by Zhuang Bifan
However, after sensing carefully, Lin Li opened his eyes; the soul fire behind the silver-armored knight's faceplate seemed to be no different from that of the Death Knight. The only difference was that it was much stronger. After all, a level-22 silver-armored knight could be considered a Retribution Knight.
Since the soul fires were the same, could the problem be with the skeleton? Lin Li lifted the armor of the silver-armored knight again, cut off a piece of bone from the end of the rib, and then placed some experimental equipment in the open space beside the knight. He then began to analyze the composition of the piece of bone.
After trying various methods, Lin Li discovered a strange phenomenon. The piece of golden bone was resistant to flames, and purification by light was not only ineffective, but also absorbed by the bone. Obviously, it was not a simple bone; Osric had clearly added plenty of things into it.
Lin Li touched his chin, put away all the experimental equipment on the ground, and then activated his own Magical Domain. However, this time, he decided to use the Power of Light to create a Light Domain to engulf the silver-armored knight.
Soon, Lin Li discovered that the power of the silver-armored knight had been greatly improved in the Light Domain, and even had a tendency to hit level-23. That showed that the silver-armored knights were resistant to the outside world, or rather that the Power of Light that the silver-armored knights possessed should conform to the basic nomological power of Anril.
It seems that the main problem is indeed in the body of the silver-armored knights, and not creating a microcosm to re-enact the Laws like the Immortal King planned. In general, Death Knights did not have strong bodies, and their strength actually came from soul fire and the use of Death Energy. The bones of the silver-armored knight had turned golden, and they seemed to have high resistance to magic. They could even absorb Power of Light.
However, Lin Li could not come up with a method of creation for a Death Knight that could use Divine Power without the rules of the microcosm. There was no longer an answer that could be obtained by research alone. It seemed that the Eternal Furnace had to be restored before he could find the real creation method.
Lin Li put away the silver-armored knight and returned to the place where the team rested. He gave Andoine a brief explanation, and then began to meditate while waiting for sunrise.
The night passed quickly, and the team was ready to go at dawn. Just like the night before, they split up into two teams. Aldwin had no choice but to sigh secretly. For the sake of a smooth exploration, he could only try his best to tolerate it.
The team passed through the ruined square and arrived at the gate again. Standing on the steps in front of the gate, Rosen took a quick glimpse at everyone. Ever since the conflict that happened yesterday, the relationship between Rosen and Lin Li was no longer reconcilable. Hence, when Rosen looked at Lin Li, he did not hide his hatred and disdain at all.
"Next, we are going to enter the central area of the mausoleum, which is the burial place of Highlord Osric. However, I hope that no one will take this lightly and think that there will be no more danger here. The dangers that might exist in here far exceed the imagination of each of you." Rosen turned to look at the mages below the stairs, and the solemn look on his face was restored.
Andoine also looked much more dignified and solemn at this moment. He said in a low voice, "Back then, the Highlord Osric had three powerful warriors: Amatir, Angelano, and Eminos. I believe everyone is familiar with these three executioners. According to the data from our research, the disappearance of these three executioners occurred almost at the same time as the death of Osric. It is said that that happened for the purpose of protecting Osric after he was buried here. If the legend is true, then their current strength is probably close to the Sanctuary-realm."
After hearing Andoine's words, the mages under the steps could not help but gasp in shock. Amatir, Angelano, and Eminos were significant figures in the history of the Dark Age. As Osric's most loyal warriors, the three High Elves had killed plenty of people, and even once killed all of the creatures on a certain floor of the Sky Castle. Hence, just like their master, they were each called a butcher. Although the Dark Age had ended for more than 1,300 years, the names of the three executioners had not been forgotten by the people.
However, after being surprised, the mages began to get a little excited. If they could kill the infamous executioners of the Dark Age, it would be a great honor that could not be obtained in this age. In particular, they were absolutely astonished by the real Sanctuary-level power when they saw the two dragons summoned by Rosen.
Lin Li shook his head slightly and looked at the expressions on the faces of the mages. He naturally knew where they got their confidence from, but had no choice but to secretly lament how ignorant they were. If the two dragons could be summoned randomly, this operation would not require the participation of the mages.
Of course, the mages did not actually get too complacent. After all, they were also elites who had witnessed countless battles. Under Aldwin's command, the mages formed a tight defensive formation and walked through the spacious gate while keeping their guard up.
To everyone's surprise, the cemetery still looked endless even though they were already in the central area of the mausoleum. There were no palaces or treasures. However, the graves in this cemetery were in the High Elves' style, and were extremely luxurious. Undoubtedly, only the High Elves were allowed to be buried in those tombs.
The team walked carefully for a while, but did not encounter any danger. As for the three legendary executioners, they were nowhere in sight. Finally, Rosen looked around at the lavish tombs around him, and suggested to Aldwin and Andoine that they split up to search.
Andoine knew that although Rosen seemed to be discussing it with him, he already had an idea in mind. Besides, Rosen's main agenda was to ask Aldwin for some manpower, and not his opinion. Hence, he could not be bothered to say much, and simply told him not to separate the mages too far apart lest they got into an accident.
Seeing that Rosen had gone to the other side to look around with the 50-odd mages, Aldwin smiled wryly and continued to explore the High Elves' tombs together with the remaining mages. Although the tombs of the High Elves were not as huge as the ones outside, they still contained plenty of treasures. Among the burial objects, there were some valuable treasures, exquisite works of art, and various magical items.
After a long search, the team harvested a large number of precious items, but did not encounter any danger. The joy of harvest had already made them forget where they were, and all they could see were tombs that were significant enough to be called small treasures. Some people who were too engrossed in harvesting continued to stray further away from the crowd, and even Aldwin had let his guard down. Lin Li and Andoine were the only ones who seemed to be unmoved. They looked around alertly and did not take anything.
Chapter 717 - Mage Killer
However, as the sky gradually dimmed, a gloomy atmosphere gradually spread in the cemetery.
Two excited mages exited from one of the tombs, each holding colorful magic items while talking to each other about the items they were holding. All of a sudden, one of the Archmages stopped and dropped the items on the ground. His companion turned to look at him in bewilderment, only to see that there was a bowl-sized hole in the c.h.e.s.t of his companion who immediately fell onto the ground.
"It's…" Seeing that his companion had died in a peculiar manner, the Archmage immediately knew that the situation was turning awry, but before he could even warn the others, a slit was formed in his throat, and his head rolled onto the ground while his body collapsed silently.
The two Archmages died instantly. Unfortunately, they were too far apart from the others; hence, no one noticed the abnormalities here. Shortly after the death of the two mages, two other Archmages at the other end of the cemetery also suffered the same horrifying fate.
It wasn't until someone found the corpse
s of the Archmages that they realized that their lives were in danger. A magical warning fireball rose into the sky, but the Archmage who threw out the fireball released the scepter in his hand feebly as an ice spear penetrated his heart silently.
However, everyone had already witnessed the scene, and they soon reported to Aldwin. It was a silent assassination which was much smarter than any other assassination. Despite there being so many Legendary powerhouses present, no one had found a single trace of the attacker. Everyone began to panic after finding out what happened.
"Assassin?" Aldwin frowned, feeling distressed about the death of the Archmages. However, the silent assassination of the enemy made him even more shocked and terrified. As a level-22 Legendary-mage, he did not feel the slightest fluctuation in mana at all. That meant that the enemy's means were clever, and that they would not know if they were attacked too.
Aldwin was not alone. Lin Li, Andoine, and Rosen, the level-23 Legendary-mages, all had a good understanding of nomological power, but even then no trace of the attacker was found by them, which only meant that the culprit had a better mastery of the Laws than the three of them.
Everyone stopped and watched their surroundings nervously. They had long dropped all of their treasures, and were gripping their staffs tightly to acc.u.mulate mana. The silent assassination was much more pressurizing and stressful than direct confrontation. Even though there would be more casualties during a real battle, it might not be able to affect the psychological states of the mages. However, the mere deaths of a few of their peers were enough to make them feel horrified and fearful.
Usually, most people would refer to the advanced Bandits who had progressed in their careers when mentioning assassins. They had more agile movements and could pull off sneaky stunts. However, when the assassins emerged and began launching lethal attacks on their targets in stealth mode, they would definitely leave some traces behind and produce abnormal energy fluctuations. Those would create opportunities for the mages to defend and even counterattack in time when dealing with assassins.
However, the mages were now watching their companions dying and collapsing onto the ground without warning, and yet they could not see anyone or where the attacks were coming from at all. It was as if the assassin was transparent and unreal. The uncertainty was the root of their fear, and they would rather face a powerhouse of the Sanctuary-realm than an invisible enemy that they could not see through.
"Hurry up, don't bother about the treasures. Get everyone to gather together immediately," Lin Li said to Aldwin eagerly.
Lin Li's tone did not make Aldwin feel uncomfortable, and the current situation did not allow him to have any other thoughts, either. After being reminded by Lin Li, Aldwin waved the staff in his hand, and a huge magic symbol flashed in the sky, summoning the mages to gather quickly.
The assassin really came and went without a trace, and just as the mages were gathering around Aldwin, one of the mages was suddenly beheaded, and his headless body took two steps away before collapsing. Several peers of his who were just as strong did not react until they saw the horrifying corpse on the ground.
Aldwin clutched the staff in his hand tightly, and the joints of his fingers turned pale. However, he was unable to stop those things from happening, because even though his mage was attacked, he could not see a single trace of the assassin. The only thing he could do now was to wait for the mages to gather again.
Finally, after two mages fell onto the ground, everyone turned towards Aldwin and looked at the three Legendary-mages, after which the fear in their eyes gradually receded. After all, the Legendary powerhouses were like gods to the Archmages. They believed that the coward who did nothing except launch sneak attacks would retreat in the presence of the Legendary powerhouses.
However, when everyone thought it was safe, a mage who was standing outside looked down at the hole in his c.h.e.s.t, after which he slowly fell forwards onto his peer.
"Gather together, form a tight defense formation. Everyone, activate your magical shields!" Lin Li yelled. No matter how clever the assassin might be, they would still need a certain space and medium to exhibit their stealth and assassination skills. If there was no space between them, the assassin would never be able to penetrate their ranks regardless of how stealthy he might be. Although its effectiveness was a little exaggerated, a condensed space would indeed reduce plenty of danger.
However, the mages did not immediately respond to Lin Li's instructions, and instead shifted their attention to their President, Aldwin, who was standing in the middle. Regardless of the changes that had occurred, the mages obviously still trusted Aldwin's commands more.
"Now, everyone will follow President Felic's orders. His words are mine!" Aldwin shot Lin Li an apologetic glance and gave him the right to command.
Aldwin's instructions were very effective as the mages who heard his words immediately formed a tight defensive formation like Lin Li instructed. They began to activate their magical shields at the same time.
"Everyone, launch attacks at the surroundings, regardless of the target's location. Cover the surrounding space with magic attacks!" Lin Li immediately issued a second command.
This time, the mages no longer hesitated, and they all raised the Crescent Staffs in their hands one by one, releasing fireballs, Ice Rings, Rapid Ground Spear, and all sorts of other aggressive offensive spells. Even a fly wouldn't escape their attacks.
Lin Li believed that even an assassin with a high stealth ability would not be able to remove his body completely from this space. Even if he had blocked their visual and other human senses, his body would still have to exist in real space. After all, when he ceased to exist, he could no longer cause any harm to the people in this space. Even Geresco, the God of Mages, couldn't launch instantaneous attacks when exhibiting Void of the Stars. If the invisible assassin could really switch between Void of the Stars and reality, he would be a true god.
Therefore, Lin Li's method was also rather simple. By gathering closely together and casting a magic shield to prevent assassination while launching rapid attacks, they would be able to force the assassin to show himself.
Indeed, Lin Li's method worked quickly. Outside the defensive formation, a dark and menacing shadow emerged abruptly, and rushed into the air like a black ray of lightning.
Lin Li squinted and chased the figure in the sky. A thin figure wearing a robe appeared in front of them.
The figure had long, straight blond hair that cascaded down its back casually while the aftermath of the attacks lingered in the air. His bloodshot eyes and pale face seemed to be particularly noticeable, and the madness and tyranny in his gaze made everyone feel a cold chill down his spine. His pointed ears also revealed his identity. The handsome man with a somber expression had the appearance of a typical High Elf.
The High Elf was wearing a black-collared robe and holding onto a thin staff. However, the red ruby on top of the staff was particularly large. Had they not seen it with their own eyes, they would have never imagined that a High Elf disguised as a mage would actually possess such an incredible assassination skill.
"This… This is Eminos, one of the executioners belonging to Osric. He's known as the Mage Killer," said Rosen, who was the first to recognize who the figure was.
Although Rosen was now a level-23 Legendary-mage, he knew that dozens of Legendary-mages had been killed by Eminos before the latter disappeared that year. Most of them were above level-23 too. Besides, Eminos' current strength was definitely nearing the Sanctuary-realm; hence, he would more so no longer have any advantage.
Rosen secretly regretted his previous choice. He thought, Had I known that I would encounter the Mage Killer Eminos, I wouldn't have used the staff to summon the dragons. I should have left that chance for now. No matter how shrewd Eminos is, he wouldn't have had the chance to take action. Although they had plenty of people, they did not pose any threat at all to the Mage Killer. At most, he would only have to attack them a few more times.
When Rosen yelled Eminos' name, fear began to form in almost everyone's eyes, and even Andoine's face grew pale and sullen. It was because there were plenty of legends and tales about the Mage Killer.
Eminos' nickname the Mage Killer was given to him officially by the Highlord Osric. It was because he was acting as an assassin despite being a mage, and also because he had killed plenty of rebellious mages viciously.
As a mage, Eminos was extremely passionate about hiding in the dark and assassinating his enemy with a fatal blow. What brought him the most enjoyment was hiding in a corner and continuously creating terror in the enemy, watching the enemy collapse in endless fear, and finally launching a lethal blow. He rarely used Legendary magic, and his favorites were Wind Blade, Ice Spear, and Space Eruption.
Legend had it that Eminos got famous during the battle against the forces of resistance in the Felan Kingdom that took place when he'd just entered the Legendary-realm. The leader of the rebellion forces was a level-22 Legendary-mage who led more than 10 Archmages who were nearing the Legendary-realm as well as hundreds of soldiers with various professions.
During that battle, Eminos did not activate any High Elf troops, but infiltrated the rebels' camp alone. He attacked them for 10 consecutive days with his level-20 abilities. During those 10 days, all the rebels were caught in endless fear, and the last few mages were so scared they lost their senses. Meanwhile, the level-22 Legendary-mage chanted a powerful, Legendary magic spell, yet he was silently cut on the throat with a low-level Wind Blade.
Even a Legendary-mage can't resist the attack of a Wind Blade! That was a legendary motto left by Eminos. Although the authenticity thereof was not verifiable, it did conform to his style. Some people also tried to continuously put up defensive magical shields to buy some time, but waiting for opportunities was the forte of assassins. They would kill their enemies instantly because no one could constantly shield themselves or ensure that nothing would go wrong for themselves.
