Chapter 406: The Deal (Patreon)

Chapter 406: The Deal

The abrupt end of the war caught many Wizards off guard.

No one had expected that a conflict anticipated to drag on for years would conclude in less than a decade.

Of the one million Wizards who participated in the expedition, the White Wizard Legion lost seventy thousand, while the Black Wizards suffered nearly fifty thousand casualties.

The brutality of the underground battlefield far surpassed that of the surface.

Yet compared to a typical expedition, these losses were still considered light.

For the vast majority of Wizards, this was a cause for celebration.

Few were willing to risk their lives battling those Treants.

Post-war operations quickly began under the arrangements of Grand Wizard Galon, proceeding in an orderly fashion.

The first matter was the planning of the expansion zones. The existing Wizard expansion areas would remain unchanged, but the remaining Wilderness regions no longer required further development.

The White Wizard Legion’s task before the Portal reopened was to repair and maintain the Wizard settlements.

Regarding requests from some Wizards to explore the Wilderness, Grand Wizard Galon generously agreed—provided they didn’t stir up major trouble.

Next was the issue of repairing the Floating City. Grand Wizard Galon had no immediate solutions for its damages.

Without the design schematics for the Floating City Power Reactor, a complete restoration would have to wait until the Portal reopened and repair teams from the Tower of Truth returned.

In the meantime, minor repairs to the Floating City still needed to be handled by the expeditionary Wizards.

These tasks would be assigned as missions, with Wizards receiving varying rewards upon completion.

Finally came the matter of recognizing contributions.

Though the White Wizard Legion had struggled in the final battle, their role remained undeniable.

The Netherfire Legion internally nominated several Wizards who had made outstanding contributions during the war. While they hadn’t turned the tide, their impact on key local battlefields had been crucial.

Grand Wizard Galon commended them and bestowed generous material rewards.

Then came the matter of Richard.

...

“Well, you’ve stumbled upon something truly remarkable, kid.”

Grand Wizard Galon gazed at the distant Astral Fortress, unable to hold back his admiration.

If the Floating City was the pinnacle of Alchemy Machines, then this Astral Fortress before them could almost be called a miracle.

“If those old-timers studying Alchemy Machines saw this, they’d be drooling with envy.”

“Haha, I think so too,” Richard chuckled. “When I first saw it, my immediate thought was to haul this thing into a Secret Realm.”

“Then why didn’t you?” Grand Wizard Galon laughed.

Richard spread his hands helplessly. “It’s so massive—how could I possibly move it?”

“Ah, right.” Grand Wizard Galon suddenly realized.

Having been a Great Wizard for so long, he had grown accustomed to judging things by that standard.

For a Great Wizard, relocating this Astral Fortress would be, at most, a minor inconvenience. But for a Third Circle Wizard like Richard, moving it was no easier than shifting a mountain.

“Alright,” Grand Wizard Galon clapped Richard on the shoulder, pleased. “You were the top contributor in this war. As a reward, I’ll grant you this promise: any research findings I derive from this thing, you’re free to use.

Teach it to your students if you wish—just don’t sell it.”

Richard nodded repeatedly. “Of course.”

The two stepped into the Floating City.

Grand Wizard Galon gazed at the Radiant Aurora within the Fissure, a flicker of astonishment crossing his face.

With a single step, he and Richard appeared high above the Power Furnace in the next instant.

Observing the Fuel Ring below, Grand Wizard Galon's eyes lit up.

"This is impressive. I never expected The Lost Ones to have applied the rules to such an extent. Remarkable, truly remarkable."

Seeing his interest piqued, Richard seized the moment to chime in, "Dean, is there something special about this? Isn't it just a Power Furnace driven by energy radiation?"

Grand Wizard Galon smiled knowingly. "You're a Third Circle Wizard now. You must learn to see beyond the surface of things.

"I'm no Alchemist Wizard, so I have no opinion on the structure of this Power Furnace. But as a Great Wizard, I can tell you the fuel for this furnace is something extraordinary.

"You see the Fuel Ring emitting radiation, but you don't perceive what lies behind that energy discharge."

As he spoke, Grand Wizard Galon casually plucked a black stone that had fallen from the Fuel Ring.

"Such a substance might exist in the Astral World. But I can assure you, the one we're looking at was undoubtedly synthesized by The Lost Ones.

"They imprinted a complete Fundamental Rule onto the material, using it to power the furnace."

Though Richard already knew the secret of the Fuel Ring, he still feigned surprise.

"A complete Fundamental Rule? Have The Lost Ones truly grown so powerful?"

Fundamental Rules, as Wizards had discovered, were extremely simple and pure. No matter how they were fragmented, the Rule Fragments would only differ in potency compared to the complete rule, never in nature.

Take the Fundamental Rule of fire, for example. No matter how you shatter it, its effect remains the same—control over fire.

Non-fundamental rules, however, could produce entirely different effects when broken. For instance, if Annihilation Flame were to manifest as a rule, its fragments might grant control over fire, shadows, or even energy absorption.

These Fundamental Rules were the foundation of the Rule Body. Every Rule Body was an extension of a single Fundamental Rule.

Grand Wizard Galon sighed faintly. "Yes, they were that powerful.

"But alas, they still vanished. Not even their names remain—only a title: 'The Supreme.'"

With that, he shook his head slightly. After a brief sigh, he led Richard back to the Floating City.

Outside, Jimmy, now mostly recovered, was directing Wizards in the construction of an arena.

Resources in this world were scarce. It was likely that the Precursors had stripped most of them away before turning it into a fortress world.

Though some resources had regenerated over the years, they were barely enough to make a difference.

Between the Wizards' wages, the damage to the Floating City, and the vast amounts of Magic Essence Grand Wizard Galon had expended in his final strike, this Plane Expedition had been a costly endeavor.

After all, the World Tree couldn't be sold off for Magic Essence.

So, Jimmy turned his attention to the various Biological Weapons scattered across this world.

These biological weapons possess considerable combat power. Placing them in an arena for battles would be an excellent way to train the Wizards within the academy.

According to Jimmy's plan, he intends to establish ten arenas within the existing Wizard-controlled zones, each stocked with biological weapons and Magical Beasts of varying difficulty levels.

He aims to transform this world into a training ground for the Galon Wizard Academy.

"Jimmy."

The voice from behind startled Jimmy. He turned to see Richard and Grand Wizard Galon standing behind him, unnoticed until now.

"Dean, why have you returned so soon?" Jimmy asked, puzzled. "Didn't Richard take you to see the ruins of The Lost Ones?"

"We've already finished," Grand Wizard Galon replied with a smile.

He walked over to Jimmy and gave his arm a gentle squeeze.

"You're recovering well. Once the Portal opens, you should visit the Hot Spring World and soak in the Spring of Life. It will greatly aid your recovery."

With that, Grand Wizard Galon vanished abruptly.

Jimmy turned to Richard.

"Richard, your timing is perfect. I'd like to discuss a trade with you—about your Puppet Legion."

...

Command Tower, Jimmy's Office.

Jimmy sat behind his desk, his expression amiable. "I'd like to propose, on behalf of the academy, to purchase the Giant Floating Cannon Matrix and those Arachnid Crystal Puppets in your possession."

Across the desk, Richard remained composed. He had anticipated Jimmy's request for acquisition.

After all, such a vast arsenal of Precursor weapons in the hands of a single Wizard was far too conspicuous—and wasteful.

Following the breakout battle, Richard still had 821 Arachnid Armored Puppets, over 35,000 floating cannons, and the Floating Cannon Matrix remained intact.

The combat power of these weapons alone could rival ten White Wizard legions of ten thousand each.

Even by the rules of the Plane War, Richard would need to surrender a third of them, but the remaining weapons would still be worth a fortune.

"So, Master, what price do you propose?" Richard straightened up, offering a practiced, businesslike smile.

When it came to negotiations, personal relationships and emotions had to be set aside—profit came first.

"To be honest, I'm not sure what to offer," Jimmy admitted, rubbing his temples in frustration. "The value of your weapons is so immense that I can't immediately think of anything equivalent to exchange."

Jimmy knew Richard lacked neither Magic Essence nor resources.

Thus, he needed to offer something beyond material wealth—knowledge, promises, favors, or even rare treasures never seen on the market.

But the value of such things was hard to quantify, and their worth could differ drastically between parties.

"So I'd like to ask you—is there anything you currently cannot accomplish on your own?"

Backed by Grand Wizard Galon, Jimmy commanded resources beyond the reach of ordinary Wizards. Many impossible tasks for others were trivial to him.

After a moment of contemplation, Richard spoke. "Now that you mention it... there is one thing."

"I have an excellent Alchemy Material in my possession, which I planned to craft into a staff. However, I lack the necessary materials and the technical expertise, so the project has been shelved for years."

"I wonder if you, Great Wizard, could invite a Great Wizard from the Alchemy School. If so, the rest would be easy to handle."

For Richard, the greatest value of these Precursors' weapons lay in their design blueprints.

Among them, he had already extracted the blueprints for the Arachnid Armored Puppet and the Crystal Floating Cannon. As for the remaining Giant Floating Mothership, he could extract its blueprint too once he returned to the Wizard World after making some preparations.

So if these items could fetch a good price, it would be ideal.

As a Black Wizard, he couldn't possibly bring the Floating Mothership to wreak havoc in the rear—leaving behind a few Arachnid Armored Puppets would suffice.

"A Great Wizard from the Alchemy School?" Jimmy was slightly startled, then chuckled. "You're quite young, but you sure have some impressive treasures."

"What materials is your staff missing? Tell me about it."

Richard smiled. "The Light of Equilibrium—a large amount of the Light of Equilibrium."

The staff project Richard mentioned was none other than the Hand of Equilibrium he had planned years ago.

(End of Chapter)