Chapter 302: Strangulation
Unfortunately, there was no time left for Stan Watson to understand what was happening...
Scarlet flames pierced through the thick ice wall, dazzling like a rising sun. In an instant, the wall melted away, and a crimson glow burst forth. Suddenly, Stan Watson felt the ground vanish beneath his feet—a fiery hand had wrapped tightly around his neck...
Then came a crisp "crack"...
Suddenly, the whole world fell silent.
Everyone stood there in stunned silence...
The scene was simply too shocking...
The beautiful Swordmaster forgot to unleash her fifth Crescent Slash, the elite team of the Red Dragon Mercenary Company forgot to rescue their employer. Everyone just stood there, eyes filled with horror and fear...
More than a decade ago, when Stan Watson was just a boy, he was already famous in Auckland. Everyone saw him as the future of the Watson Family. At twenty-five, he became an Archmage, shocking the whole city. In recent years, he climbed the magical ranks step by step, and now, as an Eighth-Tier Archmage, he was on the verge of becoming a Title Archmage—perhaps in a year, perhaps three, but soon.
Stan Watson was like a shadow looming over Auckland’s younger generation. Everyone knew he was arrogant and proud, but no one could deny his genius and strength. Anyone who wanted to reach the pinnacle had to acknowledge Stan Watson’s presence.
Among them was even the beautiful Swordmaster.
Hannah Achilles carried the bloodline of the War God. By twenty-one, she had already defeated the renowned Swordmaster Roland. Now, as the First Vice Commander of the Red Dragon Mercenary Company, her sword rarely met an equal. Yet even Hannah had to admit, there was a significant gap between her and Stan Watson...
Earlier, Stan Watson had arrogantly declared that only a Sword Saint was qualified to worry about his safety. At that time, the beautiful Swordmaster could only feel anger—she couldn’t refute him, because it was the truth. Stan Watson had every reason to be so arrogant.
But now...
The arrogant and powerful Stan Watson was actually dead...
That pale, slender arm had pierced the thick ice wall, flames swirling around it. With just a gentle motion, Stan Watson’s neck was snapped...
Now, Stan Watson was nothing but a lifeless corpse, casually discarded by the young mage. The fire elemental form had faded, and the young mage’s magical aura was no longer violent—now restrained and gentle. He looked at the crowd with a faint smile. If not for the lingering embers at his fingertips, no one would have imagined that this seemingly harmless young mage had just strangled one of Auckland’s brightest talents, the future of the Watson Family...
"You... You killed Stan Watson!" Hannah stood there, stunned, one hand gripping her sword tightly. But the blade, angled downward, was clearly trembling...
At that moment, the beautiful Swordmaster was completely dazed, her mind racing with the consequences of Stan Watson’s death. The failed protection mission would deal a heavy blow to the Red Dragon Mercenary Company’s reputation and would surely bring the Watson Family’s wrath...
At this point, as a mercenary, Hannah’s only option should have been to rush forward and kill the murderer...
But Hannah didn’t dare...
Hannah truly didn't dare. The power displayed by that young mage was simply too terrifying, too unnatural. She had no confidence in facing such strength. Let alone killing him—just standing there, watching from afar, filled her heart with unspeakable fear.
If Hannah felt this way, there was no need to mention the other mercenary elites.
In fact, even now, they still hadn’t processed what had happened. How did a routine protection mission suddenly end in failure? Where did this young mage come from, and how could he possess such terrifying power? Wasn’t Stan Watson one of Auckland’s most brilliant young talents? How... how could he not even put up a fight, just standing there obediently as his neck was snapped? What... what was going on here?
But Leon Merlin had no interest in answering these questions.
After releasing his fire elemental form, Leon didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he slowly bent down and picked up a yellowed parchment map from the ground.
Leon remembered that this yellowed parchment map had been produced by Stan Watson earlier—it seemed quite important. But Leon’s sudden appearance had left Stan Watson no time to put it away. With Stan’s death, the map had naturally fallen to the ground.
"Hm?" As Leon picked up the parchment map and glanced at it, his heart suddenly stirred.
The map depicted the shape of the Origen Mountains. At its peak, a route marked in red traced across the summit. Leon looked closely—the route seemed to end on the far side of the Origen Mountains, near the Caucasus region...
"Looks like I killed the right person." Leon smiled, no longer studying the parchment map. He carefully rolled it up and tucked it into his pocket.
Because Leon knew that continuing to study it would only be a waste of time.
The area marked by that red route was not somewhere he could set foot in. In the future, a cataclysmic battle would erupt there, sweeping across the entire world of Northend. Countless powerful beings would perish—Title Archmages, Sword Saints, all reduced to cannon fodder. Even more than a dozen Heavenly Tier warriors would fall in that conflict.
So, Stan Watson’s death was not in vain...
To think an Eighth-Tier Archmage would try to enter that region...
"He must have been tired of living..." Leon curled his lip, no longer sparing a glance at the corpse. From a distance, he nodded to the still-shaking beautiful Swordmaster. "Don’t be nervous. I told you, I mean no harm."
Then he headed down the mountainside...
At this moment, the Red Dragon Mercenary Company still had fifty elite mercenaries, plus a War God descendant who had defeated Swordmaster Roland at twenty-one. Yet as Leon Merlin walked down the Origen Mountains, not a single person dared try to stop him—not even a breath was drawn too loudly.
It was only when Leon’s figure had nearly faded from sight...
"Wait, stop right there!" The beautiful Swordmaster suddenly seemed to regain her courage and rushed forward a few steps.
But Hannah stopped almost immediately.
At that moment, even the beautiful Swordmaster herself probably didn’t know what she truly wanted.
Should she give chase?
That would be no different from courting death. The power the other had displayed utterly eclipsed the Swordmaster’s level. She was only a Fifth-Tier Swordmaster, and even if she spent years reaching the Ninth Tier or becoming a Sword Saint, she’d still struggle against that young mage.
But...
Letting him leave just like that felt bitterly unsatisfying...
For a moment, Hannah truly didn’t know what to do.
The blonde Swordmaster stood there, utterly at a loss—wanting to pursue, yet afraid; wanting to give up, yet unwilling. Several minutes passed like this, until the young mage’s figure finally vanished into the trees. Only then did Hannah sigh softly and instruct the fifty Red Dragon Mercenary Company elites behind her: "Take Stan Watson’s body. Let’s go back..."
………………
Meanwhile, inside the Merlin Family estate...
"What a coincidence. I came here today hoping to see our little cousin, but he’s gone out. No matter—I only have two things to say to him." Ross Merlin stood casually, yet there was an undeniable aura about him. The young mage who had come with him now hid behind Ross, terrified the sinister Darkflame Orc might do something reckless again.
"What is it you want to say?"
"I’ve heard our little cousin is doing quite well in Thousand Sails City, and even owns an alchemy shop called the Gilded Rose. As it happens, I’m assembling a private mercenary company to campaign in the Koro Plane, and I’ll need plenty of alchemical gear. I’ll have someone draft a list—make sure our cousin delivers everything on it as soon as possible."
"Heh..." William Merlin immediately understood.
No wonder trouble had come knocking...
So that’s what this was all about...
By now, the wealth of the Gilded Rose was known throughout the Merlin Family. Not only did the patriarch Hofflan know, but even Ross Merlin and Oye Merlin had likely heard the news.
Clearly, Ross Merlin had heard about the Gilded Rose’s riches in Thousand Sails City, which was why he’d sent this group to stir up trouble. His plan was simple—extort some benefits from the Gilded Rose.
It was obvious enough...
First, send a group to cause trouble. When things got out of hand, Ross Merlin would step in to clean up the mess and take the opportunity to demand a batch of alchemical equipment. With both threats and promises, even if Cousin Mafa was unwilling, he’d have no choice but to comply.
Unfortunately, Ross Merlin had never actually met Cousin Mafa...
Otherwise, even if Ross Merlin had a hundred times the courage, he’d never dare try to extort him. That would be suicide...