CH213
In the wizard plane, many rules restrict wizards from slaughtering ordinary people.
But upon reaching the elven plane, many wizards become reckless.
Countless experiments are conducted with bloodthirsty, evil, and cruel spells.
This causes the inhabitants of the elven plane to despise and intensely hate wizards.
Even one such wizard can taint the entire wizard plane's reputation.
And there are more than a few of these wizards.
To many wizards in the Land of Dawn, the ordinary people of the elven plane are no different from livestock.
Currently, the wizards in the Lim Mountains are still in a dormant phase, so the people of Oberstein remain unaffected.
But once the wizards begin their plunder, the ordinary people will be defenseless, at their mercy.
After returning to the camp, Tyron pondered for a long time before visiting Oberstein's governor.
He explained the situation, urging the governor to issue a public announcement.
"But that will cause panic," the governor viewed the issue differently from Tyron.
His duty was to maintain Oberstein's stability.
Issuing such an announcement would plunge Oberstein into chaos, and he would surely be reprimanded.
To maintain stability, the governor was unwilling to issue the announcement.
Tyron, displeased, said, "Chaos is better than danger. If the wizards emerge, we may die, but that's our duty. What have the civilians done wrong? They deserve to know the truth and have a choice!"
The governor shook his head, "Causing chaos will disrupt many lives. We can't issue an announcement for an unknown danger. Besides, aren't the elves here? What danger could there be?"
The governor still refused to issue the announcement.
In his view, with powerful elven spellcasters present, no problem should be unsolvable.
Unfamiliar with wizards, the governor didn't grasp their threat.
Evacuating all of Oberstein's civilians seemed excessive.
No matter how Tyron emphasized the wizard threat, the governor wouldn't agree to the announcement.
Finally, the governor dismissed Tyron, "Enough. I'm the governor, responsible for Oberstein's people. Tyron, you're the border commander; focus on your duties and don't meddle in Oberstein's affairs."
"You!"
Frustrated, Tyron had no recourse.
As border commander, he couldn't interfere in Oberstein's internal matters.
If the governor refused the announcement, Tyron was powerless; interference would be a grave offense.
With his military command, he couldn't invite scrutiny.
Leaving the governor's office, Tyron felt heavy-hearted, watching the bustling streets.
The governor just wanted to peacefully complete his term and advance elsewhere, unwilling to take risks.
***
Base 27.
Parker gathered everyone together.
When Lucio and the elves reached the Lim Mountains' outskirts, Base 27's sentries noticed them.
Parker quickly decided to recall all patrols.
He didn't want the base exposed to the elves.
So, he summoned all patrol personnel.
Base 27 had concealment arrays, making it hard to detect.
He expected Lucio's group to enter the mountains for investigation, ready to act if needed.
Unexpectedly, Lucio used a bird avatar for reconnaissance.
Initially, no one noticed the bird overhead.
With countless birds flying over the mountains daily, who would pay attention to one?
But Lucio's bird lingered above the base, catching Parker's attention.
He decisively shot it down, revealing a piece of wood, realizing it was an elven reconnaissance tool.
Parker said gravely, "Our location is exposed. The elves will likely act soon. Things won't be easy."
"Fortunately, our base's arrays are complete. Security isn't a concern; the elves can't easily breach them."
Though discovered, Base 27's infrastructure was nearly finished.
Elves would pay dearly to breach it.
In the short term, elves couldn't muster the strength to force entry.
Parker surveyed the group, continuing, "It's time to take action. Reports say four elves are in Oberstein: one second-level wizard, three first-level crystalline wizards."
"Elves are few; losing one is a huge blow. We need to act, targeting these four elves."
"But first, someone must assess Oberstein, confirming only four elven spellcasters."
"Besides the elves, there's a second-level human spellcaster. The rest are ordinary, no threat."
"But caution is key; someone must investigate first."
Parker turned to Helag, "Helag, I'm sending you to Oberstein. Any issues?"
"No issues," Helag replied.
With Parker's direct order, Helag had no objections.
A red-haired witch eyed Helag, displeased, "Mr. Parker, why give this opportunity to a barren land wizard? He's just a gaseous wizard; can he succeed?"
Parker glanced at her, smiling, then produced a beating heart.
The red-haired witch's eyes widened, then she crouched in pain.
Holding the heart, Parker said, "My orders aren't for you to question. This is a warning. Next time, I'll crush it."
The heart continued beating in Parker's hand, easily crushable with a squeeze.
CH214
Parker moved his hand, and the heart in his grasp disappeared.
"Huff…"
The red-haired witch let out a long breath, clutching her chest as she crouched on the ground, her chest heaving violently.
After Parker's minor punishment, the surrounding wizards dared not speak.
Parker smiled, "No need to be tense. You can still voice your opinions in the future. I just didn't like her tone questioning me. This is Base 27, and we are engaged in a war of conquest. I reward and punish fairly, based on actions, not personal grudges."
"Helag may come from the barren lands, but here, there's no distinction between the barren lands and the Land of Dawn. When I assign tasks, I choose the most suitable person."
Parker had his reasons for choosing Helag.
He had been observing Helag for some time.
Parker noticed that Helag, when interacting with David, Reese, and Asna, behaved more like an ordinary person.
Unlike the wizards from the Land of Dawn, who always had their noses in the air.
Helag was familiar enough with Asna and had a deep understanding of Oberstein.
Moreover, as a gaseous wizard, his magical aura wasn't strong, making it easier for him to hide.
Among all the people in Base 27, Helag was the most suitable.
After the crowd dispersed, Helag went to Parker's office, which was just a larger wooden cabin.
Parker handed him a grayish-white ring, "This is the Concealer's Aura. Wearing it will hide all your magical aura. Unless someone uses special means to inspect you closely, no one will detect any magic on you."
"I've noticed you're quite skilled in close combat, making you perfect to pose as a knight. Given your time spent with that spellcaster, you should have a good understanding of Oberstein by now, right?"
Helag nodded, "Yes, I have a solid grasp of the situation there."
Parker continued, "Good. When night falls, sneak out. By morning, enter the city pretending to be an adventurer from elsewhere. Your language is natural enough not to raise suspicion. Once in Oberstein, scout every corner of the city to see if there are any other spellcasters."
"Once you've gathered the information, return. On your way back, there's no need to be overly cautious. It won't matter if you're exposed."
***
Late at night.
Helag crouched near the entrance of the Lim Mountains, fiddling with the Concealer's Aura on his hand.
His magical aura was completely hidden, making him appear as just a strong young man.
In his mind, Helag had a real-time map.
The map showed soldiers patrolling every few dozen meters ahead of the entrance.
"Shadow Corner."
Helag's body melted into the ground like water.
He slipped through the shadows, avoiding the patrolling soldiers.
After about half an hour, Helag bypassed the border patrol and arrived near Oberstein's city gate.
He glanced at the gate, which was tightly shut, with soldiers on the walls keeping watch 24/7.
Turning away, he walked along the main road, which had a side path leading to Oberstein.
Helag followed the road, entering a nearby forest, where he climbed a large tree to rest, blending in with the typical adventurers who often camped outside the city gates.
The spot he chose was well-sheltered from the wind and quiet.
Sitting on the tree, Helag closed his eyes and began meditating, using every moment to cultivate.
In his mind, his gaseous mental power had compressed into a sphere, nearing the point of liquefaction.
As Helag meditated, he heard movement from the nearby forest.
A boy, around fifteen or sixteen, was running in panic, chased by seven or eight people.
Leading the group was a knight-level warrior, and they all looked like adventurers.
The boy appeared to be an ordinary person, not yet a knight.
Despite his youth, his physical condition was far inferior, and he was quickly caught. The knight stomped on his head, pinning him to the ground.
The knight, a man with a buzz cut, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, glared at the boy, "Run! Why aren't you running? Didn't you want to become a knight? If you stick with us, you'll be a knight sooner or later. So why did you let those people go?"
The boy, Lins, lay on the ground, his head pressed into the dirt.
He shouted, "Thieves! You're not knights at all, just bullies who prey on the weak!"
The buzz-cut man sneered, "Preying on the weak? Kid, has a donkey kicked your head? That's the nature of this world. You're weak, so you get bullied. I saw potential in you and thought about training you. But you turned out to be so useless. I worked hard to capture those people, and you let them go."
"Tell me, how are you going to repay that debt?"
Lins struggled to get up, but the knight's strength was overwhelming, and he couldn't move.
A while ago, Lins had met this knight in Oberstein and was impressed by his swordsmanship, wanting to learn from him.
The knight, seeing Lins pay ten gold coins as tuition, reluctantly accepted him into the group.
On the surface, the knight claimed he would train Lins to become a knight, but in reality, he only wanted another laborer.
This group wasn't up to any good, often raiding weaker merchant caravans.
They didn't just steal goods; they also kidnapped people.
Today, they raided a caravan and captured two women.
After venting his frustrations, the buzz-cut man fell asleep, leaving the women locked in a cage.
Lins, in the middle of the night, quietly freed the women.
When the buzz-cut man woke up to relieve himself and saw the women were gone, he immediately suspected Lins.
Since the others had been with him for a long time, it was unlikely they would free the captives.
Only Lins, the newcomer, would do such a thing.
When he confronted Lins, the boy pretended to be asleep.
But when the buzz-cut man approached aggressively, Lins bolted, running until he was caught here.
The buzz-cut man, looking down at Lins, was about to teach him a lesson.
One of his lackeys tapped his shoulder, "Boss, there's someone in that tree over there."
"Someone?" The buzz-cut man immediately became alert.
As an experienced adventurer, he was cautious of potential dangers.
He looked in the direction his lackey pointed and indeed saw someone sitting in the tree.