Could something bad have happened to Norfeller? The thought made Lin Li frown. He knew that Norfeller's power had become incomparable to his power when Norfeller just started following him. Although it had not reached the Legendary-realm, he would be as good as a Legendary powerhouse under the enhancement of the night sky.
A Vampire in the Legendary-realm might not have the ability to confront some of the freaky magical beasts of the Haiga Mountain Range, but it definitely would not be a problem for the Vampire to escape quickly.
Just when Lin Li was feeling suspicious, he faintly heard noises outside the campsite. This was not something people would expect to experience in the elves' camp. Although elves advocated freedom, it was not freedom without order.
The signal from Norfeller's blood-oath led Lin Li into thinking that the noises outside might be related to Norfeller. Without further hesitation, Lin Li kept the Book of Eternity and walked out of the tent briskly.
The Malfa Family's campsite was located west of the elves' campsite. Apart from the vines used by the elves to defend themselves, the arrangement within the camp was not unlike the usual. Lin Li's tent was situated in the middle of the campsite. It was a short distance away from the exit of the Malfa Family's campsite.
After walking out of Malfa's campsite, Lin Li saw a few elves speaking loudly. Under one of their feet was his follower, Norfeller. He could see seven green arrows on Norfeller's body, and Norfeller's energy was incredibly weakened under the effect of the glistening arrows.
"It seems that this disgusting Vampire is a high-level Undead creature."
"So what if he is? He is still a weakling to our Seven Star Archery Skill. He can only blame his disgusting self for trespassing our holy mountain!"
Jacques's glee was not concealable under the flattery of his comrades. He looked disdainfully at Norfeller under his feet. "Unfortunately, I had to sacrifice my arrows and dirty them with such ghastly blood…" As he spoke, he gave another harsh stomp to Norfeller.
"Let go of him." A low and cold voice sounded with clarity at the very same instant. It created shivers within the elves, and they felt as though their naked souls were exposed to a chilly wind.
Lin Li's tone did not waver. Although no one could sense any anger within it, they knew it was filled with the malignity.
In fact, ever since Lin Li came in contact with the Legendary-realm in the Scar of Death in the Blackstone Mountains, where he experienced all types of deadly battles with hostile powerhouses, it seemed that Norfeller's assistance was no longer needed.
However, Lin Li had not forgotten that if Norfeller had not signed the blood-oath with himself willingly when he was at Jarrosus to become his follower, he might not have walked out of the underground tomb. Although Norfeller was only heeding his formal master, his help to Lin Li was definite.
When Lin Li was walking out of Jarrosus into the foreign Breezy Plains to become the first president of the Breezy Plains Guild of Magic, he would not have settled down so easily without Norfeller's loyal assistance.
Although it was said that the Breezy Plains Guild of Magic had assistance from the Supreme Council, the help Supreme Council could provide them with was too limited. Furthermore, if Lin Li had failed to settle down then, his guild would have lost the investment value to the Supreme Council.
The level-17 Ice Howler they'd dealt with when he was rescuing the son of the Castellan of Roland City in the Dragon Mountains was absolutely insignificant to him now, yet when he had just entered the Archmage-realm, if not for Norfeller's protection, he would not have the chance to use any of his battle strategies.
Ever since Lin Li entered the Legendary-realm and improved exponentially, his opponents become increasingly powerful as well. Norfeller grew incompetent in the face of Lin Li at the Abyss or the red dragon at the underground palace. Yet, Lin Li knew that Norfeller would not hesitate to sacrifice himself even if he had to.
There were all sorts of people around Lin Li. There were not only mages who were attracted by high remuneration and pharmacists who were determined to learn pharmacy, but also Ujfalusi who was defeated by and submitted to Lin Li and elders who cared for him. Yet, he knew Norfeller was the most loyal of them all.
Now, before his eyes was a loyal and long-serving Norfeller who was not only injured by a bunch of ignorant elves, but also suffering the humiliation of being under the foot of an elf. Despite having the mindset of a Legendary-mage, Lin Li could really not suppress the rage within him.
His cold voice blew past the ears of the elves like a gust of chilly wind. The elves did not expect that someone's killing intent could be that petrifying. It was as though the voice was a concrete object that caused them to be reluctant to turn their heads to check who the voice belonged to. At that moment, a few elves felt that it was as though they had been segregated from their surroundings. It was as though they had left the campsite of the elves and got sucked into an unknown realm. In this realm that was constructed with killing intent, they could neither see any light nor hear any sound. It was as though their heart beat had stopped as well.
Why am I feeling scared? Did I forget my pride as an elf?! The thought rang in Jacques' heart. It caused his neck to tremble.
After all, he was one of the more able young elves. Jacques managed to suppress the fear in his heart. He directed his gaze towards the source of the voice. "H-hu… Human! Did that voice belong to you?"
Jacques sighed in relief when he saw that it was a human mage speaking. Despite the fact that the oppression he felt had not yet dwindled, it was not as suffocating as before. The humans are here to beg the elves' for assistance. How could they dare to kill me?!
Jacques' words helped the other elves regain their composure. They were ashamed of their earlier feeling of terror. Their beautiful faces became distorted by anger to the point of hideousness. They could not allow a human mage to cause them to break out in a cold sweat.
This was the difference courage would make. Although the degree of malignity was unchanging, the elves felt that the human mage had no guts to lay a finger onto them. They might not have recovered from the terror they had felt previously, but they thought that the human mage was just putting on an empty show.
That's right! It has to be an empty show! That was the elves' attempt to convince themselves. They thought that since they had enough Legendary powerhouses on their side, a mere human would not have the guts to kill them.
Unfortunately, these elves had insufficient understanding of Lin Li. According to Gerian, this fella was a natural cat. He wouldn't flinch if he were given a stroke on his fur, but if his tail were to be stepped on, he would definitely be tearing the culprit's skin—regardless of the other party's identity.
"Human, are you trying to protect this disgusting Undead creature?" Jacques asked disdainfully. He was absolutely certain that the human would not dare to launch any attack. A blind person would be able to tell that the human would be at a disadvantage. Being in the elves' territory, it was clear that the human was largely overpowered. Furthermore, Jacques' innate pride forbade him to submit to anyone. "I have to say that this is an extremely foolish decision. Your actions are going to get you to feel the consequences of the Goddess' rage. Human, there is still time for you to regret your decision. Leave this place, and I'll treat it as if nothing has happened…"
To Jacques, this was a rare act of kindness. However, this time, his kind advice did not receive any response. It was as though the human mage had not heard any of his words. He was making his way towards the elves slowly.
The surrounding turned very silent. It was as though they could hear one another's breaths clearly.
Lin Li's steps were gentle and slow. Jacques was unsure why he was feeling all the chills despite the former's bearing no sign of anger on his face. It was as though he had been targeted by a venomous snake. He'd never felt such a ominous aura before.
The air turned unusually stale. The magical waves around him became very vigorous. Jacques could not fathom why a weak human walking towards him could be as frightening as a terrifying, bloodthirsty monster…
While it had been said that elves were a regal race, they were not without emotions. Their graceful disposition came from their attractive features, incredibly long lifespan, confidence, and pursuit of perfection. With this, they could not help but feel like they were superior to any other race.
Hence, it was awkward for them to realize their inability to belittle a human…
The strong and powerful magical waves made Jacques swallow his saliva awkwardly. While his expression was not void of arrogance and disdain, his feet were bringing him backwards subconsciously. His voice was trembling as well.
"Y-you… What are you trying to do? Let me warn you, human…"
Lin Li remained silent. He was still walking towards the elves. Every step forward brought the strength of his magical wave stronger. His large magic robe flapped despite the lack of wind. It created the noise of unruly winds.
It was as though a dried leaf had gained life. It crawled up from the ground slowly, and jumped up into the sky as thought controlled by an invisible force. It was like a dull yellow butterfly that danced around Lin Li. The other leaves followed suit. They transformed into butterflies and fluttered in the sky without any clear reason. They were like a long snake in the sky.
Lin Li's expression was unchanging. The flying leaves played no part in subsiding the chills the man was emitting. It was as though he had the power to freeze souls with his gaze and gather an enormous amount of mana at every strand of his hair, which was now glowing mysteriously under the night sky.
Invisible magical waves that were garnished by the dried leaves transformed into a whirlpool around Lin Li. The magical elements in the environment rushed up towards him. Despite not using any spell, he was able to gather all the magical elements to form a faint layer of halo on his body.
"Human, let me warn you one more time. This holy mountain belongs to us elves. If you dare to lay a finger on any of us, Goddess Monferra will never let you off!" Jacques' voice was riddled with anxiety. His breath became heavier.
Lin Li's gaze swept past the few elves before staying on Jacques. Not only did he not start any recitation, he was without a magic staff as well. The only thing he did was to slowly reach out his hands towards them.
The whirlpool that revolved around Lin Li suddenly picked up more speed. The long snakes that were swept up by the wind were dissolved without a warning. Without the garnishing from the leaves, it was as though the whirlpool of mana had subsided. Yet, if one were to take a closer look at the base of Lin Li's feet, he would see the dried leaves, wild grasses, and pebbles turning into minute fragments the moment they were stepped on. The movement was as if the magical elements were still as wild as before. It was as though the entire space was going to collapse.
What followed was two cylindrical pillars… A gigantic arm that had a faint glow tore through space and appeared in front of the elves. In an instant, it was as though the hand had absorbed all the light in the surroundings. The hand was opened wide, and each finger was larger than a human being. The hand was as enormous as the sky. It made a grabbing movement towards the elves.
There was neither the recitation of spells nor enhancement from any magic staff. Although the hand made a very grand entrance, it appeared like an empty threat to the elves. Anyone would know that a powerful spell needed to have a very long recitation and a couldn't be cast right away. Hence, the elves were certain that the hand had to be either an illusion or an insignificant spell.