Illusion Shows Its Power

The Plane was quiet. Its original name no longer mattered. Frans now occupied it, so it was called the Frans Plane.

Frans had built a vast castle there. By the time Merlin and the others approached, he was already outside to welcome them in person.

"Welcome, everyone!"

Frans greeted them with a smile, then led them into the castle.

Everyone used their mental power to survey the newly claimed Plane. Life already existed there, though its creatures had little intelligence. Once Frans had secured his hold on it, he could attract Spellcasters and bring in ordinary people, turning it into a Plane of the Spellcaster Civilization.

Merlin also took note of its location. Though it lay some distance from the nearest Plane of the Spellcaster Civilization, the gap was not too great. If they could claim another one or two Planes held by alien powers in between, they could link them together and strengthen the civilization's reach.

Perhaps that's how the Spellcaster Civilization came to hold billions of Planes—one at a time.

Thought after thought crossed Merlin's mind.

"The Golden-Winged Insect Clan hasn't arrived yet," Frans said, "but I should explain how this began, so you'll know what to expect."

The struggle over this Plane was clearly more complicated than it first appeared. Merlin listened closely.

"I'm close to condensing my second Fire Law, as you all know," Frans continued. "I came all the way from Santo City of Arcane and have been here since before the war with the Rock Tribe Civilization broke out. Decades have passed—nearly a century now. At last, I found a Plane without an owner."

"Though calling it ownerless isn't quite right. It belonged to an Insect Clan broodmother, but she died while fighting over another Plane. As luck would have it, I got here