Chapter 1108: Prey
Diras's face was ashen, his lips trembling uncontrollably. The robe he wore was soaked, then dried, then soaked again—this happened several times throughout the night. Yet Diras dared not use a single trace of magic, terrified that some undetected detection spell might catch him…
Finally, daylight arrived. Leon stepped out of his tent with a book in his arms. Seizing the opportunity, Diras slipped inside after Leon had left, only to find some ordinary materials and basic alchemical equipment.
No matter how he looked at it, these things were nowhere near enough to create any powerful alchemical potions. Most of the semi-finished products in the apparatus were low-grade materials with unknown uses…
Diras was left utterly dumbfounded by the sight…
Damn it, what the hell is Matthew Merlin up to?!
Are you kidding me? The potion that lets a peak Ninth-Rank Title Archmage complete the final step of transcendence was researched here? Using these low-grade materials?
Damn it, Matthew Merlin must've guessed I'd come snooping, so he set this up just to mess with me. No wonder those tents are covered with so many warning and detection spells…
Controlling the Shadow Demon, Diras quietly slipped out of the temporary camp. Suddenly, his expression changed—the connection between him and the Shadow Demon vanished in an instant…
Even the power of the contract could no longer sense the Shadow Demon—it was gone, destroyed…
Inside the temporary camp.
Shuban hefted his greatsword, looking at the shadow on the ground with a puzzled expression.
"I could've sworn I just saw that shadow move... Did I imagine it? Yeah, I must've just woken up and saw it wrong..."
Shuban stomped his foot on the ground twice, watching the shadow for any sign of abnormality. Seeing nothing unusual, he muttered to himself in confusion.
"Damn it, the great Shuban must still be half asleep. I should just nap a bit longer—I'm even hallucinating now..."
With one stomp, Shuban crushed the Level 31 Shadow Demon, then swaggered back to his tent to resume his snoring slumber…
Outside the temporary camp, Diras gritted his teeth, his pallor tinged with a sickly blue. He looked like a freshly turned zombie, his heart bleeding inside…
My Shadow Demon, damn it! Matthew Merlin, that bastard, must've noticed it ages ago. He pretended not to see, leaving me out here freezing and soaked all night…
He laid out a bunch of worthless semi-finished potions to lure me in, and the moment my Shadow Demon tried to leave, he wiped it out…
That Shadow Demon took me over a decade to cultivate, and now it's just gone…
Matthew Merlin, just you wait…
Diras's eyes were bloodshot as he glared viciously toward the temporary camp, then quietly slipped away…
Meanwhile, Leon made a round of the camp and returned to his tent, frowning at the alchemical setup and low-grade materials Diras had found so unimpressive…
"Still not working. The new extraction method really isn't that simple. Following standard procedures, the extracted material essence is far too singular—too many components are mixed together as impurities…
If only I could extract every single component from each material separately, my research could move forward…"
Leon was experimenting with a new extraction method—a technique developed only after the apocalypse began in the Northend World.
Back then, magical energy was fading, and magical plants and materials were dwindling. High-grade materials went extinct first, then even ordinary magiron—now so common nobody would bother picking it up—could spark a war between two powerful mages…
Material utilization reached its absolute limit in those times.
One untested theory suggested breaking down and extracting every substance from each material.
What used to be considered worthless impurities might actually yield another useful material…
I refuse to believe that, once others know about this, no one will be tempted.
I refuse to believe you, Matthew Merlin, can stand against everyone.
Diras left with a cold sneer…
A few days later, notes written on ordinary paper began appearing across the Blazeforge Battlefield, describing how Leon had mastered a method to help Ninth-Rank Title Archmages achieve transcendence. They even cited examples—Morgan, that idiot, is now a Sky Rank powerhouse…
But after several days, nothing happened in the Blazeforge Battlefield. Nearly every mage faction had seen those notes.
Whether they believed it or not, everyone acted as if they knew nothing. No one went to ask Leon, but without noticing, the Henry Family mages suddenly became popular.
Whether elder, steward, or the lowest-ranking mage, every Henry Family mage in the Blazeforge Battlefield would run into people from other factions when hunting Pseudo Sky Rank Beasts.
No one ever asked about the transformation potion, at most they inquired if Morgan Henry really broke through to Sky Rank.
Leon’s camp remained eerily calm, but outside, Henry Family mages became increasingly popular. Eventually, people from other factions would even help them in dangerous moments, asking for nothing in return.
In a scorched canyon, a Henry Family elder was fleeing in panic. Behind him, two Thunderwing Birds pursued relentlessly, bolts of lightning striking near the elder.
That’s why this canyon is scorched—bolts of lightning continually erupt from the ground, marking it as Thunderwing Bird territory.
The elder had heard there was only one Thunderwing Bird here, but halfway through the battle, another appeared. The three Ninth-Rank Title Archmages were forced to split up and flee…
But the two Thunderwing Birds acted crazed, ignoring the others and chasing only him…
Past experience now became the root of his crisis.
Despair filled Delaney’s eyes. His robe and protective magical item were both shattered, his mana nearly depleted. As two bolts of lightning shattered his last shield, Delaney closed his eyes in hopelessness.
Suddenly, a surge of powerful magic appeared beside him—a cold yet gentle force wrapped around him, shielding him.
Delaney opened his eyes to see a black-gray cloak floating in front of him, emitting a faint halo that protected him. The lightning was held at bay by the barrier.
Delaney stared ahead in a daze as Diras, leading Shadow Tower mages, charged in from the side—attacking like they’d met their archenemy.
Shadows swept across the ground, transforming into giant hands that dragged the Thunderwing Birds down. The shadow mages pressed the attack…
Diras shouted coldly.
Take down those two beasts! How dare they threaten our closest friend—Delaney of the Odin Kingdom is our best ally…
Diras shouted, ignoring Delaney. His Shadow Cloak continued to protect Delaney, and in less than half an hour, the shadows snapped the Thunderwing Birds’ necks.
Only then did Diras fly over, recalling the Shadow Cloak. Before the stunned Delaney could speak, Diras grabbed his hand, looking emotional.
Lord Delaney, I’m so sorry—I nearly lost my closest friend…
Delaney was still stunned, but having been saved at the crucial moment, he could only give a wry smile and express his thanks.
Lord Diras, thank you. If not for you, I’d have died here today—my body never to be buried in Northend World, my soul never to return home…
Diras handed Delaney the Thunderwing Birds’ mana crystals. Before Delaney could refuse, Diras began to reminisce.
Lord Delaney, these are your trophies—the mana crystals are yours. Please don’t refuse. If you do, you’re insulting your closest friend.
Perhaps you’ve forgotten, but you once saved my life—not just mine, but the lives of many Shadow Tower mages.
We were exploring a ruin and suffered unprecedented setbacks. At the most critical moment, our supplies ran dangerously low.