Chapter 154: The Conception

Throughout the entire company, the Enchanted Wizard Apprentices led by Daina had all completed magification and possessed Inherent Mana, fearing no cold. The other Wizard Apprentices who had reached the Mid-level Apprentice tier also had no need to fear the cold.

Warren, watching the portion of ordinary people in the company already suffering from the cold, grew anxious. He could not stand by and watch these people succumb to disease or even death.

“Hold on a little longer. When His Excellency the Torch-Bearer returns, he is an outstanding physician and can surely save you.” Warren tightly gripped the hands of several severely ill people.

However, the problem facing the company was not just the cold. They had no food. Having fled in an emergency, they had no time to prepare food. The legion remnants originally had some food, but it was all incinerated in Ace’s explosion.

Bayen, walking at the very front of the company, was barefoot and carried a wooden staff in his left hand. This was his Grimoire, transformed into a staff. The replica Grimoire Ace had granted him was in his right hand. Anazir’s Dice was embedded in the wooden staff.

Bayen mentally touched the dice. No reaction.

“It seems there is no danger ahead.” He remained vigilant. The translucent image of the unique Spell Model of his wooden staff Grimoire surfaced. He began to activate his new spell, the Lesser Super Vision Insight Spell Model, composed of the Lesser Super Vision Rune, Lesser Mana Sensitivity Rune, and Lesser Insight Rune.

With the successful construction of the Spell Model, Mana began to pulse. He closed his eyes. In the black-and-white world, white lights of varying intensity appeared in his super-vision.

After a long while, he opened his eyes. He looked at the final page of the Grimoire, which showed the directional hint Ace had given him. He then turned and activated the spell with the Lesser Sound Rune as its core. His voice was powerful. A gentle voice spread throughout the entire company.

“Everyone follow me! Head west first, cross the mountain ahead, and then follow the river westward! At the end of the river, the Torch-Bearer has prepared food for you all!”

The already famished crowd, hearing the promise of food, involuntarily began to salivate. They encouraged each other. The Mid-level Apprentices, who feared no cold, supported the trembling ordinary people and Lesser Apprentices, moving together toward the food.

The mirror image Ace, transformed into an eagle, soared in the sky. He used his reinforced Eagle’s Sight to scan the surroundings. He simultaneously searched for prey and guided the people trudging through the snowy mountains.

He transmitted the guidance to Bayen via the Grimoire’s signal, and Bayen then led the company forward.

He could not rely on this crowd of apprentices to hunt Monsters for food. Their strength was too uneven. Even the Enchanted Wizard Apprentices, whose strength and cooperation were relatively good, would likely struggle to hunt the Monsters in the mountains without injury.

These were precious seeds. They needed to undergo a cruel trial, but they should not be meaninglessly sacrificed here.

The mirror image Ace was exceptionally busy. He had no time to discuss the “Ten Thousand Whys” with the crowd. He was wholly focused on hunting Monsters.

Occasionally passing barbarian tribes, Ace would quietly take a portion of their food. As long as the barbarians didn’t starve to death, he couldn’t concern himself with the rest.

In this manner, hindered by the slow pace of the ordinary people, the company took nearly a month to cover half the distance. The eagle Ace soared in the sky. He swooped down, landing next to an unfortunate elephant-like Monster. A large number of unstable Mana Crystal Weapons materialized behind the eagle Ace, killing the massive source of food.

The eagle transformed back into Ace. He looked at the elephant carcass and murmured, “We have food for the next few days.”

He dragged the elephant carcass and buried it at the location agreed upon with Bayen. He then transformed back into an eagle, flying everywhere to search for medicinal herbs. There were many sick people who needed treatment. The mirror image Ace was extremely busy.

Meanwhile, in the nameless valley in the eastern Larr Mountains, the host body Ace had completely conquered all the tribes in the valley and was leading the barbarians in establishing a new town.

The initial perimeter walls were already constructed. However, the barbarians were extremely clumsy, or perhaps they had been uncivilized for too long. Lacking sufficient managerial personnel, Ace could only use the Knowledge Infusion spell to forcibly implant basic knowledge and language into their minds. He directed them, albeit with great frustration, in constructing the town.

“I miss the debt slaves from the estate now. Many of the debt slaves from the various city-states were well-educated, especially Carson. If he were here, I would be free of this burden.” The host body Ace thought this while agonizingly directing the barbarians to dig foundations and build houses.

Although directing them was frustrating, the manpower was effective. The rudimentary form of a plain small town was already emerging. According to Ace’s plan, this valley would be the Wizards’ independent utopia, where he would implement his vision and build an academic magical society.

The core of this magical society would be Ace and the Wizard Apprentices—the future Wizards.

Ace divided Wizards into three categories:

Research Wizards: Possessing strong academic skills and strong magical abilities. They would research the most cutting-edge supernatural unknowns and explore the secrets with Ace.

Combat Wizards: Possessing weak academic skills but strong magical abilities. They would be the main fighting force and the armed guard of the magical society.

Mundane Wizards: Possessing weak academic and magical abilities. They would be the labor force of the magical society. Relying on fixed incantations created by spells like Lesser Magical Trickery, basic enchantment techniques, and general magical potion knowledge, they would continuously manufacture low-end magical products for the magical society, thereby magifying the entire society.

“I wonder how my father, mother, and Teacher Peter are doing. For their safety, I should avoid appearing in the city-state for the next few years. Once the foundation here is set, I will travel north, practicing medicine while seeking an opportunity to break through to Formal Wizard.”

Ace watched the bustling barbarians and contemplated quietly.

Meanwhile, in the Royal City of Medimus City-State.

The entire city was enveloped in sorrow and panic. Dikens, the sole survivor of the Northern March, had fought his way out of the Abyssal Projection of the Northern March, wielding the quasi-Treasure Artifact The Frost Blessing, and arrived at the Royal City.

The power of the quasi-Treasure Artifact had ignited his bloodline, and he had successfully become a Hero.

As the chosen holder of The Frost Blessing, the Royal Family did not reclaim the artifact. Instead, under the direction of the Royal Family, the newly-aged Crown Princess, Athena, personally bestowed the quasi-Treasure Artifact upon him.

In the city square, beneath the temple of the Goddess of Elegance, Athena stood upon a high platform. She wore silver-white skirt armor, her sky-blue hair pinned up. Her eyes, shining like rubies, were filled with resolve, though a trace of worry flickered across their beauty.

On the periphery of the crowd were the grieving Freemen and Citizens. The father of a teenager, the three sons of an older woman, and the newest husband of a young widow—all died in the Northern March at the hands of the dark worshipers.

The entire city was steeped in sorrow, with nearly every household in mourning!

Romon and Marina stood hand-in-hand among the crowd. “Tight-lipped” Old Connie, Peter, and others stood beside them, their expressions solemn.

Closer to the high platform, a group of Divine Descendant Nobles, dressed in white robes with purple ribbons, were whispering amongst themselves.

“Is that the newest frost descendant to serve The Frost Blessing?”

“Speaking of which, although The Frost Blessing is powerful, it has been served by seven or eight owners who all met an unfortunate end!”

“Everyone says the short sword carries the curse of the Son of Frost!”

“That might be true. Why else would the Royal Family not use it themselves?”

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