An unexpected surprise!
Tang Zheng hadn't expected to gain anything from this return trip, but he was pleasantly surprised. "Huh? 'Information'... not 'Message'?"
He suddenly realized that this skill was different from what he had subconsciously assumed, despite the mere one-character difference.
In "YGGDRASIL," "Message" was a skill used for maintaining contact, originally intended only for special situations and locations.
However, in this Different World, "Message" had instead become a form of instant communication magic!
"Clearly, there's a difference between the 'Information' I have and the 'Message' skill."
Tang Zheng pondered for a moment and silently thought, "Learn."
[Skill Points: 112 → 112]
No skill points were consumed because "Information" originated from the "Commander" class. After mastering this skill, he automatically advanced one level in the intermediate tier of the "Commander" class.
Tang Zheng glanced at his Attribute Panel and thought to himself, "I'll have to wait until I obtain a new class and consume experience to remove the 'Commander' class."
"Ah, it failed."
Anri's face was filled with confusion and bewilderment. She had successfully used it before.
She had intended to demonstrate, but she couldn't contact Tang Zheng at all. Once the skill's activation time expired, it automatically deactivated.
In this Different World, when people master new skills and magic, they cannot view the specific effects of the skills like players in a game.
They can only understand the skill's abilities through their own exploration.
Tang Zheng, of course, was different. He could view the skill's effects through his Attribute Panel. After seeing the specific effects of "Information," a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes.
The three witches, Cui Ye, looked at Tang Zheng and Anri in surprise, clearly not understanding what they were doing.
Clink! Clink!
Tang Zheng had no intention of hiding anything. He lightly tapped the table. Feeling everyone's gaze, he spoke softly, "I think I know what's going on."
"Captain, really?"
Anri looked up in surprise, her brown pupils sparkling with admiration.
She had suddenly gained this ability and was a bit flustered, which was why she wanted to seek clarification from her knowledgeable Captain.
Tang Zheng put down his cutlery, leaned back in his chair, and said gently, "You should know that besides combat-oriented classes, there are other systems of classes, such as the Commander system."
"Anri has been following that 'Beast General' Hector Weiss recently, so she has mastered the abilities of the Commander system."
Tang Zheng looked at Anri with an appreciative gaze. "'Information' allows a 'Commander' to maintain contact with their legion members for extended periods."
"This is a support-type skill. While it doesn't significantly boost combat power, it allows for seamless command."
"An ability like this is not something ordinary individuals with Commander-class professions can master. Anri, you have great talent in this area."
Words of praise filled the dining table.
Anri shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and at the same time, she understood why she couldn't contact her Captain.
Being able to establish contact with "Beast General" Hector Weiss was a result of their actions together over the past three months, implicitly fulfilling the conditions of legion members.
And her Captain, clearly, was not among them.
"Miss Anri, you're truly amazing."
Lizardman Kurushe gently touched her chest with her finely scaled white claws, clasping them together in sincere praise.
The Emerald Witch smiled and nodded, not particularly surprised. From the beginning, her master had placed great importance on this human girl, Anri.
Possessing such talent was within expectations. What surprised her was that her master had managed to discover it.
The White Mist Witch, with her golden pupils, glanced at Anri and pouted.
"I'm informing everyone of these specific details because, within Tier Magic, there exists a similar ability called 'Message'."
Tang Zheng explained to the four people present, his tone becoming a little more serious.
"The specific effect is like this..."
Tang Zheng raised a finger and lightly tapped his temple, silently activating "Information."
"Huh?"
"Huh!"
"Ah!"
"What is this..."
The Emerald Witch, the White Mist Witch, and Lizardman Kurushe all exclaimed in surprise. Anri, meanwhile, widened her eyes and looked at Tang Zheng.
The voices of Tang Zheng had just echoed in their minds consecutively.
Especially the three witches, they finally understood what the effect of the ability Tang Zheng had mentioned was.
Everyone's face showed expressions of astonishment and novelty.
Anri blinked, completely surprised that her Captain possessed an ability similar to hers.
Seeing everyone's astonished and curious gazes.
Tang Zheng chuckled softly.
This was naturally not "Message," but rather the Commander's "Information." The reason Anri could still connect with others was because Tang Zheng had utilized a method combining "Information" and "Magic Mark"!
With these two abilities combined, Tang Zheng could directly contact anyone he had marked with a "Magic Mark," achieving an effect similar to "Message."
"Now, everyone should understand the situation after this ability is activated. I may use this magic to contact you all later, so there's no need to be surprised."
"However, you must remain vigilant. When contacted, you need to first confirm whether it's an enemy in disguise."
Tang Zheng demonstrated this to everyone to prevent impersonation and potential intelligence leaks in the future.
He hadn't just attempted to contact the few people present; Imina and Renners had both been confirmed.
Only Ya La'er in Despair Valley could not be contacted.
This was within expectations.
"Message" could contact people one had met, increasing the speed of information transfer. However, if the distance was too great, the transmitted voice would become increasingly blurred, or even disappear entirely.
The combined effect of "Information" and "Magic Mark" also had such a drawback. Tang Zheng couldn't even sense Ya La'er's location, so the attempt naturally failed.
Tang Zheng picked up a piece of meat with his cutlery, placed it in his mouth, and chewed. He then spoke in an even more serious tone, "About three hundred years ago, there was a kingdom called Gottenberg."
"This kingdom established a magic network composed of 'Message' between its various cities to increase the speed of information transfer. However, it ultimately fell into internal strife due to false information, leading to the destruction of the entire country."
The Emerald Witch and the others immediately adopted serious expressions, realizing the importance and uncertainty of this magic.
Seeing that Anri and the others understood the danger involved, Tang Zheng nodded. This way, if the Undead King were to use such a method to impersonate someone in the future, he wouldn't be easily deceived.
In fact!
Fluder of the Bahharuth Empire did not trust the information transmitted via "Message." He knew about the destruction of the kingdom of Gottenberg, which was why he had always remained vigilant.
This situation meant that even if the Undead King used this method to contact him, he would maintain a suspicious attitude.
This forced the Undead King to use Teleport Magic to explain himself in person. For the Undead King, who needed to prove things personally, "Heh."
Tang Zheng sneered inwardly. This was indeed a behavioral pattern that fit his personality.
If it were Demiurge or Albed, such a situation likely wouldn't have occurred.
"Having unexpectedly mastered this method, the plan to deal with that mysterious True Dragon Lord might need a slight adjustment."
A thoughtful look flashed in Tang Zheng's eyes as he silently reviewed the key points of his previous plan. "Even with a World-Class Item in hand, one cannot let down their guard."
"In short, safety and secrecy are paramount."
Following that, The Emerald Witch reported on the events that had occurred in the hilly regions during this period.
The Twin Witches and others had already won over many of the remaining demi-human races. While "Seven Color Scales" Kokash might be making some minor moves, he was no longer a significant threat.
Within the Hero Domain of the entire hilly region, only "Beast General" Hector Weiss and "Seven Color Scales" Kokash remained.
"Captain."
"Hm?"
"Um, I'd like to… go back to the village for a bit," Anri said softly, a hint of shyness on her sun-kissed, wheat-colored cheeks.
Tang Zheng was taken aback, then reached out and ruffled Anri's hair. "Say hello to the Village Chief for me."
"Ah."
Anri stared at Tang Zheng's hand, letting out a surprised sound.
Thwack!
Anri's forehead stung. She raised her hand to cover the spot where she'd just received a flick on the forehead.
"Honestly, you're my team member, not a laborer. If you want to go back to Karn Village, you can go back whenever you like."
Tang Zheng retracted his arm, smiling cheerfully.
"But, everyone… Miss Cui Ye…"
Anri first glanced at the Emerald Witch, then stammered a bit.
She had always felt that everyone in "Free Will" was an incredibly capable person. Not to mention the Captain and Miss Cui Ye, even she herself, who was once weak, had been helping the demi-humans in the hilly regions and fighting against the undead.
She had even come into contact with the high-ranking nobles of the Slane Theocracy and the Holy Kingdom. Everyone in the Adventurer Team was doing things she could never have imagined before.
The Emerald Witch seemed to guess what Anri was thinking and said softly, "Don't overthink it, Anri. Although there are still many things to do in the hilly regions, they won't be finished in a short time."
"Just go back with peace of mind. It's not like you're not coming back, right?"
The Emerald Witch knew Anri had a sensitive personality.
"Mm."
Anri nodded vigorously, a bright smile on her face as she replied, "Thank you, Miss Cui Ye."
"Cui Ye and I have things to do, so we can't accompany you back," Tang Zheng said.
"It's alright, Captain,"
"I can go back by myself; I have a lot of strength now," Anri quickly said, deliberately lifting her arm.
Seeing this.
Tang Zheng found it somewhat amusing, but he was very clear about Anri's current job build.
[Farmer], [Hero·Believer], [Corporal], [Commander].
Her jobs would likely need adjustment!
"This might be a bit out of place,"
Tang Zheng feigned seriousness and suddenly spoke, "But there is one thing I need you to do on your way back."
"Captain, I will definitely do it," Anri straightened her spine and quickly responded.
"Relax, it's not a complicated matter. Dark Dwarves live in the hilly regions, and they are skilled at forging weapons."
"Choose some samples and take them to Renners, whom we met in the Kingdom."
Tang Zheng looked at the Lizardman Kurushe beside him as he said this:
"This time, Kurushe will accompany you back."
"There are rumors of a magical beast riot in the Tove Great Forest. With her there, she can assist the Adventurer's Guild in that area."
Upon hearing that the Tove Great Forest was in trouble.
Anri became nervous, not even questioning where Tang Zheng's information came from.
Kurushe's beast-like eyes brightened noticeably, and she looked at Tang Zheng with gratitude.
She knew.
Accompanying Anri was not only for protection but also to allow her to return to the Great Swamp. Even if she couldn't contact her kin, just knowing they were surviving without issue.
Would satisfy her long-held worries and wishes!
"Don't worry, the Adventurer's Guild in E-Rantel is doing its best to handle the situation, which is enough to ensure Karn Village's safety," Tang Zheng said softly, seeing Anri's worry.
"Oh, and have Xiao Hei accompany you back as well. When you get to E-Rantel, visit Lizzie Workshop for me."
"Look for an apothecary named Nfirea and tell him that the hilly regions have abundant medicinal herbs."
"Ask him if he's interested in coming to the Abelion Hills. We, 'Free Will,' can provide plenty of medicinal herbs and support."
With the death of the three great overlords in the Tove Great Forest, the magical beasts living within had gone into a riot and would not calm down in a short period.
Acquiring medicinal herbs from the forest would be a major problem.
Of course.
Tang Zheng had already had the Blue Rose and Iville Ai leak the news to the Adventurer's Guild in advance, so no casualties had occurred.
Currently.
The Blue Rose was stationed there, so the situation didn't need to be worried about. It was just that the border of the Tove Great Forest was too long, requiring a large number of adventurers.
"That would be wonderful."
Nfirea?
Anri breathed a sigh of relief and then heard the familiar name, pausing slightly.
The next day.
Anri, Lizardman Kurushe, and the Evil Spirit Dog set off.
Tang Zheng was quite expectant, wondering if Nfirea would accept the invitation to the Abelion Hills. Moreover, besides the tasks on the surface, He had Anri carry some weapon samples.
It wasn't that he wanted to sell weapons, but rather to indirectly inform all the factions and Princess Renner that "Free Will" had already achieved a certain degree of control over the entire hilly region.
—Upper Fire Moon.
July 17th.
Dark Fortress.
There was a mountain range called Gerahardh, covered by a deep, primeval forest. Anyone who entered the mist-shrouded jungle would only be met with being lost and death.
Beneath this mountain range, there was a mineral deposit containing a little magic, called obsidian. And even deeper below this mineral vein, there was a deep, enormous cave.
On the walls of the pitch-black cave.
They were covered with rough scratch marks and excavation traces. This huge cave, nearly two hundred meters in size, was actually completely dug out by some kind of creature.
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