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Chapter 915: Almighty Beast World I

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In a daze, Merlin had slowly regained his consciousness. The following moment, he felt as though his entire body had been torn apart, and a huge danger emerged in his heart.

"Where's this place?

Despite Merlin's vast knowledge and his proven ability to challenge the Void Zone, now that he was surrounded by a strange environment, he felt slightly uneasy.

In particular, he could no longer sense the power of the natural order or the origin of the natural order. He was surrounded by total darkness. The only source of light he could see was from the huge light source emitted by the fearsome clouds behind him.

From this huge light source, Merlin could sense the familiar aura of the power of the natural order. It was aura of the Void Zone.

"I've been sent out of the Void Zone?"

Looking at this scene, Merlin felt a prickling sense of familiarity. It was like when he had left the Glorious Land and stepped into the Void Zone for the first time. At that time, he stood in the Void Zone and looked at the dimensions, just like this.

The once seemingly endless Void Zone that even Merlin had never managed to traverse, looked like a huge constant light source from the outside world. However, this light source was flashing faintly and kept shrinking smaller. Even its aura became much feebler than before.

Merlin frowned, seemingly reaching an understanding. Even after the Void Zone had self-destructed and recalled all its power, it was unable to destroy Merlin's Illusory World.

As long as the Illusory World continued to exist in the Void Zone, it would disrupt the order of the Void Zone. Therefore, the Void Zone chose to self-destruct and suffer a massive loss that would take billions of years to recover, as long as it could send Merlin away.

Since it could not kill Merlin, it chose to send him away!

Merlin felt slightly disgruntled. Initially, he thought that once he had dismantled all his connections with the Void Zone, his Illusory World could be turned from illusion to reality.

Unexpectedly, when he had managed to dismantle the connection, he was thoroughly rejected by the Void Zone, and was sent out. It was extremely rare, and downright impossible for someone like Merlin, who had not yet become a Latitude traveler, to leave their own Latitude Cosmos.

After all, there was no one else like Merlin, who could not be defeated by a Latitude Cosmos. In the end, his connection with the Latitude Cosmos was cut off, and was deliberately ejected by the Latitude Cosmos.

"Does this mean that I can now be considered a Latitude traveler?"

Merlin was taken aback. Surprisingly, when Aruba had stayed in the Void Zone for such a long time, he was unable to find any life form with such potential. However, now, Merlin had been deliberated ejected from the Void Zone and became a "Latitude traveler".

However, it was not easy being a Latitude traveler. At first, Merlin did not sense anything except for a faint sense of danger, but soon, he saw an incomparably frightening scene.

Amid the hazy unknown darkness, a ray of light suddenly appeared. This ray of light did not appear particularly powerful, but it was very brilliant. In the blink of an eye, it shot across the pitch-black space.

Merlin was unfortunately caught inside this ray of light, and almost half of his Illusory World was also shrouded by it. In the first place, Merlin's Illusory World was already on the verge of collapse. He was lucky that the natural order in the Illusory World was still whole, so it was only a matter of time before the Illusory World recovered.

Nonetheless, upon being shrouded by this ray of light, half of Merlin's Illusory World dissolved into complete nothingness in an instant. Even Merlin's extremely stable natural order, which had been able to challenge the Void Zoid and could not be destroyed despite the Void Zone amassing all its powers, did not stand a single chance before this ray of light.

"Boom."

With the collapse of half of the Illusory World, the entire Illusory World shook violently. It was not far from collapsing. If the natural order could be snuffed out so easily, what more everything else in it?

Moreover, what made Merlin more fearful was this was only a single ray of light. He saw that from time to time, amid this pitch-black space, various rays of light would appear. Just slightly worse luck than this and Merlin would be dead.

"No, just because I left a Latitude Cosmos, it doesn't mean that I'm a Latitude traveler!"

At this juncture, Merlin understood. To truly become a Latitude traveler, he must possess the ability to overcome the natural order. Merlin's Illusory World had not turned an illusion to reality, so he still could not overcome the natural order.

At this stage, Merlin was still far from Aruba. The power amassed by the entire Void Zone was sufficient to drive Merlin out of the Latitude Cosmos whereas Aruba dared not expose too much of his power lest the Latitude Cosmos was destroyed.

"No, I must return to the Void Zone. Before the Illusory World is turned from illusion to reality, I must never leave the Void Zone!"

Merlin did not hesitate. He immediately turned around, and flew as fast as he could toward the huge light source that was the Void Zone. His speed was not fast but as the Void Zone was not too far away, he quickly reached the light source.

"Bang."

Merlin tried to fly into the Void Zone but he encountered a layer of obstruction. It was as soft as cotton but somehow, it prevented Merlin from entering the Void Zone.

"Open up or else!"

Merlin immediately mobilized the natural order of the Illusory World to defy the Void Zone.

"Rumble."

The natural order of the Illusory World was not paltry by any sense, but tremendously powerful. This violent impact caused the entire Void Zone to vibrate roughly, but that was all. The Void Zone continued to shrink and diminish. Although its aura grew even weaker, it did not let down its defense. Merlin's power was unable to tear the Void Zone.

Furthermore, Merlin perceived a sense of "resistance". This stemmed from the unique will which belonged to the awakened Void Zone. The Void Zone was now sealed shut. Unless a Latitude traveler like Aruba used his strength to force it open, it was impossible to enter it now.

"Hoo…"

At this moment, another tornado whipped up. This tornado was black, and covered the heavens and the earth. Merlin dodged as fast as he could but was still impacted with a small part. The Illusory World shattered into smithereens.

Thanks to the outstandingly stable natural order, it did not collapse. Otherwise, Merlin would disappear completely. Finally, Merlin had realized how dangerous it was for a life form to depart from a Latitude Cosmos, unless and until they had achieved a level like Aruba.

"As Aruba had said, despite traversing countless Latitude Cosmos, he couldn't find anyone who was a Latitude traveler like him. It's also not surprising that Aruba is lonely. Any life form without Aruba's capabilities would be instantly killed by these terrifying forces which appear out of nowhere."

Merlin felt that the natural order of the Illusory World was beginning to slack. Previously, the last ray of light had destroyed half of the natural order. Only the tiniest bit of the natural order was barely holding the shattered fragments of Illusory World together. If he encountered another danger, the Illusory World would be completely destroyed.

Without the Illusory World, Merlin would die. Currently, he was completely interlinked with the Illusory World. It was the essence of his being.

"I must enter a Latitude Cosmos as soon as possible. The Void Zone won't allow me to enter anymore, so I'll have to search for other Latitude Cosmos!"

Merlin looked around. The extent that his Mind Power could see right now was entirely too narrow. All he could do was depend on his luck and fly forward.

After flying for a very long time, Merlin periodically encountered some destructive rays. Fortunately, he managed to prevail but lost some natural order in the process. Right now, the Illusory World would not hold on much longer.

"Hum."

Suddenly, amid the endless darkness, Merlin sensed a strange vibration. He snapped up his head, and saw two light sources – one big and one small.

A light source represented a Latitude Cosmos!

"I'm saved, it's a new Latitude Cosmos, haha!"

Merlin was overjoyed. He mobilized every ounce of power from the Illusory World and flew toward the two light sources. Perhaps Merlin's luck was dismal because suddenly, a few terrifying rays appeared near the huge light source. From time to time, they impacted the light source, but had withstood every single hit.

Besides a Latitude traveler, only the Latitude Cosmos could withstand the various dangers lurking in this darkness.

Merlin watched for a moment, and thought that if he rushed toward these two light sources, it would be dangerous. Currently, he could not survive any further blows.

If he was struck by another light ray, Merlin would not survive, and the Illusory World would instantly collapse.

However, after so many days, Merlin was very weak. Even the Illusory World had gradually weakened. If he continued to stay in this darkness, he may also encounter another destructive threat.

Therefore, no matter what, Merlin had to take a risk!

Thinking along these lines, Merlin no longer hesitated. He gathered all his Mind Power and encased himself with the power of the natural order. Transforming into a black ray, he frantically flew toward the nearest light source.

The nearest light source to Merlin was a humongous light source, at least five times larger than the Void Zone. Beside it, the smaller light source was much smaller, probably even smaller than the Void Zone.

The larger the light source, the stronger the aura it emitted, which meant that the particular Latitude Cosmos was more powerful!

Merlin immediately flew toward the larger light source. This was an entire new Latitude Cosmos, so he did not know what he would encounter.

"Bang."

Another violent impact. Merlin's final natural order almost collapsed. In this huge light source, there was a vast, terrifying will.

"This Latitude Cosmos also has a will?"

Merlin's face waned. A Latitude Power with awakened will would not allow any power to enter, just like the Void Zone. If not because of the awakened will of the Void Zone, Merlin would not have been "sent away" by the Void Zone.

"Whiz."

Another frightening ray launched directly at the large light source. Merlin was also shrouded by it. At this moment, an unprecedented danger rose in Merlin's heart.

If he was struck by this light ray, there was no way Merlin would survive.

"I must enter a Latitude Cosmos!"

Merlin turned to look at the much smaller Latitude Cosmos beside the large light source. His Mind Power touched it gently. He sensed that this Latitude Cosmos did not have an independent will.

Perhaps a better description was that, this Latitude Cosmos already birthed a will but due to some reason, the will had not awakened. This was similar to the Void Zone previously. This was Merlin's only chance of survival.

That destructive ray was approaching nearer and nearer. Merlin steeled his heart, and self-destructed ninety percent of his final natural order. Only a hair's breadth of the power of natural order was left. The entire Illusory World was shaky.

"Swish."

Upon self-destructing his power of the natural order, Merlin gained an energy boost. He sped up, and like a man on his dying breath, frantically rushed toward the smaller light source.

"Boom."

The destructive ray collided violently on both Latitude Cosmos. The aftershocks spread in every direction. Although the impact was very powerful, it did not destabilize these two Latitude Cosmos.

Merlin's luck was not too terrible. At the final possible moment, he flew into this brand new Latitude Cosmos without any obstruction…

Chapter 916: Almighty Beast World II

"Whiz."

No one noticed that amid the silent night sky, a tiny stream of light had broken through the sky and dropped down.

Merlin was still conscious at this time, but just barely. He was unable to control the speed of his body's descend. All he knew was that he had entered a new dimension.

Any Latitude Cosmos would not allow a different power of the natural order to enter easily. Although Merlin's Illusory World was shattered, it had not collapsed entirely. A faint wisp of the power of the natural order was left. Once this brand-new Latitude Cosmos detected Merlin's Illusory World, it too began to exert pressure.

The weighty pressure unnerved Merlin. He must find a living creature as soon as possible and enter his or her body, just like what he did with Stedman. He would have to live as a parasite temporarily, and slowly recover.

The power of the natural order of this world, in Merlin's current state, was exceedingly threatening. It was powerful to the point that Merlin could not put up any resistance, except for falling downward rapidly.

…

In the magnificent Count's Manor in Boulder City, a grand ball was being held.

Young Master Leon, the only son of Count Stanwin, the castellan of Boulder City, was getting engaged to Lady Reese tonight. For this reason, all the aristocrats from all over Boulder City had been invited to the Count's Manor.

The manor's paths were brightly lit. Many noble gentlemen and ladies gathered in groups of twos and threes as they conversed softly. A sweet violin melody, which was played by a skilled violin master, created a joyful atmosphere throughout the manor.

However, the conversation between these noble ladies was not so much about the ball but the war.

The reason that the war was a topic of discussion despite such a grandiose occasion was because the situation at the front line was extremely tense. Currently, a rebellion had broken out in the southern region of the Holy Dragon Empire. Someone who called himself General Blackbat had launched a rebellion. Presently, he had already invaded several big cities. Thus, the situation in the south was very critical.

Although the Holy Dragon Empire immediately dispatched a large troop personally led by Marshal Kerry to control the situation, they did not manage to settle the rebellion as quickly as the aristocrats had expected. On the contrary, it was a stalemate.

That proved that the Blackbat Militia's strength was not weak. Moreover, the ongoing stalemate between the two armies was too far from Boulder City. Therefore, news of the front line was frequently heard.

"I heard that the Holy Dragon royal family has deployed a large army as reinforcements for Marshal Kerry. Hopefully, the Blackbat Militia won't be able to reach Boulder City."

"It's difficult to say for sure. I'm sure all of us know very well about the current situation of the Holy Dragon Empire. The royal family's holy dragon bloodline is now strenuously thinned. If still no royal heir with a strong holy dragon bloodline appears, I'm afraid there'll be more rebellions in the Holy Dragon Empire…"

These aristocrats were worried. At present, the situation in the Holy Dragon Empire was unstable. The root of the problem lied in the royal family.

The Holy Dragon royal family first established the Holy Dragon Empire with the golden dragon bloodline, a mythical bloodline which was one of the most powerful almighty beast bloodlines. Hence, every generation of the Holy Dragon royal family had been exceedingly powerful. Naturally, they were able to lead the empire to greater heights.

Right now, however, eight hundred years had passed. The Holy Dragon royal family had deteriorated with each generation, especially their holy dragon bloodline. It had become extremely rare, to the point that among all the royal family descendants, there was hardly any promising heir with prominent holy dragon bloodline.

As a result, the situation in the Holy Dragon Empire was unstable. Rebellions such as the Blackbat Militia, had been a dime of a dozen in the recent years.

The aristocrats spoke softly. The servant girls were busy serving platters of fresh fruits and expensive wine. No one noticed there were a few unfamiliar faces in a corner of the manor.

There were too many aristocrats in the manor. Other than the aristocrats, some influential businessmen were intrinsically linked to Count Stanwin. Thus, there were too many foreign faces. Even Count Stanwin would not be able to identify every single person.

In a corner of the manor, there were a few lofty but plain-looking men. They held up their wine glasses like the rest of the aristocrats and socialized gracefully.

However, the content of their conversation was very alarming.

"Is everyone ready? Marshal Kerry's army has formed a solid line of defense. If we were to face them head-on, the Blackbat Militia will suffer a heavy loss. Therefore, His Excellency the General has ordered us to take control of a few powerful aristocrats to attack them from the inside and disrupt Marshal Kerry's formation. Then, the Blackbat Militia will be able to break through their line of defense and achieve victory! The target is Count Stanwin's son Leon. We mustn't make any mistakes!"

"Hehe, Leader, relax. Count Stanwin is indeed impressive. His family has the Deinosuchus bloodline. He has almost five thousand armed men, all of them with the Deinosuchus bloodline in their veins. It's a very powerful army. The Holy Dragon royal family already planned that if Marshal Kerry's line of defense is breached, then Count Stanwin's army must immediately rush there to stop us. However, the impressive one is only Count Stanwin. Everyone has a weakness, and Count Stanwin is no exception. His only weakness is his only son."

"Stanwin's son Leon didn't inherit any bloodlines. He doesn't have any almighty beast abilities. He's just an ordinary person. Therefore, it's much easier for us to capture him. Once we've captured Leon, we won't have to be afraid of Stanwin."

These were spies from the rebellion army at the front line, who had successfully infiltrated the Count's Manor. They seemed to have planned this for a very long time. The plan had been scrutinized countless times. Now all they had to do was to wait for the perfect opportunity.

…

In the manor, with the help of the servant girls, Lady Reese was donning a pure white gown. Tonight, she would be engaged to Count Stanwin's son, Leon. According to her family members, this was a satisfactory match.

Reese had only met Leon a few times, and did not have a good impression of him. Of course, he was not too terrible either. From her impression, the fair-skinned, skinny but kind-looking lad would make a splendid friend.

Instead, he was soon going to be her husband. This thought made Reese slightly nervous. Although she too, did not inherit any almighty beast bloodline, as a woman, who would not wish that their husbands were sufficiently powerful?

"My lady, what's bothering you?"

The servant girls looked at the distracted Lady Reese, and asked carefully.

"Nothing. This is good too. Although Leon doesn't have any almighty beast bloodline, he's still Count Stanwin's only son. Considering Count Stanwin's contributions to this empire, this Count title can be inherited for three generations. Leon will not be in danger in the future, and I can enjoy life as a Countess. There's nothing to be unhappy about."

The more Lady Reese tried to rationalize it, the more apparent the unhappiness in her heart was manifested. Nonetheless, as she also did not have any almighty beast bloodline, she had been nominated by her family. Furthermore, Leon was a Count's son. There was no reason for her to dismiss Leon.

Regardless, who could understand a young lady's thoughts?

"Lady Reese, are you ready? The ball will begin soon. Sir Count would like for my lady to go to the great hall."

A guard was urging outside the door.

"Very well, I'm ready."

Reese cleared away the chaotic thoughts in her head. With the help of the servant girls, she gently lifted her skirt and walked toward the brightly-lit great hall of the manor.

…

"Master Leon, Sir Count asks for you in the great hall."

In a luxurious room, a thin, blond-haired young man was standing before a mirror. This was Count Stanwin's only son, Leon.

Leon had blond hair and a slender figure. He was wearing a gold silk suit. He had a noble nose bridge and handsome features. However, overall, he seemed a little feeble.

"Alright!"

Leon looked into the mirror again, and felt satisfied. Just as he pushed the door to exit the room…

"Rumble."

A thunder suddenly rumbled across the silent night. The sky was not raining but a heart-rending aura filled the entire manor.

Leon looked at the pitch-black sky nervously. For some reason, he kept feeling apprehensive today. This feeling made him very uneasy.

"Whiz."

No one noticed it but following that clap of thunder, a faint ray rushed into Leon's body. Suddenly, Leon's footsteps came to a halt, and his face betrayed an excruciating expression.

"Master Leon, what's wrong?"

The guard outside his door had probably noticed this abnormality and hurried to support him.

The skinny young man did not answer the guard. The next moment, his expression gradually recovered. Then, he slowly raised his head and stared at the guard.

"Master Leon?"

For some unfathomable reason, the guard felt that Master Leon was a little different today. Master Leon's gaze moments ago caused him to feel slightly fearful.

"Maybe it's just a hallucination…"

The guard observed Master Leon's expression carefully but did not see any irregularity.

Leon nodded. Then, following behind the guard, he stepped into the night.

In the dark night, the guard walked in front, so he did not see the changes in Master Leon behind him. Currently, Leon's eyes were incomparably calm though his gaze darted around the strange manor.

Occasionally, there were painful looks on his face as if he was desperately trying to recall something,

"This Latitude Cosmos is called the Almighty Beast World?"

Some memories were echoing in Leon's mind. These memories belonged to a young man named Leon but right now, Leon's consciousness had already disappeared. He had been replaced by a foreign soul!

Chapter 917: Engagement

Master Leon's soul had changed and became Merlin who was forced into this new Latitude Cosmos. He originally had intended to stay as he did in Stedman's body in the Void Zone, without affecting the self-awareness of the living being.

However, he had underestimated the natural order of this new Latitude Cosmos. Merlin's Illusory World had collapsed, and once he had entered this world, he had already been targeted by the natural order of this world.

Fortunately, Merlin's reaction was quick. He saw Leon, and quickly entered his body. However, he did not expect that the natural order of this world would be so tyrannical as to chase after him inside Leon's body.

The muffled sound earlier was the chase and attack of the new Latitude Cosmos chasing upon Merlin. Therefore, Merlin had to forcibly erase Leon's consciousness, and occupy his body. However, after occupying Leon's body, he had gradually forged a close connection with this new Latitude Cosmos.

Now, Merlin's memory was very chaotic. His situation was quite bad, and could even be called terrible. The Illusory World had completely collapsed, leaving only a trace of the most basic natural order.

Fortunately, this natural order was the core of the Illusory World. As long as this natural order existed, the Illusory World could be gradually restored in the future.

"Master Leon, we've arrived!"

The guard's voice woke Merlin from his reverie. Although his situation was very chaotic now and he had not sorted it out yet, he knew that now was not the right time. Now, he had to observe this Latitude Cosmos as "Leon".

"Alright."

Merlin took a deep breath. In such a short period, he was "rejected" by the Void Zone before narrowly escaping death and entering this new Latitude Cosmos. It seemed like it just happened yesterday.

If everything he experienced was a fantasy, then now was the time to wake up. No matter what, he could not reveal a single flaw.

Thinking of this, Merlin's expression regained its calm, and he slowly walked into the hall.

"Swoosh."

When Merlin entered the brightly lit hall, everyone in the hall turned their attention to him.

These people were all unfamiliar. At least, there were no traces of these people in Merlin's chaotic memory. However, judging by their attire, they should be minor aristocrats.

Merlin vaguely knew that the owner of this body was considered a great aristocrat. His father, Stanwin, was a Count. He was the castellan of Boulder City, and ruled over several other small cities. His territory was very large.

Moreover, the Count doted on Leon very much, to the point of spoiling him. Merlin had some memories of his fiancée in his mind. Her name was Reese, and she seemed to be a young lady from a large family.

Originally, Reese did not like Leon, but Leon's father pulled some strings to oppress people by force and let Reese's family agree to their marriage.

Thinking about this, Merlin felt somewhat helpless. In his past life in the Void Zone, his father Old Wilson also cherished him deeply. Now that he was in an entirely new world and randomly picked a person out of desperation, this father also doted on him greatly.

"Leon, come here."

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice seemed to let Merlin feel familiar again.

Merlin raised his head, and saw a man in his forties dressed in a magnificent aristocratic robe. His face was very clean and looked somewhat similar to Leon's.

"Father!"

Merlin immediately knew that this middle-aged man was the father of this body, Count Stanwin!

Although Count Stanwin was over forty years old, he seemed to be more handsome than Merlin. As he had sat in a high position for a long time, his dignified aura added to his charm. Some beautiful ladies present also looked at him differently.

However, in Merlin's eyes, Count Stanwin was incomparably amiable and kind.

"Leon, your fiancée will be here soon. You're getting engaged today. When the matters with the Blackbat Militia are finished, we'll choose a date to hold your wedding!"

Count Stanwin said gently.

Merlin wanted to say something but there seemed to be a commotion in the hall. Merlin turned around and saw a beautiful young woman fully dressed up, walking into the hall with the help of a servant girl.

"Lady Reese."

Fragmented memories immediately flashed in Merlin's mind, but he could vaguely see what was going on after carefully linking them up.

It turned out that this body had accidentally met Reese and fell in love with her. After Count Stanwin's repeated questioning, Leon revealed the truth.

To Count Stanwin, as long as Leon liked it, he would do anything possible to meet Leon's requests. Therefore, using the Count's power, he quickly found Reese and came to her door in person before the marriage was finalized.

Of course, only Count Stanwin and Reese's family knew what methods were used, but it certainly was not glorious. After all, Merlin knew that this body was not favored by others.

As for the specific reason, Merlin was not clear as his memories were still chaotic.

Count Stanwin saw Lady Reese, and revealed a smile. He said softly, "Reese, you're getting engaged to Leon today. From today onward, you're a member of the Hilderbrandt clan!"

This was also Count Stanwin showing everyone present his attitude. In Boulder City, no one dared to disobey Count Stanwin's will.

Merlin took Reese's hand under the direction of Count Stanwin. Merlin had lived for two thousand years and had two wives in the Kingdom of Blackmoon. Later, he continued to pursue greater strength. He had never imagined that he would take a woman's hand again. He felt some excitement in his heart.

He assumed that it should be due to Leon's residual consciousness.

Reese's smile was somewhat forced. It was clear that she was not very satisfied with Leon. However, she did not reject him.

Then, all the nobles in the hall congratulated Merlin and Reese, and sent them gifts of blessing one after another. Many of them made Merlin feel like they were extraordinary, but he did not know what they were for. After all, this was a brand-new world. Many forces in his past life could not be used now in this world.

Seeing the smile on Merlin's face, Count Stanwin also seemed very satisfied. He had performed countless meritorious deeds for the empire and even left his successor the title of a Count. Now, he could finally see his only son settle down and get married. Naturally, he was very gratified.

No one noticed that there were some unfamiliar faces in the hall looking around from time to time and occasionally looking at Merlin.

"It's almost time, we have to seize Leon! As long as we catch Leon, Count Stanwin won't dare to make a move. Victor, you're in charge of grabbing Leon. We'll provide support from the side!"

The man called Victor nodded with a solemn expression and turned toward Merlin.

"Swoosh."

Merlin raised his head sharply. How strong was he in his past life? He had stood at the peak of the Latitude Cosmos. Furthermore, he vaguely felt that this new Latitude Cosmos was weaker than the Void Zone.

To be able to become the top existence in the Void Zone, Merlin was naturally extraordinary. Therefore, even a hostile look would alert Merlin.

"There's danger?"

Merlin's expression did not change, but his heart was alert. It was generally very safe in Count Stanwin's manor. After all, who dared to go against him, the Count's only son?

However, Merlin believed in his senses more. If there was a real danger and this body died, Merlin's Illusory World would be bombarded by the Latitude Cosmos immediately.

Merlin's fragmented Illusory World would not be able to resist the attack of this new Latitude Cosmos. At that time, the Illusory World would collapse, and the core natural order would crumble. Merlin would truly die.

Therefore, nothing must happen to this body.

Merlin's eyes constantly swept through the crowd. Finally, he found some strange people. However, the nearest one to him was a stranger who seemed to be walking casually across the hall.

Merlin frowned. His keen perception and sense of danger felt that man's dangerous aura, so he pulled Reese's hand and whispered, "Let's go to father."

Currently, Merlin felt that it was safest with Count Stanwin. No matter what, Count Stanwin would make every effort to keep Merlin safe.

Reese let Merlin drag her away without explaining himself and felt that there was something wrong. Merlin used to be very elegant and would never have done such a rude thing.

"Leon, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing. It's just that dealing with so many people here has made me tired."

Merlin replied casually, but his pace grew faster. Even Reese noticed that Merlin was acting odd. Naturally, the strange man behind Merlin felt it even more.

"Did he discover me? Not good. I have to hurry!"

Victor took a deep breath. He saw that the people around him had already been deployed. It took them a long time to find this opportunity to get close to Leon. He always stayed in the manor so they could never approach him.

If they had missed this opportunity, they did not know how long they would have to wait for the next one. Therefore, even if it was hasty and there was a danger, they still had to take the risk.

"Now!"

Victor roared loudly. His body immediately rose as muscle rapidly expanded. The faint look of a wolf appeared on his face, making him seem extremely ferocious!

"A shifter?"

Some people shrieked and screamed. They only saw the figure of a shifter jumping up and lunging toward Leon.

Chapter 918: Facing Danger!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Merlin immediately sensed the danger. The stranger's hands had turned into huge claws covered with black fur, and contained great power to capture Merlin.

This kind of power would not be considered remarkable in the Void Zone. It was only equivalent to a regular Spell Caster. However, it was a fatal threat to Merlin now as his Illusory World had completely collapsed, leaving only a trace of the core power of the natural order.

However, Merlin would never be able to use the power of the natural order, otherwise, he would be discovered by the will of this Latitude Cosmos and may face death. However, if this shifter killed him, the body that Merlin just captured would be lost. At that time, the Illusory World would still be exposed to this new Latitude Cosmos, and Merlin would still be in danger.

As a result, Merlin was caught in a dilemma between two very dangerous situations.

Although he did not know what power this man had to morph into a beast, Merlin was keenly aware that although the other party was incredibly quick, he did not have any killing intent.

Merlin perfected the Mind Power System in his past life, and also formed an Illusory World. His Mind Power had also reached the peak, so how would he fail to notice killing intent?

"He doesn't have any killing intent. In other words, he doesn't want to kill me but captures me?"

Countless thoughts flashed in Merlin's head.

Since the other party would not kill him, that meant he still had a chance.

At this point, out of the corner of his eye, Merlin glanced at Reese dressed in a beautiful white dress. This beautiful young woman, his fiancée, had turned pale and was trembling, clearly not expecting this to have happened. Merlin thought lightly of the shifter's power, but it did not mean that others could bear it.

"Run!"

Merlin growled lowly and pushed Reese hard behind him.

It was just one action, but it made Reese feel that Merlin's figure grew taller.

"Leon…"

Reese was just a young girl, and girls always looked toward heroes. Leon was not her hero before, but at this moment, Leon's thin body seemed more dazzling than any hero.

"Bang."

A dull sound rang, and Merlin's body fell to the ground. A shocked look appeared on the strange man's face as if he saw something unbelievable.

"How could this be? I only wanted to capture him. How…"

Victor had been confident that a person without an almighty beast bloodline like Leon would be unable to resist his grasp.

However, just as he was about to seize Leon, an invisible force resisted his power for a moment, and he lost control of his strength. By the time the invisible force disappeared, he had already viciously attacked Leon's body. Leon fell back, and deep red blood spilled all over the floor, painting a ghastly scene.

"Leon!"

Seeing Leon got sent flying by the shifter and fall heavily to the ground, a furious roar sounded, and surging killing intent filled the entire hall.

"I'll kill you all!"

The huge roar shook the entire hall. The elegant Count Stanwin had immediately transformed into a terrifying Deinosuchus. The top of his head was full of terrifying crocodiles, and his figure exuded a powerful force, causing others to tremble.

This was the strength of the Deinosuchus bloodline. Count Stanwin was a member of the Hilderbrandt clan and inherited the Deinosuchus bloodline. Once, the Hilderbrandt clan was relatively strong, but over time, the clan's bloodline grew increasingly weak, and their power continued to decline.

The appearance of Count Stanwin had revived the prestige of the family. The Deinosuchus Hilderbrandt clan was already the most powerful family in Boulder City. It was precisely because of Count Stanwin's great contributions that he earned such prestige. He was the head of the entire family.

As the person with the richest bloodline of the Hilderbrandt clan in the past hundreds of years, Count Stanwin's Deinosuchus bloodline was incredibly terrifying. Not only had his head, upper body, and lower body had been completely transformed into a crocodile, his figure was emitting a thick and terrifying crimson red light.

When this layer of light had enveloped someone, it would let them feel incomparable terror. Affecting someone's rationality was also a unique strength of the Deinosuchus bloodline.

"Blackbat Militia, you dare to cause trouble in my manor? Die!"

Count Stanwin's voice contained endless anger as he stepped forward just like a real crocodile. He swept his thick tail, directly hitting two Blackbat Militia members, including Victor.

"Bang."

With just a sweep, the two men's transformation was almost scattered. Their hearts were beyond terrified. Although they already had information about Count Stanwin's terrifying Deinosuchus bloodline, they had not witnessed it before and were still able to shrug it off. However, now that they had seen Count Stanwin's horrifying power, they knew that they had lost this battle.

"Retreat. Everyone, retreat!"

The Blackbat Militia did not hesitate to give the order to retreat. At that time, many strangers in the hall shifted and fled the manor as quickly as possible.

Count Stanwin did not pursue them either. He was more worried about Leon's injuries. He merely ordered the manor's knights to pursue them before holding Merlin and directly walking into the house.

Now that such an incident happened in the Count's manor, all the aristocrats present felt frightened. If what happened today did not occur in the Count's manor, but their own, would they be able to deal with it?

"The Blackbat Militia is despicable. They've used assassinating methods. They must be afraid of Count Stanwin."

"Currently, the front line has a solid defensive perimeter by Marshal Kerry. The Blackbat Militia can't break through at all. They're trying to use assassination to cause Marshal Kerry's rear to become chaotic so that they can break through the defensive perimeter. However, how would they know Count Stanwin's prowess?"

"Yes, Count Stanwin is truly amazing. The strength contained in the Deinosuchus bloodline has most likely developed into the fourth form and is about to enter the fifth form. It's truly amazing!"

"I wonder how Master Leon is. How unfortunate. If Master Leon had inherited the Deinosuchus bloodline, the Blackbat Militia wouldn't be able to assassinate him. They wouldn't even know where to start…"

The aristocrats discussed with each other. Then, the butler of the Count's Manor informed the aristocrats that the engagement ceremony was over. As a result, the aristocrats left the manor one after another, and the entire manor quieted down again.

…

In a luxurious room, Merlin was lying on the bed. There were already doctors who were treating Merlin, so his horrible injury was much better now.

However, Merlin was still asleep. It was not because he was in a coma but because he did not want to wake up. This was because Merlin needed to understand this new Latitude Cosmos clearly. Now that he was injured, it was a good opportunity to do so.

From his memory, Merlin already knew that this world was called the Almighty Beast World where everyone worshipped almighty beasts. Rumor had it that some powerful almighty beasts could destroy the world.

From Leon's memory, Merlin speculated that this Almighty Beast World was much weaker than the Void Zone. In the beginning, he had entered this weak Latitude Cosmos to avoid danger.

However, saying it was weak was only relative to the Void Zone. The will of this Almighty Beast World was now the greatest threat to Merlin.

Merlin did not dare to reveal a trace of power from his Illusory World. Furthermore, his Illusory World was only left with a small trace of the power of the natural order.

When Merlin entered the Almighty Beast World, he was pursued by the will of the Almighty Beast World. Even if he had entered Leon's body, he could not escape being attacked by the will of the Almighty Beast World.

At the last minute, Merlin chose to seize Leon's body. After taking Leon's body, some changes occurred. The Almighty Beast World had a very instinctive will. Since Merlin had seized Leon's body, he had gained a small connection to the Almighty Beast World, and was considered to be a being of the Almighty Beast World. Therefore, Merlin had narrowly escaped the disaster and survived. However, the power of the Illusory World could never be used.

Since he could not use the Illusory World, he could only turn to other forces. Today's situation was truly too dangerous. Merlin had already experienced many dangerous situations, but this time, he had just captured this body before he encountered the unexpected danger of death.

"I'll remember that Blackbat Militia!"

There was a hint of killing intent in Merlin's heart. He was a great existence that contended with a Latitude Cosmos, but the Blackbat Militia almost killed him when he was at his most dangerous situation. Merlin naturally would not let the Blackbat Militia off.

However, the first thing to do was to obtain power. The Illusory World was not irrecoverable, but on the premise that the Illusory World could not be used at will, Merlin was now just an ordinary person. He needed to rely on the natural order in the Illusory World to recover slowly, but he did not know how long it would take. It might take decades to recover just a little.

"I need to speed up the recovery process of the Illusory World but it'll take quite a lot of time. What I need to consider now is how to let this body have some ways to protect himself."

Merlin did not want something dangerous like today to happen again.

"There are no Elements in this world, so it's impossible to build a Spell Model, but the relief sculpture left by Aruba is a good way to train despite its flaws!"

Thinking of this, Merlin immediately brightened up.

Chapter 919: Almighty Beast Bloodline

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

After Merlin had trained using the relief sculpture for a few days, he could feel some obvious changes. Even if it was not comparable to the Spell Models built by the Spell Caster civilization, it could reach a terrifying point.

However, the only thing to worry about was whether these relief sculpture postures would work or not.

Therefore, after noticing that there was no one in the room, Merlin began to practice the relief sculpture postures in his memory. Merlin had not practiced these postures for a long time. In the Void Zone, this was Aruba's set of cultivation techniques, which was a failure. However, if he could practice it to the peak, it would also be very powerful. At least, there would be no problems in protecting himself in this world.

Merlin had only practiced the first set of postures for two hours before feeling extremely fatigued both in body and spirit, which was different from the feeling he used to get when practicing the relief sculpture postures in the Void Zone.

When practicing the relief sculpture positions in the beginning, Merlin had discovered some black impurities all over his body and felt very refreshed and comfortable. However, he felt extremely tired now. This showed that the postures did not have much effect on this body.

"There's no effect… It's not the relief sculpture positions' problem but the body's!"

Merlin studied carefully and finally came to a conclusion. The positions on the relief sculpture was originally a training drill Aruba had specifically created according to the body structure of the beings born in the Void Zone or the land of the origin.

Therefore, how would these relief sculpture positions work in a completely new Latitude Cosmos with a different natural order than the Void Zone?

"The relief sculpture positions have no effect but what about Mind Power?"

Merlin began to check his Mind Power. His Mind Power came from the Illusory World, but now that the Illusory World had collapsed, Merlin's Mind Power also decreased greatly. He only managed to stop the shifter earlier because he had used Mind Power.

However, his Mind Power decreased with each use. If this body could have Mind Power, it could even speed up the recovery of the Illusory World.

When Merlin began the Mind Power cultivation method, he discovered that this body could not even produce Mind Power.

Even in the Void Zone, many civilizations did not have Mind Power. One such example was the Vestigial Tribe.

The relief sculpture positions could not be used, and Merlin could not even train the most basic Mind Power. He felt somewhat troubled. Now that his Illusory World had been utterly damaged, it would be difficult to recover in a short period without any special circumstances.

If the Illusory World was exposed during this period, it would instantly be attacked by the will of the Almighty Beast World. At that time, Merlin would not be able to resist in any way.

"I need to find a way to protect myself!"

Merlin glanced at the sky outside. In this world, there were many stars in the sky, and some legends circulated in "Leon's" memory. The stars in the sky were the result of the death of a terrifying monster.

"Almighty beast… That's right, the power system of this world is the almighty beast bloodline!"

Merlin recalled what had happened in the manor before where a man suddenly turned into a terrifying wolf. That power was equivalent to an ordinary Spell Caster's.

As for Count Stanwin, he was even stronger. In Merlin's perception, the shifted Count Stanwin was no less powerful than a Seventh-level Wizard in the Spell Caster civilization in the Void Zone.

This showed that if one could bring out the full power of the bloodline in this world, one would also possess great power.

"Since Mind Power can't be used and the relief sculpture positions don't have any effect, I can only train with the system of this world."

Merlin vaguely knew from the memories that the power system of this world was the power of almighty beasts.

The Almighty Beast World was extremely broad and very different from many dimensions in the Void Zone. The Almighty Beast World was full of boundless continents that were extremely large, and no one could traverse the entire continent.

The people in the Almighty Beast World all believed that they were descendants of almighty beasts and had all kinds of almighty beast bloodlines. The stronger the almighty beast, the stronger its bloodline ability. The stronger the almighty beast bloodlines, the more one would be able to awaken the power of the almighty beast and become a shifter.

However, not everyone had the almighty beast bloodline. There were only a few who had the almighty beast bloodline, and it took a long time of training to be able to achieve anything.

The body that Merlin seized had a very good family. The Hilderbrandt clan inherited the Deinosuchus bloodline. The Deinosuchus bloodline was once a very powerful almighty beast. Although it could not be compared to those top or legendary almighty beast bloodlines, it was considered relatively strong.

Leon's father, Count Stanwin, had a very rich Deinosuchus bloodline. Therefore, he possessed great power and even became a Count of the empire with a large territory.

However, Count Stanwin's only son and heir to the entire Hilderbrandt clan, Leon, did not inherit a trace of the Deinosuchus bloodline.

If not for the fact that his father doted on him very much, Leon's life would not be as pleasant as this. After all, the Hilderbrandt clan had proposed several times for a young man with the Deinosuchus bloodline to succeed Count Stanwin and become his adopted son. It would be better for that person to inherit the title of Count and lead the Hilderbrandt clan to maintain its glory in the future, but they were all rejected by Count Stanwin.

"Almighty beast bloodline…"

Merlin took a deep breath, and began to inspect the bloodline of this body. With Merlin's keen observation, he could feel that "Leon's" body was a little different from ordinary people and seemed to contain relatively strong power.

However, the concentration of the bloodline was too thin and simply could not burst with power. It seemed that "Leon" did not possess the powerful Deinosuchus bloodline.

"Creak."

As Merlin pondered how to gain strength, the door was gently pushed open, and Lady Reese, wearing a white dress, entered.

Lady Reese smiled. Seeing Merlin had woken up, she said softly, "Leon, rest well now that you've woken up. You don't have to worry about anything. The manor is very safe now. The Count has already transferred the heavy knights back and has also thoroughly investigated the Blackbat Militia. I believe that this will never happen again."

Lady Reese gently took Merlin's hand. She looked at this pale hand and the thin young man in front of her. She did not see this before, but unexpectedly, there was a brave heart hidden in this thin body.

If it were not for Merlin's sacrifice to push Reese, she might have been killed by the Blackbat Militia. After all, the Blackbat Militia would only spare Leon. If he was used to threaten Count Stanwin, an insignificant woman like her would not stand a chance.

A girl's thoughts were very subtle. Before, she felt that Leon did not have any almighty beast bloodline and was far from what she imagined as a "hero". However, Leon's courage at that moment made her sit up and take notice. She even faintly felt that it did not seem too unacceptable if she stayed with Leon all her life.

Merlin naturally detected the change in Reese's attitude, but he did not mind. From Reese's words, Merlin learned that the current situation was still not peaceful, and something like this might happen again one day.

In any case, Merlin needed a way to protect himself. Otherwise, he would always feel insecure in this strange Latitude Cosmos.

Chapter 920: Fossil Museum

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Early in the morning, the first ray of sunshine entered the room. Merlin slowly opened his eyes as his face showed a trace of exhaustion.

He got up, and took out a notebook from the drawer of the mahogany table. He gently opened it and drew some strange patterns on it with a feather pen.

"No, it's completely useless."

Merlin frowned. What he drew on the notebook were Spell Models, but they were improved Spell Models that did not need to absorb Elements. After all, there were no Elements in this world.

The main function of these models was to condense the power of the bloodline in Merlin's body, but unfortunately, the Deinosuchus bloodline in Merlin's body was too thin. Moreover, a new model had to involve the natural order of the Almighty Beast World to be effective and condense the bloodline.

Therefore, it was too challenging to create a training method suitable for the beings of this world in a short time.

Even if Aruba had arrived in person, it would take a very long time, not to mention Merlin. He could not create such a training method.

Merlin gently closed the notebook and closed his eyes. Deep in his sea of consciousness, the fragmented Illusory World was still floating.

However, the Illusory World at this moment had almost completely collapsed, leaving only a core of the most basic natural order.

Besides the natural order, there was also some Mind Power, but Mind Power was also based on the Illusory World. This body could not cultivate Mind Power, so this Mind Power would decrease with each use. They were extremely precious and could not be used unless as a final resort.

Therefore, apart from these two, Merlin did not have anything to protect himself with.

Merlin put the notebook in the drawer, and a beautiful maid entered from the door. As the only son of Count Stanwin and heir to the title, there were naturally people who catered to his every need. There were many beautiful maids like this in the manor.

"Master Leon, the Count has called for you."

Merlin nodded. With the help of the maid, he got dressed and went out.

Soon, Merlin arrived downstairs and saw Count Stanwin sitting at the dining table. Apart from Count Stanwin, only "Leon" could sit at this table.

"Leon, how are you these days?"

Count Stanwin asked caringly upon seeing Merlin.

"Father, I'm almost completely recovered."

Merlin replied softly, and glanced at the kind-looking Count Stanwin. If he had not learned the news about Boulder City, how would Merlin have imagined that this kind-looking father in front of him had recently carried out a cruel purge in Boulder City?

Anyone who had anything to do with the Blackbat Militia was killed directly without question. This was the greatest authority the empire had granted to the lords and nobles.

As long as it was within their territory, the lord could kill and seize. Of course, they could not oppose the Holy Dragon Empire, but all territory was managed by the lords and nobles.

Therefore, some high-ranking lords were no less powerful than the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. However, the Holy Dragon Empire wielded the strongest authority, and was the largest lord of the Holy Dragon Empire.

Count Stanwin was considered a great lord with many cities under his jurisdiction and a very large territory. In a short period of ten days, he had already killed nearly a thousand people.

This seemingly murderous father who did not have a good reputation in Boulder City doted on Merlin very much. The most fundamental reason why Count Stanwin carried out the purge was because of Leon.

Leon was Count Stanwin's bottom line! Since the Blackbat Militia dared to lay their hands on Leon, Count Stanwin naturally would not be courteous to them. Therefore, although the killings were cruel, and many were mistakenly killed, some Blackbat Militia strongholds in Boulder City were completely uprooted. In Boulder City, there was no longer anyone related to the Blackbat Militia.

"Good, eat breakfast first. You can go out for a walk thereafter. It's relatively safe in Boulder City now. There are some new fossils in the Boulder City Fossil Museum. You can go and see them if you like."

Count Stanwin said casually but Merlin knew that the entire Boulder City had been cleaned. With so many people cleaned after such a long time, Boulder City was naturally very safe.

"Fossil Museum?"

Merlin carefully recalled his memory and found some information about the Fossil Museum. The bloodline of almighty beasts was inherited in the Almighty Beast World, so they paid a lot of attention to them.

For an unknown reason, the almighty beasts that once dominated the entire continent all disappeared and left fossils behind after deaths. These fossils were regarded as precious items and transported to major cities where they were open to the general public for free.

"Leon" liked to go to the Fossil Museum very much, and would go every time there was a new fossil. Count Stanwin had clearly arranged everything for Merlin.

To keep in character, Merlin could only nod and say, "I'll go after breakfast. I wonder what interesting things have been brought to the Fossil Museum this time."

Merlin looked excited, and Count Stanwin grew relieved.

…

"Halt, we're here!"

A group of heavy knights protected the carriage in the middle and stopped in front of a huge building. Merlin slowly stepped down from the carriage.

"Master, we'll go in and have a look first."

The captain of the heavy knights said softly to Merlin.

"Be quick about it. Don't disturb the people in the Fossil Museum."

Merlin was also somewhat helpless. Although Count Stanwin had cleaned up Boulder City and it was now very safe, he was still not at ease. Therefore, he had transferred a team of heavy knights to follow Merlin closely and protect him. Count Stanwin would not allow what happened in the manor the last time to occur again.

Soon, the captain left the Fossil Museum and nodded. "Master Leon, there are no problems. You can go in without worries."

Merlin stepped out of the carriage, and looked at the Fossil Museum that seemed to carry an air of vicissitudes. It seemed this entire Fossil Museum was filled with this air.

"You wait outside. Don't come in!"

Merlin ordered in a cold voice before entering alone.

Chapter 921: Almighty Beast Fossil!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The Fossil Museum did not look very grand outside but it was decorated very luxuriously inside. The hall was extremely large, even larger than the hall of Count Stanwin's manor.

There were some giant skeletons in the hall. These were the legendary almighty beasts. Back when people had not been born yet, these almighty beasts dominated the entire world.

Merlin looked around the hall. He recognized most of these almighty beast fossils due to "Leon's" memory.

Perhaps it was because Leon could not inherit the almighty beast bloodline but was eager for power that he became infatuated with the legends of almighty beasts. He was also very interested in almighty beast fossils. Therefore, Leon often came to the Fossil Museum, and was very familiar with the almighty beast fossils here.

"Master Leon, you're here!"

An old man with an unshaven beard appeared in the hall. He was dressed in a mink coat and had a very clean body.

"Curator Heroult."

Merlin bowed slightly. Curator Heroult came from the capital of the Holy Dragon Empire, and ran the Fossil Museum. His origin was also very mysterious, and no one knew who he was. However, he had stayed in Boulder City for more than ten years.

"Master Leon, I heard there was an accident at the Count's manor a few days ago, and you were stabbed by the Blackbat Militia. How's your injury now?"

This seemingly neat old man asked softly.

"It's no big deal. I'm almost completely healed. By the way, Curator Heroult, I heard that some new almighty beast fossils have been added to your Fossil Museum. Is that true?"

Merlin looked at the hall. These were all almighty beast fossils that he knew and were nothing special. Even with his keen perception, he could not sense anything.

Curator Heroult smiled and nodded. "Yes, I recently obtained some new almighty beast fossils. This batch of almighty beast fossils isn't ordinary. If Master Leon is interested, please follow me!"

"Oh? Is there anything different about them?"

Merlin was also a little curious after seeing Curator Heroult's mysterious behavior. Apart from being larger, he could not see these legendary almighty beasts once possessed just by looking at their fossils.

After all, in the myths of the Almighty Beast World, all legends were about almighty beasts. Even the people were descendants who inherited the almighty beast bloodline.

Curator Heroult did not answer directly but took Merlin into a small room in the hall instead. There, the ground was full of white tiles, and beautiful crystal ornaments hung on the walls. The candles were also covered in glassware, making the room very bright.

"Master Leon, these are the almighty beast fossils!"

When Merlin entered the room, he immediately felt something off. There seemed to be a faint roar that echoed in his ears. His keen perception felt that this room was different.

There was a faint feeling of threat, making Merlin stand on guard.

"An almighty beast fossil!"

Merlin saw that in the middle of the room, numerous huge bones formed a monstrous almighty beast the length of tens of meters with two heads. From the fossil, he could see that the almighty beast had rows of sharp teeth.

However, this was not what was most unique. What was most unique was the back of this almighty beast where there were two huge wings. This was a flying almighty beast.

Flying almighty beasts were very rare. Such almighty beasts had unique advantages in ancient times. They could soar in the sky, and were considered extremely ferocious predator almighty beasts.

However, Merlin had no idea how to appreciate this flying almighty beast. His attention was focused on the skeleton of the fossil, which seemed to contain a violent will that roared incessantly.

An average person might not be able to sense it. After all, it seemed like there was a big difference between the people of this world and the beings in the Void Zone. There was no one here who had or was born with Mind Power, so it was difficult to sense the subtle fluctuations.

There might be other special methods to sense it but Merlin did not know about them now. However, he seemed to sense a sound like the almighty beast's roar but the almighty beast in front of him was a fossil.

Seeing Merlin's changing expression, standing to the side, Curator Heroult's expression also changed slightly. A strange glint flashed across his smiling eyes.

"Master Leon, how do you feel?"

Merlin raised his head, and glanced at Curator Heroult. This almighty beast fossil was made by this old man, so he must know its special features.

"Nothing much, just a little strange. Flying almighty beasts are very rare. What kind of almighty beast is this?"

Curator Heroult had a meaningful look in his eyes as he said slowly, "This almighty beast is called the Two-headed Pterolycus. It's an extremely powerful, cruel, and cunning almighty beast. The two wings on its back are only found on a fully grown Two-headed Pterolycus."

Curator Heroult briefly introduced the almighty beast fossil. The Two-headed Pterolycus was a relatively powerful almighty beast but it was far from the top. However, once it matured, it grew wings and could soar in the sky. The Two-headed Pterolycus would become extremely strong and could be regarded as the most powerful almighty beast.

It was much stronger than the Hilderbrandt clan's Deinosuchus bloodline. After all, the Hilderbrandt clan's Deinosuchus bloodline was only roughly equivalent to a relatively powerful almighty beast bloodline.

As if seeing Merlin's interest, Curator Heroult continued. "Master Leon, in ancient times, the Two-headed Pterolycus was very powerful, especially a matured Two-headed Pterolycus. It's much more powerful than the Deinosuchus bloodline of your Hilderbrandt clan. Unfortunately, the bloodline of the Two-headed Pterolycus has been cut off for some reason, and no clan or person has been heard of having the bloodline of the Two-headed Pterolycus."

Curator Heroult shook his head regretfully. Although there were many clans and some ordinary people possessed almighty beast bloodlines, there were too many almighty beasts. Furthermore, because of unknown reasons, many powerful almighty beast bloodlines had not been inherited.

One such example was the Two-headed Pterolycus. No one had inherited the Two-headed Pterolycus bloodline.

"So, it's called the Two-headed Pterolycus… It does appear to be a relatively fearsome almighty beast. Curator Heroult, I like this fossil very much. Could I take it back and watch it for a few days? I'll certainly send it back to you in the future."

Merlin asked casually but he was already making plans in his heart. Earlier, he felt this fossil send out a strange force as if it was an almighty beast's roar.

Merlin found it strange, so he wanted to bring the fossil back to the Count's manor. After careful observation, he might find something unexpected.

"Oh? Master Leon seems very interested in this Two-headed Pterolycus fossil?"

Curator Heroult asked calmly but his deep eyes seemed to see through Merlin's thoughts.

"Curator Heroult, can I take this fossil?"

Merlin still wanted to take this fossil.

"You can, but Master Leon, you must tell me the truth. How do you feel? Did you hear the almighty beast's roar?"

The smile on Curator Heroult's face had completely disappeared and was replaced with a very solemn expression.

Chapter 922: Parasite!

Merlin was taken aback. He glanced at the pristinely dressed old man from head to toe a second time. As much as he hated to admit it, the old man had a great fashion taste and had a mysterious air to boot.

"Curator Herault, you were saying something about an Almighty Beast roaring?"

Merlin continued to deny it. Who knew what these Almighty Beasts fossil represented? He could not tell if the roars of Almighty Beasts would bring danger to him either. Hence, he could only deny it. Afterall, Merlin was now a weakling, so he had to take extra caution when dealing with things.

"No need to play dumb. You came close to being assassinated by the Black Manta troops, you should keep your guard up. That said… If I ever intended to harm you, those bodyguards you have, or anyone for that matter, can't protect you. Consider this a second chance. It's not every day you get to meet someone who's attuned to the will of the almighty beasts, especially in a small place like this. Tsk tsk. I heard you have yet to inherit Hildebrandt's ferocious bloodline. Don't you desire power?"

Noticing the curator's rather "enticing" words, Merlin remained ever so vigilant. After all, he's the sole successor to Count Stanwin, and within the Stone Kingdom, that was good as being invincible.

However, Curator Herault seemed to disregard Merlin's title.

"Power… How could you ever grant me power? I do not possess the Bloodline of the Almighty Beasts."

Merlin responded slowly after a little contemplation. He knew that without the Bloodline of the Almighty Beasts, it was impossible to possess a great deal of power in the realm.

"It is true that things are much harder without the Blood of the Almighty Beasts. However, inheriting the bloodline isn't the only way to go. There lies another way to obtain the might of the beasts."

"What way?"

Merlin excitedly asked.

With a vague smile, Curator Herault answered, "Master Leon, Count Stanwin is the fourth Greatest Wizard to have ever existed. Did he not tell you about the other method?"

Merlin furrowed his brows. Granted, the curator was extremely enigmatic, but this was his father that they were talking about. As the Stone Kingdom's ruler, with a ferocious bloodline running high within him, surely his father would have known of an alternative. Yet in Merlin's sea of memories, there was certainly no recollection of such a matter, or perhaps… None that Count Stanwin had ever mentioned to him.

Sensing Merlin's silence, the curator continued, "Also, while this method may work, it does have a huge possibility of backfiring. It is highly dangerous. Considering that you are Count Stanwin's one and only son, Master Leon, why would he ever allow you to undertake such risky measures?"

The curator smiled again, finally realizing something himself.

"What is this alternative that you speak of?"

Deep down, Merlin had already made up his mind. No matter what the curator said, he intended to speak to Count Stanwin. In this new realm, he was the only one who could provide Merlin with any form of reassurance.

"A Parasite!"

"A Parasite?"

Merlin was shocked because he was reminded of himself. Back when he was in the Void Zone, he had inhabited the body of Sterman, and later, he had planned to invade Leon's too. Except it was not easy to grab hold onto one's will in this realm.

Given Merlin's status as an "intruder", he would be obliterated by the will of the Almighty Beast if he had successfully infiltrated Leon's body because he lacked any meaningful link to the realm.

With no other solutions in sight, Merlin could only settle with possessing Leon's body, and in doing so, "fooling" the will of the zone.

Technically, Merlin was no longer considered a Parasite. Since he had already gained full possession of Leon's body, it was something even the enigmatic curator could not tell.

"Precisely! A host! Our body contains the blood of the Almighty Beasts. Those who possess a larger amount of it can tap into its potential to possess the might of the beasts. Now what happens if their blood does not course our veins then? Does that mean we're left with no other choice? Never to wield such powers again?"

"Of course not! Apart from the bloodline, there is another way to grant those without the bloodline access to greater powers belonging to these magnificent creatures, the way of the Parasite!"

"Those sensitive to the presence of the will, either through the remains of the Almighty Beasts contained within a fossil or places teeming with the remains of the beasts' will that have yet to fade could fuse their will and become one with the beast through a unique method. When that happens, they'll be able to enhance their physical properties through the will of these creatures, thereby gaining their might too. In fact, at the peak of their powers, they may become a true Almighty Beast, thus making them more powerful than those who inherited them through a bloodline."

With that elaborated explanation from the curator about "parasites"…Was he suggesting that one can will for their will to come together as one with the beasts', thereby gaining possession of it?

No wait… What it truly meant was a man's will tamed the will of the beast. However, that's too high of a price to pay at this point, what more with Merlin being a magic-user manifested out of the Illusory World. The topic of one's will was difficult for him to comprehend.

"Mr. Curator, I doubt this Parasite that you speak of comes easily, does it? Otherwise, why else would you possibly need some Almighty Beasts' bloodline?"

Obviously, Merlin was not going to buy the curator's explanation. If Parasites were as effective as they were, this world could easily do without some bloodline.

"Heh, you are observant, Master Leon. You're absolutely right, the Parasite does come with certain life-threatening consequences. It so happens the will of the beasts are far too strong, and when one gains full control of its body, they would always need to suppress the beast's will at all times. If one fails to keep it together, then the roles are reversed and the beast turns into a rampaging monster, a being without a mind of its own. In other words, death."

It would seem that this "Parasite" does have its flaws with a high price to pay. However, coming from the mouth of the curator, all this seemed rather tame. Merlin thought to himself a little more. The stakes were high and the chances were slim.

Even one-tenth of a chance was a miracle at this point. After all, there was no telling how strong the will of a beast was. Not everyone can suppress a beast's will, let alone the remains of a will belonging to a once-powerful creature.

Also, given that it was a Parasite, as the power of the human grew, so would the Parasite. All things considered, the user's life will always be in jeopardy.

It explains how Merlin could not seem to recall any knowledge of a Parasite, because none of it ever existed in "Leon's" mind to begin with. With a method that dangerous, Count Stanwin would have never allowed him to attempt it.

Merlin remained calm. He possessed no bloodline and this "Parasite" in question was but a battle of wills, he was sure of that.

He had once battled a Latitude Cosmos, so the will of a beast did not faze him.

Merlin had yet to conclude his decision. This curator was far too enigmatic and with his identity a shroud, it was better if he headed back to speak to Count Stanwin to learn more about Parasites before coming to a decision.

"Mr. Curator, I'll be on my way now. I'll be back tomorrow, perhaps."

With that, Merlin quickly left the Fossil Museum for the Count's manor.

Chapter 923: Barbarians

In the carriage, Merlin kept thinking about Curator Heroult's words. If one could command the strength of almighty beasts through parasitism, empowering oneself, this could very well be an option.

The present Merlin desperately needed powers of self-preservation. Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to thrive peacefully in this unfamiliar world. After all, any accident could occur.

"Before my Illusory World has recovered, I must rely on the power system of this world."

Merlin had already made up his mind. Nonetheless, he would not be impulsive. First, he had to ask his father regarding this.

…

In the evening, the twilight sun had descended and the air carried a faint chill, causing one to feel as if the temperature had plummeted all at once.

The fire was roaring in the fireplace, lighting up the female servant's face which was rosy red. This scene had a pleasant glow, but currently, in the hall, Count Stanwin and a well-built man in silver armor were not paying attention. Conversely, the atmosphere was somewhat serious.

"My lord, we've eliminated every member of the Blackbat Militia who was in Boulder City. However, more bad news had arrived from the front lines."

This armored man was the commander of the heavy knights under Count Stanwin's command. He was named Hanson. He had also inherited an almighty beast bloodline and had immense strength, second only to Count Stanwin.

"What news?"

Count Stanwin kept his cool as he asked calmly.

"It's Marshal Kerry. It seems like the Blackbat Militia had colluded with the barbarian tribe. An opening had been created in Marshal Kerry's line of defense. I'm afraid not even Marshal Kerry will be able to withstand the Blackbat Militia and the barbarian tribe."

Hanson's words immediately infuriated Count Stanwin, and he replied coldly, "The barbarian tribe? D*mn the Blackbat Militia to gang up with the barbarians. These barbarians can't be tolerated by civilized society at all. Nonetheless, with the barbarians' help, Marshal Kerry won't be able to hold off the Blackbat Militia. Our Boulder City and the surrounding territories will become the front lines that hold off the Blackbat Militia."

Count Stanwin frowned. Just the Blackbat Militia alone might not be scary but with the barbarians in the mix, it was terrifying. These barbarians were intelligent as the almighty beast bloodline had mutated in their bodies. Most of them were savage and berserk. Once they were enraged, they would lose their reasoning after shapeshifting.

This was the greatest trait that had separated the civilized world from the barbaric world. Those who had inherited the almighty beast bloodline in the civilized world, even after shifting, would not lose their minds. However, the barbarians would surely lose their rationality, slaughtering in madness, and doing whatever they liked. Only after a long time would they slowly recover their senses.

Therefore, there were frequent conflicts between the civilized world and the barbarian tribe. If the city was broken in, it was sure to fall into ruins. Those barbarians who had shifted would massacre madly.

Due to this, the civilized world and the barbarian tribe always shared an antagonistic relationship. Unexpectedly, the Blackbat Militia had ganged up with the barbarians.

"My lord, the Blackbat Militia who had colluded with the barbarians has fearsome power. Not even Marshal Kerry can withstand them. As for the situation in the Holy Dragon Empire, I believe my lord is clear about that. Sending out Marshal Kerry was already the limit. It's impossible to send out more troops in a short time. Therefore, once Marshal Kerry's defensive line collapsed, our Boulder City must face the Blackbat Militia directly, becoming the front lines."

This well-built Commander Hanson had thought far ahead.

"Hanson, what do you mean?"

Count Stanwin did not appear anxious at all, maintaining a steady manner. This somewhat reassured Commander Hanson.

"My lord, I think we should make preparations for retreat…"

Hanson was being very tactful. According to his rationale, they should retreat at once. Count Stanwin was merely a nobleman, not a military officer of the Holy Dragon Empire. Therefore, he would not be punished for leaving his territory.

At most, he would lose his territory if he ran away. This would be a massive blow to the entire Hilderbrandt clan because the clan's foundation was in Boulder City.

"Retreat… Maybe so. However, before that, I won't let the Blackbat Militia off so easily. Go and prepare."

Count Stanwin remained calm the entire while. This time, the Blackbat Militia had sent someone to kidnap Leon, and he was filled with fury. Even so, he knew that the Blackbat Militia which had joined up with the barbarian tribe was not something a mere count like him could face alone. Not even Marshal Kerry could uphold the line of defense.

Therefore, they could only leave this territory and head to Holy Dragon City. However, without his territory, his countship was merely an empty title. He was likely to lose the honor and glory accorded to aristocrats.

"Father."

Merlin walked in from outside the hall. The frigid wind outside battered his body. As Merlin entered the hall, the warmth from the fireplace caused Merlin to relax involuntarily.

"Leon, you're back. Today, your Uncle Hanson has just returned."

"Uncle Hanson!"

Merlin bowed slightly toward Commander Hanson. He knew that Commander Hanson was Count Stanwin's right-hand man. Before this, he had been leading the heavy knights in observing the situation at a place not far from the Blackbat Militia. Now that he had suddenly returned, something major must have happened at the front lines.

"Master Leon, when you got engaged I still hadn't returned from the front lines. Next time, I'll surely bring you're a gift."

Hanson gave a courteous smile, following which he took his leave respectfully, leaving just Merlin and Count Stanwin in the hall.

"Father, what happened?"

Merlin immediately sensed that Hanson's return was surely not insignificant. Perhaps it was something to do with the Blackbat Militia at the front lines. After all, it was no secret that these past few days, the Blackbat Militia had been facing off against Marshal Kerry's army.

"Nothing's the matter. Don't you worry."

Count Stanwin spoke with a placid expression as he gazed at Merlin, filled with tenderness.

Seeing that Count Stanwin was unwilling to tell him, Merlin did not further pursue this. Many thoughts flashed across his mind but he did not know how to inquire of Count Stanwin regarding the matter of parasitism.

After a moment of silence, Merlin decided to ask directly. In this world, the only one he could trust completely was Count Stanwin.

"Father, I wonder how parasitism works?"

"Swish."

Count Stanwin instantly looked up, his gaze sharpening as his body exuded an unseen force, stifling Merlin until he almost could not breathe.

"Leon, how did you learn about parasitism?"

Count Stanwin wore a solemn look as he questioned sternly.

"Father, I went to the Fossil Museum today and heard Curator Heroult mention this. Apparently, through parasitism, one could possess strength on par with the almighty beast bloodline. I wonder if this is true?"

Merlin did not intend to hide this. He could no longer cover this up. After all, he had only gone to the Fossil Museum today. The heavy knight by Merlin's side would surely report this to Count Stanwin. Merlin might as well inquire boldly and openly.

"Humph, that old Heroult, he's arrived from Holy Dragon City for over a decade, and always acted surreptitiously. Does he think I don't know that he's equipped with powerful almighty beast bloodline? It just that he always seems to know his place, so I didn't bother him. Now he dares to incite you, Leon, to try parasitism. D*mn him!"

Count Stanwin's expression was an unpleasant one. Merlin could sense that his father now was truly harboring murderous intent toward Heroult, purely because Heroult had mentioned parasitism to Merlin.

"Father, this has nothing to do with Curator Heroult. I don't have the almighty beast bloodline, and parasitism is my only option."

Merlin spoke sincerely. Maybe it was his steady voice that caused Count Stanwin to fall silent for a moment.

"Parasitism… Leon, once you're parasitized, you might die! I've promised your mother that I'll protect you, giving you a lifetime of peace without any worries. So what if you don't have the almighty beast bloodline? I'll leave behind enough riches for you in the future, and you can inherit my title of count. There's no need to fret about your livelihood. Forget whatever Heroult said. You definitely mustn't choose parasitism!"

Count Stanwin bore a resolute manner that left no room for questioning.

Chapter 924: Restoring the Framework

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Count Stanwin spoke staunchly, and for a moment, Merlin was stumped.

However, he finally said slowly, "Father, even if I don't choose parasitism, I still need to learn about it, in case Heroult has deceived me."

Count Stanwin hesitated for a moment, glancing at Merlin, before finally replying, "Leon, parasitism is a hazardous means. In general, only those who inherited no bloodlines, and who had no hope left at all, would choose this path. Practically, no one who chooses parasitism can survive. Even if someone succeeded by fluke, then as their abilities increased, the almighty beast's will would grow stronger too. In the end, they'd be incapable of suppressing the almighty beast's will and forfeit their own consciousness completely."

Throughout a long history, a method like parasitism was gradually developed by people who did not have the almighty beast bloodline. They desired to become contenders and would stop at nothing just to gain formidable power.

When they had incidentally discovered that the almighty beast's will existed, they used all methods to merge with the almighty beast's will, thus carving out a path divergent from those who inherited the almighty beast bloodline. However, choosing parasitism was too dangerous. In the first place, the success rate was pitifully low. Moreover, upon success, they had to struggle against the almighty beast's will at every moment, teetering on the brink between life and death.

Therefore, how could Count Stanwin possibly allow Leon to go for such a risky method? In Count Stanwin's eyes, Leon could inherit the countship, the territory, and a great amount of wealth. In his territory, he would have supreme authority. Leon could have a good life without any need to endanger himself with a dangerous path like parasitism.

Nonetheless, Count Stanwin did not know that this son he pampered had switched with another soul, who would gain self-preservation skills at all costs.

"Leon, don't mull over parasitism anymore. Have a good rest first."

Merlin nodded without any signs that he had taken this advice to heart. He turned to leave the hall, and headed to his room upstairs.

Seeing that Merlin had left, Count Stanwin's face slowly darkened. He waved his hand lightly and a guard dressed in heavy armor came in.

"Go, chase Heroult of the Fossil Museum out of Boulder City. I don't care where he comes from. He comes to my Boulder City and dares to incite Leon to try parasitism, so he mustn't be allowed to stay here!"

Count Stanwin was ultimately somewhat apprehensive because he had come into close contact with Heroult before but found that he could not see through the other party. Heroult must be someone who possessed a formidable almighty beast bloodline, only he had come to Boulder City for some unknown reason.

Although banishing him in this manner might easily offend this mysterious contender, for Leon's sake, Count Stanwin would stop at nothing.

The guard nodded, then left with soft steps. The hall was quiet once more, and only the roaring flames of the fireplace would crackle now and then…

…

Back in his room, the place had been tidied up by a maid. A white slip of paper was placed on the table, with a message on it.

"Leon, today the Honorable Count has allowed me to visit my clan. I might only return after a few days. Things are rather chaotic outside, so try not to go out."

It was signed by Reese. She had left this note.

A smile tugged at the corner of Merlin's mouth. Reese had been staying in the Count's Manor long ago. Of course, this was not in keeping with propriety but with Count Stanwin's overbearing manner, Reese's clan dared not speak up.

Moreover, Reese's clan would not care about her, a descendant of the clan who did not inherit the almighty beast bloodline. Now that they could form a relationship with Count Stanwin, naturally, it was perfect for them. Why would they not agree?

Thus, Reese had always stayed in the Count's Manor, preparing to hold the wedding after the matter of the Blackbat Militia at the front lines had been resolved.

Merlin kept the paper slip, following which he sat down before the mahogany desk, making light strokes across the white paper with a quill. If one looked closely, one would know that this was the Molta language of the Void Zone.

"It's too difficult."

After a long moment, Merlin slowly put down the quill. On the paper, he had drawn one model after another. In his past life, he was a Great Lord among the Spell Casters, having perfected the Mind Power system. Therefore, he could not create another cultivation system suited to his present body.

Nonetheless, this required a very extensive period. Furthermore, though he borrowed from the Spell Models constructed by Spell Casters, this still required research and experiments, bit by bit. How could he come up with something in a short while?

After putting down the quill, Merlin's brain spun with countless ideas. He immersed his consciousness in his Awareness. The Illusory World was scattered and smashed, leaving just a bit of the power of the natural order now.

"To restore the Illusory World, I'll have to first mend the collapsed framework of the Illusory World but this would consume a lot of Mind Power."

Merlin was rather hesitant. His Mind Power would dwindle each time he used it. If he mobilized his Mind Power now, he would be in trouble if he ran into any danger.

However, if he did not even repair the framework, relying solely on that most basic strand of the natural order, who knew how many years it would be before it slowly recovered? Thus, this was a dilemma.

"The Illusory World is my foundation. Only by materializing it as reality, will I have the chance to truly break away from the Latitude Cosmos, like Aruba, roaming through each one of them instead of being like me now, being trapped in this Latitude Cosmo, like in a prison. Therefore, no matter what, restoring the Illusory World is the most crucial thing."

Merlin contemplated the matter. After an intense bout of debate, he finally decided to first restore the general framework of the Illusory World. Otherwise, he only had one strand of the most basic and essential natural order, which would not be of much use. Once the Illusory World had its basic framework, it could slowly repair itself from then on, even if this would still take an inconceivable amount of time.

Therefore, Merlin started to immerse his consciousness in the natural order. His Mind Power was quickly mobilized. With this strand of the most basic natural order, restoring the Illusory World was difficult. However, restoring the framework of the Illusory World would still be feasible.

A wave of invisible fluctuations emerged over Merlin. These were Mind Power fluctuations. Merlin had to be extremely cautious. The Mind Power fluctuations were no big deal. Even though they were a new form of power, the will of the Almighty Beast World would not notice them. After all, they were no threat to the Almighty Beast World.

Nonetheless, if a trace of the force of the natural order in the Illusory World was leaked out, the entire Almighty Beast World might be affected. With Merlin's present circumstances, he must not let the force of the natural order to leak out. Therefore, as he repaired the overall framework of the Illusory World, he could only be extra careful.