Chapter 469: Startracer
Soon, Leon realized that having such a crowd blocking the entrance to the manor was making it inconvenient for the Merlin Family members to come and go. A few minutes later, he led a group straight into the Merlin Family Manor, heading directly for their quarters. The entire team—fifty Grand Mages, along with William Merlin and others—might not have been the strongest force, but their sheer numbers made for quite an imposing sight. Their arrival stirred curiosity among many, but as soon as they saw Leon at the front of the group, they scattered in fright...
Back at their quarters, the room was already packed. Leon, holding the Death Tome, began chanting an incantation. In an instant, the space distorted, and a Plane Path appeared before the crowd.
Having experienced the Bone Plane last time, the Grand Mages were no longer surprised.
Upon entering the demi-plane again, everything was still vibrant and thriving. Everywhere they looked, shade from green trees, lush grasses, and a fragrant aroma filled the air—the entire world brimming with boundless vitality.
After arriving in the demi-plane, Leon didn't speak—he simply smiled.
Yet, the Grand Mages behind him were anything but calm. In nearly every pair of eyes, there was a burning eagerness. These mages weren't clueless—they could clearly sense that the flow of magic here was nearly twenty times faster than outside.
Even after spending time in the Bone Plane, and using the power of the Black Death Rune to transform soul fire into potent magic, their first visit to the demi-plane left them speechless with shock.
All around was magic so dense it was nearly liquid—they couldn't help but be amazed. In all of Northend, there was probably nowhere else like this.
"This is where you'll be meditating for the next while..."
Standing at the front of the group, Leon took in the expressions of all the Grand Mages and said slowly, "The environment here is exceptional, as you must have noticed. I can guarantee that within a year, even the weakest among you will reach the rank of Archmage. If you work hard, you might even attain Fifth Rank..."
He had good reason for saying this. The demi-plane was constantly growing now, and its magic density was twenty times that of the outside world. In a few months, once the magic vines matured, they would draw endless magic from the void, accelerating the demi-plane's growth.
Honestly, even Leon himself wasn't sure what the demi-plane would look like in a year. But he was confident that these Grand Mages would all reach Archmage level eventually.
At this moment, all fifty Grand Mages were brimming with excitement, looking around the demi-plane. Not a single one doubted Leon's words—not even in their hearts.
When they were sent from the Merlin Family to Seaview City, their prospects were grim—their talent was abysmal, and almost none had any hope of becoming Grand Mages. But after spending time in that gloomy plane, and then in the demi-plane, every one of them achieved Grand Mage status.
All of this was thanks to the young owner of the Gilded Rose.
For people of their talent, simply reaching Grand Mage was already more than enough. Archmage? That was something they wouldn't even dare dream about.
But now, this young owner was giving them a chance to become Archmages.
If anyone else had said this, they wouldn't have believed it. Advancing from Grand Mage to Archmage in a year? Ridiculous. But coming from the young owner, they had no reason to doubt.
Besides, the speed of magic flow here proved everything. With such an advantage, a little effort was all it would take to become an Archmage.
Soon, the excited Grand Mages set up camp in an open area. They didn't bother with watchtowers or defenses—this place was like a miniature world, utterly safe, not even a single magical beast in sight. And aside from meditation, there was nothing else for them to do here.
After settling the mages, Leon didn't leave right away. He wandered the demi-plane, checking on the magic vine he'd planted himself. Nearly a month had passed, and the vine had already grown over ten meters tall, its vitality almost frightening.
Not far from where the vine grew was a small pond, shimmering with phosphorescence. It was the most magically saturated spot in the entire demi-plane. The magic vine, growing here, could draw even more power from the soil. If it grew normally, it would take three to five months to reach several dozen meters tall.
The four elemental laws—earth, water, fire, and wind—had stabilized considerably compared to a month ago.
He'd considered bringing in some magical beasts to liven up the demi-plane and give the Grand Mages a chance to gain combat experience and adapt to their power. In the Bone Plane, thanks to the Black Death Rune, they quickly became Grand Mages and had plenty of battles. But here in the demi-plane, there were none...
But in a place like this, introducing magical beasts would be hard to control—unless he used a magic-restraining enclosure...
He might not interact with the Grand Mages often, but he valued them deeply. They were a team he could trust—one that could become a formidable force in the future.
In a place like Auckland, fifty Grand Mages might not mean much to any major power. But fifty Archmages?
Across all of Auckland, aside from Cloudspire Tower and the Black Tower—the two major mage factions—few powers could boast fifty Archmages. Even among the three famed mercenary companies, the strongest, Apocalypse Mercenary Company, probably couldn't gather that many.
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Within a year, Leon would have a mercenary company composed of fifty Archmages.
And these Archmages might not be ordinary ones...
Leon personally trained these mages, giving them a set of meditation laws and arcane sigils. The meditation codex, called Stellar Rush, is made up of fourteen formulas—one of the best even in the peak era of magic. Early on, Leon had trouble choosing, simply because he had too many top-tier meditation codices at his disposal.
He possessed over a dozen meditation codices composed of fourteen formulas. In the end, he chose Stellar Rush. While not the absolute top, it had its unique strengths.
Stellar Rush's greatest advantage is its high meditation efficiency. And with the Grand Mages living in the demi-plane, where magic density is twenty times higher than outside, this codex would let them reach Archmage in less than half the usual time.
If meditation efficiency was the main reason Leon chose Stellar Rush, then the arcane sigil he selected was even more special...
The arcane sigil was called Blaze Storm, created in the early days of the Magical Golden Age. It was one of the top sigils of its time. Though not quite as powerful as the Mana Harness or Well of the Stars, Blaze Storm was perfect for this group of mages.
Back in the Magical Golden Age, most mage legions in Northend used Blaze Storm as their primary sigil. While it might not match the Arcane Ring in sheer power for solo use, in a mage army, its effect was unmatched...
Leon was certain that once all fifty Grand Mages mastered Blaze Storm and reached Archmage, their combat power would be unimaginable. Even a Title Archmage below Fifth Rank wouldn't stand a chance against them...
When Leon left the demi-plane, it was already late at night. Returning to his room, he finally remembered his Heaven-tier Alchemical Golem. In fact, before coming to Auckland, the golem had already been mostly repaired. Of course, here, 'repaired' meant that its ordinary shell was wrapped around the Heaven-tier core.
Not just Leon—even in all of Northend, there were only a handful with the wealth and skill to repair a Heaven-tier Alchemical Golem. Even a single combat system for such a golem required a fortune in Tula Mithril.
Back on the tenth floor of the Wizard's Spire, in the alchemy workshop, Leon had found a damaged Heaven-tier golem. He stripped it for every intact rare part he could find. With those, his own golem's combat power would be terrifying.
To restore its fighting strength, Leon could only rely on this rather crude method—piling on rare components. The more precious the parts, the greater the boost. In the end, his golem could sweep aside anything below Heaven-tier, but reaching true Heaven-tier would be far harder. Even Saint-level alchemists could only shake their heads at its condition.
He set up several alchemical arrays in his room to keep others from interrupting—repairing a Heaven-tier golem would take a long time.
Leon emptied his pockets, and with a clatter, poured out all the rare components he'd collected. Just these would drive any creator in Northend mad with envy. Frowning slightly, he picked up the power system and began repairs.
The work was undeniably tedious...
It wasn't until the next morning that Leon finished assembling all the rare materials onto the Heaven-tier golem. But it still wasn't enough—at least twenty percent of the parts were missing, and for those, he had to settle for ordinary materials.