by Zhuang Bifan
The outcome of the battle had been overturned by Lin Li's Thousand Miles of Ice. The Adventurers who had previously been on the losing end all fought valiantly now as they easily swept up the remaining Undead creatures. While many Undead continued to emerge from the dark, they were fewer in numbers and weaker compared to the Thousand Miles of Ice previously.
The 20 of them fought along the way, and it was only a moment before they closed in on the center of the town square…
The successful turn of events gave everyone hope as even the shocked Sienna brandished his machete and joined in fighting the Undead creatures. The latter fell one by one, and the Adventurers stepped over their bones as they slowly approached the bell tower on the other end of the square.
Lin Li was the only one who did not join in the fight, and in fact, he had not done anything to help after releasing the Thousand Miles of Ice. He was like a stingy miser now, unwilling to spend the energy to release even a single Wind Blade. But of course, nobody could fault him for it as after the Thousand Miles of Ice, his status had risen from a good-for-nothing fellow to a strong and mysterious mage in the eyes of the Adventurers. He had exterminated countless Undead creatures with one spell, so why couldn't he rest? If anyone had capabilities like that, they could rest too…
Of course, Lin Li was not really resting. Ever since he set his foot in the town square, he had been walking within six dots of blood-red light. Strong and pure mana continued to flow into the Aether Staff as the Dragon's Eye atop the staff shone blindingly. If anyone looked closer now, they would notice that the six dots of light dimmed slightly every time the Dragon's Eye shone brighter. In the end, they became hidden in the black fog surrounding the area…
There were many ways to stop a Tide of Death, and Lin Li chose the most straightforward method of all. He was using strong and pure mana to forcefully destroy the internal configuration of the Tide of Death; when the Death Energy within it lost balance, the Legendary level-20 magic would be destroyed as well.
Seems like not every Lich's powers are as scary as they are made out to be in legends… Lin Li secretly heaved a breath of relief after seeing the last of the blood-red lights disappear. Tide of Death was a strange spell indeed; its scale was largely tied to the mana of the person wielding it, and—to some extent—could be seen as an extension of one's mana. The stronger the user, the larger the scale of the Tide of Death. Lin Li had chosen to use such a crude method to destroy the Tide of Death simply because he was trying to test the capabilities of the Lich in the tower.
From this Tide of Death, he could tell that while the one sitting inside the bell tower was a Lich, he was not devastatingly powerful, and as far as Lin Li could tell, both Aldwin and Andoine were much stronger than him…
After finding out his opponent's capability, Lin Li became more confident in this rescue quest. He used a Gravity Spell to trap the Vampires flying in the air before launching Arcane Missiles consecutively from his Aether Staff. It was only a moment before the Vampires were all shot down.
Once the Vampires landed on the ground, the blood-hungry Adventurers all came running forth with Jason, who held the rune's adamantine sword in his hand, in the front. All the Vampires fell under a flurry of slashes before they even had the chance to put up a fight in a flash.
By then, Lin Li had crossed the town square, and gently pushed open the door of the bell tower.
The old door creaked as it opened, and an eerie chill hit him straight in the face. It was dark inside the bell tower, and Lin Li could only make out what was inside with a great deal of effort. There was an empty hall upon entering; there were a few tables and chairs scattered around, most of which had decayed due to age, which explained the strong moldy smell. There was a flight of stairs leading up a little further away from the door. Algae covered the steps—from a distance, it looked like a python that had curled up.
"Jason, Sienna, bring your men and follow me."
"Yes."
The slimy stairs were narrow and eerie, and while Lin Li had a calm expression as he was climbing up, he could not help feeling slight trepidation. It was the nest of a Lich, after all, and after a hundred years, the ordinary bell tower was now filled with danger. Lin Li had even thought of some spells to use in case any Undead creature decided to attack the from the dark…
It was worse for the others. The previous fight had already left a deep enough impression on them as the scene of countless Undead creatures surging forth at once was enough to make their skin crawl. Even though a powerful mage was leading the way, who was to say that the mage would be able to look out for them the whole time?
Everyone walked carefully, and the short hundred or so meters of stairs took them close to 10 minutes to finish climbing.
Then…
The 20-odd people froze all at once.
There was a room at the end of the stairs with its door left ajar. Through the crack in the door, they could clearly see that the room was empty save for a short and slim black figure…
"W-w-what is this?" Lin Li felt his brain turn blank after seeing the black figure. He had never thought that it would be this easy to meet the Lich. They had not met any obstacles along the way, and no danger as well—besides the annoying algae on the stairs, everything had been as easy as a field trip.
It was like a punch falling through into thin air, and took Lin Li by surprise.
Just as he was wondering if this was a trap, a hoarse voice could be heard from the room. "Welcome, my guests from afar. To be honest, I'm quite shocked that you made it here…"
"Who exactly are you?" Lin Lin Li frowned as he wondered why he found this short and slim fellow somewhat familiar…
"Haha, young mage, be patient, I'll introduce myself later… but first, allow me to introduce my pet to you…"
"Pet?" Lin Li was taken aback.
Then, he heard the growl of a dragon from above him.
"What… what is that?" Lin Li was shocked before his expression suddenly changed. "Damn it, a Humerus Wyrm?"
Lin Li was almost scared out of wits. Why hadn't he thought that this guy's "pet" would turn out to be a Humerus Wyrm? Damn it, does it have to be so exciting? Isn't this just a simple kidnapping that hadn't been violent at all? Why is there suddenly a Humerus Wyrm?
This was no joke—the Humerus Wyrm's position amongst Undead creatures was not much lower than that of a Lich. While a Lich was powerful in Necromagic, a Humerus Wyrm represented the highest combat capabilities present among Undead creatures.
Of course, it was not a real dragon, as Undead creatures did not inherit bloodlines. The bones that made up their bodies could be from magical beasts or humans, but one thing for sure was that every Humerus Wyrm inherited a soul fire Dragon Crystal…
This inherited soul fire Dragon Crystal was the life source of the Humerus Wyrm.
The scariest part was that the Humerus Wyrm also gained the knowledge and strength that came with the Dragon Crystal, and this meant that the strength of the Humerus Wyrm was not far off from an actual Dragon…
"Damn it, we're in huge trouble…"
"Hehe, hope you have a good time together." Just as Lin Li wanted to bang his head against a wall, the Lich started chanting hurriedly.
Then, a strong magical wave appeared around them.
It all happened too quickly, and nobody could react to it. Lin Li had just tightened his grip on the Aether Staff when the magical wave surged towards them. Then, a strong twisting sensation appeared—it was as if an invisible hand was contorting their bodies, and Lin Li could not respond well enough to it quickly. The only thing he could do was to conjure up a Magical Barrier to protect himself and the Adventurers behind him as it wrapped around them tightly…
Luckily, the twisting only lasted for a short while, and stopped just as Lin Li conjured up the Magical Barrier. He then realized that their surroundings had been defaced—there was no Lich and no bell tower, only the dark sky and ghastly white bones. Furthermore, there seemed to be a hu
ge bulky figure rushing down from the dark sky…
"F*ck!" Lin Li raised up his head, only to see a spread out wing made of bones. It was no doubt the Lich's pet…
While the Humerus Wyrm was huge, it moved at an incredible speed. Just as Lin Li looked around, the huge figure had descended on top of their heads as its bone wings swept up a strong wind, making their faces ache as it blew at them. The stench of decay unique to Undead creatures started spreading from the Humerus Wyrm's body, only adding on to the stifling fear everybody felt.
Chapter 329 - Humerus Domain
"Run!"
As they watched the huge shadow swoop down towards them, Lin Li felt his hair stand on ends. It all happened too quickly, and nobody had the time to prepare for it. The huge shadow had already covered the sky just as the wind started blowing.
Thankfully, these Adventurers were quite experienced with fights and quickly dispersed just as Lin Li shouted "run". Lin Li turned back, and after seeing the last of them at least a few dozen meters away, he heaved a sigh of relief. He then held his Aether Staff tightly as he allowed the force of the Levitation Spell to spread around the area as he flew up into the sky like an arrow…
The huge shadow gradually became bigger, and the chill cut into his bones as the wind blew right at him, making his face ache. The figure of the Humerus Wyrm became clearer now; Lin Li could even distinctly see every bone as well as the huge Dragon Crystal that shone with an icy glow…
Then, he heard another growl coming from the sky.
Amidst the strong waves of death aura, Lin Li brushed past the Humerus Wyrm's wing as he flew past it before all he could see was black flames…
"F*ck, such powerful dragon breath…" Lin Li stopped in midair as he looked down and saw the black flames sweep past the ground. Even with Lin Li's capabilities, he could not help feeling shocked at the surging Death Energy.
However, what really made Lin Li's skin crawl was the bones scattered on the ground—they started stirring as the dragon breath swept past them. The scattered bones started to twist around as though the dragon breath had gifted them life and came together like puzzles. Finally, they turned into machete-wielding Skeletal Warriors right in front of Lin Li's eyes…
"Oh my God…"
These words had forced their way out of his throat. Lin Li finally understood what this damn place with the Humerus Wyrm was as he watched the Skeletal Warriors stand up one by one…
Even the lowest of mage apprentices knew that once a mage surpassed level-20, crossing into the Legendary-realm, they would have their own Magical Domain, where the mage could change, ignore, or even create their own rules.
It was safe to say that a mage had a nearly terrifying level of control over what happened in their own Magical Domain, and the stronger the mage was, the more control they had. Lin Li had once heard from Andoine that the God of Mages Geresco could single-handedly create a world of his own; Lin Li did not dare imagine what kind of realm that was. He had, however, seen Andoine's Magical Domain before as Andoine had once shown it to him in the Sunset Mountains in order for Lin Li to experience such magic for himself…
That was a whole different world: everything there was decided by Andoine. In that world, the wind could stop and rivers could burn, the water could flow upwards and flowers could bloom even when they had already withered…
Unfortunately, not many knew that not only Legendary-mages had their own Magical Domains—in Andoine's words, Magical Domains were an extension of one's use of Rules—it had nothing to do with intellect nor bloodlines. Even a savage magical beast could have its own Magical Domain after it mastered enough Rules. Take the Salamander from the Fire Plume Ridge for example: its control over the Flame Energy was an indication of it having its own Magical Domain. Unfortunately, it had not been able to complete its Domain before it had died a wrongful death in Lin Li's hands. Given time, however, Lin Li was sure that it could create its own Fire Domain.
If the Salamander could do it, then Undead creatures would be no exception…
A dragon breath held the power to destroy everything, and it was the same for the Humerus Wyrm which represented death. However, the Humerus Wyrm's dragon breath made the Skeletal Warriors stand up earlier—how could Lin Li not understand what this meant? If he was right, this was a Magical Domain. Once created by a Lich, in this Magical Domain, not only could the Humerus Wyrm's dragon breath destroy everything, it also had the ability to give life to countless Undead creatures…
Right, this must be the Humerus Domain Sendros had mentioned… Back in Alanna, Lin Li had heard Sendros mention that there were two Rules at the core of Necromagic—life and death. However, most Necromancers only knew of the Death Energy, while only those who truly understood Necromagic knew that life and death were of equal importance. Only they had the chance to take the most crucial step, to step into the abstract and elusive Legendary-realm…
And their Magical Domains were centered around these two core Rules, much like the Magical Domain in front of them now—life and death coexisted, and the Humerus Wyrm's dragon breath that had the power to destroy everything also had the power to give life to Undead creatures here.
We're in big trouble… Lin Li felt his head throb as he looked at the Skeletal Warriors that covered the surrounding land. A Humerus Domain was no child's play, for it strengthened the Combat Energy of Undead creatures endlessly, especially that of the already terrifyingly powerful Humerus Wyrm. Once it was under the cover of the Humerus Domain, it would be able to defeat anything beneath Legendary-level, including the level-17 Vampire, Norfeller, as well as himself, who was at level-16…
Unless…
Unless Jason and the rest could get him an opportunity.
Wherever the dragon breath swept past, a black flame burned passionately as crowds of Skeletal Warriors sprung up from the flames like mushrooms. Lin Li silently opened the Ring of Endless Storm as he hovered in the sky and retrieved the Cross Sniper crossbow that he had not used in a long while…
Jason was on the brink of insanity now as everything that was happening was far beyond what he was capable of dealing with. He prided himself on being the best Adventurer in Doland, but right now, he found himself unbearably weak as he faced the legendary Humerus Wyrm. He suddenly realized that he was as good as an ant in front of it, so weak that he was incapable of something as basic as protesting…
There were ghastly white Skeletal Warriors everywhere as they surged towards them in waves. The only thing Jason could do was to channel Combat Energy with all he was worth and bank on the rune's adamantine sword to help him catch a breather in the midst of the mountains of bones surrounding them. Countless Skeletal Warriors had been torn to pieces under the attack of the surging Combat Energy, but more of them rushed forth thereafter. The speed at which they recovered their numbers was devastatingly quick, and as the Adventurers looked at the growing numbers of Skeletal Warriors, even Jason could not help feeling his heart sink.
Sienna stood somewhere not far off from him. The blade of his machete had already turned blunt from his constant slashing, but he did not dare relax his nerves. He was clearly aware that he had to persevere in such circ.u.mstances as even a moment of slackness could cause him to drown in the midst of the Undead creatures.
Bloody hell, can that guy really handle this or not… Sienna looked up to the sky once again as he caught his breath in a short moment of rest. This was his third time glancing up; there was a black-cloaked figure hovering silently where he was looking…
Ironically, Sienna had never once genuinely worried about this fellow ever since they met in the Dragon Mountains. Well, he was everyone's last hope, and even though he secretly detested this young mage, he had to admit that he was indeed the strongest out of them all. The previous scene in the town square had left a deep enough impression in Sienna's mind, and he even believed that this young mage was perhaps much stronger than Norfeller, who had ripped the Ice Howler apart with his b.a.r.e hands…
If someone was capable of leading them out of this damned place, it was probably this young mage named Felic.
Unfortunately, the young mage was in a sticky situation himself. Sienna could clearly see from where he was standing that the legendary Humerus Wyrm had spread its massive wings less than a hundred meters from where the young mage was…
What are we going to do? Sienna panicked slightly as he had seen what the dragon breath was capable of. He knew very well that the Humerus Wyrm was unbelievably powerful and even if all of them joined forces, they would still not stand the slightest chance against it. No matter how strong Felic was, there was no way he would be able to go directly against the Humerus Wyrm. If something were to happen to him, all 20-odd people including him would probably die here…
No way, he had to think of something.
Sienna looked at the black figure in the sky, and then at his men around him. After an unimaginably difficult struggle, he finally made a decision even he himself had not thought he would make.
"All the mages and archers, attack the monster in the sky now!"
"What?" At least half of his men stared at him with a dumbfounded look. There were Skeletal Warriors everywhere, and the Adventurers were already having a hard time keeping up with the fight. While the archers were having it slightly better since they were only physically tired from pulling their bows, the mages were not even highly skilled to begin with, so how could they cope with exhaustion from constantly using spells? Some of the weaker ones had already started using the Recovery Potions they had spent a lot of money on, yet Sienna wanted them to attack the monster above them at this crucial point in time?
This was complete blasphemy to them!
Chapter 330 - Holy Light
