A crimson beam of light struck down, and a shadow servant who could not dodge in time was shattered, scattering multiple bloodline treasures everywhere.
With the commanding high-pitched squawk, the flock of Blood Vultures now had a leader and their formation immediately changed. Many of them flew high into the sky and, like a web, began to circle the shadow servants, occasionally dropping down in attack.
Though this method was effective at killing many shadow servants, the remaining servants’ movements in looting them were much too quick. After paying the price of a large number of casualties, a portion of them still broke out.
*Chu!* The King Blood Vulture roared, bringing with it multiple Blood Vultures as it gave chase.
“Found you!” Leylin met with the person who were chasing after him.
It was a ginger female Magus. Her body was curvy, a golden headband rested on her forehead, and her pair of long and narrow eyes were fixed on Leylin.
“My name is Leylin. May I know yours?” In the face of her gaze that was ready to shoot flames, Leylin smiled slightly and performed a noble’s bow, his movements so precise there was nothing to criticise.
“Tanasha!” This female Magus had not expected Leylin to feel so relaxed. Though her chest was bouncing in her anger, she still had a lot of self-restraint as she announced her name.
“Are you prepared to admit to your sins?” Tanasha glanced at the handsome young man in front of her. Captives could be ransomed in the central continent. In addition, he had not caused too many casualties to her organisation, and was also a human backed by the Ouroboros Clan. Hence, it was not too surprising that he was still calm in this situation.
“Oh, no, you’ve misunderstood,” Leylin’s smile was dazzling, “I just want to ask you this. Do you… like Blood Vultures?”
“What do you mean?” Tanasha’s mind could not process this fast enough. But looking at the numerous crimson figures appearing on the horizon, she suddenly had a bad premonition.
Leylin acted before she could do anything, “Eye of Petrification!”
His eyes turned amber and the pupils became vertical slits, shooting out mysterious, unmeasurable rays of petrification.
Though it was only a rank 1 innate spell, with the addition of his Vapour Phase spiritual force and the strength of his bloodline, its power could not be underestimated.
At the same time, Leylin quickly chanted some incantations, and numerous shadows emerged from all directions, forming a giant cage that trapped her inside temporarily.
Tanasha’s reaction was extremely quick. “Storm!” Almost at the same instant the rays of petrification appeared, her eyes turned silver-white, releasing dazzling light that blocked them.
Meanwhile, a giant storm appeared from behind her, forming a tremendous tornado that stirred up and created chaos in the interior of the cage.
However, Leylin’s sudden attack made her falter. “Lance of Corrosion!”
A dark green lance, tip white, appeared in Leylin’s hand. It shot towards Tanasha, accompanied by a burst of air.
“How confident are you that a mere Vapour Phase Magus dares provoke a Crystal Phase Magus?” Tanasha was expressionless, but her fury was evident.
*Snap!* Tanasha extended her delicate, pale arms and a translucent layer appeared on top of her smooth skin.
Leylin had used all his might when he shot this Lance of Corrosion forth, and yet, she’d caught it just like that.
*Boom!* She viciously crushed the Lance into powder, while Leylin paled as he took several steps back.
However, his smile now was as if he had gotten away with something.
“Hm?” Tanasha’s brows furrowed. Only then did she notice that after the Lance of Corrosion had been destroyed, a white feather had appeared.
*Pu!* The white feather had exploded into powder and lightly stuck to Tanasha’s body.
“This aura? And with a powerful lock-on spell formation…” Tanasha’s brows furrowed and she immediately sneered, “I just need two minutes to-”
However, her expression completely changed.
Leylin, who was opposite her, waved his arms towards her and activated the Dark Elven Crown, and immediately turned invisible.
*Sou! Sou! Sou!*
Numerous black figures appeared. The shadow servants from before quickly pounced towards her, only to be killed by her while heading in her direction.
However, with this opportunity, they threw some bloodline crystals, bones and the like at her legs. There was an especially large egg that had been knocked so hard that it broke, revealing the egg yolk and whites within.
*Chu chu!* Numerous Blood Condors hurried over under the lead of the king, and upon seeing Tanasha, their eyes instantly turned red.
This was especially so for the the King Blood Vulture. It smelt its feather on Tanasha’s body. It was a feather used specifically to protect the Lamia fingerbone and was extremely precious. The smell was extremely unique, and there was no way it could recognise it wrongly!
It now looked like the person who had infiltrated its mountain and looted the area as they wished, was also the thief who had stolen its treasure!
The King Blood Vulture was furious, crimson lightning materialising around it.
“I- I- I!” Tanasha was momentarily stunned. No matter how stupid she might be, she knew what Leylin had planned.
“Wait, O King!” Tanasha was now sending spiritual force waves to the mind of the King Blood Vulture, her final attempt at saving herself.
However, would the enraged King Blood Vulture listen to her explanations? Though it had the intelligence of an adult, it was now in an angered state. Usually, in its territory, it would have what it wanted. Why would it listen to the explanations of a human?
Numerous bolts of crimson lightning struck down, drowning her…
Meanwhile, Leylin had made use of the Dark Elven Crown, and was sneakingly heading back.
*Boom!* Soil upended at an area, revealing numerous bloodline items within. Red gems and white bones were scattered, giving off a dazzling luster.
“There’s even a Blood Vulture egg here! It looks like a pretty good harvest.”
Holding a giant egg in his hands, Leylin looked elated. This was a few times larger than an ostrich egg, and it even had blood-red patterns on the surface, powerful life energy radiating from within. Leylin could even feel a throbbing from the shell.
Blood Vulture chicks could not be tamed, but one still in its egg could.
Not only did it have the ability to find bloodline treasures, it was also very popular for its ability to reach rank 3 after it had matured.
Of course, Leylin had no plans of selling it off. Rather, he wanted to subdue it.
The central continent was vast and boundless. There were many places that even Magi were yet to explore, and the Blood Vulture’s ability to fly was very useful in this area. In the future, he could gain a steady flow of bloodline treasures, which was the best advantage!
“The harvest is quite good!” Leylin quickly kept everything properly.
He had long since ordered the shadow servants to place whatever they had stolen on the road here. Whatever had been flung at Tanasha’s feet was just a small portion. The real treasures had long since been moved away and were all with Leylin.
After checking all his gains, Leylin looked back towards the Blood Vultures’ mountain, sinking into deep thought.
‘The King Blood Vulture has brought all its main forces to annihilate Tanasha. She is a Crystal Phase Magus after all, and it is possible for her to hold them off for some time. Should I go back and rummage through the Blood Vultures’ nests?’
Leylin immediately shook his head, throwing these enticing thoughts out of his mind.
“Forget it. What I now have is more than enough. I shouldn’t take such a risk at the end like this.”
“Besides, my real target is that rank 3 Crystal Phase Magus, not the rest of those bloodline treasures.”
Leylin’s
eyes flashed ruthlessly…
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! I want to slaughter that wretched Magus and turn his flesh and blood into powder and feed it to a Carnivorous Flower!”
Tanasha was in a tropical rain forest, sprinting hard.
However, she was evidently not in a very good condition. Not only were her clothes in tatters making her seem like a beggar, her entire right arm had disappeared. Her face was pale, with green veins visible on top.
This flock of Blood Vultures was truly relentless. In order to break away from them, Tanasha had to employ a few secret methods that would stimulate the potential in her body in succession. She had even discarded a clone that she had nurtured for a long period of time before she could successfully draw the King Blood Vulture away.
Tanasha was definitely fuming at the mouth, wishing she could eat Leylin alive.
“Tsk tsk, Ms Tanasha, you don’t seem to be in good health. Do you need treatment?” In the quiet rainforest, a voice suddenly sounded, causing Tanasha’s body to stiffen.
She then looked at the young man she would never be able to forget, blocking her path.
“How- how did you get here? I already destroyed all auras and smells that would identify me!” Tanasha gaped, disbelieving.
“You don’t need to know. Right now, you can only answer a question of mine.”
Leylin produced an ink-black cross blade and pointed it at her. “Submit to me, or die.”
He had naturally used the A.I. Chip to scan the surroundings and hunt her down. Though Tanasha had concealed her aura very well, and destroyed all the localizing marks that Leylin had shot out, nothing could be hidden in the face of the A.I. Chip.
Not considering anything else, just the signs of a human passing through on the road would not be able to escape the A.I. Chip’s nanoscopic scanning, no matter how hard Tanasha tried to cover her tracks.
It was only after Leylin confirmed that she was heavily injured that he chased up to her.
Tanasha was at the Crystal Phase, and was multiple levels higher than Leylin. In the past, it would have been a joke if a Vapour Phase Magus had announced his wish to kill a Crystal Phase Magus.
However, a hint of fear had already appeared on Tanasha’s pale face. She had no choice but to admit that Leylin had the strength and ability to kill the current her.
WMW Chapter 432
Subjugation
Rank 3 Magi were categorised into several stages. Leylin, at the Vapour Phase, could compress his spiritual force into a physical, observable fog.
On the other hand, Magi at the Crystal Phase could solidify their spiritual force, even preserving it to sell.
Spiritual force at the Crystal Phase had an unimaginable advantage against Vapour Phase spiritual force.
In other words, even if Leylin, Robin and Kesha had teamed up against Lucian, they wouldn’t be his match.
However, Tanasha’s spiritual force was exhausted long ago, including her Crystal Phase spiritual force crystals.
He wouldn’t be Leylin if he let such a good chance slip out of his hand.
Not only were Crystal Phase Magi powerful, they were considered nobles in the central continent due to their status as the reserve forces of Morning Star Magi.
Under usual circumstances, it was out of the question for Leylin to defeat Magi of this rank. Perhaps only Duke Gilbert, his mentor, would be able to.
But with Tanasha as she was, it would be easy.
“You…” Tanasha’s pale complexion flushed in anger, her fingers trembling, “How dare a lowly Vapour Phase Magus talk to me like that?”
“Looks like I’ll have to help you snap back to reality!” Leylin sighed in disappointment upon seeing her demeanour. His figure transformed into a ray of light and flashed in front of her.
*Thump!* He planted a fist on Tanasha’s cheek.
*Buzz!* A barrier of light was created around Tanasha as a brilliant ruby ring shone. It was, however, too feeble to deter Leylin as he easily broke through.
In the blink of an eye, Tanasha was sent flying, a large red patch on her cheek.
The Meteor Sword has already reached her neck before she could react.
“Now choose… Surrender, or die!” There was a change in Leylin’s tone. Now he demanded with utter disdain, every word pricking with a bone-chilling vibe. He had decided to kill were she to choose it.
He certainly did not wish to leave behind a Crystal Phase opponent.
Tanasha wisely chose to be silent in front of the cold-hearted Leylin.
This feeling of impending death was familiar to her. She felt as if she had returned to times of frailty and weakness, as old memories surfaced and she momentarily became distraught.
“What is with this woman’s mental state?!” Leylin shook his head, Tanasha’s reaction was nothing out of the ordinary since he was aware of the common psychological instability of Magi. There was also her injuries to consider. Moreover, all who entered the Forgotten Land would certainly have a dark past of own.
“I’m only giving you three minutes! Be quick!” Leylin tightened his grip on the sword and brought it closer to Tanasha’s neck.
Other Crystal Phase Magi would probably have a sense of dignity and pride, but things were different in the Forgotten Land. Those human Magi who entered here were mostly those who had reached an impasse, willing to forgo everything for a means of sustenance. It was easy for the mto capitulate.
Leylin’s cold voice caught Tanasha’s attention. The angry flush on her face had already dissipated by then, leaving behind a canvas of ivory.
“I… surrender!” She replied so softly Leylin could barely hear a thing.
As if on cue, Tanasha fell limp to the ground, her backbone losing support the moment she agreed. Her tears were uncontrollable.
The Meteor Sword remained on her neck in spite of everything.
“Make an oath! Also, relinquish your spirit source!” His voice was cold as ice.
“I… Tanasha…” Hesitance crossed Tanasha’s eyes as she fought an internal battle. However, she ended up choosing to surrender.
A sparkling strand of spirit source was released from her forehead and landed on Leylin’s palm.
That was a Magus’ lifeline. Were it not voluntary, it would be completely impossible to offer it to another person. Rules were even stricter in the central continent, to prevent the dominance of one over another. Of course, this didn’t stop people with influence and power from committing it but similarly, it had to be done in secret or they would be boycotted by all Magi.
This was no issue at all for Leylin since he didn’t plan for Tanasha to be seen by others.
“Master…” Tanasha called out in a deep voice and got up to her feet. She resembled a broken puppet, someone that had lost her soul.
“Being forced into the Forgotten Land, you must have your own dark past. But rest assured, I am not going to compel you to do things that are disgraceful to Magi. Instead, I can give you hope. A hope for revenge.”
There was a bewitching tone to Leylin’s offer and Tanasha’s eyes lit up a little as the word ‘revenge’ rang in her ears and a hint of anger rushed through her.
“That’s right! Revenge!” Leylin made eye contact with Tanasha and lowered his voice. “I promise, when I’m strong enough to take revenge for you and not worry about the possible repercussions and retaliation, I will aid you in accomplishing your dream. That is, if you work for me wholeheartedly till then.
“I’m not trying to patronise you. You see, I’ve reached the Vapour Phase at less than a hundred years of age. Moreover, there will be no problems with advancing to the Morning Star realm because of my Kemoyin bloodline!”
Deep down, Leylin was aware that with his method, Tanasha would only be willing to become a puppet to him. To milk her for everything she was worth, Leylin needed to ignite her battle spirit by fuelling her with hope.
And instead of empty promises, he promoted his skills to Tanasha, proving his capability to help her in h
er revenge.
“One hundred years old! Vapour Phase!” Tanasha gazed at Leylin with a heightened intensity.
A hundred years of age was definitely old for humans. But for Magi, especially those who were at rank 3 and above, it wouldn’t even be considered as puberty.
For Leylin who have both the talent and bloodline of the Giant Kemoyin Serpent, his status in the Ouroboros Clan could not be overlooked. All this pointed to one thing: There was a substantial chance for him to become a Morning Star Magus.
Even someone with the capability to escape a rank 3 Crystal Phase Magus would crumble like paper in the face of a rank 4 Morning Star Magus.
“I am at your beck and call, Master! I, Tanasha, will be your most loyal servant as long as my revenge is assured!” Tanasha knelt on a knee and gritted her teeth, a little more willing this time.
Although it was a mere promise without a covenant, what more could a captive like her bargain for?
”Haha…” Leylin cackled.
The addition of Tanasha was definitely a reinforcement to Leylin, given her strength which was more than his.
Plus, she would be hidden from the public since this assistance would be carried out in secret.
That was Leylin’s plan all along, to gather as much of an underground force as he could in case anything unexpected occurred.
“Take these potions quickly and recover!” Leylin showed generosity to the newly-recruited Tanasha and presented her with three tubes of differing colours.
“High-grade healing potion! High-grade spiritual force recovery potion! Sacred regeneration potion!” Tanasha’s face was painted with surprise as she recognised these three potions. Apart from their heavenly price, these potions were heavily utilised by large-scale organisations as their war reserves and could not even be bought with money.
This was especially true for the sacred regeneration potion which could stimulate the regrowth of limbs that were as good as the original with absolutely no side-effects. It was unfamiliar, even to a rank 3 Magus like Tanasha.
“Thank you, Master!” Tanasha bowed and sighed in relief,
“Don’t mention it, it’s just something I made!” Leylin added to his credibility.
Warlock of the Magus World 1-596 Page 305
