At the thought of the task that the church had entrusted to her, Rafiniya suppressed her emotions and forced a smile. "This is pretty good! The captain mentioned it before in the north…"
'Not bad. It looks like you've matured a little after entering the church, though it's a pity that it's not much use.' Sensing her emotions, Leylin snickered inside. 'Unfortunately, She's far too naive.'
"Right, I still don't know what happened to you…" Leylin now held a cup of hot tea like a child wanting to hear a story.
"Once we separated, I returned to Silverymoon and met Her Highness. Then, I took part in the city's final defense…" Rafiniya laughed wryly, eyes glazed over as she immersed herself in her memories, "... Well, that's what happened. That paladin saved me, and after I recovered, I joined the God of Justice's church and have been working hard to protect the refugees in the north…"
"Right…" Leylin nodded gravely. He could sense that the devil mark he'd planted on her had already formed a perfect balance with the God of Justice's strength.
'A soul that's balancing on a dangerous path? That's even more interesting…' Leylin's thoughts didn't make their way to his face. "I've heard of the God of Justice's blessings. Is there anything else?"
Leylin looked unhurried as he held his cup, and Rafiniya wanted to sigh deeply. However, she thought back to her orders and spoke gravely, "I'm also here to ask my lord for help."
"Help? What help?" The rising steam blocked the teasing look in Leylin's eyes.
"It's related to the north. We've already made contact with Queen Alustriel, and we're trying all we can to help her restore the country. However, we currently lack strength and manpower, especially in terms of legendaries. While the church is doing all it can to help, there also similar problems in other areas…"
Tears began to well up in her eyes, "On account of those innocent commoners who are suffering in the north, I hope you can help us. After all, you were once helped by Silverymoon…"
'How naive,' Leylin shook his head, 'You're trying to invite a legendary without any form of payment?'
While he had gotten a lot of knowledge from Silverymoon, it was all earned from battle achievements and many other things. He didn't feel like he owed the city anything.
In addition, he'd have to fight the orc empire if he joined this war. Even if Gruumsh was being suppressed by Mystra and Tyr, their emperor Saladin alone was a huge problem.
"I have something very important to do for now, I'll be in the west for a while…" Leylin answered, causing the light in Rafiniya's eyes to dim.
"However…" Just as she felt complete despair, Leylin changed his words, "I might be able to come to the north if you wait a while."
"It won't be a problem at all! We're only preparing right now, and it'll be years before we begin. I can wait!" Rafiniya stood up, looking emotional, "Whatever it is, thank you very much. The commoners who are being trampled upon by the orcs in the north will never forget your contributions…"
"Mm," Leylin answered speechlessly, rolling his eyes inside. 'If I didn't have to go to the north for a bit to get something, do you think I would agree to this?'
Watching Rafiniya leave, Leylin stroked his chin as he sunk into deep thought. 'I never expected this. Tyr's church has already made contact with Alustriel, and they're even trying to help her rebuild her kingdom. It seems like the God of Justice has plans for the north…
'It is surprising that Alustriel agreed to this. Either Mystra and Tyr came to some sort of compromise, or she was moved by the refugees in the north. With her personality, it's probably the latter…'
Tiff had informed Leylin that the humans in the north weren't faring well. Other than the few lucky ones who'd managed to make it into the southern human nations, everyone was dead, exiled, or enslaved by the orcs. After all, the brutish creatures did not know agriculture, and needed human help in that department.
However, the feeling of a master becoming a slave felt terrible, and they were definitely treated worse than before. While Saladin was a wise emperor, he was still an orc. He needed to consider things from the orcs' point of view.
In addition, even if the orc empire sent down order after order about it, slaves were still abused or killed for entertainment. The humans in the north were in a living hell right now.
After seeing this situation, Alustriel, who had been living in hiding, had probably changed her mind. After all she was the type that was soft-hearted and unable to watch the weak plead for help. Were it not for Mystra's backing and her own strength, such a personality would have killed her countless times over by now.
'How many gods are gambling on the turbulence in the north? Mystra will definitely want to make a comeback. Tyr has made his stance clear, but his true intentions are still unknown. What do the other gods think?' Leylin's brows furrowed slightly.
He'd been small fry in the past. No matter what he did, he would not attract attention from the gods. However, things were different now. Legendaries could affect battles with avatars, and his own stand would be important.
Leylin now had to consider every move carefully, else he might immediately form enmity.
'Whatever it is, the moment I help Alustriel rebuild Silverymoon I'll become an enemy of all orcish gods. The human gods have a questionable stand themselves…' Leylin rubbed his eyebrows and sighed deeply, 'But there is something I must get my hands on in the north. Even if it's dangerous, I'll need to give it a try!'
'In order to get out of this uninjured, my strength will be key!' Leylin's target had never changed. No matter what the future held, he would never be wrong in working hard to increase his own strength.
'I won't be able to advance in rank significantly in just one or two years…' It took centuries to increase in ranking after entering the legendary realm. Leylin was already extremely fast. Still, he was weak compared to avatars and the better-known legendaries.
'Raising my own rank is too slow a way to strengthen myself in the short term. I can only rely on other items…'
The rules in the World of Gods were very stringent. Legendaries with high-ranked legendary items or divine weapons evidently surpassed all ordinary legendaries in terms of strength. Leylin now placed his focus on this aspect.
What divine weapons existed that could amplify one's strength more than a floating city? A floating city was the most suitable artifact for a legendary arcanist in Netheril's era. The two combined could even match a lesser god!
Besides Netheril's greatest accomplishment in the Mise energy core, every floating city needed to merge with a semi-plane. This made every complete floating city equivalent to a divine kingdom. It was basically an impregnable stronghold!
'If I obtain that floating city, I can do whatever I want in the prime material plane. I needn't even be afraid of the gods' avatars!' Leylin himself was already a legendary arcanist. If he obtained that floating city, he could probably become even stronger than the legendary arcanists of Netheril's time!
After all, the depth of Leylin's research as a near rank 7 Warlock in the Magus World far surpassed that of ancient arcanists.
'The first order of business is to deal with matters in the outer seas. I'll then head for the western desert.' Leylin's eyes twinkled as he made his mind.
In the following days, Leylin met different envoys with great statuses. They had come from huge organisations in different parts of the continent, all offering Leylin their blessings on his advancement as well as gifts. However, they didn't know him very well so there weren't any deep conversations.
Leylin was glad to see this happen. Without conflicts of interest, he mixed well with the many envoys, and everyone was happy.
Afterwards, Leylin hosted a huge ceremony. He officially accepted the congratulations of other small groups as the edict from Dambrath's king was announced.
The Faulen Family were now a lineage of Marquises, and were basically free to do anything in the outer seas. With a legendary wizard like Leylin there, the family's glory and honour would last a long time. After all, wizards had long life spans.
The outer seas would count on this legendary to maintain this freedom. With all the small organisations nearby joining the Faulens, the entire outer seas had basically separated from Dambrath. The Faulen Family's glory was only just beginning…
-x-X-x-
The World of Gods was vast and boundless, with the prime material plane being the core foundation. It had many other planes above and below it, and between them were an unimaginable number of scattered semi-planes. The combination of all this formed the mysterious ecology of the World of Gods.
All sorts of elementals, fleshly beings, angels, devils, and demons led to joys and sorrows, intense emotions and all forms of beautiful and bloody battles over race.
With its location and other advantages, the prime material plane had become the area with the most intense competition. Be it the gods up above or the devils and demons down below, everyone cast their greedy eyes on this place. Even the most barren western desert was contested.
Because some secret information had leaked, a few special existences had already placed their focus on this place.
...
The western desert was at the edge of the continent. It was huge and barren, containing parts of numerous empires. The occasional black sandstorm made it a forbidden region for all life, and only a few desert races managed to survive near oases.
Living in such harsh conditions, the natives of the western desert were fierce fighters, and everyone the place produced was extremely ambitious and terrifying. They were widely known for their bloodthirst.
While the western desert was extremely barren and there were few signs of human inhabitation, there were still a few merchants who would come to purchase its specialities, and there were some who especially came here to experience this environment. They would use the harsh environment of the desert to discipline themselves in their faith, breaking through the limits of life. Some even attempted walking through the desert, reaching an unimaginable realm upon success. Of course, most people died.
Most bodies were buried by the sands, while some became food for the desert's creatures.
It was now the prime season again, and merchants and adventurers headed towards the place. The traders went annually, while the adventurers dreamt of gold. There were also mercenaries, and those seeking to temper themselves once again in the severe environment of the desert.
Everyone headed west, towards wealth, power, passion, and sexy dancers…
The town called Narwick was in the outer regions of the desert, formed around a little oasis. Its name translated to corner or edge, and it prospered as the entrance to the western desert as well as a point of service.
Various merchant groups and tourists from all over the world entered this place in the trading season, practically filling the entire city. Beings of all races and alignments walked the streets, and there were goods from everywhere in this place.
Some individual merchants chose to sell their goods here, getting more time to head deeper into the desert. It also attracted more business.
Scimitars made of refined ore from the depths of the desert, female slaves who were so flexible they were said to be boneless, those slaves from the native tribes… There were many items from ruins here as well, both originals and fakes filling the market.
A white-robed wizard entered Narwick in this prosperous time.
"It's the annual opening day? How lively!" Leylin nonchalantly watched the passersby and the many stalls, his footsteps never halting as he glanced past what were said to be treasures from the ruins found deep in the desert.
With his foresight, he could definitely tell that most were fake, and the rest weren't valuable enough for him. He would definitely have to pay a terrible price for those.
The entire city was filled with people of various races and all walks of life, which helped him widen his perspective. Warriors, thieves, assassins, bards… There were even rare wizards and swordsmen who were unique to the desert. These people were guarding merchant groups or forming parties for adventure. There were even some lone wolves who gave off a very dangerous aura.
'These people should be hoping to make some wealth while the black sandstorm's dissipated…' Leylin shook his head inside. This desert was rumoured to be formed during a great battle amongst the gods. It had once been beautiful and fertile land, with numerous powerful civilisations.
Astounding ruins now hid beneath the yellow sands, and some people were lucky enough to uncover some and strike it rich overnight. This motivated generation after generation of adventurers and explorers to enter the ends of the desert, fearless of death as they looked for traces of the past.
Leylin too needed a guide to bring him into the desert, until he reached the Frostfall Valleys.
'Even if I've bought a map, it's too vague. A mere piece of paper can't explain the dangers along the way either…' While thinking this, Leylin entered a bar.
His senses were flooded by the clamour the moment he pushed the door open, the smells of alcohol, meat, and perfume entering his nose.
This place was evidently a combined bar, inn, and stage. It was loud, and a musician in strange clothing was beating the drum at his waist. A dozen passionate women danced to this vulgar beat, wearing clothing that revealed their belly buttons. Their eyes were tender, and red veils covered the lower halves of their faces, only making them seem more mysterious and tempting.
Gold hoops moved across fair legs that stamped to vigorous moves as bodies swayed. The bells and tassels intertwined smoothly.
The guests cheered endlessly as they watched this graceful dance. The occasional merchant was so intoxicated they threw silver and gold coins on the stage, causing the atmosphere to grow more heated.
"Not bad…" Leylin nodded slightly. He could sense the aura of a few powerful beings in the inn. A few merchants were evidently being guarded by high-ranked Professionals.
He then glanced past them and focused on a large round table on the right. A swordsman decked in white took up the entire thing, yet nobody protested it.
He wore a veil and white turban unique to the natives, and his long narrow eyes gave off a sense of coldness. A black scabbard for a scimitar lay at his waist, the shaft having no ornaments but still giving Leylin a slight sense of danger.
'A near legendary swordsman? He's probably the strongest in the inn…' With Leylin's current rank, he'd not caught the attention of this man after spying on him. Casually throwing a gold krona at the attendant in front of him, he was respectfully invited to a seat at a table.
"Give me lamb chop, vegetable soup and fruit juice…"
Compared to steak that was tender and full of fat, lamb chop had a unique fragrance. With the seasoning that was similar to pepper as well as the unique meaty texture, it was drool-worthy.
Once his stomach was filled, the attendant came over to tidy up. A golden lustre flickered between Leylin's fingers, "Tell me where I can find the best guide, and this gold krona is yours…"
"You wish to enter the desert alone?" There was a trace of greed in the attendant's eyes, but he seemed to be put on the spot as he spoke, "The best guides have been hired by the large merchant groups. The rest are probably not better than me in terms of knowledge of the desert… It's very dangerous to enter the deserts alone. It's best that you join a group or form a group with other mercenaries…"
While he really wanted to earn this gold krona, the attendant still advised him tactfully.
"Is that so… Whatever it is, I like people who aren't led by their greed. This is yours." Leylin had never hoped for much anyway, so he nodded and put the coin on the table.
"May the gods protect you, esteemed customer!" Not expecting anything, the attendant was pleasantly surprised, "If you don't mind, I could help you contact a few adventuring groups…"
"There's no need for that!" Leylin waved his arms. Low-ranked Professionals would just burden him now. Besides, he had a clear goal, and entering a group would only cause strife.
After sending him away, Leylin picked up a glass of dark red wine, as if slowly appreciating it. In actuality, the A.I. Chip's detection was operating at its limit as it gathered information from around him and tidied it up.
This sort of place was where information circulated best. With the A.I. Chip's unusual abilities of gathering and sorting information, Leylin soon had a general idea of the identities of the people in the hall and the organisations they belonged to.
"... A month later… Frostfall Valleys…" At this moment, a conversation conducted in hushed whispers could be heard, causing him to freeze.
Making use of the movements of drinking his wine, he nonchalantly glanced to the side at the swordsman he'd taken note of. There were now a few others seated around him, whispering to each other as they discussed matters.
One of them was evidently a wizard, and she drank some clear water as her right arm secretly created a noise barrier. Unfortunately, this much was the same to Leylin as not doing anything at all.
'A month later… Isn't that the time that the floating city will appear? The location's right as well!' Leylin then turned grim, "It looks like I'm not the only one with information about the floating city. This is going to be troublesome…'
Fortunately, Leylin had somewhat expected this. There were many arcanists interested in the floating city after all, and it was hard to guarantee that others hadn't found this secret in historical records and deduced the time and location of its appearance.
-x-X-x-
'My luck is still pretty good. A guide appeared of their own accord…' Leylin glanced at the white-robed swordsman and his group, a hint of blue shining in his eyes before he left immediately.
The wizard of the group watched their swordsman freeze. She asked with surprise, "What is it?"
"Nothing much. Something felt off for a moment." The swordsman looked slightly baffled, his right hand on his scabbard as he took a look around. He sat down once more, looking puzzled.
He'd felt a chill up his spine that moment, as if death was right before him. However, that sense of danger had disappeared before he could take stock of the situation.
"You're being paranoid. We can't leak news of our mission…" A black-robed person spoke in a low voice.
"Perhaps that's it," he said as he sat down. His hand was still on his scimitar, though, and his frown didn't dissipate.
...
Leylin had already left the area, and was now strolling along the bustling streets.
'His senses are good. Even if it was only for an instant, the ability to sense my intent is quite impressive. He'll probably become legendary in a few years' time, but that's only if he can survive this…'
His noble attire, rosy cheeks, and extravagant accessories were signs of wealth, and they caused many small peddlers to pay attention to him.
"Take a look at this, esteemed customer. Old Jafar has the best things here…" One in particular held a golden scepter up for Leylin to see. It was an old white man with golden hair, "Take a look at these patterns and decorations… I unearthed this while I was still an adventurer, braving deadly danger in an ancient ruin. It's said to hold the secrets of the ancient Sun Dynasty within, and it can be yours for just one hundred kronas…"
"Ancient Sun Dynasty?" Leylin halted his footsteps, a teasing smile on his face. He watched this Old Jafar do all he could to introduce the item.
"Indeed! It was a dynasty from a time before this place became a desert. Legends talk of a large golden river, flowing not with water but honey and milk. The land was filled with golden words in that era, and this scepter contains a secret of theirs…"
"Your name is Jafar, yes?" Leylin stopped in front of the stall, watching this old man who was evidently not a human from the deserts, "Why did you settle here?"
"Sigh… I met the mother of my children during my life as an adventurer. I naturally can't leave…" Jafar chuckled. Although he seemed honest, there was still a sly look in his eyes that could not be concealed.
"So? Since we're both from the south, I can sell it ten kronas cheaper. The Goddess of Luck is smiling down on you…"
"I'll take a look…" Leylin seemed interested, and he crouched down in front of the booth.
"All these things are from ruins?" Jafar had placed decorative ornaments on a greasy black cloth, and some of them still had a layer of rust on them. It gave the illusion that he was speaking the truth.
Unfortunately, Leylin had acquired the Scholarly feat when he'd advanced to the legendary realm. His appraisal skill had hit its limit, and he used the A.I. Chip to immediately see through these fakes.
"This looks pretty good. It'll look good on my wall…" Leylin 'appraised' a dark gold mask that was carved in the likeness of a cobra.
"Of course! How can there be nothing decent from the ancient ruins for an esteemed guest like you?" Jafar's face wrinkled in his delight.
"This, this, and this. I want it all…" Leylin acted like a deceived noble, buying seven to eight items. Jafar's smile was so wide he couldn't close his mouth.
"This too, and these…" Leylin continued to point at things with both hands, basically buying everything in the stall.
"Old Jafar is going to get rich at this rate…" The surrounding peddlers all stared hard at Jafar in envy.
"I'll buy all of this… Hmm… there seems to be an issue with carrying them…" Leylin looked troubled.
"No issue, there's no issue at all!" Jafar quickly discarded the items Leylin didn't want, his movement faster than a high-ranked thief. He placed the four ends of the cloth together and bundled the items up. "How about that? So easy. I can even send this to your inn…"
Old Jafar had a cajoling smile on his face, "That comes up to 1372 gold kronas, and I've already given you a discount…"
"Umm…" Leylin appeared like those generous guests that were easily cheated, "Fine! Do you accept bills from the church of wealth, or will you come with me as I withdraw the gold?"
...
Every market had a church of wealth, and a huge market like the western desert obviously wouldn't miss out. The small town had one to serve the merchants.
Leylin sent the extremely thankful Jafar away once they exited the church, turning a corner on the street.
'I never thought I'd find something great from a peddler…' Leylin flung the bundle in his hands, and all the fake gold items clattered to the ground like trash.
'A legendary magic beast hide with some information on it…' Leylin stared at the greasy cloth, blue light flickering in his eyes. This was what he'd set his sights on, the cloth Jafar used to display his goods.
'I wonder how he managed to get this hide. Could he really have been an adventurer?' Leylin stroked his chin, but didn't linger on the thought. He'd paid for the items, so this was his now. He couldn't be bothered with how Jafar had gotten his hands on it.
'Just the material alone is worth the price. I'll need to have the A.I. Chip decipher the information on it.'
Leylin knew the history of the west desert well. It had once been the core of Netheril, and in its days of glory been filled with fertile land and a huge population. Unfortunately, with Netheril fading away and wars involving gods occurring in the place, the west had become a desert.
If not for that, why would an arcanist who leapt through dimensions keep his floating city here?
'This encryption… It doesn't seem like an arcanist's, but there's still some exemplary strength… It even contains the secrets of a lost civilisation…' Leylin's eyes glinted. If Jafar learnt of the secrets of this hide, he'd probably grow so annoyed with himself he'd just commit suicide.
Leylin was in a great mood now that he'd obtained a treasure. He walked out of the corner and then glanced through the items in the stall with more focus. With his foresight and experience, no treasures escaped his sights.
Unfortunately, that had been the only one. Nothing stuck out to him after that.
...
"Boohoo… Please help us. Please help us…"
Some cries attracted Leylin's attention at this moment, leading him forward. A large crowd had formed a huge circle up ahead, and caused a disturbance that Leylin took notice of as he drew closer.
In the middle of a circle was an adventurer and a crying little girl.
The adventurer had fallen down, looking like he'd met with great hardships in life. He was no longer young, and his lips were blue. It looked like some sickness had acted up all of a sudden.
"Uncle, uncle! Please wake up…" With such a huge crowd watching, the girl's cries made her seem even more helpless.
"He must have gotten poisoned. There are many dangerous beings in the desert nearby…" An experienced mercenary went up, touching the adventurer's neck and pulling up his eyelids to check, "Unless I have a specific antidote, I can't do anything. Do you know what poison it was?"
The little girl froze after hearing this, and began to bawl more sorrowfully, "I- I don't know. Vivian is so useless, sniff… uncle…"
"Sigh… Unless a high-ranked priest is here to cast Neutralise Poison, he's…" The mercenary looked around, "Who amongst you is a high-ranked priest?"
The crowd avoided his gaze, evidently not wanting to be involved in this. A death would cause the guards to come here, and the interrogations and the like would be very time-consuming. They could even be blackmailed by shameless jailors and officials, which caused most of the crowd to leave.
The area was bustling with activity, yet they pretended not to see the little girl and the adventurer who seemed to be breathing his last. There was a great sense of detachment in this place.
"Little girl, we need to look for other methods… At the very least, we'll need an inn…" The mercenary looked troubled, obviously seeing the impatient urging from his companions. He halted midway his speech, realising that no inn would take in an adventurer on the brink of death, and he was only making things difficult for himself.
"Sigh…" With this thought, the mercenary too looked agonised and place a small bag of copper coins in front of the wailing girl, "Take these and bury your uncle well!"
He then left quickly in large strides, as if afraid of something.
-x-X-x-
The streets were bustling with life, starkly contrasted by the sorrowful cries of a young girl. The bystanders dissipated quickly, death something they'd seen all too often in the desert. They were all in a hurry to strike it rich, so who would care for something like this? A few thugs even eyed the coin pouch in front of the girl.
They were also looking at her person. Even though she was very young, beauty shone through her crying face. There would probably be many people who'd want someone like her. Selling her to child traffickers would be profitable.
'Interesting… How will things progress from here?' Leylin watched on with his arms in front of his chest, apathetic like a god up above. He wouldn't be moved by the lives of these individuals.
His focus suddenly shifted in another direction, at a monk that headed over slowly. He had a pugilistic aura, with short brown hair, thick eyebrows and a weak-looking gaze. He only wore coarse sack clothing, with patches all over it making it look tattered. He only wore one shoe.
The monk even had a putrid smile, causing the crowd to distance themselves from him.
'A monk!?' A trace of fear shone in Leylin's eyes. This person was powerful, already at the legendary realm.
Monks were people devils did not want to meet at all. They rejected the pleasures of life, their staunch souls not corroded by anything. Meeting a legendary monk was like hitting a jackpot.
'There's a monk here at this time… Does it have anything to do with the floating city?' Leylin frowned. That adventuring team with near-legendary strength wasn't worthy of his attention, but he'd have to focus on this monk's actions. Were their targets the same, another variable would be added to his plan.
"Let me try…" The monk approached the crying girl and spoke with a hoarse voice, as if he had not drunk water in a long time.
"Boohoo… It's not use. The mercenary just now already said that unless you're a high-ranked priest…" Vivian wept, but still passed the coin pouch filled with copper to him, evidently treating him as a beggar.
"Thank you, kind-hearted young lady, but I can't accept any gifts or money…" He smiled gently, and then moved closer to the unconscious adventurer. "It's the Hellthorn Flower, a common and very poisonous flower seen at the edges of the desert. But it's already mutated a few times… This will be difficult."
A bundle of warm light emanated from the monk, and seeped into the body of the adventurer on the ground. The healing light caused the adventurer to improve visibly.
The spell naturally attracted the attention of bystanders, and someone with good eyesight soon exclaimed, "Poison Removal? No, that's True Resurrection!"
"A rank 9 divine spell that one has to be rank 19 to cast…" Everyone froze, their eyes trained on the monk with reverence. It was a respect for strength. Seeing the situation changing, the thugs disappeared into the corners of the streets, leaving in the blink of an eye.
"Ugh…" The bruising on the adventurer's lips dissipated, and he blinked before opening his eyes completely. He looked at the little lady in front of him. "What's wrong, Vivian? Where am I now?"
"Uncle! Uncle, you're awake!" Teardrops sparkled on Vivian's face as she threw herself into his embrace.
"Uncle, you fainted on the road. It scared me so much! This grandpa saved you," Vivian said as she pointed to the monk.
"Thank you very much, grandmaster!" The adventurer knew his adventures much better than the girl did, and therefore understood the strength and abilities of the person who had healed him. Upon hearing this, he immediately got up to thank the monk, and then reached for his coin pouch.
Priests required a fee to cast spells on their believers. A high-ranked divine spell was very expensive.
"There's no need for that… We clerics are duty-bound to help the injured and dead…" The monk shook his head and rejected the man with a smile, and then swaggered into the market. However, nobody dared to underestimate him this time.
As he left, the monk's dark eyes scanned the area Leylin had been in. Seeing nobody there, he looked puzzled.
Only after the monk's figure disappeared from the streets did the adventurer leave with the girl. It was then that Leylin walked out from the shadows.
"Tsk tsk… as expected of a legendary. His senses are better than that swordsman…" Leylin sighed, heart heavy. If this man was also here to contest for the floating city, things would be very troublesome for him. And his instincts told him that this was almost certainly the case.
'Ugh… It seems like more than one organisation knows about the appearance of the floating city…' Leylin looked grim, 'Looks like I'll need to make my move as soon as possible…'
...
Night soon fell. Lights and fire emerged everywhere in the market, illuminating the dark area.
The market bustled with activity even at night. However, once the moon crawled halfway across the sky, the shops that had been boisterous before turned completely silent. The merchants and the rest entered their dreams after a long day.
'Dreamscape View!' Leylin currently stood at the top of a tower, eyes flickering with strange red lights as a red crack appeared on his forehead. Scattered spots appeared all over the town in his vision, twinkling like the stars in the sky.
These various starlike spots were actually the dreams of different people. Those that were whitish in colour belonged to the weakest commoners. Professionals were much more dazzling, while high-ranked ones were bright as torches. The legendaries were like pillars of light reaching into the skies, obvious in an instant.
'The dreams of regular humans are far too weak. If I'm not careful, I could kill a whole bunch…'
These dreams showed Leylin things that hadn't been revealed in the day.
'First is Jafar… Hmm, that beast hide was something you picked up by accident. No wonder you didn't know its true value…' Shifting his attention from a dim speck, Leylin glanced towards the west, looking serious.
'As expected of a legendary monk. I can't see through him, nor his dreams… Not like I intend to deal with him anyway. Dream Eater is a trump card, and I'd be foolish to cast it even before I see the floating city…'
WIthout alarming him, Leylin found his main target. There were dazzling dreams in the inn, like pillars of light. Leylin could see them through Dreamscape, and almost visualise a young man who'd been practising his sword skills from a young age.
'Here you are…' Leylin smiled slightly, launching dark red dreamforce that formed a winged eyeball.
"Go!" With Leylin's command, the eyeball flapped its wings and flew into one of the dreams.
With the Nightmare Absorbing Physique, Leylin's grasp of dreamforce had reached great heights. With the different system of power being applied on him, the target didn't even notice the eyeball.
...
Many merchants aimed to make use of the cool weather in the morning, walking the path of hopes and dreams. The high-ranked Professionals began their journey as well.
"What's wrong, Allerie?" The white-robed swordsman asked the wizard journeying with them, puzzled.
"It's nothing much. I just recalled my dream last night, and it was a little disgusting…" The wizard had a terrible look on her face, and she retched. There were dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn't had a good rest the whole night.
"Dream? Disgusting?" The swordsman was startled, but he didn't ask further.
"Yes, it was just a dream!" she repeated, as if trying to encourage herself. However, at the thought of the vivid dream, the wizard couldn't help but tremble, even as a high-ranked spell caster.
She'd actually swallowed a winged eyeball whole in her dreams! It had been exceedingly vivid, to the point that her throat still remembered that disgusting and greasy feeling.
"Could this be some specific curse… No, no, I've already checked properly. There's nothing strange. That was just a nightmare. But… why did I dream of that…" She looked confused and touched her forehead, "Looks like I'll need to get something to soothe my nerves tonight…"
Within the town, Leylin glanced at the map in his hands while looking deep in thought. The situation of the little group appeared in a crystal ball next to him, the point of view that of the wizard.
"The implantation was successful. Now that I have their position, they won't be able to escape…" Leylin was rather satisfied with his work. These guides would make his own journey more convenient.
Having them show the way, he could follow their path at a distance. There was no danger or trouble whatsoever. Watching them from such a large distance, it was impossible for him to be discovered.
-x-X-x-
Berserk energy from the four elements roared in a large semi-plane outside the prime material plane, causing ripples in the sky. The sky seemed to distort and shatter.
There was no sun nor moonlight here, only a sparkling ambient light. Layers of ashen-white bones littered the ground, their height unknown. There were some little white flowers growing out of eye sockets, the most beautiful flower buds blooming. Numerous vines crawled over the bones, as if subsisting on them.
A gale blew past the area, and it was like a rain of flowers as the plants dispersed to reveal bones on the ground. This plane was actually formed of all sorts of bones piled together.
These bones were about the same size as those of humans. Some were exceptionally small but thick, likely coming from halflings and dwarves. There were even some extremely large animal bones scattered in the area, forming little hills.
This semi-plane was one of bones, on the verge of being smashed into pieces. It was hidden in the gaps between numerous dimensions, unvisited for a long time.
*Ka-cha! Ka-cha!* At this moment, a slight cracking sound could be heard from underground, followed by some shaking.
*Gulu! Gulu!* A hill of bones gave way, and large amounts of smoke and dust were sent flying. Meanwhile, a protruding round head rolled out of a crevice in the ground.
This was a dazzling human skull. The eye sockets flickered with two still flames, and dead black soul force lingered around the area, emitting powerful undulations. The skull's teeth chattered and its jaws creaked, seemingly shaking in confusion.
"I've been asleep for a thousand years…" The skull spoke in a desolate voice, its tone ancient. Only a scholar who had researched the past would be able to understand it.
*Crunch!* The skull meshed its teeth together and seemed to spit out something similar to parchment paper. A layer of light flickered, and letterings as well as a map were projected in the air.
"The year where the elemental tides streak through, when the black crows cry out to the blood moon… The Simoshel Canyon… east of Cygnus!" A fire blazed in the skull's eyes as it found a few sparkling bones, slowly recreating its body.
"The floating city. The best achievement of the arcanist era, able to match up to the gods' divine kingdoms…" The skull spoke as if it was chanting, an aura of despair from the very soul covering the area like a cloak.
"That floating city is definitely mine! The Skeleton Lich, Ilyo Paxlude!" A staff of bones automatically moved its way to the lich, a blood red gem at its top emitting crimson light.
*Roar!* The lich tapped the ground with his staff, and it split apart to reveal the head of an enormous creature.
This creature was tens of metres tall, with large bony wings and two heads that looked abnormally sinister. A brilliant soul energy could be seen within the thing's skull. This was evidently the necromancer's favourite pet— A two-headed bone dragon!
"Keke… Let's go, darling…" Strong winds blew, and the double-headed bone dragon flapped its wings, carrying the skeleton lich on its back and entering the terrifying elemental storm. The violent storm seemed to quiet under their might, forming a pitch-dark channel.
The bone dragon roared and disappeared at the end of the plane...
People had gotten wind of this at several other places.
"Abnormal movements from the bone kingdom? Seems like that lich has awoken…"
"Ilyo… It's really been a long time. I have yet to settle that grudge with him…"
"The envoy of death, the skeleton lich? How interesting…"
All sorts of mysterious godly conscients flickered all over the world, and then all focused on the bone kingdom without prior agreement.
A few gazes seemed to have their own goals, heading towards the western desert.
...
Scorching sunlight fell on the sand dunes, causing heat waves that distorted the air. Practically all moisture had evaporated, and each breath one took in this place was like breathing in fire.
The desert's surface was reaching the limits of temperature, and could practically roast a person alive! The entire desert looked like a place disallowing of life. Even the scattered cacti around the area had disappeared, and there was not even a hint of greenery.
The leading swordsman looked at the map in his hands, beginning to check the distance, "We're already very deep into the desert, so we have to do our best to retain our strength. We'll also need to plan for our items and water… What's wrong, Allerie? Still thinking about the dream that night?"
Upon looking up, he found the wizard in his group had grown absent-minded once more, and his question revealed a slight annoyance.
"No, I'm feeling better now… it's just this weather…" Allerie gathered hair behind her ear and felt her dry skin while sighing inside. That dream no longer disturbed her, but the terrible environment in the desert was now giving her a vivid lesson. Even with the protection of magic, she felt this difficult to endure.
Seeing this, the swordsman could only curse in his mind at the nonexistent stamina of wizards. Still, there was nothing that could be done. He encouraged her, "Hang on for a while. We'll reach the dream oasis soon enough, so you can get some rest there…"
The mention of the dream oasis perked up everyone in the group. They were currently deep inside the western desert, and it was exceedingly dangerous. Terrifying black sandstorms could erupt at any moment.
Even if they were near legendary adventurers, there was nothing they could do in the face of nature; there would still be dangers.
The dream oasis was the only source of water in the depths of the western desert. It was said that this was a moving crescent lake and shrub forest, as well as the only hope for survival that lost travellers had.
"My most recent information, and this map, all indicate the dream oasis is up ahead. We can't be wrong!" The swordsman yelled to raise the morale. With that hope, the group sped up quite a bit.
However, none of them realised that someone had noticed all their actions from behind them.
"The dream oasis… That place is very close to Frostfall Valley… I might not even have found it if not for these guides…" Leylin was riding a sand scorpion, a winged eyeball flapping in front of him. It showed him scenes of those people.
With the group of adventurers showing the way, he did not need to take detours. As long as he followed the safe path they did, everything would generally be fine. With the distance limiting them, normal detection spells wouldn't be able to find him.
"Once here… How do I say this… their value is decreasing…" Leylin stroked his chin. In his opinion, this group was the weakest wave of those eyeing the floating city. "But they seem to have a leader. I'll just put them ahead and see what they attract…"
Leylin patted the scorpion he was riding, and the large beast immediately cried out. It's eight legs alternating in motion as it sped up its advance through the desert…
There was nothing to see along the way in the desert but sand, except the bones of all the monks that had died. Leylin had even noticed a withered corpse with no moisture, one that looked like a mummy.
Monks trained by toying with their lives. Without clear water, they would end up dead, and there were few who would be saved by kind-hearted merchant groups.
"But… it seems too calm…" No longer bothering with the many corpses buried by sand, Leylin urged the sand scorpion to keep moving forward.
The western desert definitely had many dangers. However, there was a group of elite high-ranked Professionals ahead. Besides natural disasters like the black sandstorms, they could deal with anything. Their numbers hadn't even dropped yet.
While it seemed normal, Leylin found something strange. The path to the floating city shouldn't have been so clear.
It was at this point that Leylin's face showed a sudden understanding, 'It appeared… I never thought that there would be natives deep within the western desert. Could these people be remnants of Netheril?'
At this thought, he gave up his ride and cast a flight spell, soaring into the air while flapping his wings.
Once he passed countless sand dunes, a deep green entered his eyes. In a place where the only thing on the horizon was yellow sand, there was a sparkling crescent lake and a large oasis. Seeing this in an area void of life could move someone emotionally.
However, there were signs of disharmony here. A vigorous fight had already begun near the oasis.
"No wonder I felt something was off. This was the place!" Leylin looked like he realised something all of a sudden.
-x-X-x-
A gruesome massacre unfolded by the oasis. A group of men in strange clothing attacked the adventurers from camelback. They wore the trademark attire of the desert people, loose white robes with a scarf wrapped thickly around their heads to reveal nothing but a pair of wolf-like eyes.
Their leader whistled, and the men encircled the adventurers. Some of them drew their bows.
The expressions of these adventurers turned worse. They were already at a numerical disadvantage, and now high-grade equipment was being used against them.
"What are they saying?" Allerie asked the assassin after casting a few defensive spells on herself.
"They say we've intruded on their lands, and they will use our blood and lives to wash away our sins…" the leader explained in a hurry, his face dark. "We're in deep trouble. This is a desert tribe, the western desert is their home. They also possess a strange ability to cast curses!"
"Hacaree! Hacaree!" The desert warriors shouted, some rushing forwards as others released the nocked arrows.
A few bamboo-thin warriors leapt into the sky, brandishing jewelled sabres in a beautiful arc.
"Good timing!" The assassin leader shouted, striking out with the dagger in his hand. Any icy streak felled many of the desert warriors, and the sabres in their hands shattered apart into pieces, looking like dancing butterflies.
"Captain! How could you strike first, and fatally at that?" The other adventurers looked on in disbelief at their leader.
"We don't have a choice," the assassin smiled wryly, "The word 'Hacaree' means leave none alive…"
They didn't have the leisure to converse for long. The desert tribe leader hopped off their camel, dashing towards the assassin. A thick, bulky sabre whistled through the air, just the wind it formed making the assassin apprehensive.
"Howling Moon Art!" the assassin howled. His dagger met the sabre with a clang as qi surged into the surroundings. Countless pits were formed in the desert sands.
"Secret technique— Dual Serpentines!" Just as the two blades were about to clash, the desert leader burst forth with a second weapon. A small dagger appeared in their hand, and it was thrust directly at the assassin's eye.
"Captain!" The female wizard cried out. She pointed forward with her index finger, "Mage Sword!"
An illusory blade appeared in mid air, deflecting the fatal blow from the desert leader.
"Damn it, get lost!" The assassin unleashed all his strength on the brink of life and death. The muscles in his body began to bulge, and he'd soon turned into a miniature giant. His dagger thrust forth with greater force, sending his opponent straggling backwards.
The tribe leader cried out before hopping away like a nimble swallow.
"A woman?" This assassin felt the back of his neck tingling. The cry had been high-pitched, and his opponent's eyes were as clear as water. In his carelessness, he'd almost had his eyes gouged out by a woman.
"What now, captain?" A rain of arrows had thrown the rest of the party into disarray.
The assassin gave his orders. "Gather beside Awar, we'll break through the encirclement. Allerie, concentrate. Support those who need it!"
"Hah! Berserk!" Awar was their group's berserker, their meat shield. He grunted in a low voice, and the muscles on his body bulged.
"Bull's Strength! Bear's Endurance!" Allerie had cast multiple buffs on him from the side.
"Kill!" Awar seemed like a human tank in this mode, the shield in his hand causing blood to spurt as he knocked many desert warriors away.
"Wodarnike! Arberdoniya!" The female desert leader gave a few commands and directed her men in rows of defence. It seemed like she wouldn't stop until these adventurers were dead.
The assassin inhaled deeply, imbuing a layer of qi in his rusty dagger.
"I'm your opponent!" He was showing tenaciousness in the face of danger, choosing to engage directly with the enemy to buy time for his party.
*Shing!* The female desert warrior did not say a word. Instead, she crossed her blades and unleashed explosive force. Her body seemed to leave behind an afterimage as she dashed towards the assassin. Her attacks came from all directions, so flexible she seemed boneless.
"Hng! Scorching Gale Blade!" The assassin shouted coldly. His eyes blazed as the dagger in his hand unleashed a storm of attacks. He parried the tribe leader's attacks with the power of a sandstorm.
"Ooh… This place actually has martial arts techniques…" Leylin leisurely watched on from the air, a layer of illusion magic around him. "The female warrior isn't at the legendary realm yet, but her techniques are. The desert tribes do have some talents… This group of adventurers is in danger…"
Leylin's estimates were extremely accurate. The party was in unfamiliar lands and at a numerical disadvantage. It couldn't be made up for with just a sudden burst of strength.
*Thud! Thud!* Yellow sand flew into the sky. The desert warriors didn't engage Awar head on, instead dragging multiple metal chains from camelback to trap him.
*Peng! Peng!* The berserker continued to roar furiously, but he was still trapped like a bug in a spiderweb, and couldn't resist at all. His roars grew softer over time, and he turned dispirited as his body shrunk back to normal.
"Not good, his berserk mode has ended!" Looking on, Allerie went forward and shove a spiritual force potion down Awar's throat, her face filled with worry. Even with the resolution of the assassin, he could not help but be demoralised looking at the current circumstances.
"Hmm… Without any reinforcements, these adventurers will most likely perish here…" Leylin concluded from mid-air. However, he turned solemn as he looked in another direction. Somewhat apprehensive, he distanced himself from the location, "It looks like their backup is here."
Although he'd covered his tracks with illusory magic, someone at the same rank could still discover him.
A loud, hazy noise sounded from the direction Leylin was looking in. It sounded like the chirping of a thousand birds, and thunder from the sky.
*Boom!* A bright starlike object appeared in the broad daylight, forming a dazzling afterimage as it whizzed over to the location. As the object drew closer, it became clear that it was a spear. It was travelling so fast that the friction with the air had turned it bright red, as if ready to melt at any time.
Leylin could only see this because of the power of his sight. The desert warriors could only see a dazzling light shooting towards them, piercing several warriors and camels to arrive at their leader.
Facing such an attack, the tribe leader turned solemn. She withdrew both her hands, crossing the blades in front of her chest.
*Bang!* A loud explosion sounded, and steam rose from the ground. The smell of rust followed.
The dust and sand settled to reveal the absence of the female warrior. Only broken bits of a sabre were scattered around where she'd stood.
"Uwuuu~~" As if receiving some sort of order, the desert warriors immediately turned their backs and fled, not lingering for one bit. Their retreat was quick, and none of them could be seen after a few breaths. Only the flurried tracks of their camels remained.
"It's our Lord! He's here!" Allerie squealed, and the assassin and other members heaved a sigh of relief.
"You guys are late!" A booming voice sounded as a giant metallic arm reached for the spear.
The speaker had curly wine-red hair and a silvery unibrow. The expression on his face was extremely stern, commanding respect and intimidation.
The assassin's face turned slightly pale, and he spoke in a soft voice. "Our apologies, Lord Rogero. We met with some circumstances on the road…"
"Thank you for saving us, my Lord!" Allerie's eyes held a tinge of adoration, but Rogero didn't care about that in the least.
"You bunch of useless creatures! Such a simple matter and you already can't deal with it…Moreover…" Rogero's gaze seemed dazzling to Allerie as he looked her over from face to belly. It caused the wizard to turn red.
"You couldn't even realise you were being followed. You group of fools!" Rogero's puzzled look began to be replaced with rage.
"Hm? Followed? No way, I…" The female wizard looked blankly at the spear pointed at her, feeling flabbergasted.
Soon after, she looked at her hands in stupefaction. Her original jade-white skin was now covered in thick, pus-filled sarcomas. The tumours erupted, causing her to wail loudly.
*Sssii!* White smoke rose from the body of the female wizard, and her blood-curdling screams struck fear into the heart of the others. There was no wizard by the time the smoke dissipated, only a puddle of pus left on the sand.
-x-X-x-
"What… What happened? Allerie...she…" The assassin stared blankly ahead.
"What a venomous spell, is it a curse-type magic or a poison element spell?" Rogero squatted by the pool of pus, his expression very grave. "It was ended decisively the moment I discovered a trail… The killer is extremely cunning and cold-blooded, a worthy opponent."
The other members only realised what had happened now. Awar, in particular, knelt down on the ground, seeming to have a mental breakdown. "Allerie! Allerie!"
The assassin sighed as he looked at the scene. He'd long since known that Awar had feelings for Allerie, but the wizard had only set her sights on the strong. It had left him feeling rather dejected.
Now, the two of them would never be together.
"Is it a venomous curse by the desert tribes?" the assassin asked, looking at the lack of a corpse in the sands. A chill ran down his spine.
"Unlikely. It should be the person who's been following you from before you entered the desert." Rogero shook his head, and the spear in his hands whistled.
"Let's go. We can't waste any more time. The prophecy is about to be fulfilled, we need to reach the Frostfall Valleys before it happens."
"Yes, my lord!" The assassin and the rest did not have any objections, and they very soon set off on their journey.
Only the sizzling pile of pus remained, as if reminding someone that it was once a high-ranked Professional.
...
"Rogero?" Leylin walked out from the darkness in the distance. "I've heard this name before, a legendary spear user. He's reputed in the western desert, but I never thought he'd be here today…"
"The black crows will soon cry out to the blood moon. I wonder how many experts are yet to arrive, all blinded by greed…" Leylin muttered, his head raised into the sky. He vanished from his spot.
At this point, he no longer needed a guide. The Frostfall Valleys were the sacred grounds of the desert tribes, and they had protected it for generations. He approached the oasis when he reappeared, plucking a desert warrior's corpse from the sand. Various fragmented memories flashed across his eyes.
Spells which could retrieve memories were already considered rare, but this skill to extract them from a corpse had the potential to shake the world.
"So it's there…" After getting the information he needed, Leylin formed a giant sand scorpion. He looked into the distance, and with a point of his finger the sand scorpion suddenly seemed to come to life. It sprinted towards his target.
...
The scene at the Frostfall Valleys left Leylin somewhat flabbergasted. Corpses littered the desert as far as the eye could see, many of them desert warriors with numerous injuries on their bodies. Their faces were filled with rage and utter fear.
There were traces of a castle here, but it seemed to have been reduced to rubble by a powerful force.
"This doesn't seem like the style of Rogero and his men…" Leylin stroked his chin and looked at a pair of corpses that had died fighting each other. The desert warrior wore a malevolent expression as he gnawed off the throat of his opponent. The other party had plunged a dagger into his skull. The warrior's eyes were still moist, as if he'd planned to sacrifice himself to kill his target.
However, there was one thing that could not escape Leylin's eyes. "An aura of death… Is this necromancy?" He reached out and grabbed some black gases above the corpse.
"It looks like a necromancer came here and raised the undead to wipe out the forces of the desert tribe…"
Necromancy was a school of wizardry, delving into research on the physical body and soul. Necromancers dealt with corpses everyday, and in the dark engaged in taboo research on souls. Only arcanists were more hated on the continent.
However, a truly powerful necromancer had much more prowess than his peers. An army of undead could trample and annihilate kingdoms.
"He managed to crush the desert tribe with an undead army… This necromancer is likely in the legendary realm…" Leylin inhaled a deep breath, and followed the trail of destruction into the valley. The further in he walked, the more he could see traces of a bitter battle. An occasional piece of bone was lying on the floor, seemingly from a broken undead skeleton.
Once he entered the middle portions of the valley, Leylin saw multiple figures amidst a huge field. This place seemed to be a command post of the desert tribe, but it was now reduced to a mountain of corpses. Several people stood facing each other in a confrontation.
Rogero and his men were present here, and Leylin also noticed the legendary monk he was apprehensive of.
The monk was moving a corpse into a hole. It had a soft body and eyes that were clear like water, speaking of their owner's desire to live. This was the tribe leader from earlier, no longer showing a single sign of life.
"Someone else is here!" Leylin's arrival roused the attention of others. They observed him with wariness in their eyes.
Leylin naturally didn't reveal his true features. He instead came in the image of Kukulkan, dressed in a mask and black robes. He looked like the manifestation of evil.
A faintly discernible trace of divine force surrounded the area, preventing any detection or probing.
"What an intense demonic aura!" Rogero gripped the spear in his hands tightly, and faint sparks of lightning flashed at its tip. The monk stopped his task and gazed at Leylin with hostility.
Although there were several groups of people standing on the field, they were distinctly divided into two sides. The monk, Rogero, and a few paladins were close to each other, evidently having formed a faction.
The other side comprised of a few powerful solitary people. Most of them had masked their appearances like Leylin, exuding an aura of evil as well.
Contrary to those of good alignment, these people did not trust each other much. They maintained their distance from one another.
"Haha… I never thought that it'd be someone from our camp!" The person who spoke was a purple haired woman who carried a snake-headed nine-tailed whip. Behind her were several powerful people.
"Welcome, my friend. I'm Evida, I wonder who you are…" The purple haired woman's eyes were filled with doubt. There were a limited number of legendaries in the world, and she should have recognised him. However, Leylin gave her a foreign vibe, and seemed extremely dangerous. This piqued the curiosity of the woman.
'If I can pull this legendary stranger to our side, our God will definitely give me a handsome reward…' As she thought of this, Evida's eyes grew even more coquettish. Even her words sounded honey-coated, intoxicating and tantalising.
However, Leylin did not bother with her at all. Instead, he chose to walk to a corner and gave off an unfriendly vibe.
'Damn it, is he blind?' Evida could only curse him. It made her doubt her beauty.
"Well… Now that we are opposing each other, there are simply no benefits to be gotten!" Evida stared furiously at Leylin and stood out to speak to the good alignment camp. "That skeleton lich has already entered the deeper parts. Do we have to fight here and let it take all of the benefits?"
Despite their lack of trust in one another, the evil faction evidently had strength in numbers.
"We're here to capture the skeleton lich Ilyo. The floating city is not our concern!" The leader of the paladins was a middle aged man wearing shining armour. He made his declaration in a low voice.
Even paladins had to learn to compromise. If at this moment, they began to shout things like 'eliminate all evil', they would only end up ground to a pulp by the evil ones.
"Cough… We want a certain item from the floating city," Rogero said.
"Very well. Although there are certain conflicts of interest, it's not impossible to mediate. Why don't we enter the floating city and obtain our desires with our own capabilities?" Evida suggested.
It was apparent that none of these people here wanted to take action in the absence of a tangible benefit.
When two opposing parties were near equal in strength, truces were common. Even though the good side didn't mention a word, the legendary monk already took off towards the deeper parts of the valley after burying the corpse.
"Hng!" Evida snorted cutely with a satisfied expression, as she brought her men deeper inside. The two parties too began to make their way in.
Leylin followed casually behind the group and continued his thoughts, "Skeleton lich Ilyo? Isn't that the powerful legendary? I never thought he would be here too. It seems like the castle being reduced to rubble was his doing…'
-x-X-x-
This was a lich! They had reached the pinnacle of necromancy, abandoning their bodies and splitting their souls to obtain some degree of immortality. Some extremely powerful liches were even strong enough to face gods!
The skeleton lich Ilyo was someone Leylin had heard of before. Rumour had it that an accidental leakage from one of his soul experiments had contaminated and killed half a kingdom. The paladins had put him on their wanted list, and he was an extremely vile existence that had to be wiped out at all costs.
'Not all legendary necromancers are liches, but all liches are legendary necromancers… His actions mark him as a high-ranked legendary, above rank 25…' Leylin immediately decided that the lich as the biggest threat to his operation.
Evida looked around, suddenly asking, "The Dead Sea scrolls passed down by our church indicate that the floating city will appear deep within Frostfall Valley. Do you have any more information?"
The group sunk into silence. Even if they had possessed the information, it wouldn't be revealed so easily. Rogero was the one who spoke in the end, "We have information from the esteemed diviner Frederic, but the location is even more vague…"
"Then things are going to get troublesome… Ilyo has a partial inheritance from ancient arcanists, and probably knows more about the floating city than we do. He might even have entered the dimensional fortress already…" Evida bit at her lips.
'Hm?' Upon seeing this, Leylin shook his head inside, 'Seems like they don't have accurate information either. Looks like I'm the one that knows more…'
He couldn't help but recall the time and location he'd decoded. It would be when the black crows cried out to the bloodmoon, within the Frostfall Valleys slanting to the east of Cygnus.
"It's about time…" Leylin looked up, gazing into the horizon. The sun descended slowly, the light dimming. The temperature of the region dropped, as was the norm in the western desert. The daytime sun could roast people alive here, and the night could freeze them to death. Few could survive besides some like the sand tribes.
'It's the right month and time. The location is slanting to the east of Cygnus? Based on astrology, that should be…' Leylin's eyes twinkled as he immediately calculated the precise location of the floating city. 'If the skeleton lich obtained an arcanist inheritance as well, he should be lying in wait there…'
"Since we know that it's deep within the Frostfall Valleys in general, how about we split up in our search?" Evida suggested at that exact moment.
"Mm, sure." Rogero and his group of powerful elites from the good faction naturally didn't want to mix with an evil person like Leylin. They immediately agreed.
The legendary monk showed his intent with action as well. Numerous figures scattered as they cast many detection spells, everything dazzling Leylin.
Just as Leylin planned to head in a certain direction, an aroma travelled over as Evida followed close behind Leylin, "What is it? Do you wish to head that way, my lord?"
"Mm, I'll take a look. The floating city will create a huge ruckus when it appears anyway, anyone will be able to find it within the valleys…"
Leylin would always decline invitations from this woman who might have been connected to the gods.
"But the people who enter first will still have better chances. Or am I wrong?" Evida's beautiful eyes were trained on Leylin as she spoke, hinting at something.
"Do you intend to go this way? I can leave it to you…" Leylin rolled his shoulders back nonchalantly.
This attitude caused Evida to feel doubtful.
"Hehe… How could I steal your path? I was just joking…" She twisted her beautiful hips after she spoke, leading her powerful group away. It caused Leylin to blink. 'Has this woman discovered something?'
*Rumble!* Something happened all of a sudden. Brilliant holy light rose from one direction, filling the skies with holiness and righteousness.
"Skeleton Lich Ilyo, face your punishment!" A thick voice resounded in the area, laced with a steely determination.
'It's a legendary paladin!' Leylin and the rest of the evil faction showed fear in their eyes, as if they'd met their natural enemy. They stared at the silver light in the sky.
"It's the Judge!" "Quick, go there! He's discovered the lich!" The other paladins cheered, brandishing the blades of light in their hands.
They glanced over a few times at Leylin, as if trying to threaten him. It was like they were children whose parents had arrived. Once their legendary took care of Ilyo, they evidently wouldn't mind wiping out this evil that was Leylin.
"Keke… Felbard, I see that you haven't died yet…" A cold snicker sounded out, and a dense wave of deathly soul clouds covered the skies. Even the holy light couldn't penetrate this shroud. A draconic roar sounded as a tremendous two-headed bone dragon rose from the clouds.
"Die!" the legendary paladin exclaimed, his body burning with holy flames as the sword in his hands turned into a pillar of light that broke the dark clouds apart.
The dead spirits separated, revealing a crystal skeleton wearing a black robe. The lich now stood on the head of the ancient dragon, and a wave of his hands caused countless bones to collapse into a decorated shield, withstanding the paladin's sudden attack.
"It's him! Ilyo! That must be the place where the floating city is about to appear… Go!" The immense energy undulations alarmed all of those powerful existences, and they darted towards the battlezone.
'Damn it… he's so unprofessional at hiding. I was planning to lead a few away…' Leylin sighed inside and headed in Ilyo's direction. It was the exact opposite of where he'd intended to go.
Leylin had chosen the wrong path on purpose, hoping to cheat a few of the strong beings. Unfortunately, the appearance of this legendary paladin had spoiled his plans.
"Nobody can obstruct me today" Ilyo announced, and the fire in his eyes blazed brighter as he extended his palm to caress the dragon's head. the bone dragon.
Legendary Skeletal Strengthening! Boost Legendary Minion! Berserk spell rays launched forth towards the bone dragon. It burst out into an earth-shattering angered snarl, launching a terrifying Dragon Breath that corroded everything in it's way.
'Legendary Dragon Breath?' Seeing the attack, the paladin immediately turned grim. He covered himself in a milky-white armour.
Holy Light Protection! Holy Light Cross Slash! A cross of pillars of light rose in the air, colliding violently with the bone dragon's breath. The two consumed each other rapidly.
The terrifying storm formed from a battle between two high-ranked legendaries finally caused some fear in the surrounding powerful beings. It was only then that they remembered the reputations of the skeletal lich and the paladin.
Of course, there were some who still proceeded fearlessly, and among them were obviously those with similar strength.
'Even his pet is legendary. As expected of a high-ranked legendary lich.' Leylin moved forward unhurriedly, getting closer and closer to the centre of the battle. Terrifying shockwaves swept through the area, but they didn't even crease his clothing.
Evida now looked extremely grim. The black-robed people behind her all took turns to block the stray ripples from the battle. Seeing Leylin deal with the situation easily, she drew closer to him with a charming smile. "You are indeed powerful! I'm sorry, but I think I might need your help later!"
"My goal is also the floating city, so there's no way we can work together. The spoils won't be easy to split…" Leylin apathetically shook his head to reject her.
"You never know. My target isn't the entire floating city. Besides, we need to work with each other to cope with the people over there…" Evida's serpent-head whip pointed at the paladins and monk ahead, and she looked relaxed.
"Hm? Crap!" However, at this moment, Leylin's expression suddenly changed as he retreated a great distance.
"What's going on?" Evida looked puzzled, and soon felt a surge of spatial force crashing into her body, sending her flying. She coughed up fresh blood, and it trickled down her face. The few black-clothed beings in front of her had been burnt to ashes under the immense force, and nothing was left behind.
*Rumble!* The lich and paladin who were battling in mid-air simultaneously froze, thrown back by a powerful force. An immense spatial storm formed a tornado that wreaked havoc on the area.
Leylin took a look at the moon in the sky. It now looked crimson.
"When the black crows cry out to the blood moon… It's time! The floating city will teleport here soon. I never expected the storm formed before its appearance would be so violent…"
-x-X-x-
"It's the floating city! My floating city is finally about to appear!" The skeleton lich Ilyo burning gaze was fixed on the core of the spatial storm, the fire in his eyes blazing brightly.
*Rumble!* The air trembled and the earth thundered, and the Frostfall Valleys lamented as if unable to take on the pressure.
Whether those of the good or evil factions, they all gazed up after retreating a large distance, watching the miraculous scene of the appearance of the floating city.
The stars that filled the skies seemed to lose all their lustre, and it was as if a supernova was born in the sky as a star more dazzling than any other descended, enveloping the world with colour.
*Bzzt! Bzzt!*
Terrifying spatial undulations spread in all directions and in the blink of an eye created a gigantic and deep pit in the ground. The shadow of a dimensional plane loomed over, as if there was a single point of it trying to fuse with the prime material plane!
Even while it was a tiny dot, that was only in comparison between the sizes of two worlds. The tiny point that linked the two unceasingly increased till it formed the figure of the floating city!
This was a large base that was a hemisphere. The shadows of the roofs of many buildings could be seen, forming a large human city.
In the Nether Arcanist Era, the floating city not only was the main area for arcanists, but also a large city and social hub. It could easily fit a hundred thousand people without it getting crowded.
The four elemental plane seemed to have opened a special energy channel as immense energy surged and whistled forward.
It was as if the end of the world for the western desert. If not for there being few people here already, there might have been a terrifying catastrophe or deaths here.
...
After goodness knew how long, the astounding storm finally dissipated, and everything calmed down.
A dark shadow was projected to the ground, hiding the glow from the stars and the moon.
Leylin looked up and found a large shadow. This was the base of the floating city. This immense and vast city had now completely descended into the prime material world!
Watching the large body of the city as well as the bright arcane runes, the whole world seemed to stop breathing.
Deathly silence! In that moment, even the Legends on the ground sunk into a temporary silence.
"Keke… my floating city!"
Ilyo was the first to react, riding his bone dragon mount and pouncing towards the city.
"Dream on!" The legendary paladin obviously could not just watch as he got to the city and soared up high as if stepping on air, body moving rapidly.
"We're going too! That's the floating city, and the only one in the World of Gods! It's the crystal of the Nether Arcane civilisation…"
Other legends also began to get restless.
...
In that moment, within the floating city where nobody seemed to be around, sparks flickered within a certain control room. Lights gathered to form flower elves that were around ten centimetres tall.
The little faces now looked stiff as they spat out in a robotic tone, "Dimensional leap completed. Damage to floating city at 1.77%. Energy consumed at 75.99%. Activating maintenance procedures."
After which, a glaring red alarm sounded as a layer of screen projections showed Ilyo outside.
He had his bone dragon pet fight against the legendary paladin while he headed towards the city, and was right about to enter the city's territory.
'Discovered intruder. Strength at grade A3, determined to be high-ranked Legendary. Activating energy membrane… Beep! Energy membrane damaged at 52.33%, unable to be activated. Changed to automatic defensive mode. Activating magic missiles with automatic calibration and firing.'
With the commands from the intellectual core, the armours at the sides of the floating city opened up to reveal steel cannons that were like a beehive. In that instant, the floating city turned into a large porcupine!
'Target calibrated. Launching magic missiles!'
*Boom!* A boiling hot white energy of pillar whistled as it shot out of the cannon, arriving before the skeleton lich in a moment.
"Oh, shit."
The skeleton lich somehow managed to show immense fear on his expression.
*Tzz tzz!* After the glowing white rays, there was no sign of the lich left whatsoever.
"It- it can't be! That's a high-ranked Legend!"
The terrifying might of the cannon finally scared off the greedy Legends. Only then did they remember what made the floating city so terrifying.
"This is only the automatic cannons without a legendary arcanist working it. The most powerful dimensional cannon of laws and pure energy defensive membrane has yet to appear…" Leylin gazed up at the floating city that was showing off its strength, the fervour in his eyes becoming more obvious.
"But… that bone dragon hasn't disappeared. Seems like Ilyo isn't a high-ranked Legend for nothing…"
Leylin noticed this and slowly retreated without leaving traces behind.
*Whoosh…* Now, white light flickered. A layer of bone powder turned into a gale and blew by the area Ilyo had disappeared.
The ashes from his bones converged to form a crystal skeleton.
"Tsk tsk… thankfully, I still had a substitute. This amount of strength is as expected of the floating city…"
Ilyo floated in the air but no longer had the guts to just enter. He used the joint in his wrist to and used his palm to support his chin, the fire in his eyes dimming.
"It's getting difficult… Even with the dimensional leap consuming most of its energy reserves, just the least powerful automatic defences can't be broken through by a legend as long as the intellectual core exists… If I don't obtain control over the floating city soon, the personifications of the gods will definitely strike out… Things will be troublesome then…"
Ilyo gritted his teeth, "It's a pity that I only obtained a portion of the inheritance of the arcanists and didn't become one. If not…"
At this moment, the floating city produced a loud rumble.
WIthin the core control room, the personification of the core that were the flower elves had screens that appeared before them, gathering images of the people below.
'Beep! Discovered arcanists! Activating transmission mode. Starting spell formation to receive them!'
Numerous screens shifted till they locked onto two beings. One had a silver mask and looked extremely mysterious, and it was Leylin, who was planning to make his move!
The other was actually Rogero!
*Rumble!* With the sound, a bridge of light shot out from the top of the highest building of the floating city, landing on Leylin and Rogero who were caught unprepared.
With a flash of light, the two disappeared.
"Huh? What's going on?"
Evita froze.
"Crap, the two that disappeared should have been arcanists! The master of the floating city must have set up a certain procedure for his legacy. Only when arcanists appear will the floating city take them in and even transfer the authority to control it!
Ilyo now looked very anxious.
"What do I do? What do I do?"
Just when Ilyo was gritting his teeth, a new situation broke out at the ground.
"I have no choice… god!"
Evita closed her eyes, and the next time she opened them, there were now a pair of dark golden eyes. A tremendous might had descended into her body.
"The personification of a god has descended! So she used the method of having the god possess her body!"
"Has a god already found out about this place? How quick!"
"God!" The guards Evita had brought along, who were lucky enough to survive, quickly knelt.
"We can't let other organisations get control of the city! They've activated a spatial channel, which means there's a hole in their tight defences! I'll send you right in, so find it at all costs!"
'Evita' spoke unhurriedly, and a faint goddess' image appeared behind her.
Mighty divine force turned into a terrifying wave that swept those black-clothed people into the city.
The consumption like this must be terrifying, because once all this was done, Evita passed out and crumbled to the ground.
"Now's the moment. It's a good chance!"
Making his mind, a rhombus-shaped red-blue metal tile was shattered and formed spatial force. This allowed Ilyo to go along the gods' tears and enter the city.
Dazzling divine force rays flickered on the legendary monk and paladin, allowing them to enter the floating city.
"Is this… the inside of the floating city?"
Leylin's eyes blinked open as he took in his surroundings.
"Yes! Welcome to Shadow City, where the flowers of the Nether Arcanists never wither!"
A flower elf projected itself in front of him, flapping the translucent double wings behind it as it surrounded Leylin.
"Congratulations, Arcanist! You have obtained a chance to inherit the floating city and all knowledge of the mighty Great Silver Hand!"
"Chance?"
"Yes. As two have been determined to be qualified, one of you will inherit the floating city!"
The flower elf spoke primly, obviously carrying out the will of the original master loyally.
"Speak. What is to be done?"
It was impossible for this intellectual core to go against its procedures. Besides, this floating city was not a ruins of the past, and since the flow of information and firewalls were still intact, using his mind and the A.I. Chip to invade it would be just stupid. This was why Leylin went straight to the point.
"This is the floating city's core energy room, and also where the Mise energy core is…"
The flower elf showed an image. This was within an empty room, where there was a floating ball emitting lights that showed the heat it emitted.