Chapter 143: The Final Battle (Part 2)

With a swift motion, the protective runic barrier enclosed the platform. Immediately, a surge of wind energy radiated from Merlin as he activated his wind-element spell, *Gale*. In the blink of an eye, he moved like a specter, appearing right in front of Mage Loann, unleashing a powerful *Lightning Net* from his outstretched hands.

From the outset, Merlin attacked with full force, giving Loann no room to react.

Seeing the net of lightning descend from above, Loann's face grew tense. He quickly produced a spell scroll, which shimmered in his hand.

"Another spell scroll?" Merlin frowned slightly. These scrolls weren't cheap; a standard first-level spell scroll could cost between fifty and a hundred contribution points.

Merlin had considered buying scrolls himself, but fifty to a hundred points was a steep cost for him. Plus, with his current power, the first-level spells he had constructed were almost as strong as a standard first-level spell, so the benefit wasn't significant.

*"Stone Pillars of Protection!"*

Loann instantly activated the scroll's spell. Towering stone pillars, created by a first-level earth spell, sprang up around him, forming a protective barrier. Though it was an earth spell, its defense extended in all directions, preventing Merlin's lightning from reaching Loann.

Merlin didn't hesitate. A fiery glow appeared in his hands, and he launched more than a dozen fireballs in rapid succession at Loann's defenses, creating an impressive display.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Each impact caused the *Stone Pillars* to tremble but not collapse.

*"Enhanced Fireball!"*

Merlin then cast a powerful version of his fire spell, releasing a series of twelve fireballs. Among them, four massive fireballs glowed fiercely, radiating intense heat, their larger size hinting at their devastating potential.

Loann's expression finally shifted. For the first time, he felt a hint of danger from the size and strength of those four fireballs.

*"Earth Prison!"*

Loann activated one of his first-level spells, *Earth Prison*, a powerful binding spell that Holmes had once purchased in the Tower of Marvels. The spell's binding power was impressive, and it had proven effective against strong opponents before.

*Rumble!*

The ground trembled as earth elements converged around Merlin, creating a massive prison similar to the one that had once trapped the dark blood bat.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Merlin's fireballs collided violently against Loann's protective pillars, making them shake. But as a faint yellow glow reappeared around the pillars, they stabilized, enduring even the impact of Merlin's enhanced fireballs. This demonstrated the formidable defensive strength of the first-level spell.

"Trapped by *Earth Prison*, Merlin will struggle to break free. This match is Loann's to win," commented Mage Nasha with a slight shake of her head. Despite Merlin's six elements, she felt he was at a disadvantage against Loann, who had constructed two first-level spells and possessed additional spell scrolls.

Even Mage Leo, who was typically unreadable, showed a rare hint of concern.

*"Radiant Wind!"*

Loann grinned as he saw Merlin trapped. Sensing victory within reach, he cast his other first-level spell, an offensive wind-element spell known as *Radiant Wind*.

*Swish!*

A piercing beam of wind, sharp as an arrow, shot straight toward Merlin.

*Crack! Crack!*

Suddenly, the entire *Earth Prison* was frozen solid, encased in a thick layer of ice. Now fully integrated, any damage to the prison would destroy it completely.

*Boom!*

Merlin's massive *Earth Prison* began to crumble as he rapidly unleashed successive freezing spells, binding it in a way that connected it to Loann's incoming *Radiant Wind*. Under the assault, the ice and earth shattered, leaving Merlin unharmed, though slightly pale.

"Impressive! Using such a clever method to escape Loann's *Earth Prison*!" Mage Nasha marveled. She had believed Merlin was cornered, yet he had ingeniously leveraged his freezing spells to weaken the prison and break it with Loann's own attack.

Being a powerful mage required not only skill in spell construction and strength of spirit but also the ability to adapt and use spells to their fullest potential. Merlin's innovative use of freezing spells to escape danger demonstrated his quick thinking.

Loann's expression darkened. He hadn't expected Merlin to escape his *Earth Prison* with just a simple freezing spell and some ingenuity.

"Loann, your *Earth Prison* is broken. Now it's my turn," Merlin said, his eyes flashing as he summoned dark elemental energy.

"If I can bind you once, I can do it again. *Earth Prison!*" Loann steadied himself and cast *Earth Prison* once more.

But Merlin's form suddenly blurred, vanishing with unnatural speed. With a mere blink, he appeared behind Loann, his swift movements almost supernatural.

*"Dark Fog!"*

Merlin cast his signature spell, releasing not one but three layers of thick fog that quickly blanketed the platform. Many novice mages found it impossible to see through the dark fog, which was almost impenetrable to all but the most powerful spirits.

Though surrounded by darkness, Loann remained confident. His *Stone Pillars of Protection* stood firm, and his spirit was strong enough to resist the effects of ordinary dark fog.

"Dark fog won't work on me, Merlin. You're wasting your energy," Loann said with a laugh.

"Is that so?" Merlin's voice echoed as he moved rapidly through the fog, constantly changing position to evade Loann's spirit.

*"Dark Fog!"* Merlin unleashed another wave of dark fog, intensifying the darkness around Loann.

Loann shook his head, slightly annoyed. "If you keep draining your energy like this, you'll be defeated without me even needing to strike back. Your dark fog won't—"

He stopped abruptly, his face suddenly filled with alarm. This latest layer of dark fog was different; it was stronger and more overwhelming, as if his powerful spirit was unable to penetrate it.

"What's going on? Why has the dark fog suddenly intensified?" Loann's heart raced as he sensed something sinister about the fog surrounding him.

"It's over." Merlin's cold voice cut through the fog, followed by a barrage of massive fireballs, lightning bolts, and freezing winds, all converging on Loann with devastating force.

*Boom!*

The sound of thunderous explosions filled the arena, with flashes of lightning, fire, and flying stone fragments scattering everywhere as Loann's protective pillars shattered, their remains spraying outward.

With his dark fog receding, Merlin calmly dispelled the spell. Loann, now fully visible, looked at Merlin with a somber expression and finally said, "I've lost."

Loann admitted defeat with a steady nod. His defenses were shattered, and without them, he could not withstand Merlin's relentless attacks.

Merlin felt a rush of relief. He had hesitated to use his enhanced dark fog due to its draining nature. But against an opponent like Loann, whose spirit nearly matched his own, it was essential. Even the formidable elder with peak-level spirit had succumbed to Merlin's fog before.

The complexity of *Dark Fog* made it one of the trickiest zero-level spells to master. Without his *Matrix*, Merlin wouldn't have been able to construct it.

Among his six zero-level spells, *Dark Fog* had proven the most potent and versatile. It had allowed Merlin to overcome several powerful foes, including Loann today.

After his victory, Merlin quietly left the platform. Drained from the exertion, he immediately began meditating to restore his energy, readying himself for the ultimate showdown with whoever won the adjacent match.