Inside the Sadison estate, tranquility had been restored. The earlier chaos from the clash between the Sadison and Doret families had only affected the estate's outer perimeter, leaving its inner sections untouched.
Within the estate, everything remained intact. Many spellcasters were busily coming and going, but whenever they encountered Merlin, they immediately adopted solemn expressions, bowing respectfully. By now, within the entire Sadison estate and even the city of Doran, there was no one unaware of Merlin's presence.
Merlin soon led Emma and the others into a room. Alongside Emma were Shirin, Haya, Emily, and Tafil, whom Merlin had met on the road. These individuals looked at Merlin with curiosity. To them, Bluebird had been incredibly strong—her power was beyond their comprehension.
Yet, Merlin had defeated her, even managing to kill her. His strength far surpassed the realm of ordinary spellcasters. More astonishingly, Merlin was still officially considered a first-level spellcaster!
This realization left Shirin and the others in shock. For the first time, they understood that even a first-level spellcaster could reach such unimaginable heights of power.
"Emma, well done. The three-year promise I made was on a whim, but you truly managed to construct all three zero-level spells I gave you. In a few days, you'll return to the Dark Spirit Realm with me," Merlin said with a calm voice.
Hearing this, Emma's face lit up with excitement. Though she hadn't been a spellcaster for long, she clearly understood the vast difference between wandering spellcasters and those who belonged to a spellcasting organization.
Merlin's words were an acknowledgment of Emma as his student and a promise to bring her into the Dark Spirit Realm to become one of its spellcasters.
"Congratulations, Emma. The Dark Spirit Realm isn't a place you can enter easily," Shirin said with a touch of envy. She had been a first-level spellcaster for some time and had even attempted to join a spellcasting organization with her family's support, though she had ultimately failed.
Shirin understood just how difficult it was to enter the Dark Spirit Realm. Even powerful spellcasters from the Dark Spirit Realm couldn't directly bring outside spellcasters into the organization. Only those with a Dark Spirit Ring could qualify for membership as temporary members.
Shirin's gaze shifted to Merlin with a hint of curiosity. Merlin, sensing this, gave a slight nod before retrieving a mysterious ring from his dimensional space. It was the Dark Spirit Ring that Merlin had acquired from the late Neil Spellcaster when he first left the Dark Spirit Realm.
"This is a Dark Spirit Ring. With it, you can join the Dark Spirit Realm as a temporary member," Merlin said as he handed the ring to Emma.
With this, Shirin and Haya had no doubts that Emma would indeed join the Dark Spirit Realm.
"Emma, congratulations! Becoming a member of a spellcasting organization means that one day you might advance to a second or even third-level spellcaster—or someone even more powerful!" Emily and Tafil offered their heartfelt congratulations.
"Merlin Spellcaster, I hope you'll forgive us for troubling you earlier on the road," Shirin said softly.
Merlin waved his hand dismissively. "It was merely a small favor. Lorinka, show them around the estate. If they need anything, they can come to me."
Merlin's decision to offer assistance was primarily out of gratitude for their support in protecting Emma. Without that, he wouldn't have extended such hospitality.
"Teacher, I'll take my leave for now as well," Emma said, sensing Merlin's need for solitude. She bowed and departed the room.
Moments later, the room fell into silence.
Merlin retrieved the *Book of Vastness*. The book, though not particularly thick, bore mysterious symbols on its surface. At a glance, Merlin recognized these as runes.
Runes had their own unique system of knowledge, passed down from ancient times. Alongside alchemy, potionology, and spell construction, they were considered one of the four great disciplines of spellcasting. Mastery of any one of these fields was enough to achieve great success.
However, most spellcasters focused exclusively on constructing spell models, dedicating the majority of their time and energy to mastering spells. Ancient texts, however, suggested that the spellcasters of old regarded all four disciplines as equally important, integrating them into their practices.
Merlin, aside from his knowledge of spell construction and basic potionology, had yet to delve into runes or alchemy. Even his understanding of spell construction had largely come through hands-on experience with the Matrix.
Despite his lack of expertise in runes, Merlin understood how to use the *Book of Vastness*. By channeling his mental energy into the book, he could activate it to reveal its contents.
As Merlin infused his mental energy into the book, a soft hum resonated. A radiant white light emanated from its surface, transforming into an array of spell models that danced in midair.
These spells spanned various elements: fire, wind, earth, and even the elusive dark element. However, the dark spells were not as intricate as those Merlin had acquired from the Abyssal Fortress. The spells in the *Book of Vastness* were of moderate complexity and power, offering a solid foundation but lacking unique or extraordinary qualities.
Merlin activated the Matrix to systematically record the spells. During the Sadison family's earlier display, not all spells had been shown. Now, with access to the *Book of Vastness*, Merlin understood why.
The Sadison family had deliberately withheld certain powerful spells during their demonstration. With the book now in his possession, Merlin could access these hidden spells and add them to his repertoire.
As he reviewed the spells, Merlin's brow furrowed slightly. The *Book of Vastness* contained an impressive range of elemental spells, including some rare water-element spells. Yet, there were no light-element spells.
The *Book of Vastness* was ancient, predating many spellcasting traditions. Its lack of light-element spells suggested that such spells had vanished long ago, likely before the book's creation.
"Where there is light, there should be light elements. Constructing a light-element spell model should be straightforward. So why are there no light spells?" Merlin pondered, his thoughts drifting to the mysterious disappearance of light magic.
He recalled his encounter with Jason, the spellcaster in Blackwater City who had wielded light-element spells. This confirmed the existence of such magic, yet no trace of it could be found in mainstream spellcaster practices—or even in the ancient *Book of Vastness*.
Merlin shook his head, setting these thoughts aside. For now, his priority was completing his review of the book.
When he finished examining its contents, the white light from the book faded, leaving Merlin deep in thought. Despite his thorough search, he found no clues to the second or third volumes of the *Book of Vastness*.
"Was the Doret family's claim a fabrication, meant to rally the wandering spellcasters?" Merlin mused.
While this was a plausible explanation, Merlin couldn't shake the feeling that the volumes were somehow connected. Reluctantly, he decided to set the matter aside for the time being.
"Perhaps, like the magical tools crafted by Bell Spellcaster, the books can only be linked when they are in close proximity. If that's the case, this volume might still hold some value," Merlin murmured, resolving to investigate further when the opportunity arose.
Turning his attention to the blackened ring in his hand, Merlin refocused his thoughts. This was the ring that had belonged to Bluebird, whose two powerful elemental magics—ice and wind—had intrigued him.
"Let's see if the ring holds any secrets about her magic," Merlin said as he infused his mental energy into the ring, beginning his search.