212 Stakes

Seeing Suyass' expression, Fran knew that he would be avenged, but he still pretended to look worried as he warned, "Suyass, by all means, don't act recklessly. That's the Star Sage, Teacher has to give him some respect…"

"Hmpf, Star Sage," Suyass coldly snorted before leaving the tent.

When Suyass walked out, Fran leaked out a barely perceptible smile. 'Solomon, ah, Solomon, even I feel sorry for you now…'

Solomon was truly getting caught in the crossfire.

Fran and Solomon had nothing to do with each other to begin with and they had always maintained a polite and indifferent relationship. But on this trip, Fran had clearly noticed that Solomon was very protective of that Mafa Merlin. The two definitely weren't mere acquaintances. If he wanted to deal with Mafa, he would have to dig a hole for Solomon first. Otherwise, he would have wasted his energy if Solomon had a way to contact the Star Sage and insisted on protecting Mafa Merlin.

'Mafa Merlin, you can only blame yourself…'

At this time, the conversation that had been interrupted because of Suyass had already resumed. The leaders of the nine forces of Thousand Sails City were sitting in a circle next to a bonfire, still chatting about the earlier fight. The atmosphere was friendly and harmonious.

"Who is Mafa Merlin?" But Suyass' appearance destroyed that atmosphere. The Archmage with the title of Magic Flame emitted a stifling pressure just by standing there.

He was now standing next to the bonfire, sweeping across everyone with a cold and detached gaze. Besides asking his question, Suyass didn't say anything else, but that stifling pressure made everyone feel as if they were choking.

"And you are?" Lin Yun slowly got up, his face devoid of emotion, yet inwardly vigilant. He could feel the enmity from the mana fluctuations that suppressed the entire camp. It was hostility from an Archmage...

"I am Suyass, from the Mercury Tower."

These words made those next to the bonfire exclaim in surprise. Magic Flame Suyass, one of the youngest Archmages of Okland, the number 3 of the Mercury Tower. All kinds of rumors had spread about him, even in the distant Thousand Sails City.

"Hello, Sir Suyass." Lin Yun was unaffected by hearing the name.

"You are Mafa Merlin?" Suyass squinted as he gazed at Lin Yun. "I heard that you are very confident in your skills with arrays. It so happens that I have some knowledge in the field of arrays. How about we make a bet?"

"Sir Suyass, you must be joking…"

"I'm not playing with you." Suyass' expression didn't change, but his words were a bit rude. "I recently completed a new array, how about we use that array to bet? I'll give you one day. If you can crack this array within a day, it'll be my loss, and if you cannot, it'll be your loss. How about it?"

After saying this, Suyass glanced at Lin Yun and casually said, "As for the stakes, one arm should be fine."

"..." When Suyass' words came out, the surroundings went silent.

Although everyone felt the hostility when Suyass introduced himself, most of them had guessed that he was there to stick up for Fran.

But no one had thought that this Archmage would actually be so unreasonable and ask for an arm. Moreover, the bet was about breaking an array.

Who was Suyass? He was Nolan's disciple, and he had already been known as a peak Master Alchemist for years. The arrays he was researching, if not True Spirit level, were at least close to True Spirit level. Bringing out such an array against a young Master Alchemist was truly unreasonable...

Merlin was not even twenty! Even if he had been studying alchemy since his birth, it would be less than twenty years worth of experience with alchemy. How could he compare to a peak Master Alchemist like Suyass?

This was simply bullying!

"Sir Suyass!" Solomon stood up. "Coercing a young Master Alchemist as the disciple of Sir Nolan, aren't you being a bit too overbearing?"

"Oh?" Suyass' eyes moved away from Lin Yun to land onto Solomon, a faint smile on his face. "You are the disciple of Star Sage Jouyi? Solomon?"

"Whose disciple I am doesn't matter. What matters is you, Sir Suyass, using such an unfair method on Merlin."

"Fairness? Haha, Solomon, you are talking about fairness with me?"

"Sir Suyass…" Solomon was stunned, but he then had a bad feeling. But when he realized that something was wrong and tried to cast a protective spell, he was already out of time.

Just as Solomon closed his mouth, a spark appeared on his arm, immediately followed by an explosion, as raging flames fiercely roared on his arm. His entire arm was on fire.

Solomon's reaction was pretty quick. He had already prepared a Frost spell the moment the spark landed on his arm. A mist appeared as a layer of ice covered Solomon's arm at a crazy speed. It was only a small dot at first, but that small dot covered Solomon's arm in an instant.

Solomon's reaction was very timely.

But...

Just as everyone sighed in relief, another explosion echoed and the flames that had been extinguished by the ice reappeared. A dazzling blaze flared up as the fierce flames turned the ice into vapor.

This sudden change made everyone feel scared. The difference between an Archmage and a Great Mage was just one rank, but that one rank wasn't easy to overcome.

As a 9th Rank High Mage, Solomon simply couldn't retaliate in front of an Archmage...

"Sir Suyass, didn't you want to bet?" At this time, Lin Yun calmly stepped forward, as Syudos gently coiled around Solomon's arm and swallowed those raging flames.

Syudos, as an Upper Rank Flame Spirit, could be said to be the purest flame in this world. Let alone Suyass even if a true Magic Flame descended, playing with fire before Syudos was only displaying one's mediocre skills before an expert.

"Pretty good Magic Tool." Suyass no long paid attention to Solomon, and he only stared at Lin Yun. "Seems like you plan to agree?"

"Wait a moment." Lin Yun carefully helped Solomon take a seat before looking for searching his pocket and taking out a bottle of Ice Spirit Potion. This was something Lin Yun had prepared for his expedition to the Demon Plane. It was specialized against the dark flames of the Abyss. Using it to treat Solomon was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

But he didn't have anything else that would work at this time.

Even though Solomon's help always had some ulterior motive, Lin Yun knew that this was because he was setting up a way forward for the Sage Tower. Moreover, he truly had helped Lin Yun a lot. It could be said that without Solomon, he might have still reached this stage, but it would have been a lot harder.

After drinking the Ice Spirit Potion, Solomon's expression relaxed. His burn was also recovering at a visible speed.

After Lin Yun carefully checked and confirmed that there was no issue with Solomon's injury, he slowly stood up and looked at Suyass with a strange expression for a long time before asking, "Sir Suyass, are you sure you want to use an arm for the bet?"

"What? Are you afraid? Looks like you aren't very confident in your alchemy level. But it's too late to be afraid, Mafa Merlin. If you are willing to bet, then do so, but the stakes cannot be changed."

"No…" Lin Yun helplessly shook his head. "I meant, Sir Suyass, how about betting both arms?"

"Ah?" Suyass was stumped at first. He carefully looked at Lin Yun for a long time before smiling, "Good, good, Mafa Merlin, you are very confident in your level of alchemy…"

After chuckling, Suyass took out a scroll from his pocket. "This is the array I recently completed. You have one day to crack it. If you cannot crack it within a day, then you'll have to leave your arms behind."

Lin Yun took the scroll and examined it. Sure enough, it was close to True Spirit level. A third of the skills within had reached the level of an Artisan. If it had been a day earlier, Lin Yun might have found this array to be rather headache-inducing.

But it was too late now...

"One day? Hahahaha…" Lin Yun laughed before spreading the scroll next to the bonfire and taking out a quill from his pocket. He searched in his pocket some more, but found out that he had already exhausted his Melting Snow Ink. Thus, he turned to Suyass and asked, "Well, Sir Suyass, could I trouble you to lend me some Melting Snow Ink?"

"Hold on." Suyass frowned before taking out a bottle from his pocket and giving it to Lin Yun.

The whole camp then turned silent. Nothing could be heard besides the crackling of the bonfire and the sound of Lin Yun's quill dancing across the scroll. Everyone seemed to have tacitly agreed to hold their breaths, afraid of bothering the young Master Alchemist.

It was to the point that no one noticed a flame sweeping across the sky...

No one but Fran...

'How come Karon also came?'