by Zhuang Bifan
His successful experience from the Endless World let him understand a lesson: although money was not omnipotent, the lack of money was definitely a problem!
This type of situation lasted until the morning of the fourth day.
The Supreme Council would be sending someone here the next day. Hence, Lin Li had been packing his things as he planned to return to Jarrosus before noon.
Before leaving the Demon Fall Valley, Lin Li went to find Gerian.
"What? You are leaving today?" Gerian asked in surprise after seeing that Lin Li had packed his things.
"Yeah, the person from the Supreme Council would come tomorrow. I have to go back and prepare some things before I travel to the Breezy Plains with them. It may take some time before I'm back here again."
"I've told you that it will be a waste if you don't become a guild president. See? Even though I let you go, the old men in Supreme Council are still after you…" Gerian had heard about the happenings during the trial in Alanna. He was not shocked that Lin Li was leaving for the Breezy Plains very soon. He was just still thinking about the words Lin Li had said before the auction the other day.
"Is that true…?" Lin Li asked as he touched his face subconsciously. Could it be that the word 'president' was written on his face?
Gerian glared at him, feeling he lost face. "Are you thinking that I'm lying to you?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You are always reasonable…" Lin Li flattered the middle-aged fatso. "Oh, yes. I left behind some secret potions in the tent. Please give half of them to the Emerald Tower, and the other half to the people outside…"
"Alright." Since it had been agreed that Lin Li had a partnership with him when they were at Jarrosus, Gerian would naturally be unable to refuse him. However, after thinking for a while, he asked doubtfully, "There are so many people outside. Whom should I pass them to?"
"This is easy…" Lin Li said as he laughed shamelessly. "After you are back, hold an event like an auction, and let them fight for it with money. But, they don't fight for the potions itself. They are going to fight for the status of my business partner.
"The person who offers the most money will get the exclusive right to manage the sales of these secret potions for one year. After one year, it will reset, and everyone will bid for the position again."
"What the hell, that's so wicked!" Gerian exclaimed in shock. He had seen many shameless people over the decades when he managed the Emerald Tower, but it was his first time seeing such an unabashed man in his life.
To invest in a long-term exclusive right to the partnership with a huge amount of money… Goddammit, only this kid would think of such an evil rule…
"Hehe, I have no other choice. I really lack money recently…"
"Yeah, that's that…" Gerian agreed as he nodded his head. The building of the new guild needed a large amount of funds indeed.
"As for the profits, they can get 20 percent of it, while we have the other 80 percent. You can help me to deposit the earnings into the Glittergold Bank through the crystal card you gave me the other day."
"Sure, no problem."
"Oh, please don't be too anxious regarding the collapse of your mana. I have found a solution for you. You'll take at least 10 days to regain your powers, but no more than a month. I would recommend you to hold your temper before that. Don't be so impulsive to use your powers like always."
"Yeah, yeah. Goddammit, why are you so naggy at such a young age?"
"… "
While the two men conversed, there was suddenly the sound of anxious footsteps.
"P-P-President Gerian!" Ysera called out as he dashed into the tent anxiously. He was not as formal and mature as before. "Oh, Mage Felic is here too…"
"Ysera, have you seen a ghost? Why are you so nervous…?"
"I'm sorry, Mage Felic. I didn't know you were here. My apologies, apologies…" Ysera apologized awkwardly, but he did not have the intention to leave the tent. He rubbed his hands awkwardly, and tried to hint at something to Gerian with his expression.
However, Gerian's mind was full of that batch of secret potions; hence, he did not notice Ysera's attempts. He only responded to Ysera when his facial muscles were nearly having cramps.
"Ysera, you are looking for me?"
"…" Ysera nearly fainted out of frustration. "President Gerian, we found it!"
"Found it?" After hearing Ysera, Gerian was like a dog that had its tail stepped on. He jumped up, and asked, "You found the entrance?"
"Yes, just a few minutes ago."
"Entrance? You mean you found the entrance of the treasure cave?" That was Lin Li, who suddenly appeared to take an interest in the topic.
However, after hearing that, Ysera had a worried expression on his face. He hesitated. "Erm…"
"What are you hesitating about? Just shoot," Gerian told Ysera impatiently. Since there was hope to find the treasure, how would Gerian have the heart to play guessing games with him? Had he really hoped Gerian went to the scene to take a look himself?
"President Gerian, listen to me. It was like this…"
Frowning, Ysera started to talk about the situation.
As Lin Li was too focused on creating potions these days, he did not get any updates on the progress of the treasure hunt. Now that he heard Ysera narrate it, he learnt that the speed of the digging was insanely fast. They found the cave in two to three days, and then they encountered a problem…
This morning, the team started digging in the area, and found the passageway that led to the entrance of the cave. It should be a good thing since it meant that it was a clue to the treasure. As long as they followed the passageway, they might be able to find the legendary treasure. Unfortunately, there was still a huge stone door that obstructed the people from the passageway…
"You can't open it?" Lin Li frowned skeptically. Everyone in the mission was Warriors of at least level-8. They were so strong that they could use their b.a.r.e hands to kill a few magical beasts. How would they be blocked by a mere stone door?
"I don't know…"
"…" Lin Li nearly cursed. Ain't it just a darn stone door? How would somebody not know if they could open it? Did they not try it themselves before they run here to find Gerian?
"It's like this, Mage Felic…" Seeing that the young mage had an annoyed expression, Ysera tried to explain desperately. "We sent two Bandits down when we found that stone door. They were supposed to be skilled in dealing with locks, but the moment they touched the door, they stopped moving…"
"Stop moving?"
"Yes…" Ysera nodded his head firmly, but his eyes were dazed. "The situation was too eerie. It was as though somebody used a Fixation Spell on them. They immediately froze, and when I sent people down to get them back up, they… they…"
"What the hell, can't you just speak properly?"
"They…" Ysera said as he swallowed his saliva uneasily. "The two bandits lost their consciousness when they came up. It was as though they had turned into fools…"
"So serious?" Gerian asked. He couldn't help but frown.
Lin Li listened to Ysera quietly. Only when Ysera said that the men apparently became retards did Lin Li suddenly ask, "Is there anything weird on that stone door?"
"Weird things?" Ysera said as he reflected on his encounter for a moment. "Now that Mage Felic mentioned that, I remember that there is a very strong magical wave around that door. At first, I thought that when the two bandits touched the stone door, the magical wave immediately seemed to expand…"
"Indeed…"
"Mage Felic, do you know what's the reason?"
"Yes," Lin Li replied. "If I'm not wrong, there should be some unusual symbols on the stone door…"
"Yes, yes. That's right, there are really some strange symbols!"
"Then it will not be wrong. Come, bring me there at once."
"Okay."
When the three men came out of the tent, Gerian was still worried. He asked Lin Li in a low voice, "Do you really know what's
that?"
"Yup, that should be a mageweath—a very rare one. According to what I know, there are only some high-ranking undead mages who would study such an evil magic. It seems that the treasure should not be just gold and jewelry…"
"Is it really so powerful?" Gerian asked. He became anxious when he heard Lin Li mention 'high-ranking Necromancer'. "Should I go and find a mightier Inscriber?" he asked Lin Li discreetly after looking around for a moment.
"No need," Lin Li replied as he shook his head speechlessly. How would there be any other Inscriber in Jarrosus who would be able to do anything before the Song of the Death Mageweath? He just hoped that no more innocent lives would be wasted…
The two men discussed as they walked. Not long after, they arrived outside the mineshaft.
This time, there were many people outside and inside the mineshaft. There were people from both the Emerald Tower and the large forces. In the middle of the crowd, there stood two bandits in a daze. From one look, Lin Li could tell that they had lost their mental strength completely. Even God himself would not be able to save them now.
Chapter 291 - Rage of the Natural Disaster
"Let's take a look inside. " Lin Li looked away from the two unlucky bandits and toward the mine as he became interested in what was inside. He quickly chanted, releasing an Illuminating Spell before leading Ysera and Gerian inside the mineshaft.
Perhaps because it was morning, the air in the cave was unusually cold, and even Lin Li sneezed a couple of times when they entered. Rubbing his nose, he slowly walked into the depths of the cave under the guidance of the Illuminating Spell. The excavation Gerian had ordered was quite effective; the mouth of the cave had only been wide enough for a mine cart to pass through, but now, thanks to the hundreds of workers, it could even fit a chariot.
The three soon saw a flat plot of land after entering—this was the place Gerian had mentioned hearing the sound from. There was a huge crater in the middle of the land, with freshly dug earth lining the sides of it. Tools of all sorts were scattered around on the ground; the place was messy and unorganized, probably due to the workers rushing outside after they saw something happen.
Lin Li maintained the Illuminating Spell as he carefully walked into the crater, and saw a slanted tunnel extend far ahead. It was effective to have many workers indeed—they had dug a tunnel a few hundred meters long in a few days' time. The trio walked for about five minutes before seeing a light ahead.
A tightly shut door lay at the end of the tunnel; there were lamps on either side of the door, probably left there by the workers. The oil was running out now, and the fire from the lamps flickered weakly in the dark.
"Hang on, don't come over yet. "Lin Li waved away the Illuminating Spell, and chanted a spell as he laid a Mental Protection Field in front of the door.
Indeed…
The stone door was filled with strange symbols; they looked crooked and messy, just like a child's doodles. Gerian and Ysera gave it a few glances before they looked elsewhere as these things were too difficult for them to comprehend.
However, it was a different story when Lin Li saw it.
"Impressive…"
Even Lin Li who was a Guru of Inscription himself marveled at it as he stood outside the tightly shut door. This Song of Death mageweath was worthy of his admiration indeed. While it looked messy, it was easy to spot once you looked closely. Its messiness was planned as it helped reduce the conflicts that might arise between various flows of magic by diverting magic circuits so as to minimize the waste of mana. The six magic nodes also formed a natural system which allowed the flowing magic to be recycled again. In order to have such thought and technique, the person who made this had to be a Master, if not a Guru, of Inscription.
"Is this door powerful?" Gerian asked when he saw Lin Li's frown. "Why don't I get a few mages and have them blow the door up!"
"President Gerian, I don't think that'll be a good idea… " Ysera gulped nervously. The tunnel was freshly dug, and the proper supporting frames had not yet been installed—if they were to blow up this place with magic, it would surely collapse. Then, it might take another three days for the workers to dig them out of the debris…
"Don't worry, I'll think of something… " Lin Li shook his head as his gaze remained on the door. The structure of a Song of Death mageweath was not complicated; the key was the six magic nodes. As long as he destroyed one of them, the mageweath would be destroyed, but he did not dare take the risk for now. Most Masters of Inscription would lay traps at the magic source of the mageweath, or have it self-destruct or attack… Anyway, they'd make life difficult for anybody who dared to destroy the mageweath. The one who laid down the mageweath might've been a Necromancer, so Lin Li did not dare to take any risks all the more. If the trap at the magic source was so strong that it collapsed the tunnel, were they going to wait for the workers to dig them out?
As he was a Guru of Inscription, the Song of Death mageweath did not take up too much of Lin Li's time even though it was a little tricky. With a deep hum, an idea came to Lin Li. He chanted a spell, and a blue light appeared in his palm. This was a Magic Suppression spell that had been used by mages in a fight—it suppressed the explosion of magic and served to protect the mage. It was similar to Element Annihilation in its use, except that it could be used in more ways. It couldn't be helped; Element Annihilation was inflexible, and only a Guru level Inscriber had a chance to expand its usage. Magic Suppression spell was more flexible, and it could even help block an attack from behind once with concentration.
Of course, Lin Li was not trying to block an attack from behind—he was trying to block the trap on the magic source.
"Step back just in case… " Lin Li did not say what would happen, but his expression was enough to scare Ysera and Gerian into taking a few steps backward.
Seeing that the two knew how powerful it could be, Lin Li smiled in satisfaction before he brought the blue light in his palm to the door.
"Felic, be careful!" Even though Gerian cowered at the back, he still remembered to remind Lin Li.
"Don't worry, " Lin Li assured Gerian with a wave of his hand.
The Song of Death mageweath on the door was not unlike what Lin Li imagined it to be. Well thought out magic circuit and precise magic nodes made the mageweath's structure impenetrable. As he stood in front of the door, Lin Li could clearly feel a suppressed and dark magical wave lingering around him. That was the strength of the Song of Death; if anyone fell into it, they would be trapped in endless nightmares, while negative emotions and scary hallucinations would keep haunting them. Its effect on one's mental strength was worse—even an Archmage might be rendered helpless by a touch of the Song of Death, much less the two bandits…
Lin Li would have just gone ahead usually.
While the Song of Death was powerful, it only attacked one's mental strength, and a creature like Lin Li would not be afraid of that. He had been able to withstand Old Merlin's mental attack at only level-8; hence, it would be less of a threat to him now that he was at level-16.
Unfortunately, he couldn't do that now.
The Thousand Miles of Ice at the Black Water River Bay had hurt his inner strength too much, and his mental strength had yet to recover fully. Any mistake would cost him his life. Lin Li did not wish to become schizophrenic, either.
Hence, he cautiously wielded the Magic Suppression spell and inched forward, looking for a spot the trap might explode from.
This was a deceivingly simple process as Magic Suppression spell was different from common magic. The slower the movement, the more taxing it was as every move in position meant he had to filter the magical waves around him again and calculate the most suitable elemental sequencing. The figures he calculated were basically astronomical given that Lin Li moved at a snail's pace and had to exert mana that was more than enough to exhaust any Archmage. Only a creature with incredibly powerful mental strength and limitless mana like Lin Li could manage to maintain a Magic Suppress
ion spell at such a slow pace.
"That's right, it should be here!" Lin Li heaved a long sigh of relief when the blue ball of light stopped at the center of the six magic nodes. This should be right. Lin Li did not even do another elemental sequencing, as he could guess the end result. Well, he was an Inscriber, and one of the best at that—he was more or less able to guess what an Inscriber was thinking when they laid down a mageweath.
Just like with the trap in front of him—it was right in the center of six magic nodes, and if it exploded, it'd immediately be supported by the six nodes, and thus make it more powerful and of a greater scale than if the trap was placed elsewhere.
Lin Li inhaled deeply before fixing the Magic Suppression spell in the center, and started chanting spells hurriedly.
As the chanting echoed, so did a crisp sound.
The Eye of Decay fell on the magic node, and the latter was destroyed in a second. Since the connecting node was gone, the magical waves that escaped the magic circuit filled the tunnel. Before Gerian and Ysera realized what was going on, the ball of light in Lin Li's hand suddenly lit up, and they saw lumps of blue combining with lumps of black in a flash…
"Damn it, Rage of the Natural Disaster?" Gerian almost bit his tongue—this was a true Rage of the Natural Disaster, a legendary level-18 Necromagic. Even the Pope of the Ledin Kingdom had been injured by one when he was younger. To think he would have such an honor to see its incredible power unfold in a mineshaft…
Chapter 292 - The Gem of Curse
Lin Li's face paled as the Rage of the Natural Disaster started…
That was right, while he was aware that this was a trap, he never would have thought that it would be so powerful. Hell, so what if he once stayed a week at the Shadowglen, so what if he knew the unmatched Necromancer Sendros, and so what if he was once mistaken for some Immortal King? This Rage of the Natural Disaster was level-18. Not even in his wildest imagination did he think he would one day be faced with such terrifying Necromagic.
The effect of the magic suppression only lasted a second before it was engulfed by the wild spread of darkness.
