by Zhuang Bifan
The three parties shared the information they had. Although all of them held something back, they had at least gained a rough understanding of the ruins of the Titans. All this information also showed the necessity of collaboration. Lin Li felt quite pleased with how it'd all progressed. It had been the right move for him to share the treasure map with the Malfa Family earlier. Although it was a surprise that the Dark Blade had joined in, it was a pleasant surprise.
After sharing the information with one another, two parties started to analyze and plan their teams—not three, since Lin Li had only brought Norfeller along, unlike the other two factions which had mobilized almost all of their elites.
There was nothing left to discuss after this. The Malfa Family and the Dark Blade were old enemies to begin with, so Cheyenne had no interest in remaining here, and left. Lin Li knew very well that he could only ally with Cheyenne in order to maintain an equilibrium between the three parties. Hence, he refused Borg's invitation, and left the tent with Cheyenne.
Lin Li and Cheyenne left the Dark Blade's territory with Borg sending them off. Neither of them spoke, and they slowly walked towards the Malfa Family's camp.
After they had walked very far from the Dark Blade's campsite, Cheyenne peered at Lin Li, and saw that his expression was still calm. He then felt a little relieved. After all, it was the Malfa Family's fault for leaking out the treasure map. Moreover, he mentioned the adventure diary just now. If it had been any other youth, he would have been rather displeased with all that.
Cheyenne didn't feel guilty, though. After all, the so-called alliance was just two parties with similar interests. Without common interests as the linkage, there wouldn't be any alliance at all. As long as there was common interest, even the two old enemies—the Malfa Family and the Dark Blade—could stand together, let alone someone you concealed things from.
"Master Felic, what do you think about the ruins of the Titans that Borg talked about?" Cheyenne didn't mention the information he had, but rather talked about Borg's information. Other than asking about Lin Li's opinion, he more importantly wanted to test Lin Li's attitude toward the alliance. In Cheyenne's eyes, the young Legendary-mage was still just a youth who was just 20 years old.
"The Darkness Shrine is one of the oldest factions now, so it's normal for them to find that information. I believe they know more than what they have told us." With tacit understanding, Lin Li didn't mention the fact that Cheyenne had hidden Osric's adventure diary from him, and confirmed the Dark Blade's source of information.
To outsiders, the Darkness Shrine had only been established at the end of the Dark Age, although it had a long history. However, Lin Li knew from Sendros that the Darkness Shrine came from the ancient Eternal Shrine. Hence, Lin Li didn't doubt the accuracy of the Dark Blade's information, and was certain that they knew more than this.
Cheyenne looked solemn, and agreed with Lin Li. He didn't feel at all good that matters weren't under his control anymore. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "The Dark Blade is determined to get the ruins of the Titans judging from all the elites they have gathered for the expedition. What they have hidden is certainly not that simple."
"The ruins of the Titans had been through the hands of the Immortal King and Geresco before. What the Dark Blade knows is also not all to it. If they want to suppress us with this, they are thinking too simply." Lin Li wasn't arrogant; otherwise, he wouldn't emphasize his alliance with Cheyenne. Besides eliminating Cheyenne's doubts about the information, Lin Li also had his reason for appearing to be so confident.
Upon hearing Lin Li say "us" again, Cheyenne felt much more at ease. He knew that this young Legendary-mage certainly had some killer information judging from his confidence, although he didn't say it specifically.
While Lin Li and Cheyenne had gone back to the Malfa Family's camp, the three chiefs of the Dark Blade returned to the tent. According to the information they had just gotten, they needed to reassess their two collaborators, especially that young Legendary-mage.
Actually, Borg and the other two Legendary chiefs hadn't deemed Lin Li someone important back when they had invited him, and hadn't put him on an equal level as a collaborator. In their eyes, Lin Li was indeed a genius one could only find one in a thousand years. After all, the only other Legendary-mage who had reached Legendary-realm at the age of 20-plus was Geresco. However, personal abilities weren't so important in the exploration of the ruins of the Titans. They even hadn't expected to hear anything useful from this young Legendary-mage.
Chapter 584 - The Crucial Neutral Stance
Yet, the moment Lin Li spoke about the seventh Sky Castle, Borg and the others could not help but look at this young Legendary-mage differently. It was their first time treating him as an equal.
"This fella is really sly. Come to think of it, he had never said anything useful." That was Baldela. He scratched the puff of golden hair on top of his head as he tried to recall the information he heard Lin Li say earlier. That was when he realized that the young Legendary-mage was only saying that there were still things in the ancient ruins.
On the other hand, the Legendary Bandit Lansdale was still as calm as ever. "So what? As long as the ruins are not empty, it would depend on our ability," said Lansdale unaffectedly.
"I didn't expect Cheyenne to find Osric's notes about his adventures. It would really help us in the future. I believe that he would not risk the life of his descendants."
Borg was very satisfied with the discussion among the three parties. Osric's notes, in particular, interested him the most. That was the item that would minimize his losses. Furthermore, he believed that Cheyenne did not have any tricks up his sleeves. After all, there were a lot of disciples from Malfa Family in his adventurer team.
"Do you think the sky castle that that fella was talking about would still be in the ruins? I know that sky castles are able to enter the void. Hence, there might be a chance for the sky castle to be hidden there, no?" Baldela made a casual guess.
"Even if there is, do you think he would do anything about the sky castle at such a time? But, I am certain that he is aware of the treasure hidden there." Borg sighed. He thought about his useless son. If not for his son's lack of capability, Geresco's relics would have been in his hands now. The key to the sky castle could be an important clue to the sky castle. No one would reject the ability to take control over a sky castle. That was a great temptation even to Legendary powerhouses.
"It is fine if he decides to keep that a secret. He would never know what we have with us. He is not the one who can determine who should have the treasure."
He could not help but worry for his incompetent son whenever he had to work with the other two men. How could the father not know his son's personality? Borg knew that this son did not tell him everything that had happened in the Blackstone Mountains.
After returning to his tent, he called for Stephen immediately. He needed to know his opponent better.
Stephen arrived very quickly. He was still indignant after his father's order to apologize to Felic. Although he did not dare to oppose his father directly, he could not help but feel resentful.
To be honest, Stephen was extremely confident that he would be able to let Lin Li pay for the embarrassment he'd experienced in the Blackstone Mountains immediately. Having the three Legendary powerhouses and the numerous elites with the Dark Blade, Stephen was deeply convinced that Cheyenne from the Malfa Family would have to bow his head low to him. How could that be comparable to the darn Felic who had just entered the Legendary-realm? Despite hearing the recent news of him defeating a level-22 elven Legendary-mage in Roland City, Stephen was still certain that Felic would not be able to challenge the present Dark Blade.
Stephen absolutely had not expected his father's order for him to apologize to Felic.
He was like a child who'd eagerly anticipated a candy, but received a tight slap instead. The difference was stark. It would only be normal for him to cry and w.h.i.n.e on the
ground…
How could Borg not understand Stephen's thoughts? Borg laughed at the sight of his son's expression. "What, are you still angry with me?"
"Nope…"
"Hehe…" Borg laughed gently at his son's stubbornness. A fool would have recognized Stephen's indignant tone. Borg did not treat Stephen like how he usually treated others. Instead of smacking the table angrily, Borg would prefer to educate his son gently.
After all, Stephen was one of the best magic talents in the Breezy Plains, having the ability above level-18 despite being in his 20s. His craft had improved drastically after his trip to the Blackstone Mountains as well. Borg was confident that his son would reach the Legendary-realm within two years.
How could Borg bear to punish or scold such a son?
If there had to be something that Borg was unsatisfied with, it would be Stephen's young age and the strong protectiveness he had been getting from the three Legendary powerhouses. Borg believed that it had to be Stephen's lack of experience that had caused him to take things for granted and be so self-centered.
It was the same this time…
"Hey, you really have too little experience. How could you not know that a slight loss would never matter to people like us? So what if you apologize? Look, who knows if he'd be apologizing to you tomorrow?"
"But, Father…" Stephen felt secretly relieved when he realized that his father had no intention of reprimanding him. After slight hesitation, he said, "The Dark Blade had already acquired enough clues regarding the Immortal King's treasures. I am confident that the family alone would have 50% chance of locating them ourselves. Why should we share everything with the Malfa Family and… and Felic…?
"You think that this is called sharing?" Borg paused, and suddenly laughed. "Hehe, why don't you see it like an exploitation?"
"Exploitation?"
Borg did not elaborate further. "Stephen, who do you think is more powerful: the Dark Blade or Malfa Family?" asked Borg abruptly.
"It's the Dark Blade, of course! Look at who is in our team! I am certain that we would only take half a day to wipe out the whole Malfa Family if we were to have a battle here."
"Then, who do you think is stronger: me and your two uncles, or Cheyenne and that Felic?"
"Isn't the answer obvious? It has to be you and my two uncles! Cheyenne has just reached level-21, and Felic is definitely nothing. I saw him reach level-20 in the Breezy Plains with my very own eyes. I am sure that he would never be able to reach level-21 no matter how talented he is, or how much effort he put in. I bet the recent rumors about him defeating a level-22 elven mage are fake. If not, it had to be Felic playing tricks behind the scenes."
"So, you are saying that the Dark Blade has to be the strongest force?"
"Of course."
"Then what are you worrying about? We have absolute power in our hands. Why would it matter if we were to join forces with them? Even if we were to find Immortal King's treasures, the power to allocate them ultimately lies with us.
"Furthermore, it is time to put an end to the conflict between the Dark Blade and the Malfa Family…"
Stephen gasped. "Y-you mean… We can use this chance to get rid of Cheyenne?"
It could be said that the Malfa Family and the Dark Blade were one of the most infamous pairs of enemies in the Breezy Plains. Although the conflict had been around for only a century, they suffered great losses from every battle they had fought. Having invested greatly into each of those battles, they had already become a significant burden to each other. If they did not shrug each other off, they would never rise to be as powerful as the almighty Glittergold Trade Union.
However, neither the Malfa Family nor the Dark Blade got to get rid of each other in the last century. For the Malfa Family, their weakness was a lack of power. Just in terms of Legendary powerhouses alone, the Malfa Family only had one to deal with the three in the Dark Blade. It would not be easy for the one Legendary-mage to protect himself. How could the Malfa Family even uproot the Dark Blade?
At the same time, the Dark Blade was geographically at disadvantage in Aminya. While they had been invading Aminya countless times, they had never been a real treat to the Malfa Family. Although the Dark Blade had had plans to assassinate Cheyenne, the sly Cheyenne had never given the three Legendary powerhouses from the Dark Blade a chance to confront him. This explained why the Dark Blade could never shrug off the burdensome Malfa Family that only had one Legendary-mage.
"Yeah, I've been plotting with your two uncles for this opportunity since forever. We would be able to clear this mess in 10 minutes."
"That's awesome…"
"Hence, Stephen, this is why I wanted you to apologize to that Felic. Our partnership does not only concern the Immortal King's treasures, but also the development of the Dark Blade in the future decades and centuries. If we don't get rid of the Malfa Family, the Dark Blade will be trapped in Aminya forever, and would never flourish like the Glittergold Trade Union… In order to prevent any mishaps, we have to ensure that that Felic remains neutral in the conflict between the two forces. A superficial neutrality would be good enough…"
Chapter 585 - Stephen's Limits
"But…" Stephen spoke hesitantly. Then, he could not help but feel indignant again. "But Father, I don't think there is a need to do that!"
"Is that so? Tell me your reasons."
"Just like what you said earlier, we have an absolute advantage when it comes to ability. As long as we have the chance, it is not difficult for you and the uncles to get rid of Cheyenne. You have reached level-21 a few decades ago, while Felic has only reached the realm recently. He has no right to interfere in your battle," explained Stephen. "Furthermore, I think you might have forgotten what I had gotten from the Lord of Souls in the Abyss of Tharlen…" Stephen added on softly, as if with the determination to convince Borg.
"You mean…" Borg replied restlessly. A gleam appeared out of all his wrinkles.
"That's right, Father. The Lord of Souls has died. I can feel that each of his soul fragments has vanished from this world. But, the force he left in my body…" Stephen's voice became soft and hoarse, like that of a man who had just got drunk. "But the force it left in my body is boiling. As long as I'm given enough time to assimilate them, I will become the fourth Legendary powerhouse of the Dark Blade—"
Before Stephen could finish speaking, Borg sprang from his seat. He grabbed Stephen's shoulders and sent a wave of mana into his body. As time trickled by, his astonishment turned into relief and joy.
"It's true… Really… This is great… Really great…" As an experienced Legendary powerhouse who had reached level-21 a few decades ago, how could he not be able to sense that his son was indeed close to the boundaries of the Legendary realm, and had a strong wave of force within him?
This force was constantly assimilating into his body like an ice mountain in a lake. Initially, it had been a lofty structure that stood unrelated to the lake. However, as time passed, the ice mountain melted. Stephen would reach the Legendary-realm once the ice mountain turned into part of the lake.
"If everything goes well, I have the confidence to finish assimilating the Spiritual Force of the Lord of Souls. When that time comes, we'll have no need for his neutral stance."
"Yeah." Borg nodded, and did not continue the conversation. He was caught up in his thoughts.
"Oh, yes. Stephen. I have never gotten to ask you about your experience in the Abyss," Borg remarked abruptly after a period of 10 minutes.
"After we entered the Abyss, we met a group of winged demons. According to that Felic, they were the Azteks…" replied Stephen slowly as he tried to recall his time in the Abyss.
"What? You are saying that a group of Azteks launched the live bombs together? H-how did you manage to stay alive…?" The level-21 Legendary-mage gasped. Stephen had never mentioned his experience in the Abyss after his return. Despite being his father, it was the first time Borg heard about his son's experience.
B
org did not expect himself to be unable to contain his subsequent expressions of shock…
"Three Rainbow Manticore Kings? Did they share the same soul like the legends claimed?!
"Do you still remember what spell Felic cast? How could he use one streak of light to counter the Dark Decay? The Dark Decay is a spell with a standard that is the closest to the magical domain. According to your account, wasn't Felic a level-19 mage at the point of time? Could it be that he had some magical equipment that allowed him to use a magical domain?
"This is outrageous! Are you saying that the magical domain Felic cast was not only a snowy sky, but also strange creatures with black and white wings…? Were they summoned by the laws of light and darkness?"
Borg's easiness from earlier had vanished. He turned paler with each experience Stephen shared with him. There was no sign of redness on his countenance.
Borg was not Stephen. As a level-21 Legendary-mage, his knowledge and experience were not something a young man like Stephen could match up to. Although the account of the story was filled with Stephen's biased conjectures, as well as silly and egoistic remarks, Borg managed to piece these fragments together, which brought him closer to the truth.
Borg would have known the implications of live bombs launched by a dozen Azteks. It would even be more impossible that he would be unaware of how scary the Rainbow Manticore Kings were for their ability to share the same soul. As for what it meant for a man to have the power to cast spells from the three types of magical domains… A child would have a clear understanding of it as well.
After hearing about Stephen's encounters, Borg could not help but admit Felic's potential to be beyond imagination.
There was a high possibility for the news of the battle in Roland City to be true; Felic really defeated a level-22 elven mage…