Wizard + System

CH250

Helag, with his past life's experience, knew that any industrial product was the result of the combination of many different technologies.

This airship was the culmination of countless technological systems.

Given the current state of the Barrens, it would likely be many years before they could even dream of producing something like this.

The gap between the Land of Dawn and the Barrens was evident just from this airship alone.

Helag recalled his time at Base 27 and realized why the wizards there hadn't even bothered to engage with him.

To them, the three wizards from the Barrens probably seemed no different from primitive people.

"Deep Blue, record all data related to the airship," Helag commanded.

[Task created. Recording relevant data.]

The airship slowly descended in front of Blackrock Valley, and Helag's group moved to the valley's entrance to observe.

It was only then that they truly grasped the sheer size of the airship, which resembled a moving fortress.

Helag and the others stood at the entrance of the valley, not rushing out.

Inside the valley, they had the protection of the wizard array, which could provide some defense in case of any unexpected situations.

The airship didn't land directly on the ground but hovered about a hundred meters above it.

From below, they could see figures moving on the deck, and one person stood at the edge, looking down. A moment later, the figure stepped off the edge, floating down like a feather.

The person who landed was a man in his thirties, dressed in a black robe.

After landing, he glanced at the group at the valley entrance and said, "Is Helag Merlin here?"

"I am," Helag responded.

The man looked at Helag, nodded, and said, "I am Pruis from Seranthiel, sent by Lord Parker to escort you to the Land of Dawn. According to Lord Parker's instructions, you may bring your family members as well as David Terchy and Reese Terchy."

Helag turned to look at David and Reese, who approached, knowing it was time to depart.

Shatia and Asna stood at a corner behind them.

Helag had instructed them to stay out of sight to avoid revealing Shatia's identity.

Shatia's eyes were already filled with tears as she watched Helag and the others, while Asna stood beside her, comforting her.

In truth, Asna was even more reluctant to part with Helag than Shatia.

After spending so much time together, Asna couldn't bear the thought of leaving Helag, even temporarily.

But Asna knew there was no other choice, so despite her sadness, she didn't show much outward emotion.

Pruis spoke again, "If you're ready, we can leave now. If not, we'll remain here for three days."

"No need, we're ready and can leave at any time," Helag replied.

"Then follow me," Pruis said with a smile.

Helag nodded, turning to look back at Blackrock Valley. In the distance, he saw Shatia crying and Asna waving at him with a small smile.

He waved back, giving Asna a reassuring smile.

Shatia lifted her head, biting her lip to hold back her tears, and waved at Helag.

Helag waved one last time before turning and walking away, with David and Reese following behind.

Brack also followed, ready to see them off.

"Just the three of you? No one else?" Pruis confirmed one last time.

"Yes, just us," Helag said.

David and Reese weren't planning to bring their families just yet. They would wait until they had established themselves before considering it.

For the Terchy family, David and Reese were the pioneers in the Land of Dawn.

Pruis nodded and said, "Alright, let's go."

With a wave of his hand, a gust of wind lifted Helag, David, and Reese into the air.

Pruis, along with the three of them, floated higher and higher.

Helag looked down to see Brack watching him, the ground growing farther away, and Brack's figure becoming smaller and smaller.

Pruis brought them to the third deck of the airship, where they landed. "Mission complete. We'll begin our return journey now. We should arrive in Seranthiel in about a month."

He then gestured toward the ship's interior. "Come inside. It's windy out here. We can talk inside."

The three followed Pruis inside, passing through a narrow corridor before entering a spacious area.

It was a large lounge, resembling a hall.

Sofas were scattered around the room, each with a small table in front of it.

The decor was luxurious, and in one corner, a phonograph played soft music.

Pruis found a spot by the wall, where there was a window offering a view of the outside.

The group sat down, and Helag glanced at the window. It wasn't made of glass but was very transparent, though he couldn't tell what material it was.

With a wave of his hand, Pruis summoned a kettle from a distant counter, which floated over to their table, followed by four cups.

He opened the kettle, releasing a puff of steam and the rich aroma of coffee.

Pruis poured a cup of coffee for each of them, then one for himself.

"Thank you, Mr. Pruis!" the three of them quickly expressed their gratitude.

They had already noticed that Pruis was a second-level wizard.

However, Pruis didn't carry the arrogance typically associated with second-level wizards. He was quite friendly.

Helag and the others had encountered several second-level wizards at Base 27, but none of them had bothered to speak with them.

"I'll first give you an overview of the Land of Dawn, and then you can ask me any questions you have," Pruis suggested.

"Please go ahead, sir," the three of them replied, having no objections.

Pruis nodded, took a sip of coffee, and began, "Let's start with the Barrens. The Barrens is just a corner of the Karag Continent, near the coast. To the north of the Barrens lies the Ten Thousand Mountains, a natural barrier. Beyond those mountains is the Land of Dawn."

"The Land of Dawn is made up of six major wizard organizations, and Seranthiel is one of them."

"Each wizard organization controls many cities, some large, some small, with many inhabitants."

"Seranthiel's territory includes twenty-three cities, all of which are under our governance and rule."

"As for Seranthiel's structure, it's quite simple. At the top is the Council, consisting of three members. You must remember their names, as they are Seranthiel's highest rulers and powerful fourth-level wizards."

CH251

"The three members are the Red Witch Elia, the Dark Terror Reduin, and the Dawn Mage Mick."

"Like Helag, I am also a subordinate of Lord Parker, who in turn serves under Dawn Mage Mick."

After Pruis's explanation, Helag and his companions gained a clearer understanding.

Seranthiel was divided into three factions, and their superior, Lord Parker, belonged to Dawn Mage Mick's faction.

Thus, Helag and his group were automatically assigned to Mick's faction as well.

After finishing his explanation, Pruis took a sip of coffee and asked, "Do you have any other questions? Feel free to ask, the journey is long."

Helag thought for a moment and asked, "Can David and Reese stay in one of Seranthiel's cities?"

This was his first concern. As a member of Seranthiel, Helag could naturally remain within its territory, but David and Reese hadn't officially joined any wizard organization yet, meaning they didn't have official status.

Pruis smiled. "Of course, they can. By the rules, they should actually enter the Central Zone and become residents there."

"Central Zone?" Helag asked, confused, as Pruis hadn't mentioned it earlier.

"Oh, I forgot to explain. The Central Zone is a neutral public area jointly managed by the six major wizard organizations. It doesn't belong to any single organization."

"David and Reese have two options: they can either be sent to the Central Zone after arriving in Seranthiel, or they can stay with you as your attendants. Since they already qualify to remain in the Land of Dawn, they can follow you as your attendants."

"Of course, it depends on whether David and Reese are willing to stay. If they're not, they can wait for the unified allocation later. At that time, all those who passed the tests in the Barrens will be gathered, and the six major wizard organizations will select people."

"If a wizard organization chooses you, you'll be able to join them. If not, you'll have to settle in the Central Zone."

Pruis carefully explained the pros and cons.

It ultimately came down to David and Reese's personal preferences. If they were willing to stay as attendants, they could remain in Seranthiel.

For them, this was actually a good option, as it would allow them to stay in Seranthiel in a roundabout way.

However, since they wouldn't be official members of Seranthiel, they wouldn't receive the same benefits as Helag. They would essentially be outsiders.

If David and Reese wanted to officially join a wizard organization, they would have to go to the Central Zone and wait for the unified allocation, hoping for a chance to be selected.

However, given David and Reese's aptitude, it was unlikely they would be chosen by another wizard organization. Otherwise, Lord Parker would have recruited them directly.

In fact, Lord Parker had allowed David and Reese to accompany Helag in the hopes that they would stay by his side.

Even if they weren't official members of Seranthiel for now, they would eventually have opportunities.

Reese was the first to speak. "I'm willing. Wherever Helag goes, I'll go."

"I feel the same," David nodded.

The two of them had no objections—they were determined to stick with Helag.

David and Reese were well aware of their own abilities. Without Helag, they probably wouldn't survive long.

But by staying with Helag and helping him, they had a better chance of making something of themselves.

They had been with Helag for a long time and admired his strength and methods. With him, it always felt like any problem could be solved.

As for the title of "attendant," David and Reese didn't care.

It was just a label, and they didn't mind missing out on the benefits of being official members of Seranthiel.

They weren't asking for much.

For Reese, none of that mattered. She just wanted to stay with Helag.

Pruis nodded. "Alright, once we arrive, we'll just need to register you. You'll have opportunities to officially join Seranthiel in the future. As long as you perform well or improve your strength, there will always be chances."

Helag then asked, "What will our daily work be once we get there?"

"Hmm… There are many types of tasks, and you can choose based on your skills or preferences. Seranthiel is a large organization, so there's a wide variety of work."

"Common tasks include potion-making, crafting magical tools, creating wizard arrays, handling abnormal incidents in certain areas, or capturing rogue wizards."

"These are routine tasks. Occasionally, the organization will issue mobilization or mandatory missions. If a mission is assigned to you, you're required to complete it unless there are special circumstances."

"As for mobilization missions, they're rare and usually involve large-scale wars, like the conquest of the Elven Plane or conflicts with other wizard organizations."

Pruis took another sip of coffee before continuing, "Of course, there are many benefits as well. Official members of Seranthiel can purchase property in any of Seranthiel's cities at half price. Additionally, the organization provides a monthly salary based on your strength and supplies most of the resources needed for advancement."

"For example, the potions required for advancing as a wizard apprentice are provided for free by the organization."

"Moreover, the rule power needed for crystallization wizards to advance to full-fledged wizards can be exchanged within the organization once you've accumulated enough contribution points. However, items of this level require an application and approval process."

"On top of that, the organization protects the lives, families, and property of its members. If you're killed by someone from another wizard organization, we'll investigate the situation and either avenge you or demand compensation."

Helag nodded, listening intently.

He didn't care much about revenge or compensation. After all, what good were those things if you were already dead?

It seemed the Land of Dawn wasn't as safe as he had hoped. He would need to be extra cautious.

No matter how powerful Seranthiel was, its strength wasn't his own. He couldn't rely too much on external forces. His own strength was the foundation.

As long as he was strong enough, he could control everything and protect what mattered to him.

"The internal structure of the organization is both simple and complex. Even I don't know how many small groups and departments there are. For example, the expedition team you were part of for a year is another organization jointly formed by the six major wizard groups, with members from all of them."

"If you ever want to return to Lord Parker's service, you can always submit a request."