Chapter 836: You, and You Too
Leon’s impression of Henry Morgan was quite favorable. The man was diligent, honest, and sincere. In the past few months, the Merlin Family’s situation in the Blazeforge Realm hadn’t been great, and this had dragged the Morgan Family down as well, making them frequent targets for trouble.
Yet whenever Henry Morgan delivered supplies, he was never late. Every single time, he arrived right on schedule. That left Leon with a positive impression, especially since Henry always led the team himself. Lately, he’d even brought extra fruit unique to Northend—a real treat for Leon, whose taste buds had nearly forgotten their flavor.
It’s worth noting: while the Blazeforge Realm is rich in resources, most of them are minerals. Edible goods are scarce, and the environment is anything but gentle. Most of the common grains, fruits, and vegetables from Northend simply won’t grow here. The only solution is constant resupply from the rear.
And every supply run comes at a steep price. Essential grains take up the bulk of the shipments, with vegetables and meat making up a smaller share. Fruit—while not a necessity for survival and hard to keep fresh in the Blazeforge Realm—is a hassle to transport.
Inside the Inferno Fortress, almost everyone hadn’t tasted the sweet fruits of Northend since arriving...
In good spirits, Leon would occasionally offer Henry Morgan a few pointers when they met. Henry treated these like treasures, growing ever more respectful—and instead of bringing rare gifts, he’d make sure to deliver some of Northend’s signature fruit each time. That only improved Leon’s opinion of him.
After chatting briefly with Henry Morgan, someone else came up to greet Leon.
"Good day, Archmage Leon..."
Henry Morgan, ever the tactful one, quietly walked away. Leon turned to chat with the newcomer...
Leon took out a vial of Elixir of Life and handed it to Henry Morgan.
Formal negotiations hadn’t started yet. The main purpose of this gathering was to let everyone get acquainted, get a feel for the room—so when the real talks began, things would move faster.
Without hesitation, Henry Morgan downed the Elixir of Life. Instantly, his wounds began to heal at a visible rate—scabs flaked away, flesh knit together, and even his pallor from blood loss faded to normal.
Halfway through the banquet, suddenly, an angry shout rang out.
"My gods, that Elixir of Life is incredible! Those injuries were serious, but they healed in an instant. That’s got to be the work of a Worldshaper..."
"Impossible. I’ve personally used an Elixir of Life crafted by Ras himself—it wasn’t nearly this effective. Sure, it heals wounds, but it can’t restore lost blood like that..."
Leon had been discussing the Poison Mist Valley with Councilor Weiss when the commotion interrupted him. He frowned, looked up, and immediately saw Henry Morgan lying on the ground, bloodied and bound by a vine.
Beside him stood a pale-faced man, eyes full of malice. A whip of condensed magic floated in midair, lashing Henry Morgan repeatedly.
The crowd parted, and Leon walked over slowly. He glanced at Henry Morgan, and in that instant, the Abyssal Bloodvine binding Henry withered away to ash.
A flicker of annoyance crossed Councilor Weiss’s face. The Black Tower was hosting this banquet, and all the guests were prominent figures. For someone to act like a savage here was beyond disgraceful.
Councilor Weiss noticed Leon’s frown—he didn’t look pleased either.
"Archmage, do you know that idiot?"
Leon thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I vaguely recognize him. The one standing—I’ve forgotten his name. But the one on the ground is from the family that supplies us, the Merlin Family..."
Leon stood up and walked over. Cassius Charlotte was about to lash Henry Morgan again when Leon snapped his fingers.
Snap...
"How many times did he hit you just now? How long were you bound by the Abyssal Bloodvine?"
"You! Damn you—how dare you meddle in Charlotte Family business?"
"Three times. I was bound by the Abyssal Bloodvine for a minute..."
Henry Morgan’s face was full of gratitude as he struggled to his feet, though he was pale and looked ready to collapse at any moment.
Leon took out a vial of Life Elixir and handed it to Henry Morgan.
"Drink it."
Without hesitation, Henry Morgan downed the Life Elixir. Instantly, his wounds began to heal at a visible rate—scabs flaked away, flesh knit together, and even his pallor from blood loss faded to normal.
All around, people gasped in shock.
"My gods, that Life Elixir is incredible! Those injuries were serious, but they healed in an instant. That’s got to be the work of a Worldshaper..."
"Impossible. I’ve personally used a Life Elixir crafted by Ras himself—it wasn’t nearly this effective. Sure, it heals wounds, but it can’t restore lost blood like that..."
"Ras? He’s a master alchemist, you know."
"My gods, is that young man a Worldshaper...?"
But it wasn’t over yet. As he crashed to the ground, before he could even scream again, a Hellthorn Vine, soaked in blood, burst from the earth and wrapped around him.
Barbs pierced into his flesh, greedily draining his blood. The Hellthorn Vine pulsed and writhed like a giant serpent swallowing its prey.
The Charlotte Family may be formidable, but if a young member gets roughed up, they’re unlikely to make a big fuss over it.
Cassius Charlotte glared at Leon, uncertain and wary, scanning the crowd—he had no idea who’d intervened just now.
Leon ignored Cassius Charlotte and focused on Henry Morgan.
"How many times did he hit you just now? How long were you bound by the bloodsucking vines?"
Henry Morgan hesitated—he didn’t want to cause trouble for Archmage Leon...
But seeing Leon’s slight frown, Henry Morgan answered honestly.
"Three times. I was bound by the bloodsucking vine for a minute..."
Leon nodded, then turned to Cassius Charlotte.
Cassius Charlotte glared at Leon, bursting out in anger.
"Archmage Merlin, you bastard! How dare you interfere with the Charlotte Family’s business? You’re finished..."
But in the next instant, without any sign of Leon moving, a thick, black whip appeared in front of Cassius Charlotte.
The whip struck Cassius Charlotte’s left side, completely out of nowhere.
Cassius Charlotte was stunned and immediately summoned a magical shield, but it was as fragile as paper—barely slowing the whip before it shattered.
He was sent flying into the air, screaming. Another whip, as solid as iron, appeared and slammed him in midair, sending him hurtling to the other side.
After just two or three meters, another magical whip struck him down to the ground.
Suddenly, the whole place fell silent—everyone was stunned.
Cassius Charlotte screamed—his left arm was broken, his back marked with three bloody welts, and his robes torn to shreds.
But it wasn’t over yet. As he crashed to the ground, before he could even scream again, a hellish vine, soaked in blood, burst from the earth and wrapped around him.
Barbs pierced into his flesh, greedily draining his blood. The vine pulsed and writhed like a giant serpent swallowing its prey.
"Ah... Damn it, help me..."
Cassius Charlotte screamed in terror, feeling his blood draining away and his life force fading fast.
The onlookers shuddered in horror.
No wonder he asked those questions earlier—this is brutal. It happened so fast, nobody even had time to react...
The same magical whip—the other guy’s was just a translucent illusion. But this one’s twice as thick, almost solid, and it shattered a magic shield in a single blow. That’s some serious power...
Magic shields are supposed to be instant to cast and the weakest kind, but not this weak, right?
And that vine—the other guy used an Abyssal Bloodvine, but Leon conjured a Hellthorn Vine twice as thick. In a minute, looking at Cassius’s pale, frail state, he might end up a dried corpse...
At the back of the crowd, two people rushed in. Seeing Cassius Charlotte bound by the hellish vine, one of them roared at Leon.
"You damned bastard! I order you to release Cassius immediately! You have three seconds, or you'll learn what happens when you cross the Charlotte Family!"
Leon ignored the shouting man, quietly watching the magical timer in his hand. Ten seconds had already passed...
"You damned bastard, are you deaf? Didn’t you hear me? Release Cassius now! I’ll give you a chance to break your own arm—otherwise, you’ll learn what it means to wish you were dead!
You and your whole family will face the Charlotte Family’s wrath. If you don’t release Cassius now, I won’t be so generous next time. Breaking your own arm won’t be enough to solve it!"