Chapter 575: Some Secrets
As a member of the Sanctuary, Archmage Felton's sudden arrival at the Horn of Plenty was itself a huge cause for suspicion. Cyrus Watson was almost certain that the Black Tower Sanctuary must also know some secrets about that ancient deity called Constantine.
That makes things rather tricky...
Cyrus Watson, though still only at the peak of Seventh Level Title Archmage, had reached that peak more than a century ago. For certain reasons, he had never managed to break through to the Eighth Level, but as the years passed, his strength continued to grow. Decades back, he had already become strong enough to contend with Eighth Level Title Archmages, maintaining an undefeated record.
But this Felton was clearly no ordinary opponent. Cyrus Watson had no idea how strong he truly was, but when facing this mage from the Black Tower Sanctuary, he felt no confidence in his ability to win.
Only after calming himself did Cyrus Watson suddenly recall that three major factions had entered the spatial rift this time. Besides the Black Tower, there was also the Merlin Family.
Still, it had to be said—the Merlin Family's turnout was rather meager. Maybe they had no idea about the secrets of the ancient deity, and thought the only thing hidden behind the spatial rift was a scepter.
Yet, even if the Merlin Family's people were weak, they still had some power. If he acted rashly and killed their commander, Matthew Merlin, it would inevitably affect the plans of the Ancestral Estate...
Doing so would only push the Merlin Family toward the Black Tower...
Felton was his greatest rival, with unfathomable strength. If the Merlin Family ended up helping him, seizing the corpse of the ancient deity would become much harder.
There was no doubt—he absolutely could not kill Matthew Merlin, at least not for now...
If possible, he might even have to cooperate with Matthew Merlin for the sake of mutual benefit...
Compared to the family's greater interests, his beloved grandson Mark's situation seemed trivial. As a key member of the council, Cyrus Watson had to prioritize the family's interests above all else. If he acted on impulse now and killed Matthew Merlin, causing the Watson Family to lose in this struggle, even he, a council member, might be held accountable.
With this thought, Cyrus Watson's anger faded somewhat. He glanced at Leon a few times, narrowed his eyes, and sneered, "Matthew Merlin, you really ought to thank Reid. If he hadn't spoken up for you, you might already be a cold corpse..."
For now, he could only suppress the urge to kill Matthew Merlin...
But as soon as he finished speaking, everyone present showed strange expressions. The most agitated was Mark Watson, who was already prepared to personally deal with the young mage. But his grandfather's words made his face change dramatically. He rubbed his head hard to make sure he hadn't misheard, his whole face turning pale: "Grandpa, how... how can you let this bastard go? Have you forgotten he not only provoked the Watson Family, but also beat me..."
"Enough!"
Cyrus Watson was already in a foul mood, and Mark Watson's resentful tone made his old face grow even darker. He scolded in a low voice, "That's enough, Mark. Your grudge with Matthew Merlin ends here—pretend it never happened..."
"But... but..." Mark Watson was pale after hearing his grandfather's words. He could hardly believe it—how could it just end here? Matthew Merlin had ruined him so thoroughly, how could it be as if nothing had happened?
This was letting Matthew Merlin off far too easily...
"No buts, Mark. Remember what I've told you..."
"Alright... I'll remember." His grandfather's warning startled Mark Watson, who nodded like a pecking chick. But clearly, the outcome left him bitterly disappointed, and he stood there dazed, lost in a fog.
He really couldn't understand how things had come to this...
Why was this damned Matthew Merlin always so lucky? It just didn't make sense...
...
Reid Watson stood awkwardly to the side. He'd been on edge the whole time, afraid Lord Cyrus would act on impulse and attack Matthew Merlin. Even after his own attempts to persuade him, Lord Cyrus seemed unwilling to listen, and looked ready to strike. At that moment, Reid had truly been scared half to death.
But what he hadn't expected was yet another twist in the situation.
It was a stroke of luck amid misfortune. As for Lord Cyrus's earlier words, Reid Watson could tell they were just an excuse. Maybe Lord Cyrus had some concerns that made him abandon the idea of attacking Matthew Merlin.
Still, this was for the best. At least it gave him a chance to tell Lord Cyrus everything he knew, when the time was right.
Heh...
Of everyone present, only Leon was truly calm. After a cold sneer, he said nothing more. If one looked closely, they might catch a hint of regret on his face.
Yes, Cyrus Watson not making a move left him feeling a bit regretful.
He could easily guess that Cyrus Watson, a powerhouse on par with Eighth Level Title Archmages, hadn't come to the Horn of Plenty just for the scepter. Like himself, he was watching Archmage Felton from the Black Tower Sanctuary very closely...
So then...
If Leon's guess was right, both Cyrus Watson and Felton knew some secrets.
And that was definitely not good news for Leon...
That was why he had deliberately provoked Cyrus Watson, hoping the old man would strike first, so he could unleash his full strength and leave Cyrus no chance...
Normally, he wouldn't dare kill a member of the Watson Family so easily. After all, the two ancestral estates had reached an agreement about searching the Flameflow Mountains for the ruins. If he caused the cooperation between the two major factions to break down, not only would the Merlin Family suffer losses, but he himself might miss out on the Spellbook of Ages.
This chapter isn't over yet ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!
But now, things were different. The corpse of the ancient deity Constantine was just as important to him—he had to get it, no matter what. That was why he wanted Cyrus Watson to make the first move, so he could take him out.
But now, for reasons unknown, Cyrus Watson had no intention of making a move, and even scolded Mark Watson...
It was simply unbelievable...
After this minor uproar, the three factions were all present—a total of ten people, all unquestionably at the Title Archmage level.
The Black Tower side had only three people, but each was a formidable force: Councilor Weiss, Councilor Suville, and Archmage Felton. As for the Watson Family, they had one extra—Seventh Level Sword Saint Anthus, ancestral parliamentarian Reid Watson, Mark's grandfather Cyrus Watson, and Third Level Title Archmage Mark Watson, who was also part of the team...
Leon, on the other hand, had only brought the Frost Dragon, the Dragonblood Orc, and his Sky Rank Golem...
At this point, the three factions had gathered to discuss the details of entering the spatial rift. But Archmage Felton from the Black Tower Sanctuary and Cyrus Watson didn't participate; finally, it was unanimously agreed to enter the rift immediately.
So, the group floated into the air, hovering above the Howling River. Suddenly, a wave of scorching heat swept toward them. Soon, they reached the middle of the river and saw the area where the flames were held at bay. Anthus and Reid Watson, leading the way, confirmed it was safe and descended first...
But what followed was a scream.
"Damn it... What the hell is this!"
The area sealed off by magic suddenly changed as Anthus and Reid Watson landed. Countless flames erupted, breaking through the spells around the rift, and in an instant, the searing fire engulfed Anthus and Reid Watson completely.
If it were just this, two Seventh Level powerhouses shouldn't have lost their composure. The flames in the Howling River are different from ordinary fire, but they can't really harm experts of their caliber.
In fact, what really caught their attention were the elemental creatures gliding through the Howling River like giant snakes—these were the Flame Serpents, unique elementals born of the river. They live only in the Howling River, and will die immediately if they leave it.
"Damn it, why are there so many..." Anthus, wrapped in a shield of battle aura, turned pale at the sight of hundreds of Flame Serpents swimming toward them.
He'd heard of these unique elementals before, but this was his first time seeing them. Each Flame Serpent was four or five meters long, suffused with poisonous fire, and their aura matched the Howling River itself. That was why they hadn't noticed the Flame Serpents earlier.
It seemed a whole swarm of Flame Serpents had been drawn by the spatial rift, hiding all around and waiting for Anthus and Reid Watson to land. The moment they did, the Flame Serpents shattered the barrier spells completely.
And so, the earlier scene unfolded...
"These damned elementals..." Reid Watson's face was dark as he cursed under his breath, truly worried now.
Elementals like the Flame Serpents living in the Howling River are terrifyingly powerful. Even a Fifth Level Title Archmage would struggle to survive against a whole swarm...
If there were only a dozen or twenty, Anthus and Reid Watson could handle them easily...