Chapter 552: Consider It
"I think there's no need for your Merlin Family to even consider cooperating with the Watson Family—just reject it outright..." As Weiss was spitting and rambling on, he suddenly realized he was interfering in the Merlin Family's internal affairs...
Thinking of this, Weiss paled and hurried to explain: "Mage Merlin, please don't misunderstand. What I mean is, if the Merlin Family needs to choose a partner, our Black Tower is obviously much stronger than the Watson Family..."
At this, Weiss stopped, his expression calm as he looked at the young mage...
His meaning was already quite clear...
He was representing the Black Tower, inviting Matthew Merlin—or rather, the Merlin Family—to cooperate.
This partnership would benefit both sides. Just the wealth of the Horn of Plenty alone could drive every major power in Auckland mad—it was irresistibly attractive.
But the Black Tower clearly had bigger ambitions—even wanting to challenge the strongest of the thirteen tribes, the Fireblade Tribe...
It might seem a bit crazy, but Weiss knew that if the Black Tower wanted to rise, they had to seize this opportunity—no matter the risk.
Yet after waiting for a full thirty seconds, Weiss realized the young mage remained perfectly calm, not at all like someone weighing a decision. This made Weiss furrow his brow and say, "Mage Merlin, working with the Watson Family really doesn't mean much—they're just too weak to compare with the Black Tower. Besides, the support the Black Tower can offer is something they'll never be able to match..."
At this moment, Weiss could no longer keep his composure, his face full of nervousness.
What concerned him wasn't the Merlin Family, but the young mage before him...
In his view, perhaps all the military strength the Merlin Family had in the Blazeforge Realm couldn't compare to the value of this young mage alone...
He believed he understood the young mage well. Ever since their meeting in the Turin Mountains, up to today—almost half a year—the young mage's actions had repeatedly shocked him. Especially half a month ago, in the Forgefire Clan's sacred ground, during the battle with the chieftain, it was the young mage who turned the tide and ultimately killed the chieftain.
If the Black Tower decided to go after the Fireblade Tribe, then the young mage's high-level combat power would be crucial. Not to mention his endless supply of Essence Relics—his own strength was formidable, and he had two summoned undead creatures.
Wait a minute...
At this moment, Weiss suddenly remembered the silver-white figure standing in the corner when he first entered the reception room—the aura she gave off seemed rather strange...
He hadn't had time to think about it then, focusing all his attention on how to ask the young mage for the totem, and then there was the little interlude with Mark Watson. Only now did he have time to consider these things.
It was her...
Soon, Weiss found that silver-white figure—it was a strikingly beautiful young woman, dressed all in white, with silver hair and silver eyes that radiated a cold aura. She looked just like an ice elf.
But just then...
The young woman seemed to sense something and met Weiss's gaze. Those silver eyes were indescribably enchanting...
In an instant, Weiss's face changed dramatically, as if he had been startled—his face turned pale, and he gasped for breath. Just now, he was sure the being meeting his gaze wasn't human, but more like a dragon.
Right, that aura...
Thinking about it, he tried to sense that aura—it felt heavy and cold. Only now did he dare confirm that the young woman was indeed a dragon, a Frost Dragon who wielded the power of ice.
Actually, he really wanted to use True Sight...
But he didn't dare...
He really didn't dare to do that...
Because the Frost Dragon's power could easily crush him. Everyone knew that when a dragon took human form, their strength was suppressed. Yet even in this form, the Frost Dragon's aura matched his own—both were at the peak of the sixth-level Title Archmage.
But in her true form?
That would be truly terrifying...
At this moment, Weiss couldn't help but give Leon a deep look. It was simply unbelievable—how could such a powerful Frost Dragon be following the young mage?
Although it was hard to believe, he had to admit it was true...
It seemed even more necessary to win over the young mage and get him to join the operation to seize the Horn of Plenty. Weiss frowned and said, "Mage Merlin, as long as you agree to cooperate with the Black Tower, I think I can persuade Lord Heron to give the Merlin Family a larger share of the spoils..."
After saying this, Weiss waited quietly. He felt that, with such a promise, the young mage had no reason to refuse...
But...
Heh, Councilor Weiss, I'm sorry, but I still need to think it over..." Leon stared at Weiss for a full thirty seconds before rubbing his nose and smiling, "However, as the Merlin Family's Planar Legion Commander, I can promise you this: if the Merlin Family decides to compete for the Horn of Plenty, we'll definitely cooperate with the Black Tower."
Well... very well.
Weiss looked disappointed. He knew that with the young mage's clear stance, there was little room for negotiation. Still, the young mage's last words offered some comfort: "What a pity... Anyway, I hope we can cooperate with the Merlin Family again."
I'm looking forward to it too...
For the next half hour, Leon and Weiss chatted about trivial matters. In the end, the disappointed Black Tower councilor left Inferno Fortress with the totem.
As night fell, Thorne Merlin returned from Frostfire Fortress with Uriel Merlin, Edgar Merlin, and other legion leaders. Upon seeing Leon, the battle-hardened commander sincerely expressed his gratitude, then immediately departed with the Alchemical Mana Core for the Merlin Family.
Notably, before leaving, Thorne Merlin handed command of the Planar Legion over to Leon.
Leon had no time for these trivial matters. Early the next morning, he summoned Edgar Merlin, Uriel Merlin, and four other legion leaders for a brief meeting, assigning them responsibility for the daily affairs of all five fortresses—including Inferno Fortress. With everything arranged, Leon immersed himself in the alchemy lab, leaving Reina to guard the door.
Now that the Dragon Rearing Array was complete, Leon had obtained five Five-Colored Dragon Cores. It was time to upgrade the Doombringer Staff...
By using these five Five-Colored Dragon Cores as components, Leon was confident he could elevate the Doombringer Staff to the level of a mid-tier Essence Relic.
At the very least...
In fact, upgrading the Doombringer Staff was even harder than upgrading the Arcane Wheel or Soulwalker. The key difference was that the Doombringer Staff lacked a sentient spirit, while the Arcane Wheel and Soulwalker both had one.
Everyone knew that it took a long time for a magical item to develop a sentient spirit. A lucky mage might have one appear due to a rare opportunity, but without such luck, it could take years. For Leon's Doombringer Staff, it had only been about a year since its creation.
A True Spirit artifact without a sentient spirit could never unleash its full power. Even the upgrade process would be much harder. Fortunately, each upgrade offered a chance for the spirit to appear...
This upgrade was clearly an opportunity for the Doombringer Staff...
By now, the five Five-Colored Dragon Cores were already arranged on the alchemy table. Magic surged through the lab, and according to Leon's plan, the cores would be embedded in a miniature alchemical array, using their energy to create a cycle.
With this setup, Leon was confident he could raise the Doombringer Staff to mid-tier Essence Relic status. If luck was on his side, it might even gain a sentient spirit...
Only a True Spirit artifact with a sentient spirit could be considered a true Essence Relic...
That was why Leon took this upgrade so seriously.
He had only recently thought of a way to handle the Five-Colored Dragon Cores. Within his capabilities, this was the best approach to maximize their value.
Once everything was ready, Leon picked up a crystal pen. After some thought, he carefully inscribed a delicate rune on one of the Five-Colored Dragon Cores. Brilliant light flared, but Leon didn't pause, quickly dipping his pen in ink and continuing the process...
After more than three hours, Leon had finished the initial processing of the Five-Colored Dragon Cores. But he ran into a tricky problem: the five cores couldn't form a complete cycle. Energy transfer was still hindered in places...
Even these minor flaws greatly affected the entire plan...
To upgrade the Doombringer Staff, Leon had to ensure the energy among the five cores formed a complete cycle. That meant he had to eliminate those minor flaws.
This problem really stumped him...
During this process, the array couldn't have any errors, which Leon could guarantee. The real challenge was the high standard for details and the energy within the dragon cores. For example, the five cores had to contain equal amounts of magic—no deviation allowed...
Such requirements were harsh—even Leon found it troublesome, and it could easily take months. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but now he clearly didn't have that much time.
Such requirements were harsh—even Leon found it troublesome, and it could easily take months. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but now he clearly didn't have that much time.