Chapter 151: Psychic Storm
Allen Watson slowly stood up, his face pale and his steps unsteady, yet in his eyes, there lingered a trace of indomitable defiance.
"As you wish, Archmage Hogarth. I will leave Seaview City at once. But the Nether Iron Vein isn’t only coveted by the Watson Family, and you can’t stay in Seaview City forever."
"Allen Watson, just mind your own business." Hogarth wore a faint smile, but after speaking, he couldn’t help glancing worriedly at Leon.
Allen Watson’s words couldn’t be clearer...
That’s right, I, Allen Watson, am nothing in front of you, Hogarth. But don’t forget, behind me stands the entire Watson Family. Even if the Watsons don’t act directly, they can easily find other forces to intervene. As long as you, Hogarth, don’t stay in Seaview City forever, sooner or later, I’ll find my chance.
By then, relying on a single Archmage to protect the Nether Iron Vein—well, that would be incredibly difficult.
Hogarth was indeed a bit worried...
If it were just a normal acquaintance, Hogarth would have already done more than enough today. To stand up for Leon, he’d even risk offending a powerful force like the Watson Family. That alone was enough for Hogarth to earn a massive favor. After all this, he could just walk away—whatever factions the Watsons bring in, whether an Archmage can protect the Nether Iron Vein or not, none of it would matter to him.
The problem is, this young Archmage isn’t just a normal acquaintance...
That was someone who could apprentice under the Three Title Archmages at any time...
I’d do anything to curry favor with him, why would I ever find it troublesome?
So when Allen Watson said those words, Hogarth clenched his teeth. If it really came to it, he’d just apply to Lord Joey and station himself in Seaview City long-term. As long as he could get close to this young Archmage, his future would be secure.
Not only would the Three Title Archmages owe him a favor, but the young Archmage himself would bring endless benefits. This young Archmage’s mastery of magical knowledge was truly terrifying. If Hogarth could earn his help, he might ascend in Seaview City and finally step into the realm of Title Archmage.
“Merlin...” At this thought, Hogarth opened his mouth, intending to announce his decision to stay before Allen Watson could leave, putting an end to the Watson Family’s schemes.
But just then, Leon slowly stood up.
“Magus Allen, did Raven Watson ever tell you? I’m not the type to let things slide.”
“What?” Allen Watson was stunned for a moment, then recalled that when Raven Watson returned, he did mention that this young Archmage was extremely particular. Even after Raven chose to leave, the young Archmage refused to let it go, forcing Raven to stay for a fire mark.
Back then, this young Archmage seemed to have said it too: I’m not the type to let things slide...
So what did he mean by saying that now? Was he implying that since Allen had just hit William Merlin with a mental shock, he was going to retaliate with a Mindstorm?
Thinking of this, Allen Watson couldn’t help but let out a muted chuckle.
This young Archmage really is quite interesting...
He actually thought the tricks used against an Archmage would work on a Magus?
Ignorance truly is fearlessness...
A mere Archmage, daring to challenge a Magus!
Utterly laughable...
At that moment, Allen Watson genuinely wanted to tell him: If Hogarth weren’t standing here, you’d have died ten times over already. You wouldn’t even have the chance to spout such absurd words in front of me.
Forget it. For Hogarth’s sake, I won’t stoop to the level of an Archmage today.
Hogarth shook his head with a mocking smile. "Archmage Merlin, nobody likes to be taken advantage of in this world. The only question is whether you have the strength to avoid it."
"Is that so?" Leon smiled, glancing at Watson.
Yes, just one glance!
But what followed was a violent surge of magical energy—as if a storm had erupted inside the parlor. The same mental shock, yet the force was several times greater than Allen Watson’s. No, it couldn’t even be called a mental shock anymore; in that instant, it was a true Mindstorm.
The six Archmages of the Watson Family screamed in unison, blood instantly trickling from the corners of their mouths. Even Faro and William Merlin, though outside the range of the Mindstorm, were visibly terrified by the overwhelming magical waves.
As for Allen Watson himself...
The moment Leon unleashed the Mindstorm, Allen was sent crashing into the wall with a thunderous bang.
"You..." Allen Watson struggled to his feet, his face as pale as paper. Terror and shock filled his eyes. He tried to point at Leon and say something, but his finger only trembled violently, unable to form words.
In that moment, Allen Watson was at the very center of the Mindstorm. Of everyone present, his experience was the most intense—he truly felt the full power of that Mindstorm.
Only now did Allen Watson realize...
The young Archmage he’d always underestimated possessed power far beyond anything he’d imagined. The instant that Mindstorm erupted, Allen Watson felt an endless, irresistible force—impossible to fight, impossible to resist. Compared to it, his own earlier mental shock was nothing more than a child’s toy.
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Truth be told, if that young Archmage wished, I’d either be dead or a complete idiot right now.
This was power on a completely different level...
Allen Watson sat on the floor, unable to comprehend how such power could possibly reside in an Archmage.
No wonder he dared refuse me—even the entire Watson Family...
Only now did Allen Watson understand: Hogarth’s arrival hadn’t saved the young Archmage—it had saved Allen himself. If Hogarth had come just ten seconds later, and Allen had actually cast his spell, he’d likely be a corpse by now...
The power of Leon’s Mindstorm was truly terrifying. In an instant, it shattered Allen Watson’s confidence. The Magus who’d always felt superior since stepping into the Gilded Rose now realized the young Archmage he’d thought he could crush at will was actually the one who could crush him.
"Ha... ha... I really didn’t expect this... truly didn’t..." Overwhelmed by the reversal, Allen Watson let out a laugh more miserable than a sob, clutching the wall for support as he limped away from the Gilded Rose with the six Archmages he’d brought.
Leon just smiled, making no move to stop them...
It wasn’t out of mercy...
In fact, after surviving more than twenty years in the apocalypse, Leon’s heart was harder than steel. If it served his purpose, he’d trigger a massacre without hesitation—whether it was a thousand or ten thousand lives, he wouldn’t feel the slightest guilt.
But at the same time, if there was no point, Leon wouldn’t even bother to lift a finger.
Take now, for instance: Allen Watson’s confidence had been utterly destroyed. Even if he returned to the Watson Family, he’d remain a first-rank Magus for life. Why bother finishing him off?
Besides, Allen Watson was still a member of the Watson Family—a major power in Auckland. It would be foolish to provoke such a force just to satisfy some urge to kill. Leon wasn’t some deranged murderer...
Practical, opportunistic, whatever you want to call it—that’s just how Leon was, coming from the apocalypse...
"Merlin, this is the magical artifact Lord Joey asked me to deliver to you." After watching Allen Watson leave, Hogarth smiled and pulled a sealed magic box from his pocket. It was the tool most commonly used by mages and alchemists for storage. The alchemical array inscribed on the box minimized magical fluctuations and mana leakage, making it ideal for carrying precious magical items and alchemical materials.
The moment the magic box was opened, a wave of icy magical energy swept out, making everyone feel as if they’d stepped into a frozen cellar. Leon took a deep breath and accepted the box from Hogarth, finally seeing what was inside—a black ring, unadorned with gems, bearing only a strange symbol...
Even Leon had never seen this symbol before—it seemed utterly meaningless. Yet as he held it, he felt as if the symbol had come alive, radiating a suffocating magical energy, tinged with a strange hunger...
Leon knew—this was the power of a True Spirit Artifact.
Though an artifact incarnation didn’t exist, a True Spirit Artifact itself was almost alive. That hunger emanating from it came from the artifact itself—the Black Death Rune was craving soulfire.
"Thank you, Magus Hogarth."
"Merlin, you’re too polite..." Hogarth didn’t dare accept the thanks. After a modest reply, he asked with some concern, "By the way, Merlin, I don’t think the Watson Family will let this go so easily. Do you want me to stay in Seaview City for a while?"
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Still writing—hoping I won’t sleep in tomorrow...