In his entire life, Lucius had never met anyone so shameless.

This was the first time, and he was so furious that he felt like vomiting blood.

Slowly rising to his feet, his eyes burning red with rage, he screamed, "Merlin Clay, I'll kill you right now!"

Whoosh!

His figure vanished like lightning and reappeared right in front of Merlin.

He raised his left hand, which was somehow already holding a spear of lightning.

"Die!"

He swung it, aiming the tip straight at Merlin's chest.

Merlin, however, remained still, as if he didn't care about the attack.

Just as the spear's tip came within a few centimeters of Merlin's chest, an incredibly fast strike hit Lucius in the face from the left.

His body was sent flying ten meters before slamming hard into the stone wall.

"Puff!"

Lucius vomited blood as excruciating pain spread through his body.

His chest ached, and his bones felt as if they had broken in several places. The pain was so intense that it forced a groan from his lips.

When he looked up at Merlin, he instantly realized the attack had come from the red dragon.

"You… you're really courting death, Merlin Clay!" he growled.

He was the honorable prince of the Arcadia Magic Kingdom, yet he was now being openly humiliated by Merlin.

If not for his unfavorable position, he would have already killed Merlin with everything he had.

The innocent, frightened expression on Merlin's face vanished, replaced by cold indifference.

"Courting death? What do you mean?" Merlin walked closer, one hand in his trouser pocket. "Just because you're a prince of the Arcadia Magic Kingdom, do you think you're the center of this world?"

He stopped and crouched in front of Lucius.

Merlin's violet eyes flashed coldly, as if piercing anyone who met his gaze.

Lucius trembled and tried to retreat, but there was only a stone wall behind him.

However, he quickly steadied himself when he remembered his identity.

"I am a prince, while you are only the son of a viscount! Your status is far below mine!" he sneered hoarsely.

He hoped to provoke Merlin's anger, but his expectations were shattered.

Merlin remained calm and relaxed, as if the words had no effect on him.

A faint smile curved his lips. "So? Do you think I care?"

Lucius gasped, his throat tightening.

Before he could say anything, Merlin continued evenly, "Yes, you are a prince. And yes, your status is higher than mine. But remember this—we are both students of the academy now. No matter what your status is outside, here, you and I are equals."

It was undeniable that the academy was not completely clean.

There were some professors who accepted benefits from outside parties, such as nobles or even kingdom leaders, allowing their children to receive favorable treatment.

Even so, there were not many of them, as strict regulations prohibited such behavior.

If caught, a professor would be immediately dismissed without honor, and any student who abused their status would be punished according to academy rules.

As long as he stayed within the academy, he would be safe. Even if he had to go out on a mission or handle other matters, he felt no fear.

After all, Lyserra was by his side, along with the system.

System: "[Ahem! I'm so embarrassed that you're relying on me, Master!]"

"You…" Lucius growled and was about to say something, but Merlin had already grabbed his neck tightly.

Lucius felt his breath catch as his face rapidly turned red.

He struggled, trying to break free from the grip.

But the hold was too strong, like iron claws.

Merlin ignored his resistance and slowly dragged him toward the magma chasm.

Seeing this, Lucius's eyes widened in terror. He forced himself to speak despite the difficulty.

"Merlin… Clay! You… don't do anything… stupid!"

Merlin ignored him and stopped at the edge of the chasm, tilting his body downward.

Lucius's face was as red as a chili pepper, fear clearly visible in his eyes.

"Do you want me to let you go?"

The sudden question stunned Lucius. Without thinking further, he quickly nodded.

Merlin loosened his grip on Lucius's neck and said, "Then hand over everything you have to me. I guarantee I'll let you go right now."

Lucius didn't hesitate. He immediately reached into his pocket and handed over a blue bracelet.

"Inside are many potions, as well as epic and legendary artifacts given to me by my father! Take everything! Just please don't throw me into that sea of magma!" he pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

He no longer cared about his shattered image in front of Merlin. He was simply too afraid of dying.

Although the academy guaranteed that students would be revived after death, he didn't know whether that guarantee still applied if he fell into the sea of magma below.

He didn't dare take the risk. Therefore, he was willing to give up everything.

Merlin stared at the bracelet and accepted it without hesitation.

"Good. I accept it," he said with a satisfied nod.

Lucius let out a sigh of relief and was about to speak, but Merlin cut him off.

"But before that, I need to do something to you first."

A red light flowed from Merlin's hand into Lucius's body.

"Argh!" Lucius roared in pain, his face turning pale.

A few moments later, Lucius's screams slowly faded. He felt a sharp pain in his head, and his vision began to blur.

"What happened… to me?" he muttered in confusion.

Before he could process it, Merlin smiled faintly and said, "In that case, I'll release you now."

The hand gripping Lucius's neck let go, and at the same time, his body plunged into the sea of magma below at high speed.

Fsssh!

Lucius's body turned to ash and vanished.

Merlin slipped the blue bracelet into his pocket.

When he turned around, he saw Lyserra staring at him with a strange expression.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked, puzzled, as he approached her.

Lyserra returned to her small form and leaped into his arms.

With the same expression as before, she said in astonishment, "I didn't expect you to be so cruel. You gave him hope, then destroyed it."

This was the first time Lyserra had seen Merlin's cruel side, and it truly shocked her.

After all, Merlin usually showed a calm, silly, and naive demeanor.

But just now, that image shattered completely. The boy before her looked terrifying when he acted without mercy.

Merlin chuckled softly and gently stroked Lyserra's head.

"I didn't break my promise. You saw it yourself—I kept it, didn't I? He asked me to release my grip, and I did. Where did I go wrong?"

Lyserra: "..."

She knew Merlin was right, but for some reason, she couldn't find the words and remained silent.

"Well then, let's go back."

With that, Merlin took Lyserra and left the place behind.

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