Chapter 208: A Blessing in Disguise

In the quiet of the ancient tower, Merlin lay on the ground, his chest rising and falling heavily. His injuries were severe; though he had narrowly escaped death, the damage was extensive, and he had no idea how long it might take to fully recover.

"I was too careless this time. I had some suspicion of Laiseen, but I didn't expect him to launch such a sudden attack, armed with a level-four spell scroll."

A trace of resignation crossed Merlin's face. While he had been wary of Laiseen's alchemic creature, he hadn't seen Laiseen himself as a real threat—after all, even if Laiseen cast a level-three spell, Merlin was confident he could handle it. But Laiseen's level-four spell scroll had caught him off guard, leaving him critically injured. If not for his physical resilience, he might not have survived.

Fortunately, Merlin had mustered his last bit of strength to use *Finger of Frost*, scaring Laiseen off. Moreover, he had already used the Matrix to record the training method for *Flame of Destruction* from the scroll.

All Merlin had to do now was recover, escape the ancient ruin, and, despite the pain and danger, he would emerge with considerable rewards.

As Merlin's mind gradually settled, he heard a *crack.* A hole suddenly appeared in the floor of the stone chamber, and from it emerged a giant patterned spider.

This spider was enormous, taller than a man and larger than any Merlin had encountered before. It crept closer to him, its mandibles clicking with a sinister hiss.

Merlin's face paled. He had hoped to take his time recovering, to eventually break through the stone door and leave. But now, at his weakest, a monstrous spider appeared—and it was clearly more powerful than any he had previously faced.

He could no longer use *Finger of Frost*, but his mental energy remained intact, allowing him to cast *Guardian Monument*. Three successive monuments appeared around him, forming a protective barrier that enveloped him in a dim gray light.

The massive spider paused momentarily before launching itself at him. Its body slammed into the first layer of the *Guardian Monument*, shattering it instantly. The spell Merlin had strengthened with his amplification tool barely withstood the impact, though he could feel the strength of the blow. This spider was indeed more formidable than Laiseen's creature.

When the spider's direct assault failed, it backed up, abdomen swelling, and shot out a web that wrapped around Merlin.

The sticky, resilient webbing coiled tighter, slowly compressing Merlin's last line of defense. Under normal circumstances, he could have easily broken free, but in his weakened state, he was defenseless.

His *Guardian Monument* cracked under the pressure, and as the final barrier shattered, Merlin found himself bound tightly by the spider's web.

The spider began to drag him down into the dark hole in the floor. Unable to resist, Merlin could only feel himself being pulled along a downward slope, deeper and deeper underground.

Finally, they emerged into a hidden chamber. In the dim light, Merlin saw a massive flame-shaped statue in the room's center—larger and more imposing than the one he had seen before. The spider released him, and, unexpectedly, the webbing binding him loosened and fell away, scattering across the floor. The spider then retreated to a corner, crouching silently.

Merlin looked around the chamber. Strange, detailed murals decorated the walls, depicting various types of flames: bright red, eerie scarlet, and even some ghostly blue flames that seemed to emit cold rather than heat.

"What is this place?" he murmured, immobilized and vulnerable, yet relieved that the spider had withdrawn.

Suddenly, the massive flame-shaped statue began to vibrate. Slowly, an actual flame emerged from the statue, gathering into the form of a tiny, palm-sized figure—a small being entirely made of fire.

The little flame figure drifted toward Merlin, exuding intense heat even from a distance. Hovering before him, it gazed down and spoke.

"Congratulations, lucky spellcaster. You defeated the guardian left behind by my master and possess the level-one spell *Raging Flame*, thus passing the master's test."

"A test?" Merlin asked, his face filled with confusion. This fiery creature seemed highly intelligent, reminiscent of the black cat Didymus he'd encountered in Darklight Domain. Thus, Merlin wasn't entirely shocked to hear it speak.

"Yes, my master left behind a test. Anyone who can defeat the guardian and also possesses either *Raging Flame* or *Sea of Flames* would be deemed qualified, and would receive the treasures my master prepared for training *Flame of Destruction*."

Merlin's mind whirled, piecing together the implications of this information. He knew this ancient ruin was the legacy of a powerful mage from 3,600 years ago, but it was astonishing that this flaming spirit and those patterned spiders had survived all these centuries.

"What exactly are you?" Merlin asked, intrigued. This little flame creature had no life aura, yet it seemed to possess a high level of intelligence, unlike the rigid, unthinking guardian.

"I am a fire spirit captured by my master and bound to this flame statue. I cannot leave this statue's radius of one hundred meters. My master promised that if I could find a suitable spellcaster able to cultivate *Flame of Destruction* to the second form, I would be freed."

It continued, "Over the years, many have entered these ruins, but only a few reached the first level and encountered the guardian. This time, you all managed to defeat the guardian, meeting the conditions. But unfortunately, one of you has already left the ruin, and without my master's treasures, it will be impossible to cultivate *Flame of Destruction*. Thus, you are the only qualified one remaining, and I had the spider bring you here."

Merlin felt as if a heavy veil had been lifted. The fire spirit had been observing the spellcasters in the ruins, searching for one capable of training *Flame of Destruction* so that it could finally be freed.

The spellcaster who left the ruin was undoubtedly Laiseen. He had likely known of hidden mechanisms in the tower, and after his ambush on Merlin failed, he had locked him inside, expecting him to die. What he hadn't realized was that the ancient ruin had been watching him. Now, without the unique treasures left behind, Laiseen would never be able to cultivate *Flame of Destruction*, even with the method he had obtained.

Ironically, Merlin's entrapment by Laiseen had led him directly to the very resources essential to fully mastering *Flame of Destruction*.