Academy Mission

"Are you really going outside the city to carry out a mission?" In the East District of the City of Mozhsuobula, Fatty Baus, seated behind the shop counter, could not help leaning over it as he pressed the question.

"I'm only clearing out a Blue Jaw Feather Flock that appeared in Gray White Valley outside the city. It shouldn't be much of a problem." Saine replied with a smile.

Even Lina was not particularly worried about the academy mission Saine was undertaking, yet Fatty Baus before him showed obvious concern.

Saine did not say anything on the surface, but a trace of warmth still rose in his heart.

"If I were you, I'd honestly stay in the city and take on a garrison mission."

"Not only is it safe, but you can also make a little profit at the city gates. Why take the risk of going out?"

"With your status as a Formal Black Wizard's disciple, can't you get a job like that whenever you want?" Fatty Baus shook his head.

"Enough. The main reason I'm going out this time is to test the two new spells I learned."

"Real combat is far more useful than the academy training grounds. Hurry up and bring out the things I need." Saine urged with a smile.

His fat face still showed that he could not understand Saine's decision, but Fatty Baus's hands were not slow.

After rummaging around behind the counter, three black cloth bundles appeared in front of Saine.

The three bundles contained the Iron Phosphorus Powder and Sweet Berries Saine needed.

The former was a relatively common, low-level magical spice that could significantly enhance the power of fire spells. Its drawback, however, was that it was unstable. If the timing was mishandled, it could very likely injure its user in return.

The latter was bait Saine intended to use to lure the underground creatures known as Blue Jaw Feathers. Only by killing more than twenty Blue Jaw Feathers could Saine be considered to have completed this academy mission.

As for the last black cloth bundle, it was not something Saine had asked for.

When he looked at Baus with questioning eyes, the fatty waved his hand and said, "This isn't from me. That little girl Meili left it here with me."

"She knew you might be going out to carry out an academy mission soon, so she asked me to give this to you."

When he opened the black wrapping cloth, three small potions lay quietly inside—two red and one blue.

Two Low-Level Recovery Potions and one Low-Level Antidote were worth more than sixty Black Gold in total.

Saine currently had quite a few good things in his possession, but he had very little Black Gold, the universal currency of the City of Mozhsuobula.

Thus, faced with Meili's kindness, Saine pondered for a moment before silently accepting them.

"You've probably made quite a bit of money working with Meili lately, haven't you?" Saine glanced at Fatty Baus. In the inner corner of the shop, he had also spotted several similar potions.

Most of them were Low-Level Recovery Potions, while there was not a single antidote. It seemed Meili's success rate in making antidotes was not very high.

"No, no, it's just a small business." The fatty hurriedly waved his hands, stubbornly refusing to reveal how much he had actually earned.

Shaking his head, Saine said, "I'll be going, then. If this mission goes smoothly, I'll come back and bring you some business."

After leaving Fatty Baus's shop, Saine headed straight out of the city.

The City of Mozhsuobula was enormous, a giant underground city with a population of more than three hundred thousand.

Of those three hundred thousand people, humans made up the majority. After all, Black Magicians were humans by nature as well.

These humans had all been abducted from the Surface World. Among them, the small number whose Mental Strength met the standard were sent to the Black Wizard Academy to become apprentices.

The overwhelming majority whose Mental Strength did not meet the standard were cast into the city districts to fend for themselves.

No one knew how long the City of Mozhsuobula had existed. After decades, perhaps even centuries, these humans had gradually multiplied underground, though the total population had never risen much.

Besides humans, the City of Mozhsuobula was also home to some Minotaurs, Underground Subhumans, and strange races Saine rarely encountered.

Under the rule of the Black Magicians, the City of Mozhsuobula had gradually become the center of the nearby Underground World.

Although brutality and arrogance were the Black Magicians' customary labels, the City of Mozhsuobula maintained its own peculiar order.

For example, within the city districts, aside from the lofty Black Magicians, one could scarcely see other creatures break out into battle.

Even the most sinister and cunning Gray Dwarves had to behave themselves after arriving in the City of Mozhsuobula.

There was also an enormous arena within the city. If underground creatures had irreconcilable conflicts, they could settle them there.

At times, when battles erupted between two powerful underground creatures, they would even invite Black Wizard Apprentices or Black Magicians to arbitrate.

This could be considered one of the City of Mozhsuobula's distinctive sights, displaying the authority of the Black Magicians.

After leaving the City of Mozhsuobula, Saine headed northeast beyond the city.

His destination was not far from the City of Mozhsuobula. If he was lucky, he might return within five days.

Gray White Valley.

This was a special region with relatively loose, moist soil.

Some lush green underground moss grew throughout this area.

Judging by the density and arrangement of the moss, it was obvious that it had been planted by human hands.

Because there was no sunlight in the Underground World, and because the nature of its soil differed greatly from that of the Surface World,

many common crops that could be easily cultivated on the Surface World could not grow in the Underground World.

The numerous underground plants, varying greatly in form and characteristics, formed the very foundation of the Underground World's ecology.

Whether they were ordinary humans of the City of Mozhsuobula or the widely distributed subhuman creatures of the Underground World, their primary food source was still these edible underground plants.

Even powerful and rare underground magical beasts were not all carnivorous creatures.

For example, the target of Saine's mission—the Blue Jaw Feather—was an omnivorous creature that specialized in gnawing on underground plants, including moss.

Blue Jaw Feathers resembled birds in appearance. They were less than half a meter long and possessed two narrow, long green tail feathers.

The vast majority of adult Blue Jaw Feathers were merely Demonized Creatures with a trace of Element Power in their bird claws and beaks.

They did not even require Low-Level Apprentices. Some Entry-Level Apprentices could kill them with traps or other physical means.

Unfortunately, Blue Jaw Feathers liked to live in groups, and each Blue Jaw Feather Flock had a population ranging from thirty to fifty.

One Demonized Creature-level Blue Jaw Feather was nothing, but what if twenty or thirty came swooping at you together?

Therefore, academy missions like exterminating Blue Jaw Feathers were generally assigned to Intermediate Apprentices or above.

When Saine arrived at Gray White Valley, he saw not only neatly distributed moss fields, but also several dilapidated wooden huts at the edges of the fields.

The people responsible for cultivating this valley were the humans of the City of Mozhsuobula.

The lofty Black Magicians would not protect or concern themselves with these ants for long.

When these humble, miserable Underground Humans suffered attacks from underground creatures such as Blue Jaw Feathers, they could only send requests for help to the Black Wizard Academy.

However, when exactly the Black Wizard Academy would send someone was not something they could decide.

Thus, when Saine, dressed in his distinctive black Magic Robe, entered Gray White Valley, several hunched figures emitting strange odors quickly ran out from the dilapidated wooden huts.