"That's the place," Margaret said, pointing to the large door.

Merlin and the others stared at it warily.

Its surface was covered in eerie carvings.

Two demonic faces were etched into the wood, horns rising high above their heads.

Rows of sharp teeth sent shivers down anyone's spine just from looking at them.

"What kind of door is this? Why does just looking at it give me goosebumps?" Liora muttered, swallowing nervously.

The others nodded in unison, silently agreeing. They could all sense something strange about it.

"Don't stare at it for too long. It could pull you into a hallucination."

Lisa's cold voice snapped them out of their unease.

"Hallucinations?" Monica whispered. "Does that door have some kind of illusion mechanism?"

"Something like that." Lisa gave a slight nod, her gaze still fixed warily on the door.

Even she, who had reached the Ninth Awakening level, could feel a faint threat emanating from it.

That alone was enough to confirm that whatever waited inside was extremely powerful—even for her.

"I'll open the door," Margaret said.

She was about to step forward, but Merlin stopped her.

"I'm coming too."

Margaret looked surprised, then studied Merlin's determined expression before smiling faintly.

"Alright."

The two walked forward and stopped directly in front of the door.

Margaret raised the card in her hand and pressed it against the door's surface.

Instantly, the carvings lit up with a blinding glow. A moment later, the door slowly opened, revealing a vast, silent, and dark hall.

A cold breeze drifted out from within, sending chills down their spines.

"Young Master Merlin and Young Lady Margaret, please don't go in yet. Let me lead the way," Lisa said as she stepped forward.

Margaret and Merlin nodded, allowing her to take the lead. Lisa was stronger than they were, and if anything happened, she could react faster to protect them.

As Lisa entered, the others quickly followed. The atmosphere inside the hall felt cold and eerie.

It felt as though the place had been abandoned for over a thousand years.

Boom!

The door behind them suddenly slammed shut. Shortly after, rows of torches along the pillars lit up one by one.

The once-dark hall was instantly illuminated. Even so, the oppressive tension did not ease in the slightest.

Lisa led the way while the others followed closely behind.

"What a strange hall," Catrine muttered, furrowing her brow.

The pillars stood tall, and the carvings on their surfaces were unusual—resembling snakes coiling around one another.

"Merlin, be careful. I sense a powerful presence ahead," Lyserra warned seriously.

Merlin stopped in his tracks. He had already expected something like this, so he forced himself to remain calm.

"How strong?"

"On par with Linda," Lyserra replied quickly.

Merlin's expression changed.

"On par with Linda? Could it be an expert at the Ninth Spirit Core level?"

Although he had suspected the person behind this ship was powerful, hearing it confirmed still surprised him.

"Yes, something like that," Lyserra replied casually.

Merlin fell silent. He hesitated to press forward. Linda was far stronger than Lisa.

So it was certain that Lisa would lose in the upcoming battle.

Meanwhile, among the girls, only Catrine was on par with him in strength—and even that wouldn't be of much help.

Neither of them would be able to assist Lisa in the coming fight.

As if sensing his worry, Lyserra quickly reassured him.

"Don't worry. You have me. I can help you later."

"Oh?" Merlin's eyes lit up. "Are you going to step in directly?"

"No," Lyserra replied calmly. "But I can create a domain that weakens that person by fifty percent. With that, Lisa, you, and the others should be able to defeat them. What do you think?"

Merlin let out a sigh of relief and nodded.

"That's much better. Thank you."

Lyserra was a primordial dragon. Her power was beyond question.

Then why did he still feel uneasy about the figure at the far end of the hall?

"Merlin, what's wrong? Why did you stop?" Luna's hesitant voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"It's nothing," Merlin replied, shaking his head. "By the way, there's something I need to tell you. Can you all listen?"

Lisa and the others were startled, then exchanged glances.

Merlin raised his hand, and a barrier formed around them.

"The one waiting for us at the far end is the fake owner of this ship. And its power is no joke—it's equivalent to an expert at the First Spirit Core level."

Hearing that, everyone's expressions immediately turned serious.

"Are you sure, Merlin? On par with a First Spirit Core expert?" Luna asked doubtfully.

"That's right," Merlin replied, nodding. "And it's far stronger than Lisa. Its power is on par with Academy Head Linda. You know what I mean, right?"

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Everyone's expressions immediately paled. Linda was known as the strongest person in the academy.

Yet the fake owner of this ship was supposedly on par with her. That was clearly bad news—no, disastrous news.

"Then what should we do? Should we just go back?" Monica asked uncertainly.

If even Lisa couldn't possibly defeat that person, what chance did they have?

"Don't worry. My Spirit Guardian has a special ability—it can create a domain that weakens anyone it marks as an enemy by fifty percent. So we're certain to win," Merlin replied calmly.

Their eyes lit up at once. They hadn't expected his Spirit Guardian to be so powerful.

"Great! In that case, let's face the imposter who owns this ship!" Margaret said enthusiastically.

They then moved deeper toward the end of the hall.

There, a five-meter-tall altar stood in silence. At its center, a human skeleton sat on a wooden chair.

The skeleton wore a black crown and a black cloak draped over its frame.

When the girls saw it, they exchanged uneasy glances.

"A skeleton? Is that the ship's fake owner?" Nysera asked curiously.

The others turned to Margaret, as if seeking an explanation.

"I'm not mistaken. This is indeed the place," she said firmly. She pointed at the skeleton and continued, "That means it's the fake owner of this ship that Van D'Sersan mentioned to me!"

"I understand. In that case, everyone, step back. Let me draw him out," Lisa said coldly.

Merlin and the others quickly retreated about ten paces.

Lisa summoned her sword and raised it high.

"Sky Slash!"

Slash!

A blade of energy shot toward the skeleton.

However, just as it was about to hit, something strange happened. An invisible force halted it midair, then shattered it into fine particles that scattered in all directions.

A moment later, a cold voice filled with murderous intent echoed through the hall.

"Who dares disturb my sleep?!"

"Argh!" Merlin and the girls quickly covered their ears.

But it was useless. The voice seemed to pierce straight into their souls, causing unbearable pain.

Merlin quickly cast a high-level barrier spell. Instantly, the pain from the voice began to fade.

The girls breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Merlin with deep gratitude.

"You damn intruders… How dare you wake this king from his sleep!? Your audacity is truly unforgivable!"

Boom!

A terrifying aura erupted from the skeleton, and the shockwave slammed into everyone beneath the altar.

Lisa swiftly raised her sword and swung. The shockwave was instantly dispersed.

"I am your opponent!"

Lisa leaped onto the altar and charged at the skeleton without hesitation.

Boom!

Her strike shattered the wooden chair and the skeleton—but in the next instant, it reassembled itself.

It raised its hand, and a tornado dozens of meters tall formed, surging straight toward Lisa.

Lisa wasn't afraid. She spun vertically, then drove the tip of her sword into the ground and shouted, "Destroy!"

The altar cracked at an astonishing speed, then exploded and crumbled apart.

The skeleton fell to the ground, and naturally, its magic was disrupted as well.

"Flying magic!" the skeleton whispered in a hoarse voice.

Its falling body slowly stabilized itself in midair.

Lisa landed safely and stared coldly at it.

"This skeleton is indeed strong," she muttered.

Her previous attack could have easily killed an expert at the Eighth Spirit Core level. Yet the skeleton had withstood it so easily.

"All of you… bastards… you're disturbing my sleep!" the skeleton roared angrily. "You'll all face a painful fate for this!"

Its voice thundered through the hall, carrying a terrifying pressure.

Margaret shivered and unconsciously took a step back. But Merlin immediately held her steady and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, I'm here."

Her fear slowly eased, replaced by relief.

"Thank you."

Merlin nodded, then called out loudly, "Everyone, don't be afraid! We'll proceed as planned!"

He closed his eyes. "Please help us, Lyserra!"

"I understand!" Lysera replied enthusiastically.

Floating within the vast ocean of Merlin's soul, she brought her hands together.

In a cold voice, she cried out, "Anti-Essence Dimension!"

Whoosh!

A gigantic red barrier erupted outward, enveloping the entire hall to its farthest reaches.

Merlin grinned and shouted, "Now's the time! Attack!"