137 Commissioned Task

In regions where mono-elemental mineral veins are located, the concentration of energy is so intense that the surrounding soil, water, and climate undergo mutations. The Fire Rock Crystal mining area that Theresa and her companions were currently facing was a prime example. Two or three hundred kilometers away from the actual extraction zone, temperatures were already significantly higher than in normal regions. Influenced by this heat, the soil and vegetation had changed accordingly; the soil had begun to desertify, and the vegetation had grown sparse—even where it did grow, most of it carried a trace of fire-elemental energy. Occasionally, one could even see low-level, unformed clusters of fire energy rolling along the ground.

"Ah... I suddenly feel like I'm back in summer," Flora sighed, fanning herself lightly.

Theresa laughed at this, asking, "Wasn't summer in Valienda cooler than this?"

"The north of Valienda is bordered by the Scarlet Plateau, the east by the Grand Canal, and beyond that lies the outer sea, so the climate is naturally milder. My hometown has summers just like this—the Habata family’s land is even hotter. I visited once, and I felt like I was being roasted dry," Flora said, shrinking her neck at the memory, still shuddering slightly.

Habata, despite his honest nature, felt compelled to defend his home. "Our winters never have snow; it's quite warm."

"Yes, that's true," Flora agreed, nodding. "But it's just a bit too far. Otherwise, spending the winter at your place to hibernate would be the most comfortable thing ever."

Seeing this, Theresa looked left and right before asking, "Since neither of you is from Valienda, how did you end up studying at the Valienda Academy?"

"Haha, Theresa, you don't know this, but the Valienda Academy is famous far and wide; many people travel from afar to study here—I came because of its reputation," Flora explained with a smile. "But Habata is different. He was recommended by his tribal elders; he's an elite, you know!"

Habata just stood by, smiling foolishly without responding.

The trio continued onward. As they went deeper, the temperature rose and the vegetation thinned. Occasionally, small magical beasts "polluted" by fire energy would burst out of the sand to attack them. Of course, these were minor cases; before they could even get close, they were torn apart by Xiao Yao and Xiao Hu—Theresa had left Xiao Lang and Xiao Ying at home because their attributes were too specialized.

As they walked, the ground began to show signs of petrification and crystallization. Finally, Theresa’s group saw low-level elementalists wandering about in groups. These flame-like creatures, about a meter tall, gathered in clusters of fifteen or twenty. Whether attacking, defending, or fleeing, they moved as a swarm, making them genuinely difficult to guard against.

"Theresa, it's up to you now." Flora nudged Theresa’s arm, looking eager, clearly even more excited than Theresa herself.

Theresa smiled and nodded, signaling the two to step back a few paces. She reached into the leather pouch at her waist, grabbed a handful of red powder, and slowly scattered it into the air. The powder seemed to possess a spirit of its own; floating in the air, it followed Theresa’s command, tracing a specific path until, in no time, a simple magic circle was drawn.

The circle was so simple that even children like Flora and Habata, who had only learned the most basic alchemy theory, could understand seven or eight parts of it. But simplicity did not mean crudeness or lack of power; the two had long since witnessed the potent effects of this elementary magic circle, so they were entirely at ease with Theresa.

As the magic circle took shape, Xiao Yao and Xiao Hu darted out, clearly dividing the labor to separate the groups of fire elementalists. Xiao Yao, serving as the main lure, led about two-thirds of the elementalists away into the distance, while Xiao Hu guided the remaining few toward Theresa’s magic circle.

These low-level elementalists, whose instincts far outweighed their intelligence, had no idea what a trap was and charged straight into the area of the drifting red powder. Suddenly, flames erupted, and the previously quiet magic circle began to rotate rapidly, instantly converting the few fire elementalists at its center into pure fire energy, which was then channeled back into the circle to provide a steady source of power.

As the saying goes, as one wanes, the other waxes. With the magic circle’s power boosted, the combat effectiveness of the elementalists was correspondingly restricted. They jostled within the circle, and whenever one managed to squeeze out, they were beaten back in by Theresa, her companions, and the fox to be further worn down. They ground away like this, over and over. By the time Xiao Yao returned with the rest of the elementalists, those previously introduced into the circle had already been converted into the circle’s own energy. When it was activated again, its attack power had clearly increased. It "consumed" twice as many elementalists as before without showing any signs of "indigestion," remaining slow, steady, and methodical.

***

"A temporary conscription order? What is this about?" Tatu stared at the temporary military summons in his hand, stamped with the seal of the Storm Fortress defense command. His brow furrowed deeply, his expression darkening.

The adjutant who delivered the order seemed not to notice his expression, speaking in an official tone: "Mr. Jones, in view of your formidable strength and your contributions to the recent Saigon District incident, you are hereby conscripted as a temporary officer for this special event. You will lead five combat units toward the Mojaka direction to conduct a regional search. Among these five units, two are regular army troops; please arrange your tactical tasks accordingly."

After delivering the message, the adjutant saluted and turned to leave, ignoring Tatu’s reaction. What could Tatu do even if he were dissatisfied? Imperial law clearly stated that in special situations involving national security and public livelihood, every imperial citizen had the duty and responsibility to accept military conscription. Unless there was a more important mission, defying a temporary conscription order would result in a trial by court-martial, with the highest penalty being a charge of treason!

Resentfully accepting the summons, Tatu could only head toward the assembly point where the five combat units were waiting, his face like a thundercloud. As he walked, he pondered only one question: the situation in the Saigon District was on the verge of spiraling out of control. It was normal for Pedia to conscript capable civilians, but since Pedia held a grudge against him, why would he put him in charge of a unit responsible for reconnaissance in a specific area?

If it were to use him as cannon fodder, what about the two regular army units assigned to him? Pedia wouldn't send his own soldiers to be cannon fodder alongside him...

Or perhaps it was to monitor him—but if so, why grant him this position?

While Tatu went off to work, filled with confusion, Pedia was busy strategizing, arranging the various affairs of his command in an orderly fashion. The adjutant who delivered the order returned, silently assisting Pedia with urgent matters. Only when the workload eased slightly did Pedia breathe a small sigh of relief, leaning back into his cushion, and asking, "Did he have any special reaction?"

The guard naturally knew who Pedia was referring to and said concisely, "Mr. Jones expressed surprise at receiving the order, but complied without objection."

"Hmm..." Pedia raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. "That fellow’s temper has been tempered quite a bit."

Back in the day, let alone a temporary conscription order, even a formal mandatory military command would have been rejected ten times out of nine by Tatu Jones, given his stubborn temper, if it had come from Pedia.

Hearing this, a look of hesitation appeared on the guard’s face. Pedia, noticing this, rubbed his fingers and asked, "Is there a problem?"

The guard hesitated for a moment before speaking frankly: "Sir, although Mr. Jones is powerful in combat, he has never had any experience leading troops. Isn't it a bit too reckless to send two combat units out with him so abruptly?"

"Don't underestimate him," Pedia said, offering a rare, intrigued smile. "Tatu Jones’s father and grandfather were both veterans. It was only due to their temperaments that they never rose above minor ranks, but that didn't affect their talent. He is a genius; the more extreme the situation, the more he can showcase his abilities!"

The guard was left speechless. Although he had only been following Pedia for a few months, he already understood his cautious nature well. For such a cautious man to give someone else such high praise, it either meant he was being biased, or the other party possessed ability equal to, or even greater than, his assessment!

***

After the magic circle had powerfully absorbed more than five groups of fire elementalists, it began to show a different change. The vibrant red flames, which had been glowing to the extreme, began to compress inward. As the flames concentrated, a faint, bright white light appeared at the core. The white deepened, the flames faded, and before long, the largest cluster of fire in the circle shrank until it vanished, leaving behind a bright white, flame-shaped transparent crystal.

"Magic Essence Crystal!" Flora stared at the bright white transparent crystal, her eyes almost shooting green light. She rubbed her hands, unable to sit still, looking both covetous and regretful.

After staring for a long while, Flora finally set aside her pride and sidled up to Theresa. "Theresa, you can actually purify Magic Essence Crystals? That is truly amazing!"

Theresa herself was a bit surprised by the result. She blinked, looking innocent, and said, "I didn't even know I could purify Magic Essence Crystals..."

This answer caused Flora’s expression to stiffen, but a second later, she smiled even more brilliantly. "Then could you try to purify a wind-element Magic Essence Crystal?"

"Why purify a wind-element one? I'm afraid that won't be easy," Theresa said, touching her chin uncertainly. "According to the theory of the Five Elements, wind comes from wood, but the Five Elements here might be different from what I understand. To extract it as smoothly as I did this time, I’m afraid it will take a lot more effort."

Flora sighed with regret and muttered, "I’m an archer. If I could have a wind-element Magic Essence Crystal—even if it's only the size of a finger—my advancement would have a real chance."

Theresa tilted her head and thought for a moment before saying, "Let me try."