Legend
"Understood. I'll have it done immediately!" Xena lowered her head to show respect, while she sighed on the inside. 'They've even sent this lord over. Looks like the church thinks very highly of Baron Leylin…'
She could tell the favour the church had for this baron. After all, he'd created two great sources of revenue and improved their methods of detecting demons and devils. She hadn't had much hope with her proposal, but the fact that they'd immediately sent over the legendary Spear Crusader showed his value!
'It's not just his talent, but also the possibility of him becoming a legendary.' Only a future legendary was worthy of the church's investment. Thinking of this, Xena couldn't help but envy Leylin.
"I heard that he's created many magic items to detect devils, and even our church can't make sense of them. That wizard has left us all pleasant surprised…" While he was annoyed at being dispatched so urgently to deal with an ordinary human, Jeffries was rather curious about this young wizard.
"He's really a rather interesting person…" Xena could only continue speaking as Jeffries asked questions, but she soon discovered a strange expression on his face.
"What's wrong, my lord?"
"These undulations? Perhaps…" Jeffries stared at the hill outside Port Venus, focusing on the wizard tower that stood tall and grim.
"Where is this Leylin right now?" he suddenly asked.
"He's inside the tower. I heard he's been conducting some important research. This child really doesn't know his priorities…" Xena spoke without thinking.
After which, she was stunned to find that Jeffries was hurrying towards the tower, "Wa- Wait! My lord, are you planning to meet the wizard right now? At the very least, you should…"
Jeffries seemed to have no plans of listening to her. He only proceeded forward, looking to be in disbelief.
"His expression… Did something happen at the wizard tower?" Xena seemed confused, and she glanced at the tower in the distance.
...
At this very moment, Leylin was indeed experiencing a transformation within the wizard tower.
Normal Professionals on the continent entered the legendary realm at rank 21. This involved a refining of strength, and it was as difficult as it was for rank 3 Magi to advance to Morning Star. It was a sort of qualitative change, an upgrade to the very soul.
Having experienced this once before, and with Soros' own experiences of advancing this stage wouldn't pose any difficulty to him. The A.I. Chip was working furiously, and large amounts of data flashed by Leylin's eyes to form a few prompts.
[Beep! Arcane spell network construct completed. Host's internal cyclic foundation constructed.] [Beep! Host's spiritual force has reached the limit, breaking through and solidifying. Host is advancing to the legendary realm!]
At this moment, Leylin felt his soul and the Weave growing chaotic. It felt as if his soul was being attacked by the Weave.
'If I was an ordinary wizard, it would be exceedingly difficult for me to advance under such circumstances. Thankfully, I have long since become an arcanist, so my relationship with the Weave isn't as close as it was before…' Leylin manipulated his spiritual force with his powerful will, allowing everything to progress steadily.
Finally, under immense pressure from the outside world, the misty spiritual force in his sea of consciousness abruptly gathered at the centre, forming a rainbow-coloured crystal. It felt as if some invisible bottleneck had exploded, and Leylin's entire soul seemed to be soaked in a hot spring. It left him feeling very comfortable.
[Beep! Host's spiritual force has experienced a qualitative change. Spirit +1.] The A.I. Chip prompted.
[Host has advanced to rank 21 and has become a legendary.] A huge shock seemed to impact Leylin's very soul, to the point that he grew slightly absent-minded.
[Beep! Host has become a legendary arcanist, and has broken through the outer Weave. Contact with the inner Weave initiated.]
Leylin's spiritual force broke through some restraints at that moment, moving past the surface levels of the Weave into a deeper domain.
"Is this… the inner Weave?" From his broad perspective, Leylin could see that the Weave was a network that surrounded the World of Gods. It had layers like an electrical network, and he'd gotten access to a golden network within.
This was a channel for divine spells, numerous instances of which descended from their respective divine realms like stars. They were sent down in exchange for faith.
'With control over the inner Weave, the gods treat it as a channel for divine spells?' Leylin immediately thought back to the arcanist records, 'Some arcanists who break through the restrictions of the Weave attempted to steal divine spell slots from priests. This remote power system, the profaning of priests. While this caused discontent and a death sentence from the gods and churches, arcanists were poorly regarded to begin with. One more issue meant nothing…'
The benefits of breaking past the outer Weave weren't limited to being able to observe and channel divine spells. Leylin could now cast legendary spells.
Leylin was already as strong as the legendary arcanists of the Netheril Empire. Once he grew familiar with and recorded down the legendary arcane spells he had, even gods' avatars wouldn't be able to frighten him.
The A.I. Chip continued to flash it's prompts..
[Beep! Advancing to the legendary realm has strengthened feats. Sturdy has become Legendary Sturdiness. Erudite has become Scholarly.] [Beep! Host has obtained legendary specialty: Origin Force Detection, replacing Arcane Energy Detection.]
More information about the feats and specialty was shown below.
[Legendary Sturdiness: Rigorous tempering and advancement has rendered your body comparable to that of a legendary beast. Regeneration has been strengthened.] [Scholarly: Having accumulated a tremendous amount of knowledge, including many secret inheritances, you have explored many of the secrets of the World of Gods. Appraisal has reached the maximum level, allowing you to appraise any material from the World of Gods.] [Origin Force Detection: Legendary arcanists were not satisfied with casting spells using elemental energy. They set their sights on the deeper secrets of the world, discovering the existence of the world origin force. They named it origin energy and tried to control it, engendering the ire of the gods with their deep research.]
"Origin Force Detection? Making use of the origin force? This is something only beings who have comprehended laws can do…" Leylin sensed the majestic origin force sea of the World of Gods, feeling slightly disconcerted.
The Magus World only gave him an opportunity to absorb origin force once every century as a near rank 7. And this was after he made a compromise with other beings of laws. It was evident how precious world origin force was. No wonder the gods eliminated the arcanists, they were trying to steal their 'meat'.
"Even if I can use it, I definitely can't make it obvious, or the gods won't let me off…" A legendary wizard with research into arcane spells wasn't much. However, one who could make use of the world origin force would definitely force the gods to act and crush him.
Leylin felt that there was an increasing number of secrets he possessed. Revealing any one of them would leave him consigned to eternal damnation.
"In any case, I already have a lot to worry about. What's one more? Let it be!" Leylin easily come to terms with this.
[Beep! Host's stats have been refreshed. Stat box refreshing.]
The A.I. Chip projected a 3D image of Leylin, the numbers having gone through some changes.
[Leylin Faulen. Race: Human, Legendary Rank 21 Arcanist. Strength: 15. Agility: 15. Vitality: 15. Spirit: 21. Arcane Energy: 210 Status: Healthy. Feats: Legendary Sturdiness, Scholarly, Intermediate Perfect Body, Dreamscape Vision. Specialties: Origin Force Detection, Arcane Amplification, Illusions.] [Analysis of Weave: Level 0 at 100%, Level 1 at 100%, Level 2 at 100%, Level 3 at 100%, Level 4 at 100%, Level 5 at 100%, Level 6 at 97.83%, Level 7 at 66.56%. Level 8 at 34.55%.] [Spell slots possessed: Rank 9 (3), Rank 8 (5), rank 7 (7), rank 6 (???), rank 5(???), rank 4 (???), rank 3 (???), rank 2 (???), rank 1 (???), rank 0 (???)]
"Hah… It's been over twenty years since my soul split and entered the World of Gods. Am I finally at the peak of the mortal world?" Sensing the boundless strength within his body, Leylin sighed in relief.
He had finally reached the domain of a legendary! This was not just the peak strength that a mortal could achieve, but the beginning of an exemplary road!
In order to digest divinity, ignite godfire, and become a god, being a legendary was a definite prerequisite.
In addition, after becoming a legendary, the chance of dying was small as long as he was not too reckless, since the gods could not send their main bodies down.
Now that his safety was covered, Leylin focused on something else.
"Now, I need to obtain as much divinity as possible and digest it, and then ignite my godfire before becoming a god. I'll then get my main body to descend… Yes! Only about a year is left till the floating city appears. I could try to obtain it…"
Leylin's movements were never hindered by anything. What he pursued was only truth and eternity! Everything else was like passing clouds to him.
Great Waves
"I already contacted him via magic. He should come out immediately…" Xena stood behind Jeffries, looking puzzled, "With my lord's status, is there a need to stand on ceremony?"
However, Jeffries had no intentions of explaining himself. On the contrary, he stood even taller, like a pike that could pierce through the heavens, eyes fixed on the main entrance of the wizard tower.
"He's here!" Jeffries exclaimed softly.
*Rumble!* The main entrance opened to reveal Leylin, looking apologetic in his golden-purple wizard robes, "I never thought Lord Jeffries would come himself…"
'Hmm? Why does it feel like Leylin has changed…' Xena sized up the young wizard in front of her, bewildered. While he looked just as young and handsome as before, she had a feeling that he had undergone a huge transformation.
'It's his aura! He's giving me the feeling of being on equal terms with Lord Jeffries… How is that possible, when Jeffries is a legendary? Oh!' Xena seemed to think of something, and then vigorously shook her head, as if trying to shake the thought out of her mind. 'What am I thinking? How is this possible?'
"Indeed, my Lord. You have entered the realm of legendary." The moment Jeffries said this, the entire group broke out in a ruckus.
'So… So he's really entered the legendary realm. How long has it been since we last met?' Xena covered her little mouth, looking stunned. She wasn't the only one to forget herself in the moment, the others began to create a disturbance as well.
This was a legendary wizard! The Faulen Family would now shake the outer seas!
Legendaries held peak strength in the World of Gods. They could influence the change of rulership, and were even more important to a kingdom than the king. A kingdom without protection from a legendary could not last long.
"Although I did sense the energy from your breakthrough, I never thought it would be you. Your age, it's…" Jeffries smiled wryly, "… Actually, even us old folks find it hard to believe…"
"Age!" It was only at this moment that Xena and the others reacted, "Right, Lord Leylin is not even 25 yet! Gods! A 25 year-old legendary, and a wizard at that! It's the hardest profession to advance in!"
There was too much shocking news, and the entire area turned mute, as if everyone had been shocked stupid by Leylin's miracle.
"Heavens… Gods… this…" Xena now had no idea how to describe Leylin's aptitude, 'I'm very sure that he must be some miracle in the wizarding world! He'll definitely be written down in the records for eternity, and his achievements will be narrated to our later generations…'
"I was just lucky!" Leylin had a good-natured smile on his face. Whatever it was, since the Goddess of Wealth dispatched a legendary to protect him, he definitely had sensed their goodwill.
"Come, let's go in and discuss this further!" Leylin seemed to only have Jeffries in his sights.
"Let's go!" Jeffries appeared amiable to someone of similar rank, and Xena and the rest only found this natural. A legendary would only take another of the same level seriously. Similar strength was the prerequisite to associating with one another, this was the law everywhere!
...
The God of Murder's church.
An old bishop was reading the information in his hand as he muttered to himself, "Legendary might and also a secret trump card that can kill other legendaries… seems like the rise of the Faulen Family in the outer seas can no longer be stopped…
"Make it known that our men have to be very cautious while investigating! Try not to be discovered by him!"
"Understood, Lord Bishop!" A black-robed priest quickly bowed and left, knowing that they would give up their plans of revenge for now.
There weren't all that many legendaries even in Cyric's church. The fall of Soros had already dealt them a huge blow, and before knowing what Leylin had up his sleeve it was not a good idea to take such a risk.
The God of Murder never cared about honour anyway, and he was the best at conspiracies. With enough time, they could definitely bribe someone and break in, finding out all the secrets of this young legendary wizard!
...
Within the Dambrath Kingdom. The aging king had abandoned his afternoon entertainment for a report from a trusted aide.
Hearing what was said, the king went silent for a long while before speaking in a low voice, "So that wizard has already become a legendary?"
"Yes, your majesty! Lord Jeffries of the church of wealth has proof of it." The person speaking was the king's trusted aide, as well as the leader of the court wizards.
There was a tartness in this silver-eyed wizard's smile. He was only a high-ranked wizard himself, and Leylin advancing at such a young age was a huge blow for him.
"You're a wizard yourself. You should know this best, speak without reservations and I'll trust in you." The king rubbed his temples in distress, and then waved his arms.
"Understood, Your Majesty!" The high-ranked wizard thought for a while, and then spoke, "Legendary strength is the peak in the secular world. It can even…"
"I know, I know. Get to the point," The king answered in annoyance.
"Alright!" The high-ranked wizard took a deep breath.
"Our first priority should be to avoid angering him. Thankfully, our information shows that he has good intentions towards us. He is a court wizard himself, and that status is something Your Majesty granted him… I believe we can also do what Marquis Gold Thornblossom proposed… Actually, a legendary wizard in our kingdom will surely be helpful in our diplomacy…"
"Granting a title?" The king took a deep breath and made his decision, "Then let's do that. Take care of it for me!"
...
In a city near the north, the God of Justice's church. A slender knight was piously praying to a god's statue.
Divine force that was bright and full of righteousness rippled about her body, causing the young female knight's face to glow.
At this moment, a benevolent old priest walked over, "Rafiniya, the church has a mission for you to complete!"
"Grandma Maria!" Rafiniya immediately helped this priest who was so old she would pant with a few steps, "I am also a member of this church. On top of that, you saved my life. If there's anything I can do, please tell me!"
"Good…" Maria gave a summary of what had happened at Faulen Island, and then said, "The church wants you to be the envoy. After all, you are friends with him…"
"Leylin? I'll need to think about it…" Rafiniya bit at her lips.
After the priest left, the image of the young wizard appeared before Rafiniya's eyes, and all that she had experienced with him appeared vividly in her mind. Sulking after her attempt to get Leylin to help Silverymoon had failed, she'd headed to the battlefield on her own, arriving at the broken city.
Gravely injured in the war, she was saved by the paladins of the God of Justice and accepted their call. She grew faith in the God of Justice, and joined Tyr's church. Perhaps from the attraction from her very nature, she improved very quickly and was now already a formal paladin!
With her training going well, she'd assumed her past was no longer important. Yet, such a thing was happening now.
"You… You've already become a legendary?" Rafiniya muttered to herself, and then recalled the hot-blooded knights that had backed her up at Silverymoon. Their bones had all turned into ash.
"Those that chose to help are mostly dead, while you who chose rationale became a legendary. Are you trying to mock me?" Rafiniya suddenly began to chuckle, the glimmering rays on her body now more distorted than ever.
"God! Please forgive me for my lack of resolution before. I promise to stand by justice, and even death will not make me feel fear!" Rafiniya immediately knelt by the statue and began to pray, looking decisive and cold.
'Even if you've become a legendary, I won't give up on my dreams and my path. At the end, I'll definitely prove to you that your decision was wrong! The only things in the world worthy of protection are love and justice!'
...
As news of Leylin's advancement spread, an increasing number of envoys from various organisations arrived at Faulen Island, causing Port Venus to be even more prosperous.
Along with the envoys came large merchant groups, and all the merchants in the surrounding seas now chose to trade here. After all, the protection of a legendary was a considerable boon in the World of Gods.
Ordinary merchants only needed a fair and safe trading environment. This was only possible with enough strength! What was more persuasive to them than a legendary?
Preparations for Ascension
The vacant manor on Faulen Island was opened up once to welcome the honoured guests from the continent.
Baron Jonas had sent all the manpower he had, but he was still a little undermanned for the guests that were still pouring in. What's more, guests from the western desert and the northern lands were still on their way to the island. These organisations had to travel far and wide to reach them. Even if they had received the news by magic, the emissaries would reach Faulen Island later than the other guests.
Very soon, the guests had no choice but to seek lodging in the inns of Port Venus, which was a huge opportunity for the merchants here. The prices for various items had increased manifold.
As Baron Jonas scurried around to tend to the guests, he was also suspended in a state of disbelief. Fortunately, butler Leon was around to tend to things, so order could still be maintained.
'My son has already become a legendary?' Baron Jonas and his wife felt as if they were on an emotional rollercoaster. While they weren't at the peak of nobility, they still had a certain understanding towards the power system in the world of gods.
A legendary was a powerful entity that could influence an entire kingdom! Bards would forever sing hymns of their tales, the tales of these beings at the apex of power! Right now, their son Leylin had achieved such an accomplishment too!
Right now, the esteemed guests were also fervently discussing this youth who had become legendary.
"Hehe… A legendary who has yet to reach the age of 25! Lord Leylin has broken the record in the continent!"
"There are rumours that he is a favoured soul of the Goddess of Wealth, there are no other plausible explanations…."
"A favoured soul can only advance quickly as a cleric, and even that would require a large amount of divine force.…" Evidently, this emissary was more privy than the others to the powers of the extraordinary and rankings in the power system. "From my observation, this Leylin must have had some sort of extraordinary talent, which would explain his progress…:"
"Rumour has it that he's taken up piracy in the past, and he's even conducted taboo research relating to Netheril!" A voice filled with annoyance and hostility sounded, apparently belonging to someone who treated Leylin as his enemy.
"That's indeed a problem before one becomes legendary, but almost all legendaries engage in such dark research. To use this to condemn him is just… Also, for his past as a pirate, haven't you seen that even the Dambrath court's chief wizard is here?" This deep voice spoke with a very logical stance, which stumped even the hostile emissary.
Only a while later did someone lament, "This is a legendary we're talking about…" The voice reverberated throughout the room.
Amidst the fervent discussion between the forces, Leylin chose to hole up inside the wizard tower, seldom seen by the public eye. He was draped in comfortable robes within his chambers, his golden hair gently resting on his shoulders.
A dark red light glowed under this golden hair, making him look extremely sinister. Leylin hadn't taken on the nightmare form completely, but his body was covered in dark red runes. A red line appeared on forehead, radiating a light of dreams.
In this state, he was able to grasp the power of faith and emotions much easier. Using dreamforce as a catalyst, he could see the actions of each and every person that he chanted his name, their joys and sorrows, and everything else…
After entering the legendary realm, his body and soul had achieved a quintessential upgrade, the beginning of his journey to godhood.
A legendary could already sense the faith of any worshippers, and even respond in return. If one was able to amass a following of devout worshippers, they could accumulate faith over a long period of time, progressing in their own strength and giving rise to divinity. They could even ignite their godfire, becoming a demigod.
However, the churches all suppressed the worshippers of anyone who hadn't become a complete god. Forget legendaries, even divine beings and demigods weren't spared.
This unspoken rule showed Leylin the hostility the gods had towards someone joining their ranks. Unless one could become a god immediately, or had the backing of a powerful god themselves, it was very difficulty for a being from the material plane to attain godhood. This was a perilous path riddled with danger.
The divine hall was now extremely packed, and they did not wish to see any other newcomers joining them.
'Even without this restriction, legendaries, divine beings and demigods would still find it difficult to compete with the churches of true gods…' Leylin sighed.
Legendary experts could only vaguely respond to prayers, and divine beings could only respond somewhat more clearly. Demigods could bestow divine spells, but only up to rank 5. Only those true gods who had their divine spark were able to bestow rank 1 to rank 9 divine spells.
The ordinary people of the prime material plane were not fools. It was obvious who they would choose in this competition. The gods had leveraged many restrictions on the powerful mortals, all for the sake of protecting the source of their faith.
'Although I'm still only a newly advanced legendary, my sensitivity to the power of faith is greater than some weaker gods thanks to Dreamscape Vision. Apart from not being able to bestow divine spells, I'm much different compared than a true god. The most crucial point is is that Nightmare Absorption can even absorb the power of emotions. This source of strength is greater than what those true gods have…' Leylin assessed his strengths and advantages.
A legendary's response to their followers' prayers was like that of an old handphone with a bad signal. Nightmare Absorption was like an extra antenna, greatly amplifying Leylin's sensitivity to the signals he received.
Although the power of emotions was weaker than that of faith, there were more sources of it. The quality may not be equal, but emotions far exceeded faith in quantity. This was too crude and complex for gods to use, but Nightmare Absorption disregarded such things, allowing Leylin to make effective use of that power.
It increased Leylin's probability of ascension more than fivefold.
And indeed, this was what Leylin was looking at now. Having become a legendary, he'd placed his sights on godhood. He could not halt his steps because of a little bit of praise and admiration from those in the secular world. He always had to look up at the stars above.
"To become a true god, one must not lack godfire or divine rank. Godfire is just a transformation of divinity once it has accumulated to a certain level. To attain divine rank, the legendary first has to comprehend laws, combining them with the power of faith from their worshippers…" Leylin already had a great deal of experience in all the aspects required for his ascension to godhood.
'The faith of their worshippers and the power from their prayers can help gods comprehend laws, allowing them to form a special structure called the divine rank… The laws of the World of Gods are really quite bizarre…' Leylin thought. As for the divine spark, it was an emblem of a god's strength. Only those who had ascended to become a true god could possess this.
A divine realm was also something that only true gods possessed. It was an external plane used to accommodate the souls of their worshippers, and it also served as a hideout for themselves.
In their divine realms, gods could wield amazing power. The ancient Magi had not understood this during the last war, and some had even died to that mistake.
'The divine spark and divine realm aren't too far off in the future. The most crucial point is to accept some potential worshippers and try to obtain divinity. I can then continue to accumulate worshippers, soon igniting my godfire to become a demigod.
'I need to select my first worshippers carefully. Their prayers and philosophy will affect my domain and my divine realm. Clerics will be the most important, they help raise gods.'
Leylin began to feel rather vexed as he thought of this point. Although the seas around the Dambrath Kingdom were at his disposal, this was a developing area. There weren't many cultured and civilised people here.
Beelzebub's worshippers weren't even worth thinking about, it wouldn't be wise to let a group of devils function as priests and clerics. Leylin seriously suspected that those worshipers would pray their way into Beelzebub's stomach in the end.
One reason Leylin had accepted Beelzebub's worshippers was that they were an established power. Another was to to quickly raise his own strength.After advancing to the legendary realm, he was certain that he could take over Beelzebub's entire worshiper network, and obtain a secret church whose members could be found all over the continent.
This framework would only nurture clerics the next generation. This was a worrying delay. He'd already put his plans into action though, having his followers in Dambrath accept orphans and the like, sending them to Viscount Tim for secret training and instruction.
He also had a few plans to migrate people to the outer seas.
'I need to pay more attention to the race of the worshipers. Although racial gods are very powerful, it's far too limiting…'
Friend
Leylin was inside his secret chambers in the wizard tower, using a portion of his Nightmare Absorbing Physique powers. Many dreamforce runes had appeared along with his vertical eye.
This state allowed his to sense the prayers of his worshippers extremely clearly, and also pulled tremendous amounts of energy from their emotions. It then allowed him to absorb it, which served to strengthen him.
It was exceedingly difficult to advance once one entered the legendary realm. However, to Leylin it was like walking a level road. He was enjoying the feeling of constantly gaining strength, and he continued to make his plans for ascending to godhood.
'It would take too much time to move somewhere else, and spreading faith is a problem as well… While the quality of the worshippers would be high, there'll be too few of them… It's better to turn the devil worshippers, and have the natives of the outer seas worship me as well…'
Leylin's eyes closed, and the blood-red eye between his brows cracked open. He continued to think as dark red patterns covered his body.
Worshippers were a very important resource for a god. They provided an unending amount of faith while alive, and became petitioners in death, similarly continuing to support their god. They could even turn into valiant souls or holy spirits, comparable to rank 5 and rank 6 Magi!
This was why all gods took good care of their worshippers. The faith of evil gods wasn't allowed to spread.
There was even a specialised God of Protection known as Helm, and he dealt specifically with these matters. Verifying a true god's qualifications and deal with belief in false gods were all within the scope of his divine powers.
As the continent was so vast, worshippers of devils and demons could develop in secret. A new legendary like Leylin would not be the target of much attention.
Inside the prime material plane itself, Leylin now had enough status and strength to protect himself. Even so, a few churches could band together, sending high-ranked and legendary Professionals along with an avatar to kill him in mere minutes.
'I should work in the shadows and be more careful. I can't arouse suspicions… It's best that I amass strength quietly and become a true god. I wouldn't have anything to worry about then…' While deep in thought, Leylin completed his meditation and absorption of the power of emotions for the day. He transformed back into the youth.
"Master! The Spear Crusader Jeffries has come to visit you. He's already been waiting outside for half an hour…" the tower genie appeared and reported, "Additionally, the Dambrath Kingdom and church of justice have sent special envoys to you, requesting private meetings."
"God of Justice?" Leylin frowned. Nobody inclined towards evil had a good opinion of this person. "I haven't dealt with them often enough… Could they have found out that I killed a paladin before? No, that's too trivial… Whatever, all will be clear once I meet them…"
With enough might to protect himself, Leylin was no longer as cautious as before. After all, as long as he did not collude with devils and demons, plot to bring chaos to the continent, or spread his own faith and try to become a god, no large organisations would willingly offend him.
However, out of politeness and his status, Leylin still met with Jeffries.
"My sincerest apologies! I was stuck in meditation…" Leylin looked apologetic.
"Hehe… It's nothing at all. Only a wizard as meticulous as that can achieve the results you have, Lord Leylin…" Jeffries revealed a sincere smile. Truth be told, he admired Leylin's hard work. He'd seen many talented geniuses, but never one as disciplined as this wizard.
The puppets served a scented tea along with snacks. After some idle conversation, Leylin asked in puzzlement, "I wonder what my lord is here for…"
"Oh! Actually…" Jeffries slapped his forehead, looking flustered as if he had only just recalled this.
"Legendaries are already at the peak of the mortal world. For this reason, there are a few established rules we need to follow. Since I'm the one who first witnessed your advancement, it's my duty to explain them."
"Ah, yes." Leylin nodded. Any world with extreme powers had a concept similar to no first use. If not for that, constant wars would destroy the world no matter how large it was. "I obviously won't refuse. Do I need to sign some sort of contract?"
"No, not at all! They're just conventions that you need to obey…"
Jeffries' waved his hands while he smiled more warmly. He began to go through the rules one by one, and Leylin listened attentively.
"We don't really have many restrictions. We shouldn't initiate battles in densely populated areas, collude with devils and demons, spread our own faith privately, and things like that… Also, since you're a legendary wizard you can't cast legendary spells or conduct experiments that could pollute a large area."
In general, the restrictions weren't too stringent, but what surprised him the most was that he didn't have to sign any magic contract.
'Then again… These are all restrictions in their own right. No legendary would be willing to attach such an act to themselves unless they're masochistic. Also… the fact that legendary wizards study material on arcane spells is an open secret…' Leylin suddenly understood.
"Cough cough…" Jeffries' smiling face seemed to be saying 'good that you know.' He continued seriously, "Alright then. Lord Leylin, I welcome you to to the continent's alliance of legendaries. We hold meetings every year, and all new members are welcome to join. It's taking place at…"
"I will attend, if time permits." Leylin still planned to obtain the floating city, but he didn't reject Jeffries outright. Having obtained what he wanted, the Spear Crusader left in delight. Waukeen's church had given him a valuable gift as well.
After he left, Leylin then met the special envoy from the Dambrath Kingdom. This person was supposedly the court's chief wizard. This envoy's ranking meant nothing to Leylin, though, and thankfully the other party understood this. He was rather courteous, and did not put on any airs.
At the least, Leylin knew why this court wizard had come here.
First was title. His father Jonas was made a Marquis, and a word from the king rendered the barren islands around Faulen Island a part of his fief. In reality, these islands had already come under Faulen influence, effectively being their land anyway. The king was just formalising this, but it still made Leylin elated.
Even if these islands made up a tiny area, the sea region that he had control over far exceeded the lands of any Marquis, the size of half a kingdom. In actuality, the king had basically given them half of the outer seas.
Of course, this was his right as a legendary wizard. Leylin's own title had been upgraded as well. He was now an honorary duke, similar in status to this chief wizard in front of him. While they were indirect, Leylin understood these kind intentions.
Leylin chatted with the wizard for a while after he happily accepted it all. It was more like he was giving the court wizard some tips, and when the time came the wizard left reluctant yet satisfied. A legendary wizard's lessons weren't an easy thing to come by.
"Tower genie… Send over the envoy from the church of justice." Leylin had spent most of his time as a legendary training and strengthening himself. He also met with envoys from various organisations, and although it was somewhat annoying he had to do it anyway for the sake of expansion.
Seeing the projection of the tower genie disappearing, Leylin stroked his chin, "Hmm… I should put upgrading the wizard tower in my schedule. There's so much to do…"
...
Leylin had never had a good impression of the God of Justice's church. This was obvious from the order of the people he was meeting. However, the envoy left Leylin slightly surprised.
"Long time no see, wizard Leylin!" A female knight bowed politely, "On behalf of the God of Justice's church, I sincerely congratulate Lord Leylin on your advancement to the legendary realm. We hope to be able to work together to safeguard the justice in the continent."
"I shall accept your blessings then!" Leylin watched the long-legged female knight in front of him as he recalled the past, "It's truly been a long time, Rafiniya…"
"Come to think of it, I haven't asked you about what happened after you left. When did you enter the God of Justice's church?" Leylin first got Rafiniya to take a seat with an enthusiastic smile like a good host, and commanded a puppet to send over a plate of tropical fruits.
"Come! Try some special produce from the south. It's rarely seen in the north…"
"Thank you…" Rafiniya had a complex expression on her face as she picked up a purple fruit similar to a longan. While she had fantasised about meeting Leylin, she'd never thought it'd be in this situation. For some reason, Leylin's nonchalant expression caused fury to erupt in her heart.
Plea For Help
At the thought of the task that the church had entrusted to her, Rafiniya suppressed her emotions and forced a smile. "This is pretty good! The captain mentioned it before in the north…"
'Not bad. It looks like you've matured a little after entering the church, though it's a pity that it's not much use.' Sensing her emotions, Leylin snickered inside. 'Unfortunately, She's far too naive.'
"Right, I still don't know what happened to you…" Leylin now held a cup of hot tea like a child wanting to hear a story.
"Once we separated, I returned to Silverymoon and met Her Highness. Then, I took part in the city's final defense…" Rafiniya laughed wryly, eyes glazed over as she immersed herself in her memories, "… Well, that's what happened. That paladin saved me, and after I recovered, I joined the God of Justice's church and have been working hard to protect the refugees in the north…"
"Right…" Leylin nodded gravely. He could sense that the devil mark he'd planted on her had already formed a perfect balance with the God of Justice's strength.
'A soul that's balancing on a dangerous path? That's even more interesting…' Leylin's thoughts didn't make their way to his face. "I've heard of the God of Justice's blessings. Is there anything else?"
Leylin looked unhurried as he held his cup, and Rafiniya wanted to sigh deeply. However, she thought back to her orders and spoke gravely, "I'm also here to ask my lord for help."
"Help? What help?" The rising steam blocked the teasing look in Leylin's eyes.
"It's related to the north. We've already made contact with Queen Alustriel, and we're trying all we can to help her restore the country. However, we currently lack strength and manpower, especially in terms of legendaries. While the church is doing all it can to help, there also similar problems in other areas…"
Tears began to well up in her eyes, "On account of those innocent commoners who are suffering in the north, I hope you can help us. After all, you were once helped by Silverymoon…"
'How naive,' Leylin shook his head, 'You're trying to invite a legendary without any form of payment?'
While he had gotten a lot of knowledge from Silverymoon, it was all earned from battle achievements and many other things. He didn't feel like he owed the city anything.
In addition, he'd have to fight the orc empire if he joined this war. Even if Gruumsh was being suppressed by Mystra and Tyr, their emperor Saladin alone was a huge problem.
"I have something very important to do for now, I'll be in the west for a while…" Leylin answered, causing the light in Rafiniya's eyes to dim.
"However…" Just as she felt complete despair, Leylin changed his words, "I might be able to come to the north if you wait a while."
"It won't be a problem at all! We're only preparing right now, and it'll be years before we begin. I can wait!" Rafiniya stood up, looking emotional, "Whatever it is, thank you very much. The commoners who are being trampled upon by the orcs in the north will never forget your contributions…"
"Mm," Leylin answered speechlessly, rolling his eyes inside. 'If I didn't have to go to the north for a bit to get something, do you think I would agree to this?'
Watching Rafiniya leave, Leylin stroked his chin as he sunk into deep thought. 'I never expected this. Tyr's church has already made contact with Alustriel, and they're even trying to help her rebuild her kingdom. It seems like the God of Justice has plans for the north…
'It is surprising that Alustriel agreed to this. Either Mystra and Tyr came to some sort of compromise, or she was moved by the refugees in the north. With her personality, it's probably the latter…'
Tiff had informed Leylin that the humans in the north weren't faring well. Other than the few lucky ones who'd managed to make it into the southern human nations, everyone was dead, exiled, or enslaved by the orcs. After all, the brutish creatures did not know agriculture, and needed human help in that department.
However, the feeling of a master becoming a slave felt terrible, and they were definitely treated worse than before. While Saladin was a wise emperor, he was still an orc. He needed to consider things from the orcs' point of view.
In addition, even if the orc empire sent down order after order about it, slaves were still abused or killed for entertainment. The humans in the north were in a living hell right now.
After seeing this situation, Alustriel, who had been living in hiding, had probably changed her mind. After all she was the type that was soft-hearted and unable to watch the weak plead for help. Were it not for Mystra's backing and her own strength, such a personality would have killed her countless times over by now.
'How many gods are gambling on the turbulence in the north? Mystra will definitely want to make a comeback. Tyr has made his stance clear, but his true intentions are still unknown. What do the other gods think?' Leylin's brows furrowed slightly.
He'd been small fry in the past. No matter what he did, he would not attract attention from the gods. However, things were different now. Legendaries could affect battles with avatars, and his own stand would be important.
Leylin now had to consider every move carefully, else he might immediately form enmity.
'Whatever it is, the moment I help Alustriel rebuild Silverymoon I'll become an enemy of all orcish gods. The human gods have a questionable stand themselves…' Leylin rubbed his eyebrows and sighed deeply, 'But there is something I must get my hands on in the north. Even if it's dangerous, I'll need to give it a try!'
'In order to get out of this uninjured, my strength will be key!' Leylin's target had never changed. No matter what the future held, he would never be wrong in working hard to increase his own strength.
'I won't be able to advance in rank significantly in just one or two years…' It took centuries to increase in ranking after entering the legendary realm. Leylin was already extremely fast. Still, he was weak compared to avatars and the better-known legendaries.
'Raising my own rank is too slow a way to strengthen myself in the short term. I can only rely on other items…'
The rules in the World of Gods were very stringent. Legendaries with high-ranked legendary items or divine weapons evidently surpassed all ordinary legendaries in terms of strength. Leylin now placed his focus on this aspect.
What divine weapons existed that could amplify one's strength more than a floating city? A floating city was the most suitable artifact for a legendary arcanist in Netheril's era. The two combined could even match a lesser god!
Besides Netheril's greatest accomplishment in the Mise energy core, every floating city needed to merge with a semi-plane. This made every complete floating city equivalent to a divine realm. It was basically an impregnable stronghold!
'If I obtain that floating city, I can do whatever I want in the prime material plane. I needn't even be afraid of the gods' avatars!' Leylin himself was already a legendary arcanist. If he obtained that floating city, he could probably become even stronger than the legendary arcanists of Netheril's time!
After all, the depth of Leylin's research as a near rank 7 Warlock in the Magus World far surpassed that of ancient arcanists.
'The first order of business is to deal with matters in the outer seas. I'll then head for the western desert.' Leylin's eyes twinkled as he made his mind.
In the following days, Leylin met different envoys with great statuses. They had come from huge organisations in different parts of the continent, all offering Leylin their blessings on his advancement as well as gifts. However, they didn't know him very well so there weren't any deep conversations.
Leylin was glad to see this happen. Without conflicts of interest, he mixed well with the many envoys, and everyone was happy.
Afterwards, Leylin hosted a huge ceremony. He officially accepted the congratulations of other small groups as the edict from Dambrath's king was announced.
The Faulen Family were now a lineage of Marquises, and were basically free to do anything in the outer seas. With a legendary wizard like Leylin there, the family's glory and honour would last a long time. After all, wizards had long life spans.
The outer seas would count on this legendary to maintain this freedom. With all the small organisations nearby joining the Faulens, the entire outer seas had basically separated from Dambrath. The Faulen Family's glory was only just beginning…
West Desert
The World of Gods was vast and boundless, with the prime material plane being the core foundation. It had many other planes above and below it, and between them were an unimaginable number of scattered semi-planes. The combination of all this formed the mysterious ecology of the World of Gods.
All sorts of elementals, fleshly beings, angels, devils, and demons led to joys and sorrows, intense emotions and all forms of beautiful and bloody battles over race.
With its location and other advantages, the prime material plane had become the area with the most intense competition. Be it the gods up above or the devils and demons down below, everyone cast their greedy eyes on this place. Even the most barren western desert was contested.
Because some secret information had leaked, a few special existences had already placed their focus on this place.
...
The western desert was at the edge of the continent. It was huge and barren, containing parts of numerous empires. The occasional black sandstorm made it a forbidden region for all life, and only a few desert races managed to survive near oases.
Living in such harsh conditions, the natives of the western desert were fierce fighters, and everyone the place produced was extremely ambitious and terrifying. They were widely known for their bloodthirst.
While the western desert was extremely barren and there were few signs of human inhabitation, there were still a few merchants who would come to purchase its specialties, and there were some who especially came here to experience this environment. They would use the harsh environment of the desert to discipline themselves in their faith, breaking through the limits of life. Some even attempted walking through the desert, reaching an unimaginable realm upon success. Of course, most people died.
Most bodies were buried by the sands, while some became food for the desert's creatures.
It was now the prime season again, and merchants and adventurers headed towards the place. The traders went annually, while the adventurers dreamt of gold. There were also mercenaries, and those seeking to temper themselves once again in the severe environment of the desert.
Everyone headed west, towards wealth, power, passion, and sexy dancers…
The town called Narwick was in the outer regions of the desert, formed around a little oasis. Its name translated to corner or edge, and it prospered as the entrance to the western desert as well as a point of service.
Various merchant groups and tourists from all over the world entered this place in the trading season, practically filling the entire city. Beings of all races and alignments walked the streets, and there were goods from everywhere in this place.
Some individual merchants chose to sell their goods here, getting more time to head deeper into the desert. It also attracted more business.
Scimitars made of refined ore from the depths of the desert, female slaves who were so flexible they were said to be boneless, those slaves from the native tribes… There were many items from ruins here as well, both originals and fakes filling the market.
A white-robed wizard entered Narwick in this prosperous time.
"It's the annual opening day? How lively!" Leylin nonchalantly watched the passersby and the many stalls, his footsteps never halting as he glanced past what were said to be treasures from the ruins found deep in the desert.
With his foresight, he could definitely tell that most were fake, and the rest weren't valuable enough for him. He would definitely have to pay a terrible price for those.
The entire city was filled with people of various races and all walks of life, which helped him widen his perspective. Warriors, thieves, assassins, bards… There were even rare wizards and swordsmen who were unique to the desert. These people were guarding merchant groups, or farming parties for adventure. There were even some lone wolves who gave off a very dangerous aura.
'These people should be hoping to make some wealth while the black sandstorm's dissipated…' Leylin shook his head inside. This desert was rumoured to be formed during a great battle amongst the gods. It had once been beautiful and fertile land, with numerous powerful civilisations.
Astounding ruins now hid beneath the yellow sands, and some people were lucky enough to uncover some and strike it rich overnight. This motivated generation after generation of adventurers and explorers to enter the ends of the desert, fearless of death as they looked for traces of the past.
Leylin too needed a guide to bring him into the desert, until he reached Frostfall Valley.
'Even if I've bought a map, it's too vague. A mere piece of paper can't explain the dangers along the way either…' While thinking this, Leylin entered a bar.
His senses were flooded by the clamour the moment he pushed the door open, the smells of alcohol, meat, and perfume entering his nose.
This place was evidently a combined bar, inn, and stage. It was loud, and a musician in strange clothing was beating the drum at his waist. A dozen passionate women danced to this vulgar beat, wearing clothing that revealed their belly buttons. Their eyes were tender, and a red veil cowered the lower halves of their faces, only making them seem more mysterious and tempting.
Gold hoops moved across fair legs that stamped to vigorous moves as bodies swayed. The bells and tassels intertwined smoothly.
The guests cheered endlessly as they watched this graceful dance. The occasional merchant was so intoxicated they threw silver and gold coins on the stage, causing the atmosphere to grow more heated.
"Not bad…" Leylin nodded slightly. He could sense the aura of a few powerful beings in the inn. A few merchants were evidently being guarded by high-ranked Professionals.
He then glanced past them and focused on a large round table on the right. A swordsman decked in white took up the entire thing, yet nobody protested it.
He wore a veil and white turban unique to the natives, and his long narrow eyes gave off a sense of coldness. A black scabbard for a scimitar lay at his waist, the shaft having no ornaments but still giving Leylin a slight sense of danger.
'A near legendary swordsman? He's probably the strongest in the inn…' With Leylin's current rank, he'd not caught the attention of this man after spying on him. Casually throwing a gold krona at the attendant in front of him, he was respectfully invited to a seat at a table.
"Give me lamb chop, vegetable soup and fruit juice…"
Compared to steak that was tender and full of fat, lamb chop had a unique fragrance. With the seasoning that was similar to pepper as well as the unique meaty texture, it was drool-worthy.
Once his stomach was filled, the attendant came over to tidy up. A golden lustre flickered between Leylin's fingers, "Tell me where I can find the best guide, and this gold krona is yours…"
"You wish to enter the desert alone?" There was a trace of greed in the attendant's eyes, but he seemed to be put on the spot as he spoke, "The best guides have been hired by the large merchant groups. The rest are probably not better than me in terms of knowledge of the desert… It's very dangerous to enter the deserts alone. It's best that you join a group or form a group with other mercenaries…"
While he really wanted to earn this gold krona, the attendant still advised him tactfully.
"Is that so… Whatever it is, I like people who aren't led by their greed. This is yours." Leylin had never hoped for much anyway, so he nodded and put the coin on the table.
"May the gods protect you, esteemed customer!" Not expecting anything, the attendant was pleasantly surprised, "If you don't mind, I could help you contact a few adventuring groups…"
"There's no need for that!" Leylin waved his arms. Low-ranked Professionals would just burden him now. Besides, he had a clear goal, and entering a group would only cause strife.
After sending him away, Leylin picked up a glass of dark red wine, as if slowly appreciating it. In actuality, the A.I. Chip's detection was operating at its limit as it gathered information from around him and tidied it up.
This sort of place was where information circulated best. With the A.I. Chip's unusual abilities of gathering and sorting information, Leylin soon had a general idea of the identities of the people in the hall and the organisations they belonged to.
"… A month later… Frostfall Valley…" At this moment, a conversation conducted in hushed whispers could be heard, causing him to freeze.
Making use of the movements of drinking his wine, he nonchalantly glanced to the side at the swordsman he'd taken note of. There were now a few others seated around him, whispering to each other as they discussed matters.
One of them was evidently a wizard, and she drank some clear water as her right arm secretly created a noise barrier. Unfortunately, this much was the same to Leylin as not doing anything at all.
'A month later… Isn't that the time that the floating city will appear? The location's right as well!' Leylin then turned grim, "It looks like I'm not the only one with information about the floating city. This is going to be troublesome…'
Fortunately, Leylin had somewhat expected this. There were many arcanists interested in the floating city after all, and it was hard to guarantee that others hadn't found this secret in historical records and deduced the time and location of its appearance.
News
'My luck is still pretty good. A guide appeared of their own accord…' Leylin glanced at the white-robed swordsman and his group, a hint of blue shining in his eyes before he left immediately.
The wizard of the group watched their swordsman freeze. She asked with surprise, "What is it?"
"Nothing much. Something felt off for a moment." The swordsman looked slightly baffled, his right hand on his scabbard as he took a look around him. He sat down once more, looking puzzled.
He'd felt a chill up his spine that moment, as if death was right before him. However, that sense of danger had disappeared before he could take stock of the situation.
"You're being paranoid. We can't leak news of our mission…" A black-robed person spoke in a low voice.
"Perhaps that's it," he said as he sat down. His hand was still on his scimitar, though, and his frown didn't dissipate.
...
Leylin had already left the area, and was now strolling along the bustling streets.
'His senses are good. Even if it was only for an instant, the ability to sense my intent is quite impressive. He'll probably become legendary in a few years' time, but that's only if he can survive this…'
His noble attire, rosy cheeks, and extravagant accessories were signs of wealth, and they caused many small peddlers to pay attention to him.
"Take a look at this, esteemed customer. Old Jafar has the best things here…" One in particular held a golden scepter up for Leylin to see. It was an old white man with golden hair, "Take a look at these patterns and decorations… I unearthed this while I was still an adventurer, braving deadly danger in an ancient ruin. It's said to hold the secrets of the ancient Sun Dynasty within, and it can be yours for just one hundred kronas…"
"Ancient Sun Dynasty?" Leylin halted his footsteps, a teasing smile on his face. He watched this Old Jafar do all he could to introduce the item.
"Indeed! It was a dynasty from a time before this place became a desert. Legends talk of a large golden river, flowing not with water but honey and milk. The land was filled with golden words in that era, and this scepter contains a secret of theirs…"
"Your name is Jafar, yes?" Leylin stopped in front of the stall, watching this old man who was evidently not a human from the deserts, "Why did you settle here?"
"Sigh… I met the mother of my children during my life as an adventurer. I naturally can't leave…" Jafar chuckled. Although he seemed honest, there was still a sly look in his eyes that could not be concealed.
"So? Since we're both from the south, I can sell it ten kronas cheaper. The Goddess of Luck is smiling down on you…"
"I'll take a look…" Leylin seemed interested, and he crouched down in front of the booth.
"All these things are from ruins?" Jafar had placed decorative ornaments on a greasy black cloth, and some of them still had a layer of rust on them. It gave the illusion that he was speaking the truth.
Unfortunately, Leylin had acquired the Scholarly feat when he'd advanced to the legendary realm. His appraisal skill had hit its limit, and he used the A.I. Chip to immediately see through these fakes.
"This looks pretty good. It'll look good on my wall…" Leylin 'appraised' a dark gold mask that was carved in the likeness of a cobra.
"Of course! How can there be nothing decent from the ancient ruins for an esteemed guest like you?" Jafar's face wrinkled in his delight.
"This, this, and this. I want it all…" Leylin acted like a deceived noble, buying seven to eight items. Jafar's smile was so wide he couldn't close his mouth.
"This too, and these…" Leylin continued to point at things with both hands, basically buying everything in the stall.
"Old Jafar is going to get rich at this rate…" The surrounding peddlers all stared hard at Jafar in envy.
"I'll buy all of this… Hmm… there seems to be an issue with carrying them…" Leylin looked troubled.
"No issue, there's no issue at all!" Jafar quickly discarded the items Leylin didn't want, his movement faster than a high-ranked thief. He placed the four ends of the cloth together and bundled the items up. "How about that? So easy. I can even send this to your inn…"together, forming a huge bundle. "How's this? Isn't this easy? I can even send this to your inn…"
Old Jafar had a cajoling smile on his face, "That comes up to 1372 gold kronas, and I've already given you a discount…"
"Umm…" Leylin appeared like those generous guests that were easily cheated, "Fine! Do you accept bills from the church of wealth, or will you come with me as I withdraw the gold?"
...
Every market had a church of wealth, and a huge market like the western desert obviously wouldn't miss out. The small town had one to serve the merchants.
Leylin sent the extremely thankful Jafar away once they exited the church, turning a corner on the street.
'I never thought I'd find something great from a peddler…' Leylin flung the bundle in his hands, and all the fake gold items clattered to the ground like trash.
'A legendary magic beast hide with some information on it…' Leylin stared at the greasy cloth, blue light flickering in his eyes. This was what he'd set his sights on, the cloth Jafar used to display his goods.
'I wonder how he managed to get this hide. Could he really have been an adventurer?' Leylin stroked his chin, but didn't linger on the thought. He'd paid for the items, so this was his now. He couldn't be bothered with how Jafar had gotten his hands on it.
'Just the material alone is worth the price. I'll need to have the A.I. Chip decipher the information on it.'
Leylin knew the history of the west desert well. It had once been the core of Netheril, and in its days of glory been filled with fertile land and a huge population. Unfortunately, with Netheril fading away and wars involving gods occurring in the place, the west had become a desert.
If not for that, why would an arcanist who leapt through dimensions keep his floating city here?
'This encryption… It doesn't seem like an arcanist's, but there's still some exemplary strength… It even contains the secrets of a lost civilisation…' Leylin's eyes glinted. If Jafar learnt of the secrets of this hide, he'd probably grow so annoyed with himself he'd just commit suicide.
Leylin was in a great mood now that he'd obtained a treasure. He walked out of the corner and then glanced through the items in the stall with more focus. With his foresight and experience, no treasures escaped his sights.
Unfortunately, that had been the only one. Nothing stuck out to him after that.
...
"Boohoo… Please help us. Please help us…"
Some cries attracted Leylin's attention at this moment, leading him forward. A large crowd had formed a huge circle up ahead, and caused a disturbance that Leylin took notice of as he drew closer.
In the middle of a circle was an adventurer and a crying little girl.
The adventurer had fallen down, looking like he'd met with great hardships in life. He was no longer young, and his lips were blue. It looked like some sickness had acted up all of a sudden.
"Uncle, uncle! Please wake up…" With such a huge crowd watching, the girl's cries made her seem even more helpless.
"He must have gotten poisoned. There are many dangerous beings in the desert nearby…" An experienced mercenary went up, touching the adventurer's neck and pulling up his eyelids to check, "Unless I have a specific antidote, I can't do anything. Do you know what poison it was?"
The little girl froze after hearing this, and began to bawl more sorrowfully, "I- I don't know. Vivian is so useless, sniff… uncle…"
"Sigh… Unless a high-ranked priest is here to cast Neutralise Poison, he's…" The mercenary looked around, "Who amongst you is a high-ranked priest?"
The crowd avoided his gaze, evidently not wanting to be involved in this. A death would cause the guards to come here, and the interrogations and the like would be very time-consuming. They could even be blackmailed by shameless jailors and officials, which caused most of the crowd to leave.
The area was bustling with activity, yet they pretended not to see the little girl and the adventurer who seemed to be breathing his last. There was a great sense of detachment in this place.
"Little girl, we need to look for other methods… At the very least, we'll need an inn…" The mercenary looked troubled, obviously seeing the impatient urging from his companions. He halted midway his speech, realising that no inn would take in an adventurer on the brink of death, and he was only making things difficult for himself.
"Sigh…" With this thought, the mercenary too looked agonised and place a small bag of copper coins in front of the wailing girl, "Take these and bury your uncle well!"
He then left quickly in large strides, as if afraid of something.
Implantation
The streets were bustling with life, starkly contrasted by the sorrowful cries of a young girl. The bystanders dissipated quickly, death something they'd seen all too often in the desert. They were all in a hurry to strike it rich, so who would care for something like this? A few thugs even eyed the coin pouch in front of the girl.
They were also looking at her person. Even though she was very young, beauty shone through her crying face. There would probably be many people who'd want someone like her. Selling her to child traffickers would be profitable.
'Interesting… How will things progress from here?' Leylin watched on with his arms in front of his chest, apathetic like a god up above. He wouldn't be moved by the lives of these individuals.
His focus suddenly shifted in another direction, at a monk that headed over slowly. He had a pugilistic aura, with short brown hair, thick eyebrows and a weak-looking gaze. He only wore coarse sack clothing, with patches all over it making it look tattered. He only wore one shoe.
The monk even had a putrid smile, causing the crowd to distance themselves from him.
'A monk!?' A trace of fear shone in Leylin's eyes. This person was powerful, already at the legendary realm.
Monks were people devils did not want to meet at all. They rejected the pleasures of life, their staunch souls not corroded by anything. Meeting a legendary monk was like hitting a jackpot.
'There's a monk here at this time… Does it have anything to do with the floating city?' Leylin frowned. That adventuring team with near-legendary strength wasn't worthy of his attention, but he'd have to focus on this monk's actions. Were their targets the same, another variable would be added to his plan.
"Let me try…" The monk approached the crying girl and spoke with a hoarse voice, as if he had not drunk water in a long time.
"Boohoo… It's not use. The mercenary just now already said that unless you're a high-ranked priest…" Vivian wept, but still passed the coin pouch filled with copper to him, evidently treating him as a beggar.
"Thank you, kind-hearted young lady, but I can't accept any gifts or money…" He smiled gently, and then moved closer to the unconscious adventurer. "It's the Hellthorn Flower, a common and very poisonous flower seen at the edges of the desert. But it's already mutated a few times… This will be difficult."
A bundle of warm light emanated from the monk, and seeped into the body of the adventurer on the ground. The healing light caused the adventurer to improve visibly.
The spell naturally attracted the attention of bystanders, and someone with good eyesight soon exclaimed, "Poison Removal? No, that's True Resurrection!"
"A rank 9 divine spell that one has to be rank 19 to cast…" Everyone froze, their eyes trained on the monk with reverence. It was a respect for strength. Seeing the situation changing, the thugs disappeared into the corners of the streets, leaving in the blink of an eye.
"Ugh…" The bruising on the adventurer's lips dissipated, and he blinked before opening his eyes completely. He looked at the little lady in front of him. "What's wrong, Vivian? Where am I now?"
"Uncle! Uncle, you're awake!" Teardrops sparkled on Vivian's face as she threw herself into his embrace.
"Uncle, you fainted on the road. It scared me so much! This grandpa saved you," Vivian said as she pointed to the monk.
"Thank you very much, grandmaster!" The adventurer knew his adventures much better than the girl did, and therefore understood the strength and abilities of the person who had healed him. Upon hearing this, he immediately got up to thank the monk, and then reached for his coin pouch.
Priests required a fee to cast spells on their believers. A high-ranked divine spell was very expensive.
"There's no need for that… We clerics are duty-bound to help the injured and dead…" The monk shook his head and rejected the man with a smile, and then swaggered into the market. However, nobody dared to underestimate him this time.
As he left, the monk's dark eyes scanned the area Leylin had been in. Seeing nobody there, he looked puzzled.
Only after the monk's figure disappeared from the streets did the adventurer leave with the girl. It was then that Leylin walked out from the shadows.
"Tsk tsk… as expected of a legendary. His senses are better than that swordsman…" Leylin sighed, heart heavy. If this man was also here to contest for the floating city, things would be very troublesome for him. And his instincts told him that this was almost certainly the case.
'Ugh… It seems like more than one organisation knows about the appearance of the floating city…' Leylin looked grim, 'Looks like I'll need to make my move as soon as possible…'
...
Night soon fell. Lights and fire emerged everywhere in the market, illuminating the dark area.
The market bustled with activity even at night. However, once the moon crawled halfway across the sky, the shops that had been boisterous before turned completely silent. The merchants and the rest entered their dreams after a long day.
'Dreamscape View!' Leylin currently stood at the top of a tower, eyes flickering with strange red lights as a red crack appeared on his forehead. Scattered spots appeared all over the town in his vision, twinkling like the stars in the sky.
These various starlike spots were actually the dreams of different people. Those that were whitish in colour belonged to the weakest commoners. Professionals were much more dazzling, while high-ranked ones were bright as torches. The legendaries were like pillars of light reaching into the skies, obvious in an instant.
'The dreams of regular humans are far too weak. If I'm not careful, I could kill a whole bunch…'
These dreams showed Leylin things that hadn't been revealed in the day.
'First is Jafar… Hmm, that beast hide was something you picked up by accident. No wonder you didn't know its true value…' Shifting his attention from a dim speck, Leylin glanced towards the west, looking serious.
'As expected of a legendary monk. I can't see through him, nor his dreams… Not like I intend to deal with him anyway. Dream Eater is a trump card, and I'd be foolish to cast it even before I see the floating city…'
WIthout alarming him, Leylin found his main target. There were dazzling dreams in the inn, like pillars of light. Leylin could see them through Dreamscape, and almost visualise a young man who'd been practising his sword skills from a young age.
'Here you are…' Leylin smiled slightly, launching dark red dreamforce that formed a winged eyeball.
"Go!" With Leylin's command, the eyeball flapped its wings and flew into one of the dreams.
With the Nightmare Absorbing Physique, Leylin's grasp of dreamforce had reached great heights. With the different system of power being applied on him, the target didn't even notice the eyeball.
...
Many merchants aimed to make use of the cool weather in the morning, walking the path of hopes and dreams. The high-ranked Professionals began their journey as well.
"What's wrong, Allerie?" The white-robed swordsman asked the wizard journeying with them, puzzled.
"It's nothing much. I just recalled my dream last night, and it was a little disgusting…" The wizard had a terrible look on her face, and she retched. There were dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn't had a good rest the whole night.
"Dream? Disgusting?" The swordsman was startled, but he didn't ask further.
"Yes, it was just a dream!" she repeated, as if trying to encourage herself. However, at the thought of the vivid dream, the wizard couldn't help but tremble, even as a high-ranked spell caster.
She'd actually swallowed a winged eyeball whole in her dreams! It had been exceedingly vivid, to the point that her throat still remembered that disgusting and greasy feeling.
"Could this be some specific curse… No, no, I've already checked properly. There's nothing strange. That was just a nightmare. But… why did I dream of that…" She looked confused and touched her forehead, "Looks like I'll need to get something to soothe my nerves tonight…"
Within the town, Leylin glanced at the map in his hands while looking deep in thought. The situation of the little group appeared in a crystal ball next to him, the point of view that of the wizard.
"The implantation was successful. Now that I have their position, they won't be able to escape…" Leylin was rather satisfied with his work. These guides would make his own journey more convenient.
Having them show the way, he could follow their path at a distance. There was no danger or trouble whatsoever. Watching them from such a large distance, it was impossible for him to be discovered.
Skeleton Lich
Berserk energy from the four elements roared in a large semi-plane outside the prime material plane, causing ripples in the sky. The sky seemed to distort and shatter.
There was no sun nor moonlight here, only a sparkling ambient light. Layers of ashen-white bones littered the ground, their height unknown. There were some little white flowers growing out of eye sockets, the most beautiful flower buds blooming. Numerous vines crawled over the bones, as if subsisting on them.
A gale blew past the area, and it was like a rain of flowers as the plants dispersed to reveal bones on the ground. This plane was actually formed of all sorts of bones piled together.
These bones were about the same size as those of humans. Some were exceptionally small but thick, likely coming from halflings and dwarves. There were even some extremely large animal bones scattered in the area, forming little hills.
This semi-plane was one of bones, on the verge of being smashed into pieces. It was hidden in the gaps between numerous dimensions, unvisited for a long time.
*Ka-cha! Ka-cha!* At this moment, a slight cracking sound could be heard from underground, followed by some shaking.
*Gulu! Gulu!* A hill of bones gave way, and large amounts of smoke and dust were sent flying. Meanwhile, a protruding round head rolled out of a crevice in the ground.
This was a dazzling human skull. The eye sockets flickered with two still flames, and dead black soul force lingered around the area, emitting powerful undulations. The skull's teeth chattered and its jaws creaked, seemingly shaking in confusion.
"I've been asleep for a thousand years…" The skull spoke in a desolate voice, its tone ancient. Only a scholar who had researched the past would be able to understand it.
*Crunch!* The skull meshed its teeth together and seemed to spit out something similar to parchment paper. A layer of light flickered, and letterings as well as a map were projected in the air.
"The year where the elemental tides streak through, when the black crows cry out to the blood moon… The Simoshel Canyon… east of Cygnus!" A fire blazed in the skull's eyes as it found a few sparkling bones, slowly recreating its body.
"The floating city. The best achievement of the arcanist era, able to match up to the gods' divine realms…" The skull spoke as if it was chanting, an aura of despair from the very soul covering the area like a cloak.
"That floating city is definitely mine! The Skeleton Lich, Illyrio Paxlude!" A staff of bones automatically moved its way to the lich, a blood red gem at its top emitting crimson light.
*Roar!* The lich tapped the ground with his staff, and it split apart to reveal the head of an enormous creature.
This creature was tens of metres tall, with large bony wings and two heads that looked abnormally sinister. A brilliant soul energy could be seen within the thing's skull. This was evidently the necromancer's favourite pet— A two-headed bone dragon!
"Keke… Let's go, darling…" Strong winds blew, and the double-headed bone dragon flapped its wings, carrying the skeleton lich on its back and entering the terrifying elemental storm. The violent storm seemed to quiet under their might, forming a pitch-dark channel.
The bone dragon roared and disappeared at the end of the plane…
People had gotten wind of this at several other places.
"Abnormal movements from the bone kingdom? Seems like that lich has awoken…"
"Illyrio… It's really been a long time. I have yet to settle that grudge with him…"
"The envoy of death, the skeleton lich? How interesting…"
All sorts of mysterious godly conscients flickered all over the world, and then all focused on the bone kingdom without prior agreement.
A few gazes seemed to have their own goals, heading towards the western desert.
...
Scorching sunlight fell on the sand dunes, causing heat waves that distorted the air. Practically all moisture had evaporated, and each breath one took in this place was like breathing in fire.
The desert's surface was reaching the limits of temperature, and could practically roast a person alive! The entire desert looked like a place disallowing of life. Even the scattered cacti around the area had disappeared, and there was not even a hint of greenery.
The leading swordsman looked at the map in his hands, beginning to check the distance, "We're already very deep into the desert, so we have to do our best to retain our strength. We'll also need to plan for our items and water… What's wrong, Allerie? Still thinking about the dream that night?"
Upon looking up, he found the wizard in his group had grown absent-minded once more, and his question revealed a slight annoyance.
"No, I'm feeling better now… it's just this weather…" Allerie gathered hair behind her ear and felt her dry skin while sighing inside. That dream no longer disturbed her, but the terrible environment in the desert was now giving her a vivid lesson. Even with the protection of magic, she felt this difficult to endure.
Seeing this, the swordsman could only curse in his mind at the nonexistent stamina of wizards. Still, there was nothing that could be done. He encouraged her, "Hang on for a while. We'll reach the dream oasis soon enough, so you can get some rest there…"
The mention of the dream oasis perked up everyone in the group. They were currently deep inside the western desert, and it was exceedingly dangerous. Terrifying black sandstorms could erupt at any moment.
Even if they were near legendary adventurers, there was nothing they could do in the face of nature; there would still be dangers.
The dream oasis was the only source of water in the depths of the western desert. It was said that this was a moving crescent lake and shrub forest, as well as the only hope for survival that lost travellers had.
"My most recent information, and this map, all indicate the dream oasis is up ahead. We can't be wrong!" The swordsman yelled to raise the morale. With that hope, the group sped up quite a bit.
However, none of them realised that someone had noticed all their actions from behind them.
"The dream oasis… That place is very close to Frostfall Valley… I might not even have found it if not for these guides…" Leylin was riding a sand scorpion, a winged eyeball flapping in front of him. It showed him scenes of those people.
With the group of adventurers showing the way, he did not need to take detours. As long as he followed the safe path they did, everything would generally be fine. With the distance limiting them, normal detection spells wouldn't be able to find him.
"Once here… How do I say this… their value is decreasing…" Leylin stroked his chin. In his opinion, this group was the weakest wave of those eyeing the floating city. "But they seem to have a leader. I'll just put them ahead and see what they attract…"
Leylin patted the scorpion he was riding, and the large beast immediately cried out. It's eight legs alternating in motion as it sped up its advance through the desert…
There was nothing to see along the way in the desert but sand, except the bones of all the monks that had died. Leylin had even noticed a withered corpse with no moisture, one that looked like a mummy.
Monks trained by toying with their lives. Without clear water, they would end up dead, and there were few who would be saved by kind-hearted merchant groups.
"But… it seems too calm…" No longer bothering with the many corpses buried by sand, Leylin urged the sand scorpion to keep moving forward.
The western desert definitely had many dangers. However, there was a group of elite high-ranked Professionals ahead. Besides natural disasters like the black sandstorms, they could deal with anything. Their numbers hadn't even dropped yet.
While it seemed normal, Leylin found something strange. The path to the floating city shouldn't have been so clear.
It was at this point that Leylin's face showed a sudden understanding, 'It appeared… I never thought that there would be natives deep within the western desert. Could these people be remnants of Netheril?'
At this thought, he gave up his ride and cast a flight spell, soaring into the air while flapping his wings.
Once he passed countless sand dunes, a deep green entered his eyes. In a place where the only thing on the horizon was yellow sand, there was a sparkling crescent lake and a large oasis. Seeing this in an area void of life could move someone emotionally.
However, there were signs of disharmony here. A vigorous fight had already begun near the oasis.
"No wonder I felt something was off. This was the place!" Leylin looked like he realised something all of a sudden.