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Chapter 265: Disappointment

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Come out!"

Merlin looked calm, but his sights were set on a rock some distance away, at the beach. He had already realized that there were people hiding behind the rock.

The Spell Casters hiding behind the rock looked at each other. Their faces displayed helplessness, but that turned into calm expressions soon after. The male Spell Caster muttered under his breath, "Let's go. We've already been spotted, there's no point in hiding anymore."

The female Spell Caster took in a deep breath and gave a slight nod. Together, the two of them walked out from behind the rock.

"My fellow Spell Caster, we were imminent prey to the Two-headed Infant earlier but thankfully, you've chased it away. If it weren't for your timely rescue, our fates would've been sealed."

The male Spell Caster thanked Merlin immediately as he stepped out. He had prior experience in dealing with similar situations. Under these circumstances, he knew that he must not let conflict arise between both sides. Otherwise, they would be put in a precarious position.

"Oh? The monster is called a Two-headed Infant? Such a fitting name!"

Merlin mumbled under his breath. He had never seen such a monster before, much less heard of it, and it was not until now that he found out it was called the Two-headed Infant. Judging by these two Spell Caster's expressions, the Two-headed Infant must be a very terrifying monster.

Though Merlin was only whispering to himself, the male Spell Caster was sharp and caught what he said. A cheerful expression appeared on his face as he quickly interrupted, "How may I address you, Sir?

Merlin hummed for a moment before deciding against being secretive. Calmly, he answered, "Merlin."

"Ah, so you're Wizard Merlin. You don't seem to recognize this Two-headed Infant, so I assume you're not a Spell Caster from Kurdmansla Islands. I'm curious to know where you're from?"

Upon hearing what the male Spell Caster had said, an indescribable expression flashed in Merlin's eyes. Merlin asked, "You two are Spell Casters from Kurdmansla Islands?"

"That's right. We're Spell Casters from Fort Udon 1 , one of the three major factions on Kurdmansla Islands. My name is Gerson, and she's Wizard Delph."

Merlin nodded in silence. The sole reason he traveled all the way here was to locate Kurdmansla Islands. Now that he had met these two people, his task had become much easier.

"Wizard Gerson, Wizard Delph, I'm indeed a traveler from far away. My aim is to locate Kurdmansla Islands."

Merlin kept his explanation brief, not wanting to reveal his true identity. However, both Wizard Ferson and Wizard Delph did not follow up on that. Instead, they kindly offered, "That's convenient, Wizard Merlin, cause we can bring you to Kurdmansla Islands. We, especially our people from Fort Udon, have always welcomed powerful wizards from distant lands. If Wizard Merlin is interested in joining our faction, I'd gladly introduce you."

"I'll give it a thought."

After a brief pause, Merlin glanced at that seemingly endless sea again. He looked fairly worried as he muttered, "I think it's best if we leave this place quickly. That Two-headed Infant could still return, and by that time, I'm afraid that even I don't have the confidence to deal with it again."

Merlin's fear did not stem from the Two-headed Infant itself, but rather from its overpowered summoning abilities. It was stunning how it could control some powerful sea beasts.

If the Two-headed Infant were to summon stronger sea beasts, even Merlin would not be able to fend them off. Hence, the danger was still present, and it was best for them to pick up their pace and leave this place.

Wizard Gerson nodded in agreement. It seemed like he was still recovering from the events earlier when he added, "True, we should really leave now. It's way too dangerous here."

Wizard Gerson was still traumatized. He and Wizard Delph were already regretting coming to a dangerous place like this. They could not quite believe that the first thing they encounter here was a Two-headed Infant. If not for Merlin, they would have been doomed.

Therefore, the three of them left the beach hastily.

*****

"Wizard Merlin, you've come to Kurdmansla Islands to join which faction? You can't survive without the protection of a faction on Kurdmansla Islands. Even the most powerful Spell Casters will join certain factions. Otherwise, they won't have any safety assurance when facing the sea beasts' violent attacks."

Along their way, Gerson was trying his best to update Merlin about some current affairs on Kurdmansla Islands.

There was no doubt that Kurdmansla Islands was a busy place, but that was on the basis that the place was safe. In truth, Kurdmansla Islands was not just unsafe, it was treacherous.

The thousands of small isles that formed Kurdmansla Islands were often a target of the menacing sea beasts' attacks. The sea beasts are true dictators of this vast sea. Every now and then, the sea beasts would gather in mass and attack Kurdmansla Islands.

This seemed to have become a norm for Kurdmansla Islands, and this precisely highlights the importance of factions. The stronger factions would be able to organize their forces and vanquish those sea beasts systematically. With that, one would not have to face the sea beasts alone, reducing the risks involved. On top of that, one could also split the various types of profits gained after eliminating the sea beasts.

For those Spell Casters who did not join any factions, no matter how strong they were, they would still crack under fatigue as a result of constant battling with endless waves of sea beasts. There were quite a few examples of those who had perished this way.

However, Merlin did not agree to it immediately. He had only just arrived at Kurdmansla Islands, so it made sense that he wanted to learn more about it first. Besides, he came here to find Lava Soil. If he could find it on Kurdmansla Islands, he would not need to look for it amongst those dangerous volcanoes.

"Right, besides Fort Udon, what other factions are on Kurdmansla Islands?"

Merlin recalled Wizard Gerson mentioning earlier that Fort Udon was only one of the three major factions on Kurdmansla Islands. This means there were two other factions that were more or less similar to Fort Udon.

Wizard Gerson did not conceal any info. On the contrary, he gave him a generous explanation. "Kurdmansla Islands houses a lot of factions, but the others are mere tiny factions. There are only three undisputed, dominating factions. Besides us Fort Udon, the other two factions are Gray Wing Alliance and Wizard's Tower."

Merlin ingrained those two factions' names in the back of his mind so that he could match them upon arriving at Kurdmansla Islands. However, the prerequisites for that to happen were if Merlin's had failed to find Lava Soil, thus leaving him no choice but to stay on Kurdmansla Islands for a little while longer.

Before long, Merlin could already see ubiquitous small isles at the edge of the beach. These isles were not far apart from each other. From afar, they looked as though they were all connected, and it seemed that there were tens of thousands of them.

This was the Kurdmansla Islands!

"Wizard Merlin, we've reached Kurdmansla Islands. We'll now head straight to the largest main island. Almost all of the factions, be it big or small, are stationed on the main island."

Wizard Gerson gave Merlin a detailed walkthrough as Merlin narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the location of the main island.

After brief scrutiny, he came to realize that the main island's location was really strategic as it was almost completely surrounded by the rest of the isles. Not only was it the largest, but it was the safest of all.

He had heard from Wizard Gerson that Kurdmansla Islands was not safe, because every once in a while there would be a great number of sea beasts launching attacks on Kurdmansla Islands. By that time, it would be a scene of a massacre with fierce battles going on everywhere. However, the strategic position of the main island ensured that the sea beasts would have a hard time infiltrating the main island.

No wonder so many factions rather station themselves on the main island, including the top three strongest factions.

Soon, under Wizard Gerson's lead, Merlin arrived at the main island. Quite a number of Spell Casters greeted Wizard Gerson. It would appear that he was quite popular around here.

"Wizard Merlin, we've arrived at Fort Udon. Have you decided on which faction you're going to join?"

Wizard Gerson's eyes gleamed with anticipation. He was well aware of Merlin's capabilities. Once Merlin joins Fort Udon, he would be rewarded generously and earn a lavish fortune.

"I'm not in a hurry really. Is there a place here that sells alchemy materials in bulk?"

Merlin gave a slight smile. He did not plan to make his decision at this point in time.

"Yes, there are places like these, but they're all Fort Udon merchants who mainly sells alchemy materials to members of our faction. If you're not one of ours, the prices are going to be steep."

"Doesn't matter, I just want to take a look."

Merlin did not mind at all. He had a lot of elemental crystal stones in his ring and he was already wastefully using the stones to replenish his Magic Powers while he was rushing his journey here, so he did not mind spending a little more of them. As long as he got his hands on Lava Soil, however many elemental crystal stones he spent would still be worthwhile.

Seeing that Merlin did not mind, Wizard Gerson did not add on to his point. Instead, he brought Merlin to a spacious shop. Many Spell Casters could be seen patronizing the place.

"Wizard Merlin, just request whatever you need here. If you can't find it here, you won't find it anywhere else on Kurdmansla Islands, even if you go to the other merchants."

Merlin nodded and entered the shop. Seeing him walking in, a sweet-looking female Spell Caster immediately came forward to welcome him.

"My dear Master Wizard, what can I get for you?"

This female Spell Caster looked like an Entrance-level Spell Caster. However, she looked rather young and seemed like she had just started cultivating recently. Anyhow, there was still a chance that she could become a First-level Spell Caster.

Merlin thought for a moment and asked, "I need Lava Soil. Do you have it here?"

"Lava Soil? That's gonna be tough. Lava Soil may be a precious alchemy material, but even for a place like Kurdmansla Islands, it's still scarcely found. One would need to look for it among the dangerous volcanoes. In recent times, there are very few Spell Casters who'd still look for Lava Soil. Master, if you need to craft certain casting tools, we have better replacements as raw materials. I can recommend you…"

Merlin immediately cut the female Spell Caster short. He furrowed his eyebrows as he interrupted, "You don't have Lava Soil here?"

The female Spell Caster gave Merlin a look over. She then nodded and continued, "That's right, people seldom scavenge for Lava Soil, so we really don't have it here. Even if you go to the other shops on Kurdmansla Islands, I'm sure you can't find it there either."

Merlin was somewhat disappointed. He could not quite believe, that after all the effort he made to finally arrive at Kurdmansla Islands, he still could not manage to find Lava Soil. Did he really have to go look for it amongst the dangerous volcanoes after all?

He had to remember, that once those volcanoes erupt, even a Seventh-level Spell Caster would not escape death if he or she was unprepared.

Just as Merlin was beginning to feel let down, Wizard Gerson, who had been standing behind him spoke, "So, turns out that you're looking for Lava Soil. If you were to join the Fort Udon faction, it really won't be hard to obtain some."

Chapter 266: Fort Udon

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Oh? You have an idea?"

Merlin turned around. He narrowed his eyes, staring closely at Wizard Gerson.

Wizard Gerson had met many strong Spell Casters before but that kind of stare Merlin gave him made him feel uncomfortable. He dared not look Merlin in the eyes, so he responded with his head held down. "Wizard Merlin, Lava Soil is indeed found at the volcanoes on the Kurdmansla Islands, but the volcanoes are extremely dangerous. Occasionally, some of them will erupt, so they are unpredictable. Even a Seventh-level Spell Caster will not set foot into the volcanoes without caution.

"However, once you've joined Fort Udon, you'll be able to purchase a map for a lesser amount of elemental crystal stones. In this map, you'll find the records of all thirty-six thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine volcanoes on the Kurdmansla Islands. It'll include information regarding which volcanoes are still active or inactive, how many times they've erupted, and even the chronological pattern of their eruptions, all of which are meticulously analyzed and recorded.

"With such a map, I believe you'll not be put in any danger when you venture into the volcanoes in search of Lava Soil. Fort Udon used many resources, personnel, and up to decades of hard work to complete this map bit by bit, which is why it's only available for Fort Udon's very own Spell Casters. Outsiders don't get to buy this map."

Merlin listened to every word of Wizard Gerson's explanation attentively, and he was indeed somewhat attracted. If this map was really like what Wizard Gerson had described and contained such extensive records, Merlin would then have no reason to worry about his safety when he looked for Lava Soil. Otherwise, even with powers like his, if he had entered an active volcano and it erupted, he would be reduced to ashes by the scorching lava.

Therefore, after a long thought, Merlin finally nodded and agreed. "Very well, Wizard Gerson, I'll need you to recruit me then."

Upon hearing Merlin's agreement to join Fort Udon, Wizard Gerson let out a long sigh of relief, a smile etching across his face.

This time, with Merlin's recruitment into Fort Udon, Wizard Gerson would be entitled to lots of rewards. That was also the most essential reason why Gerson was so insistent on persuading Merlin to join Fort Udon.

"Haha, good, good. With your strength, Wizard Merlin, in Fort Udon, you could even become a gray-robed Wizard."

When Wizard Gerson mentioned the term gray-robed Wizard, a look of admiration flashed on his face.

"Hmm, what's a gray-robed Wizard?"

Merlin asked directly. Since he was going to join Fort Udon, he might as well inquire about the basic information on the organization.

Thus, Gerson started giving Merlin a detailed explanation.

It turned out that in Fort Udon, there was a strict differentiation between Spell Casters. An Entrance-level Spell Caster would not even have the chance to join Fort Udon. Therefore, the weakest Spell Casters in Fort Udon were all First-level Spell Casters.

First to Third-level Spell Casters were black-robed Spell Casters, while Fourth to Sixth-level Spell Casters were gray-robed Spell Casters. For Seventh to Ninth-level Spell Casters, the outer rim of their gray robes would be lined with gold, making them quite eye-catching.

Depending on each Spell Caster's level, their entitled rights and allocated resources would definitely differ too.

After Merlin finished hearing Gerson's elaboration, he furrowed his eyebrows in silence. Even though he had the capability and power of annihilating a Fourth-level Spell Caster, still, he was not truly a Fourth-level Spell Caster himself.

Merlin had only just constructed his first Second-level Magic Power model, hence he was merely a First-level Spell Caster. At the very most, he could only be considered half a Second-level Spell Caster.

If his status was to be determined based on which level of Spell Caster he was, he could only be a black-robe Wizard.

"Wizard Merlin, we're here!"

Wizard Gerson brought Merlin to a considerably spacious place surrounded by many giant castles. These castles had the strangest architectural designs and were starkly different to those in the Kingdom of Blackmoon or the Kingdom of Light.

Moreover, around those castles, Merlin could sense the aura of runes, which indicated that they were all warded by Rune Magic Circles, somewhat similar to the towers in the Dark Magic Region.

Along the way, Merlin met a few Spell Casters as well. All of them had black robes, so they seemed like First to Third-level Spell Casters. Those with gray robes or gold-lined gray robes remained to be unseen.

After all, at Fort Udon, Spell Casters with gray robes or better were not a common sight.

Wizard Gerson led Merlin all the way to the front of a giant castle with white walls and a dome roof. Then, he muttered under his breath, "Wizard Merlin, there's where Fort Udon is tasked to evaluate your skill sets, strength, and status. Remember, in Fort Udon, a higher status will grant you vastly more influence and resources. Therefore, you don't need to hide your abilities, just show them the best that you've got."

Merlin nodded and pushed open the big castle door. He then stepped inside.

"Creak".

Behind the door was a grandiose, lavishly decorated lounge, but there was nobody there. There were only several gray-robed Spell Casters who were lazing around, resting their eyes.

"Hmm? Somebody's here?"

"Finally, there's somebody. I wonder if this one's a black or gray-robed Wizard? Let me recall, the last time a gray-robed Wizard joined us at Fort Udon, was like three years ago?"

"The number of Spell Casters who came from outside of the Kurdmansla Islands gradually lessened, strong Spell Casters even more so. It was so different from a few years back. Back then, we had limitless supplies for cultivation, attracting a large number of Spell Casters to the Kurdmansla Islands."

"True, recently those sea beasts' activities have become more frequent, launching several wide-ranged attacks, inflicting massive losses on the Kurdmansla Islands. As a result, those Spell Casters who came from afar would carefully reconsider their decision after witnessing such occurrences. Some Spell Casters even chose to leave right away."

These gray-robed Spell Casters felt rejuvenated upon seeing a stranger walked in. They fixed their sights on Merlin, scrutinizing him closely.

Merlin too was staring at these gray-robed Spell Casters. The fact that they were donned in gray robes revealed their status. They were gray-robed Spell Casters of Fort Udon and were at least Fourth-level Spell Casters.

Merlin walked to the front of these gray-robed Spell Casters and greeted them calmly, "My fellow Wizards, I've just arrived on the Kurdmansla Islands from a place far away. I've heard that Fort Udon was decent, which is why I'm interested to join!"

"Dear Wizard, how may I address you?"

One of the gray-robed Wizards asked in a peaceful tone.

"Merlin!"

"Wizard Merlin, you're a Spell Caster of which level?"

Merlin paused for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth and answered, "First-level Spell Caster!"

"First-level Spell Caster?"

These gray-robed Wizards who were still enthusiastic not long ago suddenly froze their expressions. Shortly after, one by one, they shook their heads and went back to resting their eyes, leaving only one gray-robed Wizard asking Merlin questions.

This gray-robed Wizard expressed a somewhat disappointed too, but he continued his conversation with Merlin. "Wizard Merlin, due to the fact that you're a First-level Spell Caster, we can only grant you the status of a black-robed Wizard. Even so, you can still enjoy the various forms of benefits offered by Fort Udon…"

The gray-robed Spell Caster continued explaining all the benefits of Fort Udon passionately, only pointing toward one corner of the lounge in the end. It was a see-through room which was built with glazed tiles.

The glazed tiles may look fragile, but they were filled with mysterious runes which covered the entire room. In the color glass room, there were a number of sturdy-looking Alchemy Creatures that wore masks.

"These are all our Fort Udon's Alchemy Creatures – a First, Second, and Third-level respectively. If you can beat them, we'll then be able to grant you your corresponding status and position. Defeating a First-level Alchemy Creature will make you a Novice black-robed Wizard. If you can beat a Second-level Alchemy Creature, you'll become a Middle black-robed Wizard. Let's say you triumph over the Third-level Alchemy Creature, you'll then become an Expert black-robed Wizard. All three yields the same outcome of becoming a black-robed Wizard, but there are huge differences between Novice, Middle, and Expert black-robed Wizards. So, which Alchemy Creature will you choose?"

The gray-robed Wizard set his eyes on Merlin the moment he had finished talking.

Merlin, on the other hand, thought for a moment. He then gently scanned his eyes over those Alchemy Creatures in the psychedelically translucent room, and muttered, "I can pick any one of those Alchemy Creatures?"

"Of course. As long as you're confident, you get to choose any Alchemy Creature. After all, we at Fort Udon don't look at one's Spell Caster level alone. If you have formidable strength and are able to defeat a Second-level Alchemy Creature, we would then give you the privileges of a Middle black-robed Wizard. However, I'd like to warn you that all these Alchemy Creatures are extremely ruthless. If you don't have the confidence, we'd recommend you to pick the First-level Alchemy Creature. Otherwise, you'll be killed by an Alchemy Creature, and that'll be quite a pity."

After hearing the gray-robed Wizard's thorough explanation, Merlin shook his head gently. Instead, he said, "I don't need these three Alchemy Creatures. Give me an Alchemy Creature that's stronger, like that one over there!"

Merlin's sights were set on the last translucent room. There was an extremely burly creature which looked like a tiny giant and had a body full of greenish spikes. It looked terrifying.

At one glance, this Alchemy Creature looked a whole lot stronger than the three Alchemy Creatures that the gray-robed Wizard had introduced earlier.

"Hmm? You'd like to challenge a Fourth-level Alchemy Creature?"

Watching Merlin point at that Herculean Alchemy Creature which looked like a tiny giant, the gray-robed Wizard looked somewhat astonished, expressing a doubtful look in his eyes.

"Correct, the Fourth-level Alchemy Creature!"

Merlin replied calmly. A great deal of confidence seeping from within his words.

"Challenge the Fourth-level Alchemy Creature?"

"Interesting, I thought you're only an ordinary First-level Spell Caster, but I didn't expect that you'd dare challenge a Fourth-level Alchemy Creature. The last time somebody took on a fourth-level Alchemy Creature was like what, ten years back?"

"It seems that we're in for a good show then. Wizard Merlin looks very confident, and I'm intrigued to see how a First-level Spell Caster can beat a Fourth-level Alchemy Creature. If he wins, I'm afraid another evil prodigy will emerge from Fort Udon."

Upon hearing Merlin's wishes to challenge the Fourth-level Alchemy Creature, one after another, those gray-robed Wizards who were lazing around began staring wide-eyed at Merlin, looking at him in awe.

"Alright then, since you insist on challenging the Fourth-level Alchemy Creature, I shall fulfill your wish!"

The gray-robed Wizard did not try telling Merlin off either. Instead, he stood up and led Merlin to the room with the Fourth-level Alchemy Creature inside.

Chapter 267: Creating Greater Wonders

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Ka-chak."

The doors of the psychedelically translucent room swung open to either side. The gray-robed Wizard pointed inward and told Merlin, "Please enter, Wizard Merlin. If you can't hold on any longer, just give us a signal. We'll stop the Alchemy Creature immediately."

The gray-robed Wizard might have said that they could put the Alchemy Creature under control, but having to battle in such a narrow space, it would be virtually impossible to stop the Alchemy Creature promptly.

Thus, challenging the Alchemy Creature had its own risks. The reason the gray-robed Wizard said that was only to assure Merlin that they prioritized his safety.

Merlin took a glance at the Alchemy Creature. It wore a mask and had a body full of spikes. He then nodded in a calm demeanor. Soon after, the gray-robed Wizard forcefully slammed the door shut, locking the translucent room. All the gray-robed Wizards at the lounge diverted their sights to the veluriyam room.

The Alchemy Creature in the room acted as if it received some kind of command. Its eyes which were initially closed opened abruptly, and the spikes on its body increased in size, becoming extra pointy. It glowed with ice-cold illuminations, ones that would make a person shudder.

It was the first time that Merlin had seen such a fearsome Alchemy Creature! In addition, Fourth-level Alchemy Creatures were very difficult to produce. Even in Floating City, the strongest Alchemy Creature was only Third-level.

It was an immense qualitative leap from a Third-level Alchemy Creature to a Fourth-level Alchemy Creature, and it was in no way simpler than a Third-level Wizard promoting to a Fourth-level Wizard.

"Roar!"

Besides spikes, the Fourth-level Alchemy Creature's body was wrapped with a thick black iron chain too, much to his shock. Following its loud roar, a puff of white steam spewed from its mouth, which instantly transformed into a sharp spear, hurtling toward Merlin.

At the same time, the Alchemy Creature swung its huge iron chain toward Merlin. The whistling sonic noise that was produced felt like an imposing threat, even for Merlin.

"The Fourth-level Alchemy Creature's physique is surprisingly strong, so much so that even my physique wouldn't be up to its level… Still, I'm a Spell Caster, I don't have to outdo the Alchemy Creature in terms of physique!"

Though Merlin's physique had significantly improved after practicing the fourth relief sculpture, when facing an enemy, his first thought would naturally be using spells, he was still a Spell Caster after all.

Meanwhile, this Fourth-level Alchemy Creature was very aggressive, so Merlin dared not shield the attacks with his robes alone, because chances were, even his robe could not protect him.

Therefore, Merlin did not show any hesitation. He stretched out his hand and pointed in front with force, and exclaimed, "Pandora Demon Ability, Glacial Finger!"

"Swoosh!"

Instantly, a chill was sent toward the Alchemy Creature. This Alchemy Creature was only superior in strength, but in terms of speed, it was not even close. In addition, it was incapable of evading Merlin's Glacial Finger.

Merlin did not muster his brute force to hoist the Alchemy Creature's iron chain either. Instead, he unleashed Wind of Freedom, granting him almost seamless agility, and the ability to navigate the tightest of spaces with ease. This too had highlighted Wind of Freedom's special characteristic. If it was a Zero-level spell like Gale, it would not enable him to move around so elegantly within such a narrow space in the room.

"Boom!"

The Alchemy Creature's huge iron chain struck the ground with great force, and the ground felt like it was quaking. It even made Merlin worry that the entire veluriyam room would collapse in a second.

Nonetheless, it did not take long until complex-looking runes started appearing in the room. The Alchemy Creature's attack earlier could not even cause the room any damage.

"What a strong force…"

Merlin mumbled under his breath, and a strange expression flashed in his eyes. A Fourth-level Alchemy Creature was indeed petrifying. If he had chosen not to unleash Wind of Freedom to dodge the chain but to depend on his robe to hoist the chain instead, that strong force could have torn his robe apart.

The Alchemy Creature's iron chain hit the ground forcefully. This was its first attack, but it could also be its last as Merlin's Glacial Finger had already wrapped around the Alchemy Creature's iron chain. The sub-zero freeze radiated from the iron chain to the Alchemy Creature in swift speed, enveloping the Alchemy Creature's body in the blink of an eye.

"Ka-chak! Ka-chak!"

The surface of the thick black iron chain froze into a layer of crystalline ice immediately. Moreover, the tough black iron chain started cracking apart the moment those crystalline ice emerged, breaking into several segments.

That was the impressive element about Glacial Finger. No matter how tough the raw iron was, it could still freeze and crack them apart, much less a human body made of flesh. Therefore, no matter how strong this Alchemy Creature's physique was, Merlin was still confident that the frost from Glacial Finger could encase the Alchemy Creature in an Ice Seal.

As anticipated, with Merlin's Glacial Finger, a layer of crystalline ice started condensing on the sturdy Alchemy Creature's body. Yet, the Alchemy Creature was quite powerful as it unexpectedly dislodged the ice with a single shake of its body.

The ice might have been shaken off, but how could that be it for Glacial Finger's freeze? Along with the dislodged ice, a huge area of the Alchemy Creature's flesh too had shed off from its body. In the blink of an eye, the Alchemy Creature turned into a hideous monster with fresh blood all over its body.

"Is that not enough? Come again then. Pandora Demon Ability, Glacial Finger!"

Merlin saw that the Alchemy Creature was not dead, so he unleashed Glacial Finger once more. The Fourth-level Alchemy Creature was indeed a tough foe to take down.

The truth was, Merlin's current, first stage of Glacial Finger, or the first form of Fiery Collapse was limited to reaching the frontiers of a Fourth-level spell, or of those extremely destructive Fourth-level spells.

If one wished to enhance the powers of these two Pandora Demon Abilities, one could only wait until becoming a Fourth-level Spell Caster to do so.

This was why when facing a Fourth-level Alchemy Creature, Glacial Finger could not possibly kill it in one hit.

Merlin unleashed Glacial Finger once again, and the eerie chills wrapped the Alchemy Creature once more. By now, the Alchemy Creature was already sapped of energy and was merely struggling in vain. Even its roars became hoarse.

"Ka-chak!"

Finally, the Alchemy Creature's body was completely frozen in ice, just like a lively, crystal clear ice sculpture.

"Crack!"

Merlin called out softly. Instantly, the ice crystals cracked apart. Like eggshells, the burly figure of that Alchemy Creature shattered into countless fragments, scattering onto the ground.

Merlin took a glance at the ice fragments on the ground and proceeded to knock on the room door. The gray-robed Wizards who were staring into the room from outside started showing solemn looks on their faces.

"Pandora Demon Ability, that's Pandora Demon Ability!"

"Since he has Pandora Demon Ability, it was not surprising that he was so confident. A Fourth-level Alchemy Creature is not even his match!"

"Haha, this time, there'll be a new addition of gray-robed Wizard into us, Fort Udon."

These gray-robed Wizards could tell at one glance that Merlin had used a Pandora Demon Ability earlier. However, there were no greedy looks expressed for his Pandora Demon Ability, instead, the gray-robed Wizards were all very delighted.

"Creak".

The door opened, and Merlin walked out from the room. That gray-robed Wizard who was with him earlier had smiles all over his face as he spoke, "Wizard Merlin, the spell that you've used earlier was a Pandora Demon Ability, right?"

Merlin furrowed his eyebrows and watched the gray-robed Wizard cautiously. At such an unfamiliar place, he could not tell exactly what these gray-robed Wizards were actually thinking.

Yet, these gray-robed Wizards had silent eyes, clear of any hints of greed, so Merlin felt albeit relaxed. Besides, he had already showcased Glacial Finger, and could not refute it anymore even if he wanted to.

Hence, Merlin nodded and said, "That's right. What I've used was a Pandora Demon Ability."

Seeing Merlin admitting it himself, these gray-robed Wizards responded with a mere chuckle. They seemed to have noticed Merlin's reluctance. The gray-robed Wizard reassured Merlin, "You don't have to worry. Do you know why Fort Udon could cement a place on the Kurdmansla Islands?"

Merlin shook his head as he really did not know why. Everything he knew about Fort Udon was through the knowledge from Wizard Gerson's brief explanation.

The gray-robed Wizard suddenly put on a serious face and muttered, "We, Fort Udon don't have the most members or resources on the Kurdmansla Islands, but how are we the most powerful?"

"It's because we, Fort Udon hold true to one principle – unity! In Fort Udon, excluding the privileges, we treat each and every member equally in every other matter. Those who dare exploit a fellow Fort Udon member would receive the most severe punishment, no matter what the reason for that action was."

"Due to our unity, we even dare to call ourselves the number one faction on the Kurdmansla Islands. Be it the Gray Wing Alliance or Wizard's Tower, they are both a level below us when face to face with us, Fort Udon. Wizard Merlin, it should now be clear to you, that even though we know you have a Pandora Demon Ability, we'll not have any sly thoughts toward you. Actually, when you've officially joined Fort Udon, and understood how things work here, you'd naturally start liking Fort Udon."

Merlin expression looked odd.

"Unity?"

Upon hearing the Fourth-level Spell Caster in front of him uttering the word "unity", Merlin felt somewhat puzzled. In the Dark Magic Region, there was competition everywhere, how could there be any sort of unity? Even in a normal human being's world, it would still be hard to find a group who could be entirely united.

However, the clarity in these gray-robed Wizard's eyes made Merlin hold some degree of anticipation in them.

"Wizard Merlin, maybe you don't believe me, but I shall repeat the same words. Once you've officially joined Fort Udon, you'll get to know us better. We hold our greatest respects for our three fort leaders, who are all Ninth-level Spell Casters. At the same time, the three of them are each other's closest friends and had been together since the very beginning, when they were still Entrance-level Spell Casters. After several hundreds of years had passed, they became Ninth-level Spell Casters together. This alone is a non-replicable feat. Through the toughest hardships, the three of them would still help each other, never leaving anyone behind.

"With such precedents from our three Castle leaders, it wouldn't be unusual for such camaraderie to exist within Fort Udon."

After a brief pause, the gray-robed Wizard glanced into the room, looking at the remains of the Alchemy Creature which was reduced into numerous fragments of ice. He then smiled at Merlin and said, "Wizard Merlin, you've already defeated a Fourth-level Alchemy Creature, you can now become a Novice gray-robed Wizard of Fort Udon! However, you have another opportunity. You can go and challenge any Middle gray-robed Wizard, which is a Fifth-level Spell Caster. Once you succeed, you can then become a Middle gray-robed Wizard. There are distinct differences between these two."

Chapter 268: Issuing a Challenge

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Fifth-level Spell Caster?"

Merlin began mumbling to himself. Truthfully, he was rather excited at the prospect. After all, he had just constructed a Second-level Darkness-type spell, Darkness Tide. If it was enhanced by Darkness Heart, Merlin did not know how powerful it really was. However, he was certain that Fourth-level Mind Power would be unable to withstand it.

At the moment, Merlin's strongest spells were no longer Fiery Collapse and Glacial Finger. They were only at the first stage or first form, and their strength was merely at the level of powerful Fourth-level spells. They would not be of much use against a Fifth-level Spell Caster.

Therefore, Merlin's greatest strength was currently the second-level spell, Darkness Tide after it had been enhanced by Darkness Heart. If only Darkness Tide was able to trap Fifth-level Mind Power in the illusion or even if it merely somewhat affected it, then Merlin would have the ability to fight a Fifth-level Spell Caster.

In the Dark Magic Region, Merlin would not have the opportunity to battle against a Fifth-level Spell Caster. As for Wizard Leo, Merlin had no intention of going against him for Wizard Leo was much stronger. Even an average Sixth-level Spell Caster would be no match for him. Merlin's Darkness Tide would have no effect whatsoever on Wizard Leo.

Now, he had the chance to challenge a Fifth-level Spell Caster from Fort Udon. If he succeeded, he would obtain the rank of a Middle gray-robed Wizard in Fort Udon, and receive more benefits.

As a result, Merlin nodded. "I'll challenge a Middle gray-robed Wizard!"

Seeing that Merlin had agreed to challenge a Fifth-level Spell Caster, these gray-robed Wizards broke out into smiles. Then, a tall and lanky gray-robed Wizard said, "Wizard Merlin, please wait for a moment. I'll invite a Middle gray-robed Wizard for this challenge!"

Merlin bobbed his head, and then looked toward the translucent rooms. It seemed that Fourth-level Alchemy Creatures were the strongest ones in there.

"Are there no Fifth-level Alchemy Creatures in Fort Udon?"

Merlin softly inquired. If there were Fifth-level Alchemy Creatures, then he would not have to face the Fifth-level Spell Caster directly.

The gray-robed Wizard shook his head slightly. "Wizard Merlin, it's far from simple to transfigure a powerful Alchemy Creature. The average Third-level Alchemy Creature is already considered formidable. There are very few who would be able to transfigure a Fourth-level Alchemy Creature. There are many alchemists in Fort Udon but the number of those who can transfigure Fourth-level Alchemy Creatures is too few. What's there to say about Fifth-level Alchemy Creatures? Therefore, if we feel that someone has the capabilities of a Fifth-level Spell Caster, we'll invite a genuine Fifth-level Spell Caster to test it out."

After a pause, the gray-robed Wizard shot Merlin a mysterious look, laughing quietly. "What's more, there's one good thing about not facing an Alchemy Creature. If a Middle gray-robed Wizard is willing to take on this task, then Wizard Merlin would not need fear for his safety. A Middle gray-robed Wizard would make their moves in an appropriate manner. Once you surrender, they would stop immediately. After all, you were able to defeat a Fourth-level Alchemy Creature, and are already eligible to become a gray-robed Wizard in Fort Udon, so you're considered as one of our members."

Initially, Merlin still harbored some doubts about facing a Fifth-level Spell Caster. If his Darkness Tide was useless, then he might be in danger. However, now that he heard what this gray-robed Wizard had said, his worries were thoroughly put to rest. He just had to wait for the right time to show them everything he had, and see how far he was from the standard of a Fifth-level Spell Caster.

After Merlin had waited for a moment, the gray-robed Wizard who had gone to invite a Fifth-level Spell Caster finally returned, but there were no other Spell Casters following behind him.

This gray-robed Wizard shook his head lightly, and said helplessly, "Wizard Merlin, Wizard Sakvara is currently preparing a potion. I'm afraid that it would take two or three days to complete, so for the time being, we invite you to stay in Fort Udon. Wizard Sakvara will naturally come after that."

He would still have to wait for two or three days. After muttering to himself, Merlin ultimately nodded. He could use this time to make some preparations.

"Alright, I'll wait for two or three days in Fort Udon."

Thereafter, a gray-robed Wizard warmly brought Merlin away from the great hall.

"Wizard Merlin, the place that we've arranged for you is a space we prepared expressly for visiting Spell Casters. Just wait there for a few days, and once Wizard Sakvara has finished preparing the potion, we shall inform you."

Merlin bobbed his head, following which the two of them arrived at a residence with low ceilings. Although it was no castle, the surrounding environment was decent with many rooms. It looked like it was indeed prepared for visiting Wizards.

"Alright, I'll leave first. After two or three days, I shall update you."

The gray-robed Wizard finished speaking and left directly.

Merlin gave his surroundings the once-over and was very satisfied. Thereafter, he entered an empty room. The décor inside was relatively simple, and it was completely spotless. Someone must have cleaned it every day.

This residence with low ceilings contained many rooms, but Merlin had observed that almost all of them were empty. This meant that there were very few Wizards from the outside who visited Fort Udon. Even the number of Wizards who wanted to join Fort Udon must be very few.

"Buzz… Buzz…"

Merlin was sitting in the middle of the room when something vibrated at his chest and a scorching heat began to emanate from it.

"The Mind Power duplicate within the Bell Space has reached its limit again?"

Merlin was momentarily stunned, but after some calculations, he realized that it had been a long time since he left the Dark Magic Region and came to the Kurdmansla Islands. It was normal that his Mind Power duplicate would reach its limit during this time.

Thus, Merlin hurriedly extended his Mind Power into the Bell Space. As expected, the Mind Power duplicate in the Bell Space had reached the limits of the Bell Space and needed to leave the Bell Space.

"Fuse!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Merlin immediately fused with the Mind Power duplicate in the Bell Space. He had practiced this many times, so it barely took him a while before the Mind Power duplicate's Mind Power was completely fused with his own.

Merlin's Mind Power began to expand greatly, and he felt exhilarated.

"Not bad, my Mind Power has grown immensely once more. Although it's not at the peak of Third-level Mind Power, it's nearly there. Perhaps I'll reach that point after fusing a few more times with the Mind Power duplicate."

Merlin perceived this growth in his Mind Power and was pleased. Between Third-level and Fourth-level Mind Power, there was a complete leap in the upgrade. The quantitative change would induce a qualitative change. The improvement would be huge, and the required "amount" of Mind Power was also colossal.

Therefore, even though Merlin had the Bell Space, and his Mind Power was growing at an incredible rate, it was not easy to reach the stage of Fourth-level Mind Power. After all, Merlin had only been a Spell Caster for a few years while those Wizards from Spell Caster clans had begun their Mind Meditation since young. Hence, their Mind Power had gradually increased bit by bit through meditation. Merlin, being able to grow at such a pace, had already surpassed many Spell Casters who had begun their Mind Power Meditation since young.

There would have been such a great increase in his Mind Power if he had not just constructed the Second-level spell, Darkness Tide, and used up a huge portion of Mind Power to stabilize it.

Even so, the strength of Merlin's current Mind Power was enough to construct a Second-level spell. Of course, it would not use up more Mind Power than Darkness Tide had.

When Merlin was in the Dark Magic Region, he had already chosen a few Second-level spells of different types which he was satisfied with. These spells were relatively stronger ones, unlike the merely average spells in the Neverending Book.

Now, what Merlin had to do was to carefully choose which spell he should construct first.

"I'm in no urgent need for Offensive spells as I have Fiery Collapse and Glacial Finger for now. These are comparable to Fourth-level spells, so at the moment, Offensive spells can't directly increase my powers.

"The Speed spell Light Breeze is suitable for my current situation. In an unfamiliar place like the Kurdmansla Islands, it's likely that I'll run into some danger. If I have Light Breeze, then my chances of escaping when danger happens is greater."

Merlin carefully thought about it for a moment, before finally focusing his gaze on the Defensive spell Earth Veil. This spell would provide a more complete defense and was much stronger than Guardian Monument.

Although it was merely a Second-level spell, and its defensive capabilities could not compare to Merlin's robe, this would only be temporary. Once Merlin found some Lava Soil, he would immediately be able to cultivate the Pandora Demon Ability, Fuse Earth.

With the enhancement of the Pandora Demon Ability, Fuse Earth, Merlin would be able to completely combine it with Earth-type Defensive spells. At that point, Merlin's Earth Veil would become extremely formidable.

Therefore, constructing Earth Veil now was also a way of preparing for the cultivation of Fuse Earth in the future.

With his heart set on this, Merlin instantly initiated the Matrix. "Begin analyzing the Spell Model of Second-level spell Earth Veil!"

"Beep. Analysis completed. One hundred eighteen thousand six hundred and thirty-five Spell Models have been newly constructed!"

Earth Veil's Spell Model could not be considered complex, so the Matrix quickly analyzed many Spell Models from scratch. Merlin began choosing among these for the best Spell Model in terms of the three aspects of stability, power, and compatibility.

Currently, he was constructing a Second-level spell, and beneath the Spell Model of the Second-level spell were the First and Zero-level Spell Models. Therefore, compatibility was evidently an increasingly important factor.

Merlin had realized the significance of compatibility since the previous time he constructed Darkness Tide. Thus, when he selected a Spell Model, firstly, it would have a high compatibility, following which he would consider stability, before finally looking at power.

If it was not highly compatible and clashed with the other Spell Models, then it would easily collapse. If that happened, even the most miraculous potions would be of no use.

"This Spell Model is just it!"

After a long period of selection and comparison, Merlin finally picked out a Spell Model which he was relatively satisfied.

As such, Merlin quickly mobilized his Mind Power and began simulating Earth Veil, gradually constructing it in his Awareness.

Chapter 269: The Three Major Factions

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The process of simulating a Spell Model using Mind Power was a rather slow one. Merlin took two full days before he finally simulated Earth Veil's Spell Model in his Awareness.

"Boom!"

The instant the Spell Model was simulated in his Awareness, Merlin felt a violent tremor in his mind. Large amounts of Earth Elements swarmed into his Awareness and were quickly turned into Magic Power by Earth Veil's Spell Model.

"It's finally done!"

Merlin let out a long breath. With the Matrix, he was very successful in creating Spell Models. Moreover, as long as his Mind Power was sufficient, it was completely safe to construct Spell Models.

Now, Merlin possessed two Second-level spells. After some time, as the Mind Power duplicate within the Bell Space constantly increased his Mind Power, Merlin hoped to successively construct other Second-level spells in a few months and ultimately become a Second-level Spell Caster.

It could be said that this was a terrifying pace of growth. After all, Merlin had only become a First-level Spell Caster not long ago. Compared to those who needed four or five years to become a Second-level Spell Caster, the possibility of Merlin becoming a Second-level Spell Caster in such a short time was considered a very rapid growth.

All of this was thanks to the Matrix. It aided Merlin in constructing stable Spell Models. Who knew how much time that had saved Merlin?

Earth Veil was successfully constructed but Merlin did not exit the room. Instead, he stayed inside. He still had to use elemental crystal stones to boost the transformation rate of Earth Veil's Magic Power.

…

"Curse it all! Donaugh had joined Gray Wing Alliance. It's harder for us to kill him now."

A male Wizard with long brown hair over his shoulders spoke somewhat furiously.

Another female Wizard with a tall build and delicate features frowned as well. "Since Donaugh has joined Gray Wing Alliance, let's join Fort Udon. I've heard that Fort Udon is the strongest faction on the Kurdmansla Islands! If we stay here on the Kurdmansla Islands, we'll eventually have the chance to kill Donaugh!"

This female Wizard also wore an icy expression, clenching her teeth as she spoke.

This pair of Spell Casters, a man and a woman, had just entered the residence from outside and was walking as they conversed.

Hearing what the female Wizard said, a hint of hesitation flashed across the male Wizard's face as if he wanted to say something but eventually stopped.

"Would that be easy? Although Fort Udon is the strongest faction on the Kurdmansla Islands, it's no match for Wizard's Tower and Gray Wing Alliance in terms of resources. What's more, although Donaugh is despicable, his Spell Caster Quality is excellent. If he joined Gray Wing Alliance for a longer period, I'm afraid that he'll be stronger than us. At that point, it would be harder for us to kill him…"

In the end, the male Wizard expressed the apprehensions that he felt. After the female Wizard heard what he said, she slowed down her steps and stopped, lowering her head in silence.

"Is there really no way?"

"What other way is there? We can only wait. We can't join Gray Wing Alliance as we want to kill Donaugh and he wants to kill us. Hence, we can't join Gray Wing Alliance as he did. As for Fort Udon, I hear that they're very united. As long as one becomes a Wizard of Fort Udon, one need not be afraid of running into danger on the Kurdmansla Islands. It's better if we join Fort Udon for now, and then decide what's our next move."

The male Wizard seemed to have made up his mind long ago.

"It looks like that's all we can do…"

A pensive look hung over the female Wizard's face as she appeared helpless. Just as they were about to choose a room, they seemed to discover something, and their faces revealed a slight shock.

"There's someone in this room? Wasn't it said that in recent times there isn't anyone who wants to join Fort Udon? Why is there someone here?"

The couple had inquired about the situation in Fort Udon when they were outside, so generally, they were sure that no one was joining Fort Udon recently. Hence, there should only be the two of them here.

"Creak."

Just as they were frozen in bewilderment, the door of the room slowly opened, and out came a young Spell Caster dressed in a black Wizard robe.

"You two Wizards are joining Fort Udon as well?"

The young Spell Caster looked toward the couple and asked with a smile.

"Hmm? May I ask who you are, Wizard?"

The male Wizard fixed a distrustful gaze on the young Spell Caster who suddenly appeared, his eyes filled with caution.

"You can call me Merlin. Like you, I'm a Spell Caster who wants to join Fort Udon!"

The young Spell Caster was Merlin. After he had successfully constructed his Second-level Spell, Earth Veil, he had been using elemental crystal stones to increase the transformation speed of Magic Power in Earth Veil's Spell Model. It took him until now for Earth Veil's Spell Model to have sufficient Magic Power.

After this, he only had to slowly accumulate Magic Power to fill up the Spell Model, and no longer needed to use elemental crystal stones as replenishment.

Merlin overheard the conversation between these two Spell Casters without missing a word, so he thought that he might as well open the door and come out. His intention was to ask these two for information regarding Gray Wing Alliance and Wizard's Tower.

After all, Merlin had only heard about Gray Wing Alliance and Wizard's Tower from Wizard Gerson of Fort Udon. From Wizard Gerson's point of view, it was likely that he would not introduce these two factions in a fair and impartial manner.

However, these two Spell Casters obviously seemed to know a lot about Fort Udon, Gray Wing Alliance, and Wizard's Tower, so Merlin thought of understanding these three factions through them.

"So, it's Wizard Merlin. I'm Vadrak and this is Wizard Bella. We both plan to become Fort Udon's black-robed Wizards. However, we've not made the final decision, so we were arranged to come here."

Wizard Vadrak breathed a small sigh of relief but after some thought, he realized that there could be no mishap happening here in Fort Udon. He had been overly cautious earlier.

Merlin could also tell that they were First-level Spell Casters who could meet Fort Udon's requirements. Barring anything unexpected, they would become black-robed Wizards in Fort Udon.

"Wizard Vadrak, Wizard Bella, you seem to be very familiar with the Kurdmansla Islands?"

"Indeed we are. We came from a distant place and heard some Spell Casters talking about the Kurdmansla Islands, so we know something of the situation here. In reality, it's our first time here on the Kurdmansla Islands as well."

This time, it was Bella who spoke.

Merlin felt a surge of enthusiasm. He looked toward the sky, which seemed a long way off from becoming dark, so he asked softly, "Since it's your first time here as well on the Kurdmansla Islands, why don't we three take a walk around the island? I've been here for a few days but haven't left Fort Udon."

"Alright, we wanted to take a look around too. We've heard about how the Kurdmansla Islands are so prosperous, yet had never had the chance to come here. Now that we've arrived, it'll be good to see it for ourselves."

Wizard Vadrak and Wizard Bella had no objections. They wanted to check out the island as well. Thus, the three of them quickly left Fort Udon.

"The island is huge, almost comparable to a small-sized landmass, and it's even many times bigger than the city we were staying in!"

Bella and Vadrak walked on the island and felt astounded upon seeing the size of the island.

The Kurdmansla Islands were formed by tens of thousands of big and small islands. The island they were currently on was the main island of the Kurdmansla Islands, which was the biggest.

The gigantic island stretched as far as the eye could see and was enormous. It was not that much different from a small landmass. This was also why Fort Udon, Gray Wing Alliance, and Wizard's Tower were stationed on this island.

Other than its size, the island was filled with Spell Casters peddling potion materials, alchemy materials, and even spells.

One should not judge these wares based on how they were set out on the ground. In fact, some of these were very precious, worth over ten thousand elemental crystal stones. They cost such an enormous sum, yet no one dared to stir up trouble. This was because Gray Wing Alliance, Wizard's Tower, and Fort Udon had set the rules together. As long as one was on the Kurdmansla Islands, one would receive the protection of the three factions, and no fights were allowed.

If they discovered someone breaking this rule, the three major factions would join forces to hunt that person down. Once, there was a powerful Seventh-level Spell Caster who totally disregarded this rule of the three factions, and killed some Spell Casters on the island. In the end, that Spell Caster was cornered and killed by the masters of the three factions.

Hence, a relatively safe environment was guaranteed on the island. In addition, there were countless mysterious, precious materials which came from the ocean, as well as materials which could only be obtained from the carcasses of sea beasts. Therefore, the Kurdmansla Islands were able to attract many Spell Casters despite its remote distance, allowing the entire place to become prosperous.

"Oh, right, Wizard Vadrak, you know the situation of Gray Wing Alliance and Wizard's Tower?"

Merlin gradually slowed his steps and inquired in a low voice.

Wizard Vadrak shot Merlin a glance, looking pensive before he began to slowly say, "Wizard Merlin, there's a large number of people in Gray Wing Alliance, and it's also rich with various cultivation resources. It could be considered a huge faction. As for Wizard's Tower, its numbers are not many – not even fifty people. However, Wizard's Tower only accepts Spell Casters who are Fourth-level or above. It's been said that anyone who joins Wizard's Tower would even receive the legendary Pandora Demon Ability! The founder of Wizard's Tower is enigmatic, and there are few people who know about the true circumstances of that mysterious founder, but the majority of Pandora Demon Abilities within Wizard's Tower are contributed by that mysterious founder.

"As for Fort Udon, its numbers are not huge. It's not rich with resources and could boast of no top-notch spells or legendary Pandora Demon Ability. Nonetheless, Fort Udon is worthy of being named the number one strongest faction on the Kurdmansla Islands. As for the reason, I believe Wizard Merlin knows already – unity! The Spell Casters of Fort Udon are incomparably united, and joining this faction is just like integrating into a large family… Previously, a Spell Caster named Wizard Yalen explained the situation of the Kurdmansla Islands to us in detail. He had lived on the island for decades, and all that he spoke of was what he had experienced himself."

At the mention of "Wizard Yalen", a strange change washed over the faces of Vadrak and Bella, and their expressions seemed to reveal a strain of sorrow.

Chapter 270: Defenseless and Dissatisfied

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In his mind, Merlin was still processing the information regarding Gray Wing Alliance, Wizard's Tower, and Fort Udon that Wizard Vadrak had just provided.

In particular, he was coming to terms with the fact that Wizard's Tower had more than forty Spell Casters who were Fourth-level and above. This was even more than the Dark Magic Region. Within the Dark Magic Region, there were merely thirty plus individuals who could build their own towers.

This meant that Wizard's Tower, in terms of manpower, was comparable to a spell casters' organization with an extensive background and ancient inheritances such as the Dark Magic Region.

Although the Dark Magic Region was a small-sized spell casters' organization, most factions would be no match for it. In the Dark Magic Region's description of the Kurdmansla Islands, it was still only a "savage" land where roaming Wizards gathered, and sea beasts were bitterly fought and struggled against.

However, now that Merlin had arrived on the Kurdmansla Islands, based on what he saw and heard for himself, the Kurdmansla Islands had already become stronger.

By itself, Wizard's Tower was already a powerful faction which was not inferior to the Dark Magic Region. On the other hand, Gray Wing Alliance and Fort Udon were the other two formidable factions which were no weaker than Wizard's Tower.

If these three factions joined forces, the power of the entire Kurdmansla Islands would be on par with a medium-sized spell casters' organization.

As for large-sized spell casters' organizations, they did not form merely on the basis of having a large number of members. At least one Great Wizard was required to establish a large-sized spell casters' organization.

For instance, although Sterling House was not a spell casters' organization, due to Great Wizard Sterling's presence, it could feasibly be compared to those large-sized spell casters' organizations. Of course, this was all due to the Great Wizard Sterling's presence.

The Kurdmansla Islands were similar to Sterling House, only Merlin did not know if there was a Great Wizard on the Kurdmansla Islands.

"Wizard Vadrak, the three major factions of the Kurdmansla Islands are powerful indeed, and there are countless other factions, which mustn't be underestimated even though they might not be comparable to the three major factions. Now that the Kurdmansla Islands have developed to their present powerful state, can this be maintained if there's no Great Wizard to oversee things?"

Merlin lifted his head and looked toward Wizard Vadrak.

"Great Wizard…"

Wizard Vadrak mumbled softly to himself for a moment, then a mysterious smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He said in a low voice, "Wizard Merlin, in truth, there's a Great Wizard on the Kurdmansla Islands, only not many people know of this. Even I'm unclear about the specifics. Perhaps you can ask the people at Fort Udon."

Merlin felt a shiver deep within his heart. He did not think that the Kurdmansla Islands would really have a Great Wizard. If what Wizard Vadrak said was true, then the entire Kurdmansla Islands had unwittingly developed into an enormous faction that was comparable to large-sized spell casters' organizations, just like Sterling House.

Even in terms of overall capability, the Kurdmansla Islands were far more powerful than Sterling House. After all, there were a few Ninth-level Spell Casters in the three major factions of the Kurdmansla Islands alone, and Sterling House was only supported by the Great Wizard Sterling without any Ninth-level Spell Casters at all. There were not even many Seventh-level Spell Casters in Sterling House.

The reports and information the Dark Magic Region and other spell casters' organizations had on the Kurdmansla Islands were far too outdated. Things were different now, and the Kurdmansla Islands had become a colossus!

The main island was bustling with noise and movement, and the hubbub of Spell Casters peddling their wares on the street evoked a fondness in Merlin as it was just like when he was in Blackwater City.

However, Vadrak and Bella were somewhat downcast, and their spirits could not be lifted. This seemed to be related to the "Wizard Yalen" who was mentioned in the earlier conversation.

Merlin did not inquire about this "Wizard Yalen". It must be something difficult for Wizard Vadrak and Wizard Bella to talk about, and something inappropriate to bring up.

Since both of them had lost their good mood, and Merlin had learned of some information regarding Gray Wing Alliance and Wizard's Tower from Vadrak, he asked Wizard Vadrak and Wizard Bella, "The two of you are tired, so why don't we head back to Fort Udon and rest?"

Wizard Vadrak and Bella nodded and began turning back.

However, they had only taken a few steps when a commotion was heard behind them. The expressions of Vadrak and Bella changed as they spun around, their eyes glaring straight ahead.

"Donaugh!"

Wizard Vadrak's gaze was fixed on a Spell Caster wearing a light-colored Wizard robe and a wide-brimmed black hat as he yelled through clenched teeth.

"Hmm? Vadrak? Bella?"

The face of the Spell Caster who was called "Donaugh" clearly went blank in the instant he saw Vadrak and Bella, but this was swiftly followed by a darkened expression.

"Heh heh, so it's you guys. Seems like you haven't joined any factions. Good, good. You guys have been following me from the start and had nearly caused my death a few times. Now, it's payback time!"

A vicious expression emerged on Wizard Donaugh's face, following which he turned to another tall Wizard and said, "Wizard Hitte, there shouldn't be anything preventing me from making a move here, right?"

The tall Wizard eyed Merlin and the rest, and a cold smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Rest assured, the Kurdmansla Islands' rule which bans fights don't apply to us of the three major factions. You're now a Spell Caster of our Gray Wing Alliance. It's not a big deal if you kill a few Wizards."

"That's perfect!"

With that, Donaugh brandished an arm fiercely, and thick strands of Fire Element began rapidly fluctuating over his body.

"Flaming Ray!"

Wizard Donaugh lifted one hand, and a fiery beam of flame erupted. Its speed was extremely quick, and in the blink of an eye, it had reached Vadrak.

"Bang!"

Vadrak reacted quickly as well. An Earth-type Defensive spell materialized before him, but it was only a First-level spell and was shattered by Flaming Ray right away. Moreover, the blaze was pushing through without stopping and was burning on Vadrak's body.

"Snap!"

Thick ice crystals immediately formed on Vadrak. This was a spell he casted on himself to freeze the flames on his body.

"Second-level spell? You've already successfully constructed a Second-level spell?"

Vadrak dispelled the ice crystals. Even though the flames on his body were gone, his face was still rather drained. It had only been one attack, and yet, he was already injured.

Wizard Donaugh's Flaming Ray was obviously a Second-level spell, far stronger than Vadrak's First-level spell.

"Heh heh. Back then I was chased down by you two all the way here to the Kurdmansla Islands. I could construct Second-level spells long ago, only I didn't have time, being chased all the way by you. Hmph, don't think that I was afraid of you! If I intended to avoid getting tangled up with you two lunatics, you think I would have come all the way to the Kurdmansla Islands? However, you're foolish indeed to have followed me here. It's your death wish!"

Donaugh's expression twisted in fury. It seemed like he had been pathetically hunted down by Vadrak and Bella the entire way here, which was why he harbored so much hatred.

"Donaugh, damn you!"

A sharp light glinted in Wizard Bella's eyes, following which she rushed forward as a violent burst of Wind Elemental fluctuations emerged around her.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Blades of wind covered the entire ground, speeding murderously toward Wizard Donaugh.

"It's useless. This time I've joined Gray Wing Alliance, and handed over a precious alchemy material I've taken from that old fool Yalen. Not only did I win Gray Wing Alliance's interest but I also received a robe that can withstand Third-level spell attacks, haha!"

Wizard Donaugh roared heartily. Despite the wide-ranging wind blades crashing into him, he was under no threat at all. The robe he was wearing could almost keep up with the robe Merlin had exchanged for in the Dark Magic Region.

Gray Wing Alliance had the most resources. Before this, Merlin did not quite believe that. How many resources would be required of various Spell Casters and could a faction with such a brief heritage possess all this?

However, now that he had seen the robe that Donaugh was wearing, Merlin was astounded. He faintly suspected that he had underestimated Gray Wing Alliance.

Wizard Bella immediately came to Wizard Vadrak's side and supported him, slowly retreating. Although they seemed to hate Wizard Donaugh to the extreme, they were in danger in these current circumstances.

"Donaugh, do you still remember how Wizard Yalen treated us? He guided us to construct Spell Models, and explain to us how to prepare potions. He was basically our teacher, yet you shamelessly ambushed him. For someone like you, not even ten thousand deaths will pay off your sin!"

Wizard Bella's chest was heaving ceaselessly, and her ashen face revealed that her fury had reached its peak.

It was not surprising that when Wizard Bella and Vadrak saw Donaugh, they would become so furious. They had hunted Donaugh all the way to the Kurdmansla Islands with everything they had.

It was just that Donaugh's talent seemed superior to theirs, and he had given an essential alchemy material to Gray Wing Alliance, winning their attention and was bestowed a robe with powerful defensive capabilities. Vadrak and Bella were no longer a match for Donaugh.

Now that he understood the truth, Merlin stared at Donaugh, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Donaugh currently wore a stormy expression, glaring at Wizard Vadrak and Bella. He was filled with a raging murderous intent.

"Die!"

Donaugh extended both arms once more, and the scorching flames surged out. The blaze transformed into two rays which flew toward Wizard Bella and Vadrak respectively.

Vadrak drew in a deep breath, and yelled toward the heavens, "Donaugh, we're just about to become members of Fort Udon. You dare to kill us?"

"Fort Udon? You've joined Fort Udon?"

Hearing Vadrak mention Fort Udon, the surrounding Spell Casters were visibly excited. On the Kurdmansla Islands, Fort Udon was definitely considered the most powerful faction.

Based on the reactions of these people, one could tell that Fort Udon had such colossal influence!

Donaugh's face shifted with uncertainty. However, when he saw that Wizard Vadrak and Wizard Bella were not wearing the robes of Fort Udon, he laughed coldly. "Heh heh, you're still not members of Fort Udon currently. So, what if I kill you?"

Donaugh paid no mind to Vadrak's words and continued channeling the Flaming Ray that was reaching out towards Wizard Bella and Wizard Vadrak. In their current situation, they would be hard pressed to defend against such a powerful Second-level spell.

"Wizard Yalen, Bella and I are useless. We have no way to avenge you now!"

Vadrak and Bella exchanged a glance. Their faces were rather pale, and their eyes were filled with a defenseless and dissatisfied look.

Chapter 271: Fort Udon's Dominance I

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Crack."

Wizard Vadrak and Wizard Bella had already closed their eyes in acceptance of their demise, yet the scorching flames did not reach them. Conversely, they felt a chill and they could not help but shiver.

Thus, Wizard Vadrak and Wizard Bella opened their eyes to find that an icy gust of air had appeared before them, immediately freezing Donaugh's Flaming Ray. They were saved!

"Heh heh, Gray Wing Alliance is getting bolder and bolder these days. You dare act against members of my Fort Udon?"

At this point, a Spell Caster with an aged appearance slowly walked out from the crowd. He eyed Wizard Bella and Wizard Vadrak as he spoke in a raspy voice.

"Hmm, it's a Spell Caster from Fort Udon?"

Looking at this aged Wizard, the opposing Spell Casters from Gray Wing Alliance felt that the situation had become somewhat troublesome.

On the Kurdmansla Islands, Gray Wing Alliance possessed tremendous power. However, if there was anything Gray Wing Alliance was afraid of, it would be Fort Udon.

It was tricky to handle people from Fort Udon because fighting against one of them would result in the other Spell Casters of Fort Udon to be unsparing and unrelenting in their combined retaliation.

This was Fort Udon's best characteristic. They were extremely united internally, and Gray Wing Alliance would not want to provoke them.

"They've yet to become Spell Casters of Fort Udon!"

With a gloomy face, Donaugh was unable to stop himself from protesting in a low voice.

The aged Wizard remained calm, and coldly said, "Since they've already decided to join Fort Udon, they are Wizards of Fort Udon! What? Those from Gray Wing Alliance now dare to openly attack us Wizards from Fort Udon on this island?"

As soon as he spoke, a few Spell Casters rushed out from behind. They were wearing black robes just like the aged Wizard, only theirs were marked with a symbol indicating their rank. They were Expert black-robed Spell Casters, on the level of Third-level Spell Casters!

"Bordeaux, all of you at Fort Udon mustn't be unreasonable too. These two aren't in Fort Udon. If you still want to stick your nose in, hmph, then don't blame me if I don't hold back!"

From behind Donaugh, out walked a tall Spell Caster with a scraggly beard who had a dangerous air around him.

"Vlaar?"

The expression of the aged Wizard, whose name was Bordeaux, shifted slightly upon seeing the Spell Caster with the scraggly beard. He knew that this Spell Caster who looked extremely dangerous was called Vlaar, a formidable Wizard. Vlaar was a Fourth-level Spell Caster in Gray Wing Alliance.

Wizard Bordeaux knew that Vlaar was a Fourth-level Spell Caster, and that even if they all joined forces, they might be no match for him. Nonetheless, Wizard Bordeaux still gnashed his teeth and laughed coldly. "Wizard Vlaar, it's not like you don't know how Fort Udon is like. If we simply watched without doing anything, then in the future, what else would there be left for Fort Udon? We've never abandoned a fellow comrade!"

Wizard Bordeaux's inspiring words made Merlin's heart trembled slightly. Although he had previously heard that the Wizards of Fort Udon were extremely united, he had never seen how this unity looked like in real life.

Currently, Bordeaux and the other Spell Casters were demonstrating something authentic. Even if they were aware that they would not win, they still did not abandon their comrades. In the world of Spell Casters, "comrades" are hard to come by. For instance, in the case of Donaugh and Wizard Yalen, the latter had given Donaugh so much assistance, teaching him in his cultivation.

However, Donaugh killed Wizard Yalen in the end. In the world of Spell Casters, this was the common realistic and cruel occurrence. Conversely, it was the absolute unity of Fort Udon, the somewhat unquestioning defense of comrades that was rarely seen.

"Bordeaux, I wonder how you'll save them today? Bind!"

Wizard Vlaar barked out a cold laugh, his eyes tinged with fury. Thereafter, he cast a Wind-type Binding spell, restricting the movements of Bordeaux and the other Spell Casters in a flash.

Although Wizard Vlaar was rather enraged, he was not brazen enough to kill Bordeaux and the other Wizards from Fort Udon. However, Bella and Vadrak were different as they were not officially Spell Casters of Fort Udon. Therefore, Wizard Vlaar fixed his gaze on them, his eyes filled with cold murderous intent.

"Donaugh, go on!"

Seeing that Wizard Vlaar had made his move and bound Bordeaux and the other Spell Casters, Donaugh gradually began to relax. When he looked toward Bella and Vadrak once more, his face broke out into a cruel smile.

"Vadrak and Bella, give it up, and die!"

Donaugh attacked once again, and he cast Flaming Ray a few consecutive times. The scorching flames filled the air and thundered toward the two Wizards. Donaugh had learned from his last attack and left no chance for Bella and Vadrak to survive, going straight in for the kill.

Vadrak and Bella exchanged a glowering glance at Donaugh but it was of no use. They saw that even the Wizards of Fort Udon were restricted, and were unable to help them at all.

"It looks like there's really no hope this time around. Bella, it's all my fault, being unable to avenge Wizard Yalen, and unable to protect you…"

Vadrak shook his head and looked toward Bella with a profound expression, resolutely facing the furious flames which covered the entire sky…

…

"Earth Veil!"

Following the command of an icy voice, the wide-ranging flames crashed into Bella and Vadrak. However, their bodies had been covered in a veil of dirt-yellow light.

Under the protection of this veil of light, no matter how furious the flames raged on, they were unable to hurt Bella and Vadrak.

"Who did this?"

Seeing that he had not killed Bella and Vadrak, Donaugh's face darkened even further as he scanned the crowd.

It was not only Donaugh but even Vadrak and Bella were full of astonishment. They exchanged a glance, each feeling a trace of elation that they were not yet dead.

"Who is it that saved us?"

Bella and Vadrak were searching for this person as well. They had closed their eyes earlier as they awaited their deaths, so they did not see who it was who had cast the spell and saved them.

"You're such a failure as a human being that you're starting to disgust even me…"

A figure in black strolled out from the crowd leisurely.

"Wizard Merlin? It was him who saved us!"

"So, Wizard Merlin is actually a Second-level Spell Caster. Earth Veil isn't easy to construct. Wizard Yalen had mentioned before that Earth Veil is very complicated, and whoever who could construct it must be a confident and powerful Spell Caster!"

After seeing that it was Merlin, Bella and Vadrak were taken aback. Before this, they had thought that Merlin was just like them, merely a First-level Spell Caster.

However, it seemed now that Merlin was not as simple as they thought. He must surely possess significant capabilities to be able to construct such a complex Second-level spell like Earth Veil.

"Who are you?"

Donaugh stared at Merlin rather apprehensively as he questioned.

Merlin only shook his head lightly in response. Initially, the matters between other Spell Casters were of no concern to him. What happened to Bella and Vadrak was unable to move him.

Nonetheless, what Donaugh had done evoked a sense of loathing even in Merlin. Wizard Yalen could be considered Donaugh's "tutor", yet Donaugh ambushed and killed him.

An act like this caused Merlin to feel repulsed, and a desire to kill was born in him.

"Dark Light Realm!"

Merlin did not bother babbling with Donaugh and cast the First-level Darkness-type spell. Instantly, rays of light began to distort, and Donaugh's surroundings turned into pitch-black darkness. He was thoroughly lost in the illusion of Dark Light Realm.

"Frigid Ice, freeze!"

Merlin did not plan on killing Donaugh. On the Kurdmansla Islands, Gray Wing Alliance was a colossal force, so teaching Donaugh a lesson and killing him were two entirely different matters.

Therefore, Merlin did not wish to cause further trouble and immediately used Frigid Ice to freeze one of Donaugh's arms. The ice poison of Frigid Ice quickly penetrated the flesh, and Donaugh's one arm was crippled from then on.

"My arm, you… You crippled my arm?"

Merlin dispelled Dark Light Realm, following which Donaugh recovered his senses. Immediately, he discovered that one of his arms had no feeling left in it.

One arm, to a Spell Caster, did not make much of a difference. After all, a Spell Caster used spells by relying on the simulation of Spell Models in their Awareness through Mind Power. Even without both arms, the casting of spells would not be much affected.

As such, losing an arm would be more akin to utter humiliation. From that point onward, preparing potions and researching alchemy would be rather inconvenient.

Although Donaugh was enraged, he did not act rashly. He still had not lost his wits. Merlin had cast Dark Light Realm earlier, and he knew that he was no match for Merlin at all.

Dark Light Realm was a very complicated spell among the Darkness-type spells and had the power to challenge those beyond its level. Having cast Dark Light Realm, Merlin could have easily killed Donaugh, but he did not, indicating that he had qualms about the fact that Donaugh was a Spell Caster from Gray Wing Alliance.

Therefore, Donaugh could only clench his teeth as he glared at Merlin, but did not dare attack him.

Besides Donaugh, the Fourth-level Spell Caster, Wizard Vlaar, also narrowed his eyes, sizing up Merlin.

"You're not a Spell Caster from Fort Udon. Who are you really?"

Wizard Vlaar's face was cloudy as he asked coldly.

Merlin shot a glance at Bella and Vadrak, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He said serenely, "I'm like them – someone who's about to become a member of Fort Udon!"

"Which is to say, you're not yet a member of Fort Udon?"

Wizard Vlaar turned the topic around, and a cold light shone in his eyes. He said icily, "A roaming Wizard who's a nobody dared to attack a Wizard of my Gray Wing Alliance. Hmph, I can't kill Bordeaux, but why can't I kill you?"

With that, violent Fire Elemental fluctuations abruptly surged around Wizard Vlaar's body.

"Oh no, Wizard Merlin, escape quickly! Vlaar, you dare? They're all about to become Wizards of my Fort Udon. If you dare to kill them, even if you hide in Gray Wing Alliance, Fort Udon will surely make you pay a heavy price!"

Wizard Bordeaux was still bound. Now that he saw Vlaar was about to attack Merlin, he immediately roared out.

"Hmph, how overbearing is your Fort Udon to battle with my Gray Wing Alliance over a few mere Spell Casters who aren't even members of Fort Udon? Haha, Bordeaux, I'll kill them. What can you all do?"

Wizard Vlaar roared in laughter, and his body was instantly shrouded by raging flames. Following that, flames rained down from the sky like a violent storm, whistling as they swept toward Merlin!

Chapter 272: Fort Udon's Dominance II

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The raging flames filled the entire sky like a sea of fire. This was the Fourth-level spell that Vlaar had cast.

Merlin drew in a deep breath. At this point, his robe had no way of withstanding this, and even the Second-level Defensive spell Earth Veil that he had just constructed would be unable to block a Fourth-level spell without any enhancements.

Therefore, Merlin could only actively attack.

"Pandora Demon Ability, Glacial Finger!"

Merlin extended one pale finger and stabbed it toward Wizard Vlaar. In an instant, an icy gust of air flew out and formed ice crystals everywhere it passed.

"Crack! Crack!"

Countless ice crystals were formed, with some even enclosing the flames in mid-air, which then fell to the ground and shattered into smithereens. This ability was even able to freeze and seal a Fourth-level spell in ice. It must not be a spell, not one that Merlin, a Wizard who was not even a mere Second-level Spell Caster, would be able to cast.

"Pandora Demon Ability… This is Pandora Demon Ability. You actually have Pandora Demon Ability?"

Astonishment washed over Wizard Vlaar's face. A Pandora Demon Ability possessed a strange and unfathomable power, and Wizard levels were completely irrelevant if one had Pandora Demon Ability.

In Gray Wing Alliance, Wizard Vlaar had personally witnessed a Second-level Spell Caster who had cultivated Pandora Demon Ability easily defeat a Spell Caster at the peak of the Third-level, as well as contended against a Fourth-level Spell Caster.

Thus, Wizard Vlaar knew very well the power of Pandora Demon Ability. Seeing that Merlin had utilized his Pandora Demon Ability, he was immediately on his guard.

Just as Wizard Vlaar was about to cast a Defensive spell, turbulent Darkness Elemental fluctuations abruptly surged around Merlin.

"Darkness Tide!"

Merlin softly commanded. In an instant, the surrounding light darkened, and an endless flood of Darkness Element rushed forth just like a tide, which completely surrounded Wizard Vlaar and the rest.

Darkness Tide, after the enhancement of Darkness Heart, was able to easily trap a Spell Caster like Vlaar, whose Mind Power only just reached the Fourth-level, in the illusion.

Wizard Vlaar was not even able to put up the slightest bit of resistance. His entire body went limp as he was completely caught in the illusion.

"Crack."

The chill of Glacial Finger rapidly froze Wizard Vlaar's arm. Merlin repeated his previous procedure in punishing Donaugh earlier, and straightaway crippled one of Wizard Vlaar's arms.

This was because Merlin was rather apprehensive about Gray Wing Alliance, so he did not dare to kill anyone so rashly.

"Whoosh…"

Merlin dispelled Darkness Tide, and Wizard Vlaar recovered his senses. His face was deathly pale, and he had lost all sense of feeling in his right arm. Just like Donaugh, one of his arms was crippled by Merlin.

Vlaar bit his lip furiously, and his face turned dark as he coldly glared at Merlin like a venomous snake. This glare made Merlin very uncomfortable. If he was somewhere else, he would have killed Vlaar long ago. However, they were on the Kurdmansla Islands, so Merlin still had many other considerations.

"Vlaar, what's wrong? Is it an attack by someone from Fort Udon?"

A boorish voice rang out, and a few Spell Casters came from behind in loud heavy steps. It was a Spell Caster whose face bore the mark of three shallow scars, making him look rather sinister.

This scar-faced Spell Caster, upon seeing Vlaar's drooping arm, swept his gaze across Merlin, Bordeaux, and the rest, one by one.

"Heh heh, Captain, if you've come any later, I might be dead!"

Vlaar licked his lips. After seeing this scar-faced Spell Caster, a trace of glee had dawned upon his face.

"It was them who did it?"

The scar-faced Spell Caster questioned coldly in a low voice.

"Captain, it's not like you don't know how the people of Fort Udon are like. The damage caused to Donaugh and I were all thanks to some guy named Merlin."

Vlaar glared at Merlin with vicious hate as he narrated everything that had happened to the scar-faced Spell Caster.

"Very well, you're the one who harmed Vlaar? Regardless of whether or not you're from Fort Udon, you have to pay the price of harming Vlaar. Since you've crippled one of his arms, I'll cripple both your arms!"

An overbearing force suddenly emanated from the scar-faced Spell Caster. It was a force belonging to a Fifth-level Spell Caster. The scar-faced Spell Caster was actually a Fifth-level Spell Caster.

"Ugly bastard, you're acting big in front of us Wizards from Fort Udon? Heh heh, come on then, let this old man see how much you've grown in these past few years."

A sharp voice rang out from the crowd. Soon, a wizened Wizard, wearing a gray robe and a torn hat over his head, slowly walked out. Behind him were a few other gray-robed Wizards.

Merlin squinted slightly. He recognized the robes they were wearing. These were the robes worn by Spell Casters from Fort Udon. As they were gray ones, it meant that these were Spell Casters who were above the Fourth-level.

In particular, the wizened old man who spoke seemed very shriveled and scrawny as if wind might carry him off, but the force emanating from his body was more terrifying than the force of the scar-faced man.

Upon seeing the wizened old man, the scar-faced man's face changed slightly and appeared extremely unpleasant. He asked in a low voice, "Waller, is your Fort Udon really going to cover up for these people?"

"Cover up? Hehe, they're all about to become members of our Fort Udon. You know as well that every member of Fort Udon is our comrade. If you say that we're covering up for our comrades, then so be it. What, you have something to say?"

Wizard Waller spoke carelessly as if he was not concerned in the slightest.

The face of the scar-faced man sank even further. This was Fort Udon, who did not fear anything in the slightest. It did not matter if they were facing Gray Wing Alliance or Wizard's Tower. Even if it was over a mere First-level Spell Caster, for as long as it was a member of Fort Udon, the faction would hold nothing back.

This was Fort Udon. They were unlike Spell Casters and were more like a bunch of idealistic lunatics who got together. One idealist might have no way of surviving in the world of Spell Casters, but if a group of powerful idealists assembled, then their power would be immense, causing a headache for any other faction.

"Let's go!"

The scar-faced man knew that with Waller's arrival, they would not be able to take advantage of the situation today. The people of Fort Udon were a bunch of lunatics. If those form Gray Wing Alliance really attacked, they would immediately suffer the attacks of stronger Spell Casters from Fort Udon.

Perhaps Gray Wing Alliance would retaliate for their sake, but by that time they might be long dead.

The scar-faced man led the others from Gray Wing Alliance away with their tails between their legs. Only then did Merlin truly witness Fort Udon's strength and dominance. It was not surprising that Fort Udon was named the number one strongest faction of the Kurdmansla Islands for they were indeed more powerful than Gray Wing Alliance.

It was not their strength which was greater than Gray Wing Alliance's, but it was due to their characteristic of being unafraid to stir up trouble, and to say nothing of starting a war with another powerful faction in order to save a Wizard of Fort Udon. As long as it was to rescue a Wizard from Fort Udon, no matter how massive a ruckus was created, Fort Udon would support it with all their might.

Therefore, it might be that Fort Udon seemed unreasonable and tyrannical to outsiders, but members of Fort Udon felt an incomparable sense of affection and security.

The wizened old man, Waller, walked toward Merlin, Bella, and Vadrak. After taking in the measure of Merlin and the rest, he smiled and said, "All of you are about to join Fort Udon? In truth, you need not fear. With Fort Udon behind you, you don't have to fear anyone on the Kurdmansla Islands! Although that ugly bastard earlier appeared fierce and vicious, he did not dare to really kill all of you. Hehe, he had previously suffered at the hands of Fort Udon."

Merlin bobbed his head, and Bella and Vadrak wore expressions of gratitude.

"Alright, you all can follow me back to Fort Udon."

Wizard Waller waved his hand lightly, and the crowd of Spell Casters from Fort Udon gradually made their way back to Fort Udon.

In a short moment, the group had hurried back to Fort Udon. Wizard Waller smiled at Merlin. "Wizard Merlin, you're only a First-level Spell Caster – it's really too unbelievable! That Vlaar is a shabby one but he's still a Fourth-level Spell Caster. You might try your hand at defeating that Fourth-level Alchemy Creature, for there's hope you might become a gray-robed Wizard."

Wizard Waller did not know of Merlin's situation. He was unaware that Merlin had already defeated the Fourth-level Alchemy Creature, and was now waiting for the Fifth-level Spell Caster in Fort Udon to finish preparing his potion in order to accept Merlin's challenge.

Merlin only smiled in response to Wizard Waller. Following that, Wizard Waller sent Merlin and the rest to their residence, before saying in a meaningful tone, "On the Kurdmansla Islands, it's tough if you don't join any factions. It's the same even for those powerful roaming Wizards. It's best if you receive your evaluation early and join Fort Udon. Then, you'll be official members of Fort Udon, and on the Kurdmansla Islands, no one would dare attack a member of Fort Udon!"

Wizard Waller's tone revealed his absolute confidence and assurance. Besides, Merlin, Vadrak, and the rest had witnessed Fort Udon's dominance with their own eyes today.

"Alright, you can all rest here. I'll take my leave first."

Wizard Waller spoke warmly, and having sent Merlin and the rest back to their residence, he turned to leave.

"Swish."

Just then, a gray-robed Wizard ran into him from outside the residence.

"Huh? Wizard Waller, you're here too? Why aren't you on patrol? What are you doing here?"

This gray-robed Wizard evidently knew Wizard Waller, and without even waiting for Wizard Waller to answer his previous question, he spotted Merlin and hurried toward him. A smile broke out across his face. "Wizard Merlin, follow me quick. Wizard Sakvara has completed his potion preparation and is now waiting for you to complete your evaluation!"

Merlin nodded. He calculated the days and realized that he had waited for two days. Wizard Sakvara had indeed completed making his potion and accepted his challenge.

Others might not know of Wizard Sakvara, but Wizard Waller knew him very well. Hearing that Merlin was about to accept Wizard Sakvara's evaluation, he immediately guessed the reason. His eyes almost popped out of his head as he said in disbelief, "What did you say? Wizard Merlin is going to challenge Wizard Sakvara?"

"Wizard Waller, if you're interested, you can tag along and watch. Hehe, if Wizard Merlin succeeds, what a shock it'll be to the entire Fort Udon!"

The gray-robed Wizard's face was shining with an ecstatic glow.