After the Black Sail colonized the Wood Elf Plane, they retained many of the former major cities of the wood elves, converting them into slave cities; essentially, they colonized the place.

The wood elves still live in these cities and surrounding areas, the only difference being that they have transformed from free elves into slaves marked with the Slave Mark.

Wizards tower above all here; they are the masters of everything, and the wood elves have no dignity to speak of, having to obey any orders or arrangements from the wizards.

Duke needs to deliver the collected magic potion materials to Firefly City nearby, where there are many Black Sail medicinal gardens, and all the collected magic potion materials are centrally stored here.

The magic potion materials here will be sent to various planes, not just the Wizard Plane, depending on the specifics of the orders.

Duke traveled alone over the yellow sands to the outskirts of Firefly City, without bringing Yala, who also seems reluctant to see these cities that have become slave towns.

Outside Firefly City, Duke descended to a low altitude and, upon presenting the Black Sail Badge, was allowed entry into the city.

Most of those active in the city are wood elves, coming and going within.

Even though there are many wood elves here, the city lacks the hustle and bustle Duke experienced in cities he visited before; the entire city feels a bit lifeless.

As far as Duke can see, hardly any wood elves bear expressions of joy or happiness.

Almost every wood elf wears a face of bitterness, with a somber look, and conducts themselves with extreme caution.

They appear to be very timid, constantly on guard as they walk, as if someone could suddenly leap out from the roadside to seize them.

From the behavior of these wood elves, Duke can roughly surmise what kind of life they undergo on a daily basis.

Some of these wood elves reside within Firefly City itself, while others live in surrounding tribes, like Elder Rick from one such tribe.

Old Rick seldom goes out nowadays, but his clan members still frequently come to Firefly City to procure various supplies.

The Wood Elf Plane is a typical example of a conquered realm, where the inhabitants appear to live as before, but in reality, everything has been utterly transformed.

The wood elves also have differentiations in status, but they all share the same identity: that of a slave.

On his journey, Duke also observes some wood elves whose attire is not tattered; instead, they dress appropriately and cleanly. Most likely, they have wizards backing them, as wood elves working for wizards usually receive such treatment.

Wood elves inherently dislike wearing clothes, but those in the city still wear them to varying extents.

They are not worn for warmth or aesthetic appeal, but for personal protection.

Despite the attractive wood elves having been largely taken away, occasionally, events occur where a wizard spots a particular wood elf on the streets and directly takes them away.

The fate of those wood elves who are taken varies; the unlucky ones become corpses on the streets a day or two later.

The luckier ones become servants at the side of some wizard lord, no longer worrying about hunger and free from doing excessive work, only needing to be utilized as directed.

But such fortunate individuals are rare, as most wizards only indulge such desires temporarily.

As Duke walks through the streets, the wood elves around him deliberately steer away; many of them choose to detour upon seeing him from afar.

They prefer to take longer routes rather than encountering Duke.

In a wizard's robe, Duke stands out distinctively in this city of wood elves.

He pays no mind to the fearful, reverent, or hopeful gazes of the wood elves around him and proceeds straight to the City Lord's Mansion at the center of Firefly City.

It has now become an office for the Black Sail, with many wizards busily working inside, stacks of parchment papers placed on tables, and quill pens floating in mid-air, scribbling automatically.

There are quite a few wizard apprentices here as well, performing miscellaneous tasks mainly involving clearing cargo orders and similar duties.

Duke arrives at a designated counter, presents the documents given to him by Deke, and hands over the Space Ring.

Behind the counter is a girl with freckles, at a first-class wizard apprentice level, expertly reviewing each document, writing something with a quill pen in familiar spots, then stamping them—an entire process as smooth as flowing water.

"Here you go, the quarterly inspection of Kalanin Manor is complete," the girl says, handing over a parchment stamped multiple times.

Kalanin Manor is the name of the manor Duke is responsible for, and the Space Ring is returned to him.

Of course, all the materials inside have been handed over, leaving nothing behind.

This ring will eventually be returned to Old Rick, as they don't have that much money to purchase a Space Ring.

The wizard of Kalanin Manor, no matter how exploitative, wouldn't dare to keep the Space Ring, as it would complicate the collection and delivery of magic potion materials by wood elves in the future.

Duke keeps the documents safely; these are critical proof, to be handed over to Deke upon his return, marking the completion of his task.

After completing this series of tasks, he will have another mission in three months.

Duke doesn't stay long in Firefly City; even though there are many places serving wizards there, he currently lacks interest.

...

At Kalanin Manor, Deke looks over the documents Duke hands over, then smiles and says, "Back so soon? Didn't you want to stay a bit longer? Firefly City has some good places, you know?"

"I've heard about some. I just want to focus more on my magic potion studies now," Duke smiles and replies.

Deke chuckles and says, "Understood. I can see that you indeed enjoy being nestled in a laboratory. Still, you can't always be tense; sometimes, you need to relax. I'll take you out sometime."

He naturally knows that Duke has spent most of his time buried in the magic potion factory of the Giant Rock Commerce Association, a typical research-loving wizard, at least in Deke's eyes.

Deke likes such subordinates who are simple, pure-hearted, easy to manage, and unlikely to cause trouble, ensuring his tasks smoothly proceed during this period.

Late at night, Duke is practicing magic in his wooden cottage, shooting a white beam from his fingertip, leaving a hole in the experimental dummy ahead.

The Skill Tree displays some information—not that Ray of Light has leveled up, but that Earth Spring finally reached max level.

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