Hunting Magical Beasts (2)

At dinnertime, everyone sat around the crude long table in the fortress cafeteria. Steaming soup and coarse bread gave off a comforting aroma, and a sense of relaxation after a tiring day flowed through the air.

"Ang, we don't have patrol duty or garrison duty tomorrow," Dana said indistinctly as he chewed on bread hard enough to hurt his teeth. "How about we go repair the magic array on the giant gate?"

"You just want to take the chance to hunt magical beasts, don't you?" Ang looked up, teasing him with a smile.

Dana laughed while coughing and did not deny it, merely shrugging.

Ang sighed softly, his gaze sweeping over the people at the table. "Before the Demons launch an attack, hunting magical beasts really is the fastest way to earn Merit Points. While we can still move freely, we should try to accumulate as much as possible."

The atmosphere at the table immediately livened up. Everyone looked eager, practically itching to give it a try.

"It seems all of you have grown much more eager for battle after becoming Archmages," Ang said as he looked at them, sounding slightly sentimental.

"Of course, Brother!" Aisha put down her spoon, her eyes sparkling. "When we were repairing the array today, we even heard Hansen say that Merit Points can be exchanged for quite a lot of magic equipment!"

"Is that so?" Ang raised a brow. "Looks like I should find more chances to chat with Hansen in the future."

Everyone began talking over one another about their experiences repairing the magic array that day. They spoke of the garrison teams' reactions, the changes in the fortress's defenses after the array was repaired, and the little mishaps from handling fortress affairs for the first time. Laughter never stopped, and the atmosphere