<strong>Protection</strong>


    Looking at the self-destruction of the stone counter and the ck volume, Leylin’s expression did not contain even a trace of pity.


    As far as he was concerned, the biggest reward was already in his hands, so even if he was not able to get the other treasures, he felt no regret.


    *Bang! bang!*


    Two blue cocoons disintegrated right in front of Leylin’s eyes, exposing the two items that were within them.


    Leylin calmly took them both.


    The Void White-Eyed Snake’s snakeskin used to make the ck leather pouch felt soft to the touch, and continuously spread a warm feeling to Leylin.


    The silver designs upon it felt as if they were alive; they continuously moved about on the surface of the leather pouch, emitting a brilliant and dazzling radiance.


    ”It is worthy of being known as the Void White-Eyed Snake, or as the rumors call it, the darling of the void. A fully grown snake has its own space runes on its body...”


    Leylin sighed in admiration, his fingers constantly caressing the surface of the leather pouch.


    “What a pity that the Void White-Eyed Snake is not a creature with a bloodline. Otherwise, even though this leather had been solidified by the ancient Magi and lost all its vitality, I still could have attempted to purify its bloodline...”


    Leylin sighed regretfully, and then he looked at the thing that resembled a honeb-shaped coal briquet.


    A dark green, pearl-like object was embedded in the surface of this honeb shaped briquet—something that strangely resembled an eye—and after looking at it, Leylin abruptly felt some dizziness.


    “This thing is very strange! It seems that I must look for more data in the future so that I can analyse this thing’sponents...”


    Leylin vaguely thought as such. A thread of spiritual force crept out onto the surface of the leather pouch made from the Void White-Eyed Snake’s skin.


    *Crash!*


    The knot at the neck of the leather pouch broke open, exposing a really dark green hole. Leylin even momentarily felt as if his own spiritual force had locked onto some odd space.


    The size of this space was not veryrge; it was only the size of two or three rooms. On all sides, there was a vast expanse of white lustre. Furthermore, the space runes that he had previously seen on the leather pouch were continuously roving about on the surface.


    Through his spiritual force, Leylin felt that he could seemingly ce any lifeless object in this space.


    Following which, he immediately looked at the honeb briquet beside the pouch.


    *Xiu!* The honeb briquet quickly faded from his palm and soon a hexagonal object with countless pearls on its surface hovered in the space that he had explored before.


    “This is a curiously unusual feeling. Moreover, the weight of the leather pouch has also not increased...” Leylin weighed the pouch.


    Just as he was about to close the leather pouch, a message was sent through a thread of spiritual force from deep inside the pouch.


    “Sessor! Congrattions on getting my final work of art—the Insatiable Bottomless Pouch! I originally created this item so that it could be a magic equipment that would allow my name to be known through the ages! Unfortunately, it was stuck at the level of a high-grade magic artifact! I hope you will treat it properly and also help to upgrade it.....a namesake of myself, Meypes!”


    ”Meypes! I have not heard of such a name; he must have been a Potions Master from ancient times!”


    Leylin also took the full measure of the first high-grade magic artifact that he had taken into his possession.


    In the south coast, inferior grade magic artifacts were used by acolytes and mediocre rank 1 Magi. O the other hand, semi-converted elemental Magi and peak rank 1 Magi all used medium grade magic artifacts.


    Only rank 2 Magi or those genuinely privileged might have a high grade magic artifact!


    As for those magic equipment that were superior to magic artifacts, they were the highly kept secret treasures of everyrge powerful faction! Even Leylin hadn’t heard of any information pertaining to them.


    And now, even Leylin had a high-grade magic artifact. Even though it was not of the offensive type, it provided him with assistance and was of much more worth than an offense-type magic artifact.


    Leylin swept a nce over the other goods in the surroundings.


    Surrounding the ck counter, there were several small wooden shelves. Although there were not many items on top of these shelves, and they weren’tparable to those 3 items on the ck counter, if they were to be ced outside, they would still be good things that would attract the attention of semi-converted elemental Magi or even peak rank 1 Magi!


    “Since I am here, these all are mine.”


    Leylinughed, and a great amount of ck fog turned into small snakes, which then pounced onto the shelves all around him....


    A dozen or so minutester, Leylin, with a smiling expression on his face, walked out of this store.


    This time around, his harvest was plentiful. Even though some precious items were destroyed due to magic spells, what he had seized amounted to 80% of the hidden treasures!


    Those several precious materials inside caused a sparkle in Leylin’s eyes. There were even some materials that his currently updated database did not have any records of.


    Leylin made a concrete estimate that the value of those materials would amount to at least 10 million magic crystals.


    “These resources are more than enough to help me advance and be a rank 2 Magus, and will also be beneficial to me for a long time ...”


    Leylin felt the ck leather pouch that had been tucked away in his bosom, and the grin on his face only intensified.


    His biggest gain this time was this Insatiable Bottomless Pouch, a storage-type, high-grade magic artifact. As far as rank 2 Magi were concerned, they could only obtain such an item through good fortune; it could not be sought after!


    Currently, the leather pouch tucked in Leylin’s bosom had a dusty, weathered surface, making it look like an unremarkable item. The previously seen illusory silvery space runes were nowpletely concealed.


    After having received the message of the Potions Master from inside the pouch, Leylin could easily control the leather pouch and had modified its exterior form.


    Currently, when seen from the outside, this leather pouch just appeared as an ordinary leather waist pouch, with no energy waves. This ensured that people would not associate this pouch with a spatial artifact


    Apart from that, this space had a size equivalent to 2 or 3 rooms. After Leylin had stored inside all the goods he had previously taken from that storehouse, and also added the stuff that he had on his person, all of it only upied one corner of the space.


    This leather pouch would be of enormous assistance to Leylin in future trips and adventures.


    “Oh! Rodent! That is one clever chap....”


    Leylin saw that Rodent had been missing for a long time and that the entire passage was deathly still; the floor of the passage was strewn with broken bricks and dust from the damaged wall.


    At a far off region, minute tremors were felt from the bombardment of spells.


    Of course, during this time, on the surface, the Thousand Meddling Hands’ dark Magi and the Four Seasons Garden’s light Magi were still fighting for their own goals.


    “Not bad, it is time for the dark Magi to retreat!”


    Leylin calmly felt for his golden pocket watch, saw the time, and sneered.


    He, who had been long within the Thousand Meddling Hands, knew that although the dark Magi’s attacks were fierce at the start — so much so that even white Magi couldn’t resist — it was solely because they were covert and sudden attacks. After the passage of some time, the light Magi union would surely send some assistance.


    Additionally, the dark Magi were basically very selfish, and after having gotten what they came here for, they were hardly willing to do their utmost in the rest of this battle.


    “Anyways, Giant and the ‘Boss’ behind him must be wondering why I haven’t yet destroyed the huge metal gate’s consciousness.”


    The Eternal River ins’ secret ne was a very stablend, especially around the two regions’ huge metal gates.


    Leylin perceived that the runes on the metal gate alone were very problematic. Moreover, the huge metal gate had been made from some kind of recovery metal; it had the ability of automatic recovery. Unless that entire metal gate was destroyed in a split-second, or an attack that was an unusually high degree of power was used to bombard the gate, it would automatically rebuild itself.


    ording to A.I. Chip’s estimations, only rank 4 Morning Star Magi or Magi of higher levels could destroy the entrances to the secret ne.


    However, in the current south coast, it was unknown whether Magi of these ranks still existed or not!


    Leylin shook his head, and then chose a path, before vanishing into the darkness.


    ......


    *Sssii!*


    A whirlwind of green fog spiraled forth, tearing down on the building, and causingrge noises as it eroded the building.


    There was an asional magic radiance that shed past, and all under the green fog was turned ck until the building crumbled. Afterwards, the green fog turned into a green liquid.


    Within the centre of the green fog, Giant was crushing the heads of the Four Seasons Garden’s Magi with his palms.


    “What is going on? Why hasn’t it detonated yet?” he looked in the direction of Reynold’s office, his look one of impatience.


    If the core of the consciousness of the metal gate was destroyed, a psionic storm would ur, and the secret ne’s entrance would receive irreversible damage.


    But now?


    Giant looked in the direction of the metal gate, where it was still standing majestically at the core of the Four Seasons Garden’s headquarters. Even if random magic spells used by Magi during this battle had hit the gate, they only caused slight fluctuations; it was just like the oceans of ancient times, it concealed within it a ginormous power and existed calmly for countless years.


    “It seems Leylin has faced some problems inside! But, I still have a backup n ...”


    A strange expression flickered upon Giant’s face.


    ......


    Inside Reynold’s office.


    At this moment, from the headquarters outside the ne, Wade hurried here, along with some magicians.


    Seeing the intact seal, this golden-haired Magus couldn’t help but let loose a sigh of relief. “Mentor said that the seal is still intact and that there is no problem within the core consciousness....”


    Immediately, he yelled at the magicians behind him, “Quickly, stand guard here. The danger level is 5A! Thismand is issued jointly by Mentor Reynold, and myself, the envoy of headquarters!”


    “Agreed, my Lord!” All the magicians behind him bowed in eptance, and they all scattered to protect the spell formation within the office.


    These magicians all wore blood-red colored armour, which was inscribed with designs of thorny brambles. Their every move emitted a bloody aura, causing the other Magi’s hearts to palpitate.


    This was Four Seasons Garden’s core power — the Four Seasons Corps! Every member of it was a powerful Magus with an elemental conversion of 60% or more, was proficient in many kinds of secret techniques that could increase their power to the equivalent of an elemental essence conversion of 70% or more, and could also use cooperative attacks.


    This time, if it were not for Wade being made the envoy from the headquarters, they likely wouldn’t have evene.


    “My Lord, should we also allocate some people to go to the merit points exchange center? ording to information, previously, the S-rank criminal from the Thousand Meddling Hands, Blood Rogue, had made an appearance there....”