Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

After expressing his feelings, Roland looked at Lynn again, his smile returning to its previous gentleness.

"These thousand magic stones are merely a small farewell gift from this old man, as a senior, to a young wizard who is about to embark on a long journey to explore new territories."

"It has nothing to do with any promises or demands. If you feel bad about it, just sell any rare materials that are produced in the Soul Valley to this old man first."

If Lynn insisted on declining at this point, it would seem unreasonable and would betray the pure goodwill shown by the other party.

He remained silent for a few seconds before finally putting the space bag away again.

"You flatter me, Lord City Lord." Lynn looked at Karl and Eileen and nodded slightly.

"If the opportunity arises in the future, I, Lin, will certainly not stand idly by in any way that is within my power."

He emphasized "within one's power," which clearly indicates a clear boundary.

But this already satisfied Roland greatly.

Lynn's actions convinced Roland that he was a man of principle.

They're much better than those who take the magic stones, make promises, and then go back on their word.

"With your words, I am relieved." Roland's smile became much more sincere. "Karl, Eileen, why don't you thank Lord Lynn?"

Carl and Eileen quickly bowed again, saying, "Thank you, Lord Lynn!"

Their attitude remained respectful, but Lynn could sense that the subtle assessment and calculation that had previously lingered in their souls had faded considerably.

Instead, there was a simpler sense of awe and... a touch of envy.

I envy his youth, I envy his strength, I envy that his father treats him with such seriousness, and I envy even more that he can break free from worldly affairs and wholeheartedly pursue his own path.

Lynn said no more, cupping his hands in greeting, "City Lord, it's getting late, I should set off for Soul Valley, they're urging me urgently..."

"Okay, okay, I'll take you."

Roland personally escorted Lynn to the city gate, where a luxurious carriage drawn by four ghost horses had been waiting for some time.

Lynn declined the city lord's offer, intending to fly directly to the garrison and enjoy the pleasure of flight.

Before leaving, Roland said in a low voice, seemingly casually, "When we get there, we should first visit Lord Grom in Soul Valley..."

"He is your direct superior, the person in charge that the academy assigned to the Valley of Fallen Souls."

"In the valley you're in charge of, there are a few apprentices who stayed behind... they are disciples of the previous resident wizard, Chris."

"Chris rushed back to the academy for a promotion three years ago. He left in a hurry, and these people have been left unsupervised ever since."

"Later I heard that these apprentices were not very honest, and there were some problems with the valley's production accounts in recent years."

"They're probably urging you to go over there as soon as possible because they want to dump that mess on you."

"After you arrive, you can handle things as you see fit. There's no need to worry too much. I'll put in a good word with Chris."

This is another favor done for Lynn, and it also helps clear away any potential obstacles in advance.

Lynn nodded: "Understood, thank you."

With a thought, two pale bone wings appeared behind Lynn.

After becoming a formal wizard, one can fly without bone wings, but the speed is not very fast. "Bone Wings" can greatly increase the speed of flight.

Lynn hovered in mid-air, nodded to the group, then flapped his bone wings slightly and flew far away with a "whoosh".

Carl and Eileen stood behind their father, watching the rapidly disappearing figure in silence for a long time.

"Father," Karl said in a low voice.

"This Lord Lynn... is it really worth such an investment in a mere first-ring wizarding world? A thousand magic stones, plus your personal company..."

Roland didn't turn around, but stared in the direction the carriage had disappeared, and slowly said, "Karl, when you judge a person, you can't just look at what's in front of you; you have to look at their 'momentum'."

"So young, yet his soul strength is terrifyingly powerful, and he has secrets I can't see through... Such a person will either soar to great heights or perish prematurely."

"But in any case, the goodwill he has built before he has truly taken off is a hundred times more valuable than trying to curry favor with him after he has become famous in the North."

He turned to look at his two children and said earnestly, "I am old and my potential is exhausted, but you have a long road ahead of you."

"Remember, in the wizarding world, sometimes a powerful and reliable friend is more important than a powerful magical artifact."

"The seeds you sow today may bear fruit that you cannot imagine many years from now."

Carl and Eileen nodded thoughtfully.

High in the air, Lynn also made up his mind.

He took note of Roland's overtures and entrustment.

But I only wrote it down.

It's best to avoid dealing with them in the future to avoid getting into trouble.

His thoughts had already soared to the territory that would soon be his, and to the boundless expanse of the heavens above, awaiting his contemplation...

The traces of truth!

...

Flying high above the main world, feeling the warm sunshine on his body, Lynn felt very comfortable.

It's been so long since I've enjoyed this relaxed and carefree feeling.

Tsk, staying in the Bone Spire for too long will inevitably cause problems. No wonder there are so many psychologically twisted dark wizards.

Along the way, the closer they got to the Valley of Souls, the more desolate the environment became.

The death energy seeping from the "River Styx" continues to spread outwards, polluting the surrounding environment.

This power of death is a "forbidden power" for other creatures, but for the wizards and undead who emerge from the Bone Spire, it is "the taste of home".

With the blessing of "Wings of Bones", Lynn arrived at the Valley of Fallen Souls in just one hour.

The Valley of the Fallen Souls is not a single canyon, but a complex network of deadly ley lines consisting of dozens of fissures, valleys, and caves of varying sizes, with a total area comparable to a small kingdom.

The Bone Spire has established seven main outposts here, each overseen by a third-ring wizard and guarded by six first- or second-ring wizards.

Following the mission instructions on the nameplate, Lynn arrived at the main outpost, "Soul Outpost," located in the central area of ​​the valley.

This place is less of an outpost and more of a small fortress built against the mountain.

The obsidian walls are twenty meters high and are engraved with runes to resist the impact of the undead and the erosion of energy.

On the city wall, at intervals, stands a white bone arrow tower, with eerie green soul fire floating atop it, like an ever-bright eye watching over the depths of the valley.

Lynn did not rush into the outpost, but stopped directly in front of the outpost gate.

The gatekeepers were not living people, but four lv3 skeletons clad in heavy armor.

The soul fire in their eye sockets swept over the soul tablet Lynn presented, then silently retreated, and the heavy black iron gate slowly opened inward.

Lynn stepped inside the outpost, which resembled a castle.

The air was thick with the stench of death. The streets were clean but deserted, with only a few apprentices hurrying by or undead artisans responsible for maintenance occasionally in sight.

The architecture here is rugged and practical, mostly constructed with stone and skeleton, exuding the solemnity of a border fortress.

Following the mission instructions, he arrived at the tallest building in the center of the outpost—the "Governor's Hall".

After giving his name, he was led into a spacious but simply furnished stone hall.

There are no windows in the hall; the light comes from the glowing moss embedded in the walls and a few floating soul lamps.

Lynn looked at the gloomy and terrifying stone hall and couldn't help but complain in his heart.

This style and layout... it's still the style of the Bone Spire. They've come all the way to the main world and they don't even know how to enjoy themselves properly.

A dignified third-ring archmage like Horn, who is not even a third-class apprentice guarding the teleportation array, knows how to enjoy life.

Hopefully, things will return to normal at his post.