Chapter 130: The Return (Part 1)

The silver-haired elder's body was burnt beyond recognition, leaving only charred remains.

Sweeping his mental energy over the body, Merlin quickly spotted a ring on the elder's finger. This elder, though likely a novice spellcaster with just one or two spell models, had gained his real strength from inheriting ancient shamanic knowledge. That inheritance was precisely what Merlin sought.

He took the ring and sent his mental energy into it.

The ring's space was vast, even larger than the one Merlin had obtained from the old black-robed spellcaster, filled with an assortment of items. There were many precious elemental crystals, materials for strange potions, and spellcaster notebooks.

Flipping through one notebook, Merlin discovered it held the insights of a spellcaster from the City of Flames. This city was another spellcaster organization near the Dark Spirit Realm, as renowned as the Abyss Fortress. The fact that this notebook was in the elder's possession implied that its original owner had likely fallen to him.

The elder had clearly looted many spellcasters. While wandering spellcasters had little wealth, those from established organizations held valuable items like elemental crystals and rare potion ingredients. Yet, it seemed the elder had little use for these due to his limited spellcasting abilities. Now, with the elder dead, Merlin had reaped the benefits.

However, he didn't find any direct clues to the elder's shamanic inheritance. Sorting through all of these items would take time, so Merlin decided to examine them later in the Dark Spirit Realm.

As he pocketed the ring, he noticed the gazes of Holmes, Relis, and Lorinka but said nothing. After all, he had taken on the greatest risk in killing the elder, so the spoils rightfully belonged to him—an unspoken rule among spellcasters.

Standing up, Merlin touched his back, where the dark ray had left a painful wound, though the bleeding had stopped, a testament to his remarkable resilience.

"Lorinka, Relis, are you alright?" Merlin asked, seeing their pale faces. They had both been hit by the dark ray, and, with their more fragile bodies, recovery would take time.

"We're fine," they replied, wincing as they held their injuries but still able to move.

Holmes, meanwhile, was mostly unharmed but seemed troubled. When Merlin returned his robe, Holmes's face darkened.

"This was hardly worth it…" Holmes muttered to himself, visibly displeased. The robe, valued at several hundred contribution points, was destroyed, and even if they completed the task, it would barely cover fifty points—a major loss.

He glanced sharply at Merlin and said, "The mission's complete. I have to report back to my family, so I'll be leaving first."

With that, Holmes cast a spell to break the barrier at the cave's entrance, taking Relis with him as they left without looking back.

Merlin shrugged. He wasn't too concerned with Holmes's attitude, finding him mostly high-strung but otherwise reliable.

"Lorinka, let's go," Merlin said, gently helping her up to leave. Lorinka gestured to the people tied to the stone pillars, and Merlin turned to see the weakened captives.

With a flick of his wrist, he launched fireballs to shatter the stone pillars, freeing the captives who gasped for air, clearly having endured severe torment.

"Let's go," he said simply, having no further ties to these people.

As they exited the cave, they found Capes and Katherine waiting anxiously outside.

"Merlin, did you find Pario and my father?" Capes asked, hand still wrapped in a makeshift bandage.

"They're inside; they should be alright now," Merlin replied.

Capes breathed a sigh of relief and gave a respectful bow. Merlin noticed Katherine's downcast expression; she had lost an arm, a heavy blow to a once lively young woman. Merlin said no more, helping Lorinka as they began the journey back to the Dark Spirit Realm.

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After some time, Merlin and Lorinka finally stumbled out of the teleportation array, their surroundings a familiar barren landscape where seagulls occasionally landed on the shore.

"We're back…" Merlin said with a faint smile. The journey back had been long, especially with Lorinka's worsening injuries, which had delayed them further.

As they approached the massive Dark Spirit Realm stone monument, Merlin recalled his first time here and the awe he had felt seeing the shadowy cat that emerged from the stone.

In just half a year, he had grown from a novice into a formidable six-element spellcaster.

*Purr…*

Before they could get closer, a wisp of black mist formed a sleek black cat, its long tail swishing gracefully.

"Ah, young spellcasters, just back from a mission?" The cat's voice was both dignified and elegant.

Merlin couldn't help but smile, feeling a strange fondness for this magical cat. He stepped forward, retrieving two thumb-sized ice elemental crystals from his ring and tossing them to the cat.

"Mrow." The cat's eyes sparkled as it snapped up the crystals, chomping on them with visible satisfaction.

"Well done. Lord Didymus, in his greatness, may grant you good fortune," the cat purred, clearly pleased with the offering.

Merlin bowed slightly and asked, "Lord Didymus, don't you recognize me?"

The cat cocked its head, studying Merlin before its eyes gleamed in recognition. "Ah, yes, you were the fledgling I met half a year ago—Merlin, correct?"

"Indeed, Wilson Merlin."

The cat raised a paw, pointing at Merlin. "Quite impressive. In half a year, the novice has become a six-element spellcaster… very well. Lord Didymus is pleased with your offering, so here's a little reward."

As the cat spoke, a faint black light emerged from its body and shot directly into Merlin's body.

Startled, Merlin felt his mental strength grow, alleviating the strain of supporting six spell models. His spellcasting felt smoother, more fluid—a boost even advanced meditation could scarcely match.

Curious and cautious, he glanced at the cat, wondering just what manner of creature it was.

"Now, go on in, Spellcaster Merlin," the cat purred. It stretched luxuriously, its form fading back into the stone.

Still dazed, Merlin felt Lorinka pat his shoulder with an envious smile. "Two crystals for that kind of reward? You're lucky. Some spellcasters have offered entire piles of crystals and got nothing."

Merlin nodded, looking respectfully at the stone. With a touch of the Dark Spirit Ring, he and Lorinka activated the array, a beam of light enveloping them as they disappeared into the Dark Spirit Realm.