Out in the wilderness, the night was freezing cold. Even the blazing bonfire was unable to dispel the chill in the air.
Inside the tent, however, it was much warmer — enough to make one feel slumberous.
Leylin waited for a few minutes and saw Ivy's silhouette shivering as she slowly got into the tent.
You could tell she was very nervous, her hands clutched tightly to her skirt hems, exposing her pale white ankles.
Fear was inscribed on a pair of beautiful eyes.
But it was as if her body was controlled by someone, as she advanced towards Leylin, step by step.
"Don't worry! It's very simple to take a sample, and it will not cause you any harm!" Leylin said, to try and pacify her.
"Please pull up your sleeve!"
Upon hearing Leylin's words, Ivy hesitated for a moment. She then pulled up her sleeve, revealing a length of her jade-white arms.
"It's going to hurt a little, but don't be afraid!"
Leylin took out a huge needle-like item from behind him and spoke gently to comfort the little girl.
Unfortunately, the little girl started to tremble even more severely.
With the girl's arm in one hand, Leylin stuck the needle into the exposed vein on her arm.
Ivy's face winced when the needle entered her vein as if she was about to cry but still forced herself to stay strong.
After drawing enough blood from Ivy, Leylin sent chased the little girl back to her own tent.
"Why does it feel like I was bullying a little girl?"
Leylin rubbed his chin as he looked at the needle in his hand.
No matter what, it was unsettling being on the receiving end of a "You bullied me" look given by a little girl.
"A.I. Chip, begin the experiment, and prepare the microscope…"
After being in a daze for several seconds, Leylin came to his senses and his expression turned solemn. His slender hands began to move expertly like butterflies treading and dancing through flowers.
Next morning, Leylin saw a pink liquid within the vulcanised tube and his expression looked unclear.
"A.I Chip, scan!" A blue light glowed within Leylin's eyes, falling onto the test-tube.
[Beep! Detected a trace of ancient creature's bloodline in the drop of blood. Pala Night Hawk! Unable to purify further!]
The A.I. Chip ended its feedback, turning Leylin's face darker.
Ivy did carry a trace of an ancient bloodline, a pity that the inheritance of the Pala Night Hawk bloodline ends with her. The traces had already thinned to the absolute minimum and only a bit of aura could be extracted from her blood but it did not have many uses.
"From this density, even if Ivy was completely exsanguinated, or made to bleed some blood from time to time, it wouldn't be enough to even purify a single drop of the pure ancient bloodline."
However, Leylin did not feel particularly disappointed or anything similar to disappointment.
It wasn't that he would be successful with every single experiment of his. However, if one doesn't even try, there will be no chances of success.
He had learnt this lesson back in his previous life.
"Moreover, this bloodline that carries a trace of the ancient creature's aura, adding on with some of the broken magic artifacts pieces I've gotten in the secret plane, they could aid in the modification of the Fallen Star Pendant…"
A notion rose in Leylin's mind.
The Fallen Star Pendant was only a low-grade magic artifact which was useful back in his days as an acolyte. However, for Leylin now it was somewhat of little value.
The A.I. Chip had been given the task of researching the possibilities of upgrading the Fallen Star Pendant, and now it seemed to have borne some fruits.
However, Leylin was a Warlock now, if he was able to add some power of the bloodlines on top of the other ingredients needed for the upgrade, it would definitely achieve a better potential!
"A.I. Chip, establish this mission as a subtask: calculate the possibility of adding Ivy's bloodline into the Fallen Star Pendant!"
[Beep! Mission established, classified in a subfolder under the mission of upgrading the Fallen Star Pendant!]
The A.I. Chip intoned promptly.
Although he was unable to purify the ancient bloodline, but he had obtained an ingredient that could complement the upgrade of the Fallen Star Pendant. So Leylin felt that he had reaped a huge benefit and hence his mood was uplifted, too.
The next morning, he even greeted Ivy during breakfast, which was something that he seldom did. This caused the little girl to be confused and out of sorts. Seeing this scene, Leylin laughed inwardly.
After eating breakfast, Leylin brought the little girl and carried on with the journey.
He even bought a horse carriage while making a stop at a town, putting out the misery of the little girl, who had had to walk all along.
The reason why he did this was not because of kindheartedness. It was because the little girl provided him with blood every day, and while Leylin brewed some potions to replenish the blood, her mental state did not seem very well as her face was as pale as dead people.
After purchasing the horse carriage, Leylin led his life even more leisurely. He would journey when the sun was up, and at night, he would continue to extract the essence from the Pala Night Hawk bloodline to upgrade the Fallen Star Pendant.
"Dawn's Peak! According to our speed, we should be able to reach the Great Canyon Margaret tomorrow!"
Leylin pointed to a mountain which peak was amongst the clouds as he spoke to Ivy behind him.
"... "Ivy looked at the landmark in front of her and clutched her knees in silence.
His eyelids hung low, not knowing if it was because of the fears of what the future would bring, or because of bewilderment.
"The ingredients gathered are now sufficient. I will upgrade the Fallen Star Pendant tonight!" thought Leylin.
Naturally, he controlled the pace of the journey, so he was able to obtain enough blood right before reaching the Great Canyon Margaret tomorrow.
In the middle of the night.
The surroundings were dark and serene, and from time to time the sounds of insects and howls of wolves could be heard.
Ivy was in a deep sleep within the tent beside the horse carriage.
As for her who was in deep slumber, her eyelids twitched continuously, as if dreaming of a nightmare.
Seeing her in this manner, Leylin heaved a sigh of relief and returned to the horse carriage.
"A.I. Chip, simulate the start of the experiment!"
Leylin set up an illuminating spell and lit the interiors of the horse carriage.
In the middle, several wood boxes were set up in a flat platform with some apparatus displayed on it.
In the middle of all was a silver grey cross, with several fragments of jewels on it.
This was the original shape of the Fallen Star Pendant. Ever since he had advanced into a rank 1 Warlock, he had rarely used it.
The Fallen Star Pendant's physical and magic defense were both valid for at most 20 degrees. As for any rank 1 spell cast by an official Magus, it would exceed these limits.
Hence, Leylin would think of methods to raise the capabilities of the Fallen Star Pendant, hoping for it to be of use again.
[Simulation for experiment over, success rate to be 87.9%.] After a flash of blue light, the A.I. Chip reported a string of data back to Leylin.
Right now, the A.I. Chip could simulate most parts of the experiment and produce the success rate. This meant that as long as Leylin followed the steps given by the A.I. Chip, he could attain the same success rate that was indicated.
As for those magicians who painstakingly gathered ingredients yet not knowing their success rate, the A.I. Chip's capabilities showed that it could save Leylin a huge amount of resources.
So much so that this capability could even be employed during an advancement.
If the A.I. Chip's success rate was too low, Leylin could give up on the advancement and amass more resources before trying to breakthrough. This was much better after comparing this with other magicians who try to breakthrough in the dark and even suffer from a backlash.
"First of all, it's to separate the ingredients for the magic artifact!"
Leylin looked at the other items placed on the platform.
There was half a dagger and a broken arm. These spoils of war were obtained by Leylin during the bloodbath in the secret plane. Although some time had passed, the arm still shone with a silver light, completely concealing the fact that it was a human arm made of flesh.
"Silver-Claw Saurun actually imbued his magic artifact into his own arm, what a crazy fellow!"
Leylin picked up the silver arm and placed it within a golden funnel, setting it alight at the bottom.
A golden yellow flame continued to swirl in the funnel, turning the funnel red.
The blazing temperature continued to radiate from the hand. Once Leylin noticed the change, he began to drip some blue fluid, drop by drop, onto the arm.
The blue liquid fell onto the arm, turning into red immediately, extending it towards the whole arm.
The temperature increased yet again.
Leylin was ecstatic as he placed a transparent beaker below the funnel.
*Pitter-patter**Pitter-patter* Droplets of silver liquid continued to drip down.
Very soon, this liquid filled up half of the beaker.
Leylin's right hand rapidly gathered some powder and jewels and tossed it into the beaker, while his left hand reached for a metal wire and stirred the beaker.
The powder and jewels melted immediately upon entering the beaker, and the silver liquid began to turn muddy.
A dozen minutes later, there were two obvious layers in the beaker. On top was a liquid the colour of flesh, and at the bottom, it was a layer that was pure silver in colour.
...
After being busy for a while, Leylin looked at the several ingredients laid in front of him with a gleeful expression.
The formerly mentioned dagger and silver arm had not turned into two blocks of black and grey metal as they shone with lustre.
As for the Fallen Star Pendant, it was now submerged within a beaker. The beaker was half filled with pink blood with the scent of orchids
"Keliesiding Guraweier Alongsuo…."
Leylin chanted an incantation as he made a cut on his finger, dropping a dark red drop of blood into the beaker.
*Bang!*
Once the dark red blood entered the beaker, it immediately had a chemical reaction.
The pink coloured gases continued to rise and the blood began bubbling.
Threads of red liquid continuously climbed onto the Fallen Star Pendant, turning the original silver-grey colour into a dark red colour.
After the blood in the beaker completely evaporated, the Fallen Star Pendant turned into a dark red cross.
"What's next is to modify the runes inscription!"
Leylin's expression turned extremely solemn. This was the most crucial step to upgrade the Fallen Star Pendant!
-x-X-x-
[Modifying the Fallen Star Pendant's runes inscription, increasing illusory runes to make Host compatible with its control.]
A.I. Chip sounded at this very moment.
Blue light flashed across Leylin's eyes, and many transparent patterns began appearing on the surface of the Fallen Star Pendant.
Next, all he needed to do was to proceed with the modifications according to the transparent patterns on the Fallen Star Pendant.
And the A.I. Chip could assist Leylin during his inscription process, so there would not be any mistakes.
Using a pair of tweezers to fish the Fallen Star Pendant onto a white cloth, Leylin took out a solid inscription pen and started to finely carve on the surface of the cross.
At this point, his hand was like a steel sculpture — it was as steady as possible, without even a single tremor.
This required an enormous amount of attentiveness and endurance and consumed a lot of time and energy.
As time passed, beads of sweat started to drip from Leylin's forehead.
[Fallen Star Pendant's runes modification is a success! It has newly added reinforced runes, energy dissipation runes, extension runes...]
As he listened to A.I. Chip's reminders, Leylin revealed a smile.
Immediately, he picked up another inscription pen from beside him. It had grooves on its body and was just as solid.
"Next, I shall fill in these carvings!"
Leylin lit two beakers and proceeded to melt the raw materials he had separated earlier from the magic artifacts. Those beakers now contained only liquids.
Subsequently, Leylin followed a fixed proportion and mixed the two liquids together.
Leylin played with the grooves on the pen and it split open, revealing a hole to pour water into.
Immediately, he poured the concentrated silvery black liquid into the body of the pen.
Fine runes started to twinkle and flicker around the inscription pen, producing an enchanting radiance.
With a face of satisfaction, Leylin pushed the pen nib against the tracks of the inscriptions carved earlier on, repeating the process again.
But this time, the pen left silvery black liquid in its trail, filling every notch of the inscription.
After finishing the last stroke, Leylin sized up the completely reformed cross and nodded his head with satisfaction.
"Activate!"
Leylin used the ancient Byron language and read out two words.
*Pong* A cylindrical beam of gray light began to emit from the cross. Threads of silver light were moving along the rune inscriptions that Leylin had carved earlier.
As the silvery gray rays kept blending, they got brighter and eventually engulfed the Fallen Star Pendant in it.
When the rays completely vanished, the Fallen Star Pendant had changed in appearance entirely.
It only retained the shape of the cross but was bulkier than before.
Also, it had changed from a silvery black colour to a shade of dark red.
On the surface there were numerous fine and detailed rune inscriptions, causing the original fragments of gems to be concealed beneath it.
Leylin then took the dark red Fallen Star Pendant, noting its weight was heftier than before.
[Beep! Fallen Star Pendant's upgrade is now successful with those middle-grade magic artifacts! Current Physical Defence: 24, Magic Defence: 25!] A.I. Chip sounded again, bringing Leylin the good news.
"Physical defence rose from 13 to 24, and magic defence rose from 15 to 25! Not bad, really not bad!"
This range almost surpassed the Scales of Kemoyin's defense. It was almost equivalent to gaining another innate defensive spell. Leylin was naturally very pleased.
But there were a lot of other magic artifacts that have better innate spells. The would have another increase in power and defense in the future.
As for the Fallen Star Pendant, unless he finds even more precious materials to upgrade, it would be difficult to increase its defensive characteristics as per Leylin's requirements.
Hence, in the long run, concentrating on his own innate spells was more dependable.
"In the south coast, acolyte ranks use beginner grade magic artifacts. Level 1 Magi use middle-grade magic artifacts and the occasional beginner grade magic artifacts. Only the extremely powerful level 2 Magi have the capability to get hold of high-grade magic artifacts!"
Leylin thought of the information he saw from the Book of Giant Serpent.
Although the era of the great Magus Serholm was somewhat distant, the general distribution of power and culture throughout the south coast could be seen.
Now that the Fallen Star Pendant had been promoted to a middle-grade magic artifact, it's effective for Leylin as a level 1 Warlock. This, of course, put him in a good mood.
...
The Great Canyon Margaret spanned across the Inlan Dukedom and several nearby kingdoms. It was also a place that was necessary to travel through to enter the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower, controlled by the Light Magi.
Of course, this was only with regards to Magi.
Ordinary citizens of this dukedom seldom step out of the kingdom, from their birth until their death. Even their mercenaries only received missions within the kingdom.
Mercenaries and wandering bards who had travelled the vicinity could use the experience they gained to flaunt or gain respect.
"Great Canyon Margaret is filled with danger. Even a hastened journey takes several months…"
Leylin slightly frowned as he thought over the information about the Great Canyon.
Transportation in the Magus World was inconvenient, causing a great deal of inconvenience for magicians who travel far and wide.
Of course, he had another choice — he could ride in an airship.
But unfortunately, not only was this mode of transportation costly, there was only a fixed number of dates per year for its departure. Furthermore, there were stringent requirements for passengers. They needed a local family or an organisation to be their guarantor.
Leylin was already on the wanted list of Abyssal Bone Forest Academy. So naturally, he wouldn't wait for the airship and had to rush by foot.
"Your parent's good friend, that Aunt Marian, where does she live?"
Leylin asked Ivy, who was behind him.
"Angler Town beside the Great Canyon!" Ivy said in a low voice.
Leylin nodded. This girl's blood had greatly helped him. Besides, there was no clash in the itinerary. Under such circumstances, he didn't mind lending a helping hand.
"Well then! I will first send you to Angler Town to find your Aunt Marian!"
Leylin told Ivy.
"L...Lord! Is it okay if I followed you around?"
After what Leylin said, Ivy stayed silent for a moment before asking this question.
"Oh? But why? I did not treat you very well!"
Leylin was surprised. When he crossed over, he was from nobility, a respected Magus acolyte. He'd never taken care of anyone before. Ivy even suffered a small illness on this journey. Things would have taken a bad turn if Leylin wasn't a Potions master.
Moreover, every now and then, Leylin had to take from Ivy a big tube of blood. He simply could not comprehend why this girl would still want to continue following him.
Maybe, I was too charming? Or was she so oppressed that twisted feelings began emerging?
Leylin let his imagination run as he rubbed his chin.
"Is this for revenge?" But, he soon figured out what the girl had in mind.
Ivy lowered her head, obviously tacitly agreeing.
"Ivy you should be aware that due to the genetic constitution of your family, before you can find the lost meditation technique, you'll never be able to be an apprentice. Even I can't do anything about it!"
Only because Ivy and Leylin were inheritors of the same ancient bloodline, he felt that he should clarify it with her.
"I know! But I request from you to get me vengeance! For this reason, I'm willing to suffer any consequence!"
The little girl made her last effort.
"My apologies. Magus advocate fair transactions. And regardless of your wealth, health or spirit, it is not enough for me to deal with another official Magus!"
Leylin did not hesitate to reject the girl's plea.
Upon hearing Leylin's ruthless yet very real words, Ivy's shoulders trembled, hugged her knees as she sat in the carriage and fell silent.
Soon, the carriage entered Angler Town.
This was obviously a Magus gathering area. There were little, almost none, ordinary people, and the architecture of the buildings around portrayed a gloomy style that appeared cold and weird. Even the atmosphere was filled with a moist putrefying stench.
"This kind of place doesn't seem very good!"
Leylin frowned. According to his experience, these kinds of dangerous district beside the major transportation road, dwells those who harbors bad thoughts, Magus who have nowhere to turn to. Simply put, wanted criminals!
Leylin felt bad for Ivy. They followed the street and eventually got to the number plate Ivy had reported before.
Appearing in front of Leylin was a dilapidated two-story loft. Black wooden planks on the verge of collapsing revealed a decadent atmosphere.
The first floor had been converted to look like a grocery store. But it didn't seem to be doing very well, and the people who entered were but a few.
Parking the carriage at a side, Leylin pulled Ivy's hand as they entered the grocery store.
"Marian! Is Marian here?" Leylin yelled out. He did not attempt to conceal the energy fluctuations in his body as the road to Angler Town was unimpeded.
"Respected Magus Lord, how may I serve you?"
Before Leylin could finish his words, an obese middle-aged lady with a greasy grey apron and thick makeup made her way out, expressing humility and flattery.
If it wasn't for the level 3 acolyte's aura she had on her body, with this kind of image, she looked exactly like an unkind housewife.
"Is this Marian?" Leylin asked Ivy who was standing at a corner.
"Yes… Yes!" Ivy nodded her head. Leylin finally understood why Ivy was so unwilling.
By the looks of it, Ivy's parents probably did not have anyone else to turn to back then. Hence, they allowed their housekeeper to send Ivy to Marian.
"This is Ivy! Any impression?" Leylin pulled Ivy in front of him.
"John's daughter?!" Marian's face changed slightly. "About the Langster family matter, I feel sad…" Marian said as she squeezed out a few drops of tears.
"...Back then, I just happened to pass by and the housekeeper begged me to bring her here…"
Leylin briefly spoke about the cause and effects.
Upon hearing that she has to offer shelter for Ivy again, Marian's face completely turned embarrassed, as if things were already difficult for her. Leylin reckoned, if he wasn't around, Ivy would have already been chased away.
"Since it is what the Lord wants, then alright!" She replied with an ugly smile after struggling for a long time.
-x-X-x-
Leylin rushed the carriage forward, wandering aimlessly around the streets.
He thought about Ivy and how she looked like a little puppy that was being abandoned. Even now, the sight felt a little bit laughable.
Magi always advocated voluntary transactions.
The way Leylin saw it was that while Ivy provided him with blood, he brought Ivy on the journey to this place. He even demonstrated his might to find her a place to sleep for the near future. This should have been enough to pay her back for her contribution.
In regards to bringing her along on the journey, Leylin felt that he didn't have the spare time to take care of such a cumbersome being.
Not to mention, if there was no suitable Warlock meditation method for her, Ivy would never be able to become a level 1 acolyte.
Warlock meditation methods were straining on blood vessels. Just like Leylin's Kemoyin's Pupil meditation technique, it was limited to only Warlocks who came from the bloodline of the Giant Kemoyin Serpent or its subspecies.
Other Warlocks and Magi would not be able to practice this technique even if they had the Kemoyin's Pupil technique. It could only serve as a reference for them.
While thinking, Leylin rushed the carriage and arrived at the heart of the town.
As he went deeper into town, Leylin saw that the average strength of passersby were greater. At the heart of the town, he saw a few level 2 acolytes and even a few other official Magi.
All of the official Magi here wore cloaks and mantles, and their faces were covered by a face flannel— almost as if they did not want anyone to recognise them.
In general, Magi who'd risk passing through the Grand Canyon Margaret rather than riding the airship were usually individuals who had been classified as criminal scum who were on the run.
Some of them had offended local forces and had been forced to flee. Others simply had to flee to save their lives because someone hankered after something they possessed.
As a result, abruptly using detection spells here was often the cause of a huge battle.
Leylin looked at the crystal watch that he was wearing, whose hands were showing five past noon.
The sky slowly darkened, and the pedestrians present on the road lessened.
Approaching the centremost pub, Leylin knocked on the somewhat rotten door.
*Dong Dong!* A dull noise reverberated throughout the somewhat empty street, even drawing the caws from a couple ravens.
"Who are you?" The wooden door quickly opened, and a long-haired man with sparse wispy hair appeared, sizing Leylin up.
"I wish to pass through the Great Canyon Margaret and I hear that I will be able to find a means of transportation nearby…"
Leylin used a shroud to cover his face. The voice that emanated from within sounded somewhat gruff.
"Great Canyon Margaret? Are you a Magus Lord?"
The old geezer patted his head, and immediately opened the wooden door, "Greetings, Sir! What you say is correct; the Broken Axe Pub is the only place where you can find the Seated Lupin Wolf…"
This old man was just an acolyte, but it was obvious that he had seen the world, and that he knew both how to read a situation and how to protect himself.
Leylin nodded his head and walked into the Broken Axe Pub.
He had already enquired before coming; the Great Canyon Margaret was always surrounded with terrifying sandstorms and it required several months to traverse it.
Also, there were a lot of hidden dangers in areas of the canyon. Being filled with dangerous swamps full of poisonous insects and the like, even horses could not be used in there.
Even Magi had lost their lives in some of the most dangerous spots!
Hence, forming a group and riding the Seated Lupin Wolf was the only way to get across the Great Canyon Margaret.
This particular pub was extremely quiet, up to the point of it being somewhat eerie.
Under the dim lighting, long chairs were placed along some partitioned rooms and sofas in the surroundings.
The little cubicle had three walls. Only the side facing the bar was wide open, as if the cubicle was a recess into the wall.
In the hall, several magicians sat in groups, drinking different coloured alcoholic drinks from time to time.
Leylin sniffed the aroma, and made out that the alcoholic content was extremely low, only meant to taste good, and not to induce drunkenness.
The magicians in the lobby were mostly level 3 acolytes. There were also several official Magi.
Leylin came in front of a horseshoe-shaped counter, sat down, and watched a bartender in a black western-looking suit.
"Sir! Do you want an 'Ice Mountain Beauty'? Many magicians love this drink!" The bartender smiled and asked.
"I'll have a cup! How much is it?" Under the dim lighting, Leylin's tone sounded lazy.
"3 magic crystals!"
It was a very steep price that normal acolytes would definitely not be able to afford. Moreover, only the currency of magicians was accepted.
Leylin nodded his head nonchalantly, tossing a middle grade magic crystal to the bartender. "I'll just have one cup! Furthermore, I wish to employ a Seated Lupin Wolf. Give me the information I require, and the remainder will be yours!"
Without a word, the bartender accepted the magic crystal. His hands moved swiftly, shaking the silver mixer on his hand, and drawing a few shiny arcs in the air.
"Sir, are you preparing to travel across the Great Canyon Margaret? Although the sandstorms have stopped, there have been rumours of a pack of Kary Vultures having seized the route leading towards the single necessary replenishing point. How about forming a group before setting off?"
The bartender shook the mixer in his hands as he explained to Leylin.
"Kary Vultures?"
Leylin's brows furrowed. This was one of the mystical creatures in the Magus World. In its mature stages, a Kary Vulture was comparable to a level 3 acolyte. As for the King Kary Vulture, it had an existence equivalent to a rank 1 Magus.
If there really was such a group of Kary Vultures occupying the single route towards the canyon leading to the supply point, a traveller's plan to cross the canyon would be compromised.
"All of these things that you have said were told to you by someone else, no?"
Leylin did not answer and stared at the bartender, before suddenly speaking up.
"Yes! Several official Magi have already formed small groups, and they're lacking a few members. Hence, they had to stay in this area, and entrusted me to find a suitable member for them…"
The bartender smiled as he placed a drink with large amounts of ice on top and alcohol below to Leylin. It looked like a mountain of ice.
"Your 'Ice Mountain Beauty', Sir!"
Leylin raised the glass. There was a layer of thin frost around it, and even the alcohol inside had somewhat frozen over.
The refreshing cocktail entered his mouth, and the chill even spread from his throat to his four limbs.
The ice cold feeling subsided, and a fiery sensation followed. At first, it was extremely faint, but the heat grew stronger and stronger, even overcoming the previous iciness.
This feeling of freezing and burning was extremely strange, indeed worthy of its price of 3 magic crystals.
"Good wine! It has been a while since I've had such good liquor!"
Leylin slightly closed his eyes for a moment, exhaled a breath of contentedness, and said to the bartender.
"It is an honour to have satisfied my customer!" The bartender bowed slightly.
"Very well!" Leylin gulped down another mouthful of the 'Ice Mountain Beauty' before saying, "I wish to meet with the group before considering joining them or not!"
"Of course. In fact, the group was formed by solo travellers, so they have been staying here…"
The bartender smiled and nodded his head...
Half a month later, many acolytes respectfully and sincerely sent off six figures riding big black wolves out of Angler Town.
The Seated Lupin Wolves were matte black in colour, with a patch of red fur on the crowns of their heads. There were also two golden yellow rings on their forelimbs, which were securely linked to their necks.
Each wolf was over 5 metres tall and 2 metres wide. Their appearances looked extremely vicious, and every step they took spanned the distance of several metres, so their movements were extremely quick.
Moreover, the Seated Lupin Wolf's back had two hump-like bulges, which were suitable for travellers to rest.
These Seated Lupin Wolves were provided by the Broken Axe Pub at the rate of five hundred magic crystals per wolf. After reaching the destination, the travellers would release them, and they would run back to where they came from.
At this moment, Leylin was seated comfortably on the back of a wolf. He rose and fell on the strong and healthy back with his eyes half closed, seizing the opportunity to rest.
Even though he was travelling on the Seated Lupin Wolf, traversing the Grand Canyon Margaret would require at least two months. The route also had a lot of dangers, so it was necessary that he conserve his energy and physical strength.
With the introduction of the bartender, he had several meetings with the small group before deciding to join them.
It would be very difficult for a lone magician to face the vile environment of the Great Canyon Margaret, and even break the watch of those Kary Vultures.
Moreover, Leylin confirmed that the other party members were in the same situation as him, forming a party at the very last minute, so he was not afraid of them colluding against him.
Even with Leylin's entry, the group members felt that their safety was not guaranteed.
After having waited for an additional half a month, it was only the previous day that another official Magus had joined them, and the group had decided to set off.
During that half a month, Leylin had been dwelling within the pub while keeping a low profile. It could have been that the Yale family and the Lilytell family had ran out of leads, so they had not decided to search here, enabling Leylin to avoid a huge battle.
Thinking about this, Leylin took a look at the members of his group.
Due to fact that the group was only a temporary one, in addition to the wariness of the magicians, more than half of the group members' faces had been concealed. Only an old, white-haired geezer and a voluptuous female magician did not conceal their countenances.
Other magicians were the same as Leylin, with half of their faces wrapped, and appearing cold and detached.
All of these magicians emitted the energy waves of a rank 1 Magus. The Great Canyon Margaret was too dangerous for any acolytes, so apart from any special circumstances, acolytes seldom chose this route.
The roasting sun shone with a comfortable warmth onto his body, causing Leylin to crave a good sleep.
As the surroundings turned dark green, the short shrubs bowed down to the Seated Lupin Wolf as they passed. This caused Leylin to think that he had arrived at the grasslands of Chernobyl Islands.
The Great Canyon Margaret was extremely vast, spanning across several kingdoms.
Moreover, rumours had it that originally, there was no great canyon and that in fact, it had been formed by two unknown, high ranked Magi fighting.
Looking down from the sky, the Great Canyon Margaret seemed like a wound created on the body of the south coast.
However, Leylin still expressed his skepticism towards such a myth. Breaking apart half a continent should have required at least a rank 7 or 8 Magus. In the recorded history of the south coast, there had been no mentions of Magi of such ranking having ever appeared.
Even if they had come from another continent, why would they have specifically chosen this place for their battle?
-x-X-x-
No matter what the legend said, due to the double influences of topography and magic radiation, the Grand Canyon Margaret suffered from strange geographical conditions and an ever-changing natural climate.
In the Great Canyon Margaret, various terrains such as grasslands, mountains, forests, marshes, and deserts could be seen.
Moreover, one moment, there might be rain, and in the next moment, a terrifying thunderstorm.
As for the enormous intermittent sandstorms, they were a calamity that even official Magi had to escape from.
Fortunately, the large scale sandstorms had their specific timings, so this passage was not completely out of the question.
Advancing through such an environment was a severe test for a Magus' physical body and spiritual force.
As for the Seated Lupin Wolf, it was a unique species that grew up within the Grand Canyon Margaret.
As if undergoing evolution and modification through radiation, the original species of mountain wolves, in the span of a long time, had evolved into an organism that was completely capable of adapting to the terrain and climate of the Great Canyon Margaret.
As for the magicians on both sides of the Great Canyon Margaret, they captured, tamed, and transformed these wolves into a necessary tool for traveling through the Great Canyon Margaret.
According to Leylin's guesses, behind the Broken Axe Pub, there were definitely one or more large Magus families that had joined hands. If not, they wouldn't be able to reap in such sizable benefits from this huge territory.
*Pu*
The sturdily built Seated Lupin Wolves continuously dashed across the grassland, bounding forward from time to time to avoid the obstacles ahead.
Their sharp canine teeth and claws were enough to deal with most of the wild creatures, saving the magicians from having to cast spells, and letting them rest.
*Rumble*
In a split second, the initially bright sky was covered by clouds, and snake-like lightning rolled across the sky, sounding out rumbling thunder.
The most mysterious thing was that on Leylin's side, the weather was still fine. One side of the sky was clear, while the other was ominous, filling it with a type of indescribable aesthetic beauty.
"It's a thunderstorm! Pay attention and avoid getting wet!"
The leader, an old geezer, spoke from the forefront.
A vote had passed in the party, finally choosing the two who would show their faces as the temporary leaders.
"Damn!" Leylin's ears twitched as he heard a female traveller from the front complain.
However he did not bother with her, only drawing out a large tarpaulin from the sack on the Seated Lupin Wolf and draping it over his body.
*Hu Hu Hu*
The speed of the wolves was extremely quick, so after a dozen minutes, they entered the region of thunderstorms.
The cold wind was whizzing, mimicking knives slashing against everyone's faces.
*Pitter-patter* Not long later, bean-sized raindrops fell, rapidly turning into a heavy downpour.
Under the rain, the grassland had now turned into a marsh.
The muddy ground hindered the footsteps of the wolves. As for those blind spots, they were littered with the traps of quicksand. Once someone was to step into one, they would very soon be swallowed whole.
*Pu*
The wolf Leylin was riding on sounded a long hiss, and immediately, its four wolf paws gave out white light.
Streaks of light began to form within the white dizzying glow. When the rays of light began to disperse, a thick coat of wolf fur could be seen above their paws.
When the fur was spread out, it resembled a hoof.
*Ta* *Ta* The wolf proceeded on water as if it was flat ground. The speed of the entire team got faster.
"A creature formed from a combination of nature and magic, truly magical!"
Leylin sighed in admiration as he gently caressed the wolf's hump in front of him,
At this instant, the wolf hair on the hump gathered and became similar to a layer of skin, sticking onto the surface of the wolf. It had a layer of oil, causing it to resemble a raincoat.
Rain continued to roll off the body of the wolf, and not a drop remained on the wolf.
"This is only an ordinary mount. Hearsay indicates that within the Light Magus region, endless other magical mounts exist. Some were natural, and were captured from the wild, and others were manmade, causing them to be bizarre and exotic." Leylin's eyes began to display an expression of yearning.
With the speed of the wolf, they were able to make it before dark. Leylin and his party finally managed to rush out of the torrential rain zone and entered a stone forest.
"Tonight, we shall rest here. Pitch your tents and leave the wolves around the perimeter. Don't forget to feed them!" The female magician yelled.
Upon hearing that, the magicians restrained and fed their mounts. They also began to pitch their tents in the stone forest.
Very soon, a circle of black tents was seen assembled closely together. The Seated Lupin Wolves were circling around the tents, laying low, as if keeping vigil.
In a special tent, Leylin finished his meditation and looked at his status.
[Leylin Farlier. Rank 1 Warlock, Bloodline: Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Strength: 7.1, Agility: 6.7, Vitality: 8.5, Spiritual Force: 28.3, Magic Power: 28 (Magic Power is in synchronisation with Spiritual Force). Elemental essence conversion: 1%. Status: Healthy]
The progress for a magician was always a gradual one. After so many days of meditation, Leylin's spiritual force had only increased by 0.1. However, compared to the Magi who do not use high-grade resources to simulate their spiritual force growth, Leylin only had to persevere in meditation every day in order for his spiritual force to grow. This pace was considered overpowered!
As for the elemental essence conversion, not only it was one of the requirements to advance to a rank 2 Magus, it was another crucial method to increase the might of rank 1 spells, so it could not be neglected either.
Leylin had already somewhat discovered the Warlock's flaws.
As a small branch of the ancient magicians, not only did Warlocks have to unearth the power of their bloodline, they also could not neglect on their cultivation as a magician.
This meant that the advancement requirements for Warlocks were the same as those for Magi. Moreover, they had the limitations of their bloodline.
Even when a rank 1 Warlock would have reached the advancement criteria, if the concentration of his bloodline was not high enough, then the advancement would most likely fail, or not have an innate spell after their advancement. According to the A.I. Chip's simulation, this was very possible!
This was indeed the case if given more thought. If the path of Warlocks was that superior, the whole Magus World would have been predominantly Warlocks and not the currently observed situation.
However, with such severe conditions for advancement, once a Warlock managed to break through, their might would often surpass that of a Magus of the same rank!
For Leylin, his personal advantage made it more suitable for him to walk the path of a Warlock.
After he finished meditating, Leylin got up and left the tent.
"Wu wu!" A Seated Lupin Wolf, which was laying beside Leylin's tent, whimpered, slightly lifting its tall stature.
"Eat this!" Leylin took a large blue cod from his sack and fed the wolf.
The Seated Lupin Wolf growled with excitement and raised its giant red tongue that had white moss to gnaw on the fish.
As the tongue swept past Leylin's right hand, he could feel a warm, moist sensation.
Although the wolf could hunt for its own food, only specific kinds of foods could keep up with their daily intake as a beast of burden.
"Hello, Lancey!"
The tent beside Leylin's opened and a provocative and revealing figure walked out. Leylin rubbed his nose as he made his greeting.
During the allocation, he was assigned to be a pair with this woman.
"You're here to feed the wolves too?" Lancey nodded her head, as she took out some cod to feed the wolf beside her.
Each and every move of this woman had a sense of loneliness behind it. Leylin felt that this was a woman with a story to tell.
Of course, every magician who wanted to travel through the Great Canyon Margaret had a story behind them.
Although Leylin did not know why this female Magus wanted to escape to the Light Magi domain, he was sensible enough to not ask.
"Listen! I hear the slight hymn of the wind! Look! The white clouds which are freely floating in the skies~"
At this moment, a rock beside the two of them trembled. A sprite, which was fully brown in colour and was wearing a Scottish costume, suddenly emerged and played its harp while singing.
Looking at the rock sized sprite, Lancey covered her mouth as she gasped.
"It's the Brownstone Singer! I heard that they were extinct! I never thought that I'd see one here…"
Before Leylin could speak, the old geezer leader came out from the tent, while exclaiming in admiration when he saw the sprite strumming on top of a rock.
"Brownstone Singer?" Leylin recalled the data regarding these creatures. "It seems to be one of the rumoured creatures that possess mysterious abilities, but don't have much attack strength!"
"What adorable creatures!" Stars seem to shine in Lancey's eyes, and she could not resist the temptation to try and touch them.
"The energy waves that they emit are so weak— I wonder how they survived till now?"
"Let me capture them and slowly conduct my research!" A large bloke who heard the banter walked out with a disdainful expression.
*Hu* Following his demand, a layer of stone skin appeared on his hands as he tried to grab the sprite.
"You, stop!" Lancey frowned, but his words obviously did not carry much effect.
The large bloke did not even stop and immediately grabbed the Brownstone Singer. The sprite stared blankly, before crying out and turning into mud yellow light dots, which disappeared in the hands of the large bloke.
"This... what just happened?"
"The Brownstone Singer is a creature that is naturally formed from nature. They are able to harmonise with the earth energy particles within the air. Magi who do not have an elemental essence conversion of 80% or above would not even be able to touch them!"
The old geezer leader said.
"Moreover, they are really timid! After getting scared off by you, they might never come back!" Leylin added on.
Upon hearing what Leylin said, the old man was astounded as he looked at Leylin. "I cannot believe that you actually know such information, which has been neglected by many!"
"I just happened to come across it while reading an ancient compendium..." Leylin replied modestly.
At this moment, the discussion had aroused the curiosity of the others Magi from the camp and brought them here.
"There's still a little bit more!" Leylin looked at the huge bloke with a pitiful gaze.
"Legends have it that those who have been touched by a Brownstone Singer, regardless of their gender, would get pregnant!"
-x-X-x-
"Are you kidding… Argh..."
The huge bloke had a sinister smile, but soon after he gave a miserable shriek.
The surrounding Magi also cried out in surprise, as if they'd seen something unbelievable.
Right in front of them, the huge bloke's belly began to slowly swell, taking the shape of a bulge.
Thinking back to what Leylin said earlier, Lancey was fearful yet relieved that she did not touch the Brownstone Singer like she wanted to.
Looking at the big bloke freaking out and hurrying back into his tent, drinking and consuming all sorts of items with medicinal properties, smiles were seen hanging on the faces of all the people at the site...
After appreciating the spectacle, they rested for the night and carried on their journey the next day.
The huge bloke had also recovered, but his complexion did not look very good.
Where magicians were concerned, to induce an abortion or to do a caesarean section, it was a small and simple operation that even one man could handle.
The effects of the Brownstone Singer might be frightening to a normal person. But for magicians, it was more of a practical joke than something to be feared.
"Due to the Grand Canyon Margaret's topography, it became a paradise for many exotic creatures. Legends have it that you can still find trails of those that were said to be endangered or extinct here…."
Leylin secretly thought, as he saddled the Seated Lupin Wolf, and watched the surroundings slowly changed into an ash-gray rocky forest.
If it wasn't because of Grand Canyon Margaret's complex and ever-changing topography, and the huge sandstorm encircling it for a good part of the year, this canyon would have long became a natural resource mine for the magicians.
As time slowly passed by, the ash-gray rocky forest around Leylin and the others became shorter and shorter. Eventually, their surrounding only had fragmented small stones, resembling a barren land.
"Limestone Wasteland. We've already merged into the standard route. In the next ten days or so, we'll be more at ease. But following this will be the frightful Golden Desert, where the Kary Vultures gather. Everyone should maintain their energy, and prepare for the upcoming battle…"
The lead, an old geezer, yelled uninterrupted, as he rode a Seated Lupin Wolf that had a few strands of white beard on its face.
"Limestone Wasteland? A.I. Chip, bring out the map!" Leylin slightly lowered his head as a projection that only he could see was emitted.
On a simple map, there were general markings of the danger zones within the Grand Canyon Margaret. In the center, there was a twisted green route, that was linked from one side of the map to the other.
'Kary Vultures Gathering Place' was marked with an eye-catching red font, that was in the center of the green line which they have to pass through.
On the other two sides of the route, there were other extremely dangerous zones marked scarlet, which indicated that they cannot be traversed.
This only meant that making a detour was impossible.
If Leylin and the rest want to safely get across the Grand Canyon Margaret, the only way was to banish the Kary Vultures obstructing the route.
"Limestone Wasteland!"
Leylin found the range of the Limestone Wasteland on the blue map. It was a big ash-gray region.
Small words were written beside the region: "Limestone Wasteland! Verified as having an extremely low level of risk, and no high-energy life form was ever seen…"
Obviously, the Grand Canyon Margaret was explored by countless magicians on both sides and this was the best route to take to get across the canyon as it held the least risk.
As expected, once they entered the Limestone Wasteland, Leylin felt the Seated Lupin Wolf's muscles and fur slightly loosen up, as if entering a relatively relaxed state.
"The concentration of energy in the air here is very less as if the air has some kind of leakage and causes the energy within it to be vaporised."
Leylin snapped his fingers and a small ball of flame appeared on his palm. It trembled in the breeze as if it could be extinguished at any time.
If it were outside of this area, this small flaming wisp would be burning brightly, several folds brightly than now and its power would have been 1 degree or more.
"AI Chip, calculate this flame's power."
[Beep! Mission objective noted. Analysing the target. . . .completed! Flame's power is 0.4238 degrees.] The AI Chip outputted the required data very quickly.
"As expected. The energy concentration in the air has been reduced. To cast spells here with complete power will cost even more strength than if cast outside of this place..."
Magicians and magical beasts all use the energy particles within the air to perform all sorts of unimaginable and marvellous magic. If the energy concentration in the air was less, the power of the spell cast will also be reduced.
Moreover, if a living being stayed in this place for a long time, it might undergo mutation.
As for those beings who knew magic, they would abhor these kinds of regions.
"This type of area, the Limestone Desert, looks like it was caused by a war between two highly-ranked Magi, as stated in the Book of Giant Serpent!"
Leylin now begins to believe the legend; the Grand Canyon Margaret was created by two great Magi during their battle.
But the Limestone Wasteland's desert-like appearance was a good thing for travellers like them.
At least, there was no need to worry about random, exotic species ambushing them along the way. They could rest and conserve energy.
This tranquil life lasted fifteen days.
Along the way, there experienced some bad weather and other situations. But it was not an issue for Leylin, who was a well-prepared magician.
The night before they were to walk out of this Limestone Wasteland, the old geezer, who was leading them all, and Lancey, gathered the six Magi .
"Starting tomorrow, we will be out of the Limestone Desert, and entering the Golden Desert!"
Under the illuminating flame, the old geezer's wrinkled face showed uncertainty as his pair of pupils shone.
"At the heart of the Golden Desert, the third supply spot that we will pass by has been occupied by the abominable Kary Vultures. The reason why we formed small teams, was mostly for this! Now, it's time to make the final decision!"
The old and tiny geezer looked around: "Will we kill the Vulture King as mentioned before, or merely expel them?"
"What else? Of course, we kill it!" The huge bloke who was teased by the Brownstone Singer took the lead and voiced out first.
"Materials made from the Vulture King can be sold for sell tens of thousands of magic crystals, and bar owners from both ends of the canyon will give extra rewards. Is there anything better than this?"
This was mentioned by the bartender from the Broken Axe Pub, who gave this small team an impromptu mission —— Kill the Kary Vulture King, do not let it leave alive!
Once this is done, not only will the materials obtained from the Vulture King belong entirely to the group, the pubs on both sides will also give a generous amount of magic crystals as a reward.
Because of the existence of the Kary Vultures, it had caused issues for cargos that were transported back and forth the canyon. It seems that the people involved can no longer tolerate it.
And the Kary Vultures were very vengeful creatures. If the Vulture King wasn't killed, it would gather more of its kind and hunt down any visible Magi.
The impromptu team Leylin was with, had a short discussion at the bar and agreed to the bartender's proposal.
After all, official Magi all lacked resources. They couldn't afford to miss any opportunity to accumulate more resources.
What the old geezer had put forward, was only to make a final confirmation.
"Of course!" "Well, did we not agree on this before?"
The huge bloke's words caused a resonance, and Leylin gently agreed. As long as it was appropriate, he did not mind giving his vote and gain some magic crystals.
"Great!" The old geezer smiled till the wrinkles on his face gathered together, resembling a chrysanthemum.
Seeing him like this, Leylin reckoned the Vulture King had an important material that the old geezer needed. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so into this.
"Good! Then I'll delegate tasks to everyone accordingly. The Kary Vultures are very cunning, their ability to fly makes battling them extremely troublesome. Those of you who know rank 1 flying magic ..."
The leader old geezer started to deploy everyone.
Contrastingly Leylin remained uncommunicative; he did not voice out his expertise. He ended up with the role of assisting the attacker.
The old geezer's arrangement was quite fair. In accordance with the principles of "work more, get more", every magician was assigned a job within their capabilities and developed a detailed plan.
However, during the planning, the flying magicians who were tasked as attackers and responsible for intercepting had the privilege of selecting the spoils of war.
And the old geezer just had a showcase of his strange flying magic.
Flying was still a relatively rare ability amongst the rank 1 Magi. Not only is the specialised rank 1 flying magic rarely seen, it is also not practical.
Not unless they managed to obtain a few magic artifacts that could aid flying, like Bosain.
But, as far as rank 1 Magi were concerned, only middle-grade magic artifacts would be deemed useful. For example, that item in Bosain's hand — the liquefying metallic ball, called 'Bright Silver'. Although it was very useful for one at the acolyte level, for an official Magus it would have very low power and be considered to be very weak. The most important factor, speed, of that artifact had not reached a suitable standard and to use it to assist with flying would only be seen as a joke!
It was still rare to be able to master the rank 1 flying magic like that old geezer leader.
A pair of pale green wings grew on the back of the old geezer. When he soared into the sky, Leylin keenly felt the currents and particles in the wind fluctuate. Evidently, the old geezer was a Magus who specialized in Wind element energy particles.
[According to the quantity of energy particles dispelled from the target's, determined to be of Wind element. Essence element conversion is 15-20%!]
A fine beam of blue flashed across Leylin's eyes.
The A.I. Chip could now judge other magicians during sudden bursts of energy, to determine the general stats of the opposite party.
But to get the most accurate data, it would still have to break through the protective force field of the target.
Unless he met a tenacious enemy, Leylin would never do something like that.
Before a rank 1 Magi's force field can be broken, the moment Leylin uses A.I. Chip to break through into the opponent's protective force field, it's as if Leylin had used his hands to peel off the other party's clothes. It would definitely lead to some extreme hatred from the other party. Leylin did not wish to make more enemies.
Or maybe he could wait for the A.I. Chip to upgrade again, and then he could break through into the other magician's force field without him noticing.
Leylin kept calculating in his heart, as he looked forward to such an ability.
-x-X-x-
The rain drizzled continuously, as if like a thread of yarn.
It pelted onto the tarpaulin Leylin had draped over his shoulders; it gave a cooling sensation.
Riding on the Seated Lupin Wolf that had a night's rest, Leylin appeared tranquil as he peered through the ashy haze, trying to look at the scenery ahead.
*Whoosh*
It was as if the curtains were pulled apart. Leylin felt like he had rushed out of a dense fog as extremely dazzling sunlight directly shined on them.
*Rustling*
Wolf claws slowly sunk into the countless grains of sand they were stepping on.
The rain-filled, dark clouds had gradually dispersed, and now the fiery sun had taken over the sky. It brought with it burning hot rays of brilliance, which constantly spread across the wide desert.
From what they could see, there was a field of gold as well as modulating levels of sand dunes.
"Golden Desert, we've arrived!" Leylin felt the surrounding temperature increasing constantly. It must have gone up by at least twenty degrees since the rain earlier.
The sweltering humidity continuously flooded into the tarpaulin, and even with Leylin's constitution, he felt a little uncomfortable.
*Crash* He hastily removed the tarpaulin and stripped off some clothes, and even then he only felt a little better.
This sudden change in temperature within the Grand Canyon Margaret was not unusual. If ordinary people came here, it would have been a torment for them. However for Leylin and his group, it was only a wee bit troublesome.
"Awooooooo!"
The leading Seated Lupin Wolf howled, and the rest of the wolves that were being ridden by the others also howled. It wasn't clear if these howls were due to excitement or was meant as a warning.
With the howling of the wolves, Leylin noted that the body hairs on the Seated Lupin Wolf began to change.
The Seated Lupin Wolves had black fur, and only the head had a touch of bright red fur. But now in the hot sunlight, the wolf's hair color gradually faded. Finally, it completely transformed into a pale white color, then a streak of light blue lighted up from the wolf's body. The whole piece fur turned ice blue.
An icy breath emitted from the back of the wolf. The icy-cool feeling was very comfortable, especially in this desert.
"It actually even knows of the uses and the difference between thermal absorption properties of light and dark colors!"
Leylin could not help but to gasp in amazement of the adaptability of the Seated Lupin Wolf. Under the scorching rays of the sun, the ice blue fur was not affected by the heat as much as the dark fur. As for the fact that the Seated Lupin Wolf knew of these — it made Leylin feel somewhat shocked.
Moreover, they even applied the slight use of Ice element energy particles.
The Seated Lupin Wolf was undoubtedly the best creature to traverse the terrains of the Great Canyon Margaret!
The six huge wolves with icy blue fur gave off a chilly sensation. They very soon proceeded on their journey along with the Magi riding on them, and stepped into the Golden Desert which was 10 times more dangerous than the Limestone Wasteland.
Under the scorching rays, Leylin gulped down some more water.
With his vision and the A.I. Chip's detection, he had already discovered many dangerous creatures in the nearby desert.
To put it bluntly, the level of danger in the Limestone Wasteland was the lowest in all of the terrains within the Great Canyon Margaret.
A dozen days before, the journey for Leylin and the others were extremely relaxed. There was no difference from an excursion, and the dangerous creatures they met were rare.
However, things were obviously different in here.
With the slightest observation, Leylin already discovered many dangerous lifeforms concealed within the sand dunes.
Six-Eyed Poison Snake, Golden Scorpion, Toxic Compound Eye Lizard were a few creatures that Leylin saw before in illustrations as they continued to appear before his eyes. There were even some grotesquely shaped creatures.
"The energy density in the air here has even been replicated. It's even higher than in the outside world, no wonder there are so many troublesome things!"
Feeling the energy particles that filled the air, Leylin gasped slightly.
"Everyone, keep your spirits raised. The dangers in the Golden Desert cannot be compared with the Limestone Wasteland!"
The female Magus, called Lancey, shouted.
Even without her reminder, the other Magi present had already recollected their absent-minded pace from before.
One can loosen their guard occasionally in the Limestone Wasteland, but if they chose to do the same in the Golden Desert, they were foolish and seeking for death! Those magicians who were able to advance into a rank 1 Magus were seldom such people.
"Awoooooo!"
Just then, Lancey's steed let off a howl. Its huge claws were raised and its sharp claws at tip slashed down with a cold glint of light!
*Pat*
Suddenly, a black scorpion with the image of an eye appeared in front of where the wolf was. It was patted down by the sharp claws of wolf as it continuously writhed its body and hissed.
*Ka-Cha* The Seated Lupin Wolf dropped its jaws and opened its gory mouth as it placed the scorpion into its jaws. The razor sharp mandible continued to chew, bringing along the snapping sounds of the scorpion's bones being crunched.
"Such a life form can be settled by the Seated Lupin Wolf. However, dangerous creatures such as the Kary Vultures must be dealt by us personally!"
Lancey slighted nudged her steed forward and said to the Magi behind her.
"This is…"
Where the Seated Lupin Wolf had attacked earlier, it sent a huge amount of sand flying in the air and Leylin spotted several grains of gold within it.
He reached his hand forward and grasp a handful of gold sand in his hands.
In the middle of the normal grains of sand, several golden grains were mixed in with it. Its weight was also heavier than the others by a large margin.
"Golden sand?"
Leylin looked at the gold which seemed to be alluring and was somewhat speechless.
"Golden Desert, this here is the real Golden Desert!"
"If it was the secular world, it will definitely cause chaos. A pity, however…"
With a look of contempt, Leylin flung the gold sand back onto the ground.
To magicians, only the magic crystals, the ingredients which could stimulate the spiritual force and the various advanced information was considered to be the real currency!
As for the gold belonging the secular world, apart from its uses as an ingredient, it was no different from regular metals.
Moreover, the Golden Desert was situated inside the Great Canyon Margaret, an area forbidden to regular humans. To traverse it also required the employment of the highly expensive Seated Lupin Wolves.
Thinking of the cost of excavation would already frighten the kings in many dukedoms!
Leylin only felt some pity regarding the golden sand, but he very soon regained his composure.
The A.I. Chip's detection had been activated by him all along as his eyes surveyed the surroundings. In the Golden Desert, one must always be on alert.
The six giant, icy-blue wolves seemed to be six small boats in the Golden Desert as they continuously plodded on.
After the sky gradually darkened, the temperature in the desert also dropped.
At this moment, the Seated Lupin Wolf gave off warmth; their furs also turned back to black, as if storing the heat from day time.
"Today, I shall stand guard during the night!"
After Leylin had built his tent, an official Magus present among them all, said so.
There was a total of 6 in the group. Leylin, Lancey, the old leader, and the huge bloke and two others who remained silent most of the time. The one who spoke was one of these two.
These two Magi had grey robes on at all times, and seldom spoke. Their personality was also extremely antisocial. Up till now, Leylin managed to exchange two sentences with only one of the two.
"We will count on you!" Lancey did not look too good, her face appeared tired as she went into her tent.
During the day, she had used her spiritual force to scan the surroundings for any activity going on. Now, she urgently needed to rest and meditate to recover her spiritual force.
As Leylin had the A.I. Chip to help with his tasks, his mental state was still doing fine. Yet he still put on a false impression of being weary.
"Are you not going to rest awhile?" Leylin appeared in front of one of those official Magi and casually spoke to him.
"I need not rest. I have these. Come out, my little babies!"
The Magus on night duty gave a deep laughter as his pair of arms performed a strange gesture.
*Bang* *Bang* *Bang* A layer of Earth element particles continued to emanate from his body.
The surrounding sand rose up by a layer. After which, it was quickly broken, revealing a dozen yellow slates.
These muddy yellow slates each had a human face on it. Some were young, some were old. They even a pair of slim arms and legs. Just like a gingerbread man.
"Father! We await your commands!" A dozen stone slate people knelt on one knee in front of the Magus on night duty.
"Very well, you all shall guard the night for me. You are in charge of…" The night guard Magus nodded his head and unrestrainedly began giving out orders.
"Sentinel Slates?" Leylin was bewildered.
These creatures were very similar to the Sentinel Slates in the database of the A.I. Chip, yet it seemed like a creature of a higher level.
"It's a rank 1 Sentinel Slate but they have undergone modifications from me!" The night duty Magus declared proudly.
After becoming an official Magus, magicians will often attempt to modify and improve some rank 1 spells and even the rank 0 spells of acolytes.
Once they were successful, it could absolutely turn into a unique trump card. Or it could be sold in exchange for a large amount of resources.
A pity that these things and finding replacement potions were the same. Unless one was extremely lucky to chance across it, or only after undergoing a vast amount of experiments, would it be possible to see results.
"It's really quite a remarkable spell!" Several traces of admiration, which was just right, appeared on Leylin's face, turning the gaze of the spell caster gentler towards him.
"Let's go! The Sentinel Slates originally have to use of acting as a warning. After my modification, their detection abilities can span a dozen miles…" The Magus on night duty said.
Leylin looked at the Sentinel Slates, which, having received orders, hurriedly ran to the outer area of the camp encirclement, using the sand to conceal their own bodies.
Along with the sand that continuously trickled down, the energy waves of the slate got smaller, finally turning into an untraceable spell. Leylin could not help but approve in silence.
Any Magus would have their own trump card. Once they were disregarded, it would definitely be a painful experience.
Deep in the night, Leylin who was in a light sleep heard an ear-piercing scream.
"Hurry, get up. We have trouble!"
The earlier Magus, who was on guard duty, went into the individual tents and his face showing utter exasperation.
"What happened?" Lancey's expression was the worst. There were several spots on her body where the robes were not yet arranged, as it revealed her alluring flesh. A pity nobody at the scene bothered to have another look.
-x-X-x-
"A Golden Giant is in the process of moving towards us!"The Magus on night duty exclaimed hurriedly. "The Sentinel Slate used to alert the others have been completely eaten by it, too!"
"F*ck!"
After hearing these words 'Golden Giant', Leylin quickly heard the startled oaths of nearby Magi.
The Golden Giant was a type of elemental species. Its power was close to that of a fully converted elemental Magus. On top of that, it has its own unique racial talents. Only a rank 2 Magus had the capabilities to thoroughly kill or banish it.
"Wasn't it said that the Golden Giants from the Golden Desert are extinct? Furthermore, it appeared conveniently in our way. "
The old leader clenched his jaws in a state of madness. His eyes emitted a green radiance.
"Can we avoid it for the time being?"
Lancey suggested. "The Golden Desert is so huge, he might not be able to find us!"
"I am afraid not!" Leylin was the first to interject. "The Golden Giants have a natural instinct to chase species with high energy levels. The energy propagating from our bodies acts like a lamp in the darkness for the giant's eyes. The more we move, the more likely the Golden Giant will assault us!"
"If that is the case what should we do?" A look of despair appeared on Lancey's face. "Unless we have a rank 2 Magus within our party, we will all fail to escape the assault of the Golden Giant…."
There is a large gulf of difference in power level between the official Magi of different rankings
Leylin and his party of six were only slightly stronger than a rank 1 Magus. They would even have difficulties going head on with a semi converted elemental Magus. They had no chance of surviving an encounter with a fully converted elemental Golden Giant.
Semi elemental conversions refer to Magi whose elemental essence conversion has reached a level of 50% and above. At this stage, their increase in magical power due to the elemental essence conversion starts to become very obvious. When faced with budding Warlocks, they held a great advantage.
While Leylin was still an acolyte, he had an encounter with a semi converted storm elemental sprite while on the dirigible. If not for the fact that there was a large gathering of Magi from the different academies, the only outcome would have been death.
In the current predicament, Leylin had to face something far more powerful and dangerous than the semi converted storm elemental sprite.
"Perhaps, we should scatter and escape in different directions…"
The large bloke hesitated for a while before suggesting.
Upon hearing the suggestion, the Magi present entered a state of silence and eyes started flickering nonstop.
"Are you people mad?"
The old geezer interrupted the large bloke in a fit of anger. "If we fled in different directions, can you guarantee that you individuals are lucky enough to escape the assault of the Golden Giant? Furthermore, what will you do after you reach the Kary Vultures' territory?"
The two sharp questions abruptly brought about a deeper silence.
After fleeing in different directions, they could once again head towards the intended destination. If they were lucky, there was even a chance of heading back to Broken Axe Pub.
However, this was only the last resort. The Magi will not accept their foul fate just like that.
"Quick! Another three of my babies are dead!" The night shift Magus said with a heavier breath than before.
"Maybe we could use the Sentinel Slate along with a rune which dissipates energy continuously to distract the Golden Giant. While it is distracted, we could do our best to restrain the energy emitted from our bodies and sneak away... If it fails, we could do as mentioned earlier and scatter in different directions..."
In the midst of silence. Leylin suddenly spoke up.
"Although this plan is unreliable, we obviously have no better options…"
The old geezer let out a sign of deep resignation and pointed at Leylin. "We will do as he says! I happen to have the material for a few Sentinel Slates…"
Following which, he handed out vials filled with grey powders to the night shift Magus.
Having looked at the materials handed out by the old geezer, the night shift Magus displayed a look of unwillingness. However, he still received the materials from the old geezer. "Alright, let's try it! But I cannot guarantee that it will work!"
Soon after the chants from the nightshift Magus, a few pieces of Sentinel Slates that resembled the destroyed one rose up from the sands.
At this moment, the people in the camp could clearly see a golden glow appearing in the eastern direction.
This glow was like the sun dissipating the darkness and brought about a glimmer of warmth.
In front of the solar disk was the colossal shadow of a giant.
The giant's body radiated a golden light. It was armoured very simply. A leather armour on this upper body with an iron hoop in the middle that joined the two shoulder pads.
On the shoulders rested the head of the giant with rigid face lines that looked like it was caused by the scrapes and slashes of weapons. The tangerine hair on top of its head looked like it was burning mightily.
[Beep! High energy species life form spotted, determined to be a Golden Giant, recommended to leave immediately!]
At the same instant, the A.I. chip displayed out of a red warning screen.
"Quick! Quick!" The old geezer's voice was filled with urgency.
"I know a few energy concentration runes, hopefully, it is of use!" The other usually quiet Magus stood up and said. Following which he applied what looked like a mixture of circular and triangular runes on the Sentinel Slate.
After the rune was inscribed, it radiated brightly and suddenly a power energy surged out from the Sentinel Slate. This enormous energy fluctuated chaotically causing the Golden Giant to let out a roar and accelerate towards it.
"Nice! It grabbed the Golden Giant's attention!" Lancey exclaimed happily.
"Let's add this on top!" Leylin uncorked a red test tube and poured its content on the inscribed Sentinel Slate.
After the liquid from the red test tube assimilated fully into the Sentinel Slate, the Sentinels let out angry snarls and transformed to be bigger and with stronger limbs.
"Hopefully, this will help them hold out longer!"
Leylin tossed away the empty test tube. The energy propagating out of his body was reduced from that of an official Magus to a normal person.
This was done using the Transfiguration Spell. It diluted the level of energy propagating from his body.
After which, he went over to his Seated Lupin Wolf, placed a cover over the wolf's mouth and gave it a pat on its head.
The Seated Lupin Wolf seemed to be aware of the presence of the incoming Golden Giant. It got low to the floor with limbs trembling and waited for Leylin's command.
The other Magus followed Leylin's action.
They also used the protection of the environment to conceal their whole body.
Finally, the Golden Giant was nearer to the camp. It was less than only 500 metres away!
At this sort of distance, Leylin was able to see clearly every single hair on the giant.
"It's up to you now, babies, attack!"
"Attack! For our father!"
The burly and buffed up Sentinel Slates roared. Some of them rushed head on towards the Golden Giant while the others split up and ran in different directions.
Whether it was the brave Sentinels Slates who charged heads on towards the Golden Giant or the others who ran in different directions, their bodies carried a large source of energy which pulsated out of them. The energy was almost like that of a rank 1 Magus.
"kjfl" The Golden Giant let out an unknown type of shout as if swearing.
It stretched out its large palms in a posture like it was hiding the sky and covering the earth. It pushed against the ground and dredged up the earth.
A few of the Sentinels were picked up by the Golden Giant
"For glory! For protection!"
The Sentinel Slates roared as their little fists rained down upon the giant's large arm.
"Creak Crunch!" The large Golden Giant placed the captured Sentinels directly into the mouth. It sounded as if he was chewing through biscuits.
After ingesting the Sentinel Slates, the Golden Giant let out a loud roar and chased after the fleeing Sentinel Slates with large strides.
"Now!"
The old geezer's voice was soft. The six men covertly pulled the Seated Lupin Wolf and left the camp area.
Everyone was doing their utmost to contain the energy pulsating from their bodies. There was even a cover on the Seated Lupin Wolf's body. Like moles, they stealthily left the area
The Golden Giant shouted at the fleeing Sentinel Slates and chased after them. It never gave the camp a second look.
"Run!"
Someone exclaimed softly after the golden glow disappeared. Without hesitation, everyone ran at the speed of light.
...
*Crash!*
The wolf pack ran past, kicking up a dust of sand and stones. The dust glittered a faint glow of gold.
Leylin and the party had been on the run without a break ever since he was disturbed from his rest state at the camp. This, coupled with the Golden Giant incident had caused Leylin to have an unhealthy complexion.
From the pitch black darkness of the night to a fully risen sun, almost half a day had passed while on the run.
However, the thought of the Golden Giant spurred the party on and nobody grumbled about the lack of rest.
"We were lucky the Golden Giant does not seem to have high intelligence! It only knows how to mindlessly chase after high energy life forms. If not, the stealth attempt yesterday would have failed. It was a really suspenseful situation…"
Leylin felt a lingering fear in his heart.
Although he has advanced his magical powers and is considered to be someone of considerable power in the world of Magus, the Golden Giant was something that was entirely out of his league.
"However, the Golden Giant is an elemental species. It does not have a bloodline. If not, I would rather like to have a few drops of the Golden Giant's blood for my experiments..."
Leylin's eyes betrayed a glimpse of regret.
There were countless types of mythical species in the Magus world. The Golden Giant belonged to the elemental species. Its whole body is made up of various type of elements and minerals. There is not even a drip of blood in it, naturally there will be no blood line.
In ancient times, the paths to becoming a Magus were many. The Warlocks chose the path of the bloodline.
And obviously, the Golden Giant chose a different path.
There are different paths to reach the pinnacle. Leylin's plan was to follow the path of the Warlock.
"Shall we rest? If we do not meditate and recuperate our spiritual force..." Lancey's voice was heard from the front of the party. She travelled together with the old geezer on the Seated Lupin Wolf.
All Magi make use of the both their spiritual force and magic power to perform miraculous magic. Due to the Golden Giant incident yesterday and the constant travelling, the six Magi were unable to mediate to recuperate their spiritual energy. Looks of exhaustion were spread across their faces.
"No need for that, we are yet to be out of the danger zone, the Golden Giant might catch up to us anytime soon…"
The wind carried the old geezers reply though the party.
After hearing the old geezers reply, the party sank into a solemn silence and carried on with their hasty escape.
The Magi feared the Golden Giant more than any other dangers in the Golden Desert.