A Barely Completed Half-Finished Product

Under Li Lin's action, the four forces that were originally fighting each other seemed to simultaneously sense the external interference. However, they were already in a state of confrontation and could not extricate themselves. Besides, they were, after all, just forces. Although they could instinctively sense threats and their natural enemies, it did not mean they could engage in more complex strategic combat. Li Lin's power was far superior to theirs, and with Beika's protection, he quickly and firmly "stuffed" this mixed force into the strangely shaped weapon. The next step was to solidify the weapon with a powerful protective spell and ensure that the mixed forces within would not erupt.

But at that moment, a problem suddenly arose.

The strange weapon, right before everyone's eyes, suddenly began to tremble wildly, like a wild horse trying to break free of its rider, even leaping off the ground. Faced with this unusual phenomenon, the mages all took several steps back. They had already completed their task and didn't need to add anything further. Therefore, they quickly prepared themselves for potential problems. After all, Li Lin had warned them before the ritual began that it hadn't been tested, meaning problems could occur at any time. To avoid any adverse effects, the mages had already taken precautions to protect themselves.

However, Li Lin frowned deeply. According to his understanding, everything inside the protective shield was calm. Although the weapon was trembling violently, he hadn't received any feedback from it. What was going on? The weapon's effects were only known through the reasoning and written materials of Arcane Mage; no one had predicted how it would succeed or fail. However, Li Lin no longer cared about these trivial matters, because he was about to take the most important step!

Just as that strange weapon leaped high off the floor again, Li Lin suddenly stretched out his right hand and slammed it heavily onto the Eternal Library.

"!!!"

At that moment, everything in the world froze. Nothing moved, not even a single hair.

Time Stop.

One of the most powerful, and also the most terrifying, spells.

This was the final step in the weapon's formation. Normally, under this Time Stop, the solidified forces should have been affected as well. However, Li Lin frowned as he stared at the weapon's ever-brightening light. He discovered that the forces hadn't stopped due to the time-stopping effect; on the contrary, seemingly because the surrounding world had been forcibly severed from them, these energies appeared to be even more active! Damn it, this wasn't a good sign. He shouldn't have listened to the Elf Goddess's ridiculous advice... In the end, he was the one in trouble!

With this in mind, Li Lin's fingers began to fly across the frozen world. He gathered all his power and cast spell after spell. Of course, due to the time stop, these spells hadn't actually been cast, nor had they fully solidified. But Li Lin knew that once the time stop effect wore off, these spells would immediately reveal their power. For now, he could only do as much as he could.

Finally, the Time Stop effect ended.

However, others saw a completely different picture.

In a mere instant, Li Lin unleashed fifteen or sixteen different spells, firmly binding them to the innermost protective shield. This nearly surpassed the limits of any mage's casting speed and quantity. Just as these people were astonished by the Arcane Mage's power, they suddenly noticed that the innermost protective shield seemed increasingly unstable, and was flashing with an increasingly blinding light...

"Boom!!!"

The loud noise and tremors reverberated throughout the tower, startling not only those waiting outside but also those inside.

Nisi was one of them.

Although she was a high-ranking Arcane Mage, Li Lin didn't allow her to appear at the ceremony. The reason was simple: with the Elf Queen, an elf who possessed a purer, more primal natural power than Nisi, present, Nisi didn't need to exert herself. Moreover, just in case, someone needed to be present to maintain order. The rank of Seven Ring Spirit Envoys wasn't high enough; while Nisi had only recently become an arcane Arcane Mage, she was at least a formally appointed one, and could easily project her Arcane Mage. However, initially, Nisi didn't take it to heart. Although a thousand years had passed, being by Li Lin's side somewhat rekindled her carefree days. In her mind, with Lady Luoxia present, what problems could possibly arise? Besides, Nisi specialized in Evocation School; she wasn't proficient in crafting magical weapons, so she didn't worry about it.

But this time, upon feeling the tower tremble, Nisi was clearly surprised and astonished. She knew very well that the tower was protected by powerful defensive spells, and even the power of Arcane Mage would be difficult to destroy it. Moreover, Lady Luoxia and Miss Beika were there; as the most powerful Arcane Mage in the entire Magic Empire, they shouldn't have encountered such a problem. However, the tower's tremors were a fact. Could the ritual for creating magical weapons be such a dangerous thing?

Nisi hesitated. Although Li Lin had told her before leaving that if anything happened, she would be responsible for stabilizing the situation and taking over command of the tower, Nisi was still somewhat at a loss in this predicament. Since her defeat by the Glorious Holy Light, the Arcane Mage seemed to have become increasingly reliant on her former teacher. And now, sensing that her teacher might be in danger, naturally made Nisi uneasy.

Finally, after pacing around the room a few times, she gritted her teeth and turned to leave.

At that moment, Li Lin was also feeling unwell.

"This is terrible..."

He coughed as he brushed the dust away. Multiple magical defenses had been deployed around him, blocking the final impact. Angela stood proudly in place, her black wings folded in front of her body, bearing most of the force for the little one. Gabriel, however, wasn't as carefree as the little one. In the final burst, she not only protected herself but also the mages behind her. As for Yi Aier, she was also protected by Beika at the last moment and fortunately escaped injury. The Elf Queen's reaction was equally swift, but even so, a significant portion of her pure water sphere was still missing. Judging from the current situation, the Elf Queen would likely need some time to extract the purest water from the air to replenish the missing portion.

As for the other mages, although many suffered injuries, fortunately they had taken precautions beforehand, so none of them died.

However, the tower's outer wall was blasted open by this terrifying impact, leaving a huge hole!

This surprised Li Lin. He knew that not only was spatial magic cast here, but it also had the strongest anti-magic effect. Ordinary forces should not have been able to penetrate the walls of the tower. But even Li Lin did not expect that the complete form of this damned thing... would actually explode.

So, was it ultimately a success or a failure?

Li Lin didn't immediately check his results. Instead, he focused his attention on the crowd beside him. There, a young girl was breathing heavily. She was completely bent over, exhausted and overwhelmed. No matter how refined her skills were, she would always fall short in the face of greater power.

As he watched the girl's retreating figure, a hint of admiration appeared in Li Lin's eyes.

She did a great job.

Nia had somehow returned to human form. She followed Li Lin's gaze, her expression also filled with emotion and relief.

"We haven't seen a mage with such high talent in a long time."

"That's right."

Li Lin nodded and pondered for a moment.

"Nia, I'm entrusting her to your care. Overdrawing your Magic Power isn't good for your health. I allow you to use those potions to help her recover... Also, grant her the right to freely roam the tower in the future; she deserves it. And, if possible, let her stay by your side."

"Understood, Li Lin."

Kelisi was in a similar predicament. Although she sensed impending doom the moment she saw Li Lin cast so many protective spells, she couldn't stop at that moment—she was repairing the cracks in the third layer of the protective shield while simultaneously protecting the mages around her. Although many of them were no lower level than her, they were clearly stunned by Li Lin's powerful spellcasting and hadn't had time to protect themselves. So, with no other choice, Kelisi gritted her teeth and used her most proficient skill to cast a group protective spell on herself and the others, while continuing to repair the protective shield.

For a mid-level mage, the cost of casting two spells simultaneously is unbearable, even for a talented Arcane Mage candidate like Kelisi. At this moment, she felt completely exhausted and unable to even stand. Just as Kelisi gritted her teeth, intending to rely on her mixed-race constitution to tough it out, a warm arm supported her.

"Forcing yourself to overdraw your money is not a good idea, Miss Kelisi."

Nia's voice came from beside her ear, startling Kelisi. She quickly looked up and saw Nia's smiling face.

Then, a bottle of blue magic potion appeared in front of her.

"Drink it."

Nia's voice was very gentle.

"This will restore your energy and ensure you are not harmed... You did a good job, you can live here from today onwards."

"Why?"

Hearing this, Kelisi wondered if she had misheard. Live here? Live in a tower?

Your performance today has proven everything.

Nia handed over the potion, then gently tidied the other person's hair.

"If you're willing, starting tomorrow, you can become my deputy and work for me inside the tower. Are you willing?"

"Lady Nia, I..."

Kelisi opened her mouth, wanting to answer instinctively, but she forcibly suppressed the words and finally lowered her head.

"I'm sorry, Lady Nia, but if possible, I'd like to wait a while before accepting your appointment. After all, the work at the library..."

I understand what you mean.

Nia didn't seem particularly surprised by Kelisi's rejection.

"You can come here whenever you've dealt with the issues over there... From today onwards, you are free to enter and leave the tower without any restrictions."

While Nia and Kelisi were talking, Li Lin had already arrived at the side of the strange weapon. At this moment, the protection had been removed, and Beika was still breathing lightly—it seemed that she had also exhausted herself.

Did it succeed?

The Elf Queen floated to Li Lin's side, looked at the weapon before her, and asked in a low voice.

It's no wonder the Elf Queen had such doubts, because the weapon at this moment hadn't changed at all. Even the changes caused by the four people's power affecting it had disappeared. It looked exactly the same as before—so in the Elf Queen's view, things might just be like this... a failure.

"Halfway there."

However, Li Lin gave a different answer. He reached out and placed his hand on the strange weapon, then quickly withdrew it. Following Li Lin's gesture, Beika roused herself and used her power again. Soon, a semi-transparent bubble enveloped the weapon, and then magical chains reappeared, firmly binding it in mid-air.

"The sealing and condensation of power has been successful."

"And what about the other half?"

The Elf Queen couldn't help but ask, and Li Lin looked at her with a hint of helplessness, as if wondering if she had been stunned by the shock.

"Then we'll see if it'll give me the time of day and successfully launch its attack."

Fortunately, no one died, and most of the mages only suffered minor injuries. So, after the ritual was completed, the mages left immediately, and the hole in the tower was repaired. However, Li Lin was not busy with this matter; he simply stood at the hole, gazing at the scenery of the Magic Empire outside.

"Arcane Mage."

Gabriel did not leave, but came to Li Lin's side and gazed at him. For the archangel, today was a memorable day, not only because of the condensation of power, but also because she saw something in Li Lin's face that she had never thought she would see.

It was a smile of satisfaction.

Li Lin had always smiled, but his smiles were less an expression of emotion and more a mask to hide his true feelings. Just now, however, the Archangel was certain he had seen Li Lin's smile—a genuine, heartfelt, and warm smile. This surprised and puzzled the Archangel. Why would a mage like Li Lin undergo such a change?

You seem very happy.

"Of course I'm happy."

Li Lin did not turn around to look at Gabriel, but instead focused on the mages leaving below.

"I think you probably can't understand how I feel."

Li Lin paused for a moment before continuing.

"The Magic Empire... that country I once ruled, those mages I once taught, are all destroyed, dead. But, it has proven one thing: as long as magic doesn't fade, mages will continue to exist, and the Magic Empire will be reborn. I see hope, Archangel. In these mages, I see what I hoped to see back then—intelligent, kind, brave, strong, capable... and very lovely children. I hope they can grow up, become our successors, explore the mysteries of magic, and advance with us. We do not yearn for evil, but we do not resist evil, nor do we reject good. I still remember clearly those mages who studied under me back then, with the same pure and strong gaze. They came here with noble beliefs and ideals, striving to prove their worth, striving to achieve their goals."

They rejoice at learning a new spell, and are excited by rising in rank. When they encounter obstacles, they feel frustrated, anxious, and hesitant, ultimately making decisions that will affect their entire lives. What is the purpose of our existence as mages? What should we, as mages, do for our country? What are their feelings as they learn and view all of this? And ultimately, what can we give these hopeful children? I love them dearly, and I've always hoped to watch them grow up and become indispensable members of the Magic Empire. And now, I've seen it, what I wanted to see."

At this point, Li Lin shifted his gaze to the red glow on the horizon. His voice, which had been warm, became hard, cold, and filled with hatred.

"That's why I can't forgive the Five-Nation Alliance for what they did to us—I will never forgive them until they are completely destroyed."