Chapter 563 - Victory
Lin Li was undoubtedly making a huge and dangerous gamble by coming up with such a move. He was putting Vidas and himself in a situation that was extremely dangerous. Although he had the Summoning Lamp, the effects of the lamp would be greatly decreased and hindered when the Lord of Nightmares maximized his abilities. However, it was indeed the best way to deal with Vidas at this juncture.
Lin Li had just broken through to level-21, but the difference between him and the level-22 Vidas could not be compensated for at all. Although Lin Li had summoned the Crimson Dragon and activated Holy Light and Gloomy Dark—the debris of the stars, there was still a huge distance between them that could not be closed.
1Hence, not only did Lin Li release the Lord of Nightmares, he also controlled the Light and Darkness Domain, allowing the Lord of Nightmares to absorb all of the energy and advance from a fallen creature of the Legendary-realm, a level-22 legend. Although the Lord of Nightmares was on the same level as Vidas now, with the combination of the characteristics of the Lord of Nightmares’ domain and the Light and Darkness Domain, there was no way Vidas could resist; hence, he sunk deep into a trance.
Although Lin Li also ended up getting attacked by the Lord of Nightmares because he had lost control over him, the Lord of Nightmares’ level-22 power seemed to have become insignificant. It would mean that Lin Li and Vidas were put on the same level, and they both had to face an endless dream induced by the Lord of Nightmares’ domain.
Lin Li had no idea what Vidas would be meeting with, nor did he have the time to make any guesses, because he had already begun a surreal journey in a dream.
The spectators were staring foolishly at the center of the square even though they could not see anything because of the thick fumes of smoke. Besides, everything seemed to have come to a standstill after Vidas spoke. No one knew what went on in there.
All Arathor could do was order his subordinates to supply the power core of the mageweath with more magical crystals to maintain the defensive force of the entire protective barrier. God knew what damage the two Legendary figures might do to the entire city if there wasn’t a protective barrier to protect it.
Wilkinson closed his eyes slightly, and leaned back in the seat. Although he seemed to be resting, he had never felt so nervous before. Wilkinson and the other pharmacists were also staring at the square nervously. Although Sienna was extremely confident in Lin Li, he still felt nervous because he could not see anything at all.
The others on the viewing decks were feeling nervous and worried because they had bet heavily on Vidas. The power and abilities exhibited by the young Lin Li were extremely formidable and daunting. If the 20-year-old Legendary-mage, Lin Li, could win the battle, the Tower of Dusk would definitely become one of the strongest forces of the Breezy Plains. That would greatly affect the structure of the Breezy Plains. If he were to lose, no one would be surprised as to what it would entail, because they all thought that it was impossible for him not to have the support of some major force. If anything were to happen to him, there would definitely be a major shuffle in the forces of the Breezy Plains.
Everyone was feeling nervous, but the center of the square was bizarrely quiet, and nothing could be seen. All the spectators could do was wait patiently for the revelation at the end.
Lin Li had already lost track of time. His dreams seemed to be a microcosm of life where there were highs and lows, ups and downs, happiness and misery, and peace and danger. The initial absurdity began to fade as everything started to seem realistic. The Lord of Nightmares continuously adjusted the scenes in the dreams.
Before Lin Li decided to release the Lord of Nightmares, he had indeed considered his immunity to the dream, and felt that the greatest joy and most entertaining aspect of transmigration was the opportunity to experience a different life. For example, novels, movies, television dramas, and online games were actually opportunities for others to experience a different life.
However, when Lin Li truly sunk into the dream conjured by the Lord of Nightmares, he finally realized that it was possible for one to be fully immersed in a dream despite being aware that it was not reality. When one was yelling for a dream to stop, it was perhaps just the beginning, and when came the end of the dream would forever be unknown.
Lin Li had once been an Abyssal Demon which had been subdued by Osric’s Magic Legion1. He had also been one of the hideous and grotesque goblins which got destroyed in a massacre carried out by the High Elves. He had been a dwarf who spent his entire life refining iron. He had also assumed other identities, like a soldier, bandit, aristocrat, and even king. He had experienced all types of lives, and had even once become an elf in the Emerald Forest. He’d learned magic under the strict guidance of his elders, respected and admired by his peers.
There were plenty of strange dreams, each one more dangerous than the one preceding it. One careless mistake would cause the dreamer to end up losing himself and becoming the slave of the Lord of Nightmares. If that were to happen to Lin Li, he would be the first unlucky fool to be enslaved by the creature that he summoned.
However, Lin Li’s transmigration experience had indeed given him some immunity to all sorts of dreams, and his strong willpower allowed him to wake up from the dream in the end. In fact, Lin Li even gained more tenacity through the training and experiences he had in the dream. His mental strength increased, and he also discovered plenty of unknown secrets.
“Hey, hurry and look. The fog is dissipating, and the people within are appearing!” someone from the viewing deck yelled.
Actually, everyone on the deck had already noticed it even before that person reminded them about it. Although it was rather boring to stare at fog, everyone on the viewing deck never stopped paying attention to the scene. The black fog within the barrier gradually dissipated, and turned from black to gray, and then finally colorless. It revealed plenty of scenes.
The lush Nature Domain had long disappeared, and the square was also restored to its original appearance, including the tiles on the ground, which remained seamless. In the vast and flat square, there were only two figures remaining. Although none of them had fallen, it was obvious who the victor was.
Everyone could see how pale Vidas was, and they also noticed the horror in his eyes. He was just like a frightened bird that had already lost the demeanor that he ought to have as a Legendary level-22 figure. On the other hand, Mage Felic walked towards Vidas, smiling, and extended his arm towards him.
“Mage Felic, please show some mercy, please show some mercy!” Arathor shrieked in terror as he flew down the deck and dashed towards the square. However, he had forgotten that there was a protective barrier that even a Legendary figure could not break.
Thud.
Arathor’s body slammed against the wall, which he then slid down along, leaving behind a clear trail of blood.
Lin Li cocked his head towards the side and smiled. However, he did not stop, and instead grabbed the Helios’ Scepter from Vidas and yanked it free from Vidas’ hold.
The protective field was shut down. Arathor wiped the blood off of his nose before scurrying towards them.
“Castellan Arathor, according to the bet, this item belongs to me now. Surely you won’t oppose it, will you?” Lin Li asked while fiddling with Helios’ Scepter.
“Go ahead, go ahead…” What else was there for him to oppose? Lin Li had already defeated a level-22 Legendary-mage; hence, there was no reason for Arathor to oppose it at all. He was just concerned about Vidas’ current condition.
However, when he walked towards Vidas, he discovered that the latter had lost his usual arrogance and his eyes had turned glassy. Fear was written all over his face, and he seemed to have gotten a great shock.
Wilkinson and the other pharmacists and William frantically chased after Arathor, scrambling towards the middle of the square. Their greatest concern at the moment was Lin Li’s safety. After all, the battle had been way too intimidating, and it made them think that the young and ingenious Lin Li had already faced his defeat.
William scanned Lin Li from head to toe, and only heaved a sigh of relief after seeing that he did not sustain any obvious injuries. Still feeling a little worried, he said, “Master Felic, are… you alright…?” He sounded servient, and seemed to be trying to suck up to Lin Li. However, Wilkinson and the rest pushed him away in a hostile manner before Lin Li even answered.
Wilkinson and the rest had already considered Lin Li to be their teacher. Although the elven mage Vidas was the one who’d started the bet, they definitely didn’t have a good impression of William. If it weren’t because of William’s invitation, Lin Li wouldn’t have brought Wilkinson and the other pharmacists to the auction. If it weren’t because of the auction, would the battle have happened? He didn’t send the branch of the Tree of Eternity to the Tower of Dusk, and Wilkinson was infuriated by that. He thought, Did William think that Master Felic would shortchange him? Who else would be able to afford to pay 15,000,000 gold coins for it?
Of course, even though Wilkinson was displeased with William, his main concern at the moment was still Lin Li’s condition. The bunch of pharmacists frantically surrounded Lin Li and asked about his condition and whether he was alright. They wanted to know if he was unwell and if he needed some potions. They even offered the potions that they had concocted themselves, and introduced him to their respective effects, all for fear that Lin Li had sustained internal injuries from the battle.
Lin Li did not react much, but the other guests who rushed forth stared at him with their eyes wide open, all green with envy. Unfortunately for them, they did not have the rights to step forth to chime in, and could only watch from the side.