Another World’s Versatile Crafting Master c1-1074

by Zhuang Bifan

  "Get dressed and follow me," Macklin said in an extremely calm manner. Yet, the words 'I am extremely furious' were clearly inscribed on his old face.

  The thought of it all made Macklin shudder in fury. He wanted to put up the front of a mentor, and make those three fellas wait for at least two hours. He even had his grand entrance and lines planned if they were to get impatient. He would chide, "Without this bit of patience, how are you able to endure the tedious magic training in the future? Sigh… you youngsters are too short-tempered…"

  Thus, Old Macklin had been reading in the library the entire morning. It was only lunchtime when he slowly strolled towards the hall.

  Who'd expect that the hall was empty—not even a shadow was present! The rage nearly burst his lungs…

  In his anger, Macklin dashed over, only to discover the three fellas all sound asleep.

  With his usual temper, he would have long slapped them with his magic powers.

  Who cared which Guild you were from? Just receive your due punishment.

  Unfortunately…

  Among the three who were asleep, there was one who was not punishable.

  This Sir was the hope of the Alanna Guild. The forging of magic equipment, the winning of the bet with the Adventurers Guild, the possibility of attaining the key to the Relic—it all depended on his mood.

  How would Macklin dare to offend such an individual?

  Even as he conversed with this man, he needed to weigh the tone of his speech. If he were to agitate him, where would the Guild of Magic find another middle-level Blacksmith like him?

  Punishment? Only a fool would do so…

  "Oh…" muttered Lin Li as he observed the facial expression of the old man. He did not dare to delay any further, and immediately wore the Robe of Wrath and took his Winter Staff with him.

  When he opened his door again, Macklin was already knocking on the doors of his two other roommates.

  This time, the old man was not as courteous as he treated Lin Li.

  Lin Li saw the old man raise his arm and send two majestic Arcane Missiles. This burst opened the doors of both men immediately.

  "Boom!"

  That loud noise reverberated in the house.

  "…" This unique way of knocking on the door brought Lin Li's memory back to Gerian, who lived in the city of Jarrosus.

  The two consecutive loud noises were as though two ferocious claps of thunder, and woke Orrin and Mason up in shock.

  "What's the matter… Did Matthias create a racket again?" exclaimed Mason as he dashed out of the room anxiously without even putting on his robes. Then… he saw the face of Macklin that was filled with fury.

  The old man shuddered so angrily that his mustache twitched. While glaring at Mason as though he was a monster planning to eat him up, he scolded, "How do you dare to ask me!"

  "Erm…" mumbled Mason in a dumbfounded manner.

  "I will deal with you later…" said Macklin in a lowered tone as he glared at Mason. He would keep his fuming temper at bay in front of the well-respected Blacksmith.

  "…" Macklin's threat caused Mason to tremble in fear.

  Darn it, I'm dead… What if that crazy old dude finds another Fantama Panthera to kill me…

  After threatening Mason, Orrin came out of his room.

  As compared to the two of them who were more unsettled, Orrin appeared to be more composed. Donned in a black robe, he was only taken aback slightly by the sight of Macklin. Orrin also apologized immediately, "I'm sorry Mr. Macklin, I'm late."

  This did not allay Macklin's disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. After scanning Orrin for quite a while, he squeezed some words out of his mouth.

  "Follow me!"

  Macklin was a man of words. He fulfilled his promise of punishing Mason.

  After leaving the Guild of Magic, the four people ventured into the Nightmare Mountains they were in the previous day.

  The Nightmare Mountains seemed more lively today. Throughout their journey, the four people met two other small groups from the Guild of Alanna, which were on a quest. It seemed that the Nightmare Mountains were a conducive environment to train young people. All of these mentors had selected this region to train their students.

  The road ahead was unusually rugged. Other than Macklin, who had attained the status of an Archmage, no one could use the Levitation Spell. The rest of the men ventured arduously with the Hastening Spell, which could only advance their speed slightly. They could only utilize the Feather Fall Spell to cushion themselves if they were to fall…

  Throughout the journey, they met numerous magical beasts. Although their power was on the basic level, the uneven terrain increased their struggles. For more than two hours, they had to be stopped by such battles along the way as they overcame the innumerable twists and turns along the way.

  "How good is it to be an Archmage…" Mason muttered as he stole a glance at Macklin. With the help of the Levitation Spell, the man gracefully glided towards him as though a carefree traveler. How envious Mason was!

  "What a fool!" Macklin bellowed as though he could see through Mason's mind with his pair of penetrating eyes. He levitated above Mason's head, and gave Mason a sidelong glance.

  "Instead of filling yourself up with envy, why don't you invest the same time to think about how to improve your skills? What's so special about the Levitation Spell? When you get to the Legendary Realm, the Power of Flight would enable you to surpass the speed of any Gryphon!" Macklin scolded him, full of loathing.

  "For real?"

  "Scram… I don't converse with fools," Macklin replied, not forgetting to give Mason a deadly glare. Then, he announced solemnly, "To be honest, other than this fool here, the two of you have more potential. Furthermore, the opponent yesterday was just a gentle kitten that had failed to pose any challenge to you. After much consideration, I have decided to increase the level of difficulty by just a tiny, little bit…

  "Do you see that jungle over there?" said Macklin as he pointed to a dense jungle ahead of them.

  "Yes."

  "Very good," said the old man as he nodded. Then, he fished out a map from his pocket, and instructed, "I hid an interesting object somewhere in that jungle. Your mission is to find it and come back to me."

  Chapter 120 - A Pack of Wolves

  "Oh, yes. Here's a friendly reminder," said Macklin casually as he passed the map to Lin Li. "I heard that there are some animals there which are not as friendly. You just have to be a little bit more careful inside… and there's nothing to worry about. Alright, keep the map well, and you are good to go!"

  "…" The expressions on the three's faces froze.

  Since the old man treated the lethal Fantama Panthera as a mere kitten, if he claimed that the animals there "are not as friendly", wouldn't that imply that the jungle was more deadly than it seemed?

  "Mr. M-Macklin, are you not entering the jungle with us?" Mason inquired meekly as he gazed at Macklin uneasily.

  "Nah…" said the old man as his mustache twitched, and he glared at Mason with a gloating expression. He continued guilt-tripping. "Look at my age… Why would you want these old bones to accompany you?"

  "…"

  Mason was at a loss for words. It was only just then that the old man utilized the Arcane Missile to burst the doors open; he also employed the Levitation Spell, and glided through the Nightmare Mountains with ease. Didn't he consider his old age? Why was it then that when they were about to enter the jungle, he suddenly cared about his age?

  "Hurry off. You only have an afternoon to complete the task. If you fail to get the object back to me before the sky darkens, heh…"

  How's that? thought Macklin as he remained silent, but his threatening tone had already caused Mason to break out in cold sweat. Mason regretted his act of lazing in bed that morning. Now that they had provoked this old pestilence, they knew what was to come…

  Under Macklin's urges, the trio entered the jungle uneasily.

  "Heck!" Lin Li cursed as he took out the
map.

  Could the old bastard outside the jungle be Gerian's brother?

  The map was a mess. The scribbles and curvy lines were as though stubborn earthworms lying around. Numerous red blots of ink splattered all over made the map look like a heavily freckled face. Among the red spots, there lay an 'x' marking, boldly smacked in front of him like a cripple. Lin Li took quite an amount of time to make out what that old dude was even drawing…

  "What a piece of abstract art…" Lin Li sighed as he rolled up the map before putting it in his pocket. Since no one could understand this map, it was just a waste of space.

  "Felic, are you not using the map?" inquired Mason.

  "This map…"

  Just when Lin Li was about to lambaste Macklin, he heard some faint sound.

  "Be careful!"

  Right after him warning his teammates, a pack of Three-eyed Blood Wolves appeared. Each of the wolves had red eyes, and carried a strong stench of blood. As compared to those they had met before, this pack of wolves was evidently more malignant. One wolf with a grayish-white coat stood out in particular; it had an extraordinary red eye, which was beyond sinister—just like a droplet of blood.

  "I'm afraid that we might be in trouble now…" Mason whispered as he gulped down his saliva nervously, and moved two steps backward subconsciously.

  "Cut the crap," shushed Lin Li and Orrin together.

  Even an Adventurer of the lowest ranking would know that the level of a Three-eyed Blood Wolf was to be deciphered based on the color of their eyes and fur coat. The lighter the fur and the redder the eye, the higher its level. This creature before them was definitely the King!

  There were at least 40 to 50 wolves behind this King that was at least level-12. How could the trio take it easy?

  "Arwooooo…"

  The howl of the King broke the silence in the jungle, and more wolves appeared. At once, the surroundings were filled with spots of red light and stench of iron. The shrilling howls reverberated in their ears, threatening to engulf them. The vast number of Three-eyed Blood Wolves in the wilderness resembled a sea of blood. In that moment, more than 10 wolves crowded towards the three men.

  "KILL THEM!"

  Lin Li gripped onto his Winter Staff, and called on the Hastening Spell. While retreating, he also released two wind blades at his opponents. Orrin and Mason, who were by his side, also took action, each calling out a magic shield and starting to recite the spell at top speed.

  Among the three people, Lin Li was the last to be exposed to magic, yet in terms of taking part in battles, he had the most experience. During the few months at the Sunset Mountains, he had already slain countless magical beasts.

  In that instant, his reaction was the fastest. His intention of employing the Hastening Spell and the two wind blades did not deviate from that of Orrin and Mason, yet what differed was the impact of his powers.

  The methods which Mages decided to employ in their battles were no doubt the most flexible among the other occupations.

  Depending on their opponents, the tactics utilized would also be different.

  Fantama Pantheras were generally immune to magic. Since these creatures were proficient in the Dark Magic, one would be seeking death if he were to adopt this method which resembled the flying of kites. A Dark Magic spell would strike down the kite from the sky.

  On the other hand, it would be different if one wanted to deal with a big pack of the Three-eyed Blood Wolves.

  The powers of these Three-eyed Blood Wolves were innately of extremely low standing. Even if they were to be led by the King wolf, to defeat a Magic Shooter would be an impossible matter. Lin Li did not need to worry that his Kite Magic would be overcome by magic that was invisible to the eye.

  Furthermore, there were still Mason and Orrin.

  Although both of them had little experience in battling beasts, one was a level-nine Mage, while another a level-11 Magic Shooter. Given adequate time to recite their spells, they would unleash a destructive force on the wolves.

  Just when Lin Li's wind blades led to waves of shrilling cries from the wolves, both of their recitals were also completed. As Orrin raised his magic staff, tremors were also induced at once. Then, a huge spear made of stone appeared from the ground.

  Stone spears were only made of stone. In dealing with the escaping wolves, it lacked the sharpness required of a weapon to kill.

  The stone spear created only immediate injuries, and not many casualties.

  This was the true intention of the magic. It was not exerted with the intent to kill.

  Just like how a dead rat could incite a sense of disgust among a group of people, yet had no ability to kill, the attack with the stone spear was similarly not lethal, and only aimed to create fear among enemies. Which foolish wolf would pounce towards stone? As the wolves scrambled away from that stone spear, ripples were created in that sea of red.

  It resulted in a great turbulence. Even the growl of rage from the King failed to calm the situation down.

  To worsen the situation, the powers of Orrin were unleashed.

  This was a total catastrophe.

  Rays of red radiated from Orrin's magic staff, and violent particles that arose from the Fire-Elemental Power filled the air at once. The temperature was scorching, and the air appeared to be boiling. Numerous sparks beamed, lighting up the dark jungle as bright as day.

  What followed after was the sound of a great explosion. "BOOM!"

  The rapid spread of embers birthed a sea of uncontrollable fire. The speed at which it was spreading was faster than a plague, as though the earth was covered in gasoline. A little spark would be sufficient to light up the ground.

  To the helpless wolves, that Fiery Meteor spelled doomsday. They had no place to hide or escape to. The only thing they could do was to watch how the flames engulfed them…

  In the sea of fire, there were endless cries of despair. The wolves, one after another, got swallowed by the blaze. An unpleasant burnt smell diffused with the pitch-black fumes as well…

  The Fiery Meteor had claimed the lives of nearly 20 Blood Wolves.

  "A butcher…" Mason did not forget to denounce Orrin while he retreated towards a thicket with the Ice Armor. He, however, would never have expected that the madness caused by Orrin's magic powers was a result of the Ground-Piercing Spell he'd exerted.

  "Arwooooo…"

  Right after the three of them calmed down, another wave of howls came by.

  And then, they saw how leaves of the thicket moved with a rustle, and out came even more Three-eyed Blood Wolves…

  "SH*T!" Lin Li could not help but blurt out another swear.

  The collaboration of the trio had only enabled them to slay 20 wolves. Now that another hundred wolves appeared, how were they going to deal with them? Even if they managed to kill them all, what would happen if King Wolf called out another 200 or 300 underlings? Not to mention being bitten by the wolves, they would lose their lives due to exhaustion…

  Chapter 121 - The King Wolf

  "What now, what now?" Mason repeated in distress, and his face was filled with anxiety. Even if the trio was very proficient in their skills, there would still be a limit to it. Faced with a continuous stream of Three-eyed Blood Wolves, apart from the Archmage who could escape with his Spell of Levitation, any mages would have died of exhaustion from battling them.

  Not to mention the level-nine Mason, his two teammates who were much stronger than him might not even have any odds of success.

  After all, mages were just mortals…

  "Kill the King Wolf," said Orrin in a concise manner; his eyes were fixed mercilessly on the pack of wolves.

  It was scarlet all around; thus, the grayish-white coat of the King Wolf seemed particularly glaring. In that moment, it was growling aggressively, and its eye reflected an ominous flickering red glow. Under its call, the never-ending stream of Three-eyed Blood Wolves emerged from the thickets like a sea of red blood.

  "Kill them," Lin Li
said as he gritted his teeth.

  Subsequently, the two men heard a hurried strong gush of recital. It was Lin Li, who was trying to channel all of his mental strength into compressing the duration of his recital. The recitation of the Spell of Frost usually required five seconds to complete, but Lin Li only used a mere three seconds. If it were other mages, they would suffer a backlash from their own spell due to the rapid recitation.

  Following the last character of the recitation, the temperature of the air that was raised by the Fiery Meteors not long ago fell to the freezing point instantaneously. White fog filled the air, and the magical element of biting ice froze around 10 wolves, turning them into ice sculptures in the blink of an eye.

  Although this aggroed more enemies, increasing the number of howling wolves, Lin Li did not stop reciting spells after the first Frost Spell. Just when a few wolves were about to approach him, he unleashed the Spell of Swamp. That was a level-12 spell with the ability to result in the same impact as the Decaying Spell. At once, those wolves were engulfed by the swamp.

  Even after all these, Lin Li did not take any breather, but proceeded to cast the Hastening Spell onto himself.

  With that spell, Lin Li moved nimbly and swiftly as though he was an agile fish. Throughout his journey, he made a few sudden turns and stops, and with the help of the thick thicket, he managed to get rid of the pack of wolves that was previously following him tightly.

  At the same time, he did not cease his attack with the wind blades. With every brief stop he made, the soft sound created by flying wind blades would be followed by the death of a wolf.

  At this critical juncture when lives were at stake, Lin Li exerted all of his abilities.

  And it was only then that his two teammates were brought to full realization of how powerful that self-proclaimed level-seven Mage was.

  Both men were totally dumbfounded by that freak after witnessing how that Frost Spell was released.

  That was a recitation of a level-four spell that got compressed by half…

  From the day Matthias became a cripple from fighting with Lin Li, the two men knew that their teammate had really great powers. Although they had no idea as to how capable this freak truly was, they were very certain that there were no words they could use to describe his abilities.