Wizard: Starting from the Skill Tree

Players in uniform equipment occasionally come and go from the square, some discussing in threes and fives, others rushing alone.

Two guards stand at the entrance of the guild headquarters, straight-backed, looking quite like a formal army.

On the east side of the guild headquarters, there’s a newly constructed complex that appears to be a training ground and warehouse, larger in scale than the main building area.

The Duke stood by the window for a moment, withdrew his gaze, then turned and sat behind the desk.

He casually opened the map spread out on the desk; this was a detailed topographic map of Stone Hammer City and the surrounding areas, with ink of various colors marking the Light Sect’s preaching points, the Star Embers Guild’s station, and several conflict areas marked with red crosses.

The number of red crosses had increased significantly since his last visit, and their distribution now extended from the outskirts of Stone Hammer City to the vicinity of several nearby villages.

The Duke had already sent Robert a message, and it wasn’t long before urgent footsteps were heard outside the door.

The footsteps stopped at the door, followed by a deep breath, indicating that the person outside was trying to steady their breathing after rushing.

Two seconds passed before the knocking on the door sounded steadily three times.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, and Robert strode in.

After several years, this player follower, whom he subdued in the Oracle Plane, had changed quite a bit.

He wore a deep gray guild uniform tailored to fit, with an embroidered emblem of intertwined Star and Embers on the left chest, the collar and cuffs neatly pressed, exuding an aura of sleek efficiency.

Robert’s face was still youthful, but the young freshness between his brows had long faded, replaced by a steadiness cultivated through repeated practice in combat and management.

Yet at this moment, this steadiness was scattered by excitement; he nearly tripped over the threshold when entering, then quickly walked to the desk, placed one hand on his chest, and bowed deeply to the Duke.

"Sir, you finally arrived."

The Duke leaned back in his chair, looked him up and down, and nodded slightly: "Sit down. You’ve worked hard these past years, managing the guild well."

He pointed to those gray-white stone buildings outside the window: "I just took a look at the window; the headquarters building, training grounds, and warehouse are all built up, better than I expected."

Robert sat in the chair opposite the desk, unable to suppress the smile on his face upon hearing the Duke’s praise, though he quickly composed himself into a steady reporting demeanor.

Instead of rushing to claim credit, he pulled out several neatly organized reports from his folder and began an orderly presentation of the situation changes in the Oracle Plane over the years.

The basic foothold of the Star Embers Guild and Light Sect in Stone Hammer City has been completely solidified.

Stone Hammer City was originally a medium-sized town in the border region, with ambiguous administrative jurisdiction, residing in the peripheral zone of the Four Gods Sect’s territorial map, where control from various forces wasn’t too strong, allowing Robert ample time and space to cultivate deeply.

He adopted a dual approach strategy, using the Light Sect’s faith spread to unite the grassroots public sentiment, while controlling the city’s economy and defensive system through the Star Embers Guild’s armed forces and commercial network.

The Light Sect erected three temples in the city, with a constant stream of devotees coming to pray, and the Light Divine Status accelerated the Divine Court’s expansion through the Power of Faith feedback.

The Star Embers Guild expanded its membership to several thousand by absorbing local Awakened and peripheral players, among whom over a thousand were core combat members.

Stone Hammer City’s municipal defense, taxation, and commerce were all practically under the guild’s control, with the original local small forces either integrated or pushed out of power centers.

The prosperity of Stone Hammer City also attracted a large number of refugees.

In recent years, the Four Gods Sect has continuously strengthened control in various places, increasing taxes, causing many border villages’ residents to flee with their families to Stone Hammer City, unable to bear the burden.

Robert received all these refugees, settling them in the reclaimed lands outside the city.

Over the years, several newly constructed villages have surrounded Stone Hammer City, each with a small Light Sect altar, and priests regularly circulate for sermons.

These villages are agricultural production bases, grassroots nodes for spreading the Light faith, and reserve troops for rapid mobilization in case of large-scale conflict.

But trouble followed.

The expansion of Stone Hammer City inevitably clashed with the Four Gods Sect’s sphere of influence.

Initially, it was just a few accidental encounters, where the Light Sect’s patrol knights met the Four Gods Sect’s local Defender Army squad during routine inspections outside the villages.

Both claimed the other crossed the border, neither side willing to retreat half a step, escalating from verbal disputes to shoving, then to drawing swords, with the first bleeding conflict occurring on a barren land north of Gray Tree Village.

In that encounter, a Light Sect knight’s left arm was burned by Fire Magic, while two people from the Four Gods Sect had ribs broken by the knight’s charge. No one died, but the feud was set.

Similar skirmishes have since occasionally played out on the outskirts of various villages around Stone Hammer City.

On the Light Sect’s side, Henry’s Defender Knight squad typically deployed, occasionally accompanied by military mages for long-range support.

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