Translator: AnubisTL
Wizard Camp.
The moment Jieming's group of five stepped through the camp gates, a familiar yet long-missed sense of ease enveloped them.
Here, there was no interference from faith power, no clamor of the mortal world, only the pure wizardry energy and the presence of their own kind.
The tension that had gripped them for days vanished, replaced by the satisfaction of completing their mission and anticipation for their next assignment.
"Welcome back!" Several low-rank wizards responsible for receiving them approached, their eyes filled with envy and admiration.
Clearly, the camp had already learned of the events.
Soon, the updated contribution ranking was refreshed and distributed.
This time, instead of etching the information directly into everyone's minds as before, a massive stone tablet was erected in the center of the camp square.
The colossal rune stone tablet floated in the middle of the camp square, its surface inscribed with rows of names and numbers that shimmered with golden light.
Jieming, Seraphina, Kaelen, Anya, and Rex's names were prominently listed at the top of the ranking. Jieming, in particular, had reclaimed the top spot, securing the coveted first place thanks to his pivotal role and outstanding performance in the recent operation.
"Ha! Just as I thought!" Kaelen chuckled softly, seeing his name ranked fourth.
A rare smile flickered across Seraphina's face. "Not bad. Higher than I expected."
Jieming remained calm, unfazed by the results.
Despite a few minor setbacks, the outcome largely aligned with his predictions.
However, Jieming's focus had shifted. He was now more concerned with finding a way to exchange these contribution points for a divine being.
After all, his research into the Divine Power Faith Network had only scratched the surface.
Compared to the fleeting glory of the contribution ranking, the allure of unknown knowledge held far greater appeal for Jieming.
Yet, as their eyes scanned down the list, they all froze in unison.
"Wait... the second-ranked...?" Anya stared at the familiar yet foreign name on the list, her voice tinged with disbelief. "David? How is he ranked second?!"
Jieming and the others couldn't help but glance at the name: David.
This tenth-tier genius had once blazed across the scene like a comet, only to vanish months ago during the "Great David Annihilation War," presumed dead.
They had discussed him in the sewer earlier, but without any concrete leads.
Now, he had reappeared in their sights in such an unexpected manner.
"What exactly did he do?" Anya couldn't help but ask, her voice filled with curiosity.
Kaelen scratched his head, looking bewildered. "The last time I saw him was in the Orc Kingdom. I have no idea what happened after that."
Rex rubbed his eyes, a flicker of confusion in his gaze. "His movements in the Elosia Plane have always been a mystery. He never requested assistance or made contact with us. How could he have possibly earned such a high contribution score?"
Seraphina, as David's classmate, knew him better than the others.
Yet even she couldn't help but purse her lips at this outcome.
The five exchanged glances, shaking their heads in resignation.
"Don't worry too much," Seraphina said, turning to the group. "When the final rewards are distributed, everyone's mission reports and detailed contribution records will be made public. We'll find out then."
Jieming stared at the name just below his on the ranking list, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting..."
Elosia City
The Royal Capital Elosia was now in complete chaos.
The once-bustling streets were deserted, save for the bodies of patrol guards strewn haphazardly across the ground.
In the distance, the distorted light that had enveloped the cathedral district had dissipated, but terrified screams and curses continued to erupt from the direction of the royal palace.
At the mouth of a deserted alley, the village warrior known as "Lucky" Kaden stood frozen in place.
He gazed up at the sky, where the planar rift had sealed, restoring its usual tranquility.
Yet his eyes still reflected the jarring, frame-skipping scene he had just witnessed: high-rank wizards capturing all the divine beings with overwhelming force in an instant.
His spell artifact buzzed with a notification that the assessment had been prematurely terminated.
"It's over?" Kaden murmured, his face blank with confusion.
Just days ago, he had been methodically stirring the fighting spirit of the royal city's commoners. He had delivered impassioned speeches in taverns and squares, inciting hatred against the wizards to ensure the people would rally a massive army and fight to the death.
He had only just begun to feel the fervent faith and combat will of the royal capital's citizens coalescing according to his plan!
Just as his efforts were beginning to bear fruit, the assessment suddenly ended ahead of schedule?!
Even the divine beings had been captured?
Still bewildered, he saw a panicked squad of royal capital guards charging toward him from the other end of the street.
Their eyes burned with fear of the unknown and the chaos around them. When they spotted Kaden, a "commoner," standing motionless in the street, a glint of malice flashed in the eyes of one of the squad leaders.
He had long harbored resentment toward this man, and with the city in such turmoil, he saw the perfect opportunity to exact revenge and vent his pent-up terror.
"Kaden, you—" the squad leader roared, his sword pointed directly at Kaden.
But his words were cut short.
Crack!
A blinding bolt of lightning descended from the heavens!
The entire squad, including the squad leader, was instantly reduced to ash, leaving no trace behind.
Having casually accomplished this, Kaden's form began to blur.
His disguise flowed away like water, revealing his true appearance—a woman with a fiercely determined expression and breathtaking beauty.
It was Berta Vera Augusta!
She cast a cold glance at the pile of ash before turning and leaving the royal capital, melting into the darkness without a backward glance.
Within the grand hall of the Elosia Plane, where leaders of various races once convened, now lay a scene of utter devastation.
This chamber, once the pinnacle of Elosia's power and wisdom, had been reduced to ruins.
The intricately carved dome had collapsed halfway, revealing the pitch-black night sky.
The once-polished marble floor was now stained with blood and scorched marks, littered with the twisted corpses of humans, elves, orcs, dwarves, Demon Eyes, and other races.
Among the dead were King Otto Reich III of the human race and several of his most important nobles and ministers, all frozen in their final moments of disbelief, slumped in their seats.
Their expressions were stiff with shock, as if they couldn't comprehend dying in this manner, in the very place they knew and trusted most.
The shock in their eyes far outweighed any fear.
Amid this bloody chaos, only two figures remained motionless in the center of the hall.
One was the sage, who appeared young but was actually centuries old.
His gaunt frame was slightly hunched, his eyes weary and unfocused as he sat in his usual seat, staring blankly at the carnage before him.
The other figure was the sage's disciple, Reiss.
Dressed in a simple robe, his gaunt face stood out as he surveyed the carnage in the hall.
"Truly decisive, Sage," Reiss's voice echoed through the vast chamber, tinged with an indescribable sense of admiration. "I thought you would only purge the human elite, but you've wiped out the leaders of every race in one fell swoop. Even my mentor would marvel at such a grand stroke."
As he spoke, Reiss's appearance began to transform.
The muscles in his gaunt face writhed, his features hardening into sharper, more angular lines. His slender frame grew more robust, radiating an oppressive aura of power. Golden, cropped hair gradually replaced his long, black locks, and an untamed, rebellious spirit flashed in his eyes.
Soon, his true identity was revealed: David, the tenth-tier genius from No. 1 Noren Academy!
The sage remained silent, sitting stiffly in his chair, his vacant gaze fixed on the devastation before him.
After a long silence, he spoke in a slightly hoarse voice, "I hope you will honor our agreement."
"Rest assured, Sage," David said, approaching the sage with a confident smile.
"Didn't we already sign the contract? My mentor is the foremost alchemist specializing in human transmutation. Creating the Human Modification Potion is child's play for him. With just a few generations of cultivation, the humans of this world can gradually transform into those of our world. Then, they can become citizens of the wizard civilization."
Using the Human Modification Potion to alter and cultivate humanoid creatures from other planes, transforming them into bodies identical to those of the wizard civilization's humans.
This method was commonly used in the early days of the wizard civilization's expansion beyond its native plane, primarily to rapidly replenish manpower and meet the growing demands for labor and military forces.
However, as the wizard civilization's reserve of personnel steadily increased and more efficient cloning and cultivation technologies emerged, this practice has become increasingly rare.
Occasionally, however, emerging powers or wizards with specific objectives would resort to this ancient and efficient method to rapidly increase their population or experimental subjects while expanding their territory or conducting experiments.
"Moreover, I don't want to break my promise over something so trivial," David added, his gaze sweeping across the unblinking eyes of the mortal leaders lying dead in the hall.
David's plan to earn contribution points was remarkably simple: breach the Elosia Plane's defenses from within and achieve what he called "decapitation."
Ever since escaping the siege by feigning death, David had been particularly impressed by the sage's formidable strength during the assault.
After careful observation, he secretly approached the sage and demonstrated the overwhelming power of the wizard civilization.
He promised that if the sage assisted him in achieving "decapitation," he would use his contribution points afterward to carve out a territory, helping the world's species integrate into the wizard civilization—effectively leaving behind "seeds" and ensuring its "continuation."
The sage ultimately agreed to his proposal.
(End of the Chapter)
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