Another World’s Versatile Crafting Master c1-1074

by Zhuang Bifan

  "How could a perfect body that is more powerful than a dragon's or a Titan's be affected by such a spell? Stop thinking about tapping into the abyssal force. Do not forget that Balak was eliminated by Osric despite being in his own territory. He would have been a fool not to employ the abyssal force against Osric. That can only mean that it did not have an effect on Osric. There is a really great difference between Osric and us. I'm afraid I won't be able to help you this time," said Connoris helplessly.

  "Goddammit, stop dampening our spirits. Use your brains quickly, or else all of us are going to be doomed! " Lin Li lashed out at Connoris anxiously. He started to recite the demonic runes he used to deal with the Lord of Darkness the other time. Although Connoris had said that this would have no effect on Osric, Lin Li just had to try everything he could in the time of desperation.

  The shortened recitation that was constructed by 18 syllables flowed out of Lin Li's mouth very quickly. He generated an immense abyssal force and directed it at Osric. However, it was just like what Connoris had said. The Osric was not the Lord of Darkness. How could he, an insignificant human, affect Osric this way when Balak, a real ancient deity, failed to do anything to Osric?

  Osric's body froze slightly before he vanished from his spot. He appeared right in front of Lin Li, and struck out with that spear that was created from Nothingness towards Lin Li's heart like a bolt of lightning. Having activated the energy from the 72 floors of the abyss required Lin Li had some time to recover from it. His response time was two seconds late.

  At the same time, a black streak of lightning appeared beside Lin Li. There was a huge force that flung Lin Li away. The only person who had such great speed was Norfeller, the Legendary-level Vampire. Of course, Norfeller's great speed did not give him enough time to seek safety for himself. After he pushed Lin Li away, he brushed against the spear that was created from Nothingness. His body was like a piece of glass that instantly shattered into fragments, and only half of it was left.

  Chapter 751 - All In

  The relationship between Norfeller and Lin Li was not like any other master and servant's. Including Ujfalusi, the other servants Lin Li had established Soul Contract with only showed loyalty to him because of the requirements of the contract. Unlike them, Norfeller requested to establish a blood oath with Lin Li voluntarily. Although it was partly due to the will of his former master, Norfeller did it out of loyalty to Lin Li.

  This special bond he had with Norfeller made Lin Li boil in shock and rage when he turned to look at the situation after he managed to stabilize himself. He raised his arm to cast the debris of the stars Thunderbolt towards Osric's body. Despite knowing that Osric could use Nothingness to absorb his Thunderbolt, he couldn't care less now.

  Osric did not dare to belittle Thunderbolt. He let go of Nothingness he was using against Norfeller to create another crack in the void. It was what Lin Li had predicted; the Thunderbolt entered the crack and vanished.

  However, delight appeared on Lin Li's face after he saw the Thunderbolt disappear. He could feel the aura created by Thunderbolt despite it entering the crack.

  That could mean two things. One, the Thunderbolt was too powerful. Two, he had gained tremendous mastery in the spell. Hence, this implied that there was a chance for him to reacquire Thunderbolt if he were to acquire Nothingness. Of course, the prerequisite of regaining Thunderbolt was to defeat Osric. That hope was too insignificant.

  Norfeller sped from the battlefield and into the crowd who had yet to enter the battle. It would be a mistake to charge towards a powerhouse like Osric as a group as the team of mages would definitely not be able to deal with Osric's attacks. Lin Li's Death Knights were not excluded from the list, either. Despite having one Retribution Knight, they wouldn't be able to make any difference in a battle of such a level. Even Legendary powerhouses like Ujfalusi and the Lord of Nightmares would not have the right to participate in such a battle. They would only be killed like ants by Osric.

  Hence, Osric's opponent could only be Lin Li, Andoine, Rosen, Aldwin, and the Alchemy Colossus controlled by Goblin Angelano. Of course, any bit of careless would turn them into Osric's ants as well.

  The only thing they should be thankful for was the fact that although Osric owned the ability of level-26 or level-27, he had not used any magic. He had been acting like a Warrior. A mage in the Sanctuary-realm would have slaughtered everybody in a split second. Lin Li secretly speculated that it had to be due to the fact that Osric had not let the perfect body integrate with the soul yet. After all, being a Sanctuary master would not discount him of the need to use his mental strength to cast any magic. The source of mental strength had to come from the soul. However, this did not mean that Lin Li and the rest had the ability to defeat Osric. A perfect body and the debris of the stars Nothingness were not things that Lin Li and the rest could match up to.

  The gigantic spear in the Alchemy Colossus' hands was broken in half by Osric's Nothingness, and its body was covered in wounds of different sizes. Angelano, the controller of the Colossus, had also become more conscious of his frenzy earlier on. His heart was incapacitated by the tremendous fear created by Osric. It seemed like he had lost the guts to attack Osric.

  The situation worsened for Lin Li and the rest of the men. Their spells, regardless of how powerful they were, were all absorbed by Osric's Nothingness. They were forced to the edge. Their gorgeous and expensive magic robes had all become torn and tattered like the costumes of beggars due to the effect of Nothingness. They were barely covered.

  It was as though 'pain' was not a word in their dictionary. Fresh blood flowed down their bodies, and splattered all over their surroundings as they moved to cast their spells. Despite feeling desperate and helpless deep inside, they continued to cast their best spells.

  Rosen escaped to the edge of the battlefield. His expression twisted as he went into deep contemplation. Finally, he gritted his teeth and took out the staff he used to summon the dragons. He started to recite his spell, and his expression became more and more agonized as he continued to recite the spell. The two magical gemstones on the staff lit up slowly.

  "ROAR!" A thunderous growl from the dragons echoed through the abyss. As they charged towards Osric, Rosen spat a mouthful of blood. The two magical gemstones on the staff shattered at the same time. It was obvious that the summoning of the dragons made Rosen pay a high price. Not only that, but he would never be able to summon the dragons with the staff again.

  Although the two ancient gold and silver dragons had not reached the Sanctuary-realm, their appearance in battle was of help to a certain extent. However, the wounds that multiplied on their bodies rapidly suggested that they would not be able to endure for long. Rosen downed a bottle of potion to suppress his injuries. He changed his staff and re-entered the battlefield.

  "Fire Demon, call out your Zago Demons! Let him taste the feeling of getting bitten by an army of ants!" Lin Li ordered the Fire Demon within Balak's crystal. Of course, Lin Li was certain that although the group of Zago Demons had tremendous combat prowess, these ants wouldn't be able to kill an elephant like Osric.

  The Fire Demon King did not dare to hesitate in something that concerned his life. Immediately, a strong magical wave that carried the aura of Balak was emitted. Shortly after, there was the sound that had once incited great fear within the party. The Black Current that was made up of armies of Zago Demons appeared in the sight of the men. It was just like what they had witnessed before—a ferocious tide that was surging at top speed.

  Groups of Zago Lords appeared in the sky like gray clouds. They sent dozen Scourged Ankylodons towards Osric without hesitation. On the ground, apart from the Sickle Black-armored Demons that made up the bulk of the Black Current, there were also 100 Hell Pythons and six hill-like Mammoth Behemoth.

  No one had expected the Zago Demons to have the same level of power despite the earlier battle. Although they knew that it was Lin Li who was controlling these demons, and that the man was o
n the same side as them, they could not help but feel terrified by the scale of Lin Li's attack.

  Osric laughed coldly when he saw the Zago Demons approaching him. "If I could defeat them one time, I will be able to defeat them for the second time!" he said arrogantly, and gave Lin Li an indifferent gaze.

  Osric's gaze created anxiety within Lin Li. Although he wanted to retort, his rational mind convinced himself that what Osric had said was definitely not empty words. When Osric had set foot onto the 72nd floor of the abyss, he'd still been able to defeat Tyrant Balak despite such a formidable army of Zago Demons. He'd managed to collect Balak's crystal and take over the 72nd floor of the abyss. Although Osric was a body that was controlled by a soul imprint, Lin Li had the tremendous energy from Tyrant Balak and his Zago Demons.

  The Black Current that was made of Zago Demons finally entered the battle. The Scourged Ankylodons in the sky swooped towards Osric. Yet, the group of Zago Demons that once created despair for Lin Li and the other men, were immediately engulfed by the cracks Osric effortlessly created as he waved his long spear. Regardless of the level the Zago Demons were at, they were all vulnerable before Osric. Their firm shells seemed to be made of paper and glue when they were in front of the crack.

  The position Osric stood at was like an endless black hole that never stopped devouring the Zago Demons that approached him. The Black Current that had once seemed incredibly vast was decreasing at a rate visible to the n.a.k.e.d eye. The party finally saw the end of the Black Current they'd once d.e.s.i.r.ed to see, but the sight now created deep despair in them. If even the terrifying Zago Demons were powerless before Osric, how would they have the motivation and right to fight with Osric?

  The gold and silver dragons had fallen. The Black Current had gradually disappeared. The sky was left with the cloud-like Zago Lord, while the Scourged Ankylodons circling in the sky earlier were nowhere to be found. It did not matter if it were the low-level Scourged Ankylodons or the hill-like Mammoth Behemoths. The crack that engulfed the creatures left no traces of remains.

  Osric was standing at the same spot. He still had his great spear in his hands, and the magical waves around him did not seem like there had been a great battle nearby. To Osric, it was not considered a great battle at all. He was unaffected by the Zago Demons that had once induced a deep despair in Lin Li and the others.

  At this time, Lin Li was not holding onto the Helios' Scepter anymore. It had been replaced with a delicate crossbow. Lin Li had decided to put all of the three pieces of the debris of the stars—Holy Light, Gloomy Dark, and Rebirth—he had onto the Crossbow of Reincarnation. The wave of mana on Lin Li's body boiled vigorous with every single piece he placed on the weapon. It brought him extremely close to the Sanctuary-realm.

  Chapter 752 - Half a Step into the Sanctuary-realm

  "T-This… This is the power of the Sanctuary-realm!" the once helpless men exclaimed in unison. A glimmer of hope flashed in their hearts. Even Rosen did not care to be jealous of Lin Li. He only hoped that Lin Li could get rid of Osric immediately.

  Although the several Legendary-mages had been close to exhaustion, they forcefully gathered all of their remaining energy, mental strength, and mana into the fight. They whipped up an even more ferocious attack aimed at Osric to buy time for Lin Li.

  Finally, Lin Li managed to point the Crossbow of Reincarnation at Osric. He gritted his teeth as he lined the three pieces of the debris of the stars on the heavy crossbow. There was an integration of three different glows of light that shot towards Osric majestically. The blinding light created discomfort in all the men, but they tried their best to follow the trajectory of the three arrows. They were all hoping that that could give Osric a critical blow.

  Lin Li had once made use of the power of the three pieces of the debris of the stars to defeat Thunderbolt etched on the Stars of Fury. Now, Lin Li was at the peak of level-23, and he had even seen the vague shadow of the gate to level-24. The Crossbow of Reincarnation had gathered enough mana from the remains of the Stars of Fury, and was up to a certain standard. The impact created when the three projectiles were released had to be many times more powerful than the previous time. They had the chance to hurt any powerhouse in the Sanctuary-realm.

  However, Osric did not have any expression when he saw the three arrows coming his way. It was as though the three pieces of the debris of the stars was a mere illusion, as if their target wasn't him. He only took action when the three arrows got closer to him. He merely raised his Spear of Nothingness towards the arrows.

  There was neither a loud noise nor a blinding ray light. Everything ended as though nothing had happened. It was as though the three arrows that were shot simultaneously were an illusion. Lin Li's expression turned pallid. No one had better understanding of the power these three pieces of the debris of the stars than he. It was supposed to be his trump card. However, it was obvious that such a force was not presentable before Osric. It did not even manage to push Osric a step back.

  At this moment, even Lin Li himself could not help but feel helpless at his plight. This was the difference. Nothing would be able to bridge a difference when it was wide enough. Any trump card would turn into a joke before such a difference.

  Osric put away the spear, but he did not attempt to attack the helpless Lin Li. Instead, he appeared before Rosen in the blink of an eye, and he drew a void in front of Rosen's c.h.e.s.t. The glow engulfed Rosen's elemental shield and started to draw Rosen towards it.

  It was fortunate that Rosen was not a noob without any combat experience. His rich experience and speedy response allowed him to cast a Gas Blast Spell to pull himself away from the crack. Although he had managed to avoid the danger, he was not entirely safe, either. Fresh blood flowed out from his large wound. His energy was also depleted at the same time. Osric who was a few steps from him could use his spear to end his life any time.

  Rosen knew that he was doomed. It perhaps would be a glorious death if he were to die in the hands of Osric. The thought of this encouraged Rosen to shut his eyes. Although he felt indignant, he could only give up on struggling and await that critical blow that was about to end his life.

  However, Rosen did not feel that last blow despite the continuous sounds of explosions of magic. There was a force behind him that dragged him away from the scene. Then, he felt somebody touching his wounds. He opened his eyes and saw two mages from the team of mages. One was about to apply a healing potion on his wounds, while the other was gripping onto a bandage nervously.

  Why didn't Osric kill him when he could very well do that by moving one or two steps towards him? He could very well wave his spear, and no one would be able to save him! Lin Li was incredibly doubtful of Osric's intentions. His mind continued to replay the scene that happened earlier. Why did Osric put away his long spear when Rosen had already given up on struggling? Why did he change his target to Andoine and Aldwin all of a sudden? This is fishy!

  Osric was a powerhouse in the Sanctuary-realm. Powerhouses in the Sanctuary-realm would never play such childish tricks on their enemies. They would never be affected by any emotion as well. To them, every action towards their enemies would be with the intention to defeat and kill them. Could there be any reason behind his unusual actions?

  Lin Li thought about the time when he lost his ability to defend himself after he launched the three pieces of the debris of the stars at Osric. That was a really good time for Osric to get rid of himself, and Osric had readied himself to slay Lin Li. Why did he change his target to Rosen all of a sudden? Could it be that the butcher had become merciful? No, it definitely wouldn't be the case. Then, if it was possible, could there be anything that was restraining Osric that contributed to his unusual actions?

  Lin Li did not believe that Osric would be resurrected at such a coincidental timing. His slumbering body probably woke up in surprise when the men were prepared to touch the crystal coffin. There was also a possibility that he was disturbed in his sleep when the men were battling
the Zago Demons. If he really woke up before the d.e.s.i.r.ed timing, his perfect body would not be perfect, either.

  It could have been due to the prematuration of this body or that the integration with the soul imprint happened too quickly. No matter what, this was certainly the key to resolving this adversity! The thought of that rejuvenated Lin Li's spirits. He continued to work with Andoine and Aldwin as they attacked Osric. While he did that, he tried to observe Osric very closely.

  "Could that be due to… the distance?" Lin Li muttered as he thought about the battling scene earlier on. Osric had never moved out of a certain perimeter when he was dealing with both the Zago Demons and the Legendary powerhouses. Of course, that did not exclude that Lin Li and the rest were too weak to be a threat to Osric. However, Osric's actions of ending his battles abruptly seemed to best prove this hypothesis.

  With this in mind, Lin Li managed to direct more focus onto Osric's movements. His plan helped him to notice certain details that he'd failed to pay attention to before. Osric certainly did not just give up on Lin Li and Rosen. There were many times in the current battle where Osric had great chance of killing them if he chose to advance forward. Yet, he always turned away to deal with other enemies after a while. This was the reason that helped Lin Li and the other men sustain this battle. Otherwise, Osric's ability could very well doom them without any effort on his part.

  Seeing that Osric could neither use magic nor move out of certain boundaries ascertained Lin Li's perception that Osric had yet to put in any effort in the battle. It was definitely not that he was merciful, but of his inadequacy. To test out his theories, Lin Li headed into the danger zone he had been suspecting. As expected, his initiative invited Osric towards him immediately. This time, he did not use any powerful spell on him, but merely focused on dodging Osric's attempt to attack. He inched towards the edge of the boundary slowly.