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Recognition and Ease
“No, he’s my assignment!” The rank 2 Magus of the Spirit Slaying Sect rejected immediately. Apprehending this Magus was the very reason he’d even come here.
“You’ve gotten this wrong. I’m not here to discuss terms with you, this is an order! Since you wish to die, let me help you!” Alric couldn’t be bothered to listen to reason, and he instead made his move. A violent, aggressive power crushed down on them, forming a domain of holy light.
*Rumble!* The forcefield of a rank 3 Magus left no way out for any Magi below that rank. The disciples of the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect melted down in the holy light, their blood and flesh just dissipating away. Piercing screams sounded out.
“Lord Gargamel won’t let you off!” The silver spiritual force surrounding the rank 2 Magus flashed, abruptly forming a cloud of black fog as he planned to flee into the distance.
“What a bunch of noisy flies! Let Gargamel look for me.” Alric’s brows furrowed as his right hand began to grab towards the black fog. Boundless holy light converged to form a giant blazing claw of platinum. The cries of the rank 2 Magus sounded out as well.
With the flames burning it up, the black gas seeped out from the gaps between the fingers. Silver spiritual force light gradually dimmed, and eventually was extinguished completely.
In mere seconds, that arrogant sect disciple who left Darlie with no way out was annihilated.
The holy light vanished, turning into a gold-trimmed scholar’s cloak that appeared on Alric’s back.
Meanwhile, Darlie was completely frozen on the ground. Only after some time did she manage to yell out, “It’s Alric, Lord Alric! A rank 3 Magus!”
For the light Magi, Alric was synonymous with light and justice. His sort of strength and his terrifying influence were the life goals of all light Magi.
“You’re a descendant of the Farlier family?” Alric did not bother with Darlie, instead slowly descending as he looked at the Magus on the ground like he was looking at a corpse. His voice held the chill of millennia of winter, and would cause anyone to shiver in fright.
“Hehe… another one!” The Magus could not be bothered to move, or rather he knew that there was no hope of escape in front of a rank 3 Magus.
“You’re very unlucky.” Alric’s eyes were like two balls of flames, “If you were caught by the people from the Primordial Spirit Slaying Sect, they’d at most torture your soul for a century. I’ll instead torture your soul to death, extracting all your blood to prepare bloodline sensing magic so the Farlier bloodline will be destroyed completely…”
It was as if he was narrating something that happened every day. The cruel words laced with bloodlust left Darlie shuddering, ‘What’s going on? Wasn’t that young Magus being chased down by the Spirit Slaying Sect? How has he offended Lord Alric too?’ She felt giddy with confusion.
“Wait, the Farlier family? I seem to have read something about it… In the battle at the Brambles Iron Door before the third great war, Alric’s sole son Jojane died at the hand of Leylin Farlier. Because of the modifications he’d made to himself before, Lord Alric had lost the ability to reproduce further, and this turned into a blood feud…” As a top scorer, Darlie was familiar with this piece of history as well.
However, the consequences of her having the time to even think of this resulted in Alric fixing his attention on her, eyes full of a chilliness. She dropped to her knees, “My– My apologies, Lord Alric. I didn’t mean to…”
“Ha… haha!” The Magus on the ground began to laugh maniacally, “Alric, you’ll never have a kid even till your death. It serves you right to have no blood kin!”
“Damn it, damn it, damn it! You must all die!” With salt sprinkled on his wounds, Alric’s facial muscles began to contort as flames began to emerge from around his body.
“Die!” Light surged forth from his body, the milky white rays of death able to melt flesh and cause Magi to die an excruciatingly painful death.
*Clap! Clap! Clap!* Applause sounded from within the light, interrupting Alric’s attack. He could not help but shift his attention.
It was only then that he realised there was someone standing at the side, wearing a luxurious black scholar’s robe and a mask on his face. He had no aura undulations, which was why Alric had overlooked this man’s existence before.
This realisation caused his pupils to shrink, and suddenly left him with a bad premonition. A Magus that could conceal his aura so well would definitely be someone difficult to deal with.
“Who are you?” Alric glared at Leylin coldly, finding the face familiar the more he gazed upon it. The half of the face that could be seen seemed extremely familiar, yet there seemed to be a fog in his mind that made it hard for him to remember the name.
“Who am I? Alric, you should know best!” Leylin chuckled, and turned to encourage Darlie, “You explained it well!”
“That voice…” Alric’s brows were furrowed and the fog of confusion dissipated slowly. He had the feeling he was about to find the name he was looking for, hidden in the depths in his mind.
All of a sudden, Alric’s body trembled and he was instantly wide awake. Immediately after, Leylin’s face lined up with the one in his memories, causing him to bellow hysterically, “You’re… Leylin Farlier!!”
“Leylin Farlier?!” Two cries of alarm were heard from the sides, and the Magus on the ground’s eyes were filled with emotion as he stared at Leylin’s figure.
Darlie was completely horrified, ‘He– He’s the legendary Toxic Sovereign King? The rank 2 existence who worked behind the scenes and caused the Third Magus War? He’s Leylin Farlier?’
Her hands covered her mouth, and her brain halted.
‘Right… He never denied he was that Leylin. I was the one who wishfully treated him as someone with the same name…’ Scenes of her time with Leylin flashed in her mind, causing Darlie’s face to turn as red as an apple.
‘He- He’s very different from the legends!’ Darlie watched his back, eyes showing her worry. ‘Alric is a rank 3 Warlock! Can Mister Leylin…’
“Hah… hah… you’re Leylin Farlier. That voice and that face… Even if it’s half covered I won’t be wrong.” Alric huffed, his body twitching like he was an epileptic. He was so excited that he was practically frothing at the mouth.
“You finally appeared. Great, I can finally enact my vengeance!” He roared in a low voice, terrifying energy undulations exploding forth from his body that seemed to touch upon the Crystal Phase.
“Indeed, it’s sensible that hatred can drive one’s improvement. Alric, you’ve improved so much from before.” Though Alric’s improvement surprised Leylin slightly, those under Morning Star were still like ants to him. It was no big deal.
The terrifying forcefield of a rank 3 Magus caused the Magus and Darlie to lie on the ground like toads. The young Magus couldn’t help but yell towards Leylin, “My Lord, be careful!”
“Any amount of cautiousness is useless! The hatred from Jojane’s death, as well as the torture of the long wait… It can only be purged by all the blood in your body!” Alric roared, and holy light dazzled as it formed a gigantic cage ringed with pillars of light.
He had learnt his lesson from chasing Leylin down before. He knew that Leylin was powerful, and what’s more, quick. With just a slight misstep, Leylin could flee. In order to prevent such a disaster from happening again, he had to limit his opponent’s range.
“Die!” Having set everything up, Alric made his move. Boiling heatwaves converged in his hand, the light forming a gigantic statue of a goddess, her two wings spread to form a bow. A holy aura emanated from the bow that had formed.
A ray of light condensed to form the bowstring, and a terrifying energy undulation was released as Alric pulled back on it. Platinum flames converged, rushing forth from his fingertips to form a blazing arrow.
An explosive screech could be heard as the arrow was launched, leaving behind a glimmering white trail in the air.
“You’re focussing on long-ranged attacks? Looks like the lesson I taught you was deeply engraved in your mind!” Leylin shook his head and extended a finger, tapping on the flaming arrow.
This slight motion caused Alric’s expression to go dark, and the Magus and Darlie both were filled with concern.
“Unfortunately… Just this is far from enough” The flaming arrow struck Leylin’s finger, producing a crisp sound.
Immediately after, Alric’s expression quickly changed. The flaming arrow had fallen down, split in two. It charred the surrounding land before the flames went out.
“If that’s all you have, you’re too disappointing.” Leylin smiled at Alric, who in turn staggered back. It was only then that he realised that Leylin was no longer the rank 2 Magus who needed to keep fleeing from him.
His opponent was considered the greatest genius the south coast had produced in a thousand years. With hundreds of years having passed, what level of strength had he reached?
“What– What rank are you at now?” Alric slowly stepped backwards, two snow-white wings of light extending at his back. “That question isn’t important. You just need to die obediently…”
Leylin spoke without a care. Coupled with how he was dressed, he seemed very much like the stereotype of a huge rebel.