Chapter 207: The Hand of Time
"Just a mere breakthrough opportunity?" Leon almost laughed out loud in disbelief...
The mysterious characters of the Death Tome—even Leon himself couldn't decipher them. The power contained within was far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
After unraveling Infinity, Leon knew he was walking a path fraught with peril and thorns. At the end of this road lay a world no mage had ever entered before—never in the past, and never again in the future...
Leon had no idea what that world would look like, nor how he was supposed to step into it...
But Leon knew the only key to unlock this world must be forged from the union of Mana Harness and mysterious runes.
Just now, Leon had glimpsed the shadow of that key—only to have Reese's recklessness disrupt him...
Yet Fran had the nerve to call such an opportunity 'mere'...
Leon really wanted to ask: for such a 'mere' opportunity, Fran, how many times could you offer it to me?
"Mutant orc?" As Leon stood there, torn between laughter and exasperation, Fran's gaze shifted to the Dragonblood Orc. The anger in his eyes was quickly replaced by greed. "So, you killed Reese for this mutant orc, Leon Merlin. You're truly ruthless..."
...Leon was left speechless this time.
"You've got some nerve, Leon Merlin—murder and robbery aside, now you want to cover it up with lies..."
By now, the caravan had slowly come to a halt. Leaders from various factions overheard the argument and were stepping out of their carriages, some nervously watching the scene unfold.
"Ladies and gentlemen of Seaview City, do you see this? This is Leon Merlin of the Gilded Rose—supposedly able to crack all the alchemical arrays in Vaughn's Vault. Yet halfway there, he stoops to such vile acts, killing my disciple Reese for a mutant orc and then blaming Reese for disrupting his breakthrough..." Fran seized the moment, raising his voice several notches.
"President Monty, why don't you weigh in? Does someone like this even deserve a place in our joint expedition?"
Fran's eyes were sharp—he spotted Monty in the crowd right away.
Fran knew a bit about the Monty Family's relationship with the Gilded Rose. Twinmoon Radiance and the Gilded Rose were bitter rivals, locked in a fight to the death. By calling out Monty now, Fran hoped to pull him over to his side.
Fran figured that unless Monty was a fool, he'd know exactly what choice to make.
By doing this, he was essentially extending an olive branch. If Monty reached out and took it, he'd have a chance to connect with Mercury Tower. Then, even reclaiming Seaview City's alchemy market from the Gilded Rose wouldn't be impossible.
Unfortunately, Monty saw things very differently...
By now, Monty had cursed Fran's ancestors up and down—damn it, did I kill your parents or throw your son down a well? Why are you trying to frame me like this?
All nine great factions of Seaview City are here—dozens of people, and you just had to call me out? Do I really have that much of a grudge against you...?
No way, I have to save myself. Can't let myself get caught in Fran's damned trap.
"Well, Grandmaster Fran, Archmage Leon Merlin's character is well known in Seaview City. He would never do such a thing. Perhaps you should investigate further?" Monty spoke up for Leon, though it pained him to do so...
Truth is, Monty really wanted to agree with Fran—best to kick Leon Merlin out of the expedition, maybe even make him Seaview City's public enemy.
But Monty didn't dare...
The Gilded Rose is not someone the Monty Family can afford to provoke these days...
Most people think the Gilded Rose is just an alchemy shop. No matter how rich or powerful, surely it can't dominate Seaview City, right?
The Monty Family is the oldest in Seaview City—over a thousand years, more than ten generations. How could they be afraid of a mere alchemy shop?
But Monty knew deep down—they really couldn't afford to cross them...
The rise of the Gilded Rose was nothing short of monstrous.
You could see it just from Sage's Spire's attitude.
In the past, Sage's Spire would buy alchemical goods from the Gilded Rose without ever haggling—whatever price the Gilded Rose named, that was it.
But now, folks from both sides argue over a difference of just a few dozen gold coins, slamming tables and breaking cups. Monty had even heard that sometimes the fights nearly turned physical.
Some might say that's great—two top powers at odds, perfect chance for the Monty Family to strike back!
But Monty knew this wasn't a real falling out—just a shift in Sage's Spire's attitude.
Before, Sage's Spire treated the Gilded Rose like a big brother supporting a little one—tens of thousands of gold coins meant nothing to them. But now, Sage's Spire sees the Gilded Rose as an equal, a top power in its own right. These days, even a difference of a few coins is handled with strict professionalism.
Just think—even Sage's Spire is acting like this. Who else would dare provoke the Gilded Rose?
Now, the Gilded Rose's dominance is undeniable...
Especially that day Monty walked into the Gilded Rose and saw Archmage Horne, Star Sage Joey, and witnessed the battle simulation—after that, Monty didn't dare think of anything else...
"President Monty, so you're conspiring with Leon Merlin now!" Fran's change of face was quicker than flipping a page. The moment Monty didn't side with him, Fran lashed out with righteous indignation.
[Irrelevant passage about reading instructions. Skip translation.]
...Monty's lips twitched. Fran, you really are something—can't win me over, so you just throw mud instead!
Fine, if we're throwing mud, let's all throw some!
"Grandmaster Fran, I heard from someone that it was your disciple Reese who attacked Archmage Leon Merlin first. So, when a Mercury Tower disciple strikes, Archmage Leon Merlin can't even defend himself?"
"Nonsense!"
"Nonsense, am I? Why not ask everyone else and see what they say?"
Seeing he couldn't get the upper hand, Fran simply snorted coldly and turned his wrath back to Leon: "Leon Merlin, no matter the reason, you killed Reese. As his teacher, I have to seek justice. You have two choices—either kill yourself to atone for Reese, or face me in a fair duel."
...
Fran's words nearly made everyone from Seaview City gag...
See, that's what you call culture!
A Magus challenging an Archmage, and he calls it a 'fair duel'...
Fran probably knew 'fair duel' was pushing it, so before anyone from Seaview City could complain, he hurriedly unleashed his magical aura.
"Timeweaver's Hand! That's Timeweaver's Hand!" The moment the magical aura appeared, Bell from the Viper's Nest couldn't help but cry out.
That's right—Fran's massive magical aura was almost tangible, and above his head, a faint hourglass began to form. This was the mark of Mercury Tower's most powerful arcane sigil: Timeweaver's Hand.
It wasn't just Bell—even Salomon beside him couldn't help but frown...
Mercury Tower's most powerful arcane sigil isn't just a title. Salomon had seen the might of Timeweaver's Hand back at Cloudspire Tower. It may not truly touch time itself, but its terrifying spell acceleration is enough to give any mage a headache.
A mage with Timeweaver's Hand can cast spells at least twice as fast as a normal mage.
Don't be fooled by Fran being just a fifth-level Magus—when he really gets going, his combat power rivals an eighth or even ninth-level Magus.
"Leon..." Salomon thought of this and looked at Leon Merlin with some concern.
At that moment, Salomon was ready to step in himself. With his peak ninth-level Magus strength, suppressing Fran, a fifth-level Magus, shouldn't be a problem. Then he could force Fran to promise not to trouble Leon anymore, and this whole mess would finally be over.
"Don't worry." But before Salomon could speak, he saw Leon Merlin shake his head.
"But that's Timeweaver's Hand..." Salomon couldn't possibly be at ease.
"I know. Timeweaver's Hand." Leon Merlin finished speaking and slowly stepped out from the crowd. "Grandmaster Fran, if you're going to stand up for your disciple, hurry up. Honestly, you've talked way too much..."
"Fine, fine, fine..." Leon's attitude completely enraged Fran. The fifth-level Magus snorted, his magical aura surged again, and the hourglass above his head spun wildly. He began chanting at breakneck speed...
So fast, unbelievably fast...
In that instant, everyone felt the power of Timeweaver's Hand. Fran's casting speed was beyond imagination. He unleashed a Lava Burst, sealing off dozens of meters with fire and magma, followed by a barrage of Frost Spears—one after another, as if he didn't need to chant at all, raining down like a storm and blocking all of Leon's escape routes.
For a moment, all you could hear was the shrill whistling of spears cutting through the air—dozens of Frost Spears fired almost simultaneously...
All the mages present were strong—at worst, fifth-level Archmage standard. But seeing Fran's completely unnatural spellcasting, many turned pale. This is the power of a top-tier arcane sigil—its advantage in battle is nearly overwhelming...