by Zhuang Bifan
"Damn!" Lin Li had not expected there to be a hidden rattan underneath the tree where he was hiding. One end of the rattan was tied into a slipknot, while the other was in the hands of the Leviathan Gorilla. It only took the darned gorilla one pull and Lin Li was caught.
But Lin Li reacted fast as well. He was ascending in the air at full speed, yet he was exceptionally calm. There wasn't any recitation of spell; with only a peculiar hand gesture, the sound of a wind blade piercing the air was heard.
He had managed to cut off the insidious rattan with the wind blade spell. At the same time, he cast another Feather Fall Spell on himself, and with that, Lin Li escaped from the trap at last. But what followed was another coconut volley.
Who knew where the darned gorilla got the coconuts from—at least hundreds of them came smashing down in a mess.
Lin Li was racked by the barrage.
The Leviathan Gorilla was a real level-eight magical beast. A smash with a coconut thrown from its hand had knocked out even a warrior like McGrenn, not to mention Lin Li who was in no sense strong.
Lin Li felt as if he was being shot by a cannonball every time a coconut landed on his body.
It was just too rough. The coconuts smashed down one after another, such that Lin Li could not even hold his head up.
There were some opportunities in between for Lin Li to fight back, be it that two shots of wind blade or a few shots of icicles. But all these spells had mostly landed on the tough rattan.
The Leviathan Gorilla controlled the giant net like it was a flexible arm. Most of the spells were actually blocked in the midst of twists and turns.
Even if there were one or two spells that had gotten through the giant web and hit the Leviathan Gorilla, it was difficult to do any real damage to it.
The resistance ability of a level-eight magical beast was poles apart from that of a Manticore. For Lin Li, the effects of these spells would only provoke the Leviathan Gorilla's rage, causing it to smash the coconuts on him a little harder.
Those numerous shots of wind blades and icicles would probably exhaust the mana of another mage. Only a freak with a serious abnormality of mental strength like Lin Li could persist under the rain of coconuts.
However, even Lin Li was starting to lose heart in this situation.
Chapter 10 - Frost
The strength of level-eight magical beasts was just too powerful. It was luck that they had encountered the Leviathan Gorilla, an oddity. If it had been other brutal and savage level-eight magical beasts, he would probably have been torn to pieces by now.
By the time Lin Li had recovered his breath from the shower of coconuts, he was already covered in patches of black and blue, like a person applying various dyestuff on the body as a part of performance art.
"F*ck you darned gorilla…" Lin Li hid behind a tree, panting heavily as he desperately tried to come up with a plan.
This darned gorilla was an absolute freak. It was a level-eight magical beast, and it had reached a frightening degree in both speed and strength. Moreover, it was fighting on its home ground. The giant net was like an impenetrable defense; even the razor-sharp wind blades couldn't sever the rattans.
This was really killing him…
Lin Li had just caught his breath when the Leviathan Gorilla on the giant net began to cackle again. Lin Li looked up just in time to see another pile of coconuts this fiend had brought back. Lin Li was distressed at the sight. If he did not get rid of the giant net, he would really be killed by those coconuts today.
Hang on… Giant net?
Suddenly, an idea flashed across his mind, and he felt as if he had grasped something.
Just then, the Leviathan Gorilla launched a new round of attacks. This time, the coconut shower was more violent and brutal than before. The coconuts fell one after another, and although they did not hit Lin Li, they landed on the giant tree beside him with a loud crash.
Lin Li's scalp tingled upon hearing the sound.
"Let's do this!" There was no time for Lin Li to dwell on it in this situation—it didn't matter whether the idea would work or not, he had to do it no matter what.
Lin Li finally found an empty space amidst the coconut shower. He took a leap to the side and managed to hide behind a few giant trees. The trees here were lined together, forming an excellent area for concealment. At least for the time being, the Leviathan Gorilla's coconuts would not reach here.
After earning a temporary respite for himself, Lin Li dared not hesitate any longer. He opened up the Ring of Endless Storm and pulled out a bottle of blue potion.
It was a Clarity Potion made from the succus of ghostskin and leaves from the Wisdom Tree. It could greatly increase the scope of magic cast. Because Andoine had always objected to his excessive reliance on potions, he had only concocted three bottles. Lin Li's heart ached as he downed a bottle, for it meant he had one bottle less…
After he had finished the Recovery Potion, Lin Li glared menacingly at the giant net above him. "Darned gorilla, you've got guts!"
"Kakakaka!" The Leviathan Gorilla could not care less. After a fit of cackles, it resumed drawing on Ina's face with even more joy than before.
"I'll tear down your lousy net and see if you can still laugh!" It was the first time Lin Li took out his own staff from the Space Ring since leaving the log cabin. It was the only thing Andoine had gifted him—a magic staff embedded with the magical crystal of the Frost Troll. Lin Li had named it Winter.
Holding the Winter Staff in his hand, Lin Li felt a familiar rush of magical wave all over his body. A low yet lengthy recitation of spell sounded among the trees. The surrounding air's temperature seemed to drop to the freezing point in an instant with the abstruse and mysterious recitation. Ina stopped crying and stared down blankly at Lin Li as she took in the powerful magical force. Even the Leviathan Gorilla, which was in the giant net, had forgotten its weird cackles. The inborn instinct of a high-level magical beast had told it that it was in danger.
"Frost!" The last of the spell was broken by Lin Li, and the crystal at the tip of the staff glowed brilliantly. A wave of cold current radiated from Lin Li and swept through the giant net.
Wherever the cold current passed, a vast expanse of white could be seen. Under the frigid cold brought on by the Frost Spell, every rattan in the range was chilled to ice. The range wasn't wide, perhaps only a few dozen meters, but it was enough for Lin Li.
After the Frost Spell, he cast another Wind Blade Spell.
The target of this Wind Blade Spell wasn't the Leviathan Gorilla in the giant net, but the rattan that was frozen to ice.
"Snip!" The air was filled with ice flakes in the midst of jarring sounds.
All the moisture in the rattan was taken away after being frozen by the Frost Spell. Although the Wind Blade Spell couldn't cut through the tough rattan, it was more than enough to break ice.
After a dozen shots of wind blades, Lin Li had managed to carve a hole in the giant net.
The tiny hole grew in size as Lin Li continued to deliver the wind blades.
By the time the hopping, cackling gorilla realized something was wrong, it was already too late. The giant net had lost its balance and was collapsing; no matter how it jumped, it could not prevent the whole net from tearing.
"Wooo!" Finally, the Leviathan Gorilla fell head-first down the giant net amidst the screaming.
Falling with it was Ina, who was wrapped like a rice dumpling.
Lin Li caught Ina before she hit the ground before turning around to cast a Delaying Spell on the Leviathan Gorilla.
Without the giant net as a shield and a coconut in hand, the Leviathan Gorilla was no better than a toothless tiger.
"That'll teach you to laugh again!" Lin Li helped Ina loosen the restraints on her body, not forgetting to deliver the wind blades at the same time.
For most of the day, Lin Li had to suffer from the shower of coconuts. Now that he had gained the upper hand, he was done being polite with the Leviathan G
orilla. Dozens of wind blades were shot out with a swoosh, such that the darned gorilla couldn't even lift its head. The Wind Blade Spell was a low-level spell, but after breaking away from the restraint of the chant, it had become the most direct and effective mean of attack. Along with the support of an abnormal mental strength, the wind blades were like a river, flowing unceasingly…
Even a powerful level-eight magical beast could not withstand the terrifying cl.u.s.ter of wind blades. It could rely on its tough skin to resist a couple of shots, but with dozens of wind blades flying in the air, the quantitative change had led to a qualitative change—the Leviathan Gorilla's tough skin had become a joke.
Even the toughest of skin could not withstand the repeated cuts of countless wind blades.
"Wooo…" The cries were exceptionally tragic. Blood was seeping out endlessly from the wounds; in just the blink of an eye, the Leviathan Gorilla's fur was tainted red.
What made matters worse was that Lin Li also used the Delaying Spell in the midst of those wind blades from time to time. Under the constraint of the Delaying Spell, the Leviathan Gorilla was utterly tormented. It could not flee nor catch up with him, and if it stayed grounded, it'd be ripped by the wind blades.
A mighty level-eight magical beast beaten to the ground. Where did its previous arrogance go?
Chapter 11 - Ring and Canvas
Finally, the Leviathan Gorilla had given up all its dignity as a level-eight magical beast. Its cries were full of pleas for mercy; it hunched and bowed with hands folded in front, all but kneeling on the ground giving kowtows to Lin Li.
"This darned gorilla actually knows to surrender seeing that it can't win the fight?" It was an eye-opener for Lin Li. No wonder Andoine had said they were merely a bunch of troublemakers, drawing circles on faces if they won and begging for mercy on the floor if they lost. Was this really a level-eight magical beast?
Lin Li was rendered powerless facing a rascal like this.
Lin Li was naturally unwilling to let it off this easily. But it'd be meaningless to kill it as well. Lin Li racked his brains over and over, and felt as if his head was about to explode. The anger that stemmed from his frustration was instinctively released on the gorilla, and this time the guy did it without the wind blade. He pulled out a cane and began lashing, cursing as he did it. "This one's for the kidnapping and blackmailing! This one's for smashing me with the coconut! This one's for the queer laughter directed at me! Right… Where was I? Forget it, let's start all over… This one's for the kidnapping and blackmailing…
The incessant beatings raining down on the Leviathan Gorilla had it seeing stars. A mighty level-eight magical beast, when faced with the cane, did not even dare to shun it. Lin Li finally stopped the beating resentfully when his arms started to turn weak. The poor Leviathan Gorilla was beyond trampled, burying its head into the ground.
McGrenn and Ina watched, dumbfounded. They had formed some idea of Lin Li's abilities along the way and knew he was a powerful mage, but they had never imagined him to be this powerful. The scene of the infinite wind blades attacking made them feel as if they were in a dream.
McGrenn was considered a veteran adventurer and had come across many mages in his adventures, but he had never seen a mage as perverted as Lin Li. Just the wind blade earlier on was definitely denser than the Leviathan Gorilla's coconut barrage.
By the time Lin Li had the Leviathan Gorilla rolling on the floor from all the beatings, McGrenn and Ina had turned completely numb. From what they saw, this young mage was a total monster…
"Let's see if you dare to be arrogant again." It was only when Lin Li had been satisfied with the lashings that he cast away the cane in his hand. After taking a glance at his surroundings, he motioned at McGrenn and Ina for them to flee the scene.
But the action fell into the eyes of the Leviathan Gorilla, who thought he was going to come back with a different cane. After that fat beating it went through, the gorilla was scared out of its wits. No longer caring about feigning its death, it hastily bounced from the ground and sobbed while begging for forgiveness while pointing to a giant tree in the distance.
"What?"
"Wooo wooo!"
"Wooo? For what?" Lin Li kicked the Leviathan Gorilla in annoyance, his eyes following the direction its finger indicated. "Surely you didn't have a pretty Leviathan Gorilla hiding there, now preparing to offer her to me?"
"Woooo…"
"Do you not know something else other than sobbing?"
"Woooo…"
"…"
Lin Li couldn't stand this gorilla that only knew how to w.h.i.n.e, so he followed its lead to the giant tree for a look.
A thick layer of leaves lay under the giant tree; unlike the rotten leaves in the dense forest, the leaves here were unusually dry and crisp. Some even carried a tinge of green—apparently, someone had just plucked them from the tree.
Not waiting for an instruction from Lin Li, the Leviathan Gorilla swept the fallen leaves aside and revealed a huge and deep hole in the tree.
"Woah!" Lin Li glanced into the tree hole and suddenly felt that the darned gorilla was indeed a genius. It had turned the tree hole into a treasure c.h.e.s.t. What was in there included a weaponed armor covered in rust, glistening glass beads, a pile of colorful dyestuff, and even a canvas that was coated with mess.
After all the fuss, this rascal led him here, thinking it had some treasure to offer, but instead he was showed a pile of junk? Lin Li did not know if he should find it funny or feel angry.
He was about to turn and leave when he suddenly felt a faint spell of magic in that mess. This feeling was too familiar to Lin Li. Whether it was the Ring of Endless Storm in his hand, or the Robe of Wrath on his body, they were constantly transmitting a slight wave of magic inadvertently.
"There really is good stuff hidden here?" Lin Li was stunned. Something that could give off a faint spell of magic was definitely something that was not ordinary. Even the staff that old mage had given him was not qualified enough to do it.
Lin Li had no time to deal with the Leviathan Gorilla in his surprise. He bent over in a hurry and began choosing his pick in the tree hole.
His feeling was right. After tearing the colorful canvas away, Lin Li quickly found a ring among the pile of glass beads.
The color and l.u.s.ter of the ring looked rather dull. Though the materials used were unknown, its craftsmanship was delicate and sophisticated. Fine patterns swirled around a black diamond, like a myriad of stars surrounding the moon. The slight magical wave that he felt came from this black diamond.
Lin Li was instantly attracted to the diamond when he first laid eyes on the ring.
It was an almost instinctive intuition. Lin Li knew that this was definitely a powerful magical gear, at least comparable to the Robe of Wrath he was wearing.
"Alright… Since you're so sincere, then I shall gladly take it…" Lin Li patted the Leviathan Gorilla's head in a way that looked like he was teasing a child. He was in a fairly good mood, probably due to the acquisition of the ring, and the Leviathan Gorilla did not seem to look as repulsive as it had before.
"Kya kya kya!" The Leviathan Gorilla giggled, looking glad, though it was not known if it was because Lin Li had accepted the ring or because it could finally send the pestilence away.
Lin Li's mood was lifted with the acquisition of the magical equipment by chance. He had no further interest in making things difficult for the Leviathan Gorilla, so with a kick on its b.u.t.t, he said, "Scram!"
The Leviathan Gorilla seemed to have received an amnesty while being kicked, and dived into the depths of the forest with a puff.
Lin Li was about to leave after getting the ring when the colorful canvas caught his eyes.
Only then did Lin Li notice that, underneath the mess of dyes, there seemed to be something else.
Feeling somewhat puzzled, Lin Li picked up the canvas.
After a detailed examination of it, Lin Li realized there seemed to be some squ
iggly symbols on the canvas.
"The High Elves' print!" Lin Li was taken aback. Andoine had hidden a significant number of spellbooks in that small log cabin of his. Some of were written in the High Elves' print, but because Lin Li had just been exposed to magic and his foundation was not solid enough, Andoine had never allowed him to touch the stuff.
Lin Li could not understand the texts, but he knew at least that anything that had to do with the High Elves was definitely not something that was ordinary.
So, without any hesitation, he tucked the dirty canvas into his arms.
Cromwell was staring at the bonfire, dazed, when the three of them had returned to the cave.
"Ina!" The zealous mage was surprised seeing McGrenn and his daughter come back in one piece. The monster that had taken Ina was too powerful. It had the speed of lightning, sending him to the ground and snatching Ina away in the blink of an eye. Never had he expected the two of them to bring Ina back safely.
Thinking back to the terrifying monster, he was reminded of his earlier actions—he had fled in panic and left Ina to fend for herself.
For a moment, Cromwell felt his face burn as he stood rooted to the ground. It felt wrong to stand or sit; finally, Lin Li came to his rescue.
"It's late, everyone should rest early."
Chapter 12 - Jarrosus
The next day, the party of four arrived at Jarrosus City at noon.
"Felic, this is Jarrosus City." McGrenn was enthusiastically introducing the bustling city to Lin Li as they walked along the lively streets. "Not far ahead is the Adventurers Guild. I usually spend my time there when there are no quests. If you need any help, you can find me at the Emerald Tavern."
"Damn! This Jarrosus City is huge…" Being accustomed to the tall buildings in a metropolis, Lin Li felt a wave of novelty as he entered the exotic city. His eyes had not taken any rest at all as he followed behind McGrenn, busy with taking in his surroundings.
