Chapter 137: Birds of a Feather

Early in the morning, Merlin woke up and began his usual meditation. Although he was now in the Dark Spirit Realm and had the support of the Matrix, Merlin continued his disciplined routine, remaining as diligent as ever.

Upon leaving his room, he headed straight to the top floor of the tower, where he found nine other mages already gathered outside Leo's chamber. Like Merlin, these mages had been selected by Mage Leo to participate in the Dark Spirit Realm's triennial exchange meeting.

Since each mage was usually busy with their own tasks—whether missions, meditation, or constructing spells—Merlin hadn't had a chance to get acquainted with them over the past year.

Merlin's arrival didn't attract much attention; the others merely acknowledged him with polite smiles before looking away, standing quietly as they awaited instructions.

Soon, Leo emerged. Dressed in a white robe trimmed with gold, Leo looked every bit the dignified and powerful mage he was—if not for his hollow eyes and the unsettling blood-red third eye on his forehead, which gave him an air of terror despite his otherwise regal attire. Even those familiar with Leo's appearance seemed visibly unsettled by his presence, their faces slightly pale, except for a few who maintained their composure.

Unfazed, Leo spoke in a flat tone, "Everyone's here. Let's go. Merlin, you'll lead the team this time."

Merlin felt several pairs of eyes shift towards him as Leo handed him the responsibility of leading. He understood Leo's intent—granting him a position of authority and letting the others know that he would be the focus of this exchange meeting, while the rest were mainly there to accompany him.

Under Leo's guidance, the group left the tower.

The team soon reached a spacious square where dozens of platforms, each inscribed with intricate runes, stood side by side. The vast square was packed with mages of varying ranks, dressed in robes of various colors and waiting in orderly lines. In the front rows of the square were rows of stone seats reserved for senior mages—those of the fourth level and above who had brought their students to the exchange meeting.

"Merlin, wait here with the others until it's time for the drawing," Leo said before leaving them to find their own way.

Merlin could only watch helplessly as Leo departed without even a hint of a teacher's guiding touch.

"Merlin."

A soft voice called his name. One of the nine mages, a young woman with delicate features, brown hair draped over her shoulders, and a few golden bells on her wrist, spoke with a mysterious smile.

Seeing his gaze, she lowered her voice and said, "Merlin, Leo clearly values you. We've heard that in previous years, he didn't even bother showing up for the exchange meeting, just sent one person to lead the team. This year, he came in person. We all know it's not for our sake—he came because of you."

Her delicate smile was accompanied by a slight glint in her eyes, giving her an intriguing charm.

Merlin didn't respond directly but asked, "What's your name?"

"You can call me Anlena."

Merlin nodded and continued, "Anlena, has any of Leo's students performed well at past exchange meetings?"

Anlena thought for a moment. "There was one—Mage Soren. Twelve years ago, he won three rounds representing our tower. Later, he advanced to the first level and became an official member of the Dark Spirit Realm."

Merlin made a mental note. Soren seemed to have been a standout, though it wasn't clear why he had ended up in Leo's tower. His success in advancing to the first level suggested he was indeed talented.

In the Dark Spirit Realm, novice mages were abundant, but fewer than 30% managed to become first-level mages—a rather low rate. Among Leo's students, however, the success rate was even lower, at about one in ten, below the Dark Spirit Realm's average.

With time left before the exchange meeting began, Merlin and the others sat quietly. The nine mages around him remained silent and distant, in stark contrast to students from other towers, who animatedly discussed who might shine in the meeting.

"I heard Mage Dewey's student Cecil already constructed a first-level earth spell. He's likely to make a strong impression and may even attract the attention of a senior mage, given that Dewey is only a fourth-level mage…"

"That's impressive, but I think Lohan has a better chance of stealing the spotlight."

"You mean the one who only needs one more first-level spell to advance? He's exceptional, but his mentor is a sixth-level mage who values him highly. I doubt he'd leave even if others took an interest."

While these mages chatted excitedly, Leo's students appeared downcast and quiet.

Anlena noticed Merlin's curiosity and explained in a low voice, "Merlin, you may not know this, but as students of Mage Leo, we have to keep a low profile. It's just how it is."

Merlin could sense her embarrassment, but he quickly understood. Being a student of Leo's, despite his status as a sixth-level mage, somehow made them seem less esteemed in the eyes of others. Other towers' students, even those mentored by fourth-level mages, appeared to hold more confidence. Leo's students, on the other hand, were almost conditioned to remain silent.

At that moment, Merlin heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Merlin, you're here for the meeting too?"

Turning around, he saw the female mage Relis, whom he had met during the East Ridge mission. She stood with Mage Holmes and another man who was tall, muscular, and wore an unusual snake-shaped earring.

"Relis, Holmes!" Merlin greeted them.

Holmes seemed calm, but Merlin noticed a hint of tension in his face.

"You're here for the meeting too?" Holmes asked, glancing at Merlin and the other nine mages by his side.

"Yes, we're here with Leo," Merlin replied. "What about Mage Grent? Didn't he bring you along?"

Holmes shook his head. "Grent is busy with an important experiment, so he sent us on our own."

They chatted briefly, but the tall, strange-looking man beside Holmes looked on with a dark expression.

"Who's this?" Merlin asked Holmes, noticing the man's unfriendly demeanor.

Holmes just gave a slight smile and said nothing, but the man sneered, "So, Holmes, you're actually friends with Leo's students. Birds of a feather, I suppose. No wonder you failed to construct a first-level spell—perhaps it's time for you to leave the Dark Spirit Realm in a few years. Haha!"

With a mocking laugh, the man turned and walked away.

Merlin maintained his composure, but the man's comment gave him insight—Holmes had attempted to construct a first-level spell model after the East Ridge mission but had failed. The man clearly held a grudge against Holmes and took every opportunity to mock him.

Holmes's expression darkened as he exchanged a few more words with Merlin before taking his leave.

"'Birds of a feather,' huh?" Merlin muttered, watching the man's back with a glint in his eyes. Just mentioning his association with Leo had made the man immediately look down on him. Even Holmes, simply by talking with Merlin, had become the target of scorn.

While Merlin tried to brush it off, it left a lingering discomfort.

Anlena shrugged, clearly used to this treatment, and said with a faint smile, "Merlin, don't worry about it. You'll get used to it eventually. Besides, some of Leo's students are first-level mages or above."

She was merely offering some consolation, but Merlin had already moved on.

"Let's go and draw our matchups," he said, standing up.

Merlin noticed that several robed mages on the platform were calling people to draw lots to determine their opponents for the exchange meeting.