Another World’s Versatile Crafting Master c1-1074

by Zhuang Bifan

  "However, the price I have to pay to summon the Humerus Wyrm is tremendous—enough to bring me down from the Legendary-realm. I haven't had the confidence to take this risk for the past few decades. It was only just now that I realized it would be easier to strike a deal with you…"

  "What deal?"

  "I need a bottle of the Tribute of Darkness."

  "Erm…" Lin Li muttered as he rubbed his nose. This old man is indeed not as generous…

  That was true. The Heart of the Fallen was indeed valuable. If one had good luck, they might be able to create an Undead Lord with it. However, if he were to exchange that for a bottle of the Tribute of Darkness, there wouldn't be any loss for him.

  If the Heart of the Fallen could create another Humerus Wyrm Lord, the Tribute of Darkness would be able to produce another Lich Lord. While the former had incredible combat skills, the latter was a greatly esteemed master of Necromagic. As both creatures were at their ultimate level, there was nothing for Sendros to lose regardless of which he chose.

  The Tribute of Darkness was also known as a sacred undead potion. The production thereof would require the Everchill Flower from the Arctic, as well as the fruit of the Heart-devouring Tree that grew as deep as 33 levels into the Abyss. Although Lin Li had not seen the two herbs before, he had heard that the Everchill Flower might exist in the Arctic Plains that was located at the north of the Endless Ocean. As for the fruit of the Heart-devouring Tree, 33 levels deep into the Abyss was a place even the mad Osric would not dare to step into.

  However, the effects of the Tribute of Darkness were true to its nature as a sacred undead potion. It was said that anyone who consumed the Tribute of Darkness would instantly be converted to a form of darkness—the closest to a type of primitive magic. Under the form of darkness, one could manipulate the elements of Dark Magic to his d.e.s.i.r.es with perfect control, just like the Reincarnation of Darkness.

  Even if the one to consume the Tribute of Darkness was a mage apprentice below level-5, he would be able to make amazing achievements in the field of Necromagic. Not to exaggerate, he would become the most powerful Necromancer in the world, and reach the Legendary-realm within a decade.

  To Necromancers, the Tribute of Darkness was a dream-like treasure. No Necromancer—not even the powerful Sendros—could resist the temptation of acquiring it. If he were to get his hands on that potion, there was a high chance for him to surpass level-25…

  Of course, the difficulty of making a Tribute of Darkness was equally terrifying.

  The Everchill Flower and the fruit of the Heart-devouring Tree were extremely rare ingredients—even more so than the black lotus. Although Lin Li was well-versed in the field, he had never seen either of them before. He also felt guilty for not having sufficient skills to produce the Tribute of Darkness.

  Among the formulae of all the potions at the Guru-level, the difficulty in creating the Tribute of Darkness was the greatest. There were many Pharmacists who believed that anyone who could produce the Tribute of Darkness would have the skills of a Divine Smith. Although Lin Li knew the steps to create the potion, he knew that his success rate would not exceed 30%…

  "I do not have confidence in making the Tribute of Darkness. Why don't you suggest something else?"

  "I have a lot of time. I can wait for you to reach the Guru-realm, until you have gathered all the materials and have enough confidence…"

  "Why me…?" Lin Li cast a doubtful glance on Sendros. He could not comprehend the stubbornness of the old man. The value of both goods was exactly the same, and it was not what he could produce now. It was as if Sendros had decided to exchange a real Heart of the Fallen for a chance to get the Tribute of Darkness.

  "I have no choice…" Sendros replied smilingly. "You are the Pharmacist with the greatest potential to reach the Guru-realm in the whole of Anril. I can only strike a deal with you if I want the Tribute of Darkness…"

  "Alright, then," agreed Lin Li. Since Sendros had already put his statement across so directly, there was no reason for Lin Li to reject his request. "Oh, yes. How do I integrate the Heart of the Fallen into the soul fire of the Humerus Wyrm?"

  "Let me help you," offered Sendros.

  "I will trouble you, then," replied Lin Li as he took a step back. He saw Sendros open the box gently while reciting a spell in his hoarse voice. He emitted a strong death aura that caused the Humerus Wyrm to glance around before bending over…

  The soul fire of the Humerus Wyrm was like a ball of blue flame at its c.h.e.s.t. Within it was its dragon crystal. Sendros reached his hand to gently pat the Wyrm's head. Then, he took out the black gemstone from the box. When the gemstone hovered above his palm, Lin Li could see very clearly that the Heart of the Fallen was beating like a real heart…

  Lin Li watched the situation quietly. How would a Humerus Wyrm look like if it were to have its own life? Unfortunately, he had not met the Humerus Wyrm Lord at the Shadowglen the other day. Otherwise, it might be like real dragon…

  "Wait a minute…" Lin Li spoke. The thought of the trial battle at the Shadowglen made Lin Li realize something.

  Darn, how did the bastards of the Supreme Council gain the confidence to dump the 24 trial students into a dangerous place like the Shadowglen? It was a place where the three Undead Lords of at least level-25 resided. The three lords had the ability to destroy the earth, let alone the potential deaths they could claim among the 24 students. How different would it be to smash 24 ants?

  Being the representatives of the 24 guilds, more than half of the 24 trial students were already seen as the successors of the respective guild Presidents. In the event of any disastrous happenings, wouldn't the 24 guilds turn the tables against the Supreme Council?

  Not to mention the Teleportation Scrolls…

  As Lin Li had been only level-15 then, he had been totally clueless about the spells above level-20. When the people from the Supreme Council told him that the Teleportation Scroll was a reliable tool, Lin Li could only believe them foolishly. His realization only came when he scaled the Blackstone Mountains and battled the Lich at Scar of Death…

  "Goddammit, I've fallen into their trap the other time…"

  How would the level-20 Lin Li not know that the darn Teleportation Scroll was just a piece of waste paper in the eyes of true Legend powerhouses?

  No matter how reliable the Teleportation Scroll was, it was just a spell that helped to seal a realm. In this world, all magic would be affected by the limitations of laws. Once the laws were forcefully altered, the Teleportation Scroll would become a useless piece of paper. People from the Legendary-realm had too many methods to do just that…

  The thought of it caused Lin Li to break out in a cold sweat.

  "Did the Supreme Council have no better things to do?" Lin Li uttered in rage. Then, he realized something was amiss…

  He had met many people from the Supreme Council. There were Herza, Andoine, and also Apophis—an arbitrator who had been around for 1300 years. Apart from the muddle-headed Andoine, the others were all seasoned old veterans.

  How would the Supreme Council be foolish enough to send the trial students to their deaths in the Shadowglen, and wait for the 24 guilds to turn against them?

  Oh yes, there was also the battle trial in the Aurora Square.

  Lin Li thought he had gotten the answers quite some time ago. He understood that the Death Energy from the Shadowglen had to be an underhand trick to make use of Garat's body. Otherwise, the difference in Garat's abilities would not be that great.

  What followed was even more queries…

  Lin Li had been wondering how the Death Energy descended upon the Aurora Square ever since he met Apophis. It was because that man once said that Alanna Guild of Magic was the first Guild of Magic of Anril, and that its first President was Geresco. Before the man departed Anril, he left his magic staff in Alanna Guild of Magic. Ever since, it had been protecting the guild.

  Alright, even if that Death Energy was from one
of the Undead Lords, it was true that a level-25 Undead Lord would not have the ability to defeat Geresco's magic staff. After all, an Undead Lord was just an Undead creature no matter how almighty it was.

  Geresco was a real divinity!

  Unless, somebody made it descend upon the Aurora Square deliberately…

  Lin Li could sense very vaguely that he had come even closer to the truth. Although what he was guessing might not be entirely correct, he had much confidence in it.

  Oh yes, there was Andoine as well…

  The old man brought himself to the Nightmare Mountains right before the trial at the Shadowglen, where he found that dark red crystal.

  The timeliness is getting suspicious…

  It seems that I have to speak to Mr. Mentor…

  Just when Lin Li was deep in thought, a high-pitched sound reverberated in the air. Lin Li jerked his head up instinctively, and saw the soul fire at the c.h.e.s.t of the Humerus Wyrm had transformed into a beating heart. The thick death aura of the Humerus Wyrm simmered almost instantaneously. What replaced it was a faint sense of solemnity and authority, just as though it was the king of all the beasts. Its majestic posture and demeanor took away the fighting spirit from its enemies. It was just like when Lin Li met Tutankhamun in the forest the other night!

  Apart from that, the two will-o-the-wisp in the eyes of the Humerus Wyrm grew brighter. They were not as void and ominous as before. Lin Li could sense that underlying the flickering was excitement.

  It is alive now…

  The Humerus Wyrm has come alive!

  "Alright, I've paid you the rewards for the Tribute of Darkness in advance."

  "Thank you."

  After thanking Sendros, Lin Li tried to give the Humerus Wyrm an instruction through the summon contract. He realized how different things had become. He did not have to control every action of the Wyrm through the summon contract anymore.

  "Attack those humans!"

  The Humerus Wyrm caught on the vague order almost perfectly. A thunderous dragon cry reverberated as it spread its wings and swooped down above the nest of the Crimson Python. What followed was an overspread of ice flame…

  At once, shrieks sounded outside the nest of the Crimson Python. The ice flame turned most Adventurers into ice statues, wreaking havoc among the people from the two forces. There were shrieks, cries for help, gasps, sound of footsteps, and many other noises. Amidst the chaos, many also injured their allies unknowingly.

  Only the 10 Archmages were still alert. They cast the Levitation Spell and swooped towards the Humerus Wyrm in the sky as soon as the ice flame was cast.

  "Alright, it is our time to shine!" It was natural for the two great forces to put their attention on their battle at hand. At the same time, there were two black figures speeding out from the forest in a distance away, running towards the nest of the Crimson Python.

  Chapter 433 - Mutated Dragon's Tongue

  The shadow of the Humerus Wyrm seemed to turn the entire world gray. Amidst the crazy wind was countless flying debris mixed with fallen leaves. When the blue ice flame came from the sky again, it was as if doomsday had arrived. Despite being level-18, the 10 Archmages from Dark Blade immediately became inferior to the Wyrm. None of them had the ability to battle the Wyrm by himself.

  The gap between level-18 and level-20 was tremendous. It did not allow any chance for mistakes. They had to exert full powers to try to be on par with the Humerus Wyrm.

  If that was the case for the 10 Archmages, the rest of the Adventures naturally fell out of the picture. In such a battle, people below level-15 were like cannon fodder. They would not be able to threaten the Wyrm in the slightest. The only thing they could do was to struggle and call for help while they were attacked by the ice flames…

  The two forces that were still orderly a while ago were plunged into chaos at once. With that, the lightning speed at which Lin Li and Sendros were moving at did not matter anymore. Even if they were to stroll, they would be able to enter the nest of the Crimson Python with ease.

  "The Crimson Python is really dead…" Lin Li commented after he cast the Illuminating Spell and saw the fresh blood on the walls of the cave. He brushed his fingers against it, and held them to his nose. It smelled like the blood of the Crimson Python he'd encountered at Black Clouds Town. From that, he could conclude that there was a high chance that the python in this cave had been attacked.

  Lin Li surveyed the surroundings, but could not find the body of the Crimson Python. He was not surprised. Lin Li knew very well that even the dead the body of the Crimson Python was worth a fortune. Its skin could cost above a hundred million. Being durable and a natural insulator of magic, it would be ideal for it to be sewn into a leather armor. Its two fangs could also be used to enhance magical weapons. If a bit of its venom were to be smudged onto a Bandit's Dagger, the poisoning effect would be more deadly than the toxin of the Salamander…

  Of course, the most important object was still the magical crystal of the Crimson Python. That was a Legendary magical crystal that would excite even a Lich like Ujfalusi. Being a priceless existence in the market, Legendary magical crystals had led many mages to bankruptcy.

  Whoever had killed the Crimson Python—regardless of whether it was the Malfa Family or the Dark Blade—would never let such a massive fortune slide past them.

  However, Lin Li's main goal was not the Crimson Python. While it was great to acquire the body of the python, his eyes were on the ultimate prize—the Dragon's Tongue. In fact, he still did not have the time to tidy up the body of another Crimson Python that he kept frozen in the Tower of Dusk…

  In Lin Li's eyes, the value of a Dragon's Tongue Herb was 10 times greater than that of 10 Crimson Pythons.

  The nest of the Crimson Python was very bizarre. The entrance of the nest was eccentrically narrow, making Lin Li doubt for a moment whether it was a space a huge Crimson Python could be lugged out from. This skepticism decreased when the space of the nest widened as they traveled deeper into the nest. The dimension of the nest was as wide as to house at least 10 Crimson Pythons after Lin Li walked for 700 to 800 meters into the cave. Throughout the journey, he saw many human corpses, and from the consistency of their blood, it seemed like they did not die too long ago.

  "F*ck!" Lin Li gasped when his gaze landed on something other than the human corpses.

  There were 10 human-sized python eggs within a hundred meters of the place where he was standing. However, the sight of the broken shells on the ground caused Lin Li to realize that they had all been intentionally broken by people. The egg whites and yolks were mixed together and emitted a pungent stench.

  "How unfortunate…" Sendros commented in disappointment. The 10 eggs might not be that much of a deal to common people. However, to an Undead Master like Sendros, those eggs had the great potential to hatch Haunted Pythons. The power of 10 Haunted Pythons would certainly not lose to a Humerus Wyrm's. In fact, obtaining the eggs of the Crimson Python to hatch the Haunted Pythons was in Sendros' calculations when he agreed to accompany Lin Li here…

  Unfortunately, the despicable deed done here had eliminated Sendros' hopes.

  "This is weird…" Lin Li said frowningly as he glanced at the broken eggs. Usually, the eggs would be located where the Crimson Python rested. As the growth of the Dragon's Tongue should be activated by their presence, it would only make sense for Lin Li to spot them here. However, despite engaging the Warlock's Eyes, he was unable to locate any traces of the Dragon's Tongue…

  "Are we too late?" Lin Li asked anxiously. That was the first thought that came to his mind. Although there shouldn't be more than 10 Pharmacists who would know the effects of the Dragon's Tongue in the entire Anril, Lin Li could not rule out the possibility that there might be some lucky ones who picked it anyway, thinking it was a normal herb.

  Furthermore, the intense battle earlier claimed more than 100 lives from the two forces. What if they had destroyed the Dragon's Tongue in the process?


  The thought of such possibilities made Lin Li turn pallid.

  "What is it?" Sendros asked in concern. He could sense Lin Li's uneasiness.

  "The Dragon's Tongue might not be here…" said Lin Li. Just as he was about to explain further, he noticed something unusual with the cloudy substances ahead…

  The mixture of egg whites and egg yolks from the 10 broken eggs covered a few dozen meters. At his first glance, Lin Li did not pay much attention to the pythons that died prematurely due to the disastrous scene. However, Lin Li realized very quickly that the spillage that had initially covered a few dozen meters appeared to be smaller in surface area as compared to before.

  At the start, Lin Li thought he had seen it wrong. However, he realized very quickly that the coverage of the sticky substances was decreasing at a speed visible to the n.a.k.e.d eye. It was as though there was a gigantic sponge that was soaking up those substances!

  "Could that mean…" Lin Li gasped. The unusual sight hinted at another possibility…

  The Dragon's Tongue was a very rare herb. Although Lin Li was well-versed in pharmacy and herbalism, he only knew that the growth of the herb had to be enhanced by one female and one male mutated Crimson Python. They would be providing the herb with the energy necessary to grow, and the Dragon's Tongue would only mature after the female Crimson Python laid her eggs. However, he knew nothing about the mechanics behind the phenomenon.

  Hence, when he saw that scene, he could only make wild guesses.

  Could the gigantic sponge be the true form of the Dragon's Tongue Herb?

  It was very easy to ascertain that hypothesis. Lin Li engaged the Warlock's Eyes and flew it above the cloudy mess. What he saw was a Dragon's Tongue with 10 leaves, covered in the mixture of egg white and egg yolk…

  However, the Dragon's Tongue before him seemed to be a little… eccentric. Its 10 leaves were huge and plump, twice the size of the regular Dragon's Tongue's leaves. When covered by the egg mixture, it squirmed like 10 lobes of lungs. What stunned Lin Li was how quickly the cloudy substance got absorbed while the leaves squirmed. A huge patch of substance was absorbed for every breath Lin Li took.