Mage Legend
Chapter 96: Episode 28 Compensation_2

Chapter 96: Episode 28 Compensation_2

Lynch let out a gentle "Oh," while continuing to sketch the design swiftly from memory: "Where are those things?"

"In the temple right ahead, I’ll fetch them for you." Koravos gave a slight bow towards him, "It’s a place where non-Grey Dwarf races are not allowed to enter."

Lynch furrowed his brows, sensing a clear trick. Who could ensure that what Koravos brought out were genuine scrolls? If he claimed ignorance of Magic and randomly handed over some worthless items, wouldn’t that result in a terrible scam?

He glanced at his two companions. Deluo was staring blankly at his newly acquired double-headed sword, showing no interest in what might come out of the Enlightenment Temple. Nimo stood beside Deluo, fiddling with a movable statue he had gotten from the ice tower, which was enough to keep him occupied for a while.

Originally, he was just planning to replenish supplies and gain enough strength to head to the Dark Elf City of Latreys. The treasures retrieved from the ice tower had already far exceeded his expectations, so there was no need for excessive demands on the Grey Dwarves’ treasures — after all, despite his efforts, it wasn’t he who had eradicated the Snake-men; undeserved gain was wrong.

Greed would only bring trouble.

Lynch nodded and decided not to say anything further. If he was to be deceived, then so be it...

The Governance Council members, however, mistook this "acceptance" as "aloofness": this powerful Mage wasn’t afraid of the Grey Dwarves daring to deceive him; his strength could render all schemes into mere jokes.

Misunderstandings, when left unexplained, only deepen; and if paired with fear and conjecture, can produce even more astounding effects.

Soon, Koravos returned with a book in hand, approached Lynch, and handed it over to the Mage.

The book’s cover bore several large characters in a language even Lynch didn’t understand, which startled the young Mage slightly. Having studied under his tutor Caso to learn Prophecy Magic, he had studied no fewer than thirty languages but had never encountered such a situation featuring an unknown language. Most astonishingly, the symbols were unlike any language Lynch knew.

The more mysterious something was, the stronger its allure for a Mage. Lynch tucked it into his wide robe, nodded, and turned to head for the marketplace.

"Ah! Mage, your gemstone, we haven’t delivered it to you yet!" Koravos called from within the Governance Council group, clearly referring to the persons beside him.

Lynch shook his head: "Those things are trivial. If you are willing to help, I need a large cargo mount and supplies."

"Happy to serve you." "Naturally, we’ll help." "I’ll attend to it immediately!" Before Koravos could speak, the Grey Dwarves around him eagerly voiced their opinions. It was an opportunity to win favor with the Mage, and no one wanted to miss it.

Thus, as Lynch, Deluo, and Nimo sat atop a giant lizard, followed by seven others fully laden with various goods, leisurely proceeding by the map towards the Dark Elf City, Deluo continually exclaimed, "Turns out Grey Dwarves are so warm and hospitable!"

However, in Hanmosidun City, after their departure, a major upheaval occurred. Many Grey Dwarves began to undermine each other in order to protect their own interests or to seize others’. The entire city was in a state of fear. It wasn’t until a year later that the waves of this power struggle subsided, with Koravos emerging as the de facto ruler.

For now, though, those matters had nothing to do with Lynch. What concerned the Mage now was how to safely navigate through the Dark Cave ahead.

He had numerous maps of the Underdark, discovered in the lizard cargoes donated by various Grey Dwarves. Although each version used a different language and drawing style, they all clearly indicated that on the route from Hanmosidun City to the Dark Elf City lay an exceedingly dangerous area, marked by the presence of Petrified Lizard activity.

Typically, large merchant convoys or Dark Elf patrols could pass safely through that area — Petrified Lizards weren’t solely instinct-driven creatures; they had a degree of wisdom and knew which individuals could be made into meals and which enemies were best avoided.

Such creatures were especially annoying.

Thus, they found a place to set up camp, deciding not to enter the area for the time being. They had to wait. Wait for another merchant convoy to accompany them, or for Lynch to complete making his Petrification Avoidance Talisman.

Creating a Magic Item is a skill every Mage must learn. Technically speaking, even copying a Magic Scroll counts as crafting an item, but genuinely, those Magic Wands, staves, and various rings and talismans are true Magic Items. In the Anriel World, Magic Items were not scarce, but they were strictly controlled by various temples and the Mage Association. Throughout the continent, magical weapons and armor were common, but items like the Petrification Avoidance Talisman were rare.

Lynch’s grasp of the "Creation Law" became more profound; the method and rules by which Magic Energy was infused into items were gradually becoming instinctive for him. Additionally, he was already an expert Magic Item craftsman, making the creation of talismans surprisingly fast.

The only downside was that these talismans drew power from Primordial Magic, which ordinarily wouldn’t affect most users, but for a Mage or Magician using the Magic Network, it could potentially cause an energy conflict — no one could guarantee that terrifying consequences wouldn’t occur.

"Alright, it’s finally done." Lynch tossed two flesh-colored necklaces to Deluo and Nimo, "All done, put them on, let’s move out."

Deluo received the talisman and put it around his neck. He pulled the double-headed sword from the rock wall and began donning his armor. Over the past few days, he had been using the sharp weapon for "artistic" carvings on the unfortunate underground cave. Every day he leaped around, treating the stalactites and stalagmites as imaginary foes, practicing methods to swiftly decapitate and maim, striving to become proficient with the weapon.

Nimo responded, taking off the collar from his neck and slipping on the Petrification Avoidance Talisman. Over the past few days, he’d mastered the use of several peculiar items, all from the ice tower, each endowed with various mystical functions — though some were merely gimmicks.

"Now we can safely set out." Lynch also donned a talisman around his own neck.

From beyond the eight lizards they had brought, came a clear inquiry: "Up front! Are you waiting for a merchant convoy to accompany you? We’ve got one. Just pay a hundred Gold Coins, and you’re welcome to join us."

Lynch saw the Underworld Halfling approaching from behind, accompanying a long convoy escorted by dozens of mercenaries, rubbed his swollen eyes, and couldn’t help but chuckle: "If only you’d arrived a few days earlier, I wouldn’t have had to forgo sleep to make these talismans!"

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