In the past, the West Coast never had any Wizard Organizations with large-scale knight forces, but it is said that this time the Thorn Holy Tower has formed a sizable knight unit, also equipped with extremely comprehensive alchemy equipment.

The Thorn Holy Tower is reportedly learning from the East Coast, where the Mechanical Wizard Civilization and Knight Civilization both thrive.

The combination of knights and mechanical wizards does indeed perform well in Other Planes. Over the years, there has been some related discussion on the West Coast, but the Thorn Holy Tower is the first to take this step.

As Duke observed his surroundings, he approached a tower. The western third tower was originally an auxiliary arrow tower of the main Goose Peak Castle of the Leighton Clan. It has now been fully reinforced and expanded, covered externally with matte metal armor plates. At the top, an energy focusing device and a watchtower have been added, like a cold metal spike pointing directly at the gray-yellow sky.

At the entrance of the tower stood two guards, both in thick armor. Judging by their aura, they were likely strong Level 2 Knights.

Their sharp eyes scrutinized Duke's identification before allowing him to pass.

Upon entering the tower, the temperature seemed to be slightly lower than outside.

The light primarily came from glowing crystals embedded in the walls, soft yet cold.

The structure here resembled more of a vertical military command post than a residential area.

The first floor was a public area, with several tactical tables placed around. Several wizards were conversing in low voices, the atmosphere tense, while a spiral metal staircase led to the upper floors.

Duke's room was on the second floor, but he needed to report to the squad leader first.

According to instructions, Captain Catherine's office and command room were on the top floor of the tower.

Stepping onto the metal staircase, the sound of footsteps was clearly audible in the relatively quiet environment.

Duke could sense an invisible energy field enveloping the tower, clearly some form of protective or soundproof barrier.

The top floor housed only a single room, with a heavy metal door engraved with the insignia of the Thorn Holy Tower, also marked as the office of the Seventh Squad's Captain, Catherine.

"Seventh Squad, new member Duke, reporting to Captain Catherine," Duke stated calmly outside the door.

After a brief silence, a clear, calm female voice, tinged with an unquestionable authority, came from inside: "Enter."

The metal door slid open silently to the side, revealing a space more spacious than Duke imagined.

Rather than an office, it was more like a small tactical command center.

One wall was entirely made up of a massive tactical sand table composed of energy, clearly displaying the surrounding terrain of Goose Peak Castle, the distribution of friendly and enemy forces, the flow of energy, and various real-time tactical markers.

The sand table's light flowed, the details extraordinarily intricate.

On another wall were several light screens of varying sizes, showing real-time images of key areas within the base and the external wilderness.

In the center of the room was a large alloy desk, cluttered with documents, crystal panels, and several peculiar instruments emitting faint energy fluctuations.

Behind the desk stood a woman.

She appeared quite young, seemingly only in her twenties, but her ice-blue eyes held a maturity, sharpness, and battlefield coldness that belied her appearance.

Her brown hair was neatly tied into a simple bun at the back, exposing a smooth forehead and defined jawline.

Catherine, a Level 2 Mage of the Thorn Holy Tower and also the captain of the Seventh Squad.

Her gaze fell on Duke as if tangible, sweeping swiftly and accurately over him, seemingly completing a preliminary assessment in an instant.

That gaze held no disdain, nor warmth, only a pure, professional scrutiny.

"Wizard Duke, I've reviewed your file. People from the Black Sail and Grace herself have specifically greeted me. Welcome to the Seventh Squad. I know you may be here just for the credentials, but the battlefield is no game, follow orders at all times."

"Don't assume that your background allows you to act recklessly. If you die on the battlefield because you disobey my commands and rules, you can only blame yourself."

Catherine's words were direct and cold, carrying the pragmatic and undeniable tone of a frontline commander.

She clearly regarded Duke as one of those who relied on connections to gain experience, and had little patience for such individuals, emphasizing discipline and consequences.

Faced with this near-warning form of welcome, Duke showed no sign of offense or displeasure, remaining as calm as ever.

He nodded slightly, his voice steady: "Understood, Captain. I will follow all orders and rules."

His response was concise, straightforward, neither arguing nor trying to curry favor, which somewhat appeased Catherine's expression.

It was evident she had dealt with many connections before, finding it difficult to show a pleasant demeanor.

"Better be," Catherine's tone softened slightly but remained serious.

Duke then submitted the document he brought from the Black Sail, as well as his Black Sail Badge, completing his report.

As of now, no specific tasks had been assigned to him, and he simply needed to familiarize himself with the environment and situation.

Duke turned and left the command room, the metal door closing silently behind him.

He descended the metal staircase to the second floor, which was the dormitory area. The corridor was quiet, with numbered alloy doors on each side.

Finding his room, Duke used the key to open it.

The room was small and extremely simply furnished, with a metal bed, a set of wall-mounted alloy tables and chairs, and a built-in storage cabinet.

Clean, cold, efficient, everything serving the purpose of war.

As for basic bedding and such, they were already placed in the cabinet, along with several sets of cold-weather clothing.

These were standard basic configurations, prepared in advance in each room.

After doing some simple tidying up, Duke made the bed and lay down, then found Vivian's Wizard's Mark from his own Wizard's Mark, sending a message: "Vivian, where are you?"

The Wizard Mark Tower had already been established in the area near Goose Peak Castle, allowing the Wizard's Mark to function normally.

A moment later, Vivian replied: "Duke? Why are you here?!"

The spiritual power message from Vivian conveyed both surprise and concern.

"I couldn't rest easy knowing you'd come alone to such a dangerous place. Of course I had to come," Duke said.

After a brief silence, Vivian replied: "Where are you now, I'll come find you."

She didn't say much, but the spiritual power message clearly revealed an eagerness to see Duke.

Vivian had been in the Devourer Plane for only about a month.

In this place full of danger, she had felt no fear, consistently completing her tasks with calmness and facing everything.

But the moment she received Duke's message, Vivian's heart still felt a streak of unexplainable bitterness and melancholy.

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