"As for the confession, Merlin didn't alter a single word."
Algeal tattled.
"?"
Chen Li stared blankly at the petrified Merlin.
You had turned him to stone. How could he possibly move?
"By the original agreement, Merlin should be whipped a thousand times. And isn't there a whip right here? I'll remove Merlin's petrification now."
As Algeal pointed at [A Friend from Afar], wrapped in Miracle Fire within the Artifact Forging Furnace, she immediately got to work.
"Crack!"
With a snap of Algeal's fingers, the hard stone shell covering Merlin slowly began to fracture.
The instant Algeal completely removed Merlin's petrification, Merlin finally saw the light of day again—then began dissolving into spirit particles from his feet upward.
"Huh? Merlin? Are you okay?"
Algeal was horrified at the sight.
"It can't be helped... Once I lost consciousness and the dream I maintained was broken free of by Tiamat, the backlash was enough to kill this Servant projection of mine."
Merlin shook his head.
But Merlin was not sad.
Wonderful, I finally don't have to write that thousand-word essay!
As far as Merlin knew, Chen Li's homeland believed the dead deserved respect...
"Can't you hold on a little longer?"
Algeal grew somewhat anxious.
"Ah, has the dependable image of a handsome white-haired big brother truly sunk so deeply into your hearts?"
A smug smile appeared on Merlin's face.
"No! If you die, who's going to demonstrate the remaining thousand lashes for me?"
Algeal shattered Merlin's fantasy, freezing his smile in place.
"...Chen Li, I cannot explain every mistake I have made to you, but none of this has anything to do with my true body. He knows nothing."
Merlin quickly pulled himself together and spoke to Chen Li with great regret.
No matter how amazing Chen Li's Resurrection Card was, it