Chapter 613: Elf Archmage

During the meal, Mei Di Si was very enthusiastic.

She ate little herself, just sampling, mainly watching Lei En eat while looking for topics, subtly probing Lei En's personal situation.

Except for matters concerning a few women, Lei En answered everything truthfully.

His life experiences over the past few years have been extremely exciting.

Even with a straightforward description, the three giants could sense the thrilling ups and downs in his calm words. Mei Di Si sighed inwardly, finally understanding why the human before them could be a distinguished guest of the elders; Lei En shone like a hero stepped out of an epic.

A Xi Na's spirit even rose even higher as she listened.

This is the life she most yearns for, and the reason she has long wanted to leave the sanctuary; the affection for Lei En in her eyes almost overflowed.

Even Bo Luo Si was drawn in.

At first he thought Lei En was bragging, but the more he heard, the more he realized it was likely all true. Even if only half of Lei En's words were factual, he would need several hundred more years to reach Lei En's achievements, perhaps never catching up in a lifetime.

This greatly discouraged Bo Luo Si, yet his hostility toward Lei En unknowingly lessened considerably.

"I am full, thank you for the lady's hospitality."

Lei En drank a large cup of fruit wine, let out a satisfied belch, stood up and laughed, "Since this is our first meeting, many things weren't ready in time, so I can only give you both a few small gifts as a token of my sincerity."

"No, no..." Mei Di Si hurriedly waved her hand.

Bo Luo Si also showed a disdainful expression, determined not to accept anything from Lei En.

However, when they saw Lei En take a gift from the Nebula Ring and place it on the table, they were all stunned.

"What beautiful golden jewelry!"

Mei Di Si let out a low exclamation, her eyes reflecting golden light.

Her reaction was exactly what Lei En expected; he had activated metal to melt over a hundred thousand Gold Shields, total weight exceeding a ton, several times more than the gold Mei Di Si owned.

Then, following a design of golden ornaments from a past-life book in the library, he forged in one go more than a dozen exquisite pieces—bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings, crowns, and so on—scaled up to the giants' size so Mei Di Si could wear them.

For a legendary Mid-stage Storm Giant, a hundred thousand Gold Shields' worth of gold is not much; the truly rare thing is the design of these golden ornaments, each a crystallized wisdom of many master artisans from past lives.

The glittering jewelry had a strong impact on Mei Di Si.

Bo Luo Si, however, stared at the thick stack of books, unable to look away.

Some of these books were written in Aurelien Language, which he could read; a few were elven scriptures. From the titles, one can see that most record meditation methods and past practitioners' insights, while the rest introduce the latest cutting‑edge mechanical technologies.

The mother and son both began breathing heavily.

Mei Di Si was the first to regain composure, shaking her head, "Lei En, these gifts are too valuable..."

"To me, they're not very costly," Lei En said sincerely, "This is my intention; please accept them, lady."

Mei Di Si felt very moved.

Bo Luo Si's lips moved; he wanted to refuse, but found himself unable to speak.

"Mother, Bo Luo Si, please accept them," A Xi Na urged. Lei En's generosity toward his family made her very happy, and she felt a glow on her face.

"Alright!"

Mei Di Si ultimately couldn't resist her love for the exquisite jewelry, and she also knew how much those books helped Bo Luo Si, reminding him, "Bo Luo Si, hurry and thank Lei En."

Bo Luo Si nodded sincerely, murmuring, "Thank you."

The Soul Eye saw his hostility toward him drop to the lowest, almost gone; Lei En felt very satisfied and, magnanimously, smiled, "No need for formalities; as long as you like them, that's enough."

The two giants put away the gifts, instantly becoming even more enthusiastic toward Lei En.

Lei En didn't forget A Xi Na, laughing, "This is a gift for you."

He produced two weapons.

One was a wholly transparent, ice‑forged greatsword, one of his spoils from Kangjiatuo, the hereditary treasure of Duke Brandon of the North, an epic "Ice Giant Sword". He had intended to sell it, but there was no suitable buyer, so he kept it in a Spatial Ring until now.

The other was a Bolt Gun he had crafted himself.

"Do I also get a gift?" A Xi Na exclaimed delightedly.

She instantly recognized the sword's extraordinary nature; before she could examine it closely, she heard Mei Di Si exclaim, "Epic greatsword!"

"Lady, sharp eyes," Lei En introduced, "It's called 'Ice', once a hereditary weapon of a noble family in the Prime Material Plane; its former owner was defeated and became my spoil."

The Ice Giant Sword carries seven effects.

The strongest is 'Ice Sword Momentum', swinging the blade to emit invisible, colorless sword qi that merges wielder and sword, striking the enemy at a speed comparable to a flash, also granting invisibility, making defense impossible.

Back then, Duke Brandon used this technique along with superb swordsmanship, causing himself considerable trouble.

The other six effects are spells: Triple Ice Spear Technique, Quadruple Frost Ring, Quintuple Ice Armor, Sextuple Cold Thought, Septuple Ice Wind Chill, Octuple Blizzard. They are used respectively for single‑target attack, area attack, control, protection, support, and large‑scale damage, making them very comprehensive.

A Xi Na couldn't put the Ice Giant Sword down.

The wholly transparent greatsword was not only uniquely beautiful but also nearly 1.8 meters long, and felt very comfortable in the hand. In its most commonly used three‑meter‑high form, its power and speed were balanced; wielding the sword in one hand and a shield in the other, she could treat the Ice Giant Sword as a one‑handed blade—perfectly suitable.

Not to mention the seven enchantments on the blade, all very useful.

A Xi Na grasped the sword and swung it once.

The heavy greatsword felt as light as straw in her hand; Ice Sword Momentum activated, fine hair‑like sword qi erupted from the blade, carving a deep gouge into the rocky wall and forming cold white frost.

"What a powerful force!"

A Xi Na, both surprised and delighted, turned to the Bolt Gun, curiously asking, "Is this also a weapon? Is it the soul gun you mentioned that's popular among humans now?"

"Both yes and no," Lei En replied.

He glanced at Bo Luo Si, the giant mage who knew his stuff; he hadn't taken his eyes off the Bolt Gun Lei En produced, his gaze full of eagerness.

If his family weren't present, Bo Luo Si would probably have lunged forward.

"This is a weapon I forged myself, called a Bolt Gun. It incorporates some soul‑gun technology; you can give it a try," Lei En grasped A Xi Na's arm and recorded her soul wave frequency into the Bolt Gun's spirit‑etched stone, granting her permission to use it.

When A Xi Na took the Bolt Gun and gripped its handle, Lei En instructed, "Pull the trigger and don't let go."

A Xi Na obeyed, firing at a wall a hundred meters away.

Boom—boom—boom—...

A deafening burst of explosions suddenly rang out, startling all three giants.

Only to see the muzzle spew scarlet flames, as if something had been shot out, the speed so fast the eyes couldn't see it; in a single breath, the opposite wall seemed to be bombarded by a succession of fireball spells, triggering a chain explosion, shards flying everywhere, and the entire wall collapsed in an instant.

Axina hurried to stop firing.

She stared at the Bolt Gun in her hands; the tremendous recoil, the thunderous explosion-like gunfire, and the displayed power all left her stunned.

As a Titan Giant, Axina's perception was extremely keen.

In the span of a single breath, I seemed to have fired over a dozen spells, each with power equivalent to a third-ring spell, yet the mental energy consumed was negligible, almost ignorable.

Such a storm-like magical barrage, with terrifyingly high frequency, long range, and speed so fast it's impossible to dodge; if only one or two Bolt Guns were aimed at me, the threat would be minor, but if the number of Bolt Guns increased to five or more, it would become somewhat dangerous.

The Bolt Gun is obviously mass-producible; as long as one can withstand the recoil, anyone can use it.

"Impressive weapon…"

Medis did not understand it, merely marveling at its power.

Bolos, however, saw through it, staring fixedly at the Bolt Gun with eager, almost fanatical eyes, unable to resist asking, "May I try it?"

Axina looked to Lei En, waiting for his consent.

Lei En shrugged indifferently.

Bolos, thinking he had agreed, eagerly snatched the Bolt Gun; its hundred‑pound weight felt light to him, and upon picking it up he sensed something extraordinary, aimed at the collapsed wall and pulled the trigger—*click*—with no response.

"Eh?"

He pulled the trigger several times, but no gunfire sounded; bewildered, he asked, "What's going on? Is there no ammunition, or is it broken?"

"There are plenty of rounds—up to twelve thousand can be stored—but I have installed a secret lock; only those I authorize may use the Bolt Gun." Lei En said with a smile.

"A secret lock? How is that done?"

That was Bolos's first reaction; he completely failed to grasp the principle, then pleaded, "Can you grant me authorization?"

"Sorry." Lei En shook his head. "This is my exclusive craft."

Bolos's expression instantly turned as uncomfortable as constipation.

Yet he also knew that such a vital craft must not be leaked; having just met Lei En, and having earlier given him a cold stare, merely being allowed to handle the Bolt Gun already showed Lei En's great generosity. The very manufacturing technique of this Bolt Gun revealed that Lei En's knowledge and skill far surpassed his own; he resolved to cultivate a good relationship with Lei En, seeking his advice often.

Unbeknownst to him, Bolos's attitude toward Lei En underwent a complete 180‑degree turn.

He reluctantly returned the Bolt Gun to Axina.

The three giants were delighted with their gifts, the atmosphere becoming even more harmonious than before. Lei En chuckled inwardly, applying the right remedy to the right person—indeed, an excellent way to win hearts.

Time flowed slowly.

The Storm Plane has no day or night; the sky is forever shrouded in dark clouds and lightning, the light dim, the Storm Hall draws power from the Titan Furnace, crystal lamps are always lit, there is never true night, and the storm giants keep irregular schedules, resting when fatigued.

I had thought that after seeing Axina's family I would return to the Furnace Hall to meet the Titan Elder.

However, Lei En sat in Axina's home for two or three hours, yet no summons from Sorim arrived.

As I was about to rise and go to the Furnace Hall to inquire, two bolts of lightning flew in from outside, striking my palm and Axina's, sinking into the skin and transmitting Sorim's magical message.

The Titan Elder was receiving guests, telling them to continue waiting.

"Guests?"

Lei En felt surprise in his heart, immediately guessed the truth, and asked, "Are they other source crystal traders?"

"Probably." Axina nodded: "Each year two or three outsiders enter the Storm Hall to visit the Elder; ordinary guests' visits are usually staggered, rarely overlapping—I didn't expect you to run into them."

Seeing Lei En's curiosity, she offered proactively: "Let me ask for you."

A bolt of lightning shot forth.

Half a minute later a bolt returned, flying from the direction of the planar teleportation array—as expected, Axina was communicating with the array's guardian, Lodalar.

Sure enough, after receiving the message she said: "Uncle Lodalar tells me the visitor is a high elf, but he won't give his name."

"I have seen that high elf."

The speaker was Axina's mother, Medis.

She seemed to recall something, sighing: "He left a deep impression on me; when I first came to the Storm Hall I happened to be there—that was over a hundred years ago. He differed from ordinary elves, very young, ordinary in appearance, yet frail in build, as if sick, his steps unsteady. Yet no one dared underestimate him, for he is a Grand Mage of level twenty or higher."

Lei En's heart gave a slight jolt—an Elf Grand Mage!

Such a caster ranks equal to a Holy Soul Wizard; elves are famed for longevity, giving them ample time to study magic and refine spellcraft; a Grand Mage of equal rank to a Holy Soul Wizard matches them in power, yet surpasses the wizard in other aspects.

The elf population is far smaller than humanity's, yet their Grand Mages vastly outnumber Holy Soul Wizards.

Even some low‑key Grand Mages remain unknown.

"What is that Grand Mage's name?" Lei En asked.

He had a vague suspicion; Medis's description resembled that very notable figure.

Medis pondered seriously, then replied in an uncertain tone: "I don't know his surname; if I recall correctly, he should be called 'Teklis'."

"Teklis, indeed it is him!"

Lei En was startled; he had heard of this Grand Mage before.

To be precise, all extraordinary beings of the Prime Material Plane have heard of the fame of Grand Mage Teklis; even some moderately knowledgeable ordinary people know the legendary deeds of this high elf.

Since the end of the Third Epoch, elves and dwarves have retreated to their homelands, rebuilding amid ruins; over the past three thousand five hundred years, the greatly weakened elf race has produced many heroic figures in its various branches, yet overall it still falls far short of the brilliance of countless human heroes.

Until Teklis and his brother Tirian appeared.

This pair of twin brothers are descendants of the first Phoenix King, noble of blood, yet by their generation they have fallen into obscurity as petty nobles, hardly different from commoners.

Yet the brothers displayed world‑shaking talent!

The elder brother Tirian is a magic swordsman, attaining Sword Saint rank in his thirties, sweeping through the elf ten kingdoms without defeat. Rumor has it Tirian is tall and strong, invincible in strength, domineering and wild in temperament, possessing peerless handsome looks, amorous and flirtatious, with countless lovers—truly like the reincarnation of that great first Phoenix King.

The younger brother Teklis has an unremarkable appearance, frail and sickly from childhood, yet his magical talent surpasses countless predecessors; likewise he reached Grand Mage rank in his early forties.

If the Duke of Red Stone is humanity's first genius,

then Teklis is the elves' first genius.

Coincidentally, the Teklis brothers were born about fifty years after the Red Stone Duke; they are now roughly three hundred and forty years old. Their power now exceeds the vast majority of Saint‑rank elves, placing them at the pinnacle of the mortal world.

In other words, the Teklis brothers are the "protagonists" of the elves in this new‑era age!

It's dawn… still missing a chapter.

The neighboring book was just approached by the Warhammer officials, so the Tai brothers' names were changed to avoid trouble.

(End of chapter)