A Wizard's Secret

by Stayrr

Anyone who could construct a stable Spell Model could become a Wizard — that was the Wizards’ ultimate secret! Having been given a new life as the son of an aristocrat and armed with a super quantum computer from his past life, Spell Models came as easily as breathing to Merlin. With this overwhelmingly huge advantage, would Merlin become the greatest Grand Wizard of all time?

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Read A Wizard's Secret - Chapter 937 - Visit online free - Light Novel Full

Chapter 937: Visit

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Merlin withdrew his consciousness from the Illusory World. He picked up the clothes he had prepared beforehand and put them on before turning to check on the Nourishment Pond.

At this time, the Nourishment Pond had become a deep moss green and did not emit any unpleasant odor. The two hundred or so materials that Merlin had added earlier must have been absorbed by him.

He faintly felt that if he wanted to raise the grade of shifting, he would need more materials to prepare the Nourishment Pond, and that amount would be quite terrifying.

"I need more money. A thousand gold coins or even two or three thousand gold coins are far from enough."

Merlin knew that the Nourishment Ponds for Hosts were expensive but he did not expect that it would be so expensive. Although Count Stanwin doted on him very much and gave him everything he asked for, it was the first time he needed so much money after coming to an unfamiliar place.

Furthermore, the three hundred heavy knights who had followed Count Stanwin were a big expense. It was already good that Merlin was given one thousand gold coins. It would be unrealistic to ask Count Stanwin for more.

However, for a while after Merlin had arrived in the Holy Dragon Empire, he could not think of any other ways.

Nothing would come out of staying in the laboratory, so Merlin simply left and locked it up. This laboratory was his secret that only Count Stanwin could know about.

After returning to the hall, he saw Count Stanwin who seemed to be looking for Merlin.

"Leon, you've come at the right time. Come visit Count Altadin with me."

Count Stanwin said to Merlin with a smile.

"Count Altadin?"

Merlin looked puzzled.

"We'll talk in the carriage."

Thus, Merlin could only follow Count Stanwin into the carriage.

In the carriage, Count Stanwin explained before Merlin could ask, "Count Altadin is my good friend. I saved his life in the past before, so I asked him for help after coming to the Holy Dragon City this time. This manor was found with the help of Count Altadin. I'm bringing you along to visit Count Altadin and introduce him to you."

Merlin nodded. It was not surprising that Count Stanwin was able to find such a large manor so quickly. Although it was deserted, it was not something that anyone could simply buy.

Count Altadin must have contributed greatly.

After understanding the reason, Merlin did not ask anything else and instead, silently stayed in the carriage, listening to the sound of the carriage wheels as if dazed.

After a while, the carriage came to a gradual stop. Count Stanwin lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked back at Merlin before saying, "Leon, we've reached Count Altadin's manor. Let's go."

Merlin followed Count Stanwin out of the carriage and looked in front. A huge manor that looked relatively old appeared in front of him. There were also some guards patrolling outside.

These guards became even more courteous upon seeing Merlin and the others.

"I'm Count Stanwin. I've come to visit Count Altadin."

Count Stanwin directly revealed his identity, and all the guards saluted at once.

"Honorable Count Stanwin, please wait a moment while we report your arrival."

The guards immediately went to report the matter, and soon, a middle-aged attractive and plump woman of about forty years old appeared.

"Count Stanwin, I'm Nathalian, Count Altadin's housekeeper. Count Altadin is delighted to know of your arrival. Please, follow me."

Although the lady housekeeper, Nathalian, was in her forties, she still looked like she was in her thirties. She possessed a full figure, and was especially plump on her bosom, inciting the imagination of others.

Under the guidance of this charming housekeeper, Merlin and Count Stanwin entered the manor.

The environment of the manor was very beautiful with bursts of flowers. Merlin had not expected flowers to bloom in such cold weather. It must have taken a lot of effort to make them bloom.

Arriving in the drawing room, there was already a middle-aged man dressed in an aristocratic attire who was around the same age as Count Stanwin, waiting. Seeing Count Stanwin, he immediately stood up with a smile and said hoarsely, "Count Stanwin, welcome to my manor."

"Count Altadin, I've come to thank you for your help last time. This is my son, Leon."

Merlin stepped forward and saluted slightly, "Count Altadin."

Count Altadin's eyes brightened as he carefully looked at Merlin while Merlin was somewhat confused. Count Altadin was acting inconsistently with aristocratic manners.

He also looked at Count Altadin from the corner of his eye. The other party was slightly plump, with a mustache on his upper lip. His clothes were very neat and even his nails were neatly trimmed. He seemed to be an aristocrat who paid great attention to his own image.

"Leon, this is the first time I've met you. You're very much like the Count Stanwin of the past."

Count Altadin's gaze seemed to have a deeper meaning.

"Baratha, this is Count Stanwin."

Merlin then saw a petite lady on one side of the hall. She wore a long white dress and had a round face, as beautiful as jade. She looked incredibly lovely.

"Count Stanwin."

Baratha bowed slightly and then looked at Merlin, which was rather bold.

"Good, Baratha has grown up well. I remember when I saw her more than ten years ago, she was just a little girl."

Count Stanwin said emotionally but there was a smile on his face. Count Altadin also nodded secretly.

Seeing this, Merlin finally felt that something was wrong.

"Father, did you bring me here to meet Baratha?"

How could Merlin still be ignorant of the Count Stanwin and Count Altadin's meaning? The purpose of their visit was supposedly to visit Count Altadin but it was to let Baratha and Merlin meet each other.

Merlin was somewhat helpless. No matter if he was in the Void Zone or the Almighty Beast World, some problems could not be gotten rid of.

Then, Count Stanwin chatted with Count Altadin, and talked about the recent situation of the Holy Dragon Empire.

"The situation in the Holy Dragon Empire isn't good. Many nobles have given up their territories and came to the Holy Dragon City. They regard this as the final place to take refuge."

Count Altadin felt very helpless as he mentioned this.

Count Stanwin and Merlin were the same. They gave up their territories and escaped to the Holy Dragon City. After all, the Holy Dragon City had the suppression of the legendary sacred beast Regulus' skull. Even if the Holy Dragon Empire began to fall into chaos, the Holy Dragon City would be very safe.

Therefore, many nobles regarded the Holy Dragon City as their first choice of refuge.

"Hasn't the royal family done anything at present?"

Count Stanwin asked in a heavy voice.

"What can the royal family do? The royal family has far less control than it had hundreds of years ago. Some nobles don't even obey the royal family's orders anymore. The royal family's influence is still very strong in the Holy Dragon City. However, outside the city, their influence is even less than that of the nobles in some territories."

Count Altadin seemed to be very concerned and helpless about the situation in the Holy Dragon Empire. The weakening of the royal family was the root cause of the chaos in the Holy Dragon Empire.

However, the decline of the royal family was due to the thin bloodline of the royal family and the absence of descendants with a strong Regulus bloodline. As a result, the entire Holy Dragon Empire had started to collapse.

Just as Count Altadin was feeling helpless, Count Stanwin suddenly stood up. His entire body immediately began to morph as he snorted coldly, "Who's there?"

"Bang."

Count Altadin's dressing room door crashed into pieces following a loud noise. The entire manor seemed to be shaking.

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Chapter 938: Ambush

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Without anyone noticing, several strange men in black appeared in the shadows under the trees outside Count Altadin's manor.

"Sir Pero, everything is ready but something happened."

The man in the middle called "Sir Pero" was a burly man with dark skin. He looked rather fierce with a huge earring in his ear.

"Earlier, a carriage arrived outside the manor. It seems that an aristocrat has come to visit Count Altadin."

"An aristocrat?"

Pero frowned. They had painstakingly lurked in the Holy Dragon City for the sake of the Bead of Infamy in Count Altadin's hands, which General Mungus had always yearned for. If they were not successful this time, they no longer needed to run go back. Instead, they should just run for their lives. Otherwise, they would surely be executed by General Mungus.

"Maybe it's just some friends of Count Altadin. They shouldn't be much trouble. We need to hurry. After all, this is the Holy Dragon City. If the royal guards find us, we won't be able to leave the city."

Pero understood clearly. Although the Holy Dragon Empire was full of confusion now, in the Holy Dragon City, the royal family still did not allow the provocation of anyone. In the Holy Dragon City, the real master was the royal family.

Pero took a deep breath as a determined glint flashed in his eyes, and commanded, "Now!"

Immediately, the shadows dived into the manor.

…

"Who's there?"

Following Count Stanwin's shout, the gate of the hall crashed into pieces, and several giant spiders appeared in the hall.

"Haha, Count Altadin, hand over the Bead of Infamy or all of you will die!"

These giant spiders were third-form shifters. The man who was leading them had reached the fourth-form and was blocking the entrance of the hall while staring at Count Altadin coldly.

"The Bead of Infamy? Who are you? How do you know about the Bead of Infamy?"

Count Altadin's face paled. The treasure his family passed down had been found out.

"We work under General Mungus. The Bead of Infamy is wasted in your worthless hands. If you dedicate it to our General Mungus, we'll spare your lives."

Hearing what the shifter said, Count Stanwin's expression became solemn. General Mungus was one of the most powerful leaders of those rebelling against the Holy Dragon Empire. He was a powerful Host that had become a full-shifter, and was extremely terrifying.

Count Altadin looked pale. He could not shift, and had neither an almighty beast bloodline nor the courage to become a Host. Therefore, in the face of Mungus' men, his heart was already in despair.

However, the Bead of Infamy was a treasure passed down in Altadin's family, and must not be handed over to these people.

"You're quite bold to sneak into the Holy Dragon City. When the royal family finds out, will you be able to escape?"

Count Stanwin shouted, and took a step forward to protect Count Altadin.

Perot frowned and sneered. "What's so scary about the Holy Dragon City? Even the Regulus enchantment set up by the royal family is only a strong obstruction to shifters. We aren't full-shifters, so it's easy to get into the Holy Dragon City. Unfortunately, you two are here today. Today is the day you die. Don't let anyone escape! Kill!"

Pero saw that Count Altadin did not intend to hand over the Bead of Infamy, and did not waste any more time. He led the five shifters and lunged toward Count Altadin.

"Roar…"

Suddenly, Count Stanwin began to morph. He grew more than five meters tall and was covered with blood-red scales, and his limbs contained terrifying power.

The ferocious aura spread around. This was the fourth-form of the Deinosuchus bloodline. At this time, the huge pressure shrouded the men in black.

"The Deinosuchus bloodline?"

A few of the men were surprised. The Deinosuchus bloodline belonged to a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline and was extremely strong. Even they had heard of it before.

Count Stanwin was not courteous at all. His huge body rushed forward and his stubby tail swung hard.

"Bang."

The stout and powerful tail swept a man dressed in black in front of him. Although the other party was also a shifter, before a fourth-form shifter like Count Stanwin, he was completely defeated and beaten directly to the ground into a bloody pulp.

With one move, one of the third-form shifters died. However, besides the men in black, even Merlin felt extremely surprised.

This was the strength of a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline!

However, it was not over. Count Stanwin, in the form of a Deinosuchus, rushed forward with great power, and the fourth-form man in black was also sent flying.

Like that, one was dead and one was injured. The remaining three men in black all looked at each other but did not dare to attack.

"D*mn it, it's a fourth-form shifter! The two of us will stop the Deinosuchus while the last one catches Count Altadin and force him to hand over the Bead of Infamy. If we don't get the Bead of Infamy this time, we'll all die!"

Pero, the leader, gnashed his teeth as he spoke. They were sent by General Mungus this time for one purpose only, and could only succeed. If they failed, they would die.

"Swoosh swoosh swoosh."

Pero and the two other men in black morphed into giant spiders. In terms of strength, they were far inferior to Count Stanwin but they used their white silk thread.

These silk threads were extremely tough and firm. They shot at Count Stanwin from all directions. However, Count Stanwin could not dodge them all as he was not swift enough. Soon, he was bound firmly.

Despite Count Stanwin's strength and constant struggle, it was impossible to escape in a short amount of time. At that moment, both sides were in a deadlock.

The remaining man in black rushed toward Count Altadin and spat out a white silk thread, ready to capture him.

Count Altadin's face went white. Beside him, Baratha was also pale and bit her lips. Although she was acting strong now, she could do nothing in the face of a third-form shifter.

Merlin took a deep breath. He knew that he had to expose his hands at this time, otherwise, Count Altadin and Baratha would be captured.

"Shift!"

Black fur rapidly began to grow all over Merlin's body. His hands turned into sharp claws and his height soared to nearly two meters. Immediately, his entire body was filled with powerful strength.

"Swoosh."

Merlin put force in his legs and his speed reached the limit. The entire hall could only see a black figure flashing by before appearing in front of Count Altadin before the man in black did.

"Go!"

Merlin grabbed Count Altadin and Baratha in each hand and rushed to the outside of the hall. Although he was pulling them along, his speed was still terrifying as he rushed out of the hall in the blink of an eye.

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Chapter 939: Bead of Infamy I

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"What? There's still an almighty beast bloodline? How fast!"

The man in black was shocked. He did not even see the figure, and lost sight of Count Altadin's presence. He did not manage to see who had acted.

However, their goal this time was Count Altadin, so they naturally would not give up easily. The man in black quickly jumped, and directly rushed out of the hall.

"Swoosh."

Outside the hall, Merlin showed himself. By his side, his left and right hands grabbed one person each. Currently, after shapeshifting, it was easy to grab two people.

However, Count Altadin was shocked and almost lost his voice, and said, "Leon, I thought you didn't inherit the Deinosuchus bloodline? No, this isn't the Deinosuchus bloodline. Could it be…?"

Count Altadin seemed to think of a possibility as his expression turned odd.

Merlin also knew that he could not hide it anymore, and nodded, "Yes, I'm a Host!"

"A Host!!!"

Count Altadin shivered as his eyes shined. Other aristocrats might only show respect from a distance toward Hosts, but Count Altadin was different. This was because Count Altadin's ancestor was a powerful Host who left behind the treasure known as the Bead of Infamy.

"Stay here. I'll deal with them."

Merlin's eyes darkened. He saw the morphed man in black rush out of the hall and knew that running away would not solve the problem. Besides, he was eager to test his abilities. After all, the man in black was a third-form shifter, and although Merlin was a Host, he was also a third-form shifter.

The time had come to test his real strength!

The man in black had shapeshifted into a ferocious-looking giant spider that gave others an oppressive feeling. However, Merlin knew that it was only a low-tier almighty beast bloodline. It was no match for his Two-headed Pterolycus, so he had nothing to fear.

"Hoo…"

Merlin did not hesitate. His figure turned into an afterimage as he charged toward the man in black.

Merlin's speed was so fast that he could not be seen with the naked eye. Although the man in black could not spot Merlin's exact location, his senses were very sharp, which allowed him to sense Merlin's general location.

From the body of the spider, the man in black viciously spit out strands of white silk that spread out, forming a large net and blocking Merlin's way forward.

No matter how fast Merlin was, he would not be able to escape the net. However, Merlin's Two-headed Pterolycus did not merely have speed. His figure stopped, and the glint of two claws flashed.

"Skrr-skrr-skrr."

The sharp wolf claws easily cut off the sturdy white silk and quickly approached the man in black. Immediately after the collision, the man became disadvantaged. Merlin's Two-headed Pterolycus' speed, coupled with the razor-sharp wolf claws, were extraordinary and impossible to defend against.

"Slash."

Merlin's sharp claws swiped viciously, and the man in black immediately let out a scream as one of his legs were chopped off. Their speed had been very fast, and the confrontation was over in a flash.

Merlin's strength gave him the advantage, and it was thanks to his Two-headed Pterolycus that he managed to restrain the other party. The man's spider form was a forbidden almighty beast bloodline, but in the face of Merlin's Two-headed Pterolycus and its speed and sharp claws, he did not stand a chance. He naturally was no match against Merlin.

In a battle between almighty beasts, if one's ability could be restrained, it would be a one-sided massacre. The current situation was very bad for the man in black.

A glint flashed in Merlin's eyes. He was not an ordinary young man but someone who stood on the top of a Latitude Cosmos. He had experienced countless battles, so how would he miss such an opportunity?

Seeing that the other party was injured, Merlin's speed exploded again. He instantly appeared in front of the man in black, and his claws glinted coldly in the light.

"Slash."

The sharp wolf claws cut off the man's head without any hindrance and blood immediately gushed out, filling the air with a pungent smell.

Merlin watched the man lying in a pool of blood. His beast form had been lifted. Although the man's current state looked very terrifying, Merlin was not fazed at all. He was still thinking about the gains and losses from the battle earlier.

The Two-headed Pterolycus' characteristics were its speed and sharp claws, so there was no problem when dealing with giant spiders like these. However, if he had to encounter Count Stanwin's Deinosuchus bloodline, which had terrifying defenses, even his claws would not work. At that time, Merlin would be helpless.

The Two-headed Pterolycus had its advantages, but its disadvantages were also obvious. However, this was also a common failing of low-tier almighty beasts. They were doomed to have many weaknesses, and unable to reach the point of perfection.

"Leon, how's Count Stanwin?"

Count Altadin also calmed down and expressed worry for Count Stanwin who was in the hall.

Merlin smiled and said, "Father should be fine."

Merlin's foresight was good. The three men were only able to temporarily pin down his father. They were naturally no match for Count Stanwin in the long run.

"Boom."

Just as Merlin finished speaking, the entire manor seemed to shake. Then, the wall of the hall was blown into pieces. A few figures flew out from the rubble and fell heavily to the ground. It was the three other men in black.

However, at this moment, the three men looked miserable. Although they were not dead, they were seriously injured and could not even stand properly.

"Swoosh."

The giant Deinosuchus slowly walked out of the hall. Currently, Count Stanwin's body emitted a layer of blood-red light, increasing his might.

"Everything's fine now. Capture those three and interrogate them thoroughly."

Count Stanwin said in a low voice. He had not killed them so he could interrogate them properly.

"There's no need. Just kill them!"

Count Altadin had already called his guards. With a wave of his hand, the guards swiftly stepped forward and killed the three men.

Count Altadin's actions greatly stunned Count Stanwin. He did not understand why Count Altadin wanted to kill them.

"Count Stanwin, Leon, you have my thanks. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid that a river of blood would have started to flow in my manor."

Now that Count Altadin thought about it, he felt some fear. Ultimately, it was because no one in his family inherited an almighty beast bloodline. As for being a Host, it was also incredibly risky. Count Altadin did not have the courage to become a Host, which led to such a catastrophe today.

After hesitating for a moment, Count Altadin seemed to have decided and said, "Count Stanwin, Leon, these men were Mungus' subordinates. I believe you're also very curious about the Bead of Infamy they were after. Please come with me. This is the greatest secret of my Leicester clan."

Count Stanwin and Merlin cast a glance at each other. They were indeed curious about the Bead of Infamy. It must be extraordinary if Mungus would send his men all this way to rob it.

Since Count Altadin was willing to tell them, they followed behind him and entered the hall.

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Chapter 940: The Bead of Infamy II

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The guards in the hall withdrew, leaving just Count Stanwin, Merlin, and Count Altadin's daughter, Baratha. The atmosphere was solemn.

"Count Stanwin, these people had come after the Leicester clan's greatest secret – the Bead of Infamy! The noble progenitor of our Leicester clan was a full-shifting Host with powerful capabilities. Back then, he had accompanied the royal family in establishing the Holy Dragon Empire. Moreover, he was dubbed with the highest title of duke. It's a shame that in so many years, no one else in the clan had an exceptional almighty beast bloodline. As for some ancestors who'd chosen parasitism, they had failed and died. Therefore, our title dwindled bit by bit, becoming the current countship.

"As for the Bead of Infamy – back when our progenitor was powerful, he purposefully gathered some almighty beasts' wills from various dangerous places. Some of these almighty beasts' wills are terrifying, which became an inherited treasure in our Leicester clan. However, the later generations did not succeed in parasitism. Even if they did, they soon died, overwhelmed by the almighty beast's will. As for myself, I didn't have the courage to become a Host. By now, my Leicester clan suffers from a lack of heirs – I only have my daughter, Baratha. The Bead of Infamy is now in Mungus' sight. I believe he'll send more people to seize it. I'm far from being able to save this Bead of Infamy. Therefore, Count Stanwin, I have a request."

With that, Count Altadin looked toward Merlin meaningfully.

Count Stanwin had already guessed where Count Altadin was going, and he glanced at Merlin too.

"Leon, would you be willing to marry Baratha? Earlier, I've seen that you're a Host, and your almighty beast's will must be a Two-headed Pterolycus. Although this almighty beast isn't too shabby, it's ultimately a low-tier almighty beast with limited potential. Our Leicester clan's Bead of Infamy has even sealed in a high-tier almighty beast's will, which had parasitized our ancestors once. Naturally, its potential far exceeds the Two-headed Pterolycus. If you're willing to marry Baratha, I'll pass on the Bead of Infamy to you, and you may select any almighty beast's will within the Bead of Infamy to parasitize you as you wish. Provided that, in the future, one of the children born by you and Baratha will become the heir of my Leicester clan."

Indeed, Count Altadin had intended for Baratha to see Merlin for herself. Furthermore, after Merlin had exposed his strength and his identity as a Host, Count Altadin was even more pleased with Merlin.

A treasure like the Bead of Infamy was an incredible temptation for a Host, nearly irresistible. Merlin knew that it would be difficult to look for more powerful almighty beasts' wills in other places. Otherwise, if an almighty beast's will was so easily found, then the full-shifter General Mungus would not have his heart set on the Bead of Infamy.

"Any thoughts, Count Stanwin?"

Count Altadin then immediately took out a black, opaque bead that did not look special. Nonetheless, Merlin could detect bursts of astonishing, berserk wills, which must be the almighty beasts' wills sealed within.

These almighty beasts' wills could be sealed, many of which were mid-tier or even high-tier almighty beasts' wills. That progenitor of Count Altadin's clan was truly impressive. He must have far surpassed most full-shifters.

Still, Count Stanwin cast his gaze at Merlin, asking softly, "Leon, what do you think?"

Merlin was indeed tempted about the Bead of Infamy. After all, it was challenging for him to locate other, more formidable almighty beasts' wills, just as it was challenging to search for other Nourishment Pond formulas.

Although Curator Heroult seemed enigmatic, he must have plenty of almighty beasts' wills. Heroult had even promised that if Merlin followed him to Holy Dragon City, he would give Merlin a mid-tier almighty beast's will to parasitize Merlin.

Nevertheless, even the almighty beasts' wills that Heroult possessed might not measure up to the almighty beasts' wills sealed within this Bead of Infamy.

However, Merlin thought about Lady Reese, the fiancée he was engaged to as soon as he came to the Almighty Beast World.

"Count Altadin, I already have a fiancée."

Merlin only spoke after a long moment. On one side, Baratha's face stiffened slightly as she wrung her dainty hands, appearing rather nervous.

Count Stanwin knitted his brow. He was not too concerned about Reese. Among the aristocrats, having a few women were not a big deal. Although Merlin and Reese had gotten engaged before the aristocrats of Boulder City, the city had fallen to the enemy by now. Count Stanwin had lost his territory, with Reese following them to Holy Dragon City.

"Haha, Count Stanwin had mentioned this to me long before. Leon, I know that you have a fiancée but as an aristocrat, what are a few more wives? Moreover, Baratha won't take issue with this."

Count Altadin felt that Merlin's fiancée was no great obstacle.

Merlin appeared rather hesitant. In his previous life, he did not share much affection with two women. Now, in the Almighty Beast World, he had to go through the same scenario.

"Leon, I'll personally talk to Lady Reese. She won't mind."

Count Stanwin spoke at last. He was very pleased with Baratha, but he was even happier that Count Altadin was willing to hand over the Bead of Infamy. This was an inherited treasure of the Leicester clan, which was very precious. Even the full-shifter General Mungus would stop at nothing to get this bead.

If Leon could obtain this Bead of Infamy, this would undoubtedly be an immense help for Leon's parasitism.

Seeing that Merlin was still bewildered and uncertain, Count Stanwin said immediately, "Alright, Leon. We'll do this then!"

Marriage between aristocrats was sometimes this simple. Count Altadin needed someone powerful to support the entire Leicester clan while Count Stanwin needed the backing of a reliable ally in Holy Dragon City. Only then could he establish himself.

Everyone got what they wanted. As for Merlin, he would benefit as well. In the eyes of aristocrats, feelings were not worth a mention, as long as one remained loyal to one's clan.

As if to express his sincerity, and also because he seemed fond of Merlin, Count Altadin gave the Bead of Infamy to Merlin in a precursory manner.

"Let's pick a good day for Leon and Baratha to get married. I'll give this Bead of Infamy to Leon first. Still, I hope that before you're married, Leon, you won't switch your almighty beast's will."

Altadin's expression was rather somber. Though he did not choose parasitism, the Leicester clan's progenitor was a formidable full-shifting Host. Thus, he had an unparalleled understanding of parasitism.

He knew about the dangers that plagued a Host. One might die at any moment. In particular, changing to host a different almighty beast's will was a matter of both risk and luck. If Merlin got married first, he could still leave behind an heir.

To aristocrats, the lineage of their bloodline was always the most important aspect. All other matters could be set aside first.

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Chapter 941: The Three-layered Subspace

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

A carriage sped along the wide street. Within the carriage, Merlin started to speak but hesitated. After a long while, he could not help but ask, "Father, just now when we were in the manor, those subordinates of General Mungus could easily sneak into the Holy Dragon City? Shouldn't it be that, since the royal family is the ruler of the Holy Dragon City, the armed rebellion would find it hard to breach this place?"

Merlin had thought that the Holy Dragon City was initially very secure, but at that moment, it looked like that was not the case. Those people were able to easily infiltrate the Holy Dragon City. What safety was there to speak of?

Count Stanwin looked at Merlin and seemed rather pleased. He felt that ever since they left Boulder City, Merlin had transformed significantly and no longer as "naïve" as he used to be. Now, he was able to support an entire clan.

Although Merlin was under constant potential danger due to his parasitism, this transformation still delighted Count Stanwin very much.

Thus, Count Stanwin explained in a low voice, "The royal family still has tremendous influence in the Holy Dragon City. It's impossible for other rebellion forces to infiltrate the Holy Dragon City. However, the Holy Dragon City's measures seem to only target contenders who are full-shifters. If anyone at that level enters the Holy Dragon City, the royal family would know at once. Moreover, even if there's only one head of the Sacred Lion Beast left, it still possesses a frightening might. Those contenders who are full-shifters or higher won't dare to enter the Holy Dragon City. As for those below the level of full-shifters, what use would they be even if more of them came in?"

Count Stanwin explained everything clearly and Merlin wore an expression of sudden realization. It turned out that the Holy Dragon City only targeted those who are full-shifters or higher.

Contenders like these, after shapeshifting and wantonly causing destruction, could easily destroy a city. Thus, they posed the greatest threat. As for those below full-shifters, they were not much of a threat toward the royal family even if more of them came in. All that was needed was a little control. The royal family's greatest strength did not need to be mobilized.

As a result, Mungus' men were able to stealthily infiltrate the Holy Dragon City.

"Leon, I've put you out. If you really don't wish to marry Baratha, then return the Bead of Infamy. I'll handle Count Altadin."

After a moment of silent thought, Count Stanwin spoke in discursive tones. At that point, he treated Merlin as an equal. Merlin was no longer the youth of the past that needed protection.

Merlin looked up and smiled as he said, "How am I put out? Baratha is very pretty, and I think Lady Reese is sure to agree. Of course, Father will have to explain to her."

To Merlin, whether it was in the Void Zone or the Almighty Beast World, he had never felt much sentiment towards women. What he sought was the path to power, in order to surpass the Latitude Cosmos. The feelings between men and women were merely a passing memory of a few decades to him.

Moreover, he could sense the wildly snarling almighty beasts' will within this Bead of Infamy. Merlin could not bear to return it.

"Haha, as long as you're willing. When we return to the manor, I'll begin preparations for your wedding, selecting a good day for the wedding between you and Reese, and Baratha too. Then we may quickly continue the bloodline of our Hilderbrandt clan."

Count Stanwin seemed to be satisfied. Previously, he had only planned for Leon to live a peaceful life. Although he would pass on his countship, Count Stanwin never considered passing on the heavy responsibilities of the clan.

However, after Merlin was parasitized, he seemed to have transformed suddenly. The burdens of the clan could be handed over to Merlin. In this regard, Count Stanwin naturally felt very satisfied.

His only regret was that Merlin was a Host, liable to be devoured by the almighty beast's will at any time. This was the common plight of all Hosts.

…

After returning to the Manor, Merlin did not bother with matters of the wedding. He pushed everything else to one side. Count Stanwin was there to worry about the wedding.

Later, Merlin instantly headed to the basement after a brief discussion with Count Stanwin. In this crude laboratory, the Nourishment Pond was still left with a moss green liquid. Still, Merlin knew that this water was no longer useful. He had to create the formula again.

Nonetheless, the number of gold coins Merlin currently possessed was insufficient to purchase the ingredients for another batch of Hermani formula.

Merlin had gone into the laboratory to inspect the Bead of Infamy he recently received. At first, he did not sense much, but after placing the Bead of Infamy on his skin, Merlin's keen senses could detect the terrifying almighty beasts' will within the Bead of Infamy that was roaring constantly.

"What powerful almighty beasts' will! As expected of the various almighty beasts' will collected by the full-shifting progenitor of the Leicester clan."

Even though Merlin had not actually merged with these almighty beasts' will, he could sense their immense power.

"I'll go in for a look first."

Merlin followed Count Altadin's instructions and began to focus his will into the Bead of Infamy. After a moment, his consciousness was even in an occasional numbness.

"Boom."

His consciousness had entered an indescribable subspace, which was pitch-dark all over. It must be the subspace within the Bead of Infamy.

Moreover, as Merlin's consciousness went in, a detailed introduction of the Bead of Infamy's characteristics swiftly surfaced in Merlin's mind.

It turned out that the Bead of Infamy was divided into three layers of subspace. The first layer contained the low-tier almighty beasts' will, while the second layer contained mid-tier almighty beasts' will.

As for the third and final layer, the sole high-tier almighty beast's will was sealed within. This high-tier of almighty beast's will was the same almighty beast bloodline that parasitized the progenitor of the Leicester clan.

"There's actually subspace-type treasures used to seal almighty beasts' will. It looks like this world isn't as simple as I thought. Those full-shifters and those beyond that level have more the just frightening destructive power."

Merlin stared at this subspace. Although it could only accommodate his consciousness, it was wondrous enough. After all, this world was not stronger than the Void Zone. It was rare for a subspace-type treasure like this to show up.

At a single thought from Merlin, his consciousness immediately drifted to the first layer in the Bead of Infamy. As soon as he went in, Merlin could hear the roaring of countless almighty beasts reverberating in his ears incessantly.

If he was an average person, his consciousness would be dazzled and he would have to exit the Bead of Infamy. Nevertheless, Merlin paid no attention to the snarling of these low-tier almighty beasts' will.

"Three-headed Dog? Green-patterned Python and the Gray-feathered Roc? Indeed, these are all the low-tier almighty beasts' will."

Merlin swept his consciousness over, finding that there were many low-tier almighty beasts' will in this subspace. Some of them were not inferior to his Two-headed Pterolycus in the slightest or were even more exceptional.

Being able to seal in so many low-tier almighty beasts' will, this Bead of Infamy's value to Hosts was practically incalculable.

However, Merlin was not that interested in the will of these low-tier almighty beasts, which was certain to have limited potential. Even at their limits, as Heroult pointed out, they were not that powerful.

Following that, Merlin resolutely stepped into the second layer subspace of the Bead of Infamy. Here, the number of almighty beasts' will were evidently fewer in number. In total, there were only eighteen almighty beasts' will.

When these will noticed the presence of Merlin's consciousness, they immediately erupted furiously. The onslaught from these will could even tear apart the consciousness of an ordinary person.

Therefore, Count Altadin reminded him not to simply enter the Bead of Infamy.

"Purple-eyed Polar Bear, Nightjar King… these are all powerful mid-tier almighty beasts. Some of the outstanding ones are even mightier than the Deinosuchus bloodline!"

Merlin was somewhat tempted. If he had not obtained the Bead of Infamy, any one of the almighty beasts' will within the second layer subspace would tempt Merlin because these all far surpassed the potential of the Two-headed Pterolycus.

Still, Merlin knew that there was a sealed third layer subspace, within which the will of a high-tier almighty beast. This was Merlin's true target.

"High-tier almighty beast… Even in the whole Holy Dragon Empire, those who possessed a high-tier almighty beast bloodline could be counted on one's fingers!"

Merlin's spirits soared. The high-tier almighty beast was definitely a dominant almighty beast within the Almighty Beast World.

"If one doesn't have a powerful will, entry to the third layer of the Bead of Infamy is forbidden!"

Just as Merlin was about to enter the third layer subspace, this message flashed across his mind. This must have been left behind by the progenitor of the Leicester clan.

This meant that the third layer subspace might very well contain great danger.

High-tier almighty beasts were distinct from mid-tier and low-tier almighty beasts. Even if it was just a will, it would be very fearsome.

However, Merlin did not care. After detecting the third layer subspace, his consciousness immediately drifted in.

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Chapter 942: The Vipera Dragon Class

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Boom."

As soon as Merlin drifted into the third layer subspace, blood-red light filled his vision. It was as if his consciousness was about to be ripped apart by an immense force.

Nonetheless, Merlin's consciousness was unlike an ordinary person's. This bit of power was naturally unable to cause his consciousness any harm. Therefore, he inspected with his consciousness and soon discovered that this crimson subspace only contained one colossal will.

"Someone has finally come in and with a decent consciousness too. It's just a shame that it's a tiny fellow who's selected to merge with a puny Two-headed Pterolycus. With such a lowly bloodline, I, the great Blood-eye Dragon, won't follow you!"

A deafening voice sounded in Merlin's ears which rumbled unceasingly and was filled with a tyrannical presence.

This was the high-tier almighty beast's will that was sealed within the third layer subspace – the Blood-eye Dragon!

The Blood-eye Dragon was a high-tier almighty beast. It had been a terrifying and formidable almighty beast, even in ancient times when almighty beasts ran amok. Furthermore, the Blood-eye Dragon had an obvious, unique advantage; it belonged to the Vipera Dragons class.

Vipera Dragons were descendants of the legendary Sacred Dragon, only their bloodline was thinner. Moreover, they had cross-bred with other almighty beasts. Naturally, their strength was far inferior to the legendary Sacred Dragon.

Nonetheless, they were still Vipera Dragons and possessed a trace of the Sacred Dragon's bloodline. Apparently, if one could stimulate a Vipera Dragon's bloodline to its limits, they might unleash the true Sacred Dragon bloodline.

Of course, myths were just myths. Sacred beasts were mythic beings in the first place. Who could actually possess the power of sacred beasts? This Blood-eye Dragon itself was already extraordinary enough. Even if only its will was left, it was still equipped with such immense strength. Furthermore, it maintained an intellect on par with an average person. Merlin was somewhat amazed.

"Blood-eye Dragon, a high-tier almighty beast's will. What, you don't wish to parasitize my body?" Merlin answered with a laugh.

This was not up to the Blood-eye Dragon. Perhaps others might be unable to handle the Blood-eye Dragon's will but Merlin had the Illusory World and powerful Mind Power. Only the will of the Blood-eye Dragon remained. To Merlin, this was no threat at all.

"For you to choose a mere Two-headed Pterolycus, you evidently possess no willpower nor intelligence. If I choose to parasitize you, won't I be forever unable to recover my peak strength? If that's the case, I'd rather stay sealed in this Bead of Infamy. Go away, I won't choose to parasitize your body. If you continue disturbing my sleep, I'll swallow your consciousness and turn you into an idiot!"

This Blood-eye Dragon's will was rather vicious and already started to threaten Merlin.

Merlin only gave a careless smile and did not take the Blood-eye Dragon's threat to heart. Still, he did not stay on in the Bead of Infamy and retracted his consciousness.

It was not that Merlin did not wish to immediately switch the Two-headed Pterolycus's will for the Blood-eye Dragon. One was a mere low-tier almighty beast's will, the other was a lofty, incomparably powerful high-tier almighty beast's will. It was also a Vipera Dragon that was a preeminent existence even amongst high-tier almighty beasts.

Nevertheless, Merlin could not switch his almighty beast's will so easily at that point.

In truth, Hosts had two methods in dealing with an almighty beast's will. The first was, they could switch immediately upon locating a stronger almighty beast's will. Even so, they must start from the beginning, slowly progressing from the first-form onwards.

This would take up vast amounts of resources which was what Merlin lacked now. He knew that the Blood-eye Dragon's will was indeed formidable but for him to reach the first-form required more materials for the Nourishment Pond than what it would need to take to reach the Two-headed Pterolycus's fourth-form. With Merlin's current financial ability, he was incapable of creating this Nourishment Pond.

Even if he requested this from Count Stanwin, it would be limited. Hosts used up a lot of resources, especially with a powerful almighty beast's will. The resources needed for that was inconceivable.

Of course, there was the second method which was to merge the almighty beasts' wills together. In that manner, one would not need to slowly progress from the first-form onwards.

However, that required a powerful almighty beast's will as the primary will first. Only then could one slowly attempt to merge other almighty beasts' wills into the first one, inducing mutations.

At that moment, Merlin only had the Two-headed Pterolycus which definitely could not act as the primary will. Conversely, if he merged with the Blood-eye Dragon in the future, he could try using this method. Still, merging with other almighty beasts' will and slowly upgrading the almighty beast's will was extremely dangerous. It would take a long time, many attempts, and Merlin was still very far from this stage.

Therefore, what he could do now was to solve the issue of Nourishment Pond's materials. Merlin could only smoothly merge with the Blood-eye Dragon with abundant resources and then rapidly advance it to its first-form or even beyond that.

"It's impossible to earn enough money in a short time span. Even if I did, preparing the materials of the Nourishment Pond won't be cheap. I'd only be able to use the Nourishment Pond once or twice, which isn't much help."

Countless thoughts zipped past Merlin's mind. He had many ideas but rejected each of them.

Suddenly, Merlin recalled Curator Heroult who had helped him merge with the Two-headed Pterolycus back in Boulder City. Back then, Heroult asked Merlin to follow him into Holy Dragon City but Merlin refused.

After that, Heroult left only an address for Brews Castle, so that Merlin could look him up at any time.

"It looks like it's time to look for Heroult. With Brews Castle's address, it won't be hard to search."

Merlin made up his mind and immediately left the laboratory, then boarded the carriage. After finding out the specific location of Brews Castle, he directed the carriage straight to this destination.

…

A thin drizzle came down from the sky. The weather during the beginning of spring was still chilly. Raindrops felt icy as they landed on one's face.

A carriage slowly stopped before an ancient castle. Merlin slowly disembarked from the carriage and looked up at this castle.

This here was Brews Castle, a rather ancient castle. There were no guards outside, and a quick glance into the castle revealed no human figures.

Nonetheless, the lawn within was well maintained, proving that this was not an abandoned castle but one that had residents.

Merlin instructed the coach driver to wait outside. He removed his gloves and draped himself with a black cloak. After a moment of hesitation, he pushed the iron gate open straightaway and walked towards the castle's hall.

As soon as he entered the castle, Merlin detected an odd, unpleasant odor. Frowning, he looked upwards to the castle but discovered nothing out of the ordinary.

Soon, Merlin stood before the sturdy doors of the castle. Reaching out, he knocked sharply. The clear sound resounded within which sounded empty, giving him an eerie feeling.

"Creak."

Under Merlin's attentive gaze, the castle's doors were slowly opened from within.

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Chapter 943: Meeting Heroult Again

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

An old man with grizzled hair opened the door. When he saw Merlin, a puzzled look crossed his face as he asked softly, "Who are you looking for?"

"May I ask if Heroult stays here? I'm Mr. Heroult's friend. My name is Leon. I believe Mr. Heroult knows me."

Merlin declared his identity. This unfamiliar old man sized Merlin up and then said, "Please hold on a moment. I'll ask for Sir Heroult."

It looked like this Heroult had quite a status. After all, though this castle was relatively old, it was naturally quite impressive to own such a massive castle in the Holy Dragon City where land prices were steep.

After a moment, a booming laugh came from within the castle. "Haha, is that Master Leon? You've actually come to the Holy Dragon City."

The doors opened. Heroult had changed into aristocratic apparel, exuding a noble, graceful temperament. This was not something most aristocrats could pull off. Even Count Stanwin did not have such a presence because this required an aristocratic clan with centuries of consolidation.

Heroult was always mysterious. Back in Boulder City, he had only opened the Fossil Museum, which was really strange. He had meticulous plans and was not just some aristocratic wastrel.

"Curator Heroult, we meet again!"

Although many thoughts flashed across Merlin's mind, he still remained outwardly calm.

"Master Leon, let's go in and talk."

Heroult invited Merlin into the living room, then examined Merlin all over. There was a strange glint in his eyes as he said quietly, "Not long ago, I had gotten word that Marshal Kerry was defeated by the Blackbat Militia and the barbarian tribe, and Boulder City had fallen to the Blackbat Militia. I was even worried about you, Master Leon but didn't expect that you had already arrived at the Holy Dragon City. I wonder, what is the purpose of you paying me a visit?"

Heroult was vaguely expectant, even impatient. He had been waiting for Merlin's news. After all, Merlin was a rare Host, one whose parasitism Heroult had carried out successfully. Although Heroult had obtained his data already, as someone who studied Hosts, this data was far from enough.

Merlin contemplated silently, then suddenly stood up. Since he wanted to obtain the formula and resources for the Nourishment Pond from Heroult, Heroult would discover that he had become a third-form shifter sooner or later. Merlin might as well tell Heroult first. He could even tempt Heroult more.

After all, a Host who was a first-form shifter could not be placed on par with a third-form shifter no matter what. Many people had succeeded in parasitism in the beginning, but as the shifter grew stronger, the almighty beast's will grew more powerful too. Ultimately, when they reached the second or third-form, they died from the repercussion of the almighty beast's will.

However, Merlin was now standing there within the hall in a healthy condition. Just this aspect alone was enough to fascinate Heroult.

"Swish."

Merlin rapidly shapeshifted. The aristocratic clothes he wore were torn apart as his frame enlarged swiftly. At last, he was no less than two meters tall. Furthermore, other than his upper body and his head, all parts of him were covered in a thick layer of black fur. His body had turned into a gigantic wolf.

"Third-form shifter?"

Heroult appeared astounded and almost shouted himself hoarse. It had only been a few months since he left Boulder City. Plus, Merlin was a Host who could be in danger at any time, yet he had become a third-form shifter. This was a terrifying pace of progress.

"That's right, a third-form shifter!"

Merlin slowly resumed his original appearance, only his upper half was naked, which was somewhat awkward. Heroult waved one hand and commanded someone to bring Merlin a set of clothes.

After a long while, Heroult slowly spoke, "You've obtained the Nourishment Pond formula?"

Hosts could only rely on Nourishment Ponds to improve their strength. Therefore, Heroult immediately caught onto the key point, which was that Merlin had obtained the Nourishment Pond formula.

"That's right, Curator Heroult. Don't forget that my father is a formidable peak fourth-form shifter! Although it wasn't easy to obtain this Nourishment Pond formula, it wasn't too difficult either."

Heroult nodded. Even though he had faith in his own abilities, he was still apprehensive towards Merlin's father Count Stanwin. The Deinosuchus bloodline was a mid-tier bloodline. To be able to cultivate this to the peak of the fourth-form shifter, one could be considered a contender at any place.

"Since you already have the Nourishment Pond formula, why have you come here today?"

Heroult initially thought that Merlin had come for the Nourishment Pond formula. After all, a Host would find it hard to advance without the Nourishment Pond. However, Heroult was somewhat at a loss now.

Merlin did not conceal his intentions and replied directly, "Who would complain about too many Nourishment Pond formulas? Moreover, the Nourishment Pond formula I have will eventually become ineffective. At that point, Mr. Heroult's Nourishment Pond formula would be extremely valuable. Plus, the materials of the Nourishment Pond formula aren't something everyone can afford."

Heroult was momentarily taken aback before he burst into loud laughter.

"Haha, not bad, not bad. Who would complain about too many Nourishment Pond formulas? Furthermore, the Holy Dragon Empire is in chaos everywhere now. Some of the traders' supplies are affected too. Thus, some materials of the Nourishment Pond formula are extremely costly. In addition, Master Leon, you should know by now that for a Host to increase their strength, the required materials for the Nourishment Pond alone are not something most aristocrats can afford by far."

Heroult already understood Merlin's intentions. In fact, he had come for the Nourishment Pond formula indeed. More importantly, however, was that Merlin had no way of obtaining more of those expensive materials for the Nourishment Pond formula.

Heroult knew full well of the material's costliness. Fortunately, he had special means and the problem of the materials was resolved long ago. He had his own reasons for devoting himself to researching Hosts.

Although Heroult was secretive and mysterious, Merlin could generally sense that Heroult was a contender with an almighty beast bloodline. His capabilities were probably not inferior to Count Stanwin, and he must have become a fourth-form shifter already.

However, this was seemingly Heroult's limit. It was nearly impossible for him to progress further with his almighty beast bloodline and break through this point. The peak of fourth-form shifting was his limit.

Therefore, Heroult might only have hope through the parasitism of an almighty beast's will. Nonetheless, being a Host was too dangerous, so Heroult wanted to study other Hosts thoroughly. He set a solid foundation for when he would use the parasitism of an almighty beast's will to break through to a full-shifting form.

Both of their needs were not in conflict.

"Master Leon, I can give you the Nourishment Pond formula, and I can even prepare the relevant materials for you, provided that you stay here under my study at each and every moment, so that I may record the data of a Host. All that you require shall be fulfilled!"

Now Heroult wished to know, how was Merlin still able to withstand the repercussion of the almighty beast's will despite becoming a third-form shifter.

Merlin was actually rather shocked. Heroult was talking big indeed. These materials were not that simple; they were very expensive and supplies were limited. Heroult actually promised this right away. If this was real, this meant that Heroult was supported by a massive organization.

Still, this suited Merlin's plans just fine.

"Only for a month. You can't possibly study me forever. One month and you'll prepare ten batches of the materials I need. Moreover, you must hand over your Nourishment Pond formula and prepare ten batches of materials for that as well. How's that?"

These were Merlin's conditions.

"So, twenty batches of materials in total. That's not a problem, but one month is too short. Three months at least!"

At this point, Heroult and Merlin started to haggle, finally settling on two months.

Within those two months, Merlin would allow Heroult to study him as he wished with no conditions except that Merlin was not harmed.

On the other hand, Heroult had to hand over a batch of materials after a period of time, until all twenty batches had been delivered in full.

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Chapter 944: The Mercenary Group

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

It was already evening when Merlin returned to the manor.

The light pattering of rain still had not stopped completely. Light water drops wafted through the air and it was incomparably chilly. Upon Merlin's return, he found that Count Stanwin was not there. In this period, Count Stanwin was rushing around preparing for Merlin's wedding. Every day he would leave early and return late as if there were things to constantly keep him busy.

"The honorable count has returned."

After a while, a maid reported softly to Merlin. Soon, Count Stanwin came in from outside and looked travel-worn.

"Leon, preparations for your wedding are nearly complete. At first, I'd planned to hold the ceremony next month but during this time, the Deinosuchus Mercenary Group I've set up has received a huge gig, escorting a caravan for a long period. I'll only return after three months. Thus, after Count Altadin and I discussed the matter, we finally decided to wait half a year before holding the wedding ceremony for you and Baratha."

Once Count Stanwin entered the hall, he explained this to Merlin. It turned out that in this period, Count Stanwin had gone out early and returned late not just for Merlin's wedding but more for the sake of the mercenary group he had established.

In truth, although Count Stanwin had been an overlord with generous savings, he could not just spend his fortune without making any money. He still had three hundred heavy knights under him and due to the fact that this was not a small force, it was a huge responsibility.

Moreover, Count Stanwin could not possibly go into business. The various businesses of the Holy Dragon City were responsible for massive chambers of commerce. Ordinary people could not get involved at all.

As for serving the empire, that was out of the question. Currently, whether the whole Holy Dragon Empire could be preserved was a problem in itself. Even if he put in more effort, what territory would he gain?

Therefore, Count Stanwin only had one option which was to establish a mercenary group. Fortunately, he had three hundred heavy knights under him; and this was not a small force. Hence, under the leadership of a peak fourth-form shifter like Count Stanwin, the mercenary group became a formidable one upon its establishment.

This time, Count Stanwin had received a mission to escort a business guild's caravan that was going to pass through numerous cities in chaos. The rewards were high even though this would be dangerous.

These chambers of commerce urgently needed to ensure an unrestricted flow of supplies. Naturally, they would hire a mercenary group at a high price.

"I'll go along with everything you've arranged, Father."

Merlin knew that Count Stanwin had already prepared everything. Even though Count Stanwin had lost his territory, a mercenary group established with his capabilities was still a powerful one. As long as they did not encounter mighty existences who were full-shifters, there would not be much danger.

"Half a year it is then. Tomorrow, I'll be leading the heavy knights and leave the Holy Dragon City. Leon, all matters of the manor will be passed over to you from tomorrow onwards! I shall return in three months."

Count Stanwin was handing the authority over the whole manor to Merlin. If this was the previous Leon, Count Stanwin surely would not do such a thing but at that point, he was rather pleased with this current Leon. Slowly, he would pass on all matters of the clan to Merlin.

Merlin knew this well but he did not refuse. At that moment, Count Stanwin needed to be free from lingering worries.

"Father, rest assured. I'll carefully take care of manor's matters."

After Merlin promised, Count Stanwin was able to stop worrying at last.

…

Early morning the next day, the heavy knights of the manor followed Count Stanwin in exiting the Holy Dragon City. The entire manor appeared rather empty and desolate.

Merlin rode the carriage straight to Curator Heroult's residence, Brews Castle!

"Curator Heroult."

When Merlin entered Brews Castle, he saw that Curator Heroult was already waiting for him.

"Leon, you're finally here. Come along, we'll go straight to the laboratory. I cannot wait any longer."

Heroult did not hide his eagerness at all.

Merlin nodded. He did not know why Curator Heroult was so impatient but since he had come here, Merlin was already prepared for this long ago.

Thus, he followed Curator Heroult to the laboratory. This was a true laboratory that consisted of all the instruments and facilities a laboratory should have. Merlin's crude laboratory could not compare to this at all.

At the center, there was a gigantic Nourishment Pond. This was the same Nourishment Pond formula Merlin had used when he first started parasitism.

Curator Heroult did not give Merlin the Nourishment Pond formula right away. Only after a few days, he handed over the Nourishment Pond formula to Merlin, bit by bit. As for the materials, he would give Merlin a batch nearly every day after his research was completed.

"Alright, Leon, unleash your shifted form."

Heroult had to research a Host comprehensively. Therefore, the condition of a Host's shifted form was of utmost importance and required meticulous study.

Merlin obeyed Heroult's request and started to shapeshift. Thick black fur sprouted all over his body. The third-form of the Two-headed Pterolycus made Merlin feel very powerful.

After Merlin had demonstrated his shapeshifting, Heroult recorded some data changes in detail. It was not easy to encounter a Host like Merlin who could reach the third-form. This was the crucial reason Heroult could pay such a heavy price. If Merlin was merely at the first-form, Heroult would need to consider further but this was the third-form. Heroult had never studied a Host who was a third-form shifter.

In the laboratory, there were many apparatuses. Heroult recorded Merlin's physical condition in detail but the crucial issue of the almighty beast's will could not be measured. He could only have Merlin carefully describe the state of the almighty beast's will.

A Host's biggest fear was the backlash of the almighty beast's will. If one could solve the problem of this backlash, Hosts would hold a complete advantage, far surpassing those who inherited almighty beast bloodlines.

Time rushed by in a blur. Soon, it was evening. Heroult carried out his research for a full day and only stopped when he saw that the sky had gotten dark.

"Leon, not bad. A Host who's a third-form shifter is really far more valuable than a first-form Host. We still have two months, so I might actually gain a thorough understanding of a Host's shifted form and its various aspects. Today's research is about done. Here are the Nourishment Pond materials you need."

From the laboratory, Heroult immediately took out a batch of materials that Merlin needed for the Hermani Nourishment Pond formula. This was the first batch, with nine more to come. Heroult was keeping to his promise.

Of course, Heroult would not hand over his Nourishment Pond formula to Merlin for now. He would only give the Nourishment Pond formula to Merlin after some time.

After receiving this batch of materials for the Hermani Nourishment Pond formula, Merlin nodded slightly which indicated his satisfaction. Following that, he put on the clothes he prepared in advance and left Heroult's place.

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Back in the manor, Merlin inspected the Hermani formula that Heroult gave him.

There were more than two hundred types of materials. Merlin examined each one carefully. Indeed, they were materials for the Hermani Nourishment Pond formula. Merlin, who had brewed the Nourishment Pond himself before would not be mistaken.

These materials were all very costly. Merlin had even expressly made inquiries at some shops in the Holy Dragon City. Even if they emptied out their stock, they could put together a few batches at most. However, Heroult could hand over no less than ten batches.

This meant that Heroult had his own special channels since he was able to constantly obtain materials for the Nourishment Pond instead of having to purchase them from shops.

"I must gain control of these channels too."

Merlin secretly made this decision. Heroult was a mysterious figure who controlled channels that ordinary people, or even people with powerful almighty beast bloodlines, could not access. He was certainly someone extraordinary.

While Heroult urgently needed to study him, Merlin had to seize the chance to slowly uncover the secrets behind Heroult. Most importantly, he had to gain control over these channels of Nourishment Pond formula materials. These were Merlin's objectives.

After receiving one batch of materials for the Hermani Nourishment Pond formula, Merlin did not concoct the Nourishment Pond right away because it would not serve many purposes in doing so.

Merlin was currently a third-form shifter but his potential was limited. The Two-headed Pterolycus would be switched for something else soon enough. Thus, using these materials would be a total waste.

Nonetheless, Merlin could not change his almighty beast's will to the Blood-eye Dragon for now. After all, at that point, Heroult was still going to study him for two more months, so the fewer the people who knew about the Blood-eye Dragon, the better.

Therefore, Merlin had already made a plan. After the two months were up, he would change his almighty beast's will to the Blood-eye Dragon when he had received both the ten batches of Hermani Nourishment Pond materials, as well as Heroult's Nourishment Pond formula and materials.

With twenty full batches of Nourishment Pond materials, Merlin could rapidly increase the level of his shapeshifting even if he allowed the Blood-eye Dragon to parasitize him from scratch.

In the following month or so, Merlin's life was routine. He would wake up at first light and head to Heroult's castle and only come back in the evening. There were no exceptions.

However, some bad news was received during this period. Some important cities of the Holy Dragon Empire were subjugated and were completely taken over by armed rebellions.

Currently, only the Holy Dragon City was directly under the royal family's control within the Holy Dragon Empire. It seemed that the sun was setting over this empire. It was at its last gasp. At any time, when the Holy Dragon City had descended into chaos as well, the royal family's rule over the Holy Dragon Empire would be thoroughly terminated.

Nonetheless, all this had nothing to do with Merlin. He took care of the manor in an organized manner. Everything was calm. Even so, Merlin thought of finding out Heroult's true identity but had no clues. Heroult's identity was like a riddle.

Still, Heroult was able to hand over the materials for the Hermani Nourishment Pond formula each time. By now, Merlin had obtained all ten batches of the materials.

In the following twenty days or so, Heroult began to give to Merlin his Nourishment Pond formula along with ten batches of materials.

Today, as soon as Merlin entered Brews Castle, he felt that something was wrong.

This was because another stranger was in the castle. This was a lovely young woman with a full figure. Nevertheless, this young lady wore a grave expression and discussed something with Heroult in low tones.

After seeing Merlin come in, the young woman stopped talking and cast a blazing gaze as she sized up Merlin.

Heroult's expression was rather awkward. After he saw Merlin, he said quietly, "Leon, I'm afraid I'll have to go out for some time."

"If you're going out for some time, what about your Nourishment Pond formula and materials that I need?"

Merlin was somewhat surprised. However, he saw that this young woman seemed close to Heroult who also understood Heroult's research of Hosts very well. Therefore, Merlin had no apprehensions about directly expressing his concerns.

Heroult was silent for a moment before he said, "In truth, after a month or so of research, I've completely grasped the various data variations regarding a Host's third-form shifting. What I lack is the aspect of the almighty beast's will. However, the almighty beast's will is difficult to grasp. Only the Host himself can feel it, and others can't clearly grasp it at all. Therefore, this will require a long time of steady research. It's not something that can be completed in one day."

"Naturally, I'll live up to my initial promise. Today, I'll give you the detailed formulation for the Ofu Nourishment Pond, along with ten batches of materials. Consider our agreement fulfilled."

Heroult's decision caused Merlin to become somewhat flabbergasted. Although Heroult spoke casually, Merlin could detect a trace of solemnity from his voice.

Merlin did not know what Heroult had encountered, that he would directly end his agreement with Merlin.

"Curator Heroult, what happened? If I'm needed, I'll surely help as best as I can!"

Merlin knew that something must have happened to Heroult, something very urgent. Otherwise, Heroult would not have hurriedly ended his agreement with Merlin.

"You can't help me for now…"

Curator Heroult's voice was quite despondent. After a pause, he continued, "Leon, I know that you've been investigating my identity secretly, as well as my secrets. In fact, if you have more time, you'll discover certain clues and deduce my identity from them. However, I'll offer you an opportunity. It's true that I'm backed by a massive organization. If you're willing to join us, you'll easily get all the Nourishment Pond formulas you need within this organization. All you need is a certain amount of contribution points."

"A massive organization?"

Merlin fell into deep thought. Previously, he had guessed that Heroult was surely supported by a huge organization. Otherwise, obtaining Nourishment Pond materials would not be so easy.

Merlin also wished to access this channel. If he did not after he left Brews Castle and lost contact with Heroult, would he not be cut off from his stable access of Nourishment Pond materials?

Therefore, Merlin felt a rush of excitement at Heroult's suggestion but he was still cautious as he asked softly, "What organization is this?"

If Heroult belonged to an external organization that had infiltrated the Holy Dragon City, Merlin would have to think twice before joining.

As if he sensed Merlin's misgivings, Heroult laughed as he said, "Phantom! You must not have heard of it. Don't worry, Phantom is not an enemy faction to the Holy Dragon Empire. Conversely, Phantom is an intelligence agency that the royal family relies greatly upon; tasked with finding out all news within the Holy Dragon Empire."

"Phantom?"

Merlin was rather astonished. He did not think that Heroult's identity would be a conductor within the royal family's intelligence agency, which was an impressive status. The Nourishment Pond materials he had given Merlin were all obtained through Phantom.

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Chapter 946: Headquarters

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"What are the benefits of joining Phantom?"

Merlin hesitated before asking.

Heroult pointed at the young woman and laughed, "That's the reason why I called Lotus here. She's Phantom's Logistics Team's leader."

Lotus glanced at Merlin and said in a cold voice, "All the Nourishment Pond materials you need, including the formula, can be obtained in the Logistics Team! However, you need contribution points. If it weren't for Deputy Commander Heroult's recommendation, someone like you who has never been in an intelligence department would never enter the Logistics Team."

Merlin's heart moved. He finally knew where the Nourishment Pond materials Heroult gave him came from. It was most likely obtained from Lotus.

Furthermore, Lotus and Heroult had a close relationship. It was not something simple as a superficial superior-subordinate relationship.

However, Merlin did not wish to know the details. He only needed to know how to access the Nourishment Pond materials. Joining Phantom seemed to be a good choice.

After all, even if the Holy Dragon Empire fell apart, the royal family would not fall as long as they had the Holy Dragon City and the head of the Sacred Lion.

Therefore, the royal family did not have to worry about resources for the time being. By relying on the royal family, there was no need to worry about obtaining Nourishment Pond materials.

"Alright, I'll join Phantom!"

Merlin quickly made a decision to join Phantom. He may have been restricted and not as free as before, but as long as he could get the Nourishment Pond materials, it was worth it even if he was restricted.

"Very good. Lotus, I'll leave Leon to you."

It seemed like Heroult would be leaving the Holy Dragon City for a while. Otherwise, he would not introduce Merlin to Lotus.

"Come with me."

Lotus nodded before saying coldly to Merlin.

Merlin glanced at Heroult who nodded and followed after Lotus without any hesitation. He could not use the mansion's carriage, so he could only follow Lotus to the carriage that was prepared beforehand.

"Team leader Lotus, is Heroult leaving the Holy Dragon City?"

Although Merlin had his guesses, he was not clear on the real reason.

"The Deputy Commander has a secret mission. To obtain contribution points, you need to perform missions. Otherwise, the royal family will not provide the Nourishment Pond materials for no reason."

Lotus seemed to know Merlin's true purpose in joining Phantom. Nourishment Pond materials and formulae were all provided by the royal family. The power of the royal family was great, and these mere resources were nothing to them.

However, since a reward and penalty system was established, it had to be implemented without hesitation. Contribution points were the most important method. Only with contribution points could one obtain the various resources in Phantom.

"It's somewhat similar to the practices of some major forces in the past."

Merlin was not surprised. Since the materials were so precious, the royal family could not give them to many people for no reason.

"How do you obtain contribution points? Do we have to do missions too? What tasks does the Logistics Teams usually do?"

Merlin asked many questions in succession which caused Lotus to frown.

"You ask too many questions. You'll naturally learn when you reach Phantom. I'll explain later."

Then, Lotus leaned on the carriage, closed her eyes, and stopped moving.

Merlin let out a sigh. Seeing Lotus remain silent, he also closed his eyes and quietly waited until the carriage reached Phantom.

After about an hour or so, the carriage gradually stopped. The Holy Dragon City was large, but the carriage spent a full hour's time. It showed that Phantom was located close to the border of the Holy Dragon Empire.

When Merlin and Lotus got off the carriage, Merlin only saw a deserted castle in front of them. It did not seem like there were any figures around.

"This is Phantom?"

Merlin followed Lotus into the dilapidated castle and saw Lotus walking directly to a corner of the living room where there was an old broken vase.

Just as Merlin was wondering, Lotus put her hand into the broken case and seemed to activate a mechanism.

"Rumble."

A huge dark passage immediately opened up in the manor, and a ladder that was seemingly bottomless was revealed at a closer look as if danger lurked below.

Just as Merlin was about to descend, Lotus waved her hand and sneered. "If you go down that path, you'll die. Even full-shifters will be trapped inside!"

Merlin was shocked. This path was a trap?

"Don't be surprised. Phantom is an intelligence department; how can someone easily find the entrance? Those who aren't truly from Phantom will never find the entrance. Even if they find this manor, they'll be misled and enter a dangerous path."

Saying that, Lotus seemed to feel for something in the vase, and another passage soon appeared in the castle. However, Lotus still did not enter this passage.

There was no doubt that this was also a fake path. If one did not pay attention, they would enter the fake channel, and the situation would become very dangerous.

"Rumble."

When Lotus opened the third path, she finally walked into it. It turned out that the first two paths were both traps and only the third path was the correct one leading to Phantom Headquarters.

"How secretive."

Merlin secretly nodded. As expected from the royal family's intelligence department. Those that wanted to find Phantom would suffer a great loss just from the traps arranged at the entrance.

Even if someone was followed into the abandoned dilapidated castle, they would not find the correct path into Phantom Headquarters.

Merlin followed Lotus onto the path. Although it was very dark, Lotus seemed to be very familiar with it. There was no light at all as they walked towards the depths in darkness.

After a short while, Merlin found that there seemed to be an exit ahead, and it was gradually becoming brighter.

"We've reached Headquarters! Remember, you're now a member of our Logistics Team, and the necessary ceremonies must still be carried out. You must first swear allegiance to the royal family. Of course, this oath is only symbolic, but our Logistics Department places great importance on relationships, and we can't let other teams find any faults."

Lotus gave Merlin a few words of warning and took him through the channel. A huge underground square appeared in front of them.

The square was divided into many areas and many people came and went constantly which created a busy scene.

"This is Headquarters?"

Merlin watched carefully. From what he could see alone, Phantom Headquarters seemed to have two to three hundred people. There was no sunshine in the underground square, and the lighting depended on colored glass lights on the top of the underground square. The light emitted was very soft and bright, making the entire square shine as if it was daytime.

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Chapter 947: Logistics Team

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Headquarters is divided into the Combat Team, Logistics Team, Research Team, and Investigation Team! The Logistics Team and the Research Team stay in the headquarters all year round, while the Combat Team and the Investigation Team perform their tasks outside."

Lotus explained the headquarters situation to Merlin. Phantom Headquarters comprised of the four teams, and the ones in charge of battles were the Combat Team and the Investigation Team.

As for the Logistics Team and the Research Team, they never faced danger as they always stayed in headquarters. For the Logistics Team, they mainly received all kinds of resources from the royal family. They were quite lax, but they held real authority.

It was no wonder that Heroult recommended Merlin to join the Logistics Team. Merlin's current state was considered strong as a third-form Host. His parasite was only a mere low-grade almighty beast will, so it would be very dangerous if he went to the Combat Team.

Soon, Lotus and Merlin reached the Logistics Team. The entire Logistics Team did not have many members and only comprised of a dozen people or so. However, most of them were female and they were all slim and charming. Seeing Lotus entering with Merlin, they all had shocked looks on their faces.

"Team leader, this is?"

A woman wearing a large red robe asked while looking at Merlin.

"His name is Leon. From today onwards, he has officially joined our Logistics Team. Belle, go input Leon's information into our Logistics Team and submit it to headquarters tomorrow."

As the team leader, Lotus had unquestionable authority in the Logistics Team.

"Understood, team leader. My my, Master Leon, what family did you come from? You're so young but you have managed to join the Logistics Team directly. Call me Belle. Just ask me if there's anything you don't understand!"

Belle charmingly flirted with Merlin, but Merlin turned a blind eye and merely nodded politely.

"Leon, come with me."

Lotus looked at Merlin coldly. She seemed to have some hostility towards him which Merlin found puzzling. Did it have something to do with Heroult?

Following Lotus to a small room, the smell of her perfume wafted into Merlin's nose. Although he always disliked strong perfume, he liked faint and light scents. However, he did not find the smell of Lotus's rich perfume objectionable and felt that it had a strange lure instead.

"Leon, Heroult left for a secret mission. It's very dangerous and we can't be sure if he'll return. Before he left, he specifically told me to bring you into Phantom, but I really don't understand. You're just an experiment to him, so why does he care so much about you? However, I'll carry out what Heroult entrusted me to do in any case, but whether or not you can gain contribution points in Phantom will depend on your own skill. I won't be helping you. Do you understand?"

After listening to Lotus's words, Merlin finally understood. Lotus did have an unknown relationship with Heroult. As Deputy Commander, Heroult had to perform a dangerous task, which showed that this mission was very important.

Lotus was merely displacing her anger at Heroult for bringing danger to Merlin.

"How do I earn contribution points? How can I exchange contribution points for resources?" Merlin asked in a low voice. This was his greatest concern.

"The Logistics Team is the lowest with only ten contribution points per month. If something goes wrong, a deduction of contribution points is possible. The team with the highest contribution points is the Combat Team. They get a hefty amount of contribution points for each task they perform but the death rate is also very high. If you enter the Combat Team, you're seeking your own death!"

Lotus said that coldly without paying heed to Merlin's feelings. In her opinion, Merlin's current strength of being a third-form shifter, but his almighty beast's grade was too low. He would be at the bottom rung even if he went to the Combat Team.

"Alright, you can ask Belle for the details."

Lotus waved her hand and let Merlin leave.

Merlin could not get any specific information from Lotus, so he went straight to Belle. This charming woman clearly regarded him as the child of a prominent aristocrat in Bay City.

It seems that it was not easy to join the Logistics Team. Without a prominent status and a strong background, it was impossible to enter the Logistics Team.

"Miss Belle," Merlin called out calmly.

"Master Leon, how may I help you?"

Belle's eyes brightened. She was well endowed and her skin was very fair with a very rich scent of perfume. However, it was not as sensual as the smell on Lotus's body, so Merlin disliked it instead.

"Miss Belle, I'd like to know about contribution points and exchanging them for resources."

"Oh? Contribution points you say… Aristocrats like you usually come to Phantom for resources. After all, the various resources in Phantom are directly provided by the royal family."

Merlin's heart moved. It was no wonder many aristocrats wanted to enter Phantom. It turned out that all these resources were provided by the royal family.

Although the royal family of the Holy Dragon Empire was no longer able to control the entire empire due to bloodline issues, their connections were something that no other force could compete against. Over the centuries, the various resources accumulated by the royal family were countless.

Even if it was the Nourishment Pond formula materials that Merlin needed, they were not even worth mentioning to the royal family. It was also because of these huge resources that there were still many aristocrats that supported the royal family in the Holy Dragon City, despite the confusion of war in the empire.

"It's no wonder Heroult could produce 20 portions of Nourishment Pond materials in one fell swoop. It turns out that all these materials were provided by the royal family."

Many people still regarded the royal family as an unconquerable giant. With the royal family's collection, it was not necessary to purchase materials from thousands of miles away like some business guilds do. The stock in the royal family's treasure was almost inexhaustible.

"How many contribution points are needed to exchange a set of these materials?"

Merlin listed some of the ingredients in the Hermani Nourishment Pond formula and showed it to Belle.

Belle gave it a cursory glance and hesitated for a moment before she said, "This is a Nourishment Pond formula, right? There are some Hosts in Phantom. There are none in the Logistics Team, but there are many in the Combat Team. They also often exchange Nourishment Pond materials. These materials of yours can be exchanged with only ten contribution points. Even if there are some inconsistencies, the estimation won't be too far off."

"Only ten contribution points are needed?"

Merlin's heart was filled with joy. He did not expect one set of materials to only cost ten contribution points. Although he hid a portion of the materials, the final amount most likely would not exceed too much.

"Of course. In fact, the materials the royal family provides are almost one-tenth of the market price, or perhaps even lower. However, they can only be exchanged using contribution points. This is the royal family's way of winning the hearts of the people. As for resources, the royal family doesn't have any lack of them."

Belle was very calm at Merlin's surprise. It seemed that this was not the first time she experienced such a situation. Many people who came to Phantom for the first time were shocked by how 'cheap' the exchange was.

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Chapter 948: Suppressing an Almighty Beast's Will!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Next, Merlin's assignment was to look at logistics resources records but he took the job seriously and recorded every resource received in logistics.

From there, Merlin could roughly guess how rich the resources the royal family gave Phantom were.

"The amount the royal family had accumulated over hundreds of years isn't ordinary at all!"

Seeing the various resources exchanged from the records, Merlin sighed emotionally. No matter how weak the royal family was, they were still a giant. These resources alone would be enough to stabilize the entire Holy Dragon City.

The Holy Dragon City was the core of the entire Holy Dragon Empire. As long as the Holy Dragon City remained safe, the royal family would always hold the greatest power.

…

Merlin stayed in Phantom till the evening before leaving and returning to the manor.

The manor was calm as usual, and everything seemed in an orderly manner.

Only in the crude laboratory in the basement were there bouts of noises.

"It's finally ready."

Merlin looked at the murky water in the Nourishment Pond and revealed a smile. He had been busy for most of the night preparing the Hermani formula.

The Nourishment Pond this time was prepared for Merlin to replace the almighty beast's will. It was extremely tough to change almighty beast's will because it was in the Host's Awareness.

If he lost the almighty beast's will, he would lose the ability to transform and become mediocre. This was the real reason why many people did not dare to change it.

If they failed, they would lose everything and be left with nothing!

However, Merlin was not afraid. His Mind Power and Illusory World could suppress the almighty beast's will. It would be easy even if he wanted to erase the Two-headed Pterolycus' will.

"First, wipe out the Two-headed Pterolycus' will!"

The Illusory World in Merlin's Awareness suddenly expanded. The Two-headed Pterolycus seemed to sense danger and struggled frantically, causing Merlin's body to suddenly morph.

However, it was useless. Merlin's colossal Mind Power had suppressed it firmly, and the Two-headed Pterolycus' will was immediately crushed by the pressure, and gradually dissipated in the Awareness.

Merlin's morphed body also swiftly turned back to normal. He could no longer shapeshift.

"The previous portion of the Nourishment Pond was wasted."

Merlin frowned. Changing the almighty beast's will was too much trouble, and the loss was too large. He had achieved the third-form for his Two-headed Pterolycus, but now there was nothing left.

It was not surprising that even though Hosts knew powerful almighty beasts' wills could greatly enhance their strength, the number of people who would try to change their almighty beast's will was very few.

As for those who had merged almighty beasts' wills, it was even rarer and could be counted on one's fingers. It was not something that an ordinary Host could achieve.

Merlin still did not understand what merging almighty beasts' wills were, so he did not dare to act rashly. He could only choose to replace a powerful almighty beast's will first before slowly studying it later.

"It's time to find the Blood-eye Dragon's will…"

Merlin thought about the attitude of the Blood-eye Dragon from before. It had completely looked down on Merlin. High-tier almighty beast wills like that were extremely prideful.

Unfortunately, Merlin was not an ordinary person and did not need the almighty beast's will to be willing. As long as he chose the almighty beast's will, he could forcibly integrate it.

"Swoosh."

Merlin once again entered the space in the Bead of Infamy and went straight to the third layer.

"Boom."

Within the third layer of the Bead of Infamy, the Blood-eye Dragon sensed Merlin's arrival.

"You again? You chose the Two-headed Pterolycus that has no potential. I won't be parasitized in your body. You better leave before I swallow you up!"

The Blood-eye Dragon was as fierce as usual.

However, Merlin did not care and smiled instead. "I've erased the Two-headed Pterolycus' will. I'm here today to take you, Blood-eye Dragon, a high-tier almighty beast's will!"

"Hm? Did you give up the Two-headed Pterolycus? It seems your foolishness isn't beyond redemption. However, I won't follow you. You're not worthy of being my Host. Begone."

The Blood-eye Dragon was still disdainful.

"You don't have a choice!"

Merlin did not leave and instead controlled the Bead of Infamy. Using the power of the Bead of Infamy, he instantly pulled the Blood-eye Dragon into his Awareness.

This was the role of the Bead of Infamy. However, once entering the Awareness, it would be a direct confrontation between the Host and the almighty beast's will. The Bead of Infamy would no longer play a role.

"Roar…"

The Blood-eye Dragon immediately let out a huge roar after entering the Awareness, and a storm seemed to break out in Merlin's Awareness.

"Foolish human. How dare you try to force the integration? You'll pay for this!"

There did not seem to be anything in the Awareness that could stop the Blood-eye Dragon. It opened its mouth wide to swallow Merlin's consciousness.

"Suppress!"

Merlin did not dare to relax before a powerful high-tier almighty beast's will. If he was careless, it would cause some damage to his Awareness.

Therefore, Merlin directly used the power of the Illusory World, especially the natural order, which was Merlin's strongest power now. In his Awareness, even a legendary almighty beast's will was unable to compete with the power of the natural order in the Illusory World.

"Boom."

Therefore, Merlin's Illusory World severely suppressed the Blood-eye Dragon, rendering it unable to struggle.

Even the Blood-eye Dragon had a strong feeling that Merlin could easily wipe out its will if he so wished.

"Who the hell are you? Ordinary people don't have Awareness as strong as yours."

The Blood-eye Dragon struggled continuously to no avail. Even if the Blood-eye Dragon was ten times stronger than it was now, it could not break free from the suppression of the Illusory World.

"I'm just a Host. However, Blood-eye Dragon, you've also felt that I'm not an ordinary Host. Being parasitized in my body isn't a humiliation to you. Besides, your will would become even stronger when my grade increases in the future!"

Merlin believed that the Blood-eye Dragon was wise and would be able to choose under this scenario.

Agree, and it would be parasitized by Merlin. Disagree, and Merlin would completely wipe out the Blood-eye Dragon's will. The Blood-eye Dragon had a very strong premonition that it would happen.

"I can feel that you have an otherworldly aura. Perhaps, you've obtained a forbidden item. However, do I really have a choice? Unless I want to be wiped out… Very well. To be able to choose a Host is also the best outcome for almighty beast wills like us."

The Blood-eye Dragon had finally agreed to be parasitized!

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Chapter 949: The Gap Between Shifters!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The Blood-eye Dragon had finally agreed to be parasitized!

Merlin took a deep breath. This was the strongest force he had encountered since he entered this world. High-tier almighty beasts were extremely powerful, and they were the strongest besides the rare top-level almighty beast bloodlines.

There were some legendary sacred beast bloodlines above top-level bloodlines but they were only legends, and no one has heard of anyone possessing such a bloodline. The royal family's Sacred Lion bloodline was not a sacred beast bloodline. It was influenced by the Sacred Lion bloodline and possessed a portion of the Sacred Lion beast's power, so it could be regarded as a top-level bloodline.

It was precisely because of this top-level bloodline that the Holy Dragon royal family was able to build such a huge empire that had been passed on for hundreds of years.

"Alright, let's get started."

Merlin's naked body looked thin but contained a powerful force. Although the Two-headed Pterolycus' will was directly wiped out by Merlin, the increased physical quality he had obtained over a long period was not affected.

However, this mere physical quality could not compare with the physical quality after shapeshifting.

"Roar…"

When Merlin finished speaking, the Blood-eye Dragon gave a large roar in Merlin's Awareness. It immediately turned into a crimson light, like a bloody meteor, and mercilessly blasted into Merlin's Awareness.

"Boom."

Merlin's Awareness shook severely, going blank. As a high-tier almighty beast, the Blood-eye Dragon was extremely powerful. Although it had willingly integrated with Merlin, if Merlin's Awareness could not suppress the Blood-eye Dragon, there would be an accident sooner or later.

The moment the Blood-eye Dragon had completely integrated into Merlin's Awareness, Merlin immediately felt his entire body grow hot as if something was about to split apart. A powerful force in his body ran rampant.

"Ah…"

Even Merlin could not help but let out a groan.

"Crash."

Following Merlin's cry, his skin rapidly cracked like old bark. Fresh blood swiftly filled Merlin's body, dying him in a red hue.

"Morph!"

Merlin growled. He knew that this was the first-form of shapeshifting. Therefore, he jumped into the murky Nourishment Pond without any hesitation.

"Bubble-bubble."

In the Nourishment Pond, bubbles burst one by one and reappeared again, like boiling water. Moreover, Merlin's fresh blood quickly seeped into the Nourishment Pond, turning it blood red and causing it to look like a pool of blood. It was extremely horrifying.

However, Merlin knew that the first-form was rapidly completing. As a high-tier almighty beast, the nourishment the Blood-eye Dragon needed even in the first-form was terrifying.

"Not enough. More!"

Merlin suddenly stood up. At this point, his hands had already half turned into thick, short legs. This was the Blood-eye Dragon first-form. However, the Nourishment Pond that Merlin prepared was not enough, so he needed to prepare a second Nourishment Pond.

Although he had not prepared it, he had all the materials beforehand, so the preparation became much simpler. It only took some time before the second Nourishment Pond was completed.

Merlin's body began to rapidly absorb the nutrients in the Nourishment Pond, and his shapeshifting speed also increased. First, it was his hands that were turned into thick, short legs that contained a strong power.

Then, Merlin's body swelled quickly until he was more than eight meters tall. He looked like a small hill. His form after shapeshifting was much more shocking than Count Stanwin's Deinosuchus bloodline.

However, Merlin knew that this was nothing at all. If he had fully shifted into the Blood-eye Dragon, his body would be nearly a hundred meters in length and thirty meters in height. Merlin could be called a huge monster in that body. At that time, he would be able to easily destroy a small hill with one foot, and cities would be annihilated if he used his power casually.

This was the terrifying power of a high-tier almighty beast. Of course, he needed to be a full-shifter, and completely transform into the Blood-eye Dragon. Presently, Merlin was nowhere near becoming a full-shifter.

Currently, Merlin had only reached the first-form where his hands turned into short and stout legs. His feet did not seem to have sharp claws as he did for the Two-headed Pterolycus' first-form.

The only advantage the first-form gave Merlin was unparalleled power! As a Vipera Dragon, it was naturally extremely powerful. Just the first-form already endowed Merlin with unimaginable power.

"Let's see."

Merlin took a deep breath and stepped down with his huge body.

"Boom."

Merlin had only taken a casual step but the entire basement started to shake. Even the manor above was shaking. Merlin could hear the voices of some maids who thought that it was an earthquake panicking in the manor.

"What terrible power. It's comparable to the Giant Tribe in the Void Zone!"

Merlin was slightly surprised. A high-tier almighty beast's power had far exceeded his imagination. Since this Almighty Beast World only had one huge space, it was completely different from the Void Zone which had numerous dimensions.

However, the Almighty Beast World was not weak. As a Latitude Cosmos, the Almighty Beast was naturally not weak. Even if it could not be compared with the Void Zone, the difference was not that large.

The space in this world was much stronger. Even the Legends in the Void Zone might only be able to tear a small part of the space, and perhaps some would be unable to do so at all.

As for power, Merlin had seen the Giant Tribe's strength in the Void Zone. The giants in the Giant Tribe were born with great power, and even babies could lift extremely heavy objects.

The Blood-eye Dragon was also very powerful. Merlin had only tried to step lightly earlier but even the thickest rampart would end up getting trampled. Furthermore, this was only the Blood-eye Dragon's first-form.

"Such power! It's only the first-form but it can almost completely crush the Two-headed Pterolycus!"

Merlin looked at the skin on his body. Although he had not shapeshifted completely, the skin that morphed became tough as keratin. Not even the Two-headed Pterolycus' sharp claws would be able to tear the tough skin.

With Merlin's current strength, he could easily destroy the third-form Two-headed Pterolycus. This was the gap between the grades of a bloodline. It was like a chasm that could not be crossed.

However, the first-form was far from enough. Merlin looked at the Nourishment Pond materials prepared in the laboratory. There were still eight portions of Hermani formula materials as well as ten portions of the Nourishment Pond formula that Heroult had given.

Merlin would not put these precious materials to waste. He saved these materials to see just what grade he could increase his Blood-eye Dragon in one go.

Thus, Merlin turned around and frantically started to prepare the Nourishment Pond again.

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Chapter 950: Death Notice I

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Cedar City had been occupied by the powerful rebel army, and the leader of this rebel army was called Orsato.

Orsato was considered strong but he was not a full-shifter. He was at the peak of the fourth-form, and his bloodline was the mid-tier almighty beast – the Golden Python. Among the mid-tier almighty beasts, it was considered very powerful and was not inferior to Count Stanwin's Deinosuchus bloodline. It might be even more powerful.

Orsato took advantage of the chaos in the Holy Dragon Empire to quickly gather a group of people to capture several cities. With the rapid growth of his forces, he soon led an extremely powerful rebel army.

At this point, Orsato was standing on the ramparts of Cedar City. In the skies were special reconnaissance scouts comprised of soldiers with flying almighty beast bloodlines. Scouts like them had a higher status in the Python Army.

"Swoosh."

A reconnaissance soldier in the sky flew down to the ramparts and said respectfully, "Honorable General, we've found a merchant group ahead."

"A merchant group?"

Orsato's eyes brightened. His army had spent a lot of money and captured several cities, but there was not much that was replenished. Their supplies were almost exhausted.

Merchant groups happened to be very rich. Occasionally posing as bandits was nothing new for these rebels.

"Did you see how many people were in that merchant group?"

"There are around five hundred people. Three hundred of them were wearing armor and riding horses. They're heavy knights and are likely hired by the merchant group."

The scouts were very detailed in their reconnaissance. Orsato hesitated for a moment before asking, "Did you see the flags they used? Most famous mercenaries have flags, and that's even more so for powerful mercenaries."

Orsato was very cautious. Mercenaries hired by large merchant groups were often not ordinary, and were usually a standing army. Furthermore, the Python Army only had a few strong rebels and were no match for them. Orsato himself had failed to become a full-shifter, and could not be compared with the most powerful rebel armies, so he naturally had to be careful.

"Honorable General, we saw a huge red crocodile."

"A red crocodile? Could it be the Deinosuchus?"

Countless thoughts flashed in Orsato's mind. He had heard of the Deinosuchus bloodline before. It was also a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline, similar to his Golden Python bloodline.

Moreover, the Deinosuchus bloodline rarely appeared on the continent. In the Holy Dragon Empire, the relatively powerful one was the Hilderbrandt clan from Boulder City.

Particularly, Count Stanwin of the Hilderbrandt clan was a fourth-form shifter and was not inferior to Orsato. If Boulder City had not colluded with the barbarians, some difficulties might have risen there.

"It should be Count Stanwin. Hehe, rumor has it that Count Stanwin's Deinosuchus bloodline is extremely strong. This is a good time to find out if it's true. He's here to escort the merchant group, so he shouldn't know about our situation and thinks that Cedar City hasn't fallen. Alright, we'll let them in and then capture them all in one go!"

Orsato had made the decision. Although his twenty thousand strong Python Army soldiers did not undergo strict training, they had all experienced battles and were all elite.

Of course, Stanwin's cavalry was superior. However, when they entered the city and were ambushed in advance, then even elite cavalry would be useless.

"Pass the order to all members of the Python Army. Hide well and let this merchant group into the city. Make sure the residents of Cedar City cooperate or kill them all!"

A cruel smile appeared on Orsato's face.

…

On the wide road, a merchant group slowly moved along the continent. This merchant group seemed to have many goods, so the perimeter was protected by heavily armed heavy knights.

"Count Stanwin, Cedar City is just ahead. At present, Cedar City is still in the hands of the empire, so we can enter the city and have a good rest to recuperate. After all, we've been traveling for half a month now."

The one who spoke was the head of the merchant group. He had paid a large sum to hire Count Stanwin along with the powerful mercenaries.

At first, some people had doubts. After all, although Count Stanwin's mercenaries looked strong and powerful, who knew how they would fare in actual combat? The current Holy Dragon Empire was not peaceful, and they had to deal with bandits, refugees, and even some rebels along the way. Weaker mercenaries would not be able to protect the merchant group at all, and Count Stanwin's mercenaries had only just been established.

After a final discussion, it was agreed upon to hire Count Stanwin. Along the way, Count Stanwin and his three hundred heavy knights had driven away countless bandits, and the merchant group was safely escorted to their destination. With a full inventory of goods, they were ready to return to the Holy Dragon City.

As for Count Stanwin and the mercenaries, the merchant group was very satisfied.

Count Stanwin did not listen to the merchant group head's suggestion but instead, sent several heavy knights to investigate the situation in Cedar City. He had to be careful regarding everything.

"Mr. Gir, let's stop for now and rest. We'll enter after the scouts have ensured that nothing has changed in Cedar City."

Count Stanwin was still very cautious, preferring to reach Cedar City later than take the risk now.

Although the merchant group's head, Mr. Gir, felt that Count Stanwin was being too cautious, he nodded as there was no harm to the suggestion. "Alright, take a look first."

After a long moment, the scouts returned and reported to Count Stanwin, "There doesn't seem to be anything unusual in Cedar City. The imperial flag is still flying on the towers, and many people are going back and forth. There's no sign of a rebel army occupying the city."

"Haha, Count Stanwin, you worry too much. There's nothing wrong with Cedar City. Let's go. We should hurry and get to Cedar City so we can rest earlier."

Mr. Gir glanced behind him. Many people were already exhausted. Not everyone was able to travel for half a month like Count Stanwin and still be in high spirits.

Count Stanwin also believed in his heavy knights. Since there were no problems during the scouting, he nodded and said, "Alright, everyone has worked hard. We'll go to Cedar City and rest. After half a month, we'll reach the Holy Dragon City."

Then, under Count Stanwin's escort and his three hundred heavy guards, the entire group quickly moved toward the nearby Cedar City.

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Chapter 951: Death Notice II

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The city walls of Cedar City were still draped with the flag of the Holy Dragon Empire, and soldiers were patrolling on top of the wall. People were moving in and out of the city gate. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

The merchant group slowly approached from a distance. After showing their identities, they headed directly toward the city center. However, Count Stanwin remained vigilant. He looked at the people behind the city gate and did not spot anything amiss, so he finally let down his guard.

"Very well, we'll rest for a night in Cedar City. Tomorrow morning, we'll depart for Holy Dragon City."

"Boom."

Suddenly, everyone turned their heads and realized that, unbeknownst to them, the massive city gate had been closed. To top it off, the soldiers who were guarding the city appeared to be watching the merchant group cautiously.

"This isn't good. Leave Cedar City!"

Count Stanwin was the first to detect the anomaly. Immediately, he wielded his fourth-form shapeshifting and transformed into a ferocious Deinosuchus. He turned around and was about to force open the city gate.

"Count Stanwin, I heard that the Deinosuchus beast is incredibly powerful but my Golden Python is also immensely potent. I wonder, which one of us will prevail?"

A fourth-form shifter emerged from the group of soldiers guarding the city wall. He had shapeshifted into a massive python over thirty meters long. The python's scales were covered in a golden shimmer, just like real gold.

"Golden Python? You're Orsato. You've conquered Cedar City?"

Count Stanwin's face changed dramatically. He was quite familiar with Orsato, who was a rebel army leader with the Golden Python bloodline. Now that Orsato had conquered Cedar City, he merely wanted to trick the merchant group into entering Cedar City.

"Count Stanwin, don't be in such a hurry to leave. It was a great effort for us to trick you into the city. How can we allow you to leave so easily?"

Orsato appeared to be full of confidence. At the same time, the Python Army who was in the city swarmed out and surrounded the merchant group. As for Count Stanwin's heavy knights, they could not wield their full abilities in such a small enclosed space. Suddenly, chaos ensued, resulting in several heavy knights falling to the ground.

"You can't stop me!"

Count Stanwin growled in rage. Without hesitation, he rushed toward Orsato. He knew that only by breaking down the city gate, the merchants and the three hundred knights would be able to escape.

"Good, very good. Let me see how powerful the Deinosuchus beast is!"

Orsato was not the least intimidated. His huge body swayed like a whip before lashing out at Count Stanwin.

"Bam."

Both opponents collided head-on. Count Stanwin's enormous Deinosuchus body was shrouded in a layer of crimson glow and became even more formidable than before.

"Get lost!"

Count Stanwin roared. His solid body slammed against the Golden Python, and Orsato felt slightly overpowered and retreated a distance away.

"Good, good, good. It's not surprising this is the Deinosuchus. However, this is merely the beginning. Deadly Constriction!"

Orsato was also a fourth-form shifter, not at all inferior to Count Stanwin. His Golden Python possessed incredible strength. Currently, Orsato had mobilized every last ounce of strength in every inch of his long body. As quick as a golden flash of light, he had constricted Count Stanwin's movement.

"Crack."

The Golden Python's constriction was truly fearsome. Despite the Deinosuchus body's impenetrable skin, he seemed unable to withstand the Golden Python's constriction.

Count Stanwin's body was being crushed slowly. The Deinosuchus could detonate a huge amount of power if stimulated with enough blood, but now that he was trapped in the Golden Python's deadly constriction, it was impossible. He could not think of a way to tear apart the Golden Python's body.

Thus, Count Stanwin began to lose, and gradually, every bone was being crushed by the Golden Python, bit by bit.

"Haha, so what if it's the Deinosuchus bloodline? Die!"

Orsato's eyes were filled with an insane streak. There had been more than one mid-tier almighty beast bloodline who died by his hand. He was the true top contender of all the fourth-form shifters among the mid-tier almighty beasts. Even Count Stanwin could not match up to him.

Sensing the gradual loss of life force from his body, Count Stanwin's mind was filled only with Leon. Leon was his hope, and the heir of his bloodline.

"Leon, I can't accompany you any more…"

Count Stanwin's eyes turned bloodshot as he stared straight at Orsato. Although Count Stanwin was dying, that look gave Orsato a chill.

"Full-shift, Kiss of Death!"

Count Stanwin roared. Immediately, all the blood from his body gushed out and formed a crimson flame that seemed to be burning.

At the same time, the last part of Count Stanwin which was left unchanged – his forehead – finally began to shapeshift. This was forced shifting, which in return consumed his life force.

Normally, forced shifting did not guarantee any increase in ability. However, a peak fourth-form existence such as Count Stanwin would surely be able to achieve full-shift through forced shifting and bloodline incineration, even if it was just for a split second.

Count Stanwin's vicious mouth curved into a smile.

"Snap."

The Kiss of Death bit the Golden Python. There was a spray of blood and tissue. The Golden Python was almost completely severed. If that happened, Orsato would either be killed or sustain a grievous injury.

"Pity…"

However, a forced shifting was extremely short-lived, basically just a momentary triumph. Hence, a small portion of the Kiss of Death had only been wielded when Count Stanwin's blood was rapidly incinerated and turned bright red. Finally, with a "tsss", it sizzled, and the Deinosuchus body fell dead onto the ground.

Count Stainwin had lost all life force. He was dead!

"Honorable General, how are you faring?"

Orsato's men had finally defeated the three hundred heavy knights and came to his rescue. Looking at his exhausted appearance, they were slightly anxious.

"Count Stanwin's Deinosuchus bloodline was indeed fearsome. I almost died alongside him!"

Orsato's face displayed a sneer but in his heart, he was extremely shaken. Previously, no matter how powerful his enemy, Orsato usually fought with confidence and emerged victorious.

This time, although he ultimately won the fight, the sensation of brushing so closely against death, unleashed by Count Stanwin at the final moment, was something he would never forget.

"Go, rip Count Stanwin's body into eight and feed him to the dogs!"

Orsato's tone was filled with cruelty. In the end, Count Stanwin gave him a heavy blow. Most probably, he would have to recuperate for a few months.

Thinking of that, Orsato felt a surge of anger in his heart. Since he could not vent it out, he would have to take it out on Count Stanwin's body instead.

…

"Splash."

From the Nourishment Pond, an incomparably huge beast emerged.

"The third-form shift. The Blood-eye Dragon from the high-tier bloodlines is truly powerful. The natural order of this Latitude Cosmos is completely different from the Void Zone. Here, the destructive power is relatively limited. Nevertheless, my current strength should be enough to smash a mountain."

This almighty beast was none other than Merlin in shapeshifting state. He had already brewed ten batches of the Hermani Nourishment Pond from the materials he had obtained. All of them had been used up.

He also had absorbed the ten Nourishment Pond formula given by Heroult, called the Solbar formula. However, even after so many Nourishment Pond formulas, Merlin had only managed to achieve the third-form of the Blood-eye Dragon.

Nevertheless, the Blood-eye Dragon was a high-tier almighty beast, so its third-form was sufficient to kill many other almighty beast bloodlines.

"Master Leon, there's someone outside from Bay City Chamber of Commerce asking for you. It seems that he brings news about the Honorable Count."

Suddenly, outside the basement door, Merlin heard the old butler's voice.

Merlin was brewing the Nourishment Pond in the laboratory, thus, no one was allowed to disturb him except for important matters.

"News about Father? Please ask him to wait in the living room. I'll come up immediately."

Merlin had not heard anything from Count Stanwin for three months. Back then, Count Stanwin had mentioned that protecting the merchant group should only take three months, and they would return then.

However, after three months had passed, Count Stanwin still did not return. No one knew what had happened.

Merlin was not too worried. Not only did Count Stanwin have three hundred heavy knights to protect him but he also possessed the bloodline of a mid-tier almighty beast and had achieved peak fourth-form shifter.

Unless they had encountered someone close to a full-shifter or an onslaught of multiple shifters of the same level, otherwise, they could simply escape without injury.

With that, Merlin retracted his shapeshift form. He selected a set of black aristocratic clothes, exited the basement, and headed directly to the living room.

There was an old man with grayish-white hair in the living room. He held an elegant cane and fidgeted anxiously in the chair while waiting.

Merlin walked into the living room and asked curiously, "Who are you?"

"Master Leon, I'm Bartamath from Bay City Chamber of Commerce. We've just received news that Count Stanwin, who was protecting our merchant group, as well as his heavy knights and the merchants in the group, had perished. No one survived…"

"Crash."

There was a crisp sound as the glass of water in Merlin's hand was instantly crushed into dust. From Merlin's body, a chilling aura began to rise.

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Chapter 952: Behind the Calm

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"I understand."

After a long pause, Merlin replied impassively. Merlin's reaction stunned Bartamanth. Merlin was Count Stanwin's only son, yet his reaction was not at all like a person who had just received his father's death notice.

Nevertheless, Bartamanth was just a messenger. Now that Merlin had acknowledged the news, Bartamanth did not linger and left the manor.

"Master, the Honorable Count…"

The butler trembled all over. Count Stanwin was dead. This was equivalent to the collapse of the entire clan. Whether or not this manor could continue to be maintained, it was difficult to say.

"Prepare the carriage, I'm heading out."

Merlin's expression remained calm. Even his tone did not show the slightest inflection. However, those from the Void Zone who knew Merlin well would know that this was his most terrifying state.

The butler was about to say something but stopped. Finally, he did not say anything and went to prepare a carriage for Merlin. Merlin shrugged on a coat, climbed into the carriage, and headed directly for Phantom Headquarters.

"Father…"

Inside the carriage, Merlin whispered. He thought about Old Wilson and various memories of Count Stanwin. Count Stanwin and Old Wilson were very similar to one another. The only difference was Count Stanwin was more powerful than Old Wilson, and also showed more love for Merlin.

Merlin did not bother asking Bartamanth who had killed Count Stanwin. For a matter of such gravity, Merlin was certain that Phantom, the intelligence agency of the Holy Dragon royal family, would know more details. Therefore, Merlin immediately headed directly for Phantom Headquarters.

The carriage soon arrived at Phantom Headquarters. Merlin went to the Logistic Team. Belle was slightly surprised as she asked, "Leon, why did you come today?"

Today was Leon's rest day, so he did not have to come to Phantom Headquarters. Compared to the other departments, only the Logistic Team had such a rotation system. For this reason, many of the other Teams were extremely envious of them.

"I want to check on some intelligence, should I ask the Investigation Team?"

Merlin replied briefly.

"Check on some intelligence?"

Belle looked up and was about to ask for more details when she saw the murderous glint behind Merlin's deceptively calm eyes. Suddenly, this genial-looking young man seemed terrifying.

"You can ask for Linda from the Investigation Team. She and I are very close. As long as the information isn't too confidential, it should be fine."

Belle's voice seemed to tremble slightly. She did not know why this usually genial-looking young man would undergo such a major change today.

Merlin hesitated and then nodded. "Thank you."

Thus, Belle accompanied Merlin to the Investigation Team. Here, there were all sorts of information from the entire Holy Dragon Empire. Although the Investigation Team was small, their intelligence covered the entire Holy Dragon Empire. For the royal family to know what was going on everywhere, they relied almost fully on the Investigation Team.

Naturally, the Investigation Team was filled with people. Fortunately, with Belle's help, they had located a woman who was dressed very provocatively. Nonetheless, she was quite good-looking, so her choice of dressing was not revolting.

"Linda, this is Leon from the Logistics Team. He would like to check on some intelligence."

Linda looked up. When she spotted Belle and Merlin, the corners of her lips tugged into a faint smile. "Of course, Sister Belle. The next time your Logistics Team receive something good, you must tell me."

"Of course."

Belle paused and said to Merlin, "What do you want to check on, ask away."

Merlin's eyes narrowed to almost a thin line while his expression turned incredibly severe. Calmly, he said, "Some time ago, the Deinosuchus Mercenary Group founded by Count Stanwin was escorting a group of merchants but the entire group perished. I need details, every last one, and the more detailed, the better!"

Merlin's tone was not at all agitated, and the speed of his speech was very laid back as though he was talking about something insignificant that had nothing to do with him.

"Count Stanwin? Leon, that's your…"

Beside him, Belle's eyes widened. As a member of the Logistics Team and as a member of Phantom, no one was a simpleton. Merlin knew that even the weakest Logistics Team was composed of elites. Placed anywhere, these people would be considered prodigies or icons, and were perhaps even nobler than some of the aristocrats.

This was the Phantom Organization. The most feared faction under the Holy Dragon royal family's control.

Therefore, Belle also knew Merlin's identity, which was Count Stanwin's son. However, she did not know how Merlin had managed to form connections with Deputy Commander Heroult and was ultimately arranged to join the Logistics Team by Deputy Commander Heroult.

"Can you find it?"

Merlin waved his hand without allowing Belle to continue her sentence. Nevertheless, Belle finally understood why Merlin came to the headquarters today and the reason for the scary glint in his eyes.

His father was dead. He was killed. Belle could not imagine how Merlin could remain so calm. However, the calmer he was, the more intimidating he appeared.

"Of course, this isn't considered a trivial matter. After all, Count Stanwin is a peak fourth-form contender with a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline. They went to Cedar City and encountered the Python Army. The leader of this Python Army is called Orsato. Orsato has the Python bloodline and he is slightly more powerful than Count Stanwin. He had already invaded Cedar City a long time ago but deceived the merchant group to enter the city. Finally, the merchant group was besieged and annihilated."

Linda gave all the details of Count Stanwin's death to Merlin. The information was so detailed that it was as if she was present on the battlefield. This also caused a jolt in Merlin's heart. The royal family's most mysterious faction, Phantom, was truly extraordinary. Since he was in the Logistics Team, he was still far away from the core groups such as the Investigation Team and the Combat Team. Hence, he did not know how fearsome Phantom was.

Now, seeing the detailed information that had been gathered by Phantom in just a few days, he finally witnessed Phantom's incredible prowess.

"Python Army, Orsato, I got it! Belle, let's go to the Mission Hall."

Merlin nodded to Linda in appreciation, and walked directly toward the Mission Hall.

"Mission Hall? Leon, have you gone crazy? That is a place that only the Investigation Team and the Combat Team would go. Those missions aren't simple. In fact, how many missions issued by Phantom would be simple?"

Belle was stunned. She did not expect that Merlin would want to go to the Mission Hall. That was a place reserved for crazy people like the Investigation Team and the Combat Team.

Merlin did not explain nor did his footsteps faltered. He headed directly toward the Mission Hall ahead.

"Leon, you…"

Belle stomped her foot but finally followed him. She wanted to see what mission would Merlin accept in the Mission Hall. She did not believe that Merlin had gone crazy.

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Chapter 953: Murderous Intentions

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

There were not many people in the Mission Hall. Although Phantom was the most powerful organization controlled by the royal family, its total headcount had never been very high as this was an organization of specialized elites.

The people who were coming and going wore fierce expressions on their faces. Upon spotting Merlin and Belle, they merely cast them a casual, uncaring glance. Nevertheless, some recognized Belle. After all, regardless of the Combat Team, the Intelligence Team or any other team, they had to go to Logistics to claim their reward or redeem their contribution points.

Upon arriving at the Mission Hall, Merlin glanced around, and immediately sauntered up to a middle-aged man who was buried deep in some kind of writing.

"I'd like to accept a mission."

Merlin inquired calmly.

"There are many missions. Choose it yourself."

The man replied without raising his head.

"Is there any mission relating to the Python Army or the Python Army leader Orsato?"

Merlin glanced at the massive pile of missions but he did not bother to search. Instead, he asked in a deep voice.

"The Python Army? Of course, there are. They're one of the rebel armies, which is the most frequent type of missions issued by the royal family. The Python Army is considered relatively powerful. Their leader, Orsato, has achieved peak fourth-form shifter and is very close to becoming an almighty full-shifter. If you can destroy the Python Army and disband it, you'll receive five hundred contribution points. However, if you only manage to kill Orsato, then you'll only receive three hundred contribution points."

"Three hundred contribution points?"

Merlin considered it carefully. In the Logistics Team, he only secured ten contribution points each month. Typically, ten contribution points would enable him to redeem one batch of materials for the Hermani Nourishment Pond formula.

Whereas killing Orsato would earn him three hundred contribution points. It appeared that the royal family was considerably concerned about the rebel armies, especially someone like Orsato, who was a fourth-form shifter and could develop into a full-shifter at any time. The royal family must be extremely wary of him, thus, the number of contribution points awarded was very generous.

"Very well. I accept the Python Army mission!"

"Huh? You alone? Which team are you from?"

At this moment, the middle-aged man finally lifted his head, revealing a high forehead and a slightly reddened nose. He looked quite comical.

"Logistics Team, Leon!"

Merlin replied coolly.

"Logistics Team? Interesting. A Logistics Team member is accepting a mission to annihilate a powerful rebel army…"

The funny-looking man gazed at Merlin with an intrigued expression.

"Why? Can't someone from the Logistics Team accept a mission?"

Merlin countered.

In Phantom, any team could accept a mission. Even the research fanatics in the Research Team could accept a mission if they wished.

However, everyone knew that Logistics was the most "privileged" team. There was almost no danger associated with it. Many noble youths would join the Logistics Team as soon as they arrive in Phantom, just to collect gold. Since when have someone from the Logistics Team go on a mission?

However, this stereotype was about to be broken by Merlin.

"Of course not, the Logistics Team can also accept missions. Since you're so sure about this, I'll record it down. Once you kill Orsato or dismantle the Python Army, the contribution points will be awarded to you."

The funny-looking middle-aged man explained briefly.

"How would you know that I'm the one who completed the task, and not someone else?"

Merlin felt that there should be a recorder of some sort.

"Never doubt Phantom's intelligence abilities!"

The middle-aged man's expression grew stern. This startled Merlin but after some thoughts, he recalled that Phantom was able to collect such detailed information about Count Stanwin's death within a few days. Their intelligence gathering abilities were indeed impressive.

With that, Merlin nodded and left.

Truth was, the entire Mission Hall had already burst into a discussion. It was not because Merlin was exceptionally powerful or special, but merely the fact that someone from the Logistics Team had accepted a mission. This was a significant development in Phantom.

"Interesting. Leon from the Logistics Team should be watched closely."

In a corner of the Mission Hall, a middle-aged man cradling a liquor bottle. He looked drunk as he spoke softly. Beside him was a shadow-like person, who silently disappeared from the Mission Hall.

"Leon, are you really going to Cedar City to complete this mission?"

Walking behind Merlin, Belle quickly caught up and asked in astonishment. Not only was this the first time for someone from the Logistics Team to accept a mission but it was also a highly dangerous mission. Even the lunatics from the Investigation Team and the Combat Team would not dare to accept such a dangerous mission. The Python Army had many strong contenders. Once caught in their siege, the outcome would be devastating.

Not to mention, Orsato was a peak fourth-form shifter who was close to becoming a full-shifter. Most probably, other than a real full-shifter, no one would be able to defeat him. If Merlin were to go to Cedar City, it would be a death wish!

Although she had not known Merlin for a long time, she still did not wish for Merlin to die a pointless death.

Merlin halted his steps. In a deep voice, he said, "Please help me inform team leader Lotus. Don't worry, I'll be careful. I won't act recklessly."

With that, Merlin did not pay any further attention to Belle and left Phantom Headquarters.

…

In the manor's laboratory, Merlin did not continue to brew the Nourishment Pond. He had joined Phantom Headquarters for three months, so he had thirty contribution points, but he did not exchange them for any Nourishment Pond materials.

Thirty contribution points could only redeem three sets of materials at most. For Merlin, three sets of materials were merely a drop in a bucket. They were of inconsequential value.

"Father, don't worry, Orsato won't be able to get away."

In Merlin's mind, he could still see Count Stanwin's well-built figure. Every time he appeared before Merlin, his expression was kind and affectionate.

However, now, Count Stanwin was dead. He was killed by Orsato, and according to intelligence reports, Count Stanwin's body was mutilated by Orsato and fed to the dogs.

"Rumble rumble."

Merlin was struggling to control his enormous Mind Power. The Illusory World threatened to leak out. At the same time, lightning and thunder flashed outside as if sensing something amiss.

In the end, Merlin managed to suppress the Illusory World. If he was discovered by the will of the Almighty Beast world at this time, he would be struck dead, and even his consciousness would completely dissipate. That meant that he would be irrevocably dead.

Currently, Merlin's Illusory World was recovering very slowly. It had only regained partial strength, so it was still incapable of defying the will of the Almighty Beast world.

Nevertheless, dealing with Orsato alone did not require mobilizing the Illusory World.

"It's time to leave!"

Merlin stood up. At this moment, his eyes were filled with a bone-chilling murderous glint.

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Chapter 954: Fighting the Golden Python I

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

On a craggy road, a troop of horses hurtled forward.

It had been half a month since Merlin left Holy Dragon City. Every day, he hastened on his journey. Now, he could finally see Cedar City which was not far up ahead.

"I'm approaching Cedar City. I just don't know if Orsato is still inside."

Merlin growled to himself. Naturally, his current target was Orsato.

Merlin reached the top of a hill. This spot overlooked the entire Cedar City. It was merely a small town, not a prosperous city. Nonetheless, the Python Army could only occupy such a small town for now.

"Hmm? There's someone?"

Merlin narrowed his eyes. His vision had spotted a few young men and women outside Cedar City, who seemed to be observing Cedar City as they suspiciously discussed something.

"It looks like I'm not the only enemy of the Python Army!"

A cold smirk gradually grew over Merlin's lips, following which he released his horse while he sped down the slope, alone, toward Cedar City.

…

In a grove outside of Cedar City, three young men and women had gathered, peering at Cedar City from time to time anxiously.

"Mary, with just the three of us, it's dangerous to go into Cedar City and rescue your sister. Orsato is very formidable, and we…"

One of the young men appeared rather hesitant. The three of them were planning to rescue someone in Cedar City.

"Otara, if you don't wish to go, you may leave now. No matter what, I must rescue my sister!"

This woman named Mary spoke in determined tones. Without liberating her sister, she would not leave Cedar City.

The other two men exchanged a glance before finally clenching their jaws. "Then we'll give it a shot. If something goes wrong, we'll withdraw immediately. After all, we mustn't get trapped in Cedar City!"

Otara spoke through gritted teeth.

"Alright, we'll go in now."

Mary needed help too. Wanting to save her sister by herself was no different from a lunatic's plan.

Therefore, the three of them disguised themselves as ordinary people, and walked out from the grove, heading toward Cedar City. They did not notice at all the figure behind them who was trailing them at a distance.

After entering Cedar City, Mary seemed to have figured out the situation in Cedar City in advance. Thus, she said softly, "As Orsato's bloodline is the Golden Python, he requires an obscene number of women each month. Moreover, he's built a place where he keeps the numerous women he's captured. It's in the west of the city. The security there is relatively lax, so we'll go now."

When Mary mentioned Orsato, she clenched her jaw. Her younger sister was also brought to Cedar City in such a manner.

Orsato liked his women indeed. Every day, he would have a few women waiting upon him. Nevertheless, his bloodline was the Golden Python, which was lascivious by nature, so a few women were nothing much.

Just as always, Orsato went to this castle in the afternoon where he had imprisoned many women.

The castle held no less than over three hundred and eighty women. The Python Army had captured these women from each city it had seized, to be offered to Orsato.

Orsato now stood before a few dozen women. In one sweep of his gaze, he instantly took a liking to a few of them who had full figures and gorgeous features. Thus, he offhandedly pointed at these few women and said, "Follow me."

These women exchanged a glance but dared not resist. Orsato was cruel indeed. He would immediately kill the women who had disobeyed him, and feed their corpses to the wild dogs. He was that heartless.

Therefore, these women dared not go against his command.

Orsato was feeling pleased and was about to leave with these women when his face suddenly changed as he barked out a cold laugh. "You want to assassinate me with just the few of you?"

"Roar…"

Orsato immediately shapeshifted, and his massive body viciously smacked a few trees in the distance.

"Crack."

These trees were snapped by Orsato directly. Three figures leaped out pathetically, wearing distressed expressions. It was Mary and the rest who had planned a rescue.

"Oh no, we've been noticed! Mary, let's flee quickly!"

Otara's heart jolted. Orsato's casual blow could contain such might. They were all third-form shifters but even though they had exceptional mid-tier almighty beast bloodlines, the disparity between Orsato and them was too huge.

"It's too late to run! Orsato, I'm here to rescue my sister. Since you've discovered us, there's nothing to do but fight. Shapeshift!"

Following that, Mary unleashed a mighty snarl. She instantly transformed into a colossal fox covered in blood vessels, which looked quite a beauty. As for the other two men, their almighty beast bloodline was the same – a black Giant Wolf King.

Giant Wolves were merely a low-tier bloodline but a Giant Wolf King could reach the mid-tier bloodline. All three of them had mid-tier almighty beast bloodlines, which surprised Orsato somewhat.

"They all have mid-tier almighty beast bloodlines. Since when were there so many mid-tier almighty beast bloodlines?"

These three who popped out from nowhere possessed mid-tier almighty beast bloodlines as if such bloodlines were of little value. However, it was not easy to possess a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline. One must at least be a descendant of some aristocratic lord.

Nevertheless, after the Holy Dragon Empire had descended into chaos, many lords and aristocrats had died in the scuffle. Naturally, the later generations of these bloodlines fell into abjection. Therefore, it appeared as if mid-tier almighty beast bloodlines could pop up at any time.

"Kill!"

The three of them followed Mary's furious cry. The two Giant Wolf Kings were the fastest, dashing directly toward Orsato like lightning. Furthermore, the gigantic fox behind them lightly swayed its tail, and a peculiar perfume drifted into Orsato's nose, causing him to feel dizzy.

"Poison?"

Orsato's expression finally turned serious. Poisonous almighty beasts were difficult to deal with. It was not that their strength was immense but the invisible poison was very troublesome. Even if one had defeated his opponent, one might die from being unable to neutralize the poison.

"Stamp!"

Orsato gave a deafening roar. His snake body, thick as a bucket, jerked forward abruptly. The entire castle seemed to tremble as the massive snake swept forward.

"Bang bang."

Orsato violently whipped the two Giant Wolf Kings. No matter how fast they were, they could not dodge the blows from Orsato's snake body. They were beaten back, and could not get up due to their heavy injuries.

Mary's face paled. Orsato's battle powers had far exceeded her imagination, and hence, she unleashed her poison more frantically.

Orsato felt that his dizziness had grown more intense, and fury flashed in his eyes as he laughed icily. "You're asking for it!"

"Swoosh."

Orsato's speed was incredible. There was only a golden flash of light, and he was in front of Mary. Just as before, the snake's tail whipped forward viciously.

This time, he had used his full strength to whip at Mary. She would soon be smashed to a pulp.

Mary's eyes revealed her despair. She could only watch helplessly as Orsato's tail swung forward ruthlessly.

"Roar…"

Suddenly, there was a thunderous cry as if an ancient almighty beast had awakened. A dark shadow had emerged behind Orsato at an unknown time, causing Orsato to feel overwhelmed by acute uneasiness.

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Chapter 955: Fighting the Golden Python II

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Who's there?"

Orsato felt an intense sense of threat, so he immediately gave up on killing Mary. His immense body quickly lashed backward. The Golden Python he had shifted into was most agile.

"Bang."

Force met force but Orsato's heavy blow seemed to have met an incomparably sturdy wall, having no effect at all.

By the time he turned back, he found that behind him was an almighty beast of unparalleled size, whose body exuded a powerful force, faintly suppressive in terms of its bloodline.

"A high-tier almighty beast bloodline?"

Orsato was widely knowledgeable and immediately recognized that Merlin had a high-tier almighty beast bloodline. Orsato was astounded to his core. This was a high-tier almighty beast bloodline. Even among those leaders of the rebel armies who had become full-shifters, none of them had a high-tier almighty beast bloodline.

If an existence with high-tier almighty beast bloodline reached the point of full-shift, that could truly be called terrifying.

"How is this high-tier almighty beast bloodline possible? Who are you really?"

Orsato wore a look of precaution. Although he could tell that his opponent was merely a third-form shifter, the fearsomeness of high-tier almighty beast bloodlines had always existed in legends. He had never experienced it for himself, so naturally, he was extremely wary.

"Count Stanwin was my father!"

Merlin's voice sounded calm. He had followed Mary and the rest into Cedar City and watched them being exposed, right up until Orsato's attack. He had hoped to catch Orsato off guard.

However, it was merely a surprise move for Orsato's Golden Python was extremely agile. Merlin's sneak attack did not give him much advantage.

Nonetheless, since this ambush had failed, he would defeat Orsato head-on. Merlin was intending to kill Orsato.

"Boom."

Merlin raised his massive claws. The Blood-eye Dragon had claws as well, vigorous and robust ones, which were frightening.

"Pow."

Merlin's swipe threw the Golden Python to one side, crashing heavily into the ground. Orsato was rather incredulous. Strength was his Golden Python's forte, but now in this match of force, he could not even withstand one blow from Merlin, who was merely a third-form shifter.

"This high-tier bloodline is powerful indeed. Even so, it's not so easy to kill me. You'll end up like your father. I'll rip your body into eight pieces and throw it to the wild dogs for food!"

A savage look appeared on Orsato's face, following which his colossal body turned into a golden ray that sped toward Merlin.

"Deadly Constriction!"

The golden ray that Orsato had turned into swiftly wound around Merlin's large frame. This was the Golden Python's strongest technique. Back then, Count Stanwin was killed by Deadly Constriction.

"Dragon's Roar!"

Merlin unleashed a booming roar. Although the Blood-eye Dragon was only a Vipera Dragon, it was equipped with some characteristics of the sacred-level almighty beast such as the Dragon's Roar. With one roar, Orsato felt his mind sinking as he became limp and powerless as if he was about to fall apart. He could not help but feel dumbstruck.

As for Merlin's Blood-eye Dragon, it seized this opportunity to explode with immense strength. The claws grabbed the Golden Python and ruthlessly tore it apart.

"Rip."

The Golden Python's Deadly Constriction was formidable, and most tricks would be useless in getting out of the struggle. However, Merlin had utilized the high-tier almighty beast's special technique to escape the Golden Python's hold and even injured the Golden Python grievously.

"Die!"

Merlin's gigantic mass surged forward as he lifted a huge paw, stamping down furiously.

"Boom."

The entire castle floor was quaking, and cracks even appeared over the walls as if on the verge of collapse. This frightened Mary so much that she dashed into the castle, wanting to save her younger sister.

"D*mn it, how is it so strong?"

It was the first time Orsato had felt so sullen. No matter what tricks he had used, he could not handle Merlin. In this current situation, Merlin would crush Orsato completely. Even though Merlin was only a mere third-form shifter, he had come infinitely close to those full-shift contenders with mid-tier bloodlines.

Merlin began galloping once again. His height had reached eight meters, and he looked like a small hill. As he raced forward at full strength, the entire ground was shaking.

"Flee, flee! Corner it and kill it, you all must kill this monster!"

Orsato was finally afraid. Merlin's Blood-eye Dragon would completely crush his Golden Python. His only advantage over Merlin might just be his speed.

Nonetheless, his speed was not that fast either, and he was caught firmly in Merlin's jaws.

"Trying to escape? Orsato, you'll never escape!"

Merlin's gigantic body immediately gave chase wildly, wrecking all obstacles in its path.

"Rumble rumble rumble."

Orsato purposefully wriggled into some of the back rooms, but Merlin did not have such an agile body. His Blood-eye Dragon crashed through any part of the castle directly and destroyed anything in its path with brute force. Faced with his powerful claws, even a castle could be easily demolished.

"D*mn it, Python Army, kill him, kill this monster!"

Orsato was fleeing madly. Scars had emerged over his body, leaving behind bloodstains. He was already significantly injured, so he frantically shouted to his Python Army.

"Honorable General, what's going on?"

Soon, the members of the Python Army under Orsato's command had arrived, but when they spotted Merlin's terrifying body, they revealed looks of dread.

"Go on, go and stop him."

Orsato still maintained his authority. Therefore, although the members of the Python Army were rather frightened, they still shapeshifted and rushed out. These members, especially Orsato's personal guards, were second-form shifters at least. Although they had low-tier bloodlines, there were many of them. Holding off Merlin momentarily was not a problem.

Thus, when he saw that his subordinates had rushed out, Orsato no longer delayed and immediately fled. He dared not get too close to Merlin. Otherwise, that feeling of constant danger would drive him insane.

Ever since Orsato had established the Python Army, though he had not won every battle, he was never as pathetic as he was now, nearly dying in Merlin's hands.

"Roar…"

Merlin did not hesitate at all, immediately wielding his roar. The thunderous roar could be heard by all in Cedar City. Just the sound of it alone was enough to strike fear into those with low-tier almighty beast bloodlines.

Moreover, Merlin was equipped with such powerful strength. After the Dragon's Roar, his body immediately dashed straight ahead. The crowd of personal guards could not block him at all.

"D*mn it, this guy is Count Stanwin's son. He's so powerful… Hold on, didn't Count Stanwin have the Deinosuchus bloodline? His son ought to have inherited the Deinosuchus bloodline but this person before us possesses a high-tier bloodline. Is he a Host?"

At this moment, a flabbergasted look came into Orsato's eyes. A Host who dared to merge with a high-tier almighty beast's will was certainly a lunatic.

"A lunatic, a lunatic, this guy's a lunatic. Does he dare to host a high-tier almighty beast's will? Sooner or later he'd be devoured by the almighty beast's will. I'd better escape, the further the better!"

After Orsato understood Merlin's identity as a Host, he did not hesitate in the slightest. He was even willing to abandon the Python Army, immediately escaping from the city. He wanted to distance himself from this "lunatic" Merlin.

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Chapter 956: Hunt 1

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"He's escaped?"

Merlin charged forward recklessly, just like an ancient almighty beast, crushing all of the guards. Currently, a shadow was cast over the hearts of these guards even as they watched Merlin.

With Merlin's frightening destructive power, he could easily wipe out a city.

"You can't run!"

Merlin's eyes narrowed slightly, following which his legs coiled powerfully. His massive body instantly shot out with no concern for anything. No matter what was in front, Merlin barged forward. There was nothing that could stop him.

This violent force that gave chase was incomparably astonishing. After this battle, the Python Army could be considered to be defeated. Even Orsato had fled. The Python Army immediately fell to pieces.

"Sister, how are you?"

Mary, who had rather bold nerves, finally rescued a young girl who seemed to be breathing her last as she appeared to be in a poor state. This girl was not doing so great mentally, and fortunately, there were no significant issues.

"That person is so powerful. Who's that?"

Mary mumbled softly. She had only heard Orsato mentioning "Count Stanwin", so this person must be linked to Count Stanwin.

"Sister, let's go. We'll leave this place while Cedar City is still in chaos."

Mary shot a long, hard look at a distant point. That figure was now deeply imprinted into her mind.

…

"Rumble."

The earth trembled as a lake was instantly smashed by an almighty beast of unparalleled magnitude. The wildlife within the lake was turned into mincemeat, and the surface of the lake was filled with a thick, bloody stench.

"You lunatic. You've been hunting me down for twenty-eight days. How long will you keep this up?"

A gigantic Golden Python suddenly sprang out of the lake in one swift motion. Its eyes were bloodshot and filled with endless fury. This Golden Python was, of course, Orsato who had fled from Cedar City.

Based on his advantage in terms of speed, Orsato thought that he could escape Merlin's grasp. However, he did not expect that his opponent would pursue him so madly, stopping at nothing. Moreover, the regenerative powers of the Blood-eye Dragon were terrifying as well. It could go on without any rest. If it were hungry, it would swallow an entire lake directly to maintain its formidable fighting strength.

This was a true ancient almighty beast, fearsome to the extreme. Therefore, Orsato could not shake off Merlin. He was nearly captured by Merlin a few times. With great difficulty, he had summoned the courage to confront Merlin, but ended up with an incomparably miserable outcome – he nearly died at Merlin's hands.

Thus, that courage to confront Merlin subsequently vanished without a trace.

"Swoosh."

Orsato once again slipped out of Merlin's grasp, swiftly fleeing into the distant mountain woods. Nonetheless, he felt an unprecedented level of dejection, not knowing when days like these would finally end. Being hunted down for a thousand miles was an experience he was unwilling to go through again.

However, there was no other option but to run. The Blood-eye Dragon hot on his heels was too frightening. Even though Merlin was merely a third-form shifter, he was powerful to a perverse extent. Other than those true full-shifters, no one was a match for Merlin.

"Rumble rumble."

A colossal almighty beast raced out from the mountain woods. It was Merlin, who cast a glance forward. He could still vaguely make out the Golden Python's figure.

After chasing for so many days, he still had not slain Orsato. This was rather troublesome for Merlin. The Golden Python's speed was greater than his. Furthermore, the Blood-eye Dragon could only shapeshift into the third-form for now, so some of the Blood-eye Dragon's unique, natural abilities were not yet unleashed. Therefore, he could only resort to the simplest method – to continue giving chase.

As for giving up, this was something Merlin had never considered.

Even so, Orsato's manner indicated that he would not hold on for long. Almighty beasts were formidable, but the disparity between different grades of bloodlines was still immense. The Golden Python's recovery was far inferior to the Blood-eye Dragon's, so after many days of relentless pursuit, the Golden Python was exhausted to the core.

By continuing the chase, Orsato would be caught by Merlin sooner or later thanks to his growing exhaustion.

Therefore, Merlin did not delay further. His gigantic body instantly started galloping. The entire mountain forest trembled under his thudding steps, causing a huge disturbance.

One day, two days… One month!

Orsato who had transformed into the Golden Python no longer wished to run. He could feel the exhaustion of the bloodline's power within his body. Despite the almighty beast's power, it had its limits.

Usually, Orsato would not be fearful at all, but Merlin was trailing him too closely. Orsato did not even have the chance to eat. Therefore, during this period, he was practically holding on through sheer will.

"This won't do. I definitely can't go on running like this. I must think of a plan."

As Orsato rapidly fled forward, he tried to come up with a plan. During this period, he had been slithering deeper into the dense mountain woods. The denser or larger the forest was, the better.

He wanted to rely on the mountain woods' complicated terrain to hinder Merlin's pursuit. However, after some time of testing this out, he had discovered that though this would slow Merlin down initially, Merlin would give chase once more. In truth, Orsato's speed in the mountain woods was diminishing too.

Therefore, after traversing the forest for a very long time, Orsato came up with a new idea.

"I can't continue escaping through the mountain forest. I must lure that freak to some other place. It's best if a powerful existence who's a full-shifter can get involved."

At this thought, Orsato's eyes brightened. It was true. Currently, only contenders who were full-shifters could handle the Blood-eye Dragon chasing after him.

"That's right, the Blackbat Militia! Isn't he Count Stanwin's son? Hehe, Boulder City has been seized by the Blackbat Militia, and General Blackbat himself is a full-shifter. Although the barbarians had left, a full-shifting contender like him should be enough to deal with that freak."

Orsato felt that this plan was increasingly reliable. The Blackbat Militia had taken over Boulder City, so they would surely have paid extra attention to Count Stanwin. At this point, if Count Stanwin's son barged into Boulder City, it would surely rouse the Blackbat Militia's anger.

This was Orsato's plan. At worst, he could count on the Blackbat Militia temporarily, then think of a plan to escape. However, he must first slip out of Merlin's pursuit for sure. Otherwise, he might die in Merlin's hands.

With this in mind, Orsato clenched his jaw and abruptly switched direction, heading away from the unending swathe of mountain woods as he fled.

"Huh? He's changed direction?"

Merlin noticed that Orsato had changed direction, so he drew in a deep breath, and immediately followed behind without any hesitation, speeding away from the mountain forest.

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Chapter 957: Hunt 2

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Orsato was as quick as lightning throughout the entire journey. When he pushed on at full speed, all one could see was a blur. Besides that, Orsato no longer went through remote areas but sped along with all his might on the main road.

This went against Merlin's expectations. On the road, his massive frame was too eye-catching but if he had reversed his shifted state, he would be unable to catch up to Orsato.

This was a problem indeed, but merely a small one.

"Trying to lure me into the crowds?"

Merlin immediately discerned Orsato's intentions. Nonetheless, once they joined the crowds, Merlin would indeed be attacked, but would Orsato not suffer a similar fate?

Therefore, the danger faced by both parties was the same.

"Bong bong bong."

In the nearest city to their left, someone had already noticed the commotion outside the city, instantly sounding the alarm. Many contenders started to shapeshift.

However, Orsato was too fast. Moreover, he was a peak fourth-form shifter – who could stop him? Therefore, he swiftly entered the city, and occasionally checked upon Merlin's movements.

They could not stop Orsato, but Merlin's size alone was enough to overwhelm them with terror. Thus, this small city did not even dare to obstruct Merlin, allowing the Blood-eye Dragon to rush into the city, knocking down the city walls, making his way through as if there were no obstacles.

"D*mn it, these cowardly fools."

When Orsato noticed this, he could not stop himself from cursing. If someone could stop Merlin, then he could escape further. If this happened a few times, he might be free from Merlin's pursuit.

Nonetheless, his plan had fallen through completely. The inhabitants of this small city had almighty beast bloodlines – mid-tier almighty beast bloodlines at best. Most of them were second-form shifters, and even third-form shifters were very rare. Thus, after seeing Merlin's shapeshifting, with such a terrifying bulk that emanated such a formidable force, who would dare to stop him? It would be a suicide mission. This was why, even after Merlin rushed into the city, no one stopped him.

Orsato understood that these tiny cities would be no threat to Merlin, so he could only go to Boulder City. He had previously received news that the headquarters of the Blackbat Militia was in Boulder City. Blackbat who was a full-shifter was sure to be in Boulder City too.

Merlin kept on chasing behind Orsato, ceaselessly in pursuit. Gradually, he noticed that the surrounding environment was somewhat familiar as they flitted past his mind incessantly.

"Hold on, this direction… Boulder City?"

A flash of realization lit up Merlin's mind. He finally understood the destination of Orsato's escape. This direction would lead straight to Boulder City, where Merlin had possessed Leon after first arriving at the Almighty Beast World.

Boulder City was presently occupied by the Blackbat Militia, and the Blackbat Militia's leader, Blackbat, was a full-shifting contender. As Orsato was speeding off in this direction, his objective could not be any clearer.

"Blackbat…"

Merlin mumbled softly to himself. Boulder City had been the territory of his father Count Stanwin back then. It was because of the Blackbat Militia's acts of devastation that Count Stanwin had no choice but to turn his back against his home and bring Merlin and the rest to Holy Dragon City.

"The legendary high-tier almighty beast could easily destroy a city, being the overlord of almighty beasts… How powerful is a full-shifter?"

An odd smile tugged at the corner of Merlin's lips. He did not slacken his pace at all but instead, increased his speed in chasing after Orsato.

As more time passed, Orsato could feel himself weakening. His speed was much slower than before, and he could even sense the intense danger closing behind him. He knew that Merlin had not given up on killing him.

"D*mn it, hurry up a little. I'm almost at Boulder City!"

Orsato began to burn with irritation. He could already see towering ramparts in front. This was Boulder City but Merlin's figure behind him was fast approaching.

"Just hurry a little more…"

Orsato did not stop praying while simultaneously using all his strength to disregard those thick ramparts, leaping forward in one move.

"Swish."

In one leap, he had made it into Boulder City. The strange thing was, Boulder City had spotted him and Merlin long ago. After all, one of them was chasing after the other, which caused quite a disturbance. Nonetheless, there were no movements in Boulder City.

"Boulder City!"

Merlin drew in a deep breath. He was already so close to Orsato. As Orsato made that leap, Merlin's gigantic body released a mighty roar.

"Roar…"

The deafening Dragon's Roar reverberated throughout Boulder City. As Merlin had given such an unexpected roar after Orsato had fled for such a long time, especially when he was already weary to his bones, Merlin's roar immediately caused Orsato to fall to the ground.

"Bang."

Merlin instantly used the most brutal method to enter Boulder City. The ramparts that looked so solid and sturdy were so fragile in Merlin's eyes. He easily broke down the walls and entered the city.

"Orsato, you can't run anymore!"

Merlin took large strides as his immense body ran toward Orsato who was on the ground.

Orsato's eyes were filled with a despairing look as he cried out, "Blackbat, this person is Count Stanwin's son, the true master of Boulder City. Can you still act so indifferently?"

"Of course not. Orsato, as someone from the Python Army, you dare to enter my Boulder City without permission, only to lure this person in. No matter what your motives are, you must die!"

Suddenly, a terrifying, savage presence erupted, just like a genuine ancient almighty beast. A gigantic shadow appeared in the sky.

Merlin looked up and saw a gigantic bat over thirty meters wide, whose wings practically blocked the sky when it extended. This was a true almighty beast. Regardless of the body or the mind, everything had shapeshifted, transforming into an ancient almighty beast that could unleash frightening powers.

This was a full-shifter, able to wield the bloodline's strength to its greatest limits. The bloodline's power exhibited by first to fourth-form shifters was relatively limited.

Only by becoming a full-shifter could only explode with the greatest power contained within the bloodline!

This massive bat in the sky was the true ruler of Boulder City, the leader of the Blackbat Militia – Blackbat who had achieved full-shifting.

Merlin narrowed his eyes slightly but did not decelerate in his movements at all. His colossal body immediately hurtled toward Orsato.

"Die!"

The Blood-eye Dragon gave a hoarse roar. Merlin raised one foot up high, following which he stamped it viciously.

"Bang."

There was a resounding crash. Orsato's Golden Python twisted and struggled constantly, but it was of no use. That large body was crushed into a mangled pulp under the Blood-eye Dragon's foot, snapping into two in the middle.

This Python Army's leader of brilliant fame, Orsato, the fourth-form shifter, finally died by Merlin's hands.

Merlin had avenged Count Stanwin at last. Moreover, he had also completed the mission he had taken from Phantom. Nevertheless, he was suddenly in a hazardous situation.

This was because, up in the sky, there was a stronger, more troublesome Blackbat, brimming with dangerous force!

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Chapter 958: An Almighty Beast Full-Shifter!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The gigantic black bat in the sky glared coldly at Merlin.

"That idiot Orsato. Did he think I won't see through his purpose in luring you here? D*mn that fool. Since you're Count Stanwin's son, barging into Boulder City again is a display of contempt toward me! I'm more curious about the Blood-eye Dragon's will you've merged with. I wonder how you suppress it?"

Blackbat's words caused Merlin to reappraise this powerful existence who was a full-shifter. Any full-shifting existence, even if they shifted into a low-tier almighty beast, was very powerful.

This was because only through a full-shift, one could unleash the complete strength contained within the bloodline. Without achieving a full-shift, the bloodline's power that was unleashed would not even be a tenth of the full amount.

Consequently, only full-shifters could be called a contender who could rule over an area by force as this was a power that was two levels above the rest.

Blackbat could tell that Merlin was a Host in one glance, and he knew that Merlin's current shifted form was the Blood-eye Dragon. Merlin was not puzzled about this. After all, the Blood-eye Dragon was a high-tier almighty beast bloodline. Those who were widely knowledgeable would usually have a deeper impression of it.

"Stamp."

Merlin snarled furiously, following which his body immediately bolted out of Boulder City. Nonetheless, Blackbat was not an ordinary shifter. He would not be stunned by the Dragon's Roar Merlin had unleashed.

"You can't run away…"

Blackbat spread both his wings and flapped them lightly. Like a dark cloud in the sky, he swiftly chased after Merlin.

Merlin raised his head and spotted the mass of shadow in the sky. He knew that escape was unlikely, so he could only fight.

"Full-shifter… I want to see how powerful you are."

Merlin drew in a deep breath and stopped fleeing. He had some understanding of Blackbat. This sort of almighty beast bloodline was not that formidable, being merely a low-tier bloodline.

Nonetheless, once an almighty beast of a low-tier bloodline had achieved a full-shift, they would be rather terrifying. In particular, after full-shifting, most almighty beasts could wield their natural abilities.

"Oh, a high-tier almighty beast bloodline. However, I didn't share your courage. Back then, I didn't choose parasitism but continued to train the Blackbat bloodline. Haven't I become a full-shifter now? You'll never know how powerful a full-shifter can be."

Blackbat did not seem dismayed over his low-tier almighty beast bloodline. Conversely, he took pride in it. Even among those who chose a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline, how many of them could become a full-shifter?

Therefore, if one could reach a full-shift, one was then a contender. Even toward a high-tier almighty beast bloodline like Merlin's, Blackbat could treat it in a patronizing manner. This was his level of confidence.

"Hoo…"

A hurricane appeared as the black bat's wings flapped lightly. Following that, its massive bulk swooped down directly toward Merlin.

Although Blackbat had never been an almighty beast that excelled in strength, mainly using its agility and soundwave attacks, a full-shifted Blackbat could unleash the total strength of the bloodline. Therefore, compared to Merlin who could not even exhibit a tenth of the power from the Blood-eye Dragon's bloodline, naturally, Blackbat had nothing to fear.

Merlin sucked in a gulp of air. He could sense that the Blood-eye Dragon's will in his Awareness was enraged.

"A mere, puny bat dares to look down upon the great Blood-eye Dragon?"

The Blood-eye Dragon's will was ultimately very haughty, but it knew that Merlin was merely a third-shifter at the moment. Although it was furious, it could not do anything.

"Whiz."

Merlin's thick tail violently lashed toward the sky. This was a stiff blow. He wanted to see how powerful Blackbat truly was.

"Bang."

There was a heavy crash as two almighty beasts ruthlessly collided. There were no flashy tricks here for this was a brute force against another brute force. Merlin's tail whipped Blackbat's body, and he felt that his opponent was like a huge mountain.

Nonetheless, Merlin was not dejected. Conversely, he gained some hope from this. Although Merlin's opponent had gained the upper hand in this match of force, he was not undefeatable. The disparity between Merlin and a full-shifter was not as immense as Merlin had thought.

Moreover, Blackbat was somewhat astonished as well. This was the first time he faced a high-tier almighty beast. Although Merlin was merely a third-form shifter, his strength was impressive to an extent that fourth-form shifters with mid-tier almighty beast bloodlines could not compare to.

Therefore, his full-shifter's strength only lent him a slight advantage. It should be known that the tail was not Merlin's strongest strike. Merlin still had not unleashed his greatest force.

"A high-tier almighty beast is extraordinary indeed."

While Blackbat was still reeling from his shock, Merlin had already made his move. His Blood-eye Dragon roared ferociously to the sky, gathering energy from its entire body.

"Crush!"

Merlin's tremendous body was like a hefty grinder as he lunged directly toward Blackbat. Perhaps this was the only aspect in which Merlin could surpass Blackbat. After all, a high-tier almighty beast was much stronger than a low-tier almighty beast. If Merlin could become a fourth-form shifter, his current strength would be much greater. He would not need to stake everything in one move as he was doing now.

"Whoosh."

As if he sensed the fearsomeness of Merlin's "crushing", Blackbat chose to dodge for the first time. His true forte was his speed and soundwaves. If he did not wish to resort to brute force, Merlin could do nothing about it.

Furthermore, Blackbat had wings. When he flew into the sky, Merlin was helpless.

The only exception was if Merlin could attain a full-shift. Nonetheless, a full-shift of a high-tier almighty beast would be frightening to an inconceivable extent. Blackbat would not even dare to come near and would have already escaped without leaving any trace.

"Screech screech screech screech."

Suddenly, a strange sound rang in Merlin's brain. This sound was pervasive and inescapable. After it entered Merlin's body, it stirred up Merlin's blood, causing it to surge in madness as if it would explode at any time.

At that point, no matter how formidable Merlin's physical defenses were, he would be blown up into bloody pieces.

"A natural ability – soundwave attacks?"

Merlin looked up and saw that Blackbat was circling above his head. His opponent had finally demonstrated a natural ability that only full-shifters could wield. Blackbat's natural ability was his very mysterious soundwave attacks. They penetrated every pore and were impossible to guard against.

"I can't go on like this."

Merlin pondered this matter. Compared to a full-shifted almighty beast, he was still somewhat lacking. Of course, if he could reach the fourth-form, this disparity would be rapidly reduced or he could even overcome it.

This was the fortitude of top-tier almighty beasts. Nonetheless, the difference in ability between both sides was not something Merlin's third-form shifting could overcome.

Even so, Merlin's expression showed no trace of fear.

"A full-shifter… So what? Die!"

Finally, Merlin mobilized his Mind Power. His Illusory World was now in tatters. He would not dare to display it in the Almighty Beast World at all. Otherwise, the will of the Almighty Beast World would descend.

Therefore, Merlin could only utilize what little Mind Power he was left with. As the foremost Mind Power Master in his previous life, a powerful existence who had started to materialize illusions as reality, he was formidable to be scary even just using his Mind Power!

At once, the vast Mind Power wildly surged from Merlin's Awareness toward Blackbat who was circling ceaselessly in the sky. The smile on his opponent's face seemed to stop like time itself, coming to an abrupt end!

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Chapter 959: Returning to the Manor

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In a corner of Boulder City, two ordinary-looking men dressed in black observed the battle between Blackbat and Merlin which was not too far away. They shook their heads powerlessly. "It looks like there's no hope. What a pity. Leon had killed Orsato and disbanded the entire Python Army. Initially, he had finished his mission but had provoked Blackbat. He's a goner for sure. Come on, let's return to Headquarters to report the situation."

These two men were members of Phantom's Investigation Team who had infiltrated Boulder City. Indeed, Phantom's members were everywhere. Every single thing that Merlin had done in this period was unequivocally known to Phantom.

Even the almighty beast's will that parasitized Merlin, the high-tier almighty beast Blood-eye Dragon, its origin was known to Phantom. Phantom was extremely scary. It was not surprising that they were the sharpest sword wielded by the royal family.

These two people had witnessed the entire process of Merlin and Blackbat's fight. Merlin had no hope of winning at all. The disparity was too immense. Furthermore, Blackbat was currently restraining Merlin. After all, once Blackbat took flight, Merlin could do nothing.

"Boom."

Suddenly, just as both of them were about to leave, the situation was reversed. Blackbat's massive body was suddenly caught by Merlin's claws and dragged to the ground. He crashed heavily, causing a loud thud.

"How could this be?"

The two members of the Investigation Team exchanged a glance, noticing the look of shock in each other's' eyes.

…

Merlin's Mind Power exploded instantly. Although one could not see anything on the outside, Blackbat felt fear from the depths of his soul. When the boundless Mind Power enveloped him, he erupted with all his might to resist it. However, it was futile. Mind Power was shapeless and soundless, pervading through every pore.

Therefore, despite Blackbat's valiant struggle, it was of no use. Merlin's Mind Power had already controlled Blackbat. Following that, Blackbat was just like a puppet, and his movements halted. Merlin seized this chance and grabbed with his claws.

"Bang."

Merlin's claws tore Blackbat down as his eyes flashed with a cold glint. Even the consciousness of the Blood-eye Dragon in Merlin's mind was unprecedentedly overjoyed.

This was a formidable full-shifter, yet he was beaten by Merlin and sent crashing heavily into the ground.

Nonetheless, it was not over yet. Merlin was already itching to kill. Anyone who knew about the secret of his Mind Power must die. Thus, his claws seized the Blackbat's colossal body and strained with effort.

"Roar…"

Merlin unleashed a thunderous Dragon's Roar. With strength coursing through his claws, he forcibly tore Blackbat's body into two halves.

Dark red blood splattered all over Merlin, emitting an overpowering, bloody stench, causing one to shudder with fear.

"Dead…."

"Commander Blackbat is dead…"

At this moment, those who were watching the battle between Blackbat and Merlin were rather incredulous. The full-shifter, Commander Blackbat, had died at the hands of a mere third-form shifter like Merlin. Furthermore, he had died in such a miserable manner, torn in half instantly.

Currently, in their eyes, Merlin was a symbol of cruelty and terror. Some of the higher-ups of the Blackbat Militia had decided to flee at once. They had been coerced into joining the militia by Blackbat. Now that Blackbat was dead, naturally, no one would stick their necks out for him. With their subordinates in tow, they had swiftly fled from Boulder City.

Naturally, Merlin knew that many observers were surrounding him, but he no longer cared. Killing Blackbat would likely make many people fearful. At the same time, exposing his high-tier almighty beast's will would induce covetous desires in other powerful Hosts.

Even so, Merlin was unafraid because if he returned to Phantom this time, he would obtain many contribution points to exchange for many batches of the Nourishment Pond formula. At that point, the Blood-eye Dragon's bloodline would reach the peak of the fourth-form shifting. With a high-tier almighty beast's strength, Merlin could then truly contend against those full-shifting fighters.

"Boulder City… That's the manor where I once lived!"

Merlin looked up toward the Count's Manor in the distance. However, the present Count's Manor was already used by Blackbat as his residence. Thus, Merlin acted as if no one else was around and headed directly to the Count's Manor.

The two intelligence agents from Phantom who were hiding in a corner of Boulder City finally recovered from their shock. Although they were still somewhat in disbelief that Merlin could kill Blackbat, the truth was right before their eyes. Blackbat was directly torn into two halves.

They knew that from today onward, Merlin would truly catch the attention of the empire's higher-ups. Any contender comparable to a full-shifter would receive the focused interest of the royal family.

Furthermore, Merlin was loyal to the royal family, a member of Phantom which the royal family heavily relied upon.

"You stay here and watch Leon closely. I'll report to Headquarters!"

The two men in black broke out into smiles. With such important intelligence, the awarded contribution points would not be insignificant. It would be comparable to a few months of missions.

Thus, one of the black-clothed person's figure flashed slightly. Just like a shadow, inconspicuously, he noiselessly drifted out of Boulder City.

…

In the Count's Manor, Merlin had resumed his ordinary appearance, no longer exhibiting his shifted form. Nonetheless, no one dared to underestimate him anymore. The people in the manor had received the news and each made their escape. Currently, the manor was empty.

Some of them had not left but instead, knelt in the manor, not even daring to lift their heads. They were welcoming their new master.

Merlin came to a woman with a graceful figure, who looked to be thirty years old, and asked coldly, "Why didn't you run?"

This woman wore the clothes of aristocrats and appeared to live a noble life. She was not a servant, and her features were beautiful too.

The woman's body was trembling somewhat, but she still answered, "We were captured by Blackbat, who also destroyed our clans. We have no home to return to. In this chaotic world, where can we run to? We're better off asking for Master's mercy, allowing us to stay in this manor. We're even willing to be Master's maidservants."

Other than this woman, several other women also knelt on the ground. Some of them were slaves, and they were unafraid while others were like the first woman, having been seized from the surrounding aristocratic homes by Blackbat. Their clans had been destroyed, and they were homeless now. In this world of chaos, leaving the manor was a death wish, resulting in an even more tragic outcome.

Merlin had seen many cases like this, but he said slowly, "All of you can stay. However, you must tell me, what did Blackbat leave behind?"

The woman replied hurriedly, "I know Blackbat likes collecting treasures the most, so he's hidden them in the manor's basement. I'll bring you there, Master."

"There's no need. I'm more familiar with this manor than you are. This place was initially mine!"

With that, Merlin paid no more mind to these women, immediately striding toward the basement.

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Chapter 960: The Secret Chamber

Merlin strode toward the basement. Regarding this manor, Merlin was undoubtedly familiar. This was his home when he first entered this world.

"Most probably, Count Stanwin would be happy to see that I've managed to reclaim the manor in Boulder City, right?"

The thought flashed unbidden in Merlin's mind. He held great respect toward Count Stanwin. Of course, a great existence like Merlin, who could challenge a Latitude Cosmos, would not think of Count Stanwin as a father. Rather, Count Stanwin gave him a sense of nostalgia. After all, Merlin had not felt such a warm feeling for a very long time.

Shaking his head, Merlin continued to walk. Count Stanwin was dead. Merlin had not only killed Orsato but had also slain Blackbat who had previously invaded Boulder City. Now that Merlin had reclaimed Boulder City, Count Stanwin had been properly avenged.

Arriving in the basement, Merlin scanned his surroundings. He discovered that there were now many large boxes, which turned out to contain gold coins. These were the financial underpinnings that supported the entire Blackbat Militia.

In the other large boxes, there were some strange and peculiar items that Blackbat must have collected from somewhere. Merlin studied them for a long time but did not discover anything important.

"Is that all Blackbat had collected?"

Merlin had a strong gut feeling that a full-shifter such as Blackbat would not place much importance on these items. Even if the Blackbat Militia was destroyed, it did not matter to Blackbat because as long as he lived, the Blackbat Militia would eventually be rebuilt.

Therefore, Blackbat would surely treasure his own life above all. He would surely keep many precious items that would help increase his abilities. After all, once a low-tier almighty beast bloodline had achieved full-shift, there was very little room left for further enhancements.

However, the entire basement did not contain any such item. There were only some gold coins and "souvenirs" of unknown origins. How could Merlin not be suspicious?

Merlin walked around the entire basement and inspected every inch. Suddenly, he noticed some dirt scattered on the floor of the basement. Although quite unremarkable at first glance, there was some odd dirt in the corner.

"Dirt? The basement had been built a long time ago. Why would there be fresh dirt? Unless Blackbat expanded the basement?"

A flash of realization struck Merlin. Yes, while he might be irrevocably familiar with the basement, he would not know if Blackbat had remodeled the basement.

"Hmph, nothing can hide from my Mind Power."

Merlin did not want to mobilize his Mind Power. When he fought against Blackbat, he had mobilized almost his full arsenal. So now, his Mind Power had diminished considerably. It would be impossible for him to defeat another strong contender on par with Blackbat.

The only abilities Merlin could mobilize right now were the abilities of the Blood-eye Dragon, which meant that currently, Merlin was at his weakest. Nevertheless, no one would find out.

To kill Blackbat, Merlin had exhausted a large portion of his Mind Power. Hence, he lost the last bit of his safety net. From now onward, Merlin would have to tread carefully.

"I better level-up the Blood-eye Dragon quickly. Otherwise, the powerful strength of a high-tier almighty beast like the Blood-eye Dragon cannot be unleashed."

Merlin had a plan, which was to return to Phantom Headquarters as soon as possible, then use the contribution points he had earned to exchange for enough portions of the Nourishment Pond formula to achieve a fourth-form shift. Once he had accomplished that, he would be able to leverage the Blood-eye Dragon's power to challenge the full-shift strong contenders.

Of course, that would only be enough to defeat full-shifters from the low-tier almighty beast bloodlines. As for the mid-tier almighty beast bloodlines, there was still a large gap that even Merlin could not possibly bridge.

Merlin used his Mind Power to scan the entire basement. Immediately, everything in the basement was covered with his Mind Power. Even the smallest speck of dust could be detected by Merlin.

Needless to say, the secret hidden doors were easily found by Merlin.

"It's here."

Merlin saw that behind one of the walls, there was a dark and empty hollow. That should be Blackbat's expansion of the basement. Thus, Merlin walked right up to a thick, solid wall of the basement. Without Mind Power, it would have been extremely difficult to find.

Merlin did not know the mechanism of this structure but he did not intend to locate it. He immediately wielded his shapeshift form, and a huge beast rammed violently through the wall.

"Boom."

The wall immediately crumbled, revealing a dark, gaping pit. Merlin was not at all concerned. Blackbat would not bother to set up any silly mechanisms in such a place, and even if he did, it would not be able to harm a powerful shapeshifter.

In the dark pit, there was a set of descending stairs. Merlin lit a candle from the basement and slowly made his way downward. The lower he went, Merlin could sense the dampness in the air.

Soon, a stone door came into view at the bottom of the stairs. It was tightly shut and covered with a thick layer of dust. It seemed like no one had been down here for some time.

Merlin came before the stone door. Without any hesitation, he shapeshifted into the third-form almighty beast and rammed brutishly against the door. Once again, the solid stone door was smashed into pieces.

Behind the smashed stone door was a medium-sized chamber. Some delicate glass cabinets displayed some precious materials.

However, the sight Merlin was most familiar with was situated right in the middle of the chamber. There was a small pond. There was nothing in it currently but Merlin was able to tell with a single glance. This was a Nourishment Pond.

This chamber was a laboratory, which was commonly used by Hosts. The materials in the glass cabinet, on the other hand, were Nourishment Pond materials which Blackbat had been collecting over the years.

There was no doubt that Blackbat also had a Nourishment Pond formula, and had intended to become a Host at some point. However, perhaps due to the risk associated with parasitism or the reluctance to let go of his current full-shifter abilities, he did not take the plunge.

Another possibility was that Blackbat merely wanted to study about Hosts. This was so that if anything were to happen to him, he could still choose to become a Host. Nonetheless, the reason was obvious. If it was not for the risk associated with parasitism, it would certainly surpass the cultivation method of the almighty beast bloodline. How would it be possible for Blackbat to find a breakthrough?

This laboratory represented Blackbat's hope or rather, the inner conflict in his heart. Blackbat simply could not bear to relinquish his powerful full-shifter abilities, and now, it would be to Merlin's benefit.

Merlin was ecstatic. Just as he was feeling frustrated over insufficient Nourishment Pond formulas and materials, Blackbat had left him with numerous items.

Therefore, Merlin began to search hurriedly in the drawers. Soon, he found five different Nourishment Pond formulas. All of them had been obtained by Blackbat either through killing the Hosts or forcing descendants of Hosts to hand it over to him. In total, there were five formulas.

The materials on the glass cabinets constituted the requisite materials for these five Nourishment Pond formulas, so Merlin could brew them immediately.

Merlin did not hesitate. Boulder City would peaceful for a while. His forceful tearing of Blackbat would have shocked all the surrounding factions. After all, Blackbat was a powerful full-shifter.

Hence, Merlin had nothing to fear during this period. He could brew the Nourishment Pond without any worries.

"If I can achieve the fourth-form within this period, then I'll be much safer. At the very least, I'll be able to protect myself!"

Only contenders who were on par with the full-shifters were considered self-sufficient in this world. Merlin knew very well that his main objective was to enhance his abilities to a level comparable to the full-shifters.

Otherwise, without any more Mind Power to mobilize, Merlin would be in trouble once he encountered a full-shifter.

With that in mind, Merlin quickly brewed the first Nourishment Pond according to the formula. Since he already had considerable experience brewing Nourishment Ponds, his attempt was very quick. In just two hours, he had completed the brew.

Looking at the freshly brewed Nourishment Pond, Merlin took a deep breath, wielded his beast form, and dived into the Nourishment Pond.

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Chapter 961: Fourth-Form Shifter!

"Glug glug."

The dark, inky water in the Nourishment Pond gave off an unpleasant stench that filled the entire basement. However, Merlin's massive shifted form was thoroughly enjoying the nourishment provided by the various precious materials in the Nourishment Pond.

This was already the eighteenth portion of Nourishment Pond materials, but Merlin still had not achieved the fourth-form shifter. The amount of time consumed had exceeded Merlin's expectations.

Nevertheless, since there were still materials remaining, Merlin continued to brew the formula. Currently, Merlin's shifted form had grown once over, and two solid lumps were protruding from his back. The longer he soaked in the Nourishment Pond, the itchier the lumps behind his back became as if they would soon burst open.

Merlin knew that this was a unique characteristic of almost becoming a fourth-form shifter. Once he had achieved the fourth-form shift, the Blood-eye Dragon would be able to manifest its true "dragon" trait, which consisted of two wings. Once those two lumps on his back burst open, they would become wings.

Most importantly, the Blood-eye Dragon was ultimately still a Vipera Dragon, so it possessed some characteristics of dragons. Of course, the Blood-eye Dragon's strongest ability was its "Blood-eye" but it would only appear upon achieving full-shift.

Regardless, just the manifestation of wings would be extremely beneficial to Merlin at this stage. It would also give him a conspicuous edge. In addition, a fourth-form shifter of the Blood-eye Dragon would possess terrifying abilities, worthy of challenging the full-shifters of low-tier almighty beasts.

The water in the Nourishment Pond was still bubbling frantically when Merlin resumed brewing.

"Boom."

Suddenly, there was an explosion in the Nourishment Pond. Merlin's face revealed a look of agony. His massive body began to expand, to the point that he could hardly fit inside the Nourishment Pond.

However, what was more terrifying was that the two lumps on his back had burst open without warning. From inside the lumps, a pair of powerful wings emerged.

"Fourth-form shifter!"

Merlin was extremely excited. Finally, he had achieved fourth-form shifter. This would mark the beginning of his fight against the mighty existence in this world.

If he proceeded one step further and achieved a full-shifter, then he would become even more fearsome. Once a high-tier almighty beast bloodline had achieved full-shift, it could wield the true power of a high-tier beast and become an irrefutable "disastrous" existence – one enough to unleash a disaster upon an entire country!

Merlin gently flexed his hands. He felt tremendous power, belonged exclusively to him. As for the wings, despite the massive form of his body, the wings felt very sturdy. Even then, Merlin was slightly worried about whether they could carry his massive body.

After some thoughts, Merlin decided to give it a try outside.

So, Merlin left the basement and returned to the manor. Currently, the Count's Manor had been restored to its former glory. Even some details had been well-executed. It gave Merlin a sense of returning to Boulder City once again.

"Good job, who decorated this?"

Merlin was very satisfied. This was the work of a very meticulous person who understood his thoughts.

"Sir Leon, I decorated it. I heard that Sir Leon used to be the old master of this manor, so I found someone to restore its original look. I hope that Sir Leon likes it."

The person who answered was the beautiful woman who had knelt in front of the manor to welcome Merlin.

"Very well, you're very meticulous. Let's keep this look, then. Boulder City will not be invaded anymore. All of you here will be under my protection."

Merlin looked at the woman before him as well as the other women in the vicinity. All of them looked delighted. Although they had been forcibly kidnapped by Blackbat, right now, all they wanted was a safe refuge. Since Merlin had killed Blackbat, he was the most suitable.

Merlin was not concerned about these women. He stepped out of the manor and instantly wielded his fourth-form shift. Then, he stretched out his wings. The wings were so huge that they blocked the sun.

"Swoosh."

With a gentle flap of his wings, Merlin's massive form took off and flew up into the air. Surprisingly, despite the smaller size of his wings compared to the rest of his body, they contained immense strength that allowed him to fly easily. Moreover, his speed was very fast, and his movement was very nimble.

According to legends, the real Great Dragon was the overlord of both the sky and the land. Other than the oceans, everywhere else was controlled by the Great Dragon. This was the reason the Great Dragon had left behind so many legends.

However, those legends remained as legends. The Great Dragon did not appear again, and those with the Great Dragon bloodline dwindled close to none. Even the Vipera Dragons became extremely scarce. After all, the Vipera Dragons were also high-tier almighty beasts.

Merlin continued to soar in the air, relishing the Blood-eye Dragon's power. Suddenly, his gaze swept around and discovered a few suspicious-looking individuals around the castle.

"Hmph."

Merlin knew that most likely, these were spies sent by some other rebel army. After all, Merlin had successively destroyed the Python Army and the Blackbat Militia. Even Orsato and the full-shifter Blackbat died by Merlin's hands. Naturally, this made the other rebel armies anxious and they wanted to verify the situation.

"Swoosh."

Merlin flew down rapidly. The enormous shadow cast by his massive body immediately alerted these suspicious individuals that they had been discovered. Their faces turned as white as a sheet.

"It's Leon, quickly escape!"

However, even before they could wield their beast forms, Merlin flapped his wings and stirred up a violent gale that blew them into a crumpled heap.

"Boom."

Merlin's massive body was filled with authority as he affixed these three people with a stern glare. His wings were splayed wide open, blocking out the sun.

Merlin asked icily, "Go ahead, tell me who sent you?"

The men shrank timidly. They seemed afraid, dared not speak.

"Thud."

Merlin stepped forward and sank his feet onto one of them. The other two immediately blanched and said, "It's General Wellington!"

"Wellington? The rebel army leader who has a low-tier almighty beast bloodline, and similarly, achieved the level of full-shifter?"

Merlin still remembered some of the intelligence he had collected from the Investigation Team. Wellington was also once closely monitored by the royal family. After all, he was also a full-shifter and his influence had expanded quickly. Thus, he became a great concern to the royal family.

"Get lost. Go back and tell Wellington, I won't give him any trouble. However, if he's looking for trouble, I won't mind paying him a visit."

Merlin said harshly. He believed that his warning would be effective. After all, he had Blackbat as precedent.

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Chapter 962: Ambush

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

After sparing Wellington's men, Merlin began to consider, what should his next steps be?

At that point, the Holy Dragon Empire had spiraled out of control. Many places were filled with anarchy, and rebel armies were rampant. The Holy Dragon royal family was completely powerless outside of the Holy Dragon City. They were simply unable to control any other place.

Fortunately, despite the chaos in the Holy Dragon Empire, none of the rebel armies had dared to attack the Holy Dragon City. Therefore, theoretically speaking, the Holy Dragon royal family was still the strongest force. Given sufficient time to recuperate, perhaps the royal family could re-establish their rule over the Holy Dragon Empire.

From this vantage point, there might be merits in supporting the Holy Dragon royal family.

Thus, Merlin decided that his identity as a Phantom member should be retained after careful consideration. In fact, he should join the higher echelons of Phantom. After all, Phantom had been cultivated by the royal family for many years, and far exceeded the limits of Merlin's imagination.

With his identity as a member of Phantom, Merlin would be able to accomplish many things in the Holy Dragon City.

Nevertheless, Merlin would not give up Boulder City easily. In such a chaotic world, what was most important? Undoubtedly, it was power and stronghold. Power, Merlin already possessed. Stronghold, his stronghold could not be in the Holy Dragon City, because it was already the royal family's stronghold.

Thus, Merlin's stronghold could only be established in Boulder City. Fortunately, this used to be the stronghold of the Hilderbrandt clan. Although it was briefly occupied by Blackbat, the Hilderbrandt clan's force still remained. Since Merlin replaced Blackbat as the new ruler of Boulder City, he had received many visits from members of the Hilderbrandt clan.

"With Boulder City as my stronghold, I'll have to establish dominance among the surrounding rebel armies!"

Actually, Merlin had already shaken them to the core. Blackbat's murder was the best form of deterrence. Therefore, Merlin wanted to use his clan's reputation to establish Boulder City as his stronghold. He would rebuild Boulder City and make it his stronghold amidst this chaotic world.

In the future, even if the Holy Dragon Empire collapsed, Merlin would be able to make an objective decision. Moreover, having a stable stronghold was an essential component for the Blood-eye Dragon to achieve full-shift.

Hence, with the help of his clan, Merlin began to train soldiers and recruit those with almighty beast bloodlines. He formed a powerful army and reclaimed the entire city, as well as the places which were previously under Blackbat Militia's control. All of them became subjected under Merlin's personal sphere of influence.

….

Inside a dimly-lit room, there was a man dressed in aristocratic costume. His movement appeared uncharacteristically graceful as he sat on a large chair, his gaze unequivocally calm.

In front of the aristocratic man was a very ordinary person bent on one knee. This was the Phantom investigator who had just rushed back from Boulder City. They had already collected the latest intelligence.

"Minister, Leon already has abilities comparable to a full-shifter. Blackbat died in his hands. He is now aggressively rebuilding Boulder City and expanding his force. It seems like he will be establishing his stronghold in Boulder City."

This man dressed in aristocratic costume was the most powerful existence in Phantom, the mysterious Minister Farron.

Farron looked like a young aristocrat, but in reality, no one knew that he had lived for hundreds of years. He was older and most of the people in Phantom.

"Oh? Leon from the Logistics Team? Interesting. Heroult recommended a talented individual worthy of nurturing. Don't worry, he will come back. With his intelligence, he surely knows that during such tumultuous times, his life would be much better with the support of the royal family. As for Boulder City, it was originally Count Stanwin's territory. Now that Count Stanwin has died, Leon should inherit the title of Count. Boulder City should have belonged to Leon in the first place, so it's not a big deal."

Farron spoke with squinted eyes. His tone was calm, but his expression was indecipherable.

"You may leave. Continue to observe Boulder City."

With that, Farron closed his eyes and relaxed like a true aristocrat.

…

Merlin had just finished soaking in the Nourishment Pond inside the Count's manor in Boulder City.

He had stayed in Boulder City for three months. In the past three months, he guarded Boulder City and personally dealt with a few spies sent by other rebel armies. Since then, none of the rebel army spies dared to enter Boulder City.

Taking advantage of this period, Boulder City also expanded swiftly and eventually gained control over the Blackbat Militia's former territories. With Boulder City at the center, coupled with Merlin's infamous massacre of Blackbat, they soon became a powerful force.

Leveraging on the strength of this force, Merlin also managed to locate many Nourishment Pond materials. Unfortunately, despite using more than a dozen batches of the Nourishment Pond in succession, Merlin still did not manage to achieve the level of a peak Fourth-form shifter.

Ever since Merlin's shifting capabilities achieved Fourth-form, it seemed like the Nourishment Pond formulas ceased to be useful to Merlin. He most probably would not be able to depend solely on these Nourishment Pond formulas to become a full-shifter.

However, in order to achieve peak Fourth-form within a short time, these Nourishment Pond formulas were still somewhat useful. The only drawbacks were the limitations of Boulder City's forces as well as the scarcity of resources. The only reason there were so many Nourishment Pond formulas was due to Blackbat's zealous compilation.

"Time to return to the Holy Dragon City."

Merlin saw that Boulder City was gradually coming under control and was overseen by trusted members of the clan. Furthermore, with Merlin's well-established 'notorious' reputation, no self-preserving rebel army would dare to attack Boulder City. Therefore, it was the right time for Merlin to leave.

However, he made some arrangements before leaving. First was the issue of the women living inside his manor. In order to ensure their safety, Merlin publicly declared the meticulous woman as the butler of his manor.

Second was the clan's affairs. Now that Merlin was the head of the entire Hilderbrandt clan, he would have to select a few trustworthy and influential clan members to manage Boulder City.

Once everything was settled, Merlin quietly departed from Boulder City and headed back to the Holy Dragon City.

…

When Merlin returned to the Holy Dragon City, he sensed that the atmosphere had gotten tenser. There were rumors that an elite army of the Holy Dragon royal family had been dispatched to quell a rebellion, but was instead besieged by rebel armies. Allegedly, the army was still holding on, but the outlook was grim.

With such rumors circulating around, the atmosphere within the city was naturally very tense.

Merlin did not pay much attention to the rumors. If something indeed happened, Phantom would know at once. Nonetheless, the existence of such rumors was a clear indication of the anarchic situation in the Holy Dragon Empire.

At Phantom Headquarters, Merlin was extremely familiar with the place, so he quickly entered. Just as he was preparing to return to the Logistics Team, there was a loud bellow behind him. "Leon!"

"Roar…"

Following the shout, a terrifying dragon roar burst out of Merlin's mouth. His body shifted in an instant and achieved a Fourth-form shift.

His fearsome wings flapped backward fiercely. The power contained in his wings was quite formidable.

"Bang."

There was a muffled sound. Merlin's wings had obviously knocked his opponent into the air. Merlin's face was incredibly thunderous. He was in Phantom Headquarters, yet someone dared to ambush him.

"You're the one who ambushed me?"

Merlin was slightly infuriated. His gaze was incomparably cold as he glared at a voluptuous womanly figure dressed in a bright red bodysuit.

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Chapter 963: Unsolicited Encounters

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

This was Phantom Headquarters, but someone had ambushed him without any rhyme or reason. Furthermore, Merlin could clearly sense that his opponent intended to kill him. There was no mercy in her attacks and they were intended to kill.

Fortunately, Merlin had already achieved a Fourth-form shift. This woman who had ambushed him was definitely of a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline and was also a Fourth-form shifter. Such abilities were definitely distinctive of a strong contender in every sense.

"Who are you? Why did you ambush me?"

Merlin turned around and glared icily at this woman.

"A Fourth-form shifter… Not bad, now I'll admit that you've killed Orsato and Blackbat. A high-tier almighty beast, you're indeed formidable. You're somewhat qualified to be our deputy team leader. My name is Iza, I'm sure we'll meet again soon, hehe…"

Iza actually stood up. At first, she had been grievously injured, but now she looked completely unharmed. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared from Merlin's view.

"Deputy team leader? Iza?"

Merlin was overwhelmed with incomprehension. Regardless, that woman was quite surprising. While that attack was not Merlin's strongest one, he was a Fourth-form shifter who was similar to full-shifters of low-tier almighty beast bloodlines. That meant that a single hit from him contained indescribable power. That woman should have been grievously injured, yet she was able to stand up and walk away as if nothing happened. It was utterly perplexing.

However, since this was Phantom Headquarters, unbelievable things could happen at any time. For example, Merlin was able to kill the full-shifter, Blackbat despite only being a Third-from shifter back then. In the eyes of others, was his feat inconceivable?

Merlin did not waste any time and walked directly towards Mission Hall. He had completed his mission, so there were a lot of contribution points to redeem.

Upon arriving at Mission Hall, Merlin noticed that the place was quite packed. Many members from the Investigation Team and the Combat Team had returned to submit their missions. Most of them wore joyful expressions. It seemed like they received a substantial reward.

"Submitting the Python Army mission!"

Merlin walked up to the few people who were in charge of assigning and redeeming missions. One of the middle-age men slowly raised his head and uttered, "Name."

"Leon, Logistics Team!"

As the man checked through the records, a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

"Leon; killed Orsato and disbanded the Python Army. Then, in Boulder City, killed the full-shifter Blackbat, defeated the Blackbat Militia and occupied Boulder City."

Everything Merlin did was detailed in these records. This also indirectly demonstrated the prowess of Phantom's intelligence. Within the borders of the Holy Dragon mainland, nothing could escape Phantom's attention.

If that was the case, why would the royal family allow chaos on such large-scale to erupt across the Great Holy Dragon Land? With Phantom's extensive intelligence, it should have been child's play to nip the uprising right at the beginning, yet the royal family remained impassive.

Merlin did not know the reason why, but according to his theory, there must be some secret agenda involved. It was not something privy to a low-level person like him.

"So, how is it? Am I considered to have completed my mission?" Merlin asked calmly.

"Of course you've completed your mission. You disbanded the Python Army, the reward for that mission is five hundred contribution points. Although you did not accept the mission relating to the Blackbat Militia, the royal family has issued specific instructions, so that anyone who manages to destroy any rebel army forces, with or without accepting a mission, will be rewarded accordingly. Since you've destroyed the Blackbat Militia, which was led by a full-shifter, your reward is one thousand contribution points. The total contribution points you receive today is one thousand five hundred contribution points!"

"Boom".

As soon as the man finished speaking, the entire Mission Hall descended into pin-drop silence. Merlin could even sense multiple looks of greed assessing his abilities.

A thousand five hundred contribution points. This was a huge fortune that even the death-defying Combat Team could never hope to receive, yet Merlin was able to earn it so easily.

Of course, it was not actually easy. After all, his opponent was still a full-shifter and a strong contender. How would someone like that be easy to kill?

"A thousand five hundred contribution points, what did he do?"

"What kind of mission can earn you one thousand five hundred contribution points?"

Many people exchanged looks but no one recognized Merlin.

Suddenly, a burly man with a bald head and a fierce look walked up to Merlin.

"Hey, kid, tell me, what mission did you complete to earn one thousand five hundred points?"

This bald, burly man clearly had an arrogant tone of voice. His origin was of a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline, among one of the more powerful types, and he had achieved Fourth-form shift. His hand had shed the blood of numerous strong contenders, so naturally, he did not hold this unassuming-looking Merlin in high regard.

Merlin turned around. He could sense the aura of bloodshed around this bald man. This was an aura that could only be displayed after killing countless people.

"Scram."

Merlin's single word resounded clearly. With that, he ignored the bald man.

"Transfer the contribution points to my identity card."

Everyone in Phantom carried an identity card, which they could use to redeem some precious materials. After all, the main reason that Phantom members worked so hard was because of the vast resources provided by the royal family. Such a benefit was unavailable anywhere else.

For example, how many precious items did Merlin obtain from killing Orsato and Blackbat? Although there were some gold coins and the like, they could not buy the things Merlin wanted.

On the other hand, the contribution points Merlin received from killing them would allow him to redeem the resources he wanted in Phantom Headquarters. This was Phantom's advantage.

"Kid, killing might be prohibited in Phantom Headquarters, but there's no rule against teaching someone a lesson. At most, I'll just lose some contribution points!"

The bald man was furious at the fact that he was ignored by Merlin. With a malicious laugh, his arm shapeshifted and grabbed Merlin.

Merlin was a little annoyed. He even wondered whether he had already been fixated upon by the will of this world, just like when he was rejected by the Void Zone's will. Everything he did was met with obstacles and misfortune.

The current situation was similar. The moment he returned to Phantom Headquarters, he inexplicably encountered the ambush of a woman. Then, when he came to Mission Hall, he was unwittingly harassed by this bald man, which resulted in a confrontation.

If not for the fact that Merlin had been extra cautious, and did not reveal the Illusory World at all, he would really have thought that he had been targeted by the will of the Almighty Beast world.

Merlin, who was extremely annoyed, naturally did not hold back. His arm also shapeshifted in an instant and swung.

"Bang."

There was a dull thud. This was the impact between two raw powers. The bald man suddenly revealed a look of agony. Distinct 'snap, crackle, pop' sounds could be heard from his arm. It appeared that his bones had shattered.

"How is this possible? You're stronger than me?"

The bald man was most probably of a pure strength-type almighty beast bloodline. When he saw that Merlin was also a Fourth-form shifter, but was much stronger than him, his face was filled with incomprehension.

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Chapter 964: Deputy Team Leader I

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Get lost."

Merlin knocked the bald man into the air. Then, without turning his head, he left Mission Hall.

"Hehe, do you understand his abilities now? Do you dare to provoke someone like him? He's a formidable individual who just killed Blackbat. How unexpected for such a formidable individual to emerge from the Logistics Team."

A sneer rang out amongst the crowd which revealed Merlin's true identity.

"He killed Blackbat? No wonder he's so intimidating. In that case, I don't resent my defeat!"

The bald man was surprisingly willing to accept defeat. His opponent was a powerful existence who was capable of vanquishing a full-shifter, so his defeat was to be expected.

However, based on the formidable abilities wielded by Merlin, he was most probably of a high-tier almighty beast bloodline.

Merlin did not concern himself. Instead, he headed straight to the Logistics Team. After all, he was technically still a member of the Logistics Team.

The moment he arrived at the Logistics Team, Belle stood up with a smile. She spoke to Merlin, "Wow, here comes our hero. Leon, you really kept your abilities well-hidden. I can't believe you killed both Orsato and Blackbat. Tsk, someone of your caliber shouldn't stay in the Logistics Team. The Minister has issued orders for you to join the Combat Team with immediate effect, as Deputy Team Leader!"

"The Minister?"

Although Merlin knew that the person-in-charge of Phantom was a highly mysterious Minister, the Minister had never made an appearance, nor did Merlin ever met him throughout his time in Phantom.

The Minister of Phantom was one of the prominent figureheads of the entire Holy Dragon City and was extremely respected by the royal family. Anyone who was not yet a full-shifter did not qualify to even speak to him.

However this time, Merlin's defeat over Blackbat had proven his abilities. Thus, Merlin was now qualified to be assessed by the Minister.

"The Deputy Team Leader of the Combat Team? What is that about?"

Merlin frowned. How did this position of deputy team leader suddenly come about?

"It's the Minister's orders. He transferred you to the Combat Team as their Deputy Team Leader."

Suddenly, the long-absent Lotus appeared. Her face was still unfriendly, though there was a subtle reaction when she saw Merlin.

After all, Merlin's battle outcome had been absolutely astonishing. Orsato was of a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline and a Fourth-form shifter, whereas Blackbat was an even more impressive full-shifter.

Upon becoming a full-shifter, wherever the individual went, he or she would be considered a leader or an overlord. Even within Phantom, the full-shifters were prominent leaders.

Even though Lotus was the Team Leader of the Logistics Team, she had not achieved a full-shift. Of course, it was also because the Logistics Team did not engage in combat, so they did not require any powerful abilities.

However, the Team Leaders of the Investigation Team, Combat Team, and even the Research Team were all full-shifter existences. They were the most prominent existences beneath the Minister. On the contrary, positions such as Deputy Commander sounded more patronizing.

As for the Minister, he was the figurehead of the entire Holy Dragon City. He controlled a colossal force, which was Phantom. His position was highly envied.

It was a positive development now that Merlin had been noticed by the mysterious Minister. Moreover, he designated Merlin to helm the position as Deputy Team Leader of the Combat Team. This position was not easily achievable by ordinary people. The number of resources available to Merlin would be unimaginable.

Most of the team members in the Combat Team were crazily passionate and remarkably powerful. All of them possessed fearsome combat skills. So, this opportunity represented the mysterious Minister's high opinion of Merlin.

"Team Leader Lotus, should I go to the Combat Team now then?"

"Yes, go now. Those guys in the Combat Team are no saints."

With that, Lotus left. She had only taken care of Merlin for a while on Heroult's behalf, but unexpectedly, Merlin was powerful beyond her imagination.

"Belle, has there been any news about Deputy Commander Heroult?"

Merlin looked at Lotus' mannerisms and formed an educated guess in his heart. Most probably, something bad had happened to Heroult.

Sure enough, Belle shook her head. "A while ago, we received news about the Deputy Commander. Deputy Commander Heroult's mission failed, and the entire squad perished…"

Merlin fell silent. He finally understood why Lotus appeared so lethargic and dispassionate. It turned out that Heroult had met with a catastrophe.

Regarding Heroult, Merlin owed him some gratitude. Without Heroult's help, Merlin would not have succeeded in parasitism, and would not have been able to proceed smoothly in this world, Additionally, Heroult also recruited him into Phantom.

If he ever found out who killed Heroult, Merlin was willing to avenge his death.

"Very well, I'll report to the Combat Team."

Merlin did not rush to redeem his Nourishment Pond materials but instead headed to the Combat Team first. The Combat Team had always been the strongest department in Phantom. It consisted of very fierce individuals.

Since Merlin had never really met these people, he made his way to the Combat Team.

The Combat Team was situated very far apart from the Logistics Team. Merlin asked for directions along the way and finally arrived at the Combat Team. Inside the room, there was a huge platform. Two Fourth-form shifters were engaged in an intense fight.

However, both of them were of low-tier almighty beast bloodlines. While the sparring was intense, their abilities were not very strong. Merlin lost interest after a while.

Following that, Merlin continued to move. There were a few other platforms. The contenders on these platforms were much stronger. They were mostly of mid-tier almighty beast bloodlines. Some of them were Third-form shifters, and some were Fourth-form shifters.

Once a person possessing a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline achieved Fourth-form shifter, he or she was considered a strong contender. Even in the Combat Team, they constituted the backbone strength.

Nonetheless, Merlin was not very interested. Despite walking around for a long time now, no one bothered to question him. It seemed like everyone was just wildly engrossed with sparring.

"I guess this is truly the Combat Team. The atmosphere is vastly different."

Merlin looked around. On most of the platforms, there were only skirmishes. Very few people were sitting idly. Even those on the platform who saw Merlin only took a casual glance at him and continued their sparring.

Therefore, after entering this place for such a long time, no one had yet to greet Merlin.

"What do you think? The members of the Combat Team are quite good, right? But I guess you won't be too interested in this bunch."

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice spoke behind Merlin. Merlin jumped slightly. There was someone who snuck up to him unnoticed.

Quickly, he turned around and saw a plain-looking but very fair-skinned man. His skin was so fair that he resembled a woman.

"Who are you?" Merlin asked grudgingly, keeping his vigilance against the person who appeared out of nowhere.

The fair-skinned man crooked into a smile, revealing pearly white teeth. "Deputy Team Leader Leon, would you like to practice? I've not practiced for a very long time. Even in the Combat Team, it's not easy to come across a strong contender who is comparable to a full-shifter."

The moment this man's lips parted into a grin, a sign of danger rose in Merlin's heart.

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Chapter 965: Deputy Team Leader II

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Why? You scared?"

The man acted disrespectfully but his gaze turned incredibly piercing.

By this time, Merlin had a good guess of his opponent's identity. There was only one person similar to a full-shifter in the Combat Team. It was Blackbear Hert, the Team Leader.

"Hehe, why, are you afraid? You managed to kill Blackbat after all. Come on, you were appointed as Deputy Team Leader out of nowhere. Unless you spar with me, your subordinates won't respect you properly."

Merlin did not know the rules of the Combat Team, but he knew that they were a group of unruly people. These people faced death on a daily basis, so naturally, they would be harder to defeat.

It seemed like a spar with Hert was his entrance exam for the Combat Team.

After pondering on it, Merlin did not refuse and nodded in acceptance. "Then, I will witness Team Leader's Ursus King almighty beast!"

Hert's almighty beast bloodline was from the famous Ursus King. It was considered one of the top bloodlines among the mid-tier almighty beast bloodlines. It was more fearsome than Count Stanwin's Deinosuchus bloodline, and also far beyond Blackbat's capabilities.

No matter where it was, the Ursus King was a monstrous existence. Therefore, Merlin was curious to find out the true extent of combat power in this world too.

Therefore, Merlin stepped onto the platform and faced Hert. This platform was constructed out of special materials, so it was able to withstand a gigantic impact. However, none of them moved. They simply stared at one another.

Unconsciously, many people began to gather around the platform. Even those who were sparring on the other platforms stopped and looked with a hint of excitement in their eyes.

"Team Leader is throwing his moves again. I wonder who the unfortunate victim is this time?"

"I've never seen this person, is he a newcomer?"

"He doesn't look like it. This person may seem young, but his aura is quite impressive. However, he's unlucky that he has to go against the Team Leader."

In the crowd, there was one person whom Merlin was rather familiar with. It was the bewildering woman, Iza.

"Iza, you've engaged this Leon before, what do you think about him?"

Standing beside Iza was a beefy man who looked like a barbarian. He exuded a ruthless aura. No one was willing to stand near him.

Iza glanced at Merlin on top of the platform. A serious look appeared on her face as she replied calmly, "He's very strong, but Team Leader should be able to handle him just fine!"

"Oh? If even Iza acknowledges him to be strong, he must be something. It looks like he didn't just kill Blackbat with sheer luck. Hehe. Anyway, he will suffer at the hands of the Team Leader."

This ruthless man grinned.

"Boom".

While the crowd was still trying to guess his identity, Merlin made the first move. He wielded the Fourth-form instantaneously and shifted into a terrifying ancient almighty beast. His fierce aura rolled in every direction of the room.

However, it was the wings behind Merlin's back that was truly astounding. A rare and ancient aura leaked into the air, causing those with lower-tier bloodlines to feel slightly suppressed.

"Bloodline suppression? Looks like it's a high-tier almighty beast bloodline… No, you're a Host, so it must be a high-tier almighty beast will!"

Hert licked his lips and revealed a malicious smile. Then, his body also expanded and a more terrifying aura appeared.

Hert transformed into a vicious black bear. This was an Ursus King, the king of bears, the top existence among the mid-tier almighty beasts. Since Hert was a full-shifter, his head had shifted, so he could wield a hundred percent of the King Ursus' abilities.

Merlin did not show any sign of weakness. He let out a huge dragon roar that could almost tear a person apart. Subsequently, he attacked. With a flap of his wings, his speed was enhanced.

"Haha, good!" Hert laughed. With a thunderous clap of his bear paws, his body grew even taller than before. He then rushed towards Merlin with massive strides.

"Bang".

This was a hard impact. Merlin was an existence similar to a full-shifter, but he was only comparable to a low-tier almighty beast bloodline full-shifter. Compared to Hert's Ursus King, Merlin was still lacking.

Therefore, this impact affected Merlin greatly. His entire body trembled, as though he would fall apart at any time. Even the Blood-eyed Dragon's will inside his Awareness stopped roaring. It had obviously sensed the formidableness of its foe.

"Crack."

The platform, which was supposed to be exceptionally sturdy and could not be damaged no matter how much the Fourth-form shifters attacked it, actually snapped upon the first direct impact between Merlin and Hert. It looked like the platform would not be able to withstand a second hit, which testified to the power of both men.

Meanwhile, the people gathered around the platform had been stunned into silence upon witnessing the direct impact. This was the true prowess of full-shifters. It made them feel a sense of powerlessness.

At this moment, no one was smiling and no one dared to underestimate Merlin, because none of them could have withstood Hert's attack.

"Haha, yes, that felt good! It has been a long time since anyone could block my attack. I'm eager for you to achieve the level of a full-shifter. Seeing as you have the will of a high-tier almighty beast, if you become a full-shifter, I most likely won't be the one who would be able to compete against you. Leon, welcome to the Combat Team as Deputy Team Leader!"

Hert seemed to have given Merlin his stamp of approval. Both of them resumed their original appearances and leaped down from the platform. Most of the crowd dispersed, seemingly afraid of Hert. Only a few people remained, including the ruthless-looking man and the petite woman.

"It's you? Iza?"

Of course, Merlin was able to recognize her with a single glance. This was the woman who had ambushed him for no reason, and after being injured by him, managed to recover quickly and escaped. That had astonished Merlin to no end.

Now, he finally met Iza again. He gazed at her in an assessing manner, but she looked completely unscathed and there were no signs of injuries.

"What, Leon, you've already met Iza?"

Hert raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing, there was some misunderstanding before this," Merlin replied casually.

"Haha, Iza went to cause trouble with you? I'm sure she did. You were suddenly named as our Deputy Team Leader out of thin air, many of them were disgruntled. Iza probably went to test your abilities on behalf of someone else. Firstly, her abilities are quite strong, and secondly, due to her natural talent, she's not afraid of getting hurt."

"Not afraid of getting hurt?"

Merlin was curious. He looked at Iza and looked back at Hert uncomprehendingly.

"Iza's almighty beast bloodline is the rare Snow Rabbit. This type of almighty beast does not possess strong attacking powers, but their life source is extremely tenacious and they heal at an accelerated rate. Therefore, as long as they don't die, they can recover in the shortest possible time. She has completed many missions, and most of the time, she uses this talent to escape alive." Hert explained to Merlin.

"I see, no wonder when I injured her, she was able to recover so quickly…"

Merlin stared at Iza with amazement. He did not expect that her almighty beast bloodline was so unique and possessed such a tenacious life source. In addition, her rate of recovery was incredible. As long as she was not killed with a single hit, she was able to recover in the shortest possible time. Such a natural talent was indeed powerful.

"Deputy Team Leader is impressive as well. If you had unleashed the full extent of your power before this, I might not have been able to withstand that hit. I, Iza, will be your first supporter when you take up the position as Deputy Team Leader!"

Iza smiled sweetly. She might look like a sweet and innocent girl, but in the Combat Team, no one dared to provoke this fearsome woman.

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Chapter 966: The Royal Family's Strength!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The Ursus Hert came to Merlin and said with a big smile, "Leon, the Minister personally appointed you deputy team leader and transferred you to the Combat Team. You should know that in all these years, I've never had a deputy, and no deputy had been assigned to me. However, you aren't bad. If I'm not mistaken, you're a Host, right? You're the Host of a high-tier almighty beast, the Blood-eye Dragon!"

Hert's observation was very detailed and he saw through Merlin at a glance. As expected of a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline full shifter. He was several times stronger than Blackbat.

"What? Deputy team leader is a Host and the Host of a high-tier almighty beast at that? How did he resist the backlash from the Blood-eye Dragon's will."

Others would not be as surprised even if they saw Merlin being able to compete with Hert. However, Merlin could actually compete with the will of a high-tier almighty beast, the Blood-eye Dragon.

After all, Hosts were not small in number. However, Hosts that had high-tier almighty beasts and reached the fourth-form without dying from the backlash were very rare.

As for Hosts who became full-shifters, they were even rarer.

Therefore, Iza and the others were astonished.

"Alright, let the deputy team leader get familiar with our Combat Team's situation."

Hert seemed to be very welcoming of Merlin. Of course, this was respect that Merlin earned due to his strength. After all, Merlin, a fourth-form shifter of a high-tier almighty beast, was completely comparable to full-shifters of low-tier almighty beasts. Therefore, he would be considered a big shot no matter where he was and it was terrifying being second to none even in the Combat Team.

"Haha, team leader, let me familiarize the deputy team leader on our Combat Team's situation."

Iza volunteered and Hert nodded before leaving. As the team leader of the Combat Team, he was very busy. However, he still took time to meet with deputy team leader Merlin that 'dropped' out of nowhere,

Iza looked at Merlin and said, "Deputy team leader, this is the second time we've met."

Merlin felt very helpless towards Iza. Her talent was really frightful. The terrifying life force coupled with terrifying regenerative strength made it very difficult to kill her.

However, it was very good to have such a member on the team. She could be used as a meat shield in a critical moment. However, her character of being unable to accept losses was somewhat difficult to control.

"Iza, we didn't get off on the right foot."

"Haha, I just wanted to see what the new deputy team leader was like. After all, in the Combat Team, we only follow the people stronger than us. Still, if I had known that the deputy team leader was the Host of a high-tier almighty beast, I wouldn't have dared to provoke you even if you weren't that strong."

Iza spoke the truth. Someone who chose to parasitize a high-tier almighty beast and not suffer from the backlash must have an extremely terrifying will.

Merlin did not answer but followed behind Iza to visit the Combat Team. The Combat Team was very different from the Logistics Team. First of all, the Combat Team was the most powerful department in the entire Phantom organization. Their influence was immense, and their strength was also terrifying.

Even the Team Leader Hert was the strongest in Phantom after the Minister. Of course, the Combat Team also enjoyed the most resources.

The Investigation Team was not weak, but they only specialized in reconnaissance, so they were very mysterious and it was very hard for outsiders to know about the Investigation Team's situation.

"Iza, how many people are there in the Combat Team?" Merlin asked.

Iza pondered and said, "Deputy team leader, if you want to ask about the core personnel, then there are only a hundred or so. These core personnel are considered official members of Phantom and can exchange many resources by using contribution points. Their identities were also examined stringently before they entered Phantom. In fact, we've already obtained information about the deputy team leader's identity a long time ago. The deputy team leader was recommended by Deputy Commander Heroult and is the son of Count Stanwin, the lord of Boulder City. Since the Blackbat Militia occupied Boulder City, you escaped to the Holy Dragon City. We all know this information. It was precisely because of the deputy team leader's identity which was very reliable that you were allowed to enter Phantom. Otherwise, you would not be able to join Phantom easily even if you were recommended by Deputy Commander Heroult."

Merlin was not surprised. Phantom was the most powerful force in the royal family's hands. Naturally, it would be firmly held in their hands, and could not be infiltrated by others.

"In addition to core personnel, are there associate members as well?" Merlin asked.

"Of course there are. Associate members are much more complicated. A large portion of them are incorporated in our core personnel. They gather information as subordinates and we give them some benefits. Although we all seem like ordinary people in Phantom, outside of Phantom, hehe, we're all leaders of small forces or even leaders of major organizations," Iza said mysteriously.

Merlin was slightly surprised. He slowly understood what Iza meant. By relying on Phantom Headquarters and the unique and tremendous resources provided by the royal family, they could establish forces themselves without explicit permission. The royal family allowed this tacitly and even adopted an encouraging attitude. By controlling the resources, they were also controlling the members of Phantom which made them inseparable from the royal family as well as Phantom.

Like Merlin who was controlling Boulder City, it was also considered a force. There were over a hundred members in Phantom's Combat Team, which was equivalent to over one hundred core personnel. How many forces would that add up to? It was frightening!

Merlin was somewhat overwhelmed. The Holy Dragon Empire seemed to be in chaos, and many people thought the royal family was approaching their end but Phantom held such a huge power. If all the forces of all the members of Phantom mobilized, then they would be able to stabilize the situation for a period of time, much less pacify the rebellion that was occurring in the Holy Dragon Empire.

Furthermore, the Holy Dragon royal family had other secret forces. The royal family had not exposed everything yet. What was the royal family's objective?

"Haha, do you think the Holy Dragon royal family is declining and coming to an end? Deputy team leader, ordinary people have no way of knowing what's going on with the royal family. Even if they're declining slightly, is it to the point that the rebels imagine it to be? The reason why the royal family hasn't moved is because there are more important things to deal with."

"More important things?"

Merlin grew alert. It seemed to be the cause of the chaos in the Holy Dragon Empire.

"Of course, but I don't know what this important thing is either. The team leader might know, but he won't say either. If the deputy team leader wants to know, then you have to ask the Minister personally. However, all of us in Phantom knows that the royal family will not fall that easily. The force in our hands alone is already very terrifying, and the royal family clearly knows of our strength. The royal family even increased the resources for Phantom in this chaotic moment. What reason would it be besides to let us vigorously expand our power?"

Iza's words let Merlin know the true secret of Phantom. When he was in the Logistics Team, he did not have access to even the most basic information.

"By the way, deputy team leader, there's someone who's very unhappy that you became the deputy team leader. You'd better not provoke him."

"Who is it?"

Merlin thought that Iza was most unhappy because she ambushed him before he even took the position.

Iza's expression became solemn as she said, "It's Tolman. He had already reached the peak of the fourth-form, and it's very likely that he'll have a breakthrough to a full-shifter in the near future. He also has a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline. Although it's not as terrifying as the team leader's King Ursus, it's still very good. He was originally the strongest candidate for the position of deputy team leader, but you came first, so he's naturally unhappy about it."

"Tolman? Alright."

Merlin was very calm. He had experienced such things back in the Void Zone. Jealousy could make someone mad, but if the other party caused trouble despite not having the strength to, then he would not be soft-hearted.

However, Iza continued, "Tolman isn't the problem. Although he's unhappy and will reject you, he won't take any action. It's his woman that's troublesome. Tolman has a woman called Lilia who likes him very much. You must stay away from that woman in the future. She's a madwoman. Although her strength isn't that strong, her almighty beast bloodline is the terrifying Nightmare Deathstalker, which is extremely toxic. It can poison people unknowingly, and they'll die in their nightmares. It's terrifying. None of us in the Combat Team wants to provoke that woman."

"The Nightmare Deathstalker?"

Merlin seemed to be deep in thought.

"Damn it, it's Tolman's madwoman. Deputy team leader, we're really unlucky. We were just talking about them, but we're actually encountering them now."

Iza's expression changed. Merlin raised his head and found a man and a woman walking towards them. They did not seem old and looked to be very ordinary, like an average couple.

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Chapter 967: The Ultimate Reward!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Iza, this is the deputy team leader?"

From a distance, the Nightmare Deathstalker took the initiative to greet Iza. Merlin looked at the Nightmare Deathstalker. She seemed very normal and not as scary as Iza described.

However, this was the Combat Team and there were all kinds of people. Merlin naturally would not judge a person by their appearance.

Iza forced a smile and said, "Yes, the team leader told me to accompany the deputy team leader in familiarizing himself with the Combat Team."

"Is that so? For the team leader to appear personally, it seems the deputy team leader is extraordinary as well. It's a shame that my Tolman isn't favored by the team leader nor the Minister, so he couldn't become the deputy team leader…"

The Nightmare Deathstalker's tone suddenly changed and became dark, making others feel a chill.

"Hm?"

Merlin frowned slightly. This Nightmare Deathstalker was really temperamental. She was calm earlier but her expression changed suddenly.

"Deputy team leader, don't be nervous. We just wanted to meet you."

The Nightmare Deathstalker held out a pale hand and lightly patted Merlin.

"Hum."

Merlin immediately felt the imperceptible power fall quickly and penetrated his body which in turn made him feel sluggish.

"How dare you!"

Merlin was furious. He never thought that the Nightmare Deathstalker would dare to act while in the Combat Team. He no longer hesitated and instantly used his fourth-form, and swept the Nightmare Deathstalker away with his tail.

"Bang."

Beside her, Tolman roared in anger and also shapeshifted into his fourth-from. It was a huge elephant and also a power type. However, compared to Merlin's top-tier almighty beast bloodline, there was a large difference. With just a simple swipe from Merlin, blood spurt from his mouth.

The Nightmare Deathstalker did not expect Merlin to be this terrifying. She waved her hand, and fog seemed to cover the entire sky which plunged Merlin into a layer of illusion.

The Nightmare Deathstalker was extremely dangerous because it could cause a person to hallucinate without them noticing. However, she picked the wrong target today. Merlin was a Mind Power Master and had reached the peak on the path of illusions.

Although the Mind Power could not be displayed, it was impossible for a mere illusion to sway his will. Therefore, despite the poisonous fog, it had no effect on Merlin. Beside him, Iza quickly stepped back in shock.

"Haha, to be the deputy team leader, you must be at least this strong!"

Merlin could still hear the Nightmare Deathstalker's cold laughter.

"Is that so? Nightmare Deathstalker? It's a shame that I don't find the nightmare scary at all!"

Merlin took a step forward, his huge body exerting pressure. He slammed the Nightmare Deathstalker to the ground, who instantly died without any resistance.

When Tolman saw this, he went mad from anger and lunged towards Merlin.

"Die!"

Merlin was not courteous at all. He had been oppressed ever since coming to this world. Killing Blackbat had released some of the stiflings in his heart, but he never expected that he would be suppressed by Hert after joining Phantom's Combat Team. His heart had already been suppressed. Since the Nightmare Deathstalker and Tolman came looking for a fight, Merlin simply did not hold back.

"Bang bang."

Merlin's hands crushed down and smashed Tolman into a puddle of flesh, filling the air with the disgusting smell of blood. At this time, a trace of fear seemed to appear in Iza's eyes. She did not think that this gentle-looking deputy team leader would be so vicious and merciless.

"Are there any effects for killing in the Combat Team?" Merlin knew that this was the Combat Team, and asked calmly.

"There are some troubles, but since you're the deputy team leader, you can just tag a charge on them. For example, they wanted to assassinate the deputy team leader. How's that? That way, their forces will also belong to the deputy team leader."

"Oh? There's such a benefit? Doesn't that mean that I can kill anyone in the Combat Team?"

Merlin did not expect such a benefit. In Phantom, it seemed like rules were the greatest, and no one dared to violate them. However, now that he reached a higher level, he realized that these so-called rules only restricted the weak."

"Haha, deputy team leader, only now you've realized? Full-shifters gave special privileges no matter where. Even if dozens of people like us banded together, we still won't be similar to a full-shifter, so what's the point of special privileges? Of course, if the deputy team leader kills indiscriminately, the team leader or even the Minister would stop the deputy team leader."

Merlin nodded. The reality was that both Phantom and the royal family gave special privileges to full-shifters. They were above the rules and regulations.

Perhaps this might cause some damage but when a person's strength reached a certain level, rules and regulations would have no effect. A strong person could only be restricted by another strong person.

For example, the team leader of the Combat Team, Hert, was stronger than Merlin now. Therefore, he could stop Merlin from killing indiscriminately.

After Iza took Merlin around the Combat Team, he gradually learned the terror of the Combat Team. Now, that he was number two in the team, second only to the team leader, Hert.

However, Hert was not concerned about anything.

"How does the Combat Team usually get missions?" Merlin asked Iza.

"The members of the Combat Team usually receive their own missions, but there are also special ones. For example, if the royal family issued a certain order that requires the Combat Team to remove someone or a certain force. At that point, the team leader would arrange for someone. Of course, the remuneration for appointed missions is very high, and many people like to do such missions."

Merlin nodded. Although he did not know why the royal family did not make any moves and left the Holy Dragon Empire in such a chaotic state, he knew the royal family's strength and was at ease.

If the royal family was willing, they could immediately stabilize more than half of the Holy Dragon Empire. They merely seemed to be worrying about something else, or was waiting for something.

In short, the royal family would not be done for as Merlin had predicted. Merlin was relieved that he could stay in the Holy Dragon City without worries.

After visiting the Combat Team, Merlin went to the Logistics Team. He had a full 1,500 contribution points which were an unimaginable amount and needed to be used well.

Thus, he went to the Logistics Team and found Belle immediately. After all, Merlin was more familiar with Belle in the Logistics Team.

As soon as Belle saw Merlin, a smile appeared on her face as she said, "Leon, how are you? You're a big shot in the Combat Team now. Deputy team leader, you're number two in the whole Combat Team!"

The deputy team leader of the Combat Team was far from what the Logistics Team could match. Even the team leader of the Logistics Team could not compare with the deputy team leader of the Combat Team. The status between the two was as large as heaven and earth.

"I want to exchange some materials," Merlin said bluntly.

Belle readily knew that Merlin needed Nourishment Pond materials. However, she hesitated for a moment before she whispered, "Leon, you're a peak fourth-form shifter now, right? Even if you're not at the peak yet, you're almost there. Your concern now is how to become a full-shifter, right?"

Merlin nodded. He was not at the peak of the fourth-form yet, but he would be able to reach that level by exchanging some Nourishment Pond materials.

Moreover, he was indeed paying attention to full-shifters. After all, only full-shifters could truly become strong and have a say in this chaotic world. Otherwise, even if Merlin was strong enough, he did not even know the royal family's arrangement and remain in the dark.

Merlin was still not strong enough. If he could become a full-shifter with a high-tier almighty beast will, it would definitely shake the entire royal family, as well as the entire Holy Dragon Empire.

"Why? Do you have any good suggestions?"

Merlin knew that Belle had been in the Logistics Team for a long time and would probably be able to provide some good suggestions. After all, Merlin did not know much about becoming a full-shifter.

"Leon, in the Logistics Team, there's the royal family's greatest reward. Whoever is able to accumulate five thousand contribution points will be allowed to come close and get the chance of feeling the Sacred Lion Beast for 36 hours, which is three days. Although many people think that achieving five thousand contribution points is impossible, I know that the former Minister of Phantom once accumulated five thousand contribution points. He had the opportunity to stay beside the skull of the Sacred Lion Beast for 36 hours. Of course, the Minister was already a full-shifter at that point. After the visit, his strength became unfathomable, and even the powerful King Ursus Hert had to submit to the Minister. Therefore, I think you should try and accumulate enough contribution points to exchange for that."

Belle hesitated but said everything she knew. She had a favorable opinion on Merlin and always felt that he had a unique aura. Belle had always been confident about her feelings, and this time was no exception.

"The Sacred Lion…" Merlin murmured in a low voice. The sacred beast was the ultimate power in this world. Merlin even suspected that the sacred beast was the embodiment of the Almighty Beast World's will, or carried a part of the Almighty Beast World's will.

In short, the sacred beast was extremely terrifying. Merely looking at it would give one infinite benefits, much less approach it. It was because the Holy Dragon royal family had the skull of the Sacred Lion Beast that their almighty beast bloodline reached the very top. It was an even higher tier than Merlin's Blood-eye Dragon.

It served to show how frightening the Sacred Lion was. If there was a chance to get close to the Sacred Lion for three days, Merlin would not give it up.

However, five thousand contribution points was indeed a goal that seemed difficult to achieve.

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"Alright, in that case, I won't exchange it for the time being."

At that moment, Merlin had 1,500 contribution points, which was a huge number. Although there was still a big gap to the 5,000 contribution points that were needed, it was still very good.

Merlin waved goodbye to Belle and left Phantom before returning to the manor in the Holy Dragon City.

The butler seemed to hesitate upon seeing Merlin and whispered after Merlin sat down in the chair, "Master Leon, how did the honorable Count's business go?"

Merlin nodded and said, "It's almost done. I took back Boulder City, and it's currently my territory. However, it's still not stable for now. For the time being, it's safer for you all to stay in the Holy Dragon City," Merlin said while he ate a delicious dinner at the table.

A trace of surprise flashed in the butler's eyes. He took Boulder City back? Even when Count Stanwin was still alive, he was unable to retake Boulder City.

However, Count Stanwin died and Merlin, the only heir to the Count, had become the owner of the entire manor. Although the butler had some misgivings, he did not doubt Merlin's words.

"Butler, did anything happen recently? Did anyone come looking for me?"

Merlin knew that there were some things left unfinished since he had not been in the manor recently. After all, he was the owner of the manor now.

"Count Altadin came here some time ago, but the Master was not at home, so he asked me to leave a message for the Master. When you come back, please go to Altadin Manor as soon as possible."

Merlin nodded. Count Altadin mostly wanted to ask about the Bead of Infamy and the marriage between his daughter and Merlin.

"What else?" Merlin continued to ask.

"The royal family also sent someone. If the Master wishes to inherit the title of Count, you must go to the court to swear allegiance to the royal family and have it registered. Only then will you become a formal Count!"

A look flashed in Merlin's eyes. The royal family sent someone again, but this time for a legal procedure. Although the title could be hereditary, he would need to go to the palace in the Holy Dragon City and swear allegiance to the royal family to be eligible to inherit the title.

Although the royal family seemed unable to control the situation in the Holy Dragon Empire, Merlin knew the real strength of the royal family. He knew that the royal family was not as simple as they looked, and they still held large forces. Therefore, it was necessary for him to take the time to go there.

"Alright, I got it. Call Lady Reese down."

Merlin still thought of Lady Reese. She was the woman who was engaged to this body when he just arrived at the Almighty Beast World and followed him to the Holy Dragon City. During this period of time, Merlin had not seen Reese at all, so relatively speaking, Reese was the person who was truly alone.

The butler bowed slightly and left. In a short while, a neatly dressed Reese appeared before Merlin. Originally, while she was Merlin's fiancee, they could not have meals together, but since Merlin was the owner of the manor, he generally did not mind.

"Lady Reese, let's eat together. You've lost a lot of weight these days. Do you miss Boulder City?"

Merlin glanced at Reese. She seemed to be very unhappy recently and had lost a lot of weight.

Reese looked at Merlin and said in a low voice, "I do miss Boulder City a little. I'm not used to it here."

Merlin was silent for a moment before he said, "Butler, if Lady Reese wants to go out in the future, send some people to escort her. She can go anywhere she wants to. Don't stop her."

"Yes, Master!" The butler said respectfully. Reese's eyes brightened as if she could not believe it. There was an obvious smile on her face. She was still at an innocent age, so how would she enjoy staying in a boring manor all day? Furthermore, the Holy Dragon City was still very prosperous and big. She had wanted to go out long ago but was unable to due to the rules. However, with Merlin's words earlier, she could finally go out and about.

After dinner, Merlin went to his father's room. The furnishings in the room had not been touched, and there was not a single trace of dust. It was clear that someone was cleaning it.

Merlin took out a book on the history of the continent and read it carefully.

This book recorded the history of the entire Almighty Beast continent. However, most of it was purely imaginary and was associated with legends. At that time, there were no people, only terrifying almighty beasts.

Later, something happened which caused the almighty beasts to gradually decline, and human beings rose. The almighty beasts left then passed on as bloodlines inside the body of humans, surviving in another sense of the word. This led to the practices regarding almighty beast bloodlines to obtain strong power.

Merlin had little interest in these legends. He kept flipping until he reached the article on the founding of the Holy Dragon Empire.

The Holy Dragon Empire was jointly founded by two siblings of the Holy Dragon royal family. The elder brother had a powerful mid-tier almighty beast bloodline, but he was forced to desperate straits by an enemy and jumped off a cliff. However, he did not die and instead encountered the head of the Sacred Lion Beast. Through the Sacred Lion Beast, the brother soon purified the bloodline in his body, and finally achieved a top-tier almighty beast bloodline.

Then, he fought together with his younger sister and finally created the large Holy Dragon Empire. He placed the head of the Sacred Lion Beast in the Holy Dragon City to protect the Holy Dragon Empire forever!

Although this section was recorded, Merlin felt that it must have been embellished as it was too exaggerated. The entire book was the same way. History had been changed beyond recognition. The only things that could be referenced were the major events in it.

However, there was one thing about the Sacred Lion Beast that Merlin benefitted from.

As mentioned in the book, the founder of the Holy Dragon royal family was a pair of siblings. The elder brother obtained the head of the Sacred Lion, and through its purification, the mid-tier almighty beast bloodline in his body suddenly became a top-tier almighty beast bloodline. It had increased by two whole tiers.

"The ability to purify bloodlines?"

Merlin pondered carefully. Perhaps the head of the Sacred Lion Beast really had the ability to purify bloodlines. Otherwise, it would have been an extreme exaggeration.

After all, it was hard to imagine the limits of a sacred beast. According to Merlin's theory, these sacred beasts were most likely the embodiment of the will of the Almighty Beast World, or contained a portion of the Almighty Beast World's will. Naturally, mysterious things could happen.

Unfortunately, the head of the Sacred Lion Beast was the foundation of the royal family. No one apart from the core members of the royal family knew where it was. Merlin was unable to see it even if he wanted to.

It was better for him to try and gather 5,000 contribution points to see the legendary sacred beast. Perhaps at that time, he would find out the true secrets of this Latitude Cosmos.

…

Early the next morning, Merlin went to the Altadin Manor to visit Count Altadin.

After entering the manor, Merlin saw the healthy-looking Count Altadin riding a horse on the field. Riding was a little challenging at his age. After all, he was not like Count Stanwin, who had a powerful almighty beast bloodline and was physically much stronger.

"Count Altadin."

Merlin bowed slightly to Count Altadin. Then, he suddenly looked up at the top of the castle, keenly aware that there was a gaze coming from the window of the castle. It was most likely Lady Baratha, the daughter of Count Altadin.

Merlin did not mind. A look of sadness appeared on Count Altadin's face as he said softly, "Leon, I'm sorry for your loss. I already heard about Count Stanwin. It's truly unfortunate."

"Count Altadin, I have already avenged my father. I should really thank your Bead of Infamy," Merlin said casually. In reality, Merlin was not sad about the death of Count Stanwin. He had experienced losing people many times before, so he only felt some regret.

Altadin was clearly a well-informed person, and said with a smile, "I know. You've recaptured Boulder City, and hunted the mastermind, Orsato, for thousands of miles. Even Blackbat, a full-shifter, was killed by you. I believe that if Count Stanwin was still alive, he would be very proud of you!"

As a Count, Altadin clearly had many capabilities in the Holy Dragon City. Although Merlin's matter was large, news about it basically only circulated in the upper circles. For Count Altadin to find out so quickly, it was not as simple as it appeared.

"Count Altadin is flattering me."

"By the way, I had wanted to discuss your marriage with Baratha with your father, but your father met with an accident and it's been delayed. This is a critical period, so I'll make the decision. You two will be married in three months. What do you think?"

Merlin pondered. This was something that was decided between Count Stanwin and Count Altadin, so he could not oppose it. Furthermore, Count Stanwin had greatly wished for Merlin to pass on the bloodline for the clan.

"I'll leave everything for Count Altadin to arrange."

Merlin did not object either and left everything to Count Altadin.

"That's right, when you obtained the Bead of Infamy back then, there was something else I didn't give you. I wanted to give it to you after you got married because I was afraid that you might use it carelessly. However, now that you are strong enough to kill Blackbat, this thing would be nothing to you."

Then, Count Altadin mysteriously took out a sheepskin scroll.

"What is this?"

Merlin frowned. Count Altadin was being very cryptic.

"My ancestor left this behind. You'll know when you see it," Count Altadin said with narrowed eyes.

"Ancestor?"

Merlin was shocked. Count Altadin's ancestor was a powerful Host. What he left behind must be immensely useful to Hosts.

However, Merlin did not open it up in a hurry and bid Count Altadin farewell first.

"Count Altadin, I'll leave for now and come see you another day."

After returning to the carriage, Merlin finally opened the sheepskin scroll and looked at the contents.

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