Mist Lord

Xia Yuan is lucky.

With helpful prompts, you can always pick the hero with the greatest potential.

This time we were even luckier.

As one of the very few mages in the Misty Continent, Serandis started at the fourth rank and will surely become another great help to the territory in the future.

"Cerantis, would you mind introducing your abilities?"

Xia Yuan was quite curious about the mysterious mage. Although Satir could also control the wind element, she couldn't strictly be considered a mage.

"As you wish!"

Serandis nodded slightly. "I sensed a rich natural atmosphere around the territory."

He slightly raised the withered wooden staff in his hand, releasing the power of nature, which transformed into a green light and entered the thorny vines that were happily feeding at the foot of the city wall.

"brush!"

The moment the green light merged in, the thorny vines began to grow wildly, and were controlled by Serandis at her will.

What appears to be an ordinary display simultaneously showcases three major abilities: plant affinity, plant manipulation, and rampant propagation—the unique skills of the root mage.

"So, the root mage's main method is to manipulate various plants using the power of nature?"

Xia Yuan seemed to be deep in thought.

"That's pretty much it. The infusion of natural power causes plants to grow wildly, and their original characteristics, such as resilience and venomous thorns, are also enhanced. Therefore, it is most effective against mutated plants."

If it were an ordinary vine, it could be easily severed even if infused with the power of nature.

The forces of nature are amplified, not distorted.

"What if there are no mutated plants around? Is it possible to catalyze and manipulate them on-site using mutated plant seeds that you carry with you?"

Xia Yuan thought of the seeds of ground thorn grass and bramble vines he had obtained before, but unfortunately they had all been used up.

"The primary medium for a root mage's spells is the seeds of mutated plants. However, I have exhausted all my seeds during my previous adventures. I humbly request that my lord grant me permission to catalyze some of the groundthorn and bramble vines to harvest a batch of seeds," Serandis said, seizing the opportunity to make her request.

"No problem! If conditions allow, it would be best to catalyze more. I'm also planning to plant thorny vines all around the earthen city wall."

Both the ground thorn grass and the bramble vine have very demanding growing conditions and are difficult to seed.

Serandis's arrival, however, perfectly solved this problem.

In past defensive battles, especially against beast tides, ground spikes and thorny vines have played a crucial role, so naturally, the more the better.

"I'm doing my best, it just takes time."

Catalyzing mutated plants requires a large amount of natural energy, which even a fourth-tier mage like Serandis cannot sustain continuously; she can only proceed slowly. But it is definitely much faster than natural growth.

"Does the prospect of catalyzing new mutant plant seeds mean we can only stay put?"

Xia Yuan had previously planned to bring the new hero into the observation group if he was also a Tier 4 hero. He just didn't know if Pei Ye's territory had any mutated plants.

Logically speaking, he should have some, after all, he is an 8th-level lord, and his foundation is extraordinary.

"yes…"

A hint of sadness flashed in Serandis's eyes. "As a root mage, besides temporarily stimulating the growth of mutated plant seeds, another method is to contract with a natal plant, which can be carried as a pet."

"Unfortunately, my beloved plant pet also perished in that battle..."

Every hero summoned has a hidden past. This is true for Black Armor, for Serandis, and even for Satir, Elua, and others.

Most of them are unlikely to be very pleasant experiences.

When the topic of plant pets came up, Serandis's emotions clearly fluctuated, indicating that this incident had a significant impact on her.

"My favorite plant-based pet? How about this one?"

Xia Yuan didn't hide anything and took out the newly acquired Devil Vine seedlings.

"This...this is a legendary mutated plant—the Devil Vine?"

Serandis, who was originally very aloof, finally couldn't hold back when she saw the Devil Vine seedling. Her expression was excited and her body even trembled slightly.

This is the plant pet that the Root Mage has always dreamed of.

"It's yours!"

Such wondrous things as the Devil Vine seedlings can only reach their full value in the hands of a root mage like Serandis. Xia Yuan cannot cultivate them himself, so it's better to help him achieve his goal.

As a lord, helping your heroes succeed is helping yourself succeed.

"My lord, this...this is far too precious..."

Serandis, however, remained composed. She had only just arrived and had not yet accomplished anything; how could she accept such a generous gift?

"Take it."

Xia Yuan, however, shoved the treasure chest containing the Devil Vine seedlings directly into Serandis's hands, saying, "You are the first mage in our territory, how can you not have any protective measures?"

Plant pets are not only the fighting partners of root mages, but also their close protectors and life-saving trump cards; they are indispensable.

"Thank you for the reward, my lord!"

Serandis was deeply moved. After accepting the gift, she solemnly bowed to Xia Yuan again, saying, "Having received such great kindness from my lord, I can only offer my utmost loyalty, unto death."

Don't be fooled by the seemingly insignificant gift Xia Yuan gave; a legendary mutated plant seedling is priceless.

With such a generous lord, what more can be said?

loyalty!!!

"Alright, let Satir take you to settle in first, then we can explore the territory and get familiar with the situation."

Having subdued the aloof Serandis, Xia Yuan could be considered to have completed his mission. At least for now, the atmosphere within Mingguang Town was very harmonious, and there was absolutely no trouble or drama.

"My lord, may I stay there?"

As a mage, Serandis naturally disliked living in groups, yet she chose the Misty Lighthouse to the north. The tower stood alone on the edge of her territory, facing the forest, which couldn't be more suitable.

"That's the Misty Lighthouse. There are bronze gargoyles on top, and a group of bone-winged bats live there. If you don't mind, we can arrange for you to stay there."

We can't just drive the bone-winged bats away; we have to respect who came first.

"...What about that tower?"

Serandis, however, didn't particularly like bats and pointed to the Demon-Sealing Tower in the corner of the earthen city wall.

"That's the Demon Sealing Tower, inhabited by demons, and a wounded fifth-tier sword demon lives on the top floor."

"..."

Serandis was rendered speechless, and finally turned her gaze to the clock tower located in the central square.

"No one lives there, but the clock tower still serves as a war watchtower. If any enemy invades the territory, the bronze bell will sound an alarm. If you don't mind being disturbed..."

"No problem."

Serandis wasn't being coy. "My lord, may I recruit mage apprentices within the territory?"

It's true that monks may wish to live in seclusion, but they don't have to do everything themselves. They usually have one or two apprentice monks with them, and some even have servants.

Having just arrived and already received a generous reward from her lord, Serandis was too embarrassed to bring up the matter of servants again.

"Of course, that's no problem. You can choose any people from the territory you like. If you're not satisfied, I can take you to Yunyang City next time to see if we can find suitable slaves. Or we can wait until the refugee camp is built and choose from among the refugees."

Xia Yuan had no reason to refuse such a reasonable request.

"Thank you, my lord!"

Serandis felt a warmth in her heart and then respectfully withdrew.

.........

"Wang Er!"

"master!"

"Select two honest and hardworking maids who don't like to gossip, and send them to the clock tower to serve Serandis's daily needs. Ask them what else she needs, and fulfill any requests that can be made."

Serandis was too embarrassed to speak, but Xia Yuan arranged everything in one go.

"Yes, sir!"

Even a serf like Wang Er naturally felt awe towards the legendary sorcerer. He had just overheard that the sorcerer Serandis was going to recruit apprentice sorcerers in her territory.

I was wondering if I should send Xiaohua to serve me, maybe that would bring some good fortune?

.........

Having arranged everything, Xia Yuan prepared to go to Yunyang City.

Such a big deal as upgrading a territory to level 4 should be reported to Sect Master Pei Shuang in person, and the matter of the observation group should be finalized at the same time.