With determination, Jin rushed to the back of the four individuals bound on the ground and began to untie them.
"Lei, shouldn't you be in the Paralar Empire?" the King asked in astonishment, his voice trembling slightly, revealing that he was still shaken.
"Your Majesty, do not be deceived by those crafty mages. They simply wish to use me as an excuse to launch an attack on the Paralar Empire," General Lei said, bending down before the King to gently assist him to his feet.
"Lei, who is this young man?" the King inquired, pointing towards Jin, who was busy untying General Lei's mother.
"He is my brother, Jin 'Torrential Wave'," General Lei answered tenderly.
"Brother? But wasn't your brother..." The King asked in confusion.
"Ah, yes, he did leave home previously. However, by a stroke of fate, we are reunited now," General Lei replied, finally allowing a long-missed smile to grace his face, a warm, heartfelt expression.
"Jin, you've finally returned," General Lei's mother said excitedly to Jin.
"Ah, yes, I apologize for making you all worry, Aunt," Jin replied, offering an awkward smile.
"Uncle Jin, where have you been all this time?" General Lei's son, Wu, asked with eager enthusiasm.
"I've been to many places. When we get back home, I'll tell you all about it, how does that sound?" Jin smiled and gently ruffled Wu's hair, his expression light and carefree, like a child himself.
"Jin, what should we do now?" General Lei asked, his smile fading as he suddenly grew serious.
"We'll first ensure their safety, then regroup with Will and the others. I believe there are still many mages in the palace," Jin replied.
"Alright," General Lei said, before assisting the King and his mother out of the tower, with Jin and the others following closely behind.
Not long after...
"Why are you two still here?" Jin asked in confusion. At the entrance of the tower, the two guards who had previously helped them were still stationed outside.
"We... we want to help you," one of the guards said.
"Alright then, take the King and these three to a safe place to hide," Jin instructed.
"Of course. But where is a safe place? The palace is full of enemies, and beyond the palace, there are only crazed people," one of the guards replied.
"I know of a place. It's somewhere most people would never go," Jin answered.
...
With a tremendous crash, the main doors of the palace hall were forcefully kicked open by Will. He and Lisa strode confidently into the grand hall.
"It's so dark in here," Will exclaimed loudly as he walked.
"What's going on? Are those mages all cowards, hiding away?" Will continued, taunting them.
"Will, can you be quiet for once?" Lisa whispered, leaning her face close to Will's ear.
"Didn't Jin tell us to spread the mages' fighting power? He's saving people, and we're supposed to draw them all here," Will whispered in response.
"If all the mages come, can you handle them alone?" Lisa asked.
"Huh? Alone? Aren't we in this together?" Will suddenly looked confused and a little frightened.
"Before we encounter Merlin, I don't want to waste any energy," Lisa said.
"What? Why didn't you say so earlier? If you'd said that, I wouldn't have done this!" Will suddenly shouted in a fit of panic.
"Look, what's that?" Lisa pointed to a spot not far away in the hall.
"Is that... a corpse?" Will squinted, focusing on the spot Lisa was pointing at. In the dark corner of the hall, he saw a hand holding a staff. It seemed to belong to a mage.
"Hehehe, you finally made it," a voice echoed from the shadows of the hall.
"That voice... Merlin?" Upon hearing Merlin's voice, Will's expression darkened, and he immediately drew the holy sword Durandal from his waist.
At that moment, Merlin snapped his fingers, and flames erupted from the furnaces on either side of the hall, instantly illuminating the entire space. Merlin sat on the throne of the King, holding a large purple Magic Obsession Stone, the size of a human head, in his hands.
"What's this?" Will's expression shifted to one of terror. Surrounding Merlin were the bodies of seven or eight mages, each holding a staff.
"Did you do this?" Lisa asked sternly.
"Of course. With the help of these people, I was able to complete this," Merlin said, displaying the Magic Obsession Stone.
"Hmph, so this is how the Magic Obsession Stone is created? It requires the life force of the living?" Will sneered.
"Ah, more or less. The power of the Magic Obsession Stone comes from the energy of the living. If I can absorb the power of a strong person, the stone will grow even stronger. Hehehe," Merlin said with a sinister grin.
"Hmph, it seems I must be more cautious this time," Will said, gripping his holy sword Durandal tightly, preparing to strike.
"Ah, I can give this Magic Obsession Stone a try. I haven't fully tested its power yet," Merlin said slowly, rising from his seat.
"Hmph, then bring it on!" Will shouted, charging toward Merlin.
...
Meanwhile, after entrusting the King and his family to the two young guards, Jin and General Lei rushed toward the palace hall.
"We've arrived. This is the palace hall, the only entrance to the palace," General Lei said to Jin.
No sooner had General Lei finished speaking than an explosion erupted at the entrance of the palace hall. The massive doors were immediately consumed by a cloud of dust, and from within that cloud, Will and Lisa were violently hurled out.
"What happened?" Jin asked in alarm.
Before Jin and General Lei could comprehend the situation, Merlin's sinister laughter echoed as he slowly emerged from the dust.
"It's Merlin," General Lei whispered, his voice trembling. At that moment, General Lei was filled with fear. The last time he had seen Merlin, they were allies. Back then, Merlin had not been as terrifying, but now, as an enemy, Merlin exuded an overwhelming presence that made General Lei feel a deep sense of dread.
"Ah, if it isn't General Lei! Your clothes are quite amusing," Merlin said, turning to look at General Lei, who was dressed in rags.
"Hmph, Merlin, long time no see," General Lei said, his tone firm.
"I've always wondered how you ended up with these two, ah, and this one, someone I've never seen before," Merlin said, gesturing at Jin standing next to General Lei.
"I'm with them to drive you out of this country," General Lei shouted.
"Me? Hahaha, I have no interest in conquering this country. But it's fine. Thanks to your help, this country has now become exactly how I wanted it—completely chaotic," Merlin said with a cruel smile, glaring at General Lei and Jin.