Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

Chapter 109 The Tragic Hawke

With such a figure in charge, it's no wonder that the situation can be kept under control and that basic order can be maintained among all parties.

Just as he was about to go to the mission hall, a familiar but haggard figure staggered out from the direction of the medical center.

The man's left sleeve was empty, his face was ashen, and his eyes had lost their former luster; it was Hawke.

"Hawk?" Ian stepped forward quickly.

Hawke looked up blankly, saw Ian, and a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes before dimming again, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Ian—it's good that you're still alive."

Ian helped him up and found that Hawke not only had a broken left arm, but also had many unhealed wounds on his body. He was breathing heavily and was obviously seriously injured.

"What's going on? Where's the third cleaning team?" Ian asked in a deep voice.

Hawke's eyes were filled with pain as he began to speak haltingly.

It turns out that within the third cleaning team, there was a senior apprentice named Gard, who came from a wizarding family. He was domineering, extremely powerful, and close to the threshold of the first rank.

During a joint sweep, Hawke and Gard's team simultaneously discovered a small group of wounded Nightwalkers, including an elite that was about to advance to the next tier.

Hawk and his group struck first, severely injuring the elite monster, but Gard suddenly intervened, seizing the final blow and claiming that he had lured the monster there and that the spoils should belong to him.

Hawke argued his case, but Gard attacked him directly. The two exchanged blows briefly, but Hawke was no match for him and was severely injured by Gard's corrosive magic.

The official wizards in the group favored Gard, dismissing the matter lightly as an "internal dispute."

Hawke, still recovering from his injuries, was caught off guard during a subsequent cleanup mission. He was ambushed by a lurking monster and his left arm was severed at the root.

Although he survived, his strength was greatly diminished, and he was regarded as a burden by the team. In the end, he was assigned to be sent back to the headquarters with the wounded to do some tasks within his capabilities.

"Garde—"

Ian murmured the name, his eyes calm, yet he remembered it.

He took out some healing potions and mental stabilizing and restorative potions and put them into Hawke's hand.

"Heal your wounds first, and get back alive. The people at the rendezvous point are still waiting for you."

Hawke held the medicine, his eyes red-rimmed, and nodded emphatically.

"Ian, thank you—you must take care of yourself too."

"I know." Ian patted his unaffected right shoulder. "Get some rest."

Watching Hawke's hunched back as he walked toward the barracks, Ian turned and headed toward the mission hall.

In this place, without power, you can't even get basic fairness.

The War Zone Mission Hall is a spacious stone building with bright interior and walls inlaid with luminous crystals.

In the center of the hall, a huge, three-dimensional map made of energy floats in mid-air.

The map shows the known distribution of demon nests, monster activity areas, danger levels, and approximate locations of various cleanup teams within hundreds of miles of the Mossy Cavern.

Around the map are dozens of task light screens that are constantly scrolling and updating information.

[Reconnaissance Mission: Determine the types and numbers of monsters within the "Poisonous Mist Rift" on the northeast side of the Mossy Cavern. Reward:]

20 Merit Points, 200 Magic Stones. Recommendation: At least three advanced apprentices should form a team.

[Cleanup Mission: Eradicate the newly discovered swarm of Rot-Spider Beasts in the "Worm Mud Swamp" area (estimated to be 30 or more, including a Tier 1 boss). Rewards: 200 Merit Points, 800 Magic Stones, one Tier 1 Protection Scroll. Recommendation: A certified wizard should lead the team.]

[Collection Quest: Obtain at least ten complete Shadow Threads from the "Shadowweaver". Rewards: 300 Merit Points, 1000 Magic Stones, and one Tier 1 Sorcery Consultation opportunity.]

[Bounty Mission: Slay the "Soul Eater" (Tier 1 Peak, specializing in mental attacks) confirmed to have appeared on the outskirts of the Rotten Moss Cave. Reward: 500 Merit Points, 2000 Magic Stones, redeemable for one Level 2 Wizard Guidance (limited time).]

The tasks are plentiful, with vastly different levels of difficulty and rewards.

The hall was bustling with people. Wizards and apprentices lined up to accept tasks, submit credentials, and redeem rewards, creating a noisy yet efficient and solemn atmosphere.

Killing a low-level monster earns you one merit, worth the equivalent of 10 magic stones.

Killing a Tier 1 monster grants 100 merit points. As for Tier 2 and above monsters, Ian is unsure and has no information on that yet.

-

Magic stones are easy to earn, but merit points are hard to come by.

Ian stood at the end of the line to submit his credentials.

When it was his turn, he placed the leather bag filled with abyssal crystals on the counter.

After the wizard apprentice behind the table finished counting, he picked up Ian's Demon Hunter Jade Token and connected it to a stone disc engraved with runes.

The jade pendant trembled slightly, and its color visibly deepened.

Ian took the jade tablet and immersed his spiritual energy into it.

On the back of the jade tablet, dense tiny points of light appeared, representing the zero-level monsters he had killed. The number of them was so great that they almost formed a cloud of light mist.

In addition, there were nine much brighter stars scattered among them, which were first-tier monsters.

At the same time, a message entered my mind: [Merit Points: 1968 (1068 for Tier 0 monsters, 9 for Tier 1 monsters)]

"I wonder what level this merit would be among the apprentices?"

He then quickly browsed the tasks and, considering his own situation, quickly selected several targets.

His body has now been enhanced beyond its limits by the [Rock Bear Potion], and he also possesses the [Earth Vein Resonance] property, giving him astonishing endurance and recovery ability. His melee combat ability far surpasses that of ordinary wizard apprentices.

Several commonly used instantaneous witchcraft spells and mental protection methods have all achieved a level of subtle control.

The energy shield has undergone a second breakthrough, making its defensive power comparable to some first-tier defensive spells.

Add to that Gaga, lurking in the shadows, possessing shadow leaps and ominous eyes—

"As long as you don't encounter a group of first-tier monsters or peak first-tier beings, you should be safe."

Ian stood in front of the light screen in the mission hall, his eyes scanning the scrolling mission information, but he did not immediately step forward to accept it.

He turned and walked out of the hall, blending into the bustling crowd in the square, and began to carefully observe the operating rules of this stronghold.

The central rock fortress is a restricted area, while the surrounding barracks areas are clearly stratified.

The closer you get to the fortress, the more orderly the buildings become, and the denser the protective runes. It's clear that the inhabitants are either formal wizards or apprentices with powerful backgrounds.

The surrounding area consisted of simple stone houses and even tents, crowded with "free men" like him who had just completed their basic tasks.

Ian walked toward a stone house with a sign that read "Residential Management Office".

Inside sat a middle-aged witch with a languid expression, wearing a badge with a silver ring on her chest, her aura roughly at the peak of a high-level apprentice.

"I'm applying for permanent residency," Ian said.

Without even looking up, the witch tossed over a dusty, gray stone slab.

"See for yourself. Prices are set by region, paid with merit points, and settled monthly. You can't buy a place to live here with magic stones."

Ian took the stone slab and infused it with his spiritual power.

[Simple Stone House in the Outer Area: 10 Merit Points/Month. Note: Basic protection only, no soundproofing or purification.]

[Standard Single Room in Central District: 30 Merit Points/Month. Note: Includes basic soundproofing and simple warning runes.]

[Inner Zone Independent Residence: 80 Merit Points/Month. Notes: Silent Barrier, Warning Rune, Basic Element Filtering.]

[Core Area Training Room (For Formal Wizards Only): 200 Merit Points/Month. Notes: Independent protective array, adjustable elemental environment, moderate purification effect.]

The price was indeed high, and it was only open to those with meritorious service.

Ian currently possesses nearly two thousand merits, which seems like a lot, but if he wants to live in a residence with purifying effects to support his cultivation, the expenses would be enormous.