Chapter 55: The Black Mage

Zhao Hai and his two companions returned to the castle and immediately asked Meg and the others to prepare. They were planning to go to the Fensel Principality within the next two days, and they would be taking everyone with them.

Actually, the preparations were quite simple. They didn't have much stuff to begin with, and they had everything they needed in the spatial realm. The slaves had already lived in the spatial realm for some time, so there was no need to prepare anything; they just needed to be notified.

Two days after coming out of the spatial realm, the slaves entered it again. However, this time Zhao Hai did not go in; he had to travel with Green outside.

The last time, Green had traveled alone. Being a skilled expert, he could use his fighting aura to speed up, making the journey very fast. This time, with Zhao Hai running along, the speed naturally slowed down.

Fortunately, Zhao Hai had brought out the alien from the spatial realm. He and Green rode on the alien, which, while not as fast as Green traveling alone, was still quite fast. The alien, being an undead creature, did not know what fatigue was. As long as the direction was set, it could move continuously like a perpetual motion machine.

Sometimes Zhao Hai would also let Merlin and the others out. There weren't many of them, only about a hundred people, and Zhao Hai's warehouse now had over a thousand undead creatures, enough to carry everyone.

The Black Earth Wasteland was truly vast. At the speed of the alien, which was no less than a galloping horse, it took three days of non-stop travel to reach the outskirts of the Black Earth Wasteland.

During these three days, the alien maintained a steady speed, which was not slow at all. It traveled day and night, and even so, it took three days. One can imagine how vast the Black Earth Wasteland was.

Fortunately, the alien was large, and its bones were very hard. Zhao Hai eventually laid wooden boards in its chest cavity to use as a bed, turning the alien into a mobile house.

The only thing worth mentioning about the Black Earth Wasteland was the road. The stone-paved road, which had withstood thousands of years of weathering, was still flat. This showed the high craftsmanship of the dwarves.

This road was once very busy, with the dwarves using it to transport large amounts of iron ore, which they then made into various iron products and sold throughout the continent.

However, after the iron ore here was depleted, the area completely changed. In the past, some adventurers who wanted to conquer the Corpse Swamp would use this road, but in the last hundred years, no one had used it. If it weren't for the fact that no grass grew here, the road might have disappeared.

After three days, Zhao Hai and his companions finally reached the outskirts of the Black Earth Wasteland. From here, they could see the distant green. Although the green was still far away, it lifted Zhao Hai's spirits.

For three days, they had seen only one thing: black earth, endless black earth. This feeling almost made Zhao Hai collapse.

Green also sighed in relief. Although he didn't have to walk himself, the unchanging scenery for three days was truly a torment. During these three days, he and Zhao Hai spoke less and less, and in the last half day, they didn't speak at all. They just sat there, looking at the endless black earth, as if their souls had been sucked away by the black earth.

Imagine, in such a situation, if you suddenly see a bit of green, even just a little, the impact on a person is enormous.

Zhao Hai cheered and ran forward. Green also relaxed, looking at Zhao Hai and chuckling, "Young Master, that is the outskirts of Iron Mountain. After that, we will enter the Fensel Empire. The places we have passed through are all part of the Budan family's territory."

Zhao Hai nodded, turning to look at the black earth. This land was all his, but he didn't feel particularly happy. No matter how much land there was, if it couldn't be cultivated, it was useless. He would have to wait until this matter was over and try out his new ideas to see if they were feasible.

Gradually, the green became more prominent. Zhao Hai realized that the green was indeed from Iron Mountain, but this part of Iron Mountain was very different from the one near the castle. The mountains here were higher, and the trees were larger.

As the saying goes, "Seeing the mountain from afar can tire a horse." You can see the mountain, but getting to it is a completely different matter. So, although Zhao Hai and his companions saw the mountain, it took them another day to actually reach it.

When they finally reached the mountain, Zhao Hai was stunned. He had always thought that Iron Mountain was semi-circular, and the terrain at the exit should be relatively gentle. However, when they actually reached the mountain, he was surprised to find that the terrain was not gentle at all; in fact, it was steeper than the area near the castle.

Green noticed Zhao Hai's expression and smiled, "Young Master, are you surprised? The mountains here are so high and so steep."

Zhao Hai nodded, and Green continued, "Actually, this is not surprising. To be precise, Iron Mountain is actually a ring-shaped mountain with significant undulations. This exit is not the highest point, but it is definitely not the lowest. Compared to the area near the castle, it might be even higher."

Zhao Hai nodded, looking at the nearly hundred-meter-wide canyon in the distance. That was the only way in and out of the Black Earth Wasteland. Once they passed through it, they would enter the territory of the Fensel Principality.

Green pointed to the canyon, "That place used to have a beautiful name, Iron Flow Canyon, meaning that the iron from Iron Mountain flowed out from there. However, since Iron Mountain no longer produces iron, the canyon has gradually been forgotten. Now it is called the Forgotten Valley. Beyond the Forgotten Valley, we can see a fortress called Black Mountain Fort, which the Fensel Principality built to prevent large-scale beast disasters from the Black Earth Wasteland. However, it's strange that the beasts have never left the Black Earth Wasteland. They seem to be confined to this area, never stepping out. As a result, the area has become a paradise for adventurers. Although adventurers no longer go to the Corpse Swamp, they still go to Iron Mountain to catch or hunt beasts, so there are many people there."

Zhao Hai nodded, "If we go directly, will they suspect us? What if they discover us?"

Green smiled slightly, "Young Master, don't worry. When we enter the Forgotten Valley, I will go to Black Mountain Fort to get some clothes. With these undead creatures, you just need to dress as a black mage."

A black mage is a general term for all mages who study dark magic, poison magic, blood magic, and other dark magic. In this world, black mages are not as despised as Zhao Hai thought. This world values power, and as long as something can give them power, it is accepted.

Black mages are also the people that no one wants to provoke. Because they study dark magic, their personalities tend to be gloomy. If you provoke them, they might not react immediately, but they will definitely seek revenge. No one likes to provoke such people.

However, if you ask what the highest status in this world is, some might say nobles, others might say the royal family, but it is undeniable that the status of mages is also very high. A grand mage is treated with respect in any country. If the Budan family didn't have Merlin, a grand mage, they might have been wiped out long ago.

However, no country welcomes black mages, and they don't offend them either. Most people don't like to interact with black mages. So, by having Zhao Hai dress as a black mage, Green was actually providing protection. No one likes to interact with black mages, so they wouldn't discover Zhao Hai's identity, making their actions more convenient.

Zhao Hai knew that his understanding of this world was still limited, so he didn't say anything, just nodded, "You arrange it, Grandpa Green. I rarely travel outside, and I don't know much about the outside world. Once we are outside, I will follow your lead."

Green nodded. This mission was crucial to the survival of the Budan family. They had to sell their "carrots" without revealing their identities, or the Budan family would be in trouble.

Green was indeed afraid that Zhao Hai would act rashly. The Budan family was like a rat in the streets in the Aksum Empire. Any unusual movement would immediately be met with ruthless attacks. This was why Green was even more cautious. If it weren't for Zhao Hai replacing Adam, he wouldn't dare to lead Zhao Hai out.

Now, Green hoped that Zhao Hai would travel more, as Zhao Hai would eventually rule the entire Budan family. He needed to understand the world, and Green hoped to help Zhao Hai understand it through this experience.

Green was also paving the way for Zhao Hai. He knew he wasn't young anymore, and although he was a skilled expert and lived longer than most people, he still hoped that Zhao Hai would grow up. This way, if anything happened to him, Zhao Hai could support the entire Budan family on his own, and he could rest easy.