Wizards: Starting with Fairy Crests

071: Exploration

The inner ring of the Grey Tower, Hogwarts Manor.

A few months ago, a section of the magic plant nursery area in the inner ring of the Gray Tower was cleared out and put up for sale.

This is an elementally dense area within the Gray Tower, with an elemental content about three times that of the shack area. It is extremely helpful for cultivation, magical plant breeding, and magical experiments.

Because of a previous connection, Lin Qi had the opportunity to buy this place, and after much consideration, he finally decided to buy it.

The price is very low, with an annual fee of only three thousand magic stones.

He then built a manor there and named it after his favorite work from before he traveled through time.

The estate covers an area roughly the size of a football field, and the main building is a castle.

Outside there are gardens, ponds, and stables... inside there are training rooms, laboratories, potion rooms, studies, and complete facilities.

The servants working on the manor are two types of magical creatures: magic fairies and jungle goblins.

The former is a fairy species of the same origin and kind as forest fairies, but it is gentle and can be tamed. It also possesses certain magical talents, such as cooking and cleaning skills.

They are responsible for everything from food preparation to cleaning.

Each one cost 80-100 magic stones, and Lin Qi bought a total of 16, spending 1500 magic stones.

Jungle goblins are low-level monsters in the Gray Mist Jungle. They are timid, cowardly, and lack the ability to survive alone. Once tamed, they are extremely loyal to wizards.

Although they only reach up to a person's knees, they possess talents such as immense strength, speed, and thick skin, and are responsible for taking care of the monsters in the manor, carrying heavy objects, and other physical labor.

These items are more expensive, averaging 200 to 300 each. Lin Qi bought 7 of them, which cost him more than 2,000 magic stones.

In addition, Lynch spent a huge sum of money to buy two clay golems, which were products of alchemy. Their three-dimensional average values ​​both exceeded 10 points, and they also had certain elemental and mental resistance.

They are the guardians of this manor, responsible for its security 24 hours a day.

This thing is really expensive, it costs 1000 magic stones each, and Ilinqi only dared to buy two.

Besides the lizards used to pull the carts in the manor, the purchase, construction, and maintenance of the manor, etc... all these expenses have added up to tens of thousands of magic stones that Lin Qi has invested in this manor, which is the biggest expense in the past few years.

These are all necessary expenses.

The elements in the shantytown area are too mixed, and long-term intake may have some effects.

It was one thing when we didn't have magic stones or resources, but now that we have the means, of course we should improve our training environment.

In addition, the laboratories and training rooms in the shack area are too rudimentary and can no longer meet Lin Qi's current learning and training requirements as his strength improves.

Otherwise, given Elijah's principle of saving wherever possible, he wouldn't be so extravagant in trivial matters.

At this moment, in the study of the manor.

The afternoon sun was shining brightly, streaming through the towering windows of the manor's main building and casting a golden glow on the floor.

The study was spacious and quiet. The walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling dark walnut bookshelves, with books neatly stacked, and the air was filled with the mixed smell of fine parchment and old ink.

Lynch sat behind a large oak desk, his back to the sunlight, his figure slightly blurred in the halo of light.

Wearing a comfortable dark gray velvet loungewear, she held a thick, heavy magic book in her hands, the intricate runes on the pages clearly visible in the sunlight.

He was focused, occasionally tapping a symbol on the page with his fingertip, as if he were deducing something in his mind.

"Knock knock knock".

Just then, a slow, gentle knock on the door broke the absolute silence of the study.

Lin Qi didn't look up; his gaze remained fixed on the pages of the book. He simply leaned back in his comfortable high-backed chair and said in a calm, even voice, "Come in."

The oak door was pushed open silently.

Lilith walked in and gently closed the door behind her.

She wore a well-tailored, easy-to-move dark red leather hunting outfit that accentuated her tall and slender figure. Her long hair, still with dark red highlights, was neatly tied up at the back of her head.

The badge on her chest indicated that she had reached the pinnacle of intermediate apprenticeship, just one step away from advanced apprenticeship.

Lilith walked lightly yet steadily to the desk, stopping about three steps away. She placed her right hand on her chest and bowed respectfully and formally to the figure behind the desk, performing the gesture of a wizard apprentice.

"Owner."

Lin Qi then slowly closed the magic book in his hand and placed it aside.

He looked up and his gaze fell on Lilith. He didn't exchange any pleasantries, but simply pointed to the slightly worn, thick file box on the desk that he had just brought back from the archives.

"This contains most of the information about the 'Shadow Whispers' from its establishment to its demise, including a map of its core base, known defensive arrangements, members' magical tendencies, and some possible traps or taboo records."

Lynch's voice was clear and direct: "If the ruins you discovered are indeed their core base, this information should be helpful."

This was an unfamiliar ruin that he had never explored in the game, and Lin Qi certainly wouldn't risk it himself.

What if they die?

Besides, there was no need for him to personally undertake such an exploration.

After several years of development, Lilith's Hut has now taken shape, with hundreds of members, many of whom have even mastered complete spell models and possess a certain level of combat capability.

Why not let these apprentices, who are eager for power, explore on their own, while I provide some technical guidance from behind?

Lilith's eyes lit up instantly, like burning embers.

She quickly stepped forward and carefully opened the clasp on the document box.

Inside were neatly arranged leather scrolls, copies of hand-drawn maps, and fragments of memory crystals containing information.

She quickly glanced at several pages of titles and map outlines, her face beaming with barely suppressed excitement and certainty.

"That's wonderful!" Her voice was filled with suppressed excitement. "With these, the risks of exploration can be reduced by at least 70%! We now have a basis for dealing with many unknown traps and mechanisms."

"Master, you've come just in time!"

The discovery of this suspected site of the Whispering Shadows is of great significance to Lilith's Lodge.

Even after the devastation caused by nightmare beasts and the erosion of time, the wealth accumulated in the core base of a once-thriving wizarding organization is still an astonishing fortune.

This will not only greatly enhance the strength of the cabin, but is also the key to whether she can take this opportunity to break through the bottleneck and truly reach the threshold of advanced apprenticeship.

Lin Qi nodded slightly, neither confirming nor denying Lilith's excitement, and continued to issue instructions in his calm tone: "You are fully responsible for the exploration. You will decide on personnel allocation, material preparation, and route planning."

"I only ask for two things: efficiency, and minimizing unnecessary, especially foolish, losses."

"Yes, Master!" Lilith immediately suppressed her excitement and replied solemnly.

"As for the findings..." Lin Qi paused, looking at her calmly, "You may keep 30% of all the spoils to cover all expenses of this expedition, compensation, and... rewards for the participants."

"How to allocate the funds is up to you to decide."

These words caused Lilith's body to tremble almost imperceptibly. She abruptly raised her head to look at Lynch, her brown eyes instantly filling with unbelievable surprise, and an even deeper, almost overflowing, gratitude.

Thirty percent! Thirty percent of the rewards from exploring an unknown ruin!

This is not just a huge amount of magic stones and resources, but also Lin Qi's absolute trust and great recognition of her abilities and her work over the years!

With this resource, she could make Lilith House even stronger, and it would be more than enough to support her personal pursuit of advanced apprenticeship.

Moreover, having the power to allocate resources in her hands undoubtedly further solidified her authority and popularity within the cabin.

"Master..." Lilith's voice trembled slightly, and she bowed deeply again.

This time, he bowed even lower, his posture more humble, and his words came from the bottom of his heart, "Lilith... I am deeply grateful! I assure you that I will live up to your trust, maximize the value of the relics, and make all the necessary arrangements!"

Her heart was like churning lava at that moment.

Once upon a time, she was just a pitiful creature struggling to survive in the shadows of the gray fog jungle, living day to day, with no tomorrow in sight and no future.

It was this man in front of her who gave her protection, resources, opportunities, and trust.

In just a few years, she grew from a vulnerable person who needed protection to "Lady Lilith," who commanded hundreds of apprentices and whose reputation resounded throughout the Gray Mist Forest. Her own strength also increased by leaps and bounds, reaching heights she never dared to imagine before.

All of this stems from the person behind the desk.