Chapter 128: Choice
Sure enough, after Raven sent Faleau flying with a Tornado Impact, he directly entered the Gilded Rose.
At this time, Faleau was already sitting down on a chair. Even after he drank the health potion, the effect from the Tornado Impact had yet to dissipate. At this moment, Faleau still felt some pain in his chest and had some trouble breathing.
Raven stood in front of Faleau and looked at the young Great Alchemist with an air of condescending arrogance. "I heard you have a batch of Nether Iron Ores?"
"What? Nether Iron Ores?" Faleau naturally wouldn't willingly acknowledge this.
But this wasn't due to the previous Tornado Impact...
With Faleau's profit-seeking nature, if a business opportunity dropped by, let alone eating a Tornado Impact, he could even take slaps with a smile and still show his other cheek, reminding the other party not to forget about leaving a tip.
The problem was that Faleau didn't know what this person's goal was.
It didn't look like he was here for business, or else, would he start by beating down the seller first?
Boss Merlin wasn't here and Boss Pave had gone to Edge Rift, so in the Gilded Rose, the decision makers left were himself, followed by William.
William was unreliable, so Faleau felt that he should be extremely careful.
After Faleau's words, Raven's gaze turned icy. He raised the magic staff in his hand and a huge force fell upon Faleau. The same Tornado Impact, in the same location. Only a "bang" could be heard as Faleau was knocked off his chair and plastered against the wall.
The wooden chair split into pieces, and all that remained of it were the fragments that could be seen spread on the ground. Faleau himself felt as if a giant beast had rammed into his chest, and he immediately spat some blood.
"You have one chance left." Raven made his way through the mess in the lobby, slowly walking closer to Faleau. He pointed his staff, and an invisible power grabbed Faleau and lifted him into the air. No matter how much Faleau struggled, he couldn't free himself from that terrible binding.
"I'll ask one more time, do you have a batch of Nether Iron Ores?"
"I... I don't understand what you are saying."
"Looks like you aren't treasuring this opportunity..." An ominous glint flashed in Raven's eyes. At the same time, the gem at the top of his staff flashed and a flame rushed at Faleau's face.
This was a 3rd Tier Spell, Flame Imprint. Given Faleau's current situation, he could only stare blankly as that flame flew closer to him before it finally exploded with a bang.
Faleau initially shut his eyes in despair, but after some time, he realized that he hadn't been injured. He cautiously opened his eyes with a strange expression and noticed a pale William holding his own magic staff and channelling an Arcane Barrier.
And the one protected by that Arcane Barrier was the shocked Faleau.
At this moment, Faleau's thoughts weren't filled with joy of escaping disaster, but with a dispirited cursing. 'Fuck! I won't be able to raise my head in front of that scoundrel later...'
"Raven Watson! I advise you to leave here while you can. This isn't your Watson Family territory, it's not a place where you can act as you wish." But William was only a 5th Rank Great Mage, after all, and using an Arcane Barrier to block a 9th Rank Great Mage's Flame Imprint was a very strenuous action for him.
Just this clash was enough for William to turn pale from the exertion. Even the Magic Conducting Runes within his body showed signs of being rattled.
"With just you?" Raven glanced at William before bursting into a laugh. "If the one saying these words had been your older brother, I might have considered it. But you? William Merlin? I'll give you a piece of advice out of respect for your older brother. Leave while you can."
"You... What are you planning?"
"You should clearly understand what I am planning," Raven drawled. "I also want that Nether Iron Vein, but I'm not as generous as your Merlin Family, taking out fifty 5th Rank Mages for a business transaction. You are besmirching the reputation of Okland's Five Families..."
Raven continued while indicating Faleau. "This should be the owner of the Gilded Rose, that so-called Mafa Merlin? Say, if I let him choose between having his neck snapped or handing over the Nether Iron Vein, what do you think he will choose?"
"Mafa Merlin?" William was stunned when he heard this and then threw Faleau a pitying glance.
'Damn, who told you to keep calling me Cousin... And now here you are, getting shot while laying down...'
After sympathizing with Faleau, William was about to explain Raven's error when footsteps suddenly echoed behind him. A fierce mana fluctuation burst through the Gilded Rose's lobby.
A "bang" was heard as a Tornado Impact hit Raven's chest.
In a flash, Raven was sent flying. He was sent flying higher than Faleau had been, piercing through the ceiling before falling onto a table in the reception room on the 2nd floor.
"If I told you that you got the wrong guy, would you believe it..." Lin Yun slowly entered the Gilded Rose with a wry smile on his face as he raised his hand. A fierce mana fluctuation once again filled the room, and Raven, who had ended up on the next floor, was sucked back into the lobby. He was unable to breathe under that indescribable power, as if he had fallen into a whirlpool in the middle of the sea.
Raven's neck drew closer to Lin Yun's hand.
And Lin Yun wouldn't be courteous. He grabbed the neck of this 9th Rank Great Mage and lifted him easily, before ruthlessly smashing him on the floor.
Another loud "bang" echoed, making everyone feel numb.
Especially William. His eyes were wide open from shock.
This was a 9th Rank Great Mage...
This already far exceeded William Merlin's understanding. He was like a little kid in front of that Master Alchemist cousin of his, who seemed to be able to do just about anything he pleased with impunity. 'Wh-Wh-What kind of power is that?'
Last month, he had been slapped twice by his cousin in the Gilded Rose. Although William could admit that his strength was far behind his cousin's, at that time, he could still see that the strength of this Master Alchemist cousin was that of a Great Mage. But now, a month later, William didn't dare to make any quick judgements any more because of that power.
"Hi~ Great Mage Raven Watson, I presume." Lin Yun's stepped on Raven's face as he politely introduced himself. "Nice to meet you, I am Mafa Merlin. That's right, that Mafa Merlin who has to make a choice."
"Let... Let go." Raven's face was bloody, and he was laying down on the ground, almost unable to breathe. That Tornado Impact had nearly caved his chest in. If he hadn't sensed the mana fluctuations and been fast enough to cast an Ice Fire Shield to protect his chest, he might have already turned into a corpse.
Due to being heavily smashed into the ground afterwards, Raven could only feel like everything was spinning around him, his ears continuously ringing.
"Let go? What a good joke! You attacked one of my people in my Gilded Rose, and twice at that, and you also offered such a nice deal, yet you are asking me to let go? Do you think you are my cousin?"
"..." William inwardly scolded, 'Why am I getting shot while laying down?'
"Alright, Great Mage Raven Watson, you were looking for Mafa Merlin. I'm back, so I wonder what kind of choice you'll be giving me now?"
"Let... Let go."
"Okay..." Lin Yun noticed that stepping on Raven's face was causing that Great Mage to be unable to speak properly, forcing him to go through great effort just to squeeze out a few words, Thus, Lin Yun retracted his foot and inquired, "Can you talk now?"
After struggling up from the ground, Raven groaned, "Mafa... Mafa Merlin, I came on behalf of the Watson Family..." He subconsciously retreated, as if he wasn't standing in front of a human, but an overwhelmingly ferocious beast. After making sure that he was at a safe distance, Raven wiped the blood from his face before struggling to say, "I represent the Watson Family to present you an offer, we hope to buy the Nether Iron Vein in your hands."
"If the choice you mentioned earlier referred to this, then I can tell you right now that I choose not to sell. And not only will I not sell the Nether Iron Vein, but I also won't sell Nether Iron Ores to you either."
"You..." An angry scowl flashed on Raven's face, but it quickly disappeared because Raven suddenly recalled that the person standing in front of him was an existence even more unreasonable than himself.
Thus, Raven immediately decided to endure for now. After leaving that damned Gilded Rose, he would have his family dispatch two High Mages to see whether that damn Mafa Merlin would still dare to refuse to deal with them.
"Alright then, Great Mage Merlin..." Raven wiped a bloodstain off his face and after saying goodbye in a "regretful" tone, he planned to leave the Gilded Rose.
"Hold on..." But Lin Yun stopped him.