Outpost

"You said your family had books on magical plants. Do you have experience cultivating Moonlight Flowers?" Dago asked expectantly.

"Yes. Moonlight Flowers were the most commonly grown flowers in our family's wizard estate. When I was little, I pulled them out to play with every day."

Only when magical plants were mentioned did Selena's eyes glimmer with a faint light.

"Oh, really? Then how about we make a deal?"

Dago's eyes lit up as he looked at Selena like a greedy demon.

Selena's face turned pale with fright, all kinds of miserable fates from wizard dramas flashing through her mind.

"I'll provide you with Mental Potions, and you'll help me cultivate Moonlight Flowers. How does that sound?"

Dago said with amusement as he watched her reaction.

"Ah, ah, can I really do it? I've only read about the process of growing Moonlight Flowers in books. I've never tried it myself."

Selena was initially incredulous, then spoke uncertainly.

"It's fine. As long as you're willing to try, you'll grow them someday," Dago said indifferently.

"All right, then. I can try cultivating Moonlight Flowers for Lord Dago."

"Not for me—for yourself. This is paid work. I'm paying you in Mental Potions."

Dago was amused and exasperated by her again. She was the kind of person who would help count the money after being sold.

As he spoke, he pulled a silver-white Mental Potion from his cloth bag and handed it to her.

"If you don't trust me, take it and try advancing to a Second-Level Apprentice Wizard first. Consider it my angel investment."

"But, but..." Selena began stammering again, rendered speechless.

Dago shoved it directly into her hand. "No more buts. Hurry up and improve your strength. You don't want to see my investment fail either, do you?"

Selena could only accept it, clutching it tightly in her hand as she thought, His 'angel investment' really is such an apt description.

Dago's expression gradually turned solemn. "You may not understand what kind of enemies our Patrol Guard is facing."

"Only those who have truly fought them understand. They're a pack of inhuman beasts who delight in torture and murder."

Deep down, Dago did not think the Academy could hold out for long under the Duskblood Council's siege.

A pack of wolves had entered the sheepfold. Unless Ornn stepped in personally, what could possibly defeat them?

Most Black-Robed Wizards excelled in combat. Their practical experience far surpassed that of Academy-trained flowers raised in greenhouses like them.

By Dago's calculations, it should take him two hours to complete an entire forest patrol route at his pace.

Then they would need to patrol three times a day—morning, noon, and night—to ensure the forest was not infiltrated by enemies. That would greatly compress his cultivation time.

"It can't be helped. Everything is for the sake of protecting my own life. Only by staying alive can I continue to improve."

Dago shook his head and sighed inwardly.

Patrolling was a matter of luck to begin with. No one knew where trouble might suddenly arise, so Dago still felt it was better to patrol more often.

If he moved quickly enough, he should still be able to squeeze out some extra time for cultivation.

And so, the entire patrol route passed safely without incident.

The other two groups also gathered at Dago's location. Dago told them about his patrol arrangements, and everyone expressed no objections.

Just as everyone was preparing to disperse, Dago made another suggestion. "If we live separately, accidents could easily happen. So I suggest we find a fixed outpost and live together."

Everyone pondered and discussed the proposal. In the end, it passed with unanimous approval except for Vissel's opposition.

Vissel's attitude was unyielding. With no other option, the final arrangement was that he would not participate in the nighttime patrols.

"Helping sewer rats like you is already a tremendous gift. Asking me to live with you would practically be murder."

Vissel threw down those words and strode away.

Everyone's expressions changed, and their attitudes toward him grew much colder.

To accommodate the elderly Mariko, everyone ultimately chose Mariko's treehouse as their outpost.

With Dago's Ice Crystal Technique, no one had to worry about a lack of water. As for bathing, they could simply build two bathhouses beside the treehouse.

The living arrangements were even easier to solve. Some set up tents, while others built treehouses like Mariko's.

With the productivity provided by wizardry, the housing issue could be resolved in a single afternoon.

Dago returned to his shelter. Looking at the little nest that had accompanied him for half a year, he felt quite reluctant to leave it.

Though it might only be a temporary relocation, who could say when he would return?

After packing several changes of clothes, daily necessities, and his Potion Brewing tools, he discovered an indisputable fact: he truly lived frugally, with barely anything to his name.

Before long, everyone returned to Mariko's treehouse and began enthusiastically building their temporary homes.

Dago, Selena, and the Evans chose to build wooden houses in the trees, while Ian and Gavin settled for two tents.

After an afternoon of hard work, the outpost really began to look the part. They even put up a three-meter-high wooden fence and a watchtower.

The main reason was that Dago, the destroyer, was there. To everyone's astonishment, one Air Bullet felled one tree, saving them a great deal of time chopping wood.

Happy times were always short. Amid everyone's laughter and conversation, the sun disappeared.

That night, the Evans took charge of cooking. After tasting their food, Dago realized just how miserable his usual meals had been!

They lit a bonfire and sat around it, chatting away about wizard gossip from the nearby forest regions, such as whose wizard's rooster had turned into a hen.

As they chatted, the topic eventually turned to Dago.

Ian curiously asked Dago, "Dago, how can you use your Meditation Technique again after such a short interval?"

Dago looked at him in confusion. "What interval? I don't understand what you mean."

"The Mental Mist in your Mental Space doesn't need replenishing from the Spirit World?"

Everyone looked at him like curious children.

Dago asked in return, "Mental Mist needs replenishing? Can't you just keep drawing it in and refining it?"

Ian immediately asked, "How large is the Mental Space opened by your Meditation Technique?"

Seeing this, Mariko hurriedly interjected, "Bigger than yours, anyway. Right, Dago?"

Dago understood what Mariko meant. It seemed every wizard's Mental Space differed in size.

"Yes, yes."

Seeing Dago brush it off, Ian did not press further.

Night patrols were relatively more dangerous, and with Vissel absent, they could only split into two groups and patrol in mutual support.

Mariko's group remained unchanged, while Dago's group gained Vissel's two tagalongs, Ian and Gavin.

Inside the cabin, Dago checked the supplies he needed to bring, then put on his Third-Level Apprentice robe and set off with the other three.

Dago climbed down from the treehouse along the vines. Sensing the movement, Selena hurriedly came to meet him.

He had little followers now too, with Ian and Gavin close behind him.

"Then let's begin." With a wave of Dago's hand, the Forest Patrol raised their torches and set off into the night.