Translator: AnubisTL
A crowd of wizards swarmed around Jieming, chattering excitedly.
Jieming stared at the group before him—most were third-tier wizards, with even fifth-tier wizards among them who dared not speak up. He could only stand there, bewildered, as they pressed slips of paper with communication serial numbers into his hands.
It wasn't until Viola, fiercely protective, used every ounce of her strength to drive the crowd away that Jieming snapped out of his daze. He looked down at the handful of slips in his hand, utterly confused.
The moment Viola turned away from the wizards, her tone softened considerably. "You must be scared. I'm so sorry, it's my fault. If I hadn't overreacted, they wouldn't have acted like this."
Jieming shook his head, still bewildered. "I wasn't really scared, but what was all that about?"
At first, Jieming had thought they were trying to pick a fight, but their words suggested they were interested in his Universal Eye model?
Viola saw his confusion. "Exactly. It's related to your Universal Eye. This spell is extremely rare—it's a purely auxiliary spell. The construction requirements are so stringent that almost no one can create it independently."
"But this spell is also one of the foremost auxiliary spells among research-type spells, making it highly sought after. However, due to the unique nature of the Universal Eye, many struggle to find one suitable for their research. That's why you see situations like this."
Viola pursed her lips. "Don't worry too much about those guys. They might look strange, but they're not bad people."
"Their attire suggests they belong to the same faction..."
"Exactly. They're from the Tower of Annihilation. Despite the imposing name, it's actually a research-type wizard faction specializing in Annihilation-type Spells. Everyone there is a research scholar, so they're quite reasonable to deal with."
"But you should be careful around the Chaos Secret Sect. Those guys are always tinkering with who-knows-what. Stay far away from them!"
"Yes..." Jieming replied absently.
"Once you reach a higher tier, you can sell models of your Universal Eye to them and make a fortune! Don't let their research-type wizard status fool you—they're all loaded!"
Viola clenched her fist in excitement, as if she were the one about to make a fortune, not Jieming.
Suddenly, she threw her arm around Jieming's shoulder. "Oh, right! Since I'm giving you all this intel, remember to give me a discount when you update your Universal Eye later!"
"Sure, sure..." Jieming replied awkwardly, trying to brush her off.
This exchange, however, made Jieming realize the wizards' fanatical pursuit of knowledge.
So, compared to merit points, knowledge is the true currency among wizards... Jieming mused inwardly.
After this brief interlude, their relationship had grown noticeably closer.
Viola finally remembered her mission and began explaining the details of the junction point to Jieming.
"This junction point was jointly created by high-rank wizards from the three major factions."
According to Viola's explanation, this space fragment wasn't a natural formation. Instead, it had been constructed by several powerful high-level wizards working together, then stabilized using potent spells and spatial runes.
Initially, this place served merely as a registration and mission posting area for the three factions involved in the Planar War.
However, over time, it gradually evolved into a hub for wizards from all three factions to trade, communicate, and even reside temporarily, forming a unique "roaming market."
Jieming looked around. He had been too tense earlier to observe his surroundings properly.
Now, calming his mind, he realized the junction point presented a bizarre spectacle.
The architectural styles were wildly diverse, lacking any unified plan, as if structures had been randomly "transplanted" from different planes.
There were standard workshop buildings from the Noren Workshop standing side-by-side with obsidian towers radiating deathly qi from the Tower of Annihilation, as well as cave-like dwellings adorned with twisted and eerie runes from the Chaos Secret Sect.
Beyond these, the most common structures were exotic buildings clearly originating from other planes, their unique designs immediately betraying their otherworldly origins.
The vast majority of these buildings served as shops selling strange and wondrous items from other worlds.
From bone weapons etched with ancient runes to peculiar plants radiating otherworldly energy, from living Exotic Beasts imprisoned within Energy Fields to energy essences contained in crystal vials, every item a wizard might need or find curious was available here.
Beyond the wizards, the streets teemed with slaves and wizard's servants of all shapes and sizes.
Some were towering, barbaric giants, bound by contracts to serve as laborers.
Others were petite, humanoid creatures hawking wares from behind shop counters.
Still others were multi-limbed, otherworldly beings with skin that shimmered with an eerie glow, patrolling the streets and alleys as bodyguards or enforcers.
Their expressions ranged from numb indifference to flickering intelligence, while some betrayed stark terror.
As Jieming passed a shop that appeared to have grown from an entire tree, he stared in astonishment at the jellyfish-like orbs of energy tidying the shelves inside.
"Watch out," Viola's warning echoed in his ear. Jieming snapped back to attention, only to find a perfectly straight "wall" had abruptly materialized before him.
The wall had appeared so abruptly that even Jieming hadn't noticed any warning signs, as if it had simply materialized before his eyes.
When Jieming finally saw the wall's true nature, he was even more astonished—this wasn't a wall at all, but another path!
The gravity here defied all conventional laws.
He stood on a wide street, the road ahead seemingly straight. Yet, without him realizing it, the path began to rise at a ninety-degree angle, creating the illusion that he was walking toward a wall.
Despite this visual anomaly, he felt no discomfort whatsoever.
Following Viola, Jieming stepped onto the "wall" and found that his body maintained a normal upright posture.
The gravity beneath his feet seemed to adjust automatically, allowing him to stand effortlessly on the "vertical" surface as if it were perfectly flat ground.
The entire space within this area had been artificially distorted and manipulated, creating an inverted and disorienting visual effect.
For wizards accustomed to such phenomena, this was merely a peculiar sight, not something that would impede their actions.
"This spatial distortion design actually aligns with the aesthetics of high-rank wizards," Jieming mused inwardly.
Such a place was, in itself, a display of power.
Viola, long accustomed to this bizarre environment, skillfully guided Jieming through the grotesque architecture and diverse creatures, leading him directly to the tallest structure at the heart of the space fragment.
This building was the only one with a unified style and an imposing presence, clearly serving as the joint administrative center for the three factions.
As they entered the grand hall, the space expanded dramatically, its ceiling adorned with massive Magic Crystal Lamps that cast a soft, ethereal glow.
At the hall's center stood several towering counters, each staffed by a creature responsible for issuing and registering missions.
Viola led Jieming to one of the counters, behind which sat a strikingly handsome otherworldly being.
He possessed pointed, elf-like ears and pale golden skin, his deep eyes swirling with the light of strange runes.
"We're here to register for the Planar Conquest Mission," Viola said concisely. "This is my friend, and it's his first time registering."
The handsome otherworldly being glanced up, his gaze sweeping over Jieming as if performing some invisible scan, before nodding.
He produced a rune-etched crystal and a contract, handing them to Jieming.
"Please input your personal information and requirements into the crystal," his voice was clear and melodious, yet carried a hint of coldness.
Jieming briefly examined the contract. Its main clauses stipulated that he must not betray the wizard civilization during wartime, fulfill mission objectives to the best of his ability while ensuring his own safety, and accept future mandatory conscription.
After signing the contract, Jieming took the crystal and inputted his identity information and specializations.
First-time registration required processing time, as the three major factions would evaluate and record wizards based on their tier, specializations, and past performance.
While they waited for the processing to complete, Viola explained to Jieming, "Typically, Planar Conquest Missions occur every one to two months. If you're lucky, there might even be one every month. Since you've registered so quickly, you'll likely have a chance to participate soon. In the meantime, you can prepare for your deployment."
She gestured toward the surrounding shops selling supplies. "If you need anything, you can purchase it here."
Jieming nodded in understanding.
However, with his own system of rune-imbued magical artifacts and alchemical reserves, he wasn't particularly interested in the goods on offer.
During the wait, Jieming wandered through the junction point, exploring its various shops.
He moved between the peculiar establishments, silently observing the otherworldly artifacts with his Universal Eye.
There were indeed many novel items here, such as hearts that continued to beat even after being removed from their bodies, pulsing with violent vitality.
Or fragments of a divine being that had fallen from a dead planet, radiating faint ripples of law.
However, he soon discovered that all the goods here, whether rare treasures or practical supplies, were priced in high-level or low-level military merit points.
Although Jieming had acquired high-level military merit points from forging adamantium, allowing him to purchase many items, he was reluctant to spend these precious points here for the time being.
Finally, the two returned to the registration hall.
The otherworldly being had already processed Jieming's registration.
"Here is your identity token," he said, handing Jieming a new crystal. "It also comes with a magic net terminal that connects to the communication networks of the three factions. Future mission assignments will be directly notified to you through the magic network. Prepare for deployment, Wizard."
Jieming accepted the magic net terminal, which bore the combined emblem of the three factions.
Though compact in size, its internal structure was remarkably complex, allowing him to seamlessly access the public magic networks of the Noren Workshop, Tower of Annihilation, and Chaos Secret Sect. Through it, he could receive mission assignments, check his military merit points, and even engage in basic communication.
(End of the Chapter)
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