by Zhuang Bifan
Goddammit, it is hard to leave that wallet there just like that…
"Yeah, what a torture…"
That was a voice that rang in Lin Li's head.
"F*ck you, Connoris! You are such a shameless Peeping Tom! Did I not warn you not to ever peep again? Do you really hope to be thrown into the furnace?" Lin Li cussed angrily.
That bastard is getting more and more perverted these days. In the past, Connoris only attempted to use his mental strength to communicate with Lin Li. Now, did he just use it to peep at Lin Li's thoughts? Damn this Spiritual Communication! If this continues, Connoris is going to dig all my dark secrets out…
"You're too rude. Don't forget that you are speaking to the almighty Soul Trader…" Unlike before, Lin Li's threats did not terrify Connoris this time. This demonic soul that had been around for God knew how many years did not seem to sense Lin Li's rage. "Not just that, I have a solution for this difficult situation as well. Can't you show me some respect?"
"Damn you Soul Tr—" Lin Li wanted to cuss, but he held himself back with an ingratiating smile. "Erm… Almighty Soul Trader, do you really have a way?"
"Of course!" snapped Connoris.
"That's great! Almighty Soul Trader, your wisdom and intelligence certainly make you the role model of all abyssal demons. I believe no legendary Demon Lords would be comparable to you. Since you are a forgiving man, can you advise me on what to do?"
"Hmm…" Connoris finally replied after all the flattery. "Alright, since you are so sincere, I shall bless you with some advice…"
"Yes, please continue…"
"Since that Necromancer is the only one who has the right to sign a summon contract with the Humerus Wyrm, you can stop thinking about that…" Connoris scoffed. "But, the contract is not the only solution. Did you forget that you still have an oil lamp created personally by Osric in that weird dimension?"
"You are referring to the oil lamp that sealed the Lord of Nightmares?"
"That's right…"
"But…" Lin Li hesitated. "Wasn't that oil lamp used to seal the Lord of Nightmares?"
"Who told you that an oil lamp could only seal one thing?"
"…"
"Hehe, I was there with Osric when he created this lamp. He even consulted me about the characteristics of souls…!"
Lin Li nearly burst out laughing. The sales pitch of the trader was so eloquent that he remembered to replace the word "interrogate" with "consult"…
"Almost everybody thought that Osric created the 12 lamps just to seal the 12 Demon Lords. How would they know what that crazy fella had in mind? That lunatic once told me his intention was to put the entire Abyss into these oil lamps!"
"…" Lin Li took a deep breath.
"Osric nearly used up all the things he won from the abyssal battle when he was creating the 12 oil lamps. Each of them could seal unlimited number of demons and Undead creatures."
Chapter 413 - Seal
"Are the 12 lamps that powerful?"
"Are you talking crap?" Connoris snorted. "Let me tell you another secret, then. Osric's motive behind the creation of the 12 lamps was to turn them into one of the most powerful weapons of the Eternal Furnace. Hehe, if not for the early death of that madman, the High Elves might have had the eighth Sky Castle. Or else, how could you humans defeat the High Elves so easily and dominate Anril?"
"Weapons? Do you mean that the 12 oil lamps are exactly part of the Eternal Furnace?"
"Of course, did you just assume that that madman had no better things to do, and just wanted to go to the Abyss for an expedition?"
Although Connoris told him the secret in a very calm manner, Lin Li was still utterly stunned by it. Lin Li had entered the Eternal Furnace before, and seen for himself the freaky Infernal Palace which hovered in the air. No one could be clearer than Lin Li about it.
And, that was still an incomplete Eternal Furnace.
If what Connoris said was true, if the Eternal Furnace were to recover its prime condition, and be integrated with the 12 oil lamps that had the Demon Lords sealed within them, it would definitely turn into the eighth Sky Castle…
Lin Li could only agree with the view that Osric was indeed a crazy man.
This was the only title that suited that talented High Elves. While the High Elves only managed to construct seven Sky Castles after countless years, Osric had the ability to almost complete one by himself…
"Oh, yes. Almighty Soul Trader, you haven't advised me on the way to deal with that Humerus Wyrm…"
"Hehe, to be honest, it is really your luck to have met me. Since I witnessed the entire process when Osric created the 12 lamps, I'm confident to say that I'm the person that has the best understanding of the 12 lamps. It is very simple to seal that Humerus Wyrm. All you need is a recital…"
Connoris said a recital in the High Elves' Language. Perhaps it had been long since he heard it, for he stuttered along the way, and was not very clear at certain parts of the recital.
Fortunately, it had been over a year since Lin Li came to the Anril World. He was well-versed in the High Elves Language now, and had developed deep insight from the 10 core magical mantras. It was not difficult for him to analyze any magical recitation.
Lin Li memorized the recital in less than a minute. Along the way, he did not forget to correct Connoris' mistakes in pronouncing certain parts of the recital.
"Very good. Almighty Soul Trader, you must be tired now. Why don't you go back to take a rest? We will discuss politeness and respect when we get back to the Tower of Dusk…"
With that, Lin Li cut off the Spiritual Communication between Connoris and himself immediately.
"Despicable…!" That was the only word Connoris managed to say before the mental strength was disrupted.
"Politeness and respect? I'm going to settle the deal with you after getting back…" Lin Li muttered in irritation as he walked towards the Humerus Wyrm. Now, the magical wave of the Lich was incredibly weak. If he was not an Archmage, Lin Li would not be able to sense such a minute magical wave…
The Humerus Wyrm had been forced into a corner by the surviving Death Knights who had ceased their attacks.
When Lin Li got to the wyrm, it was incredibly weak. Its gold skeletal structure was white-washed like any other Skeletal Warrior's. There was no sign on the poor wyrm that suggested it was a level-20 Undead creature. 'Pitiful' would be the most adept descriptor for the wyrm's remaining energy, and this pathetic amount was depleting at the speed of light…
The Humerus Wyrm continued to struggle. Its voice that sounded from the cave lacked the usual power; it was as though it was a low-level magical beast, wimping before its death…
"I've found a new place for you to live…" Lin Li took out the lamp from his Ring of Endless Storm, and started the recitation.
As the huge chunks of High Elves Language came out from his mouth, the level-15 magical crystal etched in the oil lamp glistened as well. It emitted a gentle white ray of light, which grew brighter as the seconds trickled past. It gradually lit up the entire cave.
Under that white light, the limp Humerus Wyrm suddenly stood up energetically. Its 10 meters long tail brushed against the ground and swept up a large amount of dust in the air. Its loud roar nearly led Lin Li into thinking that the menacing level-20 beast had returned…
But, after that roar, the Humerus Wyrm lowered its head unwillingly, like a gentle and obedient kitten. It soaked itself in the white light and let its body fade into it…
"Oh my goodness…" gasped Adelo. He should be the only person out of the entire advance party who knew what the sight before them meant…
It meant that the young mage had not only defeated the Lich, but also took over his summoned creature—a level-20 Humerus Wyrm. Adelo could not believe what he had seen. Who would dare to challenge that young mage if he could summon that beast?
This is too frightening…
I must tell Hutton to remind everyone from the Malfa Family not to find trouble w
ith this freak. Oh, yes. There's Harvey too. I remember that Harvey had a conflict with him before we set off. Hope this doesn't create any trouble for the Malfa Family…
While Adelo was still trembling, Lin Li had completed his seal on the Humerus Wyrm.
The oil lamp in Lin Li's hands did not seem to look any different after it sealed the Humerus Wyrm. It had the same antique appearance that resembled an aristocrat's teapot. The only thing that changed was the level-15 magical crystal on top of the lamp that seemed to have used up a great amount of mana to produce that white light. Lin Li could sense that there was not a lot of mana left in the crystal even though it had been socketed in the lamp only a few days ago…
"This lamp is good, it just drains too much mana…" Lin Li muttered unbearably as he thought of the hefty sum he'd paid for the level-15 magical crystal. It was good that he rarely got a chance to seal things. Otherwise, he would not have enough money to sustain such high usage.
After the Lich shattered into pieces, and the Humerus Wyrm got sealed up by the lamp, the ominous and eerie cave became clean and ordinary again. Nobody could smell any scent of decay when the cold wind blew pass occasionally. Lin Li led the group of men who had yet to recover from their shock across the piles of rubble and towards the altar.
Their journey there was incredibly peaceful, without any more interruptions from the Undead creatures. Yet, Lin Li was not at peace with himself. In fact, he was boiling with excitement. Lin Li knew that he was getting closer and closer to Gloomy Dark. Now that the Lich had fallen to death, and he had sealed the Humerus Wyrm up, there would not be anything that could prevent him from acquiring Gloomy Dark!
That was the best thing he had discovered at the Scar of Death.
The Humerus Wyrm sealed in his lamp was insignificant as compared to acquiring Gloomy Dark. Gloomy Dark and Holy Light owned the two purest forces in the world—darkness and light, respectively. To others, they were just two sets of powerful magical weapons. To the formal owner of the Stars of Fury, however, they had the potential to generate an invincible amount of energy.
Not to exaggerate, even if he was a weakling, as long as he were to get his hands on both Gloomy Dark and Holy Light, he would certainly become unrivaled in the Legendary-realm!
"It's been long, Gloomy Dark…" Lin Li mumbled as he stopped in his tracks 10 meters away from the altar. That altar was indeed a masterpiece of the High Elves. It was constructed entirely of moonstone, which produced a gentle glow in the dark.
The entire altar was 30 meters tall. It was not much smaller than the gigantic Humerus Wyrm. It looked like a tall tower with a pointed roof, and its summit had a moonstone sculpture of a High Elf from the waist up.
The unique magical wave of Gloomy Dark seemed to be emitted by that half-bodied sculpture.
"That…!" Lin Li gasped. His suspicion rose as he saw the face of the High Elf sculpture. Although it had the eyes and ears like any other High Elves, it just looked too familiar…
Lin Li cast the Warlock's Eyes skeptically.
As the Warlock's Eyes approached the sculpture, Lin Li had a closer view of its face. However, despite the clear sight thereof, Lin Li just could not recall where he saw someone who resembled this High Elf.
Chapter 414 - Diary
Damn it, did it appear in my dreams? Lin Li shook his head helplessly. Just when he was about to give up on further investigation and get his hands on Gloomy Dark straightaway, he heard Ujfalusi's gasp.
"M-M-Master, that's the Immortal King!"
"Huh?" Lin Li exclaimed in surprise. "You mean, that half-bodied statue depicts the Immortal King?"
"That's… that's right," Ujfalusi replied. The mentioning of the legendary figure of the High Elves Dynasty terrified Ujfalusi. He even swallowed his saliva like a real human when he looked at that half-bodied statue in awe…
"…" Lin Li glanced at the statue resting on the summit of the pointed tower and froze for a few minutes. When he regained his composure, vulgar words exited his mouth. "F*ck, why is it that bastard again…?"
Lin Li could not help it.
The name 'Immortal King' had become a curse ever since the finals in the Aurora Square. It was like an annoying spirit that continued to haunt him wherever he went. From the Aurora Square to the Demon Fall Valley, and from Doland to the Scar of Death, Immortal King's name came up everywhere.
Even Ujfalusi, whom he had signed the Soul Contract with, seemed to have some connection with that bastard…
Although Ujfalusi did not tell him anything about the Immortal King, it did not mean Lin Li was totally unaware of it. The Soul Contract Ujfalusi signed with Lin Li was one which forbade secrecy. The moment the bond was established, fragments of Ujfalusi's memory were transmitted to Lin Li's mind. Although Lin Li could not gather much useful information from those disorganized fragments, he saw the shadow of the Immortal King in them…
Since Ujfalusi did not reveal any details about the Immortal King to him, Lin Li knew it had to be something that could pose a threat to Ujfalusi.
Hence, Lin Li still did not ask Ujfalusi about it.
"That's right, it's this altar!" Adelo exclaimed excitedly, and was unable to repress his joy. But the next moment, Adelo was looking at Lin Li in hesitation. "Mage Felic, could we have a talk?"
"Of course…" Lin Li replied after glancing at Adelo. He knew very well what that Archmage from the Malfa Family had to say. The lies about wanting to destroy the altar earlier on were all a child's play. How could his ultimate goal be destroying the altar when he agreed to bring a group of people into the Scar of Death tirelessly in hopes of finding the altar that was located deep within the cave? Lin Li would be a moron to believe those words…
But, he welcomed Adelo's invitation to talk.
How could Adelo have zero knowledge of the altar he took so much risk to locate? His mentor, Cheyenne, was the one who'd personally come to the altar that year to battle the Lich. If one were to say that Adelo was ignorant of that altar, Lin Li would be the first person to get suspicious.
In fact, Lin Li had planned out what to do long before Adelo spoke. Since what he wanted from the beginning was just the Gloomy Dark, he did not mind knowing more secrets from Adelo, and then negotiating the splitting of benefits…
Of course, if Adelo wanted the Gloomy Dark like he did, it would be another story…
"I'm guessing Mage Felic would know that my main motive of entering the Scar of Death is not to destroy this Altar…" Adelo admitted to his lie immediately.
"Hehe…" Lin Li laughed, and did not say anything. Yet, he was secretly shocked. When did this dude who has been disguising himself as a Magic Shooter become so straightforward with his words?
Lin Li would not have guessed that Adelo was actually governed by his fear when he spoke to him.
That was right. Adelo was indeed scared…
Adelo's fear of the young mage grew as they survived the different battles that seemed to increase in difficulty as they journeyed towards the Scar of Death. How would anyone have the guts to lie to a young mage who made 10 Death Knights submit to him, had the ability of a Legendary-mage to defeat the Lich, and had skills to seal a Humerus Wyrm? It might have cost him his life…
"Actually, I wasn't entirely lying when I said that just now—I just forgot to say some details… When I went into the cave with my mentor that year, I really lost my consciousness. He only told me what happened in the cave after I woke up again…" Adelo said defensively.
"That year, my mentor indeed battled with the Lich. But, according to him, there wasn't any Humerus Wyrm in the cave. Hence, he had an advantage when he battled the Lich. At the end of the battle, my mentor sacrificed a level of his ability to inflict great harm on to the Lich…"
"Oh?" Lin Li could not help but feel surprised. He was extremely well aware of the ability of the Lich. Not to exaggerate, having received the most formal education in magic, the Lich was almost perfect in his combat techniques. He made zero mistakes in his tacti
cs, and his life case that was safely stowed in the altar allowed him to absorb unlimited amount of force produced by the Gloomy Dark. Hence, it was extremely difficult to battle an opponent who had never-ending supply of mana like him.
Lin Li knew very well that the All-Knowing Potion could only give him the powers of a Legendary-mage temporarily. It was not sufficient for him to defeat such a terrifying Lich. The victory he'd got unexpectedly was all due to that crimson crystal. The Devouring Force within it allowed him to create a vacuum for the reckless Lich to fall from the air like that.
Otherwise, Lin Li would be the one who had his body ripped into pieces instead…
But, the mentor Adelo was telling him had to be something. How could anyone have the ability to sacrifice a level of his ability to critically injure a Lich?
That was even more powerful than him downing a bottle of the All-Knowing Potion himself…
It seemed that there was still a difference between Legendary-mages. Lin Li knew he would only figure out that difference after he reached the Legendary-realm.
"My mentor has been telling me that he had committed a grave mistake in that battle. That was, using a spell to restrict the Lich instead of destroying his body completely…"
"This mistake is really serious…" Lin Li knew it meant trouble.
"That was because my mentor found the altar located deep within the cave at the same time…" Adelo recalled the story with very complicated feelings. "This fault made him regret for decades. If not for his carelessness, it would not lead to the subsequent consequences, and delay his breakthrough into level-21 by 10 years…"
Adelo sighed.
"However, it was no doubt natural for Mentor to feel anxious then. I believe anyone would have done the same thing if he had discovered the huge secret within the cave."
"It seems that Mage Adelo wants to tell me about the secret hidden within this altar now…?"
