Another World’s Versatile Crafting Master c1-1074

by Zhuang Bifan

  "Isn't this… a little too exciting?"

  "Hehe, exciting? There's more…" Connoris snorted before continuing, "The bigger the crack, the stronger the shadow you summon, and when you reach the Legendary-realm yourself, you can even use half the strength of the Lord of Nightmares! That is truly the peak of the Legendary-realm, and none of your friends outside besides the powerful old man will be able to withstand that strength!

  "Then you can use that strength to control the Eternal Furnace and make me a new body…"

  "Hm, don't worry I won't forget what I promised you." Lin Li nodded his head and picked up the Demon Magic Lamp from the desk. As Connoris had said, he lightly rubbed the surface of the Magic Lamp.

  "BOOM!"

  A dull sound followed, and black fog appeared. It was thick and heavy in the air, just like black ink. A strong force was emitting powerful waves from the fog, which made Lin Li frown lightly—this force was unusually evil, and as it spread out in the room, Lin Li could hear devastating cries in his ears and see gory scenes flash before his eyes…

  "It's powerful indeed…" Lin Li hurriedly put up a Mental Protection Field to separate the nightmarish scene. That was probably the strength of the Lord of Nightmares; Lin Li had not thought that it would be so powerful that even a soulless shadow without any memories would be able to affect him, who was already at the peak of level-17. If it had been a Magic Shooter instead, they might be stuck in the scary nightmarish realm as soon as they met this force.

  Just as Lin Li was silently in awe, the black fog contracted. Previously occupying an area of roughly 10 meters in diameter, it formed the shape of a human head and hovered silently above the Magic Lamp. The already thick fog looked almost opaque and palpable after contracting, and as Lin Li looked at it, he saw a pair of black eyes looking at him from the darkness…

  "Iminia awaits your bidding, Master." A buzzing voice came from within the black fog.

  "Hang on…" Lin Li paused, and only then did he remember that he did not have anything for him to do—there was no enemy he needed to get rid of, nor did he have any unfulfilled wishes. Surely he wasn't really going to get him to do the laundry and clean the place? Hence, Lin Li turned his gaze to Connoris. "Hey, Soul Trader, what do I do now?"

  "Of course you get him to go back, you've got nothing for him to do now. Well, unless you want to chat with him? Aside from the fact that he's a shadow without memory or soul, you can't afford to chat with him, either—even if he does, do you know how much mana is needed to summon him? The magical crystal in this Magic Lamp is a level-15 one, right? If I'm not wrong, it'll probably only last you 10 minutes before the magical crystal is exhausted…"

  "What?" Lin Li almost jumped at the words.

  The mana in a level-15 magical crystal could be used for at least 10 Thousand Miles of Ice, yet it would only last for 10 minutes when used to summon the shadow of the Lord of Nightmares. How much mana would it cost to summon the true Lord of Nightmares, then? Lin Li finally understood why Connoris had added "provided the magical crystal is not exhausted" when he'd mentioned that he would not tire of fighting…

  Thankfully, it was only a shadow they summoned. While a level-15 magical crystal was valuable, luckily, Lin Li had a few more on hand, and if he used them wisely, he should be able to summon the shadow at least a dozen times. However, once he made a crack in the seal and released the soul and memory of the Lord of Nightmares, he would need something more powerful than a level-15 magical crystal—whatever he summoned was going to be something much more powerful, after all, and needed something equally powerful to sustain it. Perhaps he was going to have to use a Legendary magical crystal…

  But these were distant worries, and he could worry about them later.

  Lin Li shook his head, and brushed the worries aside. At the same time, he released a bit of mental strength, and let it combine with the seal on the Magic Lamp following the black fog.

  "Alright, Iminia, you can go back first." After that, Lin Li waved his hand, and the black fog returned into the Demon Magic Lamp.

  Once the shadow disappeared, Connoris rushed to ask excitedly, "Well, how does it feel?"

  "Feels… weird." Lin Li recalled earnestly the time when he combined his mental strength with the seal. For some reason, he felt something, but it was hard to put into words. "There seems to be more than just Osric's mental strength there…"

  "Nonsense, I've been sealed in here for 1,300 years, and have studied these seals inside out. When I say mental strength, I mean mental strength, how can there be anything else!?"

  "Never mind, let's talk next time. I've been resting for so long; if I don't go back, Mr Herza is going to be mad…" Lin Li could not think of anything else but to stuff the Demon Magic Lamp back in his pocket.

  "Bloody hell!" Just as Connoris was about to be sent back into the Ring of Endless Storm, the great Soul Trader jumped suddenly. "You're going to throw me back into that damned Dimensional Space? No, no way, I'm telling you, I swear, I'm not going back into that damned Dimensional Space ever again!"

  "The heck…" Lin Li did not think that Connoris would have such a big reaction to it. He was just asking him to hide in the Dimensional Space, not asking him for his life! Lin Li was left helpless toward Connoris' reaction. "Connoris, good sir, you're a hammer now, one that jumps and talks too. If I don't put you back into the Dimensional Space and somebody sees you, aren't you afraid that they'll take you for a magical beast and capture you?

  "Wait…" When Lin Li said this, he suddenly recalled something. "Connoris, since when can you control the hammer? I remember you were nearly melted by the Dragon Hawk and you didn't make the hammer run away when we were in Cinder Woods. What's going on now?"

  "This is why I'm never going back to that damned Dimensional Space!" The usually dignified Soul Trader Connoris suddenly spilled expletives. "Damn it, that stupid Ring of Endless Storm of yours has the scariest Dimensional Space on earth. There is a frightening force in it, and it is constantly tormenting my soul; it's even scarier than the strength of the Lord of Nightmares. In order to escape the torment, I had to force myself to tear away a bit of the seal, and you know what'll happen if I do? I'm not as powerful as the Lord of Nightmares, and when Osric killed me, my soul should have already dissipated, but in order to keep the knowledge I have, Osric forcefully sealed me into this hammer with magic. Other than to restrain me, it also protects my soul. Once this seal is broken, my soul will dissipate!"

  "So now you…"

  "I'm fine now. A small crack won't destroy the seal left by Osric, but if you keep me in that damned Dimensional Space again, I cannot guarantee that I won't destroy the seal to escape. The torment on your soul is something you won't understand unless you've experienced it for yourself…"

  "Alright, I'll bring you with me, but you have to promise that you will act like a real hammer…" By then, Lin Li's mind was a mess. Too many things happened today—from the Demon sealed into the Magic Lamp to Connoris who had torn the seal, as well as the strange power hidden in the Ring of Endless Storm. The consecutive scares left Lin Li unable to react to it, and he could not be bothered to argue with Connoris, only accepting his demand for now.

  Sigh, a mage with a hammer, how "outstanding" indeed…

  After the inauguration ceremony, the Tower of Dusk became quiet again as most of the guests had left. Even Hoffman who had made an appointment with Lin Li was now discussing a deal in Doland City. There were few people left in the Tower of Dusk. They included Gerian: the fatty was having it easy nowadays as the Guild of Magic was nearly unbeatable in Jarrosus City—not a single force dared to show them the slightest disrespect.

  Well, Lin Li did leave them with a very serious warning before he left…

  The scene with hundreds of ice sculptures at the Black River was still vivid in their minds. Which force would dare to provoke the Guild of Magic? If they messed with the old fatty Gerian, they might not be in much trouble, but if they annoyed the one in the Breezy Pla
ins, and he came back with another Thousand Miles of Ice, then it was not going to be a pretty sight.

  Hence, Gerian was not worried at all, leaving the matters at the Guild of Magic to Kevin while he lazed around. Now that he was in the Breezy Plains, he did not even want to leave, constantly bugging Lin Li to give him a position here.

  "The heck, how can I give you a position?" Lin Li was perplexed. He was the president, and it would not be an issue for him to assign a position; moreover, given his relationship with Gerian, he would even give up his position as president to him. But sir, you're the president of Jarrosus' Guild of Magic, that is assigned by the Supreme Council, how would I have the guts to give the president of another Guild of Magic a position here? If I did, wouldn't that old man Apophis break my legs?

  Lin Li's head starting aching more when he thought of Apophis.

  Apophis should have left the Tower of Dusk after the inauguration ceremony since he was one of the three Arbitrators of the Supreme Council, and should have many things to worry about. Usually, he did not even attend inauguration ceremonies, and even if he did, he would only say a few words of congratulations before leaving.

  This time, however, the old fellow seemed to have got up on the wrong side of bed as he stayed at the Tower of Dusk for 10 days straight, even teaching Lin Li magic every day, resulting in the latter leaving the library bruised all over each day…

  Today was the same—Apophis had called Lin Li into the library bright and early in the morning, and gave him a good beating, leaving him bruised before he decided to be kind and let him go.

  "Damn it, is this karma?" Lin Li muttered to himself as he sat on the bed and applied the Recovery Potion on the bruises he had on his face.

  "This is a dream come true for most people, yet you don't know how to cherish it at all. I wonder what Mr Apophis sees in you…" Connoris lay quietly in the center of the desk, yet his words were unbelievably savage.

  "Pfft…"

  "Admit it, your abilities have improved tremendously in the last 10 days, and you're almost at level-18 now, aren't you? Even I can tell, so surely you feel something?"

  "Well…" Lin Li was at a loss for words. Connoris was right: he was constantly beat up in the last 10 days, but his abilities had improved considerably too. Apophis was a Sanctuary Master, and much more powerful than Andoine. It was a dream come true for every mage to be able to receive his teachings. But of course, while he knew that, he could not take it lying down. Lin Li applied the Recovery Potion and gritted his teeth. When I reach the Sanctuary-realm, I'm going to have fun beating up this old man…

  "Right, besides getting beaten up, did you summon the Lord of Nightmares these days?"

  "Every day. I've even used up a few level-15 magical crystals. Hey, Soul Trader, is your method really feasible? Why do I feel like the seal is not loosening at all?"

  "Just summon it every day. You can't rush whether the seal will be opened or not. Do you know how powerful Osric was? How can you break open a seal he made with his mental strength in a day or two?"

  "That's true…" Lin Li thought for a while, and decided that Connoris' words made sense. He nodded his head before suddenly recalling something. "Hey, Soul Trader, you said that there is a scary force in my Ring of Endless Storm?"

  "Hm…" Connoris' voice was unusually certain. "While I have no idea where it's from, it gave me a sense of familiarity for some reason. Can you tell me where this Dimensional Space is from?"

  "A very faraway place…" Lin Li pursed his lips without paying regard to what Connoris said. He was sure whatever Connoris thought of as familiar was merely an illusion since he had brought this Ring of Endless Storm from the Endless World. Even if Connoris was a powerful demon, he could not have travelled through time and space and come into contact with the Ring of Endless Storm, right?

  However, this made Lin Li recall something. Back in the Endless World, there was a legend about the Space Artifact—the Ring of Endless Storm. There was a secret hidden within it, and anyone who got ahold of this secret would have powers comparable to a god's.

  Lin Li never paid much attention to such sayings, as he was the owner of the Ring of Endless Storm and knew better than anyone that it was purely a Space Artifact with no huge secret nor powers comparable to that of a god. Hence, every time he heard such a rumor, he merely smiled.

  But this time, Lin Li did not smile.

  Even Connoris said that there was a scary force hidden in the Ring of Endless Storm… Could that Space Artifact really be hiding a huge secret?

  Seems like it's time to study it…

  Just as he was going to ask Connoris what the force was like, a knock sounded on the door.

  "President Felic, Mr Hoffman is here, do you want to meet him?" Gavin knocked on the door. Aside from the fact that he was a tad ambitious, this beefy Archmage was a talent indeed. Lin Li had been busy being beaten up and being dragged into conversations with Gerian for the past 10 days, and had no time for official business, all of which was handled neatly by Gavin.

  Chapter 369 - Lava adamantine

  "Alright, I'll be there soon." Lin Li applied more Recovery Potion on his face before opening the door and heading down with Gavin.

  As the pair walked, Gavin gave him a brief update on the Guild of Magic. Seven mages had just joined, but they were mediocre in terms of abilities. Hence, Gavin prepared their level certifications and gave out robes and magic staves to them before he had them train under an Archmage for the past few days.

  "Nothing is easy from the start…" Lin Li was frustrated at the current situation too. It had been about 10 days since the inauguration ceremony, but the Tower of Dusk remained empty. Only seven mages who were not even Magic Shooters arrived—this was worlds apart from the Guild of Magic of his dreams…

  Of course, Lin Li knew that this was inevitable.

  There were quite a few mages in the Breezy Plains, and many of them were powerful Magic Shooters and Archmages. However, most of them have already been bought over by powerful forces, and it would not be easy to have them join the Tower of Dusk.

  That aside, Lin Li believed that even the seven new mages with their mediocre abilities would not have joined the Tower of Dusk if they had had another choice.

  Well, such was the profession of a mage. Everything they needed—like magical equipment, spells, potions, magical gemstones, and crystals—cost dearly, and without a powerful force supporting them, it would be difficult even for the most talented of them to improve. After all, not every mage could be like Lin Li and turn the cheapest of ingredients into a treasure—there could only be one versatile crafting master, after all…

  An offer of joining a new Guild of Magic and a young President in his twenties? Most mages would brush it off the minute they heard it. Who would dare gamble their future the way Gavin had?

  Lin Li knew that if everything went normally, the situation would continue until the Tower of Dusk became influential and attractive enough to the mages who were more shrewd than businessmen. Only then would they come to the Tower of Dusk to get their level certifications. This was a gradual process, and something that every new Guild of Magic had to face. Even if he held resources that other Guilds of Magic coveted, he was not spared from this, either.

  When Lin Li walked into the meeting room, Hoffman had already been waiting for a long time, but there was not a trace of annoyance on his chubby face. On the contrary, he was smiling gleefully as though something great had happened.

  "Mr Hoffman, you seem to be in a pleasant mood?"

  "I just clinched a deal. If I'm lucky, I can earn some money from it…" Hoffman said casually as though he had just sold some cabbage, but anyone who knew him would not dare think so. He was one of the bosses of the Glittergold Trade Union; "some money" to him would mean at least a million gold coins…

  "Right, President Felic, what happened to your face?" Hoffman asked curiously after he sat down.

  "This… I got this after I accidentally hit my face w
hile coming down the stairs…" Lin Li said simply, and hurriedly changed the topic lest Hoffman pressed any further. "Mr Hoffman, you came at the right time. I was planning to look for you in Doland. I wonder if you recall that I told you I had a deal to discuss with you during my inauguration ceremony? Well, do you have time today? If you do, how about we take this opportunity to talk about it?"

  "Heheh, I'm here because of that. I was going to head back to Breezy City after discussing the other deal, but I recalled what you said, and decided to come here instead. After all, I believe President won't disappoint me…" Hoffman finished with a smile after casually showering Lin Li with some flattery.

  "Hehe, Mr Hoffman, you're too kind…" Frankly speaking, it felt good to be flattered by someone like Hoffman, and Lin Li was grinning widely for a while before he lowered his voice. "I wonder if the Glittergold Trade Union is interested in pharmaceutics?"

  "Pharmaceutics?" Hoffman's eyes lit up at that. He was speaking to a true genius pharmacist who was way above him in terms of skills or knowledge even though Hoffman himself was a Master Pharmacist. If they worked together to sell potions, it'd be like hitting the jackpot. However, Hoffman was someone who had seen it all; while he was beyond elated, he did a good job schooling his expression. "President Felic, could you fill me in on the details?"

  "Oh, it's simple…" Lin Li smiled, and retrieved a red potion bottle from his pocket before placing it on the table. "This is a new potion I learned that is very suitable for mages below level-10. I can make about 30 bottles a month, but as you know, potions can cause harm to the body when taken in excess. I've only got so many mages below level-10, and can't possibly use that much of it. I have no idea what to do with the leftovers… hence I thought, why not exchange it for some gold coins? But since I can't spare that much time, I wonder if you have any ideas, Mr Hoffman…"