**Chapter 114: Lone Journey**
Though they had anticipated it, when their eyes landed on the top of the leaderboard, their breaths caught in their throats!
**First Place: Noren Academy 13 – Jie Ming**
Undoubtedly, Jie Ming’s annihilation of a third-level Blood Angel, coupled with his effortless slaughter of numerous second-level beings during the battle, propelled him to the top with absolute dominance!
After the initial thrill, Amy and Victor glanced down the list and spotted another unexpected name.
**Third Place: Noren Academy 13 – Berta Vera Augusta**
Augusta, also from Noren Academy 13, had secured a spot in the top three!
The performance of Noren Academy 13 left every wizard who saw the leaderboard in awe. This previously unremarkable academy had produced two such dazzling prodigies in this planar war assessment!
Jie Ming and Augusta’s names instantly became the focus of attention for apprentices and high-level wizards alike!
At Noren Workshop’s headquarters, in the monitoring hall, the massive main screen clearly displayed all the information brought back by a high-level wizard who had narrowly escaped death.Jie Ming’s commanding rank shone brightly in every wizard’s eyes.
His exceptional performance even prompted the high-level wizard to bring back footage of Jie Ming’s battle with the Blood Angel during his incursion into the Elosia plane.
The high-level wizards stared in shock at the leaderboard and the scene of Jie Ming slaying the Blood Angel, the hall erupting in unprecedented discussion.
“Good heavens! This Jie Ming from Academy 13… he’s a monster!” an elegantly dressed elemental wizard stood abruptly, eyes filled with disbelief. “A first-level wizard defeating a third-level being? A genius! A true genius!”
“And it was a Blood Angel, a direct vassal of the Blood War God!” an elderly wizard’s beard trembled with excitement. “A third-level being, and this kid’s just a first-level wizard!”
To the wizards present, third-level beings were trivial, easily dispatched with a glance.
Moreover, angelic beings were notoriously weak among their tier, and such battles typically wouldn’t catch their attention.
But when the opponent was a first-level wizard like Jie Ming, the fight’s significance was entirely different.
Though Jie Ming used high-level weapons for the final kill, it was clear to all that the true key was his strange, self-developed attack array.
“And that Augusta, ranking in the top three!” a wizard overseeing combat evaluations waved his fist excitedly. “Academy 13 has truly erupted this time, producing two such monstrous apprentices!”
All eyes turned to Instructor Clark, sitting aside with a barely suppressed smile.
“Clark, you sly dog!” a familiar instructor slapped his shoulder, voice brimming with envy and admiration. “You’ve struck gold this time! Jie Ming and Augusta… if they grow smoothly, they’ll be the backbone of the workshop’s future!”
Instructor Clark only smiled gently, saying little.
But the gleam in his eyes betrayed his inner excitement.
He knew Jie Ming’s potential better than anyone, yet even he hadn’t expected such overwhelming prowess.
Above the flattened giant canyon in the Elosia plane, as the planar rift in the sky slowly faded, Jie Ming hovered in midair, his cold gaze sweeping toward the distant native powerhouses hiding behind a peak.
In that instant, the Elosian powerhouses froze, a primal fear from their souls flooding over them like a tidal wave.
Jie Ming’s gaze held no real power, and hidden behind the mountain, they weren’t even directly seen.
But having witnessed his slaughter of the Blood Angel, to them, his look was like the stare of death itself, piercing through the void to their very souls.
They didn’t dare make a sound, fleeing in panic, abandoning their scouting mission.
Jie Ming ignored the fleeing natives.
Deactivating the Acceleration Rune Artifact, an overwhelming wave of fatigue hit him.
Even with his mental energy restored by potions, the psychological exhaustion from such an intense battle was unavoidable.
Shaking his head to refocus, he swiftly descended to the ground, hurrying to Victor’s side.
Victor, supported by Amy, sat on the ground, his face deathly pale, blood still seeping from his severed arm.
The arm wound was minor compared to the severe internal damage from the Blood Angel’s aura blast, despite the fourth-level shield’s protection.
Moreover, to escape the battle’s aftershocks, he and Amy had overtaxed their depleted mental energy, forcing their souls to use Alchemy Technique to dig deep underground.
The combination left him critically weak, unable even to stop his bleeding.
Jie Ming examined Victor’s injuries, frowning slightly.
Ordinary severe injuries could be healed with his medical potions.
The trouble was the severed arm—using a healing potion now would seal the wound, complicating limb regeneration later.
Decisively, Jie Ming used a lower-grade potion to stabilize Victor’s condition, hoisted him onto his back, and said to Amy, “Let’s go! Back to camp!”
Amy nodded, and the two sped toward the camp.
The camp’s medical arrays were highly effective.
Victor’s arm, reduced to ash in the battle, began regenerating under precise medical wizardry and rare potions, with flesh writhing and bones rapidly growing.
Within minutes, a new arm formed, its skin slightly tender.
After a day’s rest, Victor was ready to fight again.
Yet, when Jie Ming invited them for the next mission, Victor and Amy hesitated deeply.
The trio sat near a training field on the camp’s outskirts, sunlight filtering through sparse leaves, casting dappled shadows.
“Jie Ming,” Victor began, his tone calm but tinged with loss and bitterness, “this battle made it clear. Your strength… it’s far beyond anything we could imagine.”
He glanced at his newly grown arm, his expression complex.
Amy lowered her head, her usual lively smile replaced by a strained one. “Yeah. With our current strength, we’re of no use to you anymore. We… we can’t keep up.”
She had known Jie Ming’s future was extraordinary, but she hadn’t expected to lose the ability to stand beside him so soon.
The vast gap of being left behind filled her with loss and helplessness.
“We know,” Victor continued, a hint of self-mockery in his voice. “With our friendship, if we shamelessly tagged along, you’d probably be fine with it. But we also know we’d not only fail to help but become a burden. Jie Ming, teaming up with us is just wasting your time.”
Jie Ming looked at them, the light in his eyes dimming slightly.
He knew they spoke the truth and understood their feelings.
They had been together for years at the academy.
Even counting his past life, few friends had shared such a long bond.
“But…” Jie Ming started to say.
Amy suddenly looked up, forcing a smile, pale but resolute. “Jie Ming, go without worry! Though we can’t keep up in strength, we’re not entirely useless!”
Her eyes gleamed with intelligence as she gestured to the camp. “Senior Viola’s intelligence network—we’re the ones who can help you manage and expand it. We can handle the camp’s intelligence, gather information you might need, and provide timely support while you’re out there!”
Victor caught her meaning, a spark reigniting in his eyes. “Right! Leave the rear intelligence to us. You go out and make waves!”
Jie Ming sighed softly, touched by their resolve.
He knew this was their way of preserving their friendship and contributing despite the strength gap.
After a moment’s thought, he didn’t refuse.
“Alright.” Jie Ming nodded, handing them several vials of vibrant purple potion.
“You know what these potions do. Use this chance to improve yourselves.”
“Thanks!”
“Hey, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on these!”
Amy and Victor accepted the potions without hesitation, their eyes filled with gratitude.
Without lingering farewells, Jie Ming gave his two longtime friends a final glance, then turned and left the camp without looking back.
Amy and Victor sat in place, watching his figure fade into the distant horizon.
Their expressions were complex—reluctant, melancholic, but above all, hopeful for Jie Ming’s immeasurable future.
They knew a true monster had begun to stir the winds of this plane.