What Leylin saw in his reflection did not put him at ease. He instead grew even more grim, "Is this an evolution of the truesoul?"
He touched his forehead, and all of a sudden he felt an intense pain that caused him to close his eyes. The next time he opened them, he found a red streak at the middle of it.
*Whoosh!* Water droplets dispersed to reveal Leylin's serious expression.
"The physique to absorb the energy from nightmares… from a bloodline?" Leylin rubbed at his forehead, now at a loss...
...
"A.I. Chip, check my bloodline!"
All sorts of scanning runes were activated within the wizard tower, and scanning light immediately gathered upon Leylin's body. He was back on Faulen Island.
He'd met up with Isabel for a bit at Pirates' Cove. He'd decided on the next path for the Scarlet Tigers, and was then at ease to solve his own issues.
He'd already given control of the tower to the A.I. Chip. He was using its power to check the abnormalities on his body.
[Beep! Mission established. Scanning… Host's blood is 99.99999% pure-blooded human.]
"So nothing can be found? Use the atomic microscope, and level 2 antimatter observation. Continue scan." Leylin sounded grim.
[Beep! Obtained host's blood. Magnifying specimen…]
The A.I. Chip immediately showed a screen with Leylin's blood sample. 100,000x, 1,000,000x… The image was magnified ten million times.
Leylin had to reach the smallest unit of his previous world, the limits of the sub-atomic level, to find the problem.
"This…" Leylin's eyes widened. He saw a few strange black dots amongst wandering photons.
"Lock on to that. Enlarge it!" The black dot moved extremely quickly, but at the end, it was still successfully caught by the A.I. Chip. Slowly, the appearance of the dark shadow appeared in front of Leylin. This was a hexagonal structure with strange patterns on it.
The patterns were rather complicated, in the shape of dark red flowers that gradually evolved into a scaly giant with three eyes. The bloody third eye at the middle seemed to have a will of its own as it stared at Leylin indifferently.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!* Leylin took several steps backwards, the surprise on his face more evident.
"As expected… my body was implanted with a portion of the Nightmare Absorbing Body's bloodline abilities at the third level…" With his main body imbued with the power nearly equal to a rank 7 Warlock, Leylin was definitely no stranger to bloodline power.
"I just wanted some information. What are you giving me bloodline strength for?" Leylin now felt himself growing dizzy. It was like a beggar asking for some humble pie being given a mountain of gold.
What kind of physique was this Nightmare Absorbing Body? It was one of the most powerful bloodline abilities, something that allowed the Nightmare King to immediately start a massacre the moment he activated it. With the origin force of Dreamscape, he'd shot up to become a peak Magus of the ancient world in one go!
Leylin was very vigilant of such good luck.
'It's too impractical. There has to be something off about a strange event like this. Even if Distorted Shadow was giving me benefits in exchange for making use of me, this is a little too much!'
Leylin was never afraid to expect the worst of his enemies. These sudden benefits implied a huge danger was to come!
'But… I never thought this Nightmare Absorbing Body wasn't a physical thing. It can even affect the truesoul, including my main soul in the Magus World…' As an outstanding bloodline Warlock, Leylin knew that sort of bloodline ability would fuse inseparably with his soul. It would also radiate into his main body in the Magus World through strange channels.
'The power of Dreamscape can bypass the crystal sphere? Just a temporary energy transmission path alone would be terrifying… I must definitely grasp this strength!' The ability of dreamforce to pass through two large worlds caused determination to rise in Leylin's heart.
'I'm going to take the bait and toss the hook back. How's that?' Leylin stroked his chin, a slight smile appearing on his lips. Even Distorted Shadow could not guess that he had the A.I. Chip, and could find any issues.
This would be the greatest misstep in the plan Distorted Shadow had in store for him! Of course, he might have been thinking too much. All this could be a opportunity for him, but he had always liked to be prepared for the worst.
'A.I. Chip! Begin task: study this bloodline force!' Leylin looked ruthless. Even if this would interfere with his analysis of the Weave, he would not find it a pity!
...
Months passed in the blink of an eye.
Leylin was sitting cross-legged within the wizard tower, the doors and windows tightly closed as isolation runes flickered inside. If an outsider saw him as he was now, they would be scared stupid or treat him like a monster.
Leylin was now nearly a giant at almost three metres tall. His body had red scales and strange patterns on it, his face so sinister that it could drive children to tears. There was a slight crack on his forehead, shining blood red.
Formless power was attracted to this lustre, transforming into a dark red fog as it seeped into Leylin's skin and became something more powerful.
"This strength is…" Leylin's mind followed the path of the undulations and found the source, followed by scenes:
–The old butler Leon looked proud in Port Venus, "Our young master Leylin is…"
–In Pirate's Cove, an old pirate was teaching a few new pirates a lesson, "When you come out here, foresight is the most important. There's someone more frightening than the Scarlet Witch in our crew…"
There were even more, though they were all scenes within the north and Dambrath Kingdom. The large batch of devil worshippers that Leylin had gathered as Kukulkan were now transmitting an unending amount of fear.
'This isn't faith, but some emotional force one level lower than faith… What's going on? Why can I take this power in now?' One could only absorb faith after becoming legendary, much less this sort of low-level emotional force.
However, Leylin soon found that he could easily absorb this emotional force in nightmare form, boosting his strength.
"Could it be that…" Leylin muttered to himself, closing the third eye between his brows. The numerous scenes disappeared, and the channel for emotional force closed.
"As expected… The power of the Nightmare Absorbing Body can take in all emotional forces aimed at me. The effectiveness and rate of conversion is even better than gods, and most importantly… I'm not even half a god yet…" At this moment, Leylin realised the terror of this ancient physique.
'A.I. Chip, has anything been found?'
[Beep! Statistical model of host's bloodline force has been established, running with no abnormalities. Found no remnant spiritual brands.] The A.I. Chip answered loyally.
"There's still no problem? There's nothing left in my bloodline? Is this a real gift?" Leylin shook his head, dispelling the nightmare form. He shrunk once more, returning to his original appearance.
With the A.I. Chip's help, his grasp of bloodline force far exceeded the expectations of everyone else. Now, he could basically switch between the two forms smoothly.
"The Nightmare Absorbing Body is a special physique from Dreamscape. Seems like I'll have to head over to that world a few times in the future…" Leylin muttered to himself, "In addition, with the rate the physique absorbs emotional force, I might be able to raise my arcanist ranking very soon…"
At this moment, the tower genie's clear voice interrupted his thoughts, "Master! Gold Priest Xena has come to pay a visit!"
"Xena? Get her to wait for me at the drawing room!" Leylin shook his head, draping a white bathrobe around himself.
"But my form after the second transformation might lead to some associations. It's best to use it as little as possible in the World of Gods…" A moment later, Leylin had tidied everything up and met the priestess of the Goddess of Wealth in the drawing room.
"Wizard Leylin truly is great at making me wait. It's already been two years since the last time…" Xena glared at him, looking annoyed.
"Ahaha… my apologies! I've been immersed in an experiment. Anyway, hasn't Master Ernest continued the trade of the devil and demon detectors?" Leylin laughed and then changed the topic, "May I know what you're here for today?"
"You're in great trouble!" Xena took a deep breath and spoke cautiously.
"Oh! Have the people from the God of Murder's church made their move?" Leylin got it right in one go, since there were few large organisations he had offended.
"Yes! One of their legendaries, Cadaver Collector Soros, has completed his experiments and is about to come to the outer seas…" No matter where it was, a legendary was a big shot. Xena was worried that this genius wizard would not be able to pass this hurdle.
"But… from how he's been acting, we know he's inclined towards attacking devils and demons. Our church has dealt with him, and the intel we got is proof of that. Unfortunately, we don't know what he'll do…"
Actually, Xena did not think well of Leylin's future. After all, that person was a legendary! There wasn't even a half-step legendary in the outer seas, so a true legendary would be able to suppress everything.
The existence of a legendary was an important standard for the prime material plane to judge the size of an organisation!
-x-X-x-
"Legendary?" Unexpectedly, Leylin did not panic at all after hearing the news. He instead asked with interest, "Please tell me what you know. We have our deal on sharing information."
Xena rolled her eyes at him. "Cadaver Collector Soros is the honorary executioner of Cyric's church. He likes to torture his target's mind, causing them to crumble and commit suicide before he takes their body. He shot to fame 281 years ago…"
She spoke as if she was making a report, expressionlessly introducing this person generally. Still, she couldn't keep up the facade and ended up staring at Leylin.
"Lord Leylin! You're still young and possess such astounding talent. It isn't a mere dream to become a legendary, but you need to accept reality. Pledge to join Goddess Waukeen's church and hide in the mainland. Our goddess will shield you…"
Xena was sure Leylin would understand, even though he would have to abandon the outer seas, including Port Venus and all other industries.
After all, the church of wealth was more conducive to Leylin's potential than all the organisations in the outer seas. With the value he was showing and how he was steadily raising his strength, he seemed to have more than a 50% chance to become a legendary. This was definitely an investment worth making for the church of wealth.
However, Leylin's answer did not match up to her expectations. "Thank you very much for your kind intentions, but I won't give up my work here…"
She frowned slightly, watching Leylin discontentedly, "Do you know what a legendary is? Cadaver Collector Soros is an infamous assassin. Even if we sent out a legendary to protect you ourselves, you could still be killed, much less…"
"I know all that!" Leylin interrupted her, looking apologetic, "I saw Her Highness Alustriel at Silverymoon. I read and studied about legendary wizards, and I know that numbers are nothing to a legendary…"
Leylin knew the terror of a legendary better than anyone else. They grasped the power of domains, similar to what a dragon's aura cast. No matter how many low-ranked Professionals were pit against one, it was useless.
In addition, legendaries had refined their life essence, and could absorb and control divine force, walking the path of godhood.
However, the path that Leylin had chosen was entirely different from Xena, which was why he reacted differently.
"Are you trying to face off against a legendary head-on? Just with a wizard tower? You'd probably be destroyed within seconds…" Xena felt insulted by Leylin's arrogant tone, and especially by that resolute gaze that said he didn't need charity.
"You…" She felt humiliated and discontent, but all that soon faded away into shock. "The– The spell rays on your body…"
"My rank rose a little during these past two years of experiments." Leylin sounded calm, as if he were describing something insignificant, yet Xena almost choked in surprise.
While they were both high-ranked wizards, rank 15s were nowhere close to rank 19s. One had just entered this grade, while the other had reached the peak of wizardry, beginning to step into the domain of legendaries.
'Two years! In less than two years, he's already become a rank 19 wizard!' Xena froze as she watched the spell rays that Leylin intentionally leaked.
'A genius. A genius of the World of Gods! No, this is more than just a genius, he's probably a monster! Outside of Chosen, he's even faster than close combat Professionals as a wizard!' Xena zoned out slightly. With his aptitude, she was now sure that he would definitely become a legendary if he didn't die this time!
"Apologies! I was too harsh with my words…" Now treating Leylin as a to-be legendary, Xena's tone became more respectful.
"Actually, Mister Leylin, I still stand by my previous suggestion. With your talent, there really is no need to tackle your enemies head-on in the outer sea. The church of wealth shall forever be your shield…" Leylin naturally showed his gratitude towards Xena's kindness, but he did not relent on his decision not to dodge this, leaving Xena helpless.
After sending her away, Leylin returned to the training room alone, looking deep in thought.
'Cyric's counterattack is later than I expected…' The presence of a legendary meant nothing to Leylin. After all, Tiff had become a legendary long ago, and he'd personally led a team to kill a legendary dragon. Normal legendaries did not terrify him at all.
"However, I can't disclose Tiff's identity or transfer him here. This makes things complicated…" Leylin stroked his chin, eyes brightening, "I should use this opportunity and try that…"
"Tower genie!"
"Master!" The female form of the tower genie emerged, bright eyes full of anticipation.
"Seal the place off. Nobody is to bother me for now, not even Ernest. Is that understood?"
"Yes!" The tower genie's primary objective was to carry out Leylin's orders. She obviously had no objections to this. With Leylin's will, the apprentices and even Ernest were moved out of the tower, emptying it out.
"Sigh… I don't know if this kid can do it…" Ernest naturally knew something only higher-ups did here. While things were calm in Port Venus, he could tell that this was the calm before a storm.
The pressure that a legendary could cause was far too immense. Leylin's operation was thus misunderstood to be a dangerous action to raise his strength quickly. Ernest was naturally worried.
He definitely knew how intelligent his student was. There were a few materials to raise strength quickly in the research of ancient wizards. However, there was a steep price to pay.
"I hope he doesn't go too far…" Ernest had a helpless smile on his lips. Ever since Leylin reached adulthood, he could no longer persuade Leylin even as his master.
While he was still Leylin's teacher in name, Ernest knew that there was nothing he had taught Leylin other than foundational skills. Yet, he had obtained even more than he'd given.
"I believe in him. Sometimes, he's someone who can create miracles!" Ernest kept encouraging himself, "It'll be fine! It'll definitely be fine…"
Meanwhile, the wizard who Ernest was worried about was not conducting any taboo experiments within the tower. However, in some sense the method Leylin was using to gain strength was more dangerous than the methods of ancient wizards.
"There aren't any living beings in the tower any more. I don't have to worry about my secret being discovered or leaked… begin!"
*Whoosh!* A layer of dark red patterns appeared on Leylin's skin. He swelled strangely, and broke through his casual clothes in an instant. His forehead also split vertically to reveal the third eye.
Nightmare form! Leylin was now demonstrating the Nightmare King's Nightmare Absorbing Body.
"Absorb the wandering emotional force…" The vertical eye on Leylin's forehead opened slightly, emitting red light that broke through space to connect to all emotions related to him. It was like a spider web.
Reverence, fear, love, hatred...
Dense emotional force was originally formless and therefore useless. However, the vertical eye turned it into a dark red fog that was then devoured by the Nightmare Absorbing Body. This force was intensified, and the blood-red runes on his body grew more dazzling.
"In essence, faith is just extremely dense emotion. It contains energy dispelled from soul undulations. The Nightmare Absorbing Body is terrifying. As long as it has to do with the host body, any emotional force, no matter how meagre, can be used…"
Leylin's eyes were now completely blood red, and a large serpent appeared behind him. This was the Targaryen, big as the world, with black scales, devilish wings, terrifying claws, and a single horn at the top of its head.
"Hss!" The Targaryen had now transformed slightly. Traces of dark red fog shrouded its body, causing its scales to begin turning dark red.
A strange vertical eye appeared between the two snake eyes, splitting open.
"Ahh… Devouring power, erupt!" With Leylin's control, the power of devouring and dreamforce worked together flawlessly. The Nightmare Absorbing Body took in the vast jumble of emotional force, and Devour transformed it into the purest energy.
After who knew how long, the A.I. Chip's robotic voice sounded, like the sweetest melody he had ever heard. [Beep! Energy reserves at 100%, sending to main body…]
A warm surge spread throughout his body, extending to his very soul. The sound of a crystal shattering sounded, and Leylin sensed his soul go through another evolution. His very essence was baptised.
-x-X-x-
[Beep! Spirit+1.] The A.I. Chip sent another prompt as many stats began to change.
[Beep! Host's arcanist ranking has advanced. Host is now a rank 20 arcanist! Arcane Energy +10.]
[Beep! Host has advanced to rank 20. Spell slots obtained: Rank 9(1), Rank 8(1), Rank 7(1).]
[Beep! Host's stats have changed.]
[Leylin Faulen, Age: 24. Race: Human, Rank 20 Arcanist. Strength: 15. Agility: 15. Vitality: 15. Spirit: 20. Arcane Value: 200. Status: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Intermediate Perfect Body, Dreamscape View. Specialties: Arcane Detection, Arcane Amplification, Illusions]
[Progress of Weave Analysis: Level 0 100%, Level 1 100%, Level 2 100%, Level 3 100%, Level 4 100%, Level 5 100%, Level 6 100%, Level 7 81.23%, Level 8 38.86%, Level 9 11.29%.]
[Spell slots: Rank 9(2), Rank 8(4), Rank 7(6), Rank 6(???), Rank 5(???), Rank 4(???), Rank 3(???), Rank 2(???), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)]
'I'm finally rank 20. All that's left is becoming legendary.' Leylin shut his eyes. He felt an enormous wall blocking him at this moment, the boundary of the legendary realm.
As a non-religious Professional, he would enter the legendary realm at rank 21. This was the greatest power in the central continent, giving one the ability to determine the state of any region and absorb divinity itself.
'I still have one rank left to become a legendary… If I wasn't worried about the contamination from the power of emotions, I could use the law of devouring to absorb most of the energy. Perhaps it would've been possible to become a legendary directly…'
Although he thought this, Leylin did not have the slightest regret. The foundation was the most important thing. A lot of emphasis was placed on one's foundation in the legendary realm, and Leylin did not want to advance without caution. It could lead to detours in his future path.
[Beep! Nightmare Absorption abilities have been activated! Host has obtained a bloodline ability— Dream Eater!] The A.I. Chip sent yet another prompt.
"Is this the bloodline magic ability by any chance? With Nightmare Absorption's power, the power of this magic technique should be incredibly terrifying, shouldn't it?" Leylin muttered to himself irresolutely. He could be said to be an expert in exploring bloodline magic and putting it to use.
Once the abilities of a Warlock were combined with the power of this ancient bloodline, the results would be sure to surprise him.
"Bloodline ability— Dream Eater!" Leylin looked at the A.I. Chip's window on the skill, and discovered nothing besides the name.
'Even the A.I. Chip has no records of it in the database. Seems like it's an entirely new magic ability. I can only rely on myself to explore it and perfect it…'
...
Soros the Cadaver Collector was an expert wanted by the church of justice. His extensive criminal record was difficult to chronicle; he'd even massacred an entire town before. However, the man himself was someone who'd always been shrouded in a dark robe.
Nobody knew that under this cloak, the church of murder's legendary 'honorary executioner' was a boy with a warm and sunny aura.
"Many thanks, Uncle Newman!" Soros slid down from an ox cart piled high with foraged grass, thanking the old man in front of him.
"Ah, it's nothing much. No one would reject a polite and obedient child like you a ride. Is this your destination, young fellow?" The driver of the cart was a wizened old man. His arms were lean muscle, beaten by the weather. His face was wreathed in a carefree smile, revealing his sparse teeth. He had a scattered beard that looked like iron wool.
"Mm! I want to go to Port Venus, I heard it is the most prosperous port in the outer seas," The tall youth's expression was a little bashful, but his eyes were filled with determination, "I want to earn money there, and then I can… Oh! This is my gift for letting me take your cart."
Looking at the pretty little shell in the youth's hand, the old man's smile bloomed even more happily, "Haha! Well work hard, youngster. I wish you the best!"
'The spiritual influence of despair held within that shell, I wonder how long it'll take to kill him off?' After leaving the cart, Soros lowered his head. His eyes held a trace of darkness as he laughed demonically.
If that old man saw how he looked now, he definitely wouldn't have let Soros hitchhike on his cart.
"I still need to keep this identity a secret… Such a pity," Soros licked his lips. When he lifted his head again, his expression had already changed into that docile and harmless smile he had shown before. His youthful appearance easily gave others a favourable impression.
"Big Sis, could you please give me…" Soros chose a random inn to stay in. His words caused the middle-aged woman who was the proprietor of the inn to light up brightly. The village woman gave him a room for half the price.
Soros' face only darkened after he entered the room and made sure he was alone. "Damn it, that disgusting hog had actually dared to provoke me… If not for this mission… Oh right!"
The tall boy clasped his hands, "After this mission ends, I'll give this town a bloodbath. It seems that our revered god likes sacrificial rites like this anyway… Hehe…"
As a legendary, and a criminal wanted by many of the good churches, Soros knew how much his identity weighed on their minds. Powerful beings definitely had their own set of perverse fetishes, and Soros' was to put on an innocent image and wait for the very last moment to reveal his true self. He would watch as his target broke down.
He felt more twisted joy from this sorrow than any divine grace could give him. Of course, Soros himself would not explicitly admit this point.
...
Soros moved towards Port Venus the next day, having gotten ample rest. He headed for Leylin's wizard tower.
'This defense system is well thought out. The detection spell formations are activated constantly… Something like this is pretty good for a place like the outer seas.'
A look of pity flashed across Soros' face. 'Leylin is extremely wary, he'd see through any disguise straight away. Well, it isn't a big deal. I have many other skills, and this will be a good time to test them out.'
Sudden Strike! Soros' body floated up into the sky, and an illusory gold claw struck the wizard tower. Red alarms flashed immediately.
"Warning! Detected energy waves with legendary power. Tower has taken 35.99% damage!"
"Found it! So it was here all along?" Soros' pupils contracted as he merged into the shadows.
He followed the energy pathways of the tower, and arrived at a laboratory before he emerged once more. This place was likely where the core of the tower resided, and he looked at the frightened noble wizard in front of him.
"Le… Legendary! You are waging a holy war…" The young wizard seemed to be frighted silly, and his teeth clacked when he spoke.
"Only a legendary-ranked wizard tower could hold me back!" Soros' face was full of mockery, the same way a golden lion would look at a rabbit. As if in accompaniment to Soros' voice, the tower genie gave off a high pitched tone, "Intruder alert! Current location: Core Laboratory. Deploying magic gargoyles… bzzt!"
Soros made a slicing motion with his finger, cutting the image of the tower genie into pieces.
"You don't have to take out these toy gargoyles…"
*Bang!* He immediately turned into countless black figures, and the gargoyles that surged from the defense mechanism were all destroyed, with no life left in them.
"Tower core 87.99% destroyed, operations ceased!" At this point, the tower genie could not even muster a hologram of itself. Only its voice rang out, as if coming from an old gramophone.
"How… how is this possible?" The young wizard's legs buckled as he sat on the floor, staring listlessly at the ceiling, "But I'd spent…"
"This place is just like a backyard for someone in the legendary realm."
Soros enjoyed the process of toying with his prey. The young wizard cried out, his eyes bloodshot as if he was a gambler who had lost everything. "No! I still have…"
*Roar!* The young wizard's robes tore apart into pieces, releasing a mighty draconic aura. He'd become half-dragon, and his skin was topped by scales. He spewed flames from his mouth, destroying all the glass apparatus in the laboratory.
"A half-dragon? The bloodline of a dragon species? This is your trump card?" Soros' brows furrowed, before he released his own aura. The air in the vicinity was blasted away, giving rise to a vacuum. "What a pity, everything you do is in vain. The only thing left for you is death…"
...
"Rumble!" The mighty tower collapsed, sending smoke and dust billowed high up into the sky. Soros walked out of the rubble, carrying a freshly severed head that still had blood trickling down it.
The draconic scales faded, revealing the pale visage of the late wizard. His eyes no longer had any trace of life, glazed like that of a dead fish.
-x-X-x-
"Something seems off…" Soros raised his right hand as he stared into the aggrieved eyes of the incapacitated young wizard. Still, his sense of touch and various detection techniques confirmed that he was already dead.
However, even Soros had to admit that this wizard was extremely talented. He'd become a near-legendary at such a young age, possessing a powerful dragon bloodline. His battle might was already greater than that of some rank 20s.
"You were a genius… It's a pity, mortals should never provoke god…" Soros seemed to lament in pity as he gently closed the eyes of the wizard.
At this moment, multiple figures from Port Venus had already discovered that something was amiss. They ran over, while some high-ranking priests chose to fly there directly.
"The Goddess of Wealth's church huh…" Soros shook his head in disdain, but did not choose to engage. He disappeared without a trace.
...
Within the God of Murder's church, the bishop looked at Soros with a pleased smile, "Well done, my child. Now, let us offer this sinner's head to our revered god…"
*Buzz!* Cyric's statue let out a loud rumble once it received the sacrifice, golden divine force rippling out into the air. The sculpture soon seemed to come to life, taking the shape of a man with a wicked face.
"Worshipper Soros, you've done well. You shall get the rewards you deserve!" The voice of his god's incarnation was extremely deep and magnetic. Soros felt an immense amount of divine force descend on his head as it sounded.
"This...This is divine grace! And of the highest grade!" The bishop cried out hoarsely from the side. Seeing the traces of dark gold light falling on Soros' head, he couldn't maintain a neutral expression any more. The ancient scripture detailing the sacrificial rite fell to the ground.
"And divinity too?"
"Are you questioning our revered Lord's decision?" Accepting copious amounts of divine force and divinity, Soros now looked like a golden statue. Lightning occasionally streaked within his eyes. The benefits he had observed this time was extremely huge. The God of Murder had actually raised him by a rank and even granted him divinity!
"No, I wouldn't dare. Our god has chosen you, and you shall be his emissary on the continent!" A trace of fear arose in the bishop's eyes, but his reply was still clear and distinct.
The foremost authority in any church was the god themselves. Directly under them would be the Bishop or Chosen, and from one standpoint Soros' status was now equal to that of the the bishop. The difference between the two was merely the amount of divine grace they had!
"Haha…" Being able to look at his former superior squarely in the face, Soros laughed in a carefree manner, forgetting the uneasiness that he had felt despite finishing the mission.
He disappeared into the void without a trace, and a single vertical eye appeared.
...
30 years later, Soros slammed an old wizard into the ground as he laughed, "Haha, Madrid, you have never believed that you would land in my hands one day huh!"
"No...This is not possible. Why are you this strong? Your progression is too fast!" Madrid's body was littered with injuries, and his voice was barely audible.
"This is all the grace of the god!" Soros grabbed the collar of this wizard, "Back then you were stronger than me in every way, and even managed to become a legendary and steal Vanessa's heart. But now, you're as weak as a dog…"
"Kill me… Kill me…" The helpless wizard mumbled.
"I won't you off this easily! You'll be repaid the suffering and anguish I felt all these years…" Soros carried the wizard away. The vertical eye appeared once more, forming a crack in the void to reveal crimson light…
...
200 year later, in the church of the God of Murder.
"Cough cough…" The lord bishop looked at the dagger lodged in his chest, and the high ranking officials across him. He turned his head around in disbelief, and saw the sinister look on Soros' face.
"You...you actually…"
"Old fool, the cardinals and the honour guard have chosen to abandon and betray you. You're past your time now!" Soros' smile was even more malevolent than before.
"Our god… Will never forgive…" The bishop clenched these last words out of his teeth before his body combusted.
An immense conscient descended to the planet, "Soros!"
"My Lord, you are the emissary of death, the supreme amongst the stars…" Soros knelt onto the ground.
"You have successfully conspired to kill the previous bishop. Well done! I hereby appoint you the next bishop of my church!"
"I will dedicate my life to walking the path you've chosen. I shall throw the entire continent into chaos and conduct many massacres…" Soros affirmed, his eyes turning slightly bloodshot.
The vertical eye behind him was now more than half open, yet nobody could discover its presence.
...
Time trickled by, and the church of murder grew under Soros' charge, spreading across the World of Gods. Soros himself had managed to ascent to godhood, becoming a lesser god under Cyric.
Several thousand years later, he grew increasingly dissatisfied with Cyric. He waged a holy war, managing to defeat and absorb his former master, becoming the Greater God of Murder, Massacre, and Death.
Soros continued these wars after, building a system of faith where he was the one and only deity. Finally, he usurped the Overgod's throne. He now sat on the highest pedestal of the World of Gods' divine hall, his gaze passing across the rivers of time and into eternity.
At this moment, the vertical eye behind him fully opened its eyes!
"Hmm? Who is it?" Soros felt an immediate threat to his life. It was a warning that came from the depths of his soul, a feeling that this attacker could consign him to eternal damnation.
"Why is there someone else in the highest of realms, is there something that can transcend the entire world?"The throne split into half as Soros turned around with a look of disbelief.
At this moment, the giant vertical eye was omnipotent, its gaze crystal clear, as if nothing in the world could escape its eyes. A trace of crimson mist appeared, gnawing at the corners of the World of Gods.
Soros felt his hair stand on end once he saw this vertical eye. It was like this eye had been observing his every moment in life.
"What are you? A devil?" This feeling of being pried on caused immense fury to arise in this sovereign.
"Hah!" Divine force gathered in Soros' hands, turning into a purple lightning that could split the world in half. This lightning formed a spear that landed in his grasp.
The spear was thrown, and it tore the void apart as it moved, carrying the various blessings of the gods.
*Boom!* An attack which could annihilate gods struck the vertical eye, yet not a single sound was produced. It was as if a speck of dust had come into contact with a rock, dissipating just like that.
"How...is this possible? I am the sovereign! The world origin force is at my fingertips!" Soros staggered backwards, the fear in his heart growing stronger.
"I've seen the creation and annihilation of the world, the rise and fall of many tribes. Only the foolishness of mortals is eternal in the rivers of time!" The information struck Soros at the deepest part of his soul, and he understood the underlying meaning within.
"A mortal? How can I be a mortal…" Soros let out a hollow laughter, before his face contorted. He discovered that he had turned a mortal, mere flesh and blood. This feeling of falling from heaven caused him to suffer a mental breakdown.
However, the vertical eye did not give him any chances for a mental recovery. It opened up and gazed at Soros.
*Rumble!* The whole world was devoured by the red vertical pupil, and Soros was but a struggling speck of dust, screaming in anguish before finally disappearing into the pupil of the eye.
...
In the room of an inn, Soros' sleeping head was sharply twisted to one side. He was dead.
Leylin rubbed his temples outside the inn, seemingly exhausted. "The power of this Dream Eater spell is really terrifying. To construct a complex world, even if it's fake, is just too difficult for me right now…
"But it was all worth it…" Leylin's face could not help but change at the pleasure of devouring Soros' entire dream. This ability to devour dreams also allowed him to absorb the target's memories, experiences, and even more. It caused him to feel full from the essence of his very soul, and Leylin knew that he had fulfilled all conditions to become legendary. He only needed to digest what he'd absorbed.
"If not for using Dreamscape Vision and entering Soros' dream, I might not have had it this easy… It seems that the best way to use this Dream Eater skill is to first lure the enemy into a dream and combine with a spell. Distrait Dream could do it…"
Having acquired what he wanted, Leylin disappeared from the inn without a trace. The outer seas basically belonged to the Faulens right now, and although it wasn't easy to conquer the entire territory, the pirate forces would pave the way for them to expand their territory.
Leylin had sorted the information to identify suspicious activity and targets. He would personally confirm it all with his eyes.
Soros had just been unlucky this time, like a beautiful butterfly having flown into an intricate spider web. Caught by Leylin's Dreamscape Vision, all attempts to conceal himself were to no avail.
-x-X-x-
The tranquility of dawn was broken by an ear-piercing scream. With two buckets by her side, the innkeeper looked at a lifeless youth on the bed. This boy, who'd made her heart flutter yesterday, had now lost all traces of life.
"No external injuries nor any traces of spells. His identity certificate is forged…" The public security officer felt a headache coming on as he hurried over to inspect the scene. His many years of experience had told him that this case was going to be very troublesome.
"Can it be some acute illness?" The public security officer spoke in an imposing manner to mask the nervousness that he felt.
"Find a priest to come and pray over him, then send the corpse to the burial mound…" Seeing this officer unwilling to let things get out of hand, the plump lady didn't hesitate to agree.
They downplayed this death through various procedures, and finally invited someone to bless the burial. However, this person wasn't an official priest. It was an acolyte handling the menial tasks of a church.
The acolyte did not even have the cultivation to cast a rank 1 holy spell, let alone find out what was wrong with Soros' corpse. After a quick blessing, he let the the men in charge of burying the corpse carry it away.
The one in charge of burying the legendary-ranked Soros' corpse was a filthy, skinny, middle-aged white man who reeked of alcohol. His blackened teeth carried a putrid odour, and he thoroughly searched through the corpse once he was outside the city. He was looking for little valuables that the corrupt official hadn't discovered.
"Hehehe… What a fair skinned boy. A pity that the officer already squirreled away his purse and other things…" Soros' corpse had been stripped even of its shoes. Every inch of his body that could have contained gold was looked at by this man.
Soros was a legendary however, and his priceless bag of holding, spatial ring, magic artifacts, and other items had been taken away by Leylin. The officer had grabbed the gold that was left, leaving nothing for this man to take.
However, just the set of clothes and shoes alone was enough to satisfy him.
"Hehe… This kiddo is rather rich. All these clothes are worth at least 30 bronze pieces. I can visit Mary once or go to the pub and drink all night…" The man looked at the stark naked corpse, nodding his head in satisfaction.
"Since you've given me this much, I'll dig your grave bigger than the rest."
"This is the outcome of a legendary like Soros, huh? What a sorrowful scene!" A sinister voice mocked throughout the surroundings, scaring the man away. "Who, who is there?"
*Zip!* An icy blade flashed, and the man dropped to the floor with blood gushing from his body.
"A legendary who was among the top ten experts of the church couldn't even escape death…" The void warped as a the figure of a high-ranked thief appeared. He masterfully picked up Soros' corpse, and the expression on his face grew darker.
"No… this isn't right! How can his body only be as resilient as a regular human's? He was a legendary!" The high-ranked thief cried out, "If not for the top secret information I received from our bishop, I would have treated him as a regular human as well!"
"What's more… The most important thing is that the soul has disappeared completely… Such ruthless measures…" The pupils of the thief narrowed, and he felt that a terrifying presence was in the vicinity. He did not dare tarry longer, and immediately vanished with Soros' corpse.
He was only a high-ranked thief in the church, nowhere close to being legendary. If even Soros had died here, wiping him off the face of the earth wouldn't be a major issue either. The thief knew this clearly, and there was no way he would stay another moment.
...
Church of Cyric, within the gloomy valley.
The bishop had received this news as well.
"I have already contacted our god. It seems like Soros' soul did not enter his divine kingdom, instead vanishing mysteriously."
"Was it some sort of confinement spell?" A high ranked thief chimed in from the side.
"No, not confinement. It's completely missing! Even… Even our god's imprint had completely vanished…" The bishop grew extremely solemn. Legendaries were the foundation of a church, yet one of theirs had died just like that. It was an enormous blow even to an organisation like theirs.
Furthermore, the ability to wipe out a legendary without a trace left the others extremely uneasy. The bishop closed his eyes and pondered before speaking in an icy tone, "Find out everything for me! Everything!"
"Yes!" The thief bowed respectfully and left to pass on the orders.
Although there was no evidence, he was very clear in his heart that all of this was linked to Soros' primary target, the noble wizard of Faulen Island.
'An expert who managed to kill a legendary! Having me investigate this monster… Aren't you asking me to go and die?' The high-ranked thief lamented to himself, 'Luckily this is just an investigation mission. It looks like even the Lord Bishop himself won't carelessly go against this person…'
"Faulen Island's Leylin?" The high-ranked thief had a premonition that this wizard was the man of the moment in the World of Gods. No! Having showcased this power, this wizard was now a powerful player who could shake the entire continent!
...
Leylin did not pay the slightest attention to these conjectures and the dark clouds looming in his future. After he quietly murdered Soros, he peacefully returned to the wizard tower without alerting a single person.
What was truly terrifying was the unknown. If he revealed his ability to kill legendaries, it could lead to excessive fear of him. He needed to slowly digest the power he had devoured.
"The Dream Eater ability is truly the most terrifying bloodline power. The bloodline abilities it gives are also extremely demonic and powerful…" Leylin sighed.
He was a rank 20 wizard, while Soros was a legendary expert. Using an analogy in the Magus World, it was like a Crystal Phase Magus squaring off against a Morning Star. The gap between the two was as wide as that between heaven and earth.
And still, the Dream Eater ability acquired through his bloodline had allowed Leylin to kill Soros easily. Nothing as insane as this had ever happened even in the ancient times.
The barrier between ranks 3 and 4 was one of a qualitative change from spiritual force to soul force. Even an army of rank 3s would be slaughtered by a Morning Star, yet Leylin had managed to win across this gap!
"A.I. Chip!" Leylin commanded. The A.I. Chip had already collated all the previously collected data, and it displayed the information on this bloodline ability.
[Nightmare Absorption bloodline ability: Dream Eater: Allows host to infiltrate the target's dream world, constructing an illusion and causing their truesoul to degenerate. The host can then devour the target's dream world and absorb everything. Warning: If the target's soul force is too powerful, or they see through the dream world, it may injure the host in an unpredictable manner! As the host's bloodline concentration is limited, it can only be used once every 10 days.]
"So it's a battle between souls using an illusory technique. However, with my main body's experiences perhaps nobody except a god coming in person can best me in that regard…" Leylin had a premonition that this bloodline ability would be his most important hidden killer move.
"Besides, using Dream Eater to devour energy seems to be even more effective than before. I can gain everything that belonged to my opponent, and even walk down their path to power once for myself. The benefits from that will be immeasurable…" Leylin felt that he seemed to have found the reason why that Nightmare King was incomparably powerful.
The legendary body of Soros the Cadaver Collector comprised of all his experiences as an honorary executioner. Leylin had effortlessly obtained all of this, and all that had been left was a decaying corpse.
After devouring the soul of a legendary and obtaining all his experiences, Leylin had reached the threshold of the legendary realm.
"Ascending to become a legendary! Refining my power is the first step, and the next is to cultivate my spiritual conscient and construct an inner circulatory system… I have already fulfilled all of these criteria." Leylin's eyes flashed brightly. His aura began to dampen as he entered deep meditation.
Just at this moment, a visitor had arrived at Faulen Island.
"Lord Jeffries!" Xena, the Gold Priest of Waukeen's church, bowed deeply with respect at a middle-aged man.
"My lord has travelled a long way. I have already prepared accommodations and everything else, I entreat my lord to…" Xena's voice was humble as she spoke. This person was Jeffries, the Spear Crusader! He was a legendary expert of the church of wealth, and his status and reputation was far above that of a Gold Priest like her.
"There is no need of that for now. I didn't come here to seek pleasure. You had better hurry and take me to see that wizard. It's difficult to protect a person being targeted by the Cadaver Collector…" Jeffries the Spear Crusader had a head of long silver hair, an aquiline nose, and thick lips. He gave off a resilient and ascetic aura, and his eagle-like eyes revealed the endless turmoil within him.
Although he did not intentionally release his aura, the elemental energy particles in the surroundings continuously swirled around him. This was a legendary, the goal of all Professionals in the prime material plane!
-x-X-x-
"Understood. I'll have it done immediately!" Xena lowered her head to show respect, while she sighed on the inside. 'They've even sent this lord over. Looks like the church thinks very highly of Baron Leylin…'
She could tell the favour the church had for this baron. After all, he'd created two great sources of revenue and improved their methods of detecting demons and devils. She hadn't had much hope with her proposal, but the fact that they'd immediately sent over the legendary Spear Crusader showed his value!
'It's not just his talent, but also the possibility of him becoming a legendary.' Only a future legendary was worthy of the church's investment. Thinking of this, Xena couldn't help but envy Leylin.
"I heard that he's created many magic items to detect devils, and even our church can't make sense of them. That wizard has left us all pleasant surprised…" While he was annoyed at being dispatched so urgently to deal with an ordinary human, Jeffries was rather curious about this young wizard.
"He's really a rather interesting person…" Xena could only continue speaking as Jeffries asked questions, but she soon discovered a strange expression on his face.
"What's wrong, my lord?"
"These undulations? Perhaps…" Jeffries stared at the hill outside Port Venus, focusing on the wizard tower that stood tall and grim.
"Where is this Leylin right now?" he suddenly asked.
"He's inside the tower. I heard he's been conducting some important research. This child really doesn't know his priorities…" Xena spoke without thinking.
After which, she was stunned to find that Jeffries was hurrying towards the tower, "Wa- Wait! My lord, are you planning to meet the wizard right now? At the very least, you should…"
Jeffries seemed to have no plans of listening to her. He only proceeded forward, looking to be in disbelief.
"His expression… Did something happen at the wizard tower?" Xena seemed confused, and she glanced at the tower in the distance.
...
At this very moment, Leylin was indeed experiencing a transformation within the wizard tower.
Normal Professionals on the continent entered the legendary realm at rank 21. This involved a refining of strength, and it was as difficult as it was for rank 3 Magi to advance to Morning Star. It was a sort of qualitative change, an upgrade to the very soul.
Having experienced this once before, and with Soros' own experiences of advancing this stage wouldn't pose any difficulty to him. The A.I. Chip was working furiously, and large amounts of data flashed by Leylin's eyes to form a few prompts.
[Beep! Arcane spell network construct completed. Host's internal cyclic foundation constructed.]
[Beep! Host's spiritual force has reached the limit, breaking through and solidifying. Host is advancing to the legendary realm!]
At this moment, Leylin felt his soul and the Weave growing chaotic. It felt as if his soul was being attacked by the Weave.
'If I was an ordinary wizard, it would be exceedingly difficult for me to advance under such circumstances. Thankfully, I have long since become an arcanist, so my relationship with the Weave isn't as close as it was before…' Leylin manipulated his spiritual force with his powerful will, allowing everything to progress steadily.
Finally, under immense pressure from the outside world, the misty spiritual force in his sea of consciousness abruptly gathered at the centre, forming a rainbow-coloured crystal. It felt as if some invisible bottleneck had exploded, and Leylin's entire soul seemed to be soaked in a hot spring. It left him feeling very comfortable.
[Beep! Host's spiritual force has experienced a qualitative change. Spirit +1.] The A.I. Chip prompted.
[Host has advanced to rank 21 and has become a legendary.] A huge shock seemed to impact Leylin's very soul, to the point that he grew slightly absent-minded.
[Beep! Host has become a legendary arcanist, and has broken through the outer Weave. Contact with the inner Weave initiated.]
Leylin's spiritual force broke through some restraints at that moment, moving past the surface levels of the Weave into a deeper domain.
"Is this… the inner Weave?" From his broad perspective, Leylin could see that the Weave was a network that surrounded the World of Gods. It had layers like an electrical network, and he'd gotten access to a golden network within.
This was a channel for divine spells, numerous instances of which descended from their respective divine kingdoms like stars. They were sent down in exchange for faith.
'With control over the inner Weave, the gods treat it as a channel for divine spells?' Leylin immediately thought back to the arcanist records, 'Some arcanists who break through the restrictions of the Weave attempted to steal divine spell slots from priests. This remote power system, the profaning of priests. While this caused discontent and a death sentence from the gods and churches, arcanists were poorly regarded to begin with. One more issue meant nothing…'
The benefits of breaking past the outer Weave weren't limited to being able to observe and channel divine spells. Leylin could now cast legendary spells.
Leylin was already as strong as the legendary arcanists of the Netheril Empire. Once he grew familiar with and recorded down the legendary arcane spells he had, even gods' avatars wouldn't be able to frighten him.
The A.I. Chip continued to flash its prompts..
[Beep! Advancing to the legendary realm has strengthened feats. Sturdy has become Legendary Sturdiness. Erudite has become Scholarly.]
[Beep! Host has obtained legendary specialty: Origin Force Detection, replacing Arcane Energy Detection.]
More information about the feats and specialty was shown below.
[Legendary Sturdiness: Rigorous tempering and advancement has rendered your body comparable to that of a legendary beast. Regeneration has been strengthened.]
[Scholarly: Having accumulated a tremendous amount of knowledge, including many secret inheritances, you have explored many of the secrets of the World of Gods. Appraisal has reached the maximum level, allowing you to appraise any material from the World of Gods.]
[Origin Force Detection: Legendary arcanists were not satisfied with casting spells using elemental energy. They set their sights on the deeper secrets of the world, discovering the existence of the world origin force. They named it origin energy and tried to control it, engendering the ire of the gods with their deep research.]
"Origin Force Detection? Making use of the origin force? This is something only beings who have comprehended laws can do…" Leylin sensed the majestic origin force sea of the World of Gods, feeling slightly disconcerted.
The Magus World only gave him an opportunity to absorb origin force once every century as a near rank 7. And this was after he made a compromise with other beings of laws. It was evident how precious world origin force was. No wonder the gods eliminated the arcanists, they were trying to steal their 'meat'.
"Even if I can use it, I definitely can't make it obvious, or the gods won't let me off…" A legendary wizard with research into arcane spells wasn't much. However, one who could make use of the world origin force would definitely force the gods to act and crush him.
Leylin felt that there was an increasing number of secrets he possessed. Revealing any one of them would leave him consigned to eternal damnation.
"In any case, I already have a lot to worry about. What's one more? Let it be!" Leylin easily come to terms with this.
[Beep! Host's stats have been refreshed. Stat box refreshing.]
The A.I. Chip projected a 3D image of Leylin, the numbers having gone through some changes.
[Leylin Faulen. Race: Human, Legendary Rank 21 Arcanist. Strength: 15. Agility: 15. Vitality: 15. Spirit: 21. Arcane Energy: 210 Status: Healthy. Feats: Legendary Sturdiness, Scholarly, Intermediate Perfect Body, Dreamscape Vision. Specialties: Origin Force Detection, Arcane Amplification, Illusions.]
[Analysis of Weave: Level 0 100%, Level 1 100%, Level 2 100%, Level 3 100%, Level 4 100%, Level 5 100%, Level 6 100%, Level 7 97.83%, Level 8 66.56%, Level 9 34.55%.]
[Spell slots possessed: Rank 9 (3), Rank 8 (5), rank 7 (7), rank 6 (???), rank 5(???), rank 4 (???), rank 3 (???), rank 2 (???), rank 1 (???), rank 0 (???)]
"Hah… It's been over twenty years since my soul split and entered the World of Gods. Am I finally at the peak of the mortal world?" Sensing the boundless strength within his body, Leylin sighed in relief.
He had finally reached the domain of a legendary! This was not just the peak strength that a mortal could achieve, but the beginning of an exemplary road!
In order to digest divinity, ignite godfire, and become a god, being a legendary was a definite prerequisite.
In addition, after becoming a legendary, the chance of dying was small as long as he was not too reckless, since the gods could not send their main bodies down.
Now that his safety was covered, Leylin focused on something else.
"Now, I need to obtain as much divinity as possible and digest it, and then ignite my godfire before becoming a god. I'll then get my main body to descend… Yes! Only about a year is left till the floating city appears. I could try to obtain it…"
Leylin's movements were never hindered by anything. What he pursued was only truth and eternity! Everything else was like passing clouds to him.
-x-X-x-
"I already contacted him via magic. He should come out immediately…" Xena stood behind Jeffries, looking puzzled, "With my lord's status, is there a need to stand on ceremony?"
However, Jeffries had no intentions of explaining himself. On the contrary, he stood even taller, like a pike that could pierce through the heavens, eyes fixed on the main entrance of the wizard tower.
"He's here!" Jeffries exclaimed softly.
*Rumble!* The main entrance opened to reveal Leylin, looking apologetic in his golden-purple wizard robes, "I never thought Lord Jeffries would come himself…"
'Hmm? Why does it feel like Leylin has changed…' Xena sized up the young wizard in front of her, bewildered. While he looked just as young and handsome as before, she had a feeling that he had undergone a huge transformation.
'It's his aura! He's giving me the feeling of being on equal terms with Lord Jeffries… How is that possible, when Jeffries is a legendary? Oh!' Xena seemed to think of something, and then vigorously shook her head, as if trying to shake the thought out of her mind. 'What am I thinking? How is this possible?'
"Indeed, my Lord. You have entered the realm of legendary." The moment Jeffries said this, the entire group broke out in a ruckus.
'So… So he's really entered the legendary realm. How long has it been since we last met?' Xena covered her little mouth, looking stunned. She wasn't the only one to forget herself in the moment, the others began to create a disturbance as well.
This was a legendary wizard! The Faulen Family would now shake the outer seas!
Legendaries held peak strength in the World of Gods. They could influence the change of rulership, and were even more important to a kingdom than the king. A kingdom without protection from a legendary could not last long.
"Although I did sense the energy from your breakthrough, I never thought it would be you. Your age, it's…" Jeffries smiled wryly, "... Actually, even us old folks find it hard to believe…"
"Age!" It was only at this moment that Xena and the others reacted, "Right, Lord Leylin is not even 25 yet! Gods! A 25 year-old legendary, and a wizard at that! It's the hardest profession to advance in!"
There was too much shocking news, and the entire area turned mute, as if everyone had been shocked stupid by Leylin's miracle.
"Heavens... Gods… this…" Xena now had no idea how to describe Leylin's aptitude, 'I'm very sure that he must be some miracle in the wizarding world! He'll definitely be written down in the records for eternity, and his achievements will be narrated to our later generations…'
"I was just lucky!" Leylin had a good-natured smile on his face. Whatever it was, since the Goddess of Wealth dispatched a legendary to protect him, he definitely had sensed their goodwill.
"Come, let's go in and discuss this further!" Leylin seemed to only have Jeffries in his sights.
"Let's go!" Jeffries appeared amiable to someone of similar rank, and Xena and the rest only found this natural. A legendary would only take another of the same level seriously. Similar strength was the prerequisite to associating with one another, this was the law everywhere!
...
The God of Murder's church.
An old bishop was reading the information in his hand as he muttered to himself, "Legendary might and also a secret trump card that can kill other legendaries… seems like the rise of the Faulen Family in the outer seas can no longer be stopped…
"Make it known that our men have to be very cautious while investigating! Try not to be discovered by him!"
"Understood, Lord Bishop!" A black-robed priest quickly bowed and left, knowing that they would give up their plans of revenge for now.
There weren't all that many legendaries even in Cyric's church. The fall of Soros had already dealt them a huge blow, and before knowing what Leylin had up his sleeve it was not a good idea to take such a risk.
The God of Murder never cared about honour anyway, and he was the best at conspiracies. With enough time, they could definitely bribe someone and break in, finding out all the secrets of this young legendary wizard!
...
Within the Dambrath Kingdom. The aging king had abandoned his afternoon entertainment for a report from a trusted aide.
Hearing what was said, the king went silent for a long while before speaking in a low voice, "So that wizard has already become a legendary?"
"Yes, your majesty! Lord Jeffries of the church of wealth has proof of it." The person speaking was the king's trusted aide, as well as the leader of the court wizards.
There was a tartness in this silver-eyed wizard's smile. He was only a high-ranked wizard himself, and Leylin advancing at such a young age was a huge blow for him.
"You're a wizard yourself. You should know this best, speak without reservations and I'll trust in you." The king rubbed his temples in distress, and then waved his arms.
"Understood, Your Majesty!" The high-ranked wizard thought for a while, and then spoke, "Legendary strength is the peak in the secular world. It can even…"
"I know, I know. Get to the point," The king answered in annoyance.
"Alright!" The high-ranked wizard took a deep breath.
"Our first priority should be to avoid angering him. Thankfully, our information shows that he has good intentions towards us. He is a court wizard himself, and that status is something Your Majesty granted him… I believe we can also do what Marquis Gold Thornblossom proposed… Actually, a legendary wizard in our kingdom will surely be helpful in our diplomacy…"
"Granting a title?" The king took a deep breath and made his decision, "Then let's do that. Take care of it for me!"
...
In a city near the north, the God of Justice's church. A slender knight was piously praying to a god's statue.
Divine force that was bright and full of righteousness rippled about her body, causing the young female knight's face to glow.
At this moment, a benevolent old priest walked over, "Rafiniya, the church has a mission for you to complete!"
"Grandma Maria!" Rafiniya immediately helped this priest who was so old she would pant with a few steps, "I am also a member of this church. On top of that, you saved my life. If there's anything I can do, please tell me!"
"Good…" Maria gave a summary of what had happened at Faulen Island, and then said, "The church wants you to be the envoy. After all, you are friends with him…"
"Leylin? I'll need to think about it…" Rafiniya bit at her lips.
After the priest left, the image of the young wizard appeared before Rafiniya's eyes, and all that she had experienced with him appeared vividly in her mind. Sulking after her attempt to get Leylin to help Silverymoon had failed, she'd headed to the battlefield on her own, arriving at the broken city.
Gravely injured in the war, she was saved by the paladins of the God of Justice and accepted their call. She grew faith in the God of Justice, and joined Tyr's church. Perhaps from the attraction from her very nature, she improved very quickly and was now already a formal paladin!
With her training going well, she'd assumed her past was no longer important. Yet, such a thing was happening now.
"You… You've already become a legendary?" Rafiniya muttered to herself, and then recalled the hot-blooded knights that had backed her up at Silverymoon. Their bones had all turned into ash.
"Those that chose to help are mostly dead, while you who chose rationale became a legendary. Are you trying to mock me?" Rafiniya suddenly began to chuckle, the glimmering rays on her body now more distorted than ever.
"God! Please forgive me for my lack of resolution before. I promise to stand by justice, and even death will not make me feel fear!" Rafiniya immediately knelt by the statue and began to pray, looking decisive and cold.
'Even if you've become a legendary, I won't give up on my dreams and my path. At the end, I'll definitely prove to you that your decision was wrong! The only things in the world worthy of protection are love and justice!'
...
As news of Leylin's advancement spread, an increasing number of envoys from various organisations arrived at Faulen Island, causing Port Venus to be even more prosperous.
Along with the envoys came large merchant groups, and all the merchants in the surrounding seas now chose to trade here. After all, the protection of a legendary was a considerable boon in the World of Gods.
Ordinary merchants only needed a fair and safe trading environment. This was only possible with enough strength! What was more persuasive to them than a legendary?
-x-X-x-
The vacant manor on Faulen Island was opened up once to welcome the honoured guests from the continent.
Baron Jonas had sent all the manpower he had, but he was still a little undermanned for the guests that were still pouring in. What's more, guests from the western desert and the northern lands were still on their way to the island. These organisations had to travel far and wide to reach them. Even if they had received the news by magic, the emissaries would reach Faulen Island later than the other guests.
Very soon, the guests had no choice but to seek lodging in the inns of Port Venus, which was a huge opportunity for the merchants here. The prices for various items had increased manifold.
As Baron Jonas scurried around to tend to the guests, he was also suspended in a state of disbelief. Fortunately, butler Leon was around to tend to things, so order could still be maintained.
'My son has already become a legendary?' Baron Jonas and his wife felt as if they were on an emotional rollercoaster. While they weren't at the peak of nobility, they still had a certain understanding towards the power system in the world of gods.
A legendary was a powerful entity that could influence an entire kingdom! Bards would forever sing hymns of their tales, the tales of these beings at the apex of power! Right now, their son Leylin had achieved such an accomplishment too!
Right now, the esteemed guests were also fervently discussing this youth who had become legendary.
"Hehe… A legendary who has yet to reach the age of 25! Lord Leylin has broken the record in the continent!"
"There are rumours that he is a favoured soul of the Goddess of Wealth, there are no other plausible explanations…."
"A favoured soul can only advance quickly as a cleric, and even that would require a large amount of divine force.…" Evidently, this emissary was more privy than the others to the powers of the extraordinary and rankings in the power system. "From my observation, this Leylin must have had some sort of extraordinary talent, which would explain his progress...:"
"Rumour has it that he's taken up piracy in the past, and he's even conducted taboo research relating to Netheril!" A voice filled with annoyance and hostility sounded, apparently belonging to someone who treated Leylin as his enemy.
"That's indeed a problem before one becomes legendary, but almost all legendaries engage in such dark research. To use this to condemn him is just… Also, for his past as a pirate, haven't you seen that even the Dambrath court's chief wizard is here?" This deep voice spoke with a very logical stance, which stumped even the hostile emissary.
Only a while later did someone lament, "This is a legendary we're talking about…" The voice reverberated throughout the room.
Amidst the fervent discussion between the forces, Leylin chose to hole up inside the wizard tower, seldom seen by the public eye. He was draped in comfortable robes within his chambers, his golden hair gently resting on his shoulders.
A dark red light glowed under this golden hair, making him look extremely sinister. Leylin hadn't taken on the nightmare form completely, but his body was covered in dark red runes. A red line appeared on forehead, radiating a light of dreams.
In this state, he was able to grasp the power of faith and emotions much easier. Using dreamforce as a catalyst, he could see the actions of each and every person that chanted his name, their joys and sorrows, and everything else...
After entering the legendary realm, his body and soul had achieved a quintessential upgrade, the beginning of his journey to godhood.
A legendary could already sense the faith of any worshippers, and even respond in return. If one was able to amass a following of devout worshippers, they could accumulate faith over a long period of time, progressing in their own strength and giving rise to divinity. They could even ignite their godfire, becoming a demigod.
However, the churches all suppressed the worshippers of anyone who hadn't become a complete god. Forget legendaries, even divine beings and demigods weren't spared.
This unspoken rule showed Leylin the hostility the gods had towards someone joining their ranks. Unless one could become a god immediately, or had the backing of a powerful god themselves, it was very difficulty for a being from the material plane to attain godhood. This was a perilous path riddled with danger.
The divine hall was now extremely packed, and they did not wish to see any other newcomers joining them.
'Even without this restriction, legendaries, divine beings and demigods would still find it difficult to compete with the churches of true gods…' Leylin sighed.
Legendary experts could only vaguely respond to prayers, and divine beings could only respond somewhat more clearly. Demigods could bestow divine spells, but only up to rank 5. Only those true gods who had their divine spark were able to bestow rank 1 to rank 9 divine spells.
The ordinary people of the prime material plane were not fools. It was obvious who they would choose in this competition. The gods had leveraged many restrictions on the powerful mortals, all for the sake of protecting the source of their faith.
'Although I'm still only a newly advanced legendary, my sensitivity to the power of faith is greater than some weaker gods thanks to Dreamscape Vision. Apart from not being able to bestow divine spells, I'm much different compared than a true god. The most crucial point is is that Nightmare Absorption can even absorb the power of emotions. This source of strength is greater than what those true gods have…' Leylin assessed his strengths and advantages.
A legendary's response to their followers' prayers was like that of an old handphone with a bad signal. Nightmare Absorption was like an extra antenna, greatly amplifying Leylin's sensitivity to the signals he received.
Although the power of emotions was weaker than that of faith, there were more sources of it. The quality may not be equal, but emotions far exceeded faith in quantity. This was too crude and complex for gods to use, but Nightmare Absorption disregarded such things, allowing Leylin to make effective use of that power.
It increased Leylin's probability of ascension more than fivefold.
And indeed, this was what Leylin was looking at now. Having become a legendary, he'd placed his sights on godhood. He could not halt his steps because of a little bit of praise and admiration from those in the secular world. He always had to look up at the stars above.
"To become a true god, one must not lack godfire or divine rank. Godfire is just a transformation of divinity once it has accumulated to a certain level. To attain divine rank, the legendary first has to comprehend laws, combining them with the power of faith from their worshippers…" Leylin already had a great deal of experience in all the aspects required for his ascension to godhood.
'The faith of their worshippers and the power from their prayers can help gods comprehend laws, allowing them to form a special structure called the divine rank… The laws of the World of Gods are really quite bizarre…' Leylin thought. As for the divine spark, it was an emblem of a god's strength. Only those who had ascended to become a true god could possess this.
A divine kingdom was also something that only true gods possessed. It was an external plane used to accommodate the souls of their worshippers, and it also served as a hideout for themselves.
In their divine kingdoms, gods could wield amazing power. The ancient Magi had not understood this during the last war, and some had even died to that mistake.
'The divine spark and divine kingdom aren't too far off in the future. The most crucial point is to accept some potential worshippers and try to obtain divinity. I can then continue to accumulate worshippers, soon igniting my godfire to become a demigod.
'I need to select my first worshippers carefully. Their prayers and philosophy will affect my domain and my divine kingdom. Clerics will be the most important, they help raise gods.'
Leylin began to feel rather vexed as he thought of this point. Although the seas around the Dambrath Kingdom were at his disposal, this was a developing area. There weren't many cultured and civilised people here.
Beelzebub's worshippers weren't even worth thinking about, it wouldn't be wise to let a group of devils function as priests and clerics. Leylin seriously suspected that those worshipers would pray their way into Beelzebub's stomach in the end.
One reason Leylin had accepted Beelzebub's worshippers was that they were an established power. Another was to quickly raise his own strength.After advancing to the legendary realm, he was certain that he could take over Beelzebub's entire worshiper network, and obtain a secret church whose members could be found all over the continent.
This framework would only nurture clerics the next generation. This was a worrying delay. He'd already put his plans into action though, having his followers in Dambrath accept orphans and the like, sending them to Viscount Tim for secret training and instruction.
He also had a few plans to migrate people to the outer seas.
'I need to pay more attention to the race of the worshipers. Although racial gods are very powerful, it's far too limiting…'
-x-X-x-
Leylin was inside his secret chambers in the wizard tower, using a portion of his Nightmare Absorbing Physique powers. Many dreamforce runes had appeared along with his vertical eye.
This state allowed him to sense the prayers of his worshippers extremely clearly, and also pulled tremendous amounts of energy from their emotions. It then allowed him to absorb it, which served to strengthen him.
It was exceedingly difficult to advance once one entered the legendary realm. However, to Leylin it was like walking a level road. He was enjoying the feeling of constantly gaining strength, and he continued to make his plans for ascending to godhood.
'It would take too much time to move somewhere else, and spreading faith is a problem as well… While the quality of the worshippers would be high, there'll be too few of them… It's better to turn the devil worshippers, and have the natives of the outer seas worship me as well…'
Leylin's eyes closed, and the blood-red eye between his brows cracked open. He continued to think as dark red patterns covered his body.
Worshippers were a very important resource for a god. They provided an unending amount of faith while alive, and became petitioners in death, similarly continuing to support their god. They could even turn into valiant souls or holy spirits, comparable to rank 5 and rank 6 Magi!
This was why all gods took good care of their worshippers. The faith of evil gods wasn't allowed to spread.
There was even a specialised God of Protection known as Helm, and he dealt specifically with these matters. Verifying a true god's qualifications and deal with belief in false gods were all within the scope of his divine powers.
As the continent was so vast, worshippers of devils and demons could develop in secret. A new legendary like Leylin would not be the target of much attention.
Inside the prime material plane itself, Leylin now had enough status and strength to protect himself. Even so, a few churches could band together, sending high-ranked and legendary Professionals along with an avatar to kill him in mere minutes.
'I should work in the shadows and be more careful. I can't arouse suspicions… It's best that I amass strength quietly and become a true god. I wouldn't have anything to worry about then…' While deep in thought, Leylin completed his meditation and absorption of the power of emotions for the day. He transformed back into the youth.
"Master! The Spear Crusader Jeffries has come to visit you. He's already been waiting outside for half an hour…" the tower genie appeared and reported, "Additionally, the Dambrath Kingdom and church of justice have sent special envoys to you, requesting private meetings."
"God of Justice?" Leylin frowned. Nobody inclined towards evil had a good opinion of this person. "I haven't dealt with them often enough… Could they have found out that I killed a paladin before? No, that's too trivial… Whatever, all will be clear once I meet them…"
With enough might to protect himself, Leylin was no longer as cautious as before. After all, as long as he did not collude with devils and demons, plot to bring chaos to the continent, or spread his own faith and try to become a god, no large organisations would willingly offend him.
However, out of politeness and his status, Leylin still met with Jeffries.
"My sincerest apologies! I was stuck in meditation…" Leylin looked apologetic.
"Hehe… It's nothing at all. Only a wizard as meticulous as that can achieve the results you have, Lord Leylin…" Jeffries revealed a sincere smile. Truth be told, he admired Leylin's hard work. He'd seen many talented geniuses, but never one as disciplined as this wizard.
The puppets served a scented tea along with snacks. After some idle conversation, Leylin asked in puzzlement, "I wonder what my lord is here for…"
"Oh! Actually…" Jeffries slapped his forehead, looking flustered as if he had only just recalled this.
"Legendaries are already at the peak of the mortal world. For this reason, there are a few established rules we need to follow. Since I'm the one who first witnessed your advancement, it's my duty to explain them."
"Ah, yes." Leylin nodded. Any world with extreme powers had a concept similar to no first use. If not for that, constant wars would destroy the world no matter how large it was. "I obviously won't refuse. Do I need to sign some sort of contract?"
"No, not at all! They're just conventions that you need to obey…"
Jeffries' waved his hands while he smiled more warmly. He began to go through the rules one by one, and Leylin listened attentively.
"We don't really have many restrictions. We shouldn't initiate battles in densely populated areas, collude with devils and demons, spread our own faith privately, and things like that… Also, since you're a legendary wizard you can't cast legendary spells or conduct experiments that could pollute a large area."
In general, the restrictions weren't too stringent, but what surprised him the most was that he didn't have to sign any magic contract.
'Then again… These are all restrictions in their own right. No legendary would be willing to attach such an act to themselves unless they're masochistic. Also… the fact that legendary wizards study material on arcane spells is an open secret…' Leylin suddenly understood.
"Cough cough…" Jeffries' smiling face seemed to be saying 'good that you know.' He continued seriously, "Alright then. Lord Leylin, I welcome you to the continent's alliance of legendaries. We hold meetings every year, and all new members are welcome to join. It's taking place at…"
"I will attend, if time permits." Leylin still planned to obtain the floating city, but he didn't reject Jeffries outright. Having obtained what he wanted, the Spear Crusader left in delight. Waukeen's church had given him a valuable gift as well.
After he left, Leylin then met the special envoy from the Dambrath Kingdom. This person was supposedly the court's chief wizard. This envoy's ranking meant nothing to Leylin, though, and thankfully the other party understood this. He was rather courteous, and did not put on any airs.
At the least, Leylin knew why this court wizard had come here.
First was title. His father Jonas was made a Marquis, and a word from the king rendered the barren islands around Faulen Island a part of his fief. In reality, these islands had already come under Faulen influence, effectively being their land anyway. The king was just formalising this, but it still made Leylin elated.
Even if these islands made up a tiny area, the sea region that he had control over far exceeded the lands of any Marquis, the size of half a kingdom. In actuality, the king had basically given them half of the outer seas.
Of course, this was his right as a legendary wizard. Leylin's own title had been upgraded as well. He was now an honorary duke, similar in status to this chief wizard in front of him. While they were indirect, Leylin understood these kind intentions.
Leylin chatted with the wizard for a while after he happily accepted it all. It was more like he was giving the court wizard some tips, and when the time came the wizard left reluctant yet satisfied. A legendary wizard's lessons weren't an easy thing to come by.
"Tower genie… Send over the envoy from the church of justice." Leylin had spent most of his time as a legendary training and strengthening himself. He also met with envoys from various organisations, and although it was somewhat annoying he had to do it anyway for the sake of expansion.
Seeing the projection of the tower genie disappearing, Leylin stroked his chin, "Hmm… I should put upgrading the wizard tower in my schedule. There's so much to do…"
...
Leylin had never had a good impression of the God of Justice's church. This was obvious from the order of the people he was meeting. However, the envoy left Leylin slightly surprised.
"Long time no see, wizard Leylin!" A female knight bowed politely, "On behalf of the God of Justice's church, I sincerely congratulate Lord Leylin on your advancement to the legendary realm. We hope to be able to work together to safeguard the justice in the continent."
"I shall accept your blessings then!" Leylin watched the long-legged female knight in front of him as he recalled the past, "It's truly been a long time, Rafiniya…"
"Come to think of it, I haven't asked you about what happened after you left. When did you enter the God of Justice's church?" Leylin first got Rafiniya to take a seat with an enthusiastic smile like a good host, and commanded a puppet to send over a plate of tropical fruits.
"Come! Try some special produce from the south. It's rarely seen in the north…"
"Thank you…" Rafiniya had a complex expression on her face as she picked up a purple fruit similar to a longan. While she had fantasised about meeting Leylin, she'd never thought it'd be in this situation. For some reason, Leylin's nonchalant expression caused fury to erupt in her heart.