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Chapter 196: Overbearing

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Spell casters' organization?"

The entire room fell into silence again.

After a long moment, Wizard Sammir heaved a long sigh. "Wizard Merlin, have you ever been troubled about not having spells, potions or casting tools when you were in the Dark Magic Region? I know that you'll pay an equal price to obtain precious spells, potions, and casting tools in spell casters' organization. Either way, you'd still have the privilege to obtain the items you require as every type of spell, potion, and casting tool is available in an organization.

"Meanwhile, roaming wizards like us have nothing at all. If we want to buy spells, it'll cost us an arm and leg to do so. Moreover, even if we have a large number of elemental crystal stones, we won't be able to buy the spells or potion materials suitable for us. The ancient monument may have some special spells, precious potions or even ancient powerful casting tools. However, how can these things compare to what spell casters' organizations have? As long as they put in the effort to pay the price, they can get anything they want. The presence of the ancient monument doesn't attract the wizards in spell casters' organizations at all, especially strong wizards of Fourth-level and above."

After a pause, Wizard Sammir took a long look at Merlin, then said with a hint of a smile, "In addition, the location of the ancient monument is far away even for Fire City, the spell casters' organization closest to us. Hehe, Wizard Merlin should know this better than we do. Spell casters' organizations such as Fire City, the Dark Magic Region, and the others are busy dealing with Ozmu right now; they won't have the time to care about whatever ancient monument here."

Merlin was a little surprised. The fact that the Dark Magic Region, Fire City, Abyss Fort, and Ashes Region had joined forces to deal with Ozmu was well known amongst wizards from spell casters' organizations.

However, many roaming wizards did not even know spell casters' organization that well, not to mention obtaining such detailed information on the battle with Ozmu. Obviously, Wizard Sammir had especially fished the information about the situation of spell casters' organizations before.

Merlin nodded. Wizard Sammir has got a point there. Spell casters' organizations had a complete endowment, a very comprehensive knowledge system, and an immeasurable amount of resources. The members of spell casters' organizations only needed to use their contribution points to obtain the spells, potions, and casting tools they needed.

Thus, the spells, potions, and casting tools in the ancient monument were not attractive to the powerful Spell Casters in spell casters' organizations at all.

However, Wizard Sammir was unaware of the legendary Pandora Demon Ability in the ancient monument. In this case, even powerful wizards of spell casters' organizations would definitely enter the ancient monument.

Upon thinking of this, Merlin took a knowing look at Wizard Riesen and found the latter in a calm composure. Sensing Merlin's gaze, he even nodded with a nonchalant smile.

"He hides his feelings too well!"

Looking at the calm Wizard Riesen, Merlin maintained a sharp vigilance against him. Riesen had many tricks up his sleeve, so Merlin would have to be cautious when they enter the ancient monument.

"Wizard Sammir, since there won't be any Spell Caster of Fourth-level and above, let's move out as soon as possible. We don't have to wait until tomorrow. Rather, we can depart to the ancient monument anytime."

Merlin was cleared of his doubts and agreed to Wizard Bren's suggestion to enter the ancient monument.

Wizard Sammir nodded. "Alright, let's not delay further and move out right away!"

Hence, Wizard Sammir prepared a few carriages and let their Alchemy Creatures to drive the carriages. Soon, the carriages ran at full speed out of Floating City and headed toward the mysterious ancient monument.

…

In the early morning, the winter fog lingered as the warm sunlight shone upon a large area of dense forest. The fallen leaves on the ground were soaked by the moist dewdrops that reflected strings of golden light under the sun.

The entire forest was shrouded in the fog to the extent that nobody could see his or her own hands anymore.

However, in such a dense forest, a group of Spell Casters had gathered.

The Spell Casters' gazes were focused on a small hill in front of them. If one looked closely at the hill, one would find that it was not a hill at all. Instead, it was an ancient-looking tower which was covered in soil where flowers and plants had grown on it.

Only the upper four floors of the ancient tower were visible. Since it was covered by soil all year-round, it appeared just like a small hill. Moreover, such an ancient tower would have at least nine floors in total. In other words, apart from the upper four floors shown above ground, there could be at least six floors buried underneath.

The fact that such a tall tower was buried underground proved that it had stood the test of time of over thousands of years.

Below the ancient tower, there was an area of soil that was charred black; it was obviously scorched by high temperature. It showed that someone had cast Fire-type spells here. Moreover, there was a large hole beside the charred soil, indicating that someone had passed through the hole and entered the underground of the ancient tower.

A large crowd of Spell Casters gathered in front of the tower. They were mostly Entrance-level Spell Casters. They stared intently at the entrance of the tower but did not dare to enter.

"The Spell Casters who entered the tower earlier did not experience any issues. I think it's not that dangerous in there. Let's go in quickly."

There was a small group of Spell Casters amongst the crowd; the one who spoke was Wizard Ken of the Delman clan.

Meanwhile, Wizard Glen, the Four-Elemental Second-level Spell Caster, and Elena stood beside him. With Glen as the leader, the three had arrived at the front of the ancient tower.

This tower was just a part of the ancient monument. There were more floors buried underground which consisted of the entire ancient monument.

"Let's not rush. The ones who went in are Entrance-level Spell Casters. Even if they entered the monument, how many dangerous zones can they break through?"

Wizard Glen appeared rather composed. He did not rush as he stopped Wizard Ken, who seemed slightly agitated.

"Phew…"

As soon as Wizard Glen finished his words, a violent gust of wind blew suddenly. Following that, an old and thin Spell Caster with white hair strode toward the ancient monument.

This old-looking Spell Caster, albeit taking slow strides, had a gust of whirlwind blowing in front of him. It made a way through the crowds of Spell Casters in front of the ancient monument by force.

"It's Wizard Hodgdon. He's a well-known First-level Spell Caster. He possesses a few strong Defensive casting tools in addition to his expertise in Wind-type spells. Tsk tsk. He's a powerful wizard who can stand against a Second-level Spell Caster."

There were Spell Casters in the crowd who recognized the old man as they muttered amongst themselves.

"Hodgdon, he's pretty strong. It's good to have him clear the path ahead of us."

Wizard Glen who hid amongst the crowds pulled his robe lower as he spoke in a low voice.

The ancient monument contained many hidden dangers. Although Wizard Glen was confident, he did not want to enter rashly. Thus, he had been waiting all this while for a capable Spell Caster to enter the ancient monument before him. Following the Spell Caster, they could minimize the danger that they would encounter in there.

"Ken, Elena, stay close to me. After Hodgdon has entered the ancient monument, we'll trail in after him."

Wizard Glen had completed his preparation. His stare was glued on Wizard Hodgdon waiting for him to enter the monument.

"Hehe, old man Hodgdon, you'll soon be dead. Even so, you still want to enter the ancient monument and test your luck? But let me go in first. Haha!"

Suddenly, a series of loud laughter rang. A muscular Spell Caster who only wore a basic creature's skin dashed out of the dense forest. There were many gigantic rings hanging over his left ear, making him look rather daunting.

The Spell Caster with the weird outfit shook off the dewdrops on him and quirked his mouth. He pointed straight at the old man Hodgdon and a hint of fire appeared out of thin air. In the blink of an eye, the fire turned into an endless sea of flames that almost ignited the entire forest.

The old man Hodgdon who was initially emotionless changed his expression drastically after seeing the Spell Caster with the weird outfit. After the flames had appeared, he immediately took a step back. An intense amount of Wind Elements fluctuated around him and his speed had increased significantly.

However, the old man was still one step slower than the weird Spell Caster. His body was covered in flames but there was a grayish light flashing on him. It was obviously a Defensive casting tool that worked to defend against the spell of the Spell Caster with the weird outfit.

"Baslow, you madman. What are you doing? If you want to go in, I'll let you do it first!"

The old man appeared to be in rage as he yelled.

The Spell Caster named Baslow smirked as he said, "Old man Hodgdon, I haven't finished my business with you from the previous time! You indeed have a lot of tricks to save your life despite not having any other strength. You better stay away from me. Hehe. Otherwise, I may very well attack you when I'm not in a good mood!"

Baslow seemed to have had arguments with the old man Hodgdon before but he had no means to beat the latter, who was good at escaping and saving his own life.

The old man Hodgdon wore a dark expression. Since he knew that he could not fight against Baslow, he stifled his words. Meanwhile, Baslow could have wanted to enter the ancient monument quickly, so he strode toward the entrance in large steps after he gave his 'warning' to the old man Hodgdon.

He was different from Wizard Glen and the others; he did not care about the danger present in the ancient monument and did not want to wait for others to clear the path for him.

"Such stupidity. The ones who enter the ancient monument first die the quickest. But Baslow is a Second-level Spell Caster, so he's more suitable to clear the obstacles in front for us."

Wizard Glen hid amongst the crowd and closely observed the other Spell Casters.

Baslow, who wore a creature's skin indeed had an overbearing attitude, and he had every right to. Before he entered the ancient monument, two figures dashed toward Baslow rapidly, blowing a gust of wind.

"Bang!"

Baslow immediately cast his Defensive spell but he was still thrown off by the strong force. Following that, a sharp voice rang. "The Four Alchemists of Floating City are here. For those who want to live, leave immediately or prepare to die in vain!"

Four figures gradually appeared in front of the ancient monument. After seeing the arrival of the alchemists, Wizard Glen who hid amongst the crowds finally changed his calm expression.

"It's these four old men… They're here this time as well. This is bad!"

Wizard Glen frowned slightly. His tone revealed that he knew the so-called 'Four Alchemists of Floating City' and he was fearful of them.

"That's not right. One of them is not here. Hmm? Who's that?"

Suddenly, the youthful face of a black-robed Spell Caster amongst the four made Wizard Glen speechless for a moment with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Chapter 197: The Melee

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"That's Merlin? Elena, is that the young black-robed Spell Caster Merlin from the Dark Magic Region?"

Wizard Glen's expression changed drastically as he asked Elena.

He knew that the so-called 'Four Alchemists of Floating City', indicated an alliance of mutual interest established by the four strongest roaming wizards in Floating City.

Moreover, these alchemists were truly powerful as they possessed unique skills of their own. As a Third-level Spell Caster, these four Spell Casters were nothing less remarkable than the Spell Casters of the same level from any usual spell casters' organization.

Thus, Wizard Glen dreaded the arrival of these four Spell Casters.

However, it seemed that Wizard DeMarco was missing from the group. Instead, an unfamiliar young Spell Caster was in his place. Many did not recognize the young Spell Caster whose body was cloaked in a black robe.

Elena stared at the young Spell Caster who was covered with a black robe without blinking. She was way too familiar with that face.

"It's Wizard Merlin!"

Elena said in a low voice with a complicated expression.

After hearing Elena's confirmation, Wizard Glen's expression darkened. With a low voice, he replied, "I didn't expect Merlin to come to the ancient monument with these three old men. Unsurprisingly, he didn't promise to come with us. But, hmph! Don't these old men have their own intentions coming here? No matter what means Merlin has used to persuade these people to bring him to the ancient monument, how far can they protect him when they encounter dangerous situations there? Hehe."

"Glen, the Four Alchemists always act together. Why is it that there are only three of them this time?"

Elena noticed that a powerful Spell Caster was missing from Wizard Sammir's group. The Four Alchemists of Floating City consisted of four powerful Spell Casters – Wizard Sammir, Wizard Bren, Wizard Riesen, and also Wizard DeMarco.

Instead of Wizard DeMarco, Merlin was in their group.

Glen smirked. "Maybe that old guy didn't come. Or he may have been trailing behind them. No matter what, it's a troublesome situation with these four in the ancient monument!"

Initially, Glen was full of confidence about this trip. He even had the confidence to go up against an ordinary Third-level Spell Caster. However, Wizard Sammir and the others were different. Albeit being roaming wizards, they had their unique skills and their abilities were comparable to Third-level Spell Casters from spell casters' organizations.

Thus, Wizard Glen wore a dark expression since Wizard Sammir and his group arrived and disrupted his position.

However, changes soon occurred to the situation. Even if the atrocity of 'the Four Alchemists of Floating City' was well-known, there were also some roaming wizards who felt more confident in a crowd, eyeing the mysterious ancient monument. They were not as fearful about Wizard Sammir and the others.

Despite Wizard Bren's overbearing attitude, these roaming wizards did not leave at all. Instead, they stood in front of the ancient monument as they stared intently at Wizard Sammir and his group who had just arrived.

Wizard Sammir frowned and said in a low voice, "It seems like we haven't shown ourselves in a long time. Some have already forgotten about us!"

"Hehe. Sammir, I think it's time to do something about it!"

Wizard Bren let out a cruel laugh. Following that, intense fluctuations of Elements appeared from his body.

"Kill them!"

Wizard Sammir howled lowly when he saw the surrounding Spell Casters who still did not back down.

"Boom!"

Instantly, a large area of violent flames flared up and their Alchemy Creatures dashed into the large crowd of Spell Casters like beasts.

Their Alchemy Creatures ran into the crowd and began their crazy massacre. These Alchemy Creatures were extremely powerful as they were able to withstand any ordinary Third-level spell attacks! Besides, these Spell Casters were mostly Entrance-level or were just lucky enough to become First-level Spell Casters.

The Zero-level and First-level spells could not cause any significant damage upon the Alchemy Creatures. At once, the shrill cries of the crowd died.

"Incredible Alchemy Creatures!"

Merlin did not join in the attack; he only squinted his eyes a little as he observed Wizard Sammir and the others. When he fought Wizard Sammir's Alchemy Creature, he did not notice how strong they were.

Especially when he possessed the Pandora Demon Ability, Glacial Finger, these Alchemy Creatures could not cause any damage to Merlin at all.

However, at this point, Merlin could see how terrifying these Alchemy Creatures were in front of these Entrance-level, First-level, and Second-level Spell Casters – they were almost dominating the entire fight. The crowds were simply being massacred right now by those Alchemy Creatures.

Ever since the battle had begun, Wizard Sammir and the others were at an advantageous position. Although there were a large number of Spell Casters around, they had no way to fight against Wizard Sammir and his group.

"Haha, my darling. Kill as many as you like!"

Wizard Bren sent out two of his Alchemy Creatures; they dashed in and out of the crowd like the wind. In addition, their defense was astounding; they had already killed numerous roaming wizards within a short period of time.

Such one-sided massacre had transpired under the condition that Wizard Sammir and the others had not cast their spells. It was crucial to know that they were all Third-level Spell Casters and they had constructed Third-level spells. If they cast their spells, these roaming wizards would not survive at all.

"Damn it. These old guys are too strong. It seems we have to retreat for now and wait for an opportunity to enter the ancient monument!"

Wizard Glen who was hiding in the crowd took a long glance at Wizard Sammir and the others. He seemed to be rather helpless. He knew that he would not have a chance of winning against Wizard Sammir and the group. He would be looking for his own death if he trailed behind them.

Right at this moment, Merlin suddenly raised his head, seemingly noticing something. At one glance, he spotted Wizard Glen and Elena.

"So Elena came as well!"

After he ensured that Elena and the others had retreated from the crowd silently, he nodded subtlety. Under the circumstance, it was pure stupidity to remain at this place to face the powerful attacks of Wizard Sammir and the others.

"Swoosh!"

Suddenly, a wind blade struck Merlin but it was resolved by Merlin's Zero-level spell, Earth Guard, right before hitting him.

Someone could have finally noticed Merlin and figured that he was the weakest Spell Caster amongst the four. Thus, a majority of Spell Casters placed their gaze toward Merlin.

"Hehe. Baslow, the young Spell Caster is weaker. Let's kill him first and vent out our anger!"

The old man Hodgdon said moodily.

Baslow shot a furious look at the old man Hodgdon, but he, too, stared closely at Merlin. He was indeed quite frustrated when he was thrown off by the Alchemy Creatures sent by Wizard Bren even though he was not injured.

However, Wizard Bren was a Third-level Spell Caster and Baslow was far inferior to him. Hence, sensing that Merlin's aura was weaker and in addition to his youthful looks, Baslow was very attracted to what the old man Hodgdon had said.

"It's fine that I'm inferior to these old men! But do you think you can enter the ancient monument that easily? A young Spell Caster who came from nowhere?"

Baslow yelled and attracted Merlin's attention. Upon seeing that Baslow had grabbed Merlin's attention, the old man Hodgdon had to stifle an angry curse.

"Baslow, such an idiot. What stupidity! If we attack him sneakily, we may kill this young Spell Caster easily. After all, he came with the three old men. Killing him can, in a way, disrupt their confidence and attitude! Now, it's all ruined by you!"

The old man Hodgdon could never understand Baslow's actions. He was always in favor of sneaky attacks. If he could not kill the person, he would immediately retreat; his actions made him an extremely troublesome opponent. Even in front of Wizard Sammir and the others, the old man Hodgdon still wanted to kill Merlin to lower the group's morale.

However, all his plans were ruined by Baslow's yell. The old man Hodgdon was truly speechless but he had to trail behind Baslow and cast his spells, blasting towards Merlin.

"Hmm? Why are all the spells heading towards Wizard Merlin?"

Wizard Sammir and the others suddenly noticed some abnormalities. Many Spell Casters were, in fact, casting spells that were heading straight toward Merlin. At once, like a gust of violent wind, spells whistled by and headed toward Merlin.

However, upon seeing a large number of spells blasting toward Merlin, Wizard Sammir did not show a slight hint of worry at all. Instead, he stopped his attacks and gazed upon Baslow and Hodgdon who started the attack pitifully with a hint of a smile on his face.

"Baslow and Hodgdon are considered powerful presences amongst the roaming wizards. Unfortunately, they'll die right here…"

Wizard Sammir muttered in a low voice. The fact that Merlin had killed Wizard DeMarco with his Pandora Demon Ability was still confidential at this point. Only Wizard Sammir, Wizard Bren, and Wizard Riesen were aware of this matter.

Only the three of them knew how terrifying Merlin was. Merlin was the strongest person amongst the group. The old man Hodgdon and Baslow were simply courting their own deaths when they messed with Merlin.

Wizard Sammir and the others' strange expressions had caught the attention of the old man Hodgdon who was always suspicious of others. However, he did not understand what was wrong with the situation hence, he continued to cast his spells toward Merlin.

The old man Hodgdon and Baslow had already planned their retreat route. Once they killed Merlin, they would immediately run away at their quickest speed to not give any chance for Wizard Sammir and the others to chase after them.

"Boom!"

Spells all over the sky had blasted frantically upon Merlin just like a storm. In the blink of an eye, Merlin's figure had disappeared from sight…

Chapter 198: The Intimidating One!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Endless spells inundated Merlin's entire figure. Wizard Baslow and the old man Hodgdon revealed a hint of elation when they believed that Merlin was now overwhelmed by the sheer number of spells.

However, before they could completely relax, a weak light instantly encompassed Merlin's body. At the same time, dull collision sounds came from Merlin's direction, and his surroundings had become hazy due to the spell attacks.

Upon hearing the sounds, the old man Hodgdon and Wizard Baslow changed their expressions drastically. Such sounds indicated that the spells were all blocked by some sort of casting tool or a Defensive spell.

"They're blocked?"

The old man Hodgdon was in disbelief. Merlin was not a Third-level Spell Caster; they could see that he was at most a First-level Spell Caster.

Even a First-level Spell Caster had no way of blocking so many spells except for a Third-level Defensive spell cast by Third-level Spell Caster.

"Swoosh!"

Suddenly, lightning began to flash and fist-sized Thunderlight Balls appeared above everyone's heads unexpectedly.

At the same time, these thunder balls were releasing strings of thunder where each of them was the size of a finger and contained a violent force.

"Thunderlight Ball!"

Merlin's voices came from within the vortex of dust. There were also a few monuments erected in front of him that cast a grayish light. Merlin had blocked the enormous amount of spell attacks by casting the strengthened version of Guardian Monument with the help of the Enhancing casting tool.

"He didn't die! He must've strong Enhancing casting tool on him; the First-level spell he cast is actually comparable to a Third-level spell!"

Baslow's expression changed. If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would not have believed that such a powerful Enhancing casting tool existed. Even though Merlin's Guardian Monument was a First-level Defensive spell, it was comparable to some Third-level spells.

Other than the Enhancing casting tool, Baslow could not think of any other method that could increase the power of spells so drastically.

However, Baslow did not back down. Instead, he rapidly cast a Defensive spell and charged towards Merlin. His expression revealed a hint of madness.

Meanwhile, the old man Hodgdon hesitated for a moment. At last, he took a long glance at the grayish Guardian Monument which was erected in front of Merlin and shook his head. He knew that he did not have the ability to break through Merlin's Guardian Monument. Thus, Wind Elements began to fluctuate violently around the old man Hodgdon and his figure retreated backward rapidly.

"Hmm? Want to leave now? It's too late!"

Merlin squinted his eyes slightly. He had cast Thunderlight Ball which was a large-area Offensive spell. The roaming wizards who were not First-level Spell Casters had let out shrill cries before they were vaporized.

This was the true massacre. Even the Alchemy Creatures had not killed the crowd as efficiently as Merlin's Thunderlight Ball. After all, it was a spell aimed at a large area. Apart from that, Thunderlight Ball was also a powerful spell amongst large-area Offensive spells. If one was shrouded by it, one could not defend against it without the help of strong spells or Defensive casting tools.

Meanwhile, Thunderlight Ball did not have much effect on the Second-level Spell Casters unless Merlin had cast the strengthened version of Thunderlight Ball. However, with the abilities of Wizard Baslow and the old man Hodgdon, it was unsurprising if the strengthened version of Thunderlight Ball could not hurt them much.

Upon thinking of this, Merlin shot an icy stare at them. He would not go easy on those who dared to attack him.

"Demon Ability, Glacial Finger!"

His white finger that resembled an ice crystal pointed lightly at Baslow.

"Ka-chak!"

With just a slight sound, Baslow's entire body was frozen whilst he maintained a running pose. Even his facial expression was lively and seemed unchanged.

"Bang!"

The ice crystals broke into smithereens. The previously overbearing Baslow who was covered by ice crystals broke into countless crystal debris all over the ground.

Merlin's Glacial Finger had not only frozen Baslow but its remaining force was also heading straight at the old man Hodgdon.

The old man Hodgdon was just ready to cast a Wind-type spell to escape when he witnessed the scene where Baslow was frozen and broken into countless pieces.

Even the knowledgeable old man Hodgdon was immediately gripped by terror. His entire body could not help but shiver, showing how frightened he was in his heart.

"What's that? A spell? A casting tool?"

The old man Hodgdon did not know of Pandora Demon Ability but he had no intention to block the attack after witnessing Baslow's ending. He immediately retreated backward as if he was flying.

However, Merlin's Glacial Finger was even quicker. An icy aura directly gripped the old man Hodgdon and his body began to freeze at once.

"No, no. My robe, quickly block this attack…"

The old man Hodgdon had a lot of tricks up his sleeve to run away. He even had a few casting tools on him but his robe was not effective against Merlin's Glacial Finger at all. He was directly encompassed by the icy aura and frozen altogether.

"Ka-chak!"

The ice crystals broke and the old man Hodgdon ended up the same as Baslow; his body broke into countless pieces of tiny ice crystals.

The old man Hodgdon and Wizard Baslow had died. Two Second-level Spell Casters could not defend themselves at all as they were turned into a pile of broken ice crystal debris on the ground in the blink of an eye.

Even though the fight was not bloody, it caused a chill down on people's spine, especially to those roaming wizards who were still stubbornly blocking the attack of Merlin's Thunderlight Ball. After witnessing Merlin who had easily eliminated the powerful Wizard Baslow and the old man Hodgdon who had countless life-saving tricks, these roaming wizards had lost all will to fight. They cast their life-saving spells respectively, trying to get away from the attacking range of Thunderlight Ball.

The roaming wizards who were not killed by the first round of thunder's forces were at least First-level Spell Casters. Moreover, they had relied on powerful Defensive spells or Defensive casting tools to hang on until now.

At this point, these roaming wizards had regretted their decision; they had thought Merlin was weak but they did not expect Merlin to be so insanely powerful. Such a large-area Offensive spell had almost eliminated half of the roaming wizards present.

"Go, let's go. The young Spell Caster is the true intimidating one!"

Many roaming wizards struggled to leave the attacking range of Merlin's Thunderlight Ball after paying significant prices. They did not even hesitate to leave as they ran toward the opposite direction of the ancient monument frantically. They did not dare to come close to the ancient monument at all.

Soon, Merlin had stopped casting Thunderlight Ball. Now, there were charred black bodies on the ground. There were initially hundreds of roaming wizards present but only about fifty of them had managed to escape or stay hidden.

Merlin's Thunderlight Ball eliminated half of the roaming wizards!

"Ruthless. So ruthless. Who's this young Spell Caster? He's too frightening. Besides a First-level spell, such a Large-area Offensive spell doesn't come by very often."

The roaming wizards who managed to run away stared at Merlin's figure with lingering terror. Large-area spells were precious to these roaming wizards. Many of them had never seen such Large-area Offensive spells before.

Even Third-level Spell Casters like Wizard Sammir who was considered a powerful Spell Caster amongst the roaming wizards, only possessed Large-area Binding spell instead of the Offensive spell.

The offensive ability of Large-area Offensive spells was, in fact, not as good as that of Single-aimed spells. For example, if Merlin only had one opponent, the effect of his Furious Flame would be more apparent.

Due to this reason, many Spell Casters did not want to construct Large-area Offensive spell. After all, the majority of Spell Casters in the world of Spell Casters was only capable of constructing three spells. Many would choose to construct a Single-aimed Offensive spell, a Defensive spell, and a Binding spell.

Even for a Four-Elemental Spell Caster, his fourth spell would usually be a Speed spell. Thus, Spell Casters would seldom choose to construct Large-area Offensive spell.

However, Merlin did not have such restrictions at all because he was a Six-Elemental Spell Caster. He possessed many spells, so he could choose to construct many different types of spells. Besides, this was Merlin's first time using Large-area Offensive spell, Thunderlight Ball, and the result was quite remarkable.

The horrifying scene they witnessed today might forever be etched in the memory of these roaming wizards who were fortunate enough to escape.

…

Wizard Glen and his group who had long hidden in a small corner stared wide-eyed at the familiar figure.

A large number of spell attacks made them think that Merlin had no chance of defending himself at all. Wizard Glen also admitted to himself that he could not stand against that number of attacks as well.

However, the result had far exceeded their expectations. Not only did Merlin block the attacks but he was also able to retaliate immediately. With one hit, he eliminated the powerful Second-level Spell Casters, Wizard Baslow and the old man Hodgdon.

Baslow's death was understandable as he, albeit strong, was far inferior to the old man Hodgdon in terms of life-saving tricks. However, the old man Hodgdon who was able to run away from Third-level Spell Casters could not even stand one hit from Merlin.

Recalling their deaths and the translucent icy aura, Wizard Glen and the others were gripped by intense terror.

"Strong. So strong! Wizard Merlin's potential was far more than that of Kleis back then! Elena, a true prodigy has once again appeared in the Dark Magic Region. Six-Elemental Spell Caster is such an unfathomable existence!"

Wizard Glen who was furious at Merlin's "arrogant" attitude before was completely defeated by the ability Merlin had shown. In the Delman family, he was considered a prodigy but he was at most average in Fire City. Naturally, he was not comparable to Six-Elemental Spell Casters who had presented undefeatable strength like Merlin.

"Wizard Merlin's growth is so rapid…"

Elena suddenly exclaimed with mixed emotions. She knew about Merlin's ability before. In the Dark Magic Region, although Merlin was powerful where ordinary First-level Spell Casters could not rival his strength, he was definitely not as strong as he was now.

In other words, Merlin had improved his abilities to this horrifying extent within a short duration of a few months' time. Most importantly, the spells Merlin had cast earlier were all First-level spells. It was highly possible that Merlin had become a First-level Spell Caster. This was the condition to rid the status of a temporary member in the Dark Magic Region and finally become the official member of Dark Magic Region; Elena was more envious of Merlin in this matter.

"Swoosh!"

All of a sudden, Wizard Glen's expression changed. He could clearly see that Merlin's gaze was shot toward where they were at right now…

Chapter 199: Mysterious Symbols

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Merlin's gaze turned to where Wizard Glen and the others were. Although his gaze seemed calm, Wizard Glen and the others felt a deep chill in their bones and did not dare move a single muscle.

In particular, Wizard Ken, who had previously sneered at Merlin, felt apprehensive after seeing the look in Merlin's eyes.

However, Merlin soon retracted his gaze and turned away. Wizard Glen and the others heaved a sigh of relief.

"Glen, what should we do now?"

Wizard Ken was out of his wits and even wanted to leave right away. After all, it was a terrifying situation that they were in, whether it was Wizard Sammir and the others, or Merlin. Not even Wizard Glen was a match for them. If they had not withdrawn before everything happened, they would have ended up like Hodgdon and Baslow.

Wizard Glen fixed his gaze on Merlin, Wizard Sammir, and the others, before speaking in a low voice, "We mustn't get too close to them. All we can do is wait for them to enter the ancient monument first, and if we bump into them again, we'll turn around immediately. Wizard Merlin should be around, and he wouldn't create trouble for us."

After he spoke, Wizard Glen glanced at Elena who was standing at one side. Although Merlin had only stared at them for a moment, Wizard Glen's sharp perception told him that it was Elena whom Merlin was looking at.

As long as Elena was here, he believed that even if they bumped into Merlin and the others, they would be fine. This was the main reason Wizard Glen decided on entering the ancient monument.

Thereafter, Wizard Glen and the others stood quietly at a far distance, cautiously observing every movement made by Merlin, Wizard Sammir, and the others.

…

"Wizard Merlin, I believe that after today, your name will shine far brighter than any of us old fools."

Wizard Sammir smiled as he spoke. Wiping out fifty, sixty roaming Wizards in such a short duration was an astonishing feat even to Wizard Sammir and the others. They did not expect that other than possessing Pandora Demon Ability, Merlin also had such impressive spells.

"Alright, those eyesores have been eliminated. There were people who had already entered the ancient monument, so let's quickly go in as well."

Wizard Bren eyed the entrance of the ancient monument, and could not wait to go in.

"Fine, let's go!"

Merlin nodded. He cast a glance at old man Hodgdon and Baslow who had been smashed to smithereens on the ground and felt that it was quite a shame. Although the power of Glacial Finger was formidable, once it had been cast, even the rings worn by old man Hodgdon and the rest were frozen and shattered as well.

This old man Hodgdon was an expert in escaping and had numerous survival methods as well as a few casting tools. However, these had been destroyed completely and Merlin was unable to obtain them.

Although it was a pity, Merlin did not express too much regret. Along with Wizard Sammir, the group of four quickly plunged into the huge hole in front of the ancient monument and began making their way into this mysterious monument.

After a moment had passed, a group of Spell Casters appeared at a distance. They were Spell Casters who were dissatisfied and who still wanted to enter the ancient monument. Seeing that the nefarious Merlin, Wizard Sammir, and the others had gone into the ancient monument, they began to become restless once more.

"Come on, let's go in as well!"

Wizard Glen spoke in a low tone. Thereafter, he led Wizard Ken and Elena forward, and all three of them quickly disappeared into the monument too.

…

It was pitch-black in the ancient monument, and slightly damp.

Merlin gently stroked a stone wall – it was moist. With only a little effort, he was able to claw out a huge chunk of broken stone.

At the moment, they were still not in the middle of the monument. This structure was a tower with nine floors, of which only four floors were exposed above ground. These four floors had long been explored countless times.

The other five floors were located underground. It was these floors that were the main objective of their expedition.

Soon after going through the deep, pitch-black passage, the faint outline of a tunnel entrance appeared below. Beyond the entrance, a jumble of footprints had been left behind, indicating that people had passed by before.

This tunnel entrance was the true entry point into the ancient monument. Only by going in could they reach the middle of the ancient tower.

"Thump."

Wizard Bren allowed his Alchemy Creature to first clear the way. As the Alchemy Creature moved in front, it would be the first to detect and hold back any danger up ahead.

The Alchemy Creature broke the rotten wooden door under its foot as it led the way into the tower. Merlin and the rest followed behind.

Just as he entered the tower, Merlin smelled the thick odor of dust. The ancient tower had been buried underground but its interior was still well preserved, only that the long passage of years had accumulated dust everywhere, obscuring the decorative displays in the tower.

"Crack!"

Without warning, Merlin cast Frost abruptly, and a mass of ice crystals swiftly appeared on the tower wall. A spider, covered in bright-colored patterns, about the size of a toddler's palm, was frozen.

"Be careful. There may be dangers lurking around the ancient monument."

Wizard Sammir glanced at the frozen patterned spider and reminded them once again. This type of spider was deadly toxic. The physical attributes of a Spell Caster were only slightly better than a Normie's. If these spiders bit them in a moment of their carelessness, they would be in grave danger.

Therefore, Merlin maintained fluctuations of Earth Element over his body – he was casting Earth Guard at every moment. Although this increased the consumption of Magic Power, he had accumulated many spells in the Earth Guard's Spell Model to the point where he could keep this up for a few hours.

With the protection of Earth Guard, smaller instances of danger would not cause Merlin any harm whatsoever. As for Wizard Bren, Wizard Riesen, and even Wizard Sammir, they did not cast any Defensive spells. Instead, they were wearing robes, and with the protection of these robes, naturally, they did not need to deplete their Magic Power to cast Defensive spells.

Merlin admired the robes that they were wearing. With those robes, many troubles could be avoided. Fortunately, he only had to construct Dark Light Realm successfully to become a First-level Spell Caster. Then, he would return to the Dark Magic Region and automatically obtain a free robe from the organization.

With the Alchemy Creature leading the way, their group moved at a swift pace. Soon, they were heading into the depths of the ancient tower. However, just as they had walked past, the patterned spider, which had initially landed frozen on the ground, began to gradually shine with a green glow as its body enlarged quickly.

"Bang!"

The ice crystals were shattered in an instant. The patterned spider had currently grown to the size of a washbasin. Two black fangs protruded below its mouth, making it look sinister and terrifying.

Having escaped from the grip of the ice crystals, the patterned spider stared at the direction in which Merlin and the rest had walked. Thereafter, it swayed its head while it followed closely behind and quickly vanished into the darkness.

…

"Hold on, there's a whiff of blood!"

All of a sudden, Merlin frowned and yelled in haste. He had persisted in practicing the posture on the relief sculpture, and his physical attributes were substantially improved. His senses were far sharper than the average person's, so he was able to catch a faint whiff of blood.

Wizard Sammir and the rest stopped as well. Even though they did not smell any blood, for the sake of being cautious, they still quickly readied themselves.

"Darling, go and see what lies ahead."

Wizard Bren instructed one of the Alchemy Creatures in a low voice, after which the Alchemy Creature with a well-developed physique bounded ahead quickly.

Wizard Bren had two Alchemy Creatures. This was an alchemy technique unique to him, just like Wizard Sammir's Mithril Alchemy Technique. These were their respective secret techniques, which they would not easily divulge to others.

Wizard Bren, who had two Alchemy Creatures, was naturally scouting the path ahead. Even if there was some danger which caused one of his Alchemy Creatures to die, he would still have one Alchemy Creature to protect him.

As they were waiting for the Alchemy Creature to examine the situation up ahead, Merlin began walking on the spot.

The faint light from the fire illuminated the room in which Merlin was. Everywhere was covered in dust, and he could not discern the original features of the ancient tower. Merlin gently approached a wall and reached out a hand, and casually wiped away the dust on the wall.

Then, he noticed mysterious symbols on the surface where he had wiped the dust away.

Merlin's heart stirred and he said to Wizard Bren, "Wizard Bren, could I trouble you to use a Wind-type spell to clear away the dust in this space?"

"Wizard Merlin, have you discovered something?"

As Wizard Bren asked, he cast a Wind-type spell as well. In a moment, powerful gusts of wind rushed by, blowing all the dust on the wall away.

As the walls were cleared by the wind, distorted and uneven symbols gradually appeared. This was not the Molta language, and Merlin could not understand what these symbols represented.

However, a small change seemed to have washed over Wizard Sammir as his eyes evidently lit up and he spoke in a soft voice, "These are mysterious calculations for potion preparation. I had entered a few ancient monuments before and found many of these mysterious symbols in them. These are formulas for potion-making used by ancient Spell Casters. Since these symbols have appeared here, it means that a room for potion-making may lie somewhere ahead. Perhaps the potion that I need will be there!"

Wizard Sammir seemed worked up. The Spell Casters here had their own agendas for entering the ancient monument, and Wizard Sammir's purpose was to find a potion which would stabilize the Spell Model in his Awareness.

Once any clue that was related to potions showed up, he would become excited.

"These symbols…"

Merlin frowned. These symbols were in fact left by ancient Spell Casters while they prepared potions three thousand and six hundred years ago. Merlin had an intuition that these mysterious symbols represented the supplementary methods used by powerful Spell Casters in potion-making during the most glorious age of Spell Casters.

Modern Spell Casters had a very low success rate in potion-making and yet, it was mentioned in ancient books that three thousand and six hundred years ago, the fields of potions, alchemy, spells, and runes were all at their peak.

Perhaps they could obtain some knowledge from the mysterious symbols regarding potion-making.

As he thought of this, Merlin instantly recorded these symbols in the Matrix. He would slowly analyze them when he had time in the future.

"Whoosh."

Just then, the Alchemy Creature that Wizard Bren had sent ahead to scout had returned. Furthermore, its hands were carrying a corpse, from which came the sharp stench of blood.

Chapter 200: Patterned Spiders!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Wizard Bren's face shifted slightly. He looked carefully at the corpse and noticed that it had been warped beyond recognition. Moreover, the body seemed to be tangled up in some white silk which was wrapped around the corpse. It was bizarre indeed.

"This seemed to be a Spell Caster who had entered the ancient monument but he had died such an unnatural death. What did he run into?"

Wizard Sammir frowned as well. They did not know what those Spell Casters, who had led the way into the ancient monument, had encountered. After all, there were all sorts of danger lurking in the ancient monument. No one could know for sure how many hazards they would come across.

"Come on, we'll go ahead for a closer look."

Wizard Bren seemed to have gotten some sort of message from his Alchemy Creature, and his expression changed as he spoke in a low voice.

Therefore, Merlin and the rest followed Wizard Bren's Alchemy Creature as they walked further ahead.

After walking for a moment, the heavy stench of blood appeared once again. This time, Wizard Sammir, Wizard Bren, and Wizard Riesen were distinctly able to detect the smell, and the three of them could not help but make a face.

"Be careful. There could be danger up ahead!"

Wizard Sammir reminded them in a soft voice. Merlin did not dare act carelessly as well, and expanded his Mind Power, paying close attention to his surroundings. If there were any abnormal changes, he would be able to perceive them immediately.

Merlin and the others soon reached a room that seemed to be in a mess. Many long stone tables were placed in this room, and dust-covered equipment was set out on the tables.

Merlin was very familiar with this equipment because it was needed for potion-making. Furthermore, Merlin had never seen some of the equipment and he did not know what their functions were.

On the other stone tables, delicate porcelain flasks with tightly sealed contents were set out.

"This was the room in which the master of the tower prepared potions over three thousand years ago. These sealed porcelain flasks must contain some marvelous potion!"

Wizard Sammir was the most overjoyed. His purpose in coming to the ancient monument was to seek a potion which would thoroughly eradicate the insidious instability in his Spell Model. He did not expect to discover the place for potion-making so soon after entering the ancient monument. Hence, Wizard Sammir was naturally ecstatic.

With this in mind, Wizard Sammir was about to step forward to open the sealed porcelain flasks and see what potion was contained inside.

"Wizard Sammir, be careful. The Spell Casters on the ground seemed to have died a miserable death. They must've encountered something."

Merlin lowered his voice and spoke to Wizard Sammir.

Wizard Sammir narrowed his eyes slightly and discovered that there were many corpses lying disorderly on the ground. All of them had been changed beyond recognition and were bound by loops of white silk.

Wizard Sammir hesitated for a moment, following which he stopped in his tracks. Although he was eager to examine the potion, he would not recklessly open the porcelain flasks on the desk. Thus he ordered his Alchemy Creature to approach the porcelain flasks.

"Open it!"

As soon as Wizard Sammir's order was given, the Alchemy Creature swiftly pulled off the dust-covered black cloth which was covering the flask. In that instant, clouds of dust quickly ascended into the air, filling the entire room with a strange odor.

Clutching the porcelain flask in both hands, the Alchemy Creature tipped it upside down.

Instantly, spiders whose bodies were covered in patterns poured out of the flask.

As these patterned spiders fell on the ground, they woke up immediately. They gradually began to vibrate their bodies and darted toward the Alchemy Creature in swaying motions.

"It's those deadly toxic spiders!"

Wizard Sammir frowned and his expression revealed his disappointment. It was not the potion that he had been looking forward to, so he simply cast a Fire-type spell.

In a second, the raging flames had quickly consumed the patterned spiders.

"Come on, let's search the next room."

Wizard Sammir shook his head slightly as he prepared to leave.

However, just at this moment, threads of white silk flew out from the midst of the blaze, spreading toward Wizard Sammir and the others as it covered the entire area.

"Hmm? Not dead?"

Wizard Sammir dared not wait any longer and immediately cast a Defensive spell. Merlin even cast the strengthened version of the Guardian Monument through the Enhancing casting tool.

In a moment, Merlin and the others were swaddled in strands of white silk. The white silk had strong corrosive properties, and would slowly corrode even First-level spells.

It was unsurprising that many Spell Casters had died here. They could have opened the porcelain flasks carelessly and released these patterned spiders.

"Furious Flame!"

Merlin quickly cast Furious Flame. In a flash, a surging stream of flame appeared on his Guardian Monument and began burning the while silk furiously.

The average Furious Flame was not effective against this white silk. It had to burn for a long time before it was able to break off the threads. However, Merlin cast the strengthened version of the spell right away, and the heat of the flame increased instantly. Surrounded by such a vicious blaze, the white silk emitted bursts of crackling sounds.

Finally, the white silk that had enclosed Merlin was burned away completely, and Merlin's figure retreated swiftly.

Besides Merlin, Wizard Sammir, Wizard Bren, and Wizard Riesen had also managed to struggle out of the white silk's clutches. However, displeasure was written on their faces. If they had not been Third-level Spell Casters with powerful spells, they really could have been ensnared by the white silk. It was very likely that they would have ended up just like the Spell Casters lying on the ground.

"Watch out, it's those patterned spiders!"

Wizard Sammir's face turned grim as he fixed a firm look on the patterned spiders, which he had burned with the spell he cast. These spiders were scorched black all over but at the moment, they seemed to be undergoing some incredible transformation.

The body of every single patterned spider enlarged rapidly until it was the size of a washbasin, and they looked extremely sinister and frightening.

"What kind of monsters are these patterned spiders?"

Merlin scowled. He had encountered these spiders before but it had been easily frozen by Frost, the Zero-level spell which he had cast. However, it seemed now as if these patterned spiders were far less simple than he had imagined them to be.

"Frost!"

Merlin quickly cast Frost but this time it was to no avail. These enormous patterned spiders merely had to struggle briefly to shatter the ice crystals before they darted toward Merlin and the others once more.

"Run, let's escape for now!"

Wizard Sammir did not know that these hair-raising patterned spiders would be this terrifying so his first instinct was to retreat.

However, just as they were about to back away, they suddenly found out that behind them, a large crowd of these patterned spiders had appeared unknowingly.

"It's those small patterned spiders from before. They've stealthily crept up behind us, and now they have us surrounded. How could they possess this level of intelligence?"

Wizard Sammir muttered in a low voice. The patterned spiders had them surrounded – it was clear that this was an intelligent behavior. If it was not the spiders which had high intelligence, then it could be some mysterious power which was steering these patterned spiders.

"Since we can't retreat, just kill them!"

Wizard Bren gave a hoarse cry. They were Third-level Spell Casters so of course, they would not be petrified by these spiders. Consequently, they each cast their Third-level spells.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The spells filled the room, shooting toward the patterned spiders in all directions. Perhaps First-level spells would not be of much use against these spiders for they were unafraid of ordinary attacks since their resistance was extremely strong.

However, Wizard Sammir and the others had cast Third-level spells, which were able to easily annihilate the patterned spiders. It was just that these were individual Offensive spells, so in order to exterminate such a legion of spiders, they would need to waste a lot of time.

At this point, Merlin's large-scale Offensive spell, Thunderlight Ball, was evidently a crucial spell.

"Water Whorl!"

Wizard Sammir swiftly cast his Binding spell, which restricted the movement of most of the patterned spiders in the room. Although these spiders had great strength and could spit out such durable white silk, they were unable to break out of a Third-level Binding spell.

"Wizard Merlin, it's up to you now!"

Wizard Sammir told Merlin in a grave voice whereas Wizard Bren and Wizard Riesen both turned to look at Merlin. Who knew how much time they would have taken if they depended on the method of killing the patterned spiders one by one? They may not even have enough Magic Power for that.

"Thunderlight Ball!"

Merlin nodded and cast Thunderlight Ball without delay. Spheres of thunder appeared immediately, flickering with bolts of thunder and lightning the size of fingers, which shot toward the bound patterned spiders.

"Pop! Pop!"

Every attack from Thunderlight Ball was only able to somewhat injure each spider but being a First-level spell, it was unable to effectively kill them off.

As he thought of this and without hesitation, Merlin cast the strengthened version of Thunderlight Ball.

In that instant, the power of the thunderbolts was clearly increased two-folds. The massive rays of lightning needed only a few hits to wipe out the patterned spiders. It seemed like the limit of the spiders' defensive capabilities did not extend to Second-level spells.

Most Second-level spells would be enough to handle these spiders. Merlin's strengthened Thunderlight Ball had broken the boundary and was comparable to the power of Second-level spells, so it only needed a few hits to annihilate the patterned spiders.

Seeing that Thunderlight Ball had the most desired effect, Wizard Sammir and the others heaved a small sigh of relief. Of course, with their discerning eyes, how would they not notice that from the beginning to the end, Merlin's Thunderlight Ball clearly underwent a significant increase in power?

They immediately linked this to the mysterious Enhancing casting tool that Merlin had on him. Only that casting tool could enable the same First-level spell to undergo such a huge change.

"The Enhancing casting tool is truly a superb item!"

Wizard Bren and Wizard Sammir exchanged a glance, and a trace of impulsive desire revealed on their faces. However, when they thought of how Wizard DeMarco had ended up, their hearts trembled slightly. They immediately pushed the yearning out of their minds.

It was only Wizard Riesen, who had always been mysterious, stared at Merlin's back as his eyes displayed an occasional, peculiar glint.

Chapter 201: Secret Passage

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Merlin cast five strengthened Thunderlight Balls consecutively and was finally able to wipe out all of the patterned spiders in the room, which emitted a pervading burnt smell.

These patterned spiders were clearly no Elemental Monsters but strange creatures of flesh and blood. Even Wizard Sammir, who was widely experienced, did not know what these patterned spiders really were.

"In this ancient monument, we have to be careful. If it wasn't for Wizard Merlin earlier, we would've been in trouble."

Wizard Bren spoke in a solemn tone. Although he had two Alchemy Creatures and was able to kill patterned spiders as well, the number of patterned spiders was overwhelming. Wizard Bren and the others did not have large-scale Offensive spells. Therefore, other than painstakingly killing the spiders, their only option would be to force their way out of the crowd of spiders surrounding them.

However, either course of action would have wasted a lot of time. At that point, it would be difficult to predict what other dangers would appear in the depths of the ancient monument.

There were a few more flasks on the stone tables but Wizard Sammir and the others did not dare to open any of them. Perhaps they contained more patterned spiders, which would only cause more trouble.

"Come on, let's continue our way down."

Thus, Merlin and the others speedily headed downward. This ancient monument was a tower. They were currently in the middle of the sixth floor – there were five more floors below.

Having encountered those patterned spiders from before, Wizard Sammir was evidently more cautious as he headed downward. Still, they met more of those spiders on the fifth, fourth, and third floors.

Moreover, these patterned spiders were strong and capable. At the start, each spider only had a small build but after being attacked, their bodies would immediately swell and their strength subsequently became greater as well.

Fortunately, Wizard Sammir and the others had already developed a solid coordination. Their Third-level Binding spells would be used to restrict the movements of the patterned spiders, after which Merlin would cast Thunderlight Ball.

Therefore, despite running into danger a few times, they managed to get past these obstacles safely.

Now, they had finally reached the second floor of the ancient tower.

"We're already at the second floor. Look, this room also contains the mysterious symbols and equipment for potion-making. Hmm? There are even spells here?"

Suddenly, Wizard Sammir came across a spacious room in the middle of the second floor. Delicate glassware, as well as books which seemed to be falling apart, were set out all around the room.

Someone seemed to have flipped through the books before casting them onto the ground but Wizard Sammir and Wizard Bren were still overjoyed at the sight.

"Potions, these are all potions!"

At each floor of the ancient tower, Wizard Sammir would not give up on searching for potions. Furthermore, they had gradually realized that it had not been just one Spell Caster who resided in this tower, but many Spell Casters.

Therefore, almost every floor had its own potion-making room. Only those rooms were either completely empty or were like the sixth floor, housing multitudes of patterned spiders.

It was only in this room of the second floor that Wizard Sammir had discovered actual potions. The potions were stored in transparent glassware and were visible at a glance. The abundance of potions here required Wizard Sammir's analysis, one after another.

Wizard Sammir was interested in the potions whereas Wizard Bren paying attention to the opened books lying on the ground. Some unique spells had been recorded inside those books, which made Wizard Bren very excited. His main purpose for coming to the ancient monument was to search for spells.

Looking at the numerous volumes of spell books, Merlin was just about to flip through them as well when he was called by Wizard Riesen. Wizard Riesen said in a low voice, "Wizard Merlin, this is already the second floor. In general, the obstacles in the ancient tower had been cleared, so we no longer need Sammir and Bren. Come on, the mysterious Pandora Demon Ability of the ancient tower is on the first floor, and I know its specific location!"

Merlin stopped in his tracks as a passion burned in his heart. Pandora Demon Ability – he had been able to personally experience the power of Pandora Demon Ability, so even if he already had Glacial Finger, Merlin still wanted more of Pandora Demon Ability.

"Alright, we'll think of a reason to leave Wizard Sammir and Wizard Bren for now."

Following that, Merlin turned around and went toward Wizard Sammir.

"Wizard Sammir, Wizard Riesen and I will have a look around other places."

Merlin came to where Wizard Sammir was facing and said in a soft voice.

Wizard Sammir lifted his head and glanced at Wizard Riesen, after which he nodded. "Sure, but be careful. Wizard Bren and I had each found what we wanted, so the both of you can search other areas. Later, we'll gather here again and head toward the first floor together."

Wizard Sammir and Wizard Bren who were engrossed in potions and various spells did not suspect anything. After all, both of them had already fulfilled their goals for coming here.

"Let's go, Wizard Riesen!"

Merlin turned around, and together with Wizard Riesen, they quietly left the second floor of the tower.

After walking for a distance, Merlin asked Wizard Riesen, "Throughout this journey, we've bumped into many patterned spiders which posed a huge danger. How did you manage to reach the first floor the last time you were here?"

Wizard Riesen had mentioned that he had been to this ancient monument and that he knew the exact location where Pandora Demon Ability was stored. This made Merlin skeptical; during Wizard Riesen's first time entering the ancient monument, how did he reach the first floor?

"Wizard Merlin, the last time I was here, I was only able to get to the first floor because I was lucky. However, on my way back, I ran into those patterned spiders and was barely able to escape with my life. That's why this time around I invited Wizard Sammir, Wizard Bren, and Wizard DeMarco to enter the ancient monument with me."

Wizard Riesen did not try to cover up anything as he replied in a low voice.

Merlin nodded – Wizard Riesen had made his meaning clear. He was taking advantage of Wizard Sammir and the others to help clear the way for him, eliminating the various obstacles that led to the first floor of the ancient monument.

"What if Wizard Sammir and Wizard Bren had insisted on coming with us to the first floor?"

Merlin narrowed his eyes as he slowed down his steps, and asked softly.

Wizard Riesen stopped as well and turned around with a cold smile on his face. "If they had insisted on following us, I think that with the power of Wizard Merlin's Demon Ability and along with my own moves, Sammir and Bren don't stand a chance of winning at all."

Merlin's heart trembled slightly. Riesen was thinking of killing Wizard Sammir and Wizard Bren just to prevent the secret of Pandora Demon Ability from being divulged.

Therefore, Merlin became even more cautious when it came to Wizard Riesen.

"Wizard Merlin, this is a secret passage which will lead you straight to the first floor of the ancient tower, the place where Pandora Demon Ability is stored. However, I'm afraid that there might be trouble. If that time comes, we'll need the help of your Pandora Demon Ability."

Wizard Riesen suddenly pointed to a pitch-dark, narrow passage before them, and said in a grave tone.

Merlin nodded – he had heard Wizard Riesen speak about this before. In the middle of the ancient monument, at the place where Pandora Demon Ability was stored, there would be a powerful "guardian".

However, Merlin was not clear exactly what this "guardian" was.

Wizard Riesen led the way and walked into the secret passage, with Merlin following close behind.

…

In the ancient monument, Wizard Glen had led Elena and Wizard Ken to stealthily enter the tower. As they walked, they also carefully looked for the footprints of Wizard Sammir and the others.

Wizard Glen knew very well that only by following behind Wizard Sammir and the others, they would be safe within the ancient monument. However, they did not dare to follow too closely, otherwise, they would attract the attention of Wizard Sammir's group.

"These corpses all belong to Spell Casters!"

"And these patterned spiders, their bodies are enormous!"

Wizard Glen came to a room in the middle of the tower. They noticed the corpses of Spell Casters disfigured beyond recognition on the ground, as well as the scorched, stinking bodies of patterned spiders.

"Let's go, let's go. It's too dangerous here, and it's very likely that Wizard Sammir and the others had a great battle here."

Looking at the floor packed densely with corpses, Wizard Glen was shocked to the core. This meant that danger lurked in the ancient monument indeed. If they did not trace the footprints of Wizard Sammir's group and rushed about aimlessly, they would be in a perilous situation.

"Watch out!"

All of a sudden, a huge patterned spider with the size of a washbasin dashed out from a corner of the room. Elena and Ken immediately cast their spells, which landed squarely on the patterned spider.

The patterned spider flew backward from the attack, but right after, it began swaying its way forward once more.

"First-level spells are of no use at all…"

Wizard Glen's face changed slightly. He attacked next, and an icicle pierced through the body of the spider. After all, Wizard Glen was a Second-level Spell Caster, and that spell was a Second-level spell, which was just enough to kill the patterned spider.

However, as he arrived at the thought that there may be more than one patterned spider hidden here, Wizard Glen's heart began palpitating, and he quickly urged the other two, "Leave this place now."

Thus, Wizard Glen swiftly headed for the lower floors of the ancient tower.

The fifth floor, the fourth floor, the third floor…

Wizard Glen meticulously traced the trail left behind by Wizard Sammir, and finally reached the second floor safely. However, here, they lost the footprints of Wizard Sammir's group.

"This is the second floor. Let's go, the first floor is right below. Wizard Sammir and the others are very likely on the first floor. Perhaps below there lies some treasure left behind by the master of the tower three thousand and six hundred years ago."

Wizard Glen could not help feeling somewhat excited as he thought of this, so he brought Elena and Ken as they quickly descended toward the first floor. However, they did not discover the secret passage that Merlin and Wizard Riesen had used but instead entered the first floor through the normal pathway of the ancient tower.

"Hmm? There's someone on the first floor?"

Wizard Glen, who had cautiously arrived at the first floor of the tower, suddenly discovered that there were already four or five Spell Casters there, and he could vaguely hear their conversation.

Through these noises, Wizard Glen determined that these were the Spell Casters who had entered the ancient monument long before them.

"Tsk."

Wizard Glen, who had initially crept onto the first floor quietly, suddenly saw that in the darkness behind him was a patterned spider which had appeared unknowingly. Furthermore, this spider was rapidly spitting out its white silk.

Wizard Glen instinctively cast a Second-level spell and killed the patterned spider instantly. However, the fierce Elemental fluctuations had startled the Spell Casters on the first floor.

"Who is it? Show yourself!"

A cold, reproaching voice rang out. At the same time, four or five pairs of sharp eyes locked onto the hiding place of Wizard Glen and the others.

Chapter 202: Guardian Puppet

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Deep in the passage, it was so dark that one would not even be able to see one's own hand. However, Merlin was probing his surroundings with his Mind Power at all times, so even though it was pitch-black all around, he was still able to "see" everything.

In front of Merlin, Wizard Riesen was practically on all fours as he cautiously moved forward. His Alchemy Creature was following behind him.

Merlin knew very well that Wizard Riesen was also guarding against him. Otherwise, if Merlin had wanted to kill Wizard Riesen in such a dark, narrow passage, Wizard Riesen would have no way of defending himself without the protection of his Alchemy Creature.

"We're here!"

Wizard Riesen gradually slowed down his steps. He turned around and said to Merlin in a low voice, "Wizard Merlin, don't use your Mind Power to probe ahead or you might startle the guardian."

Merlin nodded. He followed Wizard Riesen's gaze – there was, in fact, a glimmer of light outside the pitch-black passage. The light came from giant pearls embedded into the white spotless wall, which illuminated the expanse of the wall.

Moreover, at the large doorway of the wall, a mysterious, three-meter-tall "guardian", covered in a pitch-black armor, stood guard. This "guardian" caused Wizard Riesen constant apprehension. Previously, he had been stopped by this "guardian", and if he had not escaped when he had the chance, he would have long been dead.

Merlin furrowed his brow. He could not perceive any life force in this "guardian". Although he was interested in the Pandora Demon Ability that Wizard Riesen had mentioned, he would not make any rash moves without first understanding the situation.

"Wizard Riesen, tell me about this 'guardian'. Surely you must know something about him?"

Merlin gave Wizard Riesen a meaningful look as he asked softly.

Wizard Riesen gave a slight smile. "Of course I know something about this guardian. After all, I was almost killed by it the last time. To tell the truth, I had to abandon an Alchemy Creature as well as a few hard-earned casting tools in order to escape. This 'guardian' must be a puppet transfigured by alchemists three thousand and six hundred years ago during the golden age of alchemy."

"Puppet? It's been three thousand and six hundred years, and this puppet still has such incredible strength?"

Merlin had been in the Dark Magic Region and knew that a long time ago, ancient Spell Casters were able to transfigure these marvelous puppets. However, most of the puppets did not usually live for long, and they required a large number of elemental crystal stones to function, causing much inconvenience.

However, if this "guardian" before them was indeed a puppet, it was a puppet that still had great strength three thousand and six hundred years later. From this, they could tell that the previous master of the ancient tower was extremely powerful.

Wizard Riesen nodded his head gravely. "That's right, I dare say that this 'guardian' must be a puppet. It has no life force whatsoever. What else could it be besides a puppet? It's wearing a black armor, which must be a superb product of alchemy as well. It has incredible defensive capabilities – my Third-level Offensive spell was only able to leave slight scratches on the armor."

Merlin was shocked. Wizard Riesen's Third-level spell could only leave scratches on this "guardian" puppet. What possible use could his Glacial Finger serve?

As he thought of this, Merlin's face revealed a shadow of doubt. Even though obtaining Pandora Demon Ability was tempting, if he insisted on rushing ahead despite knowing the futility of the situation, he was basically courting death.

As if he understood Merlin's feelings, Wizard Riesen reassured in a low voice, "Wizard Merlin, don't worry. Although this guardian puppet has a great defense, it has been in this tower for three thousand and six hundred years after all. Even if it had a large number of elemental crystal stones, how long could it last? What's more, I know the weaknesses of this guardian puppet – the armor it is wearing is most susceptible to Ice-type spells. Perhaps it may somewhat withstand most Third-level Ice-type spells but your Demon Ability is of maximum coldness. I believe that it would be surprisingly effective and inflict serious damage on this puppet."

After a pause, Wizard Riesen seemed to be in brighter spirits as he said, "Wizard Merlin, once we get past this guardian puppet, we'll be able to open the door behind it. Pandora Demon Ability is very likely hidden behind that doorway!"

"Pandora Demon Ability!"

Merlin muttered to himself for a moment, thinking that he had already constructed "Wind of Freedom" so if he was unable to defeat this puppet in the end, he could easily escape from danger.

With this in mind, Merlin nodded as he made up his mind. His eyes did not leave the motionless guardian puppet as he spoke softly, "Wizard Riesen, let's go. The sooner we deal with this guardian, the sooner we'll obtain Pandora Demon Ability in the ancient monument."

Seeing that Merlin had agreed, Wizard Riesen revealed a gleeful expression. Carefully and slowly, he and Merlin moved from the dark passage and approached the guardian puppet.

"Snap!"

Suddenly, the motionless and hollow eyes of the guardian puppet flickered with a green light. Soon, the gaze of the guardian puppet turned to the pitch-black passage before it.

"We've been discovered. This guardian puppet is really amazing! Wizard Merlin, make your move, kill it!"

As Wizard Riesen stared at the towering guardian puppet, his face became wild. He waved a hand and a burst of flame filled the dark passage and quickly shot toward the guardian puppet. His Alchemy Creature also let out a huge roar as muscles all over its body twisted and bulged, embodying its heart-pounding strength as it sprinted ferociously toward the guardian puppet.

The guardian puppet did not pull back in the slightest even though the black armor on its body seemed exceedingly heavy. With every move, it made a scraping sound that sent chills down their spines.

"Bang!"

A dull thud rang out. The Alchemy Creature which had been roaring and rushing wildly toward the guardian puppet had been sent flying with a fist and it crashed heavily into the solid wall.

Wizard Riesen's Alchemy Creature was a pure strength-type Alchemy Creature and had amazing strength but the difference in strength was too great compared to the guardian puppet. In terms of raw power, the Alchemy Creature was no match for the guardian puppet at all.

"What powerful strength!"

Merlin's heart gave a slight jolt. Following that, Wizard Riesen's Third-level spell had quickly surrounded the guardian puppet. The terrifying heat was emanating from the roaring flames, and even a special, heavy-duty armor would be unable to withstand such frightening power from a Fire-type spell.

However, the guardian puppet did not seem to fear the dreadful blaze at all. Furthermore, the black armor on its body did not change in the slightest under the pressure of the intense fire.

"Wizard Merlin, use an Ice-type spell quickly!"

By this point, Wizard Riesen was rather anxious and yelled at Merlin hastily.

"Frigid Ice!"

Merlin took a deep breath and immediately cast Frigid Ice, the First-level spell he had constructed not long ago.

In terms of power, Frigid Ice was considered a respectable spell amongst First-level spells. Although it was a Binding spell, it contained ice poison. Once the ice poison had penetrated one's body, it did not matter even if one had excellent physical attributes.

"Crack!"

A thick layer of ice crystals had covered the guardian puppet but before Merlin could celebrate, it was shattered in an instant. Frigid Ice was unable to restrain the guardian puppet at all.

As for the ice poison of Frigid Ice, it was completely useless against the guardian puppet which had no life force.

Then, Merlin cast Frigid Ice a few more times in succession and even cast the strengthened version of the spell but they served no purpose against the mighty guardian puppet.

Seeing that the guardian puppet possessed no weaknesses, Wizard Riesen could not help but cry out softly, "Wizard Merlin, even Third-level Ice-type spells are useless against the guardian puppet. We still need to use your Pandora Demon Ability!"

Merlin's Glacial Finger was the spell which Wizard Riesen was counting on. Although Wizard Riesen knew that the guardian puppet's weakness was that it could not withstand powerful Ice-type spells, it was obvious that even Third-level Ice-type spells were within the guardian puppet's endurance threshold, hence they would not injure the guardian puppet one bit.

With this in mind, Merlin did not continue casting Frigid Ice. Instead, he raised one hand and pointed at the guardian puppet with a finger as white as ice crystals.

"Demon Ability, Glacial Finger!"

Instantly, an icy current of maximum coldness flew directly toward the guardian puppet.

…

"Oh no, we've been found out!"

Wizard Glen, who was hidden in the dark, exclaimed in a low voice. At the moment, the Spell Casters on the first floor of the ancient tower had already discovered their hiding place.

"Come on, we'll explain after we've gone out!"

With a gloomy face, Wizard Glen led Elena and Wizard Ken out of the darkness to the first floor of the ancient tower to confront the five Spell Casters across them.

All of the five Spell Casters had an Alchemy Creature, and they seemed formidable with their great huffing breaths. Wizard Glen and the other two were facing a larger group of five Spell Casters, causing him to feel a sense of danger.

"Someone has come here? In the beginning, there were thirteen of us but we barely escaped with our lives and there are only five of us now on the first floor. Now's the chance to get our hard-earned treasure, yet here comes more Spell Casters from outside. Wizard Etland, it looks like we'll have to seize the moment and open that door. Otherwise, we might be too late!"

The Spell Casters did not seem to bother Wizard Glen and the others but instead, talked amongst themselves.

The Spell Caster who was called Wizard Etland nodded slightly. His eyes swept across Wizard Glen's group as he spoke in a calm tone, "I'll open the door in the shortest time possible so that we can enter the place where the treasure is stored. However, in the meantime, we'll need to rely on Wizard Herman to deal with the intruding Spell Casters."

"Hehe, Wizard Etland, please be at ease. No one will give you any trouble during this time, so blast away at that door as much as you like!"

As soon as he had spoken, Wizard Herman's cold gaze fixed firmly onto Wizard Glen and the others.

Chapter 203: Intruder

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"We're in trouble, run!"

As Wizard Glen looked at Wizard Herman's cold stare and linked it to what the other Spell Casters had just said, he guessed their intentions, which were to kill all Spell Casters who entered the first floor.

Of course, Elena and Wizard Ken were no idiots. Before Wizard Glen had warned them, they had already quickly turned around to escape.

However, Wizard Herman and his group were even quicker. The Alchemy Creatures behind them moved almost instantly, and in a streak of blurred movements, they had already surrounded Wizard Glen and the others.

"Hehe, it's too late to think of leaving now. Kill them!"

Wizard Herman fixed his eyes on Wizard Glen with a cold smile and gave his order. The four Alchemy Creatures rushed wildly at Wizard Glen and the others.

"Scorching Flame!"

Wizard Glen took a deep breath as he saw the surrounding Alchemy Creatures pouncing at him. He narrowed his eyes and his body flickered with violent Fire Elemental fluctuations.

In an instant, the temperature on the first floor of the ancient tower was increased significantly, scorching even where near-transparent strands of fire floated in the air.

"Whoosh!"

An Alchemy Creature, with both hands equipped with sharp claws, lunged fiercely at Wizard Glen but as it came in contact with the fiery blaze in the air, its body was seized by the raging flames and began to burn violently.

"Thump!"

At the same time, lines of runes flickered all over Wizard Glen's body. It turned out that an Alchemy Creature had appeared behind him and had extended its fist, smashing it heavily into Wizard Glen. Fortunately, Wizard Glen was wearing a robe which was able to withstand the attack.

Even so, Wizard Glen's face had turned rather pale. Through that quick moment of combat, he knew that the Alchemy Creatures had great strength and speed, and were very likely transfigured by Second-level Spell Casters.

This meant that the five Spell Casters were all Second-level!

Thinking of this, Wizard Glen could not help but reveal an anxious face. He was a Four-Elemental, Second-level Spell Caster from Fire City, and was much more powerful than most roaming Wizards. He was even confident about handling a joint attack from two roaming Wizards who were of the same level.

However, there were no less than five Second-level Spell Casters – four of which were besieging him.

A strange look flashed across Wizard Herman's eyes as he witnessed Wizard Glen casting Scorching Flame and a few other Second-level spells but he still kept a cold smile. "You have your ways indeed. However, you must die!"

Wizard Herman spread his fingers lightly, and a gust of wild wind appeared like a shapeless energy, which soon bound the movements of Wizard Glen, Elena, and Wizard Ken.

This was a Second-level, Wind-type Binding spell. Following Wizard Herman's spell, the other Spell Casters coordinated with their Alchemy Creatures and cast their own spells at Wizard Glen.

Although Wizard Glen had the protection of the robe, it could not hold off some of the attacks. He was indeed in a distress.

As for Elena and Wizard Ken, neither of them was a Second-level Spell Caster, especially Elena who was not even a First-level Spell Caster. They were no match for these Alchemy Creatures transfigured by Second-level Spell Casters. Both of them had to rely on the casting tools they had and were just barely able to survive.

Even so, they were already in an imminent danger – a situation which was worse than Wizard Glen's.

"This won't do. If we go on like this, we may never be able to escape!"

Wizard Glen's eyes were completely red. Deep in his heart, he was beginning to feel a faint regret about coming to this ancient monument. He could have been safe and sound in Fire City and become a Third-level Spell Caster the conventional way, or even become a powerful Fourth-level Spell Caster!

However, for the sake of treasures possibly stored in this ancient monument, Wizard Glen had not hesitated and set forth on this expedition. Out of his desperation, he also took a risk by coming into the monument. Furthermore, he had underestimated these roaming Wizards. How could Spell Casters, who had made it into the ancient monument, possibly be easy to deal with?

Now that he was assailed by Spell Casters who were also of Second-level, he was unable to hold on for long no matter how many tricks he had up his sleeve.

"Crack!"

Just then, a clear noise rang out. The Spell Casters who were engaged in the fierce battle were immediately distracted by this sound.

"Haha, it's finally cracked open. Darling, keep it up, we must bash this stone door down. The treasure of the ancient monument is stored in there!"

The one who cried out was Wizard Etland. His Alchemy Creature was a hulking, strength-type Alchemy Creature, so he was tasked with using his Alchemy Creature to knock down the sturdy stone door on the first floor of the ancient tower.

This stone door was extremely solid but under the furious strength of the Alchemy Creature's unceasing attacks, it had finally split open in a crack. The sharp cracking noise earlier was the sound of a fracture appearing on the thick stone door.

"Darling, knock the door down quickly!"

Wizard Etland was flushed red and had an ecstatic expression. His Mind Power quickly simulated his Alchemy Creature. Instantly, the strong, massive Alchemy Creature seemed to go berserk as it raised the sledgehammer in its hands and slammed it violently onto the door.

"Almost, the stone door is almost shattered…"

Wizard Etland muttered to himself without taking his eyes off the crack in the stone door.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, the entire ancient tower seemed to tremble, and everyone froze.

Wizard Etland seemed to focus slightly before fixing his gaze firmly onto the stone door. That huge thundering sound had seemed to come from behind the stone door.

"Could there be something behind the door?"

Just as Wizard Etland was feeling bewildered and unsure, another loud sound rumbled as the ancient tower undergone another tremor. This time, all the Spell Casters on the first floor could clearly tell that the sound had come from behind the stone door.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Following that, the noise became more frequent, and the movements behind the door seemed to grow greater. The fierce hits widened the fracture on the stone door.

"Bang!"

Finally, the stone door was completely shattered. Behind the doorway, a black shadow flew out at such an incredible speed that it knocked Wizard Etland's Alchemy Creature off its feet.

"What's this?"

At this moment, everyone was staring with mouths agape at the shadow that had flown out from behind the doorway. This black shadow was gigantic, even taller than Wizard Etland's Alchemy Creature. It was covered entirely in a layer of black armor.

However, this black shadow was currently looking rather pitiful as it crashed heavily onto the ground. They could see that it was sent flying by some powerful force.

The black shadow trembled slightly on the floor before it quickly stood up. It seemed to become aware of its surroundings as it looked down and noticed the Alchemy Creature crushed beneath its body.

Wizard Etland was gradually recovering from his initial shock. He did not know who this black shadow was but there was no doubt that it came from behind the stone door.

It was very possible that someone had already beaten them to it, and had taken away all the treasure behind the stone door.

As he thought of this, Wizard Etland's heart boiled over with anxiety, and he immediately ordered his Alchemy Creature, "Darling, kill it!"

The target which Wizard Etland was pointing at was that mysterious black shadow that had flown out from behind the door in such a baffling manner.

"Bang!"

The Alchemy Creature's punch landed on the black shadow but only a dull thud was heard. A dark red bloodstain appeared on the Alchemy Creature's fist, and blood dripped onto the floor.

Wizard Etland's Alchemy Creature was widely known for its mighty strength but now it was not even able to break the armor of the black shadow.

"Intruder – kill!"

The black shadow turned around and spoke in an odd, twisted voice. The eyes within the black armor glowed with a green light, and a quick look at it could tell anyone that the armor was empty and hollow inside. This shadow was neither a Spell Caster nor an Alchemy Creature. It did not even have any life force.

As soon as the black shadow spoke, it abruptly reached out with its thick, solid hands and grabbed the burly Alchemy Creature effortlessly.

In one swift motion, the shadow's hands pulled the Alchemy Creature apart viciously.

"Rip!"

Immediately, the hulking Alchemy Creature was torn into two by the black shadow. Hot gushes of dark red blood splattered on the floor, reeking with the pungent smell of blood.

"Ssss…"

Staring at the Alchemy Creature lying on the ground, and torn into two, Wizard Etland could not help but draw in a quick breath. He had transfigured his Alchemy Creature himself, so naturally, he knew it the best. Although his Alchemy Creature was well known for its strength, its defensive capabilities were very frightening as well.

Even powerful Third-level spells were not necessarily able to kill his Alchemy Creature in a blow but now this black shadow, with a quick rip of its hands, had torn his Alchemy Creature into two. It was enough to demonstrate the terrifying extent of this lifeless, black shadow's strength.

"What kind of monster is this?"

Wizard Etland's expression revealed his fear and apprehension. Even though his Alchemy Creature was dead, he was also furious. However, after witnessing the shocking strength of this Shadow Monster with no life force, who was able to easily tear his Alchemy Creature apart, he knew that even a Third-level Spell Caster would be no match for this Shadow Monster. Naturally, he would not act blindly without thinking.

However, just because Wizard Etland did not dare provoke this Shadow Monster, it did not mean that the monster would not make its move. With its hollow eyes, the Shadow Monster swept its gaze across Wizard Etland and the others, after which it turned around as the heavy armor all over its body emitted scraping noises which sent chills down their spine.

Feeling the stare of the Shadow Monster's hollow eyes, Wizard Etland vividly sensed an imminent danger.

However, the Shadow Monster did not lift a hand but turned its head around again, its hollow eyes looking at the stone door with a huge hole in its middle. On the other side of the doorway, the faint silhouette of a figure wearing a black robe could be seen.

"Demon Ability, Glacial Finger!"

A cold voice rang out, and a translucent blast of freezing air quickly flew out from behind the doorway, reaching the Shadow Monster in a flash.