Chapter 143: Blackrock Valley

Helag understood the risks and had no intention of acting recklessly.

From Brack’s description, sneaking from the Barren Lands into the Land of Dawn without permission was akin to illegal immigration.

If caught, there wouldn’t be any “sending you back”—you’d be killed on the spot.

Helag had no doubt that the wizards of the Land of Dawn had the power to do so. They occupied better lands with superior conditions.

Over the years, with a larger population of wizards, they created a positive cycle where more talented wizards continuously emerged.

Helag finally understood why Augustus Academy was so unique. Not only did no one dare provoke them, but they also mediated conflicts between wizard organizations.

Even their internal workings were open, allowing other wizards to visit.

All of this was due to their powerful backing and strength.

Helag made a mental note of this. Although he currently had no way to reach the Land of Dawn, he would seize any opportunity in the future.

Being able to cultivate in a place with better conditions was obviously ideal, and Helag had no reason not to go.

Brack sighed. “Honestly, a talented person like you would have much better prospects there. Unfortunately, there are too many restrictions. Over the years, I’ve seen countless brilliant wizards stuck at the first-level crystallization stage, unable to break through to the second level. In the Land of Dawn, advancing to a second-level wizard is relatively easier.”

“They have abundant resources and the power to plunder other planes. As long as you’re talented enough, you’ll never lack resources. But here in the Barren Lands, we don’t have those conditions. Most people struggle just to become formal wizards, let alone advance to the second level.”

“This is also a way for the Land of Dawn to control the Barren Lands. Without enough resources, we’ll never have the power to surpass their control.”

Helag nodded. “I understand. Thank you, Mr. Brack, for explaining this to me.”

He finally realized why wizards like Dino and Malcolm remained stuck at the crystallization stage.

Helag had originally thought that the threshold for becoming a second-level wizard was simply too high, preventing these talented wizards from advancing.

Now, it was clear that the lack of resources severely limited their progress.

“Dino’s constant voyages at sea—could he be searching for a solution?” Helag suddenly wondered.

If they couldn’t find resources on land, they might turn to the sea.

Helag asked, “Since this wizard array was purchased from the Land of Dawn, does that mean you have some channels of communication with them?”

Brack nodded. “We do, through intermediaries. There are always some resource transactions, but they sell to us at exorbitant prices.”

He gritted his teeth as he spoke, clearly frustrated by the high costs.

It made sense, though. The Land of Dawn controlled most of the resources and could set whatever prices they wanted when selling to the Barren Lands. There were no other options.

“Let’s go inside and talk more.” Brack smiled and put away the map, leading the way.

Helag followed closely behind, while Pete drove the carriage at the rear.

As Helag passed through the castle gates, he felt a wave of magical energy sweep over him.

Brack turned and explained, “That’s part of the wizard array’s scanning system. It checks for hidden threats like evil spirits or lingering resentments. Those things are usually well-concealed and troublesome to deal with.”

“I see,” Helag nodded.

He had once harbored a hidden evil spirit, and Moonlight Forest likely had similar defenses, but they hadn’t detected it.

If not for Lady Moran helping him remove the spirit, Blackrock Valley’s array might not have caught it either.

***

The path through Blackrock Valley started narrow but opened up after a few hundred meters.

Before Helag was a vast plain, divided into numerous plots like farmland, each growing different types of plants.

Scattered among the fields were wooden huts, likely homes for the people who tended the crops.

Brack introduced the area. “From here on, this is the Terchy family’s potion garden. We produce a large quantity of potion ingredients every year, which we sell to various wizard organizations and families.”

“Besides that, we also make finished potions for sale, or we take commissions to craft potions for others. These are some of the tasks you’ll likely be involved in.”

“This potion garden is huge. Can I buy ingredients for my own use?” Helag asked.

With such a large potion garden, Helag no longer had to worry about lacking materials for his experiments.

The only question was what the rules were.

Brack laughed. “You’re truly a dedicated potion master. Of course, you can buy ingredients. Most of the materials here are available for your use. You just need to follow the proper procedures and record what you take. The cost will be deducted from your earnings.”

“Oh, by the way, your monthly salary is 100 magic stones. If you take on potion-making tasks, you’ll earn commissions for each one. In fact, most of a potion master’s income comes from these orders. You’ll also find that the prices for materials here are much lower than market prices. You’ll be surprised at how cheap they are.”

Helag smiled. “That sounds great.”

Since this was the source of the materials, it made sense that the prices would be low.

Helag was just one person, and no matter how much he used, it wouldn’t make a dent in the Terchy family’s resources.

Besides, this was part of the cost of nurturing a potion master.

A monthly salary of 100 magic stones was more than enough for Helag.

He had never asked Larry about the salary because his main goal in coming here was to find a safe environment to grow. The salary was the least of his concerns.

Plus, Helag trusted that Larry wouldn’t treat him unfairly.

“That’s mandrake over there, and those are stone-root herbs…”

Brack led Helag along the paths between the fields, introducing the various potion ingredients. Helag made a mental note of each one.

“Alright, you’ll have time to familiarize yourself later. Let’s head to your new residence.”

Brack led Helag to a wide crossroads and then turned north.

“This will be your home from now on,” Brack said, stopping in front of a castle and turning to face Helag.