Advent of the Archmage

Duke Osiris' castle.

Link's infiltration mission had been discovered. A few seconds after the guards' roars, 30 strong bursts of aura poured out. They were all at least at Level-7, with two being so powerful that the air in the castle seemed to be distorted. This was a sign of being Level-8.

Link cursed in his mind. F*ck, so many of these high-level dragons! If he was surrounded, he'd definitely be killed instantly!

Thankfully, he had the Dimensional Jump spell.

However, he couldn't use this escaping spell so directly for two reasons.

Firstly, the high-level dragons racing over from the library behind him and garden before him were less than 100 feet from him. If he used the Dimensional Jump, he would need 0.15 seconds, and there would be a flash of white light. It was very obvious, and if the dragons wanted to, they could easily stop him with a Battle Aura Cut.

Secondly, even if his Dimensional Jump was successful, he could only go 3000 feet. The commotion after he reappeared would still allow the enemy to find his specific location. Three thousand feet was only a matter of half a minute for these high-level dragons. They could fly and were fast. Link definitely wasn't their match.

At this time, the Dragon Warriors near Link grew hesitant. Clearly, they could sense Link's hidden existence.

Seeing that he was about to be surrounded, the invisible Link sent a secret command to Nana who had been hiding in the flowers.

The next moment, Nana jumped out. There was a bang in the air, and she sped forward at top speed, rushing out of the garden.

The commotion was too obvious.

"There! The thief is there!"

"Hurry and catch her!"

"She's so fast!"

Instantly, almost all the high-level dragons were distracted. They spun around and flew towards Nana, including the Level-8 guard leader Brayer. The entire castle emptied and Link's danger decreased.

However, he still didn't use the Dimensional Jump because there was still a Level-8 dragon in the castle.

He was also a Dragon Warrior with double swords as his weapon. His armor was much more finely made than the guards, and he was younger too. The servants all respected him, calling him "young master."

He was probably Duke Osiris' son. At this moment, he was in the garden, looking left and right for Link.

Link didn't dare act brashly. He went beside a bush of flowers and squatted, creeping carefully to the garden entrance.

"Huh?" The dragon looked over, staring at the flower bush Link was at with a face of confusion and caution.

Fuck, he's going to find me! Link's heart pounded.

His invisibility wasn't all-powerful. It was useful if the other party didn't sense him beforehand. However, if the person knew someone was there, they would focus and search carefully. He was a Level-8 Warrior as well, so it was already impressive Link could last this long.

Knowing that he would definitely be discovered, Link couldn't risk it anymore. He would act first!

Focusing, he cast the Demon Slayer Whip!

With a whoosh, a crystal red whip rushed out of the air, glowing with faint red light. There were eight blinding light spots on it. It charged toward the opponent.

"Oh? Impressive!" the Dragon Warrior focused his gaze and complimented Link. Then, frantic dragon power appeared from his body. At a glance, it looked like he was on fire. One couldn't see his body.

This was much more powerful than the Level-8 Warriors Link had seen before. He was shocked. The power is very pure and converged. It seems endless. It looks like he's about to break into Level-9. Is this the powerful bloodline of the Red Dragon nobles?

These thoughts flashed through his mind. The next instant, the Demon Slayer Whip crashed against the dragon.

Link had practiced countless days under simulations to add supreme magic skills to the Demon Slayer Whip. When he cast the spell, he also had the help of the game system. All these advantages allowed Link to control the spell almost at will.

At the same time, he also had rich battle experience, so his whip was extremely flexible. It was almost impossible to distinguish where the whip would strike.

But the Dragon Warrior took a glance and was actually happy rather than shocked. "Nice move. Take my sword!"

As he spoke, the double swords in his hands turned into a blur. His actions were so fast one couldn't see them clearly.

Boom! Boom! Boom, boom! There were countless explosions. For each boom, there was a burst of shockwaves. The flowers in the garden couldn't withstand this crazy power and were ripped from their roots. Link couldn't keep hiding anymore either. He canceled the Invisibility spell and focused on battling with the Dragon Warrior.

He activated 13 wave peak attacks in one second. The angles were extremely tricky, and the Dragon Warrior acted desperately, but he still blocked all of Link's attacks. His double swords skill was too powerful—practically undefeatable.

Link was shocked. He'd used almost all his power in the previous attack, and he'd taken the initiative. It had pretty much been a surprise attack. However, he could only put the opponent at a disadvantage rather than directly defeat him. This Dragon Warrior was just too powerful.

Who is he? This kind of Warrior shouldn't be nameless, even in the game. Link was confused, but he didn't have time to think during the intense battle. He could only focus all his effort on the enemy.

The Demon Slayer Whip was like a snake spirit. It circled the Dragon Warrior, constantly striking down. The blinding spots of light were everywhere on the whip. Every bit of the long whip could produce a terrifying attack. One had to be cautious and guarded.

The Dragon Warrior had blocked the attacks but was still caught up in defending himself. He faced death every moment, but he wasn't scared at all. Instead, he kept cheering, "Good! Nice! Feels great!"

He was having a great time. It felt like all his potential was being forced out by this powerful opponent. Even more strangely, he was just good enough to block the attacks. This was the perfect battle he'd always been searching for.

The seconds ticked by. Link became more and more anxious because he didn't have time to be tangled up with this guy.

The guards after Nana could return at any time. Then, he would be surrounded. He'd be dead meat.

By the third second, Link had fully gathered his resolve and entered a state of total concentration. His surroundings seemed to pause.

Then, he started multitasking. While controlling the whip to engage the opponent, he also tossed out a Spatial Sphere. The ball acting in concert with the Demon Slayer Whip was very effective against Warriors. It was practically unbeatable but also risky!

It was obviously fine against a regular Warrior, but this Dragon Warrior's swordsmanship was practically perfect. If Link's attacks had any flaws, he'd instantly grasp onto it and start counterattacking. If he used a Battle Aura Cut, Link would be in an awkward situation.

Thankfully, Link was well-practiced with his spells. One-tenth of a second later, he tossed the Spatial Sphere to the Dragon Warrior's feet.

"Restraint!"

With a soft boom, the sesame-seed-sized sphere exploded. A ball of airwaves, like fog or water or a web, enveloped the Dragon Warrior. He slowed down considerably.

"What is this?" He was shocked.

This type of attack had surpassed what his swordsmanship could handle. It was impossible to hide from. The Dragon Warrior ignited his Battle Aura to break free from the spatial restraint.

This needed time. Even if it didn't even take a second, it was already fatal.

Before he finished his sentence, Link's whip had already arrived.

Crack! Crack! Crack! The whip easily overcame the Dragon Warrior's slow movements. One after another, the attacks fell on his chest, forehead, and the back of his head. They were all fatal spots.

The Dragon Warrior's armor was instantly shattered. The dragon power's light was extinguished as well, becoming too dim to see. However, these two things saved him from dying on the spot. He was only gravely wounded.

Spitting out blood, he collapsed onto the ground.

While falling, he was still conscious. Staring at Link, he said, "Good moves, Magician. You really have good moves! I, Lisbon, will remember you!"

Crack! The Demon Slayer Whip came down again, striking the Dragon Warrior's body. He blew out, crashing into the outer wall of the castle with a boom, creating a giant hole in the thick stone.

Link didn't have time to check on him. White light glowed, and with a soft buzz, he activated the Dimensional Jump and disappeared from the garden.

Buzz. Three thousand feet away, Link reappeared. The moment he appeared, he activated the Traceless spell and Cheetah's Agility, starting to race toward the Dragon Temple.

While sprinting, he finally remembered who the Warrior was.

No wonder his swordsmanship is that strong. It's that guy!

In the previous game, Lisbon was a wandering dragon vigilante. He was banished from the Dragon Valley for some reason and started wandering around Firuman.

He was very straightforward and was a typical martial arts-obsessed guy. He was extremely powerful. Once, he was surrounded by four Level-8 demons. After a hard battle, he suffered serious injuries but managed to kill all four demons. Later, he joined the Light Army.

When Nozama descended, Lisbon was already part of the strongest batch of Warriors of the Light Army. However, he didn't have a great ending.

During a fortress defense battle, he was the commander and was faced with the succubus Misamier. He fell for the succubus' spell and was killed. The fortress fell into the enemy's hands, and the Light Army's defensive line almost collapsed from the damage.

Naturally, as the commander, all his glory was taken due to this serious mistake.

Lisbon's motto was, "Want to win my respect? Beat me first!"

Not many could defeat him in the Light Army, so very few were respected by him. And if he didn't respect someone, he would be an arrogant and annoying person. This was probably a major reason why he had a bad ending. He didn't have enough friends, so no one spoke up for him after his death.

I can't believe I met him here and that he's Duke Osiris' son. This is probably why he was banished from the Dragon Valley.

Link felt it was fortunate he didn't kill Lisbon. Otherwise, the Light Army would have one less general.

After running for a while, he heard a sound. Nana had returned. Her speed could reach 2500 feet per second. At this speed, the dragons couldn't keep up even if they flew. She easily lost them.

Traveling together for a while, Nana suddenly said, "Master, you're too slow. I'll carry you."

"Is that okay?" Link looked at Nana's slim figure. He suddenly felt that he should've made Nana bigger. A big woman like Felina would be able to carry him easily.

"No problem." Nana grabbed Link and continued charging at her breakneck speed.

Link was speechless and embarrassed. His legs were practically dragging on the ground. It felt like a Tauren riding a goat. Only the Tauren could be seen, and it was just weird.

But she was honestly fast.

…

Just as Link was racing away from Duke Osiris' territory for his life, a 130-foot Red Dragon landed on the Osiris Castle. The dragon descended and transformed into a man clad in a dark red robe.

He had a high nose and sunken eyes, quite similar to Lisbon. With a dark expression, he walked toward the castle. All the servants and slaves in his path lowered onto the ground and greeted their master.

The guards didn't dare to even breathe loudly. After greeting the duke, they fell silent.

Osiris glanced at the damaged garden and his wounded son. "Where did the invader go?" he demanded.

"Sir, I can guide you," a weak feminine voice said. It was Olisa. Her face was ghastly pale, and there were many bloody marks on her. Her life aura was very weak. If not for her strong physique as a dragon, she would be on the ground, waiting to die right now.

"Good. Lead the way!"

The Red Dragon duke transformed again. Flapping his wings, there was a gale that blew the weak Olisa onto his back.

Then Osiris started flying. He was too strong. Not only was his strength concentrated, but it was also at an extraordinarily large scale. With a flap of his wings, he shot into the air like an arrow. Another flap and he disappeared. All that remained was a trail of dark red haze.