Chapter 175: The Alchemical Monster

The red-clad woman moved with startling speed, catching the black-robed old man off guard. Her sharp spikes lunged toward him mercilessly. Being a typical spellcaster with limited physical resilience, the old man would have been unable to withstand such an attack.

But before she could succeed, Merlin intervened. A swift "Guardian's Aegis" spell enveloped the old man, blocking the spikes. The impact produced a screech as sparks flew, sending shivers down the spine of anyone who heard it.

"Get back!" Merlin's voice rang out. Several small fireballs shot from his hands, colliding with the red-clad woman and igniting her in flames. She was knocked back by the force of the explosion, momentarily hidden by the swirling fire.

Button, the alchemist, sneered. "Didn't expect you to have such a skilled ally, Hill. But my pet won't be so easily defeated." He watched in satisfaction as the red-clad woman rose again, her tight leather armor now scorched away to reveal a disturbing, layered green membrane across her exposed skin, as if her body had mutated with a reptilian texture.

Despite her charred skin, her grotesque appearance quelled any sense of allure she might have had. Instead, her presence became even more unsettling, her body now oozing a viscous fluid that smothered the flames.

The woman emitted a beastly growl, her body swelling as muscles bulged and veins rose grotesquely on her face. She leapt at Merlin with terrifying power, her beast-like instincts in full force.

"Dark Mist!" Merlin cast a thick fog around her, but she tore through it unaffected. Button laughed, his voice brimming with triumph. "You're wasting your efforts. Dark Mist doesn't work on her—she's an empty shell with no mind to ensnare!"

The woman surged forward, fist raised, emitting a chilling hum through the air. Merlin quickly reinforced his "Guardian's Aegis," just in time to meet her blow.

With a resounding impact, cracks appeared across the aegis, signaling the woman's terrifying strength. Merlin's face turned serious—his shield, a formidable level-one defensive spell, had almost shattered in a single hit.

"Frenzied Flame!" Merlin retaliated with an attack spell he had just mastered. Intense flames surged forth, enveloping the woman. Frenzied Flame was far stronger than his fireball, capable of melting metal armor and boasting an explosive quality that intensified its destructive power.

Yet from within the inferno, the woman emerged once more, her skin blackened, emitting a foul stench. Her face, however, began to regenerate, forming fresh green scales over the burned areas. With disturbing calm, she even scraped away damaged flesh with her own hands, tossing the pieces aside as her body regenerated.

Merlin watched, frowning. The red-clad woman was no longer human—she was an alchemical creation, her resilience and regenerative power seemingly immune to his spells. Even his most potent magic barely phased her, and typical level-one spells appeared ineffective.

"Lightning Web!" Merlin cast his paralyzing spell. The air filled with crackling energy as bolts of lightning struck the woman, slowing her movements, a sign that the spell's paralysis effect was indeed working.

"Freeze!" Merlin followed with an ice spell, layering thick sheets of ice around her. Several bursts of "Greater Freeze" encased her entirely, locking her in place.

Merlin's gaze shifted to Button. Most of an alchemist's power lay in their creations. Once immobilized, the alchemist himself became much more vulnerable.

"Dark Mist!" Merlin closed the distance between them, casting an enhanced Dark Mist to engulf Button. With his relatively weak mental strength, Button quickly succumbed to the illusion.

"Crack!" Merlin swiftly encased him in ice, dispelling the mist to let Button regain consciousness, now trapped in frozen fear.

Meanwhile, his creation, the red-clad woman, managed to shatter the ice around herself, returning to her master's side and freeing him with one powerful blow. But Button's expression showed no relief; he knew he had been defeated. If Merlin had been an enemy, Button would already be dead.

After creating his alchemical creature, Button had survived countless battles. Yet here, he had lost—and to a beginner-level spellcaster.

"Frenzied Flame, Guardian's Aegis, Lightning Web, Wind Dash, Dark Mist, Freeze! Six types of spells... you're a hex-elemental spellcaster? And two of those spells are already at level one?" Button's eyes widened with disbelief. In all his years, he had never encountered a hex-elemental spellcaster. Such talent existed only in ancient legends.

Button stared in awe, finally realizing that this was no ordinary opponent. "Well, to lose to a hex-elemental isn't a disgrace," he admitted with a bitter smile. Turning to Hill, he added, "Let's not argue over ideology, Hill. It's been so long since we've met. So, what brings you to Floating City?"

Button signaled to his red-clad "pet," and she retreated obediently to the shadows, revealing her true purpose as an ever-watchful guard.