Merlin looked at Sea of Purgatory Fire which he had recently constructed. It was not burning with white flames, indicating that Fiery Collapse was not fused with the spell.

For Pandora Demon Ability, Fuse Earth and Darkness Heart, they would merge with the spells right away. When the spells were cast, the power of the Pandora Demon Abilities would be automatically activated.

After ruminating about this for a moment, Merlin called upon Fiery Collapse as before.

"Boom!"

The flames of Sea of Purgatory Fire, which were initially raging fiercely, now turned white. Merlin was slightly taken aback when he saw this transformation, which meant that Fiery Collapse had combined with Sea of Purgatory Fire.

"Does this mean that when I used the Flame Maxim's suppression to force Fiery Collapse to fuse with the Fire-type spells it's different from the other Pandora Demon Abilities which are combined with spells, and still requires the activation of the Pandora Demon Ability in order for the fusion to occur?"

Merlin felt very puzzled, but thereafter, he observed closely for a moment. He discovered that the power of Sea of Purgatory Fire was now far beyond the average Second-level spell, and it was even difficult to judge how strong it really was.

Most Pandora Demon Abilities which could be combined with spells would instantly lend its power automatically once the spell was cast. However, Merlin's Fiery Collapse was different from other Pandora Demon Abilities which he had combined with spells.

After all, Merlin's Fiery Collapse was forcibly combined with the spells through the Flame Maxim. Merlin himself was unsure what sort of changes would occur.

It was fortunate that Fiery Collapse only induced this small change and combined well with Sea of Purgatory Fire. The raging fiery white flames mirrored the flames of the Flame Prison.

From time to time, Merlin would feel the heat from the Flame Prison. It was designed by the Legend Nikola himself and drew upon the power of the Maxim, so the might of the flames was almost inconceivable. At Merlin's current level, he was unable to understand it, but the parallel to his own flames made Merlin gain a deeper understanding of fire.

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a day had gone by. Merlin opened his eyes once more. He had spent the entirety of the day before familiarizing himself with how Fiery Collapse combined with Sea of Purgatory Fire.

Thus, he now had a more profound understanding of the flames, which might not seem very useful now, but if Merlin began creating spells that he could call his own in the future, this knowledge would serve a crucial function.

"Hmm? Still not speaking? Regardless, you won't be able to hold on for long."

Merlin stared at Wizard Bammou, who was in the Flame Prison – his face drained and pale. He was also trembling slightly all over, biting down on his lips as if he was still holding on tenaciously.

However, such perseverance would ultimately have a limit. Once that limit was reached and Wizard Bammou could not withstand any longer, he would be burnt to ashes by the Flame Prison.

This was merely the first day. Merlin had decided upon three days, he was certain of his estimation of Wizard Bammou's limit.

…

"I agree to sign the slave contract!"

At an unknown time, a faint voice came from the Flame Prison. Merlin, who was right outside, opened his eyes quickly and turned his gaze toward Wizard Bammou in the Flame Prison.

At the moment, Wizard Bammou was surrounded completely by the blaze of the Flame Prison. The layer of flames over his body was turning faint and weak as if it would vanish soon.

Once the layer of flames dissipated, Wizard Bammou would no longer be able to withstand the flames of the Flame Prison.

A smile appeared on Merlin's face. It was only the second day, and merely half of the three days' time he set had gone by, yet Wizard Bammou could not stand it any longer.

"Very good, Wizard Bammou. Signing a slave contract is your only choice!"

Merlin controlled the Ship of Nikola and immediately lowered the intensity of the Flame Prison's flames. Thereafter, he stood up and came before Wizard Bammou.

Wizard Bammou sensed that the flames of the Flame Prison were much weaker, and got up, panting heavily. His expression gradually relaxed. It was clear that he had suffered a terrifying ordeal throughout the past day and a half, to the point where he did not hesitate in agreeing to sign a demanding slave contract with Merlin.

Wizard Bammou had somewhat recovered, and said heavily, "I'm willing to sign a slave contract with you, but a time limit must be set – a hundred years at most! After a hundred years, you must let me go. This is my only condition!"

Merlin fixed his gaze upon Wizard Bammou, and countless thoughts spun in his head.

The slave contract was initially the harshest contract of all. Once one signed a slave contract, their life would be in the hands of their master. There was no sense of hope at all in being a slave.

However, for a Seventh-level Spell Caster like Wizard Bammou, not having any hope was something unbearable. Although Wizard Bammou now agreed to sign a slave contract under the pressure of current circumstances, he had to retain a sense of hope. Moreover, a hundred years' time was considered a long period for Merlin.

It might be that after a hundred years, Merlin's powers would have far surpassed Wizard Bammou's and he would no longer need him. By giving Wizard Bammou a sense of hope, Merlin could obtain a very powerful slave.

As he thought about this, Merlin could only accept, and so he nodded with a smile. "We'll sign a slave contract according to your request then, with a time limit of a hundred years!"

Hearing Merlin's agreement, Wizard Bammou could not help but sigh in relief. No one would want to die, especially if they had been persevering bitterly in the Flame Prison for a few hundred years – of course, their desire to survive would be even stronger.

In the beginning, there were two other Spell Casters who were thrown into the Flame Prison, but they were dead by now. Wizard Bammou had survived up until today, so he would not let even the slightest bit of opportunity slip past him.

Although signing a slave contract would allow his life to be in someone else's hands, he ultimately still had some hope with the hundred years' time limit. This was, in fact, his only option.

"Let's sign the contract quickly. I've no wish to stay in the Flame Prison for a moment longer!"

Since he had made the decision, Wizard Bammou was itching to leave the Flame Prison. Nevertheless, Merlin seemed to have thought of something and shook his head powerlessly. "Signing a contract requires contract paper, but I'm sorry to say that I don't have contract paper with me. If you have any, bring it out. Otherwise, I can only leave you here in the Flame Prison for a while longer until I obtain the contract paper to sign the contract."

Wizard Bammou's face shifted. He was already boiling with rage inside – not only did he have to sign such a harsh slave contract but he was also expected to provide the contract paper.

Still, if he did not hand over the contract paper, he did not know when Merlin would be able to get it. It might be a year, or ten. Wizard Bammou had no desire to stay any longer in the Flame Prison.

Therefore, with an ashen face, he extracted a sheet of paper that was shimmering with golden light from a stack of contract paper. In a low voice, he said, "Here's your contract paper!"

Merlin glanced at the paper glowing with golden light. Its force was similar to the contract paper of the highest grade which the Dark Magic Region had brought out. This indicated that this contract paper was unlike the average contract paper.

Nevertheless, Merlin did not immediately let Wizard Bammou sign the contract but detached a small piece of the Flame Maxim in his Awareness and channeled it into the contract paper.

Wizard Bammou's face darkened when he sensed the presence of the Flame Maxim. In truth, he was still harboring a slim hope of lucking out before this. A contract was not impossible to terminate. It was just that a great price had to be paid. If one managed to obtain treasures which would terminate a contract, then, even the highest grade contract could be terminated at a certain price.

However, Merlin had fused a part of the Flame Maxim into the contract paper. This made it a contract that was almost impossible to terminate. Even if Wizard Bammou became a Legendary Wizard one day, he would still have no way of terminating the contract.

"Wizard Bammou, sign the contract!"

As he noticed Wizard Bammou's perpetually shifting expression, Merlin knew clearly that Wizard Bammou understood what the fusing of the Flame Maxim into the contract paper signified. Now that Wizard Bammou no longer had the possibility of terminating the contract, he could focus on being Merlin's slave from now on.

Wizard Bammou eyed Merlin and drew in a deep breath. A colossal burst of Mind Power suddenly erupted. This Mind Power was really powerful, far stronger than the Mind Power of the Ninth-level Spell Caster, Wizard Umo from Fort Udon. Even the quality of the Mind Power was elevated.

It might be that Wizard Bammou's Mind Power could compare to a Great Wizard's!

"I, Tarion Bammou, agree to serve as Wizard Merlin's slave, with a time limit of a hundred years!"

"Hum…"

As soon as Wizard Bammou spoke, the golden contract paper began to shine with a blinding light. Following that, Wizard Bammou's Mind Power was fused into the contract paper as well.

"Swish!"

With a wave of his hand, the contract paper landed in Merlin's hand. A peculiar sensation instantly grew in his chest as if he could now perceive some of Wizard Bammou's thoughts.

The slave contract was the most demanding contract of all. Once signed, one's life would be in the hands of someone else. Merlin now had such a feeling. Through this contract paper, he could learn of Wizard Bammou's thoughts and intentions. If he went in deeper, Merlin could even feel Wizard Bammou's tremendous Mind Power.

"Hmm? What powerful Mind Power. Only Great Wizards can have such Mind Power! Wizard Bammou's Mind Power has broken through to the level of a Great Wizard while he was in the Flame Prison?"

Through the slave contract, Merlin could perceive the strength of Wizard Bammou's Mind Power. It was very much comparable to a Great Wizard's, and it was the first time Merlin had felt such formidable Mind Power.

However, although Wizard Bammou's Mind Power was strong, he was just a Seventh-level Spell Caster and a Four-Elemental one at that. Still, there was a Fire-type spell which he had constructed which stood out as it was abnormal. It must be an Eighth-level spell, and this was the only Eighth-level spell in Wizard Bammou's Awareness.

After all, in the Flame Prison, there was only the turbulent Fire Element. There were no other Elements at all, so even if Wizard Bammou wanted to derive and construct other spells, it was impossible.

"Wizard Bammou, tell me, how long have you been in the Flame Prison?"

Merlin's eyes were calm as they fixed onto Wizard Bammou. With the slave contract, there were not many secrets which Wizard Bammou would be able to conceal from Merlin.