The most important piece of the puzzle was found in the most unexpected place—by someone who originally had nothing to do with it.

Who would have thought that a group of Quicksand Termites, driven out by another species, would end up settling in the trees?

Saul carefully collected every Quicksand Termite he could find, only then moving the queen, who had become extremely emaciated from malnutrition.

And the alternate queen in Saul’s hand, upon reuniting with the actual queen, immediately transferred her stored nutrients to the queen, then fell into a deep slumber.

Seeing this, Saul was briefly dazed, only snapping out of it thanks to Penny’s complained.

Afterward, to thank the boy who had provided the clue, Saul prepared a bottle of mental restoration potion for him.

Though the potion couldn’t fully cure the boy’s mental degradation, it could at least keep him in decent health for a few more years.

For a longer life, the only path would be for him to become a wizard apprentice. But with his current mental state, that was impossible.

It was a vicious cycle.

In the end, Saul also gave the boy some money—not enough to attract envy, but enough to slightly improve his life ahead.

The boy was clever. He didn’t think Saul had given him too little. On the contrary, he understood Saul’s intent immediately and sincerely thanked him.

As Saul bid farewell to the boy for the second time, he watched the child run toward the settlement to reunite with his father and couldn’t help but sigh, “Ordinary people living in extraordinary places… they might not even know if they’ll open their eyes the next morning.”

Penny giggled, “Since Brother Saul thinks he’s a good kid, why not bring him back as a page? Steward Hope is all alone—he’s got to do everything himself.”

“Purtiy Wizard Tower isn’t a good place for ordinary people,” Saul replied. He didn’t think the place he lived in was any kind of sanctuary.

With fruitful rewards in hand, he began his journey home.

Saul had been away from the Purity Wizard Tower for half a month. Upon returning, he rubbed his eyes, wondering if he had come to the wrong place.

The perimeter of Lake Rhine had been planted with two full circles of mushrooms?

Each mushroom was half a person tall and as thick as a man—sturdy enough to look like a row of little stools.

No doubt about it, they had to be Marsh’s doing.

Ever since arriving at Lake Rhine, Saul rarely left the island—and when he did, he usually didn’t need a vehicle. So Marsh, who was supposed to be the coachman, had changed jobs to become a farmer and began growing mushrooms on part of the island to improve their diet.

But space on the island was limited, and the white mushrooms were hardy growers. Before long, Marsh had run out of farming room again.

Before Saul had left this time, he had seen Marsh squatting by the lake every day, deep in thought.

And now, coming back, Saul was greeted by a mushroom wall.

Just as he was curiously stepping forward to inspect it, Marsh popped out from behind a row of mushrooms. “Lord Saul, you’re back!”

He grinned sheepishly, holding a few grayish-white mushrooms still covered in soil.

Saul took one from Marsh’s hand with a smile. “These mushrooms can grow this big?”

“Mhm! Mhm!” Marsh nodded enthusiastically. “They can grow even bigger! Don’t look down on them—they’re actually quite useful when grown properly.”

Saul handed the mushroom back to Marsh and knocked on one of the towering mushrooms. Though it looked soft, it was surprisingly tough and resilient.

If they could grow even taller and larger, they might genuinely serve as a kind of protective wall.

Though they could only block physical force—they were no use against wizardry.

Marsh stood by nervously as Saul tested the mushroom wall, unsure whether the lord approved of his outdoor farming.

If Saul disapproved, he’d have to tear them down overnight.

The thought of the workload made him a little regretful. Maybe he should’ve waited until Saul returned before planting them.

Still, they weren’t much use against wizards—but neither were they a real hindrance.

Saul patted Marsh on the shoulder. “If you want to grow them, grow them. See if you can cultivate them even bigger. Just… don’t forget to leave a door.”

Marsh immediately lit up and hurried to show him. “Lord, look—there is a door!”

He knocked on one of the mushrooms, which immediately wilted and collapsed flat on the ground in a comical, face-down posture.

“Lord, I’ve come to an understanding with the mushrooms. No matter where you come from, they’ll always open the way for you.”

Saul opened his mouth but didn’t quite know what to say. He forced a smile. “Then carry on. I’m heading back.”

Marsh cheerfully saw Saul off, brimming with excitement.

Saul stepped onto the frozen surface of Lake Rhine, walking over mushrooms that were just the right amount of soft and firm. On the far side, Steward Hope approached in a wolf-drawn carriage.

“Welcome home, Tower Master.”

In the distance, An, who had stayed behind at the Wizard Tower, jumped and waved excitedly.

Beside her stood the Old Witch, hood drawn low and face obscured, arms crossed as she leaned against the doorframe.

Because their master had returned, the deathly still Wizard Tower was once again filled with vitality.

Saul let out a long breath of relief.

Although he had only lived here for less than a year, it was already beginning to feel like home.

After returning from the Ancient Grove Survive, Saul began officially constructing the Magic Reservoir alongside Camus, while handing over the termite cultivation work to the Steward, Hope.

The Old Witch, who usually did nothing all day besides adapting to her perfect body, volunteered herself to join in the cultivation of quicksand termites.

But she was someone who couldn’t care for people, let alone termites. In order to stop her from further ruining the colony, Steward Hope assigned her some tasks that seemed extremely important, but were actually just flashy and meaningless.

Meanwhile, as Saul built his Magic Reservoir, he didn’t forget to improve the soul body shielding of his various conscious projections.

Time passed swiftly, and before long, another six months had gone by.

The Borderland’s seasons were distinct by region.

Lake Rhine had transitioned from deep winter into early winter, and clusters of gray-white mushroom forests now stood along its shores.

Unlike the tightly packed mushroom groves planted along the lakeside wall, these were more like scattered woods.

Beneath the towering mushroom trees were clusters of smaller mushrooms.

White spores drifted in the air, seamlessly blending with the lake’s mist.

The weather was clear today, and the mist was thinner than usual.

Having pulled an all-nighter, Saul brought out a small stool made from dehydrated mushrooms early that morning and walked out onto the lake.

With a dagger, he effortlessly carved a small hole in the ice, then took out a long wooden rod and tied Little Algae to it.

He cast the line.

It hit the water.

The “fishing line,” lacking a float, gently swayed in the lake.

Saul leaned back, half-closed his eyes, and waited for the “fish” to bite.

Lately, after intense mental exertion, Saul always chose this method to relax.

While waiting for Little Algae to suddenly hook a soul popsicle, he would empty his mind and let himself drift into a thoughtless state.

Zoning out.

If life could stay this peaceful, he wouldn’t even mind if his advancement took a bit longer.

But peace, of course, was meant to be broken.

As he waited, the outermost mushroom tree in the forest began swaying left and right.

Then the second one. The third.

Like someone had tapped the surface of water, the ripples spread outward.

Someone was coming.

Saul snapped out of his daze and turned his head to look. His body still rested lazily on the chair.

Two mushrooms near Lake Rhine toppled over, revealing two figures.

Jiajia Gu, carrying an even larger pack, waved enthusiastically at Saul.

Standing beside him was a middle-aged man with no expression. His face was covered by a metallic mask, and the eyes that peeked through glowed with an eerie green, like ghostfire from a graveyard.

Although magic was forbidden on Lake Rhine, mental energy was not restricted. Saul could sense that Jiajia Gu had brought a Second Rank wizard this time.

Suddenly, the lake water began to ripple. Black, vine-like tendrils recoiled at high speed.

Little Algae burst from the water, its pointed head snapping upward, a human-shaped soul popsicle clenched in its mouth.

Big catch on the line.

(End of Chapter)

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