Badge in Azure

“So it’d be only the three of us heading to the Imperial City of the Abyss this time?” The Winged Skull took a look at Sika and sensed the overflowing power from her. Her strength could have eclipsed even dragons.

“Yes, just the three of us. We can’t afford to have the others know about this,” Saleen said to the Winged Skull.

The Winged Skull wore a human smile and chuckled. They arranged for the jade skeletons to command the surrounding warships. Meanwhile, the mechanical soul took over the management of the Ancient.

Saleen did not bother with Genga. The mechanical soul was the kind who would forget the pain once the wounds healed, thinking of ways to enhance its powers and devour enemies.

Doing so would enable it to betray Saleen when it reached a certain level. Saleen knew that better than anyone else.

However, if one were to break free of the Eternal Control Shard, one needed to reach the level of the person who had controlled the Three Kings back then. Saleen did not think that Genga would be able to go that far.

No teleportation portals could be used once they entered the Oceanic Block. The elemental balance was off. If one were to use teleportation, things could easily go haywire. Saleen was in no hurry.

The Pan Turtle Alchemy Ship’s speed in water was able to exceed 240 miles per hour since the Winged Skull had advanced.

But then again, there was a need to place a layer of bubbles outside the ship. The friction in water would have made the ship very hot otherwise.

Saleen’s powers had grown considerably. He came to understand how much of a risk he had taken back then by taking the Pan Turtle Alchemy Shi deep underwater. He had been the only one with a body of water element back then, making it possible for him to survive underwater without problems.

The others, however, were all unable to withstand the high pressures underwater. If the ship had been destroyed, he would have been left alone, but every single follower of his would have been killed.

The Pan Turtle Alchemy Ship drew a white line underwater. One could only find the line if they observed it up close.

Saleen’s magic had become so intricate that the Water Shield that he’d coated the ship with forced the surrounding water to part, reducing the underwater resistance significantly. The water currents were even able to generate a certain amount of thrust after they circled around the ship.

Saleen found that the number of magic beasts around them increased as the ship ventured deep inside the Oceanic Ice Block. In particular, the number of red krill grew by a frightening degree. He dropped the ship’s speed because of this, nudging his way slowly through the schools of red krill.

Saleen had to even kill a certain amount of red krill and throw them into his Starline Ring. If the path continued to be so congested, it would have taken him years to reach the Imperial City of the Abyss.

“What is happening?” The Winged Skull was shocked. They had killed many magic beasts in the outer regions. Due to being busy with a lot of other matters, the Winged Skull had slacked off in the hunts.

They’d never expected the magic beasts in the Oceanic Block to grow to such frightening numbers within just several months.

Sika answered in a matter-of-fact manner, “This is a sign of the rise of the entire mainland’s power. The past several years were not actually the beginning. The explosive increase of low-level magic beasts allowed more high-level ones to hunt. Where would the food of the high-level magic beasts come from otherwise? Nature always finds its balance.”

Saleen took her words to heart. He had been afraid of killing too many magic beasts and affecting the ecological balance of the Oceanic Ice Block. He no longer had such worries and killed his way through them.

He cast Lightning Constellation, causing the lightning puppets to start hunting huge amounts of mid-level magic beasts within about 100 miles of them.

500 thousand lightning puppets were more than enough to overpower magic beasts below level-7. Saleen drew scores of said magic beasts into his dimension stone. The dead bodies of magic beasts taken into the dimension stone would never rot.

Despite being at level-4, the red krill nonetheless made the best equipment for armies. Due to their massive numbers, the red krill could be used to craft massive amounts of magic armor.

One red krill’s spike could be made into at least three magic arrowheads.

Such magic arrowheads were things that only level-9 archers could use. They were at least several hundred times more precious than metal ones. One could only imagine how many arrowheads Saleen could make after going on a killing spree of the red krill.

Regardless of thick a mage’s shielding was, they would always be afraid of getting rained on by tens of thousands of arrows.

Saleen ended up hunting millions of red krill as he killed his way through the magic beasts. In the past, such a venture would have made Saleen insanely rich.

At present, however, the upkeep required to maintain his armies was simply too massive. Such numbers were nothing worth mentioning after he was done distributing the resources.

The Pan Turtle Alchemy Ship headed straight for the abyss after Saleen realized that they had spent too much time tangling with the magic beasts.

Saleen had cleaned up a decent number of carcasses and bones left behind by the single-horned white whales and other magic beasts outside the Imperial City of the Abyss. The place looked a lot more empty when he visited the place again. Saleen put the ship away.

With all three of them being level-10 professionals, they were easily able to deal with the pressures of the deep sea. Saleen had a body of water elements. Sika was a nature priest. The Winged Skull had a body of massively powerful bones and didn’t need to breathe. As such, they were all safe in the depths of the sea.

All three of them scaled the walls and met a level-12 Blue Ice Maiden head-on. The Blue Ice Maiden possessed a soul. When she slashed with her water elemental sword, the move resembled that of a powerful human professional. It had overbearing might, just like the moves dealt by Sul—overbearing and proud.

“Great, the elemental badges need upgrades!” Saleen shot a lightning icicle right away, paralyzing the Blue Ice Maiden for a brief moment. Then he cast a net, trapping her.

While Saleen was only at level-10, his level difference with level-12 creatures was not all that huge.

It was far easier for him to deal with level-10 elemental creatures now than it had been back when he was at level-9. Saleen had not even possessed a weapon as powerful as the lightning icicles back then. The nigh-indestructible net was the best equipment for dealing with elemental creatures.

With the exception of the Angel of Brightness, capturing creatures of all five other elemental types was a breeze with that net.

An Elemental Stone Statue Soldier rushed at him from right behind the Blue Ice Maiden. It was struck down to the ground by Sika with just one hit.

The guards of the Imperial City of the Abyss had actually advanced to level-12.

If it had not been for Sika’s massive strength, the three of them would have had to resort to wearing their Imperial City Badges. The Winged Skull was the one who did nothing. While their level was on par with Saleen, their combat capacity was no longer superior to his.

Furthermore, the Winged Skull only had an overwhelming advantage over beings of flesh and blood in battle. Having them fight elemental creatures would have been a waste of energy.

Saleen and Sika hunted down over a dozen elemental creatures quickly, heading towards the inner parts of the Imperial City after cleaning up the guards nearby.

The general and the grandmaster were at the edge of the Cemetery of Heroes. The grandmaster looked glum as he said, “General, that Saleen has been here several times and never gone inside the cemetery. How about I just go get him?”

“Nope. He has obviously met Gaine. You have yourself to blame for setting up traps in the equipment you gave him. He would not have been on guard against you otherwise. Grandmaster, it’s exactly due to you being so small-minded that you’re unable to get to the highest level.”

The grandmaster looked angry but he was unable to do anything. The general’s prowess was such that, even if the grandmaster were in his prime, it would still have been difficult to take general on.

“So, we just leave him be?”

“Of course not. Gaine will leave sooner or later. Without Gaine around, we’ll be the ones he’ll come to for help,” the general answered calmly.

“How long do we have to wait?”

“Not long. Gaine… is not the kind of person who’d do something he has no certainty of.”

The grandmaster’s soul shuddered. He wanted to say something but was unable to say anything. He would not have dared to look for trouble with a level-18 astrologer, as his own luck had already been bad enough. After all, he had already been trapped in the cemetery for hundreds of thousands of years.

If he were to offend Gaine, even with words alone, and the astrologer cast a Constellation Wishing spell on him, he would not be able to leave, even when he truly died.

Curse you, astrologer! The grandmaster cursed the astrologer deep down, but he dared not voice the words out loud.

Saleen, Sika, and the Winged Skull came before the astrology tower. It was the first time Gaine’s voice was heard from within.

“Saleen, why have you brought two others with you?”

“Can we get inside?”

A beam of starlight shot from the astrology tower and hoisted all three of them right before Gaine. He no longer concealed his presence, as he knew that he would not be able to fool the general in the Cemetery of Heroes.

The only being capable of taking him on in the entire city was the general. The general was the only one among all of the heroes who had been able to maintain his powers after death.

“Master, I’m here with a request.” Saleen stood solemnly before Gaine.

Gaine frowned and said, “This is… rather inconvenient…”

“I’m a mage and I know the rules of the price. I’m here this time to deliver this,” Saleen said as he took out the level-19 Star Gathering Needle. He was ready to give it to Gaine unconditionally. However, there was no way Gaine would have asked for it without giving something in return. It had something to do with astrological rules.

Astrologers and mages shared the same belief that there was a balance of rules in the world.

Gaine kept his eyes fixed on the level-19 Star Gathering Needle, but he did not extend his hand and take it. He said to Saleen, “You’ve had this with you for a long time, no?”

“Indeed, I’ve had it with me for a long time.”

“Why didn’t you talk terms with me before?”

“There was no need for that. My request was not that much of a tall order. You’d have helped me even if I wasn’t going to exchange it with the Star Gathering Needle. I promised you before that I’d be here to search for this for you when I reached level-10.”

Gaine’s hand was shuddering somewhat. He took the Star Gathering Needle and held it in his hand, letting the sharp end stab through his palm.

A sensation of pain was soon felt. If it had not been for the body of the figure, Gaine would have shed tears right there and then.

How many years has it been? I’m no longer able to feel pain. I can taste nothing. Every pleasure of common man no longer has anything to do with me. I can no longer even suffer the pain felt by common men.

He was finally able to free himself from the body of the figure with that thing!

“What do you need, Saleen?” Gaine asked after quite some time.

“Sika, the totem pole,” Saleen said to Sika.

Sika nodded and took out the 18 meter-long totem pole, putting it right before Gaine. Gaine wore a startled expression. A mage made this thing. It’s magnificent, it’s…

“I’m hoping you’ll be able to help my wife by infusing the world within the totem power with the power of the stars. It would enable the world within to operate in balance, to become whole,” Saleen elaborated on his request.

“That’s simple. Is there anything else?” Gaine continued to ask. The level-19 Star Gathering Needle was more important to him than anything.

He would be able to thoroughly regain his powers with that thing. It would enable him to head to crystal wall systems of higher levels. Gaine had no intention of coming back after leaving, so Gaine wanted to help Saleen fulfill his wishes as best as he could.