by Zhuang Bifan
"In the end, that Felic got his hands on all of Geresco's relics, and I have gotten the strength from the Lord of Souls. But, I'm really curious whether the acquisition of Geresco's relics would mean that he has already acquired the method to reach the Sanctuary-realm…" Stephen remarked reflectively. He was immersed in the force of the Lord of Souls assimilating into him.
"That's enough, Stephen!" His father snapped. "Remember what I tell you. No matter how reluctant you were to apologize to Felic, we need him to maintain a neutral stance. I forbid you from provoking him before we get our hands on Immortal King's treasures. This is an order!"
"But, Father!" Stephen retorted. He had not expected that his proud and voluminous speech would not change his father's decision. Despite knowing that he was about to reach the Legendary-realm, his father was still insisting that he refrain from provoking that Felic. Why did he have to be cautious about another Legendary-mage?
Unfortunately, Borg gave Stephen no chance of rebutting. After reminding him with a very grave and serious expression, he dismissed Stephen from his tent.
…
After making some adjustments to their team, the two adventuring teams gathered the very next day. A stronger troop advanced towards the Haiga Mountain Range. Of course, to prevent any unnecessary conflicts, the two teams were still in their respective cl.u.s.ters.
Cheyenne referred to Osric's notes as he led these two teams to avoid some troublesome regions. Although the journey was a little tedious, it did not hinder their speed. The day went by very smoothly. Although they frequently encountered magical beasts above level-10, the hundreds of powerhouses above level-15 managed to go unhindered by them.
However, Osric's adventure diary was not all-encompassing. It would be too ideal to hope for a smooth-sailing path in the Haiga Mountain Range. Despite making the effort to avoid possible Legendary beasts, the team was obstructed by a group of powerful magical beasts.
The adventurers had grown complacent due to the smooth-sailing journey earlier on. However, the elites above level-15 grew alert as they saw numerous magical beasts flying out of the forest. The mages in the team cast defensive spells on themselves and their teammates. It was as though the entire team were protected under the shield.
The numerous spells erupted above them. Despite their timely defense, the sudden attack launched by the beasts resulted in a few injuries. The team stopped in their tracks; no one cared to admire the magnificent fireworks blasting on top of their heads. There were specialists who attended to the injured men, while the others stood on standby to deal with the magical beasts.
The magical beasts which launched the sneak attack did not let the men wait for a very long time. Heart-wrenching howls echoed through the forest as the beasts left their hiding place and confronted the team directly. It was unlike their previous encounters. There were at least 40 beasts, and none of them were below level-18.
Although there were close to 400 men who were all above level-15, and some at level-18, it did not mean that they would have an advantage over the group of powerful beasts. Compared to the innately intrepid magical beasts, humans would be at a disadvantage.
Chapter 586 - Water-wading
Hence, even if the team of adventurers could gain the upper hand, their capability was still very limited. It would be impossible for them to destroy the bunch of magical beasts without paying a huge price. The price would be bloodshed and their lives. That was something the Legendary leaders did not wish to see happen.
The leaders brought subordinates to the Haiga Mountain Range to get them to help, and not to make them sacrifice their lives. They were all their elites, and none of them wished for there to be major losses. Hence, at this point, the several Legendary leaders could no longer stay idle. They had to hurry up and tackle the magical beasts based on the energy fluctuations before the beasts caused any lethal damage. They quickly left the team and stepped forth.
They were not worried about the effects that would be brought upon their team if they were unable to give orders. In fact, they'd already become spiritual symbols in their respective forces at this point. Hence, they would rarely waste their energy on miscellaneous issues which would be left to the professionals to handle.
The action taken by the Legendary leaders caused a huge fanfare amongst the crowd; even if they already possessed power that was beyond level-15, the Legendary leaders were still godly to them. The pressure brought by the 40-odd magical beasts no longer seemed so oppressive and suffocating, because the subordinates knew that their Legendary leaders were definitely able to solve all problems at hand. Hence, all they had to do now was to perform their obligations and duties.
At the same time, a fierce and menacing magical beast had already invaded the team, and the initially close-knit adventurer team seemed to have dissipated like a bubble that burst upon being touched. However, they were not really disintegrating, but were merely dispersing and regrouping into smaller teams to attack the magical beasts. After all, they were adventurers who were much more used to using this method rather than the formations of military to defend against the enemy.
A Warrior who held a strong shield bashed a magical beast with it in order to get its attention. The supporting magic also gave the Warrior a multicolored halo. An agile swordsman walked around the magical beast flexibly, and stabbed it with his sharp sword, causing it to bleed severely from its wound. A Bandit suddenly appeared behind the magical beast, and then pierced it with a poisonous dagger, and the deadly toxin quickly penetrated into its body.
A level-18 magical beast was absolutely terrifying, and the differences in level could not be compensated for or negated by numerical advantage most of the time. After all, there were only a few people who could really attack a magical beast. The level-18 magical beasts often had strong bodies, immeasurable power, and formidable capacity for magic. Hence, it would usually be impossible for an army of people to battle and destroy a level-18 magical beast.
Everyone knew that two level-15 combatants wouldn't make a level-16 one. Hence, everyone decided to cooperate and place more emphasis on devising tactics using their brains. They wanted to achieve the effects of increasing their power through meticulous cooperation and teamwork.
Since the day when human beings were created, humans knew that they were inherently weak, and that they had to cooperate with each other in order to survive. The various processes of life, be it during the hunting of prey or protecting themselves from foreign enemies, were opportunities for humans to continue honing their cooperative skills.
However, it still required a large amount of time for humans to develop seamless cooperation, even if they had the teachings and battle tactics that had been passed down from their forefathers. They had to train and improve through countless battles and fights. More importantly, they had to trust their allies and comrades unconditionally, and be assured that they would have each other's back.
Although the strong were still at the top of the hierarchy in today's world, people usually worshiped individuals who were stronger, and were more focused on personal strength. Many idolized Geresco and aspired to be like him. However, they had all forgotten that even Geresco who was known as the God of Mages needed the help of his comrades during the war to overthrow the rule of the High Elves.
Unconditional trust in one's comrades seemed to be a far-fetched idea in a pragmatic world where interests and profits came first. No one dared to guarantee that they wouldn't be stabbed in the back by their comrade after giving them their complete trust. Interests could come in many forms, be it treasures, magical crystals, or gold coins.
If there was no trust among comrades, it would be impossible to achieve victory regardless of how superb their battle tactics might be. The so-called tacit understanding was actually established on the basis of trust. Without trust, nothing would work.
That was particularly evident in the Malfa Family's team of adventurers. Although the Malfa Family mobilized more than 60 mages who belonge
d to their own family, the hundred-odd adventurers were all recruited recently. These adventurers might not have known each other before, or perhaps only heard of each other's names. However, they were definitely experienced adventurers since they could advance to level-15 and above. They were all familiar with various coordination tactics, but because of the lack of trust amongst them, they could not work with each other that all.
The Dark Blade was undoubtedly the strongest team amongst all; it was a fact that even Cheyenne could not deny. It wasn't just because they had a larger number of people, but because they could really trust each other, and had built a tacit understanding which allowed them to maximize their strength.
The Dark Blade did not seem to hesitate at all despite being faced with the crazy attack of the magical beasts. They quickly divided into smaller teams, each composed of a fixed number of people. Among them, there were various occupational combinations which would besiege a magical beast. That was the classic method of hunting and killing magical beasts.
Actually, it was understandable. The old den of the Dark Blade was in the periphery of the Haiga Mountain Range. Although hunting for magical beasts had not been an important source of income for the Dark Blade, it had already become a tradition over the years. The elites had plenty of actual combat experience too. Each small team worked for many years to develop the seamless teamwork and trust they now had.
The battle going on in the battlefield was extremely intense, with the sounds of explosions, the roars of magical beasts, and the hollering of warriors everywhere. In fact, it was just as intense as a war between two countries. However, the battles of the Legendary masters going on not too far away from them were much more peaceful compared to this. Although they were all facing two or three menacing magical beasts each, they could still cope with them effortlessly.
However, Lin Li, who was also a Legendary figure, showed no intention to attack. He stood on top of a huge tree, and watched the battle that was going on in the battlefield which was full of the various teams. He seemed to be searching for a target, but did not look like he was going to make a move. The Vampire Norfeller was right next to him. Although he was holding onto his dagger that was placed near his waist, he dared not do anything without Lin Li's permission.
"It's almost time. You may go," Lin Li, who scanned the battlefield for a long time, said to Norfeller calmly without even turning around. Norfeller bent forward slightly, and immediately darted towards the battlefield.
Although he was an Undead creature, Norfeller's advancement was extremely slow, just like for other Vampires. However, his abilities increased rapidly, and he was in fact already physically at level-19 even though he had yet to reach the Legendary-level.
On the battlefield, the Dark Blade's small team was in the midst of surrounding a magical beast which was covered in blood. It no longer looked as menacing as it had been when it first appeared, even though it still had a crazy look in its eyes. However, as it'd lost an excessive amount of blood, and the toxins began to affect it, its movements became extremely restricted.
When a swordsman of the Dark Blade was about to stab the c.h.e.s.t of the magical beast, a dark shadow bolted into the team like lightning. He then heard the magical beast roaring loudly before growing silent again.
When the magical beast roared, everyone thought that the dark shadow was there to help them, although they were already almost going to defeat the magical beast. However, they still had to acknowledge the good intentions. When the magical beast's corpse appeared in front of them, they were immediately infuriated. There was a huge hole that was pierced through the magical beast's body, and the magical crystal that was supposed to be inside it had already gone missing. Clearly, the dark shadow was there to take advantage of them.
Lin Li was still standing on top of the tree, feeling pleased with Norfeller's actions. It was no wonder that Norfeller was his sworn servant1, for he could totally read Lin Li's mind.
Borg was not too far away from the battlefield, and was currently fighting two Gryphons. Although the Magical Domains of the Legendary-mages were formidable, it was not easy to maneuver them. In order to ensure that he had enough mental strength to deal with the possible changes after arriving in the ruins of Titans, he had no choice but to use these two conventional ways to teach the two Gryphons a lesson.
Although the Gryphons in the Royal Knights army were domesticated, they were still difficult to deal with. Compared to wild Gryphons, though, the domesticated ones were like tigers without teeth, and could only be used to scare timid enemies. The wild level-18 Gryphons were much more difficult to deal with than other Gryphons of the same level.
Borg had been carefully observing Lin Li's actions in a bid to see if the young Legendary-mage was as formidable as the rumors made him to be. However, he almost fell from the sky after witnessing that sight, and he cursed in his head furiously. Damn it, this Felic is really as shameless as he's rumored to be. Forget it if you sat back and did nothing while everyone else was fighting their guts out, yet you actually took advantage in the end?? At the end of the day, you're still a fellow Legendary-realm powerhouse. Could you behave like one? Remember that they have that blood oath thingy going on.
Chapter 587 - Thunder Valiant Beast
At this moment, Lin Li suddenly raised his head and looked up at the sky, only to sense a strong aura rushing towards the battlefield. In the blink of an eye, a small black spot in the distance quickly enlarged, and a menacing face appeared in front of him. The figure had a cat-like face and wings that spanned more than 10 meters. It was covered in black feathers with metallic l.u.s.ter, and had a pair of paws with sharp claws that were like sickles. Electrical arcs coiled around its body, producing snapping sounds.
Lin Li had arrived in this world for a long time, and he could immediately tell that it was a Thunder Valiant Beast which definitely possessed level-19 powers.
It was said that such beasts loved bathing in lightning, and could also transform their energy into their own. The people of Anril found lightning to be extremely powerful, and they saw it as a punishment of the gods, yet Thunder Valiant Beast could soak in it and absorb the power of the gods. It was no longer a matter of strength. Hence, in many ancient tribes, Thunder Valiant Beast was termed as a divine bird and the pet of heavens.
Of course, the mages were not that afraid of or respectful towards the gods, because the magic that they had developed and studied was already touching the divine realm. However, they did respect the power of the gods, and firmly believed that they could reach the same level, or perhaps even surpass them. In the eyes of religious followers, they were disrespecting the gods and showing their contempt. However, it was just an expression of their respect.
The so-called heavenly birds like Thunder Valiant Beast were nothing more than magical beasts that manipulated lightning. Thunderbolts came from the sky; hence, people tended to associate them with the gods. Although Lin Li had transmigrated to Anril, he still knew that gods did exist in this world, though there was a huge difference between such a god and those that were omnipresent and omnipotent.
Thunder Valiant Beast was level-19, and had the most powerful lightning force. Since the four other Legendary masters could barely cope with it, Lin Li knew that he had to do something. Most importantly, it wasn't appropriate for him to vie with the four other Legendary masters for the magical crystals while they were fighting off the magical beasts. Norfeller did not have that power, either. If someone were to nab the Thunder Valiant Beast, wouldn't he be unable to get the level-19 magical crystal?
On the battlefield under the tree, Norfeller resolutely carried out Lin Li's instructions. He only launched a lethal attack when the magical beast was almost destroyed, killing it with a single shot, and taking the magic crystal away. Lin Li was very satisfied with his subordinate's performance. They were all in cooperation anyway. The wealthy and established Malfa Family and Dark Blade wouldn't care about these magical crystals, would they? Lin Li looked u
p at Thunder Valiant Beast that was in the sky, slowly levitated upwards, whipped out the Helios' Scepter, and flew towards Thunder Valiant.
The appearance of the Thunder Valiant Beast had long caught everyone's attention, and plenty of people knew how powerful it was. The people surrounding level-18 magical beasts were already finding it tough to manage killing them. If the Thunder Valiant Beast were to join the fight, it would only make matters worse, and the magical beasts would have a strong member added to their force. The dynamics of the battle would probably change immediately, and casualties would be inevitable.
However, everyone felt relieved when Lin Li launched his attack. Regardless of how young he might be, he was still an actual Legendary-mage. Even if he couldn't get rid of the Thunder Valiant Beast immediately, he could at least buy some time until the masters returned.
Compared with the other two Legendary-mages, Lin Li was much more domineering, and he managed to shield himself entirely with his Magical Domain with the wave of Helios' Scepter. He then charged towards the Thunder Valiant Beast. He had an insane amount of mental strength to begin with, and on top of that, he had the Evil Eye Tyrant to give him additional strength at all times. The mental strength that he now possessed was beyond imaginable, and the release of an ice Magical Domain did not cost him much at all.
"Young man!" Borg was rather relieved to see that Lin Li had launched his attack, but as soon as he saw Lin Li exhibiting his Magical Domain, he thought to himself, Well, this young Legendary-mage is only 20 years old, after all. He still doesn't consider everything carefully before acting. But that's okay. I know he's in an alliance with Cheyenne, and the more he contributes, the weaker the alliance would be. That would be great for our Dark Blade too.
Likewise, Cheyenne had also noticed the battle in the sky. He shared the same thoughts as Borg, but he was much more worried and full of complaints. He didn't think there was anything wrong with Lin Li refusing to launch an attack, because he felt that the Dark Blade ought to waste more of their resources and contribute more since they were stronger. However, they'd now lost another portion of power because Lin Li had resorted to using his Magical Domain before even finding the balance.
