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Chapter 161: Overpowering Blow

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Merlin who was cloaked in a long black robe was trailing behind the guard in Count Selin's castle.

Count Selin still looked the same. He might have been worried about Prakash City recently, so he seemed rather exhausted.

Meanwhile, there were two middle-aged men beside Count Selin. Merlin squinted his eyes slightly and noticed that these two men were different. They were the same as Merlin; they were Spell Casters!

"Haha, it really is Baron Merlin! When the guards informed me, I didn't believe it at first. Little did I thought Baron Merlin will be back so soon. You're back right on time, and are a great aid to Prakash City!"

Count Selin immediately stood up. After making sure the black-robed man was indeed Merlin, he burst into a laughter. The more force he possessed at the moment, the higher the chance to resolve the danger of Prakash City.

Upon noticing that Merlin was glancing at the two Spell Casters, Count Selin then introduced them. "Baron Merlin, these two wizards have just come to Prakash City a few months ago. This is Wizard Freyr, a Three-Elemental Spell Caster."

After a pause, Count Selin took a glance at another Spell Caster and said, "This is Wizard Baires. He's a Four-Elemental Spell Caster and is extremely strong. He even escaped with ease from a First-level Spell Caster. It's truly Prakash City's blessing that Wizard Baires can join us."

Count Selin obviously regarded Wizard Baires as an important person. As a roaming wizard, it was extremely difficult for him to construct Four-Elemental spells.

Merlin squinted his eyes and shot a glance at Wizard Baires. Meanwhile, Wizard Baires revealed a prideful expression. A smirk played on the edge of his mouth as he said in a calm tone, "I've heard of Wizard Merlin's name numerous times in Prakash City. To meet Wizard Merlin now…"

Before Wizard Baires had finished his words, Merlin interrupted him and asked calmly, "You're Baires?"

Baires frowned slightly, but he was not enraged. He simply nodded.

"Swish!"

At the instant Wizard Baires nodded, Merlin waved his hands and a pitch-black mist instantly appeared out of thin air. Not only did it shroud Wizard Baires, even the other Spell Caster, Wizard Freyr, was also enveloped by the mist.

"Dark Mist!"

Merlin had cast Dark Mist. Baires had only escaped from a First-level Spell Caster. Merlin did not even concern himself with a First-level Spell Caster, not to mention Baires.

These two Spell Casters were simply roaming wizards. Their Mind Power was not strong; they did not even have the Mind Power of a Second-level Spell Caster. Thus, both easily fell into the illusion of Dark Mist.

Count Selin was shocked and quickly yelled, "Wizard Merlin, stop quickly…"

However, Merlin did not care about Count Selin. Five fist-sized fireballs, releasing scorching heat, appeared in front of him.

"Go!"

Merlin pointed to the front. At once, these fireballs rapidly dived into the mist, then Merlin's gaze revealed a hint of cold killing intent.

"Explode!"

The fireballs exploded and the furious flame almost blew the mist away. Even from afar, one could feel the scorching heat of the furious flame.

Merlin turned around with an unchanged expression. He said in a calm tone, "Count Selin!"

Count Selin wore a complicated look as he took a glance at Merlin. After Dark Mist had dissipated, Baires' body was already unrecognizable.

The strong Spell Caster whom Count Selin had high hopes to defend against Lebis City could not even take one hit from Merlin. At this time, Count Selin seemed to recall the strength of spellcasters' organization.

The current Merlin was much stronger than that when he fought against Merilung!

"This…"

Count Selin was full of bitterness. Looking at Merlin, he was speechless.

Another Spell Caster, Wizard Freyr, was also shrouded by Dark Mist. He looked at Wizard Baires' body, dumbfounded. Following that, he looked at Merlin, his gaze filled with shock.

Wizard Freyr clearly knew how strong Wizard Baires was. Thus, even though Wizard Freyr did not like Wizard Baires, he kept it to himself because he did not dare to take any action.

Wizard Freyr also knew about the things Wizard Baires had done to the Wilson family after he arrived at Prakash City. After witnessing Merlin killing Wizard Baires effortlessly, he understood that Merlin who had joined the Dark Magic Region was much stronger than he had imagined.

"Wizard Merlin, I'm also dissatisfied about what Baires had done before. I hope that Wizard Merlin will understand!"

As a roaming wizard, Wizard Freyr naturally knew what he would have to say at this time.

Merlin waved his hands and took a thoughtful glance at Wizard Freyr. A smile played on his face. "Of course I understand, otherwise, Baires won't be the only body on the ground."

A chill went down on Wizard Freyr's spine. At the instant he was shrouded by Dark Mist, he completely lost his sense of direction. It was as if his whole being was drowned by an endless darkness. He knew that he had fallen into an illusion, but there was nothing that he could do.

If Merlin wanted to kill him, it would only take him a spell to do so.

Count Selin appeared rather awkward now. Merlin's strength had overcome his expectations. Initially, Wizard Baires kept showing off in front of him about how strong he was. He showed some of his spells and they were indeed impressive. Even Wizard Freyr was willing to obey Wizard Baires.

However, he did not expect the strong Wizard Baires to be easily killed by Merlin. In fact, he knew all about the things Baires had done at Wilson Castle. He could still use Baires, so he did not stop him.

However, upon witnessing Merlin's strength now, Count Selin regretted his actions.

"Baron Merlin, Wizard Baires willingly joined Prakash City. I can't stop some of the things he did…"

Before even finishing his sentence, he was interrupted by Merlin. Merlin glared at Count Selin and warned him in a cold tone, "Count Selin, for whatever reason, I hope this is the first and the last time!"

Count Selin was not pleased as Merlin was seriously warning him now. He was the count who controlled the large Prakash City-state…

However, Count Selin also noticed that Merlin was not the same as before. The terrifying aura from Merlin made his skin crawl with fear. Merlin seemed to be much stronger than Merilung back then.

Thus, although he was rather displeased by Merlin's threatening tone, he still flashed a forced smile. "Baron Merlin, please be rest assured that the matter with Wizard Baires won't happen again."

After having Count Selin's promise, Merlin nodded. He did not pressure Count Selin further. After all, these things were difficult to avoid. If the Wilson family wanted to stay in Prakash City, they would still need to rely on Count Selin to completely adapt here.

After this, Count Selin would feel threatened and fearful. In the future, even if Merlin left Prakash City, Count Selin would not allow such matter like that with Baires to happen again.

"Alright. When I returned, I noticed the tension in Prakash City. Count Selin, what's the matter?"

Merlin asked with doubt.

Upon mentioning of the matter of Prakash City, the displease in Count Selin's heart rapidly disappeared. Although Baires was dead, the stronger Merlin had returned – this was a great news to Count Selin.

Thus, Count Selin explained in detail about the dispute between Prakash City and Lebis City.

"All these years, although Lebis City has small disputes with Prakash City, we're still rather peaceful. However, half a year ago, after Count Talon had died and his son Longardi had inherited the count's title, he began to expand his army without restraint. He even intentionally caused some frictions between the two city-states.

"Then, Longardi became even more reckless. He began to send spies to hide sneakily outside of Prakash City to monitor the people coming in and out of Prakash City, rendering many merchants to avoid Prakash City out of fear.

"I can still take it if it's only this. However, a month ago, Longardi sent his army to forcefully invade a small town of Prakash City-state. He was obviously starting a war!"

It could be seen that Count Selin was extremely enraged. Anxiety flashed in his eyes, albeit he tried to hold it in. He was afraid that his force could not stand against Lebis City.

"If there are disputes between city-states, why didn't you ask for the King's judgment?"

Merlin asked Count Selin. Although he had not spent a long time in Prakash City, he still knew of the unruly system of city-states in the Kingdom of Blackmoon. However, since the force of the royal family of the Kingdom of Blackmoon was too large, all city-states did not dare to oppose the order of the royal family.

Thus, if there were disputes amongst the city-states, they could ask for the judgment of the royal family. This was a great solution to many issues between city-states.

"King's judgment?"

Count Selin smiled bitterly as he shook his head. "I've already done that but Longardi is serving the eighth prince of the royal family now. My request was held down by the eighth prince as soon as it reached the royal family. So, I can't rely on the King's judgment."

Merlin suddenly felt annoyed. He was too lazy to mind about such a complicated relationship. Whether there was the influence of the royal family, Merlin would not let the Wilson family move again. The entire Wilson family had already had a hard time previously, travelling to Prakash City from Blackwater City.

They had a stable life now after much difficulty hence Merlin would not allow such matter to happen again.

"Count Selin, tell me honestly. Longardi is so confident with his actions. I'm afraid there are other reasons besides having the advantage of army strength, isn't there?"

Merlin stared straight into Count Selin's eyes. He knew that Count Selin would have his reasons to think so highly of Baires. It might have something to do with the dispute between Lebis City and Prakash City.

Chapter 162: Wizard Heghar

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Count Selin looked at Merlin. He knew that he would need to tell the truth if he wanted Merlin's aid. Thus, Count Selin shook his head and revealed a forced expression as he said slowly, "That's right. Lebis City has the military advantage, but my army in Prakash City isn't that weak as well. What truly worries me is that the Spell Casters whom Longardi has recruited. One of them is a powerful First-level Spell Caster. Wizard Baires is my trump card in holding down the First-level Spell Caster of Lebis City."

After Count Selin had finished his words, he stared strongly at Merlin. He thought so highly of Baires because Baires had once escaped with ease from a First-level Spell Caster.

Thus, Count Selin had high hopes on Wizard Baires. If the situation between the two city-states worsened and eventually sparked a war, then he would leave that powerful First-level Spell Caster in Wizard Baires' hands.

However, Baires was now dead. In his place, a stronger Spell Caster had appeared in Prakash City.

"First-level Spell Caster, huh?"

Merlin thought for a moment. He knew the difference between First-level and Entrance-level Spell Casters was huge. An ordinary roaming wizard, albeit a First-level Spell Caster, might not be stronger than an Entrance-level Four-Elemental Spell Caster in the Dark Magic Region.

Meanwhile, Merlin had defeated quite a few First-level Spell Casters. Even the powerful First-level Spell Caster, Wizard Vyksa, had died in his hands.

Thus, Merlin did not mind about an ordinary roaming wizard even if the person was a First-level Spell Caster.

During the year which Merlin had joined the Dark Magic Region, Merlin's ability had improved rapidly and so did his experience and knowledge. After meeting so many prodigies in the Dark Magic Region, Merlin no longer cared about a mere First-level or Second-level roaming wizard.

"Let me deal with that First-level Spell Caster!"

With a deep voice, Merlin said calmly.

Count Selin was overwhelmed with joy. If it was to say that he still doubted the ability of Wizard Baires before, Count Selin finally had a little confidence in this matter, thanks to Merlin's promise.

Once that First-level Spell Caster was tied down, Count Selin would not be afraid of the attacks of Lebis City's army since the city walls were tall and many aristocrats' cavalry units had come to Prakash City.

Following that, Merlin excused himself from Count Selin and left the castle. Back in his carriage, Merlin thought for a moment and then told the carriage driver, "Go to Wizard Hill's house!"

Then, the carriage slowly moved…

…

In a spacious room, Count Longardi of Lebis City was pacing back and forth, frowning. There was a hint of restlessness in his expression.

This restlessness stemmed from the information sent by a spy hiding in Prakash City.

Count Longardi was an extremely ambitious aristocrat. He was not satisfied being a small count in this small territory, Lebis City. Thus, he had secretly sought refuge with the eighth prince of the royal family. With the eighth prince's influence, he was able to defeat his two older brothers and finally became the count of Lebis City.

After becoming the count, he had bigger ambitions. He wished to expand Lebis City, so he would need to eliminate the nearby Prakash City. Everything was going smoothly and his plan had almost come to fruition. When all preparations were done, he would wage a war against Prakash City and bring the entire Prakash City under his control.

However, a major shift had occured. Even the usually confident Longardi could not be sure about his decision.

"Sir Count."

Soon, a few Spell Casters came into the room.

Count Longardi glanced at these Spell Casters and held himself together. Then, he said softly to the leader of the Spell Casters, "Wizard Heghar, I just received a message from a spy which made me rather restless, resulting in the final decision becoming inconclusive."

"Oh? What's the news that made Sir Count indecisive?"

Wizard Heghar appeared calm as if he did not care about anything at all. Everyone besides him could sense the confidence in his attitude. Those around him were affected by his confidence and felt as if they could do anything in the world.

"Wizard Heghar, the Elemental Swordsmen whom we've sent to monitor Prakash City are all dead. Their bodies are right outside now."

Longardi immediately gave an instruction to the guards outside, then some of them carried a few bodies into the room. These bodies were all charred black and were distorted beyond recognition. They were obviously burned to death by a scorching flame.

Meanwhile, some bodies had lost some of their limbs. It was as if they had taken an intense blow.

Wizard Heghar took a glance at these bodies and smiled. "They probably experienced some sort of attack similar to Fireball. This is the doings of a Spell Caster. But we're clear that there are three Spell Casters in Prakash City – Wizard Baires, Wizard Freyr, and Wizard Hill. Baires and Freyr did not have Fire-type spells. Only Wizard Hill had constructed Fireball, but his Spell Model is unstable. He can't cast a spell easily. Does he want to risk his life to kill the Elemental Swordsmen outside the city with spells?"

Wizard Heghar's words explained the current situation in Prakash City clearly, confirming his understanding of the situation.

After he finished his words, Wizard Heghar glanced at Count Longardi.

Count Longardi shook his head slightly, then said in a low voice, "Wizard Heghar, this time, you're wrong. Wizard Hill isn't the only one who has Fireball in Prakash City. Merlin has it as well!"

"Merlin? You mean Merlin who has joined the Dark Magic Region?"

Suddenly, Wizard Heghar's eyes gleamed. He stared right at Count Longardi with keen eyes, along with the other Spell Casters. When they had heard of Merlin's name, a strange gleam flashed in their gaze.

It was not that Merlin had made a name for himself but the Dark Magic Region which Merlin had joined was the spell casters' organization these roaming wizards had dreamt to join all their lives.

Count Selin of Prakash City had long leaked the information about Merlin joining the Dark Magic Region, so the nearby city-states knew about it.

"Sir Count, is it really Merlin who has joined the Dark Magic Region?"

Wizard Heghar asked once again with a grim expression.

Count Longardi reaffirmed grimly. "That's right. Merlin's back. The spies I stationed in Prakash City saw Merlin with their own eyes. There won't be any mistake!"

"Great. Truly great! I didn't expect Merlin to stay quietly in the Dark Magic Region at this moment. He had returned to Prakash City and this is great news!"

Wizard Heghar revealed a smile.

Other Spell Casters raised their opinions about this matter respectively. Some were elated because Merlin had returned from the Dark Magic Region where he would have many Spell Models, potion formulas, and so on. These were the things they had wished to get their hands on all their lives. As roaming wizards, they even had to risk their lives in battles to obtain a Spell Model.

Some Spell Casters were rather concerned. After all, the Spell Casters of the spell casters' organization were not easy to deal with. Without caution, they might get killed.

"Wizard Heghar, I'm assured with you around! The foolish Selin believed that Baires could hold Wizard Heghar down. Truly foolish! Even if all their Spell Casters attack at once, I believe Wizard Heghar can handle the situation. I'm more concerned about the Dark Magic Region! If the Dark Magic Region knew that Merlin has died in our hands, will that bring us trouble?"

Count Longardi seemed to have great confidence in Wizard Heghar. In fact, he was considering the issue of dealing with the Dark Magic Region after they killed Merlin.

After meeting Count Longardi's gaze, Wizard Heghar smirked. "It seems that Sir Count doesn't know the rules of the Dark Magic Region. As long as the wizard in the spell casters' organization hasn't become a First-level Spell Caster, the wizard will remain as a temporary member. Even if he died, the Dark Magic Region won't take any actions."

After a pause, Wizard Heghar noticed that the other Spell Casters were still discussing the Spell Models and potions on Merlin. He showed a scornful expression as he said to them arrogantly, "You may not be clear about this. What's the most valuable thing on Merlin? It's neither Spell Models nor potions; it's the Dark Magic ring in his hands!

"One can only join the Dark Magic Region with a token, whilst the Dark Magic ring is the token. Once I kill Merlin and obtain the Dark Magic ring, I can join the Dark Magic Region!"

Wizard Heghar's eyes were enthusiastic and expectant.

"The Dark Magic ring? If a member of another spell casters' organization kills the Spell Caster of the Dark Magic Region and obtain the Dark Magic ring, isn't it easy for him to sneak into the Dark Magic Region?"

Even Count Longardi was interested in the spell casters' organization that Wizard Heghar had mentioned.

"Hehe. Good question. But how can the Dark Magic Region not consider that? Every Spell Caster who possesses the Dark Magic ring and enters the Dark Magic Region will be strictly examined. If the person is a wizard from another spell casters' organization, he'll definitely get found out at this point.

"However, if they're official members of the Dark Magic Region, the matter will be different. They've signed a special contract with the Dark Magic Region and are protected by the Dark Magic Region. Once they're killed, the Dark Magic Region will send people to eliminate the culprit!"

Wizard Heghar seemed to be extremely familiar with the Dark Magic Region.

Soon, a skinny Spell Caster enquired in a low voice, "Wizard Heghar, if the Dark Magic Region is really as you've described, then won't the Entrance-level Spell Casters, who joined the Dark Magic Region, be in great danger when they left the Dark Magic Region?"

The Entrance-level Spell Casters who possessed the Dark Magic ring were not protected by the Dark Magic Region. Once they left the Dark Magic Region, they were exactly like a moving treasury vault. They would attract the attention of many Spell Casters and put themselves in great danger. The Dark Magic ring in their hands could be their quick ending during this period since numerous roaming wizards wished to get their hands on the ring.

Wizard Heghar shot a calm glance at these Spell Casters. Then, he sniggered. "What do you think a spell casters' organization is? They're just Entrance-level Spell Casters. Entrance-level Spell Casters are never lacking in this world, not to mention in the spell casters' organizations."

Wizard Heghar's words sent a chill down everyone's spine. Spell casters' organizations did not seem to be as wonderful as they had thought…

Chapter 163: Purple Stone Powder Potion

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Alright, we have Wizard Heghar with us. Even if Selin has another Merlin, there won't be any problem! Let's get prepared, my Spell Casters. We'll wage war against Prakash City in the early morning tomorrow!"

Count Longardi had made his decision to act against Prakash City.

Thus, the Spell Casters left in excitement. Count Longardi had recruited six Spell Casters. Except for Heghar who was a First-level Spell Caster, the others were simply Entrance-level Spell Casters.

However, after hearing Wizard Heghar's words, these Entrance-level roaming wizards had become eager as well. The Dark Magic ring was the token into the Dark Magic Region hence countless roaming wizards would go crazy because of it. Even if Wizard Heghar was indeed stronger than them, no one could tell exactly what could happen in a battlefield.

These Spell Casters were all thinking about the Dark Magic ring. Even their expressions changed and they felt hopeful.

"Sir Count, I'll excuse myself as well."

Wizard Heghar bowed slightly, then turned around. After he left the room, Wizard Heghar's gaze stayed on the back of the Spell Casters in front of him. He let out a snigger. "Hmph, these fools. Is it that easy to deal with a wizard from a spell casters' organization? Even an Entrance-level Spell Caster is much stronger than the First-level Spell Caster amongst many roaming wizards! If I don't have that object with me and have absolute confidence to win, I really don't want to fight with a wizard from a spell casters' organization!

"Hehe. On the bright side, I'll let you fools consume some of Merlin's Magic Power in the beginning. I'll act afterward and obtain the Dark Magic ring…"

Wizard Heghar sneered. Following that, he turned around quickly and left Count Longardi's place.

…

"This is the token which made countless roaming wizards go crazy, huh…"

In the carriage, Merlin was holding an exquisite ink black ring. This was the Dark Magic ring he had obtained after killing Wizard Neil.

Such a small ring could make numerous roaming wizards go crazy because it was the token to enter the Dark Magic Region!

Merlin had been in the Dark Magic Region for a year, so he knew clearly about its rules. Before becoming a First-level Spell Caster, he could only be a temporary member. When he was outside, other Spell Casters could kill him and snatch the Dark Magic ring from him. The Dark Magic Region would not even care about such actions.

"I may have become a target in some of the roaming wizards' eyes… But no one knows who the true target is!"

Merlin's eyes gleamed, then he kept his Dark Magic ring. Although this ring was not useful to the current Merlin, it might have great use in the future. After all, this was a token to enter the Dark Magic Region.

"Sir Baron, we're here!"

Soon, the carriage reached its destination. Merlin pulled the curtain open lightly and alighted from the carriage.

The black-robed old man's residence was still as usual. The surroundings were simply too quiet; it made the place looked rather deserted and desolated.

"Thump! Thump!"

Merlin let the carriage wait outside whilst he knocked on the wooden door.

"Creak…"

The door opened. It was still the old man's maid who stuck her head out.

"Sir Baron? Please come in!"

The maid had known Merlin for a long time. When Merlin was still in Prakash City, he had often come to the old man's place, so it was only natural that the maid knew him.

Merlin then entered the house and scanned around. The black-robed old man's place still appeared shabby and was not much different from a year ago. However, he did not see the black-robed old man.

Merlin asked the maid, "Where's Wizard Hill?"

The maid hesitated for a moment and her expression appeared rather gloomy. She then replied, "Sir Baron, Sir Wizard is upstairs. Please follow me."

Upon seeing the maid's expression, Merlin sensed a terrible premonition.

Thus, Merlin quickly trailed behind the maid and arrived at a room upstairs. The maid pushed the door open lightly and called out softly, "Sir Wizard, it's Baron Merlin."

"Oh? Merlin's back? Let him in quickly!"

The croaking voice revealed a hint of agitation.

Merlin walked into the room and found the room rather dark. The windows were shut tight, but there was no strange smell in the room. It proved that the maid had been tidying up this room carefully every day.

"Wizard Hill, why have you become this way?"

Merlin found the old man curling at a corner of the room. The old man was full of white hair and a deathly aura dwelled on him.

Only those who were about to die had such aura.

Merlin recalled that when he left, the Spell Models in the old man's Awareness were stabilizing, albeit not fully under control.

Moreover, the black-robed old man's Mind Power was suppressing the Spell Models in his body. In a year's time, there would not be too many changes in the old man's Spell Models.

However, the truth presented itself in front of him. The black-robed old man could no longer suppress the Spell Models in his Awareness.

"Wizard Merlin, it's really you!"

The old man raised his head. After making sure it was Merlin, his eyes which were full of deathly stillness suddenly brightened up.

After a pause, the old man forced a smile and said, "Hehe. It's all thanks to Baires that I've become this way…"

After that, the old man recounted the incident briefly.

Merlin gradually understood that the old man's Spell Model had become unstable after he scared Baires away.

To be fair, Merlin truly owed the black-robed old man. After all, Merlin had asked the black-robed old man to take care of the Wilson family before he left.

"Wizard Merlin, this dying old man has stayed true to his promise. I've helped the Wilson family once. What about you? Have you found any potion or potion formula that can stabilize the Spell Model in the Dark Magic Region?"

The black-robed old man stared eagerly at Merlin. He had placed all his hopes on Merlin. If Merlin did not have the potion to stabilize his Spell Model, all he could do was to wait for his death. Moreover, with his current condition, he would not outlive a year!

A smile slowly emerged from Merlin's face. He turned his palm around and a potion immediately appeared in his hands. It was a strange purple powder.

"This is the Purple Stone Powder Potion I've exchanged for in the Dark Magic Region. It has an excellent effect on stabilizing Zero-level Spell Model. Wizard Hill, swallow it first and we shall see how good this potion is."

Merlin handed the Purple Stone Powder Potion to Wizard Hill. Wizard Hill's withered hands kept trembling probably due to his agitation.

"Alright, I'll try!"

Without hesitation, Wizard Hill swallowed the Purple Stone Powder Potion. Meanwhile, Merlin observed the changes in Wizard Hill. Merlin had spent twenty contribution points to exchange the potion formula of the Purple Stone Powder Potion.

In the future, he could make Purple Stone Powder Potion as long as he followed the instructions of the potion formula. In addition, the main ingredient of this potion was Purple Stone Powder.

The Purple Stone Powder was not particularly precious. There was even some Purple Stone Powder in the ring Merlin obtained from the silver-haired old man back then so Merlin could make more potions himself.

However, Merlin only thought about making a few more Purple Stone Powder Potions because they indeed were useful for the black-robed old man to stabilize his Spell Models.

After the old man had taken the Purple Stone Powder Potion, he became silent. He seemed to be observing the Spell Models in his body. After about two hours, fluctuations of Mind Power appeared from the old man's body.

"Swish!"

Suddenly, the old man opened his eyes. He was exhilarated as he shot an eager glance at Merlin. "Wizard Merlin, do you have more Purple Stone Powder Potions with you? It has an excellent effect. Although it doesn't completely stabilize my Spell Models, it helps tremendously. If I continue to take it, I believe that I don't have to suppress my Spell Models with Mind Power in the near future."

The black-robed old man was very worked up. The unstable Spell Models had caused him many difficulties. He had to suppress the issue with his Mind Power, thus rendering him unable to cast spells as he wished and he could not show his capabilities completely because of this issue.

Now, it appeared that the Purple Stone Powder Potion could really stabilize his Spell Models.

Of course, such stability was temporary and came with a limit. Once the old man attempted to construct Spell Model in his Awareness, be it a First-level spell or a Zero-level spell, his initial Spell Model would crumble apart.

Such potions could only slightly stabilize the Spell Models in his body. Yet, the underlying reason behind the instability of the Spell Model was still not resolved.

However, even so, the old man was still exhilarated by this improvement.

Looking at the old man's eager gaze, Merlin shook his head. "I don't have the potion, but I have the formula for Purple Stone Powder Potion. Also, I have the ingredients to make it, so I can make it right now!"

After saying that, Merlin took the Purple Stone Power Potion's formula that he had exchanged at the Resource Tower. The old man took the formula from him and rapidly checked out the ingredients needed in the formula.

In reality, as a spell casters' organization, the Dark Magic Region was a lax organization. It did not exert many restrictions on its members where many spells and potion formulas in the Resource Tower were leaked to the outside world.

However, the Dark Magic Region was only strict about valuable things! Take Spell Model as an example, the Spell Models of Zero-level spell to Third-level spell could only be exchanged with contribution points. Then, the Spell Caster could do whatever he wanted with it. Many Spell Caster families had increased the Zero-level spells to Third-level spells in their family's collection with this method.

However, once Fourth-level spells were involved, the Dark Magic Region had kept them strictly confidential. Every Spell Caster, who wished to exchange for spells of Fourth-level and above, had to sign a contract with the Dark Magic Region that restricted the Spell Caster from leaking the Spell Model.

Some rare potion formulas and advanced Mind Meditation Spells were the same. To exchange for these things in the Dark Magic Region, the Spell Caster had to sign a confidential contract with the Dark Magic Region.

Thus, many Entrance-level Spell Casters, or even First-level, Second-level and Third-level Spell Casters, had taken advantage of these rules – they exchanged contribution points to exchange for spells below Fourth-level and shared the Spell Model amongst themselves.

However, Merlin did not need to use such a method to obtain spells. Most of his First-level spells were provided by Wizard Leo for free so Merlin did not spend his contribution points on them.

Wizard Leo had even provided him an advanced Mind Meditation Spell. The spell belonged solely to Wizard Leo; it did not belong to the Dark Magic Region. Moreover, Wizard Leo did not instruct him not to give it to others. Thus, Merlin could do whatever he wanted with the advanced Mind Meditation Spell.

However, the advanced Mind Meditation Spell was too valuable, so Merlin would not give it to others easily.

The Purple Stone Powder Potion was a common potion in the Dark Magic Region, so Merlin did not need to sign any contract to exchange for the potion formula. Thus, it did not matter much even if he gave it to the black-robed old man.

Chapter 164: Joy of Reunion

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Right now?"

The black-robed old man noticed Merlin moving the glassware, looking as if he was about to make potions.

"Yes, right now. I've also done some research on potion-making during my time in the Dark Magic Region, hence it'll probably help in increasing the success rate."

Naturally, Merlin could not reveal his biggest secret – the Matrix – to anyone. Therefore, he could only mention that he had spent time researching potions in the Dark Magic Region to avoid suspicion from the black-robed old man.

In fact, Merlin had secretly activated the Matrix and began preparing Purple Stone Powder Potion according to the steps provided by the Matrix.

Merlin handled the potion ingredients with care and started preparing the potion step by step. The black-robed old man opened his mouth but said nothing although his eyes were filled with gratitude.

Potion-making was extremely important to a Spell Caster. If one acquired a potion formula, it would be much easier to prepare the potion again in the future if one had the opportunity to watch another Spell Caster preparing the potion.

Merlin was carefully preparing Purple Stone Powder Potion in front of the black-robed old man, one step at a time. In fact, he wanted to teach the black-robed old man the method to prepare Purple Stone Powder Potion.

The black-robed old man understood Merlin's intention. Therefore, he gave his full attention to each step that Merlin applied in preparing Purple Stone Powder Potion.

During the potion-making process, Merlin had followed closely every step provided by the Matrix. The difficulty in preparing the Purple Stone Powder Potion was almost similar to that of Coagulation Potion prepared by Merlin previously.

However, it was not Merlin's first time in potion-making. Therefore, he displayed much proficiency in preparing Purple Stone Powder Potion.

Despite that, an hour later, the first Purple Stone Powder Potion prepared by Merlin was nonetheless a failure due to a mistake in the temperature. Hence, Merlin commenced the process all over again.

Two hours later, Merlin's second attempt in preparing Purple Stone Powder Potion was a success. He immediately handed the favourable outcome to the black-robed old man.

Third attempt, fourth attempt, fifth attempt…

It was as if Merlin had no concept of exhaustion. Finally, when the color of the sky turned somber, Merlin stopped preparing the potion as he had depleted almost all the purple stone powder inside the black-robed old man's ring.

He had a high success rate despite spending long hours preparing the potions. In the end, he had successfully prepared eight Purple Stone Powder Potions altogether.

Merlin gave all eight Purple Stone Powder Potions to the black-robed old man.

"Wizard Hill, I'll head back now as it's getting late."

Merlin rose to his feet and bade goodbye to the black-robed old man. Then, he turned around and retreated from the black-robed old man's house.

Once he boarded the carriage, Merlin drew the curtain and took one last glance at the black-robed old man's residence. He had made his intention extremely clear when he deliberately prepared the Purple Stone Powder Potion in front of the black-robed old man. He wanted to pass on the knowledge of preparing the potion to the black-robed old man to prevent the latter from wasting precious ingredients while figuring the process to prepare the potion on his own.

This was also Merlin's way of returning the favor the Wilson family owed to the black-robed old man!

After that, Merlin ordered calmly, "Let's go and head right back to Wilson Castle!"

The carriage moved gradually toward the direction of Wilson Castle.

…

The carriage came to a halt in front of Wilson Castle. Merlin alighted from the carriage and moved his way into the castle.

Merlin noticed several knights dressed in shining armor within the compound of the castle. Apart from that, Merlin, with his sharp vision, also caught sight of a familiar figure standing not far away.

"Uncle Prat!"

Commander Prat turned around abruptly and a grin of joy immediately surfaced when he saw it was Merlin. He paced towards Merlin and called out in delight, "My lord? My lady had delivered us a letter earlier mentioning your return. I can't believe you've actually returned!"

Merlin could feel Prat's genuine joy which rose from the bottom of his heart.

After Merlin sized up Prat carefully, he realized a vague sense of oppressive temperament emitting from Prat. His physical attribute was also unusually powerful. Perhaps his strength was already comparable to that of a Third-level Elemental Swordsman.

Prat was merely a First-level Elemental Swordsman when Merlin left Prakash City. It was possible that the reason for his increased advancement was because Old Wilson had transferred the knowledge of strange postures on those mysterious relief sculptures to him.

Prat looked at Merlin in the eyes and said in a low voice, "Sir, hurry in. Your father is waiting for you."

Merlin nodded and the image of Old Wilson surfaced in his mind. Soon, he arrived at the main hall.

A faint yellow candlelight flickered in the hall. Seated there were Avril, Charise, and a figure of a burly man.

"Father!"

Merlin called out to Old Wilson.

Old Wilson quickly turned his head around. His eyes locked with Merlin's. Although there had not been any exchange of words, Merlin could feel the affection and loving care emitting from the old man's eyes.

After a long while, Old Wilson finally replied, "It's good to see you home!"

The short sentence spoke volumes.

Then, Old Wilson and Merlin began discussing affairs regarding the territory. Although it had only been a year, massive changes had happened in Merlin's territory, Conxion. It had prospered largely from its initial deserted state after Old Wilson took control over the territory.

However, in recent months, ever since the relationship between Prakash City and Lebis City became tense, Conxion became cold and cheerless again.

"Oh right, Merlin, what was the reason for Count Selin's previous visit? Did you meet Wizard Baires?"

Old Wilson tensed up a little at the mention of Baires.

Merlin gave a faint smile. "I've killed Wizard Baires, so he'll never trouble Wilson Castle again. As for the reason of Count Selin's visit, it was because of affairs regarding Lebis City. Count Selin is also intending to keep Prakash City. I'm afraid there's going to be a great war in the future!"

"Baires is dead? Good, well done, he deserved it!"

The corner of Old Wilson's mouth curled into a smile as he learned that Baires was killed by Merlin. Then, he continued, "Merlin, Prakash City cannot fall. When it comes for time to be at war, you should also contribute to protecting Prakash City. After all, we've escaped once. I don't wish for the Wilson family to have to escape like fugitives ever again."

Old Wilson's fists were clenched tightly as a determined expression washed over his face.

Merlin nodded in agreement. "I agree with you. The Wilson family has gradually rooted in Prakash City so we'll never leave here easily. I'll try my best to assist Count Selin."

"Haha, if the war really breaks out, my heavy armor knights will have a chance to shine!"

Excitement filled Old Wilson's face as he rubbed his palms together eagerly. Merlin knew that whenever Old Wilson appeared this keen, there was nothing he could do to try to change his father's mind.

"Alright, you've just returned, why not spend more time with Avril and Charise?"

Old Wilson stood to his height and glanced sideways at Charise and Avril. A playful grin appeared on his face before he turned around and headed upstairs.

Merlin was slightly stunned, but he also nodded when he noticed Charise's passionate gaze. "Let's get some rest too."

After that, accompanied by Charise and Avril, the three of them headed upstairs together.

…

In the spacious and cozy room, heavy breathing rose and fell one after another. After a long heave of sigh, the entire room fell into a complete silence.

Merlin propped himself up against the bed. A satisfied smile crept over his face as he turned to look at his two beautiful wives beside him. He had been away from Prakash City for a year and he was definitely delighted to reunite with Charise and Avril again.

Perhaps they had been separated for too long that even Avril who had always been shy and reserved took initiative many times. The three of them indulged themselves in the joy of reunion for almost half the night.

However, Charise and Avril were still not comparable to the wild Laurinka.

Merlin immediately shook his head to dismiss the thought. He believed that he practised good restraints in bedroom affairs. Instead of succumbing to the coitus temptation between a man and a woman, he would rather enjoy the fuzzy, warm feeling that only existed between loved ones.

Nonetheless, it was an indisputable fact that he had three women in a very short period. Merlin felt helpless whenever he thought of this.

Perhaps out of exhaustion, both Charise and Avril had already fallen into a deep slumber. On the other hand, Merlin was still pumped with energy.

He knew that this was a result of his continuous enhancement of physical attributes. In fact, although Merlin had not deliberately practised the strange posture on the mysterious relief sculptures throughout the past year, his physical attributes still achieved a level comparable to that of a Third-level Elemental Swordsman.

Merlin possessed four relief sculptures. He had begun to practice the fourth relief sculpture more than a month ago. Merlin had a hunch that once he mastered the posture on the fourth relief sculpture, it would be possible for his physical attributes to reach the level of a Fourth-level Element Swordsman if he persisted for a long time.

This would be a qualitative advancement! However, it would take a correspondingly long time to achieve so.

A greater physical attribute allowed a greater chance to save oneself. If it was not for Merlin's strong physical attributes, he could not have endured so long after being attacked by Vyksa's Corroding Potion during their last match – he would have long been dead.

Therefore, even if it took a lot of Merlin's time to meditate his Mind Power and preparing potions, he would still arrange time each day to practice the strange posture on the relief sculpture.

Currently, Merlin was practising the posture of the fourth relief sculpture. Gradually, his mind turned into a total blank. He laid down on the bed in the position of the fourth relief sculpture and stayed completely motionless…

Chapter 165: A Great War Approaches

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Knock knock knock."

As dawn broke early in the morning, a loud knocking came from the door.

"Merlin, get up quick! Something is wrong!"

Old Wilson's deep voice rang from behind the door, his voice filled with urgency.

"Huh?"

Merlin opened his eyes. He turned to his side and saw Avril and Charise still sound asleep, without the slightest hint that they had woken up.

Merlin decided to not wake them up and rose quickly to open the door. Old Wilson was standing outside with an anxious expression. He said with his deep voice, "Merlin, you must leave quickly. Longardi has already dispatched the military and they have reached outside the city. Count Selin has sent people to escort you to his castle to discuss this matter."

"How did Longardi act so quickly?"

Merlin had his concerns. He knew Longardi was determined to take down Prakash City and doing so would take some time, but he did not think it would happen so soon.

"Father, I will head there first!"

Merlin got dressed and ran quickly to the hall, where two knights were already waiting for him.

The two knights were very polite and said respectfully to him, "My Lord, his lordship Count Selin requests your presence!"

"Lead the way!"

Merlin followed the two knights, got into the horse carriage and sped off to Count Selin's castle.

Soon, the horse carriage slowed down and came to a halt. Merlin hopped off and saw many other carriages were parked outside the castle. He realized then that Count Selin had invited many others to attend as well.

Merlin walked straight into the castle. A lot of aristocrats were gathered there, their faces filled with worry. Count Selin, too, did not have a promising look on his face. WIth an audience in front of him, he was trying hard to remain calm.

"Baron Merlin! It is great that you came. Right now, there are many Lebis troops outside our city, Prakash City is in imminent danger!"

Count Selin's face lit up slightly as soon as he saw Merlin. He sounded panicky as he spoke hurriedly. Count Selin had never been this panicky, even when he faced Merilung. This situation was clearly much graver.

"The army from Lebis City has already reached the city boundaries. Does anyone have a solution?"

Merlin looked around the room and saw that all the aristocrats looked bitter, yet none of them could offer a solution.

"The only solution right now is to fight!"

Finally, a figure stood up and loudly proclaimed. Merlin squinted his eyes to see who was that, only to realize it was Count Selin's son, Commander Cook!

"Ha ha, you're right. There is nothing else we can do but to fight!"

Suddenly, another voice rang out by the doors. Someone who was dressed in a black robe from head-to-toe walked in. It was the black-robed old man, Wizard Hill.

Count Selin looked pleasantly surprised, but his expression was soon replaced with concern as he whispered, "Wizard Hill, how is your injury?"

Count Selin knew that the black-robed man had been wounded, but he did not understand what an unstable Spell Model was. He just knew that the black-robed old man was not in a good state and could not fight at will.

As the black-robed old man looked around the room, his gaze met Merlin. He nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and said loudly, "My injury has relied a lot on the potion that Baron Merlin brought from the Dark Magic Region. Although I've not fully recovered, I can still use my full strength. Prakash City in is grave danger, how can I not come in support?"

Count Selin nodded, his heart filled with happiness. After all, their strength had increased now that the black-robed old man was here.

"Good, Wizard Hill also agrees that we should fight. So, what do you think, Baron Merlin?" Count Selin set his gaze on Merlin as he asked.

Merlin squinted his eyes as he pondered for a moment. Finally, he said coldly, "I, too, agree with Commander Cook and Wizard Hill's suggestion. We only have one option left, and that is to fight!"

The hall was dead quiet as soon as Merlin finished his words. Suddenly, all eyes were on Count Selin. It was up to him now to make the final decision.

"We must fight at all costs! If Longardi wants my Prakash City, he will have to be prepared to pay a very heavy price!"

Count Selin stood up fiercely as he spoke loudly with determination.

"We must fight at all costs!"

The aristocrats roared back, including the upper-class aristocrats. They would unite and join forces to protect Prakash City at all costs.

Immediately, Count Selin began to strategize and plan to deploy the troops in Prakash City. Merlin walked to the black-robed old man's side and whispered, "Wizard Hill, are you sure you are alright?"

The black-robed old man smiled and nodded, saying, ", "Of course, your Purple Stone Powdered Potion was very effective. Although my Spell Model is still not completely stable, my casting ability is not affected anymore!"

If he was able to cast spells, it meant that the black-robed old man already possessed the strength to fight. He would no longer be in imminent danger nor fear that his Spell Model would collapse again!

Soon, Count Selin was done strategizing and they all began to climb up the city gate.

On top of the city gate, Merlin could clearly see the densely packed soldiers outside the city. Some were knights carrying long spears, some were infantry carrying shields, and some were arbalists hiding further away. Merlin also saw something else amongst the Lebis City's troops, a terrifying arbalest machine.

Despite being difficult to build, this machine had formidable power. It could fire ten rounds of arrows, each as thick as a child's arm.

With such an impressive arbalest machine, it was clear that Longardi would stop at nothing to breach Prakash City.

Count Selin's face paled upon seeing the number of Lebis City's soldiers."Defending to death is not the solution. Sooner or later they would breach the city. No matter what, we must at least try a counterattack !"

Count Selin quickly calmed himself, and even though he could see the many Lebis City's soldiers below, he knew that there was no backing down now. Defending was never the answer. There was no clear outcome from the battle and he could use the opportunity to attack directly.

"Open the city gates, dispatch twenty thousand knights and attack the enemy troops!" County Selin instructed calmly.

Many people would die in such a large-scale battle like this. Count Selin understood that a strong commanding ability was required and not even Merlin or the black-robed old man could help him.

Merlin's plan was to prevent any enemy Spell Casters from destroying the city gate. Prakash City would still be safe as long as the city gate was not damaged.

Soon, Prakash City gate opened. Thousands of knights rushed out from the city and amongst them was a black torrent that caught the attention of many.

"Father!"

Merlin squinted his eyes. He did not know Old Wilson would command his own hundreds of knights and rushed out the city gates.

Count Selin looked concerned as he turned to face Merlin. "Baron Merlin, would you like me to give the order for Commander Wilson to return?"

Merlin shook his head, his gaze following Old Wilson as he said calmly, "There is no need. Perhaps this is the life my father wanted to live. He has never stopped training as a knight. Surely it was in hopes of returning to the battlefield one day."

Merlin knew that being in the army for decades had a great impact on Old Wilson's life. Perhaps fighting to the end on the battlefield was the life that Old Wilson had wanted.

"Attack!"

As Selin commanded, the twenty thousand knights began to advance towards Lebis City's troops. Some ten thousand knights also came rushing from Lebis City's troops as the two opposing sides began to engage in combat.

Tens of thousands of people were killed in the fight. Whether it was one or ten people, it made no difference. Each life seemed so insignificant.

It was the first time for Merlin to witness such a great battle. He noted that when two opposing knights met, it was a cruel kill. Either you kill or be killed.

Amongst the two opponents, a black torrent was remarkably eye-catching. It was Old Wilson in his heavy armor, which had served him for over ten years. It had followed him from Blackwater City to Prakash City, and now they could finally prove their worth as a pair. On the battlefield, they worked together like a sharp dagger, piercing through the hearts of the enemies.

Wherever the armored knights go, none could stop them. They were invincible!

However, there were too few of them. The Prakash City knights started to show signs of defeat.

Behind the rampart, Count Selin shook his head, disappointment filled his face as he said, "We have lost… Issue the command to retreat. Once all our troops have entered the city, close the gates!"

Count Selin quickly realized that this war was not favorable for them. No matter what, they should not deplete their energy too quickly. After all, it was up to them to defend Prakash City.

Gradually, the knights of Prakash City began to slowly retreat within the ramparts.

Merlin paid close attention to Old Wilson. Even though the armored knight attacked and many enemy soldiers lost their lives, Old Wilson managed to retreat back into the city, unscathed.

Merlin relaxed and heaved a sigh of relief once he realized that Old Wilson had returned unharmed.

Merlin looked down at the densely packed soldiers and furrowed his eyebrows. His strongest wide-range attack, Thunderbolt Net, would not be enough to surround the hundreds of meters of battlefield area. There was no way he could attack them all in one fell swoop. Furthermore, the ability to attack the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses would have to be performed by a Fourth-level or higher Spell Caster.

"Wizard Hill, when you fought in the gruesome Slaughterhouse War, surely not all the Spell Casters were Fourth-level Spell Casters. What use were the lower-levelled Spell Casters then?"

Merlin asked softly as he turned to face the black-robed man.

Chapter 166: Breaking through the Barrier!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"The Slaughterhouse War?"

The black-robed old man mumbled softly. At this point, it was not only Merlin who focused his gaze on the black-robed old man, but the other aristocrats and Count Selin as well.

Only now did they realize that Wizard Hill was experienced and knowledgeable on the topic of momentous occasions. After all, he had participated in a terrible war like 'Slaughterhouse' and there were not many wars more brutal than 'Slaughterhouse'.

The black-robed old man looked at the crowd of soldiers below the city. Caught up in his memories, he spoke slowly, "The Slaughterhouse War was barbarous. Even great Spell Casters who were able to single-handedly destroy a military fort perished in countless numbers. Such Spell Casters had to be at least Fourth-level Spell Casters. This was the actual situation in the later stages of 'Slaughterhouse'. On the whole, there was not a single soldier left, only those formidable Spell Casters."

During the later stages of the war which the black-robed old man spoke of, every gesture and movement must have carried immense power. As these Spell Casters, who could kill thousands upon thousands of Normies with a single spell, engaged in fierce battle, who knew how many of them were killed?

"What about the early stages of the war? What did the beginner Spell Casters do?"

Merlin pressed on with his question.

"The early stages? Well, before those powerful Spell Casters intervened, some of the beginner Spell Casters followed the soldiers and slipped in amongst the massive troops, waiting for a chance to kill off the commander of the enemy troops. However, despite them being able to handle hundreds and thousands of Normie soldiers, the spells of beginner Spell Casters weren't very powerful. Hence, when they encountered the wild torrent of arbalest bolts fired by over ten thousand soldiers, many beginner Spell Casters perished."

The black-robed old man shook his head slightly with a trace of regret on his face. As a Spell Caster himself, the black-robed old man was like most Spell Casters who thought themselves more distinct and noble than the Normies.

To the black-robed old man, the death of a Spell Caster by the hands of Normies was a Spell Caster's greatest tragedy!

However, that was the reality of the situation. If those Entrance-level Spell Casters did not know any Defensive spells when confronting Normies who were heavily armed with arbalests, these Spell Casters were not that much different from Normies and would be easily killed.

Nevertheless, they would be much stronger once they had acquired Defensive spells. Still, it was hazardous for them to face thousands upon thousands of well-trained troops alone. Even some of the Third-level Spell Casters would be shot dead.

"Count Selin, open the city gates. I'll go alone."

Merlin suddenly spoke as he watched the dense throng of soldiers below.

"Huh? Baron Merlin, did you say that you're going out alone? There are tens of thousands of troops out there!"

Count Selin's expression shifted slightly. Although he wanted to resolve the present crisis, allowing Merlin to head out alone was as good as sending him to his death. Such a meaningless act of throwing away one's life was of no help to the overall war situation.

"Count Selin is right. Wizard Merlin, consider this carefully – although we Spell Casters are powerful, those of us below Fourth-level could still be worn down to death by the sheer number of the Normies!"

The black-robed old man advised Merlin as well. After all, it was not as if it had never happened before. During the 'Slaughterhouse' war, powerful Third-level Spell Casters had been worn down to death by immense armies and their nearly endless arbalest bolts.

Merlin acted noncommittal, and calmly said, "Did I say that I would confront these tens of thousands of troops? I have the use of Gale which allows me to move quickly. As long as I can hold off being shot by those bolts, I'll have a chance of reaching Longardi's headquarters and killing him off in one blow!"

Upon hearing Merlin's words, Count Selin's heart stirred. Even if Merlin's plan was totally insane, and from what he could tell, difficult to carry out successfully, if he really succeeded and Longardi died, the troops of Lebis would fall apart on their own.

No matter how uncertain this hope was, it was ultimately still a hope. Otherwise, considering how they were using everything they had just to defend a mere city gate, it would be near impossible to defend Prakash City.

"This is a possibility indeed, but…"

The black-robed old man was about to say something but Merlin gave a forceful wave of his hand, his expression one of determination. He said in a low voice, "Count Selin, open the gate. Don't worry, since I'm rushing out, I'll have ways of surviving. If I don't stand a chance, I'll return and we'll think of some other plan then."

Count Selin nodded as he gave Merlin a complicated look, before softly saying, "If Baron Merlin succeeds this time around, you would be doing us a great service. At that point, I shall make the decision to promote Baron Merlin's title from baron to viscount. Furthermore, the baron's father shall hold the title of baron as well!"

Although titles in the city-state of Prakash were simply bestowed upon by Count Selin's, viscounts were still uncommon. Moreover, once Merlin succeeded, Old Wilson would be granted the title of Baron, which meant that there would be two aristocrats in their clan at one time, which was an extremely rare occurrence.

Evidently, Count Selin valued Merlin very much!

Merlin smiled but said nothing. Even though he did not care much for titles, if this would allow the addition of a viscount amongst the Wilson clan while also having a baron, it would be a huge honor.

After all, these titles were hereditary – if they had two titles, the Wilson clan's status in the whole city-state of Prakash would truly become indestructible!

"Open the city gate!"

Under Count Selin's orders, the enormous city gate gradually opened, and in a flash of his figure, Merlin had left Prakash City.

*****

…

Count Longardi was feeling smug now. Their attack had just overpowered Prakash City, and morale was high as the situation was favorable to them.

"My lord, look, the city gate is opening again?"

A sharp-eyed knight suddenly said as he noticed the city gate of Prakash City were slowly opening.

Count Longardi was startled. Even if it seemed like he had the upper hand, he must not let down his guard as long as the battle was not over.

Seeing that the gate were opened again, Longardi had endless doubts, and muttered softly, "The city gate is opened once more. Are they thinking of attacking again?"

In a moment, everyone on the battlefield clearly saw that only a single figure walked out from the city gate.

"It's just one guy?"

Count Longardi narrowed his eyes slightly as if he dared not believe it.

"Hmm? There's Elemental fluctuation around this person, so he's a Spell Caster. Could it be Merlin?"

Wizard Heghar, who stood beside Count Longardi, immediately thought of Merlin who was in Prakash City. However, even Wizard Heghar had trouble picturing how an Entrance-level Spell Caster would dare to confront tens of thousands of well-trained troops all by himself.

"Haha, he wants to handle my huge army alone? How stupid. Even if he really is Merlin, and had really entered the Dark Magic Region, what's so scary about an arrogant, silly person like him?"

It was as if Longardi was infuriated by Merlin's act. Was he really going to confront tens of thousands of troops all by himself? Unless he was a powerful Spell Caster who was Fourth-level or above and could destroy an entire military fort single-handedly, it was an impossible task.

"Perhaps he isn't actually going to confront the troops, and his target is my lord!"

Wizard Heghar keenly perceived the strong Wind Element that had emerged around Merlin, and instantly guessed Merlin's intentions.

"Hmm? Fight me? Humph, even if he successfully made it here, there's still Wizard Heghar here, right? This would save you Wizards from having to search for him in Prakash City!"

Count Longardi was confident in Wizard Heghar's abilities, so he was not worried in the slightest even after knowing Merlin's aim. Conversely, he stared at Merlin in fascination. How would he break through the barrier of tens of thousands of troops?

…

"Swish."

The minute Merlin walked out the city gate, vigorous fluctuations of Wind Element immediately arose around his body. Furthermore, he noticed that a particularly powerful stream of Mind Power was constantly scanning him, it must be a Spell Caster who was with Longardi.

"Gale!"

Without a hint of hesitation, Merlin cast Gale. Instantly, his speed escalated quickly and he dashed wildly towards Longardi's headquarters.

"Fire!"

Naturally, upon seeing Merlin's mad dash, the tens of thousands of troops took action. With that order, a wild torrent of arbalest bolts came down like rain, their innumerable points racing towards Merlin.

Merlin's expression changed slightly. This myriad of bolts induced a sense of extreme danger. An individual Normie, even if they were a great Elemental Swordsman, could be easily killed by Merlin if he wanted to.

However, once they joined forces and employed their tools, their capacity for damage became terrifying.

"Earth Guard!"

Without a hint of hesitation, Merlin cast Earth Guard frantically over a dozen times in succession. Before him, more than a dozen solid earth walls appeared, some of which were the strengthened version. On the battlefield, facing tens of thousands of well-trained soldiers, Merlin did not dare let down his guard.

"Snap snap."

Very soon, the innumerable bolts landed. The Earth Guards before Merlin collapsed in an instant, one after another. Even the strengthened versions of the Earth Guard could not withstand these bolts for very long.

There was a trace of frenzy on Merlin's face. The Wind Element around his body increased abruptly, and he accelerated at a terrifying pace.

This was the strengthened version of Gale that Merlin had cast. Relying purely on this burst of speed, Merlin sprinted a great distance forward, and no longer had to worry about the thousands and thousands of frightening bolts coming from above.

With so many bolts, even casting Earth Guard incessantly would not be able to hold them off. It would require a First-Level defensive spell like Guardian Monument to hold off the numerous bolts.

Nevertheless, Merlin did not want to rashly reveal that he possessed Guardian Monument. At any rate, after Merlin had broken past this defensive line of troops, he would have to face the many Spell Casters recruited by Longardi.

"He's so fast!"

After Merlin had cast the strengthened version of Gale, he became almost twice as fast. Even the arbalists were confounded; if it was Merlin's previous speed, they were still able to somewhat fire after taking aim.

However with Merlin's current breakneck speed, they were unable to take aim at all. Moreover, the route that Merlin was taking was not a fixed path but rather a zig-zag manner with no predictable pattern whatsoever.

They could only watch helplessly as Merlin broke through the barrier of tens of thousands of troops and gradually approached Count Longardi.

"He did it!"

On the ramparts of Prakash, Count Selin could not help but cry out in excitement as he watched Merlin withstand the first wave of attack by the troops and then increased his speed greatly to break through the barrier of tens of thousands of troops.

"Breaking through the barrier is only the first step! After all, Wizard Merlin has incredible speed, so breaking through the barrier was relatively easy. However, after this, he would have to face the many Spell Casters recruited by Longardi and that's the crucial step!"

As the black-robed old man spoke in a low voice, his gaze never left Merlin's figure. Breaking through the barrier was only the first step – the key thing was to defeat the Spell Casters recruited by Longardi.

The black-robed old man was not worried about the other Spell Casters, but the First-level Spell Caster that Longardi had recruited made the black-robed old man apprehensive. He only knew that Merlin was merely an Entrance-level Spell Caster. Even if Merlin had entered the Dark Magic Region, it was only for a year. He did not know whether Merlin was a match for this rival First-level Spell Caster.

"Whether you succeed or not, you must come back safely!"

No one noticed that Old Wilson had quietly come onto the rampart. Looking at Merlin's madly racing figure, his face expressed a hint of worry.

Chapter 167: Heghar's Confidence

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Merlin let out a strong fluctuation of Wind Elements from his body. Ordinary people could only catch the afterimage of the fluctuations as there was no way they could see Merlin's precise location.

Only the Spell Casters could utilize their Mind Power to trace Merlin's location.

"He's here!"

Some Spell Casters next to Count Longardi were keeping a close watch on Merlin with their Mind Power. Once Merlin got close to Count Longardi, they would immediately initiate their attacks as they would need to kill Merlin.

Merlin was dashing about as he observed the actions of Longardi and the Spell Casters around him from afar with his Mind Power. He could not stand against ten thousand soldiers, but these Normies would have a hard time aiming their bows at Merlin when he moved at a great speed. Merlin's Earth Guard would block the arrows even if they reached him.

Thus, Merlin almost did not sustain any injury when he went past the defense line of numerous thousands of soldiers. He was approaching Count Longardi rapidly.

Soon, Merlin paused. The black robe that he wore and his black hair swirled in the wind. There was not a hint of naivety in his youthful face; his eyes gave a profound feeling as if he had gone through many ups and downs in life.

"Kill!"

Upon noticing that Merlin had surpassed the defense line and came straight to Count Longardi's headquarters, the well-prepared Spell Casters immediately began to attack.

At once, violent fluctuations of Elements filled the sky. Fire-type spells, Wind-type spells, Ice-type spells and more were blasted toward Merlin ceaselessly. Merlin felt a strong sense of danger from these ruthless attacks.

Most of all, some First-level spells were hidden amongst these attacks. They were obviously the spells cast by the First-level Spell Casters whom Count Longardi had recruited.

"Guardian Monument!"

With a low voice, Merlin finally cast his First-level spell, Guardian Monument, which he had constructed not long ago.

Instantly, numerous large monuments covered Merlin from top to bottom as they blinked a bright light.

"Tremor!"

He felt an intense tremor. Even after blocking a few spells, Guardian Monument did not dissipate but shook a little. There was indeed a large difference between a First-level spell and a Zero-level spell. The Zero-level spells cast by these Entrance-level Spell Casters did not threaten Merlin at all.

Soon, Merlin felt an incredible force smashing into Guardian Monument ruthlessly. The impact caused Guardian Monument to shake violently and a faint crack appeared.

"Hmm? First-level spell?"

Merlin squinted his eyes, then he cast Guardian Monument once more. The monument shone a bright light as if declaring that it was not afraid of its opponent's ruthless attacks at all.

Merlin's figure was completely drowned in an endless spell attack. All sorts of violent Elements were wreaking havoc, so even the Spell Casters nearest to him did not know what was happening in there.

"He should be dead as he has to deal with many attacks! Even if he's a Spell Caster of the Dark Magic Region, he won't be able to resist the attacks as long as he hasn't become a First-level Spell Caster."

After a long while, some Spell Casters gradually stopped attacking. Since they cast the spells frantically and without much thought, their acts had consumed much of their Magic Power thus, they had to stop.

Slowly, the smoke began to dissipate. A hint of greed gleamed in the eyes of many Spell Casters beside Longardi. After they had confirmed that Merlin had died, they would instantly fight for the Dark Magic ring.

Other than Wizard Heghar, the five other Spell Casters seemed to have formed an alliance. From their expressions, they appeared to be cautious against Wizard Heghar.

Wizard Heghar wore a dark expression. He knew that all six of them would fight against each other as soon as Merlin died. These five Spell Casters had probably planned this beforehand.

When the time came, Wizard Heghar had to face the attacks of these five men if he wanted the ring.

"Hehe. Do you want the Dark Magic ring? Whoever stands in my way has to die!"

A killing intent rose in Heghar's heart. He had done all preparations. Even if he would need to face all five Spell Casters, he would not back down. He wanted to own the Dark Magic ring at all costs!

"Wizard Heghar, you've already become a First-level Spell Caster. Why fight for the Dark Magic ring with us?"

Suddenly, an Entrance-level Spell Caster asked in a low voice.

"Who doesn't want to join a spell casters' organization? Only in a spell casters' organization that I can become a stronger Spell Caster. If you lot also want to have the ring, don't blame me for whatever that I do!"

Wizard Heghar replied with a smirk. Both sides were ready to jump at each other's throat, and tension filled the air.

Count Longardi frowned slightly and interrupted them. "Wizards, let's decide who the Dark Magic ring belongs to after we take control of Prakash City. How about that?"

However, no one listened to Longardi's words. These Spell Casters may be polite toward Count Longardi but the Dark Magic ring would affect whether they could join the Dark Magic Region so they would not back down on this matter. At that time, they would not care whether the army of Lebis City could take Prakash City down.

"Swoosh!"

A light breeze blew the smoke and dust away. Everyone could faintly see the situation in there now. Merlin's figure appeared to be nowhere in sight. These Spell Casters could not even wait for the dust to clear up before they rushed forward without a pause.

"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"

Silhouettes dashed into the scene rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the Spell Casters were surrounded by dust and smoke.

"You guys are seeking your death! Whoever stands in my way must die!"

Upon seeing that the Spell Casters had dashed into the scene, Wizard Heghar appeared to be in a rage. Intense fluctuations of Elements were unleashed from his body. He was prepared to cast his spell and fight these five Spell Casters!"

"What? Not dead. You're not dead?"

Suddenly, a sharp and shocked exclamation came from within the dust in front of Wizard Heghar. Following that, fluctuations of Elements were released from the smoke.

"Not dead?"

Wizard Heghar also stopped in his track. He stared intently at the smoke in front of him. Soon, the smoke dissipated. Merlin was still wearing the large black robe. As he was protected by the sturdy monuments, there was no sign that he was injured.

"Dark Mist!"

Merlin revealed a cruel smile. Those attacks were indeed terrifying, but he had continuously cast Guardian Monument several times. He was not afraid of attacks of such level at all.

A mist appeared instantly and covered these five Spell Casters rapidly. It kept spreading outward in a quick motion, intending to envelop Wizard Heghar as well.

"This is bad. It's Darkness-type spell, Dark Mist!"

Wizard Heghar was knowledgeable, so he immediately knew that Merlin had cast a Darkness-type spell. Moreover, he recognized it as Dark Mist was the most complicated spell amongst Darkness-type spells.

"Swish!"

Fluctuations of Wind Element quickly appeared on Wizard Heghar. He retreated at a great speed to prevent being shrouded by Dark Mist. However, the rest were not that fortunate and were quickly enveloped into an illusion.

"Thunderbolt Net!"

Merlin was expressionless. At the instant when Dark Mist had shrouded the five Spell Casters, he then cast Thunderbolt Net.

Thunderbolt Net was an Offensive spell within a specified region. Instantly, lightning flashed continuously and blasted the Spell Casters who were trapped in Dark Mist.

These Spell Casters were only Entrance-level roaming wizards. Their Mind Power was not strong either. After being shrouded by Dark Mist, they fell into an illusion and wore a blank look. At this moment, any spell could kill them, not to mention Thunderbolt Net.

Thunder, as fine as hair, kept flashing in the mist. It looked exquisite, but the beautiful scenery was accompanied by the death of five Spell Casters.

"Phew…"

Merlin waved slightly and blew Dark Mist away. Only five bodies were left on the ground. Other than Wizard Heghar who had run away to avoid Dark Mist was not killed, all Spell Casters whom Count Longardi had recruited had all lost their lives!

"Dead? Such a terrifying spell!"

The usually collected Count Longardi could not maintain his calm composure after witnessing Merlin killing five Spell Casters with only two spells. His gaze found Wizard Heghar then. Wizard Heghar was his last line of protection.

"Wizard Heghar, do you have any ways to deal with Merlin?"

Count Longardi asked in a low voice. Even if he was not a Spell Caster, he could see that Merlin was strong to the extent that even Wizard Heghar feared him.

Wizard Heghar had been staring hard at Merlin. He glanced at the bodies of Spell Casters on the ground and took a deep breath. Then, he revealed a determined expression.

"Sir, please be at ease. I have the confidence to kill Merlin!"

Wizard Heghar took a step forward and looked at Merlin. "Merlin, you're nothing short of a Spell Caster of the Dark Magic Region. You've become so strong in a year! Good. You've only made me look up to the Dark Magic Region more. Only a spell casters' organization can make me a stronger Spell Caster!"

Merlin frowned. Could this Wizard Heghar not understand the situation? Although Merlin had only cast two spells, he was no weaker than any First-level Spell Caster. However, Wizard Heghar was still brimming with confidence. Where did this confidence stem from?

Right when Merlin was confused, an ancient Spell Scroll appeared suddenly in Wizard Heghar's hands.

Although this Spell Scroll appeared worn out, the fluctuations of Elements leaked from the scroll changed Merlin's expression.

"Guardian Monument!"

Without hesitation, Merlin cast Guardian Monument immediately. Moreover, this was the strengthened version of Guardian Monument! At the same time, Wizard Heghar revealed a grim smile, then initiated the Spell Scroll at his fastest speed.

Chapter 168: Demon Ability, Glacial Finger!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Swish!"

Violent fluctuations of Ice Elements were transmitted from the Spell Scroll. Instantly, a white icicle appeared, shattering the sky and came straight at Merlin just like an iron awl.

This was a Second-level spell, Ice Awl!

Ice-type spells were mainly used for attacks and to bind the opponent. The speciality of Merlin's Ice-type spell was its binding ability. Meanwhile, the Ice Awl was the spell with the highest offensive ability amongst Ice-type spells. In addition, it was a Second-level spell!

Little did Merlin expect that Heghar would have a Second-level Spell Scroll as he was a roaming wizard. If he was back in the Resource Tower, such strong Offensive spell would at least cost him hundreds of contribution points.

This was Wizard Heghar's true trump card. A Second-level Spell Scroll was enough to eliminate many First-level Spell Casters, not to mention an Entrance-level Spell Caster such as Merlin.

"Hehe. Meet your death!"

Merlin could clearly sense the chilly aura emitted by Ice Awl, even from afar.

"Guardian Monument!"

Facing a Second-level spell, Merlin took a deep breath and instantaneously cast Guardian Monument – not just an ordinary one but its strengthened version. He had no intention to be careless in defending himself.

"Bang!"

Ice Awl clashed into Merlin's Guardian Monument violently. Merlin felt an unspeakable chill even within the protection of Guardian Monument. The chills from Ice Awl still seeped into Merlin's body.

However, he was lucky that the chilly aura was not that strong. Since Merlin's physical attribute was commendable and he possessed Ice-type spell as well, he could quickly neutralize this chilly aura in him.

"Crack."

Finally, the strengthened version of Guardian Monument could not hold against Ice Awl. At once, the monument broke into pieces, and the debris flew all over the place.

The strengthened version of Guardian Monument was already very close to a Second-level spell. Although it could not stand against Ice Awl, in the end, it was able to deplete most of its energy.

Thus, Merlin cast Guardian Monument twice, then completely exhausted the energy of Ice Awl.

"How is this possible? Guardian Monument is only a First-level spell. How can it stop Ice Awl?"

Upon realizing that Ice Awl did not cause any damage to Merlin, Wizard Heghar's expression changed. His eyes were filled with disbelief. It was not his first time using the Spell Scroll of Ice Awl.

Back when Wizard Heghar had obtained five Spell Scrolls of Ice Awl incidentally, he had eliminated a First-level Spell Caster every time he used a scroll. Once, a Four-Elemental First-level Spell Caster had even died from this attack.

However, Merlin had only utilized Guardian Monument to stop Ice Awl. This had completely overturned Wizard Heghar's understanding about Guardian Monument.

"That's not right. Guardian Monument's defensive ability is definitely not that strong. Can it be that you have some sort of casting tool to enhance its defense?"

Wizard Heghar changed his expression as if he had just thought of something.

Casting tools were generally divided into three types – Offensive, Defensive, and Supportive. Amongst all, Offensive casting tools were the rarest while Defensive casting tools were the most common. On the other hand, Supportive casting tools were the strongest where it had everything one could think of.

In addition, amongst Supportive casting tools, there was a type of terrifying casting tool – Enhancing type. Once one had an Enhancing casting tool, one could utilize it to enhance the power of the spell when the Spell Caster cast the spell.

However, such Enhancing casting tools were too difficult to come by. Many spell casters' organization did not even possess such a casting tool.

"Enhancing casting tool?"

Merlin did not reply directly. It was convenient that Wizard Heghar thought that he possessed an Enhancing casting tool. Things would be less troublesome this way.

"Swish!"

Merlin's figure flashed and the Wind Element on him began to fluctuate violently. He sprinted directly toward Wizard Heghar while the latter did not dare to confront Merlin since he was out of Spell Scrolls. Thus, Wizard Heghar cast his Wind-type spell and instantly, his speed doubled. So, he frantically retreated backward.

"Running away? Don't you think it's a little too late for that? Thunderbolt Net!"

Without hesitation, Merlin cast Thunderbolt Net. He wanted to take advantage of the paralyzing effect of Thunderbolt Net to stop Wizard Heghar.

"Swish!"

Merlin cast the strengthened version of Gale. In a moment, his speed rose drastically, even quicker than Wizard Heghar. When he had come close to Wizard Heghar, Merlin's Mind Power simulated the Dark Mist's Spell Model in his Awareness.

"Dark Mist!"

This time, Merlin directly cast the strengthened version of Dark Mist. After all, Heghar's Mind Power was not weak; he had the Second-level Mind Power now. An ordinary Dark Mist would not have much effect on him.

Soon, a mist appeared and enveloped Heghar. Before he was shrouded by the mist, a grim look appeared across his face.

As Heghar was shrouded by the strengthened version of Dark Mist, terror crawled onto his face. He howled, "No, no! Don't kill me, Wizard Merlin. I have a secret, an ultimate secret. If you…"

Before he even finished his words, his voice stopped abruptly. Wizard Heghar's expression turned blank; he had fallen into an illusion.

The strengthened version of Merlin's Dark Mist could send a Spell Caster with maximum Second-level Mind Power into an illusion. Since Wizard Heghar only possessed normal Second-level Mind Power like Merlin, he was not an exception.

"Bang!"

Merlin cast Fireball and killed Wizard Heghar.

Then, Merlin set his gaze on Count Longardi. At this moment, he had lost all his composure; his face was pale and his lips trembled slightly.

"Wizard Merlin, I can order the army to stand back!"

"Bang!"

Merlin would not care about Count Longardi so he cast Fireball at Count Longardi, killing him instantly. Moreover, Merlin had no intention to spare his enemy.

After killing Count Longardi, Merlin went to the six bodies on the ground. He scavenged all rings from Wizard Heghar and the others, then pointed a finger at the sky. Instantly, numerous small fireballs were shot into the air and exploded. Count Selin and the others who were far at the city walls could see them clearly.

This was the signal decided between Merlin and Count Selin. Once Merlin had successfully killed Count Longardi, he would send a signal to inform Count Selin of the situation.

…

"Haha. Baron Merlin has done it. He actually did it!"

Count Selin and the others were overwhelmed with surprise when they saw the fireball in mid-air.

Then, Count Selin resumed his serious expression and instructed his men. "Send my orders. Open the gate. All aristocrats to bring their knights and move out. This time, we'll defeat the army of Lebis City at once."

Count Selin gave his command calmly. This was the perfect chance to defeat Lebis City. If he could eliminate a sufficient number of army units from Lebis City, he would have been able to take Lebis City under his control.

Count Selin was stirred up thinking about this. Initially, he had expected a great loss even if Longardi did not break into the city.

Little did he think that Merlin had become so strong after a year in the Dark Magic Region. Not only did he break through the defense of numerous thousands of people, he had also killed all opposing Spell Casters alone. Even Longardi had died in Merlin's hands.

Without Longardi, the army of Lebis City had lost their backbone. As long as he brought his man and attacked, he would receive unexpected result without fail.

"Kill!"

The gate opened with thundering roars of killing. Immediately, endless knights poured out from the city. As they sprinted forward, they screamed, "Longardi is dead." Many Lebis soldiers turned around, expecting to see Count Longardi, but no one was there.

Thus, many soldiers began to believe that Count Longardi was indeed dead and they had the intention to retreat. As soon as one of them retreated, more would follow.

A poorly-planned retreat would only result in an unsightly defeat. The Lebis army was the perfect example of this statement. The Knights of Prakash City were right on their tail, chasing them frantically.

Meanwhile, Wizard Freyr and Wizard Hill were amongst the ordinary knights of Prakash City. They focused their attacks at the commanders of Lebis City!

This way, the army of Lebis City had no way of organizing their attacks, thus ending in an utter defeat.

After seeing the knights of Prakash City frantically chasing after the defeated Lebis army from afar, Merlin finally heaved a sigh of relief.

Merlin did not join in the chase. Instead, he began to look through the rings he took from the Spell Casters.

These Spell Casters were roaming wizards, so they did not have many resources. Merlin only took a brief glance at them and soon lost interest in them. Other than some unimportant potion materials and Zero-level spells, they did not even have an elemental crystal stone. Their situation was similar to that of Merlin before he joined the Dark Magic Region.

"The Matrix, scan and save all Spell Models!"

Merlin rearranged the items in the rings and only found a dozen Zero-level Spell Models. Although they were all common spells and were of not much use to Merlin, he still instructed the Matrix to save them. These were the solid foundation the Matrix needed for data integration process in the future.

After saving the spells, Merlin took the ring that he had scavenged from Wizard Heghar and checked it out carefully.

Heghar had constructed Four-Elemental spells and became a First-level Spell Caster. This was extremely rare amongst roaming wizards. Heghar could have encountered some strange events for this to happen.

Before Merlin killed Heghar, the latter even screamed about some sort of secret. It was not that Merlin was not attracted to that but he planned to kill Heghar first, then find the clues about that secret.

There were many things in Wizard Heghar's ring. Not only did he possess many Zero-level and First-level spells, he even had some elemental crystal stones and all sorts of precious potion materials.

His resources were richer than that of many wizards in the spell casters' organizations.

However, a book that gleamed a faint golden light in the ring grabbed Merlin's attention.

Merlin took out this strange book using his Mind Power and placed it on his palm. It seemed to only have a few pages. It was made with an unknown material and was flashing a faint golden light, appearing rather magical.

Merlin quickly flipped to the first page of the book. In an instant, the large bright golden words written on the first page caught Merlin's eyes – Demon Ability, Glacial Finger!

Chapter 169: What is Demon Ability?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Demon Ability, Glacial Finger!"

Merlin was overwhelmed with emotions when he saw the large words written in Molta language in the book. It was as if these golden words had become "alive".

"What is Demon Ability? Is it a sort of spell?"

Merlin frowned. He had no idea what Demon Ability was. He had not heard of this term before even in the Dark Magic Region.

Right when Merlin wanted to continue reading the next page, the sounds of horses rang before him. Following that, a black wave of people arrived before Merlin. It was Old Wilson and his heavy armored knights.

"Merlin, what's wrong?"

Old Wilson approached Merlin quickly and glanced at him.

Merlin kept the book and shook his head slightly. "Father, I'm alright. Oh right, how are Count Selin and the others?"

Old Wilson glanced at the bodies on the ground. He knew that these bodies were all powerful Spell Casters when they were alive, but they were all killed by Merlin. He was rather shocked by this scene. He did not know how strong Merlin truly was now.

"Count Selin is commanding the army to chase after the defeated army of Lebis City. Moreover, it seems that he wants to take advantage of this opportunity to take Lebis City under his control."

Old Wilson glimpsed at the soldiers who were still indulging in killing far away from them. His thoughts about Count Selin were not far off from the reality.

This time, Longardi had truly given his all since he had gathered all soldiers and brought them here. After this defeat, there would only be a small number of soldiers who could make it back alive to Lebis City. They had no chance of defending against Count Selin's army at all.

However, Merlin did not need to concern himself with this matter. He only needed to solve the danger of Prakash City and leave the rest to Count Selin.

"Father, let's go. Count Selin will deal with the rest."

Thereafter, Merlin rode his horse and slowly returned to Prakash City.

…

After the battle, Prakash City appeared to be bustling with activities. Many had received news that the army of Lebis City had suffered an unsightly defeat, so countless people were cheering in excitement.

Even Merlin had noticed the sincere smiles on many servants in Wilson Castle.

After he returned to his room, he instructed his servants to not let anyone disturb him. Then, he took out the strange book that he found in Wizard Heghar's ring.

Merlin had already read the first page. It was his first time hearing about Demon Ability. He had no idea what that was, so he proceeded to read the second page.

The second page wrote about a detailed explanation of Demon Ability, thus Merlin read the text carefully.

"Demon Ability, or Pandora Demon Ability, is a strange power manifested from the combination of many techniques such as spells, alchemy, runology, potions, and such!"

"Glacial Finger is one of the Ice-type Demon Abilities. The conditions to cultivate it include – one must construct First-level spell, Frigid Ice, and possess hundred years' ice bone marrow of strange creature!"

Merlin read the book attentively. The effect of Pandora Demon Ability was not outlined in detail in this book except for an introduction of Glacial Finger. Once one had cultivated it, one could possess a powerful freezing skill.

However, the book did not explain how powerful this freezing skill would be. In Merlin's opinion, the freezing effect would be significant.

There were two stages to cultivate Glacial Finger. Firstly, he needed a First-level spell, Frigid Ice and hundred years' ice bone marrow. Meanwhile, the second stage was more complicated and difficult than the first stage. He would need a Fourth-level spell and thousand years' ice essence.

However, Merlin had not heard of either hundred years' ice bone marrow or thousand years' ice essence before.

On the other hand, the First-level spell needed in the first stage of Glacial Finger was Frigid Ice that Merlin wanted to construct as well. Since his Mind Power was still insufficient, he still could not construct it.

Merlin closed his eyes slightly and rearranged the information in his head. The strange Pandora Demon Ability, Glacial Finger he obtained from Heghar would be a powerful addition. Since Merlin was also preparing to construct Frigid Ice, he would not mind cultivating Glacial Finger if he got hold of hundred years' ice bone marrow.

Following that, Merlin closed his eyes completely and began meditating.

…

After a month, Count Selin had led his army and successfully taken down Lebis City. Instantly, Count Selin's influence had doubled. Now, the entire Prakash City was an extremely powerful small-scaled city-state.

After Count Selin achieved his objective, he did not forget his promise to Merlin. Thus, he announced publicly to promote Merlin from baron to viscount and to appoint Old Wilson to a baron.

It was extremely rare to have two aristocrats in a family in Prakash City. After all, noble titles were inherited throughout the family. The fact that the Wilson family had two aristocrats symbolized that the Wilson family was flourishing.

A year ago, the Wilson family was only settlers from a faraway land but now they had become an influential family in Prakash City.

Meanwhile, Merlin stayed in Wilson Castle all the while. When he had time during the day, he would accompany Avril and Charise, while at night, he made the best use of his time to make potions.

The potion Merlin wanted to make was Phantasmal Magic Potion, which required extremely precious materials. The potion materials he had gotten from the silver-haired old man were only enough to make two Phantasmal Magic Potions. Moreover, there was a huge chance that he might fail in making the potion, so Merlin did not try his luck back in the Dark Magic Region. He was afraid that he might use up all potion materials and it would be difficult to find the materials again.

After he left the Dark Magic Region, Merlin realized how scarce the resources were out here. It was even difficult to find some of the most common potion materials, not to mention such precious materials for Phantasmal Magic Potion.

Due to this reason, unsurprisingly, many Spell Casters preferred to stay in deserted areas. The most important reason was probably due to a lack of potion materials out here, to the extent that they could not support the daily cultivation of a Spell Caster.

Merlin planned to make Phantasmal Magic Potion to enhance the strength of his Mind Power. Even if he failed in making it, he could still make some Blueberry Potion. In Wizard Vyksa's ring, there were still some potion materials left to make Blueberry Potion.

It was extremely quick to increase his Mind Power by using a potion. The increment of Mind Power was also much more than the increment of spending long hours in meditation.

"Begin the process of Phantasmal Magic Potion!"

Merlin instructed the Matrix to prepare the potion. He had already gotten used to preparing potions by now but he did not have much confidence in preparing Phantasmal Magic Potion.

One hour, two hours…

Soon, Merlin prepared Phantasmal Magic Potion according to the instructions given by the Matrix. Unfortunately, he failed in preparing the potion after verification by the Matrix.

What was left now was the last portion of potion materials. Nevertheless, Merlin was determined to make the potion. In the Dark Magic Region, he had made about five Phantasmal Magic Potions, but only the final potion worked.

Thus, Merlin could not be sure that he could make it successfully with the last portion of potion materials.

After a few hours, Merlin continued the preparation of Phantasmal Magic Potion. This time, the potion was deemed qualified by the Matrix.

"I finally made it!"

Merlin was overwhelmed with elation as he was successful the second time. A large part of his success was due to luck since Merlin could not ensure he would succeed when he made the potion for the second time.

Merlin did not take Phantasmal Magic Potion directly. Instead, he began to make Blueberry Potion.

It was relatively easier to make Blueberry Potion. He had obtained the formula from the cloaked man, Wizard Vyksa. Vyksa's Mind Power was strong mainly because of Blueberry Potion.

Hence, Merlin wanted to make Blueberry Potion and take it with Phantasmal Magic Potion to increase his Mind Power as quickly as possible. He planned to construct another First-level spell in the shortest amount of time.

Although the making of Blueberry Potion was relatively easier than that of Phantasmal Magic Potion, Merlin was defeated by its success rate. He had made a handful of Blueberry Potions continuously but only three were successful.

Without potion materials, Merlin could not make more, so he stopped. Soon, Merlin was ready to take the potion and observe how far his Mind Power could improve.

Back when Merlin first consumed Phantasmal Magic Potion, his Mind Power actually improved by thirty percent.

Then, Merlin rested for a long while. When his Mind Power had resumed to its peak, he consumed Phantasmal Magic Potion. Instantly, there seemed to be a warm sensation which quickly expanded in his head, which made it extremely unbearable for him.

The sensation he felt this time was the same as the last time he took Phantasmal Magic Potion. Fortunately, Merlin's Mind Power was strong enough to endure the suffering.

After some time, the sensation in Merlin's head slowly cleared up while his Mind Power had improved significantly. From his initial estimation, his Mind Power had at least increased by twenty percent, albeit not as exaggerated as thirty percent during the last round.

Increasing Mind Power by twenty percent in just a few hours was much quicker than the speed of meditation. However, he had to pay a great cost for this as well. If he had not been successful in making the potion, he would have wasted countless potion materials. He would need a lot of contribution points to exchange for the potion materials at the Resource Tower.

Although the potion could increase his Mind Power rapidly, it was simply unrealistic to rely solely on a potion.

Merlin did not stop here. After taking Phantasmal Magic Potion, he continued to take Blueberry Potion.

The effect of Blueberry Potion was slightly worse than that of Phantasmal Magic Potion but the total effect of three Blueberry Potions combined was comparable to that of Phantasmal Magic Potion.

Both Phantasmal Magic Potion and Blueberry Potions had increased Merlin's Mind Power by half. Now, Merlin felt that he could construct another First-level spell.

"It's time to decide which spell to construct now."

Merlin focused his attention on this matter and started looking at the First-level spells that he kept in his ring. Since he did not have much Mind Power, he could only choose the spell that could assist him the most.