Chapter 437: You Will Surely Die
At that thought, a grim smile flickered across Solan Monty's lips, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. By now, he was almost certain: the old Merlin Ancestral Manor in Seaview City must hide a passage to another plane—a plane so rich and bountiful that there's no other way Matthew Merlin could have gone from a mere ninth-level magic apprentice a year ago to this level of achievement.
And those two Essence Relics of his? No doubt they came from that mysterious plane as well.
As for Matthew Merlin, Solan had at least a thousand reasons he needed him dead. If he could seize both Essence Relics and claim that bountiful plane for himself, not to mention the Merlin Ancestral Manor, even the Sevenfold Council would be within reach—hell, maybe even Sky Rank.
Just then, a trace of dragon's aura leaked from Solan Monty, and in the next instant, he unleashed his Dragonbreath. The terrifying force flooded the entire hall, surging straight for Matthew Merlin.
He'd kept just two meters between himself and Matthew Merlin on purpose. At such close range, Matthew wouldn't even have time to react before the Azure Dragon's breath pulverized him.
Even a Sword Saint with an iron body wouldn't survive this...
Besides, Matthew Merlin was just a mage—if not for those Essence Relics, he never would've beaten Solan before. His actual power was pathetically weak...
The moment the Dragonbreath erupted, Solan Monty knew Matthew Merlin was done for. Everything Matthew owned in Seaview City would soon be his.
At that moment, Solan Monty saw the young mage's black robe flutter violently under the impact. In the next second, he was sure—the robe, along with Matthew Merlin himself, would be wiped from the Northend World.
"Th-this... how is this possible!" Solan Monty stammered, watching as Matthew Merlin slipped into the Semi-Plane at the very instant the dragon's breath struck—not by some bizarre trick, but by exploiting his unique connection to that world.
His face, twisted with excitement, suddenly froze—as if he'd seen a ghost. Eyes bulged, staring at the impossible scene before him.
Just now, he'd clearly seen the dragon's breath reach the young mage. At that moment, the mage seemed oblivious, standing motionless without casting any defensive spell. Yet, as the dragonfire was about to strike, something impossible happened—the mage's figure blurred, then vanished entirely. When the dragon's breath dissipated, the mage reappeared in the same spot...
Damn it!
Seriously, what the hell is going on... Nearly all the mana stored in two Alchemy Mana Cores was drained just to slip into the Semi-Plane in an instant. If this keeps up, I'll run dry before the fight's even begun.
Right now, Solan Monty wanted nothing more than to rush over and ask, "Matthew Merlin, are you possessed by a demon? How else could you pull off something this freakish? It's downright unscientific..."
He was so frustrated he could've slammed his head into a wall. He'd shown his trump card, plotting for ages against the young mage, only to watch him shrug it off—not even a scratch, not a tear in that magic robe...
And yet...
Just then, a massive black hand materialized above Solan Monty's head. With a thunderous crash, it slammed down hard...
It was Earthshatter Grasp, a fifth-tier spell.
The moment the black hand descended, Solan Monty hadn't even reacted before it smashed him into the ground. His face turned deathly pale—half his dozen solidified protective spells shattered at once. If not for those spells, he'd have been crippled right there.
"Councilor Solan, apologies. You've violated the spirit of the mage's contract. Our cooperation ends here..."
Leon Merlin's face was grim, his killing intent laid bare. As he spoke, he swept the Doombringer Staff in his hand, unleashing three blazing, instant-cast Cataclysm Fireballs—their fiery tails streaking toward Solan Monty.
He'd made up his mind to kill.
Back on the eleventh floor of the Wizard's Spire, Leon Merlin had only teamed up with Solan Monty out of sheer necessity. If Solan hadn't had the power of a fifth-tier Title Archmage, he would've been dead long ago.
If it had just been petty tricks, maybe Leon could've tolerated them.
But what just happened had clearly pushed him past his breaking point... Solan Monty reacted instantly—seven ice walls erupted in front of him, and he cast Haste to retreat, desperate to dodge the incoming Cataclysm Fireballs.
Truth be told, the moment Solan Monty emerged from the Illusory Trial and closed in, Leon Merlin had been on guard. He pushed his Mana Harness to full power, monitoring Solan's every move. When the dragon's aura appeared, the Mana Harness instantly analyzed it: that was the aura of an Azure Dragon, a being whose power surpassed Sky Rank.
Surpassing Sky Rank...
Leon Merlin broke out in a cold sweat. Entities above Sky Rank weren't just scary—their every gesture could destroy worlds. But how could Solan Monty possess the aura of an Azure Dragon beyond Sky Rank? In that instant, Leon remembered the Illusory Trial...
Yes, it had to be the Illusory Trial...
Everyone who entered the Illusory Trial gained something, but when Solan Monty emerged, his magical aura was still at the fifth-tier Title Magus level—no different from before.
Now it was clear: what Solan Monty got in the Illusory Trial wasn’t a boost in strength like the others, but something else entirely.
It wasn’t until Solan Monty unleashed the dragon’s breath that Leon understood—Solan had acquired a dragon’s breath in the Illusory Trial, and the owner of that breath was a dragon whose power surpassed Sky Rank!
A dragon's breath from a being beyond Sky Rank—how terrifying was that?
Even if unconscious or asleep, such a dragon’s breath could easily kill a Title Magus-level powerhouse.
After all, entities beyond Sky Rank have power that nearly rivals the Primordial Deities...
Just two meters apart, Solan Monty released the dragon’s breath without warning. Even if Leon had noticed something was off and cast a series of defensive spells, it wouldn’t have helped...
But Solan Monty could never have guessed that Leon possessed a Natural Semi-Plane, which had birthed the Four Elemental Laws. During those four days, Leon had constantly activated his Mana Harness to analyze the Four Elemental Laws, and in the end, he established a link with the Natural Semi-Plane...
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