Chapter 161 - 163 - 170

Collaboration

Not only did Leylin display his immense might in front of the old witch, he even revealed that he had the backing of the Four Seasons Garden. Hence, the old witch now had no choice but to take him seriously.

As for the possibility of the other party catching hold of Leylin's weak point?

Right now Leylin had not joined any dark Magi organisations, so why would he be afraid of that?

Also, after successfully joining the organisation that the old witch was in, everyone would be in the same boat. Leylin also had other plans, and would never allow this old witch to reveal them to others.

*Crash!*

A heap of high-grade magic crystals that radiated huge energy waves was emptied on the table, along with a dozen black magic crystal cards.

These magic crystal cards were made of the essence of 1000 magic crystals, which was the origin for many formations source of energy. Hence, they were extremely sought after.

"All of my magic crystals are here. Every item in this shop, as long as you want them, can be yours. If only you could give me that potion's formula."

An earnest and pleading expression appeared on the old witch's face. It seemed that she needed this potion's formula very badly.

This turn of events left Leylin somewhat shocked.

From what he thought, this old witch would definitely be enthralled by it, but not to such a crazy degree.

However, this situation was naturally more favourable towards him now.

Leylin appeared indifferent as he swept up the magic crystal cards and crystallised Darkness energy particles and stored them in his robes.

"How precious is the formula of a potion that can increase the spiritual force of even official Magi? It isn't even easy for me to get this kind of item!"

Leylin said nonchalantly, and despair was drawn on the old witch's face.

"Although the formula cannot be given, we can still cooperate!" Right when the old witch was about to burst in rage, Leylin gently spoke again, causing the old witch relax the energy particles that she had gathered.

"Cooperate? How are we going to do that?"

"You're an expert in the field of spirits, and the raw ingredients for this spiritual potion are all spirits! You'll provide the ingredients and do all of the other preparatory work, and I'll be in charge of brewing the potion. As for the potions that are successful, I'll get 60% of them, and you'll get the remaining 40%!"

Leylin suggested.

It was obvious that this proposal seemed to hit the old witch's soft spot.

In terms of potential, she couldn't take down the present Leylin, and the power backing Leylin was also one that caused her some amount of fear. In addition, this potion was extremely important to her.

"The ratio is too little. I'll be obtaining the spirits and doing all the prep work, which is much more dangerous. If I ever get caught by the light Magi, I'll definitely be chased to the ends of the world!"

The old witch emphasised the fact that she'd be in the most danger.

"That's the best you'll get! It won't get any higher than this!" Leylin wore a deadpan expression. "After all, the formula is in my hands. As long as you agree, we can immediately sign a contract and summon the Trial's Eye to bear witness to it!"

"…Very well!" The old witch was silent for a long while, before forcing the words out of her mouth.

After picking another time to meet, Leylin left the area with a smile about his lips.

He had been planning on collaborating with her since after their first meeting.

The spiritual force potion that he had shown earlier was naturally the ancient potion formula for the Tears of Mary.

Back when he was an acolyte, he had already completed a simplified version of it—the Blood Vengeance Potion.

After he had advanced into a Rank 1 Warlock and upgraded the A.I. Chip, Leylin finally possessed the capabilities to restore the original incomplete formula of the potion.

This potion was indeed befitting of use by the ancient Magi. According to the A.I. Chip's simple calculation, the Tears of Mary currently proved to be extremely beneficial for Leylin to speedily increase his spiritual force.

A large amount of spirits that had to be harvested, combined with the early stages of preparatory work, was extremely complicated and savage. The brutality contained was leagues above that of brewing the Blood Vengeance Potion! If the light Magi were to find out, Leylin's only outcome would be a chase to the death, and even interrogation regarding the formula.

Leylin did not have the time and effort to take on such a risk.

Moreover, due to the potion formula's special nature, the magicians who could handle the preparatory work had to have to strength of an official Magus and a deep understanding regarding the aspect of spirits.

Right now, the old witch was the only one that fulfilled this criterion.

Within the Four Seasons Garden, there were sure to be Magi who were able to fulfill these requirements, but Leylin wouldn't even consider it.

This spiritual potion, which was suitable for official Magi, was much more costly than those suitable for acolytes. Furthermore, it was an ancient potion! Leylin wasn't so stupid as to think that he could keep possession of this formula. It would definitely be seized in the name of the organisation.

Even though the organisation was sure to give him some benefits, would it outweigh the advantages of having sole possession of the formula?

A potion that could raise one's spiritual power was a temptation that no official Magus would be able to resist.

As a result, with Leylin's persuasion, the old witch quickly agreed.

In addition, the two of them made an unbreakable vow, to which the Trial's Eye bore witness.

The old witch was even forced to swear not to leak any information about Leylin or the potion formula.

This was, of course, at Leylin's request. This way, even if someone found out the old witch's secret, they would not be able to trace it back to Leylin.

In fact, Leylin pushed all the risk of material gathering onto the old witch!

Hence, he did not hesitate to give her 40% of the potions that would be brewed!

As for the formula of the potion, Leylin had given the old witch most of the contents of the first half. As for the few most crucial steps, it was solely controlled by him.

As long as he held on to those key steps, Leylin didn't need to worry about the old witch possibly rebelling against him.

These last few procedures were not only extremely tedious but also required the help of the A.I. Chip to achieve true success. Even if others had gotten the complete formula, they might not be able to brew the potion successfully.

As for the witch who needed the potion, she had no choice but to toil for Leylin, taking on the extreme risk of harvesting souls, and also completing the bloody preparation of the early stages of the brewing process.

After signing the contract, Leylin and the old witch were, to some extent, in the same boat, so the matter of being referred to a dark guild would naturally be followed up.

"But that old witch's reaction was a little strange. She agreed so easily in order to obtain the potion. I was prepared to give her more materials, but she actually agreed to my conditions so quickly, almost as if the potion wasn't for herself, but for someone else…"

The wheels in Leylin's head were constantly turning as he ambled along.

"No, this is better for me. If I have misgivings about this arrangement, then I will have something that I can use as blackmail material…"

Under the setting sun's light, Leylin's shadow was drawn out onto the streets, looking somewhat malevolent, as if it were a devil…

In the shop from before.

The old witch stood there silently until she confirmed Leylin's departure. After that, she walked to the counter and pressed on a hidden area.

*Boom!*

A mechanical sound was heard, and the wall at the back of the shop was pushed backwards, revealing a flight of steps that headed downwards.

The old witch held onto her cloak as she slowly walked down.

The staircase was extremely short, ending after just a couple of steps.

This was a basement, and it was positioned right below the old witch's shop. Moreover, there were many runes inscribed onto the walls of the basement room.

There were a few human bones scattered in the corners of the room as well.

There were many traces of scars on these bones, which could only let one imagine the torture and suffering that the owners went through while they were alive.

A frosty aura continuously encircled the room.

If Leylin was here, he would definitely recognise this familiar feeling. It was similar to the lab back in the Extreme Night City, where he was trying to create vengeful spirits.

*Sssii!* The old witch lit a candle in the centre of the room.

This candle was a transparent white, yet the flame was a dark green. The old witch's horrendous countenance looked even more malicious under the flame.

"Mother…"

Whoosh! A black tornado swept across the basement, and after a flash of black gas, there was suddenly a translucent figure in the basement.

This figure belonged to a young girl wearing a simple dress. Her shadow was extremely faint as if she was on the verge of dissipating.

"My daughter!" A kindly, yet heartbroken expression appeared on the old witch's face.

"What happened just now? Why did I feel a strong and vicious energy burst out upstairs?" The girl's expression was one of suspicion.

"No! It's nothing, just a slight dispute while I was doing business…"

The old witch looked tense. "Did it hurt you?"

"I'm alright, it's only that…" The girl crouched on the floor and hugged her knees. "Don't bother with me anymore; it has already costed you large amounts of resources to protect my existence. If not for me, wouldn't you have long since advanced?"

"My dear daughter!" The old witch's eyes reddened, and she wanted to hug her daughter, yet her two hands could only weave through the girl's ghostly figure.

Following which, the girl's arms turned even more illusory, as if they were going to scatter any moment.

"Oh! No! Why is this even faster than before?"

Fright appeared on the old witch's face, and she frantically withdrew various items from her robes and placed them on the floor, forming a tiny spell formation.

In the center of the formation, there was a spirit trapped within a crystal ball.

"Almighty Defiling Mother, I hereby sacrifice the fear of this spirit in return for your blessings…"

The old witch continued to chant in an extremely awkward sounding incantation, all while pointing at the spirit.

"Ah…" The sound of anguish and terror travelled outwards from within the crystal ball, threads of silvery-white gas constantly being drawn out from the spirit's body.

The silvery-white gas quickly supplemented the girl's body, and her almost dissipated body gradually became more stable.

"It's starting again! I don't want to do this… It's too… too cruel…" The girl quietly sobbed.

"I found a potion today, and the formula is said to have been used by ancient Magi to raise their spiritual power. It'll definitely be effective for you! Stay strong! Stay strong for a little while longer, and mother will definitely help you regain your physical body."

The old witch continuously consoled her.

Participate And Plunder

Leylin did not know of the incident that happened after he left the small shop.

After coming to an agreement with the old witch, he first went to the most famous and lavish restaurant in the Nightless City for a sumptuous meal. Following that, he brought gifts to Crew's villa to thank him for divulging some information beforehand.

As for Crew, after he saw Leylin who had successfully become a member of the Four Seasons Garden, his shocked expression almost caused Leylin to laugh.

Although the Four Seasons Garden was rated as first class with complete experimentation facilities, it was undeniable that in terms of enjoyment it was still lacking to what the Nightless City had to offer.

Leylin finally understood why many members who had a dormitory in the headquarters of the Four Seasons Garden still visit the Nightless City during their vacation period.

For Magi, their long lifespan and inhuman strength allowed them to easily obtain much influence and status.

And apart from research and analysis, these mortal pleasures became one of their ways of entertainment.

Upon seeing no hope of advancing further, many elderly Magi would retire from their organisations and into Nightless City, enjoying their life to the fullest.

Leylin's neighbour, Crew, was a good representation of those kinds of people.

However, for the time being, this matter was too far in the future for Leylin to even be thinking about, since he was still young and had a lot of potential to rise in power. It was far too early to get discouraged.

Whiling the time away was just a method for him to vent and relax during his free time.

...

Time passed quickly, and three days later, Leylin abided by the promise and met with the old witch once again.

"Follow me! I'll bring you to a meeting with the organisation that's backing me!"

She brought Leylin out of Nightless City.

In a rather isolated forest, the old witch took out a ghost mask and put it on. "The dark Magi organisations and light Magi ones are different. Any divulgence of information will lead us into trouble. Hence, many members conceal their identity. You had better cover your face and think of a nickname!"

It seemed that before obtaining the complete formula of the Tears of Mary, the old witch had already treated Leylin to be in an alliance with her.

After all, compared to promises and pledges, the constraints bound by benefits were more everlasting.

"My nickname is 'Old Devil'. Don't call me by the wrong name!" The old witch reminded him, apparently worried.

"Concealing identities? I like this idea!" Leylin nodded, and his facial muscles twisted. The colour of his hair also changed from jet-black to silver white.

At the same time, he fitted a mask onto his face. "When we reach there, call me 'Blood Rogue'!"

The dark Magi's system was much more appropriate for Leylin's tastes.

In addition, hiding his identity would also be useful for his work within the Four Seasons Garden.

The meeting was conducted at the bottom of a swamp.

Even though this place could be likened to hell for regular humans, for Leylin and official Magi, this was just a matter of walking a few steps further.

After passing through the swamp, which was emitting a putrid smell, Leylin found himself in a space under the ground, which had been set up at that instant.

"You're late! Old Devil! And you seem to have brought in fresh blood?"

A black mouse, the size of a burly adult, stood on its hind legs, as it stared fiercely at Leylin, its small eyes full of distrust.

"Yes, he is the one I've spoken about before. His name is 'Blood Rogue'!"

"Although the blood reeking aura on him tells me that he is a dark Magus, but those turncoat trashs who had gone to the light Magi's side are too many. We need a deeper level of confirmation…"

Besides the black mouse was a bald Magus whose facial features seemed to have melted. There was also a large black boa coiled around its body.

"He has frightened my baby!"

The boa, upon seeing Leylin immediately retreated with fear, as if seeing its natural enemy. Afterwards, it then respectfully laid down on the floor showing its allegiance to Leylin. This turned the bald Magus' expression extremely unsightly.

Leylin understood then that the fact the boa bowed in front of him was due to his Giant Kemoyin Serpent's bloodline.

This was an ancient creature's bloodline, which had a natural disposition and control over its own species.

"Damn it!" The bald Magus attacked.

Something that looked like bestial claws appeared in the air and pounced at Leylin, the attack accompanied by the howls of wild creatures.

"You're looking to die!"

Leylin roared, and a scarlet light bursting out of his body as he scratched at the air with his right hand!

Innumerable black shadows emerged from the darkness and twined around those bestial claws. *Sssii!* White vapour emerged unceasingly, and the beast claws engulfed within the black shadows began to dissolve, turning into drops of black liquid that dripped onto the floor.

"Ugh!" Meanwhile, the bald Magus turned pale and he retreated a few steps, seeming to have taken a little damage.

"Hahahaha… What did I just see? Venom Snake, you actually cannot even control a newbie!"

A female Magus wearing a white mask mocked him.

"Hmph, you just wait!" The bald Venom Snake stared coldly at Leylin but did not attack him a second time.

Before arriving here, the old witch had already given Leylin a brief introduction.

This small organisation was formed by a few dark Magi after several trades, so there weren't any strict rules, so much so that all the members had their identities concealed.

However, after some time, the organisation expanded in power, and could already rival the existence of medium tiered guilds.

As the members were all dark Magi, the entry requirements were extremely lax. Many members had enmity between them, but against the immense pressure from the light Magi, they still chose to ally themselves with this organisation.

As for the previous few Magi who tried to make things difficult for Leylin, it was a mere formality.

Right now, Leylin had displayed his prowess, so naturally, no one else dared to provoke him.

"Alright now! Blood Rogue is referred by me. Furthermore, I can vouch for him!" The old witch said.

"Since Old Devil's already said this, and all who join us need to make a soul pledge, it's definitely not a problem!" A Magus, with the head of a tiger, spoke.

From what Leylin had heard from the old witch, she had entered this organisation a long time ago and could be considered an elder. From the looks of it, this seemed to be true.

"Alright! The reason why we're gathered here today isn't to welcome the new guy… How is the plan from the previous time we met going on?"

Another Magus, who had enveloped himself in a green fog, inquired.

"Since we're all here, then it must mean that we're all into this. Also, we can give our newbie a test!" The baldy Venom Snake stared at Leylin.

"Attacking a secret plane huh? Count me in, but also give me an equal portion of the resources obtained!"

Leylin said blandly.

This was something that the old witch told him earlier.

Such a large group of dark Magi gathering was not just to exchange resources.

To them, self-production was too slow. The best way was still to plunder resources from the light Magi!

Also, it was not that the dark Magi did not produce their own resources. However, during the time of managing their own secret planes, they also plundered to increase their harvest.

Leylin only understood all these recently.

But the reason why he had joined a dark Magi's organisation was precisely for this reason, so he was naturally supportive of their plan.

"Good! Since everyone's in agreement, I'll go through the entire plan."

"The secret plane I've discovered this time is located in a small-scaled secret storage plane used by the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower. There's an enforcement group comprised of official Magi keeping an eye on it, and the strongest Magus among them has an elemental essence conversion of above 80%. I'll lead him away, so I want 40% of our profit!"

The Magus within the green fog spoke.

"I agree!"

"I agree!"

… This had obviously been agreed upon previously, and the surrounding Magi looked at each other and quickly voiced their agreement as they nodded.

"To be so certain that he can guide that Magus away must mean that that Magus within the green fog is very strong! He must be on the verge of advancing to the 2nd rank!"

Leylin shivered inwardly. He was very clear about the strength he held, and his position in the group.

Just based on the advantage of Warlocks in the innate spells and vitality, adding on to his current elemental essence conversion, right now he could defeat a semi-converted elemental Magus head on. However, towards those Magi with over 80% elemental essence conversion, he still did not stand a chance.

As for the members in this dark Magi organisation, they were mostly semi-converted elemental Magus, who would be considered as elites within the south coast.

As for small scaled secret planes, they were different from the Four Seasons Garden that Leylin saw previously which spanned over 1 million mu.

The small scaled secret planes were set up by Magi who wished to store resources and other precious resources. Just like the Dylan Gardens, the area might not be extremely vast, but the items within were extremely valuable.

As for Four Seasons Garden's secret plane, it was a large scaled resource production point. As the area was vast, the construction cost was extravagant. Hence they had a rank 2 Magus guarding over it.

It was evident that if this organisation that Leylin was in attempted to rob the Four Seasons Garden's secret plane, the number of members who went would spell the number of deaths.

However, to deal with a small scaled secret plane which only had a rank 1 Magus as the guardian, as long as the plan was executed perfectly, it was very likely to be a success.

"Alright! Since there are no other questions, then let us set off now!"

The Magus in the green fog withdraw a watch and looked at it.

"Let's go! My precious is already longing for fresh blood!" The baldy Venom Snake smiled in a savage and malevolent manner…

...

In a place not too far from Nightless City.

There were several man-made buildings, from which Magi in disguise frequently entered and exited.

"This is the branch of Ennea Ivory Ring Tower. The secret plane that I inquired about is within this place…"

The voice of the Magus within the green fog travelled over, faintly discernible, "I'll lead the guardian away. You have to plunder the secret plane before the guards of Nightless City arrive. Act based on the plan and remember, your time limit is 5 minutes!!!"

"Don't worry, it's not like this is our first time working together!"

The Old Devil, which the old witch was playing the role of, laughed coldly.

Crimson Palm

"Go!"

With the command, the Magus enshrouded in green mist acted first.

After an incantation, he floated in the air, green mist continuously emanating from his body.

*Whoosh!* All of the dark green fog turned into a hurricane and struck at a part of the division in Leylin's field of vision.

*Sssii!* This green fog seemed to have extremely acidic properties.

Several acolytes wailed as they turned into white bones after the fog engulfed them. Even the surrounding ground turned even softer and muddier, turning into a marsh.

Even the light from part of the defensive spell formation trembled under the corrosive power of the green fog, as if it was going to shatter at any moment.

"Who is it? You actually dare to attack a division of the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower?"

An enraged voice sounded out. Following which, a figure wearing black armour flew up into the air.

"Kill!" The black clothed figure coldly shouted, and smoke billowed from the ground, turning into a skull as it struck the green fog.

"Hehehe…" The Magus in the green fog cackled. Under his command, the green fog took on the form of a scorpion as it clashed with the skull.

*Boom!*

*Bang!*

The surroundings seemed to have been struck by 10 different hurricane force winds, which then dissipated in all directions.

The mighty destructive power immediately caused the division's building to be shaven off by a layer.

"Is this the might of a Magus who has fulfilled the requirements for breaking through to the next rank?" Leylin watched the actions of the Magus in mid-air closely, a strange light in his eyes.

With the Magus in the green mist taking control, the battle in the air became increasingly one-sided.

"It's our turn now!" Rodent, who was half the size of a regular man, licked his lips.

"Newbie! Don't get intimidated! If you hinder this operation, I'll be the first to claim your life!"

Venom Snake threatened him.

"If you obstruct me, you'll definitely be the one dead!"

Leylin, who was going by the name of Blood Rogue, made a sound as he snickered. A potion exploded and formed a red membrane on his body.

"Giant's green fog is an extremely powerful type of area of effect spell. It can deal devastating damage to all targets within the area of effect!"

The old witch who was wearing the mask explained to Leylin.

"Be careful; although Giant has lured the strongest enemy away, the remaining enforcers won't be easy to deal with either…"

"Hehe… Those light Magi are like little rabbits. I've long since wanted to rip open their chests and savour the taste of their innards…"

A zombie-like dark Magus licked his lips as he turned into a gust of black wind, charging into the division's building, whose defensive spell formation had broken down.

*Whoosh!*

As if his action signalled the start, dozens of strange colours with powerful energy waves radiating from them charged towards the division.

"Crap! It's a trap, inform the team leader quickly!"

The light Magi who were by the entrance watched the dozens of dark Magi dashing towards them, and their expressions immediately changed. Even their voices cracked.

"Haha… Boss Giant may have some difficulty killing your leader, but it's not a problem for him to stall for time! Even if your leader finds something wrong, it'll be too late for him to save you…"

The old witch laughed loudly as she tossed two silver coloured metal balls towards the building.

*Boom!*

The silver metal balls both exploded like grenades. After the shock waves had dissipated, a spell continuously encircled the area and the air was contorted, even to the point that the energy particles in the air were unstable.

*Bzzt bzzt* The sound of electromagnetic interference boomed throughout the area.

"Not good! It's an Elemental Fluctuation Bomb! They actually have something like that!"

The light Magi's faces were ashen as they quickly retreated.

"Alright! None of the communication spells work, and space magic is now impossible to use. Comrades enjoy this blood fest! You only have a limit of 5 minutes…"

The old witch waved her hand.

"Spirit Explosion!"

*Boom!* A translucent spirit suddenly appeared in the surroundings of the light Magi and exploded.

Against the energy waves that targeted the spirit, one light Magus retreated several steps. Blood began to flow from his seven facial orifices.

However, in the instant that he retreated, a translucent worm appeared from the contortions in the air, directly charging towards the light Magus.

*Ka-Cha!* A defensive lightning shield appeared around the light Magus' body, protecting him within.

*Pu!* The lightning shield crumpled like paper in the face of the worm, shattering from just the first touch. The crystal like worm drove its way right into the Magus' mouth.

"Ugh…" The light Magus' face turned purple, looking like an eggplant as he clutched at his throat and collapsed.

"Hehe, I don't usually have the luxury of using magic as I please and collecting souls! Same rules, all spirits collected in battles must be handed over to me. I guarantee a good price!"

Silver light permeated the old witch's hands as she retrieved a crystal ball from her robes and approached the light Magus, who had lost all signs of resistance. Her lips moved non-stop as she chanted something.

Following her incantation, the light Magus' eyes became blurry, and an indistinct human figure was pulled out from that Magus' body.

"This old witch is really a lunatic! She's actually collecting spirits directly from the battlefield!"

Leylin watched her work, unperturbed by her surroundings, and suddenly began to regret his initial decision.

However, it was just for a moment that he shot a glance in the direction of the old witch. Immediately after, he spilled some red powder onto his two hands.

"Crimson Palm!"

As he chanted, a layer of crimson coloured light suffused both of Leylin's arms. His palms turned extremely slender, and his fingernails turned razor sharp and also slightly transparent.

This was a rank 1 spell from the Book of Giant Serpent that Leylin had long since recorded into his memory through the A.I. Chip.

Although his rank 1 spell's might was a little lower, with only a degree of 20 or so, with the addition of his elemental essence conversion, it was enough to deal with a normal rank 1 Magus.

Right now, Leylin was hiding his identity, so innate gifts and spells that were eye catching could not be used.

However, he had already prepared another set of spells to cast in times like this.

[Host's palms have had a slight adjustment in strength. Strength in arms are now stronger, with an added effect of poison!] The A.I. Chip's voice intoned.

Looking at the surroundings, where every Magus had found his or her own opponent, Leylin smiled as he casually picked on a light Magus who came charging at him.

*Crash!*

The slender, yet extremely menacing fingers clawed through the void, and large energy waves surged through the air as if the surface of a lake had been ripped through.

Leylin's body flashed as his red shadow rapidly moved around on the battlefield, leaving behind only a series of mirages.

"Who exactly are you guys? Which organisation are you from?"

The opponent that Leylin chose was a middle-aged man wearing loose white robes, yet an extremely aged voice came from his larynx.

Leylin only clawed viciously as a reply.

*Thump!*

Leylin struck with his right hand, directly slashing a few marks onto the opposing Magus' body.

In front of Leylin's Crimson Palm, the official Magus' standard white robes were like paper, getting slashed into pieces, and leaving behind a large hole.

"Elemental Shield!" The middle-aged Magus roared.

Brown energy particles gathered unceasingly and solidified to form a thin, yellow, full-body armour, protecting his entire body. Even his head was shielded with a helmet, leaving just a pair of sparkling eyes.

"I will ask again, who is behind this attack, dark Magus!" The middle aged man continuously staggered backwards, his hands stealthily reaching into his robes.

"You talk too much!"

Leylin struck again, his crimson claws leaving a scratch on the yellow armour.

"It's useless!" The middle aged Magus howled. Traces of brown energy particles were continuously being absorbed into the dents of the armour, quickly restoring most traces of damage.

[Target's innate spell has been scanned and recorded. Beginning simulation and parameter testing to find out the weakest point!]

The A.I. Chip's voice intoned. It also projected the 3D image of a human figure wearing the yellow armour. Several points on the armour were marked red, representing the weak points.

While Leylin attacked, the middle-aged Magus withdrew a scroll from his robes, from which tremendous energy waves emanated.

"A formidable spell in a scroll? I can't let him activate it!" Leylin's pupils contracted as he let loose an extremely high-pitched shriek.

"Hisssss…" This was the voice of an extremely venomous snake, and was so unpleasant to the ears that it could draw goosebumps from others.

When the sound waves reached the middle-aged Magus, a blank look appeared on his face, and the speed at which he was opening the scroll slowed.

"Right here!" Leylin's footsteps moved in a bizarre manner as he rapidly increased his speed and covered a distance of over ten meters. In the blink of an eye, he arrived in front of the middle-aged Magus.

The bright red light of the Crimson Palm on his right hand shone even more vividly as he clawed at the area 3 inches above the Magus' abdomen, which was protected by his armour.

The first claw! A depression the size of a fist appeared in the brown armour, and a large part of the armour fell.

The second claw! The middle-aged Magus' innate defensive spell was destroyed by Leylin.

"No! Please forgive me, the value of a Magus kept in captive is high!"

It was obvious that this light Magus was used to living a privileged lifestyle, and lacked the will to even fight for his own life, sinking to his knees in front of Leylin.

However, Leylin's face was ice cold, like a thousand year old frost. His right hand struck again, crushing the middle-aged Magus' head like a watermelon.

*Crunch!*

White brain matter and scarlet blood stained Leylin's hands. His hands seemed even more demonic and alluring.

"There's an unexpected reward!"

Leylin picked up the Magus' scroll, his face filled with glee.

"A pretty good scroll; the energy waves are extremely strong. It seems like it should be able to hold its own even amongst rank 1 spells! It should be worth quite a bit of magic crystals…"

Right at this moment, a wretched scream caught Leylin's attention.

A Successful Retreat

Leylin turned around and saw the baldy's snake shoot an ice bullet, which shattered the innate defense spell of his opponent.

At the same time, the precious boa of his charged, revealing razor sharp fangs and sinking them into the light Magus' neck.

Baldy's opponent was a rather young looking Magus with blonde hair and blue eyes. He had an extremely cheery disposition.

It was a pity, however, that right now, this light Magus had death written all over his face. With the continuous constriction of the boa, his life was drained away.

After killing the light Magus, the baldy's Venom Snake threw Leylin a provocative look.

However, Leylin acted as if he saw nothing, and dashed right into the division of the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower.

"Right now, he wants to be petty about such things and not steal treasures? This Magus is definitely somewhat mental!"

Leylin hurriedly ran past the doors and arrived at a place that seemed to be a library.

"These are all information meant for acolytes, so I'll forgo them. A.I. Chip, scan!" Leylin's eyes hurriedly swept the area. This library consisted of two floors, and the total area was rather huge. However, Leylin had read most of the books found here before, so they were not of much value to him.

[Beep! Mission establishing, beginning scan…]

After which, a light blue image was formed and appeared in Leylin's vision.

Through this image, Leylin could easily discover that between the two floors, there was an extremely tiny passage.

Right now, there was no one in the library, and books and chairs were strewn across the floor. It seemed that the people who were here had escaped quickly.

Leylin strode past the lobby and came to the hidden spot.

"It's in here huh?"

Leylin looked at the wall before his hands punched into it without hesitation!

*Boom!* Dust flew around in the room, and an extremely narrow passage was revealed at the collapsed portion of the wall.

"Hmm?"

The passage was extremely short, and at the back, there was a small room. There were several shelves upon which some memory crystal balls sat on. Moreover, in the room sat three quivering acolytes.

"Ennea Ivory Ring Tower huh? George isn't here!"

Leylin gave a quick scan and slightly waved his Crimson Palm.

A blurry red light filled the small room.

The three acolyte's eyes turned red, and they immediately lost consciousness, their bodies still trembling as signs of life became less obvious. From the looks of it, they wouldn't live past today.

In front of an official Magus like Leylin, these regular acolytes' lives were like those of ants. With just a slight misstep, he might accidentally kill a few of them.

Leylin paid no mind as he stepped across the acolytes' bodies, which were still involuntarily trembling, and came to the front of one of the wooden shelves.

"Elementary Meditation Techniques" "Potioneering Foundations…" "Rune Theories" "Study of Particles"

The crystal balls on the wooden shelves were more valuable items, which could immediately transmit information into a magician's mind without them forgetting anything.

Leylin's eyes swept past the crystal balls and noticed that they contained information meant for acolytes, which was not of much use to him. However, there was a clutter of black crystal balls in the middle of all of them, with various tags showing the high-grade information stored within. This caused Leylin to grin…

A dozen seconds later, Leylin walked out from the library, which combusted in flames just seconds later.

At this moment, the whole division was in chaos, with magic spells being continuously fired across the battlefield.

After killing most of the official Magus enforcers, most of the division's defenses fell apart.

Some were even acolytes who couldn't resist the attacks of a group of dark Magi!

The dark Magi wilfully plundered resources as they deemed fit, destroying everything they could see before them, and letting loose their inner cravings for darkness.

Leylin watched the scene with a blank expression, using the A.I. Chip to scan the entire branch.

He didn't have much time, and there was at most a few minutes before Nightless City's allied forces arrived. No matter how insane Leylin was, he wouldn't dare to contend with a large number of light Magi.

"From the structure, this isn't a division of the academy. Rather, this is more similar to a research organisation, with a lot fewer people here…"

Leylin traversed an area with disorganised architecture and idly looked around.

"I found it!"

An excited voice rang out. "Guys, come here! I've found the entrance to the secret plane!"

"Hm?"

"That's great!"

Multiple equally eager voices came for all around the region, and the dark Magi from before all gathered in a small garden.

Here, the large Rodent Magus was constantly rubbing his black claws, his beard sticking up, and his tiny eyes greedily fixated upon an oval object in the sky.

That object seemed to be a mirror with silver rays of light surrounding it. In the centre was a deep and dark spiral.

"I'm sorry, my magic can only show you the entrance to the secret plane. It will take some time to forcefully gain entry!"

The large Rodent immediately asked, "Which of you captured any opposing Magi? Interrogate them and get the password and method to enter!"

"Look for Old Devil, she's an expert in this field!"

The zombie-like Magus was carrying the naked corpse of a female acolyte, gnawing her flesh from time to time as if savouring a delicacy.

"Hehe… That Magus' spirit was extracted smoothly by me earlier; it seems like this will be a great harvest!"

The old witch cackled and walked towards the silver circular hole, while chanting an extremely awkward sounding incantation.

*Weng Weng!*

The void emitted energy waves as the circular entrance became enlarged, revealing the dark space of what seemed to be a storage.

"Haha… We have struck the jackpot…" The giant mouse rushed in like a whirlwind, with the following dark Magi following behind.

"I'll stay behind to keep watch!" The old witch tossed several powder-like substances on the ground. "Anyway, we have to divide them in the end…"

Leylin exchanged a meaningful look with the old witch as he went into the secret plane.

This secret plane was extremely small—about the size of a large warehouse. There was only one passage for people to walk about. On both sides of the warehouse, there were many labeled items and ingredients.

"Hurry! Pick the most valuable items and go, and burn the rest that we don't need!"

Zombie tossed the female corpse aside and looked at the door of the warehouse, before stepping in with a snort.

Leylin looked at the dark Magi who were happily shoving items into their pockets, and could not help but shake his head.

In the Magus world, those magic artifacts which had spatial capabilities were extremely precious. At most, Leylin had only heard of them in legends and folklore. Until now, he had never seen any Magus owning an item like that.

Hence, most Magi could only carry the most valuable items with them. Every time they went on a mission, they would be carrying many sacks, with some even having horse carriages that were filled with empty chests.

As for right now, there were too many items in this warehouse. Leylin and the others could only choose the most valuable ones, and as for other large items, these dark Magi, who were already consumed by greed, could only choose to destroy them.

"If I had a spatial ring or something like that in future, then it would be much more convenient!"

Leylin rushed into a section where the shelves were filled with various ingredients, as well as heaps of magic crystals that had been tossed in a corner like trash.

Leylin quickly stuffed the precious materials into his own pockets. He immediately ignored the low-grade magic crystals, and only the high-grade magic crystals and magic crystal cards caught his eye.

At this moment, he was still indulging in his fantasies.

"Of course, rather than getting any spatial ring, the best thing to do would be to occupy this territory. That would be real profit without any investment!"

Leylin was a little regretful about this, but he could only bury his delusions into the bottom of his heart.

[Beep! 4 Minute 37 Seconds have passed in the countdown, reaching close to the value set by the Host!]

The A.I. Chip's voice intoned.

"There's no more time! Retreat!" Leylin's eyes reflected his resolution, and he speedily left the warehouse.

"Nightless City's forces are arriving. Run!"

After Leylin left the secret plane, he heard Rodent's flustered voice.

"Go!"

Leylin and the old witch nodded, and transformed into two streaks of shadows, which disappeared into the air.

After the retreat of all the dark Magi, Leylin turned back to observe the sight of black flames emitting from Ennea Ivory Ring Tower.

Some of the Magi from the Nightless City who were using rank 1 flying magic descended from the sky.

...

A giant beast dashed past the land.

Looking on, this beast was over 50 metres tall and 200 metres long. Its appearance closely resembled a large hippopotamus, and its jaws occupied almost half of its body size.

With every step that this gargantuan beast took, deep imprints would be made on the ground. Also, there were also tremors, as if mini earthquakes were occurring.

The surrounding animals would scatter and flee after seeing this beast, not daring to stay a moment longer.

Within this beast, the group of dark Magi from earlier were gathered inside of a large hall.

The Magus wrapped in green fog, who went by the name of "Giant," stood unscathed in the middle, and his aura had not even decreased by much. It was evident that he had disposed of his opponent with much ease.

"Alright! Since all of us here have made our vows and have undergone the judgment of the Trial's Eye, take out 50% worth of the items that you have plundered!"

Giant spoke in a cold voice.

Despite the chaos of the Magi below, under the constraints of the power of the higher ups, as well as their oaths, they hastily piled some magic crystals and materials in the centre of the hall.

Soon enough, the materials and magic crystals formed a small mountain.

"This all amounts to at least ten million magic crystals!" Leylin's eyes flashed as he mentally calculated.

"Moreover, this is only 50%. Which is to say, the division of the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower has lost close to twenty million magic crystals, along with the destruction of other items… The Ennea Ivory Ring Tower is going to go nuts this time…"

After giving it some thought, he was a little curious and asked the old witch beside him in a low voice.

"Do we really have to give up 50% of our profits? Isn't that too much?"

To Maraud

"You thought… the magic crystals are all for Giant?"

The old witch snuck a glance at Giant, who was saying something, and answered Leylin under her breath.

"Am I wrong?" Leylin was a little astonished.

"Of course not. Even though Giant is pretty impressive, he's no rank 2 Magus. Out of this pile, he'll get at most 40% of it!" She pointed to the little mountain in the middle of the room.

"As for the rest, they'll all go to 'Boss'!" The old witch was vague.

"Boss?!" Hearing this phrase started Leylin's imagination.

Magi only respected power. For even the old witch to call someone 'Boss', this must mean that this person, Boss, was at least a rank 2 Magus, right?

"Who else? Who do you think is the one warding off the light Magi's divination magic?"

She retorted with a manic laugh.

"According to what I know, there are at least two to three dark Magi organisations like us. As for their backers, there will also be various people controlling from behind the scenes…"

As they were in a mutual alliance through the previous agreement with the potions, the old witch was evidently placing more trust in Leylin, hence she just told him some information that had been withheld from him.

"Marauding the light Magi's secret plane is definitely not carried out on a whim by the dark Magi. On the contrary, these operations are systematic and are all premeditated!"

A notion quickly flew through Leylin's mind and occupied his thoughts.

"Who knows, there might be several powerhouses behind the dark Magi domain that also have a hand in this!" Leylin grinned.

"This seems to be getting more and more interesting…"

However, this had nothing to do with Leylin. His current goal was to join in the dark Magi organisation's looting operations and obtain large amounts of resources.

Just the efforts from tonight had brought in a revenue of five to six hundred thousand magic crystals! This was obviously more convenient and faster than doing missions for the Four Seasons Garden.

Of course, the risk was no small matter and if he were to be found out, he'd be chased to the ends of the world and be killed.

This was also why every member who joined concealed their identity, and even the few leaders of the organisation had no idea of the real identities of their members.

"Alright! Collect your own share! Remember not to squander them quickly. It's better to spend them only after some time!"

"Also, after this mission, those mad dogs from the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower will definitely go around biting people blindly in a rouse to find our locations. So remember to stay low…"

Giant who was wrapped in green fog continued to explain of some matters as he waved his hands, "It's alright now, you guys can leave. Our exchange meetings must also be halted for a while, as for the concrete details it will be made known again…"

...

Baldy Venom Snake had had half of his face melted and the other side filled with many bumps. He was continuously combing through the black forest.

And, with a big black boa lay coiled on his body, he presented a rather horrifying appearance.

*Bang!*

Suddenly, Baldy's face changed as he rolled to the side.

At the same time, an explosion caved in the ground on which he had previously stood. A purple flame blazed in the surroundings, creating a hundred square meter radius of charred zone.

"Blood Rogue! It must be you! Get your ass out here!" Baldy Venom Snake snarled.

A layer of stiff hair grew on his body, altering his appearance to that of a gorilla.

What he received in answer were multiple fireballs that appeared from within the shadows.

*Boom!*

The speed of the black fireballs was incredibly quick. Before he even had the chance to react, they had reached his body and exploded in front of him.

The bald Venom Snake's chest was charred. Black hair kept falling off, and the pit of his stomach was hollowed in. There was even the piercing sound of bones breaking, and his body flew out as if he had been hit by the head of a train.

The boa that had been hung around his shoulders was immediately burnt by the flames, turning into white ashes, scattering onto the floor bit by bit.

"Such a mighty spell?" The bald Venom Snake did not even have time to lament for his precious pet. He was frightened silly by Leylin's Latent Fireball.

"This spell has to be a model that is modified by various large Magi organisation or had its might amplified. Who exactly are you?"

Venom Snake looked at Leylin who slowly walked out from the darkness, suspicions streaked across his face.

"Who I am is not important. What's important is that you will definitely die here today!" Leylin had even used his Latent Fireball, so naturally he revealed the determination to kill this baldy.

"Aren't you afraid of the organisation tracing it to you?"

Venom Snake lay on the floor as if he had lost his mobility and was not able to get up.

"I have only signed a contract not to divulge the organisation's secrets, but not one that doesn't allow me to pursue a personal vendetta against my enemies!"

Leylin waved his hands forward and countless phantom hands appeared from the void, grabbing a small tree behind the baldy and crushing it to pieces. A yellow bug was retrieved from within the tree.

*Pu!* The yellow bug was smashed into bits in Leylin's hands.

"Don't do such useless things anymore!" Leylin stepped in closer.

"You're leaving me with no choice! Second transfiguration!" The baldy bellowed.

*Crash!* In the blink of an eye, the muscles on his body grew and dense black hair grew out once again. Behind his back, two strips of flesh constantly raised, bursting out of his clothes. They turned into two furry claws.

His teeth became sharp, eyeballs completely red.

From the looks of it, he had turned into a mutated gorilla with four arms.

With the transformation of the bald Venom Snake, a strong energy wave was constantly emitted from his body.

"Activate!" Against this creature which was brandishing its fangs and claws, Leylin only smiled and chanted an incantation.

"Ding!" A crisp noise sounded and several green vines and muddy shafts emerged from the ground, turning into a prison like shape, suppressing the beast within.

"I gave you time not to let you prepare a spell, but for me to lay a trap!"

Leylin spoke leisurely, "You must have had the limbs of a powerful creature transplanted into your body to achieve such a transfiguration, huh? Moreover, it seems to be compatible with your innate defense spell…"

"A pity however that you only transplanted the forelimbs of the Vajra Gorilla. As for creatures like these, they are suppressed by the energy particles of the Earth and Plant elements…"

All this were naturally the simulations done throughout the battle by the A.I. Chip.

After adopting the A.I. Chip's suggestion Leylin completely controlled the pace of the battle. He had to admit that it all felt pretty good.

"Urghhh…" The gorilla creature in the cage continued to beat on its chest, showing the rage it was in.

Following which, many small plants and rock spears appeared from the ground within the cage, piercing through the creature's body.

"Aooo…" The gorilla continued to roar in anguish, as his entire fur coat was dyed a crimson red.

*Bang!* A large explosion sounded.

Only two furry arms remained where the black gorilla had been, and the bald Venom Snake had disappeared without a trace.

Looking at this scene, Leylin was not surprised but smiled in a satisfied manner.

"He had even used the substitution spell that can only be used once a day?"

Following which, the sound of a spirit explosion was heard. The trees parted and the old witch carried Venom Snake who had fainted in her hands.

"How is it? Is it still going smoothly?" Leylin inquired.

"Not bad. There was still an amulet on his body limited to a one-time usage that caught me by surprise!" The old witch's green eyes shone.

"This is a good opportunity since an official Magus' spirit is extremely difficult to obtain!"

"Also, you'll get half of the items here and I'll take the other half!" Leylin had already gone through the bald Venom Snake's belongings from his crippled body. In addition, He gave half of Venom Snake's sack of loot to the old witch.

He was still prepared to maintain the trust between the two of them since they were going to be collaborating for a long time.

The old witch's gaze revealed some fear while she looked at Leylin. Even though she was confident she could defeat the bald Venom Snake, she wouldn't be able to do it so easily, and definitely not in this place. Such precise pre-calculations were beyond her.

Leylin was even able to predict the opponent's escape route, and that was what shocked her the most.

"But by killing Venom Snake, aren't you afraid the organisation will…" The old witch reminded him.

"Stop trying to scare me!" Leylin laughed, not at all bothered.

"Dark Magi are just a group of indifferent, self-serving people. Why would they seek trouble with me for a dead person? Furthermore, the grudge I had with Venom Snake was apparent to the others, so who could say anything about it?"

"It seems like you have already planned everything!" The old witch looked at Leylin, her expression complicated.

Leylin smiled without a reply.

It was indeed true that he had planned to kill Venom Snake a long time ago.

There were two motives behind it. First was to establish his might! He was a newbie who had just joined the organisation, so he would definitely undergo some suppression by others. In many organisations, the bullying newbies was a form of tradition. Through such means, Leylin could quickly show his prowess as a deterrence and to protect himself.

Of course, he only dared to do such a thing within dark Magi organisations. If it were inside a light Magi organisation, no matter how powerful he was he would be beaten heavily. Who knows if he might even take the rap and be labelled as someone who had tried to sow discord amongst the unity of the light Magi?

As a result, while he was in Four Seasons Garden, Leylin had always kept a low profile and did his work without any complaints. Until now, his leader and teammates still viewed him in a positive light.

As for the second motive — which was Leylin's main objective — it was only for the benefits!

From today's operation of plundering the secret plane, Leylin managed to obtain five to six hundred thousand magic crystals. On top of that, he had also gotten Venom Snake's portion, and the total value came up to around a million, thus doubling his loot.

Wasn't Leylin's reason for joining a dark Magi organisation to obtain enough resources? Since that was his reason, why wouldn't he attack others?

In Retrospect

Of course, even within dark Magi organisations, there were rules and regulations.

If Leylin kept doing this, it would result in others ganging up on him and eliminating him under the pretext of self-defense.

That was why Leylin needed to first cause some conflict, and then be able to act with a good reason to do so.

Honestly speaking, even if Venom Snake had not challenged him, he was also planning on instigating some of the weaker Magi and then blow the whole thing out of proportion.

Afterwards, he would use revenge as an excuse to righteously kill and then seize their treasures!

But that was it.

Leylin assessed that after this affair, other dark Magi would be slightly dissatisfied with his actions, so he couldn't let this get too far.

"You're really…" The old witch was suddenly regretful, "I haven't seen a youngster that's as cool headed but also crazy in a very long time…"

"Nope! I'm just someone with the will to live!" Leylin said with a brilliant smile.

"What about you? When will you get your goods?"

The moment this was brought up, the old witch's face stiffened. This was the only reason why she was working with Leylin and had been dragged along in the end.

"Today's harvest was pretty good, especially since we got two souls from official Magi. It shouldn't take long before we can finalize the product!"

"Notify me once it's finished, I'll be at Nightless City these few days!" Leylin nodded.

Following which, he approached the bald Venom Snake and undid the concealment spell, revealing the face of a middle aged man that had a venerable countenance.

"It's him!" The old witch cried out in alarm from behind him.

"You know him?" This aroused Leylin's interest.

"No, I've only seen him a couple of times!" The old witch appeared rather rueful.

"He's the head of a small light Magi faction, and he's got a good reputation! Apparently, he's quite skilled in transformation spells. I didn't know he was actually a dark Magus!"

"This is quite normal! Dark Magi like to assume a righteous personality, just like you and me!"

Leylin's silhouette melted into the darkness…

In the following days. Leylin lived a very pleasant life in Nightless City.

It couldn't be denied that Nightless City was an unusually large Magi City, in which Leylin was able to enjoy all kinds of services tailored for a Magus' pleasure.

Splash! Boiling tea water flowed out of an exquisite silver teapot into a tea cup engraved with purple flowery designs. A rich fragrance of black tea permeated the air of the whole lounge as it wafted back and forth.

Leylin sat in an armchair to the side with a serene expression. Behind him and under each of his legs were beautiful maids in revealing clothing who were extending their lily white and seemingly boneless small hands to massage him all over his body.

"How is it? The skills of maids are quite good, right? Want me to gift you a couple…"

A red-haired old Magus, who was standing to one side, was saying as he directed another maid to feed him grapes. Around him were a number of maids who waited upon him like he was a god.

"Don't blame me for saying this Leylin, but your villa is much too simple. It doesn't even have a guard dog! You'll be the laughing stock for other Magi if you don't do anything about this…"

Crew was squinting his eyes. His face revealed an expression of rapture.

"Stop trying to sell me your maids!" Leylin revealed a bitter laugh, "But you must know a lot of merchants in this field, right? You should introduce them to me someday!"

Leylin admitted that it was strange for there not to be a single person in the whole villa. Besides, he felt that he did need some people to help around while he lived in Nightless City, such as servants and the like.

"No problem! I'll take you to Nightless City's slave market tomorrow. Once you're there, all your needs will be satisfied. Besides, there are even slaves from other races!"

Crew revealed an expression that said 'I'm glad you came to your senses'. When he mentioned different races, a lewd smile was revealed on his old face.

Seeing the expression of this old pervert, Leylin was speechless.

He conveniently grabbed something that looked like a newspaper from the table and was immediately attracted by the eye-catching title.

"Ennea Ivory Ring Tower's division under attack! Severe losses!"

"Tragedy! Dark Magi attack the Tallinn Highlands. All Magi present have perished!"

"It's a declaration of war! The dark Magi have initiated the third great Magi war. What are you going to do? Please listen in detail to the analysis by our special guest, Nicholas Kajitel…"

Scenes of the havoc that Leylin and the others had wreaked were splashed all over the headlines.

In addition, all of the reports came had very eye-catching headings, and some even exaggerated to say that this was provocation from the dark Magi and a forewarning that there were plans to begin the third Magi war.

"Look at this! All they've been reporting these days is about that incident. The Ennea Ivory Ring Tower really suffered a massive loss, this time, worth at least a hundred million magic crystals…"

Crew looked to be rejoicing at their misfortune, and Leylin briefly wondered if there was some history between Crew and the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower.

"Tsk! A hundred million crystals! What wouldn't I do to get those many crystals?"

Leylin, too, had an expression of obsessive desire on his face, "But these dark Magi are really quite daring to even provoke the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower!"

Leylin's facial expressions and movements were flawless as if he really had no knowledge of the incident.

"Sigh… This has happened multiple times in the past, just that nobody can tell whether it's the Night Crows or the Zombies," Crew continued.

The Night Crows and Zombies were dark Magi organisations that operated in the shadows of Nightless City. Before Leylin's arrival, both groups were infamous for having committed several huge crimes with ruthless methods.

The dark Magi organisation that Leylin was a part of was not either of these groups but another —it was called the Thousand Meddling Leaves — though they were just as notorious.

"With Ennea Ivory Ring Tower's Magi enforcers and help from Nightless City, it should be possible to capture those bold dark Magi, right?"

"I'm afraid that's not possible!"

Crew shook his head immediately. "The powers backing the dark Magi aren't to be trifled with. Magi specializing in divination have had their spells achieve no effect, and we suspect that there's at least a rank 2 Magus backing and giving them orders. We believe there might be even more than one of them…"

"I see."

Leylin nodded, his expression turning to one of longing.

"A rank 2 Magus! I wonder if I'll ever reach that level in this lifetime."

His look made Crew's expression darken slightly.

Leylin was young and still had hope to achieve that.

But he was different. After consuming a large part of his lifespan, his body's vitality could no longer withstand the strain from another advancement. Furthermore, he had chosen the simplest route and broken through with the Grime Water, increasing the difficulty of breaking through to the next rank.

"Oh! My apologies!"

Upon noticing Crew's expression, Leylin gave a bow in apology.

"Don't worry about it. I just got nostalgic about some events in the past." The desolate look in his eyes faded away. "Thinking back to my decision then, I've missed too many opportunities. If given the chance to relive my life, I think I'd still choose to sign that contract, though."

Leylin understood his train of thought.

For many acolytes, even if they were aware of the existence of high-grade meditation techniques, they had no choice but to break through with the Grime Water.

After all, only strictly-managed Magi organisations and large Families held possession of high-grade meditation techniques. Typically, level 3 acolytes had no social connections nor any strong background, and it was basically impossible for them to obtain those techniques.

Hence, they would rather use the Grime Water and break through, and hope that after they advanced to an official Magus, they could find a way to make up for the disadvantages of this method.

However, even if there was such a method, it was not something any ordinary Magus could come into contact with. It might not even exist in the entire South Coast, and was more likely to be found only in the central continent.

As a result, most Magi could only service their organisation for their entire life, and then retire, living aimlessly the way Crew was now doing.

"Alright! Enough about this mood-dampening topic. I'll bring you to the slave market tomorrow to see a friend of mine. She has quite a few quality goods, like the snake girl from the previous time that remains fresh in my memories. You definitely can't miss this chance!"

At this point, Crew's mood seemed to have brightened.

Leylin kept Crew company and they chatted for a while, and he had an exceedingly alluring time and sumptuous dinner before leaving Crew's villa.

*Sssii!*

At this moment, the pocket-sized diary trembled, letting off a slight glow.

"Leylin! I've already prepared what you wanted. When can you come over?" The old witch's voice traveled to his ears from a green secret imprint.

"Give me a moment, I'm on my way!"

Leylin was delighted at the message, as the old witch's efficiency was better than he had anticipated.

Elm Street #231. It wasn't Leylin's first time here.

The shop was located in a very remote area, and most Magi would not be able to find their way here.

After Leylin entered, the old witch closed the door and hung a sign that read "Closed".

Leylin, unconvinced by this level of security, set up a sound-proofing spell around them.

"Rumours have been flying recently. How is it on your end? Have you been discovered at all?" Leylin asked, somewhat worried.

"Don't worry. I've lived in Nightless City for over a century, and I do have some contacts…" She seemed rather pleased with herself.

"Also, these are the materials that were mentioned in the contract. I processed them using the method in the information you gave me! I did everything perfectly!"

The old witch positioned a dozen crystal soul spheres in the size of a thumb in a row, and placed it on the counter.

Within the soul, sphere were tens of expressionless spirits that seemed on the verge of dissipating. At the moment, many of them had lost their human form, which must have happened after brutal, inhuman torture.

"Has it really all been dealt with? The spirits need to have been immersed and soaked in immense suffering and hopelessness in order to achieve the best effect!"

"Hehe… I even captured a few spirits and experimented on them beforehand. On top of the basic pain that I can inflict, I also tortured their very souls. The effects are marvellous!" The old witch laughed excitedly, though it was a sound that caused others goosebumps.

Tears of Mary

"Hm! The result appears to be not too bad! You can try increasing the quantity the next time round!"

A ball of milky white light emitted from Leylin's hand, as it scanned across the many confining spirit spheres on the table, before Leylin gave a smile of satisfaction.

"Alright! I will bring these with me then. I will bring your medicine back at the earliest period of 10 days to latest 15 days!" Leyin made his promise.

"I would naturally believe you, after all we are under the constraints of the Trial's Eye and signed an unbreakable pledge…" Though the old witch looked as though she trusted Leylin, Leylin still felt the mistrust in her heart.

However, this was not an unusual situation.

After this deal was successful, her amount of distrust will drop tremendously and the connection with benefits between both parties would also be closer.

After leaving the old witch's small inn, Leylin hurriedly headed back to his villa.

It had been a while since his spiritual force had a great increase, so now he couldn't wait to attempt and brew the Tears of Mary, once again enjoying that delight of experiencing a huge boost in the spiritual force.

After activating the entire defense formation, Leylin went to the room at the ground floor of the villa by himself.

This place had undergone remodelling and things were now in order. At the lowest level was an area for experimenting with spells, which had absorption runes for reinforcement at the four corners.

As for the secret room situated at a corner, it had already underwent a special reformation to become a Potioneering lab, and contained all of the various high grade apparatus.

Clearly, for these things to be obtainable, Leylin had used his relationship with the old witch, with the resources he had seized to purchase and exchange for them.

Otherwise, with his current financial resources, even if he were to brew potions every day, it would take him more than 2 years to purchase all of the apparatuses.

After all, he could not possibly use all his magic crystals for building his laboratory as he would need some for his daily expenses and other necessities.

And from the previous time, with the haul from the plunder, the laboratory was built from scratch.

"A.I. Chip!" Leylin made a command in his heart.

[Beginning brewing of the Tears of Mary! Obtaining administrative rights from the Host to monitor the whole process and make informed reminders. Beginning to coordinate with Host's spiritual force energy waves…]

The A.I. Chip's voice intoned.

...

"Let's begin!" Leylin took a deep breath and picked up a confining spirit sphere which had a spirit sealed within in.

In the blink of an eye, it was the dawn of the second day.

Leylin gasped for air and sweat dripped down his face continuously. However, his vigour was brimming with energy as he smiled and fixed his eyes on the transparent liquid he held in his hand.

The test-tube was made from nitrogen crystal glass and was extremely strong. It even had the effect of extending the expiry of the medicinal properties. Hence they were always stored by Magi and only used for important potions.

Looking at the crystal clear and transparent potion, a look of dejection appeared on Leylin's face.

Thinking back, it had been 3 to 4 years since he took the potion formula from his mentor, Kroft.

He managed to brew a dose for the Azure Potion soon after it was given to him, yet there was no progress in brewing the Tears of Mary. He only managed to simplify some of the processes and brew the Blood Vengeance Potion. However, it was only useful for acolytes.

Right now, he held this potion which was a final product completely based on the ancient formula! It had a tremendous effect even in breaking through the spiritual force bottlenecks of ancient Magi.

"Besides, the success rate is not too bad!"

Leylin looked at the 3 broken confining spirit sphere on the floor, and his face revealed a pleased look.

In the final stage of the brewing process, he specially added a few steps which required the use of the A.I. Chip. It was not only successful in the restoration of the formula, but also increased the rate of success in brewing. Surprisingly, the success rate hit an astonishing 30 to 40%!

In other words, the 16 confining spirit spheres he received from the old witch could be used to configure 5-6 portions of this finished product.

This discovery made Leylin feel extremely happy.

After all, the origin of the ingredients of these potion were extremely savage, and it was not easy to obtain. Hence, he wanted to increase the success rate.

Due to the restraints from the Trial's Eye, he had to abide by the agreement and give forty percent of it to the old witch.

Although this percentage was rather high, Leylin considered them to be worth it.

The old witch was also under the restraints of the Trial's Eye. Once she was caught, she could not reveal any news of Leylin at all, hence he would be absolved from all risks.

"A.I. Chip, what is the result of the analysis of the medicinal properties of this potion?"

Leylin looked at the test-tube in his hands and suddenly asked.

[Beep! It has been completed, the medicinal properties has been recorded and stored in the data bank.] [Ancient potion — Tears of Mary. Original ingredients: Powerful spirits filled with grievances and despair. Effect: Great increase for an official Magus's spiritual force, and a chance to helping a Magus breaking through a bottleneck.]

The A.I. Chip's analysis was extremely concrete. And the last few words it uttered, led Leylin into deep thoughts.

In the Magus World, potions which could directly increase the spiritual force was extremely exorbitant.

Just like the exchange point in the Four Seasons Garden, the prices of several potions which could increase the spiritual force was even above that for the crystallised elemental energy particles.

Compared the spiritual force potions, potions which could aid a Magus in breaking through the bottleneck was even a tier higher.

Even though the chance of Tears of Mary which could aid the breakthrough was extremely little, it would cause Magi to go crazy after it.

"It seems like this effect has to be concealed. Since I already have a contract with Old Devil, she would not be able to reveal any news of the potions to outsiders, so I can rest my worry for the time being…"

Leylin withdrew a golden watch that was decorated with diamonds.

"It's still early now, and I have an appointment for lunch with Crew only in the afternoon. I can even try the effect of the potion now!"

Leylin took the transparent dose of potion and went into the spell testing area below the experiment lab and sat in a cross-legged position.

"Activate!"

Leylin chanted an incantation. Soon after, the nitrogen glass test-tube seem to open like a flower engraving, revealing the potion liquid within.

A rather bland and sweet smell which seemed to be able to induce sleep and hypnosis began to envelop the room.

...

Under the effect of this fragrance, Leylin entered the meditative state in an instant…

While doing his meditation, Leylin felt as if his spirit had calmed down and floated on the clouds, enveloping the sun. This extremely harmonious and serene feeling flowed through his thoughts.

"What a pleasant experience!" Leylin opened his eyes after an unknown period of time.

Meditation was a physically taxing activity for Magi, and many would often choose to enter a deep sleep right after. This was to make up for the consumption of vitality during the process.

This effect would be even more apparent when a meditation technique was of a higher grade.

Compared to before, even if Leylin's vitality was 8.5, after the meditation of the Kemoyin's Pupil every day, he would feel extremely exhausted and could not wait to fall asleep immediately.

As for today, after a round of meditation technique, he felt extremely comfortable in every part of his body. His spiritual force was extremely robust, and his condition in a state that was difficult to enter again.

This was an indescribable feeling, as if ripping off a layer of the nature, everything to his senses was extremely distinct. It also felt like someone who always had been in darkness suddenly seeing the light.

"This feeling is just awesome!"

Leylin grinned.

At this moment, he realised two warm streaks of moisture flowed down his face.

"These are… tears!"

"With the current control of my physical body and the help of the A.I. Chip, I actually teared unknowingly…" A look of admiration appeared on Leylin's face, "The effects of these ancient potions has far surpassed my expectations!"

Only at this moment did he consider to check his stats.

During the meditation, the A.I. Chip showed a stream of data, but Leylin was able to look at this data only now.

[Ancient potion — Tears of Mary assimilation in progress!] [Due to the effects of the potion, quality of meditation increases, spiritual force increased by 0.5] [Due to the effects of the potion, quality of meditation increases, spiritual force increased by 1.0] [Ancient potion — Tears of Mary reaching threshold, Host's spiritual force greatly increasing…] [Kemoyin's Pupil's meditation technique completed, huge boost in Host's spiritual force, recalculating data…]

After which, the A.I. Chip reloaded Leylin's statistics.

[Leylin Farlier. Rank 1 Warlock. Bloodline: Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Strength: 7.1, Agility: 6.7, Vitality: 8.5, Spiritual Force: 36.8, Magic Power: 36 (Magic Power is in synchronisation with Spiritual Force). Elemental essence conversion: 35%. Status: Healthy]

"7 points! One portion of Tears of Mary actually directly increased my spiritual force by 7 points!"

Leylin could not conceal the excitement on his face.

"That means that even if my body develops a resistance to the potion in the future, I can still quickly increase my spiritual force so that it meets the requirements to break through to a rank 2 Magus?"

"Also, I can use the crystallised Darkness energy particles that I've been collecting again!"

The stats of a Magus were all intercorrelated.

Previously, Leylin's spiritual force and concentration of bloodline was enough, yet the elemental essence conversion was lacking. Hence he could use the Darkness crystals to fill in the gap and achieve a 35% elemental essence conversion. However, after that time, Leylin's elemental essence conversion was enough, but his spiritual force was lacking instead. Hence, according to the A.I. Chip's estimations, before his spiritual force reaches certain value, using the crystallised Darkness energy particles would render no effect.

Hence, the 500g of crystallised Darkness energy particles he took from the old witch previously, with the amount he exchanged at the Four Seasons Garden had been kept aside by him.

Princess of a Vanquished Nation

Noon came shortly after, and Leylin took a shower with a happy mood. He donned a set of comfortable white robes and went to Crew's villa.

"Welcome, Leylin! My dearest friend!"

Crew gave Leylin a hug, looking somewhat bewildered.

"Your aura seemed to have increased again, it really makes people envious!"

Previously, he had already been astonished by Leylin's age and potential. Towards a Magus who had such unlimited potential, establishing connections beforehand would often reap unexpected benefits.

However, Leylin's rate of improvement far exceeded his expectations.

"This is just the result of a successful experiment!" Leylin gave a modest laugh.

In truth, this was the result after Leylin had used concealment spell to hide most of his spiritual force. If not, with Crew's intelligence, he would definitely be able to guess at something.

Crew did not buy Leylin's humble words, but the aspect of spiritual force was always among the most guarded secrets of Magi, so any prying would result in hostility.

Hence, Crew could only amicably smile and hold Leylin's hand.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. Come, let us go to the slave market!"

...

The slave market was in Zone 4 of the Nightless City and took up a very large area. Moreover, it was overt, even having a signboard.

"Lord! Come to us, we have various types of slaves. There are even two snake girls from eastern mountain deserts, and their skills are top notch, you know!"

"Lord! Look over here, beautiful rabbit girls, fiery fox tribes. There are also beauties from the cannes tribe, with incredible strength comparable to Grand Knights. They are extremely good looking and long lasting. Moreover, they only cost 800 magic crystals each…"

"Look here quickly, this is the princess of the Dirk Dukedom! Her bloodline is extremely royal. The Dirk Dukedom is a dukedom comparable to kingdoms

There were many shops in this slave market, hence, to attract people over to their stores, these shops had all kinds of gimmicks.

Leylin walked alongside Crew as he listened to the various calls of the shop owners.

The provocative rabbit girls and fox girls revealed a large amount of skin, only having on a few pieces of clothing the size of a palm to cover their private parts. Their fluffy white rabbit tails and fiery red fox tails were bunched together. It was an extremely sharp contrast to the shy expressions of those rabbit and fox girls.

"How is it, sir? Do you want to take a look at this princess' figure?"

Crew was obviously interested in the slave that was referred to as a princess. He made a stop in front of that shop.

Leylin was judging the girl behind the shop owner. She was tall, her pupils were golden, and she emanated an extremely noble aura. This was something that definitely could not be imitated, and had to have been developed from a young age.

This beautiful young lady was wearing a gown that one would usually see at a palace banquet, and she was even wearing a diamond-encrusted tiara, as if she was a princess who had ran out to play—that is, if you didn't consider the blank and resigned expression on her face.

"She's quite a beauty!" A look of desire appeared on Crew's face. "Now that I think about it, even though I've played with tons of women, I don't think I've ever trained a princess before!"

"This is definitely a genuine princess. Her father was the former Duke!"

The shop owner was extremely eager to market his goods. "Moreover, this woman has not suffered any violations of the body, and is a complete virgin…"

"Dirk Dukedom, I seem to have heard of its past. A coup d'etat occurred, right?" Crew stroked his chin and pondered. "It better not have any leftover troubles!"

"No way, no way! The previous duke wanted to control his own forces, and broke all ties with magicians. He had already been forsaken by the Magus family backing him, and in reality, this coup d'etat was orchestrated by that Magus family…"

The shop owner explained to Crew in detail.

Leylin noticed that after that princess heard of the events, her head was bowed. Fear and hatred began to show on her face.

Although this expression lasted for but a moment and was concealed well by her, how could it have been missed by the magicians present?

"Not bad! Does she have a fierce personality? Challenging… I like her." Crew was immediately aroused by her, and asked, "Tell me directly! How much?"

"Two thousand magic crystals! That's the lowest price I can give you!" The shop owner answered confidently.

"Two thousand magic crystals!!!" Crew's eyes bulged. "Just for a regular human who isn't even a knight? Do you think I was kicked in the head by a donkey as a child?"

"This is a unique situation! I only managed to get this princess at a great cost, and you can only find her in this shop in the Nightless City! Other princesses all have Magus families backing them, and goods like this are only available now. Whether you'll be able to get your hands on someone like her in the future will depend on your luck…"

The shop owner expended a huge effort on convincing him.

"Two thousand magic crystals is much too expensive! It's enough to fund a few of my large-scale experiments!" Crew helplessly shook his head.

He turned to Leylin. "Sorry for the wait. Let's go!"

Leylin shrugged and ignored that princess of a ruined dukedom, walking out of the shop alongside Crew.

"I was sure that you would insist on buying her, but now…" Leylin was somewhat shocked. He had seen firsthand Crew's pervertedness and fetishes, so he could not believe that Crew would give up this easily.

"You don't know…" Crew blinked, his face revealing a smirk and a clever look.

"This slave's price tag is too expensive. As long as they're not magicians who are desperately in need, she will never be considered by anyone." The old geezer explained to Leylin.

Official Magi always required resources. Unlike Crew, who had no more hope of advancing anymore, was extremely lecherous, and only wanted to live in retirement, they would never have any interest in such kinds of slaves.

"I have several ties with the magicians in this kind of circle. As long as I notify them, nobody would snatch her from me!"

"Hehe… By then, this shop owner will only be able to hold this stock in his hands. Later, when I look for him again, I will be the only one to whom he can sell the slave. I am confident that I can haggle the price down to a thousand magic crystals or below…"

"Then what reason have you prepared to convince your friends?" Leylin asked in curiosity.

"Hehe… Of course, such a collaboration to push down prices would be done in turns!" The old geezer did not hesitate to reply.

"If you have any interest in her, then after I'm done with her, I can lend her to you to toy around with for a few days!"

The old geezer seemed extremely generous at this moment.

"No one can surpass your skills in such an area…" Leylin felt as if he was utterly defeated, and no longer knew what to say.

After which, Leylin, who had been following Crew, finally approached a shop that seemed slightly strange.

This shop was obviously a lot larger than the surrounding shops, and there were also two green, magically summoned creatures standing guard. Just by the presence and the construction costs of this shop, the value of the other shops were immediately lessened.

In addition, there was a thick curtain draped in front of the door, and one could not see anything inside unless they lifted the fabric. This heightened the curiosity of the Magi.

"We're here! This is the slave market that my friend opened!" Crew gave a series of passwords in a practised manner, and received permission to pass from the two magically summoned creatures.

"This is only open to members, and members can only bring one regular customer. The requirements are stringent, but it's only at this sort of place that you'll be able to get lots of great goods!"

Crew obviously had a mountain of experience, and he brought Leylin into an office.

"Lucia, my friend! I have brought you business!"

What exceeded Leylin's expectations was that this slave trader Lucia was, in fact, a female magician.

She wore robes with a high collar, yet a small heart shape was cut out at her bosom area, revealing deep cleavage.

"Crew! Have you grown sick of the snake girl from before?"

Lucia bowed at her slender waist and greeted Crew, quickly retreating back.

Looking at Crew, who wanted to take some liberties with Lucia, but was also embarrassed, Leylin rubbed his nose in shame.

He had a feeling that he could have been ripped off by this lecherous old geezer.

"Is this the customer that you have brought?"

Lucia gave a slow smile as she advanced, and Leylin's nose was filled with a very concentrated smell of perfume. While strong, it did not repulse him, but was rather like a strong drink that made men brim with the desire to explore further.

"What a handsome fellow!"

Lucia chuckled and gave Leylin a tight hug, her two large, satiny lumps of softness pressing directly against Leylin's chest, and giving rise to a passion within.

"Young Magus, what kind of slave are you looking for? Fox girls, rabbit girls, or snake girls? Sister has everything here, and can even give you a discount!"

The beautiful slave owner with a provocative figure blew against Leylin's ear as she whispered in a low voice.

"This… I apologise!"

Leylin gently pushed Lucia away, causing Crew to roll his eyes at him and Lucia to coquettishly laugh. "Oh my! Looks like our customer got embarrassed!"

"It is really your hospitality that makes it hard to breathe!" Leylin bowed and kissed Lucia on the back of her slender and pale palm, before receiving a jealous look from Crew.

It was not that he could not contain his urges, but that this beautiful slave trader was also a rank 1 Magus! Moreover, according the A.I. Chip's detection, her elemental essence conversion was at least 50%!

Although Leylin was rather aroused, he did not want to have a knife stabbed in his back while bedding this woman. Moreover, how could a female slave trader be a simple character!

"Actually, my reason for coming here is to purchase a few special slaves!" Leylin made his request.

Once the official matter was raised, Lucia put on a serious face.