Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Base Tour Flash City, the tavern’s backyard. Shouts were rising and falling in a cacophony. "Be quick with your hands, unload everything." "Be careful, if anything gets broken, I’ll dock your pay!" "Separate out the marked items, I’m personally going to deliver them outside the city later." Mu Zhuo loudly commanded his subordinates, occasionally throwing in a shout or two. Normally, with his status, he wouldn’t need to personally follow the convoy to deliver goods here. However, to show his respect for the Flashing Territory, he always personally led the team every time. Remembering the first time he met Sunan at the tavern, Mu Zhuo couldn’t help but sigh. Even back then, he could see that Sunan was not an ordinary person, and his future would certainly be bright, but he didn’t expect Sunan’s performance to be so astonishing and impressive. As one of the noteworthy merchants of the Thorn Flower Duchy, he had his own channels of information and knew well how significant Sunan’s role was in the reclaiming of the Flashing Territory during the war. It could be said that if not for Sunan, Black Stone City would’ve fallen apart in that assassination attempt, let alone make a comeback! Sunan almost single-handedly shifted the power balance between the two sides! Although Mu Zhuo had heard quite a bit about the secrets of Wizard Apprentices, this was the first time he realized how powerful they could be. It was only natural to build a good relationship with such a powerful individual with a promising future. Not to mention, Sunan also had a collaboration with the commerce guild, and those potions brought considerable profit to the guild. After unloading the goods, Mu Zhuo handed other affairs to his deputy, and personally led people and goods to the base outside the city. Ota followed Mu Zhuo closely, sharing the same carriage. Getting on the carriage and drawing the curtain, Mu Zhuo casually asked, "Is there still no news from Ranshuang Province?" With a heavy expression, Ota shook his head and said, "No, I’ve sent several letters, but the clansmen there have not replied." "How strange, the Beastmen in Ranshuang Province are living well, why would they spread Beastification Syndrome on purpose?" Mu Zhuo mused, rubbing his chin. Ota spoke sullenly, "It shouldn’t be them. Only original Beastmen can spread Beastification Syndrome. We descendants can’t do it. I think there’s another story behind this." Mu Zhuo didn’t comment, thinking for a while, then said, "After this delivery, go to Ranshuang Province, investigate what’s going on, and if the situation is too critical, the guild will have to consider scaling back its assets there." "Understood." Ota nodded solemnly. The two fell silent afterward, and the carriage soon sank into quietude. Just then, there was a sudden commotion outside. Mu Zhuo curiously lifted the curtain to look outside, spotting three pitch-black leopards running swiftly through the street, drawing attention from the passersby. Black Rock Leopard! Mu Zhuo instantly recognized the origin of the panthers. Since the battle of Black Stone City, the fame of the Black Rock Cavalry Legion had spread throughout the Golden Rock Province. Many knew that this cavalry legion possessed a powerful steed known as the Black Rock Leopard, each with Knight-level combat ability, fearless in battle, and superior even to the finest warhorses. The Black Rock Cavalry Legion drew much of its renown from the Black Rock Leopards. Many noble lords coveted them. Mu Zhuo had once probed Kei about purchasing Black Rock Leopards, but was flatly denied. However, what surprised Mu Zhuo this time was not the leopards, but the three children riding on their backs. Two boys and one girl, all around thirteen or fourteen years old. "Where did these three come from?" Mu Zhuo wondered to himself. At their age, they clearly couldn’t belong to the Black Rock Cavalry Legion, yet they were using Black Rock Leopards as mounts, which meant they held a significant status in Flash City. Suddenly, Mu Zhuo recalled something. He had heard that Sunan took in three apprentices early in the year. Could these three little ones be them? ... Whoosh! The wind roared past their ears, the scenery on both sides swiftly falling behind. Sherman, face full of excitement, rode on the back of a Black Rock Leopard, experiencing his first exhilarating ride, feeling the blood in his veins boiling. On the other side, Cole was equally unable to contain his excitement, his eyes shining brightly. Only Attila’s little face was slightly pale, not quite used to such a fast speed. Soon, the three arrived at the location of the base. "Is this the base teacher mentioned?" Sherman curiously looked at the towering stone walls and tightly closed gates before him. Upon closer inspection, one could find shallow, strange patterns on the surface of the stone walls. He vaguely remembered seeing these patterns in books, seemingly a type of Enchanted Rune that strengthened the hardness of objects. Rumble! The closed gates suddenly opened, and a familiar figure rushed out from within, almost as if teleporting, landing in front of the three. It was Amy. "Meow, you’re finally here. I’ve been waiting for a long time." Amy waved at the trio. "Come in quickly, Sunan is busy right now, so I’m here to show you around the base and get you familiarized." Led by Amy, Sherman and his two companions stepped into the base, a bit nervous. After entering the gate, they discovered two gigantic rock creatures standing behind it. "Stone Golems!" Attila exclaimed softly. She had seen illustrations of Stone Golems in books, but it was her first time seeing the real thing. Sherman and Cole also widened their eyes, examining the Stone Golems in front of them, eyes full of curiosity. "These are the base’s guards, meow." Amy explained. As she spoke, a team of Clay Golems approached from a distance, seemingly about to leave the base. Amy glanced back and said, "A merchant caravan has delivered goods; they’re going out to transport them. Let’s continue." Saying this, she hopped forward, and Sherman and the other two hurriedly followed. Amy was very dutiful, explaining the purpose of each area to the three as they reached it. "This is the Meditation Area; you can meditate here in the future, just pick any empty Meditation Room." "This is the Magic Training Area. Do you see those humanoid targets? Once you learn magic, you’ll practice here." "This is the Experiment Area, where experiments are conducted." "This is the Residential Area, where you’ll live from now on." "This is the Medicine Brewing Area..." The base was vast to an exaggerating degree. As they walked along, various facilities dazzled the three youngsters. Before they knew it, the group reached the Puppet Factory. Sherman’s attention was immediately drawn to a massive iron figure standing in the corner, his eyes rounding involuntarily. "What’s that?" Amy glanced over and said, "That’s a Steel Golem." "So this is a Steel Golem." The three had only read brief mentions of Steel Golems in books, which described mostly low-level golems. Seeing the real thing was truly overwhelming. It’s enormous! "Lady Amy, is the Steel Golem much stronger than the Stone Golem?" Cole asked curiously. "Of course, the Steel Golem’s combat capability is at the level of a Legendary Knight." Upon hearing Amy’s response, the three young ones gasped collectively, showing expressions of utmost shock. The fact that this massive entity was as strong as a Legendary Knight was incredible! They couldn’t help but swallow a gulp, their gazes at the Steel Golem filled with reverence. Along with that, their admiration for Sunan grew even deeper. To create a Steel Golem, just how powerful must their teacher be?