The blood-red glow flickered constantly. The fourth form of Darkness Eye had controlled Wizard Seashell's Element, making it an immense challenge to cast even one spell.

A Spell Caster who was stripped off their ability to cast spells was not that different from Normies even if Wizard Seashell was still a mighty Eighth-level Spell Caster!

"Incinerating Fire!"

Merlin saw that Darkness Eye had gained control over Wizard Seashell's Element, thoroughly suppressing Wizard Seashell. Therefore, Incinerating Fire was quickly cast by Merlin.

Raging flames instantly began to burn ferociously. The pale white flames wrapped around Wizard Seashell. This Eighth-level Spell Caster, a genius from Ozmu, was burned to ashes by the flames.

"Darkness Eye is powerful indeed. No wonder that even arrogant Kleis had lost to it…"

Looking at the fierce flames surging forcefully, Wizard Seashell's expression appeared to have turned calm for some reason. His manner was serene except for a strange glint in the corner of his eye.

"Swish."

Suddenly, Merlin's gaze sharpened slightly because he saw a black shadow that seemed to "split apart" from Wizard Seashell. Moreover, this shadow appeared to be identical to Wizard Seashell, only it was shrouded from head to toe in even more intense Darkness Element.

The moment this black shadow appeared, Wizard Seashell retreated just like a specter, escaping quietly. Darkness Eye and the furiously burning Incinerating Fire immediately enclosed the black shadow and reduced it to ashes.

"Darkness Figure? To think there's actually someone who could transfigure the substitution puppet Darkness Figure…"

Merlin mumbled in a low voice. He had sensed that Wizard Seashell had escaped. The one that was reduced to ashes by Incinerating Fire was merely a Darkness Figure.

Darkness Figure was a substitution puppet, and its transfiguration was very complicated. Even during the Spell Casters' most glorious era, there were few who could transfigure a substitution puppet like Darkness Figure.

However, Wizard Seashell had managed to do so, and no one knew how many Darkness Figures he possessed. Still, just this one Darkness Figure alone had saved his life, allowing him to escape from Merlin's inevitable kill.

Once Wizard Seashell had escaped, there was no trace left of him. Even Merlin's Mind Power had no way of locking onto him. Wizard Seashell had escaped rather promptly. As an Eighth-level Wizard of Ozmu, it was natural that he had a few tricks up his sleeve which he would not reveal so easily.

The two Eighth-level Wizards whom Wizard Leo had eliminated back then in the Imperial City were not on par with Wizard Seashell by far. This was also the first time Merlin had slipped up when using the fourth form of Darkness Eye. It seemed like there were individuals whom Darkness Eye, which had always been successful in every past attack, could not kill.

"Let's go."

Seeing that Wizard Seashell had fled, the expressions of the two Spell Casters who came with him shifted slightly. They recognized the threat, and immediately wanted to flee.

Nonetheless, this time around, Merlin was prepared. The moment those two Spell Casters moved, a frigid force descended upon them. A translucent glow glimmered ceaselessly for it was Merlin's Glacier Country.

"Suppress!"

Glacier Country was a special Pandora Demon Ability, one in its third form. It might be incapable of restraining an Eighth-level Spell Caster but for Seventh-level Spell Casters, other than those who possessed special Pandora Demon Abilities, almost all of them would find it hard to defy the suppression of Glacier Country.

It was the case for these two Spell Casters who could not budge under the suppression of Glacier Country. They could only watch helplessly as Merlin gestured toward them, and they were submerged in the pale white flames.

Both of them were carrying out their final struggle but under the suppression of Glacier Country and the terrifying Incinerating Fire, it was of no use despite them being genius Wizards of Ozmu.

Perhaps they had never thought that being prodigies of Ozmu, they would be completely suppressed without the least bit of ability to retaliate. Merlin was not even a Seventh-level Spell Caster!

It was then that both seemed to realize Ozmu could not include every genius. Other than Ozmu, there were still plenty of powerful Spell Casters outside.

Very soon, the pair was reduced to ashes in the pale white blaze. Merlin withdrew Glacier Country. Ernie, Watson, and the puppet Number Three flew to Merlin's side deferentially.

"Master, what about them?"

Ernie's gaze was directed at the many Spell Casters of the Mill clan below, who were currently staring at the sky foolishly. The giant battle between Merlin and Wizard Seashell, and its dominating, formidable force, nearly made them unable to catch their breath as if they were about being stifled.

Thereafter, Merlin had casually wiped out two Seventh-level Wizards from Ozmu as if it was child's play. By that point, the many Wizards of the Mill clan seemed caught up in a somewhat inconceivable dream.

"Them? There's no need to care about them. We'll leave right away!"

Merlin wore a calm expression. Although he had defeated Seashell, and killed two members of Ozmu, his heart was still filled with a strain of worry. It seemed as if Ozmu had finally won in the war between Ozmu and the southern Spell Caster world. Furthermore, Ozmu was even wildly massacring Spell Caster clans, and even spell casters' organizations.

The Dark Magic Region seemed to be at risk. Merlin had an urgent need to know how the Dark Magic Region was doing. So, after he withdrew Glacier Country, he did not bother with the Wizards of the Mill clan. His figure quickly flashed through the sky as he left.

After seeing that Merlin and the rest had left, the Spell Casters of the Mill clan heaved a sigh of relief at last. Regardless of whether it was Ozmu or Merlin and his group, they were not an opponent that the Mill clan could contend against.

"Clan leader, what do we do now?

Many of the Spell Casters turned their attention toward the clan leader.

The clan leader of the Mill clan looked steadily toward the direction in which Merlin had left. Following that, the clan leader said with clenched teeth, "Although Ozmu isn't a threat to us for now, the current southern Spell Caster world is now in utter chaos. With Ozmu's way of doing things, they definitely won't give up just because of this one setback. Besides, that Wizard Seashell isn't dead yet! Thus, we need to move away from the southern Spell Caster world. This is the safest, most reliable plan."

"Move? Do we really have to move?"

Many Wizards were rather sorrowful. The Mill clan had stayed at the foot of Sky-Piercing Peak for centuries. Now that they had to move away and relocate their clan, many Spell Casters were somewhat unwilling.

Still, no one opposed this proposal because this was their only option, considering the chaotic state of the current southern Spell Caster world.

The relocation of Mill clan was merely a scaled-down version of the chaos in the southern Spell Caster world. The war between the Three Major Spell Caster organizations and Ozmu had ended in the defeat of the three spell casters' organizations. However, this was only the beginning of the chaos in the southern Spell Caster world…

…

In the clear, sunny sky, a few figures were riding the wild wind, speeding along in the sky.

Ever since Merlin left Sky-Piercing Peak, he had not uttered a single word. Besides worrying about the state of the Dark Magic Region, Merlin was inspecting the changes of the Thunder Maxim within him.

He had unleashed the fourth form of Darkness Eye and battled with Seashell, winning in the end, but he had paid a significant price. In particular, the depletion of the Thunder Maxim was even greater – a few times more than usual.

Moreover, there were some negative emotions which were insidiously influencing Merlin. This was not something a Maxim could stop because these relatively obscure negative emotions were not caused by the backlash of Darkness Eye. Instead, it was produced by the cultivation of Darkness Eye itself. Only when Merlin's Mind Power was stronger would he be able to remain unaffected by these negative emotions.

However, Merlin's present Mind Power was merely at the peak of the Sixth-level. It was extremely difficult to reach the Seventh-level. The Seventh-level was a great threshold, and between the Seventh-level and the levels below it, there was an insurmountable gulf.

"My Mind Power is merely enough to support the construction of four Fifth-level spells. Therefore, even if I use the Thunder Maxim to derive that final two Fifth-level spells, I won't level up to a Fifth-level Wizard!"

Merlin knew very well that he had used only the Ice Maxim so far to derive four Fifth-level spells. Although Merlin's current Mind Power was enough to construct those, he would not be able to become a Fifth-level Spell Caster.

In addition, in the ensuing chaos of the southern Spell Caster world, all opponents whom Merlin was about to face were those powerful Spell Casters from Ozmu – Wizards who were even far more formidable than Wizard Seashell. Merlin's abilities were still insufficient by far.

"I can only return to the Dark Magic Region for now, and see what the actual situation is before I decide what to do next!"

Merlin did not plan on stopping to construct spells. If he wanted to construct Fifth-level spells now, it would take a great amount of time. With the present level of chaos in the southern Spell Caster world, Merlin did not have so much time to squander.

At the moment, his priority was to hasten back to the Dark Magic Region and see what the real situation was like. After all, Merlin was still currently a member of the Dark Magic Region!

…

In the dense mountain jungle, four figures suddenly landed. It was Merlin's group.

Merlin looked all around, after which he reached out and gestured with a hand. A light breeze blew past, clearing the fallen leaves on the ground, revealing a wide, damp, black surface.

On this surface, a mysterious Runic Magic Circle appeared. It looked like it had been unused for a long time. Merlin had located this through the Runic Heartprint. It was the nearest Runic Magic Circle of the Dark Magic Region.

Through this Runic Magic Circle, Merlin was able to return to the Dark Magic Region. However, Ernie, Watson, and the puppet Number Three had no way of following Merlin to enter the Dark Magic Region as they did not have a Dark Magic ring. They could only wait outside.

"Wait here and don't leave. After some time, I'll think of a way to get you all in!"

Merlin gave this command to Ernie and the rest, following which he stretched out a palm. The Dark Magic ring on his finger immediately began to glow with bursts of radiance, accompanied by enigmatic runes.

The Runic Magic Circle on the ground was activated by the Dark Magic ring, and a swell of runes wrapped around Merlin.

"Swoosh."

Following that, a beam of white light flashed across them and Merlin's figure vanished without a trace. Through the Runic Magic Circle of the Dark Magic Region, he was transported back to the Dark Magic Region.