Optimised and Easy
The red blade collided with the green chains, causing an intense wave of force.
*Crack! Crack!*
The long red blade shattered into pieces, and a part of the chain mail armour on Ciel’s chest broke off. Several green rings had been chopped in half and fallen to the ground.
“You… You’re not any normal Magus who has just advanced!”
Ciel retreated, his expression showing his regret.
Leylin was indifferent as he charged at him.
“Wait… Wait a minute! We can discuss this! I still have many… Argh!”
Although Ciel wanted to say more, Leylin did not give him the chance to do so.
He pursued Ciel and struck again, black scales covering his clenched fist and emitting a glossy black lustre.
The first punch! Ciel’s chest was caved in, and countless green iron rings were shattered.
The second punch! Ciel’s innate defense spell was utterly destroyed. He retreated with his chest caved in and blood dripping from the corner of his lips.
“Do you have any last words?” Leylin expressionlessly approached him.
“M-My mentor will seek revenge for me!” Ciel incessantly said like a broken record.
“Boring!” Leylin prepared his third attack!
*Boom!* Ciel’s brain exploded like a watermelon, white and red liquids mixing together and spreading all over the ground.
The acolyte who had had his face branded was on the floor, staring blankly at the headless corpse that no longer had any life within it. He didn’t even have the presence of mind to wipe off the blood that had splashed on his face.
“I… I… I…”
George gaped and shook Shiera’s arm, “Was that person really a mighty semi-converted Magus? Are you sure he wasn’t an acolyte?”
“Definitely! Just a glare from him could kill us!” Shiera forced a laugh.
“Then… What kind of power must Lord Leylin have to have been able to defeat and even kill him?”
George watched Leylin, who was poking around Ciel’s corpse, with a complicated expression on his face.
“Lo… Lord…”
Only then, the acolyte standing at the side came to his senses.
Just then, there was an arrogant semi converted Magus. How did he just die like that at Lord Leylin’s hands?
“Now, how do we handle the matter of Lyhart’s desertion?”
The deserter acolyte sat mindlessly on the floor like a fool as he unconsciously repeated nonsense. The secret imprint that Ciel had left on him was extremely eye catching.
“There should be an established punishment by the alliance to punish all deserters, right? Do you actually need me to teach you that?”
Leylin shot a glance at the acolyte.
Although it was just a glance, the acolyte immediately retreated several steps, and even his calves turned wobbly.
“N—No, my Lord!”
This newly-turned traitor was tied up by a few others and sent to the fort. The acolytes present all displayed terror and dread on their faces.
“Lyhart’s finished!” an acolyte murmured.
As per the rules and regulations set by the light Magi alliance, all acolytes and Magi who defected to the enemy’s side received the worst punishments.
Lyhart had betrayed them so blatantly in front of Leylin and the many acolytes, and he even had a secret imprint from the opposing Magus. This was irrefutable evidence.
In this situation, death was the easiest way out.
If he had the misfortune to meet a strict judge, at the very least, his spirit would be extracted and tortured for a hundred years. His family and mentor would also have to face some calamities.
“Why are you so distracted? Get to work! Do you want to stay here all day?”
Leylin looked over at the stunned acolytes and exclaimed icily.
“Ah, yes, my lord!”
Only then did the acolytes respond and continue with their harvesting. Not even George and Shiera were spared.
If they did not finish harvesting this patch of Black Mandara Flowers, they would not be allowed to return to the Magus base camp. No matter how powerful Leylin was, he would eventually be pressured by the dark Magus forces.
It might not even take that long. If the enemy was less stressed and decided to focus 0.1% or even 0.01% of their attention on this place, they would be doomed.
Hence, the acolytes worked diligently, hoping they would complete their mission today and leave this damned place.
“Restore!”
At the other end, Leylin was in the middle of the sea of flowers. He drew the black scepter, muttering a single word.
*Weng!*
A ring of whiteness spread from the scepter, and like a thin thread, seeped into the ground.
At the same time, from the bottom of the flowers, the white spell formation appeared once again.
White threads that looked like spiderwebs surged, restoring the areas that had been destroyed by the dark magus.
[Jayle Defense formation—Second form! Defense against physical attacks: 20 degrees. Resistance against magical attacks… Energy in store: 34.9%]
A screen appeared in front of Leylin’s eyes, presenting him with information about the spell formation.
With the help of the A.I. Chip, the restoration works were very successful. A few areas that had been damaged were perfectly repaired by the A.I. Chip simulating and Leylin physically fixing them.
“But the defensive capabilities of this formation are much too weak…”
Leylin stroked his chin, wondering if he should modify this spell formation to increase its defense.
As the Magus who stood guard here, Leylin was able to gain a portion of the Black Mandara Flowers, the ratio was so miserable that he cared little for it.
However, the rate at which the acolytes completed their task was directly related to how soon he would be able to leave. If there were attacks everyday, how would the acolytes harvest the petals?
Hence, Leylin’s first priority was to ensure the safety of the acolytes so they could finish the task as quick as possible.
“I should just wait until it’s late at night and finish it myself!”
Leylin looked at the acolytes who were bending their backs and working like farmers, a gloomy look in his eyes.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the acolytes, but he was used to having some trump cards.
He could also come up with methods to increase the rate of harvesting. As long as he increased the rate at which the A.I. Chip operated, and prioritised this task, it would take but a few days.
It was highly possible that by that time, the acolytes would be able to work quicker.
……
In the blink of an eye, about half a month had passed.
In Eternal River Plains’ secret plane, the round disc in the sky began to descend, leaving a shadow on the ground.
The Magi organisation that had constructed this secret plane had used some sort of spell and structured it so that there was a sun, moon, and different seasons.
However, based on Leylin’s hypothesis and the A.I. Chip’s calculations, the sun and moon inside the plane had a hint of the energy of the original celestial bodies, which those ancient Magi were able to project into the secret plane using an unknown method
Leylin was in awe of the ancient Magi’s methods and boldness.
In Teljose City, the humans had made use of the volcano to allow increased production in its vicinity through the use of a spell, and just this had left Leylin agape. However, compared to the ancient Magi who could take the stars, embrace the moon, cause storms with one wave of their hands, and cast rain with another wave of their hands, Leylin had to bow down in inferiority.
“Not only is Lord Leylin a mighty Magus, he actually specialises in the study of plants!”
In the sea of flowers, two acolytes who were nearest to him were in conversation while their hands were busy.
“That’s a given; after all, he is an official Magus! It’s not something we acolytes can compare to.”
The male acolyte who had just spoken had short red hair. At this moment, there was a layer of blue light coating his hands. After rubbing his fingers, several strands of blue thread coiled itself around the Black Mandara Flowers.
*Ka-Cha!* *Ka-Cha!*
The sound of a flower being cut was heard. Following which, the petals of that Black Mandara Flower floated down slowly from its stem and was kept safely by the acolyte, who placed it inside a bag.
“Previously, every petal required a large consumption of magic power and spiritual force to acquire. Even Krall, who was the best amongst us, could only pluck 20 petal pieces in a day! However, ever since Lord Leylin imparted a new method to us, even I can harvest over 40 petals in a single day…”
The red haired acolyte had a look of admiration.
“With this kind of speed, as long as we endure for a couple more days, we will be able to leave this damned place!”
The other acolyte who spoke revealed an obvious hint of longing, “I don’t wish to stay for another day in this place! With so many dark Magi and acolytes coming to attack us each day, we would have died over a hundred times if not for Lord Leylin here!”
*Boom!*
At this moment, the alert from the defense spell formation had sounded. However, these two acolytes seemed to have not heard it at all, as they continued to diligently harvest the petals.
“Say…Who do you think is the unfortunate one today?”
The red haired acolyte asked with some schadenfreude.
“It should be another official Magus. Regular acolytes do not have such large energy wave fluctuations!” The other acolyte creased his brows before stooping down again to pluck more petals.
“Anyways, with Lord Leylin around, what’s there to fear?”
“You’re right!” The red haired acolyte nodded his head and began his day’s chores.
……
At this moment, within the castle’s walls.
In a gloomy, moist, and dark underground prison cell devoid of light, Leylin strode forward, carrying a black clothed figure on his arms.
*Crash!* The cell gate was opened, and Leylin tossed the person he carried into the cell without a care.
*Bang!* As flesh and the hard floor made contact, there was a loud thudding noise.
The person who was previously unconscious was now awake.