Chapter 143: Gloomy Land Dragon, A Rare Opportunity
White Tower Province, outskirts of Ryan City.
A sprawling manor was filled with densely planted, bright red fruits, creating a breathtaking scene that resembled a sea of red at first glance.
As he walked along the paths between the fields, Xie Man admired the thriving Dragon Blood Fruit, a genuine smile spreading across his face. The apprentices standing behind him also beamed with joy.
"The first batch of Dragon Blood Fruit is about to ripen! This means the Magical Plant Garden's magic array is functioning perfectly. We've succeeded!"
"This means our mission is complete!"
"I always said, with Senior Xie Man here, there would be no problems!"
"Exactly! It's all thanks to Senior Xie Man."
The crowd buzzed with excitement, filling the air with a cheerful atmosphere.
Xie Man turned to face them, smiling. "The opening of the Magical Plant Garden wasn’t an accomplishment of mine alone; it was due to everyone's efforts. You’ve all worked hard during this time. I’ll submit a report to Base based on everyone's contributions. I believe the mission rewards will come soon."
Traveling a long way to White Tower Province to open the Magical Plant Garden had indeed been challenging, but the rewards would be substantial. Their efforts over the past four months equated to more than half a year’s earnings from previous missions.
Xie Man was in high spirits. As the key force behind the Magical Plant Garden's opening, he would receive the largest share of Contribution Points—enough to exchange for several bottles of Super Power Potion and four or five One Ring Spells.
"Senior Xie Man, when will we head to the next location?" one of the apprentices asked eagerly, rubbing his palms together in anticipation.
There were two teams assigned to open new Magical Plant Gardens, led by Xie Man and Cole, respectively. Each team was responsible for establishing three new gardens, all situated near the six Knight Academies.
Ryan City was just the first Magical Plant Garden they had opened, with two more to go.
Xie Man thought for a moment before responding, "I’ll submit a report to Base later. Once the Base garrison personnel arrive to take over, we can leave."
“Also, this batch of Dragon Blood Fruit needs to be picked and preserved carefully before being handed over to the Dragon Claw Knight Academy in the city. While you're at it, plant new Magic Plant seeds. This time, include some other types, such as Silver Moon Flower and Tranquility Flower.”
Upon hearing that Xie Man had already arranged everything, the crowd responded affirmatively.
“Xie Man, you all worked hard today. After we return to the city, I’ll treat everyone to a meal at the Blue Rose Restaurant,” Xie Man said with a smile.
“Xie Man, the Senior Apprentice, is treating us? Then I’m going to eat my fill!”
“Xie Man, the Senior Apprentice, is generous; the Blue Rose Restaurant isn't cheap!”
“Tch, how could Xie Man, the Senior Apprentice, be short on Gold Coins?”
The crowd laughed and joked.
Except for the two on-duty Apprentices who remained with envious looks, the rest left the Magical Plant Garden together.
Outside the main gate, four luxurious carriages were parked, each adorned with the family crest of the Ryan City Lord.
Seeing Xie Man and the others emerge, the coachmen quickly jumped down from their carriages, set up the carriage steps, and stood respectfully to the side.
They dared not treat this group from the Capital Base Wizard Apprentices with anything less than the utmost respect. Ryan City Lord had not only arranged their accommodations at Lord's Mansion, but also provided four carriages at their disposal, along with dedicated personnel to ensure their travel, meals, and drinks were meticulously attended to.
After all, these were the students of that esteemed individual.
The group boarded the carriages one after another, and with a series of neighs, the caravan set off toward Ryan City.
Inside the carriage, Xie Man took out a Spell Model book and began reading it intently.
Having advanced to the Second Level Wizard Apprentice stage, he was now able to learn One Ring Spells.
The first One Ring Spell he had chosen was the Shield Spell.
“One Ring Spells are indeed much more difficult than Zero Ring Spells. I’ve been studying it for almost half a year, and I still haven’t fully grasped the Shield Spell.”
Only after truly engaging with it did Xie Man come to understand how challenging One Ring Spells were, which deepened his respect and admiration for his teacher.
According to Master Amy, their teacher could master one One Ring Spell in a month!
This was something he couldn't even imagine!
Time flew by as he studied.
Not long after, Xie Man felt the carriage slow down, and the coachman’s voice came from outside.
"My lord, we have arrived."
Xie Man put away the book, pushed open the carriage door, and stepped out. The convoy had reached the gate of the Lord's Mansion.
Stead Pont, who had already received the news, stood at the entrance. Seeing Xie Man exit the carriage, he greeted him with a beaming smile.
"Xie Man, I heard you plan to dine at Blue Rose Restaurant. I have already arranged a banquet there. If you don’t mind, I would be honored to host you today."
Xie Man readily agreed, "Then I will trouble Lord Stiede."
"Just call me Stiede," he said with an enthusiastic smile.
Stiede was the eldest son of the Lord of Ryan City, specifically responsible for receiving their party.
Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats echoed from afar. Xie Man followed the noise and saw a cavalryman galloping toward them. He reined his horse to a halt at the gate, and before it had even steadied, he jumped down and rushed inside with a hurried expression.
“Wait a moment!”
Stiede stopped the cavalryman.
The soldier halted impatiently, turned his head, and when he saw it was Stiede, his expression instantly changed to one of respect.
“Lord Stiede.”
“What happened?” Stiede asked in a deep voice.
Galloping on horseback was prohibited within a five-hundred-meter radius of the Lord's Mansion. The cavalryman clearly had urgent business, which was why he disregarded the rule.
The cavalryman quickly reported, “Lord Stiede, a monster attack occurred in a village west of the city. The city guard dispatched a company of one hundred soldiers to handle it, but they were no match for the monster and suffered heavy casualties. I was on my way to report this to the lord!”
A monster attack?
The group of apprentices exchanged glances.
There were many wild beasts in the wilderness, and it was common for starving creatures to attack villages and harm people. Usually, the village militia could handle these kinds of threats, and it was rare for the city guard to be needed.
However, a beast capable of severely injuring a company of one hundred soldiers was something entirely different. Such a creature would be classified as an Exotic Beast.
Stiede's expression immediately turned serious as he turned to Xie Man, saying apologetically, "I'm sorry, esteemed Xie Man. I won't be able to join you for the meal. I will make up for my rudeness later."
"Stiede, you're too kind. Dealing with this attack is more important," Xie Man replied, waving his hand. After a moment of thought, he added, "We are grateful for your warm hospitality these past few days. If you don't mind, I would like to accompany you. I might be able to help."
Stiede's eyes lit up, and he readily agreed. "Then I will trouble you, esteemed Xie Man."
Due to the urgency of the situation, the group wasted no time and set off for the village immediately.
Upon arrival, they discovered that the situation was even graver than what the cavalry had reported. The ground was littered with blood-soaked corpses—both villagers and city guards.
Xie Man noticed that the armor on one of the officer's bodies was completely shredded. Judging by the marks, it seemed to have been torn apart by the claws of a wild beast.
A Knight-level Exotic Beast!
A grim look settled on Xie Man's face.
Stiede quickly recognized the severity of the situation, his expression darkening. "We must kill this monster. We can't let it escape; it could attack other villages and we would be in serious trouble!"
A Knight-level Exotic Beast roaming free and attacking humans could lead to unimaginable consequences.
Stiede felt somewhat relieved to have Xie Man with him. Otherwise, he and his soldiers might not have been able to take down the Exotic Beast.
"Roar!"
A muffled, thunderous roar echoed in the distance.
Xie Man and Stiede exchanged glances before heading in the sound's direction, followed quickly by the rest of the soldiers.
After turning a corner past a house, a monstrous creature suddenly came into view.
It resembled a bipedal lizard, its body covered in dark gray scales. It had massive, powerful jaws, short forelimbs, and long hind limbs, all equipped with sharp claws. Its gaping maw was filled with rows of fine, razor-sharp teeth.
"Gloomy Land Dragon!" Xie Man exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.
"Does Your Excellency recognize this monster?" Stiede asked hurriedly.
Xie Man nodded, his face a mix of concern and uncertainty. Noticing Stiede’s confused expression, he quickly elaborated, "The Gloomy Land Dragon, also known as the Cave Dragon, belongs to the Sub-Dragon species. While their vision and hearing are extremely poor, they possess exceptionally strong senses of smell and echolocation abilities."
"However, this creature typically resides in the Underworld, so it shouldn't appear on the surface!"
At that moment, the Gloomy Land Dragon spotted Xie Man and his group, letting out a deafening roar as it charged towards them.
"Be careful! This Gloomy Land Dragon is already an adult, with combat power somewhere between an Advanced Knight and a Peak Knight. Watch out for its claws; they are incredibly sharp. If you get scratched, you'll bleed uncontrollably."
The Gloomy Land Dragon's claws possess effects akin to the Bloodlight attribute, causing relentless bleeding once inflicted.
Upon realizing that the monster before them had at least Advanced Knight-level strength, Stiede and the others behind him all changed their expressions.
They had arrived in a hurry, and their group consisted of only three Knights, all at the Elementary Knight level. Facing an Advanced Knight-level Exotic Beast, they could barely hope to protect themselves.
Fortunately, Xie Man was still with them.
As the Gloomy Land Dragon charged wildly, Xie Man remained calm and completed his spell preparation. He cast a Stun Spell, striking the Gloomy Land Dragon. Boom!
The Gloomy Land Dragon staggered and fell to the ground, its massive body sliding seven or eight meters due to momentum, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Seizing the opportunity, Stiede rushed forward with the two Knights.
However, Dragon Clan members inherently possess a high resistance to spells. Although the Gloomy Land Dragon is merely a Sub-Dragon species, it has inherited certain abilities, granting it resistance to spells far exceeding that of other Exotic Beasts.
Shaking its head, the Gloomy Land Dragon rose from the ground and charged again as if nothing had happened.
"Zero Ring Spells aren’t very effective against the Gloomy Land Dragon. It's unfortunate that I haven't mastered any offensive One Ring Spells yet," Xie Man muttered.
Xie Man sighed as he watched Stiede's trio struggle against the Gloomy Land Dragon's relentless attacks. After a moment of hesitation, he reluctantly pulled out a Gem.
Etched with strange patterns, the Gem glittered beautifully in the sunlight.
Xie Man tossed the Gem into the air, shouting, "Get back!"
The three members of Stiede's group hastily retreated in various directions. In the next moment, they witnessed the Gem burst with blinding light, transforming into lightning that struck the Gloomy Land Dragon.
Boom!
The Gloomy Land Dragon let out a piercing, miserable scream.
When the lightning finally dissipated, the dragon lay motionless and silent on the ground, smoke wafting from its body.
One Knight cautiously approached to investigate, and after a moment, his face brightened with joy. "It’s dead!"
Stiede let out a sigh of relief and cast an awestruck gaze at Xie Man. Is this the power of a Wizard? That bolt of lightning was simply terrifying! Even a Grand Knight would probably hesitate to face it head-on, right?
Little did he know that Xie Man was equally surprised. It was the first time he had used a Rune Gem in combat, and he had not expected such astonishing power. Even the Gloomy Land Dragon, known for its high Spell resistance, had been defeated in one blow.
“Rune Gems are expensive, but worth every penny,” Xie Man thought to himself.
Coming back to his senses, he quickly turned to Stiede and said, "Lord Stiede, it's unusual for the Gloomy Land Dragon to appear above ground. It may be related to the Underworld. I must report this to my teacher. May I take charge of this corpse?"
Stiede’s expression turned serious. "No problem. If Lord Xie Man needs assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask."
Xie Man thanked him and requested that Stiede move the corpse to Lord's Mansion for preservation.
Once back at Lord's Mansion, Xie Man immediately retreated to his room, preparing to write a letter to his teacher detailing the events of the day. Meanwhile, Stiede went to the study to meet his father and report what had occurred.
"How could a monster from the Underworld appear here?" Ryan City Lord Haus asked, frowning after listening to Stiede's account.
After the story of Su Nan spread, the nobles of the Starry Sky Empire began actively gathering information about the Wizard, which is how Haus also heard of the Underworld.
The appearance of Underworld creatures in their territory was certainly alarming.
Perhaps there was a hidden entrance to the Underworld nearby.
If that were true, it would pose a serious problem.
“I suppose this kind of matter should be left to the Wizard to handle.”
Haus rubbed his temples, suddenly recalling another issue.
“How have you been getting along with Xie Man these past few days?”
“Not bad,” Stiede replied with a slight smile. “Xie Man is indeed as I've heard—very approachable and easy to talk to; he’s not pretentious at all.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Haus nodded slowly, revealing a thoughtful expression.
“Master Su Nan has many students, but the most outstanding are Xie Man and Cole.”
“Cole hails from a noble family and has a proud demeanor, making him difficult to approach. In contrast, Xie Man is much more congenial.”
“With Xie Man leading a team to develop the Magical Plant Garden in our Ryan City, this is a great opportunity. You must take advantage of it to build a strong relationship with him; it will greatly benefit your future development.”
“Yes, Father!” Stiede replied earnestly.
Anyone with even a bit of foresight could recognize the future significance of the Base in the Starry Sky Empire.
Thus, fostering a friendship with a Wizard from the Base was advantageous for any noble.
Ryan City was fortunate this time; they happened to meet Xie Man, so they must cherish this rare opportunity.
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