Illusion

Holding the strange relief, Merlin did not examine it any further. This relief was far too bizarre; it could actually cause hallucinations. He would wait until he was home and safe before studying it carefully.

Next, Anson picked out a palm-sized jade item, but Nathan's asking price was over a hundred gold coins. Although Anson was also from a noble family, he had two older brothers above him, and he could use no more than thirty gold coins each month. More than a hundred gold coins was far beyond what he could afford.

Thus, Anson could only give it up regretfully. Kailisi selected a jade bracelet, but Nathan's price was even higher. He would not sell it for less than one hundred and twenty gold coins. Fine jade jewelry from the Molta Empire era was very popular among nobles, so Nathan never worried that his prices would be too high to make a sale.

Kailisi wore a pair of emerald-green earrings and a jade bracelet on her right wrist. She clearly loved jade items. Even though this bracelet cost over a hundred gold coins, she still gritted her teeth and bought it.

Gute stepped forward eagerly, offering to buy the bracelet and give it to Kailisi. It was obvious that the fat Gute liked Kailisi very much, but Kailisi refused him without the slightest politeness, leaving Gute somewhat dejected.

"Hey, Fatty, Kailisi has already left. What are you still looking at?"

Seeing the fat man's forlorn expression, Anson snickered.

"Anson, who exactly is this Mr. Nathan? These antiques clearly have questionable origins. Even if he keeps it hidden, the City Defense Corps can't possibly not know about it. Why haven't they taken action?"

Merlin asked quietly.

"Hehe, why would the City Defense Corps investigate this place? Mr. Nathan is only the public face. The real owner behind this place is the city lord!"

"The city lord?"

A look of surprise appeared on Merlin's face, but he quickly calmed down. If Nathan worked for the city lord, then naturally the City Defense Corps would not investigate this place.

In Blackwater City, the highest-ranking nobles were merely barons. The city lord's position was firmly controlled by the Ogdin Family. Though they were all barons, the city lord held the greatest power. Under normal circumstances, the baronial nobles of Blackwater City stood slightly below the Ogdin Family in status. The City Defense Corps was a prime example: it was called the City Defense Corps, but in truth, it was the Ogdin Family's private army.

The group walked out of the passageway. The moment they stepped outside, they were hit by a cold wind that chilled them to the bone.

"Look, it's snowing!" Anson shouted.

Merlin narrowed his eyes slightly and looked up at the sky. Sure enough, what had been icy raindrops before had now become flakes of white snow drifting down.

Snow in September? This weather was not normal!

"Phew... It's so cold. Let's go, hurry home! What the hell is this? Snowing in September? Oh, right, Merlin, I'll take you back to Wilson Castle first."

The little fat Gute tightened his coat around himself and quickly climbed into the carriage.

The carriage slowly came to a stop before Wilson Castle. Merlin climbed down from it. Though he was wrapped in a fur coat, he still felt terribly cold.

"See you tomorrow, Merlin. Damn this weather!"

Anson and Gute waved goodbye to Merlin. After watching the carriage slowly disappear into the distance, Merlin walked toward the castle.

"Phew..."

After returning to the castle, Merlin let out a soft breath. A maid was already lighting the fireplace, and the room was warm. Merlin took off his coat and lightly brushed away the ice and snow clinging to it.

"Hmm, this relief?"

Merlin's gaze fell upon the relief wrapped in his coat. He glanced around and saw that no one was paying attention to him, so he went straight upstairs to his room.

After closing the door, Merlin took the relief from his coat.

"Let's try again."

Merlin gently rubbed his eyes, then focused all his attention on the relief and followed the patterns carved upon it with his gaze.

"Buzz."

The entire relief seemed to tremble faintly. Then that familiar sensation returned. Merlin's vision blurred, and the naked man on the relief seemed to come alive. Right before Merlin's eyes, he began performing an extremely strange movement.

The sequence of movements was very complex, pushing the human body's flexibility nearly to its limit. In his dazed state, Merlin's body unconsciously began following the naked man's movements.

"Pain..."

Merlin could not help crying out. The sound snapped him awake. But he was lying on the floor, and the relief had fallen beside him without breaking. As for Merlin himself, he was maintaining an extremely strange and complicated posture.

Merlin hurriedly got up from the floor. Recalling what had just happened, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"This relief is wrong. Very wrong!"

Merlin was still shaken and did not dare look at the relief again. That sensation of being unable to control his own body had been far too frightening. Even thinking about it now made him uneasy. The relief was truly sinister.

Half an hour later, Merlin had calmed down. Though he did not look at the relief again, he had completely memorized the strange posture depicted on it.

"What is this posture for?"

Merlin pondered for a while, then decided to try the complex posture from the relief while fully conscious. It was as though the movement held an irresistible allure for him.

The movements were complicated and had to be performed bit by bit, slowly. Fortunately, Merlin had firmly memorized them, so it did not take long for him to completely replicate the posture from the relief.

This time, Merlin was fully conscious and no longer in that hazy state. He could carefully experience the peculiarities of the posture.

"Hmm, I was still cold just now, but now I feel very warm. My muscles also seem a little swollen." Merlin carefully sensed the changes brought about by the posture.

After maintaining the posture for half an hour, Merlin did not feel anything wrong. Only the swelling sensation in his muscles became increasingly distinct, as though something inside him were growing restless.

One hour, two hours, three hours...

The sky had gradually darkened. Merlin seemed to have become immersed in the posture, experiencing a strange sensation.

Bang bang bang.

Suddenly, a rapid knocking sounded from outside the door.

"Merlin, what are you doing hiding in your room?"

It was Mei Xue's voice. Merlin snapped awake, rose to his feet, and opened the door. Outside, it was already completely dark.

Mei Xue looked at Merlin suspiciously. Then she seemed to catch a whiff of sweat, and saw that Merlin's clothes appeared soaked through.

"Merlin, what have you been doing? Why are you sweating so much?"

Merlin noticed it as well. He was drenched in sweat, yet his body felt warm, and he was full of energy without the slightest fatigue.

"Nothing. It's already dark? I'll come down soon."

Mei Xue tried to peer into the room, but Merlin stood in the doorway, blocking her view. Unable to see anything, she covered her nose and mouth and said, "Have Lucija bring you some hot water. Go wash up before coming downstairs."

Merlin nodded. The smell of his sweat was truly overpowering; even he could barely stand it.

Before long, Lucija filled the bathing tub with hot water. Merlin took off his sweat-soaked clothes and jumped straight into the wooden tub. The warm water nearly made him moan in comfort.

Merlin soaked motionlessly in the hot water, his head leaning against the side of the tub as he stared blankly at the ceiling.