Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

Just as Lynn was examining the layout of the stone hall, an old man wearing a dark red wizard's robe appeared out of thin air on the main seat of the hall, startling Lynn.

I had been on high alert ever since I came in, and I never expected that someone would enter so quietly without me noticing.

Tsk... I've become a bit arrogant since becoming a formal wizard. I really underestimated all the heroes in the world.

These seasoned wizards are indeed not to be underestimated; as the person in charge of Soul Valley, they must be quite capable.

The old man in the main seat raised his head, revealing an ordinary face covered with wrinkles.

At first glance, he looks like a thin, ordinary old man who is not in good health.

However, the energy fluctuations emanating from him were vast yet restrained; he was none other than Grom, the third-ring wizard and the person in charge of this place.

"Lynn?" Grom's voice was hoarse, yet it carried a penetrating quality.

"The new garrison commander, the Lord of All Things... quite an impressive title. Please sit."

"Greetings, Lord Grom."

After bowing respectfully, Lynn sat down on the stone chair to the side as instructed.

After all, he's my direct superior, and a powerful one at that; I should show him the necessary respect.

Grom glanced at him a few times, a barely perceptible look of surprise flashing in his eyes.

So young and inexperienced, yet possessing an incredibly strong spirit, his future achievements are sure to be extraordinary.

This child possesses the aura of a "sacred mark"!

Grom nodded kindly, and without much small talk, got straight to the point.

"The situation in Soul Valley should have been mentioned in the mission briefing, but I'll just add a few more details."

Grom flicked his finger, and a gray light unfolded in the air, transforming into a three-dimensional topographical map, a miniature model of the Valley of the Fallen Souls.

"The entire valley's geological veins radiate outwards from the central 'Styx Leakage Point,' with our seven outposts each guarding one of the seven nodes that are either the richest in resources or the most unstable in the geological veins."

"You are taking over the seventh outpost, 'Shadow Mine,' located on the northwest edge of the valley, about 500 miles from here."

On the topographic map, the dot representing Garrison Point 7 lights up, while also displaying the surrounding terrain.

A deep mine tunnel winds its way into the heart of the mountain, surrounded by several areas marked as "rich ore zone," "danger zone," and "necropolis."

"The main products of the Shadow Mine are 'Netherweave Iron Ore' and 'Wraith Crystal', with small amounts of 'Rotten Spores' and 'Earth Vein Marrow' as well."

"Deep within the mine lies a small tributary of the dead ley line, which naturally breeds undead. You have three tasks."

"First, ensure the normal operation of the mine and complete the annual output targets set by the college."

"Second, eliminate dangerous undead that naturally breed in the mine or wander in from the outside to maintain regional stability."

"Third, monitor the earth vein fluctuations deep in the mine. If there are any abnormalities such as earth vein eruptions or signs of the Styx flowing back, report them immediately."

After Grom finished speaking, he paused, took out a bone fragment from his pocket, and infused it with a trace of spiritual energy.

The bone fragment flashed with a faint light, clearly sending some kind of message.

"The person who will be handing over the specific tasks to you is Haske. He is also stationed at this outpost, responsible for logistics and accounting. He'll be here soon."

Lynn nodded repeatedly to indicate that he understood.

While waiting, Grom leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and began to talk about some "unspoken rules" that would never be written in mission briefings.

"You're new here, so you might not be fully familiar with the academy's system yet." He looked at Lynn calmly.

"Every year, the academy will issue fixed mining targets based on the resource endowments of each outpost. They will provide a batch of standardized undead miners. Those stupid things have fixed work efficiency and can only barely complete about 90% of the targets."

"Every three years, the college will send a 'resource verification officer' down to check the inventory and take stock of production. Theoretically, the requirement is that the accounts and actual production must match."

Grom's lips curled into an extremely subtle smile.

"But in reality, as long as the account losses do not exceed five percent of the total target, the auditors usually do not investigate further."

"After all, there are losses among undead miners, accidents during the mining process, and fluctuations in the ley lines affecting production... It's always easy to find reasons."

Lynn's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately understood the key point.

Is this... an unspoken rule?

The standard miners provided by the academy can only complete 90% of the quota. The remaining 10%, plus the 5% that is allowed to be "wasted," adds up to a 15% shortfall.

This output does not appear in the academy's accounts, and naturally becomes "extra income" that the resident wizards can control.

Well... or rather, "gray income".

Of course, the garrison wizards need to find their own ways to mine this resource—either by using their own undead servants, hiring apprentices, or cooperating with other factions.

"I understand," Lynn nodded. "Thank you for your guidance, sir."

What a kind person! He actually told him the key tips on his first day of "employment". Although it was partly because he was being dragged into the business, Lynn did not refuse.

Resources delivered to your doorstep – why not take them?

However... since our boss is so generous, we subordinates can't be ignorant of his generosity.

From now on, a portion of that 15% extra income should still be given to this person as a token of respect...

Only by making money and progressing together can we achieve long-term cooperation.

Grom hummed in agreement and said no more.

We're all smart people; some things are best left unsaid.

If you still don't know what to do after being reminded to this extent, then there's no need to remind you again...

Just do your posting duties properly, and when your term ends, get out of here and replace it with a smarter one.

What? You want to be re-elected? Do you think I, the person in charge, am just sitting around doing nothing?

Just as the atmosphere between the two was gradually becoming more harmonious, footsteps were heard outside the hall.

A short, stocky, bearded middle-aged man dressed in leather hunting attire strode in.

His aura was at the peak of the first ring, and the fluctuations of his soul fire carried obvious earth and death-related characteristics, indicating that he was a wizard skilled in earth and necromancy.

"Lord Grom, you wanted to see me?" The man bowed, then looked at Lynn and gave her a hearty smile.

"This must be the new Lord Lynn? I'm Haske, in charge of miscellaneous tasks in this area. Welcome, welcome!"

He was enthusiastic and had a genuine smile, but Lynn caught a fleeting glimpse of scrutiny in his eyes.

"Hask, Lynn is taking over the Seventh outpost at Shadow Mine. Make sure he understands all the relevant accounts, maps, and important notes."

Grom gave the order, then looked at Lynn.

"Specific mining techniques, hidden paths within the mine, and areas where 'wear and tear' can be made more natural... Haske knows more about these than you do. You two can talk about it, I have other things to do."

After saying this, he nodded to the two of them, got up, and left the stone hall.