Chapter 545: Shaken
In the recent alliance, the Merlin Family reaped indescribable benefits, claiming nearly seventy percent of Specter Valley's territory. Some areas, especially fertile zones perfect for plant growth, were designated for cultivating medicinal herbs. As for the valley's rich mineral veins, more than a dozen were discovered, each representing unimaginable wealth. Most importantly, the resources in Specter Valley seemed inexhaustible...
Whether it was mineral veins or medicinal herbs, all were nurtured by dense magical energy. Now, the magic in Specter Valley had grown threefold. Just recently, a team of over ten master alchemists sent by the Merlin Family found rocks faintly glowing in several areas—a sign that new mineral veins were about to emerge.
This was Leon's first time wandering extensively through Specter Valley since taking full control. Before this, he simply hadn’t had the time—but now, after wrapping up a series of affairs, he finally could.
He personally orchestrated the alliance, and after eliminating the Forgefire Clan, the Merlin Family and the Black Tower divided control over Specter Valley and four additional fortresses. When it came to those four fortresses outside the agreement, the Black Tower was surprisingly generous, allowing the Merlin Family to choose two for themselves.
Only now did Leon begin to realize just how immense the benefits he’d brought to the Merlin Family with this seemingly casual move were. With the two newly acquired fortresses, the Merlin Family now controlled five in total—almost half the area of the Northeast Blazeforge Realm. In the entire Blazeforge Realm, only the Black Tower and Cloudspire Tower held more territory than the Merlin Family.
In other words, the Merlin Family, once considered merely average in the Blazeforge Realm, had now left all top-tier powers in Auckland—except for the Black Tower and Cloudspire Tower—far behind...
And all this, in just three short months...
Such changes would give the Merlin Family many advantages in future struggles within the Blazeforge Realm, inevitably snowballing their influence until it became truly formidable.
After more than two hours, Leon finished his circuit of Specter Valley and returned to the site where the demon contracts were set up. Fifty magi and the three Merlin brothers were all there, deep in meditation.
As for Hubert, the Dragonblood Orc...
Even if he wanted to meditate, it was probably impossible. That’s why Leon had given Hubert the Oakheart Codex—a legendary item that automatically accumulates magical energy without the need for meditation. Lately, Hubert seemed to be spending his days asleep, lying on an open patch of ground, basking under the scorching sun, his body shimmering with strange runes as his power subtly shifted. If not for Leon’s magitech gear, these changes would be nearly impossible to detect.
Hubert was now a bona fide peak Ninth-Level Swordmaster, one foot already in the realm of Sword Saint. Leon couldn’t help but smirk—was the Dragonblood Orc really going to break through to Sword Saint in his sleep?
Honestly, it seemed entirely possible...
Leon’s gaze shifted to William Merlin and the others. He was surprised to sense familiar magical fluctuations—these three young Merlin Family members were now bona fide peak Ninth-Level magi!
This discovery startled him somewhat. Their progress was just too fast...
As for the fifty magi, their progress wasn’t as dramatic as William Merlin and the others, but their strength was steadily rising. Most hovered between Second and Third-Level magi.
"Marfa, cousin, you’re back..." Sensing that familiar magical fluctuation, William Merlin snapped out of his meditation and immediately spotted Leon’s slightly slender figure not far away.
"Mm..."
Leon nodded, about to speak, when he suddenly remembered something and waved William Merlin over. "William, cousin, I need your help with something..."
"Huh?" William Merlin blinked in confusion, then quickly waved his hands. "No trouble at all, no trouble..."
"Here’s the thing..." Leon thought for a moment, briefly explained what needed to be done, and then pulled a thick stack of manuscript paper from his pocket, something apparently wrapped inside, handing it to William Merlin.
"This..."
William Merlin was still puzzled, unsure what Marfa, his cousin, was up to. But when he peeled back a corner of the manuscript, his expression changed dramatically. He stared at Leon in disbelief. "Marfa, cousin, this can’t be real..."
"Just be quick about it," Leon smiled faintly, not intending to explain further.
……………
At this moment, in Inferno Fortress, a meeting was underway in the council chamber. As commander, Thorne Merlin regularly summoned senior legion officers to discuss emerging issues, though the final decision always rested with him.
But today, the atmosphere was a little strange...
The senior officers attending clearly noticed that Commander Thorne Merlin seemed distracted as he listened to their reports. He was silent throughout several discussions. In fact, for the past four or five days, they’d all noticed that Thorne Merlin had been preoccupied by something.
"Alright, that’s enough for today..."
Thorne Merlin drummed his fingers heavily on the table, the dull sound echoing in the empty council chamber after the senior officers left. Alone, he let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his brow, but the gloom swirling in his mind refused to disperse.
Ever since returning from Winterrealm, a difficult decision had haunted him.
To be precise, it was all related to Marfa Merlin, that young mage...
He’d always harbored deep hostility toward this young mage. At first, he thought the decision from the Ancestral Estate was foolish—sending a twenty-something with no planar war experience to the Blazeforge Realm as one of the commanders, splitting his authority in half. What was the point?
But after everything that happened, his view of the young mage quietly began to shift.
Against all odds, the young mage united the power of the Black Tower, conquered Specter Valley, and then wiped out the Forgefire Clan, bringing immense benefits to the Merlin Family. Clearly, he wasn’t as simple as Thorne had first imagined.
Especially in the battle at the Forgefire Clan’s sacred ground—when the two great factions and their chiefs were deadlocked, the young mage erupted, killing the chieftain whose strength matched an Eighth-Level Title Magus.
Only then did Thorne truly realize just how terrifying the young mage’s potential was...
The thing was, the young mage was only a Fifth-Level magus—barely worth noticing in any Blazeforge Realm faction. Yet he was an anomaly, his true strength far surpassing his rank.
Faced with all this, Thorne Merlin truly didn’t know what to do...
Still planning to go after the young mage?
No, no, no. It's not just about whether I'm strong enough—just seeing what the young mage has shown so far makes me hesitate. There's no doubt: to the Merlin Family, the young mage is far more than just a powerhouse. He's someone who might one day reach the Sky Rank.
He really wants to have a good talk with the young mage, but the opportunity has never come...
Then, all sorts of things happened on the Winter Plane. First, they were besieged by a horde of Ice Mammoths, then ran into a Frost Dragon at level thirty-eight. If it hadn’t been for the young mage’s help, he’d probably have perished there. All this made his feelings toward the young mage incredibly complicated.
Maybe all that targeting and scheming against him before was... really out of line.
The young mage never held a grudge over any of that. On the contrary, he’s saved me twice.
He’s not someone who doesn’t understand gratitude...
But every time he thinks about it, he can’t help but recall the look of utter despair on Oye Merlin’s face after his magic core was ruined.
It leaves him torn inside, unable to let go of the grudge between himself and the young mage.
Just then, while he’s lost in his own thoughts, he doesn’t notice a figure silently appearing in the council chamber: "Lord Thorn..."
"Hmm?"
Hearing someone call his name, Thorn Merlin snaps out of his thoughts. He looks up to see William Merlin, dressed in mage’s robes, standing beside him. Thorn can’t help but frown: "You need something from me?"
"Yes..."
William Merlin’s face is all smiles, seemingly unfazed by Thorn’s cold attitude. He reaches into his pocket and pulls something out: "I’m here on behalf of Cousin Marfa. He asked me to hand this over to you..."
"Oh?"
Thorn Merlin glances at William Merlin, his expression calm but his heart full of suspicion. Why would the young mage send him something out of the blue?
His gaze falls on William’s hand—a thick stack of papers, seemingly wrapped around something. Suppressing his curiosity, he points to the table: "Just put it here."
After speaking, he sits there quietly, waiting.
"What’s wrong?" Unexpectedly, half a minute passes, and when he looks up, William Merlin is still standing there, unmoved, staring at him with a strange look. Thorn’s brow furrows, his face turning a shade darker...