The Next Day.

  Pierce woke up early. After eating a simple meal from his travel provisions, he pushed open the stone door and walked out.

  Sophia and Payne had been waiting outside for quite a while. Seeing Pierce emerge, they immediately bowed respectfully.

  "We will be spending a long time together in the future; there is no need to be so formal."

  Pierce waved his hand, turning to head down the mountain path.

  "Let's go. To the Mission Hall."

  Sophia and Payne hurried to catch up.

  Although it was still early morning, the plaza was already packed with people.

  The stream of traffic at the gates of the Exchange and the Mission Hall was endless, creating a bustling, deafening clamor.

  Many Wizards with haggard expressions were hurrying back from the outside, heading toward the Mission Hall. The followers trailing behind them carried the distinct stench of blood, having clearly just survived a fierce slaughter.

  Even more Wizards were striding out of the Mission Hall with solemn expressions, dispersing in all directions.

  They had accepted their missions and were off to spill Turin blood.

  The entirety of Red Maple City operated like a massive machine running twenty-four hours a day, constantly chewing away at this plane bit by bit until it was thoroughly digested into an appendage of Wizard civilization.

  Pierce stepped through the grand doors of the Mission Hall, with Sophia and Payne closely behind.

  The hall was spacious and brightly lit, no smaller than the Exchange. It was laid out in a ring. The half directly facing the entrance was lined with a dense array of counters where many people were registering for missions.

  On the wall to the right of the entrance, rows of shimmering, iridescent text scrolled constantly—these were the available missions.

  [Mission: Hunt Turin Patrol Chariots]

  [Proof of Completion: Memory Ring visual record]

  [Reward: 20 Merit Points per fully-staffed chariot; under-staffed chariots calculated by actual headcount]

  [Mission: Eradicate Enemy Outposts]

  [Proof of Completion: Memory Ring visual record]

  [Reward: 30~50 Merit Points, varying by outpost garrison strength]

  [Note: Accepted missions include a complimentary battlefield map]

  [Mission: Destroy Turin Fortifications]

  [Proof of Completion: Memory Ring visual record]

  [Reward: 300~1000 Merit Points, varying by fortification garrison strength]

  [Note: Accepted missions include a complimentary battlefield map]

  Pierce completely bypassed the missions for hunting chariots and eradicating outposts, his eyes locking directly onto the last category.

  The first two types of missions were time-consuming, tedious, and offered pitiful payouts.

  The chariot hunting, in particular, didn't even offer enough points to exchange for a single Resonance Potion.

  He had no intention of wasting his time on them.

  Pierce focused on the fortification destruction missions.

  There wasn't just one; there were over a thousand listed, corresponding to the thousands of Turin fortifications identified by Red Maple City's scouts thus far.

  If all these fortifications could be razed, the Turins' supply lines would be severed. Their scouts would no longer be able to operate deep within the buffer zone, drastically shrinking their field of vision.

  The buffer zone between the two armies would thus turn into an unobstructed highway. Red Maple City could march its main forces down at any moment, striking straight at the heart of the Turin allied army without resistance.

  Therefore, in the current stalemate before the next major clash, capturing and destroying each other's defensive structures had become the focal point of the conflict.

  The strategic importance was reflected in the rewards. The minimum payout for destroying a fortification was 300 Merit Points—enough to purchase a vial of Unicorn Blood Essence.

  The maximum could reach 1,000 Merit Points, perfectly sufficient to exchange for a Sprout of the Holy Spirit.

  Pierce didn't deliberate for long. He quickly decided to take on a fortification destruction mission.

  He walked over to the wall on the left side of the entrance. Here, countless streaks of light crisscrossed to project a lifelike, three-dimensional illusion—a real-time battlefield map of the buffer zone.

  The map was densely packed with glowing dots, representing the various Turin outposts and fortifications.

  Beside some of the dots, the estimated enemy garrison strength was displayed for reference.

  The map updated dynamically. Every so often, a light dot would flicker and vanish, indicating that an outpost had been purged or a fortification razed.

  Simultaneously, new dots would periodically appear.

  It was a perfectly synchronized miniature projection of the ongoing war.

  Pierce studied it intently for a moment, formulated a plan, and quietly issued a few instructions to Sophia.

  Sophia nodded immediately and turned toward the counters.

  Not long after, she returned holding a scroll of parchment.

  "My Lord, it's done as you instructed. We have accepted the destruction mission for Fortification No. 89. They also provided a magic map," Sophia said, returning to Pierce's side.

  Hearing this, the surrounding Wizards turned their heads, their scrutinizing gazes sweeping over Pierce and his two followers. Their eyes held a mix of surprise, curiosity, disdain, and contempt.

  Among the myriad of tasks offered by Red Maple City, destroying a fortification ranked solidly in the upper-middle tier of difficulty.

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  Even a Wizard at the Rank 1 Liquid Phase wouldn't dare accept one casually.

  Those who dared were either supremely confident in their power, or reckless, ignorant greenhorns who had just arrived.

  Which category did this overly young man fall into?

  Ignoring the prying eyes, Pierce took the magic map, stored it in his spatial ring, and turned to leave.

  In the crowd, a Wizard with dark red eyes watched Pierce's back disappear through the doors. He sneered coldly, "What an arrogant fool. A Wizard who hasn't even been promoted for two months daring to take a mission like that? He truly doesn't know how to spell the word 'death'."

  A plump Wizard standing next to him glanced sideways and chuckled. "I heard Pierce advanced using a top-tier Advanced Meditation Technique. The strength of such a person cannot be judged by the standards of ordinary Wizards. Perhaps he is genuinely confident he can handle it."

  Another black-haired Wizard shook his head. "No matter how much of a genius Pierce is, it's impossible to break through to the Liquid Phase in less than two months. And for a Rank 1 Gaseous Phase Wizard to take on a fortification is no different from suicide."

  The plump Wizard didn't argue, simply narrowing his eyes with a smile. "If what you say is true, and Pierce really dies on this mission, that's excellent news for our Red Lotus City. I imagine Hubert and the others will be thrilled."

  "That is true," the red-eyed Wizard nodded slightly, a mocking smirk curling his lips. "Then I shall wait and see."

  The battlefield was vast. Venturing deep into it on foot was out of the question.

  Using movement spells for long-distance travel was equally unrealistic, as it would senselessly drain precious mental power.

  Therefore, a mode of transportation was mandatory—specifically, an aerial one.

  "My Lord, I asked around yesterday. There is a district near the city gates that specializes in selling and leasing Giant Eagles. Perhaps we can procure some there," Sophia suggested.

  Pierce gave her an approving glance and nodded.

  "Then we will buy Giant Eagles on our way out."

  Without delay, Pierce led the two straight toward the gates of Red Maple City.

  Due to the terrain and urban planning, Red Maple City covered an immense area, even vaster than Aurora City.

  Even if one could fly, crossing the city would take a significant amount of time.

  To solve this, a massive network of teleportation points had been established to facilitate travel.

  The only downside was the exorbitant cost.

  A fee of one Magic Stone for a single teleportation didn't sound high, but traversing the city required passing through seven or eight nodes. For three people, a single trip would burn through roughly twenty Magic Stones.

  For Wizards without deep pockets, this was a hefty expense.

  Many preferred to sacrifice their time and ride Giant Eagles across the city rather than squander their Magic Stones so lavishly.

  Pierce, however, had no intention of wasting time in transit. With a wave of his hand, he paid for the entire group to use the teleportation network.

  Four or five minutes later, the trio arrived at the city gates and spent 150 Magic Stones to purchase three Giant Eagles.

  The Giant Eagles stood nearly three meters tall, with wingspans exceeding ten meters. Their broad, feathered backs were more than large enough to comfortably seat a rider.

  Sophia had secretly harbored a romantic notion of sharing a single mount with Pierce, using "saving funds" as an excuse. However, before she could even voice the idea, Payne loudly shouted, "Shopkeeper, we'll take three Giant Eagles!" shattering her daydream instantly.

  She glared daggers at Payne in sheer frustration.

  Poor Payne was entirely oblivious, scratching his head in confusion at her sudden hostility.

  Mounting the beasts, the three Giant Eagles unleashed piercing shrieks and launched into the sky, riding the rushing wind.

  The towering, monolithic walls of Red Maple City rapidly shrank in their vision, fading into the horizon.

  In the blink of an eye, they were soaring at an altitude of a thousand meters.

  The high-altitude gales howled fiercely, but as Legendary Knights shielded by their Elemental Power, none of the three were bothered.

  Pierce sat cross-legged, retrieving the magic map and resting it on his knees as he studied it intently.

  The magic map synced real-time data. Any destroyed or newly erected outposts and fortifications would immediately reflect on the parchment.

  Their target, Fortification No. 89, was located roughly 462 kilometers away in a straight line.

  At the Giant Eagles' cruising speed, it would take about two hours to arrive.

  Their flight path would take them directly over several Turin outposts. Pierce intended to steamroll right through them.

  Firstly, this would prevent those outposts from spotting them and relaying intelligence ahead of time, which would allow the garrison at Fortification No. 89 to prepare an ambush.

  Secondly, it was an easy source of Merit Points.

  Red Maple City didn't require Free Wizards to formally accept a mission to claim its bounty.

  If one encountered a Turin patrol chariot or outpost in the wild, as long as they provided irrefutable proof of the kill—such as a Memory Ring recording—they would receive the corresponding Merit Points upon returning.

  "Although the Merit Points for these minor targets are low, even a mosquito is meat. Accumulated over time, it becomes a substantial sum."

  Pierce withdrew his gaze from the map and looked down at the earth below.

  The desolate wilderness was utterly barren. Scarcely a single plant could be seen, let alone animals. The landscape was nothing but cracked yellow earth and jagged rocks.

  Perhaps not long ago, this very plain had been a lush, fertile expanse where grass grew tall and birds sang. But after enduring the relentless ravages of planar war, no trace of its former beauty remained.

  As they flew over a dried riverbed, Pierce spotted the ruins of a settlement.

  It must have once been a bustling town, but now only shattered walls and rubble remained. Amidst the debris, the half-collapsed structure of a grand temple still stubbornly defied gravity.

  Though no worshippers remained to pray, the majestic, imposing murals painted across its mottled stone exterior still whispered tales of a bygone era of divine glory.

  Pierce observed the ruins with chilling calmness. He felt not a shred of sympathy for the Turins' plight.

  Planar conquest was, at its core, a brutal war between intelligent species of different origins competing for the apex of the cosmic food chain. Harboring mercy in a life-and-death evolutionary struggle was no different from volunteering for extinction.

  Sophia and Payne also noticed the ruins. While they inwardly sighed at the absolute cruelty of war, they tightened their vigilance, scanning their surroundings.

  This was a live battlefield; enemies could emerge at any second.

  Constant alertness was mandatory. A single lapse in focus could cost them their lives.

  They flew steadily for over a hundred kilometers without incident.

  Just as Pierce assumed they would reach the first outpost without any unexpected encounters, a massive procession of several hundred figures suddenly marched into view in the distance.

  It was a detachment of warriors clad in uniform armor, wielding heavy battle axes and greatswords.

  The cavalry rode beasts that resembled horses, but with limbs covered in thick, reptilian scales. They scanned their surroundings alertly while chatting and laughing—the very picture of seasoned veterans, relaxed on the surface but tightly coiled within.

  Behind the cavalry marched hundreds of infantrymen in thick leather armor, armed to the teeth.

  And trapped in the center of the infantry formation were dozens of captives. Their hands were bound tightly, and their bodies were covered in bruises and lacerations. Without exception, their faces were painted with utter despair and grief.

  "It's the Turins!" Sophia instantly spotted the procession, her expression hardening.

  "Are those captives from Red Maple City?" Payne frowned in confusion. "The Turins take prisoners too?"

  "What's so strange about that?" Sophia sneered coldly. "A planar civilization built on a feudal noble system like the Turins definitely runs a massive slave trade. To them, Knights like us are incredibly valuable commodities."

  Payne fell silent, a grim realization dawning on him.

  Pierce smiled faintly and nodded. "Sophia is entirely correct. We seek to harvest the Turins' lives to exchange for Merit Points, and the Turins seek to capture us and bind us in chains. Both sides are simultaneously the hunter and the prey."

  "This is the absolute essence of planar warfare!"

  "Morality, justice, righteousness—they are all illusions. The only true law is the survival of the fittest!"

  "Therefore, you must never harbor any misplaced sympathy."

  Payne remained silent, but the look in his eyes gradually hardened into steel. When he looked down at the Turin forces again, his gaze was frigid.

  As for Sophia, she had understood this reality long ago; her resolve had never wavered.

  Down below, the Turin forces finally spotted the Giant Eagles circling the sky.

  A wave of commotion rippled through the infantry ranks. The captives seized the momentary distraction to scream for help, throwing the formation into sudden chaos.

  At the front, a middle-aged Turin knight sporting a thick, untamed beard didn't hesitate. He drew his greatsword, spurred his mount around, and smoothly decapitated the loudest captive.

  Using this brutal, bloody execution, he instantly terrified the remaining prisoners into dead silence. He barked a series of harsh orders at the infantry, swiftly restoring order.

  Following the bearded knight's roars, the infantry drew their weapons, forming a tight ring around the captives to prevent escape, while raising their shields and aiming their crossbows skyward, treating the riders above as a lethal threat.

  The scaled cavalry had already reacted the second the eagles were spotted. They seamlessly shifted into a defensive battle formation, putting their veteran discipline and lethal efficiency on full display.

  "Quite an elite unit."

  A cold smile tugged at the corner of Pierce's mouth. He patted the Giant Eagle's neck.

  The Giant Eagle let out a piercing, raptorial shriek and folded its wings, diving toward the earth like a falling meteor.