Chapter 152: The Camp
"No need, Archmage Hogarth. You are the backbone of Cloudspire Tower. If you stay in Seaview City for too long, Lord Joey will surely come looking for me..." Leon's words were polite, even a bit flattering, but the refusal was unmistakably clear.
To be honest, if Hogarth weren't a ninth-level Archmage, Leon would really want to keep him in Seaview City.
Because Leon could already tell—this Archmage Hogarth was going out of his way to curry favor with him. As for the reason, Leon could guess a thing or two: either it was because of his own astonishing calculation skills, or it was Lord Joey's praise.
In short, if he so much as gave a hint, Archmage Hogarth would gladly stay in Seaview City and become the greatest source of strength for the Gilded Rose.
But unfortunately...
Hogarth was already a ninth-level Archmage, and that was a bit of a problem for Leon...
Hogarth was neither Faro nor William Merlin; he was only in Seaview City because he needed something from Leon. While he could provide formidable magical support, Leon could never fully trust him.
It might sound a little strange...
Leon could trust Faro, could trust William Merlin—so why couldn't he trust Hogarth?
The reason was actually quite simple: Leon didn't yet have the strength to challenge a ninth-level Archmage.
Leon had far too many secrets...
Whether it was the Prince's Tomb or the Bone Plane, either was enough to drive a Title Archmage insane. If anyone else went mad, it would be easy—just deal with them. But if Hogarth lost control, Leon didn't have the ability to take him out.
A helper you can't trust—no matter how strong—is useless in a fight.
Hogarth, on the other hand, looked genuinely disappointed after Leon turned him down...
"Well... I'll head back to Cloudspire Tower then. But Merlin, if the Watson Family dares to come again, you must tell me. Even if I can't help you directly, I can inform Lord Joey. Listen, Merlin, Lord Joey thinks very highly of you. You really should seize this opportunity..."
Before leaving, Hogarth tried one last time to persuade Leon, but finally left Seaview City full of regret.
"Absolutely, absolutely." Leon agreed readily, sending Hogarth off.
Back at the Gilded Rose, Leon immediately summoned William Merlin.
"Gather all the fifth-level mages and come with me."
"Right away!"
This time, William Merlin was truly amazed.
In just one short hour, he'd watched his masterful cousin drive a first-level Archmage out with a wave of his hand, and then get courted by a ninth-level Archmage.
An Archmage—a person who could decide a Grand Mage's fate with a flick of a finger—was nothing in front of his masterful cousin. William Merlin was stunned, and only snapped out of it when Leon gave his orders, hurrying off to gather the fifty fifth-level mages.
If, before, William Merlin had doubts about the future of those fifty fifth-level mages, now he truly believed his masterful cousin could help them reach Grand Mage level in no time.
No reason, no explanation...
But William Merlin simply believed.
Soon, Farrow arrived with six Alchemical Golems, William Merlin brought fifty fifth-level mages, and this odd team gathered at the Gilded Rose before heading to Leon's house.
The magic array activated again, space twisted once more...
Once again, Leon opened the Plane Path to the Bone Plane.
But this time, Leon wasn't alone. Behind him was a full team: two Grand Mages, six Alchemical Golems, fifty fifth-level mages. Their strength might not be much to brag about, but the sheer spectacle of their numbers was impressive...
Of course, aside from Leon, no one in the team had time to admire the show. The sudden change in environment had left everyone shaken—including William Merlin of the Merlin Family and Farrow from the Blackhorn Auction House.
Despite their prestigious backgrounds, this was the first time either had truly experienced the Plane Path...
William Merlin might have handled it a bit better. After all, a powerful kingdom like the Merlin Family surely managed at least one plane. Otherwise, they wouldn't have the resources to sustain themselves. William Merlin hadn't participated, but he'd at least heard stories from his elders...
But Faro? He hadn't even heard of such things.
And as for the rest of the fifth-level mages, there was no need to even mention them. With their level of power, they didn't have a voice in the Merlin Family—let alone access to something like the Plane Path...
The moment they stepped onto the black wasteland, cries of surprise erupted one after another, turning the group into chaos. Fortunately, after a single look from Leon, William Merlin was so startled he regained his composure, and with his usual authority, finally managed to rein in the team...
"This is the training ground I promised you." Leon finally stepped to the front of the group and began, "Your task is to protect these six Mining Golems and let them work undisturbed. It will take a while—maybe several months. But I guarantee that after a few months, even the weakest among you will reach Grand Mage level. If you work hard, you might even break through to fifth-level Grand Mage."
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With those words, the previously panicked team quickly quieted down. At first, they were skeptical, but soon, nearly every fifth-level mage's eyes burned with anticipation.
These fifty Level 5 mages—being sent by the Merlin Family all the way to Seaview City—already says a lot. To be honest, at least eighty percent of them will never have a shot at becoming an Archmage in their lifetime. If they had any real potential, the Merlin Family wouldn’t be so generous, just shipping them off to Seaview City without a second thought.
Imagine—a bunch of Level 5 mages who’d pretty much given up on ever reaching Archmage. Then suddenly, someone tells them, 'If you just work a little harder, put in a bit more effort, not only can you become an Archmage, you might even make it as a Level 5 Archmage.'
How would that feel at a moment like this?
And the person saying all this isn’t just anyone—it’s the owner of the Gilded Rose, a newly-minted Archmage who just schooled a Magus.
Suddenly, the whole team was buzzing with excitement. The Level 5 mages even forgot about the eerie surroundings and the undead creatures lurking everywhere...
Honestly? Leon’s speech was dry as dust.
No rousing encouragement, no seductive hints—just laying out the benefits and threats, plain and simple. But for these Level 5 mages, it was hope, pure and simple.
Soon, these fired-up Level 5 mages had thrown together a simple camp near the Plane Road. Not shabby—just simple, as Leon specifically demanded. After all, this camp would be the Mercury Mercenaries’ first foothold in the Bone Plane.
Inside the camp: a bonfire, a few tents, and a perimeter marked out with wooden stakes and iron wire. To the east and west, two makeshift watchtowers stood guard. No sentries, but each tower was topped with a permanent Wizard’s Eye and a fire alarm array.
The Black Death Rune hovered right at the camp’s center, rising and falling. Within a radius of several kilometers, stray soul flames drifted in, drawn to the rune, which converted them into mana to be stored in the newly-built camp.
If anyone could actually see the flow of mana...
Right now, they’d see thin streams of mana pouring out of the Black Death Rune, like a hazy mist drifting between the two watchtowers—never dispersing, never straying too far...
This is the true way to use the Black Death Rune...
With the right alchemical arrays, the Black Death Rune can ramp up the mana concentration in an area to terrifying levels. Meditating or fighting here is like drinking liquid mana for a mage.
Compared to that, boosting a magic artifact’s avatar is nothing.
Too bad Cloudspire Tower won’t figure this out for at least another thousand years...
Once the Black Death Rune activated, the Bone Plane’s first foothold sprang to life. Farrow commanded six alchemical golems to start mining the Nether Iron Vein. William Merlin led fifty Level 5 mages in skirmishes against scattered skeleton warriors. Each fallen skeleton released a wisp of soul flame, which the Black Death Rune absorbed, channeling a trickle of mana into the camp.
After double-checking that he’d missed nothing, Leon finally felt comfortable leaving the camp.
Don’t be fooled by Leon’s calm exterior—he actually valued this batch of Level 5 mages a lot. They were his first real team, and more importantly, a team he could absolutely trust. Before setting foot in the Bone Plane, they’d signed several contracts under Lord Sean’s direct supervision...
Lord Sean’s contracts were so ruthless, even Leon had trouble looking straight at them.
The details of those contracts are best left unsaid, but Leon could vouch for one thing: basically, this batch of Level 5 mages had sold their next life, and the life after that, and the one after that—to the Gilded Rose...
After Leon left the camp, not a single skeleton warrior dared block his path. For the undead, a Level 5 Archmage with their natural nemesis aura is just overwhelming. Often, even a hundred meters away, the skeletons would catch Leon’s scent and scatter in panic...