Chapter 190: The Ancient Ruins

Merlin gazed at his slightly frostbitten finger, his mind racing with thoughts.

The Extreme Ice Finger was indeed powerful, but training it was no easy feat. It required very specific conditions. When the Hegal Mage originally obtained the Extreme Ice Finger technique, he had it for quite some time but never fully mastered it. This was likely because he had already advanced to a first-level spellcaster before obtaining it.

Moreover, Hegal Mage had not constructed the Freezing Grasp spell, nor was he as fortunate as Merlin in acquiring the Hundred-Year Cold Essence.

To train in Extreme Ice Finger, one must first construct the complex first-level spell Freezing Grasp and then acquire the rare Hundred-Year Cold Essence. Merlin was incredibly lucky to have met these conditions—an outcome of multiple fortuitous coincidences.

After a moment's thought, Merlin left his quarters. Since training in Extreme Ice Finger consumed an enormous amount of magical power and he had nearly depleted his ice-elemental crystals, he decided to seek out Flade Mage for assistance.

---

"Flade Mage!"

Dressed in a loose black robe, Merlin arrived at Flade Mage's residence, calling out.

The door creaked open, and Flade Mage poked his head out. Seeing Merlin, a glint of excitement flashed in his eyes, and he warmly greeted him. In a low voice, he remarked, "Mage Merlin, it's truly surprising—even Samir Mage couldn't do anything to you…"

From the awe in Flade Mage's gaze, Merlin guessed that he was well aware of Samir Mage's visit but had chosen to stay out of it to avoid trouble. Even if he had intervened, he would have been of little help to Merlin.

Merlin didn't linger on the subject. Instead, he asked, "I haven't been around for the past two months. How's the sale of the alkali potions?"

Flade Mage nodded, "Sales have slowed down, but I did manage to sell all the alkali potions you made. After deducting material costs, there's a total of six thousand eight hundred and fifty elemental crystals."

With that, Flade Mage promptly retrieved the elemental crystals from his ring. Merlin glanced at the pile; most were earth-elemental crystals, but what he really needed now were ice-elemental ones.

"Could we possibly exchange these for ice-elemental crystals?" he asked.

"Ice-elemental crystals? Let me check." Flade Mage rummaged through his collection and then looked up, "I have about five thousand ice-elemental crystals. Will that be enough? If not, I could exchange some at Silver Tower for a small fee."

Since most elemental crystals are readily exchangeable except for rare types like dark-elemental crystals, Flade Mage's offer was feasible.

"Five thousand ice-elemental crystals should be sufficient. No need for further exchanges."

Merlin accepted the five thousand ice-elemental crystals and placed them in his ring. Flade Mage continued, "There's still a steady demand for alkali potions. If you're free to make more, I'd be happy to continue selling them."

Merlin thought for a moment. With his focus on training Extreme Ice Finger, he had little time to make more potions. He declined, "I'll be busy for a while. Perhaps later."

Flade Mage looked a bit disappointed but didn't press further, allowing Merlin to take his leave.

---

Just as Merlin was about to enter Button Mage's courtyard, he saw a familiar figure.

"Samir Mage?"

Merlin narrowed his eyes, calling out in a low voice.

Instantly, Samir Mage's hulking alchemical monster turned, eyeing Merlin intently. Samir Mage himself broke into a smile, "Ah, Mage Merlin, just the person I wanted to see."

Samir's face appeared healthier, even youthful. But Merlin knew it was merely a change in his aura—a sign that the Edura potion had indeed stabilized Samir's spell models.

"How effective was the Edura potion?" Merlin inquired. He had concocted it but was unsure of its true effects.

Samir's face lit up. "It worked very well. My spell models are now stable, though not entirely fixed. The Edura potion was something I stumbled upon in an ancient ruin. It stabilizes the models but doesn't entirely remove the risk of collapse."

Merlin shook his head. To truly eliminate instability in spell models, one must carefully construct them from the beginning. No potion could fully address structural weaknesses within a model.

It was similar to the situation with the old mage who needed repeated doses of Violet Powder to keep his models temporarily stable. Unlike Samir, who only needed one dose, Merlin's Edura potion's stabilizing effect was already quite remarkable.

But Samir wasn't entirely satisfied with his fate as a third-level spellcaster. His eyes flashed with a determined gleam as he leaned closer to Merlin and said in a low, mysterious tone, "Mage Merlin, you now have the power to hold your own against a third-level spellcaster and are skilled in potion-making. I have a promising opportunity for us both—one that could bring unforeseen rewards."

"What opportunity?" Merlin asked, intrigued by Samir's secrecy.

"An ancient ruin," Samir replied with a grin. "A very old one, dating back to the Molta Empire—around 3,600 years ago."

"An ancient ruin from the Molta Empire?"

Merlin's expression changed. The Molta Empire era was known as the golden age of spellcasters, filled with legendary mages and unparalleled advancements in alchemy, potion-making, and runology. However, the empire's sudden collapse left behind only fragments of its greatness and many unsolved mysteries.

Some of the remaining ruins from this time contain valuable relics: ancient potions, alchemical techniques, powerful spells, and magical tools. Such ruins often sparked fierce competition among spellcasters.

Seeing Merlin's interest, Samir continued, "Yes, a Molta-era ruin. If you join me, I'll introduce you to some old friends who will accompany us. As for the loot, I only want any potions or formulas related to stabilizing spell models. Anything else you find will be yours."

"Why ask me to go?" Merlin asked, still wary.

"Simple," Samir replied openly, "I need someone who is both skilled in potion-making and powerful enough to hold their own. In Floating City, only you fit that description."

Merlin thought through Samir's proposition. It seemed Samir hadn't given up on finding a permanent solution for his unstable spell models, hoping to find something within the ancient ruins. After all, it was from a ruin that he had originally acquired the Edura potion. Now, he saw Merlin as the perfect companion—skilled and strong.

"Ancient ruins must be filled with danger, no?" Merlin asked after a while.

"Of course," Samir replied with a smirk. "Ancient ruins were constructed by powerful spellcasters of old, so who knows what awaits inside? But the potential rewards far outweigh the risks. If you let fear of danger stop you, you might regret missing out on what these ruins could offer."

Merlin pondered his options. "The Molta Empire was a golden age for spellcasters. If there's a chance to explore a ruin from that time, why not?"

He looked up, a determined smile forming on his face.

Ruins always carried risks, but with his powerful Extreme Ice Finger, Merlin felt confident. With its strength, he was virtually equal to a third-level spellcaster. If trouble arose, he could protect himself.

Samir clapped him on the back, pleased with his decision. "Mage Merlin, no worries! I've explored many ruins before; we'll be fine. Come, I'll introduce you to some friends who will join us on this adventure."

With that, Samir led the way, and Merlin followed closely behind, ready for the journey to the ruins.