The wizard in charge of the teleportation array here is named Brandon. After verifying Duke's identity, he asked some specific questions.

"According to Lucas' information, besides participating in the vanguard mission, do you have other things to handle?"

"I'm here to find Ms. Hela. There's an urgent matter that needs her assistance," Duke said succinctly.

He noticed the hem of Brandon's wizard robe was stained with dark green mud, and the edge of his sleeves seemed to have slight corrosion marks from some acidic substance, giving him a sense of having just crawled out of a swamp, tired and tense.

Brandon frowned and said, "Then you'll have to contact her yourself. As I recall, Ms. Hela has already gone out to investigate some new species in the Decomposition Forest. The Wizard Mark Tower is already established, so if you have her Wizard's Mark, you can contact her directly."

"Also, since you're here to find Ms. Hela, you're assigned to her team as well."

The personnel at the Seventh Outpost are numerous, divided into many teams, each with their own tasks.

Duke naturally couldn't do nothing here and was directly assigned to Hela's side to take on tasks there.

Hearing that he could contact through the Wizard's Mark, Duke felt relieved. As long as he could get in touch, things would be much easier.

"Come with me first. You need to understand the surrounding situation," Brandon said.

He turned to signal Duke to follow, not taking the relatively open, trodden muddy path straight ahead from the teleportation platform, but veered to the side, pushing aside a clump of giant ferns with serrated edges to reveal a more hidden, single file path.

The path wound downward, deep into a low area covered by a cluster of giant mushrooms emitting a faint phosphorescence.

The air became more humid and thick, with the sulfur smell fainting, replaced by a sickeningly sweet rotting odor.

Below was slippery moss and intertwined roots. Brandon moved lightly, incredibly skillful, clearly well-versed with this path.

After about ten minutes, passing through a forest of dead trees draped with sticky strands, the scene before him changed.

A makeshift camp appeared before them, built upon massive, moss-covered black rocks. The camp's circumference was enclosed with a simple wooden wall made of sharpened giant stakes, inscribed with unique runes, obviously part of a Witch Array.

This wooden wall was no ordinary wall, but actually fortified with magical protections, making it difficult for ordinary forces to breach.

Inside the camp were dozens of huts made of dark waterproof cloth, metal frames, and local wood, alongside a few large tents.

In the central area stood a relatively tall metal pole, with a crystal emitting a stable white light at the top, barely dispelling the surrounding heavy darkness, forming a relatively safe area.

This kind of condition is extremely simple, but the vanguard is meant to conduct investigations in relatively harsh, simple, and dangerous environments, exploring frontiers not reached by others.

The air was filled with the scent of magic potions, sweat, and blood, with some wizards in leather armor or robes swiftly moving through the camp, most with tired and vigilant expressions, and their equipment had more or less battle marks.

Brandon led Duke to the camp's entrance, to a guard post built from metal plates and stones, where a one-eyed wizard with a hideous scar sat inside, playing with a dark red energy crystal, his gaze sharp as an eagle's.

"Ivan, the newcomer, Level 1 Mage Duke, has already been assigned to Hela's team," Brandon introduced.

The one-eyed wizard Quinn lifted his eyelid, his intact eye scanning Duke, pausing on the unique badge on his left arm for half a second, before returning to his face.

"Got Lucas' message, we're short-handed. Good timing."

Subsequently, Duke followed Brandon into a tent in the camp where he saw a map marked with much information.

Brandon pointed to a black stone symbol on the map and said, "This is our Seventh Outpost, built relying on the Black Stone Giant Rock. With it as the center, within a fifty-kilometer radius, is our cleared safe zone, our stronghold range. Beyond that, the area is quite uncertain..."

Duke memorized the map and the information Brandon mentioned, as the Seventh Outpost is now responsible for scouting intelligence in surrounding areas.

Brandon then took Duke for a tour around the camp and assigned him a small wooden cabin, his temporary residence.

The conditions were extremely simple, but given the situation, he could only make do.

Duke subsequently contacted Ms. Hela, informing her of his situation.

Hela replied, "Oh Duke, you actually came over. I'm currently on a mission at the Fluorescent Swamp and will return after a period. You can come over directly, just need to be careful on the way."

The Fluorescent Swamp is located over one hundred kilometers north of the Seventh Outpost, considered the outskirts of the outpost, not too far.

But it's still somewhat dangerous. On the way, one is bound to encounter some situations, it's inevitable.

Duke couldn't just wait in the camp for Hela to return, even if she could come back within a month, he couldn't wait.

This is amidst a different plane, if specific situations arise, it might be impossible to contact Hela within a month.

Delay could lead to changes, solving the curse on his left arm is the most pressing issue.

Duke quickly decided to set out for the Fluorescent Swamp, to find Hela and resolve the curse on his body before dealing with other matters.

When he once again stood at the grim yet murderous aura emitting exit of the outpost, the sky seemed darker than when he came.

Lead-gray clouds rolled, as if brewing something, with the humid, rotten air carrying a faint sulfur and iron scent heavily enveloping him.

A straight distance of over a hundred kilometers in this perilous sea of forest meant several days of difficult trekking and countless unknown dangers.

Duke took one last look at the crystal pillar in the center of the camp emitting steadfast white light, whose weak glow seemed so insignificant in the boundless dark forest sea.

After confirming the direction of the Fluorescent Swamp, he restrained his aura, and some yellow sand floated around him, ready to guard against any potential threats.

The area within tens of kilometers around the Seventh Outpost is relatively safe; at least, no overly powerful demons exist as it's already been cleared.

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