When someone liked someone else, they would even like their shortcomings.

  Roland’s behavior was exactly a combination of rationality and pragmatism in the Great Elder’s eyes. Of course, if another student were to behave the same way, they might have been remarked to be wavering, untrustworthy, and undetermined.

  Returning from the conference hall to the manor, Roland saw that the two catgirls were having afternoon tea in the manor.

  From far away, he heard one of them talking “Marilyn, remember that you shouldn’t mix herbal tea in fruit wine. It’s fine if you do that between friends, but you’ll be mocked if it’s a formal occasion. That’s a tradition of human beings.”


  “Why do we have to go by the human beings’ rules?”


  “Maybe because they represent civilization?” Maromatha hesitated for a moment before answering

  It was quite interesting that human beings adored elves while the hybrids admired human beings culturally.

  As for the elves…… on the surface, they were seclusive and supercilious.

  But deep in their hearts, they liked hanging around with human beings.

  After Roland entered the manor, the two catgirls noticed him.

  Marilyn ran over and trotted around Roland with her white tail raised high. She asked in excitement, “Master, what’s going on? Are you going somewhere with the black cat for fun? Can you take me with you?”


  The black cat also came close and looked at Roland hopefully. “Yes, I’m deeply touched by the Spatial Magic Tower’s sincerity, so I accepted their mission,” said Roland. “Miss Maromatha, when do you think we should set off?”


  “The sooner, the better!”


  Roland thought for a moment and said, “Then let’s go tomorrow morning.”


  At this moment, Marilyn jumped to her feet and shouted, “Master, I’m coming with you!”


  “The trip will be dangerous.”


  “I’m not scared,” declared Marilyn with her arms akimbo and her head held high. “I’m good at running. Not just anybody can catch me.”


  That was indeed true.

  Even Roland could barely catch this slippery cat unless he was prepared.

  It was very difficult to track her down without the assistance of true vision.

  The black cat also nodded nearby.

  She had personally witnessed Marilyn’s expertise in running away. A few days earlier, she tried her best and flashed so many times that her mental power almost ran out, but she still failed to catch Marilyn.

  Additionally, Marilyn didn’t seem exhausted at all back then.

  Roland thought for a moment and agreed that Marilyn was quite good at self-defense. So, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to take her on the trip.

  He said, “Then prepare the stuff you will need for the trip. We’ll set off after breakfast tomorrow.”


  “Hooray!” Marilyn dashed close and hugged Roland. She then ran to her own chamber.

  Looking at Marilyn, who was so excited, the black cat turned back and said to Roland, “Mr. Roland, if I’m just saying if-Marilyn is willing to stay after seeing her compatriots in the Spatial Magic Tower, will you let her go?”


  “I’ll check her future living environment first before I decide if I’ll let her go.”


  Maromatha was quite reluctant. She appreciated how responsible Roland was. But it wouldn’t be good if she couldn’t get what she wanted because of his sense of responsibility.

  Roland then talked to her for a while longer, before he returned to the stone building for magic experiments.

  The next morning, Roland was ready to set off after breakfast.

  Marilyn put a luggage bag that was even taller than herself before Roland and looked at him earnestly.

  The black cat was rather puzzled. She thought that it was rather outrageous of Marilyn to ask her master to carry the luggage for her.

  However, Roland extended his hand, and the huge luggage disappeared into Roland’s palm in a streak of light.

  The black cat was so scared that she jumped to her feet. “Do you have such a huge portable

  space?”


  Generally speaking, everybody who was good at spatial magic could create an alternate dimension for storage purposes. However, the size of the portable space they established depended on their capabilities and ranged from several hundred cubic centimeters to tens of hundreds of cubic centimeters.

  The smaller spaces could be used to store the items that were little but important or valuable.

  A portable space of tens of hundreds of cubic centimeters could also keep food and water for emergencies apart from important gadgets.

  The black cat, for instance, was quite good at spatial magic. She had a portable space of more than twenty thousand cubic centimeters, which kept some of her jewelry, clean water, and some clothes.

  As for the other items needed for the long trip, she had to carry them on her back in a backpack that was almost as tall as herself.

  Inside the backpack were the things she would need for the long trip, including a tent, thick clothes, flints, etc.

  She had always thought that she was one of the best among her peers in terms of spatial magic.

  However, Roland had made such a huge bag disappear. Also, he wasn’t carrying any luggage himself. He must’ve stored it in his portable space too.

  She couldn’t help but ask, “How big is your portable space?”


  Roland replied casually, “Eight cubic meters!”


  The black cat was instantly stunned.

  One cubic meter equaled a million cubic centimeters. Her portable space was only twenty thousand cubic centimeters, which meant that Roland’s was four hundred times as big as hers.

  How was it possible?

  Seeing that the catgirl was astounded, Roland asked, “Do you want me to carry your backpack for you?” The black cat stared at him in confusion for a long time and finally nodded. She watched Roland store her big backpack and followed Roland in a daze to the prison of the Red Magic Tower, where they showed a document to the warden and met the vulpera prince, who seemed rather frustrated.

  The vulpera’s hands were restrained by purple magic shackles. He couldn’t help but sneer after seeing the black cat. “I didn’t expect that they would send you here. They must really want you dead. Maromatha, are you confident in taking me back to the Spatial Magic Tower?”


  Hearing the vulpera prince, Maromatha woke up from her confusion and sneered. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t be confident if I were alone, but Mr. Roland is coming with me. Do you really think you can escape?” The vulpera prince turned to Roland and said, “Roland, I thought you were immune to the temptation of money.” “It’s the person who pays the money that matters,” said Roland with a smile. “You are a wanted vulpera prince. I don’t have a future no matter how much you offer me. But the Spatial Magic Tower is different. Their rewards are clean, and I can use them any time I want.”


  Humph! The vulpera snorted. “Don’t make excuses for your greediness.” Roland shrugged, implying that he didn’t care what the guy said.

  At this moment, Marilyn, who had been observing them, remarked, “Master, this fox is so annoying. Can I scratch his face?”


  “Don’t. You don’t want to get your hands dirty.”


  While talking, Roland curled his finger, and the vulpera began to walk forward beyond his control, as if someone were dragging him.

  That was exactly the use of the magic shackles. One could link the magic shackles with the mental power of an apprentice and lead the prisoner forward with mental power.

  It was very effective. Even if the prisoner was a brawny hybrid, he would still uncontrollably act according to what the owner of the magic shackles wanted.

  Roland bought four camels and a simple map at the market. Then, the four of them left the Red Magic Tower.

  All of them wore black robes to prevent sunburns and rode the camels forward slowly. Marilyn was the most excited of all. She hooted all the way and ran about crazily now and then before she sat back on her camel.

  There was nothing but sand in the desert, but she still had a lot of fun.

  Generally speaking, for travelers in the desert, they had to plan their route with the oases as supply stations, where they could find enough fresh water and food in order to finish the trip.

  Also, the oases could provide protection and a sense of safety for the travelers at night.

  But Roland didn’t need them. He had chosen a straight line for the trip. After all, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

  With his water-making spell, he didn’t have to get fresh water from the oases.

  There was also enough food in his system Backpack for the four of them to survive for half a year. He didn’t need to refill it either.

  When it was night, he could build temporary buildings using his spells with nothing more than a snap of fingers.

  Even the most terrible sandstorm couldn’t bury a rocky building a dozen meters high that had no doors or windows but only several ventilation holes. Besides, this building could be further heightened.

  It was very safe.

  Nature is something to fear, but if you’re strong enough, you can tame it greatness.

  The black cat was covered in a blanket.

  Leaning against the corner of the walls, she looked at the vulpera, who was taking a break with his eyes closed, and Roland, who seemed absentminded. She felt indescribably comfortable and reassured.

  They had been walking in a straight line for the past dozen days, and they met no creatures in the desert except beasts such as big scorpions and vipers.

  They were all taunted and tortured by the curious Marilyn until they were killed and made into food.

  “If only the rest of the journey could be as uneventful as this,” mumbled Maromatha.

  At this moment, Marilyn jumped out and said angrily, “That’d be boring. I’m so bored now. I wish that something could happen.”


  Perhaps because Marilyn had great instincts, and maybe because she had a jinx mouth, something did happen at noon on the next day. While the four of them rode the camels, a hot wind came from the northwest, which was the left side of their path.

  Roland didn’t feel anything.

  However, the catgirls and the vulpera all looked northwest.

  Roland happened to be behind the black cat. Seeing how grave they were, he asked, “Is there something wrong?” “There’s a strong stench of blood,” said Maromatha with sympathy on her face. “I smell at least 53 different smells. They should be humans.”


  “It’s 73 different smells.” The vulpera prince nodded.

  The vulpera had better noses than the catgirls did. They could tell the subtle differences between smells more keenly.

  Roland looked in that direction too. Then, he withdrew his attention and focused it on his system menu.

  Special quest detected: Purge the Oasis (Legendary)