Chapter 549: Opportunity
It was a force that could make every major power in Auckland tremble. Centuries ago, eight or nine out of ten factions had suffered losses at the hands of this tribe—especially the Watson Family. Of the four fortresses they controlled, two were closest to the Horn of Plenty. Almost every year, countless strong warriors perished defending those strongholds. But those two fortresses were hard-won by the Watsons—practically their foundation. They couldn't bear to give them up.
"I'm glad you know..." The young genius from the Watson Family, fresh from the ancestral lands, let a flash of surprise cross his face before it faded to calm. "The cooperation our Watson Family is proposing this time is directly related to the Horn of Plenty. To be precise, we're planning to attack the Horn of Plenty..."
At this point, Mark Watson deliberately paused, a playful smile flickering at the corner of his mouth. The sheer abundance of the Horn of Plenty was enough for any faction to rise to power. The information he'd just revealed should be enough to utterly shock the young mage before him, right? Even Mark himself—a Title Archmage—had been stunned when he first heard the news from the family head.
When he turned his head, Mark Watson suddenly realized that Matthew Merlin was still perfectly calm.
How was that possible?
"Matthew Merlin, can you answer honestly—do you really know the value of the Horn of Plenty?" Mark Watson was visibly annoyed, shooting Matthew Merlin a fierce glare.
Normally, anyone who heard this news would be shocked. This was the Horn of Plenty—every faction coveted its resources. Even giants like the Black Tower and Cloudspire Tower weren't immune. But Matthew Merlin was just a sixth-tier Archmage; what reason did he have to remain so calm?
The only explanation was that Matthew Merlin had no idea what the Horn of Plenty really meant...
At that thought, Mark Watson's face twisted into a cold smirk, his gaze at Matthew Merlin full of mockery. "Looks like I'll have to waste my breath explaining things to someone who pretends to understand. The Horn of Plenty is the richest resource site closest to the end of the Howling River—its abundance is beyond your imagination. It's the most fertile place in the entire Blazeforge Realm. Well, that's about all I can say for now, but as a commander, you really ought to know these things..."
Sure enough...
No sooner had Mark Watson finished speaking than he saw Matthew Merlin’s expression completely change—just as Mark himself had when he first heard the news from the family head.
"It's actually that place..."
At that moment, Matthew Merlin had no time to care about Mark Watson's mockery. Thanks to the reminder, he'd suddenly recalled a key bit of information—the end of the Howling River...
To be precise, it was an incomplete phrase. Back at the Merlin Family Manor, after repairing the Sky Rank Golem, Matthew Merlin had once uttered, "The end of the Howling River..."
That crucial detail was what made Matthew Merlin’s expression change—he could no longer remain calm.
A year before his death, the Long-Legged Emperor of the Third Dynasty had secretly led a host of court mages to the Blazeforge Realm. Matthew Merlin suspected that his target was very likely the Howling River.
Two figures from different eras had left clues—all pointing to the Howling River. Matthew Merlin couldn’t help but pay serious attention to this ancient flow, steeped in history.
One of the reasons Matthew Merlin came to the Blazeforge Realm this time was the Howling River. Before leaving, he'd already decided—if the opportunity arose, he had to explore it. That place might hold unexpected rewards...
But Matthew Merlin still hadn't figured out how to get close to the end of the Howling River...
For Auckland’s top factions, approaching the Howling River always meant sneaking around. If the Blazeforge Orcs caught them, war would erupt instantly—especially near the river's end.
For centuries, no human had ever set foot at the end of the Howling River...
It's far more than just a river of fire...
The history of the Howling River was nearly impossible to trace. Legend had it that this fiery river existed since the very birth of the Blazeforge Realm—born from its primal source.
And for the Blazeforge Orcs, this fiery river meant everything.
No exaggeration—it was the mother river of the Blazeforge Orcs...
Through endless ages, every civilization born of the Blazeforge Orc race was intimately tied to the Howling River. If you looked closely, you'd see that all Thirteen Tribes of Blazeforge Orcs were distributed along its length. And the tribe living at the river’s end had always been the strongest of the Thirteen Tribes.
Both banks of the Howling River were rich in herbs and mineral veins, which made Auckland’s powers green with envy. But the Thirteen Tribes guarded the river fiercely. If they spotted humans approaching, they’d launch a brutal counterattack—so Auckland’s factions could only wait for a chance to sneak closer.
But reaching the end of the Howling River was nearly impossible—the strongest tribe among the Blazeforge Orcs, the Fireblade Tribe, would unleash a frenzied counterattack.
The Fireblade Tribe’s deterrent power was no joke—they were the strongest of all.
Now, with the Watson Family proposing that the Merlin Family join them in attacking the Horn of Plenty, Matthew Merlin had to admit—he was tempted...
But seizing the Horn of Plenty was anything but easy...
Matthew Merlin didn’t believe that even the combined strength of the Merlin and Watson Families could defeat the Fireblade Tribe.
At that thought, Matthew Merlin gradually calmed down. He glanced at Mark Watson, and after a moment of consideration, decided to voice his question: "Um, I’d like to ask..."
"Why so many questions..." Mark Watson snapped, cutting Matthew Merlin off without hesitation, clearly growing impatient.
Damn it, what do you take a Title Archmage for—a tour guide?
Fine, I’ll put up with it...
"Go ahead, ask. If I know the answer, I’ll try to tell you..." He had no choice but to put up with it—after all, Matthew Merlin was the Merlin Family’s commander, and if this partnership was going to happen, he had to get his approval.
"Lord Mark, I doubt your Watson Family would attack the Horn of Plenty for no reason, right?" Matthew Merlin frowned, struggling to keep his composure. He couldn’t figure out why the Watsons would send this oddball to negotiate with the Merlin Family.
It made no sense...
Was this guy really here to seal the deal, or was he some mole planted by another faction to sabotage the Watsons from within?
"Even if you didn’t ask, I’d explain later anyway. Matthew Merlin, you really are a bit too impatient..."
This time, Matthew Merlin couldn’t even be bothered to react...
This guy really was testing Matthew Merlin’s patience to the limit...
"Actually, half a month ago, our Watson Family noticed that the Fireblade Tribe’s garrison at the Horn of Plenty had shrunk to about a third its usual size. At first, we thought it was a coincidence, but for the next two weeks, their numbers stayed the same. So we suspect something happened within the Fireblade Tribe, forcing them to pull troops from the Horn of Plenty..." Mark Watson’s face grew serious as he glanced at Matthew Merlin. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we seize it and defeat the remaining third of the tribe, we can temporarily control the Horn of Plenty. While the Fireblade Tribe is preoccupied with their internal troubles, we can shore up our defenses around the Horn of Plenty. Given enough time, even if they send reinforcements, we’ll be ready to hold our ground..."
"So that’s it..." Matthew Merlin nodded thoughtfully. It really was a rare chance—the Horn of Plenty’s terrain was rugged, and if the two factions could hold it for a while and build fortifications, even another attack by the Fireblade Tribe would probably fail.
"Alright, you know most of what you need now. Matthew Merlin, you should be able to figure this out—your Merlin Family stands to gain a huge advantage here. The Watsons are really looking out for you, understand?" The young genius of the Watson Family blushed slightly but quickly covered it up. "If the Merlin Family agrees to this partnership and we take the Horn of Plenty, you’ll get twenty percent of the land. That’s a generous offer, right? As commander, you should think about this from your family’s perspective. Take your time—patience isn’t a problem for me..."
In truth, things weren’t exactly as Mark Watson described...
What kind of place was the Horn of Plenty?
It was the richest resource hub in the entire Blazeforge Realm. For centuries, every major Auckland faction had coveted this region—even the Black Tower and Cloudspire Tower, two great mage powers, sent armies to seize it. But without exception, all failed.
Now, the Fireblade Tribe’s garrison at the Horn of Plenty had shrunk to just a third of its original size, and this had gone on for half a month...
This suggested that something had happened within the Fireblade Tribe, forcing them to neglect the Horn of Plenty’s defenses for now.
That was a temptation no faction could resist.
The Watson Family was no exception...