After a flash of light, Duke appeared in the teleportation array on the Elizabeth. It was different from the room he came from.

After the teleportation array at the Seventh Outpost was destroyed, Black Sail also dealt with the corresponding teleportation array on the Elizabeth, erasing all traces.

The purpose of doing so was to avoid exposing the coordinates of the Wizard Plane, not out of fear of an invasion from the Devourer Plane; they did not have the strength for that. It was to prevent the plane's coordinates from being leaked.

After Duke stepped out, just like before, he went through various procedures, signed some documents, and then left the Elizabeth.

This time, besides the contribution points for the mission itself, he also received additional compensation, totaling twenty thousand contribution points.

Duke's Black Sail Contribution Points now reached over twenty-two thousand.

He planned to recuperate within Black Sail for a while because the process of spiritual power liquidation was almost complete—it wouldn't be long until he fully stepped into the level of a Liquidation Wizard.

Once Duke returned to the Deserted Island, he found that it had changed considerably, with lush green trees and herbs everywhere.

During his absence, the Wood Elves on the Deserted Island had taken care of it well, and the trees they planted were already tall and dense.

There were also herb gardens everywhere, which Duke had previously asked them to sow and plant, all growing well now.

The Deserted Island no longer appeared barren; the soil that was originally impoverished had become quite fertile.

When Duke arrived at the Deserted Island, he saw many Wood Elves working in the herb fields.

Their workload wasn't high, as the area of medicinal gardens on the Deserted Island wasn't large, they didn't have much to do each day, just needed to look after these few herb fields.

Upon seeing Duke, they hurriedly laid down their work, knelt, and bowed.

These Wood Elves didn't wear any clothing even though Duke had provided them apparel.

But when there were no outsiders on the island, these Wood Elves preferred to maintain their natural state.

Only Yala was always clothed, and her outfits were quite varied.

After all, she was different from the other Wood Elves, not just a servant but responsible for attending to Duke.

Knowing Duke had returned, Yala hastened to welcome him.

Yala was dressed in a well-tailored dark dress, outlining a graceful figure. The most striking of all were her long legs wrapped in delicate black silk stockings, shimmering with a soft luster under the sun, forming a sharp contrast with her fair skin, adding a touch of elegance and allure.

Her face bore genuine delight as she stepped forward quickly, bowing respectfully, with her cleavage prominent: "Master!"

"Hmm, Yala, the island is well taken care of, you've worked hard." Duke nodded slightly.

Yala now played the role of a steward on the island, responsible for managing various affairs.

Knowing Duke had returned, she specially changed her clothes and tidied up a bit.

Just then, a rhythmic and hurried footstep accompanied by a faint metallic friction sound came from the direction of the training ground on the other side of the island.

Nina appeared like a swift lightning bolt.

She wore tight-fitting dark brown leather armor, perfectly conforming to her body filled with wild strength.

The armor protected vital areas yet did not hinder her wide movement, exposing her wheat-colored arms and calf muscles, appearing smooth and full of explosive power.

Her face was flushed from exercise, and fine beads of sweat hung at her temples. Her cat eyes, glistening with excitement under the sun, slightly contracted due to agitation.

"Master Duke! You've finally returned!" Nina rushed over, abruptly stopping with a gust of wind.

Nina had made significant progress lately and had now become a Great Knight, agile and fit.

Her Cat Girl bloodline seemed to have been developed to some extent, indeed making her highly compatible with the Wind Attribute Breathing Technique.

Duke planned to prepare a high-tier Wind Attribute Breathing Technique for Nina later, to see if she could grow into a First-level Knight.

Both Yala and Nina assumed low postures; essentially they were only servants, not even qualified to be Duke's women, at least in this era.

Otherwise, the wives and concubines of many wizards would not just be dozens but hundreds or thousands.

From a status perspective, Shari's position was higher than Yala and Nina; at least Shari wasn't in a slave status.

Shari wasn't on the island during this time; she was still studying at Academy Island, currently in the second-level Wizard Apprentice stage.

With Duke's resources, Shari only needed to steadily learn and enhance herself.

The resources a Wizard Apprentice needed for training were trivial to Duke.

After Duke returned to the castle, Yala changed into an even lighter outfit, draped with a hazy black veil, then filled a large bathtub with water and sprinkled petals.

White mist drifted within the bathtub, and the room's temperature gradually increased. Yala walked barefoot to Duke's side to help him undress.

...

A sleepless night followed, with Yala falling into a flushed sleep.

Duke got up to contact Merrick, to learn about recent events.

His greatest concern was the happenings in the Crawford Clan; although the curse issue had been resolved, it didn't mean there would be no further troubles.

Bell, an important figure in the Crawford Clan, had died, and for sure they would investigate thoroughly.

During the teleportation back from the Void Corridor to Harbor City, the curse had been triggered for a moment. It's uncertain whether the Crawford Clan had sensed it.

Regular people likely wouldn't know these details, and there's no point in asking at the Giant Rock Commerce Association.

The organizational structure of the Giant Rock Commerce Association just meant their personnel were complex; from the spread of the auctioned crystal core's news, it's known they have people inside from the Crawford Clan.

Asking them would be tantamount to exposing oneself.

Merrick quickly replied: "You're finally back, heard something happened on the Devourer Plane, Brandon is dead."

"Lucky to have escaped. But let's talk business, anything noteworthy lately?" Duke replied.

Merrick replied: "Hehe, the Crawford Clan's Bell died in the Void Corridor. Lately, they're investigating who killed Bell. I feel like..."

"Walls have ears, be careful!" Duke guessed what he was trying to say and interrupted directly.

"You're really cautious, but the Wizard's Mark indeed is not that secure. Let's talk face-to-face next time. Anyway, the Crawford Clan hasn't figured out the cause of Bell's death yet."

"They've already sent people to investigate in the Void Corridor and paid a considerable price to obtain the entry qualifications..."

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