novelraw Chapter 1175: Merlin’s Power and the Recruitment
Chapter 1175: Merlin’s Power and the Recruitment
The Vampire Lords knew that this battle wasn’t going in their favor, seeing how an old mage was able to stop their advance...
However, even if their bodies were now scorched and battered, their eyes still burned with malice.
They tried looking for someone to drain, but all around them were only Androids... just lifeless machines with no blood to offer. Their frustration boiled over into rage.
"You... you shouldn’t exist," one snarled. "No mage should wield such power..."
Merlin laughed after hearing this. It just showed how inexperienced these two were.
Soon, his staff was glowing brighter than ever. His robe’s effect was also triggered as if it were coordinating with the World Tree’s mana...
Soon, his aura expanded until even the defenders on the walls felt its weight.
"You are all inexperienced," he said with a calm voice...
"I don’t need holy light. I have fire, storm, and ice. And I have the will to end you."
He raised his staff, channeling every ounce of mana left in his reserves.
The air around him vibrated, the ground cracked, and the sky itself seemed to respond.
Whom~
Flames coiled around his body while lightning danced across his staff!
Soon, shards of ice hovered in the air like a crown of spears!
It was happening! Merlin was taking this matter seriously!
The Lords charged together as they knew that they couldn’t let Merlin control the pace of the battle!
Soon, their blood blades cut through the air.
But this time, Merlin was faster. He slammed his staff into the ground, unleashing a fusion spell!
Fire and lightning intertwined, and just like that, it exploded outward in a storm of fiery storm!
The courtyard shook violently.
The Vampire Lords screamed as the torrent engulfed them!
In just a few moments, their armor started melting, and their flesh was also searing!
One tried to dissolve into mist, but Merlin’s cyclone of wind trapped the vapor, forcing it back into solid form!
"You’re not getting away!" Merlin laughed.
The other raised his blade, but his ice spears shattered it into fragments.
"Fall!" Merlin roared with his voice echoing across the Stronghold.
He unleashed a final strike! A colossal pillar of fire and lightning combined!
It was surging upward like an inferno.
The Vampire Lords were caught in the blast, and soon, their bodies started disintegrating under the unstoppable heat!
Their screams faded into silence, leaving only ash scattered across the stone.
[ You have eliminated Vampire Lord Chrisam. ]
[ Reward: +5,000 Experience Points. +100 Reputation Points ]
[ Bonus: Title Unlocked "Vampire Slayer." ]
[ You have eliminated Vampire Lord Oreo ]
[ Reward: +5,000 Experience Points. +100 Reputation Points ]
[ Bonus: Title Unlocked "Plaguecleanser" ]
The defenders on the walls erupted in cheers. "He did it! The mage killed Vampire Lords!"
Tieria lowered his mechanical eye, as he heaved a sigh of relief.
The elite teams from other shelters would need five more minutes to arrive since they weren’t expecting Lord-Tier Vampires to suddenly arrive.
They knew from before that Lord Tier Vampires had a strange method to pass through their barrier. They thought that putting more barriers and placing more Warden Units would solve this issue, but thankfully, Merlin was there.
"Incredible... he defeated them alone. This man is no ordinary survivor. Shane must know about him immediately. Maybe he’d even get him rewarded or something." Tieria muttered.
Of course, he was also capable of rewarding Merlin, but his wealth was limited. He was unlike Shane, who had an unfathomable number of resources within his inventory thanks to his strange looting luck.
Nonetheless, Merlin wasn’t completely unscathed in this battle.
Soon, the old mage fumbled, but he immediately leaned on his staff.
His mana reserves were nearly drained, but his eyes were filled with satisfaction.
The battle just now was truly incredible.
Soon, he looked at the ashes, then at the soldiers who had witnessed his battle.
"The battle’s not over yet... I will leave them all to you." Merlin said as he stepped back.
Just like that, the soldiers roared as they quickly finished off the remaining Vampires outside the shelter.
Meanwhile, Alex rushed forward, his face lit with awe and admiration.
He immediately helped the Old Mage, who had trouble walking.
"Master Merlin... you were incredible! You fought them without holy spells! Just pure elements. Amazing!"
Merlin managed a faint smile.
Alex didn’t really have to slap it in his face that he couldn’t use Holy Arts.
Still, he smiled at the man’s enthusiasm.
"This is only the beginning, Alex. If Lords walk this land, then greater battles await us. And when they come... You should be the one dealing with them."
As soon as Alex heard this, he beamed with joy.
After all, it means that Merlin saw his potential!
The old mage saw his future where he could kill Zombie Lords with his own strength!
***
Meanwhile, back at sea, the waves were rolling in a steady rhythm as the two ships, Excellence and Providence, cut through the waters.
It had been several days since they left the Draconic Fort with their course set toward Eden Island... or at the very least, what they believed as the Eden Island...
At this time, they had brought a few merchants with them, Akame and his crew, so they could return to their island and hoped to start over... Of course, they also hoped that they could be part of Shane’s crew...
For now, however, they were useful to Shane since they seemed to have information about Eden Island, the rumored place where Sofia, the first patient immune to the zombie virus, might still be alive.
"Clear the space!"
Shane said, standing on the deck of the Providence.
His eyes were fixed on the Dragon Recruitment Stones resting in his palm.
Tris, the leader of Draconic Fort, had explained the nature of this recruitment stone before they departed.
Dragons were not like human recruitments... they were territorial, bound to the place where they were summoned.
A cave, a mountain peak, a forest clearing, even a floating island could become their lair.
They would defend that area fiercely, alongside their summoner.
But loyalty was fickle.
To the land, they were always loyal... to the recruiter, they began at only fifty percent loyalty, and it could drop quickly if neglected.
Tris had taught Shane the tricks to keep them satisfied: feed them mana crystals, nurture their growth, and respect their chosen territory.
Dragons were proud creatures, and only through patience could one earn their trust.
Now, Shane was ready to test it for himself.
He was basically hoping for the Dragon to be tied to the ship, Providence. This way, they could get another protector aside from the Mech Frames that they currently have.
Just like that, as he ordered the deck cleared, the crew obeyed.
They moved aside with their eyes wide with anticipation.
Many of them had seen Raze’s Dragon, but seeing a new one would always be welcomed.
Soon, Shane finally activated the recruitment stone.
After receiving the familiar confirmation message from the system, the stone glowed brighter and brighter until it finally vanished.
Almost immediately, thick, dark clouds gathered above the ship, casting shadows across the deck and alarming the crew of the Excellence, which followed behind.
A low hum filled the air, and then, the fog began to coalesce into a shape!
Wings unfurled with a powerful sweep, its scales were shining, and at last, Shane saw a pair of burning eyes staring back at him.
Before them stood a young dragon, no larger than a carriage, but already radiating power.
Its scales were a deep emerald, flecked with streaks of gold.
The creature’s gaze swept across the deck with its nostrils flaring as it tested the air...
Without a doubt, it was trying to understand where it had been summoned.
The crew gasped. Some instinctively stepped back, while others leaned forward... Awe was written across their faces.
Shane’s lips curved into a rare smile. "So it’s true... this world isn’t just a Zombie Apocalypse anymore. It’s a Vampire’s Rise... and a Dragon Awakening."
The dragon lowered its head slightly, studying him.
Its aura was incredible despite being young... Still, it was not hostile. It was only curious and cautious of its surroundings.
Shane reached into his pouch and withdrew a handful of mana crystals, holding them out.
"Here," he said softly. "A gift."
Thankfully, the dragon sniffed, then it ran tower Shane before it snapped them up, crunching the crystals with ease!
Its eyes glowed brighter, and Shane felt the faint tug of loyalty shift upward... probably.
Tris’s words echoed in his mind...
’Feed them mana, and they will remember your kindness.’
The young dragon stretched its wings, sending a gust across the deck.
The crew shielded their faces, but Shane stood firm with his coat whipping around him.
He met the dragon’s gaze without flinching.
"You’ll find no cave or mountain here," Shane said. "But this ship... this sea... it will be your home, for now. Protect it, and I’ll protect you..."
He wasn’t sure if the young dragon could understand him but soon, the dragon let out a low rumble, almost like a growl, and Shane sensed acceptance in the sound!