Another World’s Versatile Crafting Master c1-1074

by Zhuang Bifan

  "…" Rowling really wanted to learn potion making. She studied medicine from an early age and had been instructed by a pharmacist. After her medical skills gradually became profound, she discovered that the problems which couldn't be solved with medical skills could actually be solved with a small bottle of a potion. But pharmacists in Anril were rare; even with Rowling's noble status, to learn potion making was a purely imaginary matter.

  … Until that day at Ina's place—after the ridiculous misunderstanding, she realized that the person she had misunderstood was actually the pharmacist she had been looking for all along. At that moment, Rowling had been utterly ashamed and regretful. She had been ashamed for she had almost killed her best friend's father, and regretful for she had let slip a pharmacist. Many times she had wanted to visit the Guild of Magic to apologize in person, but was held back by the hint of reserve in her heart.

  To think that she would see the young pharmacist again at her father's banquet two days later.

  This time, Rowling had abandoned her reserve. But the answer she got was "You're ill, and it's not mild…"

  The aggrievement in Rowling's heart that she could not express turned into glittering tears that swirled in her eyes before falling in drip drops on the red carpet.

  Chapter 53 - Rejection

  Walking in the splendid banquet hall, Lin Li suddenly felt a little amused at the situation. He had never expected the redheaded beauty to apologize to him out of the blue, and even more so to request to become his apprentice. From what Lin Li saw, this request was absolutely ridiculous to the core!

  To be honest, Lin Li was not a stingy person, and he definitely did not have the habit of thinking highly of his own doings. Otherwise, he would not have given Andoine his best guidance back in the Sunset Mountains. Strictly speaking, Andoine really had no talent in pharmaceutics. He was in his hundreds, yet he couldn't even remember the simplest potion formulas and was brash and clumsy when concocting the potions, blowing up the potion lab on every occasion.

  By comparison, Rowling, who was proficient in medicinal studies, was actually more suitable to become Lin Li's student. Medicinal studies and potion making had too much in common. Lin Li could even be sure that as long as he was willing to guide her with all his heart, Rowling, with her superior medical skills at such a young age, would be able to achieve good results in pharmaceutics within a year.

  However, Lin Li had no intention to teach her at all. What happened at McGrenn's house had left too bad an impression on him.

  Perhaps it was because his experiences were different. Lin Li had always felt that there was nothing more precious than life in this world. All lives should be respected; especially as a doctor, one should absolutely respect the patient's life.

  Lin Li was essentially an introvert who preferred to keep things to himself. Unless someone—like Cromwell, who repeatedly provoked him and even spat directly in his face—picked a fight with him, Lin Li would not show any extreme behavior in general.

  Lin Li could tolerate a lot of things, for example Rowling's self-righteous character.

  He could even understand that such character was a privilege of a beauty, not to mention that Rowling was the daughter of the Castellan.

  But she should never use this kind of self-righteousness on her patients. This was what Lin Li really could not tolerate. A self-righteous doctor, even if he mastered advanced pharmaceutics, would still be bringing lifelong misfortune and disaster to the patients.

  After having experienced this bizarre transmigration, Lin Li had become more mature, completely over the age of being disoriented with a woman's beauty. Besides, he was not the kind of person who couldn't walk at the sight of a beautiful woman from the start. Rowling might be attractive in other people's eyes, but in Lin Li's eyes, she was merely a quack who almost killed her patient.

  Rejecting a little redhead beauty was not much of a psychological burden to Lin Li at all…

  However, whether it was Lin Li who had breathed a sigh of relief or Rowling who was secretly weeping, none of them had noticed that the scenario at the secluded corner had fallen into the eyes of a young man.

  "Mr Anthony, do you know this mage?" The young man looked to be in his twenties. He had a handsome, fair face and gorgeous blond hair, dazzling like sunshine under the crystal chandeliers. He wore a well-tailored dress suit, which, judging from the fine craftsmanship, had been made by a famous designer. He had no other accessories—except for a ruby ring on the fourth finger of his right hand.

  He'd merely held out his right hand and pointed pettily at Lin Li. The ruby reflected a pure and dazzling light under the crystal chandeliers.

  "Looks a little unfamiliar, but he came with Mage Kevin, so he should be his attendant or apprentice of sorts…" Although he did not know the true identity of this young man, Anthony had maintained a respectful attitude throughout the conversation. This young man was introduced by the Castellan, who said that he had come from the capital of Felan Kingdom. From the way they talked and behaved, Anthony could clearly see that they were in no ordinary relationship.

  Since the rise of the Guild of Magic, the Rolin Family had shown signs of declining. Seeing that he had been pushed to the border of the 11 mage families, and even the thief leader dared to compete with him fo the Arcane Magic Potion at the auction, Anthony had watched with an anxious heart. He had attended the banquet meaning to claim a relationship with the Castellan. In addition, when he heard that the young man had come from the capital, Anthony's speech and manners were all the more flattering and enthusiastic…

  It was a pity that the Castellan had divulged too little information, and the young man was so secretive about his origins that, so far, Anthony only knew his name was Bathrilor, from the capital city Alanna of the Felan Kingdom.

  "Is it…" Bathrilor nodded and did not question further. He excused himself and walked to Lin Li with a glass of red wine in his hand.

  "Don't you think you should apologize to Miss Rowling?"

  "Ah?" Lin Li was distracted with his own thoughts when he suddenly heard someone talking to him. From the voice, it seemed to be coming from a stranger. Lin Li turned around in doubt, only to see a handsome young man standing in front of him, carrying an expression that Lin Li didn't like…

  It was an undisguised sense of superiority, just like how when Cromwell had told him "the Merlin Family does have a say in the Guild of Magic"…

  "Do I know you?" Lin Li had always detested the idea of superiority, so it was natural that there was no politeness in his words. He merely took a glance at Bathrilor from the corner of his eyes. It looked like he was looking at some thing or a mass of air.

  "You don't have to know me." Bathrilor's expression was still full of superiority. "Of course, you're not qualified to know me as well. A small mage like you should feel utterly honored to be able to step foot in this banquet hall. Why do you not know what is self-respect? Did you not look in the mirror to see what your status is before you pestered Miss Rowling?"

  "When did I pester her?" Lin Li's eyes widened with anxiousness at his words, and in his heart, he was filled with injustice. He'd like to ask Rowling: did I ever pester you?

  "You didn't pester Miss Rowling? Are you going to tell me that Miss Rowling was the one pestering you?" Bathrilor scoffed at Lin Li's excuse, and his handsome face was full of a disdainful smirk.

  "Duh!" Lin Li rolled his eyes and decided not to pay anymore attention to him. In his heart, he thought, This person might have some psychological issues, I should suggest he sees a doctor some other day…

  Chapter 54 - Infuriation

  "Stop there! You're leaving after offending Miss Rowling?" Bathrilor was filled with just anger, and stretched out his hand to block Lin Li who was ready to leave.

  "Mr I-am-not-qualified-to-know-who, can you tell me in simple terms what you want to do…?" Lin Li asked in a faint voice. He was about to be driven crazy by this fellow. He didn't even know where the fellow came from, what he wante
d to do, nor even what his name was. However, he had been accused of pestering and offending Rowling. Lin Li couldn't understand at all; even if he did pester and offend Rowling, did it even have anything to do with him?

  "This is Castellan Isaac's banquet, I don't want to blow things up. But I would advise you to apologize to Miss Rowling immediately!"

  "…" The other party's pertinacious behavior rankled Lin Li, and his expression turned cold. "What if I don't apologize?"

  "You'll know then…" The undisguised sense of superiority seemed to return in Bathrilor's smile. "You might get beaten up and then thrown out of this banquet. You might even get kicked out of the Guild of Magic. I think your master, Mage Kevin, would not choose to fall out with Castellan Isaac for an attendant…"

  Lin Li listened agape to all sorts of horrible ends supposedly waiting for him. Could this be the legendary genius? He could speculate so many things with only a few tears from the redheaded beauty and even came up with all kinds of horrible repercussions. How strong an imagination was needed for all these? It would be a pity if this man did not change his profession to writing chivalric novels…

  "Have you thought it through?" Seeing Lin Li did not respond for a long while, Bathrilor looked even more pleased. He seemed to already see the other party's humiliating admission of guilt and the apology to Miss Rowling after being pushed by him…

  "I've thought it through. Simply put, if I don't apologize, I would be very, very miserable…" Lin Li nodded earnestly. He had indeed thought it through carefully. "But after thinking through, I've still decided not to."

  Lin Li turned around to leave after tossing the words out. He was really reluctant to be near a wacko.

  "You!" Bathrilor's expression froze; that high and mighty smile turned hideous at once. Lin Li's words were like a slap, smacking severely on his face. Bathrilor, who lived in prosperity all his life, had never been so discomfited before. After a brief stupor, anger instantly engulfed his reason.

  Bathrilor raised his right hand forcefully and the ruby inlaid on the ring gleamed with red light.

  Lin Li had just taken six or seven steps when he suddenly felt a violent distortion of the magical elements around him. Almost subconsciously, he felt something was wrong. But it was too late to react, so he only managed to put up an Elemental Shield.

  Then, he saw a flash of light on the ruby, and dazzling flames spread out like fire dragons rushing forth, or like a giant flaming web descending from the sky.

  "Bathrilor, stop!" Isaac was talking in a low voice with a middle-aged man. Who knew that when he looked up, he'd witness this horrifying scene. At that instant, Isaac was crushed. That was the treasure of the Guild of Magic. If anything happened to him at the banquet, that convenient uncle Gerian would probably tear down his Castellan Mansion…

  But Isaac's shriek came too late.

  At the moment he opened his mouth, dozens of fire dragons crashed into the Elemental Shield.

  "Boom!" An awful rumbling was heard in the banquet hall.

  A blaze of fire spattered and countless sparks fell on the thick carpet, burning black dots on it. Under the blast of the two magic waves, the tables and chairs were thrown upside down and a dozen white napkins danced around under the crystal chandeliers. Several guests who were closer were pushed to the ground by the blast.

  In that instant, everyone was dumbfounded.

  … Including Isaac—the Castellan of Jarrosus City watched the spattering sparks, his eyes full of despair. He held out his hand and pointed at Bathrilor, wanting to scold him, but found himself speechless. With a complex expression, he sighed and slowly lowered his outstretched hand.

  Rowling, who was weeping like a pear blossom bathed in rain in the secluded corner, had also witnessed the gripping scene. In the light of the spattering blaze, Rowling's tear-streaked pretty face was filled with horror and despair. Her ruddy lips slightly opened, but she felt something being blocked in her heart. At this moment, she was actually worried about the young mage…

  And almost at the same time, Kevin dropped the wine glass in his hands and lunged to the side like crazy.

  "Why, Uncle Isaac?" Bathrilor seemed to be satisfied with his strike. He leisurely removed a napkin from his head and clapped his hands, displaying a relaxed smile on his face. But when he turned around, he saw Isaac standing there with an ashen face, and couldn't help but feel puzzled by it.

  "Clap…!" What awaited him was a solid slap in the face. Isaac lost his usual grace in his fury.

  "Un… Uncle Isaac… Why did you hit me?" The slap had Bathrilor stumbling a few steps back. He covered his left cheek with his hand and his expression was glazed.

  Isaac was trembling with rage. "Do you know what you have done?"

  "What have I done? Isn't it just a small little mage? If Uncle Isaac feels that it's a pity, I'll have someone send you 20 mages tomorrow." Bathrilor had never been slapped in public before. Isaac had slapped him now, and although he did not dare to confront him, his tone was more or less resentful.

  "20 mages? Hahaha…" Isaac laughed in anger. "You're so generous. Unfortunately, not to mention 20, even if it's 50, it wouldn't be comparable to a strand of his hair. Forget it, do what you wish. I wash my hands off this. Besides, even if I wanted to help, I have no control over this as well. You write your own letter to your father, hopefully it's not too late before Gerian returns…"

  Chapter 55 - Flames of Fury

  "There's no need to wait for Gerian to come back. I can deal with it on my own." Lin Li, who was undoubtedly dead in the eyes of everyone, turned over and stood up from the carpet.

  "What I detest the most is someone sneaking in an attack from behind." Lin Li's eyes were fixed on Bathrilor, but on his hand he had already produced a handprint. Not waiting for the fl.u.s.tered Bathrilor to grasp what was going on, a shot of wind blade came whistling out. "Because I myself like to do it!"

  Bathrilor could not understand at all how this person came to still be alive. Unfortunately, there wasn't time for him to ponder. Lin Li lifted his right hand and the wind blade raked over his hand. A "tchh" sound was heard and Bathrilor felt his hand tingle at once.

  It was followed by a spatter of blood. Bathrilor's ring finger was severed by the blade and landed on the carpet with a few rounds of rolling. The ruby, now stained with blood, emitted an unearthly glow under the crystal chandeliers…

  Lin Li was unwilling to stop after that shot of wind blade. An icicle was formed on each of his hands; the crowd heard a swish, and two long, thin icicles tore through the air.

  The speed of Lin Li casting a spell was too fast. Before the crowd could react, Bathrilor let out another scream yet again. The two slender, razor-sharp icicles pierced through Bathrilor's palms, and in an instant, fresh blood poured out and drenched the thick carpet red.

  The bloody scene fell into the eyes of the guests and at once triggered screams of horror. Isaac looked at Lin Li with a complex expression on his face. This was the first time he saw Lin Li infuriated, and it was also only now that he realized this seemingly harmless young mage in fact had a violent and cruel side to him.

  Bathrilor's shrieks echoed in the banquet hall for a long time. The voice sounded like a wounded beast, full of malice and despair.

  "Mage Felic…" Isaac tried to mediate for Bathrilor, but when he was about to speak, he heard a low rumble of recitation from Lin Li.

  The Castellan's heart tightened when he heard it. He had not once heard Lin Li recite any spell when he had unleashed that awfully fast shot of wind blade and the two tyrannical icicles. At this point, he suddenly recited a spell. Then, the spell that he was about to release, wasn't it…

  The magical elements around distorted madly. A flame was blazing atop Lin Li's hands.

  The searing breath was higher with every wave, and no one among the guests dared to take a step forward.

  Bathrilor's hands were bleeding profusely, but his eyes were filled with fear and despair. He had never expected he'd die
in a small place like Jarrosus. He did not even expect the abject-looking young mage to be so terrifying, not giving him a chance to repent at all and intending to kill him once he started his attacks.

  "Boom!" Countless fire dragons roared past as the last spell fell. Compared to Bathrilor's ruby ring, the fire dragons summoned by Lin Li were greater in number and strength, like a torrential flame that was about to devour Bathrilor completely.

  It had happened too fast for Isaac to stop. His heart sank and he felt hopeless like dying embers.

  "Boom, boom, boom…" In an instant, only muffled explosions could be heard without end. Under the collisions of countless fire dragons, the blistering fire elements raged wildly and the whole hall was bathed in a scorching atmosphere. Before Bathrilor's desperate eyes, numerous fire dragons swarmed up and swallowed him whole in a flash.

  The banquet hall was alarmingly quiet. Other than the bursts of muffled explosions, there was no other sound at all.

  Everyone stared at the flame in a daze, their hearts filled with shock. The young mage, who looked no more than 20 years old, had demonstrated strength that was infinitely close to that of a magic shooter. They were all rather curious—since when was there such a young genius in Jarrosus City besides Kevin and Cromwell?

  Of course, there were those with a keen mind. From a strength that was infinitely close to that of a magic shooter and an age below 20, they associated it with the rumor that was recently raging in Jarrosus City…

  In that moment, those with keen minds were astounded by their own guess.

  If their guesses were correct, the abject-looking young mage in front of them was currently the most legendary figure in Jarrosus City—the hope for the revival of the Guild of Magic, the potion master below the age of 20, the one who had single-handedly facilitated the million gold coins auction, and the one who, after having triggered the battle between the most powerful mages, was wrapped up in rumors but rarely appeared in public—Mage Felic!