Chapter 324: Chapter 324: The Fall of the Outpost

After a wizard's death, they are transformed into undead mages, typically taking on a spiritual body form, sometimes attaching themselves to special objects as vessels. Many so-called powerful witchcraft artifacts come about in this manner, though they are extremely rare. In the following two days, Duke started joining the team on their missions, primarily recording the unique plant species here, retrieving samples, labeling, and preserving them. The work may seem simple but not everyone can do it, as both the environment and the vegetation here possess a certain level of danger that ordinary wizard apprentices cannot handle. After the team completed their mission, they began their journey back to the Seventh Outpost to submit these materials. With the rest of the team traveling together, the journey went much more smoothly, and often Duke didn't even need to lift a finger as any trouble encountered was quickly resolved. Two days later, when they were still dozens of kilometers away from the Seventh Outpost, Hela suddenly stopped, her left eye's gears whirring continuously. At the same time, a massive energy surge came from dozens of kilometers away, and an extremely powerful aura spread to their location. From the energy fluctuations, it was evident that something occurred far away, but the fact that it spread across such a distance indicated the immense power of the source. Simultaneously, Duke received a message through the Wizard's Mark from Brandon: "Seventh Outpost encountered an enemy attack. All mages below Level two should evacuate immediately!" Hela wore a grave expression and turned back to Duke and the others, saying, "You all need to evacuate this area and await further instructions. I'm heading back to provide support." This attack was sudden, and the attackers were undoubtedly powerful, beyond what a Level one Mage could handle, joining would only mean certain death. That's why Brandon warned all Level one Mages to stay clear of the outpost, unsure if they could solve the current crisis. Upon giving her instructions, Hela transformed into a black smoke and headed towards the outpost, while Duke exchanged glances with the others, seeing panic and confusion in their eyes. The situation was so sudden they hadn't yet figured out what they should do next. Duke, being straightforward, turned around and began walking, moving away from the direction of the Seventh Outpost as quickly as possible. Though unaware of what exactly transpired, the urgency in Brandon's message suggested a situation worse than they had imagined. In such circumstances, distancing oneself as quickly as possible was the wisest decision.