Chapter 1751 - WMW 119

"This is your current location!" The fairy showed Leylin a map, indicating his current position within the floating city.

"You must compete with the other qualified person. The first to reach the power room will obtain the authority over the Mise energy core. That will allow you to take control of the floating city and get control over the core…"

The fairy's bright eyes were trained on Leylin, voice robotic, "Please take note. Master has set up various hindrances along the way, and… Because I do not have enough power, a few invaders have entered the floating city…"

Scenes flashed and separated into smaller squares, allowing Leylin to see the skeleton lich, legendary paladin, monks and other people.

"Have a few worms snuck in as well? With the floating city's own defensive strength, there should be a few specific methods or gods acting in the shadows that allowed them to break through the outer defences of the city."

Leylin grinned, thinking back to Rogero who had also been chosen.

"I never expected this… a legendary with a reputation for his combat skills also has the strength of an arcanist! Rogero, you've cheated a whole continent… Pretty good… but unfortunately, you met me!"

Even if it was just a conjecture, Leylin knew what the floating city's master had planned. It was definitely something to do with testing the power of arcanists.

He was now a legendary arcanist. Even in the Netheril era, he had about the same strength as the master of the city, which made him qualified to enter the arcanist elder union and obtain his own floating city. He was obviously unafraid.

On the other hand, Rogero too had become a legendary based on his combat skills. However, even with training hard in private, his arcanist ranking wouldn't be that high.

In this area, Leylin could overlook his opponent.

"The most important thing right now is to get control over the city before the gods react!" Leylin took a look at the map that the fairy projected, and the A.I. Chip recorded everything before choosing the most suitable route.

"You who are qualified, I hope you can succeed in becoming my master!" The fairy glanced at Leylin's back, and then gradually disappeared...

After walking through a path styled in a futuristic, sci-fi way, Leylin entered a drawing room.

*Chi chi!* Two magic golems that looked like monkeys stood in wait, large robotic eyes shooting out red lights.

"Gatekeepers? Even with the A.I. Chip choosing the most optimal route, I need to pass through at least 20 stages. I need to quicken my speed…"

Leylin did not stop walking and walked in between the two puppets, figure disappearing into the path.

After he left, the two magic golems exploded into pieces… At the other side, Rogero was advancing quickly, his lance emitting terrifying qi as he ripped a steel door apart.

"An opportunity! The best opportunity!"

Rogero's eyes blazed, "I've hidden my arcanist inheritance for so long, and I finally have this chance! The floating city will definitely be mine…"

At this thought, the image of his competitor showed up in his mind as his emitted a bloodthirsty air.

"I must get the floating city. All who get in my way must die!"

...

Compared to the test that the two of them got, the other invaders were treated poorly.

*Boom! Boom!*

"There's so much wealth from ancient civilisation, and every single item is priceless. The price of one would be enough to purchase half of a large city. Why do you still keep chasing after me?"

Ilyo turned and yelled, sounding distressed.

"Destroying evil is the role the heavens have given to me. Did you think mere greed over wealth can confuse me?" The paladin looked resolute as he followed behind relentlessly, causing the skeleton lich to have to run tirelessly and feel annoyed.

Usually, he could just turn back and fight three hundred rounds with the paladin. With the floating city and remains of historical civilisation for him to explore here, having to waste his energy on fighting caused Ilyo to feel his heart bleeding.

"Just you wait…" He knew that paladins had brains like concrete, and could only come up with ways to eliminate him.

"Beep! Detected invader. Automatically activating defence mode. Activating metal golems!" Once the two entered a plaza, a robotic voice sounded out. A large gate suddenly opened as a puppet with armour walked out. Many energy fields surrounded it, causing the skeleton lich and paladin to sense immense danger. They could not help but stop in their tracks.

"It's the metal golem! The legendary golem!" The lich sounded as if he was sighing in awe, "Such a high-ranked golem is the top secret of the Netheril arcanists. Wizards now can't create imitations of it…"

*Boom!*

After this, however, the skeleton lich could no longer laugh. The golem instantly vanished in an instant, and the next time it reappeared, it was behind Ilyo, large steel fist aimed at his head.

"So fast! It's almost like instant shifting. Is this really a golem?"

Spells flashed continuously at Ilyo's body as he quickly set up several bone walls, the bone spurs and bone lances shooting towards the key areas of the golem and bringing with them great gusts of wind.

*Crackle!* The many attacks reached the defensive surface layer of the metal golem and created sounds like rainfall, and then scattered.

*Rumble!* *Ka-cha!* The golem cared not for these attacks and raised its huge fist, preparing to strike at the bone wall.

There was a huge whistling sound in the air, and the bones flew everywhere. A defence that a lich had formed with all his strength actually was completely destroyed under this attack!

*Boom!*

By the time the legendary paladin arrived, all he saw was the lich embedded into the wall. He was perfectly 'printed' onto the wall, neck twisted at a very odd angle. If he was alive, he would long since have died.

Even if he was a lich, the fire in his eyes had dimmed quite a bit, and he was evidently gravely injured.

"You monster full of evil! Prepare to be judged by justice!"

Upon seeing this, the paladin heaved a deep sigh of relief, both hands raising the large sword that signified light and judgement.

'Beep! Enemy discovered!'

However, before the paladin's sword could fall, a metal golem had already arrived behind him, electronic eyes emitting dangerous red rays.

For legendary metal golems, there could be liches or paladins, but all were invaders and needed to be exterminated.

If Leylin had been here, he would have exclaimed 'Such high technology'! Or 'Transformers', but unfortunately, the paladin with an inflexible mind did not have so many stray thoughts.

In his eyes, metal golems like these were not much better than demons of the abyss or devils of hell.

'Beep! Enemy scanned to be model of 'paladin'. Activating extermination plan number 2. Activating extreme gravity engine. Activating nuclear furnace!'

The steel golem made sounds that the paladin could not understand then spread its arms.

*Boom!* The gravity around suddenly increased, and the ground caved in, now seeming extremely solid.

The chest area of the golem opened up to reveal a red hot furnace that rotated in a turbine, producing a frightening whirr.

"What- what monster is this!"

Noticing that his attack at full power had been easily blocked, his exemplary sword that was almost legendary grade melted in the furnace at the golem's chest. No matter how strong his mind was, the paladin now held hints of despair...

A similar scene could be witnessed at various parts of the city. The outsiders who had entered without permission were now under terrifying attacks, and there already were casualties.

After all, the floating city was a nest of the Great Arcanists of ancient times, so how could they just allow enemies to barge in?

At this moment, other 'guests' had also arrived outside the city.

"I never thought even with the consumption from dimensional leaping, the defences of the floating city is still so terrifying. The divine force that the body I'm possessing can amass is nearly depleted…"

'Evida' opened her eyes, gazing at the large floating city while looking expectant.

However, this relaxed look only maintained for a moment. Evida quickly turned to the other side, "Her Highness, Mystra, and others…"

"We meet again…"

A young girl dressed in black walked out from the shadows, having the dignity and coldness that only gods possessed.

She gazed at the empty area next to her, looking hostile.

Golden lights flashed, and numerous orc gods also appeared. They were all avatars, causing fear to appear in Evida's eyes.

For true gods to descend into the prime material plane, there was the most dangerous truebody saintly form, as well as an avatar and possessing a body.

An avatar was a clone formed of divine force and godhood, while possessing a body would require taking the body of a follower.

In comparison, possessing the body might be safe, but the power could not compare to an avatar.

"After the hall meeting of the gods, there have been few gatherings between many gods…"

An elderly being wearing white, scholarly attire had a wise look in his eyes. This was Oghma, the god of knowledge and a powerful greater god.

"After all, this has to do with arcanists and the floating city…"

The other gods all went quiet, focusing on the Weave Goddess, Mystra.

-x-X-x-

"Arcanist civilisation must never be allowed to be revived. That is the bottom line!" Mystra announced first. The many gods who had gathered revealed a tacit understanding.

While they were confident that their avatars could enter the floating city, they were still afraid of the enemy. Who knew if there were traps specifically meant for gods, left behind by the Great Arcanist in the city?

"It's not advisable to go against it for too long. How about we…" However, just as Oghma broke the silence, an astounding change happened in the city.

Dazzling rays enveloped the city and teleportation rays filled the area, causing it to seem translucent.

"Dimensional leap? No, it's a random teleportation. Stop it!" The many gods quickly made their moves, using powerful divine force to form a golden sealing web. However, they were too late. The floating city completely vanished, leaving behind gods exchanging gazes.

...

A while ago.

Near the core power testing room, Rogero stared hard at the blue test tube in front of him, looking nervous.

"The expectations that the Great Arcanist had for his successor are a little too much. Even as a high-ranked arcanist, it's still too difficult to successfully brew the mild blue light potion. Thankfully, I have this…"

Rogero placed a white crystal under the test tube, and in the moment that it made contact with the test tube, the crystal instantly heated up.

"A stabilising potion that increase chances of success by 50%— The dream stone, Sage Abofeld! Success or failure shall be decided in this moment!"

Rogero took a deep breath and placed another pipette at the mouth of the test tube.

"If the potion turns blue, that means it's a success. If not, it's a failure… There's only one step till I get the inheritance…"

Rogero prayed the most devoutly he ever had in his whole life. "Whatever god you are, please bless me! If I can succeed this time, I will become your most pious follower…"

It was unclear if a remote god had favoured him, or if this was luck.

The moment after the pipette dripped a bit of the potion, the entire test tube began to boil.

Thick liquid boiled and kept changing colour, till it stabilised to a faint blue.

At the beginning, the blue was not stable, and Rogero could feel cold sweat beading on his forehead. However, the dream stone that that was like white crystal emitted white rays that enveloped the entire test tube.

The mild blue potion stabilised, and he immediately looked elated, "It's a success!"

He quickly darted over to the crystal door with a large vertical pupil carved in and splashed the freshly-made mild blue light potion onto the eye.

*Tss tss!*

After the potion made contact with the eye, it was as if sponge met water as it was absorbed.

Rogero looked nervous as he waited for the results, feeling uneasy and nervous.

'Beep! Brewing of mild blue light potion is successful!'

Time seemed to pass slowly, but it also seemed to be mere seconds. When the robotic voice sounded, Rogero could not help but give a whoop of delight.

*Rumble!*

The eye rolled and produced the mechanical sound of unlocking. The large door slowly opened, revealing a path straight to the power room.

"Haha… I've succeeded. I've succeeded!" Rogero roared in his excitement. "As expected, there aren't many arcanists left around. That black-clothed person might be an arcanist, but his ranking can't be higher than mine. I definitely was the one to pass the test first, so I'll get full control…"

While looking emotional, Rogero's footsteps never slowed.

The path was short. With his speed, he quickly reached the core power room and saw the Mise energy core that was continuously providing the floating city with strength, floating in the air.

"Haha… as expected, I was the quickest!"

Upon seeing that nobody was around, Rogero could not hold himself back and chuckled loudly.

"Mine, mine! The ancient floating city, the remains of the Great Arcanist and all the arcanists' treasures all mine and mine alone…"

Rogero looked expectant as he headed to the Mise energy core.

He looked moved and greedy as he reached his trembling right hand out.

The fairy appeared nearby, watching on expressionlessly.

"Intellectual core, hand over control to me!" Rogero shouted, "As the master, I'll definitely treat you well…"

*Beep!* The fairy nodded expressionlessly, and the flooring under the Mise energy core opened up to reveal something like a control desk. A purple crystal flickered with dazzling rays above.

"Good job!"

Rogero laughed heartily and his right hand reached forward.

However, just a centimetre away from the purple crystal, something happened!

Glaring rays surged and enveloped his body. These were spell rays from a teleportation spell formation.

The high-ranked legendary arcane spell: Dimensional Banishment!

"No! Mine… my everything…" Rogero looked unresigned as he vanished, leaving behind his voice that echoed in the empty secret room.

"Aha… he took so long to get here. I waited so long…" A transparent human figure walked over from a corner of the secret room. The illusion on his body gradually disappeared. This was Leylin!

He was now yawning, looking nonchalant. "He couldn't even recognise the dimensional banishment trap. Ha, to think he was a high-ranked arcanist. Looks like there's something wrong with his inheritance. I'm pretty sure it's incomplete…

"But even if he recognised it, the way to get rid of this legendary spell is for it to work once. He made me wait for so long…" Leylin looked dissatisfied.

"Only a legendary Great Arcanist like you can detect the arcane spell trap that master set up!"

The fairy now bowed low to Leylin, "While I'd already confirmed that only you, who is also a legendary Great Arcanist, can take over the city that is the glory of the Netheril era, I had to do this for procedure's sake. Please be understanding…"

"It's nothing much… Proceed with the transferring of authority please. There might be more variables from the passing of time…"

Leylin headed to the control desk. The dimensional banishment spell had now been completely removed.

"The Mise energy core… Rumours have it that any item that touches it will be hit with something like a legendary disjunction spell and crumble into numerous particles. How powerful can this be?"

Leylin sighed, right index finger touching the purple crystal.

'Beep! Confirmation of qualified person. Beginning transferring of control.' The fairy cooperated with the operation. Leylin felt that his self linked with the entire city, and that it seemed to become part of his body, and he could even see scenes of the invaders.

[Beep! Obtained control over floating city. Supplementary scan ongoing.]

The A.I. Chip's voice sounded. With its help, Leylin could easily control the floating city. In terms of his proficiency, he immediately reached the level of the original owner.

"The energy reserves are at less than 50%, and there are also divine force undulations detected outside?"

Leylin looked at the report and frowned slightly.

"Fairy, begin preparations to teleport floating city. Activate concealing spell formations and spatial location confusion spell formations…"

Leylin commanded.

"Understood, master! The previous master always called me Shaylin, but you can call me something else…" The exquisite face of the fairy broke out in a smile and carried out his order.

"Also, send me to these locations. I still need to take care of a few worms before teleporting…"

Leylin waved his arms high spiritedly, but at this moment, his expression changed.

A strange beast skin scroll automatically floated from his dimensional pouch. The seals that Leylin had put on had all cracked.

The Mise energy core emitted terrifying energy undulations, creating a pillar of light the size of a thumb at the middle, shining on the scroll all of a sudden.

The energy that could break up all matter did not cause the scroll to be damaged, but the luster on it grew more dazzling as it slowly opened up. It revealed an arcane spell model that was so complicated it was terrifying.

[Beep! Discovered high-rank arcane spell model. To scan?] The A.I. Chip asked.

"Yes!"

With Leylin's order, the A.I. Chip immediately scanned and recorded the model. After which, the scroll seemed to be done with its mission and rolled itself back.

"As expected, this scroll isn't something dead but contains some will of Distorted Shadow?"

In Leylin's tests, the scroll obviously sealed something amazing. If it were opened suddenly, it might result in terrifying contamination or curses.

But now, under the radiation from the only Mise energy core in the continent, this seemed to be the correct way to open it. He had been given a terrifyingly complicated arcane spell model.

"This…"

Leylin took a look at the A.I. Chip's taskbar. As the spell model was exceedingly large and difficult, the effects and abilities still needed time to be deciphered. The only thing Leylin could confirm was that this spell had a very high grade!

"The price for all these arrangements and even giving me my bloodline ability is finally showing itself?"

Leylin looked solemn, but his eyes were now full of bloodlust and violence all mixed together.

"What are you standing there for? Teleport quickly!"

Leylin yelled at the fairy who seemed to have been scared stupid.

-x-X-x-

Leylin knew the principle of equal exchange. However, seeing some of the tricks Distorted Shadow had pulled on the sly, he was left in a bad mood.

At this moment, he decided to vent all of his anger on the intruders. The teleportation light shone, and Leylin's body vanished. As for the intruders in the different parts of the floating city, they were about to meet their maker!

...

It was a complete mess at the arcane field.

The metal golem's head was missing a huge chunk, and the right arm was ripped off. As for the energy core, it stopped functioning completely.

Even though it stood still, but that malevolent and dangerous feeling still radiated from its body, striking fear into the hearts of others.

"Pant...Pant... Thank you!" The legendary paladin half knelt on the ground in the middle of a pool of blood. He was grievously injured.

"Cough...Cough… Saving someone from dying and banishing evil… Cough cough… Is what we were born for…" This was the monk from before, but his injuries were far more severe. His chest had already lost a huge piece of flesh, and blood flowed from his lips endlessly.

Even with the constant healing spells, it was impossible to restore his body to a fighting state.

"The floating city is really this strong… Just one metal golem and it's so troublesome…" The paladin sighed, apprehension still in his eyes.

He fought a bitter and losing battle with the golem earlier. If not for the sudden appearance of the monk, who used his tough body to take on most of the hits, he would have died a long time ago.

"Hey hey… And me? Why haven't you thanked me…" The crystal head of the skeleton lich began to chatter.

Under extreme danger, he put all past feuds behind him and chose to team up with the other two. After an arduous battle they had won, but this demon was unlucky, left with only its head intact.

At the moment, the paladin gritted his teeth and stood up before walking over. "Banish all evil!"

"Wh...Damn! We were allies mere moments ago, how can you just about face?" The lich began to wail, "Help...Save me…"

In actuality, he wasn't afraid at all. As long as his phylactery survived, he could resurrect after death. It just required a very long time.

"Forgive me. Even if we worked together, to eliminate evil is my calling." The paladin stood in front of the lich, holy light forming a sword in his hand.

"Scram!" Teleportation light flashed at that moment, and the paladin grew stupefied as he was knocked away.

"I'm in a very bad mood right now. Tell me, how do you all want to die?" Leylin walked out in the silver mask, looking at the three injured people like a god of death.

This made Ilyo feel as if he had met a demigod being in the distant past. Intense, overbearing evil that can devour everything whole.

"It's that Legendary from the evil camp, now that he has control over the floating city's teleportation portals, does it mean that the authorisation has been handed over to him?"

The crystal skull on the floor tumbled several rounds before stopping, the dark fire in its eyes stopped flickering.

"What an intense evil… The magnitude now is countless times more than before… Had he just been putting up a front all these while?"

The pupils of the paladin and the monk narrowed, as they tracked the item that they were struck by. It was the decapitated heads of the other contenders inside the floating city!

"You are the only intruders left, after disposing the lot of you I will begin the transfer of authority…"

Leylin's features were hidden under his mask, so no one knew his current expression. Only his pair of eyes could be seen, cold and indifferent, as if it could freeze the soul of one who looked into his eyes.

The evil black light covered the grounds. Compared to him, the aura of the demon seemed like a kiddy item.

"Cough...Have the others been slain by you?"

The paladin coughed, time to time spitting blood from his lips.

"Most of them had perished under the arcane traps. As for the rest, they have been done in by me. It's only you three left…"

An icy killing intent was prominent in Leylin's voice. Suddenly, he appeared behind the legendary monk, "You possess the most threat amongst the three of them…"

"So, let me invite you to go to hell…"

Leylin's right hand seemed to turn into a pair of devilish claws which tore through the hardened defense of the monk, reaching for the heart directly.

"Urgh… Before this trip, I felt the restlessly during one of my meditation… As if some great evil was about to be borne… Hence I followed my heart and was directed to the western desert…"

Droplets of blood dripped down, momentarily taking away the pain seen on the monk's face. He inhaled violently, as if pacing back and forth through death's doors.

"I originally thought that… It was the descent of the floating city, which would bring great destruction to the world. But I know now it's was due to your existence…"

The monk struggled to force the words out of his parched lips.

"Too much nonsense…" Leylin clenched his fist, and the monk's heart was shattered into countless bits.

"Dead?"

The paladin and Ilyo's eyes dimmed, as if seeing something unbelievable happening within minutes.

"Even if I have to ignite my soul, I have to stop the evil in this world…"

The next moment, the monk's eyes which had dulled violently opened, and emitted light rays even stronger than the sun. His right palm now took on a golden hue as he gently pushed out. The force felt even stronger than being crushed by a mountain, and even the air was pushed away. It was unstoppable.

Legendary technique — Vajra's Palm!

*Boom!* The golden palm pushed through the phantom behind Leylin's back and turned the construct behind into smithereens.

"You're not bad huh! Old man, is this the legendary ability — Life After Death? You are indeed a powerful and gifted monk, even after your body is destroyed, you are able to sustain life for a period of time…"

The monk's life was extremely tenacious, and now with this legendary ability, even if his heart was taken and having sustained grave injuries from before, he could still produce such a might.

"Giving your all to beat me huh? Why do I feel like a final boss like the great demon king in the novels of my past life…"

Leylin squinted his eyes, and saw all of the righteousness represented behind the palm of the monk.

"A pity that an attack of this magnitude… It's not enough to hurt me…"

Leylin mocked, as his nostrils flared. "Let me put you into utter despair…"

The floating city can never land in his hands, if not the world will enter even more suffering…"

The paladin now too struggled to get up, "The final holy buff…"

Radiant rays shone on the paladin, and stopped all of his injuries in their tracks. Very soon, a sword made of light appeared on his hands.

"In the name of righteousness…" The paladin held his sword up high, the energy swirling into a violent gale.

"Divine Intervention!"

The radiant sword made of holy light carried the intent of killing as it sealed Leylin's retreat route.

"Blazing Point! Vajra's Palm!"

The monk ignited all of his life force into blazing fuel. The palm which covered the skies seemed to be able to incinerate anything in its path.

The demon Ilyo who was lying at the side had an extremely unsightly expression. He knew that against this wave of destructive attacks, if he was in Leylin's shoes, there would be irreversible damage caused!

"I've already mentioned it… There's no use…"

Under Leylin's mask, there seemed to be… lamentation.

"Right now, I am not someone you guys can oppose…" Against these ultimate attacks, Leylin indifferently raised his hands. "Time...be still…"

*Suuu*

At this instance, the dust stopped in midair, and the air grew thick and dense. Even those attacks which could destroy heaven and earth were stopped.

*Buzz…*

After Ilyo regained his consciousness, he only saw the two corpses of the other two legendary being shattered into pieces.

"That moment earlier…. No, this.... This is an arcane spell at the legendary rank… The divine ability of the legends that can stop time. Only legendary ranked arcanists can cast this spell — Timestop…"

"He is actually a legendary ranked arcanist? Haven't people of this calibre perished a long time ago? Has he survived since the Mise period?"

The dark flame in Ilyo's eyes continuously flickered, as if struggling with his thoughts. The performance that Leylin displayed earlier had scared him.

"I can only stop time in this region… It's still a mile away from fully controlling time. However, power like this is still extremely intoxicating. It is indeed an arcane spell from the limits of rank 8. I could even feel a strand of the laws of time…"

Leylin exclaimed inwardly, before walking to the demon.

"Subjugation, or death?"

"Subjugation? Ahahaha… hahaha, You're very strong, at the legendary arcanist level, and also control the floating city. However, to want me, skeleton demon, one who has a kingdom of undead army, one who has survived three holy wars and participated in numerous holy wars that even gods had transcended and used human vassals… Me, the great demon king, Ilyo, to subjugate? Hahaha…"

As if hearing something hilarious, the mouth of the skull continuously clacked, evidently in a mocking tone.

-x-X-x-

"Is that right...." Leylin spoke blandly, leaving Ilyo unamused.

Leylin had been of good mind to take him under his wing. After all, this was a legendary expert who could fight many experts at once! He was a treasure trove of knowledge, and a talent in the research of spell models.

Most importantly, he was aligned evil, so there was a possibility of him aiding Leylin.

"Alright… I'll admit that you are very strong, but so what? As long as you're unable to find my phylactery,the most you can do is kill me…"

Ilyo put on a front like a dead pig who was unafraid of boiling water.

"Nope! I can choose to seal you for eternity and prevent you from committing suicide and therefore, resurrecting."

Leylin's shoes stepped on the crystal skull. Ilyo immediately discovered that his connection with the weave had been completely disconnected. He could not even kill himself now.

"Wait a minute…"

Under such extreme terror, Ilyo finally let up. Afterall, being sealed was not a fun thing. Moreover, if there weren't anyone to break to seal later on, it was equivalent to dying.

"Although I could have coaxed you… But you gave me a pretty good suggestion…"

Leylin smiled as he sealed the crystal skull, mockery in his eyes. "phylactery huh?"

As the highest achievement of a necromancer, the lich had chosen to store his soul into the phylactery, and obtain eternal life — as long as the phylactery was intact. Even after death, it could resurrect through the phylactery.

As for the phylactery, it was the most protected secret and the life essence of the necromancers. They would store it in the safest of havens, some even with detection and prophecy-type spells.

To put it in another way, if the phylactery was in the hands of another, the lich would be completely controlled, unless it sought death.

"It's unafraid because of the phylactery huh?"

Leylin stroked his chin. "With the techniques in the world, finding the phylactery of a lich necromancer is extremely difficult. But…"

In the field of soul research, Leylin had obviously surpassed the world of gods' standards. Afterall, he had the accumulation of knowledge from a completely different world.

Moreover, in this demonic life transfer, he saw many familiar things.

'This type of life transfer, together with soul transfer, and also arcanists… No, there are traces of Magus spells in this. It seems like the wizards here have absorbed some knowledge from the Magus World… Although I don't have a spiritual connection to the Magus World, I can still identify traces of it through this clone… Not to mention I have Dreamscape Vision to peer into its most innermost thoughts…'

Leylin now looked at Ilyo in pity. He couldn't kill himself even if he wanted to.

...

Through the Mise core, Leylin teleported into the control room.

"Master!" The flower genie flew to Leylin's side and rested on his shoulders.

"The intruders have been completely wiped, energy required for the activation of teleportation portal is complete…" The flower genie reported in a rather upbeat tone.

"Alright, begin to move! Make sure to mask the coordinates of the space, I don't want those gods to find me…"

Leylin waved his hand, before beginning to operate the teleportation system of floating city. The way Leylin handled the operations expertly left the flower genie blushing.

"Hmm? The other gods are arriving now? Too bad, they're late…"

Leylin smirked at he looked at the screen monitor. He operated the floating city and easily broke through the seals of the gods, disappearing from the Frostfall Valleys.

"He actually got away?" Oghma's avatar looked at Mystra, as a golden light flashed in his eyes. "Prophetic spells are not working, it seems like the person is very used to the functions of the floating city…"

"To be able to control the floating city this quickly, he must definitely be a Great Arcanist! I never thought that someone from the Mise period is still around…"

"It's a problem that you must handle now, Mystra!" The gods broke into fervent discussion, venting their frustrations on the Goddess of the Weave.

Mystra inhaled a deep breath before explaining, "Everyone here witnessed the fall of Netheril. I can guarantee you, not one legendary arcanist managed to survive it…"

"No matter what, this is your job. I hope that you'll be able to handle this matter well…" A golden orc spoke.

At this moment, the other gods were watching on with a degree of schadenfreude. Mystra had always been too powerful, and now that she had suffered a blow, it was time for them to vent their frustrations.

Many of the divine conscients held their discussion in midair before dispersing into different directions, leaving behind Mystra who looked on at the direction of where the floating city disappeared...

...

In a quiet space of void, with boundless darkness surrounding it, the air current whistled violently, as a floating city quietly sat on the turbulent air currents.

This was the outer membrane of the physical world, where many half-dimensions were produced and destroyed. Even gods found it difficult to follow every space that was created in the outer region.

"Shaylin, send me another report of the energy stored and the armoury stock!"

Leylin sat in the control room and asked the flower genie.

"Yes master! Currently, the floating city has 12.77% of energy reserves! The Mise core will be able to regain its lost energy approximately the time of 271 hourglass trickles… Furthermore, there are damages suffered to the external parts of the floating city, and the 23.7% of the firearms are unable to be used. There are two missing legendary ranked golems, and one which is stopped operating as the damage is over 50%!

The flower genie also pulled an image, which was the golem that the legendary ranked paladin and the monk had defeated.

Right now, it had already been returned to the storage and the many golem constructs had been working to repair it, but the progress was extremely slow.

"Apart from all these, there are 3 main cannons which engages in the laws of secondary energy, 347 homing cannons, and 239812 other various cannons. 80% of them are able to function normally, and two of the main cannons have damages amounting to over 20%..."

"As for magic golems…"

"The arcane garden…"

The flower genie displayed every aspect of the floating city, which left Leylin nodding his head in satisfaction.

"This is really a fortress which can rival that of a divine kingdom in its prime… However, it's not as it's full capabilities yet…"

The floating city now had suffered damages and its energy reserves were lacking. Leylin would definitely not choose to use it now to war gods with casualties on both sides.

He had a better use for the floating city.

"Master, that lich has woken now, and kept crying about wanting to see you after sensing something." The fairy reported.

"Oh? It seems like he has realised it, bring him in!" Leylin beckoned.

Seconds later, a golem walked into the hall with loud thudding on the floor. It carried a giant silver tray. On this tray lay a crystal skull, artistic like an ornament, with two dark glows in its eyes.

"Skeleton Lich Ilyo, will you finally subjugate?"

Leylin toyed with a purple-gold coin in his hands as he asked in a teasing manner.

"My phylactery, how could you find…" The lich wailed. He might have very well attacked Leylin if not for the seal.

"Ilyo, I have to admit this is rather clever. You made the phylactery a metal coin of nobility, and even put it in the hands of a coins collector. It took me some effort to find him and to have it handed over…"

Leylin raised the coin in his hand. It was an ancient coin from the previous dynasty, and there were archaic carvings on the edges. The previous owners had kept it with great care, and the reflection of the light on the coin was dazzling. Nobody would believe that this was actually a phylactery of a lich!

Leylin had read some journals of necromancers constructing their phylactery into everyday objects, some even into pebbles at a seabed, that they could never find it again on their own.

While this could prevent their enemies from finding it, but if they were casually picked up and destroyed, their life would be over.

Compared to them, Ilyo's method was much more ingenious. The value of the purple gold coin was extremely high, often representing a hundred gold pieces in the previous dynasty. Now it had become a valuable asset for coin collectors and every of its owners would keep it in a good condition.

However, even after so much preparations, it was futile before Leylin's soul searching method.

"It's not important how I found it… So? Subjugate, or die?"

Leylin added, "Even if you don't agree, I will be able to turn you using the phylactery into a golem. This means is enough to deal with another legendary…"

"If you did that, my lifeforce would be stripped almost to nothing, not to mention that summoning me to the frontlines has the greatest risk of me dying… Do I even have a choice…?"

Ilyo muttered and grumbled, but he still chose to serve. "Great arcanist, master of the floating city! I, Ilyo, will pledge my allegiance to you…"

-x-X-x-

"Great!" Leylin clapped and removed the restraints on Ilyo. "Since you've chosen to be subservient to me, then we're on the same side. There's no need for a contract or anything like that…"

That's what Leylin had said, but he nonchalantly kept the phylactery into his dimensional pouch under the desolate gaze of the lich.

Compared to any promises, this was the ultimate restraint! With the phylactery, Leylin had plenty of ways to make Ilyo wish he were dead. He knew full well that Ilyo would never dare betray him.

On the other hand, if he were to just give the phylactery back to Ilyo, it was unclear what would happen.

"I will give you part of grade 2 control over the floating city. From hereon, you'll focus on maintaining the arcane gardens and the golems. Shaylin will transfer the information to you soon…"

Leylin waved his hands.

Since Ilyo was now his subordinate, it was natural that he use the lich as much as possible. After all, this was a scholarly-type wizard, and was probably very useful if nurtured.

Ilyo laughed wryly in answer. If this were in the past and he had countless information as well as authority over the floating city in front of him, he would definitely go crazy in his elation. However, if the price was losing his freedom… That was a little too much...

"Understood, Ma- Master!"

"Shaylin!"

After Ilyo left, Leylin commanded the intellectual core.

"While he's submitted already, it's still necessary to monitor him. In addition, if he ever gets near the Mise energy core power room or any grade 1 important areas, I give you permission to kill him immediately!"

"Recorded into main procedures!"

Shaylin looked to have human emotions, but in essence, was an intellectual body formed of a bunch of codes. Her primary goal being to carry out her master's orders, she never hesitated when it came to Leylin's orders.

"Mm. I want some peace now…"

After taking care of all these matters, the floating city was now far from danger and under Leylin's control.

It was only now that Leylin finally had some idle time.

After the flower elf, Shaylin left, it completely went silent. Only the arcane spell lights emitted tender rays of light.

With a flash of silver light at his right hand, the scroll Leylin had obtained from the Netheril Ruins appeared.

"Ancient Distorted Shadow… What do you want…"

The rays from the A.I. Chip shone in Leylin's eyes, "A.I. Chip, how's is the research on this going?"

After getting control over the city, the Mise energy core's tremendous power had seemed to unseal something in the scroll and given Leylin a terrifyingly complicated arcane spell model to him.

Leylin had been using the A.I. Chip to decode it, and only now did he get some idea of what it was.

[Beep! Progress of arcane spell model analysis at 100%. Displaying quantified information.]

After which, the complicated numerical data of the spell model showed itself before him.

[Arcane spell name: Karsus' Avatar. Rank 12 arcane spell (???) Effects: Allows the caster to substitute the Weave Goddess and take over control of the Weave. (Minimum requirements: Great Arcanist, 100% analysis of level 7 Weave.) Description: This is a mysterious arcane spell. With the caster's understanding of the Weave, its might changes. Grasping it allows you to become a powerful higher god in an instant!]

"An arcane spell that surpasses even a legendary arcane spell… Allowing me to become a powerful higher god in an instant?"

Leylin's eyes widened and he stroked his chin, smiling slightly, "Interesting! How… interesting…"

An arcane spell of this grade was obviously not something developed by those great arcanists, but a spell of the Magus World that a peak rank 8 like Distorted Shadow could design.

"This arcane spell model already is out of the domain of arcane spells. It can only be explained with spells from the Magus world. It's at least a powerful rank 7 spell…"

Leylin muttered to himself. Even his main body only grasped one rank 7 spell, which was Alternate World Incarnation, which already had an astounding effect.

"It's at least a rank 7 spell there. If the caster's understanding of the Weave has reached 100% of level 9, that would make this a rank 8 or 9 spell in the Magus World…"

Leylin gasped in awe.

Allowing the spell caster to replace the Weave Goddess and obtain control all of the Weave… What was this?

Based on the rankings of the Magi, that would be like making a Morning Star Magus a peak rank 8 Magus in a moment. That was might comparable to Distorted Shadow, Nightmare King and the Mother Core!

"But… can a frail spirit and mind take on such power? The only probable outcome would be getting control of the Weave and becoming a greater god for a moment, and then dying from the tremendous amount of information and energy being transmitted over. It'll be like a child who decided to touch a high-voltage power grid…"

Leylin now looked grim, "Even if it's my main body of a semi-rank 7 Warlock and help form the A.I. Chip, I'll only barely be able to control the Weave. Due to a difference in my godhood and divinity, my path will be contaminated and be corroded from the conscients of the other gods…"

"But at least I finally know Distorted Shadow's intentions. So he wants to destroy the Weave?"

Even after death, a peak rank 8 Magus still could leave behind a conscient and not disappear even after hundreds of thousands of years. With a slight chance, he could be revived!

Distorted Shadow seemed to have been setting up this plan before and even given Leylin great benefits at the Nightmare Island. That had made Leylin feel very uneasy.

Now, he finally understood what Distorted Shadow had been planning!

His goal was to destroy the World of God's Weave!

"Hehe… You really think rather well of me!"

Leylin knew that besides being a channel for wizards' spell slots, it was also used for the priests' divine spells.

The moment he showed his intentions, he would not only be viewed as an enemy by most wizards, but the Weave Goddess would immediately become his mortal enemy.

The other gods would also not be willing to give up the convenient channel of faith through the weave.

"This meant he would be going against the whole World of Gods!"

"No wonder he chose me! Aside from an outsider like me, even devils or demons wouldn't be willing to do this…"

His eyes twinkled as he grabbed the beast hide scroll.

"Unfortunately… I won't be a pawn for you. If I do become one, I'll do it as the player!"

"Ancient Distorted Shadow… Did you think that your conscient could keep following me in the shadows?"

Leylin spoke in the Magus World's ancient Byron language, voice hoarse and activating a trace of the power of laws.

After which, a formidable sealing force enveloped the hall. This was power he had from controlling the city.

*Hss…*

With immense support from the city and seal from another world, Leylin finally showed off his full strength. A Targaryen figure as large as a world appeared behind him.

*Rumble…* In the remote, faraway Magus World, Leylin's mighty semi-rank 7 body that had been in a deep sleep caused a magnitutde 8 earthquake and opened a slight channel, transferring streams of bloodline force over.

*Hss…*

A terrifying Targaryen with a single horn, devil fleshy wings and and two claws appeared behind him.

There seemed to be slight changes to the Targaryen. There were now traces of dark red fog surrounding it, and its scales were turning dark red. In its eyes that were like stars, there was a blood-red line had seemed to form a third eye.

"Did you think that I wouldn't notice you doing something behind the shadows while I had bloodline power planted in me?"

"Get out here!!!"

Leylin yelled and tossed the beast skin scroll away, his clothes exploding open. Traces of black blood that had been contaminated streamed out from his pores.

A distorted black shadow appeared in the sky, numerous tendrils at ths dies. It seemed to want to hold onto Leylin, but with Leylin's yell and sudden powerful bloodline force, was forced out.

*Xiu!*

There was a sharp whistle in the sky, and the shadow that was Distorted Shadow clashed with the scroll, and then began to burn with phosphorescent green flames.

The flames slowly turned black, and a distorted human figure soon appeared.

"We finally meet… The ancient Distorted Shadow!"

Leylin panted slightly, but he now felt extremely comfortable. Even his soul seemed to have been refreshed, and his connection to his followers' prayers was now more distinct, as if he could produce divinity at any moment.

"Tss… Your body and spirit fuse perfectly with bloodline force, tss.. No wonder the Nightmare chose you…"

Ancient spiritual force sent over this information, similarly using the ancient Byron language.

"Isn't this great? There's no exploitation whatsoever. We're conversing on equal grounds…"

Leylin watched Distorted Shadow in front of him, the Targaryen behind him spitting outs tongue, bloodline force created a dense armour over him.

"Tss tss… Warlock! I need you to destroy the Weave. In return…. I can give you all the inheritances of primordial Magi…"

He seemed to know that Leylin would be difficult to deal with, but more importantly, was aware of the terror of the powerful isolation force of the floating city. He gave up on conspiring anything and proposed a trade on equal grounds.

"Fine, but I will choose when it will be done."

Leylin did not give even an inch, "What is inside the Weave? I can somewhat guess, but I need you to confirm it…"

-x-X-x-

Leylin observed the trace conscient of a peak rank 8 existence. "Your goal is to revive yourself, right? What does that have to do with the Weave?"

"There are three layers to the Weave. The outermost layer is the channel for all spell slots. The inner Weave is a network of faith and divine force for the gods. Lastly, there's the core, which is the ultimate seal where the gods have sealed conscients like me inside. That's also the largest hindrance to us reviving…"

Distorted Shadow sent a spiritual undulation.

"Seal at the core? Conscient fragments? So that's what's at the heart of the Weave…"

Leylin's eyes narrowed, "In that case, there should be many other conscients sealed inside…"

...

*Boom!*

After goodness knew how long, Distorted Shadow automatically dissipated, and the beast hide spell scroll also completely vanished.

This was just a dead conscient, and after showing himself, he could not maintain himself for long.

The seal on the floating city was released, and Leylin sank into deep thought, "Revival? This seems to be getting more serious…"

Now, he felt that he had made contact with the greatest secret of the ancient gods' battle that led to its dusk.

From what was known in the Magus World, the World of Gods had buried numerously mighty ancient Magi of laws, causing huge damage to Magi organisations and leaving them no choice but to withdraw from the World of Gods.

If those rank 7 gods already had the possibility of revival after falling, then this was even more possible for ancient Magi of laws.

Rank 8 and peak rank 8 existences were already beginning to attempt at containing the laws of space and time in their bodies. Even if they were to fall, their truesoul could still sleep in the long river of time and space, and wait for a chance of revival. They would leave behind many conscients and make arrangements to give themselves another way out.

In the World of Gods, which was the battlefield of a large war, this would definitely happen.

Hence, the gods had worked together to develop the Weave. Using power of the entire world, they had gathered all the conscients of the fallen Magi and sealed them at the deepest parts of the Weave, and even formed the Weave Goddess to guard over it.

However, even though the gods had done their best to scour through the world, there were definitely still some that had escaped. Distorted Shadow was the largest one that had gotten away.

Now, after tens of thousands of years, Distorted Shadow had finally found a Magus suitable to deal with this situation. That would be making use of Leylin, who had used Alternate World Reincarnation and arrived in the World of Gods!

The moment he used Karsus' Avatar, the Weave Goddess would immediately fall. Making use of his temporary hold over the weave, Leylin could destroy the seal of the gods and let out the conscients of the ancient existences of laws.

"Dying here in ancient times and still leaving conscients behind in wait for a chance at revival… These are all at least rank 7 Magi of laws…"

Leylin stroked his chin, clicking his tongue as he imagined this.

"While they're a bunch of dead people who are powerless, the mystery of Magi can't be easily understood by the gods. They can probably regain much of their strength in a short time or even completely revive. That would mean the reappearance of the ancient final war…"

"His plan is great, and he seems to have something planned not just in the floating city…"

Leylin's lips quirked in a smile, "Unfortunately… he met me…"

Initially, with Distorted Shadow's laws, he could entirely cast the power of distortion by making use of the conscient and energy in the scroll. That would cause Leylin to unknowingly walk the path that Distorted Shadow had determined.

It was a pity that even the peak rank 8 ancient Magus, Distorted Shadow, knew nothing about the existence of Leylin's A.I. Chip. His main body had reached an unimaginable level and could discover the Magus and even expel him, therefore allowing him to have the upper hand.

Now, the key to starting the final war once again and letting out the conscients of numerous existences of laws were all in Leylin's hands.

The main body of Distorted Shadows had already fallen, and much of his conscients were sealed in the core of the Weave. With Leylin, he could only try to make a trade and entice him to doing what he wanted.

It was a pity that Leylin had no intentions of letting them out.

"I'm too weak… my main body is only a semi-rank 7 Warlock. When it comes to battle might, I'm only comparable to a rank 7 Magus of laws, and I'd find escaping from a rank 8 existence to difficult, much less those peak rank 8s…"

Leylin evidently knew himself well.

The World of Gods was like a playground for him now. Why would he divide it and hand it over to others?

In addition, these methods of causing a life and death struggle would definitely result in an all out counterattack from the gods. Leylin wasn't so eager to please the Magi that he would do this.

"But if I don't do anything, those ancient Magi might do something desperate, so I need to give them some hope…"

Leylin's eyes darted around as he came up with a plan. Having this Karsus' Avatar was an important deterrence and meant that he could turn the tables at any moment!

Even if his identity was found out or leaked, then he could just move on. When faced with a threat like this, it was probably the gods who were more fearful.

"But this is only in the worst case scenario… I have to focus on becoming a god first…"

Leylin pondered inside. He knew clearly what his path was. While he was merely a semi-rank 7 Warlock, successfully becoming a god and receiving his main body to descend here would definitely allow him to advance to a whole new level.

"I've made all the theoretical preparations. I just have to wait for energy to be poured in."

Leylin sighed, "Looks like I'll have to go to the north and spread faith in me as well as prepare to get priests. That's the priority now…"

Trying to become a god as a Legend without help from any god could be said to be insane.

However, after getting the Shade City, Leylin now had the confidence to say this!

The fusion between a great arcanist and a floating city would even cause a true god to tremble!

"Things are dire now, so there's no need to return to the outer sea. I'll go to the north then…" Leylin's eyes flashed and he transmitted a few orders.

The Shade City that was in a spatial turbulence rumbled and, like a huge warship that was ten thousand tons heavy in the sea, split the waves at both sides and pushed the elemental turbulence aside. It began to move at what appeared to be slow but was actually quick pace in a certain direction.

...

The north, at the edges of Sabu Valley.

Noble cavalry with the flag of a viscount unhurriedly moved along, protecting a noble couple within.

There were green wheat fields at the sides. The ears of wheat were being extracted, and farmers caressed them with their two hands lovingly as if watching one's lover, elated at the harvest.

For refugees from the north, obtaining life as it was now had been difficult.

Just surviving from the orc disaster three years ago meant needing protection from the Goddess of Luck, and very few were lucky enough to arrive at human territories. The others either starved to death or were killed by bandits or orc soldiers, and even became rations.

The refugees that survived had no guarantee that they could settle down, as there were far too many of them from the north. This resulted in great pressure for the master of the territories.

Those who had gotten the distributed territories could only weep at the difficulty in dealing with the disaster.

In comparison, the benevolence of this master of the land was enough for these victims to pray to him sincerely.

"The harvests from the newly plowed farmlands aren't half bad. Looks like we'll be able to get through winter…"

The viscount mistress spoke reservedly, glancing past the farmer that had bowed towards her. Only a few lucky ones were fortunate enough to be acknowledged by her by the nod of her head, and she had the air of an arrogant noble lady. Now, she watched her husband.

When it came to her husband, she wasn't satisfied nor dissatisfied. This was a mere transaction.

Thankfully, the people in the organisation had not lied to her and gotten her to marry some old man at death's door. That was something lucky for her.

The Viscount mistress looked at Tiff, who seemed like a middle-aged man, and could not help but sigh deeply.

Recalling what had happened to the north, she could not help but shiver. Those fierce and violent orcs had killed her family and slaves, and she herself had almost fallen into their devilish palms.

While she had been fortunate enough to escape, she had then met a few greedy pigs. Thankfully, with some quick-wittedness and luck, she had managed to keep her family's name and territories. However, almost half of it was gone, but the pitiful lady did not dare hope for more.

"Next… I'll have to give birth to a few children…"

She watched her husband as well as the few cowering maids behind him, looking hostile.

Only the mistress of the territories who gave birth to a male successor had the most secure position. There were already many girls wanting to climb into the bed of the master and get a better life, many of whom had once been nobles in the north.

"Indeed… while we spent a lot, we've finally we've finally settled this batch of refugees…"

Tiff had changed his appearance. He was now nearly two metres tall with bushy eyebrows and large eyes and seemed very masculine. His silver hair was slightly curled but combed neatly, and looked exactly like a traditional middle-aged noble in the north. The poor mistress had no clue that in terms of his real age, Tiff was probably even older than her father. However, if his age was to be considered in comparison with the average for Legends, Tiff was rather young.

However, nobles never cared about age, did they?

"What's wrong, darling?"

She found that her husband looked lost in thought.

"Oh, it's nothing. You can return first. I've gotten someone to call the jewel merchant and tailor to come over. They're going to pick the most beautiful and luxurious gown for you…"

Tiff planted a kiss on his lady's hand and sent her away.

-x-X-x-

Although she knew her husband was hiding something from her, Tiff's mistress still listened to him. Tiff had great power backing him, which caused her to feel slightly afraid.

With the ability to forcefully snatch something from the northern nobility, he wasn't someone she could spy on.

"Let's go to the village office!" After she left, Tiff brought his soldiers to a building near to the village.

This was the village office, the building Tiff provided for public use. He could take orphans in here, many of which were refugees. It made him look like a benevolent man.

These kids were so young they couldn't work, and they were destined to die of hunger quickly. Usually, nobody outside of the churches would take them in, and the disaster in the north had created an uncountable number of them. The few churches alone wouldn't be able to take them all in.

A black-robed person with a silver mask was standing in front of the village office's wooden door. The moment he saw this person, he greeted him without hesitation.

If anyone else saw the viscount calling someone 'Master,' they would definitely gape in shock. Someone with the authority to have a viscount bend the knee in a bow was a great noble, at least a marquis!

However, the knights behind Tiff did not even blink as they did the same, "Master!"

Most of them were trusted aides that had personally battled with Leylin before. There were also a number of subdued devil worshippers, so they obviously knew who Leylin was.

"You're doing well, Tiff!"

The person who had arrived here was obviously Leylin. Through the astounding speed at which Shade City had moved in the spatial turbulence, he arrived in the north quickly and arrived at his base.

From all he had seen and heard on the way, he was rather pleased with Tiff's recent work.

"Everything is going as per Master's instructions…" Tiff answered humbly.

"Let's enter together! I want to see what you've achieved…"

Leylin waved his arms, entering the office with Tiff.

On the way, there were children, teachers and nannies around bowing towards Tiff. By the looks of it, he had amassed a great reputation.

In private, Tiff continued to transmit to Leylin, "In order to avoid the priests and reduce expenditure, we only have five village offices like this. We've taken in almost a thousand children, and the average age is from 9 to 12, which is the prime time to educate them…"

Tiff now brought Leylin to a window, through which many yellow wooden desks and chairs could be seen. Tens of young girls listened attentively as a scholar taught. There were simple letterings on the black board, which meant this was a class to teach them how to read. This scene immediately had Leylin recalling the schools in his previous world.

"In addition, after seeing that we're giving them an education, some peasants have gotten their children to come and listen as well. I've agreed to that…"

Leylin listened closely, nodding occasionally as he saw the glint in the children's eyes within the classroom. That was hope!

"After studying for a while, the children who are believed to have the aptitude and perseverence will enter the higher-grade…"

Tiff brought Leylin deeper into the office. Nearby, Leylin could sense undulations from powerful beings monitoring the area, which meant security was tight.

"Divine studies… is a class about the gods. Here, I would like to introduce you all to a god, whose godly name is Kukulkan…"

...

"Praying and meditation are compulsory courses for priests…"

The things being taught here were somewhat immoral, which was why the students were all orphans who had been trialled and would stay here. They used something like primary school education as a model.

The scholars who passed down the information all wore black uniforms, and there was something about their aura that was contradictory to their roles.

After seeing Leylin, they immediately trembled and made to greet him, but Leylin waved his arms to stop them.

Exactly. These people who were instructing children with aptitude to become priests had all been devil followers, and had high priest rankings!

With Tiff's help, Leylin had long since subdued all followers of gluttony in the north.

He then did a round of selections and allowed only those who had gone through several trials and were truly loyal to nurture the future reliable priests!

Yes, all of those village offices and the education provided was all a pretense! In actuality, this was about selecting children and nurturing numerous priests. These would be the people providing Leylin with energy to become a god!

Something like this was far too sensitive, which was why Leylin had no intentions of doing this in the outer seas on his own territories. Here, there was no issue.

Firstly, due to the invasion of the orcs in the north, many refugees had lost their homes. The situation was very complicated and could be said to be a disaster. That had resulted in a large number of orphans, and turned into the best natural circumstances for Leylin.

Tiff being a Legend, those teaching the advanced parts being devil followers Leylin had subdued and the place where all this happened being Tiff's land, Leylin could do anything and create layers of seals that made it difficult for information to spread.

Most importantly, even if discovered, Leylin could just abandon this place. He could just cut off all ties easily, but there would be no damage to his foundation!

By the looks of it, Tiff was doing very well.

"We're limited by the qualified teachers we have as well as secrecy. This is the limits of what we can do…"

Tiff looked a little ashamed, evidently because he was unable to do more for the feathered serpent god, Kukulkan.

"That's alright. You're already doing very well…"

For the gods, the faith from priests was an essential part. They were beings that would be the prime mode of communication with followers, which was why they were very important. Outstanding priests had to be learned scholars and even needed to have some grace. Whether it was the peasants at the bottom of the hierarchy or nobles who were all about poise, they needed to be able to deal with all these people well.

These were all seeds!

Once the church stopped being in the shadows and came to the light, the other students might not become priests, but they could also be workers at the church. They would be the core strength of the church.

In this age, it was not so easy to have elites who possessed knowledge. If loyalty was required as well, then there was no way but to nurture them the whole way.

The inverted image of the Targaryen appeared in Leylin's eyes, causing Tiff to kneel reverently.

"My divine class has been expanding and is beginning to touch upon the domain of slaughtering. The prayers should also change slightly, including information to do with killing…"

Leylin now looked very much like a oracle, like some powerful being had possessed him.

"Understood, my master! You are the stars in the sky, and the serpent of the world that will devour everything. Murder shall be your sharpest sword…"

Tiff had lived for many years after all, and with just a moment, he managed to come up with a prayer.

This was obviously something temporary. There would need to be divine scholars and high-ranked priests to discuss and refine it, before leaving it to Leylin to make a decision.

After all, this was something important and could even change a god's domain, as well as the start of a godly war.

However, Leylin was now doing something very sneaky anyway, so he couldn't really care less.

"Mm, notify me once everything's confirmed. Also, prepare a quiet room for me and then summarise all the information gathered regarding the north…"

"Understood!"

Tiff respectfully withdrew, though his eyes now showed his excitement, "Is he finally making a move?"

He had always been the most enthusiastic about expanding the feathered god, Kukulkan's organisation.

While he had tried his best to hide it, taking in a thousand children and providing them with the chance at an education was astounding. With some hidden context, the nobles of the north were now fearful.

In the shadows, there was already a powerful resistance both in the shadows and in the open. Tiff knew that it was impossible if he wanted to expand here. The only method would be to force the way through!

Leylin's actions pointed to making a huge ruckus, which caused the hot-bloodedness in Tiff to rise.

...

"Hm, looks like the orc empire and werecreature tribes reconciled…"

Tiff moved quickly. After enjoying a great dinner that was made with the style of the north, Leylin quietly skimmed through intel regarding the north in his study room with the rays from magic lights.

With the A.I. Chip's help, he could read the documents incredibly quickly. With a slight glance, he could practically read ten lines and did not need any rest.

It was only after he put down the last piece of parchment that Leylin closed his eyes slightly, the information forming a network and showing him what had happened after he left vividly.

The largest change to the north was obviously the orc empire, formed from the remains of the Silverymoon Alliance.

Under Emperor Saladin's lead, the orcs stepped into the human's northern district that their ancestors never had the ability to do, and formed an empire of their own. Saladin's reputation amongst the orcs shot through the roof, and he could possibly become a god.

While the orc empire worked hard, the orc gods had also obtained immense benefits, especially the orc god Gruumsh. It was said that he had advanced in the path of the greater gods, and there were a few other orc gods who had increased their rank, becoming a lesser god to an intermediate god, which boosted the orc gods' strength by a large extent.

On the other hand, the resistance that the orc gods had also increased.

Not only did the greater gods, Weave Goddess and Tyr become their arch enemies, there were also the human gods who believed that the orcs were powerful enough that they needed to be kept under control.

-x-X-x-

The orcs were the ones who'd instigated the war, and on top of that they'd committed such a huge atrocity afterwards. The elven and halfling gods would not support them much. They thought the orcs too ruthless, and developed a desire to contain them.

This put the orc gods in a predicament. If it continued without end, they would likely only be able to find allies from the abyss or the hells.

This was why the orcish gods went all out in their search for new blood, especially the Blackblood Tribe in the Moonwood and the God of the Hunt, Malar. Orcs and werecreatures weren't much different, and they even looked rather similar.

On top of that, Malar's original form was that of a huge ape-like monster, so there was a high chance of him joining their side. With their tough situation, the orc gods would be relentless in their pursuit of this chance.

The decision from up above ensured that the orc empire tried to befriend Blackblood Tribe. They'd only be making a din in the dark forest at most, and with the territories that the orc empire now had, it wouldn't be too much trouble to give them that land.

While orcs were the majority, there were still an astounding number of humans left in the north. After all, only the human race could measure up to them in terms of their rate of reproduction. The effects of the humans' reign over so many years were not so easily removed.

In reality, despite the establishment of an orc empire many places weren't under their control. There were even a few armies hidden in the corners of the north, giving Saladin a headache.

With all the racial conflict, these rebel armies received the support of multiple organisations both in public and in the shadows. They'd won a few battles and liberated some cities, leaving the orcish armies up to the ears in work.

"While there's a revolt from the humans in the north, this is all guerrilla warfare, and there isn't a real leader and flag. This makes Alustriel key…"

Leylin finally understood why the church of justice would begin a plan to reclaim the kingdom now. Some time ago, the orc empire's strength had been concentrated and been difficult to deal with. Things were different now though, since taking over land and completely occupying it were very different things.

They were now scattered across the northern lands, making the orc army thin out. It was no wonder that just a guerrilla band could achieve victory so easily.

Tens of years later, the people of the north might succumb under the government of the orcs and completely forget about Alustriel. After all, the adaptability of humans was fairly terrifying.

Having seen this all, Leylin could not help but shake his head.

'Tsk tsk… Even though they've grasped a good opportunity, it'll be difficult to completely reclaim the kingdom.' Based on his deductions, Alustriel being able to establish a few bases to go against the orc empire was already rather impressive.

"The church of justice will recruit legendary beings, probably not just to deal with Saladin but also the avatars of the orc gods…"

Leylin's eyes glinted as he quickly went through the pros and cons.

"I now have too little information, so I can only consider working with them after meeting Rafiniya and other Legends…"

Rubbing at his temples, Leylin pondered over his next course of action before leaving the room.

"Master…"

Next to the door, there were two pretty maids that had been waiting for a long while who quickly knelt down.

Leylin could smell the scent of a purebred Pleasure Devil on them. However, their eyes were now filled with adoration and reverence for him.

After all, Leylin's soul essence was practically like half a devil archduke.

All devils who sensed his abstruse and dark strength would naturally do all they could to get close to him. This was an instinct of devils at all times, imprinted deeply into their genes.

"Hm, not bad!"

Leylin had no plans of being a saint now and placed his arms around the beautiful female devils who were like sisters, and entered the bedroom...

The next day, having removed his other appearance and regained his looks as a wizard, Leylin entered the outer parts of Yorkshire's church of justice.

"I'm here to see Rafiniya. This is the token she gave me."

Leylin passed an emblem that was gold on one side over. On the base that was like a shield, there was a cross sword and image of a rose.

"Please wait a moment. I will pass on the message for you!"

The church guard's eyes widened. Leylin's aura immediately made him feel like he was seeing someone important like the king. He was also in wizard robes, and the power that signified more than shocked him. Hence, he presented himself politely.

The guard who went in returned very quickly, though this time, he bowed so deeply that his nose practically touched the ground, "Welcome, esteemed wizard Leylin! Paladin Rafiniya is now away, but we have already informed her. We believe she will return soon… Many apologies for this. Please take a short rest in the church…"

The guard was actually trembling inside in fear. This was a legend! The pinnacle of strength in the continent, and even a legendary wizard at that!

As the youngest legend, and one that had become one in the most difficult path of a wizard, Leylin's reputation had long since spread in the continent. However, there were few who had actually met him.

"Fine. Lead the way."

Leylin entered alongside the guard, and upon entering through the doors, a few people hastened over, evidently to receive hi.

"Oh, Leylin, my friend! We finally meet…"

Next to the white-robed bishop of the God of Justice, Leylin saw another noble. His astounding memory caused Leylin to freeze for a second, and then put on a smile while going forward.

"Marquis Lancet! Long time no see…"

The noble who had come along with the bishop to meet Leylin was the one who held power over Yorkshire, and the one that had split the territories of a few unlucky noble families, Lancet.

"After hearing the beautiful birdsong from skylarks this morning, I knew something great was going to happen. I didn't expect it would be your arrival…"

Lancet now had a sincere smile on his face. He had a vivid memory of this kid who had gotten a position as a viscount during the feast of the dividing of lands in the north. Tiff, who he was helping, seemed to be doing something strange, but that wasn't important!

Leylin was now a legend! It was impossible to go wrong with improving their relationship. Actually, Marquis Lancet was already regretting not giving Leylin more.

"But… who would have known that he would become a legend in a few years?"

Lancet observed Leylin's young face, removing the jealousy deep in his heart with some difficulty and then smiling brightly.

"Also… this is a bishop of the God of Justice, Scholar Benedict, who's also a friend of mine…"

"I express my deepest gratitude for Sire's determination in offering yourself in the name of righteousness… The refugees suffering in the north will never forget your contributions…"

Benedict's voice was kind and resolute, and there was a glint in his eyes unique to those willing to die for their cause.

Leylin had no qualms that if Benedict were to be told that his death would save the lives of all commoners of the north, he would kill himself without hesitation.

It was pity that the people who were the most resolute were also the most troublesome...

"I'm only here because of a promise with Rafiniya. Whether I'll make my move at the end and when I do it is my freedom…"

Leylin had no plans of being careless with this and answered, causing the atmosphere to turn cold in an instant.

"Uh… haha… Whatever it is, having Sire Leylin coming all the way here is already enough… It must have been difficult to come so far. Please get some rest, and you can meet the other comrades later tonight…"

Lancet's mind moved quickly and immediately dispelled the awkward atmosphere.

"Even though he's the youngest legendary, has he already been corroded by reputation and power?"

After Leylin left, great resentment shone in Benedict's eyes. In his eyes, all legends on the continent were the same. They only wished for power and enjoyment, and never did what they should.

There were few willing to sacrifice themselves in the name of justice, and now this seemed to also go for the youngest to become a legend.

"But of course! He became a legendary with much difficulty and reached the peak in the continent. There are countless things for him to enjoy, so what right do you have to make him die for your sake?"

Lancet snickered inside while maintaining a smile on his face, "Sire Leylin just has yet to come to terms with what's going on yet. I'm sure with time, he'll change his mind…"

"Sigh… I hope so! The refugees of the north can't wait for long…"

Bishop Benedict sighed, looking as if he were bemoaning the state of the universe.

"The paladins and priests of the god of justice are all lunatics…"

While already mentally prepared, Leylin had honestly been scared by his naivety. If the bishop was like this, then he could guess at what the clerics were like. They were definitely not people Leylin would like.

"But only a church with such a zealous ambience would attract Rafiniya and have her treat this as her final home…"

-x-X-x-

Leylin sighed inside. A member of the clergy guided him to the back of the church.

Golden sunlight streamed into the room through the windows, showing the motes of dust in the air. Furniture and all other decorations were simple, as was customary in the church of justice.

"If you have any needs, please press the doorbell here. We will await any orders… Also, the meeting with the other lords will be after dinner. Paladin Rafiniya will arrive very soon." The servant that had brought Leylin in withdrew and closed the door.

Rafiniya came quickly. After all, Leylin was a legendary, and it was necessary to show him the required respect. Unfortunately for such a moronic paladin, Leylin had no common topic to discuss with her.

After enjoying a simple dinner, Leylin was guided to a small drawing room. A few masters with powerful auras were lying in wait.

'Are these the other legendaries?' Leylin nodded and headed inside.

The room was rather small. There was a bright red fur rug on the ground as well as a fireplace that was blazing brightly. However, there was no scent of smoke in the air. While this was the north, the room was still as warm as if it were spring.

"You… You must be the rumoured wizard from the outer seas. Leylin, right? You really are very young!"

Leylin's entrance immediately gathered their attention. A long-haired woman wrapped in a red mink fur coat stood up with a kind smile on her face.

"Besides us old geezers of the north, you arrived quite quickly."

She was evidently a legendary, and from the elemental domain power around her, she was a legendary wizard!

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Lillian, and next to me here is the paladin of the god of justice, Sire Patrick. Next to the fireplace is the protector of the north, the legendary druid, Alegor."

There were very few legends in the room, numbering only three.

The Queen Alustriel of Silverymoon and her chief scholar, Blu were not around. They were people that Leylin had wished to meet, and this left him slightly disappointed.

"Greetings…"

Of course, Leylin presented himself humbly on the surface and greeted the three of them politely while judging them.

Lillian was a traditional wizard. Undulations from magic items and scrolls were emitted from her body, and there even seemed to be some hidden aura there, likely some legendary item she had with her. Her battle might was not to be underestimated.

Patrick, on the other hand, was a man of few words and looked rather cold. This actually had Leylin snickering inside. Recalling the legendary paladin that had died at his hands, who had been said to be a judge or something like that, he was sure that the god of justice's church must have been dealt a great blow.

The last one was the legendary druid, Alegor, who was dressed in an interesting manner.

He was a burly man over three metres tall and with a thick brown beard. Next to his fuzzy ears was a pair of large forked horns like that of elks, with some leaves appearing at the tip. This druid did not wear much, and only had some beast hide and leaves that had been used to make an apron. This revealed a hairy and broad chest, which made him seem rather wild.

"Initially, as the protector of nature, I should not participate in these activities. However, those orcs are destroying nature to a terrifying degree, which goes against the most fundamental cycle and harmony here…"

Alegor now looked solemn, giving Leylin all the information he needed in a few sentences.

In general, all druids took on the responsibility of protecting nature. They were strongly against any actions taken to destroy it, and there was even the rise of radicals against this.

After occupying the north, the orcs were doing more damage to the environment in order to obtain more resources and materials.

The queen of Silverymoon had a great relationship with druids, which was why they began reminiscing about the time when she had been in power. It was understandable why they were hard at work here.

"Eye of the North… Protector of nature, as well as a paladin who is comparable to the judge from before…"

Leylin estimated the power they had.

With these the four of them, it was impossible to turn the orc empire upside down, but it was possible to affect the successes or failures of a few campaigns!

In addition, they were only the first batch that had arrived. The true trump cards were still hidden.

'What a pity… Even so, it's not possible to sway the orcs' power in the north. At the most, we can crack their foundations as a kingdom, but unless all the human gods band together, it's impossible to chase them out and restore our power. However, is that plausible?'

While having all sorts of complicated emotions inside, Leylin walked out of the church and into Yorkshire, where it was now night.

While it was late, this place was still rather boisterous. From the dazzling rays from various churches, there were also large oil lamps in front of shops. Some citizens strolled around after dinner, melodious holy songs and prayers sounding in the background. It was leisurely and relaxing.

"But… seems like the effects from the refugees of the north are yet to disappear…"

Leylin found that there was a very high frequency of patrolling, as well as occasional thievery, and he could not help but shake his head.

The surge of residents of the north was the greatest challenge for security. The huge increase in population, as well as entrance of nobility from the north, had increased the price of daily necessities and resulted in many citizens unable to voice their unhappiness.

Actually, the people of Yorkshire did not think well of these refugees. All believed that they had not only stolen their jobs, but were also a huge burden.

Perhaps they knew of a legend's senses and that sending people to monitor him would be useless unless a legendary thief or assassin were dispatched. Leylin strolled around and found that there were no people following him nor any magic for that.

"Of course, perhaps they have assured themselves that with the gods support, I wouldn't be able to do anything against them…"

Leylin shook his head and could not help but laugh, before then turned into a dimly lit alley.

Streams of dark red fog appeared by him, concealing his original aura. It was as if he had turned into a whole other person.

The people around him were all in a flurry, and none discovered this abnormality.

"With dreamforce concealing me, anything monitoring me will be rendered useless…"

Leylin stepped out of the alley that had an illusion hidden within and, as his figure flashed a few times, disappeared from the road.

With Leylin's legendary strength as well as boost from the illusions of dreamforce, it was just too easy to prevent any spying on him.

Light fluctuated, and the next time Leylin appeared, he had arrived in a secret room.

The black fog in the surroundings seemed to be like a huge beast that devoured everything. There was only a yellow light in the centre that emitted bright rays.

A few figures with powerful auras were dressed in black robes, waiting by the light.

"You're early…"

One of the black-robed people spoke to Leylin in a crisp, female voice.

"I never thought you'd have arrangements here in Yorkshire too…"

Leylin watched the female wizard before him. Under the light, she had removed her disguise and revealed her original appearance. This was the legendary wizard he had just seen, Lillian!

"Why did you transmit a message to me right before leaving… and there's these people…"

Leylin looked suspicious.

While this legendary wizard had looked normal during the meeting before, she had suddenly sent him an address at the end, wanting him to come here alone. There were also other powerful beings, and every one of them was a legend.

A gathering like this was definitely not for some sort of banquet.

"I've already set up multiple isolating spell formations. Even if its a god, none can discover our conversation unless their true body were to descend."

Lillian spoke with a smile, eyes seeming to burn, "Do you still not know the reason why we legends have gathered?"

What great plans could there be when a group of legends had sneakily gathered?

If profits were the largest priority, then what could attract these exemplary beings would be ascension to godhood.

Leylin knew this full well and smiled, "Well then, you haven't introduced me to them yet…"

"Keke… Is a little brat who just entered our domain capable of plotting with us?"

At this moment, a black-robed person standing next to Lilian snickered, sounding like an ghostly owl in the night, causing hair to stand on end.

*Boom!*

A tremendous and cold deathly aura with great pressure attacked Leylin in the next instant, like raging waves. There were even cries from maligned souls as well as powerful negative energy, corrosive auras.

The rest of the black-robed beings did not move as they watched on with smiles.

"Is this a probe? As expected, in circles like this in the dark, power is everything!"

With a thought, Leylin's body did not move and allowed the deathly aura to go past him. Many undulations rippled on the wall behind him, but he was completely unharmed.

"What a dense deathly aura… And you are?"

Leylin then smiled at the stunned black-robed person and asked.

"You're capable!" He declared, but did not make any more movements. Evidently, he found Leylin worthy.