Black Forest Gray Tower Outpost

Luo Lin spent three thousand contribution points on a slightly larger dimensional bag, enough to hold all the supplies he might need over the next ten years.

He spent another two thousand contribution points on several life-saving scrolls, including an Intermediate Elemental Shield and a short-range random teleportation scroll.

The latter was extremely expensive, but it might save his life at a critical moment.

At the same time, Luo Lin took advantage of the laboratory's facilities to brew large quantities of the Stamina Recovery Potion and Lesser Mental Boiling Potion he commonly used, while attempting to develop a new mental potion with stronger effects and fewer side effects.

In addition, he used Darkgold Wood and an improved Nourishing Formation to accelerate the growth of a batch of commonly used magical plants as much as possible, then harvested and stored them.

As for spells, he focused on improving the stability and power of Acid-Erosion Ray, while further optimizing the energy distribution of Weak Force-Field Armor to strengthen its defensive capabilities.

He also became more proficient with Breeze Dust-Cleansing.

Finally, Luo Lin made a special trip to the academy's alchemy workshop. Using his remaining contribution points and some materials, he had the bone dagger enchanted, making it sharper and giving it a faint armor-piercing effect.

Three months flew by amid intense preparations.

The departure notice finally arrived.

Luo Lin was assigned to the third batch and would leave three days later.

He bade farewell to Wizard Eric and Wizard Stone, both of whom gave him additional practical advice and a small amount of resources.

He also briefly said goodbye to apprentices he knew, such as Lina and Buck.

Standing before the stone house he was about to leave behind, Luo Lin checked his dimensional bag one last time.

Ample potions, materials, scrolls, food, clean water, tools, books, notes... everything was ready.

Luo Lin took a deep breath, his gaze calm and resolute.

Ten years in the Black Forest would be a comprehensive test of everything he had accumulated so far, as well as a path of advancement filled with unknowns and dangers.

Without lingering any longer, Luo Lin strode toward the assembly point, his figure gradually disappearing into the academy's morning mist.

The journey to the Black Forest front line was long and tedious.

Luo Lin's third batch was led by a taciturn peak Third-Rank Apprentice. They traveled in a convoy of Ground Lizards, tamed by the academy and clad in heavy bone armor.

After passing through the Karugusha Highlands, where the Shadow Crow Holy Tower Arcane Academy was located, the landscape gradually became more lush.

Yet the air began to fill with a faint energy carrying the stench of decay and wildness, signaling that they were approaching the vast and dangerous region known as the Black Forest.

After nearly a month of travel, the convoy reached its destination.

The Seventh Outpost, Gray Tower!

Gray Tower was not the lonely tower Luo Lin had imagined.

Instead, it was a small fortress settlement built against a steep cliff face.

Its main structure was a tall tower built from blackish-gray stone, its surface covered in scars left by battle and reinforced metal braces.

Around the tower stood several relatively low stone houses, warehouses, and a crude wall enclosed by thick wooden stakes.

The entire outpost was shrouded beneath a faint, constantly flowing film of energy light. This was the outpost's defensive formation.

The atmosphere at the outpost was completely different from that of the academy.

It was harsher and colder. Everyone hurried along, their faces marked by long-term vigilance and caution.

Besides the dampness of the forest, the air was mixed with the smells of blood, potions, and metal grinding together.

Luo Lin's newly arrived group of apprentices was quickly gathered and assigned by one of the outpost's supervisors.

He was assigned to a patrol unit, mainly responsible for daily patrols and sentry duty in designated areas outside the outpost.

He would also take part in maintaining the outpost's fortifications and processing materials.

Luo Lin's assigned residence was a cramped, gloomy stone house. Aside from a stone bed and a table, there was nothing else. Its conditions were far worse than those at the academy.

However, Luo Lin did not complain. He quickly adapted, taking out the necessary items and arranging them properly.

The next day, Luo Lin began his first patrol.

There were five people in his patrol squad. Their captain was a burly Third-Rank Apprentice named Holm, who had been stationed here for three years. The other three were also Senior Apprentices.

Their patrol area lay east of the outpost, in a stretch of dim woodland filled with twisted trees.

Holm was highly experienced. He made little noise as they moved, constantly observing their surroundings and reminding everyone to watch for possible traps on the ground and poisonous insects lurking in the trees.

"Watch the color of the moss beneath your feet. Don't step on anything dark purple—it may be corrosive."

"Keep an eye on the canopy. Shadowclaw Monkeys like to ambush from above."

"If you hear any unusual rustling, raise the alarm immediately."

Luo Lin silently memorized this practical advice, keeping his spiritual force spread outward as he sensed the surrounding environment.

He could feel that this forest was filled with chaotic energy fields, completely unlike the orderly energy environment of the academy.

Maintaining Weak Force-Field Armor here consumed noticeably more energy.

Their first patrol did not encounter any magical creatures. They only found several traces suggesting the activity of small magical creatures and successfully avoided a naturally occurring toxic miasma zone.

But the ever-present pressure and sense of hidden danger gave Luo Lin a deep understanding of the difference between the front line and the academy.

Over the following days, Luo Lin gradually became familiar with the patrol rhythm and the environment around the outer edge of the Black Forest.

He used his abilities with caution.

When handling materials collected from the forest and assigned by the outpost—materials tainted by pollution or environmental energy—he displayed exceptional processing skills.

He soon made a favorable impression on the personnel in charge of logistics.

Occasionally, when they encountered solitary low-level magical creatures during patrols, such as Venomrot Wolves or Spineback Boars, he could calmly use Acid Spray and Mage Hand in coordination with his teammates to swiftly deal with them, demonstrating solid combat fundamentals.

About two months later, during a routine patrol, Luo Lin's squad discovered something unusual.

Several ancient tree trunks bore clear holes corroded by some acidic substance, while faintly glowing scales were scattered around them.

"It's a Gloomscale Python!"

"And judging by the corrosion marks and the size of those scales, it's probably a huge one close to maturity!"

Captain Holm crouched down and inspected the evidence carefully, his expression turning grave.

"This thing usually lives deeper in the forest. Why has it come to the outskirts?"

He immediately sent one squad member back to the outpost to report the situation, while he led Luo Lin and the other two members in cautiously following the trail.

After tracking it for about half a mile, the trail vanished before a cave half-concealed by vines.

A faint fishy stench wafted from the cave mouth, along with an unsettling fluctuation of energy.

"We can't go any deeper."

Holm stopped.

"We don't know what's inside. We'll wait for outpost reinforcements..."

Just then, an ear-piercing scraping sound came from within the cave.

A python head as thick as a bucket, covered in dark scales, suddenly thrust out from the entrance. Its cold vertical pupils locked onto the people outside, its crimson tongue flickering as it exuded an oppressive aura carrying the stench of acid and rot.

"Prepare for battle!"

Holm growled. An earthy yellow glow rose from his body, and a thick stone shield instantly condensed before him.

The other two squad members cast their spells as well. One gathered a fireball in his hand, while the other began chanting, preparing a binding spell.

The Gloomscale Python was astonishingly fast. Its massive body twisted with startling agility as it lunged at the apprentice holding the fireball, opening its mouth and spraying a stream of dark green acid.

The apprentice was clearly inexperienced. Faced with such a ferocious attack, he panicked. He hastily fired the fireball, but the Gloomscale Python deftly evaded it, and the acid was about to splash over him.

At that moment, Luo Lin moved.

Rather than attacking the Gloomscale Python's hard skull, he instantly activated the Acid-Erosion Ray he had prepared beforehand.

Its target was the relatively vulnerable tissue inside the Gloomscale Python's gaping mouth!

Pfft!

The slender dark green beam struck after the acid spray but arrived first, shooting precisely into the Gloomscale Python's mouth.

"Hiss!!!"

The Gloomscale Python let out a pained, furious shriek, its acid spray abruptly interrupted.

Its enormous body thrashed violently in agony, smashing into the surrounding trees and making them shudder.

Seizing the opportunity, Holm roared and charged forward behind his stone shield, slamming hard into the Gloomscale Python's side and knocking it off balance.

The other apprentice's binding spell was finally complete as well. Several thick vines burst from the earth and coiled around the Gloomscale Python's body.

Luo Lin did not stop. He knew that although Acid-Erosion Ray had struck a vital point, it was not enough to kill it.

He swiftly switched back to ordinary Acid Spray, firing several shots in succession at the Gloomscale Python's belly, where its scales were relatively thin beneath the vines' restraints.