Chapter 191: One Strike

After turning a few corners, Merlin followed Samir Mage into a narrow alleyway. On the right side of the alley stood a small door leading to Samir's residence.

Merlin surveyed the secluded courtyard. Living in such a hidden place would make it difficult for any ordinary spellcaster to locate, which indicated that Samir Mage was a very cautious man.

Entering the courtyard, they followed a long stone corridor, finally reaching the spacious guest hall. Despite its modest appearance from the outside, Samir's place was roomy and well-maintained.

"Come, Mage Merlin. My friends are all waiting in the hall," Samir said with a smile, gesturing toward the room.

Merlin nodded and stepped in. As he entered, he immediately noticed three spellcasters seated on the left side of the hall, each draped in black robes. One of them had a bald head with a single eye, giving him a rough, almost rogue-like appearance, rather than that of a powerful spellcaster.

"Heh, Samir, is this the guy we've been waiting on?" the one-eyed mage sneered at Merlin.

As Merlin walked in, he felt the intense scrutiny of three powerful mental forces probing him. He simply furrowed his brows slightly; such direct mental probing was incredibly rude and often led to duels between spellcasters. However, these three were third-level mages who regarded Merlin, a mere novice, as insignificant. Despite Samir's claims about Merlin's resilience, they remained skeptical.

Samir nodded, confirming, "Indeed, this is Mage Merlin."

Then, turning to Merlin, he said, "Let me introduce you. This is Mage Damasu, a third-level spellcaster."

The one-eyed mage, Damasu, barely acknowledged Merlin, sitting carelessly with a scowl. Merlin simply nodded slightly, as Samir continued, pointing to a pale-skinned mage who looked to be in his thirties, "This is Mage Buren. Merlin, you may be skilled in potions, but Mage Buren here is highly accomplished in alchemy. He commands two alchemical creatures."

Samir gave Merlin a meaningful look, a slight hint of amusement in his eyes. Following his gaze, Merlin saw two alchemical creatures beside Mage Buren, both feminine, with alluring and voluptuous forms. One of them even reclined against Buren.

Merlin couldn't help but shake his head; alchemists often had peculiar tastes. Still, Buren's skill was evident. Most alchemists could only command one creature, but Buren had two, suggesting that he knew some esoteric techniques.

Finally, Samir introduced the last mage, "And this is Mage Lyson."

Lyson seemed the most approachable among the three, offering Merlin a polite nod.

These three were all third-level mages, temporarily allied with Samir to explore the ancient ruins.

"Heh, Samir keeps telling us you can stand against third-level spellcasters. I doubt it," Damasu sneered, fixing a sinister gaze on Merlin. "If you can withstand one of my attacks here and now, I'll agree to let you join us. Otherwise, Samir's word alone won't get you in."

Merlin glanced at Samir, who remained expressionless. Clearly, they'd discussed this beforehand. Otherwise, a novice like Merlin would never have gained their approval.

"Go ahead," Merlin replied calmly, a confident edge to his tone.

Damasu laughed, turning to Samir, "Can you believe it? A mere novice spellcaster who gave you so much trouble—it's ridiculous! Eye of the Storm!"

With a flick of his eyebrow, a fierce whirlwind materialized around Damasu, rotating violently. In the middle of the whirlwind, an "eye" appeared, cutting through the air with terrifying speed and force. Despite its power, it stayed precisely controlled within a small area, leaving the room unscathed—a testament to Damasu's masterful control, something Merlin couldn't match.

"Guardian Monolith!"

Merlin cast three Guardian Monolith spells in quick succession, creating layers of defense in front of him. Finally, he used an enhancement spell tool to amplify the Guardian Monolith, nearly matching a third-level defense spell in strength.

"Crack…crack…crack."

The first three monoliths shattered instantly under the Eye of the Storm. But the final, enhanced barrier held firm, able to withstand Damasu's powerful attack.

"An enhancement tool!" Damasu called out, and a glint of greed flashed in his eyes. The other two mages also showed keen interest in Merlin's gear.

Damasu dispelled the Eye of the Storm with a look of veiled disappointment and murmured, "With that enhancement tool, you barely qualify to join us in the ruins."

Damasu was clearly a covetous man; his gaze lingered greedily on Merlin's enhancement tool. However, with a cautious glance at Samir, he refrained from any further moves—likely due to Samir's previous warnings.

"Alright, let's discuss our approach to the ruins," Damasu said, ignoring Merlin as he addressed the others.

The group turned their attention to Samir, indicating that he would lead the expedition into the ruins.

Suddenly, Merlin spoke, "Mage Damasu, I withstood your attack. Now, do you dare take one of mine?"

"Oh? Are you challenging me, boy?" Damasu's eyes narrowed, his tone deceptively calm, though his anger was evident.

"Mage Merlin," Samir interjected quickly, "Damasu's strength even I must respect. He was simply testing you and meant no harm."

But Merlin remained unbothered. "Mage Damasu, I'm asking—do you dare take a single strike from me?"

Damasu's eyes flashed with dark amusement, "Take your best shot, kid. Just remember, my alchemical creature is fast—so fast, you won't even have time to react."

With a sinister smile, Damasu snapped his fingers. Instantly, one of his alchemical creatures—a slender, agile figure—lunged at Merlin, its fist bristling with sharp spikes aimed straight at him.

"Stop, Damasu!" Samir shouted, sending his own alchemical creature to intercept. But Damasu's creation was too fast, reaching Merlin in the blink of an eye, a whirlwind of strikes aimed at him.

"Samir, the brat brought this on himself!" Damasu sneered, his face alight with malicious intent. As he prepared to unleash his most devastating spell, he believed Merlin wouldn't stand a chance.

Just then, a calm voice sounded from within the storm of blows, "Arcane Art, Extreme Ice Finger!"

"Crack!"

In an instant, the alchemical creature froze over, its entire body encased in thick ice before shattering into countless fragments.

The powerful alchemical creature vanished, leaving only shards of ice scattered across the floor. The room fell silent, the other mages staring in shock.

Damasu's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Merlin.

"Mage Damasu," Merlin said with a slight smile, raising his finger toward Damasu, "I told you—one strike."