Chapter 249 - 921 - 929

Path

A noble youth with curly golden hair and blue eyes lay on a soft silk bed in a dim room, a contemplative look on his face.

'Arcanists… Magi who comprehended laws descended into the World of Gods during the final war, and created them to adapt their power into this world's laws. They attempted experiments to make themselves like natives, and this was the result… They were the founding fathers of wizardry…'

Leylin viewed the materials he had obtained from the ruins of Netheril. With the A.I. Chip's powerful capabilities, he had copied all of the ruins' information and begun to arrange them into categories.

Arcanists weren't simply battle spellcasters. There was a whole lot else to them as well. Alchemy, botany, enchanted architecture, forcefields, arcane runes… It was almost an all-inclusive package. If arcanists were used as the standard to select the best wizards, then the number of wizards would drop by over 90%.

After all, arcanists were Magi who had localised themselves to the World of Gods. They couldn't be compared to the wizards who used the Weave.

Among all this data, what Leylin cared most about was the Magi who comprehended laws. These ancient Magi were gloriously powerful, and Leylin admired them deeply. He longed to learn from them.

Although it was difficult to perform research on arcanists, Leylin didn't think much of it. The only thing that he needed to focus his mental and physical efforts on was the paths of those ancient Magi and their inheritances. Their thoughts and reasoning spilled forth from the arcanist inheritance.

This was the truly valuable aspect and the greatest guiding light for him!

The inheritances of the Magi had been damaged due to the ancient final war. Only the inheritances of mysterious and powerful ancient Magi circulated in the World of Gods, but there had been very few truly crucial and pertinent ones.

Although Leylin's original body had risen to near rank 7, only after meeting ancient existences like the Mother Core did he truly begin to come into contact with Magi who comprehended laws. Even those existences did not truly comprehend the paths walked by other rank 8 Magi.

Far too many Magi had fallen in the final war, and few had been able to leave behind inheritances.

Leylin had completed integrating everything he'd gleaned from the arcanists' inheritance. With this he could finally form an image of an ancient Magus, and acquire a general idea of the path walked by those who comprehended laws.

'A Magus needs to surpass an enormous threshold every three ranks. Rank 1 to 3 Magi cultivate their spiritual force, and rank 4 to 6 Magi expand their soul force. For rank 7 and above, one needs to grasp the power of laws!' Leylin's eyes gleamed.

'A rank 7 Magus needs to grasp a complete law, and rank 8 Magi need to grasp several different ones. To break through the threshold of rank 8, one needs to refine all the laws they've grasped to form their own path. And in one's own path, they need to leave enough leeway to grasp the power of space and time, else they will never be able to advance to rank 9.'

Leylin's eyes glowed even more brightly, 'The path cannot be walked twice, and perhaps a peak rank 8 existence like the Mother Core walked down the wrong path. Her powers cannot extend to control spacetime, and she can't advance.'

"As for my path… How should I plan this?" Leylin muttered to himself. His path of advancement had to remain steady, and the choice of what laws he would refine was even more important.

This was just like the ancient Distorted Shadow. Although Leylin could not confirm what laws he grasped, he understood that the power refined from them was one of distortion!

The power of distortion held the law of spacetime within it. As a result, Distorted Shadow had been extremely close to the realm of rank 9. Even having fallen thousands of years ago, he could still cause some trouble today.

'It is very important to have a stable foundation of laws. The feeling that I get from Mother Core is one of stability and gravity, so her foundation must have something to do with the power of the earth and fire. Perhaps it's too difficult to extend that to control spacetime,' After his worldview was expanded, Leylin held a deeper understanding of the strength of the other Magi who comprehended laws.

'The Snake Dowager is different! Although she has not advanced to the peak of rank 8, the power of shadows she has chosen is rather good. At the very least, the power of shadows is more compatible with space, so if she truly obtains the world origin force of the Shadow World and breaks through to the limit of rank 8 she'll be stronger than Mother Core. Still, it'll be difficult to advance to rank 9 since shadows aren't related to time at all…

'One needs to choose a path compatible with spacetime before advancing to rank 9,' Leylin stroked his chin, 'Then… is it possible to directly refine the laws of space and time in rank 8? No, impossible! Someone who has yet to form their own path cannot touch the power of spacetime at all. Normal refining methods cannot touch the laws of spacetime…'

As his understanding of the paths of ancient Magi grew deeper, Leylin's knowledge of his own path also furthered.

'With the arcanists as a guide, I'll advance rapidly. The ability to break away from the Weave will allow me to overcome its restrictions. Although instant casts of legendary spells will be impossible, it won't be a problem to use rank 9 and below spells if I pay a bit of the price…

'Even if I am discovered by a god, they would most likely think that I'm an arcanist's descendent or perhaps a fortunate person who discovered the inheritance of an arcanist. This will always be better than being thought of as a visitor from another world…

'Since it's like this, I can put many of my earlier plans into action!'

"The news came at just the right time." Leylin's eyes grew more serious. Having become a high-ranked wizard, the legendary realm would not be a bottleneck to him. He could later prepare to ascend into godhood.

At the very least, he would have to be careful in choosing his divinity in the future, making sure to pick one that was compatible with the path of his original body.

'The path of divinity will affect my ascent to godhood and my church, so it must be considered carefully!' Leylin's expression grew sombre. Many divine wars had broken outs between gods due to opposing paths. He did not want to cross swords with other powerful gods the moment he ascended to godhood.

'I'm currently a human. Those of us who ascend to godhood automatically join the human faction, so the best thing to do would be to ally with the pantheon of gods. This eliminates many divinities and territories… It's also necessary to find something that would be compatible with the future path of my original body…' Leylin massaged his temples, and found all of this a headache.

'However, if a god dares to stand in my way, then I can only ask them to die as soon as possible…' Gods such as these did not have the qualifications to stand in the way of someone like Leylin, someone who had grasped the path of laws and truth.

From his point of view, these gods would only have mastered one or a few powerful laws at the very most. There was too large a gap between them and a Magus who comprehended laws. This was the limitation of godhood. Since their power came from the world and their followers, there would naturally be limits to it.

A god was like an officer. They could use their divine force to wield power on par with Magi who comprehended laws. In their own divine kingdoms, they could even surpass such Magi. It was just that, once they left their realm or their followers lost faith, they wouldn't even equal peak legendaries.

Magi were different, however. No matter where they were, their strength would at most be suppressed. However, their power could not be stolen or exchanged, it belonged to them and them alone.

Consequently, there were rank 9 Magi who managed to find their own path. However, the most powerful amongst the gods with greatest divine power was the Overgod, who was also the incarnation of the World of God's World Will.

'Once I ascend to godhood, I will only be a weak god comparable to a rank 7 Magi in the Magus World. If I were to encounter a mid-ranked god or rank 8 Magi, or other gods who are like peak rank 8s, then it won't be possible for me to win. As a result, it's best to avoid those two. I should also avoid clashing with any Chosen…'

'This leaves me very little wriggle room, but luckily it's not like I'm out of options,' Leylin's lips curved into a rather strange smile.

...

As he drew closer to Dambrath Kingdom, Leylin's studies had also increased in speed.

[Beep! Arcanist build has been recorded, spell models collected. Legendary: 3, Rank 9: 17, Rank 8: 23…] The A.I. Chip's prompt caused Leylin to nod in satisfaction.

He still saw many of these arcane spell models using wizard spells as their base, and several of them were similar to the spell models of Magi. If he relied on the A.I Chip's slow analysis, perhaps he would need thousands of years to deduce all of this. However, he had relied on own power to achieve this knowledge, and did not need the A.I. Chip's deductions.

[Rank 8 Arcane spell models have been completely recorded. Record rank 8 spell models?] The A.I. Chip issued yet another prompt.

'Yes.' Leylin now had the power of a rank 15 arcanist, and could use rank 7 spells without consumption. Rank 8 spells on the other hand needed some extra effort.

For a rank 15 Professional to use rank 8 spells, a traditional wizard would have their requests completely rejected by the Weave. Arcanists however would use their arcane knowledge and some preparations to successfully cast such spells after paying a certain price.

As it was like this, rank 8 and rank 9 arcane spell models would become Leylin's strongest trump cards. It was comparable to the spell torrent that he released using the Weave.

[Transmitting rank 8 arcane spell models!] The A.I. Chip loyally fulfilled Leylin's orders.

Sensing that his sea of consciousness suddenly possessed even more data on arcane spell models, Leylin nodded as he looked at the other benefits he had gained. He had found other interesting things in the data from Netheril.

A multitude of data and news flashed before his eyes, before it stopped at several short poems.

Strength

Leylin had found information regarding the arcanist ruins in the Dambrath Kingdom, using a book he'd found from decoding a map. Leylin now found something else from the information the A.I. Chip had copied.

The information that the A.I. Chip had recorded was complete, with the information on the spell models that arcanists had used among others. This included even personal diaries of some arcanists and the like.

There was some short poetry in the disordered data, something that most people would probably overlook.

No! In the short span of time it took for the pocket dimension to collapse, most adventurers would find it difficult to even find information on the arcanists, having to turn their heads. Only someone like Leylin who possessed the A.I. Chip could copy this information.

Along with these few poems were some recipes that caused Leylin to look disconcerted. Even if adventurers unknowingly found the resources that had this information, they would quickly ignore it, but he was different. With his previous experience breaking code, he immediately saw that there was something different about these poems. They were encrypted the same way, and likely came from the same arcanist.

'Such high-level encryption and difficulty in getting the resources… The secrets hidden must be astounding…' Leylin transferred the information into his mind with interest.

With his previous experience breaking code, he made much quicker progress. It took just a few hours for the information hidden within the incomplete phrases to be laid bare before him.

"The coordinates of a location and a specific time?" Leylin scratched his head.

"If I calculate it… year 37670 of the Calendar of the Gods. That's three years from now. When the black crows cry out to the blood moon… It's in the Simoshel Canyon, slanting to the east of Cygnus."

"This again… A specific time and location. What appears will be…" This method of stacking space caused Leylin to frown slightly, he associated it with Distorted Shadow. Only he could warp space and hide his items as he wished, waiting for people to unearth them.

"But… Distorted Shadow has already passed down his path. It might be possible for a legendary arcanist who was his disciple…" Leylin pondered over this as even more information was decrypted.

"What will appear is a floating city?" Leylin stroked his chin, seemingly in disbelief. A floating city didn't seem like much to his eyes. The Magi of Sky City had already developed such a technique.

The city floated eternally using the powers of the Adept Scepter, something that could even boost one's vitality a single time. Leylin had made use of that feature, and even toured the core control room of Sky City to personally touch the scepter. He hadn't found it all that amazing.

"No, that's not it. It mentions a floating city, it might be due to an arcane spell that the legendary arcanists came up with by themselves! It's a fort used by arcanists to fight gods, and one of the major accomplishments of arcane spells. How could it be that weak?" Leylin's expression changed, and he then looked through the descriptions of the arcane spells.

Soon enough, he learnt that the arcanists' floating city and Sky City's floating vessel were two entirely different things.

"I see… a true floating city is powered by a Mise energy core, and needs the strength of a pocket dimension. At its final stage, it's a dimensional fort! In such a floating city, legendary arcanists would be comparable to gods! So terrifying, even divine realms aren't much in front of this… Sky City's floating can at most be considered a weakened version that lacks this amount of power," Leylin muttered.

It now seemed like the arcanists' floating city had truly inherited the design concepts and core of the ancient Magi. Sky City was probably a copy from incomplete information and not authentic. It was like a clumsy version of a toy made by a child.

'Interesting! When my main body awakens, I should get the Monarch of the Skies to do research on my behalf for a few days…' Leylin quickly made up his mind. Given his strength near rank 7, the Monarch of the Skies had no power to resist whatsoever.

"As for this…" Leylin eyed the resources in his hand, sighing a little.

The information hidden in the short poems said that an arcanist who was performing experiments during the fall of the Netheril Empire had made a mistake. Due to it, he'd jumped the floating city to a lost plane.

The legendary arcanist, his students, and all other life forms had died in the floating city, but that plane might still exist. Due to this incident, the floating city evaded the gods' investigations and luckily got away. That was probably the only one in the World of Gods.

The arcanist who had left this trail behind had spent his life pursuing the peak of arcane arts, and had found this treasure in a ruin. He had successfully deduced the time and location that the floating city could return.

However, He had been born far too early. There were over ten thousand years till the floating city leapt back. Evidently, unless he successfully become a god or turned into an undead lich, he would not be able to wait that long. Hence, he chose to leave the information and related clues behind for others to discover.

"From the inheritance left behind, the arcanist that discovered the clues must have died long ago…" Leylin sighed.

After the destruction of the Netheril Empire, the churches went all out in persecuting the arcanists. To be able to find this, the arcanist must have reached the legendary realm himself. That led to more fear from the gods, and chances of him still surviving were far too low. However, that made things easier for Leylin.

"A floating city that can rival the gods' realms?" Leylin stroked his chin, eyes full of wonder. Ancient floating cities were very powerful. There had even been records of legendary arcanists piloting them to attack divine realms

Even if it wasn't for defensive purposes and just research, Leylin was very interested in the design, Mise energy core, and magic cannons.

"A floating city without a master that can independently operate for tens of thousands of years and even automatically leap back to the World of Gods… The intellectual core and Mise energy core must be incomparably perfect…

"Treasures from the peak of arcane culture? Interesting. Interesting! I'll have to give it a go if I get the time." Leylin made up his mind.

...

Tens of days passed by. The weather was exceptional that day, and Leylin had left the hold of the ship and arrived at the deck.

The sea breeze had a clean, salty smell, and the warm sunlight felt very comfortable.

"I've already made records of the arcane spell models. Information on the floating city has all been deduced…" With these two parts done, Leylin was in a good mood, "The calculations say I should reach Port Venus today."

He'd left home for many years, and was finally returning. In that moment, Baron Jonas, his wife, Ernest, Jacob, and many other faces appeared in Leylin's mind, causing him to feel emotional.

"I was only around rank 10 when I left, but now I'm a high-ranked wizard. Master Ernest will be shocked." Leylin took a look at his stats.

[Leylin Faulen. Race: Human, Rank 15 Arcanist. Strength: 13. Agility: 11. Vitality: 12. Spirit: 15. Arcane Energy: 150. Status: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Elementary Perfect Body. Specialties: Arcane Energy Detection, Arcane Amplification]

Becoming an arcanist had changed his stats greatly, and the window had grown more concise. He could still use spell slots like before, and he also had the spell slots for a rank 15 wizard, but after becoming an arcanist Leylin now had another card up his sleeve beside the analysis of the Weave.

'After somewhat breaking away from the Weave, the A.I. Chip's analysis of the Weave has increased in speed… Seems like the Weave has a very tight hold on wizards…' Leylin took a look at the A.I. Chip's analysis report of the Weave, lowering his head in thought.

At this moment, the A.I. Chip's prompt rang out, and Leylin's stats changed once more.

[Beep! Analysis of level 4 Weave: 100%. Obtained all rank 4 spell models. Spell slot limitations removed. Host is now immune to forgetting rank 4 spells, no materials will be required to cast them.] [Analysis of Weave: Level 0 Weave 100%. Level 1 Weave 100%. Level 2 Weave 100%. Level 3 Weave 100%. Level 4 Weave 100%. Level 5 Weave 55.21%. Level 6 Weave 33.89%. Level 7 Weave 17.22%.] [Spell Slots: Rank 7(1), Rank 6(4), Rank 5(6), Rank 4(???), Rank 3(???), Rank 2(???), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)]

Rank 7 spells were considered high-ranked spells. The Ring of Wizardry had now last all its effect, increasing only a single spell slot for spells below rank 6 originally.

"I'm advancing too quickly! My equipment isn't keeping up with my needs." Leylin muttered to himself, "Thankfully, I still have many ingredients from the legendary red dragon that I can use to make a new batch of items…"

Welcome

Port Venus was right up ahead. With the Pirates' Tide and the fall of the Baltic archipelago, the port was now booming. Countless shipping routes were opened up, and the closer one got to the port the more ships they could see.

The port had already expanded several times, and there was no issue with accommodating over a hundred ships now. This had been something Leylin had considered when choosing the location. His choice of a wide deepwater port showed his foresight.

The dock was crowded with people, though there was also a gathering of some who were out of the ordinary. A few people in the front were wearing gorgeous noble attire, and Leylin's excellent eyesight allowed him to vaguely see some familiar faces.

Right in front were Jonas and his wife. Madam Jonas was waving a white handkerchief in his direction, occasionally wiping away her tears.

The moment he got off the boat, Madam Jonas pounced into Leylin's arms before he could even greet her, "Oh… child! My child! How could you be so heartless as to leave us behind for so many years…"

Upon seeing this, Leylin could only nod towards Baron Jonas and begin to console his mother.

"Alright. That's enough, darling! Leylin's return is something to be happy about!" Baron Jonas looked much older now. The hair on his temples was already greying, but he seemed to be in good shape.

The stern decisiveness he had from his time in the military had dulled. What was left was grace, calmness and the steadiness of power.

"Father, I've returned!" Leylin smiled and bowed.

"It's great that you're back!" Baron Jonas nodded, and then led a pair of children who were around five or six years old over.

"These are your brother and sister, Jake and Sherlyn. Come, meet your brother!"

"Brother!" "Brother!" The two pairs of eyes held innocence and fear within them. They were still at an age of ignorance, but still listened to their father and sweetly called out for him.

"Mm." Leylin nodded. Leylin sensed his father's bloodline in these children, but they didn't have his mother's blood.

However, this was common among nobility. Children born of concubines had no status whatsoever, made obvious just from the fact that their mother had not come along.

As children of concubines, the most they could do was enter a god's church or become the housekeeper of another noble family, unless of course Leylin was willing to divide and hand over part of his territory to them.

As they posed no threat to Leylin's status, Madam Jonas was not hostile to them.

"Hello Jake. Hi, Sherlyn!" Leylin now acted like a gentle big brother. While had not known this would happen, he still managed to produce gifts quickly. A beautiful rag doll and intricate moccasins he produced caused the children to cheer.

Leylin had long since prepared a ship full of presents to distribute, and naturally wouldn't mind giving out two more.

"Seeing you being so friendly puts me at ease," Baron Jonas nodded in satisfaction. What Leylin was doing was making his stand clear. At the very least, he would not need to worry about how his children would be brought up after he passed away.

Based on his understanding of Leylin, he definitely knew that when it came to scheming and strength, the pair definitely could not match up to him.

'Now, I can only hope Jake and Sherlyn know to be content with what they have…' Baron Jonas sighed inside.

"Jacob! Leon!" Leylin greeted a few other people, passing them their presents.

"Young Master Leylin!" Jacob and Leon bowed respectfully, looking emotional. They looked to have aged a fair bit, and it was about time they retired.

"It's been hard on you!"

Leylin scanned the area, and then saw the Gold Priest of the Goddess of Wealth, Xena. "And Priest Xena! Long time no see!"

"It's really been a long time!" Xena still maintained her appearance as a young girl. The glory from the gods allowed her to slow her aging, to the point that she would retain her youthful looks even at death. The look in her eyes, however, showed how she had matured.

"I have many things to discuss with you regarding Port Venus and our future cooperation. By the looks of it, I think it'll be better for me to visit you in the future," The priest spoke considerately.

Leylin nodded. There hadn't been change in the management of the church of wealth here, but there was in the two others. There were new bishops for the God of Knowledge, Oghma, and the God of Suffering, Ilmater. They met up with Leylin individually, getting to know him as he did them,

"Come to the wizard tower tonight. I have something to show you!" Ernest was still the same as ever, leaving after throwing him a few words as if he had an important experiment to attend to.

The corner of Leylin's lips quirked slightly. At this point, the wizard tower should have been about finished. He was sure that his master wanted to discuss something related to that.

'When the time comes, I hope my progress doesn't scare him…' After the complicated and disorderly welcome ceremony, Leylin returned to his villa in Port Venus. With the maturation and development of this area, the core of the entire island had shifted to this area, turning the manor into a resort.

"Young master!" "Young master!" Two beautiful maids lay in wait inside the villa, their eyes reddening as they saw Leylin.

"Claire, Clara!" Leylin nodded. The pair seemed to have matured quite a bit, and looked on the verge of tears.

"The decorations in the room haven't changed at all." Leylin placed his hands behind his back and looked around. The arrangement of the furniture, carpets, curtains and the like were the same as when he'd left.

"Madam was afraid that young master would feel uncomfortable after your return, so we maintained the appearance of the room." Claire spoke softly. She had now grown into a strong woman.

Leylin sighed inside. At this age, most maids in the manor would probably have gotten married. The fact they were still here definitely had something to do with him. Before he said a word about this, even the father of these two beautiful sisters, the old housekeeper Leon, would not dare make any decisions.

Sometimes, a mere idea by someone with power could cause a huge change in the lives of the people below. However, Leylin had no other thoughts about this. What was past was past. At the most, he could just give them some more compensation.

"Boil some water, I'm going to take a bath before bed. I've had enough of life on the sea!" Leylin ordered, and the sisters quickly did as he said well.

Leylin didn't have much time left after a brief rest. Far too many things had piled up when he was gone.

First was the wine banquet at night to welcome his return, and it also included interaction with a few other powers. He had to go attend. After that, Leylin went to Baron Jonas' study room.

The baron's study room was much larger than before. There was a faint aroma from the dark red Semen Hoveniae, and it was illuminated with magic lights. The conditions were much better than before.

Baron Jonas sat at the desk and watched his son, "You did well, my child. You are my pride!

"It's a pity about the north. We've no choice but to let go of the Violet Territory, but the title of the Violet Baron can be passed to your other heirs…" Leylin had mentioned his title in the north to the baron before.

His Violet Territory was in the hands of either orcs or werecreatures, having become a part of the orc empire. It was impractical to expect to reclaim it. However, what Baron Jonas prioritised was the title of Baron that could be passed on through generations. This was much better than the titles of the nobles in the court, and could also be passed down through generations.

Leylin had lost his territory through the chaos of war, but his title had not been robbed from him. A loss of territory was an unspeakable humiliation for many nobles, but they still retained their titles. Already passing the threshold of status, they could climb up the ranks much more easily elsewhere.

Even with the loss of the land in the north, it wasn't difficult to gain it in Dambrath. There were still many deserted islands in the outer seas, and with some work Leylin's hereditary barony could well be transferred to Dambrath. In that case, the Faulen family would have two baronies to pass on, so in a sense their strength would double.

Perhaps the baron viewed the ability to pass down land as something worthy of being happy over.

"With our family's current strength and trade relations, it won't be difficult to influence the king. You're also a noble, and as long as your land is in the outer seas and doesn't affect the interests of the other nobles in the continent, there shouldn't be many going against you…" Baron Jonas spoke confidently.

Even now, his eyes were still trained on land of the nobles, as well as the profits from trade.

Leylin listened on, declining to answer. His only target was immortality, but different people had various paths and ideas. He would not force anything on the baron.

"How about Marquis Tim? Has he made any trouble for us?"

"Him… After coming back from the capital, he's become more honest… I actually called you back for other matters," Baron Jonas turned serious at this point.

"What is it?" The letter had only said that some issues had come up, so Leylin had no idea what this was about.

"Traces of devils and demons are becoming more common in the outer seas. Cyric's church is rising, and the Barbarians have returned and are expanding…" Baron Jonas spoke unenthusiastically.

Wizard Tower

Everything was happening in secret. The baron's enemies were not so easily dealt with, and the person most qualified to do so was Leylin.

He now had control over the Scarlet Tigers and had even gotten rid of the Baltic archipelago. Baron Jonas had his suspicions about this, but the father and son maintained a tacit understanding and did not lay it bare.

"I understand!" Leylin nodded. In his opinion, the return of the Barbarians and the rise of the devils and demons was only to be expected. The period post calamity was a golden period for churches to expand, but so it was for demons and devils as well. The ripples caused by the Pirates' Tide still hadn't faded.

"And Cyric?" Leylin's eyes shone. He had some things to settle with this church. What they had done before had left Leylin slightly discontent.

"I'd be at ease handing all this over to you. If there's anything you need, do tell me. Prioritise your safety, I don't want to lose an outstanding heir. Is that understood?" Baron Jonas spoke seriously.

"Yes, father!" Leylin nodded.

"Good! Go meet your Master Ernest. He has a surprise for you!" Baron Jonas had a smile on his face, "Spend more time with your mother now that you're back. We can't delay your wedding either…"

At the mention of this, Leylin felt a headache coming on. He found an excuse to leave the study room.

...

It was night, and Port Venus still had lights everywhere.

At the very least, there were huge torches burning at the pier, where ships hurried to unload their cargo. This would have been unimaginable in huge cities. With the labour and physical resources in the dark ages, the cost of illumination in the night was a huge burden.

Till now, Leylin had only seen one city capable of using lights to brighten the area, and that was Silverymoon. Port Venus was now added to that list. It was a pity that the port was several times smaller than Silverymoon, so it wasn't comparable.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ernest watched the pier that seemed to glow with stars, his voice showing his awe.

"This is the result of the effort of father and everyone else!" Leylin spoke in a very humble manner. He could tell the delight and fondness in his master's tone. Ernest probably treated this like his second home.

"The more prosperous Port Venus is, the more people will come. The crime rate here is now almost at a stage that even the guards can't deal with it. The Mercenary Association and the Warriors' and Thieves' Guilds will definitely increase the pressure on public security, as will the requests of other churches…"

Ernest stated calmly, while Leylin listened close. He was controlling the situation from afar, and what he knew was surely less than what the wizard who had been staying here all this while did.

"That's why we planned to build this, right?" Leylin looked at the main part of the huge wizard tower, a smile on his face, "Once the wizard tower is built, those mice in the sewers should stop…"

Ernest nodded in agreement. The two of them were on a mountain next to the Port Venus, one that had a clear view of the port. The general structure of a wizard tower had already been built at the top of the hill.

With the power of wizard towers, even the most low-levelled wizard would still be able to control Port Venus without trouble. It would also serve to intimidate others. After all, a wizard tower was comparable to a high-ranked wizard! This was a loyal slave that was fully controlled and knew no exhaustion.

"Thanks to the batch of resources you brought back and our investment later on, we've finally built the main body…" Ernest caressed the sturdy body of the tower, a smile on his face.

"Want to see her?"

"Of course!" Leylin smiled and nodded.

The construction of a wizard tower would require an investment of at least two million kronas. Some high-ranked wizards might not be able to amass so much wealth even if they worked hard for centuries. There were plenty who were willing to sell themselves for it.

If not for Leylin looting the Baltic archipelago and retrieving the materials meant for the wizard tower, as well as the Faulen Family's investment from Port Venus, the wizard tower would not have been built so quickly.

"The main material for the wizard tower is granite and wizards' alloy. It's a total of 32 metres tall." Ernest brought Leylin into the wizard tower, making introductions as they walked.

"The strengthening runes and defensive spell formation of the tower have been completed. The mithril and adamantine that you brought have been completely used up, and we've even had to buy a new batch. The tower itself has seven floors, with the basement, drawing room, storage room, laboratory, leisure room…" Ernest seemed to be very invested in the tower.

He abruptly pulled a large door open. It was empty and very dry. "This is the storage room. It can hold enough rations to last two hundred people a year. There's eternal warmth and maintenance spell formations, so the food won't go bad. You can cultivate fruits and vegetables in the garden…

"Also, the spell formation connecting the four main elemental pools has been completed. Energy can be unceasingly drawn from the four elemental pools, and the pure water from the water elemental pool can create a water cycle…"

At this point, Ernest looked to be hesitating, but still spoke, "Also, based on what you said you wanted in the letter, the dimensional summoning spell formations and negative energy pools have been set up in the basement…"

As a traditional wizard, Ernest had a natural hatred for these things, but could not prevent this. Advancing from higher ranks to the realm of legendaries definitely required research in these two areas. He believed that Leylin knew to restrain himself and not deal with devils and demons, and was rather at ease.

"Of course, with your current strength and talent, you'll be able to use these facilities within ten years…" Ernest spoke with confidence.

In his eyes, the strength Leylin displayed gave him a very good chance of becoming a high-ranked wizard within ten years. That speed alone would have been shocking.

After all, the advancement of wizards was not similar to other close combat professions or priests. There was a lot of accumulation required, which was also why many young wizards were weak.

"You didn't call me here to discuss this, right master?" Leylin smiled. He had not placed his wizard ranking emblem at his chest. He hadn't verified that he was rank 15 even in Silverymoon, so he was being treated like a rank 12 to 13 wizard. For Leylin's age, that was already outstanding.

"Yes… uh… how do I explain this…" Ernest had a flush on his face.

"The structure of the tower has been completed. What's next is vitalising the energy core and the constructing the tower genie…"

Ernest muttered, "You know that vitalising a tower requires at least a rank 7 spell, a high-ranked wizard is necessary… While we can discuss this after you've advanced, the safety of Port Venus is of immense importance. We have to activate it immediately…

"I think we should consider inviting a high-ranked wizard to cast an Activate Intelligence spell. Of course, they'd have to join the Faulen Family, sign an oath with the Styx and hand over the tower afterwards. However, that would only be used for observation for a while. This level of strength alone will arouse the interest of many high-ranked wizards, and can greatly increase the number of trump cards we have… After all, a wizard above rank 15 is a true high-ranked spellcaster!"

Ernest was very inarticulate at the beginning, but he spoke smoothly later. The control of a wizard tower was a sensitive subject, and anyone would hope for their own people to have it. Sadly, both he and Leylin were quite a distance away from meeting that requirement.

"While I'm still a low-ranked wizard, I never thought there'd come a day that a wizard's tower would be right in front of me, yet I'd be unable to control it…" Ernest laughed wryly as he spoke.

"Bring me to the core room," Leylin nodded calmly.

Upon hearing this, Ernest brought Leylin to the top floor and entered a narrow room, "Everything has been prepared. All that's left is a high-ranked wizard who can cast a rank 7 spell…"

Ernest sighed, but it was followed by a look of surprise as Leylin walked to the core of the spell formation.

"Wha- what are you doing? Did you think you can start the tower?" Ernest was stunned as he watched Leylin place his hand on the core control crystal.

"While what you say makes sense, it's too dangerous to let others control the wizard tower. Even with the restrictions from the oath, it can't be guaranteed that the outsider won't have their own methods. This could be fatal to the safety of the family's land…" Leylin spoke.

While an oath to the Styx was binding, in his experience there were many ways to find loopholes. Of course, that would've been their course of action if left with a choice. However, he already met the requirements, so why would he give the control of the tower away?

"Alright, alright, little Leylin… I know you're not resigned to this, but… I! Oh, god…" Ernest had been advising him while finding this hilarious, but then gaped immediately after.

Activation

Powerful spell light shot forth from Leylin's body, to Ernest's shock. He'd only sensed this sort of terrifying, imposing aura and pressure from high-ranked wizards before.

Now, however, this had appeared on Leylin!

"A high– high-ranked wizard! Haha… I'm definitely dreaming! This is a dream, right?" He slapped himself so hard his face was swollen, but that didn't allow him to wake up. He could only choose to accept this reality grudgingly.

"A rank 7 intellectual activation spell?" Leylin had chosen to hide his energy undulations before, and Ernest obviously did not have the ability to see through it. Even high-ranked priests would not be able to discover it.

'While this spell can illuminate the entire wizard tower, the tower genie that's generated will only be a low-ranked kind which won't be all that intelligent. It won't be able to become a wizard's right hand man… Besides, I didn't memorise this rank 7 spell yesterday…' The spell slots of a wizard had to be prepared a day in advance. Leylin only had one rank 7 spell slot now, and he obviously wouldn't have saved Activate Intelligence.

However, with the numerous arcane models in his hand, Leylin now had more choices.

"The rank 7 arcane spell Activate Construct is better than the rank 7 wizard spell…"

Arcanists naturally had their own wizard towers, and they had invented countless methods to activate them. Every genie born of their processes was far more exceptional than the alternative, so Leylin easily made his choice.

"In my name as Leylin Faulen, activate!" Leylin silently chanted in his mind, multi-coloured lights flashing at his hands. Through the crystal, it spread out.

"These energy undulations… This is definitely a rank 7 spell… But it doesn't seem to be Activate Intellect!"

Ernest had yet to become a high-ranked wizard, and obviously could not tell the difference between an arcane spell and a wizard spell.

Arcane spells looked just like wizard spells on the surface, they just weren't bound by the Weave. Forget Ernest, even if high-ranked wizards were here they wouldn't have been able to see the difference.

The dazzling light first lit up the core control room, spreading in all directions. The four elemental pools began to rumble as they began to draw continuous streams of energy from the four great elemental planes.

Level after level of the wizard tower lit up, the powerful magic light like bright torches in the darkness. A wondrous scene was created at Port Venus.

This wave was sensed by many powerful beings. Be it priests or other exceptional powers, everyone lifted their heads in the direction of the wizard tower, concentrating on the scene.

Bishop Xena of the Goddess of Wealth gazed at the wizard tower in the distance, looking stunned for a moment before regaining her usual calm. "I never expected that you'd already hired a high-ranked wizard to look over us in secret. Congratulations, Lord Baron, it looks like the security problems we were worried about can be set aside…"

"Oh, not at all…" Baron Jonas had a professional smile on his face. While he was saying something so modest, he was just as confused.

'Where did Ernest find a high-ranked wizard to help out? I wasn't even greeted before.' The Baron couldn't believe that a child like Leylin could advance to rank 15 either.

Many swears were uttered among the crowd at the port. Many shadows snuck out of the sewers, darkness, and even private houses, disappearing quickly from the harbour.

"Damn it! How did the Faulen Family activate the wizard tower so quickly? The intel isn't accurate!"

"Leave quickly! The detection abilities of a wizard tower are not to be trifled with!" With the powerful suppression from the wizard tower, all the schemes of these people had failed disgracefully.

...

Inside the wizard tower.

A hazy image of a girl's face formed in the crystal. Her eyes gleamed as she smiled at Leylin, "Master!"

In more vulgar terms, the tower genie was the seed of the wizard who'd activated it. The natural brand extended deep, and changing the master of the tower was a troublesome matter.

"Alright. Report the operational state of the wizard tower!" Leylin commanded.

"Defensive spell formations completely activated. The four elemental pools are operating normally and have amassed 12.15% energy," the female tower genie reported to him in a formal tone.

"Mm. Start the detection spell formation and set the scope to be Port Venus. The baron's residence and city hall are to be inspected thoroughly. Immediately report any energy undulations above rank 10!"

"Understood!" The tower genie quickly carried out Leylin's wishes.

Leylin then brought Ernest away from the core control room, layers of powerful lustre enveloping the area. Ernest seemed reluctant to leave. He knew that once the tower genie was activated, nobody could enter this place besides Leylin.

"What's going on? When did you become a high-ranked wizard?" Ernest shouted after they returned to the drawing room, unable to hold himself back anymore.

"It's a long story…" Leylin smiled slightly. The considerate tower genie then ordered for a few stone puppets to send over some cups of clear water. This potable water was sourced from the water elemental plane. Since it was a new construct, the daily commodities would only be moved here the next day. However, neither Leylin nor Ernest minded this.

"The stone puppets are at most comparable to rank 5 Professionals, which is a little low. They can only be used for odd jobs…" Leylin took a sip of the pure water that had a sweet taste.

After drinking all the cool water in front of him from the jar, Ernest finally regained his calm. However, his two eyes were firmly trained on Leylin, like huge searchlights, "Enough! You'd better give me an answer now!"

"Alright…" Leylin laughed wryly. He raised his hands in surrender before giving a brief account of his experiences. Of course, he withheld quite a bit and added some fake information. He was great at telling stories anyway, and many of the details were still hair-raising.

...

"So that means… my son has already become a high-ranked wizard…"

Leylin was inside the baron's study room, left with no choice but to retell the story in front of the baron and his master.

"Yes! He really is a wizard genius. I don't doubt his ability to become a legendary wizard at all! Who knew that I, Ernest, would be able to guide a legendary apprentice? The next time people see Leylin, they'll first think: Oh! So it's Leylin! The wizard that Ernest taught…"

Ernest was obviously immersed in his fantasies, while Baron Jonas was more practical.

"Good! I wouldn't feel at ease handing over our family's wizard tower anyone else anyway, so this is the best scenario…"

Leylin bowed. "Yes, father! However, please announce that you invited another high-ranked wizard to keep this secret. I would like to take this opportunity to help the family solve some issues at one go."

"Do as you please. I support you all the way!" Baron Jonas found that he had nothing to say to Leylin. From childhood, his son had never given him anything to worry about. Sometimes, he even wondered if this child of his was a genius or a freak.

"The port seems a lot more peaceful ever since the wizard tower began monitoring it…" Leylin sighed.

"That's normal with a wizard tower," Ernest rolled his shoulders back.

"I'm planning to leave for a period of time after this, I've handed most of the permissions of the wizard tower to master. There shouldn't be any problem with controlling it for now… We should also begin to take in wizard apprentices from our territory…" Leylin stated his thoughts.

With the wizard tower and a high-ranked wizard around, there would be no difficulty in nurturing apprentices by themselves. Even Ernest would be able to do this well.

"Don't worry. I discovered a few good seeds here, and only lacked resources and an environment to teach them…" Ernest's eyes showed how emotional he was. If a high-ranked wizard could improve by using the wizard tower, the benefits to a middle-ranked wizard like him would definitely be immense.

It could be said that the existence of the wizard tower made him believe he had the opportunity to become a high-ranked wizard in his lifetime!

"Mm. I've also left behind some foundational and high-ranked wizard information in the wizard tower's library. Master can take a look…" Be it Ernest's advancement or gaining a few wizard apprentices from their territory, everything would increase their strength. Leylin would be more than happy for all this to happen.

"Information on wizards…" Ernest's eyes brightened.

Meanwhile, Leylin was snickering inside. Though no wizard organisation would allow wizards who had studied with them to leak high-ranked information, wasn't Silverymoon City already destroyed? Well then...

Still, he kept back the information for legendary wizards. It would be far too shocking, and Leylin did not want to get too much attention.

"Alright! Do you want to solve the issues with the Barbarians? The devils and demons? The churches? Do you need any help?" Baron Jonas muttered.

Leylin thought about it for a while. He then leaned his head to the side as he spoke, "The pirates first, then!"

Legendary Item

The Barbarians had once been Leylin's ally. However, with the defeat of Marquis Louis, the relationship between them had gradually turned into a competition. Leylin had no guilt whatsoever of beating them. If they had a chance, he was sure that they would do everything in their power to destroy his own organisation.

This was the law on the outer seas. Cruelty and logic prevailed, not allowing for a whit of emotion.

"Mm, the Barbarians are a large issue. When the imperial navy still existed, they lay low for a period of time. Now, though, they're suddenly appearing and even attacking our commercial groups!"

Any huge merchant would hate these pirates to the bone. Only nobles could plunder, how dare those barbarians steal their things? Although there was a bias here, this was the general thought process.

"Don't worry, they won't be active for long!" Leylin promised.

...

"Good morning, Lord Wizard!"

In the blink of an eye, numerous days had passed. Within the wizard tower, a freckled girl saw Leylin approach and put down the book in her hands, shyly greeting him.

"Good morning! Your name is… Dylia, right? Work hard!"

Leylin answered without thought, and the girl instantly turned red, "Yes! I'll do that!"

Leylin was not surprised by her attitude. Her rough skin and hands full of calluses made it obvious that this apprentice was a commoner.

If not for Ernest finding her talent at wizardry by coincidence and Leylin just finishing his wizard tower, it was impossible for her to get here. However, with all these coincidences piling up, the girl's fate had changed.

She was destined to work the fields, marry someone, endure the rough treatment of her husband, and rack her brains over her children. However, now there was another possibility. She could become a wizard, serving a noble master and changing her fate! This hope alone was enough for commoners to fight hard for.

As he thought about this, Leylin placed the spellbook he had copied into the shelves, and then left the library.

The wizard tower had become more lively. After gaining permissions to a few laboratories and a pass to go around most areas, Ernest had moved in and brought five or six apprentices. The tower had been constructed like a fort, so it could guard two hundred people inside it for numerous years without much effort. It was completely possible for a few apprentices to live there, and even very comfortable.

Not bothering Ernest, who had become slightly deranged, Leylin came to the core smelting room at the upper levels.

"Tower genie, how's the progress with the items?" Leylin asked indifferently.

A projection of the tower genie's appearance formed, and it spoke to Leylin respectfully. "Master! The Red Dragon's Sword has already been completed. What's left is the last bits of processing and pyretic nourishment."

"Good!" Leylin nodded, lips curving at an angle. He'd evidently thought of Ernest's look when he gave him these legendary materials.

This was a dragon, a peak being in the World of Gods! Killing a legendary mature dragon required one to brave perilous dangers, and if not for the thousand elites and Tiff who was a legendary himself, it would've been basically impossible for Leylin to eliminate the red dragon. His life would probably have been lost as well.

Of course, once the dragon was successfully slain the profit was immense. Just the legendary materials from the red dragon was enough for any alchemic wizard to go green in envy.

"The Ring of Wizardry and a few other items before now give me very little benefits. I'll need to crush the Barbarians as well, and things might be troublesome if I don't have a few items I can use…"

Leylin came before a large petri dish, producing a red long sword from the silver solution. The slender blade of the sword emanated piercing light, and it had a beautiful arch. The hilt even had carvings of the red dragon. By design this was a sword for women, the draconic pride that was its motif causing a content smile to arise on Leylin's lips.

The A.I. Chip projected the related information to Leylin. [Item Name: Red Dragon Sword. Length: 91.5cm. Weight: 2512g. Materials: Red Dragon Bones, Dragon Scales, Refined Metal. Item Effects: 1. Armour Break. 2. Sharpness. 3. Fireball (3 uses a day) Description: This is a sword made with materials from a legendary red dragon. Based on the categorisation of this world, it has entered the ranks of legendary items! This item has a terrifying sharpness and ability to pierce through armour. In the face of this sword, most defences are frail. The blade also seems to have a mysterious magic that thirsts to drink the scalding blood of its enemies.]

'A legendary item? Not bad!' Leylin nodded and wiped the sword clean. He then sheathed it in the dragonscale scabbard. This was not for him, but a gift for someone else.

With Leylin's attainments as a grandmaster in alchemy in the Magus World, and mixed in with his skills of the World of Gods and the runes of the arcanists, there was no difficulty in creating legendary items.

'But it consumes so much magic… I can only complete it with the help of the wizard tower…' Leylin then headed to an area outside two glass rooms. Through the thick, reinforced crystal glass, he could see a dark red leather armour and a magic staff with a strange shape at the middle, enjoying the powerful force being channelled into them.

'The effects of fusing alchemical methods from the two worlds has quite good…' Leylin pondered over this once he witnessed the scene. If he were to do this based entirely on the methods in the World of Gods, creating a legendary item would require a lot of time. It would be astounding for him to make even one.

Now, however? The progress and innovation in production techniques was definitely a huge source of motivation for him. Leylin suddenly recalled something from his previous world and shook his head. Memories of that time were far too distant from him.

'Perhaps the techniques there aren't entirely useless. With my capabilities, I can begin to attempt fusing different laws together with various techniques. The antimatter experiment at the end would be very powerful even in the World of Gods…'

The A.I. Chip continued to twinkle, and the attributes of the two items were projected in front of Leylin.

[Item name: Dragon Armour (Incomplete) Weight: 1599 g. Materials used: Dragon Leather, Dragon Scales, Siren's Hair, Rainbow Feathers. Magic Effect: Can materialise Mage Armour II twice a day. Description: This is a powerful defensive armour. As the leather of a legendary dragon was used in its making, it is immune to most low-ranked spells. It can also adapt well to the spells of a wizard.]

Though a legendary red dragon had a lot of leather, not much of it was the true, essential portion. Leylin had extracted the best parts to make this legendary armour, and the rest of the leather could only be used to make regular exemplary items, even if their defence wouldn't be too bad.

Leylin then focused on the staff in the alchemy room, which had a strange structure. It had slender red scales on its body, and at the head was something similar to a dragon's claw that held onto a large red crystal. Within it was the faint image of a red dragon, roars still resounding.

[Item name: Snarling Red Dragon Staff (Incomplete) Rank: Legendary 1. Length: 91.5cm. Weight: 3500g. Materials: Dragon Crystal, Dragon Soul, Dragon Bones, Dragon Blood, Dragon Scales.] [Item Abilities: 1- Storage. This staff can store spell slots. Currently empty: Rank 7 (1), Rank 6 (3), Rank 5 (5) 2.Spell: Can materialise Dragon's Breath thrice a day. 3. Ability: Dragon Aura Domain. 4. Burning. By extracting the power of the dragon soul, one can create a single-use legendary spirit attack (This will harm the dragon soul).]

Description: This is a magic staff made entirely with materials from a legendary red dragon. Its creator has unreasonably confined the dragon's soul inside it, giving it unbelievable strength. However, this will lead to the hostility of the dragon race.]

It was evident that this Snarling Red Dragon Staff was the true star of the show. Many wizards would covet this legendary staff, but few would have the gall to use it. Even Leylin had made up his mind not to use it unless things were dire, and then he would silence those who saw it.

The dragon race in the World of Gods were quite powerful. Those ancient or primordial dragons were beings the gods themselves did not have the courage to provoke.

'The essence of a legendary dragon gave me the materials for three legendary items.' Leylin stroked his chin, 'This is a very high yield. Other alchemist grandmasters would not be able to do this, and even I feel quite emotional…'

'In addition… its bloodline seems to be quite useful…' Even Leylin had to admit that everything on the legendary dragon's body was a treasure. It was no wonder that they were coveted by all sorts of races.

"These two legendary items should be enough to allow me enter the realm of legendaries…" Leylin was rather satisfied with his work. "Once they're complete, I should head into the outer seas and settle debts with the Barbarians…"

Leylin's eyes suddenly glinted with a chilly look. He had plans for the outer seas, and it would be a great foundation to build on in his ascent to godhood. No outsiders could get a share of this!

Dragon Warlock

For many sailors, the deep sea regions were fearsome areas comparable to the abyss and the nine hells. In the darkness under the peaceful blue surface were numerous strange sea monsters, greedily staring up at the ships. Or rather, at the beings on the surface.

If a ship was destroyed and a sea monster were to be around, there was basically no chance of survival. For sailors, those who had conquered the deep seas were the truly strong, worthy of reverence.

Night deepened, and the gloomy surface of the sea was like a terrifying monster opening its mouth, waiting for its chance to devour everything. Its peace was broken by a tremendous pirate fleet, cruising along with the might of a conqueror.

On the largest magically armoured ship was a crimson flag. The flag seemed to be dyed by blood, and had the symbol of a skull and dagger on it. In the Dambrath outer seas, this was a terrifying legend!

The Scarlet Tigers! They had wiped out the original Tigershark Pirates and Black Skeletons, and were a large-scaled pirate group that had taken over the outer seas.

It was rumoured that the leader of the Scarlet Tigers, the Scarlet Witch, was a demon of the abyss. She bathed in the fresh blood of the living, using their pumping hearts to maintain her strength and beauty. At this point, the Scarlet Witch's name had even reached the mainland, terrifying little kids into tears at night.

This Scarlet Witch whose fearful name had spread far and wide was currently on deck, looking into the distance with a look of anticipation in her eyes.

"Long time no see, Cousin Isabel!" A dark figure descended from the skies like a night hawk, bringing with him furious winds.

Leylin observed his cousin, who seemed to have changed a lot yet not at all. She greeted him with a smile.

"So you only remember me now? It's been four years. Four whole years!" Isabel exclaimed maliciously, though her eyes seemed to be glimmering.

Afterwards, she yelled at the pirates who had been alerted, "What did you come out for? This isn't an invasion. Get back, or I'll hang you on the flagpole tomorrow for three whole days and then cut off your dick to go with some alcohol!"

It was evident that Isabel held high prestige here. After the roaring came the sounds of doors and windows closing.

"Hehe… you haven't changed at all." Leylin rubbed his nose and laughed. Isabel was still the same as she had been years before, though her long golden hair become much shorter, and she was specifically hiding an area on her forehead.

"My lord!" "My lord!" A few other leaders rushed to the deck, looking emotional.

"Mm. Karen, Robin Hood, Ronald! Have you all been well?" Leylin called them by name, one by one.

"Gods, everything is going well!" Robin Hood had been a soldier of Leylin's family, and was the first to speak.

"Good! Let us have a meeting after this."

Isabel rudely sent the other leaders away and stared at Leylin, causing some fear. "Where's my gift?"

"This?" Leylin laughed wryly and produced the Red Dragon Sword. "I think it suits you well. I already told you when we talked…"

*Rumble!* Isabel didn't even listen till the end. The moment she saw the dragonscale scabbard, her eyes twinkled with a wondrous look. She was almost barbaric as she snatched the sword from Leylin's hands before moving back.

*Roar!* A slight draconic aura burst out, accompanied with the enraged howls and roars of a dragon. Red light flashed on the blade, bringing with it traces of flames.

"Legendary! A legendary item that has even gone through an excellent enchantment!" Isabel had been a pirate for many years, and her judgement was much better than before. She saw through it instantly.

"What do you think? Do you like it?" Leylin asked.

"It's mine!" This question didn't need answering. Just Isabel's expression alone was enough.

"Mm, it's good that you like it. Also, we have some things to discuss. Shall we go to your room?" Leylin suggested, and he saw the flush that rose on her face. He could not help but rub his nose awkwardly, feeling like he had been impudent.

However, Isabel still did as Leylin wished and brought him to her bedroom. The pink curtains, the canopy, the crimson carpet, and works of art with varying styles mixed together to form a unique look. These were all the treasures that Isabel had stolen.

A pungent incense entered Leylin's nostrils, concealing the smell of the sea. Females were obviously more attentive than males.

"Actually, I've come prepared to solve the issues with the Barbarians in one go. Odge and Tillen seem to be stepping out of line lately…" Leylin's eyes were trained on Isabel, "But by the looks of it, there's something more important that we have to deal with now."

He went forward, lightly pushing away her fringe. A few strange scales had already appeared at the edge of the girl's fair forehead.

"Has the demonification already come that far?" Leylin frowned slightly.

"Don't worry about it. I'm actually feeling the summons from the abyss even more. Who knows, I might just fall at any moment…" Isabel had a resolute look on her face.

"Mm, I feel that as well. But this doesn't seem difficult to solve!" Leylin stroked his chins, and saw the hope in her eyes.

"Well, do you trust me?" Leylin sincerely looked into her eyes.

"Who if not you?" Isabel lowered her head.

"Good!" With a flick of Leylin's finger, a barrier silently appeared. "I need you to cooperate with me fully and do as I tell you to, alright?" he instructed her carefully, a test tube containing golden-red blood appearing in his hands.

"Mm!" Isabel nodded her head slightly, suddenly blushing a little.

...

The morning sun rose from the east, shining golden ripples looking like fish scales on the sea's surface.

"How do you feel?" Leylin looked to be slightly tired, though his eyes were still bright.

"I feel… better than I ever have before!" Isabel touched her forehead. The scales had disappeared, and her original short golden hair had turned a dark red like fire.

"Thankfully, you didn't choose to sell your soul and were only corrupted by the demonification. That can be concealed and neutralised with a more powerful bloodline…" Leylin evaluated.

"I never thought you could even transform people into sorcerers!" Isabel looked towards Leylin, as if remembering something embarrassing from the night before, and lowered his head. In front of her cousin, she truly no longer had any secrets.

"Not a sorcerer, but a Warlock! A Dragon Warlock!" Leylin corrected her.

"Warlock?!" Isabel tested out this word, "I've never heard of it before…"

"I've combined the legendary red dragon's blood with your body. From hereon, you will control the power of the red dragon, and can even awaken magic abilities!" Leylin had no plans to explain further and handed a meditation technique to Isabel. "You can try training in this 'Dragon King's Mystic Might' in the future. It will do you good…"

"Dragon King's Mystic Might? Do sorcerers— no, Warlocks need to train?" Isabel expressed her confusion.

"Of course!" Leylin nodded sternly.

This Dragon King's Mystic Might was obviously not the high-grade meditation technique Leylin had gained in Twilight Zone. It was one he'd refined with that as a foundation. Leylin had actually found information on it from the ruins of the arcanist, and with the A.I. Chip's help integrated the two.

It could be said that with the meditation technique and bloodline modification, Isabel now had the potential to surpass sorcerers! In addition, the blood of the legendary red dragon would be enough to suppress the demonification for a long time.

"Alright! Let's go meet your cute underlings!" Leylin got up to leave, and Isabel followed closely behind. For high-ranked Professionals like them, a night without rest was no issue at all.

Pulling the door open, they arrived at the deck and saw the dubious smiles on the faces of Robin Hood, Karen and the others. Evidently, news of Leylin spending a night in her room had spread and given rise to some associations.

Unexpectedly, Isabel had not gotten mad but instead rejoiced inside. However, she still glared at them icily.

"Alright! There's a lot to do, so let's discuss it over breakfast!" Leylin had long since passed the age of caring about this, and waved his arms with vigour, bringing everyone to the dining room.

Making use of this opportunity, he got more familiar with the leaders under Isabel. He knew some of them very well, but was complete strangers with some others. They must have joined some time after he left.

"We've been developing well in these few years, especially after the imperial navy left. There are no opposing organisations left in the outer seas…" Isabel spoke with pride, "We now have twenty large warships with over 1500 men…"

"Mm, you did very well!" Leylin listened closely and got a better understanding of the recent growth of the Scarlet Tigers, "How about the Barbarians?"

At the mention of this, Isabel immediately turned grim.

Conspiracy

"Those darned barbarians are the only forces with the guts to oppose us. Half a month ago, they even launched a surprise attack on one of our fleets and sunk three of our pirate ships…" Isabel looked glum, "Also, they even control Pirates' Cove. We're barred entry!

"That's not all. I have a feeling that they have something to do with the cause of turmoil in the outer seas recently. I mean the power of the abyss and hell, as well as the church of the God of Murder…" The half-drow assassin, Karen, supplied.

The female assassin had hidden her aura and would now be a Professional of at least rank 10. Now, she was impatient to show off in front of Leylin. This was obviously inappropriate, and under Isabel's gaze Karen quickly fell back.

"Interesting… Interesting…" Leylin sat upright. His devilish ability to grasp the hearts of others allowed him to understand his underlings' state of mind easily.

'Karen… She was discriminated against because of her background and prior relations with me. What is she trying to show me? That's not all… I have a feeling that she's hiding something. This anxiety… is her race trying to rely on me for protection…?'

Leylin sent her a cursory glance, but this only made the half-drow nervous.

"My– My apologies, master!" The half-drow apologised miserably, tears almost flowing from her eyes. Leylin's nonchalant gaze seemed to look straight into her heart, causing her little schemes and calculations to disappear.

The half-drow suddenly had a thought, 'Perhaps even the matriarchs in the Underdark don't have such terrifying gazes…'

"Isabel is the person I've assigned power. Before she gives permission, none of you are to speak out. Is that understood?" Leylin's voice was low, "If this happens again…"

"No, I swear! I promise that there will never be another time!" Karen immediately knelt down, kissing the back of Isabel's hand. "Please forgive me…"

"Forget it." Isabel nodded. Leylin's attitude satisfied her, and that was enough.

There had been a slight mishap with the female assassin, but after that the scope of the discussion returned to the Barbarians.

...

Pirates' Cove.

Though the imperial navy had tried to wipe out this place several times, Pirates' Cove still showed no signs of weakening.

Due to the Faulen Family quickly taking over trade of the Baltic Archipelago, the original golden shipping routes had not been abandoned. There were still merchant ships with all sorts of wealth on them travelling here, and the environment after the chaos of war made this a playground for pirates. Pirates' Cove even showed signs of gaining more prosperity.

In a secret room in the barbarian inn. The Barbarians' leader, Odge, was seated imposingly with the eternally beautiful Madam Tillen at his side. Now, however, her eyes were wary, and the fox tail at her back had been tucked in. Her fur stood on end, as if she was on her guard against some terrifying enemy.

Facing these two was a young noble with a head of black hair wearing gentlemanly attire.

"Well then… are the two of you interested in my proposition?" The young noble had a kind smile on his face, the manners showing his noble education. It felt refreshing, but Madam Tillen did not seem to be at ease.

This was because the youth in front of her was a devil! Compared to those evil beasts that specialised in seducing human souls and leading to their fall, the barbarians and goblins were great people.

To Madam Tillen's knowledge, devils were always the synonyms of swindling and craftiness. This made her even more vigilant. The young noble in front of her did not seem to notice her fluctuating thoughts, and still continued on cooly, "Based on what I know, the genius wizard and successor of the Faulen Islands, Leylin Faulen, has returned. He also seems to have roped in some external support and activated their wizard tower, making Faulen Island a natural stronghold…"

A port with a wizard tower guarding it was entirely different from one without. Even Odge began to look grim. Leylin had become a high-ranked wizard in the Netheril Ruins, and had met with the chaos of war with the orcs. There was no way to determine his ranking. Naturally, this news did not spread.

"Leylin…?" Madam Tillen suddenly thought back to that little imp that had repeatedly caused her trouble, and could not help but tighten her grip.

He was like the devil in front of her, they were all very elegant and slippery characters. When it came to their own profits, they would never budge.

'No… Leylin Faulen, the heir of the Baron, seems to be more terrifying than this devil…' This thought suddenly rose in Tillens mind. This was a woman's intuition. There was no reason at all, and she frowned.

"Not only does he have large armed fleets, he also has help from the pirates. On top of that, with the Faulen Family's current status, they obviously would wish to attack the pirates in the outer seas to ensure that trade routes and trading remain unimpeded. Hence, you shall be their first target. You need my strength!"

The young devil spoke slowly, traces of darkness flashing in his eyes. Meanwhile, he was also astonished at the pressure the return of this noble caused to these two. It was above his expectations.

"Your name." At this moment, Odge suddenly rose from his seated position and watched this devil from above.

"Neville! You can call me Neville. I would be happy to serve you…"

The devil named Neville had a sincere smile on his face. Behind his handsome features that could cause young noble ladies to go crazy Madam Tillen saw a poisonous snake. She could not help but shiver.

Blood-red flames rose, and the young devil bowed elegantly, disappearing with the teleportation flames. After determining that he had left, Madam Tillen set up an isolation spell formation.

"I think… We shouldn't work together with devils. You know how they are…" Madam Tillen had a worried look, expressed with her eyebrows.

"We have no choice! Leylin's faction is too powerful. We can't go against them." Odge spoke seriously, resulting in a wry look on Madam Tillen's face. When it came to the strength of pirates, the Barbarians had no fear regardless of how the Scarlet Tigers emerged as a force to be reckoned with.

However, the Faulen Family was not just about the pirates! With their trade control and immense wealth, they'd rapidly set up terrifying armed fleets surpassing even Louis' old ones. They were nobles, and in the name of protecting the shipping routes Leylin could openly expand his forces without restriction. Soon, it would surpass what Pirates' Cove could control.

In the face of the purge on the surface and in the shadows, the Barbarians' might in the outer seas had already begun to plunge. While it wasn't a devastating decline, it wasn't anything good.

At the very least, mobilising another Pirates' Tide was impossible.

"The benefits of the Barbarians in the outer seas are never to be seized by outsiders. Never!" Odge thundered, his gigantic enchanted sabre seeming to sense its owner's feelings and beginning to buzz along.

Odge was not just the captain of the Barbarians. He was also the protector of the barbarian race! The entire barbarian race relied on his protection to survive, which was why he would not fall back now.

"Dearest! I will help you. Even if it will send me down to hell, I'll go there with you." Madam Tillen had a tender look in her eyes as she hugged Odge's arm.

...

Just as the scene was beginning to get comfortable and soft, Madam Tillen's body suddenly trembled, rays of high-ranked communication spells shining.

"There's another guest! It's a priest from the God of Murder's church!" She quickly rubbed eyes.

"Let him in." Odge was blunt.

Soon enough, they saw the emissary. He was an old friend, the priest Leylin had seen in the Thieves' Guild.

"I've brought the newest information regarding that devil!" It had to be said that when it came to scouting out information, the bunch of people under Cyric had exceptional talent.

"Speak!" Madam Tillen's expression was icy.

"While we aren't sure what their main body is, we can be certain that Neville comes from an organisation in the third hell…" The priest spoke slowly.

"The third hell? Is he the underling of the master of greed, Mammon?" She looked to be deep in thought. Mammon, or whatever it was, wasn't the devil's real name. It was only something similar to a nickname, and calling it would not alert him in any way.

"Yes! The continent has been noisy lately. The devils in the Dambrath Kingdom seem to have gone through some reshuffling of power, and it's said that this has to do with the disappearance of Beelzebub…"

The church of the God of Murder seemed to have worked with the Barbarians more than once, to the point that they even shared such classified information.

"Also… We are working hard on making inquiries regarding the location of the Scarlet Tiger and where they get their supplies. I'm sure that there will be results in the near future! Under the gaze of my god, everything they do is clear as day!"

The priest's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked a little sinister. This quickly dissipated.

"Sigh… Even the God of Murder can't be trusted…" After the priest left, Madam Tillen lamented, looking worried.

"Could it be that powerful greater gods have fallen to the lower planes like in the rumours… This is truly a period of great unrest…"

Emissary

Cyric was an ancient and very famous god. His divinities were in murder and conspiracy, and he was a powerful greater god. He was an ancient god that had even outlived the dusk of the gods! It was said that he knew numerous ancient stories, and had an undefined relationship with the gods, though it was one more of hate.

However, there was a strange rumour in the past few hundred years. It was that this god had gone insane, and was even becoming a demon. This deviancy could be like a matter of life and death for the gods.

Such a situation was growing more and more obvious in recent times. He was sending down all sorts of contradictory prophecies, and the priests could not get used to it.

"Sigh… the God of Murder has gone insane! The orcs in the north are building an empire, and there are traces of devils and demons in Dambrath and on the outer seas… Perhaps only the dark ages are comparable to this…" Madam Tillen sighed.

...

"I see a future with devils and demons around…" On the Scarlet Tiger, Leylin observed a crystal ball on soft goose leather padding. He was in a dark cabin, and there was a complicated look in his eyes.

Using the power of magic to foresee the future was something only astrologers and oracles could do. They had their own methods— Some used tarot cards, while others used the trajectories of celestial bodies.

Arcanists had a similar skill, and with his experience in the Magus World Leylin could do so as well.

"The opponent's main forces should be in Pirates' Cove. We will obtain absolute victory in this operation, and we'll find traces of a devil there…" Leylin put the crystal ball down and used a white silk cloth to wipe at his hands, speaking with conviction..

"I think there's something wrong with you…" Isabel was reclined on the door, looking like a loyal bodyguard, her eyes now filled with curiosity, "I don't remember you training in prophecies. Also, the oracles don't do as you do…"

"Hehe… This is a method I saw in Silverymoon. Don't think too much into it…" Leylin laughed slightly. While the fact that he had become a high-ranked wizard was a secret, he had already told Isabel about it, giving her confidence.

Marquis Louis had been able to do as he wished in the outer seas with just the power of a high-ranked wizard as well. He had also absorbed the Black Skeletons and Tigershark Pirates, pushing the Barbarians to the brink. If not for Leylin's appearance, he would probably have become the sole tyrant of the outer seas.

"But things are different now! The disaster of the Pirates' Tide has attracted the attention of too many powerful beings…" Leylin sighed. The outer seas had not been developed that much in the past, and the terrain and organisations were very simple. A barbarian tribe was already terrific then.

However, in current terms, they were nothing. This was why Leylin was a little uneasy, attempting to predict the future.

While the World of Gods' ability to screen this type of spells was too powerful, gods and legendary beings could do this easily. Leylin did not believe that the Barbarians could do the same.

"That's good then…" Isabel was all smiles as she spoke, before her expression abruptly changed.

*Rumble!* *Kachak!* A slight noise sounded, along with voices of the pirates' distress.

"Seems like they found something on the deck… Let's go…" Leylin smiled as he followed Isabel to the deck. At this moment, the pirates were circled around two figures.

One of the two was Karen, while the other was an assassin dressed in black form-fitting clothing. Sharp blades clashed endlessly, and the winds they produced left the pirates with no courage to go forward.

"Karen, stop playing around!" Leylin tapped his finger, and a terrifying cone of flames blasted forward, accurately hitting one of the figures. The raging flames immediately devoured it.

"That was just a puppet," Leylin look towards the mast, "Is that right?"

"Hoo hoo! As expected of the one who established the Scarlet Tigers and defeated Marquis Louis, Sire Leylin!" Laughter that sounded like an owl could suddenly be heard, and a distortion emerged from the side of the mast to form a human figure.

"We meet again, Lord Leylin! Let me introduce myself. This humble servant is Arfo, a priest of the mighty God of Murder. We met once at Pirates' Cove!"

Arfo was currently dressed impeccably like a priest. It was unknown when he had arrived on Leylin's ship.

"How dare you!" Karen had noticed that the figure in the flames had disappeared, revealing the original appearance of a high-ranked illusion and turned grim.

"Wait!" Just as Karen was about to charge forth, Isabel beamed as she pulled her back.

"You must be very gutsy, huh? How dare you pleay tricks on my people?" Isabel stared at Arfo, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"The great name of the Scarlet Witch has spread in the open seas. I never thought it would be such a beautiful lady," Arfo looked to be somewhat intoxicated.

"Good, good!" Isabel took two steps forward, a smile on her face. All of a sudden, she made her move. The Red Dragon Sword was instantly unsheathed, and faint draconic roars sounded out.

A tremendous spiritual force field extended and caused all the pirates to back off, while the priest looked alarmed, "Dragon aura!"

The fiery-red sword produced a clear cry, flames spilling over in the air.

*Hss!* The priest took several steps backwards, looking terrified at the charred marks on his wrist.

"Karen is one of mine. It's not up to you to bully her!" Isabel looked to have no intentions to kill him and slowly sheathed her sword with a snort. This immediately gave rise to gratitude in Karen's eyes, as well as some shame.

"I never thought the Scarlet Witch wasn't a demon sorcerer. You're someone who inherited the blood of bloodline of a red dragon, and even have a legendary item!!" Arfo looked somewhat awkward while pondering over this.

Such a huge difference caused him to flare up at the thieves that had collected this information,

'While there's a similarity between demonification and becoming a red dragon, it shouldn't be to this extent. They should be killed!' Just a slight deviation or mistake in intel could cause irreversible consequences. Such a huge change immediately put Arfo on his guard.

"Who do you represent?" Leylin asked while snickering inside. Using Isabel's status as a Dragon Warlock to hide her demonification had also been one of his plans. After all, red dragon sorcerers also had the ability to manipulate flames and grow scales. This would be enough to confuse people.

Demons were beings the churches would always crack down on ruthlessly. It was better not to have dealings with them. Sorcerers, on the other hand, were fine. Most importantly, Leylin had not explained anything himself. Everything had been assumed.

"I come representing the will of my god!" Arfo looked serious as he spoke.

"Do you have a prophecy from the mighty God of Murder?" Leylin looked at him, a teasing glint in his eyes. However, that only scared Arfo.

"N– No, but our bishop has recieved intent from my god!" When it came to his faith, Arfo naturally did not dare lie as he recalled the order he had received.

'Have the outer seas descend into chaos? Just for a massacre, you provoke the two largest pirate groups? What kind of joke is this? Damn it… Ever since the bishop received god's grace, he's become more irritable and crazy…' However, as a subordinate, he had no right to make any suggestions and could only carry out the orders of his superior.

"Since it's the intention of the church, let's have a listen shall we?" Leylin brought Arfo to a meeting room. The pirates automatically stood at two sides, eyes trained on Arfo. It was as if the moment Leylin gave the order, they would chop him into mincemeat, and that gave him immense pressure.

"Well then, emissary, what are your suggestions?"

"The dark world of the outer seas needs to be unified. We believe that the Scarlet Tigers are more suitable for this than the Barbarians." Arfo did his best to suppress the fluctuations in his heart, saying words he did not mean. Wizards could easily detect any changes in mind or mood, and he would be seen through.

"… To show our sincerity, we are willing to provide intel regarding the Barbarians and help you achieve victory…" Arfo placed a sheepskin scroll on the table as he spoke.

"Oh?!" Leylin found this hilarious as he took a look. This was an exquisite map of the sea, marking out the location where the Barbarians resupplied. One large island had obvious blood-red marks.

"These are the areas where the Barbarians resupply. The last mark is where the barbarian tribe resides." Arfo glanced at Leylin and spoke with confidence.

"The island where the barbarian tribe stays?" Isabel gasped, "Are you trying to create a lasting enmity with the Barbarians?"

"Since you're already enemies, why not take it to the extreme?" Arfo spread his arms like a scoundrel.

"Haha… haha…" After a long period of silence, all he was met with was Leylin's crazed laughter, "You said it well. You said it well! Since we're already enemies, how about we take it to the extreme?"

Just as a smile bloomed on Afro's face, something happened…