Translator: AnubisTL
Jieming dove headfirst into his laboratory, relentlessly researching the secrets deep within the lava giant's body.
Day and night blurred into one, fatigue seemed nonexistent, and time lost all meaning for him.
However, this research frenzy, which had lasted for days, was abruptly shattered by a "beep-beep" notification from his magic net terminal.
Looking up from the ocean of data with a slightly dazed expression, Jieming instinctively opened the terminal.
His highly active mind was still processing data and experimental results related to the lava giant's modifications.
The message was from David.
In concise terms, David announced his advancement to second-tier wizard and sent this message specifically to thank Jieming for his earlier modifications to the survivors of the Elosia Plane.
These modified survivors had, in a way, helped him fulfill his promise to the sage of the Elosia Plane.
Jieming blinked, and it took several seconds for him to fully register the message.
Only then did he realize that since his last communication with David, he had unconsciously spent another several decades immersed in research!
"No wonder," Jieming murmured to himself, his fingertip tracing the research records on the holographic screen. "The study on the evolution of lava giants is nearing completion. So much time has passed."
But then, Jieming's brow furrowed sharply.
He suddenly felt... as if he had overlooked something critically important.
Instinctively, he began scrolling through all the archived messages on his magic net terminal.
Decades of unread notifications flooded his already hyperactive mind like a tidal wave.
After what seemed like an eternity, Jieming finally realized the unsettling truth that had been gnawing at him: Amy and Victor hadn't sent any replies since their departure for military service all those years ago!
Jieming instinctively reached out to send them a message of inquiry.
But as his fingertip hovered over the send button on the holographic screen, a cold, blood-red automatic reply flashed across the terminal:
Target account: Victor Sario, confirmed as 'deceased'.
Target account: Amy Greyfinch, confirmed as 'deceased'.
Boom!
In that instant, Jieming felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
He froze, as if struck by a heavy blow, his body stiffening instantly.
Even with Jieming's now-enhanced mental processing capabilities, he stared blankly at the information for several minutes.
His mind, normally capable of handling vast amounts of data simultaneously, went completely blank, unable to comprehend the meaning of the words before him.
Finally, he forced down his shock and disbelief, his trembling fingers continuing the investigation with a desperate, incredulous urgency.
He delved deep into the terminal's underlying records, searching for the specific details of their deaths.
Soon, he uncovered the true cause of their demise.
mission code: 'Nest of Whispering Stars', Planar Conquest Mission.
Mission Failure Cause: Technical malfunction in indigenous psychological manipulation techniques. The core of the conquered plane was detonated by the indigenous race's 'self-destruct mechanism'.
Casualties: The participating wizard squad was completely annihilated. Victor Sario, casualty ID: XXXX. Amy Greyfinch, casualty ID: XXXX.
Note: Both were caught in the plane's self-destruction energy blast. Contractual reactions confirm complete annihilation. Given the lack of remains, the academy is advised to initiate honorary compensation procedures.
After confirming the authenticity of the two deaths, Jieming found himself momentarily unable to decipher the emotions churning within him.
Pain? Grief?
Perhaps. A heavy weight seemed to press against his chest, making each breath labored.
Yet it wasn't as overwhelming as the melodramatic descriptions in novels.
To his astonishment, Jieming realized that the dominant emotions in his heart were a profound sense of bewilderment and incomprehension.
It was as if his mind, capable of unraveling complex formulas and theorems, suddenly couldn't grasp the meaning of the cold, clinical information flashing across the screen.
Death?
Those two... they were just... dead?
After a long silence, Jieming, still seated in his comfortable chair, stared at the flickering screen displaying the death notices. Finally, he snapped out of his daze.
His first instinct was to leap up and do something—anything!
Anger?
Revenge?
Or perhaps to go and confirm this intangible death for himself?
But then he slumped back into his chair.
In his previous life, he might have attended his friends' funerals, offering them a final farewell. Or visited their families to offer condolences.
But in this world, wizards seemed to lack such customs.
What made it even more cruel was that Jieming suddenly realized he didn't even know who to tell about this.
For wizards, death was simply too common.
Their understanding of death differed vastly from Jieming's.
Moreover, though Jieming had known Victor and Amy for many years, he knew nothing about their families.
He didn't even know if they had any family members at all.
In that moment, Jieming truly understood that even after transmigrating to this perilous wizard world for so long, deep down he remained the ordinary person from his previous life.
He still clung to the most primal and pure obsessions of ordinary people: their attachment to life and friendship.
Sitting motionless in his chair, Jieming pondered for a long time.
In the end, he sent Senior Viola a message about Victor and Amy's deaths.
He remembered Amy mentioning during their time on the Elosia Plane that Viola was a friend of her parents.
To Jieming's surprise, Viola responded almost immediately with a communication request.
Jieming hesitated for a moment before finally answering the call.
When Viola's slightly mocking face appeared on the screen, Jieming suddenly regretted telling her about this.
"Ooh~ my dear junior brother~" Viola's malicious voice boomed from the communicator. "This is quite rare! Your expression of pain over a friend's death is practically one in ten thousand among the wizards I know! It's truly... satisfying to watch!"
Jieming's heart instantly flared with anger at her words.
He clenched his fists tightly, suppressing his rage. Though furious, his reason reminded him that Viola's reaction and words were the most "normal" response to life and death among the established wizards of this world.
His pain was his own affair, irrelevant to others.
In fact, unless they were close, no one would even care.
No, a proper wizard wouldn't actually derive pleasure from my suffering, Jieming quietly added to himself as he observed Viola's demeanor.
Immediately after, a thud echoed from the light screen.
It sounded as if Viola had been yanked away from the screen and tossed aside.
Then, the familiar, authoritative voice of Mentor Clark boomed from the background, tinged with exasperation and weariness: "Viola! Stop fooling around! Go finish compiling today's data!"
Clark's disheveled, balding face replaced Viola's on the screen.
Compared to Viola's gloating expression, Clark's demeanor was much more composed.
Without a trace of mockery, he calmly scrutinized Jieming's somewhat dejected and bewildered appearance.
Through the light screen, Clark's raspy voice carried:
"This is because you're still too 'immature,' Jieming. Your current mindset reveals that you're still fundamentally a mere mortal, not a truly mature wizard."
"But that's alright. After experiencing a few more trials like this, you'll evolve into a truly mature wizard."
Hearing Clark's seemingly harsh words, a warm current surged through Jieming's heart. "I'm sorry for troubling you, Mentor..."
He gazed at Mentor Clark's image on the luminous screen, his eyes filled with gratitude.
He knew that Viola's ability to respond to his messages so promptly, even in the midst of her busy schedule, and to provoke him with her "unorthodox" methods, must have been authorized—or even orchestrated—by Mentor Clark.
Moreover, the speed of their replies couldn't be mere coincidence.
They were undoubtedly monitoring his psychological state at all times.
However, wizards were notoriously inept at offering comfort.
Thus, both of them likely resorted to this approach—using their unique wizardly understanding to try to alleviate his sorrow and confusion, and to help him undergo his metamorphosis as quickly as possible.
Mentor Clark's unkempt face lingered briefly on the screen.
After analyzing Jieming's current state, he simply nodded calmly, as if handling a trivial matter, before decisively terminating the communication.
Just before the communication completely cut off, Jieming could still hear Viola's harrowing screams.
Staring at the screen that had gone dark in an instant, Jieming blinked in a daze.
The laboratory returned to its usual silence, with only the faint hum of the alchemy instrument echoing through the room.
Yet, for some reason, after enduring Viola's scathing mockery and Mentor Clark's calm, water-like lecture, Jieming felt his heart, which had been thrown into turmoil by the news of his friend's death, had inexplicably regained some composure.
It was a peculiar sensation, as if a massive boulder weighing down his chest had been forcibly pried open, allowing a sliver of sunlight to pierce through.
Shaking his head, Jieming temporarily suppressed his chaotic thoughts, attempting to immerse himself once more in his research on modifying the lava giant.
Mentor Clark was right: for a wizard, the pursuit of knowledge was the eternal quest.
Any emotional turmoil would eventually be smoothed away by the relentless flow of time.
(End of the Chapter)
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