Her gaze fell once again on the map, her finger lightly tapping a few key locations:
"If all goes well, we’ll reach the edge of the Jade Forest within a month."
Yuni nodded:
"The School will arrange for a few apprentices skilled in Earth Magic to accompany us; they’ll be useful in the swamp areas."
She paused briefly and quietly added, "This is the last assistance we can offer."
Lady Allen raised an eyebrow; this news was clearly unexpected, and a wary glint passed through her sharp eyes:
"Hayek is actually being so accommodating? He doesn’t need me to pay any price?"
Yuni sighed, her voice tinged with a bit of helplessness and fatigue:
"You always make things too complicated. The Deputy Dean holds no malice towards you; on the contrary, he has always admired your talents. If it weren’t for him and Master Valen defending you against all opposition back then, the Crystal Tower would’ve never agreed to let you come to the Black Mist Jungle."
Her tone carried a hint of reproach, like dealing with a stubborn old friend:
"They originally wanted to confine you in the secret prison of the Crystal Tower until they could figure out what ’accident’ might come from you."
Lady Allen fell silent for a moment.
Yes, she knew the truth, but her pride never allowed her to admit that she owed a debt to anyone.
Those deep green eyes flashed with a complex light, seemingly examining her past decisions and her current situation.
"As for the price, maybe the Deputy Dean is also waiting for your dear apprentice’s future ’favor.’ After all, who wouldn’t want to gain that pure power?"
Yuni continued, her tone teasing, deliberately steering the conversation to avoid her embarrassment:
"Thank you for your kindness then."
Lady Allen was silent for a while, then rarely expressed gratitude, her voice less sharp than usual:
"But I’m a bit worried about Lily now. The child has been missing since morning, I’m afraid she’ll do something foolish."
Yuni’s face showed a knowing smile:
"Don’t worry, I saw her sitting alone on the East District rooftop. She’ll naturally come back once she sorts out her emotions."
Lady Allen gently nodded, a weight finally lifted from her heart.
At least Lily was still within the School’s area, so safety wasn’t a concern.
Yuni stood up, her purple robe making a soft rustling sound as she moved: "I should be going; there are still many things to handle."
Her gaze fell on Lady Allen, carrying a mix of emotions: "In any case, have a safe journey, Allen."
Lady Allen nodded without further words.
After Yuni left, the herb store returned to silence.
The old woman stood by the window, looking at the gradually darkening sky outside, her mind filled with countless thoughts.
Over a hundred years spent here, and now about to leave, she felt a bit reluctant.
......
Night had fallen, inside the newly built makeshift meeting room.
Hayek sat at the head of the table, with a cup of deep red stimulant drink before him.
His face looked more haggard than usual, the shadows under his eyes indicating he hadn’t rested well in a long time.
Soron sat on his left, holding a roll of parchment, which recorded the School’s recent observational data.
Even though his injuries had improved, the fatigue from having faced death’s edge hadn’t completely dissipated.
Yuni sat on the right, her long, white-and-purple hair tied at the back.
At this moment, she was focused on the magic projection floating in the center of the table.
It was a three-dimensional map of the Black Mist Jungle, marked with various colored light spots representing different types of energy anomaly zones.
"The situation is worse than we expected."
Hayek sighed, gently using his fingers to manipulate the projection, enlarging a particularly bright red area:
"The energy leakage in the altar area has already affected the peripheral defense arrays, and cracks are appearing on the energy barriers in the South District and West District."
Soron nodded, his expression grave:
"I’ve already arranged for personnel to reinforce the crucial nodes, but that’s only a stopgap. The seal on the Bloodline Altar is completely shattered, and Abyssal Energy is continuously flooding in. We can’t solve the problem at its core."
"How’s the evacuation work going?" Hayek asked, his gaze shifting from Soron to Yuni.
"Eighty percent has been evacuated."
Yuni replied, her voice carrying fatigue:
"We estimate it’ll take another week to complete the basic evacuation, but even so, the vast amount of knowledge and equipment accumulated by the School can’t be taken all."
She paused for a moment, a look of regret flickering in her purple eyes:
"Centuries of accumulation, just going to waste like that."
Hayek’s expression grew heavier, but his tone was exceptionally firm:
"Preserving personnel is the primary task; knowledge and equipment can be rebuilt, but once talents are lost, they are hard to recover."
Soron suddenly spoke, the topic seemingly a bit abrupt: "Speaking of talents, Allen is preparing to leave for the Jade Forest in three days."
Hayek slightly raised an eyebrow but wasn’t surprised:
"I’ve already approved her request. The School will dispatch an escort team to ensure her and that female student’s safe passage through the Snake Scale Swamp."
His voice was calm, yet a complex emotion showed in his eyes:
"Allen is advanced in years and should be properly protected."
"You still hold sympathy for her, even after all this time." Soron’s gaze carried inquiry:
"Back then, she acted against the Crystal Tower so boldly, even openly defying a Dark Sun level Wizard. If it weren’t for you and Master Valen stepping in, she might have been long gone."
Hayek sighed: