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Alustriel

To be given the title of baron, as well as receive a hereditary title, it was usually necessary to meet with the city's ruler. To tell the truth, Mystra's Chosen was also the Lady of Hope from legends— Alustriel. Leylin was rather excited to meet her.

In his two years within Silverymoon, he had never met with her. He had only caught sight of her a few times from the sidelines. Rumour had it that this lady had a very good temperament and even enjoyed blessing the celebrations of ordinary citizens randomly. She was even willing to help beastmen.

Leylin's judgement of her was like this: A political idiot, an empty-headed and hot-blooded fellow like Rafiniya who, if not for her formidable power and the elders and the city hall wiping her ass would bring down the entirety of Silverymoon.

Leylin felt that Alustriel was more suited to be a humanitarian than a politician. Her naive and natural personality was ill-suited for politics and court, just like Rafiniya. That hot-blooded and righteous lady knight was a very good companion and friend, but she was not a good superior. If she was allowed to run a city, it would all end in disaster!

Now however, Alustriel governed Silverymoon City properly, and the most impressive thing was that she possessed even more formidable personal power. In times of peace, everything had been good. However, Silverymoon now faced the orc invasion which amplified every flaw in her governance. Leylin gradually grew aware that a great calamity would soon be upon them.

Court etiquette was a very big problem for newly-promoted nobles. They could not be lacking in manners during the ceremony to confer titles as well as their audience with the city's ruler, else the other nobles would mock them. Nobles who had risen from nothing had always found this process very difficult.

It was also the main reason why those old nobles despised the new ones. In their eyes, those country bumpkins did not deserve such a position, and neglected the vitality that came with interactions between different social classes. In the end, they had only slowly declined.

Fortunately, Leylin had received instruction from an etiquette teacher. He had learnt it quickly and after a single afternoon, the etiquette teacher, who had been specially sent by the court, had left satisfied.

Alustriel also wanted to meet him before the ceremony. This sort of private meeting did not matter much to him, as he did not feel she would be able to see through his false identity unless he was face-to-face with her god's true body.

...

Leylin had seen Silverymoon's imperial palace in the distance several times. However, he did not care much about any outstanding wealth in the palace. He was only interested in the rumoured legendary spell resources that it could contain.

However, once he truly entered the palace, he drew his spiritual force firmly back into his body and did not dare to carelessly investigate.

'There were at least five high-ranked magic probes at the gate. There will be many more high-ranked wizards guarding the palace itself…' Leylin lowered his head but something flickered in his eyes.

Silverymoon's palace and the Wizards' Guild were the most well-defended and strict places. It was rumoured that the strongest in these places could not be bribed, and even Legends did not dare to provoke Silverymoon City, who had the backing of the Goddess of the Weave.

However, Leylin never had the intention of robbing the place, and was thus very calm. He was currently clad in the splendid attire of a noble, the clothes which were embroidered in gold thread stifling him. He looked like a peacock who had spread its feathers.

There was nothing that could be done. The clothes of a noble were rich and garish, as if they wished to put everything he had on display. Leylin normally wore robes or leisure clothes at home, but it would certainly be inappropriate to wear those now.

"Her majesty the queen wishes to receive her guest in the side palace hall." At this moment, a female official trotted over and announced in a steady voice. Leylin then followed her to a separate part of the palace.

"Here it is!" Leylin was not left waiting for long. In a moment, he felt the security around him had increased to its utmost, and there were even two powerful soul forces near him. He immediately contemplated them inwardly.

"Good day, Sir Leylin Faulen!" A peal of laughter rang out like a silver bell, and Leylin finally saw Alustriel.

Her eyes were like moonlight, and she seemed like the very embodiment of beauty. She only wore a simple gown, but she was naturally breathtaking.

"I do apologise for my lateness. I went to Uncle Cooper's roast meat banquet, and I brought a blueberry pie that he personally baked for you. It can't be a more appropriate congratulatory gift for you…" Alustriel fixed her gaze on Leylin with a smile on her face, passing a basket of roast meat to Leylin.

"Your majesty!" Leylin rather speechlessly accepted the gift, and respectfully bowed exactly as he had been taught by the etiquette teacher.

"Your majesty, how could you see your vassal in such a manner! There are still a few more items on today's schedule to address as well…" A white-bearded old man chased after Alustriel into the palace, with thick sheets of parchment and quills in hand. After seeing Leylin, he even smiled helplessly.

'Scholar Buren, full name Buren Eustace. Alustriel's clerk and the leader of the elders, as well as her most trusted subordinate. He's actually the prime minister of Silverymoon…' A string of information flashed across Leylin's mind.

Naturally, what drew his notice were the powerful magical undulations coming from both Alustriel and Buren. It meant that they had both broken through mortal limits and had entered to realms of Legends.

Alustriel's body possessed a trace of divinity from the Goddess of the Weave, and it in particular attracted a deep interest from him.

'I really want… I really want to devour her! Such a pity. If I did that, the Weave Goddess will be the first to hunt me down…' Leylin sighed in his heart.

"Haha, Baron Leylin! You don't need to be so formal and stiff, you don't seem like a 20 year old youth at all!" Alustriel undeniably had an aura that was as refreshing as a spring breeze. Conversing with her made Leylin loosen up considerably. Her charisma was great.

"Your title ceremony will be held in three days' time. Tell me Leylin, tell me like a friend; do you have any requests?" Alustriel gently said as she looked at the wizard before her.

"If it's like this," Leylin took a deep breath as his eyes filled with determination, "I hope I can freely read through the court's collection of wizard resources…"

"You may!" Alustriel agreed very readily, surpassing Leylin's expectations and filling him with astonishment. Hey, hey! Wasn't she meant to ask him to climb to her inner circle before finally being allowed to peek at those documents? Was it really alright to give it to him so happily?

"Cough cough… Your Majesty!" At this moment, the saviour of the show appeared. Scholar Buren coughed with all his strength, attracting Alustriel's attention over.

"Although Baron Leylin is a genius, legendary spells will only pose difficulties for his current state. For his own good, we can give him those resources that are below the rank of Legends."

"Oh, I apologise! I've forgotten that point," Alustriel looked at Leylin, "Because of the rigid nature of Legends, the Legend-ranked resources would not be beneficial to your growth now. I can first give you those resources below that rank, and once you advance to become a high-ranked wizard…"

"Cough cough…" Scholar Buren looked at this failure of a queen and began to cough like he was choking to death.

"This is more than enough already. Thank you, Your Majesty," Leylin smiled as he bowed, and his elegant demeanour astonished even Buren. Disappointment had indeed flitted across his heart, but he did not show it at all.

For those wizards below rank 15, research materials at or above the legendary realm really was too complicated, and Alustriel had meant well when she restricted them. However, Leylin was different. He was not some low-ranked wizard, and he could even understand information on godhood if it was given to him. However, he could not admit this.

Buren's actions could also be understood. If this sort of thing was handed out now, then how would he be rewarded for outstanding service in the future?

Just because he could understand the reasoning behind the forceful interruption did not mean Leylin's heart was not ill at ease. After chatting with Alustriel for a while and receiving the visitor's pass for the palace library, Leylin left the palace.

It had to be said that Leylin had developed a new understanding of Alustriel after meeting with her. It could be said that he had a favourable impression of her, but maybe not of Buren.

"What did you think of him, Buren?" Alustriel asked with interest as she cupped her face with her hands. Even if she was naive, she had changed with the polish of many years of experience, although the changes were not particularly big.

"He did not have any traces of evil intent or the aura of a devil on him," Buren's eyes turned crimson, looking extremely terrifying, "And his thirst for knowledge is sincere, not faked!"

"If it's like this, then how come you didn't allow me to give him the authority to view those resources?" Alustriel said, feeling hard done by.

"Resources ranked legendary or above must be exchanged for contributions, this rule is the cornerstone that protects our Silverymoon City!" Buren looked at Alustriel, who was acting like a little girl, with a helpless and bitter smile.

"Also, giving an insignificant wizard like him those high-ranked and above resources is more than enough. After he reaches rank 15 and swears the oath of eternal loyalty to the Styx, then we can pass on the legendary-ranked resources…"

"Alright, alright," Alustriel waved her hand, "You can make the decisions. Oh, tonight I have to attend Mister Nudu's dinner party."

"Please forgive me, but I must remind Your Majesty that as the ruler of our Silverymoon City and the alliance, it is highly inappropriate for you to suddenly turn up at the party of our ordinary citizens…"

Beginning

Buren's warning was serious, but Alustriel seemed to have had enough of him. She waved her arms, and a teleportation gate flickered into existence as she disappeared.

"She's so…" Watching this irresponsible queen, Buren could only roll his eyes speechlessly.

Under the terrifying magic formation in the castle, only the Chosen of their goddess could make use of teleportation gates at will. Even though Buren had already reached the realm of Legends, there was nothing he could do.

...

Leylin used this period well, staying in the library to copy all of the information on under legendary magic. After a series of long and complicated arrangements, he was conferred his title.

He obtained some uncultivated land next to the Moonwood. He changed its name to the Violet Territory, and he became the Violet Baron.

There was no way around it. All lands that were fertile, rich and safe had long since been taken up by the nobles. Getting them to spit it back out was far from an easy task. The area surrounding the Moonwood was filled with danger and the frontlines for the battles with the orcs. That was why it was being given out.

However, it was only a wasteland now. The only good thing about it was that because the intention was to compensate Leylin, the area was two times larger than the land given to normal barons.

'I have no plans to live here permanently anyway, so it doesn't really matter…' Leylin thought as he fiddled with the noble coat of arms he had designed himself. The main body was a violet with intricate plant decorations around it.

If Baron Jonas were to know of this, he would definitely be delighted. A title and land was something the upper class people in the World of Gods desired the most.

Leylin could not only gain the title as Baron Faulen, but also be the master of the Violet Territory. Once he had a son, he would let the boy take over and help the Faulen Family branch out. That would count as expanding the power of the family.

With joint marriages and swallowing up of families, there would be changes and exchanges in titles. Once the scattered territories linked together, a huge noble family would be formed, maybe even a kingdom. Such a rise usually took a few centuries.

Of course, the possibility of such a thing was very low. At most, the later generations themselves would begin to bicker amongst themselves.

This had nothing to do with Leylin. The only thing that left him more satisfied was that he was now a true noble, and no longer had to work in the name of the next in line. The power and treatment a true noble and an heir had were completely different.

He was quickly appointed as a captain of the city guard, and he was assigned a complete troop. The army expanded from the 5th legion, and had 200 Professionals and about the same number of troops and commoners. Altogether, there were about 500 of them.

'This power is sufficient for me to do a lot of things. Of course, compared to the orc army that's coming, it's not much…' Leylin observed the dark clouds in the horizon, his brows gradually furrowing together. With the orc tribes maneuvering, the gloom of war was already enveloping the northern lands.

Shops had closed permanently even in Silverymoon, and pedestrians were moving hastily. The Sunrise Mountains and the orc tribes were practically synonyms of savagery and war. Not only were these orcs born with powerful bodies, but the also had the protection of their own god. Their god was powerful.

In the World of Gods, orcs and humans were huge races that each did not lose out to the other. Their gods had powerful divine force, comparable to peak rank 8 Magi. This was practically the limit of what the universe could accommodate.

Without the protection of a powerful god, the treatment one was given in the World of Gods was entirely different. Under the huge incoming threat, even the fall of the entire northern lands was likely. Leylin had intel that the members of the mobilised tribes were very powerful, and it wouldn't be trivial like the simple fights and robberies before.

With so many tribes banding together, there was a sense of a fledgling empire taking shape. If left unchecked, an orc empire would rise up!

If they wiped out the Silverymoon Alliance and took over the northern lands, then this empire would form atop the corpses of their enemies. Perhaps this too was a hope of their god.

As for the human faction, Leylin had also heard about something that did not mean well for them. The Silverymoon alliance was too powerful, referring to Alustriel in particular. She was a Legend who was also the Chosen of the Goddess of the Weave. The influence of Silverymoon had risen in recent times, and there were more and more cries proclaiming her to be the Empress.

The Silverymoon Alliance was an alliance amongst the northern lands' organisations. This included all the human cities in the northern lands, as well as a few other large territories. At the beginning, the intention was to fend off the orcs more effectively, and they had built up offensive and defensive strategies.

Alustriel had used her personal charm and the great strength of Silverymoon to keep her position as the head of the Silverymoon Alliance. With her lifespan and reputation, she could very well integrate the scattered federations in the next few centuries and form one terrifying empire!

This was obviously something the orcs did not want to see. Of course, there were many amongst the nobles in the northern lands that approved of this and even helped to achieve it. Meanwhile, there were those strongly against it, doing what they could to hinder it in secret.

'How interesting… The accumulation of these conflicts is now allowing the orcs to invade them?' Leylin chuckled as he glanced at the castle behind him. Powerful spell rays lingered eternally on the walls and magnetic bricks, giving it a unique beauty.

'The conflicts between humans and orcs, the contradictions of whether to be unified or to split, and even the conflicts between gods… With this spiral of events, I wonder how long the beautiful and fertile Silverymoon can last…' Leylin's eyes flickered with wit.

[Beep! High-ranked wizard information has been recorded. Spell model database is now complete. Constructing host's wizard spells.]

The A.I. Chip suddenly showed this prompt. After he spent a lot of time scanning through all information below the rank of Legend in the palace, the Chip's database was now complete. At the very least, Leylin would not be hindered before he became a Legend.

'Good! A high-ranked wizard, at rank 15, is publicly known to be someone powerful. A.I. Chip, how long will I take to reach that point if I meditate as I do now?' Leylin asked.

[Beep! Mission established. Checking compatibility with host. Proceeding with theoretical tests…]

The A.I. Chip quickly calculated, numerous 0 and 1s flashing by in front of Leylin's eyes. In a few seconds, it gave an answer. [Based on host's current stats, estimated time to reaching rank 15 is in 731 days 13 hours.]

'Around two years? That's probably the time that the orcs will attack…' All of a sudden, Leylin's expression changed as he looked towards the north.

"This undulation… It's from a legendary spell! And it's at the fort of the Sunrise Mountains! Could it be…"

...

North of Silverymoon, Sunrise Mountains!

This was a huge mountain range that extended through the humans' northern lands and the boundless wilderness of the orcs. It allowed for a clear divide between the worlds of the two.

The humans in Silverymoon had used spells and a lot of manual labour to construct a large defensive fort, and they deployed their military to guard it. Atop the black steely wall was the newest results of Silverymoon's research: the Automatic Magic Cannon.

The troops stationed at the garrison were the most powerful of Silverymoon. There were over 20 high-grade wizards there, and there were even rumours that there was a Legend in charge.

Over these many years, this fort alone had forced the orcs to return with their tails between their legs. No matter how crazed the attacks were, the fort had stood tall like a reef in a tsunami.

For this reason, the original name that had been complex and awkward had been discarded. In its place, it was given the beautiful name of 'Unfallen Moon Fort'. It represented the silver moon flag of Silverymoon that, at the front of the city in the fort, would never fall!

*Pak!* However, at that moment, the beautiful and intricate silver moon flag had slowly descended into the burning flames, turning entirely into ashes.

*Roar!* *Roar!* Numerous snarling werecreatures shouted crazily as they crawled up the walls that were said to never fall. Werejackals, werelions, wereleopards… There were even gigantic behemoths, snakemen, and foxwoman priests.

Numerous orcs with varying appearances arranged themselves in a square-shaped formation, crowding around a golden werelion as they cheered enthusiastically, "Saladin! Saladin! Emperor of the werecreatures! Emperor of the orcs!"

This orc called Saladin had fur that pointed up like steel spikes, and his eyes were electric. Numerous Legends, heads of their respective races, could only prostrate themselves before him.

He was Saladin, emperor of all orcs, and the Chosen of the orc god Gruumsh. He who possesses the divine weapon of the orcs, the Thunder God's Hammer!

With the power of the divine weapon, he had destroyed the fort's defences in an instant, and even killed the human Legend.

"I, Saladin, emperor of the orcs, king of all kings, shall conquer the northern lands as a jewel on the crown of my god!" Saladin snarled, and the many orcs cheered together.

Calendar of the gods, year 37665. Unfallen Moon Fort fell to their enemies, after being completely invaded by orcs on all sides.

War

With their huge numbers, the orcs had many peak experts. The fort quickly changed hands. There weren't even many magic warnings issued, allowing them to have the time to lay low in wait for the reinforcements once the original guard was taken care of.

After a few rounds, the teleportation rays no longer flickered, and the orcs controlled the fort with ease, setting up their own teleportation spell formations. The Unfallen Moon Fort had its own arrangements for escape routes. The wizards had left themselves teleportation gates that would allow for convenient access for assistance. The orcs in turn had messed up the spatial undulations here and sealed off all teleportation.

Just as the camp was in a frenzy, a pair of golden eyes looked down from above. In that moment, the Weave within tens of kilometres seemed to rebel, and powerful thunderclouds formed silently.

"Mystra, what's happening? Are you trying to go against our contract?" A gruff voice sounded, and the thunderclouds in the sky dissipated to reveal shining moonlight. The orcs below did not even realise that they'd been at death's door, and they all silently gathered their loot.

The dim golden eyes did not make any more movements, and instead seemed to streak through the sky and focus on an orc.

"Gruumsh!" The owner of the golden eyes called out the name of the werebeast, the flames of her fury growing.

"You saw that. I didn't make the first move! It's a result of the guys' fight!" The orc god chuckled, sounding gleeful.

"Furthermore… We've gotten the support of many gods, for instance the guy who's been following you…" Gruumsh reported another piece of news and then was satisfied to see the anger in Mystra's eyes.

The powerful conscient left, looking exasperated at seeing such a conflict happen so close.

"I can't suppress someone as powerful as the Goddess of the Weave even at my peak. However, the competition on this path is ruthless. Whether in the dusk of the Magi and Gods, or now…" Gruumsh mumbled, and then he disappeared after sending down a powerful oracle. With their priests, the maddened orcs seemed to spread throughout the north.

Survival and reproduction were the two main goals of living beings. The orcs were like locusts as they looted all that they saw, and much blood was spilt. The states that were lucky to survive in the northern lands sunk into an arduous battle after being summoned by Silverymoon. The situation was in a deadlock.

On one hand, the land that the orcs obtained needed to be governed, and the soldiers needed to be reorganised. On the other, with the sudden attacks, the Silverymoon Alliance had suffered continuous losses and desperately needed some respite.

Another great wave of attacks could burst forth, and small skirmishes were a constant thing these days. The mercenaries, adventurers and even dreamers of the human world risked their lives to come to the northern lands, hoping to get some part of the glory. More merchants and commoners fled, which was a huge headache for the country.

In this chaotic world, a name that had been in the shadows before began to grow in intensity and shone in the battle with the orcs, thus earning the name of a hero…

...

Unwittingly, a year passed. Year 37666 of the calendar of the gods, Silverymoon City.

A handsome black horse galloped along the road, its bloody hooves evidence of it having passed through a battlefield. The troops following behind it held orc ears, proof of merit and rewards. The knight at the head was astonishingly a female!

"It's the Knight of Light, Rafiniya!" An adventurer along the road saw the female knight, their eyes filled with obvious admiration and worship.

"Mm! I heard that the lady became a high-ranked knight at a young age. She's been shining in battles with the orcs as of late." A young girl's eyes twinkled, "Even more worthy of admiration is the fact that Lady Rafiniya is like the personification of justice. She treats commoners and nobles all the same and does her best to protect the interests of the weak… Just like the city master…"

"That's why so many adventurers are coming from all over the world!" Someone who was obviously the leader beside the girl supplemented, though he was critical on the inside, 'Few agree with the city master's ideals and want to participate in battle. Most people prioritise benefits.'

Although he knew this, he wouldn't say such a thing allowed. Merit was the best way for adventurers to become nobles. The city master of Silverymoon was known for her generosity, so what harm was there in keeping mum?

'Her commander, Baron Violet, seems to be a great example of this…' The adventurer leader thought inside and urged his people on, "What are you looking at? Go to the Mercenary Guild and get the rewards from the mission!"

Due to the war and the surge of many mercenaries and adventurers, Silverymoon strangely seemed to be prosperous. The citizens who had lived calm and comfortable lives had disappeared, and in their place were mercenaries and adventurers who reeked of blood.

Besides hotels and the shops at the sides of the streets, there were many shops that sold all sorts of steel weapons and low-grade potions and the like. In general, they were items that would raise one's battle might. The Mercenary Guild's business was going so well that they were filled with adventurers every day.

'Mercenary missions can only give money… Who knows, after a period of time when the war eases up, I'll want to take a walk amongst the city guards…' The leader was still considering his plans for the future. These were the true thoughts of unimportant characters in a chaotic world. They did not care who was in charge and only bothered about their own benefits.

...

The female knight naturally did not care about this group of adventurers by the road, this was a common thing in Silverymoon.

The procession entered one of the camps, and Rafiniya took off her armour to change into a casual outfit. She entered Leylin's tent. He was blanked out while looking at a huge map of the northern lands, as if he hadn't noticed Rafiniya entering.

Upon noticing this, Rafiniya suddenly had a mischievous look on her face and sneakily ran to Leylin's back.

"Stop playing around, Rafiniya!" Leylin spoke unenthusiastically, causing Rafiniya to deflate like a ball.

"Come on, can't you just let a girl have her way? What happened to your gentlemanly attitude?" Rafiniya expressed her discontent to Leylin, who seemed to have grown a pair of eyes on his back.

'Haha… With the spiritual force of a wizard, she wouldn't be able to escape the detections of the A.I. Chip no matter how cautious she was, unless she was a high-ranked assassin or thief.'

"Have you completed your mission?" Leylin was now the main commander here, and Rafiniya was his underling.

"Yes! I've completely wiped out that group of scouting orcs. What bastards! They massacred three whole villages!" Rafiniya exclaimed, feeling indignant. This had always been a life or death struggle between two races, and Leylin merely raised his eyebrows a little but did not say more.

In addition, he had another thought in mind.

'They're killing so much in the areas of their enemies!' Leylin sighed. His intel said that old, ill, weak, and disabled orcs were already entering the areas that had been taken over, and clearing the land for cultivation. They had scattered seeds and were clearly trying to restore life to the land.

What surprised Leylin more was that these orc villages already had signs of human slaves.

'There's someone capable among the orc invasion…' This was not a short term policy, and that caused fear among the higher-ups of Silverymoon. Leylin, however, was unperturbed. As their desires and goals were different, their worries varied. Watching those nobles down on their luck, Leylin even felt refreshed.

'A.I. Chip, show me my current stats!' Leylin commanded. The A.I. Chip loyally carried out Leylin's orders, and showed a group of stats.

[Leylin Faulen. Age: 21. Race: Human, Rank 14 Wizard. Strength: 12. Agility: 11. Vitality: 10. Spirit: 14. Status: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Elementary Perfect Body. Spell Slots: Rank 6(3), Rank 5(5), Rank 4(7), Rank 3(???), Rank 2(???), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)] [Progress of analysis of Weave: Level 0: 100%, Level 1: 100%, Level 2: 100%, Level 3: 100%, Level 4: 68.88%, Level 5: 37.91%, Level 6: 12.36%!]

Leylin had risen by a rank in the past year, which the other wizards found unimaginable. If not for the war, he might even have advanced faster. Given his continous outstanding military service, he'd even obtained Legend-ranked information.

It had to be said that the World of God's structure of the high-grade magic strength system was still a great inspiration to Leylin.

'I've already checked the Nether Mountains a few times, and can confirm that the red dragon's cave and the ruins of the arcanists are there…' Leylin's eyes glowed brightly.

Contract

Leylin had never forgotten his original objective. His long-term goal in the World of Gods was to ascend to godhood and allow his main body to enter this world. On the other hand, his short-term goals included advancing to the rank of Legend as quickly as possible, and obtaining enough power to protect himself.

His main purpose in coming to the north was to find the inheritance of the arcanists, as well as information on legendary spells from Silverymoon City.

Compared to these goals reputation, territory, nobility, and riches were nothing but dog shit.

Although he now looked as if he was pursuing those things, it was only to give others the wrong impression. When it was time to abandon it all, he would do so without the slightest trace of hesitation. What were those things compared to eternal life and freedom anyway?

"I always thought you were a fellow with a lot of secrets," Rafiniya mumbled to herself as she glanced at Leylin, sitting down with a melancholic air.

'Such keen perception… She really is a first-rate tool,' Leylin inwardly smiled to himself, but it was a pity that this lady knight had such an exceedingly pure soul. She had not seen past the facade into his true nature, else she would have been scared to death, forget daring to stay by his side.

"Alright, what are you looking at the map for? Is it time for us to act?" Rafiniya nibbled at an apple, propping up her toned and slender legs directly on the table. After serving in the army for a year, this lady knight had thrown her aristocratic grace and reserved nature away to the outer seas.

"Mm, it looks like we're in trouble," Leylin replied, adding emphasis on 'trouble'.

"Is it that Cassley? I want to chop him up!" The lady knight exclaimed.

"The day will soon come," Leylin stuck a small flag onto the map, marking down several lines of letters.

"Tell me, how is he going to trap us this time?" Rafiniya rolled her eyes.

"It can't really be called a trap… He needs troops to go and defend the territories of several noble families near the Moonwood, those orcs are acting up again. There have even been rumours of the Blackblood tribe colluding with the Orc Empire…"

"Then why is he demanding that we go? He's asking us to die!" Rafiniya shouted. Just the Blackblood tribe was enough to challenge Silverymoon City, and if orcs were added into the mix then it would be a complete deathtrap.

"We don't have a choice, those nobles whose territories are being threatened are getting anxious. Additionally, my Violet Territory is also near there…" Leylin's lips curved into a mocking smile.

If he was truly a minor noble, then it would have been imperative for him to go. Otherwise, neither Silverymoon City nor Cassley would let him off. The secular world's shackles as well as strict martial law could not be joked around with.

In Leylin's view however, what did they matter? Naturally, he'd put some effort in on the surface. He also had no choice in actually going to the moonwood, but it was entirely up to Leylin whether he wanted to fight sincerely.

"Send the command, all personnel have had their holidays cancelled. They must go into standby mode, prepared to set off at any time." With Leylin's order, the entire barracks was immediately thrown into chaos. Against such powerful enemies, even the officers trembled in fear.

However, Leylin didn't bother with his subordinates. After he had gave the command, he mounted his horse and travelled alone to his residence in Silverymoon City.

"Mister Leylin!" Only Bessany remained in the vast residence's laboratory. She appeared to be very cold and cheerless. After the news of the great war had erupted, Ena and her sister had been strictly ordered by their families to return. Only Bessany had stayed.

"I'll run the bath for you, sir. Also, the funds from the previous business deal have already been transferred to your bank account. Here is the receipt," Bessany immediately left the alchemy table and bowed to Leylin. She had kept everything in good order while he was gone.

It had to be said that this young lady took her work quite seriously and worked hard. 'After all, she's a seedling that I raised myself,' Leylin thought.

"No need for that," Leylin waved his hand, "Bessany, I have something that I would like to ask you." Leylin looked at Bessany attentively. She had grown up very well, and had even reached the realm of a rank 5 wizard.

It was a shame that her power was nothing but a speck of dust in front of the great army of orcs.

"Please tell me, Sir." Bessany clasped her hands and seemed rather ill at ease.

After spending such a long time with Leylin, she naturally understood that he was enigmatic and impossible to predict. Questions that even the high-ranked wizards of the colleges could not answer were easily solved by him.

She had only been able to break through to a rank 5 wizard under his guidance. Compared to her, Ena and her sister were still lingering in the realm of rank 3 wizards!

For all this, Bessany knew that she had to pay the price. It was only that when the moment came for her to do so, she seemed rather uneasy.

"With the orcs pushing the battle closer to this place, Silverymoon City will become very dangerous. Don't you wish to go home to your family?" Leylin looked at his apprentice and asked with great interest.

"My family?" Bessany smiled rather bitterly, "I don't want to go home! I want to continue walking the path of a wizard and advance. If I go home with my current strength, I'll have to serve my family until I die…"

As a low-ranked wizard and alchemy apprentice, Bessany's family would absolutely not allow the goose who laid golden eggs to marry out of the family. Bessany's only future was to be a sacrifice for her family, and silently devote her life to them until she died of old age.

Or perhaps her family would want to carry on the bloodline of a wizard, and adopt several men she disliked into the family.

Just envisioning this sort of life made Bessany feel like she was going insane.

"Then… Do you wish to continue receiving my instruction?" Leylin asked, looking deeply into Bessany's eyes.

"If… If that's possible, then my gratitude will know no bounds!" After hearing the thing she wished for the most, Bessany felt that she was the most fortunate person in the world, and almost fainted in happiness.

"Alright! I would now like to hire you as an alchemist for the Faulen family. Have a look at this contract," Leylin passed a scroll of parchment to Bessany.

"A contract?" Bessany opened the parchment, looking at the contract which had been written in black ink. It stipulated that she needed to serve the Faulen family for 50 years, and through that obtain Leylin's financial assistance and advice as a wizard.

It was a spirit-binding contract, and there was a beautifully intricate pattern around the parchment.

"I have no problem with this. I agree!" Bessany scanned through the contract and confirmed that she had no issues before gritting her teeth and agreeing.

"Alright, then sign your name in your own blood." This demand was a little strange, but Bessany still bit her thumb and signed her name at the end of the parchment.

*Crash!* In the blink of an eye, the entire scroll floated into midair and spontaneously combusted. Bessany's eyes grew dazed as she felt herself losing something she could not name. However, she also felt like nothing had really happened.

"Good, the contract has been established. On behalf of the Faulen family, I welcome you into our ranks," Leylin smiled as he placed several items down on the table.

"Here's a hundred gold coins, as well as several scrolls and magic items. Take them with you just in case. Tomorrow, you will go to the south, to the Faulen Islands. There you will find wizard Ernest, who will set up arrangements for you…"

"Scrolls? Alchemic materials?" Bessany gently stroked the magic scrolls with her fingers, and the powerful energy in them made her quake in fear. Leylin had personally smelted these magic items, and they were absolutely priceless. Compared to that, the gold coins were worthless.

"Why must I leave? Could it be that Mister Leylin is not optimistic about the future of Silverymoon City?"

"Mm," Leylin answered without the slightest hesitation. His answer made Bessany's body sway on the verge of collapse.

"How is that possible? The city is under the protection of the Goddess of the Weave…"

"Our enemies have their own gods. Additionally, only the ruler of our city can survive. It doesn't mean that you ordinary people will," Leylin's cold voice shattered her delusions, "Of course, after Silverymoon City, it won't be possible for the battle to spread further south. Your family won't be in danger, so there is no need to worry."

Sending this rather distracted young lady away, Leylin smiled as he looked at his right hand. A trace of the purest soul origin force had arrived in his palm.

Even if Bessany died now, her soul would belong to him. This was the power of a devil!

"My young lady; if you don't pay attention when you sign a contract, it's difficult for you to not lose out…" Putting tricks into a contract was the favourite method of many devils from all dimensions. The decorative border around the parchment was the simplest trick.

Naturally, even if Bessany had heard of such a thing, she didn't regard Leylin as a devil. As a result, she most likely had not even considered that he would do such a thing.

'It's just child's play, whatever happens will happen…' Leylin could easily educate many alchemy students to her level, but since it seemed that Bessany was innately gifted, and her luck was rather good, he didn't mind helping her a little.

"Silverymoon City…" Leylin sighed softly. What he had said earlier wasn't just fear-mongering. The possibility was real.

'The Silverymoon Alliance has already threatened the central human kingdom, and those kings do not wish for a powerful human kingdom to rise in the north. There are many nobles who share this thought in the north, and as a result the support that the Silverymoon Alliance will receive is limited…'

This was still the material plane after all, the gods of human factions could not unite in solidarity. Mystra could only rely on herself to take on all the orc gods. Even with the assistance of several gods she was on good terms with, the city did not have hopeful prospects.

Rescue

On the contrary, Leylin felt at ease when gods held conflicting views and were petty.

If the gods all presented a united front, there was no way he could have been able to survive and grow in the main world. His alternatives were either the deep abyss or hell itself.

"The consequences of the will of the World of Gods, the Overgod, falling into slumber had encouraged many gods to harbour their own agendas.

Leylin recalled the World's Will in the World of Gods.

The gods were the children of the world, and the World's Will was their leader. The one and only Overgod!

In Leylin's opinion, the Will of the Magus World and the World of Gods had reached the realm of rank 9. Omniscient and omnipotent, they were but one step towards eternity.

Back then, not only did the Magus and the Gods exchanged blows, but even the Wills partook in the battle, with both sides perishing and entering a heavy slumber.

Before its slumber, the Will of the World of Gods had completely sealed the world with a layer of crystallised wall that isolated the world from any form of communication.

This move had effectively protected the World of Gods and allowed the growth of newer gods. However, after they had finished dividing up the faith they had, the limited source of worshippers had caused a huge conflict between the gods.

Having lost their foreign enemies, the gods had now turned inwards into fighting against one another.

At the very bottom of Leylin's heart, he held a strong conviction that there were gods who had coveted for the seat of the Sovereign.

Afterall, gods will fall with the dwindling of their worshippers, unless they were able to directly extract the world origin force and surpass the existence of a god!

The only thing standing in their way was the World's Will!

"Isn't this ironic? To nurture a child that would eventually oppose you…"

Leylin's eyes narrowed with a gleam of determination.

...

"Wizard Cassley, good morning!"

Outside the city walls, Leylin bumped into an entirely unexpected person.

"Good morning, wizard Leylin," Cassley nodded at him, "Perhaps I will ride out with the troops with you, so when the time comes I hope you will cooperate."

'Cooperate?' Leylin's eyes narrowed, but the smiling expression on his face did not change as he slowly left.

Although he was slightly less powerful than Cassley, their status was almost equal. He no longer had to give way to the other wizard as he had been forced to do in the past.

Since the troops were mobilising, coordination was purely organised between the mid-ranks and not an order given by the higher ups.

It was important not to underestimate this point, as it could be used to devastating effect in the midst of true battle.

At the very least, it would put an end to Cassley's informal and unnecessary orders, and eliminate the possibility of him sending the troops off to die.

"Damn!" After Leylin's back disappeared from view, Cassley's gently smiling expression completely collapsed. It was substituted with the most chilling intent.

Leylin Faulen! This name had grown offensively conspicuous ever since the orc invasion. Most notably, Cassley's several retaliatory attempts against the wizard had all been played down by him, and even served to enhance the other man's reputation.

In the end, many people had gradually come to lump him and Leylin together, likening the two of them to the brightest new stars in the sky.

From Cassley's point of view, the fact that they had gone as far as to place someone from the younger generation on the same level as him was a bold-faced insult!

Additionally, after he had suffered defeat, the faction backing him had gradually withdrawn their support. This was something that he absolutely could not stand.

There was only one way to resolve this mess, and that was to make the source of trouble, Leylin, disappear entirely from this world.

"I look forward to the face you'll show me before you die…" A trace of darkness flashed across Cassley's eyes, and he returned to Silverymoon City without looking back.

...

Two days later, nearly a thousand troops slowly left Silverymoon City.

"I've always found that Cassley an eyesore, and now he's even deliberately riding out with us. He's trying to make trouble for us, I'm sure!" The lady knight seethed next to Leylin.

"I'm afraid that he won't simply cause trouble for us," Leylin was well aware of the murderous intent that his companion was so clearly radiating.

"Only… I'm not sure what will happen in the end," A strange smile curved at the edges of Leylin's lips.

"We're now entering the danger zone, stay alert!" As they drew closer to the Moonwood, even Cassley became even more vigilant as it was possible that the werebeasts could attack.

After the orc invasion, the forces near Silverymoon Alliance began to get restless, especially the Blackblood tribe who had immediately occupied the entire Moonwood. In the past, the patrol rangers had previously been able to routinely enter and collect intelligence there, but entering the forest now was a death sentence.

The alliance between the werebeasts and the orcs now seemed entirely possible. After all, humans all thought that they had similar looks and characteristics.

Working together was natural when the conditions were right.

Once the Blackblood Tribe joined the orc faction however, Silverymoon City would suffer an inconceivable setback.

'The queen of the city, her majesty Alustriel, must be in distress…' Leylin indifferently thought to himself.

A loud chirping sound abruptly sounded. It came from a grey and white eagle, an animal companion of a druid scout in their troops.

"I've seen Baron Andrew's castle! It's now under siege!" The druid immediately reported to Leylin.

"A siege?" Leylin furrowed his brows. He could faintly see smoke and ash rising at the edge of the horizon, "By orcs or by ogres?"

"It's the orcs! I'm very certain, as I've seen the Blackblood tribe's flag there!" The druid nodded vigorously.

"What are we waiting for, let's go!" Rafiniya drew her longsword. Ever since she had seen the village massacres of the orcs and the ogres, she had become the resolute believer in human superiority.

"Wait, we should at the very least inform Cassley," Leylin helplessly grabbed Nick's reins and let an orderly inform their allies. There was a rather begrudging expression on his face as he said, "I've known you for so many years already, but you haven't even matured a little…"

Before long, the orderly had already brought back Cassley's reply.

"Commanding Officer Cassley says that he is in charge of the defence corps, and he will leave these matters for you to resolve!" The orderly announced loudly, and bowed as he left.

Before they had set off, he had not known what tricks Cassley had employed, and in the end he had unexpectedly obtained the mission of defending a few nobles.

The mission Leylin had received was to attack and push the orc's frontlines back into the Moonwood.

Far behind the front line, Cassley was in charge of defence. He had even incidentally blocked his grain supply channels.

The impression he had gotten was that Cassley's true mission was to defend the area when Leylin had completely failed. His mission was similar to defending the city walls, but Leylin had been the pioneer who had taken the initiative to attack.

'This fellow is already thinking of the unthinkable outcome behind my back…' Leylin shook his head. If an ordinary person was in his position, perhaps they would die playing Cassley's game. It was clear how deeply Cassley hated him from how readily he had issued the command.

'Those who are meant to back me haven't supported me at all. Is it a question of loyalty?' Leylin sighed a little. He had risen to power too abruptly and had not truly won their trust. Otherwise, they wouldn't have behaved so passively.

'Once a high-rank wizard of Silverymoon City reaches rank 15, they sign a very powerful contract to pledge their loyalty. Its effect can even extend all the way until the wizard reaches the realm of high-ranked and Legend…'

Leylin suddenly thought of a rumour which now appeared to be true.

'Once I reach rank 15 and become a high-ranked wizard, something similar may befall me. In comparison however, Cassley who had signed the high-ranked wizard contract seemed to be trusted more easily.

The troops under Leylin saw a look of unswerving determination on their leader's face.

"Onwards!" Leylin finally issued the command.

A besieged castle rapidly appeared before them, and the village next to it had already been burnt to the ground. There were corpses strewn everywhere on the ground, and many of them were badly damaged.

"Charge! Leave none of them alive!" At the sight of this scene, the soldiers immediately saw red. Leylin duly issued the command to attack.

"Kill!" Rafiniya led the way on horseback as the captain of a small squadron of knights. She and her subordinates fiercely advanced like black jackhammers into the orc army.

The people in the castle let out a cheer at the sight of the reinforcements' arrival.

'There are very few orcs here, and they have spent their energy attacking the castle. If we coordinate with those inside the castle, they'll have no luck in defeating us,' Leylin's gaze swept across the entire battlefield as he demonstrated his natural leadership skills. The army made up of 200 Professionals became the most precise and accurate tools in his hand, calmly and efficiently reaping the lives of the orcs before them.

When Cassley finally arrived from the rear, he only saw the scene of the auxiliary troops sweeping the battlefield clean.

His eyes narrowed at Leylin's abilities, and afterwards a dense killing intent leaked from him.

"I am Baron Andrew, and I thank you all for coming to our aid!" At this moment, the securely shut castle door was flung open. A middle-aged noble walked out with his retainers, with a trace of fear still lingering on his face.

"I am Cassley from Silverymoon City. You and your people have been saved," At this moment, Cassley stood at the forefront and willingly took the credit. He looked as if he had no qualms about doing this, and Leylin's subordinates were extremely angry at the injustice.

'Haha… This is reality. Even geniuses must be restrained by the rules,' Cassley had absolutely loathed this rule in the past, but now he felt very carefree.

Unscrupulous

At the sight of Cassley stealing his credit right in front of him, Leylin subtly lowered his eyes and concealed the strange expression within them.

"Then I have to express my thanks towards you, sir! I have already prepared a banquet to welcome everyone as well as rooms. Please come back to the castle with me and rest." Baron Andrew naturally would not be able to tell what had happened in a single glance, and attentively received the guests.

After following the Baron into his castle, Leylin saw many refugees within with panicked expressions on their faces.

"These damned werecreatures, our harvest this year is ruined…" Baron Andrew grumbled as he walked in front of them. Afterwards, he instructed his housekeeper and his wife to make preparations for the feast.

A magnificent feast was held within the castle's enormous great hall. Roast chicken which looked a little scorched, wine as red as liquid ruby, and mountains of white bread were brought out. It could be said that to host Leylin and the men, this Baron Andrew had taken out what remained of his store of quality items.

Naturally, no matter how the world changed, the lifestyle of those in the upper classes would always be much better than those below them. Leylin swayed his wine glass and watched the dark red wine swirling within it, a strange smile on his face.

"Please be assured, Baron Andrew. Silverymoon City will not sit idly by and watch these werecreatures attack. The tax exemption is an entirely different matter, and you will need to contact the city hall…" In the position of the guest of honour, Cassley was cheerfully chatting with the baron. His manner of speaking made Baron Andrew nod slightly, looking completely convinced.

Even those young ladies near him who were clearly his daughters had peculiar looks in his eyes.

"Wizard Leylin!" Just at this moment, Cassley called out Leylin's name.

"Lord Cassley, how can I help you?" Leylin did not move from his seat and nodded slightly to indicate he had heard. His action filled Cassley's eyes with dissatisfaction.

'This fellow, he should have died long ago!' Cassley raged within his heart. On the surface however, he still wore the smile he had on earlier, "According to military command, I will organise the nobles' defences in the rear. I'll leave the fighting on the frontlines to you!"

Baron Andrew looked at Cassley then at Leylin, his eyes filled with astonishment. He wasn't a slow-witted person, and now he seemed to see something different..

'This wizard Leylin, he seems to have rather good standing. However, he seems to have some conflict with high-ranked wizard Cassley,' Baron Andrew would normally exploit this relationship for his own gain, however he was now worried.

'In these times, infighting will just exacerbate the wear and tear on one's own troops. What are those fellows in Silverymoon City thinking?' Baron Andrew grumbled, and at the same time thought of his previous actions. Only until he had confirmed that he had not neglected Leylin and his faction did he secretly let out of a sigh of relief.

At the same time he also decided to disregard the situation between Leylin and Cassley.

"Of course, that is my original mission after all," Leylin very readily agreed to Cassley's demand, which went completely against his expectations and left him feeling rather astonished.

"Then, I'll ask you to go towards Vaughan Village and station the men there," Cassley replied, as if this was all as a matter of course.

"Please forgive me for this, but you have no right to interfere. The front line is under my command," Leylin smiled as he rejected him, which made Cassley flush bright red.

"Very well…" After rudely huffing a few times, Cassley began to forcefully pressure him, "However, to maintain our line of communication, I need to send a contact member out with you. Your troops also need support in terms of rations from my group."

This was a restriction and also an unspoken threat.

"I can agree to this," Leylin expressed his approval after thinking for a bit.

Cassley watched Leylin's troops slowly depart from the top of the castle, his expression immediately becoming malevolent.

...

Two days later, amongst Leylin's troops.

"Lord Leylin, I feel that we should not continue towards Cade village," A gorgeously dressed fellow broke formation and came to Leylin, a highly arrogant look on his face. Rafiniya watched him walk over with a look of loathing, and urged her horse ahead to leave them behind.

This fellow was named Malfoy, and he was the communication liaison that Cassley had forced on him. He reportedly was the heir of a Marquis and was well-placed in Silverymoon City. Unfortunately, he had Cassley backing him so he was rather unscrupulous. He did not even address Leylin with the minimum amount of respect.

"Oh? What do you propose?" Leylin calmly looked at this impertinent fellow.

"I believe we should follow Lord Cassley's previous proposal, going to Vaughan village is the correct decision," Malfoy replied fearlessly. He had the backing of a formidable faction and was a knight of Silverymoon. How would a bumpkin like Leylin dare to do anything to him?

"I refuse," Leylin looked at this fellow with a trace of ridicule. Perhaps the strength of a faction would be useful in times of peace. Since they were in an era of war, however, the man who held greater military might would be the stronger power. This fellow who couldn't even understand that would just die.

"What?" Sir Malfoy's anger was out of this world, "You actually dare…"

His fingers trembled as he looked at Leylin, as if he was seeing his greatest enemy. Malfoy never thought that he would meet such a rude person, and thoughts of Cassley flew out of his head. Perhaps he did not realise that his life lay in Leylin's hands. In this situation, how could Leylin dare to rebel against him?

*Thump thump!* Right at this moment, an enormous dust cloud swept over them. The dust had been kicked up by a great number of troops and their horses.

"Stay alert!" The alarm rang. Malfoy almost fell to the ground in fright, his face paling rapidly. His behaviour made those knights around him smile disdainfully.

The deafening sound of hooves clopping against the ground was followed by a huge squadron of troops appearing in their field of view. The purple flag of the Violet family was dazzling as it hung on the carriages.

"It's the Violet flag! The insignia of the commander's family!" The soldiers all cheered.

"This… This is…" Malfoy trembled as he saw the massive squadron ahead slowly integrating together with their own troops. An old man who looked like a housekeeper even personally came to pay his respects to Leylin.

'Almost 500 personal troops, as well as so many carriages full of grain…'

Leylin's carriages were full of elite soldiers, and there was even an enormous cart in the fleet with sacks filled to the brim with grain.

'At this point, his power is really…' Malfoy's face grew pale. With this assistance as well as Leylin's original 200 Professionals and 300 auxiliary troops, he commanded over 1000 soldiers. He could even provide rations for his troops by himself, and he did not need to Cassley's support at all.

'The most frightening part is that if these men only answer to Leylin, and if they decide to rebel with him, then perhaps it's enough for them to…' Malfoy grew even more frightened, and his voice grew shrill, "No, that's impossible! How do you have so many men?"

"Perhaps you've forgotten that my Violet territory is here?" Leylin taunted him with a smile.

"Violet territory?" Malfoy stared at him blankly, and immediately thought of Leylin's fiefdom which was only a huge wasteland. Even savages did not live there.

Looking at Malfoy's stunned expression, Leylin laughed inwardly to himself. Although his Violet territory indeed possessed nothing, it served well to boost his position and aid his pretense.

After receiving this title, Tiff and the others in the organisation all became Leylin's vassals. They could even transport their previously hoarded resources and rations, as well as weapons and other military materiel to this place.

Everything had happened in one go, resulting in this.

"Young master, we've received the news," Tiff's expression grew sombre as he murmured into Leylin's ear.

"Oh, that? I understand…" Leylin looked at Tiff, who had broken through his limits to become a Legend.

"Spread word of my command, we will go west. Our target is the Nether Mountains!"

"What? What?" Malfoy was the first to blurt out, "Lord Leylin, please take note of the orders you are under! Don't tell me that you're thinking of disobeying Silverymoon's army?"

"Even if I disobey, what can you do?" Leylin smiled as he ridiculed the man, watching as blood drained from Malfoy's face.

"Did you really think that martial law and Silverymoon's noble title would tie me down?" Originally, Leylin's subordinates were all Silverymoon's men. Whatever plans he had could not be realised unless he left by himself, and he would become a wanted criminal.

Now, everything was different. The private vassals of a noble would be absolutely loyal to him alone. With this power in hand, Leylin could now completely coerce all his subordinates.

In the beginning, he secretly controlled over half of this unit. After a year of leading them, he now no longer had any problems.

"What? You dare to disobey orders?"

"Mm, I've always found you an eyesore. Drag him down and behead him!" Leylin waved his hand as if he was swatting a fly.

Two bulky and muscular vassals immediately hoisted Malfoy up from under his arms, wringing him like a chick.

"Since you're about to meet the god of death, I'll tell you some news," Leylin drew closer to Malfoy, a malicious smile on his face, "The orc hordes have already launched a surprise attack on Silverymoon City, and have completely surrounded it. In other words, that privileged noble status which you have been so intensely proud of is about to disappear…"

Nether Mountains

The orc armies had launched a surprise attack! Silverymoon had been besieged! This was the earth-shattering news that Tiff had given Leylin. Tiff was a Legend of the dark world, and the network under his control passed this information to him even faster than Cassley did.

Leylin counted on this news when he made the decision to abandon everything. After all, the so called martial law, the rules and nobility of Silverymoon, was built on the basis that it still remained. What about when it was no more?

Looking at the larger picture, even if the defence of the city was ultimately successful, the chaos of war would continue to spread. In times of such disorder, what were the deaths of one or two knights?

Given his power in the region, those in Silverymoon could still be forced by the circumstances, giving out numerous rewards for Leylin to send his troops out to 'save the country in times of danger.'

"However, the situation doesn't seem good with the Goddess of the Weave. I'm afraid there might already be traitors in the alliance…" Leylin muttered to himself, "She's still a powerful greater god, and she will definitely be unscathed. With her status as a Chosen, Alustriel will probably be safe as well. The ones who suffer the most in war are the commoners, who are at the bottom of the hierarchy…"

Of course, none of these had anything to do with Malfoy. The pitiful knight had been rendered completely lifeless after hearing Leylin's words.

Only when the soldiers began to drag him out did he begin to yell, "Ah… forgive me! Please forgive me, Sire Leylin! Lord Leylin!

"Silverymoon needs you! I guarantee that as long you bring me back, I'll tell my father to give you everything you want… Everything! Ah…" After a short period of pained cries, Malfoy's voices came to a stop with a grunt.

Leylin's underlings had gotten used to these scenes and were expressionless. Only Rafiniya looked slightly disturbed.

In her eyes, no matter how hateful the other party had been, Leylin had gone too far, and her heart was a little shadowed by the traumatic experience.

"What was he saying about Silverymoon at the end?" Since Leylin had whispered those words directly into Malfoy's ears, the girl did not know the full story.

"Just some nonsense!" Leylin carelessly chuckled, "My butler has already given me the newest information. Thanks to the Goddess, those simple-minded werecreatures only have thoughts of occupying the Moonwood and then come out and rob people. They have no interest in allying with the orcs to eliminate the Silverymoon alliance…"

"Thank the gods!" Upon hearing this, Rafiniya heaved a sigh of relief. She hated the idea of this beautiful city being destroyed just like this.

"In that case, what was it you said about the Nether Mountains?"

"That's nothing. Since it isn't that dangerous here, I'm planning to do something private and explore some ruins that I found a while ago!"

Leylin now looked relaxed and satisfied as he flung the horsewhip, "Didn't you hear my orders? We're changing directions towards the Nether Mountains!"

Leylin's authority had solidified over the year. Even in front of these ordinary troops, it was necessary to emphasise the need to obey superiors, much less one like Leylin.

The troops of Silverymoon had planned to risk their lives against the werecreatures, but with Leylin's personal troops inciting them, they soon went with the flow and obeyed the orders. The army of men and horses changed direction, heading west towards the Nether Mountains.

'Cassley… I hope you like the present I left behind for you…' Leylin snickered inside. In this sort of situation, it was difficult to understand what exactly the werecreatures were thinking. In addition, once his main forces retreated, Cassley would face with the brunt of the pressure from the werecreature armies.

When the time came, 2]would he retreat to Silverymoon and ask for support or stay behind to take care of the werecreatures? Leylin anticipated his choice.

"He… He's changed…" Rafiniya watched absent-mindedly as the groups of men and horses brushed past her, looking to be in disbelief. The Leylin just now was very different from the one she was used to.

While he was as handsome, straightforward and refined as always, he had a domineering aggression to him. Or rather, the aura of impetuousness and a devilish charm.

"He's like a completely different person. Why…" Rafiniya's mind was now turning black as a huge sense of fear appeared.

"Captain, are you alright?" A knight nearby asked in concern after seeing how she was acting.

"I- I'm fine!" Rafiniya managed to spit out. She urged Nick to catch up to the troops ahead, but her brows furrowed further.

...

The Nether Mountains were a straight vertical stretch in the north. While there was nothing horizontal across it that created a divide between the northern lands and the wilderness of the vast Sunrise Mountains that belonged to the orcs, it was an important dividing line in the northern lands. It clearly divided the Moonwood and the orc organisations.

The mountains had a terrifying spell pollution and energy isolation. Even the Weave was a little weak here, and in some areas it was even impossible to detect. These places were known as magic-dead zones, and whether they were wizards or priests everyone turned useless in these regions.

Due to the terrifying contamination, the plants and animals in the Nether Mountains went through a bizarre transformation. Not only were they more powerful, they were also more savage and bloodthirsty.

Legends said that this was a result of the battle between two divine soul saints which completely changed the geography, turning the place into a forbidden zone for life.

A group of human soldiers had abruptly entered these mountains on this day, cutting the trees and thorns as they moved on, relying on the strength of powerful spellcasters and warriors to enter the depths of the mountains.

"The Weave seems to be much better here compared to those dead-magic zones." Leylin had gathered all the senior officers in the heart of their camp at night. There were two factions among them, Leylin's personal troops and the officers of Silverymoon.

"I have gathered you to discuss our current target: a fully grown red dragon!" Leylin announced in a low voice as he looked at the huge Nether Mountains' map on the wall.

Tiff did not voice any objections upon hearing this, evidently knowing of it. However, the officers of Silverymoon caused a storm of protest with Rafiniya at the head.

"An adult dragon? That's a Legend, a powerful being!" Never in Rafiniya's wildest dreams did she think that Leylin harboured such insane thoughts of slaying a dragon. A dragon was in the legendary realm, and they were normally more powerful than human Legends!

"Mm, it's not like we don't have any Legends on our side." Leylin pointed towards Tiff, and he exploded forth with terrifying energy. It was like the might of a dragon itself, the roars of an ancient beast.

"Legend?" Rafiniya gaped, looking towards Tiff and then at Leylin, suddenly feeling bitter, "Is that what you've been preparing for? The wealth and glory of slaying dragons?"

"All I need is for you to do is deal with some dangers in the surroundings to restrict it from a distance. You don't need to deal with it head on. How about it?" Leylin sighed ruefully. If not for having an army of a thousand Professionals, it would be difficult to enter the Nether mountains. The endless monsters they had met on the way were already enough for small adventuring groups to be wiped out.

"Understood, commander!" The officers who had come from Silverymoon looked towards each other. While it wasn't surprising that senior officers of the army would use their troops to do personal work, it was rather rare for people to be so brazen and unbridled.

However, after watching Tiff who seemed to be a regular fighter let loose his aura, as well as Leylin's personal troops staring at them intently, they decided to submit.

This actually was possible thanks to Leylin gathering all communicative tools from them. Because of the geography of the Nether Mountains, this group temporarily had no contact with the outside world. If not, and they learn that Silverymoon was in a siege, they could possibly have descended into complete chaos.

Leylin could suppress the dragon with his own troops when the time came, but this obviously would weaken his battle power.

"Alright, I'll assign your roles now," he ordered without inhibition, especially satisfied with this situation.

Once the meeting was over and the officers had left, Rafiniya stayed back alone. The female knight stared at him, "You haven't answered my question."

"Oh, that," Leylin nodded, coming to a sudden realisation, "I came to Silverymoon to obtain more information on spells. After finding out about the existence of the red dragon, I started to make plans regarding it. Is there a problem?"

Leylin's utter honesty caused Rafiniya to be at a loss. It felt like her heart broke at this moment, and it hurt.

The female knight bit her lips, "Alright then. I'll help you this time, but I'll leave after that."

'Is this girl finally aware of the cruelty of reality?' Leylin's quirked up in a slight smile, "Of course. I'll also give you a portion of the wealth from slaying the dragon."

"I don't need it! Take that filthy wealth of yours and die." Rafiniya flipped the entrance of the tent and jogged away, leaving Leylin scratching his head, "While she knows this is cruel, she's still not practical enough…"

Whatever it was, Leylin's plan was still carried out well. With a Legend in charge as well as the temptation of glory and wealth from slaying a dragon, these officers and their underlings were very enthusiastic.

The good news came soon enough. The exact location of the dragon had been found.

Slaying A Dragon

*Roar!* A huge silhouette streaked across the sky, and a huge monster that was tens of metres long immediately pulled its terrifying meaty wings before disappearing into a dark cave.

"Mm, that truly is the red dragon." Leylin nodded. Dragons in the World of Gods were like huge lizards with wings, though they looked far more sinister. Their eyes that looked like spheres of lava left an especially deep impression on him.

"Ye– yes, my lord!" Helen answered from next to him, her body trembling.

"Is this because of the dragon's aura?" Leylin looked at Helen, suddenly understanding and shaking his head with regret.

'Looks like the Professionals under rank 10 shouldn't come. They can't handle the intimidation from the aura…' he concluded. In his view, this fearful draconic aura was a weakened version of a spiritual force domain. Just facing the dragon would be a problem if one lacked a strong mind or spiritual force training, let alone attacking it.

'As expected, the regular troops can only fight in the surroundings.' Without alarming this huge creature, Leylin brough Helen secretly back to the camp. Following that, the team did as Leylin ordered. Like a huge, intricate robot, they began to work automatically.

"My lord, it's done!" Tiff brought a group of elite Professionals to Leylin. In each of their hands were weapons with high-grade enchantments, and they seemed to be coated with something else as well.

"Mm. This magic potion we got from the werecreature tribe is meant to deal specifically with dragons, it should hopefully be useful!" Leylin could not help but think back to the werecreature camp. They had obviously been making preparations to slaughter the dragon, but all their materials were now Leylin's.

Now, what they had gathered would serve the same purpose.

"Mm. Give the dragon intoxication potion and other items to the high-ranked scouts to sprinkle at the dragon's cave. Hopefully, it'll fall for the trap…" While there was a large distance between the camp and the dragon cave, it was still unsafe considering the range that the red dragon could see. On top of that, it wasn't hibernating like many of its kind, which left Leylin on guard.

This camp was too eye-catching. It would be found the moment the dragon flew out on patrol, and its fate then would be obvious. Hence, Leylin did not count on the high-grade assassins' poison trap working. The next day, he brought fifty people to the entrance of the dragon cave.

The bare ground had not even a blade of grass growing on it, and seemed very solid. There was also a strange smell lingering in the air.

"This is the smell left behind by the dragon. Most animals wouldn't dare approach this place…" Leylin glanced at the group behind him. They were all high-grade Professionals, including Tiff and Rafiniya.

"Based on the observations of our thieves, this is the time that it usually rests. Furthermore, the red dragon has also eaten the goat with special ingredients that we especially prepared for it…" Leylin muttered to himself. At this moment, a dark shadow emerged from the sides, calling out in a low voice, "Boss!"

"How's the situation?"

A high-ranked scout began his report, "I can confirm that the red dragon is inside, and our route is very simple. There is only one pathway, and there's a possibility of other creatures in the way!"

"Good. Guide the way in front." Leylin let the thief walk ahead, and a procession of excited people clutched the weapons in their hands as they entered the cave.

The passage was long and seemed to go all the way to the belly of the mountain. It was very vast, and the walls were dry.

"It's up ahead!" The thief ran to Leylin's side as he spoke. Leylin nodded and ordered the group to stop. They were now extremely quiet, making no sound at all.

"Bring me there." Leylin and the thief went forward. After they passed through a curved path, they came upon an even larger karst cavern. Boiling hot light flickered at its entrance, with some quartz and shiny items present within.

Two other strange creatures were standing guard at the cave's entrance, as if on sentry duty.

'Hm? Earth Dragons? A subspecies of the dragons? But it's not exactly similar.' Leylin looked at the two which were obviously subspecies with auras that greatly resembled those of purebloods. His eyes glinted with wit.

'Rumour has it that once an adult dragon gains intelligence, it normally enslaves some members of other races into working for it. Ancient dragons can intimidate entire races, I never thought the red dragon would do this as well.

Past the two earth dragons, Leylin sensed an even more powerful life undulation in the cave. It was heaving with rhythmic breaths, evidently in a deep sleep. In this situation, any sounds could wake it up.

"Tiff!" Leylin immediately called the Legend in his team.

"Young Master!" Tiff arrived by his side and bowed slightly.

"Can you kill them without alarming the red dragon?" Leylin asked.

"It will be slightly troublesome. This type of subspecies have very tenacious life force. I can make one disappear without a sound, but I can't take care of two in an instant." Tiff frowned slightly.

"That's alright. I'll help you in that area!" Leylin answered lightly.

"Then that's fine…" Tiff's eyes flashed with strands of black, and he quickly disappeared.

...

By the cave, a red earth dragon was loyally protecting its place, occasionally looking towards its comrade. All of a sudden, it saw something that appalled it. A dark figure seemed to appear from the air, raising its arms as if opening up a black hole to devour its comrade.

Shadow Jump! Singularity! Just as this Earth Dragon was about to howl out in warning, it was surrounded in light that rendered it immobile. This was Hold Monster. The dark figure darted out, and the giant black hole swallowed its body as well.

The whole process was a hair-raising experience, yet only happened within a few seconds. Not even a peep was made.

'Noiseless casting!' Helen's pupils shrunk from behind Leylin. She'd witnessed the whole process.

"Let's go!" Leylin made a sign, and entered the cave with Tiff.

Inside, they found the target of their expedition snoring. The red dragon had dark red scales with smooth murky patterns on them that shone like metal. Its two meaty wings were ashen brown and hidden on its back. Its neck twisted sinuously like a snake's as it buried its vicious head into its chest. Its nose occasionally puffed out two streams of white smoke.

A dense spiritual might was being emanated from its body, enough to cause the cowardly to break down.

'It really is a dragon, and it's an adult that's reached the realm of Legends!' Rafiniya's palms trembled slightly, and she could not help but hold tightly onto her longsword.

Only she, Tiff, and Leylin were in the cave right now. The rest were standing guard outside; even asleep the dragon had powerful senses.

'Based on its detection abilities, only Tiff has the ability to attack it once. After that, it'll definitely awaken…' Leylin gave Tiff a look with his eyes, and he immediately understood. Tiff drew closer to the giant, holding onto a golden dagger.

Rafiniya and Leylin also prepared their own attacks.

"Begin!" Tiff's golden dagger pierced into the triangular scale under its neck. That was its reverse scale, and the largest weakness.

*Roar!* In that moment, blood splattered everywhere. The red dragon roared abruptly— it was now awake!

*Pak!* Tiff was sent flying by a red tail, his figure wrapped up by many shadows while in mid-air.

"You… You despicable mortals. How dare you harm the mighty Sylvester…" While the injury Tiff had given it with its dagger was much smaller than the area of its body, the red dragon still snarled in its fury, preparing to give these little ants a lesson such that they'd repent in hell.

"You're even thinking of using something like a toy…" It roared, eyes like fireballs trained on Leylin. All of a sudden, its voice disappeared.

"My strength… What's going on? You wretched worms, what have you done to the mighty Sylvester?" The red dragon's voice was filled with astonishment and anger, while Leylin was very pleased with the results of Tiff's attack.

The golden dagger that he had held was a Dragonslaying Dagger Leylin had specifically prepared for this. The powerful toxins and curses were something even a dragon could do little against.

'A.I. Chip!' Leylin ordered calmly. At this moment, the A.I. Chip immediately showed its stats.

[Name: Sylvester. Race: Red Dragon (Adult) Strength: 21 (25), Agility: 10, Vitality: 19 (21), Spirit: 16 Status: Weakened from curse. Strength, vitality weakened. Feats: 1. Intimidating Aura 2. Dragonscale Defence 3. Dragon's Breath 4. Suggestion spell. Description: This is a creature that has reached the realm of Legends. It possesses extraordinary strength and can even destroy a small city or army. It has acquired the magic and memories of the pureblooded dragon race, and there is a chance that its bloodline can improve further.]Secret Pathway

Chain Lightning! Freezing Sphere! A burst of powerful light appeared from Leylin's hands and struck the two wings on the back of the red dragon in an instant, causing a chilling cold in the air.

Leylin proficiently controlled the power of the spells, launching attacks on the wings with powerful spells.

Dimension Hop! At this moment, Tiff's figure flickered behind the dragon's back, and two curved knives ruthlessly slashed into the base of the red dragon's wings. With added support from powerful spells, even the defensive dragon scales began to show signs of damage, scalding dragon blood spurting out.

"Damn it, damn it! You bunch of wretched worms!" The red dragon exclaimed, blasting crimson flames from its throat that were hot enough to smelt metal.

"Let's go!" Leylin summoned numerous walls of ice in succession, but with the dragon's breath, they could only hold on for a few seconds. That allowed him to escape from the cave with Rafiniya.

Their strategic goal had been reached. Staying behind any longer for a fight to the death would be foolish.

Dragons possessed wings, and once they soared into the sky, the others could only blink and watch with a dumbstruck expression except for Leylin and Tiff. That was why Leylin had chosen the battlefield to be in the cave and focused entirely on the wings. This would cripple the red dragon and render it unable to fly.

Once it no longer had the advantage of flight, he would use his men to tire it out and then kill it.

"Quick, attack!" Seeing that Leylin and the other two had run out of the cave, Helen immediately launched huge fireballs from her hands, targetting the red dragon behind them.

"Attack! Are you all deaf?" With Leylin's yell, those high-ranked Professionals jolted to awareness, brandishing the large weapons in their hands and charging forth.

"You darned worms! I will tear you to shreds!" The red dragon Sylvester continued to shout. These human mercenaries seemed to have come prepared. Not only had their weapons been smelted with special methods, there were also toxins smeared on them. Even its thick hide and muscles could do nothing against them.

*Roar!* A huge figure flashed past, and the red dragon flung its tail. A few Professionals who could not dodge in time were sent flying, spilling blood in mid-air and fated for death.

*Rumble!* The red dragon opened its mouth once more, and a powerful cone of flames spewed forth violently. Tens of Professionals who could not evade were incinerated into ashes in that moment.

"You will pay for your foolishness, mortals!" The red dragon roared, its mouth full of sharp teeth holding a Professional within. Horrifying sounds of chewing could be heard, and great chunks of the corpse's flesh and bones tumbled to the ground.

The poor fellow still had half of his body hanging outside the dragon's jaws and was shrieking bloodcurdling screeches.

It was only at this point that the Professionals came to their senses. The being in front of them was a legendary dragon, and while slaying it would give them abundant wealth, it was not something they could even begin to set their sights on.

With the dragon's fear aura, terror weighed down on their rationality and sanity. A Professional howled and quickly ran in the opposite direction.

*Pu!* The light from a blade flashed, and that Professional's head fell. Following which, Tiff's figure was seen in the air.

"Based on military laws, all deserters will be executed!" Tiff had a cold look on his face, and strange flaming scales appeared on his body.

"A sorceror! I never expected Lord Tiff to be a Legend in sorcery!" Tiff soared into the air, eyes trained on the giant red dragon in front of him. With a raise of his hand, numerous spells flickered into existence.

Dimensional Imprisonment! Absorption!

"As expected, these Professionals are only passable with someone guiding them." Leylin was not surprised by this sight. As he watched Tiff guide the other close-combat Professionals to stall the red dragon, his expression was calm.

"Pay attention. Shoot!" Under his guidance, many archers released the Spellslayer Arrows in their hands. With powerful magic held within, the arrows landed on the dragon's body like raindrops.

There were terrifying devices mixed into this rain of arrows.

[Beep! Surrounding physical environment data has been successfully scanned. Trajectory calculations complete.] Leylin was now controlling a ballista, aiming the crossbow that was four metres long and as thick as a person's arm at the red dragon.

*Thump!* The entire ballista thundered when the mechanism was pressed down. An explosion rang out as black lightning streaked through the air and penetrated into the red dragon's chest. The huge groove on the arrow tore at its injuries, causing boiling dragon blood to flow unceasingly, forming a dark pool on the ground.

"Dragonslaying Arrow! How could you have the blueprints to it?" The red dragon spat out in disbelief.

"Someone gifted it to me!" Leylin glanced at the ballista that had fallen apart, not looking to find this a pity at all. These items were prepared by the high-grade werebeasts, and this was their final attack. It was a pity that it only had a one-time use.

The red dragon Sylvester had a bad feeling that it was really going to die, and suddenly began to fight harder, all its might put into the constant use of powerful magic.

It was a pity that with Tiff in charge and Leylin the wizard around, it had no chances at all. Even the dimension was completely sealed off, giving it no chances of escape.

"Let me go! In the name of the Dragon God, I, Sylvester, vow to give you all my wealth and never seek revenge!" The red dragon thundered.

"Hehe… a dragon's promise?" Leylin snickered, grabbing a large vorpal sword and charging forward.

"Tiff!" Leylin yelled.

The Legend had also launched his last attack now. Terrifying corrosive energy struck the dragon, causing a large portion of its chest to wither up.

"Hah!" Leylin's sword pierced into the wound from the Dragon Slaying Arrow, ferociously splitting it open.

Chain Lightning! Freezing Sphere! Disintegrate!

The terrifying wounds tore apart once more, and the flesh and blood even glinted as they charred up. Huge amounts of scalding blood splashed onto Leylin's body, practically turning drenching him.

"The dragon race will not let you off!" The light in the red dragon Sylvester's eyes gradually weakened till it disappeared. Its enormous corpse that was like a hill crumpled to the ground, causing a small earthquake.

"You won't let me off?" Leylin snickered, and then sensed an aura similar to a vengeant spirit spilling out of its body and pouncing onto him.

"Is this something like a revenge mark? Hehe…" Leylin's eyes glinted, and in that instant he wiped this mark out thoroughly, leaving nothing behind. The hot dragonblood bath still continued, and the A.I. Chip's voice sounded out.

[Beep! Host has been baptised by dragon blood. Strength +1. Vitality +2. Skin has increased resistance. (Matches with part of Perfect Body and has been combined!)]

"The power within dragon blood?" Leylin experienced the burning with his senses, "It holds so much strength! Even the Devilblood Dagger wouldn't be able to devour everything…"

This sort of dragon blood was basically poison for all with a vitality below 5. They could not handle the corrosive energy within and would only be fated for death. However, for high-grade Professionals, this was a pretty good boost, though only if they could withstand it.

"Gather the dragon blood! Do it fast!" Dragon blood was a very precious magic ingredient, and wasting all of this had even Leylin feeling a tinge of regret.

Afterwards, the red dragon that was like a hill was dismembered by Leylin's underlings. Its blood was gathered first, followed by a complete layer of its hide. This would be a great material to make armour out of. There were also the dragon bones, dragon crystals and the like, which were pretty good.

When Leylin's underlings saw the treasures in the red dragon's cave, the excitement in their eyes could not be concealed as they began to cheer. Dragons liked to collect shiny objects, and while most would be quartz and glass, there were also many precious metals and even magic items which must have belonged to some poor fool.

"I want the materials from the red dragon's body. As for the gold and silver, divide it amongst yourselves!" Leylin kept the materials from the red dragon in his bag of holding, not even giving the various metals piled like a mountain there a second look. After hearing this order, all the troops' cheers increased in intensity.

In the night, the soldiers set up a feast to celebrate their success in slaying the dragon. Being able to witness the birth of a dragonslayer was something they would be able to brag about for their entire lives. The participants would receive even more glory. The celebration went deep into the night. Besides the guards on duty, everyone was completely drunk.

A few dark figures arrived at the dragon's lair at that time.

"Are you sure it's here?" Leylin gently touched a black wall, the traces left behind from a great battle still vivid in his mind.

"Yes! I can confirm that the gate to the ruins is here." Helen crouched down and found a twisted rune at the corner of the wall.

'The inheritance of the arcanists was under this red dragon's lair. Is this a coincidence or an intentional arrangement?' Leylin's eyes had a searching look in them. Some arcanist flames then blossomed from his hands, disappearing into the twisted rune in the corner.

*Rumble!* A secret passageway appeared. The fact that it had been undiscovered by the red dragon for such a long time exhibited its terrifying concealing abilities.

"This should be some sort of space-time technique." Leylin nodded and entered the passageway with Helen, while Tiff stood guard outside.

'What is the difference between arcane spells and those of Magi?' Leylin's eyes glinted, holding within them a trace of hope.

"Do it!" Leylin yelled, his attack and Rafiniya's reaching the red dragon's body at practically the same time.

The longsword was edged with sharp qi. The enchanted weapon glinted as it ruthlessly tore through the dragon's huge meaty wings. Leylin's attack struck just then.