"A.I. Chip, conduct a full body scan!" Leylin commanded. He had just escaped from the Snake Dowager's dream.
The Dowager was an existence that surpassed rank 7, and her power exceeded the limitations set by worlds. She could cross world borders and attack through Dreamscape, a strength that was unimaginable for Leylin.
When dealing with someone like her, it wouldn't hurt to be cautious. Hence, thorough checks were a necessary thing.
[Mission established. Beginning scanning procedures. Atomic microscope has been authorised, beginning scan…] Large amounts of blue light scanned every region of Leylin's body after the A.I. Chip sounded, the images resolved to the cellular level. The atomic microscope scanned everything. The blue light took the form of countless threads that swept through him.
[Skeleton normal. Internal organs normal. Scanning bloodline and sea of consciousness…] Leylin looked rather calm, but when the A.I. Chip's rays scanned his blood and sea of consciousness his expression changed.
Tiny black runes wiggled out from the surface of his body, and after they emerged Leylin felt the blood circulation in his body abruptly speed up tenfold! The increase in blood flow caused his face to flush, and fine blood appeared deep inside his pores.
The black runes crawled to his forehead, forming the image of a little black snake. Around this snake was a ring of tiny pointed runes, resembling chains and a cage that kept the snake within.
"What's going on?" Leylin felt the bloodline force in his body show signs of going berserk, and the rune on his forehead began to exert more strength. It was restraining him!
His bloodline force was rebelling against its owner, and restraining him. It sounded like a joke, but Leylin did not find it funny at all.
"Quiet down. Innate spell of control!" Leylin exclaimed.
*Hss—* The terrifying image of a Kemoyin Emperor appeared behind him. Currently, the phantom was encircled and bound by a circle of black chains as well. The massive Kemoyin Emperor hissed and roared, but it had no effect on the bindings.
There were even sharp barbs on the chains, and they pierced through his scales into his flesh. The intense pain was transmitted directly to Leylin's truesoul.
*HSS—* The Kemoyin Emperor roared again, but this one seemed very feeble. Still, the will of a rank 5 ruler could somewhat control the rebellion of the bloodline force, and allowed the odd phenomenon in his body to calm down.
"What is this?" Feeling the binding rune on his forehead absorbing his bloodline force on top of suppressing him, Leylin's expression grew grim.
He'd already guessed that this was something left behind by the Snake Dowager. She was someone who exceeded rank 7, an existence that had grasped laws. Even though she had been careless enough to let him escape, she still had enough time to leave something behind. As the source of Leylin's bloodline, manipulating his bloodline force slightly was a simple task for her.
'The rebellion of bloodline force… All those who walk on the path of bloodlines will eventually be shackled by the very bloodline itself…' For some reason, Leylin suddenly recalled the time when he'd first obtained Kemoyin's Pupil, more specifically the inscription by Great Magus Serholm.
[Beep! Host has been struck with an unknown curse. All stats decreasing.] The warning from the A.I. Chip was bright red, showing the urgency of the situation.
"Show me the information!" Leylin grew grim as he felt the weakening of his body. The rebellion of the bloodline force as well as the suppression of a portion of his strength made him feel unprecedented weakness.
'I was too careless before! Strength that depends on a bloodline might be very useful initially, but there are going to be some hidden dangers no matter what. If not for my bloodline having evolved to the Kemoyin Emperor and having gained some degree of independence, this mark could very well have caused me to lose all my strength and become subject to the whims of the Snake Dowager!' Leylin's expression was incomparably dark.
[Leylin Farlier. Rank 5 Warlock. Bloodline: Giant Kemoyin Serpent (Complete form). Strength: 45 (76), Agility: 40 (62), Vitality: 100 (176.9), Spiritual force: 1013.5 (2003.5), Magic power: 1013 (Magic power is in synchronisation with spiritual force). Soul force: 101 (200). Condition: Weakened by curse, stats lowering on all fronts. Currently at New Moon, future undetermined.]
Leylin now looked worse. These stats pulled him down to the level of one who had just stepped into Radiant Moon.
Though it had only been a short period of time, the curse had lowered his strength by about half, and there was a possibility of worsening.
Leylin looked at the 'future undetermined' in his status screen, and his voice was icy as he asked, "What does 'future undetermined mean?'
[Based on evaluation of model, the curse will continuously absorb the host's bloodline and increase its capabilities. The host's stats are set to continue to decrease, and there is a possibility of a permanent drop in rank.]
The A.I. Chip quickly answered him, but Leylin had nothing to rejoice over.
"Decrease? To what extent?"
[Unknown. Possibility exists of a complete loss of bloodline force.] The conclusion given by the A.I. Chip caused Leylin's expression to grow even more serious.
'Is it the bloodline shackles or a backlash? Or is this something the Snake Dowager chains her younger generations with?' In an instant, Leylin's mind came up with many possibilities.
This force was evidently linked to his bloodline force, and the closeness far exceeded Leylin's expectations. In order to go further on the path of a Warlock, one would need to be modified by bloodline force, which was why it equated his own power.
However, when the Snake Dowager became hostile, Leylin finally knew the terror of the incomparably tame bloodline force when it rebelled.
Debts had to be repaid. Bloodline Warlocks relied on their bloodline force to amplify their progress, and be it in rate of advancement or battle strength, they exceeded their peers at the same rank. However, they were restricted by bloodline shackles, and once one met the source of their bloodline there was no way to fight back against them.
No. They, whose souls fused with the source of their bloodlines, would not even have thoughts of rebellion!
Leylin was sure that if Gilbert or any other Kemoyin Warlock was in his position, they would not even resist the Snake Dowager. Their wills were all subservient to her. This control extended past their bloodlines and into their souls. This was a powerful manipulation of souls! Unless one changed the soul, it was impossible to eliminate any influences.
'Hehe... Once I have the intention of rebelling against you, you strike me down and make me a regular human? How overbearing!' Leylin stroked his chin and suddenly began to laugh coldly.
'But I will never let anyone take control of my freedom. Bloodline force? It's my bloodline, and even though it originates from the Giant Kemoyin Serpent, it's been altered and refined by the A.I. Chip. I even had it automatically evolve to become a Kemoyin Emperor, you can't control me so easily…'
[A similar record has been found in the database] the A.I. Chip intoned at this moment. With the accumulation of knowledge from Sky City and the Warlock Union, the A.I. Chip could be said to be a museum of the Magus World. No matter how rare and obscure a topic was, information could be found about it.
[Allsnake Curse: The Snake Dowager of the Shadow World has supreme control over all of her progeny. This is a blessing and also a curse, one condensed with bloodline force. Once a descendant has thoughts of disobeying the will of the Snake Dowager, the Allsnake Curse will appear and automatically absorb as well as seal off the descendant's bloodline force, turning into the most powerful bloodline curse. Effect: Continuous weakening of power of Warlock, until target's death.]
There was also a projection of an image beside this introduction, and it was a carbon copy of the one on Leylin's forehead.
"Till death? I like it!" Leylin snickered, "A.I. Chip, based on this rate, how much time do I have left?"
[Beep! Based on current situation, host will fall from Radiant Moon in 26 hours, and in 267 hours lose Morning Star strength. 312 hours later, bloodline force will be completely lost and host will become a regular human.]
The complicated calculations were completed by the A.I. Chip in an instant, giving him a conclusion. "It's too rushed. Is there anyway to slow the process?"
With its massive calculative ability, Leylin was given an answer. [Host can suppress their own bloodline force and seal off their Radiant Moon strength. Such a situation can easily extend the period by three years in tandem with the Medusa's Gaze potion.]
The Allsnake Curse was a curse that absorbed his bloodline force, which was why sealing his own strength would slow the effects of the curse temporarily.
Leylin nodded, but suddenly froze.
"Sealing off my Radiant Moon strength means I'll be able to maintain this condition for three years, but I can't use any strength at rank 5. In that case, if I were to meet a powerful enemy…" Leylin knew fully well that the more he used his own power, the closer he was pushing himself to death.
However, his enemies would not let him off so easily, especially the Snake Dowager. With the attacks from Dreamscape, he'd been forced to run for his life constantly, and this situation would force him to use his bloodline force. He had then suffered the backlash from the Allsnake Curse, which was probably her intention.
"In that case, she definitely won't give up after one attack!" Leylin's pupils shrank abruptly.
"Hss—" At the moment these thoughts emerged, his truesoul was distracted as he entered Dreamscape once more.
A terrifying gigantic white snake was spitting out its tongue, its gaze of one looking at a dead man.
-x-X-x-
"A.I. Chip, conduct scan!" Leylin ordered, and the A.I. Chip quickly sent a passage of information to him.
[Alabaster Devilsnake: Rumoured to be a descendant of the Snake Dowager that inherited dreamforce. Likes to torture its prey in their dreams before digesting them. Matures at rank 5.]
It gave him a thought. 'Even the Snake Dowager needs to use a large amount of energy in order to send dreamforce to a faraway world. That's probably why she just activated the Allsnake Curse and then left the rest to her children…'
*Hss—* At this moment, the Alabaster Devilsnake was flicking its scarlet tongue as its blood red eyes were fixed on Leylin. Its body rumbled as it moved abruptly, turning into a streak of white lightning.
'There's no choice but to act!' Leylin laughed wryly, the energy in his body beginning to boil, "Dream spell…"
White lightning seemed to flicker through the void, and when things returned to normal Leylin was back in the real world.
At this moment, his face looked wretched. The Allsnake Curse on his forehead spread a lot of black veins, greedily absorbing his own bloodline force and turning the strength from his own body into a curse. It was a continuous cycle with no cure.
[Warning! Warning! Host's bloodline force has reached the threshold and is about to drop from Radiant Moon.]
The red warning prompt the A.I. Chip sent out caused Leylin's heart to sink. While he'd done his best to hold back his strength, in order to escape from Dreamscape he had no choice but to use dream spells and his bloodline force. It had provided the Allsnake Curse wtih an opportunity to act up.
'No, this can't go on! A.I. Chip, set up a maze in Dreamscape,' Leylin quickly commanded. The possibility of being dragged into a dream and assaulted from all sides caused his face to turn dark.
[Beep! Mission established, beginning projection of guiding coordinates. Setting up Dreamscape firewall] the A.I. Chip immediately intoned. That was the result of Leylin's studies on Dreamscape. He could try to prevent others from pulling him into a dream, and while he did not know how well it would go, it was still better than nothing.
Making use of this borrowed time that would be hard to come by, Leylin immediately started on other plans, 'A.I. Chip, begin procedure D-23, let's forge the Mask of the Dreamless!'
This command was to make the necessary preparations for the Snake Dowager attacking through Dreamscape.
[Mission established! Beginning simulation. Materials required: 300g of Luk Alloy, tooth of single-eyed snake…] These were all materials Leylin had found could isolate dreamforce in his previous experiments. A black gas appeared on his body with the A.I. Chip's report, and the materials it had mentioned floated out from a flickering light in his waist pouch.
A bundle of demonic black light was formed, devouring the materials. Leylin looked calm as he watched the materials dissolve in the flames, occasionally making some seals and transferring some refining runes into the flames.
Just these few casual movements were extremely fluid, exhibiting the terrifying abilities of a Grandmaster alchemist.
With Leylin's powerful control, it wasn't long before a mask with only one half hovered above the flames. This mask was completely black, its fluid lines and decorative designs giving it a unique aesthetic. A strange aura was emitted from it.
The mask flew out and covered Leylin's face, blocking the Allsnake Curse on his forehead.
Leylin seemed to change after wearing the mask, and now seemed to have some mysterious charm.
The A.I. Chip soon listed the ingredients and all sorts of information about the mask. [Unique Magic Item— Mask of the Dreamless. Weight: 200g. Material: Luk Alloy, tooth of single-eyed snake. Effect: Prevents being spied on with dreamforce. Protects truesoul from invasions from Dreamscape…]
The icy cold mask covered part of Leylin's skin, making him feel at ease, "Thankfully, I'd already been focusing on dealing with dream invasions, and had invented the Mask of the Dreamless."
His fingers stroked the mask, feeling the complicated and intricate patterns. This mask was formed from simulations based on the A.I. Chip's database. On top of that, with Leylin's eye as a Grandmaster alchemist and his creativity allowed him to create this item.
It only had a singular function in blocking dream invasions, which meant it couldn't be classified as a magic artifact or equipment. However, it's ability did not lose out in value to some magical equipment either.
To Leylin, who'd altered himself for Dreamscape and was sensitive to dreamforce, the Mask of the Dreamless was something that finally allowed him to relax. 'Unless the mask is destroyed, my opponent's can't just drag me into a dream and use up my strength…'
Leylin now fully comprehended the terror that was the Snake Dowager. Even while they were in different worlds, he could do nothing against her. Thankfully, with this as a buffer, he could now calm down and think through this matter.
"A.I. Chip, check the database of all the simulations I authorised and find a method to solve the Allsnake Curse."
Leylin's voice was low, and the A.I. Chip quickly began to operate as large amounts of information appeared in front of him. Countless formulae were used, and a faint image of the Snake Dowager even appeared in the virtual space.
With the countless calculations, the A.I Chip came up with a conclusion. [Host has 3 options:
The Snake Dowager removes the mark of her own accord.
Host gets the blessing of a rank 9 existence, using their origin force to purge the Host's bloodline.
Host completely breaks through bloodline shackles, severing all ties with the Snake Dowager.]
'Plans 1 and 2 are impossible, there are too many uncertain variables. I can't do anything for a high-ranked existence, so I'd have to rely on luck,' Leylin touched his chin, light glinting in his pupils, 'The only choice is to break through the restriction on the bloodline and break away from these shackles completely!'
The control and curse of the Snake Dowager came from the Giant Kemoyin Serpent's bloodline force. If Leylin could completely shatter the bloodline shackles and become an independent being, he would no longer be affected by her.
As he was now, this was the most feasible plan.
"But I didn't expect to meet her so quickly. I'll have to find a way to break the bloodline shackles. I can't skip this, and I'll have to go to Purgatory World…"
Leylin looked grim, 'With my current state, I need to keep a low profile for a period of time…' With this thought, he transformed into a bundle of black flames and disappeared.
...
In the Morning Star Area. Jeffrey wore a black swallow-tailed coat with not even a hair out of place, seeming like the most upright gentleman.
"Lady Freya is about to give birth. This is something worthy of celebration for our Warlock Union!"
"Yes! The rank 5 bloodline in our union now has been passed on! With the talent His Highness Leylin has shown, the future of his bloodline descendants is going to be bright…"
Offa laughed as he spoke. He was now waiting with Jeffrey above the castle for Leylin.
Flustered maids and servants ran everywhere in the castle. A layer of crimson energy spread through the area, gradually enveloping a room and still travelling outwards. The low voice of a woman sounded within.
"This is a rank 5 bloodline! Is it the Giant Kemoyin Serpent? What's going on? Does the Kemoyin Serpent have an ancestor or something like that?" Jeffrey was rather curious about this.
"No. His Highness' bloodline is the purest Kemoyin bloodline, there's no doubt about it. Based on my observations, the bloodline he's inherited might very well be that of the ancient Kemoyin Emperor, the ruler of the Giant Kemoyin Serpents!" Offa's voice was soft, as if he was revealing some huge secret.
"Hss… In other words…" Jeffrey sucked in a breath of cold air.
"Yes! The royal family of the Ouroboros Clan has appeared. There is no leader more proper than the Kemoyin Emperor!" Ruling bloodlines held immense control over bloodline clans. This was the same case with the Snake Dowager over Leylin, and based on his Kemoyin Emperor bloodline Leylin had authority over the lives and deaths of the Kemoyin Warlocks under him.
His bloodline definitely ruled the Ouroboros Clan!
"The Ouroboros Clan will forever be subservient to the ruling bloodline to the day that the bloodline dies off. Unless that happens, betrayal will not occur for eternity!" Offa's voice was still as low as before, "We have to be even more prudent when dealing with His Highness."
"That I know, but… Bevis…" Jeffrey could only laugh wryly.
No matter what organisation it was, the appearance of talents like Bevis and Leylin were worthy of celebration. However, the two geniuses did not see eye to eye, which resulted in a great catastrophe.
To be honest, the reason they were here was to serve as protection and as a warning.
If not, Leylin would definitely not let Bevis go. If he were to do anything drastic the consequences were not anything they wanted to see.
Otherwise, even for the birth of a child with a rank 5 bloodline, there wouldn't be two Radiant Moon Warlocks on guard duty.
At the mention of this, Jeffrey seemed to think of something and suddenly asked. "Lord Offa, did you see the news regarding the Blazing Flame Monarch?"
-x-X-x-
"Of course! The Blazing Flame Monarch's lair in Düz was destroyed! Even the whereabouts of a Breaking Dawn like the Monarch are unknown now, how would I not know of something so big?" There was a bitter smile at the corner of Offa's lips.
This was the biggest news these days in the central continent. No, for the core of a rank 6 Monarch's power to be struck so severely, this was something that hadn't happened in the past few thousand years!
News concerning the Blazing Flame Monarch themselves being seriously injured and their whereabouts being unknown horrified Offa and the other Radiant Moon Warlocks.
This was a rank 6 Magus, a Breaking Dawn! It was someone who'd come into contact with the power of laws!
Even with the amplification from their bloodlines and having transformed the Morning Star Area into a large fort, in front of such an existence they could only defend themselves. In contrast, Leylin not only struck at and robbed the Blazing Flame Monarch's Düz City, but he also left his opponent missing, with no news whether they were dead or alive. Such a terrifying strength and methods caused Offa and the others to grow even more vigilant and fearful.
"Really, this time His Highness Leylin…" Even the highest authority of the Warlock Union, Offa, could not help but feel shocked at Leylin's boldness and strength. His group had originally thought Leylin wanted to launch a surprise attack on the Blazing Flame Monarch's troops for revenge; they'd never expected that he'd been targeting the Monarch themselves all the while.
The most crucial thing was that he seemed to have succeeded! His courage and exemplary strength were displayed through his success, and it even left Offa incessantly frightened.
Jeffrey was a little speechless as well. "I've received news that the outside world not only placed Leylin's rank 5 bloodline as the Union's most powerful inheritance, it even listed him as the most powerful Radiant Moon. They're claiming he'll bring about the rise of bloodline Warlocks."
He'd thought before that he already had a deep understanding of Leylin's prowess, but he hadn't thought that his previous performance was only scratching the surface of his abilities.
"However, His Highness Leylin's military success will awe many people," Offa lifted his head and looked at the surroundings. A smile emerged at the corner of his lips, "It seems His Highness Bevis won't be coming this time. That's great!" He was happy that he could avoid internal strife.
Jeffrey rolled his eyes. "After learning of Leylin's feats, how would he have the guts to come here? We're just here in case anything happens."
Even he had no choice but to admit a slight fear of Leylin's methods. You dare offend me? I'll show up at your doorstep to kill you. I won't bother with your soldiers or anything, I'll eliminate the mastermind directly. How many come is how many I will kill, even if the opponent is a Monarch. This method that went against common sense would usually be suppressed by the masses, but if one possessed enough power to contend against the opponent, they would turn into the largest threat.
At the very least, it was very clear now to Bevis that if he tried any tricks, even if he didn't act himself, if Leylin thought he did it he would find and kill him. Be it Offa or Jeffrey, their counsel would not help.
As for the other Warlocks of the Union? Even if the Blazing Flame Monarch hadn't been eliminated, they'd at least sustained grievous injuries. Did Bevis believe that their help would equate to Breaking Dawn strength?
"Actually, this is also a good thing!" Offa let out a faint smile, "For now, His Highness Leylin, said to be invincible below Breaking Dawn, is the Warlock with the greatest hope of advancing to rank 6. Gaining a military deterrent like that will greatly improve our circumstances in the central continent…"
"Invincible below Breaking Dawn?" At this moment, a figure emerged before Offa and Jeffrey. His voice was extremely familiar but it caused their expressions to change.
"Your Highness Leylin?" Jeffrey looked at Leylin who suddenly appeared, fear secretly emerging in his heart.
He and Offa were Radiant Moon Warlocks, and on top of that they were actively monitoring their surroundings. Even the flow of energy particles in the air could not escape their senses, yet Leylin had bypassed them so easily to appear behind them. Didn't this mean that, if Leylin intended it, he could mount a sneak attack on any of the Warlocks here?
Only now did Jeffrey truly realise how different Leylin was from before. The current him indeed was the hope of the bloodline Warlocks, the Warlock invincible below Breaking Dawn!
Leylin was wearing a dark gold Magus robe, and it was as if the aura on his body had completely vanished. It left Jeffrey unable to measure him clearly. On top of that, Leylin currently had a strange black mark covering half his face, and it caused him to be slightly doubtful.
"This is…" Offa took the initiative to ask.
"Ah," Leylin touched the mask on his face, "A small injury I got a while ago." Trying to cover it up would easily arouse suspicion, so he felt like he might as well admit it.
"Indeed, the terror of a Breaking Dawn is hard to resist," Offa nodded, deep in thought. The opponent was indeed a Monarch; no matter how powerful Leylin was, avoiding injury was impossible.
Offa had formed his own picture of things with Leylin's misleading words. The wound on Leylin's face had automatically been categorised as the aftermath of his confrontation with the Blazing Flame Monarch.
"Before I forget, it's been a long time Your Highnesses," a wicked smile adorned Leylin's face as he took the initiative to make a bow, "Freya and the Ouroboros Clan have been in your care during my absence, this humble servant is thankful."
"Don't mention it. Your Highness managed to destroy Düz City in one move, even inflicting serious damage to the Blazing Flame Monarch. Compared to such great news for us suppressed Warlocks, is this anything big?" Offa and Jeffrey answered respectfully. No matter what, the friendship of a Warlock invincible below Breaking Dawn would be extremely beneficial for them.
"Let's skip the words of thanks, may our friendship last forever!" Leylin smiled; he certainly knew what these two Warlocks wanted.
"Of course! Our friendship is like a bond of brotherhood," Offa and Jeffrey were both Warlocks with age and much knowledge, while Leylin, too, had a multitude of experiences. The three Warlocks kept flattering each other and beat around the bush, but did not get to the point.
Watching Leylin's carefree attitude, even as if he didn't care much for Freya who was in labour downstairs, Offa could not help but secretly call him an 'old fox' in his mind. Still, he took the lead to question him, "We're not sure what the results of Your Highness' trip this time was. The Blazing Flame Monarch…"
Of course, the life and death of the Blazing Flame Monarch was their priority; and how could the news in the outside world be more accurate than the account of Leylin who was one of the parties involved? This also was a measure of Leylin's military strength, and would have an inexpressible change in the dynamics of the central continent afterwards. They had no choice but to be concerned.
"Oh, about that. I'm sorry," Leylin laughed with 'embarrassment', "Although I took Düz down with some like-minded friends, and even attacked the Fiery World and inflicted serious damage to the Blazing Flame Monarch, I still couldn't quite kill them."
Although this was just a short and simple explanation, just the dangers implied by them caused Jeffrey and Offa to break into cold sweat in terror.
Hearing that the Blazing Flame Monarch was seriously injured but not dead, relief flooded Offa's heart despite his slight disappointment. If Leylin was already able to get rid of a Breaking Dawn Magus, he didn't know what sort of attitude to hold towards him anymore.
"However…" Leylin deliberately paused, causing Offa's and Jeffrey's hearts to grow alert again.
"Although we didn't manage to get rid of the Blazing Flame Monarch, we were successful in inflicting serious damage on the opponent instead. Not only would it take a long time to recuperate from such a thing, it's hard to say whether the Monarch will even be able to remain at rank 6 even after a full recovery…"
He then dropped another bomb before Offa and Jeffrey could digest this shocking news, "It's also worth wondering if the Blazing Flame Monarch will treat us as enemies in the future. I don't believe that will be a huge issue…"
The explosive news that Leylin dropped one after the other caused Offa and Jeffrey to be dazzled. They couldn't understand at all. The Blazing Flame Monarch could possibly fall in rank, and on top of that end their enmity with Warlocks even in spite of such great losses? How was this even possible?
However, looking at the proud Leylin, Offa and Jeffrey couldn't help but consider this possibility from all angles.
Leylin smiled. The 'Blazing Flame Monarch' had lost a part of her laws of fire, sustained serious injuries, and worst of all experienced the trauma of her truesoul being split and fused back together. With so much damage being stacked on her, if Melinda was able to recover even within a few hundred years, Leylin would look up to her.
Furthermore, the Blazing Flame Monarch's will could thoroughly be suppressed or annihilated by Melinda before that. Whether the current Blazing Flame Monarch could still maintain her previous attitude of desiring the extinction of bloodline Warlocks remained to be seen.
Although Leylin was ruthless in his betrayal, they were still 'allies' after all. With her power weakened, what she needed now was a peaceful environment to recuperate in, not an impetuous vengeance. Leylin believed that an old witch like Melinda would easily be able to think of that.
Hence, it was almost certain that even the extremist portion of the Blazing Flame Monarch would choose to stay low profile and live in seclusion now.
Although this was the case, the obstinate ruthlessness the Blazing Flame Monarch showed towards Warlocks was deeply seared into their minds. They wouldn't be able to react to this quickly at all.
Seeing them like that, Leylin could not help but feel slightly amused. And at this moment, "Wah! Wah!", an infant's cries echoed from the castle.
The loud and clear cries strangely reverberated through the entire castle, a hallmark to this child's remarkability.
-x-X-x-
"And now my second descendant is born," Leylin didn't know himself what he was feeling exactly, but the birth of a descendant still caused a slight tenderness in his heart.
"Please excuse me," he said to Offa and Jeffrey, knocking them out of their stupor.
"Of course Your Highness, go handle your own matters first," they answered with understanding.
Black flames flashed as Leylin disappeared, only to arrive at a room in the castle. This luxurious room was filled with the smell of blood and amniotic fluid. A few wet nurses had already collapsed on the floor, the main culprit being the infant that was still crying out loud.
These wet nurses had been carefully selected, and almost all of them were rank 1 Warlocks. Still, the power from the rank 5 bloodline in the child's body surpassed the limits of what they could bear.
After all, Leylin, Freya, and the rest normally suppressed their vital radiations on purpose to avoid polluting the surrounding environment. A newborn couldn't possibly have such awareness.
As the infant wept, darkness elemental energy particles emerged and began circling around it. Black flames burnt constantly, beginning to wreck the surrounding furniture and bed sheets.
"Its spiritual force and bloodline force are rebelling?" Instead of frightening him, this news actually made Leylin glad. "This child's innate skill is very high!"
This degree of rebellion did not bother him, and he easily suppressed it as he held the infant up. Seemingly due to sensing the bond of their bloodline, the infant immediately stopped crying upon seeing Leylin, and even let out an innocent smile.
Being a peak rank 3 Warlock whose vitality surpassed most others, Freya had managed to maintain her consciousness till now. When she saw who had arrived, she was shocked at first but then relaxed, "Dear… Our child…"
"Yes, our child is born. It's been hard on you," Leylin comforted her gently, his palms still caressing the forehead of the infant in his embrace. Black light flashed in the room, causing it to fall into a deep slumber.
Just like this, Leylin embraced the child and accompanied Freya quietly. Even though she was a Warlock, the fatigue due to the pregnancy and labour of a child with such a unique bloodline still caused her to fall into a deep sleep very quickly.
'A legacy of the bloodline, eternal from generation to generation.' Leylin seemed to grow some special feelings as he looked at the soundly sleeping infant in his hands.
The pursuit of eternal life was the dream of all humans, but there were almost none who succeeded in the endeavour. Hence there was another method; by producing offspring and passing down their bloodline, one could achieve a sort of immortality of genetics.
Then there was a sort of spiritual immortality. By passing on one's own knowledge and perception of the world to others, teaching students of one's culture and wisdom, one could achieve an immortality of its own.
Descendants would need to be nurtured. One would need to inculcate their own ideas in their blood descendants, spreading their knowledge. This, too, created an eternal life in some sense. As long as this tradition was passed from generation to generation, one could be considered as having partly accomplished the goal.
Hence, be it in his previous life or in this world, humans always held feelings for their descendants. Although individuals who broke this norm did exist, they were not the mainstream.
To Leylin, passing down his bloodline was not only a means to form his power. His descendants would inherit his ideas and legacy. Although true eternal life existed in the Magus World, something much more attractive than having descendants, that did not hinder him from keeping them as a last resort.
'The power of its bloodline is very rich, but it also conceals some dangers!' Soul force swept through the infant, revealing everything about its body before his eyes. Leylin's eyebrows furrowed.
At rank 5, the Kemoyin Emperor bloodline would definitely be detected by the Snake Dowager. With him taking the heat, these bloodlines that were diluted with others might not be given much attention, but even small movements, combined with the infants' inability to stay on guard, would lead to complete annihilation. Hence, he had to take precautions.
'A.I. Chip, construct a Dreamscape defence,' Leylin commanded.
The A.I. Chip quickly responded. [Beep! Mission established! Beginning to transfer runes…]
Misty runes began to appear on Leylin's hands one after the other, forming a unique seal that merged into the infant's back before flickering and fading.
'The possibility of his bloodline attracting attention was already very low. With the addition of these defences it should be negligible,' Leylin was nodding as he thought of Celine, 'I still need to find the time to make a trip to the Twilight Zone.'
The main door was pulled open with a thud, and he walked out while carrying the child.Outside the door, Gilbert and Emma were waiting alongside Kubler and his other subordinates, all of them with excitement in their expressions.
"Congratulations, Master!" His first subordinate Warlock knelt down respectfully. Kubler's actions were followed by the loud sounds of congratulations.
"Mm," Leylin nodded, raising the infant in his hands above his head, "This child shall be called Syre. Syre Farlier, son of Leylin Farlier!"
In the language of the central continent, the name Syre carried the connotation of being honourable and blessed. It was a very good name. Hearing Leylin's announcement, Kubler and the others momentarily drowned the area with cheers, "Syre! Syre!"
...
A grand feast was held that night in celebration. Not only did Offa, Jeffrey and Wayde attend, even Bevis had to force a smile on his face and come over to congratulate Leylin.
After the grand feast ended, Leylin gathered Gilbert, Emma, Offa, and the others, announcing his decision to set out on a long journey. He told these people that he'd discovered another world, and was preparing to delve into a long-term expedition.
Although Offa and others did not really understand Leylin's actions, they still consented and promised to support the Ouroboros Clan as they always had. To the outside world, the Warlock invincible under Breaking Dawn was going to conduct long-term research, and he would hence stay in the Morning Star Area for a very long time.
Leaving aside the effect this news had on the central continent's current situation, Leylin had left the Morning Star Area the very next day in secret.
His departure this time was very low-profile. By the time someone realised it, they'd already lost his tracks.
...
Twilight Zone.
The lake of lava burst apart, revealing Leylin's figure, looking expressionlessly at his cuff. There, the lava had impressively burnt a round hole, leaving a mark.
'Indeed. Now that I'm sealed, I'm not as strong as the last time I came here. I can only be considered an ordinary Morning Star now…' A bitter smile hung at the corner of Leylin's lips.
Due to the restrictions from the Allsnake Curse, he could no longer utilise power at Radiant Moon, even having taken the initiative to seal his bloodline force. Still, all that had only bought him three years of time.
He had to use this time to break through the shackles of his bloodline, resolving the curse. If not, the consequence would be his bloodline being completely sealed by it, something that would lead to immediate death!
Now that he'd taken the initiative to seal a large portion of his bloodline, the A.I. Chip evaluated him to be no stronger than a Morning Star Magus. The best proof of this was the lava passageways. He could run amok in them before, but now it had managed to break through his defences and even leave a mark on his clothes.
'This doesn't feel good,' Leylin's eyebrows furrowed.
Being sealed due to the Allsnake Curse, he was now inferior to an ordinary Radiant Moon Magus. He had to conceal his own aura in the Morning Star Area to deceive people, so how would he dare to stay there for any length of time? With his strength having suffered great losses, the central continent was too dangerous for him. He had to go into hiding for some time.
Leylin never believed in fairness and good blood. Only the most meticulous plans would guarantee his safety as he advanced on his path. Remaining in the Morning Star Area would cause unending problems. Going out instead was better for both parties.
Before confirming that Leylin had thoroughly died, who would dare to harm the Ouroboros Clan, Freya and her child?
There was, in fact, a darker thought deep in Leylin's heart. If anyone reached out for his power, he could at most come back for revenge later on, paying them back tenfold. Those with no qualms made the most terrifying of enemies.
'After resolving the matters in Twilight Zone, I'm afraid I'll need to make a trip to the south coast.' Making silent calculations, Leylin suddenly lifted his head to look at the gloomy rock ceiling, letting loose a quiet sigh.
The current him had to leave for the Purgatory World to resolve the Allsnake Curse. With the Snake Dowager's lair being there, the amount of danger could not be described.
Thus, even Leylin wasn't very confident in his outing this time. Thus, settling all matters on his hands evidently became important. The central continent was taken care of, and next would be Twilight Zone.
After that, he still wanted to return to the south coast in his heart. Be it the rank 3 Magus who inflicted serious damage on him at that time and force him to flee underground, or the matters related to the Farlier Family on the Chernobyl Islands, he needed to tie up all loose ends.
Even a Morning Star like the current him would be invincible in the south coast.
Only when these matters were totally resolved would Leylin be able to abandon everything completely. He could then enter the Purgatory World, striving for his own path forward even at the cost of death.
'Twilight Zone's matters are easy. Only, should I leave behind a hand in the shadows?' Leylin stroked his chin. His entire figure suddenly transformed into a black flame, whistling into the horizon.
Celine was currently beside a cradle. Looking at the figure that suddenly emerged beside her, she exclaimed with pleasant surprise, "Leylin!"
-x-X-x-
He named his first child Daniel. After setting up some isolation spells and asking Celine to hide herself for a period of time, he reckoned everything should be fine. With his business done, he headed for the south coast.
Though the surroundings were filled with dangerous areas that even rank 3 Magi were known to be unable to escape, this north coast that was isolated from the world seemed to Leylin like his backyard.
"It's been so long, I wonder how those friends and enemies are now?" Leylin looked at the clouds through his window, and familiar faces appeared in his mind.
George, Nyssa, Damien, Number 4 and 5, and the former principal who were all his friends and servants. There were also his enemies like Gargamel and Alric as well.
Memories were dusted off one after the other, especially of him taking an airship to the south coast before he was even an acolyte. It all seemed as if it had happened yesterday.
"Time flew by in the blink of an eye…" Leylin raised his arm, glancing at his youthful and energetic palm as his mind drifted away once more.
"With fifth-grade aptitude, Jayden should be alive and well even now. As for George and Kaliweir… After all, one's soul aptitude is the most important thing for a Magus."
Leylin sighed. If not for choosing the path of a Warlock, he would likely still be stuck as a rank 1 or 2 Magus, even with the help of his A.I. Chip. Forget Morning Star, the current him had even reached the Radiant Moon realm, something unheard of in the south coast. His bloodline had a large part to play in these advances. Things were always unpredictable…
"Besides…" Leylin looked at the near Volcano City and let out a sinister smile.
Red light circulated around his hand, and through his bloodline he could feel the activity of other Farlier descendants in the nearby Teljose City.
'Descendants of Viscount Farlier?' Leylin laughed, 'Didn't I not have any siblings before I left? Viscount John Farlier is very much like our ancestors indeed…'
Leylin still held some attachment towards the Farlier family; after all, his current body came from them. Even though he'd sent Damian over to protect them along with Number 4 and 5, he still couldn't thoroughly cut his ties to them. Still, because it was difficult for him to face them at that time, he'd done it anyway.
A few hundred years had passed since then, and all that would be left of his relatives and friends would be ash and bone. This would make things easier for him; all he needed to do was give a few benefits to his descendants and everything would be fine.
"Attention to all passengers. The airship is arriving at the terminal in Teljose City! Please gather your belongings and leave the ship in order," The gentle female voice sounded again, "Furthermore, the next flight will begin half a year later. The airship will circle the eastern line. Please make any reservations if need be. One final announcement: Traces of the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect have been detected in the eastern portion of the city. Please be careful."
The first few announcements didn't net much of a reaction from the passengers, after all the airships here were not comparable to those of the central continent and needed a period of maintenance after each flight. If not for the fact that Teljose City was the trade center of the south coast, they wouldn't have set up any airship routes at all. The last announcement with regards to the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect, though, it wreaked havoc in the hearts of the passengers when it was made known.
"What do we do now, Darlie? The Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect's disciples are all madmen, won't it be too dangerous for us in town?" A few female Magi near Leylin got anxious.
"Rest assured. Teljose City is one of the main camps of the light Magi, and Lord Alric is protecting us. Nothing will happen here. Forget that, aren't the Death Soul Protection and Soul Pollution Isolation spells our forte?" The girl named Darlie quickly calmed her partners down. The presence of the light Magi and Alric gave them a lot of confidence, and even the rest of the airship's passengers started to quieten down afterwards.
'Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect? Alric?' Leylin laughed, 'It seems like I can settle that debt quite easily this time.'
He hadn't taken this airship out of convenience. There was a slight sentimental value to it, but most important was that it would allow him to collect crucial information. With his current abilities, just his dreamforce forcefield could force many Magi to hand over a large amount of information that included their secrets. With the A.I. Chip's abilities added on top, Leylin grew more or less clear on what had happened in the south coast after he'd left.
During his escape after the fight for the essence of the Wisdom Tree, the light Magi had suffered great losses. This incident had sparked off the third great Magus War!
With multiple rank 2 light Magi injured or killed, the dark Magi were stirred into action. With the additional encouragement from the incident with the Wisdom Tree, they started vying over the Eternal River pocket dimension and launched the war.
High-level members, all previously hidden from the world's eyes, emerged in an unprecedented battle above the Thousand Soul Island. Spells of darkness and light blotted out almost half the sky, and the battle ended with the island sinking down. Both parties had suffered great losses.
The third Magus War was supposed to last for a long time, but it was halted abruptly due to the appearance of another strong party. Right after the battle at Thousand Soul Island ended, the ancient Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect took advantage of the fact that both sides were severely damaged and rose quickly in power and position. Their leader was rumoured to be the terminator of all souls— Gargamel! Members of the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect were demon fanatics, and even wantonly collected souls in the south coast, regardless of whether they belonged to magicians or humans. They also didn't care whether they were attacking light magicians or dark ones, all in their sights were attacked.
With so many souls in hand, Gargamel's power recovered quickly. It had even advanced to the peak of rank 3 in a short period of time!
With all this, both sides decided that they could not let such a thing go on, quickly ending their original war and cooperating to suppress Gargamel's rise along with her Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect.
Finally, in an intense ambush, the rank 3 Magi of all three sides suffered grievous injuries or even death, and the Magi used their many inherited treasures to inflict great damage to Gargamel and the sect.
But Gargamel was indeed an ancient demon; it had managed to escape from the dark and light Magi and recuperated in hiding, silently waiting for a chance to make a comeback.
Rumours in recent times said that Gargamel's wounds were healing quickly, something that explained the increasing activity of the sect's members. They were conducting massive blood sacrifices and collecting souls. The entire south coast was laden with anxiety.
'So to say, the south coast is currently experiencing a three-way stalemate between the dark Magi, light Magi, and the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect…' Leylin yawned, even if he'd sealed the majority of his abilities, enemies of such a level were still ants to him.
'Let's end things here quickly and find the Purgatory World. My time is far too precious!' Leylin stood up and came to the entrance queue, waiting to alight. Darlie and his partners were in front of him.
"Hey Darlie, look. The hunk who sat with us before is here too." The female Magus in front tugged on Darlie's sleeve.
"Yeah, let's go strike up a conversation! I'll count myself lucky today, none of you can fight me!"
"You guys…" Darlie's voice was soft and she looked like she was done with them, "Aren't you guys afraid of offending him by speaking so loudly when we're so near? And didn't you guys try the other time as well? that sir over there hates to be disturbed…"
The female Magus looked at Leylin stealthily again after Darlie finished her words. The elegant black robe exuded a sense of royalty and the black mask on his face gave Leylin a few pints of mysteriousness. Though only half his face was revealed, the charm he gave off unknowingly was driving all the female Magi mad.
-x-X-x-
He had to say, with his bloodline strengthened his charm had also achieved a new peak. The current him could even charm ghosts and humans of any age. Even Darlie's face flushed and she lowered her head.
At this sight, Leylin couldn't help but feel a little good about himself. He smiled at Darlie.
Unfortunately, the action misled the female Magi in front of him, "Oh my god! He smiled at me!" "No! It was me!" Frustration coloured their faces as they fought over it.
"It's so good to be young!" Leylin shook his head, sauntering out of the airship after it came to a halt.
"Sir over there must be a Magus with a rich history." Darlie watched as Leylin walked away, curiosity burning in her eyes.
She was someone with pretty good aptitude and could be considered a talented person. On top of that, she was hardworking and had advanced to rank 1 at a young age. She'd even started on her elemental conversion already!
Despite this, her past few attempts at probing Leylin failed, and she realised that Leylin was not any ordinary Magus.
Sadly, her other companions did not seem to notice this; she sighed as she looked at her starry-eyed friends.
'Teljose City still looks the same as it did…' Standing in front of the city wall, this large city built around a volcano seemed to have remained the same. The only difference was the aging of the walls.
Leylin couldn't help but think of the first time he'd come here. That poor Magus, Jenna, and her meditation technique of Sacred Flame.
He managed to enter the city quite smoothly when he revealed his power as a Magus. The place was as bustling as it used to be, and had been separated into different strata. As his soul force probed through the city, he managed to find his old villa. However, it was now decked out with a whole new set of spell formations, set up by the Magus currently residing there.
Leylin shook his head and dismissed all thoughts of probing further, instead moving towards a tavern. He'd gotten a general idea of the current situation, but there was still some information he needed to probe further into; this was especially true of the issues surrounding the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect.
Furthermore, since he was already here, Alric and the other Magi wouldn't be able to escape him. He could wait at ease.
"Descendants of my blood, heed my command. Head here!" Leylin's eyes turned crimson as his terrifying soul force spread out. His power, however, couldn't be detected by anyone. Soul force was far too advanced to be detected by anyone in this city.
Still, it was a bad omen for the Magi who'd been picked by him. A fountain pen broke apart in Alric's hand as he stood up clutching his chest. "What… is this? What's going on?"
Magi usually had accurate premonitions. As a rank 3, Alric's intuition had saved him from umpteen dangerous situations.
That same sense of danger hit him again, and this time it was ten times as strong as the previous times. How could he stay calm with that?
"Someone get in here!" He shouted.
A handful of old Magi arrived in order, standing outside the door, "What may I do for you, my Lord?"
"What has the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect been up to lately? I need to know everything about them, and I mean everything!" Alric looked gloomy.
"Yes sir!" the Magi echoed, looking at Alric as if he were their God.
A rank 3 Magus was the top of the pack in the south coast. After the third Magus War, the status of rank 3 Magi had even increased by a huge amount given how many had perished in it. Alric himself actually oversaw the entirety of Teljose City, and was one of the best light Magi.
Naturally, his orders spread out like wildfire. It took no time at all for everything about the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect to cover his desk.
"That's all?" he asked, flipping through indifferently.
"Whatever we could find is in here, my Lord. The recent batch of sect members who came here seem to be hunting someone down instead of collecting souls."
"Mm, I saw the report. For a rank 2 Magus to be leading the team, it seems like those they're after are a force to be reckoned with…" Alric sat back down once again, and rubbed his forehead. Bothered by the look of hesitation on the aged Magus' face, he asked, "Is there anything else you're hiding from me?"
"I wouldn't dare, my Lord!" Now intimidated, the Magus immediately knelt before him and sought forgiveness, "It's just that there are a few rumours related to the Magi we caught. However, we wouldn't dare come to any sort of conclusion before verifying them…"
"Speak!" Alric's face grew gloomy.
"Of course," The old Magus shot Alric a look, and started breaking out in a cold sweat, "The rumours state that the Magus who's being hunted down by the sect members is a member of Leylin Farlier's family."
All the Magi present tensed their bodies the moment the name was mentioned. That name was an absolute taboo to Alric. His only son had died at Leylin's hands!
When he'd chased after him, he'd instead been used by Leylin who escaped with a teleportation spell formation. Furthermore, he barely escaped the rank 2 Magus' trap, something that had caused him immense humiliation.
*Boom!* A terrifying energy ripple spread out, and all the objects in the room began to shake.
"A surviving member of Farlier's family?" Alric's voice held a tinge of bitterness. In his hatred towards Leylin, Alric had once disregarded the unspoken rules of the south coast and brazenly sent troops to exterminate Leylin's family clan. During that operation, the entire Farlier Family seemed to have been uprooted. Only a few specific bloodlines seemed to have received the protection of some mysterious characters.
"My– My Lord, I can't be too sure of this as well, but the only thing I know is that they have already infiltrated our city," the old man stuttered out. Despite being a Magus himself, he was only rank 1 while Alric was rank 3, the peak of the south coast's Magi. The disparity between them was simply too huge.
"Go look for them now!" Alric commanded, and all the Magi rushed out of the room while cursing at their target.
"Leylin…" Alric's gritting teeth echoed throughout the room after all the Magi had left.
...
"Please come back, my Lord." An elderly man accompanied Leylin to the entrance of his shop, maintaining a half-bow until Leylin's back disappeared from his sight.
He ran a store that specialised in the sale of information and data. He'd met hardly any customers who were as straightforward as Leylin was in his store. Moreover, the energy coming from Leylin's body had stifled him slightly.
'Things seem to be the same but the people have indeed changed!' Leylin sighed in thought as he wandered the streets.
The information he'd acquired on the airship only formed part of the picture, barely scraping the surface. After they touched down in the city, he obtained a lot more detailed information through the information broker he'd found from the tavern.
First was the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy. Leylin's alma mater still seemed the same as it was before, the only difference was the Dean of the academy had changed. Siley was nowhere to be found, but other than that there were no anomalies.
And even though the Four Seasons Garden greatly suffered after their encounter with Leylin, they'd slowly recovered due to their strong foundation.
Other than stronger groups like the Four Seasons Garden, many names which Leylin was once familiar with had all vanished into the annals of history.
Leylin had even gone to the extent of intentionally revealing the names of his past friends like George and company, but that got him nothing. After all, when Leylin left he was only an acolyte, it was impossible to leave footprints. Or maybe the events in the Eternal River pocket dimension had discouraged all of them so greatly that they chose to hide themselves from the world.
On the other hand, it was Leylin himself who caused trouble between the dark and light Magi. Even now, his work was being described in detail and with much cursing.
Furthermore, many Magi and even the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect had put a bounty on Leylin's head. Learning that it hadn't been taken down till date, he was left speechless.
"Sir, I really am capable. I know some things about alchemy and potioneering, and I know how to…" A female Magus was dragged violently out of a store, the owner a Magus as well. Many of the onlookers took a step back, not interfering. The owner himself was actually a semi-converted Magus, a faint halo of elemental particles surrounded him.
"Sir! My Lord! Please give me a chance, I really need this job—" The female Magus grabbed onto the hem of her skirt, pleading with urgency and yearning. Still, she was rejected mercilessly.
"Don't make me repeat the same thing twice!" A tremendous amount of power started to bleed from the owner's body and Darlie started moving back uncontrollably.
A powerful supporting force surfaced suddenly and helped Darlie to her feet. "Thank you! Oh? Aren't you the Mister from…"
"Count yourself lucky!" The store owner had obvious reservations about Leylin and stomped back into his shop while shaking his head.
"Are you alright?" Leylin looked at Darlie, thinking this situation was a little ridiculous. Judging from Darlie's current state, she was evidently in a poor predicament. "Want to go for a drink?"
-x-X-x-
"I was too naive. No matter how lax the professor from the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower could be in his requirements, a novice Magus like me isn't competent enough…"
Leylin and Darlie sat facing each other in a fruit juice shop. Leylin was watching the passersby outside the French window as he listened to Darlie narrate her experiences after they parted ways.
Darlie was a talented Magus who had perseverance. She had a fault, however, in her youth.
Knowledge was the foundation of a Magus' power. She was extraordinary for advancing to become a Magus at her age, but compared to those old freaks who'd amassed knowledge over hundreds of years she was nothing.
Hence, she had completely failed recruitment into the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower, being rejected at the start itself.
Her other female companions had fared the same way, and after the setback from the huge difference between their ideals and reality, they had long since returned to their hometowns. Some had even given up completely. Only Darlie had not let up, persevering and staying in Teljose City.
Soon enough, however, she was faced with a serious issue— she had gone broke!
Official Magi might seem extremely wealthy, but those who had just advanced had used up all their resources and magic crystals while breaking through. They weren't particularly skilled in any area, and since they lacked magic crystals to purchase spell models and the like to grow in strength, it was an endless cycle. Magi were normally at their poorest after advancing, and the costs of Teljoce City were too much for someone like Darlie.
On top of that, she still needed to obtain more magic crystals in order to purchase things like spiritual force potions and spell models. Hence, after racking her brains, she had no choice but to swallow her pride and look for a job.
However, reality dealt her a ruthless blow. Darlie cared little for regular jobs, but she did not meet the requirements for jobs that needed official Magi. She had hit a wall many times already before bumping into Leylin today.
"It's been just a few days, but you've already had so many experiences…" Leylin had the urge to laugh, but he forced it down.
Since he'd advanced as a Warlock, he was always stronger than others of the same rank as gim. On top of that, the A.I. Chip was a cheat that allowed him to amass knowledge that did not lose out to those old freaks. He'd never experienced such things.
In actuality, Magi like Darlie were the norm in this world.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Leylin asked kindly. He had some magic crystals lying around, and it wasn't like they were of much use to him. They were effectively rocks to him, and he obviously wouldn't mind showing some generosity.
"It's alright. I've taken on a mission to gather starlight grass, and the rewards aren't half bad. I'll be able to survive for a while…" Darlie said in rejection. She was a strong and prideful child, and obviously would not accept such charity.
"Starlight grass, huh…" Leylin checked with the A.I. Chip, "That ingredient is only produced in Ebole Town. Though it's not far from Teljose and it's easy to gather it, a wave of disciples from the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect fled there recently, making it more dangerous…"
"No wonder…" Darlie covered her little mouth, "I was wondering why the task was so simple, yet the rewards were so generous. Damn it…"
Seeing her finding this difficult, Leylin could not help but laugh, "I need to go there anyway. Let's go together…"
"Mister…" Darlie grew extremely emotional, tears forming at the corner of her eyes.
"I really have something to do there!" Leylin emphasised. With a few days of soul and bloodline hints being transmitted, the Farlier descendant had come here, and was about to reach Ebole Town as well.
Leylin wasn't someone with too much time on his hands. If not for such a thing, he'd just give her some magic crystals. Why would he waste his precious time and accompany her?
"Many thanks!" Darlie bowed deeply, a red flush appearing on her cheeks and spreading downwards.
...
The wheels kept turning, producing creaking noises. The uneven surface of the road left the carriage constantly shaking.
Within the carriage, Darlie was watching Leylin's mysterious face that was covered with a black mask. She hesitated for a long time before she spoke, "Mi– Mister, my name is Darlie. May I know…"
As Leylin had kept his mask on all this while, Darlie had assumed that he was hiding his identity, which was why she had not asked for his name. Now, however, the two of them were going to Ebole Town together, and it seemed too lacking in manners if she did not inquire into this properly.
"Oh, I'm Leylin!" Leylin told the truth plainly. In his senses, the bloodline descendant was very close to the town.
However, the life aura on his body had been weakened to a maximum, and there was even an aura of death coming from him. If Leylin didn't save him, it wasn't likely for him to make it back to Teljose City.
"Leylin…" Darlie repeated the name a few times, and her expression suddenly changed, "The name 'Leylin', it's the same as a Magus who's in our history textbooks!"
"Oh?" Leylin stroked his chin. The Third Magus War and the rise of the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect were very serious issues for the Magi of the south coast, and every detail about them had been noted down.
Leylin was mentioned, obviously. After all, he'd been the person who somewhat sparked all these issues. With Darlie's own studiousness, she'd remembered it to this day.
"Hoho… I didn't expect Lord Leylin to have the same name as that Magus in history. How interesting! Heehee…" Darlie covered her mouth, shoulders shaking slightly.
Perhaps it was because she was not wary of Leylin at all, or because she was charmed by the dreamforce surrounding him. She hadn't even considered the possibility that Leylin was the same one from history.
"Oh? May I ask what the books say about him?" Leylin was rather curious of how the historians of the south coast evaluated him.
"Of course!" Darlie nodded, closing her eyes and seemed to recall content about him:
"Poison Sovereign King, Leylin Farlier of the Chernobyl Islands. A rank 2 Magus, and an important figure who caused the Third Magus War. Initially a student at the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, he betrayed them and then fled to Four Seasons Garden. Countless battles allowed him to garner a reputation, with the most famous being the battle at the Eternal River Plains' pocket dimension, as well as that at the Brambles Iron Door. Whereabouts currently unknown, he is wanted by both dark and light Magi. Evaluation: A rare Magus talent, seen only once in a thousand years in the south coast!"
It was as if she was reading the textbook itself, and the words she recited left Leylin laughing at himself.
"I never thought there would come a day that I'd enter a textbook!" Leylin touched the glossy and cold mask on his face, and couldn't help but feel incredulous.
"What about your opinion of him?" Leylin asked her curiously.
"That Leylin?" Darlie's eyes glazed over, as if a layer of fog had gone over them, "He's a genius! There are rumours that he's even a Potioneering Grandmaster, but he isn't of high moral standing. I don't like him!"
"Looks like I left behind a bad impression on the south coast!" Leylin could only shake his head, "Actually…"
"Actually? Oh, by the way Mister Leylin, why do you keep asking me questions about that fellow?" No matter how dim witted she was, she finally reacted.
"Oh, it's nothing… just that we've reached Ebole Town!" Leylin opened the window on the carriage and nodded.
Starlight grass was a distinctive product found around Ebole Town. Irregular silver spots dotted its tender green leaves, sparkling with a charming light. It was hard to mistake it for something else.
Due to the threat of the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect, which caused Ebole Town to lose all contact with Teljose City, the mission of gathering starlight grass now yielded very generous rewards.
"There are so few people in the town. I can't even get people to buy from if I try…" Darlie felt helpless.
Since she knew how dangerous this place was, she was unwilling to stay longer. If she could purchase enough portions of starlight grass, she wouldn't be at such a loss. However, the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect's bad reputation of going around collecting souls, not even leaving commoners, left the town practically empty. Many residents had left this area and fled, causing the town to become desolate. The Potioneers and those who gathered materials had disappeared.
"Ugh… looks like I'll have to do it myself…"
Darlie lowered her head sadly, and then glanced at Leylin, who was beside her, "Sir Leylin, what are you here for?"
Leylin wore gorgeous clothing, just one of his gloves worth everything she was. Combined with his great bearing, he probably came from some ancient noble family. Why would a person like this find value in things like starlight grass?
"Me?" Leylin chuckled, "I'm waiting for someone!"
"Oh! You agreed to meet someone outside Ebole Town? If it's convenient, could you tell me his name? I'll look out for him," she asked.
"Yes! He's a younger generation member in my family. As for his name…" Leylin scratched his head. He had used the power of his bloodline to guide the descendant from the Farlier Family over. How was he to know the child's name?
"Oh, there's no need for that. He's arrived." Leylin's eyebrows raised up, and he walked out. Darlie followed closely behind, her eyes showing her curiosity.
The scene of a chase appeared quickly in front of Darlie as she followed him out of town…
-x-X-x-
"That's…" Darlie watched the streaks of light that were pursuing someone vigorously, and felt herself getting tense. In front of her were Magi from the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect.
They wore loose blood-red robes emblazoned with an inverted silver cross on the back. A white skull was at the heart of the cross, its eyes filled with an abyssal darkness. It seemed to be smirking at her.
This was the standard attire of the disciples of the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect. She could feel the traces of elemental conversion from all of these Magi, 'They're at least semi-converted Magi. And that leader, he's… he's…'
Practically the very moment she turned her attention to him, the leader suddenly turned to face her, the terrifying silver light from his eyes paralysing her, "A– a rank 2 Magus! Someone who's materialised their spiritual force?"
When Darlie felt her knees go weak and was about to fall, her shoulders suddenly moved and her body was supported by a powerful force. Immediately after, Leylin's gentle words entered her ears, "Don't worry, it's fine."
His voice seemed to be infectious, and she managed to recover from her crippling fear.
"Thank you!" Darlie chanced a glance at Leylin, and felt immediately at ease.
From her point of view, with someone as powerful as Leylin whose strength could not be fathomed beside her, she could escape successfully, even from the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect.
Mind calm, she now was able to focus on other things. These sect disciples were chasing a young man with sky-blue eyes and brown hair. The elemental particles surrounding him were near substantial, and helped him move faster and resist the attacks.
'Peak rank 1, with elemental conversion at least 75%? Who is he? Why is he being pursued by the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect?' Darlie's eyes flashed with puzzlement.
"You can't escape!" the rank 2 Magus yelled in a low voice, and silver spiritual particles converged to form an incredibly fine silver whip that was tens of metres long. With an elegant flick of his wrist, the long silver whip snapped straight, pushing towards the back of the fleeing Magus.
"Fallen Star Pendant!" With the Magus' yell, a layer of dark-red light formed a faint armour around his body.
*Thwack! *Boom!* A dull thud was heard from his back, and the dark red armour shattered. The young Magus flushed red.
Because of that, the silver whip halted its movements. It allowed the young Magus to dart towards the entrance of Ebole Town, the same place Leylin and Darlie were heading for.
"Don't expect a mere middle-grade magic artifact to be able to save you!" Seeing his opponent escape the blow that should've taken care of him in one shot, the rank 2 Magus' expression grew dark. Phantom skeletons twisted as they brought darkness and despair to the surroundings.
Darlie could see practically every pore on the escaping Magus' face, as well as the crazed disciples whose eyes were glinting with bloodlust. She couldn't help but pull at Leylin's sleeve, "Mister! My Lord! Let's go!"
"Go? Why should we?" Leylin chuckled indifferently. He had merely summoned the male with his soul and bloodline, and not saved him personally. This was to gauge his strength and luck. Seeing this scene, he concluded that the little guy's strength was passable and that he had rather good luck, something that caused him to nod inwardly.
The young Magus who was currently fleeing was naturally the Farlier Family descendant who Leylin had sensed. He was likely related to a brother or sister of Leylin's, and he could see similarities to his father and even himself in the young man's features.
'Damien has already met with them? He's passed my Fallen Star Pendant over too…' Leylin touched his chin. The magic artifact that emitted the dark red armour was the intricate cross pendant on the youth's neck. It even had some broken gems on it. This was the middle-grade magic artifact that Leylin had created in the south coast, the Fallen Star Pendant.
Middle-grade magic artifacts had little effect past rank 1, which was why he'd handed it over to Damien in the hope that he would hand it over to the outstanding descendants of the Farlier Family. It looked like Damien had completed his task well.
"Mister Leylin… is he the person you're waiting for?" Darlie pointed at the fleeing Magus, something suddenly hitting her, "He's a member of your family, so you're especially here to save him?"
"Something like that!" Leylin's eyebrows raised, and he then glanced up towards the sky, a ruminating smile on his lips, "It's quite lively today!"
"You can't escape. When we of the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect want to kill someone, we've never fail!" The distorted skeletal images soared out with what sounded like a prophecy from the rank 2 Magus, turning into a few bone necklaces that instantly locked around the young Magus' ankles.
*Thud!* The Magus lost his balance and fell, seeming very pitiful as blood-laden bandages were revealed on his chest. Evidently, this was a wound from his time being chased.
"Weren't you running? Go on, run some more." The rank 2 Magus steeled his expression as he approached the fleeing Magus, watching him from above.
"I said that there's never been a Magus who's escaped on our kill list. Consider yourself lucky, our sect master will meet you personally and extract your soul, boiling it in fire for a hundred years…"
"Just… Kill me!" The Magus who had fallen turned over with difficulty, spitting out the words with no hope in his eyes.
The long hunt as well as being unable to join any large organisations had already left him weary to the bone, "I'm sorry, Grandpa Damien. I couldn't help you in your vengeance…"
"Lock him up properly. Be careful," the rank 2 Magus instructed the disciples behind him. He then scanned Leylin and Darlie who were at the entrance of Ebole Town.
The aura Darlie emanated showed that she was a newbie who had recently advanced. With Leylin concealing his abilities quite well, he was treated like small fry.
"Kill them all and extract the souls of the residents in the town. We finally managed to get out, so it'll be good to bring something back…" The leader commanded, and the sect disciples answered loudly. Crimson appeared in their eyes as they drew closer to the two with malicious intent, as if beasts that had found their prey.
"Mi– Mister Leylin! You're very powerful and can defeat them quickly, right?" Darlie took multiple steps backwards. All of those disciples were semi-converted, and could suppress her easily.
"There's no hurry. There's someone else yet to arrive." Leylin replied without enthusiasm.
"There's someone else yet to arrive? What does that mean?" Her little face had turned deathly pale.
"Keke, this female Magus has pretty good meat. How tender!" A disciple pulled at his nose, displaying an evil grin.
"You can do whatever you want with the body, but you have to extract her complete soul. The soul of an official Magus isn't too bad, and you can even exchange it for points…" a dried-up old man him while snickering.
"I…" Tears appeared in the corner of her eyes. She was a traditional light Magus, and in Four Seasons Garden the most danger she had ever met was some accidents while taking part in some outdoor experiments. However, there had been mentors around and she had always survived, shocked but safe. She had never met with a situation like what was happening now.
"Don't come over!" Darlie wailed, like the last cries of a feeble lamb. It only stimulated the appetite of the ravenous wolves in front of her.
"Rest in peace." Just as the disciples were about to make their move and Darlie was in despair, the air seemed to freeze. Piercing sounds echoed out from explosions in Teljose City, and a terrifying gust parted the clouds themselves.
A white light in the horizon grew increasingly dazzling, finally forming a faint world of holy light. The unprecedented terrifying pressure caused Darlie to go limp and fall, feeling suffocated.
The disciples surrounding her all collapsed, and the rank 2 Magus' expression changed. Watching the white world of light, he turned grim, "Holy Light Domain! A rank 3 Magus!"
A Magus appeared out of nowhere in the hazy domain, holy light forming an illusory scene behind him.
"Lord Alric of Teljose City! Are you here to break the balance in the south coast?" The Magus yelled, though everyone could hear that he was only putting on a brave front.
This was a rank 3 Magus, a peak existence in the south coast! Alric's strength was well-known even among rank 3 Magi, and he was in charge of Teljose City which was a large base of the light Magi. He was in the top stratum of light Magi.
Someone like that could kill a mere rank Magus like him easily, especially with how tense the relationship between their opposing factions was.
Alric coldly answered the rank 2 Magus' question with a word. "Scram!"
"You–!" The rank 2 Magus flushed red and finally gritted his teeth, "Take him. We'll be off!"
"You can go, but you'll have to leave him behind," Alric pointed at the Magus on the ground.
-x-X-x-
"No, he's my assignment!" The rank 2 Magus of the Spirit Slaying Sect rejected immediately. Apprehending this Magus was the very reason he'd even come here.
"You've gotten this wrong. I'm not here to discuss terms with you, this is an order! Since you wish to die, let me help you!" Alric couldn't be bothered to listen to reason, and he instead made his move. A violent, aggressive power crushed down on them, forming a domain of holy light.
*Rumble!* The forcefield of a rank 3 Magus left no way out for any Magi below that rank. The disciples of the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect melted down in the holy light, their blood and flesh just dissipating away. Piercing screams sounded out.
"Lord Gargamel won't let you off!" The silver spiritual force surrounding the rank 2 Magus flashed, abruptly forming a cloud of black fog as he planned to flee into the distance.
"What a bunch of noisy flies! Let Gargamel look for me." Alric's brows furrowed as his right hand began to grab towards the black fog. Boundless holy light converged to form a giant blazing claw of platinum. The cries of the rank 2 Magus sounded out as well.
With the flames burning it up, the black gas seeped out from the gaps between the fingers. Silver spiritual force light gradually dimmed, and eventually was extinguished completely.
In mere seconds, that arrogant sect disciple who left Darlie with no way out was annihilated.
The holy light vanished, turning into a gold-trimmed scholar's cloak that appeared on Alric's back.
Meanwhile, Darlie was completely frozen on the ground. Only after some time did she manage to yell out, "It's Alric, Lord Alric! A rank 3 Magus!"
For the light Magi, Alric was synonymous with light and justice. His sort of strength and his terrifying influence were the life goals of all light Magi.
"You're a descendant of the Farlier family?" Alric did not bother with Darlie, instead slowly descending as he looked at the Magus on the ground like he was looking at a corpse. His voice held the chill of millennia of winter, and would cause anyone to shiver in fright.
"Hehe… another one!" The Magus could not be bothered to move, or rather he knew that there was no hope of escape in front of a rank 3 Magus.
"You're very unlucky." Alric's eyes were like two balls of flames, "If you were caught by the people from the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect, they'd at most torture your soul for a century. I'll instead torture your soul to death, extracting all your blood to prepare bloodline sensing magic so the Farlier bloodline will be destroyed completely…"
It was as if he was narrating something that happened every day. The cruel words laced with bloodlust left Darlie shuddering, 'What's going on? Wasn't that young Magus being chased down by the Spirit Slaying Sect? How has he offended Lord Alric too?' She felt giddy with confusion.
"Wait, the Farlier family? I seem to have read something about it… In the battle at the Brambles Iron Door before the third great war, Alric's sole son Jojane died at the hand of Leylin Farlier. Because of the modifications he'd made to himself before, Lord Alric had lost the ability to reproduce further, and this turned into a blood feud…" As a top scorer, Darlie was familiar with this piece of history as well.
However, the consequences of her having the time to even think of this resulted in Alric fixing his attention on her, eyes full of a chilliness. She dropped to her knees, "My– My apologies, Lord Alric. I didn't mean to…"
"Ha… haha!" The Magus on the ground began to laugh maniacally, "Alric, you'll never have a kid even till your death. It serves you right to have no blood kin!"
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! You must all die!" With salt sprinkled on his wounds, Alric's facial muscles began to contort as flames began to emerge from around his body.
"Die!" Light surged forth from his body, the milky white rays of death able to melt flesh and cause Magi to die an excruciatingly painful death.
*Clap! Clap! Clap!* Applause sounded from within the light, interrupting Alric's attack. He could not help but shift his attention.
It was only then that he realised there was someone standing at the side, wearing a luxurious black scholar's robe and a mask on his face. He had no aura undulations, which was why Alric had overlooked this man's existence before.
This realisation caused his pupils to shrink, and suddenly left him with a bad premonition. A Magus that could conceal his aura so well would definitely be someone difficult to deal with.
"Who are you?" Alric glared at Leylin coldly, finding the face familiar the more he gazed upon it. The half of the face that could be seen seemed extremely familiar, yet there seemed to be a fog in his mind that made it hard for him to remember the name.
"Who am I? Alric, you should know best!" Leylin chuckled, and turned to encourage Darlie, "You explained it well!"
"That voice…" Alric's brows were furrowed and the fog of confusion dissipated slowly. He had the feeling he was about to find the name he was looking for, hidden in the depths in his mind.
All of a sudden, Alric's body trembled and he was instantly wide awake. Immediately after, Leylin's face lined up with the one in his memories, causing him to bellow hysterically, "You're… Leylin Farlier!!"
"Leylin Farlier?!" Two cries of alarm were heard from the sides, and the Magus on the ground's eyes were filled with emotion as he stared at Leylin's figure.
Darlie was completely horrified, 'He– He's the legendary Toxic Sovereign King? The rank 2 existence who worked behind the scenes and caused the Third Magus War? He's Leylin Farlier?'
Her hands covered her mouth, and her brain halted.
'Right… He never denied he was that Leylin. I was the one who wishfully treated him as someone with the same name…' Scenes of her time with Leylin flashed in her mind, causing Darlie's face to turn as red as an apple.
'He- He's very different from the legends!' Darlie watched his back, eyes showing her worry. 'Alric is a rank 3 Warlock! Can Mister Leylin…'
"Hah… hah… you're Leylin Farlier. That voice and that face… Even if it's half covered I won't be wrong." Alric huffed, his body twitching like he was an epileptic. He was so excited that he was practically frothing at the mouth.
"You finally appeared. Great, I can finally enact my vengeance!" He roared in a low voice, terrifying energy undulations exploding forth from his body that seemed to touch upon the Crystal Phase.
"Indeed, it's sensible that hatred can drive one's improvement. Alric, you've improved so much from before." Though Alric's improvement surprised Leylin slightly, those under Morning Star were still like ants to him. It was no big deal.
The terrifying forcefield of a rank 3 Magus caused the Magus and Darlie to lie on the ground like toads. The young Magus couldn't help but yell towards Leylin, "My Lord, be careful!"
"Any amount of cautiousness is useless! The hatred from Jojane's death, as well as the torture of the long wait… It can only be purged by all the blood in your body!" Alric roared, and holy light dazzled as it formed a gigantic cage ringed with pillars of light.
He had learnt his lesson from chasing Leylin down before. He knew that Leylin was powerful, and what's more, quick. With just a slight misstep, Leylin could flee. In order to prevent such a disaster from happening again, he had to limit his opponent's range.
"Die!" Having set everything up, Alric made his move. Boiling heatwaves converged in his hand, the light forming a gigantic statue of a goddess, her two wings spread to form a bow. A holy aura emanated from the bow that had formed.
A ray of light condensed to form the bowstring, and a terrifying energy undulation was released as Alric pulled back on it. Platinum flames converged, rushing forth from his fingertips to form a blazing arrow.
An explosive screech could be heard as the arrow was launched, leaving behind a glimmering white trail in the air.
"You're focussing on long-ranged attacks? Looks like the lesson I taught you was deeply engraved in your mind!" Leylin shook his head and extended a finger, tapping on the flaming arrow.
This slight motion caused Alric's expression to go dark, and the Magus and Darlie both were filled with concern.
"Unfortunately… Just this is far from enough" The flaming arrow struck Leylin's finger, producing a crisp sound.
Immediately after, Alric's expression quickly changed. The flaming arrow had fallen down, split in two. It charred the surrounding land before the flames went out.
"If that's all you have, you're too disappointing." Leylin smiled at Alric, who in turn staggered back. It was only then that he realised that Leylin was no longer the rank 2 Magus who needed to keep fleeing from him.
His opponent was considered the greatest genius the south coast had produced in a thousand years. With hundreds of years having passed, what level of strength had he reached?
"What– What rank are you at now?" Alric slowly stepped backwards, two snow-white wings of light extending at his back. "That question isn't important. You just need to die obediently…"
Leylin spoke without a care. Coupled with how he was dressed, he seemed very much like the stereotype of a huge rebel.