Chapter 1202: Background
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Soon, the grand elder of the Octopus Clan, Hayes, finally arrived while the four of them waited expectantly. The four looked extremely haggard, and they were immediately frightened. Except for Harquess, the other three were all Sanctuary powerhouses. What exactly happened that made them end up looking so worn out and haggard?!
When the four of them saw Hayes, they hurriedly perked up and saluted him in unison. In the entire Octopus Clan, there was probably no one more prestigious than Grand Elder Hayes. In fact, even Great Monarch Hegel had to salute him as a junior.
Hayes was about to ask the four of them about the situation, but the stone slab on the ground suddenly caught his eye. Just like how the four of them reacted just now, his attention was also instantly attracted to the mageweath as he became completely immersed in studying it.
However, after just a few minutes, Hayes snapped out of that state, and was far less disheveled than the four of them. Clearly, Hayes didn’t expend all his mental strength on the mageweath like the four of them had.
Looking at the state that Hayes was in, the four of them were immediately overjoyed, and Great Monarch Hegel eagerly asked, “Grand Elder, how is it? Have you figured out this mageweath?”
While Hegel was asking the question, the other three were also full of expectation, waiting for Grand Elder Hayes to nod his head. In their opinion, as the person with the highest inscription attainment in the Octopus Clan, Grand Elder Hayes had to be able to decipher this mageweath, otherwise this mageweath should not even be something that existed in this world.
However, amidst their expectant gazes, Grand Elder Hayes slowly shook his head, and said, “No, I can’t decipher this mageweath. Its structure and laws have vaguely touched the Divine-Smith-level, and that is the power of the G.o.ds!”
Grand Elder Hayes’ words were like a bolt of lightning that struck their souls, leaving them completely dumbfounded for a moment. They felt that the mageweath was very profound, but they didn’t expect that they had underestimated it by countless times compared to Grand Elder Hayes’ evaluation.
Even though Elder Hayes’ attainments in inscription were already unparalleled in the Octopus Clan, Hegel and the other four people still couldn’t believe it. An existence near the Divine-Smith-level was simply a mythical existence. In thousands of years of the history of the Octopus Clan, there had never been anyone who reached the Divine-Smith-level. Yet, a human in his early twenties actually managed to reach that level.
Although Harquess was astonished, he felt that it was all too surreal. Hence, he mustered the courage to say, “Grand Elder, I was the one who drew the base of this mageweath and it’s only at the Master-level. That human called Felic merely splashed some ink at it. How could it have become like what you mentioned?”
Indeed, if it was a carefully drawn mageweath, it would still more or less seem plausible to say that it was near the Divine-Smith-level. However, it was originally a Master-level mageweath drawn by Harquess, and it was quite unbelievable to claim that it reached the peak of the Divine-Smith-level just because Lin Li splashed some ink onto it.
Hearing Harquess’ words, Great Monarch Hegel and the other two elders were also stunned as they finally realized that they had been so preoccupied with that mageweath that they had forgotten that the way that mageweath was formed was even more unbelievable. As inscribers, they all knew how much effort it took to draw a mageweath. However, according to Harquess, that human actually just splashed a bottle of ink onto it, and made it reach the Divine-Smith-level. That was simply more mythical than myth.
However, Hayes slightly shook his head. He didn’t get angry because of the crowd’s doubts, either. Instead, he looked into the distance, and, after a moment of contemplation, said, “It’s not your fault, it’s just that you guys haven’t reached that level yet, so you cannot understand what kind of realm that is.”
Hayes’ words immediately aroused the curiosity of the four people. Although Hegel and the two elders were already experienced Masters of Inscription, they were still far from the peak of the Master-level Hayes was at. Besides, in addition to his profound knowledge and attainment in inscription, another reason that Hayes could become the grand elder of the Octopus Clan was because of his age. Not to mention the Octopus Clan, even in the entire Sea Clan of the Endless Ocean, there were probably very few who could compare to him. The entire Dark Age was probably just a fragment of his life.
Hegel couldn’t help but ask, “Grand Elder, what kind of realm is that?!”
“What kind of realm is that…” Hayes muttered, as if he was speaking to himself. He then turned to look at Hegel and the others with a bitter smile on his face. “That’s a realm that I can’t even touch. However, there was a supreme genius in my clan thousands of years ago. He might be the only one who has reached that realm.”
Hearing these words, Hegel and others could not help but turn pale. Although Hayes didn’t state explicitly who the genius was, they were familiar with that legend, and thus thought of a person immediately.
It was Heldanos, who was known as the legend of the Octopus Clan, and was originally from a poor family of the lowest cla.s.s. However, he had an enviable talent in inscription that the rest of the Octopus Clan was jealous of. It was said that he had already become a Master of Inscription when he was more than 100 years old, which was considered young to the Octopus Clan. More than 200 years later, he entered the Guru-level, and eventually reached an unprecedented stage.
It was not exaggerated to call it unprecedented at all, as it was an evaluation that Grand Elder Hayes made after exchanging some inscription knowledge with Heldanos. At least in the Octopus Clan, there was no other person who would be qualified to make such an evaluation.
No one knew what kind of realm it was. They only knew that Heldanos faced tens of thousands of Giant Shark Clan knights during the great ocean battle that swept across the Endless Ocean. During that battle, Heldanos casually drew a mageweath that caused an upheaval on the ocean. Under the power of that mageweath, tens of thousands of Giant Shark Knights instantly exploded into powder, while the entire ocean was stained red by blood. There was also a large, bottomless trench on the seabed. The trench was still emitting extremely terrifying mana fluctuations, and it became a barrier that the foreign enemies of the Octopus Clan could not overcome easily.
Afterwards, there were people who wanted to study the mageweath that Heldanos had drawn in order to find out what it was, but to everyone’s disappointment, that mageweath was contrary to the laws of inscription in all aspects, and it almost couldn’t be considered a mageweath, as it was just like a random freehand drawing. However, it was the very thing that made their souls tremble, and even feel like they had seen the arrival of a G.o.d.
However, after the end of that war, Heldanos left the waters of the Octopus Clan, and no one knew his whereabouts since then. Of course, in the legend of the Octopus Clan, Heldanos should have reached the level of the Divine Smith, and become the only one Divine Smith inscriber of the Octopus Clan.
“Could it be that that human inscriber has really reached that terrifying realm?!” At the thought of his previous provocation, Harquess’ expression turned pale. It was truly embarra.s.sing for him. In the face of a powerful human inscriber, he actually had the cheek to call himself a genius in inscription!
“It’s both within and beyond the laws. Even if it’s not as good as Heldanos’ mageweath, I’m afraid it’s not far off,” Hayes said while gazing at the mageweath on the stone slab. He was actually just as astonished as the rest. He had seen Heldanos, so Heldanos’ power might be a legend for others, but he had had a personal experience with it.
“After Heldanos, no one of our clan has ever been able to reach that realm. I didn’t expect a young human inscriber to have reached it,” said Grand Elder Harquess. At this point, Hegel had no choice but to trust Harquess’ judgment regardless of how unbelievable it seemed. After making some remarks about Lin Li’s inscription attainments, he then remembered one more thing, and turned to look at his son Harquess. He sternly questioned, “Harquess, tell me honestly, what exactly happened? Don’t hide anything, or I’ll never forgive you if I find out!”
Harquess was taken aback, and wanted to stick to his original story, but when he saw the austerity on the faces of his father and the three elders, he had no choice but to tell the truth. “Father, here’s what happened. Cantory and I were just casually shopping at the Gift of the Sea, and Cantory chanced upon the Blood of the Sea G.o.d in a store. Initially, I could have given him some if he wanted, but he was probably too embarra.s.sed to ask for it, so he wanted to buy some from the store himself. However, the human inscriber named Felic also happened to be interested in the Blood of the Sea G.o.d that was available at the store we went to. Hence, both of them started arguing.”
As soon as Hegel and the three elders, who were esteemed figures, heard this, they knew that this matter could not be as simple as that. Hegel humphed coldly, and said, “That kid Cantory probably knows that human inscriber named Felic, doesn’t he?”
“Ah!” Harquess wasn’t a fool, either—he had merely belittled Lin Li the human inscriber at first. Later on, all his attention was drawn to the mageweath; hence, he didn’t think much of it. However, after hearing his father’s words, he suddenly thought of the matter again, and figured that there had to be something amiss about it.
Harquess had known Cantory for more than a year or two, and their relations.h.i.+p could be considered close. Hence, he was clear that Cantory wasn’t quite interested in inscription. Besides, the Blood of the Sea G.o.d was a material that would be used only in advanced mageweaths. What would Cantory need it for?
Seeing Harquess’ reaction, Hegel and others knew what was going on even if he didn’t answer explicitly. To put it nicely, Cantory wanted Harquess to stand up for himself, but to put it bluntly, Cantory was just making use of Harquess. However, Cantory was the disciple of the lord of the Illuminati. Otherwise, Hegel would have nabbed him, and taught him a lesson for making use of his son. Hegel would never allow that.
“Do you know the origin of that human inscriber?” asked Grand Elder Hayes, who did not bother to mention the matter of Cantory, but asked about the information about Lin Li. After all, Harquess was still young, and there were many things that he had to experience on his own. If he merely listened to the accounts of others, the effects might not be ideal.
Seeing that Harquess didn’t berate him, and instead asked about the human inscriber, Harquess finally felt relieved. He carefully tried to recall what happened. Although his attention was drawn to the mageweath at that time, he could more or less recall what Cantory said when he was beside him.
“According to what Cantory said, that human inscriber should be called Felic, and seems to be the president of a force called Tower of Dusk from the Breezy Plains. In addition, the Gilded Kingdom seemed to have suffered some losses because of him, but King Bradlor did not pursue the matter against him.” After a long time, that was all Harquess could recall.
Although Harquess’ words were unclear, Hegel and others looked at each other after hearing the words ‘Felic’ and the ‘Tower of Dusk’ with strange expressions on their faces.
“Great Monarch, is that Felic that Harquess mentioned the same one we heard about out there?” Elder Quito said to Hegel and others. Although he seemed to be inquiring, his tone was somewhat firm.
However, Harquess was puzzled, and he wondered, Why do Father and the three elders seem to have heard of that human inscriber named Felic? Why am I the only one who doesn’t know anything?
Seeing that the several elders seemed to have no intention to reprimand him, he bravely asked, “Father, do you know that human named Felic?”
Hegel shook his head with a faint smile, and said, “I don’t know him, but that Felic has become quite famous in the Gilded Kingdom recently. I’m afraid no one doesn’t know that the Gilded Kingdom has suffered a huge loss because of him.”
Lin Li first destroyed the Gilded Kingdom’s First Fleet, and then the barracks of the royal guards. The losses in those two incidents were not small at all. Even if the Gilded Kingdom wanted to conceal them, it was impossible for them not to spread a word about it. Besides, the Octopus Clan and the other hegemons of the sea were not any weaker than the Gilded Kingdom. It wouldn’t take much effort to find out about that matter. Soon, the embarra.s.sing events of the Gilded Kingdom made them a laughingstock that everyone gossiped about.
However, at this juncture, Hegel and the others could not bring themselves to laugh when looking at the mageweath on the stone slab. They seemed to have guessed why the Gilded Kingdom repeatedly showed weakness and refused to retaliate even after being attacked blatantly. Lin Li was a Guru of Inscription who was in the realm of the Divine Smith. Even the Octopus Clan dared not provoke him, let alone the Gilded Kingdom which wasn’t proficient in inscriptions.