Chapter 322: Graham Arden

“Dangerous, you say?” Merlin furrowed his brow. “Just how dangerous is it?”

Lyserra paused for a moment before answering. “It’s on the same level as when you faced Gabriel Solayne. There are many powerful experts at the First and Second Spirit Core stages there. Each of them is no weaker than Linda. So, I suggest you don’t act recklessly.”

Her words left Merlin completely speechless. Although he already knew the place was dangerous, hearing it directly from Lyserra still sent a chill down his spine.

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you. No matter how strong they are, they’re nothing compared to me. My power has recovered to seventy percent,” Lyserra declared confidently.

At her peak, she could kill someone at the First Spirit Core stage with a single swipe of her tail.

Despite not being fully recovered, she was immensely confident in defeating the people inside that palace.

Merlin let out a long sigh. He had even forgotten just how strong Lyserra was.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“Hmm? Did you say something?” Linda’s confused voice came from beside him.

“No.” Merlin shook his head. “By the way, we’ll be getting off soon, right?”

Just as he said that, the horse-drawn carriage carrying them suddenly came to a stop.

Arkas’s voice came from the front.

“We’ve arrived, Academy Head Linda and Sir Merlin.”

The two immediately got off the carriage and were greeted by the sight of a beautiful front hall.

The hall looked incredibly luxurious and was built from high-quality materials.

They climbed the stairs and were immediately escorted by servants who had already been waiting there. Since they were wearing masks, their faces could not be clearly seen by the servants.

As they entered, they saw that other guests had already arrived.

They were wearing half-face masks similar to the ones Merlin and Linda wore.

’This is truly a masquerade,’ Merlin muttered.

And it wasn’t just the masks—most of them were also concealing their auras so they wouldn’t be easily recognized by others.

Although it was pointless since all the guests were on the Arden family’s guest list, it was still a brilliant move. At least the guests could chat casually without knowing one another’s identities.

Merlin and Linda’s arrival didn’t attract any attention at all. The guests were engrossed in their worlds.

Just then, the sound of a system notification—one that had been silent for a long time—echoed in his mind.

“[Ding! Main mission launched! Act as Linda Thalsis’s ideal partner at this party! Reward: 90,000 system points and 1× Ardasus Bracelet (Legendary)!]”

Merlin was surprised to see that. He hadn’t expected the system to issue a mission like this.

“Tsk! System, you’re so kind. What’s going on? Are you hiding something from me?” Merlin asked jokingly.

At the same time, he pressed the “Yes” button, and the mission panel immediately disappeared.

“[Nothing suspicious, Master. Please put your bad assumptions about me aside, okay?]” The system rolled its eyes. “[The mission appeared because I’m certain something big is about to happen. So you have to complete it. I can’t wait to see it.]”

The system’s response surprised him. He reopened the mission panel and read the title: “Act as the ideal partner for Linda Thalsis at this party.”

“Don’t tell me you already know what’s about to happen?” Merlin’s eyebrows furrowed.

“[Ahem! That’s my secret. Now that you’ve received it, you have to complete it.]”

After saying that, the system immediately activated silent mode, preventing Merlin from communicating with it any further.

The corner of Merlin’s mouth twitched, and an urge to punch the system welled up inside him.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Linda asked hesitantly.

Merlin took a deep breath and replied casually, “I’m fine. By the way, since I’m your partner tonight, we should hold hands, right?”

He extended his right hand with an elegant gesture.

Linda was startled for a moment before giving a faint smile.

“Of course.”

She lifted her hand and placed it in his palm.

Merlin clasped it, and the two walked toward the center of the hall.

The number of guests was enormous—estimated at over a thousand people.

Merlin observed them carefully but couldn’t clearly gauge their strength.

That made sense, considering he was only a Fourth Spirit Core, which meant nothing in this place.

Fortunately, he had the system on his side, allowing him to easily determine their identities.

After seeing those names, Merlin couldn’t help but feel awe. As Lyserra had said, not a single one of them was weaker than Linda.

Although many were only at the Second Spirit Core level, that alone was enough to show just how powerful they were.

It should be noted that the presence of a single Second Spirit Core was enough to wreak havoc on a major city. One could only imagine how terrifying the people gathered here were.

If they were to work together, it wouldn’t be impossible for them to overthrow the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria.

“Would you like something to drink?” Linda asked.

Merlin glanced at the cup of tea in Linda’s hand, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Usually, at parties like this, people would be sipping red wine. But here, Linda was offering him a cup of tea instead, making him feel both embarrassed and helpless.

Even so, he didn’t refuse. After all, he was still underage—at least, that was how he appeared to Linda.

Only after turning fifteen and being considered an adult would he be able to sip that red wine.

Merlin accepted it and took a sip. To his surprise, it tasted incredibly delicious and unlike most other teas.

There was a minty sensation, complemented by the scent of roses and a slight bitterness from an ingredient he didn’t recognize.

Merlin took another sip and smiled faintly.

Linda didn’t notice his happiness. She picked up a glass of wine and sipped it slowly.

At the same time, she carefully observed every guest who arrived.

Just because they were hiding their auras didn’t mean Linda couldn’t see right through them.

’Oh? Old Man Jorgan is here,’ she murmured in amazement.

Jorgan was one of the experts at the Ninth Awakening level, famous for his empty-handed fighting techniques.

She hadn’t expected the old man to appear at this place.

Just as the atmosphere grew livelier, the sound of footsteps echoed from the front of the hall.

A handsome man clad in a black robe appeared, radiating a strong aura of confidence.

The man was tall, with pale skin and red eyes. Simply standing there was enough to suppress the auras of all those powerful individuals.

His hair was pale white and combed back, and faint fangs could be seen between his teeth.

Merlin observed the man carefully, then whispered, “Open the status panel.”

[Status Panel]

Name: Graham Arden

Age: ???

Identity: Head of the Arden Family

Talent: S-Rank

Rank: Ninth Awakening

Bloodline: Vampire King (Gold Grade)

Favorability: 0

When he saw it, his face froze, and his breathing grew heavy.

’Graham Arden? Is he the head of the Arden family?’

Graham Arden was a name Merlin knew well. In the databook, he was a character who had caused considerable trouble, especially regarding the awakening serum.

His power was no joke—he was on the same level as Linda. His title was the Vampire of the Northern Continent.

According to the databook, Graham Arden had a particular fondness for children and young women.

Of course, at the time, Merlin didn’t fully understand this, since the Arden family had only clearly emerged in the latest volume before his death.

Now, he finally understood. The Arden family possessed a vampire lineage, and vampires themselves loved blood—especially fresh blood.

So it wasn’t surprising that the databook mentioned his preference for children and women.

Suddenly, Graham’s gaze fixed on him. A faint smile curved his lips as his red eyes shone brightly.

At that very moment, Merlin felt his body freeze. Standing behind Graham was a giant vampire tens of meters tall.

The vampire opened its mouth, revealing sharp fangs that looked incredibly intimidating.

Merlin’s face paled, and his breathing grew heavy. Then, a red aura suddenly erupted from his body.

A red dragon avatar appeared behind him. The dragon let out a thunderous roar, shattering the vampire avatar behind Graham into pieces.

Graham himself looked startled, and his gaze turned intense.

Merlin quickly looked away and whispered, “Thank you, Lyserra.”

“You’re welcome. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” Lyserra replied softly.

Merlin gave a faint smile. Lyserra’s promise wasn’t just empty words. If the dragon hadn’t acted just now, he could have been in serious trouble.

Just now, Graham had used his mental power to suppress him. The attack was so strong that he couldn’t react.

Moreover, the attack was so subtle that Linda, who was standing right next to him, didn’t notice it at all.

Meanwhile, Graham quickly composed himself and stepped forward into the hall.

The guests, who had been chatting, shifted their gazes toward Graham.

The man stopped in the middle of the hall and calmly observed them one by one.

“Welcome, everyone,” Graham said with a polite smile. “I’m glad you accepted my invitation.”

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