End of the Magic Era

In fact, Monchi had no other way.

After Locke Merlin’s shipwreck, Thousand Sails City’s alchemy market was in chaos. This was the best opportunity for the Monchi Family who had been painstakingly looking for a way into the alchemy market. For this opportunity, Monchi didn’t hesitate to spend 4,000,000 golds in the Black Horn Auction to get the Volcano and Ghost potions in order to get the assistance of two Great Alchemists from the Black Tower.

He originally thought that it would only be a matter of time before he could monopolize the alchemy market thanks to these two Great Alchemists’ help and Monchi Family’s huge financial resources.

But it happened that Locke Merlin’s son, a boy named Mafa Merlin, re-opened the Gilded Rose.

To be frank, Monchi truly didn’t put Mafa Merlin in his eyes at the beginning. How could a youth that wasn’t even twenty and an old man past his sixties create any storm in Thousand Sails City?

But Monchi quickly discovered that he had been wrong all along.

Because that Mafa Merlin’s rise was too fast, so fast that he couldn’t react on time.

After all, Mafa Merlin was a mere Magic Apprentice owing 80,000 golds after his father’s death. But he then turned his life around, becoming a Mage able to take out over a million golds in the Black Horn Auction to get a bottle of Red Flame Fish Oil.

It was at that time that Monchi started taking him seriously.

But he was late. That Mafa Merlin released the Hope Potion in the Gilded Rose, startling the entire Thousand Sails City. Moreover, he had learnt from Granger that Mafa Merlin had most likely become a Great Mage.

And this wasn’t all…

This morning, just like Bassoro, Monchi received the news that the Poison Fog Canyon, which had been fortified for ten years by Sauss, was attacked by a single Great Mage. Two sentry towers had been sent flying by two Flame Bursts, forcing Sauss to open a trade route. And that young Great Mage’s name was Mafa Merlin.

When he heard that news, Monchi felt ten years older.

He knew it was too late.

Locke Merlin’s son had matured, matured to the point even he had to treat him as an equal.

Fortunately, there was still the Black Tower behind him.

Several days ago, the Black Tower had agreed to his conditions. As the provider of the Ghost Potion and Volcano Potion, Monchi obtained the opportunity to share the results of the two Great Alchemists’ studies. The advanced skills the two Great Alchemists obtained from the study of the Volcano Potion and Ghost Potion would be provided in priority to the Monchi Family alchemy shops.

This was great news to Monchi.

The Black Tower’s answer gave a crushing advantage to the Monchi Family in term of alchemy skill. Two Great Alchemists as well as the advanced skills of the Volcano and Ghost potions will make the Monchi family the leader of the alchemy market for a decade at the very least!

The Hope Potion was only aimed at Magic Apprentices after all.

But what Monchi was about to display was the work of two Great Alchemists as well as the skills used in the Volcano and Ghost potions!

Monchi Family’s alchemy exhibition was scheduled three days later.

The exhibition content were the same, potion, but it was two of them this time. One could make a Swordsman go berserk for a short duration, temporarily giving him the fighting strength of Great Swordsman, the Berserk Blood Potion. The other could instantly twist space, giving a second of immunity to physical attacks, the Nothingness Potion.

Those who participated in the Black Horn Auction could naturally see that these two potions were inferior versions of the Volcano and Ghost Potions.

But even if they were inferior version, they shocked over half of Thousand Sails City.

The Volcano Potion and Ghost Potion had been the finale of the auction, reaching the price of 4,000,000 golds, a new record for the Black Horn Auction House.

Although the effects of the Berserk Blood and Nothingness Potions of the Monchi Family were quite far from the Volcano and Ghost potions, they could still be considered rare potions.

Almost everyone felt that the Gilded Rose was meeting a stronger opponent this time.

After all, the Gilded Rose had been in the limelight because of the Hope Potion. If not for the lack of alchemists, the Gilded Rose would have shops all over the city. Such a fierce rise could be said to have shocked the entire Thousand Sails City.

Tongues were wagging endlessly after the Monchi Family announced this exhibition. Some were rejoicing in others’ misfortune while some were secretly worried. At this moment, few were optimistic about the prospects of the Gilded Rose.

Nothing could be done about it, the Monchi Family was a huge entity. A thousand years old clan was no joke. With the support of high-end alchemy skills, it wouldn’t take long before they enjoy monopoly of the market like Locke Merlin did.

At this time in the Black Horn Auction House.

“I wonder what Monchi would think if he learnt that his treasured Berserk Blood and Nothingness Potions were basically leftovers from Great Mage Merlin’s work…” In Cadgar’s study, Faleau was standing on the balcony, looking at the people crowding around the alchemy exhibition as he harshly mocked.

“Haha…” Cadgar chuckled, but didn’t answer.

With his identity as the Black Horn Auction House’s Chief Auctioneer, he naturally couldn’t mock them like Faleau. But this chuckle would have given Monchi a horrible premonition if he had been here.

“Oh right, Faleau, the Gilded Rose is recruiting Alchemists…”

“Ah?” Faleau stood at attention. How could he not know who the owner of the Gilded Rose was? The words Mafa Merlin uttered during the Black Horn Auction made his alchemy skills advance by leaps and bounds. How could he not understand the meaning behind Cadgar’s words.

Thinking of this, Faleau’s breathing became rough.

“I already spoke with Great Mage Merlin, you should look for him in the next few days.”

“Ah… Thank you High Mage Cadgar, thank you Great Mage Merlin…” Faleau managed to say under the shock of such a pleasant surprise.

“Good, you can go then. I summoned you for this.”

“Yes, yes, thank you High Mage Cadgar…” Faleau happily left.

Faleau didn’t know that the Gilded Rose didn’t just hire one Alchemist, but a full fifty. This was a deal Lin Yun had with Bassoro, fifty Alchemists for the alchemy formula, and Bassoro was quite efficient. No less than fifty Alchemists quickly arrived at Lin Yun’s shop.

But these fifty Alchemists’ mood weren’t as good as Faleau’s.

As esteemed members of the Alchemist Guild, they were actually reduced to work in an alchemy shop. And fifty of them were sent together… Were they sold at a discount?