Another World’s Versatile Crafting Master c1-1074

by Zhuang Bifan

  Oh, yes. Jarrosus…

  When he was in the dungeon of the Merlin Family, the middle-aged man who had given him a lot of help once held his hand and requested that he bring Ina to the Eternal Shrine to meet her mother.

  That's right. It is that Eternal Shrine…

  Apart from that, the middle-age man gave him half of a crossbow bolt, and said that it was the only clue to find the Eternal Shrine. However, Lin Li had not gathered much information despite having asked many people about the bolt.

  "That's another secret. A secret that no one hope to believe. Almost everyone in the whole Anril thought that the Brilliance Shrine and the Darkness Shrine had been created only after the fall of the High Elves Dynasty…"

  "Wasn't that so?"

  "Of course not…" Sendros shook his head. "But, there wouldn't be more than 10 who know about this secret in this world. Even for me, I only know it after becoming the High Priest.

  "Brilliance Shrine and Darkness Shrine were initially part of the Eternal Shrine. The only difference now is that one subscribes to the Holy Light, while the other the Gloomy Darkness…"

  "What the f*ck…?!" Lin Li could not help but turn vulgar after hearing the thousand-year secret.

  "It might sound surprising, but if you think about it, don't you realize both the Brilliance Shrine and the Darkness Shrine already had their teachings from the first day they were established? That's against the law of nature. It is impossible for any teaching to be established in a single day, not to mention radical teachings that the Brilliance Shrine and the Darkness Shrine subscribe to…"

  "Are you trying to tell me that the teachings of the Brilliance Shrine and the Darkness Shrine were… from the Eternal Shrine?" Lin Li said as he swallowed his saliva. He restrained himself from saying the word "copied".

  Sendros' words were too shocking. Lin Li could not help but look at Sendros in a different light. Damn, why didn't I notice his daring personality in the past? He actually dares to share his skepticism about the two great shrines like that?

  It was lucky that he was a mage. If the devotees of the shrine were to hear such a critical comment, they would flip the table. Had Sendros been so blunt with his words during the Prehistoric Age, he would have been burnt by fire!

  "Copied."

  Just when Lin Li was still flabbergasted, Sendros said the word without batting an eyelid. That was the word Lin Li did not dare to say…

  "You have to be crazy…" Lin Li replied as he rolled his eyes.

  "That was not originally said by me…" After saying that notorious word, 'copied', Sendros did not seem to have any sense of guilt. "The writings of the Darkness Shrine state very clearly that brilliance and darkness originated from the eternal, hence they belong to the eternal. That is not a shameful secret. Besides me, all of the High Priests of the Darkness Shrine knew about it. I presume that the Archbishops of Brilliance Shrine should know it too…"

  "Hey, what's the use of telling me such a huge secret? Aren't you afraid that I'll spill the beans when I dream?"

  Sendros smiled. Then he looked at Lin Li for a period of time. "That's because I'm certain that you are the Reincarnation of Darkness as prophesized…"

  "What type of darn prophecy is that…?"

  "That is a prophecy only known to the High Priests. It had been recorded in the writings of the Darkness Shrine. I can let you have a look when you are free to visit. The record says that one day the Reincarnation of Darkness will bring the most powerful force of darkness to Anril…"

  "What has it got to do with me?"

  "Of course it does have something…" Sendros replied with a calm smile. "Do you still remember the exchange between us this afternoon? You exerted a massive Dark Force…"

  "Erm…" Lin Li mumbled. He knew where the problem had gone wrong. It was true that he used the force of Gloomy Dark that afternoon, but it was to hide the Humerus Wyrm from Sendros. Or else, how would he even be able to hide that gigantic wyrm from a Legendary-realm powerhouse?

  Did his unfulfilled plan turn him into a Reincarnation of Darkness instead?

  But, thinking about it, it made sense too. The force of Gloomy Dark was extremely pure. It indeed could be labelled as the deepest of darkness in the world…

  However, Lin Li did not want to be the Reincarnation of Darkness at all…

  Why did he have to become the Reincarnation of Darkness? As a Master Pharmacist who was on good terms with both of the shrines, he could reveal his identity as the pharmaceutics guru whenever he felt like it. He could rid the Pope of his viper's poison and turn himself into the great benefactor of the Brilliance Shrine whenever he wanted as well. At that time, they would not dare to give him a moon if he were to request a star.

  How could the job of the Reincarnation of Darkness be so easy? The Brilliance Shrine was not as forgiving as they seemed. They might have the ability to maintain a good relationship between the Archbishops and the Bishops, but wouldn't the devotees go mad and provoke another grand battle? He would not know what to do at that time…

  "Goddammit, why am I so unlucky…?"

  "You will think differently after hearing me out…" Sendros said calmly. Having known Lin Li for such a long time, how would Sendros not know his personality? To put it nicely, the best word to describe Lin Li was 'pragmatic'. Benefit was the only thing that could move him. "You have to know that in the scriptures of the Darkness Shrine, the identity of the Reincarnation of Darkness is the most honorable and respected. Even the three High Priests would have to adhere to your wishes…"

  "Oh? Do you mean I can make the people from the Darkness Shrine resolve any trouble for me?" Lin Li said as his eyes lit up. That was a reaction Sendros had expected.

  "Of course…"

  "Very good. From today onwards, I am the Reincarnation of Darkness!" Lin Li said excitedly with all righteousness he could muster. His mood had changed faster than one could flip the pages of a book. Then, he shamelessly added, "Oh, yes. If you were to meet Englos, please help me ask if the Brilliance Shrine needs any reincarnation too. I am willing to join their side as well…"

  "…" Sendros was beyond speechless. Although he was a man with a good temperament, he nearly burst due to a heart attack upon hearing Lin Li's words.

  Damn, how can a man be so shameless?

  After that spell of narcissism, something struck Lin Li. "Oh, yes. Did you say that I could request help from the Darkness Shrine if I were to have any problem? I just remembered that I needed some help. Sendros, can you help me think of a way to solve it?"

  "What trouble?"

  "I want to get rid of a Crimson Python as soon as possible…"

  "Crimson Python?" Sendros froze. "Isn't a Crimson Python a level-18 magical beast? Why do you need my help when you have the ability to get rid of it very easily yourself?"

  "That is a level-20 Crimson Python."

  "Oh, so it has been mutated…" Sendros understood Lin Li's concerns immediately.

  "What do you think? Are you going to help me?"

  "When do you plan to set off?"

  "As soon as possible. This Crimson Python is very important. I don't want the Malfa Family to get there before I do."

  "It is too late today. The sky is really dark now. If we were to barge into the nest of the Crimson Python, I'm afraid it might be dangerous. Why don't we do it tomorrow afternoon?" After saying that, Sendros gazed curiously at Lin Li. "Why is the Crimson Python important to you? It is not like you need the Legendary magical crystal…"

  Lin Li stared at Sendros. It was only once he saw the guilt in the eyes of the Legendary-mage that he asked, "Have you forgotten what you just learnt? How many times did I tell you that in the nests of legendary beasts—especially those that turned into Legendary creatures due to mutation—there is a high chance for rare herbs to grow? For example, two mutated Crimson Pythons would spur the growth of the Dragon's Tongue. If we have the Dragon's Tongue, black lotus, and the fruit of M.o.a.na tree, we would be able to create a Lege
ndary-level Rune Potion. I presume you know the effects of the Rune Potion."

  "Alright…"

  In the whole Anril World, Sendros and Lin Li had to be the only pair of senior and junior who shared such an extraordinary relationship. Despite all the harsh condemnations, the Legendary-mage was not a bit angered by the young man. Instead, he took out his notebook and scribbled down all the words he heard.

  "Oh, yes. I'm returning to Ledin Kingdom after we settle that Crimson Python. The descent of the Reincarnation of Darkness is extremely important to us. I have to go back to announce this crucial information. If you need anything, you can send people to Darkness Shrine to look for me."

  "Alright. Hey, don't forget to help me tell Englos that I am really willing to join their side if they need a reincarnation too!"

  Chapter 426 - Blueprints of the Sky Castle

  Naturally, the ones who returned from the Scar of Death were treated differently. The four of them from the Tower of Dusk were each assigned a spacious and comfortable tent. While it could not compare to the one that Sendros stayed in, it was vastly different from what the other adventurers enjoyed.

  The four tents were all at the edge of the campsite. They were about a dozen meters apart from each other, neither too far apart nor too close together—clearly all Adelo's doing. The sun had just set, and the bustle had yet to die down at the campsite. The adventurers gathered around the campfires as they drank and ate, chatting with old friends and new acquaintances.

  However, not one of them dared to go near the four tents at the edge of the campsite, as they were closely guarded by 20 Death Knights who were dressed in black armor and armed with blades, looking like statues. The chilly death aura they gave out could be felt from a distance, and thus not a single adventurer was willing to bother them.

  Even the braver ones only stared from a distance before talking about it with their friends…

  Their conversations did not differ much in content—Lin Li and the rest who came back from the Scar of Death had been a popular topic of discussion ever since they returned. The adventurers discussed their origins, why they were given such exceptional treatment, and how powerful the black-armored Death Knights were. So diverse was the range of topics that it could have been compiled into a book.

  Meanwhile, the main topic of their discussion was now wrapped in a blanket as he studied the map on the table.

  It was the treasure map of the Immortal King. Lin Li had been studying it fervently ever since he returned from Sendros' place.

  Lin Li was someone who had seen many things, but after studying it for a good part of the day, he could barely even recognize the material the map was made of. It was delicate and smooth, and was neither paper nor leather, but not silk, either. The map was squarish and about a meter in length. There were streets and houses depicted on it—as far as he could tell, it was a city he had never seen before. Apart from the pictures, the map was covered in fine High Elves Print, and it looked like there had to be at least 10,000 words.

  The High Elves Print was known for being simple and concise; hence, many complicated spells had to be cast using High Elves Print. If it were done using everyday speech, even chanting the spell would take days, and the mage would have died from exhaustion before the magic was even released…

  One could only imagine how much content 10,000 words of High Elves Print contained. When Lin Li saw the map covered in fine print, he was shocked, and thought that he had hit the jackpot. Who knew how many secrets he'd uncover after reading it all…

  But after reading it closely, he immediately cried foul.

  "Damn it, is this a joke…?"

  There were thousands and thousands of High Elves Print words, but none of it made any sense…

  T-t-this… This is simply incorrigible!

  Which bastard came up with this damned treasure map that was covered in thousands and thousands of High Elves Print words? It would take half a day to even copy it down, yet there was not even a comprehensible sentence in the lot—not even a clue as to how the words were connected…

  Lin Li did not believe that it was entirely incomprehensible at first, and was determined to uncover the hidden message. Unfortunately, that did not end well, as he had only managed to decipher the meaning of a few commonly used words after spending half a night on it.

  That was how the High Elves Print worked—there was only a few hundred words in the whole vocabulary, but each word had a different meaning depending on where it was used. In the case of the treasure map, there were thousands and thousands of words, but not a single complete sentence. Even if a true High Elf was present, he would not fare much better than Lin Li.

  After a torturous night, Lin Li decided to give up, and tossed the High Elves Print he had scribbled down aside as he decided to focus on studying the drawing on the map.

  After working on something else, Lin Li finally made a small breakthrough as he realized that the city depicted on the map seemed to differ from an average city. The layout of the city was overly complex as it was completely unnecessary in some places, but it seemed as though someone had insisted on building streets in a certain location even if it resulted in having to walk all the way around the city when the place they were heading to was only a few steps away.

  Of course, not all the streets were like that as it was only a few of them on the outskirts. However, Lin Li still realized the importance of it.

  Could it be that these streets signify something?

  Lin Li stared at the map for a long time before he suddenly discovered that there were quite a few towers in this city, and the strange winding streets linked all the towers together.

  "My God, Conquering Mageweath!" Lin Li clapped his hands as he suddenly recalled a Guru-level mageweath…

  That was right, there were 36 towers on this map, and they coincided with the 36 magic nodes of the Conquering Mageweath, while these strange intersecting streets formed a perfect magic circuit. If there was a source of mana as well, this would be a huge Conquering Mageweath!

  Even amongst Guru-level mageweaths, the Conquering Mageweath was at the top. The Inscribers in the Endless World even had a saying that if one completely mastered the Conquering Mageweath, they would be able to touch a trace of the realm of the Divine Smith. Of course, that was an exaggeration—Lin Li had already completely mastered the Conquering Mageweath, but he still knew nothing about the realm of the Divine Smith.

  However, this still went to show how important the Conquering Mageweath was in the hearts of Inscribers.

  The Conquering Mageweath was commonly used in magical weapons—in the extremely powerful ones, at that. For instance, when Lin Li got ahold of the Stars of Fury in the Well of the Sun, he had personally drawn a Conquering Mageweath on it, thanks to which the power of the Stars of Fury was intensified to an extreme. Not only did its attacks come with all kinds of magical attributes, it even allowed the Stars of Fury to combine with Lin Li as one so that Lin Li would be able to tap into its power anytime, anywhere. When the Conquering Mageweath was activated, Lin Li was the Stars of Fury, and the Stars of Fury was Lin Li…

  Lin Li was basically invincible then…

  But even the invincible Lin Li had never thought of using the Conquering Mageweath in a city…

  This was an insane plan. When the Conquering Mageweath was magnified and drawn in a town, every resident of the town would be able to combine themselves with the town and tap into its power anytime they wanted to. What kind of a concept was that?

  It was way scarier than a Lin Li who held the Stars of Fury…

  The Conquering Mageweath had a peculiar feature—the larger the area it spanned, the more powerful it was. This was because the Conquering Mageweath was drawn using Wyrm's blood, and the blood of the Wyrm itself was filled with terrifying power. Hence, the more Wyrm's blood was used, the more powerful the Conquering Mageweath was.

  It was not an exaggeration to say that this Conquering Mageweath was capable of making every resid
ent a living deity…

  "What a lunatic…" Lin Li stared wide-eyed at the map in his hands. This was something that only a lunatic could come up with. Looking at these intersecting streets and the 36 towers, even over 100 Wyrms would barely suffice if they all required Wyrm's blood…

  In other words, hundreds of Wyrms would have to be killed in order to build a city like that…

  What kind of concept was that? Even during the prehistoric times when the Titans and Wyrms ruled over Anril, 100 Wyrms would have been a formidable force, one powerful enough to tear open the sky!

  Moreover, the amount of mana required for the Conquering Mageweath to operate was beyond what Lin Li could imagine. How many Legendary magical crystals were needed to form the source of mana?

  What was the Eternal Furnace compared to a city like that? The life's work of Osric was merely a toy in front of such a city. As for Lin Li's Tower of Dusk, it was nowhere near a toy, but more like a negligible speck of dust in the air…

  This city would be invulnerable if it was ever built.

  Wait, unsinkable? When he thought of this Lin Li drew a breath of cold air.

  Wasn't the Sky Castle supposed to be invulnerable?

  In the distant Dark Ages, the High Elves had combined forces to build seven Sky Castles and ruled over the whole of Anril from them. Nobody knew how many attempts to take down the Sky Castles had been easily foiled over the long and gloomy era. It was only 1,300 years later, when the others could no longer stand the cruel rule of the High Elves, that they started a war, with the humans leading the rest. Six of the once "invulnerable" Sky Castles fell, leaving the last remaining one lost between the cracks of time and space…

  Lin Li's hands trembled as he held the map as he stared closely at every building in the city. Time passed, but Lin Li felt more and more emotional as he looked—it was truly a miraculous city, and the wisdom of the High Elves was perfectly evident in it. Architecture, Alchemy, Epigraphy, Engineering, and Forging… almost every form of art was expressed in this city, the out-of-the-box thinking and the raw talent of them easily apparent. This city could only be described as miraculous.