by Zhuang Bifan
Since the Ice and Fire Natural Magical Domain could offer so many great benefits, Lin Li naturally didn't want to let it go to waste. Upon returning to the Tower of Dusk with his team, he immediately headed to the Eternal Furnace on the top of the tower.
In fact, the most difficult part about dealing with the Ice and Fire Natural Magical Domain was taking out Polar Snow and Raging Flames, and also bringing the Ice and Fire Natural Magical Domain out of the secret chamber of the underground palace. Lin Li had already managed to solve those two problems smoothly. The magical crystals of the Ice and Fire Twin Dragons also replaced Polar Snow and Raging Flames in being the core of the Ice and Fire Natural Magical Domain. At the same time, the inclusive nature of the Throne of Darkness allowed the Ice and Fire Natural Magical Domain to be devoured by it.
What Lin Li had to do now was to place the Throne of Darkness and the Ice and Fire Natural Magical Domain together on the Eternal Furnace. The only issue that he would have to consider was the cores of the Ice and Fire Natural Magical Domain. If the two cores were directly exposed in the domain like Polar Snow and Raging Flames used to be, it would be too easy for the enemy to destroy the domain.
Lin Li thought about it again and again, and decided to place the magical crystals of the Ice and Fire Twin Dragons in the core of the Eternal Furnace, where the giant crystal coffin was located. That was a forbidden zone, even for the mages of the Tower of Dusk. Even if the enemies bribed someone from the Tower of Dusk, they wouldn't be able to enter the forbidden area and wreak havoc. If someone were to really barge in, it wouldn't matter whether they damaged it.
Standing in the square in front of the Eternal Furnace, Lin Li chanted a long spell with an indifferent expression. The door of the Eternal Furnace, which was originally red in color, gradually turned darker until it was completely covered by darkness. The Throne of Darkness then descended on the Eternal Furnace.
The region where the Tower of Dusk was located seemed to have plunged into nighttime as the entire Eternal Furnace and Tower of Dusk were completely shrouded in darkness. However, that did not last long, as the Eternal Darkness was soon lit up like dawn, and the darkness faded as if it had been washed away by waves. Everything seemed to have been restored to its original state.
However, Lin Li was the only one who knew that the Throne of Darkness did not really leave the Eternal Furnace, and was simply existing in another form. That was also because Lin Li had understood some of the mysteries of the power of the Sanctuary-realm, and had complete control over the Throne of Darkness. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to achieve it.
After the Throne of Darkness disappeared, the Ice and Fire Natural Magical Domain gradually emerged, and white snowflakes began to float on the dark red Eternal Furnace. The snowflakes did not melt because of the high temperature of the Eternal Furnace, and instead landed on the ground and fell on the roof of the palace, giving the red building a silvery coat.
The abnormality of the Eternal Furnace definitely sparked a plethora of speculations by those who were concerned about the Tower of Dusk, but Lin Li wasn't concerned about it at all. After completing all the work, Lin Li left the Eternal Furnace and arrived at the Tower of Dusk, where he finally began to listen to reports from Gavin and other members who were in charge of various matters.
Due to the fact that Lin Li did not restrict them from disclosing any details, the 40 Archmages had already spread the word about their expedition this time, thus allowing the other mages to find out the ins and outs of it. The various problems encountered by the Tower of Dusk recently had caused some of them to get riled up, but after hearing the insider story of the expedition, the feeling of uneasiness in their hearts immediately disappeared without a trace.
Rodhart flew into a rage in the Breezy Plains, and even if it happened hundreds of years ago, it still wasn't considered that long. To a resident of the Breezy Plains, the disaster that struck back then was not just a story. The Death Knights slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people, some of whom were the ancestors of some people. Hence, they were much more emotional and horrified by the terrifying Retribution Knight Rodhart and the Death Knights than people in other regions.
Their President Lin Li actually managed to kill the demon-like Retribution Knight who was a real Sanctuary powerhouse and a true terrifying existence. Since he could do that, he would definitely be able to solve the problems of the Tower of Dusk, which now seemed insignificant in comparison. No matter how strong they might be, who in the Breezy Plains could rival the terrifying Retribution Knight? Mages were known to be atheists. However, they seemed to reveal a kind of pious faith in their eyes when looking at Lin Li.
The Tower of Dusk today was far stronger than it used to be two or three years ago. Although the two main businesses of the Tower of Dusk, pharmaceutics and forging, were not spread throughout Anril, they at least occupied a certain amount in the market in the human kingdoms of Felan and Ledin. Given how much the Tower of Dusk had developed, it would naturally be impossible for Gavin and Beckley to be the only ones managing it. Hence, apart from Gavin and Beckley, there were other mages who were leaders of respective areas sitting in the conference hall at the moment. One of them was Alan, who had just stepped into the Legendary-realm. He was currently a senior executive of the Tower of Dusk.
"President, we have yet to find out the whereabouts of Cassano, but the potion formula and forging blueprints that he has stolen have all been used to create a large number of completed products that have appeared on the market recently. They're all sold at prices that are a fifth of our prices. No matter who produced them, they'd definitely make a loss. It's obvious that they're going against us," Gavin said with a sullen expression.
Although the management of the Tower of Dusk had been expanded, Gavin was still the chief supervisor who oversaw all aspects of the Tower of Dusk. Hence, although there were other people who were responsible for the assessment of members, Gavin was still responsible for overlooking a traitor like Cassano who had stolen the secrets of the Tower of Dusk.
However, Lin Li did not intend to hold him accountable now, and simply waved his hands. He said, "Let's talk about Cassano's issue. I do have some impression of him. He's talented and rather hardworking."
"Cassano is from Rolan, and he's also known as a genius amongst the locals. He joined the Tower of Dusk two years ago, and is very talented in learning magic. He's also a very humble and modest person. Due to the fact that his abilities and strength increased rapidly, and he was also very enthusiastic in completing the tasks of the guild, his contribution rate had also increased rapidly. He had also gained some considerable authority…" Due to the fact that Gavin had been investigating Cassano lately, he revealed almost everything about Cassano without thinking at all when Lin Li asked the question.
"President, I think that Cassano's betrayal is not an accident. This incident has exposed a flaw in our contribution system which seems to be fair on the surface. Although individual strength and competency are important, the greater an immoral person's abilities, the greater the damage he will cause," said a middle-aged mage named Seth. Although he had only joined the Tower of Dusk for over a year, he had strong management abilities, which allowed him to soon become a member of the management committee of the Tower of Dusk.
Seth's words seemed to have made sense, but Lin Li could obviously tell that he was trying to question and challenge Gavin's position. After all, the contribution system of the Tower of Dusk was established by Gavin. However, Lin Li didn't care about this. Power struggle within a force was normal, and it would be impossible to eradicate it. Without competition, there would be no development. If everyone in the Tower of Dusk had no d.e.s.i.r.es, what development would there be for the Tower of Dusk? Of course, Lin Li would not allow unscrupulous methods to be used to vie for power in the Tower of Dusk.
"We can't see or touch a person's morals and ethics. How can that be used as a criterion? Before Cassano's betrayal, did anyone suspect there to be an issue with his
character? Even now, we still have plenty of mages who don't believe that Cassano would betray us," Beckley retorted. As a veteran of the Tower of Dusk, Beckley was naturally more biased towards Gavin.
Chapter 831 - Ashen Warlock
The human heart was the most unpredictable thing. Your best friend of many years might shield you from a sword, and then stab you in the c.h.e.s.t the next minute. However, developing paranoia and being excessively suspicious of everything would be a huge disadvantage. Well, it would be impossible to make everyone sign a Soul Contract anyway.
"Well, there is no perfect system in this world, and since we know there are flaws, we will have to find ways to make up for it. However, the fairness of the contribution system is undeniable. The fair standards are exactly why our mages have faith in us and are more driven to strive for better," said Pereira, who was the mage in charge of the pharmaceutical business, in a bid to give them an out.
Lin Li did not make any comment about the conflict. Instead, he turned to look at Gavin, and calmly said, "Leave Cassano's matter aside. Go on, tell me what you found out."
"Yes, Mr. President," said Gavin, who was less anxious after seeing that Lin Li was not angry. He continued, "After those potions and weapons appear on the market, we immediately conducted a series of investigations on the background of the business operators, and discovered that there is a wide network of forces that are involved."
"Oh? How wide is it?" asked Lin Li, somewhat interested.
"This is the list that we got through our investigations. To put it simply, it includes most of the forces in the Breezy Plains, apart from the forces in Doland. However, many of the various forces of different sizes are all connected. Hence, after we sorted it out, we could infer that the obstacles that we have faced in various aspects are likely to be caused by more than a dozen forces. Their names are at the top of the list." While speaking, Gavin handed a doc.u.ment to Lin Li, and then distributed the other copies to several other senior executives.
"What? How… How is that possible!?" the senior executives exclaimed in unison after taking a glance at the doc.u.ment as it gave them a huge shock.
Due to the fact that they were afraid of arousing the suspicion of others, Gavin had always been responsible for the investigation of the rival forces. He did not expose the details to the senior executives at all. Hence, the several senior executives did not know the exact severity of the issue even though they knew that the Tower of Dusk was in serious trouble.
After all, the last time Lin Li returned from the Sky Castle, he sent the mages of the Tower of Dusk to attack a group of unruly forces with their weapons. Although the focus of their attacks was on Doland City, the power exhibited by the Tower of Dusk managed to create a significant deterrence to the forces in other regions.
The list of the forces in the Breezy Plains had clearly exceeded the psychological tolerance of the senior executives. The list meant that the enemy faced by the Tower of Dusk this time was not just a specific force, but almost half of the Breezy Plains.
Indeed, the Tower of Dusk was developing rapidly, and also had extremely powerful capability. It had integrated the large and small forces of Doland and become the top power in the entire Breezy Plains. However, while the Tower of Dusk was powerful compared to the individual forces, it did not mean that they could really fight the entire Breezy Plains.
"Well… Mage Gavin, are you sure that this list is correct?" The senior executives hurriedly tried to verify the accuracy of the list. Although they knew that Gavin definitely wouldn't be careless in that aspect, they still couldn't help but hope that he got it wrong. They couldn't help panicking, because the 10-odd forces at the top of the list were not inferior to the Malfa Family from Aminya at all. It wouldn't be too bad if there were only one or two. However, there were a total of more than 10 forces.
Upon seeing their reactions, Lin Li shook his head a little, and thought to himself, This is just some of the information on the surface. If they were to find out the real culprit who's instigating those forces, they would probably get a great shock.
"Are you guys already feeling fl.u.s.tered by these?" Alan questioned in disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e when he saw the way they behaved. At the same time, he also secretly felt thankful for the fact that he did not immediately tell everyone about Lin Li's conjecture. Otherwise, the Tower of Dusk would have been in a mess.
"Is that not enough? That's almost all the top forces of the Breezy Plains. I'm not belittling our power. I believe that none of these forces will pose any threat to us, even if they join forces. However, we're now facing all of them, not just one or a few," Seth said in a tone that was full of anxiety. He had also gained the approval of several other senior executives.
"President, the Tower of Dusk is developing too quickly, and it's inevitably going to arouse the jealousy of other forces and cause them to covet what we have. I think it is time to slow down. Those forces are undoubtedly just after benefits. As long as we give them some benefits, they probably won't really fall out with us," Pereira suggested, putting forward a conservative idea. Although it sounded a little unambitious, it was also a form of self-protection in a way.
Of course, as soon as Pereira voiced his idea, Gavin, Beckley, and Alan immediately glowered at him before Lin Li could even say anything. If it weren't for the fact that Lin Li was present, they would have probably gone forth to beat the timid Pereira up.
Seth originally agreed with Pereira's idea, but when he noticed their peculiar expressions, he frantically changed his mind, and said, "President, I doubt those forces have a tight alliance. We can definitely give them some interests and talk some of the forces around to break them up. By then, our crisis will naturally be resolved."
Seth's suggestion would also harm the interests of the Tower of Dusk, but it was obviously more acceptable. Even Gavin and Beckley nodded slightly. Alan sneered, and said, "Unfortunately, they're not just after those interests, and their alliance is not going to be divided easily."
"Mage Alan, what do you mean by that? Do you know something?" After Seth voiced his idea, everyone got interested, and Seth even felt a little smug and complacent. Hence, when he heard what Alan said, he found it hard to accept.
Alan first took a glance at Lin Li, and then turned to look at everyone after seeing Lin Li nod. "These forces have colluded, and that's indeed a good way to acc.u.mulate some strength. However, it's not that easy to make all of them stand on the same line, unless there's someone manipulating them from above."
"Someone manipulating them? You mean, there's someone behind them who instigated them to collude together!? It can't be. They're already the top forces in the Breezy Plains. How can they be manipulated by others?" asked Seth, who did not quite believe Alan's words. Those forces were already the top forces of the Breezy Plains. Usually, even the royals would not be taken seriously by them. How could they allow other forces to control them?
On the other hand, Gavin had followed Master Basel for a long time, and had also spent a lot of time learning in the Doland library. Hence, he had read through many books and materials beyond the field of magic. At this moment, he could not help but say with shock written all over his face, "You mean… they've also participated?"
However, in an instant, Gavin's eyes glistened, and he bitterly added, "Yeah, who else in the Breezy Plains apart from them can be powerful enough to do that?"
"Mage Gavin, Mage Alan, just what 'they' do you mean?" asked Seth, even more puzzled after seeing Gavin's expression. The other senior executives such as Beckley also seemed to be rather curious.
Seeing that Lin Li did not stop them, Gavin turned to say to Seth and the rest, "You guys are probably no strangers to the Glittergold Trade Union. How do you think these 10-odd forces compare to the Glittergold Trade Union?"
"They're probably far behind the Glittergold Trade Union. The Glittergold Trade Union is an actual trade union that covers the entire Anril. Do you think the Glittergold Trade Union is the culprit? But, don't they
have a cooperative relationship with us?" Seth asked in disbelief.
"No, what I'm trying to say is, which forces do you think can compare with the Glittergold Trade Union?" Gavin said, his voice turning a little low as he exposed his concerns.
Gavin's words were like a bolt from the blue for Seth and the rest, who were so shocked that they almost got up from their chairs. In the hearts of most people, the Glittergold Trade Union should be second only to the Supreme Council and the two major shrines, the Brilliance Shrine and the Darkness Shrine. It could be considered the fourth greatest force in Anril. Although the Glittergold Trade Union might still be worlds apart from the three forces, it would be unbelievable for there to be another force that was on par with the Glittergold Trade Union.
"Actually, it's no wonder that you guys don't know. Although we have a relatively high status in the Breezy Plains, we've only been established for a very short time, after all. If I hadn't read some information about them, I probably wouldn't have known about their existence. Speaking of the real top force in the Breezy Plains, we must mention the Ashen Warlock, Roland, who lives in Gran Town in the northern part of the Breezy Plains."
Gavin was on the topic about forces that were comparable to the Glittergold Trade Union, and yet the first item he mentioned was a person. However, when Seth and the rest heard his name, no one raised any objections. It might sound absurd to include a person in the ranks of the top forces, but no one in Anril would find that statement an exaggeration. As natives of the Breezy Plains, how could they have not heard of Roland, the Ashen Warlock? How could they not know the stories about him?
Roland, the Ashen Warlock, had always lived in the small Gran Town in the northern part of the Breezy Plains like an ordinary old man from the countryside who often lived a quiet and regular rural life. In the small Gran Town where there were only a few hundred households, a sneeze could be heard clearly from the other end of the town. However, no one there knew that the protagonist of the terrifying stories used to stop children from crying, Roland, the Ashen Warlock—and one of the most infamous butchers in the Felan Kingdom after the Highlord Osric—was their neighbor.