Chapter 323: Devouring Hand

A few years ago, Suyass had been dispatched to the Gold Forest Plane's battlefield. He led a puppet legion and fought the Dark Elves, tempering himself for many years as he was getting closer and closer to the Archmage realm. Everyone was looking forward to Suyass' breakthrough as that would add one more Archmage to the Mercury Tower.

But something huge happened in the Gold Forest Plane. An Abyssal Evil Dragon's corpse actually appeared before the forces of the Mercury Tower after one of the Seven Great Magic Cities of the plane, Somal, was conquered. That Abyssal Evil Dragon had been sealed in the underground of the Gold Forest Plane, its huge body extending for over 500 kilometers, just like a mountain range, and it was connected to the Seven Great Magic Cities. What appeared before the mages of the Mercury Tower after claiming Somal was the head of the Dragon, and the aura that was leaking through the seal on it felt extremely violent.

At the time, it caused a stir in the entire Mercury Tower.

To the Mercury Tower which was a force of alchemists, the corpse of an Abyssal Evil Dragon was simply priceless. In response to the discovery, Nolan sent the order to seize that corpse at all cost.

Thus, the Mercury Tower sped up their plans and hastened to conquer the Seven Great Magic Cities, only taking three years to vanquish three of them.

But no one expected that the information about the Abyssal Evil Dragon was leaked...

And so, the Black Tower arrived.

The Black Tower used some unknown means to forcibly pinpoint the Gold Forest Plane's coordinates and faced great dangers to dispatch three Archmages and ten 9th Rank High Mages to quietly infiltrate the Gold Forest Plane.

Back then, Suyass' puppet legion had met fierce resistance at the 4th Great Magic City, and with his attention occupied he ended up making a huge mistake. He hadn't discovered that the news of the Abyssal Evil Dragon's corpse had been leaked and he hadn't noticed that the force of the Black Tower had already arrived.

Thus, unbeknown to Suyass, the Black Tower's force went deep inside Somal, and under the joint force of the three Archmages and ten 9th Rank High Mages, they forcibly cut a corner of the seal and snatched away one of the eyes of the Abyssal Evil Dragon.

That eye was now the True Spirit Magic Tool Evil Dragon Eye.

After the Abyssal Evil Dragon Eye was taken away, Suyass reacted promptly, giving up on capturing the 4th Great Magic City and just leaving the whole puppet legion there as he rushed back to intervene with the intruders. But he ended up running into Herman who had been left on the rearguard.

The two men fought a fierce battle, which ended in Suyass' defeat.

Herman pursued Suyass through the entire Gold Forest Plane for three days until they finally reached the place where the puppets had been left.

This was a disgrace Suyass would never be able to forget.

Not only had he lost to Herman, he felt that his mistake had shamed the entire Mercury Tower.

The Black Tower snatched that Abyssal Evil Dragon Eye from the Gold Forest Plane, but refused to admit that they ever sent a team to that plane.

Because of this, Nolan angrily charged into the Black Tower and pointed at Harren cursing wildly.

But no matter how much he cursed, he couldn't change the fact that the Abyssal Evil Dragon's Eye was taken unless the Mercury Tower was resolute enough to start a war against the Black Tower. They had no proof and thus simply couldn't denounce the Black Tower.

In fact, the Mercury Tower was forced to endure this nauseating grievance.

What was most intolerable was that Herman started frequently visiting after that and would often request the help of the Mercury Tower for repairs on his Evil Dragon Eye Magic Tool.

Every time Suyass saw Herman, every time his eyes landed on that Evil Dragon Eye, Suyass felt great humiliation.

But Suyass knew that the current Mercury Tower couldn't fall out with the Black Tower at the moment.

Thus, Suyass could only endure.

Just like today, even if Herman came to visit with the Evil Dragon Eye and mocked that he had been the one chasing him for three days and nights, Suyass could only restrain himself.

It was because the current Mercury Tower couldn't afford to make an enemy of the Black Tower.

There was a sizable gap between the two forces, and because of the unforeseen events happening in the Gold Forest Plane, the Mercury Tower already had their hands busy. If they also started a war with the Black Tower, they would have to deal with enemies in the front and in the back, putting the Mercury Tower in great danger.

"I'll say it again, Herman, my friend Merlin isn't a Battle Mage." Suyass curbed his anger with difficulty as he said this with an ashen face, "Our Mercury Tower welcomes you if you wish to have your Evil Dragon Eye repaired. But I don't have the time to spend on other matters."

After saying this, he turned to Lin Yun and said with an unsightly smile, "Merlin, let's go talk in my study, this place is too noisy."

"Go?" But before Lin Yun could answer, Herman intervened once again, "Suyass, you are truly naive. Even Okland's children know of the hatred the Black Tower has towards those Gaugass Battle Mages. Who do you think you are to dare take away a Battle Mage in front of me."

He continued, "Don't tell me this is the standing of the Mercury Tower." After saying this, Herman's expression turned heavy. The mana fluctuations of an Archmage spread in the surroundings as he started brimming with an imposing aura, "No one is taking away anyone today."

"You..." Suyass' expression froze.

"Kid, don't think that Suyass can protect you. Be obedient now and follow me back to the Black Tower..."

"Herman! Don't go too far!"

The atmosphere in the laboratory was tense. Lin Yun knew that he had no other choice but to make a move.

"It's fine." Lin Yun patted Suyass' shoulder before moving out from the cover behind Suyass' back as he looked towards Herman, "I shall repeat, I am from Thousand Sails City and I am not a Battle Mage."

"Haha..." Herman suddenly sneered, "It doesn't matter whether it is you or Suyass who say that you aren't a Battle Mage. All you have to do now is to follow me back to the Black Tower and undergo torture in the Obsidian Prison. The torture will make you spill everything."

"What if I don't want to?"

"Hmpf, this is not for you to decide..." After saying this, Herman extended his hand. That hand didn't look strong or powerful, it even looked somewhat frail.

But even Suyass' expression couldn't help changing when he saw that hand.

"Herman! You dare!" Suyass panicked as he wanted to intervene.

But it was already too late.

Herman's outstretched hand caused the surrounding mana to turn berserk. It felt as if the mana in the atmosphere was suddenly being devoured, as if there was a huge vortex in Herman's hand, absorbing everything.

"Hmm?" Lin Yun frowned, 'This doesn't seem to be a spell?'

"Merlin! This is the Devouring Hand, be careful..." Suyass had a worried expression.

Among the few people in the room, Suyass was the only one who personally experienced that Devouring Hand. Suyass suffered from the Devouring Hand many times during that long pursuit in the Gold Forest Plane.

After returning from the Gold Forest Plane, Suyass repeatedly turned over everything he researched about Herman and only later, thanks to the help of Karon and Nolan, understood that this Devouring Hand wasn't really a spell, it was an ability similar to one.

But this wasn't an innate ability.

Herman's Magic Conducting Rune was the Black Hole, one of the three Great Magic Conducting Runes of the Black Tower.

The Black Hole could be considered one of the peak Magic Conducting Runes of the Andlusa Kingdom, and it was very evil and strange in nature. It wasn't particularly special with only one or two such Magic Conducting Runes on a mage, but once a person possessed five Black Holes, the power of that Magic Conducting Rune would be fully displayed. Black Hole innately had the ability to devour anything. During a battle, the Black Hole could even absorb the mana from enemies.

This showed how wicked and special the Black Hole was.

But, this strange and evil Magic Conducting Rune was also very dangerous. Many mages would choose the Black Hole when advancing to the Great Mage realm. The unique characteristic of this Magic Conducting Rune would allow one to fight people beyond their ranks.

But these Great Mages usually wouldn't have a good ending.

Devouring unfiltered mana was a very dangerous thing in itself. If there was an issue, in the best case, it would lead to one's mana not being pure enough, in the worst case, mana would exceed what they could bear and the Mana Whirlpool would collapse under the weight.

It could be said that out of ten Great Mages deciding for the Black Hole Magic Conducting Rune, nine would fall midway. Even if they were lucky enough to form one, most of them would be unable to reach a higher rank.

As time passed, less and less Great Mages chose the Black Hole as their Magic Conducting Rune.

Herman was one such exception.

Suyass once heard someone mention that Herman was the only Archmage with the Black Hole Magic Conducting Rune in the current Black Tower.

And this was because Herman obtained a Meditation Law Set matching the Black Hole.

Moreover, this was a Meditation Law Set unique to Herman. Besides Herman, no one could practice it in the Black Tower.

It should be because of this that Herman was valued by the Black Tower to the point where they would hand him the Evil Dragon Eye.

The Devouring Hand Herman was displaying now had been formed with the Black Hole as its core along with Herman's own Meditation Law Set.

This was Herman's unique ability.

It was powerful to the point that even Suyass didn't dare claim he could withstand it.

If it was left alone, it would engulf the entire laboratory as the mana was steadily forming a hurricane with the hand as its center.