"What kind of inspection?" Helag asked.
"It's mainly to check if you've been contaminated. If you are, you'll be immediately expelled and won't be allowed into Silvermoon City," Pruis explained.
"Expelled… wouldn't that mean…" Helag glanced at the blackened land outside the protective barrier. That area was polluted by the Wasteland.
If someone were expelled here, it would be the same as being exiled into the polluted zone.
The outcome for anyone sent there wouldn't be pleasant.
Pruis patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, you're wizards from the Barrens. There's no way you've been contaminated."
Helag nodded, outwardly appearing more relaxed.
But inside, he was still a bit anxious.
He had the bloodline of the Thunder God Ancestor within him, a power originating from the Abyssal Plane.
Helag wasn't sure how the inspection would be conducted or what the criteria were for determining contamination, so he was nervous.
If his Thunder God Ancestor bloodline was mistaken for contamination, there would be no way to explain it.
But there was no turning back now. Running away would only make him look guilty.
Helag felt the planar coordinates in the palm of his left hand.
If things went wrong, he would activate the coordinates and escape to the Abyssal Plane.
Although that place was dangerous, it was better than the alternative.
Once the airship landed, long ladders were lowered from each deck.
Of course, Helag and his companions didn't need to use the ladders. A simple Featherfall spell allowed them to float down easily.
A total of sixteen people disembarked from the airship. The rest seemed to be crew members and didn't get off.
After they disembarked, the airship took off again, flying off into the distance.
Helag and the others stayed in place, following Pruis's instructions not to wander off, waiting for the inspection to begin.
The others were chatting casually, as if they were used to this.
Helag glanced at Silvermoon City and only now realized how massive the city walls were.
From the air, they hadn't seemed that imposing, but standing beneath them, he could truly appreciate their towering height.
The city gates, which had been closed, slowly opened, and a group of people in black robes emerged.
These people were completely covered in black robes, even their faces hidden behind black veils.
"Don't resist," Pruis whispered to Helag and his companions.
Helag was a bit startled by his words, but before he could react, the black-robed figures pulled out test tubes sealed with corks and tossed them at the group.
The test tubes shattered as they neared, releasing a pink mist.
The mist quickly enveloped Helag and the others. Helag caught a whiff of a fruity scent, though he couldn't place the fruit—it was something he'd never smelled before.
Moments later, the pink mist dissipated.
Pruis looked at Helag and his companions. "All done. You can enter the city now."
"That's it?" Helag was dumbfounded. He hadn't even had time to prepare, and the inspection was already over.
He had been ready to teleport to the Abyssal Plane if anything went wrong.
"Of course. What, did you want to stay outside?" Pruis laughed.
The black-robed figures had already turned and left. Their actions were swift and practiced, as if they had done this countless times.
Helag exchanged glances with David and Reese before following Pruis into Silvermoon City.
As they passed through the gates, Pruis explained, "That pink mist was called Dewdrop Reagent. It's highly sensitive to the Wasteland and other sources of contamination. If you've been in contact with even the slightest bit, it turns blood red. Even if you have just a trace of contamination in your body, the reagent will detect it."
"If you haven't been exposed to any contamination, the mist simply dissipates, and nothing happens."
Helag nodded. "No wonder they didn't ask any questions and just left."
Once they passed through the gates, the massive, heavy doors slowly closed behind them with a deep, resonant sound.
Helag looked around inside Silvermoon City. Everywhere he looked, there were tall buildings.
If it weren't for the architectural style being so different from his previous life, Helag might have thought he had arrived in a modern city.
The streets were wide and clean, paved with white stone.
Buildings, some as tall as twenty stories, lined the streets.
Helag looked down the main road and was relieved to see that transportation was still by horse-drawn carriage, though the horses were clearly not ordinary.
These horses had the bloodline of magical creatures, with horns on their heads and muscles rippling as they ran. It was clear they were incredibly strong.
Silvermoon City was vast, much larger than any city Helag had seen in the Barrens. It was practically a small kingdom.
The streets were bustling with people, both wizards and ordinary folk.
In the short time Helag stood there, he saw many first-level wizards, and wizard apprentices were everywhere.
Of course, ordinary people made up the majority of the population.
Helag looked up and suddenly exclaimed, "What's that?"
When he looked up, he saw a massive floating city hovering above Silvermoon City.
Pruis heard him and looked up as well, smiling. "That's Lord Parker's residence, the only floating city in Silvermoon City. Each floating city has a complete internal system. Even if the entire Land of Dawn were polluted, the floating city would remain safe. However, the cost of building a floating city is astronomical, so it's not something an ordinary wizard can even dream of."
Helag nodded and stopped staring. After all, it had nothing to do with him for now.
"Come on, let's get your information registered in the Land of Dawn's magic network system. Here, having an identity is important—and convenient," Pruis said with a smile.
Although Helag and his companions didn't fully understand, they obediently followed Pruis.
As they walked, Helag noticed that every so often, there was a tall tower in each district.
"Mr. Pruis, what are those towers?" Helag asked.
"Those? Those are Wizard Towers," Pruis explained.
"Wizard Towers? There are so many!" Helag had thought each city would have just one Wizard Tower, but it seemed that every district had its own.
Pruis nodded. "Yes, those are all Wizard Towers. The design is meant to increase redundancy and the city's resilience. If there were only one Wizard Tower, and it fell, the city would be doomed. But with many towers, each one operates independently and has its own functions."
CH257
"Even if a few Wizard Towers malfunction, the others can continue operating normally, so it won't affect the entire city," Pruis explained.
Helag understood now.
Each Wizard Tower protected a specific area, so if one tower failed, it would only impact that small section.
From a city-wide perspective, this design was undoubtedly the best, enhancing the city's overall resilience.
Of course, this method was much more expensive, but it was certainly worth it.
Pruis led Helag and his companions to what looked like a palace.
At the entrance stood two knights in full armor. Helag had the impression that their presence was more symbolic than practical.
Many people were coming and going from the palace, including numerous wizard apprentices and official wizards, any of whom were likely far stronger than the two knights.
At the bottom of the wide staircase leading to the palace was a large stone with several words carved in the ancient Sivir language. Translated, it read: "Silvermoon City Hall."
"Let's go," Pruis said, stepping up the stairs and entering the city hall.
The first floor of the city hall was vast, almost like a giant plaza.
Helag glanced up and saw there were six or seven more floors, though they seemed much less crowded than the first.
The first floor was filled with countless rooms and counters, making Helag's head spin.
There were benches scattered around, where people sat waiting to handle various matters.
Pruis brought Helag to a room labeled "Registration Office." There was a long line at the counter outside, but Pruis seemed to have special privileges and led them directly into a small room to handle their business.
"This is where we register your identity. Helag, you're now an official member of Seranthiel, so your registration will be in Silvermoon City. As for David and Reese, they'll be registered as your attendants. If they ever get the chance to join Seranthiel officially, they can register separately," Pruis explained.
Helag nodded. "Got it."
The city hall staff handed them several long forms to fill out in detail.
This time, Helag was cautious and checked the forms for any magical traces.
He had Deep Blue scan them as well, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
He had already learned from Pruis on the airship that Seranthiel members didn't need to sign any contracts, unlike the management system in Moonlight Woodland.
As a member of Seranthiel, Helag's registration in Silvermoon City made him a resident of the city, though he also belonged to Seranthiel.
If Helag wanted, he could choose to do nothing and simply live in Silvermoon City without anyone bothering him.
Of course, unless Seranthiel issued a mandatory mission, in which case Helag would have no choice but to complete it. The consequences of refusal would be too severe to bear.
There was no need for a contract to enforce this; the sheer power imbalance made it unnecessary.
However, if Seranthiel were to issue such a mission, Helag would likely be in a situation where he couldn't avoid involvement anyway.
But under normal circumstances, no such missions would be issued, and Helag was free to arrange his own affairs and schedule.
He could choose to stay in Silvermoon City and focus on research and study, or he could take on various tasks from Seranthiel to earn magic stones or contribution points.
Helag could even choose to become a business tycoon, trading between cities.
As long as he paid his taxes, no one would interfere.
With such a high degree of freedom, contracts seemed unnecessary.
David and Reese were also filling out their forms as attendants, officially becoming registered under Helag's name.
Once the forms were completed, they handed them to the city hall staff.
The staff carefully reviewed the forms, corrected any mistakes or incomplete information, and then left.
"We'll have to wait a bit while they enter your information into the magic network," Pruis said.
About half an hour later, the staff returned, holding three magic stones.
These stones were larger than the ones in the Barrens and had a slightly different shape.
Compared to the ones from the Barrens, these stones looked like a more advanced version.
The staff handed each of them a stone and said, "These stones are linked to your identity and can only be activated by your unique magical aura. Now, let me explain how to use them…"
After an hour of explanation, Helag fully understood the function of the stones in the Land of Dawn.
First and foremost, the stones served as identification, much like an ID card, and could be used for most identity verifications.
If a stone was lost, it had to be replaced at the city hall immediately, and the previous stone would be deactivated.
Each stone was bound to its owner's magical aura, meaning only the owner could use it.
Helag checked his information panel, which recorded his basic details, registration, and organizational affiliation.
He didn't have a residence yet, but now that he was a registered resident, he could purchase property in Silvermoon City.
Many details in Silvermoon City could be updated through the magic network.
For example, if Helag bought a house elsewhere, the property information would be synced to his stone via the magic network.
Helag also noticed that his gold and magic stone balance was zero.
Throughout the Land of Dawn, Helag could deposit his gold and magic stones in the banks of the various wizard organizations.
The stone would display his balance, and many transactions could be made directly using the stone, with the balance being deducted accordingly.
Of course, taxes were unavoidable.
However, the tax rate was low, and the convenience of this transaction method made it the preferred choice for most wizards in the Land of Dawn.
Similar to the mission system in Moonlight Woodland, the stones here also had a mission hall.
However, the number of missions was overwhelming, and there were many different issuers.
Seranthiel's missions made up only a small portion, while most were issued by Silvermoon City or other cities.
Helag only glanced at the mission list and was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer number of tasks. There were too many to even look through.
In addition to missions, there was also a tavern forum, divided by city.
Helag noticed that he could switch to other cities' tavern forums, and each person's name was marked with their city of origin.
TL/n -
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You can read
Chaebol ( upto chapter 150+)
Golden Spoon Investor (upto chapter 115+)
An Investor Who Sees Future (upto chapter 220+)
Deadline Investor (upto chapter 20+)
Vultures of Capitalism (upto chapter 34+)
Wizard with a System (upto chapter 384+)