Toying
[Warlock class-specific weapon: Meteor Sword! Length: 1.67m. Width: 0.03m. Carved within are the following: High-grade energy converging runes, fire elemental brand runes, dark elemental amplification runes… Estimated grade of product: High-grade magic artifact!]
The long sword the A.I. Chip projected in front of Leylin constantly rotated, and listed large quantities of data around it.
“The design is completed. All that’s left is to find the materials and actually make it.” Leylin was excited.
However, when he entered his sea of consciousness, this joy quickly dissipated.
After two years, the silver-white crystal in his sea of consciousness was still as resilient as ever, and had only shrunk a little in size.
The spiritual force it produced allowed Leylin to increase his might from that of a regular rank 1 Magus, to the strength of a peak rank 1 Magus.
As for the cracks at the edges of his sea of consciousness, they had yet to be completely restored.
The mark left behind by the rank 3 Magus, Alric, on the other hand, had been completely expelled by Leylin.
However, the stubbornness of the mark of spiritual force left behind by the rank 3 Magus had exceeded Leylin’s expectations. He had estimated that it would take around two months to dispel, but in reality, it had taken an entire year before he was able to completely remove the mark from his sea of consciousness.
“Perhaps I should find an opportunity to make contact with the Magi of the subterranean world!”
Due to his serious injuries, Leylin could only display the strength of a regular rank 1 Magus. Hence, he had chosen to lie low. However, now that he had regained enough of his strength to reach the peak of rank 1, he could be considered the best in the Twilight Zone, and it was natural that he would want to explore.
In addition, the progress of the reparation of his sea of consciousness was going very slowly, which made Leylin furrow his brows.
He was prepared to find some methods out there to hasten this process. If not, and he were to rely on just time, he had no idea how long this would take.
At this thought, Leylin began to feel jittery.
His expression twitched, and he untied a black water flask and took a drink. Leylin’s facial muscles then relaxed, and he forced a smile, “Also, I have to find a way to control the overly emotional side effects of being a Warlock!”
For Warlocks, the ancient bloodlines did give them formidable power, but they also negatively impacted their emotions
These emotions would lie dormant deep in one’s blood or even one’s spirit, occasionally causing trouble and causing the Warlock to sink into a state of extreme emotion.
For the Magus who sought truth and control, this was not tolerable.
Hence, Leylin had been searching for a method to solve this problem.
“The inheritances found in the south coast are only useful up to a certain point, and the items left behind from the ancient era are very few. There is very little information regarding Warlocks, and there doesn’t seem to be any sorts of methods there. But this place is different!”
Leylin’s eyes shone with hope. “This is the Twilight Zone, a part of the subterranean world! Due to the lack of connection with the outside world, it has very little external influences, and preserves the inheritances from ancient times in their entirety. In other words, aside from the central continent, there are still places that might have research material regarding warlocks; this must be one of those areas!”
At this thought, Leylin touched his chin.
“Potter Town is in a very remote area, and the resources at the Woody Wastelands can, at most, attract only a few acolytes. I haven’t seen any Magi here. It looks like I have to go deeper into the Twilight Zone…”
Potter Town was only a small town in the vastness of the Twilight Zone, and while he had stayed here for over two years, Leylin had seen very few Magi.
Apart from this town, there was an even bigger city. If he advanced layer by layer, he would find the eastern capital!
Leylin was sure that there were many Magi in the city!
The rules in the subterranean world were different from the south coast. The existence of Magi were made public; they would not hide in some unknown location and isolate themselves from the world.
The Magi who wielded power were naturally of a high status. Even the nobility had to bow to them.
“Though the population of Twilight Zone is only half of the south coast, with the extensive spread of high-grade meditation techniques and their simplified versions, there are still many instances of Magi appearing. The hierarchy of Magi is similar to that on the south coast, though I don’t know how many rank 3 Magi there are, or if there are any Morning Star Magi here…”
Leylin propped up his chin using his hand, sinking into deep thought.
……
The candle on the table burned with dull yellow flames, reflecting Leylin’s long, flickering shadow onto the wall…
During the afternoon of the next day, little Longbottom punctually came to the shop.
“You are very punctual! I like kids who obey rules!”
Leylin was bored to death, so he took over what had been Baelin’s position, and was yawning at the counter. He pointed towards the storeroom at the side. “Your task is to move those metals over there to the backyard!”
“Boss! Is this…” Baelin endured for a while, but could not take it any longer, and pointed to the storeroom as he spoke to Leylin.
“Every single one of those metals is even heavier than Longbottom’s own bodyweight…?”
Following his finger, one could see, through the half-open door to the storeroom, chunks of metal that were the size of a human head.
This were the raw materials that Leylin used while smelting. They were very dense, and their weights were terrifying.
When they had been transported here, Leylin had called for three strong men, and it had taken an entire afternoon for them to transport them. In Baelin’s eyes, Leylin was obviously making things difficult for the little kid by assigning him to such work.
“It’s his choice whether he wants to do it or not!”
Leylin shrugged his shoulders, found a chair, and began to doze contentedly.
“Brother Baelin, I want to give it a try!” Seeing the mountain of metals, he gulped, but at the sight of Leylin beginning to nod off, he made his mind and began to work.
The metals were very heavy, and just lifting it a centimeter off the ground caused Longbottom’s arms to tremble.
*Thud!* Longbottom curved his back and slowly moved to the open space at the back, the metal sounding a low thud as it fell.
“Hah…” Just moving one piece of metal was enough to cause Longbottom to pant, large drops of perspiration dripping from his face.
“Longbottom, you can’t continue, or else you’ll sustain long-term injuries…”
Baelin naturally knew that the terrifying amount of work he had to do would permanently harm, or even disable, a growing child’s body!
Even if he wasn’t doing this for Longbottom’s pretty sister, Baelin felt that he could not let this youngster he got along with to continue like this.
“No!” Longbottom looked in the direction of Leylin, who had stalked off, with a resolute expression on his face.
In that whole afternoon, the residents of Potter Town could see a strange sight at Leylin’s weapon shop.
A petite young boy was slowly working, moving pieces of black metal that were half his size.
That day, after completing two hours of work, Longbottom’s arms and legs constantly trembled, and he had no more strength to fiddle with any blades, dragging his fatigued body back home.
This went on for ten days, and only then did Longbottom finish moving all the metals to the open space at the backyard.
“You really work very slowly!”
Leylin judged, dissatisfied. “Next, I want you to move them back to the storeroom. Is that understood?”
“But Master Leylin…” Upon hearing this task, Longbottom’s body trembled. This physical labour had caused him a sore back, and it was so painful that he could not sleep at night. And now, he had to move them back? Longbottom felt like he would die from the fatigue!
He wasn’t just having fun here. He still needed to help his parents with work!
“Boss, you’re just toying with him!”
Baelin could not take this any longer, and jumped out while roaring at Leylin.
“Shut up.” Leylin spoke indifferently, but his glare caused Baelin to retreat while holding onto his chest and being unable to say a word.
“I’m the boss here, and what I say goes!” A teasing smirk was still about Leylin’s lips. “Youngster, you can leave right now, but if you do, you are to never return to my shop again!”
Longbottom was quiet, and then went to the metals without a word, and began to work.
“What an interesting fellow!”
Leylin poured himself a cup of peppermint beverage, leisurely watching Longbottom moving back and forth.
Leylin still needed to prepare for a period, and was quite rather bored. He only needed to pay brief attention to the calculations of the A.I. Chip, and could find time to toy with this youngster.
This labour was not something a child would be able to handle. In addition, it was easy to sustain injuries while working. Leylin had already discovered some bruises on Longbottom’s calves and arms.
“How long can he sustain this for? I look forward to it.”
Leylin touched his chin, a profound smile on his face.
For the next few days, Longbottom’s eyes were lifeless and he wobbled as he walked, causing people to be worried that this kid might just collapse and die.
An unexpected person also visited Leylin’s shop.
“Esteemed Master Leylin!” A beautiful young girl wearing a coarse sackcloth as a skirt curtsied towards Leylin.
“Could you please forgive my brother? Longbottom has been doing physical labour here for about fifteen days, and I’m afraid that he might not be able to hold on…”
This young maiden sobbed while she produced a white handkerchief.
After opening it, Leylin found that there were some silver coins and copper, as well as a small broken piece of gold coin that was about a quarter of the original size.
“If it’s for what he has done wrong, I’m willing to compensate you here…”
Leylin glanced at this young maiden and shook his head.
