Chapter 1744 - WMW 112

The orc armies had launched a surprise attack! Silverymoon had been besieged! This was the earth-shattering news that Tiff had given Leylin. Tiff was a legendary of the dark world, and the network under his control passed this information to him even faster than Cassley did.

Leylin counted on this news when he made the decision to abandon everything. After all, the so called martial law, the rules and nobility of Silverymoon, was built on the basis that it still remained. What about when it was no more?

Looking at the larger picture, even if the defence of the city was ultimately successful, the chaos of war would continue to spread. In times of such disorder, what were the deaths of one or two knights?

Given his power in the region, those in Silverymoon could still be forced by the circumstances, giving out numerous rewards for Leylin to send his troops out to 'save the country in times of danger.'

"However, the situation doesn't seem good with the Goddess of the Weave. I'm afraid there might already be traitors in the alliance…" Leylin muttered to himself, "She's still a powerful greater god, and she will definitely be unscathed. With her status as a Chosen, Alustriel will probably be safe as well. The ones who suffer the most in war are the commoners, who are at the bottom of the hierarchy…"

Of course, none of these had anything to do with Malfoy. The pitiful knight had been rendered completely lifeless after hearing Leylin's words.

Only when the soldiers began to drag him out did he begin to yell, "Ah… forgive me! Please forgive me, Sire Leylin! Lord Leylin!

"Silverymoon needs you! I guarantee that as long you bring me back, I'll tell my father to give you everything you want… Everything! Ah…" After a short period of pained cries, Malfoy's voices came to a stop with a grunt.

Leylin's underlings had gotten used to these scenes and were expressionless. Only Rafiniya looked slightly disturbed.

In her eyes, no matter how hateful the other party had been, Leylin had gone too far, and her heart was a little shadowed by the traumatic experience.

"What was he saying about Silverymoon at the end?" Since Leylin had whispered those words directly into Malfoy's ears, the girl did not know the full story.

"Just some nonsense!" Leylin carelessly chuckled, "My butler has already given me the newest information. Thanks to the Goddess, those simple-minded werecreatures only have thoughts of occupying the Moonwood and then come out and rob people. They have no interest in allying with the orcs to eliminate the Silverymoon alliance…"

"Thank the gods!" Upon hearing this, Rafiniya heaved a sigh of relief. She hated the idea of this beautiful city being destroyed just like this.

"In that case, what was it you said about the Nether Mountains?"

"That's nothing. Since it isn't that dangerous here, I'm planning to do something private and explore some ruins that I found a while ago!"

Leylin now looked relaxed and satisfied as he flung the horsewhip, "Didn't you hear my orders? We're changing directions towards the Nether Mountains!"

Leylin's authority had solidified over the year. Even in front of these ordinary troops, it was necessary to emphasise the need to obey superiors, much less one like Leylin.

The troops of Silverymoon had planned to risk their lives against the werecreatures, but with Leylin's personal troops inciting them, they soon went with the flow and obeyed the orders. The army of men and horses changed direction, heading west towards the Nether Mountains.

'Cassley… I hope you like the present I left behind for you…' Leylin snickered inside. In this sort of situation, it was difficult to understand what exactly the werecreatures were thinking. In addition, once his main forces retreated, Cassley would face with the brunt of the pressure from the werecreature armies.

When the time came, would he retreat to Silverymoon and ask for support or stay behind to take care of the werecreatures? Leylin anticipated his choice.

"He… He's changed…" Rafiniya watched absent-mindedly as the groups of men and horses brushed past her, looking to be in disbelief. The Leylin just now was very different from the one she was used to.

While he was as handsome, straightforward and refined as always, he had a domineering aggression to him. Or rather, the aura of impetuousness and a devilish charm.

"He's like a completely different person. Why…" Rafiniya's mind was now turning black as a huge sense of fear appeared.

"Captain, are you alright?" A knight nearby asked in concern after seeing how she was acting.

"I- I'm fine!" Rafiniya managed to spit out. She urged Nick to catch up to the troops ahead, but her brows furrowed further.

...

The Nether Mountains were a straight vertical stretch in the north. While there was nothing horizontal across it that created a divide between the northern lands and the wilderness of the vast Sunrise Mountains that belonged to the orcs, it was an important dividing line in the northern lands. It clearly divided the Moonwood and the orc organisations.

The mountains had a terrifying spell pollution and energy isolation. Even the Weave was a little weak here, and in some areas it was even impossible to detect. These places were known as magic-dead zones, and whether they were wizards or priests everyone turned useless in these regions.

Due to the terrifying contamination, the plants and animals in the Nether Mountains went through a bizarre transformation. Not only were they more powerful, they were also more savage and bloodthirsty.

Legends said that this was a result of the battle between two divine soul saints which completely changed the geography, turning the place into a forbidden zone for life.

A group of human soldiers had abruptly entered these mountains on this day, cutting the trees and thorns as they moved on, relying on the strength of powerful spellcasters and warriors to enter the depths of the mountains.

"The Weave seems to be much better here compared to those dead-magic zones." Leylin had gathered all the senior officers in the heart of their camp at night. There were two factions among them, Leylin's personal troops and the officers of Silverymoon.

"I have gathered you to discuss our current target: a fully grown red dragon!" Leylin announced in a low voice as he looked at the huge Nether Mountains' map on the wall.

Tiff did not voice any objections upon hearing this, evidently knowing of it. However, the officers of Silverymoon caused a storm of protest with Rafiniya at the head.

"An adult dragon? That's a legendary being!" Never in Rafiniya's wildest dreams did she think that Leylin harboured such insane thoughts as those of slaying a dragon. Dragons were all in the legendary realm, and were even more powerful than equivalent humans!

"Mm, it's not like we don't have any legendaries on our side." Leylin pointed towards Tiff, and he exploded forth with terrifying energy. It was like the might of a dragon itself, the roars of an ancient beast.

"Legendary?" Rafiniya gaped, looking towards Tiff and then at Leylin, suddenly feeling bitter, "Is that what you've been preparing for? The wealth and glory of slaying dragons?"

"All I need is for you to do is deal with some dangers in the surroundings to restrict it from a distance. You don't need to deal with it head on. How about it?" Leylin sighed ruefully. If not for having an army of a thousand Professionals, it would be difficult to enter the Nether mountains. The endless monsters they had met on the way were already enough for small adventuring groups to be wiped out.

"Understood, commander!" The officers who had come from Silverymoon looked towards each other. While it wasn't surprising that senior officers of the army would use their troops to do personal work, it was rather rare for people to be so brazen and unbridled.

However, after watching Tiff who seemed to be a regular fighter let loose his aura, as well as Leylin's personal troops staring at them intently, they decided to submit.

This actually was possible thanks to Leylin gathering all communicative tools from them. Because of the geography of the Nether Mountains, this group temporarily had no contact with the outside world. If not, and they learn that Silverymoon was in a siege, they could possibly have descended into complete chaos.

Leylin could suppress the dragon with his own troops when the time came, but this obviously would weaken his battle power.

"Alright, I'll assign your roles now," he ordered without inhibition, especially satisfied with this situation.

Once the meeting was over and the officers had left, Rafiniya stayed back alone. The female knight stared at him, "You haven't answered my question."

"Oh, that," Leylin nodded, coming to a sudden realisation, "I came to Silverymoon to obtain more information on spells. After finding out about the existence of the red dragon, I started to make plans regarding it. Is there a problem?"

Leylin's utter honesty caused Rafiniya to be at a loss. It felt like her heart broke at this moment, and it hurt.

The female knight bit her lips, "Alright then. I'll help you this time, but I'll leave after that."

'Is this girl finally aware of the cruelty of reality?' Leylin's quirked up in a slight smile, "Of course. I'll also give you a portion of the wealth from slaying the dragon."

"I don't need it! Take that filthy wealth of yours and die." Rafiniya flipped the entrance of the tent and jogged away, leaving Leylin scratching his head, "While she knows this is cruel, she's still not practical enough…"

Whatever it was, Leylin's plan was still carried out well. With a legendary in charge as well as the temptation of glory and wealth from slaying a dragon, these officers and their underlings were very enthusiastic.

The good news came soon enough. The exact location of the dragon had been found.

-x-X-x-

*Roar!* A huge silhouette streaked across the sky, and a huge monster that was tens of metres long immediately pulled its terrifying meaty wings before disappearing into a dark cave.

"Mm, that truly is the red dragon." Leylin nodded. Dragons in the World of Gods were like huge lizards with wings, though they looked far more sinister. Their eyes that looked like spheres of lava left an especially deep impression on him.

"Ye– yes, my lord!" Helen answered from next to him, her body trembling.

"Is this because of the dragon's aura?" Leylin looked at Helen, suddenly understanding and shaking his head with regret.

'Looks like the Professionals under rank 10 shouldn't come. They can't handle the intimidation from the aura…' he concluded. In his view, this fearful draconic aura was a weakened version of a spiritual force domain. Just facing the dragon would be a problem if one lacked a strong mind or spiritual force training, let alone attacking it.

'As expected, the regular troops can only fight in the surroundings.' Without alarming this huge creature, Leylin brough Helen secretly back to the camp. Following that, the team did as Leylin ordered. Like a huge, intricate robot, they began to work automatically.

"My lord, it's done!" Tiff brought a group of elite Professionals to Leylin. In each of their hands were weapons with high-grade enchantments, and they seemed to be coated with something else as well.

"Mm. This magic potion we got from the werecreature tribe is meant to deal specifically with dragons, it should hopefully be useful!" Leylin could not help but think back to the werecreature camp. They had obviously been making preparations to slaughter the dragon, but all their materials were now Leylin's.

Now, what they had gathered would serve the same purpose.

"Mm. Give the dragon intoxication potion and other items to the high-ranked scouts to sprinkle at the dragon's cave. Hopefully, it'll fall for the trap…" While there was a large distance between the camp and the dragon cave, it was still unsafe considering the range that the red dragon could see. On top of that, it wasn't hibernating like many of its kind, which left Leylin on guard.

This camp was too eye-catching. It would be found the moment the dragon flew out on patrol, and its fate then would be obvious. Hence, Leylin did not count on the high-grade assassins' poison trap working. The next day, he brought fifty people to the entrance of the dragon cave.

The bare ground had not even a blade of grass growing on it, and seemed very solid. There was also a strange smell lingering in the air.

"This is the smell left behind by the dragon. Most animals wouldn't dare approach this place…" Leylin glanced at the group behind him. They were all high-grade Professionals, including Tiff and Rafiniya.

"Based on the observations of our thieves, this is the time that it usually rests. Furthermore, the red dragon has also eaten the goat with special ingredients that we especially prepared for it…" Leylin muttered to himself. At this moment, a dark shadow emerged from the sides, calling out in a low voice, "Boss!"

"How's the situation?"

A high-ranked scout began his report, "I can confirm that the red dragon is inside, and our route is very simple. There is only one pathway, and there's a possibility of other creatures in the way!"

"Good. Guide the way in front." Leylin let the thief walk ahead, and a procession of excited people clutched the weapons in their hands as they entered the cave.

The passage was long and seemed to go all the way to the belly of the mountain. It was very vast, and the walls were dry.

"It's up ahead!" The thief ran to Leylin's side as he spoke. Leylin nodded and ordered the group to stop. They were now extremely quiet, making no sound at all.

"Bring me there." Leylin and the thief went forward. After they passed through a curved path, they came upon an even larger karst cavern. Boiling hot light flickered at its entrance, with some quartz and shiny items present within.

Two other strange creatures were standing guard at the cave's entrance, as if on sentry duty.

'Hm? Earth Dragons? A subspecies of the dragons? But it's not exactly similar.' Leylin looked at the two which were obviously subspecies with auras that greatly resembled those of purebloods. His eyes glinted with wit.

'Rumour has it that once an adult dragon gains intelligence, it normally enslaves some members of other races into working for it. Ancient dragons can intimidate entire races, I never thought the red dragon would do this as well.

Past the two earth dragons, Leylin sensed an even more powerful life undulation in the cave. It was heaving with rhythmic breaths, evidently in a deep sleep. In this situation, any sounds could wake it up.

"Tiff!" Leylin immediately called the Legend in his team.

"Young Master!" Tiff arrived by his side and bowed slightly.

"Can you kill them without alarming the red dragon?" Leylin asked.

"It will be slightly troublesome. This type of subspecies have very tenacious life force. I can make one disappear without a sound, but I can't take care of two in an instant." Tiff frowned slightly.

"That's alright. I'll help you in that area!" Leylin answered lightly.

"Then that's fine…" Tiff's eyes flashed with strands of black, and he quickly disappeared.

...

By the cave, a red earth dragon was loyally protecting its place, occasionally looking towards its comrade. All of a sudden, it saw something that appalled it. A dark figure seemed to appear from the air, raising its arms as if opening up a black hole to devour its comrade.

Shadow Jump! Singularity! Just as this Earth Dragon was about to howl out in warning, it was surrounded in light that rendered it immobile. This was Hold Monster. The dark figure darted out, and the giant black hole swallowed its body as well.

The whole process was a hair-raising experience, yet only happened within a few seconds. Not even a peep was made.

'Noiseless casting!' Helen's pupils shrunk from behind Leylin. She'd witnessed the whole process.

"Let's go!" Leylin made a sign, and entered the cave with Tiff.

Inside, they found the target of their expedition snoring. The red dragon had dark red scales with smooth murky patterns on them that shone like metal. Its two meaty wings were ashen brown and hidden on its back. Its neck twisted sinuously like a snake's as it buried its vicious head into its chest. Its nose occasionally puffed out two streams of white smoke.

A dense spiritual might was being emanated from its body, enough to cause the cowardly to break down.

'It really is a dragon, and it's an adult that's reached the realm of Legends!' Rafiniya's palms trembled slightly, and she could not help but hold tightly onto her longsword.

Only she, Tiff, and Leylin were in the cave right now. The rest were standing guard outside; even asleep the dragon had powerful senses.

'Based on its detection abilities, only Tiff has the ability to attack it once. After that, it'll definitely awaken…' Leylin gave Tiff a look with his eyes, and he immediately understood. Tiff drew closer to the giant, holding onto a golden dagger.

Rafiniya and Leylin also prepared their own attacks.

"Begin!" Tiff's golden dagger pierced into the triangular scale under its neck. That was its reverse scale, and the largest weakness.

*Roar!* In that moment, blood splattered everywhere. The red dragon roared abruptly— it was now awake!

*Pak!* Tiff was sent flying by a red tail, his figure wrapped up by many shadows while in mid-air.

"You… You despicable mortals. How dare you harm the mighty Sylvester…" While the injury Tiff had given it with its dagger was much smaller than the area of its body, the red dragon still snarled in its fury, preparing to give these little ants a lesson such that they'd repent in hell.

"You're even thinking of using something like a toy…" It roared, eyes like fireballs trained on Leylin. All of a sudden, its voice disappeared.

"My strength… What's going on? You wretched worms, what have you done to the mighty Sylvester?" The red dragon's voice was filled with astonishment and anger, while Leylin was very pleased with the results of Tiff's attack.

The golden dagger that he had held was a Dragonslaying Dagger Leylin had specifically prepared for this. The powerful toxins and curses were something even a dragon could do little against.

'A.I. Chip!' Leylin ordered calmly. At this moment, the A.I. Chip immediately showed its stats.

[Name: Sylvester. Race: Red Dragon (Adult) Strength: 21 (25), Agility: 10, Vitality: 19 (21), Spirit: 16 Status: Weakened from curse. Strength, vitality weakened. Feats: 1. Intimidating Aura 2. Dragonscale Defence 3. Dragon's Breath 4. Suggestion spell. Description: This is a creature that has reached the realm of Legends. It possesses extraordinary strength and can even destroy a small city or army. It has acquired the magic and memories of the pureblooded dragon race, and there is a chance that its bloodline can improve further.]

"Do it!" Leylin yelled, his attack and Rafiniya's reaching the red dragon's body at practically the same time.

The longsword was edged with sharp qi. The enchanted weapon glinted as it ruthlessly tore through the dragon's huge meaty wings. Leylin's attack struck just then.

-x-X-x-

Chain Lightning! Freezing Sphere! A burst of powerful light appeared from Leylin's hands and struck the two wings on the back of the red dragon in an instant, causing a chilling cold in the air.

Leylin proficiently controlled the power of the spells, launching attacks on the wings with powerful spells.

Dimension Hop! At this moment, Tiff's figure flickered behind the dragon's back, and two curved knives ruthlessly slashed into the base of the red dragon's wings. With added support from powerful spells, even the defensive dragon scales began to show signs of damage, scalding dragon blood spurting out.

"Damn it, damn it! You bunch of wretched worms!" The red dragon exclaimed, blasting crimson flames from its throat that were hot enough to smelt metal.

"Let's go!" Leylin summoned numerous walls of ice in succession, but with the dragon's breath, they could only hold on for a few seconds. That allowed him to escape from the cave with Rafiniya.

Their strategic goal had been reached. Staying behind any longer for a fight to the death would be foolish.

Dragons possessed wings, and once they soared into the sky, the others could only blink and watch with a dumbstruck expression except for Leylin and Tiff. That was why Leylin had chosen the battlefield to be in the cave and focused entirely on the wings. This would cripple the red dragon and render it unable to fly.

Once it no longer had the advantage of flight, he would use his men to tire it out and then kill it.

"Quick, attack!" Seeing that Leylin and the other two had run out of the cave, Helen immediately launched huge fireballs from her hands, targetting the red dragon behind them.

"Attack! Are you all deaf?" With Leylin's yell, those high-ranked Professionals jolted to awareness, brandishing the large weapons in their hands and charging forth.

"You darned worms! I will tear you to shreds!" The red dragon Sylvester continued to shout. These human mercenaries seemed to have come prepared. Not only had their weapons been smelted with special methods, there were also toxins smeared on them. Even its thick hide and muscles could do nothing against them.

*Roar!* A huge figure flashed past, and the red dragon flung its tail. A few Professionals who could not dodge in time were sent flying, spilling blood in mid-air and fated for death.

*Rumble!* The red dragon opened its mouth once more, and a powerful cone of flames spewed forth violently. Tens of Professionals who could not evade were incinerated into ashes in that moment.

"You will pay for your foolishness, mortals!" The red dragon roared, its mouth full of sharp teeth holding a Professional within. Horrifying sounds of chewing could be heard, and great chunks of the corpse's flesh and bones tumbled to the ground.

The poor fellow still had half of his body hanging outside the dragon's jaws and was shrieking bloodcurdling screeches.

It was only at this point that the Professionals came to their senses. The being in front of them was a legendary dragon, and while slaying it would give them abundant wealth, it was not something they could even begin to set their sights on.

With the dragon's fear aura, terror weighed down on their rationality and sanity. A Professional howled and quickly ran in the opposite direction.

*Pu!* The light from a blade flashed, and that Professional's head fell. Following which, Tiff's figure was seen in the air.

"Based on military laws, all deserters will be executed!" Tiff had a cold look on his face, and strange flaming scales appeared on his body.

"A sorcerer! I never expected Lord Tiff to be a Legend in sorcery!" Tiff soared into the air, eyes trained on the giant red dragon in front of him. With a raise of his hand, numerous spells flickered into existence.

Dimensional Imprisonment! Absorption!

"As expected, these Professionals are only passable with someone guiding them." Leylin was not surprised by this sight. As he watched Tiff guide the other close-combat Professionals to stall the red dragon, his expression was calm.

"Pay attention. Shoot!" Under his guidance, many archers released the Spellslayer Arrows in their hands. With powerful magic held within, the arrows landed on the dragon's body like raindrops.

There were terrifying devices mixed into this rain of arrows.

[Beep! Surrounding physical environment data has been successfully scanned. Trajectory calculations complete.] Leylin was now controlling a ballista, aiming the crossbow that was four metres long and as thick as a person's arm at the red dragon.

*Thump!* The entire ballista thundered when the mechanism was pressed down. An explosion rang out as black lightning streaked through the air and penetrated into the red dragon's chest. The huge groove on the arrow tore at its injuries, causing boiling dragon blood to flow unceasingly, forming a dark pool on the ground.

"Dragonslaying Arrow! How could you have the blueprints to it?" The red dragon spat out in disbelief.

"Someone gifted it to me!" Leylin glanced at the ballista that had fallen apart, not looking to find this a pity at all. These items were prepared by the high-grade werebeasts, and this was their final attack. It was a pity that it only had a one-time use.

The red dragon Sylvester had a bad feeling that it was really going to die, and suddenly began to fight harder, all its might put into the constant use of powerful magic.

It was a pity that with Tiff in charge and Leylin the wizard around, it had no chances at all. Even the dimension was completely sealed off, giving it no chances of escape.

"Let me go! In the name of the Dragon God, I, Sylvester, vow to give you all my wealth and never seek revenge!" The red dragon thundered.

"Hehe… a dragon's promise?" Leylin snickered, grabbing a large vorpal sword and charging forward.

"Tiff!" Leylin yelled.

The Legend had also launched his last attack now. Terrifying corrosive energy struck the dragon, causing a large portion of its chest to wither up.

"Hah!" Leylin's sword pierced into the wound from the Dragon Slaying Arrow, ferociously splitting it open.

Chain Lightning! Freezing Sphere! Disintegrate!

The terrifying wounds tore apart once more, and the flesh and blood even glinted as they charred up. Huge amounts of scalding blood splashed onto Leylin's body, practically drenching him.

"The dragon race will not let you off!" The light in the red dragon Sylvester's eyes gradually weakened till it disappeared. Its mountainous corpse crumpled to the ground, causing a small earthquake.

"You won't let me off?" Leylin snickered, and then sensed an aura similar to a vengeful spirit spilling out of its body and pouncing onto him.

"Is this something like a revenge mark? Hehe…" Leylin's eyes glinted, and in that instant he wiped this mark out thoroughly, leaving nothing behind. The hot dragonblood bath still continued, and the A.I. Chip's voice sounded out.

[Beep! Host has been baptised by dragon blood. Strength +1. Vitality +2. Skin has increased resistance. (Matches with part of Perfect Body and has been combined!)]

"The power within dragon blood?" Leylin experienced the burning with his senses, "It holds so much strength! Even the Devilblood Dagger wouldn't be able to devour everything…"

This sort of dragon blood was basically poison for all with a vitality below 5. They could not handle the corrosive energy within and would only be fated for death. However, for high-grade Professionals, this was a pretty good boost, though only if they could withstand it.

"Gather the dragon blood! Do it fast!" Dragon blood was a very precious magic ingredient, and wasting all of this had even Leylin feeling a tinge of regret.

Afterwards, the red dragon that was like a hill was dismembered by Leylin's underlings. Its blood was gathered first, followed by a complete layer of its hide. This would be a great material to make armour out of. There were also the dragon bones, dragon crystals and the like, which were pretty good.

When Leylin's underlings saw the treasures in the red dragon's cave, the excitement in their eyes could not be concealed as they began to cheer. Dragons liked to collect shiny objects, and while most would be quartz and glass, there were also many precious metals and even magic items which must have belonged to some poor fool.

"I want the materials from the red dragon's body. As for the gold and silver, divide it amongst yourselves!" Leylin kept the materials from the red dragon in his bag of holding, not even giving the various metals piled like a mountain there a second look. After hearing this order, all the troops' cheers increased in intensity.

In the night, the soldiers set up a feast to celebrate their success in slaying the dragon. Being able to witness the birth of a dragonslayer was something they would be able to brag about for their entire lives. The participants would receive even more glory. The celebration went deep into the night. Besides the guards on duty, everyone was completely drunk.

A few dark figures arrived at the dragon's lair at that time.

"Are you sure it's here?" Leylin gently touched a black wall, the traces left behind from a great battle still vivid in his mind.

"Yes! I can confirm that the gate to the ruins is here." Helen crouched down and found a twisted rune at the corner of the wall.

'The inheritance of the arcanists was under this red dragon's lair. Is this a coincidence or an intentional arrangement?' Leylin's eyes had a searching look in them. Some arcanist flames then blossomed from his hands, disappearing into the twisted rune in the corner.

*Rumble!* A secret passageway appeared. The fact that it had been undiscovered by the red dragon for such a long time exhibited its terrifying concealing abilities.

"This should be some sort of space-time technique." Leylin nodded and entered the passageway with Helen, while Tiff stood guard outside.

'What is the difference between arcane spells and those of Magi?' Leylin's eyes glinted, holding within them a trace of hope.

-x-X-x-

"Where is this place?" Helen asked as she touched the solid metallic walls in the surroundings. They had a silver-white lustre, making them look like a product of science fiction.

"It seems like it is a pocket dimension made by an arcanist, though it's quite small…" Leylin closed his eyes, and his astounding senses spread out. They allowed him to feel the undulations connecting the dimension.

"This place is already on the verge of disappearing. It was always sealed, but now that we've activated the dimension we've started the countdown to its demise." Leylin had an interest in this spatial overlay technique that sprung from the depths of his heart.

These preparations showed that once the Magi who comprehended laws showed them the path, they'd combined those experiences with advanced technology to do amazing things.

"What a pity…" There was a trace of regret in Leylin's eyes. The pocket dimension was incredibly tiny and only as large as two football fields. It was on the verge of being destroyed now, so it held no value.

If not for that, were this pocket dimension to be revealed all legendary wizards would try their utmost to obtain it. A wizard tower constructed atop this place would make for a covert and stable den,

Once they became a god, this pocket dimension could even be transformed into a divine kingdom! Of course, with the current state of the plane, it was impossible to remodel it.

"A pocket dimension? Destroyed by this sort of spatial storm?" Helen shivered. A dimensional storm caused by the destruction of space was something even legendaries weren't guaranteed to survive.

"Mm! But we should still have three hourglasses' worth of time…" Leylin snapped his fingers, and light flashed as an Endurance spell enveloped him. The environment in the pocket dimension would not be the same as in the prime material plane, possibly more extreme.

Of course, this place shouldn't have been that way given that it was prepared by an arcanist, but Leylin liked to be ready just in case. After seeing what Leylin had done, Helen suddenly came to a realisation and did the same, adding another layer of protection.

*Rumble!* The silvery metallic door was pushed open to reveal rooms that were arranged like in a honeycomb. The floor was spotless, and even one's image could be reflected in it.

"That's all the information I have. How about you?" Leylin looked at Helen behind him.

"I only managed to see some fragments left behind in my ancestor's notebook…" Helen's smiled wryly.

"Looks like we can only check them one by one…" Leylin glanced at the flickering chandelier, "The core energy is still working, so there might be some traps left behind by the arcanists. Be careful!"

While it was possible for arcanist inheritances to be here, Leylin wasn't sure if arcanists shared the eccentricities of wizards.

"Don't worry, my lord!" Helen nodded, her slender figure disappearing into the passageway.

'Looks like she's going to rely on luck to get her through…' Leylin nodded before shaking his head, and then he placed his hands behind his back and entered a random room. The two of them went their separate ways…

Inside one of the secret labs in the arcanist's pocket dimension, a light blue screen brightened to show images of Leylin and Helen. Lines of red text streaked across it.

"Beep! Invaders discovered. Activating rank 1 defensive measures."

"Arcane spell elemental reserves 1.09%! Unable to activate… Legendary Golem, Dimensional Banishing Spell Formation scarce. Implementing plan B…"

"Scanning of alchemic golem complete, is 34.17% intact. Beginning charging."

"Charging complete. Starting preparatory defensive mechanism number 0331."

After the lines of text appeared, a door that had been closed for a very long time opened up from one of the rooms, and an alchemic golem that was almost three metres tall walked out.

"Number 2133 awaits commands. Received mission, beginning task." Blood red light brightened in its eyes, and a screen appeared with a projection of Helen. Sounds like the cracking of knuckles rang out, and the golem charged in her direction.

*Rumble! Rumble!* Leylin was reading a book, and the slight vibrations caught his attention.

"Hm?" He put down the incomplete draft in his hand, and thought hard, 'Looks like the defensive mechanism of the laboratories aren't completely damaged. That makes things much easier…'

Besides deducing the existence of arcanists, Leylin knew nothing about the ruins. He wouldn't be able to take too many things in the time before this place broke down. As long as there was an intellectual core or tower genie, the laboratory would be the most valuable region.

Setting aside the items in his hands, Leylin headed in the direction of the vibrations.

...

"Leylin, save me!" Running for her life, Helen saw Leylin walking over and brightened up. She cut a sorry figure.

There was a beast skin scroll in her hands, with the energy undulations of high-grade magic on it. This wasn't an enchanted item, the energy was similar to those of magic artefacts from the Magus World!

With the way Helen refused to let go of it, this had to be something good. Still, Leylin as he was now thought nothing of it.

*Thud! Thud!* At this moment, the alchemic golem that had been pursuing her appeared before Leylin's eyes. It was like an armoured knight from the medieval ages, though there were two small barrels on its shoulders that looked to be a fusion of magic and science.

"Beep! Discovered primary target, annihilating…" After seeing Leylin, its eyes emanated a terrifying crimson lustre.

"Beginning charging of miniature magic honing cannon!" A layer of terrifying energy undulations condensed within the barrel on its shoulders, causing Leylin to feel a slight sense of danger.

"This is completely different from the techniques used before." Leylin looked interested, and he moved abruptly.

A rumble sounded out as the miniature cannon fired, hot light causing even the metallic ground to show signs of melting.

*Pu!* Leylin was struck by those bright rays of light, but then turned into dark shadows and exploded.

'It's a high-grade illusion!' Helen hid aside. A battle of this level was something she had no say in, 'But as long as we hold on for some time, Lord Tiff who's guarding us on top should be able to come down. With his legendary strength…'

Helen was still making calculations as she grasped the scroll tightly. However, she then gaped in shock.

"After tens of thousands of years, it's still preserved to this extent. Not bad!" Lights flashed, and Leylin appeared behind the alchemic golem, noting the damaged armour, adamantine runes and other lines.

"A pity though... The energy here is about to be completely consumed. Even legendary teams can't come in…" The passage of time was the most terrifying of attacks. With its tempering and developments, even the setup of arcanists would leave holes behind.

"A completely different tower genie from the World of Gods and the structure of this intellectual core… They're all like decorative items in front of me…" Leylin sighed. With some light at his finger, he pressed the puppet.

[Beep! Attack beginning. Target interface scanned, searching database… Cutting off information] The A.I. Chip's robotic voice soudned.

Arcanists were mostly born of Magi, so of course they would've used or improved upon the ideas of many Magi. They were like kids playing house to Leylin, especially with the help of the A.I. Chip. Connected with the puppet, Leylin's soul immediately reached the core control room through the network in the pocket dimension.

At this moment, a piercing giant red font filled the screen in the hidden room. "Warning! Warning!"

"External information attempting to rewrite core authorisations. Rejecting, activating defensive wall…"

"Activation of defensive wall failed. Beginning self-destruction. Countdown: 3, 2, … Beep! Core authorisations modified. Leylin Faulen is now the absolute master. Self-destruction halted."

"Wha- What's going on?" From Helen's perspective, what just happened was like a magical show. Once Leylin made contact with the alchemic golem, the entire pocket dimension had begun to tremble, and the lights had flickered unsteadily. Huge blue arcs of lightning had sparked out, making it seem like the end of the world had come.

A moment later, however, everything returned to normal.

"Come." With authority over the laboratory's core, Leylin now had a different aura on him that compelled Helen further. She was astonished as he brought her all the way to the core of the laboratory, as if this was a familiar route.

Be it the password-locked door or any other hindrance, all obstacles were easily taken care of in his hands. It was like he was the owner here.

"Identity verified. Welcome, master!" A door with a statue of an angel on the left and one of a devil on the right opened with a rumble. Helen followed Leylin inside, watching the door with fear.

'He passed through a legendary curse so easily?' This ease was unbelievable, and it made Helen realise that Leylin had an increasing number of secrets to him.

-x-X-x-

'Who on earth is he? He's just a minor noble of Silverymoon City on the surface, but secretly he possesses the power of a Legend. Besides, he seems to be very familiar with this place… So why did he lie to me earlier?' Helen was completely puzzled, but she carefully hid all her thoughts. After all, Leylin now held the right of life and death over her.

The core of the control room was unexpectedly small, and it only had an area of 5 or 6 square metres. At the centre was a strange hexagonal prism with all sorts of strange screens next to it. Some of them had already lost their glow or were filled with a grayscale static, while others were working.

"Open!" The outer shell of the hexagonal prism opened with Leylin's command, revealing a blue crystal structure within.

"This is…" Helen looked at the splendid and magnificent blue crystal which sparkled beautifully, it was like she had been bewitched.

"This core port controls half of the laboratory and is also a communication terminal. Many resources can be downloaded here," Leylin said lightly, unconcerned as to whether Helen understood him. He pressed his palm to the surface of the blue crystal.

[Beep! Spiritual force interface established.] In a split second, Leylin seemed to have become a demigod, and nothing in the pocket dimension could be hidden from him anymore.

'Weapons, live specimen libraries, database!' Various images and words appeared before him, and it was only at that moment that Leylin realised how fortunate he was to grasp it all.

'Its energy reserves haven't even reached 2%, and its powerful weapons cannot be activated at all. The magic and spell formations are also damaged, and half of the golems have been destroyed. It looks like I can only send out one or two defective items…' Leylin sighed. He believed that this pocket dimension would have been able to hinder even high-ranked Legends at its peak. Now however...

Of course, it would have been very difficult to seize control of the entire core back then. Whether it was a legendary wizard, thief, or even an elf, they would not be able to attack the lab's intelligence core through the communication terminal. After all, they were on completely different planes.

However, Leylin was different. He was very familiar with this type of structure in the ilk of those made by Magi, and the A.I. Chip supporting him had even more knowledge reserves. It was purely because of this reason that he managed to seize the entire core unharmed.

[Beep! Laboratory's power source reserve has reached its critical point, and is unable to absorb more energy from the abyss. Time before collapse: 1h 13min.]The A.I. Chip displayed yet another message in front of Leylin.

'As expected, the demiplane has deteriorated with age and is about to collapse. Is it too late to stop it? If it's like this, then the most valuable thing here is…' Leylin's eyes were filled with regret at first, but then his expression brightened considerably.

'A.I. Chip, record all the information from the terminal.'

[Beep! Mission established, initiating download program.] The A.I. Chip executed Leylin's task immediately. The magnificent light shining from the hexagonal prism was projected onto the walls all around him, as well as onto all the screens.

Leylin was bathed in its light, and a multitude of data and characters flashed across his eyes. The most important bits about the arcane arts and spell models, various alchemic experiments, research, improved meditation techniques, and anatomical records were presented to him. There were also diaries and other useless news from the terminal, and that too was fully copied by the A.I. Chip.

The extensive library of data was transferred in a split second. Compared to this, the tiny little bit of information Helen had almost given her life for to obtain was worth nothing.

[Beep! Information about the arcanist profession has been collated, and overlaps with the host's wizardry. Combine?]

"Yes," Leylin replied without the slightest hesitation. Afterwards, his aura began to change. An arcane flame began to burn, and powerful force poured into his sea of consciousness and began to remodel and process his profession. Leylin soon saw his status change from that of a wizard into that of an arcanist.

*Snap!* Leylin almost blacked out at the acute pain that came from his very soul. He felt his connection with the Weave instantly break off.

Fortunately, this severed state lasted only a moment before it reconnected once again. However, the connection was now somewhat different. In this split second, there seemed to be a pair of golden eyes focused on him. However, it was immediately deceived by Leylin's grasp of the first 4 layers of the Weave.

The A.I. Chip's reminders continued to ring out.

[Beep! Host has become an arcanist. Profession changed.]

[Beep! The host has gained arcane specialties: Energy Detection, Amplification.]

There was a detailed description beneath each of the specialties.

[Arcane Energy Detection: Arcanists are able to supercede the Weave's restrictions and directly perceive the arcane energy in the environment, drawing it in to form arcane spells.]

[Arcane Amplification: Arcane energy is amplified by 10-20% when an arcanist casts a spell.]

[Beep! Host's spiritual force has broken through, Spirit +1. Host has advanced to become a rank 15 arcanist.] Leylin's mind suddenly jolted, and afterwards his spiritual force directly made contact with the 7th rank of the Weave.

Looking at the Weave from an arcanist's perspective gave him a completely different feeling. The feeling of jumping out and watching the Weave from afar increased the speed at which the A.I. Chip analysed the Weave.

Leylin's stats had also changed.

[Leylin Faulen, Age: 21, Race: Human, Rank 15 Arcanist. Strength: 13, Agility: 11, Vitality: 12, Spirit: 15, Arcane Energy: 150, Status: Healthy, Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Elementary Perfect Body, Specialities: Arcane Energy Detection, Arcane Amplification.]

'As expected, the greatest benefit of becoming an arcanist is to break away from the Weave's method of performing magic. Additionally, arcane energy has replaced my spell slots,' Leylin nodded. Moreover, his separation from the weave affected only that aspect. This meant that Leylin could now also prepare rank 7 spell slots, and wait to use them the next day.

Naturally, due to the restrictions of rank, he only had 1 rank 7 spell slot.

'Using arcane energy to cast arcane spells would perhaps consume more energy than using the Weave to instantly cast low-ranked spells. However, it will use up fewer spell slots,' Leylin stroked his chin in thought. After fully analysing rank 0 to rank 3 of the Weave, he could instantly cast low-ranked spells. Overwhelming his opponent with a torrential number of spells had always been his killing move, but it was of course established within the authority of the Weave. It was equivalent to stealing Mystra's power for himself.

If he only used arcane spells, then he wouldn't have this benefit anymore. However, the greatest benefit of being an arcanist was that he could retain wizard spell models instead of forgetting them, and at the same time he could use the Weave!

'As a result, I'm now outside the system but I can still enjoy the system's benefits. Just using its power without any of the obligations, it's so straightforward…' Leylin sighed, 'It's a pity that if more people like me are born, then the Weave would fall apart.'

"You've broken through?" Although Leylin had only taken an instant to advance, Helen distinctly felt that something was different.

"Mm, I have," Leylin smiled. What he had gained today couldn't just be described as a breakthrough though.

'I'm now an arcanist, and I have a great number of arcane arts with me. My improvement from now will be rapid. As a rank 15 Professional wizard, I'm of the highest class…' Leylin was turning the idea over in his mind. He was a genius who had advanced to become a high-ranked wizard at the tender age of 21. Apart from the gods' chosen or demigods, he was near the peak of the prime material plane.

"This place is very dangerous, it's best that we leave as quickly as possible," Leylin furrowed his brows and took Helen away from the core database.

The trip had gone fairly smoothly, and he had obtained resources from the arcanists as well as many arcane arts. It all saved him a lot of effort, but he hadn't accomplished his most important goal yet; he didn't get the inheritance of those Magi who had comprehended laws!

The A.I. Chip hadn't found anything related to such Magi amongst all the resources it had scanned, and it filled Leylin's heart with disappointment. The direction and experiences of the ancients would have been of great help to him.

'It's a matter of course. Not every arcanist can receive the instruction of a being like the Distorted Shadow, and even if he left an inheritance it wouldn't be here…' Leylin comforted himself, 'The profits this time are sufficient. Just what the A.I. Chip has stored in its database would be enough to fetch an extremely high price.'

"Let's hurry up, there isn't much time before the pocket dimension collapses…" Leylin suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned his head in astonishment. He discovered that Helen had disappeared into thin air without his notice.

'Impossible! I've always paid attention to my back, and I even have an arcane mark on her. How can the A.I. Chip's sweeps not discover her?'

'A.I. Chip! Sweep the entire laboratory and find Helen!' Leylin immediately ordered. He had seized the core authority in this place, and even if most of the equipment was depleted or damaged a basic search was still possible.

Very quickly, the results were sent back to him. However, Leylin's expression turned even more unsightly at the information.

'Nothing! There isn't a single trace left of her, and she didn't even leave a corpse. It looks like she just disappeared suddenly…' He had not felt such a powerful sense of déjà vu for a very long time.

-x-X-x-

"Is this the effect of a high-ranked Magus' radiation?" Leylin murmured, "To achieve this even after thousands of years, only someone at rank 7 or above could do such a thing…"

Leylin stood by himself in the empty and desolate passage, slowly shutting his eyes. He slowly found traces of energy from a completely different world.

"The power of distortion! As expected, it's Distorted Shadow… Over there!" Leylin's eyes were filled with excitement as he suddenly advanced in another direction. He had sensed a clue to the inheritance of an ancient Magus who had comprehended laws!

Such an incredibly precious treasure was enough for him to brave the risks that surely lay ahead.

'The ancient Distorted Shadow's path of laws should deal with space or distortion, or something related to that. No wonder he could make so many dimensions overlap…' As he ran, Leylin instantly thought of the fold in space he had encountered just before, 'Legend states that Distorted Shadow was at least a rank 8 Magus, and he was a peak rank 8 who had perfected his own path!'

*Bang!* He followed his instincts to a laboratory, and a strong gust hit his face when he opened the door.

Arcane Missile! Leylin's fingers shot out a more powerful version of Magic Missile. The thing was full of arcane energy, and it smashed the metal gears that were wrapped within the strong wind to the ground, leaving behind dents in it.

"This place…" he looked around him. The room was modelled like a giant workshop, with many metal lathes and machine arms tidying and moving things back and forth. Some of the machines had a layer of green rust on them.

'Is this some golem processing workshop?' Leylin followed his instincts and found a trace of distortion left behind.

"Mister Leylin, save me!" Just at this moment, Leylin suddenly turned his head and he heard Helen's voice came from his side.

"Helen?" He suddenly shouted, and several layers of protective light glowed on his body.

"Save me…" The only reply he received was her weeping.

Leylin gritted his teeth and walked towards the direction of her wails. He passed through a tall fireplace, and saw the back of a silhouette that seemed like Helen sitting in the darkness and crying. "I… I can't get up…"

"Mm?" It was only then that Leylin discovered that the originally smooth floor had become spongy. There were several black hands spouting out of it, holding firmly onto Helen's ankles.

A faint black shimmered in Leylin's pupils as they widened, and he called out in the ancient Byron language. "Malicious intent? Get lost!"

"Sss…" His soul essence had already transformed into a phantom Targaryen, and it suddenly began to roar.

*Puff! Puff!* The sound reverberated in the room, and those enormous black hands suddenly swelled as sarcomas boiled out from under their skin. These tumours grew larger and larger until one could see veins within before finally exploding.

"Ah!" Helen let out a blood-curdling shriek. The giant black hands had disappeared, but a layer of skin on her ankle had been torn off as well, leaving behind a horribly infected wound. The black pus seemed to have great corrosive ability, and it ate away half of Helen's clothes in an instant.

*Sss!* Great quantities of the black rain landed on the metal surfaces nearby, corroding everything it touched.

Cure Moderate Wounds! Leylin immediately cast a healing spell and raced to Helen's side, "Are you alright?"

"I'm… I'm alright…" Helen sluggishly turned her head, and Leylin's eyes narrowed. What appeared before Leylin was a strangely distorted face. Her facial features were screwed into incorrect positions, and it was full of distorted veins and scars. It was more disgusting than the most disgusting monstrosity!

"What on earth are you?" Leylin immediately moved away from it, watching this freakish monster who was undulating Helen's soul force.

"Sir Leylin, it's… It's me, Helen…" The monster let out a panicked voice, but its distorted face wore a malevolent expression. The huge mouth on its forehead opened, revealing sharp yellow teeth and a barbed green tongue.

'It looks like Distorted Shadow never had the intention of leaving an inheritance behind. Perhaps he had only come here and left an evil spiritual parasite. Now that the pocket dimension is about to collapse, the evil intent has awakened…' Leylin was startled as he thought of this possibility.

An evil intent left behind by an ancient rank 8 Magus would put him in grave danger, and could even kill him.

Fireball! Fireball! Fireball!

Scorching Ray! Scorching Ray! Scorching Ray!

Leylin launched his killing move in this life or death situation. Many rank 2 and 3 fire spells combined to form a meteor shower from the sky.

"Spell Torrent!" The violent surging blaze submerged the monster in its flames. The effect of many low-ranked spells piled up on top of each other to reach near-legendary power.

*Bang!* The blazing fire melted the surrounding lathes and mechanical arms considerably, forming white-hot molten iron that slowly pooled to form a stream on the ground.

After the torrent of spells, Leylin saw a bare passage appear before him. The monster had already disappeared without a trace, and seemed to have been burnt to ashes.

The molten iron was red through and through now, making the black material look even more unsightly. It hadn't been corroded, instead bobbing up and down unsteadily.

"That's the beast skin scroll Helen had before" Leylin was suddenly alarmed, and a stony grey hand emerged from the scroll. The black hide was stained with blood, but it did not dissolve in the molten iron. This made a strange expression appear on Leylin's face.

"Leylin! Save me…" As the voice sounded, the hand suddenly broke through Leylin's spell defences. A power of distortion struck Leylin's shoulder.

*Crash!* Whether it was his robe or armour, or even his body's own defences, everything was torn apart like paper by this hand.

"Damn it!" Leylin's expression grew fierce, "Fuck off!" The Targaryen phantom felt the danger as well, and its vertical eyes narrowed. A formidable devouring power spread into the surroundings.

Blink! Leylin's silhouette flickered and he arrived outside the workshop. He didn't even bother looking back at the monster within as he broke out into a run. Several Haste spells flashed on his body as he dashed out of the exit.

Although Leylin would take risks to obtain a rank 8 Magus' inheritance, he definitely wouldn't court death for it. The moment he discovered that the danger here far exceeded the benefits he could gain, he made the prompt decision to leave.

Chirps and honks sounded as a twisted laughter rang out from behind him. He felt a terrifying force pursuing him as the entire passage began to distort, like a rag being twisted to pieces.

Freeze! The torrent of spells appeared once more, and many Freeze and Create Water spells formed a mountain of ice behind him. The enormous ice mountain immediately blocked off the entire passage, and stopped the terrifying creature's pursuit. Still, crack after crack formed on it without end.

Leylin seized the chance to suddenly rush to the exit, throwing himself outside. Furry green claws distorted as they swiped at Leylin's back. Thankfully, he'd managed to make it out in that instant and they only managed to cut the corner of his clothes.

A loud rumble suddenly sounded. Leylin immediately jumped out of the secret entrance, and soon after it was submerged in a silver storm. The pocket dimension had already begun to collapse, and many disasters had arisen within.

"Young master!" Tiff walked over to him with a worried expression.

"I'm alright, I only ran into a storm in the plane. I was rather lucky." Leylin smiled, a healing glow already spreading across his shoulder.

"Lord Leylin?!" He heard a woman's voice and trembled at the sound of it.

He turned his head rather stiffly and was greeted by the sight of Helen! Helen stood there, hale and hearty, with a concerned expression on her face.

"What? Weren't you still in there?" Leylin's eyes narrowed.

"What?" Helen's astonished expression deepened, "You had me leave first after we exited the core control room, my Lord. You said you wanted to continue exploring alone…"

"I indeed saw Miss Helen arrive first!" Tiff testified for her.

'Then the Helen I saw earlier, who was it… It even distorted my senses…'

"Then this thing? Do you recognise it?" A black blood-stained scroll made of beast skin appeared in Leylin's palm.

He had used various methods to verify that Helen was really made of flesh and blood. The soul undulations were the same, and she was not disguised by some evil intent.

"My scroll…" Helen exclaimed, touching the bag of holding at her hip. Her face slowly paled, "Gone! It's gone! I had it in my bag of holding…"

'Ha… As expected of the Distorted Shadow!' Leylin sighed deeply, 'Having already grasped the concepts of distortion, space, and time, he even managed to distort my senses?'

"Young master, is there an enemy?" Tiff now realised that something was wrong. He stood on alert next to Leylin, his eyes fixed on Helen. If she made the slightest wrong move, he would kill her where she stood.

"It's nothing… Just a mishap," Leylin waved his hand. He had experienced far stranger things than this in the Magus World, and developed some immunity to this sort of thing.

-x-X-x-

This was a peak rank 8 Magus with the power to twist time and change the future! The thought of himself reaching that realm left Leylin with a sense of longing.

"Whatever it is… This operation ended well. Let's talk after leaving this place…" Leylin swept his eyes across the information in the A.I. Chip. The plethora of data about arcanists in there was real.

Leylin's complexion only improved after they left the dragon's cave, once he breathed in the chilly air that smelt of nature.

'While the pocket dimension crumbled completely, there's a possibility of something being left behind. I shouldn't get too involved with this sort of thing before this body rivals my main one in power…'

There was fear in Leylin's heart, 'If the Distorted Shadow truly had malicious intent towards me, that one streak of intent would be enough for me to die there. So why did he let me off at the end, and even give me this scroll?'

Leylin glanced at the black scroll in his hands and then at Helen, who clearly kept peeking in his direction with a terrified expression.

"Do you know more about this thing?"

"No, I don't! I found out from an ancestor that the Distorted Shadow had some manuscript in one of the rooms in the ruins that recorded some information about arcanists…" Under Leylin's gaze, she trembled as she spoke the truth.

"I'm afraid this isn't what you were looking for, and it's very dangerous. Just leave it with me for now…" Leylin did not seem to have any plans of returning the scroll. The Distorted Shadow had too many ways to mess with a little rank 11 wizard. He could have distorted her memories and implanted a fake, which were all easy tasks.

"Alright, my Lord!" Helen felt a little discontent with his decision, but still agreed. After all, what had happened had truly scared her.

Leylin looked towards this half-elf wizard and suddenly exclaimed, "Mm! I'll compensate you based on an agreement. Let's say the way for arcanists to rank up and a portion of an arcane spell model."

"Tell me what you want." Helen had developed a very good understanding of Leylin over this period of time. He would never do anything that would not benefit him. Of course, once an agreement was reached, he would treat all equally.

"Vow me your loyalty for a hundred years. Swear it upon your soul and with the Styx as the witness." Leylin spoke nonchalantly, watching the conflict in Helen's eyes.

She was undoubtedly clever, though. "Alright." After struggling over the decision for some time, she agreed and immediately swore to it.

'Mm, her soul is real, so she should be the real Helen…' Leylin nodded inwardly. The vow of a wizard's soul when resonating with the river Styx was something binding, and it could not be faked.

As he was now, a rank 11 wizard was dispensable to Leylin. The key point was the verification and authentication he obtained from the vow. This Helen truly seemed to be original, though her emotions were all over the place.

'Then… what did Distorted Shadow want to tell me? Did he manage to survive the dusk of the gods, or did he fall completely? No, with his strength he'd leave some soul fragments behind if he died. They would await resurrection for a long time…' At this thought, Leylin's expression grew sombre once again.

...

After killing the red dragon and exploring the ruins, there was no point in lingering on the Nether Mountains. Leylin hence ordered that they return. The group, which had dropped to around seven hundred in number, brought with them the immense glory and wealth of killing a dragon.

Rafiniya, however, looked sullen. It seemed that after like she would part ways after they left the Nether Mountains.

'"Slaying the dragon and exploring the ruins took less than ten days. The outside world must be in chaos now, no?' Leylin's thoughts were filled with delight at this disaster. He didn't care about the female knight's mood. Such was reality.

'What's going on? Why have they imposed this level of martial law?' After leaving the mountains, Rafiniya could obviously tell that something was off. Many of the surrounding villages had been completely abandoned, and there were sometimes some who were very guarded, extremely alert against strangers.

'Could the werecreatures have invaded again? Or have the orcs launched a huge attack?' Rafiniya quickly came up with two possibilities, beginning to get anxious, 'Leylin's explorations will definitely have him accused of being a deserter…'

The female knight suddenly begun to get worried, but then she shook her head, 'A sly person like him must have long since prepared an escape route. Even without that, why do I have to worry about him?'

At this moment, a scout ran over. "Report! A friendly force has launched a signal up ahead!"

"Mm, launch the signal. We'll go over!" Leylin nodded calmly, knowing who was coming.

In the dark forest, there were no other people besides him. As expected, after the scout sent the message, dust could be seen flying in the distance, and a human figure was like a black falcon swooping in from the sky.

"Leylin Faulen!" Cassley's neck bulged from his immense fury as he arrived in front of Leylin.

"Why did you leave your battle zone? Also… where's Malfoy?" After seeing the group of over 700 people behind Leylin, Cassley froze a little, but that was then drowned out by his anger.

"Did you know that because you neglected your job, I had to deal with the werecreature attacks and give up on helping Silverymoon?"

"Stop! Wait! I still don't know what's going on. Saving Silverymoon? Why?" Rafiniya felt a little dizzy.

"You don't know yet? What a terrible excuse. Have you all been hiding in the woods in the past few days?"

Cassley had a mocking look on his expression, "The orc armies have already surrounded Silverymoon! While I, high-ranked wizard Cassley, was engaged in a bloody battle, your wretched new recruits dared to give up on the area they were supposed to be defend! You should all be hung!"

"Orcs surrounding the city?" Rafiniya staggered backwards, eyes full of disbelief. She was now completely disheartened, "You must have known that this would happen… Right?"

"Then… Why, mighty high-ranked wizard Cassley, did you not bring your own troops, and the volunteer army belonging to nobility and help them?" Leylin did not bother himself with Rafiniya and instead looked towards Cassley, ridiculing him.

"That's because I need to guard against surprise attacks by the werecreatures!"

Cassley glanced at Leylin haughtily, "While you neglected your duties and thus committed a crime, I won't pursue this. Baron Leylin, in my capacity as the chief officer of the northern lands, I command you provide support to Silverymoon now. Immediately!"

Till this point, Cassley still had no plans to stop setting him up.

"Hehe…" Leylin looked straight at Cassley till he was almost exasperated, and then answered slowly, "Why…"

"Why? You mean you even have the gall to go against my orders? Are you forcing me to execute you right this instant?"

Cassley narrowed his eyes slightly. His strength as a high-ranked wizard was what he prided the most. His opponent was at most a rank 14, and even with his own troops and other men, he was nothing.

Furthermore, the documents that appointed him as the chief officer of the northern lands had been sent over through urgent channels. With his status now, it should be fine to kill a Baron, much less one that had committed the crime of neglecting his duties.

'Yes, killing a genius wizard myself seems to be a good idea! However, I have to wait first. When Andrew sends the troops, and I take over Leylin's army… Heh heh… They even have a great deal of rations, which is pretty good! In the northern lands right now, it's best to have both rations and men…'

A myriad of thoughts swirled in Cassley's mind, but before he could come up with another plan or decide if he should temporarily be nice to the other wizard, Leylin suddenly chuckled. "If you want to kill someone, do it. Why overthink it?"

"What… ugh…" Cassley suddenly felt an intense pain in his chest, and his body stiffened. He looked down and found that a black dagger had pierced through his chest.

"That's impossible… I have a high-ranked wizard armour and instantaneously casted Mishap! Enemies definitely won't be able to break through my defences in an instant, unless… Legend!" Cassley crumbled down, and what he saw last was Tiff's expressionless face.

"Trying to control me once the organisation collapses and using its might for that… Should I say you're stupid, or stupid?"

"You… killed him?" Rafiniya's voice was hoarse.

"No. Cassley died at the hands of werecreatures, on the line of duty!" Leylin laughed without the slightest of scruples.

"Pay attention! All on guard!" Leylin looked towards the friendly army that had finally arrived, and then shook his right hand with a sardonic smile.

...

The light of sunset looked like blood.

Andrew and a few nobles were respectfully speaking next to Leylin, "High-ranked wizard Cassley died at the hands of werecreatures. Our northern lands are really in a pinch…." After saying this, they could not help but wipe off the tears. What happened that afternoon had scared them stupid.

"Oh! Also, the clash this afternoon…" Leylin spoke a bit louder.

"That's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!" Andrew immediately took the initiative to say this, astounded and fearful of Leylin's ruthlessness.

-x-X-x-

"Since that's the case, could all of you please sign this report of battle merits? Don't forget to stamp it with your seal!" Leylin produced a document and waved it around, laughing sinisterly like a big bad wolf.

'We're already at this stage. Who would dare go against him?' Baron Andrew laughed wryly inside and signed it.

"Good!" After all the barons and officers present signed their names, Leylin was all smiles as he kept the document, changing his attitude entirely, "As the subordinate of officer Cassley, I do feel regretful and sad about what happened. Divide his team amongst yourselves as you see fit!"

After hearing this news, everyone's eyes brightened. The army that Cassley had brought with him was composed of a few nobles' personal troops along with those of Silverymoon. Just the regular soldiers, horses and rations were enough for them to go green with envy.

'After getting us to surrender, he's having us divide the ill-gotten gains amongst ourselves? How evil…' Baron Andrew sighed inside, but did not have the guts to voice his objection.

In reality, they were now prisoners of the sort. Leylin's personal troops had completely defeated their allies this afternoon. After all, his underlings were battle-forged high-grade Professionals. It would've been strange if they had't won.

Leylin didn't force them too much at that time, instead 'inviting' them to talk peace.

'After returning to the northern lands, we still will have to see how he decides to proceed…' Andrew tried to console himself.

...

"Have you finally gotten what you wanted?" Rafiniya glanced at Leylin, her gaze icy.

"You're talking about this?" Leylin lifted the joint declaration of the nobles and waved the document around, "No, this is just all in name. Essentially, with the chaos of war and there being even a question of whether the Silverymoon Alliance will still exist, who would care about the death of a wizard?"

Leylin wanted this in writing because it was better than nothing. Its presence would make a huge difference in any cases.

"Silverymoon Alliance not existing? Are you that pessimistic?" Rafiniya was rather astonished by Leylin's conclusion.

"That's how it is…" Leylin sighed, "The might of the Silverymoon Alliance already threatened the status of the human countries in the south. Mystra is facing all the orc gods practically alone.

Rafiniya paled at his simple analysis. There had been many who realised this in the past, but none had the courage to reveal it so clearly. Leylin was now breaking all pretense, revealing the naked truth to Rafiniya.

"You saw it in Silverymoon, didn't you? The queen only has control over the land of Silverymoon. The Silverymoon Alliance states might support her when things are going well, but now…" Rafiniya's heart dropped at Leylin's words. She'd long since known that this was how nobles acted.

"Since things have gotten this bad, let's go back to uphold the justice and peace I desire!" Rafiniya took a deep breath, eyes showing her emotional state.

"You… you'll help me, won't you?" The female knight had already guessed at the outcome, but still watched Leylin full of anticipation, hoping for a miracle.

"I'm sorry…" This girl was practically shining, the true model of a hero. It was a pity that Leylin would never do anything like seeking his own death.

"Silverymoon has now been surrounded by the orc armies, and they even have several high-ranked Legends in charge. This level of strength…" Leylin presented his reasoning point by point, causing the light in rafiniya's eyes to dim. The Leylin in her memories and how he was right now were two completely different people.

"But… You are the hero of Silverymoon. At this point…" Rafiniya gave it one last try.

"Oh! Please don't call me that, 'Knight of Light'!" Leylin's obvious rejection caused Rafiniya to finally give up.

"Even knowing that this will take my life, I will not give up on my sense of justice. This is my path as a knight!" Rafiniya's voice resounded in the tent.

Watching her back as she left, Leylin stroked his chin and muttered to himself. "What conviction she has. It'll be difficult to make her fall…"

She planned on using her strength alone to turn the tide of the losing battle, to become a shining hero! When he was young before, in his previous life, Leylin had read many novels of that type. He'd thought them to be chock full of emotion and hot blood, but in the end only bitterly smiled at it.

Reality and imagination were two completely different things. Turning the tables under such terrible circumstances was something only possible in stories, and it was just an author trying to please the readers. In reality, such a thing had less than a hundred millionth of a chance of happening.

Such shining heroes who were full of fiery passion were indeed worthy of respect, but Leylin would never join their ranks!

"Besides… such an impulsive person like Rafiniya will probably die halfway to her goal. In the end, will her achievements allow her to be reputed as a hero?"

...

The next day, Leylin received word that Rafiniya's departed without informing him. Using her own charm, she had even persuaded some people and taken about twenty with her.

Leylin merely rolled his shoulders back in answer, "Since they're fools, let them go!"

After gathering Andrew and other nobles, Leylin discussed their next move.

"Silverymoon is now under siege. As part of the Silverymoon Alliance, I grieve and lament the situation. I've already dispatched my knights to bring people to provide support. If there's anyone here who wants to go, please announce yourselves!" Leylin exclaimed with a smile.

What came next was a difficult silence. The nobles who were seated all knew that the orcs were extremely determined. Their elite army of a hundred thousand had surrounded Silverymoon thoroughly, and going forth with the small numbers of people and horses they had was just suicide.

On top of that, Leylin's army had low morale, and it had recently dropped even further. Hence, all these nobles wanted to do was bury their heads in their chests like ostriches.

'The personal troops of the nobles will only be able to do as they please in their own territories…' Leylin shook his head at this and then clapped, "Good. Next, let's discuss the direction of my army…"

The nobles looked at each other when Leylin acted like the master here, but nobody dared oppose it. The term 'my army' obviously included them as well. Officially, Silverymoon had pulled back all of their forces. Leylin's army basically had the highest power.

Alustriel had personally invested him with the title of a Baron whose power extended over generations. He was a noble who had been granted territory near the Moonwood. Who else had more power than him?

Most importantly, when it came to strength, Leylin alone would be able to eliminate the rest! The reason he had gathered them was only to nominally receive their agreement, and the nobles had all sensibly chosen to consent to this silently.

This was what Leylin had prepared. The moment any of the nobles dared go against him, he'd just slaughter them. In the turmoil of war, what would the deaths of a few people amount to?

A large military map was hung up on the wall. At the center of it was the wizards' city, Silverymoon. The jewel of the north already had multiple red arrows around it, showing how it was surrounded.

The map also showed the surrounding terrain. Most of the lands in the north had fallen to enemy hands, coloured black. In the west were the Moonwood and Nether Mountains. As the orcs had expended most of their strength in surrounding Silverymoon, or perhaps because of the werecreatures' Blackblood tribe, the humans were still somewhat in charge there. However, the terrifying werecreatures were already a huge threat, and these nobles were fleeing with all their might.

There were now three routes for Leylin and the rest. One was to provide support to Silverymoon selflessly, clashing head on with the orc army. The second was to stay here and pray that Silverymoon could hold on. After the war had ended, they could then settle their accounts. The last was to move to the south and abandon the territory and people here.

Leylin was more inclined towards the third. "Silverymoon is the wizards' city after all. The queen is a Chosen, and even if the orcs can breach Silverymoon, they would have to pay a huge price, and that would make it difficult for them to go south…"

Such an explicit declaration put the nobles on the spot.

"Lord Leylin, SIlverymoon won't be able to hang on with its strength…" While many of the nobles were greedy, despicable and shameless, there were also many who were clear-headed and unwilling to part with their territories.

This was the only source of their power! In order to protect their interests, nobles could even make a deal with the orcs or devils, and disregard the threat to their lives.

"It's best to let the orcs and Silverymoon harm each other. This way, nobody would be able to bother with us." There were also many who thought the same.

Leylin made a quick scan of the surroundings and understood their thoughts.

'How childish… Do they think they're out of the woods if they bury their head in the sand?' Leylin snickered inside, though he knew that getting the nobles to abandon everything was not reasonable.

Thankfully, with the report just before and the joint declaration as well as the document, there was no change in whether they stayed or left. Besides, the negative effects of bringing these people along far outweighed the benefits.

"Alright! All of you can leave alone if you wish to. Any who are willing to head south with me can stay here…"

-x-X-x-

With Leylin's current reputation and the nobles now seeing his true colours, they politely spouted a whole pile of meaningless words. They then sped off as if their rear ends had been set on fire.

Soon enough, the tent began to seem a little desolate. Only a few figures chose to remain, one of which was someone Leylin was on familiar terms with.

"Baron Andrew! I never thought you would make such a choice," Leylin said calmly as he looked at the middle-aged noble, who was constantly taking his silk handkerchief out and wiping his face.

"The orcs are attacking extremely ferociously. Even the werecreatures were not so easily dealt with. The ration stores in my territory aren't enough to get us past this winter famine…" Baron Andrew laughed wryly, "I only have a humble request… When we pass by my territory, may I bring a part of my family along?"

Leylin nodded, "As long as the numbers are within a hundred, and if you bring your own supplies."

"Thank you very much!" Andrew lowered his head.

While it was tough losing his position as the leader, Andrew could clearly see the situation in the north. Those fools and swines wanted to compromise with the orcs, or had the hope that the other side would let them off lightly. That was as impossible and laughable as the sun rising from the west!

"Great then. I'll give you a day to prepare. Once time is up, we will depart immediately!" Leylin decided.

...

A large army slowly marched across the scorched wilderness. A few knights dashed ahead on horseback, their bodies stained with blood and filled with a valiant aura.

The knights darted to a giant carriage, speaking respectfully, "My lord, we've taken care of the troubles in front. It was a wave of goblins and dwarf bandits, there are no casualties."

"Alright. Order the troops to quicken their footsteps!" Leylin said slowly from within the carriage, his eyes closed. He stopped his deep contemplation, and the group's speed increased with his orders.

"This is really quite massive…" Leylin opened the windows of the carriage and watched the lively crowd, especially the disorderly refugees following next to his people, and sighed.

The orcs' main forces were focused in the direction of Silverymoon, while the werebeasts were occupied with the territories that Leylin and the rest had abandoned. They were more than glad to see all these people leaving.

Including the people of Andrew and the other nobles, Leylin had over a thousand in his entourage. That was enough to intimidate others.

Large military armies would not think much of them, and they were able to deal with the harassment of smaller groups. Hence, the trip to the south was very safe even though these refugees were rather unexpected.

The fierce attacks of the orcs and other large organisations completely broke Silverymoon and the regions to the north. It resulted in a tremendous wave of refugees. Many humans were fleeing south, and quite a few were bringing their families along. Things were very chaotic.

There was wave after wave of bandits, thieves on horseback, and goblins committing all sorts of crimes in the autumn wilderness, be it fighting, raiding, or plundering. It could be said that reaching the south safely without any military protection was just a pipe dream.

Along the way, it wasn't as if commoners or nobles did not come over and beg for his protection. However, Leylin himself had very few rations left. It didn't make sense to give them to people he did not know. Besides taking in a few nobles as external support, he did not accept anyone.

However, there were refugees who tagged behind Leylin's group and made use of their might. There was no way around that, and as long as they posed no threat Leylin could not be bothered to deal with them.

'The glory of the north is now consigned to history…' Leylin walked out of the horse carriage and got onto a handsome black horse, surveying the entire group. Everywhere he went, whether it was the family of the nobles or the original troops, everyone lowered their heads in respect.

They knew that Leylin was their leader, their shield as well as the one in control of their lives. If he grew hostile and chased them away, they would be like those pitiful refugees!

On top of that, this high-ranked military official was also a high-ranked wizard! In this chaotic world, those with strength gave one a sense of security.

Tiff was more aware of this. After leaving the Nether Mountains, Leylin intentionally had him hide himself. Even though there were rumours, most people expressed their disbelief in it. How powerful was a Legend? Why would he suddenly serve under Leylin?

On top of that, most of the Legends in the north had risen to fame a long time ago. Tiff was an unfamiliar face, and on top of that he was using an alias.

"Lord Leylin!" Andrew brought a handsome white horse to Leylin's side, seemingly wanting to curry favour with him. After seeing his mount, Leylin had the urge to laugh.

Commanders who rode white horses were normally very unlucky in his previous life, white was the easiest to spot after all. It was the same now. If there were assassins or archers here, their first target would definitely be Andrew. His mount and the ornaments indicating his status as a noble were far too obvious.

"Mm. There's about three more days left. We're about to reach Yorkshire already. What are your plans?" Leylin asked.

Yorkshire was the human territory to the south of Silverymoon. It was also the place where Leylin predicted the orc waves would stop. The expansive regions in the north were already more than enough for them to take, and there were other organisations unwilling to see the orcs and their gods expanding further.

"I have a few relatives there, so I'll seek shelter." Andrew now had a forced smile on his face, "Perhaps I'll be able to buy a villa in the city and a few manors outside. It would be impossible to live as luxuriously as I had in the north though…"

The extravagant lifestyle of nobles all came from their territories, with the taxes squeezing the people dry. Once they lost their territories and troops, they had basically lost all their power.

This was why many nobles had stubbornly stayed behind in the north. It wasn't that they could not see the obvious outcome, but they could not bear to leave! In comparison, Andrew's choice was more sensible and firm.

"Yorkshire…" Leylin had a ruminating look.

"Yes. That is Marquis Lancet's territory," Andrew said, but he did not continue.

That marquis was an important power in the Silverymoon Alliance. However, his stance was rather dubious in this calamity, and he had been stuck in a rut. He also had good relations with other human kingdoms in the centre.

Of course, Leylin's method of escape was not particularly impressive, so there was no use criticising Andrew for his decision.

'No matter what world we are in, as long as nobody is foolish is enough to threaten the central nobles, the chances of placating the regional nobles is still very high. Even in the World of Gods, this holds true.' Leylin deeply understood the thoughts of those who held power.

After those in the south struck the Silverymoon Alliance, they definitely would not want the orcs to grow stronger. Hence, after Silverymoon collapsed, they would regain control of the orcs again.

This was what Marquis Lancet wished for. He definitely did not want his territory to turn into a battlefield, instead making use of this time to gather more strength!

While it was impossible to pacify everyone by dividing up the territories in Yorkshire, it was very likely that he'd give away the area surrounding Yorkshire as a buffer for the escaping organisations.

'They'll give us the territories at the north of Yorkshire and let us become the frontlines and cannon fodder to fend off the orcs…' Leylin stroked his chin, a peculiar smile lingering on his lips, 'Who knows, after entering Yorkshire, someone might draw me into a marriage proposal…'

Stripping a noble of territory was just too ugly. Doing this through a joint marriage was a far more gentle and acceptable way. The large nobles would definitely not want to be accused of doing something so terrible, so this was basically inevitable.

Three days later, the large group entered Yorkshire. Order had been reestablished here, with well-equipped elites patrolling the entire area. There were even batches of cavalry on occasion.

Evidently, Marquis Lancet did not dare believe the orcs at the north. After all, they were simple-minded, and it was natural that they might suddenly have a change of heart. Compared to orcs, these refugees would pose a threat to security!

At the very least, after seeing Leylin's organised troops, the soldiers looked wary. Leylin nonchalantly showed his noble and military rank pass, and then let them do what they needed.

'I finally see it… the power of the churches…' Leylin could see many huge tents set up in an orderly manner outside the city. Numerous priests with differently coloured church emblems and symbols were hastily walking around and helping refugees.

With a calamity on the horizon, this was the time for a huge harvest for faith. Leylin saw many crying ugly tears and repenting after obtaining oatmeal for emergency relief, and then entering churches.

'It was rare to see them in the north when there was a calamity, but they're all gathered here. The thoughts of humans and gods are obvious…' Leylin thought inside.

Of course, it wasn't as if there weren't other types of priests in their midst. For instance, Leylin saw a small group of holy warriors and mercenaries rushing towards the north.

'These are the paladins and priests of the God of Justice, Tyr. They're rushing to the battlefield in their own name…' Leylin thought to himself, 'The gods with human factions are usually the most neutral. How could the God of Justice allow his own followers to participate in the battle in their own name? What a ridiculous internal power struggle…'

Leylin snickered. However, this was a chance for him.