Warlock of the Magus World 1-596

by Wen Chao Gong

  Just as Leylin’s eyes brightened, the phoenix soared down from the clouds in the sky, revealing several gigantic, hundred meter long silhouettes made of flames.

  The fire elementals were the most powerful living beings in the Lava World, and the most populous. They did not have blood or flesh, and instead had bodies covered in fuming flames and rocks. Their eyes were like deathly white flames that arose from the very soul.

  “Divineflame Empire! It seems like you lot didn’t learn your lesson at Death Grand Canyon!” Scarlet Eye’s voice boomed across the sky, and the humongous wings wrapped up the giant fire elementals, flinging them away.

  Its body rumbled as explosions erupted all over it, but it did not seem bothered at all.

  By the time the phoenix vanished, half the flames in the sky had subsided. Leylin widened his eyes.

  ‘They even have such a method? Are there still people undercover in the leader’s residence? And does that mean this was a ploy to lure the tiger out of its den?’

  Hidden in front of him was Loke. He sighed in relief and pulled out a circular disk as he saw the phoenix leave.

  On the surface of this disk were weird runes with countless interconnected crimson lines that formed a vertical pupil.

  ‘Haven’t I seen something like this before?’ Puzzlement crossed his eyes as he immediately checked with the A.I. Chip’s database. The answer showed up within a second. ‘A copy of Gaia’s Disc? Such a technique actually exists…’

  Loke stopped at an empty ground in the building. He placed the replica on the ground as he showed a tinge of excitement.

  *Ssshh!* The very moment the disc touched the ground, a large amount of sand split apart like it was a stream, revealing a pitch dark tunnel that led underground.

  “Here it is! Now I’m at the weakest part of the entire building. Together with the power of Gaia’s Disc…” Loke’s eyes grew impassioned. He had endured a lot of humiliation during this mission, and now he could finally succeed in his task!

  ‘That was good cooperation, but I’m afraid it won’t be of help.’ Leylin saw the agitated Loke enter the underground tunnel, soon to be followed by a gloomy Bowens. This was the superior they had just met that day.

  It seemed like Loke’s luck was at an end.

  However, Leylin had one more doubt, ‘Since they wanted to coordinate between the inside and outside, why don’t they just send a Morning Star Magus in, isn’t that much simpler? They already sent so many just to attract attention, one more wouldn’t be too hard…’

  He did not think much of it since that was a question that wouldn’t see an answer soon. Instead, he followed the two and entered just as the tunnel closed up…

  *Boom!* Schiker entered Leylin’s room.

  “Instructor!” ‘Leylin’ got up from the bed, bowing even with blurry sight.

  Schiker first looked around with a cautious gaze, and he looked relieved that Leylin was still around. Soon, he reprimanded the boy, “You’re still asleep under such circumstances?”

  “Master Bowens and so many of his colleagues are around right now. If they can’t solve the problem, what can I do? I might as well just continue sleeping…”

  ‘Leylin’ threw his hands up, seemingly helpless. With the support of the A.I. Chip, every action of this puppet was a perfect copy of Leylin’s behaviour, even its character was flawless. Forget Schiker, even Gilbert was unlikely to be able to notice the difference.

  “You…” Schiker was dumbfounded, but the waves in his heart secretly calmed down…

  Inside the underground tunnel, Leylin followed closely after Bowens. He had weakened his breath to the maximum, and not a single energy wave fluctuation broke out. Additionally, Bowens seemed to have put his full focus on Loke, and he did not realise he was being shadowed.

  “Gaia’s Disc was used by the Hero Moncordol of the Emberwings’ legend to lift open the stratum, it is also the powerful weapon which slew the demon king Falsace; this can easily crack open a huge underground tunnel even if it’s just a replica.”

  Loke’s voice trembled in agitation, “The organisation possessed such a precious weapon that let me avoid triggering numerous traps. Truly, this is…”

  As he reached the bottom, blood vessels popped out from under Loke’s skin, his aura growing berserk.

  “The final layer of defence!” Loke was frantic in excitement as he saw a crimson defensive membrane.

  He suddenly attacked, and a huge amount of fire exploded forth from his hands, rushing into the spell formation.

  Crackling sounds rang out as the spell formation shook. A terrifying wave of energy was returned in counter, and surged through Loke’s body. His skin peeled off, revealing the flames burning within.

  Loke’s body had been completely shredded by the formation’s counterattack, revealing a two-meter tall fire elemental, composed of flames and rocks.

  The flame surged in all directions, and Loke’s aura rose to the pinnacle of the Sky rank, the equivalent of a peak rank 3 in the Magus World.

  ‘Hmmm? Loke is a fire elemental?’

  Leylin was rather surprised. He had always thought that Loke was an undercover agent of the Mobius Organisation, Jupiter’s Lightning’s operations here, but now it seemed like he did not know the length of it. Jupiter’s Lightning had also approached the Divineflame Empire, and had signed some terms of agreement with each other.

  After recovering his original appearance, Loke marched up to the scarlet spell formation.

  A dot of a golden flame shot out of his body, burning a round opening in the spell formation’s light shield.

  Loke turned into a ball of flames, entering from that tiny opening in the spell formation and soon returning to his normal form.

  “Hahahaha… All of Scarlet Eye’s treasures and secrets are mine for the taking!” As Loke laughed, he explored the chamber. His flaming legs left a black burn mark with every step he took.

  He seemed rather familiar with this area, running straight towards the chamber in the centre.

  The gigantic chamber was spacious, with nothing around except a large spell formation. Strings of runes interlocked with the energy circuit. It was so refined that a Magus would go dizzy simply by staring at it for a length of time.

  In the middle of the formation was a weak red light, it’s energy as it flickered causing Leylin’s heart to palpitate.

  ‘This aura is so familiar… Yes, the firasource stones! Wait… it’s a living creature?’ The A.I. Chip had made a judgement that threw Leylin into confusion.

  “Found it!” Loke celebrated in his excitement. He took out a big black key, walking towards the spell formation.

  Just then, a membrane of light blocked his path of return, the surging wave of energy sweeping him onto the ground in an instant.

  The gigantic fire elemental fell flat to the ground with a thud, causing the chamber to shake a little.

  “What happened? Doesn’t this place just have a single defensive layer?” Loke touched his head, puzzled.

  “Obviously it is used to guard against people like you.” Bowens sneered, exiting stealth and walking out from the dark.

  “B–Master Bowens?” Loke was totally taken aback.

  “Hmm! The leader knew long ago that there was something wrong with you. It seems you hid quite a lot from us.”

  The fuming lava hand dropped onto the ground, and the black key was snatched from his hands.

  “You are a very important captive. The leader and Schiker will take great interest in you.” Bowens spoke coldly as the flame on his hands turned into ropes which tied Loke up.

  Loke could not fight back against the power of a Star rank. Rather, he was so flabbergasted that he did not even struggle or otherwise resist.

  While both of them were unaware of their surroundings, Leylin snuck close to the membrane of light. The A.I. Chip scanned the formation, revealing the entry condition, [Aura of level 10 Fireplume required for access.]

  Watching Loke being taken awa
y by Bowens, Leylin followed them out of the basement. He recalled the shadow puppet after returning to his bedroom.

  He had lots of questions, ‘What was that red orb in the middle of the spell formation? Bowens settled Loke so quickly, and obviously he wasn’t used as bait. Was it merely for Gaia’s Disc and that black bronze key?’

  Holy Solar Day

  “Gilbert, Emma; the tides have turned. The Mobius Organisation might be colluding with the Divineflame Empire. Be very careful!”

  Unable to come up with anything even after a long time, Leylin specially informed Gilbert and Emma about the situation. He then returned immediately to the leader’s residence. His actions were not in the least bit unusual.

  Yesterday, Scarlet Eye had returned to the mansion right after Leylin followed Bowens out, making Leylin secretly heave a sigh of relief.

  If he had chosen to take action then, it was likely that even after he tackled Bowens, he would have bumped into Scarlet Eye who was rushing back. That would have spelt trouble.

  Furthermore, he didn’t want to make a move before understanding the situation.

  “Officer Schiker! Where’s Loke? Why haven’t I seen him around recently?” Leylin questioned ‘curiously’. Upon the mention of this name, Schiker’s facial muscles twitched, and he was silent for a long while before he spoke. “He has been assigned to a top-secret mission, and will be away for some time!”

  “I see!” Leylin seemed to have gained some understanding. He moved closer to Schiker and asked, “Instructor, about that night… what happened in the end?”

  “What else? The leader emerged victorious of course! He struck two of the masters from the other party who were at the Star rank. He took one of them prisoner, and the foreign affairs department will negotiate with the Divineflame Empire!” A look of admiration flashed across Schiker’s eyes, but Leylin’s heart sank.

  ‘They paid such a high price, yet ended up with nothing. Those people from the Divineflame Empire definitely will not take things lying down. Furthermore, the trap they set previously that caused the loss of the combat abilities of the Morning Stars was not very wise. What is the truth behind all of this?’

  Combining that line of thought with the intelligence given by Emma and Gilbert in the past two days, Leylin suddenly felt as though the future was shrouded in a dense fog.

  ‘I’m afraid I’ll have to modify my previous plan. This Holy Solar Day will not pass in peace. Divineflame Empire, Jupiter’s Thunder, and even the Ouroboros Clan will take action. When that time comes, this place will be plunged into chaos…

  ‘Well, at least there’s this to look forward to!’ Leylin saw that the progress bar on the A.I. Chip was quickly filling up, and couldn’t help but smile.

  The tenth level of Fireplume was the gateway to the Star rank. Leylin’s energy had already been condensed to form a point mass, and if these two systems could be fused successfully the formidable power produced would definitely not just be additive. There would be a horrifying qualitative change in him, amplifying his powers to a great extent.

  Additionally, Leylin had long since used up all the firasource stones he had earned from Collins, something that caused his soul force to improve by leaps and bounds. His strength after all this would surely give many enemies a surprise.

  His eyes glowed crimson as the corners of his lips rose to form a wicked smile.

  The bloodline of the apex predator, the Giant Kemoyin Serpent, was pressing him to slaughter! He wanted to destroy everything, to bring it all to flaming ruin!

  The emotional instability that was common to bloodline Warlocks had begun to act up. After he advanced to the Morning Star realm, the Giant Kemoyin Serpent’s soul had fused with Leylin’s own, causing him to inherit these violent moods. These were no longer an external thing, but instead part of his own nature.

  Once such an illness acted up, it would have a far-reaching effect on the Warlock’s personality.

  Previously, Leylin had always made a conscious effort to restrain himself, preventing his feelings from eroding his character away. Now that war was upon them, he was facing unprecedented pressure, and some strange emotions managed to worm their way out…

  No matter what others thought, time was still ticking by. Finally, the day of the Emberwings’ festival— the Holy Solar Day— had arrived.

  During his recent trips, Leylin saw the streets and markets starting to bustle with activity. Many teenage Emberwings now went against the taboo, playing on the road. The atmosphere was filled with clamour.

  The various district representatives from the Atlan Union and the other tourists who came on their own accord arrived at Tylasus City one by one. The place was packed to the brim, even overcrowded, resulting in multiple cases of breaches in public security. Even Leylin, a martial officer from the Military Office, had to step in at times, something more than evident of how thin the security had been stretched.

  According to the information given by Gilbert and Emma in private, many of the elites from the Mobius organisation and Triserpent Sect had also snuck into Tylasus City. They were the ones who stirred up trouble here, making the place chaotic.

  Additionally, the arch-enemy of the Atlan Union, the Divineflame Empire, had also sent a large team of ambassadors, causing more trouble.

  “It just seems like things will get relatively more troublesome!” Leylin lamented. He donned the dashing uniform of a military official, and stood tall and straight. He and his colleagues lined along both sides, while Scarlet Eye stood in front of a huge fitting room mirror, adjusting the butterfly-shaped necktie on his collar.

  “Your Highness! Your schedule for today is as follows: first up will be the parliament lecture, followed by welcoming the envoy from the Divineflame Empire. The banquet in the afternoon…” Standing next to Scarlet Eye were a few secretaries with pen and paper in hand, chattering away. There were also a few maids who were tidying up the creases on the coattails of his dinner suit.

  Schiker, Bowens and the others were also dressed neatly and stood at the side. Outside the window, lots of fireworks and gun salutes could be seen. Colourful confetti filled the sky, and the place was filled with a festive atmosphere.

  “Alright! I have my own plans for today’s matters!” Scarlet Eye furrowed his brows and waved his hand, sending away the secretaries who were still chattering endlessly.

  “Schiker, you shall accompany me today.” These words seemed to move the leader’s son to tears.

  Seeing his odd mix of being both moved and apprehensive, Leylin felt at a loss for words.

  ‘The private life of this state leader is quite confusing. His previous marriage did not produce a heir, and now that he only has Schiker, his illegitimate child, does he hope for him to inherit his political legacy and even become the next leader of the union?’

  If the other officials knew that Leylin was silently cursing their almighty leader, they might have come together to tear him apart, and the outcome wouldn’t be pleasant.

  “Let’s go!” After quite some time, Scarlet Eye finished his preparations and took the lead as he mounted a chariot that was drawn by numerous scarlet birds. Schiker followed closely behind.

  Bowens walked behind everyone. He suddenly glanced at Leylin and commanded, “Ley, you come too!”

  “But… The duty of a humble servant is to stay behind and guard the residence!” Leylin appeared to be hesitating, but he was secretly cursing in his heart.

  His duty for today was to stand guard at the residence. This was perfectly normal as he lacked the proper qualifications, and thus could not show his face at the parliament. However, this was what he wanted. After all, the places that Scarlet Eye would go to today would not be tranquil, and there would not be any advantages from following him out. How would that be more enjoyable than being able to hide in the residence and unearth treasures the minute he discovered that something was off?

  What did he stand to gain from going out with Scarlet Eye anyway? That one casual sente
nce from Bowens disrupted his plans for the day.

  Leylin felt a little gloomy as he looked at Bowens. Maybe Bowens sensed that something was amiss, or maybe he just found Leylin an eyesore, but he had been causing a lot of trouble for Leylin on the sly.

  “ .. Yes, Sir!” To the others, it seemed that Leylin only hesitated for a while before agreeing immediately in a loud voice, ecstasy spreading across his face. This made many of the officials who were staying behind envy him, yet they did not know that Leylin was secretly rolling his eyes.

  Bowens was his superior after all, and Leylin could not do much even if he disagreed.

  Leylin stood at the back of the fleet and reflected, ‘Might as well! When the moment comes, I’ll join Gilbert and Emma directly. Once something is amiss, we will immediately activate the coordinates and return. I don’t believe that Scarlet Eye will give chase and follow us back to the Magus World.’