by Zhuang Bifan
"F*ck!" Lin Li looked at that wretched fat face and immediately felt like a thunderbolt had blasted the top of his head.
This, this, this… Isn't this Shaun the fatty!
The hell…
This time, Lin Li was completely dumbfounded!
After arriving at Andoine's tower last night, Lin Li suddenly remembered something. He had ordered herbs worth tens of thousands of gold coins from Shaun the fatty, but he had been dragged away by Andoine once the banquet ended and he forgot to take the goods from this fella. He was not sure how that fatty was complaining about him…
Lin Li did not think that this fatty seemed to have grown wings overnight and flew straight into the Cinder Woods from Alanna. Moreover, he had a wretched look. Not sure if he had pilfered something again.
"Shaun!" Lin Li shouted from afar, and the fatty was immediately stunned.
"M-m-m… Mr Mage?" This time, Shaun was not any better off than Lin Li.
He distinctly remembered that this young mage was still at Alanna yesterday. Why was he here today? Could it be he was the same as Shaun?
Shaun subconsciously shook his head. Impossible, this is definitely impossible!
"Shaun, why did you come here?"
"This…" Once Shaun heard this, his complexion became really awkward. He mumbled "this" over and over for a long time, and he still could not say anything else.
"It's nothing, I'm just casually asking." Once Lin Li saw his expression, how could not know what secrets this fella was hiding? However, Lin Li was very understanding. How could anyone not have any secrets while living? Since Shaun was not willing to divulge it, Lin Li did not question further. He only laughed and changed the topic. "Oh, yes, why are you in such a panic? Are you selling juvenile magical beasts again?"
"No, no…" After being reminded by Lin Li of the past, Shaun's fat face immediately turned red.
Chapter 239 - Dragon Hawk
"Oh, yes, Mr. Mage. Why are you here?"
"Somebody's Teleportation Portal broke and I was asked to take a look…" After Lin Li spoke, he casually asked, "Oh, yes, have you discovered any Teleportation Portal exit of some sorts around these parts?"
Lin Li's question carried the intention of making a Hail Mary effort. After all there were no leads, so asking would not bring any harm. He did not carry any hope that Shaun would be able give him directions.
"Teleportation Portal exit?" He did not think that the fat bandit actually had a clue after scratching his head. "There's a place that looks like it, but I can't confirm it…"
"Really?" Lin Li's eyes immediately lit up.
Shaun nodded his head with seriousness. He lifted his fat fingers and pointed in the distance. "Yes, its at the northern side of the Cinder Woods. Go through the forest in front from here and walk forward for about another hour. Then, you will see a cave. You have to be careful over there because the roads in the cave are more complicated. After go past that cave…"
"Stop!" Once Lin Li heard about the forest cave, he immediately felt troubled. He had already given up on his own sense of direction. Back at the Fire Plume Ridge, the Silver Hand had given him a map, and he still got lost. For him to be able to find a place just by pointing a finger, the sun would rise from the west first, not to mention now with how Shaun described it.
Hence, Lin Li just asked, "Shaun, do me a favor. How about bringing me there?"
"This…" Shaun looked at the forest behind him, and then looked at Lin Li again. Instantly, he seemed to be abnormally hesitant.
"How about this, ten thousand gold coins." Lin Li did not say anything else, he just lifted a finger.
"What?"
"Bring me to that place. The reward is ten thousand gold coins." After he finished, Lin Li lifted a finger again. "If that place really is the exit of the Teleportation Portal, I will add another ten thousand gold coins. What do you think about it?"
Shaun's eyes were wide open immediately. At the Pharmacists Guild, he already knew that this young mage was very wealthy, but he did not think that it was till this degree. From the start, ten thousand gold coins was the price, and another ten thousand would be added once the thing was found. This would be a total of twenty thousand. It was equivalent to him working hard at the black market for a few months.
But after thinking about it, it wasn't weird. How could Shaun, who had attended many gatherings, not know who this young mage was? He was the genius pharmacist that even President Balbo was full of praise for. At the banquet yesterday night, Shaun saw it with his own eyes. Even Mr. Hoffman, His Highness Johnathan, and other big shots were trying their utmost to rope in this genius pharmacist.
How could a person like this lack money? There would be countless people fighting to buy it with astronomical prices just by seeing him casually taking out a bottle of potion.
But for Shaun, this twenty thousand gold coins was definitely a large sum of money.
"OK!" Shaun gritted his teeth and made his decision.
"Very well."
"Follow me, Mr. Mage."
It was really weird. This fella, Shaun, was short and fat. When he moved, he gave people the impression of someone clumsy. Yet, when he entered the forest, it was as if he had changed into another person. His footsteps were light and quick. Not a single sound was made. The hundred kilograms heavy body had no issues when stepping on the mud. Within a short period, he had brought Lin Li into the depths of the forest.
On the flipside, Lin Li was having an unusually tough time behind him. He was carrying the heavy Connoris on his back and wearing the Rune Robe. He was tumbling throughout the journey. There were a few times when he almost slipped on the mud. If it was not because of the support from the Hastening Spell, he would have collapsed on the floor from exhaustion.
The forest ahead was getting denser, and the thundercloud in the sky was getting thicker. Lin Li had chills up his spine while walking in the depths of the vast forest. The area occasionally had cold breezes, rolling up the leaves and dropping them back on the ground. Even the sound of the breeze seemingly carried an abnormal feel.
"Grr…"
The growls of magical beasts could be heard once in a while. It sounded near and far at times. It was shrill and ear-piercing. It was always when the sound of the growls had just fallen that it would immediately bring about echo. It was as if the whole Cinder Woods had been covered by a weird aura. Although the two of them did not encounter any danger on the way, Lin Li could not relax at all. It was a short half-an-hour trip, but Lin Li felt that his body had been drenched in sweat…
"This damned place…" Lin Li cursed while walking. When he returned, he had to speak to Andoine properly. This old man was really creative. He came up with something like the Teleportation Portal being broken and then threw Lin Li into this wretched place. Then, the next time something broke, would he be thrown into the abyss?
"Oh, yes, Shaun. How did you discover this place?" The aura in the forest was really pressurizing. Lin Li felt that he was about to be driven mad. He had no choice but to start a conversation in order to alleviate the aura's pressure.
"Heh heh, this would take a while…" This time, Shaun did not hide it. He just sheepishly laughed. "Mr.Mage, do you still remember the Thunder Eaglet that you wanted?"
"Of course."
"Speaking of which, the reason why I could discover that place is somewhat related to that juvenile Dragon Hawk. Mr. Mage, look over there…" As the fatty was talking, he stopped walking. He raised his finger and pointed at a small path in the trees. "From this path, there is a cliff about two thousand meters away. I estimate that there are at least a thousand Thunder Eagle nests on that cliff. The Thunder Eaglet you ordered from me last time was captured on this cliff. Come to think of it, my luck was bad. The other day, I had just caught a Thunder Eaglet and I was discovered by two a.d.u.l.t Thunder Eagles. At that time, I was pale from fright and ran desperately towards the forest. I was stumbling on the way and entered that cave. After that, I found out that it coul
d be the exit of the Teleportation Portal…"
"Oh…" Lin Lin Li nodded, and could not help but respect this fat bandit. He dared to venture into a Thunder Eagle's nest for something worth a few thousand gold coins. What sort of spirit was this?
Unfortunately, he could only deceive people once even though he did this.
Although the fat bandit usually boasted on the black market, saying that he had a specialist's secret taming methods, how could Lin Li not know that the so-called secret taming methods did not exist. It was because he set off on the wrong path. It was impossible to tame magical beasts—such as a Thunder Eagle—that were wilder than their reasoning from the day they were born.
Based on the what Lin Li knew, the only way was to start taming while the Thunder Eaglets had yet to hatch. Then, just maybe, there might be a small chance… However, this was more dangerous than stealing Thunder Eaglets…
Wait… Thunder Eagle eggs?
Lin Li suddenly stopped walking. His eyes were inspecting Shaun's back. Shaun did not bring any weapons today, just a bag, and it looked full. It was as if it was carrying something round…
With one look, how could Lin Li not make it out?
Fu*k, this asshole really is screwing around!
Could a magical beast's egg be casually stolen? This was literally making a joke out of death…
All magical beasts were the same. Before they hatched, juvenile magical beasts and a.d.u.l.t magical beasts would always maintain an intricate telepathic link with each other. Stealing a magical beast's egg at this time was equivalent to having a tracker on the body. No matter where you ran, a.d.u.l.t magical beasts would always be able to find you—unless you were a powerhouse at Andoine's level and obtained it with sheer strength. Otherwise, most people would just end up nursing a grievance when facing an enraged magical beast…
"Shaun—"
Lin Li could not even finish his sentence, for there was gale tearing through the sky suddenly. Instantly, Lin Li's body felt like it was being cut by knives. The surrounding trees were shaking violently. The lush branches were making waves in the howling wind, and the sound made from it was permeating the ears continuously. The echoing growls of the magical beasts instantly stopped.
"F*ck…" Lin Li thought of killing himself. Of all people, he had to ask this bane to be his guide. F*ck, you had to be a magical beast smuggler. Great, now the a.d.u.l.ts are here. Let's see, fatty, how you are gonna clean up the mess.
When the gale started howling, Shaun suddenly stopped. When he looked up at the sky, his fat face was pale from fear.
"It's over, it's over…" Shaun mumbled to himself, and his fat hands tightly grabbed his bag.
"F*ck, fatty!" Lin Li lost his temper, and his next sentence was like a roar. "What did you steal this time?"
"I, I, I…" Shaun's face was white from fear, and his body was shivering. When he spoke, his teeth were chattering.
"I my a*s!"
"I, I, I… I stole a Dragon Hawk's egg…"
"F*cking hell…" Lin Li spewed vulgarities in his immense anger.
Lin Li had seen many reckless people before, but it was a first for him to see someone as reckless as this fatty. F*ck, it's fine that you are stealing Thunder Eaglets, but you actually dared to try something with the Dragon Hawk. Are you complaining that you are too fat and nobody is helping you lose weight?
"What, what, what… what do we do?" Shaun looked like a bean sprout wavering amidst the gale. Looking at the flares continuously appearing in the sky, Shaun completely lost his composure.
"What else can we do. Run!"
This time, Lin Li did not care about the mud; he grabbed the hems of the mage robe and desperately ran forward. He faintly remembered that Shaun mentioned before that after crossing this stretch of trees, the cave with a complicated terrain would be right in front.
Yes, yes, yes… The cave. As long as they could enter the cave, they should have escaped from danger.
Even though the Dragon Hawk's strength was incomparable, would it continue chasing if they were to hide in the cave?
As for that Dragon Hawk egg inside Shaun's bag, it will be dealt with once they entered the cave. F*ck, this thing really is a hot potato. It can't be destroyed or thrown away. I just have to let Shaun carry it and pray that it does not crack; otherwise, both of us will be finished if the a.d.u.l.t Dragon Hawk goes mad…
Chapter 240 - Dragon Hawk Queen
The a.d.u.l.t Dragon Hawk swooped in aggressively. The two of them heard a long, gentle growl coming from the sky just as they ran out of the woods. Then, they saw the dark clouds in the sky being torn apart by a streak of red light. The red light flashed through the tumultuous dark clouds. The brilliant feathers and swirling flames of the Dragon Hawk were almost arrogant…
As the Dragon Hawk charged out of the dark clouds, a gush of heat wave suddenly poured in.
"Run!" Lin Li saw a flashing red light the moment he looked up. He lunged himself into the mud almost subconsciously at the thought of the power of an a.d.u.l.t Dragon Hawk.
"Boom!" An explosion followed.
The Dragon Hawk skimmed over the woods in an arrogant manner, and it was followed by a scorching dragon breath. The trees around it burned up and the mud on the ground evaporated instantly. When it came back, the land had turned into the color of scorched earth.
"F*ck…" Lin Li felt a rush from behind just when he had started to move his body. What was originally an agile movement became a slapstick in an instant—he slammed heavily into the mud like a toad. The pervasive smell of mud splattered all over him. Lin Li spent a while spitting out the stinky mud from his mouth. However, when he turned around, he was dumbfounded by what he saw…
A mere dragon breath attack had razed a few dozen meters of the woods into ground. It was a piece of dark brown scorched earth at a glance. The whole dense woods had vanished in the dragon breath, leaving only a scene of doomsday.
"This, this… This is the bloody Dragon Hawk?" Lin Li couldn't believe—not over his dead body—that a level-16 Dragon Hawk could be so destructive. Just a dragon breath had anihilated dozens of meters of woods—this was almost comparable to a legendary-level spell. Not to mention a Dragon Hawk, Lin Li would even believe it if it was said to be a wyrm.
"F*ck, fatso, what kind of monster have you provoked?"
Fatso had been scared out of his wits, and stammered, "It, it, it… it's a Dragon Hawk Queen!"
"F*ck…" Lin Li thought he'd faint. Bloody hell, this fatso is some genius. He has actually stolen from a Dragon Hawk Queen. Why did you not just steal a wyrm's egg?
"Let's… Let's return the Dragon Hawk's egg, shall we?"
"…" Lin Li almost passed out from anger. If an apology would suffice, why else did they need garrisons?
"You go…" Lin Li pursed his lips, and hid himself deeper into the woods without dignity. "Try negotiating with Her Majesty. Say you've taken it by mistake. Ask her if she'll let us off if you return the egg to her…"
"I… I don't think she's up for a negotiation…" Fatso swallowed his saliva and hid into the woods ahead of Lin Li.
"Glad you know." Lin Li hid himself among the trees, but kept his eyes on the Dragon Hawk Queen hovering in the sky through the gaps between the branches and leaves.
Luckily, there was still some time…
Although the Dragon Hawk had the blood of the wyrm, it was not a real wyrm. Even if the one hovering in the sky was the Dragon Hawk Queen, it was still impossible for it to use the dragon breath like a real wyrm. After a dragon breath, it'd need to rest at least for a while, which provided a respite for the two of them.
Both of them were safe for the time being—until the next dragon breath attack.
However, this was only temporary.
The two men hiding in the woods seemed to be dancing on the tip of a knife. In fact, they might get themselves killed anytime. An a.d.u.l.t Dragon Hawk was at the very least a level-16 magical beast, not to mention that the one before them was the qu
een of the Dragon Hawks. With its previous dragon breath, it might very well be a power that was close to the legendary-level. Perhaps it was even no weaker than the Salamander in the Fire Plume Ridge.
If there had been a Sword Sage of the Storm in the Fire Plume Ridge, then what was in the Cinder Woods?
Apart from a stealthy bandit, there was only a rookie Archmage who had just broken through to level-15, and he was only able to exert a level-14 power in this damned woods.
With their strength, the only thing they could do was to pray that the Dragon Hawk Queen wouldn't find them so quickly…
But could such thing be determined by a prayer?
Despite them looking seemingly safe at present, there was still a high probability of them being burned to ashes with a dragon breath. Moreover, they dared not run. They might be able to drag it out for some time while under the cover of this dense woods. If they ran out, they would immediately be discovered by the Dragon Hawk Queen. When its sharp talons fall, they'd be torn to pieces in a moment.
"How, how, how…?" Lin Li hit his forehead repeatedly. He was about to go insane. Ever since transmigrating to Anril, he had encountered his fair share of danger and a few close calls with death. He had even killed a Salamander once.
But he had never been in such dire straits like present.
No matter how Lin Li racked his brains, he had to admit that there was absolutely no way out of this situation…
"I'll be damned…" Just as Lin Li was in distress, Connoris, who was on his back, jumped suddenly. "How did you come to provoke the Dragon Hawk?"
"Shut up!" Lin Li's blood boiled when he heard the fellow's voice. If Connoris hadn't pretended to be an old horse who knew the way, he wouldn't have met the fatso and gotten himself into such a fix.
"…" Connoris shut his mouth sensibly…
For a moment, the atmosphere in the woods was extremely depressing.
