Chapter 245 - 885 - 893

Summoning Spell

Leylin noted the bloodshot eyes of the goblins that were charging towards them. As winter drew near, even the weakest and most cowardly goblins would go crazy.

They were small, and it was hilarious to see a group of green-skinned, short people pouncing towards you. However, their gazes were as fierce as wolves, enough for even a retired soldier like Old Bayer to tremble in fear.

Dying at the hands of enemies was just death, but dying by the hands of goblins meant that their corpses would be dragged back for food! Old Bayer shuddered at the very thought.

"Please mount the horse and leave, my guest!" At this moment, a trace of decisiveness flashed on his face. He produced a rusty longsword from under the seat of the carriage and released the old horse that had been pulling the carriage.

"It may be a worn-out horse, but these bunch of short-legged creatures won't be able keep up with you. After you break out of here, just go backwards. Don't stop till you get to the harbour!"

Old Bayer passed the ropes to Leylin, turning back and now in a defensive stance, "As a noble young master, you must have learnt how to ride, yes?"

"Mm," Leylin nodded, but did not leave since his luggage was still on the carriage.

"Can you tell me why you're leaving your chance at survival to me?" He asked, slightly curious.

"I'm hot-blooded, that's why! You nobles are so troublesome… Quick. Quick! There's not much time left!"

Old Bayer yelled. The goblins had already surrounded them, so close that they could see the filth on the goblins' green skin. Their putrid smell invaded their nostrils.

"You are a true soldier! But… I am not like those weak nobles…" Leylin calmly walked ahead. He abruptly closed his eyes, and a threatening aura burst forth.

Intimidation! A domain with the might of a dragon erupted from him, making the goblins halt their attacks immediately.

"You filthy vulgar bastards! How dare you block the way of a mighty wizard. Even death would be too kind a fate for you!"

*Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!* Bundles of dazzling flames abruptly appeared by Leylin's side.

Lesser Fireball! Numerous spheres of blazing energy shot out, and then exploded amidst the group of goblins.

*Rumble! Rumble!* The flames ripped apart the bodies of the goblins, throwing them everywhere together with the soil. Even those bugbears could not resist the power of magic. Numerous huge pits appeared in the ground, and the goblins then completely collapsed!

They may have gone crazy for food, but the goblins wouldn't challenge an enormous dragons. There was a warning from their very souls, that if they proceeded forward they would all die.

"Ooga!" "Ooga!" Amidst the terrified cries, Leylin's spell had murdered tens of the hundreds of goblins. The rest howled as they fled. The road was covered with the wooden clubs and stones, and some goblins were even trampled. The goblins that were grievously injured crawled in the opposite direction from Leylin, as if evading a demon.

"You're an esteemed wizard after all!" Old Bayer wiped off the cold sweat from his forehead. As someone living near Silverymoon, he was no stranger to the power of magic.

"Thank you very much!" Old Bayer sincerely thanked Leylin. If Leylin had not been around, he would be reduced to the fate of becoming goblin shit. That was not an honourable way of dying.

'With this strength, he's probably not a disciple or elementary-ranked wizard. He's at least a mid-ranked one…' Old Bayer thought himself.

At this moment, there seemed to be a ruckus in the carriage ahead, revealing the frightened expressions of a few female disciples.

"Sister… I've used up my spell slots!" Isadora scowled miserably. Apprentices had few spell slots anyway, and the problem was that they were not that powerful. If the target was not directly hit, they could not even kill a single goblin. This was why rank 0 spells were also known as cantrips.

"Hold on! We'll get reinforcements from Silverymoon soon!" Bessany gritted her teeth, misty rays shooting out from her hands.

Vertigo! A hobgoblin who had been charging forwards fell to the ground in a daze, dropping the wooden club in its hands. It rubbed its head, but before it could react further, someone who looked like a housekeeper used a giant axe to chop off is head.

"Good job.." A joyful expression appeared on Ena's face, but she then saw the housekeeper being pushed to the ground by even more goblins, a few of them widening their large brown mouths to reveal sharp teeth.

"No…" Bessany wept. The sounds of gnawing had her on the verge of breaking down.

"Are we going to die here? I don't want that! I'm a noble, and I'm a wizard. I shouldn't die like this. M–My fate…" At the other side, Isadora looked ready to fall apart. Ena was usually quiet, but at such a crucial moment she was able to persevere. If not for her care, Isadora would long since been dragged away by the goblins.

Just as Bessany was on the verge of total despair, a carriage behind them suddenly caught her attention. Powerful spell undulations were transmitted, and a young wizard got off te carriage and took care of the goblin attack with a few fireballs.

"It's… Leylin! We have hope!" Bessany looked ecstatic, suddenly waving the handkerchief in her hands.

"Leylin! Mister Leylin! Please save us!" The tender voice of a girl pierced the air and attracted Leylin's attention.

"Oh, I didn't think I'd meet acquaintances!" Leylin recognised the young ladies he had met on the ship, "Since we meet again, you're in luck!"

Leylin didn't mind a passing kindness. After all, he could improve their favourable impression of him. Of course, he still found these three wizard apprentices beneath him. What he truly valued was Silverymoon's evaluation of him.

The city guards of Silverymoon would definitely investigate the incident. An impression that he was kind was much better than one that he was wicked and callous. Leylin never did anything that went against his principles. Everything was based on benefits.

"Rank 4 Beast Summoning!" Summoning rays flashed, and four wild wolves which were two metres tall jumped out of them. Spell rays flashed on Leylin's body again, and after two more summoning spells he now had control over 12 wild wolves.

These large carnivorous animals had stiff fur, sharp canines and an astonishing jumping ability. Their eyes were filled with bloodlust.

"Charge!" With the guidance of Leylin's spiritual force, 12 wild wolves charged towards the group of goblins that had already crumbled mentally.

*Awoo!* *Awoo!* Wolf cries could be heard faintly in the distance. As their gleaming white teeth tore at the flesh of the slower goblins. There were even miserable shrieks from the goblins that had fallen from the ground and been torn to pieces, further causing others to flee.

With Leylin's attainments in his spiritual force, controlling the wild wolves was no issue. Under his command, the direction in which the goblins fled was controlled, and they began to pounce towards the carriages ahead.

"Ooga!"

The large hobgoblin ahead roared, smashing the head of a deserter with a mace in its hands, but that did nothing to deter those who were now frantic. It was quickly drowned out by the goblins.

The hundred goblin deserters who had surrounded Leylin darted into the goblin formation behind, resulting in great disorder!

Though goblins weren't orderly beings from the start, they had orders to attack and withdraw. Now, however, they were in great disarray. Howling and trampling could be noticed everywhere, and even the hobgoblins and bugbears found themselves useless.

The faint howls of the wolves sounded. All of a sudden, a wild wolf perked up and threw itself at a bugbear, its sharp canines biting through its neck. Under Leylin's directions, the wolves ignored the fleeing goblins, targeting the active group instead and prioritising the hobgoblins and bugbears.

Their command system completely broke down, and it was natural that the goblins were defeated. Numerous goblins abandoned the wooden clubs and rocks in their hands, fleeing in all directions and leaving behind the carriages and survivors.

Only 8 remained of the 12 wild wolves under Leylin. All of them had injuries, but Leylin did not feel bad for them. After the spell dissipated, they would return to the place they had come from. If they died, then so be it.

'Even if it's a mid-ranked wizard, it's not that easy to defeat 500 or so goblins…' Old Bayer's eyes were filled with astonishment and shock, 'That last attack in particular had strategy to it! Is that the art of command that the corps leader once spoke of?'

Leylin was also quite satisfied with the results. Casting suitable spells at opportune moments was something all wizards had to learn. Being able to disperse this group of goblins at the most minimal cost and limiting the casualties of the attack wolves was something that made him proud.

"Are you alright?" Of course, he limited his pride to that single thought. Leylin had the abundant experiences of his main body and if he couldn't manage even this he should just have killed himself.

"We're alright. Thank you, Leylin!" Bessany thanked him gratefully, eyes reddening as she began to bawl over a destroyed corpse nearby, "Sob… sob… Uncle Eita…"

This corpse already had several parts missing, and there were also many small bite marks. It looked exceedingly horrifying. This was the masterpiece left by the goblins from before. If Leylin had arrived a little later, everyone in the carriages would have been reduced to this state.

The aftermath had Ena and Isadora quivering in fear as they expressed their gratitude to Leylin over and over again.

Enlist

Leylin and Old Bayer were speechless at the scene before them.

The victims' remains were collected, unable to be buried here lest they were dug out by goblins. They would be taken to Silverymoon City, given their final rites and blessings by clerics, and then buried.

"Thank you, Lord Leylin! Are you a mid-ranked wizard?" Bessany had recovered, and her eyes had swollen to the size of walnuts.

"Yes, I suppose so. I'm also going to Silverymoon City to study," Leylin looked at the scenery outside and indifferently replied.

After meeting Bessany and the others, and since they were going to the same place, Leylin naturally did not mind accompanying her. The others happily welcomed him with open arms, as that last attack had scared them into cowardice. Without Leylin's protection, perhaps no one would dare to continue on the journey.

The young ladies in the carriage were all surprised, it was rare to find a mid-ranked wizard as young as Leylin after all.

"How amazing… I always thought that mid-ranked wizards were all white-bearded grandfathers…" Isadora exclaimed. She'd actually recovered quite quickly.

"It's nothing, there are many more wizards who are more gifted than I am. Mm, there will be many of them in Silverymoon City," Leylin replied modestly, and after chatting for a while the atmosphere of the carriage grew more solemn.

After all, a mid-ranked wizard was a big deal to minor nobles. Isadora and the others did not dare to say anything more in fear of offending him. Bessany seemed as if she was about to speak, but she was not able to say anything until they reached Silverymoon City.

Leylin understood her intentions, as she had recently told him on the boat that she was looking for a tutor. However, he would gain no benefits from taking her on as his apprentice, and it was not something that could be done with no extra trouble. Where would Leylin even find the time? As a result, he could only pretend that he did not know.

...

"You were attacked by a goblin swarm?" A patrol officer from Silverymoon City seemed to take the matter very seriously, and had personally come to register them. "I understand, our city patrol will soon leave on their watch. The monsters in the wilderness have increased greatly in recent times, you must all be more careful."

A clerk began to record the identities of Leylin and the others as well as their ranks. When he got to Leylin, his pen paused, "Wizard, please show me your proof of identity…"

"Mm," Leylin nodded, taking out his proof of nobility as well as his wizard insignia and handing it to him, which immediately made the clerk cry out in surprise.

"Please take back your identification, mid-ranked Lord Wizard!" A rank 10 wizard was uncommon even in Silverymoon City, especially one who looked as young as Leylin. It was actually rather scary.

"Good, I want to join the Silverymoon City guard, do you know where I can enlist?" Leylin asked with a smile.

"You want to join the city guard?" It wasn't just Bessany and the others that were extremely astonished. Even the officer from earlier walked over, attentively sizing Leylin up.

"Yes, I hold Lady Hope in the highest esteem, and I would love the atmosphere of Silverymoon City. I hope that I can fit in here." This Lady Hope was the ruler of Silverymoon City. Her name was Alustriel, and she was a tolerant and good person who was one of the Chosen of Mystra.

It was rumoured that this city ruler had a very liberal attitude towards her subordinates from different races. She very much enjoyed disguising herself as an ordinary person outside of her palace to observe the lives of common folk, which won her the support of the lower classes.

Naturally, Leylin was telling a bald-faced lie. His true purpose was to assimilate into the lady's troops as quickly as possible, and make preparations for the war ahead.

News of the war had broken out. Perhaps many knew, but information would be limited to the city ruler's core organisation. This was precisely where Leylin would be able to seek benefits.

"You must be clear on this— once you truly join Silvermoon City, there will be many restrictions on your freedom, Sir!" Although the human fiefdoms all recognised the other's' nobility, the nobles on the continent all traditionally thought that only those with hereditary titles and with their own territories could be considered true nobles.

It was evident that Leylin's title as an honourable viscount was not equal to the respect he got as a mid-ranked wizard. Perhaps if he really inherited Faulen Island it would be different and he'd be treated better, but Baron Jonas was hale and hearty so Leylin could only remain his heir.

Noble heirs like him were usually called sirs, and did not gain any particular privilege or preferential treatment. The office reminded Leylin of this point, and naturally made other implications.

"That won't be a problem," Leylin calmly shook his head, indicating that he already clearly knew all of this.

Although foreign wizards could occasionally receive missions from the city governors, and receive patrol duties, it was clear that it was part of the system for outsiders. They were destined to never become part of the inner circle of governance.

When the war came, those patrolling wizards would not be able to escape their fate of forced enlistment. As a result, Leylin thought that since he would have to eventually participate in the war, it would be better to join in advance with his status as a noble heir.

The officer stared at Leylin, as if trying to predict what the wizard was trying to do. In the end, he could only grudgingly give up. Afterwards, he called another officer to take Leylin away, "In this case, Aulen, go through the procedures with this wizard Leylin."

Even as she saw Leylin's back disappear into the streets, Bessany retained the expression of disbelief on her face.

"He's immediately joining the city guards? Perhaps Lord Leylin is actually a second son of a noble family, and hopes to get knighted through this method?"

Alustriel naturally had the power to confer noble titles, and in reality the authority she possessed in the north was not at all inferior to any human country's king. She was very generous as well. For second or third sons of nobility, or even other adventurers, serving Alustriel to become a viscount was a rather good option.

As a noble wizard in the city guard, he would naturally receive more attention and preferential treatment compared to the others. What other benefits would an heir get?

"Perhaps serving as a military wizard would grant higher authority in Silverymoon City's wizard library, and they can read even more advanced books. Lord Leylin probably had this thought in mind when he joined…" Ena shook her head from next to Bessany as she expressed her own opinion. It had to be said that although she was normally rather uncommunicative, her guess was close to the truth. However, they had their own family interests, and could not be as reckless as Leylin was and do as they pleased.

"It's such a pity… As a wizard, we should of course immerse ourselves in the sea of knowledge, and not wander around attacking and killing," Isadora was the most dim amongst the three, and felt that Leylin's decision was a great pity, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Which college should we go to? I've heard that Silverhand is rather good, but they don't offer accommodation. And if we choose it…"

The three apprentice wizards very quickly forgot all about Leylin under Isadora's influence, and began to discuss their future studies. For them, this was the truly most important issue at hand.

...

"It really is very nice," Leylin followed behind the officer named Aulen and sized up the facilities around him. As the city of wizards in the north, Silverymoon's design was extremely exquisite, and was filled with a sense of artistry, borrowing from the artistic sense of the elves.

In addition, Leylin saw many different races on the streets, including dwarves, halflings, elves, pygmies, and even beast slaves. This country appeared to be very liberal.

"What, is it surprising?" Aulen smiled as she took off her helmet, revealing shiny long hair as bright as silver and pointed ears as well as fair and delicate skin. It was clear that this guard was an elf.

Although most elves heeded the call of the elven god to live in an enormous island overseas, there were still many tribes who stayed in the continent. In the north, Silverymoon City was an important elf settlement, and no more than 40% of the population was pure humans. A fifth were free elven citizens.

"Mm, it's because I used to live in the south," Leylin lightly explained.

Although dwarves and halflings could be seen in the Dambrath Kingdom, they were few in number. As for elves? They were the highest grade of slaves, and were very rarely seen outside.

Ever since the Baltic archipelago had fallen, Faulen Island's Port Venus had received part of their slave trade, and there had been a few pureblood elves amongst them. Naturally, neither Leylin nor Baron Jonas would admit to this.

After that, the elf officer Aulen led Leylin to the city hall. Every year, Silverymoon attracted many wizards and outsiders into joining it, and they had a well-established process/

The procedures were completed smoothly, as Leylin's identity had not been fabricated after all. The arcane imprints on every file were completely in order.

"All done. Congratulations on becoming a member of the city guard, child!" Leylin's professor was an elderly wizard who looked very energetic. He wore a handsome military uniform which molded to his body, and had sharp eyes from many years of serving in the army.

This wizard was a battlemage, and his experience definitely far exceeded that of those who worked in laboratories. In addition, the undulations he gave off made Leylin wary of underestimating him— at the very least, these were the undulations of a high-ranked wizard!

Although talented wizards were scarce, Silverymoon City obviously didn't lack in them.

A military uniform set was handed to Leylin under the high-ranked wizard's blessings, similar to the one he wore. It only lacked the medals of honour and other military decorations.

Elven Wizard

"With the uniform, you're now a member of the Silverymoon city guard. The magic equipment is enchanted with three uses of Mage Armour and one Cure Moderate Wounds. Please use them sparingly…"

"Yes, sir!" Leylin played his role very convincingly as he accepted the military uniform.

The uniform was soft in texture yet it felt tough and durable, and glowed with magic. Leylin couldn't help but sigh at the luxurious and rich Silverymoon City.

Eternal enchantments were naturally very precious, so the wizard uniform was naturally limited in its uses. However, every year the guards would receive a new set, which could be considered a very good perk.

"Tell me, why did you want to join the city guard?" The elderly patrol wizard finally asked in a respectful manner. Leylin felt hidden magic undulations probing him.

'Is this Lie Detection? It was personally cast by a high-ranked wizard as well… Such a shame that I'm the target.' Leylin inwardly laughed coldly to himself as he raised his head and puffed out his chest, his face lightly flushing with emotion, "I wanted to quickly raise my ranking as a wizard, obtain many more wizard resources for my research and to study. I could only receive these benefits as a city guard, sir!"

The elderly wizard sensed the answer his secret spell fed back to him, and his eyes softened considerably. "Mm, you're very honest. At ease!"

"Yes sir!" Leylin saluted smartly and respectfully withdrew himself. The elderly wizard inwardly nodded to himself at this swift and decisive reaction, 'I haven't seen a young man of his calibre in a very long time.'

A beam of light lit the room up once Leylin left, and a portal opened unexpectedly. A high-ranking elven wizard dressed in green exited it. The robe was embroidered with many plants, and looked almost like an ornate and exquisite dress.

"What's the matter? Is there a problem?" The elderly wizard furrowed his brows together.

"No, I've investigated the recruit's background. He is the heir of the Faulen family of Dambrath, and he matches the major image as well!" The elf nodded lightly, and continued in a graceful voice, "In addition, he has shown a powerful aptitude for magic since he was a child, and passed the rank 10 wizard certification when he was 18 years old."

"Impossible! He's already rank 11, his speed of advancement makes us in the older generation blush with shame," the elderly wizard smiled wryly, "So you're saying that there aren't any problems with him?"

"I can only determine that there are none at the present. After all, we don't have any conflicts with those human kingdoms in the south. As for his temperament, his reason of choosing to join us for more advanced magic spells is acceptable."

The elven wizard nodded, "This sort of genius wizard will be a huge advantage for us in the future. Remove some limits on him for a few basic resources."

"Understood," The elderly wizard nodded solemnly. As a high-ranked wizard of Silverymoon City, he had already begun to anticipate the dangers the lay in the future.

...

"Congratulations, wizard Leylin!" Aulen congratulated Leylin on the outside, seeing him clutch the military uniform.

"You are now one of the patrol wizards in our city guard. A benefit of being a new recruit is the private accommodation in our barracks. You can set up a small laboratory in there, and Silverymoon City's wizard database will be open to you. You have three days to report to duty at the barracks." Aulen began to explain several things of note to Leylin.

Given that patrol wizards were fully integrated into the military structure of the city, and they even had restrictions on their freedom, they received excellent benefits and a great salary. With him being a noble genius, Leylin obtained even more than normal.

"Although we're part of the city guard, we usually don't have much else to do apart from a few patrols and inspections. I'm hosting a banquet in five days, and my hand-made scallion pancakes are really very good… I hope you can come, I can introduce a few people to you!" As an elf, Aulen had a long lifespan. However, she did not seem to renounce her desire for art and beauty, and still enjoyed life pleasurably.

Leylin could easily discern her character from her appearance and other aspects. On the other hand, it was difficult to find an elf's gender without the A.I. Chip or spiritual force scans.

Aulen clearly regarded Leylin as a true colleague, extending this benevolent invitation.

"Of course, thank you for inviting me," Leylin thanked her sincerely.

After he parted ways with Aulen, Leylin strolled around Silverymoon City, in his hand a map that she'd given him. As it was a city of wizards, there were a lot of them out on the streets. Many of the shops nearby sold magical resources as well.

Leylin leisurely walked into a shop and looked at the magic materials inside a transparent crystal showcase.

'Mm, I've almost used up all of my magic materials, I should replenish them,' Leylin looked at a few materials which looked like blue crystals, 'This blue diamond is very pure, I never thought I would see this inside a normal shop in Silverymoon City…'

Leylin called the shopkeeper over and replenished all the magic materials he was lacking. Of course, they were only his most basic resources. He later headed towards the sections with magic potions and alchemical reagents.

'There are a lot of low-grade potions and limited-use alchemical items, however there are very few premium products. Perhaps I can work a bit harder to find some,' Leylin nodded to himself, noting the sky-high prices written below the high-grade alchemical items.

Rank 10 and fifth level spells were a very important threshold in alchemy. This was because of Permanency, a rank 5 spell which could make any spell effects permanent.

Permanency was something one couldn't do without when they wished to practice making magic items and everlasting alchemical items.

Even in Silverymoon City, wizards who could use rank 5 spells were not exactly a dime a dozen, and there were even fewer who had high attainment in alchemy. As a result, the extremely high price of high-ranked magic items was understandable.

'In addition, as the war draws closer, those high-ranked healing potions and completed sets of magic items which can rapidly increase strength will naturally soar in price. For the same reason, the price of raw materials will drop.' Leylin couldn't help but stroke the Ring of Wizardry on his right hand. If he auctioned his ring, which was nearly legendary, it was sure to create a violent commotion.

'Perhaps, I can refine a few toys to earn some money…' Wizards would never turn their backs on earning more wealth, and Leylin was the same. To become a Legend required the support of enormous wealth and resources, and poor little boys who dreamt of soaring in advancement after putting in back-breaking effort were just dreaming up a fantasy.

"In comparison, low-ranked wizards and apprentices can only undertake the most basic processing tasks, and they don't earn much from it. It would be difficult for them to maintain their lifestyle and continue with more advanced studies,' Leylin thought about this indifferently, before taking out a gold card account from the church of wealth.

Just when the serving girl had respectfully left, several other acquaintances had entered.

"Wizard Leylin!" Bessany called out in astonishment, with her Ena and her sister.

"Wow! That's a gold card from the goddess of wealth! Only those with property worth at least 10,000 gold coins can have it…" Isadora's eyes were fixed on the gold card in Leylin's hand, and countless stars seemed to appear in her eyes. She only regained her senses once Ena pinched her hand.

"Oh, it's you. Have you entered a college?" Leylin asked indifferently.

"We've already registered at 'Oakleaf', their tuition is cheap and they have inexpensive student accommodation as well. We've come to buy some materials,' Bessany had been similarly shocked by Leylin's net worth, but she felt that this level of wealth was appropriate for a mid-ranked wizard.

Although she was still a little bitter in her heart of hearts, Bessany still managed to smile, "Has Lord Leylin joined the city guard?"

"It's alright to just address me as Leylin," Leylin appeared very amiable and approachable, "As for the city guard, I have of course become a patrol wizard. I hope I can still meet you all in the future."

Every wizarding college in Silverymoon had its own assignments, and the compensation for joining the city guard on their patrols was very generous. If the three of them continued to stay here, they would certainly have the chance to meet Leylin again.

"Really? That's amazing! I wonder where Mister Leylin lives, I hope I can come and visit soon," Bessany bit the bullet and decided to seize the opportunity.

"Visit?" Leylin looked at the little girl and shook his head, "My residence is in the military barracks. I'm afraid that without a pass, you cannot enter."

After hearing this, the little girl's eyes were filled with disappointment.

"However, I'm preparing to buy some property in Silverymoon City, to begin alchemical experiments and the like. If you agree, we can meet there."

"I agree! Of course I agree!" Bessany immediately shouted, and her face flushed immediately, "What I mean is that… The three of us are very willing!"

Establishing a relationship with a mid-ranked wizard was a very good decision, so Ena and her sister both nodded as well.

"Very well!" Purchasing reagents and collecting resources, as well as selling the products afterwards were all tedious tasks. Leylin had long prepared to employ a few apprentices to do this. If they were already acquaintances, then it would be even better.

Moonwood

A year passed very quickly.

North of Silverymoon, in the enormous Moonwood. Gigantic trees which towered into the clouds hid the moonlight filtering through them. The still pitch-black surroundings filled one with a sense of foreboding.

A small squadron with both humans and elves wearing the uniform of Silverymoon city guards were now pushing their way through Moonwood without rest.

"It's here!" The squadron leader, Aulen, parted a thick shrub and saw dark brown blood stains on the ground, with a grave look in her eyes.

"Leylin," she turned and looked at the patrol wizard behind her.

Detect Evil! Leylin was currently clad in his wizard uniform, and looked very dignified and solemn with a mature air about him.

*Sss! Sss!* Black streams of air began to soar, centering on that particular area, before it pointed to somewhere in the distance.

"Stay vigilant!" Aulen said in a low voice, and at her call the others gripped their weapons tightly. Even Leylin had a very grave expression on his face.

It was because this place was the Moonwood! It was a dangerous place filled with werecreatures who believed in the god of the hunt, Malar. They had formed a powerful tribe called the Blackblood, and hated the civilised life of Silverymoon City.

The guard's skirmishes with the werecreatures had turned to battles, and they had become the biggest complication apart from an invasion by Sunrise Mountain's orc empire.

"I see you!" Aulen and the other members followed the spell guide to the entrance of a pitch-black mountain cave. Aulen quickly gestured to Leylin.

With the mutual understanding they'd developed over a period of time, Leylin nodded his head. The surrounding members involuntarily let out a breath of relief, and shortly after Leylin pointed towards the middle of the cave.

Light! A blindingly white light momentarily illuminated the area, and several crossbows with Spellslayer Arrow loaded were aimed there.

Under the brilliant light, they swept through the cave with a single glance. However, there was not a soul in sight apart from some ragged clothes and a human skeleton on the floor.

The clothes were severely damaged, and the style could be vaguely related to a city guard uniform. Several scraps were even found covered in mottled bloodstains which had turned dark brown.

"Kell Rosa. This is the missing bowman," Aulen took out an emblem from the rags of clothes bearing the name, and although Leylin thought it looked like a dog tag, he pensively muttered, "This arrangement, is that the ritual of the god of the hunt? Those wretched werecreatures!"

The god of the hunt, Malar, was one whose name many were too scared to mention. Although he was a weaker god, he very much enjoyed slaughter. His believers were a bunch of savage werecreatures.

They were different from orcs in that werecreatures only retained part of their beastly characteristics, and they had some unknown hereditary disease. From Leylin's view, they looked like the symptoms of genetic instability. It was rumoured that these werecreatures came from the laboratories of a wizard, and Leylin was in favour of this opinion.

The suffering that the werecreatures went through made their minds more prejudiced, and they were filled with hatred towards other living beings. As a result, they enjoyed slaughter, and they just so happened to hold the same view as the god of the hunt.

There was a chance that captured orcs could become slaves, but as for werecreatures, this was just a dream. Moonwood was the gathering place for the werecreatures, and they occupied the entire north of it. Blackblood was large enough to threaten Silverymoon.

The ruler of Silverymoon City, Lady Hope, due to her kind heart and other considerations, had once actively sent out bowmen in the hope of improving the lives of those residents of Moonwood, but they had frequently been attacked.

This Kell had been one of the unfortunate ones.

"Kell Rosa was a loyal, brave ranger. The suffering of the world can no longer tarnish your soul, may you go in peace to the kingdom of god…" Aulen prayed. Other than being a powerful ranger, she was also a cleric.

As Aulen prayed, Leylin and the other squadron members lowered their heads one after the other in tribute.

It was at this moment that Leylin's eyes suddenly widened.

"Someone's there!" The thief in their squadron was the second one to notice, and a dagger immediately flew into the shadows.

A dull whining sound came from the shadows like a wild animal's growl, and the nearby tree leaves began to tremble.

"It's a werecreature!" An armoured fighter went over to brush away what was obscuring the werecreature, and only saw a bloodstain. Still, the beast fur nearby was very conspicuous.

Those werecreatures had innately inherited some unknown disease, but at the same time they possessed tremendous life force and other strange abilities. It was rumoured they'd been created by a Legend.

"Our task was to search for them, not to kill! The werecreature must have gone to find its comrades, we must all leave for the time being," Aulen held her elven rapier at her waist, but finally they left without a choice.

Playing hide and seek with the werecreatures in the Moonwood was something only an insane person would do. They were very good hunters, and with the advantage of being in their homeground, unless the entire main force came with high-ranked wizards as well as Legends to clear the path, they could push through the Moonwood.

Although Aulen and the others retreated very quickly, the werecreatures were soon about to overtake them.

The roars of wild animals came from all around them, and all the damned werecreatures hid in the shadows of the trees. All the squadron members had unsightly expressions on their faces.

"Damn! Leylin!" Aulen took off the longbow on her back and notched an arrow with a grey eagle feather to it.

"Mm. Enchant Weapon!" Leylin and Aulen had worked together many times, and they had established a deep rapport. A burst of magic spread across the arrowhead.

*Ss!* Elves were excellent at archery, and Aulen was a ranger. The minute she let go of the bowstring, a muffled grunt could be heard in the darkness and an enormous shadow fell from the branch. While a common arrow naturally would not penetrate the defenses of a werecreature, a magic arrow would have no problems doing so.

Enchant Weapon! Forcefield! Bull's Strength! With Leylin's tireless actions, many of the squadron members glowed with the light of amplification spells.

"Well done!" Aulen praised him. In reality, she had always been afraid that this new colleague would be haughty and arrogant because of his status as a genius wizard, and would not listen to her command. However, Leylin's performance clearly exceeded her expectations.

Not only did he obediently obey orders, he even fit in very well with the other squadron members— he really did not seem like a wizard at all!

'Perhaps after we return, Leylin's titles should be changed… With Leylin's qualifications and contributions, he might be promoted this month,' Aulen thought to herself, but afterwards pushed the matter to the back of her mind. No matter how much she thought about it, they had to make it out alive before they had the privilege of enjoying promotions.

"Kill them!" A jarring sound of metal scraping against metal came from the darkness, and the surrounding werecreatures seemed to go mad as they charged towards Leylin.

"Follow me, we need to break out of this!" Aulen gritted her teeth, and the bow and arrow in her grasp shot out arrow after arrow. Once done, she tossed the bow away and replaced it with a slender rapier that had been hanging at her waist.

As a patrol wizard, Leylin was protected at the centre of their formation, and did not suffer any injuries.

'In battle, a wizard's spell slots should be used to serve their comrades. However, a wizard's spell slots are limited, and so they must leave their own safety in the hands of their teammates. In this situation, unless they were good friends who would give their lives in return, it would be almost impossible for them to remain on good terms with one another.'

"I'm almost out of spell slots!" He shouted gravely, but in reality he was lying. Whether it was spiritual force which would allow him to directly use the first few ranks of spells or the Ring of Wizardry, Leylin still retained a great deal of power. However, he had to keep it a secret.

"How many spell slots do you have remaining?" Aulen looked at Leylin anxiously. At the moment, she did not have the time to even wipe the traces of blood off her face. She no longer had the grace and elegance of an elf.

Without the support of spells, they basically could not break through the siege of these werecreatures.

"I still have Cloudkill, and I only have rank 1 and rank 0 cantrips left," Leylin replied with a solemn expression on his face, "In this forest, I don't have the ability to meditate and recover."

"Damn! Everyone, immediately break through the siege and run for your lives. Whoever can make it out will make it. Leylin, follow me and immediately cast your spells once most of the others have left!"

Aulen had another cleric in her squadron. Jinx's palm lit up radiantly with a divine spell. Although Aulen's rank as a cleric was very low, the divine spells of a cleric did not require spiritual force and mana. One only needed to pray every day to obtain divine spell slots, and it could be considered very convenient.

After several healing spells, the other fighters all seemed to have recovered their vitality one after the other. Even the small wounds they had accrued on their bodies seemed to have been restored.

With this power, Aulen and the others finally broke through the tight encirclement.

"Now!" Aulen roared.

Cloudkill! Leylin pointed behind his back, and the terrifying Cloudkill dispersed, engulfing all the werecreatures within it.

"Let's go!" The other fortunate people began to summon up their courage one after the other in the hope of making it out alive, and followed behind Aulen.

...

"We've finally made it out!" Aulen looked at the scattered squadron members behind her back with an expression of hatred.

"Those damned werecreatures, they've been acting up more and more frequently these days… Leylin, our escape is all thanks to you. Your spells were fully put to use and very precise, and I will include this in the report."

Aulen looked at the distant silhouette of Moonwood with a heavy expression in her eyes. Once she turned away from it however, her expression had changed completely. "Now, let's go home!"

Life in Silverymoon

'Even the ordinary soldiers feel the looming shadow of war?' Leylin nodded expressionlessly as he reflected on the issue in his mind. He didn't remain in the barracks upon their return, instead returning to the property he'd bought.

'I'm done with yet another mission. The contribution points I earned should be enough for me to buy that information, right?'

The database for wizards in Silverymoon could not be accessed purely with money. There were specific requirements to get things, and high-grade information on spells required contribution points to access. This was part of why Leylin had entered the city guard.

At this thought, he couldn't help but glance at his stats.

[Leylin Faulen. Age: 20. Race: Human, Rank 12 wizard. Strength: 10. Agility: 10. Vitality: 10. Spiritual force: 12. Status: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Elementary Perfect Body. Spell Slots: Rank 5(3), Rank 4(5), Rank 3(7), Rank 2(???), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)]

Silverymoon City was truly the birthplace of wizards in the northern lands. With ample resources and research material, Leylin was able to move up a rank just by diligently working towards it. With more information, the progress on analysis of the Weave had also advanced at lightning speed.

'Analysis of level 3 of the Weave has already progressed to 99.99%. There's just a little left…' Leylin sighed as he entered the workroom.

"Good- Good morning, Mister Leylin!" Three wizard apprentices jumped up just like startled rabbits. Bessany looked a little flushed, and the sisters behind her were obviously trying to clean up the messy lab table.

"Welcome home, sir!" Bessany spoke in the end, having gathered her courage. A year of study had taught them how difficult it was to cross rank 10, which meant that this young noble in front of them had a lot of talent and status in the wizarding world.

"Mm," Leylin nodded sternly, "I hired you at the price of ten gold kronas per month; you also have permission to use my workroom. You don't have to feel embarrassed…"

While helping with Leylin's work, these girls had also been attempting to train their alchemy. It was a pity that without guidance from their mentor, it was difficult for them to improve by a large extent even if they had an alchemy lab.

"Oh!" Just as Leylin's voice sounded, Isadora cheered, "I knew Mister Leylin wasn't a stingy person…"

"So… that's how you thought of me in the past?" Leylin rubbed his nose, scaring Ena into dragging her sister to apologise with her. There were countless apprentices in Silverymoon City, and their chances of finding such a good job were meagre. If not for their coincidental meeting with Leylin, the three of them wouldn't even have been able to get this position. Hence, Ena treasured her current job.

"Forget it… I was just joking!" Even if it was what he had said only in passing, the beautiful apprentices in front of him were already cowering in fear. Such was the power of a high status. This power originated from Leylin himself, and nobody could snatch it away from him.

Leylin waved his hand with waning interest, approaching the sales counter on one side and opening its magic lock.

"How have the sales of magic items been lately?" Leylin took out a black boxing glove from the locked counter. The dark hide on the surface had a chilly glint to it, and looked to conceal some sort of strength. Under the guard was an incomplete magic formation. A few parts of the circuit were obviously broken off.

"The two items we asked Hawke's Bazaar to sell have already gone on the market. We have received a total of 8000 gold coins. Based on the contract, they will receive 10% of the profits and the funds have been remitted to your account at the Goddess of Wealth's church, able to be withdrawn at any time… Also, a few other magic item shops and auctions have contacted me, saying they wish to obtain your masterpieces…" Bessany reported normally.

Leylin was a Grandmaster Alchemist in his previous life. Once he made sense of the rules of alchemy in this world and got a hold of Permanency, his magic items were rather good. Bessany was definitely envious of Leylin given that the items he made randomly sold for thousands of gold coins.

It was a pity that she was only qualified to take care of the sales records and statistics. Whether it was delivering magic items or transferring money, this was something Leylin personally took care of with the clients. There was no way for her to interfere.

Tempted by greed, humans could abruptly gain terrifying strength and not even twitch in the face of death. Knowing this well, Leylin obviously would not give her the chance to betray him.

'It looks like Bessany is rather skilled at this type of work. There's some value in nurturing her…' Leylin thought to himself, placing the boxing glove on the table while putting on a device over his eyes which was similar to a magnifying glass.

A fine powder mixed with mithril floated down softly from Leylin's fingertips. It emitting a shiny silver luster in the ink bottle it landed in, after which Leylin used a fountain pen and dabbed at the ink before beginning to draw on the magic formation.

Bessany and the sisters immediately held their breaths, watching his actions closely. Alchemy masters all had their unique techniques. Even in Silverymoon, it was rare for people to let others watch without reservations. The other alchemy apprentices would go crazy over this if they found out!

His movements as fluid as water, Leylin quickly finished drawing the last magic formation. A radiance then appeared on his hands. With the incantation done and energy provided, the magic formation began to radiate energy that enveloped the glove.

"Now!" Leylin's eyes shone, and he unhesitatingly cast a rank 5 spell. The gorgeous, powerful lustre of Permanency caused the girls to look intoxicated. With it, the rays from the magic formation grew in strength, and then began to be hidden within the guard.

[Beep! Glove of Strength successfully created!] A prompt sounded from the A.I. Chip, followed by the item's stats.

[Item Name: Glove of Strength. Weight: 525g. Materials Used: Giant Skin, Limestone, Mithril. Effects: Able to increase user's strength by 1 point (limited to those under 10 points). Description: This is a glove filled with strength, the love of all warriors and knights. The maker used a unique technique in creating it, giving this guard even more power!]

"Hm, not bad." An item of this rank was something Bessany and the rest could not even hope for. For Leylin, however, it is was merely something to practice his skills on.

After soaking the fist guard in a solution from a glass bottle, he proceeded with the last adaptability procedures. Leylin then spoke to Ena, "Tell the people in the shop to come over and get the goods."

"Understood, Mister!" Ena bowed respectfully and left the room.

"How is it? Did you understand?" Leylin glanced at Bessany, a teasing look in his eyes. As for Isadora, he completely ignored her.

"No! Sire's techniques are even more profound than those of the elven masters…" Bessany unknowingly used honorifics. She obviously wanted to become Leylin's official student, but it seemed like he had no intentions of taking her on whatsoever.

"Alchemy needs to be learnt systematically. It's natural you can't understand it for now…" Leylin looked at Bessany, seeing her thirst and determination towards magic. Out of the three, perhaps only she would be able to succeed.

"In that case… Are you willing to give up your pay every month and work for three hourglasses more everyday? This will be in exchange for half an hourglass' worth of time every week being mentored on alchemy," Leylin asked. Passing on knowledge in exchange for manual labour was common amongst high-grade wizards. There were even cases of female wizards giving up their bodies in exchange for tutoring.

"I am! Of course I am" Bessany immediately grew so ecstatic that she kept repeating her words. With her background, truly studying alchemy was but a dream. Besides Leylin, no master would be willing to take her in as a apprentice.

"Good! Come to my room after you get off work." Leylin nodded and headed out of the shop.

He could not keep staying here to create more magic items. Since Bessany had interest and talent in this area, there was nothing bad about teaching her.

"Congratulations, Bessany!" Behind him, Isadora's congratulations and Bessany's tearful delight sounded out. A ruminating smile was left on Leylin's lips.

Things that belonged to a devil were not so easily obtained!

...

At the heart of Silverymoon, in the Wizards' Guild next to the palace. After passing through a series of stringent tests, Leylin came outside the wizards' vault.

The tower genie's robotic voice sounded, "Welcome, Lord Leylin Faulen. As a middle-ranked wizard with the army, you can view the content at the first three levels. Level four and above can be accessed through contribution points."

The wizards' vault was a small library, and inside a few old wizards were reading. Leylin did not bother them as he found a book he was in the middle of. He began to read 'Exploring The Sixth Level Of The Weave.'

The A.I. Chip continued to work, recording everything he saw.

Farewell

"Tower genie, I wish to exchange contribution points for 'A Brief Introduction To The Four Great Elements', as well as Gandalf's 'Exploring the Cosmic World'!" When it was time to leave, Leylin spoke to the managing genie of the wizards' vault.

"Lord Leylin, you now have a total of 580 contribution points. Exchanging for these two magic resources will require 80 contribution points. Continue?" the tower genie asked.

"Yes!" Leylin touched the emblem on his chest. With some secret probes, he could sense that the tower genie was communicating with the information in his emblem and refreshing it. Soon, it deducted the correct number of contribution points.

*Boom! Boom!* Two earthen statues walked over, holding crystal balls with information inside them.

The tower genie's voice sounded again. "Please note: The information is only meant for the wizard to use alone. It must not be shown to outsiders, or you will be punished by the enforcers of the palace."

Leylin already knew about this rule, and he shrugged his shoulders, taking the two crystal balls and walking out of the guild.

'Regular wizards can only read the information on the first two levels, and there are even some restrictions on that. My permissions are already the highest that all foreigners can get…' Leylin sighed inside.

Whatever it was, he was still a foreigner who had enlisted for less than a year, and was only a middle-ranked wizard. While he had a little bit of a reputation as a genius, he was nothing before he had fully grown into his power.

'All the research and procedures that are free to read in the wizards' vault has been stored in the A.I. Chip. I need to spend contribution points for the rest…'

Short of becoming a Legend, he couldn't access the vault free of charge. He could only use his accumulated contribution points to slowly get the information on the disciplines he wanted. Were there no war, it would have been delusional to completely obtain all the information he wanted with his current means.

However, things were different now. Leylin's eyes glinted icily, "Soon… The shadow of war will soon be upon us…"

The advent of war was no secret. Intelligent people like Leylin could tell this was about to happen years ago, and now even the junior-most officers like Aulen had found out.

The most obvious evidence of this was the obvious decrease in the number of wizard apprentices and official wizards coming to Silverymoon. The crowd on the streets had even thinned out. The city guards had been mobilised more often recently, and they were even openly recruiting.

Of course, those who joined now would not have the great treatment that Leylin had gotten. With his own foresight and the advantage from his information, Leylin had made the most of this final chance to enlist. Now, if he was lucky, he could be recruited into the middle ranks.

However, this was obviously not what Leylin needed. What did that mean to him? What he needed was to have achievements; by unceasingly getting more contribution points and spreading his fame, he could soar straight to the inner circle of Silverymoon City.

His actions would definitely be hindered by those stubborn conservative members, which was why it was necessary to walk the less trodden path.

'Tiff is doing well right now. He's gathered some power that I can make use of…' Leylin continued to scheme.

"Oh my! Isn't this our genius foreigner from the south, mid-ranked wizard Leylin?" This peculiar voice and the sarcasm in mentioning Leylin's title made him immediately aware of who it was.

"Commander Cassley!" He inwardly rolled his eyes, but on the surface Leylin still straightened his chest and saluted.

"Mm! I heard that you did well this time and saved Aulen and the others from a group of werecreatures. Not bad…" Standing in front of him was a young officer. His ears were slightly pointed and he had fair skin from his elven heritage. His appearance concealed his true age.

He was a true high-ranked wizard! On top of that, he was also a higher-up amongst the city guards, and Leylin had to treat him with respect. He obviously knew that the instant he seemed disrespectful, things would be deliberately made difficult for him. Hence, all his actions strictly followed the etiquette in the army with no errors.

Seeing Leylin's display, Cassley had an shady look in his eye and even some restrained fear.

"I heard that your next mission is a punitive expedition. Work hard. Once we expand the army, it'll be a chance for you youths."

Taking the general encouragement, Leylin got out of the way and stood by the side of the road. Only after the commander vanished from the Wizards' Guild did he continue forward, sighing in relief.

Even a world with extraordinary powers was similar to ordinary human societies, with factions and power struggles. Leylin's achievements that outstripped his age already left a lot of people unhappy with him. With the quick promotions, his increasing contribution points, and the spread of his name, this discontent had reached the limits.

In order to get more opportunities, Leylin had taken the initiative and entered Aulen's faction, thereby relying on the bigshot behind her. There was no other way around it. If he wanted to climb forward, his own strength was far from enough. It was necessary to get be backed by other factions.

Without anyone backing you, it was only a matter of time before you were eliminated. While he found this beneath him, lacking in strength Leylin could only play by the rules. In that case, was there a faction better than his own immediate superior?

By relying on Aulen and the power backing her, Leylin had been able to survive up to this point. However, this also led to him offending the other factions. The high-ranked wizard Cassley, for instance, was obviously from another faction. Leylin and Aulen had long become eyesores to him.

Of course, with Alessandro and the elders around, this competition was still positive. Nobody dared make a move in public. Hence, since Leylin had presented himself perfectly, Cassley could find no excuse to reprimand him.

"Looks like he's going to give our team trouble in the next mission…" Leylin muttered to himself. This degree of treatment was still within the scope of the rules, and his backer must have also done something as well.

'But he's taking the lead to make things difficult for us and is unafraid of telling me about the dangers of the mission. Does that mean they are absolutely prepared?' Leylin's expression was grim. This action of his implied a 60 to 70% confidence.

Of course, Leylin was already used to concealing his strength. A plan based on his surface strength would fail to account for his true might. This alone could lead to Cassley losing everything he banked on.

"It's a good idea to discuss this with Aulen as soon as possible, and see if the bigshot behind her can help us…" Leylin had a feeling that this was a confrontation between the two organisations, and his team had coincidentally been involved. The two sides had long since discovered the incoming battle and were now doing all they could to suppress their opponents and gather more strength.

That he was pushed to the front of the stage to become the vanguard meant things were now very dangerous. As the bannermen, they would obviously be attacked at full strength.

'But danger is also an opportunity!' Leylin laughed grimly to himself, 'As long as we can get past this, the rewards won't be meagre. How else could this be fair?'

Leylin never feared danger.

'Leylin! Hey, hey! I'm here!' The young girl's tender voice attracted the interest of many people, causing them to stop and look on. However, the person who had called him out did not seem to be affected in the least, and was even waving her arms.

'Is she finally here?' The feeling from the devil's mark already told Leylin the identity of this person.

He looked up and came before the female knight, "Long time no see!"

"Long time no see, Leylin!" Rafiniya was still in a knight's attire, but there were now a few servants guiding the horse. It seemed like she had matured quite a bit in these two years, and grown a few centimetres taller. Her powerful and lush thighs immediately stopped passersby in their tracks.

It did not feel good to be ogled at like this, so Leylin brought Rafiniya away.

"You're a wizard! I knew it; you were bluffing me all this time! Also your name is Leylin, not Ley!" Rafiniya exclaimed huffily, her personality still the same as before.

"Haha… that was all a disguise in the past!" Having been seen through, Leylin didn't even blush.

"By the way, why are you here?" There was a huge distance between the north and the west. Leylin had reached Silverymoon ahead of Rafiniya, but the fact that she had actually come here still surprised him slightly.

"I'm travelling around now, and I heard rumours that a war's going to happen here. I came because you were here too." Rafiniya spoke seriously, "As a knight, my dream is to maintain justice and protect the peace of Silverymoon!"

'I knew it…' Leylin massaged his temples. Only foolish girls like Rafiniya would run to battlefields when there were no benefits. He glanced at the servants behind her, eyes full of pity, "With a mistress like this, it must be exhausting."

Upon hearing this, the servants behind Rafiniya nodded vigorously, but when Rafiniya turned back, their expressions immediately changed, looking indignant.

"Struggling for a career of righteousness is all I live for!"

"The miss' methods are correct. We support you wholeheartedly!"

"How is it? So many people are supporting my dreams! Silverymoon City will definitely win this time, and the evil orcs will definitely lose!" Rafiniya proudly raised her head.

"Yeah, yeah. Have you joined the city guard?" Leylin asked bluntly.

"Not yet. I came to meet you once I arrived!" Rafiniya answered truthfully.

"Good! I'll introduce you to people then. How about joining my team?" Leylin suggested. With Aulen's authority, taking a new recruit into his team was no issue.

Deliberately Making Things Difficult

While Rafiniya had a screw loose, she was still a real high-ranked knight. A hot-headed idiot like her was still useful in battle, able to take care of things on the front lines. As long as he brought up the path of knights and justice to sway her, this little lady knight would be charge forward like an enraged bull in spite of the dangers ahead.

"Well then, I'll leave things to you!" The female knight casually spoke, making the few servants behind her turn pale.

"Miss, the master let you come out and travel, not to join the army. You're making it hard for us to answer to the master…" the oldest servant summoned up the courage to say.

*Boom!* However, before he could finish his words, the the little girl's slender fist struck his right eye directly and he toppled. The power of a high-ranked knight was not something that a mere servant could take on.

"How shameless… Too shameless…" Rafiniya's entire body trembled, "Such a person with no heart for justice whatsoever is my servant? That's an insult to me!"

"How about you? Anyone against it?" Rafiniya's metallic gloves produced sharp sounds, causing the other servants to immediately shake their heads and toss the unlucky guy on the floor aside.

"There's no problem now!" Rafiniya clapped.

"You guys… come with me!" Leylin had a dark cloud over his head but did not say much in the end as he led the way.

...

In the barracks.

"Hey, Leylin! There's trouble…" Aulen's anxious expression did not ease up, and she didn't seem to notice Rafiniya who was behind him. She looked completely disheartened.

"What's going on? Is this the mission that Cassley messed up further?"

"You know about it already? That bastard mixed blood! If not for his sorcery, it would have been impossible for him to become a high-ranked wizard even in three centuries…" Aulen cursed. Life in the army had caused the elves to lose their original elegance.

"Skill with sorcery? Bastard mixed blood? Haha… Aulen, I never knew you were good at swearing…" Leylin chuckled. The A.I. Chip had already told him Cassley had both elven and giant dragon blood in him.

With three bloodlines, he truly was a mixed blood. Giant dragons and elves were both proficient spellcasters, and with their blood Cassley had become a high-ranked wizard before he turned two hundred. That was a classic example of relying on the heavens to succeed.

"Oh, there's also an outsider here! My apologies!" It was only now that Aulen saw Rafiniya behind Leylin. The female knight was astonished by the profanities the elf had spouted.

"This is Rafiniya, a high-ranked knight and an old friend of mine. She wishes to join us." Leylin introduced her to Aulen, as this was basic courtesy amongst nobles. "Rafiniya, this is Aulen. She's not usually like this…"

"A high-ranked knight? Not bad, not bad! Is this the external help you got for this mission?" Aulen's eyes brightened.

"No! It's actually just a coincidence. Besides, I don't know the contents of the mission in detail yet…" At the mention of proper business, Aulen turned grim.

"It's an extermination mission. They want us to annihilate a camp of werecreatures, with at least five high-ranked Professionals and even possibly Malar priests. Damn it, it's basically telling us to go on a suicide mission…" Aulen spoke aggrievedly.

"How about that elven wizard? Has he managed to get us anything?" Leylin was referring to their backer.

"He seems quite determined now. A team of theirs with powerhouses is also going on a dangerous mission, and the upper house as well as master of the city have approved it…" Aulen laughed wryly, "All that he's obtained for us is a group of new soldiers and some supplementary items. We still have to do the mission though."

"Never mind the new troops. They aren't that powerful and might affect our rapport. What do you think about roping Rafiniya in?" Leylin suggested.

Aulen had the same thoughts as Leylin, and she nodded, "Mm, that's what I was thinking! As for those stupid new recruits… I know them better than you do…"

"Well then… Are you willing to enter the city guards and join my team, Miss Rafiniya?" Aulen asked seriously.

"Of course! Spreading justice and punishing evil is the reason I'm travelling around, and my lifelong path as a knight!" Rafiniya's face seemed to glow.

"Great. Welcome! From today onwards, you are a comrade that we can rely on." Aulen exclaimed seriously. She seemed to have a favourable impression of this female knight whose thoughts were incomparably pure. Rafiniya had always been very carefree, and that personality allowed her to integrate into the team quickly.

Upon noticing this, Leylin asked for information regarding the mission and headed out of the camp. He walked along the streets aimlessly, suddenly disappearing into a little alley.

A layer of dark magic light began to spread around Leylin's body and completely concealed his figure.

In a private house nearby, Leylin caught sight of Tiff.

"Young master!" Tiff had now swapped to another face and was wrapped up in a black coat, emitting a strange aura. After seeing Leylin's arrival, he immediately bowed respectfully and set up a powerful isolating barrier.

With his strength nearing the legendary realm, nobody would be able to see through it unless the Chosen herself decided to stalk him by intention.

'Is he already about to break through?' As the 'god' that Tiff believed in, Leylin had a great understanding of Tiff's feelings. The energy in Tiff's body had already almost been completely purified, and he was truly only one step away from becoming a Legend.

Observing the process of someone else becoming a Legend was a huge source of enlightenment and motivation for Leylin now.

'The realm of Legends holds true power in the World of Gods. It's also the beginning on one's path to godhood, not as easy as purifying one's power…' While Tiff was not purely a wizard, there was still much information that Leylin could make use of. Light flashed in the depths of his eyes, and Tiff's stats and aura undulations were accurately copied by the A.I. Chip.

"Mm. How have things been lately?" Leylin indifferently asked.

"I've taken in more followers, though a few organisations have begun to take notice of this… Also, news of the incoming war can no longer be hidden. It's quickly being spread amongst the regular people, and the price of rations and weapons in the black market has been steadily rising…" Tiff reported conscientiously.

He had initially been a loyal believer of the winged serpent god, Kukulkan. He now treated Leylin as the saint of his god and his substitute, so if his loyalty was quantified it would be at the highest possible value.

With Tiff's strength approaching the legendary realm, he was one of Leylin's trump cards. Leylin sent him out to gather strength, ready to make a move at the most opportune moment. He was someone who had been able to do as he pleased for a long time due to his strength. His abilities and schemes were marvellous, and with Leylin's financial help, the plans proceeded smoothly.

After reselling some rare and scarce items, he had even earned much wealth.

"The war has yet to break out, and we still have our most important mission. Once the invasion of the orcs begins, nobody will have time to watch us closely…"

Leylin rubbed his chin, "Perhaps our mighty and benevolent city master will announce something that can coincidentally rid our group of all suspicion…"

War was comparable to allowing the people to carry arms, and demanding that they bring their own rations and take care of themselves. When the situation was dire, the city master probably would not raise too many objections against these empty promises of titles.

"Understood, young master, your will is my command." Tiff nodded gravely to show his understanding.

"Also, there's a large base in the dark forest. Do you remember it?" Leylin immediately produced a map used by the military and pointed at the location where the mission was to be carried out.

"This place…" Tiff's brows furrowed, as if he had been put in a difficult position. Such an expression on Tiff's face meant that something was abnormal, and it could even be dangerous.

"What is it?" Leylin immediately asked.

"This is a werecreature camp on the outskirts. I've had dealings with them before…" The people Tiff took in were obviously not good, pure people. They were the elites of the dark world, and werecreatures were included on the list.

It was completely normal for him to have had dealings with the Moonwood or even the Blackblood tribe before.

"How powerful are they?" Something that put even a near-legendary being on the spot was naturally not easy to take care of. Even knowing that Cassley would definitely give him the most difficult mission, the difficulty it posed seemed to have surpassed Leylin's expectations.

"There's a being there that even I feel is dangerous. Also, they have priests of the God of the Hunt there…" A being that could make Tiff feel danger was at least on the same level as him. On top of that, if this organisation had a priest, then they would be at a completely different level than before.

"If young master must attack this base, please allow me to follow you in secret!" Evidently, Tiff was not optimistic at all about Leylin's mission.

"Alright. Add the more powerful ones you've recruited as well, and have them tail us secretly." Leylin did not try to make things hard for himself. He was merely a rank 12 wizard now, and there was quite a number of people who were more powerful than him in Silverymoon.

"However, compared to the great tide of orcs and orc Legends, as well as the god backing them, the Blackblood tribe is rather weak…" Leylin sighed.

Given how difficult this mission was, Leylin would probably rise to the middle ranks of Silverymoon after it was completed.

March

'Cassley… I'll remember this!' Leylin obviously wasn't someone who'd take a blow lying down. Everything Cassley had done to him would be returned tenfold, even a hundredfold! Wasn't everything possible in times of war?

...

As the cold wind whistled, a small team slowly set out from the gates of Silverymoon, radiating a solemn atmosphere. Although they know that the journey was perilous, they could not escape their orders. Such was the sorrow of enlisting in the army.

"Rafiniya, knights can't be mounted in the Moonwood. There are too many trees and brambles…" Aulen was still telling Rafiniya about things she should take note of.

"Don't worry! My skill is passable. I don't need to work together with a warhorse…" Rafiniya patted her black sharkskin scabbard, looking relaxed.

Mounts were usually half the strength of many high-ranked knights, but things were different with Rafiniya. After her previous experiences, she had deliberately trained herself in this area. She still retained much of her original strength even without a mount.

She was on a completely different level when compared with those who could only become heavy-armoured fighters once they lost their horses.

"That's good… Let me introduce you to the main forces of the troops!" Aulen exclaimed happily while introducing her to the rest of the men.

"You already know Leylin, our wizard. That is our scout captain, the thief Lanshire…" Aulen pointed towards a slender figure wearing tight-fitting clothing with half his face covered.

"Then there's the brothers who lead our warriors, Ogg and Otto." As the defensive forces in the team, Ogg and Otto had sturdy muscles and carried halberds, claw hammers and other heavy weapons.

Behind them were almost twenty elite warriors wearing steel armour like chainmail. They were rank 3 warriors or greater, and could be considered rather strong.

"Hello!" Ogg and Otto smiled and greeted her. Their expressions were very innocent, a stark contrast to their insanity in battle.

"And then there's our healer and the beauty of the team, the cleric Jinx!" Aulen approached a blonde girl. She wore white cleric robes, and sat on a white horse summon.

"Sister Aulen… don't tease me. What do you mean by beauty…" Jinx blushed slightly. With her cascading golden hair, she had a calm aura.

"We used to be a team of 50, but due to a bitter fight, tens of our men died. We haven't had the time to replace them…" Aulen brought Rafiniya to take a look at the team, looking desolate and regretful. Even she did not dare bring in new friends when they were about to carry out a dangerous mission, not to mention that there could be spies in their midst.

"Rafiniya, you're a knight. As usual, you will be assigned two servants and four grooms. Every month, you'll receive an extra salary for them. Don't hesitate to report your name," Aulen waved her hand generously.

"I only have four servants. Sister Aulen, just do what you need to…" Rafiniya answered without care. With her background, she naturally did not think much of the allowance from the army. However, for many commoner knights, this was great wealth.

In order to get more gold coins, commoner knights did not mind reducing the number of servants and grooms while still earning the same amount. Leylin could not help but sigh— embezzling money by adding nonexistent servants to the payroll was a common situation everywhere, it seemed. It didn't need to be specially taught.

"Alright then. We'll treat it as two servants and two grooms…" Aulen watched Rafiniya attentively, but discovered she was not acting strangely. She could not help but shake her head, feeling ashamed of her thoughts.

"Oh look, are those goblins?" Rafiniya's mind was obviously not on this matter, and her attention was already on something else.

There were a few green-skinned creatures in the wilderness, looking exactly the same as the goblins Leylin had seen before. They were staring at the group greedily but did not dare charge forward, seemingly timid and afraid.

"Yes. Don't worry, they wouldn't dare attack fully-armed human troops…" Aulen exclaimed, and then watched speechlessly as Rafiniya urged her horse to go forth. She then looked towards Leylin, who shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"Alright, I finally understand why you had such a reluctant expression when introducing Rafiniya to me…" Aulen urged her horse to Leylin's side and rolled her eyes.

...

Though the journey was more fun with the lady knight Rafiniya, they were now increasingly closer to the Moonwood. The atmosphere in the group grew increasingly solemn.

Night came, and tens of tents were erected in the army camp. Heaps of bonfires were ignited in an orderly manner, with simple army rations cooking above them. Leylin had opened a can and poured solid fish floss into the boiling soup.

"It's fish floss! I often ate this while travelling in the south!" Rafiniya, who was seated beside Leylin, twitched her nose.

"Is that so?" Leylin smiled slightly, not revealing that he was the master of the supply chain. Due to the location and matured supply chain, the church of wealth hadn't left the Faulen Family alone in its work. They'd invested in them to gain most of the ownership rights to the fish floss.

With the support from their tremendous wealth and network, sales of fish floss had extended to the north in a few years. It had even become the required army rations in Silverymoon, which made him feel rather honoured.

While imitations had begun to appear in the market, the quantity, scale and techniques could not compare with the shrine of wealth. Hence, the profits would be maintained for a long time. Leylin received these updates as the family sent him money every year.

Although he was improving himself, Leylin hadn't relinquished control of his family and other organisations. Becoming a Legend, or even a high-ranked wizard would be enough for him to do as he pleased in the World of Gods, but his goal wasn't just personal improvement.

He wanted to become a god, and personal strength wasn't enough for that. Even the great gods who were high above needed support from followers.

'Actually, the rules to become a god in the World of Gods aren't that strict…' With Leylin's foresight, he could obviously see through many things, 'If I become a new god, it will be easier to get support from the world origin force. A thousand pious believers are enough to support the birth of a new god. It's the old ones facing more trouble. They need to expand about tenfold, and can easily become enemies to other gods with similar roles…'

Leylin's eyes glinted, 'Of course, there's an easier way to become a god; through luck! If I I manage to obtain divine power crystals as well as the godhood of a fallen god, it would be easy to become one… But even after becoming one that way, I would still be a mortal. Resurrecting as a god will not be a certainty…'

Leylin actually thought little of these gods that had gotten lucky. Comprehension of the powers of laws could not be completed in a day. Even high-ranked Legends may not be able to fully comprehend the power of laws, much less those who had once been regular people.

It was like using a child's strength to brandish a huge hammer. The result would be obvious.

Of course, Leylin was different. His main body had the experiences of a near rank 7 Magus and assistance from the A.I. Chip. If he ascended to godhood with weak divine power, it was still possible for him to embrace and support it.

'It's a pity… Something as good the heavens granting divinity no longer exists… The gods will never be forgotten. Even if they die from unnatural causes, godhoods and divine weapons will still land in the hands of the gods that killed them. It can't be given to others…

'Comprehension of another law like this will only pollute my path…' Leylin looked incomparably grim. He was still a Warlock at heart, and followed the path of Magi. Rank 7 Magi needed to completely grasp the power of one law, and rank 8 Magi needed to comprehend multiple laws.

Only by finding their own path and smelting the power of laws into oneself would a person find themselves at the peak of rank 8, peering into the realm of rank 9. With a rough idea of the path, Leylin wasn't willing to mix in more laws.

'Unless it's a law of divinity that I need, even should a godhood with powerful divine power dangle before my eyes, I won't pay it any mind,' Leylin gave a deep sigh.

"Heh… what are you thinking about?" His expression naturally aroused the interest of Rafiniya beside him.

"I'm wondering when this fish soup will be done." Leylin shook his head. If he were to tell the female knight beside him that he was considering becoming a god, she would definitely think he was a lunatic. Someone who wasn't even a rank 15 high-ranked wizard dared say that he wanted to become a god? Even those Legends did not have the guts to do so!

"Mm, almost there." Rafiniya breathed in deeply. She obviously had more experience from before, and seemed to have some culinary skills.

"My apologies for bothering the two of you!" Jinx came over at this moment, her pure white robes gliding across the grass. She radiated a sense of exceptional beauty.

"Captain Aulen told me to notify all officers who are squadron leaders or higher to come to the central tent immediately…"

Spy

The flame of a thick wax candle flickered within the tent, illuminating the area brightly. Leylin, Rafiniya and the other team leaders formed a circle with Aulen in the captain's seat. The map of the Moonwood was hung on one side of the tent.

"This mission is going to be quite difficult. Do any of you have viable plans?" Aulen furrowed her slender brows, but the responses disappointed her.

"Leylin, what do you think?" She looked over to Leylin expectantly. As an army wizard, he held a remarkably high position. Besides, he had already proven his ability before; he was second only to herself in the team.

"There have been no further intelligence reports. I only know their rough position and the presence of high-ranked werecreatures within their team. In this situation, we can only reinforce our security and wait for the right opportunity to grab them by the throat."

Although what Leylin said made sense, it wasn't enough to satisfy her. Aulen knitted her brows once again. Leylin naturally understood her worries; he did indeed have a plan. However, it required Tiff and the devil worshippers, so he naturally couldn't tell Aulen and the team.

She looked around the room disheartenedly, before waving her hand to dismiss them, "Well, alright then. I'm sorry to have interrupted your dinner, let us end the meeting here." Despair was evident in her face.

"Don't worry, sister Aulen! Justice always prevails, those damned werecreatures will not win against us!" At this point, the only one left who was full of confidence was of course the young female knight.

Ultimately, this was still a world led by physical strength. Rafiniya only attended the meeting because she was a high-ranked knight: it afforded her a position equivalent to a military officer who was a low-ranked captain.

"I trust you." Aulen smiled helplessly, unable to find the strength to respond to Rafiniya in any other way.

"Leylin! Why did Aulen look so dejected towards the end?" Rafiniya wasn't able to contain her curiosity after leaving the tent, "Is the mission too challenging?"

"No idea," Leylin shook his head, and realised that the girl hadn't been changed at all by prior experience.

"The fish broth is done, miss." Rafiniya's servant brought up two bowls of fish broth and the staple white bread, not forgetting the wild berries they picked along the way.

"Woo!!" Rafiniya cheered and began digging in.

Leylin laughed mindlessly at Rafiniya and tore his bread unhurriedly before dipping it into the broth and sending it into his mouth. He only called out to her as they were about to part, "Rafiniya!"

"Yeah? What's the matter?" There were still leftover crumbs on the side of her lips, and she resembled a gluttonous little kitten.

"Nothing, I just have a premonition that tonight won't be peaceful. Keep your weapons close." Leylin notified her.

After going their separate ways, Leylin looked around to make sure no one had their eyes on him before sneaking into Aulen's tent…

The silver moonlight was exceptionally dull this night, broken only by a few lone storm clouds that passed the region every once in a while.

The winds howled and temperatures dipped, and everyone else but from the patrolling soldiers had long ducked into their respective tents. Only the unfortunate soldiers on night duty were left to fend for themselves as they cursed at their luck.

Out of nowhere, a thick dark cloud floated across and swallowed the moon whole. The moonlight disappeared completely in the span of a second, and the only remaining light was from the handful of bonfires around. The guards' line of sight grew hazy and they could only see things within 5 metres even if they sat by the bonfires.

"What a dark night… And such dense fog!" A patrol soldier grumbled.

"Come on! I've seen even scarier fogs in the endless wilderness, to the extent that you can't see your fingers even when you've stretched your hand out." Another patrol soldier replied with disdain.

"Well, you're right!" The younger soldier nodded his head, but then he tightened his grip on his weapon, "Who's there?"

A shadow approached them in the fog. "It's me!" it spoke with a familiar voice.

"Oh, it's the captain. Ma'am!" The patrol soldiers saluted immediately. However, in the instant they bowed, a few slashes flashed coldly in the night.

"Ack-" Fear and confusion brimmed their eyes as they tightly pressed their hands to their necks for dear life, blood seeping through the fingers. The collapse of both their bodies attracted no unwanted attention.

The hazy shadow seemed to let out a sigh of relief before arriving in front of another tent.

"Who's there?" Leylin asked from within the tent.

"It's me, Lanshire." The shadow sounded calm.

"I see, is there anything? Hold on, I'll deactivate the alarm!" The tent lit up for a brief moment and Leylin lifted the entrance open with confusion written all over his face, "Come in!"

Walking into the tent, the bright light carved out the figure of the shadow. She was slender, as thin as a thread, and wore a mask that covered half of her face. It was the scout of the team—Lanshire

"It must be urgent for you to visit at such an unearthly hour." Having shed his wizard robes and wearing only a plain white shirt that revealed his firm chest, Leylin exuded masculinity.

"Well.. I have an idea with regards to the mission." Lanshire's voice was rather strange.

"Idea? Why didn't you bring it up during the afternoon meeting? Was something preventing you from mentioning it?" Leylin's expression turned dark and he took a step closer to her.

"Um, actually…" Lanshire lowered her voice causing Leylin to move closer towards her in an attempt to catch what she said.

Something unexpected happened at that moment. A bright silver dagger appeared in Lanshire's hand out of nowhere as she mercilessly slashed at Leylin's throat, the moment he was completely defenceless.

Given that she was a high-ranked assassin, there was only one way for this to end. Leylin would die.

*Pew!* The dagger cut into Leylin's throat without difficulty, but the situation was different from what Lanshire had expected. Instead of having blood splatter all over, Leylin's body turned into a huge soap bubble, burst in front of her and left nothing but a strong gale in its wake.

"This must be… High-grade illusion!" All colour drained from Lanshire's face upon realising that the Leylin she had just encountered was just a fake. She fled from his tent.

But things did not go well for her as she walked out into a group of people surrounding her. The real Leylin was wearing his robes neatly and was already aiming his staff at her, with a fully-armoured Rafiniya by his side.

And in the midst of them all, Aulen looked at Lanshire in disbelief and, of course, disappointment.

"Lanshire! I can't believe it's you. We've already been friends for more than 50 years, and you still couldn't resist the temptation of having power!" Aulen looked sorrowful.

"Friendship? Really?" Lanshire removed her mask to reveal a youthful face, but the remnants of a scar were still evident on her left cheek. It was like a flaw on a piece of art, completely destroying her beauty and rendering her rather ugly.

In a world of divine powers, scars like these would be easily healed. But the people who had gifted her this scar back then left a destructive power in the wound that deterred the healing abilities of any divine powers.

"Since that night, I've never been the same!" Lanshire laughed coldly before putting her mask back on with hatred-filled eyes.

"I see, you've never been able to let it go…" Aulen said in a sorrowful voice, "Who are you working for exactly? The werecreatures? Or another faction?"

Leylin couldn't care less about emotional entanglements like these. He stood out from the crowd and sent orders to surround Lanshire completely. Anyone who fought him was an enemy, and if they could not be roped in then he could only kill them. This was the code of law in the World of Gods!

"Kneel and confess all your sins! This is your last chance of survival!" Leylin stated fiercely, but he knew a surrender from Lanshire was almost impossible. She was a particularly determined avenger with a strong will. People like her could even drag others to hell with them just for revenge.

Leylin was familiar with unmoving fellows like these, thus he sent the command just as Lanshire smiled: "Kill!"

Magic and vindication clashed in the blink of an eye. Lanshire was just a high-ranked assassin, and though she could certainly bring much trouble to Leylin and his team if things were done in the dark, an open face-off like this was obviously not a strength of hers.

Having cast Slow and with Rafiniya's help, Leylin brought Lanshire down in no time. She was stabbed in the abdomen by two enormous steel swords, and hot blood trickled from her wounds.

"Cripple her of all fighting ability! Jinx, treat her!" She was Aulen's friend, after all, Leylin still had some sense in him.

"Hah! I'd rather die than receive treatment from you! And do you think this is over?" Lanshire's mask had fallen off long ago in the middle of the fight. Blood trickled from the corners of her lips, and she looked even scarier than before with her menacing appearance.

"What?" Aulen's expression didn't look too good.

"Cap- Captain!" Just then, Ogg who had originally been in charge of planting traps and exterior defenses was carried in by the others, and it was clear he had suffered an attack.

"It's the werecreatures! Their abilities are beyond what we've imagined!"