"Just a few months of rental, and you want five hundred Magic Stones? Your boss really knows how to make money!"
The big man grumbled.
"Actually, the standard fee is one thousand Magic Stones per riding wolf. Since you gentlemen took on the mission, we're only charging the basic maintenance fee..."
The waiter explained with a smile.
When they reached the counter, the old man unceremoniously tossed the Vulture King's head onto it.
"Mission complete! Take a look!"
From behind the counter, a white-bearded old man wearing glasses emerged. He was dressed in bartender's attire, but the fluctuations from his body revealed that he was, in fact, a full-fledged
The white-bearded old man carefully examined the Vulture King's head, and only after a long while did he put it away with satisfaction.
"This is indeed the head of the Glie Vulture King. As agreed, each of you will receive..."
The white-bearded man was swift, immediately handing out bags filled with Magic Stones and various materials. It was clear he had prepared them in advance.
"Actually, I belong to the great Dorolian Family..."
After the transaction was complete, the old man adopted a harmless smile and extended an olive branch to Leilin and the others.
For these great families, periodically recruiting outside Wizards was one method of bolstering their strength.
Moreover, Leilin and his companions were all quite capable, and being from the eastern side of the Great Canyon, they were unlikely to be spies from a rival family.
As long as whatever trouble they were in wasn't too severe, the local great Wizard families would generally be willing to take in such talent.
Leilin noticed that the big man's face clearly showed signs of interest. The two Wizards who had traveled with them before wavered. As for Lancer and the leader old man, they refused without hesitation.
As for Leilin himself—he hadn't even considered it.
Wizards joined families to gain access to higher-level Meditation Methods and resources, but he already had a Meditation Method. As for resources? He could trade potions for what he needed. Furthermore, compared to the relatively insular families, Leilin preferred joining organizations like
"Come on! We've been partners on this mission—at least let us share a drink together!" the leader old man suggested.
"No thanks, I have other matters to attend to. Let's keep in touch..." Lancer left in a hurry, as though something extremely urgent awaited him.
"I'll pass as well. The journey was exhausting, and I just want to find a place to get a good sleep!" Leilin declined with a smile.
These people were merely temporary companions he had grouped with for the sake of the journey. There was no real bond between them, and besides, the trouble he was in was considerable. He needed to reach the White Wizard Domain as quickly as possible.
After Leilin, the big man and the other two Wizards also declined the old man's proposal.
The old man spread his hands helplessly and watched Leilin leave the bar.
Outside the bar was a somewhat narrow street paved with hard stone slabs. The surrounding light had dimmed, with only the lamp at the bar entrance still casting a soft glow.
"So it's already dark!" Leilin glanced around casually. "I should find a place to rest soon..."
"Warning! Warning! High-energy Field condensation detected ahead—assessed as a First-level offensive spell!"
The moment he stepped outside the bar, Leilin felt his scalp go numb. The bloodline deep within his body surged and boiled, issuing its own primal warning.
Simultaneously, the Chip projected a flood of crimson warning text.
"An attack aimed at me!!!"
Leilin's mind raced frantically. His body flickered into a shadowy afterimage as he dodged to the side.
BOOM!!!
A powerful wave of magical energy erupted violently in the spot where Leilin had just been standing. Dozens of silver metallic blades—swords, spears, halberds—formed a storm of metal that swept ferociously through the area.
Half the bar was sliced clean off, the ceiling crashing down to reveal the stunned Wizards inside and the wounded caught in the crossfire.
"I've found you, boy!"
As the dust settled, a dwarf stood atop the rubble, his eyes boring into Leilin's face like knives.
"You're... from the Lillitell Family?!"
Leilin brushed the dust from his clothes and met the dwarf's gaze calmly.
Among the people and forces he had offended, only an elder of the Lillitell Family would possess both this level of grudge and this level of power. Plus, the spells bore a certain resemblance to Posain's.
"You're asking for death!"
Leilin's calm composure clearly enraged the dwarf. With a wave of his hand, countless metallic blades levitated into the air, forming lances and greatswords that radiated the fluctuations of Sharpness Spells and other magical Fields.
"Go!" The dwarf pointed at Leilin, and the metal weapons slashed toward him once more.
"Shadow Fireball!"
Leilin rapidly chanted the incantation. From the surrounding shadows, over a dozen black fireballs emerged, colliding with the metallic weapons in violent magical explosions.
"Enemy metal spell attack power: 32 degrees!" The detection data from the Chip allowed Leilin to secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
"Not bad—no wonder you were able to kill my subordinate and my grandson!"
The dwarf spoke.
"So you're the elder of the Lillitell Family—Posain's grandfather? You're quite brazen!" Leilin realized.
"This... gentleman, this establishment is under the protection of the Dorolian Family. Here—"
From within the rubble, the white-bearded, bespectacled old man behind the counter finally stepped forward.
"I know!" The dwarf tossed a silver metal plate to him. "I've met your family's Bartief several times. Here is his token of recognition! With a message on it!"
"So it's Lord Lillitell! You've come to apprehend a fugitive!"
The white-bearded old man gave Leilin a pitying glance, then bowed to the dwarf. "In that case, the Dorolian Family will maintain neutrality!"
"Boy, you're quite the runner! Did you think the rules here could save you?"
The dwarf stared at Leilin, his face brimming with unmistakable delight, as though savoring the despair that should appear on Leilin's face. "The strong make the rules; the weak can only obey. That is the law of this world!"
The dwarf spread his arms wide. "Anyone foolish enough to challenge my Lillitell Family is destined to pay in blood!"
Waves of brilliant white metallic light rose continuously from the dwarf's body. In moments, they coalesced into a suit of silver-white metal armor.
The metallic energy particles in the air swirled continuously around the dwarf, forming a gleaming silver halo.
"This... this kind of power! He's a semi-elementalized Wizard!"
The leader old man and the big man who had been with Leilin hadn't yet departed. They stared in shock at Leilin and the dwarf at the center of the scene.
"No wonder he was in such a hurry to leave—he'd provoked this enormous trouble. Tsk tsk! A semi-elementalized Wizard..."
A glint of schadenfreude flickered in the leader old man's eyes. In his view, having provoked a semi-elementalized Wizard and been tracked down, Leilin was as good as dead today!
In the Wizard world, a semi-elementalized Wizard referred to one whose Spiritual Power had achieved over 50% elementalization!
This level of strength was considered quite formidable across the entire South Coast. In the absence of Academy Head-level figures making a move, such a Wizard could essentially roam the South Coast unchallenged.
It could be said that with the dwarf alone, even if every Wizard in the bar joined forces, they might not necessarily be able to hold him.
And Leilin? He was merely a freshly promoted Wizard, barely clear on what elementalization even entailed. The leader old man naturally held no expectations for him.
"Oh right! There are these ones too!"
After wantonly unleashing his power, the dwarf turned his gaze toward the leader old man and the big man.
"These appear to be your companions, don't they?"
"My Lord! My Lord!" The leader old man immediately bowed deeply, his head nearly touching the ground. "I didn't know this person at all, and I had no idea he was a fugitive of the great Lillitell Family. Otherwise, I would have long since..."
Before the leader old man could finish, Leilin and the dwarf simultaneously blurred into afterimages, clashing against each other across the ruins.
"He was just using you to draw attention, you know," the big man mocked from the side.
"What do you know?" The leader old man awkwardly scrambled to his feet.
At this moment, Leilin's body was covered in a layer of fine black scales that gleamed with light. His muscles swelled as he repeatedly collided with the silver-armored figure.
The surrounding buildings crumbled at the slightest impact. The two combatants had become like ancient beasts, unleashing the violent power surging through their bodies with abandon.
BANG!
The silver-armored figure threw a punch, and countless metallic blades automatically attached themselves to his fist, forming a spiked gauntlet.
Leilin's expression remained unchanged. A layer of dark crimson light rose on his hand as it met the spiked fist head-on.
BOOM!!! The air shattered repeatedly, sending up clouds of dust.
From within the dust, two figures were sent flying backward.
CRASH! CRASH! Several buildings on both sides were knocked down, but most of the inhabitants were merely apprentices. Upon seeing Wizards engaged in combat, they had fled far from the area. No one came out to protest.
"As expected—in a battle between full Wizards, the key lies in high-power spells that can be cast instantly. The enemy won't give you time to prepare!"
Leilin shook his slightly numb right hand.
CRASH! Bricks flew apart as the silver-armored dwarf's figure emerged from within. "Boy, I underestimated you!"
The dwarf bared a savage grin. "But no matter what, you will die here today!"
"Oh really?"
A smile tugged at the corner of Leilin's mouth. "I think I can still live a good long while!"
"Pity about this body, though!" The dwarf suddenly muttered something strange. Then, a series of crackling sounds erupted from his body.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The dwarf's face contorted as his muscles swelled grotesquely. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a giant nearly three meters tall!
CRACK! CRACK!
The giant's clothing split apart, and on the left side of his chest, an old man's face emerged—silver-haired, with metallic adornments on his face.
"Today, you will die here—your soul burned for eternity!"
The old man stared at Leilin, his voice echoing from the grotesque form.