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Chapter 925: Heroult!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Three days had passed. Merlin seldom ventured out during this period. There were suddenly fewer guards in the manor as well. Moreover, they came in and out, appearing very busy. Merlin did not know what happened for they looked more anxious.

When Merlin occasionally went down, he did so hastily. A maid noticed that Merlin's complexion was increasingly pale but dared not ask him about it so casually. Fortunately, Count Stanwin had gone somewhere these few days, so he did not question Merlin.

"Almost there. There's not much Mind Power left but at last, the framework of the Illusory World has been built."

Merlin's face was pale because his Mind Power had been severely exhausted. Over three consecutive days, he had used Mind Power to constantly repair the general framework of the Illusory World.

Luckily, he still had the most essential natural order. Repairing the framework of the Illusory World was much easier. Otherwise, to reconstruct the entire Illusory World would be impossible even in ten thousand years.

The overall framework of the Illusory World had been established. Thereafter, Merlin did not have to worry anymore. It just needed a long time to slowly recover. At that point, the natural order would derive even more natural order.

As for recovering his previous strength in the Void Zone, even surpassing the natural order and materializing illusions as reality, these were all too distant for Merlin. He was facing a more practical concern, which was his lack of self-preservation power now.

In this period, although the guards in the manor did not mention anything to him, the entire atmosphere at the manor seemed suspicious. Merlin who had keen senses could naturally perceive that this was a very tense atmosphere. Even without inquiring, Merlin could vaguely guess that something had happened at the front lines.

It was very likely that this calm lifestyle would not continue. If so, powers of self-preservation were vital.

"I'll go and ask Heroult at the Fossil Museum once more."

Merlin stood up, having made up his mind. Even though Count Stanwin forbade him to be parasitized, from the depths of his heart, he desired to have self-preservation powers. Only parasitism could grant him such strength, so that was all that mattered.

Nonetheless, before that, Merlin had to ascertain how it worked and not act rashly.

After leaving the room, Merlin headed directly outside the manor.

…

In the Fossil Museum, there was a bustle of activities. Many people were buzzing about in and out, moving precious fossils. Outside, there was one carriage after another, totaling more than ten. It appeared that the entire Fossil Museum was moving out of Boulder City.

"Be careful there. These are precious almighty beast fossils. Don't break them."

A few black-armored knights were directing things. They were the security force of the Fossil Museum. Curator Heroult was a mysterious man. After opening this Fossil Museum, he even employed an entire troop of knights for protection.

Suddenly, a splendid carriage gradually stopped outside the Fossil Museum. From the carriage, out hopped a skinny, pale-faced young man.

"What are you all doing here?"

Merlin noticed the people who were incessantly moving things outside the Fossil Museum, and his brow immediately scrunched up.

"Master Leon."

A black-armored guard seemed to know Merlin's identity and immediately replied respectfully, "Master Leon, Curator Heroult has asked us to move these fossils away. We're leaving Boulder City today."

"Moving away?"

Merlin appeared astounded. Countless thoughts flashed in his mind as if he seemed to think of something. He asked softly, "Where's Curator Heroult?"

"Curator Heroult is inside."

Merlin entered the Fossil Museum. Indeed, he saw Curator Heroult directing a few people to carefully move the almighty beast fossils.

"Curator Heroult, are you moving away?"

Merlin stepped forward and asked.

When Curator Heroult saw Merlin had come. His eyes brightened, following which he gave an ambiguous smile. "Master Leon, do you not know? Honorable Count Stanwin had already sent his heavy knights to warn me. If I don't move, I'll be responsible for the consequences! In this Boulder City, if one offends the honorable count, is there anyone who can stay on?"

Merlin had already guessed this somewhat that it was indeed his father who gave the order. He was the master of Boulder City. With one command from him, a mere curator naturally could not disobey.

Nevertheless, Merlin still felt that this Heroult was not that simple. He was not moving away for a reason like this. It was just that this might involve Heroult's own secrets, so Merlin could not ask.

"Curator Heroult, I'm truly sorry. I didn't think that I'll give you so much trouble."

Even though Heroult was very enigmatic, as of now, Merlin did not detect any evil intent on his part. Conversely, it was Curator Heroult who was implicated by Merlin.

"Haha, Master Leon. Even without the honorable count's banishment, I'll be leaving Boulder City as soon as I can. After all, the front lines can't hold on for long. At that point, we might meet again."

Heroult seemed well-informed, knowing about the situation at the front lines.

"The front lines can't hold on? Curator Heroult, has something bad happened?"

Merlin immediately thought of his father, Count Stanwin, who had not been in the manor these few days. Even the heavy knights were fewer in number.

"Master Leon, don't you know? The Blackbat Militia had colluded with the barbarian tribe. By now, the line of defense that Marshal Kerry had blockaded over is completely torn apart. The collapse of that defensive line is not too far behind. Therefore, no matter what, I'll move away as quickly as possible."

Heroult did not conceal this fact. It seemed like many people knew of this development.

Most people had heard of this. Thus, everyone in Boulder City had grown alarmed. Most of the heavy guards had been sent out to guard the city gates, reassuring the masses.

"So something this major had happened. It looked like the Holy Dragon Empire isn't far from chaos…"

Merlin understood the entire situation of the Holy Dragon Empire. The matter of the Blackbat Militia was merely a microcosm of what was happening in the Holy Dragon Empire. All over the empire, organizations similar to the Blackbat Militia were popping up everywhere. Troubled times were coming. At that point, it was difficult to say whether Count Stanwin could protect the entire Hilderbrandt clan.

With this in mind, Merlin became more determined in his plan to gain self-preservation powers.

"Curator Heroult, I came here to ask for more details about 'parasitism'."

"Parasitism? Master Leon, would Count Stanwin allow you to choose an eternally doomed path like parasitism?"

Curator Heroult asked with an awkward smile. Surprisingly, he did not show the fear others typically displayed upon mentioning Count Stanwin.

"If father doesn't allow me, am I not able to make the choice myself? Danger is lurking everywhere throughout the Holy Dragon Empire. This is an omen of impending chaos. If I don't have the slightest power to defend myself, even father would be unable to protect me."

Merlin spoke resolutely.

"Oh? Master Leon has such determination?"

Curator Heroult appeared taken aback as he sized up Merlin. After a moment of hesitation, he finally invited Merlin into a room in the Fossil Museum.

"Master Leon, have you decided on parasitism?"

"Of course!"

Merlin answered with steely conviction. If he had any hesitations before, they were completely gone after he heard about the Blackbat Militia breaking through Marshal Kerry's line of defense.

Troubled times were coming. Without self-preservation powers, it would be dangerous.

Moreover, being parasitized by an almighty beast's will was ultimately dependent on the mind. In that aspect, Merlin was unafraid. His Illusory World, despite having only a framework built, was not something most almighty beasts could destroy.

Plus, Merlin was left with some Mind Power. He was not afraid of the remnants of the almighty beast's will.

After considering various situations, Merlin finally made up his mind. Choosing the path of parasitism was now the only plan he could think of in a short time that would gain him formidable power.

"Curator Heroult, I wish to allow an almighty beast's will to parasitize me. I wonder if you have a way?"

Merlin stared at Curator Heroult with burning eyes. He knew that this mysterious Curator Heroult was sure to have a way, only he did now know whether Curator Heroult was willing to anger Count Stanwin.

"Heh, Master Leon, you're making things difficult for me. Once the honorable Count Stanwin knew that I've brought you onto this irreversible path, he might tear me apart… Nonetheless, I'm studying parasitism. Although I don't choose to walk this path, I've researched the almighty beasts' will and parasitism for over ten years.

"I won't deny that those who can sense the almighty beast's will are rare. I don't know what's the reason, but only those who can sense the almighty beast's will are able to choose parasitism. Therefore, I wish to let Master Leon try it as well, but do you need to think about this more carefully? After all, if you want to be parasitized, your father Count Stanwin can help you."

Curator Heroult's eyes were faintly zealous. He had studied parasitism for over ten years. Having met a "test subject" like Merlin delivered to his doorstep, naturally, he was overjoyed.

Even so, he still sought for Merlin's opinion. Though he was not fearful of Count Stanwin, there was no need to offend a count who might be a peak fourth-form shifter without good cause.

"Curator Heroult, I've already thought this through. Plus, do you think that if I go to father, he would agree to let me choose parasitism?"

Merlin had already considered this matter. Heroult did not seem afraid of his father, so there was no one more suited to help Merlin begin the parasitism. Furthermore, Merlin did not detect any evil intent from Heroult. This was the crucial part.

Curator Heroult carefully scrutinized Merlin. After a long moment of thought, he gradually raised his head. "Very well, we don't have much time. If we take too long, Count Stanwin will discover us. Follow me, Master Leon, I'll help you be parasitized. This would thoroughly aggrieve Count Stanwin. I hope after you succeed, you won't forget me."

"If I fail?"

Merlin asked.

"If you fail… You'll die, and your father, Count Stanwin, would turn insane as he hunts me down everywhere. Hehe, now do you see how much of a risk I'm taking due to your choice of parasitism?"

Although Curator Heroult complained over and over about this pressure he was under, Merlin could discern a frantic light in his eyes.

Chapter 926: The Two-headed Pterolycus I

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Merlin followed Curator Heroult into the Fossil Museum. It was a completely different world within. With a gentle press, the surface of the wall revealed a tunnel entrance that directly headed underground.

This was an underground secret passage. To think that Curator Heroult who had come to Boulder City for merely over a decade had already built a basement without anyone's realization.

The basement was rather dim and cold, but there was no odor of dust. It must be visited often. Merlin walked behind Curator Heroult for a moment and soon saw a stone door.

There were so many mechanisms here. It looked like this was an important place.

"Rumble."

After the stone door opened, it revealed the true appearance of the basement, which was very spacious. As soon as Merlin entered, he had detected the pungent smell of blood along with a composite of potions. It was an unpleasant odor, and he could not help wrinkling his nose.

The basement was in a mess. The gray tiles were covered in a sheen of grease, which looked disgusting. Some mice were making "squeaking" noises.

In the center were a few desks, on top of which some transparent glassware seemed to contain something. As he glanced at this cluttered appearance, Merlin could not restrain from frowning. However, as he looked at Heroult beside him, he saw that Heroult's gaze was filled with nostalgia as if these were all precious items.

As if sensing Merlin's misgivings, Curator Heroult calmly said, "Master Leon, this is my laboratory. You should know that, to someone who devoted his efforts to researching parasitism, the laboratory is his greatest treasure. It's a shame that the menace of the Blackbat Militia is fast approaching. Otherwise, I would be able to move the laboratory as well."

One could see that, truly, Heroult was not acting because of Count Stanwin, but had already made this decision long before.

"What's the function of the laboratory? Do I need it too?"

Merlin only had a half-baked understanding of the cultivation system in this world. This was thanks to Count Stanwin. Count Stanwin might be very formidable but because Leon did not inherit the clan's Deinosuchus bloodline, Count Stanwin did not further explain matters regarding cultivation.

Heroult said in a low voice, "To most people, inheriting the almighty beast bloodline wouldn't require constructing a laboratory, but it's different if you study parasitism. In particular, for those who choose the path of parasitism, a laboratory is indispensable. This is because by choosing to be parasitized by an almighty beast's will, one would be teetering on the brink between life and death at every second. Not only does one have to get along with the almighty beast's will, one must manufacture potions to stimulate the body, the blood, and even one's own potential. Only then can one increase the power of their bloodline accompanied by the almighty beast's will!"

After Heroult's explanation, Merlin realized that the path of parasitism was not a pleasant one. One might be overwhelmed by the almighty beast's will at any time. Moreover, the cultivation could not rely upon the bloodline, so one required various potions to stimulate their body, enhancing their physical strength, to obtain power compatible with an almighty beast.

As for those who had inherited an almighty beast's bloodline, they only had to train the power of their bloodline diligently. As time passed, they would naturally possess formidable strength. Compared to those who had inherited an almighty beast bloodline, parasitism did not seem to have the slightest advantage.

"Don't you feel that it's hazardous, without any advantages? Haha, parasitism's upper hand lies in one's own control. If one relies upon the bloodline's power, the upper limits of their strength are already determined. The higher the grade of one's bloodline, the stronger they'd be in the future. However, no matter what, there's ultimately a limit.

"Parasitism is different. When the almighty beast's will selected by a Host no longer fulfills the requirements of their strength, the Host can choose to merge with a stronger almighty beast's will or even fuse a few almighty beasts' wills. If they succeed, their potential would be terrifying to an unimaginable extent…"

Heroult's eyes burned with a fervent light. He was such an insane person. However, Merlin could tell that fusing different wills or absorbing a second almighty beast's will would be very difficult with almost no chance of survival. Those who survived had a perverse amount of luck.

By now, he had ascertained that those who chose parasitism must all be lunatics.

On second thoughts, was Merlin himself not a lunatic as well? Perhaps in the eyes of others, bypassing the easy path of a count in favor of the parasitism's suicidal path was the act of a madman.

"What should I do?"

Merlin asked hoarsely.

"Parasitism is more troublesome. Now, the almighty beast's will here isn't that great. There's only the Two-headed Pterolycus' will, which you've seen that day. The Two-headed Pterolycus isn't that powerful, only considered a low-tier almighty beast. Nonetheless, it's rather formidable among that tier. If you can unleash its full form which has flying abilities, it'll compensate the inadequacies of the bloodline, and just about reach into the mid-tier.

"Still, I don't suggest that you choose the Two-headed Pterolycus. Its bloodline is low-grade, but its will isn't feeble. Conversely, it's rather bloodthirsty and ferocious. If there's enough time, I'd like to bring you to Holy Dragon City. I've left some mid-level almighty beasts' wills there which are very powerful, certain to suit you."

Heroult's eyes shone brightly. He was treating Merlin as a test subject. Nevertheless, Merlin still could not trust him completely. In Boulder City, because of Count Stanwin, Heroult would still have some reservations no matter what.

If Merlin followed Heroult to Holy Dragon City, Heroult would be able to do anything he wanted.

Therefore, in any case, Merlin would not leave with Heroult.

After a moment of consideration, Merlin decided on the Two-headed Pterolycus' will. Although it was low-tier, in truth, even a low-tier almighty beast was very fearsome. Moreover, Merlin could take on more wills of almighty beasts in the future. This was the sole benefit of choosing parasitism.

"Curator Heroult, it's not necessary. I'll choose the Two-headed Pterolycus."

Merlin sensed the urgency of the situation. Who knew when the Blackbat Militia would sweep into Boulder City murderously. The heavy knights of his father, Count Stanwin were certain to be unable to hold them off.

Therefore, Merlin must gain powers of self-preservation before that happened.

"That's a shame. Since you insist on the Two-headed Pterolycus, I'll grant your wish. Follow me."

Curator Heroult was somewhat rueful. He had treated Merlin as a test subject. It was not easy to find a voluntary test subject. After all, not everyone could sense an almighty beast's will.

Fortunately, he still had time to record the parasitism process between Merlin and the almighty beast's will. If they succeeded, this would greatly advance his research of parasitism. If they failed, Heroult could imagine Count Stanwin's fury. If it came to that, he would leave Boulder City without a moment's hesitation, hiding far away.

Although he was not fearful of Count Stanwin, no one wanted to fight for their life against a wild contender who possessed a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline, who had reached the peak of the fourth-form.

Merlin trailed behind Heroult, entering a small room in the basement. However, this room contained an overpowering foul odor. Merlin could hardly stand that pungent stench.

In the middle of the room, there was a revolting green pool, which was bubbling in a viscous manner. The smell was unbearable.

"What's this?"

Merlin asked softly.

"This is the Nourishment Pond, Master Leon. It's not so easy to be parasitized. An almighty beast's will is incomparably powerful. Can a body whose bloodline isn't enhanced withstand the power of an almighty beast's will? Without preliminary enhancement, almost no one can narrowly escape. They'd explode and die. Thus, to be parasitized, you must first augment your own physical strength, stimulating your greatest potential. For this, the Nourishment Pond is essential."

It turned out that parasitism was so troublesome. However, this small pond that looked so sticky was too disgusting. Who knew what its contents consisted of?

Nevertheless, Merlin now had no choice but to strip down, endure the acrid odor, and leap into the Nourishment Pond with a splash.

Chapter 927: The Two-headed Pterolycus II

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Blub blub."

After Merlin had jumped into the pond, bubbles rose up to the surface. Merlin felt as if he was caught in a swamp where it was difficult to move even an inch.

Particularly, the thick, sludge-like stuff pressed in on Merlin from all sides. Other than his head, all the rest of him was sunken. He felt cold and damp. However, thereafter, a numb sensation arose, followed quickly by a hot and stinging feeling.

These sensations were difficult to endure. Any average person would be unable to stand it but Merlin's Mind Power was incomparably powerful. How would he be afraid of this smidgen of pain?

Conversely, he was using his Mind Power to carefully study the pond. There was special energy within that slowly seeped into his body, binding with his body's blood. It was indeed able to enhance the power of his bloodline multiple times.

"It's not surprising that it's called the Nourishment Pond for it can strengthen an ordinary person's bloodline multiple times. I suppose the formula isn't that simple?"

Merlin opened his eyes and asked in an even tone.

Heroult was somewhat astonished. He did not expect that Merlin could still reason so soberly under such circumstances. He smiled as he replied, "Of course, it's not simple. The Nourishment Pond formula is every Host's secret. Back then, I've only obtained this Nourishment Pond formula due to random chance. However, don't you count on me passing it on to you. This Nourishment Pond formula is the most basic of all. Even if your parasitism succeeds, you'll need the Nourishment Pond formula. Perhaps, if you follow me to Holy Dragon City, I'll consider passing on the Nourishment Pond formula to you."

Merlin eyed the pond, not expecting that this small pond would be so crucial. Nonetheless, a formula that could strengthen the power of one's bloodline was vital indeed. At least, in "Leon" memories, Merlin could find nothing that would enhance one's bloodline. After all, Merlin's current bloodline was merely an ordinary one.

"How easy it would be with the Matrix. With one scan and I'll know the Nourishment Pond formula."

Merlin missed the Matrix but it was a shame it would not appear again.

When he thought of the Matrix, Merlin naturally recalled the Vestigial Tribe. The Illusory Tribe Civilization in his Illusory World was completely developed based on the Vestigial Tribe. If the Illusory World were to recover even more, he would first develop the Illusory Tribe Civilization.

It was similar to the Matrix in the Illusory Tribe Civilization. Even though it was not as outrageous as the Matrix that could construct Spell Models, it could still scan spell formulas and exert precise control. At that time, the Nourishment Pond formula would not be a problem.

With this in mind, Merlin was not worried anymore. He had come from the Void Zone, a great existence able to contend against the will of the Void Zone. Naturally, he had some advantages.

"There's no need for that. I'll look for the Nourishment Pond formula myself in the future."

Merlin replied coldly. His tone contained no trace of gratitude. He could see the current situation clearly. He was a test subject, and Heroult would obtain precious experiment data from him. As for Merlin himself, if the parasitism succeeded, he would gain some powers of self-preservation.

This was a mutually beneficial matter and could be considered a transaction. Thus, feeling thankful was not in the equation.

"Alright, you might be in agony, so be prepared!"

After Heroult spoke, he took out a spotless, white porcelain bottle and gently opened the lid. From within out poured a gray powder.

"Sizzle sizzle."

As the powder fell upon the Nourishment Pond, it was like water poured into a deep fryer. The pond started to boil violently, and Merlin felt a scorching pain.

"Endure it. Only by passing this stage can your body withstand the Two-headed Pterolycus' will!"

Heroult noticed Merlin's expression of suffering and spoke hurriedly. He was afraid that Merlin could not bear this. If that happened, all his previous work would go to waste.

Merlin glanced at Heroult. He could endure this. Though it was great agony, his will would not be affected in the slightest even if this was ten thousand times worse.

Under the observation of Merlin's Mind Power, he could distinctly feel that his body was gradually strengthening. His blood surged with immense power, which was proof of the wonder of the Nourishment Pond.

"Alright, you can come out!"

After an unknown period, when Merlin was even feeling somewhat numb, Heroult's voice sounded in his ear, yelling that Merlin could leave the Nourishment Pond.

Merlin was somewhat reluctant to leave, noticing a slight twitch at the corner of Heroult's mouth. Heroult felt a pang. This Nourishment Pond could be considered his greatest asset. So many precious items had been put into it for it to have such astonishing effects.

"Master Leon, you may now inspect your body."

Heroult tossed Merlin a clean robe. Merlin put it on. Although it was not as well-fitting as his own clothes, he could get by. It just appeared somewhat oversized.

However, this was unimportant. What mattered was that Merlin felt his own body seemed to have grown stronger. It really had. If he weighed himself now, his mass would surely have increased significantly.

Merlin lightly gripped his arms, which felt different from their previously weak state. Now they seemed filled with strength.

"This was all transformed by the Nourishment Pond?"

Merlin was rather taken aback. It looked like he had underestimated this world. It could produce such a miraculous thing like the Nourishment Pond, which forcefully increased the strength of those who did not have any almighty beast bloodline.

Of course, compared to those who had inherited an almighty beast bloodline, there was still no way to be on par. One's physique was merely enhanced at least five times compared to an average person.

"Not bad, Master Leon, your will isn't bad at all. Your body could be enhanced more than five times. Most people can no longer stand it after they were enhanced three times over."

Curator Heroult was rather surprised but also mournful as well. Admittedly, he was delighted over Merlin's physique being enhanced five times over but the greater the enhancement, the more Merlin had consumed the substances in his Nourishment Pond.

These materials were extremely precious. He had collected them for many years before manufacturing this Nourishment Pond. Initially, he had planned to use it for long-term research on parasitism but now, it was used by Merlin.

Nonetheless, he had already recorded Merlin's physical situation and his body's data. This was always a part of the research and could be considered a fair trade. There was nothing to rue.

"Alright, next is the crucial step – to allow the almighty beast's will to parasitize in your body, coexisting with your consciousness!"

With that, Curator Heroult had moved the Two-headed Pterolycus' fossil into the room at an unknown time. Instantly, Merlin's ear seemed to ring with the almighty beast's snarls.

"Tell me, what do I do?"

Merlin did not hesitate at all and asked softly.

"It's simple. Focus your attention and hold onto the Two-headed Pterolycus' fossil. The Two-headed Pterolycus' will would slowly detect your presence, then infiltrate your consciousness, parasitizing your mind!"

Heroult pointed to the Two-headed Pterolycus' fossil on the floor, indicating that Merlin could begin.

Merlin drew in a deep breath and crouched down. The moment his hand gripped the Two-headed Pterolycus' fossil, Merlin felt a bleak force invading his body furiously. Moreover, the almighty beast's roars seemed to magnify innumerable times over in his ears.

Heroult swiftly retreated to one side, closely observing Merlin's changes. Currently, this was the complete process of parasitism. This precious experiment data would be very useful for his future research on parasitism.

As for whether Merlin would succeed, this was no longer within the scope of his considerations. Now, it was all up to Merlin.

Chapter 928: Parasitism Successful!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Boom."

In Merlin's Awareness, an incomparably massive Two-headed Pterolycus roared fiercely at Merlin's consciousness. An earth-shattering pressure descended upon Merlin. Bloodthirst, cruelty, and other negative emotions were endlessly sweeping over, futilely battering against Merlin's will.

However, in Merlin's Awareness, would he fear a puny almighty beast of this world? Forget about a mere low-tier almighty beast – even a mid-tier or high-tier one, despite being a legendary almighty beast's will, was no match for Merlin in his Awareness.

This was because Merlin had the natural order of the Illusory World.

The natural order had suppressed everything! Though Merlin's natural order was reduced to a strand now, being the most fundamental force of the Illusory World, even one strand was not something the Two-headed Pterolycus could content against.

"Suppress!"

Merlin yelled hoarsely, his voice washing over the Two-headed Pterolycus from all directions. Instantly, the recently built framework of the Illusory World swiftly enveloped the Two-headed Pterolycus. In his Awareness, Merlin's natural order would not be noticed by the will of this Latitude Cosmo. Thus, Merlin's strand of natural order dominated this space, controlling everything.

"Boom."

The might of the natural order could not be withstood by the Two-headed Pterolycus at all. Its cries even contained a hint of a pitiful whimper. Initially, it was aggressive and blustering, trying to swallow Merlin's consciousness in one gulp but now, it stayed in his Awareness obediently, starting to slowly merge with Merlin's consciousness.

This was parasitism because the consciousness must be merged, using the almighty beast's will to spur the transformation of the body's bloodline. One must constantly maintain and suppress the almighty beast's will. This was difficult for most people but Merlin who suppressed with his natural order faced no such problem. Even if there were more almighty beasts' wills, he could suppress them.

"Although I don't have the Matrix, my Illusory World is my biggest asset!"

Merlin opened his eyes. No matter what happened, the Illusory World was his core. Although the Illusory World must not appear in the self-centered Almighty Beast World, being unable to confront the Almighty Beast World's will, suppressing the almighty beasts' will was still a piece of cake.

Therefore, parasitism, so dangerous and fatal to most people, was in fact, perfect for Merlin.

"Two-headed Pterolycus!"

Merlin stood up abruptly. He sensed a mystical energy coursing in his arms, exploding in accordance with his will.

Merlin's hand instantly morphed into two wolf claws, covered in long fur. The strong claws seemed able to slice through metal with a gentle swipe.

"Shifting already? You've reached the first-form so soon. Not bad, Master Leon, you've succeeded!"

Heroult stared at Merlin's appearance and his eyes gleamed, feeling a burst of joy. Merlin had truly succeeded. It should be known that he had carried out a few experiments before but all had failed. Unexpectedly, Merlin had made it. This was rather unbelievable.

"Master Leon, how do you feel now?"

Heroult was busy recording data. Generally, he had recorded most of the previous data. Now all that was left was Merlin's experience.

"Feel?"

Merlin thought about it then pointed to his head. "The only feeling is that there's an additional almighty beast in my head."

Merlin was talking about the Two-headed Pterolycus. Currently, the Two-headed Pterolycus' consciousness was tangled up with his own, and not completely merged. Once it was merged, it would not be able to transform Merlin's bloodline, so this was a weird situation indeed.

Nonetheless, even now, no one had completed the path of parasitism. No one had a comprehensive system either. Even Heroult himself did not take this path of parasitism. He simply was interested in the subject, and thus studied it for years.

This situation of coexisting with the almighty beast's will was surely not the optimal state. The optimal state would be to wipe out the almighty beast's will completely, yet still obtaining formidable power.

Of course, this was something far from Merlin's current considerations. Right now, he did not even know what grade his strength was after shifting.

"Swish."

Merlin swiped gently. The speed of his shapeshifted claws was outrageous. Even with a quick gesture, all that he could see was a blur. Ordinary people would not be able to evade such an attack. Even a solid breastplate would not hold up against such sharp claws.

Moreover, the Two-headed Pterolycus was merely a low-tier almighty beast. Even in its full form, it could compare to a mid-tier almighty beast at best. However, the grade of its bloodline was only in the low-tier. It was enough to demonstrate how fearsome these formidable almighty beasts' bloodlines were.

"The Two-headed Pterolycus' specialty is its speed and sharp claws. Still, you're currently shifting to the first-form only, which merely consists of the claws. Your speed won't be that fast. At best, you possess sharp claws as your weapons."

Heroult told Merlin calmly.

With Merlin's single thought, his shapeshifting swiftly vanished, and his hands resumed their initial appearance. It was truly wondrous.

"What's the difference between the different grades of shifters?"

Although Merlin had heard of the shifters' grades before, it was not in detail. After all, since Merlin did not inherit his clan's Deinosuchus bloodline, Count Stanwin was afraid that Merlin would let his imagination run wild. Therefore, he forbade people from mentioning the almighty beast bloodline in front of Merlin.

As a result, in Merlin's memories, he only had a half-baked understanding of the strength differentiation of an almighty beast bloodline. He did not know them well. Now, he used this chance to ask Heroult about this.

"The differentiation of the almighty beast bloodline is simple. The first-form usually includes the arms, the second-form the legs, the third-form the torso while the fourth-form transforms every part except the head. The fifth-form morphs you completely, becoming a true almighty beast. This is the shifter's most externally obvious fifth-form.

"After the fifth-form, it depends on the strength of one's almighty beast bloodline. The fifth-form is a new form called a full-shift while those before the fifth-form are half-shifts!"

Heroult's explanation was very detailed, and Merlin slowly absorbed it all. Shifting had five forms, differentiated between the half-shifts and the full-shift. Whether one relied on an almighty beast bloodline or the parasitism of an almighty beast's will, it was the same.

Merlin nodded, then asked the question that he was most concerned about.

"How does a Host increase his capability?"

This was Merlin's priority. Those who inherited an almighty beast bloodline did not need to worry. By constantly training their bloodline, they could become more powerful, like Count Stanwin. As his Deinosuchus bloodline was concentrated, with incessant training and the passage of time, he naturally reached the peak of the fourth-form. It was even possible to step into the fifth-form and become a full-shifter.

Of course, going from the fourth-form to the fifth-form was a threshold that had blocked many others.

However, Hosts did not have an almighty beast bloodline. How did they boost their strength?

"Master Leon, I've explained this before. You'd have to rely on the Nourishment Pond. Though you've succeeded in becoming a Host, you still need the Nourishment Pond. Its formula can produce rich nutrients that stimulate the bloodline. Under the imperceptible influence of the almighty beast's will, you'll gradually grow stronger. Without the Nourishment Pond, even if your parasitism was successful, it's not of much use."

Heroult had held on to one last bargaining chip. It was not surprising that he was not worried that Merlin's parasitism succeeded. Even so, without Heroult's Nourishment Pond formula, Merlin could not possibly increase his strength.

Following that, Heroult made a supreme effort in inviting Merlin to leave Boulder City for Holy Dragon City. Merlin only had to allow Heroult to study his condition and he could use the Nourishment Pond formula that Heroult manufactured for free. In a very short time, he could enhance his capabilities.

"There's no need for that. Although I'm somewhat rueful to not have the Nourishment Pond formula, I think I'll get some other formula in the future. Curator Heroult, you've gotten your data. We don't owe each other anything."

With that, Merlin stood up, and swiftly left the Fossil Museum.

Chapter 929: Sudden Changes

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Looking at Merlin's departing silhouette, Curator Heroult's lips quirked into a meaningful smile. He said loudly, "Master Leon, maybe we'll meet again. If you happen to be in Holy Dragon City, you can find me at Brews Castle…"

Curator Heroult's words resounded in Merlin's ear. Merlin left the Fossil Museum without looking back.

"Master Leon, what happened inside?"

The knights who were standing guard around the carriage outside asked panickily.

"Nothing. Go back to the manor."

Merlin replied, and headed into the carriage. He urgently needed to adapt to the changes in his body as well as study the details of parasitism.

…

Below the sprawling city walls, it was dark and dense, filled with crowds of people. Some of them had already begun to shift, and were roaring and snarling wildly. The city walls would not be able to stop them.

"Marshal Kerry's line of defense cannot hold on anymore. With the addition of the barbarians, the situation has become more complicated…"

Commander Hanson said impassively. He had been at the front line for a very long time to observe the battle situation. Now that the Blackbat Militia had engaged the barbarian tribe, he knew that Commander Kerry's line of defense would not last long.

"Hanson, gather the knights and return to Boulder City. We're giving up this territory…"

Count Stanwin's tone was slightly doleful. This territory had been acquired, little by little, through his hard work. Naturally, he was unwilling to hand it over to another person. However, the situation left him with no choice. The joint forces of the Blackbat Militia and the barbarian tribe could not be stopped by Boulder City alone.

"Boom."

Just as Count Stanwin was preparing to leave, a massive Roc spanning hundreds of meters appeared on top of the city wall. The Roc gently spread out its wings and flapped, which stirred up a hurricane. The hurricane killed a portion of the barbarians.

"Marshal Kerry has acted. He's a mid-tier top-level almighty beast bloodline, the Red-tailed Roc!

Hanson remarked in amazement. This was a full-shifter existence. Besides being an outstanding commander, Marshal Kerry's ability was also very impressive. He had achieved the rare fifth-form, which was a remarkable full-shifter.

Looking at the fearsome Roc in the sky, Count Stanwin appeared shocked too. Nonetheless, he said regrettably, "If even Marshal Kerry has acted personally, the situation must be unsalvageable."

As he spoke, from the other side of the battlefield, a black bat with a terrifying aura emerged. It was the leader of the Blackbat Militia. He had also achieved the fifth form of full-shifter.

The two full-shifter existences collided fiercely in the sky. The resulting impact spread in all directions. All the soldiers below them who were hit by the aftershocks were immediately killed or grievously injured.

Upon achieving the fifth-form, these terrifying existences were no longer human. They had begun to wield the terrifying power of the ancient almighty beasts.

"Haha, Kerry, you're not worthy to be my opponent!"

A burst of laughter echoed in the sky. Following that, the gigantic bat emitted an invisible vibration from its mouth. The red Roc appeared to be hit and spiraled downward rapidly. At the final moment, it somehow made its way onto the city wall but seemed like it was severely injured.

"Even Marshal Kerry has been defeated. Honorable Count, it seems like we've truly underestimated the Blackbat Militia!"

Commander Hanson's face turned grim. Previously, all of them assumed that the Blackbat Militia was just the same as the other rebels in the Holy Dragon Empire, and that Marshal Kerry would be able to stop them easily.

However, now it seemed like there was more than met the eye. Moreover, the Blackbat Militia was able to engage the barbarian tribe. If the barbarian tribe were so easily persuaded, they would not have been called barbarians.

The fact that they were able to rope in the barbarians meant that the Blackbat Militia was very resourceful. Additionally, this mysterious leader of the Blackbat Militia had demonstrated such powerful abilities in his first confrontation, to the extent that Marshal Kerry was defeated.

"The odds of Holy Dragon Empire are looking dismal. Let's leave now, away from the territory. The only safe place left for now is Holy Dragon City!"

Count Stanwin sighed. As the master of the territory, he certainly would not give up on his territory easily. However, seeing the abilities of the Blackbat Militia, he knew that he did not stand a chance. He could only give up.

Under the heavy escort of guards, Count Stanwin hurried back to Boulder City.

…

In a spacious room, Merlin was sensing the blood flow in his body. He carefully felt the Two-headed Pterolycus' will and its effect on his body.

Under Merlin's Mind Power observation, everything was laid bare. There were some effects, and they were quite major. It appeared that the almighty beasts' will from this world was able to affect the blood circulation system, causing one's blood to gradually possess the will and strength of the almighty beast. Nonetheless, this was a very long, drawn-out process.

Based on this progress speed, Merlin would need at least ten years to accumulate enough strength in his blood to level-up to become a second-form shifter.

Therefore, it seemed like the Nourishment Pond formula was very important.

"I wonder if Father has the formula of the Nourishment Pond? However, Heroult said that the Nourishment Pond formula is every Host's most guarded secret, and wouldn't be easily passed on to others."

Merlin was not sure whether Count Stanwin had the Nourishment Pond formula. If he did not, then it would be troublesome. After all, he chose the parasitism path, and many people who had succeeded. Currently, Merlin was a mere first-form shifter, so it was completely unrealistic for him to force someone to hand over their Nourishment Pond formula.

"Forget it. Let's look at the recovery progress of the Illusory World instead."

Merlin's foremost concern was on parasitism but without the Nourishment Pond formula, he had no way to improve his ability. Although he used to be an existence capable of challenging an entire Latitude Cosmos, currently, his Illusory World had been crushed and was only held by a thin thread of natural order. He could not even use its power, so how could he possibly improve himself?

When Merlin immersed his consciousness in the Illusory World, he realized that the Illusory World was still chaotic. There was only an empty structure left, it could not even be called a "world".

"Merlin, according to this rate of recovery, I wonder how long it will take for the Illusory World to recover?"

Titus appeared beside Merlin. Even though the Illusory World had been shattered into smithereens and the Illusory Tribe civilization had been completely wiped out, Titus was a transcendental existence in the Illusory World. Therefore, he did not suffer any harm.

Merlin nodded. The Illusory World was not yet stable. It still needed a lot of attention.

"Hmm? What happened? The Illusory World seems to have stabilized a lot more out of a sudden?"

Upon dipping his consciousness into the Illusory World, Merlin immediately felt a subtle change.

Chapter 930: Coming Clean

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Merlin's consciousness was immersed in the Illusory World. He had discovered that the Illusory World appeared much more stable than before. He traced the source of this change and found that it was related to the newly merged Two-headed Pterolycus' will.

"The almighty beast's will can stabilize my Illusory World? No, it's more like the almighty beast's will hastened the recovery of the natural order."

Merlin did not know the reason. Was it because of the multifaceted nature of this civilization? Then, once the Illusory World had recovered, perhaps he should consider creating an Almighty Beast civilization using the Almighty Beast world as a blueprint?

In any case, the fact that the almighty beast's will was able to promote the recovery of Merlin's Illusory World natural order, no matter how slight, was certainly good news.

"Chi."

With a single thought, Merlin's arms began to shift into two sharp wolf claws. Just a gentle slash would probably cut through solid walls.

This Two-headed Pterolycus was close to a mid-tier almighty beast. Upon transformation, its abilities were admirable. However, Merlin could only transform into the first-form. He could not wield its full abilities.

"I need to find the Nourishment Pond formula as soon as possible."

Merlin stood up. The servant girls allowed him to eat downstairs. After this body merged with the Two-headed Pterolycus' will, his appetite appeared to be slightly altered. His appetite improved tremendously. He could eat two meals worth of food in a single meal, and had a preference for meat.

At the dining table downstairs, Merlin was eating alone. Beside him, two beautiful servant girls stood in attendance. The fire in the fireplace burned steadily. The chill of winter could hardly be felt in the great hall.

Merlin used his fork to pick up a piece of meat and took a ravenous bite. Suddenly, his head bobbed up. He heard the living room door open with a "creak", then, in walked Count Stanwin and Commander Hanson. A chilly gust followed behind them.

"Father, Uncle Hanson."

Merlin hurriedly stopped his meal, and gazed inquisitively at the two dusty men. Count Stanwin and Commander Hanson had previously gone to the front line and was not supposed to return for a while. However, after just a few days, they had returned. Something must have happened.

Upon seeing Merlin, Count Stanwin's grave face finally broke into a smile. He beamed at him. "Leon, not bad, I see that your body has recovered. You even look stronger than before."

Count Stanwin's gaze was indeed piercing. Ever since Merlin had merged with the Two-headed Pterolycus' will, his body had unknowingly undergone some changes.

"Father, how come you're back?"

Merlin asked hurriedly. His instinct told him that there must be a problem.

"Leon, come with me."

Count Stanwin deliberated and thought that he should tell Merlin. After all, this was a critical matter. As his only son, Merlin had the right to know.

Merlin glanced at Commander Hanson. The latter, too, was wearing a solemn expression. Something disastrous must have happened. He stood up and respectfully followed Count Stanwin into the room.

The furnishing in the room was very tidy. Although Count Stanwin had not been home, the servants still came in to clean it. However, no one dared to touch any item in this room. Count Stanwin was quite strict with his servants.

"Leon, you probably know of the Blackbat Militia at the front line, right? The last time you were injured was caused by the Blackbat Militia."

Count Stanwin spoke to Merlin calmly.

"Father, what's the problem with the Blackbat Militia? Aren't they being stopped by Marshal Kerry's line of defense? Did something happen?"

Merlin asked in confusion. A trace of worry crept into his heart. He recalled that Curator Heroult of the Fossil Museum had left Boulder City in a hurry due to the dismal outlook at the front line.

"That's right, something happened. The Blackbat Militia has joined forces with the barbarians. Currently, Marshal Kerry's line of defense has been broken. In as soon as ten days, Boulder City would be invaded by the Blackbat Militia. Therefore, I've discussed with Hanson and decided to give up the territory. We'll leave Boulder City and escape to Holy Dragon City. After years' worth of savings, we won't be impoverished even if we escape to Holy Dragon City. However, we won't have any territory, and won't be able to live as freely as we do now…"

Merlin found out that, true enough, something had happened at the front line. Old Heroult had escaped pre-emptively. If Marshal Kerry could not stop them, what more Boulder City. If a master simply gave up a territory, it would not be considered as disobeying the empire.

However, if they escaped after the Empire's territory enlistment decree arrived, then they would be dealt with as military deserters. Even a master would not be able to escape the death penalty. Count Stanwin intended to leave Boulder City immediately to exercise this loophole. If the Empire's decree arrived, then the entire Hilderbrandt clan was doomed.

"Leon, you should pack. We'll be leaving Boulder City early tomorrow morning!"

Count Stanwin already made up his mind. If they dithered any longer, it would be too late.

"So soon?"

Merlin hesitated. He felt that he should not hide things from Count Stanwin, especially about his parasitism. There was no need to hide it because sooner or later, Count Stanwin would find out.

Moreover, he wanted to obtain more information from Count Stanwin regarding the Nourishment Pond. Perhaps, with Count Stanwin's extensive knowledge, he might know of some Nourishment Pond formulas.

Furthermore, Count Stanwin was not considered a weakling. He had achieved the fourth-form, which was very close to a full-shifter.

"Father, there's something I would like to speak with you alone."

Merlin glanced at Hanson. It was not that he distrusted Hanson, but since this was his personal secret. The fewer people who knew, the better. If not because they had to leave in a hurry, Merlin would have chosen a later time to explain to Count Stanwin properly.

"Leon, what's the matter?"

Commander Hanson had graciously taken his cue to leave. On the other hand, Count Stanwin was slightly puzzled. Hanson was his left- and right-hand man, there was nothing he could not know.

"Father, please take a look!"

Merlin held out a hand. With a single thought, his pale white hand grew a thick layer of gray fur, and a sharp claw appeared, exuding a vicious aura.

"Shifter?"

Count Stanwin seemed to come to a realization. His face changed dramatically as he said hoarsely, "Leon, you chose parasitism?"

Merlin was Count Stanwin's son. Naturally, he knew that Merlin did not inherit his Deinosuchus bloodline. Now that Merlin was able to shift, there was no doubt that Merlin chose parasitism and succeeded.

"Yes, Father, I chose parasitism. It's the Two-headed Pterolycus' will, and I've succeeded!"

Merlin said matter-of-factly. Following that, he gazed at Count Stanwin calmly.

"Did Heroult help you with the parasitism?"

Instantly, a flash of anger appeared on Count Stanwin's face as he growled madly. Parasitism, his only son had allowed an almighty beast's will to attach as a parasite. This was a road of no return.

Certainly, parasitism had its benefits but its drawbacks were even greater and more conspicuous. The slightest lapse in attention could result in death. In addition, this danger could not be removed. It would follow Merlin for the rest of his life. Count Stanwin did not want Merlin to choose parasitism. For this reason, he did not care about offending Heroult and sent him away.

Unexpectedly, it was still too late.

"Father, please don't blame Curator Heroult. I did it willingly. Moreover, I think Curator Heroult has already left Boulder City."

Merlin saw the furious expression on Count Stanwin's face and could not help but feel warm in his heart. The sincere concern he showed was similar to Old Wilson, and it made Merlin feel loved.

After a moment, Count Stanwin seemed to calm down, and accepted the fact.

"Leon, you've grown up now and have your own opinion. Parasitism is very dangerous but since it's your decision, you'll have to live with it. So, tell me, why did you choose to tell me? What do you want to know from me?"

Count Stanwin calmed down. There was a different glint in his eyes. Previously, Leon had always been protected by him. No matter what the decision, he had always chosen on behalf of Leon.

This time, however, Leon had personally made a choice. Although Count Stanwin did not agree with it, Leon still made a very significant decision. Leon was no longer the obedient boy he used to be but had gradually matured. As a father, Count Stanwin still felt quite gratified.

Chapter 931: Nourishment Pond Formula

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Father, you probably knew a few things about Hosts. Currently, I need a Nourishment Pond formula. Do you know anything about this?"

Merlin did not expect Count Stanwin to have the Nourishment Pond formula. After all, this was the lifeline of every Host, so they certainly would not reveal it easily. Seeing how eager Heroult was to bring Merlin along with him and use him as a test subject, it showed how important this Nourishment Pond was.

Without a Nourishment Pond, the Hosts were completely unable to level-up and cannot enhance their abilities. This meant that they were forever inferior to those who possessed the almighty beast bloodline. Therefore, a true Host must have his own Nourishment Pond.

"Nourishment Pond? Of course, I've heard of it. The most important element for every Host is the Nourishment Pond. An almighty beast's will and a Nourishment Pond – those two are essentials for every Host."

After a pause, Count Stanwin appeared hesitant but seeing Merlin's expectant look, he sighed. "Oh well, since you're now a Host, you also want to have stronger abilities. If you don't obtain a Nourishment Pond, it would be dangerous for you too. I might as well help you grow your abilities faster. I have the Nourishment Pond formula!"

"What? Father has the Nourishment Pond formula?"

Merlin was stunned. The Nourishment Pond formula was the most closely guarded secret of every Host. Heroult, for example, would not share it with anyone else. Unless Merlin was willing to become his test subject, only was he willing to share the formula with him.

Even as a fourth-form almighty beast, it would be difficult for Count Stanwin to obtain the Nourishment Pond formula.

"This happened many years ago. Back when I was a third-form shifter, I encountered a Host, perhaps around the level of a second-form shifter. I had to use many tactics but finally killed him. Hosts typically have a plethora of tactics. In the end, if not for the almighty beast's will going berserk and taking over his body, it might be difficult to say who would've died that day. Hosts are truly terrifying… Leon, it was because I've seen a Host been taken over by an almighty beast's will and become a living corpse, that's why I vehemently objected you becoming a Host. I simply wanted you to have a peaceful life. I didn't expect that you'd be corrupted by Heroult into becoming a Host."

It turned out to be another long story. Merlin could not wait to get his hands on the Nourishment Pond formula. So, he hurriedly asked, "Father, can you still find the Nourishment Pond formula?"

"Of course, I can find it. Although I don't need the Nourishment Pond formula nor do I know how to prepare it, I know how precious it is. It would be a great fortune if I used it to trade in the future. Therefore, I've kept it safe all this time. Come with me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Count Stanwin led Merlin into the underground chamber of the manor.

This underground chamber was not very secretive. However, the entrance was made of an extremely heavy slab of stone. Once there was any danger, the stone door would fall shut. Only someone with a strength-type almighty beast bloodline, at least at fourth-form, could break through it. Otherwise, it was impossible to break open the stone door.

A chamber like this was quintessential in every aristocrat's manor. The chamber also had a passage that connected the outside, and could be used to store important items.

Walking down the stairs, there was a musty smell. No one had been down here for a long time. Merlin followed behind Count Stanwin, and observed the chamber passageway carefully.

Soon, they descended the stairs, and lo and behold, the faint candlelight illuminated a spacious room. This was the underground basement. Count Stanwin lit the candles and the entire basement gradually glowed brightly.

The chamber furnishing was very bare. In a corner, there were a few big boxes with unknown contents.

At the forefront of the chamber was a stone table with a small exquisite box sitting on top. Count Stanwin retrieved the small box, and gently blew the thick layer of dust off. Then, he took out a key and opened the box.

"Creak."

The small box opened. Inside was a layer of black cloth. It looked quite mysterious.

Count Stanwin took out the black cloth, and gently displayed it. A foul, moldy air crept into Merlin's nostrils. Merlin frowned and looked closer. He discovered that it was not a piece of black cloth as he thought but an unidentified patch of black animal hide. Moreover, it seemed to have been treated with some sort of chemical to prevent it from decomposition.

This patch of animal hide was about the height of half a man, and was filled with some kind of writing. Merlin's heart thumped. Was this the Nourishment Pond formula?

"Yes, that's the Nourishment Pond formula that I took from the Host whom I killed. I've kept it all this time. Leon, I'm giving this formula to you in hopes that it'll be of help to you."

Count Stanwin handed the animal hide to Merlin, who excitedly began to examine it.

The animal hide was densely etched with almost two hundred exotic ingredients. Merlin had never even heard of most of them. They also needed to be precisely controlled, otherwise, the Nourishment Pond might lose its effectiveness.

After a brief look, Merlin had already committed the Nourishment Pond formula on the animal hide to memory. This particular Nourishment Pond formula was called "the Hermani formula". It was created by a Host named Hermani who had slowly refined it from other Nourishment Pond formulas.

Nourishment Pond formulas were not the same. They could be refined over time. However, such refinement required a lot of experience and extreme familiarity with the effects of the formulas.

This was a very long and meticulous effort, which also entailed an immense workload. At Merlin's current state, it would be impossible to refine it. Not only Merlin but even Heroult would not be able to refine a Nourishment Pond formula. It was simply too difficult and amounted to a fool's dream.

"So, the Nourishment Pond formula can be refined?"

Merlin was unexpectedly overjoyed to discover that. Theoretically speaking, the Nourishment Pond formula could be refined, however, performing it was a massive feat. For example, the Hermani formula had more than two hundred ingredients. Merely gathering them was already an arduous task, not to mention handling and measuring each ingredient accurately.

Therefore, it was not at all easy to refine a formula.

"Great, this is indeed a Nourishment Pond formula. With this formula, I can quickly enhance my abilities."

Merlin was very excited. The Nourishment Pond formula was essential for a Host. Without a Nourishment Pond formula, a Host could not be considered a true Host.

"Well, Leon, now that you've obtained the Nourishment Pond formula, you should prepare to leave Boulder City tomorrow!"

Count Stanwin had already made up his mind and would not be dissuaded. If they did not leave soon, it might be too late.

Merlin also knew the urgency of this matter, so he tucked away the formula. In a small place like Boulder City, it would be impossible for him to gather all the ingredients anyway. Therefore, he could only start pondering about the Nourishment Pond once when they arrive in Holy Dragon City.

Chapter 932: Deinosuchus Beast!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The Count's Manor was soon moving in full swing. Besides some necessities, Count Stanwin ordered for everything else to be left in the manor.

There were not that many things to bring with them. Some of the servants were completely dismissed. Only Count Stanwin's family members would be brought along as well as the heavy knights. Even then, he could not bring too many. Now that Count Stanwin would soon be losing his territory, he would not be able to afford so many people. So, he only brought along three hundred most elite heavy knights.

The more troublesome group was the Hilderbrandt clan. Many of the ancestors had lived in Boulder City their entire lives, and so they did not want to leave Boulder City. In that regard, Count Stanwin was powerless to object. Those who wanted to stay could stay, and those who wanted to leave could leave together. Even if the Blackbat Militia arrived in Boulder City, their focus should be on ruling the city, so hopefully, they would not kill civilians indiscriminately.

On the other hand, the barbarian tribe might not be as reasonable. Therefore, it was difficult to secure the fate of those who stayed behind.

Regardless of the chaos, the next day, a large group had departed from the Count's Manor in Boulder City. Their speed was not particularly fast since there was a large number of people. However, they still had some time before the Blackbat Militia would arrive at Boulder City, so they were not too anxious.

Merlin sat in the carriage. The road surface was bumpy, which made him feel slightly uncomfortable. This scene was uncannily similar to when he first landed in Blackwater City. Back then, didn't Old Wilson and he escape from Blackwater City in such a manner?

Unexpectedly, despite arriving in a new Latitude Cosmos, he still encountered such unfortunate circumstances.

"Commander Hanson, how many days will it take for us to arrive in Holy Dragon City?"

Merlin summoned Commander Hanson and inquired carefully.

"Master Leon, Holy Dragon City is very far away from Boulder City. It'll take us about three months to get there."

"Three months? That's a really long time…"

Merlin did not say any more. Their group consisted of many people. Even with the protection of three hundred elite heavy knights, the Holy Dragon Empire was not very safe at the moment.

Not only were there columns of smoke in every direction but also chaos reigned in every region. There were also multiple gangs of bandits that acted lawlessly. Hence, such a long journey would certainly include some dangerous encounters.

Merlin glanced at Count Stanwin who was riding a horse calmly. With Count Stanwin around, perhaps they would be able to overcome those dangerous situations. Merlin felt slightly relieved. He retracted his head into the carriage, and began to familiarize himself with the Two-headed Pterolycus' powers.

…

After more than a month, Merlin had become accustomed to this bumpy carriage. Additionally, he had mastered the Two-headed Pterolycus' powers.

The Two-headed Pterolycus' main strengths were its speed and razor-sharpness. Unfortunately, Merlin was still in the first stage of shapeshifting. While his physical condition was slightly enhanced, he still did not enjoy any increase in speed. In terms of razor-sharpness, however, the difference was prominent. Once he had shapeshifted, the sharp claws on his hands could easily pierce through even the thickest breastplates. It was quite formidable.

"Stop!"

Suddenly, Commander Hanson roared. The carriage formation was immediately jumbled up. The three hundred heavy knights immediately reacted and formed a protective circle around the carriages.

A situation must have occurred in front. Merlin opened the curtain, and after some hesitation, jumped off the carriage. Right now, he was slightly more able to protect himself.

"What happened?"

Merlin pulled a random heavy knight aside to ask.

"Master Leon, there's a big gang of bandits in front. The Honorable Count and Commander Hanson have led some heavy knights to confront them."

"Bandits? How many are there?"

Merlin asked as he was worried. The Holy Dragon Empire was strewn with chaos, so lawless bandits were quite common. Throughout the past month, their carriages had not been attacked. Most probably, the considerably large size of their convoy had deterred the smaller bandit gangs.

However, this time, a gang of bandits dared to attack them directly. This indirectly meant that these bandits were very powerful.

"I don't know. It's all a blur, so I don't know exactly how many people there are."

Merlin did not hesitate. He immediately told the heavy knight, "Give me your horse, I'm going to take a look."

Soon, Merlin mounted the horse and galloped to the front.

Soon, Merlin saw his father and Commander Hanson leading about fifty heavy knights. They were confronting a large gang of bandits on the road. The bandits held an upper hand in terms of numbers, but they did not have a lot of horses. Nonetheless, the dark blurry crowd looked extremely frightening. There were at least two or three thousand people.

If they were in an open field, Count Stanwin's three hundred elite heavy knights could easily defeat these two to three thousand motley crowd but right now they were trapped in a narrow path on a dangerous mountain road. These bandits were quite smart. They had set up a series of blockades, so it would be difficult for the heavy knights to rush through.

Consequently, it was difficult for the heavy knights to show their true prowess.

"Looks like there's going to be some trouble."

Merlin's heart sank. These bandits were well-prepared. Now that Holy Dragon Empire was extraordinarily chaotic, a large convoy like theirs was like a fattened sheep waiting for slaughter.

Merlin went nearer. He heard Count Stanwin sneered. "If you don't leave now, everyone will die!"

"Haha, you noble lords, do you think you're still in your territories? There are two to three thousand of us here. Do you think your measly three hundred knights, who cannot break past the blockades, can cause us any harm? You better hand over all your riches meekly, then we might allow you to survive."

The bandits laughed.

"Father."

Merlin hurried forward with a sunken expression. He whispered, "These bandits are tough to deal with. Why don't we take a detour instead?"

Taking a detour meant that they would first have to retreat, with the three hundred heavy knights stationed in front as a defense. It was not only troublesome but also time-consuming. They had to turn back on their current route to get to another route, and might encounter another gang of bandits at any time.

"Detour? Leon, it's not necessary. These are mere bandits. How tough can they be? Now that you're a Host and have the power of an almighty beast, you should take a good look at the power of the Hilderbrandt clan's Deinosuchus beast!"

With that, Count Stanwin dismounted from his horse. Hanson and the other heavy knights respectfully retreated a considerable distance back.

While Merlin was still at a loss, a gigantic roar rumbled from Count Stanwin's mouth. It resembled an almighty beast's cry.

"Rip."

Cracks appeared across Count Stanwin's body and his body began to expand rapidly. From the originally graceful aristocrat, he turned into a fearsome monstrous crocodile. This was shapeshifting, and a fourth-form shifter to boot.

Count Stanwin's height after shapeshifting was at least five meters tall. He had a short but stout tail, and was covered with tough armored skin. A terrifying aura leaked into the air, striking fear in every heart present.

This was the first time Merlin saw the full transformation of a person with an almighty beast bloodline. The last time he was attacked in the Count's Manor, his opponent was not a full-shifter, but only a partial one.

On the other hand, Count Stanwin was a fourth-form shifter. This meant that, besides his brain, he had completely shapeshifted. Hence, he could wield all its combat abilities.

"Bang."

Count Stanwin leaped with both feet and instantly crossed more than ten meters. His bulky body slammed directly onto the blockades on the road. Whether they were huge rocks or gigantic trees, all of them were pulverized. Even the bandits were crushed to death.

His immense form rushed forward, impenetrable by any arrows or weapons. There was not a single cut on his body. No matter what attack the crowd threw at him, he was invincible.

"This… This is the power of an almighty beast?"

Even Merlin was quite shaken. The destructive powers of a fourth-form almighty beast, as shown by Count Stanwin, was almost comparable to a Seventh-level Spell Caster.

Moreover, this was merely a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline, one level above Merlin's Two-headed Pterolycus bloodline. If Count Stanwin had already demonstrated such formidable powers, how much more impressive would the high- or top-tier bloodlines or the legendary rare almighty beast bloodlines, be?

"It seems that although the will of this world is weaker than the Void Zone, it's not that insignificant. Any world that can become a Latitude Cosmos has its own strengths…"

At first, Merlin thought that this world was weaker and simpler, but it seemed that the power of the almighty beast bloodline caught Merlin by surprise.

It was important to note that according to this world's legends, the world used to be ruled by the almighty beasts. Therefore, there were almighty beasts which could destroy the heavens and the earth.

"Huh? He has a fourth-form almighty beast bloodline, flee now!"

"We can't kill him, there's no way. He's too horrifying. A fourth-form almighty beast, no matter how many people we have, it's going to be a massacre…"

Upon seeing the Deinosuchus' fierce and indestructible body, the bandits paled. Besides the advantage in numbers, they did not have any skills worth boasting. There was only a handful of them with the almighty beast bloodline, let alone capable of challenging a fourth-form almighty beast bloodline.

Therefore, after Count Stanwin had shapeshifted, the bandits fell into despair and escaped like lightning. In less than half an hour, neither hide nor hair of them could be seen, except for the mangled dead bodies on the ground.

Chapter 933: Holy Dragon City

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

After getting rid of the bandits, Count Stanwin resumed his original form. His clothes had been damaged as a result of the shapeshifting, so his body was naked. However, the others seemed to be unperturbed. Immediately, a knight delivered a change of clothes to him.

"Father, was that the fourth-form shapeshifting?"

Merlin hesitated slightly before stepping forward to ask. Currently, he was not familiar with shapeshifting. He only knew the basics.

"Yes, that was fourth-form shapeshifting. The Hilderbrandt clan inherits the Deinosuchus bloodline, which is a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline. Unfortunately, only one of our ancestors was a fifth-form full-shifter. Thereafter, no one else has achieved the full-shifter stage. Although I'm already a peak fourth-form shifter, I know that with my bloodline, it's difficult to push further and break past the final barrier…"

Count Stanwin was quite frustrated. The fifth-form shapeshift was very crucial where substantive transformation would take place. However, he could not achieve it. The peak fourth-form was his utmost limit. To be able to achieve the peak fourth-form shifter was a sufficiently formidable feat for Count Stanwin.

After all, the entire Hilderbrandt clan had only produced one almighty existence who had managed to achieve the fifth-form.

The power demonstrated by Count Stanwin's fourth-form was enough to demolish a small mountain. Such explosive power could not possibly be withstood by ordinary people. Moreover, the Deinosuchus' defensive abilities were also extraordinary. A fully-transformed Deinosuchus' most vulnerable part was its eyes, and yet, they could not be pierced even by a sharpened spear. That was the extent of its formidableness.

Therefore, regardless of how many bandits there were earlier, it was inconsequential. If time permitted, Count Stanwin alone would be able to kill all of them.

"Alright now, organize the formation. We're setting off again."

Count Stanwin's presence calmed everyone's hearts. With his powerful abilities, they did not have to fear anyone other than the full-shifters and high-tier bloodlines.

Thus, their convoy continued their journey. This time, it was a lot safer. They did not encounter any more bandits and arrived in Holy Dragon City safely.

Holy Dragon City was the heart of the entire Holy Dragon Empire. Due to the sudden flare of conflict all over the Holy Dragon Empire, many people were also seeking refuge in Holy Dragon City.

The queue outside the city stretched beyond the furthest horizon.

Many people came with large groups, ranging from a few dozen people to a few hundred. The group where Count Stanwin and Merlin were in, was considered one of the bigger ones.

Nonetheless, Merlin's group was incredibly conspicuous due to the elite heavy knights. The heavy armor on their bodies, coupled with the numerous horses and carriages, immediately indicated that they were not ordinary folk, but some form of aristocrats.

Therefore, the guards at the city gate came to check on them very politely.

"Where did you come from? What's your purpose of entering Holy Dragon City?"

To enter Holy Dragon City, everyone had to be checked. After all, there was chaos everywhere and multitudes were seeking refuge in Holy Dragon City. Even the sprawling city was getting congested, so they had to set certain restrictions.

Count Stanwin immediately retrieved an identity card from his body and said sternly, "I'm the ruler of Boulder City, Count Stanwin! Does the Empire forbid me from entering Holy Dragon City?"

Upon seeing Count Stanwin's identity card, the guards of the city gate immediately straightened in respect. Historically, the aristocrats of the Holy Dragon Empire had been very well-respected. It was not like other countries where aristocrats were a dime in a dozen. Here, almost every single aristocrat owned a territory. Furthermore, Count Stanwin was a Count. An aristocrat of his position could not be trifled with by mere city gate guards such as them.

Therefore, the guard said respectfully, "Sir Count can certainly enter. All the aristocrats of the Empire can enter Holy Dragon City as they wish."

Count Stanwin nodded. Despite losing his territory, he still had his identity as a Count. He was a real aristocrat. As long as the Holy Dragon City did not collapse, his identity would be useful.

Thus, Merlin's convoy was given priority to enter. When the others saw the three hundred heavy knights, they stayed silent as they knew that it must be a respected aristocrat.

As soon as they entered Holy Dragon City, a warm breeze washed over them. Although it was slightly chilly outside, Holy Dragon City was bathed in the warmth of spring. Merlin felt puzzled.

"Don't be surprised. This is the Sacred Lion Beast's blood that protects the entire Holy Dragon City. Back then, the Holy Dragon royal family somehow obtained a Sacred Lion Beast's head, and worshipped it day and night, so their bodies were blessed with the aura of the Sacred Lion Beast. Not only did it cleanse their blood but it also gave them the Sacred Lion Bloodline."

"Thereafter, the Holy Dragon royal family used the Sacred Lion Beast's head to rule over Holy Dragon City. As long as the head is unharmed, Holy Dragon City will not fall. That's why, despite the mounting conflicts from every corner of the Holy Dragon Empire, Holy Dragon City is absolutely safe!"

Surprisingly, the Holy Dragon Empire royal family held such a staggering secret. Merlin had "Leon's" memories, so he knew what a sacred beast signified. It was a legendary bloodline which surpassed the highest or top-tier bloodlines.

A sacred beast possessed inconceivable powers and was almost immortal. No one had ever seen a living sacred beast. As for how the Holy Dragon royal family got their hands on the Sacred Lion Beast's head, no one knew. It was the greatest secret and ultimate weapon of the Holy Dragon royal family.

"If they have the Sacred Lion Beast's head and can continuously be exposed to its aura, why would the royal family's bloodline wither? How could the entire Empire descend into such an unstable state where conflict is erupting everywhere?"

Merlin asked confusedly. Right now, conflict was rampant throughout the Holy Dragon Empire because the royal family bloodline was running thin. There had not been anyone capable of suppressing the uprising.

"This involves the core secret of the highest echelons of the royal family. According to rumors, perhaps the Sacred Lion Beast's head has started to decay… The supposed legend that a sacred beast never decays is just a legend. Plus, that only pertains to a living sacred beast. Since the Holy Dragon Empire has been established since such a long time ago, it's not entirely impossible that the Sacred Lion Beast's head has started to decay."

Upon the mention of the decay of the sacred beast's head, a strange glint flitted across Count Stanwin's eyes. As a fourth-form shifter, Count Stanwin, of course, desired to see the legendary sacred beast.

However, this was the highest guarded secret of the royal family. Other than the innermost core members of the royal family, no one else was privy to see the Sacred Lion Beast's head.

"Anyway, let's not be concerned with such matters. Now, we must first find a place to settle down."

Count Stanwin led some heavy knights to visit some old acquaintances in Holy Dragon City. To settle down properly in Holy Dragon City, they would need the help of these old acquaintances. Otherwise, it would be impossible to be settled within a short time.

Meanwhile, Merlin and the others were placed temporarily at a piece of empty land to wait.

Chapter 934: Nourishment Pond I

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Pretty lady, do a good deed…"

From the main street, a faint voice sounded. Merlin opened his eyes and saw a few youths dressed in tattered clothes begging on the streets. This scene made Merlin feel very puzzled.

The Holy Dragon Empire was very sparsely populated. In the territories, even the lowliest person could still do some odd jobs to survive. At worst, they could work as servants of the aristocrats. In general, most aristocrats were not overly harsh on their servants.

Therefore, it was impossible for anyone to starve, especially in the bustling Holy Dragon City. However, people begging on the streets.

"Who are they?"

Merlin asked with bewilderment.

"Master, they're refugees! The Holy Dragon Empire is riddled with chaos and conflict inside and out. We're not the only ones who are stranded. Even worse-off are these civilians. As refugees, they don't have anything left to their names, so they have no choice but to beg."

Commander Hanson's tone was unperturbed. His facial expression remained indifferent as though it was a common scene.

Merlin's heart sunk. Yes, these people were refugees. The turmoil in the Holy Dragon Empire did not only affect the aristocrats but also the civilians. They were the largest group of victims. Many people became refugees.

The streets of Holy Dragon City were now filled with homeless refugees. This indirectly showed how severe the turmoil in the Holy Dragon Empire was.

Merlin sensed a grave danger as if Holy Dragon City was also unsafe. The origin of this prickling danger came from every direction. The intuition of someone like Merlin who could challenge a Latitude Cosmos certainly would not be mistaken.

"Abilities, I need to improve my abilities. The Nourishment Pond is essential!"

Merlin secretly made up his mind. Once Count Stanwin had settled down, Merlin must immediately begin to purchase the raw materials for the Nourishment Pond formula to enhance his abilities.

At dusk, Count Stanwin finally returned with good news. Through some acquaintances in Holy Dragon City, he had managed to buy an abandoned manor on the west side of the city.

Therefore, everyone continued their journey toward the abandoned manor.

After about an hour, the large convoy arrived at the manor on the west side of the city. This was an extremely vast but desolate manor. It used to belong to a Count but the Count's family had lost their riches, and moved out of the manor, which was subsequently purchased by a businessman.

Count Stanwin had spent a large fortune to purchase this manor. Despite its desolate condition, it was not easy to obtain a manor considering the current situation of Holy Dragon City. The only downside was that it was quite far from the city.

"Very well, everyone inside. Although it's a little worn out, we'll be able to restore it in no time."

Under Count Stanwin's orders, the three hundred heavy knights moved to inspect the manor both inside and outside. Then only did the family members enter to clean the house.

It was not until late at night that they had managed to roughly clean up a few rooms. Although the rooms were relatively worn out, Merlin could see that everyone was relieved and satisfied with them.

After living in fear and uncertainty over the past couple of months, that experience had finally come to an end. Now that they had a new manor, things would be stable for a while.

Merlin was not in a hurry to rest. Instead, he sought out Count Stanwin alone.

"Father, I have a request."

Merlin said calmly.

"Oh? Leon, what's the matter?"

Count Stanwin was a bit surprised because Leon had never been so polite to him before.

"Father, I would like to start brewing the Nourishment Pond. However, the materials needed to brew the Nourishment Pond are all extremely precious. So, I'm afraid they will require a large amount of money."

Merlin's main purpose was to request some money from Count Stanwin. Based on Merlin's resourcefulness, he could probably accumulate some gold coins slowly but it could not be done in a short period.

Knowing that Count Stanwin was such a wealthy Count, Merlin certainly would not trouble himself unnecessarily.

Count Stanwin smiled. "The Nourishment Pond for Hosts is indeed costly. How about this, I'll give you a thousand gold coins first. If that's not enough, you can ask from me again."

"A thousand gold coins? That should be enough!"

Merlin nodded. These were gold coins. One gold coin was equivalent to a hundred silver coins. This entire manor probably did not cost as much as a thousand gold coins.

As the master of Boulder City, Count Stanwin had indeed accumulated immense wealth over the years.

After receiving a thousand gold coins, Merlin also retired to his room. He then remembered the Two-headed Pterolycus' will in his Awareness.

After the Two-headed Pterolycus' will was suppressed by Merlin's Illusory World, it had been very well-behaved. Faced against Merlin's natural order which was previously capable of defying a Latitude Cosmos, it was inconsequential whether the Two-headed Pterolycus was a thousand or ten thousand times more powerful.

Perhaps due to its instinctive fear, until now, the Two-headed Pterolycus' ferocious will had been very quiet. It did not cause any trouble for Merlin. Everything was calm.

However, Merlin did not relax his vigilance. If he had detected any anomaly, he would immediately use the natural order of the Illusory World to suppress it. Unfortunately, Merlin's Illusory World had not recovered. Otherwise, he would simply control the Two-headed Pterolycus' will. Then, it would not be so troublesome for him to stay vigilant all the time.

"Tomorrow, I'll look around Holy Dragon City to see if I can gather all the raw materials for the Nourishment Pond."

Merlin made up his mind.

…

Early the next day, Merlin left the manor. He was accompanied by two heavy knights. They were the bodyguards Count Stanwin had specifically arranged for Merlin to keep him safe.

These two knights were not at all simple. Both possessed the almighty beast bloodline. Although they only had the lowest-tier almighty beast bloodline, they had achieved the second-form, which was quite impressive. They were Count Stanwin's very dependable assistants.

The fact that Count Stanwin sent his dependable assistants to protect Merlin spoke volumes of his concern for him. In a foreign place such as this, Count Stanwin was of course, very cautious.

Although Merlin felt that their presence was an inconvenience, he did not refuse. After all, the current situation was truly chaotic. Even Holy Dragon City was not safe. With these two extraordinary-looking bodyguards, there should be less trouble for him.

Merlin inquired about the few biggest shops in Holy Dragon City, and came to the nearest shop. It looked like it did not have many customers.

Upon seeing Merlin, the shopkeeper's eyes brightened and hurriedly welcomed him inside.

"What will sir be needing today?"

Merlin did not waste any words. He took out a list containing some materials.

Of course, this was not the entire Nourishment Pond formula but only a small portion. Merlin would not show the formula to anyone easily.

"Do you have everything on the list?"

Merlin asked in a deep voice. The Nourishment Pond formula was extremely important as it would determine whether he could enhance his abilities further. Just by having the formula but unable to brew the Nourishment Pond was completely useless.

"This…"

The shopkeeper looked at Merlin with some hesitation in his eyes.

Chapter 935: Nourishment Pond II

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Why? Is there a problem?"

Merlin frowned. He grew slightly worried at the shop owner's expression.

"There are no difficulties. It's just that some of these materials are very precious…"

The shopkeeper didn't continue. He secretly glanced at Merlin and felt odd. These materials were strange. If his shop was not large, and had a variety of goods, he would not be able to provide everything. Furthermore, he did not have a large quantity of most of the materials on the list.

"The price… Just be blunt. How much is the total?"

Merlin was glad. There were no problems as long as there were enough materials. Even if the price was a little steep, he had more than a thousand gold coins, so he should be able to afford it.

The shopkeeper made a rough estimation and gnashed his teeth. "This is a big deal. Some materials are too precious. Moreover, the situation in the Holy Dragon Empire isn't very good now, so it's very troublesome to transport them to the Holy Dragon Empire… How about this, one unit of each material for one hundred and thirty gold coins."

"One hundred and thirty gold coins?"

Although Merlin knew the price might be a little steep, he did not expect it to be so expensive. His expression immediately sank. One hundred and thirty gold coins were not a small sum.

The shopkeeper's face grew bitter as he cautioned, "Sir, this is already a discounted price. Some of these materials are too precious. If you want others, we can recommend them to you. The price would be lower as well."

Merlin stared at the shopkeeper carefully. It did not seem like he was extorting him. These raw materials were indeed very expensive.

"Alright, give me one of each for One hundred and thirty gold coins!"

Merlin took out a small bag of gold coins. The shopkeeper's eyes immediately brightened as he sent someone to prepare what Merlin had requested.

Soon, Merlin got the raw materials he needed, and left the shop. Although he still had eight hundred and seventy gold coins, what he just bought was only a fraction of the materials he needed.

The Hermani formula required more than two hundred kinds of materials, each of which was important and indispensable. If one material was missing, the Nourishment Pond formula would not be effective.

Therefore, he needed to continue to purchase other materials. It was likely that there would be very little of the one thousand gold coins left. Merlin originally wanted to purchase some materials in bulk but it seemed that he could only buy one for each.

"Let's go to other shops."

Along with two heavy knights, Merlin visited several other shops in the Holy Dragon Empire. Merlin was very lucky and managed to buy all the raw materials for the Hermani Nourishment Pond. However, the price was relatively high, and he had spent six hundred and seventy gold coins.

In addition to the one hundred and thirty gold coins from before, there were only two hundred gold coins left from Merlin's original one thousand gold coins. The rate of spending left the two heavy knights beside him stunned and surprised.

However, they were only bodyguards protecting Merlin, and would not interfere with Merlin's affairs.

"Almost done. There are only two hundred gold coins left so it's impossible to buy another set of materials. We'll go back first."

Merlin hesitated before making a decision. He would first return to prepare the Nourishment Pond formula. From Boulder City to the Holy Dragon Empire, he had delayed a few months' worth of time. However, he had been looking forward to preparing the Nourishment Pond so he was quite excited now.

Returning to the mansion, Merlin did not see Count Stanwin but he did not enquire either. Instead, he went directly to the basement of the mansion. Every noble's manor had a secret basement, and this basement had been abandoned and hence, unused for a long time. Merlin had allowed some people to clean it up last night, and temporarily used it as his laboratory.

Each Host had his own laboratory as unlike those who had inherited the almighty beast bloodlines, Hosts had to constantly strengthen their bloodline with Nourishment Ponds and targeted improvements after Nourishment Ponds became ineffective.

This required the use of a laboratory. The basement was only relatively quiet, and was still far from a real laboratory.

However, it could still be used now. A suitable laboratory would be built later.

In the middle of the laboratory was an oval pond that had been filled with a dark green juice that looked very viscous. It was a beast bone soup that Merlin had ordered the guards to brew all night. Added with some special materials, it was the most basic liquid of a Nourishment Pond.

Later, one by one, he added more than two hundred kinds of raw materials into the Nourishment Pond according to the dosage stated in the Hermani formula. Immediately, the entire Nourishment Pond started to boil and bubble, emitting a strange and unpleasant odor.

It took Merlin more than two hours to add the two hundred or so materials into the Nourishment Pond. The Nourishment Pond that was dark green had turned black, and was almost ready.

"It should be ready. Let's try the effect."

Merlin muttered lowly. He turned from the basement and took out a large dog that had been prepared in advance.

This large dog looked ferocious and held a fierce gleam in its eyes but it was firmly caught by Merlin and could not struggle.

"Go."

Merlin threw the large dog into the inky Nourishment Pond.

"Splash."

The large dog fell into the Nourishment Pond and spattered droplets around. The dog struggled desperately in the Nourishment Pond, and its body could be seen gradually growing and becoming stronger at a rate visible to the naked eye.

"It's effective?"

Merlin knew the Nourishment Pond was extraordinary but he did not expect the effect to be so good. He naturally needed to test it with a large dog to be safe.

Seeing that it worked, he grabbed the large dog. He did not want to waste all the precious materials on the dog.

The large dog which was thrown to the ground pounced on Merlin furiously. However, Merlin now had the almighty beast's will and his physical quality had improved greatly, and kicked the large dog into the distance with one foot. Despite that, the large dog immediately turned over and stood up without any injuries.

Just as Merlin was watching the dog carefully, the canine suddenly trembled, and let out shrill shrieks. Then, the dog's blood vessels burst one after another, reducing it to a bloody lump of meat. The entire laboratory was filled with the strong scent of blood.

"It's dead?"

Merlin frowned as he approached to take a closer look. From his preliminary judgment, the cause should be due to too much power contained in the dog's body which caused it to burst and die. As for why it contained so much power, Merlin had some predictions.

How terrifying were the nutrients in the Nourishment Pond? It could only be used by Hosts because they could use the almighty beast's will to guide this force into the bloodline, and strengthen the bloodline to make the degree of shifting higher.

However, the large dog did not have the almighty beast's will and could not guide the power of the Nourishment Pond. Therefore, it could only explode and die.

Knowing the key, Merlin had nothing to worry about. He had prepared the Nourishment Pond for a long time. Today, he finally succeeded and could try it.

"Now, I have both the almighty beast's will and the Nourishment Pond. Let's see what changes will happen."

Merlin took off his robe and jumped into the inky Nourishment Pond naked.

When he jumped in, he did not feel hot and dry. Instead, a cool and refreshing feeling circulated in his body.

"Tss-tss-tss."

Soon, the cool and refreshing feeling became spikes pricking Merlin's entire body, making him feel very uncomfortable. He could not help but shout.

"Roar…"

It was a beast's roar. The wolf-like howl came directly from Merlin's mouth. The Two-headed Pterolycus which was quiet in his Awareness had finally awakened.

The Two-headed Pterolycus in his Awareness seemed to have become bigger and more solid. The almighty beast's will grew stronger, which directly led to changes in Merlin's body.

"Morph!"

This shapeshifting was now controlled by Merlin. His hands immediately turned into furry wolf claws, sharp and glinting coldly, striking fear into others.

This was first-form of shapeshifting. Merlin was used to this form but with the help of the Nourishment Pond, the degree of morphing grew much elaborate.

Merlin's legs also immediately cracked and grew black fur. They quickly became strong and full of strength. It seemed that they could jump out of the Nourishment Pond with a single leap.

He had reached second-form shifter!

With just this much, the miracle of the Nourishment Pond had not been reflected yet. After Merlin's legs had morphed, he felt a powerful force. Second-form shifter had enabled Merlin to fully utilize the Two-headed Pterolycus' characteristics, which was speed.

However, the explosive force in his body was still far from enough as his body had not morphed yet.

Third-form shifter was changing rapidly as well. From his legs to his thighs, rear, and abdomen – all of them began to grow tight muscles. Meanwhile, Merlin's body rose to nearly two meters.

Third-form!

Currently, apart from his head and upper body, Merlin was already a living and terrifying giant black wolf!

Merlin felt his strength had increased exponentially while the color in the Nourishment Pond faded rapidly. It gradually changed from black back to green.

Merlin's shapeshifting stopped at his lower abdomen. His upper body and head did not morph at all, and he only had reached third-form.

Even so, Merlin was overjoyed. The effect of the Hermani Nourishment Pond was far beyond Merlin's expectation.