Chapter 145: The most wanted fugitive (2/2)

He rummaged again in the box and took out another scroll, one even more ancient-looking, then gave it to Ayrin.

“Tears of the Dark Goddess?”

Resisting the pain in his arms, Ayrin unrolled the scroll and read it aloud in spite of himself.

“No matter how fast your opponent, as long as you can clearly see his movements, then of course you’ll have an opportunity to strike back.”

“Is this an eye skill that can stimulate the nerves in the eyes and the brain, that’ll make the scene in front of the eyes seem as if everything’s going slower?”

“More or less. Only, it has some sequelae, you’ll be left with some dizziness and blurry vision for a couple days after using it.”

“Just some dizziness and blurriness for a couple days, that’s not an issue,” Ayrin shouted in excitement. “Professor Plum, can I learn both these skills?”

“Ok.” Professor Plum merely nodded his head in a simple fashion. He let him go sit in a corner and go study them. When Ayrin obediently sat down, his eyes fell on the book in his hands.

In his hands was an ancient text he’d borrowed not long ago from the most ancient elven store in Eichemalar. It had a very long name: “The ultimate battle in the War of the Dragons, a memoir by Ruin Master Steven.”

“If you can learn even these two ancient skills that belong respectively to the dragon clan and the dark elves’ kingdom, then concerning your bloodline, there’d be only one final possibility left.”

This old, wrinkled arcane master lightly tapped his fingers on the page, such a voice reverberating in his mind.

…

“In the national tournament, each fighter’s indeed more powerful than the last.”

“I Awakened late, so I need to work even harder to catch up to them.” Such a voice resonated in Ayrin’s mind.

While he was busy carefully analyzing the two new arcane skills, a middle-aged man with disheveled golden hair walked inside a clockwork shop in Eichemalar’s eastern area, two attendants in tow.

This store sold antiques from the era of the War of the Dragons, with clockwork items as the main theme.

Inside the display windows on both sides of the deep-blue glass door , there were two clockwork soldiers as tall as half a grown man, a huge shield and an ax in their hands, uncommon arcane-resistant crystals inlaid in their bodies. With a mere glance, one could tell they were those formidable clockwork soldiers as strong as elite arcane masters from that legendary era.

It was only a pity the two clockwork soldiers were damaged. Inside the cracks on their backs and the sides of their heads, one could see many fractured springs and gears inside.

But the more one looked at the components inside, the springs big and small still without the slightest trace of rust on them, still twinkling with a dark light, the more one sighed in admiration at the frightening craftsmanship of those mountain dwarf master craftsmen.

“Seven hundred gold coins.” The price inside the display windows was also sufficient proof of how much people appreciated them nowadays.

“What breathtaking craftsmanship, what a wonderful era.”

When this golden-haired middle-aged man of seemingly very lofty status walked inside the deep-blue glass door, he sighed in lament at the sight of these two clockwork soldiers.

When he came inside, when his body was no longer illuminated by the sunlight, this man’s eyes flashed with an ashen-gray luster.

The boss of this store was a tall and skinny man enveloped in a green, high-necked arcane master robe in the antique style from the Era of the Dragons. Even though his back was bent, he was still half a head taller than ordinary men. His face brimmed with shrewdness, his hair kept even neater and glossier than many a steward from noble houses.

“Lord Dias1!”

This shop owner bowed down in extreme shock when he heard this golden-haired man’s voice. He slightly raised his head, subconsciously doubtful in his mind. Because the man he knew should have had long silver-white hair. But his doubts vanished when he saw the ashen-gray luster glinting in the man’s eyes. He realized the other man had merely somewhat altered his appearance on purpose.

“Lord Dias, why did your honored self come here in person? Don’t you think it’s dangerous?”

He lowered his head, even more terrified, his entire person trembling with reverence and fear.

“Danger? Half the elite masters of the kingdom are after me, when have I ever been out of danger?” As if ruminating, this middle-aged man took a purple witch crystal ball from the display window at the side and played with it in his hands. “Only, is there anyone else as familiar as me with every stone and every tree in Eichemalar?”

Bowed down, his head lowered, the shop owner suddenly shook from head to toe. He seemed to have heard something from those words, but didn’t ask any further question. He merely said in a quiet, trembling voice filled with fear and longing, “Lord Dias, your servant awaits your instructions.”

1. Lord Dias was mentioned previously in chapter 115 already. Please refer back to it if you forgot about him.