CH62

After finishing his meditation, Helag went downstairs for a hot bath, his body exuding a strong medicinal scent.

In the Northern Forest Area.

As Helag stepped outside, he noticed the atmosphere was different from usual. The wizards passing by all had serious expressions.

He also saw many people already injured.

Passing by the flea market, Helag found it much quieter than usual.

"At a time like this, transactions should be more frequent. It seems many people have taken missions to escape Moonlight Woodland."

Helag had been focused on preparing for his advancement and hadn't paid much attention to the happenings in the Woodland.

Upon reaching the town, he noticed the crowd was significantly smaller than usual.

The once bustling gathering spots now had only a few people, all with worried expressions, seemingly unable to find a way to avoid the impending trouble.

It seemed there were no more missions allowing people to leave the Woodland. Even if there were, they would be snatched up immediately, and the few available tasks wouldn't be enough for everyone.

Seeing this, Helag quickened his pace, feeling the need to leave as soon as possible. Even with Larry's help, escaping might still be difficult. In the face of war, many things are fragile.

"Teacher! I've successfully advanced," Helag reported his status.

Larry, as usual, poured him a cup of coffee and then poured one for himself.

"Add sugar yourself." Larry pushed the coffee towards Helag with a wave of his hand.

"Your spirit power is stable, and your mana quality is high, so I was certain you would advance to a second-class apprentice without any issues. I'm not surprised."

Larry then grew serious. "Now, let's get to the point. You should pack up and prepare to leave in the next couple of days. That lunatic Malcolm has captured a hundred pregnant women, likely to perform some evil, powerful spell."

"Moonlight Woodland has reported this to Augustus Academy. Malcolm's actions severely violate the basic rules of wizard organizations on the Karag Continent, which prohibit the mass slaughter of ordinary people."

Helag asked, "If Malcolm really kills those hundred people, what punishment will he face?"

"Just some economic penalties," Larry sighed.

Official wizards, especially powerful ones, are hard to restrain with rules.

Ordinary people on the Karag Continent are an important source of fresh blood for wizard organizations. Wizards also need the production materials that ordinary people provide, so there's a rule against mass slaughter.

Malcolm's actions have caught the attention of wizard organizations but aren't severe enough to warrant intervention. Thus, Malcolm will only face some economic penalties.

Larry continued, "I suspect that when Malcolm's spell is complete, it will mark the start of a full-scale war between Moonlight Woodland and Green Cottage."

"So, you need to leave here as soon as possible."

Helag nodded. "Understood. But where should I go?"

This was a question Helag had been pondering for days. The Karag Continent is vast; where would be the best place to go?

"I suggest you go to the Kingdom of Doris on the West Coast. It's politically stable and far from major wizard organizations, allowing you to pass this time relatively peacefully. The only downside is the scarcity of potion materials. But that's the case everywhere; places rich in potion materials are usually near wizard organizations."

"And your task is to find a potion material called Moonstone Grass in the Kingdom of Doris."

Larry took out a map, pointing to a large country on the West Coast.

"I remember you have a space ring, right? I've prepared a batch of potion materials for you, enough to last a while. If you need basic potions, you can use these materials to make them yourself and practice your skills," Larry said, walking to a room and opening the door. "Come and take a look."

Helag followed and was surprised by what he saw. "So many!"

The room was filled with neatly organized potion materials.

"These are basic potion materials, not very valuable. I anticipated a possible war, so I ordered a lot of materials in advance. Now, many potion materials in Moonlight Woodland's shops are sold in limited quantities," Larry explained.

Helag nodded. In times of war, Moonlight Woodland's authorities would manage and distribute potion materials, and apprentices would struggle to buy enough for their needs.

"Thank you, Teacher!" Helag bowed deeply in gratitude. Although Larry made it sound simple, this gift was worth an unknown amount of magic stones, making it a generous gift.

Larry smiled. "It's nothing. Go ahead and store them in your space ring. Go back and pack up. When you're ready, come find me, and I'll take you out."

Helag smiled at this. Larry had brought him here, and now he would take him out to avoid the war, forming a full circle.

"Teacher, I'll head back now."

***

After leaving Larry's house, Helag soon ran into Bessie on the street. She seemed to be heading to see Larry as well.

"Bessie?" Helag greeted her.

Bessie looked flustered, avoiding Helag's gaze, and said softly, "Helag…"

"Congratulations on advancing to a third-class apprentice!" Helag congratulated her.

He had heard about Bessie's successful advancement but hadn't seen her, only sending messages via rune stone.

"Thank you." Bessie seemed preoccupied and quickly walked away without saying much.

Helag thought about Bessie's behavior, feeling something was off.

After a moment, he realized what was wrong. "Why is Bessie dressed so provocatively?"

Bessie was wearing black stockings with suspenders, which accentuated her already long legs.

More importantly, as Helag passed by her, he noticed she was only wearing a small pair of panties under her robe.

Since knowing Bessie, she had always dressed conservatively, usually in long pants, never this provocatively.

Helag felt there might be some gossip but shook his head and continued on his way. It wasn't his business.

After buying some hard-to-find items, Helag returned home to pack.

His space ring was now filled with potion materials, leaving little room for large items. He packed his spell model books.

After finishing, Helag picked up a quill and wrote a letter to Lilian, informing her that he would be leaving Moonlight Woodland for a while and might be out of contact.

"I hope the letter can still be sent," Helag thought. Moonlight Woodland had imposed travel restrictions, but with a valid reason, people could still leave, so mail should still be delivered.