Assassin
A great wizard could not rise without the support of an extremely influential power. It was a pipe dream to achieve such success alone. Were he to try to build up his power and wealth through underhanded means, he would obviously provoke many people.
In comparison, the Faulens had only met with a small inconvenience. Even if Leylin broke away from the family, he would still run into the same problem when trying to make a name for himself.
It was needless to say that his identity as a nobleman was rather decent. At least it allowed Leylin to travel unimpeded in any place where human civilization gathered. He couldn't bear to give that up.
With the speed at which his strength was improving, the Faulens would one day be unable to meet his demands, thus he had to expand the interests of the family.
If he ate more, others would have less to eat. Leylin had long predicted that the Baltic archipelago and the numerous natural ports owned by Louis' family would become stumbling blocks in his family's rise in society.
Even without this incident, the Faulens would one day become enemies with Marquis Louis. After growing aware of this, Leylin's gaze turned as cold as ice. 'If that's the case, I'll move those blocks away!'
"Compared to the rich and imposing maquis, the Faulen Family is simply not prepared as of now. Even if we emerge victorious in this incident, we are destined to keep a low profile. It would be best… Huh?"
Leylin's eyes suddenly widened, 'This energy undulation… A.I. Chip!'
[Beep! Task established, initializing scan… Suspicious person discovered in the vicinity! Gathering of high energy detected! Person is determined to be in possession of powerful explosives.]
The carriage seemed to have turned translucent in the A.I. Chip's display, revealing the streets and people in the form of numerous lines. A few passersby were sneakily drawing closer to it, and they were marked out by the A.I. Chip.
"Are they assassins? Jacob…" Jacob was currently rushing the carriage along, but hearing Leylin's voice stunned him for a moment.
"Don't stop! Don't show any signs of suspicion or panic. Let's change direction!" Leylin's command was transmitted to Jacob, yet it seemed like no else heard it.
Jacob stopped for a moment. He had already viewed voice transmission as an ability unique to a wizard. Being experienced, he immediately knew what the young master had discovered.
*Crack!* The crisp sound of the horsewhip sounded. The carriage, which had been going forth, suddenly made a sharp turn, and entered another junction.
"They're still following us? Hah… Did they vow not to give up until they achieved their goal?" Leylin could see the route that the assassins were taking through the A.I. Chip, and he couldn't help but force a smile.
"Jacob, follow the route I'm about to give you." As the young leader of the Faulen Pier, Leylin couldn't allow its prosperous image to be damaged, come what may. If word got out about a heir to a noble family getting attacked in a ruckus at the port, it could be a huge blow to the port's prestige. Many of the less influential merchants would be afraid of getting into trouble, and would rather take a detour than come back again to replenish their supplies. Hence, although Leylin had already discovered the assassins, he couldn't take action in the middle of the city centre.
Jacob clearly knew this as well, and firmly followed the route that Leylin gave.
Under Leylin's directions, the carriage swiftly drove out of the market as smoothly as a loach. They arrived at a small road in the countryside, and the assassins hurriedly surrounded them one by one.
"Are you ready? Jacob, break through their line of defense right away, and send a signal to gather the patrolling team!" Leylin appeared very confident.
"But young master, your safety!" Jacob was rather hesitant.
"That's not an issue. Don't forget that I'm a wizard, and someone stronger than you at that." Leylin said without a trace of politeness.
Jacob's face flushed red, as though he had recalled the few experiences when he had suffered defeat under Leylin's hands, "Your wish is my command, young master!"
At this moment, a few shadows that appeared to be highly bewildered pounced on them. They had evidently realised that they had been fooled by Leylin earlier on at the port. Their fury even led to them drawing out their murder weapons immediately.
"Are these the bombs of a goblin alchemist?" Leylin shook his head in disapproval as he saw a few jet black objects launched towards the carriage.
If they were attacked by these prohibited items with such immense power in the port, even if Leylin himself wouldn't suffer the slightest damage, Jacob would definitely sustain injuries or even die, much less the civilians involved.
But now they were in the wilderness. With a widened field of view and Leylin's prior warning, even Jacob would be able to avoid it.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The violent explosion even caused the entire carriage to disintegrate into pieces, and numerous splinters shot all over the place.
But before this happened, two figures had jumped out of the carriage.
"One, two, three, four. There's still one more!" Leylin said to himself as he noticed the four figures surrounding him.
He had detected five people through the A.I. Chip, but now it seemed that there was another fellow hiding in the darkness, who was evidently their leader.
"Quick, leave!" Leylin turned around at yelled at Jacob, who had a few traces of blood on his body. He was clearly affected by the explosion just now."The power of the alchemical bombs are not bad, but unfortunately they are prohibited items. Even if there was a channel to smuggle them, the quantity from before should be their limit."
"Young master, take care!" Jacob shouted loudly. His muscles were bulging, a sign that his fighting spirit had been aroused. With his hands clenched tight around a decapitator, he rushed swiftly in the direction of the port.
"One of you, follow him! Don't let him get away!" The four figures seemed to still be immersed in how it was a pity that the alchemical bombs earlier weren't effective. Seeing how Jacob actually abandoned his master and escaped, their eyes were filled with disbelief. However, as compared to the leader of the imperial bodyguards, Leylin was clearly more important. They made a decision after a few moments of a daze.
A black snake-like figure chased after Jacob, while the other three assassins surrounded Leylin in a triangular formation.
"Heh heh… A noble young master with such thin skin and tender meat!" One of the assassins licked the dagger in his hand, as green light shot out from his eyes like a wolf.
"Act quickly, this is still his territory after all. Someone will come soon!" The explosion earlier on obviously couldn't be hidden. The three assassins kept drawing closer, their eyes fixated on Leylin's heart, throat and other vital points. They evidently weren't planning to let him live for long.
"He's a wizard, be careful of his tricks!" The moment the voice stopped, a few figures started to encircle Leylin as fast as the wind, and they didn't even give him the chance to speak.
Three daggers that resembled viper fangs surrounded Leylin. The sharp breeze even sliced at Leylin's skin.
"They're well trained." Leylin quickly made a gesture at the speed of lightning, and he suddenly spat out a single syllable.
*BOOM!* A deafening explosion sounded out, louder than the earlier boms. It deafened the three assassins, and was followed by a ball of fiery white light bursting out from Leylin's finger. It caused them to involuntarily close their eyes.
These were the rank 0 spells Rank 0 spells Flare and Sonic Snap! Given the situations, instantaneous spells like them were the most appropriate to use. Moreover, Leylin could also adjust and select the spell to his liking, basing it on the circumstances he would encounter. This was much better than those inflexible wizards.
Although they suffered a double blow which caused them to go blind and become giddy, the daggers of the three assassins still sluggishly headed for Leylin. Yet at this instant, Leylin suddenly made his move.
His hand stretched out as quick as lightning, and the dagger of the assassin in the middle came to a stop. An acupoint on his arm seemed to have been hit, and it fell limp and feeble like a dead snake.
'No…Oh no!' Before the assassin could even finish this thought, the dagger in his hand had changed ownership and was now in Leylin's possession.
*Thump! Thump!* Two figures flew backwards. The assassin in the centre, however, was not as fortunate. He knelt on the floor with his hands held behind his back, while the dagger that was previously in his hand was pressed against his neck.
The sensation of the sharp blade made every single strand of hair on his neck stand on end.
"Did you think that I was just a wizard?" Leylin laughed coldly.
Wizards were all relatively solitary. Leylin had moved out long ago by himself, thus practically no one knew about about his wizard rank apart from Ernest. Even his expertise in martial arts was concealed by Jacob under the Baron's orders.
"I wanted to ask who sent you guys, but it seems like you won't say…" Leylin's deep voice sounded like the muttering of a demon to the assassin who was kneeling on the floor.
Moments later, the dagger in Leylin's hand suddenly cut straight through the assassin's throat. Great quantities of fresh blood started gushing out of his throat as he gasped greedily for air. The radiance in his eyes slowly dimmed, and he collapsed onto the ground.
Seeing how Leylin killed as if it meant nothing and how he did not even seem to have an uncomfortable reaction to it, the other two surviving assassins stole a glance at each other, both intending to flee.
They never knew that the target they were up against would be this difficult to handle. Not only did he possess rather good magic abilities, he was also proficient in combat. His exquisite control over the battlefield and his merciless killing style were not things that a young nobleman who was inexperienced in life would be capable of.
Now, they practically suspected that some sort of devil resided in this young nobleman's body, or perhaps this was someone else impersonating him.
'But we still have hope!' Determination flashed in both of the assassins' eyes, and they suddenly started to make their escape.
Counterattack
"Trying to leave?" Leylin sneered as the dagger flew out of his hand. With a violent scream, it dove straight into the assassin's back. This was the rank 0 spell, Launch Bolt. With Leylin's own powers, the dagger he threw was out comparable to a crossbow bolt.
Miserable gasps sounded out briefly before the assassin fell to the floor. Provoked by the death of his companion, the other one ran even faster.
Leylin chased after him as well, not seeming to have noticed the dark figure that was constantly closer. These two assassins were bait, and the real surekill strike would come from the leader who was hiding in secret.
*Smack! Smack!* Leylin chased up to the fleeing assassin in a flash. The fellow had long been scared out of his wits, and was already down on the floor after being beaten up a few times. Leylin unhinged his jaw and broke all of his limbs.
At this moment, he showed joy on his face. This was the reaction that a powerful juvenile ought to have after obtaining the first victory in his life.
The young man stood in front of the assassin who had collapsed. Although he had tried his best to conceal it, he still radiated the aura of someone high and mighty, "Speak! Who sent you?"
"I… I'll speak…." The assassin's voice was gentle. He played the role of attracting Leylin's attention very well, and coordinated with his leader's attack.
His lips kept opening and closing, yet the sounds he made were exceptionally indistinct, which made Leylin irritable, "Speak clearly! I can't hear you!"
Leylin was half-squatting beside the assassin, and almost all the crucial points of his back were completely exposed.
'Now!' The assassin who was lurking in the dark widened his eyes. An arrow with a blue tip pierced through the air, and came close to Leylin's back in an instant.
"Huh?!" Leylin opened his eyes wide, and a trace of panic finally appeared on his face.
"Mage Armour!" A transparent protective force field appeared, and the number of rank 1 spells that Leylin had prepared fell by one.
*Poof!* The arrow collided with the invisible force field, producing a sharp whistle. Yet it eventually deviated from its original course, and brushed past Leylin's face.
The tremendous force from the contact made Leylin take a few steps back in succession, and he fell to the floor.
"Awoo!" "Awoo!" Numerous green eyes emerged from the darkness. A few strong and healthy figures pounced forth, their canine teeth covered with saliva as they tried to bite Leylin's neck.
"A rank 1 Monster Summoning spell?!" Leylin cried out in alarm, but the expression on his face was quickly replaced with unwavering determination. He swiftly recited a few phrases, and pointed towards the wild wolves. A gigantic white web materialized out of thin air, trapping the three wild wolves in it. The white web seemed extremely sticky, rendering the wolves immobile.
"Who exactly is it?" The young man got up, evidently flustered and exasperated, but his expression was even more so filled with a faint hint of dread. At this very moment, the air behind him distorted and a silhouette emerged. The emerald dagger was heading straight towards Leylin's heart, about to stab in.
"Shadow Step?! A rank 7 assassin?!" The young man made a startled cry and a rope flew out from his embrace.
"Animate Rope!" Under the influence of the spell, the rope seemed to have a life of its own, and threw itself towards the silhouette, curling around it tightly like a python.
*Thump!* The silhouette had his hands and legs tied, and collapsed onto the ground. Yet he had turned into a puppet.
"A substitute!" The expression on Leylin's face was now that of horror. Soon after, he saw a blade of icy light appearing out of thin air, thrusting right into his throat.
Clear-cut! Quick! An a lethal attack in one strike! This was the style of a high-level assassin. Moreover, he had clearly found out about Leylin's wizard rank through certain means, and had been patiently waiting until he'd thought that Leylin had exhausted all his spells before taking action. This one move didn't leave Leylin any chance at all.
Within such a short distance, there wouldn't be enough time even if he used any magical items. After all, those magic scrolls couldn't take effect instantly.
From his opponent's graceful glance, Leylin saw a deathly stillness. It was as though he wasn't about to assassinate a human, but a pig or dog, or some other animal. His profound gaze, however, held a trace of agitation. It was obvious that getting rid of this magic genius would bring him a particular sense of accomplishment.
However, when the assassin saw the look in Leylin's eyes, his expression changed. At this moment, Leylin's face was not filled with any panic or fear of death whatsoever, but just a smile of a person who had gotten his way.
'I finally caught you!' were the words he could infer from Leylin's smile.
'What does that mean? Caught me?' The assassin felt dizzy, but then saw the glaring radiance of a spell shine in front of him.
A blue ray shot straight into the palm with which he was holding the dagger. A layer of ice immediately spread until his entire palm was completely covered, and it even extended along his arm towards his body.
Shortly after, there was an excruciating pain from his thigh, along with the ear-piercing sound of bones breaking.
'He broke my legs!' The assassin's heart sunk. He immediately lost his center of gravity and collapsed onto the floor.
Leylin didn't let him go. A fist as hard as steel landed heavily on his face, making him spit out a few teeth covered in blood, and a small ball which contained highly poisonous toxins.
'That wasn't easy! If a rank 7 assassin wishes to escape, I might not be able to catch him!' Leylin said, sighing after he finished with the formalities.
Everything had gone almost flawlessly in the battle earlier. These few assassins could only act according to the script that Leylin had written, and on the stage he had put in place. They had ultimately ended up being completely wiped out.
"You… Why do you still have a spell left? You… Aren't you a rank 5 wizard?"
The chief assassin sputtered a few undecipherable words, along with a large amount of bloody foam.
"It seems that a spy has appeared in my family? Also… Who told you that I'm just a rank 5 wizard?" Leylin shot a glance at the assassin, and appeared extremely disdainful.
"Heh heh… So… So you already advanced to rank 6 a long time ago!" The chief assassin seemed to be convinced, "As expected, you're worthy of being the legendary magic genius. But what a pity… In the face of our power, you will be unable to avoid your ultimate downfall…"
"Stop spouting so much rubbish!" With a stroke of Leylin's blade, the assassin fainted.
This assassin leader had a very high status and a decent amount of strength. He definitely knew a lot, and this was why Leylin was bent on plotting to capture him alive.
"He even knew that I've already advanced to a rank 5 wizard. Although this information is from several years ago, I'm afraid that it's necessary to purge the family once through…" Leylin looked over at the chief assassin, who had already fainted. The list of traitors would certainly have to be fished out from the assassin's own mouth, but no matter; he could be said to be an expert when it came to interrogation and psychological probing.
Perhaps the assassin in his hands would feel better off dying right away.
"Young master! Young master!" At this moment, there was a commotion at the port in the distance. Jacob had finally brought the patrol team over.
"This is– Ah…." An anxious Jacob immediately exhaled deeply after scanning the place.
The assassins at the scene had all collapsed on the ground, and there was even an additional person. Jacob understood the strength of these assassins very well. Each one of them had strength close to at least a rank 5 elite in their profession, and the one lurking in the dark was stronger.
If he was in Leylin's shoes, Jacob would not have be able to avoid such attacks no matter how he tried, and it was very likely that he would have died there and then. However, his young master had rounded all of them up in one clean sweep, and didn't even sustain any injuries.
This knowledge immediately gained Leylin Jacob's respect, and this was even more true for the rest of the patrol team members.
"What happened to the person who was chasing after you?" Leylin looked at Jacob. Seeing the new wounds on his body, Leylin had already made a guess.
"We killed him, but his last counterattack in the face of death also took away the lives of two of our team members…" Jacob appeared rather embarrassed, especially after seeing the two people that Leylin had taken captive.
"You can bring that guy with you, and interrogate him in detail! Leave the other one to me!" Leylin threw the more average assassin to the patrol team, and left with the chief assassin.
The other fellow was evidently cannon fodder, and wouldn't know much. Compared to him, Leylin was more interested in the chief assassin. A rank 7 Professional wouldn't be attracted to someone so easily.
Moreover, he was 80% sure that the chief assassin still controlled the hidden spy in Leylin's manor, and he was even the source of intel for the pirates that had come ashore. Leylin absolutely would not hand him over to the useless patrol team before digging out everything in his brain. If not, he suspected that he would hear news about this chap committing suicide the next day.
"Jacob, take him with you. Don't let him leave my line of sight!" Under Leylin's commands, Jacob lifted the unconscious chief assassin onto his shoulders and followed behind Leylin.
The patrol team members looked at each other in dismay, and could only bring the remaining survivor back with them. They clearly wanted to vent all of their fury on him. Of course, they were also in charge of things like cleaning the battlefield. They had to bury the corpses to prevent an epidemic.
After they were all done, the area had barely regained its tranquil state. Only the ditches in ground and numerous blood stains spoke of the danger during the earlier battle.
"Who would've thought that my younger cousin has gotten so strong. Seems like I was worried for nothing…" A black figure flashed, revealing Isabel's sturdy black attire. As she gazed in the direction Leylin had left in, her eyes turned gentle for a moment.
The softness was quickly replaced by a frigid gaze.
Gathering
The cold floor and the endless pain all over his body forced Mahnke awake.
He seemed to be in a cold and damp cellar. Ice-cold droplets of water dripped down his skin, and Mahnke could not help but sneeze, his eyes quickly beginning to grow clear.
"Right, the ambush failed. I'm a captive now… A captive. What a joke…" He could feel a sharp pain in his thighs and arms. The lack of his teeth left a sense of emptiness in the cavity that was his mouth.
By the dim light, Mahnke could see the noble who had achieved victory over him. The man looked exceptionally calm with not the slightest hint of joy in his expression, which only made him feel more fearful.
"You're awake?"
"You– you're dead meat! Dead meat!" Mahnke shivered as he exclaimed in a strange voice. The sounds he produced were distorted by the air leaking out of his mouth.
"Oh, is that so? And you're going to do that?" Leylin's expression was full of ridicule, "Or perhaps it's him?"
The clothing on Mahnke's arms slowly ripped apart, revealing a church emblem branded into his skin. This was a strange rune made up of a head and fresh blood.
Leylin's impression of the God of Murder, Cyric, was that of someone powerful who liked provoking deaths and conspiracies. He found joy in causing civil wars in regions, and was one of those gods who liked to stir up shit. Even so, a real god's church would pose tremendous trouble for Leylin as he was right now.
"Stop bullshitting. You're just a follower of the God of Murder, and the mighty god would not shift his attention to a mere mortal, not to mention a piece of trash who is also a failure." There were always followers of gods dying on the continent, and unless they were saints or high-ranked priests, the gods would not place much focus on them. Regular followers and the like were obviously neglected.
Unless Leylin used techniques to profane the soul of a believer, that god would not be angered into giving him divine punishment.
This deep understanding caused Mahnke to freeze, with a lifeless expression on his face.
"Tell me! How many mad dogs are there like you under Tim, that useless son of Marquis Louis?"Seeing that he had successfully shattered his defences, Leylin tossed out a huge bomb.
"You knew?" Mahnke exclaimed in surprised, which confirmed Leylin's suspicions.
'So the information that Tapris had was real. Marquis Louis has been the one behind all of this!'
"Since you know, you should understand that you can't win…" Mahnke cackled, "Even if your talent as a wizard is startling, you're nothing in the eyes of the real royalty even if you're a rank 6 wizard…" It was obvious that his loss at Leylin's hands was still fresh in his mind.
All that talk about him being rank 6? Leylin happily watched Mahnke guess wrong, and did not have any plans to correct him. After all, the fact that he was hiding his wizard rank and wasn't restricted as much by the Weave was more believable than him being able to use rank 0 spells without limit, and he was less likely to be exposed because of it.
"Alright, I don't have much time to chat with you. Now I need to know how many men there are under Tim. Where they are, when the pirates plan to come ashore, as well as the plans of the continent… Whatever it is, you must tell me all you know."Leylin's expression turned cold, his eyes flickering.
"Keke… I'll say nothing. Aren't you just going to torture me? Bring it on!" Mahnke, however, began to sound like a scoundrel.
Pirates and assassins naturally went through some training, and possessed great endurance against torture.
"Seems like you're very confident in your endurance?" Leylin glanced at Mahnke, his eyes holding within them a sense of… pity?
"You'll soon know how much happiness there is in death. All that you've experienced before is nothing…" Leylin cracked his knuckles loudly. There were few in the World of Gods with as much experience as him in torturing the body and soul.
His astonishing surgical skills and knowledge of potions allowed him to claim someone's life with ease, and on top of that, he also had the spells that could affect their minds. Leylin's eyes flickered with an evil glint. Soon enough, the other party would find how blissful it was to be able to choose death.
Mahnke gave in very quickly. Three hours later, he was weeping and sniffling as he revealed everything to Leylin, only begging for death. Leylin hadn't used even a hundredth of his abilities.
Once he had gained all the information that Mahnke knew and confirmed the truth of his words, Leylin did not kill him or torture the poor child any longer. Instead, he threw him in jail. Such a high-ranked guinea pig with a profession was very difficult to obtain.
After gaining the intel, Leylin first personally purged the manor. With his experience and the detection abilities of the A.I. Chip, the hidden spies grew completely obvious. Soon enough, numerous little rats were seized, including a kitchen lady, two stable lads, and a few servants.
At crucial moments, Leylin never cared about not involving others when it came to crimes. He took control over their families, and such ruthless methods caused all those serving in the manor to tremble in fear. Even Claire and Clara grew afraid of him. Of course, with what had happened as a pretext, his absolute domination of them extended further.
'How many people can I gather?" Leylin asked Jacob from behind the baron's desk. His arms were crossed.
"Reporting to young master," Jacob was wearing leather armour, and was cloaked in a powerful aura. His respectful attitude pleased Leylin greatly. "We'll do our best at the port. We can transfer fifty men from the guard, and with the guards of the manor, there will be eighty men!"
"Eighty men?" Leylin muttered to himself. It was true that there were very few people that he could use, and at the very most those that he could were farmers with a few days of training, comparable just to militia.
The real elites were obviously by Baron Jonas' side.
'Things should be easier on their side with my warning.' Leylin had obviously sent Baron Jacob the information he'd obtained, and it was sure to be useful for him. At the very least, they weren't going in completely blind and knew who the enemy was.
"Gather them and prepare to annihilate the pirates with me!"The group or pirates who could come ashore at any moment was the most urgent threat to Leylin, and he wasn't going to watch them wreak havoc on his territory. Taking the initiative to make the first move thus became the most necessary choice.
"Understood! We shall become the sharpest blades in young master's hands!" Jacob guaranteed.
"I look forward to it!"They were Leylin's only hope. Though these militia could do little against those with professions, they would still be of some use to regular pirates.
With his current strength, it was impossible for him to eliminate so many pirates. It was important to have help from subordinates.
"'Mm… This should be enough power to deal with the regular pirates, but based on the information from Mahnke there's a rank 10 leader amongst them, and we don't have enough high-ranked powers…" Leylin stroked his chin, muttering to himself irresolutely.
'If we talk about high-ranked power, Cousin Isabel should be alright, but it's better that she protect Madam Sarah.' At the thought of her, Leylin immediately asked, "What's that cousin of mine, Isabel, been up to?"
After hearing this question, Jacob looked hesitant.
"Tell me!" Leylin's expression went cold.
"Does young master still remember the spies that were captured?" Jacob gritted his teeth.
"Didn't I tell you to take care of them?" Leylin's brows furrowed.
"Out of all of the captives, she picked two servants and took them away and there hasn't been word on her location. Ever since she entered her room, it's like she has completely disappeared from the world. Based on what the patrolling guards said, miserable cries have been heard from her room…"
Jacob's expression was filled with unspeakable horror. After all, people of this world easily related these happenings to 'devils', 'demonic rituals' and the like. Isabel's actions were of a similar vein.
"Alright…" Leylin rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on, "Anything else?"
"The miss seems to have some interest in the family members of the spies, but I persuaded her…" Jacob said.
'I almost forgot that's a problem. Things would get troublesome if the people from the church were to find out…' Leylin sighed, "I'll take care of Isabel's matter personally. Don't tell anyone about this. Demote the families of these criminals to slaves and don't lock them up in the manor for some more time. Get them to the pier and put them in hard labour, or just sell them…"
It was important to set the norms at this point, whether they be positive or negative. Whatever it was, the people had to see the serious consequences of betrayal if he wanted to intimidate them effectively.
"Alright!" Jacob did not have any objections and carried out his orders, leaving Leylin alone.
Leylin watched the tranquil night sky outside, and suddenly sighed.
Secret Laboratory
Leylin wandered through the door and over to Isabel's room. Isabel had grown very reclusive since their meeting, and had even chased out the original maids.
*Knock! Knock!* Leylin knocked the door politely.
"Who is it? Didn't I say I was not to be disturbed?" Isabel's voice seemed rather angry.
"It's me," Leylin said calmly. The door pulled open to reveal Isabel's face. However, there was an unnatural flush on her cheeks, as if she had been going through some rigorous exercise, or perhaps a ceremony.
"What's the matter? I'm preparing to get some rest!" After seeing Leylin, Isabel appeared flustered for an instant.
"Are you not going to invite me in?" Leylin smiled.
"It's not gentlemanly to enter a lady's chamber at this time of night, you know! Or perhaps you've become a degenerate, my dear cousin?" Isabel's eyes glinted and she rested languidly against the door, speaking coquettishly.
Leylin secretly had the urge to laugh in reaction to her pretentious pose. When it came to experience, the amount he had under his belt far exceeded hers.
"Have I turned into a degenerate? Would you like to find out?" Leylin closed in with a naughty smile on his face and ruthlessly sniffed her fair neck, inhaling the scent of a girl's body mixed with a particular smell.
"What are you doing?" The girl dodged him as she turned red, and Leylin took the chance to enter the room.
There wasn't much of a change in the arrangements here, but there seemed to be a vague bloody scent permeating the air. Though she had cleaned up and made an attempt to conceal it, Leylin's brows still furrowed.
"Is there anything you would like to tell me about?"Leylin sat on the sofa and tried to sound as genuine as he could, "You're my cousin after all, and I don't want you to bear this burden all alone."
"It's nothing… That's all over…" Isabel froze, and then spoke as if she did not care.
Leylin sighed in answer to her attempt to appear strong. Of course, he knew that there was no benefit to revealing the truth. Though there were traces of negative energy polluting the room, her own actions were as pure as those of a little white rabbit when compared to the experiments he conducted.
Leylin changed his mind. He had originally believed that letting her stay behind would be a good decision, but by the looks of it, leaving her in the manor would only attract more attention and trouble. "Fine! I'm here to ask for help!"
"What is it about?" Isabel's eyes flashed with a chilly glint.
"Well…" Leylin scratched his head and then revealed the news about Marquis Louis and Viscount Tim, and also the imminent attack of the pirates.
"In that case… They were responsible for the annihilation of my family?" Isabel's hand twitched, and a portion of a black ironwood chair was broken off. Wood shavings scattered from between her fingers.
'Such physical strength?' Leylin's pupils shrank, 'She exceeds a rank 5 professional, and is close to rank 10… Those devils and demons are really quite generous, though the price is the soul of the sacrificer…'
Leylin had heard about the continous offers of blood required to gain demonic energy. Followers of demons were rounded up and annihilated on the continent. If news of the Faulen Family protecting her went out, there would be troubles even more pressing than Marquis Louis.
"But I don't know for sure yet. That's only a possibility…" Leylin stroked his chin and did not lie about this.
"Fine, I'll verify it for myself. Those pirates even dare trespass and offend our Faulen Family's territory! We must have them pay the price in blood and have their souls repent in hell!" Isabel's pretty eyes narrowed, filling with a murderous thirst.
"Thank you so much, cousin!" Leylin silently cursed to himself inside, but in the meanwhile the smile on his face was dazzling.
"Don't worry, we're cousins after all. I'll take care of you!" Isabel promised, looking steadfast and resolute.
After thanking her again, Leylin withdrew, though the smile on his face had dissipated. His eyes flickered, obviously deep in thought. 'The open sea is vast and filled with all sorts of trash and scum from the continent. Sailors from this era can't be considered good, and faithless people and followers are mixed in with them. There shouldn't have any trouble if she hides amongst them…'
As the follower of a demon, Isabel obviously could not stay in the family; It would cause him an endless amount of trouble. After all, the power of the churches were at its peak in the prime material plane, and once it was discovered that the Faulen Family housed a demon follower the consequences would be extremely dire.
Thus, the vast open seas would be the best place for her to hide.
'On top of that, the demon might have given her a lot of strength, but there's definitely a price to pay. That might even be her soul…' Leylin looked grim, 'A few useless sailors disappearing from the open sea shouldn't count for much. That can temporarily satisfy the demon and gain her more time…'
In this time, Leylin would obviously become stronger. As long as he was powerful enough, whether it was Marquis Louis closing in on them or the demon contract that his cousin had, he was confident he could eliminate all of those problems, problems that a rank 6 wizard could not solve.
'Plans constantly change… And right now, I urgently need strength. It might be alright to take a risk…' Leylin secretly made up his mind.
This attack would evidently expose part of his power. From the very beginning, Viscount Tim had already sent out an assassination squad with a rank 7 leader, which meant that the pirates had to be even stronger. Help from his cousin and the subordinates wouldn't be enough, he needed to increase his chances.
After returning to his room, Leylin headed straight for his laboratory.By his command, even Claire and Clara could not enter, and there were also a few warning spell patterns set up that were hard at work.
On the glossy laboratory table were many test tubes and glass tools neatly stacked together. There was also various alchemical equipment that was enough for poorer wizard students to go green with envy.
It was a pity that, in Leylin's eyes, it was all a mere cover.
*Crack!* *Crack!* After Leylin pulled at a handle under the laboratory table, the sounds of gears grinding against each other rang out. Along with the gentle sound, the entire table moved to the left, revealing a pathway that led downwards.
'While wizards have great trust in magic, there are too many items and techniques in the world which can detect spell undulations. On the contrary, simple mechanisms like these can conceal even more secrets…' Leylin carried an oil lamp as he went down the staircase. After going about ten metres in, he arrived in front of a large rock.
The large granite gave the feeling that it was indestructible as it stood tall inside, blocking the road completely as if this was a dead end.
"Arcane Mark, activate!" A spell rune flashed in Leylin's hands, and amongst the light the surface of the granite began to soften as it revealed a shining channel. Leylin did not hesitate at all as he walked in, hanging his oil lamp on the wall.
What appeared behind the large rock was a small-scale laboratory. He had used mechanisms to prevent magic probes here, and created a trap at the bottom. That was enough to show how highly Leylin valued this laboratory.
As this was deep underground, the laboratory had an area of only several square meters. A large, ancient wooden table had already taken up most of the area, and there was little space left for one to stand. The ceiling was also very low and the entire room felt very stifling.
The smell of tar grew obvious on the floor and corners, indicating an even more terrifying self-combustion mechanism. If Leylin suspected anything, just a small spark would be enough to char this whole place and hide everything here.
The reason for this was because Leylin's experiments were far too shocking. If ever discovered, they would be deemed heresy!
"It seems like it's almost complete…" Leylin observed the giant solution in the petri dish. Large amounts of boiling, fresh red liquid gave people an ominous feeling that this was blood.
"And then… this!" At the corner of the table was a wooden statue. It had a pair of demonic wings, multiple compound eyes and six fingers that formed a demon, emitting an evil aura.
This was a statue that Leylin had constructed of Beelzebub based on his memories. The possession of such a statue would have one burnt to death if they were caught by the churches, and even a king wouldn't be spared this treatment.
Of course, these taboos meant nothing to Leylin. His courage was enough to stupefy many gods.
"Looks like Beelzebub has really sunk into a deep sleep. He doesn't react at all to prayers or sacrifices…" Leylin's hands caressed the devil's statue with an unspeakable expression in his eyes.
Come to think of it, he was the main culprit behind this. If he had not stolen so much of Beelzebub's laws and even destroyed most of his truesoul, the Sovereign King of Gluttony would not be so seriously injured that he had to sleep it off.
Devilblood Dagger
"Of course, according to this world, my main body deprived Beelzebub of most of his divinity and divine force. This greatly damaged his divine soul and he hence fell into a deep sleep, now he can't even answer the prayers of his worshippers…"
Devils were always extremely sensitive towards sacrifices and prayers from the prime material plane. Through his many probes, Leylin was absolutely sure that this great master devil had already fallen deep asleep, completely unresponsive to the outside world's stimulation.
This sent Beelzebub's followers in the prime material plane into chaos. Had Beelzebub not hidden his main body well, Leylin might even have received news of his death.
"Regardless of whether one is a god or a devil, once you lose the ability to respond to prayers and the power to grant wishes, you will not be far from death…" Leylin sighed. There were cases where gods had died not to external factors, but to decreasing power of worship. This was truly pathetic.
'Gods rely on believers for their existence. Despite having great powers and abilities, they are restrained by the very same power of faith. Except for someone who's merged with the world origin force and become an existence that has comprehended an extraordinary divine force…' He let out a deep breath, 'Such an existence would be equal to a rank 8 Magus who's found their own path. There are few such beings even in the World of Gods.'
He gathered his thoughts and turned his attention back to the statue, "Since Beelzebub is in a deep sleep, then I don't have to be so cautious of using his name anymore…"
Truth be told, with his possession of a majority of Beelzebub's memories, Leylin was like a real devil king. He could even steal Beelzebub's believers and usurp his position. However, doing so required great power, and Leylin was only a rank 6 Magus.
Needless to say, he also had to acquire the power to grant his believers' wishes. To usurp a god's position he first had to acquire divinity.
"The laws of gluttony and devouring are great, but they're already considered fiendish in the World of Gods. If I use such power here…" Leylin shook his head regretfully. If he wished to survive in the prime material plane, he could not rely entirely on divinity as his foundation. He hadn't carried these abilities over his reincarnation, but even if he had they would've been useless, wiped out by the world origin.
"It's best to take it step by step. Thankfully it takes a while for faith to erode. The worshipers of the Sovereign King of Gluttony will not vanish so quickly…
"Moreover, even if they do disappear, it's just one less convenient path and reduced income for me. It's not really not worth the risk, so it's better for me to stick to the original plan and be steady…" Leylin's eyes brightened, and he suddenly tightened his grip.
*Crack! Crack!* Turing the statue of the Sovereign King of Gluttony into ashes, dropping it to the floor bit by bit.
"I must admit though, the devil got many useful things." Leylin stuck his hand into the petri dish, and soon fished out a knife covered in blood. The pocket-sized knife had a beautiful curve to it, and it looked like a very fine work of art.
A fierce demon skull tipped its handle, numerous eyes on it giving off a savage glare. Two devilish wings made up the hand guard, and complicated patterns that looked like veins covered the entire handle. Its demonic looks were only enhanced by the faint crimson glow and the blood dripping from its tip.
"So the Devilblood Dagger's done!" Leylin's eyes flashed with joy, and the A.I. Chip followed up with data on the Devilblood Dagger.
[Devilblood Dagger. Weight: 9182g, Length: 9in, Ingredients: Cockatrice bones, fresh blood, weeping spirits. Effects: Possesses the power of a devil, able to absorb a target's flesh and blood to increase one's own power. Description: An extremely vicious weapon that even gods fear, the Devilblood Dagger represents ominous death. Creator: Leylin Faulen.]
"It's rather good!" Leylin fiddled with the dagger, causing it to glow with a dark light. There were many, many items like this in Beelzebub's memory; he'd used their easy power to lure people from the prime material plane to his side.
This Devilblood Dagger was a very good weapon from Beelzebub's memories. If a believer wanted to be bestowed this dagger, they would have to sacrifice a rank 15 or greater priest from a hostile god, or even slaughter a small city to even think of getting it.
'The devils are the best way to increase my power in a short amount of time currently. They treat both the young and the old honestly, but the price one has to pay in the end is usually even more frightening…' Leylin heaved a sigh.
His cousin Isabel had clearly been seduced by a demon after giving into despair. She had succumbed to it in the end, and had now gotten herself in tons of trouble.
Unlike her, Leylin didn't become a collector for demonic sacrifices. He'd done something much more vicious, nearing becoming a devil king. All the flesh and blood devoured by the Devilblood Dagger would go to feeding his own power!
'Even if I've crafted it, I still need to perform some experiments on this dagger, especially the problem with contamination.' Leyin furrowed his brows, the main reason why he had taken so long to make the dagger was because he was working on changing its properties. He wanted to avoid some of the side effects of its use.
After all, Beelzebub was no kind soul. His treasures were used to lure followers into depravity, and the Devilblood Dagger was no exception. It slowly corrupted one's mind and soul with use, turning them into a devil.
Being one himself, Beelzebub had no problems with using the dagger, but Leylin was different. He needed to remain human, as he would come into contact with churches and high-ranked priests in the future; turning half-devil would impose great restrictions on what he could do.
'Although The A.I. Chip already solved the corruption problem, there's still the issue of its radiance. It screams depravity and evil, I'm not sure I could get away with it…' Leylin walked straight into the manor while he was still thinking.
"Young master!" A trained guard saluted. The man wore leather armour, and the longsword in his hand sparkled— Obviously the manor's security system had greatly been upgraded after the attack on Leylin.
It was obvious at a glance that this fellow was merely a trained farmer, just a little stronger than a regular human. "Howard, right? Follow me!" Leylin said.
"Roger that!" Howard could not disobey the young master. He followed right after Leylin to the dungeon. Once the rest were cleared out, only Leylin and Howard were left there. Of course, there were also the two unfortunate assassins who were lying on the ground.
"Can I trust you, Howard?" Leylin's voice was soft, but it had a special tone in it.
Such a special tone gave Howard an ominous premonition, but loyalty occupied his mind and soon he replied with a straight back, "I would risk my life for you, young master!"
"Great! Now, look into my eyes!" Leylin ordered Howard to raise his head, it felt as if there was a mysterious spiral in those pupils of his.
"Rank 1 spell— Charm Person!" Under Leylin's spell, Howard's pupils soon lost their focus, turning him into a zombie.
"This rank 1 spell…" Leylin mumbled, "It can only charm the mind… It'll work perfectly on regular people, but it'll be weak against professionals. It would probably on render Jacob a little dizzy for a few seconds…"
"Take this, chop off one of his fingers!" Leylin ordered, passing the dagger to Howard.
"Ugh…. Ughh!" The strange situation gave Mahnke the feeling that something catastrophic was about to happen. However, his limbs had all been broken earlier, and his body was thoroughly tied up. He could only struggle in vain and had no other method to resist.
Howard carried out Leylin's order with the Devilblood Dagger in hand, a soulless expression on his face. His other hand pinned Mahnke's down to the floor, and he chopped off a finger without hesitation.
*Schlick!* The dull sound of blade slamming against flesh could be heard, together with Mahnke's sorrowful sounds. A bloody pinky was chopped off, and it twitched on the floor like a worm.
*Keke…Ughhhh…* At the same time, the dagger emitted a radiant light, and the demonic skull at the hilt let out a sinister laugh. The numerous eyes shot out a demonic lustre.
Layer upon layer of veins began to squirm on the handle, swallowing the blood on its surface. Many tiny blood-coloured strings penetrated into Howard's body, and the pinky on the floor gradually shrunk before their eyes. It soon turned into a dried out piece of charcoal. Looking like firewood.
"How do you feel now?" Leylin asked.
"The dagger is very hot, and the heat is spreading to me!"
"A. I. Chip, examine his stats!" Leylin's eyes began to glow.
Devour Breakthrough
[Beep! Mission established, beginning scan!] The A.I. Chip carried out Leylin's commands loyally.
Soon enough, the latest results were transmitted. [Compared to previous data, target's vitality has risen by 0.01, strength by 0.02, spiritual force by 0.005. No obvious adverse reaction.]
"The flesh of high-ranked professionals does indeed provide a great boost for regular humans…" Leylin nodded. He understood that these numbers were exaggerated, and if it were himself the amplification to his stats wouldn't reach even 0.00001. This was the difference created by the varying base stats.
"Ah… you devil! You're a devil worshipper!" At this moment, Mahnke, who was still on the ground, shrieked. Though Cyric the God of Murder had always possessed a bad reputation, he was still a good samaritan when compared to demons and devils.
Knowing that the wizard keeping him captive was a follower of a devil, Mahnke completely lost all hope. As a member of the dark realm, he naturally knew that the followers of devils liked to sacrifice flesh, blood, as well as the souls of the followers of gods in order to obtain rewards from the devils.
"Kill me! Kill me quickly! Don't profane my soul, else the gods won't let you off!" Mahnke yelled hysterically, but paired with his dry throat his voice was like a broken bellow and it couldn't travel out of the jail.
"Shut up!" Leylin's brows furrowed as he kicked outwards, causing Mahnke to faint.
"Now, here's the most important part. Detect Alignment!" A bundle of white light in Leylin's hands covered Howard.
Soon enough, glee appeared on his face, 'The alignment is still neutral! It seems like as long as it doesn't profane the soul all the terrible consequences will be taken up by Beelzebub. The ability to grow in strength by devouring flesh and blood is rather valuable…'
Of course, Leylin knew very well that the part with the greatest energy was the soul. The energy he would acquire from a person's flesh and blood alone wouldn't even be half the total that the body had.
However, profaning the soul was labelled chaotic and evil. Leylin could only resign himself to part with that desire of his. Leylin nodded and retrieved the Devilblood Dagger, giving Howard an instruction, "Alright, you may go! After you leave this jail, you will forget everything you've just done!"
"Understood!" Howard staggered out, leaving Leylin alone in the jail, deep in thought.
'It takes a lot of energy to turn the power of flesh and blood into spiritual force. On top of that, I'll need to ensure that I wipe out the memories of the soul in its final moments…' Numerous possibilities streaked through Leylin's mind, allowing him to make more plans regarding the Devilblood Dagger.
He'd originally planned on travelling outside to use the Devilblood Dagger, hunting to quickly increase his strength. But due to the need to keep a low profile, he had no choice but to exercise patience.
But now? The situation was now very different. Leylin had been bullied in his home territory, and he urgently needed great power. Otherwise, the Faulen Family could very well be wiped out just like Isabel's!
Of course, there were slight differences in their circumstances. Isabel needed to pray for strength from devils and demons, while Leylin only needed to rely on himself.
"After a little modification, I will be done here! Mister Mahnke… It's now your time to shine…" Blood red radiance flickered on the surface of the Devilblood Dagger, reflecting Leylin's expressionless face. He glanced at Mahnke on the floor the way he would at a dead man, or perhaps a swine before slaughter.
The devouring power from the dagger was intoxicating, but with his own grasp of the law of devouring Leylin could control it skillfully.An unceasing stream of heat gathered in the dagger in his right hand, extending to his entire body.
A sense of comfort stimulated a great breakthrough in his spiritual force, sending it spurring towards a deeper level of the Weave. At this moment, the A.I. Chip's robotic voice sounded by Leylin's ear. [Beep! Detected change in stats to host body. Vitality increased by 0.2, spiritual force increased by 0.05.]
Countless prompts refreshed, allowing Leylin to see his stats increase. His spiritual force, which had long since reached the peak of rank 6, finally broke through with this burst of strength.
*Crack!* A slight sound could be felt directly from his soul, and Leylin felt his spiritual force making contact with an even more terrifying level of the Weave.
He understood what had happened, "The third level of the Weave! I've contacted the third level of the Weave and officially become a rank 7 wizard!"
At this moment, the A.I. Chip's voice was transmitted.
[Beep! Host's spiritual force has contacted level 3 of the Weave. Advanced to rank 7 wizard (spiritual force +0.5)] [Host has advanced to rank 7 as a wizard. New additions: Rank 3 spell slot (1), rank 2 spell slot (1), rank 1 spell slot (1)!] [Detected drastic changes to host's stats. Recalculating…] The A.I. Chip refreshed the screen with more information. In just a moment, Leylin's stats were renewed.
[Leylin Farlier. Age: 15. Race: Human, Rank 7 Wizard. Strength: 2.5. Agility: 2. Vitality: 3.7. Spiritual force: 7. Status: Healthy. Innate talent: Sturdy, Erudite. Spell slots possessed: Rank 3 spell slot (1), rank 2 spell slot (3), rank 1 spell slot (4), rank 0 spell slot (???)]
'Forget the spiritual force, I'd long since reached its limit. But the increase to my other stats… It's practically the sum of my fifteen years of growth…' Leylin's eyes flickered, 'Could it be that now that I've reached fifteen and become an adult, my body's stats have all reached the average standard, and more importantly, my growth is now complete? This way, I'll be able to advance and accept more strength?'
Leylin looked at the spell slots, "As expected. I got a rank 3 spell slot after advancing to rank 7, it looks like this Goddess of the Weave is impartial to all wizards…"
The increase in spell slot numbers followed unfathomable rules. Some enchanted tools could increase the number of spell slots, and it was rumoured that those the goddess favoured could have more spell slots after advancing. However, there were two ironclad rules: One, one could have no more than 9 slots for a rank. Two, Only after reaching a certain level could wizards gain spell slots of certain ranks.
In other words, Leylin was now a rank 7 wizard, and he could at most only have rank 3 spell slots. It was impossible for him to have rank 4 spell slots, and even if he were to find a bunch of enchanted rings that could increase the number of spell slots, there would still be a limit of 9. It was impossible to have more than that, even for rank 0.
Furthermore, this iron rule was for all wizards. Even legendary wizards and those related to gods were treated the same way, with no change. Seeing the limitations that the gods put on wizards, Leylin's lips curved.
'Seems like the Magi left a very deep impression on the gods during the ancient war, to the point that they felt fear. They didn't hesitate to shackle the spell-casting professions. Is that to prevent a repeat occurrence of the Magi?
'If there comes a day that the shackles of the Weave are destroyed, what sort of interesting things are going to happen?' Leylin chuckled, beginning to feel a little anticipation.
'And then there's the power from devouring flesh and blood…' Leylin stood up, staring at the skeleton on the floor. He put the Devilblood Dagger away, and his brows began to furrow.
He felt that his body was swelling like an obese person who had eaten far too much, to the point that even his soul could not take it.
'It seems like this ability can't be used too often, especially before the body has digested all the energy. If that happens, the berserk life energy could become the most fatal toxin!'Leylin shook his head, knowing that this Devilblood Dagger should not be used lightly.
'In addition, no one can know of this, or else I'll be confirmed to be a devil worshipper. It'll be game over for me then…' At this thought, Leylin immediately began to clear up the skeletal remains on the ground.
Things that made it evident that they had been used for evil rites and the like and could not be left lying around. They were best removed by burning.
As for the souls the Devilblood Dagger absorbed, Leylin had modified its effects on them. They went through unimaginable suffering before their death that served to completely fragment their memories, leaving no traces at all.
'With the Devilblood Dagger, all my accumulations can allow me to pass through the many ranks of wizards quickly…' Leylin's eyes flashed with a glint of light, 'This means it's necessary to find something to hide all this…'
This advancement was unnatural, and if just one person found something was off, Leylin knew that he would probably need to move away alone and hide himself in the name of training in seclusion.
After gaining enough strength, he would immediately travel in order to hide his unusual growth. And the many battles with Viscount TIm's pirates would clearly be a great source for such a thing. Viscount Tim, and even Marquis Louis, would very soon find out that in a bid to obtain more profits, they had chosen a very terrifying enemy!
The devil was thirsting for his enemy's blood to grow, and would soon take over the World of Gods.
Mobilisation
With the Faulen Family's prestige and reputation in the island, it wasn't difficult to cobble up a patrol. However, on the field where grain was drying, Leylin frowned at the sight of his subordinates.
"Getting fifty from the port and another thirty from the manor… Is this our limit?" A sparse crowd stood at the field, awaiting Leylin's inspection. While they had done all they could to rub their leather armour and weapons till they were sparkling clean and tried their best to stick their chests out, Leylin still felt they looked like nothing but a bunch of rowdy people.
'It's alright if you get them to patrol and maintain order, but once you bring them to a bloody battlefield…' Leylin shook his head inwardly, though the expression on his face showed excitement.
"Residents of the Faulen Island! There are a group of horrible, evil pirates about to reach the coast. They will slaughter your parents, steal your copper and bread, and humiliate your wives and daughters. Those low-lives are capable of anything!" Leylin did his best to sound agitated to stir up the masses.
Was there a need to announce what the pirates would do to them? The troops began to get restless and immediately knew that Leylin spoke the truth. It might even be an understatement.
"Well then… tell me! Are you willing to let this happen?" Leylin's sharp voice resounded in the field.
"No!" "No!" Though many of them were mercenaries who only worked when money was involved, most of them were farmers who had enlisted. Their families were here, and even the mercenaries had settled down here. At the very least, when it came to protecting one's family and wealth, these people were rather enthusiastic and hot-blooded.
Hence after being provoked, all of them were flush with anger as they roared with all the strength they had.
"Good! As the master of this territory, I call on you to pick up your weapons and prepare to fight bravely to protect your home!" Leylin spoke so loudly that his voice could be heard from every corner of the field.
In such a feverish atmosphere, there could be one or two who remained timid or rational, but they would soon be drowned out by the crowd, dragged along with the flow.
"Our Faulen Family will not treat any of you unfairly!" Leylin clapped his hands, and two bodyguards went up on stage with numerous boxes.
The large copper locks were opened, revealing brand new armour within. There was even some chainmail that was made of metal rings. Not only did this metal armour provide a greater defence than leather armour, it was more flexible to boot. It was practical, but there were high requirements on its forging so these items had no market.
Beside the armour were even greater quantities of shining weapons. Vorpal swords, curved blades, hammers, lances… there was anything one could need.
On top of that, these weapons were in good shape and they had a layer of oil on the surface. There were no signs of rust or corrosion, and they radiated a lustre from their sharp edges.
"All those who take part in this operation can choose a weapon of their own! Vice captains and those ranked above can all choose a set of armour!" Leylin's scanned the crowd. Evidently, these excellent weapons were attractive to the point that people would risk their lives for them. Leylin found a few fellows whose eyes were shining.
'Of course…' For this reason, he raised his voice intentionally, "If you can contribute in this battle, there is no reason why we can't reward you with these weapons and armour!"
With this promise, there was a huge uproar in the crowd below. In this age, metallic weapons and armour had a very high value and could even be said to be treasures passed down generations of knights. Many of them didn't dare to believe Leylin's promise.
"There's no need to doubt me, I vow in the name of the Faulen Family!" Leylin looked especially solemn, making this guarantee with his name as a noble. Though this meant nothing to him, with the values of the World of Gods the promise of a noble still held quite some value.
Hence, many soldiers could not help but begin to cheer.
Leylin cleared his throat and urged for the last time, "In addition… If there are injuries or even deaths in battle, I will offer compensation. If you die in battle, your rewards will be given to your family!"
"Faulen!" "Faulen!" The soldiers below began to cheer in their excitement. Injuries and death were the worst fates for veterans in a feudal age. Leylin was even willing to compensate them for it, which was something even churches didn't do!
'This should be able to somewhat boost their morale, right? Though… it's just this once!' Leylin stared at the soldiers whose moral was at the peak while laughing bitterly inside.
With his actions, he would suffer losses even if they won the battle. It was the entire reason why lords seldom did things like this. Those weapons and armour alone were the accumulations of the Faulen Family over the year, and a large part of the family's wealth.
However, this was a special circumstance, and Leylin had no choice but to do this. After all, if the Faulen Family were to cease existing, these items would be useless.
The soldiers outside began preparations for battle, while a small meeting was being held in the manor.
"We'll leave the manor to you, Uncle Leon," Leylin spoke to the housekeeper on his right, "I've already sent down the order that you'll be in charge of everything in the manor."
"I will definitely protect everything for you!" Leon's placed his right hand on his chest as he promised.
Leylin nodded, feeling assured. His mother, Claire, and Clara had all been sent to the church of knowledge at the port in secret.
With how shrewd Bishop Tapris was, it would probably be the best place for them on the island if he and his father met danger.
Based on what Mahnke said, the assassins he had captured were the only ones that the enemy had sent, but Leylin considered the fact that Viscount Tim might be driven to desperation.
After Leon left, only Isabel, Jacob and a few leaders with professions remained. They were the strongest, and Leylin had nothing to hide from them.
"Based on the information I've received, there are over a hundred people amongst the pirates, and the leader is a rank 10 Professional!" At this point, Leylin looked grim, and everyone except Isabel gasped.
"A hundred men, and a rank 10 Professional? This kind of strength isn't second to the power of a famous pirate crew! Why would they come here?" Jacob gasped.
In reality, the truly strong would not do something as beneath themselves and dangerous as become pirates. With their strength and reputation, they could become public security officers in any large city, and could even become nobles.
It was illogical for someone like them to attack the Faulen Family.
Leylin nodded as he sneered. "Hehe… This is a famous pirate group. Have you heard of the Black Tiger?"
"Black Tiger Pirates?" The shock in Jacob's eyes grew even more profound, "They… they operate in the seas of the Baltic archipelago, and they shouldn't have any grudges against our Faulen Family…"
"Sometimes, there needn't be grudges to start a fight for benefits. What aren't those greedy pigs capable of?" Isabel stood out, unsheathing the black longsword in her hands.
*Swish!* A flash of black light passed, splintering the table in front of them and splitting it apart.
"Or… are you scared?" There was a murderous glint in Isabel's eyes, as if she would kill if anyone dared say no.
"Ah, I forgot to tell all of you. My cousin is a rank 9 and will act with us!" Leylin cleared his throat.
'This strength… It's clearly above rank 5. I just don't know if she's a warrior or knight-errant…' Though Isabel looked like a little girl, these team leaders here did not dare belittle her. A rank 9 was enough to crush them.
Jacob nodded, a hint of glee flashing in his eyes.Since she was a rank 9, with a young master who was a wizard, taking care of a rank 10 was not entirely impossible.
If Jacob could see that, the old foxes were obviously aware of that too. Hence, they immediately knelt on one knee to express their loyalty to Leylin, "We are willing to be young master's blades and obey all your instructions!"
'These people…' Leylin shook his head instead, feeling a little fed up with the situation. However, he had no choice but to continue pretending.
"Good, we leave now! We have to strive to catch them off their guard!" With a traitor like Mahnke, Leylin knew the strength of the Black Tiger pirates and what they could be hiding like the back of his hand.
"It's too foolish to wait for them to reach the coast. I don't want the battles to affect this territory…" Leylin looked around, spreading out a yellowed map. It showed the detailed topology of the area surrounding Faulen Island, and even contained information about the ocean currents and wind directions.
Just this map alone had a value of over ten gold coins, and it was something the Faulen Family had gained over decades of hardship and exploration. It definitely was not to be sold outside.
"The Black Tiger pirates are now here." Leylin tapped at the map. This was an uninhabited island not far from the Faulan Island, and there wasn't any shipping route nearby. Even with their opponents on alert, it was still possible to hide for a period of time.
Sneak Attack
*Whoosh!* The night sea winds had a fishy, chilly smell that made Jacob shrink back.
As a member of the Faulen Family, he might have long since gotten used to these winds and waves, but the deck that was creaking up and down, as well as the billowing sails above, made him as if he was in a dream. This feeling reached its peak when he saw Leylin, standing proudly at the head of the ship.
They were in a typical double mast sailboat. They weren't squeezed together even with over 80 people there.
But it wasn't difficult at all to acquire such a thing with the Faulen Family's status. No, what shocked Jacob was Young Master Leylin's behaviour!
'No… Actually everyone is shocked…' Jacob looked at the leaders beside him who were scared out of their wits, yet at the same time had a fire burning in their eyes, and chuckled wryly.
Just before they had left, Leylin had cast Nondetection in front of everyone. By Oghma! This was a rank 3 spell, and the young master had not used any items or scrolls at all!
That he could cast a rank 3 spell by himself meant Leylin was rank 7. Without any warning, their young master had become a rank 7 wizard!
'Gods… Isn't advancing as a wizard supposed to be the most challenging? Young master's advancement to rank 5 just two years ago was already enough to have mouths fall agape… And now…' Jacob sighed. His abundant experiences as an adventurer left him clear on what exactly a fifteen year old rank 7 wizard meant.
If nothing were to happen, he could possibly become a great rank 15 wizard in a few centuries of training! There were few great wizards in the Dambrath Kingdom, and a few of them hired by the royalty had great statuses. His majesty the King had generously given them positions as Earls and territory to rope them in.
However, no great wizard cared for such things that drove others crazy with envy. At their level, the only thing in their sights was the realm of Legends.
And now, a great wizard was about to appear in the Faulen Family? Jacob suddenly felt giddy.
"Cousin Leylin, you've worked hard in deceiving me…" Beside Leylin, Isabel didn't have as many thoughts. While she seemed to be complaining, it was obvious that she was delighted by Leylin's achievements.
"I never thought my cousin was a genius as a wizard!" Isabel's eyes twinkled like there were countless stars in them.
"Hehe… everyone has their secrets, just as you do!" Leylin got closer, causing her to look panicked, "I anticipate the day where you will tell me…"
"What kind of joke is this?" Isabel turned her head and left, while Leylin sank deep into thought.
'There's no other choice but to do this…' Leylin sighed. The reason he had shown his strength right before the battle was to strengthen his men's confidence and will to resist.
Otherwise, the moment they knew that they could be against the personal guard of a Marquis of the Kingdom, even if moral did not immediately crumble, it would be greatly diminished.
Now, with such a young wizard, some would think it was worth it to risk their lives. Even if those regular soldiers did not know what being a 15 year old rank 7 wizard implied, others would gladly warn or tell them.
'Furthermore, our target this time is only a notorious group of pirates. Even if someone intentionally leaks this out, many would not believe it…' Leylin sighed once more. He had already done all that he could to the best of his abilities, and all that was left was their luck.
"My lord, we're here!" A sailor with triangular eyes and a gaze as sharp as a poisonous snake came before Leylin, reporting quietly. There was a thirst in his eyes for blood, as well as a fervour for destruction.
If this was a gaze seen in the manor, Leylin would send down the order for this person to be hung, but now?
'This is the right attitude if you want to kill someone!' Leylin was confident that with his methods, even if this person was a poisonous snake, he'd be able to tame him.
"Your name is Robin Hood? You're a great first mate and navigator! Are you in charge of this ship as well?" Leylin observed the man. He could sense a bloody aura that came from frequent killings, which made it obvious that this person had a very 'exciting' life in private.
"Yes, young master Faulen!" Evidently, Robin Hood was surprised that Leylin had been able to remember his name.
"Good!" Leylin had his hands behind his back as he watched the faint image of the islet from the fog. He quickly commanded, "Send down the order. Everyone is to remain hidden. Try not to make any sounds."
In order to take precautions against the detection and divination spells, Leylin had especially boosted himself with Nondetection before leaving, and had been exceptionally cautious and nimble along the way. It could be said that the chances of being discovered were very low.
Besides, even if they were discovered, nothing much changed except for the scale of the losses that would be incurred.
When the first wave sneakily swam up to the shore and began to mount a secret attack on the opponents' anchored ships, Leylin knew that the general conclusion had been decided.
Watching the bloody battles, Leylin suddenly laughed. "Seems like the pirates aren't as strong as I imagined them to be…"
Initially, he had thought that they had the support of the nobles and might have superb equipment and even maybe a magic weapon, but from the looks of it… These pirates wore shabby clothing, and there were even some people of other races and mixed blood in their midst. There weren't really powerful people in there, and it felt like they were just cannon fodder and not the real deal.
'Even if we manage to subdue these pirates, they would just be treated as replaceable?' Leylin stroked his chin as he thought of something.
In such a situation, where his side had been prepared and launched a secret attack with equipment of superior quality to theirs, there was no possibility of failure if their numbers were about equal.
'Of course, this is a world of exemplaries. The situation might change if a few powerful people show up,' Leylin stared at a corner of the camp on the barren island. He could sense powerful energy undulations from there.
"Is that leader of the Black Tiger pirates a rank 10 Professional?" Leylin sneered, "Jacob, take over the command. Pay attention to their ships and don't let anyone get away!"
"Understood, young master!" Jacob answered loudly. He already wanted to prostrate himself when he looked at Leylin's skills as a commander. Leadership came naturally to the young master, and such a thing was something he had never been able to learn himself.
'This potential… Does that mean there really is a darling child of the gods in this world?' Jacob had no time to be bothered by the shock to his worldview, and did all he could to constrain the formation of the troops and surround the camp.
"Isabel, come with me. Let us see to that leader, Steve!" Leylin rapidly moved towards the frontlines of the battle, with Isabel following closely behind.
...
As the infamous leader of the Black Tigers, Steve had the boorish and villainous face unique to pirates. He had long since lost an eye and an ear, the price he paid when his first mate mutinied against him.
Of course, this fellow who dared betrayed him had soon gotten his limbs cut off, and was tossed into the sea. The man could only repent with the sea god.
After being recruited by Marquis Louis, it had been made clear that if he were to be successful in this operation, he would become a knight with land of his own, and he might even become a real lord!
'I'll become a lord in the future!' Every time he thought of this, Steve could not help but gaze at his right hand. He had lost it, among many other things, in ten years of bloody fights and struggles. Still, he felt like the sacrifice was worth it. As he was right now, he was a rank 10 fighter, and the Black Tigers that he led had made a name for themselves in these waters.
'The target this time is only the manor of a baron that has lost most of its elites. How powerful can they be?' Steve thought indifferently. If not for him restraining them with all his might, all his underlings would have gone out to have fun long ago.
Up to this point, everything was going well without a hitch. But all of a sudden, yells and shouts could be heard that immediately woke Steve up from his reverie.
"What's going on?" Steve tossed the bottle of rum in his hand away, and his right hand opened up a huge tear in the tent. He arrived at the camp.
"It's an enemy invasion! There are too many of them, and they have excellent equipment!" His second mate, a tiger-headed merman, came before him, expression unable to hide his panic.
After noticing the situation, Steve's face twitched. This crafty captain immediately felt that this was not going well, "Where did they come from? Why did the detection spells and alarm points not react? More importantly, who are they?"
Even now Steve didn't think these people were sent by his target. With Leylin's Nondetection spell, the detection magic artifacts he had bought at exorbitant prices lost their effects. The alarm points had all been discovered and removed by Leylin.
Steve grabbed the collar of the second mate and shouted, "Get the men and charge to the ship!"
Siege
The ambush was a huge blow to the Black Tigers' morale. Still, Steve retained some confidence in his men. Though they were nothing more than scumbags and trash, they possessed many skills. They would be able to stay alive despite the bad situation they currently found themselves in.
For what it was worth, they were pirates after all. Land fights were never their forte. Their true expertise lay in bombing, boarding, and fighting with ships. If he could only retreat to the ship, it would be perfectly easy for him to mount both offence and defence. It could even be possible for him to turn the tables.
'When the moment comes, I must absolutely wring this daring bastard's head off!' Steve thought to himself viciously.
With their captain's signal, the crew began to draw closer to the ship. However, a wave of burning heat suddenly approached them, causing the colour to drain from Steve's face. "Shit! Dodge, quickly!"
*Boom!* The enemy's fireball landed less than five metres away from him, and the resulting sea of flames engulfed almost everything in its vicinity. Steve managed to escape, but the rest weren't half as lucky. Even his trusty second mate, the one with the head of a tiger shark, was burnt to a crisp.
"Fireball! They have a wizard!" This sudden news was like a slap across Steve's face. Not only was his opponent sufficiently equipped, they even had a strategic resource like a wizard.
Just then, he caught an eye of the said wizard. It was a young lad, his curly golden hair matching his deep blue eyes. He was barely an adult.
A wizard of this age? Steve furrowed his brows as he realised that the young lad looked faintly familiar.
"Hold up, he was one of the target of this mission! That's the Faulens' young master!" Steve was immediately reminded of him, and he had the urge to curse at his informant, "Wasn't he supposed to be rank 5 at most? It doesn't seem like it…"
"I want his head!" Steve was rid of any other choices at this stage of the game, and he could only roar orders as his muscles constricted.
Leylin spotted Steve at the same time. The extraordinary vibes he gave off showed that he was their leader, and he shouted as well, "He's the head of the pirates. 50 gold coins for anyone who can finish him off, and on top of that you don't have to pay tax anymore!"
"50 gold coins? And you get to not pay taxes? Charge!" Many of the guards went into a frenzy. This price alone was enough for ten lives; the guards charged up front without any second thoughts.
Of course, Leylin didn't stand and watch idly. Two powerful buffing spells descended upon his men, increasing their drive and strength. "Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength!"
'The wizards of this world are supported by the Weave, allowing them to use magical attacks and buffs extremely quickly…' Leylin knew better than to neglect the importance of the Weave. The fact that it was able to continue to exist for so long meant it had to have some advantages.
And during the battle, Leylin realised that his men usually fared better if he enhanced their abilities using his power. Moreover, the Fireball from earlier was like a missile. Common people would not be able to escape its destructive powers.
'With the support of the Weave, won't a wizard with enough spell slots be a walking cannon?' Leylin smiled, if the power of this world was how he imagined it to be, the status of wizards would probably be even higher.
At the same time, Steve showed what it meant to be a rank 10 warrior. "AH! Rapid Charge!" His entire body was enveloped in a hazy light. After triggering his distinctive warrior skill, it was as if he had turned into an armoured steel tank as he charged towards the guards.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!* With his great energy, he knocked down many of the guards. They were sent flying, as if they'd been hit by a high-speed train, and every now and then the sound of bones cracking rang out.
But the damage went both ways. Steve was injured by many of their spears and swords, and many bloody wounds appeared on his body.This degree of injury posed no hindrance to him, but the blood continuously leaking from his wounds would cause a bit of trouble. This was especially true as the pirates were surrounded, about to be wiped out by the oncoming soldiers.
"Surrender now, and in my name as a noble I'll treat you right as a captive." Leylin said. As long as he could capture Steve alive, maybe even have him become an eye witness, he would've gained incredible advantages for the Faulen Family.
"Surrender? To a brat like you?" Steve mocked back. It was like he'd seen something ridiculous.
"Or should I say… Do you think I'm limited to just this ability?" A sinister smile slipped onto Steve's face as a sacred light engulfed him wholly.
'Is this… Divine force?' Leylin stepped back. He had little experiences with this sort of power, but the impression it left was engraved deeply in his mind.
"Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Nightshield!" In the blink of an eye, Steve cast three rank 1 spells on his body. Leylin's brows wrinkled as he watched Steve's wounds recover quickly under the brilliant light of divine force.
'Divine force is indeed troublesome! Instant spells like these can be restored through daily prayers, so even with the usage limitations it's still unfair…'
Steve was back to his prime condition after the buffs, and his injuries had healed.
"Kill!" He charged towards Leylin with great power, and a clandestine glow covered the sword in his hand.
"Eldritch Blast!" The qi of a rank 10 fighter concentrated in his hand to become a shining blade which blasted out.
*Schlick!* The soldiers in front of Leylin were hacked into two halves, and blood and gore splattered in all directions.
'Well, this is troublesome…' Leylin sighed, massaging his temples.
[Data collection completed! Creating target entry.] The A.I. Chip reported, quickly projecting Steve's details in front of him.
[Name: Steve. Gender: Male. Estimated stats, Strength: 10+, Agility: 7, Vitality: 6. Spirit: 4. Professions: Rank 10 Fighter, Rank 3 Cleric! Evaluation: Undecipherable undulations in his right hand, target is extremely dangerous!]
'Right hand?' Leylin looked at the iron hook in Steve's right hand. The originally dull blade was now drenched in blood, with strips of flesh hanging off it. It looked exceptionally macabre.
"I'll go up to block him! You wait for an opening to try and cast spells!" Isabel drew her black sword out as she saw Steve nearing Leylin, becoming a human shield.
"Where did this wench come from? Piss off!" Steve's eyes were bloodshot. The sword in his left hand slashed down mercilessly, violent like a gust of evil wind. It had none of the protective care one normally held for a lady.
*Clang!* The machete was blocked by a black sword, and the collision created a profound noise.
"My revenge starts with you!" Isabel's expression was ice-cold.
"There's so many incompetent idiots I've killed, who knows which ones you're from?" Even with such a reply, Steve had already grown wary of Isabel. Considering that she could hold off a rank 10 fighter who was going all out, she was no easy opponent.
*Thump!* The iron hook in Steve's left hand shot out like a venomous snake, but it too was blocked by Isabel's sword. Sparks flew everywhere.
The impending battle between the two caused many pirates, and even her own soldiers, back away subconsciously. They didn't dare to get caught in the fight.
'Looks like I still don't have enough manpower to kill a rank 10 fighter.' Leylin thought in worry as he watch the gruesome exchange between the two.
'According to the data, I'll need at least 200 fully armed elites to kill Steve, and even they will have to be willing to give up their lives and pay a painful cost. Of course, if we have more Professionals the injuries would be halved, but all in all I don't have enough manpower right now…
'And although Isabel had enhanced her own strength through demonic sacrifices, she still isn't enough to be an opponent…' Progress in one's profession wasn't as just incremental. And anyway, Leylin didn't believe that those demons wanted nothing from Isabel anyway.
"Ugh…" Suddenly, a groan sounded from the battlefield. It was Isabel's.
One of her arms had been fractured, and she was forced to hold it in her sleeve. And yet, she remained as stoic as ever. Things like that which could have caused ordinary girls to weep and scream did not disturb Isabel at all.
"I'm afraid this cannot go on, I'll have to unseal it! But…" Isabel throw a glance at the onlookers and hesitated.
"Isabel! I think it's time to withdraw!" Just as Isabel was about to give it her all and charge at Steve, Leylin's voice came through. Out of her confidence in Leylin, she abandoned her original plan and start backing away.
"Thinking of leaving?" The expression on Steve's face was sinister as ever, but that changed when an arrow was shot.
*Shoo!* The arrow was like a venomous snake. Its angle was tricky, leaving Steve with no choice but to retreat.
*Splat!* The arrow shot into the ground behind him, its feathered end still quivering, making it look like a small snake trying to burrow into the ground.