*Weng!*
The silver white light was extremely thin, and as it sliced at the beast formed from rock, not a single undulation was produced.
*Bang!*
The stone beast suddenly halted in mid-air, and with a gentle booming sound, the beast cracked, and was reduced to fragments of rock that rained down.
"The Wetland Gardens Academy's 'Broadsword Jamu' is indeed formidable!"
The leader chuckled, seeming to be very familiar with Jamu.
"Who in the world are you?" Jamu frowned. Not only did these bandits have acolytes in the group, the bandits' leader even had a magic artifact and knew so much about him. No matter how he thought about it, this leader wasn't just any random bandit looking for a target!
He could smell something fishy and quite possibly dangerous going on here.
"Do you really think I'd tell you?" The bandit leader answered nonchalantly. "There should at least be a transmitting spell formation on you. The moment I expose anything about myself, the Wetland Gardens Academy will automatically have a record of it. Am I wrong?"
While he spoke, rays of black light emerged in the area surrounding him.
The black lights converged, forming warriors in armour. Their skulls were jet black.
"These are my darkness fighting troop that I especially prepared for you! Each dark warrior's might is at at least 15 degrees! How about it? Enjoy the experience!"
Amidst the manic laughter, the black armoured warriors roared and rushed forward, trapping Jamu between them.
Seeing the more than ten dark warriors, Jamu's face fell.
Although this large magic artifact of his was very powerful, its energy consumption rate was equally enormous. It was obvious that this bandit was intending to use cannon fodder and force him to use up his magic and spiritual force.
No matter how amazing an acolyte was, once his or her magic and spiritual force were depleted, he or she would only be trampled on.
"Kill off the other acolytes. All items will belong to you!"
The black robed bandit leader hid behind the rows of dark warriors to stay protected and pointed towards Leylin and the other acolytes.
"Kill!" His underlings, the dark Magus acolytes, roared and rushed towards Leylin.
"Damn it! Try to prolong the fight. Once Senior Jamu takes care of the opposing leader, we'll be safe!"
Bessita clenched her teeth and spoke to the acolytes behind her.
At the same time, she glanced towards Leylin's direction.
"Let's form an alliance! Otherwise, none of us will be able to survive!"
"Hmph!" George knew her suggestion was reasonable, but couldn't help but snort in reply.
He wasn't stupid and naturally knew what had just happened.
He really didn't want to form an alliance with such a woman.
However, his rational side told him that this was the best way to get out of this difficult situation.
"George!" Sheira cast a worried glance at George. She had already readied her bow, which had been on her shoulder, and positioned it at her front.
"Leylin! Let's do it!" George saw that the bandits were quickly closing in and unwillingly bellowed.
The muscles on his body bulged bit by bit, and in an instant, he turned into a giant that was more than three metres tall. At the same time, his skin had turned green, matching with the veins on his muscles that looked like connected earthworms. Leylin suddenly thought of the Incredible Hulk, a figure he was familiar with in his previous life.
"Roar!" After transforming into the green giant, George pounded on his naked chest and bellowed out a thundering roar.
He stomped on the ground, and with huge momentum, shot towards the incoming bandits like a lead bullet which had left a gun barrel.
*Pa!*
With a wave of George's giant palm, a bandit was sent flying. Blood splattered all over, and the sound of bones breaking could be heard. Even the piercing screeches of horror were overshadowed by this grisly sight and sound.
"What amazing power! Besides some flaws in speed and rationality, every other aspect is perfect!" Leylin watched George, who was freely utilizing his might, from a corner, his blue eyes flashing.
He never expected George to have majored in transfiguration!
However, this decision was easy to relate to, as Magi usually held high positions, and prioritised lengthening their lifespan.
For the average magician, advancing to the level of a Magus to gain a longer lifespan was much too difficult. Hence, by transplanting the organs of various powerful creatures and modifying one's body, one would be able to strengthen and increase his or her vitality. This had gradually become the norm amongst magicians.
The study of transmutation had thus become very popular amongst many.
Strictly speaking, the changes that a Warlock would undergo could actually be considered an extension of transmutation as well. At the very least, they were rather similar at the beginning stages.
Hence, when Leylin was at the Four Seasons Garden, he had concentrated on collecting all knowledge related to transmutation. With the aid of the A.I. Chip, his knowledge in transmutation was at a level close to official Magi who had spent most of their life researching on this subject.
With just a look, Leylin could identify the creature George had used.
"Out of all the plants that can be transfigured, a Green Metal Tree? This is a popular choice amongst acolytes since it's easy to work with and augments offensive prowess. Its defensive properties are not bad, and there are many ways in which one can advance. There aren't too many restrictions!"
At this moment, the green giant that George had transformed into was in the center of the battlefield, grabbing an unlucky individual's thigh. The poor man was used as a huge club and was swung around by George at any bandits who neared him.
This "human weapon" brushed against the ground from time to time, producing traces of bright red bloodstains. From the looks of it, the acolyte that George had caught was in a rather terrible situation.
*Chi! Chi!*
Meanwhile, there were several green arrows being shot by Sheira's bow from behind George. She covered for George and helped him fend off attackers.
"Hm. They have good rapport!" Leylin nodded, looking incredibly relaxed.
Around him, there was a layer of invisible waves that could manipulate one's mind. All acolytes who entered the domain he had set up would unconsciously choose to ignore him, and would instead fight amongst themselves.
Such a strange situation had obviously attracted the attentions of many.
"Look at him! The enemies aren't going after him at all. He has got to be a spy!"
The three acolytes behind Jamu saw this odd situation, and immediately yelled.
"Uhh…" Leylin touched his nose.
His laid back appearance was rather eye catching in this desperate battle.
Before George and the others could react, the winner on the side of the battlefield where Jamu was had been decided.
"You're forcing me to do this! Burst form! Activate!"
After waving his sword in quick succession, he scattered the bunch of dark acolytes that approached and steeled his mind while looking at the numerous dark warriors around him.
He pressed a few points on his body, as if stimulating some special state.
In a split second, his blue hair exploded strand by strand, and immense energy undulations were emitted from his body.
*Weng Weng!*
The white broadsword in Jamu's hand also produced a rumble.
"Whirlwind, Second form!" Jamu shouted.
From within the sword, a violent, green hurricane emerged!
The tremendous hurricane shrouded Jamu's body, and he rapidly spun along with it.
The green hurricane was like a spinning top, with the surface being the edge of the broadsword. Like the wind, it swept through the battlefield, along with the hordes of dark warriors.
*Peng!* *Peng!* *Peng!* *Peng!*
The dark warriors that had been swept up in the green hurricane looked like they were caught by a large, shapeless hand and forced into a vortex. They scattered into countless black pieces that flew about in the air.
The violent hurricane instantly destroyed the dark warriors' layers of defense and quickly approached the bandit leader.
"Night Devil!"
The bandit leader produced a black ring and yelled, the gaze in his eyes frantic for the very first time.
*Peng!*
Numerous black rays emanated from the ring and formed a large black shield in front of him. There were fine black barbed tips on the surface, with the sheen of a metallic luster.
When the attacks from the hurricane struck against the black shield, a gigantic energy shock wave engulfed the area.
*Boom!*
Along with the loud noise, the explosion left a deep crater on the surface of the ground. An entire layer of the ground had been turned up, exposing plant roots and countless stones.
Even the side of the battlefield that Leylin was on was affected!
Whether it was the bandits or the acolytes near Leylin, everyone was in a pitiful state.
After the blast wave had died down, dust flew all over like a curtain and covered the battlefield.
The two opposing forces stopped all actions, and focused their gazes on the centre of the area.
After a moment, the dust dispersed and revealed the area.
In the middle of the crater, innumerable crevices had split open like cobwebs under the two combatants' feet. Jamu's two hands were fixed firmly on his silver white broadsword, pressed against the surface of the black shield.
"Hah! Hah!"
Jamu was panting roughly, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
It was obvious that the violent explosion had taken a toll on his physical strength.
"Hehe… I acknowledge your strength, but so what? You've probably used up all your spiritual force at this point, no? I wonder how much energy is still left in the reserves of that large sword of yours."
The bandit leader snickered.
With the sounds of his laughter, the black light from the shield began to suppress the sword.
The strain could be seen on Jamu's expression as the broadsword was gradually forced backwards by the shield.
"Jamu—Senior Jamu!" The acolytes who had come with Jamu murmured worriedly, their voices breaking.
"Jamu won't actually lose right? He's the number 1 genius acolyte of the academy…"
Bessita's little face had turned pale as she scanned the surroundings.
"Hehe… I'll bring your head back, hang it in my bedroom, and treat it as my most treasured collection item!" The bandit leader snickered complacently.
"Unfortunately, you're the one who's going to lose! Furthermore, I'll be the one stepping over your body as if I'm stepping over stones!"
-x-X-x-
Jamu's face turned red and he suddenly shouted, "Third Form!"
An instant later, blood oozed from his skin.
The great amount of blood soaked into his clothes, staining it red. His whole body currently looked as if he had just been fished out of an ocean of blood.
With his blood bubbling up, a shocking amount of terrifying spiritual force was also sent out from Jamu's body suddenly.
The large sword in Jamu's hand immediately turned a bright red color, and its radiance momentarily grew by several metres.
*Peng!*
The bandit leader's black metal shield was broken into pieces by the blood-red sword.
Following which, Jamu swung the sword in his hands and aimed a fierce chop at the black-garbed bandit leader.
*Sssii!*
The black-garbed bandit leader was sent flying by the attack, and the black ring-shaped magic artifact on his body shattered into pieces in mid-air. It then turned into fine dust, which drifted off with the wind.
"Good work, Jamu!"
"You truly are worthy of being called Senior Jamu!"
Witnessing this scene, all the other people from the Wetland Gardens Academy immediately began to cheer.
Jamu, on the other hand, immediately turned around with his sword aimed at the remaining bandits.
Apparently, he had planned to dispose of all these enemies in one breath; after all, the third form also placed a heavy burden on him and had other troublesome after effects.
"Jamu is the best..." Bessita said, seeing Jamu's unusual power. She blushed, stars flashing in her eyes.
"Pieces of trash! You have forced my hand!"
Suddenly, a strange hoarse voice could be heard.
After hearing this voice, the bandits, who had been arrogant up until a moment ago, kneeled down as if they had seen God, their bodies slightly trembling.
Following this voice, a huge black palm appeared in midair and slammed at Jamu, just like someone swatting a housefly.
*Thump!*
The black palm merely swatted, yet the blood-red sword in Jamu's hand was sent flying. Soon after, a fist struck out. Jamu's chest caved in, and he spurted out a large amount of blood as he was thrown back.
"An offi…official Magus?"
Lying on the ground, Jamu's expression was one of incredulity, and then he lost consciousness.
"Official Magus?" Bessita's expression paled, and she felt limp and collapsed as if the bones in her body had been removed. "We are finished!"
Although they had heard that there was a dark official Magus hiding in one of the many bandit groups, they had not anticipated that they would encounter this particular one.
This was a high and mighty Magus! Would he even put their small group of acolytes in his eyes?
Unfortunately, the reality was cruel, and what one least expected would always happen.
The dark Magus was clothed in a black robe with golden accents, and with a black fog obscured his appearance, he instantly appeared in front of them.
*Awooooo!* George issued a loud howl and faced the dark Magus head-on.
Though powerful, George's gigantic green form caused side effects such as losing rationality for an indeterminate period randomly. This effect was more obvious when the body was transformed.
He instinctively rushed towards the middle of the battlefield, heading for the dark Magus who was immensely pressuring him.
"George! Don't!" shouted Shiera, with a look of despair on her face.
"A lowly acolyte dares to attack this mighty Lord Magus?"
The dark Magus sneered. A dangerous green phosphorescent claw from an unknown beast latched onto George.
*Puchi!*
Suddenly, raging black fireballs struck this strange claw.
The raging black fireballs seemed to fill the sky and dyed it a dark black.
This was merely a green claw, and though it tried to persist within the black flame, it was burned to ashes within a few seconds.
"Who was that?" The dark-gowned Magus asked in rage.
"Ai…" was the reply he heard, a soft and gentle sigh.
Immediately, Leylin's body flashed past in a dark ray of light, appearing in front of George, who had transformed into the green giant.
At this moment, however, there was some drool flowing from one side of George's mouth—he had completely lost his rationality. Seeing Leylin, he attempted to grab him.
The green giant's arms had flexible and sturdy muscles, causing violent gales when they moved.
While facing this attack, Leylin calmly extended his right hand.
*Bang!*
The huge fist was directly blocked by the pale, slender palm of Leylin.
At this moment, Leylin's body was like an infant's when compared to that of the green giant, but even so, Leylin still resisted the green giant's full strength attack.
This scene appeared to be all too hilarious, but not a single person present was laughing.
"An offi...official Magus?"
Alexander's jaws snapped wide open—thus resembling a toad—and he said, "Leylin is an official Magus! My heavens..."
"How foolish were we?" Lana and the other acolytes also were gaping foolishly.
As for Bessita, this woman had basically become paralyzed on the ground—in short, she was unable to say anything!
The only one who looked happy at all was Shiera.
Currently, George was on the ground, bound by many black chains which sprouted from the ground underneath Leylin.
Following which, the transformation of George's body seemed to be undergoing a change; it began shrinking while emitting steam. He gradually shrunk, and later regained the build of an ordinary man.
"George!" Shiera hurriedly approached and helped remove the black chains from George's body.
George was in a coma, and his body was involuntarily twitching. He looked terrible; his face still had large patches of green, and his lips had lost their colour.
"Ley…..My Lord, I request that you save him." Shiera clasped George's face, a harried look on her own face.
"No need to worry!"
"This is only a biological rejection from the cells of a Green Metal Tree. It is very easy to solve."
A milky-white beam emitted from Leylin's palm, which was then irradiated onto George's face.
When the milky white beam turned into thin white rays that bored through George's nose and ears, the green patches on his face vanished at a very quick speed. A few seconds later, George assumed a serene expression, like an ordinary sleeping person.
After handling George, Leylin slowly stood up and saw the Magus in the black fog waiting at the side.
"I truly didn't expect that I would run into an official Magus here."
The voice of the dark Magus, whose face was wrapped in fog, sounded out. This voice belonged to neither a male nor a female; it was clearly a fake voice.
"I, too, didn't expect that I would meet a dark Magus while taking a stroll after concealing my identity," Leylin stated flatly.
Even though he had participated in a lot of raids and other such missions with the Thousands Meddling Hands, that was only for dealing with goals that had a degree of difficulty similar to raiding the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower.
As an official Magus, resorting to being a bandit and robbing acolytes was something he couldn't do.
It seemed that the dark Magus who was facing Leylin was poverty-stricken. His strength, spiritual force, and the energy waves fluctuating from his body seemed comparatively weak. He must have recently broken through. His spiritual force and elemental essence conversion were also very low.
"In that case, I will give you some face and let them all off!" The dark Magus quickly spoke up.
Due to the lack of benefits, no Magus in their right mind would battle an enemy at the same level as themselves.
"Thanks!"
Leylin replied in a faint voice.
While he was considering that the enemy might go on ahead, the other dark Magus said, "Additionally, I have some exclusive information regarding the Eternal River Plains' secret plane. Do you want to hear it?"
"News about the Eternal River Plains' secret plane?" Doubtful, Leylin glanced at this dark Magus, sizing him up.
Based on the enemy's strength, it would not be possible for him to have gathered any information. When he came across such lucky opportunities, Leylin generally maintained extreme caution.
"Not bad!"
However, Leylin still agreed, wanting to see what this dark Magus was trying to pull.
"You should leave first!"
The Magus in a black robe spoke to the horde of bandits, who were lucky to have survived.
"Yes, my lord!"
All of the bandits present immediately moved around wildly in their fright, and before one could blink, they had already disappeared.
Heavens! They had believed they would be raiding only a group of acolytes, and they did not think that they would unexpectedly find an official Magus within this group.
Moreover, seeing the attitude of their true leader, the other party's strength must have truly been very terrifying.
If a person like Leylin were to be in a bad mood, killing the bandits would be as difficult as dealing with an ant.
Thus, these bandits helped the fallen acolytes get up, and disappeared like the wind, leaving a mess behind.
"You all wait here for me!"
Leylin saw that after he had spoken, all the acolytes in his group bowed their bodies, including Bessita.
These acolytes had picked up this habit within their academies. Towards a Magus, they were required to show extreme respect and caution. Otherwise, they would be severely punished.
Seeing this scene, Leylin inwardly smiled and immediately left with the black-fog-masked dark Magus.
"Can we speak here?"
After the dark Magus had reached a faraway place, Leylin shouted, making the dark Magus halt.
"Finally, what is the news that you have? If what you say is really valuable, then no matter how many magic crystals or whatever else you want in exchange, I will not be stingy with it..."
"It is not very secure here. I need to bring you to a place where no one will be able to eavesdrop." The dark Magus began explaining.
"Is that so?" Leylin was suspicious, but he still went along with this dark Magus.
"We're here now."
The dark Magus led Leylin to a strange pile of scattered stones
"I set up an isolation spell formation here that will ensure that all we say will stay private, and nobody will be able to listen in on our conversation."
The Magus, whose face was concealed by dark fog, and could not have his or her gender identified, went straight for the middle of the pile of stones. Leylin, on the other hand, hesitated and stopped in his tracks.
"What's wrong? Do you not believe me?"
The Magus surrounded by black fog questioned.
-x-X-x-
"As much as I would like to enter, I would like to first know why I am seeing offensive and restraint runes inside the spell formation. Not even one isolation energy rune is in the formation…"
Blue light flashed in Leylin's eyes as he stopped in front of the formation and looked at the Magus within the black fog.
"To think that you would still find out after all!"
The Magus in the dark fog smiled wryly, and his voice turned much gentler. It belonged to that of a young woman.
Leylin actually recognised this voice.
"It can't be helped since I've never really swindled anyone before!"
The woman forced a laugh and dispelled the black fog that concealed her.
The fog dispersed, revealing an ordinary female face. Though she wasn't that pretty, her eyes were extremely gentle and there seemed to be ripples within them, making her unforgettable.
On her chest was a large necklace of gems and pearls strung together, each sparkling with every colour under the sun.
"Jenna?! It's you?" Leylin immediately recognised the identity of this Magus.
This young lady was the first Magus that he had befriended in the Nightless City, and Leylin's impression of her at the time was not bad.
However, it seemed like this pure looking young lady was, in fact, hiding something from Leylin.
"We finally meet again, Leylin!"
This young lady, who seemed to come from a large family, smiled brilliantly.
"Let's not talk about the things of the past. Shouldn't you first explain the traps laid inside this spell formation?"
Leylin pointed at the spell formation with a solemn expression.
He had been travelling in secret, and even though he had been on alert, he had been followed by this young woman in disguise and did not realise it at all. He had no clue as to what methods she had used to conceal her tracks, and what intentions she harboured.
"Regarding this problem..."
Jenna lowered her head, as if ashamed. "This is…"
In a split second, a multi-coloured burst of light erupted from the necklace around Jenna's neck, rapidly approaching Leylin.
Leylin, who had always been alert, had previously set up several spell formations on his legs to assist him in moving more quickly. They were quickly activated, and his body turned into several black shadows, that instantly disappeared.
*Rumble!*
Rainbow rays of light enveloped the ground and formed a rune on the floor. Under the light, all plants, and even the soil began to wither.
"Gotcha!" At this scene, a smile appeared on Jenna's face.
Leylin, who was in the middle of moving, was shocked.
At that moment, a dim spell formation suddenly appeared, and lit up under his feet.
Countless white pillars of light rose, forming a cage that locked Leylin up within.
"Did she plan ahead and set this up beforehand? No! It's something more powerful than that!"
Inside the cage, Leylin shook his robes, and several fireballs crashed into the cage, the black flames burning fiercely.
However, these pillars of white light were extremely sturdy; the Latent Fireball could only cause the light pillars to tremble. It seemed like much more power was needed to break this spell formation.
A person who was able to lay such a spell formation was not a simple character.
Leylin carefully looked at this female Magus, suddenly feeling that he had underestimated her.
No matter if it was that obvious spell formation trap that was laid as a bait to attract Leylin's attention, or grasping the right opportunity and making an instantaneous decision to strike, it was not something any ordinary light Magus could do.
This particular prediction of where Leylin was going to land made Leylin even more afraid.
If it was the power of divination, low leveled magicians were helpless against it.
"Why?" Leylin, who was trapped in the white pillared cage, asked.
He'd only seen Jenna a few times before he entered the city. After that, they had limited contact, and no matter how he questioned himself, there wasn't a reason for them to be in a battle to the death.
"I'm sorry, but you are the catalyst that will bring war and draw fresh blood in the south coast. To protect the peace here, I have no choice but to sacrifice you…"
Beads of tears dripped down her face. Leylin could not determine whether or not they were crocodile tears.
"So just because of some illusory prophecy, you want to get rid of me after thinking that I will bring danger to the south coast?"
Leylin's face darkened. No matter who it was, after being confronted with such a ridiculous situation, they would also be driven mad.
Leylin had thought of many situations earlier. Was it revenge? For the benefits of an opposing faction? However, he had never even thought of such a possibility being her motive.
However, since it had already been confirmed, what Jenna had cast before was a type of prophecy spell.
"You don't need to struggle anymore. This is a cage that I prepared especially for you using fragments of the future that I obtained. Not only is it made entirely out of light elemental particles, I've also included innumerable high-level spells that are fire resistant. Even with your most powerful attack, it's impossible to break out of there!"
Jenna suddenly closed her eyes and then quickly opened them; her pupils were white.
"For the sake of world peace, please leave this place!"
Jenna said indifferently, her originally common face unexpectedly radiating a holy feel.
As the words left her mouth, the white pillared cage trapping Leylin began to close in. Countless white threads of light separated from the pillars and enveloped the interior of the cage.
These white threads were like thin silk produced by silkworms, wrapping themselves around Leylin's body as if they wanted to wrap him in a large cocoon.
"Hehe…"
Leylin paid no heed to the threads surrounding his body and suddenly began to chuckle.
"What are you laughing about? If you have any last wishes, you can tell me. By my reputation as the Guardian family, I promise I'll help you achieve it!"
Both of Jenna's arms were placed on her chest, and she made a strange gesture with her hands.
"No need for it! Looking at your hypocrisy makes me want to puke!" A nauseating feeling surged up from within Leylin's chest.
Back in his previous world, he was already strongly disgusted by things such as world guardians, protectors of the peace, and the like. In the name of righteousness, these groups would sacrifice a person for the sake of the greater good.
After having seen such a scene in the world he now lived in, an intense killing intent, something that he had never felt before, stirred within him.
"There will be a day where the world will understand our methods, and world peace will reign forever!" Jenna did not mind Leylin's words and instead replied with a maxim.
She then pointed at the cage.
"Purify!"
*Tsssss!* The white rays of light enveloped the entire cage, and Leylin suddenly felt as if he =had been placed in a furnace. He had a strange feeling that he was going to be melted down.
He specialized in dark elemental particles, which were the direct opposite of light elemental particles. He had no idea where Jenna had gotten this spell formation, but its might was incredibly formidable and even Leylin wasn't able to endure the pain it caused.
"I still have something to say!"
Despite the huge pressure on his body, streams of black smoke coiled around Leylin's body, which was resisting the corrosion of the white light. This scene made Leylin look quite pitiful.
"Sinner! Speak your last words!"
Jenna advanced slowly.
"I…"
Leylin's lips moved slightly.
"What? Have the light elemental particles already corroded him to this extent?" Jenna got even closer and pressed her ear to the side of the white pillared cage.
"You slut! You think that this world is operated by your family?"
In a moment, Leylin's body was covered by fine black scales, and his eyes had an amber vertical pupil resting within.
Leylin bellowed, "Hoop of Imprisonment! Detonate!"
*Boom!*
In an instant, a brilliant silver light exploded from Leylin's arm.
This metal hoop, which had been resting on Leylin's left arm, immediately exploded upon Leylin's command.
The giant shockwave immediately caused part of the cage to burst open. The explosion did not stop there and even extended to where Jenna was.
"Argh!"
Jenna grabbed her face as she was sent flying backwards.
The white thread, which had been restraining Leylin before, immediately exploded. Even the white pillared cage was clearly damaged.
"Eyes of Petrification!"
Leylin's eyes were focused on the area where the cage was caved in.
*Tssss!* An ashen layer of stone began to spread on the white pillars.
"Latent Fireball!"
Leylin pressed both of his hands together, and large amounts of black flames emerged from the shadows. He pulled his palms apart.
The black flames instantly separated and were evenly distributed on his palms.
"Go!"
Leylin clenched both hands and ferociously struck at the area of the cage that had been petrified.
*Rumble!*
The white light expanded, and in a moment, reached the height of several dozen metres, as if wanting to break through the clouds. After which, it withdrew and was engulfed by the black flames.
As for the heart of the flames, a figure with tattered clothes and fine black scales walked out slowly from it.
[Host's body has suffered from Light elemental corrosion. It has a restraining effect with the Host's energy particles, creating a neutralising effect. The damage has increased; currently, 34% of the Host's skin is burnt. The Host's left arm has suffered from the explosion of a magic artifact, causing dysfunctionality. Immediate treatment recommended!]
The A.I. Chip's prompt appeared in front of Leylin.
His current condition wasn't all that good. Not only were there multiple burns all over his body, his left arm was slanted strangely in front of his chest, revealing a huge wound. One could even see slightly charred bone.
Leylin had brazenly blown up a middle-grade magic artifact, and since he was in a cage, he was the one who had suffered the most. Hence, even with the Fallen Star Pendant and Kemoyin's Scales' defensive properties increased to the maximum, he still suffered major injuries.
-x-X-x-
"No! That's impossible!"
Jenna, who had collapsed at the side, was holding on to half her face. Seeing Leylin escape, she shouted in disbelief.
"How did you get out? In the future I saw, there wasn't anything like this!"
Jenna yelled, her facial muscles twitching slightly.
"I know. It has to be! You must be the traitor going against fate!" Jenna's register suddenly became extremely high.
"Who I am is not important! The important thing is that you will have to die horribly today!"
The killing intent on Leylin grew stronger. Ever since he stepped on the path of a Magus, this was the first time he suffered such a big defeat!
The injuries he sustained on his body and his left arm, which was on the verge of breaking, were not easy to treat. His upcoming mission in the secret plane had now become more precarious.
At the thought, the fury in Leylin's heart became more vigorous.
"Bitch! I want you to know the price of offending me!"
Leylin roared, and used his right arm, the only one that was still in good condition, to viciously claw at Jenna!
Streams of rope-like black smoke emerged from the ground, followed the ground, and climbed towards Jenna.
"Guard!" Jenny grasped the large, thick necklace around her neck.
A red gem brightened and a huge lava fireball generated in front of Jenna, rushing towards the black smoke.
*Boom!*
A huge energy wave was emitted, the scalding molten lava scattering in all directions, creating large black holes in the ground.
"Even if you have all the spells prepared in that necklace today, it won't be able to save you!"
Leylin's eyes glinted coldly.
Several black fireballs were shot out instantaneously, and merged into the air as one collective fireball! The immense energy waves momentarily exploded with might which reached 51 degrees that immediately burnt a huge pit in the ground.
"Latent Fireball!"
Leylin pointed at Jenna.
The giant fireball seemed to set like the sun, projecting over Jenna's position.
Before the black flames descended, more sweat trickled on Jenna's face, which was ever paler than before.
"Frost!" Jenna gritted her teeth, spitting out a character of the Byron language from her mouth.
At that moment, the necklace around her neck continuously emanated ice magic energy waves as it produced a series of white rays while the pearls emitted light one after the other.
The white rays formed a dozen huge ice shields in front of Jenna.
The large, translucent white shields could clearly reflect the surroundings. The black fireballs from before flew down from the air, and in a flash, struck these ice shields.
Water vapour was being emitted.
A distance away from the fireballs, the water vapour quickly condensed into water droplets and ice chunks that fell to the ground.
After everything had settled down, the frost shields that were in front of Jenna and the Latent Fireball had already disappeared without a trace.
In the mist, a black figure appeared within.
Leylin, whose body was lined with the fine Scales of Kemoyin, immediately charged to where Jenna was.
*Sssii!*
The layer of icy defense coming from Jenna's necklace was immediately crushed by Leylin's right hand. At the same time, he knocked Jenna away with his body.
*Pa!* Leylin's shoulders crashed with a huge impact on Jenna.
*Chi Chi!* A layer of milky white light appeared on Jenna's robes, enveloping her whole body.
This was Jenna's innate defense spell. It had finally erupted at the most crucial moment.
*Pa Pa!*
Jenna flew backwards like the head of a train that had left its tracks, bashing into many trees along the way.
"This woman…"
Leylin focused his attention on Jenna. After that exchange, he could tell that she was merely a newly advanced Magus. In terms of elemental essence conversion, she was far from his match. If not for having a powerful magic artifact in possession, as well as that incredible gift for divination, she would long since have died at Leylin's hands.
As long as she was given time to set up formations, she could quickly come up with methods that were specifically catered to her enemy's weakness, like that incredible white pillared cage that had trapped him. Even a rank 1 Magus at his peak would be in trouble!
"Enemies with prophesying spells are the most troublesome. I was fortunate enough that her prophecy did not go as planned, but it's unlikely that I'll get so lucky again!"
Leylin's eyes turned cold as ice.
The thought that there was an opponent that was operating behind the scenes with prophesying skills left a bad taste in his mouth. Having this happen once was one time too many.
Never had his killing intent reached such an urgent degree.
"Shadow Stealth!"
Leylin tenaciously glared at Jenna, who had crawled up. The scales on his body flickered and gradually became translucent, and he vanished into the air.
He had decided to go all out when dealing with Jenna, and he made it his mission to ensure that this damned woman remained here forever.
Seeing Leylin disappear into the air, Jenna's expression became even more serious. She currently felt Leylin's determination to kill her. She was born intelligent, and with her high-grade meditation technique and her strengthened sixth sense, her instincts told her that if she made the slightest mistake then she would be the one that died today!
For the first time, such a terrifying experience had taken control of Jenna's spirit. Deep down in her heart, her willpower, which could not be shaken, had slowly given in.
For the first time, Jenna felt that it was a very bad decision to come out here alone to assassinate Leylin!
This fear and regret were like a poisonous snake which was continuously gnawing at her already weak mental fortitude.
At this moment, a pink heart shape gem exploded inside Jenna's necklace.
Jenna seemed perplexed at first, but very soon her will was strengthened.
"It's a hallucinatory spell, with some psychological coercion!" Jenna's face turned red. "Despicable!"
*Boom!*
A black figure appeared in front of Jenna.
With his right hand clenched into a fist, Leylin struck the defensive membrane from Jenna's innate spell.
*Pa!*
This innate spell was not in its best condition from its previous consumption, and with Leylin's iron fist, it was shattered into countless white spots, dissipating into the air.
Leylin's right hand was able to grab Jenna's right arm without any obstructions.
*Ka-Cha!* A bone crunching sound was made, and Jenna's right arm had been torn off by Leylin.
"Arghh!" The muscles on Jenna's face contorted in pain. She clenched her teeth and the silk on her robes seemed to writhe with life, bandaging her wound quickly.
At the same time, a large pushing force was emitted from her body, as if wanting to leave Leylin's attack area.
"Thinking of running?"
Leylin's pupils focused on Jenna. "Eyes of Petrification!"
Instantly, a mysterious light emitted from Leylin's amber eyes as he targeted Jenna.
"Petrification magic?"
Jenna made a sound of bewilderment. Petrification magic was something that had long since been extinct in the Magus world. Now, this was a spell that only creatures with ancient bloodlines had as an ability!
Next, creaking sounds emitted from Jenna's body, as if her muscles had become stiff.
A layer of stone began to spread from Jenna's face.
*Ka-cha! Ka-cha!*
In front of Leylin, Jenna turned into an ashen stone sculpture.
*Ding!*
When the grey-white colour had completely enveloped her, a light vibration came from the bulky necklace.
The whole necklace floated in the air, where the faint voice of an old person sounded, "Ultimate Guard of Life! Activate!"
Light! Dazzling light shone and enveloped the region in an instant.
After Leylin opened his eyes, the stone statue in front of him had already crumbled. Jenna who was within had disappeared, leaving behind only a pile of petrified skin.
After casting this final spell, that bulky necklace lost all of its powers.
*Ka-Cha!* *Ka-Cha!*
A layer of petrified stone suddenly emerged on the surface of the necklace. The necklace had turned into stone, fallen to the ground, and shattered into pieces.
"This is a substitution spell!"
Leylin's expression turned even more solemn. "This necklace contained so much power and even concealed a final body-substitution spell! An extremely large organisation must be behind Jenna!"
After realising this situation, the killing intent in Leylin's heart grew even stronger.
"You won't be able to run from me!"
Leylin inhaled deeply, where blue light appeared in his eyes immediately and scanned the surroundings.
"Several dozen seconds later, Leylin's brows furrowed and hurried towards a certain direction.
"I… I have to hurry and leave!!"
Jenna grabbed at the stub of her torn arm and rapidly traversed through the woods.
"The family heirloom necklace was destroyed, yet I wasn't able to get rid of him…"
Jenna was very dejected. The necklace from before was an heirloom, and for it to be destroyed while it was in her possession was a huge blow to her.
"Damned heretic! Traitor of fate! There will come a day that I will punish you!"
Jenna pledged inwardly.
"Found it!" Something that sounded like the devil's voice rang in her ear, and a vicious hot air brushed against her.
Jenna quickly pounced to the side.
*Boom!*
A huge explosion sounded at the place she had been at, sections of the ground and plants flying everywhere.
Meanwhile, Jenna suddenly smelt something very sweet and immediately after, her entire body became numb and she collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
"This is the end!"
Leylin walked to Jenna, who had breathed in large amounts of chloroform, and raised his right arm expressionlessly.
"You- You can't kill me! Do you know who I am?"
Jenna struggled, stuttering out her thoughts.
Without waiting for Leylin to ask, she quickly answered, "I am the successor of the Guardian family. I'm on good terms with the light Magi domain and various large organisations. The moment you kill me…"
"I don't care who you are!"
With his right hand armed with black flames, he clawed downwards!
-x-X-x-
*Boom!*
A green hurricane rapidly advanced towards Jenna and formed a green shield that protected her.
Leylin's flaming right hand collided with the shield, producing a tremendous noise.
"Uncle- Uncle Manla!" She produced a wide smile.
Along with the loud noise of the wind, a burly, blonde man appeared in front of Leylin.
"Manla?" Leylin recognised this Magus, who had he had previously met once before.
"After receiving your transmission, I rushed over. Thank goodness I made it in time!" Manla stood in front of Jenna, glaring menacingly at Leylin.
"You actually dared to harm my niece to this extent! My family will definitely not…"
*Rumble!*
Before Manla could even finish his sentence, Leylin wasted no time and sent out numerous black fireballs towards him.
From Leylin's perspective, since they were already enemies, it was natural for him to eradicate them all. Who would bother with listening to what they had to say?
"Be careful, Uncle Manla! He's very strong and his elemental essence conversion has surpassed 50%!"
While Jenna was yelling out warnings, Leylin was already manipulating latent fireballs to attack Manla's green hurricane.
Under the attack of the fireballs, which had a might of 51 degrees, Manla was basically forced to retreat step by step.
"So powerful!" An expression of shock appeared on Manla's face.
Shortly after, like a ghost, Leylin suddenly appeared in front of him, a clawed hand encased in crimson flames grabbing towards his face.
*Pop!*
The sounds of bubbles being burst echoed and the defensive spell on the surface of Manla's body was easily destroyed in the face of Leylin's Crimson Palm. It was taken care of so easily, like paper being ripped apart.
Leylin's palm didn't stop moving and grabbed ahold of the burly man's chest.
*Slash!* A bloody piece of flesh was ripped out by the dragging of the claw, and the surrounding skin was left slightly charred.
"This won't do! The difference in power is too much. If we stay here, we'll definitely die!"
Manla immediately pulled Jenna up, turned, and ran!
Rationally speaking, Manla was a semi-converted Magus whose elemental essence conversion was at least 50%. In the Magus community on the south coast, he would be considered the cream of the crop. However, he had the misfortune of meeting an evildoer like Leylin, who was much too powerful even when his spiritual force and elemental essence conversion were being suppressed. In terms of hand to hand combat, Manla couldn't win either.
"Tiwoose Fererian!"
The moment they started to escape, Manla threw out a silver magic scroll.
Nine green tornados formed, and like a wall, they hindered Leylin from giving chase.
"You're thinking of running?"
Darkness flashed in Leylin's eyes, and after muttering a few incantations, he pointed forward with his right hand.
Black fog immediately converged to become a black python, which headed for the two of them.
This snake was like an illusion, passing through the green tornados. When it arrived in front of Manla, its crimson eyes were fixed on Jenna, and it bit towards her.
"What the hell is this?"
Manla produced another tornado.
*Hua la!* The black snake ducked and passed through without trouble, and then opened its mouth, viciously biting Jenna's neck!
Two black pinholes instantly emerged on Jena's fair neck. They transformed to form a strange, twisted rune.
"Jenna?"
There was a white light surrounding Manla's hand as he tried to brush the snake away.
However, with a swipe of the python's tail, it shifted and bit Manla's arm. The same rune was branded there as well.
After these two attacks, the snake hissed and turned back into the black fog, which entered Manla and Jenna's bodies.
"This seems to be a curse! It's going to be troublesome!"
Manla's face fell. He couldn't feel anything different from the formation of the curse, but instincts told him that it was going to be inconvenient.
"Jenna, hold on!" Manla yelled crazily, the green hurricanes still spreading. His entire body seemed to turn into a gale, and disappeared into the forest.
Seeing Manla escape in that direction, Leylin did not move.
His body seemed to have shattered like porcelain, with large volumes of blood suddenly gushing out.
"It seems like I can't endure it any longer, the injuries are too severe." Leylin was half kneeling on the floor. He suddenly became dizzy, and his vision began to blur.
If possible, he obviously wanted to give chase and kill the two off. However, with his current physical condition, it was impossible for him to continue battling.
"However, the curse that I put up at the end… Hehe... cough, cough."
Leylin laughed evilly but started to cough violently, spitting out large globs of black blood.
"Light elemental Magi will always be the archenemies of dark elemental Magi. Just a cage made of elemental particles was enough to reduce me to this state…"
Leylin laughed bitterly and his figure quickly turned into black smoke, disappearing into the forest.
Currently, he was in urgent need of a place to treat his injuries.
Although he'd told George and the acolytes to wait for him, Leylin couldn't even take care of himself, much less the others, so that matter was naturally thrown to the back of his mind.
...
After ten or so hours, in a temporarily set up tent.
In the twilight, an oil lamp illuminated the area a dull yellow. Hay was spread across the floor, and Leylin sat atop of it. In his right hand was a test tube with a potion within, which he was constantly tilting towards the injuries on his left hand.
This test tube was rather large, and in the translucent liquid, one could see something that looked like a baby's face. It was encased in the liquid, and continuously let off little bubbles.
*Tssssss!*
After the potion was dripped into the wounds, large amounts of white gas were emitted, along with the sounds of corrosion.
"Ugh!" An intense pain struck Leylin's nerves; he seemed to have been struck by lightning, his muscles involuntarily twitching.
Leylin bit down hard, and large droplets of cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
After that intense wave of pain, his wounds started to get numb.
This numbing effect was very strong, feeling like tens of thousands of ants had crawled and gnawed on his bones. Leylin's pale face reddened as he sucked in sharply.
At the same time, in the areas where Leylin's left arm was injured, various veins and muscles squirmed and began to regenerate.
First, the fractures in the bone were completely healed, and the flesh and veins followed soon after. After a few minutes, Leylin tested out his left arm.
At this point, the injuries on his left arm had been completely healed. Leylin's arm was slender and fair, but under that beautiful appearance, there were muscles that held much explosive power.
It was impossible to tell that this arm had been on the verge of breaking off just minutes prior.
Leylin tested out his left arm again with some actions and smiled in satisfaction.
"I'm lucky there was some liquid left over from the Flourishing Flower! If not, the injuries on this arm wouldn't have been able to be taken care of so easily."
The Flourishing Flower was an important ingredient used by Magi in operations to regenerate limbs.
No matter what kind of injury it was, as long as there were enough Flourishing Flowers, it would be very likely that one could recover.
The Flourishing Flower that Leylin was holding was something he had gained during his days as an acolyte. He had exchanged some of them in the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy for incomplete information about the Branded Swordsman.
Excluding the injuries on his arm, Leylin had also used several potions to treat his wounds. He was now able to move freely and fight in less vigorous battles.
"I've mostly recovered. I guess it's time for me to go to the Marat Canyon!"
Leylin was a fairly cautious person. In the secret plane at the Eternal River Plains, it was dangerous beyond belief, to the point that even Magi were considered fodder! As a spy from the Thousand Meddling Hands, if he were ever to be discovered, he would be chased to the ends of the world!
In this situation, if he were to sustain any injuries, Leylin knew that there was little chance of him surviving, much less being lucky enough to reap benefits.
Leylin had already considered leaving and going somewhere else if his injuries couldn't be treated.
After all, he still valued his own life over making profits.
However, the situation was not so dire. Though he had made enemies with a possibly high ranking Magus family with the abilities of divination, he didn't think much of it.
"I believe they aren't feeling very well right about now, yes? My curse won't be taken apart very easily."
Leylin smirked icily.
Though he had not been able to kill his opponents, he had successfully cursed Jenna and Manla with a spell that was unique to him.
The formation of this curse originated from a curse in the great Magus Serholm's Book of Giant Serpent. Leylin had started the foundations of that curse and had made the appropriate changes to it.
After adding in every method he could think of, the curse was so different from the original that even the great Magus Serholm would be unable to undo it.
Like a password, it was complicated and difficult to make sense of.
If one were not the original maker of the password, and instead tried to use brute force to get through, the object protected by the password would be destroyed.
Jenna and Manla seemed to have high standings within their family, and most likely wouldn't be given up on so easily.
Leylin's next task was to use the power of the curse to find out who his enemies were.
As he had been followed and almost killed on the basis of some useless prediction, Leylin was quite annoyed.
However, there was still a family backing them, and he did not want to shed all sense of cordiality without making sense of the situation before him.
This was why Leylin had chosen not to chase them and had instead placed a mark on both of them.
-x-X-x-
Marat Canyon was located at the end of Pome Alley.
It was a barren canyon where the area and economy were both destitute. Apart from several wretched people who lived here in extreme poverty, no other humans would bother with a place like this
However, after the discovery that there was an entrance to a secret plane in this area, everything changed.
Ever since one of the entrances to the Eternal River Plains' secret plane was discovered here, Magi from every corner began to fight each other over the area.
Eventually, the hunting and battle teams from Four Seasons Garden, with the aid of the white Magi domain, managed to repel the dark Magi forces and claim this land as theirs.
Soon after this, unaffiliated Magi and acolytes set up a market for magic items in the surroundings.
Four Seasons Garden's higher-ups were well aware this place wasn't well developed and dispatched people here. They treated this Magus Market as the center of their power and created a little town, welcoming all non-dark Magi.
The first impression Leylin had when walking in this small town was that it had a lively atmosphere.
"Looking for members! All of us are level 3 acolytes! We have a healer!"
"The latest map of the secret plane for only 500 magic crystals!"
"Walking Dragon Flower! Walking Dragon Flower that's freshly plucked from the Eternal River Plain's secret plane for 6000 magic crystals! This is a discounted rate!"
"I am looking for a group to join! I'm a level 3 acolyte and have both offensive and defensive skills. I also know three healing rank 0 spells."
From the entrance of the little town, various stall-keepers, adventurers and official Magi were crowded together, constantly arguing over prices till they were red in the face.
Everyone was at least an acolyte. There were no regular humans.
The whole town was like a busy food market.
After much effort Lelin arrived at Four Seasons Garden's administrative area, which was located in the middle of the town.
Compared to the chaos outside, it was much quieter inside the administrative area, which had the battle and hunting teams guarding the area.
Leylin couldn't help but think about the two official Magi he had seen at the entrance to the administration area.
Getting two official Magi to stand guard obviously caused the Magi and acolytes who came here to feel immense pressure.
Numerous Magi were chattering amongst themselves quietly as they walked by Leylin. All of them looked to be in a hurry.
"Welcome! May I know if you're here to do the entrance procedures? Please provide evidence that you aren't a dark Magus, and then present 500 magic crystals. You will then have a one-time opportunity to enter!"
Leylin came to a counter, and as soon as the personnel saw him, he quickly spoke very formally, as if he were selling tickets.
In reality, Four Seasons Garden's higher-ups had actually capitalized on the opportunity to enter the secret plane by selling entry permits.
"I'm not a Magus from anywhere else. I belong to Four Seasons Garden's Potioneering team and have been transferred here!"
Leylin placed his token of identification on the counter.
"Ah… My apologies, Lord Leylin!"
The personnel took a look at the symbol and name on the token and bowed.
"No worries!" Leylin looked at the several counters that had a long queue behind them and asked indifferently, "Have there been many magicians going in recently?"
"A large amount have come! Once we had allowed non-affiliated magicians to enter, the Magi and acolytes who came forth to register had filled up this area… We even had to request for several of the hunting team Magi to maintain order!"
The staff smiled wryly.
Leylin was aware of this policy.
Before he came here, he had taken a tour around the town and gathered information.
Though Four Seasons Garden had taken over this entrance, the amount of magicians who came here was no small number. If they kept hogging the entrance, it was sure to trigger someone's dissatisfaction.
It wasn't much if it was just acolytes, but when there were wandering official Magi involved, the situation wasn't as easy to deal with.
If there were dark Magi purposely inciting conflict, then this cause a catastrophe!
Hence, the light Magi factions made a temporary agreement to become allies. They decided to open the entrance up to the public.
All entrances that were controlled by light Magi had rules: other than dark Magi, as long as one paid up 500 magic crystals, one would have the right to enter the secret plane!
In addition to this, there was the condition that acolytes had to give up 50% of their earnings within the secret plane to the light Magi powers guarding the entrance. Even official Magi would have a portion of their profits taken away!
Even with these fees, magicians still flocked here.
They unceasingly entered the secret plane and explored the areas without fear of death. There were some with good luck that managed to survive and leave the area with large amounts of resources. This attracted more acolytes to enter and risk their lives in the plane.
While these free labourers were dying by the dozen, Four Seasons Garden was hiding in the shadows and stealing portions of their profits. They were earning a fortune from this, and on top of that, through coercion and purchases, they now had a map of almost a million mu of the plane and received precious information firsthand.
To large light Magi organisations like the Four Seasons Garden, the resources that were currently inside the secret plane was just a small reward. What they really hankered after was the continuous production of resources that the secret plane could provide!
Hence, with the resources as the bait, large organisations such as the Four Seasons Garden were able to attract many magicians with no affiliation to risk their lives and enter the secret plane for the resources. In exchange, they would be able to obtain more information regarding the topography and ecosystem within the secret plane.
As for the unaffiliated magicians, even if they were aware of the manipulations and hidden agendas behind the entrance fees, as long as they walked the path of a Magus they had no choice but to enter this profitable scheme that the white Magi had established. As the saying goes, as one is willing to be hit, one is willing to beat.
Even Leylin had no choice but to approve the deviousness of this shrewd plan.
"I have 2 Grand Knights servants with me, they left for this place before me. Have they arrived yet?"
Leylin asked.
"Please wait a minute, I'll check for you!" The staff hurriedly flipped through the thick book of records and accounting.
"I found it, it's only yesterday that your two Grand Knights servants brought your mount and luggage here. Also after showing us your identification token, they were allocated to district D9 no. 23!"
The staff member bowed.
"I will report your arrival as soon I can. Regarding your task allocation, someone else will contact and inform you in detail!"
"En! Great!" Leylin nodded his head. After leaving a secret imprint with the staff as a proof of his arrival, he left the great hall through the back door.
Behind the administration area was rows of orderly wooden houses.
These houses were modelled simply, and the edges were rather rough. They looked as if their construction had been rushed.
Within these wooden houses, one could occasionally see a few Magi and acolytes wearing Four Seasons Garden accessories.
In the middle of these buildings, a huge platinum gate that was tens of metres tall was standing tall proudly like a mountain.
It stood tall there like an ancient existence. On the gate were numerous runes connected together. They seemed to be alive and kept wriggling on the gate frame.
Just the aura from the gate to the secret plane made it difficult for Leylin to breathe.
"Is this the entrance to the Eternal River Plain's secret plane?" Leylin raised his head and surveyed this gate that seemed to be rising into the heavens, eyes full of unspeakable awe.
The preciousness of a secret plane could be told from its entrance.
Entrances to secrets planes comparable to that of the Spirit Slaying Sect's plane could be easily destroyed by Leylin. The Gargamel that was as strong as a rank 2 Magus even had the terrifying power to break out of such planes!
However, if it were here, that Gargamel might not be able to even create a crack in the gate to the Eternal River Plain's secret plane!
With an area of more than ten million mu, its internal structure and defences had to be unimaginably strong. Even if rank 2 or 3 Magi were to battle fiercely, the secret plane would be unaffected.
Leylin guessed that even a rank 4 Morning Star Magus would have a hard time trying to destroy this platinum gate.
Such a secret plane could be said to be a continental treasure! It was something that could help large organisations progress rapidly, or aid someone in taking over the world!
After actually seeing Eternal River Plain's secret plane, Leylin finally understood how it could attract Magi from all over the south coast and even cause a Magus war.
"Unfortunately, no Magi organisation in the south coast is confident that it can take over the whole plane. As such, the plane has to be divided."
Leylin sighed and turned his attention to the bottom of the large gate.
At the lower part of the large platinum gate, twenty or so Magi wearing Four Seasons Garden attire were patrolling the area like soldiers.
From these Magi, strong undulations from powerful elemental essence conversions of at least 50% were purposefully released!
Their bloodlust was also very obvious. It was apparent they weren't idiots who were taking the resources based on luck but were actually seasoned Magi warriors!
Blue light flashed in Leylin's eyes, and the A.I. Chip immediately scanned the several spell formations that were laid around the entrance of the secret plane. There were some defensive formations, while others were for detecting intruders.
With such tight security, even if it was Leylin who were to try infiltrate inside, he would only end up dying.
"What's displayed might just be on the superficial level. There would at least be a rank 2 Magus holding fort around here!"
Even outside Four Seasons Garden's secret plane, there was a rank 2 Magus standing guard outside. Leylin did not think when it came to the Eternal River Plains' secret plane, the Four Seasons Garden would be reluctant to send a rank 2 Magus as the guardian.
-x-X-x-
Leylin quickly looked at the faces of these Magi.
He remembered each and every Magi that he'd seen at the Four Seasons Garden's headquarters before, but he did not recognize any of the people he saw here. There could only be one reason why these faces were unfamiliar!
They must have been the hidden forces of the Four Seasons Garden, and usually did not show their faces.
From the looks of it, the Four Seasons Garden had taken out all of their trump cards to keep control of the entrance to the secret plane.
Caesar, the three-eyed Magus who was the leader of the hunting team, wasn't here either. If he wasn't hidden somewhere, he must have been on some special mission.
Leylin felt his heart sink, as he was on an undercover mission as a spy for the Thousand Meddling Hands!
It seemed that it was going to be difficult to complete his mission.
Leylin recorded this scene with the A.I. Chip, and followed the signs along the road to find his accommodations.
"Master!"
Leylin approached the wooden house that was in district D9. As they could sense Leylin, the Grand Knights, Number 2 and Number 3, immediately rushed out of the house and knelt on one knee to greet him.
Behind the wooden house, within a fence, the Venom Wyvern, Hawke, had drowsily lifted its head and made a noise of excitement.
"Hm!" Leylin looked over his subordinates that he had remodelled and suddenly regretted having asked them to leave first.
If he hadn't, with the abilities of these two Branded Swordsmen, he wouldn't have to be reduced to that miserable state and be so seriously injured.
"It's important that I find an opportunity and test out the battle abilities and power of the Branded Swordsmen!"
Leylin glanced at Number 2 and Number 3, who were kneeling respectfully, and rubbed his chin.
…...
The Four Seasons Garden worked very quickly, and during the evening, a worker in something similar to a suit knocked on the door of Leylin's house.
"Lord Leylin! In the name of the Four Seasons Garden, the elders request that you head for the secret plane tomorrow. You will be taking over zone 13."
This person was also an official Magus. He spoke very slowly, with clear pronunciation. After reading, he passed a piece of parchment that had been stamped to Leylin.
Leylin raised his arms and took it.
The transfer order was on a stack of rather thick, dull yellow pieces of paper that gave a very firm feeling.
The contents of the order were just as the man had said, and on the bottom of the stack of parchments, there was a stamp that belonged to the Four Seasons Garden, along with a few signatures.
Leylin's fingers brushed over the stamp.
*Sssii!* Four rays of light emerged from the stamp and danced atop the parchment, gradually forming a four-coloured ring that was unceasingly turning. After a few moments, the light died down.
This proved that the signatures and stamp were all real!
Leylin became quiet. "Aren't Potion Masters being called here to take over the roles of healers? Nobody told me I'd be on the frontlines."
Even if one didn't have a brain, it would be obvious to them that this was Caesar's work. Leylin still showed his annoyance and anger.
"I am a potion master, not a fighter! You can't put me on the same level as those Magi with blood staining their hands. I protest!"
"I'm sorry, but this was a decision from the higher-ups in the Four Seasons Garden! If you have any problems, you can report to the elders within 24 hours. However, as long as the elders do not issue new orders to make your current orders void, you will still need to rush to zone 13 by tomorrow. If not, you will be labelled as a traitor and punished accordingly!"
This man said everything matter of factly, not caring in the least about Leylin's opinions. He then gave an elegant bow. "If there's nothing else, I shall take my leave now, Mister Leylin!"
*Pak!*
After the main door closed, the furious expression Leylin had on instantly disappeared. Instead, Leylin looked as if he was deep in thought.
Ever since he had arrived here, he had been prepared for people to make trouble for him and treat him badly. All of that talk was just a front.
The reason was that if a potion master were to be sent to the frontlines and took the news calmly, it would seem too suspicious.
"But if time is so tight, I need to start with all my preparation now."
Leylin lowered his head in thought, his eyes sparkling with a faint darkness...
The huge platinum metal gate was, as always, standing tall. Only until Leylin actually stood in front of it did he feel that all that he had seen in the past amounted to nothing in front of this majestic gate.
Now that he was so close to it, Leylin was in awe.
From the gate to the secret plane, he could feel a trace of some ancient aura. What shocked him, even more, was that spiritual force was faintly emanating from the entire gate.
This spiritual force did not belong to any Magus but instead originated from the gate.
"It's a living being and has its own spiritual waves. Perhaps, after a period of time, it can cultivate an intelligence of its own and become a genuine living creature!"
Leylin sighed in admiration and looked around the area.
Though it was early in the morning, many Magi and acolytes were queuing in front of the gate with tickets in their hands.
As there were tens of powerful Magi all around, it was rather orderly.
As an internal member of the Four Seasons Garden, he naturally didn't need to queue up, and instead stood together with a few Magi at the optimal location right in front of the gate.
Number 2 and Number 3 were carrying large bags and quietly following behind Leylin.
"It's 8 am! Open!"
Leylin looked at the hour hand of his pocket watch, which was now pointing to the number 8.
The consumption of energy needed in opening the entrance to such a large scale secret plane was immense. Even the Four Seasons Garden would feel pain at this cost.
Hence, the Eternal River Plains' secret plane's entrance would only be opened once a day at this time.
With the loud order, a dozen Magi who had achieved 50% elemental essence conversion placed their palms against the frame of the gate.
*Weng Weng!*
A violent distortion of space rapidly formed in the middle of the gate and expanded.
*Creak!*
The gate opened a little, and all of a sudden—light! Numerous rays of white light leaked out, swallowing all Magi and acolytes in front of it!
All Leylin could see was the blinding brightness in front of him, and his head spun from giddiness. After he regained his composure, he was already on top of a large white square in the Eternal River Plains' secret plane.
"Hah!"
Leylin breathed in deeply.
The first impression he had of the secret plane was that there was an extraordinarily dense amount of elemental particles in the air.
[Calculated density of energy in surroundings, found to be 371% of that in external world!]
The A.I. Chip projected its findings to Leylin.
"There is such a concentrated amount of energy, and on top of that, there's so much land! For Magi, this is basically heaven!"
Leylin was astonished as he spoke.
"Listen up! I'll only say this once!"
After the Magi and acolytes present familiarized themselves with their surroundings, a bald, brawny man who seemed to be in charge came onstage. He was donning the attire that the Four Seasons Garden's Magi wore.
His voice was loud and resonant, echoing within the plaza.
"Attention to all Magi and acolytes who are not affiliated with the Four Seasons Garden! From now on, you are free to move about in the secret plane. As long as they have no markings of the light Magi alliance, all obtained items will belong to yourselves! Also, when you wish to leave the plane, please return to this place. Remember, do not attempt to conceal your earnings! The moment you are found out to have been doing this, you will regret having been born!"
The brawny man was very direct, but the discontent of the masses quickly died down with the appearance of a row of official Magi behind him acting like guards.
After the bald, brawny man announced that they were free to go, the Magi and acolytes cheered and rushed in all directions like wild horses let out of cages. In a few moments, they were gone.
"Alright! You are Magi from the Four Seasons Garden, yes? Come with me."
The brawny man turned his attention to Leylin's side, and his tone and facial expression became much friendlier. "My name is Dolorin, and I am the vice team leader of the Four Seasons Garden's defense team! If you have any questions, feel free to approach me..."
It was evident that this man treated those in the same organisation as himself a lot better.
"I would like to know, is allowing these external magicians so much freedom actually a good thing? What I'm trying to say is, aren't you afraid that they'll stay longer in the secret plane or sneak out through other entrances?"
A petite female Magus enquired.
"Hehe! The Eternal River Plains' secret plane is very large, and there is danger everywhere! No Magus can stay here alone for too long unless he or she wishes to die in strange and mysterious ways, or become the excrement of high-energy creatures!"
The brawny man obviously disapproved, a look of fear flashing across his face.
"As for your question about leaving, within one million mu, there is only one entrance, which belongs to us. If they wish to travel to other entrances, they would need to go through exceedingly dangerous areas. Some of them are regions that basically require miracles for even official Magi to pass through due to the minuscule chance of survival!"
"Also, our light Magi alliance have all standardised the fees and set up stringent probing methods. This will not give them the chance to smuggle away their gains!"
"To go through such a difficult path and take such a big risk has no meaning basically unless they wish to defect to the dark Magii… However, I imagine the dark Magi are keener on robbing them of all their gains, and then flaying their skin and breaking their bones to use them as ingredients."
Dolorin shrugged his shoulders a couple times, emphasizing his words with his facial expression.