Chapter 147: War Mission 

February 15th, near Scarto City.

Roy rode on Atedia, accompanied by Celine and Yanila, arriving at a dense forest logging site nestled in the mountains.

This place had already been taken over by bandits, turning it into a den that plagued the local area.

The local centaur natives were suffering greatly, but even after pleading with the kingdom's officials, there was no solution.

Since centaurs are not adept at climbing, such mountainous areas were essentially abandoned.

Many bandits could come and go without a trace precisely because they occupied such locations.

Roy had received intelligence that this logging site, which was originally capable of supplying timber, had been seized by a gang of several dozen bandits.

"Could it be that, like Kassad, this is an outpost dispatched by the Bloodhoof Tribe here?"

Roy fiddled with the chain spear in his hand and said to Celine beside him.

Then he nudged Atedia's waist.

Understanding his intent, Atedia leaped onto a small mound and quickly dashed inside.

Soon after, the barracks and the slightly panicked expressions of the bandits came into view.

Sporadic arrows shot over, but Roy's mental strength dispersed around, interfering with their trajectories, and he swiftly appeared before them.

The Star Iron Chain Spear shot out, piercing through the chest of one of the archers like a long spear.

Electricity surged, killing him instantly.

Roy controlled the retractor to pull it back, feeling its smooth extension and retraction, truly handy.

The next moment, with a thought, the Star Iron became like a red-hot branding iron, filled with the power of the fire element.

He hurled the chain spear, and a centaur bandit about seven or eight meters away was ensnared, his skin scorched and flesh torn, screaming in agony.

"This thing is quite handy!"

Roy twirled the chain spear, then estimated a length of about three meters, pulled it forcefully, and wielded it like a long spear in his hand.

The Wizard Array inscribed on it could alter the chain spear's form in conjunction with his thoughts, primarily due to the "Animation Art" Wizardry imbued within.

In an instant, cold glints flickered.

Roy wielded the weapon, thrusting it through the bodies of several enemies in succession.

The spearhead, forged from Radiant Gold, was exceptionally sharp and sturdy, even armor couldn't withstand it, let alone the crude leather garments of the bandits.

Under his immense strength, they were all as fragile as paper.

By the time Celine and Yanila caught up, the battle here was mostly over.

Roy successfully tested his newly crafted weapon and nodded in satisfaction.

...

"This bandit den hides some plundered grain, and besides that, there are military supplies!

Perhaps the kingdom's officials secretly sold them, or somehow obtained them from the kingdom's blacksmiths."

Not long after, everyone examined the situation inside and came to a conclusion.

"Corruption to this extent is truly shocking.

But it's none of our business."

Roy shook his head, not bothering further.

Compared to this matter, he cared more about his newly crafted weapon, which had significantly enhanced his combat capabilities.

Soon, they returned to the quarry.

Just as they were about to further refine the "Transmutation Circle" and develop the application of "Golem Transmutation," they suddenly found the place in chaos, with a lot of commotion.

"Wild boar!"

"The wild boar is out of control!"

"Not good, quickly catch it!"

Roy hurried inside, only to see the wild boar golem he had crafted charging recklessly, smashing things in the quarry.

It had just charged into the workers' cafeteria, knocking over tables and chairs in its path.

Ordinary people dared not confront it directly, fearing that using overly aggressive methods might harm it. Only with the assistance of Ivent, Ottoli, Greet, and a few others did they attempt to capture it.

"Everyone, step aside!"

Roy commanded, pointing a finger, and the wild boar fell back into a calm state.

His mental will was entrenched within it, aligning with the Arcane Imprint he had left behind. This was akin to the method of controlling a Wizardry Artifact.

"Lord Roy, you're back. That's such a relief."

"It's all Ottoli's fault. He had nothing better to do, so he slaughtered a pig and roasted meat near the statue!"

Everyone began to complain.

Ottoli lowered his head, somewhat embarrassed. "I went hunting in the forest today and caught a few wild boars. I thought I'd treat everyone to a feast, but I didn't expect to attract this beast."

Roy nodded. "Some petrified Golems are placed in the castle as guards, detecting intruders based on the scent of blood or fluctuations of various energies.

I originally intended to place it here to protect the quarry, but the friend-or-foe identification wasn't properly set up."

Roy took the blame upon himself.

"Such a thing could happen? Why didn't the other Golem react?" everyone asked curiously.

"That's an Elite Golem forged from the soul of a centaur. How could it be the same?" Roy explained.

He had now discovered a pattern: using the souls of intelligent beings as materials for "Golem Transmutation" was more challenging.

But once successfully created, they started at a higher level.

The Elite Golems in the teacher's castle and the members of the "Immortal Legion" were all made this way.

"From the perspective of traditional Art of Alchemy, ancient alchemists likely hoped for an instant success.

Golems with higher intelligence were used to receive and execute various tasks from the alchemists.

After all, Wizardry was originally a 'black box.'

They would perform various magical rituals and use symbolic materials, relying on chance to guess.

They might create dozens, hundreds, or even thousands.

Perhaps one day, they would succeed.

Those successful instances were recorded as experiences, gradually refining the art of Wizardry.

In contrast, using wild boars or other less intelligent beasts to create Golems, while possible and even with a higher success rate,

generally resulted in less effective creations.

However, when it came to Synthetic Souls or Simulated Souls, using the souls of beasts was actually better.

It's similar to Magic Pets; a blank canvas is easier to paint on."

Roy gave a brief explanation, not expecting the apprentices to fully understand. Instead, he had a sudden flash of insight, vaguely forming some ideas.

Ideas for improving "Golem Transmutation."

What his teacher excelled at was the method of creating Golems based on Natural Souls.

He had been following this path.

Perhaps it was time to try Synthetic Souls and Simulated Souls.

But just as Roy returned to his room, set up the "Portable Small Alchemy Laboratory" in a dedicated partition, and laid out the magical alchemy tools, he felt a surge of magic from the Communication Crystal.

Roy went to the room where the Communication Crystal was placed and saw his teacher's figure appear.

"As the Governor, I hereby issue a war mission.

The city of Scarto is currently facing the imminent threat of an invasion by the Bloodhoof Tribe.

The centaur Kairon has declared himself the Bloodhoof King and has appointed his seventeenth son, Marcel, as the vanguard to lead the assault on Scarto.

You, go and resolve this matter!

The reward for this mission is set at 50,000 Magic Stones.

Additional compensation will be provided if you turn in centaur souls, especially those with the special bloodline of heroes.

(End of Chapter)