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Chapter 329: Blackmoon Tower

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The Ninth Wizard Oden left, leaving behind only traces of scorched battle marks on the ground.

Merlin's expression was pensive as he stared in the direction that Wizard Oden and his men had disappeared towards. Truth to be told, he was actually at a disadvantage in the last battle. If they had continued to battle, he probably may not have gained an upper hand at all.

"Looks like my abilities are still not enough. Even at my best, I can barely compete with a Sixth-level Spell Caster!"

Merlin had initially thought that once he constructed his Darkness Vortex Darkness-type spell, then most of the Sixth-level Spell Casters would no longer be worthy opponents. It now seemed like this was not completely true. The Darkness Vortex was indeed strong, especially in cases where Merlin was strengthened by the Darkness Heart. It could engulf the Spell Caster's spirit, causing them to fall into an illusion.

Nevertheless, the Darkness Vortex was still a type of hallucinating dark spell, and many Spell Casters once they reached the Sixth-level would have attained an immense level of Mind Power. Thus it was difficult to entrap them in an illusion.

Moreover, even if one were so lucky to break through the seven levels of Mind Power, the casted illusion would have been severely weakened. This was the reason that Merlin's Darkness Vortex only managed to trap Wizard Oden in the illusion for a very short time.

In addition, Merlin's Fiery Collapse completely failed to defeat the Sixth-level spells. He was unable to overcome even the general Sixth-level defensive spells, not to mention inflict damage on Wizard Oden, who had mastered Defensive-type spells.

This time, it was lucky that Wizard Oden was being cautious of Merlin and dared not face him properly. Merlin could not guarantee that he would be as lucky as this every single time.

The Snake Elder resumed his human form, but his face was extremely pale. It appeared that he must have used up a lot of elemental power and sustained heavy damage. After all, in the beginning, he was fending off Wizard Oden's attacks alone.

"Wizard Merlin, thank you very much for your help this time. Otherwise, we fear it would have been for the worse.

The Snake Elder shot a complicated look at Merlin. Originally, he thought that he had understood Merlin sufficiently and knew his powers well enough. However, it seemed that he was still far from fully comprehending the force that was Merlin. He was amazed that Merlin was able to not only resist but also scare away Wizard Oden. Needless to say, that was not a feat easily achievable by an average Wizard.

Even though Oden had left, Merlin still dared not lower his guard. He said with a low voice, "They may have departed temporarily, but no one knows if they would change their mind. We better hurry and be on our way."

The Snake Elder and the others nodded in agreement. If the fourth prince had sent Oden to them, then the conflict between the princes must have escalated beyond boiling point. In fact, the situation might be even worse in the Imperial City.

This trip the Imperial City, what would happen next; no one knew.

Over the next few days, Merlin and the Snake People focused all their energy on their journey. Since they no longer had to put up with the two ugly Wizards, the Snake Elder and his people could put their Flying spells to work.

Merlin, too, had a Flying casting tool that allowed him to keep up with them, but it consumed large amounts of elemental crystal stones.

Along the way, Merlin gained a better understanding of the alpine Beast People. The speed and strength of the wolf girl Jelena, in particular, left a very strong impression on him.

If Jelena's Mind Power had been a little stronger, Merlin may not have been able to conquer her. On the contrary, she may have been able to harm him. Once the alpine Beast People transformed into their true forms, they each possessed unique strengths.

However, the number of alpine Beast People was simply too small. The Snake People, for instance, only had approximately three thousand people, barely enough to maintain a small tribe. They were very rare indeed.

Even the alpine Beast People, all together, only had a few tens of thousands in population. Despite being so strong and capable, they faced problems raising offspring like normal people. Every alpine Beast couple who wanted to procreate would have to experience various difficulties, sometimes even life-threatening ones, in order to produce offspring.

This was also the greatest weakness of the alpine Beast People. The ancient Spell Casters might have used the most advanced spell casting methods to create the alpine Beast People, but ultimately they were a failed product; a race with irreparable defects.

Once upon a time, the alpine Beast People had a population of a few million. However, following the difficulties in reproduction, there were only tens of thousands of their people left today. They also tended to live in extremely remote places and within relatively bad environments.

Many alpine Beast People could not help but escape the perilous mountains, but as they look different from normal people, they easily stirred up panic among the masses and as a result, faced dangerous situations.

Therefore, the alpine Beast People retreated back into their respective tribes and began to approach specific forces. The Snake Elder chose to support the eighth prince, in hopes that if the eighth prince became the king of Blackmoon, then the Snake People tribe would gain a big enough piece of land for themselves to live out a quiet life.

The wolf girl Jelena was from the alpine Wolf People tribe. Most probably, she had the same thought as the Snake Elder as well – to support one of the princes so that if he became the king, they would be able to obtain a piece of land and live a quiet life.

The only misfortune was that the different camps that they chose ended up pitting the Snake Elder and the Wolf Girl Jelena against each other; even though both of them had originated from the same alpine Beast People group.

"This world is getting more and more interesting…" Merlin murmured under his breath. From a Spell Casters' world, he already thought it was beyond comprehension when the mysterious relief sculpture appeared, but now there were also the strange alpine Beast People as well.

The alpine Beast People were truly most powerful in their true forms, whereas their spells, runes, etc were just supplementary abilities. However, when they revealed their true forms and fused with it, they were truly terrifying. It was no lesser than a Spell Caster with Pandora Demon Ability.

This world was getting more and more interesting, and still held many hidden secrets, but Merlin knew that power was of utmost importance. Only with great power, he would be able to stay safe.

This trip to the Imperial City, he would have to find a way to enter the palace's Spell Library, no matter what it took. After all, it was for this sole purpose that Merlin had agreed to go to the Imperial City.

…

Against the bright clear sky, dark shadows began to cast outside the majestic ramparts of the city. Behind those tall white walls was an even taller, twisted tower. Its peak stretched all the way up to the clouds, emitting a faint glow of light.

Any person who saw this tower would feel amazed in the depth of their hearts.

At this juncture, Merlin was staring intently at the unique tower. Although he had been looking at it for a whole hour, his heart still did not manage to calm down.

A Wizard's tower. Merlin had seen such a sight many times in the Dark Magic Region. Even towers constructed by Seventh-level Spell Casters were considered ordinary sights in Merlin's eyes. Bearing in mind that the Dark Magic Region was a Spell Caster organization which excelled in the knowledge of runes, the towers contained therein were all pinnacles of runic knowledge.

This tower, however, was a whole other level.

No matter how many towers that existed in the Dark Magic Region, they were far from comparable to this tower that stood before his eyes. From the very moment Merlin first laid his eyes on this tower, he was shaken to the core.

"Hehe! Wizard Merlin, people who see the Blackmoon Tower always react the same way. When I first followed His Royal Highness the eighth prince to the Imperial City and saw the Blackmoon Tower, I was also astonished. It was hard to imagine, that someone in this realm managed to build such a magnificent and indescribable tower. In fact, this is not even the most magical time to view the tower. You should wait until this evening which would be the night of the full moon. The Blackmoon Tower would be even more glorious and magnificent."

The Snake Elder, too, squinted at the towering structure standing proudly among the clouds. This was the iconic building of the Blackmoon Kingdom – the Blackmoon Tower.

To be able to see the Blackmoon Tower, meant to the Snake Elder and his people, that their long, day-and-night journey had finally brought them to the Imperial City.

After a long time, Merlin slowly withdrew his gaze. He sensed that the Blackmoon Tower was not only filled with mysterious power but enveloped the entire kingdom with it. It was almost like it was the heart and core of the kingdom.

The Blackmoon Tower also gave Merlin an unusual sense of tension. Within the sea of Merlin's awareness, the Flame Maxim had always behaved calmly. Now, near the Blackmoon Tower, he could vaguely feel a sense of suppression.

The Flame Maxim was the power that belonged to Legend Nikola, the legendary Wizard. In a way, the Flame Maxim represented the depth of understanding the Legend Nikola had towards flames.

Alas, even though the Flame Maxim might be the same, there were certainly differences in the level of mastery between different legendary Wizards. For legends with titles – such as the Legend of Darkness Wizard Oflas – to be crowned with the title 'Legend of Darkness' represented that he had achieved an unparalleled understanding of darkness and complete mastery over the Darkness Element.

Legendary Wizards who obtained their titles in this manner were truly forces to be reckoned with. They could banish a powerful god or conquer a plane of existence.

At this very moment, Merlin's Flame Maxim was being suppressed by the Blackmoon Tower. This indirectly spoke volumes about the extraordinary effect of the Blackmoon Tower.

Even since Merlin received the Flame Maxim, this was the first time it was suppressed!

Due to that, Merlin felt a slight quiver in his heart and was very curious about the Blackmoon Tower. He asked the Snake Elder, "Snake Elder, which Spell Caster built this Blackmoon Tower? From the looks of it, it is out of the ordinary!"

The Snake Elder shot a faint glance at Merlin and drew a deep breath. "The question of who built the Blackmoon Tower, I'm afraid even the oldest Spell Caster does not know," he calmly replied. "However, this Blackmoon Tower was not built by the Kingdom of Blackmoon. It was a remnant from the Molta Empire.

"The Blackmoon Tower has mysterious powers. A few Great Wizards of the Kingdom went inside to study the tower and discovered that the power of the Blackmoon Tower can be invoked to protect the entire Imperial City, making it impervious to any form of attack. However, this is related to the mysterious power, which is not something that we can comprehend…

"Nevertheless, it is because of the Blackmoon Tower that the Imperial City is completely safe. No matter how many Great Wizards congregate in this place, they are unable to pose any threat to the Imperial City. According to rumors, the Blackmoon Tower contains a stronger power of attack that even the Great Wizards could not withstand. That is the price to pay for invoking the power of the Blackmoon Tower. Perhaps it is too unfathomable…"

Merlin gained a general understanding of the Blackmoon Tower's abilities. Since it was inherited from the Molta Empire, it was likely that it was left behind by a powerful Legendary Wizard.

To be able to cover the entire Imperial City and make it impervious, obviously involved powers of nature. Powers which only Legendary Wizards could control. Blackmoon Tower was definitely linked to a powerful Wizard from the Molta Empire.

Thinking of the Blackmoon Tower's suppression of the Flame Maxim, Merlin suddenly felt an impulse to enter and study the tower. However, the Blackmoon Tower was the most secretive core of the royal family, especially the eighth prince. There was absolutely no chance of entering it. Merlin could only dream.

"Wizard Merlin, the situation in the Imperial City is very complicated. Let's seek an audience with the His Royal Highness the eighth prince."

Chapter 330: The Eighth Prince

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The Imperial City of the Kingdom of Blackmoon was naturally busier than most cities. Regardless of whether it was when Merlin was in Blackwater City or Floating City or the Kurdmansla Islands, those places were less busy than the Imperial City which was right before his eyes.

In particular, the Imperial City was a city where Normies and Spell Casters lived together, which resulted in a different scene. On the street, Spell Casters dressed in apparels of various colors and went about their businesses, and the Normies seemed unperturbed by the sight. There were also Spell Casters whose appearances were as strange and deformed as the alpine Beast People, but they attracted no curiosity as well. Evidently, most people were used to them.

Nevertheless, Merlin only glanced around carelessly at the Imperial City. At the moment, he was preoccupied with observing the Flame Maxim in his Awareness.

Outside the Imperial City, Merlin had felt the Blackmoon Tower suppressing the Flame Maxim. It might be that the Blackmoon Tower had a mystical power which was able to suppress the Flame Maxim.

Therefore, Merlin was afraid that some change might occur, so he was paying close attention to the Flame Maxim.

Fortunately, although the suppression of the Flame Maxim increased after he had entered the Imperial City, the Maxim did not undergo any changes, remaining silent in his Awareness.

The gigantic Blackmoon Tower could be clearly seen from anywhere in the Imperial City. Merlin kept looking toward the Blackmoon Tower from time to time, as he could feel traces of the suppressing force that it emitted.

Snake Elder had said before that there was more than one Great Wizard keeping watch in the Blackmoon Tower. After all, it functioned as a foundation for the royal family of the Kingdom of Blackmoon. With more than one Great Wizard overseeing the activities in the city, they would be able to defend against any attack on the Imperial City.

In addition, with the presence of the imposing Blackmoon Tower, no spell casters' organization or Spell Caster would dare to attack the Imperial City. Even the arrogant and contemptuous Ozmu had never made a move in the Imperial City.

Snake Elder and the rest went along the streets, and after a silent journey, arrived at a grand and magnificent manor which was strictly guarded. Elite guards were vigilantly keeping watch outside the manor, and now and then, Spell Casters would probe around with their Mind Power from inside.

As Merlin and the rest headed straight toward the manor, multiple streams of powerful Mind Power brazenly swept across Merlin. Most of the Mind Power could be comparable to a Sixth-level Spell Caster's.

"Security here is really tight!"

Merlin frowned as if he was unhappy about the Mind Power inspection he was subjected to within the manor.

It was true that any Spell Caster, examining with their Mind Power so openly, would offend other Spell Casters. Sometimes misunderstandings might even arise because of this.

Snake Elder said hurriedly, "Wizard Merlin, please be patient for now. The manor of His Royal Highness the eighth prince was not like this in the past. It appears that His Royal Highness the eighth prince is in a rather delicate situation these days, which is why security is so strict."

Of course, Merlin knew what Snake Elder meant, so he nodded. "I hope to meet with His Royal Highness the eighth prince as soon as possible."

"Very well, please wait for just a moment, Wizard Merlin. After we've met with His Royal Highness the eighth prince, then we shall invite you to meet with His Royal Highness!"

With that, Snake Elder, Wizard Hasbro, and Wizard Sacra hurriedly walked into the manor's living room, leaving Merlin in a secluded hall.

There were finely detailed statues within the hall. These carvings were perfect imitations – anyone could tell that they were the works of a master. The human figures were so lifelike. Merlin could not help but think of the mysterious relief sculptures he had obtained. It had been such a long time, and all he had was four relief sculptures. Presently, he had excellent physical attributes, but because the time needed to cultivate the four relief sculptures was too long, the development of his physique had reached a plateau.

Merlin knew that there were more than four mysterious relief sculptures. However, Merlin had acquired each of the relief sculptures by luck, and it would be challenging to seek them out on purpose.

After a moment, Merlin felt that the streams of Mind Power that had been scrutinizing him seemed to have disappeared. They must have realized that Merlin posed no danger, and thus stopped their spying.

Now that no one was peeping at him, Merlin became relaxed. With nothing better to do, he shut his eyes and began to do something he rarely did – Mind Power Meditation.

…

In a splendid room, a well-proportioned, handsome figure stood ramrod straight. Long wavy curls flowed behind his head to his shoulders, and his fair face was filled with grace. However, his eyes held unfathomable depths as if they contained a strange power, and no one dared to look straight at him.

This man of mannered grace, dressed in fine clothing, was the eighth prince. Before him, stood Snake Elder, Hasbro, and Sacra, three Spell Casters with their heads bowed.

With a face full of shame, Snake Elder said, "Your Royal Highness, what happened was this. We were delayed for over a month, and on our way back, we were ambushed by Wizard Oden of the fourth prince. Thus, we've only managed to return now."

The eighth prince's expression remained unchanged as if nothing could arouse his excitement or his disappointment. There was always a subtle sense of steadfastness and confidence about him.

After a period of deep consideration, the eighth prince began to speak slowly, "Snake Elder, you said that Merlin has given me three generous gifts? A Second-level Spell Caster who could destroy three city-states in a row, and even Finello, who was a master of runes, is dead?"

Snake Elder nodded with a solemn expression. "That's right. We've underestimated Merlin's abilities by far. In fact, his powers are terrifying, and could be compared to a Sixth-level Spell Caster! On our way back this time, we encountered the ninth Wizard and even my two disappointing subordinates have died. If it wasn't for Wizard Merlin who made his move at a crucial point causing Oden to leave somewhat fearfully, I'm afraid things would have been much worse."

Wizard Hasbro and Wizard Sacra nodded repeatedly. They had witnessed themselves how Oden became apprehensive and left after Merlin had attacked, allowing them to return to the Imperial City safely. They could not have done so without Merlin's efforts.

The eighth prince smiled as well. "That's good. I'm glad that you're able to return safely, and more importantly, you've brought Merlin as well. As for Merlin, I have my plans for him."

Snake Elder and the rest felt reassured. The eighth prince had always been respectful toward Spell Casters, even if it was the alpine Snake People tribe. There were many who looked down upon the alpine Snake People deep in their hearts, but Snake Elder could see that that the eighth prince genuinely treated the Snake People as ordinary beings.

This was also a crucial reason why Snake Elder was so bent on following the eighth prince. It should be known that even Wolf Girl Jelena, who had pledged allegiance to the fourth prince, was only used to break through the front lines in attacks. Her position was only a little better than a slave's.

"Your Royal Highness, has the peace of the Imperial City been broken? The fourth prince was even brazen enough to send people to kill us…"

Before Snake Elder could finish, the eighth prince interrupted him with a wave of his hand. The prince's face gradually darkened, and his fair fingers tapped the table lightly. This was a long-time habit of his, which he would do only when he was feeling anxious and unsure about what to do.

After a long moment, a determined light glinted in the eighth prince's eyes as he said softly, "Go on, let's meet with Wizard Merlin first. As for Fourth Brother… Now is not the time yet!"

Snake Elder and the rest bobbed their heads, after which they followed behind the eighth prince as he left the room and went toward the hall.

…

"Viscount Merlin, His Royal Highness the eighth prince requests an audience with you!"

Merlin was meditating when a guard in silver armor came beside him and called out softly.

Although he was meditating, Merlin had not loosened his perception of the external world. Therefore, he opened his eyes quickly and glanced at the silver-armored guard, saying calmly, "Lead the way."

Following that, Merlin trailed behind the silver-armored guard and entered the great hall of the manor.

It was well-lit inside the hall, and one could see everything clearly inside. There were four individuals in total, three of which were Snake Elder, Wizard Hasbro, and Wizard Sacra, all of whom Merlin recognized.

In the center was a slim and handsome aristocrat whose expression was inscrutable. There was no doubt that this was the eighth prince.

Merlin immediately behaved under the standard etiquette of aristocracy and bowed toward the eighth prince. After all, besides being a Spell Caster of the Dark Magic Region, he was now also a viscount, an aristocrat in the Kingdom of Blackmoon!

"Your Honorable Royal Highness the eighth prince, I thank you for sending Snake Elder to Wilson Castle in the past, saving the Wilson clan from suffering a calamity!"

No matter what the eighth prince's intentions were, his act of sending Snake Elder truly did protect the Wilson clan, sparing them from the invasion of Spell Casters. Merlin was expressing his genuine gratitude.

A slight smile appeared on the eighth prince's face, and he said warmly, "Viscount Merlin, sending Snake Elder and the rest to Wilson castle was merely a small effort – your three generous gifts are much more precious!"

Merlin knew that the eighth prince was referring to Taran City, Guinomi City, and Fanya City. Merlin had slaughtered the Spell Casters of these three independent city-states throughout his journey, forcing them to pledge allegiance to the eighth prince.

With this, the three city-states could be united with Prakash City. This was significant to the eighth prince, so it was naturally a "lavish gift".

Merlin had been observing the eighth prince. He did not seem very old, but Merlin knew that the eighth prince was in fact over forty years old. Among Spell Casters, forty years was considered young. The eighth prince was a Spell Caster too, and a powerful one at that. Merlin had the vague feeling that the eighth prince was even stronger than ninth Wizard Oden who had tried to kill Snake Elder and the rest on their way here.

It made sense when he thought about it. The entire royal family of the Kingdom of Blackmoon was comparable to a large spell casters' organization. As a prince from the royal family, one who was competing for the throne, how could his Spell Caster talents be lacking and unremarkable?

Thus, even though he was only forty years old, the eighth prince was already a Sixth-level Spell Caster. This might seem inconceivable to other people, but to a prince from the royal family, this was something incomparably normal.

However, this indirectly revealed that the heritage of the Blackmoon royal family was something the Dark Magic Region could not compare to by far!

"Your Royal Highness had sent Snake Elder and the rest to Wilson Castle. Naturally, I would not forget my lord's kindness! However, surely my lord would not send those people to protect the Wilson clan without any reason?"

As soon as he spoke, Merlin narrowed his eyes and looked toward the eighth prince without wavering.

Chapter 331: Making Contact

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The eighth prince's fingers lightly tapped the surface of the table while a gracious smile remained on his lips.

After a long moment, the eighth prince slowly said, "That's right. Naturally, I sent Snake Elder not without a reason. I've been hearing about the famed Wizard Leo of the Dark Magic Region, but never had an opportunity to meet him. Wizard Merlin, you're his prized student, so I thought that through Wizard Merlin, I could invite Wizard Leo to be my guest here in the Imperial City!"

As expected, it was for the sake of enticing Wizard Leo!

Although Merlin had guessed as much, it felt strange to hear the eighth prince declaring it himself. Wizard Leo was powerful indeed – as a Sixth-level Spell Caster, he traversed a long distance to hunt down and kill Osseus, who was a Seventh-level Spell Caster of Ozmu.

This matter had created a stir among many spell casters' organizations, but to the eighth prince, what he needed was precisely a powerful Wizard who could conquer everything and defeat all rivals.

Of course, Great Wizards would not possibly come forward to pledge allegiance to the eighth prince. However, there should be a slight chance of getting a Ninth-level Spell Caster or even an Eighth-level Spell Caster. Why did the eighth prince consider Wizard Leo?

Nevertheless, Merlin kept these thoughts to himself and did not inquire further. After a moment of consideration, he said in a low voice, "Your Royal Highness the eighth prince, may I be bold to pose a question – I'm afraid my lord doesn't seem to be in too well of a situation. Will Wizard Leo choose to come here now?"

Merlin phrased it tactfully, but the eighth prince should understand what he meant. Before this, Merlin had been asking around in an indirect manner, in addition to his own conjecture, and he knew that the eighth prince was not in a favorable situation.

Otherwise, the fourth prince would not send ninth Wizard Oden to kill Snake Elder and the rest so blatantly. The struggle between the princes was completely ruthless. In the event that one failed, there would be no chance of recovery.

Now, the eighth prince wanted to summon Wizard Leo simply by extending an invitation. Merlin would not even help to pass on the message. Wizard Leo, with his apathetic disposition, would not leave the Dark Magic Region at all.

The eighth prince drew in a deep breath, his face still keeping its genial expression. He nodded slightly. "You're right, Wizard Merlin, you've guessed correctly. At the moment, my situation isn't a good one indeed. The fourth prince is tightening his grip, whereas the ninth prince and the thirteenth prince has left the Imperial City to avoid confronting the fourth prince directly. Only I am left to hold off the force of the fourth prince!

"Still, I was able to hold off the fourth prince for so long, and he still hasn't made his move until now – how did I do it? I have my forces too, mighty forces, to the point where even the fourth prince would be apprehensive. What I lack are powerful Spell Casters, Spell Casters who can help me withstand any threat!

"Lately, the fourth prince has begun to reveal small indications that he's going to attack. You encountered this along with Snake Elder and the rest. The fourth prince has persuaded two Eighth-level Spell Casters by promising them attractive benefits. Heh, at this rate, that Fourth Brother of mine won't be able to wait to make his move against me… Alas, this is my fate ever since I've chosen to fight for the throne!"

After a pause, the eighth prince stood up abruptly, and his face glowed fervently as he continued. "I have no way of finding Ninth-level Spell Casters, and the fourth prince could not enlist any Ninth-level Spell Casters either! As for Eighth-level Spell Casters, I couldn't find them too. You can count the number of Eighth-level Spell Casters in the Kingdom of Blackmoon on one hand, and the fourth prince has made his bid for them long ago. There are Eighth-level Wizards in spell casters' organizations, and you may mock me if you like, but I don't have much to offer that would be able to tempt them."

"Thus, I've searched for Spell Casters everywhere and have finally found someone suitable. That's Wizard Leo, the possessor of the true Darkness Eye, Wizard Leo! Others might not know what sets Darkness Eye apart, but I, being from the royal family, would know of even the most hidden secrets. I know very well how powerful the genuine Darkness Eye can be. It's just a shame that Darkness Eye is cursed…"

It turned out that the eighth prince knew the true Darkness Eye, and like Wizard Bammou, even knew that Darkness Eye was cursed. Perhaps it was natural that the eighth prince would select Wizard Leo after considering his cultivation of Darkness Eye and his valiant accomplishment in hunting down Osseus.

Merlin sucked in a deep breath, and said softly, "Your Royal Highness the eighth prince, I can help you get in touch with Wizard Leo, but I have no way of influencing his decision."

"That's to be expected. Since I'm about to ask for Wizard Leo's assistance, naturally I've already made fool-proof preparations. Others might not regard this item as something significant, but to Wizard Leo, it would be something of utmost importance!"

The eighth prince appeared very confident that whatever he offered would surely tempt Wizard Leo.

The Blackmoon royal family had a powerful heritage. The eighth prince might really have some treasure that would persuade Wizard Leo. Nonetheless, before Merlin contacted Wizard Leo, he had some requests.

"Your Royal Highness the eighth prince, I have two small requests. I wonder if my lord would be able to fulfill them?"

"Wizard Merlin, you've taken so much trouble coming all the way from Prakash City to the Imperial City, and you've saved Snake Elder and the rest. What are two small requests in comparison?"

The eighth prince spoke impassively.

Merlin nodded and spoke bluntly. This had always been a transaction. The eighth prince had his use for Merlin, so naturally, Merlin had his own requests. Thus, Merlin said in a low voice, "First, this is a list of potion materials. If Your Royal Highness the eighth prince could get these materials for me, please do so as much as possible."

With that, Merlin took out from his ring the list of Mokra Potion materials he had prepared beforehand and handed it to the eighth prince.

The eighth prince looked over the list carelessly before handing it to Snake Elder and commanded, "Snake Elder, get ready all the materials on this list. Bring all the materials, as long as they are on the list, from all the shops in the Imperial City. Also, the royal treasury as well – if it's on the list, then bring all of it here!"

The eighth prince gave an organized and thorough command, causing a jolt in Merlin's heart. The eighth prince had not specified the quantity but gathered the resources of the entire city instead.

With a place as prosperous as the Imperial City, if he really gathered everything, the potion materials that Merlin would receive in the end would be an inconceivably large amount.

Merlin did not understand the eighth prince very well. He only knew that Snake Elder, Wizard Sacra, and Wizard Hasbro had deep, genuine respect for the prince, following him willingly.

Leaving aside other factors, this manner of the eighth prince by itself was already something to which most people could never compare.

"There was a second request – please speak, Wizard Merlin."

The eighth prince smiled as he asked.

"My second request is this – I've heard that the royal family has a Spell Library. I would like to visit it and pick a few spells. I wonder if the eighth prince could fulfill this request?"

After he spoke, Merlin fixed his gaze upon the eighth prince. This was the real reason Merlin had come to the Imperial City – to enter the royal family's Spell Library.

The heritage of the Blackmoon royal family could be compared to any large spell casters' organization. In particular, the royal family's Spell Library had plenty of spells. If Merlin could go in and scan it with the Matrix, he would certainly be able to populate the database of the Matrix.

At that point, Merlin would be able to try using the data integration process to derive new spells. This was extremely crucial to Merlin, so the eighth prince's current attitude would be key.

"Enter the Spell Library?"

The eighth prince eyed Merlin suspiciously. However, he did not inquire about Merlin's reason for wanting to enter the Spell Library, but instead said reservedly, "The Spell Library is an important place for the royal family. Besides the few members of the royal family, no outsiders are allowed inside at all. Although I can enter, it won't be that easy for me to bring in outsiders!"

Merlin's heart leaped. The eighth prince had only said that it would not be that easy to bring in outsiders, which implied that it was possible to do so, only it would be very troublesome.

Still, this depended on the eighth prince's decision. Merlin was in no rush and waited silently for a reply.

The eighth prince seemed torn between his choices. He stood up and paced around incessantly as his face shifted uncertainly. If he did not grant Merlin this request, then there was no doubt that it would be impossible for him to meet Wizard Leo.

No matter how confident the eighth prince was in enticing Wizard Leo, if he was not even able to meet with Wizard Leo and had no way of communication, then how would he even entice Wizard Leo?

Whether he could enlist Wizard Leo was linked to whether he would succeed in taking the throne. It was a crucial part of his plans, and every other matter depended on this one crucial point.

As he thought about this, the eighth prince arrived at a decision.

"Wizard Merlin, it would be rather troublesome to enter the Spell Library, especially since the fourth prince is in the Imperial City. However, if Wizard Leo could help me resolve the problem of the fourth prince, then the fourth prince would no longer be in the Imperial City. Without all these apprehensions, I can bring Wizard Merlin into the Spell Library."

This was the eighth prince's reply, which was conditional at the same time. It would not be simple to resolve the matter of the fourth prince. Firstly, they would need Wizard Leo's agreement.

Nevertheless, as long as there was a chance it could work, Merlin was willing to give it a go. Thus, he said to the eighth prince, "I can contact Wizard Leo, but whether or not he would be influenced is dependent on the eighth prince's sincerity."

"That goes without saying!"

The eighth prince's tone of voice revealed faintly a trace of excitement.

Merlin thought about Wizard Leo's personality. Other than the one time when he left the Dark Magic Region to hunt down Osseus of Ozmu, it seemed that Wizard Leo had not left the Dark Magic Region in a very long time.

Therefore, Merlin did not know what the eighth prince could offer to sway Wizard Leo. However, he saw that the prince appeared full of confidence, so Merlin raised his right hand and stimulated the Dark Magic ring on his finger with his Mind Power.

"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"

Mysterious runes instantly floated up into the air. As Wizard Leo's most prized student, Merlin naturally had a way to personally contact Wizard Leo, which was through the mysterious runes of the Dark Magic ring.

The runes in mid-air formed into a simple Magic Circle, following which the air itself trembled and gradually expanded. Slowly, a terrifying face, full of wrinkles, appeared with a blood-red third eye on the forehead.

"Merlin, it's the first time you've contacted me. What happened?"

Chapter 332: The Tear of God

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The runes on the Dark Magic ring flickered constantly as if they would disappear at any moment. Runes like these could only be sustained for a short while, so Merlin did not dare delay and instead told Wizard Leo right away, "Teacher, there's something I have to report. This is regarding His Royal Highness the eighth prince of the Blackmoon royal family. He wishes to invite you to the Imperial City for a discussion!"

The terrifying blood-red third eye on Wizard Leo's forehead opened slightly and flickered with crimson light. It followed Merlin's gaze and looked toward the eighth prince.

Even though the eighth prince knew that this was only an image formed by runes, and was not Wizard Leo himself in person, he still felt a chill, and could only force a smile. "Wizard Leo, I sincerely hope that you would come to the Imperial City for a discussion!"

"Heh heh, I'm not interested in the royal family's mess!"

Wizard Leo laughed coldly as he declined neatly and decisively. It looked like he understood the eighth prince's intentions. The matters of the royal family were not that simple, and many powerful Spell Casters did not want to get involved.

As soon as Wizard Leo spoke, the runes began to distort and disperse in mid-air, and Wizard Leo's image was fading quickly as well. Merlin shook his head powerlessly as he looked on. As expected, based on what he knew of Wizard Leo's personality, he would not come to the Imperial City, what more if it was to help the eighth prince.

"Wizard Leo, I have the Tear of God! It was passed down from the Church of Light…"

In the instant that Wizard Leo's image was about to vanish, the eighth prince suddenly cried out. Moreover, a transparent glass box had appeared in his hand at an unknown time. Inside the box, a small piece of white crystal lay quietly. It looked like a grain of salt, only it was much larger.

"The Tear of God… It really is the Tear of God!"

The crimson third eye on Wizard Leo's forehead flashed with a chilling blood-red glow, and for the first time, an expression of astonishment appeared on Wizard Leo's pale face.

Following that, Wizard Leo's image dispersed instantly, but right before that, Wizard Leo's voice could be heard saying, "After ten days, I'll arrive at the Imperial City in person!"

"Buzz."

Wizard Leo's image disappeared rapidly. In the great hall, the eighth prince was unable to hide his excitement as he paced around constantly, muttering, "I've finally succeeded. Once Wizard Leo arrives, there's hope for me. Hehe, Fourth Brother, we still don't know who'll emerge as the winner…"

Merlin looked thoughtfully toward the "Tear of God" in the eighth prince's hand. Something that could affect Wizard Leo so much, making him agree to come to the Imperial City without the slightest hesitation – this Tear of God must be significant.

When he was in the Dark Magic Region, Merlin had never seen Wizard Leo as impatient and hurried as he was just now.

Thus, Merlin took two light steps forward and fixed his gaze upon the Tear of God in the eighth prince's hand. He asked softly, "Your Royal Highness the eighth prince, can you tell me about the Tear of God? I'm curious as to why this Tear of God could excite Wizard Leo in this manner."

The eighth prince gave Merlin a deep look, then looked toward the Tear of God in his hand. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he said slowly, "Wizard Merlin, you're not an outsider, so there's no harm in telling you! The Tear of God is a name given by the Church of Light, but in reality, the Tear of God had another name in ancient times – God Crystal! It's crystallized from the divine energy of the gods. There are gods in this world, who are very different from us, Spell Casters. However, the great Spell Casters of the ancient past had banished the gods long ago, leaving only the powerful God of Light, which is the god that the Church of Light worships.

"The God of Light controls Light Element. He controls all Light Element wherever he is. And the God Crystal is formed of endless Light Element by the God of Light through extraordinary techniques. It's the crystallization of divine energy from the God of Light and differs in essence from elemental crystal stones. Initially, this crystallization of divine energy was only a symbolic artifact even to the Church of Light, without any practical function whatsoever. For Spell Casters, it was the same and served no purpose. However, this God Crystal is immensely useful for Spell Casters who had cultivated Darkness Eye, and might rectify the defects in spell construction caused by the cultivation of Darkness Eye…

"To put it simply, one who bears the curse of Darkness Eye could only use the God Crystal of the God of Light to somewhat alleviate the curse of Darkness Eye…"

Merlin now understood why Wizard Leo would be in such a hurry. Wizard Leo's cultivation of Darkness Eye had an inherent flaw, resulting in him being unable to become a Seventh-level Spell Caster.

Now the Tear of God from the legends was in the hands of the eighth prince. With the Tear of God, there was a possibility of rectifying Wizard Leo's defect. Even if it was a slim hope, Wizard Leo would not let it pass.

"Alright, Wizard Leo would only arrive in the Imperial City after ten days. I shall take my leave first then."

Merlin bowed slightly and prepared to leave.

The eighth prince shook his head, breaking out into a warm smile. "Wizard Merlin, although I'm unable to let you enter the Spell Library for now, I have some Spell Models with me. With your current ability to construct Third-level spells, I believe that these spells would be of some help to Wizard Merlin."

With that, the eighth prince retrieved from his ring a thread-bound book that was about two fingers thick. Merlin flipped through the book. It contained Third-level Spells of three different types and even included Third-level Darkness-type spells. Furthermore, these were no ordinary spells, but first-rate ones. These must be unique spells which only members of the royal family, like the eighth prince, were entitled to construct. It was not inferior to the Dark Magic Region in the slightest.

"This…"

Merlin looked toward the eighth prince with a hint of suspicion. He had only asked to enter the Spell Library and did not request to obtain Third-level spells immediately, all of which Merlin could use, for they were as good as the Dark Magic Region's. If he had exchanged for these spells in the Resource Tower of the Dark Magic Region, he would need to spend a large number of contribution points. This was indeed a significant gift.

However, the eighth prince waved his hand charitably, smiling as he said, "It's just a few spells, nothing much. Wizard Merlin, you've traveled a great distance to reach the Imperial City – would I be stingy with a few spells? That's enough, you must be tired. My manor is huge, and it's very safe. Wizard Merlin may reside here in peace!"

In the end, Merlin accepted the spells. Average people would not be able to match this manner of the eighth prince. Even Merlin was beginning to form a favorable opinion of the eighth prince. It was not surprising that Snake Elder and the rest would be so steadfast and loyal.

…

In a quiet room of the manor, Merlin's Mind Power examined his surroundings once more. It was quiet all around, and there was no one else but him in the entire spacious residence.

What was even rarer was that Merlin had not felt any Mind Power spying on him this entire time. This indicated that the eighth prince trusted him now.

There was still ten days before the arrival of Wizard Leo in the Imperial City. In this period, Merlin had two choices. One was to continue taking Mokra Potion.

However, even though this was the eighth prince's manor, a place without any apparent danger, no one could say for sure what would happen in the future. Consuming Mokra Potion in an unfamiliar place would place him into a deep sleep. Once he was in a deep sleep, Merlin would not be able to put up any resistance.

Therefore, it was far too dangerous to consume Mokra Potion here.

Besides taking Mokra Potion, the other thing Merlin could do was to use this time to construct a Third-level spell!

Back in Wilson Castle, Merlin had taken eleven batches of Mokra Potion consecutively. Thereafter, during the journey to the Imperial City, Merlin fused again with the Mind Power duplicate in the Bell Space.

Therefore, he had accumulated a tremendous amount of Mind Power. Even after he constructed the Third-level spell Darkness Vortex, his remaining Mind Power was sufficient to construct another Third-level spell.

Merlin took out the spells given to him by the eighth prince from his ring. The various types of Third-level spells were unique and powerful indeed, completely on par with the Third-level spells of the Dark Magic Region.

At the moment, spells which could quickly boost Merlin's abilities were Fire-type, Wind-type, and Earth-type spells in tune with his Pandora Demon Abilities.

He would not consider Wind-type spells for now. After all, Merlin's Flash Wind was enough to counter most threats he faced. There was no need to waste a precious chance to construct a Third-level spell on a Wind-type spell.

With that, only Fire-type and Earth-type spells remained. Under both spell types were Pandora Demon Abilities which could be merged with the spells. No matter which type of spell he constructed, it would effectively improve his powers.

Fire-type spells had Fiery Collapse. Once a Third-level spell was constructed, its offensive strength would become even more powerful, enough to even harm a Sixth-level Spell Caster.

As for Earth-type spells, there was Pandora Demon Ability, Fuse Earth. Once a Third-level spell was constructed, its defensive strength would undergo a significant upgrade. In a hostile environment like the Imperial City, it would adequately defend against dangers from all sides.

After weighing both options for a long time, Merlin selected a Fire-type spell at last. He knew that if Wizard Leo agreed to help the eighth prince ten days later, a violent conflict between the fourth prince and the eighth prince would erupt in the Imperial City. The struggle for the throne would be ruthless, and there would be no compromises.

Even if it was just to prepare for the upcoming battle, Merlin needed to be equipped with the strength of a Sixth-level Spell Caster as soon as possible. Thus, constructing a Fire-type spell became Merlin's only option.

Among the spells the eighth prince had given, there was a Third-level Fire-type spell called Condensed Fire. It was very different from the Second-level Sea of Purgatory Fire. Condensed Fire was not a wide-ranging spell. At best, it would be a small ball of flames. In fact, it was similar to the Zero-level spell, Fireball.

However, Condensed Flame was innately distinct from Fireball, being formed from the constant suppression of flames. Although it was just a small fireball, it contained a terrifying power that was over a hundred times stronger than Fireball.

If it was merged with Fiery Collapse, Merlin believed that it would have the destructive power of a Sixth-level spell.

"Matrix, begin analyzing the Spell Model of Condensed Fire!"

Since Merlin had decided to construct the spell, he did not waste any more time. He started up the Matrix immediately, which began analyzing the Spell Model of Condensed Fire from scratch.

Chapter 333: An Assassination Attempt on a Full Moon Night

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In the northwest corner of the Imperial City, there stood a luxurious manor full of classical charm. Outside the manor were guards dressed in silver armor who patrolled the area in a thorough manner. This showed that the master of the manor must be of noble status.

Those who were familiar with the situation in the Imperial City knew that the master of this manor was the fourth prince of the royal family, who was most likely to take over the throne five years later.

However, the fourth prince was currently not in a great mood. Beside him were five mysterious Wizards, all dressed in uniform colors. Most of them had a deadpan look, and only one of them was kneeling on the ground with one knee, bowing to the fourth prince.

"Your Royal Highness the fourth prince, I didn't complete what you asked this time. Please punish me, my lord!"

The fourth prince was tall and large in build, and his appearance was somewhat similar to the eighth prince's, only he had a head of short hair as red as flames, and looked as if he was filled with a strange kind of magic.

"Wizard Oden, get up. It wasn't your fault this time. It was my own insufficient planning – I didn't expect this Merlin of the Dark Magic Region to surpass my expectations. To think that not even Wizard Oden is a match for him."

The fourth prince wrinkled his brow slightly. Oden was the ninth Wizard and was one of the strongest Wizards under his command. He thought that by sending Oden he would be able to kill off Snake Elder and the rest, thus eliminating a portion of the eighth prince's forces. Nonetheless, he did not expect the sudden appearance of the stranger Merlin, resulting in Wizard Oden's defeat.

Ninth Wizard Oden raised his head slowly, saying in a careful manner, "Your Royal Highness the fourth prince, Merlin's powers aren't that strong in reality. At best, he's equivalent to a Fifth-level Spell Caster, and this is by relying on the might of Pandora Demon Ability! He must've quite a few Pandora Demon Abilities. To be able to enhance Darkness-type spells to such a powerful stage – only the Pandora Demon Ability, Darkness Heart of Abyss Fort can do that… If one has formidable Mind Power and doesn't fear his Darkness-type spells, then Merlin is no one to be afraid of!"

On his way back, Wizard Oden thought about it carefully. Merlin's strength lay in his Darkness-type spells. Moreover, the illusory effects of Darkness-type spells were nothing to be scared of, in fact. Spell Casters with powerful Mind Power would be able to overcome it.

Once Merlin's Darkness-type spells were overcome, any Sixth-level Wizard would be able to suppress Merlin!

The fourth prince raised an eyebrow and paced around without stopping.

"Wizard Oden, have you found out why the eighth prince had sent Snake Elder and the rest to such a backwater place like Prakash City?"

Oden trembled inwardly, and said solemnly, "Honorable fourth prince, I've investigated the matter. The eighth prince had sent Snake Elder and the rest to Prakash City in order to locate Merlin. Merlin is Wizard Leo's most prized student in the Dark Magic Region. The eighth prince's true objective is self-evident…"

The fourth prince blurted out, "It's to enlist Wizard Leo?"

After a pause, a cold smile stretched across the fourth prince's lips. "Hehe, that awful younger brother of mine is so naïve. It's only Leo by himself – so what if he's killed a Seventh-level Wizard? Ultimately, he's only a Sixth-level Spell Caster, whereas I have the promises of Wizard Tanin and Wizard Morston. These two Wizards are powerful Eighth-level Spell Casters…"

"Your Royal Highness the fourth prince, the eighth prince had no way of enticing a powerful Spell Caster, so at best he could only enlist Leo… However, his forces are still enormous, and he's still the biggest threat to my lord in the Imperial City. My lord, don't hesitate anymore – it's better to make a move as soon as possible!"

One of the mysterious Wizards spoke in a low voice.

"There's no rush. Wizard Tanin and Wizard Morston need a few days to reach the Imperial City. Attacking with these two Wizards would be a safer bet! Still, this Leo – just because he killed a Seventh-level Spell Caster, he thinks he can interfere with the matters of the royal family? Humph, I'll kill his favorite student first. If he learns his place and retreat, it'll save us some trouble. If he still insists on helping that naïve younger brother of mine, then I can only kill him as well!"

The gaze of the fourth prince swept across the Wizards, following which a slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He focused his gaze and spoke to a Wizard who was wearing terrifying earrings in the shape of tiny snakes, "To eliminate Merlin, I'll have to trouble the seventh Wizard this time!"

The seventh Wizard said respectfully, "Els is willing to serve Your Royal Highness!"

With that, seventh Wizard Els turned around quickly and instantly vanished from their sight.

Wizard Oden looked at the disappearing figure of the seventh Wizard Els and heaved a small sigh of relief. "Wizard Els' Mind Power is powerful enough, comparable to a Spell Caster at the peak of the Seventh-level. The Darkness-type spells of that Merlin would have no way of affecting Wizard Els no matter what!"

The fourth prince nodded as well, evidently having the utmost confidence in the seventh Wizard.

"Oh, naïve younger brother of mine, why did you bother challenging in the start? It's all worked out now, and you only have a few days to live…"

A smile tugged at the corner of the fourth prince's mouth, but his eyes were filled with a piercing cold!

…

"Hum."

Merlin shook all over, following which endless Fire Element surged into his surroundings quickly as if a huge expanse of flames had engulfed Merlin.

The Fire Element was frantically absorbed by the Spell Model of Condensed Fire, which he had just successfully constructed, into his Awareness, and then quickly transformed into Magic Power.

Due to the Flame Maxim, Merlin's rate of Fire Element absorption was rather astonishing. Although it was not as fast as using elemental crystal stones to transform Magic Power, it was not too far behind.

Based on this speed, Merlin would only need to consolidate the spell for one or two days. He did not even need to use elemental crystal stones to accumulate sufficient Magic Power in the Spell Model of Condensed Fire.

These were all benefits of the Flame Maxim! Moreover, although Merlin was still a long way from creating his own Flame Maxim, his constant awareness of the Flame Maxim had allowed him to deepen his understanding of fire. This was also highly useful to his casting of spells.

"Condensed Fire!"

Merlin waited for a moment. When he had accumulated enough Magic Power in the Spell Model of Condensed Fire for him to cast the spell a few times, he quickly cast the spell.

Instantly, a blaze the size of a fist materialized in the air. Under Merlin's control, it hovered steadily. It did not look astounding, and its temperature was not high, but Merlin, who was using his Mind Power to observe, knew very well that the might contained in this small ball of flames was nearly inconceivable.

This was especially so since the flames were white, which indicated that this was Fiery Collapse, compressed many times over. Once it landed on an opponent, the destruction it would wreck was hard to imagine.

The flame burned for a while, after which Merlin put it out. Although the power of Condensed Fire was great, the Magic Power it used up was astounding as well. He would need to accumulate sufficient Magic Power to cast continuously.

Merlin observed the Flame Maxim in his Awareness once more. He realized that ever since he entered the Imperial City, the Flame Maxim did not change in general, despite perpetually being suppressed faintly by a mysterious force in the Blackmoon Tower.

Since the Flame Maxim did not undergo any changes, Merlin did not further consider the issues of its suppression. He stayed on in the room, accumulating Magic Power in the Spell Model of Condensed Fire.

…

Five days later, a bright moon rose up high in the night sky.

"Swoosh!"

Merlin's eyes opened abruptly. He seemed to feel a restless, uneasy force surrounding his body, especially the Fire Element which swirled around ceaselessly, appearing very lively.

"What's happening? The suppression of the Flame Maxim has increased."

The uneasy feeling that Merlin had was the Flame Maxim in his Awareness. Compared to how it was a few days ago, the Flame Maxim seemed to have changed tonight, emitting a surprising force of the flames. This even caused the surrounding Fire Element to come alive, and such Fire Element was unfit to be turned into Magic Power.

"Snake Elder had said that on a night of the full moon, the Blackmoon Tower would be even more mystical… Could it be that the changes of the Flame Maxim are linked to the Blackmoon Tower under a full moon?"

Merlin looked toward the bright moonlight beyond the window and finally stood up. In a single motion, he vanished like the wind from the residence.

Having left the eighth prince's manor, Merlin wore a black Wizard robe and silently walked toward the Blackmoon Tower alone. The Blackmoon Tower was a landmark building of the Imperial City. No matter where one was in the Imperial City, one would be able to see it.

Merlin raised his head and looked toward the Blackmoon Tower – indeed, it had changed. The entire tower glowed in crimson light as if it had been dyed with blood. Furthermore, anyone would be able to feel that there was a strange source of magic in the tower, which could cause anyone to become mesmerized by it unwittingly.

"A full moon night…"

Merlin had a better understanding of what Snake Elder meant. The Blackmoon Tower, under a full moon, underwent a peculiar change. The blood-red light spilled from the Blackmoon Tower and shrouded most of the night sky. From a distance, even the pure bright moon in the sky seemed to turn the color of blood.

Although the Blackmoon Tower was very strange, the people of the Imperial City seemed to have gotten used to this common sight. There was even a night market, and a boisterous one at that, with countless people coming and going.

No one expressed concern about the Blackmoon Tower's fantastic appearance. The voices of the crowd bubbled over, making for a lively scene.

Merlin moved through the crowd and did not attract anyone's attention. There were far too many people who were dressed like Merlin, most of which were Spell Casters. In the Imperial City, many people have even gotten used to the sight of alpine Beast People, who would not be seen as odd.

Suddenly, Merlin stopped in his tracks. The closer he went to the Blackmoon Tower, the more the Flame Maxim in his Awareness seemed to stir restlessly. It even began to pulse gently.

In the past, no matter how much Merlin tried to stimulate the Flame Maxim, he could not induce such a change. However, the Blackmoon Tower, under the full moon now, seemed to have a mysterious power which affected the Flame Maxim.

Merlin frowned and looked carefully at the Blackmoon Tower in the distance. He did not approach any closer. After all, the Flame Maxim in his Awareness had become somewhat unstable. If he went closer, who knew what would happen?

If he had a chance, Merlin would like to take a good look around inside the Blackmoon Tower. Nonetheless, this was probably impossible. Great Wizards lived in the Blackmoon Tower, and no one would dare to break in.

"Forget about it. Even if there was some power or treasure in the Blackmoon Tower that's even greater than the Flame Maxim, I have no chance of getting it."

Merlin shook his head lightly, following which he turned and hurried back toward the eighth prince's manor.

However, after taking a few steps, he began shuddering all over, and an acute sense of danger welled up within him.

"There's danger ahead!"

In his peripheral vision, Merlin noticed that there was a tall, thin, unremarkable-looking man in the crowd, who was smirking in a strange manner…

Chapter 334: The Seventh Wizard!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Retreat!"

Merlin did not hesitate in the slightest. In an incomparably nimble movement, he leaped back instantly. His physical attributes were far superior to an average Spell Caster's, and he reacted fast, too. In a leap, he had quickly put a good distance between him and the tall, thin man in the crowd.

In addition, while he was leaping backward, Merlin had cast Flash Wind. In the blink of an eye, Merlin's speed was greatly boosted once more.

"Seamless Net, bind!"

The tall, thin man in the crowd did not seem concerned about how fast Merlin was. In the instant he raised his hand lightly, streams of Wind Element rapidly converged.

"Hoo… Hoo… Hoo…"

Wild gusts of wind quickly formed into a large invisible net. Merlin was just fleeing backward when he had to stop in a hurry. If he had gone back just a bit more and touched the net of wind, he would have been crushed into pieces immediately.

This was a Sixth-level Wind-type spell. Its twisting power was unparalleled and had binding properties as well. No matter how fast Merlin was, it would not matter!

"Darkness Vortex, engulf!"

Merlin drew in a deep breath and knew that he could not escape now. Thus, he did not hesitate and stretched out his fingers. Under the gleaming moonlight, a pitch-black vortex opened like a large mouth.

"Chi-chi-chi."

A formidable pulling force grew in Darkness Vortex, attempting to suck away the tall, thin man's Mind Power while causing powerful illusive effects as well.

The figure of the tall, thin man could not help but pause. However, following that, Mind Power fluctuations burst from him even more fiercely.

"Boom!"

This Mind Power fluctuation was like a tsunami as it swelled up violently. It was so powerful that even Merlin's Darkness Vortex was defeated instantly.

This Mind Power was too strong to the point where even a Darkness-type spell like Darkness Vortex was unable to withstand it. After all, it was only a Hallucinating spell, and any Mind Power that was formidable enough could dispel it quickly.

"Hmm? What powerful Mind Power, I'm sure it's at the peak of the Seventh-level! Who are you really?"

Merlin trembled deep inside. All this while his Darkness-type spells had been invincible and almost no one was able to withstand them. Even powerful ninth Wizard Oden was previously frightened away by his Darkness-type spell.

However, faced with this mysterious Spell Caster now, Darkness Vortex was of no use at all, being dispelled so easily.

The mysterious Wizard raised his head and looked at Merlin, saying icily, "I'm the seventh Wizard, Els!"

"It's the fourth prince!"

In fact, Merlin had already guessed this, based on how such a powerful Spell Caster had been sent out in the Imperial City. In addition, Merlin had just arrived in the Imperial City. Other than facing off against the ninth Wizard sent by the fourth prince to kill Snake Elder and the rest, Merlin did not know anyone else in the Imperial City. Therefore, it could only be the fourth prince, and this was merely a further confirmation.

The nine core Wizards under the fourth prince were each more powerful than the other. The weakest one among them would be ninth Wizard Oden, and now seventh Wizard Els had been sent to kill him. With a higher rank than Oden, Els was clearly stronger than Oden as well.

However, Merlin could still tell that seventh Wizard Els was ultimately a Sixth-level Spell Caster, only his Mind Power was strong, reaching the peak of the Seventh-level. Merlin's Darkness-type spells would be of no use at all against Els.

Seventh Wizard Els took one step after another, walking toward Merlin leisurely. Wisps of icy coldness emerged around him, and the ground crunched under every step he took. From there, thick ice crystals were formed.

"Your strongest Darkness-type spell is useless against me. Die!"

Els shook his head slightly, after which his eyes flashed with a fierce light. With a push from both his hands, the surrounding temperature seemed to drop to the extreme. Layers of ice crystals appeared in mid-air and the frost quickly sped toward Merlin.

The frost of these ice crystals had powerful might, and it was a Sixth-level spell. Merlin did not dare to use Earth Veil to forcefully resist it. Earth Veil, even with Pandora Demon Ability, Fuse Earth, could only compare to a Fifth-level Defensive spell and was unable to hold back a Sixth-level spell at all.

Thus, Merlin could only evade.

"Flash Wind!"

Merlin's figure shuttled back and forth incessantly in the narrow space. Flash Wind had great speed as well, and it was easy to dodge seventh Wizard Els' spell.

"Heh heh, Seamless Net, confine! Let's see where you'll hide now? You're a goner!"

Seventh Wizard Els, seeing that Merlin was evading constantly, did not panic, but instead began to constrict his Wind-type spell. Its range became more and more narrow, leaving less and less space for Merlin to dodge.

When the Wind-type Binding spell had finished constricting, along with the pincer attack of a few spells, Merlin would have nowhere to hide no matter how fast Flash Wind was.

"Die, die, die!"

Wizard Els' eyes widened and glared, turning a faint blood-red as he appeared extremely worked up. The Wind-type spell encircling Merlin began to constrict at an even greater pace. In a flash, Merlin was trapped in an incomparably narrow space.

Merlin's situation had quickly turned into one of imminent doom!

"Humph. Els, if you think you can kill me like this, you've underestimated me!"

Merlin drew in a deep breath and decided in an instant. He had no way of retreat hence he could only use everything he had in this fight. He still had his greatest power. If he succeeded, it would be enough to greatly injure or even kill seventh Wizard Els!

"Kill!"

Like an arrow fired from a bow, Merlin's entire being flew toward Els in a flash with an astonishing force.

However, Els was not concerned as he knew that Merlin was fighting to the death. Still, he had a Sixth-level Defensive spell, and an Earth-type spell appeared before him instantly, protecting him securely. He did not think that Merlin would be able to break through his Sixth-level spell.

After casting his Earth-type spell, Els raised a hand toward the incoming Merlin. A blast of icy air flew out. This was a Sixth-level spell too, which would immediately freeze Merlin into ice crystals.

Nonetheless, Merlin did not evade this time but dashed face-first into the chill.

"Very well, you're asking for it!"

Els saw that Merlin was still rushing forward recklessly and his heart filled with glee.

"Condensed Fire, kill!"

Merlin stretched out both hands. With a quick flash of firelight, a few balls of white flames the size of fists appeared in his hands.

"Go!"

Merlin pushed forward slightly as his eyes glinted sharply. The few balls of flames quickly flew into the icy air.

"Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!"

In normal conditions, when the flames met the icy air, the ice crystals should turn to water and extinguish the flames, especially since this was a Sixth-level spell of Wizard Els.

However, not only were Merlin's flames unextinguished, but they swelled up in force instead and began burning the surrounding air. The few balls of flames quickly merged together, and their speed increased a few times over as they sped toward Els.

Seventh Wizard Els narrowed his eyes slightly. The moment the balls of white flames had appeared, he was instantly on his guard, sensing danger.

Wizard Els' Mind Power had reached the peak of the Seventh-level. Mind Power was something intangible, and other than stabilizing Spell Models and casting spells, it had miraculous functions – one of which was to assess the level of danger. It was through this that Wizard Els perceived that these balls of flames were not ordinary.

Nonetheless, even if he had sensed the danger, Wizard Els had no way of evading because the balls of flames were far too quick. Moreover, Merlin was too close to him. The flames sped toward him in the blink of an eye, colliding heavily with the Defensive spell on the surface of his body.

Wizard Els was now glad that he had cast a Defensive spell earlier. Otherwise, he would have fallen for Merlin's trick.

"Merlin, is this really the last of your careful scheming? It's only…"

Before Wizard Els could finish speaking, he noticed in horror that the Defensive spell covering him had begun to vibrate violently. Moreover, the small balls of flames abruptly exploded with incomparable strength. The flames spread along the surface and quickly turned into a wide-ranging and furious fire, engulfing him as it began to burn turbulently.

"Boom!"

In an instant, Els' figure was submerged in the white blaze…

"Hoo…"

A breeze passed by, and the white flames gradually began to die out. Merlin's face was slightly pale and drained of blood. Earlier, he had encountered a situation of utmost danger. If Els had not been so careless, it would be hard to tell who would ultimately die.

"My capabilities are still inadequate!"

Merlin grumbled softly. He had initially thought that by constructing the Third-level spell Condensed Fire, in addition to Fiery Collapse as well as Darkness Vortex enhanced by Darkness Heart, his powers could be considered rather formidable.

However, Els' appearance had alerted Merlin. If his opponent had Mind Power that was strong enough and was unafraid of his Darkness-type spells, then his other techniques were not even worth mentioning.

Even though he might be able to explode with the peak strength of a Sixth-level spell, being equipped with Fiery Collapse combined with the Third-level spell Condensed Fire, Merlin himself had no way of defending against Sixth-level spells.

At best, he could only rely upon Flash Wind and dodge constantly. If he encountered a Binding spell, his Flash Wind would be ineffective.

He was only able to kill Els this time by a fluke.

Furthermore, Els was merely the seventh Wizard. Above him, there was still the sixth, the fifth, and so on, Wizards who were more powerful. This time, he had taken advantage of Els' carelessness. Next time, he would not be so lucky.

"Looks like it's time to construct an Earth-type spell as soon as possible. Otherwise, things aren't going to be good!"

Merlin glanced at the ground where Wizard Els had been burned by the flames. There was only a ring left. Merlin grabbed the ring and kept it immediately without taking a closer look.

"Who dares to cast spells in the Imperial City?"

As this was the city center, Law Enforcement Guards hurried over soon enough. Although these Law Enforcement Guards comprised of Elemental Swordsmen, no Spell Caster would dare scoff at these guards.

This was because these Law Enforcement Guards represented the entirety of the Blackmoon royal family!

Chapter 335: Tense Situation

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

These Law Enforcement Guards with black armors had a strong murderous breath on them. They walked straight to Merlin and ordered coldly, "Come with us."

Merlin frowned but he was unmoved. These Law Enforcement Guards sneered at him and immediately pointed to the sky. With a calm voice, they said, "We know you're a Spell Caster, but the Runic Magic Circle in the Imperial City doesn't differentiate who you are. Sir Wizard, I believe you're aware of the power of the Runic Magic Circle. So, if we find someone who dares to resist and cast spells in the Imperial City… Heh heh, I'm sure you're very clear what's going to happen."

"Runic Magic Circle…"

Merlin lifted his head to have a look. Indeed, there was actually a huge Runic Magic Circle covering the entire sky. This Runic Magic Circle was light white in color and somewhat translucent. It would be easily missed if not looked at carefully.

Moreover, Merlin also felt a terrifying force from the Runic Magic Circle. If it descended upon him, there was no way he would be able to resist it. Let alone him, even a Seventh-level Spell Caster could not resist it.

This Runic Magic Circle was centered around the Blackmoon Tower and spread in all directions. If he intended to destroy the Runic Magic Circle, he must first destroy the Blackmoon Tower.

Merlin regained his focus and looked at these Law Enforcement Guards. Thus, he took out a decree from his ring directly and proclaimed calmly, "I'm a Spell Caster from the eighth prince's manor!"

"Spell Caster from the eighth prince's manor?"

Moments earlier, the Law Enforcement Guards had treated Merlin as if they were a world above him and were virtually fearless. Yet, at the sound of the eighth prince, their expressions changed slightly. They had clearly started hesitating.

The Law Enforcement Guards were directly affiliated with and controlled by the royal family. Therefore, within the Imperial City, these Law Enforcement Guards would not fear even the most powerful Spell Casters or aristocrats.

However, if it involved members of the royal family, especially the eighth prince himself, these Law Enforcement Guards would no longer be so emboldened. The reason was that the eighth prince recently rallied a lot of support and remained a top candidate for the throne.

"Captain, we've already inquired clearly. This Sir Wizard was fighting with another Sir Wizard. However, the Sir Wizard who died was not any layman. He was the seventh Wizard under His Royal Highness the fourth prince!"

Another member of the Law Enforcement Guard quietly pulled the captain aside and said.

The captain of the Law Enforcement Guard looked at Merlin once again. This incident involved the fourth prince and the eighth prince, so it was far from his jurisdiction. Hence, he pondered for a moment and returned the decree to Merlin respectfully. He then apologized, "Sorry for disturbing you, Sir Wizard!"

News of the competition between the fourth prince and the eighth prince had already circulated in the Imperial City for a while now. Even His Majesty the King had not taken any action, let alone these Law Enforcement Guards. Everyone knew that the future king was most probably one of either the eighth prince or the fourth prince.

Merlin did not stay in the street any longer. No one knew for sure whether or not the fourth prince would send his people here. In his current state, it was already very lucky for him to have killed seventh Wizard Els. He could not afford to face a stronger Spell Caster.

Therefore, he quickly rushed back to the eighth prince's manor, his figure gradually disappearing into the night…

…

In the spacious castle hall, the fourth prince was sitting on the chair, but his fair face reflected a gloomy disposition. A few of the Spell Casters around him were holding their tongue and dared not speak.

"The seventh Wizard is dead. What do you think we should do now?"

The fourth prince's tone seemed calm, but everyone knew that there was infinite rage hidden behind the calmness.

The many Wizards present turned to face one another. None of them spoke.

After a long moment, the fourth prince spoke, "Very well. It seems like that naive younger brother of mine has really recruited extraordinary people this time. Even that Merlin alone was capable of killing the seventh Wizard. Oh, I'm afraid his teacher Leo must have an ace up his sleeve!"

After a moment's hesitation, Wizard Oden looked at the fourth prince, who indeed did not look too well. He whispered, "Your Royal Highness, we should send people to wait outside the eighth prince's manor. Once Merlin shows up again, we can seize the opportunity to kill him right away, thus preventing any more trouble in the future!"

"There's no need to do so. In a few days time, Wizard Tanin and Wizard Morston will arrive. During this period, we shouldn't let any new problems crop up. As for the seventh Wizard's death, surely there'll be a chance to avenge it!"

The fourth prince shut his eyes gently as he came to a decision. When Wizard Tanin and Wizard Morston arrived, they would launch a strike and completely remove the fourth prince's threats.

…

Merlin bumped into Snake Elder the moment he entered the manor.

Snake Elder walked toward him quickly. There was a faint excitement in his voice as he said, "Wizard Merlin, you've done well. You've actually killed seventh Wizard Els! Heh heh, His Royal Highness the eighth prince is very happy. He invites Wizard Merlin to go inside and have a chat!"

Merlin gave a slight nod. In the Imperial City, nothing could escape the eighth prince's radar.

In the great hall, besides Snake Elder, there were a few other unfamiliar Wizards. Among them were three aged Wizards. It seemed that even the eighth prince himself was very respectful to them, so they were certainly not ordinary people.

"Wizard Merlin, His Royal Highness the eighth prince has paid a huge price to recruit these three Wizards, and they're all Seventh-level Spell Casters! Only by acquiring these three Wizards can the eighth prince slightly counter the nine core Wizards under the fourth prince!"

Snake Elder whispered into Merlin's ear as he explained.

Seventh-level Wizards, this was the true ultimate strength of the eighth prince! However, among these Seventh-level Wizards, there did not seem to be one powerful Wizard who could take on the entire battlefield on his own.

The fourth prince was in the midst of recruiting Eighth-level Wizards. The eighth prince knew that he was at a disadvantageous position because he could only depend on these Seventh-level Wizards. It was not surprising that he was so anxious to find Wizard Leo.

When Merlin entered the great hall, the three Seventh-level Wizards turned their gaze to Merlin, taking a close look at him. One of the Seventh-level Wizards even had a slight indifferent look.

"Haha, Wizard Merlin, I really didn't expect that you could kill seventh Wizard Els! This Els was one of the nine core Wizards under the fourth prince. They're really powerful and have on several occasions, killed a few of my Wizards. This time, Wizard Merlin has finally brought me some justice, haha!"

The eighth prince seemed extremely excited. The nine core Wizards under the fourth prince were his very own right-hand men. They were very important and were really powerful. It would be incredibly difficult to kill one of the nine core Wizards.

With one dead now, the eighth prince would naturally be delighted.

After a pause, the eighth prince continued. "Wizard Merlin, be rest assured that the fourth prince dare not do anything in my manor. You can go and have a good rest, and quietly await the arrival of Wizard Leo!"

Merlin nodded and gave a slight bow. Then, he turned around and left. After a huge battle with Els, he really needed a good rest and some closure.

After Merlin left, the eighth prince turned his gaze to the three Seventh-level Wizards next to him and whispered, "My three Wizards, what do you think of Wizard Merlin?"

"Merlin? Not bad. If I'm not mistaken, he's just a Second-level Spell Caster. He might have constructed some Third-level spells, but as a Six-Elemental Spell Caster himself, Merlin shouldn't actually be a Third-level Spell Caster yet… However, this isn't important. The crucial thing is that he has some very powerful Pandora Demon Abilities!"

An aged Wizard with gray hair and wrinkles on his face said with a hoarse voice.

The eighth prince nodded and said, "Pandora Demon Abilities… Having said that, even if Merlin has more Pandora Demon Abilities, I'm afraid he still can't match his teacher's Darkness Eye!"

Upon mentioning Wizard Leo, a hopeful look appeared in the eighth prince's eyes.

The aged Wizard with gray hair looked a little hesitant. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but he did not. Nonetheless, in the end, he slowly said, "Your Royal Highness, Darkness Eye is indeed powerful, but Darkness Eye is a Pandora Demon Ability with a curse. No one could cultivate it successfully. Even Leo himself had only cultivated a part of Darkness Eye. Moreover, this Osseus that he had been hunting down for so long, was at best only a Seventh-level Spell Caster. Besides, the fourth prince has acquired the support of Wizard Tanin and Wizard Morston, two Eighth-level Wizards. If Leo loses to these two Eighth-level Wizards, how will you react, Your Royal Highness?"

"Lose?"

The eighth prince turned around sharply and looked oddly resolute. One word at a time, he said, "Winner takes all. If the fourth prince is indeed superior, what else can I do even in the face of death? From the moment I prepared to fight for the throne, I've already made such a preparation!"

The gray-haired aged Wizard nodded gently. He revealed a hint of helplessness and regret in his eyes. He knew that the eighth prince had harbored all hopes on Leo. It was merely a last resort. The fourth prince had several great aristocrats secretly supporting him, so he had an endless supply of all kinds of resources and treasures. Indeed, the eighth prince was at fault in offending the several great aristocrats at the very beginning. Now, in the entire Imperial City, there were almost no great aristocrats who would support the eighth prince!

"Since Your Royal Highness has made up his mind, then an old one like me can only stay with Your Royal Highness' cause until the very end!"

The gray-haired aged Wizard slightly bowed to the eighth prince, expressing his resolution. Then, he turned and left, leaving only the eighth prince alone in the hall, immersed in deep thought.

…

"If I hadn't constructed the Third-level spell Condensed Fire previously, which was capable of breaking a Sixth-level spell, I'm afraid my fate would have turned ill rather than well!"

Merlin carefully reminisced the battle with Els in the quiet room.

In that fierce battle, Merlin's situation was actually very perilous. If it was not for Els' carelessness, he would never have been able to kill Els so easily. The worst case scenario would then be a tough fight, and it would be difficult to determine who would come out on top.

Moreover, through Els' sudden attack this time, Merlin also noticed that it was really not enough for him to only have Flash Wind because that alone would not enable him to face all kinds of threats. If the other party had a Binding spell, Merlin would then be put in a very dangerous situation.

Therefore, it was imperative to construct a Third-level Earth-type spell as soon as possible.

However, after the construction of Condensed Fire, Merlin's current Mind Power was insufficient. It was necessary to consume Mokra Potions to increase his Mind Power.

Before this, Merlin was worried that it would be very dangerous to take Mokra Potion and then fall into a deep sleep in this unfamiliar place. However, the situation was tense, and conflicts may arise between the fourth prince and the eighth prince at any time. Hence, he could not worry too much now.

From his ring, Merlin took out a Mokra Potion. He took a deep breath, then gulped it down directly. After a moment, the Mokra Potion began exerting its effect. Merlin also gradually fell into a deep slumber…

Chapter 336: Successive Arrival!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

After taking the Mokra Potion, Merlin would fall into a deep slumber for at least three days.

When Merlin slowly came to, his first action was to check on his Mind Power. He could feel the surge of power all over his body, especially his Mind Power, which had indeed grown by a huge margin.

Merlin had experienced the effect of Mokra Potion before. This time, it was his twelfth dose of the potion, but the effect of the potion still had not weakened. By taking another two or three more Mokra Potions, his Mind Power would be enough to support the construction of a Third-level spell.

"Hmm? Is somebody there?"

Merlin was too busy checking the growth of his Mind Power after he had awakened that he did not realize when there was another person in the room.

"Swoosh!"

Merlin immediately cast Earth Veil, shielding his entire body. Then, he opened his eyes and looked around the room.

There was a person sitting quietly not far away from the place where Merlin was sleeping. After seeing that Merlin had awoken, the mysterious man slowly turned around and asked calmly, "Are you awake?"

"Teacher Leo?"

Merlin was astonished. The mysterious man in his room was actually Wizard Leo. It also seemed that Wizard Leo had been there for a long time.

Seemingly noticing Merlin's astonishment, Wizard Leo stood up and said slowly, "I've only arrived at the Imperial City yesterday. I found that you were in a deep sleep, so I stayed here to help guard you."

After a pause, Wizard Leo's expression suddenly became serious. He said slowly, "Merlin, what you took must be the potion Wizard Hall had given you to increase your Mind Power. I've heard about his potion too. I figured that after his many years of experiments, this potion must be effective to a certain degree too. One concern, however, was that you have to fall into a deep sleep after taking the potion, and this is very dangerous. Whatever the reason, you should never take such a risk in an unfamiliar place like this!"

Wizard Leo had already guessed that Merlin was taking the potion given by Wizard Hall. After all, Wizard Hall's every move in the tower was scrutinized by Wizard Leo.

Naturally, Merlin knew of the danger too. Fortunately, the stranger in the room that he noticed earlier was Wizard Leo. Otherwise, if someone with ulterior motives came in stealthily, Merlin's fate would have bode ill rather than well.

Thinking of this, Merlin could not help but feel a little scared. He could only give a nod and replied, "I won't take such risks in the future. Thank you, Teacher Leo, for safeguarding me.

"Right, Teacher Leo, have you agreed to the terms laid out by the eighth prince?"

Merlin figured that Wizard Leo's visit this time was to obtain the Tear of God from the hands of the eighth prince. However, the eighth prince would not easily give it away. Yet, the eighth prince also needed Wizard Leo's help to defeat his biggest threat – the fourth prince.

Wizard Leo nodded and said, "I've already agreed on the eighth prince's terms. I'll be staying in the Imperial City for a while to help His Royal Highness the eighth prince deal with the fourth prince's threat."

It seemed that the Tear of God was really important for Wizard Leo. Otherwise, Wizard Leo would not have agreed with the terms set by the eighth prince.

Merlin did not follow up on the function of the Tear of God. After all, this involved the secret of Wizard Leo's Darkness Eye.

"Alright, Merlin. If you want to continue taking the potion, it's fine with me. I'll be in another house in the courtyard. No one should be able to bother you."

After Wizard Leo had finished speaking, he pushed the door open and went to another house in the yard.

Deep down, Merlin was secretly grateful too. He really needed to continue taking at least two more Mokra Potions to increase his Mind Power and construct a Third-level Earth-type spell.

With Wizard Leo's protection, Merlin was no longer afraid of the dangers he would encounter during his sleep.

Hence, Merlin felt relaxed as he continued taking the Mokra Potion…

…

"Your Royal Highness, Wizard Tanin and Wizard Morston have arrived!"

In the spacious hall, ninth Wizard Oden reported respectfully to the fourth prince.

The fourth prince's expression abruptly changed. He then smiled and said, "Good. Hurry and invite the two Wizards in!"

Soon, Wizard Oden led two Spell Casters in from outside the manor. They each had a large cloak over their heads and wore blue Wizard robes.

After the two Spell Casters arrived in the hall, they gently took off the wide cloak on their heads.

"Tsss…"

When the fourth prince saw the faces of the two Spell Casters, he could not help but inhale sharply. So much for being well-informed and a self-proclaimed calm person. The face that was originally full of smiles had now stiffened.

The two Spell Casters had sallow faces. There was also a layer of white dander on their faces, which was constantly peeling and looked especially disgusting.

In addition, there were dense yellow meat bags with the size of rice grains. These small meat bags would crack from time to time, oozing yellow liquid.

In face of such ugly and horrible looks, the fourth prince's face flinched. Still, he resisted the churning of his stomach as he smiled and said, "Welcome to my manor!"

"Heh heh!"

The chunkier Spell Caster looked at the fourth prince and smiled. "Your Royal Highness the fourth prince, the two of us didn't journey a thousand miles just to appreciate the prosperity of the Imperial City! Just spit it out – when do you want to do it? We don't want to stay in the Imperial City for too long. The oppressive aura here makes us feel very agitated!"

This plump Wizard raised his head and looked up at the roof. His gaze seemed to have passed through the thick roof aimed towards the sky. The fourth prince naturally knew what he meant – it was the aura of the Runic Magic Circle which was set up with the Blackmoon Tower as its center.

Any Spell Caster who entered the Imperial City would feel that suppressive force. It was as though a devastating power would drop down from above their heads at any time. Therefore, no one would feel comfortable, especially the more powerful Spell Casters as they were unable to withstand the constant feeling of threat.

"Wizard Morston, things have changed this time. Initially, that naive younger brother of mine didn't have any powerful ally by his side. However, I caught wind that my adorable little brother had recently recruited a powerful Spell Caster. So, this time, I'm afraid that things would be rather troublesome."

The fourth prince said hesitantly.

"Hmm? Powerful Spell Caster? Heh heh, tell me more, Your Royal Highness. To be considered powerful by Your Royal Highness, this person must certainly be extraordinary!"

The chunky Wizard Morston squinted and looked at the fourth prince.

The fourth prince nodded with a dignified look. "That's right. This Spell Caster is indeed unusual. I believe you two Wizards should've heard of a certain Wizard Leo from the Dark Magic Region?"

"Leo? That Leo from Dark Magic Region who has Darkness Eye? The one who hunted down the Seventh-level Spell Caster, Osseus relentlessly?"

An indescribable expression suddenly flashed across Wizard Morston's squinted eyes.

"Yes, that foolish little brother of mine was able to recruit the services of Wizard Leo!"

Hearing that it was Wizard Leo, the plump Wizard Morston began to laugh instead. Their faces were even filled with excitement. "Haha, this Leo possesses Darkness Eye. Tsk tsk, this is no ordinary Pandora Demon Ability. How could a mere Sixth-level Spell Caster like him harness the true power of Darkness Eye? Your Royal Highness the fourth prince, hurry up and arrange things as quickly as possible. This time, even you wouldn't stop us from dealing with Leo!"

The two Wizards started showing an interest in Wizard Leo's Darkness Eye. They did not even try to conceal the greedy looks on their faces.

However, this was precisely the fourth prince's motive. There was a smile on his face as he said, "Since you two can't wait to deal with Leo, then in ten days time, His Majesty will call upon the royal family to go on a hunting trip together. This is our chance!"

"Ten days? That's fine too, but I hope that after ten days, once we kill Leo and help Your Royal Highness defeat the eighth prince, Your Royal Highness will deliver the things that were promised to us earlier!"

Wizard Morston looked at the fourth prince with a sly smile.

The edge of the fourth prince's mouth twitched slightly. Facing Wizard Morston who showed a hint of threat, he could only forcefully assure them. "Don't worry, I've long since prepared the things that I've promised you two!"

Wizard Morston nodded and led Wizard Tanin, who had not spoken a word throughout, to retire for the evening.

The fourth prince looked at the departing figures of Wizard Morston and Wizard Tanin, his eyes gradually revealing a hint of coldness too…

…

Six days later, when Merlin had awakened from a deep sleep again, he felt a strong gush of Mind Power. Thus, his face revealed a hint of satisfaction.

In the span of six days, he took two more Mokra Potions. From the original twenty-eight portions of potions, only fourteen were left now.

However, the effect was quite obvious. His Mind Power had greatly improved. There would not be a problem even if he were to construct another Third-level spell.

"It's time to construct a Third-level Earth-type spell."

Merlin had continuously consumed the Mokra Potions to increase his Mind Power with the aim of speeding up the construction of a Third-level Earth-type spell. This was so that in the upcoming battle between the eighth prince and the fourth prince, he would be able to protect himself.

Next, Merlin took out some of the Third-level spells given to him previously by the eighth prince. Among them was a Third-level Earth-type spell called Perfect Armor. Once cast, a large number of Earth Elements would form armor on the surface of one's body. It was claimed to have perfect protection. As long as the power of the strike did not exceed a Sixth-level spell, it could be maintained for a long time.

With the protection of Perfect Armor, it would basically be impossible for even a powerful Sixth-level spell to break through Perfect Armor. Only a force which completely surpassed a Sixth-level spell, otherwise, a force comparable to a Seventh-level spell or Pandora Demon Ability could penetrate Perfect Armor.

"It appears that Perfect Armor couldn't be found even in the Dark Magic Region. Only the Blackmoon royal family and very few large spell casters' organizations have this spell!"

Merlin recalled carefully. Back then, he had also searched for some Third-level spells in the Resource Tower of the Dark Magic Region but he did not find Perfect Armor.

A spell which even the Dark Magic Region did not have but was given so "freely" to Merlin by the eighth prince – this had evidently proved the eighth prince's sincerity!

"Matrix, reanalyze the Spell Model of Perfect Armor!"

Merlin took a deep breath and quickly activated the Matrix. With Perfect Armor, such a powerful Third-level Earth-type spell, he had no reason to hesitate further. He began constructing the Spell Model right away!