Another World’s Versatile Crafting Master c1-1074

by Zhuang Bifan

  In the eyes of the villagers in the small Gran Town, the Ashen Warlock was just a wealthy but lonely old man. He disliked being in contact with people or talking to them. He would spend his time hiding in his house and doing some strange things, or sit around in the field and space out all day. Although he only had two or three servants by his side, they were older than him, and seemed to be on the brink of death. However, many of those who thought that the servants were going to die anytime soon had all died, yet the old servants would still show up at the door every day and bask in the sun sluggishly.

  However, those who practiced martial arts or magic outside of Gran Town would be warned by their teachers from the beginning not to set foot in Gran Town even if they were going to explore the Haiga Mountain Range to fight the monsters. If they were to die in the Haiga Mountain Range, they would die alone. However, if they angered the Ashen Warlock of Gran Town, their entire family would be affected.

  Those who heard the warnings would definitely not think that it was just a false warning, because the last time the Ashen Warlock was infuriated was merely 50-odd years ago. Compared to the myths and legends that happened thousands of years ago, it was a relatively short period of time, and it was as if it happened right in front of them. The reason that the Ashen Warlock flew into a rage was only because a dog he raised was trampled to death by the Felan soldiers stationed at the border. Avenging his dog, he smashed half of the barracks with Hellfire.

  However, the matter did not end there. At that time, the commander of the border was a prince of the Felan Kingdom, and the forces of the Breezy Plains, which had always been exclusive to foreigners, did not inform the prince of how horrifying that old man was. Perhaps they felt that he wouldn't believe it even if they told him about it.

  Hence, after being shamed, the prince immediately ordered for tens of thousands of soldiers to break into Gran Town and arrest all the villagers of that town, after which he threatened them to hand over the murderer.

  However, that prince ended up facing the scene of the Ashen Warlock opening the door of the Abyss and summoning a high-level demon that took thousands of lives overnight.

  Afterwards, the royals of the Felan Kingdom deployed their most elite Sky Knights, and wanted to kill the Ashen Warlock and the demon he summoned at all costs. At the same time, the Adventurers Guild also offered a reward of up to 5,000,000 gold coins to anyone who would kill the Ashen Warlock. It was an unprecedentedly high bounty, which immediately attracted countless adventurers.

  However, in the end, the Sky Knights who had 500 Gryphons ended up fleeing back to Alanna with only less than 100 survivors left. The adventurers who took on the mission were reidentified in the files of the Adventurers Guild, and there was the word "deceased" annotated neatly beside their names.

  Chapter 832 - Situation

  This was the price to pay if one were to offend the Ashen Warlock. No one would know whether the ant they stepped on in Gran Town might actually belong to the Ashen Warlock. If it did, they had to be an unlucky man. Hence, everyone was warned against visiting that rural settlement. That town that seemed peaceful was in fact the scariest part of the Breezy Plains.

  "But, Mage Gavin, we know that the Ashen Warlock has a frightening ability. If he had really wanted to find trouble with us, he would have confronted us long ago."

  This was the reason for Seth and the others not to associate the matter with Ashen Warlock. The Tower of Dusk was strong, but it was not formidable to the extent that the Ashen Warlock had to play tricks on them.

  "That's right. That is what I wanted to say. Apart from the Glittergold Trade Union and Ashen Warlock, there are three other powerful forces in the Breezy Plains that are not known to many. These three forces are the real deal in the Breezy Plains. They are the Blood Moon Clan, Mithril Alliance, and Caesar Family," replied Gavin slowly. He spoke of the three names that were unfamiliar to Seth and the others.

  "Caesar Family?" Lin Li repeated one of the names. Caesar Family was not what he predicted to be one of their enemies this time.

  "Yes, Mr. President. I do not know much about the Blood Moon Clan, but I know that they were the force that rose very quickly in the Breezy Plains after the Dark Age. The Mithril Alliance and the Caesar Family, on the other hand, had been long-standing forces in the Breezy Plains since the Dark Age. These two forces are related as well. It was said that the Caesar Family was the founder of the Mithril Alliance. Yet, they left the Mithril Alliance for some reason. I am unable to provide you with more details on these three forces due to the lack of information on my side. But, I can confirm that each of these three forces will be a match for the Glittergold Trade Union. They might even be more powerful than Glittergold Trade Union," said Gavin guilty.

  While Gavin was not able to provide more information, what he said was shocking enough. If the list of names they had acquired previously was a huge problem to the Tower of Dusk, it would not matter now, as there would always be solutions to problems. But, if what Gavin said was true, the Tower of Dusk would not be facing any problem, but an impending disaster. The men were not feeling worried anymore. What they felt instead was deep helplessness and fear.

  "Mr. President, this is still Mage Gavin's hypothesis, and we don't have any concrete evidence that this matter would involve any stronger force," said Seth as he looked at Lin Li expectantly, waiting for Mr President to deny the information Gavin had brought up.

  "It would be impossible for the hundreds of forces to have such a unified action if it was a temporary alliance. Furthermore, if you take a look at what they have been doing recently, you will know that this is not any simple fight over their own interests. This is a stranglehold. The rapid progress of the Tower of Dusk has threatened them. There are enough people with authority in the Breezy Plains. They would not hope to increase that number," said Lin Li calmly as he shook his head.

  If it was any simple issue that involved mere benefits, a partnership would be able to work. Although it was not as time-efficient as robbery, the long-term benefits were what would truly help these forces progress further. If they wanted to compete for monetary profit, it would be faster if they were to steal the potion formulas and forging blueprints from the Tower of Dusk and sell them at the original market rate. Even if they wanted to capture the market with a lower price, they would not need to reduce their prices to the extent that they would not earn any profit. But, it seemed that their motive was definitely not such profits, but to cut off the financial source of the Tower of Dusk, and thus their ability to operate.

  "Yes, the motive of our enemies is not to gain from us, but to push us back to our starting point, or eliminate us from the Breezy Plains. I presume that the rest of you have been encountering other challenges as well, not just the stagnation of sales. Is the supply of raw materials affected as well?" Gavin inquired as he swept his gaze across everyone's faces. It made several higher-ups speechless.

  The rapid progress made by the Tower of Dusk these two years was definitely terrifying. Their operations against the other forces in Doland were even more fear-inducing. It made them one of the real deals in the Breezy Plains. They took over all the quality resources in Doland as well as in certain regions around it. They enjoyed a never-ending stream of rare herbs, quality ores, and magic resources, which they transformed into massive wealth to fuel their growth.

  Apart from ores and herbs, an important and meaningful resource in any force would be talents. Talented individuals made up the foundation of any powerful force. They were the ones pertinent to the survival and progress of these forces. Any force with sufficient talents would have the authority to snatch any resources they lacked. If a force only had a group of morons instead, any amount of wealth would be futile as they wouldn't be able to defend against their own stupidity.

  Strictly speaking, the Tower of Dusk should be called the Breezy Plains Guild of Magic. In theory, it had the right to receive all mages in the Breezy Plains. However, even Emerald Tower which was situa
ted in the remote and tiny Jarrosus did not allow every mage to join the guild. How would it be different for the numerous organizations in the Breezy Plains?

  Each of these forces occupied a piece of territory in the Breezy Plains. They would try to attract the talents from one another's territory with attractive rewards. While smaller forces were unable to provide rewards that were too attractive, they could still take advantage of their geographical territory to recruit some of these talents.

  If not for Basel who recommended a batch of mages to the Tower of Dusk when they had been established, it would definitely have been a challenge for the Tower to hire real talents. Without quality manpower, Lin Li wouldn't have the ability to develop the Tower of Dusk so rapidly with all of his might.

  Now, the Tower of Dusk had gained extreme fame in the Breezy Plains, and it had power over Doland and the surrounding regions, but their ability to gather talents was mostly limited to these boundaries. That was because these talents were not only magic talents or high-level Warriors. They included esteemed individuals in various fields, such as blacksmiths and pharmacists, and even common men who were proficient in other matters.

  That was the reason behind the Tower of Dusk's speedy growth and expansion. The people here all had managerial positions in the Tower of Dusk, and were clearly aware of their predicament. They were only in denial.

  "M-Mr. President… I suggest to keep this information between the few of us. If this were to be leaked to other mages, I fear…" That was Pereira, who was wiping the sweat off his forehead anxiously.

  It seemed like they had to become enemies with the whole Breezy Plains. If such news was to be known by the mages under them, there might only be a handful of them still willing to serve at the Tower of Dusk. If that situation were to come, the Tower of Dusk would disintegrate before it faced its enemies.

  This concern was not an unreasonable one. After all, they previously had a traitor. Loyalty was not something that could be depended on. Hence, the suggestion made by Pereira was well received by all of the higher-ups, including Gavin and Alan.

  However, Lin Li laughed it off casually. "We don't have to hide this information from them at all. The door of the Tower of Dusk has always been open. We respect everyone's decision on that. Also, don't you think this is a great chance for us to eliminate those who do not have a sense of belonging and loyalty to the Tower?" said Lin Li calmly as he swept his gaze across everyone.

  Lin Li's casual tone was like a gust of chilly wind to the ears of Seth, Pereira, and the other new higher-ups. They felt as though their souls were going to freeze. Their expressions turned awkward, and they started to sweat.

  Frankly speaking, it would be a lie to say that these higher-ups were not thinking otherwise when they heard about their potential enemies. While they worried about losing the other mages, they were thinking of a way out of the situation for themselves as well.

  But, Lin Li's words were like a bucket of cold water in the winter that flushed those thoughts away. They felt that the open-door policy and respect for every member were lies. Even if Lin Li was being honest about them, he had to be referring to the normal mages. As the higher-ups of the Tower of Dusk, all of them were aware of certain organization secrets. They were incredibly scared that if they were to be suspected of wanting to leave the tower, they would vanish from this world the next moment.

  But, if one were to look at the matter from another perspective, if the higher-ups were already fearful for their lives, how would normal mages feel about the matter? It seemed like the concerns advanced by the higher-ups were valid as well. After all, there was a real difference in abilities.

  Chapter 833 - Diverse Opinions

  Unlike the newly promoted higher-ups, Gavin and Alan, the senior leaders of the Tower were naturally not intending to run from the challenge. But, they were also worried that such news would stir up unrest within the Tower.

  Lin Li waved his arms upon seeing Gavin's and Alan's attempt to speak up. "Alright, let's end the discussion here. As for the challenges faced by each department recently, please return to your department and think of a temporary solution. The time is tight."

  In fact, although their opponents had brought about trouble for the Tower of Dusk, it was definitely not sufficient to destroy the entire Tower. The Tower of Dusk was not entirely reliant on the Breezy Plains. It outsourced herbs from the Emerald Forest of the Elven Kingdom and ores from Ledin Kingdom's quality mines. These resources and partnersh.i.p.s were not what the traditional forces in the Breezy Plains could control.

  Frankly speaking, even if the Tower of Dusk couldn't afford to overcome these problems, the other forces might not even have the resources to continue their plans to destroy the Tower. If they really wanted to do that, they would have to use physical force. Hence, the current treatment was just an appetizer, and not something that could last.

  …

  "Hey, do you know why we seem to be faced with so many obstacles recently? I heard that we are faced with a huge problem," said one mage to the others during their leisure time. They were discussing the issues that had been happening in the Tower of Dusk.

  "Of course, I even went to look through some history books about the Breezy Plains. To be honest, if not for the recent happenings, I wouldn't have believed that there are such terrifying forces in the Breezy Plains," replied a middle-aged mage as he sighed and shook his head worriedly.

  The trouble the Tower of Dusk was met with was no secret among the mages. Lin Li's silent consent allowed information of the three forces to be spread among the mages very quickly. Although they were only given three names, they would be able to find certain information about them if they put in enough effort in their research. The mages knew very quickly that their opponent this time was mightier than the Dark Blade, and was even comparable to the Glittergold Trade Union.

  Yet, while some of the mages were really concerned about the future of the Tower, what the higher-ups were worried about did not happen. As the mages discussed the possible repercussions of the actions by their opponents, their topic of discussion even diverted without them noticing it.

  "How would they matter? They exist because the Tower of Dusk wasn't there to defeat them in the past. If they had been really powerful, why hadn't they stepped up when the Retribution Knight was here to wreak havoc? It was Mr. President who got rid of that Retribution Knight that was known as the demon deity," said a young mage who had participated in the underground palace mission.

  "But, what if they were only trying to preserve their energy at that point in time? After all, all they had to care about was personal interests. I bet they were in joy when they saw Rodhart help them eliminate so many other forces and leave behind so much barren land," retorted that middle-aged mage immediately.

  "If the Breezy Plains really became a piece of barren land, what benefits would they gain out of it? Furthermore, even if they were really preserving their energy, I don't believe that they would have the ability to overpower the Tower of Dusk. We have Mr. President with us! You wouldn't be able to imagine how powerful he is if you didn't participate in that mission," responded the young mage. He raised the corners of his lips proudly, and in his eyes was a sense of indifference towards the lurking forces. It seemed that he was extremely confident about the future of the Tower of Dusk.

  The young mage's attitude did not anger the middle-aged mage. He was instead curious about what the young mage was thinking.

  "You have such great confidence? I only know that Mr. President used a single spell to defeat two Legendary powerhouses from the Dark Blade. Are you saying that Mr. President was capable of more?" he asked him.

  "Tsk, how could the two Legendary powerhouses from Dark Blade be comparable to that Retribution Knight? Not to mention Mr. President having the ability to defeat a Retribution Knight single-handedly, I bet you wouldn't be able to imagine what spells he used. If you want to know why I have so much confidence in him, let me tell you my reasons…" As Lin Li
did not forbid the mages on that mission to divulge anything about the mission, there was nothing for this young mage to fear. He started to talk about everything he had witnessed to the other mages around him.

  "I bet you know about the two Undead servants, Lich Ujfalusi and Vampire Norfeller, working under Mr. President. Both of them are in the Legendary-level, and are definitely esteemed powerhouses. Mr. President also had a magical item in his hands that could help him summon the Legendary-level Lord of Nightmares and a real a.d.u.l.t red dragon in the Legendary-realm. Not only that, there is also Master Connoris, who had the ability to defeat 20 Death Knights single-handedly. He is definitely second only to Mr. President in terms of powers.

  "Also, I bet none of you would believe that Mr. President actually has a team of 40 Paladins. I had seen its ability. It is definitely enough for the team to deal with three to four leaders of the Dark Blade who are in the Legendary-realm. On top of that, he has a magical beast as well. Although I'm not sure what it is, I am amazed that it has the ability to cast an unlimited number of Legendary-level spells instantaneously despite being a petite beast. The magic storm that is created from the combination of different Legendary-level spells is definitely not something any common Legendary-mage can spawn.

  "You can count to see how many Legendary powerhouses our President would be able to deal with just by his own forces alone. To me, he would be able to defeat 15 to 16 real Legendary powerhouses at the minimum. Think about that! Who else apart from the Supreme Council, Brilliance Shrine, and Darkness Shrine would have the ability to do that? If the three forces were the real powerhouses in the Breezy Plains, I bet they wouldn't have to hide behind the covers at all."