The next moment, the Forbidden Tome that Sylvus had stored in his system space flew out, radiating a faint white glow alongside the newly acquired fragment.

"Buzz…"

A wave of energy rippled from both the tome and the fragment, causing the surrounding magical power to tremble violently and rush towards the Forbidden Tome.

"This much commotion?" Sylvus narrowed his eyes, feeling the immediate drain of all magical energy around his shop. Even the magic within the Sacred City was being pulled toward him.

He was both surprised and excited. If just merging the two fragments required this much energy, then the magic recorded within must be truly formidable.

Meanwhile, in the neighboring room…

"What's going on? Why is all the magic around here flowing into the boss's room? The amount of power it's pulling is more than I could gather even during my breakthroughs. Could the boss be advancing again?" Meylan's eyes sparkled as he wondered.

He had always suspected that Sylvus was a deity-level figure. Now, seeing the sheer scale of the power being absorbed, Meylan felt even more certain of his theory.

Satisfied with his assumption, Meylan closed his eyes again. The influx of concentrated magical power was a rare opportunity to enhance his own cultivation. As for helping Sylvus, the thought crossed his mind briefly. But if the boss, a Ruler-level mage, was in trouble, there was nothing Meylan could do anyway. He might as well use the opportunity to grow stronger.

At the same time, others within the Sacred City also noticed the unusual flow of magic. However, no one dared investigate, assuming it was caused by a powerful mage breaking through to a higher level. Interrupting such an event could have catastrophic consequences.

---

The energy continued to pour into the Forbidden Tome, swirling around the tome and fragment as they slowly merged together.

[System Prompt: Fusion of the Forbidden Tome is complete. Host, please check the tome.]

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After about half an hour, the system finally announced the completion of the fusion. The glow surrounding the tome faded, and it settled back into Sylvus's hands.

"It's finally done! Let's see what my first forbidden spell is," Sylvus said, opening the tome eagerly.

Word of Power: Forbidden Magic. Ignores all ranks. The caster speaks a single word, and anyone who hears it will be forced to obey without question. Can only be used once per day.

"Word of Power?" Sylvus was surprised that his first forbidden spell was this. At first glance, it seemed simple, but in truth, it was incredibly powerful. The ability to ignore all ranks made the spell worthy of being called "forbidden."

For example, if Sylvus said the word "die," even a Ruler-level mage would fall dead on the spot if they heard it.

The only downside was that it could only be used once per day, but given the power of the spell, the limitation was understandable.

"I should test this on someone," Sylvus grinned, his eyes drifting toward the neighboring room. The only person nearby was Meylan.

Without hesitation, Sylvus made his way to Meylan's room.

"Boss, is there something you need?" Meylan asked, confused, as Sylvus walked in.

Was his boss in trouble and in need of his help? And what was that strange book Sylvus was holding? It seemed to radiate a mysterious energy.

"Kneel."

Without any ceremony, Sylvus uttered the word. The Forbidden Tome in his hand glowed faintly, and a radiant beam of light fell upon Meylan.

Thud!

Before he knew what was happening, Meylan's knees hit the floor, and he knelt, dumbfounded. "What…why am I kneeling?"

Even though he had heard Sylvus say "kneel," he hadn't expected his body to move on its own like this. It was as if an unseen force had taken control of him.

"Not bad at all," Sylvus said, satisfied as he watched Meylan kneel.

He had been tempted to test the spell with the word "die," but Meylan still owed him money. Killing him wouldn't be beneficial—yet.

"Boss, what just happened? Why am I kneeling?" Meylan asked, utterly confused.

"Oh, nothing. I was just testing a new spell I've been studying. You can carry on," Sylvus said casually, turning to leave the room.

Having seen the spell's effects firsthand, he had no reason to linger. The night was long, and he had a breakthrough to achieve.

Meylan, now back in control of his body, watched Sylvus leave, still trembling from shock.

"What kind of magic did the boss just use? It could control my body with just a single word. If he had told me to die just now…" Meylan's thoughts trailed off as a cold shiver ran down his spine.

There was no doubt in his mind now. His boss was definitely a Ruler-level mage. How else could he wield such terrifying magic?

Meylan returned to his bed, but sleep eluded him for the rest of the night. He lay awake, contemplating the power of his master.

Meanwhile, Sylvus returned to his room and carefully stored the Forbidden Tome. Then, he retrieved a Second-Grade Breaking Pill and swallowed it, preparing himself for his next breakthrough. Tonight, he would ascend to the rank of Archmage.