Chapter 126: Lava Dominator
That was a little too arrogant...
Even Soth, usually the smooth negotiator, couldn't help but let out a cold snort.
Originally, Soth just wanted to avoid becoming cannon fodder in the struggle between the two major mage factions. That's why he took the opportunity Leon offered and handed the person over. Back then, he figured—he was, after all, the master of Venomfog Gorge. No matter how displeased the Ashen Tower's Grand Mage was, surely they wouldn't take it out on him, right?
But the other side didn't give him any respect at all. From the start, it was—'Viper's Nest has no reason to exist anymore.'
Soth nearly coughed up blood on the spot from rage...
Sure, Ashen Tower is one of the two great mage powers in the eastern kingdom, but don't forget—this is Seaview City, not Rockridge. Even if Ashen Tower is powerful, is it really stronger than Sage's Spire? Saying 'Viper's Nest has no reason to exist'—what do you take Viper's Nest for?
Soth's expression darkened instantly. "Grand Mage Ronald, aren't you going a bit too far? Ashen Tower is Ashen Tower, Viper's Nest is Viper's Nest. How I run things isn't really your concern, is it, Grand Mage Ronald?"
"Soth, you really aren't very smart." The young Grand Mage finished his sentence, then glanced at Soth again—his eyes were the kind you'd give a dead man. "As for the rest of you, I'll give you ten seconds. Hand the person over, or else..."
"Or else what?" Leon was still smiling.
"Otherwise, you'll all be staying here."
"Ronald, who exactly do you want to keep here?" At that moment, William Merlin stepped down from the carriage as well.
"You, William Merlin!" As soon as William Merlin spoke, the young Grand Mage's expression froze. "You actually came to Seaview City?"
Anyone who knows William Merlin is aware—he's one of the heirs of the Merlin Family. Even the lofty young Grand Mage couldn't help but lose some of his arrogance upon seeing William Merlin. After all, that's one of the kingdom's top powers; even the mighty Ashen Tower wouldn't dare offend the Merlin Family lightly.
"Am I not allowed to come to Seaview City?"
"You're allowed..." Ronald seemed a bit wary of William Merlin. After a heavy, cold snort, he spoke again: "Fine, William Merlin. For your sake, I'll let these people go. But let me give you a word of warning—have your subordinate hand the person over, and I'll be honest, this person is tied to a major secret of the Ashen Tower. If things get out of hand, not even the Merlin Family can protect you!"
"My subordinate?" William Merlin was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized—the guy was talking about... about the Grandmaster?
Then, William Merlin started cursing in his heart.
Are you freaking blind? Which eye saw that as my subordinate? Can't you tell I'm actually the one working for him? Open your eyes for once, will you? That's a Grandmaster—a Grandmaster, get it? If you're blind, don't drag me down with you, calling a Grandmaster my subordinate. Are you trying to get me killed?
Still, hearing how serious the other side sounded, William Merlin didn't dare make the call himself.
Mages from the Ashen Tower are notorious for their madness. If what he said is true, and this young man is tied to a major secret of the Ashen Tower, things could get ugly if it blows up...
So William Merlin thought for a moment, then quietly asked Leon, "Cousin, what do you think...?"
Then William Merlin heard Leon say, "He'll be working with you from now on—to rebuild the Gilded Rose Mercenary Corps."
"Rebuild the Gilded Rose Mercenary Corps? That kid's really lucky..." William Merlin couldn't help but pout in envy. But halfway through, his expression froze, then turned to wild joy. "With me?"
"Yes, with you..."
"Damn it, Ronald—cut the crap!" Hearing Leon confirm it, William Merlin became instantly energized, pointing his staff skyward. "This man—I'm saving him! If you've got a problem, have those old bastards from the Ashen Tower come find me. I'd like to see if the Ashen Tower is really ready to go to war with the Merlin Family!"
"You..." The young Grand Mage's face changed instantly. He'd thought that invoking the Ashen Tower would make William Merlin cautious, but in a blink, the guy was being this defiant.
Of course, the young Grand Mage had no idea that after William Merlin finished being tough, he lowered his head, a little guilty. "Cousin, the Ashen Tower isn't easy to mess with..."
"I never planned to mess with the Ashen Tower..." Leon replied, ignoring William Merlin's dramatic eye-roll, and simply pulled a hand crossbow from his pocket, aiming it at Ronald hovering overhead.
"Courting death!" The young Grand Mage never expected that William Merlin's 'subordinate' would dare attack him.
The young Grand Mage roared in fury, and the magical fluctuations around him grew violent. His flame wings, originally only two meters wide, suddenly expanded to over ten meters. In an instant, the sky was ablaze, a sea of red, and waves of heat rolled out for dozens of meters in every direction.
"That's—the Lava Dominator!" William Merlin cried out. Among all the Ashen Tower's Soulbound Relics, the Lava Dominator is the most famous, combining the powers of fire and space. It can create an unbreakable Lava Sanctuary and lets the user cast Flame Blink at will, even without an Elemental Avatar.
It's one of the top-tier Soulbound Relics.
With its near-absolute defense from Lava Sanctuary and the unpredictable Flame Blink, a mage wielding the Lava Dominator is practically invincible.
Damn, how did the Lava Dominator end up in Ronald's hands? William Merlin's eyes went wide, all traces of his earlier bravado gone. That was the Ashen Tower's strongest Soulbound Relic! Was Ronald the secret love child of the Ashen Tower's Council or something?
"Now I'll show you what happens when you cross the Ashen Tower!" The young Grand Mage raised his staff, and a torrent of fire magic gathered. His blazing flame wings spread wide, shielding him completely, the fire magic swirling around enough to make any Grand Mage marvel.
That's Lava Sanctuary—a defense so strong it's legendary!
At the same time, the ground below began to burn. Raging flames and unbearable heat sealed everyone in a narrow space. Even Soth, a Swordmaster, could barely shield himself with battle aura. His men screamed, and in a blink, they were swallowed by the sudden inferno.
Lava Sanctuary is not just a nearly impenetrable shield—it's a cage that can easily crush its enemies.
William Merlin quickly began chanting. Nine water dragons surged up, forming a barrier against the flames. It was Water Dragon Vortex, a fourth-level spell only Grand Mages could learn after reaching level five—supposedly the nemesis of most fire spells. But even this fire spell nemesis could barely protect the Gilded Rose caravan under Lava Sanctuary; counterattack was out of the question...
"Damn it..." Sweat streamed down William Merlin's face. The power of Lava Sanctuary was overwhelming; under its searing heat, the waterspout couldn't hold out much longer.
"William Merlin, you brought this on yourself. No one else is to blame." The young Grand Mage in the sky snorted coldly, raising his staff. With a surge of immense magical power, the force of Lava Sanctuary grew even stronger.
How could a mere waterspout possibly withstand Lava Sanctuary? That relic was one of the Ashen Tower’s most powerful Soulbound Relics. No matter how skilled William Merlin was, he was just a fifth-level Grand Mage. Only another Soulbound Relic or a Magus could hope to resist such power.
Now, it was time to end this farce.
Ronald suddenly channeled more magic, tightening the fiery prison below. As he uttered a spell, the glow of Fireburst began to shine at the tip of his staff...
Amid the dazzling blaze, Ronald seemed to hear a faint 'whizz'—the sound of a crossbow bolt tearing through the air.
"Naive..." The young mage’s lips curled into a cold smile. William Merlin’s subordinate was amusing—trapped in Lava Sanctuary and still refusing to give up, even trying to harm him with a palm-sized hand crossbow. Ridiculous. Against the near-absolute defense of Lava Sanctuary, not even a siege ballista could scratch him, let alone a mere hand crossbow!
"Enough. This should finish it!" Ronald was about to utter the final syllable of his spell when he suddenly felt a strange warmth on his arm.
He looked down and saw a thin cut on his arm...
The discovery brought a flicker of surprise to the young Grand Mage’s face. That tiny hand crossbow had actually managed to wound him!
But soon, surprise turned to a cold smirk.
"Too bad your aim was off..."
And then—nothing.
Almost at the same moment that thought crossed his mind, the young Grand Mage plummeted from the sky. There was a dull thud as he crashed heavily to the ground.
Deprived of the Grand Mage’s magic, the Lava Dominator instantly lost its power. In the blink of an eye, the all-consuming flames vanished. If not for the charred earth left behind, many might have believed the inferno was nothing but an illusion.
Suddenly, the whole world fell silent...
"Shame about the aim..." Leon shook his head in regret, then tugged a ruby-encrusted necklace from Ronald’s corpse.
This was the Lava Dominator—one of the Ashen Tower’s mightiest Soulbound Relics, blending the powers of fire and space. It granted both Flame Blink for swift movement and Lava Sanctuary for defense. Even in Leon’s eyes, the Lava Dominator was nearly a perfect artifact.
Unfortunately, even such a near-perfect Soulbound Relic couldn’t remain in his hands...
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