by Zhuang Bifan
"What, 10 level-18 Archmages?" Lin Li jumped. He felt bad for letting Gerian and the team suffer such a long deadlock with the bandits. The powers of 10 level-18 Archmages would not be weaker than any common guild of magic's.
"Yeah, and they are all unfamiliar faces. I presume there are other forces in it as well," said Gerian angrily.
"Other forces…" Lin Li could not understand the link within. The leader of the Syer Bandits, Vanskore, as well as the 300 elites had died long ago. Although the Tower of Dusk had just been established, anyone could see the potential it had. It was like a rising star in the Breezy Plains. Lin Li could not think of any force that had their head slammed on by the door hard enough to assist a organization that had bad reputation and risk enmity with the Tower of Dusk.
"I suspect there to be a cave." Gerian shared his guess.
"Cave?" Lin Li asked doubtfully.
"Forget it, let's not talk about that first…" Gerian said as he took a seat. "Things were still going quite smooth at the beginning. Thanks to you, we located the darn nest of this bunch of rascals easily. It is no wonder that the troops of the castellan of Roland City always fail to eliminate them. Look at this unlucky place that they chose."
Lin Li looked where Gerian was pointing his finger. There was a newly drawn map on the table that was placed in the middle of the tent. The map was rough, and only had a few territories drawn on it. It was mainly the region where the nest of the Syer Bandits was located, as well as the surrounding areas.
"Look at this part…" Gerian stood up and gestured Lin Li over. He pointed on the map with his short and stubby finger. "There is a canyon here, and we predict it is where their kennel is located. They have three lines of defense outside the canyon, which acts as a fortress for the organization. They actually have six ballistae and two catapults on the first line of defense here."
Chapter 476 - Alchemy Colossus
"Come to think of it, although our Tower of Dusk has just been established, we do not have many outstanding mages under us. It is their luck to meet such a generous President like you who does not mind spending money on them. Damn it, I'm jealous of all the magical equipment," Gerian exclaimed enviously as though he saw a child who drank valuable potions like soda drinks…
"Oh, then how are they performing?" Lin Li asked curiously. "No matter how good the equipment is, it ultimately lies with their users. A lamb that is fully donned in armor would never defeat a lion."
The batch of people in the Tower of Dusk was all referred by Basel, and not directly trained or brought up by the organization. Although he had interacted with them for some time, it was not to the extent that he could understand all of their background and personalities.
Speaking of this, Lin Li remembered that Basel still owed him an answer. That mage who resembled a Legendary powerhouse actually requested to join the Tower of Dusk that had just been established. He could not bring himself to believe the credibility of this man. After negotiating with Basel, that man promised to tell Lin Li the truth after two months. Afterwards, the Tower of Dusk had to deal with the mission in the Blackstone Mountains and the leftover bandits from Syer. These commitments had postponed his interaction with Basel.
"I'm going to ask that old man to tell me everything when I return!" Lin Li said with determination. Although he knew Basel had no ill intentions, Lin Li did not feel secure leaving this matter hanging.
"What are you saying? What old man?" Gerian asked curiously as Lin Li spoke to himself.
Lin Li waved his arms. "No, it's nothing. Please continue. How are these people?"
"Hehe. Fella, did you hear how a group of lambs led by a lion could defeat a group of lions led by a lamb? Under my wise leadership, what are those leftovers from the Syer Bandits? I'm not boasting, but as soon as I entered the battle, I put down more than half of the 2,000 men. The rest of them had no choice but to scurry off like rats." This achievement made Gerian beam with pride.
"Oh? So the rest of them were the reason that held you and your lambs here for the next two months?" Lin Li asked as he glanced at Gerian skeptically.
"This…" Gerian's faced dimmed immediately. He smacked his palm on the map in frustration. "Damn it, that is when my luck took a turn…
"Do you know how long it took me to chase them to this canyon? Two days. Not to mention that they split their men between the two lines of defense on the left and right side, even if they had ballistae and catapults on the last line of defense, it would not be much of an obstacle for us. You wouldn't imagine what we met when we got really close to their nest."
"What?" Lin Li asked curiously. He really could not imagine what treasure the leftovers of the Syer Bandits could have.
"The Alchemy Colossus! Do you know? There were four freaking Alchemy Colossuses at least 10 meters tall!" Gerian gestured wildly with his four short and stubby fingers.
Lin Li was shocked by what he heard. How could somebody with alchemy background not know what an Alchemy Colossus was? If the practice of magic was to develop the limits of one's potential, then the practice of alchemy would no doubt lay in maximizing the use of external forces.
Speaking of the Alchemy Colossus, one just had to talk about the extinction of the Goblin race in Anril. The Goblins did not have mighty powers or notable talents in magic, so they had to depend on external forces to survive. In order to make up for their natural shortcomings, the Goblins used their clever and innovative minds to create the Alchemy Colossus, and integrated it with machinery. They paved the way for a short-term magic civilization called Magic Machinery.
When Lin Li was playing this type of game in the Endless World, he once attempted to explore a relics mission of the Goblin City. It was like a duplicate of the humans' steampunk era. The products of Magic Machinery were commonly seen in the Goblin's living environment.
Of course, in a world that believed in the survival of the fittest, the products created were mostly used in wars. They not only had human-sized alchemy puppet warriors, but also many different kinds of alchemy machinery beasts. The most famous battle machine was the Alchemy Colossus mentioned by Gerian.
The extinction of the Goblin race happened before the Dark Age. When the High Elves launched their plans to conquer Anril, the Goblins were exiled to the extreme north for their ugly appearance. They had gone completely extinct after thousands of years. As for the alchemy the Goblins founded, part of it was also passed down to the future generations. Although the High Elves would never admit it, they had indeed employed a lot of technology created by the Goblins when they constructed the Sky Castles.
The Alchemy Colossus was considered a high-end war machinery during the Goblins' era. It was created from the remains of magical beasts and magical metals. Dependent on magical crystals as the source of energy, the numerous Alchemy Arrays were like the soul of the Alchemy Colossus. Apart from employing the Alchemy Colossus to make physical attacks, the Alchemy Array could convert the mana within its magical crystal into different types of spells, and attack the enemies with magic.
The Alchemy Colossuses played a great role in making up for the Goblins' deficiencies. If one were to compare the abilities of mages with an Alchemy Colossus, it could be said that the latter had the ability of an Archmage. During the peak of the Goblins' era, a Titan-level Alchemy Colossus had similar status with the ancient dragons and giant titans. Unfortunately, despite being the founders of Magic Machinery, the Goblins did not have the ability to create many Alchemy Colossuses of the Titan-level. Otherwise, they would not have been eliminated by the High Elves. If a human wished to create a Titan-level Alchemy Colossus, he had to be a Divine Smith.
The greatest strength of humans was the ability to learn. Despite the rapid development of magic civilization, humans did not let the Goblins' advancement in magic machinery be buried in the dust of history. However, due to the great amount of skills that were lost with the fall of the Goblins and High Elves, there was still a difference when humans studied the Alchemy Colossus. One
of the most significant areas was the requirement for the user of the Alchemy Colossus to be at least a Magic Shooter. Yet, in the Goblin's era, the Goblins did not need to learn any magic to use it. The controlling of the Alchemy Colossus was like how any common man could learn to drive a vehicle. Not to exaggerate, even if it was a Titan-level Alchemy Colossus, as long as one got the permission, any Goblin would be able to control it well.
However, human potential in the field of magic was gradually discovered after a few magic tides. As magic became a key focus of human study, magic civilization officially entered a period of rapid development. Hence, the Alchemy Colossus that was easy neither to pilot nor create was gradually given up by humans.
"Oh, yes. I bet you don't know what the Alchemy Colossus is," Gerian said as he thought of Lin Li's experiences, and decided to take on the role of a mentor. "It's no wonder that you don't. Before this, I've only read about and not seen a real Alchemy Colossus. This Alchemy Colossus is actually a—"
"Just like what you said, the Alchemy Colossus is at least 10 meters tall, and has the combat energy of an Archmage. I wonder if you still remember any other specific information. Were there obvious symbols on the Alchemy Colossus, or unique characteristics in the Alchemy Array?" Lin Li interrupted him immediately. He gave no room for Gerian to boast using his knowledge.
"Erm…" Gerian was lost for words. Bastard, do you think you are going to die if you let me show off some of my knowledge?
"I didn't see any markings. As for the Alchemy Array… What characteristic could it have? It was just very messy."
Forget it, it was as good as Gerian remaining silent. Lin Li knew that it would be impossible for a layman like Gerian to spot the patterns within the Alchemy Array. "Forget it, I will go and take a look myself when I have the chance…"
It had been some time since Lin Li arrived in the mainland of Anril, but he had yet to see a real Alchemy Colossus. From the day he transmigrated to the Sunset Mountains and met Andoine, then entered Jarrosus Guild of Magic, and established the Tower of Dusk in the Breezy Plains, he had travelled to many places. But, he had yet to leave the borders of Felan Kingdom.
Although Felan was the first magical kingdom in the mainland of Anril, it did not have many achievements related to the study and use of the Alchemy Array. It could be said that the Alchemy Array had been a forgotten study in Felan Kingdom. The most obvious reason was that it was a kingdom filled with mages, and this made the study of magic orthodox. After all, humans had much greater potential than Goblins in the field of magic. They did not have to forgo the entire study of magic just to work on its details.
The Breezy Plains was located at the borders of Felan Kingdom, while on the other side was Ledin Kingdom. Although Ledin Kingdom was not as developed in magic as Felan Kingdom, it majored in the study of magic, and put no importance on the study of the Alchemy Array. In reality, few people in the entire Anril would want to engage in the study anymore.
"Who would want to study that thing nowadays?" Lin Li understood it very well. The four Alchemy Colossuses the Syer Bandits had were definitely not the relics of the Goblins. It was a fact that the Goblins were not even half the height of humans, and were even diminutive as compared to the Dwarfs that majored in smithing. Hence, humans would never be able to fit in the driver seat of the Alchemy Colossuses that were created by Goblins. Not only that, Lin Li absolutely did not believe there would be anyone in the Syer Bandits who had the ability to modify the Goblin's Alchemy Colossuses to fit a human inside. After all, that was the Alchemy Colossus, and not something the alchemy mechanical beasts or alchemy puppets could be compared to.
"Although many kingdoms in the mainland of Anril prioritized the study of magic, I've heard a particular kingdom that invested a significant amount of energy in the field of Alchemy Array," Gerian said as he stroked his nonexistent beard.
"Is that so? Tell me more," Lin Li replied with interest.
Chapter 477 - Rotterdam's Alchemist
"It is said that the Rotterdam Kingdom is situated in the region where the Goblins had lived. They had discovered a great number of relics from the Goblins' era before." Gerian did not forgo any opportunity to show off his knowledge. His two plump lips did not stop moving. "I heard that Rotterdam Kingdom had always been doing related research into it, and has already succeeded in manufacturing their own Alchemy Colossus and employed it in their military. Wait, does that mean the Rotterdam Kingdom is supporting the Syer Bandits…?"
Gerian was not the only one in disbelief. Although the Syer Bandits was a famous organization in the Breezy Plains, it was a bandit association, after all. Geographically, it made the most sense for Ledin Kingdom to support them if there were to be any intervention from any external force.
"Tell me what you know about Rotterdam Kingdom." Lin Li prompted Gerian. He was really keen to know more about the place. If a kingdom on the mainland of Anril would want to study the Alchemy Colossus, it would be possible for the Syer Bandits to do it as well.
It was rare for Lin Li to have something he did not know of. Gerian forgot the unhappiness he'd felt previously, and continued to splat his saliva with excitement as he started to introduce Rotterdam to Lin Li. "This Rotterdam Kingdom is situated in the north of the mainland, and more than half of its land is covered in snow all year round. Hence, it is called the Land of Eternal Frost. Of course, most of its citizens are living in the southern part of Rotterdam, where it is relatively warmer. On the west of Rotterdam is the Dwarf Kingdom, and I heard that both kingdoms are on very good terms with each other since the Dark Age ended.
"The Rotterdam Kingdom provided many rare resources for the Dwarf Kingdom. This not only included crops, but also magical technology and its products. Similarly, the Dwarf Kingdom helped Rotterdam forge quality weapons and armor, as well as provided them with rare magical minerals. It could be said that the two kingdoms are role models for an establishment of mutually beneficial relationship.
"Speaking of the strength of the Rotterdam Kingdom… Maybe you will not believe it, but according to various estimates, the Rotterdam Kingdom should rank third in power among the countries in the mainland of Anril. Yet, despite having such a formidable strength, Rotterdam had never entered any disputes with the other kingdoms on the mainland ever since the end of Dark Age, and no one knows why. It was as though they had zero interest in the other territories. The only conflict it intervened in was when the Dwarf Kingdom got invaded. The Rotterdam Kingdom sent their troops to the aid, and it was said an Alchemy Colossus was part of the team. But, this is just hearsay, and not from the official historical records."
"Oh? It seems that this Rotterdam Kingdom is really low-key," Lin Li commented casually.
"That's right, low-key is the word. They were low-key to the point that many people from other kingdoms would never hear that there is such a kingdom existing on the mainland." Gerian took a sip of water before ending his speech helplessly. "I only know this much."
Lin Li shook his head after hearing it. To be honest, anyone would be able to acquire such information easily from books. But, according to Gerian's words, the four Alchemy Colossuses from the Syer Bandits might be closely related to the Rotterdam Kingdom. After all, Alchemy Colossuses were considered high-level magic machinery during the Goblins' era. No one could recreate them just by conducting some simple research. The production of an Alchemy Colossus required high-quality machinery and forging techniques, which conditions could be easily met with the relationship between Rotterdam and the Dwarf Kingdom.
Lin Li really could not think of any other kingdom in the mainland of Anril which could create an Alchemy Colossus. He was also extremely curious why Rotterdam would provide aid to the Syer Bandits.
"Forget it, I will make it a point to see the Alchemy Colossus myself. Let's talk about how the battle went. Since the power of the Alchemy Colossus is comparable to an Archmage, I presume that our mages had no trouble dealing with it?" Lin Li stopped thinking about the relationship bet
ween Rotterdam Kingdom and the Alchemy Colossus, and directed his attention to the team's battle information.
"Hmph, it'd be good if there were only four Alchemy Colossuses. That big guy was so dumb. As long as we strategize, they would be done for. After I brought the men for a temporary retreat, I managed to lure them into a trap. But, just when I was about to smash those big guys, 10 freaking level-18 Archmages appeared out of nowhere. Goddammit, if I had had such a force, I would have swept Jarrosus clean," Gerian said affectedly. If he had had 10 Archmages, how would he have let the Shadow's Nest attack his Jarrosus? Being a guild President, the fact that his guild was always looked down on just because of its geographical location made Gerian very embarrassed.
"What? There were 10 level-18 Archmages?" Lin Li exclaimed in shock. Although Gerian was standing in front of him as a breathing man, Lin Li could not help but feel concerned for him.
Not to mention a broken guild like in Jarrosus, few strong guilds of magic or families in the whole Felan Kingdom would have the ability to defeat 10 level-18 Archmages. If Lin Li had not been generous in equipping his mages with all the armor and weapons, they would have been blasted into pieces by those Archmages.
"I've confronted them many times enough to be sure that I've seen them correctly. Do you think it was easy for me to hold up the four Alchemy Colossuses and 10 Archmages?" Gerian said with lingering fear. The opponents felt like 14 Archmages, after all.
"So you had many exchanges with them? How was the casualty rate? Why didn't you retreat?" Lin Li asked doubtfully. Since they had a great difference in power, why did Gerian choose to stay? He knew Gerian was not a rigid person.
