by Zhuang Bifan
Instantly, Lin Li remembered how Sean told him he only had that one armor when they were at Blackhills Town. At that time, Lin Li promised Sean that he would buy new armor for him when they reached Alanna. That promise, however, was forgotten due to the hectic schedule Lin Li was presented with—training missions and helping Macklin with forging…
"Let's go, I will bring you to get a new one now," said Lin Li generously. In his guilt, he had forgotten about hunger. After informing his teammates, he brought Sean out of the Guild of Magic.
"M-Mr Felic, actually t-there's no need to… T-this leather armor can still last me a long time…" Along the way, Sean stammered as he tried to reject Lin Li's offer. He was not from a wealthy family background. Since a young age, Sean had valued frugality. Unless his armor was torn and tattered, he would not bear to change it at all.
To this honest young man, armors were really expensive.
"Hey, your weapon needs to be changed too…" Lin Li muttered under his breath, and totally paid no attention to Sean's reluctance. After sizing up Sean for a moment, he continued, "That double-edged sword of yours is actually quite useful… But it is a pity that you are not trained in both Magic and Martial Arts. Otherwise, you would be able to utilize the sword to its full potential. Let me bring you to the weapon shop later to choose a suitable one first. After that, I'll think of a way…"
To the wealthy Lin Li, how much would an armor and a weapon cost?
While they walked on the streets of Alanna, Lin Li asked in a concerned tone, "Oh, yes. Sean, what have you been doing in the past two days? Why have I not seen you at all?"
Chapter 128 - Outfit
Sean's face lit up as he replied, "I'm not sure where was that place too; it was a mage who brought me there…"
"Oh," said Lin Li as he nodded. Since he remembered Darian had said the Guild of Magic had helped Sean prepare accommodation, he thought it should be that mage who brought Sean there, and did not inquire further.
When two of them left the Guild of Magic, the sky had already darkened. Although the streets of Alanna were still bustling with activity, most of the shops had ended their business for the day. It was not a perfect timing to buy any equipment, as most goods would be out of stock, and the shop owners would purposely sell their products at exorbitant prices.
This fact, however, did not stop Lin Li at all—a few more gold coins did not matter to him. Anyway, that was only temporary. How could he equip Sean with low-grade equipment? When the time came, he would personally create them for Sean.
In reality, Lin Li already had plans for that.
Yet, there was no need to rush. They just had to wait till tonight.
The stabilizing properties of the elements in the Eternal Adamantine would be the most appropriate material to create the best outfit for Sean…
With this mentality, Lin Li was not as picky as usually. Shortly, they found a costume stall that was still open.
"We will go into this shop, then," said Lin Li lazily. He was so exhausted from all the training missions he had in the day that he did not feel like finding another stall.
"Welcome," the friendly shop owner greeted them politely. He was not put off by the old and wrinkled robe Lin Li wore at all, and invited them into the stall sincerely.
Lin Li was impressed by the good attitude of the stall owner.
"Mr. Mage, what do you need?"
"No, no. Not me." Lin Li shook his head and pointed to Sean who was standing at the door, "I'm buying my friend an outfit, but I'm not sure which to get. Do you mind bringing us around to look for appropriate ones?"
"Sure, please come over here."
The owner brought both of them in front of a shelf of weapons, and pointed to a double-edged sword that was made of refined iron. "What do you think of this sword? It was produced by the Adventurers Guild's Marathon Forging Group. The price is just 100 gold coins."
"It is a reasonable price indeed…" Lin Li agreed. If such double-edged sword were to be sold in Gilded Rose, it would cost at least 200 gold coins.
However, Lin Li felt that such a weapon was not suitable for Sean. Due to the lack of quenching, its sharpness was heavily affected. On top of that, as a proficient swordsman, what mattered was the weight of his weapon, and not its magical properties nor sharpness.
"We will look at others…"
"What about this?" The shop owner recommended patiently as he took out a long gun from the shelf. "This was a product manufactured by the Marathon Forging Group too. Its creator is in charge of all the weapons used by one of the Three Great Praetorian Guards—Sky Knights—as well. The price, however, is a little expensive… It would cost 500 gold coins."
The heaviness of the weapon could be reflected in the facial expression of the shop owner, who was carrying the gun with much difficulty. Unfortunately, Sean told Lin Li in a small voice, "Mr. Felic, I don't know how to use long guns…"
"…"
The two men toured the stall for quite a while, but nothing struck their eye. Just when Lin Li decided to randomly select any outfit for the time being, he felt a magical wave coming from one of the shelves.
"Wait…" Lin Li said as he walked towards it in curiosity. The magical elements appeared to be radiating from an outfit. That costume set was made up of a double-edged sword and a red leather armor. When Lin Li went nearer to it, he could sense fire magical element in the surroundings.
It was a dull-colored sword, and on its blade, there was a faint mark of red. If Lin Li did not remember wrongly, it meant that the blade was made of the Abyss Mithril. Among all the magical metals, a little bit of it was enough to increase the weight of weapons by many levels.
As for that red leather armor, it seemed like it was made of the skin of Fire Salamandrids.
They were the legendary descendants of the Fire Salamandrids. Being natural fire spirits of level-14, the fire Salamandrids could walk in blazing fire, bathe in bubbling scaling molten lava, and were proficient in all fire-element spells. Armors that were created from their skin not only had the ability to protect the owner from magic, but also the power to generate magical flames to retaliate against any attackers.
"Boss, how much does this set cost?"
"This…" The middle-aged man hesitated in his reply. "Mr. Mage, why don't you look at other outfits? These two pieces are…"
He could not believe why the poorly dressed mage would be interested in that set.
"What about it?"
"Actually, I am helping its owner to sell it here. However, the price he gave was really…"
"How much is it?" Lin Li asked in relief. It was good to know that those two goods were for sale. How would money matter to this filthy rich customer?
"200,000 gold coins…" The man could not help but admit the exorbitant price for just a two-piece outfit. It was worse than daylight robbery!
"Alright…" Lin Li nodded as he took out a Glittergold Bank card from his wallet. "I am buying it."
"WHAT?" exclaimed the shop owner in shock. Actually, he already had plans to decrease the price of the outfit in order to get rid of it from his shelves (finally).
"What's wrong?" Lin Li asked after observing his weird expression. Then, he continued in a concerned tone, "Your shop does not accept payment with Glittergold Bank's crystal card?"
"N-no, no…" After hearing Lin Li's question, the owner was struck back into reality. He took out another crystal card, and started the transaction.
200,000 gold coins were peanuts to Lin Li.
How would he not know the value of those two pieces of equipment?
The combined value of a double-edged sword that was created with the Abyss Mithril and an armor made from the skin of Fire Salamandrids should be at least 300,000 gold coins. Purchasing it with 200,000 gold coins was absolutely considered a value buy.
"Oh, yes. Boss, could you do me a small favor?" Lin Li asked before stepping out of the stall.
"Of course, anything in my ability," the stall owner replied imm
ediately. After making such a big fortune, he was in a very good mood.
"If the owner of the outfit comes to collect the money, could you tell him to visit the Guild of Magic to look for me? Say that a Mage named Felic is interested in discussing some business matters with him."
"Oh, sure…" The shopkeeper agreed without questioning further. After all, he was an experienced businessman. He knew what to ask and what not to ask.
"Thanks."
Upon stepping out of the stall, Lin Li passed the outfit to Sean, and said, "You can use this outfit for the time being. I will help you get a better one after a few days."
"…" Sean was so stunned.
He would never have imagined that Mr. Felic would gift him an outfit that cost 200,000 gold coins so generously. From Mr. Felic's words, it seemed that he had plans to give him a better outfit…
"M-Mr. Felic, this is too expensive! I-I… cannot t-take it…" Sean stammered at the surprise that came too quickly.
"What are you talking about? I'm asking you to take it, so you had better take it!" After knowing Sean for such a long time, Lin Li understand that his pal was an honest and humble individual. So… he could only make himself seem harsh to give him a scare. "Look at yourself. Can you protect me with this old and tattered costume? It can't even protect you …"
"But…"
"Cut the crap, put it on now !"
…
Chapter 129 - Fire Salamandrids
Under the pressure of Lin Li, Sean changed into the brand-new Salamandrid Armor quickly. He felt faint fire magical element as well as the unique warmth of Fire Salamandrids. The double-edged sword in his hands was heavy, and the red marks of the Abyss Mithril appeared even more crimson in the dark.
Sean was so excited that his face glowed as he gripped the double-edged sword so tightly that his hands trembled. To this young man with a poor family background, everything was like a dream. How many Fire Crow's feathers and low-grade magical crystals did he have to acquire, and how many missions did he have to complete in order to earn 200,000 gold coins? It was beyond Sean's ability to calculate the figures. He only knew that he would need 100 years to own such a huge sum of money.
After leaving the stall, Sean felt as though he was sleepwalking. When he walked, it was like stepping on cotton—every step was so light. Yet, such a hefty amount of money was extremely terrifying. Never had he dreamed to own two items that were worth 200,000 gold coins…
Throughout the journey back, Sean hugged the double-edged sword very tightly in his arms with a very serious expression. It was as though what he carried was his new-born baby, and not his weapon. Every few steps, he would stop to check if there were any dirt that stuck onto it.
Realizing that, Lin Li stopped walking, and asked, "Sean, can't you walk properly?"
"Okie…" he replied Lin Li. Although he tried to tone down a little, the lightness of his steps as he tried to move extremely carefully in his outfit made him looked as though he was a thief.
Lin Li just shook his head. He did not know what to do with Sean…
The streets of Alanna in the evening were much quieter as compared to daytime. While strolling back to the Guild of Magic, Sean continued to walk very, very carefully, while Lin Li's mind was focused on thinking about who the previous owner of the outfit was…
Although there were two pieces of clothing in that outfit, Lin Li was only concerned with the Salamandrid Armor.
Ever since Sean told him about that mysterious cave, Lin Li had always wanted to explore the Fire Plume Ridge. However, Lin Li had never thought of any way to deal with the extreme temperature there. The Fire Plume Ridge was the place where the black lotuses grew, and the fire magical element within it was even more threatening than the Archmage-level magic. It was luck that allowed Sean to escape to safety. As for what type of luck it was, Lin Li would only know it if he were to go there…
Today's Salamandrid Armor, however, gave him an idea.
If the Fire Salamandrid Armor were to be modified properly, it could really defend its user from Archmage-level fire-element magic spells.
Hence, the armor Sean was wearing would require some alteration…
It was perhaps due to a different intention that the creator of the armor had had in mind, but when he was creating it, he emphasized too much its offensive power, and neglected its defensive properties. On top of this, the armor was also not given any inscription treatment. Since it was just an armor, and not a living level-14 Fire Salamandrid, if the creator wanted it to be immune to fire, he needed to coat it with a master-level mageweath—the Flames Extinguisher.
Unfortunately, the Fire Salamandrids were usually rare. As the descendants of the Solomondos, they would most likely be near each other. Yet, the Solomondos were level-18 magical beasts. If one was not a Legendary-level mage, he would only be killed in a battle with them.
Which adventurer would dare to skin a Fire Salamandrid? If they were to provoke the Solomondos, it would be too late to even cry…
Furthermore… the Solomondos had a very long lifespan, and the stronger ones could surpass level-20 to become Legendary-level magical beasts, and their strength would multiply by many folds. Until then, they would be called the 'Salamanders'.
Throughout his journey from Jarrosus to Alanna, Lin Li did not see any Fire Salamandrid skin at all. Little did he expect to find one when he brought Sean out to shop for his outfit.
It would not be an issue if the armor was not functional.
What was important was that through that armor, Lin Li had the opportunity to find its seller.
Once he found him, Lin Li would have his ways to get him to reveal the origins of that skin.
Until then, how would it not be a piece of cake for him to venture into the Fire Plume Ridge?
The two men walked along the street slowly. When they were about to reach the Guild of Magic, Sean stopped in his tracks abruptly.
This time, however, he did not use the time to clean his armor. Instead, he looked at Lin Li hesitantly. "Mr. Felic, could I…"
"Could you what?" Lin Li asked as he looked at him suspiciously. The more he stared at him, the more he realized that once they left the Guild of Magic, Sean had been stuttering—not like his usual self.
Did he encounter anything unusual in those two days? Seeing how Lin Li looked at him skeptically, Sean swallowed his words, and shook his head frantically. "N-no, nothing much…"
"Sean!" yelled Lin Li.
Hearing Sean's meek reply, he noticed something that was amiss at once. There must be something hidden in the heart of this fella! Lin Li stopped walking as well. With a serious expression, he questioned, "Tell me honestly, or I shall send you back to Jarrosus."
"Mr. Felic, there's really nothing…"
"I repeat, DON'T YOU LIE!" The frustrated Lin Li insisted harshly, letting out almost a howl.
Sean had a fright. That was the first time he witnessed Lin Li in such a great fury ever since he left Jarrosus. Stunned, he swallowed his saliva nervously. After hesitating for quite a while, he mustered his courage, and said, "Mr. Felic… C-Could I… Could I move out of the hostel?"
"Why do you wish to move out of it?" Lin Li asked doubtfully. That was an unusual request from Sean. Was it uncomfortable for him to live there?
"That's because, because…"
After saying two 'because', his voice got softer and softer, and his head lower and lower.
"Because of what?" Lin Li questioned, and then suddenly observed some remnants of magical waves on Sean's body. Instantly, Lin Li's face ashened—how could a great Magic Shooter not understand what that magical wave meant?
Without asking, Lin Li ripped off Sean's armor.
What came into his view was a c.h.e.s.t full of black, charred marks. The magical wave that lingered carried a scent of burnt smell.
"F*ck!" Lin Li burst out in rage. He nearly lighted the houses that were along streets with fire.
No wonder he did not see Sean in those two day
s…
No wonder Sean wanted to move out…
Lin Li did not need to ask anything. Those burnt marks screamed everything to him.
From Sean's wounds, he was absolutely certain that he was attacked by the Flaming Hands!
"Who did that?"
"Mr. Felic…"
"SPEAK!" Lin Li hollered in a very threatening and fierce manner. He could not believe that Sean would receive such a severe injury when it had only been two days since he arrived at Alanna.
Lin Li felt that it was his negligence that resulted in Sean's suffering. It was like a tight slap to himself.
"I-it was a mage…"
Lin Li breathed heavily as he tried to force himself to calm down.
"What's his name?"
"I-I think… I think his name is Madrick."
"Great, Madrick…" Lin Li nodded, and continued to ask impatiently, "Why did he attack you?"
"He said… He said he needed a partner to practice magic with…"
"Practice magic…" Lin Li repeated Sean's words as he cracked his knuckles, his fists tightly clenched.
"Bring me to find him," he requested hostilely after quite a while.
"Okay…"
Lin Li's facial expression was terrifying. Sean did not dare to say anything more. He walked into the guild hall and along the corridors. After making a few turns and out of the guild hall, Lin Li saw a short building.
From its exterior, it seemed as though the building had been there for many years. The paint had long been washed away by age. Although they were at a distance away from it, he could smell a tinge of mustiness. Looking at its structure, it seemed like an abandoned warehouse.
"You were living here??"
"Yes, Mr. Felic."
"F*ck you, Darian!" Lin Li was so triggered that his d.e.s.i.r.e to kill was overwhelming. He would never have thought that the place Darian had referred to was an abandoned warehouse like this.
How was that a place for humans to live in?
"Where's Madrick?"
"He lives here too. I heard that he was sent by the Guild of Magic…"
"I see…" Lin Li nodded. Now he knew why.
