by Zhuang Bifan
What followed was the sound of five level-13 or level-14 Adventurers falling to the ground, asleep in the blink of an eye.
"Not bad…" Lin Li smiled in satisfaction. The power of the Lord of Nightmares was stronger than he'd expected. He knew that the large amount of magical crystals did not go to waste.
After settling the meddlesome Adventurers, Lin Li could finally have a good night's sleep. However, he woke up again in the early morning due to Johnathan.
"Brother Felic, brother Felic! Wake up, there's trouble!
Lin Li was in deep slumber when Johnathan dashed into the tent. Although he finally woke up due to Johnathan, he did not manage to make clear of the situation.
"What happened, Brother Johnathan…?" asked Lin Li groggily.
"Last night, there were a few Adventurers who fell asleep outside, so everyone is suspecting that they got cursed. So, they are arguing over that now. Do you want to go and take a look?"
"…" Lin Li nearly went crazy. Johnathan was too nosy! Instead of waking him up to watch some commotion, why didn't he do other things that would reap more benefits?
"I say, Brother Johnathan, I don't think this matter is related to me. Why don't you let me sleep a few more minutes?
"Nope, even if you're not interested in the conflict, you are not to sleep already!"
Chapter 382 - Emendas
The campsite was indeed very lively. The moment Lin Li stepped out of his tent, he saw a big crowd of Adventurers engaged in some sort of discussion.
"Brother Johnathan, what are they doing?"
"I heard that someone attacked these unlucky fellas last night. Fortunately, they did not lose their lives. They had been hypnotized, sleeping here the entire night. No one knows who was the cruel bastard, and even Bishop Avate failed to wake them up…"
"Oh, I see…" Lin Li rubbed his nose awkwardly. He was too embarrassed to tell Johnathan that he was the cruel bastard Johnathan was talking about…
Yet, at the same time, Lin Li was shocked himself. Although he had summoned the phantom of the Lord of Nightmares a few times, last night was his first time letting it deal with humans. He did not expect it to be so powerful. A casual act of hypnotizing could actually let five level-14 Warriors fall into such a deep slumber that even a Bishop-level Priest had no ability to wake them up! Lin Li felt that what Connoris had said had to be true—Legendary figures would probably be as vulnerable before the real Lord of Nightmares!
While the two men conversed, there was another ruckus among that group of people again. There was a young man in his 20s who walked towards the five sleeping Adventurers. Strangely, when the man walked over, the other Adventurers automatically cleared a path for him. Their gazes were also filled with respect as they looked at that man.
"Brother Johnathan, who's that?" asked Lin Li curiously.
"What? Brother Felic, you don't know him?" Johnathan rolled his eyes as though Lin Li was a caveman.
"I don't…"
"He's Emendas, the most powerful Adventurer in Aminya. I heard that he is a level-17 Archmage now."
"So talented?" Lin Li gasped in shock. A level-17 Archmage was a rare talent for the Supreme Council. What was more, this Emendas was not even 30 years old! Lin Li could not believe that such an accomplished man would work for any organization.
Just when the two men were chatting, Emendas walked into the crowd. He bent his back to check the breathing of the five unlucky fellas, and cast a Detection Spell.
"How is it, Mage Emendas? Is there any problem with them?" That was Hahn, who was in charge of human resources. This middle-aged man seemed unusually nervous when he looked at Emendas.
Please don't blow up the matter…
That was what Hahn was the most afraid of. If that matter blew up, Sir Hutton would find out about them very quickly. What would become of Hahn while Sir Harvey got reprimanded? He was just an insignificant housekeeper!
"It is not very serious. If I'm not wrong, they should've been hypnotized by some sort of force…" Emendas explained as he picked up his magic staff. The crystal on the staff emitted a blinding ray of light.
Under that glow of light, the messy breathing of the Adventurers gradually became calmer.
"The force was not very strong. It seems like the person that attacked them did not really want to harm them. He only used a force to trap them in a nightmare…" Emendas said and smiled gently.
Emendas' voice was extremely gentle. Apart from the anxious Hahn, Lin Li was the only one who could hear his words with the Whisperwind Spell he'd cast right before that. The Whisperwind Spell was a very interesting technique for any user—it let you listen to anything, especially in a spacious place.
Hahn did not react to Emendas' assurance, for he had absolutely no idea about such a complicated matter. Instead, it was Lin Li who was pleasantly surprised with Emendas' ability to use the Detection Spell to accurately deduce the matter. He must be someone impressive…
"Alright, Mr. Hahn, I shall trouble you to find some men to carry these Adventurers into my tent."
"Sure," Hahn replied as he wiped cold sweat off his forehead. He was secretly glad for Emendas' presence. Otherwise, the matter would really be aggravated.
Hahn found a few men very quickly, and they carried the unlucky fellas into the tent swiftly.
"Oh, yes. Brother Johnathan, when are we setting off?" Lin Li asked after the Whisperwind Spell lost its effect. The spell required wind energy to work, but how would there be any wind inside that darn tent?
"We are setting off in the afternoon. Mr. Hahn instructed that Adventurers would move in groups. One team would be led by Mr. Jason, while the other by Mage Emendas. We would be setting off from Blackstone Town in the afternoon, and aim to reach the Blackstone Mountains before the sky darkens."
"Who is leading our team?"
"We should be led by Mage Emendas…"
"Very good…" Lin Li nodded, and did not continue asking.
At the same time, the five Adventurers were already awake. They were pallid, and seemed unusually weak. Their energy had been drained away by torture of the nightmare. They really wanted to take a good rest if they could.
Unfortunately, they did not dare to rest…
That was because apart from Hahn and Emendas, there was an angsty young man together in the same tent.
"Can you tell me what exactly happened?" Harvey's tone was very calm, and there was even a smile on his face. Yet, there was obvious fury in his eyes. The repressed rage gave the Adventurers shivers down their spines.
"I am dying to know who was so powerful to hypnotize four level-14 Warriors…"
"We…" one of the Adventurer said as he swallowed his saliva nervously. "We don't know, either…"
"You don't know?" Harvey raised his voice by a few octaves, and his eyes nearly shot out flames.
"Are you saying that you morons don't even know who was the person who hypnotized you?"
"We… We only felt that there was a gust of wind. And then… we lost our consciousness…"
"Sc.u.mbags!"
"Sir Harvey…" Emendas who had been keeping quiet spoke up suddenly. "I personally feel that it is not their fault this time."
"Oh?" Harvey's attitude toned down a little after he saw that it was Emendas speaking. After all, he was the most powerful Adventurer in Aminya whom even his father, the patriarch of the Malfa Family, respected. "What makes you say that?" asked Harvey.
"According to what I know, it was indeed a powerful figure who hypnotized them. From the magical waves on their bodies, it seems that it was someone around level-16. It is only reasonable that these Adventurers who are only level-14 didn't realize they were being hypnotized…"
"Alright, since Mage Emendas has spoken, I will let these underlings off… Scram!"
"Thank you, Sir Harvey, thank you, Mage Emendas…"
The unlucky dudes scurried off hastily.
"Oh, Mage Emendas, I heard that one of the teams that is going to the Blackstone Mo
untains is personally led by you?"
"Yeah, that was what Sir Hutton arranged."
"That's great. Mage Emendas, do you mind doing me a small favor?"
"As long as it is within my ability, Sir Harvey, you can tell me any time."
"There's a few people here whom I do not wish to see again," Harvey said as he handed Emendas three slips with personal particulars. The uppermost form belonged to somebody by the name of 'Felic'.
"My p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e." Emendas scanned the forms, and remembered their particulars quickly. To him, getting rid of two level-10 Magic Shooters and a level-10 Warrior was as easy as killing three ants with his finger. Furthermore, since he was in charge of leading a team in such a dangerous place like the Blackstone Mountains, where all kinds of magical beasts roamed, it would be exceptionally easy for him to let these people get into an accident…
Emendas was not interested in Harvey's motive in getting rid of them. Although he had no respect for this foppish good-for-nothing, he was the second young master of the Malfa Family, after all. If Emendas wanted to thrive in Aminya City, he had to show Harvey some deference.
When Emendas exited the tent, the Adventurers in the campsite were already busy with their preparations for the mission. They had their weapons ready, and were listening to Hahn's sharp-pitched voice. He was standing in the middle of the campsite, and giving many different orders.
All of the Adventurers had been split into two groups. Lin Li and his team, as well as Johnathan, were all allocated under Emendas.
"The mission's exact objective will be revealed by Mr. Jason and Mage Emendas when you reach the Blackstone Mountains. What you need to do is just to heed their orders strictly. Every one will be getting 10,000 gold coins after the mission, and promising Adventurers will have the chance to join the Malfa's mercenary corps. I hope everyone will treasure this opportunity!"
Chapter 383 - Barbecue in the Forest
Lin Li and the team arrived in the Blackstone Mountains in the evening. There, the Adventurers set up a shabby campsite on a plateau halfway up a mountain using tents and stones under Emendas' orders. A few bonfires were set up, and the Adventurers gathered around them as they ate their dry rations and drank hard liquor, taking the time to recoup after the exhausting day.
The Blackstone Mountains were a dangerous place indeed. While it only took less than three hours for them to reach the midpoint of the mountain from the bottom, they met many magical beasts—all of them were at least level-15, including some powerful level-17 and level-18 ones. After dealing with all of them, even a level-17 Archmage like Emendas could barely hold up, and he quickly retreated into his tent to meditate after the shabby campsite was set up. But, before he did so, he assigned Lin Li with a task…
"So cold…" Lin Li curled up under a tree and rubbed his red nose as he muttered to himself, "How is this wretched place so cold at night, is it trying to kill me…"
The chilling wind blowing in the pitch-black forest made Lin Li pale from the cold, his thin robe doing little to help even though he wrapped himself in it a few times. The cold penetrated his entire body, making him feel like he was submerged in ice. This damned forest was like a maze; no matter where he was, it seemed like he was going around in circles as all he could see was the eerie shadows of trees. The howling wind could be heard occasionally from somewhere deep in the forest, making his skin crawl.
"Damn it, you've got guts, Emendas!" Lin Li said through gritted teeth. He should have been sitting next to a bonfire, satisfying his hunger with the dry rations and drinking the hard liquor to fend off the cold while he listened to the well-traveled Adventurers boast as they told their stories.
Unfortunately, all of this vanished into thin air with a sentence from Emendas.
"You're Mage Felic, right? There might be magical beasts in the forest in front. Go and take a look. If you're in any danger, let out the signal, and we'll rush there as soon as we can."
"…" Lin Li wanted to slap him back then…
This was the Blackstone Mountains, where high-ranking magical beasts roamed freely! Even an idiot would know what he was up to, asking a level-10 Magic Shooter to go into the forest alone. Signal? Rush over as soon as they could? What nonsense! If I was really a level-10 Magic Shooter, I wouldn't even have the time to scream in front of a magical beast, much less let out a signal and wait for you to save me!! You really take me for an idiot, don't you?
As he thought of the second young master of the Malfa Family as well as the unlucky adventurers, Lin Li would have to be an idiot not to guess what was going on. Emendas was probably instructed by someone to make his life difficult—or, even better, kill him off…
Thankfully, he was not really a level-10 Magic Shooter…
While the Blackstone Mountains were dangerous, it was not too much of a threat to him. However, what he really hated about this place was that it was really too cold!
"Once we're done with this whole Crimson Python nonsense, I'm going to make that bastard suffer!" Lin Li rubbed his red nose as he tugged at his thin Robe of the Void to wrap it tighter around himself.
Well, Emendas deserved it—all he thought of was the second master of the Malfa Family. Little did he realize that he had brought great misfortune upon himself…
Of course, Lin Li was not really looking for any magical beast in the forest, knowing that Emendas had a hidden motive.
Less than half an hour into the forest, Lin Li found a rock blocking the wind and hid behind it, warming his legs as he opened the Ring of Endless Storm. He took out a sleeping bag and some fire-starting tools that he had prepared earlier before lighting a small bonfire behind the rock where it was shielded from the wind.
Lin Li had already decided before entering the forest that he was not going to look out for any magical beast—since he was going into the forest anyway, he would hang around for a few hours, and then tell that bastard Emendas that the forest was empty and very safe.
Lin Li did not really care whether it was really safe.
Anyway, even if they met a powerful magical beast when they entered the forest the next day, Lin Li would have a good enough excuse for not finding it—he was supposed to be a level-10 Magic Shooter, after all, so it made sense that he was not able to detect the presence of a magical beast, didn't it?
After the bonfire was up and going, Lin Li sat at the side and drank some of the hard liquor he had brought from the camp as he finally felt his cold body warm up.
"If only I had some food…" Lin Li could not hold his liquor well; after taking it on an empty stomach, he felt his insides burn. Unfortunately, all he could find in the Ring of Endless Storm was a great deal of condiments and seasonings instead of actual food.
These condiments and seasonings had been in the Ring of Endless Storm for a long time as they were left behind from when Lin Li practiced cooking when he was bored in the Endless World. He had put in a great deal of effort to practice cooking, and besides trying all kinds of ingredients, he had tried all the animals he could find in the Endless World except for dragons.
And then there was all the seasonings.
These were not just your everyday seasonings like salt and vinegar—once someone became a Master at cooking, the seasonings they used were nothing short of lavish. Many of these were precious magic ingredients; one of them was the Blue Grass, which could be used to remove the bloody taste of meat and make tough meat amazingly tender.
However, Blue Grass itself was a precious magic ingredient, and mages often dried it to grind into powder. If a little bit of Blue Grass powder was used during magic, a mage could easily execute a level-15 spell without wasting their mana.
Back then, Lin Li had caused quite a stir in the Endless World when he bought a lot of Blue Grass in one go. All the mages were making conjectures that some twisted union wanted to monopolize the trade of Blue Grass, and many mages formed protest groups because of that. Unfortunately, they had been chanting their slogan "stop corrupt businessmen, stop monop
oly" for a month, only to find out that some bastard had bought a bunch of Blue Grass simply because he was trying to perfect his barbecuing skills…
"Oh, right, so what if I don't have food? I can just make some myself, right? It's been a long time since I've done so anyway…" When he thought of that, Lin Li grabbed a bunch of Blue Grass from the Ring of Endless Storm and muttered a spell: Life Detector.
Given his abilities now, he was able to detect all life forms within a 100-meter radius with just one Life Detector spell. He had initially thought that there should be quite a few magical beasts in this gloomy forest, only to find out that there was nothing within a 100-meter radius—not even a single rabbit…
"That's strange…" Lin Li inhaled, and his expression froze.
This was the Blackstone Mountains, where magical beasts roamed, after all. Wasn't it strange that he could not find even a single magical beast in this forest?
Lin Li refused to believe it, and pumped in more mana to increase the Life Detector's radius to 200 meters. However, the result was the same: there was no trace of life in the area he searched.
"How can this be…" Lin Li gritted his teeth, and decided to fly above the forest with a Levitation Spell. Then, he flew to the other end of the forest.
As he was flying, he continued to use the Life Detector to scan the forest beneath him.
He spent about half an hour to scan the entire forest before reaching the edge of the forest, where he finally found a trace of a magical beast's Scent of Life. It was a level-10 Blood-toothed Wild Boar, one of the lowest-level magical beasts of the Blackstone Mountains. The Blood-toothed Wild Boar was already low in level, yet it did not even inherit any magic of its own; the only thing worth mentioning was probably the brute force hidden within its body.
