even a seasoned old veteran like Andoine had always felt that he was unable to outspeak him, much less an innocent girl like Ina.

  It took Lin Li absolutely no effort to bring the rhythm of the conversation under his control.

  The fellow had led the conversation completely out of point with that half a bottle of Wyvern's blood. He did not even mention the Wyvern's blood first, but only casually spoke of the strength of a level-seven magical beast. The blond beauty, full of curiosity, naturally picked up the topic. A pair of sky-blue eyes blinked inquisitively at Lin Li as she asked why he had collected the Wyvern's blood at the end.

  With the half a bottle of Wyvern's blood as a conversation starter, there were just too many topics to choose and continue from. He had heard many anecdotes from Andoine back when he had to face him all day long. Now it was easy using them to lead young girls on.

  In addition, Lin Li was also eloquent, and he told the stories with fine sense of humor. Occasionally, when it came to professional knowledge, he appeared profound and authoritative. Even Andoine had little to say in front of him, let alone Ina, an adventurer who only knew how to fight magical beasts.

  A mage who was powerful yet mysterious, humorous and witty, yet possessed extensive knowledge was a total lady-killer in front of a young girl who was just beginning to think of love.

  The blond beauty walked with her head down along the forest path, listening to the interesting stories and feeling the manly aura coming from the young mage. For reasons unknown to her, she suddenly felt her face burn.

  Both of them were chatting merrily and had not noticed the other mage turning pale.

  Cromwell felt as if he was being cut by a knife.

  When he had first met Ina at the Adventurers Guild, he was smitten by this blond lady with a pair of s
lender legs.

  The untamed beauty exuded by Ina had a near-fatal attraction for Cromwell, who was born into a mage family.

  Cromwell had used all kinds of means to win the heart of this long-legged beauty.

  This time, he even went with her into the Sunset Mountains to prove this way that he was equally reliable!

  Cromwell felt that he was nearing success.

  If it had not been for Lin Li's appearance, he would have been the one to save the father and daughter pair.

  What irked Cromwell the most was that the sudden appearance of this mage seemed to have posed some kind of threat to him.

  Ina had never laughed so brightly when she was talking to him.

  Cromwell could not understand how that abject-looking mage could be better than him in any way.

  He was born into the most prominent mage family in the Felan Kingdom, and his father was someone who had a say in the Mage Association. His family was strikingly rich with the acc.u.mulation of over thousand years of wealth after the Dark Ages, and his uncle Fario had held the position of the Minister of Wealth in the kingdom all along.

  What did the mage Felic have? Other than being slightly younger than Cromwell, he could not even afford a decent mage robe.

  This person had to disappear! Cromwell stared after Lin Li's back and sneered.

  The party of four set off in the direction of Jarrosus City, each carrying their own secrets.

  They had walked into another dense woods before the sun set. According to McGrenn, as long as they passed through this forest and walked a little farther, they would be able to see Jarrosus City.

  "It'll be impossible to reach it tonight, we'll just have to make do with whatever we have nearby." McGrenn led them forward. Very soon, they found a cave.

  The cave was not too deep. It took just a torch to illuminate it whole. The stone walls were exceptionally dry, and traces of bonfire could be found on the ground. It seemed that it was not just McGrenn who'd ever wanted to spend the night in this cave.

  "This is the place I've mentioned earlier. Everyone can rest at ease for the night. I have stayed here for a dozen times, and not once have I encountered any danger." McGrenn skillfully lit up a bonfire and instructed the long-legged beauty beside him, "Ina, there is a water source in the north of the forest, about two to three hundred meters away from here. Take the water bag and fetch some water back."

  "Yes, Father."

  Cromwell could hardly sit still upon seeing the long-legged beauty go out of the cave. He stood hastily and said, "I'll go with you…"

  Lin Li noted that the expression of the middle-aged adventurer did not seem too good after Cromwell had chased out of the cave. Of course, he would not ask about this sort of thing; instead, he smiled and went back to warm himself by the fire.

  "Mr Felic…"

  "Just call me Felic, it will do…" Lin Li was rather troubled. He had mentioned it several times on the way, but McGrenn still insisted on calling him with honorifics.

  "Alright. Felic, is this your first visit to Jarrosus City?"

  "I guess so," Lin Li answered vaguely. "Some fellow had told me to go to Jarrosus City to look for someone…"

  "Do you need any help? My family has been living in Jarrosus City for decades. It would not be a difficult task to help you find someone," the middle-aged adventurer asked enthusiastically.

  "Won't have to trouble you for now. My friend has given me an address, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find…" Andoine had not really specified what the Mage Association was like. Lin Li was afraid it might be a secret organization—what would he do if they decided to kill him for bringing McGrenn along?

  "After we have reached Jarrosus City, feel free to contact me if you require any form of help. If it hadn't been for you, my daughter and I would most likely have been…" McGrenn was immensely grateful to Lin Li for his life-saving grace.

  The two men were chatting away when, suddenly, a scream broke out in the distance.

  "Something terrible has happened!" It was Ina's voice. McGrenn's expression changed as he grabbed the weapon beside him and dashed out of the cave.

  Lin Li did not tarry, either. He cast the Hastening Spell and followed after the middle-aged adventurer.

  Chapter 9 - Leviathan Gorilla

  The voice came from the direction of the water source McGrenn had mentioned before.

  The two men ran out of the cave back to back, just in time to see Cromwell sprinting back like a rabid dog.

  "Monster… monster… monster took… took Ina away!" Cromwell looked extremely wretched, his luxurious mage robe covered with mud and leaves as he gasped for breath between words.

  Lin Li could not help but shake his head seeing this.

  This fellow was indeed hopeless. It was no wonder McGrenn had looked displeased when he chased after Ina. If Lin Li had a daughter, he definitely would not want her to associate with a weakling like him, either…

  "What monster? Say it clearly!" McGrenn's eyes turned red with anxiety as it concerned his own daughter. He glared feverishly at Cromwell, his eyes void of the distant courtesy he had previously.

  "Just… just now… just now, when I went with Ina to fetch water, a monster suddenly emerged from the side! It… it… it took Ina…"

  "F*ck!" Lin Li dropped a swear and couldn't care less about the weakling anymore. He cast another Hastening Spell on himself and cut through the dense forest with the speed of wind.

  Behind the forest was a gentle stream, probably the water source that McGrenn had mentioned. Beside the stream, a water bag lay quietly on the fallen leaves. There was still some water in it, gurgling out onto the ground.

  Lin Li bent down and picked up the water bag. He put it by his ear and gave it a shake, promptly realizing it was still half full.

  "They shouldn't be too far away!"

  Then, he took a look at the footprints on the ground, which were all in a jumble. There were footprints of all sorts—big, small, deep, shallow. The small ones should have been left by Ina and Cromwell, but the big footprints made Lin Li gasp in surprise.

  "Leviathan Gorilla!" Lin Li believed what he saw. These were definitely the footprints of level-eight magical beast, the Leviathan Gorilla. Back when he was living in the mountains, he had seen them once or twice outside Andoine's cabin, only that old man would always make light of them as a couple of little ruffians looking for trouble that were driven away by him.

  Andoine could see them as little ruffians, but not Lin Li. Level-eight magical beast was no joking matter. Even in the Sunset Mountains, it was definitely in the middle of the food chain.

  But Lin Li heaved a sigh of relief when he identified it as the Leviathan Gorilla.

  If it were other magical beasts, Ina would probably be dead by now. It was only when encountering the Leviathan Gorilla that her life was not in danger for the time being. The Leviathan Gorillas were not so keen on killing like other savage magical beasts. Just as Andoine had said, they were just a bunch of troublemakers.

  "Ina should've been taken by a Leviathan Gorilla."

  "Leviathan Gorilla?"

  "An oddity in the Sunset Mountains, a magical beast that is not keen on killing. If I'm right, Ina should be crying now, but she's not in any danger for the time being." Lin Li stared at the cluttered footprints on the ground and added softly, "From the looks of the footprints, there should be only one Gorilla."

  McGrenn was slightly relieved to hear that the situation was not as bad as he had imagined.

  The two men paid heed to Cromwell no more as they began their search by following the footprints along the stream.

  Lin Li had guessed it right. Still far away, the two men heard Ina crying.

  The cries came from a dense forest. From afar, the trees in the dense forest seemed to be particularly tall and the leaves seemed to be of utmost luxuriance. Between the tall trees were bestrewn tenacious rattans, joined together to form what looked like a giant net.

  Lin Li had heard Ando
ine mention that this was the unique way of construction for the Leviathan Gorillas. They used the rattans to weave a giant net, which would cover wherever their territory expanded. To the Leviathan Gorilla, this giant net was both its nest and its most powerful weapon. With it, the Leviathan Gorilla could do many things that other high-level magical beasts could not.

  The long-legged beauty who was caught was currently being trapped in the giant net.

  "Go away! You monster… stay away from me!" Ina was struggling desperately in between her cries.

  The two men rushed forward upon hearing her.

  As soon as they were under the tree, they saw Ina being tied up in the giant net. The rattan was entwined in several layers, like a Chinese rice dumpling. The Leviathan Gorilla, which had somehow gotten a paintbrush from somewhere, was drawing circles on Ina's face as it made weird gaggling sounds of laughter.

  "F*ck!" Lin Li suddenly got a sense of what a freak this Leviathan Gorilla was. As a magical beast, it had caught a human not to tear or chew her apart, but to draw circles on her face with a brush. How was that not a freak?

  "Ina!" They were father and daughter after all; McGrenn was as anxious as ever watching Ina wailing from under the tree.

  He was so anxious he had forgotten there was a level-eight magical beast on the tree.

  "Father, be careful!" The long-legged beauty's shout had yet to settle when Lin Li heard a deafening sound followed by a muffled thud. McGrenn, who was just calling out his daughter's name, was knocked unconscious by a coconut that fell from the sky before he could avoid it.

  "Kakakaka!" The Leviathan Gorilla was greatly excited seeing the coconut fall onto the human. It cackled as it hopped around, and it even wiggled its bottom at the two men.

  "…" With McGrenn's experience as a lesson, Lin Li hurried to hide behind a tree in case that darned gorilla made another sneak attack with the coconut again.

  Just as he was about to lean behind the tree, he suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground; the next moment, his whole body was upside down.