Chapter 487: Only One Possibility
He was well aware that in the Northend World, as well as certain places across various planes, some regions would, for specific reasons, give rise to areas with high concentrations of magical energy—perfect for mage meditation. Back in the golden age of magic, countless mages frantically sought out such places. He still remembered that in this era, there were many meditation-friendly spots in the Northend World yet to be discovered.
Specter Valley was most likely one of these places. Due to certain causes from ages past, the magical energy here was exceptionally dense.
However, this was just Leon's speculation; he couldn't say for sure what the truth was.
The Merlin Brothers and the Dragonblood Orc soon regained their composure and obediently followed behind Leon. After all, they had witnessed a natural demi-plane before.
Upon entering the valley, Leon became more vigilant, constantly activating his Mana Harness to perceive everything within a kilometer radius. He followed an ancient, rustic path, gradually venturing deeper into the valley.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary along the way—not even magical beasts, which were rare here. The surrounding trees brimmed with vitality, towering a hundred meters tall. Other than the unusually dense magical energy in the valley, Leon truly found nothing amiss. Yet as he ventured deeper, he gradually sensed that the valley’s flanks were not as tranquil as they seemed.
For Leon, equipped with his Mana Harness, nothing escaped his notice—not even the slightest rustle. He quickly discovered that both sides of the valley were occupied by the Merlin Family and the Blazeforge Orc Tribe. Clearly, neither faction would easily relinquish this treasure—Specter Valley was simply too valuable for any major power. Whether Blazeforge Orc Shamans or human mages, anyone meditating here would see their growth accelerate dramatically.
Small-scale skirmishes often broke out between the two sides, and Leon could clearly sense the magical fluctuations. But none of that concerned him. After over ten minutes exploring the valley, he found nothing unusual—until he was about to head back, when a peculiar energy fluctuation drifted in from deeper within the valley.
Leon couldn’t help but furrow his brow.
He tried pushing his Mana Harness to its limits, attempting to analyze the strange fluctuation, but found it utterly bizarre. The Mana Harness, usually near-omnipotent, couldn’t even determine the source of the disturbance or what it actually was.
Now that was truly odd...
"Let’s go—let’s have a look inside..."
Without hesitation, Leon led the Merlin Brothers and the Dragonblood Orc deeper into Specter Valley. As they ventured further, the heart of the valley revealed itself—a vast, primordial forest, with trees over a hundred meters tall, thick trunks, and dense foliage everywhere.
There were hardly any traces of humans in this forest, which meant that neither the Merlin Family nor the Blazeforge Orc Tribe had set foot here very often.
The magical energy concentration seemed to shift in subtle ways—changes that would have been almost impossible to notice without the Mana Harness’s analysis.
In a place as unique as Specter Valley, even the Wizard’s Eye was useless. Leon could only rely on his Mana Harness, following that faint trace deeper into the valley.
"Found it!"
Soon enough, the trace grew stronger, and the magical energy felt almost tangible. After more than ten minutes, Leon finally found the source of the disturbance.
Countless runes flickered in the void, radiating a suffocating, terrifying energy. Even Leon and his companions couldn’t help but stop in their tracks, faces pale as they stared ahead.
Whatever lay ahead filled them with an overwhelming sense of danger.
"What on earth is this...?"
Under the terrifying pressure, Leon frowned and inched forward, heart pounding, drawing closer to the mass of runes. Only after confirming there was no immediate threat did he beckon William Merlin and the others to come over. It took the group three whole minutes to cover the mere ten meters.
"An alchemical array..."
At that moment, cold sweat dripped from Leon’s brow. He stared at the intricate patterns before him, uncertainty and awe mixing in his gaze. He could basically confirm it—a genuine alchemical array. Hard to imagine that a single array could exert such crushing pressure.
Even if the true form of the archdemon from the Charlotte Family descended, he wouldn’t be at such a disadvantage.
Yet here, standing beside this bizarre alchemical array, it felt like facing someone as powerful as Orren Merlin—enough to make his heart uneasy.
To be precise, this was an alchemical array unlike any he’d ever seen—its tangled patterns and dense runes were so profound that even with his experience, Leon found it almost unfathomable. If he was right, this was likely a Pinnacle Alchemical Array of True Spirit grade.
What did a Pinnacle Alchemical Array of True Spirit grade really mean...?
If word of this array got out, the entire Northend World would be in an uproar. Even in the golden age of magic, Pinnacle Alchemical Arrays of True Spirit grade were rare—almost on par with the power of a Title Archmage at their peak.
No wonder Leon felt such crushing pressure.
"How could it possibly appear here..." What truly baffled Leon was how a Pinnacle Alchemical Array of True Spirit grade had ended up in Specter Valley. As he observed more closely, he gradually realized the array had been here for quite some time. Connecting this to all the valley’s anomalies, he guessed the dense magical energy was, more likely than not, related to this array.
But...
What frustrated him was that, after over ten minutes of observation and repeatedly analyzing with the Mana Harness, he still couldn’t figure out what kind of alchemical array this was. It was simply unbelievable. Not long ago, in the illusionary Heather City, he had reread every book in the vast, decaying library there, focusing especially on alchemy.
Frankly, in this age, no one could match his breadth of knowledge.
Yet now, the array before him was so unfamiliar that, no matter how hard he wracked his brain, he couldn’t identify it.
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Now that was truly odd...
"There’s only one possibility..." Leon frowned, trusting his own judgment. The only explanation was that this type of alchemical array had never appeared in the Northend World before—otherwise, how could he possibly fail to recognize it?
Of course, this explanation made his heart race, a thrill of discovery lighting up his mind.
With a grave expression, he took out a crystal pen and dipped it in the star ink he’d prepared long ago. Yet he hesitated, thinking carefully before cautiously inscribing a single rune. Truthfully, since arriving in this era, he’d never been so careful when deciphering an alchemical array.
He’d cracked more than a few True Spirit Alchemical Arrays before—usually, he could write out the runes almost automatically. But this array was different; it was a genuine Pinnacle Alchemical Array of True Spirit grade. Even the slightest mistake could be disastrous—no one’s life is too long to waste.
Ten minutes quickly passed, sweat streaming down Leon’s brow. His mage robe was soaked and clung to his back, uncomfortable but ignored. When he finished the seventh rune, a dazzling light flared up, accompanied by a terrifying surge of power.
A thunderous boom echoed out. The Merlin Brothers and others behind Leon jumped in shock—no one expected such a sudden turn. The force was so intense, it made their hearts pound. As the violent explosion faded, the Rune Shield before Leon slowly dimmed, finally vanishing in silence.
"Whew..."
Exhaling deeply, Leon looked pale as he tossed the crystal pen aside and shook his head. Right now, tackling a Pinnacle Alchemical Array of True Spirit grade was simply too much. If he hadn’t prepared in advance, that surge of power would’ve seriously injured him.
And that was only a fraction of the array’s power—who knew how terrifying its full force would be...
Beneath Sky Rank, few could withstand it. Even Leon himself wasn’t sure he could.
"Mafa, are you alright...?"
Seeing Leon standing frozen, frowning for a good five or six minutes, William Merlin finally couldn’t help but ask with concern.
"It’s nothing..."
Leon managed a wry smile and shook his head. He’d already decided to give up for now—a Pinnacle Alchemical Array of True Spirit grade was no trivial matter. If he forced it, he’d only suffer for it. Still, he knew this bizarre array was extremely valuable. Others might not think much of an unfamiliar array.
But Leon was different...
In this era, perhaps only he understood just how extraordinary this array was. After all, it was a kind of alchemical array never seen before in the Northend World—its value was beyond words.
"Let’s go. Back to Inferno Fortress for now..."
Leon pocketed the crystal pen and ink, slowly stood up, and realized there was no point staying in Specter Valley any longer. Just finding the array was already a major clue. He beckoned, ready to lead the Merlin Brothers and the Dragonblood Orc away, when William Merlin suddenly cried out.
Just then, a fiery red figure shot out from the depths of the forest, attacking the group in a flash. William Merlin was so startled by the sudden change that he called out in alarm.
To be precise, it was a fire lizard, its whole body wreathed in flames. This magical beast was only Level 15 and common throughout the Blazeforge Realm.
Normally, with the group’s strength, they would have sensed a low-tier beast like a fire lizard in advance. But everyone’s attention had been on the array, and the disturbance from its fluctuations caused them to overlook the fire lizard’s presence.
"Heh, it’s just a fire lizard..."
William Merlin was a bit embarrassed—even his smile couldn’t hide it. After following Leon for over a year, his strength had transformed; he was now a genuine Level 5 Archmage, able to stand alongside prodigies like Ross Merlin and Leon Merlin.