by Zhuang Bifan
Two years had passed since the incident in the Blackstone Mountains. For most people, two years or so was probably not enough for them to improve their own strength even by just one level. Although Sendros had long known that Lin Li was incredibly talented in magic, he knew that Lin Li had great accomplishments in pharmaceutics, and he could not help but be astonished by Lin Li's incredible attainments.
The hall seemed rather quiet. Sendros and Lin Li were the only ones who were talking. The five high priests were seated quietly, and it was unknown if they were listening or busy thinking.
Meanwhile, Sendros and Lin Li began talking about everything that happened in the Blackstone Mountains, to the Lord of Darkness in the Abyss of Tharlen, to the Sky Castle, the Seven-Realm Spiral, and Lin Li's conflict with the Dark Blade.
Regarding the matter of the conflict with the Dark Blade, Lin Li hypocritically expressed his apologies1, but obviously the Dark Blade was nothing in the eyes of the Darkness Shrine, and Sendros simply said that they'd been asking for it. Of course, they tacitly refrained from mentioning what the Darkness Shrine thought about the Dark Blade attacking the Tower of Dusk. After all, no matter who was at fault, the Dark Blade had become a thing of the past, and there was no need to bring them up and affect everyone's mood.
At the mention of the powerful Ghost in the Sky Castle, Sendros' face grew a little sullen. As he was a Necromancer with abilities that were close to the Sanctuary-realm, no one knew the power of the Undead Heaven better than he did. Lin Li explained to everyone that he was lucky enough to have escaped by dashing into the Teleportation Portal at the last moment, but Sendros knew that it was impossible to escape from the Undead Heaven just by relying on luck alone. Not to mention, there were 36 towers that formed a Psychic Array. Without any special means, he would definitely have been pulled back by the powerful force.
However, although Sendros could tell that Lin Li was hiding the matter, he still continued to question him. An ambiguous smile formed on his face when he heard Lin Li say that he had escaped from the Undead Heaven. It was as if he had already seen through Lin Li's tricks.
"Just like that, I was trapped in the chaotic flow of time and space for almost half a year. Fortunately, the Teleportation Portal was intact. Otherwise, I would have really been buried in a Nether Storm. After returning from the Haiga Mountain Range, I had no plans for a new adventure. However, I had plenty of things to handle at the Tower of Dusk, and when I was finally done, the people from the Alanna Guild of Magic came to look for me. Hence, I had no choice but to delay the visit to your place again. Speaking of which, the matter with the Alanna Guild of Magic was also an agreement that I made with them long ago…" Lin Li did not notice Sendros' expression, and simply continued to talk about the exploration of Osric's mausoleum. Of course, it was nearly impossible to notice any expression on Sendros' stiff face.
The bet made between the Alanna Guild of Magic and the Adventurers Guild was rather well-known, and had also become the laughing stock to countless people. Hence, Sendros and the rest were naturally aware of it. However, after listening to Lin Li's description, the five high priests became even more worried because they all knew that the President of the Adventurers Guild, Al'Akir, was a Smithing Master. Since Lin Li could fulfill the bet, he was clearly at least a Master of forging.
If Sendros' purpose in seeing Lin Li this time was just for forging connections, it would naturally be better for Lin Li to be more competent. However, even forging Masters and pharmaceutics Gurus wouldn't be of any help to the Darkness Shrine this time. Time was equal for everyone. Regardless of how talented Lin Li, who was in his early twenties, was, 20 years wouldn't be longer for him compared to others. Even if he had been studying every day and night since he was born, he could at most allocate his time well, and schedule creating magic, potions, and forging for different time slots.
Of course, Lin Li was competent, but it was undeniable that scheduling some of his limited time for other skills would definitely affect his learning of magic. The five high priests already had doubts about whether Lin Li could help the Darkness Shrine survive this crisis, and when they heard that Lin Li was also a Master of forging, they began to feel even more apprehensive.
Lin Li did not feel uncomfortable about their silence at all. After all, he was chatting with Sendros, and it would be normal for them not to intervene. While Sendros posed timely questions, Lin Li continued to answer, and told him about the matters regarding Osric's mausoleum, the three Undead Lords of the Shadowglen who had made a pact with Geresco, the massive Immortal Door, the whole other world outside the mausoleum, the huge Alchemical Undead, the three butchers of Osric like Angelano, and the Fire Demon King who had guarded the mausoleum for over a millennium…
When Lin Li said that they actually managed to reach the 72nd floor of the abyss, and had a fierce battle with the legendary Zago Demons, the five high priests seemed to have temporarily forgotten about their troubles as they listened to Lin Li's account attentively. Although they had all been living for countless years, everything that Lin Li had experienced in the past two years or so was probably more exciting than everything they had experienced in their entire lives.
They gasped unanimously, especially when Lin Li mentioned the perfect body created by Osric lying in the crystal coffin. Osric was a mythical figure, and although Lin Li and others had merely fought the perfect body he created, it was definitely a wonderful experience.
Although the five high priests were surprised, they did not reevaluate Lin Li's abilities because of that matter. After all, they felt that Osric's perfect body probably might not have power that exceeded the Sanctuary-realm. Those who were in the Sanctuary-realm could be considered demigods. Hence, how could a mortal create a god-like body? Besides, Lin Li also said that the so-called perfect body was still bound by the crystal coffin, and could not exert its full power at all.
If Lin Li knew what they were thinking, he would probably cuss his heart out immediately. What did you mean a wonderful experience? That perfect body that had Osric's Soul Brand possessed power of the Sanctuary-level. Besides, he also had the most bizarre and eerie debris of the stars, Nothingness. That battle could be considered the most hopeless one that Lin Li had ever experienced since he arrived in Anril. The thought of the suppression he'd felt in it would still make him shudder.
For Lin Li, there was no longer a point in hiding things about various incidents. His acquisition of the three relics of Geresco was also a well known fact in the Breezy Plains, and he had also set the Eternal Furnace on the top of the Tower of Dusk. Ordinary people might not be able to identify it, but how could someone like Sendros be unaware of what it was? As for the perfect body created by Osric, Lin Li didn't mention that Connoris was an ancient deity, and simply said that it was a Demon Lord Osric had caught in the past.
When they came to the topic of Lin Li's visit to the Darkness Shrine, Lin Li stopped for a moment, looked at Sendros, and continued, "Master Sendros, Priest Jyker and Priest Balesi have both mentioned that you invited me here this time for something important. Would it be convenient for you to let me know what it is now?"
Ever since he left the Brilliance Shrine, Lin Li had been thinking about the matter, and trying to figure out what that important thing was. He did not think that Sendros merely wanted to listen to his stories. However, he also knew his own significance. Although he seemed rather competent at level-23, he was still far from being a true powerhouse. At least, the Darkness Shrine didn't lack someone of his level. It was true that Lin Li was irreplaceable only for the fact that he was a pharmaceutics Guru. If Sendros needed him to make a potion, he could have just explained it directly from the start. There was no need to keep Lin Li in suspense at all.
Before waiting for Sendros to answer Lin Li's questions, the priest Zoquila, who had been seated quietly, suddenly said in a hoarse voice, "Master Felic, the experience that you gained over the past two years is really shocking. Although you have been emphasizing that
it was all based on luck, we all know that without a certain level of abilities and strength, it would have been impossible to seize the opportunity even if it had been in front of you. I have a few questions about magic that I'd like to discuss with you. Would you be interested?"
That matter concerned the existence of the Darkness Shrine, and it was even more serious than the matter of Pope Rosario being poisoned. The five high priests did not approve of letting Lin Li find out what the matter was about, since they still had no idea if Lin Li could be of any help to them or not. The Dark Blade was affiliated with the Shrine.
Chapter 778 - Endless Chain
Hence, after hearing Lin Li's question to Sendros, the High Priest Zoquila suddenly interjected. In addition to temporarily interjecting and interrupting them, he also intended on testing Lin Li.
Lin Li didn't think too much about it, since Zoquila sounded polite, and not in the least bit provocative—he thought that Zoquila was perhaps really interested in discussion. He didn't mind being interrupted, and instead nodded and smiled. He then said to Zoquila, "You're being too formal, High Priest. I'm very glad to discuss magic with you. However, I don't know much about Necromagic, so I might have to consult you instead."
Lin Li was not an arrogant person, and High Priest Zoquila had also shown him due respect. Of course, he would return the same respect. However, due to the fact that Zoquila was a Necromancer, Lin Li naturally thought that Zoquila wanted to discuss Necromagic with him. Although Lin Li had the debris of the stars, Gloomy Dark, and could be considered to have mastered the purest nomological power of Darkness, Necromagic was not simply the application of Darkness' nomological power, but a product of the combination of Dark Force and vitality.
It was just like how Lin Li chose the traditional and orthodox method in Alchemy. Although he had reached a fairly high level in Alchemy, he was still far inferior to Angelano in terms of creating Alchemy Puppets. If they were to discuss Dark Magic, Lin Li could still make impeccable statements just based on his mastery of Gloomy Dark. However, Necromagic was beyond his abilities.
Zoquila's face was still hidden in the shadow of his large hood, but he still seemed to be smiling. He then said in an unpleasantly hoarse voice, "It's not about Necromagic, or any pure form of magic. It's about magic theories."
"Oh, in this case, please guide me, High Priest," said Lin Li, who was much more interested after hearing that it was about magic theory. He did not think that Zoquila was deliberately provoking him, either. The so-called magic theory simply consisted of formulas and theorems that were applicable to the entire magic system. Through the magic theory had been summarized by the predecessors, the mages could have a deeper understanding of magic. If the problems that Zoquila wanted to discuss were something that he had yet to master, it would be a good learning opportunity for him.
After hearing Zoquila's words, Sendros glanced at him with a hint of disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e on his face. He was obviously clear about Zoquila's intentions. However, before Lin Li arrived at the Darkness Shrine, he had already discussed the matter with the Darkness Council several times.
Actually, Sendros and the five high priests did not have any differing opinions about what to do about Lin Li, because they all recognized the value of Lin Li and the Tower of Dusk, and felt that they were crucial to the Darkness Shrine. However, the five high priests felt that they ought to be more careful and conscientious when dealing with the crisis this time.
Forget it, instead of trying to stop them by using my authority, it would be better to let them see for themselves just how incredibly competent this young chap is.
At the thought of this, Sendros decided not to intervene, and instead remained seated to watch the show calmly.
Seeing that Sendros didn't say anything to stop them, Zoquila felt a little relieved, and he turned to look at Lin Li. Still behaving very politely, he said, "I'd like to ask you about Aegno's magical damage chain formula. Although I have studied that for several years, I have only deduced the chain process to 67 steps using the formula. I seemed to have hit a plateau, and never got to achieve a breakthrough again. I wonder if you have any explanation or solutions for this, Master Felic."
Aegno was allegedly the first dean of the High Elves Royal Academy of Magic during the Dark Age, and was the most noble magic theorist of the Dark Age. The hierarchical system of mages that was commonly used today was formulated by Aegno. There were a total of 25 levels from a mage apprentice to the Sanctuary-realm. Hence, there was a clear path for mages.
Apart from creating the hierarchical system, Aegno had also contributed greatly to the magic theory. The magical damage chain formula was one of his contributions. The so-called magical damage chain formula meant that when a target was hit by an offensive spell, there would be additional damage done if a second spell was cast at the right time. In theory, the effect could be repeated and perpetuated. In the end, the damage could even be increased to a daunting level.
According to that, Aegno created the magical damage chain formula to put this theory into practice to the greatest extent possible. It was said that Aegno managed to create a record of 213 chain magic damage combo done to the target using his own magical formula during the Dark Age. Using a combo of attacks below level-15, he even managed to make the damage nearly as powerful as that of Sanctuary-level attacks. After the Dark Age ended, even Geresco—that Geresco—failed to break that record, and the best he could achieve was 171 chain combo. However, that was the highest record so far in the history of magic.
However, in Lin Li's opinion, there was too much emphasis on the quantity of chain damage attacks—so much that it had even somewhat ignored the significance of magic in actual combat. In actual combat, the increased damage would indeed allow one to win, but blindly pursuing the quantity of attacks would result in major losses. The continuous casting of more than 200 magic spells in a row would require a massive amount of time and mana that ordinary people could not afford. Even for those who could afford it, they could rather simply cast a Sanctuary-level magic instead of torturing themselves.
The real benefit of that theory was that it would allow the mage to familiarize themselves with the characteristics of various kinds of magic and master the effects they would have on each other. It was just a target that would serve as a motivation for the mages. In order to create a magical combo chain, one would have to do more than just cast the same magic spell continuously. Although Lin Li could cast the Thousand Miles of Ice twice within a short period of time, it definitely couldn't be considered a magical chain.
Aegno's magical damage chain formula was also mentioned in Geresco's Book of Eternity, together with his record of 171 times. However, Lin Li knew that Geresco's limit was far beyond 171 times. Perhaps he would be able to achieve 10 or 100 times that. Geresco's explanation was very simple, but it was too boring. Lin Li felt that it was completely meaningless.
Hence, after hearing that Zoquila wanted to discuss the chain formula, Lin Li frowned slightly, and was somewhat disappointed deep down. He was keen on learning something from the discussion, but there was honestly nothing to learn about that formula. Given Lin Li's current strength, it wouldn't be hard for him to use the endless chain formula. However, there was no need for him to do it.
However, the Necromancer Zoquila thought that he had found Lin Li's weakness when he saw him frowning. Although he didn't feel any real joy, he still couldn't help but secretly rejoice about how wise he was. He was not out to make Lin Li feel awkward or embarrassed. However, the matter was just very important, and had to be taken seriously. If Lin Li wasn't competent enough, how could he feel safe about leaving the Darkness Shrine's destiny in his hands?
After Zoquila said those words, silence filled the air in the hall, and the five high priests focused all their attention on Lin Li. Aegno's magical damage chain formula had been extremely famous during the Dark Age, but it was almost unknown now. In fact, everyone knew that in actual combat, no one could cast a combo of more than
200 magical spells. However, the formula could show a person's mastery of the magic theory to a certain extent, and it could also show one's strength.
The strength of a person was not only determined by his level, because people of the same level were also divided by their strength. The mastery of magic, the judgment of timing, and the grasp of battle opportunities were all considered important factors that contributed to the strength of a person. For example, there were some mages who spent their entire lives immersed in magic books, and were full of knowledge. However, the lack of actual combat experience made it difficult for them to contend with the mages of the same level who had been through hundreds of battles. Meanwhile, some mages might have rich combat experience which allowed them to cope with battles, but their shortcoming of being unfamiliar with magic theory would show whenever they encountered a situation where their experience couldn't be applied.
After listening to Lin Li's adventures taking place over the past two years, the five high priests were rather certain of Lin Li's actual combat experience. However, no one was perfect. As a young mage, he had limited time to study and research magic. Besides, he even allocated some time for forging. Hence, how could he have more time to consolidate his magic foundation?
Lin Li didn't know what the five high priests were thinking. Although he found the topic to be extremely boring, he couldn't choose not to answer it just because of that. He sorted out his thoughts and eased the frown on his forehead. "I can't deny that the added damage caused by the magical chain is indeed an important mean for mages during battles. However, I think four or six would be the best amount for this magical chain. Aiming to achieve the highest number of spells launched using the chain formula would be rather inappropriate. Of course, when learning magic, the formula would help a mage understand and master his own battle tactics."
