Chapter 239: Resolution 9
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Riesen's face turned pale. He had seen the powerful Weiss killed by Merlin. He now regretted not taking the opportunity to flee while both of them were occupied with the fight.
Riesen noticed the dark elements around Merlin intensify. In response, he immediately took out a roll of animal skin from his ring as he shouted to the Spell Casters around him, "I have the cultivation method of a Pandora Demon Ability in my hands. Whoever helps me defeat Merlin shall have it!"
Riesen was desperate at this point. He was willing to lose the cultivation method of Fiery Collapse to save his life.
"Pandora Demon Ability?"
"Is it really a Pandora Demon Ability?"
Many Spell Casters glanced at the roll of animal skin in Riesen's hand. There was a hint of surprise in their eyes as they stared eagerly.
Merlin stopped in his tracks and his eyes swept his surroundings. Suddenly, the Spell Casters around him did not seem eager anymore, even the Fourth-level Spell Casters just shook their heads and held back their temptation as none of them had dared to move forward.
The Pandora Demon Ability was tempting, but after witnessing the battle between Merlin and Weiss, the Fourth-level Spell Casters knew clearly how dangerous getting in Merlin's way would have been. They would resist this temptation to live another day.
From this point on, it was clear that Merlin was a much more powerful Wizard than Weiss!
"It's useless to avoid death!"
Merlin shook his head as he calmly watched Riesen. Merlin was not the same newbie Wizard he was when he first joined the Dark Magic Region. He now had the mentality of a strong Spell Caster and he could face any obstacle!
"Fire!"
Merlin shifted slightly and suddenly, a white flame rose from Wizard Riesen's body. The flame swelled up and soon Riesen's entire body was enveloped in flames.
Merlin watched calmly as Riesen struggled in the flames. Riesen eventually fell to the ground, his body burned beyond recognition. Merlin waited till there was no movement when he finally waved off the flame.
All that remained on Riesen's body was his ring and the roll of animal skin that had recorded the cultivation methods of Fiery Collapse. The surrounding Spell Casters watched Merlin pick up the roll of animal skin with a desperate glow in their eyes.
However, the roll of animal skin was already in Merlin's hand, and they knew Merlin already possessed a Pandora Demon Ability. It was like Wizard Leo, everyone knew he had successfully cultivated Darkness Eye, who would dare to foolishly stand against him?
This was because of the reassurance that Merlin had gained from when he killed Weiss. He was sure now that his strength was in no way inferior to that of a Fourth-level Spell Caster. In fact, there may not be a Spell Caster in Floating City that would dare oppose Merlin!
Therefore, even if they knew Merlin possessed the Pandora Demon Ability, they would not dare act and they took warning from the shattered pieces of Weiss' as an example.
"Elena, let's go!"
Merlin put the roll of animal skin and the ring away and bid Elena to leave. Wizard Matthew of the Delman clan watched Merlin leave with Elena with a horrified look on his face.
"Elena? It is her, why did she not mention that she and Merlin were students of the same tutor?"
Wizard Matthew thought of this with a hint of joy on his face, and then, he quickly left the Delman clan.
…
The vast ocean seemed endless, and any continent seemed tiny amongst the ocean.
In the depths of the ocean was an unnamed island. On it was a resplendent and magnificent palace that gleamed so bright that it could be seen from far away.
"Kleis!"
In one of the houses on the palace grounds, a tall ponytailed female Spell Caster with tight-fitting clothes shouted across the room at another male Wizard who had his eyes shut.
The male Wizard furrowed his eyebrows and looked annoyed as he quickly opened his eyes.
"Bluebird, what's the matter?"
The female Wizard was called Bluebird, it seemed more like a code name than a real name.
"Kleis, the idiot Weiss is dead!"
Bluebird had an unsympathetic look on her face.
Kleis frowned slightly, unlike Bluebird who was grinning. He whispered as he asked, "Weiss is dead? Didn't he go to Floating City to perform a simple task? Other than Sterling House, Floating City does not have a huge amount of force, even if you include Sterling House, the best Spell Casters of Floating City are only Fourth-level Spell Casters. Weiss is not that powerful, but he would have been able to easily defeat the Fourth-level Spell Casters of Floating City. What happened?"
Bluebird snorted. "The person who killed Weiss was not from Floating City but was, in fact, a Spell Caster from the Dark Magic Region! It seems your Dark Magic Region is truly amazing. After you left, a Six Elemental First-level Spell Caster had emerged, he was the one who killed Weiss."
"Six Elemental Spell Caster!"
Kleis was calm before he heard Bluebirds explanation. His body flashed with outrageous energy. He himself was a Five Elemental Spell Caster, he knew how difficult it was to become a Six Elemental Spell Caster.
Kleis had once considered becoming a Six Elemental Spell Caster but in the end, he gave up this pursuit.
Now there was a Six Elemental Spell Caster in the Dark Magic Region and Kleis was surprised.
"Wait, I have some recollection of this. In the Dark Magic Region, there was a Spell Caster who was assigned to Wizard Leo's Tower. He was a Six Elemental Spell Caster but had yet to become a First-level Spell Caster. Could it be him? If I recall, his name was Merlin!"
Kleis recalled some of the things that happened when he was in the Dark Magic Region. He remembered hearing rumors of a Six Elemental Spell Caster, but Merlin was just an Entrance-level Spell Caster at that time and very far from becoming a First-level Spell Caster. Kleis could not have remembered him.
"That's right, it is Merlin! Leo truly is amazing, he could even cultivate Darkness Eye. Sir Osseus died at the hands of Leo too. Not only is he incredible, but his students are also very powerful…"
Bluebird said emotionally.
"What do the upper-class think?"
Kleis asked with a slight squint.
"At first, they thought to seduce Merlin to betray the Dark Magic Region. Hehe, unfortunately, the agreement between the Dark Magic Region and Floating City cannot be broken for the time being. Therefore, they can't send a Fourth-level Spell Caster forward, it would be too obvious. The upper-class is preparing to send a Third-level Spell Caster instead, I have already applied for the task."
Bluebird's expression gradually became more serious as she laid out the situation in a low voice.
"Huh? You're going?"
"Yes, I won't let anyone threaten your position in Ozmu. The idiot Weiss overestimated himself, he wanted to compare himself to you. I've always wanted the opportunity to kill him. Luckily, Merlin has helped me, it is clear that Merlin is quite strong. Kleis, you know the tradition of Ozmu, the more gifted the Spell Caster the more valuable they are. If Merlin arrives in Ozmu, I am afraid it will pose a serious threat to your status!"
"So, I've applied to deal with matters this time. Not to rope in Merlin, but to ensure he never threatens your position, or I will kill him!"
Bluebird's eyes turned cold yet her tone remained calm, it was very unnerving. Only when she looked at Kleis did her expression return soft.
Kleis felt uneasy as he looked at Bluebird, he extended his arm and gently stroked her hair. He said calmly, "Okay, Bluebird. I will be relieved if you go. If not, shall I cultivate the Demon Ability Ozmu gave me and personally meet Merlin to see how truly amazing this rumored Six-Elemental Spell Caster is?"
"What? Are you sure you want to cultivate the Demon Ability? No one in Ozmu has successfully cultivated it before. Too many gifted Spell Casters have died at the hand of this Demon Ability."
Bluebird heard Kleis and her expression changed greatly, she was very nervous.
Kleis continued to stroke Bluebird's hair, he smiled and reassured her with a calm voice, "Is it not worth it to betray the Dark Magic Region? Ordinary Spell Casters could never become a powerful Spell Caster, but I am not destined to be ordinary!"
Kleis said with a hint of madness on his face.
Bluebird fell silent for a while, but she eventually calmed down. She knew that once Kleis had decided on something, his mind could not be changed.
"Fine, after I kill Merlin, I will return as soon as possible. If you die, I will accompany you!"
At that moment, the cold Wizard Bluebird seemed gentle.
…
Floating City, in the Delman clan.
Wizard Matthew walked in from the courtyard. Although his position in the Delman clan was high, he did not dare scorn at the people in this room.
"Squeak!"
The large doors suddenly burst open as Wizard Matthew raised his head fiercely. He saw a young Spell Caster dressed in black robes from across the room.
"Wizard Merlin!"
Wizard Matthew shouted hurriedly as Wizard Elena followed behind him.
Merlin looked at Elena with a confused look on his face, and Elena stood awkwardly as she whispered, "Merlin, this is my father."
Merlin remembered Elena briefly mention that her father was the clan elder of the Delman clan.
"Wizard Matthew, is something wrong?"
Merlin's gaze met Wizard Matthew's as he asked calmly.
Wizard Matthew smiled and whispered, "Wizard Merlin, this is the case, we, the Delman clan, are willing to pay any price to copy the Pandora Demon Ability on that roll of animal skin!"
"You want the Pandora Demon Ability?"
Merlin squinted slightly as he gazed gently at Elena, whose face was red with embarrassment. Then, Merlin turned his gaze to Wizard Matthew, a hint of coldness in his eyes.
Chapter 240: Transformation
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Wizard Matthew, I am afraid this Pandora Demon Ability may not bring any good upon your clan, but, in fact, disaster!"
Merlin looked coldly at Wizard Matthew. These Spell Caster clans could not resist the temptation of the Pandora Demon Ability. Due to them being such weak Spell Caster clans, the Pandora Demon Ability would do more harm than good.
Merlin looked over at Elena's reaction to Merlin's polite response. He ignored Wizard Matthew and decided to leave the Delman clan.
Elena followed after him and apologized awkwardly, "Merlin, please excuse us. I had tried to advise my father before, but the Pandora Demon Ability is too tempting, that is why he asked for such a favor."
Elena shook her head lightly. They had no choice but to ask, even the stronger Spell Caster clans did not possess a Pandora Demon Ability let alone the weakest clan in Floating City.
It was feared that the Spell Caster clans of Floating City would face certain doom if the Pandora Demon Ability was to fall into their hands.
Elena nodded as she asked, "Merlin, how long will you stay in Floating City? You have just killed a Spell Caster from Ozmu, I am worried you may be in danger."
"Danger?"
Merlin furrowed his eyebrows, he was aware of the agreement between Ozmu and the Spell Caster organizations of the Dark Magic Region and other places. If Ozmu did not plan to break their side of the agreement, surely, they would not send out a few Fourth-level Spell Casters in that short amount of time.
If it was not Fourth-level or higher Spell Casters, Merlin was confident he would be able to handle them without much trouble. He had gradually gained confidence in himself as his strength had improved significantly.
Merlin looked at Elena, who was clearly worried and nodded. "I will leave Floating City soon, but first I will visit Sterling House to buy a few potion ingredients."
Elena sighed with relief. Merlin had already refused her as a servant, but as long as she maintained her relationship with him, her position within her clan would remain unchanged, it may even improve.
Therefore, Elena did not wish for Merlin to encounter any problems, it was best if he left Floating City as soon as possible while it was still safe to do so.
However, Elena did not know that upon leaving Floating City, Merlin would not return to the Dark Magic Region immediately. His mission to settle his issue with Riesen was only one of the missions he had in mind. He still wished to look for Laurinka to fulfill his promise.
…
Merlin stood before Sterling House. Wizard Busson, who had battled Weiss, was also from Sterling House. He was truly one of the most controlled Spell Casters.
Wizard Busson looked uneasy as he saw Merlin. He too knew the result of the battle between Merlin and Weiss. The collision between the two Pandora Demon Abilities would make a Fourth-level Spell Caster like him shudder as well.
Although he was a Spell Caster from Sterling House, he has never possessed any type of Pandora Demon Ability before.
"Wizard Merlin, why have you come to Sterling House today? Would you like to buy something?"
Wizard Busson personally welcomed Merlin, a sign of his respect towards Merlin.
Merlin had already prepared a list of the ingredients required for the Phantasmal Magic Potion and handed it to Sterling House. The Dark Magic Region did not have the necessary ingredients, so Merlin had to buy them from Sterling House.
"Huh? These ingredients are very rare. We don't have much of it right now, but if you wait a couple of months, we will have a lot more sent over."
Wizard Busson furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the detailed list.
"How many months?"
Merlin shook his head and said, "I don't have much time to wait. In that case, just give me whatever you have left."
Merlin was not worried about not having enough elemental crystal stones. He had just killed Weiss and Riesen, surely, Riesen's ring would have a lot of elemental crystal stones.
Riesen had saved up over the years, he was prepared to buy the rare treasures required to cultivate the Pandora Demon Ability. However, the treasure required for Fiery Collapse was only available in the ancient monument, even Sterling House did not have any. Hence, Riesen never spent the elemental crystal stones, this made things easier for Merlin.
Even though Weiss did not have as many elemental crystal stones as Riesen, he still had quite a wealth too. Now, Merlin was rich, and he could buy even more potion ingredients.
"Very well, please wait a while, Wizard Merlin."
Wizard Busson called over the other Spell Casters in Sterling House and asked them to prepare the potion ingredients Merlin needed.
After a while, Wizard Busson stared at Merlin, he seemed uncertain. It was clear that he wanted to say something but stopped himself every time he was about to.
"Wizard Merlin, could you possibly take out the Pandora Demon Ability in your ring?"
Finally, Wizard Busson could no longer resist and had posed his question. He was extremely envious of the Pandora Demon Ability Merlin had in his ring. However, he was only envious. He had seen Merlin's power with his own eyes, even a Fourth-level Spell Caster from Sterling House would not dare to oppose Merlin.
Now, Merlin had finally developed and was no longer the newbie Wizard who had just walked into the Dark Magic Region!
Merlin smiled, he did not reject Wizard Busson but instead smiled as he said, "Wizard Busson, you must be aware of the rarity of Pandora Demon Abilities. What more could I have? Of course, if you had another Pandora Demon Ability, I would consider a trade."
"Another Pandora Demon Ability?"
Wizard Busson heard this and his face dropped with disappointment as he shook his head. If he had another Pandora Demon Ability, he would not be as envious of Merlin's Pandora Demon Ability.
"Wizard Busson, the ingredients are ready."
Sterling House had placed all of Merlin's ingredients for the Phantasmal Magic Potion in a ring.
"Wizard Merlin, please go over the contents!"
Wizard Busson handed the ring over to Merlin. Merlin went through it and immediately, he noticed that there were many ingredients in the ring, even more than he had initially wanted. It was enough to prepare a few dozen portions of Phantasmal Magic Potion.
Although Wizard Busson had mentioned that they had very few potion ingredients, it seemed that Merlin could prepare a few dozen portions of the Phantasmal Magic Potion just from this amount. He was very pleased and nodded as he said, "Not bad, this much of the potion ingredients should be enough."
Merlin placed the potion ingredients in his own ring and paid a hefty amount of elemental crystal stones. Then, he got up to leave Sterling House.
Wizard Busson watched Merlin's figure leave and shook his head. He hesitated a little as he said, "Actually, Sterling House does have a few Pandora Demon Abilities. Great Wizard Sterling had mastered these Pandora Demon Abilities. However, it is not for me to take…"
Wizard Busson was very tempted by the Pandora Demon Ability Merlin had on himself but knew very well that he could not take on Merlin in his current state. Even if he attacked with all he had, it would still be certain that his fate would end like Weiss.
…
"I am still weak and do not have enough strength. It doesn't matter if it's Wizard Matthew or Wizard Busson, they would both take action!"
Merlin had returned to the Delman clan and stayed in his room alone.
The Pandora Demon Ability possessed an unbeatable and incredible power, it attracted the likes of many Spell Casters. Although Merlin had lingered in Floating City, no one had made an attack yet. This was because the sheer strength of the Pandora Demon Ability was revealed when Merlin killed Weiss!
It was similar to how no one dared to take Wizard Leo's Darkness Eye.
"I should check Weiss' ring and see if the Wind-type Pandora Demon Ability is there."
Merlin took out Weiss' ring. Before this, he had stayed in the room and used elemental crystal stones to recover his Magic Power, he did not get the chance to look through Weiss' ring and see what treasures it may contain.
Of course, the most precious of them all would be Weiss' Pandora Demon Ability. It was used by Ozmu to seduce Weiss into joining them.
Merlin searched for a bit and suddenly he gave a startled look at the ring.
"Well! It really is here!"
Merlin quickly pulled out a perfect-thread-bound book. The first few pages recorded a type of Wind-type Pandora Demon Ability.
Not to mention, the cultivation method of this Pandora Demon Ability, its history, strength and more were all recorded explicitly in this thread-bound book. It was much more detailed than Merlin's Glacial Finger and Fiery Collapse.
Merlin flipped through the pages quickly and deliberately, his expression turned unsightly.
"What a shame! I can't cultivate it!"
Merlin looked disappointed. Weiss' Pandora Demon Ability was called Destructive Wind, it was clear that this was a particularly powerful Pandora Demon Ability just from the name itself.
In order to cultivate Destructive Wind, the pre-requisite was the construction of an Offensive Wind-type spell. Merlin was a Six-Elemental Spell Caster and had already constructed a Wind-type spell. However, it was a Speed spell, there was no way he could reach the requirements to cultivate Destructive Wind.
Therefore, although Merlin had obtained Destructive Wind, he had no way to cultivate it.
Merlin reconsidered for a moment. Despite him not being able to cultivate it, he still possessed the Pandora Demon Ability, he could return to the Dark Magic Region and request a trade for the Pandora Demon Ability in the Dark Magic Region.
The Dark Magic Region had prioritized Merlin's training and the consequence of that was that he could uncover a few secrets. The Dark Magic Region had a long history and they too had a few Pandora Demon Abilities. However, they were not easy to obtain and were kept in the Resource Tower, where it was also impossible to be traded for.
Only those who had an outstanding contribution to the Dark Magic Region, or the official members of the Dark Magic Region who could retrieve the corresponding treasure would have a chance at obtaining the Pandora Demon Ability of the Dark Magic Region.
Pandora Demon Abilities within any Spell Caster organization were kept very secretly, unlike Ozmu, who would distribute Pandora Demon Abilities to seduce Spell Casters into joining them.
Merlin placed Destructive Wind away, he then carefully looked through Weiss' ring once more but found nothing valuable.
Merlin was about to put the ring away when the bowknot casting tool on his chest began to pulsate continuously as it gradually let off a warm energy.
Merlin paused and removed the pulsating casting tool from his chest as his face gleamed intriguingly.
Chapter 241: The Bell Space
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Merlin held the bowknot-shaped casting tool in his hands. It was one of the two casting tools that Wizard Bell had transfigured to work together.
The bowknot-shaped casting tool began to let off a warm energy. It seemed to have encountered another component.
It was important to note that the bowknot-shaped casting tool was an Assembled casting tool, which meant that it was made of multiple components to form one whole. Thus far, Merlin had only collected two components which then fused to form the bowknot-shaped casting tool.
When Merlin only had the first casting tool, the Bell Pendant, it had the ability to store spells. Once he paired it with another casting tool, it formed the bowknot-shaped casting tool and became an Enhancing casting tool. It was able to increase the defensive strength of his First-level spell Guardian Monument drastically, making it comparable to that of a Third-level defensive spell.
Now, the bowknot-shaped casting tool was transforming once more. It was clear that inside the ring of either Weiss or Riesen, was another casting tool that could be assembled with the bowknot-shaped casting tool.
Searching through both rings again, Merlin found a peculiar triangular casting tool. He took it out and immediately, the bowknot-shaped casting tool emitted a fierce bright light.
"It would seem that this casting tool is the third component to the Assembled casting tool!"
Merlin did not know if many components were left to be added to the Assembled casting tool, but he knew vaguely that with each addition, a completely new casting tool would form.
However, as a new casting tool would form, the original effects of the casting tool would immediately disappear. Merlin pondered for a while, he was unsure if he should fuse the third component and lose the effects of the bowknot-shaped casting tool.
Once assembled, it may no longer be an Enhancing casting tool and therefore would no longer be able to increase the strength of Merlin's Guardian Monument. This would greatly impact Merlin, despite his Offensive strength being powerful, he still lacked in Defensive capabilities, but with the Enhancing casting tool, this had not been that big of an issue.
"I already have the robe that can withstand Third-level spells, the Enhancing effects of the casting tool on Guardian Monument are not as important anymore."
Merlin weighed the pros and cons. The strengthened form of Guardian Monument was not as useful anymore. Moreover, if he increased his Mind Power slightly, he would be able to construct a Second-level spell.
If he constructed a Defensive Earth-type Second-level spell and strengthened it, it would be in no way inferior to the strength of a Third-level spell.
With that in mind, Merlin had come to a decision and was prepared to combine the bowknot-shaped casting tool and the third component together to form a completely new casting tool.
Merlin took a deep breath as he placed the bowknot-shaped casting tool and the triangular casting tool together.
Immediately, a bright light emerged from the bowknot-shaped casting tool and enveloped the third component with it.
Merlin could not see clearly what was happening in the bright light, but he knew that the two pieces had to be fusing together.
After half an hour, the bright light from the casting tool flashed quickly then dissipated. On the table lay an extremely glossy oval-shaped casting tool. On the top was a small eyelet, it was as if a string could be pulled through and it could be worn on one's chest.
Merlin picked up the new casting tool, it was still warm. However, the surface was a bit uneven as there were a few mysterious runes etched upon it.
There was no way to tell the benefit of this casting tool just by looking at it, it was best to use one's Mind Power to find out the true capabilities of this new casting tool.
Hence, Merlin shifted his Mind Power and examined the new casting tool.
"Boom!"
Merlin's Mind Power had just enveloped the new casting tool and immediately it was as though his Mind Power entered a vortex. It was transported to an unfamiliar space.
The space was pitch black, but Merlin's Mind Power was not affected, and he could clearly see his surroundings.
The space was very big and unlike the space within a ring. Merlin's Mind Power could sense a particular distinction, but he could not tell what it was exactly.
"Is this the effect of the casting tool?"
Merlin was curious, he did not expect this to be the function of the casting tool. Suddenly, a memory appeared in his mind.
The memory was very unexpected, it was almost as if it appeared out of thin air. The memory held information about the new casting tool.
It was clear that the memory and this casting tool were somehow related.
The information described the space created by the casting tool to be a place that could only be entered using Mind Power. It was a space that was able to simulate any spell or even Demon Ability.
Additionally, it had another benefit, it allowed Mind Power to exist independently inside and would eventually increase one's Mind Power.
Merlin was astounded. Although it was just a few bits of information, it was certainly something incredibly astonishing.
"This space is truly real! Spells and Demon Abilities can be simulated in this perfect space. One must have possessed incredible strength to be able to produce a space like this!"
Merlin was still in shock, even the Great Wizards could not master Spatial Strength. It would require the Runic Circles arranged by the Great Wizards to reach the extent of this space.
However, it would be impossible to control its Spatial Strength for even the slightest use. Many Spell Casters' rings already possessed a type of Spatial Strength, but this was quite common. Most of them were passed down from many generations before. Merlin had never heard of a Spell Caster organization that could transfigure a Spatial Ring.
Perhaps, there were only a few Spell Casters during the peak era who mastered Spatial Strength and transfigured the rings.
It would seem Wizard Bell was quite a complicated figure. Merlin had originally believed Wizard Bell to be a historical Great Wizard, but he was in fact, an even more powerful Great Alchemist.
Now, the three casting tools had assembled and formed a space. This was much more advanced than any Great Wizards' capabilities. Merlin could not even imagine how powerful Wizard Bell must have been. After all, Merlin knew that Wizard Bell was the most powerful Great Wizard.
The creator of the Dark Magic Region, Great Wizard Fidel, or even the creator of Sterling House, Great Wizard Sterling may have been powerful Great Wizards, but they could not master Spatial Strength.
The space did not depend on elements but instead obeyed an unknown law of strength.
"Let's test it to see if the Bell Space can truly simulate anything."
Merlin focused his Mind Power on the Bell Space and within a few moments a figure had formed to look exactly like Merlin.
"Construct a Spell Model."
Merlin's "Mind Power duplicate" immediately attempted to construct the Zero-level spell, Fireball.
"Ka-chak!"
Merlin's Mind Power duplicate had just tried to construct the Spell Model of Fireball but the duplicate collapsed immediately.
Merlin furrowed his eyebrows. He tried a couple more times, but like the first time, the Mind Power duplicate would immediately collapse. However, with each attempt, Merlin slowly began to realize the reason this had happened.
"Fireball may be a Zero-level spell, but it still requires a bit of Mind Power. Perhaps this is because my Mind Power in the space was too weak. It could not meet the Mind Power requirement of Fireball and therefore had failed."
This was Merlin's guess and so this time he increased the force and sent an incredible stream of Mind Power into the space.
Merlin's original Mind Power was only one percent of what he had now. It was just a mere fraction, but now, Merlin possessed Mind Power that could rival that of a Third-level Spell Caster. This one percent of Mind Power was able to construct the Zero-level spell, Fireball.
In reality, Merlin would have preferred to send through even more Mind Power into the space. However, during his attempts, Merlin had noticed a problem. Each time his Mind Power entered the space, it would decrease immediately. This meant that if the Mind Power Merlin sent into the space collapsed, it would truly disappear, and Merlin's Mind Power would eventually decrease into nothing.
If Merlin had dared to send a larger part of his Mind Power into the space, his Mind Power would immediately descend a level. Eventually, the Spell Model would collapse immediately.
Merlin realized this and did not take the risk of sending too much Mind Power into the space.
Merlin's Mind Power duplicate quickly attempted to construct the Spell Model of the Zero-level spell, Fireball, once more.
"Buzz."
This time, Merlin's body vibrated and soon his body began to fluctuate with faint Fire Element. This was constructed purely by his Mind Power duplicate.
Merlin's Mind Power duplicate had indeed constructed the Spell Model for Fireball, and it was no different to when Merlin constructed it outside the space.
Merlin realized the simulations in this mysterious space were realistic, he could not help but shout out, "I could use my Mind Power freely with the help of this space! Could it be possible to build Spell Models in advance? If I fail, it would not be life-threatening!"
Merlin had finally realized the true function of the space.
Chapter 242: Simulation
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Fireball!"
In the Bell Space, Merlin's Mind Power duplicate extended his finger and immediately, a fireball flew out and exploded.
This spell was no different to any other Fireball. However, Merlin knew that this was just a simulation and it could only exist in the Bell Space. Once out of the Bell Space, there would be no Mind Power duplicate or spells.
"Within the simulation space, Spell Casters could attempt Spell Models without any threats. One could even send in a few Mind Power duplicates to attack each other and test the strength of the spells or Demon Abilities!"
Simulation was the function of the Bell Space!
Perhaps there were more uses, after all, Merlin had only just begun to understand the space. There could be other abilities that he did not know of.
However, the ability to simulate the construction of spells was a very important ability. Many Spell Casters would waste a large portion of their Mind Power to construct spells. Without the simulation, if the spells failed, there would be heavy losses or in the worst case scenario, death.
However, with the Bell Space, there was no need to worry that the construction of the spell would fail. Many different spells could be constructed and simulated in the Bell Space.
This could greatly increase the success rate of spell constructions.
Merlin already had The Matrix to analyze any Spell Model, so he did not need the Bell Space for that purpose. However, the Mind Power duplicate in the Bell Space was able to cultivate Mind Meditation which would gradually strengthen the Mind Power duplicate.
Merlin would then have his Mind Power duplicate re-enter his own Mind Power. This method would rapidly increase his Mind Power as long as the Mind Power duplicate did not collapse.
This was perhaps the least significant use of the Bell Space, but in Merlin's opinion, the ability to increase Mind Power was considered important. He could send a portion of his Mind Power into the Bell Space to meditate uninterruptedly and increase his Mind Power.
This would have a more significant effect than the potions he consumed.
"Spells can be simulated, what about Demon Abilities?"
Merlin thought about his biggest strength, the Pandora Demon Abilities.
Hence, he began to simulate the hundred years' ice bone marrow and used it to cultivate Glacial Finger. The simulation went smoothly, and he was able to successfully cultivate Glacial Finger.
However, as Merlin thought about cultivating the second stage of Glacial Finger, he realized there was no way to simulate the required treasure for the second stage. Although he knew its name, Merlin had never come in contact with the treasure and therefore the Bell Space could not simulate it.
This meant that there were limitations to the simulations within the Bell Space. For example, objects that Spell Casters themselves had not encountered could not be simulated.
Also, simulations of spells and Demon Abilities that can withstand the extremities of the space would not be able to be simulated again. The space must have had some extremities, Merlin had just not encountered them yet.
Despite there being many different limitations, at the end of the day, Merlin would be able to allow his Mind Power duplicate to cultivate relentlessly and increase his Mind Power. This was more helpful to Merlin than any other casting tool.
Merlin pondered about this for a while then activated his Mind Power and sent a tenth of his Mind Power into the Bell Space, where his Mind Power duplicate formed.
His Mind Power duplicate began to cultivate Merlin's high-level Mind Meditation Spell, and it was really working. In the Bell Space, as his Mind Power duplicate grew stronger the more Mind Power would be required to continue cultivating the high-level Mind Meditation spell.
Of course, Merlin already possessed incredible Mind Power and even if his Mind Power duplicate unceasingly cultivated the high-level Mind Meditation Spell, his Mind Power would not double instantly. It would take a long time of accumulation until his Mind Power would increase significantly.
There was a threshold and a large gap between a Third and Fourth-level Mind Power. That is why Merlin's Dark Light Realm was able to delude the Third-level Spell Casters, but the Fourth-level Spell Casters did not fall under the illusion.
Merlin was not in a hurry to strengthen his Mind Power as it would require a significant amount of time spent accumulating. Hence, he remained in his room, took out the ingredients for Phantasmal Magic Potion that he retrieved from Sterling House and began to prepare the potion.
The Phantasmal Magic Potion Merlin had prepared before only had a success rate of thirty percent. Now, he was more familiar with preparing the potion and the success rate had increased to forty percent.
Although there was only a ten percent increase in success rate, it was considerably higher than before. He had received forty portions of potion ingredients from Sterling House. He spent many days in the Delman clan preparing the potion and had used up all the ingredients. In the end, he prepared a total of sixteen portions of Phantasmal Magic Potion.
Sixteen portions of the potion would be enough to last Merlin a long time. He also had the Bell Space now and his Mind Power duplicate was relentlessly cultivating the Mind Meditation Spell. By the time he consumed all the potions, perhaps his Mind Power would have increased enough for him to construct a Second-level spell.
Merlin did not want to linger in the Delman clan for much longer. He had left the Dark Magic Region to sort out the issue between him and Riesen and also to look for Laurinka to fulfill his promise. Hence, he decided it was time to take his leave.
Merlin went to look for Elena and said calmly, "Elena, thank you so much for everything! I am afraid I must leave Floating City now."
"You're leaving? Wizard Merlin, are you heading back to the Dark Magic Region? I could accompany you, I have decided to return to the Dark Magic Region to begin constructing a First-level spell."
Elena was just an Entrance-level Spell Caster. She had not been in the Dark Magic Region for long and so it would take about three more years until she could construct a First-level spell. Elena had not become a First-level Spell Caster, so she was sent to the Dark Magic Region, just as Laurinka was.
Merlin saw the anticipation in Elena's eyes, he shook his head and said, "There is no need, you can head to the Dark Magic Region yourself first. I am not returning just yet. Ah yes, do you know where Tolle City is?"
Merlin recalled Laurinka mentioning that her clan was in Tolle City. However, Merlin had been in Floating City for so long, he did not know where Tolle City was.
"Tolle City? You want to go there?"
Elena asked with a hint suspicion.
"Yes, I do."
Merlin nodded as Elena slowly raised her head. Her eyes squinted slightly as she remembered what had happened in Tolle City.
"Tolle City is very far. It is under the jurisdiction of Fire City. In that case, I'll give you a map with a detailed marking of Tolle City."
Elena finished speaking and immediately walked off. She returned shortly after with a map for Merlin.
The map was very large with detailed annotations. The influenced areas of the four Spell Caster organizations: Dark Magic Region, Abyss Fort, Fire City, and the Ashes Region, were all noted clearly.
Merlin noted that the margin of the Dark Magic Region's jurisdiction reached Prakash City. Merlin had come from Prakash City and traveled to Kurdish Mountains where he activated the Runic Magic Circle and finally ended up in the Dark Magic Region.
The map also marked Floating City. It was quite close to Fire City but was not within its zone of influence. This area was isolated and was not within any of the four Spell Caster organization's jurisdiction.
This was likely why Floating City attracted so many roaming Wizards and was termed "Free City".
"Is this your clan's map?"
Merlin whispered. He knew that it was very difficult to obtain a map like this. It had such detailed annotations and even marked the influenced areas of the four Spell Caster organizations. The average Spell Caster could never possess one.
The Delman clan must have spent years and years drawing this map for it to be as detailed as this.
"Yes, the clan spent almost ten years and many different methods on this map. However, this map was drawn from the tip of an iceberg in the Kingdom of Blackmoon. The Kingdom of Blackmoon is huge, so huge that many Spell Casters wouldn't be able to name all the places within it."
"The areas of influence of these Spell Caster organizations were especially hard to draw. The clan was able to find out news about the Dark Magic Region, Abyss Fort, Fire City, and the Ashes Region, news that many medium-scale and even a few large-scale Spell Caster organizations did not know, that is why they could not draw an accurate map."
Elena had briefly introduced the maps' origins and it did not seem easy to draw one like this. A map of this sort was surely very precious to the clan and they would not give it away so easily. Merlin had visited the Sterling House but never saw a map as detailed as this one.
Wizard Matthew must have agreed to let Elena give Merlin the map.
"You're too kind Wizard Elena!"
Merlin was barely courteous, he took the map and quickly studied it. He had heard Elena mention that Tolle City was within the jurisdiction of Fire City, so he began to search within that area.
Promptly, Merlin had found the position of Tolle City on the map. It was very far from the Dark Magic Region and Floating City.
If he sat in a horse carriage, it would have taken an upwards of about ten days till he would reach Tolle City.
"Tolle City!"
Merlin's mind could not stop thinking of the familiar figure from the Dark Magic Region…
Chapter 243: An Encounter
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
A horse carriage trotted along the uneven road. It wore bells that rang sharply as it moved.
In the carriage sat Merlin, who wore a black robe, he buried his nose in a perfectly-bound black-covered book.
It had been four days since he had left Floating City. During that time, his Mind Power had increased as his Mind Power duplicate cultivated Mind Meditation in the Bell Space.
Hence, besides consuming a few portions of the Phantasmal Magic Potion, he had used his leisure time to read.
He found the book from within Weiss and Riesen's rings. The book was an introduction to the three-thousand-six-hundred-year-old Molta Empire. It mentioned notable events, particularly related to the powerful Spell Casters and the collapse of the Molta Empire.
The Molta Empire was an incredibly mysterious nation, especially as three thousand six hundred years ago, Spell Casters had developed significantly. This era was known to be when Spell Casters were at their peak.
Hence, many Spell Casters were interested in the Molta Empire, they had researched it thoroughly but to this day, no one truly knew what caused the collapse of the Molta Empire.
When Merlin was in Blackwater City, he had retrieved a relief sculpture that could enhance one's physical attributes. Now, his physique was close to that of a Fourth-level Elemental Swordsman. He was incredibly fit and his body could even withstand heavy damage.
His physique was much stronger than that of an average Spell Caster, this had also saved his life in past encounters.
The relief sculpture originated from the Molta Empire. It was without question that there must have been many of those relief sculptures during the Molta Empire.
Just as Merlin had suspected, the Spell Casters during the Molta Empire were at their peak and they would not neglect their physique.
It is possible that the mysterious relief sculptures were created by the Spell Casters to produce perfect physical attributes.
Of course, this was just an assumption of Merlin's.
The mysterious Molta Empire was researched by countless Spell Casters. They would investigate ancient monuments with many different methods and note down their findings. They used their clues and speculations of the Molta Empire to publish books for many other Spell Casters to read.
Merlin now read one of these books about the speculations of the Molta Empire. No one knew what had truly happened three thousand six hundred years ago, during that magnificent and mysterious era.
"Perhaps Wizard Bell was a Spell Caster from the Molta Empire too and there are more than three parts to his Assembled casting tool…"
Merlin lowered his head and looked at the Bell Space that hung at his chest. It was only three casting tools, but Merlin had a feeling that the Bell Space was not as simple as it seemed.
Perhaps the casting tool was not complete and Wizard Bell's Assembled casting tool may be far from reaching its final form. Perhaps there were fourth, fifth, or even sixth components that had not been discovered and Merlin would have to find them eventually.
Suddenly, the horse carriage stopped in its track. The carriage driver turned and whispered to Merlin, "Sir Merlin, there are two people ahead blocking our route."
Merlin furrowed his eyebrows as he opened the carriage screen and looked outside.
In front of the carriage stood a man and a woman. On the side of the road was their horse carriage but it was broken and there was no way for them to continue their journey.
However, Merlin stayed vigilant. Not because of the woman's temperament and appearance, but because of her long black hair.
Merlin had really stood out in Blackwater City because of his jet-black hair, a feature that was said to have been passed down from his absent mother.
The east side of the Kingdom of Blackmoon was said to have many black-haired people. However, Merlin had been in the Kingdom of Blackmoon for a long time and yet, he had never seen a black-haired person before. Hence, he was very surprised when he saw this woman.
The woman bowed slightly at the sight of Merlin and asked him with aristocratic etiquette, "My apologies, we seem to have encountered some problems with our horse carriage, and the next town is quite far. Would you kindly give us a lift there?"
Merlin looked at his map. The journey to the next town would indeed take most of the day but there was no way for these two to continue their journey with their broken carriage.
Merlin sighed slightly and nodded as he calmly said, "Hop in."
The man and woman smiled and quickly got into Merlin's carriage.
"We don't mean to bother you!"
The woman said politely. The carriage was much warmer, and the woman's pale face began to flush with redness.
Merlin looked at the two briefly then continued to bury his nose in his black-covered thread-bound book. The woman studied Merlin intensely for a few moments, then finally, her gaze locked onto the robe Merlin wore.
She had been calm before, but when she saw Merlin's robe, she stiffened slightly.
"What is your name?"
The woman asked cautiously.
"Merlin!"
He replied. The woman rushed to introduce herself. "Mister Merlin, I am Shireen, and this is my little brother, Haya!"
Shireen stared fiercely at Haya, he had seemed slightly reluctant as he shouted to Merlin, "Mister Merlin!"
Merlin did not think much of Haya's forceful attitude and nodded lightly.
Shireen noticed Merlin's calm demeanor and hesitated slightly before she carefully asked, "Mister Merlin, where are you heading?"
"Tolle City!"
Merlin squinted with a forced smiled on his face. Tolle City was a huge city, and not many Spell Casters resided there, but, there were many Normies.
However, as Merlin replied, he noticed that these two people were not Normies, but in fact, Spell Casters.
Shireen heard Merlin mention Tolle City and immediately became nervous. The lazy Haya also seemed more cautious now as he watched Merlin's every move.
Merlin said no more, and the horse carriage was silent.
…
The sky had turned dark as evening came. The horse carriage was slowly approaching a small town.
A man and woman came down from the carriage, and the black-haired woman said, "Thank you, Mister Merlin, for your kindness. We will look for another carriage now, we don't want to trouble you further."
She finished speaking and the both of them turned to make their leave.
Merlin watched the two figures leave, a slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He whispered, "How interesting. They got very nervous when I mentioned that I was heading to Tolle City. Could they be going there too?"
Merlin pondered for a moment but did not think more of it. He dismissed the carriage driver to rest for the night and they would continue their journey in the morning.
…
Haya and Shireen had hidden in a corner and waited for the horse carriage to leave before they stepped out.
Shireen relaxed slightly as she watched the carriage slowly leave.
Haya stood beside her and furrowed his eyebrows as he asked, "Shireen, why were you so polite to a Normie? We're heading to Tolle City and we can't delay much longer. That horse carriage wasn't half bad, even if you didn't kill him, couldn't you have just asked that Merlin to get out of the carriage?"
Haya did not agree with how Shireen had treated Merlin.
Shireen kept calm but soon, she shook her head nonstop. "You've never left the clan, so you can't have recognized Merlin's robe."
"Robe? You mean the casting tool? Shireen, why didn't you say so? We are both First-level Spell Casters, even the leaders of the clan don't have a single robe. Merlin has one, he must be a roaming Wizard. We could force him to give it to us and we would finally have a robe!"
Haya itched to give it a try. He watched the carriage disappear into the distance, eager to chase after it.
Shireen's expression was serious as she responded coldly, "Haya, if it weren't for my promise to Father, I would not bring you to Tolle City. Though we're only going to Tolle City to check it out, I am worried your temperament will cause a scene. Do you know what that robe represents? It is the robe of an official member of the Dark Magic Region. Every official member of the Dark Magic Region is at least a First-level Spell Caster. I was incredibly nervous in the carriage, I was afraid Wizard Merlin would not be too fair on us, it is a good thing you did not try to attack him…"
Shireen did not know whether to laugh or to cry. She had a few regrets bringing Haya out of the clan.
She did not know how strong the official members of Spell Caster organizations such as the Dark Magic Region were, but to attack a Spell Caster from the organizations would be suicide.
"So, he is a Spell Caster from the Dark Magic Region. Shireen, our luck isn't so bad. We have just met with a stranger who turns out to be a powerful Spell Caster. Our trip to Tolle City will surely be rewarding!"
Haya was excited, but Shireen just shook her head. She made a promise to herself that next time, no matter how much Haya begged, she would never bring him out again.
"Let's go, we need to find a horse carriage to take us to Tolle City."
She said as she took Haya and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
Chapter 244: Tolle City
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
On the rugged mountain road, Merlin was still seated in a carriage. He often stretched his head out from the window to look at the fallen leaves that had gradually yellowed. It was late autumn now, but he could not feel a single hint of cold. Instead, there was a surging heat hanging about in the air.
"I heard the Fire City sits at a place that has an extremely high temperature. Its surroundings look as if it was encompassed by flames, thus giving it the name Fire City. I must visit the place if I have the chance."
Merlin muttered in a low voice in the carriage. He knew that he had entered the influential area of Fire City. The obvious soaring temperature was the most obvious characteristic of Fire City.
Merlin even sensed that the Spell Models of Fireball and Furious Flame in his Awareness had quickened their speed in absorbing Fire Elements. Moreover, the increase of their Magic Power had an obvious development as well.
The Fire Elements were even richer within Fire City than any other region.
Merlin's finger slid across the map and finally halted at a place called Tolle City.
"It seems that I'll probably reach Tolle City in half a day's time!"
From the time Merlin had left Floating City, he had actually been traveling for nearly twenty days. He had initially thought that it would take him only a couple of days to reach Tolle City.
However, there were too many tough mountainous roads along the journey. On top of that, he could only travel during the day; he had to find a place to rest at night. Thus, he had wasted quite a bit of time on his journey.
Fortunately, Merlin was not rushing for time. During this period, he had used up the few Phantasmal Magic Potions on him. The rate of increase of Mind Power was less effective than when he had first taken the potion.
This proved that the potion was slowly losing its effect on Merlin. Fortunately, he had obtained the Bell Space which allowed Merlin's Mind Power to meditate in the space without a moment of rest. The Mind Power that Merlin had displaced into the Bell Space had increased by a factor of ten.
"Let's wait for a bit more before merging the Mind Power in the Bell Space with my own Mind Power. Then I may be able to reach the conditions needed to construct the Second-level spell, Darkness Tide!"
Merlin had chosen the most complex and powerful Darkness-type spells in Abyss Fort. Initially, Merlin did not want to construct Darkness Tide as his first Second-level spell because he would use up a lot of his Mind Power in the process of doing so. Moreover, even if he had constructed it successfully, its Spell Model would take up a lot of his Mind Power.
However, since Merlin had not exchanged other Second-level spells from Dark Magic Region, he only had a Darkness-type Second-level spell with him now. As such, the decision was made that If his Mind Power was sufficient later on, he would choose to construct Darkness Tide without a moment of hesitation.
Soon, half a day had gone past. The carriage slowly approached a city that was surrounded by high walls. This was Tolle City; Merlin could clearly sense that there were numerous Spell Casters and Normies walking about busily in the city.
Such a scenario was new to Merlin as he knew that Spell Casters were generally arrogant and proud. There was a distinct sense of pride that came from Spell Casters as they believed that they were completely different from Normies. Hence, in the case of Tolle City, where Spell Casters and Normies did not distinguish themselves from each other was extremely rare.
There were still some forms of distinction though. Take for example, when some Normies met Spell Casters who wore Wizard's robes, they would smile and bow respectfully, showing their respect towards the Spell Caster.
"Interesting. Normies and Spell Casters living as equals. Tolle City is indeed interesting!"
Merlin's interest was piqued by Tolle City as the carriage slowly entered pass the walls of Tolle City.
Tolle City was bustling with people. Many peddlers and Spell Casters were loudly promoting their goods on offer; none of the Spell Casters appeared to be arrogant at this place. Having seen such a scene, Merlin felt as if he had returned to Blackwater City.
However, the fluctuations of Elements that seeped out from some of the Spell Casters made Merlin realize that Tolle City was a very special place. It was completely different from Floating City which required that one be a Spell Caster to enter the city; there was almost no Normies in the Floating city.
Even Merlin's carriage driver was hired from outside of Floating City by the Delman clan.
There were no Normies in Floating City at all. In comparison, Tolle City had many Normies around who only displayed basic respect towards Spell Casters. They treated Spell Casters like any other person; without fear and anxiety. Some of the peddlers could even bargain with the Spell Casters.
Merlin had never seen anything like this before. Moreover, the peaceful interaction between Spell Casters and Normies was exactly what Merlin had hoped to have in his life. Spell Casters and Normies were fundamentally the same. The Spell Casters might be more powerful, but they were still humans by nature.
"After meeting Laurinka, I could stay for a bit in Tolle City."
Merlin muttered. Following that, he sent the carriage driver to collect information about the Shadison clan which Laurinka belonged to.
"Sir Merlin, I found it! Shadison clan is just right ahead here."
The carriage driver had obtained the information and now knew the exact location of Shadison clan. Merlin nodded with a hint of a smile. "Let's go to Shadison clan!"
Then, Merlin let down the curtains and the carriage slowly began to advance forward.
…
In front of a small yard in Tolle City, a man and a woman, who had long black hair, seemed a little exhausted. However, they both heaved a sigh of relief after seeing the yard.
"It should be here. The place we promised to meet at. Haya, go knock."
These two figures were non-other than Shireen and Haya. They came to Tolle City as well, but they seemed to have made a promise to meet someone.
Haya nodded, so he knocked and loudly called out, "Tafel, Emily, quickly come to the door. It's Haya and Shireen!"
Movements could soon be heard from this seemingly-empty house after Haya banged on the wooden door. A few young girls dashed out of the house cheerfully; they seemed to be Spell Casters as well.
"Haya, Shireen, why are you so late? We were just discussing whether to go back or stay for the disclosure of Neverending Book by Shadison clan if you didn't come."
A brown-haired female Spell Caster quickly opened the wooden door and welcomed Haya and Shireen.
Shireen was the most mature amongst the few Spell Casters, so she scanned the three young female Spell Casters as soon as she entered the house. Her expression slowly darkened.
"Tafel, Emily, didn't I tell you that only both of you should come? We won't know how many Spell Casters are attracted by the disclosure of Neverending Book this time. If there's any trouble during that time, I won't be able to protect so many people."
Shireen pointed to the tall beautiful female Spell Casters.
After sensing Shireen's frustrated tone, the cheerful Emily stepped forward and explained to Shireen while holding the unfamiliar female Spell Caster's hands. "We met her along our journey here. She's Emma and a Spell Caster. On top of that, she's really great and has already constructed three Zero-level spells."
"Roaming Wizard?"
Shireen frowned. Her gaze scanned the unfamiliar Spell Caster named "Emma" piercingly. They were all from the Spell Caster clan, so they knew each other very well. Since they heard that the Shadison clan of Tolle City would disclose the legendary Neverending Book publicly, they sneaked out of the clan to have a look at it.
However, with the addition of Emma, the cautious Shireen would not trust her as easily as Emily and Tafel did.
Hearing Shireen's response, Emma shook her head. "Wizard Shireen, I'm not a roaming Wizard. I have a teacher and he's a Spell Caster of the Dark Magic Region! I came to Tolle City because I heard many Spell Casters would be attracted to the disclosure of the Neverending Book at Tolle City. So I thought I may find my teacher here."
"Spell Caster of the Dark Magic Region?"
After hearing Emma's explanation, she glanced at Emma with added curiosity.
In fact, the Wizards from many Spell Caster organizations would often give spells to some people who had the potential to become Spell Casters for them to learn it on their own.
Some Spell Casters were able to become one just with these spells, but the majority could not successfully become Spell Casters.
Moreover, the Wizards of Spell Caster organizations were mostly doing things on a whim. They would not actually bring their 'student' to their Spell Caster organizations. Shireen had encountered many similar cases in the past.
Thus, she did not find Emma's words hard to believe after hearing her explanation.
Shireen heaved a long sigh. "Wizard Emma, please don't have such a high hope. The Dark Magic Region is known to be mysterious. You must have a token such as the Dark Magic ring to enter it. Even the strongest Spell Caster cannot bring other Spell Casters into Dark Magic Region without having the ring."
After Shireen said that, Emma's expression changed as she bit her lips tightly. "Thank you Wizard Shireen, for telling me this. But I still want to try finding my teacher. It's more than enough to find him!"
Emma could still recall clearly the young Spell Caster who had saved her whole family back then. Before he left, he promised that he would take her as a student should she successfully construct three Zero-level spells successfully after three years.
It was almost the three-year limit now and she had constructed the Zero-level spells successfully. However, the young Spell Caster had never visited Ditas town again. Due to that, Emma decided to leave Ditas town in search of her teacher on her own.
Having seen Emma's determined expression, Shireen did not advise her further. Instead, her tone became troubled. "Let's go in first. The situation at Tolle City is a little complicated this time; we must discuss this carefully."
After that, Shireen entered the house with the young Spell Casters.
Chapter 245: The Neverending Book
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In the dark room, the Spell Casters were silent.
Shireen took a glance at the Spell Casters and asked in a low voice, "Emily, you had reached Tolle City earlier than us. Have you heard any news?"
Emily was a blonde female Spell Caster with blue eyes and attractive slender fair legs. When Shireen asked her, everyone focused their gaze on her at once.
After a few moments, Emily replied hesitantly. "We didn't get any news. The information of the Neverending Book is still the same as what we obtained before. Two days from now, the Shadison clan will openly disclose the Neverending Book!"
"The Neverending Book, huh. That is a legendary treasure!"
As soon as they mentioned the Neverending Book, these Spell Casters were overwhelmed with excitement. They had come to Tolle City after so much effort just to see the Neverending Book.
The legendary Neverending Book had three volumes in total; it had been passed down since the generation of Molta Empire. However, no one had ever seen the real thing. At most, many had only heard about the legends surrounding the Neverending Book.
The first volume of the Neverending Book recorded a variety of First-level to Third-level spells. The records were rather complete and many of the spells were extremely precious.
If an ordinary Spell Caster clan had gotten their hands on the first volume of Neverending Book, the ability of the clan would surely be improved tenfold after a mere ten years of practice.
On top of that, this was only the first volume of the Neverending Book. The second volume was even more intriguing; it recorded a variety of Fourth-level to Sixth-level spells.
This would spark interest even more amongst Spell Casters as there was an abundance of First-level to Third-level spells, despite it being difficult to obtain the spells, roaming wizards were perfectly capable of doing so. However, Fourth-level to Sixth-level spells were a commodity and were very rarely present in the outside world. Even if many roaming Wizards had become Third-level Spell Casters out of sheer luck, they could not level up to become Fourth-level Spell Casters without Fourth-level spells.
Furthermore, even the Spell Casters in some Spell Caster organizations had to fight for Fifth-level and Sixth-level spells.
Meanwhile, the third volume of the Neverending Book had always been close to a myth. There was no record about the people who had obtained the third volume even during the age of Molta Empire.
However, rumor had it that the third volume recorded the mysterious yet powerful Pandora Demon Abilities. Each Pandora Demon Ability possessed a fearful power.
Sadly, the third volume had always been a myth even since the age of Molta Empire. After three thousand six hundred years, the third volume of the Neverending Book might not appear at all.
Shireen nodded and continued. "Oh yeah, Emily, Tafel. Have you found out why the Shadison clan is openly disclosing the first volume of the Neverending Book in Tolle City?"
Should one obtain the Neverending Book, the overall strength of the clan could be improved greatly after many years of careful practice. Instead, Shadison chose to disclose the precious Neverending Book; this was simply inconceivable.
Emily shook her head slightly. "This matter had sparked a huge discussion in Tolle City from the moment news had come to light. The reason was simple, treasures like the Neverending Book, albeit the first volume, is not something that the Shadison clan could have simply taken into possession."
"Although there were only First-level to Third-level spells in the first volume, many Spell Caster clans have set their gaze on the book. Amongst all, the Doret clan, another Spell Caster clan in Tolle City, has gathered many roaming Wizards in the dark; they have even gathered a few strong Third-level Spell Casters to impose pressure on Shadison clan. They were requesting the Shadison clan to hand over the first volume of Neverending Book.
"However, Shadison clan was quite smart as well; they retaliated by making the decision to announce that they would publicly disclose the Neverending Book in Tolle City. At that time, the spells on the Neverending Book would be shown to everyone and the Doret clan would not be able to keep those roaming Wizards together anymore. This way, the Shadison clan would be able to overcome this crisis."
Emily carefully explained the information she had gathered in Tolle City.
Shireen nodded. With the Doret clan pressuring Shadison, Shadison could definitely not keep the first volume of the Neverending Book to themselves any longer. Moreover, only such a bold move could allow them to keep the book and, at the same time, resolve the Doret's clan's scheme.
This was indeed how a Spell Caster clan survived in this world 1 . Shireen was also from a Spell Caster clan; she immediately understood the whole situation after deliberating about it for a while.
"The conflict between these two clans gives us an invaluable chance anyway. How else would we be able to see the legendary Neverending Book?"
Shireen said with a smile.
"That's right. We've just got to wait for two more days for the Shadison clan to disclose the Neverending Book!"
The young Spell Casters kept on chatting away with looks of excitement. Only Emma was staring into the dark night sky with a hint of melancholy. That black-robed figure in Ditas Town kept on flashing in her mind…
…
Under the veil of the night, a figure sprang out from the forest.
"Phew…"
The figure heaved a long sigh and muttered as she faced the tall walls. "Tolle City, I'm finally here. All the way from Floating City, Merlin, you are one tough opponent to find!"
With a closer look, this figure was a woman, an extremely beautiful woman.
However, this beautiful woman wore a stiff expression; her gaze was sharp and sinister. Her long blonde hair was combed back and tied into a ponytail.
On her head was an odd looking black hat which was decorated with a feather.
A Spell Caster who was familiar with Ozmu would immediately discern that this beautiful woman with a weird outfit was no ordinary woman. She was the cold-blooded Bluebird of Ozmu who had killed countless Spell Casters.
Bluebird was simply a codename. No one knew her real name. Since the time she had appeared, she had been known as Bluebird!
Not only was Bluebird strong, but she was also cruel and merciless. She had her own way of killing Spell Casters, she took pleasure in causing excruciating pain and would torture her victims to death.
Hence, many Spell Casters would be gripped by an immense fear as soon as the name Bluebird was mentioned.
"Swish."
Bluebird glanced at the tall wall in front of her. Then, a slight fluctuation of Wind Element appeared on her and her figure dashed forward at once. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared into the night.
…
"Alright, wait here for me."
Merlin's voice came from the carriage. Following that, the carriage slowly came to a halt. Merlin came out of the carriage and raised his head to look at the large manor.
This was indeed a huge manor. There were many castles in there and it appeared to be strictly guarded. A few Elemental Swordsmen were standing on guard outside.
These Elemental Swordsmen were at least Third-level Elemental Swordsmen. If it was back in Blackwater City, they were definitely seen as strong. However, these people were only responsible for patrolling and guarding in Tolle City.
Elemental Swordsmen who had not become Fourth-level intermediate Elemental Swordsmen could not threaten a Spell Caster at all. Thus, these Elemental Swordsmen who were below Fourth-level were not even comparable to an Entrance-level Spell Caster who had constructed a spell.
Merlin headed straight to the entrance of the manor, but he was blocked by the Elemental Swordsmen.
The Elemental Swordsmen sized up Merlin for a moment. They seemed to recognize that Merlin was wearing a Wizard's robe and was a Spell Caster, so they were rather respectful towards him.
"Sir, how may we help you in Shadison Manor?"
This manor was the location at which Shadison clan was based in. It was called the Shadison Manor.
Merlin calmly replied, "I'm here to look for Laurinka!"
"Young Lady Laurinka?"
This Elemental Swordsman shot him an odd look but resumed his normal expression afterward. Hence, he respectfully said to Merlin, "Please give me a moment sir. We will notify Young Lady Laurinka now."
Merlin nodded, then stood outside the manor as he waited silently.
As he waited, Merlin settled his gaze on the manor. Although he did not use his Mind Power, he could faintly sense that there were many Spell Casters in the manor.
The whole Shadison Manor appeared calm, but it was actually bustling with activity in reality. The security here was also extremely tight. Merlin did not know about the Shadison's clan's situation since he had just arrived in Tolle City.
"Young Lady Laurinka, this Wizard wanted to meet you."
Soon, the Elemental Swordsman brought a female Wizard outside.
The female Wizard appeared to be exhausted. With a pale blue Wizard's robe, her head was covered under the large hood. Only Merlin's exceptional sight was able to read the Wizard's expression.
"Wizard Merlin?"
The female Wizard exclaimed in shock. Following that, she pulled her large hood down to reveal her tired expression.
"Wizard Laurinka, we meet again!"
Merlin revealed a light smile as he calmly replied.
Laurinka quickly took a few steps forward to examine Merlin. Following that, she seemed to think of something and a hint of expectation flashed on her face. With a low voice, she asked, "Wizard Merlin, you… have you become a First-level Spell Caster?"
It seemed Laurinka had not known about Merlin's matters, so she asked this.
Merlin nodded seriously. "That's right. I'm already an official member of Dark Magic Region. I can still remember my promise to you back then!"
Merlin had promised that he would let Laurinka be his servant after he had become a First-level Spell Caster and an official member of Dark Magic Region.
This was also Laurinka's last wish when she had reluctantly left the Dark Magic Region. Little did she expect that her last wish would become reality.
At once, Laurinka was overwhelmed with emotions; she stared at Merlin and no words came to her for a long time.
Chapter 246: Before The Chaos I
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In a spacious room, the heavy breathing gradually calmed down. Merlin caressed Laurinka's back gently as he looked at her curled up in his arm like a kitten. Merlin calmly said, "Laurinka, follow me to Dark Magic Region. You don't have to be in the clan and spend another day feeling helpless and lonely."
Merlin could tell from the state of Laurinka's room and the attitude of the people around her that she did not have a smooth life in the clan. Just like what Laurinka had said before, being expelled from Dark Magic Region had deemed her as someone without potential. The clan would no longer provide her with resources. Her life would become less comparable to those of roaming Wizards.
Seeing the reality as it was, what Laurinka had said was not, in any way, exaggerating at all.
Laurinka nodded obediently and said softly. "Sure, but I still need to explain to my father about the situation before going back to Dark Magic Region. No matter what, I'm a part of Shadison clan."
Merlin nodded. Then, he thought of the tight security in Shadison clan. Many Spell Casters seemed to be hiding around the manor and the atmosphere was rather heavy.
"Laurinka, what's going on? There are so many Spell Casters hiding in the Shadison clan."
Merlin asked Laurinka inquisitively.
Meanwhile, Laurinka's expression stiffened at the mention of this. Then, she lied close to Merlin as she explained to him. "This matter is not a secret in Tolle City anymore. A month ago, our clan found a treasure incidentally."
"Treasure?"
"That's right. Treasure. It's a legend that has been passed down since the age of Molta Empire, the first volume of the Neverending Book!"
After Laurinka said it, Merlin immediately recalled some information regarding the Neverending Book. He was no longer the rookie who had just stepped into Dark Magic Region; he naturally knew a little about the infamous treasure, Neverending Book.
The legend of Neverending Book had been passed down since the age of Molta Empire. Any ordinary Spell Caster would know about it, but its appearance in real life had truly shocked many people.
"It's only the first volume of the Neverending Book that records some First-level to Third-level spells. Not many Wizards from Spell Caster organizations would be interested in it."
Merlin knew that the first volume of Neverending Book only contained First-level to Third-level spells; it did not interest him at all. He only found it unusual for such a legendary object to exist.
Many Spell Caster organizations possessed all sorts of spells, Alchemy and Runology; it was rather easy to obtain the spells within the first volume.
Laurinka shook her head slightly. "The Wizards in Spell Caster organizations are very proud in their trade; naturally they would not be interested in the first volume of the Neverending Book. Maybe the second volume may intrigue them, but that doesn't mean other Spell Casters would not be interested as well. In Tolle City, the Doret clan, another Spell Caster clan, has wanted the Neverending Book for a long time."
"There are other roaming Wizards vying for it as well. They are interested in the spells recorded in the first volume. The higher ups of the clan know about the risk in this. If they don't respond to the people soon, the Doret clan will possibly gather the roaming Wizards and harm our clan."
Merlin nodded knowingly. Shadison clan had too little of influence. The strongest of all was at most a Fourth-level Spell Caster. Their overall ability was only slightly more powerful than the Delman clan of Floating City.
Shadison clan was carrying an immense burden right now. It was no wonder the Shadison Manor was so strictly guarded now.
Laurinka continued on. "The higher ups know that they can't keep the first volume no matter what in this situation. But they didn't want to give in to Dorets' threats, so they plan to publicly disclose the first volume to all Spell Casters who come to Tolle City in two days time!"
"Publicly disclose the Neverending Book?"
Merlin was surprised. However, when he thought about it carefully, he agreed on their decision and this was the best solution to the situation. This way, the Doret clan would have no way to force the Shadison clan to hand over the Neverending Book. Additionally, publicly disclosing it would also shut down the Doret clan's scheme to gather the roaming Wizards.
This was killing two birds with one stone except that the spells of the Neverending Book would no longer be the Shadison clan's personal possession. This would definitely have a certain effect on the Shadison clan.
However, as compared to the potential crisis of the clan's destruction due to pocketing the Neverending Book, such a loss was nothing significant.
After understanding the whole situation, Merlin also understood why Tolle City was bustling with people. Many Spell Casters were rushing to Tolle City because of this. During his journey here, he had met the siblings who seemed to be rushing to Tolle City because of some matters. It might have just been related to the Neverending Book.
Merlin was simply curious about the Neverending Book. As for the First-level to Third-level spells, Merlin was not attracted to them since he had a lot of contribution points in Dark Magic Region. He was capable of exchanging for any spells, ranging from First-level to Sixth-level spells. Thus, the spells contained in the Neverending Book did not attract Merlin at all.
"Laurinka, tell your clan now and follow me to Dark Magic Region!"
Merlin said in a low voice. He did not want to stay outside for too long; he would have preferred to return to Dark Magic Region as soon as possible. As he accumulated his Mind Power slowly in the Bell Space, his Mind Power would be sufficient for him to construct a Second-level spell by the time he returned to Dark Magic Region.
Laurinka nodded, then got dressed and left the room. Merlin hesitated for a moment, but still trailed behind Laurinka.
…
"Clan leader, many powerful Spell Casters have appeared in Tolle City these few days, especially those Fourth-level roaming Wizards. They have all begun to show up."
"That's right, there are already many Third-level Spell Casters. Now with the Fourth-level Spell Casters, albeit roaming Wizards, the situation has become more terrifying now. These roaming Wizards were able to become Fourth-level Spell Casters. Who knows how difficult that would have been? These people are trouble."
"Especially the Doret clan. They seem to still be contacting these Third-level and Fourth-level Spell Casters. Clan leader, when we publicly disclose the Neverending Book in two days time, what shall we do if the Doret clan attacks us?"
In a small room, about ten Spell Casters were squeezed into the small space. These Spell Casters all wore a worried look as they reported on the information they had collected.
Rhind appeared calm as he sized up the Spell Casters present in the room. These people were the core forces of the Shadison clan; they were Third-level Spell Casters.
The Shadison clan had obtained the first volume of the Neverending Book recently. This was supposed to be the clan's chance at succeeding, but the chance had turned into great trouble instead after the information was leaked. Without taking proper care of the issue, the Shadison clan might forever disappear from Tolle City.
In the past month, Wizard Rhind, as the clan leader of Shadison clan, seemed to have aged a lot; he was thinking of possible solutions with all his might every day.
Finally, he came up with the idea to publicly disclose the Neverending Book, so that he could dismantle the Doret clan's scheme to gather the roaming Wizards and attack Shadison clan.
However, before the Neverending Book was disclosed, all sorts of accidents could appear at any time. During these last days, the whole Shadison clan was stiff with anxiety; they could not afford to let their guard down.
After hearing the reports from these Third-level Spell Casters, Wizard Rhind slowly stood up and calmly announced. "Don't worry about it. These roaming Wizards are only here because of the reputation of the Neverending Book. In two days, they'll naturally go away after I disclose the spells contained in the Neverending Book."
"As for the Doret clan, hmph. We have fought for so many years in Tolle City; we won't shy away from another fight. If they really do attack us, Shadison clan won't stand down easily as well. We must be prepared for this, so get ready. In two days, during the disclosure of the Neverending Book, we can't have anything go wrong. I'll request for the presence of a Fourth-level Wizard!"
Wizard Rhind had a low voice which calmed people down. Many Spell Casters who were initially agitated gradually calmed down now.
"Alright. It was clan leader Rhind who had obtained the Neverending Book anyway. A Spell Caster in the clan had unintentionally leaked the information, thus largely affecting the clan. Then, it was you who suggested to publicly disclose the Neverending Book to resolve this issue. We'll listen to everything you say!"
Many Spell Casters seemed to trust Wizard Rhind a lot as they listened to anything Wizard Rhind had suggested.
Wizard Rhind nodded and was satisfied with their reaction. He had a high prestige in the Shadison clan, an almost absolute authority figure. Shadison clan was able to slowly stand against their rival, Doret clan, these past few years because of Rhind's effort.
"Good. You should proceed with the preparations…"
Before finishing his words, a young Spell Caster walked into the room in a rush. He carefully said to Rhind, "Clan leader, Young Lady Laurinka is here. She said she has some important matters to discuss with you."
"Laurinka?"
Rhind frowned and recalled for a while. He had many children. To expand the clan, Rhind had married many women and had countless children, many of which were not particularly excellent. He did not even remember their names.
This was very common amongst Spell Caster clans since not every child would possess the Spell Caster Quality. To continue his bloodline, he had to have enough children.
After thinking for a while, Rhind finally recalled Laurinka as she had joined Dark Magic Region before this. She was one of the more excellent Spell Castes in the clan.
However, after Laurinka was expelled from Dark Magic Region, Rhind no longer regarded her as important. After a few years, Rhind could not remember that he had such a daughter anymore.
"Can't you see I'm discussing something important with the Wizards? What matter does Laurinka have to discuss? I'm not seeing her!"
Rhind's expression darkened as he responded coldly.
"Clan leader, there seems to be an unfamiliar Spell Caster behind Young Lady Laurinka. He was wearing the robe that is meant for an official member of Dark Magic Region!"
This Spell Caster was also a First-level Spell Caster. He was knowledgeable enough to know about the robes of Dark Magic Region, so he dared to report it to Rhind.
"Official member of Dark Magic Region?"
Rhind's expression softened a little. After a moment of pause, he replied, "Alright, I'll meet them. Send Laurinka in."
Wizard Rhind nodded. He did not care about Laurinka who had no potential any longer, but he must treat the official member of Dark Magic Region properly.
Chapter 247: Before The Chaos II
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Soon, footsteps could be heard from the outside. Laurinka was walking at the front, followed by a young-looking Spell Caster who wore a black Wizard's robe.
The Spell Casters in the room instantly focused their gaze on the young Spell Caster's black robe. When they noticed the unique marking on the robe, the gaze of these Spell Casters changed a little.
That was the robe unique to an official member of Dark Magic Region. There was no mistaking it. The Spell Caster brought by Laurinka was indeed an official member of Dark Magic Region.
Upon thinking of this, Wizard Rhind showed a slight smile and stood up. "Laurinka, why don't you introduce us? Who is this Wizard from Dark Magic Region?"
Laurinka took a glance at Merlin and nodded. Softly, she responded, "Father, this is Wizard Merlin. He has just become an official member of Dark Magic Region. He's here to take me back to Dark Magic Region."
"Take you back to Dark Magic Region?"
Rhind was slightly stunned. He knew that Laurinka used to be a temporary member of Dark Magic Region, but she was expelled because she was not able to reach the condition of Dark Magic Region after three years. Could she still go back?
This time, Merlin stepped forward and calmly explained the situation. "Wizard Rhind, I promised Laurinka that I'd allow her to be my servant when I became an official member!"
Wizard Rhind suddenly understood the situation. He naturally knew what "servant" actually meant. Albeit having a low social status, she might have a chance to improve in the future should she serve a Wizard who had just become a First-level Spell Caster. It was much better than staying in the clan.
Thus, Rhind nodded without hesitation. "If that's the case, I won't stop you. I'll leave Laurinka in Wizard Merlin's good hands! But if you want to leave, it's impossible now. It has to be in two days time, after the clan has overcome the current crisis. Then, you may take your leave from Tolle City. I believe Laurinka will be able to understand this. As a Wizard of Shadison clan, this is your responsibility!"
Rhind waved his hand to dismiss Merlin and Laurinka. In response, Merlin bowed slightly, seemingly composed. Rhind obviously did not know who Merlin was. The news that Merlin had killed Weiss in Floating City might not have travelled to Tolle City just yet.
"It's better this way since it'll be less troublesome… Even though I'll still have to wait for two more days, it's good that I can have a look at the legendary Neverending Book."
Some thoughts flashed through Merlin's mind, then he left with Laurinka.
"Alright, everyone prepare yourselves properly, keep an eye on the Doret clan especially. We can't afford any mistake in two days."
Rhind exclaimed with a serious expression.
Other Spell Casters nodded respectively. Following that, Rhind waved his hand to dismiss these Wizards.
"Clan leader!"
Just when the Wizards were about to leave, a white-haired and old Spell Caster called out with his rough voice.
"Oh? Wizard Lobice, you have a question?"
Rhind asked as he looked at the old Wizard in the room.
Wizard Lobice shook his head slightly. He wore an uncertain expression as he responded, "Clan leader, I'm not sure about this. The Spell Caster named Merlin who was brought in by Young Lady Laurinka, I'm afraid he is more than what he looks like!"
"Hmm? Wizard Lobice, you know of this Wizard Merlin?"
Wizard Rhind asked softly. The Wizards who had begun to leave the room halted their footsteps respectively, their gaze focused on Wizard Lobice.
Lobice said in a grim tone, "Some time ago, I received information from some roaming Wizards. The official member of Ozmu, the Third-level Spell Caster Weiss, went to Floating City to tempt a genius Spell Caster. In the end, he was stopped by a Spell Caster from Dark Magic Region. The two fought and Weiss had lost in the end. The name of the Spell Caster from Dark Magic Region is Merlin!"
"What? Even Weiss is dead?"
Rhind's expression changed drastically. His gaze was shot out of the door, focused in the direction Merlin and Laurinka had left. A hint of eagerness burned in his eyes…
…
The Doret clan's place was well lit. Many Third-level Spell Casters were gathered in one place. The one who was leading the meeting was the tall and serious-looking Wizard Raimundo who wore a blue Wizard's robe.
"Clan leader, we have two more days left. The Shadison clan will disclose the first volume of the Neverending Book. This is very disadvantageous for us. After this information is out, the roaming Wizards who had been in contact with us before this would no longer retain communication with us. They are not fighting the Shadison clan with us."
"That's right, clan leader. If this persists, I'm afraid the Shadison clan will be able to overcome this crisis. Initially, the Shadison had faintly overpowered our Doret clan. If they possess the complete spells in the Neverending Book, we'll never be able to catch up to them."
Many Spell Casters expressed their concerns to the clan leader, Wizard Raimundo, respectively.
Wizard Raimundo was also frowning. Initially, it was a good thing that the Shadison clan had obtained the Neverending Book. In response, Raimundo immediately spread the news and contacted many strong roaming Wizards in order to impose pressure on the Shadison clan.
If the Shadison clan retaliated, he could even persuade those roaming Wizards at once to completely destroy the Shadison clan. At that time, the Doret clan could take over the whole Tolle City.
To be able to fight and destroy the Shadison clan would have been an even greater achievement compared to obtaining the first volume of the Neverending Book.
However, the Shadison clan wanted to publicly disclose the book now. This completely disrupted Raimundo's scheme and no roaming Wizards were willing to take the risk and fight the Shadison clan with the Doret clan.
Without the roaming Wizards, the Doret clan could not destroy the Shadison clan on its own.
"Don't rush things. I have a plan!"
Raimundo suddenly exclaimed in a low voice; all the Spell Casters immediately fell silent.
"What are you thinking, clan leader?"
Raimundo thought about it for a while. He knew that he would induce the dissatisfaction of the Spell Casters if he had chosen to remain silent. His social standing in the Doret clan was far from stable at this point in time.
Hence, Raimundo flashed a smile and said, "I've just gotten in contact with the few Fourth-level roaming Wizards who have just arrived in Tolle City, especially the old man Ubik. He has agreed to fight the Shadison clan with us, but he has a condition: he must take the first volume of the Neverending Book."
"Fourth-level Spell Caster? There are only First-level to Third-level spells in the first volume of the Neverending Book. Ubik is a Fourth-level Spell Caster; why does he need the first volume?"
These Spell Casters carefully considered the matter and understood that it would not be an easy matter to persuade a Fourth-level Spell Caster.
Raimundo suddenly smirked and spoke slowly. "The first volume of the Neverending Book naturally doesn't attract a Fourth-level Spell Caster. But what if I say that there are clues to the second volume, or even the third volume, within the first volume?"
After he finished his words, the Spell Casters below him all took a sharp breath and widened their eyes. Their stares were focused on Raimundo while looking in disbelief.
"There are clues to the second volume, or even the third volume, in the first volume of Neverending Book? Why haven't we heard about it?"
If there were clues to the second or third volume of the Neverending Book, it would appeal a lot to those Fourth-level Spell Casters.
Raimundo revealed a secretive smile and slowly said, "It doesn't matter whether there are clues to the second volume in the first volume of the Neverending Book. Most important of all, we, the Doret clan, have obtained some information about this… Hehe, with this information how can we not tempt the Fourth-level Spell Casters? The Doret clan doesn't need the Neverending Book; we only want the destruction of the Shadison clan."
Raimundo's expression showed a hint of craziness and gloat.
…
In a room within Shadison clan, Merlin asked Laurinka in a calm tone, "Has your father left?"
Laurinka showed an awkward expression, but nodded. "Yes. I've told my father about your reply. I believe he won't come anymore."
Merlin nodded. He recalled that Laurinka's father, the clan leader of Shadison clan, Wizard Rhind, had somehow found out about his identity and knew that he had killed the Spell Caster from Ozmu, Weiss. Hence, Wizard Rhind tried his best to request for Merlin's help during the disclosure of the Neverending book in two days.
However, Merlin had rejected the request; he was only in Shadison clan to look for Laurinka. He was not interested in participating in the conflict between Spell Caster clans.
Merlin only wanted to wait silently and have a look at the legendary Neverending Book two days later. Then, he would leave Tolle City and return to Dark Magic Region.
Regarding the matters of Shadison clan, Merlin wanted no part in it at all.
The outside had quiet down since Wizard Rhind had left. However, because of Merlin's special identity, he was treated as a "special guest" as well. No one dared to disturb Merlin and Laurinka.
Instead of meditating, Merlin stood up and took off his robe to reveal his muscular body. As compared to the physique of an ordinary Spell Caster, Merlin's could be considered as terrifying.
Merlin had obtained four mysterious relief sculptures and had been practicing them for a few years. After persevering for such a long time, Merlin's physique had become terrifyingly tough now; his physique was comparable to a Third-level Elemental Swordsman.
However, after Merlin had begun to practice the fourth relief sculpture, his physique was improving at an extremely slow pace. Initially, Merlin did not care about it; he simply persisted in practicing it every day.
After continuing his practice for a few years, a change finally occurred. Lately, Merlin was always energetic as if there was endless strength contained in his body. Sometimes, his body would become hot.
At first, Merlin did not think much of it, but such sensations had turned stronger with time. The sensation was most apparent when Merlin was practicing the posture of the fourth mysterious relief sculpture.
Thus, Merlin had a feeling that his body was beginning to change after practicing the posture for such a long time!