Chapter 452: Explosion

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The strength in numbers created a great destruction. The ground that was still frozen started to burn. Dragons of fire growled amidst the pouring Fire Rain. The flames created a Six-pointed Star Array that seemed to have a crimson glow. At a glance, it seemed like the entire world was on fire…

The magic attack that was close to madness made Hutton and Stephen incredibly exhausted. They had no choice. The attack was too intense. The Earthbind Spell, Ice Wall Spell, and Blood-vine Spell lost their effects in that battle. They did not have the time to expand the spells before being engulfed by the flames of the Fire Rain…

“Stephen, this doesn’t work…” Hutton said in a low voice as he cast another wall of ice. There was a distinct worry on his pale and exhausted face.

“You should say that to Felic instead…” Stephen enforced the ice wall with great difficulty. There were beads of sweat on his forehead. While he said that, he took a glance back that Lin Li, who was in the air. There was a disdainful tone in his voice. “That coward created all this mess himself, but he is now hiding up there with the Levitation Spell like a tortoise. Hmph, I am interested to see how he is going deal with these Azteks alone when we use up our mana…”

“Maybe… Maybe President Felic is still trying to figure things out…?” Frankly speaking, Hutton was guilty when he replied. Although Stephen was irritating, he was not talking nonsense this time. President Felic did not do anything after he used the Frost Dragon Gun. Instead, he was levitating in the air quietly…

Could it be that he is really planning an escape? This is the Abyss of Tharlen. Even if he wants to leave, where could he go?

“Figure things out? Cut the crap. If he had a way, he would get rid of these Azteks. Does he need to hide so far away like a coward?”

“Erm…” Hutton opened his mouth to defend Lin Li, but could not find any words. He could only take a long sigh and put his focus back to the battle at hand.

A minute passed. Two minutes passed. Three minutes… Four minutes…

The battle was going on for close to five minutes.

After another ice wall was broken by the Pyroblast, the ice shards darted like angry bullets. This time, however, the Aztek that smashed the ice wall stopped its magic attacks. It rolled up its red body. Immediately, the tidal-like fire elements around the Azteks bubbled vigorously like boiling water…

It’s here! Lin Li prepared himself the moment the Aztek rolled itself up…

Lin Li moved to the top of the ice wall like a black streak of lightning. What followed was a “ZUK!” as a Frost Dragon Gun that had been prepared long ago bolted out…

“BOOM!”

That was an earth-shaking sound.

The unlucky Aztek got shot by the Frost Dragon Gun the moment it turned into a Live Bomb. The vigorous fire elements within its body had nowhere to go, so it exploded on the spot.

The effects of a Live Bomb could be described as terrifying. The explosion of this Aztek shattered down the seven ice walls immediately…

The seven ice walls were painstakingly established by Hutton and Stephen, who spent most of their mana on them. In the earlier battle, it required at least 10 Pyroblast to break one wall. Now, however, one Live Bomb was enough to knock down seven of them.

The mages turned pallid.

Sh*t…

The effects of the explosion were not what Archmages of level-19 could handle. As long as they had not reached the Legendary-realm, no mage could survive such a horrific explosion without a Magical Domain.

The seven walls of ice were supposed to delay the Azteks for a while. They did not expect them to shatter instantaneously with such a terrifying explosion. Now that a great portion of their mana had been drained, and that the only thing they could rely on had been turned to smithereens, were they going to use their magic staff to fight the Azteks physically?

“What now?”

Hutton and Stephen looked at each other anxiously after the thunderous explosion.

The group of Azteks was in shock as well. Although their intelligence was not any higher as compared to the normal magical beasts, they were clear on the present situation: one of their kind used a Live Bomb, but did not kill anything. Instead, it only knocked down a few walls of ice…

Very quickly, the biggest Aztek let out a ferocious growl…

As compared to its previous growl, it was clearly filled with fury and madness. Three humans had made them lose three of their kind. For the leader of the Azteks, it was beyond tolerance. It had decided to eliminate the three humans regardless of what it would take.

Immediately after the growl, five out of 10 Azteks curled up their wings. Then, fire elements in the entire Abyss of Tharlen vibrated vigorously. Both Hutton and Stephen could very clearly feel the energy of the balled-up Azteks increasing exponentially. It rose from level-18 to level-19, then from level-19 to close to the Legendary-realm…

Damn…

The anxiousness in their eyes turned into hopelessness. The explosion from the five Azteks that were dangerously close to the Legendary-realm was a terrifying thing that Hutton could not bring himself to even imagine. That was a force that could lead to the end of the world, not to mention if the force were to hit him. The aftermath of the explosion would suffice to turn him into broken bones.

Just when he was in despair, there was a gust of wind that approached him. Hutton turned to see President Felic land by his side slowly.

“Mage Felic, what are you doing…?” Hutton froze. He could not fathom the thought processes in the dude’s mind. He could have left the battleground with his Levitation Spell anytime. Why would he want to approach at such a critical moment?

“Don’t ask so much…” Lin Li interrupted Hutton with a wave is his hand. He wasn’t interested in what Hutton was thinking about. “Can you use that magical equipment for another time?” Lin Li asked with a hurried voice.

“Sure.”

“That’s great,” Lin Li replied as he let out some of his mana…

The mana was entering the source of the Maze Mageweath Array. As this wave of mana entered, the dull-colored source of mana lit up. There was a dazzling glow of light, and the mana within the level-10 magical crystal flowed through the Maze Mageweath Array at once.

Each magic node lit up as the mana flowed through it. As each magic circuit was activated, the true force of the high-level mageweath array finally got unleashed.

Then, Hutton’s and Stephen’s expression froze.

They suddenly saw that the several Azteks that were dangerously close to the Legendary-realm suddenly turned against one another. They were eyeing their own kind with a glare that was filled with craze and despair.

“What the f*ck are they doing…?” Hutton gaped.

It was like a dream. One of the Azteks pounced towards its own kind… No, no, no. Not only one. That instance, all of the Azteks started to battle each other. Two of the Azteks even forgot the rank between demons and pounced on that biggest Aztek…

Could this be the work of President Felic?

The thought of that possibility created cold sweat on Hutton’s forehead. That force… is too scary…

The ability to let his enemies turn against themselves made him more demon than demons…

“What are you waiting for? Quick, use your magical equipment now.”

“O-oh!” Lin Li’s voice ascertained Hutton’s suspicion.

However, Hutton did not dare to ask more. Sometimes, it wouldn’t be good to know too many secrets. His curiosity about President Felic’s secrets might make him a suspicious person…

It would be good to maintain their present relationship. It had improved greatly as compared to before. Although they were not close, Hutton had the confidence that he would be able to let the Malfa Family form an alliance with this powerful man.

With that in mind, Hutton transferred some mana into his bangle. It called up the Blue Shield which covered the three men securely.

Immediately after the earth-trembling sound, the mountains and ground started to tremble. A mushroom cloud that created infinite heat waves shot up to the sky. Hutton could feel the warmth through the Blue Shield.

The aftermath of the explosion lingered for a while. When the three men opened their eyes again, the forest had already been changed beyond recognition. There wasn’t one intact leaf within 100 meters. Even the ground beneath their feet appeared as though it had its top layer ripped off. The soil and ashes that flew in the air that was mixed with the thick and heavy smoke seemed like gray clouds.

“That’s too scary…” Hutton muttered in a shaky voice. The fear on his face was not one that could be concealed. If he did not have the protection from the family’s bangle, a tiny bit of repercussion from the explosion was sufficient to turn him into smashed bones.

Even though the bangle was a hand-me-down, Hutton could not help but smile bitterly as he glanced at his right wrist, where was the bangle that had been passed down for four generations. The Crescent Bangle was supposed to defend the wearer against critical blows on the Legendary-level, yet it was damaged by that one explosion…

“What a pity…” Hutton slowly removed his bangle. However, his expression did not match his words. As the first heir of the Malfa Family, he knew something better than common mages: life was everything. Any powerful magical equipment would be an idle talk if lives had been lost.

“It is really a pity…” Lin Li agreed. He knew very clearly how the massive explosion earlier on was made up of five Azteks that were above level-18. It was a force that could destroy everything. The combined force of the Lich at the Scar of Death and the Humerus Wyrm would not have been able to rival it. Although Hutton’s bangle only protected them from the aftermath of the explosion, it was already considered good magical equipment.

“As long as we’re alive, we can always create more magical equipment,” replied Hutton. There was a hint of sadness underlying his smile.

“Why not…?” said Lin Li after a moment of hesitation. “Pass me the bangle for the time being, and I’ll think of a way to fix it when I’m back at the Tower of Dusk.”

“Really?” asked Hutton in surprise.

If it had been before, Hutton would not have believed his ears. The Crescent Bangle had been passed down for four generations, and was definitely one of the Malfa Family’s top five magical equipment. Unless absolutely necessary, the bangle would always be locked in the family’s treasury for safekeeping.

Once such magical equipment got damaged, it would be nearly impossible to fix it. Not to mention the young mage of the age 20 before them, even if it were the renowned Gilded Rose that monopolized the alchemy¹ industry, it would not have the ability to repair the damaged bangle.

However, Hutton did not dare to doubt Lin Li now…

He had witnessed the extraordinary talents of President Felic ever since he met him in the Blackstone Mountains. Sometimes, Hutton suspected that there should be nothing in this world that could challenge this man.

If he said that the Crescent Bangle had a chance to be fixed, Hutton’s hope shot up from zero. He could not help but believe in that slight possibility.

“I can try, but you can’t blame me if it fails, alright?” Lin Li replied with a humble smile.

To be honest, it would not be difficult for Lin Li to repair such a bangle. He was a man who would be able to reproduce all the legendary magical equipment of Anril if he needed to. His offer to repair the bangle for Hutton was merely out of gratitude for his efforts in defending from that explosion.

The Maze Mageweath Array could ensure the Azteks turned against one another, but it would not ensure Lin Li’s safety. It was in his plans to use the Elemental Shield to protect himself while he distorted his mental strength to escape from the exploding forest at top speed when the Azteks started to fight their own kind.

However, Lin Li knew that he would never escape unharmed. After all, the impact created from the explosion of several Azteks that were above level-18 would be terrifying. If he had not reached the Legendary-realm, he would not have the ability to resist such a force.

Hutton’s Crescent Bangle saved them.

The blue projection let Lin Li amend his plans immediately. The process was smooth-sailing as well. It not only eliminated the 10 Azteks, but also ensured that he remained unharmed within the sphere of protection. Apart from the Maze Mageweath Array, Hutton’s Crescent Bangle played a significant role. He would return him that favor if he could repair the bangle for him.

Hutton was not aware of Lin Li’s thoughts. He only knew that since President Felic said it himself, it meant that the Crescent Bangle could really be repaired.

“Could a person like you be able to repair the Crescent Bangle?” That was Stephen, who interrupted before Hutton could express his gratitude to Lin Li. His words were as straightforward as expected. “Don’t think that I don’t know what’s on your mind. You must be planning on stealing the Crescent Bangle from Hutton. Although the Crescent Bangle is damaged now, the mana left in it is sufficient to make it good magical equipment that can defend against level-11 spells. These types of magical equipment would be worth a million gold coins. How is it, Mage Felic? Am I right?”

“Is it worth that much money…?” Lin Li muttered as he rubbed his nose, and stopped paying attention to Stephen. Lin Li knew that the more attention he gave to people like Stephen, the stronger they would be yapping away at him. The best way was not to give him any attention, unless he meant to smack Stephen to death with a rod to prevent future trouble.

After all, Lin Li was really busy now…

Although the Azteks had been killed by the explosion, their corpses were still in the forest. Those were valuable treasures to Lin Li. The body of an Aztek contained extremely powerful fire elements. Its red wings were especially good ingredients for magic armors. Once such a magic armor had been created, it could be used to firm up a Flame Shield. Then, its magic defense would be as strong as an Archmage’s!

The horns on the head of the Aztek could be used to enable weapons to have the ability to damage any type of magical weapon and magic shields. That would be injurious to enemies that were close to level-20.

It was rare to see Azteks that were above level-18. Even if he were to see them on normal days, he might not have the chance to get their corpses. Now that 10 dead Azteks were in front of him, how could Lin Li miss such a valuable opportunity? Lin Li busied himself with the collection of the Azteks’ wings and horns, and paid no attention to Stephen.

Unfortunately, Lin Li did not expect Stephen to be so absurd today. Although he did not show his interests in Stephen, that dude did not have the intention to let him off.

“Stop there!” That was Stephen when Lin Li was walking around to find the bodies of the Azteks. “Stop feigning ignorance. Mage Felic, isn’t it time to tell us the truth? What is your motive in luring us into this forest?”

“Stephen…” Hutton called Stephen uneasily. Stephen’s words were not to be trivialized. He was outright accusing Felic of plotting against everyone. If he wasn’t careful, he could damage his relationship with Felic, and when they started to turn against each other and be injured in the process, it would be even harder for the three of them to locate the palace Tutankhamun was talking about…

“Hutton, I’m not trying to lecture you, but you should have your limits as a nice person. Didn’t you see that fella hiding above after he lured us into the forest? If not for our good luck in the group of Azteks turn against one another, we would have been killed in that explosion,” Stephen said as he fixed his deadly glare onto Lin Li. It was filled with anger and injustice. “Also, the competition for Geresco’s relics was supposed to be between me and Hutton, who are the real descendants of Geresco’s disciples. What are you to compete with us?”

“Stephen, this is Tutankhamun’s idea!” Hutton replied anxiously after seeing Stephen getting out of hand. He could not help but speak with a higher pitch.

Unfortunately, Stephen did not pay attention to Hutton. His glare did not move away from Lin Li. “Don’t be so cocky just because you have the support of the Supreme Council. I’m not bragging, but let me tell you that the Supreme Council is really nothing in the Breezy Plains. Offending us Dark Blade only mean death. Do you know that the Darkness Shrine is behind the Dark Blade? Do you think that the Supreme Council would want to offend the Darkness Shrine just because of you? Quit being naïve. Why don’t you be more tactful and leave this competition? Or else, you would not be the only one going to regret all this. Your so-called Guild of Magic would be implicated and buried with you when the time comes!”

“Have you finished talking?” Lin Li asked smilingly. He had been listening to Stephen silently as the latter had nagged. Only when Stephen took a pause did he ask that question.

“What?” Stephen said as he recalled the experience he had in the wooden house. The sight of that smile caused him to lose all of his words. He took a step back subconsciously. “I’ve finished my piece. What do you want?” Stephen added on unnaturally.

“Shut up when you are done…”

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