Warlock legacies had been virtually extinct on the South Coast for nearly a thousand years. Leilin didn't think his luck was that good.
Besides, he didn't want to reveal his trump cards so easily!
"This matter will probably have to fall on the Crimson Grand
Leilin stroked his chin, lost in thought as he walked.
The Crimson Grand Wizard, a Fourth-rank Warlock who had advanced to the Morning Star tier, surely possessed secret methods for counteracting warlock emotional instability that no one else knew about.
That tranquility potion had been proof enough!
Leilin planned to seek out ruins connected to that Crimson Grand Wizard next, hoping to uncover something useful.
Having made up his mind, Leilin began heading toward the outer perimeter of the Thorny Iron Gate.
Right now, he was desperate to find any intelligence or leads about the Crimson Grand Wizard, so he could track down his ruins and discover a way to suppress the bloodline affliction that plagued warlocks.
"Is this customer leaving so soon?"
Just as Leilin was about to leave the Thorny Iron Gate's domain, his path was suddenly blocked by a strange figure wearing an outlandish cloak.
"Who are you? I don't believe we've met!" The middle-aged man Leilin had disguised himself as furrowed his brow, and a dangerous aura began to radiate faintly from his body.
The strange figure opposite him felt it most acutely. Right now, it was as though he were being stared down by an ancient primordial beast. His legs began to tremble involuntarily.
"Wait! Wait! Sir! I mean no harm!" The stranger immediately waved both hands frantically. To prove his identity, he pulled out an iron token and held it up for Leilin to see.
On the dark iron plate, an image of an ancient iron crown had been deeply etched. The entire crown bore no ornamentation whatsoever, filled instead with harsh, angular lines.
"Someone from the
"Sir! Our Iron Crown treats all powerful Wizards with the utmost respect and humility. In truth, the moment you set foot in our marketplace, we noticed you..."
The stranger bowed deeply to Leilin. "Please, follow me!"
Leilin stroked his chin and followed behind the stranger. Judging from this person's behavior, the Iron Crown had apparently already detected his true strength. Come to think of it, it made sense — as the rulers of this place, they would certainly monitor any Second-rank Wizard closely. A single Second-rank Wizard could destroy all the prosperity here, so the Iron Crown must have developed some rather inconspicuous detection techniques.
"How did you find me?"
Leilin, walking alongside the strange man, finally couldn't help but pose his question.
Upon hearing Leilin's inquiry, the cloaked figure ahead patted the leather pouch at his waist with a hint of pride. "Whoosh!" A dark shadow instantly scurried up to perch on his shoulder.
It was a high-energy creature resembling a mole, its pair of sapphire-like eyes radiating a crystalline gleam. At that moment, it was trembling uncontrollably as it stared at Leilin, its tail even tucked between its legs.
"My apologies for the amusement, sir!" The cloaked man patted the mole's head to soothe it. "This is my bonded magical companion, a Krone Rat. These creatures possess an extremely keen perception of powerful souls. It is precisely because of this that I serve as the Iron Crown's captain of the guard..."
Leilin eyed the mole on the captain's shoulder, a look of understanding crossing his eyes. "To possess such an extinct creature as a magical companion — your luck is quite impressive!"
A Wizard's magical companion was no mere mount or beast of burden. A strict soul contract had to be signed, and a Wizard could only ever bond with one magical companion in their entire lifetime.
Many top-tier magical companions not only possessed formidable combat capabilities but could also amplify a Wizard's spells or even their physical body. Some legendary and exceedingly rare magical companions were even rumored to help Wizards break through their bottlenecks.
Leilin had always wanted to find a magical companion that was perfectly suited to him. Unfortunately, such things were priceless even when available, and a certain degree of luck was required. As a result, he still hadn't made a decision.
The Krone Rat, on the other hand, had absolutely no combat ability. It offered no enhancement to spell potency or magical resistance, and this one sensing ability was rather underwhelming — a chicken rib if ever there was one. This Wizard had completely sacrificed that aspect in exchange for superlative detection abilities. Whether or not that had been the right choice, Leilin couldn't say.
By now, Leilin had followed the captain of the guard into a private club established by a Wizard.
The environment here was very secluded, with very few Wizards in the vicinity, and the security was extremely strict. It seemed to be open only to members.
"Right! Now you can tell me why you brought me here, can't you? I'll give you five minutes!"
Leilin was growing slightly impatient, and the perceptive captain of the guard quickly got straight to the point.
"If I'm not mistaken, you've already advanced to the Second-rank?"
The captain asked tentatively. Upon seeing Leilin's tacit acknowledgment, he grew visibly excited, rising to his feet and bowing deeply once more.
On the South Coast, a Second-rank Wizard was an absolute member of the upper echelon — a ruler who commanded a major academy or a powerful family clan! No matter where they went, they could enjoy treatment befitting a distinguished guest.
"Esteemed Second-rank sir! The Iron Crown has recently organized a small-scale exchange gathering specifically for high-ranking Wizards. I noticed earlier that your expression seemed somewhat dissatisfied, and I was hoping that the exchange might offer what you're looking for..."
The captain of the guard began his explanation, while a look of understanding flickered across Leilin's eyes.
In truth, while the South Coast's Wizard resources were reasonably abundant, that was only the case for apprentices and ordinary Wizards. Once one reached the peak of the First-rank, or the Second-rank level where Leilin currently stood, it became exceedingly difficult to find anything on the market that was suitable for their use.
Therefore, privately organized exchange gatherings, which only invited Wizards above a certain level, became the mainstream.
Many Wizards, after advancing to higher ranks, reverted to the barter style of trading, exchanging items they needed with Wizards of comparable strength.
Leilin had previously lacked the strength to access this level, and now it was others who took the initiative to invite him.
"Is it the exchange gathering organized by your Iron Crown? When? Where?" Leilin asked. He was already leaning toward attending — exchanging information and goods with Wizards of the same tier would genuinely be of great help to him. At gatherings of this caliber, there were often truly valuable items to be found.
"We are honored by your acceptance!" A hint of delight appeared on the guard captain's face once Leilin agreed.
He then presented a black card to Leilin with both hands.
"The exchange gathering will be held in three days. The location is printed on the card. All you need to do is bring the card and arrive on time... Additionally, the sages of the Iron Crown wish to have a private conversation with every Second-rank Wizard beforehand. I assure you, it will not disappoint..."
The captain relayed yet another piece of information, as though this was actually the most important part of the invitation.
"A private meeting?" Leilin was mildly surprised.
The sages of the Iron Crown naturally wouldn't be from that initial batch, but at the very least they would possess strength at the peak of the First-rank — Second-rank Wizards were also quite possible. Without such power, the Iron Crown would have been wiped out countless times by unscrupulous Wizards long ago.
"May I know what it concerns?"
Leilin turned the black card over in his hands. The entire card was made of some sort of crystal, cold to the touch, adorned with concentric rings of intricate patterns that formed the shape of a massive steel sword.
"I'm afraid I cannot disclose the specifics, but I can tell you with certainty — this matter is related to the recent Ganges Realm incident..."
The guard captain smiled as he spoke, but Leilin instantly tensed up.
"The Ganges Realm incident? Could it be me? Have I been exposed?"
Black scales had already begun to surface beneath Leilin's clothes, but he quickly composed himself and asked in an unchanged tone: "You mean that Allister?"
"Precisely him! That lord who betrayed the White Wizard Alliance!" The guard captain still spoke of Allister with considerable respect, full of deference toward Second-rank power. Leilin quietly noted this with approval.
Of course, this was partly because the captain belonged to a neutral faction. If he had been a White Wizard, he would never have used the title "lord" — doing so would have brought a trial by the enforcers!
"How interesting! Truly interesting!"
After leaving the private club, Leilin stroked his chin, a smile playing at the corner of his lips before it quickly vanished as he melted into the crowd.
Once the business was taken care of, the captain naturally went out of his way to invite Leilin to enjoy the club's services. Leilin obliged without ceremony, sampling what was on offer. He had to admit — a club catering exclusively to high-ranking Wizards was on an entirely different level compared to ordinary establishments. Fine cuisine, exquisite wine, beautiful women, and everything else — whatever Leilin could think of, the club delivered on the spot, and the quality was first-rate.
For a major power like this, every Second-rank Wizard was worth courting. The fact that Leilin's face was completely unfamiliar only drew more attention.
The Iron Crown would never dare to probe openly, but covert observation and investigation had surely already begun.
Leilin, however, couldn't care less. The middle-aged man's appearance was a fresh disguise — there was absolutely no information on him anywhere. By the time the Iron Crown discovered anything and began connecting the dots, he would be long gone from this place.
"But Allister, hm?"
Leilin suddenly felt a strange sense of fate at work. He had already been prepared to let the man go, yet somehow Allister had blundered right into his vicinity.
"Fleeing openly toward the Endless Ocean while actually heading in the exact opposite direction — due west. That takes a modicum of cunning, I suppose. But that's all it amounts to…"
Such a misdirection by a Second-rank Wizard would certainly not be seen through so easily. Leilin surmised that a Third-rank Wizard may well have intervened… (…)