Leilin drove the carriage, wandering aimlessly through the streets.
He still found it a bit amusing to recall the look in
Wizards were all proponents of voluntary transactions.
In Leilin's view, Ivy had given her blood, and he had escorted her all the way here, even displaying his power to pave the way for her future life. That was more than enough to account for her contribution.
As for bringing her along on his journey, Leilin felt he simply didn't have the time or energy to babysit a burden.
Moreover, without an appropriate warlock Meditation Method, Ivy would never become a First-rank Apprentice in her lifetime.
A warlock's Meditation Method had extremely strict requirements regarding bloodline — just like Leilin's Eye of Komoin, which was limited to warlocks possessing the bloodline of the Komoin Giant Serpent or its subspecies.
Other warlocks and Wizards, even if they obtained the Eye of Komoin, could at most use it as reference and inspiration; they could not cultivate it themselves.
While lost in thought, Leilin drove the carriage to the town center.
The further in he went, the stronger the passersby became. By the central area, there were virtually no First-rank or Second-rank Apprentices, and even official Wizards could be spotted here and there.
The official Wizards here all wore cloaks, covering their faces with thick scarves, as if they didn't want to be recognized.
Generally speaking, those who冒险穿越 rather than taking an Airship were mostly fugitives with bounties on their heads.
Some had offended local forces and were forced to flee, while others were simply hunted because they possessed something valuable.
Therefore, recklessly using detection spells here was often the prelude to a major battle.
Leilin glanced at the crystal pocket watch on his person. The hands showed it was around five in the afternoon.
The sky had dimmed, and the number of pedestrians on the street was dwindling.
Arriving at a bar in the very center, Leilin knocked on the somewhat decayed wooden door.
Thud! Thud! — The muffled sounds echoed far down the rather empty street, startling a few ravens into cawing.
"Who are you?" The wooden door quickly opened. An elderly man's head with sparse hair poked out, sizing up Leilin.
"I'm looking to cross the Magerie Grand Canyon. I heard this is the only place in the surrounding area where I can find transportation..."
Leilin also covered the area around his eyes with a scarf, and his voice, muffled by the fabric, came out somewhat rough.
"The Magerie Grand Canyon? You're a
The old man slapped his forehead and hurriedly opened the wooden door. "Welcome, sir! You're absolutely right — the Broken Axe Bar is the only place around here where you can find Lipan dire wolves..."
This old man was merely an Apprentice, but he had clearly seen the world and knew how to conduct himself.
Leilin nodded and walked into the Broken Axe Bar.
Before coming here, he had already made inquiries. The Magerie Grand Canyon was shrouded by terrifying sandstorms year-round, with only a few months when passage was possible.
Furthermore, the canyon was filled with dangerous terrain — swamps, venomous insects, and other hazards. Horses were completely unusable.
Some of the dangerous locations even had documented cases of Wizards falling!
Therefore, teaming up and riding Lipan dire wolves through the Magerie Grand Canyon was the only viable option.
The bar was extremely quiet — eerily so.
Under the dim lighting, long bench-style seats were arranged throughout. There were also small private booths and sofas along the sides.
The private booths were walled on three sides, open only toward the main bar area, as if recessed into the walls themselves.
A handful of Wizards sat scattered across the main hall, sipping drinks of various colors.
Leilin sniffed the air — these drinks had very low alcohol content, meant more for the taste than anything else.
The Wizards in the main hall were mostly Third-rank Apprentices, with a fair number of official Wizards as well.
Leilin sat down at a horseshoe-shaped counter and looked at the bartender, who was dressed in what resembled a black suit.
"Sir! Care for an 'Iceberg Beauty'? Many Wizards who come here love this drink!" the bartender said with a smile.
"Pour me one! How much?" Leilin's tone was a touch languid in the dim surroundings.
"Three Magic Stones!"
A steep price — most Apprentices certainly couldn't afford it. And it only accepted the universal currency among Wizards.
Leilin nodded indifferently, tossing a mid-tier Magic Stone into the bartender's hands. "Pour me one. And I want to hire a Lipan dire wolf. Give me the information I need, and whatever's left is yours!"
The bartender calmly pocketed the Magic Stone and began working his hands with practiced speed, shaking a silver vessel that traced bright streaks through the air.
"Sir, are you planning to cross the Magerie Grand Canyon? The sandstorms have stopped recently, but there are rumors that a flock of Grey Vultures has taken up roost at a key supply point along the way. Perhaps you'd want to find a group to travel with?"
The bartender introduced the situation while shaking his cocktail shaker.
"Grey Vultures?"
Leilin furrowed his brow. Grey Vultures were another of the magical species found in the Wizard world. An adult Grey Vulture was comparable to a human Third-rank Apprentice, and the Vulture King was equivalent to a First-level Wizard.
If there really was a flock of Grey Vultures guarding his supply point on the far side of the canyon, his plan to cross alone would be ruined.
"You're saying this because someone委托ed you, aren't you?"
Leilin didn't answer right away. Instead, he suddenly fixed his gaze on the bartender and asked slowly.
"Indeed! A few Wizards have already formed a small party, but they're still short on manpower, so they've been stuck here. They've commissioned me to find suitable candidates..."
The bartender smiled faintly and set a drink before Leilin — liquid on the bottom, topped with a thick layer of ice crystals, resembling a snow-capped mountain.
"Your 'Iceberg Beauty,' sir!"
Leilin raised the glass. A thin layer of frost had formed on the glass surface, and even the liquid inside seemed to have frozen solid.
The icy liquid hit his tongue with a sensation of biting cold that spread through his mouth, traveling down his throat and into every limb and bone.
After the cold subsided came a burning, fiery stimulation — faint at first, then growing stronger and stronger until it completely overwhelmed the chill.
This sensation of fire and ice was truly remarkable. Worth every bit of its three Magic Stone price.
"Excellent! I haven't had such fine drink in a long time!"
Leilin narrowed his eyes slightly. After a long moment, he exhaled a puff of white vapor and addressed the bartender.
"A satisfied customer is my mission!" The bartender gave a slight bow.
"Very well!" Leilin took another big gulp of the "Iceberg Beauty" before speaking. "I'd like to meet their party first before deciding whether to join!"
"Of course. In fact, they're also made up of solo travelers who've been stranded here..."
The bartender smiled and nodded...
Half a month later, six figures mounted on massive black wolves departed from Ingle Town under the respectful gazes of numerous Apprentices.
The Lipan dire wolves were entirely black, with only a patch of vivid red fur on top of their heads. Each had two golden rings securely fastened around their forelimbs.
Every dire wolf was over five meters long and two meters tall, with a fearsome appearance. Each stride covered several meters, giving them remarkable speed.
Moreover, the Lipan dire wolves had two hump-like protrusions on their backs, making them more comfortable for riders to rest upon.
These Lipan dire wolves were provided by the Broken Axe Bar.
They could be hired at a rate of five hundred Magic Stones per wolf, and once the destination was reached, the riders only needed to release them — they would automatically run back to their starting point.
Now, Leilin sat comfortably on a wolf's back, his body rising and falling with the creature's agile gait, eyes half-closed, seizing the chance to rest.
Even riding Lipan dire wolves, crossing the entire Magerie Grand Canyon would take at least two months. Along the way, there were many dangers, and he needed to conserve as much physical energy and mental stamina as possible.
Through the bartender's introduction, he had met several members of the party before deciding to join.
A lone Wizard facing the canyon's hostile environment while trying to break through the Grey Vultures' blockade simply didn't have the strength for it.
Besides, Leilin had confirmed that the party was a temporary assembly of people in similar situations to his own, so he wasn't worried about anyone trying to bully him with superior numbers.
Even with Leilin's addition, the party members still felt it wasn't safe enough. They waited another half month until the day before yesterday, when another official Wizard joined, and only then did the group decide to set out.
During those two weeks, Leilin had kept a low profile at the bar. Whether they had given up or simply lacked leads, the people from the Ely Family and the Lilisite Family never showed up here, sparing Leilin from a major confrontation.
Thinking of this, Leilin glanced at his teammates again.
Since this was a temporary party, and Wizards were naturally cautious, more than half of the group kept their faces concealed. Only a white-haired old man and a provocatively dressed female Wizard showed their faces without any hesitation.
The other Wizards, like Leilin, wrapped half their faces in cloth, wearing rather cold expressions.
However, all of these Wizards emanated the fluctuation of First-level Wizards — the Grand Canyon was far too dangerous for Apprentices, and apart from certain special circumstances, very few Apprentices chose this route.
The scorching sunlight bathed them in warmth, making Leilin want nothing more than to settle in for a good nap.
The surroundings were a lush green, with low grass constantly bowing beneath the Lipan dire wolves' paws, nearly making Leilin think he had returned to the grasslands of the Keli Archipelago.
The Magerie Grand Canyon was vast, stretching across several duchies with an enormous area.
Moreover, according to legend, the Grand Canyon had not originally existed. It was created when two high-level Wizards of unknown identity fought a battle here.
Viewed from above, the Magerie Grand Canyon looked like a wound slashed across the entire South Coast.
However, Leilin harbored some skepticism about this story. To split open half a continent would require at least a seventh- or eighth-level Wizard, wouldn't it? As far as the South Coast's recorded history went, no Wizard of that caliber had ever appeared.
And even if Wizards from elsewhere existed at that level, why would they specifically choose this place for their battle?