by Zhuang Bifan
A reward of 30,000 gold coins was pretty attractive, so Lin Li had only been in the resting room for five minutes before footsteps could be heard. It was the lady from before, and there were three young adventurers behind her.
Chapter 315 - The Dragon Mountains
The four walked into the resting room. Lin Li was shocked when he clearly saw the sword hanging on the waist of the warrior in his twenties. It was a familiar sword. A month ago, when Lin Li had just moved to the Breezy Plains, he had forged four magical weapons for Kaman to help him as he wanted to earn some money quickly. This sword was one of the four weapons.
Lin Li remembered that the sword was forged from rune's adamantine, and the mana power it held was comparable to that of a true Magic Shooter. He had also used Mana Sealing Skill during the forging process and repeatedly compressed and purified the mana power. Coupled with two alternating mageweaths, even Lin Li considered the rune's adamantine sword the finest of masterpieces.
Right, Kaman had mentioned that the buyer of this sword was a guy named Jason. It seemed that this guy was the level-15 Warrior, Jason, that Kaman had been referring to. Not bad, it would make the trip to Syer Town's ruins much safer if he had this level-15 Warrior come along.
"Mr Felic, many adventurers are interested in the mission you have just announced and want to know more details."
"Alright, thanks for the trouble."
After a simple introduction, the red-haired girl retreated and left the resting room to Lin Li and the three adventurers.
"Hello Mr Felic, I'm Jason." Jason's self-introduction was short unlike those of the other adventurers as he did not even mention his occupation. It was not necessary to him, as he stood at the top of all adventurers in Doland, and the name "Jason" alone was a brand of guarantee. Hence, levels and occupations were meaningless to him.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr Jason."
"They're my companions: Weathor, a Bandit, and Rotiah, a Priest. Oh, right, Mr Felic, I heard Ms Pannie say you need a level-15 Bandit?"
"Yes."
"Weathor is a level-15 Bandit, and is the most outstanding Bandit amongst all the adventurers in Doland. He has accomplished many difficult missions alone, and is considered an authoritative figure in the areas of searching and infiltration. Weathor also contributed to creating more than half of the map that most adventurers in Doland use."
"That's great…" Lin Li nodded as his gaze fell upon the Bandit named Weathor. He had to admit that this guy did look like a Bandit. In Gerian's words, the most important trait a Bandit should have was to look sly, and this Weathor guy was a born natural: with short stocky figure and beady eyes, he made people hold onto their wallets unknowingly.
"As for Priest Rotiah, she comes from the Brilliance Shrine in Ledin Kingdom."
"Oh?" Lin Li paused when he heard the name "Brilliance Shrine". Everybody knew that the Felan kingdom was a true kingdom of magic, and few people worked in shrines. Even the prosperous capital Alanna only had a single lonely church. Lin Li had been in Anril for about half a year, yet the only person he knew who was involved in holy work was the Archbishop Englos, who was also well-versed in pharmacy.
Lin Li had not thought that this dainty blonde beauty would turn out to be a level-15 Priest!
Not bad, a level-15 Warrior, a level-15 Bandit, and a level-15 Priest—it was a pretty strong team, and should be more than enough to deal with what they might find in the rubble of Syer Town…
"Very well, Mr Jason, this mission is yours."
It all became easier once the three had been given their due recognition. Lin Li gave them a simple introduction of the mission, including the objective and possible hazards as well as division of loot and rewards. Lin Li had been pretty generous with the terms and rewards, and Jason agreed easily. Hence, the entire negotiation had only taken half an hour.
Lin Li was unusually easy going, and paid them a 10,000 gold coins deposit immediately after an agreement was made.
When the five emerged from the Adventurers Guild, Duke had already been waiting for some time on the carriage at the entrance.
It took about half a day to reach Roland City from Doland. As they were pressed for time, they left in the afternoon, and only reached Roland City around the evening. Roland City was completely different from the wretched Doland; it was prosperous and had abundant resources. Large fields and orchards could be seen nearby, and painted a picture of happiness.
When they reached the perimeters of Roland City, the bandit Weathor suggested that they go through the Dragon Mountains, which he said was the quickest way to the ruins of Syer Town. After passing through the Dragon Mountains, they would reach Syer Town in about an hour, and since he was the best at this, Lin Li naturally agreed with him. Hence, the six of them left the carriage at the foot of a mountain, and hiked up a rugged mountain path that evening.
Few people dared to enter the Dragon Mountains due to the presence of the Syer Bandits. Hence, the land around here slowly became filled with wilderness. It was an arduous journey for them as the winding paths were difficult to follow and beasts appeared at times too.
This was where Jason and the rest came in useful.
Quite honestly, the magical beasts they met were not too weak. There was a level-14 Velociraptor, a level-15 Scare Tiger, and a level-15 Evil Eye had also appeared suddenly when they were halfway up the mountain. However, they were all no match for Jason and the rest, and even the strongest of them, the Evil Eye, had lasted only 10 minutes before it fell under Jason's rune's adamantine sword.
Lin Li had to admit that Jason's position amongst adventurers was well-earned as the ability he had showcased in these fights was well above what an average Warrior was capable of. Every attack and defense were birthed from life and death combat, and while they might not seem like much, they always served him unexpectedly well in fights. Even Lin Li was secretly in awe.
His other two companions were amazing as well. Weathor was very different in his way of fighting—it was unbelievably despicable, and his strikes were never lethal. He always made the ferocious magical beasts suffer by slicing their stomach or poisoning their eyes. Every time, he would escape unscathed, and left the magical beasts frustrated with him.
Rotiah's magic played its part as well. The dainty beauty was a typical combat Priest, and her magic was targeted at strengthening while minimizing pain. Coupled with a heavenly attack, she held an important role in the fight. If not for her, Jason and Weathor might have fallen prey to the claws of the magical beasts no matter how good they were.
SInce he had spent 30,000 gold coins to hire them, Lin Li happily stood at the sidelines as he never once intervened even though they had encountered over a dozen magical beasts. The only thing he had done was to wave the flag and shout. While the rest did not view this highly, they could not do anything to him, as he had already paid them. Money was power these days, and for someone to spend 30,000 gold coins to hire people… They would have to accept it even if he messed up occasionally, much less expect him to help…
Their journey carried on just like that…
They spent almost half the night to get from the foot of the mountain to the midpoint. As they were about to enter a forest, Jason stopped.
"Mr Felic, it's dark, and if we were to enter the forest now, we may run into some danger. Should we rest for the night?" The terrain in the Dragon Mountains was complicated, and it had all kinds of magical beasts as well. Coupled with the fact that this was where the boss of the Syer Bandits hid, it would be incredibly dangerous for them to continue at night. They were lucky to have arrived this far; no matter how brave Jason was, he did not dare to continue now.
Too bad he'd met such an employer… Lin Li was utterly useless in Jason's opinion—this fellow and his servant did not help at all in the dozen or so fights they had been in. Besides cheering them on now and then, they had not done a single thing. It was no child's play to bring an employer like that on this journey; if they ran into danger at night, it
would be one thing to lose the 30,000 gold coins, but he might also lose his life. Wouldn't that be too high a price to pay?
Hence, Jason refused to continue on into the forest…
Since Jason was not willing to do so, Lin Li could only nod his head and agree. "Alright, we'll do as you say."
Then, the six of them set up a few tents and lit a fire.
Nights in the Dragon Mountains were cold and quiet. Lin Li sat in his own tent, wrapped in thick blankets as he started his daily meditation…
Chapter 316 - Ice Howler
The way Lin Li meditated was different from other mages'. No one would believe that this Archmage who had already broken to level-16 would be like a mage apprentice, still drilling on the fundamental magical practices. He was very consistent in doing so, and never broke his routine. He knew that that was the only way he could patch his weakness up.
That was right. Although he seemed to have perfected his mental strength and magical ability, and was thus envied by many, Lin Li knew that he had an extremely weak foundation. Other mages who had similar abilities as him had either grown up in a magic-oriented culture, or had the coaching from esteemed mentors since a young age. To Lin Li, however, learning magic was like a mid-life career change.
Despite being exposed to magic only when he was reaching the age of 20, he took merely half a year to rise to where he was now. His powers had been increasing exponentially as he journeyed through the Sunset Mountains and then to the Breezy Plains, where he soared from a rookie who knew nothing to a powerful level-16 Archmage. The reason behind his growth was not just his little bit of talent, but more so the luck that helped him along the way.
This was the fact that struck Lin Li after he sat down to think about it properly.
His luck had been really great…
A lot of mages would take their whole lives to grow from a level-1 Mage Apprentice to a level-16 Archmage. He, however, only used half a year to achieve all these. The rapid growth would naturally bring much weakness to his foundation. At the start, such weakness would not be significant. Yet, it would be too late to regret if it were to haunt him in the future.
Actually, Andoine had seen this problem after the gathering at the Pharmacists Guild. But, being a Legendary-mage, he thought of a way to patch things up by throwing him into Cinder Woods. He made use of the special environment and the need to partake in strenuous battles there to reinforce Lin Li's shaky foundation. Lin Li did not even realize that he was in a grave situation then…
It wasn't until the recent month that Lin Li made some time to contemplate and had the chance to understand the core magical mantras better. He gradually realized that his situation was not as optimistic as it seemed.
Yes, he was indeed powerful now—even mightier than Macklin.
But, without much technical knowledge on Magic, as well as with the lack of experience in a comprehensive set of magical practice, the mana within him was like a time bomb which might explode at any moment. That it had not exploded yet was due to his huge mental strength. With that, he was able to balance out the violent mana inside him. However, when that balance was broken one day, it would mean terrible trouble.
Once the mental strength failed to repress the violent mana, it would be a devastating issue to any mage, especially Lin Li—a man with unlimited mana. It would be particularly destructive if the tragedy were to land on him. He would lose everything—even his Spiritual Brand…
But, the good thing was that it was not too late for him. Such consistent practice might seem really boring, but it was the only way through. Taking these baby steps—polishing the rough edges and building up the magic system within him—would bring about a huge improvement to his ability as well. Lin Li believed that he was not far from that day. He could faintly feel that the unsettled mana was gradually integrating with his body…
"Mr. Felic, may I come in?"
After finishing the last mana practice, he heard Jason's footsteps outside his tent. Lin Li could not help but feel surprised. Why wasn't Jason asleep at such an ungodly hour? Lin Li ended his meditation doubtfully.
"Sure. "
The man who came in was indeed Jason. There was an apologetic expression on the face of this top adventurer of Doland. "Mr. Felic, hope I didn't disturb your rest?" asked Jason.
"It does not matter. I don't have a habit of sleeping early, either. But, Mr. Jason, what brings you here?"
"Erm, it's nothing much. I just couldn't fall asleep, so I was wondering if I could have a chat with you," Jason said after looking around Lin Li's tent curiously.
"Is that so…" Lin Li pursed his lips. Although the smile on his face did not fade, he had already started to lash out at Jason internally. Goddammit, why would you want to chat at such a timing? Besides, both of us are men—do you think I'm such a casual person?
"Although I've known you for a while, I realized that I still do not know your occupation…" Jason said casually. "Erm, I'm just asking. You can choose not to tell me if you are uncomfortable with it."
"Hehe, there's nothing to be uncomfortable about…" Lin Li laughed, and did not conceal it from Jason. "I'm a mage."
"Oh, you are a mage! Apologies for the rudeness…"
"I'm just an incompetent mage. There's nothing to be proud of."
"Hehe, Mage Felic, you are too humble…" Although Jason was complimenting Lin Li, he could not help belittling him. He had been in Doland for many years. How could he not know all the skillful mages who had already gotten the permission to enter Doland's library? Since he had never seen Felic there, Felic had to be a really incompetent mage…
If it had been before, Jason would not have minded Lin Li's competency. As long as he would not prevent him from attaining wealth, it would not matter if he was a cripple. Yet, the problem now was that Lin Li had promised a task that was worth 300,000 gold coins, and it entailed ensuring Lin Li's safety.
What was the most scary thing in this sort of mission? The employer. Those that did not have any ability but were determined to travel to dangerous places. These people dared to go everywhere with the thought that they had the protection from Adventurers. In the end, not to mention that they would lose their lives in the process, they would implicate the adventurers too…
Jason was not worried about the safety of them three, though. Since they were all level-15 Adventurers, they would always have the means of ensuring their personal safety. However, if this useless mage were to lose his life, whom should he find to claim the remaining 20,000 gold coins?
Just when Jason was having a splitting headache over this issue, they heard footsteps outside the tent.
"Come out, Jason! I think there's something there!"
That voice belonged to Bandit Weathor. Lin Li frowned. Since Bandit Weathor was in charge of safety tonight, it meant trouble if he were to call Jason at such a timing.
The two men went out of their tent in a hurry, and saw Weathor running towards them frantically. "Jason, trouble's big!"
"Calm down and tell us slowly." Jason frowned. It was as though he had been used to his teammate's anxiety.
"Y-you, you… Listen to me…" The Bandit took in several deep breaths. "Around half an hour ago, there was a… there was an adventuring team that went into that forest in front…"
"Continue." Jason's expression turned into that of concern. Why would there be an adventuring team in a place like the Dragon Mountains, which humans would not usually visit?
Weathor swallowed his saliva. "Then… Then, I think they had provoked an Ice Howler…"
"Sh*t!" Jason cursed. To an Adventurer, this was a very tricky situation. It was not them who committed any mistake, yet despite having avoided almost all the danger zones, they were still endangered by other reckless Adventurers. It was like sitting at home comfortably but getting killed by a meteorite that fell from the sky for no reason…
The disaster that landed on them due to others…
"What should we do, Weathor? Should we…" Weathor di
d not continue his speech. But, as he spoke, his gaze had already fluttered to the path back home. He wanted to ask Jason if they should escape now…
"Erm…" Jason hesitated.
Lin Li laughed to himself. What a joke Weathor was! Ice Howlers were level-17 magical beasts that usually lived and slept in caves. Despite being lazy and retarded, they could be really deadly once provoked. If there really was an Ice Howler in the forest, where would they be able to escape to? Unless they had the ability to teleport, they would still be found by the determined Ice Howler…
Furthermore, it was more dangerous to run off in the Dragon Mountains at such a dark night as compared to battling an Ice Howler. No one knew what other things were hiding in the dark.
"No, Weathor. Let's get ready for battle."
It was fortunate that Jason did not waste time hesitating. He knew that it was obviously unwise to escape in such conditions. There were too many lurking dangers in the night in the Dragon Mountains. These dangers would overweight the danger brought about by a single agitated Ice Howler.
"Oh, Mage Felic. We might not be able to help you much in the battle later. So—"
"Yeah, I understand. Don't worry, I will take care of myself."
Chapter 317 - Start of Battle
"Alright then, Mr. Felic. Please be careful. If something's not right, you… you can go find a place to hide…" In fact, Jason would not want to arrange it like this if he could. However, this fella had become a burden now—knowing him itself had become bad luck. But, for that 20,000 gold coins, he could not let him die just yet. If he got into danger, whom should they claim the money from?
If it were before, such a burden would not matter to them, as they all had level-15 ability. Yet, the situation was grave tonight. How did they even provoke the Ice Howler? That was a level-17 magical beast. They could try to avoid it on normal days, but now, they had to drag a burden along and start a battle…
