"Alright, enough about that! These materials were originally quite expensive, but now that raw materials have dropped in price — two hundred Magic Stones!"
Wus named his price.
Leilin nodded and handed Wus twenty mid-grade Magic Stones.
He then received a large bundle from Wus, drawing a crowd of onlookers.
Leilin gave a bitter smile, slung the bundle onto his back, and casually made small talk with Wus.
"How is it? Do you have any news about Magical Items here?" When it came to ways of rapidly boosting his strength, Leilin never let an opportunity slip by.
"Of course not!" Wus shook his head decisively. "Magical Items prices have been going crazy lately, but these are life-saving things — who wouldn't want one, and who'd be willing to sell?"
Then he suddenly lowered his voice: "You bought all these materials, and you're asking about Magical Items — you must have heard that news too, right?"
Leilin nodded: "I'm planning to take on a long-term assignment. Get out of the Academy for a while!"
Wus nodded: "Getting away isn't a bad idea. I'll be heading out in a few days myself!"
"So even Wus, a Third-rank Apprentice with Magical Items, feels the need to retreat!" The sense of urgency in Leilin's mind grew even sharper. He exchanged a few more pleasantries with Wus, then hurriedly said his goodbyes and left.
"The assignment can't wait — I need to leave immediately!"
Leaving without taking an assignment wasn't impossible, but getting past the gatekeeper would be difficult. Besides, he still planned to return someday to gain access to knowledge befitting a full Wizard, so he couldn't just abandon all pretenses.
After all, his Wizard aptitude was rather mediocre, but his talent in Potionology was something even Mentor Guofate had praised. The Academy certainly wouldn't just leave him behind to die.
Because Heilongsi had already swept the area outside the Academy clean, the assignment district had managed to recover a measure of its bustle. But when Leilin looked more carefully, he noticed that Third-rank Apprentices were almost nowhere to be seen. He understood perfectly well why.
"Poor souls," Leilin thought, looking at the low-ranked apprentices before him as they calculated their potential rewards, scrimping to save up for access to paid knowledge. A flicker of pity crossed his eyes.
They were clearly expendable pawns. While a single apprentice was completely useless against a full Wizard, several dozen or even a hundred apprentices, combined with magical formations, could actually injure or even kill a full Wizard. That was the purpose they served.
But wars between Wizards were tremendously dangerous. If these people survived here with even thirty percent of their number intact, that would be a blessing.
Though Leilin felt pity, he had no intention of revealing the information. He had already been walking a fine line by dropping hints to his companions — if he spread the news further, even Guofate wouldn't be able to protect him.
Leilin glanced at the mission wall. The vast majority of the postings were short-term assignments at locations close to the Academy. It seemed all the long-range missions had been hidden away by the Academy.
When there was no one around, Leilin quickly strode up to the front desk.
"What kind of assignment are you looking for?" The person who greeted him was a thin, wizened old man who looked quite amiable.
"The assignments on the wall don't suit me. Do you have anything more… special? I'm Leilin Farell, a disciple of Mentor Guofate!" Leilin said in a low voice, tossing a small pouch across the counter.
The old man caught it swiftly, opened it to take a look, and a smile spread across his face: "Of course we do!"
He pulled a scroll out from beneath the counter. "Take a look! All the assignments are on there!"
The black scroll looked quite ancient. Leilin unrolled it and quickly scanned through the tasks listed on it.
Most of these assignments shared a common trait — they weren't difficult, but they lasted a long time. It was intentional, meant to keep potential talents out of the academy and away from trouble.
Using the Chip to scan through the options, Leilin quickly settled on one task.
"Investigate the withering of vegetation near Polar Night City! Assignment duration: three years!"
"This is the one!" Leilin pointed at the investigation task and spoke to the old man.
"Polar Night City is located in East Forest Province of the Marsh Duchy! You'd have to cross more than half the duchy to get there. Want to buy a map?" The old man grinned like a crooked merchant.
"I'll take one!" Although Leilin had already collected a map before, having another one to compare wouldn't hurt.
He spent another two Magic Stones and obtained a brand-new map. Not only did it mark out all the provinces of the Marsh Duchy, but it also had a route traced in red.
"Judging by the map, Polar Night City sits at the easternmost edge of the Marsh Duchy — right on the border, far from the academy. But it happens to be near a Wizard gathering point from the materials Biji sent, making it convenient to receive messages!"
This was precisely why Leilin had chosen this task.
"Here's your travel pass." The old man handed Leilin a red iron token. "Don't lose it — no replacements for lost passes."
Looks like the academy has tightened up entry and exit controls recently.
Leilin thought to himself but said nothing outwardly, accepting the iron token.
After leaving the assignment area, Leilin went to visit Guofate, Biji, and several other friends to say goodbye.
Since he had no idea how long he'd be away, there were still matters to settle beforehand. Biji, after receiving Leilin's hint, had already prepared to return to her clan. Kreweir and the others looked rather grim — they came from the Keli Archipelago and had nowhere else to go here. Leilin could only offer words of comfort.
He pushed open the door to his room and looked at the familiar furnishings. A sudden wave of sentiment washed over Leilin.