Chapter 404: Convergence of Two Realms (Patreon)

Chapter 404: Convergence of Two Realms

With a single strike completed, the white bear hovered mid-air, casting a disdainful glance at the remaining Treants.

Every Wizard present was utterly stunned.

Those unaware of the truth were merely astonished by the sheer power of the attack. But those in the know, like Richard, were marveling at the might of the World Tree.

If a single strike from Grand Wizard Galon could be so terrifying, how formidable must the World Tree—which had battled Galon for years in the inner world—truly be?

Suddenly, Richard approached the white bear and discreetly supported him.

"Take me back. Don’t let it show," Jimmy’s weak voice whispered in Richard’s ear.

Richard’s expression remained unchanged as he silently cast a wind Elemental Spell, carrying the white bear back.

Upon returning to the command room, Richard placed the white bear on a chair and was about to call for a support Wizard. But before he could leave the meeting room, a surge of Magic Power erupted from the white bear.

Turning back, Richard saw a frail, elderly figure, covered in blood, emerging from the white bear’s body.

"Master Jimmy?"

Richard hurried over to assist Jimmy but was waved off.

"Minor issue. Just overexertion," Jimmy said lightly.

Richard couldn’t help but compare the bloodied figure before him to the Jimmy of the past.

Back then, Jimmy had been robust, with smooth, radiant skin—the very image of a middle-aged, muscular Adonis. But now, Jimmy’s body was withered, his face and body covered in wrinkles and age spots, resembling nothing so much as an old man on the verge of death.

"But you don’t look like it’s just overexertion," Richard said worriedly.

Jimmy wasn’t just the supreme commander of this war—he was also Grand Wizard Galon’s right-hand man.

If he died, and Grand Wizard Galon lost his temper and failed to hold back while fighting the World Tree…

Every minor Wizard here would be doomed.

"Haha, it’s not so bad."

Jimmy summoned a stream of water to wash away the blood.

"The Dean’s power isn’t easy to control. This state of mine is already the result of special training. Anyone else wouldn’t even be able to unleash such a strike—let alone achieve such remarkable results."

Seeing Jimmy still had the energy to boast, Richard felt slightly reassured.

"As long as you’re alright. Since you’re fine, I’ll go clean up the remaining Treants."

Though Jimmy’s beast puppet had wiped out a large portion of the Treant horde, the remainder was still no easy foe.

The White Wizard Legion’s earlier barrage of Spells, fired without regard for cost, had drained most of their mental and Magic Power reserves. Without Richard’s assistance, the White Wizard Legion might not be able to finish off the Treant horde.

Worse, they might even be overwhelmed by a counterattack.

Jimmy’s strike had been devastating, but its power had been too concentrated—none of it had spilled over.

The Treants near the fist’s impact had remained completely unharmed.

"No rush. The White Wizard Legion below will handle those Treants," Jimmy said, gesturing for Richard to sit. "First, tell me about the Dean. Aside from the beast puppet, did he have any messages for me?"

Richard stroked his chin, recalling the events at the time.

"No, the Dean just asked me to bring you a beast puppet. He said with this puppet, the war in the surface world is basically won."

Jimmy nodded upon hearing this and then asked, "How did you contact the Dean then? Using The Lost Ones' Magic Equipment?"

"Exactly. But that thing was too big—I couldn't bring it back."

"Too big?" Jimmy was puzzled. "Don't you have a Secret Realm? How big could it be that you couldn't bring it back?"

Richard recalled the Astral Fortress, which was even larger than the Floating City, and nodded seriously.

"Yeah, couldn't bring it back."

"This... alright then."

Jimmy was momentarily stunned by Richard's answer.

How could a communicator be that big?

But Jimmy didn't dwell on it. If Richard couldn't bring it back, he could always go there himself.

"Richard, your contribution to this war is immense. Without your timely arrival, more than half of these 800,000 Wizards would likely have perished."

Breaking the barrier between the inner and outer worlds was no simple task. If it had been breached, the spatial structure of the Green Forest World would have undergone violent changes.

The resulting spatial turbulence and Elemental Storm would have claimed countless Wizards' lives.

Richard humbly replied, "You flatter me, Master. I was just a courier."

Jimmy shook his head slightly. "No need for modesty. Your leading role in this battle is undeniable. Once the war is over, I'll request the Dean to award you a Silver Star Medal.

The Silver Star Medal is a valuable thing. With it, your Archmage Trial..."

Jimmy trailed off mid-sentence because he saw Richard pull a Silver Star Medal from his pocket, awkwardly saying, "Uh, I already have one of these. If I get a few more, can they be upgraded to a Gold Star Medal?"

"...No."

Jimmy replied blankly, but then quickly snapped back to reality, exclaiming in shock, "How do you already have a Silver Star Medal? I only have one myself, and the Dean had to pull strings to get it for me."

The Silver Star Medal, as a direct ticket to the Archmage selection, was something many Third Circle Wizards would go to great lengths to obtain but still fail.

Even his own was awarded for meritorious service in the Plane Expedition. Grand Wizard Galon had to leverage his connections in the council to secure it as a commendation for his achievements.

But Richard had only been a Third Circle Wizard for a few years.

Richard scratched his head. "Got lucky a while back—ran into a Third Circle mad Wizard and killed him."

Hearing this, Jimmy was at a loss for words.

A Third Circle mad Wizard was no pushover. Every one of them was formidable, and even an Old Wizard could be caught off guard in their first encounter.

For Richard to not only encounter one but also slay him—that was more than just luck.

"Lucky... huh. Well, since you already have one, we'll find something else for you. After the war, we'll see what you need, and then..."

Bzzzt! A sudden hum interrupted Jimmy.

He turned to see the Crystal Ball he kept in the command room, specifically for contacting Grand Wizard Galon, suddenly light up.

"Jimmy! Order all Wizards back to the Floating City and activate the final defenses! This World Tree is about to make a desperate move!"

Grand Wizard Galon's grave voice immediately startled both of them.

Without another word, Richard immediately rushed out of the command room to gather his Puppet Legion. Meanwhile, Jimmy promptly pulled out his Crystal Ball.

"Attention all Wizards, attention all Wizards! Everyone must return to the Floating City immediately! I repeat, everyone must return to the Floating City immediately!"

Outside the Floating City, the White Wizard Legion was frantically trying to encircle and eliminate the remaining Treants. Just as Richard had predicted, even though most of the Treant horde had been cleared, the White Wizards—exhausted from severe mental and Magic Power depletion—were struggling to finish off the remaining Treants.

In fact, they were even being pushed back.

These Treants seemed to have evolved once more after witnessing Grand Wizard Galon's devastating strike.

Suddenly, Jimmy's voice echoed from every Wizard's Crystal Ball. However, the order to retreat to the Floating City left everyone bewildered.

"All Wizards return to the Floating City?" Adams frowned upon hearing the message from his Crystal Ball.

If they didn't eliminate the remaining Treants in one go, these creatures would soon regroup with the World Tree Sub-body behind them. Before long, they'd be facing an even more troublesome wave of Treants.

"What should we do?" asked the deputy commander of the Netherfire Legion.

Adams pocketed his Crystal Ball and sighed softly. "What else can we do? The supreme commander has given the order. Everyone must retreat immediately. Sigh... this battle has been utterly frustrating."

...

Inner World.

Countless dark roots burst from the ground, most of them slender with black crystals growing at their tips. As they emerged, blinding white beams shot from these crystals, illuminating the entire sky.

Their target was Grand Wizard Galon, standing at the center of this sea of roots.

Galon had now shrunk his body from its previous sky-piercing size to that of a mountain. Clutching his bone staff—forged from the remains of multiple World Masters—he stared grimly toward the edge of the world.

There, a dark figure was relentlessly breaking down the barrier between the Inner and Outer Worlds.

Galon swung his staff, sending an invisible force across half the world to shatter the World Tree. Yet, the World Tree quickly regenerated and continued its assault on the dimensional barrier.

"Damnable creature!" Galon cursed in frustration.

As a native being of this world, the World Tree understood its rules and structure far better than he, an outsider, ever could. Combined with its near-limitless vitality, if the World Tree was determined to destroy the barrier between worlds, even Grand Wizard Galon couldn't stop it.

The rain of light beams fell upon Galon, causing faint stings of pain. While individually these beams couldn't penetrate his defenses, the concentrated fire of thousands striking the same spot inevitably caused minor damage even to a being as formidable as Galon.

This demonstrated one of warfare's fundamental principles: the collective power of countless ordinary attacks could indeed harm even a World Master-level target.

Though insignificant individually, in battles between World Masters, such minor damage could tip the scales of war.

Soon, a violent spatial ripple reverberated through both the Inner and Outer Worlds.

The spatial turbulence and Elemental Storms caused by shifts in spatial structure nearly instantly devastated both the surface and inner worlds.

Entire swaths of forests were torn apart by spatial turbulence, while the Elemental Storms inexplicably birthed vast volcanic mountain ranges across the Green Forest World, along with a tempest covering over half the world.

Torrential rains transformed the storm-ravaged regions into flooded wastelands within moments.

The Wizards who had returned to the Floating City gazed upon the apocalyptic scenes outside, their minds trembling with awe.

Before nature's overwhelming power, minor Wizards like them were nothing but larger ants.

Ulysses stood perched on Richard's shoulder, his eyes gleaming as he watched the distant storm eye. There, two terrifying beings of immense stature were slowly emerging.

"Richard, watch closely. Battles of this magnitude are rare indeed.

Those two great figures are about to begin their final confrontation."

(End of Chapter)