137 The Mission Starts

"What joke is that…" Mason grumbled. He was here to participate in trial missions, not to sell his life. How was Shadowglen a place for humans? Mason would not want to enter Shadowglen as a human yet come out as a dried corpse.

"I don't have the mood for jokes!" Macklin exclaimed impatiently. Due to the nature of today's mission, Macklin had already bottled a stomach of anger. Yet that was the decision the Supreme Council. Even if he was unwilling, the only thing for him to do was to comply. Just when he had no place to vent his anger on, Mason came to him. Obviously, poor Mason became his punching bag, and got scolded harshly.

"Do you think I want to bring you fellas to Shadowglen? God dammit… that was decided by the Supreme Council!" Macklin shouted as the goat whiskers of his trembled uncontrollably. The finger he was pointing Mason with almost poked his nose. "If you are unhappy, go and look for the Supreme Council! No point ranting to me!"

"How would I dare to go…" Mason muttered under his breath before scurrying away. He would not want to provoke Macklin further.

Macklin was in extremely bad spirits. Ever since he stepped out of the Supreme Council, he had been frustrated. To him, that mission had no point at all. How could the Supreme Council set the mission in Shadowglen?

What if anything were to happen to these kids—especially Felic? He would get himself into hot soup…

Not to mention the bet he made with the others… Andoine's existence alone was enough to cause a headache for Macklin and Aldwin. What was the relationship between Andoine and Felic? From their closeness, it did not seem like a mentor-student relationship to Macklin.

Lin Li just walked silently, and did not think too much about it.

After all, he had survived the Sunset Mountains, where he encountered all types of dangerous and vicious magical beasts—although not dangerous to the extent that they could certainly kill him.

What he was more concerned about was the piece of crystal in his pocket.

That crystal was too mysterious…

There were no signs of magical waves. Even when its surface was covered with magewealth inscription, it looked as if it was for decoration purposes. Lin Li could not detect any sense of energy from it…

Yet it was this crystal that swallowed a magical beast in front of his eyes.

Lin Li was doubly sure that it really engulfed the beast.

Before he went to bed yesterday night, Lin Li deliberately took a look at the crystal. He clearly remembered that when he was at the Nightmare Mountains, he had seen that the crystal emitted the exact magical waves as the Shapeshifter.

The magical waves was filled with the same viciousness and evilness, and the same depression and hopelessness.

The thick and dark red waves were like thick red blood flowing within the crystal.

When he held onto the crystal, he could clearly sense that the Shapeshifter was inside it. It was quite surreal, but indeed authentic.

Lin Li totally could not comprehend why such a powerful crystal would be buried underneath the mineral veins.

This could not explained by mere magical equipment. Even if Lin Li were to have all the materials needed for forging, he would not be able to create such a sick magical item that could engulf a level-18 magical beast.

While walking, Lin Li made a silent decision—he'd find time to test out this piece of crystal when he returned from Shadowglen. If he were to understand and gain the strength of this crystal, nothing would be able to pose a threat to him anymore. After all, it could swallow a level-18 beast instantaneously—who would still need to use magic and physical strength against them?

With that crystal, he would not need to fear any dragons, titans, or ancient magical beasts again! They could all be devoured by that crystal!

With some uncertainty and some reverie, the journey to Shadowglen did not seem arduous to Lin Li at all.

Shadowglen was filled with mountains, and was so secluded that even vicious beasts would not want to go near this legendary Heaven of the Dead.

Yellow, withered weeds covering the ground were as though they were the aftermath of a fire. The gloomy pitch-black sky that almost never showed any sunlight instilled a sense of depression in the people. Cold wind continued to swirl those leaves up into the air, adding a sense of loneliness and chilliness to the atmosphere.

Their journey to Shadowglen was as long as the time they took to the Nightmare Mountains. The four people reached Shadowglen in two hours by a coach.

When Lin Li alighted from the coach, he could not help but feel dazed. He realized that there was a lot of tents of different sizes set up on the hills outside Shadowglen. There were also busy mages dressed in long black robes coming in and out of the tents from time to time. Among them, Lin Li spotted the two teammates of Matthias'.

"What kind of situation is this?"

Mason looked at the tents, and laughed heartily. "It must be that the Supreme Council saw through our toil and sweat, so they are planning to organize an outing for us to relax. No wonder my uncle said that today's mission would be an unexpected one…"

"Moron," Orrin said as he walked past Mason, then added, "Only you would play in Shadowglen."

"Fat hopes you fella…" Macklin laughed at Mason's anticipation when he alighted from the coach. "You wanted to have fun? I'm afraid you might not even have the time to cry later on…"

"Mr. Macklin, what's the situation? Why are the other teams…"

"There's no choice. That's the instruction from the Supreme Council," said Macklin reluctantly as he shook his head. "Today's mission is the same across all the teams. If you have any people you know who are here, you can go and say hi to them now because there will be a lot of chances for you to meet each other in the next few days…"

"Why is it a few days?" Mason asked innocently.

"Fool!" Macklin exclaimed as he shot him an angry stare, and asked, "Don't you see those tents? Do you really think that they are here for a holiday?"

"…"

At this moment, not to mention Mason, Lin Li could not help but feel surprised as well. He asked, "Mr. Macklin, do you mean that we would be living in Shadowglen for a couple of days?"

"Congratulations, you have guessed it correctly! There's no prize, though…"

How would Lin Li care if there were any prizes to be won?

Before setting off, Lin Li had tried to predict the nature of that mission. To him, if they were going to go to Shadowglen, it would only mean that they were just going there to kill a few undead creatures. Frankly speaking, Lin Li was not serious about going to Shadowglen, as he felt that these undead creatures were not scary beasts. That was because he had at least two nemeses of the undead creatures in his Ring of Endless Storm.

But, when Macklin said that, he sensed that that was not the case.

To live in Shadowglen for some days was not to be treated as a joke…

"Honestly speaking, this mission could be quite troublesome…" Macklin said hesitantly as he understood the dangers of it. He continued, "Yet, there's only one thing that you need to do—stay in Shadowglen for a week. In these seven days, you can do whatever you like, or nothing at all. Of course, finding a hiding place for yourselves will be cool as well. But to me, there's nowhere safe to hide in Shadowglen…"

Aren't you talking crap? Lin Li pursed his lips.

The undead creatures were not magical beasts. Time did not matter to them. They could be found wandering around, regardless of if it was day or night. It would be easy to find a hiding place, but whether they could escape from those creatures would be another matter. If any high-level undead creature were to see them, they would be in big trouble.

Furthermore, the air in Shadowglen was poisonous all year round. If one were to stay in any spot for long, he would be in grave danger due to the huge amount of toxins he breathed in.

"F*ck the Supreme Council, a bunch of scoundrels! How would that be a mission? It concerns life and death!" Mason cursed angrily, forgetting that it was Macklin that was standing beside him.

It was rare that Macklin did not scold him this time. Macklin only took out three scrolls, and said, "It's also not very serious. For this mission, the Supreme Council prepared these scrolls for you. If you meet any danger, open the scroll, and you will be transported back to the camp."

"But," Macklin thought for a moment before advising, "if you were to open the scroll, it would mean that you have failed the mission. So, think carefully before you give up on this opportunity."

"Okay…"

"Oh, yes, let me add on… I was not joking just now. If you know of any one here, grab this time to go and meet them. You might need them after you enter Shadowglen."

Apart from his two teammates, how would Lin Li have any other friends in Alanna? Although Macklin's advice was reasonable, it was not applicable to him at all. It was the same for Orrin. With his cold and reserved nature, it was hard for him to have many friends.

Mason, on the other hand, was a social butterfly. Right after Macklin advised them, a sly grin appeared on his face. "He's right… Why didn't I think of that?"

"Alright, I've said whatever I need to. The rest is up to you…" After telling them all the tips and the rules of the task, Macklin walked off, feeling more at ease.

"Mason!" someone called out from a distance. Lin Li could not help but feel relieved that Mason was in his team. He really was a social butterfly…

The person who greeted Mason was a tanned and skinny young mage that looked about the same age as him. Behind him were two of his teammates—one short, another tall. When they walked together, it was full of comedic effect.

"Haha! Kayla, it was you?" Mason seemed very happy that he met someone familiar. He waved to him excitedly while gesturing to his two teammates. "Come here, let me introduce him to you! This fella is Kayla from Sunrise City Guild of Magic, and he's my childhood playmate.

"Kayla, these are my two teammates. He's Orrin, and that's Felic."

"I'm happy to meet both of you."

Kayla was obviously more mature than Mason. His speech and gestures were filled with propriety and politeness. After greeting the two men, he also introduced his teammates to them. The taller one was Lauren from Snow City Guild of Magic, while the shorter one was Fedrick from Dawn City Guild of Magic.

It had been long since he last met this childhood friend. Mason was so elated that he pulled Kayla over to chat for at least half an hour. Only when the mission was about to begin did he wave goodbye to him. When Kayla was about to leave, they promised to definitely render their help to each other if they were to meet any danger in Shadowglen, and to survive the seven days together.

"Don't worry. As long as I'm there, you will be fine!" Mason patted his chest, assuring Kayla.

"Then I'll depend on you in this mission, alright?"

"Be assured, everything's on me!"

After making a pact, they continued to chat for a while before Kayla brought his teammates away.

While they chatted, Lin Li remained silent and sized up the tanned and skinny mage curiously.

Even to Lin Li, Kayla was a good mage of at least level-11, just a little weaker than Orrin. His two other teammates were not weak too; both were at level-10, and much stronger than Mason…

If they were to form an alliance with this team, it would definitely be of help for Lin Li's team to complete this mission.

Unfortunately, even if he cherished the bond between the two teams, they might not have that same attitude…

Underlying Lin Li's smile was a hint of sarcasm.

This Kayla is an interesting man……

When Kayla went back to his tent, the shorter mage, Lauren, asked him curiously, "Boss, you are very close to that Mason?"

"Just an acquaintance."

"Then why did you treat him…"

"Why was I so friendly to him, right?" Kayla said as he smiled, and gazed at the entrance of Shadowglen. "Friendliness is free. If I treat him nicely now, he might be of help in the future. Furthermore, this mission will not be easy. Even if it was Gryffindor, there is no certainty for him to survive the seven days himself, what more us. When danger arrives, it would be good for us to receive help from people instead of being backstabbed by them."

"But I'm afraid that the ability of that fella is…" the short mage paused, and thought for a while before continuing, "He is no more than a level-nine, and his teammate, Felic, is just a level-seven dude. How could they be of any help to us in Shadowglen?"

"What do you know…" Kayla glared at him impatiently. "In Shadowglen, luck is more important than ability. Don't be too full of yourself with that level-10 ability. I'll tell you that in Shadowglen, even if you are a level-11 or level-12, you might not be able to survive in this period of time. After all, friendliness is free. And, it's good to have some scapegoats with us…"

"But…" After reprimanding the short mage, Kayla continued while in deep thought, "But that fella Felic… How could he dare to even participate in the trial with just a level-seven skillset? I'm sure he would be sent back from Shadowglen not long after the mission starts. We don't need to have much hopes of depending on that team."

While the trio was conversing in the tent, an old and husky voice resounded outside. "Let me announce that the mission officially starts now. This time, I hope everyone can succeed and complete the task."

Although the voice was not loud, it was strangely clear and easy for everyone to hear it.

"Come, let's go!"

When Kayla and his team came out of their tent, Lin Li's team was already at the entrance of Shadowglen.

The moment when Lin Li got close to the entrance, he sensed a pungent smell of rot. The putrid smell that filled the stale air resembled that of decaying corpses. Black haze filled their vision, and nothing could be clearly seen from any distance. The soil below their feet was moist and slippery. As they walked, it was as though they could hear the squelching sound of their steps.

"This place is so disgusting…" Mason cried out in disdain as he fixed his eyes at his feet, afraid of stepping on anything he should not be stepping on.

"There's no choice, because the undead are unaware of the environment in their habitat."

"Oh, yes. Felic, aren't you a pharmacist? Are there any potions for us to go unnoticed by the undead creatures?" Mason always liked to daydream. To say the truth, when he was asking this question, he was not expecting there to be any.

Who knew Lin Li would nod his head. He said in a definite tone, "Of course there are…"

"HUH?" Mason was shocked. Even Orrin stopped in his tracks.

"There is a type of potion made especially to deal with the undead creatures. If you consume a bottle of it, not only could you go unnoticed by them, but also gain Divine Power that would enable you to attack them with ease."

"So there's such a good thing in the world! Why don't you create some quickly… Our success depends on you now!"

"No problem…" Lin Li nodded, and extended his arm to Mason. "Give me a stalk of the Divine Flower, and I will help you create a few bottles of it instantly."

"F*ck!"

Lin Li's joke eased the tension in everybody's hearts. They walked along the curved narrow path, and before they realized it, they had reached the middle region of Shadowglen.

That was the territory of the undead creatures. The black fog around them became thicker and thicker. Lin Li could hear vague rustling from the surroundings. It was the sound produced when a spring silkworm was devouring a mulberry leaf continuously. Amidst the cold chilly wind, the sound created goosebumps all over them.

"Be careful…" Lin Li reminded his teammates in a low voice as he grabbed onto his Winter Staff vigilantly.

"Alrighty." Mason nodded. But, he shrieked right after, "AH!"

Lin Li glanced back immediately, only to see a few skeletal hands grabbing onto Mason's thighs. Mason's black robe was torn into pieces with a great force, and blood streaks appeared on his thighs.

"Sniff!" Lin Li reacted immediately and raised his Winter Staff, and sent out wind blades. At that moment, there was a crisp sound of bones breaking, and an arm broke off from Mason. Under Lin Li's Mind Control, that wind blade took a turn, and proceeded to cut away another arm.

Orrin's staff was raised as well, but his mental strength was not as freakish as Lin Li. Although his reaction was fast, the speed of his spells was slower. When he shot out an Icicle, Lin Li had already shot his second Wind blade. In a split second, a series of crisp breaking sounds echoed, and the four or five skeletal hands that'd grabbed onto Mason became a pile of bone fragments.

"God dammit, that was scary…" Mason shook off those arms, and hid in a corner apprehensively.

"Don't just take a break, let's get rid of them first."

"Them?" Mason froze before realizing who 'they' were.

Under Lin Li's rapid recitation, the ground below the trio vibrated gently; black soil rose up into the air as though something was about to emerge from the earth.

…