by Zhuang Bifan
The ear-splitting shriek echoed in the wilderness, while fresh red blood spilled on the soft ground…
Seeing how his enemy suffered massively from his Ground-Piercing Spell, Orrin did not spare it any time to recover. Without hesitation, he threw a few wind blades towards it from different directions. Although he was not as skillful as Lin Li when it came to the lower-grade magic, there were no faults in terms of his accuracy and impact generated.
Although it had the strength of a level-12 magical beast, the cruel force of the Ground-Piercing Spell was so ruthless that it crushed multiple bones with just one strike. Those bones not only tore through its soft and vulnerable abdomen, but also penetrated its viscera. With such grave injuries, the Fantama Panthera could only succ.u.mb to the lower-grade magic.
Each of the two consecutive shots of wind blades struck at the two front paws of the Fantama Panthera.
At that instance, what followed was another splatter of fresh blood.
"Arwooooo…" The Fantama Panthera howled in rage. The cry was so piercing that it felt like needles to the ears.
Subsequently, a wave of repressed magical elements rose up, and the surroundings darkened at once. The blackness cast by the Fantama Panthera's Obscurus Spell covered a distance of at least 10 meters.
"SH*T!" Lin Li was startled when he realized the leopard's ability to cast the Obscurus Spell. It was a considerably powerful spell in the field of Dark Magic.
Beasts like the Fantama Panthera were born with a certain amount of Dark Magic. The exact amount of Dark Magic, however, would be decided by nature. Taking the beast in front of Orrin for example, it could well be deemed a prodigy of the Fantama Panthera species.
Being surrounded by the Obscurus Spell, Orrin's recital started to become intermittent. His previously almighty magical wave also started to weaken greatly.
The Fantama Panthera that was still in dire straits not long ago started to recover under the Obscurus Spell. In the blink of an eye, its ribs that were crushed by the Stone Spear grew back, and the torn abdomen also healed gradually.
At that moment, everyone could see a shadow moving swiftly in the dark. Just like a wandering ghost of the night, its body carried a stench of blood.
Orrin did not cease his recital. There was no hint of fear on his ashen face, and the glow of determination and concentration remained in his eyes.
The distance between both of them pulled closer. Then, the Fantama Panthera leapt towards him with its bright and blue poisonous claws…
…
Chapter 108 - The Invincible Lucky Star
Orrin's spell recitation became faster and faster. The surging magical elements were frantically trying to break from the spell. It was like flood waters rushing against a dam.
This was a real gamble as Orrin was wagering his life against a level-12 magical beast.
At this instance, everybody's hearts were held in suspense. They watched Orrin chanting his spell recitation hastily while the Fantama Panthera rushed towards him like an arrow.
The Fantama Panthera would turn into ashes if he were victorious.
Should he lose, his c.h.e.s.t would be torn apart by sharp claws.
Yet at this point, the levitating Macklin raised his magic staff.
And then… this gamble was brazenly halted by him.
Two blue water curtains, one each for the human and the leopard.
Within the rippling lights of the curtain, time seemed to stand still.
The leopard that lept up was weirdly stuck in the air. There was a blue flicker on the razor-sharp claws, and its deep red eyes were sluggish. Orrin held tightly onto the magic staff, and opened his mouth slightly. It seemed as though he was about to recite a portion of the spell, but the boiling magical elements appeared to have suddenly solidified, and the last phrase of the spell was stuck frozen in Orrin's throat.
Lin Li and Mason, who were standing far away, looked at Macklin in a daze.
Only at this point did they finally understand that this man with a goat-like beard was stronger than they had imagined him to be.
The blue curtains were actually a legendary level-19 spell, Shadow Prison!
What was the concept behind level-19…
With just a step forward, he could have entered the Legendary Realm.
Lin Li finally understood why he could not decipher the old man's magic level as well as his ability to see through the mana concealment potion with just a single look.
The gap between level-12 and 19 was too vast…
No matter how focused Lin Li was, he was not able to see through a mage that was close to the legendary-level. This had nothing to do with mental strength; it was purely an issue of suppression due to levels. For example, even if you were to give a child a hundred viagra pills, he would not be able to do anything as well. It was nothing more but the lack of prerequisites.
From the start, Lin Li already knew the man with a goat-like beard was formidable.
But Lin Li did not imagine that he was almost as strong as Old Grimm.
Old Grimm was a monster that could humiliate Lin Li, a level-12 magic shooter, with a strength less than that of a Magic Shooter.
Immediately, both Mason and Lin Li looked at Macklin with complicated feelings.
"Not bad." The old man with a goat-like beard nodded his head slightly with an approving look in his eyes. "You are stronger than that fool."
Following those words from Macklin, the blue water curtains disappeared in the air with a "poof" like a popped bubble. Orrin was released from the hold of Shadow Prison. His pale face was emotionless; he just stood there and listened.
"But, you are only slightly stronger…" Once the old man finished speaking, he stared at Orrin in a slightly angry manner. "You thought of dying together with a magical beast, you're really promising…"
"It would have died." Orrin's tone was firm, as though the issue was obvious.
"Would have died?" Macklin was so furious that his goat-like beard sprang up. "Even I am not confident in situations like that. What makes you so sure?"
"I only believe in my own strength."
"Such laughable belief!" The old man was almost driven mad by him. "You need to remember that you are a respected mage, not a damned magical beast. Your mentor and guild have spent a lot of effort on raising you. Go ahead and ask them if they are willing to trade your life for a level-12 magical beast. You would be lucky if they didn't give you two tight slaps. So damn idiotic!"
In the midst of Macklin's angry howling, Orrin's pale face was emotionless. He just stood there quietly and listened.
"Forget it, I do not much have time to lecture you. Go think about it yourself." Orrin had no reaction at all even though Macklin gave him a scolding. This made the old man feel exasperated, and he turned around angrily, pointing his magic staff at Lin Li. "Now it's your turn, you cunning fella."
"…" Looking at how Orrin failed to take down the Fantama Panthera, Lin Li knew that he would not be able to escape this. After hearing how Macklin shouted, he did not say anything much, and braced himself to face the music.
"How embarrassing. Such a small black cat, yet both of you couldn't take it down. You'd better buck up, cunning fella."
"I'll try my best."
After Macklin finished his sentence, he released the Shadow Prison.
This time, he shortened the time given to Lin Li.
The distance between him and the leopard was not more than 10 meters. When the shadow prison was released, the Fantama Panthera rushed out instantaneously. The rage induced by Orrin previously was now being directed towards Lin Li. Amidst the roars, countless Dark Magic power pelted down. Under the Decaying Spell, the surrounding soil started to simmer like a restless swamp.
Lin Li was calm; he cast Feather Fall on himself.
The effect of this low-level spell would not allow him to levitate like Macklin, but it was more than sufficient to deal with this swamp. Concurrently, an icicle whistled through. The reason as to
why icicles were so ruthless was because it had the combined effect of a magical and physical attack. Even if it were a level-12 Fantama Panthera, it would have to dodge when facing the icicle.
"Howl!" With a flick of its tail, the Fantama Panthera became a black blur, and twisted in an arc. It dodged the incoming icicle; it followed with a kick from its legs, once again charging towards at Lin Li at an even faster pace.
However, Lin Li seemed to be oblivious towards it, and continued reciting the spell.
At the instance when the Fantama Panthera leaped, Lin Li had also finished reciting the Spell of Frost.
However, his target wasn't the incoming Fantama Panthera, but the area in front of him that had decayed.
After that, a gust of frozen air above the soft soil started to form layers of ice at lightning speed.
Orrin's pale face had a faint look of uncertainty, whereas Mason was anxious and nervous, tightly clenching his fists.
Both of them could not discern what Lin Li was trying to do.
The sharp claws of the Fantama Panthera were before his eyes, yet this level-7 mage only used a single Spell of Frost, which has failed, striking the decayed land instead of the Fantama Panthera.
"Swish!"
Before Mason and Orrin could understand it, both of them heard a sound, and saw that the Fantama Panthera had collapsed.
Their eyes seemed to have widened simultaneously.
A strong level-12 magical beast had actually slipped.
This slip was pretty serious due to the speed of the Fantama Panthera. It almost caused its innards to spill out. It slipped quite a distance on the ice before striking a tree with a thud.
"I'll be damned, how lucky…" Mason looked on with admiration. The luck of this kid was too good. It was supposed to be a failed Spell of Frost, but by some freak accident, it became a trap. It had managed to cause a level-12 magical beast to slip. Such an achievement was not something that he, a level-9 mage, had experienced before.
This fall was indeed a serious one. Even if it was the muscular body of a level-12 beast, it could barely withstand it. When the Fantama Panthera stood up under the tree, there was a trail of blood trickling from its mouth. This was the second massive impact it had received within a day. It evoked all of its ferocity, and its deep red eyes were filled with madness.
"Quickly, Mana Retroaction!" Mason became extremely anxious while watching.
However, he was too late. As soon as Mason's voice settled, some skeletal arms tore apart the soft soil, and suddenly appeared from the ground. Lin Li's legs were immediately filled with wounds due to the attack of these skeleton arms. He raised his magic staff while fleeing in panic.
After that, Mason saw this guy releasing Mana Retroaction.
"Are you for real…" Mason felt like dropping dead. Everybody had been releasing magic for half the day, and only now did he remembered to use Mana Retroaction? He really wanted to ask that fella if he dared to be any slower.
Just when Mason's face was as white as a sheet, he suddenly realized that the mana of the Fantama Panthera had been sealed. This also meant that the Mana Retroaction that was cast late had really sealed a spell.
"Damn!"
Mason almost jumped when he saw it. The Fantama Panthera's dark magic was all outbursting. It was challenging to reverse the instantaneous outburst of magic. He was only trying his luck when he shouted just now. Yet, under some freak chance, this guy actually managed to retroact the mana. What… what kind of luck is this?
At this instance, Lin Li had already escaped the dense skeletal arms, and stood on top of the layers of ice.
Once both his feet were on the ice, Lin Li cast the Delaying Spell.
If it were a normal Fantama Panthera, it would not be wary of the Delaying Spell. With just a Blood Rage, it could reach frightening speeds. The leopard currently could not do anything as its mana had been sealed, leaving it only physical strength. The Obscurus Spell and Blood Rage had all become nothing but an illusion. It could but stare helplessly at the enemy reciting spells on top of the ice.
Countless fire dragons flew out, and everyone heard a loud blast. The bright flare devoured the Fantama Panthera.
"Boom!"
Numerous fire flares sprang about instantaneously. It was as splendid as fireworks in the night sky when looked at from afar.
And then… everything became quiet.
Mason was dumbfounded, and stared at Lin Li who was on top of the ice. Only now did he start to use his wind blade to cut away at the skeletal arms that had appeared from the ground.
"I… I'll be damned." Mason could only use this sentence to describe how he felt.
First, it was a random Spell of Frost, and then it was followed by a coincidental Mana Retroaction.
When both were combined together, it created a fantastic leapfrog victory…
A level-7 mage had killed a level-12 Fantama Panthera. Mason did not know how to describe such luck. Is it the Invincible Lucky Star?
"Nicely done!" Macklin praised him generously while still Mason could not understand the battle at all. Macklin was an archmage nearing the Legendary-level, so how could he, just like Mason, attribute everything to luck?
Adept skill casting, a finesse grasp on timing as well as being a born combat genius. This level-7 mage was indeed the most cunning one out of the three.
It was especially so for that last Mana Retroaction. It was a definitely a classic example worthy to be used as a teaching material.
What was the concept behind retroaction and outburst spells?
Even though he was bordering the strength of a legendary-level, he only had a success rate of five or six out of ten tries. Looking at the calm and composed expression of this fella, he was in a stable state of mind. He'd already known that he would be able to retroact that Obscurus Spell.
Macklin felt that such a success rate was incredible.
His heart was filled with curiosity, and he wondered who this fella's master was. It was definitely not Gerian—his strength was pretty good, but not to this stage. He would not be able to produce such students. Other than Gerian, who else could be so powerful within Jarrosus' Guild of Magic? Andoine… Definitely not, that old man hid at the Pharmacists Guild every day. He hardly visited Jarrosus in the last eight or ten years, so how would he have the time to teach this fella?
"Sh*t, I will dig out this person one of these days…"
Macklin could not have imagined that this fella not only had the guidance of Andoine, but had also been training with another legendary mage, Grimm Burnside, for almost half a month.
"I consider that you have completed the first mission. Follow me back to the Guild of Magic. I will ponder which missions I will assign to you…"
Chapter 109 - A Mishap
"We'll rest this afternoon."
They returned to the Guild of Magic in a row of four. After that announcement, Macklin went to look for Aldwin straight away.
Frankly, he was delighted with the performance of these three in the afternoon. Except for the slightly stupid Mason, the other two were definitely rarely found geniuses, especially that brat Felic. That mana retroaction could only be described as breathtaking. Macklin had never seen someone attain such proficiency at this age.
He had to consult Aldwin…
Once Macklin left, Orrin went into the meditation room alone, while Mason proposed to shop in Alanna.
Lin Li glanced at the sky, and thought of his appointment with the toothless adventurer. Hence, he had no choice but to reject Mason's invitation.
Initially, he wanted to ask Sean to come along as he decided to take this opportunity to buy some clothes for Sean. However, after searching for him in the guild, Sean could not be found. In the end, Lin Li had no choice but to leave the Guild of Magic, and walked along the prosperous streets towards the Adventurers Guild.
Compared to the remote Jarrosus, Alanna felt like another world.
Even the people visiting the Adventurers Guild were ve
ry different from those in Jarrosus.
In the Jarrosus Adventurers Guild, a level-6 warrior like McGrenn was considered to be pretty good.
After walking into Alanna's Adventurers Guild, Lin Li kept seeing multiple adventurers that were close to level-10. Even one of the thieves was already at level-12!
After all, it was in the afternoon, and it was the time when the Adventurers Guild is the emptiest.
At this time, the missions had just been updated, and most of the people were busy killing magical beasts. Except for those who were unlucky enough not to have a task, nobody would be so free to waste their time in the guild hall.
If he could see a level-12 thief at this time, would it not be possible to see a level-15 and above adventurer should he come at the time when the missions were updated?
After circ.u.mventing the guild hall once, he did not see the toothless warrior called Hank.
Lin Li felt uncertain. From what he had been saying, this guy wanted to pull him into Silver Hand. With such an excellent opportunity today, how could he not appear? Could he have been delayed by some issues?
As it was still early, Lin Li was not anxious.
He casually found a seat and waited patiently.
Who knew that this wait would last for almost two hours.
While waiting till the afternoon, Lin Li finally saw him hurriedly walk into the guild hall.
"Mr. Felic!" Hank saw Lin Li from a distance after just entering the hall.
Lin Li was about to reply, but he suddenly felt something was not right. This guy seemed to be injured—his right hand was covered in bandages, its surface slightly immersed in a circle of bright red.
"Are you injured?"
"Small wound, it will not get in the way…" Hank laughed, and did not bother about the injury on his hand. He only looked around anxiously, and then carefully asked, "Oh, yes, Mr. Felic, where is your warrior companion?"
"Warrior companion?" Lin Li was stupefied for a moment, and then he realized Hank should be referring to Sean. "Oh… he had something else to do, and did not come with me."
"Oh…" Hank nodded, and did not ask more about Sean.
