by Zhuang Bifan
It was still unclear to Andoine where the limit of the kid's mental strength was. All he knew was, if another mage were to practice the highly intense elemental sequencing daily, it would probably take him less than an hour to tire out and return to his room to meditate. But Lin Li was perfectly fine. The kid's mental strength seemed to be endless. To go through how many hours of practice all depended on his mood. Andoine had only ever heard him protest in annoyance, but never out of exhaustion.
That was the truth. Unleashing a few more low-grade spells had no effect on Lin Li at all.
He was crouching next to the body of the Manticore, studying its inverted hook with interest.
The inverted hook was still shimmering with blue light, and a rush of sweet stench jolted his brain as he went closer.
This was a sign of lethal poison.
Lin Li had always liked stuff that carried poison because it meant a deadly force.
So, without much hesitation, he pulled a dagger out of the Ring of Endless Space and very carefully nicked the inverted hook off the tail. Then, as gingerly as ever, he put it back into the Ring of Endless Space.
"…" Andoine was at a loss watching the scene from the crystal ball. Was he really a mage with a knowledge of the mystical? No matter how the old man looked, he thought the kid was more like a thief instead…
Regardless of how Andoine thought, Lin Li came back safe and sound with a pile of wild steelbloom.
"I need an explanation!"
Lin Li was still brooding over the encounter with the Manticore in the cave.
"What is magic to you?" Andoine did not explain but instead posed a question.
"A kind of skill, a skill that will allow your strength to become more powerful." The present Lin Li was not the piece of clear rock that knew nothing when he first came to this foreign world. He had developed his own understanding of magic under the influence of Andoine.
"Then, what is the purpose of making your powers stronger?"
"To kill!" Lin Li suddenly understood some of it.
"That's right!" Andoine smiled, feeling pleased. "In the eyes of the mortals, magic is a skill that is mysterious yet elegant. But to a real mage, the only purpose of magic is to battle. A mage that lives is a mage that's really successful! You have learnt enough low-grade spells this past month, and obtained a certain degree of skills. But it's far from enough. Without the experience of life and death, and the shower of fresh blood, you will never become a true mage."
"So you didn't tell me there was a Manticore in the cave on purpose?"
Andoine's reply was simple. "It's just a level-five beast, there's no need for a special reminder."
Chapter 6 - Departure
In the following few months, Andoine frequently lacked in herbs.
Using this as an excuse, Lin Li was frequently called upon by Andoine to fight different types of magical beasts.
From Manticore to a Three-eyed Blood Wolf, then from Thunder Beast to a Bloodthirsty Lizard. In slightly over a month, Lin Li killed literally all the magical beasts of the Sunset Mountains that were of level-seven and below.
After struggling in battle with a highly invasive manticore initially, Lin Li eventually could easily kill a level-six beast. Lin Li only possessed ten low-level magic spells, however, he was clear that he had become stronger. In the opinion of Andoine, Lin Li had begun to feel more like a real mage.
Each time he peeked through the crystal ball to observe Lin Li's battles with the creatures, Andoine always felt that Lin Li felt distant and unfamiliar again…
From the beginning, Andoine believed that inexperience could be overcome—just like an inexperienced archer hiding in the distance becoming an experienced mage using magic to control the situation to make the enemies die in despair and helplessness. This transformation took only a month for Lin Li. It should be known that, in the current Guild of Magic, there were still quite a few who wore the hat of the wizard but were doing the work of an archer.
Lin Li's improvement was indeed so quick that it was unbelievable for an old mage like Andoine.
Mentioning the inexperienced Lin Li slightly a month back would only make Andoine feel strange and distant.
Three days ago, in a battle with the Thunder Beast, Lin Li completely rid himself of the shackles of the spell recitation through performing the Delaying Spell merely with a gesture of a hand. The old mage begun to feel distressed.
What else can I still teach him? Andoine stared at the crystal and pondered for a long time, asking himself what other skills he was able to teach Lin Li.
Although it was only the Delaying spell, it brought shock to Andoine as it felt like a spell over level-eighteen.
He remembered very clearly: when he'd first unleashed his low-levelled spell, he was thirty years old and had just become a mage.
In the following few days, Andoine was troubled as he was completely clueless what else he could teach Lin Li.
Because of his troubles, Lin Li managed to get a few days of a rare break.
After Lin Li practiced elemental sequencing, he sneaked into the pharmacy. Using the spirit divinity's grass that he had obtained a few days back, he made himself a few bottles of Hastening Potion. Andoine had forbidden him to use such stuff since quite a while ago as too much reliance on medications, drugs, or foreign objects would inevitably affect his improvement in magical capabilities.
However, today he noticed that the old mage, Andoine, seemed to be distracted.
While Lin Li was busy in the pharmacy lab, the old mage would usually come in to check instead of staring distracted out at the window.
The old mage only returned back to his normal state when a few bottles of Hastening Potions were completed.
"How many times have I told you that too much reliance on medication will only bring you more damage than benefits? Why are you not listening to my advice?" Upon saying that, Andoine heaved a sigh. "Forget it. In the future, I will not be able to supervise you over the crystal ball every day. Perhaps the medication will be able to save your life when you meet with some trouble."
"What happened?" For the past few days, Lin Li felt that Andoine's attitude was weird. Now that he heard the old mage utter such a thing, Lin Li hastily became aware of it and was so stunned that he even forgot to keep those Hastening Potions that he had made.
At that time, Andoine begun to look pale. He held onto the chair, slowly sat down, and placed the crystal ball—which he had never allowed to be out of his sight—aside. Thereafter, he did not answer Lin Li's question. Instead, he asked, "Have you been staying here for three months?"
"About there," Lin Li answered distractedly. He curiously stared at Andoine as he realized that the old mage looked pale and tired today.
"When I've found you, I did not realize that I have found a magic genius." The old mage laughed, his husky voice tinged with emotion. "Until now, I still can't believe that you have never learnt magic before."
"That was due to limited conditions, because nobody could teach me…"
"I know that you carry some secret and you have no intention to share it. I have no intention to probe, either." He brushed off Lin Li's true reply as an excuse with a wave of his hand, indicating that Lin Li did not need to explain anything. Andoine then said to himself, "In the beginning, I just could not bear to see you waste your talent. At that time, I did not expect that you could have done so well. It wasn't until the last two days that I realized I have nothing more to teach you!"
Lin Li wanted to humbly say a few words of consolation, however, he realized that the atmosphere was not right. He thought to himself, Might as well keep my mouth shut and listen conscientiously to what Andoine has to say.
"For the past two days, I have been pondering what else I could teach you. It wasn't until this morning that these questions could no longer trouble me… This morning, I received a letter from an old friend. In his letter, he stated that there is a very important thing that he requires my help in."
"So
you are ready to chase me off?"
"Basically, that is the case." After finishing what he had to say, Andoine pulled out a thick envelope from his mage robe. "In any case, by continuing to stay in the Sunset Mountains, you will not be able to learn anything useful anymore. Why don't you let me recommend you to another place? There, you can choose to continue to learn something more or do the things you have always wanted to do."
"What place is it?"
"Take this letter to the Jarrosus City's Guild of Magic and look for someone by the name of Gerian. He will help you to arrange everything." Andoine handed the thick envelope to Lin Li. "By the way, there seems to be some problem with your identity. It won't matter, because if you don't wish to use your original identity, you can use the one I have prepared for you. The information is in the envelope. You just have to take some time to memorize it."
"Thank you." After listening to the old mage's gentle and thoughtful exhortation, Lin Li suddenly felt that his eyes were moist. In order to lighten the atmosphere, he gave a reluctant smile and asked casually, "When are you planning to leave?"
"About half an hour later." The old mage laughed and gave Lin Li a pat on his shoulder. "It wouldn't matter as this will not delay me too much. I guess I will probably be able to head to Jarrosus City after a week or two. When that happens, I will bring you to my private pharmacy. I had hidden a purple set of crystal beakers; it's a treasure that I have gotten at a great value…"
Subsequently, Lin Li could no longer remember what Andoine had said. It was only when Andoine's back disappeared into the distance that Lin Li suddenly recalled an important matter.
Chapter 7 - Wyvern
With Andoine's long-winded instructions still ringing in his ears, Lin Li had to feel his way through the dense forest alone. As he fumbled along the way, he w.h.i.n.ed, "Did the old man make a mistake? He knew how to prepare a new identity for me but forgot to prepare a map?"
Andoine was probably the only person in this world who understood Lin Li best. He knew there was a problem with Lin Li's identity, so he had prepared a new one for him. But perhaps he would never have thought that it had not been just a problem of troublesome identity for this fellow—in fact, he had none at all. The Sunset Mountains stretched for thousands of miles. How could Lin Li, who had come from another world, find his way out?
Andoine was not to be blamed for his negligence. Who would have expected that a magic genius skilled in pharmaceutics could have such weak sense of direction?
Barely a day after Andoine had left, Lin Li packed up all his stuff. However, it had been ten days and he had yet to figure out the bearings in the Sunset Mountains.
The woods were dark and gloomy, and the ground was covered with decaying leaves. His feet sank with every step he took, as if he was walking on mud. The rancid smell was so disgusting that Lin Li had trouble keeping his eyes open. Specks of faint green light flitted in the dark, while the incessant howls from the wolves struck fear into Lin Li's heart.
Lin Li had been walking around in this forest for three days. Ever since he stepped into this forest, Lin Li's spirits were permanently dampened. This cursed forest was like a huge labyrinth. Regardless of where he had started out from and how hard he had fumbled to find his way out, each time he felt exhausted and sat down to rest, he'd find the trees in front of him ever so familiar…
It continued until this morning, when Lin Li finally heard some voices.
Lin Li had just passed through the dense woods when, all of a sudden, he saw the leaves billow in the bushes ahead—three figures were hurtling through the sea of leaves.
"Damn! Damn! Living humans!" He had always bragged about what a refined person he was, but he blurted out two "damns" within moments. He was just too excited that he actually saw three living humans.
Although these three living humans might soon become dead, at least they were alive at the moment.
The leaves of the bushes ahead stirred; three wounded people could be seen fleeing from the forest. Among them, a middle-aged man seemed to have been seriously injured. A long wound extended from his c.h.e.s.t to his waist; warm blood gushed out from the fresh wound, leaving a long blood trail on the ground covered with decaying leaves.
A young man and a woman held onto the middle-aged man as they fled. The young man was wearing a mage robe made with fine craftsmanship; he seemed to be a mage with a good family background. In particular, the staff he held in his hand was a rather decent one even in Lin Li's eyes.
Unfortunately, it was difficult for a mage to play a role in the current situation. The weak mage had become a burden with the vigorous running; hence, it was the beautiful girl with the long blond hair looking after the two men most of the time. The girl, who was pretty to begin with, wore a tight red vest, which outlined an infinite lovely curve in the high-speed running. She held onto the wounded man with her left hand and carried a dagger in her right hand. The temperament she displayed as she scanned her surroundings was such that Lin Li could not help but take a few more looks at her.
What was chasing them was a raging Wyvern. Its rage originated from the gash on its abdomen. It was a long and deep wound, apparently left by a sharp weapon.
Exciting! Lin Li stared at the Wyvern fervently as it appeared.
Andoine had introduced all kinds of magical beasts living in the Sunset Mountains back when he was living in his log cabin. At the mention of the Wyvern, Andoine had added gleefully, "The Wyvern's blood makes a good Rampage Potion."
Of course, only Andoine would dare to say such things. For an ordinary adventurer, a level-seven magical beast would definitely have the power to turn three living people into deadmen in a flash.
Razor-sharp talons, flying at the speed of wind, and extremely corrosive acidic spout—these allowed the Wyvern to have what it took to survive on the edge of the Sunset Mountains. Ordinary magical beasts like the Manticores dared not provoke them. A raging Wyvern spewing endless acid from the sky was probably a nightmare for anyone.
Lin Li was afraid as well. But he was even more afraid of this cursed forest. If he wished to walk out of this forest, he could not let the Wyvern turn those three into corpses. Sometimes, the reason for doing a good deed was just as simple as this.
Granted, given Lin Li's character, he would make sure not to suffer any loss when he was compelled to perform a good deed…
He saw the Wyvern take a dive, splashing acid on the bushes. In an instant, a plume of green smoke emerged, and a burst of fizzing sounds followed. Before the green smoke could disperse, the sight of lush green trees was transformed into one of fallen branches and yellow leaves.
The trio who were trying hard to escape were spared from the acid, but they had to stop in their tracks briefly to avoid it. Normally, it might not have been a problem, but at present, they happened to be under the Wyvern. As the trio looked up, they saw a shadow zooming in on them, sharp talons glimmering in the dark.
At the same time, Lin Li had finished the recitation of the Ice Armor Spell.
As the last of the spell broke out, a hard layer of ice armor covered the middle-aged man. While stopping the bleeding of the wound, it also made the Wyvern's strike fall in vain. An excruciating pain shot up from the Wyvern's talons, like having caught onto steel, and the Wyvern roared in fury and agony.
The trio, who were still reeling from shock, took the chance to extricate themselves from the Wyvern and went on to hide in the thick grove.
Then, they saw a young man wearing a mage robe walk out from the forest, reciting an unintelligible spell. A shot of icicle tore through the sky and plunged into the wound on the Wyvern's abdomen. The icicle was not sharp, and would not be enough to penetrate the tough skin of the Wyvern. Even if it pierced through the wound as it did this moment, this low-level spell would not deal much damage to the Wyvern.
The only thing the icicle could do was to aggravate the wound on its body. The initially deep, long wound was as though a ravine all of a sudden. Blood poured out lik
e rain, and even the viscera were surging about in its abdomen…
What was really fatal was that the icicle got stuck in the wound from the start. The icicle not only punctured the viscera of the Wyvern, it also prevented the wound from closing. Blood flowed out gaily like from a reservoir with its gates opened.
After all these, Lin Li unleashed a Delaying Spell to make matters worse for the magical beast.
The bloodied Wyvern was already at its weakest. Now that the Delaying Spell was cast, it was like an old bullock pulling a broken cart, trundling along. No matter how hard it struggled, it seemed that the distance of a dozen steps was a gap it could never cross.
The wail of the Wyvern was filled with despair, and such emotions accompanied it till it breathed its last.
"Oh no!" After confirming the level-seven magical beast was dead, Lin Li was suddenly reminded of something. What a waste! All this blood that have been spilled could make a substantial amount of Rampage Potion…
Upon seeing that the Wyvern was dead, the wounded middle-aged man held onto the surrounding branches and struggled as he walked out of the grove. He had wanted to thank his life's savior and had just taken two steps when he saw the latter holding a glass bottle, desperately squeezing the body of the dead Wyvern.
"Is there really no more? Please… Squeeze a little more, just a little bit more. At least let me make a bottle of Rampage Potion…"
His actions reminded the trio of a vampire, and sent chills down their spines…
At last, it was the wounded middle-aged man who plucked up his courage and approached him with caution. "Mr Mage, thanks for your generous help…"
Hearing the middle-aged man's expression of gratitude, Lin Li was reminded of the proper business at hand.
"You are welcome, it was an act of convenience." Lin Li put the stopper back on the glass bottle that was half-filled with the Wyvern's blood and gingerly put it away into the pocket of his mage robe. Grinning, he introduced himself, "You can call me Felic. By the way, may I ask how the three of you have come to provoke the Wyvern?"