"Two hundred… No, it should be five hundred! Finally, the mission is complete…" Merlin exhaled deeply.

Shortly after, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.

"[Ding! Congratulations, Master, on completing the mission to save the city of Droswen from the monster wave attack! Monsters killed: 3,500/3,000. Reward: 100,000 system points + 1x random legendary item.]"

"[Ding! An additional 100,000 system points have been granted for defeating 1,000 extra monsters!]"

Seeing the reward, Merlin was surprised and asked, "System, why is the reward 10,000 points higher than it should be? It should be 90,000, not 100,000. Is there a mistake?"

"[The base reward is indeed 90,000 system points, Master. However, you completed the mission perfectly, so I added 10,000 points. Are you happy?]"

"Tsk! You're so generous, System. It's rare to see you like this," Merlin said with a small chuckle.

Normally, the system was extremely stingy. Items in the System Shop never received discounts, and mission rewards never came with bonuses.

Merlin had even begged the system in the past, yet he had never been able to influence it.

That was why the system's generosity this time felt so surprising.

"[Ahem! Lately, I've been thinking that I should be more generous. After all, the stronger you become, the more system points you'll need, right?]"

Merlin felt suspicious of the system's sudden change in attitude. However, unable to find any reason behind it, he chose not to ask further.

"Alright, I believe you," he said with a soft chuckle.

Then his gaze fell on the pile of corpses before him.

More than five hundred monster corpses lay scattered like heaps of trash, stretching as far as the eye could see.

The sight was terrifying, yet Merlin felt neither fear nor nausea at all.

He twirled the daggers in both hands before storing them in the system's inventory.

Without giving it much thought, he turned and walked toward the nearest post to report his results.

When he arrived, the soldiers—and James—were already waiting.

James let out a deep sigh, stepped forward, and asked, "How did it go, Young Master? How many monsters did you kill?"

Merlin smiled and replied, "Not many—only 1,500."

James: "..."

One thousand five hundred was an extraordinary number, yet Merlin called it small, making James unable to hold back a faint smile.

"That's an impressive number, Young Master. In the past, it took you a long time to kill two thousand monsters," he praised. "Did something happen that made you so enthusiastic?"

"Something happened?" Merlin looked surprised, then laughed softly. "You misunderstand. I just want to kill more monsters so I can resolve the crisis in Droswen as quickly as possible."

The first wave of monsters had appeared a few months ago.

The reason was still unknown, as if they had emerged out of nowhere.

If not for his father's swift action in mobilizing the army, the city would have been destroyed.

Even so, the monster waves continued, though their frequency had slowed.

"I see… I understand," James nodded slowly. "Oh, right—there's something I need to tell you. The head of the family wants to see you immediately. Return as soon as possible."

"Father?" Merlin's eyebrows rose slightly. However, he didn't ask further and simply gave a small nod. "I understand. Thank you for the news, Uncle James."

After exchanging a few more words, Merlin headed toward the city.

Watching him leave, James shook his head and whispered, "The young master is getting stronger. At this rate, he'll surpass me in the near future. Well, that's a good thing."

...

Merlin stepped into the mansion, and his father immediately came out to greet him.

"You're back already? That was faster than before," he said with a smile. "Sit down first—I have some important news to tell you."

Merlin said nothing and took a seat in the living room.

His father sat across from him, reached into his pocket, and handed him a letter.

"This is for you—an invitation to the academy."

Merlin was taken aback and stared at the letter with a puzzled expression.

"So I can finally go to the academy?" He swallowed as he accepted the letter, then opened it and read.

"Yes. The Saint Freya Academy has dealt with the crack—well, not completely resolved it, but for now they've managed to neutralize the one called Sky Wing. The poisonous gas released from the crack has also been eliminated. As a result, the surrounding area can be used again, though with certain limitations," Ardhis replied calmly while sipping his tea.

"So that's how it is…" Merlin nodded faintly as he closed the letter and placed it on the table. "Still, I didn't expect it to take more than two years. That's longer than I'd hoped."

At first, he thought his father's words from two years ago were mistaken. He believed that within six months to a year, the Sky Wing Rift could be neutralized.

But he was wrong—it took more than two years before the academy and the authorities of the three kingdoms finally succeeded.

"The Sky Wing Crack is indeed mysterious. It's only natural that it would take a long time to study and ensure it's safe to pass through. Moreover, many monsters emerged from the crack six months after it appeared. The Saint Freya Academy and the three kingdoms couldn't possibly allow their talented students to die because of negligence, could they?" Ardhis chuckled softly.

"You're right," Merlin said with a smile.

He understood the concerns of the rulers, including Linda, his master.

The children who would enter the academy were future powerhouses. They were also the future of the three kingdoms.

It was impossible for Vargan and the other two kings to place such talents at risk.

After that, Merlin and Ardhis continued their discussion about the Sky Wing Crack, his engagement to Luna, and Vargan's plan to arrange his engagement to Charlotte.

"What do you think about that, Merlin? Do you want to be engaged to the princess?" Ardhis asked with a playful look.

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