He couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
The Coin of Destiny had indeed guided him well. Vance was practically his lucky star, although the man himself would not think that way.
“Found you!” Number 5 descended in front of Leylin, emitting terrifying Crystal Phase energy waves.
“Leo didn’t follow you? This is indeed disappointing!” Leylin looked at Number 5 and shook his head as his face showed regret.
“How dare you? Even though you’ve just killed a Hydro Phase Magus, you can’t belittle the dignity of a Crystal Phase Magus!”
Number 5’s face hardened as he gathered and concentrated the spiritual force all over his body.
“I should inform you that I didn’t just kill a Rank 3 Hydro Phase Magus, I also killed a Magus that just broke through to the Crystal Phase not long ago.
“Just in time, the specimen that I had gained previously seemed a little weak, maybe I should gather another one…” Upon hearing Leylin’s words, Number 5’s expression darkened.
Number 5 looked at Leylin who laughed indifferently, and suddenly felt like what he’d done was ridiculously dumb.
Yet, it was too late as there was a black ray of light concentrating on Leylin’s finger….
……
“I’ll remember this, Oakheart Clan!” On the other hand, a hawk-nosed Magus, with terrible wounds and even scars that were created from spell formations, was currently fleeing in disarray.
Even though he has already reached a high level of the Crystal Phase, and his spiritual force is only a few steps away from peaking the Crystal Phase, he was still unable to defend himself from the combined attacks of three Crystal Phase Magi. He lost tragically and even suffered serious injuries.
In particular, the leader Leo could be said to be this Magus’ nightmare. He brought along a high-energy creature which was the main cause of his injuries.
What made him even angrier was that he was unable to escape Leo’s clutches even when he changed his aura. This meant that the other party had left a mark on him.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to find out what exactly the other party had done. The fact that even his communications equipment was restricted made him realize the disparity between the two parties, driving him insane.
“Oakheart Clan, I will definitely expose your dirty tricks to the entire world!” the hawk-nosed Magus howled in desperation as he soon found himself cornered by the three.
“You’ll never get the chance!” Leo showed a ruthless expression as he concentrated a terrifying amount of energy fluctuations on his body.
In that instant, the shadow of a beast that appeared behind him gradually took form as it stood in front of the hawk-nosed Magus.
That creature howled, making an unpleasant sound.
This creature seemed to be a combination of a wolf and a squid. It has the head and the body of a wolf and yet its lower body was equipped with white tentacles, complete with suction pads, that sent shivers down one’s spine.
The creature, which had eyes that looked like green lightbulbs, stared intensely at the Magus. At the same time, there were traces of dark green gases being emitted from the suction pads.
The gas then concentrated on the hawk-nosed Magus’ body, forming a thick layer of adhesive that caused him to slow down.
*Roar!* The tentacles, located at the lower body of the creature, bloomed like a flower as they headed towards the hawk-nosed Magus.
Leo watched in pleasure as the creature swallowed the hopeless fellow into its stomach. The creature’s stomach didn’t stop squirming as if it was digesting the entire body.
It was always the same cycle. Those he pursued would first curse him, then fear him and his creature, and ultimately they wouldn’t be able to escape their fate of death. Witnessing these Magi eventually die was always a heartfelt pleasure for him.
Even though this current target was not a beautiful and skilled female Magus, the fact that he was from an affluent family was enough to make up for his loss.
“This Hocada Beast…” Suddenly, the creature wrapped itself with its uncountable hands, forming a humongous meat lump and even breathing like a human being.
“It’s almost reached the stage of evolution. Once it evolves, I’m afraid…” Leo’s expression darkened.
This unique Hocada Beast originally belonged to his Morning Star Magus grandfather who found it among the debris of another plane.
The creature was now merely in its infancy, and could still swallow terrifying Crystal Phase magi. Once it was fully grown and its ability increased, only his Master Grandfather would be capable of subduing it.
*Snap!* A sharp and clear sound could be heard from Leo’s chest as he stared blankly.
He couldn’t believe it as he took out a rhombus-shaped crystal from his embrace and saw the surface being filled with cracks and at the same time, it wasn’t shining.
Number 1 and Number 2 couldn’t help but narrowed their eyes.
“This is… the crystal that seals the spirit source. Which comrade perished?”
“Number 5. But how is that possible? The other party is only a Hydro Phase…”
Leo hated this feeling as it meant that things went beyond his control. “Exactly what happened? Which Magus concealed his capability? Or was it merely sheer luck that a high-ranked Magus helped him? Drat, there are so many possibilities….”
Leo’s expression turned ferocious: “Number 1, Number 2… I want you…”
“Buzz!” Just at this time, a subtle energy wave was transmitted from Leo’s ring in the form of a blue ray of light as an image was projected in the sky.
In this image was a blue-haired Magus with eyes, more brilliant than the stars.
“Master Grandfather!” Leo bowed respectfully while Number 1 and Number 2 knelt on the ground as they shivered. The dignity of a Morning Star Magus could not be violated even if you were at the Crystal Phase.
The expression of the Magus in the image was awful: “I felt a portion of the dispatched stardust bugs being destroyed.”
Leo narrowed his eyes. The fact that the Oakheart Clan made use of stardust bugs to spy on each and every move of the Magi was a top secret and the consequences would be dire if this secret was to be exposed.
Even the Azure Mountain King, who was also a Morning Star Magus, would not be able to appease the anger of the numerous Magi.
Adding on, once the female Morning Star Magi found out that their conduct and deeds were…. Leo didn’t dare to even think about it anymore.
“No matter what, this has to be resolved immediately. Luckily, the last information that was sent through the stardust bugs is that the other party is not of a high rank, not even to the extent of nearing the Morning Star realm. Go to the location with these coordinates first, I’ll arrive soon!”
The Azure Mountain King’s tone was pressing and commanding. He’d emphasized on the matter at hand when he hung up.
“These coordinates?” Leo looked at the information that the Azure Mountain King had sent him as his eyes narrowed into a line.
He remembered very clearly that these coordinates located the direction that the Magus who had killed Number 5 fled to.
The scene of his confrontation with the other party flashed in his head.
He remembered the other party’s calm voice and realised how foolish he was back then. Maybe back then, the other party had already seen through his tricks and found a way to free himself as he awaited Leo’s arrival.
Once he thought about it, he’d truly been inane! Leo’s expression dropped instantly, now as gloomy as rain.
“Follow me!” Leo’s voice was very dry, as if he was dying of thirst in the desert. Number 1 and Number 2 looked at each other and helplessly forced a smile.
Based on the conversation just now, they had already guessed that something serious had happened and they were aware of the consequences of knowing too much.
This was the sad part of being controlled by so
meone else. Even if they knew they were at a disadvantage, they would not dare to rebel.
“Humph!” Leo turned his head away coldly as Number 1 and Number 2 followed closely behind him.
The stardust bugs were top secret. In past history, only the leader of the Oakheart Clan and the Azure Mountain King knew of them. Since these two heard the name, they were already destined for death.
Maybe the Azure Mountain King had already thought of this. He was only delaying their deaths because he had a use for them.
It was important to clean all evidence once the deed was done. After all, no one could know of the clan’s biggest secret…
*Thump!* Number 5’s body fell on the floor with a small black hole in his forehead.
“Not bad!” Leylin’s breathing was unstable. After all, it was not an easy task to deal with a rank 3 Crystal Phase Magus. Yet, as he looked at Number 5’s ring, his expression brightened.
WMW Chapter 464
Counting Spoils
Only after finishing with the plunder of Number 5’s body did Leylin turn his gaze upon the black mask, his expression grave.
“The coercion of the A.I. Chip cannot last a long time. Once it fades, the controller of these bugs will get the news right away…”
The powder he’d used on these stardust bugs would only work once; moreover, once the effect was gone, he was afraid that these bugs would still leak out all the information to the central control room.
Leylin could not allow this. Once he thought of the Morning Star Magus behind the scenes, he felt a chill.
Fortunately, the other side still did not know his identity, so as long as the proof could be wiped out clearly, chances were that he could escape notice.
Once he thought of that, a green flame fell on the mask, growing larger.
Explosions could be heard from the mask, so soft that one couldn’t hear them without the help of the A.I. Chip.
After confirming that the stardust bugs had all perished, Leylin burned the entire area to ashes, laughing grimly before leaving.
……
With his timely retreat, Leylin did not get to see Leo’s crazed look as he arrived.
Leylin had been very careful to avoid places that could be monitored by Magi, even choosing to forgo travel by airship in favour of making his way on land. He hadn’t even hesitated to pass through some dangerous zones.
By the time he’d arrived at a safe zone outside the region of influence of Azure Mountain City, he’d even gotten news about the great changes there.
Watching the news that Azure Mountain City had imposed a curfew and sealed off the airship network, even starting to hunt for him without restraint, Leylin could not help but feel glad at his early departure.
He did not care about how crazy the Oakheart Family was, and didn’t even plan on spreading the news.
Although announcing the secret of the stardust bug would hurt the Oakheart Clan badly, there were few benefits for himself. On the other hand, this secret would make for a good bargaining chip in the future.
Leylin looked forward to the day he advanced to become a Morning Star Magus and the hush money the Azure Mountain King would provide.
Of course, having such dreams before advancing to the Morning Star realm would be nothing but courting death!
Since he didn’t choose to use an airship, Leylin’s return trip seemed to take a long time.
For the sake of caution, he’d even taken a big detour and only then snuck back into his own territory.
Only after entering his Magus Tower and being greeted by the mechanical voice of the tower genie did he relax completely.
A cup of hot coffee was placed on top of the table, emanating a rich and sweet aroma. Yet, Leylin only sat there without any facial expression, rapping his fingers on the table.
Leylin reflected on his actions after returning to his safe haven and listed out his weakness and gains in detail. He has always been doing that and it is because of this that he could survive without much mishaps in this sinister Magus world.
He had gained a lot on this trip, enough to shock any Crystal Phase Magus. But, at the same time, he’d provoked a power that was very troublesome. Just a little bit of thoughtlessness could’ve ended up with him dead.
The rage of a Morning Star Magus was awful. Once he was discovered, forget Leylin himself, not even his family and friends would meet a good end.
“I’ve cut off all the clues. To the auction house I was just ‘Blood Rogue,’ and at the anonymous barter, I’d disguised myself as well. I even destroyed the evidence afterwards. To think to look for me from all this is nearly impossible!”
Leylin was very confident in his own methods and the A.I. Chip’s coverup.
“As for prophetic spells, they’re very inaccurate on their own, and they work much worse against high ranked Magi. Adding on the cover from my Magus Tower…” This aspect was what worried Leylin the most.
There may be no normal clues, but if any mysterious spells were added into the mix… the thought scared him.
Especially prophetic spells. Those were extremely troublesome. Unless you were much higher in rank than the other party, as long as they paid a certain price, they could find out everything about you!
“Fortunately, there are very few prophetic Magi on the continent, and to correctly trace it back to me with my strength being at the Hydro Phase and the cover of my Magus Tower, it’ll be impossible for those normal ones. And to employ a Morning Star Magus that specialized in prophecy for the task would entail a huge price.”
With the database of the A.I. Chip and his personal experience with the Coin of Destiny, Leylin understood the workings of prophecy Magic much better than any ordinary Magus at his level.
“And the Azure Mountain King is not a prophetic Magus, and to pay the huge price of a Morning Star realm prophet is impossible within a short period of time… I must take advantage of this opportunity and immediately advance to the Crystal Phase. If things drag out until then, it’ll be much better…”
It took much more to predict the location of a Crystal Phase Magus to one at the Hydro Phase. What Leylin needed to do the most now was to improve his own strength so predictions would fail.
Strong radiation would be enough to interfere with such things!
Once Leylin advanced to the Morning Star realm, all this would count as a minor matter. Nobody would offend one Morning Star Magus for the sake of another.
Once Leylin advanced to the Morning Star realm, he could use this matter of the stardust bugs to extort the other party. At that time, the Azure Mountain King would only be able to swallow that bitter pill obediently.
‘And there’s no need to worry much about Vance and the Rolithe Family!’ Leylin remembered the patriarch of the Rolithe Family that died at his hands. Because of Jessia’s entanglement and having been detected by Leylin’s Coin of Destiny, he will always be at the losing end, how miserable is that.
He didn’t even know who killed him. As for the Rolithe Family, for them to find out would be even harder.
“Diamond Jellyfish, astral stone!” Leylin touches his chin, muttering, “For such precious treasures to appear in such a small family at the same time is abnormal. Perhaps I should have Parker go watch them…” For the current Leylin, a family with only a Hydro Phase Magus was no matter.
Even were Vance not dead, with all the subordinates Leylin had amassed in over a century, he didn’t even need to move himself to crush them.
However, for the patriarch of a small family to suddenly advance by leaps and bounds, and at the same time to possess such precious treasures, made Leylin unable to help but suspect that he had found some great treasure or inheritance.
In the central continent, there were plenty of Magi. As a result, there was an abundance of inheritance and historical remains. Almost every day in the Magi World, there would be lucky Magi who would ride on the coattails of their ancestors, and have high possibilities of promotion.
‘No, th
e Rolithe Family does not know right now that I’m the murderer. It would be too obvious to let Parker go.’ Leylin was not afraid of their vengeance, but he was worried that the Oakheart Family would also associate him with the killer, which would be terrible!
Leylin thought for a bit, and opened up a secret imprint, “Tanasha! Go to the Black River Domain, and secretly watch the Rolithe Family. Report to me their every move!”
“Understood, Master!” came her respectful voice in return.
After slowly separating from the inner circle of the Forgotten Land, this lady had wholeheartedly joined Leylin and become his most powerful subordinate.
For a Crystal Phase Magus, even eliminating the entire Rolithe Family would be no problem, leave alone simply monitoring them.
“Now that the annoyances are out of the way, let’s take a look at the spoils!” After closing the secret imprint, Leylin spat out a breath and waved his hand, causing a few objects to appear on the table.
Inside a purple box were two black stones, one big and one small, each flickering in a weak blue light.
These were Leylin’s main purpose in making the trip—astral stones!
The big one was from Leo and was the size of a quail egg, and the small one was what he’d plundered from Vance. It was only the size of a fingernail.
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