At that moment, General Lei, Will, and Lisa were seeking the assistance of King Shaoen, the beggar king. Meanwhile, not far outside Arus City, in a desolate house, Captain Murphy, the bounty hunter, was lying on a humble bed, recovering from severe wounds. Not long ago, when he and his men had captured Pikes near the borders of Arus Kingdom, they were attacked by a group of unidentified assailants. His entire team perished, but by luck, Murphy managed to survive, albeit with grave injuries—his arms and legs were broken.
Suddenly, the door of the house creaked open. Captain Murphy, resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them. He felt no fear, for he knew the person entering was Jin, the very man who had found him in his near-death state and saved his life. Jin entered with a relaxed expression, holding a small package wrapped in white wax paper.
"Captain Murphy, here's your lunch," Jin said, placing the package on the chair beside Murphy's bed.
"Jin, have you had some good fortune? You seem in a good mood," Murphy said with great effort.
"Oh, nothing special, just ran into a few old friends," Jin replied with a smile.
"Is that so? You still have friends, huh?" Murphy teased.
"I didn't expect you to still have such a sharp tongue despite being in such a state," Jin smiled, responding to Murphy's jests. Jin appeared genuinely happy today, unaffected by Murphy's sarcasm, smiling in return. After all, he had finally reunited with his family, his brother. Although their relationship had been filled with conflict, Jin knew it paled in comparison to the loneliness of wandering alone.
"Alright, let's get to the matter at hand. Jin, have you found Pikes?" Murphy asked.
"Hmm. I spotted him in Arus City yesterday. It seems he wields considerable influence there, with many under his command," Jin detailed the encounter with Pikes the day before.
"It appears his master must be nearby, or he wouldn't be acting so brazenly," Murphy said.
"Yes. Pikes used a Magic Addiction Stone before, so I believe the one who gave it to him is his master. If we eliminate him, you can avenge your subordinates," Jin continued.
"Cough, cough... Yes, I must avenge my men! We must kill Pikes!" The mention of vengeance stirred something within Murphy. Despite being unable to move, his body trembled with emotion.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down! Don't die before you get your revenge," Jin said, rushing to his side to calm him.
Thanks to Jin's soothing words, Murphy quickly regained composure. Jin was right—if Murphy wanted vengeance, he needed to recover quickly so he could avenge his fallen comrades.
"Alright, let me feed you. After you eat, rest properly. I'll continue tracking Pikes," Jin said, opening the white wax-wrapped package to reveal two steamed buns and a roasted duck leg.
...
Meanwhile, within the palace of Arus, after a meeting with other mages, Merlyn walked alone into the King's study. It no longer served as a study but had been transformed into a workshop where Merlyn produced Magic Addiction Stones for the Arus Kingdom. Leaning on his long staff, Merlyn slowly entered the room. Two United Nations mages were casting spells at a massive purple gem the size of a human head, as if channeling energy into it.
"How's it going?" Merlyn asked.
"Master Merlyn, it's almost ready," one of the mages replied.
"Excellent. If I can control such a massive stone, then no one in this world will be able to defeat me. Ha, ha, ha!" Merlyn laughed loudly as he left the room.
Suddenly, a young mage rushed up to him.
"Master Merlyn, I have something to report," the young mage said, bowing his head.
"Speak, what is it?" Merlyn, now irritated, glanced at the mage and knew it was no good news.
"Pikes is causing trouble again," the young mage said weakly.
"What? That idiot! Didn't I tell him to be discreet? What's he done now?" Merlyn growled.
"Yesterday, he had someone beat up a person from the slums in the street. Today, he got into a fight with a noble over an antique. The noble was severely injured and is still in the hospital," the mage said, panic in his voice.
"Idiot! A complete idiot! I should never have saved him!" Merlyn screamed in fury.
"Where is he? I'll find him!" Merlyn demanded.
"He should be in the safehouse," the mage replied, looking apprehensive.
"Fine. You may leave now." Merlyn dismissed the young mage angrily.
Merlyn then extended his right hand, waving it in front of him. A portal immediately appeared, and Merlyn hurriedly walked through.
...
At the safehouse in Arus, Pikes impatiently sat on a leather sofa, his head constantly swiveling. Due to the mages restricting his movement, Pikes seemed anxious.
"These damn mages, how dare they limit my actions," Pikes muttered, suddenly standing and pacing.
At that moment, a burst of blue flames erupted from the safehouse's fireplace, forming a fire circle, and Merlyn emerged from it.
"Mer... Merlyn?" Pikes looked stunned at Merlyn's sudden appearance.
"You idiot! Do you even realize what you're doing?" Merlyn immediately rushed toward Pikes, extending his hand. A blast of air energy shot from his palm, striking Pikes in the chest. The impact sent Pikes flying backward, crashing into the wall.
"L... let me explain," Pikes stammered from the floor, clutching his chest in fear.
"Explain what? Speak!" Merlyn commanded, pointing at Pikes. With a swift motion, he raised his hand, and Pikes was suddenly lifted by an unseen force.
"I haven't done anything out of line," Pikes said defiantly from the corner.
"What?" Merlyn stormed over, pointing at Pikes. Pikes avoided looking directly at Merlyn's finger, knowing the black light that was beginning to appear on it was Merlyn's most deadly technique—Disintegration Ray.
"I don't care if you beat someone from the slums, but you went and provoked a noble. Do you understand that we now depend on their support to fully take control of Arus? Without it, we're just wasting time here!" Merlyn snapped, his finger glowing brighter.
"Alright, alright. I understand. I made a mistake, Master Merlyn," Pikes hurriedly apologized, seeing the growing black light.
Upon hearing Pikes' apology, Merlyn finally calmed down. He lowered his hand and took a few steps back.
"But there's no fun in it if no one gets hurt," Pikes grumbled.
"Well, go beat up those people from the slums. They're worthless. If you're in a bad mood, take it out on them," Merlyn shouted.
"Oh, hehe. I got it, Master Merlyn," Pikes said with a sinister grin.