A Wizard’s Secret

There was a large number of Spell Casters on the front lawn of the Runic Tower. Ever since Merlin’s last attempt on the Runic Tower, more and more Spell Casters in the Dark Magic Region were willing to try their luck. After all, there was no loss even if they failed.

Nevertheless, most of them were truly simply trying their luck because only a precious few managed to break through to the fourth floor, not to mention the fifth or sixth floor.

“Whoosh.”

A dark figure slowly descended from the sky, drawing speculation from the Spell Casters around the Runic Tower. The Runic Tower only allowed Spell Casters below the Fourth-level to enter so if a Fourth-level or above Spell Casters tried to enter, they would immediately be ejected out violently by the Runic Magic Circles.

However, only Fourth-level Spell Casters could fly!

“Who’s that Wizard?”

“Oh? It’s not a Fourth-level or above Spell Caster, I think it’s Wizard Merlin!”

“Wizard Merlin? I see, although he’s not a Fourth-level Spell Caster, he has a Flying-type casting tool. Hmmm… I wonder why he came to the Runic Tower. Is he going to attempt it again?”

Merlin was considered a well-known figure in the Dark Magic Region. Therefore, his arrival stirred up lots of debate among the Spell Casters around the Runic Tower.

Merlin did not pay any attention to them. He raised his gaze toward the soaring Runic Tower. The last time, he was defeated on the final floor and could not clear it. This time, with Darkness Eye and the ability to wield its third form, Merlin was much more confident attempting the Runic Tower.

Thus, he did not dither and walked into the Runic Tower.

Coincidentally this time, there were a few other Spell Casters on the first floor. Upon seeing Merlin, a look of astonishment appeared on their faces, and they bowed respectfully at him.

Merlin nodded his head genially and continued his stride until he came to the guardian spirit on the first floor. With a light wave of his hand, fierce flames began pouring out. The guardian spirit on the first floor was completely unable to withstand it.

First floor, second floor, third floor…

Merlin progressed like a hot knife through butter. Soon, he was already on the sixth floor.

The guardian spirit of the sixth floor, Wizard Effidel slowly appeared. When he saw Merlin, he was momentarily stunned. With a weird expression, he asked, “Why are you here again? It hasn’t been that long since you last cleared the sixth floor, but now you’re making another attempt? If you’re here to claim the prize on the sixth floor, then you’re sorely mistaken, Wizard Fidel had already made a rule that every person can only claim one treasure on each floor!”

Merlin had not even remembered the treasure chest on the sixth floor until Wizard Effidel’s reminder. It seemed that Wizard Fidel had it all thought out so that the Runic Tower would not be misused by a single person to claim all his treasure.

“I came to attempt the seventh floor of the Runic Tower!”

Merlin bowed his head at Wizard Effidel and headed toward the overlapping Runic Magic Circles. These overlapping Runic Magic Circles required at least the ultimate power limit of the Sixth-level to be broken!

Merlin was extremely familiar with the challenge after his last Runic Tower attempt. He did not activate Darkness Eye, but instead released the strongest form of Fiery Collapse.

“Boom!”

It felt like the entire Runic Tower was rumbling. Following the explosion of the ultimate power limit of the Sixth-level, the overlapping Runic Magic Circles collapsed in an instant.

“The seventh floor!”

Merlin’s figure was wrapped in a white light and re-appeared on the seventh floor. This was his second time on the seventh floor, also the top floor of the Runic Tower.

“Huh? Someone else managed to break through to the seventh floor again? Merlin had just gotten here not too long ago the last time, and now someone else is here? The Dark Magic Region must be sprouting a good crop recently…”

Upon arriving on the seventh floor, Merlin saw the familiar black cat Didimoss again.  ( AllNovel )

“Sir Didimoss, we meet again!”

Merlin was the first to speak.

The black cat Didimoss stared at Merlin with a trace of astonishment shining through his bright glassy cat eyes. He asked, “Wizard Merlin, it has only been a short while since your last attempt on the Runic Tower. Are you truly confident that you can clear the seventh floor?”

“It doesn’t matter whether I can clear it or not. I’m just here to try.”

Merlin also knew that the seventh floor of the Runic Tower required powers that were on par with a Seventh-level Spell Caster, which was extremely difficult to achieve for Spell Casters below the Fourth-level.

In the entire southern Spell Caster world, the only Spell Caster below the Fourth-level who was able to stand against and vanquish a Seventh-level Spell Caster was the Miracle Child. Of course, Merlin now had the help of Darkness Eye, especially one that was being suppressed by the Flame Maxim, allowing him to wield its third form freely.

Therefore, the list must now include Merlin because he could use the third form of Darkness Eye to vanquish a Seventh-level Spell Caster!

It was also because of the powerful Darkness Eye that Merlin chose to come to the Runic Tower to make another attempt on the seventh floor.

The black cat Didimoss nodded daintily and continued its graceful pace in the air.

“Very well, if you want to try, then so be it. You’ll still choose to fight with the power level of a Seventh-level Spell Caster?”

“Certainly. I’m not at all familiar with runology. I choose the power level of a Seventh-level Spell Caster!”

Previously, Merlin was defeated from the Runic Tower because he was struck by Didimoss’ Runic Thunder. The Runic Thunder wielded by the black cat Didimoss was equivalent to the power level of a Seventh-level Spell Caster and thus, Merlin’s Perfect Armor was not able to withstand it.

This time, Merlin had come prepared!

The black cat Didimoss gave Merlin an assessing look. Slowly, he said, “There’s Runic Magic Circle here that releases Runic Thunder as powerful as a Seventh-level spell. If you can break the Runic Magic Circle, then you’ll clear the seventh floor!”

The rule was simple enough, which was to break the Runic Magic Circle. However, for Spell Casters below the Fourth-level, it was a challenging feat.

Similarly, perhaps only someone like the Miracle Child would be able to clear the seventh floor. Even with Darkness Eye, Merlin did not have full confidence that he would succeed. He could only try.

“Runic Thunder!”

Human words suddenly spilled from the black cat Didimoss who was still strolling in the air. Immediately, a bolt of lightning as thick as a man’s arm appeared and flew toward Merlin.

Merlin could sense the intimidating power contained inside the lightning bolt. His Perfect Armor did not stand a chance against it, not to mention any Third-level spells, even with the addition of Pandora Demon Abilities.

In this situation, his only chance was to wield the third form of Darkness Eye.

“Darkness Eye, dispel!”

Merlin unfurled his fingers and revealed Darkness Eye in his palm. The slow-blinking blood-red eye radiated an overwhelming amount of power as a crimson ray shot out.

“Boom!”

The Runic Thunder seemed to have collided with an invisible force. With a loud explosion, it sizzled and dispersed. Even though it packed the power of a Seventh-level spell, it could not go anywhere near Merlin.

“Leo’s Darkness Eye? Furthermore, it’s the third form!”

The black cat Didimoss was very familiar with the Dark Magic Region as he was one of the oldest beings in existence. He had been created back when the Great Wizard Fidel was still alive.

Since then, many years had passed and the black cat Didimoss witnessed the slow descent of the Dark Magic Region from its glory days to its current state of despair. The era right now could be considered hitting rock bottom, with only one Ninth-level Spell Caster left.

Thus, the black cat Didimoss naturally knew about Wizard Leo and his circumstances, especially Darkness Eye. Additionally, it was a famous special Pandora Demon Ability, so the black cat Didimoss was quite familiar with it.

“Crack crack.”

The Runic Magic Circle on the seventh floor began to crumble. Once Merlin wielded the third form of Darkness Eye, the black cat Didimoss immediately knew that he would be able to clear the seventh floor.

The treasure on the seventh floor would finally be obtained by Merlin.

The black cat Didimoss took a deep gaze at Merlin. At last, he brandished a cat claw at the wreckage that was once the Runic Magic Circle and grinned. “You can stop wielding Darkness Eye. The Runic Magic Circle has been broken into pieces. You’ve already cleared the seventh floor! Tsk tsk, what an unexpected outcome. Wizard Fidel invested all his effort to pass on his lifetime knowledge of runes to a Spell Caster proficient in runes so that runology could be expanded and advanced further. With this turn of events, I guess the Great Wizard Fidel’s grandeur plans will all be for naught.”

The sole purpose of building the Runic Tower was to select a Spell Caster who was highly-proficient in runes to continue the lifework of the Great Wizard Fidel in runology.

It was unfortunate that in the end, the Spell Caster who managed to clear all seven floors turned out to be the rune-illiterate Merlin.

The one question that the black cat Didimoss could not figure out was, how did Merlin, a Third-level Spell Caster, wield the third form of Darkness Eye?

However, the black cat Didimoss instinctively knew that it was a secret, so he did not ask further. After all, he was only a guardian spirit, albeit one who was truly ancient and had a life force. He was still tied to the rules set by the Great Wizard Fidel in the beginning.

“Rumble.”

The black cat Didimoss opened a small room inside the seventh floor, then he said to Merlin, “Wizard Merlin, come on in, you’ve cleared the seventh floor of the Runic Tower. The Great Wizard Fidel’s lifework lies inside this room. That’s the treasure prepared for you!”

Merlin used his Mind Power to lightly scan the room, but it was almost completely shrouded with Runic Magic Circles, so his Mind Power could not see anything. In order to find out the treasure left behind by the Great Wizard Fidel, Merlin would have to enter the room himself.

With that in mind, Merlin took a deep breath and slowly reeled in the power of Darkness Eye. He gave a small bow to the black cat Didimoss as a sign of respect.

Following that, Merlin stepped in!

“Hum.”

The room shrouded in Runic Magic Circles shook gently like ripples on water like it was completely cut off from the outside world. At the same time, Merlin’s figure disappeared from the seventh floor.