by Zhuang Bifan
Outside the Emerald Tower, the sky was covered with layers of thick, dark clouds…
A bitter smile came across Gerian's face. The winner of the battle between the most powerful mages of Jarrosus was actually decided by a crystal.
Everyone was in despair, including Kevin. All was for naught in the face of a mage with a fully restored mana. Though they had plenty of people in the Emerald Tower, none could help Gerian…
Old Merlin's smile spread across his face. It seemed like the situation was too far gone beyond repair.
Just when everyone thought that the defeat of the Emerald Tower was a foregone conclusion, Lin Li shook his head helplessly. "Looks like his brain was really damaged…"
The voice wasn't loud, but enough for everyone around to hear. Immediately, about four or five mages turned around; the stares they gave Lin Li were filled with rage—even Kevin's. He was the one most familiar with Lin Li out of all others. And it was due to this that he knew how much Gerian valued Lin Li, and how much pressure Gerian had endured when those privileges were given to Lin Li.
Never had he expected Lin Li to say such a thing when Gerian was at the most dangerous of times.
Kevin's face turned unusually surly as he looked at Lin Li with rage and contempt in his eyes. "Mage Felic, you really disappoint me…"
"Why are you all looking at me like that…? Also, Kevin, if you're to be disappointed, you should be disappointed in that old fellow." Lin Li shook his head resignedly and slowly pulled out a sky-blue bottle from his pockets. "If his brain wasn't damaged, he would have asked for help long ago. Does he really think that he could take the whole Jarrosus City being an archmage…"
Under the deepening eventide, the sky-blue bottle flared an even dazzling glow than the Strong Energy Crystal.
It was likewise gorgeous yet blurry, emitting the same pure magical aura.
When the beam of halo penetrated from Lin Li's hands, the few people who were glaring at Lin Li were dumbfounded almost at the same time.
Kevin blushed, then showed a look of surprise on his face. As for the mages behind him, all of them let out cheers!
The cheering alarmed everyone, including Old Merlin and Cromwell. All kinds of looks were shot in their direction—looks of doubt, surprise, and suspicion.
And then they saw Lin Li emerge from the crowd.
"Looks like you're really getting on age, even your brain's stopped working…" Lin Li whispered quietly. Under Gerian's astounded stare, he stuffed the sky-blue glass bottle into his hand.
"This is…" Gerian was slightly confounded, but very soon sensed mana tumbling in the glass bottle. It was pure and clean, just like the Strong Energy Crystal in Old Merlin's hands.
"This is similar to the Strong Energy Crystal. I remember it was called the Awakening Potion or something," Lin Li added softly, "but I prefer to call it the Red Bull drink."
"…"
Who had the time to study the Red Bull drink with him at this critical time? Before Lin Li's voice faded, Gerian had already removed the bottle cap and poured the Awakening Potion into his mouth. He took in the pure mana contained in it while savoring the sweet yet sour aftertaste in his mouth.
As soon as he gulped down the Awakening Potion, Gerian knew what the outcome would be.
The speed of mana recovery brought on by the Awakening Potion far exceeded that of the Strong Energy Crystal Old Merlin held in his hands. Almost instantly, the exhausted mana was restored to its peak.
Feeling the magical wave coming from Gerian, another cheer broke out from the crowd outside the Emerald Tower.
This was the miracle of a pharmacist!
Everyone's heart was filled with the joy of having survived a disaster. If it hadn't been for the bottle of Awakening Potion, there would probably not be any Guild of Magic in Jarrosus in the future. The ups and downs of life were indeed exhilarating. The mages who were clutching their hearts a moment ago could now await the chance for victory.
They had even outlined a scene in their minds—Gerian taking on Old Merlin again after recovering his mana. When both sides exhausted their powers once again, the crowd at the Emerald Tower would rush forth and knock Old Merlin out completely. Of course, other than President Gerian and Mage Felic, the most glorious position must be left for oneself…
Unfortunately, Lin Li did not give them any chance at all. The mages, immersed in their imagination, soon saw Lin Li's hand reaching into his pocket again. This time, what he took out was yet another sky-blue glass bottle, likewise with the dazzling halo and the pure magical aura.
"Let me give you another bottle on account of how excitingly you fought…"
"…"
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the crowd outside the Emerald Tower collapsed.
Particularly Old Merlin, who felt a throbbing pain in the heart as he held onto the Strong Energy Crystal…
The Strong Energy Crystal was hard to come by. Even with the power and wealth of the Merlin Family, only one had been found for so many years. But when it came to the Guild of Magic, just look at what this young mage Felic had done…
It was enough to stuff the Awakening Potion which was no less precious than the Strong Energy Crystal into the hands of Gerian. But Gerian had just finished a bottle, and he immediately stuffed him another one based "on account of how excitingly you fought"… The most precious Awakening Potion, when it came out of his mouth, was like a carrot that was being stuffed into his hands…
Old Merlin wanted to ask if there was any justice left in this world…
Everything was over…
Feeling the powerful aura coming from Gerian, Old Merlin let out a slight sigh and released his grip on the Strong Energy Crystal. All was meaningless. Even if he could absorb as much mana as he could from the Strong Energy Crystal, he would be almost on par with Gerian at his peak.
To Old Merlin, that meant defeat.
Chapter 30 - Duel
What Old Merlin had was merely a Strong Energy Crystal, which could only be used once. But what the Guild of Magic had was a potion master who could gift away an Awakening Potion, and he had just gifted two at once.
If the previous Awakening Potion had brought Old Merlin disappointment, then this bottle had no doubt left him in despair.
A fully recovered Gerian was enough trouble; now that he had another Awakening Potion in his hands, how could Old Merlin fight him?
Looking at the young mage who was all smiles, Old Merlin was filled with regret.
All along he had been guessing, who exactly was that mysterious pharmacist in the Jarrosus Guild of Magic?
He had once thought it might be Gerian himself, or Kevin who was near his thirties. He had even thought it might be the mages outside the Emerald Tower, those who were well stricken in years but average in their performance. But he had never expected it would be a young mage not even over the age of 20!
To be honest, it would be hard to fault Old Merlin for it. Everyone knew that years of acc.u.mulation were required in pharmaceutics. There were no shortcuts in this field, and even more so there were no so-called geniuses. Regardless of how intelligent one was, it was necessary to acc.u.mulate experience through the failures in the long quest to seek a way to reach the top.
If he had known that he was the pharmacist, he would have killed him earlier on. He'd not have cared if Gerian had stepped in to help. As long as he killed the pharmacist, the Merlin Family would not have any more rivals in Jarrosus City. Who would care if he hurt himself along with Gerian in that battle? Surely the Merlin Family of today could defeat the Guild of Magic after it lost Gerian.
But now, it was too late to say anything.
Gerian had completely recovered. With his protection, he had no chance to lay his hands on that pharmacist.
For the first time, a dejected expression came across Old Merlin's face.
He knew that he had lost, and he had lost utterly at that.
From the beginning where he had sent Cromwell to conve
y their good intentions, until when he finally relied on the Strong Energy Crystal to challenge Gerian.
He had counted every step beforehand, but it just happened that all the steps had gone wrong.
Cromwell being swept out of the Emerald Tower by a Waterfall Strike, Gerian being able to stand again with a bottle of Awakening Potion… All these were because of the young mage named Felic. Unwittingly, this young man had become the most fearful enemy of the Merlin Family, even more so than the most powerful mage of Jarrosus, Gerian.
In order to let the Merlin Family cruise through future crises, they had to first get rid of this terrifying young mage.
Old Merlin took a look at Cromwell, who was standing by his side, and then at Lin Li, who was smiling away. Finally, he clenched his teeth and came to a painful decision.
"I lost." Old Merlin's voice was dry, but everyone had heard it clearly.
"Hahahaha…" Gerian laughed with no manners at all, and even the people on the streets could hear his arrogant voice. "Need you say? Go and look in the mirror, you're beaten all swollen by me…!"
Old Merlin had been mentally prepared before he opened his mouth, but now that he heard what Gerian said, he had the urge to cough up blood. Did this old fatty know what was shame?
Old Merlin told himself desperately that he had to bear with it!
"Did I lose to you?" Old Merlin shot Gerian a glare, and shifted his focus onto Lin Li. "The one I have lost to is this young pharmacist!"
"What's the difference?" Gerian laughter was unbelievably pompous. "You have restored your mana anyway. If you're indignant, you can still fight me and see who is the most powerful mage in Jarrosus City!"
"…" Old Merlin's face turned purple with rage, and he paid greetings to all 18 generations of Gerian's family in his heart. A rematch? That son of a watermelon. He had the Awakening potion in his hands now, only a lunatic would fight him once more…
"Forget it, Gerian. I'll admit that you are the most powerful mage in Jarrosus City." In order to swallow the fury, Old Merlin had almost chewed his teeth till they bled. He said with tears for every word, "But what's the point? Even if you are the most powerful mage in Jarrosus City, does this mean you can shield and connive? Everyone has clearly saw Mr Pharmacist here humiliating the heir of the Merlin Family. If the Guild of Magic is unable to give an explanation for this, I will make sure there's a battle between the two most powerful influences in Jarrosus City!"
"It will not do you any good!" Though Gerian's tone was tough, his facial expression had changed.
After having the potion master, the Guild of Magic already had the opportunity to rise. So long as they auctioned off the 30 bottles of Arcane Magic Potion, the Guild of Magic would be able to grow to a considerable degree in a short time. By that time, the 11 mage families and six underground forces would all have to adjust their behavior toward the guild.
At this critical point, Gerian would definitely hate to battle it out with the Merlin Family.
Although Gerian was not afraid of the Merlin Family—more so, he had the confidence that he could destroy them with the help in pharmaceutics Lin Li provided—it was not in line with the Guild of Magic's interests. The conflict between the two most powerful forces would just end up in a Pyrrhic victory, and this would leave room for other powers.
It was for this reason that Gerian had not acted rashly. He had gained a definite upper hand, and if he was willing, he could always rely on one bottle of Awakening Potion to kill Old Merlin and his son outside the Emerald Tower. But what for? The Merlin Family was not the Guild of Magic, their strength came from wealth and authority. Losing Old Merlin, an archmage, would not be fatal to them, yet the revenge that'd come later on would plunge Jarrosus City into chaos.
"For the dignity of the Merlin's Family, I'd sometimes take on thankless tasks." Old Merlin had gained the upper hand for the first time in the conversation.
"Dignity?"
"That's right!" Old Merlin's expression was serious as he pointed his staff towards the crowd where Lin Li stood. "Since this pharmacist had the guts to humiliate the heir of Merlin Family, then I guess he'd have the guts to take on the humiliated's challenge!"
Upon hearing these words, Gerian shot Cromwell a peculiar glance and burst out laughing. "This is your so-called dignity? Is it possible you're still half awake, thinking that the little rascal from your family would have the chance to defeat Mage Felic?"
"All I want is a chance for a fair match. Only the two of them, and no one can interfere!"
"After so long, just for this?" Gerian's mood lit up immediately. Only then did he understand that the old fellow had threatened him just to let his good-for-nothing son fight it out with Lin Li.
Considering the disparity in strength between the two sides, he had agreed almost readily when he suddenly recalled that Lin Li was not an ordinary member of the Guild of Magic. He did not express his stance immediately, but instead turned to ask Lin Li, "What do you think?"
"We'll just battle…" Lin Li was somewhat indifferent. Although he wasn't so optimistic like Gerian, he knew very well Cromwell's strength. So long as Old Merlin did not interfere, all would be well. No matter what schemes he came up with, it would be hard for Cromwell to pose a threat to him.
After the battle today, he'd had a deeper understanding of magic. Absolute power was definitely more important than skills. Even if one did not have an extraordinary gift, he could rely on brutal power to make a clean sweep off everything, like what Old Merlin had done to him at the beginning.
"A month later, I will invite the leaders of all forces in Jarrosus, they'll be the witnesses of this duel. Do you think it's fair enough, Gerian?"
"Doesn't matter. Your son is a piece of cake anyway…"
"Hmph!" Old Merlin could not keep it in at last. With a flick of his sleeves, he left with Cromwell in the midst of Gerian's arrogant laughter.
Chapter 31 - Breakthrough
After the battle between Old Merlin and Gerian, the Merlin Family seemed to have quieted down all of a sudden. And together with the Merlin Family, the pharmacist from the Guild of Magic had also stayed quiet.
The revelation that Lin Li was that pharmacist spread like wildfire following the battle between the most powerful mages in Jarrosus. Now, more than half of Jarrosus City knew about the young pharmacist named Felic in the Guild of Magic, and that he was not even 20 years of age. Perhaps due to the overwhelming glory of being a pharmacist, many people actually overlooked the fact that he was also a level-eight mage.
Mmm… In actual fact it was level-nine.
Lin Li had learnt too much from the battle between Gerian and Old Merlin.
For the subsequent few days, he had not stepped out of his room. He did not even have the time to care about the auction of the Arcane magic potions. He'd locked himself up in the room and calmly pondered over every bit of the battle. Lin Li studied repeatedly each spell and gesture that both of them had used.
After he had left the Sunset Mountains, Lin Li vaguely felt that he had encountered some sort of hindrance in the progress of his magic.
It was a strange feeling, like being blocked by something.
He had been training diligently every day, and he also knew that he had an exceptional talent. But he couldn't seem to overcome that ridge.
He was helpless and aggrieved…
But there was no other way. What Lin Li could do was to practice and read all kinds of magic books more diligently, hoping to make up for all this with diligence.
But the effect of such effort was rather frustrating.
The daily practice of elemental sequencing had indeed brought Lin Li's mastery of magical elements to a high level. He could even unleash the level-two Waterfall Strike instantaneously, something which many archmages above level-ten were not able to accomplish. Reading all kinds of magic books desperately had also allowed him to be gradually rid of the awkward status of a novice mage, becoming a full-fledged one instead; at least most of the time
now he didn't have to ask Kevin about everything when he had encountered problems.
But that ridge was still there…
It was still the feeling of impotence. It was like there was a mountain in front of you which you could not get around in any way.
This situation lasted for a long time—until a few days ago, when the battle between the strongest mages of Jarrosus took place outside the Emerald Tower.
Lin Li gained so much from the battle.
The direct exchange between the two great archmages was even more effective than a legendary mage's precepts and examples.
The subtle control of magical elements, the precise distribution of mana, and the flexible use of various kinds of spells, et cetera, et cetera, not only opened Lin Li's eyes, but also exposed him to a world he had never imagined before.
The kind of feeling was like a closed door suddenly opened.
It was a sense of enlightenment.
It was only then that Lin Li suddenly understood why Andoine had said he had nothing more to teach him back in the Sunset Mountains. Some things just couldn't be described in words. If you understood, you understood, and if you didn't, you'd still not understand no matter how much was said. When the magic power reached a certain level, language seemed to become pale and powerless, and no amount of preaching would be as real as fighting one another.
Feeling that the mountain was loosening up bit by bit, Lin Li plunged into a state of excitement.
He had locked himself in his room for several days, his mind full of the battle between Gerian and Old Merlin.
It was not until the fourth morning that he came out of the room.
When Kevin saw him, his eyes were bloodshot and his whole body looked terribly gaunt, but Kevin could only feel the word "powerful" coming from that weak and gaunt person.
At first sight, Kevin almost thought he had mistaken Lin Li for someone else.
Although Lin Li was a gifted superman and possessed the hidden identity of a pharmacist, Kevin never felt unable to contend with the former when he stood in front of him. Kevin even felt he was better than the young mage in some ways.