Translator: AnubisTL
Meanwhile, far from the Wizard Camp, in a deep underground cavern near the plane's core region, a starkly different scene was unfolding.
This colossal cavern, a geological marvel in itself, was divided into two distinct zones by a perfect partition of scorching lava flows and frigid ice crystals.
Within these zones, vast legions of lava giants and snow monsters had gathered, their numbers staggering.
More critically, every creature in sight—from the towering lava giants to the ice-armored snow monsters—was at least third-tier in power!
The sheer concentration of such formidable beings in this confined space radiated an oppressive aura characteristic of high-tier elemental creatures with every Breath.
Beyond these monsters silently awaiting their moment within the cavern, even greater numbers of second-tier snow monsters and lava giants lay hidden beneath the surface, closer to the dividing line, each concealed within their respective domains.
The two monster armies stood poised like floodwaters about to breach their dams, their forces arrayed in battle formation.
It was now clear that all the "missing" creatures—those who had vanished from the wizards' sight, including third-tier, fourth-tier, and even higher-tier high-tier snow monsters and lava giants—had gathered here.
This was the essence of both civilizations, their entire core strength concentrated in one place.
Between the diametrically opposed snow monster and lava giant factions, along the invisible boundary woven from crimson lava and crystalline white frost, two colossal figures faced each other across the divide.
One was Karamos, the Lava Giant King, a monarch forged from pure fire and rock, his body etched with magma-filled fissures like molten cracks.
The other was Agron, the Snow Monster King, equally towering and radiating an icy, all-consuming aura that froze everything in its path, every muscle in his body brimming with explosive power.
This was the Flamefrost Plane, and these were the supreme rulers of its two indigenous civilizations—the embodiment of their core military might.
Their gazes met in mid-air.
As everyone knew, the snow monsters and lava giants were sworn enemies.
This hatred had endured for ten thousand years, ingrained in their bloodlines as primal instinct, etched into the deepest recesses of their souls.
Even under the orders of their respective kings to temporarily cease hostilities, the high-tier warriors gathered here still glared at each other with intense malice and contempt.
The atmosphere crackled with tension. Were it not for the presence of the two kings, blades would have long since been drawn.
Yet, what was truly bizarre was the behavior of King Agron of the Snow Monsters and Lava Giant King Karamos, the supreme representatives of this ancient feud. They displayed an unsettling calm, their eyes devoid of hostility or hatred, as if facing ordinary acquaintances engaged in routine negotiations.
After a perfunctory greeting, they immediately cut to the heart of the matter.
"Agron, all our lava giants have assembled. The earth meridians have been adjusted and are ready to assist with the charging process at any time," Karamos's voice rumbled like the pulse of a volcano.
"Excellent. My snow monster forces are also fully assembled," King Agron of the Snow Monsters replied, his voice carrying a metallic rasp.
"However, to withstand the increased energy intensity, our strategic weapons require recalibration. This will take approximately... half a circulation."
A "circulation" was a unique unit of time measurement on the Flamefrost Plane.
Without the cycles of day and night, the plane's inhabitants measured time based on the elemental pulses.
One circulation represented a complete cycle of elemental pulsation, roughly equivalent to four standard years in the Wizard Plane.
Lava Giant King Karamos listened calmly, showing neither surprise nor dissatisfaction.
His fiery eyes flickered slightly, as if he had anticipated this delay all along.
"Half a circulation is acceptable," Karamos nodded indifferently, appearing remarkably tolerant.
After all, given the lifespan of elemental creatures, two years was but a fleeting moment to them.
The exchange between the two monster kings concluded with surprising calm and brevity.
No arguments, no hesitation—the efficiency was almost eerie.
As they prepared to lead their respective forces into retreat, King Agron of the Snow Monsters finally couldn't suppress the unease stirring deep within him.
His massive frame paused slightly as he turned his head, his emerald-green eyes fixed on the churning magma within the lava giant's chest, a hint of profound contemplation in his gaze.
After a moment of silence, he simply said in a deep voice, "I hope our plan succeeds."
Lava Giant King Karamos's resonant voice brooked no hesitation, radiating an almost arrogant confidence from his scorching chest:
"Naturally. We... will not allow failure!"
As the two monster kings led their respective armies in a slow retreat, a snow monster within the ranks suddenly lowered its head. This creature, seemingly unremarkable and even slightly smaller than its peers, completely concealed its blue eyes beneath its thick fur, preventing any flicker of thought from betraying its true nature.
This snow monster was no true snow monster at all, but a soul mage from the Wizard Camp, disguised as one and infiltrating the ranks as an experienced spy.
His luck had held. He had infiltrated the snow monster ranks long ago and had just witnessed the entire exchange between King Agron of the Snow Monsters and Lava Giant King Karamos from beginning to end.
Their alliance isn't particularly surprising. The wizard leadership had anticipated this possibility long ago, the soul mage mused inwardly.
For these two races to temporarily unite against a common external threat was a logical strategy.
"But..." He recalled details from Agron and Karamos's conversation, especially the terms "strategic weapon" and "save the world."
"Is the Snow Monster Civilization's 'strategic weapon' really that powerful?" He felt genuine bewilderment.
"To think they're pinning their hopes on it to 'save the world'? Though it seems they need cooperation from the lava giants, their confidence after witnessing the wizards' power suggests this weapon is no ordinary device..."
Yet, more than the destructive potential of this strategic weapon—the specifics of which remained unknown—he was puzzled by the attitudes of the two monster kings.
"Something feels off... There's definitely something I'm missing..."
After a moment's thought, he used a spell to diminish his presence and slipped away from the snow monster horde unnoticed.
"Just in case, I should notify the Wizard Camp first so they can prepare..."
For mortals, two years could bring about earth-shattering changes.
For wizards, it was merely the interval between a few rounds of meditation and experimentation.
During these two years, under Master Augustine's meticulous planning, the Wizard Camp underwent a complete fortification and expansion.
Towering defensive towers, like colossal steel fingers, pierced the sky, while intricate composite barrier formations, resembling impenetrable iron barrels, perfectly enveloped the entire camp.
The energy core was reinforced with multiple layers of rune formations, capable of withstanding the full assault of a fifth-tier wizard.
The camp's area had expanded severalfold, and its internal facilities had become increasingly sophisticated, capable of accommodating multiple waves of reinforcements.
Jieming spent these two years peacefully within the camp.
Following his plan, he participated in the construction of the protective magic array's formation nodes while conducting research in his laboratory.
What pleased him even more was that during Augustine's final two years before departure, the camp wizards' constant anxiety and anticipation continuously provided him with abundant Mortal Dust Qi.
However, no amount of preparation could halt the inevitable course of events.
On this day, the entire camp was shrouded in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
Augustine, the supreme commander of the expeditionary force, had finally completed all the handover procedures and was preparing to depart.
Jieming stood atop a watchtower at the highest point of the camp, gazing up at the leaden sky of the Flamefrost Plane alongside many other wizards.
There, a massive, twisted rift stretched across the sky like a gaping wound.
For the past four years, this rift had served as the sole conduit between the Wizard Camp and the outside world.
The circular glow faintly visible within the rift was the outer shell of the ship plane.
It hung in the Flamefrost Plane's firmament like a colossal eye, its gaze fixed upon the world below.
But now, the pupil of this celestial eye was visibly shrinking.
Buzz...
A deep, resonant hum that seemed to warp space itself accompanied the slow contraction of the massive rift.
The light forming the pupil gradually dimmed as the eye-like rift irreversibly closed.
The ship plane was severing its connection to the Flamefrost Plane.
Jieming could clearly sense that as the ship plane carrying Master Augustine moved further away, the discomfort he felt grew increasingly intense.
An invisible force, originating from the fundamental rules of the plane, began to envelop his body like an all-pervasive tide.
At first, it was merely a slight pressure, but as the rift closed, the pressure intensified relentlessly, as if the entire Flamefrost Plane were consciously rejecting him as an "outlander"!
Within his body, a subtle sluggishness crept in. His blood flow seemed obstructed, and his mental power moved less smoothly.
It feels like wearing my undershirt inside out, and it's covered in lint on the inside... Jieming thought absurdly, his mind conjuring an inappropriate analogy.
Every part of him felt uncomfortable, a strange, grating sensation as if every cell beneath his skin were protesting.
By the time the rift in the sky had completely closed, the light had vanished, and the sky had reverted to its oppressive, leaden gray, the plane's rejection reached a new peak.
Jieming immediately activated his alchemy to sense the environment. Channeling his mental power according to alchemical principles, he attempted to manipulate the elemental fluctuations in the surrounding space.
He immediately noticed that casting spells had become significantly more difficult.
The elemental manipulation and energy construction that had once flowed as smoothly as an extension of his will now felt sluggish and strained.
Even more troubling, the effectiveness of his spells seemed diminished. His control over the surrounding elements had decreased by nearly 30%!
This meant his combat effectiveness in the Flamefrost Plane had suddenly been reduced by a third!
All spells would now require more energy and yield less power.
"Ah, do you understand now?"
A soft, slightly smug laugh drifted from nearby.
Viola had materialized beside Jieming unnoticed. Her gaze swept over him with amusement, as if finding his discomfort highly entertaining.
"This is planar rejection," Viola explained gently, dispelling his confusion. "The reason we didn't feel this level of discomfort before was because Lord Augustine, as a sixth-tier wizard, had solidified his own rules and projected them onto all wizards in the Flamefrost Plane, creating an invisible 'shield' of protection."
She slowly raised her hand, her fingertips gently touching the sky as if sensing the edge of some invisible rule.
"But now that he's gone, the 'protection' formed by that rule has vanished. The wizards present can clearly feel the disadvantages the 'attacking side' must endure in a proper Planar War!"
Planar rejection—an inescapable predicament when invading otherworlds.
Indigenous creatures fighting on their home turf naturally receive the will of the plane's blessing, while outlanders suffer an invisible weakening.
Viola's gaze shifted to the wizards below in the camp, their faces showing discomfort and even disbelief.
A smile curled her lips, and an unnatural glint flashed in her eyes.
"What an intoxicating sight..." she murmured to herself, her voice brimming with barely concealed satisfaction.
As she watched the wizards' expressions gradually sour and the invisible "pain" caused by their physiological discomfort, an unnatural flush rose on Viola's cheeks.
Jieming ignored her morbid delight. Frowning deeply, he turned his worried gaze toward the core region of the Blazing Sun Realm.
Augustine, the sixth-tier wizard, had departed with such decisive haste, even at the risk of plunging the entire camp into peril.
This all but confirmed that there was a deeper, more complex plan at play.
"Whether he intends to lure the enemy deeper into our territory, or he has some other audacious and reckless scheme..." Jieming sighed inwardly. "I only hope Wizard Augustine retains some shred of humanity. Otherwise, the situation for us wizards he's left behind will become exceedingly dangerous."
Having lost their highest combatant, their strength diminished by thirty percent due to the plane's rejection, and now facing the plane's anomalies...
All these factors foreshadowed that the upcoming war would be far more brutal than they had ever imagined!
(End of the Chapter)
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