Another World’s Versatile Crafting Master c1-1074
Page 237
That's right, that crystal…
That crystal that fed on Shapeshifters and Vampires and almost got him killed. Even though Lin Li was still unsure what purpose the crystal served, he remembered very clearly that the crystal had shown a peculiar ability back in the Shadowglen. It was able to devour death aura—even the death aura that was emitted when the Undead Lords were controlling the Undead creatures.
If it is used to devour the power of the Gloomy Dark… That sounded like an absolutely bewildering idea, but Lin Li did not hesitate to reach into the Ring of Endless Storm, as he was left with no other choice. Unless he wished to perish with everyone by using the Holy Light, this bewildering idea was the only one he had…
Even though the crystal had been lying around in the Ring of Endless Storm for over half a year, it still looked no different from before. The moment he grabbed it, Lin Li immediately felt a chill run through him. It was as though he was not holding onto a crystal, but a piece of ice that had been frozen for over a thousand years.
"I knew it!" Just as the crystal was exposed to the air, Lin Li knew that he was right as he could clearly feel a strange distortion in the surrounding magical waves.
This crystal could devour the power of the Gloomy Dark indeed!
While this was not sufficient to cut off the channel instantly, it was enough for Lin Li as all he needed now was an opportunity—an opportunity to lay down a trap using the crystal so that he could lure the Lich into it.
Lin Li held the crystal tightly in his hands, seemingly unbothered by the chill as he chanted rapidly to form a powerful high-level magic. Even the level-18 Iceblast had been shortened down by him into an instantaneous magic. In a split second, the entire cave was filled with the contrasting forces of the Iceblast and the Flame Energy, and even the green toxic fumes that covered the air were now wiped out.
This was an explosive attack with no warning sign at all—it appeared completely out of the blue. Even the Lich that had lived for over 1,300 years was taken aback and lost his bearings in the face of such an attack.
The chilly wind and the shattered pieces of ice took the shape of an Iceblast Wyrm in the sky as it raced towards the Lich with an ear-shattering cry. All of this happened too quickly, and the Lich was barely able to conjure up a Bone Cell to encase himself in. But, how could a mere Bone Cell hold up against the strength of an Iceblast? With a crisp crunch, the seemingly sturdy Bone Cell broke open.
Then, the Ice Wyrm devoured the Lich…
The intense magical wave calmed down all of a sudden as the cave became silent. The 11 members of the advance party stared with wide eyes. They all had expressions of joy when they raised their hands in the air and waited to celebrate once the icy fog dissipated.
The only one who remained unaffected was Lin Li as he had already pushed his mental strength to its limit, using the mental strength that even Andoine was envious of to weave around the crystal in his hand to form an unusual mana channel around them.
It was an extremely complicated and dangerous job to completely release his mental strength to form a mana channel as a mistake could result in the bite of mana. Even Legendary-mages had to be careful to prevent any mishaps while they were doing it.
However, Lin Li was exceptionally anxious, and released all his mana at once to complete this mana channel as soon as possible even though he risked having his mana dissipate.
He knew that he did not have much time.
He was right—just as the mana channel was formed, a crisp sound could be heard from the icy fog…
The smiles froze on the faces of all 11 members of the advance party.
They saw that the frozen Lich had moved suddenly, and even though it was only a slight movement, the crisp sound rose in intensity like a spreading disease.
Then, a loud booming noise was heard, putting an end to this.
Ice shards flew everywhere and blocked their vision as everyone felt their heart sink. The hovering Lich was like a spirit; there seemed to be no change in his appearance, be it the slender magic bone staff he held, the shabby black cloak he wore, or his pale face.
The only difference was the layer of black fog surrounding the Lich's body. It was not a thick fog, being only slightly darker in color than his cloak, and made it seem as though there was just a layer of dirt on him if one did not look closely.
But this thin layer of black fog was as scary as a magical beast in the eyes of a mage like Adelo, making this Archmage at the peak of level-18 let out a surprised yell. "Magical Domain!"
Once a mage surpassed level-20 and entered the Legendary-realm, they became connected to their Magic System, and thus were able to create their own unique Magical Domain.
That was the most powerful ability of a Legendary-mage.
Chapter 411 - Lich Falling to Death
Although Lin Li gained the ability of a Legendary-mage temporarily due to the All-Knowing Potion, he was not able to gain any Magical Domain. He had not been a Legendary-mage long enough, and thus did not have much opportunity to discover the Magic System within him.
Yet, it was not the case for that Lich. Having lived for 1300 years, he had plenty of time to understand and explore his Magic System and create his personal Magical Domain.
As the Lich appeared in front of everybody with his Magical Domain, Adelo felt totally hopeless…
It was a domain which even an Iceblast could not break into. How would that young mage Felic have the chance to do so?
"I have to admit that you are one of a kind that I've never met in these 1300 years. Your ability to compress the 10-seconds Iceblast recitation into 1 second would've let you become an esteemed mage 1300 years ago. Unfortunately, everything is coming to an end. The Iceblast will be the last spell you are going to cast in your life…"
The voice of the Lich sounded as though it came from hell. Not only was it hoarse and eerie, it was also bone-chilling…
The Lich was not in a hurry to attack after he established his Magical Domain in the air. His gaze on Lin Li was cold and penetrating as though he was trying to have a good look at the appearance of this human whom he had been battling for almost the entire day.
He was not in a hurry to attack, because he was confident that victory was already his.
The level-18 Iceblast was one of the most powerful Archmage-level spells. Its effects were the closest to Legendary-level spells if it were to be unleashed. However, one would require a good 10 seconds of recitation to cast such a magnificent spell. A Legendary-mage would also have to exert a great amount of effort to compress the recitation timing by half.
But, that human mage actually cast that spell almost instantaneously.
To the Lich, it was an act of meaningless struggle before death. Only pitiful weaklings who were on the brink of death would see it as the last straw and try to grab onto it desperately.
What happened next ascertained the Lich's predictions.
After casting an Iceblast, the mana of that human mage became noticeably unstable. The magical waves around him were unusually violent, like a pot of boiling water. The Lich could tell that the depletion of Lin Li's Mental strength caused him to lose control over his mana.
Mental strength and mana were everything to a mage, and had greater importance than one's mouth and hands. Despite having the mysterious Elemental Power, a mage would be as useless as a farmer without his hoe once he lost control over them.
Although he paid his own price by establishing the Magical Domain, it was insignificant as compared to the human mage, who lost power over his mana. Unlike that mage who was going to end his life in this cave, a little time was all he needed to recover.
Hence, the Lich was not worried at all. He hovered in the air quietly, and looked at the human who had forced him out of his Magical Domain.
"Hehe…" The young mage laughed. Underlying the laughter was an incomprehensible sense of calmness. "Your Magical Domain is indeed powerful to be able to counter the Iceblast instantaneously…"
"Well, then you have to really live for 1300 years first…" Lin Li said as he pursed his lips. He was not intimidated by that Lich at all. When he looked at that black figure in the sky, his gaze was not even a little filled with the anxiety brought about by his uncontrollable mana. "Alright, Mr. Lich, since we are not magic apprentices anymore, there's no use in acting now. If you'd had the ability to kill me with a finger, I would have been dead by now."
Lin Li took a short pause. "I'm just curious, why did you establish your Magical Domain only after I cast the Iceblast?" he asked smilingly.
"…" There was no response.
The silence did not matter to Lin Li, as he was not expecting any answer from the Lich. Lin Li smiled calmly, and continued his speech. "Since Mr. Lich is keeping quiet, let me make a guess myself.
"The Magical Domain you had that could allow you to counter the Iceblast almost immediately is not as simple as it seems. Being a cautious man, I presume that you had paid a price to establish that domain, and it is not difficult to guess what it was. As mages, the biggest price we have to offer is no doubt mana and mental strength. Since you had the stamina to fight in such an intense battle, you are definitely not lacking in mana. Thus, by elimination, you certainly had used up a great deal of your mental strength in constructing the Magical Domain."
The silence in the cave was deafening. Other than the breathing of the advance party, Lin Li's voice was the only sound.
"That's right, the Iceblast just now caused me to lose control over my mana. But, what about you, Mr. Lich? I suppose that you don't feel well, do you? A great deal of your mental strength has been drained, and you have lost control over your ability as well, am I right? Or else, you would not be chatting with me right now…"
"Hahahaha…" The Lich broke his silence with a sudden burst of laughter. "Human, you are definitely the most powerful human I've met in the 1300 years of my life. Your ability and intelligence have surpassed any of your fellow species. You're absolutely right in your reasoning. To say the truth, I am still in disbelief that you gathered all that information from mere observation…"
"Mr. Lich, you are too generous with your compliments…" Lin Li bowed politely as he thanked the Lich. At once, he put away his smile, and turned sarcastic. "Now, are you going to say that my luck ends here?" he asked.
"That's right, you luck ends here. Hahahaha…" replied the Lich as he raised his Skeletal Staff. When everyone shut their lids hopelessly, that ominous laughter that resembled the cry of an owl stopped abruptly. What followed was a "Despicable!"
Then…
The 11 members of the advance party witnessed a scene they would remember for life.
The Master Necromancer who had already reached the Legendary-realm 1300 years ago and had magnificent Magical Domain fell down in front of everybody. The terrifying Mr. Lich waved his arms desperately as he fell. His shrieks were bone-chilling…
Unfortunately, it did not matter much now. Without the help of magic, any mage—regardless of how invincible he was—would not be able to resist gravity. That was the simplest concept of all. It was the same for a powerful Lich who had broken into the Legendary-realm as well.
"Pom!"
The loud sound reverberated in the cave…
That was reality. A Lich who had horrifying abilities would face the same fate as a farmer with a hoe if he were to fall several hundred meters down. The only difference was the scene they would create after they landed onto the ground. While the farmer would spill his blood all over the ground, the Lich's bones broke into fragments, and were strewn all over the place.
It was as though the world fell silent. At the moment, all 11 members of the advance party did the same thing—they were rubbing their eyes intensely, trying to make sure that everything was not an illusion.
Yet, no matter how many times they rubbed their eyes, the sight before them would never change.
The impact from the big fall shattered the body of the Lich completely. There were slabs of decayed flesh, piles of moldy bones, and lumps of ghastly white organs. Those were everything left behind by that menacing and powerful Lich who had lived for 1300 years…
Of course, in theory, the Lich was not entirely dead yet. What was gone was just his physical body, while his soul was still intact, well-preserved in his life case. Perhaps it would awaken after a few hundred or a thousand years, and revive the poor Lich who had just experienced an absurd death.
Unfortunately, the luck of Mr. Lich was just so bad…
Frankly speaking, this Lich was not as clever as Ujfalusi. Unlike Mr. Lich, Ujfalusi had his life case hidden in a place even Lin Li was not aware of. It was, however, obvious that Mr. Lich kept his life case at that altar. Or else, he would not be able to tap into the force of the darkness.
"Actually, I wanted to inform you that your luck ends here," Lin Li said as he shook his head. "It's not nice to steal my lines…"
Then, Lin Li turned to look at that Humerus Wyrm that was nearly forgotten by everybody…
It was indeed an absurd battle that only appeared in comedy. The thought of how the Lich had fallen to death, and how the Humerus Wyrm had been forgotten by everyone were like part of the script, all to incite insane laughter in its audience.
Chapter 412 - Wallet
It was unbelievable indeed. How could a powerful level-20 Undead creature be forgotten by everyone?
The first impression the Humerus Wyrm gave was one filled with prestige and pride. Not only did it manage to stir up trouble for an Archmage with its Ice Flames, it nearly killed 10 Death Knights in the process as well.
Unfortunately, after Lin Li had downed the All-Knowing Potion that gave him the ability of a Legendary-mage, he'd made the Humerus Wyrm fall from the sky, and it lost its ability to fly for quite a long time.
Then, the battle between Legendary-mages started.
The tempo of the battle was freakish. Even Adelo who was at the peak of level-17 lost count of the number of the spells cast by the two men. No matter how almighty the Lich was, it could not find a chance to summon the Humerus Wyrm to help him.
Being a summoned creature, the Humerus Wyrm could only rely on its instinct when the Lich did not give it any instructions in battle.
Having lost its ability to fly, the Humerus Wyrm could only use its instinct to fight. Like a tiger without its teeth, the level-20 Undead creature was no match for the group of Death Knights.
Hence, things resulted in such an absurdity.
"Ujfalusi, are you interested in this fella?" Lin Li asked the Necromancer as he rubbed his nose. His casual tone made it sound as though that was not a Humerus Wyrm, but some carrots that were left on the road.
Lin Li's arrogance was not unjustifiable. The Humerus Wyrm now was definitely no different from carrots. Although its powers were formidable, it could only use them when it was summoned by the Lich. It was certainly an invincible level-20 Undead creature when it was alive, but now that the Lich had died, it lost its right to live as well. It was no laughing matter. When the contract lost its functionality, the summoned wyrm would either get lucky and be sent back where it was summoned, or could only wait for its soul fire to go out…
Most importantly, the Humerus Wyrm would lose its support with the death of the Lich. Until it established another pact with a new Necromancer, it would be weaker than the lowest-ranking Skeletal Warrior.
The Humerus Wyrm was like a wallet that somebody dropped. Any Necromancer would be able to pick it up if they wanted to bend their back.
If Ujfalusi had the interest, Lin Li was very willing to let him pick it up.
"Thank you, Master, but… there's no need to do that…"
"Why?" asked Lin Li. He did not expect that.
"It's like th
is, Master. I'm only one step away from level-19, and my ability would be back to normal in a year's time…" Ujfalusi hesitated, and glanced at Lin Li. "If you allow it, I hope to help Crimson create a new body."
"Oh…"
Ujfalusi was referring to that Humerus Wyrm which was destroyed by the Holy Light when they were at the ruins of Syer Town. According to Ujfalusi, Crimson had a powerful wyrm crystal that was mightier than Ujfalusi himself.
Since Lin Li had that wyrm crystal with him, it was not difficult for Ujfalusi to create another body for Crimson. As long as Ujfalusi could recover his original ability, he could use that crystal to create a Humerus Wyrm that looked exactly like Crimson.
"No problem with that. I will pass that magical crystal to you when we get back."
"Thank you, Master."
"Hehe…" Lin Li smiled. He did not feel that he was at any disadvantage by giving the wyrm crystal to Ujfalusi at all, as it was still a profit to be able to garner the loyalty of a Lich in return. Furthermore, the contract Ujfalusi had signed with him was one that forbade any form of betrayal. The Humerus Wyrm under Ujfalusi's control would be as good as his.
The only thing that troubled Lin Li was the Humerus Wyrm in front of him. What should he do with it?
Ujfalusi was the only Necromancer there. If he had no intention to bend his back, no one else would have the right to do it.
But, that was a level-20 Undead creature. Any Necromancers who were to sign a summon contract with it would have their combat capability raised to a whole new level. Lin Li could not expect himself to be so vexed over the meat pie that fell from the sky. How could he let this huge wallet vanish just like that?
"Norfeller, you…" Lin Li called out to him, but held himself back quickly. "Forget it."
The thought of the blood oath he had with Norfeller reminded Lin Li that Norfeller would not be able to sign a similar contract anymore.
As the Lich's magical wave grew fainter, the remaining force allowing one to summon the Humerus Wyrm became weaker as well. Lin Li could sense that the energy within the wyrm was depleting at rocket-like speed. He knew that it might vanish from the earth any time soon…