Super Magician: The Magic Network Collapsed Again at the Start

Chapter 129 Taking Shape
Upon hearing this, a look of joy appeared on Elise's face.

The Platinum Dragon God is wonderful. He is very inclusive, without strict religious organizations, and does not advocate deity worship. He emphasizes enlightenment, justice, and the responsibility of protection.

He doesn't even care about your faith; as long as your actions are approved by Him, you may receive assistance.

This is the best possible outcome; otherwise, few people would be willing to keep a paladin by their side.

"Are you going back tonight?" she asked, looking at the mountain of goods.

"I'm not going back. I have friends to entertain." Anser waved his hand, secretly relieved.

Fortunately, Elise didn't press him about his oath, otherwise it would have been quite troublesome. A paladin who swore an oath to a giant nobleman worshipping the Platinum Dragon God—it just sounded strange.

Elise looked slightly disappointed: "Then be careful. There have been a lot of outsiders in Durag lately, and there might be mind-eaters and mind flayers lurking in the shadows."

"Don't worry, I don't live outside." Anser nodded slightly.

"I'm leaving." Iris felt she had talked too much today, and disappeared into the night on her flying carpet.

Anser didn't think much of it. He glanced around and saw that everyone had dispersed. There were still guards standing at the street corner in the distance, stopping curious passersby.

He immediately took out the Scepter of Protection and quickly marked the goods with magical symbols, sending them to Holreven in batches.

Finally, Blatt and his two companions, along with Gray Eagle, were teleported away.

After confirming that nothing was missing, he spurred his horse away, escaping all sight, and turned into an unknown alley, then teleported away.

'I always feel like someone is watching me.' Anser stroked his chin, knowing that his presence had attracted a lot of attention.

This is almost inevitable; a warlock who can still cast spells normally is indeed conspicuous. If that warlock is also a paladin, then for certain groups, he is practically synonymous with trouble.

Paladins are widely recognized as the nemesis of evil. Mind Flayers are so powerful that many professionals suffer greatly when they encounter them, but Paladins can deal with them with ease.

Holy Light can quickly remove the intellectual damage caused by Mind Flayers, and Protection of Good and Evil can make the recipient immune to most of the Mind Flayer's mind control and the Mind Flayer's possession attacks.

The strongest are the Guardian Aura and the Heroic Aura, which can protect against all kinds of spells and their negative effects. The higher a paladin's Charisma attribute, the stronger the saving throws.

If Anser learns to protect the aura, all types of saving throws start at +5, which is outrageous.

It allows a warrior of average intelligence to withstand the Mind Blast of a Mind Flayer, instead of being "shocked" on the spot and losing the ability to resist.

However, the Guardian Aura's basic radius is only three meters, and it only takes effect when the aura is right next to the face. Therefore, Paladins are also jokingly called "Aura Pendants" and "Stick-on Paladins".

'No one studies the weak; the stronger I am, the more attention I'll receive.' He wasn't overly worried; focusing on doing his best in the present was more important.

In the square, Blatt and his group met up with Salian and his group. The two sides embraced, expressed their feelings, and were somewhat emotional.

They had only known each other for a short time, but they had gone through life and death battles together, trusted each other, and had a sincere bond.

"Hey, why did you buy so many live animals?" Careno asked curiously, looking at the cages and water bags.

Anser stepped forward and said with a smile, "You didn't notice, did you? There are no fish, shrimp, or animals here. It's too monotonous."

“No wonder I felt something was off,” Salian said suddenly. “Then everyone, let’s get moving and clean up. Chef, go prepare dinner.”

The halfling chef on the original elven ship was named Welby. He always carried various knives with him, holding one in each hand and gesturing alternately: "Where are the kitchen and dining room?"

“Probably… on the second floor,” Anser mumbled.

"Probably?" Welby looked puzzled. Whose house was this?

“Hmm~” Anser pointed to the long table where Blatt had made his purchases and said, “Now we have a dining table.”

“Uh… then help me carry it up first.” Welby had a bad feeling.

Everyone quickly got to work, with Blatter, as the general manager, in charge of distributing and placing the supplies.

Furniture was prioritized for placement in the first-floor lobby and second-floor dining room. Tableware, stoves, bread, salt, and seasonings were placed in the dining room. Wheat, rice, cheese, dried fruit, wine, tools, seeds, charcoal, and similar items were stored in the basement storage room. Daily necessities were taken to the fourth-floor living area, but there weren't enough to go around. Dozens of water bags containing fish, shrimp, turtles, and frogs were taken to the riverbank and released into the water.

There were also over a hundred small animals, mainly birds, rabbits, rats, and weasels, as well as earthworms, bees, and several snakes, all of which were released separately.

It can only be said that Blatter's comprehension ability is quite outstanding. Anser only gave a general explanation, and he understood the underlying logic. He achieved great things with little money.

The island has no shortage of plants and insects, but the species are limited, and further introductions are needed to enrich the ecosystem.

The number of small animals is still far from sufficient, and the proportions are not right. The basic terrestrial ecosystem should be from the "plant food chain" to the "scavenging cycle." In the early stages, too many carnivores and intermediate to higher-level predators should not be introduced.

During this time, Blatt returned the treasure pouch to Anser, which contained only a few dozen gold coins.

Anser had seen the list; the value of these supplies exceeded two thousand gold coins. Without asking, he knew that Blatt had contributed his and Finn's entire savings.

He had no debts, but he also had no money left; a few dozen gold coins were the last bit of dignity he could leave for the lord.

However, he won't have to worry about food for a while. He has more than 200 bags of grain, each weighing 100 pounds, mainly consisting of wheat and rice, as well as potatoes and vegetables.

It's no wonder the refugees were envious; the purchasing power of two thousand gold coins was extraordinary. Blatt had to visit many shops to collect the money.

If it weren't for the soaring prices, he could have bought even more.

Salian and the others couldn't stop smiling when they saw so many supplies. They had food and drink here, and it was safe. Their fatigue and worries of the past few days were swept away.

Chef Welby, along with several assistants, quickly prepared enough food for over fifty people: a halfling stew, bread, and onion soup.

Luckily, Blatter bought two large iron pots, otherwise cooking would have been quite troublesome.

The second-floor restaurant is very large, with a large dining room, several smaller halls, a kitchen, and storage rooms.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much furniture; only the kitchen had relatively complete items. The large dining room only had a long table and a dozen or so chairs.

The others could only sit on the ground, and there weren't enough cutlery. You used a bowl, I used a plate, but fortunately no one cared about that, and everyone looked very relaxed.

At the long table, Anser sat at the head of the table, with Blatt and Salian on either side, eating and talking about recent events.

“This place is truly extraordinary,” Salian remarked once again.

“Luck.” Anser didn’t say much, and now, looking back, the Great Reader was a bit too generous.

“It’s only because of you. Anyone else wouldn’t even be able to get past the treants.” Salian shook his head slightly. Luck is also part of strength, and the Faerûn people believe in that.

"It can only serve as a temporary residence for now; it won't be easy to develop it further," Anser sighed. "It's too expensive."

“If you develop it properly, it has great potential.” Salian didn’t understand Anser’s predicament and just offered advice.

"What are your plans?" Anser changed the subject.

"We're too tired to run anymore. As long as you don't kick us out, we'll rest here for a while, help you clear land, and give you some food." Salian said with a smile, half serious and half joking.

“I couldn’t be happier.” Anser raised his glass and clinked it with his, then drank it all in one gulp. “I’ve handed over Holreven to Blatt, but he’s all alone and can’t get many things done. It would be best if you could stay, and staying for a long time is no problem.”

However, I can't pay salaries in the short term. Salaries will be determined based on the specific job requirements once everything is back on track.

“Yes.” Salian nodded in agreement. “If you want to develop, you need a sound organizational system. A makeshift team won’t go far.”

"Let's be self-sufficient for now, clear land for farming, raise fish and graze livestock."

Islands are ideal for farming, with suitable temperatures and plenty of sunshine.

Besides that, the only way Anser could think of to make a profit was through trade, using the spatial characteristics to hoard goods, traveling around as a merchant, buying low and selling high.

But it's dangerous everywhere now, and running around could lead to an accident.

(End of this chapter)