Chapter 203: The Puppet Guardian

In the dark, narrow passage, visibility was nonexistent, but Merlin maintained his mental vigilance, allowing him to "see" everything around him despite the complete blackness.

Ahead of Merlin, Mage Lysen crouched and moved cautiously forward, even positioning his alchemical creature behind him. Merlin understood this was a precaution; in such tight and dark quarters, if Merlin intended to harm Lysen, the alchemical creature would be the first line of defense.

"We're here," Lysen whispered, halting and turning to Merlin. "Mage Merlin, don't use your mental powers to probe further, or you might alert the guardian."

Merlin nodded, following Lysen's gaze. Just outside the darkness, the walls glowed faintly with light from enormous pearls embedded along a pristine white surface, illuminating it softly. At the entrance, a three-meter-tall figure clad in black armor stood motionless—the "guardian" that Lysen had warned about. Lysen himself had barely escaped this guardian during his last visit, leaving behind one of his precious alchemical creatures and several enchanted items.

Merlin narrowed his eyes. There was no sign of life emanating from the guardian, but he wasn't about to act rashly.

"Lysen, tell me more about this 'guardian.' I hope you know something about it," Merlin demanded.

Lysen gave a slight smile. "Of course. Last time, I barely made it out alive, abandoning one of my alchemical creatures and some rare spell tools. This 'guardian' is likely a puppet crafted during alchemy's golden age 3,600 years ago."

"A puppet? After all this time, it still holds such power?" Merlin was aware that ancient mages could craft intricate puppets, but these creations typically had short lifespans and required heavy elemental crystal consumption to operate. Yet this "guardian" still possessed formidable strength, attesting to the immense power of the tower's original master.

Lysen's expression grew solemn as he nodded. "Indeed. This guardian is a puppet, with no signs of life—only a puppet could survive this long. The black armor it wears is likely another alchemical creation, with defenses so strong that even my level-three spells barely scratch its surface."

Merlin felt a twinge of unease. If Lysen's level-three magic left mere marks on the guardian's armor, how effective would his Icy Finger be?

Reading Merlin's hesitation, Lysen added urgently, "Mage Merlin, don't worry. This puppet guardian, though heavily armored, has likely expended most of its energy over the centuries, even if it was outfitted with ample elemental crystals. Besides, I've learned its weakness: it's vulnerable to ice spells. Basic level-three ice spells might only slow it down, but your magic, as cold as it is, could catch it off guard and seriously weaken it."

Lysen's voice grew intense as he continued, "Mage Merlin, once we get past this guardian, the door behind it should lead us to the Pandora magic!"

"Pandora magic…" Merlin murmured. With his recently mastered "Wind of Freedom" spell, he was confident he could retreat safely even if things went awry.

With his mind made up, Merlin focused intently on the towering puppet guardian and muttered, "Let's go, Lysen. The sooner we take down this guardian, the sooner we'll reach Pandora's magic."

Seeing Merlin's resolve, Lysen couldn't contain a smile as they carefully advanced down the passage toward the guardian.

Suddenly, the guardian's hollow eyes emitted a faint green light, turning to focus on the shadowy passage ahead.

"It's spotted us! Merlin, attack!" Lysen shouted, a manic gleam in his eyes. With a flick of his wrist, flames erupted in the narrow corridor, flooding toward the guardian. His alchemical creature roared, its muscles tensing with formidable power, and charged at the guardian.

The puppet guardian didn't flinch. Its black armor, weighty and imposing, scraped audibly with each movement.

"Thud!"

In one powerful blow, the guardian sent Lysen's alchemical creature flying, crashing it heavily into a stone wall. Lysen's creature, built purely for strength, was completely outmatched.

"Incredible power!" Merlin thought, taken aback. At that moment, Lysen's level-three fire spell engulfed the guardian, emitting an intense heat that would scorch through any regular armor. Yet, even under the blazing flames, the guardian's black armor showed no signs of melting or warping.

"Merlin, use your ice spell!" Lysen called out, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Freeze of Ice!" Merlin chanted, casting his recently learned level-one ice-binding spell.

A thick layer of ice quickly formed around the guardian, but before Merlin could even breathe a sigh of relief, the ice shattered. The Freeze of Ice spell couldn't restrain the guardian at all, and its freezing poison proved equally ineffective against a lifeless puppet.

Merlin cast the spell several times, even using an enhanced version, but none of it fazed the guardian. Seeing this, Lysen cried out, "Mage Merlin, only Pandora's magic can break through! My level-three ice spells have little effect either."

Merlin nodded, realizing that his Icy Finger, Pandora's magic, might be their only hope. Lifting his hand, he aimed his icy, crystalline finger at the guardian.

"Magic of Pandora, Icy Finger!"

Instantly, an aura of extreme cold shot directly toward the guardian.

---

Elsewhere, Mage Golan watched nervously from the shadows. "We've been spotted," he muttered.

"Let's face them head-on," he said grimly, leading Alena and Kalen out of the darkness to confront the five other mages in the tower's first level.

These five mages, each with an alchemical creature at their side, radiated an intense energy. The group's sheer numbers made Golan feel a sense of dread.

"So, more have come?" one mage sneered. "Thirteen of us made it this far, and only five of us survived. We've earned our chance at the treasures here, and now others come barging in? Mage Etrant, it seems we should hurry up and open the door before things take a turn."

Mage Etrant nodded, casting a dismissive glance at Golan's group. "I'll breach the door soon to reach the treasures. But while I work, we'll need Mage Hermann to handle any 'interruptions.'"

Mage Hermann's cold eyes settled on Golan, Alena, and Kalen, and he grinned. "Don't worry, Mage Etrant. They won't be causing any trouble."