Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance
Six loud explosions echoed in total. Barok, who had just activated Fire Elemental Incarnation, was sent flying like a broken kite. His crack-covered Fire Elemental Incarnation collapsed in mid-air.
Barok fell to the ground and rolled for another ten meters or so before stopping, his face filled with despair.
He looked at Lin Yun, who just appeared in front of him, and didn’t even think of continuing the fight.
‘This is impossible… Why… Why is it like this? If it’s not Fire Elemental Incarnation, what then? Why is he immune to my fire spells?
‘Why is it that I can’t injure him, yet he can injure me with the same spell?’
Barok looked lifeless as he completely ignored his injuries, feeling like he was going crazy.
Lin Yun coldly walked over and scattered his Fire Elemental Incarnation. With a wave of his hand, he took out Syudos and transformed him into a ball of fire tightly restricting Barok, even severing the connection between Barok and the surrounding fire elements.
Even if he was a 9th Rank Archmage, he couldn’t make any sudden movements. If he tried to play any tricks, he would be devoured by Syudos’ flames.
Flames condensed in front of Lin Yun’s body as a golden-red spear appeared, its tip pointed at Barok.
“You destroyed my efforts, wasted my only precious materials and kept provoking me, so you are paying the price for your actions…”
After saying that, Lin Yun was about to turn around and leave while letting the spear do its job.
“Sir Mafa, Sir Mafa, please be lenient…”
Lin Yun turned around, and in the distance, he saw a shadow covered in gales rapidly flying towards him.
A moment later, Weiss fell down from the sky and rolled on the ground. His robe was covered in dust and he wiped blood from his face. His hair was in a mess, but Weiss didn’t care as he hurriedly ran over.
“Sir Mafa, please be lenient, there is always room for discussion…”
Weiss was crazily sweating, looking a bit pale. He was trembling with fear and didn’t dare to approach Barok. He only smiled bitterly while looking at Lin Yun.
Lin Yun frowned.
“You want to save him?”
Weiss was suddenly frightened and promptly waved his hands.
“Sir Mafa misunderstood, it’s really a misunderstanding, I only came to explain, this really is a misunderstanding…
“Sir Mafa, Sir Barok arrived in the Raging Flame Plane not long ago and didn’t understand many matters. This time, it was only because he heard someone mention some things that were incorrect without letting them finish, so he ran off after hearing only a part of it. This really is a misunderstanding, Sir Barok is just impulsive…”
Lin Yun coldly looked at Weiss.
“What does his impulsiveness have to do with me? Because of it, he ruined my efforts. You think I would happily discuss this?”
Weiss promptly changed his tack.
“Sir Mafa, nothing is irremediable. The Black Tower will compensate double for your losses, but we only request that you let Sir Barok off. You know, Sir Barok is our Black Tower’s new 2nd Seat, second only to Harren. This matter is only a misunderstanding, and the person that should be punished has already been punished. If Sir Merlin is dissatisfied, I can give you the person spreading rumors and let you handle them, so how about it?”
Weiss wiped his cold sweat as he glanced at the lifeless Barok with gnashing teeth.
‘That f*cking b*stard, he truly invited disaster! Daring to provoke Sir Mafa is akin to killing yourself. This is something even I don’t want to be dragged into.
‘Damn b*stard, stupid rat! A slime is smarter than you, how could you become the 2nd Seat….
‘If I hadn’t rushed over, a fool like you would have already been turned to ashes!’
Lin Yun’s frown slightly eased up. Since Weiss had already said so much, forcing the issue would be akin to having a falling-out. He looked at Barok and the latter still appeared stunned.
Lin Yun thought for a bit before nodding.
“Okay then… Two bottles of God Blood and a cube-sized Tree Core of the Wisdom Tree containing enough vitality. The rest can be written off…”
Weiss sighed in relief.
“Okay, no problem, I’ll immediately have people deliver these to you… Wait… God Blood? Wisdom Tree’s Tree Core?!” Weiss blurted in alarm, his face full of shock.
He looked at Barok with knife-like eyes, wishing he could choke him to death.
‘Damn b*stard, what the hell have you done!?’
Weiss looked towards the Ghost Valley and could see a huge array with a single glance. He only watched it for a bit before feeling as if his head would burst.
Weiss was astounded, but he didn’t think that Lin Yun was scamming him. Just from looking at that array, he could understand the folly of that idiot, Barok.
‘He actually broke into someone else’s territory and attacked an array there, and such a terrifying array, too!
‘God Blood, damn! Even I have never seen a single drop, yet a damn b*stard like you actually destroyed Sir Mafa’s entire bottle!
‘The Black Tower definitely can’t come up with two bottles of God Blood. It is said that the Holy Land’s treasury only has a few drops…
‘Moreover, the Tree Core of the Wisdom Tree… I know that Sir Mafa obtained a huge chunk before leaving, but among the several thick branches that snapped, that was all there was…
‘And apart from Constance’s God Nation, no other place had this. How could I possibly reimburse him?’
Weiss’ expression became bitter. He couldn’t even bring up the matter of compensation.
“How is it?”
Lin Yun coldly glanced at Weiss.
Weiss bitterly smiled and shook his head.
“Sir Mafa, to tell you the truth, we are truly unable to procure that. So how about this? The Black Tower will give 20% of the resources we get from our side of the Horn of Fertility to the Merlin Family… No, 30%! As long as you don’t kill Sir Barok, we won’t say anything if you vent your anger…
“Sir Barok has a very powerful background, and you have had a very good relationship with our Black Tower. It would be a shame to destroy such a friendship, but Sir Barok… Do as you see fit as long as you don’t kill him… If so, there is still room to discuss…”
Lin Yun sneered. He already knew that the Black Tower couldn’t compensate him for his losses, as those things couldn’t be found in Noscent.
Lin Yun contemplated for a bit. The God Blood offered power, and the Wisdom Tree’s Tree Core offered vitality. This would have let the fifty High Mages rapidly advance.
‘Then this Barok can just fill in. Although the power of a 9th Rank Archmage can’t compare with God Blood, it would be worth it on a long-term basis. Not to mention that it’s a living person with living power. I can get some use out of him.’
“Okay, I won’t kill him. But since he destroyed what belonged to me, he’ll have to be the replacement. I’ll restore his freedom after three years.”
After saying that, a few runes entered Barok’s body and made him lose consciousness. Barok would be suppressed at the core of the array as he acted as a replacement for what he’d damaged.
He would provide power to replace the original God Blood as a source of mana.
Weiss opened his mouth as he watched this, but he didn’t dare to say anything. After confirming that there was no danger to Barok’s life, he winced and continuously apologized to Lin Yun before leaving.
…
On the other side, the letter from Weiss had already reached the Black Tower.
“Sir Harren, Sir Weiss urgently sent you this letter from the Raging Flame Plane.”
Harren felt a bit puzzled as he opened the letter.
He quickly read through it, and once he was done, he was completely stunned for a moment. He hurriedly threw the letter and roared, “Hurry up, go to the Raging Flame Plane to relay my order! Have Sir Barok return as fast as possible!”
Before the attendant had even come in, Harren urgently stood up, ready to go out.
‘Damnit, that fool Barok, he just had to cause me a lot of problems… If Weiss is right, it’s huge trouble…’
Harren had yet to reach the large doorway when his eyes were attracted by the numerous magic lamps on the wall to his left. The light of a small magic lamp was suddenly dimming.
Harren’s heartbeat crazily accelerated and he rushed up to the wall and looked at the rapidly dimming magic lamp with an unsightly expression.
This wall was covered with small alcoves, each filled with a small magic lamp that looked like ordinary oil lamps, calmly radiating light.
The Black Tower’s Council placed the highest importance on these magic lamps. Each small lamp represented an important member of the Black Tower, and bright light meant that they had strong vitality.
There were bright and dark lights there, most of which were ordinary, but there were a few of them with very dim lights. This was because the owners of these magic lamps were extremely old and they had already reached the end of their lives.
But now, there was a magic lamp that was rapidly dimming.
‘Someone fell?’
But when he looked at the name under the magic lamp, Harren had a bitter expression.
The owner of that magic lamp was Barok.
‘Sure enough, Weiss was right. Mafa Merlin has already grown to the point where he must not be provoked. Just how old is he? He actually already advanced to the Archmage realm and even Weiss can’t see through his rank, while Barok isn’t even his opponent.’
Harren continued staring at the lamp and noticed that it was only dimming but not becoming extinguished.
He understood the reason behind it in an instant. There was only one kind of circumstance when the light would dim like this without flickering.
‘Barok is being suppressed, but his life isn’t in danger…
‘Another possibility is that Barok fell into a completely sealed plane and all connection to the outside was severed, but that would be very improbable…’
