Chapter 171: The Second Level-One Spell!

Merlin had six spells in his arsenal, and before leaving the Dark Arcane Order, Master Leo had provided him with all the Level-One spells. So, he wasn't lacking in choices; he just needed to select wisely.

His first Level-One spell, *Guardian Monolith*, an earth-based defense spell, had proven incredibly useful. During his recent confrontation with the mages hired by Longardi, *Guardian Monolith* had been essential. Without it, relying solely on *Earth's Shield* would have been insufficient against Hegal's Level-Two spell.

With a defense spell covered, Merlin felt that his offensive power was somewhat lacking. Neither *Fireball* nor *Thunder Web* could break through other Level-One defense spells. Even when he killed Hegal, it was due to the *Enhanced Dark Fog* that trapped Hegal in an illusion, rather than any overwhelming power from *Fireball* or *Thunder Web*.

After much thought, despite his current attack shortcomings, Merlin decided that between *Frenzy Flame* and *Darklight Domain*, *Darklight Domain* would be the most advantageous. Once he mastered *Darklight Domain*, it would be challenging for even mages with mental power rivaling that of a Level-Three caster to break through its illusions.

Therefore, Merlin concluded that his second Level-One spell should be *Darklight Domain*.

"Matrix, analyze the *Darklight Domain* spell model."

"Task established. Analysis beginning."

As the Matrix began the analysis, Merlin meditated on his mental power and waited.

After about half an hour, the Matrix reconstructed the *Darklight Domain* model, though this analysis took a bit longer than previous ones.

"Beep. 111,368 *Darklight Domain* spell models reconstructed."

With over 111,000 models, similar to the number created for *Guardian Monolith*, Merlin now needed to evaluate compatibility.

"Matrix, analyze compatibility between *Darklight Domain* and *Dark Fog*."

The Matrix quickly calculated the compatibility between these two models. When building advanced spells upon lower-level foundations, compatibility is critical.

"Beep. Analysis complete!"

Merlin eagerly reviewed the results, discovering that *Darklight Domain* and *Dark Fog* had exceptionally high compatibility. The best spell model reached an impressive 97%—a compatibility *Guardian Monolith* had never achieved.

With the Matrix's assistance, Merlin soon chose the best spell model, balancing compatibility, stability, and power.

"*Darklight Domain*! Time to simulate with my mental power…"

Merlin then gathered all his mental power to simulate *Darklight Domain*. As he probed the model with his mental power, he sensed it was exceedingly complex—far more so than *Guardian Monolith*.

The more intricate a model, the greater the mental power required. Merlin had been warned about *Darklight Domain* in the Dark Arcane Order for precisely this reason, and he now understood why—it was staggeringly complex.

Even some Level-Two spells might not have models as intricate as *Darklight Domain*.

Merlin had only simulated about a third of the *Darklight Domain* model when he paused, realizing his mental power was insufficient. He opened his eyes and muttered, "Too complex. My mental power isn't enough. I'll need peak Level-Two, perhaps even Level-Three, mental power to complete *Darklight Domain*."

Though disappointed, Merlin remained calm. He still had other spells to consider.

*Solid Ice* was a promising choice, as mastering it would fulfill one of the conditions for training in Pandora's Magical Energy technique, *Extreme Ice Finger*. With *Solid Ice* in hand, all he would need was the rare Hundred-Year Frost Core.

While unsure of *Extreme Ice Finger*'s exact power, he imagined it would be formidable, given that *Solid Ice* was merely a foundational requirement.

However, despite the lure of *Extreme Ice Finger*, *Solid Ice* was ultimately a binding spell with limited offensive power, unlike *Frenzy Flame*, which was purely offensive.

With only enough mental power to construct one Level-One spell, Merlin weighed his options between *Solid Ice* and *Frenzy Flame*.

"Let's go with *Frenzy Flame*. This way, I'll have both a Level-One defense and a Level-One offense spell, balancing attack and defense."

After much deliberation, Merlin chose *Frenzy Flame*. The promise of *Extreme Ice Finger* was enticing, but without the Hundred-Year Frost Core, a rare ingredient, there was no guarantee he'd ever be able to unlock it.

Merlin closed his eyes and visualized the *Frenzy Flame* model. In his mind, it appeared like a three-dimensional projection.

With his mental power, Merlin began simulating the *Frenzy Flame* model.

One hour passed, then two, then three…

After six hours, Merlin felt a sudden jolt in his mind. A wave of searing heat surged through him, and red fire elements gathered around him.

Elemental energy is usually invisible, but when concentrated enough, it becomes visible—like fire, which consists of densely packed fire elements, or ice crystals made of ice elements.

Now, the red fire elements around Merlin had reached such a high density that he could see them with the naked eye.

"It worked!"

Merlin opened his eyes, his expression filled with excitement. He had successfully constructed *Frenzy Flame* as his second Level-One spell.

In Merlin's mindscape, the *Frenzy Flame* model began drawing in fire elements from the surroundings, storing them and accumulating magical energy.

With two Level-One spell models in his mind, Merlin felt an increased mental strain. The four remaining Zero-Level models faced intense pressure, pushing his mental capacity to its limit. While it was stable for now, prolonging this imbalance could result in problems, possibly even causing a model to shatter.

So, with only two Level-One spells, Merlin still needed to work quickly toward building more advanced models, thereby restoring equilibrium.

"Let's test its power!"

Eager to test *Frenzy Flame*, Merlin pointed at the ground, covering it in thick ice crystals with repeated castings of *Freeze* and *Large Freeze*. These ice layers were strong enough that, in the past, Merlin's fire spells had needed considerable time to melt through.

"*Frenzy Flame*!"

Merlin cast *Frenzy Flame*. Heat filled the air, raising the temperature in the room.

Unlike *Fireball*, *Frenzy Flame* created a line of fire that snaked through the air, wrapping around the ice crystals on the floor. Each tendril of *Frenzy Flame* was compressed for maximum impact and, upon contact, would explode.

This explosive nature is what gave *Frenzy Flame* its "frenzied" quality.

Boom!

The *Frenzy Flame* tendrils struck the ice, and the compressed fire instantly ignited, erupting with far more power than *Large Fireball*.

The ice crystals melted instantly, and even the resulting water vaporized into steam, leaving a scorched hole in the ground.

Merlin let out a breath. *Frenzy Flame*'s power exceeded his expectations. What he had assumed to be a common Level-One spell proved surprisingly potent, quickly turning ice to vapor and charring the floor beneath.

Unbeknownst to Merlin, *Frenzy Flame* was widely used not for its simplicity but for its exceptional power, which was why so many mages adopted it.

Satisfied with his new spell's destructive capability, Merlin stopped his testing. He now had a powerful weapon in *Frenzy Flame*. Should he face someone like Hegal again, he could bypass the need for *Enhanced Dark Fog* and instead rely on *Frenzy Flame* to shatter any defenses and strike down his foes.