Chapter 416: Wizard Gathering (Patreon)

Chapter 416: Wizard Gathering

With Richard's arrival, nearly all Third Circle Wizards from the Garon Wizard Academy had assembled.

Under Jimmy's lead, the group then flew toward the Tower of Truth.

Along the way, Richard inquired about the details of the gathering from the attending Wizards. As a newly promoted Third Circle Wizard, there was much he didn’t know.

"Hey, just think of this gathering as a social event like the ones we had during our apprentice days," replied Stio, whose body was half covered in iron-gray skin and half in dark gold.

Though Stio hadn’t profited as extravagantly as Richard in the Green Forest World’s war, his gains were still substantial. From a certain Biological weapon in that world, he had discovered a type of cell capable of metallizing cellular skeletons.

These cells were far stronger than his own, capable of even integrating trace amounts of Adamantine into the cellular framework. Thanks to this Biological weapon, Stio’s body had evolved further, significantly boosting his combat prowess.

"A social event?" Richard frowned in confusion. "But the information mentioned there’d be a selection for Military Department Officers, didn’t?"

"There is a selection, but that’s..." Stio trailed off mid-sentence, suddenly eyeing Richard with an odd look that left the latter baffled.

"What’s wrong? Is there something on me?"

"Nothing. I just realized you might actually have a shot," Stio continued.

"The Military Department’s selection has always been about picking the best of the best. Don’t be fooled by the number of Third Circle Wizards attending—only a handful will actually be chosen.

Those selected are invariably geniuses among geniuses, and ones who haven’t already been noticed by the Great Wizards."

Richard’s exploits in the Green Forest World were already common knowledge among Wizards. With his vast army of Arachnid Armored Puppets and that Giant Floating Cannon Matrix, few Wizards at the gathering could hope to match him in combat—if he was serious.

"Geniuses unnoticed by the Great Wizards... That really is rare," Richard mused in agreement.

Due to the Plane Wars, the turnover rate among Wizards within an academy was incredibly high. Often, after a single Plane War, a majority of the academy’s instructors would be replaced.

Cases like Richard’s—where his mentor was a high-ranking logistics Wizard—were exceptionally uncommon. Most Wizards in the academy operated without formal guidance.

If such Wizards distinguished themselves in a Plane War, it was nearly impossible for the Great Wizards not to take notice. And many Great Wizards had a habit of recruiting disciples liberally.

Thus, for a genius Wizard to reach the Third Circle without being taken under a Great Wizard’s wing was as rare as phoenix feathers or unicorn horns.

If the Military Department’s targets were these individuals, then for the vast majority of Wizards, this gathering really was little more than a social event.

"Still, with your resources, even if the Military Department wanted you, you probably wouldn’t be interested."

As he spoke, a hint of envy flashed across Stio’s face. To casually spend hundreds of thousands of Magic Essence on Ritual Magic—such extravagance was just as uncommon among Third Circle Wizards as being selected as a Military Department Officer.

"Ha, I really don't want to go," Richard laughed. "But I am quite interested in those who get selected as Wizards. I've heard," Richard put on a mysterious expression, "that Third Circle Wizards from the military have a much higher chance of promotion to Great Wizard than ordinary Wizards."

"Is that all?" Stio said disappointedly. "Everyone knows that. But judging by your expression, you probably don't know the secret behind those numbers, do you?"

"The secret behind them?" Richard immediately perked up. "What secret could there be behind those numbers?"

Stio chuckled. "The secret is that the probability is a scam. In reality, Third Circle Wizards promoted internally within the military don't have a much higher chance of becoming Great Wizards than us independent Wizards.

The reason the promotion rate appears higher is because..."

"Because of the selection process!" Richard and Stio said in unison.

By pulling the best Third Circle Wizards from the independent ranks into the military, the military's Great Wizard promotion rate naturally becomes higher.

Moreover, the number of Third Circle Wizards in the military is at least an order of magnitude smaller than those outside. Under such circumstances, it would be strange if the military's promotion rate wasn't higher.

"What are you two talking about?"

A voice suddenly came from behind Richard. He turned to see the Two-Faced Wizard, whom they had collaborated with before, looking at them curiously.

"Nothing much. It's my first time attending this gathering, so I was just asking about it," Richard replied casually.

"Oh, right, Richard, this is your first time at a Third Circle Wizard gathering," the Two-Faced Wizard said, suddenly realizing. "But that's good timing. This time, the gathering has changed locations.

It's not being held in the parliament's Secret Realm but in an undisclosed world.

I've heard even the procedures have undergone some changes."

Hearing this, Stio's eyes widened instantly.

"There's such a thing?"

The Two-Faced Wizard nodded. "I heard it from a friend in the military. Apparently, the military encountered a tough Bone while expanding their borders and is now planning to scale up operations."

"A tough Bone? What kind of Bone could withstand the military's forces?" Stio looked incredulous.

Although Stio considered himself no worse than those military Wizards, he couldn't deny that the military Wizards' combat capabilities were unmatched by any Wizard Academy in the Wizard World.

These Wizards possessed the best Alchemy Weapons in the Wizard World and could deploy all kinds of Strategic Magic Gear that couldn't be mass-produced due to cost constraints.

Moreover, their personal skills were considered above average among those who regularly participated in Plane Expeditions.

With exceptional individual abilities, coupled with top-tier weaponry and logistical support, the military rarely suffered setbacks during Plane Expeditions, let alone encountered a tough Bone.

"Who knows?" The Two-Faced Wizard shrugged. "My friend sharing this much is already pushing the limit.

The military has strict confidentiality protocols."

The speaker might not have intended anything, but the listener took note.

Upon hearing the Two-Faced Wizard's words, the word "civilization" immediately popped into Richard's mind.

If the military considered something a tough Bone, Richard couldn't think of any explanation other than a civilization.

Suddenly, Jimmy, who was leading the group at the front, turned around and shouted, "Everyone, be careful! The weather's about to change! Watch out you don't get struck by lightning, haha!"

The accompanying Wizards burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Their hearty laughter filled the entire sky, as if the impending storm ahead were merely a gentle breeze.

...

After five days of flight, the group finally arrived at the Tower of Truth.

Under the guidance of the Tower of Truth staff, these Wizards boarded an airship, traversed through a Portal via the Central World, and arrived at the gathering venue—a small world numbered 011320, named Star River.

Upon entering the world, Richard instinctively surveyed his surroundings.

"Balanced four elements, Magic Power concentration five times that of the Wizard World, special rules..."

Richard glanced out the airship window at the sky. The Star River World seemed to have no day-night cycle. In the sky, replacing the sun was an incredibly resplendent Milky Way.

No wonder the Wizards had named this world the Star River World.

"This place seems freshly conquered," remarked the Two-Faced Wizard beside him.

With a twist of his neck, the face on the back of his head rotated to the front. This face resembled a demon from mythological legends—a crimson visage with a pair of murky yellow eyes glowing with a foul light.

"I sense many lingering grievances. This world must have been conquered less than ten years ago."

Less than ten years? A decade might sound long, but to Wizards, it was equivalent to a mere month for ordinary people.

There might still be remnants of indigenous inhabitants left uncleansed within this world.

Why would the Tower of Truth choose such a world as the gathering venue? Richard recalled the information the Two-Faced Wizard had mentioned during their journey, and a suspicion formed in his mind.

This world was likely connected to that "hard bone."

Nearby, Stio's expression also shifted slightly upon hearing this. However, lacking Richard's breadth of experience, he only felt an indistinct unease without being able to pinpoint its source.

He muttered in confusion, "Why did the Tower of Truth pick such a place? Are they expecting us to help the military clean up the remaining indigenous people this time?"

Richard didn't respond, silently observing the world outside the window.

Three days later, the group arrived at the gathering venue.

The venue was a complex of palaces, and at its center, four waterfalls rose like pillars, supporting a massive Hanging Garden suspended in midair.

The sky above the venue was blotted out by countless airships. Richard estimated roughly that there must be hundreds of thousands of Third Circle Wizards attending this gathering.

"Something's off,"

Stio, standing beside Richard, gazed at the sea of airships outside, his face flashing with alarm.

"What's off?"

Stio's expression turned grave. "In previous gatherings, there were at most tens of thousands of Third Circle Wizards, all from our own Tower of Truth.

But this time, the numbers are overwhelming—it seems every Third Circle Wizard in the entire Wizard World has been summoned.

Something major must have happened."

Soon, the airship's broadcast issued the disembarkation order. Hundreds of thousands of Third Circle Wizards descended from the airship's lower hatches into the palace complex below.

Thud.

Richard landed soundlessly with a light tap of his toes. The moment his feet touched the ground, a small sprite materialized out of thin air beside him.

"Honorable Wizard, I am your Guiding Elf, here to assist you during this gathering," the small creature said.

Richard stroked his chin thoughtfully as he observed the tiny being before him.

He could tell this was entirely different from the Library Elves he knew.

In Richard's perception, Library Elves were a unique kind of creature. But this little elf in front of him seemed more like a construct of Spellcraft.

"Alright then, what should I do next?" Richard inquired.

The elf gave a slight bow. "Please follow me. The procedures for this gathering differ from previous ones."

"This time, all Wizards—whether willing or not—must participate in the military's agent selection."

"The chosen candidates will enter the Hanging Garden to receive a message from the Council of Truth."

(End of Chapter)