Emergency Situation
The speed at which Leylin escaped was extremely quick, and after just half a day, the tall, thick walls of the Nightless City were within sight.
At this point, his right hand had already completely healed. The frightening vitality of a Warlock was proving its worth.
Only after entering the Nightless City did Leylin breathe a huge sigh of relief.
The Gargamel was the result of the concentration of evil intentions by the Ancient Spirit Slayer Sect. Although it was unknown why that Gargamel had been sealed there by the Magi of the sect, based on the calculations from the battle with it, Leylin could say that this monster's strength was equivalent to that of a rank 2 Magus!
Although Leylin couldn't hold his own against it, there were a couple rank 2 Magi in the south coast that could. At the very least, the leaders of large scale Magus organisations and powers definitely had at least this level of power.
At that moment, within the Nightless City, the trading centre of the south coast, there were quite a few Magi with this kind of strength.
Leylin was sure that if the Gargamel were to chase after him, the Nightless City was sure to have the means to stop it!
However, he had another plan in mind.
The old witch was trapped in the secret plane together with that terrifying culmination of evil. From the looks of it, her chances of survival were meagre.
However, it was a fact that she held the position of elder in the dark Magus organisation that Leylin was affiliated with—Thousand Meddling Hands. Her status was obviously higher than that of an average member, and she was also able to contact the hidden rank 2 Magus heading the group!
With her death, there would be loose ends that needed to be tied up.
If possible, Leylin would obviously want to take possession of everything the old witch owned.
In a light Magus organisation, this would naturally be impossible. However, in the case of Thousand Meddling Leaves, as long as he revealed a bit of his might, it would be enough to subdue the ambitious Magi who wished to take over this position.
"Hello? Is this Leylin?"
At this moment, a secret imprint that resembled a four-coloured ring emerged from Leylin's waist. A man's voice was transmitted from it.
"Hello, Lord Decarte!"
Leylin could make out the owner of this imprint. It was the head of the Potioneering team, Decarte! His tone naturally became respectful.
Previously, all of the missions that Decarte needed Leylin to complete had been issued to him by Leylin's current leader, Martin
"Ugh, the secret imprint seemed to have had some sort of interference, and I couldn't contact you at all. Did you go somewhere far away?"
Decarte's questions were transmitted to him from the secret imprint.
"Yes. I'd accepted a friend's invitation to explore a small ruin…" Leylin's answer was half true.
"No wonder! Many of these ruins left behind by Magi will automatically block out all forms of communication. In there, a secret imprint is merely a useless decoration…" No matter if Decarte actually believed him or not, the voice from the secret imprint sounded convinced.
"My apologies for making my lord worry about me. Might I ask what you require of me?" Leylin was puzzled as he spoke to the imprint.
"Yes, there's something that I need. A few elders and the head have issued orders that Four Seasons Garden has entered the highest state of alert. All Magi will have their vacations cancelled! Upon receiving this message, you must report to the headquarters within 24 hours! All who do not do so will be viewed as traitors, and will be punished by the law enforcers!"
Decarte broke out the earth-shattering news.
"What?"
Leylin was in shock, causing him to take a few steps back.
The Four Seasons Garden wasn't stupid, and issuing such an order could only imply one thing. Something was going to happen to the entire south coast.
"I'll be there in time! Can you tell me what has happened?"
Leylin sucked in a few breaths of air and calmed himself down before inquiring.
"The whole situation is a little complicated. You can ask Martin about it when you're back. There's only one thing I can tell you—war! A war is approaching…"
"I don't have any more time left. Just remember to come here as quickly as possible! In war, the weak ones who don't have organisations to rely on are usually the first to die!"
*Pop!* With his last word, the secret imprint dispersed into countless bright sparks, drifting through the air around Leylin.
Decarte's sounded serious, which caused Leylin's heart to sink.
When compared to these strong organisations, the conflict at the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy was but a small matter.
To have caused the Four Seasons Garden's Potioneering team head to be so flustered, there was only one possibility—that an incoming war was going to rock the Magus World!
Leylin suddenly remembered some information about Magus' history.
After the ancient times had passed, it was the current period. During this current period, two huge wars had occurred. These two events had affected the Magi, and basically all species in the entire south coast. The Magi suffered massive casualties, and the humans were obviously more affected, with numerous empires annihilated.
These two wars were named the First and Second Great Magus Wars!
Now, it seemed the Third Great Magus War was about to begin!
Leylin's scrunched up his brows and wrinkled his forehead.
For him, it was entirely possible to accumulate information and resources, and with the A.I. Chip, he would be able to constantly break through his bottlenecks and improve further.
As a result, Leylin had hoped to be able to develop in a more peaceful and stable environment until he would reach a bottleneck.
In the previous great wars, acolytes were cannon fodder. Even official Magi fell and died in swarms, resulting in the alternate name of the wars: the Magus World's Death Grinder.
Leylin wasn't sure that he would be lucky enough to escape unscathed!
Wars of this scale affected the entire south coast, and nobody had been able to escape. As long as one was a Magus, he or she would be involved in it.
Unless… If he left the south coast and passed through several extremely dangerous regions, and set off for a new place, he would be safe.
"I shouldn't scare myself. It might just be a conflict between the Four Seasons Garden and another Magus organisation!"
Leylin, who had been standing by the city gates, suddenly smiled gently and walked right inside.
He'd thought it through. No matter what happened, it had absolutely nothing to do with him.
After all, he was a member of Four Seasons Garden's Potioneering team! Unless Caesar's entire hunting team was annihilated, research personnel like him wouldn't need to be on the battlefield.
If this was a war with other Magus organisations, with the Four Seasons Garden's background, it would be impossible to be thoroughly annihilated. If he were to defect now, it would be an extremely foolish decision that would offend the Four Seasons Garden for no reason.
If the Third Great Magus War was to happen, the entire south coast would become a battlefield, and no area would be safe.
Decarte's words were a reminder as well as a warning.
Great wars never began with both sides going all out. It would start with them using small groups and neutral parties to eliminate all other elements, and then they would be able to fight freely, without fear of others taking advantage of the situation.
Wandering Magi and indecisive small organisations were definitely the first to be used!
Leylin didn't want to lose his backing and live a life where a crisis was always imminent.
As a result, it was necessary for him to return to the Four Seasons Garden.
Leylin was confident that he had hidden his skills well. In the eyes of the Magi in the Four Seasons Garden, Leylin was merely a newly advanced Magus who was talented in Potioneering and training!
If the leaders of Four Seasons Garden were stupid enough to get Leylin to be cannon fodder, then at the most, he would just leave and cut all connections between them.
Leylin was confident he would be able to leave the Four Seasons Garden's headquarters without alerting the rank 2 Magi there.
After thinking this entire matter through, Leylin achieved a calm state of mind. Only then did he have the mood to survey his surroundings.
At this moment, Leylin discovered a difference in the Nightless City!
The Nightless City's large gates had all been opened wide. Giants, which were usually rarely seen, could be seen wearing animal hides that did not fit them, and holding huge wooden stakes. They were entering the city in twos and threes.
With every step they took, the ground slightly shook.
The number of people in the Nightless City had increased by around 50%, causing a few passages to become congested.
However, whether they were regular humans, acolytes, or even some official Magi, their expressions were dark. In particular, there were a few official Magi who had a deep sense of distrust in their eyes when they saw unfamiliar Magi.
In the first zone of the Nightless City, shops that used to be bustling despite their unorganized placement saw a sharp decrease in price of raw materials. Defensive items, potions, and the like, on the other hand, were experiencing an increase in price. Many shops had already put up signs saying they were sold out.
Though Leylin had expected this, seeing this scene in person definitely had an effect on his mood.
All this was evidence of the scale of the impending war that would affect the entire Magus World. Leylin would definitely not be able to escape this!
Leylin's footsteps seemed to become a bit heavier as he passed through several gates and entered the third zone of the Nightless City.
In the region where the villas were located, the originally lively place was somewhat deserted. There were no signs of the cheerful Magi who used to hang around the various gardens. Several flowers that used to be tended to in the flower terrace were listlessly lowering their heads, with some even showing signs of wilting, which gave off a bleak atmosphere.
"Master!"
Once he returned to his own villa, Damien, the level 3 acolyte who worked as his butler, welcomed him.
"I'm fine! Did anything strange happen in the Nightless City recently? Tell me everything you know!" Leylin immediately asked while he threw his cloak to Damien.
"Yes! Damien was just about to do so!"
There was a worried expression on his face.
"A day before, rumours about the start of a third Magus war started spreading around the Nightless City. At the beginning, nobody took it to heart, but as time passed, the fact that no organisation stood up to refute this claim has Nightless City in a frenzy…"
Branding Experiment
Damien expressed a slightly apprehensive expression.
"Many Magi simply left. Huge numbers of people are in the streets buying items to increase their powers. It's as though they are trying to use up all of the magic crystals at their disposal…"
"That strange phenomenon only gradually abated after the public center dispatched people to patrol the streets….."
"Moreover, your good friend Magus Crew also moved out this afternoon. Before he left, he left a message for you!"
"What message?"
"The night is approaching. Be careful in everything you do!" Damien said something that sounded like a proverb.
"What does that mean?" Leylin frowned. "When did that Crew start to like being a prophetic Magus? The things he says are never clear!"
Leylin pondered for a moment, and finally told Damien, "From the information I've gathered, there will probably be a relatively large war that is imminent..."
Even though he already had some guesses, when Damien heard this information, his body trembled uncontrollably. He was originally caught and became a slave because of a war. Even though he was under a spirit branding, that bitter experience was just like a brand that was deeply engraved in his memories, making it impossible for him to forget.
"That's right, call Number 1 to 5 over here!"
Leylin casually instructed Damien, who rapidly suppressed his shaking body, and withdrew at an extremely fast pace.
After a few minutes, five armoured Grand Knights with greatswords appeared before Leylin and knelt to perform a perfect Knight's greeting!
"Master!"
The extremely thick armour didn't affect their movements in the slightest way, and every movement of those five people carried a killing intent. It could be seen at a glance that they were strong veteran Grand Knights that had experienced countless battles.
"You may rise!" Leylin commented softly as he looked at those five people.
They were naturally the five Grand Knight slaves that he had purchased at the slave market in addition to Damien.
With the spirit branding, Leylin could order these five Grand Knights to die and they would obey without any hesitation.
They originally had names, but for convenience's sake, Leylin gave all of them new names with numbers, starting from 1 to 5.
Leylin had put in considerable amounts of effort on the five Grand Knights. He constantly fixed their conditions during the past year. He didn't even mind spending a lot of his resources to brew precious potions for them to consume.
Currently, the five experimental bodies' were unconsciously giving off energy waves filled with life force. They were already beyond the Grand Knight's rank and were beginning to advance to a higher realm.
"What are the results of the secret techniques that I taught you previously?"
Leylin asked.
"Master! After using the secret techniques along with the potions from before, Number 2, 3 and I felt life force start to flow through us, which was something that had not happened for a long time. Our vitality also became increasingly stronger."
The big man on the far left stepped out of the line and said, "But when Number 4 and 5 used the secret techniques, the brand on their bodies shook and gave off scorching hot energies that interrupted their training....."
This Grand Knight slave, known as Number 1, gave an extremely detailed report.
In the past year, Leylin had been constantly modifying the brands of the five through the modifications made by the A.I. Chip. This had allowed him to gain a lot of fruitful experiment results.
The 'secret techniques' that were previously taught to those five Grand Knights were just improvised data from the information about Branded Swordsman.
"Is that so?" Leylin's gaze became stern. "Remove your clothes!"
The five slaves removed their body armour without any thoughts after hearing their master's order.
*Crash!* Metal armour made a racket as they hit the ground. The Grand Knights had removed the heavy armour in just a couple of seconds, revealing completely unclothed bodies.
Moreover, Number 4 and 5 were female Grand Knights, but they weren't at all embarrassed as they stood before Leylin with their well-developed bodies and private parts completely exposed.
Those five had the strength of Grand Knights. Their bodyline was supple, but was well developed. Every inch of their flesh hid an astonishing explosive power.
Their bodies were akin to perfectly sculpted statues.
However, there were elements that offset their aesthetic appearance from being perfect.
Leylin didn't cared about the two Grand Knight beauties; his gaze was completely focused on the interweaving brand on their body.
Leylin scrutinised their bodies.
He noticed that the bodies of his Grand Knight subordinates were covered with deep, black brands.. Near these brands were some twisting scars. It seemed as if a branding iron was the source of the brands and scars.
With close observation, the brands looked like a centipede climbing. while their chest and lower abdomen regions formed an extremely peculiar rune.
Some of the brands seemed to be broken and were unable to link together.
"A.I. Chip! Scan those brands and compare the current conditions of these Grand Knights to the previous observations in a new file!" Leylin thought.
As he said this, a blue light shone in his eyes and swept horizontally across those slaves.
[Beep! Mission established! Commencing the scanning!] The A.I. Chip followed the tasks that Leylin ordered.
Rows of numbers and three 3-D images appeared before Leylin and were constantly being updated.
"En! It seemed that the training method that I created isn't bad. These Knights' physical qualities have had drastic improvements and are also able to train their life force. Their previous stagnant powers are starting to rapidly improve!"
Leylin was extremely satisfied after looking at the results of the three male Grand Knights.
"The training method of the Branded Swordsman conflicts with the brands on their bodies?"
Leylin carefully looked through the A.I. Chip's results while constantly walking around the slaves in order to attentively observe the position of the brands.
"Where is the source of the previous problem? Is it here?"
Leylin placed his hands below the lower abdomen of Number 4 without ascribing and thoughts to what he was doing. After having placed his hand there, he felt a warm sensation and could feel that underneath the smooth and supple skin, there were muscles that were slightly twitching now.
"Yes…Yes, that's the place, Master!" said Number 4 with a slightly shaky voice. This female Grand Knight had a good appearance and an exceptionally curved, bountiful body
"If that's the case!" Leylin caressed his lower jaw.
"A.I. Chip! Amend the parameters for the two female knights to the p-grade content and change the index to the third grade before testing again!"
This kind of calculation was an easy task for the A.I. Chip. After a short moment, the A.I. Chip had already concluded its calculation and reported it to Leylin.
[Beep! According to the calculation, the brandings of the swordsman are different for males and females. The markings must follow a carved inscription!]
After looking at the A.I. Chip's conclusion, Leylin's expression did not change since he had expected such a result.
"So it really was the case! Kroft had gotten hold of a part of the Branded Swordsman information, but there is an extreme lack of information concerning the brandings. The runes inscribed on males had been deduced by the A.I. Chip. Moreover, those marks aren't suitable for females, which resulted in the two female Knights being unable to train!"
"It seems that I must purchase a large quantity of male Grand Knight slaves to try to create a Branded Swordsman!"
Leylin planned to himself.
To him, using males or females didn't have any differences. He just needed to head to different sections of the slave Market for them.
However, regarding the most crucial rune inscriptions for the Branded Swordsman, he could only amend the model to suit males. While it was not impossible to create something out of nothing for a female version of the model, it would take a lot of time. Leylin didn't want to spend the A.I. Chip's precious calculation skills on this matter.
"Since this is the case, there's only one troublesome problem in manufacturing Branded Swordsman, which is the problem in combining the markings' powers."
Leylin rubbed his lower jaw with flames burning in his eyes.
The ancient Branded Swordsman were similar to the bloodline Warlocks and elemental bards, which were among the stronger professions of the sub branch of the magi. Their specialties were their physical defence and offensive powers, which were regarded as their enemies' nightmares.
Moreover, the combination of the Branded Swordsman and magicians was an eternal nightmare for many worlds.
If the Branded Swordsman could perform crowd control, then the Magi behind them would have the time to prepare the formidable power of magic in order to change a given situation.
Moreover, the power of an official Branded Swordsman was equivalent to that of at least a rank 1 Magus!
Leylin just needed to form an army with Branded Swordsmen. The quantity didn't need to be large; 20 of them would be sufficient. With such forces, Leylin would no longer have an opponent at the rank 1 Magus level and he was also confident enough to be able to fight against a rank 2 Magus!
"However, regarding the problem of the powers, the runes of the Branded Swordsman is the pivotal point. Even if it was the A.I. Chip, it could not guarantee perfection without countless experiments and accumulation of data. Moreover, there's also a problem in controlling the Branded Swordsmen after they evolve to a higher realm…"
Leylin lowered his head as he muttered to himself irresolutely.
He was only a rank 1 Magus now, so he could at most control level 3 acolytes and Grand Knights.
However, in a similar fashion as the Magi and Warlocks, the ancient Branded Swordsmen could break through the ordinary realm to reach an extraordinary one.
This power wasn't something that Leylin could currently control by using the spirit brand.
Thus, a safer and more effective controlling method had to be researched and implemented on those Branded Swordsman!
Only with this method could the loyalty of his soldiers be guaranteed!
The Great Magus War
In the dimly lit basement.
A faint red ball of light floated in midair, constantly emitting blood red rays of light, which caused the lighting of the basement to be slightly gloomy, and gave off a horrifying atmosphere.
The previous Grand Knight, Number 1, was lying flat on the enormous white metal experimental table.
His eyes were tightly closed, and his eyelids were constantly moving, as though he was being tortured in his dreams.
Moreover, the black brands on his body seemed to be alive, constantly lengthening and shortening as it wiggled. Moreover, it slowly protruded from his skin, giving off dark red rays of light as he breathed.
"The ancient Branded Swordsman used the magic runes and arrays crafted onto their bodies to enable them to store the world's natural energy particles into their body. Those particles could also be completely released during critical moments, turning into a terrifying spell! Moreover, the Branded Swordsman's physical abilities were far beyond the limits of ordinary people, reaching an unfathomable stage because a large amount of energy particles constantly reformed their bodies!"
Currently, it could be said that Leylin was the top person in the south coast regarding the knowledge of the Branded Swordsman.
With a white scalpel and tweezers in his hands, Leylin finally looked at Number 1, who was still unconscious.
"Even though I'm slightly eager to gain instant benefits, I can't consider it any further!"
Leylin sighed as he said that. He still needed to get numerous results from the experiments conducted on the five Grand Knights using the A.I. Chip in order to gain accurate parameters before he could inscribe the final energy pathways.
However, time was pressing.
The news concerning the war's imminence had arrived so suddenly that it messed up most of Leylin's original plans.
Initially, Leylin was certain that he would make the second transition in his bloodline by the time the Branded Swordsman's experiment succeeded. At that moment, with his increase in power, it wouldn't be impossible for him to battle against a rank 2 Magus.
A rank 2 Magus was at the level of the principal of the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, who possessed great magical powers.
If he could calmly wait and silently accumulate power, Leylin could quickly reach the peak domain that the majority of rank 1 Magi couldn't reach in their entire lifetime.
However, everything was in ruins due to the dreadful news of the war.
At this moment, all Leylin could do was quicken his research in hopes that by the time the war came, he could produce Branded Swordsmen. He didn't expect them to have the full might of the ancient Branded Swordsman but possess at least 50-60% of their original power, which would be sufficient to ensure his life during the chaos of the war.
Leylin took a deep breath after he sorted through his thoughts.
At that instant, he completely calmed down, dispelling all distracting thoughts from his mind.
An indifferent light flashed past his eyes as Leylin carved at Number 1's chest with the assistance of the A.I. chip.
...
"Roar!" An enormous Venom Wyvern, accompanied by a distinct loud cry, dove down from the sky. It abruptly spread its wings when it was a couple of meters above the ground.
*Whoosh!* Enormous green wings covered the sky, casting a large shadow on the ground.
After spreading its wings, the enormous Venom Wyvern's speed of descent drastically decreased, entering a gliding state. After gliding for a couple of meters in the air, it steadily landed on the Four Seasons Garden's general headquarters' landing pad.
*Bang!* The enormous beastial claws collided with the platform. When those sharp claws contacted the floor with such a large amount of momentum, it left several meter-deep markings.
Swish! A Magus who was wearing a white robe embroidered with plants directly jumped off the back of the Venom Wyvern.
"Lord Leylin!"
The surrounding Four Season Garden acolytes hastily went forth to bow to him.
There were two other armoured men that also jumped off from the Venom Wyvern's back after Leylin disembarked. There were enormous greatswords the size of a door attached on their backs.
"These two are my followers. According to the school's rules, I've the rights to bring two servants to live with me! Register them for me!"
Leylin told one of the acolytes, "You also to feed Hawke, and increase the amount of red bread pigs by two heads. It recently entered a state of binge eating prior to maturity, so it requires a lot of food...."
"Your wish is our command, lord!" That acolyte deeply bowed as he commanded the rest of the subordinates behind him to start washing and cleaning the Venom Wyvern
The acolyte seemed to have rapidly recorded something down. After a short while, he passed two metal tablets to Number 2 and 3, who were behind Leylin.
The two tablets were completely black, and on the surface, there was a scarlet rune marking. The marking consisted of an inverted triangle within a circle, with a coiled black snake in the centre.
This was Leylin's secret imprint.
"This will be your access pass. Take good care of it, as the replacement procedure is extremely troublesome! Moreover, there are some restricted areas that you're forbidden from entering, as we are currently in a state of emergency. If you do, you'll be caught by the guards as a spy!"
That acolyte's expression was very stern, which made Leylin apprehensive.
"That's acceptable!" Leylin nodded before leaving this place along with Number 2 and Number 3.
"Is the situation already that severe?" Seeing the Magi rushing around on the way, combined with the warning from that acolyte, Leylin's heart was slightly heavy.
Leylin, who had gotten a lot of information from the previous experiment, rushed to reach the general headquarters of the Four Seasons Garden the next day.
After all, he didn't want to get into a conflict with the Four Seasons Garden.
While he was still conducting experiments regarding the Branded Swordsman, he had brought Number 2 and Number 3 with him to make some adjustments to them using the result from experiments conducted on Number 1. Currently, Leylin had a higher understanding in his research on the Branded Swordsman!
Under the calculations from the A.I Chip, Number 2 and Number 3 would definitely become good assistants for Leylin after they became Branded Swordsmen.
Leylin had made great progress regarding the problem in controlling them.
He used the white termite as the main ingredient to make modifications to the two Grand Knights and used potions to increase the degree to which the brand was carved into their spirits.
He should be able to control their consciousness to make them completely enslaved, under those two control measures.
As for the Grand Knights Number 4 and Number 5, they were completely crippled, as the branded runes on their bodies were not compatible with them. The branding of runes wasn't like drawing, where you could just erase your mistakes. Runes would be forever carved onto the body, and would also reside deep inside the spirit, forming a connection. This was the only way that the Branded Swordsmen could activate the natural energy particles!
Since it was Leylin's first time operating, and he was lacking in experience and information, he had already carved the wrong runes onto the previous two female Grand Knights.
Currently, there wasn't a way for Leylin to erase those runes, so they would forever lose their chances in improving and, would stay at the rank of Grand Knight for the rest of their lives.
Leylin would naturally not bring those two burdens with him. He had instructed Damien and the two female Grand Knights to defend his villa in the Nightless City as a future supply base.
Truthfully, Leylin was still in the darkness regarding the information of the war.
He knew that war was imminent, but didn't know why it was occurring. Who were the opposing forces? Everything was shrouded from him.
However seeing how the Four Season Garden was acting as though it was going to meet a formidable enemy in combat, he could guess that the enemy, this time, wasn't a simple one.
Information gathering was one of the reasons why Leylin decided to come to the general headquarters of the Four Seasons Garden.
After arranging for the two Grand Knights to stay at the residential area of the Four Seasons Garden, Leylin briskly walked to the main lounge of the Potioneering team.
It was rare for the two mischievous stone statues to not be creating trouble, so Leylin passed through them quickly.
*Creak!*
When the door opened, the lounge was still as flourishing and vast as before. A long, white birch table and chairs were orderly arranged. There was a white tablecloth on the table, on the side of which delicate flowers had been stitched.
Different teams in the Potioneering team sat at their respective positions, and constantly chattered among themselves.
The only difference, this time, was that the table wasn't filled with food, but was instead occupied by various documents and crystal balls that were being perused for information.
The master's position in the lounge wasn't filled. It seemed that Decarte must have been busy, and couldn't come here for the time being.
Leylin surveyed the area, and found the where Martin's team was.
When he met Martin for the first time, that old fellow was positioned extremely far from the host's position. However, now that Leylin had joined and completed some missions, that old man's position had moved quite a bit forward. This was something that Martin had constantly bragged about to everyone.
However, even though he was sitting here, the excitement of being in this seat couldn't cover the worry expressed on Martin's face.
After seeing Leylin, Martin's wrinkle covered face displayed a smile. "Leylin! Over here!"
He pointed to the seat beside him.
Leylin smiled, and after greeting the few Magi that he knew, he walked over to sit beside Martin.
"I'm really glad that you could make it! You should know that due to this dreadful war, our tasks have become much more arduous...."
Since they were extremely close to each other, Martin started to express his complaints to Leylin.
"Sorry! I'll definitely work hard in the Potioneering aspect, so can you tell me the details regarding the war? I was previously exploring before I received the Lord leader's secret imprint, so I'm currently still at a loss as to what is happening!"
Leylin's face showed a textbook example of confusion.
"Oh! Look at my manners!" Martin patted his large forehead.
"Which part shall I start talking from?"
Martin stroked his beard and expressed a pondering expression.
"To be honest, the source of this battle is related to the previous two Magus wars….."
Martin commented slowly, his expression becoming serious.
Eternal River Secret Plane
"Leylin, did you know how the two Great Magus Wars began?"
Martin suddenly asked.
"It seemed to be because of the differences in values between light and dark Magi, as well as some anticipated benefits." Leylin combined the factors he had read about in books and added his personal take on it.
"Benefits! Everything was for the sake of benefits!"
Martin waved his hand, his expression increasingly agitated.
"Saying that there was a difference in opinion is just a superficial reason, but when it comes down to it, it was all for benefits! When I find out who said this, I'll copy it down and engrave it in my room!"
Martin quickly proceeded, "In reality, no matter if they were light or dark Magi, they were on the path of pursuing the truth! As long as they were not obstructed, no matter which areas the light Magi occupied, or what massacres the dark Magi were responsible for, the Magi couldn't care less."
"The real reason for the two Great Magus Wars was to obtain resources! The meagre resources in the south coast were not enough for the many of the Magi here…"
Leylin listened quietly as Martin explained the truth behind the Great Magus Wars.
At this moment, a cold smile emerged on his face.
"The so-called Great Magus Wars were actually just for the sake of obtaining more materials, which were not even abundant in the first place. It was a battle started by the highest tier of Magi on both the light and dark Magi's ends, and was a way to 'clean up' the Magus World. After the war, there were massive casualties on both the light and dark Magi's sides, and the remaining resources were enough for the Magi who had survived to advance. This is how the generations of families came to be on the south coast."
As Martin was narrating, Leylin saw a rare look of heartache on his face.
From the looks of it, Martin did not approve of these methods and reasoning, and it was highly likely that he was somehow directly affected by the wars.
Leylin immediately thought back to his previous world.
In his previous life, the fall of any empire was said to be caused by corruption and an incompetent monarch, amongst many other things.
The way Leylin saw it, the real reason for their fall was due to benefits and resources!
In ancient times, the land was the base of life. As time passed, the population rapidly grew, and since there wasn't family planning, people kept on having babies and used them for manual labour. That was the norm!
With an increase in population, but with the same amount of land available, not everyone was able to own land to support themselves. For this reason, the entire empire naturally declined.
Of course, during this process, high officials and landowners had their lands taken over, which hastened this decline.
...
After that, the confusion and deaths caused by the war caused the population to be diminished by about 60 to 70%, and the land and territory were left open for the remaining survivors to use. With this foundation, a new leader could govern well for a century or two and then decline. The cycle would continue…
Leylin believed that the south coast's Magus World was in such a situation.
Even with various measures, the number of Magi was still on the rise, and the south coast's rate of production of materials was hardly enough to support the rate at which Magi advanced in strength.
Many had to see their dreams crushed due to the lack of resources available.
This bitterness and hatred were passed down from generation to generation, resulting in a state where the ruling Magi began to feel afraid!
Hence, a few of the top guilds in the south coast were unafraid of the losses that might be incurred, and initiated wars, disposing of less powerful Magi organisations.
In those wars, winning was useless! Surviving was the best form of victory!
Once he thought that through, Leylin sucked in a breath of cold air.
Compared to the huge empires in his previous life that could not forge ahead any longer, the south coast Leylin was in was just a small part of the Magus World. It could almost be said to be a rural country area.
Even so, those wielding power in the south coast would rather constantly exhaust their own power by raiding to reduce the risks and resentment of their people, than expand their territory. There was only one reason for this!
Just as how it had happened with the Great Magus Wars, the desire to expand would often result in the opposite reaction, where gains did not make up for the losses. No leader was willing to lose their Magus underlings.
"What sort of dangers lie beyond the south coast?"
Leylin sighed inwardly. He had intentions on travelling all around the Magus World and climbing up to bigger heights. However, from this situation, it seemed rather impossible to even leave the south coast.
"However, this does explain why the south coast has always been so sealed off. Rarely are there Magi that stop over, with the only exception being the great Magus Serholm!"
Leylin's eyes flashed as he seemed to come to a realisation.
"So does that mean that this impending war is also meant to lessen the population of official Magi?"
At this point, Martin and Leylin had both lowered their voices and transmitted their thoughts. Leylin had also taken the liberty of setting up a few spell formations that would isolate sound waves.
"That's not it!" Martin slapped his head.
"I just had a lot of feelings regarding the previous Great Magus Wars!"
Old Martin behaved as though he was an old man, and Leylin had the urge to bash him up.
"Hahaha…" Seeing Leylin's reaction, he laughed in a carefree manner.
"I apologise. I have this problem where in critical moments, I usually like to make jokes to ease my nerves." Martin gave a tiny grin as an apology, but all Leylin saw was a despicable old man.
"Alright, let's get back to the topic. The reason for this war is a dispute over benefits!"
Old Martin's expression became milder, but Leylin still listened intently.
"About two days ago, a group of Magi who were out exploring in the Eternal River Plains found a Magus' secret plane!"
Martin told Leylin some information.
This group had been searching for some ruins and had accidentally activated the secret plane, resulting in the leakage of this news, which could set off wars. This wasn't anything new on the south coast.
However, to be able to elicit such a huge response from Old Martin, even making him think that the Third Magus War was arriving, this secret plane must be very unique.
"A secret plane? Is it a resource type plane? How big is it?" Leylin got right to the key points.
"I don't know! From the information provided by Magi who had gone in, it's about ten million mu! The density of elemental particles in there is of the highest quality, A!"
Listening to Martin's statement, Leylin could not help but gasp in admiration.
Even a large-scale light Magi organisation like the Four Seasons Garden only had a secret plane the size of a little more than a million mu. Just from the site of exploration, the secret plane was already much bigger than what the Four Seasons Garden possessed.
Such a huge benefit was enough for the peace-loving light Magi, who were usually buried in research, to covet and be willing to kill to obtain the secret plane.
"Worst of all, such a huge secret plane has a large number of entrances. It seems that after the exploration group activated one of them, the other entrances were also automatically opened. Based on the news I've gathered, there are at least 7 other entrances."
Old Martin was acting mysteriously about this.
Leylin just gave a huge sigh. "The Eternal River Plains are just at the border between the dark and light Magi's territories. The undulations from the entrances to such a large scale secret plane will definitely be detected by official Magi, even if it were a thousand li away."
He finally knew the reason for the wars. Even though it wasn't the worst situation, it wasn't all that good either.
"Exactly! Some dark and light Magus organisations got there first, and upon seeing the secret plane, started killing each other from their desire to gain possession of it. In the end, nobody received any benefits, and they later passed on the information they had learned to the organisations behind them! This information spreading from layer to layer resulted in a civil war between the various Magi."
"In the end, the dark Magi managed to take control of three entrances, while the light Magi took control of the other four. In the huge secret plane, a bloodthirsty battle to steal away various precious resources and territories ensued. The war this time will be inside the plane, and Magi from all over will fight within. Of course, the most important part will be to gain possession of the territory within…"
Leylin heaved a sigh of relief.
Compared to the two other wars that affected the entire south coast, this was going to affect the Magus World the least. The number of dead humans would be minimal, and for Magi like him, as long as he did not choose to enter the secret plane, he would naturally be safe.
At most, there would be an increase in tasks related to Potioneering.
Of course, nearing the end of the war, there was sure to be a large number of casualties within the organisations, and Leylin might even have to be sent to the frontlines.
However, if that truly were to happen, Leylin would immediately choose to escape, and obviously wouldn't be forced into the fight.
*Ding* Just as Leylin was about to enquire more from Martin, a clear sound resounded within the hall.
Despite there being no wind, the multi-coloured fabrics in the hall rustled, and rays of rainbow coloured lights shone within the room.
A distinct sound resonated across the hall.
"The team leader is here! Get up and greet him!"
Martin pulled Leylin along.
Leylin rolled his eyes and stood unwillingly.
As the team leader of Four Seasons Garden's Potioneering team, Decarte's power was unquestionable. He was already at the peak of rank 1, and was ready to break through to rank 2 at any moment.
He also had many achievements in Potioneering and was said to be a great master in the subject.
However, not only was this man old fashioned, he was also crazy for anything lavish that could show off his status.
As a result, this person who liked to have dinner with his underlings, have conversations and issue missions in the stately, formal hall, could not tolerate the slightest bit of rudeness towards him.
A number of Magi had been punished for this reason.
Issuing Missions
Below the stage, numerous Magi bowed.
On the podium, red flames blazed.
A Magus in white robes and a green headband leaped up from the flames energetically, looking like a flame sprite.
"My lord!" Leylin and the other Magi bowed together.
"Hmph!" Decarte nodded in an aloof manner and swept his long cloak before taking a seat at his assigned place.
"Everyone!" Decarte's voice was very gentle, though he had a weird accent. Having stored a large amount of data, Leylin knew that this was an accent that Magi nobility used in the ancient times. Other than showing off one's status, there was nothing special about it. Only the most traditional families practised this way of speech now.
"I believe those in charge of you have already spoken to you. If not, you can ask them about it. I have only one thing to say here!"
"Four Seasons Garden will take over one of the entrances to the Eternal River secret plane on behalf of the light Magi. The battle and hunting teams have already been brought into the plane in batches to vie over the resources within against the dark Magi. Our Potioneering team may not be directly involved in killing the dark Magi, but we have the role of brewing potions and definitely can't hinder the other teams!"
At this point, Decarte's eyes shone as he scanned the area.
All Magi present trembled with fear.
"Is this the power of a Magus at the peak of rank 1?"
Though Leylin could withstand such might, he knew he definitely wasn't Decarte's match yet.
He looked at his stats.
[Leylin Farlier. Rank 1 Warlock, Bloodline: Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Strength: 7.1, Agility: 6.7, Vitality: 8.5, Spiritual Force: 58.9, Magic Power: 58 (Magic Power is in synchronisation with Spiritual Force). Elemental essence conversion: 70%. Status: Healthy]
As a Magus on the verge of breaking through to rank 2, Decarte's spiritual force had definitely gone past 70 and might even be near 80. His elemental essence conversion was sure to have reached a high percentage and was much more than 80%, which was the requirement to break through.
Leylin suspected that Lord Decarte could have advanced a long time ago but had held himself back in order to increase his elemental essence conversion as much as possible before trying to break through!
Leylin knew that he had a large number of tricks up his sleeves, but the most he could do was catch Decarte unprepared. It was certain that the experienced Decarte could beat him up thoroughly.
"Alright, now I'll issue the missions. Callum, your research on the Tree Secretion Potion is temporarily on hold. From hereon, spend all your time on brewing the Rotting Bee Swarm potion!"
Decarte began to issue the missions.
A Magus with a gold helmet that covered his face stood and greeted him.
Leylin knew of Callum. He was said to be the number one in the Potioneering team, and the team he led was very capable. They had managed to complete a series of difficult missions, and his own Potioneering abilities were awe-inspiring. Based on Leylin's calculations, without the use of his trump card, the A.I. Chip, he might not even match up to Callum.
Leylin had heard a bit about the Tree Secretion Potion that Callum's team was in charge of. The formula had already been mostly figured out, and there was one more step till the potion could show its real effects.
However, because of the war, this experiment had to be postponed.
"Good. I'll compensate your losses a while later!" Seeing Callum so cooperative, Decarte's expression brightened.
"Next up is…"
Decarte changed all of the teams' existing missions.
Their previous missions had to do with research and fortification, but these were all abandoned in favour of refining potions that had immense killing power.
Martin's team, which Leylin was in, received a mission to brew the Heart of Lava.
This Heart of Lava Potion was a type of offensive potion that had a large area of effect.
Though its might was a little weak at around 20 degrees, it had a wide range and was a necessary item in large-scale wars.
Besides Martin's team, other Potioneering groups also received this mission.
This potion was not easy to brew, but Decarte cared little for the grimaces on his subordinates' faces and allocated a fixed number for each team to make. He also mentioned that if the monthly quota was not met, not only would their benefits and allocations be decreased, they might also be deprived of some of their current authority.
Martin's expression was bitter, and Leylin's heart lurched when Martin looked at him with hope.
Decarte's attitude seemed to imply that Four Seasons Garden did not have the upper hand in the fight for territories within Eternal River secret plane. Hence, they needed a large number of these offensive potions.
If that was the case, it was a definite possibility that people who were usually working at the back, like alchemists and potion masters, would be sent to the frontlines to increase Four Seasons Garden's strength.
With such high odds of this happening, Leylin needed to make some preparations for himself.
After all, he wasn't so stupid as to give his life for Four Seasons Garden.
"Leylin, we're counting on you!"
Martin had a look of fervent hope as he patted Leylin on the back. His teammates had the same expression.
"Alright! However, this mission is extremely important and I can't guarantee anything…"
Leylin forced a smile.
Time passed quickly, especially while one was busy brewing potions.
Usually, Leylin obviously would not reveal his true abilities in making potions.
While brewing them, he purposely failed a few times in order to hide his ridiculously high rate of success.
However, there was an upside to this whole situation. As Potioneering was a job that demanded one to be meticulous, the environments Potion Masters were in had to be suitable. Hence, they often worked alone.
Leylin also had a private laboratory of his own, and while he was brewing potions, even his own team members did not dare interrupt him.
This gave him the opportunity to do as he pleased.
Firstly, Leylin used a frighteningly short amount of time to brew enough potions to fill the quota. The rest of the time was used on researching the Branded Swordsman, the information he had obtained from the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect's secret plane, and other subjects of interest.
Within Leylin's private laboratory.
Burettes, beakers, and other laboratory containers holding colourful liquids were scattered atop the pure white experimenting table. Some of these liquids were solvents that effervesced.
Beside the table, Leylin had his eyes tightly closed, his facial muscles twitching.
At the same time, rings of energy and spiritual force rippled and were constantly being compressed. The atmosphere began to undulate with the tiniest ripples as if it were also being compressed.
The large spiritual force that Leylin possessed was constantly lowering along with the fluctuations, and there even came a point where his spiritual force was undetectable.
A good while later, Leylin opened his eyes.
Currently, his eyes were clear and pure. The layer of darkness from before was nowhere to be seen.
The energy waves he usually gave off had vanished and he seemed to be a regular human. The only identifiable aspect was the deep and immeasurable dark shadow that flashed in his eyes occasionally.
"The spiritual force compression method I obtained from the old witch is surprisingly effective!"
Leylin used the A.I. Chip to scan himself, but even the A.I. Chip could only give a few vague numbers and was unable to effectively analyse the state of Leylin's body.
Leylin prevented the A.I. Chip from using all its efforts on calculating data, and he had not authorized the usage of an atomic microscope either. However, just this kind of result was enough to make him happy.
From the A.I. Chip's calculations, this spiritual force compression method matched up the spiritual force energy waves from his body and then compressed them. This would then adjust the spiritual force energy waves and hide his true strength.
Just the first half of the information that the old witch had provided was enough to conceal his strength from other rank 1 Magi.
With the second half he obtained from the old witch during his time in the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect's secret plane, this effect was multiplied.
The current Leylin was certain that even rank 2 Magi would be unable to detect the concealment of his strength.
Having this ability right before the impending war made it even more precious!
"This method can be used as one of my hiding skills. When coupled with Shadow Stealth, the effects seem to be even better…"
The A.I. Chip began to calculate fervently while Leylin was deep in thought.
After about half an hour, Leylin got up and rang the golden handbell on the experimentation table.
*Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!*
The crisp sound of a bell resounded.
*Creak!*
Moments later, a secret door opened, and two Grand Knights dressed in armour walked in.
"Number 2! Number 3! How are you feeling now?"
Leylin surveyed the two who had grown taller and had a change in their physique. Anticipation flashed in his eyes.
"There's some pain from swelling as if something is inside drilling holes in my body…"
"Master! I feel the same as Number 2. Also, my body alternates between being cold and warm, and there are sudden surges in strength. I would break whatever I was holding unintentionally when that happened…" Number 3 knelt on one leg as he reported.
"Is that so? Lie on the experimentation table and let me see!"
Leylin commanded.
Number 3 took off all his armour and quickly laid on the ice-cold table.
At the moment, the brand on his body was becoming increasingly clear. What was most obvious was the few strange looking brands that were broken, which had been kept in place with red devices
"I'm unable to replicate the methods of recreating the Ancient Branded Swordsman now, so I can only settle for second best. As long as I forcibly link the brand and let Grand Knights temporarily use this power, it still works!"
Leylin thought to himself.
To fully replicate the methods in creating the powerful Branded Swordsman, a large amount of time was needed.
The current Leylin had to make do and substitute it with other means.
The Library's Hidden Room
In this pre-war period the entire Magus World on the south coast was in a chaotic situation.
Though Leylin had always stayed within the Four Seasons Garden's headquarters, he had not completely broken off all contact with the outside world.
Every day, he could obtain information about the south coast from his butler Damien, who was still in Nightless City, as well as from other channels.
The appearance of the Eternal River Plains' secret plane had galvanized the south coast!
All Magi, whether it be the organisations, wandering Magi, or even fugitives, were all rushing towards the Eternal River Plains.
The Eternal River Plains' secret plane was said to be the largest plane found on the south coast to date.
It had an area of as much as ten million mu and even exceeded the total area of all resource-based secret planes that had previously been found.
Many Magi wanted to reap some benefits from this magnificent discovery.
For this kind of secret plane, just a small part of it was enough to cover several decades of expenses for the average Magus! Magi organisations that could set up such a plane were sure to be outstanding, even in ancient times.
Magi who could obtain an inheritance of this level could definitely break through their bottleneck and allow them to have a chance at advancing to rank 3 or become a rank 4 Morning Star Magus!
Such a huge temptation not only made the idle Magi crazy with desire, even older Magi who had retired a long time ago had decided to act and were rushing towards the Eternal River Plains.
Due to their great numbers, the Magi rushing for the secret plane eventually had conflicts with the large Magi organisations guarding the entrances.
Dramatic scenes—chaos, murders, alliances, and betrayals—were incessantly acted out on the stage that was the Eternal River Plains.
Many small Magi organisations and individual Magi even made an alliance to contend against the large dark and light Magi groups.
In such a disorderly situation, Leylin needed to raise his strength to protect himself as quickly as possible.
Although the Branded Swordsman created in such a short amount of time were only usable once and might be of inferior strength, that was enough for Leylin.
During critical moments he could only rely on himself. As for the other organisations and powers… hehe.
The current situation in Four Seasons Garden wasn't very good.
The huge influx of Magi into the Eternal River Plains had resulted in a weakening of the security in the area. Four Seasons Garden not only had to deal with attacks from within the secret plane but also had to send out some Magi to maintain order at the entrance. Their numbers were simply not enough.
A prominent example was the obvious decrease of Magi in Four Seasons Garden. The rank 2 Magi leaders could rarely be seen.
It was clear that Four Seasons Garden's defense abilities were gradually becoming weaker.
Leylin even had the thought of giving this information to Thousand Meddling Hands and gain some benefits from their weakness.
However, this plan was quickly rejected by Leyin.
Other than the restrictions he had from the previous contract witnessed by the Trial's Eye, the rank 2 Magus guarding the secret plane was still around. Taking over this type of secret plane required at least the rank 2 dark Magus that was controlling Thousand Meddling Hands to act.
Leylin was merely a normal member who had, at most, gained some notoriety. He was not yet qualified to be in direct contact with such a strong being.
Though the old witch had promised Leylin her position as an elder, she was trapped within the secret plane. This promise thus became invalid.
Though Leylin found it a pity, he wasn't particularly regretful.
In that situation, it was already a miracle that he could escape. Considering the circumstances, it was not practical to think about anything else.
Leylin was still curious. How were the old witch and her daughter in spirit form, Jaye, doing in the secret plane?
And that Gargamel! As an evolution of the Loathsome Evil, this terrifying creature not only had the frightful strength of a rank 2 Magus, it also had many unpredictable techniques.
The destruction of the entrance to the secret plane would not obstruct it for too long.
If it were to be let out, the situation on the south coast would be much the same as it was now, or perhaps even more chaotic!
If that Gargamel found traces of Leylin, it definitely would not let him off. After all, he had basically made a fool of it.
Hence, Leylin had an increasingly intense desire for power.
"The Branded Swordsman! As long as I complete this experiment, I would instantly gain two underlings with the power of official Magi. They would be unafraid of death, and there can be an unending stream of them to serve me!"
Leylin's blue eyes flashed in excitement.
"A.I. Chip! Scan the data!"
[Beep! Mission established, beginning to collect data required. Microscopic scan ensuing!] The A.I. Chip loyally executed Leylin's commands.
[Beep! Target's Data. Strength: 29, Agility: 24, Vitality: 35, Spiritual Force: 19. Has been branded with runes: Flame Extension (for Male use) Effects: Able to store large amounts of flame elemental particles on the surface of the body and use it in battle. Each attack will have an additional damage from flames. All elemental particles can be set off at one go, and the effect is similar to a rank 1 Magus' Lava Fireball. Estimated power: 30 degrees!] [The brand's power is operating normally. Parts of it have mild defects, and is estimated to be completely damaged in 1540 hours.]
With the A.I. Chip's microscope that could analyse on an atomic level, all information about Number 3's brand was presented in front of Leylin.
"This means that instantly formed Branded Swordsman only have a lifespan of two or so months?" Leylin stroked his chin. "There are also some flaws in terms of agility and spiritual force too…"
"However, as cannon fodder that can only be used once, this is enough!"
Leylin thought to himself.
After which, he made plans to exchange all the contribution points he had gained from his work at Four Seasons Garden for grown male Grand Knight slaves.
On the bodies of these two instantly formed Branded Swordsman, Leylin had also made some preparations beforehand to ensure they were completely under his control.
However, due to limitations in terms of his spiritual force and other areas, the A.I. Chip had calculated that he was only capable of controlling five Branded Swordsman at a time!
Only if a few out of the five Branded Swordsman died, leaving a vacant spot, could Leylin put his abilities to use and fill the spot with other Branded Swordsman.
This was not the optimal situation, but for Leylin now, this was the best he could do.
As a rank 1 Magus, Leylin was able to control five considerably powerful Branded Swordman. If rumours of this got out, it would definitely shock the entire south coast!
"Compress!"
After gathering data and finishing his experiments, Leylin pressed a strange looking rune onto Number 3's back.
Instantly, a large amount of fire elemental particles lingering around Number 3's body dulled, and the energy waves from his body began to weaken until he was at the level of a Grand Knight.
This was the technique he had made sense of using the information about spiritual force compression method the old witch had given him.
By using external forces to control the energy waves in the target's body, others' senses would be confused.
The Branded Swordsman was Leylin's secret trump card and he naturally didn't want to be discovered so quickly. Hence, putting on an act and concealing his strength was necessary.
Next, Leylin repeated what he had done to Number 3 on Number 2's body.
After ordering these two Grand Knights to stay in the laboratory, Leylin left for the Four Seasons Garden's library.
Usually, there would be a few official Magi or acolytes reading up or conversing. Though there were a lot of people, it was orderly and surprisingly quiet.
The library was now extremely quiet, but it just seemed desolate.
Desks and chairs that would always be filled were unoccupied, and there were the occasional leaves and petals from the garden landing on the seats. It was deathly still and lonely.
"My Lord!" An old manager was still at his post in the library. Upon seeing Leylin, even the decorative items on his body seemed to brighten up, and he bowed in greeting.
"No need for that! There seems to very few people now." Leylin leaned against the counter and spoke casually.
"All acolytes have left after receiving missions. I've never seen so few people in Four Seasons Garden before!" The old manager gave a bitter smile.
"Missions? Now? Could it be to the Eternal River Plains' secret plane ?" Leylin found that inconceivable.
In the battle between Magi, acolytes were naught but cannon fodder. Other than large-scale spell formations which might be somewhat effective, the acolytes were normally just easy kills for Magi.
This maneuver by Four Seasons Garden was just irrational.
"Of course, they aren't going to go that deeply into the secret plane!" The old manager quickly explained to Leylin.
"Though many of those heading to the Eternal River Plains' secret plane are official Magi, there are also numerous wandering acolyte who have no fear of death. They had thoughts of going in to try their luck! The great Magi naturally did not bother with them, and now it's our turn to be sent out…"
"After all, the Eternal River Plains' secret plane is humongous. With a bit of luck, level 3 acolytes might not meet with opposing official Magi and make off with plenty of resources safely. Hence, there are some fearless level 3 acolytes who accepted the missions our Four Seasons Garden issued to explore the secret plane."
It could be seen that the old manager was well informed, as Leylin himself was unaware about some of what he had said.
"Thank you!" Leylin continued, "Set up an entrance card for me. I want to go to the library's secret room!"
Leylin then placed his identity token on the counter.
The old geezer processed everything quickly, and not long after, he returned the token and gave a translucent crystal card to Leylin.
"The price to read in the secret room is 10 contribution points per hour. Please take note of the time and leave before all your contribution points are used up."
The old geezer explained some important matters to Leylin.
Turin Language
Similar to Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, there were restricted areas in the Four Seasons Garden's library.
The place Leylin wanted to go to was the Four Seasons Garden's secret storage room.
In this private room, large amounts of knowledge regarding various subjects were open to official Magi. The fees were extremely expensive, and even the current Leylin was in pain over the costly price.
Although he could copy the information with the A.I. Chip, that still took time.
Leylin had calculated that even if he used up all his contribution points, it would barely give him enough time to record half of the information available in the room.
He had originally planned to amass enough contribution points first and then record all the information at one go.
But now…
Leylin went straight to the second floor of the library and waved his transparent crystal card at an old bookshelf.
*Kreeeen!* The bookshelf moved backwards, revealing a small passage.
Behind the passage was a small library with strangely shaped books placed on the rows of black wooden bookshelves within.
Some of the books even had pairs of arms and legs, and if not for the iron chains restraining them, they might just stealthily escape.
As he had a goal in mind, Leylin ignored them.
"A.I. Chip! Scan the catalogue. Search keywords: Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect, Emergency Passages…"
To find the content he needed from within this extremely extensive library, a lot of time would be wasted. Luckily for him, Leylin had the A.I. Chip, and within a few minutes, he found the information he wanted.
"I see…"
Following the A.I. Chip's instructions, Leylin came to a corner and flipped through a very old book.
It was extremely thick and heavy, and the cover was an ashen grey. The A.I. Chip judged that this book was made of a very special ancient stone material.
This method of bookmaking belonged to an interesting group of tiny sub-humans—the Stone Men!
This was a race that had an appearance extremely similar to that of humans, but the main difference was the thick layer of calcite on their skin, which looked very much like someone casting a stone-skin spell.
Leylin read through this large book made of stone. On one of the pages, a strange spell formation had been carefully recorded.
"It's this one! It's more than 90% similar to the spell formation in the secret plane of the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect!" Leylin's expression brightened up.
Right before his eyes, the A.I. Chip brought up a picture of the ancient spell formation that he had obtained from the secret plane. He then compared it to the spell formation that was recorded down, and came to a conclusion that the two had a similarity of over 90%!
"That's astonishing!"
Leylin continued analysing it, looking increasingly cautious.
Only now did he realise the true purpose of that spell formation—teleportation!
In the secret room that Leylin had found a corpse in while escaping, there still existed an ancient teleportation formation!
This type of teleportation formation could instantaneously teleport a few Magi to a distance further than several times the length of the south coast. However, due to the geologic faults and the extinction of crucial ingredients, the current south coast no longer had traces of these formations.
The Stone Men then were the best slaves that the ancient Magi used to construct the teleportation formations. It was because of this reason that there were records of this race.
"So in the space between levels in the emergency passage, there's actually an ancient teleportation formation?"
Just the thought of it made Leylin breathe more quickly.
The south coast was surrounded by regions filled with varying levels of danger. In some places, rank 2 or 3 Magi would only be sending themselves to their death if they went there!
It was because of the existence of such dangers that the Magi in the south coast would rather have an internal strife every once in a while to reduce the number of Magi than venture outwards. They were unwilling to expand the territory and gain more resources.
Even if Leylin wanted to leave the south coast and look for traces of the central mainland, he had no way to leave!
However, with the appearance of the ancient teleportation spell formation, Leylin saw a glimmer of hope!
If he had tremendous luck and found a new land, how much profit would Leylin receive as the controller of the transportation pathway to there?
"No, I can't do this! Calm down! Calm down! Whether this ancient teleportation formation can still be used or not, and where it leads to are all unknown. To make effective use of it, I have to answer all of these questions!"
Leylin stroked his chin and calmed his emotions.
He then produced a tattered diary from within his robes. "I might be able to find an answer with information from this diary."
In the secret compartment within the emergency passage, not only did Leylin find the ancient teleportation formation, but he also found what seemed to be the remains of a high-ranking Magus of the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect. In addition, he also found some miscellaneous items and this diary on the deceased Magus' body.
The first thing Leylin did upon returning was to order the A.I. Chip to record all of the information in this tattered diary.
Unfortunately, the language used in the diary was not one that the A.I. Chip was able to interpret. This made it difficult for Leylin to decipher the information within!
"Those strange people in black gowns who like to enslave spirits preferred to use an odd language and characters to issue commands. As long as we didn't understand, we would be punished cruelly, which forced us to learn the name of that damned Turin Language!"
In the Stone Men's books, Leylin found this written account.
"No wonder the A.I. Chip couldn't interpret the contents of the diary. So it was the Turin Language!" Leylin suddenly understood.
The Turin Language was an exclusive language used in ancient times, which used special sound waves and light rays to transmit information. Even its characters contrasted hugely compared to other existing languages.
There were no records of this Turin Language in the A.I. Chip's database.
"Turin Language?"
Leylin went around the bookshelf, and in a corner, he finally found a few books that seemed to be written in the Turin Language. There was even a book that gave a concise introduction to interpreting this language.
"A.I. Chip, scan it!"
In his excitement, Leylin hurriedly opened one of the books and ordered the A.I. Chip to record it down…
"My Lord, it's already time for dinner. Are you planning to enjoy a dinner party here? Your contribution points are almost completely used up at this point…"
Leylin was immersed in the sea of knowledge and was using the A.I. Chip to translate and restore the information in the diary.
In summary, there was a crazy Magus who kept using spirits to create the Gargamel. In the end, the experiment backfired on him. This was truly a tragic story.
What made Leylin most gleeful were the few images similar to the ancient teleportation formation that he found at the back of the diary.
Based on the images, as well as some speculations on the A.I. Chip's part, Leylin would be able to test whether the formation was still workable.
Now in a marvellous mood, Leylin didn't bother with the old manager and glanced at his crystal card. "I got it. I'll be right out!"
Disregarding the old man, who was bowing so deeply his head touched the floor, Leylin jogged out of the library.
"A.I. Chip! Based on the information from just now, how complete was the previously recorded ancient teleportation formation?"
Leylin asked a little nervously.
[Beep! Mission established, sorting through information regarding teleportation, and comparing…]
The A.I. Chip's mechanical voice sounded.
On the virtual screen in front of Leylin, large numbers of words and images flashed past, with the formation that had been previously recorded placed in the very centre.
[Beep! Comparison results: Completion of teleportation formation: 98.8%. Situation on other end of formation unknown, unable to calculate!]
The A.I. Chip's answer made Leylin grin even more brightly.
Though there was still a troublesome Gargamel in the secret plane, Leylin felt that it would be in a hurry to escape. The secret compartment was hidden well, and there was a high chance that it was still well preserved.
The most important thing was the source of energy!
"Even ancient teleportation formations needed a source of power! A.I. Chip, what does this formation need to be usable?"
Leylin asked.
[Magic crystal essence, or some object that contains a dense amount of energy particles!] The A.I. Chip intoned.
"Magic crystal essence huh? The magic crystal cards aren't enough?" Leylin asked.
[Beep! The energy contained within is not enough, will require a purifying process to condense the energy. Projected ingredients: 10,000 magic crystal cards or more!]
The A.I. Chip's reply made Leylin's legs wobble.
"Ten thousand magic crystal cards? A single card has a value of over a thousand magic crystals! Ten thousand magic crystal cards would mean that I will need over ten million magic crystals?!"
After a year of amassing resources from the light and dark Magi, the magic crystals and materials he had amassed only amounted to a value of less than five million!
And this A.I. Chip said that it needed twice that amount!
In addition, the A.I. Chip only needed magic crystal cards. Leylin needed to exchange large amounts of resources, magic items, knowledge, potions, and the like for magic crystals. This exchange would result in him racking up huge losses due to his pressing need for them.
"So many magic crystals… I'm afraid there will only be that amount stored in a few large scale Magus organisations' resource-based secret planes."
Leylin then shook his head. "This isn't the time to think about that. There isn't anything that requires me to risk my life, and even if it's the Third Great Magus War, it is still limited to within the Eternal River Plains' secret plane, and won't have much of an impact on the outside world!"
Currently, in the Third Great Magus War, the main reason for the fighting was a dispute over the rights to the Eternal River Plains' secret plane, so the various disputes and conflicts had been taking place within it.
According to Leylin's guess, this slice of the cake was way too big, and no single organisation would be capable of devouring it whole. It would definitely be shared with the various large magisteriums and guilds.
As for what Four Seasons Garden and the other guilds had to do, it was to do their best to fight for a larger share!
Blackmail
While freely strolling through the streets, Leylin heard an odd sound travel into his ears.
"We're in such a dangerous situation, and yet you're still so relaxed… It looks like I need to make a suggestion to Decarte for him to give you a more challenging job."
The tone of this voice was icy, giving Leylin the impression he had attracted the attention of a ravenous wolf.
Leylin gave a helpless laugh and scratched his nose, after which he turned back and gave a bow. "Lord Caesar!"
In front of him was a Magus clothed in a black robe. There were several blood-red threads that decorated the robe, and bloodlust constantly emanated from him.
What was most unforgettable was the eye on his forehead!
This three-eyed Magus was naturally Caesar of the hunting team. He was an elitist, and firmly believed in one's origin, so after Leylin entered Four Seasons Garden, he just didn't like Leylin and constantly caused him trouble.
"Wasn't his entire hunting team deployed into the Eternal River Plains' secret plane? Did something happen that required him to rush back and report?"
While Leylin made his conjectures, he explained himself to Caesar. " I, your subordinate, have completed all missions required for me to receive my monthly allocations, and have decided to take a walk to settle my mind."
"I see! Hehe, you're very capable. There might be a position that suits you better…"
Unexpectedly, Caesar did not inconvenience him, and only said something profound before leaving.
Leylin was left standing on the road, deep in thought.
"What did he mean by that?"
Soon enough, Leylin found out the meaning to Caesar's words.
During dinner, a banquet was held in the hall. Members of the Potioneering team gathered in the hall and enjoyed a sumptuous meal.
Hazelnut chicken, roasted suckling pig, honey wine, and other delicious commonplace dishes were everywhere, arranged like trash on every corner.
At the centre of the table, there were also various delicacies that were only available in the Magus World.
Bubble fish! Dolosen Snake! Butter Yak! In addition, a lot of treasured ingredients that Leylin didn't even know the names of were arranged neatly there.
The alluring smell of fine wine spread in the air, tempting everyone's palate.
"There must have been much blood shed by the acolytes in preparing these dishes."
Leylin picked up a piece of baked bubble fish, and while his taste buds enjoyed the new experience, he heaved an inward sigh of content.
This bubble fish was a high energy creature in the Magus World with a strength of a level 2 or 3 acolyte.
The Four Seasons Garden's magic kitchen specifically issued requests for acolytes to gather the fish.
Behind this feast, there were the blood, sweat, and tears of countless acolytes who had gone on dangerous expeditions. The results of their efforts, which had garnered them some insignificant returns, eventually turned into gourmet food on the official Magi's tables!
"It's for this reason that I hope to become the person who will deprive others, and not get deprived myself!"
Leylin had a resolute look in his eyes while still maintaining a kind smile about his lips. He took another roasted pig trotter and put it on his plate.
With the nearing of his bloodline's second transition, Leylin could feel abnormalities in his usual condition.
The most obvious one was a heightened appetite, particularly for the flesh of considerably strong, high-energy creatures.
After the sumptuous dinner, Decarte knocked on a golden cup on the table.
*Ding-ling!*
The entire room instantly turned silent. Leylin and the other Magi stood, waiting for the Potioneering team's leader to issue missions and inform them of any arrangements.
"Everyone! Before we get into the important matters, let me announce something!"
Decarte looked at the Magi present and cleared his throat.
"Today, the hunting team's Caesar looked for me, hoping to have a few Potion Masters join him! You must know that in the Eternal River Plains' secret plane, there are frequent battles, resulting in a lack of healers. Many Potion Masters can use potions to achieve the same effect as healers."
Hearing Decarte's words, Leylin's heart suddenly lurched.
"Now, I'll announce the list of people to be sent there. They are Wilkenson, Saladin… and lastly, Leylin!"
As expected, Decarte increased his volume and read out Leylin's name last.
In that instant, Leylin felt countless pairs of eyes staring at him.
Within these gazes were thoughts of curiosity, worry, and most prominently, schadenfreude.
His ostensible team leader was sighing heavily by the side. After Leylin left, with Martin's abilities, it would be impossible to tackle the heavy workload that resulted from the war. However, Martin did not have the courage to dispute it, since this was the decision of the Potioneering team's leader.
"Oh, my heavens! Leylin! What do we do?"
His partner, Oak, seemed to be completely stunned and gaped at Leylin.
"Don't worry! Even if I am sent to the battlefield, I'll most likely be working at the back, and won't be in any real danger!" Seeing that there was someone who genuinely worried for him, a smile appeared on Leylin's face.
In reality, was there any place on a battlefield that was absolutely safe, especially when he was directly under that three-eyed Magus, Caesar?
The moment he heard Decarte announce his name, Leylin immediately thought about Caesar's cryptic smile.
"The aforementioned Magi have five days to prepare, after which they will be required to go to Four Seasons Garden's branch at the Eternal River Plains' secret plane and report. Otherwise, you will be seen as a traitor!"
Decarte seemed to be warning them at the end.
After offending the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy and the Lilytell family, which were both large dark Magi powers, Leylin had no wish to become enemies with an even stronger white Magi organisation.
If it came to that, he would no longer have a place on the south coast.
...
A day later, Leylin hastily organised everything and brought his two Great Knight servants along. They set off for the Eternal River Plains.
The sun shone mercilessly in the sky.
Smoke and dust flew above the ground, and not far away, the air seemed to be distorted.
This torrid heat meant there were almost no people walking on the main street.
*Thud Thud Thud!* At this moment, three quick horses hurtled past destroying the calmness and quiet atmosphere on this road.
"Master! There's some shade in front. Shall we take a break there?"
Number 2 reined in his horse and asked Leylin, who was riding behind him.
"Let us take a rest. Although we can still manage, the poor horses can't anymore!"
Leylin pointed to the horses, which were on the verge of frothing at the mouth.
Behind him, there were a few idle horses, on top of which were boxes and the other luggage they needed had been tied down. They looked listless, with their ears pressed to their heads, and the light in their eyes dim.
If Leylin was travelling alone, he naturally could travel on the Venom Wyvern.
However, he had to bring his two Grand Knight subordinates and even had to haul around a large amount of luggage. With this large amount of things, it naturally exceeded the burden that the Venom Wyvern could carry.
The Nightless City didn't have any airships that could directly transport people to the Eternal River Plains' secret plane, so Leylin could only rely on the most primitive method, which was traveling on horseback.
As for the Venom Wyvern, Leylin commanded it to scout the area in the sky and accompany them on their journey.
"Master! Here's some water!"
Leylin found a clean rock for himself to sit on. Number 3, who was behind him, passed him a large leather pouch.
"En!" Leylin drank from it.
Although the temperature did not impact his vitality very much, the ice cold water washing down his throat gave him a very refreshing sensation.
"Hmmm?"
Suddenly, a gray fog covered the area surrounding the shade of the trees they were under.
Under the dim light, the various branches of the trees looked like the hands of monsters, as if wanting to grab hold of Leylin and the group.
At the same time, a drowsy feeling began to enshroud the three of them.
"Who is it?" Number 2 and Number 3 expanded their muscles and were ready to emit energy waves.
Leylin's icy glare stopped them, and they stiffly collapsed onto the floor.
"Hei Hei… Blood Rogue, these two Grand Knights of yours have been modified well! They can actually defend against my hypnosis!" The voice of a little boy travelled over.
Leylin's brows furrowed as he heard the name 'Blood Rogue'.
He was still dressed as a normal Magus, yet this dark Magus from the Thousand Meddling Hands had actually seen through his disguise. From the looks of it, despite his efforts to conceal his identity, part of what he had done had been too high profile, resulting in the discovery of his identity.
It was very likely that even the Four Seasons Garden had similar suspicions about him!
It was because of this that Decarte was glad to see Caesar deploy Leylin elsewhere, and even chairman Reynold did not have any objections.
"Boy! What's the matter?"
Since he had been found out, Leylin asked bluntly.
"Hehe… This is about Old Devil. She is an elder of the organisation after all, and it's not known whether she is currently alive or dead. 'Boss' had instructed us to investigate thoroughly. According to what I know, her final appearance was to invite you and Brass Ring to participate in an expedition…"
"You're correct! However, Brass Ring had perished inside! As for Old Devil, she is currently not able to leave! As for the secret plane's location, I have no comments about that!"
Leylin did not believe that they would be this concerned about her whereabouts. It was more likely that they were coveting Old Devil's position as an elder!
As expected, after hearing Leylin's answer, the boy snickered. "You're the Blood Rogue, after all! The way you work is straightforward and clear-cut! Let's stop talking about Old Devil and move on. I currently bring you a mission from Boss!"
With the mention of this boss, the boy sounded more serious.
"What's the meaning of this? Since when does the Thousand Meddling Hands force missions on their members?" Leylin wrinkled his brows. From the looks of it, the all-powerful dark Magus behind the Thousand Meddling Hands had finally been lured to the surface.
"Of course, there wasn't anything like this before! However, it's all different now! I believe that you will definitely do something for the organisation in order to protect your identity. Am I right, Leylin—or shall I say, Blood Rogue!"
The boy began to threaten him, a hint of arrogance apparent in his tone.