Another World’s Versatile Crafting Master c1-1074

by Zhuang Bifan

  That being said, even bastard Cromwell dared to visit them, demanding Gerian to do that to Lin Li…

  If not for Lin Li, no one knew how deep the Jarrosus Guild of Magic would continue to be…

  The rise from nothingness and building up strength were an arduous process.

  Not to mention other needs, it was a necessity for them to have somewhere to live. Although Jarrosus Guild of Magic was poor, it had an Emerald Tower. What would become of the new guild? They couldn't let a group of mage sleep on the streets, could they?

  A library, mediation room, different types of halls, laboratories… how could one be able to list all of them in one or two lines? Even if the Supreme Council gave their full support, it would never have the power to send a group of archmages as free construction labor, right?

  Furthermore…

  Who knew where to build the new guild at…

  Lin Li had the confidence to maintain it if it was to be built in Jarrosus, where their archmages were all considered to have the highest ranking.

  However, if it were to be built in a prosperous city like Alanna, where legendary figures roamed, Lin Li would have sleepless nights, fearing that he might unknowingly violate their rights. Wouldn't he die an unjustified death if someone were to kill him silently in the middle of the night?

  In conclusion, that would be a hard but thankless job.

  Lin Li always tried to distance himself from such fruitless matters.

  "To be honest, I'm utterly uninterested in the position as the leader of the new guild." Since he had already begun on this topic, he had no plans to hide his reasons. "That is not only an arduous commitment, but also something that would endanger my life. I'm not that silly to fight for such a thankless position…"

  "What are you saying!?" Macklin's eyes widened immediately, and he glared at Lin Li as though he was a moron. "Who told you that you'd waste a lot of energy and put yourself in danger? Do you know what it means to be a guild leader?"

  Lin Li pursed his lips and sulked. "Why would I not know what it entails? I'm going to be the cream inside a sandwich biscuit. Above me would be the Supreme Council, and under me the mages in the guild. Not only that, there's also the lurking forces outside. You know Gerian from Jarrosus? He's already 60 years old, but still needs to stay at the Demon Fall Valley every day to protect it. He was even injured last month when the Shadow's Nest attacked and took over the Demon Fall Valley. Now tell me, what's worthwhile about that damn position?"

  "He's lost the Demon Fall Valley?" Macklin laughed suddenly. "I was wondering why you are so heated up today. So it's because of that valley… Don't worry, we will not let it happen like that. You could stay in Alanna while I send people to Jarrosus tomorrow to stabilize the situation there, then see if we can snatch the Demon Fall Valley back."

  "Then I shall replace Gerian to thank you…" Actually, it was just a casual grumble from Lin Li. To him, the Jarrosus Guide of Magic was like a second home. He had spent half of his time since he'd entered the World of Anril there. Now, his house was robbed, yet nothing could be heard from the head of the Alanna Guild of Magic and the mayor of the Supreme Council. Lin Li could not help but feel anxious despite him being a good-natured person.

  What he did not expect was Macklin's agreeableness when he promised to provide aid to Jarrosus.

  Honestly speaking, it was not important if they could not reclaim the Demon Fall Valley. It was more vital to stabilize the situation in Jarrosus. Now that they lost the Demon Fall Valley, even fools would know that the heads of the 17 forces were more or less itching for action…

  If Alanna Guild of Magic was willing to provide aid, it would be good news for the Jarrosus Guild of Magic.

  It would not require much strength as well. One to two archmages would be enough to hold back the many forces in Jarrosus. As for the Demon Fall Valley, Lin Li totally could think of a solution after he returned.

  "Cut the crap. My reason for sending aid there is not to help that old Gerian, but to assure you to stay in Alanna in peace. If not, I wouldn't have cared about this at all…"

  "Alright, alright. I will do my best in the finals that are coming in a month!" No matter what he said, he was already going to owe Macklin a favor. He could only promise him temporarily as it would not be nice to persist any further. As for things that were going to happen next month, let us talk about it after that month…

  "Seems like you still don't understand… Forget it, there's not going to be a difference if you understand. You should just know that the seat of the president of magic guild is not for anyone…" Macklin shook his head.

  He finally understood that it was meaningless to talk sense into that fella. The most direct and surest way to deal with him was to tell him the benefits of such a position.

  Temptation of one thing would still be better than one hundred principles.

  Macklin did not nag at Lin Li further. "I wonder if this thing came across your mind before. Have you wondered why the president is always the most powerful person in any Guild of Magic?" Macklin asked while shooting Lin Li a mysterious glance.

  "How could one become the guild president if he does not have a strong ability?" Lin Li pursed his lips, thinking that Macklin was talking nonsense…

  "Wrong!" Macklin exclaimed mysteriously while he stopped in his tracks, and pointed to the president's room far away. "Aldwin surpassed the archmage realm at the age of 46. However, the position he gained was not based on meritocracy. At that time, there were at least five mages who were more powerful than him. F*ck the Supreme Council. You know how they chose the guild president? With a boxing challenge! How absurd is that…"

  "46 years old?" Lin Li was stupefied. He clearly remembered that Mason told him Aldwin had surpassed the Legendary Realm at the age of 55.

  If Macklin was saying the truth, does that mean that Aldwin spent only nine years to progress from an archmage to a legendary-mage?

  Holy… That is a horrifying speed…

  Lin Li could not accept the fact that Aldwin had merely spent nine years to rise to a legendary-mage. Lin Li was an archmage too. How could he not understand how shocking it was to be able to do so?

  To exaggerate a little, it was as if with the speed of light.

  Lin Li swallowed his saliva anxiously. "Y-You… You mean… President Aldwin only spent nine years because of… his position?"

  "You're not a moron, after all," Macklin commented while he nodded his head. "Do you not remember that Herza announced that the new guild president would receive full support from the Supreme Council? What do you think the support is? Really physical resources and manpower? Stop being so childish. I dare to bet my life that the winner of the trial would receive the most mysterious spell, the most profound magical knowledge, and the most powerful magical powers. Even in the Supreme Council, only their core members would be able to enjoy such treatment."

  Macklin gulped another big mouth of saliva before he continued, "In fact, Aldwin's nine years was nothing at all. I remember that he once told me that in his batch, there was a most freaky mage from the Ledin Kingdom. Wow, that kid was a true beast. He's only used 10 years to become the guild president when he only had the ability of a level-10 magic shooter. Then, he got to the Legendary-level immediately…

  "Is that true…?" Lin Li's eyes widened.

  "Crap, why would I lie to you?" Macklin snapped. Then, he continued, "But, to be frank, your concern on safety is valid too…"

  "Why is that so?" Lin Li asked curiously. He was a little shocked. Why did that old man change his stance out of a sudden?

  "If I didn't guess wrongly, the new region Herza was referring to should be near the Breezy Plains…"

  "So it's there…" Lin Li suddenly was clear on how things stood after listening to Macklin. If it were the Breezy Plains, his concerns were indeed justified. The Breezy Plains was a renowned place that even a transmigrator like Lin Li knew of. The most complicated region of the north of Anril would be the Breezy Plains. />
  The two strongest human kingdoms located in the north of Anril—Felan and Ledin—were situated on the Breezy Plains. On top of that, together with the Dwarf Kingdom not far away, as well as the Trahem Forest, where elves roamed freely, they were going to make up four formidable giants in total. They were like four pieces of puzzle that would form the most impenetrable force on the Breezy Plains.

  And apart from these four greatest influences, there were many other smaller forces. However, if one were to randomly compare one of such forces with those in Jarrosus City, it would be much mightier than Jarrosus' 11 mage families and their six underground forces.

  Unless they had people from the Supreme Council following them around every day, their lives would really be in danger…

  Chapter 206 - Live Broadcast

  "The Breezy Plains is actually a very interesting place. If you have time, you can go to the Omniscient Tower to have a look…" Macklin said for no rhyme or reason. He ignored Lin Li after he spoke, and went to the Spell Testing Hall on his own.

  "How is it interesting…?" Lin Li thought about it for a long time, but didn't understand what it meant. When he looked up in puzzlement, he saw that Macklin had already passed through the corridor, and was walking along the stairs to the third floor. "Hey, how interesting is that place? Can't you just tell me?"

  Macklin laughed mysteriously, but said nothing, and pointed out the direction of the Omniscient Tower…

  "…" Lin Li was speechless. He stood there, unsure whether to laugh or cry. This old fellow was already advanced in years; how did he suddenly have the interest in mysteries? P lease help, all right? You're not suited for this kind of thing; it'll destroy the o.b.s.c.e.n.e image you've spent so hard to build up…

  Lin Li followed Macklin into the Spell Testing Hall with a stomach full of doubts.

  The Spell Testing Hall was bustling with activity these days, probably due to the finals that would commence in a month. Lin Li followed behind Macklin into the hall, only to see dozens of young mages chatting together in twos or threes. They seemed to be waiting for an empty room.

  There was nothing they could do. Even with deep pockets like the Alanna Guild of Magic, the Spell Testing Hall could not be built as one wished to. The structure of this thing was too complex and expensive. Take the room where Lin Li last tested the Dragon's Eye as example—it was only about ten square meters, but the building materials had cost over 100,000 gold coins. With the addition of facilities such as the crystal ball and the various inscription processing rooms, it could not be done without at least 500,000 gold coins.

  Also…

  This was not something that was paid once and for all. Every time it was used, it had to be maintained by an Inscriber. It was considered doable for the Alanna Guild of Magic—there were many Inscribers in the guild. If it were a guild like the Jarrosus Guild of Magic, there was not even a single decent Inscriber that one could find in it. That was a real problem. It probably cost an astronomical amount to hire an Inscriber to maintain the hall every year.

  In Gerian's words, this was the mage profession. Every bit of mana was acc.u.mulated by an uncountable sum of money.

  The Alanna Guild of Magic was so large that it was not clear what was the number of mages at each level. Coupled with the sudden influx of trial mages, the Spell Testing Hall had been overcrowded these days. Lin Li had heard Mason complain about it upon his return, but he didn't believe it then. Now that he had come, it really seemed as if there wasn't even any space to squeeze in at one glance.

  Why are there so many people… Lin Li mused inwardly, and his brows wrinkled involuntarily. There were perhaps no less than 40 or 50 people, including people from the Alanna Guild of Magic and the mages who came to participate in the trial. It seemed that they were all waiting for empty rooms. If he had to wait for them to satisfy their needs, wouldn't he have to wait till the night?

  However, Lin Li had forgotten one thing…

  He had forgotten whom he had come with…

  Who was Macklin? He was the person second only to Aldwin in the Alanna Guild of Magic. Even Aldwin had to ask Macklin for advice on some decisions. Did this old man have to join the line in order to use the Spell Testing Hall? No one had ever heard of it…

  Besides, even if this old man would observe the order, would the Spell Testing Hall administrator dare to let him observe it?

  As soon as the old fellow stepped into the Spell Testing Hall, a middle-aged Magic Shooter came up to meet him. He looked respectful and even bowed slightly when he spoke.

  "Felic!"

  Lin Li watched the two men talk from afar when he suddenly heard someone calling his name from behind. Turning back, he saw Mason and Orrin coming from the distance.

  Mason looked reluctant, and he walked into the Spell Testing Hall with dawdling footsteps. Although Orrin, who was behind him, still had a poker face that had remained unchanged for thousands of years, there was a hint of triumph in his eyes.

  "Why are you guys here?" Lin Li was puzzled. Didn't Mason just swear that he wouldn't ever fight Orrin again? Had he forgotten about it in just a moment's time?

  "He had a bet with me and lost." Orrin's words were simple as usual.

  "What bet?"

  "Don't mention it…" Mason shot an angry glare at Orrin, and, with much regret, said, "This kid is too cunning. I've accidentally walked into his trap…"

  "So, what you've said in the afternoon doesn't count again?"

  "It doesn't count. I'm willing to admit defeat. I'll fight this idiot until the end of the month. I'd like to see if he can really fly…"

  "…" Lin Li watched as Mason clamored, and couldn't help but take pity on him. Although Mason had the strength of a Magic Shooter at present, he was still far worse when compared with Orrin. Moreover, this fellow was too arrogant—he had won against Orrin once the day before and had already gotten this c.o.c.ky. If they really were to fight until the end of the month, wouldn't he be tortured by Orrin through and through?

  "Felic, hurry up and come here, stop dawdling there, kid!" While the three of them were talking, they heard Macklin yell from a distance.

  "Coming, coming…"

  "Felic, what did the old fellow ask you to do?" Mason was curious.

  Lin Li pursed his lips. "The old fellow said he wants to teach me a lesson…"

  "…" Mason and Orrin drew in a cold breath almost concurrently. Macklin had been their trial mentor since coming to Alanna. From abusing the Fantama Pantera to entering the Shadowglen, how could they not know the strength of this old fellow after all these encounters?

  He was a peak Archmage—just one step away from a Legendary-mage.

  Even if Felic was any more talented, he was only a Magic Shooter. The gap between them was as far as the distance between heaven and hell. In such battles—which had a huge disparity in level—tactics and techniques were only minor elements. The old fellow's lesson might really turn into an abuse…

  For a while, the two guys looked at Lin Li with sympathy in their eyes.

  "Why…?"

  "Brother Felic!" Mason laid one hand on Lin Li's shoulder and smiled brighter than the flowers. "In all conscience, how do I treat you usually?"

  "Very good." Lin Li's reply was not perfunctory. Since he came to Alanna, his two teammates were arguably the ones who treated him best. Although both of them had strange personalities—one was l.e.w.d and the other indifferent—the concern that came out of every little thing couldn't be concealed, and Lin Li had kept these little things in mind all the time.

  "Then…" Upon hearing the satisfactory answer, Mason's eyes beamed with delight. "Bring us in to have a look?"

  "Look at what?" Lin Li was stunned, and could not react for a moment.

  "I'll see how the old fellow abuses— ahem, advises you!"

  "Yes." At Mason's words, even Orrin nodded his head at the side. Although the fellow's expression didn't change much, there was a morbid excitement in his eyes.

  "…" Lin L
i looked at Mason, then at Orrin. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded reluctantly. "I'll ask the old fellow."

  The three of them were talking in low voices, and Macklin in the distance could not wait any longer. "Hey, can you hurry up? What's the use of dilly-dallying, do you think I won't teach you a lesson like that?"

  "Bloody hell, do you really think you're surely able to teach me a lesson?" Lin Li grumbled under his breath, and then, with a reluctant expression on his face, asked Macklin, "Big Brother Mason says they'd like to come along, do you have any objections?"

  "No," Macklin replied coolly. "There's nothing much today, anyway. I'll teach them a lesson after I'm done with you."

  "Okay."

  The middle-aged Magic Shooter respectfully took the four men outside a spacious hall. "Mr Macklin, this is the arena you want."

  "Mhm, go and busy yourself."

  "Yes."

  After the middle-aged Magic Shooter bade goodbye, the four of them reached out and pushed open the door, and an empty hall came into sight.

  There was nothing in the hall—neither mysterious mageweaths nor sparkling crystal balls were present. It looked like a new house that had yet to be decorated. But when Lin Li walked into the hall, he could clearly feel that a powerful force was protecting the whole hall.

  The feeling was very intriguing—he couldn't find the source of the force, yet he could clearly feel that it was there.

  Macklin introduced the origin of the hall to the three of them as he entered. "This is the Guild's Arena, specially used for battles of Archmages. In the past 1,200 years, most of the internal disputes within the Alanna Guild of Magic have been settled here. Apart from Aldwin, only I have the right to use it."

  "By the way, look above you," Macklin said, pointing to the heads of the three guys. "12 Warlock's Eyes have been fixed here.The battle between the Archmages will pass through these 12 Warlock's Eyes to every crystal ball in the Alanna Guild of Magic. Kid, do you understand what that means?"