Chapter 458: Evenly Matched
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Wizard Tambert's face shifted. Upon seeing the pale white flames, he felt slightly intimidated. Even if Merlin was not a Spell Caster from beyond the heavens, he was not a force to be trifled with.
Wizard Tambert dithered for a moment but finally, he tossed away the map in his hands. No matter how important the elemental crystal stone mine was, it was simply not worth offending an evenly-matched Spell Caster.
"Wizard Merlin, this is the map to the elemental crystal stone mine. I'm sure the purpose of your visit to Tagan City is to get this map, right? Here, you can have it!"
Tambert promptly made up his mind and flung the map in his hand. Subsequently, he quickly retreated. He did not wish to remain here for a second longer.
Tambert might be greedy in nature but he was also very cautious and savvy. Upon encountering any sort of danger, he would give up immediately. That was how he gradually came to control Bisque City and became the overlord of the surrounding cities.
However, this time, he was not so lucky.
"Whoosh."
Merlin reached out his hand and grabbed the map. He did not even look at it. Instead, he stretched out his five fingers, and suddenly, the entire sky seemed to darken.
"Shadow Assassin!"
The Fifth-level spell Shadow Assassin was immediately released by Merlin. This was the first time he was using it against an opponent ever since he constructed the spell.
"Hoo…"
Instantly, the sky darkened and covered almost half of Tagan City. However, this effect was carefully kept in control by Merlin. Otherwise, it would have easily covered the entire Tagan City.
When darkness descended, it was completely impossible to see one's own outstretched fingers. Most of the people were entrapped in the illusion because Shadow Assassin also contained an illusory effect.
However, the effect of the illusion was obviously ineffective on the Seventh-level Wizard Tambert. His Mind Power surged into the sky like a bright lamp amidst the darkness, completely unaffected by the illusion. He also remained very vigilant as this was a Darkness-type spell, so the slightest lapse in attention would result in danger.
"Whiz."
Sure enough, Tambert's vigilance was not in vain. Amidst the pitch-black darkness with neither sound nor sight, an extraordinarily vicious attack lunged at Tambert.
Since Tambert was extremely vigilant, he immediately noticed it coming toward him. Several mysterious runes shone out from the robes on his body, covering and blocking the attack.
The unique characteristic of Shadow Assassin was its constant bidding of time in the darkness. Once there was a slight lapse in attention, the opponent would be killed by its covert attacks. It was important to note that despite being a Fifth-level Darkness-type spell, the attacking power of Shadow Assassin was enough to kill a Seventh-level Wizard.
"Whiz whiz whiz."
Although Wizard Tambert managed to block the first attack, before he could recover, several attacks began to launch at him from all directions in the dark. There was a horrible-looking evil spirit rushing toward him as well as some black bolts whizzing soundlessly at him.
There were also some web-like Darkness Elements that was moving to enclose him.
This array of attacks all belonged to the arsenal of Shadow Assassin. If an average Spell Caster was entrapped within this spell, there was zero chance of survival. Merlin's Fifth-level spell had been fused with Darkness Heart, so its power was boosted many folds, and was able to kill some of the powerful Seventh-level Spell Casters.
However, despite of Tambert's greedy nature, his abilities were not lacking either. He could be considered one of the peak powers among the Seventh-level Spell Casters, just slightly behind those Seventh-level Wizards with Special Pandora Demon Abilities.
Up to this point, Tambert had yet to use his Pandora Demon Ability. This showed Merlin that although Tambert was trapped in Shadow Assassin, and appeared to be falling over his own feet, he had not in fact, revealed his trump card.
"Interesting. If that's the case, let's pile it on!"
Merlin reached out and pointed between his eyebrows. In an instant, the sky was filled with glowing runes. They rapidly condensed into a large Runic Magic Circle like a big net, which sped toward Tambert.
Tambert's face dropped. At this point, he had no choice but to act.
Tambert excelled at Wind-type spells, which were fused with Pandora Demon Ability. Once he lifted his hand, countless Wind Elements began to compress in a repeated pattern, until finally, a long spear was formed.
"Whiz…"
The speed of the spear was extremely fast that its movement was almost invisible to the eye. With a terrifying burst of power, it stabbed Merlin's Runic Magic Circle. The Runic Magic Circle that Merlin had cast with the help of the Runic Heartprint was only able to entrap an ordinary Seventh-level Wizard. Hence, it was quite powerless in the face of Tambert's strongest attack.
"Crack."
The Runic Magic Circle shattered in an instant, and the mysterious runes also collapsed and disappeared.
Merlin's eyes narrowed. Tambert was indeed Seventh-level Spell Caster at its peak. Even though Merlin had constructed Fifth-level spells, it would be tough to defeat Tambert using only Fifth-level spells and Pandora Demon Ability.
"Glacier Country!"
Merlin was not in a hurry either. He had finally found a powerful Great Wizard who was almost evenly-matched as him, so he was not in a hurry to use Darkness Eye to end the battle. This spar with Tambert would help him discover the extent to which his abilities had evolved.
"Boom!"
Glacier Country descended in an instant. The translucent Glacier Country was a special Pandora Demon Ability though this was only its third form. Regardless, its resulting power was not ordinary in any sense. The fact that it was able to trap some Seventh-level Spell Casters was already quite impressive.
At least it had an evident suppressing effect on the Seventh-level Spell Casters.
"Crack crack."
Following the descent of Glacier Country, frigid blasts began to swirl freely. The area which was covered by Glacier Country was frozen into transparent ice crystals.
Wizard Tambert bit his lip. He could feel that this was the most challenging and dangerous battle he had ever encountered. Merlin's endless arsenal of attacks had long-since stirred up Tambert's desire to retreat. However, he was currently trapped by both Glacier Country and Shadow Assassin. He had no way to retreat, so he could only choose to fight on.
"Fire!"
Tambert gritted his teeth, and a blazing fire began to burn on his body which spread quickly.
These flames were unlike ordinary flames. The heat that it radiated was on par with the frigid blasts in Merlin's Glacier Country. With the intermingling of hot and cold, the frigid blast was completely unable to come close to Tambert.
If Merlin was able to wield the fourth form of Glacier Country, then its power would be increased once again to unimaginable levels. Then, it would be able to easily suppress not only Seventh-level Spell Casters but also Eight-level Spell Casters without Pandora Demon Ability!
However, the current state of Glacier Country had only achieved its third form. It was able to suppress an average Seventh-level Spell Caster but not Wizard Tambert, who possessed few types of Pandora Demon Abilities. Within the wisps of flames, he conjured clear traces of powerful Pandora Demon Ability.
Therefore, Glacier Country and Shadow Assassin were only able to contain Tambert and consume his Magic Power but were unable to kill him within a short period of time.
Finally, Merlin had encountered an evenly-matched opponent. Back in the Glorious Land, he seldom encountered Seventh-level Spell Casters with Pandora Demon Abilities. Even those with Pandora Demon Abilities usually only had two forms or just ordinary Pandora Demon Ability.
Basically, it was very difficult to meet someone like Tambert who possessed several Fusion Pandora Demon Abilities, and achieved the third form for each of them. He was also a Seventh-level Spell Caster to boot, so it was not surprising that he could become the overlord of this area. Probably, Tambert had also experience in vanquishing powerful Spell Casters beyond his level.
However, this encounter with Merlin was shocking for Tambert. He only had the power to resist but not to counter-attack. Moreover, looking at Merlin, it seemed like he had not yet displayed his full force.
At this moment, Tambert was no longer confident. All he wanted was a chance to escape.
Indeed, Merlin had not wielded his entire arsenal. Since Glacier Country, Shadow Assassin, and the Runic Heartprint were unable to kill Tambert, he still had Incinerating Fire.
"Boom."
Without any warning, Merlin's Incinerating Fire burst into the sky and began to spread rapidly. The blaze burned ferociously toward Tambert, its scorching temperature just as formidable as the flames conjured by Tambert earlier.
"Hum hum."
Concentrated Earth Elements appeared all over Tambert. Then, like a tortoise shell, it securely protected his entire body. At the same time, the runic robes that he wore discharged mysterious runes that blanketed him.
Merlin's flames were only able to burn outside the robes but could not hurt Tambert at all. Despite wielding all types of techniques, he was unable to defeat Tambert.
Seeing this, Merlin sank into contemplation. He now basically knew the limit of his abilities. Excluding the fourth form of Darkness Eye, his abilities were only comparable to a peak Seventh-level Wizard.
Basically, he was at the same level as Tambert, so he could only suppress but not kill him.
Of course, if Merlin was desperate, he could try to compete on the rate of consumption of Magic Power. Since he was attacking and Tambert was defending, the latter's rate of consumption would be greater. Hence, Tambert had a higher chance of depleting his Magic Power first, and be defeated.
Nevertheless, this was only a wild guess. The amount of Magic Power was mainly determined by the Spell Models that was constructed. As for the amount of Magic Power in Tambert's reserve, it was anyone's guess. Furthermore, continuing this line of attack would take at least a few hours.
Tambert saw that Merlin seemed to have run out of means, so he spoke, "Wizard Merlin, you can't defeat me. Why don't you withdraw your spell? I'll go back to Bisque City and stop interfering with your actions in Tagan City. Deal?"
Tambert, too, did not want to continue depleting his Magic Power here. He had never faced a crisis as perilous as the current situation. Even when he was facing off against an Eighth-level Wizard, he had been able to escape. He did not expect that he would be held down by Merlin.
The true reason that made Tambert feel afraid was that Merlin was merely a Fourth-level Spell Caster.
"Unfortunately, I want not only Tagan City but also your Bisque City!"
Merlin had already made plans in his head. He needed to build a force in this new dimension – a force that would help him collect various types of resources. While it was convenient to work alone, at the same time, he would lose out at collecting resources.
Especially now that he obtained a huge elemental crystal stone mine, he needed an equally colossal force to help him manage the mine, and turn it into wealth.
Therefore, Tambert's Bisque City was naturally the best choice. For that reason, Tambert must die!
Sensing Merlin's murderous intent, Tambert appeared a little maniacal and laughed. "Haha, Merlin, your abilities may be impressive but I'm afraid it won't be so easy to kill me!"
Merlin did not speak further. Slowly, he extended his right hand and unfurled his fist, revealing the constantly blinking, demonic-looking blood-red eye in his palm.
Chapter 459: The Huge Mine I
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Darkness Eye!"
Merlin was using Tambert to test the level of his current abilities. Basically, without wielding the fourth form of Darkness Eye, he was comparable to a peak Seventh-level. He was able to suppress those peak Seventh-level Spell Casters but killing them proved to be slightly more challenging.
Perhaps, Tambert was also a very powerful Spell Caster among the peak Seventh-level. A Wizard like him was very elusive in the Glorious Land but might be quite common in this new dimension.
Merlin released the fourth form of blood-red Darkness Eye. In an instant, a gigantic ghostly face appeared behind Merlin. Amidst the blurry features, one could vaguely see multiple faces that were shifting continuously. Occasionally, it was also accompanied by a peal of sinister laughter.
"Whoosh!"
A crimson light shot forward and shrouded Tambert. Immediately, Tambert felt a prickle of danger creeping up to him. However, he did not know what this demonic-looking blood-red eye was.
"Control!"
Merlin's voice was calm but was tinged with a hint of coldness. As Merlin's voice subsided, Tambert suddenly felt that he could no longer mobilize the Magic Power inside his body. He completely lost control over the elements.
The blood-red eye in Merlin's palm appeared to have deprived him of all his powers. Now, Tambert had reverted into a complete Normie, like he was before he became a Spell Caster.
"How is this possible? My Pandora Demon Ability, my spells… Why are they not reacting?"
Tambert seemed to have lost his mind. With bloodshot eyes, he screamed in exhaustion. How would he have known that this was a special Pandora Demon Ability created by the Great Legend of Darkness Wizard Oflas? Perhaps in this new dimension, there were no hereditary special Pandora Demon Abilities.
After all, most of the special Pandora Demon Abilities had been created by the likes of Honored Legends. Wizard Mogan, the owner of this dimension, spent over hundreds of years to defeat the gods, so he must not be an Honored Legend. He was probably an ordinary Legendary Wizard, and naturally, did not have any special Pandora Demon Abilities.
"Chi chi chi."
Darkness Eye was still continuously draining Wizard Tambert's control over spells, so Merlin did not waste any more time. Currently, Wizard Tambert had lost his control over the elements, so he was a Normie at best. Even the runic robe on his body would only be able to withstand one or two more hits. However, in the face of Merlin's attack, it would not be able to hold up.
"Fire!"
Flames, more ferocious than before, sprang out and quickly engulfed Wizard Tambert. The runic robe gradually lost its effect, so the flames burned on Wizard Tambert. Before he could even yelp, Wizard Tambert had been reduced to ashes.
Merlin closed his palm. Darkness Eye in his palm seemed to be discontented and was trying to struggle out of Merlin's control. Its backlash was even stronger than before but with the suppression of the Maxim, the fourth form of Darkness Eye was unable to overthrow Merlin. All it could do was consume the powers of the Maxim.
Following Wizard Tambert's death of, all the red-robed Wizards that he had brought along from Bisque City were exchanging looks of aghast, uncertain of what to do next.
Wizard Tambert ruled Bisque City with an iron fist. He was greedy by nature and collected a lot of resources, but only distributed a trickle of it to his subordinates. Therefore, subordinates who were truly loyal to him were few and far between, if at all. The two Sixth-level Wizards before were absolutely loyal. Otherwise, Tambert would not have allowed them to follow him.
However, both had also been burned to ashes by Merlin. The remaining Wizards were hesitant, and did not know how to face Merlin. At this time, Darknight stood up. It was his turn to be useful.
"Everyone, don't panic. Right now, Tambert is dead, and Wizard Merlin intends to take over Bisque City. Whoever is willing to follow Wizard Merlin, this is your best chance!"
Wizard Darknight's words reverberated in the sky, so even the Spell Casters in Tagan City could hear it. Some of the red-robed Wizards hesitated for a few moments, and immediately made their decision.
Merlin's ability was more powerful, and had just killed Tambert. There would be many matters that had to be dealt with by his subordinates. If they pledged allegiance to Merlin now, he was bound to deploy them significantly, so it was their best chance.
Thus, many of the red-robed Wizards immediately flew out from Tagan City and half-knelt on the ground. In unison, they chorused, "I'm willing to follow Sir Wizard Merlin!"
A faint smile appeared on Wizard Darknight's face. In a low voice, he explained to Merlin, "Master, they're bestowing you the highest courtesy among Spell Casters. Those who display this courtesy is showing their full submission, and that they're willing to follow you, Master!"
Merlin nodded his head. He raised his hand and announced, "Not bad. All of you rise up and follow me inside!"
With irrefutable abilities, it was easier to establish his authority. Now that he had taken over Tambert's force, it would be easy for him to enter Bisque City in the future. Even if anyone tried to resist him, he had absolute confidence that it would be smoothed over quickly.
Therefore, the matter at hand now was Tagan City.
Upon entering Tagan City, Merlin discovered that Lady Phillie and the others were also there. Merlin was very familiar with the mindset of the people from Boulder City, yet he admired Lady Phillie's flair at trading.
Now that he was building up a new force, he needed someone who had a flair at trading, like Lady Phillie, to help him expand and strengthen his force. Only with a colossal force at his disposal, would Merlin be able to gather more resources.
"Lady Phillie, when I enter Bisque City, I'll need your help."
Merlin said in a casual manner but Lady Phillie had already heard his unspoken request. Overjoyed, she answered, "Thank you, Wizard Merlin for your generosity! I'll definitely do my best and help Wizard Merlin develop Bisque City."
Merlin nodded and took a single look at the citizens of Tagan City. After some contemplation, he raised his hand and a wisp of cold air wrapped around Winston.
"Crack."
Winston was instantly frozen into an ice crystal, and his life force rapidly ebbed away. An old man began to shake uncontrollably but was held back by the others.
Winston must die but as for the others from Tagan City, Merlin was not resentful. He waved the map in his hand. "Let's go and take a look at the elemental crystal stone mine."
After a pause, Merlin shifted his gaze on Lady Phillie. "Lady Phillie, you can come along with us."
At this moment, Lady Phillie was still in shock. She had just heard Merlin utter the words "elemental crystal stone mine". Now, she finally understood why Wizard Tambert had come all the way from Bisque City to Tagan City. It was all for the elemental crystal stone mine.
Any structure that qualified to be called a mine must consist of completely overwhelming contents. Therefore, an elemental crystal stone mine was enough to make any Spell Caster lose their heads.
"Let's go."
Merlin was impatient to see that elemental crystal stone mine.
The elders of Tagan City dared not disobey Merlin's orders. So, they could only lead the way and walked toward the elemental crystal stone mine as marked on the map.
"Say, how did you get this map?"
Merlin casually asked one of the elders from Tagan City. After all, a map which was marked so clearly should be quite difficult to obtain. Moreover, why would the Spell Caster who marked it give the map away so easily?
An old man with streaks of black-and-white hair paused and answered hoarsely, "Wizard Merlin, this map had always been in our hands. It has been passed down from generations to generations. We all knew that this map would have far-reaching implications, so unless we had no choice, we would never unfurl it.
"This time, however, Tagan City is truly in trouble. Boulder City has been aggressive, especially with some of the measures introduced by Lady Phillie, we've been forced into a tight corner. If we continue as it is, Tagan City would become an empty town. At this juncture, we thought about the elemental crystal stone mine which was painted on this map. Even though we knew that we could not conquer this mine, due to the severity of the situation, we no longer cared. Thus, we summoned Wizard Darknight in order to join forces with Eternal Night Mountain and secretly exploit this mine.
"However, we didn't expect Wizard Merlin to appear. As to what happened afterward, I'm sure Wizard Merlin is aware…"
The elder of Tagan City revealed the origins of the map. It turned out that it had been passed down from Tagan City but due to the far-reaching implications of this map, they had never dared to unfurl this map, not to mention exploit it. Once the news leaked out, it would be disastrous for Tagan City.
However, due to the pressure from Boulder City, Tagan City had no other choice but to allow this map to be reacquainted with the light of day, which ultimately resulted in it falling into Merlin's hands.
Merlin nodded. This map indeed looked like it had weathered a few generations. The paper was yellowing, and some of the markings on the paper were blurry. Fortunately, the location of the elemental crystal stone mine remained clear.
Tagan City was only a small town, and its strongest Spell Caster was only at the Fourth-level. Naturally, they could not simply decide to exploit such a huge elemental crystal stone mine. Once the news leaked out, they would be wiped out.
This line of reasoning was well-understood by Tagan City. That was why they had never exploited the mine even after so many years. It was until recently when they were forced into a corner by Boulder City, that the idea of exploiting the mine was revitalized.
However, the force of Tagan City was simply too weak. Initially, they intended to join forces with Wizard Darknight to exploit the mine, but when things changed, they could only present it wholly to Tambert. In the end, it still fell into Merlin's hands.
A mine of this size was far from realistic to be exploited by a force as small as Tagan City. Right now, the scale of the mine was yet to be determined. If the scale of the mine was truly too sprawling and word got out, perhaps even Tambert would not be able to occupy this mine alone. Surely, some more powerful forces would interfere.
On the other hand, Merlin was fearless. With Darkness Eye in his hand, even an Eighth-level Spell Caster could be vanquished! As for the Ninth-level Spell Casters, they had all entered the Glorious Palace and became Glorious Wizards, so they would not participate in matters outside the Glorious Palace.
Soon, the group finally arrived at a slightly elevated hillside. According to the markings on the map, the surrounding hillside was the location of the elemental crystal stone mine.
"Darknight, check it out."
Merlin was somewhat anticipating to find out the scale of this mine, so he allowed Wizard Darknight to investigate it first.
Chapter 460: The Huge Mine II
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
This was quite an understated hillside. There were no dense trees or bushes growing around the area except for some wild weeds. Even then, the weeds were sparsely scattered all over.
Wizard Darknight led the men toward the hillside. He was not an expert at mine exploration, so he could only use the simplest method, which was to dig a large pit.
Generally, a truly rich elemental crystal stone mine could be discovered at a level close to the ground surface. Therefore, it was quite easy to find as long as its specific location could be identified. All that was left to do was to dig downward.
Instantly, Wizard Darknight cast a spell. Countless Ice Elements melded together into a large knife, and with terrifying power, drove straight into the ground.
"Bang!"
The entire hillside seemed to be shaking after Wizard Darknight's wild display of spells. Finally, a deep pit appeared on the ground. Even without approaching the site, Merlin and the others could clearly sense the concentrated elemental aura which wafted out from the pit.
"Sure enough, it's an elemental crystal stone mine. Even at such a shallow depth, the contents are already so impressive. I wonder how big is this mine?"
Wizard Darknight was very excited and could not help but shout in Merlin's direction.
"Swish swish!"
Merlin stepped forward in a flash and reached the large pit. Sure enough, the pit contained many shimmering elemental crystal stones, which seemed to be Earth-type elemental crystal stones.
Most of the elemental crystal stones that were buried underground were Earth-type elemental crystal stones. However, if one were to proceed deeper, there might also be a large quantity of Fire-type elemental crystal stones.
Some colder places might contain Ice-type elemental crystal stones whereas damp places might yield Water-type elemental crystal stones. Only Wind-type and Thunder-type elemental crystal stones were quite rare.
Here, the elemental crystal stones should mostly consist of Earth-type. The fact that they could be mined at such a shallow depth was a testament to the abundance of this type.
Nevertheless, it was still undetermined how huge was the size of the mine. They still had to continue to search the perimeter, especially to roughly determine its boundaries.
Hence, Wizard Darknight circled around the mine, and searched around the area. Finally, the boundaries of the mine were determined. Its diameter spanned over fifty miles across.
Such a huge mine! Regardless of Merlin, Darknight or Lady Phillie, all of them sucked in a cold breath. It was just overly huge. If such a huge elemental crystal stone mine had appeared in the Glorious Land, both the southern and northern Spell Caster world were sure to react insanely.
"Good. Very good. Such a huge mine! Darknight, from today onward, mobilize all the power you can to exploit this mine at full capacity!"
"Lady Phillie, follow me to Bisque City. All the big and small businesses in Bisque City will be placed under your control. I'll set up a trade association with you as the president to manage everything!"
Lady Phillie and Wizard Darknight nodded excitedly. From today onward, they were people with the highest authority in the sphere of influence in Bisque City, excluding Merlin himself. This was a feat that they could not even hope to achieve in the past.
Subsequently, Merlin entered Bisque City without a hitch. Upon receiving verified news that Tambert was truly dead, Bisque City was very welcoming toward Merlin.
In fact, this was understandable as Tambert had also previously used the same method. He defeated the former Spell Caster from Bisque City and took control over it. Since he was greedy by nature, his death did not stir up much sentiments.
Coupled with the fact that Merlin had managed to kill Tambert, and must be very powerful, naturally, Bisque City was not so ignorant to resist Merlin.
After taking over Bisque City, Merlin took a proper stock take of the strength of Bisque City. He counted a total of thirty-nine small towns and cities. Among them, there were about nine cities with a flourishing trade like Boulder City.
Overall, the cities were relatively affluent, only that Tambert had not managed them well. Instead, all he did was search and snatch from these cities, so their degrees of development were worse than before.
Merlin employed Lady Phillie and established a trade association to handle all the issues arising from the trade of these thirty-nine cities. Once the trade began to flourish, then the elemental crystal stones Merlin could obtain would be insurmountable.
The resources left behind by Tambert in Bisque City were also quite abundant. Back when Merlin killed Tambert, he naturally did not leave behind his ring. Inside Tambert's ring were mountains of elemental crystal stones, up to tens of thousands in number. Additionally, there were various precious potions, and alchemy materials.
"Tambert is rich, much richer than me!"
Merlin carefully examined Tambert's ring. Most of the contents were elemental crystal stones. In addition, there were some potion and alchemy materials as well as some that Merlin did not recognize.
After putting the items aside, Merlin summoned Lady Phillie.
Lady Phillie stood before Merlin respectfully. Her entire person looked radiant, and the charm of a matured woman became more pronounced.
"Lady Phillie! You have an assignment. I'm going to isolate myself for some time. You need to mobilize all your resources and help me find some potion, potion formula or other prized items that can increase Mind Power. Even just a lead is acceptable. Do you understand?"
Lady Phillie nodded thoughtfully. "Please don't worry Wizard Merlin. I'll pay close attention in this matter."
"Very well, you may leave."
After Merlin had sent Lady Phillie away, he focused his attention on his Mind Power. Truth was, his Mind Power had achieved the peak of the Sixth-level.
However, advancing from the Sixth- to the Seventh-level was a substantive transformation. Many of Sixth-level Spell Casters would be affected by the illusion in Merlin's Darkness-type spell whereas Seventh-level Wizards would not be affected much.
The Mind Power of Seventh-level Spell Caster was a substantive transformation. Therefore, if Merlin did not have a large amount of Mind Power, it would be difficult to forcibly upgrade to the Seventh-level.
His Mind Power would not be able to undergo a transformation for the time being. Next, Merlin could also construct the remaining Fire-type, and Wind-type spells. These two types of spells had been derived by the Matrix, so all Merlin had to do was to introduce a suitable Spell Model into his Awareness.
Constructing spells was already a familiar process to Merlin but it required some time.
…
Six days later, Merlin opened his eyes. At this moment, there were four Fifth-level Spell Models in his body. First, there was Shadow Assassin and Enervating Halo. The newly-constructed Wind-type spell was called Traceless Wind. Its speed was faster than Rainbow Wind, completely silent and very subtle.
Besides Traceless Wind, there was also Destructive Flame. This was a Fifth-level spell, so the strength of the flames was increased slightly. Nevertheless, it still could only defeat a peak Seventh-level. Defeating an Eighth-level would still be a challenge.
After all, if Merlin encountered someone who had Fusion Pandora Demon Ability, and cultivated it to the third form, then it would be a peak Seventh-level Spell Caster like Tambert. Merlin was completely unable to defeat him, and could only rely on the fourth form of Darkness Eye to kill him.
The biggest advantage that Merlin had over an average Seventh-level Spell Caster was that his spells were all self-derived. However, this advantage in terms of spells would be offset by the opponent's Seventh-level spells. So ultimately, it would become a competition of Pandora Demon Abilities. In this regard, Merlin did not have a clear advantage.
Therefore, despite having constructed Fifth-level spells, based on Pandora Demon Ability, he was only able to compete against a peak Seventh-level Wizard. In other words, his ability did not improve greatly.
However, this was already anticipated by Merlin. From Seventh-level onward, every level-up would bring about a tremendous change in abilities. Especially since he came to this new dimension, it was like returning to the Spell Casters' most glorious era. Thus, Spell Casters with Fusion Pandora Demon Abilities were not rare. Back in the Glorious Land, Merlin had the advantage of possessing Pandora Demon Abilities. However, in this new dimension, his advantage of possessing Pandora Demon Abilities had almost disappeared into nothing.
Now, Merlin had Fire-type Pandora Demon Ability, Darkness-type Pandora Demon Ability, Wind-type Pandora Demon Ability, Ice-type Pandora Demon Ability, and Earth-type Pandora Demon Ability. He only lacked Thunder-type Pandora Demon Ability.
It was not that Merlin did not have Thunder-type Pandora Demon Ability. What he lacked was the time to cultivate it. With a bright flash, the third volume of the Neverending Book appeared in his hand. In the third volume of the Neverending Book created by Wizard Saitu, there were many Pandora Demon Abilities in it.
Moreover, there were also several Fusion Pandora Demon Abilities with considerable power. Previously, Merlin had taken a cursory glance. Among the Thunder-type Pandora Demon Abilities, there was a Fusion Pandora Demon Ability called Thunder Fury.
It also had three forms, and its power was quite formidable. By nature, Thunder-type spells contained very powerful attacking force. Coupled with Pandora Demon Ability Thunder Fury, Merlin's arsenal of Offensive spells would become even more complete.
Perhaps, the combination of Thunder-type spells and Fire-type spells together with Glacier Country would be enough to compete with an Eighth-level Spell Caster.
Nonetheless, cultivating Thunder Fury would require a Thunder Stone. This type of Thunder Stone was unheard of by Merlin back in the Glorious Land, so there was no way for him to cultivate it. Now in this new dimension, Merlin would get people to look out for the Thunder Stone.
Merlin now possessed several Pandora Demon Abilities such as Wind-type, Fire-type, and Darkness-type, which are all Fusion Pandora Demon Abilities. Only Ice-type, and Thunder-type did not have Fusion Pandora Demon Abilities.
While he had Pandora Demon Ability Glacier Country as Ice-type, it was actually a special Pandora Demon Ability, and not a Fusion Pandora Demon Ability. Thus, it could not be incorporated into other spells as it existed separately from spells. Therefore, Merlin still had to cultivate an Ice-type Pandora Demon Ability.
There were many types of Pandora Demon Abilities though it seemed like many of them were not very useful such as the Ice-type Pandora Demon Ability. Now that he already had Glacier Country, even if he had cultivated a Fusion Pandora Demon Ability, it would be impossible for its power to surpass that of Glacier Country. Hence, he would be unlikely to use it and it would not be highly useful.
However, Merlin was planning even further ahead. His objective was not just to become a Seventh-level Spell Caster but a Great Wizard or a Great Legendary Wizard.
Once a Spell Caster became a Great Wizard, there would be a crucial turning point where all his spells would fuse together. As Fusion Pandora Demon Ability would fuse seamlessly into spells, all the Spell Models in the Awareness fuse together to form a single Spell Model. As a result, the ability of the Great Wizard would depend on the strength of the fused spells, the number of fused Spell Models, and the number of Fusion Pandora Demon Abilities.
No matter what, the spell fusion of a Three-Elemental Wizard would be far lesser than a Four- or Five-Elemental Spell Caster. Moreover, for Spell Casters with Fusion Pandora Demon Ability, the greater the number of Fusion Pandora Demon Abilities, the more powerful he would become. Thus, upon leveling-up to a Great Wizard, and at the instant the spell fusion occurred, the Spell Caster's ability would surge rapidly.
Since Merlin was a Six-Elemental Spell Caster, he was already very powerful. So, if he had a Fusion Pandora Demon Ability for every element, upon fusion, he would become even more formidable than before.
Merlin contemplated for a long time. Although the Thunder-type, and Ice-type Pandora Demon Abilities would not increase his abilities by much, it was his preparation for the future to become a Great Wizard!
Therefore, no matter how difficult it was to obtain the Thunder Stone, Merlin must still search for it. As for the Ice-type Fusion Pandora Demon Ability, Merlin carefully searched through the Neverending Book and found a few Ice-type Fusion Pandora Demon Abilities. Nevertheless, they also required some Ice-type treasure that Merlin did not have.
The cultivation of Thunder-type, and Ice-type Pandora Demon Abilities had to be set aside temporarily. All he could do now was to wait quietly.
Chapter 461: The Whirlwind Lord
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Sir Wizard Merlin!"
Lady Phillie's voice of came from beyond the door outside.
"Come in."
Merlin replied leisurely. Lady Phillie gently pushed open the door and entered. The room was filled with an exotic fragrance, creating a refreshing atmosphere.
"Lady Phillie, what's the matter?"
"Wizard Merlin, here's the thing. Dara City is about to hold a grand auction, and I've discovered that there are a few premium auction items in the auction. One of them will be a Hallucinatory Heart!"
Merlin's face changed slightly as he echoed softly, "Hallucinatory Heart? What's a Hallucinatory Heart?"
Since Lady Phillie had come forward to report this matter so seriously, Merlin knew that this Hallucinatory Heart must not be that simple.
Lady Phillie was not surprised as well. She now knew of Merlin's identity as a Spell Caster from beyond the heavens. He might not know what a Hallucinatory Heart was, so she explained in detail, "A Hallucinatory Heart is extremely precious. It's a crystal from the body of a creature called a hallucinatory beast. This type of Hallucinatory Heart has a most remarkable function, which is to boost Mind Power! Treasures that purely increase Mind Power are really far too rare, and the Hallucinatory Heart is one of those. Therefore, once a Hallucinatory Heart appears, it'll cause fierce competition among Spell Casters."
Merlin's eyes brightened. He had instructed Lady Phillie that he wanted potions or treasures which would increase Mind Power but did not expect that he would come across any. There was no Hallucinatory Hearts in the Glorious Land.
In the Glorious Land, other than divinity, items which purely increased Mind Power did not exist at all. Back then, Merlin had by chance obtained a strand of divinity, which was why his Mind Power had undergone an immense upgrade.
Nevertheless, divinity was extremely difficult to acquire. In general, one would only discover it through sheer luck. It was essentially impossible to hope for the acquisition of more divinity. However, he did not think that there would be such a mystical treasure like the Hallucinatory Heart in this new dimension.
"When will the auction commence?"
Merlin's interest in this auction was already piqued.
"Three days later, in Dara City!"
Merlin nodded, following which he looked at Lady Phillie. "After three days, bring all the elemental crystal stones you can lay your hands on with you. Remember, do it at all costs. Begin gathering elemental crystal stones now, as many as you can. I don't wish to lose the Hallucinatory Heart during bidding just because I don't have enough elemental crystal stones!"
Upon seeing Merlin's cold gaze, Lady Phillie shivered within her heart, and nodded solemnly. Thereafter, she took her leave respectfully.
"The Hallucinatory Heart… I must get it!"
Merlin inspected his Mind Power which had not grown by much. He was determined to obtain the Hallucinatory Heart, no matter what the cost!
…
Outside the bustling Dara City, people passed to and fro, and many powerful Spell Casters went in and out of constantly. Many of these Spell Casters had a fearsome force about them, causing some ordinary Spell Casters to feel alarmed.
"Look quickly, it's the Whirlwind Lord!"
A pitch-black whirlwind appeared in the sky, whistling as it flew toward Dara City. It had uncommon might but as soon as it reached Dara City, the whirlwind stopped. A Spell Caster who was covered all over in tattoos, including his face, appeared on the road, bearing a menacing appearance.
Many Spell Casters knew the identity of this extraordinary Wizard. He was the infamous Whirlwind Lord, a formidable Eighth-level Wizard who dominated a massive mountain range that stretched a thousand miles. He was a master of mighty forces.
Nonetheless, the Whirlwind Lord was savage by nature. Every few months, his murderous nature would flare up, and he would slaughter a few Spell Casters who were at odds with him. His external reputation was a terrible and notorious one. Therefore, most Spell Casters upon seeing the Whirlwind Lord's arrival, quickly hid far away, not daring to approach.
"Humph!"
The Whirlwind Lord eyed Dara City icily. With two beautiful, alluring female Wizards behind him, he stepped bluntly into Dara City. He must have come here for the auction in Dara City.
"Today, powerful Wizards such as the Whirlwind Lord, Wizard Balata, the Black Tower King, and so on, had arrived. Tsk tsk, is there some significant item up for auction this time in Dara City?"
"No one can say for sure. The previous auctions organized by Dara City had attracted many Spell Casters too, but not as many powerful Spell Casters as this time. An extremely significant auction item must've appeared. Who knew how many more formidable Spell Casters will come?"
A few Spell Casters outside the city gates were already feeling numb. They had witnessed too many powerful Spell Casters coming today, including the Whirlwind Lord, who was merely one of them. No matter whether it was an overlord of a certain group or Wizards with fearsome reputations, all of them came to Dara City one after another.
"Swish swish."
A few figures gradually flew toward Dara City from the distant sky. At their lead was a black-robed Wizard.
"The Whirlwind Lord is really tyrannical. No one knows if he would be just as tyrannical after the auction!"
The black-robed Wizard emanated an icy force all over, especially as he glared at the Whirlwind Lord who had just entered Dara City. A murderous light flashed in his eyes.
"Wizard Merlin, being outside Dara City, it's best not to cause any extraneous trouble!"
Lady Phillie hurriedly reminded Merlin from behind. These figures were Merlin and Lady Phillie as well as Wizard Darknight and the rest. They had encountered the Whirlwind Lord on their way here.
The Whirlwind Lord had been rude and overbearing, charging around violently, and paid no attention to Merlin and the rest. He had even caused Wizard Darknight to be somewhat injured, so Merlin felt a desire to slay the Whirlwind Lord.
It was just that they were outside Dara City, and the auction had not begun. In order to prevent any mishaps, Merlin could not cause any extraneous trouble. Thus, he did not attack.
"Be rest assured. I know how to act!"
Merlin retracted his gaze, following which he flew into Dara City with Wizard Darknight, Lady Phillie and the rest.
Dara City was prosperous because of the well-known auction managed by Wizard Dara. It was held once every three years, and the items of every auction were very precious.
Moreover, Wizard Dara was a Wizard at the peak of the Eighth-level and had even gone against a Ninth-level Spell Caster of the Glorious Palace, undefeated. Therefore, with him overseeing things, Dara City was one of the most secure cities.
As Merlin strolled in the streets of Dara City, he sensed its bustling atmosphere. Although the trading scenario in Bisque City had greatly improved under Lady Phillie's administration, and many merchants were willing to go to Bisque City, there was still a significant disparity when compared to Dara City before their eyes.
There were also the Elemental fluctuations of many powerful Wizards in Dara City. Merlin, after merely passing one street, had felt the Elemental fluctuations of seven or eight Seventh-level Spell Casters at the very least.
Therefore, Merlin's expression gradually became grave. It looked like this auction was not that simple. Fortunately, he had brought enough elemental crystal stones this time, and was unafraid of competition!
Very soon, Merlin's group came before a lavish building. Before the doors, there were a few Sixth-level Spell Casters who were respectfully receiving the incoming Wizards.
It was a grand maneuver to use Sixth-level Spell Casters to receive Spell Casters outside the doors. No matter where one was, Sixth-level Wizards held a high position.
When Merlin and the rest were about to enter, they were blocked by a Sixth-level Wizard, who broke into a smile, saying mildly, "O' Wizards, please present your invitation."
"Invitation? I don't have an invitation!"
Merlin furrowed his brow. He had truly not received an invitation.
Upon hearing that Merlin had no invitation, the Sixth-level Wizard's expression did not change, yet the tone became rather cold. "I'm sorry, but if you have no invitation, you're not allowed to join the auction."
"We have no invitation but we have this. Would this allow us the right to enter?"
Behind Merlin, Lady Phillie immediately handed over a dark red metal plaque which was inscribed with complicated runes. However, when the Sixth-level Wizard saw this dark red metal plaque, a great change crossed this Wizard's face, who said conscientiously, "Ah, you're distinguished guests. Please, come in. As long as you're distinguished guests, you don't have to present an invitation."
Merlin's face was full of puzzlement. He did not know what this metal plaque was.
It was after they entered the building that Merlin opened his mouth to ask, "Lady Phillie, what's that in your hand?"
"Wizard Merlin, this was left behind by Tambert back then. Tambert was a frequent attendee of the auction in Dara City. After cumulatively attending for a few times, he received a plaque for distinguished guests. Anyone who holds this plaque can join the auction as they wish. Furthermore, there are luxury suites prepared for distinguished guests."
Lady Phillie explained in a respectful tone.
"Oh? Looks like we've stolen Tambert's spotlight."
Merlin grinned casually. He did not mind what method they used, as long as they were able to enter.
Soon enough, after flashing their plaque for distinguished guests, gorgeous maidservants with alluring features and revealing attire led Merlin and the rest to a luxury suite which was numbered twenty-eight.
"Honorable, distinguished guests of number twenty-eight, this is your luxury suite. If there's anything you need, call out at any time. I'll be right outside. The auction will only begin in two hours."
Merlin narrowed his eyes and did not allow the maidservant to leave. Instead, he pointed at the other luxury suites and asked, "Tell me, which is the suite of the Whirlwind Lord?"
"This… Apologies, according to the rules of the auction, we aren't allowed to divulge the identities of distinguished guests."
"Is that so?"
Merlin glanced at Lady Phillie, following which Lady Phillie retrieved a few elemental crystal stones from her ring, smiling as she said, "You're just telling us which suite the Whirlwind Lord is in. What's the big deal?"
"There really is a rule in the auction that we mustn't divulge this simply."
The maidservant's expression remained firm.
"Take more!"
Merlin did not seem to care in the slightest, letting Lady Phillie take out a huge sum of elemental crystal stones. Instantly, the maidservant's face flushed red. She would not get so many elemental crystal stones even after working in this auction for ten years.
Therefore, she allowed her gaze to drift to suite number thirteen, and did not say a word. However, Merlin had understood her implicit meaning, and dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
"Luxury suite number thirteen! Darknight, I want you to watch that suite very closely. If anyone comes out, report to me!"
Merlin's eyes revealed a frosty, deadly glint.
Chapter 462: The Thunder Stone
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
There was an increasing number of Wizards who came for the auction, and the Elemental fluctuations of each Spell Caster who entered a luxury suite were frightening. The time of the auction drew nearer.
Merlin sat quietly in his suite. He had a good view here and was able to see the auction podium clearly. If an auction item was displayed on the podium, one was best able to see it from the luxury suites.
Time passed minute by minute, and soon the auction began. Down below, it was a black sea of Spell Casters. Any Spell Caster who was qualified to join the auction must be rather competent. At the very least, they would have prepared a large sum of elemental crystal stones, ready to display their wealth in full during the auction.
"My fellow Wizards, welcome to Dara City! In the history of all our auctions, this auction has the greatest number of distinguished guests. I believe that this auction will surely satisfy all of you as well!"
It was a female Spell Caster, sporting an alluring figure in a blue robe, who walked onto the podium. However, no one paid attention to her looks for they were observing the Seventh-level Elemental fluctuations that wavered indistinctly around her. She was a powerful Seventh-level Spell Caster!
After the female Wizard walked onto the auction podium, the entire venue fell silent. Everyone fixed their unwavering gazes upon the podium because the first auction item was about to emerge.
The female Wizard gave a charming smile, following which she waved a hand lightly. Instantly, a few Wizards who had been waiting below gently carried a silver tray to the podium before settling it down just as gently.
This silver tray seemed imbued with mystery as it twinkled with a silver light. It was a feast for the eyes.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the first auction item of today is extraordinary. In this auction, it can be considered a relatively rare treasure! Therefore, it shall be our first auction item. Please take a look, everyone."
With that, the female Wizard uncovered the silver tray with a flourish, and a soft glow came from within. It was a short, tiny rod that seemed to be made of silver.
However, this was no mere short rod. As the female Wizard tapped the rod lightly, it glowed with a soft light instantly and mysterious runes quickly flew from it. Following that, the short rod lengthened rapidly, becoming larger, turning into a unique scepter in the blink of an eye!
This scepter was a very special casting tool!
"Everyone, watch carefully. Perhaps many of you haven't seen this scepter before but you're surely not a stranger to its name. It's called Kellen's Scepter!"
As the female Wizard announced the name of this scepter, many Spell Casters cried out in shock.
"It's Kellen's Scepter. How did Dara City manage to obtain this scepter?"
"This is a famed scepter indeed. It's a casting tool used by a noble Wizard named Kellen in the past. Thereafter, Wizard Kellen joined the Glorious Palace, and there was even news that he had become a Great Wizard of the Glorious Palace!"
"This scepter has an even greater symbolic meaning. Back then, Wizard Kellen was full of ambition and even tried in vain to unify the entire continent. Although he didn't succeed in the end, he still founded a massive nation. Kellen's Scepter is the sole keepsake of that nation. I didn't expect that it would appear here."
Many Spell Casters seemed to have heard of Kellen's Scepter before and were even more familiar with the master of Kellen's Scepter, Wizard Kellen.
In the luxury suite, Lady Phillie explained in detail the origins of Kellen's Scepter. When he heard that Wizard Kellen was in the Glorious Palace and had become a Great Wizard, Merlin could not hold back his astonishment.
Regardless of whether it was in the Glorious Land or this new dimension, a Great Wizard was a lofty, powerful Wizard. During the golden years of the Dark Magic Region, there had only been the emergence of one Great Wizard.
Kellen's Scepter was rich with symbolic meaning, but putting that aside, it had a unique function as a casting tool as well. Naturally, it would attract the attention of some Spell Casters.
The female Wizard waited until the crowd of Spell Casters below had had their fill of discussion before she spoke slowly, "Kellen's Scepter has the ability to enhance spells below the Ninth-level. As for the extent of enhancement, it depends on the Spell Models constructed by the Wizard. If the power of the Spell Model is too great, then the enhancement would not be much. Starting bid is at a hundred thousand elemental crystal stones. Every subsequent bid must raise the price by a thousand elemental crystal stones at least!"
The starting bid for Kellen's Scepter was a hundred thousand elemental crystal stones, as expected of the auction in Dara City. It should be known that a hundred thousand elemental crystal stones would be considered an immense amount of wealth to most Spell Casters. Here, it was merely the starting bid for a casting tool with rich symbolic meaning.
There were still Wizards who bid for it. From one hundred thousand elemental crystal stones, it soared smoothly to one hundred and eighty thousand elemental crystal stones. At last, it went to a slightly overweight Spell Caster.
Merlin observed carefully. Previously, not one distinguished guest from the luxury suites had made a bid for Kellen's Scepter. This meant that these guests had no interest in a casting tool with symbolic meaning such as Kellen's Scepter. Like Merlin, they were silently waiting for the auction item that they needed most.
After the first item was smoothly auctioned off, the following auctions gradually became livelier. There were precious potion materials, a powerful Runic Magic Disc, and even a few alchemy puppets, all of which astounded Merlin.
Those alchemy puppets possessed strength which was in no way inferior to Seventh-level Wizards, and were even immune to certain spells. It looked like in this dimension, puppet transfiguration had been developed to its peak, far surpassing the Glorious Land.
Even alchemy itself was rare in the current Glorious Land, to say nothing of puppet transfiguration, which became extinct long ago. Merlin himself had a puppet which was comparable to a Seventh-level Spell Caster.
However, although these puppets amazed Merlin, he did not bid for them, and neither did the other distinguished guests.
"The following auction item needs no extraneous introduction. It's called the Thunder Stone. It's a type of alchemy material as well as a precious treasure. This is something you can only come across by sheer luck. Bidding opens at two hundred thousand elemental crystal stones, and every subsequent bid must raise the price by no less than a thousand elemental crystal stones!"
Initially, Merlin was merely observing the crowd because the Hallucinatory Heart he was hoping for had not appeared yet. Nonetheless, when the female Wizard presented this Thunder Stone as the next auction item, Merlin was briefly stumped. The Thunder Stone was precisely something he required to cultivate the Pandora Demon Ability Thunder Fury. Initially, he had asked Lady Phillie to keep an eye out for it, and did not expect that it would show up in this auction.
This was an extremely precious treasure, and most Spell Casters would choose to utilize it for transfiguring puppets. The Thunder Stone served a great purpose in the transfiguration of Thunder-type puppets.
"Two hundred and ten thousand elemental crystal stones!"
"Two hundred and thirty thousand elemental crystal stones!"
"Two hundred and forty thousand elemental crystal stones!"
As the price rose constantly, there were fewer bids. Finally, the price was pushed to two hundred and sixty thousand elemental crystal stones, and still, no one from the luxury suites had bid.
"Two hundred and seventy thousand elemental crystal stones!"
Suddenly, luxury suite number twenty-eight had made a bid. Although it was not a high bid, it still attracted the attention of many because this was the first time a distinguished guest from the luxury suites had made a bid.
A sweet smile appeared on the female Wizard's face. In reality, they were not concerned about most auction items. What they cared about were the Wizards in the luxury suites.
Only the Wizards in the luxury suites were able to offer elemental crystal stones by the million. This was the true, crucial point of the auction. It was a good sign that a distinguished guest of the luxury suites had finally quoted a price.
"Huh? It's luxury suite number twenty-eight. Isn't that Tambert's suite?"
"To think that Tambert is interested in a Thunder Stone. Is he unsuccessful in transfiguring a Thunder-type puppet?"
Amongst the luxury suites, there were many Spell Casters who knew of luxury suite number twenty-eight. After all, it was not the first time Tambert had been in the suite nor was it his first time attending the auction.
The news that Merlin had killed Tambert had only spread to the periphery. Spell Casters from more distant lands did not know of this development, and they thought that it was still Tambert in that luxury suite.
"Two hundred and seventy-five thousand elemental crystal stones."
A Spell Caster hesitated for a moment before ultimately making a higher bid.
"Three hundred thousand elemental crystal stones!"
In a flash, a higher price rang out from number twenty-eight. This time around, the Spell Casters who had been stirring with desire, planning to bid, now lost all inclination to do so. They all shook their heads. Based on the bid of luxury suite number twenty-eight, it was the driving force of someone determined to get something. Therefore, Spell Casters who did not urgently require the Thunder Stone were unwilling to bid further.
"Very well. Three hundred thousand elemental crystal stones, to the distinguished guest of number twenty-eight!"
The female Wizard gave a syrupy smile. Soon enough, someone covered the tray, and brought the Thunder Stone directly to luxury suite number twenty-eight.
"Distinguished guest of twenty-eight, here's your Thunder Stone."
The maidservant placed the Thunder Stone in the suite. Merlin nodded to Lady Phillie, who immediately handed over three hundred thousand elemental crystal stones to the maidservant.
Three hundred thousand elemental crystal stones were a huge sum to most Spell Casters. However, for Merlin who controlled Bisque City, and after so many days of extraction from that gigantic mine, it was nothing much. This time, the number of elemental crystal stones he had asked Lady Phillie to bring even reached the level of ten million.
It was because he had his heart set on the Hallucinatory Heart!
Although Lady Phillie was somewhat curious as to Merlin's use for the Thunder Stone, she did not question him further. She merely needed to manage the elemental crystal stones, and did not need to intervene in other matters.
Merlin picked up the Thunder Stone and turned it over and over in observation. The surface of the stone was rough and uneven. Terrifying Thunder-type power was contained deep within, requiring guidance in order to be unleashed.
However, this was a top-notch treasure for cultivating Thunder Fury. Perhaps it might be hard to find it in the Glorious Land, but in this dimension, a Thunder Stone was not a scarce treasure, even though it was still precious.
"With this Thunder Stone, cultivating Thunder Fury would not be a problem!"
Merlin was highly satisfied. By joining this auction, even before the Hallucinatory Heart had appeared, he had already gained such a prize. He was now anticipating the following auction items.
Chapter 463: Vying for the Hallucinatory Heart I
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Surprises were everywhere. At the start, Merlin's main goal was to seize the Hallucinatory Heart, yet unexpectedly, during the auction, he came across a Thunder Stone which could be used to cultivate the Thunder-type Pandora Demon Ability Thunder Fury.
Moreover, other than the Thunder Stone, Merlin discovered a frigid ice bone marrow as well. This was the primary treasure needed to cultivate an Ice-type Fusion Pandora Demon Ability.
These two treasures would allow the successful cultivation of Merlin's remaining two types of Pandora Demon Abilities, establishing a solid foundation for when he became a Great Wizard, and merged them with his spells.
These were both unexpected prizes. Moreover, there were not many who competed with Merlin for these two treasures. He merely spent a few hundred thousand elemental crystal stones to acquire them.
Besides these two treasures, Merlin did not bid on anything else. He had no interest in the casting tools, Runic Magic Discs, and the like. He was waiting for the final few premium auction items, particularly the Hallucinatory Heart, which Merlin was determined to get!
The auction went on for over three hours. Although it was a long time, almost all the Spell Casters were in high spirits. Every single auction item, even if it did not tempt everyone, would at least attract every single eye.
"I believe many have been waiting a long time for the following auction item. It's one of our premium items in this auction!"
The pretty and charming Seventh-level female Wizard swept her gaze across all the Spell Casters and especially paid even more attention to the Wizards in the luxury suites.
Premium items had always gone toward the distinguished guests. It was rare for average Spell Casters to be able to contend against the distinguished guests in the luxury suites in terms of financial resources.
Therefore, the auction was geared toward the distinguished guests and was beyond the abilities of most Spell Casters. It might be that the profits of a few dozen auction items could not even surpass the profits of one premium auction item.
The female Wizard did not immediately announce the name of the premium item. After giving her pitch, she clapped her hands softly. Instantly, a full-figured maidservant came forward with a crystal tray, full of mystery and opulence, in one hand.
"I believe that everyone is curious about this auction item. In fact, once the crystal tray is uncovered, everyone should be able to recognize it!"
The female Wizard took off the lid with a flourish. In that instant, a burst of soft, colorful light shone into the eyes of the watching Wizards, following which peculiar fluctuations of energy seemed to spread from the delicate, crystalline object that was lying on the tray.
"Hmm? The Hallucinatory Heart has finally appeared!"
Upon sensing the mystical fluctuations, a white-haired Spell Caster in a luxury suite reacted with elation in the eyes, his gaze fixed firmly upon the treasure on the tray.
This was one of the premium auction items of this auction, the Hallucinatory Heart which was able to purely increase Mind Power!
The Hallucinatory Heart was not a potion nor was it a divinity. Rather, it was a crystal found all over the body of a hallucinatory beast which was unique in this dimension. It was the essence of this beast. This species of the hallucinatory beast was very powerful, and the natural strength of each adult beast was frightening, comparable to a Spell Caster at the peak of the Eighth-level.
There were even some formidable hallucinatory beasts which were on par with Ninth-level Spell Casters. Not even Merlin, who obviously knew that these beasts existed, would dare to provoke them.
It was still manageable if they were only comparable to an Eighth- or Ninth-level Spell Caster. By relying on the fourth form of Darkness Eye, using the power of Maxim at most, Merlin would surely be able to slay a few of these hallucinatory beasts.
However, the difficulty was that these creatures lived in groups. There was no hallucinatory beast which lived by itself. Therefore, not even Merlin would dare to provoke these terrifying hallucinatory beasts.
He did not know how this Hallucinatory Heart was obtained.
However, no matter how it was obtained, one could tell that this was the genuine article solely based on its special fluctuations. Therefore, the numerous guests of the luxury suites were silently gathering their forces, waiting for the bidding to begin to start vying for the Hallucinatory Heart.
This Hallucinatory Heart was the first premium auction item of this auction, so it was bound to produce the fiercest contest in the auction thus far!
Upon seeing the reactions of the Spell Casters below, the lovely, charming Seventh-level female Wizard gave a faint smile. "I believe everyone knows what this is. That's right, it's a Hallucinatory Heart! As for the benefits of the Hallucinatory Heart, everyone should know it very well, so I'll save any unnecessary explanations. Bidding starts now, opening at five hundred thousand elemental crystal stones. Each bid must increase the price by at least ten thousand elemental crystal stones!"
Five hundred thousand elemental crystal stones were considered a colossal amount of wealth. None of the previous treasures managed to exceed a price of five hundred thousand.
Nonetheless, for a treasure like a Hallucinatory Heart, five hundred thousand elemental crystal stones were far too little. Still, this was merely the starting bid, for the auctioneer had the utmost confidence in the Hallucinatory Heart.
Indeed, as soon as the female Wizard spoke, it was not even a distinguished guest who spoke but a Spell Caster who sat in the common era, immediately yelled, "Eight hundred thousand elemental crystal stones!"
At that moment, the entire auction hall fell silent. It was not that eight hundred thousand elemental crystal stones were earth-shattering but that someone from the common area was competing for the premium auction item too.
The one who bid eight hundred thousand elemental crystal stones was a chubby Spell Caster who looked just like an infant. Only his pair of abstruse eyes prevented people from looking down on him.
Furthermore, based on his manner, this chubby Spell Caster seemed to have prepared additional resources to be able to bid against the distinguished guests from the luxury suites.
"Eight hundred and ten thousand elemental crystal stones!"
At last, someone from the luxury suites made a bid but it was not a high one. Still, there was a note of determination.
"Nine hundred thousand elemental crystal stones!"
"Nine hundred and ten thousand elemental crystal stones!"
Each time that chubby Spell Caster made a bid, the guest in that luxury suite increased the price by ten thousand, which sounded like they were simply playing tit-for-tat.
However, no one was under this impression because the distinguished guest sounded very resolute. This was a strategy of bidding in an auction, making one's opponent feel like there was no end to this. It was as if no matter what the price was, they would raise it by ten thousand.
This was a psychological battle and was one of the tactics used in auctions.
"One million!"
At last, that chubby Spell Caster yelled out one million. His eyes had slightly reddened by now, and one could see that one million elemental crystal stones were his limit. He was incapable of paying any more than that.
However, no matter how much that chubby Spell Caster prayed and hoped, no miracle happened.
"One million and ten thousand!"
The same faint yet steady voice came once more from the luxury suite. The chubby Spell Caster turned pale but did not shout out a higher price in the end.
"The distinguished guest in number forty-three had bid a million and ten thousand. Is there a higher bid?"
A small smile tugged at the corner of the female Wizard's mouth as if she knew how this would end up. However, a million and ten thousand were still insufficient by far. She knew that this was only the beginning, and there were many distinguished guests who still had not bid.
As expected, after she spoke, the guest in number five finally yelled a quote.
"Two million elemental crystal stones!"
When this price was quoted, the entire venue was full of sharp intakes of breath. All at once, the price had jumped up by a million elemental crystal stones. It was then that those ordinary Spell Casters truly understood the power of a distinguished guest.
The chubby Spell Caster who had made the first bid wore a deathly pale complexion. He now understood that when those distinguished guest in the suites saw him making his bids earlier, he must have thought of him as naïve and ridiculous.
"Three and a half million!"
"Four million!"
"Five million elemental crystal stones!"
…
After a series of competing bids, the guests in the luxury suite had now entered a fervent phase. The price had risen incessantly, and was now ten times more than the starting price of five hundred thousand elemental crystal stones!
"Master, are you not going to bid? I've observed earlier that the one with the highest bid is luxury suite number thirteen. It must be the Whirlwind Lord!"
Wizard Darknight whispered into Merlin's ear. He was sent by Merlin to keep watch over every movement of luxury suite number thirteen. Naturally, he would notice the bid of that suite.
"Oh, it's the Whirlwind Lord? There's no rush for it's not yet time to make our move. Based on my appraisal, this Hallucinatory Heart would fetch at least eight million elemental crystal stones, more or less!"
Merlin appeared to be brimming with confidence. He had brought enough elemental crystal stones this time and could be considered relatively wealthy amongst these distinguished guests. Moreover, he had his heart set on this Hallucinatory Heart!
"Six and a half million, calling once. Six and a half million, calling twice. Is there a higher bid? Suite number thirteen made the bid of six and a half million…"
"Seven million!"
Soon enough, an unfamiliar voice rang out, raising the price to seven million. Instantly, the face of the Whirlwind Lord in luxury suite number thirteen turned stiff as he growled softly, "There's still someone who's bidding? I recall that there are only a handful of Spell Casters who were determined to get this Hallucinatory Heart, and those old fellows had all stopped bidding. Who else is bidding?"
Quickly, the gorgeous female Wizard standing beside the Whirlwind Lord leaned in and spoke into his ear breathily, "It's luxury suite number twenty-eight!"
"Luxury suite number twenty-eight? Isn't that Tambert's suite? What, he's going against me now?"
The Whirlwind Lord gave a nasty laugh, and immediately snatched that alluring female Wizard by his side. His brutish hands, crammed with tattoos, brazenly rubbed the female Wizard's body. The female Wizard grunted softly a few times and stoically stopped struggling. Instead, she closed her eyes in pleasure. For a moment, the room was filled with a salacious, indulgent air.
"Go, make another bid. Seven million and ten thousand. If that Tambert makes another bid, it's clear that he's going against me. In that case, there's no need to bid further. I'll wipe out his Bisque City at a later date!"
The Whirlwind Lord was savage by nature and was ruthless. Knowing that it was Tambert in luxury suite number twenty-eight who was competing with him, his heart flared with a murderous spirit. He would have let it go if it was some other Eighth-level Spell Caster but as for Tambert, the Whirlwind Lord did not think much of him.
"Seven million and ten thousand!"
The Whirlwind Lord made another bid, raising the previous price by only ten thousand. This clearly indicated what his attitude was. Therefore, some Spell Casters seemed to sense that something was not right, and fell silent. Their eyes gathered upon luxury suite number twenty-eight.
Chapter 464: Vying for the Hallucinatory Heart II
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In the luxury suite, Wizard Darknight, Lady Phillie, and the rest did not speak. They held their breaths in rapt attention, and the mood was tense.
Merlin's eyes were shut lightly, but a chill still pervaded the room, causing them to tremble.
"Go and make a bid of seven million and twenty thousand!"
There was an icy edge in Merlin's voice. He was clearly meeting his opponent measure for measure, countering the Whirlwind Lord's bid. Merlin did not care whether his opponent would fly into a rage because the Whirlwind Lord was already a dead man in his eyes.
"Seven million and twenty thousand. The distinguished guest in number twenty-eight has bid seven million and twenty thousand. Is there a higher bid?"
The beautiful and charming female Wizard swept her gaze across the crowd of Spell Casters. She predicted that this was the final outcome. If the Whirlwind Lord had not made a bid of seven million and ten thousand elemental crystal stones which carried a clear sense of "threat", the Hallucinatory Heart might fetch an even higher price.
However, with the tit-for-tat conflict between the Whirlwind Lord and the guest in number twenty-eight, the price could not go any higher because no one else would bid further.
Otherwise, they would have to face the furious retaliation of the Whirlwind Lord after the auction. The Whirlwind Lord was this sort of person, where slaughtering was second nature to him. If one provoked him without having the adequate capabilities, it was akin to a death wish.
"Very well, seven million and twenty thousand. Congratulations to the distinguished guest in number twenty-eight for obtaining the Hallucinatory Heart!"
Finally, the Hallucinatory Heart was won by Merlin but many Spell Casters did not think that the guest in number twenty-right was lucky. Conversely, they shook their heads one by one.
"What a shame. Having offended the Whirlwind Lord, they're in danger!"
"Number twenty-eight – I've heard that it's the suite of Wizard Tambert of Bisque City. Tsk tsk, we're about to get a good show… Although killing is second nature to the Whirlwind Lord, his powers are too fearsome. Based on the Whirlwind Lord's past behavior, the entire Bisque City is facing misfortune now."
Most Spell Casters knew that suite number thirteen was the room of the Whirlwind Lord who was savage by nature. This time, Tambert had provoked the Whirlwind Lord, and things would surely not end well for him.
Of course, there were those who were puzzled as well. In the past, Tambert was not someone who was flashy or excessive, much less someone who would make unwise decisions. Could Tambert really contend against the Whirlwind Lord?
Within luxury suite number thirteen, the Whirlwind Lord's face was ashen. He did not bid any further and instead allowed "Tambert" to get the Hallucinatory Heart.
"Heh heh, Tambert's really bold now… Very well, I've not slaughtered an entire city for a long time. This time, I'll go to Bisque City!"
Tyrannical energy flickered all over the Whirlwind Lord, and the flirty female Wizard who was lying in his embrace frowned faintly as if she was suffering.
…
In luxury suite number twenty-eight, the maidservant of the auction carried a tray and came into the room.
"Honorable distinguished guest, here's your Hallucinatory Heart!"
"Swoosh."
Merlin's eyes fixed upon the crystal tray instantly. In one swipe of his hand, he grabbed the crystal tray from the maidservant's grasp, after which he uncovered the tray. It really was the Hallucinatory Heart, so he indicated to Lady Phillie to hand the elemental crystal stones to the maidservant.
Lady Phillie immediately retrieved a ring and said, "The seven million and twenty thousand elemental crystal stones are inside, please check and see it's correct!"
The maidservant smiled demurely. "There's no need for we have faith in our distinguished guests! However, as for the distinguished guest in number thirteen, there may be a bit of trouble. Our president has asked me to convey to you that as long as we're in this auction, no one would dare make any attacks."
Merlin discerned the implicit meaning of her words. During the auction, Wizard Dara was able to guarantee Merlin's safety because this was Wizard Dara's home turf. No one was allowed to fight during the auction, and even the Whirlwind Lord would take note of that.
After all, Wizard Dara was a powerful Wizard who could escape unscathed from the attacks of Ninth-level Glorious Wizards!
This was a kind reminder, and Merlin nodded. "Give my thanks to your president. I'll keep this in mind."
Having finished speaking, the maidservant respectfully took her leave. There were only Merlin, Darknight, Lady Phillie, and the rest in the luxury suite.
Darknight, Lady Phillie, and the rest paid no mind to that Whirlwind Lord. In their perspective, even Wizard Dara was not a big deal. Perhaps only the Glorious Wizards would rouse Merlin's serious attention.
After all, in their eyes, Merlin was a Spell Caster from beyond the heavens, a being comparable to a Great Wizard. Even if he was slightly inferior to a Great Wizard, he was on par with those Ninth-level Glorious Wizards!
Merlin was currently focusing all his attention on this Hallucinatory Heart which gleamed with vivid colors. It was mesmerizing indeed, especially in the darkness. Its beauty was breathtaking, almost making one unwilling to absorb it.
This item had a hallucinatory effect, which was one of the natural abilities of hallucinatory beasts. Even a Hallucinatory Heart which had been excavated would still carry its natural hallucinatory properties. Spell Casters who had weak Mind Power and wobbly willpower might actually become enthralled.
Nevertheless, to Merlin, this bit of hallucinatory effect was not of much use although this Hallucinatory Heart was not a Darkness-type treasure. It meant that his Darkness Heart served no purpose in this sense, and his tremendous Mind Power could still easily resist this minor hallucinatory effect.
Merlin was more focused on the peculiar fluctuations within the Hallucinatory Heart. It was these mystical fluctuations of energy which made him feel uncommonly pure as if his soul was about to be purified.
This was the wondrous power which could increase Mind Power, the core of those formidable hallucinatory beasts!
"Master, you're going to absorb the Hallucinatory Heart now?"
Darknight saw that Merlin was staring unwaveringly at the Hallucinatory Heart, and asked cautiously.
"Oh? In fact, I'm in no rush for now!"
Merlin raised his head and kept the Hallucinatory Heart. Absorbing the Hallucinatory Heart was not that simple. Although the power of the Hallucinatory Heart was very pure, and having almost no side effects, it would still take some time. Although Merlin was highly satisfied having accomplished his objective in coming to Dara City, he still wanted to see the treasures which were even more precious than a Hallucinatory Heart in this auction.
After the explosive round of competitive bidding over the Hallucinatory Heart, many Spell Casters were looking forward to the next treasure up for auction. The Hallucinatory Heart was merely the first premium auction item. Following that, there were even better, more mystical treasures!
"Creak creak."
Soon enough, a puppet that was about two meters high and incomparably sturdy slowly walked onto the podium.
This was an alchemy puppet which had a blank face as if it was controlled to walk onto the podium. Many people were mystified. Were they auctioning off this alchemy puppet?
Although this alchemy puppet looked extremely formidable, it was rare to see puppets in the auction. Furthermore, most alchemy puppets could only reach the level of Seventh-level Spell Casters. This was nearly their peak, and there were very few puppets that could break through past the Seventh-level.
Just as all the Spell Casters were steeped in puzzlement, intense Fire Elemental fluctuations flared up around the female Wizard. This was a Seventh-level spell, and the blaze further contained a trace of white light, indicating that it was merged with a Pandora Demon Ability.
With this spell combined with Pandora Demon Ability, its might would increase many times over and become frightening. The wide-ranging flames immediately engulfed the puppet, beginning to rage and burn.
After a long moment, the female Wizard withdrew the flames, allowing the audience to look. The puppet's clothes had been reduced to ashes by the flame, thus revealing the puppet's sturdy frame.
However, if one took a closer look, one would discover in surprise that the puppet's skin was sparkling and crystalline, like jade. There were no signs of scorching. If this was due to astounding regenerative properties, this would be too terrifying.
Nonetheless, the more prevalent assumption was that this puppet might be equipped with formidable defensive capabilities. To be more precise, it must have extremely high resistance against Fire-type spells.
As if she could read the thoughts of the spectating Spell Casters, the female Wizard snapped her fingers and pointed. Instantly, thick layers of ice crystals rapidly formed around the puppet's body.
"Crack crack."
The ice crystals formed unceasingly, solidifying in a pristine, white layer of ice.
"Crack."
At this moment, the puppet moved, the muscles rippling all over its body. As it shook its body fiercely, the solid ice crystals were immediately shattered, becoming flakes of ice that filled the air as they flew in all directions.
It was not that the ice crystals were not solid enough or that the Ice-type spell was too weak. It must be known that this was a Seventh-level Wizard, who was almost at the peak of her level. How could her spell be an average one?
Even so, this puppet was still able to easily escape from the binding of the ice crystals. In no time, a Spell Caster had confirmed that this was a rarely seen Eighth-level puppet!
"It's an Eighth-level puppet. Dara City had really pulled off an impressive feat. To think that they produced a puppet that exceeds the limits. It's really inconceivable!"
"This is too crazy – an Eighth-level puppet! This is an Eighth-level puppet that anyone can control. If one obtains it, isn't it equivalent to having an Eighth-level Wizard as a personal bodyguard?"
An ardent look burned in the eyes of many Spell Casters. Since it was a puppet, even if it was an Eighth-level one, it was surely no match for a Wizard at the peak of the Eighth-level in a real fight.
However, a puppet that was able to crush every Seventh-level Wizard and contend against Eighth-level Wizards was very powerful indeed. This was a puppet that had surpassed the usual limits. Even an Eighth-level Wizard would go mad for it.
The Seventh-level female Wizard looked in satisfaction at the reactions of the Spell Casters below. Nonetheless, she shifted the topic of discussion. "Fellow Wizards, I'm sorry to say that the current premium item which is up for auction is not this puppet!
"It's true that this puppet is at the Eighth-level, transfigured successfully by a noble Great Alchemist of Dara City. What we're auctioning off today is the alchemy formula for transfiguring this puppet!
"This limit-breaking alchemy formula will guarantee success in transfiguration as long as it's a Spell Caster with a relatively high mastery of alchemy! The value of this is far greater than the alchemy puppet. Therefore, the starting bid is at two million elemental crystal stones, and every subsequent bid must increase by no less than ten thousand elemental crystal stones!"
As soon as she spoke, the entire venue of the auction was dead silent. There seemed to be no one bidding as they were still digesting the earth-shattering implications of her words.
An alchemy formula which surpassed the limits of puppet transfiguration? Moreover, based on Dara City's reputation, it must be authentic if it was up for auction. The value of such an alchemy formula was almost hard to imagine.
Of course, there were also Spell Casters who had thought of a special factor. The alchemy formula would surely yield more puppets which surpassed the limits, but what if the materials for this puppet transfigurations were extremely hard to find? Would that not limit the practicality of the formula?
There was a high possibility that this was the case, which was why Dara City was willing to auction it off. However, even so, it was a priceless treasure, and countless Spell Casters would go insane for it. This was a puppet, not just an Alchemy Creature, and could be transfigured endlessly.
If one transfigured ten such Eighth-level puppets, one could even forcibly overwhelm a powerful Eighth-level Wizard. In greater numbers, not even a Wizard at the peak of the Eighth-level would be a match for them.
This limit-breaking alchemy formula was indeed worthy of being one of the premium auction items. Moreover, the competition between the distinguished guests was only just beginning…
Chapter 465: The Memory Crystal
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Eight million elemental crystal stones!"
"Eight and a half million elemental crystal stones!"
"Nine million elemental crystal stones!"
In the auction, the competing bids carried on like a perpetual wave, never-ending in the ear. However, in just a short half an hour, the price had risen to nine million elemental crystal stones.
In luxury suite number twenty-eight, Wizard Darknight's eyes were bloodshot, fixed steadily upon the puppet on the podium. This puppet which was comparable to an Eighth-level Spell Caster excited him to no end.
Nevertheless, as he observed the constantly clambering, terrifying price, Wizard Darknight could only shake his head slightly. Even though he governed Eternal Night Mountain, and was counted among the relatively wealthy, he was still far behind those distinguished guests in the luxury suites.
"Lady Phillie, how many elemental crystal stones are left from the amount that we've brought today?"
Merlin suddenly turned toward Lady Phillie and asked.
Lady Phillie began to check. After her inspection, she said in a low voice, "Wizard Merlin, this time we've prepared thirteen million elemental crystal stones. This is the highest number of elemental crystal stones which Bisque City could mobilize for now. Earlier, we had bid successfully for the Hallucinatory Heart, so now we're only left with six million elemental crystal stones!"
"We're only left with six million?"
An expression of disappointment clouded Merlin's face. He was extremely interested in the alchemy formula that could transfigure Eighth-level puppets. This was the item which he was most interested in other than the Hallucinatory Heart throughout this auction.
Nonetheless, it was a pity that he, who had bid for the Hallucinatory Heart, did not have enough financial resources to compete against the other distinguished guests.
In the end, the puppet formula was sold at nine million and eight hundred thousand elemental crystal stones, a price close to the sky-high price of ten million. Although this was an unreasonably high price, one obtained the formula in exchange. If one was able to successfully transfigure multiple Eighth-level puppets, then it would be worth more than ten million elemental crystal stones.
Two premium auction items had been profitably auctioned off at prices which Dara City was satisfied with. Dara City was even slightly taken aback at the final price of this puppet formula.
"The following item is the final item for today, and it's also the most important item in this auction!"
The charming Seventh-level female Wizard appeared solemn. The auction had sold off two premium auction items in succession. Now, this was also the final item of the auction, a treasure more precious than the Hallucinatory Heart and the Eighth-level puppet formula.
Every Spell Caster directed their gaze to the Seventh-level Wizard who was on the podium.
"Hehe, is that treasure really about to appear?"
"This time, I'm determined to get it!"
"I wonder what this final treasure really is…"
A few Spell Casters seemed to know what this final item was, bursting with eagerness to bid for it with determination. Other Spell Casters did not seem to know what this last auction item was.
Merlin narrowed his eyes slightly. This auction had broadened his horizons. The Eighth-level puppet formula had tempted him. It was because he did not have enough elemental crystal stones that he had to give up somewhat regretfully.
This final treasure was clearly more valuable than the Eighth-level formula. Merlin did not know what it was that was worthy of being the final premium item of the auction.
Therefore, he looked toward the podium in excited spirits as well.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that all of you know that the Glorious Palace had recently issued a wanted notice. Those wanted are a group who worship the wicked god. Over the past millennium, the believers of the wicked god have never truly become extinct. Each time these believers are discovered, they become the highest priority of the Glorious Palace.
"Therefore, this time, the Glorious Palace has announced a generous reward. Anyone who could wipe out this group of believers would be allowed entry into the Glorious Pavilion of the Glorious Palace and stay there for one entire day."
This news was perhaps not known to low-level Spell Casters, who were now baffled. However, the powerful Spell Casters had received news of this long ago.
Nonetheless, the believers of the wicked god seemed to be inextinguishable. Back then, Wizard Mogan had spent a century slaying the gods. Ever since then, those believers of the wicked god would emerge from time to time.
Moreover, each time they showed up, they would attract the most urgent attention of the Glorious Palace, who would always send forth their experts to wipe the believers out as soon as possible.
It was just that in the past few years, these believers of the wicked god had cropped up again and again. It was hard to slaughter all of them, so the Glorious Palace might as well send out this notice, offering some reward, prompting all the Spell Casters of this dimension to hunt down these believers of the wicked god.
"What's the Glorious Pavilion?"
Merlin lifted his head and looked toward Wizard Darknight as he asked in a low voice.
"Master, the Glorious Pavilion was personally erected by Wizard Mogan. It contains various spells and even Pandora Demon Abilities, and any Great Wizard can leave a unique imprint in the pavilion such as spells, runology, and so on. Therefore, for anyone who enters the Glorious Pavilion, not only is it a huge honor symbolically, but one may also acquire unimaginable benefits."
Wizard Darknight evidently paid closer attention to the Glorious Palace, and thus his explanation of the Glorious Pavilion was extremely detailed.
"Even Great Wizards can enter, and they may be willing to leave behind imprints and reflections. There's a huge possibility that a few Spell Casters from beyond the heavens had left some imprints in there. Perhaps there's some explanation about dimension coordinates in there!"
Countless considerations flashed across Merlin's mind instantly, especially the possibility of information regarding dimension coordinates. Besides the Spell Casters who came from the Void Zone, no one else would know about the dimensions, let alone dimension coordinates.
Merlin possessed the coordinates of the Ecuador Dimension. At the same time, Wizard Saitu had left behind the coordinates of the dimension he occupied in the Thunder Maxim.
Naturally, Merlin wanted to visit these two dimensions but did not know how to locate these coordinates. Only after obtaining the relevant information would he be able to search for the corresponding dimensions according to their coordinates.
"The Glorious Pavilion!"
Merlin secretly memorized this place. This might be his only hope to learn about dimension coordinates.
The female Wizard paused for a moment, then softly pulled off a piece of red cloth on the podium. Underneath that cloth was a transparent Memory Crystal, in which one could leave behind a memory message.
"The final auction item is this piece of Memory Crystal. As for the message it contains, hehe, I believe all of you will be interested. The message is mainly about a secret hideout used by a group of believers of the wicked god!"
"Babble."
As soon as the female Wizard spoke, the entire auction venue burst out in a talk. Countless Spell Casters were unable to locate any secret hideout of those believers.
Once one knew the hideout of those believers, it was a done deal. One could locate those believers of the wicked god, kill them, thus completing the mission set by the Glorious Palace. One would then get to enter the Glorious Pavilion for an entire day.
Staying in the Glorious Pavilion for an entire day was better than any treasure. Back then, as Wizard Dara finished a certain mission of the Glorious Palace, he was able to enter that pavilion and stay for an entire day despite being merely a Seventh-level Spell Caster.
Thereafter, in a mere five years' time, Wizard Dara became an Eighth-level Spell Caster, one who was the strongest amongst his level. He was even able to escape unscathed when faced with Ninth-level Spell Casters!
Furthermore, the fortune of entering the Glorious Pavilion did not merely belong to Wizard Dara alone. In general, each Spell Caster who entered the Glorious Pavilion had ultimately become the overlord of a group or a very formidable Wizard!
Therefore, now that the Glorious Palace had issued a mission, they had already stirred up the entire dimension, tempting countless Spell Casters with the chance to enter the Glorious Pavilion. However, this was not that easy, and only the Glorious Wizards of the Glorious Palace could enter and exit the pavilion as they wished.
Perhaps this was why the Glorious Wizards did not take on missions in general. It was merely a chance to enter the Glorious Pavilion. To those Ninth-level Glorious Wizards, this could not even be called a reward.
Such a reward was not a rarity to the Glorious Wizards but other Wizards would go crazy over it.
Now, the chance to enter the Glorious Pavilion was right before their eyes. As long as they obtained the Memory Crystal, located the whereabouts of the believers of the wicked god, and then kill them, they would be able to enter the Glorious Pavilion.
Therefore, many Spell Casters were looking at this piece of Memory Crystal with wild passion burning in their eyes.
"The opening bid of the Memory Crystal is five million elemental crystal stones. Each bid must raise the price by no less than fifty thousand elemental crystal stones!"
The Seventh-level female Wizard drew in a deep breath and finally announced the starting bid of the last auction item. As the final premium auction item of this auction, it was not disappointing indeed.
"Great, it really is a Memory Crystal!"
"According to rumors, these believers attempted to awaken a wicked god from thin air once more but this caused them to become heavily scrutinized by Wizard Mogan. They really are stupid. Even the wicked gods who were at their peak were defeated by Wizard Mogan, to say nothing of a recently awakened god."
"The believers of the wicked god are a group of lunatics who know no reason. However, this group of lunatics can be exchanged for a chance to enter the Glorious Pavilion. This is an opportunity that must not be missed."
As this involved the entry into the legendary Glorious Pavilion, even the most cool-headed Spell Caster would be incapable of remaining calm now. The first ones to bid were the distinguished guests from those luxury suites, and they had clearly come here for the Memory Crystal. They raised the price one after another until it surpassed the previous auction items by far.
Very soon, the price of the Memory Crystal had broken through the mark of ten million, and it was continuing to rise higher. Merlin could not help but shake his head. Even if he had not bid for the Hallucinatory Heart, he would have no way of competing against these distinguished guests.
In terms of riches, Merlin who had a shallow foundation still could not compete against these Spell Casters with extensive resources.
The price of the Memory Crystal had passed ten million and was soaring further toward a sky-high price. Suddenly, a frigid chill appeared all around the auction venue at an unknown time.
"The Memory Crystal is mine!"
From beyond the doors, a Spell Caster with handsome features barged in. He was dressed in a long, white Wizard robe. With a magic staff in his hand, he pointed casually toward the podium.
Instantly, the Seventh-level female Wizard was surrounded by emerging layers of dense ice, which froze her in place. Following that, the mysterious white-robed Wizard immediately lunged towards the podium.
The white-robed Wizard's target was that transparent piece of Memory Crystal!