Wizard Camp.
The moment Jie Ming and the others stepped through the camp’s gates, a familiar yet long-absent sense of ease enveloped them.
Here, there was no interference from faith energy, no clamor of the mortal world—only the pure aura of wizardry and the presence of their kind.
The tension of recent days melted away, replaced by the satisfaction of a completed mission and anticipation for what lay ahead.
“Welcome back!” Several low-tier wizards approached, their eyes tinged with envy and admiration.
Clearly, the camp had already been informed of the events.
Soon, a new contribution leaderboard was updated and distributed.
Unlike before, when information was etched into everyone’s minds, a massive stone tablet was erected in the camp’s central plaza.
The giant rune tablet floated above the square, inscribed with rows of names and numbers glowing in golden light.
Jie Ming, Seraphina, Kaelern, Anya, and Rex’s names prominently occupied the top ranks, with Jie Ming, due to his pivotal role and outstanding performance, reclaiming the coveted first place!“Ha! As expected!” Kaelern chuckled, seeing his name in fourth.
A rare smile graced Seraphina’s face. “Not bad, higher than I expected.”
Jie Ming, however, remained calm.
Though there had been some unexpected hiccups, the outcome largely aligned with his predictions.
But rankings no longer held his interest. His focus was on whether he could use his contributions to acquire a deity for study.
After all, his research into the divine faith network had barely scratched the surface.
Compared to the fleeting glory of the leaderboard, the allure of unknown knowledge captivated him more.
However, as their eyes scanned to the next name on the list, they all froze.
“Wait… second place…” Anya stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar name, her voice laced with disbelief. “David? How is he in second?!”
Jie Ming and the others couldn’t help but fixate on the name—David.
This level-10 genius had shone like a comet upon his debut, only to fake his death and vanish months ago in the “David Annihilation Battle.”
They had discussed him in the sewers, but found no concrete clues.
Yet here he was, reappearing in their sights in such a dramatic fashion.
“What did he do?” Anya couldn’t help but ask, her tone brimming with curiosity.
Kaelern scratched his head, bewildered. “Last I saw him was in the beastman kingdom. After that, no idea.”
Rex rubbed his eyes, doubt flickering in his gaze. “His movements in the Elosia plane have been a complete mystery. He never sought help or contacted us. How did he earn such contributions?”
As David’s fellow alumnus, Seraphina knew him better.
But even she pursed her lips upon seeing this result.
The five exchanged glances, only able to shake their heads helplessly.
“No rush,” Seraphina said, looking at the group. “When the final rewards are distributed, everyone’s mission reports and contribution details will be made public. We’ll know then.”
Jie Ming gazed at the name just below his on the list, stroking his chin. “Interesting…”
…
…
Elosia City.
The capital was now in utter chaos.
The once-bustling streets were deserted, save for the scattered corpses of patrolling guards strewn across the ground.
In the distance, the twisted light in the cathedral district had faded, but screams of panic and curses echoed from the palace.
At the mouth of a sparsely populated alley, the so-called “lucky” rural warrior—Kaiden—stood dumbfounded.
He gazed skyward, where the plane’s rift had sealed, restoring the night’s tranquility.
But his eyes reflected the frame-skipping scene from moments ago—the high-tier wizards capturing all the deities in an overwhelming sweep.
His wizard artifact buzzed with a notification that the trial had ended early.
“It’s… over?” Kaiden muttered, his face blank.
Just days ago, he had been diligently stoking the fighting spirit of the capital’s civilians, delivering impassioned speeches in taverns and plazas to incite hatred against the wizards, ensuring they’d rally an army to fight desperately.
He had only just begun to feel the capital’s civilians’ fervent faith and battle resolve coalescing as planned!
Yet, in the blink of an eye, the trial ended early?!
Even the deities had been entirely captured?
Still dazed, a frantic squad of capital guards charged from the other end of the alley.
Their eyes burned with fear of the unknown and chaos. Spotting Kaiden, a “civilian,” standing in the street, the squad leader’s gaze flashed with malice.
He’d long disliked this guy, and with the city in disarray, he saw a chance to exact revenge while venting his panic.
“Kaiden, you…” the squad leader roared, his sword pointed at him.
But his words were cut short.
Crack!
A dazzling bolt of lightning descended from the sky!
The entire squad, including the leader, was reduced to ash in an instant, leaving no trace.
Having done this effortlessly, Kaiden’s form began to blur.
His disguise melted away like water, revealing his true appearance—a strikingly beautiful woman with a resolute expression.
It was Berta Vera Augusta!
She coldly glanced at the ashen remains, then turned and left the capital, vanishing into the depths of the night without lingering.
…
…
In the opulent hall where the leaders of Elosia’s races once convened, now reduced to ruins.
This hall, once the pinnacle of power and wisdom in the Elosia plane, was now a shambles.
Half the intricately carved dome had collapsed, exposing the dark night sky.
The once-pristine marble floor was stained with blood and scorch marks, littered with the twisted corpses of humans, elves, beastmen, dwarves, and magi-eyes.
Among them, the human king, Ottolek III, and several key nobles and ministers sat frozen in their seats, their faces locked in ultimate shock at their deaths.
Their expressions held more surprise than fear.
Amid this bloody carnage, only two figures remained in the hall’s center.
One was the sage, seemingly young but centuries old.
His frail, hunched frame sat in his usual seat, his eyes weary and vacant as he stared at the devastation.
The other was his apprentice, Reis.
Dressed in a simple robe, his lean face surveyed the surrounding carnage.
“Such decisiveness, Lord Sage,” Reis’s voice echoed in the empty hall, tinged with indescribable emotion. “I thought you’d only purge the human leadership, but you wiped out all the races’ leaders in one stroke. Even my mentor would applaud such a move.”
As he spoke, Reis’s form began to change.
His lean face shifted, its contours hardening into sharper angles.
His slender frame grew sturdier, exuding a powerful presence.
His black hair was replaced by short golden locks, his demeanor radiating untamed defiance.
Soon, his true face emerged—the level-10 genius from Noren Academy’s No. 1: David!
The sage didn’t respond, sitting silently with vacant eyes fixed on the wreckage.
After a long pause, he spoke hoarsely, “I hope you keep your promise.”
“Rest assured, Lord Sage,” David said, approaching with a confident smile.
“We’ve already signed the contract, haven’t we? My mentor, the master of human transmutation alchemy, can easily create body-modification potions. In a few generations, this world’s humans can be transformed to match those of our wizard civilization, becoming its citizens.”
Using body-modification potions to reshape and cultivate humanoid beings from other planes, aligning their physiology with that of the wizard civilization, was common during the civilization’s early expansion to meet growing labor and military needs.
As the wizard civilization’s population reserves grew and more efficient cloning and cultivation technologies emerged, such methods became rare.
But occasionally, emerging factions or wizards with specific goals would use this ancient, effective method to rapidly increase populations or experimental subjects.
“And I wouldn’t break my word over something trivial,” David added, his gaze sweeping over the unblinking corpses of the mortal leaders.
David’s method for earning contribution points was simple: dismantle Elosia’s defenses from within through a “decapitation” strike.
After surviving an ambush and faking his death, David had identified the sage’s formidable strength during the attack.
After careful observation, he approached the sage in secret, showcasing the wizard civilization’s might.
He promised that if the sage aided in the “decapitation,” he would use his contributions to secure a region, helping this world’s species integrate into the wizard civilization, preserving their “seed” and “legacy.”
In the end, the sage agreed.