Under the bright moonlight, the airflow beneath the Bone Dragon's wings gradually stabilized, and Lu Mao began to scan the information of the dragon bow inside his ring:
【Name: Black Dragon Bow】
【Grade: Epic】
【Trait 1: Dragon Breath Quenching — The bow limbs are made primarily from the spine of a Black Dragon and tempered by the high temperatures of dragon breath. No arrows are consumed when drawing the bow. Once the bowstring is fully drawn, it automatically condenses dark-attribute mana arrows. The range and power are affected by the user's Physique level and charging time.】
【Trait 2: Dark Flame — Enchants all fired arrows with dual dark and fire-attribute erosion effects.】
【Trait 3: Resonance — While holding the bow, the residual dragon power within the Black Dragon's spine produces a faint resonance with the user, significantly boosting their Strength attribute.】
Ranger Standard Recurve Bow, you were merely an ordinary tool born in an era without the Black Dragon Bow.
Because a Bone Dragon flying in the sky was simply too conspicuous, Sorge cast another Invisibility spell on everyone.
They flew for about ten minutes.
A towering spire gradually appeared on the distant horizon, completely snow-white. At the top of the tower, a massive purple crystal rotated slowly in the night, its light shooting straight into the clouds.
Falan City was just ahead.
“Don't enter the city yet.”
Novia suddenly raised her hand. Agrix understood and tilted his wings slightly. The Bone Dragon's massive body drew a silent arc in the night sky, gliding toward a secluded valley far from the main road.
Lu Mao gripped the dragon bone tightly and turned his head to glance at Novia.
“Lumdor is different from Famlok.”
Novia didn't turn her head, her voice slightly scattered by the night wind. “Famlok emphasizes harmonious coexistence between humans and demi-humans, so the Adventurers' Guild has all kinds of people. But Lumdor is completely different—
“This place is dominated by alchemists and mages. Most of the citizens revere the wisdom of pure-blooded humans and have no tolerance for demi-humans, elves, dwarves, or even half-beastkin.
“In their eyes, non-humans are either inferior races or potential monster threats. Even the equipment forged for them by dwarven blacksmiths has to be completed outside the borders and then transported in by humans.”
She turned her head and scanned the others on the Bone Dragon's back. Aside from Lu Mao, none of them were human.
“If we rush into the city like this, the people living in that spire definitely won't welcome us. We need to find a deserted place to land first and change our appearance.”
The Bone Dragon landed in an abandoned quarry. Towering rock walls surrounded them, blocking out the lights of Falan City and leaving only a sliver of the night sky visible overhead.
As soon as Agrix returned to human form, Sorge walked into the center of the group, leaning on his staff. He pulled a few pinches of grayish-white powder from the inner pocket of his robe and began to draw a magic circle on the ground.
“Disguise magic isn't a high-tier spell, but to disguise the few of us as normal humans, it needs to be combined with many other spells. It's still a bit troublesome.”
He spoke as he drew, without looking up.
Lu Mao subconsciously took half a step back.
“Is it a necromantic spell?”
“It's universal, clack.”
Sorge clicked his jaw bone. There was a hint of offended coldness in his tone. “Do you think this old man only knows necromantic spells, clack?”
Although Sorge's tone was cold, this verbal tic caused by his 'physiological defect' made it hard for anyone to take him completely seriously.
The magic circle lit up with a faint silver-gray glow, spreading outward from the center like ripples in water, washing over everyone's ankles one by one.
Lu Mao looked down as the light washed over him. He didn't feel anything special, only a slight coolness on the surface of his skin.
But when he looked up at the others, the transformation had already begun.
The troll's body shrank significantly, and his appearance gradually shifted into that of a normal human. Although the wooden club in his hand was still larger than his entire body, at first glance, no one would associate him with the word 'troll' anymore.
Novia's dragon horns vanished, her slitted pupils became round like a normal human's, and her silver hair lightened slightly into a pure white.
Lumu's tail and wings were drawn into the halo of the disguise magic. She now looked like a cold and elegant noble lady.
Sorge also cast a layer on himself. His skeletal form was covered by a translucent illusion of flesh and blood, making him look no different from an ordinary old mage.
Agrix remained in his tall, thin human form, but the ghostly green flames in his eye sockets had gone out, replaced by a pair of deep brown eyes. His previously translucent white skin gradually solidified, making him look like a quiet, tall, and slender man.
“The magicules in my body are enough to maintain our disguises for a long time. As long as we don't expose ourselves after entering the city, the disguise spell won't be seen through, clack.”
Lu Mao looked at himself; nothing had changed.
“Why didn't I change?”
“You were already a human,”
Sorge said, sounding rather annoyed. “Why would you need a disguise?”
“Why didn't you turn me into one of those super-handsome guys? You know, six-foot-three, broad shoulders, long legs, blonde hair, blue eyes, with a smile that can blind passersby?”
Sorge was silent for a moment.
“This old man's disguise magic is not a wishing spell, clack.
“If you want to make a wish, please go to a church or some other official channel, clack. The deity they worship might be able to grant your wish, clack.”
...
Leaving the quarry, they walked along the gravel road for about fifteen minutes before stepping onto the highway leading to Falan City.
The closer they got to the city gates, the more pedestrians there were. Many were young people in groups of three to five, wearing various colored robes of apprentice mages.
Some carried thick stacks of parchment, arguing as they walked; others led mules laden with books and alchemy equipment; and some even had white owls perched on their shoulders.
The air was filled with a mixed scent of old book pages, alchemical potions, and the various staffs carried by the crowd.
Lu Mao kept his ears open along the way, catching a few recurring terms like 'Elite Spell Formation,' 'spectator tickets,' and 'the youngest champion in past years was nineteen.'
Finally unable to contain his curiosity, he approached an apprentice who was bending over to pick up some books by the roadside and patted him on the shoulder.
“Excuse me, but what is this 'Elite Spell Formation' you all were talking about?”
The apprentice looked up. He was a young man wearing round-framed glasses.
Lu Mao dithered for a second before quickly regaining his composure.
Who would have thought that someone in this world had actually invented glasses?
The other party sized Lu Mao up, then glanced at the others behind him, pushing up his glasses.
“You must be adventurers from out of town, right? No wonder you don't know—
“These few days are Lumdor's triennial 'Elite Spell Formation Tournament.' Magic academies and alchemist guilds from several neighboring kingdoms will send young mages to compete. It's considered the highest-spec magic festival in our Western Continent of Ernos.
“The finals will be held publicly at the White Tower Square in Falan City. Great nobles from several neighboring kingdoms and the two major guilds will send representatives to watch.”
He adjusted his slightly crooked glasses. “I heard the Church of the Goddess of Life has also sent representatives this year. They say they're going to collaborate on some joint research project with the Alchemists' Guild. Anyway, it's a much grander affair than in previous years.”
Lu Mao nodded and thanked him.
The apprentice waved his hand, picked up his books, and jogged to catch up with his companions ahead.
“The Elite Spell Formation Tournament.”
Lumu had walked up behind him at some point. Although her tail was invisible under the disguise magic, her slight head tilt still suggested she was plotting something.
“Sounds pretty interesting—but we didn't come all this way just to be spectators. Where is Falan City's Alchemists' Guild?”
“The White Tower.”
Novia's voice came from the very front of the line, her pure white hair exceptionally striking in the night.
“That towering spire. It's the joint headquarters of Lumdor's Alchemists' and Mages' Guilds. The person we're looking for should be inside.”
Rate on N.U.
