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Chapter 370: The Golden Relief Sculpture

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Come on, Sir Didimoss. Show me the power of a Seventh-level Spell Caster!"

Merlin growled softly. He was covered entirely by a layer of Perfect Armor. Admittedly, he had Wizard Bammou, a Seventh-level Spell Caster and Wizard Leo, who possessed abilities that were not inferior to an Eighth-level Spell Caster in previous battles.

However, Merlin had never truly battled with a Seventh-level Spell Caster. In order to experience how strong a Seventh-level Spell Caster was, he would need to seek it out in battle.

"As you wish. Still, I'm a Runic Magic Circle spirit, and can only rely on the strength of the Runic Magic Circle. Here I go – Runic Thunder!"

Following Didimoss' great roar, the entire seventh floor of the Runic Tower was covered in many thunderbolts. These thunderbolts did not charge at Merlin but instead, quickly gathered and transformed into nine thunderbolts that were each as thick as an arm.

"Whiz whiz whiz."

One thunderbolt after another flew toward Merlin at an incredible speed. He could not keep up with them even after casting Flash Wind, so he could only block them by force.

"Pandora Demon Ability, Fiery Collapse!"

A fireball began to form before Merlin, emitting a terrifying force. With a push from both his arms, it quickly forged ahead.

"Bang!"

With only a loud explosion, the fireball erupted into white flames that filled up space. Nevertheless, very soon, the thunderbolts began to fly out from the midst of these flames.

Condensed Fire was completely unable to withstand such Seventh-level powers. Each thunderbolt contained a terrifying strength that was comparable to a Seventh-level spell.

"Boom!"

At last, the thunderbolts landed on Merlin's Perfect Armor. Just then, Merlin felt as if he was about to be submerged in these wide-ranging thunderbolts, a feeling that he was close to death!

"The Seventh-level – I still fall short by quite a bit…"

Merlin mumbled in a low voice. Perfect Armor, which was covering his body shattered in an instant. However, just as the thunderbolts crashed into his body, a beam of white light that flickered with mysterious runes quickly flashed over his body, intercepting the power of the thunderbolts which caused no harm to Merlin.

"Whoosh."

Following that, the white light enveloped Merlin and he disappeared from the seventh floor!

"His capabilities are still lacking by a bit. How boring – I don't know who will be able to clear the seventh floor. It's easier to go back to sleep!"

The black cat Didimoss glanced carelessly at where Merlin had disappeared, and gradually faded away as if he had never appeared in the first place…

…

The Spell Casters who had gathered outside the Runic Tower seemed to have increased slightly. There were even a few Fourth-level Spell Casters who were able to build their own individual towers that came before the Runic Tower. Their eyes fixed firmly onto the seventh floor of the Runic Tower.

Merlin had brought about a miracle by getting past the sixth floor, becoming the first Spell Caster over the past thousand years of the Dark Magic Region to step onto the seventh floor!

Nonetheless, there were many Spell Casters who anticipated more from Merlin, hoping that Merlin had a final spurt of energy in him to clear the seventh floor of the Runic Tower.

Suddenly, a light began to flicker on the seventh floor of the Runic Tower, causing everyone's emotions to fluctuate with uncertainty along with the flickering light.

Finally, after flashing three times, the light vanished completely. This meant that Merlin had failed to clear the tower!

"He still failed… The Seventh floor, the final floor of the Runic Tower, holds the greatest treasure left behind by the Great Wizard Fidel. It's a shame that even Wizard Merlin had failed."

"It seems like it's fated that no one will be able to clear the seventh floor of the Runic Tower."

As soon as the light faded on the seventh floor of the Runic Tower, a beam of light appeared before the tower. Following that, the light gradually dissolved, revealing a figure within.

At that moment, countless gazes were directed at this figure. They all knew that this figure was Merlin who had just failed to clear the tower. Although he had ultimately failed in getting past the seventh floor, it was hard to deny Merlin's glory.

"Wizard Merlin, can you divulge what sort of challenge lies on the sixth floor of the Runic Tower?"

A few Spell Casters who were more ambitious questioned Merlin softly. After all, the number of Spell Casters who had cleared the sixth floor could be counted on one hand, and Merlin was one of them. If they knew what the challenge was on the sixth floor, it might be of immense benefit to Spell Casters' future attempts in getting past the sixth floor.

Nevertheless, Merlin paid them no mind. In the Dark Magic Region, there were a few Spell Casters who had reached the sixth floor before, only they were not able to clear it. They should know what the challenge of the sixth floor was, yet they did not reveal it.

There was even a Spell Caster who had recorded the challenge of the sixth floor in writing and put it up for sale in the Resource Tower. Its price was in the hundreds of contribution points, and there were only a few Spell Casters who would be willing to spend so many contribution points to exchange for it.

Therefore, Merlin was even less likely to easily divulge what the challenge of the sixth floor was. At the moment, he was still caught up in the puzzlement of experiencing thunderbolts crashing into him yet surviving it without a scratch.

Merlin could clearly recall that power which was comparable to a Seventh-level spell. Once it landed on him, he would be heavily injured even if he survived. That feeling of perishing and suffocation was imprinted in his memory even now.

However, the moment the thunderbolts crashed into him, mysterious runes had entered his body, forcibly obstructing the harmful impact of the thunderbolts. Merlin guessed that those runes must have been set up by the Great Wizard Fidel inside the Runic Tower.

Once a Spell Caster was in imminent danger, the runes of the Runic Tower would protect them and bring them away from the tower. After all, the purpose of constructing the Runic Tower was to search for prodigious Spell Casters who had excelled in and mastered runes, not to kill Spell Casters.

Merlin looked around. Other than Wizard Leo, he spotted Wizard Envia and the rest, all three of them, in the crowd. As expected, they had been safely sent out from the Runic Tower. As they had failed on the fifth floor, they were transported from the Runic Tower.

"Merlin, how did it feel being in the Runic Tower?"

Wizard Leo cracked a rare "smile". Although his appearance was sinister and frightening, and his smile was more horrifying than his tears, Merlin could perceive his sincerity.

Merlin smiled and answered, "It wasn't too bad. The Runic Tower was built by the Great Wizard Fidel himself, and he was at his peak with his accomplishments in runology. Tsk tsk, runology is amazing indeed. It's only a shame that I have no talent in runology, otherwise, I would be studying runes with great care."

Merlin was not bothered that he understood nothing of runology. Furthermore, his lack of talent in runology extended to alchemy and even potions.

In terms of brewing potions, if Merlin did not have the precise control of the Matrix, he would be unable to make potions successfully. It could be said that Merlin merely possessed average skills in many areas, but because he had the Matrix, he was able to rise above the crowd of ordinary Spell Casters, becoming a Spell Caster who was even more genius than Kleis!

Wizard Leo nodded as well. "In fact, one may only have great accomplishments by focusing on one field. Even though I study runology in depth, my main focus is still on creating spells. This is why I'm able to become a Sixth-level Spell Caster. Focus your attention on constructing spells and forget about the rest."

Perhaps there were some Spell Casters who could grow holistically and be proficient in many fields such as a genius Spell Caster like Kleis. Nevertheless, they were the minority, and most Spell Casters would only focus on one aspect.

Of course, there were some Spell Casters who felt that they had not much talent in constructing spells and were unable to progress further. Thus, they turned to the study of runology or alchemy – perhaps they could still achieve wonderful things.

"All right, let's go back to the tower. There's no point in hanging around here."

Wizard Leo glanced at the teeming masses of Spell Casters and furrowed his brow slightly.

Merlin nodded as well. He wanted to find a quiet place to examine in detail the golden relief sculpture he had acquired on the sixth floor of the Runic Tower.

With that, both of them quickly soared into the air and flew toward Wizard Leo's tower.

…

Merlin's success in clearing the sixth floor and obtaining its treasure had caused a stir within the Dark Magic Region. The popularity of the topic was only second to Kleis' betrayal of the Dark Magic Region back then.

No one had been able to get past the sixth floor of the Runic Tower. Even Kleis had only made it as far as the sixth floor and was unable to clear it.

In this round of the unspoken rivalry between Merlin and Kleis, Merlin was of course ahead by one!

Thanks to Merlin, the Runic Tower was bustling with people once more. Initially, it was quiet and deserted without many people. Now, there were great crowds every day as countless Spell Casters waited for their turn to enter the Runic Tower.

However, no miracles occurred once more, and most Spell Casters failed on the fourth floor.

Still, Merlin knew nothing of the hubbub in the Dark Magic Region, and it did not have the slightest effect on Merlin.

Merlin was currently sitting in a room in the tower. He closed his eye slightly and tried his best to calm his emotions. Only when his thoughts were at peace would a new posture appear in his mind.

He had learned this posture from the fifth relief sculpture which shone with a golden glow.

Merlin was curious about this golden relief sculpture. He tried burning it but even when he used Fiery Collapse, he was unable to induce any changes in the golden relief sculpture, much less damage it.

He did not know what material the relief sculpture was made of that caused it to be so durable. More than this, besides the difference in color, its posture was also largely distinctive.

By itself, the posture on the golden relief sculpture would not be of much use in terms of improving one's physical attributes. Merlin had tested this on the other Spell Casters in the tower.

This aspect differed greatly from the previous four relief sculptures. Upon practicing the postures on each of the previous four relief sculptures, one would definitely have a boost on one's physique.

The oddities of the golden relief sculpture did not stop there. Although practicing the posture on the golden relief sculpture by itself was not of much help toward improving one's physical attributes, if one practiced the postures of the previous four relief sculptures before practicing the one on the golden relief sculpture, it was rather effortless. Merlin could even easily perceive that the posture on the golden relief sculpture was closely linked to the postures on the previous four relief sculptures.

Nevertheless, the effects of the posture could not be seen in one or two days. It required a long period of practice before the body would gradually change.

Merlin did not know what benefits there were in practicing the posture on the golden relief sculpture. However, he could vaguely sense that continuous practice of the posture would not improve his physical attributes, but serve some other purpose instead.

As for the exact change that would occur, Merlin could only confirm this in the future after he had practiced the posture on the golden relief sculpture.

Chapter 371: A Peaceful Month I

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Merlin did not stay in the tower the entire time. He could now start on two tasks.

The first was to use this one month's time wholly to brew Mokra Potion, consuming each batch the moment it was completed. However, in this manner, Merlin would be unable to consume a few batches of Mokra Potion. The growth of his Mind Power would not be obvious, and it would not reach a stage where it was sufficient to construct Fourth-level spells.

The second thing was to head to the Resource Tower to exchange for some spells and knowledge on constructing spells as well as some knowledge on runology, and even alchemy and potions. He would then bring these items back to Wilson Castle. If he wanted to develop the Wilson clan into a Spell Caster clan, he could not do without these things.

Merlin considered these two matters for a long time before finally settling on doing the second task. After all, preparing and consuming Mokra Potion would require a long time, and he merely had one month's time. After one month, he would accompany Wizard Leo to attend Blacksand Fort summit as a representative of the Dark Magic Region. Therefore, there was not enough time at all.

As for the second matter, it would assist the development of the Wilson clan. In addition, with Wizard Bammou overseeing things at Wilson Castle and his vast knowledge, all the Wilson clan needed was time to grow. In the future, the clan would naturally become a formidable Spell Caster clan.

Of course, this was on the condition that Merlin was still alive. Otherwise, without him as a deterrent, the Wilson clan would become easy targets to those roaming Wizards who had long been watching covetously, wishing to reap the spoils.

Having made up his mind, Merlin rose up and went toward the Resource Tower.

…

Within the Resource Tower, people came and left in a busy bustle.

In the Dark Magic Region, the place with the most Spell Casters, other than the Mission Hall, would be the Resource Tower. Many Spell Casters would go to the Resource Tower to exchange for all sorts of things that they required such as spells, potions, casting tools, and so on.

As Merlin reached the Resource Tower, almost everyone directed their gazes at him.

"Wizard Merlin!"

"Wizard Merlin!"

"Wizard Merlin!"

…

On his way, almost every Spell Caster that Merlin met would bow slightly toward him, expressing the respect they felt for him.

Merlin was now only a Third-level Spell Caster and did not even have the qualifications to build a tower on his own. Nonetheless, he had cleared the sixth floor of the Runic Tower and could be considered the first person in the Dark Magic Region to have done so!

Therefore, as long as they were a Spell Caster, even at the Fourth-level, they were very courteous upon meeting Merlin. In the eyes of those Fourth-level Spell Casters, Merlin was no longer a mere Third-level Spell Caster but a powerful Spell Caster who was their equal!

In the Resource Tower, there were many Spell Casters who called out Merlin's name as well, respectfully bowing as they greeted him. Merlin returned each of their bows, which delayed him somewhat.

Merlin was only able to reach the second floor of the Resource Tower after a long while. There were many spells set out here from Zero-level spells to Sixth-level spells.

Among those spells, the Dark Magic Region paid no mind to the Zero-level to Third-level spells, and one could exchange for those as one pleased. Even if there were Spell Casters who secretly swap these spells, they would not be punished by the Dark Magic Region.

However, from the Fourth-level spells onward, if one wanted to exchange for those spells, one would need to sign a brand-new contract, promising not to divulge these spells of the Dark Magic Region to outsiders.

Before this, Merlin had not touched the Fourth-level spells. However, this time, he had wanted to bring some spells to the Wilson clan, therefore he had prepared to exchange for spells from the First-level to the Sixth-level. Nevertheless, he did not think that he would run into this problem.

Still, it was not much of an issue. After all, spells above the Fourth-level were extremely precious. It was impossible that any spell casters' organizations would hand them out so selflessly.

As for spells below the Fourth-level, a spell casters' organization would not care much about that. There were even many roaming Wizards who were able to obtain Zero-level to Third-level spells from spell casters' organizations.

Merlin thought about it. He would think of some other way to obtain spells above the Fourth-level in the future. Furthermore, the Fourth-level spells that Merlin would use in the future would be new spells derived by the Matrix. At that point, he could also leave some for the Wilson clan.

Nevertheless, he was thinking too far ahead. He did not know how long it would be before the Wilson clan would produce a Spell Caster above the Fourth-level. It might be decades or even centuries. Therefore, Zero-level to Third-level spells were most appropriate for the Wilson clan for now.

Merlin checked his Dark Magic ring and discovered that he had gained an additional ten thousand contribution points as expected. This was the second time the Dark Magic Region had gifted him ten thousand contribution points. He would receive ten thousand points every year, for ten years.

With these ten thousand contribution points, Merlin could freely exchange for the Zero-level to Third-level spells of the Dark Magic Region. He would need to get spells of all types such as Fire-type, Thunder-type, Wind-type, Water-type, Earth-type, Ice-type, Darkness-type, and so on.

Of course, Merlin could not possibly empty out the stores of spells in the Dark Magic Region. There must have been hundreds of thousands of spells arranged closely on the racks of the second floor. Among these, most of them were spells below the Fourth-level. With so many spells, even though Merlin had ten thousand contribution points, he could not possibly exchange for all of them.

Therefore, Merlin only chose spells that were relatively comprehensive and powerful from each type, selecting a few hundred books of spells in total. This already cost a few thousand contribution points.

Not everyone could simply construct these spells right away. Many Spell Casters would need to construct spells from the start according to their own level.

This was the essential difference between Wizards in spell casters' organizations and roaming Wizards. Roaming Wizards only obtained very few spells and had no systematic knowledge of constructing spells. In many cases, after acquiring a spell, they would construct it according to the instructions.

The consequence of this behavior was that, after constructing multiple Spell Models, many Spell Casters discovered that these Spell Models in their Awareness were not stable. As a result, they would never be able to progress further.

As for Wizards in spell casters' organizations, they knew from the start that any spell would need to be analyzed and constructed from scratch based on what was most suitable for themselves. Only then could the stability of the spell be ensured, preventing it from collapsing in the future.

Thus, it was rare for unstable Spell Models to occur among Wizards in spell casters' organizations, and in this manner, they had a higher chance of becoming a stronger Spell Caster!

Merlin knew very well that the most important aspect of a spell lay in its construction. Therefore, he exchanged for plenty of knowledge regarding spell construction in the Dark Magic Region for this was of utmost importance. Besides spells, one would also need the knowledge to construct spells.

He did not wish that the future Spell Casters of the Wilson clan would be unable to become higher-level Spell Casters due to the instability of their Spell Models.

With this knowledge about constructing spells and the guidance of a Seventh-level Spell Caster like Wizard Bammou, a solid foundation could be laid down for the future development of the Wilson clan!

Besides knowledge on spell construction, Merlin exchanged for some knowledge on runology, alchemy, and potions as well as these were of the greatest importance. The Wilson clan would need a comprehensive set of knowledge in order to develop into a strong Spell Caster clan. Since Merlin was a Spell Caster of the Dark Magic Region, it was easy for him to access such knowledge for the Wilson clan.

Furthermore, as this knowledge was of an extremely basic level, the Dark Magic Region was not particular about it, allowing it to be spread around.

This basic knowledge of different fields was the most crucial item that Merlin had prepared for the Wilson clan. Perhaps in the near future, such knowledge would help the Wilson clan nurture a Spell Caster who was proficient in runology, potions, or alchemy.

Merlin would no longer have to face the agitation of possessing a powerful Runic Magic Disc yet being unable to use it.

Finally, Merlin needed to exchange for contract paper. This was a necessary item for Merlin to expand the Wilson clan. In the end, Merlin managed to find the contract paper he needed in the Resource Tower!

This was the simplest type of contract paper, but it was adequate to bind Spell Casters below the Seventh-level. As for Spell Casters above the Seventh-level, who knew how many years it would be before the Wilson clan would produce such a powerful Spell Caster? At that point, Merlin would think of some way to obtain contract paper of a slightly higher grade.

"That's about it. I'll exchange for these first!"

Merlin looked at the items he was exchanging for. There were so many, and they touched upon almost all the fields. Still, these were mostly records of Spell Casters and other basic knowledge, and would benefit greatly in the long-term growth of the Wilson clan in general.

However, when the gray-robed Wizard in the Resource Tower calculated the required contribution points, Merlin's heart ached somewhat. This was because these items cost him almost nine thousand contribution points.

The ten thousand contribution points that he was just awarded was reduced to just over a thousand contribution points in the blink of an eye.

The gray-robed Wizards were overjoyed at such a large transaction. The more contributions points were spent, the greater the reward they received in the Mission Hall.

Although spending these nearly nine thousand contribution points made Merlin's heart ache, the thought that these items would bring remarkable changes to the future development of the Wilson clan managed to calm his emotions down.

He even had the vague feeling that this price of almost nine thousand contribution points was great value for money. If he was able to "establish" a Spell Caster clan using just this amount, it would be worth it.

Nonetheless, the most important thing a Spell Caster clan needed was the stabilizing passage of time. One could not establish a Spell Caster clan simply by relying on some foundational knowledge or a powerful Spell Caster. Merlin knew that in order for the Wilson clan to really develop into a Spell Caster clan, it would need to stand tall without collapsing even if he was not around, which would take more than a hundred years at least.

After he had completed his transaction, Merlin headed back to the tower. He needed to say goodbye to Wizard Leo.

Merlin went to the highest floor of the tower right away and called out softly, "Wizard Leo!"

"Come in."

Wizard Leo's voice came from within the room. Merlin pushed the door open, went in, and saw Wizard Leo's figure. Wizard Leo was currently still as thin as a match and looked like a skeleton with skin. In addition to the blood-red vertical eye in his forehead, he appeared sinister and frightening.

Merlin knew very well that this was the residual repercussion of Wizard Leo's forceful activation of the fourth form of Darkness Eye back when he was in the Imperial City.

Darkness Eye was a cursed power. Forcibly activating the fourth form had evidently taken an enormous toll on the Wizard Leo. Naturally, he had to pay a severe price.

However, even after paying this price and obtaining the Tear of God, Wizard Leo was unable to resolve the afflictions of Darkness Eye, which made him feel helpless.

Chapter 372: A Peaceful Month II

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Wizard Leo, I'd like to make a trip back to Prakash City."

Merlin said to Wizard Leo softly.

Wizard Leo stretched out a withered finger before he nodded. "Go ahead. Remember the trip to Blacksand Fort is in one month's time. It's best if you can hurry back in advance."

Merlin nodded in agreement. The Seventh-level Spell Casters of the Dark Magic Region had nominated Wizard Leo and Merlin to attend the trip to Blacksand Fort.

Following that, Merlin left Wizard Leo's room. As he thought about the petrifying third eye in Wizard Leo's forehead, Merlin's initial determination to learn Darkness Eye was swayed as well.

The might of Darkness Eye was powerful indeed. As a special Pandora Demon Ability, it was stronger than Pandora Demon Abilities which could be merged with spells. However, Darkness Eye was a cursed ability. Other than the Legend of Darkness Wizard Oflas, no one else was able to cultivate the seven forms of Darkness Eye.

Wizard Leo had now taken on such a terrifying appearance and had even lost the possibility of becoming a Seventh-level Spell Caster – all because he cultivated Darkness Eye.

With Wizard Leo's situation serving as a lesson, Merlin would need to consider carefully no matter how much he wanted to cultivate Darkness Eye.

…

Wilson Castle – from a distance, Merlin could perceive the changes that had taken place in it. In the past, it was near impossible that Elemental fluctuations would be present. However, Merlin could now feel the Elemental fluctuations even from a good distance away.

This meant that there were many Spell Casters in Wilson Castle.

Merlin frowned. There was only Wizard Bammou who was a Spell Caster in Wilson Castle. The rest were still trying to construct spells, which would take a long time. Even with Wizard Bammou's guidance, they would not succeed in constructing spells so easily.

Therefore, now that such intense Elemental fluctuations had appeared, Merlin had become suspicious. Nevertheless, with Wizard Bammou in Wilson Castle, what could possibly happen?

Merlin did not care to guess any further, and immediately soared into the air and flew toward Wilson Castle.

The closer he was to the castle, the more he could feel the Elements fluctuations. When he was directly above Wilson Castle, he discovered to his surprise that more than ten Spell Casters had appeared in the castle.

Most of these Spell Casters were First-level Spell Casters, but there were also one or two whose Mind Power were abnormally strong, emanating an authoritative force from head to toe. Each of their movements seemed to indicate that they were the leaders of these Spell Casters.

"Fourth-level Spell Casters?"

Merlin's suspicions increased, so he began to slowly descend toward Wilson Castle.

"Hmm? Who are you? Are you here to enlist under Wizard Bammou too?"

Very soon, the Spell Casters spotted Merlin and rapidly gathered around. However, their expressions held no hostility. Moreover, they mistook Merlin as someone who was here to enlist under Wizard Bammou.

Merlin did not move a muscle. What did they mean when they said "enlist under Wizard Bammou"? Back when Merlin was in Wilson Castle, there had been no such thing.

Seeing that Merlin was silent, these First-level Spell Casters did not dare speak up as well. After all, Merlin had just landed from the sky, which indicated that Merlin was at least a Fourth-level Spell Caster.

Of course, Merlin himself knew that he was relying upon a Flying casting tool in order to fly, and it was not because he had become a Fourth-level Spell Caster. Nevertheless, a Flying casting tool was more uncommon compared to a Fourth-level Spell Caster, so naturally, no one would think that it was a Flying casting tool.

Soon enough, the two Fourth-level Spell Caster that Merlin had sensed came forward and sized up Merlin. "You there, Wizard, are you here to join Wizard Bammou?"

As soon as he heard what they said, Merlin knew that these Spell Casters were certainly closely linked to Wizard Bammou. Thus, Merlin immediately took out the contract paper.

"Bammou, what's with the Spell Casters in Wilson Castle?"

Merlin was able to use the contract paper to instantly communicate with Bammou. This was a special feature of the slave contract.

In a room somewhere in the castle, just as Bammou was enjoying the elemental crystal stones provided by some Spell Casters to rapidly replenish his Magic Power, Merlin's voice rang in his mind.

"Master is back?"

Wizard Bammou felt a jolt in his heart, and no longer cared about accumulating Magic Power. Wind Element flickered slightly over his body and he immediately rushed out of the room.

"Hoo…"

A breeze went by, and Wizard Bammou had already appeared before Merlin.

"Wizard Bammou!"

The multitude of Spell Casters in the castle, upon seeing Wizard Bammou, appeared very respectful, bowing slightly toward him.

Nonetheless, as he met Merlin's cold look, Wizard Bammou was unable to feel any joy from this. He said in a low voice straightaway, "This is my master, Wizard Merlin of the Wilson clan!"

"What? So, this is Wizard Merlin!"

These Spell Casters had evidently heard of Wizard Merlin before. However, they had not been clear about the relationship between Wizard Bammou and Wizard Merlin.

Many of them even thought that Merlin was under Wizard Bammou's control. Currently, it looked as if this was not the case at all, completely subverting their preconceived notions.

Wizard Bammou had actually addressed Merlin as master!

"Bammou, tell me what this is all about?"

Merlin's face was icy as he glared coldly at Bammou, causing Wizard Bammou's heart to quiver.

"Master, it's like this. For the Wilson clan to slowly grow as a Spell Caster clan, relying on just ourselves would never be enough. Thus, I used a few special methods to attract these Spell Casters. They've all joined the Wilson clan voluntarily. We can do what the other Spell Caster clans did and take them on as honorary members of the Wilson clan. In this manner, the power of the Wilson clan would grow rapidly, and there would be enough Spell Casters in the Wilson clan who can explain basic knowledge to those Wizards with Spell Caster Quality."

Merlin's heart leaped. He was not so easily fooled. It was likely that the "special methods" Wizard Bammou had mentioned were coercion and temptation, which was why he was able to get so many Spell Casters to join the Wilson clan willingly.

"Come to my room and give me a detailed explanation."

Merlin glanced once more at these Spell Casters, especially those two Fourth-level Spell Casters. Among roaming Wizards, Fourth-level Spell Casters were relatively rare. He did not know what method Wizard Bammou had used in order to get these two Fourth-level Spell Casters to enlist under him.

"Swish."

Merlin cast Flash Wind and disappeared from their sight in the blink of an eye.

…

Wizard Bammou stepped into the silent room rather apprehensively.

"Master!"

Wizard Bammou raised his head and looked at Merlin but could not tell what Merlin was thinking from his expression.

Merlin kept his tone calm. "Tell me, what methods did you use in order to get so many Spell Casters to come here to Wilson Castle?"

A smile broke out across Wizard Bammou's face. "It was quite simple, Master. After I returned to Wilson Castle, I simply took a walk around and came across some roaming Wizards. After that, I killed a few, and the ones who were left naturally became adamant about following me. Of course, I asked them to be loyal toward the Wilson clan."

"It's that easy? Forget about the other First-level Spell Casters, but those two Fourth-level Spell Casters – surely they didn't come onboard willingly with just a few threats?"

Merlin asked in suspicion.

"Of course, they did. Why would Fourth-level Spell Casters be arrogant? In the beginning, they were rather resistant, but after I told them that we can give them some Fifth-level spells and even knowledge about spell construction, they agreed without any hesitation to come to Wilson Castle."

After hearing what Wizard Bammou said, Merlin nodded slightly. As expected, Wizard Bammou had used coercion and temptation in order to get those two Fourth-level Spell Casters to join voluntarily.

After all, the things that roaming Wizards lacked the most were spells and knowledge about constructing spells. Their success in constructing a Fourth-level spell was only possible through luck and hardship. If they wanted to further construct a Fifth-level spell, it would merely be a pipe dream without systematic knowledge and spells.

However, Wizard Bammou's appearance at this moment had given them an opportunity. Coming here to Wilson Castle naturally became their only choice.

Coercion and temptation were indeed effective methods to strengthen the forces of the Wilson clan in a short time. However, if Wizard Bammou was not around, and neither was Merlin, these roaming Wizards would become restless and desirous, and would no longer be so willing.

In order to eliminate any future vulnerability, Merlin thought of the contract paper.

"It's a good thing I've brought enough contract paper this time, otherwise we would have some trouble on our hands!"

Merlin mumbled in a low voice, following which he took out the contract paper from his ring, saying to Wizard Bammou, "Summon those ten or so Spell Casters. For those who are willing to sign a contract and become an honorary member of my Wilson clan, I'll not be tight-fisted with mere Fifth-level spells and knowledge about spell construction. There will even be rewards of treasures that they had not imagined. For instance, those who have an affinity for runes, I can even grant them the Runic Magic Disc! For those good at potions, I can gift them with the most precious potion formulas!"

With that, Merlin immediately retrieved the Runic Magic Disc as well as a few potion formulas, allowing Wizard Bammou to bring these with him in order to enhance his persuasion.

Wizard Bammou nodded. "With the binding of the contract, they'll thoroughly become a member of the Wilson clan. Master's plan is a good one indeed."

Wizard Bammou saw that Merlin did not further pursue the matter and could not help but relax a little. However, just as he was leaving, Merlin called out coldly behind him, "Bammou, the next time you wish for more elemental crystal stones, there's no need to go to such great lengths. You can just ask them from me."

As soon as he spoke, Merlin handed over a few thousand elemental crystal stones from his ring to Wizard Bammou. This was merely a portion of Merlin's immense wealth. They served no purpose being piled up in his ring, so he might as well give them to Wizard Bammou, allowing him to quickly replenish his Magic Power. This would benefit the Wilson clan as well.

Wizard Bammou felt a jolt of astonishment in his heart, and his face burned with embarrassment. Indeed, despite the elaborate yarn he had spun just now, his original intention was unchanged. The reason he made his move against the roaming Wizards nearby was to obtain elemental crystal stones to restore his Magic Power.

To Merlin, every single movement of Wizard Bammou, even his way of thinking, could be accessed through the contract paper. Therefore, Wizard Bammou was completely unable to conceal this small intention from Merlin.

"Master, I shall take my leave first!"

After keeping the elemental crystal stones, Wizard Bammou hurried out of Merlin's room as if he was running away from something.

Chapter 373: A Peaceful Month III

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Following that, the matter was much simpler. Wizard Bammou, equipped with the contract paper, gave those roaming Wizards a deadline. If they signed the contract, they would have access to spells, casting tools, potions, and so on.

Otherwise, they would have to leave Wilson Castle right away, and Merlin would not further pursue the matter.

Most of the Spell Casters chose to sign the contract. However, Merlin was somewhat regretful that between the two Fourth-level Spell Casters, only one of them was willing to sign a contract. The other one ultimately decided to leave Wilson Castle.

Although Merlin was rather sorry about the choice of that Fourth-level Spell Caster, he did not ask Bammou to bring that Spell Caster back.

With so many Spell Casters signing a contract with the Wilson clan, the clan's capabilities swelled countless times over in a short period. If the Wilson clan had such power in the past, it would not have been targeted by those roaming Wizards.

Now that the Wilson clan had human capital, all it lacked was time. As time slowly passed by, the later generations of the Wilson clan would increase in numbers. Descendants who possessed Spell Caster Quality would be nurtured with systematic knowledge from young, and their chances of becoming a Spell Caster in the future would greatly increase.

Thus, Merlin took out the various types of spells and the basic knowledge of spell construction as well as the foundational knowledge regarding runology, alchemy, and potions, and handed these to Bammou for him to manage.

Merlin could rest easy by placing his trust in Bammou as he was Merlin's slave. Merlin did not need to worry that Bammou would not give his full effort. He believed that with all this basic knowledge, even a novice like Felinda could utilize such foundational knowledge to improve her understanding of runes.

As things for the Wilson clan slowly got on track, Merlin had less and less to worry about. He took the time to visit Avril and Charise. Both of their bellies had gradually swelled. Even though Merlin had not been in Wilson Castle for a few months, Charise was still beaming all over.

It must be the seed of life in her womb that gave Charise hope and strength!

After doing all this, Merlin shut himself in a secluded room once more, not allowing anyone to disturb him. He began to practice the posture on the golden relief sculpture.

The posture on the golden relief sculpture differed significantly from the previous four relief sculptures. He would need a long time and frequent practice before it would serve its function.

Merlin was also not sure how long he would need to practice before he would accomplish anything with it. Perhaps when the time came, the posture on the golden relief sculpture would reveal its secrets.

Merlin still had about twenty days' time. He would not have time to prepare a few batches of Mokra Potion. He might as well seize the opportunity to practice the posture on the golden relief sculpture.

One day, two days, three days passed…

Those twenty-something days passed by quickly just like that. Merlin had practiced the posture on the golden relief sculpture every day. This posture seemed to be closely linked to the previous four relief sculptures. However, it was also very different.

Merlin was practicing each day, experiencing how this relief sculpture would benefit the body. At last, after persevering with his practice for over twenty days, Merlin finally saw a change.

Merlin raised his arm and had noticed changes to his skin. Before this, the skin of Merlin's arm was as fair and soft as a baby's, attracting the envy of countless women.

However, Merlin's fair arm was currently suffused with a faint layer of golden light. This golden glow was too dim, and he had to gaze with rapt attention in order to glimpse it occasionally.

Merlin stared for one or two hours before he finally saw the dim golden glow shining on his arm.

This faint golden light seemed to serve as a golden outer layer for Merlin's skin and was very peculiar. Still, Merlin could feel that a slight change had occurred in his body, and it was not that his physical attributes had improved.

"Slash."

Merlin suddenly retrieved a sharp dagger from his ring and swiped it across his arm. The faint golden light immediately transformed into a large net that firmly blocked the thrust of the dagger.

Merlin's arm was not harmed in the slightest. There was not even a single scratch. Merlin was a little taken aback. What had happened? Even he did not understand – since when did he have this ability? He could feel that his physical attributes were definitely not improved.

Nevertheless, after careful observation, Merlin discovered that that dim layer of golden light seemed to be able to withstand some attacks on his behalf. Thus, Merlin tried using all his strength, slashing viciously at his arm once more.

"Rip."

This time, under the great force of the sharp dagger, he easily pierced through the protection of the faint golden glow. A bloody scar was immediately left on Merlin's arm.

However, only a small amount of blood flowed from the bleeding wound. Following that, the skin surrounding the cut began to undulate, healing rapidly at a visible speed.

"Tsss."

As he witnessed this strange sight, not even Merlin could resist drawing in a quick breath, astounded to his core!

Although Merlin knew that his physical attributes were excellent, he had never healed so rapidly at a visible pace after being injured. This had far surpassed the imaginations of most people. No matter how incredible one's physique was, one could not possibly reach such a stage.

"The golden relief sculpture – it must be the posture on the golden relief sculpture! These relief sculptures, where did they come from?"

Merlin mumbled in a low voice. In that instant, countless thoughts spun across his mind. There was no doubt that he was able to possess such inconceivable regenerative strength largely due to his practice of the posture on the golden relief sculpture.

Moreover, this was not the limit. Merlin could vaguely sense that as long as he continued practicing the posture on the golden relief sculpture, his healing powers in the future would become even more terrifying.

It could be said that the Flame Maxim was still within Merlin's understanding. After all, the final objective of every Spell Caster was to create their own Maxim and become a Great Legendary Wizard!

However, the postures on the relief sculptures were different. This was an unknown power. Even now, Merlin was unclear about the true purpose of these relief sculptures, where they come from, and other questions like these.

The unknown induced fear. Although the posture on the relief sculpture currently carried great benefits for Merlin, what he largely felt was fear, as well as a faint trace of uneasiness.

Merlin kept the relief sculpture once more. Since he had already practiced the posture on the golden relief sculpture, naturally, he would not give up just like that. He could only keep up the practice. Merlin had not a single clue what unforeseen developments would arise from the postures of these relief sculptures.

In this conflicting state of mind, one month's time passed by quickly.

"Buzz buzz buzz."

Merlin's Dark Magic ring began vibrating, and mysterious runes flew into the air, gradually forming into lines of runes in mid-air.

These mysterious runes slowly gathered into a terrifying face. It was Wizard Leo's face.

"Merlin, quickly come back to the Dark Magic Region. Time's up!"

Merlin bowed slightly. "Be rest assured, Teacher Leo. I'll be back very soon."

As soon as he spoke, Wizard Leo's figure dissipated in an instant, and the mysterious runes rapidly flew back into the Dark Magic ring.

This was the power of runes. In some aspects, runology was blessed with exceptional advantages. Without runes, they would not have any way of conveying information over long distances as they did now.

Therefore, Merlin bade farewell to Old Wilson and his two wives. Lastly, he summoned Wizard Bammou and gave him a few orders. This time, with Wizard Bammou keeping watch, in addition to a large number of Spell Casters who had signed a contract, the Wilson clan was truly on the right track.

Merlin would not have to spend his thoughts or energy on this matter for a long period.

After completing everything, Merlin quickly hurried back to the Dark Magic Region.

…

On the tranquil beach, Merlin's figure gradually appeared from within the flickering white light. Without even looking up, he immediately headed forward.

As he came to the stone tablet of the Dark Magic Region, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He was reminded of the frightening attack by the black cat Didimoss on the seventh floor of the Runic Tower. It was a power which was at the Seventh-level indeed. Merlin was unable to put up the slightest resistance and was sent out of the Runic Tower.

Although the black cat Didimoss still did not appear, Merlin left a few elemental crystal stones before the stone tablet. Following that, he quickly entered the Dark Magic Region.

Not long after Merlin had left, sharp claws extended from the stone tablet and immediately grabbed the elemental crystal stones lying in front. Thereafter, a crisp "crunch" sound could be heard.

"Hmm, not bad, the flavor's really not bad. It's hard to come by someone who would still remember me. The next time he tries to challenge the seventh floor, I'll make it slightly easier…"

Following that, the voice gradually faded away, and silence resumed in front of the stone tablet.

…

Within Wizard Leo's tower, Merlin was presently at the highest floor already, waiting for Wizard Leo patiently.

"Creak."

Soon enough, Wizard Leo pushed open the door. Upon seeing Merlin, he nodded slightly. "Merlin, how was it? Have you settled the matters of your clan?"

"They're all settled. I'm ready to set off any time now!"

Merlin gave a simple reply. The entire Dark Magic Region was placing great importance on this upcoming trip to Blacksand Fort. After all, the Dark Magic Region had high hopes of shining brightly at the summit this time.

For Spell Casters below the Seventh-level, there was Wizard Leo, he who had cultivated Darkness Eye. His powers were so great that even Seventh-level Spell Casters would feel pressured.

As for those below the Fourth-level, they had a genius like Merlin who was even stronger than Kleis had been back then. Therefore, the entire Dark Magic Region was filled with confidence about this trip to Blacksand Fort.

Wizard Leo nodded. "It's good that it's all settled. Let's go then."

Then, both of them quickly left the tower and flew toward Wizard Heusius' tower.

As a Seventh-level Spell Caster, Wizard Heusius was also one of the three Seventh-level Spell Casters who would be going to Blacksand Fort. When Merlin and Wizard Leo arrived at his tower, they saw that many Spell Casters were gathered there.

Wizard Heusius hurried forward and smiled. "Wizard Leo, the three of us – I, along with Wizard Nater and Wizard Mills – will be leading the team this time."

Wizard Leo saw the two Seventh-level Spell Casters behind Wizard Heusius and nodded slightly in greeting. Those two Seventh-level Spell Casters clearly knew how extraordinary Wizard Leo was as well, viewing him as an equal. Thus, they appeared very amiable too.

Other than the Seventh-level Spell Casters leading the group, there were three Third-level Spell Casters. Moreover, Merlin had seen these Third-level Spell Casters before. They were Wizard Sarah, Wizard Envia, and Wizard Ilman who had attempted the challenge of the Runic Tower.

These three Third-level Spell Casters were proficient in runes and had constructed Four-Elemental spells. They could be considered a cut above the rest in the Dark Magic Region.

Thus, this group of individuals could be considered the true elites of the Dark Magic Region, representing the various levels of Spell Casters in the organization.

"Alright. If there's nothing else, we'll head out now!"

Wizard Heusius swept his gaze across the group casually and spoke calmly.

The group nodded. They had prepared everything they had to prepare and were ready to leave at any time.

Thus, Heusius and the other two Seventh-level Spell Casters each carried a Third-level Spell Caster and quickly soared into the air. Merlin had his Flying casting tool and did not need anyone to carry him.

This group of eight quickly left the Dark Magic Region through the Runic Magic Circle and flew toward Blacksand Fort.

Chapter 374: Blacksand Fort I

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In the pitch-black night, a slight breeze caressed the Spell Casters who were sitting around a bonfire. These were the Spell Casters from the Dark Magic Region.

The Dark Magic Region was a good distance away from Blacksand Fort. Even if they flew at full speed they would need a few days' time. Merlin's speed of flight was slower compared to the rest. After all, he was relying on a Flying casting tool, so naturally, he could not possibly compare to these Seventh-level Wizards. Furthermore, using a Flying casting tool to fly took up a large amount of Magic Power.

Fortunately, Merlin had plenty of elemental crystal stones and was not worried about exhausting his Magic Power.

Throughout this journey, Wizard Envia and the other Third-level Spell Casters constantly glanced at Merlin. They were invariably in admiration of how Merlin had a Flying casting tool.

"Wizard Merlin, I wonder if you still have another Flying casting tool with you? If you do, please state your conditions. I'll try my best to fulfill them."

Wizard Envia was extremely envious of Merlin's Flying casting tool. He came from a relatively powerful Spell Caster clan but was unable to obtain a Flying casting tool.

Merlin shook his head. "I'm very sorry. I only acquired this one Flying casting tool by pure chance, and don't have any additional Flying casting tool!"

When he heard what Merlin said, a disappointed look washed over Wizard Envia's face.

Merlin continued. "Wizard Envia, with your aptitude, you should be able to begin constructing Fourth-level spells very soon. At that point, you would naturally be able to construct a Wind-type Flying spell, which is far superior to a Flying casting tool."

In general, only Spell Casters above the Fourth-level could construct Flying spells. In reality, with Wizard Envia's abilities, he should already be able to construct Flying spells now.

However, Wizard Envia smiled bitterly as he shook his head. "It's not that easy to construct a Fourth-level spell. Even now, I'm still analyzing Fourth-level spells from scratch. It's far too difficult, and it may be a few more years before I can construct a Fourth-level spell. What's more, I didn't construct Wind-type spells…"

It was rare to find a Spell Caster who had not constructed Wind-type spells. After all, everyone knew the importance of speed, and if one wished to fly, one would still need a Wind-type spell.

It was not surprising that Wizard Envia was insistent on acquiring the Flying casting tool.

After falling silent for a moment, Wizard Envia said softly, "Wizard Merlin, if you become a Fourth-level Spell Caster in the future, and have a Flying spell, is it possible for you to hand the Flying casting tool to me?"

As he looked at Wizard Envia's hopeful gaze, Merlin pondered the matter briefly before saying, "I'll consider it. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Wizard Envia nodded and a smile broke out across his face. He had searched for a long time in the Resource Tower but he did not come across a Flying casting tool.

He had even looked for it in other places. He was willing to pay a large price in order to obtain a Flying casting tool but was unable to find it even until now.

Now that he had finally discovered that Merlin had this rare Flying casting tool, he would not let the opportunity slip past him so easily, even if he had to wait a few years.

It was rather chilly in early spring. The Spell Casters surrounding the bonfire slowly began to shut their eyes, beginning to meditate.

Merlin did not know what Blacksand Fort was like, so he asked Wizard Envia, "Wizard Envia, I wonder how much you know about Blacksand Fort?"

"Blacksand Fort? It's a large spell casters' organization, very different from the Dark Magic Region! In the Dark Magic Region, there's only one Ninth-level Spell Caster, but there are many Ninth-level Spell Casters and two Great Wizards in Blacksand Fort!"

In the current world of Spell Casters, Great Wizards were relatively uncommon. In order to become a large spell casters' organization, it was absolutely necessary to have a Great Wizard.

For instance, even though the legacy and inheritances of Sterling House were still lacking in comparison to spell casters' organizations, the presence of the Great Wizard Sterling meant that Sterling House was a formidable force that was comparable to a large spell casters' organization.

Blacksand Fort, having two Great Wizards, could indeed be considered an extremely powerful large-sized spell casters' organization. After all, even during the most glorious era of the Dark Magic Region, they merely had the one and only Great Wizard Fidel.

Although Merlin had known that the Dark Magic Region was a small-sized spell casters' organization, he did not expect that the disparity between them and other large-sized spell casters' organizations was so wide.

…

After an arduous journey lasting a few days, Merlin and the rest finally landed in a desert that stretched as far as the eye could see.

The temperature was high here, and it was scorching, causing them to feel slightly uncomfortable.

Merlin swept his Mind Power quickly across the area but did not discover anything out of the ordinary. However, Heusius and the rest had stopped here.

"Is Blacksand Fort here?"

Merlin could not help but ask.

Wizard Heusius bobbed his head, but he appeared rather gloomy. He said tiredly, "Indeed, Blacksand Fort should be here, yet something's different today. I can't find Blacksand Fort."

"You can't find Blacksand Fort?"

Wizard Heusius was a Seventh-level Spell Caster with unparalleled Mind Power. It was strange indeed that not even he could find Blacksand Fort. Blacksand Fort was a large spell casters' organization. They could not possibly have relocated without reason.

Therefore, this matter was rather peculiar!

Suddenly, the crimson vertical eye in Wizard Leo's forehead opened gradually. A beam of blood-red light transformed into a light veil, shrouding the surrounding area.

Following that, Wizard Leo laughed coldly. "So, someone is playing tricks. It's an illusion!"

Merlin's heart leaped. He possessed Darkness Heart, so no illusion should be able to fool him. However, he was not able to detect anything out of the ordinary now.

If this was truly an illusion, then there was only one explanation. This illusion was not created by any Darkness-type spells, which was why Merlin's Darkness Heart did not react at all.

"Darkness Eye, delude!"

Since Darkness Eye was able to produce illusions, naturally, it was able to dispel illusions too. As soon as Wizard Leo spoke, the crimson third eye in his forehead blinked quickly. A blood-red light shone and turned into ripples, spreading outward in all directions.

"Hum hum hum."

Everywhere that the blood-red light washed over, a faint light veil appeared. This light veil rapidly disappeared under the power of Darkness Eye, revealing one towering, magnificent building after another.

There was a world of difference between these buildings and the towers of the Dark Magic Region. The buildings of Blacksand Fort had pointed roofs and a circular structure. They were arranged closely together and formed a spectacular sight.

Furthermore, a spray of black sand grains would drift by in the sky once in a while. It came from Blacksand Fort.

According to rumors, every few months, Blacksand Fort would experience an extremely rare black sandstorm. The grains of sand were all black and had mystical properties. They could be collected to be used as materials for some casting tools.

Blacksand Fort was located in such an unforgiving environment because of these precious black sand grains. Moreover, Blacksand Fort was well-known for their alchemy and had transfigured many powerful alchemy products. They were even able to transfigure a few Enhancing casting tools.

"I wonder if Blacksand Fort could currently still produce an Assembled casting tool like the Bell Space?"

Merlin thought of his Bell Space. It was certain that not just any Spell Caster would be able to transfigure such a wondrous Assembled casting tool.

Since he had come to Blacksand Fort, he could make thorough inquiries about Assembled casting tools. Perhaps he might even find more components of the Bell Space.

The current Bell Space was composed of a few casting tools. If he was able to find further components of the Bell Space and combine them successfully, an even more peculiar change would occur, and he would have a casting tool which was more powerful and mystical.

After Wizard Leo had used Darkness Eye to dispel the illusion of Blacksand Fort, the sprawling desert disappeared without a trace. In its place was a fascinating small town.

It was a small town indeed. Blacksand Fort only had one doorway as its entrance. The other areas seemed to be surrounded by low ramparts. However, if one took a closer look, one would see that these ramparts were joined to the sky by lines of mysterious runes. This was obviously a large-scale Runic Magic Circle that was protecting Blacksand Fort.

Only through that large doorway could one enter Blacksand Fort!

"Let's go!"

Heusius wore a rather disheartened look – to think that Blacksand Fort had set up an illusion. If Wizard Leo was not around, they would not have been able to enter. What a joke it would have been, and the entire Dark Magic Region would become a laughing stock.

"Whoosh whoosh."

Just as Merlin and the rest approached the huge doorway, two Spell Casters appeared before them, blocking the way. One of them, a tall and lanky Spell Caster, gave Wizard Leo a long, deep look before saying haughtily, "Which spell casters' organization or Spell Caster clan are you from?"

Merlin frowned. The force around these two Spell Casters was not very strong. At best, they would be Fourth-level Spell Casters, yet their manners were so arrogant.

"We're from the Dark Magic Region!"

Wizard Heusius spoke coldly. Following that, he handed a token of the Dark Magic Region for the two Spell Casters to examine.

Thereafter, the two Spell Casters nodded. "That's right, you're from the Dark Magic Region! That illusion earlier was set up using a Runic Magic Circle by a Seventh-level Spell Caster from Blacksand Fort. Even a Spell Caster above the Seventh-level would be hard-pressed to detect it, to say nothing of dispelling it. In general, we would have to head out to meet them."

After a pause, the two Spell Casters gazed deeply at Wizard Leo, a solemn light shining in their eyes. "Nevertheless, we were bringing in the members of another medium-sized spell casters' organization earlier and were planning to let you wait for a moment. To think that this Wizard was able to shatter the illusion…"

Anyone could see that these two Spell Casters had their eyes on Wizard Leo.

However, the rest of them knew quite well that these Spell Casters had not been bringing in other Spell Casters. It was evident that this was deliberate. They had wanted to make a joke of the Dark Magic Region or something along those lines. It was not the first time they had done this. Only they had not expected their attempt to backfire, for Wizard Leo was able to forcibly dispel the illusion.

If Blacksand Fort was to assign blame and found out the cause of this, the both of them would be punished. Thus, there was a subtle, unfriendly manner in the way they looked at the Spell Casters of the Dark Magic Region.

Chapter 375: Blacksand Fort II

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Merlin and the others were led by two Spell Casters from Blacksand Fort as they slowly entered the fort. Inside, Merlin saw many Spell Casters with different attires, and each Spell Caster emitted rich Elemental fluctuations.

In particular, there were several Spell Casters wearing gold-lined Wizard hats with extremely powerful Elemental fluctuations emitting from their bodies. Even the Eighth-level Spell Casters that Merlin saw before had weaker forces than them.

They were obviously Ninth-level Spell Casters. Among some small spell casters' organizations such as the current Dark Magic Region, even their most powerful Spell Caster would be just a Ninth-level Spell Caster.

At this moment, there were already several Ninth-level Spell Casters present, obviously exceeding those from small spell casters' organizations. Even medium-sized spell casters' organizations did not possess the strength to send such a number of Ninth-level Spell Casters to Blacksand Fort summit.

Only those large-sized spell casters' organizations would have that amount of strength!

The two Spell Casters leading Merlin and the others saw Spell Casters wearing the gold-lined Wizard hats, and their expressions changed. What was originally an arrogant look on their faces disappeared and was replaced with a trace of fear.

To be able to induce fear in Spell Casters from Blacksand Fort, Merlin also vaguely guessed that this spell casters' organization was definitely not simple.

"It's the Spell Casters from Shadow Thorn. Everyone, don't provoke them!"

Wizard Heusius also acknowledged the strength of these Spell Casters and said softly with a solemn face. Then, he took the lead and hid on either side, maintaining a distance from those Spell Casters wearing gold-lined Wizard hats.

Besides Merlin, other Spell Casters also wore dignified faces. Obviously, they all knew of Shadow Thorn. Only Merlin had not heard of them.

Just as Merlin was wondering, Wizard Leo's voice sounded from beside Merlin's ear. "Shadow Thorn is a large-sized spell casters' organization. Although it's not the most powerful, it's the largest faction, and it's the most unreasonable. That's because the spells that Spell Casters from Shadow Thorn construct are all exceedingly strange and very bizarre. Coupled with the fact that Spell Casters from Shadow Thorn are all extremely psychologically warped, and could even be said to be especially vicious, Shadow Thorn has even been rejected by several spell casters' organizations before."

After a pause, Wizard Leo continued. "However, perhaps because some large-sized spell casters' organizations are planning to go against Ozmu, they're roping in Shadow Thorn again. Most of the Spell Casters from Shadow Thorn are extremely ruthless and have twisted thoughts, and can't be estimated by an ordinary person's thoughts. It's best not to get involved with them. Otherwise, no one knows if Spell Casters from Shadow Thorn might suddenly act out."

In fact, Wizard Leo had already made it very clear that while the reputation of Shadow Thorn was very strange, the Spell Casters from Shadow Thorn were even more so. They were composed of a group of extremely brutal Spell Casters, and among them, there was no lack of powerful Alchemists who used people to make alchemy puppets. Some even used Spell Casters as transfigured alchemy puppets.

Although among Spell Casters, there was basically no distinction between a good or evil Wizard but most Spell Casters felt disgusted by the conducts of Spell Casters from Shadow Thorn.

When Spell Casters from Shadow Thorn walked past Merlin and the others, everyone seemed to have felt a bone-piercing chill. The formless force made one feel extremely suppressed.

"Phew…"

After the Spell Casters from Shadow Thorn had left, several Spell Casters finally breathed long sighs of relief and exhaled heavily.

"Alright, let's go. We should hurry to the venue. The summit will be starting soon!"

The two Spell Casters from Blacksand Fort had just shown terrified faces before the Spell Casters from Shadow Thorn but they still remained arrogant while facing the Wizards of the Dark Magic Region.

Heusius and Wizard Leo could bear them as there was no reason to bicker with these two "nobodies". However, as an official member of the Dark Magic Region, Wizard Sarah, Wizard Envia, and the others could not tolerate it any longer.

"Hmph, as the welcoming Wizards from Blacksand Fort, it's fine if you don't let us know about the situation in Blacksand Fort. However, shouldn't you at least give us some information about the spell casters' organizations participating in the summit?"

Wizard Sarah asked coldly.

One of the Spell Casters from Blacksand Fort casually glanced at Wizard Sarah, and said disdainfully, "So what if you Dark Magic Region know about that? Didn't you remain silent in the previous summit? There's no point in telling you anyway!"

The two Spell Casters had long been aware of the situation of the Dark Magic Region. Every time the Dark Magic Region participated in the summit, they would be basically wiped out in the first round and be eliminated.

Therefore, the proud and haughty Spell Casters from Blacksand Fort naturally did not care about the Dark Magic Region.

"Heh, although the Dark Magic Region is just a small-sized spell casters' organization, it's more than enough to deal with you lot!"

The one who spoke was Wizard Ilman. He sneered, and a few mysterious runes rapidly appeared behind him. In a slight flash, they indistinctly formed a binding circle around the two Spell Casters of Blacksand Fort, trapping them inside.

"A mere Runic Magic Circle is supposed to shackle us?"

The two Spell Casters of Blacksand Fort were not afraid at all. Indeed, they had the confidence to feel arrogant. As Spell Casters from a large-sized spell casters' organization, their experiences and the knowledge that were passed on to them was not something that a small-sized spell casters' organization like the Dark Magic Region could compare to.

Therefore, although other Spell Casters might be caught off guard by Wizard Ilman's runic shackles, the two Spell Casters of Blacksand Fort merely sneered and drew several mysterious runes in succession, which rapidly melted into Ilman's Runic Magic Circle.

"Hiss."

Wizard Ilman had originally wanted to teach those two Spell Casters from Blacksand Fort a "lesson" but now, the Runic Magic Circle which he utilized was easily broken by them. Some of the runes were even changed, and it became a different and unfamiliar Runic Magic Circle, which then blasted toward Wizard Ilman.

Wizard Ilman's face immediately paled. He gritted his teeth and a Defensive-type spell emerged from his body. Just as he was prepared to fight, a white flame instantly rose up and wrapped around the Runic Magic Circle in mid-air.

The raging flames bound the mysterious Runic Magic Circle. Soon, the runes gradually faded before they disappeared. They had been completely destroyed by the white flames.

"Huh?"

The two Spell Casters from Blacksand Fort saw the white flames and immediately looked at Merlin, who was standing by the side, with sharp eyes. Naturally, they could see that this white flame was not ordinary.

After all, although their counterattack looked calm and quiet, in reality, it contained a power that even ordinary Fourth-level Spell Caster could not stop.

However, such a formidable power had been eliminated by Merlin's spell with just a casual wave of his hand. This greatly terrified the two Spell Casters from Blacksand Fort.

However strong Wizard Leo was, he was just a Sixth-level Spell Caster and was on a completely different level from them. Naturally, it would not be good to compare them together.

The Elemental fluctuations on Merlin's body was clearly just at the Third-level. However, it was able to easily break through a Fourth-level Spell Caster's Runic Magic Circle. This showed that Merlin was not simple at all.

Just as the two Spell Casters from Blacksand Fort were preparing to use a stronger spell, their world suddenly spun, and they found themselves in the middle of a vast desert. The scorching sun was in the air, and everywhere they looked was just a boundless stretch of desert.

"Illusion?"

The two Spell Casters instantly understood that it was an illusion. Furthermore, they had been trapped inside this illusion without them even noticing. Only Wizard Leo was capable of something like this.

Very quickly, the illusion disappeared, and the two Spell Casters were once again able to see the surrounding situation clearly. Wizard Leo seemed like he did not move at all, and looked as calm as ever, but the illusion earlier made the two Fourth-level Spell Casters feel helpless.

Although the Spell Casters from Blacksand Fort were arrogant, they were quite afraid of Wizard Leo. As long as one heard of the legend of Darkness Eye, no one would ignore Wizard Leo.

"Not far ahead is the venue for the summit. A few dozen spell casters' organizations have already arrived!"

The voice of the two Spell Casters rang out again, and the originally tense atmosphere quickly eased down. The earlier illusion had been Wizard Leo's warning that if they continued their arrogant actions, they might not just be thrown into the illusion for a moment but be forever trapped in it.

Everyone from the Dark Magic Region was arranged to a remote corner where they were hardly noticeable. Around them were some little-known small-sized spell casters' organizations as well as some relatively stronger Spell Caster clans.

These Spell Caster clans would never be able to compare to spell casters' organizations. However, in order to deal with Ozmu this time, Blacksand Fort and other large-sized spell casters' organizations needed to put forward practical benefits.

Therefore, the rewards of this summit were quite abundant, so even some small-sized spell casters' organizations which did not have much chance could not help but have a glimmer of expectation.

"Haha, Heusius, your Dark Magic Region arrived late today!"

Just after everyone from the Dark Magic Region was seated, a voice sounded from the other side of the venue. The owner of the voice was a Spell Caster wearing a crimson Wizard robe.

Surrounding the crimson-robed Wizard were several Spell Casters dressed in the same manner. When they gathered together, it was like a huge, raging flame.

They were the Spell Casters of Fire City!

Wizard Heusius also laughed. Although there were secret competitions within Fire City, on the outside, Fire City and Abyss Fort as well as Ashes Region and the Dark Magic Region were all highly "united". At least, in the eyes of external factions, these spell casters' organizations had a very stable relationship and was a single entity. If one wanted to deal with any one of those spell casters' organizations, it would be extremely difficult.

Chapter 376: Summit I

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Many members of spell casters' organizations arrived at Blacksand Fort one after another. A few small-sized spell casters' organizations were arranged at the back, while large-sized spell casters' organizations were arranged in front.

For example, spell casters' organizations that Merlin was familiar with such as Abyss Fort, Ashes Region, Fire City, and so on had already arrived. When Spell Casters of Abyss Fort saw Wizard Merlin and Wizard Leo, a trace of coldness flashed through their eyes.

Obviously, the cultivation method of Darkness Eye that Wizard Leo initially gave Abyss Fort was not the method that Wizard Leo perfected himself but an incomplete cultivation method of Darkness Eye.

It was just that Wizard Leo had added a few real cultivation methods of Darkness Eye to that cultivation method. Whether it was real or not, the Wizards from Abyss Fort could not tell.

However, after many practicing proofs and some deep inquiries, Abyss Fort clearly knew that they had been cheated by Wizard Leo, so they naturally did not look happy.

Among them was Wizard Haguerman, a Seventh-level Spell Caster leading Abyss Fort. He was also the one who received Wizard Leo previously at Abyss Fort.

"Haha, Wizard Leo, you really have good methods!"

Wizard Haguerman came directly in front of Wizard Leo and stared coldly at him.

Wizard Leo appeared quite calm despite Wizard Haguerman's taunt, and merely glanced at him and said evenly, "One should just take what one needs!"

"Well said! Wizard Leo, given the opportunity, I really want to experience Wizard Leo's Darkness Eye for myself!"

Wizard Haguerman's gaze was full of terror and anger. His days in Abyss Fort must have been tough because he was cheated by Wizard Leo.

Wizard Leo did not continue speaking. Wizard Haguerman scoffed coldly and turned around to leave, returning to his position at Abyss Fort. However, his eyes swept over Wizard Leo's figure from time to time.

…

In the bright and round hall, Blacksand Fort, Shadow Thorn, and Miracle City, three extremely powerful large-sized spell casters' organizations already gathered together.

With those three large-sized spell casters' organizations, they almost represented the Kingdom of Blackmoon. The most powerful Spell Caster factions in the North had practically occupied half the Kingdom of Blackmoon.

If these three large-sized spell casters' organizations were to create disorder, even the Kingdom of Blackmoon would be unable to suppress them. The entire Kingdom of Blackmoon would then be plunged into complete chaos.

This time, Blacksand Fort stepped up by taking advantage of the Blacksand Fort summit, and the three large-sized spell casters' organizations were finally able to gather together.

Among them, as the inviter and organizer of the summit, a Spell Caster from Blacksand Fort spoke first, "The Spell Casters from Shadow Thorn and Miracle City were invited here for a very important matter. I believe that we've already communicated enough about it before, so this time, we just need to confirm it."

After a pause, Wizard Shaiman, a Ninth-level Spell Caster from Blacksand Fort, who was also the leader, swept his gaze around before continuing. "Our Blacksand Fort worked hard and spent decades to finally succeed in driving a nail into Ozmu. Moreover, this nail has also spread out the most important news, which is Ozmu's lair! Unfortunately, we've lost contact with this nail recently, which means that the nail has met with a disaster! Perhaps Ozmu is already aware of our plans. Therefore, if we really are to go against Ozmu and want it to disappear completely, I'm afraid we'll have to go through an all out war. I hope you're all ready for the war with Ozmu!"

Wizard Shaiman, the fort leader of Blacksand Fort had an extremely grim gaze and a solemn expression. Obviously, this matter was very important and would affect the faction structure of the entire Spell Caster world in the future.

Ozmu had already existed for hundreds of years. In such a long time, Ozmu was fearless and used all sorts of methods to lure or coerce talented Spell Casters from some large-sized spell casters' organizations to join Ozmu and betray their spell casters' organizations.

Therefore, Ozmu had already made countless enemies including Blacksand Fort, Shadow Thorn, and Miracle City. They all hated Ozmu to their bones.

However, Ozmu was not only powerful, but their lair was also extremely mysterious. No one knew where their lair was, so even if they wanted to destroy Ozmu, they had no idea where to start.

However, this time, Blacksand Fort managed to find Ozmu's mysterious lair after a few decades of preparation. Then, they finally united numerous spell casters' organizations to jointly deal with Ozmu.

A Spell Caster from Shadow Thorn with a gloomy aura sneered and said, "Haha, Ozmu once lured a few of our prodigies into Ozmu. All of us at Shadow Thorn want nothing more than to destroy Ozmu but we could never find Ozmu's lair. However, now that Blacksand Fort has found it instead, that's the best. No matter what, this time, Ozmu will definitely be destroyed!"

The Spell Caster's tone was also full of anger.

A Spell Caster of Miracle City wearing a white Wizard robe said with an equally solemn tone, "If Ozmu's lair really was found, then my Miracle City is also duty-bound to deal with Ozmu. After all, Ozmu's actions have seriously threatened the foundation of our large spell casters' organization! Moreover, my Miracle City doesn't tolerate provocations from any spell casters' organizations or factions. Since Ozmu has made such an insane action, they must be prepared to pay the price!"

Both Miracle City and Shadow Thorn had agreed to unite to fight against Ozmu.

After all, Ozmu's strength was extremely powerful. Although these large-sized spell casters' organizations were very proud, they all chose to unite together to fight Ozmu so that they had a greater assurance to completely eliminate Ozmu.

"Good, since Miracle City and Shadow Thorn have already agreed, then we'll use this summit as an opportunity to announce to all spell casters' organizations and Spell Caster clans that we'll work together against Ozmu!"

Wizard Shaiman smiled while speaking. Almost the entire Kingdom of Blackmoon and all the southern Spell Caster factions had gathered here in this summit. With their combined forces, even Ozmu would not be able to match them.

Thus, Wizard Shaiman was very confident.

…

With the gathering of numerous spell casters' organizations and clans, Blacksand Fort was bustling with activity. There were so many spell casters' organizations and clans coming one after another that almost the entire spacious hall was crowded to bursting point.

It was the first time Merlin saw so many Spell Casters. He did not even dare to imagine that there would be so many Spell Casters in the Kingdom of Blackmoon.

In reality, the amount of Spell Casters was extremely sparse. However, this time, almost all Spell Caster factions in the north of the Kingdom of Blackmoon had gathered together, which was why Merlin felt like there were many Spell Casters.

Normally, these Spell Casters would be scattered and spread out in various parts of the Kingdom of Blackmoon, so of course, their numbers would be fairly few, so much so that in many places, the most one would meet was a roaming Wizard. There would be no Spell Casters from spell casters' organizations or Spell Caster clans.

"Rumble."

Suddenly, the clamorous hall became more agitated. Many Spell Casters stood up and looked toward the same direction.

At the entrance of the hall were some Spell Casters wearing black Wizard robes and striking gold-lined Wizard hats, which were the signature of the large-sized spell casters' organization, Shadow Thorn.

"It's Spell Casters from Shadow Thorn. I heard that a prodigy recently appeared in Shadow Thorn again – Bellach. Although Bellach is only a Third-level Spell Caster, he can challenge Sixth-level Spell Casters. He's called the number one Wizard under the Fourth-level!"

However, just as that Wizard finished talking, another Spell Caster sneered, "Is it that easy to earn the title of number one? How ridiculous. Although Bellach is indeed very strong, don't forget that the Miracle Child appeared in Miracle City!"

"The Miracle Child? Wasn't he lured away by Ozmu?"

Many Spell Casters were shocked when they heard about the Miracle Child. The originally noisy hall had seemed to quieten down.

"Hehe, the Miracle Child had indeed been lured away, but the Miracle City had long made preparations. Ozmu lured away three prodigious Spell Casters the last time, but would that really happen again? The news that the Miracle Child was lured away by Ozmu was just news that Miracle City released in order to confuse the upper echelons of Ozmu. In reality, the Miracle Child had never been enticed by Ozmu at all but cooperated with Miracle City to exterminate two Seventh-level Spell Casters from Ozmu!"

Hearing the Miracle Child's name, many Spell Casters fell silent. Even the eyes of the Spell Caster from Shadow Thorn flashed inexplicably.

The Miracle Child really was a great genius. He was just a Third-level Spell Caster, but he had killed a Seventh-level Spell Caster before. Although he was a roaming Wizard, there was an essential difference between the Seventh-level and the Sixth level. For a Third-level to be able to slay a Seventh-level Spell Caster, even in the golden age of Spell Casters, this kind of innate talent was dazzling beyond compare.

"Miracle Child?"

In the crowd, Merlin also heard Wizards discussing the Miracle Child. He was also surprised. He had thought that his current strength was already the top among Third-level Spell Casters.

However, now it seemed that there was someone who surpassed him. Even with Merlin's current strength, he would have trouble contending with a Seventh-level Spell Caster, much less slay one.

"If there's a chance, I want to meet the Miracle Child!"

Merlin murmured in a low voice. Miracle City has been passed on to future generations for a longer time than the Dark Magic Region. It was rumored that Miracle City was established just one hundred years after the fall of the Molta Empire.

Therefore, Miracle City and the Molta Empire had very close relationships.

However, in the long history of Miracle City, including the current Miracle Child, there were only three Spell Casters who could be called the Miracle Child.

Chapter 377: Summit II

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

After Spell Casters from Shadow Thorn appeared in the large hall, a group of Wizards entered from outside again. Judging by their apparel, they were Spell Casters from Blacksand Fort.

Among them, there was a young Spell Caster who seemed to be the core figure of the group. He had long, purple hair that draped over his shoulder and a rather slim face. His two blue eyes were deep, and without saying a single word, he moved over to Blacksand Fort and sat down quietly.

"It's Bratu from Blacksand Fort. He's just a Third-level Spell Caster, but I heard that he not only killed several Sixth-level underground abyss monsters in Fierce Cloud Cave but he even managed to do it unscathed. Bratu is the most talented Spell Caster in Blacksand Fort recently. He has already been able to construct Fourth-level Spells and become a Fourth-level Spell Caster but he wants to construct five Pandora Demon Abilities. In the legends, the might of a complete set of Pandora Demon Abilities is said to be terrifying! Bratu's current target is the Miracle Child's title of the number one young Wizard. The Miracle Child has been at the top for too long. Both Bellach from Shadow Thorn and Bratu from Blacksand Fort want to challenge the status of the Miracle Child!"

Seeing that young Spell Caster that others seemed to revere, a few surrounding Wizards who were familiar spoke of some of Bratu's past achievements.

"Wizard Bratu will definitely be able to successfully challenge the Miracle Child this time. We, Blacksand Fort, are the number one large-sized spell casters' organization in the South. Hmph, those Spell Casters of the Dark Magic Region, especially that so-called Merlin, is just a bumpkin who hasn't experienced the world. Let him broaden his horizons by participating in this summit. That little strength of his isn't worth anything at all. If he were to meet any Spell Caster from my Blacksand Fort, he'll definitely suffer a crushing defeat!"

The two Spell Casters who suffered earlier because of Wizard Merlin and Wizard Leo stared hatefully at the Wizards from the Dark Magic Region as if feeling very proud of their status as official members of Blacksand Fort after seeing Bratu. It was as if besides Shadow Thorn, Miracle City, and other large-sized spell casters' organizations, any other spell casters' organizations were not worth their time at all.

Merlin frowned slightly. He could naturally feel the gaze of those two Wizards. He had always brushed off people like them. No matter how strong Blacksand Fort was, it was the basis of why those two Fourth-level Spell Casters were so arrogant.

"Bratu and Bellach… Are they the top prodigies in the Spell Caster world?"

Merlin murmured in a low voice. He had always stayed in the Dark Magic Region. Even if he were to leave the Dark Magic Region, there was no chance for him to come in contact with a large-sized spell casters' organization.

The most he would come in contact with were some Spell Casters from Ozmu, but whether it was Bluebird or Weiss, they were far from being top prodigies.

Now that Bratu and Bellach had appeared, they were indeed top prodigies from large-sized spell casters' organizations. Once they became Fourth-level Spell Casters, they could even contend against and even kill Seventh-level Spell Casters. They were not inferior to those top prodigies in the Spell Casters' most glorious era.

Even the Miracle Child from Miracle City was able to kill a Seventh-level Spell Caster while he was just a Third-level Spell Caster. Even if it was the most ordinary Seventh-level Spell Caster, it was still extremely terrifying.

At least, with Merlin's current strength, if he were to meet a Seventh-level Spell Caster, the only thing he could do was to use Flash Wind to escape.

The top prodigies in the Spell Caster world had appeared one by one, and Merlin would now have the opportunity to compete with these prodigies. Although Merlin was very calm, this time, his mood could not help but fluctuate slightly.

"Rumble."

Suddenly, the crowd began to stir again. From outside the hall, a group wearing white Wizard robes with a cloud logo on their chest entered. It was the Spell Casters from Miracle City!

The Spell Casters from Miracle City were also led by some Ninth-level Spell Casters. However, the surrounding Spell Casters did not focus their attention on those Ninth-level Spell Casters, but on an ordinary looking young Spell Caster with short brown hair and a smile on his lips.

"It's the Miracle Child!"

"The Miracle Child is really here. He didn't take refuge in Ozmu and came to Blacksand Fort to participate in the summit. Tsk tsk, it seems like there'll be another brilliant battle again."

"That's right, both Bratu and Bellach's goal is to surpass the Miracle Child and become the number one prodigy among the young Spell Casters in the Southern Spell Caster world!"

That extremely ordinary looking young Spell Caster was the most outstanding prodigy in Miracle City – Miracle Child!

Any Spell Caster who could obtain the title of Miracle Child was the most talented Spell Caster in Miracle City. In Miracle City, there was naturally a unique criterion for judging. In the long history of Miracle City, there had only been three Miracle Children including the current Miracle Child.

The Miracle Child's eyes seemed calm, but when Merlin came into contact with the Miracle Child's gaze, he felt a slight inexplicable pressure.

He had only felt this kind of invisible pressure and threat from extremely powerful Spell Caster such as Wizard Leo. Merlin had never felt this way even from a Seventh-level Spell Caster like Heusius.

As a result, Merlin's expression became solemn and respectful.

"Merlin, don't mind them. They're all prodigies in the Spell Caster world. If they can grow up, they would be the best of their time!"

Wizard Leo also sighed slightly, and a trace of envy seeped in his tone. Wizard Leo possessed Darkness Eye. If there were no flaws, he would also be the best of his time.

However, Darkness Eye was a power that was cursed. Wizard Leo would never become a Seventh-level Spell Caster. There was not much potential left. No matter how powerful Darkness Eye was, Wizard Leo would never become a legend of this era.

Merlin also nodded secretly. The prodigious Miracle Child's current performance was even more outstanding than the Legend Nikola, who was a well-known figure and belonged to the peak of prodigies, even in the most brilliant era of Spell Casters.

Although Merlin was strong, there was still some distance compared to a peak prodigy, especially the Miracle Child, who had already killed a Seventh-level Spell Caster before.

There were also strong and weak Seventh-level Spell Casters. Three-Elemental and Four-Elemental Spell Casters like Heusius who had no Pandora Demon Abilities belonged to the most common and weakest Spell Casters. Those were the kind of Spell Casters that the Miracle Child had killed.

However, once Pandora Demon Abilities were cultivated, even a regular Pandora Demon Ability would make a Seventh-level Spell Caster quite terrifying, and far stronger than ordinary Seventh-level Spell Casters.

If they managed to cultivate a Pandora Demon Ability or multiple Pandora Demon Abilities that could be fused into spells, they could basically cultivate it to the strongest third stage. These kinds of Seventh-level Spell Casters could be considered the peak of the Seventh-level. They were the backbone of some large-sized spell casters' organizations as well as Spell Casters with the most potential. It was very difficult to kill Spell Casters like these, and even if the Miracle Child became a Fourth-level Spell Caster, he would also find it very difficult to slay a Seventh-level Spell Caster at its peak like them.

Of course, there were some extremely powerful Seventh-level Spell Casters at their peak who had several special Pandora Demon Abilities such as Darkness Eye. If Wizard Leo could become a Seventh-level Spell Caster, he would immediately be able to become a Seventh-level Spell Caster at its peak. A Spell Caster like that was too strong and would exceed levels. Even a Ninth-level Spell Caster would not be able to keep up.

However, there were too few Seventh-level Spell Casters at their peak. Even in the Spell Casters' most glorious era, there were very few Seventh-level Spell Casters who possessed special Pandora Demon Abilities. When Legend Nikola became a Seventh-level Spell Caster, he was just a top Seventh-level Spell Caster and could never become a Seventh-level Spell Caster at its peak.

The only special Pandora Demon Ability that Merlin knew about was Wizard Leo's Darkness Eye. However, Darkness Eye was a cursed power. Even if it was a special Pandora Demon Ability, if one wanted to cultivate it, one had to bear its risk.

Although both the Miracle Child and Wizard Leo had killed Seventh-level Spell Casters before, the difference was significant. It did not mean that the Miracle Child could rival Wizard Leo now.

Perhaps some smaller factions would not understand, but Wizard Leo had just paid the price of an arm in order to slay Osseus, a Seventh-level Spell Caster from Ozmu.

It seemed as though Wizard Leo had a hard time winning. In the eyes of a large-sized spell casters' organization, a Sixth-level Spell Caster killing a Seventh-level Spell Caster was nothing much. However, even those large-sized spell casters' organizations did not underestimate Wizard Leo at all.

The reason for that was because Osseus was not an ordinary Seventh-level Spell Caster but a top Seventh-level Spell Caster who cultivated a Pandora Demon Ability which could be fused into spells.

However, such a top Seventh-level Spell Caster was killed by Wizard Leo with just the price of an arm. It showed how powerful Wizard Leo was, or rather, it showed the power of Wizard Leo's special Pandora Demon Ability, Darkness Eye!

Merlin also knew the inside story about Wizard Leo killing Osseus and became more interested in Darkness Eye. However, if Wizard Leo refused to pass on Darkness Eye now, Merlin was helpless as well and could only quietly wait. When he became a Fourth-level Spell Caster, then only would Wizard Leo consider passing on the cultivation method of Darkness Eye to Merlin.

"Merlin, the summit will begin soon. I'll attend the summit in the closed inner hall! The rewards of the summit this time are abundant and worth to fight for. I believe although the Miracle Child might be strong, you can be considered one of the most brilliant Spell Casters in this summit. You're no inferior to the prodigies from those large spell casters' organizations!"

Wizard Leo stood up with a smile on his face. His meaning was very clear. In this summit, Merlin had to do his very best!

Merlin took a deep breath and looked at Bellach from Shadow Thorn, Bratu from Blacksand Fort, and the ever-tranquil Miracle Child. Then, he nodded heavily and said, "Don't worry, Teacher Leo, an opportunity like this rarely comes by. I want to see just how much of a distance there is between my strength and those top prodigies as well."

Merlin would only know his shortcoming when facing a true prodigy. This summit was a rare opportunity, and Merlin would definitely not give up easily.

Wizard Leo nodded and entered the inner hall of Blacksand Fort with several other Seventh-level Spell Casters, leaving only Merlin, Wizard Envia, and the others outside the main hall, quietly waiting for the summit to begin.