Chapter 428: The Eve of the Storm (Patreon)

Chapter 428: The Eve of the Storm

Subspecies humans have always occupied an awkward position within the rules established by Wizards.

Due to the widespread practice of Bloodline Wizardry, the majority of Wizards in the Wizard World undergo post-natal fusion with the bloodlines of other races.

This situation directly influences the Council of Truth's stance on subspecies humans.

Although in the current Wizard World, subspecies humans often exist as servants or even experimental subjects for Wizards, their legal status is far higher than that of ordinary extraplanar creatures.

In conflicts, if a subspecies human kills an extraplanar slave, they can simply pay compensation—just like Wizards.

This realization stirred Richard's thoughts.

Wizards do not actually harbor any aversion toward subspecies humans. Over the years, the prevalence of Bloodline Wizardry has nearly eradicated the Pure-blood Party among Wizards.

Plane Wars do not become easier just because you are a pure-blooded human. For the vast majority of Wizards with mediocre talent, bloodline fusion is a quick way to enhance their strength.

Under these circumstances, subspecies humans could very well elevate their social standing.

The Wizards who use subspecies humans for experiments are only a small fraction of the Wizard community. As long as the benefits brought by subspecies humans are substantial enough, the voices of these Wizards will be drowned out by more powerful ones.

"But the premise is that this can truly deceive the authentication of the world's origin," Richard murmured to himself.

Moreover, there is another major issue—the Council of Truth's restrictions on human experimentation.

All Wizards are prohibited from using pure-blooded humans as experimental subjects, even the Great Wizards.

"I'm overthinking this."

Richard scratched his head, feeling like his brainstorming had gone too far.

At present, even the war potential of the Wizard World hasn't been fully exploited, let alone these extraplanar worlds.

Yet, Richard quietly filed this idea away for later.

When he becomes a Great Wizard, it might just come in handy.

...

After two rounds of elimination, out of tens of thousands of Third Circle Wizards in the fourth division, only a few hundred remained.

These Wizards, whether banded together or acting alone, were all exceptional among Third Circle Wizards. In this final arena, they would compete for the ultimate selection as Military Department Officers.

Boom! Across the vast plains, elemental energies exploded like fireworks.

Wizards who had not yet met the point requirements were engaged in their final battles.

Not far from them, Richard lurked in the shadows of the forest, silently observing the fierce clashes.

His points were already sufficient, so he had no need to join the fray. Moreover, as a high-ranking Wizard on the leaderboard, if discovered, he might very well become the target of a group assault.

"I reckon your strength isn't weak. Why do you insist on hiding so cautiously?"

A voice suddenly sounded beside Richard's ear, causing him to stiffen before swiftly stepping out of the shadows.

Delis and Jimmy had somehow appeared not far behind him.

Spotting Richard emerging from the shadows, Jimmy greeted him with a smile. "Richard, Delis mentioned you've discovered something remarkable."

Jimmy made no effort to lower his voice as he spoke.

He stood boldly in the forest, completely disregarding the dozens of Wizards engaged in battle nearby.

Boom! The Wizard who spotted Jimmy reacted immediately. A fireball with an energy level as high as ten thousand crashed into Jimmy like a meteor, erupting into a molten flame that swallowed him and the surrounding woods.

But before the elemental flames could dissipate, the attacking Wizard’s face twisted into an expression of sheer horror.

“How did someone with eyesight like yours survive this long?”

A massive figure wreathed in lightning burst through the flames like a bolt of thunder.

In the next instant, a sharp crack echoed as the Wizard’s Magic Barrier shattered. A fist crackling with lightning sent the Wizard—who might have become a Military Department Officer—flying back into the cluster of palaces.

The other Wizards engaged in the chaotic battle nearby were so stunned by this sight that they stopped fighting altogether, hastily retreating into the distance.

Even among Third Circle Wizards, there were distinctions in strength. If Third Circle Wizards were further divided into first, second, and third tiers, then Wizards like Delis and Jimmy belonged to the highest tier—the third tier of the Third Circle.

“Peace and quiet at last,” Jimmy said with a laugh as he turned back.

Richard’s eye twitched. He hadn’t paid much attention before, but after spending more time with Jimmy, he realized that this seemingly mild-mannered Old Wizard was actually quite domineering in his actions.

“You must be referring to the matter of the civilization war, Master,” Richard replied.

Jimmy flashed back to Richard’s side in an instant.

“So, are you certain about this?”

Richard sighed helplessly. “Whether I’m certain or not doesn’t matter. Once we enter the Hanging Garden, we’ll know everything.”

“No, no, no,” Jimmy shook his head repeatedly. “Richard, if nothing goes wrong, the Military Department will absolutely never allow us to leak any information from inside the Hanging Garden.

So we have to confirm the news now.

If this news is true, we can make some preparations in advance—investments, for example.”

Jimmy’s words left Richard deeply puzzled.

“The Great Wizards must have received this kind of news much earlier than us. Wouldn’t it be better to just follow the Dean’s arrangements?”

Jimmy chuckled and shook his head. “Richard, it’s true that the Great Wizards learned of this before we did. But the burdens they carry are also far heavier than ours.

The Great Wizards have to consider the impact their adjustments in development direction will have on the market. So their shifts in strategy will be extremely slow.

And that’s an opportunity for us.”

“An opportunity?” Richard froze for a moment before a word suddenly popped into his mind.

Speculation!

If the war was real, they could take advantage of the window period while the Great Wizards were adjusting their strategies to make a fortune in the market.

“Ahem, Master, isn’t that a bit… unethical?” Richard said guiltily. “That’s profiting from a national crisis.”

“What nonsense about profiting from a national crisis,” Jimmy said sternly, his tone righteous. “This is called using our wisdom to earn a fair reward. We haven’t received any official news from the Military Department yet—all these decisions are based on our own deductions. If we’re wrong and lose money, no one’s going to compensate us for it.”

Jimmy’s argument did make some sense. If they were mistaken, the investments they made now would likely be lost entirely.

“Fine,” Richard sighed. “I’m about ninety percent sure that we’ve encountered another civilization.”

Hearing this, Jimmy grew serious. “Do you have any proof?”

Richard pointed to Delis beside him.

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"Master Delis's assessment of the ephemeral strength—you should be aware of it, Master. The sudden rule change by the military and all those rumors circulating are also evidence.

But to me, these are just supplementary. The real evidence is that Wizards are not the chosen ones of destiny.

In the Astral World, other races will inevitably step out of their cradles and witness the true vastness of this world."

Jimmy fell silent for a moment before his gaze suddenly turned razor-sharp.

"That evidence is sufficient. In the coming days, I’ll send the investment plan back to the academy and notify your side as well."

Richard’s expression twisted slightly, feeling this behavior wasn’t quite right—it almost felt like undermining the Wizard World.

Jimmy patted him on the back, his voice low. "Don’t overthink it. If a civilization war truly breaks out, the money we make now will be our survival capital."

Even in Plane Wars, Great Wizards occasionally met their demise, perishing in foreign worlds.

If a civilization war erupted, Third Circle Wizards like them would likely be no different from cannon fodder.

……

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Richard had followed Jimmy closely, so no battles occurred.

In the end, Richard’s score was 421, ranking 72nd on the overall leaderboard—earning him entry into the Hanging Garden.

As the bell signaling the competition’s end rang, Richard’s surroundings instantly distorted into swirling colors. By the time his vision cleared, he had arrived in the Hanging Garden.

True to its name, the Hanging Garden was a breathtakingly beautiful place. At its center stood a pristine white tower.

Richard glanced around—all other Black Wizards who had qualified in points had also been teleported here.

Guiding sprites appeared promptly.

"Wizard, please follow me."

Led by the sprites, the group entered the white tower.

The first floor resembled a parliamentary hall. At the center of the ring-shaped tiered seating was a massive round table.

The avatar of the Great Wizard Bronze Spear stood beside the table, silently watching as the Wizards entered.

Once all had arrived, the tower’s doors slowly closed under an unseen force.

The Great Wizard Bronze Spear spoke. "Please, everyone, take your seats."

The Wizards seated themselves, their gazes—each carrying different implications—fixing on the Great Wizard as if trying to melt him under scrutiny.

The Great Wizard Bronze Spear remained standing. After all had settled, he began slowly:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I imagine you’ve already guessed what I’m about to announce.

Beyond this world, I’ve seen many Wizards bravely making their judgments, preparing to seize the opportunity for profit."

His words caused many present to pale slightly.

Richard wasn’t the only clever one here.

"Don’t be nervous," the Great Wizard Bronze Spear smiled faintly. "That’s your skill. The Council neither forbids nor obstructs such actions. Using one’s wisdom to gather resources has always been encouraged.

Compared to Wizards who laze atop piles of resources without ambition, your actions could be held up as exemplary.

Now, I shall reveal the answer to you all."

Great Wizard Bronze Spear deliberately paused, causing all the opportunistic Wizards to hold their breath.

Many of them had staked their entire fortunes on this. If they guessed wrong, they wouldn't necessarily lose everything, but they would certainly suffer heavy losses.

"The answer is—" Great Wizard Bronze Spear continued, "you guessed correctly. Wizards are not the chosen ones. There are indeed other lifeforms in the Astral World that have stepped beyond their cradle.

The name tentatively assigned to this race by the council is Star River Mayflies.

If nothing unexpected happens, the war between us and the Star River Mayflies civilization will begin soon."

(End of Chapter)