Advent of the Archmage

Link returned from the original path.

Before he reached the exit, he saw someone jump down. It was the Naga that had been hit earlier. Glancing at her companion's body, she screamed. Her small mouth opened wide, the corners almost reaching her ears and turning into a bloody gaping hole.

"Ah!!" Her voice was really sharp, like scratching a piece of glass with a knife. It made the listener regret having ears.

"Ah!" Elin cried and covered her ears. Her entire body shook; she'd completely lost the ability to cast spells.

Furious Scream

Agatha Naga Talent Battle Skill

Effect: Disrupts a Magician's spellcasting with ear-piercing screams. The success rate is extremely high.

(Note: one of the three loudest voices of Firuman.)

Link was also in pain by the Naga's voice, his features twisting. But thankfully, he didn't need to cast spells now, so it didn't affect his combat ability much. With a lunge, Link pierced the screaming Naga.

Instead of blocking, she stabbed at Link's chest, wanting to bring him down with her. If there were two Nagas and they tried this trick, it would actually cause some problems to Link. However, this tunnel was too narrow. She could only face Link alone.

With an extreme dodge, Link missed the attack by a millimeter. He unsheathed his sword, and the Naga's head flew off with a squelch.

Fighting by making both sides lose was powerful, but if there was a big difference in ability, it could end with instant death.

Once the Naga died, Link took Elin and continued running. At the tunnel opening, Link muttered, "Shield!"

Elin started casting a spell. With a whoosh, she and Link's bodies were covered in colorful light. It was a Level-6 defensive spell.

Link also took out a Yabba fire bomb. He activated it and tossed it out the tunnel. But without stopping, he rushed past the surface with the bomb.

Boom! Squinting his eyes, Link saw a Naga in a defensive pose beside the tunnel exit. She was hiding by the exit for a sneak attack but didn't expect a bomb would fly out first.

Link had a defensive spell on him and was also mentally prepared. He overlooked the wild flames and shot forward, bursting from the fire. His sword came down on the Naga's head.

The Naga didn't expect this at all. She dodged instinctively but didn't make it. With a crack, her head was gone.

Link didn't hesitate. He spun and sprinted towards the city. Two minutes later, he was before the Light Wall shield.

A ten-foot-wide opening appeared on the shield. There were a few deep footprints on the ground before it. The surrounding air contained the unique chaotic aura of the Nagas.

Link observed for a few seconds and said, "There is still some Mana left in the Light Wall opening. Elin, how long ago do you think they entered?"

"At most, one minute." Elin was very familiar with the shield.

"They shouldn't be far. Elin, high-level Invisibility!"

As soon as he spoke, a ball of faint light appeared in the air, covering both Link and Elin. They disappeared again.

Elin's Invisibility spell didn't have any Supreme Magic Skills, but it was still useful. It could hide sounds, shadows, and smells. As long as they were 150 feet away, they wouldn't be discovered.

It was darker now, and because of the Light Wall, the inner city was even darker. Link couldn't see his hands in front of him.

However, the inside of Lirico wasn't damaged by the fighting. Most of the buildings were stone, and the roads were well-organized. The streets were smooth, and Link had good vision. He didn't have to worry about tripping.

Link followed the faint footprints and chased after them. After around 150 feet, the footprints suddenly vanished. He looked around and realized that all the marks had disappeared. The Nagas seemed to have evaporated.

"Where are they?" He couldn't figure it out.

Just as he was confused, there was a sudden pained cry. It sounded pitiful, and he could tell the person was in extreme pain.

Elin shuddered. "Over there!" she exclaimed.

Link nodded. He turned and walked towards the source of the sound. After 20 steps, another cry came from the same place. This time, the cry was even sharper. It was a female Yabba, and she was in the same place as the man.

Hearing this, Elin was in a panic. "They're killing people everywhere. Oh god, these demons… Akensser, you traitor!"

She was in a mess. However, after the second pained cry, Link actually slowed down.

"Link, hurry, hurry!" Elin was about to jump down from Link's shoulder and run herself. Her only thought was to go save them.

"Wait!" Link pressed down on Elin's shoulder. "It doesn't feel right. It's most likely a trap!"

The two cries were three seconds after one another but were from the same place. This meant that the killer wasn't moving and the situation was off. From what he'd seen before, they were hurrying into the city to do something big.

Killing two Yabbas was nothing big.

Thus, Link decided it was a trap. They used Yabba cries to disrupt Link and lure him into an encirclement. If at least five Nagas surrounded Link, it would be troublesome. He might be able to escape, but Elin would definitely die.

Thinking of this, Link still walked over to the source of the cries because it was the only clue at the moment. He was very careful.

Instead of going on the main road, he ducked into an alley.

After walking for about 100 feet, a ten-foot-high stone wall appeared before them. "Hold tight," Link whispered.

Then, he gripped the cracks in the wall and quietly climbed up. At the top, Link looked over and saw an open yard. There was a fresh bonfire in the center with two Yabbas laid next to it—one man and one woman.

They weren't dead yet; they were still struggling.

The man's hands and feet had been chopped off. He lay there, moaning. The woman's waist had been hacked, but someone had stopped her bleeding so she wouldn't die for now. Because of the endless pain, she used her arms to crawl on the ground. Every time her body moved, she would make a muffled grunt. It was shocking.

As for the Nagas, there was no sign of them.

Elin's body trembled. She wanted to help them but didn't dare disrupt Link's plan. She forced herself to stay quiet.

Link padded along the wall. After a few dozen feet, he jumped down lightly onto the second-floor balcony of a stone mansion. The view was unobstructed, and the bonfire was bright. Link crouched on the balcony and looked around.

Around ten seconds later, he saw a Naga behind a big tree. A second one was behind a carriage not far from the bonfire. A third Naga was at the door of the courtyard. He also discovered a fourth one hidden in the rose bush… Link found seven Nagas in total. They hid quietly, waiting for him to take the bait.

So tricky but it won't work.

Link continued observing. After a while, he saw faint footprints outside the courtyard. They led straight towards the city center. Instead of alerting the Nagas, he jumped off the wall and followed the footprints. A few hundred feet later, he took out a bomb. Activating it, he tossed it towards the position he'd memorized.

He couldn't save those Yabbas. They were too heavily injured. In that case, he would end the misery for them.

After tossing the bomb, Link continued forward. Four seconds later, there was a boom. The bomb went off.

Elin wiped at her tears and pursed her lips. She gripped her wand tightly, vowing inside to take revenge. She would make Akensser pay!

Torches appeared in the buildings on either side of the road. They'd been lit by the Yabbas in the city. There was no one on the street, but there were many corpses. The Naga had passed by and killed everyone they saw. They'd been extremely fast and didn't waste any time.

"What's in the city center?" Link asked softly.

"The central control for the magic net, the activation core for the Light Wall shield, the Craftsmen's Treasury, library… Our valuable items are all there."

Link frowned. With so many targets, he couldn't decide what the Nagas wanted. He could only keep chasing.

Three minutes later, a huge castle appeared. There were countless corpses before the entrance—all Yabbas. Two Nagas stood guard.

"Where is this?" Link asked. It seemed that the Nagas had all entered the castle.

"The Craftsmen's Treasury! All the rare materials we've accumulated are kept there, as well as incomplete Mana machines," Elin explained.

Link's brows knitted. "Materials and incomplete products?"

These things couldn't produce power immediately. Why would the Nagas go in there? Was it for some rare material?

While he was wondering, footsteps sounded at the gate. Many people came out. Surprised, Link immediately retreated and hid behind a stone slab.

A few seconds later, Link saw Akensser and 20 Nagas walk out of the castle. Eight Nagas were carrying a 30-foot-tall stone statue. It was at least 20 tons. The Nagas huffed as they carried it towards a tower in the distance.

Elin didn't understand this. "That's the statue of the sage. Why are they carrying it to the control center of the magic net?"

Link found it strange too. However, he was distracted by the statue. "The material looks strange," he said. "What is it made of?" It was a bit dark, and they were far away. He couldn't see clearly.

"I'm not too sure. I think it's Black Kun rock."

"What?" Link was shocked.

"Black Kun rock. It's the local specialty of the northern Darian Mine. It's not that valuable," Elin said.

Link knitted his brows and shook his head. "No, no. To mortals, Black Kun rock is very common, but to gods, that thing is precious. It's a huge treasure."