The Glutton and Deduction
On the commercial street, a handsome guy and a girl who was a glutton sat face to face inside a dessert and drinks store. They appeared to be a common couple just like any other, but their conversation would have terrified anyone who heard it. And yet, due to some unknown reason, the surrounding customers and waiters in the vicinity acted like they did not hear a word of their conversation, preoccupied with their own things.
The only thing was that a few beautiful girls and waitresses stared daggers at the girl seated opposite Leylin. If looks could kill, the girl would’ve been killed a million times over.
“Haha...This is such a great feeling! The jealousy of others is so amazing, perfect. I feel so blessed!” The female Magus was full of joy, twinkling little stars ready to burst out of her eyes.
Yet, Leylin was not easily fooled by such fake displays of emotion. He was very clear on how cunning the freak sitting opposite him was; after all, even Zegna had fallen into her trap.
“Stop beating around the bush! So, rank 5 Magus, ruler of Jupiter’s Lightning, what is it that you want from me?” Leylin asked in a low tone, his arms crossed with his elbows on the table, covering his face.
This female Magus opposite him was the current leader of Jupiter’s Lightning, and there was a high possibility that she’d taken care of Zegna to usurp his throne. Just a while ago, she’d contacted Leylin and requested a meeting here. Needing more information, Leylin had made the trip.
“Wait till I finish this ice cream strawberry pie, I’ve wanted it for quite a while! These things weren’t even there in my era... Whichever Magus created this is truly a genius!”
The girl was still trying hard to stuff a strawberry pie topped with ample cream pudding into her mouth, her fingers fully occupied by the white ice cream.
“Let me introduce myself. I’m Melinda... I guess you can call me Zegna’s teacher... sort of...” the girl blurted out.
Leylin’s pupils shimmered a little, ‘A.I. Chip, search this name in the database.’
The A.I. Chip responded quickly. [Beep! Searching history database, 391 matches for Melinda. Refining criteria, rank 5 and above... No matches.]
Even in Leylin’s database that had been strengthened with nearly the entire knowledge of the Great Library, there was not a single mention of this female Magus.
If she wasn’t using an alias, then she must have had another title that was more widely known. As for her real name, it was probably long buried in the past.
“So Melinda, you only asked me out to enjoy desserts with you?” Leylin’s stare turned a little cold.
“Okay, fine!” Melinda tried to gobble down the pie quickly, only stopping after she finished a cup of apple juice. Lastly, she wiped the crumbs off her fingers with the tissues on the table.
After she cleaned up, Leylin felt a sudden change in her. It was as if she’d suddenly matured completely, having something special in her aura.
“Great job getting rid of my student, young Magus.” She looked at Leylin like a kind senior encouraging him.
Leylin rolled his eyes, “YOU’RE the one who got rid of your student.”
Leylin wasn’t really surprised by her split personality. Existing as a soul for thousands of years would change anyone, even a highly intelligent Magus. Put into perspective, Melinda’s condition was relatively mild.
Worse things had happened in the past, such as a Spirit Magus engaging in bloody massacre after walking out of a ruin.
“Is that so? Oh hahaha... I’d almost forgotten. I warned poor little Zegna about the dangers in making the Pond of Lamentation. One would be counterattacked by all the spirits if they ran out of power...”
Melinda changed emotions instantly, appearing to be really sad for Zegna. Watching the show she was putting up, Leylin confirmed his suspicions on Zegna’s death. He decided to keep as far away from this woman as he could in the future.
Leylin began to lose patience, and cut straight into the topic. “Anyway, it’s great that Zegna’s dead and the battle between the Jupiter’s Lightning and the Ouroboros Clan has ceased! So, what did you call me here for today?”
Realising Leylin’s urgency, Melinda spoke her true intentions, “Right. Are you interested in partnering up with me to kill a Monarch?”
“Kill a Monarch? You’re a nut-case! Meeting you here today was the worst decision I’ve ever made!” Leylin’s face turned a cold white as he stood up from his chair.
“Hehe! Wait a moment, lil’ Magus, I’m just joking. However, it really is a good idea for us to ally with each other when dealing with the Blazing Flame Monarch.” Melinda seemed to have switched personalities again.
“Do you have any grudge against the Blazing Flame Monarch?” Leylin asked, seemingly having suppressed his anger as he sat down again.
“To be honest, he played a big part in my death back then...” Melinda smiled wryly as she revealed a bit of her secret past, “And I don’t think I need to mention his relationship with you Warlocks? I have much more information about him than you do, here you go...”
An hour later, Leylin left the dessert store speechlessly. He’d been forced to foot the bill. Refusing to take another glance at Melinda, he transformed into a ray of light as he left the city.
In the midst of his quick movement, he was running through what she’d said. She was supposedly best friends with the Blazing Flame Monarch, but they’d fallen out due to some matter and he’d plotted against her. It had cost her her life, and she’d been turned into a spirit body struggling for life.
It was much later that she met Zegna, helping him become a Radiant Moon Magus and set up Jupiter’s Lightning.
She’d used some means to regain her life, and now she’d definitely be a thorn in the Blazing Flame Monarch’s eye. Therefore, she’d sealed her aura using an Arcane Art, but it was just a matter of time before he found out that she had come back to life. This was why she’d been eager to acquire his support.
However, Leylin did not believe a single part of these craps.
Leylin didn’t believe a single ounce of her crap, but his plight was somehow similar to hers. Thus, he would love to have the necessary help, and would continue to be cordial on the surface.
“You will see my sincerity in future!” These were the exact words Melinda had left behind before they separated, but Leylin was still in doubt. Someone who’d kill her very own student to revive herself wasn’t very reliable. Even though he was no kind soul himself, he still detested those Magi who were tricky and cunning. It was probably because like poles repelled.
“FOUND YOU!” An explosion sounded as fire started to bubble, forming a crimson ocean in front of Leylin. The bubbling flames formed an enormous human face, terrifying rank 5 energy blocking Leylin’s path.
Scorching hot flames that could burn even spacetime away caused the surroundings to turn into a formless mass.
“La– Laws of Fire! Breaking Dawn Magus! You’re the Blazing Flame Monarch!”
Leylin blurted out while he was swaying and cursing Melinda in his heart, ‘Melinda! Damn that woman!’
However, the giant face did not bother replying to Leylin. A mass of crimson light hit directly engulfed him.
Breaking Dawn Magi could begin to comprehend laws, advancing to rank 7 when they fully grasped them. Leylin was incapable of handling such a thing as the law of fire right now.
Leylin’s layered defence collapsed in a flash of light, the massive will crushing into his body like a mountain crashing down on an egg. It even bored into his sea of consciousness.
*Pow!* Leylin immediately turned fierce, a mass of destructive power arising directly within his sea of consciousness, forming a horrifying thunderstorm.
*Rumble!* The violent explosion was engulfed by the crimson sea of fire. A vague voice sounded out, “It’s actually a clone? That’s a pretty good cover up!” Fire elemental particles were activated just by the voice causing their density in the region to increase tremendously.
[Beep! Spiritual imprint is self-destructed!] The A.I. Chip notified emotionlessly within the Morning Star area. Leylin was absorbed in looking at the last images sent by the clone.
He had only lost a clone. As long as he had enough resources, he could easily make more with some time and the A.I. Chip. It was actually more difficult to observe a Breaking Dawn Magus’ attack.
The death of a clone caused only a little loss in soul force, while the death of the main body would cause great damage to a clone. The relationship between the two was never balanced.
“The Blazing Flame Monarch... Someone who can control the laws of fire...” Leylin murmured, data and equations flashing past his eyes as the A.I. Chip slowly deduced data on the battle might of the Monarch.
“A.I. Chip, simulate combat with the Blazing Flame Monarch.”
[Beep! Simulation has begun...] With the sound of the A.I. Chip, numerous images flashed into and out of Leylin’s vision, the future seeming to hold infinite possibilities.
The A.I. Chip couldn’t predict the future even with its current calculative power, but he was confident in its deductions for combat after a few optimisations, even if the opponent was a Breaking Dawn Monarch.
[Beep! Deduction complete, battle results between host and Blazing Flame Monarch: Host being badly injured and fleeing: 15.7%, Host dies and the opponent is lightly injured: 45.3%, 39% unknown] the A.I. Chip concluded.