Chapter 357: Petty Schemes
But once the true fusion is complete, Lord Shaun’s combat strength will absolutely skyrocket.
If two Essence Relics merge into one and there’s no boost in power, then what’s the point of having any rules at all?
Besides, this is the Eye of the Evil Dragon—a true Essence Relic forged from the eyeball of an Abyssal Evil Dragon...
Legend has it that back in the Golden Age, the Abyssal Evil Dragons were the most loyal servants of the Primordial Deities. Born with boundless might, they could rival the Five-Colored Dragons. Only after the fall of the Primordial Deities did the Abyssal Evil Dragons descend into the Abyss...
Anyone with even a passing understanding of the Abyss knows that the Abyssal Evil Dragon is like an overlord there. They don’t have fixed lairs—just wander from one abyssal world to another. But the moment an Abyssal Evil Dragon enters a particular abyssal world, even if there’s a Grand Overlord in residence, everyone immediately treats it as a crisis...
Any single Abyssal Evil Dragon possesses enough power to face a Grand Overlord head-on.
The strongest of the Abyssal Evil Dragons even surpass the Sky Rank!
Even their corpses, left behind after death, contain unimaginable power. Just look at Mercury Tower—for the sake of an Abyssal Evil Dragon’s corpse, they even scrapped an entire plane conquest. That campaign took Mercury Tower centuries to plan, cost them untold effort and resources, and now, just for a single dragon corpse, they threw it all out the window. That alone should tell you how terrifyingly valuable an Abyssal Evil Dragon’s corpse really is.
To Mercury Tower, this corpse of the Abyssal Evil Dragon is worth more than the entire Sungold Plane.
Just think about it—that’s how jaw-dropping this is...
Even if the only part made into a magical relic is just an Abyssal Evil Dragon’s eyeball, it’s no joke. Legend says that when both eyes of an Abyssal Evil Dragon open, disaster inevitably follows.
That’s why the Abyssal Evil Dragon’s eyes are also called the Eyes of Catastrophe.
Now, the one Lord Shaun is merging with is exactly one of those Eyes of Catastrophe. The power inside it is simply unimaginable. Once Lord Shaun completes the fusion, even the entire Soulwalker might undergo a transformation.
Of course, a change like that won’t happen overnight...
So Leon wasn’t in any rush. He just smiled, tucked the Meditation Codex hand-copied by Herman into his pocket, and after that, crouched down to pour a bottle of Holy Elixir into Herman’s mouth.
Several minutes passed before Herman finally came around...
But even as the color returned to Herman’s face, he had no intention of opening his eyes. He just kept lying there, perfectly still...
"Heh..." Of course Leon knew that this Title Archmage was just playing dead. "Lord Herman, what you drank just now was a Holy Elixir. Even if every bone in your body was shattered, one bottle would have you good as new. If you don’t believe me, I’d be happy to demonstrate..."
...Only then did Herman sheepishly open his eyes and slowly drag himself upright.
"Take a seat, Lord Herman." Leon didn’t press the issue, just pulled up a chair by the alchemy bench and gestured for Herman to join him.
"Alright..." Even after downing a Holy Elixir, Herman’s wounds were fully healed, but whether from blood loss or nerves, his face was still pale as a ghost. When he looked at Leon, terror flickered deep in his eyes...
That last hour had been pure hell for Herman—endless agony, worse than any torture known to man. Just thinking about it made him shudder...
The terrifying Spectral Wolf had vanished, but Herman hadn’t forgotten that this young mage before him could summon that demon at will...
Compared to before, Herman’s attitude had done a complete one-eighty. He stood, pale-faced before Leon, not even daring to sit: "Is there... is there anything you need from me?"
"I’m just curious—why did you attack me?" Leon smiled, not making things difficult for Herman, just settling in like it was a casual chat.
"I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it was just a misunderstanding..." Herman bowed repeatedly, apologizing like a nervous bird. "I heard someone say you were a Battlemage when I came in. You know, the Black Tower and Battlemages have hated each other for centuries, so I acted on impulse..."
"Really..." Leon looked at Herman with a half-smile, not exposing the lie, just idly twisting the Wraithwalker ring on his right hand. "Seems you’re awfully reluctant to let go of Lord Shaun. Want me to bring him out for another chat?"
"No!" That tiny gesture was enough to make Herman look like he’d seen a ghost. He yelped, his face twisted in terror: "No!"
"Lord Herman, we’re not children. Do you really think saying that means anything? Are you insulting my intelligence or your own? Battlemages and regular mages channel mana in completely different ways. Even I, a mere Archmage, can spot the difference. How could someone of your rank make such a rookie mistake?"
"I..." Herman was momentarily speechless.
"Alright, Lord Herman, let’s be honest with each other. I’m just trying to satisfy my curiosity, and I promise I won’t breathe a word of this to anyone afterward..." Leon said with a smile, but then his face darkened. "But I’ll be clear: I’m not a patient man. If you really think you can fool me, go ahead and try. Next time, though, I won’t be so nice. If I catch you lying, I’ll let Lord Shaun do the talking. I’m sure you remember what soul-rending agony feels like, don’t you?"
"Oh, and by the way, I’m a pretty decent alchemist. Because I’m a coward, I always carry a bunch of potions with me. That Holy Elixir you just had—worked pretty well, didn’t it? I’ve still got seven more in my pocket. When Lord Shaun talks to you, I can make you drink them one by one. Guaranteed, you won’t die before the conversation’s over..."
The other’s voice was soft, not particularly fast, and his face even wore a gentle smile—but the words made Herman’s skin crawl...
No one understood the pain of soul-rending better than Herman. It was no exaggeration to say it was worse than any torture on earth. If he had a choice, Herman would rather die than go through it again...
But now, the young mage had clearly seen through him. Seven bottles of Holy Elixir—normally a godsend, but right now, it just meant he’d lost even the right to die...
"I... I’ll talk..." Overwhelmed by terror, Herman finally broke down and spilled the truth before Leon could even ask.
Actually, when Sylas West stepped in, Herman had already guessed that this young mage, who looked to be about twenty, probably wasn’t some barbarian from the Caucasus. After all, Sylas was a newly minted Archmage, a big name in Auckland—he wouldn’t bother lying over something so trivial.
Besides...
Mercury Tower and the Caucasus have never had much contact. Sylas West isn’t the type to stick his neck out for a Battlemage.
But so what if he’d guessed?
Herman’s real goal had nothing to do with this young mage—what he wanted was the new Sungold Plane coordinates...
Back when news of the Abyssal Evil Dragon’s corpse first leaked, the Black Tower fished in troubled waters and snatched an eyeball. Both factions knew what was going on. To prevent it from happening again, Mercury Tower paid a steep price to forcibly shift the Sungold Plane’s coordinates, hiding it once more among the endless planes...
That didn’t really matter to the Black Tower...
After all, they’d already made their move once. Now that Mercury Tower had doubled down on security, unless the Black Tower was ready to go to war, even finding the new Sungold Plane coordinates would be pointless.
But for Herman, it was a different story...
Because Herman knew a secret...
Herman knew that if he got his hands on a second Abyssal Evil Dragon’s eyeball, the Eye of the Evil Dragon he held would truly become an Eye of Catastrophe—a genuine Essence Relic, ranking among the top tier of magical artifacts.
The temptation was just too great...
A top-tier Essence Relic meant power approaching the Sky Rank—how could Herman possibly stay indifferent?
The problem was, with the Sungold Plane’s coordinates shifted, and the Black Tower unwilling to go to war with Mercury Tower, there was no way Herman alone could get his hands on a second Abyssal Evil Dragon eyeball...
That’s why, ever since returning from the Sungold Plane, Herman kept provoking Mercury Tower—not because he was reckless, but because he wanted to stoke conflict between the two powers.
But Mercury Tower’s restraint and patience left Herman with nowhere to strike...
Until today...
Today, Leon was mistaken for a Battlemage—and that was just the reminder Herman needed.
That’s right...
Nothing provokes the Black Tower’s hatred more than a Battlemage...