410 - 417

Chapter 410: Dark Fire Incarnate VI

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Wisps of negative energy wormed into Darkness Eye. Merlin could even sense the "glee" of Darkness Eye in his palm. Before Wizard Leo died, he had told Merlin that Darkness Eye was sentient.

Merlin now felt even more keenly that Darkness Eye was sentient indeed. Darkness Eye only required a continuous supply of negative energy to grow. The master of Darkness Eye would finally be unable to suppress it and suffer from a backlash.

In its lengthy history, most Spell Casters who cultivated Darkness Eye had, in fact, died due to the backlash from Darkness Eye. It was not surprising that Darkness Eye was called a cursed power.

"Want to come out? Without my permission, you have no way of doing so!"

Merlin seemed to be speaking to himself. In his eyes, he glimpsed an enormous ghostly face which snarled as it battered against the unyielding cage. Once it broke through, the ghostly face would surge out and swallow Merlin.

This was the fourth form of Darkness Eye which had been sealed by Wizard Leo using the last of his strength. Now that it was stimulated by the negative energy, it was futilely trying to break the seal.

"Darkness Eye has always been a concealed danger!"

Although Merlin knew that Darkness Eye could not become much of a threat within a short period, if there ever came a day when he unleashed the fourth form of Darkness Eye and resulted in its backlash, he could still use the Flame Maxim to quell it by force. He would not end up like Wizard Leo who died due to the backlash.

However, even the fourth form of Darkness Eye would result in such a terrifying backlash. In the future, there would be the fifth, the sixth, even the seventh form – how dreadful would those be?

Anyone who cultivated Darkness Eye would have no way of getting rid of it unless they acted like Leo, who paid with his life to seal Darkness Eye. Only then could he extract Darkness Eye. Nonetheless, in that particular case, Wizard Leo had died all the same.

Merlin could not bear the burden of such a cost! Thus, in the long term, Darkness Eye was really an unstable, dormant danger. No one knew when it would suddenly flare up.

These thoughts flashed across Merlin's mind all at once because Merlin's recent massacre had generated great amounts of negative energy. This was absorbed by Darkness Eye, which tried in vain to tempt Merlin to unleash its fourth form. Thus, all of these considerations crossed his mind.

Nevertheless, the priority now was to suppress the Spell Casters below because numerous beams of colossal Mind Power had soared into the sky, threatening to dispel Darkness Illusory Death.

Darkness Illusory Death was not of much use against Spell Casters above the Seventh-level. Therefore, Merlin pointed to the space between his eyebrows with both hands. The Runic Heartprint instantly emerged once more.

"Seal!"

Mysterious runes rapidly flew out from the Runic Heartprint, glowing brightly in the sky. Following that, they were directed by Merlin's Mind Power and rushed down immediately toward a few Spell Casters with formidable Mind Power.

"Swoosh swoosh swoosh."

This time, Merlin freely displayed the amazing capabilities of the Runic Heartprint. Blocks of mysterious runes quickly filled the sky, and powerful Runic Magic Circles were consolidated one after another. Then, they all flew downward.

All those who were bound by the Runic Magic Circles, even if just for a while, was enough to please Merlin because he had employed the Runic Magic Circles only to restrict their movements.

"Fiery Collapse!"

Pale white flames burst out in an instant, and like the spark that started a prairie fire, quickly extended in all directions. The area which was engulfed in darkness was turned into a sea of fire.

If Runic Magic Circles and Darkness Illusory Death were unable to cause those Seventh-level Spell Casters any real damage, then the current Fiery Collapse caused them no end of dread. This was because the Seventh-level Defensive spells they had cast were unable to withstand even the slightest contact with Fiery Collapse.

By relying on the second form of Fiery Collapse, Merlin had eliminated a few Seventh-level Spell Casters before so those Seventh-level Spell Casters could not afford to underestimate this attack.

"Let's go quickly. Dark Fire Incarnate is far too fearsome. We have no way of contending against him!"

"Dark Fire Incarnate – from now on, there's one more terror in Subzero Snowfield!"

Without realizing it, Merlin had acquired the nickname of "Dark Fire Incarnate". Of course, Merlin obtained this through his killings and his force. It was merely a nickname, yet it encapsulated Merlin's most frightening techniques.

However, Seventh-level Spell Casters were formidable, after all. The Runic Magic Circles which Merlin had constructed in a hurry could not hold on for long, so a few Spell Casters broke out of the binding of the Runic Magic Circle. Thereafter, they quickly escaped from the burning sea of fire, terror-stricken.

Following their departure, the name of Dark Fire Incarnate would also reverberate across Subzero Snowfield!

"Dark Fire Incarnate?"

An eerie smirk appeared on Merlin's lips. He had not expected that he would have such a nickname, one that was unmatched in its tyranny. In the southern Spell Caster world, not even those Ninth-level Spell Casters would dare to go by such an imperious title.

However, this was not the southern Spell Caster world but the incomparably chaotic Subzero Snowfield. Here, there was a simple method to obtain a nickname, which was to slaughter!

It was just like in the case of that Mad Wizard Mobundo, who was malevolent and unscrupulous but with powerful abilities. Once he began killing, he had no mercy, so he achieved the label of Mad Wizard, making Spell Casters clenched their jaws when they mentioned him.

"Master!"

Just then, Ernie and Watson hurried to Merlin's side. Their current appearance was rather pitiful. They had fled from the caves previously. Although they used two puppets to withstand the first wave of attack, they were still in a dangerous situation as they were bombarded by countless spells.

If Merlin had not appeared in time and cast Darkness Illusory Death inundating all the Spell Casters here, Ernie and Watson would have been in a less favorable situation.

Buoyed by the elated adrenalin of having narrowly escaped death, their minds could think of nothing else when they saw Merlin's god-like display of might.

"Master, we spotted Mad Wizard Mobundo escaping earlier. Heh, only Mad Wizard Mobundo could instigate so many Spell Casters to attack!"

Upon mentioning Mad Wizard Mobundo, an expression of rage flashed across Wizard Ernie's face. It looked like Mad Wizard had made him suffer in the past.

"Master, do you want us to hunt down Mad Wizard Mobundo?"

Wizard Ernie currently appeared to be incomparably disconcerted, yet he wanted to chase after Mad Wizard Mobundo. It must be a matter of pride. Merlin could tell that although Mad Wizard Mobundo's powers were not that great, he had many tricks up his sleeve. Moreover, he was treacherous and cunning, being able to stay on in Subzero Snowfield without trouble despite offending so many. Naturally, there must be something special about him, and he would not be that easy to kill.

"There's no need to create further trouble. Come on, we can't stay here any longer."

Merlin looked at the utter state of disorder that stretched across the front of the Thousand Miles Snow Cave. The stench of blood pervaded the air. He knew that they must not linger on here. If they did so and attracted Eighth-level Spell Casters, they would be in danger.

Thus, Merlin, Wizard Ernie, and Wizard Watson quickly left the Thousand Miles Snow Cave.

…

The icy wind wailed in the white, blinding expanse of the snowstorm. Three figures sped along in the air.

"Master, the snowstorm is far too violent. Should we find a place to rest first?"

These three individuals were Merlin and his two Seventh-level slaves. They were flying aimlessly, only wanting to leave the Thousand Miles Snow Cave as far behind as possible. They did not expect to encounter such a huge snowstorm in their journey.

The forces of nature were still beyond Spell Casters. Even a Great Wizard would become helpless when faced with certain powers of nature. Only the Great Legendary Wizards had the ability to shift even the weather and the landscape.

Merlin nodded in assent. There was really no point in continuing their flight with such a powerful snowstorm, so they found a cave which was relatively dry as a temporary shelter from the snowstorm.

The climate of Subzero Snowfield was so unpleasant that even Spell Casters found it hard to take. It was thanks to this that no Normies lived in Subzero Snowfield despite the provision of ample land. Only Spell Casters were able to survive in Subzero Snowfield.

In the cave, Wizard Ernie started a bonfire. The red flames were reflected upon the faces of Merlin and the rest, shifting incessantly along with the cold wind that blew in from time to time.

Merlin thought back to the battle today. His Darkness-type spell in addition to Darkness Heart was now so formidable, and it was unaffected by the number of Spell Casters.

Perhaps other Spell Casters would be afraid of the joined forces of countless Spell Casters. In such a case, even Seventh-level Spell Casters could be overwhelmed and killed. However, with Merlin's Darkness-type spell, he could place everyone into an illusion no matter how many of them.

Besides the Darkness-type spell, the might of Fiery Collapse had also increased. The second form had improved its powers greatly, reaching the peak of a Seventh-level spell, which was also its limit. Any spell that was not on the Eighth-level would be unable to block the scorching of Fiery Collapse. It was because of Merlin's powerful Darkness-type and Fire-type spells that he was named Dark Fire Incarnate by the many Spell Casters of Subzero Snowfield!

Still, other than these spells, what pleased Merlin was the use of the Runic Heartprint. The Runic Magic Circles created by the Runic Heartprint had miraculous strength. He was able to contend against eight Seventh-level Wizards, defeat them, and even turn two Seventh-level Spell Casters, Ernie and Watson, into his slaves. He could not have done all this without the Runic Heartprint!

The functions of runes did not merely include attacking, defending, and binding, which were not that different from most spells. They could further be used to create Runic Magic Circles to be used to teleport over long distances.

Nonetheless, this would require Runic Magic Circles that were set up in advance. The one-way teleportation could only be carried out after the two Magic Circles were mutually activated. Otherwise, if one traversed through space aimlessly by carelessly using a Runic Magic Circle, one was very likely to become trapped in a Spatial Gap, which was akin to seeking one's own death.

The only exception was Spatial-type spells. Only then would one be able to freely traverse space. Nevertheless, even then, one would need to use up an inconceivable amount of Magic Power, which most Spatial Wizards could not endure. ( NovelFull )

Ever since Merlin had arrived at Subzero Snowfield, he discovered that the Runic Magic Circles he created here were unable to react with the Runic Magic Circles surrounding the Dark Magic Region. In other words, he had no way of teleporting there directly. He would still have to rely on flight to return to the vicinity of the Dark Magic Region in order to locate the Runic Magic Circles to enter the Dark Magic Region.

"Subzero Snowfield is a good place indeed. At the moment, the southern Spell Casters must have descended into chaos. It looks like I should stay in Subzero Snowfield for a period of time and set up some Runic Magic Circles for emergency use!"

All these thoughts crossed Merlin's mind. Although Subzero Snowfield was disorderly, this could not be more suitable for Merlin. Moreover, he was able to avoid getting involved with the conflict between the southern Spell Caster world and Ozmu.

Thus, he should leave behind a few concealed Runic Magic Circles in Subzero Snowfield. In the future, if he encountered danger, he would have the chance to escape in this direction through the Runic Magic Circles set up by the Runic Heartprint.

If Merlin had set up a few hidden Runic Magic Circles in Subzero Snowfield beforehand, he would not have to force his way out of the Thousand Miles Snow Cave, and could instead bring Ernie and Watson directly to the Runic Magic Circle, teleporting their way out. ( NovelFull )

This was a frightening characteristic of a runologist, who was unmatched in their ability to escape. According to Merlin's understanding, that Mad Wizard Mobundo who had offended many Spell Casters, including a great number of powerful ones, was himself a runologist who was highly accomplished in runology.

It was by relying on Runic Magic Circles that Mobundo had escaped from being killed repeatedly, surviving up until now.

"Hum."

At last, Merlin set out a Runic Magic Circle in the cave. He did not keep this a secret from Ernie and Watson. They were Merlin's slaves, so Merlin controlled their every gesture and every word. Even if they knew that Merlin had arranged a Runic Magic Circle here, they would not dare to mess it up, to say nothing of telling others.

Therefore, the other two might as well pretend that they knew nothing, and closed their eyes to restore the Magic Power they had used up today.

Chapter 411: True and False Clues

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Phew…"

Merlin let out a long sigh. He had not only set up a Runic Magic Circle in this cave but also left the cave, braved the snowstorm, and created Runic Magic Circles at a few other hidden locations.

In this manner, Merlin had placed Runic Magic Circles in Subzero Snowfield. Based on the great power of the Runic Heartprint, Merlin was able to perceive any Runic Magic Circle he had set as long as it was in Subzero Snowfield. In the future, even if he encountered any danger, he could instantly create a Runic Magic Circle and teleport here.

This was an effective method of survival!

After he had set up the Runic Magic Circles, Merlin found that the snowstorm had not ended. Thus, he could only stay in the cave, using this opportunity to review the second volume of the Neverending Book which he had just acquired.

Opening the Neverending Book, he was greeted with Fourth-level to Sixth-level spells. It was a dazzling array of spells which was far more comprehensive than the first volume of the Neverending Book that Merlin had obtained back then.

"Not bad. The Fourth to Sixth-level spells within this second volume of the Neverending Book could be used to populate the database of the Matrix." With that, Merlin activated the Matrix and began scanning and recording the Fourth- to Sixth-level spells of the Neverending Book into the Matrix. Merlin was very strict about the spells he placed into the database of the Matrix. He would not populate the database with spells which were too simple or even full of flaws.

Only when the various spells used were of a certain quality would the derived spells be more refined and have greater power. Therefore, ensuring the quality of spells within the database was crucial.

Nevertheless, Merlin knew that the true form of the Neverending Book was not like this. Previously, the first volume of the Neverending Book which he obtained had only revealed its true form after the black cat Didimoss had deciphered the runes. Only then did Merlin learn the secret of the Neverending Book.

Thus, in order to learn the secret of the third volume of the Neverending Book, he would have to decipher the runes hidden in the Neverending Book. In the past, Merlin would be helpless when faced with this, having to rely on the black cat Didimoss to decipher the runes in the Neverending Book.

However, now that Merlin had the Runic Heartprint, the mystical Heartprint created by the Great Wizard Fidel with his blood and sweat, he was able to decipher even the most complicated, obscure runes.

"Hum."

Following that, Merlin's left hand tapped his forehead, and the Runic Heartprint surfaced indistinctly. As expected, after the Runic Heartprint appeared, Merlin could "view" the hidden, dense runes in the second volume of the Neverending Book.

"So, there's a Runic Magic Circle after all. Runic Heartprint, decipher!"

Immediately, mysterious runes flew out from the Runic Heartprint and burrowed into the Neverending Book. The runes which were firmly adhered to the Neverending Book flashed slightly, following which they gradually faded under the effect of the Runic Heartprint.

The Neverending Book glowed with a soft light once more, after which its appearance changed greatly. It took on a form that was similar to the first volume of the Neverending Book. The only difference was that this was the second volume, and it held many Fourth-level to Sixth-level spells.

"It's been deciphered as I thought! This is the true form of the second volume of the Neverending Book."

Merlin felt a rush of glee and hurriedly focused his gaze on the cover of the Neverending Book. He carefully looked for information regarding the third volume.

Back then, the first volume of the Neverending Book had mentioned that the second volume was at the Death Sea whereas the third volume was in the Rock Cavern.

However, the second volume of the Neverending Book had now appeared in Subzero Snowfield. Merlin could not help but doubt the veracity of the information regarding the other volumes that was presented in the first volume.

On the cover of the second volume of the Neverending Book, there was also information about the third volume.

"The third volume of the Neverending Book is located in the mysterious Black Desert. Any Spell Caster who possesses the second volume of the Neverending Book will be able to detect the third volume in the Black Desert. Once all three volumes of the Neverending Book have been compiled, one will have the chance of retrieving a Maxim I had left behind!"

The cover of the second volume of the Neverending Book contained the words left by the great Wizard who had created the Neverending Book. However, this time, Merlin did not believe these words. Conversely, an odd expression had crossed his face.

The first volume of the Neverending Book mentioned that the third volume was in the Rock Cavern but now the second volume claimed that it was in fact in the mysterious Black Desert.

Merlin had heard of neither the Rock Cavern nor the Black Desert. Still, based on their names alone, he knew that both places would not be a walk in the park. Between them, one of them was surely false or maybe both were.

If Merlin had not obtained the second volume of the Neverending Book, he might have truly believed that the third volume was in the Rock Cavern. If someone had received only the second volume, they might have gone to the Black Desert in search of the third volume.

Nonetheless, the more Merlin thought about it, the more he felt that the Neverending Book was hidden in neither of these places. These two locations were likely false information that the Great Wizard had intentionally left behind back then.

As for the Great Wizard's purpose in doing so, he could not guess at the moment. It might merely be a cruel prank played by that Wizard or a spontaneous scheme.

Still, no matter what the goal was, Merlin would no longer believe that it was in these two places. Regardless of whether it was the Rock Cavern or the Black Desert, Merlin would not go.

"It's a shame that there are only false clues in the Neverending Book."

Merlin shook his head helplessly. He took out the first volume of the Neverending Book, comparing both volumes. Other than the spells, there was nothing different between them.

"Swoosh."

Suddenly, just as Merlin placed the two volumes of the Neverending Book together, they began to emit a gentle glow which quickly shrouded both volumes.

Merlin's Mind Power could distinctly feel that the two volumes of the Neverending Book were slowly merging together. This mystical transformation somewhat stupefied Merlin.

"The three volumes of the Neverending Book must surely hold some secrets!"

Merlin thought that the three volumes of the Neverending Book were far too enigmatic. Moreover, the Wizard must have been a Great Legendary Wizard to be able to leave behind a Maxim. It was not surprising that the Neverending Book left behind by a Great Legendary Wizard would have strange features.

The merging process took only a short time. Soon enough, the light of the Neverending Book gradually dissipated, and what was before Merlin's eyes was a volume that appeared more mysterious, filled with an alarming, terrifying force.

This force was very likely left behind by that Great Legend who created the Neverending Book.

"Since they've merged into one volume, what changes are there?"

With a reach of his hand, Merlin held the transformed Neverending Book in his palm. This volume was made by an unknown material which twinkled with a faint golden light. Even the words seemed to contain fantastic magic, making the words unforgettable in just a glance.

"This new volume of the Neverending Book is rather unusual and mysterious. There are First- to Sixth-level spells inside, and the Spell Models are imprinted into one's memory in just a glance. How wondrous!"

Merlin carefully flipped through the new Neverending Book. The contents within had not changed much and were still First- to Sixth-level spells. It was appropriate for the merging of the first and second volumes.

However, there was a great transformation on the cover.

As Merlin directed his gaze on the cover of the Neverending Book, the words on the cover flew out and formed into words in mid-air.

"O' fortunate one, you haven't been to the Death Sea or the Rock Cavern, and likely have not gone to the Black Desert. These places are deathtraps. Once you step into them, not even a Great Wizard would be able to help you.

"Only by possessing the first and second volume of the Neverending Book can one receive the true message. I have placed the third volume of the Neverending Book on the top of Sky-Piercing Peak. Only when you've obtained the third volume and merge it forming the Neverending Key, will you be able to access the Maxim I've left on Sky-Piercing Peak."

These words appeared on the cover of the new Neverending Book and were deeply imprinted into Merlin's mind. Following that, the words disappeared, and there was not a word left on the cover – only a blank space as if everything had been a dream.

However, Merlin knew that it was not a dream. The Spell Caster who had left this message behind was a Great Legendary Wizard named Saitu. No matter if it was the Neverending Book or the Maxim, it was left behind by the Great Legendary Wizard Saitu.

Moreover, the initial places of the Death Sea, the Rock Cavern, and the Black Desert were all dangerous locations. Once one entered these places, one would be in a disastrous situation, unable to escape. This was a trap set by Wizard Saitu.

He did not know what Wizard Saitu's intention was in devising such a dangerous trap. If Merlin had not obtained the second volume of the Neverending Book, he might have actually gone to the Death Sea in search of the second volume. At that point, he would be in grave danger.

"So, it's at Sky-Piercing Peak?"

A strange glint emerged in Merlin's eyes. He believed that no Wizard in the southern Spell Caster world would be unfamiliar with Sky-Piercing Peak because it was located within the territory of the southern Spell Caster world.

Moreover, it was very well-known, being the highest peak in the south. In addition, a rather famous Spell Caster clan had grown in the area surrounding Sky-Piercing Peak, and it was occupied by this clan.

"Since there's much trouble in the south, I won't go to Sky-Piercing Peak for now."

Merlin believed that the third volume of the Neverending Book was ninety percent likely to be at Sky-Piercing Peak. Otherwise, Wizard Saitu would not have gone to such lengths, requiring two volumes of the Neverending Book to be merged before a new clue was provided.

If it was still a false clue, Merlin would admit defeat. A trip to Sky-Piercing Peak was necessary for the sake of a Maxim even if turned out to be fake. It was just that he would not go now.

The entire southern Spell Caster world was in chaos right now. Merlin had escaped all of that, waiting for time to pass before returning.

Moreover, Sky-Piercing Peak was occupied by a Spell Caster clan. The capabilities of this clan were not weak, and there were a good few Seventh-level Spell Casters. Even if Merlin reached Sky-Piercing Peak, he would not be able to acquire the third volume of the Neverending Book so easily.

Therefore, with various reasons considered together, Merlin still decided to stay in Subzero Snowfield for some time.

Chapter 412: The Mysterious Frozen Lake

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The snowstorm persisted for a few days before it gradually stopped. The sky outside was finally bathed in a warm stream of sunlight. However, the sun was not fierce in the entire Subzero Snowfield, and even the frost would not melt. Under the illumination of the sunshine, one could clearly see that Subzero Snowfield was piled in a thick blanket of snow.

"It's time to leave!"

Merlin cast a glance at Wizards Ernie and Watson in the cave. Now that they had recovered most of their strength, they could hurry on their way. It was just that Merlin did not know where to go.

He had only been in Subzero Snowfield for not too long and was not even familiar with the place. Before this, when they had left the Thousand Miles Snow Cave, he had merely flown off without a direction in mind and did not know where he should head toward.

"Ernie, where should we go now?" ( NovelFull )

Merlin directed this question at Wizard Ernie. Wizard Ernie, despite appearing relatively old, had a lively mind. He was fond of trying to figure out Merlin's thoughts and was rather similar to Wizard Bammou in terms of personality.

"Erm… Master, if you don't mind, let's go to where I stay first." Ernie spoke carefully. Naturally, he understood what Merlin meant. After the past few days of observation and learning, Ernie and Watson now knew that Merlin was an outsider who came to Subzero Snowfield and was not familiar with the situation in Subzero Snowfield.

Merlin pondered for a moment. "Alright, just as you suggested then. We'll head to your place first."

Therefore, this band of three took flight once more, heading toward Wizard Ernie's residence.

In the sky, the view below was an expanse of whiteness as the ground was completely covered in snow. It was extremely astounding. Merlin had never experienced such a spectacular view.

"Hoo…"

Suddenly, a colossal gust of snowstorm appeared in mid-air, rolling toward Merlin and the other two. Most snowstorms would not be much of a threat to them but this current one appeared extremely fearsome. Even Merlin was stunned to his core.

"Keep away from it, move!"

The Runic Heartprint between Merlin's brows abruptly flickered once more. Merlin quickly set up a simple Runic Magic Circle to block the snowstorm in front.

"Crack."

It was as if the Runic Magic Circle served no purpose as it was completely crushed and swept away by the snowstorm, turning quickly into fragments. Fortunately, Merlin and the rest had evaded in time.

"What a formidable snowstorm!"

Merlin and the rest looked at the snowstorm with lingering trepidation. However, the weather was calm now, so how could there suddenly be this peculiar snowstorm?

Moreover, even though this snowstorm was powerful, its range did not cover a large area. Conversely, it only covered a very small region.

"That's not right. It's not a snowstorm!"

Merlin narrowed his eyes slightly. He sharply perceived that this snowstorm contained an extremely veiled trace of Elemental fluctuations. Such fluctuations would only appear when someone had cast a spell.

"Hoo hoo hoo…"

Before Merlin could find out the source, another wild gust of snowstorm rolled in from the distance. Wizards Ernie and Watson's expressions shifted greatly.

"D*mn it, what's really happening here?"

Wizard Ernie and Wizard Watson could not help but begin cursing. They felt as if after meeting Merlin in the Thousand Miles Snow Cave, they had nothing but bad luck, and now they had encountered such an odd snowstorm.

These snowstorms contained terrifying strength. Even as Seventh-level Spell Casters, they dared not resist it by force. There was a possibility that the snowstorm would tear their Defensive spells apart, crushing them into pieces.

"Come on, let's go over for a look. There's something wrong about these snowstorms!"

After the gusts of the snowstorms had disappeared, Merlin immediately flew into the air, his Mind Power unreservedly sweeping in all directions. With this, not even the most concealed things could escape its detection.

"Hmmm, what intense Ice Element. Those seem to be frozen Spell Casters?"

Merlin's Mind Power suddenly came across a queer area. It was a lake of unparalleled size. However, the lake could no longer be seen for it was frozen under a thick layer of ice crystals.

On the frozen lake, there were many frozen Spell Casters in all sorts of positions and appearances. Their postures were exceedingly amusing as well. Nonetheless, upon closer look, one could see that their current postures were, in fact, a reproduction of how they normally moved.

Still, on this frozen lake, these Spell Casters were frozen in place, dead forever. The ice sculptures left behind merely preserved the postures of their final moments.

There were even shards of ice crystals which had shattered upon falling to the ground. It must be those who tried flying across the lake, not expecting to be frozen, and ended up falling.

"There's something weird about this lake!"

Merlin's expression turned solemn. Thereafter, he lightly waved one huge hand, and a flash of thunderbolt appeared on the lake.

"Crack."

He was not surprised in the slightest that even the thunderbolt was frozen immediately, shattering on the ice as it fell.

Merlin drew in a deep breath, becoming even more apprehensive of this lake. It should be known that although his Thunder-type spell was not merged with Pandora Demon Ability, and he had not constructed a Fourth-level one, its might should not be underestimated. Now, it was frozen in place instantly.

As he considered this, Merlin wanted to investigate the true nature of this lake even more. Thus, his gaze landed on Wizards Ernie and Watson. ( NovelFull )

Ernie and Watson, upon seeing that Merlin was staring at them, immediately erupted into grievances deep in their hearts. This frozen lake was so terrifying. Who knew whether they could withstand its effects and avoid being turned into an ice sculpture?

However, they could only carry out this perilous task. Why did they have to be Merlin's slaves?

A slave's duty was to fulfill their master's every wish, including acting as cannon fodder.

Nevertheless, Wizards Ernie and Watson had agreed to become Merlin's slaves because they were hoping to survive. Now that they were facing such a dangerous lake, they were very unwilling to take the risk.

Therefore, Wizard Ernie cautiously suggested. "Master, it seems like there's nothing interesting to investigate about this lake. It's far too dangerous. We'd better leave quickly."

"Leave?"

Merlin's icy glare swept across Ernie and Watson, following which his tone became even more chilly, causing both of their hearts to tense up.

A slave possessed a slave's intuition. Wizards Ernie and Wizard Watson, upon receiving Merlin's frosty glare, dared not linger any longer. They hurriedly began to cast their Defensive spells, gnashed their teeth furiously, and flew toward the lake.

Nevertheless, as they reached the lakeside, they did not have the courage to fly in directly. Instead, they summoned a few alchemy puppets from their rings.

These alchemy puppets did not possess the slightest life force, and were only half-complete, and could not even be activated. However, they shared a common point, which was being made of extraordinary material. As a result, they were extremely durable and difficult to destroy, and their sturdiness was capable of withstanding the peak of a Sixth-level spell without being damaged.

With that, Ernie and Watson got ready to let the alchemy puppets to give it a try so that they could be better prepared.

"Go forth."

They flung the alchemy puppets with all their strength. In an instant, as soon as the alchemy puppets approached the overhead vicinity of the lake, they were immediately frozen and dropped from the sky.

"Crack crack."

The two alchemy puppets made of incomparably durable material was unable to defend against the freezing of the lake. They dropped from the air and instantly shattered into fragments.

Seeing that even the sturdy alchemy puppets could not withstand the power of this strange lake, Wizards Ernie and Watson turned green in the face. They looked toward Merlin.

However, Merlin still wore the same, cold expression, causing them to fall into supreme despair.

"D*mn it, why am I, Ernie, so unlucky? Never mind that I've met a Wizard who was so strong but he caused a such a mess. Although it's a lowly state to be a slave, there's still a day where I'll finally win back my freedom. Why did we have to encounter such a peculiar and dangerous place on our journey?"

Ernie was foul-mouthed and appeared very unwilling. Still, since they were already Merlin's slaves, they dared not disobey Merlin's commands, and could only put on a bold front as they slowly walked toward the lake.

"Whoosh."

By the time they had rushed to the center of the frozen lake, they had each cast their Defensive spells. The frigid cold conditions immediately assailed the surface of their bodies, freezing their Defensive spells in an instant.

Although their spells were not shattered for now, as the ice crystals thickened, they felt an increasing pressure as if their spells would fracture at any second.

Once their Defensive spells were shattered or they had exhausted their Magic Power, they would be not far from death, likely to end up like those ice sculptures on the frozen lake.

Merlin narrowed his eyes slightly. He was sensing the extreme chill of the lake, which only seemed to have absolute dominance over spells below the Seventh-level, freezing them instantly.

However, once it was a Seventh-level spell, the frigid cold conditions of the lake could not do much besides releasing a terrifying chill. This would freeze Wizard Ernie and Wizard Watson to death, and it was completely depleting their Magic Power.

Under the assault of the frigid chill, Wizards Ernie's and Watson's Magic Power was placed under a great strain. In a short moment, they would no longer be able to hold on, and the chill would invade their bodies, turning them into ice sculptures.

"The Seventh-level is the limit! The frigid chill of this frozen lake must be at its limit. Seventh-level spells can defeat it!"

Merlin glanced at Wizard Ernie and Watson who were casting spells in desperation, no longer calculating how much energy was being consumed. There were plenty of benefits in taking both on as slaves. At the very least, when they encountered future dangers, he could send them ahead to bear the brunt.

If they were in a perilous area, he could let them forge ahead. Merlin was able to save himself much trouble by having two slaves with such powerful abilities, and he did not have to take a risk.

Even if they were cannon fodders, Wizards Ernie and Watson were high-grade cannon fodders. They would not die so easily and could likewise bring Merlin plenty of benefits.

It was just like how they came across this mysterious lake this time around. Merlin did not need to risk himself to try it out for Ernie and Watson had already tested out the limit of the frigid chill of the frozen lake.

"Fiery Collapse!"

Since Merlin now knew the limit of the frigid chill of the frozen lake, he no longer hesitated. He raised a hand and pointed abruptly at the frozen lake. Instantly, in the air above the lake which was as spotlessly white as a mirror, dense pale white flames appeared and burned furiously.

"Boom!"

After Merlin had unleashed the flames, the entire frozen lake began to tremble violently as if a fearsome power had been residing in the frozen lake and was now gradually reviving.

Chapter 413: The Ice Goddess!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The frozen lake was melting quickly, and a burst of "cracking" sounds rang out. Merlin immediately withdrew Fiery Collapse. Ernie and Watson retreated rapidly until they were far away from the frozen lake.

"Rumble."

The frozen lake was still swaying. The surface of the lake which was initially as glossy as a mirror began to split open as deep fissures appeared. A ferocious gust of chilly wind suddenly whistled from within, sweeping out from the cracks and gradually fading after it came out.

"There are stairs?"

Wizard Ernie suddenly pointed at the crack in the middle on the frozen lake. Indeed, a faintly discernibly flight of jade stairs could be seen in the crack.

"Master, there's something strange about this frozen lake. I've never heard of this in Subzero Snowfield. Who knows, it might have been left behind from a distant past. Since there are stairs, there must've been someone living there. Perhaps it was left behind by a powerful Spell Caster!"

As he spoke, Wizard Watson's eyes twinkled with enthusiasm. If it was left behind by some great Spell Casters, then it was an ancient monument. Although Subzero Snowfield was extremely barren, ancient monuments would occasionally appear. From these ancient monuments, they could obtain alchemy, spells or even precious Pandora Demon Abilities of the legends, greatly boosting the abilities of Spell Casters. This would happen from time to time.

Now that they were looking at such a peculiar frozen lake, with its flight of stairs, naturally, one could not help but think of an ancient monument.

"Both of you, walk ahead. Go in for a look first!"

Merlin seemed to have come to a decision and spoke to Wizards Watson and Ernie.

Wizards Ernie and Watson exchanged a glance in a powerless manner. They were being dispatched as cannon fodders once again, walking into the dangerous unknown of these stairs. No one knew what hazards they would encounter inside.

However, they were now Merlin's slaves. This was what they were supposed to do, and they were aware of this. Therefore, they began to heed Merlin's orders and slowly went down the stairs within the crack.

Merlin followed behind them both, gradually advancing toward the stairs. This flight of stairs was made of jade which looked magnificent, causing them to gasp in amazement!

Jade was enjoyed as an abundant output all over the world. Nonetheless, in terms of time period, there was no doubt that the era that cherished jade the most was the Molta Empire from three thousand and six hundred years ago.

During the era of the Molta Empire, regardless of whether it was the common folk, the aristocrats or great Spell Casters, they all had a great fondness of jade. Therefore, there were traces of jade everywhere.

However, to be as extravagant as to use jade to build stairs was rarely seen. Most Spell Casters would not have been able to accomplish this.

If this ancient monument was truly left behind from the era of the Molta Empire, it must have been an extremely powerful Spell Caster – a Great Wizard at least – who was able to be extravagant enough to use jade to build stairs.

Merlin counted – this flight of stairs consisted of around three hundred and sixty-five blocks of jade. It was a rough allusion to the number of days in a year. This was definitely not a coincidence. After descending the stairs, they found an extended passage. What astonished them was that in the passage, regardless of whether it was the floor tiles or the two walls and ceilings of the passage, everything was paved with jade.

This was basically a world of jade. It was enough to show that the previous master of this place was very fond of jade.

"Master, the end is just up ahead, and there's only a jade door!"

Wizard Ernie had stopped in his steps. During this period, they had vigilantly observed all their surroundings. No one knew what sort of dangers lay hidden in the ancient monument.

Nonetheless, it looked like they still had not met any dangers, only a jade door. This door was blocking their path, and they could only move ahead by opening the door.

"Break down the jade door by force."

Merlin instructed Wizards Ernie and Watson. This jade door did not appear very strong, and brute force should be enough to break it open.

Wizard Ernie drew in a deep breath, and intense Elemental fluctuations appeared around his body.

"Whiz."

An ice spear consolidated from ice crystals appeared in an instant, after which it whistled through the air, flying viciously toward the jade door.

"Rumble."

There was a deafening crash. Ernie's Seventh-level Ice-type spell had countless permutations and could be unleashed in various forms but with more or less the same power. Still, it was unable to shift the door.

"Master, this jade door is far too solid and durable. I can't get it open!"

Wizard Ernie was somewhat flustered. He was a majestic Seventh-level Spell Caster, yet now he was incapable of opening a jade door.

Merlin had been observing the changes in the door. From the moment Wizard Ernie had cast his spells, mysterious runes had, in fact, emerged on the surface of the jade door.

However, these runes were very obscured, and their color was not that different from jade, which was concealed on its surface. If Merlin had not scrutinized it, not even his Mind Power would detect anything out of the ordinary.

"It must mean something. So, it's runes?"

In the past, Merlin did not understand runes, and would not have been able to decipher even a crude Runic Magic Circle. Nevertheless, with the Runic Heartprint now, no runes could mystify him.

"Swoosh."

The Runic Heartprint between Merlin's brow flickered faintly, and streams of light engulfed Merlin's eyes. This was the power of the Runic Heartprint. As long as it was runes, it could not escape the screening of the Runic Heartprint.

As expected, following Merlin's use of the Runic Heartprint, the Runic Magic Circle on the jade door was discerned clearly by Merlin. This was an extremely mighty and complicated Runic Magic Circle.

If one was using brute force, never mind Seventh-level spells, not even Eight-level spells could break it open.

The only exception was a special Pandora Demon Ability such as Merlin's Darkness Eye and Kleis' Spatial Blade. The fourth form would need to be unleashed or it needed a Ninth-level Spell Caster to forcibly break the door down.

Nonetheless, it was naturally not that troublesome for Merlin. He did not need to force it open because it was a Runic Magic Circle on the jade door. Merlin could use a corresponding Runic Magic Circle to break it open in a precise manner.

"Whoosh."

A beam of light flew from Merlin's forehead. Merlin pressed down firmly with his left hand between his brows. The Runic Heartprint was throbbing faintly, and mysterious runes accompanied the light.

These mysterious runes rapidly flew to the surface of the door. Following that, the jade door quaked slightly. Merlin, using the Runic Heartprint, could clearly perceive that the runes concealed within the door were gradually dismantled.

As soon as the strength of the Runic Magic Circle had vanished completely, the jade door began to slowly swing open.

The jade door gradually opened to reveal a hall which seemed to come from a dream world. This great hall was extremely spacious, and the floor was paved with the most exquisite emerald jade. There were also a few massive pillars that were likewise carved from jade. These were made entirely from jade and were not merely inlaid with jade on the surface.

This was a genuine world of jade. It was the first time Merlin had witnessed such an opulent place!

"Tss."

As soon as they entered the great hall where everyone was stunned to their core, they could not hold back a cold shiver. This was uncommon indeed. It should be known that they had cast their Defensive spells. What sort of extreme chill was able to make them incomparably cold in these circumstances?

Their gazes roved around in all directions. In the front of the hall, they saw a wide jade bed, and on this bed lay a bare, naked woman.

This woman who was completely bare and naked was at the peak of beauty. Her face was serene, and her eyes were shut, just like a sleeping beauty. It was the first time Merlin had seen such delicate features.

Regardless of whether it was Avril or Charise, there were more or less a few flaws, spoiling their aesthetic looks. Still, this was what they possessed as real humans, and was extremely normal.

However, the naked woman lying on the bed before his eyes was perfect from head to toe, without the slightest flaw. It was impossible for a person who was so flawless to exist.

Moreover, although the woman's body was completely bare, it aroused neither lust nor longing. Conversely, there was a sense of holy purity as if one should prostrate oneself in worship.

"The Ice Goddess!"

Suddenly, a fine light shone in Wizard Ernie's eyes, and he seemed to tremble all over.

"Eh? Wizard Ernie, do you recognize this woman?" Merlin looked at Wizard Ernie in suspicion. This aged Wizard's personality was similar to Bammou's but Wizard Ernie was bolder. In order to survive, he had now thoroughly cast aside the pride of being a Seventh-level Spell Caster, obeying Merlin's every word.

Obviously moved, Wizard Ernie replied, "Exactly, Master, I know this woman. In other words, I've seen her statue before. Master must know that before the era of the Molta Empire, besides Spell Casters, there were also powerful gods. These gods were the sole, true rulers of heaven and earth. Normies and Spell Casters shared a similar position, being controlled by the gods.

"However, following the subsequent founding of the Molta Empire, Great Wizards showed up one after another among Spell Casters. Spell Casters entered their most glorious age, and there were even Legendary Wizards who were able to kill gods! Especially those Honored Legends – they were even more powerful and scary, leading Great Wizards to wipe out and suppress countless gods, then banishing many of them. In the end, they've won the glory of Spell Casters!

"As for the appearance of this woman, it's the same as one of the many gods I've seen before in an ancient book. She's called the Ice Goddess, who controls ice and frost, and she's in Thule! We're in Subzero Snowfield – is that not in Thule?"

Wizard Ernie seemed rather worked up. He had never thought that he would be able to see one of the gods who had been killed, suppressed, or sent into exile by Great Wizards in the legends!

Gods and Spell Casters were completely different. If a god was said to be innately powerful, possessing great strengths from birth, then their chances of growing stronger in the future were far too slim. The only way for these countless gods to advance was to absorb the faith of living creatures. From there, they received and relied upon the power of faith. These gods were truly immortal, and could gradually increase their strength over a thousand years, ten thousand or even longer.

However, Spell Casters were different. A genius Spell Caster could become a Great Wizard in over a decade, and there were even those who could form a Maxim and become a Great Legend in a mere twenty years!

Gods and Legends were more or less the same. The gods' greatest ability was their absolute control over Elements. This was an innate gift, so when faced with Spell Casters below the level of Legend, the gods had an overwhelming advantage.

However, once a Spell Caster had become a Legend and consolidated their own Maxim, they gained the ability to contend against a god. A Maxim controlled the Elements as well, and its command of Elements was equally matched to a god's.

The most formidable Legendary Wizards' mastery over a particular Element was even more terrifying than these natural gods', and they were able to easily kill most gods. Legendary Wizards like these were named Honored Legends!

Back when Merlin had been in the Ship of Nikola and obtained the Flame Maxim, only then did he gain a simple understanding of the relationship between gods and Spell Casters. However, even then, he had not seen a god with his own eyes.

Now, the legendary god – the Ice Goddess – was silently lying on the jade bed in a serene and tranquil manner!

Chapter 414: The Legend of Ice

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The Ice Goddess laid so quietly on the jade bed as if she was in a peaceful sleep. Wizard Ernie, Wizard Watson, and Merlin were even holding their breaths but none of them dared to take a step forward.

Besides this mysterious Ice Goddess, there was an unseen pressure stemming from the mass of light as pure white as ice crystals, above the Ice Goddess.

The light emitted an intangible force as well as an incomparable chill. Boundless Ice Element seemed to be suppressed under this ball of light.

The pressure coming from the ball of light filled the entire sumptuous hall to the point where even the Ice Goddess's bare and naked body seemed to pale in comparison before this ball of light.

"What is this really?"

Wizard Ernie did not know what this ball of light was but since it appeared before the Ice Goddess, it was obviously closely linked to the Ice Goddess.

It was just that Wizard Ernie and Wizard Watson did not know what that connection really was. Conversely, it was Merlin whose eyes suddenly sharpened as a realization swelled up and stormed his thoughts.

Maxim, it was a Maxim! Only Legendary Wizards could create a Maxim. As Merlin possessed a Flame Maxim in his Awareness, he could be said to be familiar with Maxims.

The ball of light before their eyes was giving off a force that was even more fearsome than the Flame Maxim had been. It must be a very powerful Maxim. Furthermore, its purpose was clear too, which was too suppress this bare and naked Ice Goddess.

In the area where the Ice Goddess dwelled, a part of the strength of the Maxim had in fact completely isolated her from the external world, preventing contact from anyone. That mysterious ball of Maxim had confined the Ice Goddess here.

A Legend who could suppress a god must be very formidable. The Legend Nikola could only compare to the gods. It was difficult for natural gods to increase their strength, and they were often incapable of progressing one step even in a billion years. However, if they enjoyed the faith of many living beings and gathered the power of faith, their divinity was consolidated.

The stronger their divinity, the more they were immortal. A god with divinity would never die. This was the true reason they were so difficult to deal with. Therefore, when the Spell Casters seized the chance to rise, they had merely banished most of the gods instead of killing them thoroughly. This was because natural gods, especially those who possessed divinity, was near impossible to kill.

The Ice Goddess before them must also be a god with divinity. Otherwise, that Great Legendary Wizard would not have confined her here.

Naturally, Merlin was not looking at the Ice Goddess but the mysterious Maxim. He did not think that he would stumble across a Maxim by chance, and one which was far stronger than the Maxim the Legend Nikola had left behind.

Merlin had an intense desire for Maxims now. With a Maxim, even if he was not able to control it, it would still supply the Matrix with energy, following which Merlin could derive new Fourth-level and even Fifth-level spells.

However, as he looked at the white expanse of the Maxim, and the Ice Goddess suppressed beneath it, his face shifted uncertainly for he felt a vague sense of danger in his gut.

"Watson!"

Merlin flashed his gaze at Wizard Watson.

Wizard Watson slightly turned blank, following which his face took on a pained expression. Merlin had asked for him, surely for something unpleasant. Nevertheless, he was now Merlin's slave and was completely powerless. He could only respectfully arrive at Merlin's side.

"Master, what are your orders?"

"Go and take a look in front of the Ice Goddess, and see what danger is there?"

Merlin bluntly ordered Wizard Watson to test out for any danger. However, this blatant use of Wizard Watson as a cannon fodder resulted in the change on Wizard Watson's expression where it darkened slightly.

Wizard Ernie was somewhat rejoicing. It was a good thing he was usually more quick-witted and had always carried out Merlin's orders in a thorough manner. Thus, now that they had encountered such danger, he dodged a bullet at last, and it was Wizard Watson who was sent ahead to scout.

Although Wizard Watson was reluctant, he could do nothing else. He could not disobey Merlin's order for Merlin, who had the slave contract in his grasp, was in control of his everything!

"Whoosh."

Watson clenched his jaw and directly transformed into a light wind. Instantly, he dashed toward the Ice Goddess. The wind whistled and blustered, appearing rather mighty.

If there were any Runic Magic Circles or anything of that sort, it would have been triggered. However, even after this enormous gale, there did not seem to be any Runic Magic Circle.

Wizard Watson felt a rush of gleeful relief. It looked like there was no danger, so he heaved a sigh of relief and prepared to stop. Just then, a figure gradually projected from the white ball of light hovering over the Ice Goddess.

This figure was dressed in a long white Wizard robe, and he looked to be full of a noble presence. The instant he appeared, the entire hall seemed to dim in comparison.

Wizard Watson was slightly shocked and hurriedly retreated, staring at the projection in alarm.

At this point, the projection began to speak slowly, "I wonder which Wizard had stumbled across the Sealed Site? This is the forbidden area where I had spent immense effort, through great difficulty, to suppress the Ice Goddess! The Ice Goddess has plenty of believers in Thule, and through the constant accumulation of hundreds and thousands of years, her divinity was unparalleled in strength. There was no way to kill her completely. Thus, I could only create a Maxim and confine her here forever. In the future, when no one believes in her anymore, her divinity will fade day by day before finally vanishing completely, and she would die naturally.

"The Ice Goddess is extremely powerful, so leave quickly!"

As soon as the projection finished speaking, it quickly dissipated as if it had never emerged.

Only Wizard Ernie and Wizard Watson were left, staring dumbly at the ball of light in mid-air. They knew nothing about Legendary Wizards, and were not even clear about what a Maxim was. After all, after Spell Casters had enjoyed their most glorious era, they had quickly deteriorated, and many inheritances were buried in the long river of time.

"Leave?"

A cold smirk tugged at the corner of Merlin's mouth. He had come across a Maxim after much difficulty. How could he possibly let it go so easily? As for the powerful Ice Goddess, she would be terrifying if she awakened. However, it had been a few thousand years, and even Thule had been turned into the current Subzero Snowfield. There were no Normies at all, so how could there be people who believed in the Ice Goddess?

After such a long period without followers, the Ice Goddess' divinity had vanished long ago. The current Ice Goddess did not have a single ounce of life force in her. Evidently, this was simply a corpse, and the god, who had once caused endless headaches to a Great Legend, was long dead.

Therefore, even if Merlin seized the Maxim, the Ice Goddess would not revive.

When Merlin had obtained the Legend Nikola's Maxim, he had received some memories as well. Therefore, he had a basic understanding of natural gods and Legendary Wizards.

Although Merlin was not worried about the revival of the Ice Goddess, taking the Maxim was another problem. Back then, the Flame Maxim had been purposefully left behind by the Legend Nikola to be given to the Spell Caster who could clear the obstacles.

Thus, Merlin was able to smoothly absorb the Flame Maxim. It was not because Merlin was that special, just that the Legend Nikola had considered the matter when he left the Maxim.

However, this Maxim was different. It was used purely to suppress the Ice Goddess and was full of a frantic, powerful force. It would be exceedingly difficult for Merlin to absorb this.

Moreover, this Maxim was many times stronger than the Flame Maxim left behind by the Legend Nikola. Merlin had no absolute assurance of the outcome.

Nevertheless, no matter what, Merlin must give it a shot. After all, he had a daring vision. If he wanted to continue deriving new Fourth-level, Fifth-level, and even Sixth-level spells, he could not do without powerful Maxims to supply the Matrix with energy.

However, Maxims were incomparably precious. Now that he had come so far, it was hard to say if he would find another Maxim in the future.

"Both of you, stand guard outside the door, and don't let anyone in!"

Merlin said to Ernie and Watson in an icy tone.

Ernie and Watson exchanged a doubtful glance but they did not dare disobey an order from Merlin. Even though they were now curious about the Ice Goddess and the Maxim, they had to leave the hall and retreat to the doorway, helping Merlin to guard the door.

"Maxim!"

Merlin drew in a deep breath and fixed his determined eyes upon the mysterious Maxim hovering above the Ice Goddess. Following which, in one big stride, he came before the Maxim.

By this point, he was able to clearly see the features of the Ice Goddess. She was perfect indeed without any flaw. It was just that ordinary humans could never be perfect, and even the powerful Legendary Wizards were not perfect.

Only natural gods could look so perfect because they were the darlings of heaven and earth. Therefore, they could become gods, and were perfect from birth, far above the rest. Still, it was not necessarily a good thing. For one, it was far too challenging for them to level up to the extent that they were finally surpassed by Spell Casters on all fronts.

Merlin did not pay any more attention to the Ice Goddess suppressed on the jade bed but reached out a big hand and immediately grasped that enigmatic Maxim.

"Crack."

As he was holding the Maxim, Merlin learned that this was an Ice Maxim. Not all Legendary Wizards would have been able to use an Ice Maxim to suppress the Ice Goddess who had complete control over Ice Element.

To be able to completely transcend a natural god in terms of controlling an Element – only Great Honored Legends could do so! The Ice Maxim before him could be used to suppress the Ice Goddess, which meant that the master of the Maxim was the Great Legend of Ice!

"So, it's a Maxim left behind by the Great Legend of Ice!"

Merlin was blown away. Honored Legends were extremely powerful. If most Legends were able to contend against gods, then Honored Legends were totally able to vanquish and suppress natural gods.

In the Spell Casters' most glorious era – the Legend of Darkness, the Legend of Fire, the Legend of Ice, and so on – were among the greatest Spell Casters, leading countless formidable Wizards to banish numerous gods. In this manner, the Spell Casters' most glorious era was achieved!

However, Merlin did not think too much of it in the present. The moment he grabbed the Ice Maxim, his entire body seemed to become frozen. It was a feeling that was countless times more terrifying than any attacks from Ice-type spells he had experienced in the past.

Merlin could even sense that his thoughts were freezing up in that instant!

Chapter 415: Seizing the Maxim

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The power of the Ice Maxim exceeded Merlin's expectations. The very moment his hand wrapped around the Ice Maxim, everything seemed to come to a complete stop.

If he was an ordinary person, it would be futile to even attempt to seize the Maxim as it would be a suicide mission. Even without anyone's control, the Maxim contained insurmountable power. The fact that this Maxim was strong enough to suppress the Ice Goddess for thousands of years by itself, was a testament to its power.

Moreover, an Honored Legend's Maxim was not the same as ordinary Maxims. In order for a Spell Caster to be known as an Honored Legend, he must first be able to produce an ultimate Maxim, namely the strongest Maxim of one of the elements!

Only after producing an ultimate Maxim, the Spell Caster was worthy to become an Honored Legend. This also meant that their ability to control the particular element had surpassed the gods.

This Ice Maxim was one of those ultimate Maxims. When Merlin took the risk to seize the Maxim, he was immediately attacked by it. His entire body became frozen, and all the power of the Maxim shifted to suppress Merlin.

The Ice Goddess' body, on the other hand, without the suppression of the Ice Maxim, swiftly decomposed and eventually turned into dust scattered across the jade bed.

Just as Merlin had predicted, the Ice Goddess had long since lost her divinity, and was nothing but an ice-cold corpse that had died a long time ago.

Once the Ice Maxim ceased its suppression, the corpse began to decompose and turned into dust.

Merlin did not pay any attention to the disappearance of the Ice Goddess as he was in a rough spot himself. He had fallen into a grave situation. The power of the Ice Maxim was too overwhelming, so all his strength and abilities were rendered useless in an instant.

"Hum hum."

Finally, the Flame Maxim inside Merlin's body flickered to life. Sensing the suppression of the Ice Maxim, the Flame Maxim leapt up with urgency.

A blazing heat spread rapidly all over Merlin's body. Two auras – one hot and one cold – began to struggle for dominance inside his body.

Merlin regained his consciousness but his heart was filled with fear. Losing his consciousness for a split second earlier was like a nightmare. He knew that if the Flame Maxim had not been there, he would have been suppressed by the Ice Maxim forever.

This time, it had been too risky for him to rush into seizing the Ice Maxim! It was a completely different experience from receiving the Flame Maxim. Although the Fire Maxim was also uncontrollable by Merlin, it was intended by the Legend Nikola as a reward for any Spell Caster who had successfully defeated the challenge. Therefore, despite Merlin being unable to control the Flame Maxim, it still would not cause him any harm.

On the contrary, the Ice Maxim was originally intended to suppress the Ice Goddess hence, its strongest power was suppression. Regardless of what it encountered, it would suppress it to the best of its ability.

Right now, the Ice Maxim was doing exactly that, which was using all its power to suppress the Flame Maxim. Once the Flame Maxim was completely suppressed, Merlin would be suppressed as well.

An Honored Legend's ultimate Maxim naturally had extraordinary powers that far outstripped the Flame Maxim's. Even right now, Merlin could feel that the Ice Maxim had occupied most of his body in addition to penetrating his Awareness and "suppressing" the Flame Maxim.

The Flame Maxim too, was in an unstable state as if it would disappear any time soon.

Once Merlin regained consciousness, he realized the danger he was in. Despite the fear in his heart, he held no regrets. He already had a plan in his mind so he grunted. "Matrix, derive Fourth-level Thunder-type spells!"

This was Merlin's plan all along. As long as he could introduce the Ice Maxim into his Awareness, he could activate the Matrix. After some strange transformation, the Matrix appeared to be able to absorb the power of Maxims to derive new spells.

Merlin's intention of seizing the Ice Maxim was not to control it. A powerful Maxim like this, if it was not specifically produced with the intention to be absorbed by another, even a Great Wizard would not be able to control it.

Thus, Merlin did not even consider controlling the Ice Maxim. All he wanted was to provide raw power for the Matrix to derive spells. The Flame Maxim had almost been exhausted and Merlin did not want to consume it anymore, so when he encountered the Ice Maxim, it was an opportunity he simply could not miss.

Nevertheless, whether or not this plan of Merlin's would be successful was contingent on the ability of the Matrix to absorb the power of the Ice Maxim to derive new spells.

"Beep. Derivation successful. A total of two hundred and eighty-six Fourth-level Thunder-type spells have been derived!"

Upon hearing the beep from the Matrix, Merlin was ecstatic. This meant that his plan had worked, and the Matrix was able to absorb the power of the Ice Maxim to derive new spells.

Merlin carefully inspected the Ice Maxim and sure enough, it had diminished slightly though the difference was not very noticeable. After all, the Ice Maxim was far more powerful than the Flame Maxim.

However, this was just the beginning. The Ice Maxim was still very powerful, so Merlin would need to consume larger amounts of its power.

"Matrix, derive new Fourth-level Ice-type spells!"

This was already the last of Merlin's Fourth-level spells. Once he had derived all the spells, then he only had to wait until his Mind Power achieved the Sixth-level, construct the last two Fourth-level spells, and voila, he would become a Fourth-level Wizard!

The Ice Maxim diminished a little more but still, it was not noticeable. Merlin took a deep breath. He had to quickly exhaust the Ice Maxim in one swoop. Otherwise, it would remain in his Awareness and could not be controlled. It was a huge ticking time-bomb!

"Matrix, derive Fifth-level Darkness-type spells!"

"Matrix, derive Fifth-level Fire-type spells!"

…

Merlin activated the Matrix and began to derive Fifth-level spells one after another. The power required to derive Fifth-level spells, of course, exceeded the power required to derive Fourth-level spells. Therefore, with every successful derivation of Fifth-level spells, the size of the Ice Maxim diminished at a speed visible even to a naked eye.

"Thud."

Finally, after deriving four types of Fifth-level spells namely Darkness-type, Fire-type, Earth-type, and Wind-type spells, Merlin stopped the Matrix.

The Ice Maxim had diminished from the size of a fist to the size of a fingernail. At this stage, the Flame Maxim was also barely able to balance out the power of the Ice Maxim.

Additionally, with the intervention of Merlin's Mind Power, the Flame Maxim also managed to suppress the now-diminished Ice Maxim.

Merlin did not fully exhaust the Ice Maxim. After all, it was still a Maxim. Moreover, it a Maxim which belonged to the Great Legend of Ice. Merlin was sure that it possessed some unique characteristics and would be of great help for his Ice-type spells.

Of course, the most important reason was because Merlin wanted to obtain the memory fragments from the Ice Maxim. Every Maxim carried some memory fragments from its Spell Caster.

The Flame Maxim from the Legend Nikola also carried some memories with it. The greater the size of the Maxims, the more complete the memory would be. Otherwise, they would just be disjointed memory fragments.

However, in Merlin's case, he merely wanted to understand some of these memories, so even the memory fragments were sufficient.

Thus, Merlin quickly extended his Mind Power into the Ice Maxim.

"Boom."

There was tremendous aura that gave people a shudder. In the memory, Merlin "saw" an almost perfect woman standing in the midst of a snowstorm, like the holiest of all goddesses. It was none other than the Ice Goddess.

Around the Ice Goddess, there seemed to be many other gods surrounding her. They protected the Ice Goddess in the middle as she was the most powerful god in Thule and also kept a large group of gods under her command.

Whereas in front of the Ice Goddess, stood a tight pack of ordinary-looking Spell Casters. These were Great Wizards, and they stood so tightly packed that even at a single glance, there were more than a hundred of them gathered together.

Merlin felt extremely shaken to the core. If the number of Great Wizards alone were already more than a hundred, he could not imagine how impressive the Spell Casters were during the golden age of Spell Casters. This was just the tip of the iceberg. It was not surprising that the Spell Casters managed to exile even the most powerful gods.

This scene was obviously from the fateful day three thousand and six hundred years ago when the Spell Casters and the gods went to war with each other. Under the leadership of the Great Legendary Wizard, the Spell Casters had fought against countless gods.

In the end, they managed to kill, suppress, and exile most of the gods, subsequently securing the respectable leadership position for the Spell Casters.

The Ice Goddess, too, must have been suppressed by the Legend of Ice for this reason until thousands of years had passed and her divinity diminished away, then the Ice Goddess was truly dead.

The scene changed, and a gigantic palm appeared in the sky. This gigantic palm descended from the sky like a country. Inside, infinite Ice Elements transformed into several huge dragons and swallowed all the gods.

Even the Ice Goddess was unable to control the Ice Elements from this country because the ultimate Maxim was controlled by the Legend of Ice!

Although the Ice Goddess was powerful, her control over the Ice Elements was far from the Legend of Ice, who possessed the power of its ultimate Maxim. Therefore, once the Legend of Ice attacked, she could not resist and was subsequently suppressed.

However, due to the continuous worship from her numerous believers in Thule over thousands of years, the level of divinity attained by the Ice Goddess was so incomparably powerful that it was impossible for the Great Legend of Ice to kill her. All he could do was produce an ultimate Maxim to suppress her for an indefinitely long period of time to rid her of the divinity.

These memory fragments were from the Ice Maxim the size of a fingernail, so the memories were extremely scattered and disjointed. It was Merlin who organized them and arrived at the conclusion. Nevertheless, Merlin's focus was not on the war between the Spell Casters and the gods because it was already a common mention in most ancient books where they contained information of Great Legendary Wizards who led the Spell Casters to exile the gods.

Merlin was more interested about the tiny memory fragment in the Ice Maxim that described the powerful tactics used by the Legend of Ice to suppress the Ice Goddess. Other than the power of the ultimate Maxim, there was a Glacier Country that descended from the sky and enveloped all the gods!

"Glacier Country, a special Pandora Demon Ability!"

Merlin mumbled softly, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Glacier Country was like Darkness Eye where both of them were special Pandora Demon Abilities. Since Glacial Country was invented by the Legend of Ice, its memory was deeply weaved into every strand of his Maxim.

Therefore, even a single strand of the Ice Maxim contained a complete memory of Glacial Country. Merlin had braved a huge risk to seize the Ice Maxim but now he was about to reap its benefits. He quickly immersed himself into the memory of Glacier Country and investigated the cultivation methods of this special Pandora Demon Ability.

Chapter 416: The Frost Lord I

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Seven forms!"

Merlin swiftly immersed himself in the cultivation methods of Glacier Country. The first message he deciphered was that Glacier Country had a total of seven forms. This was considered very powerful among special Pandora Demon Abilities.

Similar to Kleis' Spatial Blade and Wizard Leo's Darkness Eye, these were all special Pandora Demon Abilities with seven forms, so they were considered highly powerful. Naturally, the special Pandora Demon Ability Glacial Country invented by the Great Legend of Ice also had seven forms and was just as powerful as Darkness Eye and Spatial Blade.

Nevertheless, in order to complement its powerful abilities, the cultivation method of Glacier Country was also extraordinarily challenging. Furthermore, Merlin had never cultivated any special Pandora Demon Abilities. Even Darkness Eye was passed down to him by Wizard Leo, so he had no inkling of how challenging it would be to cultivate a special Pandora Demon Ability.

First and foremost, Glacier Country required Ice-type spells – that much was certain. Whether it was Darkness Eye or Spatial Blade, even if they did not require specific spells, the ability to construct spells was a must.

( novelfull.Com ) As a Six-Elemental Spell Caster, Merlin of course also constructed Ice-level spells but this was merely the most basic prerequisite for cultivating Glacier Country. There was an even more onerous requirement, which was a physical transformation.

This was the most important requirement of all because once Glacier Country descended, it would be nothing short of a freezing arctic, and the conditions would be frigid. If a Spell Caster's body was unable to withstand such frigid conditions, it would be impossible to wield Glacier Country.

Physical transformation was the most arduous challenge for Spell Casters because their bodies were usually their weakest trait.

Seeing that cultivating Glacier Country required physical transformation, Merlin thought about Wizard Leo. He wondered back when Wizard Leo cultivated Darkness Eye, was it the need for physical transformation that made him dig out his eyes?

What about Kleis? Did he also undergo some special physical transformation in order to cultivate Spatial Blade? Otherwise, the act of slipping through space and slashing space with his bare hands were definitely not feats achievable by the weak physiques of Spell Casters.

The more Merlin dwelled on the question, the more he became certain of his inference. Every Spell Caster who cultivated a special Pandora Demon Ability had to undergo a physical transformation or else it was impossible to cultivate a special Pandora Demon Ability.

( novelfull.Com ) Neither constructing spells nor cultivating ordinary fusion Pandora Demon Abilities imposed any physical requirement on the body. On the other hand, cultivating a special Pandora Demon Ability demanded great physical requirements from the body. The only reason Merlin managed to wield Darkness Eye so easily was owed to the fact that Wizard Leo had passed it to him directly.

If that was not the case, it was difficult to determine whether Merlin might have been able to cultivate Darkness Eye.

The foremost requirement of Glacier Country was a physical transformation, which involved immersing the body in frigid cold conditions so that it would be able to withstand the invasion of Ice Elements.

Moreover, the colder the environment that was being immersed, the more effective it would be toward cultivating Glacier Country. Merlin's ring did, in fact, contained a thousand years' ice bone marrow which he kept for the purpose of cultivating the second form of Glacial Finger. Since he already gave up on Glacial Finger, he no longer had any use for this thousand years' ice bone marrow.

However, the amount of this thousand years' ice bone marrow was simply too little so it would not suffice for Merlin to undergo a physical transformation.

In fact, cultivating a special Pandora Demon Ability was incredibly difficult, and the success rate was only one out of ten attempts. The first challenge, namely the physical transformation, was enough to fail countless Spell Casters. This was because only a very small handful of Spell Casters would be able to persevere through the physical transformation.

Darkness Eye, for example, perhaps did not require such drastic physical transformation but once cultivated, the Spell Caster would need to be constantly vigilant for its backlash. On the other hand, Glacier Country did not contain a large amount of backlash but imposed stringent physical requirements. Only after the physical transformation was successfully completed, the danger of cultivating Glacier Country would be reduced.

However, the transformation process would be akin to hanging a millstone against one's neck. Due to the inherently weak bodies of average Spell Casters, without the protection of spells, even the slightest chill might not be bearable for their bodies.

However, Merlin was not just an ordinary Spell Caster. He had practiced the mysterious postures of the relief structures, so his physical condition was very strong. Hence, he was relatively confident about attempting the physical transformation.

Thinking along these lines, Merlin withdrew himself from the memory fragments of the Ice Maxim and looked around. He was still in the magnificent great hall built from jade.

The only difference was that the naked body of the Ice Goddess on the huge jade bed had disappeared. This was because when Merlin seized the Ice Maxim, her corpse had decomposed and turned into dust, and was scattered by the wind.

On the jade bed, Merlin only saw an exquisite white gold pendant which was previously worn by the Ice Goddess on her chest. Initially, he thought that it was just an ordinary ornament but the Ice Goddess' body as well as all the other items had turned into dust and disappeared except for this pendant, which was still intact without blemish.

This proved that the white gold pendant was extraordinary!

Merlin stretched out his hand and grabbed the white gold pendant. The moment the pendant touched his hand, Merlin felt a cold aura gradually permeate into his body, and concentrated Ice Elements immediately gathered around the pendant.

"Hmm. Besides speeding up the formation of Ice Elements, it also gradually improves the body's condition to allow it to bond better with Ice Elements!"

Merlin's heart was filled with delight. This pendant was perfect for his current situation. In order to cultivate Glacier Country, he first had to undergo a physical transformation so that his body could endure frigid cold conditions.

Right now, this white gold pendant would help him slowly improve his physical form as well as increase his affinity to Ice Elements. While these features might not have any immediate benefits, over a long period of time, they would be extremely helpful for him to train his body to withstand frigid conditions in the future.

This pendant was called the Goddess' Blessing, and was originally made by the Ice Goddess to be given to her believers. After she was suppressed by the Legend of Ice, this pendant was all that was left.

Merlin hung the Goddess' Blessing on his neck and took a deep breath, then exited the magnificent great hall.

Outside the great hall, Wizards Ernie and Watson were waiting anxiously, eager to see what was happening inside. Neither the Ice Goddess nor the mysterious ball of light was a sight that they had ever witnessed with their eyes.

Nevertheless, they were Merlin's slaves, so they did not dare disobey his orders. They could only hold back their curiosity and stand guard outside the great hall.

"Master!"

Upon seeing Merlin, their spirits rose.

"Let's go, this place is going to collapse soon."

Merlin did not even turn back as he headed straight for the exit, leaving a stunned Watson and Ernie staring at his back.

"Going to collapse?"

They did not believe that this mysterious place was about to collapse but just as Merlin's words fell, the entire passage began to shake violently. The magnificent great hall rapidly collapsed, and large chunks of rocks were about to fall on them.

Wizards Ernie and Watson were astounded. It looked like Merlin's words were not to be taken lightly. This place was indeed about to collapse soon, so they hurriedly followed him.

"Rumble rumble."

When Merlin, Ernie, and Watson walked out of the mysterious underground passage and returned to the frozen lake, the entire lake began to thaw.

Thick layers of ice began to rapidly break apart and melted into a large river. Previously, the river water had been frozen solid and, thus, was not flowing. At this moment, following the massive cracks in the ice layers, the frost began to melt and rapidly converged into a strong gush of water, running downstream, forming a real, flowing river.

Merlin had already anticipated this transformation. When the Legend of Ice used the Ice Maxim to suppress the Ice Goddess at the bottom of the lake, her natural affinity toward the Ice Elements as well as the powerful Ice Maxim attracted Ice Elements to the lake. Gradually, the lake surface froze and turned into the mysterious frozen lake.

Moreover, following the passage of time, the Ice Maxim at the bottom of the lake might have leaked some of its powers, therefore causing all kinds of strange and bizarre occurrences around the lake.

Now that Merlin had seized the Ice Maxim, and the Ice Goddess was irrevocably dead, the mysterious frozen lake would naturally cease to exist. Instead, in its place, was just a plain, ordinary river.

Seeing the transformation of the mysterious frozen lake take place in the blink of an eye, Wizard Ernie and Wizard Watson exchanged a look. They knew that Merlin must have done something inside the great hall to trigger this transformation.

Nonetheless, despite their envy, they did not dare to conceive any ill-intention toward Merlin. As his slaves, their lives were completely in Merlin's grasp.

"Master, are we going to continue the journey?"

Ernie asked cautiously. Previously, they were heading toward Ernie's residence but had come across this mysterious frozen lake on the way there. As a result, Merlin obtained an unexpected find.

Merlin did not answer immediately. Instead, he asked Ernie and Watson, "In Subzero Snowfield, is there some item or place that can improve a Spell Caster's physique in order to be able to withstand the invasion of frigid blasts?"

"Improve physique? Withstand the cold invasion?"

Wizard Ernie and Wizard Watson bobbed their head in unison. "There's only one place with that effect. It's the Frost Pond belonging to the Frost Lord!"

"The Frost Lord?"

Merlin's eyes frowned slightly. This moniker was quite unique, and it was the first time he heard of it. The moniker also did not sound like it belonged to a Spell Caster.

"Who's the Frost Lord? What's the Frost Pond?"

Following Merlin's inquiries, Watson and Ernie explained in detail.

The Frost Lord was indeed not a Spell Caster but had evolved from a snow sprite with thousands of years of experience. Its abilities were unfathomable. Some said it was on par with a Seventh-level Spell Caster while others said it was comparable to an Eighth- or Ninth-level Spell Caster.

Regardless, the Frost Lord was extremely mysterious and powerful. Although most Spell Casters knew that the Frost Lord was only a snow sprite, none of them dared to offend the Frost Lord.

Therefore, the Frost Lord designated an area where various types of snow sprites could inhabit freely. Some Spell Casters who were favored by the Frost Lord were also able to enter this strange area.

As for the Frost Pond, it was built by the Frost Lord over a long period of time. According to rumors, the Frost Pond could be used to nurture some of the snow sprites. Additionally, Spell Casters who were favored upon by the Frost Lord could also enter the Frost Pond. Once baptized, it would instantly improve one's physique, and increase one's affinity with Ice Elements to beyond imaginable levels.

As a result, the power level of Ice-type spells would increase many folds.

"The Frost Pond actually has such a unique effect. Very well, I'm going to visit the Frost Lord!"

Once Merlin learned the information about the Frost Lord, he could not wait to get going. If the Frost Pond truly had that rumored effect, then he had a very high chance of cultivating Glacier Country!

Naturally, Merlin did not want to miss this opportunity. Therefore, leading two thoroughly confused slaves Ernie and Watson, he flew swiftly toward the Frost Lord's designated area.

Chapter 417: The Frost Lord II

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

A heavy snowfall had just lifted and the sky turned azure blue. From the clear skies, warm sunlight shone on the entire Subzero Snowfield.

Nestled in the icy depths of the snow-capped mountains, stood a majestic palace complex. At this moment, several snow sprites were flying toward one of the palaces.

From a distance, a few Spell Casters gazed wistfully at the scene. "There're so many snow sprites. Tsk tsk. Besides here, where else can you see such a spectacular view?"

"Yeah. If these snow sprites were encountered elsewhere, they would be in great danger. In this place, however, the Frost Lord reigns supreme. Especially here, the rank of snow sprites is second to none. Who would dare challenge them?"

"Today is probably the day the Lord Master opens the Frost Pond, so these snow sprites are rushing to accept the Frost Lord's test to get an opportunity to be baptized in the Frost Pond."

There was a fervent discussion among the crowd. These people consisted of Spell Casters who were allowed to enter the Frost Lord's area and were given a relatively safe degree of guarantee. However, in this area, the highest status still belonged to these snow sprites.

Like sprites from the other elements, snow sprites inherently possessed a weaker status, so if they were encountered elsewhere, they would be caught by Spell Casters. In this place, however, the Frost Lord reigned supreme, so no one would even dream of harming the snow sprites.

The Frost Lord too had started as a weak little snow sprite, and slowly grew into a remarkable overlord in Subzero Snowfield.

Nevertheless, the Frost Lord was very low-key and basically only focused on nurturing the snow sprites. In Subzero Snowfield, there were many snow sprites born here, so most of them would come to the Frost Lord's area for protection as well as to enjoy the various facilities prepared for them by the Frost Lord.

This was the ultimate paradise for snow sprites!

"Whoosh…"

Suddenly, three silhouettes flew swiftly toward the huge palace with mighty winds swirling around their bodies. From afar, they looked considerably impressive.

"Who's that?"

"Is someone trying to provoke the Frost Lord?"

Many of the Spell Casters were astonished. After all, the Frost Lord had lived in Subzero Snowfield for many years and was yet to be provoked by anyone. According to rumors, there had been Spell Casters who attempted to catch some of the snow sprites but ultimately their fates were unbeknownst to anyone.

In short, the Frost Lord was extremely low-key, to the extent that no one knew its true abilities. However, that also did not mean that it was not powerful.

However, it was still unheard of for someone to provoke the Frost Lord so brazenly.

The three silhouettes in the sky landed in front of the palace with a mighty swoop.

"Ernie, Watson, you two go ahead and negotiate with the Frost Lord on what are the conditions that will allow me to be baptized in the Frost Lake."

These three people were of course Merlin accompanied by Wizards Ernie and Watson. They arrived directly in front of the Frost Lord's palace. Merlin must first use the Frost Lord's Frost Pond to improve his body and his physique in order to cultivate Glacier Country.

"Us again…"

Wizards Ernie's and Watson's expression paled. Initially, they thought that after signing a slave contract with Merlin, they would just find a peaceful place to construct their own spells where a hundred years would pass by quickly enough.

However, beyond their wildest expectations, in just a short period of time, they had already faced one dangerous situation after another. Moreover, in every single instance, Merlin had sent them to carry out the most dangerous missions.

The Frost Lord was definitely not someone to be provoked. Although both Ernie and Watson were Seventh-level Spell Casters, they knew that they amounted to nothing in the eyes of the Frost Lord.

In this case, the Frost Pond was the most precious treasure which belonged to the Frost Lord and was only ever allowed to be used by the snow sprites. Never before in history had the Frost Pond been opened to be used by a Spell Caster. Thus, they were quite certain that this impending negotiation with the Frost Lord would not allow them to escape unscathed.

However, since it was Merlin's orders, they had no choice but to obey. They flew directly into the palace.

The moment they crossed the palace doors, a few snow sprites flew out. Upon spotting Ernie and Watson, they shrieked loudly. "Stop, who are you? How dare you enter the forbidden area? The Great Lord Master will surely punish you severely for this. Leave now!"

The snow sprites were fearless in this place.

Wizards Ernie and Watson looked at each other and decided to release their formidable Elemental fluctuations as Seventh-level Spell Casters. For a split second, these intimidating Seventh-level Spell Caster auras stunned the snow sprites into silence.

"Seventh-level Spell Casters. These are Seventh-level Spell Casters!"

"I've seen these two before. Are they not Wizard Watson and Wizard Ernie?"

"Turns out it's those two cunning Spell Casters. Hmph, they were never good news in Subzero Snowfield to begin with. Nothing but a bunch of wicked, abominable Spell Casters. Let's quickly report to the Lord Master!"

Once they recovered from the shock, the snow sprites swiftly flew back inside the palace and reported to the Frost Lord.

Ernie and Watson stepped backward and spoke with a trace of embarrassment, "Master, let's just wait here. I'm sure the Frost Lord will be coming out soon."

Merlin looked at Wizards Ernie and Watson coldly. As for the thoughts that were running through their heads, Merlin knew it as clear as day. While the two of them dared not defy his orders, they also would not execute his orders uncompromisingly. Unlike Wizard Bammou, Wizards Ernie and Watson were unwilling to put themselves in unnecessary danger.

Waiting outside was obviously much safer compared to entering the palace because no one knew what the Frost Lord had prepared inside the palace. They did not dare enter the palace but also dared not defy Merlin's orders. Thus, they came up with such a ruse to attract the Frost Lord outside.

"Creak."

Soon enough, the main door of the palace slowly creaked open and a flock of snow sprites flew out. The surrounding temperature dropped radically, causing everyone to shudder.

Right in the center of these snow sprites, like the moon cradled by the stars, was a lady covered in a long, snowy white robe, similar to a Wizard's robes. This delicate-looking yet stone-faced lady was the Frost Lord!

Merlin was not that much surprised because snow sprites had no gender to begin with. Even if they became as powerful as the Frost Lord, this fact would still be unchanged. All the Frost Lord did was transform itself according to its own preferences. Therefore, even if it turned into a man right this instant, Merlin would not be surprised.

"Wizard Ernie, Wizard Watson, why have you trespassed into my forbidden expanse?"

The Frost Lord's gaze was locked on Wizard Ernie and Wizard Watson. After all, they were not unknown entities but Seventh-level Spell Casters in Subzero Snowfield. Despite being far from comparable to the Frost Lord's abilities, it would not regard them lightly.

"Hehe, Frost Lord, this time it's not us who are looking for you but our Master, Wizard Merlin!"

There was a smile on Wizard Ernie's face. At this juncture, he no longer had anything to worry about. Since it was an unchangeable fact that he had become Merlin's slave, and the news would soon spread throughout Subzero Snowfield in a matter of time anyway, he might as well acknowledge it now. Perhaps, it would even help him gain some favor with Merlin.

"Your Master?"

The Frost Lord paused slightly but seemed to recall something in its head and glanced at Merlin with a half-smile. "There were rumors that Wizard Ernie and Wizard Watson signed a slave contract with a mysterious Spell Caster to be his slaves! Seems that the rumors were true…"

The looks on Wizards Ernie and Watson's faces turned sour. Although it was a fact that they had become Merlin's slaves, the Frost Lord's words uttered before them were laced with ridicule.

"Hmph. Frost Lord, the reason our Master came today is to ask for your permission to use the Frost Pond. Tell us, what are the conditions that you may grant our Master to use the Frost Pond?"

Wizard Ernie asked quietly.

Just as he ended the question, and the Frost Lord was yet to answer, a few snow sprites began to shriek in a shrill voice. "No, no, you wicked, abominable Spell Caster, how dare you try to suggest to the Frost Lord to use the Frost Pond. That's solely for the use of the snow sprites. We'll never allow despicable Spell Casters like you to use it! Get out from the Lord Master's land!"

Wizard Ernie's face glowered. "I'm talking to the Frost Lord. Wo are you to speak up, you little cretin?"

Following that, Wizard Ernie's gestured with his hand, and a large icy palm appeared to grab the snow sprite. Although Wizard Ernie was not particularly powerful, he was still a Seventh-level Spell Caster. So, even a simple gesture from his hand was not a blow that could be endured by an average Spell Caster, not to mention a snow sprite.

Furthermore, despite the Frost Lord's nurturing of the many snow sprites, none of the snow sprite besides itself had been able to achieve the level of a Seventh-level Spell Caster. There were, however, a number of them that were comparable with a Sixth-level Spell Caster.

Between Sixth- and Seventh-level laid a huge hurdle, not only for snow sprites but also Spell Casters. Merlin had once found a flame sprite whom he had trailed after in the ancient monuments. It had lived in the ancient moment for countless years and yet remained at the level of a Sixth-level Spell Caster, unable to move forward.

This was enough to show the massive gap to achieve the Seventh-level. Especially for these elemental sprites, it was even more arduous to achieve.

"Crack."

The large icy palm cast by Wizard Ernie was shattered into smithereens with just gentle touch from the Frost Lord. In terms of control over the Ice Elements, a Seventh-level Spell Caster like Wizard Ernie was still far beneath the Frost Lord.

After all, the Frost Lord was inherently a snow sprite. Once a sprite was able to break through its shackles, its control over its own element would increase many folds, and the power of its spells would become incredible beyond imagination.

This was also the reason why the extent of the Frost Lord's abilities was so unfathomable!

After shattering Wizard Ernie's spell, the Frost Lord's tone was frosty. "Wizard Ernie, Wizard Watson, and this Wizard Merlin, the Frost Pond belongs to the snow sprites. It's impossible to allow you to use it. Please leave!"

The Frost Lord immediately rejected Merlin's request as it was impossible for him to use the Frost Pond.

"Swoosh."

Merlin lifted his gaze and stared directly at the Frost Lord.