by Zhuang Bifan
"Mr. Macklin, what's the situation? Why are the other teams…"
"There's no choice. That's the instruction from the Supreme Council," said Macklin reluctantly as he shook his head. "Today's mission is the same across all the teams. If you have any people you know who are here, you can go and say hi to them now because there will be a lot of chances for you to meet each other in the next few days…"
"Why is it a few days?" Mason asked innocently.
"Fool!" Macklin exclaimed as he shot him an angry stare, and asked, "Don't you see those tents? Do you really think that they are here for a holiday?"
"…"
At this moment, not to mention Mason, Lin Li could not help but feel surprised as well. He asked, "Mr. Macklin, do you mean that we would be living in Shadowglen for a couple of days?"
"Congratulations, you have guessed it correctly! There's no prize, though…"
How would Lin Li care if there were any prizes to be won?
Before setting off, Lin Li had tried to predict the nature of that mission. To him, if they were going to go to Shadowglen, it would only mean that they were just going there to kill a few undead creatures. Frankly speaking, Lin Li was not serious about going to Shadowglen, as he felt that these undead creatures were not scary beasts. That was because he had at least two nemeses of the undead creatures in his Ring of Endless Storm.
But, when Macklin said that, he sensed that that was not the case.
To live in Shadowglen for some days was not to be treated as a joke…
"Honestly speaking, this mission could be quite troublesome…" Macklin said hesitantly as he understood the dangers of it. He continued, "Yet, there's only one thing that you need to do—stay in Shadowglen for a week. In these seven days, you can do whatever you like, or nothing at all. Of course, finding a hiding place for yourselves will be cool as well. But to me, there's nowhere safe to hide in Shadowglen…"
Aren't you talking crap? Lin Li pursed his lips.
The undead creatures were not magical beasts. Time did not matter to them. They could be found wandering around, regardless of if it was day or night. It would be easy to find a hiding place, but whether they could escape from those creatures would be another matter. If any high-level undead creature were to see them, they would be in big trouble.
Furthermore, the air in Shadowglen was poisonous all year round. If one were to stay in any spot for long, he would be in grave danger due to the huge amount of toxins he breathed in.
"F*ck the Supreme Council, a bunch of scoundrels! How would that be a mission? It concerns life and death!" Mason cursed angrily, forgetting that it was Macklin that was standing beside him.
It was rare that Macklin did not scold him this time. Macklin only took out three scrolls, and said, "It's also not very serious. For this mission, the Supreme Council prepared these scrolls for you. If you meet any danger, open the scroll, and you will be transported back to the camp."
"But," Macklin thought for a moment before advising, "if you were to open the scroll, it would mean that you have failed the mission. So, think carefully before you give up on this opportunity."
"Okay…"
"Oh, yes, let me add on… I was not joking just now. If you know of any one here, grab this time to go and meet them. You might need them after you enter Shadowglen."
Apart from his two teammates, how would Lin Li have any other friends in Alanna? Although Macklin's advice was reasonable, it was not applicable to him at all. It was the same for Orrin. With his cold and reserved nature, it was hard for him to have many friends.
Mason, on the other hand, was a social butterfly. Right after Macklin advised them, a sly grin appeared on his face. "He's right… Why didn't I think of that?"
"Alright, I've said whatever I need to. The rest is up to you…" After telling them all the tips and the rules of the task, Macklin walked off, feeling more at ease.
"Mason!" someone called out from a distance. Lin Li could not help but feel relieved that Mason was in his team. He really was a social butterfly…
The person who greeted Mason was a tanned and skinny young mage that looked about the same age as him. Behind him were two of his teammates—one short, another tall. When they walked together, it was full of comedic effect.
"Haha! Kayla, it was you?" Mason seemed very happy that he met someone familiar. He waved to him excitedly while gesturing to his two teammates. "Come here, let me introduce him to you! This fella is Kayla from Sunrise City Guild of Magic, and he's my childhood playmate.
"Kayla, these are my two teammates. He's Orrin, and that's Felic."
"I'm happy to meet both of you."
Kayla was obviously more mature than Mason. His speech and gestures were filled with propriety and politeness. After greeting the two men, he also introduced his teammates to them. The taller one was Lauren from Snow City Guild of Magic, while the shorter one was Fedrick from Dawn City Guild of Magic.
It had been long since he last met this childhood friend. Mason was so elated that he pulled Kayla over to chat for at least half an hour. Only when the mission was about to begin did he wave goodbye to him. When Kayla was about to leave, they promised to definitely render their help to each other if they were to meet any danger in Shadowglen, and to survive the seven days together.
"Don't worry. As long as I'm there, you will be fine!" Mason patted his c.h.e.s.t, assuring Kayla.
"Then I'll depend on you in this mission, alright?"
"Be assured, everything's on me!"
After making a pact, they continued to chat for a while before Kayla brought his teammates away.
While they chatted, Lin Li remained silent and sized up the tanned and skinny mage curiously.
Even to Lin Li, Kayla was a good mage of at least level-11, just a little weaker than Orrin. His two other teammates were not weak too; both were at level-10, and much stronger than Mason…
If they were to form an alliance with this team, it would definitely be of help for Lin Li's team to complete this mission.
Unfortunately, even if he cherished the bond between the two teams, they might not have that same attitude…
Underlying Lin Li's smile was a hint of sarcasm.
This Kayla is an interesting man… …
When Kayla went back to his tent, the shorter mage, Lauren, asked him curiously, "Boss, you are very close to that Mason?"
"Just an acquaintance."
"Then why did you treat him…"
"Why was I so friendly to him, right?" Kayla said as he smiled, and gazed at the entrance of Shadowglen. "Friendliness is free. If I treat him nicely now, he might be of help in the future. Furthermore, this mission will not be easy. Even if it was Gryffindor, there is no certainty for him to survive the seven days himself, what more us. When danger arrives, it would be good for us to receive help from people instead of being backstabbed by them."
"But I'm afraid that the ability of that fella is…" the short mage paused, and thought for a while before continuing, "He is no more than a level-nine, and his teammate, Felic, is just a level-seven dude. How could they be of any help to us in Shadowglen?"
"What do you know…" Kayla glared at him impatiently. "In Shadowglen, luck is more important than ability. Don't be too full of yourself with that level-10 ability. I'll tell you that in Shadowglen, even if you are a level-11 or level-12, you might not be able to survive in this period of time. After all, friendliness is free. And, it's good to have some scapegoats with us…"
"But…" After reprimanding the short mage, Kayla continued while in deep thought, "But that fella Felic… How could he dare to even participate in the trial with just a level-seven skillset? I'm sure he would be sent back from Shadowglen not long after the mission starts. We don't need to have much hopes of depending on that team."
While the trio was conversing in the tent, an old and husky voice resounded outside. "Let me announce that the mission officially starts now. This time, I hope everyone can succeed and complete the task."
Although the voice was not loud, it was strangely clear and easy for everyone to hear it.
"Come, let's go!"
When Kayla and his team came out of their tent, Lin Li's team was already at the entrance of Shadowglen.
The moment when Lin Li got close to the entrance, he sensed a pungent smell of rot. The putrid smell that filled the stale air resembled that of decaying corpses. Black haze filled their vision, and nothing could be clearly seen from any distance. The soil below their feet was moist and slippery. As they walked, it was as though they could hear the squelching sound of their steps.
"This place is so disgusting…" Mason cried out in disdain as he fixed his eyes at his feet, afraid of stepping on anything he should not be stepping on.
"There's no choice, because the undead are unaware of the environment in their habitat."
"Oh, yes. Felic, aren't you a pharmacist? Are there any potions for us to go unnoticed by the undead creatures?" Mason always liked to daydream. To say the truth, when he was asking this question, he was not expecting there to be any.
Who knew Lin Li would nod his head. He said in a definite tone, "Of course there are…"
"HUH?" Mason was shocked. Even Orrin stopped in his tracks.
"There is a type of potion made especially to deal with the undead creatures. If you consume a bottle of it, not only could you go unnoticed by them, but also gain Divine Power that would enable you to attack them with ease."
"So there's such a good thing in the world! Why don't you create some quickly… Our success depends on you now!"
"No problem…" Lin Li nodded, and extended his arm to Mason. "Give me a stalk of the Divine Flower, and I will help you create a few bottles of it instantly."
"F*ck!"
Lin Li's joke eased the tension in everybody's hearts. They walked along the curved narrow path, and before they realized it, they had reached the middle region of Shadowglen.
That was the territory of the undead creatures. The black fog around them became thicker and thicker. Lin Li could hear vague rustling from the surroundings. It was the sound produced when a spring silkworm was devouring a mulberry leaf continuously. Amidst the cold chilly wind, the sound created goosebumps all over them.
"Be careful…" Lin Li reminded his teammates in a low voice as he grabbed onto his Winter Staff vigilantly.
"Alrighty." Mason nodded. But, he shrieked right after, "AH!"
Lin Li glanced back immediately, only to see a few skeletal hands grabbing onto Mason's t.h.i.g.hs. Mason's black robe was torn into pieces with a great force, and blood streaks appeared on his t.h.i.g.hs.
"Sniff!" Lin Li reacted immediately and raised his Winter Staff, and sent out wind blades. At that moment, there was a crisp sound of bones breaking, and an arm broke off from Mason. Under Lin Li's Mind Control, that wind blade took a turn, and proceeded to cut away another arm.
Orrin's staff was raised as well, but his mental strength was not as freakish as Lin Li. Although his reaction was fast, the speed of his spells was slower. When he shot out an Icicle, Lin Li had already shot his second Wind blade. In a split second, a series of crisp breaking sounds echoed, and the four or five skeletal hands that'd grabbed onto Mason became a pile of bone fragments.
"God dammit, that was scary…" Mason shook off those arms, and hid in a corner apprehensively.
"Don't just take a break, let's get rid of them first."
"Them?" Mason froze before realizing who 'they' were.
Under Lin Li's rapid recitation, the ground below the trio vibrated gently; black soil rose up into the air as though something was about to emerge from the earth.
…
Chapter 138 - Hell Ghoul
Large patches of soil raised with a burst of cackling sound. The scene of dozens of Skeletal Warriors breaking out from the soil made the three people hiss in a cold breath. Rusty machetes and the flickering will-o-the-wisp filled the atmosphere with gloom and horror.
"Bloody hell…" Mason's face went sickly pale in an instant. He only felt chill on his back as if a gush of cold wind had just blown past.
It was in the center of these dozens of Skeletal Warriors where he was caught by his calf earlier on. If not for his two teammates, who were quick enough to rescue him in time… Looking at how these dozens of Skeletal Warriors flocked up, not to mention a level-nine mage like him, even a level-nine warrior would inevitably be cut to pieces.
Luckily… living in a room with these two guys was really the wisest choice he had made…
He was secretly rejoicing when Orrin's cold voice came from behind. "Idiot, stop spacing out."
Mason looked back and shot a glare at Orrin, but did not swear at him. Instead, he began to recite his spell. He knew that the dozens of Skeletal Warriors had to be dealt with immediately. There were countless undead creatures in the Shadowglen; no one knew what was hidden in the dark. The longer the fight lasted, the more dangerous the situation of the three men would be.
"Boom!" A muffled sound of explosion spread far away; Lin Li's Flaming Storm had taken the lead. Countless fire dragons cascaded forward, instantly engulfing a large number of Skeletal Warriors.
Almost at the same time, Orrin had finished his recitation of the Flame Nova. Two powerful fire spells exploded consecutively among the Skeletal Warriors. In an instant, there was a blaze of firelight, and nearly ten Skeletal Warriors were blown to pieces before they could even lift their weapons.
Mason had gotten the message after the two powerful magic spells were released by Lin Li and Orrin. Without waiting to be reminded, he unleashed an Ice Armor Spell, which was firmly propped up before the two of them.
Skeletal Warriors were not real warriors, after all; they were merely the lowest of undead creatures, and did not have the ability to think independently. As a matter of fact, the layer of Ice Armor unleashed by Mason could not completely protect his two teammates; if it were other magical beasts, they'd have circled around it and attacked from the back. However, these mentally retarded Skeletal Warriors only knew how to wield their machetes and slash haphazardly, leaving the rusty machetes to crack upon contact with the Ice Armor.
So, that the thin layer of Ice Armor actually won them a significant amount of time.
When the Skeletal Warriors finally split the Ice Armor, they were greeted by another bombardment of magic spells…
All three of them were powerful, and had tacit understanding among them. The Skeletal Warriors—the lowest of the undead creatures—could not possibly pose much threat to them.
The battle was over now, so to speak.
But, in the Shadowglen that was infested with undead creatures, no one dared to relax even the slightest bit. Lin Li tightened the nerve in his head; while concentrating on unleashing the spells, he had to divert some attention at the same time to monitor cautiously the movements around him.
Thus, nobody noticed that every Skeletal Warrior seemed to release a wisp of black mist when it fell. It seemed to have been attracted by some mysterious force, drifting towards Lin Li; the direction of the flow was the pocket that contained the weird crystal…
If Lin Li took out the crystal now, it would be very easy to notice that the pale maroon in the crystal was becoming stronger and stronger with the flow of black mist.
Boom! The last Skeletal Warriors fell too at last—Lin Li had ended the battle with a fireball.
"Let's get out of here first."
There was a tinge of uneasiness in Lin Li's voice. He constantly felt that there was something wrong with the Skeletal Warriors. They had been buried underground for countless years, and did not surface at all until they had passed by. It made him feel as if he was falling into a trap—as if something was peeping at him secretly, laying a trap and waiting for him to step on it.
"Mhm."
Mason and Orrin, though at odds with each other, had a surprising similarity. They had an almost instinctive trust in their teammates, who had claimed to be a level-seven mage. Their trust
in him had reached a blind extent—especially after the trial in the Nightmare Mountains.
Like at present—after Lin Li had spoken, they did not even question, nor did they hesitate to follow, because they believed that since Lin Li had said so, he had to have his own reasons.
But this time, their guess was wrong.
In fact, Lin Li had no reason at all—it was his subconsciousness telling him to leave the place and extricate himself from the feeling of being peeped at. He kept having the sense that there was something wrong with this place; the dozens of Skeletal Warriors seemed like a trap that had been placed there for a long time, waiting for someone to step into it.
The terrain was extremely complex in the Shadowglen, and the road ahead was filled with poisonous fog. Walking on this winding path was like walking into a labyrinth. There were fragments of bones everywhere—some scattered on the roadside, some deeply buried in the ground—and were all emitting a strong odor of decay. A gloomy atmosphere surrounded him. There were no other sounds at all apart from the trio's rustling footsteps. In the dead silence, even the air seemed to be solidified.
Lin Li was controlling a Warlock's Eyes all the time as they were absorbed in navigating on the winding path. He controlled this small ray of light with his powerful and incomparable mental strength, and it moved rapidly within a few dozen meters square of the surrounding area.
Lin Li's plan was simple—he'd find a place safe enough to get through the night.
The Shadowglen invaded by darkness was not a place suitable for playing. Many high-level undead creatures liked to wander at night. Nobody knew what was hidden in the darkness. If they encountered a few high-level Vampires, it would be too late for them to cry.
The first night was always the most dangerous. First, they were unfamiliar with the terrain of the Shadowglen; second, they were unaware of the distribution of the undead creatures; besides, they were unprepared due to the rush. Once they encountered danger, they wouldn't be able to respond at all. Lin Li was of the opinion that most of the trial mages would probably be sent back tonight.
