Special Mission

When it was Jialan's turn, he stood up somewhat nervously. As a newcomer who had only advanced to Junior Mage a year ago, he truly had nothing especially valuable to trade. The scrolls he had prepared now seemed rather cheap, and besides, the war was still ongoing. If he traded away his scrolls, he could not guarantee his safety afterward.

After hesitating for a moment, he took out the staff he had obtained from a priest during a patrol mission from his Spatial Bag. The entire staff was a faint gold, with a pure crystal embedded at its tip that gave off a gentle glow. Even someone unfamiliar with magic could tell that this staff was no ordinary item.

"This is a Light-element staff," Jialan introduced. "It isn't particularly rare, but its quality is quite good. I'd like to exchange it for a practical magic item, or Jintana."

The moment the staff appeared, it immediately caught Anna's attention. She examined it closely, and a flicker of delight flashed through her eyes. As a Light priest, she instantly realized that the staff was far more valuable than Jialan had described.

"Jialan," Anna said softly, "I can trade this bracelet for it." As she spoke, she slipped an exquisite bracelet off her left wrist.

The bracelet was silver-white throughout, with a small Light gemstone set into it. Anna explained, "This bracelet comes with a defensive spell, Holy Light Shield, which can protect its wearer from harm, especially dark-type attacks. It may not be worth as much as your staff, but I can add another 100 Jintana."

Jialan was somewhat surprised. He had not expected Anna to value the staff so highly. But on second thought, as a Light priest, a good staff could indeed greatly improve her strength.

"Deal," Jialan agreed readily.

The two completed the exchange. Anna impatiently tried out her new staff, a satisfied smile appearing on her face. Meanwhile, Jialan carefully examined the bracelet he had received, deeply interested in the spell called Holy Light Shield.

After all the mages had finished trading, the previously relaxed atmosphere in the stone house suddenly turned solemn. The Great Sword Master Raymond, who had remained silent all this time, gave a light cough and slowly rose to his feet. Under the glow of the Magic Lamps, his tall figure cast a long shadow, while his sharp gaze swept across every mage present.

"Everyone," Raymond said in a low, powerful voice, "while the magical beasts are not attacking the city, I need several mages to assist the soldiers with a few special missions."

The stone house immediately fell silent, and everyone looked toward the deputy commander of the Seventh Legion.

Raymond looked around at the group and continued, "As compensation, mages who complete these missions may use them to offset the advancement missions required of military mages."

His words stirred a commotion among the mages. Jialan's eyes immediately lit up. As a military mage, he knew exactly what this meant. Every mage newly recruited by the military had to complete mandatory missions before gaining freedom. His own requirements were to serve for ten years, train two official mages for the military, or kill three enemy mages of the same rank. Assisting Katerina and the others in killing the necromancer last time had already counted as one completed mission.

Jialan weighed the pros and cons in his heart. Ever since discovering that this fortress hid far too many secrets, he had wanted to leave the military as soon as possible. If he could complete this mission, then he would only need to finish one more before earning his freedom early.

"What does the mission involve?" an elderly Fire Element mage asked.

Raymond's expression turned serious. "The specific details must be explained separately. Any mages willing to accept the mission, please remain after the meeting."

The exchange meeting officially ended, and most of the mages left one after another. Jialan hesitated for a moment before ultimately deciding to stay. Anna was a priest and did not wish to leave the military so soon, so she departed first.

"Are you sure you want to take this mission?" Anna asked worriedly before leaving.

Jialan adjusted his black mage robe. "I want to try. If I can complete it, I'll be able to leave the military early."

Anna seemed to want to say something, but in the end, she merely nodded gently. "Be careful."

Soon, only Raymond, Argyle, Calvin, and five mages willing to accept the mission remained in the stone house, including Jialan and Albert.

Raymond signaled for the guards to close the door, then said solemnly, "First, thank you all for being willing to serve the Empire. The contents of this mission must be kept strictly confidential."

He took out a map and spread it across the table. "The specific mission is to travel deep into the Misty Forest and gather several special magical plants and minerals," Raymond continued. "These materials are vital to the fortress's defenses."

The moment Raymond finished speaking, low murmurs rose within the stone house. A middle-aged mage stood up, his brows tightly furrowed. "Forgive me, Great Sword Master. If the mission requires entering the depths of the Misty Forest, why not send higher-ranking people? Or professionals of other classes? Low-level spellcasters like us are not actually that capable of fighting in the jungle..."

This question clearly voiced the thoughts of most of the mages present. Jialan could not help nodding inwardly as well—indeed, if they were entering a dangerous area, would High Mages or High Warriors not be more suitable candidates?

Calvin slowly stood up and answered on Raymond's behalf. "What you do not know is that the decision to employ low-level spellcasters was made only after careful consideration." The old mage's voice was gentle yet authoritative. "Deep within the Misty Forest are certain high-level beings with exceptionally sharp senses, and they are extremely sensitive to powerful energy fluctuations. The fluctuations from High Mages and warriors are like torches in the night, making them more likely to expose their tracks."

He looked around the room and continued explaining, "The magical fluctuations of low-level mages are comparatively weak. Combined with specific concealment spells, they can avoid those beings' senses to the greatest extent possible. That is why we specifically gathered all of you."

This explanation brought sudden understanding to Jialan. He recalled his earlier experiences in the forest—those high-level magical beasts truly were exceptionally sensitive to magical fluctuations. Yet a new question immediately surfaced in his mind: if that was the case, why not simply send ordinary soldiers? Why did mages have to participate?

As if seeing everyone's doubts, Calvin added, "Of course, there will be situations during the mission that require magic. For example, breaking certain barriers or identifying magical traces. These are things ordinary soldiers cannot accomplish."

Calvin's words plunged the mages present into thought. Jialan rubbed his chin, carefully weighing the benefits and risks. The old mage's explanation was indeed reasonable, but he still felt that things were not so simple.

"How long is the mission expected to last?" asked a mage in his thirties.

"Three to five days," Raymond answered. "The exact duration will depend on conditions within the forest. We will equip you with the most elite escort team."

Albert seemed to think of something and suddenly asked, "What exactly are these so-called 'special materials'? If you cannot even state their purpose clearly, it will be difficult for us to assess the risks."