181 - Lord Merk

The searing breath of the dragon spread instantly, extending hundreds of meters, siphoning the elements within the domain of doom, creating a terrifying sea of fire that stretched for a kilometer. The space itself seemed to ignite, carrying temperatures soaring tens of thousands of degrees, rushing towards Odessa like a tidal wave.

The crimson-robed wizard's expression changed abruptly. He hadn't anticipated such immense power from Fayz while being so weakened.

"[Divine Sanctum]" Odessa spread his hands, conjuring several golden barriers in front of him.

Cracks—

The first barrier nearly instantaneously ruptured, followed swiftly by the second and the third.

The scorching sea of flames advanced relentlessly. Odessa's demeanor grew increasingly grave. With a gesture, the blood-red chains that had encircled the domain seemed to come alive, positioning themselves in front of him, and colliding with the oncoming flames.

Rumble—violent collisions reverberated through the skies, shockwaves rippling outward, threatening to collapse the entire domain under this tremendous energy.

"[Curses]" Odessa cursed under his breath, as the peculiar statue he held cracked faintly.

He hadn't anticipated that this legendary wizard, so weakened, could unleash such a potent dragon's breath.

If not for the need to eliminate a dozen or so faction wizards and a master alchemist stationed within the manor, he wouldn't have procrastinated to act against Fayz until now.

Fortunately, Odessa wasn't unprepared. What he had administered to Fayz earlier wasn't just the simple healing waters for injuries.

As expected, the black dragon, breathing fire, soon experienced a heart-rending sensation. Intense magical backlash compelled him to cease the dragon's breath, and his colossal form plummeted from the sky.

"[Constrain]" Odessa sighed in relief, reactivating the statue. More chains surged from all directions, entangling Fayz's dragon form.

Moreover, within the interweaving chains, sharp spikes emerged, attempting to penetrate Fayz's body, disrupting his bones and organs.

Pained roars exploded in the sky. The agony momentarily suppressed Fayz's magical backlash, but the horrific magic surged again. Visible shockwaves radiated outward from his body, causing the surrounding chains to rupture.

Then Fayz wielded his colossal form as a weapon, charging straight at Odessa.

***

Half an hour later, the crimson-robed wizard reappeared in the room, looking disheveled with tousled hair and numerous wounds. The peculiar statue he held bore cracks, yet his blood-red eyes seemed eerier, his mouth moving as if chewing on something.

"You were too hasty. I should've told you, a legend isn't easily dealt with," a familiar voice echoed through the silent manor. The crimson-robed wizard turned, bowing respectfully. "Sometimes, risks are still meaningful, aren't they, Lord Merk?"

"It's merely luck on your part. If Fayz had retained consciousness upon reaching Greenville, all our preparations would've been futile," Merk, a wizard, pushed open the door, walking in, shaking his head, speaking coldly.

The crimson-robed wizard remained silent, accepting the reprimand.

"Is your new identity settling in?" Merk continued.

"This body's integration is only about seventy percent, but it's sufficient for now," the crimson-robed wizard replied casually.

"Good. After this matter concludes, I'll find you a more suitable body," Merk reassured. "As for these days, refrain from acting on your own, engaging in meaningless endeavors, understood?"

"I will comply, Lord Merk..." the crimson-robed wizard nodded slightly.

"Clean up everything here. I don't want any unfavorable rumors these days. According to the plan, Fayz should perish at the hands of that person..." Merk instructed.

"As you wish."

The crimson-robed wizard bowed, outwardly deferential, yet their eyes betrayed an icy indifference.

***

"AI, initiate overload mode, connect to the Magic Web, utilizing everyone's computing power except Harof's."

Two days later, at dusk, within Iyeta's temporary headquarters, in an enclosed training ground, Lynn silently called out in his mind.

Instantly, Lynn felt an unparalleled clarity in his mind. His mental prowess was rapidly expanding, and the world appeared different, indescribable—a sense of perceiving things that were previously invisible.

Control over magic increased manifold.

As if the space around him had turned incredibly fragile, a mere punch could shatter it.

But Lynn didn't let this inflate his ego. He knew it was all illusory, and these sudden surges of power were borrowed. After becoming an official wizard, the overload mode from the AI wasn't as effective for him. However, the emergence of the field of magic nicely compensated for it.

He named this ability to connect minds, utilizing others' computing power, the [Magic Network].

It was like a network constructed from magic and mental energy, where these wizards were akin to his puppets (computers remotely controlled by hackers), aiding him in the computational aspects of crafting spells.

Although it had been only a few days, thanks to Tike and others tirelessly staying within the Magic Web, learning what he provided—Calculus from Basics to Burials—the AI's progress in breaking the mental frequency had surpassed ten percent.

Of course, the deeper they delved, the more they touched upon the core, and the longer it would take to break.

Thankfully, for Lynn, this was sufficient. Drawing too much computing power wasn't beneficial; surpassing the limits would become a burden, affecting Tike and others more severely.

Lynn didn't want a repeat of the past, where after a battle, half of The Faceless, core members died on the spot, and the remaining half lost connection altogether.

Who would dare join the Society of Mystical Arts after this?

So, Lynn capped the upper limit of computing power utilization at fifteen percent. This way, he could amplify his strength without causing severe consequences.

Next up, it was time to test his newly created magic.

TL/n - 

Murk, Merk, Mok are all the same person.