The return journey was less stressful for Merlin, though he encountered a few locust looking nightmare creatures he was able to make it out unscathed.
During that time he had also managed to finally pass his trail and had obtained the trickmster ability of his aspect legacy, he now had more tricks up his sleeves, literally.
On his way back, he took a little less than two weeks to return to the outer settlement and now he just made his landing.
...
Merlin streched as he got down from his echo, when he looked around it was the border of the outer settlement, exact same location he met with the team when he first returned from a hunt.
As he saw the familiar environment, Merlin walked to sit down on his rock, infront of it was a barely used bonfire that still had a few dried sticks, with a thought he reignited the bonfire with the 'burn' ability of a trickmster, using the available fire, he began to cook a few things from his soul sea before he would return.
As he was preparing them his thoughts drifted away from the food and he thought of his plan.
'I really need to contact Seishan again, at our last meeting she said she would help me contact Kido and Genma for a talk...'
Sigh...
'...I wonder if I'll be able to convince them tho, I'm not Changing Star the plot holder, maybe I do have a little plot backing but that doesn't really help here'
He reigned in his thoughts as the food was getting done.
Merlin ate in silence while occasionally thinking about what he could use to curry interest from Genma and Kido, after a while his eyes began to grow heavy, he tried to snap himself out of that state but ultimately failed and Merlin fell unconscious.
The next moment his clothes began to glow slightly, immediately Merlin's body propped up his eyes were open but it looked empty, his uncontrollable body walked calmly to an open space and it stared at the distance.
After a few seconds his mouth fell open and he spoke with a strange calm in his voice.
"Long time no see... Saint Song of the Fallen"
A silence ensued the empty space, after a few seconds of silence he spoke again.
"How wouldn't it be possible, I after all hold absolute control over history..."
His words were met by silence again.
"Now... Now this is not the time nor place for this... What is it you're curious about?"
Only his voice sounded.
"Ah natural supremacy I see, well I can tell you the way but that would affect a few of my plans..." he sighed then continued.
"If you want that information... It would be best if you pay a visit to the subordinate of the Lord of Shadows, if he asks tell him it's from the Miracle Invoker"
A brief silence then he spoke again.
"Alright you've got what you wanted now leave" with that he waved his hand slightly to the side, he sighed then spoke up now talking to himself "Man now I finally remember what happened on that day I felt like my memory had issues, it feels kind of like Sunny I'm the tomb of ariel... This helped me restore a little of my humanity, maybe it's time I pay Asterion a visit".
Merlin walked back calmly to his previous position and layed down closing his eyes, after a few seconds he woke up holding his head.
"Ugh... What just happened, One moment I'm eating the next moment I'm waking up with a head ache, hope the cloak didn't do something to me"
He checked his body for abnormalities and after finding none he finally rested.
"...But why does it feel like I'm forgetting something, this feeling is_"
His words were stopped as his danger sense activated and he heard a rustle not far away
He walked towards a slightly dark area and used the 'black screen' to conceal himself while staring in the location of the rustle, soon after it came into view.
'Fuck'
Standing in the distance was a nightmare creature that looked like a horse except it had two long horns and clawed feet instead of hooves and it was currently sniffing the ground and air.
'Really of all the things that could come out from an unsuspecting corner it just had to be the worst of them... And what's with that tracking scent ability, we're not in Rapunzel you know'
Oblivious to his internal monologue, the fallen demon went about sniffing the area, until it stopped and it's eyes fixed on a certain dark corner.
'Hell nah'
The demon lunged at an insane speed and planted it's horns in the dark corner, unfortunately it's horns struck the rock, Merlin had already phased through it, on the other side of the rock he summoned the dawn shard and the stone sword, he snapped his fingers and flame jumped into battle.
As he reappeared the demon turned to face him, he chuckled and spoke tensely.
"Yo man I don't even know what I did to you, it's been over six months man why the grudge"
The demon grunted and attacked him, Merlin flame jumped away and as he appeared he fired three air bullet at it's body, the three hit the exact same location but only managed to break it's outer skin
'It's tough'
He flame jumped again and threw his playing cards but they could only embedd themselves on it's body not deep at all, the attack aimed at it's eyes were all avoided with it's quick movements.
The demon lunged again and as Merlin wanted to flame jump he abruptly paused and the demons horns went through his torso, immediately the impaled Merlin transformed into paper and he appeared by the side.
"What made me freeze up back there, almost as if_"
His words were cut as he blocked a claw attack, he slashed at the demon but it jumped back just in time as Merlin's attack only slashed the surface of his skin.
Merlin flame jumped to stab it from behind but as he appeared his actions paused, with that opening, the demon used a back kick to send him flying as his back hit the wall.
'ah my back hurts (unlocks water demon slayer mark... Just joking)... But seriously stopping again'
He gritted his teeth and changed tactics, immediately the open space immediately began filled with fog, from within the fog Merlin unsummoned the stone sword and summoned the sunlight shard, the long hammer with a beak shaped head appeared in a spark of light, as he prepared to strike through the fog, he stopped again.
The demon was about to lunge at him but as it moved it immediately fell and tumbled on the ground.
'Seems my guess was right'
Merlin who regained himself immediately used freezing to temporarily lock the beast in place, earlier he had used the fog and tumble ability of a trickmaster and the demon fell for his trap.
He struck down at the demon with his hammer but the beast raised it's horn to intersect the attack, it's horn shattered under the impact but it managed to slow the hammer down and the demon only suffered a head injury.
It broke free from the ice and staggered backwards a little disoriented, Merlin seized his chance and flame jumped to it's side, striking it squarely in the ribs shattering a few bones and sending it flying.
The demon staggered to it's feet but now it didn't attack and it's eyes lacked the bloodlust it had before, even Merlin's danger sense quieted down, the demon straightened itself and shockingly took an elegant bow facing Merlin, it already had blood dripping down it's nose and mouth, it stayed in that position till the spell spoke to him.
[You have slain a Fallen Demon, Cuthul's Steed.]
[Your soul grows stronger...]
[You have received a memory, Cuthul's Gloves.]
Merlin stared at the proud horse which had died standing, he carefully brought it's body to the ground and retrieved the soul shards before sending it to his soul sea, he then summoned the memory.
Name: Cuthul's Gloves
Rank: Ascended
Tier: III
Type: Tool
Description: [A noble steed of the heart champion Cuthul, praised by the people as the steed that had access to it's master's mind, the steed and it's master travelled for many days until it lost it's master and succumbed to Corruption.]
Enchantment: [Theft], [Sixth Sense], [Pair]
Enchantment Description:
[Theft: When used the opponent will lose all corresponding thought for a random amount of time.]
[Sixth Sense: When in use all senses are heightened to a controllable degree.]
[Pair: This glove comes in a pair, each can be operated by the wearer no matter the distance]
"That explains the freezing up and tracking..."
Merlin sighed and sat on the ground, he stayed for a few minutes and then made his way to the outer settlement.
As he arrived he asked around and found out that Nephis' team just left for the catacombs a week ago.
"I hope they don't have any issues there"
He continued his walk till he reached his tent, he got inside and fell on the soft bed and drifted off to sleep.
Merlin maintained a constant habit of waking up, eating, showing up for the people, eating and going back to sleep, he continued this pattern for two days until he decided to meet with his contact in the bright castle and also restock.
...
Merlin used his familiar ability to get into the castle, as he was making his way through he saw people whispering an moving towards the square, something about Gunlang executing someone.
He made his way towards the square, as he got there he saw a crowd and most of them were blocking his view but he managed to hear a voice.
"I swear I don't know who he is, I was just invited to perform" the familiar voice sounded.
"Then how do you explain the letter we found on you" another voice sounded out.
"Do it Harus" the voice added.
Merlin who recognized the first voice was already struggling to make his way through the crowd, by the time he got to the front, the scene his mind registered was Gunlang sitting on his throne watching over everything, Annie staring with despair as Harus' chain smashed her face in, the next second her skull caved in as she dropped to the floor dead.
Merlin stared at the scenes with wide eyes, guilt washed over him as he saw her disfigured corpse, immediately a scene flashed by his eyes, the scene of Annie smiling as he walked into her shop.
Immediately something in his mind shattered, Merlin turned around and walked away from the scene, his eyes were cold and emotionless.
...
He made his way to the meeting point with Seishan, it was a building at the very edge of the castle, as he walked in, he completely undid the illusion revealing his magician costume.
As he entered his eyes fell on the tall sleeper standing in the corner with his hands folded, to his side was a lady that rested on the wall, and at the center of the room was Seishan.
When he walked in, the looks of the Genma and Kido turn to confusion as they looked at Seishan.
"Is he the mysterious person who wanted to see us?" Kido spoke up first.
"Yes... I guess I don't need to introduce him, but this is Kido and that is Genma" Seishan said as she pointed out the two.
"We heard from Seishan that you had something to discuss with us, well get straight to the point" Gemma who had been silent spoke up as he moved to the center of the room.
Merlin didn't answer right away but turned to Seishan, she summoned a sound blocking memory.
He then turned to Gemma and spoke up his voice cold.
"What I want is simple... I want you to deflect from Gunlang and join me"
Genma looked at him for a while then turned to Seishan.
"Are you seriously going on board with this, I thought you were smarter than this..."
Seishan looked at him then sighed and replied
"If it were anyone else who came to me with this idea then I would've rejected without batting an eye but... He's different"
Genma scoffed and turned to face Merlin.
"She says you're different, but I refuse to work with a coward whose only abilities are magic tricks..." He paused then continued "...You expect us to join you when you're to scared to even show your face"
Merlin disregarded his provocation, then he changed his magician costume into it's regular form of combat wear, he then removed his mask and ran his hand through his hair.
The surprise on the three's face was evident, then Kido spoke up.
"You're him... The hunter of the outer settlement, the one who's killed a myriad of nightmare creatures"
Seishan looked surprised for a while and smiled and said.
"Your face is even better than what I expected from your blood, I believe my mother would be interested"
Genma stared at him then said.
"So you're the rumoured hunter huh, who would've thought, but we're going to need to confirm your ability not just rumours"
Merlin turned his gaze to meet Genma's eyes then spoke up in an emotionless voice.
"Does the fact that I've not killed any of your people whenever I enter the castle not sound as proof enough of my ability and also goodwill"
Kido and Genma stared wide eyes while Seishan's smile became more profound, Genma stared at him for a while then turned to Seishan, seeing her expression he asked.
"You knew the 'ghost of the castle' was him?"
" Before the incident he once left a letter in my room without anyone seeing him enter or leave, so when it came up I just made the connections" Seishan shrugged.
Genma faced him again and said.
"But that doesn't mean we can still challenge Gunlang"
"I never said anything about we challenging Gunlang..." Merlin answered.
"What?" Kido spoke from the side confused.
Merlin looked at them and answered.
"You don't have to do anything, just don't fight when anything escalates, completely separate your people from the conflict"
"Do you think you can do it?" Genma asked with doubt in his voice.
"I have a question instead, why are you even threatened by Gunlang" Merlin asked and Kido responded.
"Don't you know he controls Harus, that monster has killed more humans than nightmare creatures"
Merlin fell quiet as killing intent began to grow from him making the others take a step back.
"Harus huh, then that means if I kill him you'll join me right"
Genma considered then answered.
If you make the situation work, then we will support you, but as you said we won't fight for you or fight against you"
Merlin nodded and said.
"Then I'm off"
"Where are you going?" Seishan asked.
Merlin walked to the door then stopped and without turning back he answered.
"To go kill Harus ofcourse..."