Chapter 270: Settling The Score
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The brilliance of the Purge Spell slowly dissipated, and the Aurora Square returned to its original silence. The freak that had released sixty Pyroblasts in a row returned to the resting area in a flash of light. They did not even wait for the judges to announce the victor, because even a blind person could tell who had won this match. Gryffindor was lying motionless on the floor. His heartbeat and breathing were normal. He would occasionally let out painful moans and groans from his throat, but it gave people a feeling that he was dead…
This sort of feeling was really weird. He was alive, yet it made people feel like he was a corpse. Yet, after thinking about it carefully, the mages in the spectator seats were suddenly enlightened…
Indeed, this was all because of mental strength.
Although Gryffindor was alive, he was no longer the number one genius of Felan. This was because his mental strength had been exhausted—it could even be said that it was completely destroyed. It took less than twenty seconds from when the light of the Purge Spell was ignited to the moment when it disappeared, yet Gryffindor’s body underwent a drastic change.
Not a single magical wave could be felt from his body. He was like a walking corpse lying down there…
Macklin was somewhat confused. “How did this happen?”
“I shouldn’t have taken action…” Aldwin let off a sigh. Out of all those that were present, only he knew what had happened behind the brilliance of the Purge Spell.
In fact, he already knew things were going bad during the moment when the Purge Spell was released, because he distinctly felt that an unparalleled mental strength had surged into Gryffindor’s mind while borrowing the power of the Purge Spell. That aura close to being destructive would even make a powerhouse that had broken through the Legendary realm like Aldwin feel shocked. It was too powerful and too overbearing. It was as if a thunderbolt had landed and completely destroyed Gryffindor’s mental strength instantly…
“You did that?” Macklin had a shock.
“No, no, no…” Aldwin shook his head, somewhat annoyed. “It’s just that if I hadn’t made any move, Gryffindor would not have become like this. Sigh, we really outsmarted ourselves this time, Macklin…”
The more Macklin heard, the more lost he was. “In what way?”
“I really don’t know how to describe this trial apprentice of yours. He is terrifyingly smart. This match may seem to be full of accidents, but in reality, it was all within his calculations. Even my taking action at the crucial moment, using the Purge Spell to dispel the blood vines, had already been in his calculations. Do you know what he did to Gryffindor in the end? Mental Disruption. d.a.m.n. He actually borrowed the power of the Purge Spell, separated a segment from the spell, and specifically separated out the incantations for a Mental Blast. With this segment of incantation that was separated, he totally shattered Gryffindor’s mental strength. Macklin, were you able to do something so terrifying when you were twenty years old?
“N-no…”
“But there is something strange: where did he learn this incantation from?”
“I think it should be Andoine that taught him…” Macklin swallowed his saliva; he seemed rather guilty. He clearly remembered that the incantation for Mental Disruption was a reward for Felic when this fella helped him forge an iron sword, but he did not imagine that two months later, this fella would use his own incantation and destroy the mental strength of the number one genius in Felan…
F*ck, this thing cannot be revealed. If Rosen were to know about this, I will be in deep trouble…
Macklin looked at the president cautiously and realized that the old man’s expression was not any different than his own. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief.
“This time, we really acted on our own imagined cleverness. If I knew this was gonna happen…” Aldwin’s voice carried a tinge of regret. Even though Gryffindor’s conduct was not really good, he was still a powerhouse that had broken through to level-fifteen in his twenties. In Aldwin’s position, he could not make decisions based on what he liked or disliked—he had to take into consideration the overall benefits of the Alanna Guild of Magic.
“This isn’t a big issue.” Meanwhile, Macklin’s train of thought was much simpler. Hence, he did not have to hide his hatred for Gryffindor. “Who asked this a*shole to be so arrogant. It wasn’t enough after injuring Orrin—he even injured Mason. It’s not like you don’t understand Felic’s character. This a*shole is lucky enough that Felic did not kill him with a Pyroblast…”
“Aye…” Aldwin sighed again, and did not continue this conversation. He only called over two mage apprentices and told them to bring Gryffindor to the guild’s medical center for treatment.
“Then, the victor of this match would be Felic from Jarrosus’ Guild of Magic!”
The two judges that had been scared out of their wits only regained their senses and announced the results of this match when Gryffindor had been carried off the square.
“Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap…”
A thunderous applause was heard in the Aurora Square. Thousands of mages stood up together and showed their respect to this young mage through their pa.s.sionate applause.
This splendid duel was worthy of them using their applause to show respect. At the start, who would have thought that this duel was going to be this exciting. The fight between these two trial apprentices had far surpa.s.sed the imagination of the audience. Be it the victorious Felic or the defeated Gryffindor, they had exceeded the expectations of the audience. Without a single bit of exaggeration, with just their strength alone, they would have long been a president of a guild each if it had been a smaller place…
From the moment Gryffindor let loose a Thousand Miles of Ice, the audience already knew that this battle was going to be special. Sure enough, Felic used five Instantaneous Pyroblasts to counter immediately. This was closely followed by other 55 consecutive Pyroblasts, pus.h.i.+ng the battle towards its climax step by step. At that moment, everyone thought that they were dreaming. For them, this was more shocking than any legendary level spell.
This battle could be said as perfect. Be it Gryffindor’s Thousand Miles of Ice or Felic’s 60 Pyroblasts, they were all filled with brilliance. It was simply perfect. Those that had witnessed this battle would not be able to find another mage battle that was as interesting.
As for what happened at the end, it could only be said to be a small error.
Some mages were even complaining that President Aldwin had made an unnecessary move. If it was not because of his sudden action, this battle might have been more interesting. It was all because of this untimely old man. Of all times, he had to take action at this point. Great, now that Gryffindor is crippled, let’s see how you are going to explain to his mentor Rosen…
Of course, all of this had nothing to do with Lin Li.
After destroying Gryffindor’s mental strength with a Mental Disruption, Lin Li slowly retreated to the resting area. He was taking a nap all the while. Even when the judges announced his victory, he did not even open his eyes to take another peek. After all, this was the first time he’d separated the incantation for Mental Disruption. Even with the a.s.sistance from the Purge Spell, Lin Li still needed some time to calm his madly distorted mental strength down.
Macklin came over suddenly and stood in front of Lin Li with a face full of anger. He questioned, “F*ck, why are you so ruthless?”
Upon hearing that it was Macklin’s voice, Lin Li could not help but laugh. “Doesn’t this match what you want?”
“Heh heh…” There was no choice, Gryffindor was really too arrogant. Even a person like Macklin had been annoyed with him for a long while. After listening to what Lin Li said, the old man immediately smiled shamelessly. It was just that he smiled for a bit before he suddenly remembered why he came over. He immediately changed his expression. “F*ck, cut your bullsh*t. I told you before, Gryffindor’s mentor is the Legendary-mage Rosen. That old man is not as kind as Aldwin. F*ck, just watch, you are going to be in a lot of trouble…”
“What sort of trouble can it be…”
“What trouble? Rosen, that old man, is famous for covering his faults. If he were to know that you turned his only disciple into an idiot, how do you think he is going to fix you?”
“Felic!” Just when both of them were speaking, Kevin suddenly squeezed his way through from the crowd. His expression was abnormally anxious as if something serious was going to happen.
“What happened?” Lin Li looked at Kevin and immediately figured that something was amiss.
Kevin only shot a glance at Macklin. He did not say anything, but from his look, it was very obvious what he wanted. Macklin had always been sharper than monkeys. Just by looking at Kevin’s expression, he immediately guessed what was happening. It had to be that something happened over at the Jarrosus Guild of Magic, and Kevin did not dare to say it front him. Hence, he gave off that sheepish look. Macklin immediately gave off a laughter, and reprimanded Lin Li a little more before he made an excuse hastily and sneaked away…
After seeing Macklin off, Lin Li asked softly, “Speak, what exactly happened?” His expression was abnormally serious. He knew that Kevin would not come look for him for no reason. It was even more impossible for Kevin to be so mysterious that he even forgot about basic manners…
“Just now, the Emerald Tower sent me some news. I think I have to tell you…”
“Speak!” Lin Li’s heart immediately tightened after he heard the words “Emerald Tower”. Currently, Gerian’s mana had disappeared, and Shadow’s Nest had become a threat. The news that had been received at this time would definitely not be good news…
“Three days ago, Shadow’s Nest attacked the Emerald Tower…”
“What?” Lin Li stood and stared straight at Kevin. “Is this news reliable?”
Kevin nodded his head heavily. “Yes.”
“This… How is this possible?” Lin Li stood there in a daze. He could not digest this information for a while. Shadow’s Nest attacking the Emerald Tower at this time could not be any worse than other news. Gerian’s mana had disappeared, and Lin Li was far away at Alanna. In the whole Emerald Tower, the strongest combat power was only a level-fourteen Magic Shooter. In the face of the newly equipped Shadow’s Nest, being defeated was just a matter of time…
“What’s the situation like now?”
“It’s terrible…” Kevin covered his face with both of his hands and slumped to the ground. His voice sounded like he was sleep-talking. “More than twenty Magic Shooters and more than fifty Mages were killed. Almost everything has been plundered by them. At the end, they even… even… set the Emerald Tower on fire…”
“F*ck…” Lin Li almost blacked out on the spot. More than twenty Magic Shooters and more than fifty Mages. This was almost the entire magic strength of the Emerald Tower. The Emerald Tower would require at least ten years before it could recover from this loss. Lin Li clenched his fist tightly, and his eyes were almost spewing out fire. “What about Gerian?”
“The good news out of this misfortune was that Uncle Gerian had been secretly sent away before the Emerald Tower was attacked…”
“That’s good…” After listening to the only piece of good news, Lin Li finally let out a sigh of relief. As long as Gerian was still alive, there would be hope for the Emerald Tower. “What were the reactions from the other forces?”
“The Merlin Family swung towards the Shadow’s Nest. Other than Ysera, Reuben, and Old Odin, the other forces are still observing. Honestly, this time we really have to thank the three of them. If it was not because of their a.s.sistance, Uncle Gerian might not have escaped from the Emerald Tower…”
“Ok.” Lin Li nodded and his complexion started to become gentler. As long as Gerian was safe and the other families did not interfere, the Emerald Tower still had a chance to recover. It was just that Lin Li had to return as soon as possible. If he were to be late, he might even lose the three most unwavering allies. After all, there was no such thing as everlasting alliances in this world. There were only everlasting benefits. The reason why these three forces protected Gerian was only because they knew all along that the Shadow’s Nest would not be able to give them any substantial benefits. If anything were to change and cause them to lose faith in the Emerald Tower, Lin Li believed that they would absolutely sell out Gerian without any hesitation.
“F*ck, what is Shadow’s Nest thinking? They actually attacked the Emerald Tower at this time… are they trying to interfere with the forces of Jarrosus? Shadow’s Nest isn’t that stupid, right, this would definitely anger everyone…”
“No, their aim seems to be searching for something. On the second day after they attacked Emerald Tower, they retreated back to the Demon Fall Valley.”
“I get it now…” Lin Li nodded. He did not continue speaking. This time, he really understood. As expected, it was similar to what he had guessed. Shadow’s Nest capturing the Demon Fall Valley had to be due to the hidden support they received from the Marathon Family. Lin Li could even imagine that both parties had reached some sort of agreement. After being successful, the Marathon Family would obtain something from the Demon Fall Valley, whereas Shadow’s Nest would obtain the resources from the Demon Fall Valley.
It was just that when the Marathon Family was looking for that thing, they did not have many clues. Hence, they thought of attacking the Emerald Tower and looking for leads from the doc.u.ments of the guild…
“F*ck, you’ve guts, Marathon Family!” Lin Li was gritting his teeth while speaking.
“Felic, do we have to return immediately? I am afraid that Uncle Gerian…”
“No, I still have a score to settle.” Lin Li shook his head, and his pair of reddened eyes stared straight at Matthias. His voice was soft and low; it was as if he was trying to explain to Kevin, but also felt like he was talking to himself. “It’s time to settle the score…”
“What score?” Kevin was baffled…
“Nothing much…” Lin Li forced out a smile. “Kevin, go prepare the carriage now, and then go to the Silver Hand’s base to look for a woman called Serena. Tell her that I want to hire some people from the Silver Hand. It’s best if they are strong fighters. Oh, yes, bring Ina along as well. I’ve promised her that I will bring her back to Jarrosus.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, yes…” After Lin Li reached this point, he suddenly remembered something. “When you leave, don’t forget to go to my house and bring Sean. We have to return to Jarrosus by tomorrow evening!”
“No problem!” Kevin nodded his head. He did not question further, and turned around to squeeze through the crowd.
…
After seeing Kevin off, the one hour’s rest time was almost up. Lin Li moved his limbs around and slowly entered the Aurora Square without even waiting for the judge to call his name.
“The contestants for the next match are Matthias from the Sunrise City Guild of Magic and, from the Jarrosus Guild of Magic, Felic!”
“Felic!”
When the judge’s voice had just landed, there was tsunami-like applause in the Aurora Square. Thousands of people were cheering, causing the whole square to tremble. Almost every mage stood up and showed their respects to this monstrous young mage through their own unique ways. Earlier, those 60 Pyroblasts had completely won over this nitpicking crowd. No matter their status or position, they had all completely become fans of this young mage from Jarrosus at this point. The standpoint of these thousands of mages had never been so unanimous before. Everyone believed that only this monstrous mage from Jarrosus was worth of winning this finals.
“Honestly, there’s no need to continue with this match…” Hoffman was no exception. He pouted his lips without any manners at all. He impolitely glanced at Matthias, who was slowly walking up to the square. “Based on the strength that Felic displayed just now, there is not a single mage in the whole Felan Kingdom that is under thirty years old that can challenge him. That Matthias should just forget about it. It’s better for him to surrender earlier to save himself from the embarra.s.sment later…”
“No, no, no…” Herza, who was sitting beside him, shook his head. His pale face carried a thoughtful expression. “If I am not mistaken, this match will be more exciting than the previous one…”
“Pff…” Hoffman could not believe it at all.
Yet, Herza was full of confidence. “My judgment will not be wrong for this match.”
“Pff. Didn’t you say that as well for the first match? Something like, the Battle Mage is unrivaled. Unrivaled my a*s, wasn’t he sent packing by Felic in a short while? Furthermore, when Gryffindor went up the square, didn’t you also say that Gryffindor was terrifyingly strong and that Felic was going to be in trouble, and then what happened? 60 Pyroblasts, he got blasted till his mother could not even recognize him anymore…”
“Haha…” Herza laughed, and did not bother explaining himself, but his eyes were fixed on Matthias. He believed that he would definitely not be mistaken this time round, because the magical wave emitting from Matthias’ body was all too familiar.
That magical wave was similar to a vortex and constantly swallowing everything, and was very similar to that of Ashen Warlock Roland. After thinking about the relations.h.i.+p between the Marathon Family and the Ashen Warlock, no matter how stupid Herza was, he should have guessed it. Why was Matthias able to have such a tremendous power within a short period of one month and why was he able to have such a unique magical wave…?
Without a doubt, Matthias must have been taught by the Ashen Warlock by some chance.
It was still difficult to tell who’d be the victor of this match…
After two months, the two of them were standing face to face again. It was just that the current Matthias was not longer the newbie that could be trampled over at will. Even Lin Li had no choice but to be serious about this match. Ever since Matthias walked into the Aurora Square, Lin Li could already feel that the magical wave emitted by the opponent was incomparably weird. It was like a vortex, constantly swallowing its surroundings. Even the afternoon sun’s rays were slightly distorted when they shone on Matthias’ body…
“Relax, I won’t kill you…” When brus.h.i.+ng past Lin Li’s shoulder, Matthias’ eyes suddenly displayed a deeply etched hatred. He whispered, “I will only break your limbs, destroy your mental strength, and make you useless forever to suffer in the deepest depths of h.e.l.l…”
“Oh, is that so…” Lin Li rubbed his nose, and stared at Matthias for a while with a smile before saying, “Then it’s such a shame, I think I will most likely kill you…”
“Wait and see!” Matthias glared at the opponent and shut his mouth. He knew that if he were to argue, even ten of him would not be able to overthrow this mage from Jarrosus. But how was that important? The battle between of mages had always been about strength. So what if he could shoot out 60 Pyroblasts? How could that trash, Gryffindor, compare to me in strength?
Before the match began, the atmosphere in the Aurora Square started to get intense. Probably only Lin Li knew that the words he’d spoken just now were not to scare Matthias. He had already decided that he would kill Matthias in this match. The reason was simple. The actions of the Marathon Family had already far surpa.s.sed Lin Li’s bottom line. Forget about them attacking the Demon Fall Valley, they killed so many people and even burned down the Emerald Tower.
For Lin Li, the Emerald Tower was like his second home. He could tolerate anything, but he absolutely could not tolerate that they burned down his second home.
“It’s time to settle the score…”