CHAPTER 323: CHAPTER 234: POST-DISASTER ISSUES

Louis slowly opened his eyes, and what greeted him was the familiar wooden ceiling of Red Tide City.

"...I’m back."

As his consciousness gradually cleared, the tension that had pressed on his chest the entire journey finally began to dissipate slowly.

A soft sensation and gentle breathing sounded at his side.

On either side, Sif and Emily clung to him like two octopuses.

Silver and blue hair intertwined in the bedding, with faint blushes on their cheeks, warm breaths, and relaxed expressions, seemingly still immersed in the reverberating reunion of last night.

Absence truly makes the heart grow fonder.

Louis gave a light, bitter smile, his fingertips brushing through Emily’s hair on her shoulder, then stroked the fine hair near Sif’s earlobe.

But now was not the time to indulge in tender affections.

He moved his body with the slightest of motions, like a sneaky fugitive stealthily withdrawing his arms without waking them.

He let out a breath, raising his palm slowly, slicing through the air.

"Daily Intelligence System, activate."

Accompanied by a low hum, a blue-white translucent interface emerged from the void.

Information surfaced like raindrops, glowing coldly as it quickly arranged itself:

[Daily Intelligence Update Complete]

[1: The Desperate Witch has transformed into the "Doomsday Seed" and is currently dormant in the deep crust, predicted to awaken in 10 years.]

[2: Titus Frost Fierce has taken advantage of the Nest’s chaos to unify the remaining Cold Moon, declaring himself "Lord of North Frost." His expansion intentions are clear, possibly aiming to integrate the Northern Barbarian clans.]

[3: The Mage Forest is conducting a follow-up investigation with the Mage Corps and has already set out for the Northern Territory.]

His face, which had been tinged with drowsiness, became instantly alert.

"Didn’t die completely?" His fingertips suddenly froze, and his eyebrows knitted into a frown.

He had personally witnessed the Doomsday Nest collapsing into the earth’s core amidst flames and gravity.

But the very source of this war, the witch who almost destroyed the entire Northern Territory, still lived on, even if it was only as a "seed."

"Damned creature..." His heart sank for a moment.

But then, as his gaze fell on the line stating it would awaken in 10 years, his emotions gradually calmed.

"...Ten years." He muttered softly, "That gives me ten years... enough time to prepare."

With no more detailed intelligence, he could only trust in his future strength.

If he ever got some intel on the Desperate Witch’s location, he’d immediately take the Magic Explosion Bullet to scatter its ashes.

Next was the second entry: Titus Snow Fierce took advantage of the chaos to unify the remnants of Cold Moon...

This entry made Louis’s brows furrow again.

"...Titus."

He was somewhat familiar with this name, having appeared multiple times in the intelligence system. Louis remembered it was he who poisoned and killed Sif’s father, a ruthless and cunning character.

The Cold Moon Tribe is one of the most combat-effective hunting clans in the Northern Territory.

Ever since Sif’s father died in battle and the tribe dissolved, its name should have faded away, yet it was now unified by Titus due to the chaos caused by the Nest.

Even more terrifying, his ambition was not limited to just that.

If he truly managed to integrate the Northern Barbarian tribes, the North would have no barriers left.

The Northern Territory had just lost four-fifths of its population, its noble branches severed, fortresses shattered, and the Imperial Legion suffered heavy losses... if the barbarian coalition marched south again now, even Frost Halberd City might not withstand a second disaster.

"I need to accelerate the preparation of troops. Military and administrative systems, knight training, border fortresses... everything must be initiated in advance." Louis muttered to himself.

He looked up at the light screen, shaking his head with a wry smile.

"Can’t the Northern Territory stay calm for just a year?"

The next piece of information slightly eased his furrowed brows—the Mage Forest’s follow-up investigation with the Mage Corps had already set out for the Northern Territory.

Before returning to Red Tide Territory, he had a brief conversation with the entity known as the "Supreme Mage" in Frost Halberd City.

The other party seemed quite interested in him...

At that time, Louis did not hide his desire and directly expressed his wish to "join the Mage Forest."

The Mage Forest, the world’s most mysterious organization, with innumerable books hidden within it, its theories rigorous, and even magical spells emerging endlessly.

Unfortunately, the threshold to enter the Forest is extremely high.

Strictly speaking, as a "wild mage" wishing to join, he would at least need to go to the main base of the Mage Forest, undergo three rounds of screening tests, a one-year provisional participant period, and finally complete a soul contract and ritual oath.

But the Supreme Mage only gave a faint smile: "Now that the Northern Territory is in this state, you still want to follow protocol? There will be a qualification evaluation group accompanying when the time comes."

Louis looked at the light screen, already calculating in his heart.

The arrival of the Mage Corps could assist in handling the residual magic energy pollution from the Nest, and for him, it was actually a chance to go with the flow.

"If I pass the test..." he murmured, his fingers lightly tapping the table, "then I would be a legitimate member of the Mage Forest, and the magic I originally had to learn in secret could be used openly."

Louis closed the interface, and the blue-white intelligence light screen dissipated, turning into a wisp of light dust disappearing into the air.

The morning light poured in from outside, but the room remained quiet, with only the warm bed’s gentle breathing of his two wives filling the air.

He quietly got out of bed, put on his robe, walked to the window, and opened a corner.

The fresh breeze brushed his face, and the morning light of Red Tide Territory was as clear as a wash.

But he didn’t linger long, soon sitting in his usual spot, closing his eyes and sitting cross-legged to begin his mandatory daily cultivation.

His cultivation had been somewhat neglected during the war and needed to be picked back up.

Louis sat cross-legged, breathing rhythmically as his vital energy vibrated, slowly stirring the flow of power within him.

"Tidal Breathing Technique." He silently recited.

Breathing flowed like the tides, rising and falling with precision.