A Choice at a Dead End

Led by the man who called himself "Walter," Li Lin arrived at a small, empty house in the northeast corner of the commercial district. After waiting for Li Lin to enter the house, which clearly appeared to be a temporary dwelling, Walter turned and locked the door. Li Lin patiently watched him lock the door one by one and reconnect the alarm system in case of intrusion. Then, Walter turned around and bowed slightly to Li Lin.

"I apologize for my abrupt behavior and hope you can understand."

"I understand."

Li Lin Linzhou's magical defenses suddenly activated, and an incredibly powerful magical aura instantly filled the entire house. If these auras had a physical form, the solid rock hut would probably have been completely destroyed by now. He flexed his fingers, glancing intentionally or unintentionally at the thick stone wall, his words tinged with helplessness and sympathy.

"Don't worry, I understand what you mean. I'll just touch on it briefly."

No further explanation is needed.

The half-elf man, facing the immense magical pressure unleashed by Li Lin, remained unfazed, like a robot. He then chanted a spell, and bright, destructive light emanated from his fingertips, coalescing into a terrifying beam that shot towards Li Lin. However, the defensive magic Li Lin had been casting acted as a protective barrier, halting what should have been a tidal wave of attacks. At that moment, as Li Lin finished chanting, a deluge of Magic Missile rained down, their sharp, piercing sounds indicating that being hit would result in far more than just cuts and bruises.

Faced with Li Lin's attack, the half-elf clearly lacked the kind of impenetrable magical protection to ensure he could stand firm in the torrential rain. So he quickly twisted his body, dodging the first attack with lightning speed. However, the energy blasts with automatic tracking capabilities did not lose their target; they quickly adjusted their course and pounced on their enemy again.

At that moment, Li Lin began to recite his second incantation.

If the spell couldn't be interrupted, he would undoubtedly be in danger. However, the magical radiance emanating from Li Lin was deadly; those dazzling lights weren't just there for show. Even so, the half-elf didn't hesitate. He suddenly stopped, and just as the Magic Missile was about to hit him, Walter suddenly sank, as if the ground beneath his feet wasn't solid ground but water, disappearing directly into the earth. The Magic Missile, still locked on its target, didn't change its trajectory. The earth trembled slightly, and then a huge crater was blasted into the solid ground, but the half-elf was nowhere to be seen inside.

Excellent tactics.

At this moment, Li Lin's second spell was about to be completed, but losing its target rendered it completely ineffective. In the current situation, he had no choice but to undo the chaotic magical power caused by the loss of its target. Just then, the space beneath Li Lin's feet suddenly exploded, and the half-elf's figure leaped out of the dust. However, after a few crisp sounds, he gripped the hilt of his remaining sword and retreated—although the best way to avoid the city walls was to dig a hole and crawl through, doing so against a box surrounded by steel on all sides seemed rather foolish.

Li Lin didn't chant any incantation, but he suddenly stretched out his hand and pointed at the half-elf.

Magical runes instantly appeared on the back of his hand, hovering and leaping to form spell incantations, which were then released—a dim halo precisely encircled Walter's body, followed by a green ray striking his form, greedily absorbing and digesting the young half-elf's vitality. Finally, a translucent, powerful hand arrived, almost ignoring the half-elf's struggles, gripping him tightly. If this were a true life-or-death battle, perhaps only the half-elf's corpse would be lying on the ground now.

This is precisely what makes Arcane Mage the strongest, most powerful, and most terrifying. As long as they can master these magical runes, no one can gain the upper hand against them. Unless their power is completely exhausted, Arcane Mage are virtually invincible in such battles.

The half-elf struggled a few times, but stopped after realizing it was beyond his capabilities. Li Lin didn't make things difficult for him; he simply made a few gestures, and his powerful hand released him. The half-elf, now free, made no comment and remained respectfully standing in place. Li Lin glanced at Walter, then turned his gaze to the heavy stone wall.

"It's over?"

"Of course, Mr. Li Lin."

Accompanied by an aged voice, the three mages in charge of governance passed through the wall and entered the small house. They looked at everything before them with a hint of seriousness and surprise in their eyes.

"Actually, I didn't really think you could do that well."

"I don't like fighting alone, and I don't like doing things myself. It doesn't align with my principles..."

Li Lin gazed at the three grandmasters.

"However, sometimes, men still need to solve problems in a manly way... Do you have the results of your investigation?"

"That's right."

This time, the bald old man, the only one of the three great masters who hadn't spoken before, suddenly spoke.

"We have preliminary findings from our investigation."

"Ailas has indeed colluded with many lower-ranking nobles, planning to cause trouble."

The shortest mage continued, his originally effeminate voice now tinged with a barely perceptible tension.

"They intend to take control of the central system and hold out until the Red Robe Mage appears. Until then, they will use various demands and proposals to force us into negotiations with them..."

To strike a snake at its vital point, if this magnificent city has any weakness, it lies in the transportation of supplies. Whether it's food, medicine, or anything else, everything needs to be transported to the various "floors" through the transport station located in the central stone pillar. The upper-ranking nobles rarely come down, and those below find it difficult to ascend. Once this central stone pillar is controlled, it's equivalent to controlling the lifeline of the entire City of a Thousand Towers. No more supplies will flow upwards, and even if the archmages intervene, they will find it difficult to completely destroy this stone pillar, which is already heavily fortified. Since it is the biggest weakness, it naturally needs to be protected thoroughly. Soldiers patrol the interior continuously, and there are even several disciples of archmages stationed there—but now, it seems that these measures are not entirely reliable.

Moreover, destroying the stone pillar would only result in a double loss, which would be completely pointless.

Their rhetoric was very persuasive.

Clearly, this intelligence seems to have dealt a significant blow to the veteran mages.

"Many lower-ranking nobles joined in, incited by them, believing they could make the city better... The idea itself wasn't wrong, but the methods were terrible."

"Who is he?"

Li Lin nodded, then looked at the silent half-elf and asked another question. During his battle with the half-elf man, Li Lin had sensed a familiar tactical approach, which was why he had specifically asked the question. Now it seemed that his claim that he was Ailas's brother was also a lie.

The old monk smiled slightly, appearing somewhat smug.

"He is a descendant of a disciple of an ancient Arcane Mage... What do you think?"

"Following Klaus's example of dual magic and martial arts is not a good idea. The talent required for a magic swordsman is innate, and I don't agree with the idea that mages must rush into battle. Imitating others will only bring disaster, so it's best not to do it anymore."

Li Lin seemed very strict about this.

"Back in the battle against the Magic Empire, if Klaus hadn't charged into the enemy ranks, he wouldn't have been ambushed and died a tragic death—although I admit, it did buy us some time to slow our demise."

Upon hearing Li Lin's words, the half-elf man trembled slightly, seemingly only now finally revealing a hint of emotion.

"Alright."

Li Lin took a deep breath. Clearly, the appearance of this half-elf man represented the attitude of the three old mages, and therefore, he had to make a decision. Li Lin understood why the three old mages were playing this trick on him; although Nia had explained it, he was well aware of it. In this era, if someone suddenly appeared before you, telling you that he was actually the legendary Demon King and hoping you could help him revive his empire, most people would think him a madman. Li Lin didn't want the three old mages to think he was Nia's puppet, so the best way was to reveal his true power to them—his lineage could lie, but the magical runes etched into Arcane Mage's soul would not lie.

Now, these three mages were no longer merely displaying superficial politeness towards Li Lin, but genuine reverence. All mages had heard the rumors of the Magic Empire, and they were certainly aware of the deeds of the Arcane Mage. To the Temple's followers, they were demons attempting to destroy the world, but only those mages who had truly studied magic knew that these legends only served to confirm the wisdom and power of the Arcane Mage —after all, the Temple's historians were completely ignorant of magical civilization.

"Because we implore your assistance, Your Excellency the Arcane Mage."

"Assistance comes at a price."

Li Lin gazed at the three old monks who were bowing deeply and spoke.

"Are you prepared to face this? After all, it's not an easy task."

The old monk raised his head, a slightly somber smile appearing on his face.

As you wish.