All around Herag was a forest, with a fountain behind him, bubbling with water.
The place that was originally a sheer cliff has now turned into a long white stone bridge.
The white stone bridge spanned a large river, with rushing waters roaring below.
"Where is this?" Herag asked in confusion.
Blake was also holding a wooden token, explaining, "This is the token of White Fang Castle. Only wizards with this token can see the path leading to the white stone bridge."
Herag glanced at the wooden token in his hand, not noticing anything unusual.
"Let’s go; this is the effect of the witch array here." Blake smiled as he noticed Herag studying the token and walked ahead.
"Another witch array..." Herag knew nothing about witch arrays and had no knowledge in this area.
As he walked onto the white stone bridge, he saw lights brightening the other side, revealing a sizable town.
The town was bustling with people coming and going.
After crossing the white stone bridge, an old lady pushing a small cart approached Herag. The cart was filled with various candies, each containing different kinds of insects.
The old lady looked at Herag and asked, "Would you like to buy some bug candies? I made them all myself, they’re delicious."
Herag waved his hand, indicating he wasn’t interested.
The old lady didn’t persist and instead smiled politely, pushing her cart elsewhere.
Herag noticed that even this old lady was a First-Class Wizard Apprentice.
Looking around, he saw no ordinary people on the bustling street; they were all either wizards or wizard apprentices.
Walking down the street, Herag even noticed some wizard apprentices hanging clothes from the upper floors.
He curiously asked, "Mr. Blake, do many people live here permanently?"
Blake replied, "That’s right, a lot of wizards or wizard apprentices settle here."
Herag observed that there were many shops, each with a family crest-like mark, clearly belonging to some wizard organization or wizard family.
"We’re almost there; our Cheqi Family’s property in White Fang Castle is just ahead." Blake smiled as he led Herag around a corner.
Herag’s view suddenly expanded, revealing a very broad street flanked by tall buildings.
The buildings soared to more than ten meters high, each floor brightly lit, giving Herag a sense of déjà vu from his past life.
The street was even busier, with the crowd resembling that of people leisurely shopping.
There were couples walking hand in hand and families with parents carrying or holding small children.
Others were pushing wheelchairs with gray-haired elders slowly strolling down the street.
Turning back, Herag realized that the area behind him resembled a residential district, hence it was less lively.
The street before him was clearly a commercial street, teeming with various shops, stores, and restaurants.
"It turns out the wizarding world is more exciting than I imagined," Herag murmured to himself.
He had thought wizards spent all their time secluded at home, diligently studying, not expecting to find so many wizards enjoying life.
Blake heard his muttering and laughed, "You think everyone is as diligent as you? Many wizards know to relax sometimes. That’s why I wanted to bring you out for a walk. You’ve been cooped up in Black Rock Valley for a whole year without stepping outside; I don’t know how you managed."
Blake was genuinely impressed with Herag for staying inside the desolate castle without venturing out without reason.
Herag chuckled awkwardly, not revealing his fear of encountering unexpected events.
He always remembered the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, always the possibility of running into Malcolm if he went out.
Without a guarantee of victory, Herag would not act rashly.
Had it not been for Blake’s companionship, he wouldn’t have come out this time either.
Observing the street crowd, Herag suddenly understood.
Not everyone could continuously advance like him; most people reached a bottleneck they could not surpass.
Whether due to innate talent or resource limitations, various reasons hindered smooth advancement.
Many, once realizing they had no hope of advancing, began to enjoy life or, like Bessie, started considering the cultivation of future generations.
Having always strived for improvement, Herag never let himself relax, substituting even sleep with meditation.
The two squeezed through the crowd for ten minutes, arriving at a storefront.
The shop was brightly lit, with large words on the door: "Cheqi Magic Pharmacy."
This was a property of the Cheqi Family, responsible for selling various magic potions and materials, and accepting various magic potion refining orders.
"Lord Blake!" The store clerks were surprised at his arrival and immediately came over.
Blake merely acknowledged with a "hmm," introducing, "This is Herag Merlin, and he’s completed quite a few orders recently."
A group of clerks looked over, bowing in greeting, while memorizing Herag’s appearance.
The store manager, a lanky middle-aged man, jogged over upon hearing the news.
The manager was usually responsible for daily affairs, while clerks attended to customers in the store.
The store’s decor was grand, with various magic potions neatly categorized and displayed. Thıs text ıs hosted at novel•fire.net
Herag glanced at the prices, significantly higher than market rates, with many resembling those he had refined himself.
Despite the high prices, business was booming.
The Cheqi Family’s magic potions had a well-known reputation for quality, attracting a continuous stream of buyers.
Blake and Herag walked at the front, followed by a group of people.
Herag’s status was naturally higher compared to them, as they were merely wizard apprentices.
In the Cheqi Family, alchemists held a very high status.
"We’ll stay here for the next few days; there are plenty of rooms, and the conditions are nice," Blake said.
Herag nodded, "Whatever Mr. Blake arranges is fine with me."
The lower floors of the shop sold goods, while the top two were reserved for the Cheqi Family or their guests.
The room inside was spacious, with bathroom facilities, completely equipped and luxuriously decorated.
Upon entering, Herag immediately smelled a pleasant aroma, recognizing it as "the scent of withered herbs, which relieves anxiety and aids sleep."
This was a rather luxurious fragrance, with a price comparable to high-level magic potion materials.
The auction would start the day after tomorrow; Herag soaked in a hot bath before collapsing onto the plush bed.
The comfort made Herag want to nap, but he composed himself, entering a meditative state instead.
He could sleep, but only after completing his meditation practice for the day; he couldn’t afford any laziness.