Wizard + System

CH233

After more than twenty days of travel.

The caravan continued through the forest, surrounded by towering, lush trees.

Helag lifted the curtain to glance outside, seeing nothing but giant trees as far as the eye could see.

These trees were much larger than those in other regions, likely having grown for countless years.

Helag checked the map and realized they were already within the boundaries of Strange Valley. It wouldn't be long before they reached their destination.

He noticed the energy particle density here was much higher than in the outside world.

Taking a deep breath, Helag felt refreshed and invigorated.

The air was incredibly clean and pleasant, as if a single breath could wash away fatigue.

From a livability standpoint, this place was perfect—an ideal environment.

Reese and David also noticed the heightened energy particle concentration and the increased activity of the particles.

Casting spells in this environment would be much faster.

"No wonder the elves are so adept at magic. With an environment like this, even a pig could learn to cast spells," Reese remarked.

Helag nodded, understanding why wizards from the Wizard Plane were so eager to seize the World Tree.

The World Tree was an invaluable treasure for wizards and spellcasters alike.

After cresting a hill, a breathtaking sight unfolded before Helag and his companions.

In the distant sky, a massive tree stretched up to the clouds.

Its height was immeasurable, as the trunk disappeared into the sky, and the top was nowhere to be seen.

The tree's canopy was vast, blocking out a large portion of the sky.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, creating beams of light that pierced the forest.

This was the World Tree of the elves.

The World Tree stood at the heart of Strange Valley.

Though Helag's group could see the World Tree from their position, the distance to it was still considerable.

Strange Valley was vast, and the caravan only conducted business in the outer regions, far from the deeper areas.

Helag quickly realized the difficulty of the mission Parker had assigned.

Strange Valley was enormous, and the true elves lived deep within, under the World Tree.

If Helag placed the teleportation coordinates in random locations outside the valley, Parker and his forces wouldn't be able to directly threaten the elves.

Instead, they might end up surrounded by the elves.

To truly make the teleportation coordinates effective, they needed to be placed deep within Strange Valley, in the elves' daily living areas.

But that area was strictly off-limits to outsiders. Not even the caravan could approach it.

It was impossible to enter through normal means.

If Helag's group wanted to complete the mission, they'd have to risk sneaking into the valley and planting the teleportation coordinates.

However, the deeper areas of Strange Valley were home to powerful elves like elders and chieftains, who might be as strong as Parker.

Placing the teleportation coordinates in front of such formidable spellcasters and escaping unscathed was nearly impossible.

Reese and David quickly realized the mission was far more difficult than they had imagined.

The odds of completing the mission without casualties were slim. Someone was bound to get hurt, and they might not even succeed before being wiped out.

They had to ensure the teleportation coordinates weren't discovered after placement.

If the coordinates were found and removed, the mission would be pointless.

Reese felt a pang of sadness. She had just started spending time with Helag, only to face such a dangerous situation.

"Helag, I'll go in and do the mission. You and Reese should leave," David said after a moment of silence.

David figured, since he was alone, it wouldn't matter if he died inside.

They were all from the Tchek family. As long as one of them survived for a year, they could return and enter the Land of Dawn.

To David, this was a fair trade, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

Reese was his cousin, so he couldn't let her take on such a dangerous task.

And Helag, being Larry's student and not bound by any contract with the Tchek family, wasn't obligated to take the risk.

Reese was so fond of Helag that it made no sense for either of them to go.

In David's mind, he was the best candidate for the mission.

Helag patted David's shoulder, "David, thank you, but there's no need. I have another plan. None of us need to sacrifice ourselves or take unnecessary risks."

Helag spoke calmly, exuding confidence, which reassured David and Reese.

Reese asked curiously, "What's the plan?"

Helag shook his head, "You don't need to know the details. Just leave it to me. I'll handle it."

He couldn't reveal the secret of his bloodline mark or the fact that he could transform into a royal elf.

Unless absolutely necessary, Helag wasn't planning to tell anyone about his bloodline mark.

Even when he was intimate with Reese, he kept the mark hidden from her.

"You're not planning to go alone, are you?" Reese asked, worried that Helag might take on the mission solo.

Helag stroked her head, "Don't worry. I value my life more than you do. I won't do anything reckless. Trust me, I wouldn't say this unless I was sure."

With Helag's reassurance, David and Reese said no more.

Since arriving in the Elven Plane, David and Reese had come to recognize Helag's immense strength, sharp judgment, and great potential.

Even Parker, a third-level wizard, had taken an interest in Helag.

David and Reese trusted Helag implicitly. If he said he had a plan, they believed him.

The caravan slowly descended into the plains of Strange Valley.

Following the main road, they entered a town.

This was the only town in Strange Valley where humans were allowed to live and conduct business. The caravan would sell most of its goods here.

The town was managed by elves, as many of the goods they needed came from the outside world. Elves were stationed here to oversee the town.

The Ruby Chamber had a large shop in the town, which also offered lodging.

Upon arriving at the shop, Ladoye got off the wagon and began directing the unloading of goods and arranging accommodations for the caravan members.

CH234

Crates of goods were stacked on the ground, forming small mountains.

These goods were prepared for the elves, while the rest had already been moved into the shop.

Ladoye stood at the shop entrance, waiting for the elves to arrive and collect the shipment.

Helag, Reese, and David stayed behind, guarding the goods.

Their mission wasn't complete yet, as it included the return trip. If they didn't escort the caravan back, they'd lose the 100 gold for the return journey.

Of course, Helag's group wasn't staying for the gold; they were waiting for the right moment.

Though it was unlikely anyone would steal the goods, someone still needed to watch over them.

Helag took the opportunity to observe the surrounding terrain.

To the north of the town was a forest, with a fence lining its perimeter.

The fence was covered in vine-like plants, and while it appeared ordinary, Helag sensed magical energy emanating from it.

No one approached the fence, and the ground around it was overgrown with weeds, indicating it was rarely trodden.

In the middle of the fence was a tall wooden gate and a road leading deeper into the forest.

The gate remained closed, and no one had entered or exited for hours.

Helag guessed that beyond the gate lay the elves' territory in Strange Valley, where humans were not allowed.

Most people avoided the area entirely, not daring to get too close.

Though the gate was unguarded, the elves' reputation instilled a deep sense of respect and fear in the hearts of those nearby.

After two hours of waiting, a male elf on horseback appeared at the end of the street, followed by a small convoy of elves.

Their wagons were empty, clearly meant for loading the goods.

Seeing them, Ladoye immediately put on a smile and approached, "Lord Bain, you've arrived. I've prepared all the goods you requested, guaranteed top quality."

Bain, with a cold expression, slowly rode forward, ignoring Ladoye and instead inspecting the goods on the ground.

He dismounted and casually opened a crate, revealing some salted meat.

Bain sniffed the meat, then frowned, "You're three days late. This meat has spoiled. The price will be halved."

"What? Halved? Lord Bain, this meat can't spoil, and it's only been three days," Ladoye stammered, panicking. Halving the price would not only erase any profit but also lead to a loss.

The claim of being three days late was just an excuse. The journey naturally had slight variations in time due to various factors, and it was impossible to always arrive on the exact same day.

As for the meat spoiling, that was pure nonsense.

Salted meat was designed for long-term storage, and Ladoye had personally inspected every piece. There was no way it had spoiled.

And being three days late wouldn't cause the meat to go bad.

Bain was clearly looking for an excuse to lower the price and pocket the difference.

Ladoye knew this but couldn't argue. He had no choice but to swallow his frustration.

He pleaded, hoping Bain wouldn't press too hard, as halving the price would result in a significant loss.

Bain's eyes narrowed, "What? Are you questioning me?"

Bain was displeased. How dare a lowly human question him?

If he said the meat was spoiled, then it was spoiled.

Ladoye, sweating profusely, quickly replied, "No, no, I wouldn't dare question you, Lord Bain. The meat is indeed a bit spoiled. How about this: I'll give it to you for free."

"Free? Who would eat spoiled meat? I'm doing you a favor by disposing of it. That'll be an additional 1,000 gold for the disposal fee," Bain said coldly.

"This…" Ladoye was stunned, his face contorting in discomfort.

Losing money was one thing, but now he had to pay extra?

"Is there a problem?" Bain asked.

Ladoye, feeling as if he had swallowed dirt, nodded, "No, no problem."

Many envied those who could do business with the elves, but Ladoye knew the hardships involved.

While elves were generally generous with their payments, dealing with individuals like Bain was a different story.

Bain was a low-ranking elf, which was why he was assigned to handle these mundane tasks.

The truly important elves stayed within their territory and rarely interacted with humans.

Though Bain couldn't outright refuse to pay, he often found ways to exploit the situation for personal gain.

Ladoye had no one to complain to, as he had no access to other elves.

And even if he did, the elves wouldn't help him. As a human, they looked down on him and wouldn't side with him.

Ladoye had no choice but to accept the loss. Despite losing the cost of the salted meat and an additional 1,000 gold, the overall profit was still substantial.

Taking a bit of abuse was part of the job, and Ladoye had grown used to it.

Bain didn't push Ladoye further, knowing not to push too hard. After securing his cut, he let the matter drop.

The elves he brought began loading the goods onto their wagons, crate by crate.

During this time, none of the Ruby Chamber's workers helped, as they weren't allowed to touch the goods.

The elves would inspect everything before transporting it deeper into Strange Valley.

Once the elves finished loading, the convoy slowly headed north, toward the wooden gate near the fence.

There, a large courtyard with several spacious warehouses awaited the goods.

Bain directed the convoy into the courtyard, where the goods would be stored.

Over the next few days, Bain would carefully inspect the goods to ensure everything was in order.

Only after that would the goods be transported further into the valley.

Helag observed Bain and the elves closely, forming a plan in his mind.

According to the schedule, the caravan would remain in town for a few days.

They would purchase goods to resell in Nightfall City, making the return trip faster since they'd be carrying less.

During these few days, Helag's group needed to find a way to complete their mission.

Without the Ruby Chamber as cover, they would stand out in the town.

The elves didn't think highly of humans and were also wary of them, viewing them as a cunning race they preferred not to deal with too much.