The Ursus Hert came to Merlin and said with a big smile, "Leon, the Minister personally appointed you deputy team leader and transferred you to the Combat Team. You should know that in all these years, I've never had a deputy, and no deputy had been assigned to me. However, you aren't bad. If I'm not mistaken, you're a Host, right? You're the Host of a high-tier almighty beast, the Blood-eye Dragon!"

Hert's observation was very detailed and he saw through Merlin at a glance. As expected of a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline full shifter. He was several times stronger than Blackbat.

"What? Deputy team leader is a Host and the Host of a high-tier almighty beast at that? How did he resist the backlash from the Blood-eye Dragon's will."

Others would not be as surprised even if they saw Merlin being able to compete with Hert. However, Merlin could actually compete with the will of a high-tier almighty beast, the Blood-eye Dragon.

After all, Hosts were not small in number. However, Hosts that had high-tier almighty beasts and reached the fourth-form without dying from the backlash were very rare.

As for Hosts who became full-shifters, they were even rarer.

Therefore, Iza and the others were astonished.

"Alright, let the deputy team leader get familiar with our Combat Team's situation."

Hert seemed to be very welcoming of Merlin. Of course, this was respect that Merlin earned due to his strength. After all, Merlin, a fourth-form shifter of a high-tier almighty beast, was completely comparable to full-shifters of low-tier almighty beasts. Therefore, he would be considered a big shot no matter where he was and it was terrifying being second to none even in the Combat Team.

"Haha, team leader, let me familiarize the deputy team leader on our Combat Team's situation."

Iza volunteered and Hert nodded before leaving. As the team leader of the Combat Team, he was very busy. However, he still took time to meet with deputy team leader Merlin that 'dropped' out of nowhere,

Iza looked at Merlin and said, "Deputy team leader, this is the second time we've met."

Merlin felt very helpless towards Iza. Her talent was really frightful. The terrifying life force coupled with terrifying regenerative strength made it very difficult to kill her.

However, it was very good to have such a member on the team. She could be used as a meat shield in a critical moment. However, her character of being unable to accept losses was somewhat difficult to control.

"Iza, we didn't get off on the right foot."

"Haha, I just wanted to see what the new deputy team leader was like. After all, in the Combat Team, we only follow the people stronger than us. Still, if I had known that the deputy team leader was the Host of a high-tier almighty beast, I wouldn't have dared to provoke you even if you weren't that strong."

Iza spoke the truth. Someone who chose to parasitize a high-tier almighty beast and not suffer from the backlash must have an extremely terrifying will.

Merlin did not answer but followed behind Iza to visit the Combat Team. The Combat Team was very different from the Logistics Team. First of all, the Combat Team was the most powerful department in the entire Phantom organization. Their influence was immense, and their strength was also terrifying.

Even the Team Leader Hert was the strongest in Phantom after the Minister. Of course, the Combat Team also enjoyed the most resources.

The Investigation Team was not weak, but they only specialized in reconnaissance, so they were very mysterious and it was very hard for outsiders to know about the Investigation Team's situation.

"Iza, how many people are there in the Combat Team?" Merlin asked.

Iza pondered and said, "Deputy team leader, if you want to ask about the core personnel, then there are only a hundred or so. These core personnel are considered official members of Phantom and can exchange many resources by using contribution points. Their identities were also examined stringently before they entered Phantom. In fact, we've already obtained information about the deputy team leader's identity a long time ago. The deputy team leader was recommended by Deputy Commander Heroult and is the son of Count Stanwin, the lord of Boulder City. Since the Blackbat Militia occupied Boulder City, you escaped to the Holy Dragon City. We all know this information. It was precisely because of the deputy team leader's identity which was very reliable that you were allowed to enter Phantom. Otherwise, you would not be able to join Phantom easily even if you were recommended by Deputy Commander Heroult."

Merlin was not surprised. Phantom was the most powerful force in the royal family's hands. Naturally, it would be firmly held in their hands, and could not be infiltrated by others.

"In addition to core personnel, are there associate members as well?" Merlin asked.

"Of course there are. Associate members are much more complicated. A large portion of them are incorporated in our core personnel. They gather information as subordinates and we give them some benefits. Although we all seem like ordinary people in Phantom, outside of Phantom, hehe, we're all leaders of small forces or even leaders of major organizations," Iza said mysteriously.

Merlin was slightly surprised. He slowly understood what Iza meant. By relying on Phantom Headquarters and the unique and tremendous resources provided by the royal family, they could establish forces themselves without explicit permission. The royal family allowed this tacitly and even adopted an encouraging attitude. By controlling the resources, they were also controlling the members of Phantom which made them inseparable from the royal family as well as Phantom.

Like Merlin who was controlling Boulder City, it was also considered a force. There were over a hundred members in Phantom's Combat Team, which was equivalent to over one hundred core personnel. How many forces would that add up to? It was frightening!

Merlin was somewhat overwhelmed. The Holy Dragon Empire seemed to be in chaos, and many people thought the royal family was approaching their end but Phantom held such a huge power. If all the forces of all the members of Phantom mobilized, then they would be able to stabilize the situation for a period of time, much less pacify the rebellion that was occurring in the Holy Dragon Empire.

Furthermore, the Holy Dragon royal family had other secret forces. The royal family had not exposed everything yet. What was the royal family's objective?

"Haha, do you think the Holy Dragon royal family is declining and coming to an end? Deputy team leader, ordinary people have no way of knowing what's going on with the royal family. Even if they're declining slightly, is it to the point that the rebels imagine it to be? The reason why the royal family hasn't moved is because there are more important things to deal with."

"More important things?"

Merlin grew alert. It seemed to be the cause of the chaos in the Holy Dragon Empire.

"Of course, but I don't know what this important thing is either. The team leader might know, but he won't say either. If the deputy team leader wants to know, then you have to ask the Minister personally. However, all of us in Phantom knows that the royal family will not fall that easily. The force in our hands alone is already very terrifying, and the royal family clearly knows of our strength. The royal family even increased the resources for Phantom in this chaotic moment. What reason would it be besides to let us vigorously expand our power?"

Iza's words let Merlin know the true secret of Phantom. When he was in the Logistics Team, he did not have access to even the most basic information.

"By the way, deputy team leader, there's someone who's very unhappy that you became the deputy team leader. You'd better not provoke him."

"Who is it?"

Merlin thought that Iza was most unhappy because she ambushed him before he even took the position.

Iza's expression became solemn as she said, "It's Tolman. He had already reached the peak of the fourth-form, and it's very likely that he'll have a breakthrough to a full-shifter in the near future. He also has a mid-tier almighty beast bloodline. Although it's not as terrifying as the team leader's King Ursus, it's still very good. He was originally the strongest candidate for the position of deputy team leader, but you came first, so he's naturally unhappy about it."

"Tolman? Alright."

Merlin was very calm. He had experienced such things back in the Void Zone. Jealousy could make someone mad, but if the other party caused trouble despite not having the strength to, then he would not be soft-hearted.

However, Iza continued, "Tolman isn't the problem. Although he's unhappy and will reject you, he won't take any action. It's his woman that's troublesome. Tolman has a woman called Lilia who likes him very much. You must stay away from that woman in the future. She's a madwoman. Although her strength isn't that strong, her almighty beast bloodline is the terrifying Nightmare Deathstalker, which is extremely toxic. It can poison people unknowingly, and they'll die in their nightmares. It's terrifying. None of us in the Combat Team wants to provoke that woman."

"The Nightmare Deathstalker?"

Merlin seemed to be deep in thought.

"Damn it, it's Tolman's madwoman. Deputy team leader, we're really unlucky. We were just talking about them, but we're actually encountering them now."

Iza's expression changed. Merlin raised his head and found a man and a woman walking towards them. They did not seem old and looked to be very ordinary, like an average couple.