Badge in Azure

Chapter 1482: Getting Ugly (Part 2)

Lex laughed. "How did you know what I was thinking, Saleen?"

Lex pretended that she had no idea that surveillance had been set up in the magic tower, waiting for Saleen to find out, just so that he would ugly with them. Saleen cast a weak electric bolt, destroying that surveillance magic array on the wall. He said, "You need it, so I know it."

"You finally know how to make a girl happy with words, Saleen. Great improvement. You picked that up from Sika?"

"Nope. A man, regardless of how crass or boring he is, has some talent somewhere," Saleen recited a proverb.

Lex narrowed her eyes. "So what is your talent? O' great knowledgeable Mr. Mage?"

"Would getting a level 13 mage to make a baby with me be considered a talent?" Saleen took out an exquisite bottle, the potion concocted by Eleanor inside.

"That is something thieves would do, mage," Lex's laughter was lighthearted.

"I'll form a band of thieves if you like the idea of it. One that only robs the gods. What do you think?"

"That is a great idea, but you killed someone, Arbola would be onto us soon enough."

"Then we need to hurry. If she meddles in our business, we will get ugly with her." Saleen lifted Lex and walked towards the platform where she meditated.

"You are bold, Saleen." Lex did not struggle, as doing so would be pointless. It was hardly worth mentioning to mages.

The surveillance magic array was wiped clean by the electrical bolt, so no one would be able to spy on them inside the tower.

There were two other people on top of the 13-floored magic tower—Qin and Eleanor. The two archers looked out on top of the highest tower in the Holy Rock City. Eleanor held a shortbow while Qin held a longbow.

Eleanor did not break out her Seven Nights. She wore it on her back instead. She no longer had a need for such powerful equipment, unless the enemy was especially powerful.

"Is there really somewhere out to stir trouble, my lady?" Qin was doubtful of Eleanor's judgment. They were at the royal palace, which served as the central hub of the empire. Nobody objected to Lex becoming the empress, so he was unable to figure who would stir up trouble.

"Well, Saleen probably killed someone."

"How come…" Qin intended to say how come I can't see anything then? But he thought about it for a bit. Saleen was a level 14 mage. If Saleen intended to kill someone without alerting anyone, there was no way he would see anything.

"Look, isn't that it?"

Eleanor pointed at a mage flying at them from afar. The mage was several kilometers away from them, but her elvish eyes allowed her to see that mage clearly.

"So what do we do?"

"We shoot with everything we've got, of course. This is the royal palace, and no flight in the royal palace is allowed."

Qin shrugged and thought it would be easy to just follow whatever Eleanor said. Her teachings had a lot to do with why he was able to advance as quickly as he did. Furthermore, his liege was Saleen, and he had no intention of caring about the internal conflicts of the Qin Empire. If he got into really, really big trouble, he could always count on Saleen to get him out.

Saleen was indeed very thorough in that regard. So long as the ones following him had good reasons for doing what they did, he would not give up on any of them.

Qin did not even bother with warnings as he drew his longbow. He locked onto the mage, who was followed by a group of swordsmen wearing flying armor.

Golden Plains was rich indeed!

Qin expressed his admiration and shot his arrow, which had over 100 magic patterns carved on it. Wind element formed weak currents around the arrow as it flew. The only purpose the currents served was to reduce drag in flight.

The arrow was so fast that the mage was unable to react in time and was shot through in the head.

It was the Gale Arrow, which was a skill that Qin was most familiar with.

It was faster than even Saleen's lightning icicles by quite a bit. The mage did not expect that Saleen would dare to kill people. They did not even bother to put up a magic shield. The swordsmen behind the mage were totally frightened. The mage was dead and it was their turn soon.

Everything in Golden Plains was as strict as the military. The swordsmen were bodyguards for the mage. If the mage was dead, but they returned unscathed, they would be executed.

As such, the swordsmen drew their weapons without hesitation and charged at the magic tower.

The Sreeger Island mages recorded everything calmly on the 12th floor of the magic tower, especially how the swordsmen charged at the tower with drawn weapons.

Eleanor lifted her shortbow, botrf, and held four arrows in her hand. Her string moved once, but four rounds were shot, meaning that 16 arrows were shot.

Qin was very envious of the skill. He was able to shoot three arrows with a single draw. He wanted to learn Eleanor's tricks, but had yet to be able to succeed.

Qin was able to shoot his arrows quickly, and it seemed as if he shot 12 arrows at the same time. The 28 arrows pierced the breastplates of the swordsmen, drilling into their hearts and shooting blood everywhere. The mages in the magic tower clapped in amazement.

Truly cleaner than casting magic indeed!!

The mages had nothing to say. In truth, both Eleanor and Qin were revered by the mages. The attack range and power sported by the two surpassed any mage of their respective levels. They had good equipment, high skill level, and impressive endurance.

If they followed the two out into battle, the chances of surviving would be even higher.

Archers attacked the ones they deemed most suitable to attack, making them able to reduce the enemy's power. Good archers made good generals, as they were able to make good onsite decisions.

Qin killed the mage with a single shot, inspiring fear and anger in the swordsmen. It was natural for them to draw their weapons and charge at the two.

It would give Saleen an excuse, saying that they intended to attack the royal palace, and Saleen would take further actions about that.

Furthermore, not a single swordsman had been able to escape. It was two archers taking on 28 enemies, and the two did not even use any other tricks. Attacks with the Gale Arrows dealt with the problem within seconds.

A low voice was heard in the sky further away.

"How dare you!?"

Eleanor smirked. "Qin, switch gear."

"Acknowledged."

Qin broke out his magic quiver, which was crafted by Saleen and capable of storing a staggering amount of arrows and being separated into several compartments.

Eleanor switched her quiver and put the shortbow away, breaking out the Seven Nights.

The one who came was a level 13 mage, who was responsible for guarding the royal palace's vicinity. The mage's powers were second only to Arbola, making them the second strongest throughout both Golden Plains and Holy Rock City.

The level 13 mage was not that scary, but he sported very elaborate, lavish equipment.

Magic patterns made of glittering crystals adorned the mage's pure gold magic robe. The mage held a four-meter magic staff which had a true dragon crystal embedded on it. The way the dragon crystal was embedded made the magic array look like huge dragon horns.

The dragon crystals were embedded on the horns. It was very rare to find such a flamboyant mage.

"Dominic, fly any closer and you'll get it from me." It was the first day Eleanor had stood guard on a magic tower, but she had browsed through the images of powerful mages found on Golden Plains, enabling her to recognize the mage who came.

"How insolent!" Dominic saw over 20 people who came to interrogate Saleen die and was burning in rage. He unleashed a powerful magic spell stored with the magic staff.

Fire Meteor!

A huge, burning meteorite fell from the sky, heading straight for the top of the tower.

Qin fired a beam of black light, hitting the center of the meteorite. Eleanor's Elvish Space Arrow pierced through the rock and went right towards Dominic.

Dominic was frightened. Such proficiency at archery was on par with magic attacks. His enemies were powerful archers. He quickly learned not to underestimate his opponents. His magic staff lit up and an elemental shield blocked the Elvish Space Arrow.

Boom!

Seven Nights rattled and Eleanor stood up, shooting her second arrow: The Elvish Royal Arrow.

The arrow had infinite might within, and while its flight speed was not as eerie as the Space Arrow, it caused Dominic to freeze in place. The mage's speed made him think that archers would not be that much of a threat to him. He did not have to be shot to make him feel as if his heart was already pierced.

A second elemental shield was put up, and Dominic was suddenly alerted. Another magic shield appeared behind that elemental shield. The center of the magic shield had a crystal resembling a dragon scale.

Crack!

The arrow burst the dragon scale-like crystal, and Dominic only thought to evade at the last second. It was the first time he felt how close to death.

The arrow penetrated his arm with a swoop, flying far away with shards of his broken bones.

Qin's arrow arrived. The magic staff in Dominic's hand shuddered and a bronze-colored dragon shot out of the magic staff, coiling around him. Red light shimmered, and Qin's arrow was shattered.

He did not carve lightning magic patterns on that arrow. Regardless of how well-made the arrow had been, it was unable to withstand being hit by a dragon's soul.

"Die!"

Dominic swung his magic staff and the dragon shot towards the magic tower. Flames of Death Phosphorous Fire burst. The elemental mage used a high level death mage skill, which was quite peculiar.

Eleanor's third arrow hit Dominic's injured arm.

Dominic would be able to either evade or block that arrow. However, his arm was already hurt and needed level 14 magic to repair. He would not bother with such attacks in combat.

He had no idea that Eleanor's Elvish Time Arrow was specifically made to take lives. It would work on any target, regardless of the spot that was hit.

A green divine crystal disappeared on Seven Nights, and Dominic's hair turned grey at the same time.

"Urggh! This can't be…"

Dominic watched the hand that held the Dragon Soul Staff shrivel up, as if he had turned into a banshee.

Qin shot several arrows in quick succession, each imbued with water element and intense freezing properties. Saleen crafted them for him—the Arrow of Extreme Cold.

The dragon soul was continuously weakened by the level 13 magic, and it dissipated before reaching Qin, returning to the magic staff.