by Zhuang Bifan
Indeed, Matthias was really hated…
But being hated was one thing. After all, he was the successor of the Marathon Family. You crippled Gryffindor and killed a member of the Marathon Family. F*ck, do you still want to stay in the Felan Kingdom?
One had a chance to be a Legendary-mage of the arbiters, and to top things off, the other was a thriving man with thousands beneath. Even if it was me, I would still have to think about the consequences. You're really great, you little bastard. First, you crippled Gryffindor with a Mental Disruption, and now, you almost killed Matthias with a Pyroblast. F*ck, you really think that becoming an Archmage would make you invincible?
"F*ck, this little bastard is really reckless…" Macklin grumbled to himself for a while, and he could only use that sentence to conclude everything.
"No, Matthias is fine…" Aldwin, who was sitting beside, was shaking his head with assurance…
"Ah?" Macklin was stunned immediately. "He's still fine?"
"Didn't you notice? Matthias' magical wave had not shown any changes up till now…"
"Oh, yea…" After all, Macklin was a level-eighteen Archmage. Initially, he was too worried about his disciple getting into trouble, and that was why he did not notice Matthias' abnormal magical wave. After hearing what Aldwin said, Macklin immediately understood. Indeed, Matthias' magical wave was still normal. From the beginning, it did not have any changes as though what struck him was not a level-fifteen spell, but just a mere pebble.
"Seems like Matthias has grown quite a lot in these two months…" After Aldwin said that, he immediately shut up and focused his attention on the battle that had yet to conclude.
Macklin scratched his head. "Did this kid take the wrong medicine today?"
It was only natural that Macklin was so doubtful. The raise in Matthias' strength was really too abnormal. Within less than two months, he turned into a professional from a newbie—from level-eleven or twelve to level-fifteen and above. No words could be used to describe such a tremendous improvement. It was especially so for this match. He had been hit by a Pyroblast, but he came out unscathed. It went against everyone's magical knowledge…
"F*ck…" At this time, Lin Li was also shocked.
It was because he clearly saw that Matthias slowly walked out of the flames with the magic staff in his hands.
"This, this, this… This can't be real, right?" Watching as Matthias walked out from the flames, Lin Li immediately felt goosebumps all over. How did this guy become so powerful—even a Pyroblast would not kill him.
Isn't this match gonna be in deep trouble?
"Mage Felic, you've really disappointed me…" Matthias' face still bore a cruel smile. At this time, Matthias did not look like someone that had just been struck by a Pyroblast. His whole body did not even have a single burn mark. His hair was still neat, and his handsome face was still as fair as ever. Even that robe made with fine craftsmanship did not have a single crease…
No matter who was it that saw Matthias now, they all suspected that everything that they saw was just a hallucination. The Pyroblast did not exist at all, and it did not even pose a single threat to Matthias…
"It's too unreal, too unreal…" Lin Li refused to drop the matter, his hand holding onto the Aether Staff tightly. He was never someone to give up easily. It does not matter if it's one Pyroblast, two, three, four, or even ten—at least one of them will kill him. Anyway, I have mana and potions. If I can't defeat you, Matthias, I will write my name in reverse!
At almost the same time when Matthias was walking out from the flames, Lin Li had started to hastily recite spells. He was still using the Pyroblast, and the recitation was quick and fast. It was as if saliva was about to pour out of Lin Li's mouth. The revolving flames and the abstruse runes started to weave a myriad of dreamy colors in the Aurora Square.
Yet at this time, Matthias did not move at all.
"Idiot, don't you get it? The power of the flames will never hurt an envoy of the Abyss!" Matthias' voice was gruesome and cruel. In that instant, Lin Li even thought that a magical beast was roaring at him. It was especially so for that word "abyss", for it gave Lin Li a shiver down his spine he'd never felt before.
After that, he realized the Pyroblast that he had released had disappeared…
There was no reason or signs. It was as if a Void Crack had appeared in the Aurora Square. It had swallowed a level-fifteen spell in front of the spectators' eyes.
"…" Lin Li was really stupefied. He rubbed his eyes furiously to try and see things better. This was a complete a joke. A level-fifteen spell had suddenly disappeared without any reason. Could it be that Matthias had a brand on his body that could instantly generate a mana channel and shift the opponent's mana into it?
Osric wasn't this generous, right…?
"What the hell?!" It was as if someone had stepped on Hoffman's tail in the VIP area. After a scream, he jumped up. He could not believe what he had seen. What sort of drugs did this little rabbit of the Marathon Family take—how did he become so powerful?
Forget about that initial Pyroblast; after all, there had been a thin layer of Elemental Shield protecting him. But this time, Hoffman clearly saw that Matthias' body did not have Elemental Shield or any protection from any spells. He was completely n.a.k.e.d standing there, no different from a p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e that was n.a.k.e.d and spreading her legs wide open…
F*ck, how could this be…
Without protection from any spells, even the Sword Sage that was protected by a high-level Combat Energy would be seriously injured when blasted directly by a level-fifteen spell. Could it be that Matthias has trained to be stronger than the Sword Sage? Then why did he even join this finals, just let the judges announce his victory…
"Hoffman, please be quieter." Herza frowned. This damned fatty that was making a big fuss was giving him a headache. He was constantly making movements, not allowing the others to watch the match peacefully.
"How can I calm down?" Hoffman rubbed his brow. He was so anxious that cold sweat had appeared. "It's not like you did not see it. This little rabbit from the Marathon Family is like a monster. A f*cking Pyroblast could not even kill him. What else is there that he can't do?"
"What's so weird about that." Herza shook his head with a smile. "Did you forget about that murder case in the Breezy Plains fifty years ago?"
"Fifty years ago in the Breezy Plains?" Hoffman was in a daze; almost immediately afterward, his expression was panic-stricken. "You're talking about Ashen Warlord Roland?"
"That's right."
"F*ck!" Hoffman looked at Matthias, who was in the Aurora Square, for a while with a face full of anxiety and doubt before he suddenly spewed vulgarities. "F*ck, I really did not think that this little bastard was actually Roland's disciple. No wonder I kept thinking that he looked repulsive. So that's how it is. F*cking Roland is really an idiot—of all the people to take in as a disciple, he chose this little bastard…
Hoffman was cursing passionately, but his heart could not help but be anxious. The fame of Ashen Warlord Roland was known by even a three year old in the Breezy Plains. There was no choice—this guy was really too famous. He was one of the biggest slaughterers in the Felan Kingdom after Osric from the Dark Ages. This legendary murderer that was always wearing a black robe and covering his face with a hood commanded mysterious powers from the Abyss. He had once used his mysterious powers to summon a powerful demon fifty years ago, and killed thousands of soldiers from the Felan Kingdom in a single night…
Chapter 272 - Hellfire
The massacre fifty years ago had shocked the entire Felan Kingdom. That afternoon, the most elite Sky Knights of the Felan Kingdom had departed for the Breezy Plains. The mission they received was to kill the Ashen Warlock and the demon he had summoned at all costs. At the same time, tens of branches of the Adventurers Guild had added the name of the Ashen Warlock into the mission archives. It was the first ever five million gold coin reward. When it was announced, it had att
racted countless adventurers.
But fifty years later…
The Ashen Warlock was still alive, and he still stayed in a small town just north of the Breezy Plains. He was still leading a peaceful and law-abiding life in the fields. Nothing had changed. It was as if the royal court's rage and the reward from the Adventurers Guild had never happened at all.
In that town where the Ashen Warlock lived, nobody seemed to knew that their neighbor was a ruthless killer that had killed thousands with just a wave of his hand. They only knew this wealthy but unsociable old man did not like to come in contact with others. He did not like to speak with people. He either conducted weird experiments in his room every day or was sitting in the fields in a daze…
Only people like Hoffman would know that after that murder case, the prestige of the Felan royal court had received an impact that almost destroyed it. The Sky Knights set off on that very day's afternoon towards the Breezy Plains. In just five days, they returned to Alanna in a hurry. When they returned, they only brought back five hundred Gryphons, and only about 100 men were alive. The once high and mighty Sky Knights had received a large blow to their morale while trying to capture the Ashen Warlock. It was only after tens of years when Azalez was in control of the Sky Knights that they started to regain their former glory.
As for the Adventurers Guild's mission archive, it was eerily neat. But whichever Adventurer that tried to take on this task, without any exceptions, their name had the following added: "Dead, Mission Failed".
That murder case fifty years ago was truly a shock for the Breezy Plains. The fame of the Ashen Warlock had resounded across the whole Breezy Plains. Almost all of the heads of all forces had placed the Ashen Warlock on the list of dangerous personage as soon as the murder case happened. Even the town he lived in had become like a restricted zone. It was because the Ashen Warlock once said that anybody entering the small town without an invitation would be considered a challenger.
The current Breezy Plains could be said to be the most chaotic place in the Felan Kingdom. Countless powerful factions were gathered, and it was also a strategic location. Additionally, with the Dwarf Kingdom keeping it under surveillance, it was a fool's talk for a one man to establish himself there as a single power. Yet, after fifty years, not a single faction dared to challenge the Ashen Warlock. It was because nobody knew how severe the consequences would be if they were to anger this solitary old man…
As for how strong the Ashen Warlock was, there was no definite answer till now, but there was one point that needed not be questioned. The President of the Alanna Guild of Magic, the legendary-mage Aldwin that had reached level-21, had once said that if he were to duel with the Ashen Warlock, he would not even have thirty percent chance of winning…
The business of the Glittergold Trade Union spread throughout whole Anril. The wealth that they had was an astronomical number. As long as they were willing, they could even use the wealth they had to overthrow a small kingdom, but Hoffman was very clear that even if the Glittergold Trade Union had ten times the money they had now, they would absolutely not dare to provoke that terrifying demon…
In fact, even the Felan royal court had to admit that choosing to surround the Ashen Warlock back then was the worst mistake. This decision had caused the Felan royal court to lose the Sky Knights as well as all of the influence that the royal court should rightfully have. Also, tens of years afterward, Felan's weaking had given the Ledin Kingdom a chance to take advantage of it to rise in power.
This time, even Hoffman started to be concerned…
The disciple of the Ashen Warlock was not a laughing matter!
Of all the powerhouses in the Felan Kingdom, the Ashen Warlock was definitely the scariest one—there was nobody like him!
Mysterious yet powerful. Nobody dared to butter up this character. If Macklin were to describe it, the old man would probably pout his lips and mumble, "Ashen Warlock? You're referring to that old Felic at the Breezy Plains…?"
Indeed, the personality of these two was too similar. It was like they were made from the same mold…
The reason for that murder case back then was only because a few soldiers stationed at the borders of Felan accidentally stepped and killed the Ashen Warlock's dog while marching. This incident was like stirring up a hornet's nest. The Ashen Warlock went straight to Palatine and found the Border Military Commander that was stationed there. He wanted to seek justice for his dog no matter what. The commander for the border troops back then was the uncle of the current king. Why would His Highness that was used to throwing his weight around care about who was this Ashen Warlock? Met with his attitude, the Ashen Warlock used a Hellfire immediately and flattened half of the military base without uttering another word. This issue escalated, and tens of thousands of troops rushed into the small town, capturing everyone in the town while trying to force them to hand over the damned murderer.
In the end…
The Ashen Warlock opened the Gates of the Abyss and summoned a high-level demon. He had taken away thousands of lives in a single night.
From Hoffman's perspective, it was always better not to provoke people that had such a distorted mind…
Just when Hoffman's face was turning pale, the situation of the battle in the Aurora Square took a turn.
Although Lin Li was slightly shocked after his Pyroblast was swallowed by thin air, his spellcasting rhythm was not disturbed at all. At the point when Matthias was walking out of the flames, Lin Li had already raised an Elemental Shield. Afterward, he used a mental protection field. He transitioned to defense without a single bit of hesitation. He was so decisive that it left the audience speechless…
It was very easy to transition to defense, but it required courage to transition to defense while having the advantage. Everyone knew that Matthias was weird, but who would be willing to give up the advantage that they had?
However, Lin Li's thinking was different…
Matthias was unscathed after being hit directly by a Pyroblast. At this time, Lin Li had already known that he did not have a single advantage. Even if he could make use of the time that Matthias was unprepared and blasted another Pyroblast, what would it do? It would still not deal any damage to him. Before finding the crux of the problem, it would be pointless even if he were to cast any more Pyroblasts. This advantage that might seem substantial had actually amounted to nothing already…
Furthermore, Lin Li had always felt that Matthias was abnormal. His laughter was too weird, and he was booming with confidence. He might even come up with some powerful method to deal with Lin Li if another Pyroblast were to do zero damage to him. It was the final match, so it was better to be safe than sorry…
"BOOM…" As expected, a loud sound had erupted from the side just when Lin Li had laid down the Mental Protection Field.
A large fireball descended from the sky—it looked like a gigantic meteor. In an instant, everybody felt the earth shake. The loud sound was like thunder, and countless flares flew around too. It had instantly swallowed Lin Li's silhouette completely. If it wasn't because of the Elemental Shield that he had raised, Lin Li might have already been turned into a pile of ashes.
"F*ck, Hellfire!" Instantly, there were gasps of shock coming from the audience.
Indeed, it was an infernal golem from the abyss—Hellfire!
When the meteor landed on the Aurora Square, and after raising a plain of dazzling flares, the magical elements did not dissipate. Instead, they got even more chaotic. At the same time when the crowd was gasping in shock, that gigantic fireball underwent a weird distortion. After that, there was an intense tremble, and the fireball transformed into an Infernal Golem that was almost ten meters tall.
"What the hell…" Even if with Lin Li's strength, he could not help but have goosebumps when he suddenly saw this Infernal Golem that came from the Abyss. This was a monster that had the power of at least level-fifteen. Its body was in between that of a demon and an elemental. It did not feel pain, n
or did it have any thoughts. It only had the most primitive blood l.u.s.t and the basic ability to understand its summoner's commands.
When the meteor transformed into an Infernal Golem, Lin Li made a run for it without even thinking. This was not a joke. With the body of a mage, it was purely seeking death to go against such a powerful monster that was almost ten meters tall…
"Boom!" After that, there was another large sound. The fist of the Infernal Golem heavily struck the Aurora Square. In an instant, there were countless flares fluttering around. This heavy punch immediately created a large crater in the square…
"So powerful…" Luckily, Lin Li's reaction was on time. He had just moved a few steps, and the fist of the Hellfire landed. The spot with the large crater was the exact spot where he'd just stood. If he'd been late by one or two seconds, the thing that was punched would not have been only the stone slabs covering the Aurora Square.
"Count yourself lucky…" Matthias was gritting his teeth. At this time, he had to admit that this Jarrosus mage was indeed cunning.
But, could the attacks of the Hellfire be dodged just because he wanted to?
Matthias exhausted a lot of mana to absorb a Pyroblast just so that he could increase the power of the Hellfire. Don't think that even this Hellfire was not even ten meters, so how strong it could be? Based on strength, it was definitely the strongest Hellfire that he had ever summoned!
The Hellfire that transformed from the meteor stood there. It was like a burning mountain. The incomparable heat from the flames was gushing over. It made Lin Li really dizzy. The movements of the Hellfire were not nimble, but every step it took always covered a distance of several meters. Even if Lin Li had the Hastening Spell, it would not able to handle such physical torture. It was just in the blink of an eye that he had already been forced to the wall by the Hellfire…
