Chapter 429: Joining the Military Department (Patreon)

Chapter 429: Joining the Military Department

Though the Great Wizard Bronze Spear's tone was calm, the meaning behind his words struck like thunder, leaving many Wizards momentarily stunned.

What did he mean by Wizards not being the chosen ones?

Since the end of the Enlightenment Era, Wizards had entered the Age of Expansion.

No matter how powerful or bizarre the creatures from other worlds were, they would ultimately fall beneath the Wizards' staves.

Resources flowed like rivers, ceaselessly pouring into the Wizard World.

Wizards had long developed an unspoken belief—that they were inherently superior.

But now, the Great Wizard Bronze Spear was telling them that within the Astral World, there existed another race as formidable as Wizards.

This revelation left their minds in chaos.

Of course, for those Wizards who had already guessed that a war between civilizations was imminent, these words brought a sigh of relief—their investments would not go to waste.

Among these Wizards, Richard appeared particularly composed.

Unlike the ordinary Wizards of the Wizard World, he carried memories of his past life and had always believed that races comparable to Wizards existed beyond their world.

The appearance of Ulysses had only reinforced this belief.

The Great Wizard Bronze Spear silently observed the Wizards present, privately evaluating each of them.

This gathering was not just about the selection trials—there was another selection taking place.

The remnants of the Star River Mayflies served as the screening mechanism.

Those Wizards who could deduce the possibility of war from the Star River Mayflies would be directly added to the Military Department Officer candidate list. If the war escalated, they could join the Military Department without further selection.

In truth, quite a few Wizards in this selection had already guessed that war was coming.

Among those who had passed the combat trials, those who discerned the impending war would be directly enrolled in the Military Department's talent cultivation program.

Wizards who could quickly accept this reality would be placed on the talent program's reserve list.

Wizards were a race governed more by reason than emotion—the notion of being the chosen ones had to be discarded.

If a Wizard could not swiftly come to terms with this truth, they would essentially lose any chance of becoming a Great Wizard.

Among the Wizards present, nineteen met the criteria for the talent program, while forty-two qualified for the reserve list.

As for the remaining Third Circle Wizards—though nearly all were students of Great Wizards—in the eyes of the Great Wizard Bronze Spear, they would never be more than foot soldiers.

They lacked not only wisdom and insight but also the fundamental qualities of a Wizard.

Ahem.

The Great Wizard Bronze Spear's feigned cough snapped the Wizards out of their daze.

Their expressions varied—some calm, some bewildered, some excited, some fearful. The news of the war between civilizations would undoubtedly alter the course of their lives.

"Do not spread word of the war between civilizations, nor act recklessly.

The Council has no immediate plans to announce this news.

Next, I will bestow upon you the Officer Badges.

Congratulations on passing the selection and becoming Third Circle Officers of the Wizard World's Expansion Department."

With a casual wave, the Great Wizard Bronze Spear conjured a hundred Adamantine badges in the air. Each badge bore an etched pentagram and a staff—the emblem of the Wizard World's Expansion Department.

With a light tap, the badges descended one by one before the Wizards.

Richard took the badge, which was no mere ornament. He could sense traces of enchantment within it.

This badge seemed capable of activating a magic power shield, though the exact level of defense it could provide was unknown. Still, he imagined it wouldn't be low.

Beyond the magic shield, Richard also discovered a table embedded within the badge.

The table contained the military merit exchange catalog of the internal army department, filled with such an array of rare resources that even Richard felt a surge of desire.

Many of these resources were strictly controlled by the Council of Truth and simply unavailable on the market.

Even more astonishingly, at the end of the catalog, Richard spotted spell models, spell theories, alchemical alloy formulas, and other knowledge.

"Even knowledge can be exchanged?" Richard thought, shocked.

But upon reflection, it made sense. The military department was, after all, a subordinate of the Council of Truth.

Even established wizard academies like Garon Wizard Academy engaged in knowledge exchange. For the military to offer knowledge in exchange for battle merits wasn't particularly unusual.

Great Wizard Bronze Spear continued, "By joining the Wizard World Expansion Department, you will no longer be ordinary wizards. You will no longer be bound by the Guardians of the Wizarding World or law enforcement wizards. While you will still adhere to the laws of the Wizard World, any issues will be adjudicated by the internal court of the Expansion Department."

As he spoke, Great Wizard Bronze Spear's gaze suddenly sharpened, exuding a cutting edge so intense it seemed to split space itself, making the assembled wizards unable to meet his eyes.

"However, don't think this means you can disregard the laws of the Wizard World. Though the internal court's punishments are lighter than those of the judicial department, on certain matters, our internal court can be several times harsher. This is especially true for mad wizard behaviors, such as experiments using pure-blooded humans."

Great Wizard Bronze Spear's voice rang like a bell, shaking the hearts of the wizards present. Any underhanded thoughts they harbored vanished instantly.

"Beyond this, the material benefits have already been placed in your badges," Great Wizard Bronze Spear said, his tone softening as he smiled.

"I believe the wealth of resources here includes things even you, as students of great wizards, have never seen before. I can assure you that every bit of merit you earn on the battlefield will be accounted for without any deductions. All of you here are the adamantine and mithril among wizards. For you, qualifying for promotion to great wizard is just a matter of two or three plane wars."

"I have no doubt that soon, some among you will be working alongside me."

Great Wizard Bronze Spear's promises stirred the hearts of many wizards present.

Becoming a great wizard was the lifelong goal of many wizards.

Great Wizard Bronze Spear went on to detail more benefits and perks of the Expansion Department, painting an even grander and more enticing picture.

By the time he finished, many wizards were practically itching to join the plane wars immediately.

After this grand presentation, Great Wizard Bronze Spear waved his hand, teleporting the assembled wizards out of the tower—all except Richard, who stood bewildered, looking around.

"Sir, did you need something from me?" Richard asked cautiously.

He couldn't think of anything out of line he'd done during the selection process.

Surely the military department wouldn't try to seize his few hundred crystal floating cannons?

"Indeed, there is something."

Great Wizard Bronze Spear nodded slightly, then with a flick of his finger, a shimmering light appeared in the air, revealing the scene of Richard just entering the final competition arena.

"Throughout this competition, I have been observing everything. And you, you were my primary focus.

My old friend Galon told me that you are an exceptional young Wizard, with many thoughts that differ from ordinary Wizards.

So I’d like to ask, what exactly were you thinking when you said, ‘What a pity’?"

Great Wizard Bronze Spear’s attitude was neither arrogant nor humble. It was like one student in a class asking another how they would approach a problem.

Richard was momentarily stunned by the question, his mind racing at lightning speed.

Should he mention the subhuman species idea?

The deep, resonant voice of Great Wizard Bronze Spear echoed in his mind, and he immediately suppressed the subhuman plan in his heart.

The idea was too radical and impractical—voicing it would bring no benefit.

In an instant, Richard’s thoughts flashed like lightning, and he quickly fabricated a reason.

"I was just casually remarking at the time. Your Excellency might not know, but I’ve established a nation of tens of millions in the tundra of the far north.

And if this plain could sustain human life, it could easily support tens of millions more."

Great Wizard Bronze Spear nodded slightly. Richard’s thinking was indeed different from ordinary Wizards.

Very few Wizards paid attention to the ordinary humans who formed the foundation of the Wizard World’s pyramid.

"So, do you think we should colonize ordinary humans into other worlds?"

Richard shook his head. "No, no, colonizing other worlds is wasteful. We haven’t even fully utilized the Wizard World yet. If we shift our strategy, the war potential of the Wizard World alone would be staggering."

A faint, intrigued smile appeared on Great Wizard Bronze Spear’s face.

This young Wizard’s way of thinking was truly fascinating.

"Go on. Where do you see the war potential of the Wizard World lying?"

Richard paused briefly, and images of the Far North City and his past reflections surfaced in his mind.

He then spoke, "The war potential of the Wizard World lies in its people—the ordinary humans who form its foundation.

Wizards are selected from among ordinary humans. As long as the population is large enough, the Wizard World’s supply of soldiers will be endless.

Right now, many academies in the Wizard World have underdeveloped territories. Vast regions are sparsely populated.

With proper management, the number of ordinary humans in the Wizard World could grow exponentially."

Great Wizard Bronze Spear nodded again. "Well said, but you’ve overlooked one issue: Wizards require education.

Even in the more lenient White Wizard Academy, only a small fraction of students ultimately qualify as Wizards.

Selecting so many Wizards would be pointless without enough teachers to educate them.

Moreover, becoming a Wizard requires resources. While these resources aren’t excessive, they shouldn’t be wasted carelessly."

With that, Great Wizard Bronze Spear prepared to teleport Richard away.

Though Richard’s ideas were interesting, they held little practical value for him.

But just as he was about to act, Richard’s next words made him pause.

"Then why don't we have those idle Wizards come and teach?" Richard spoke up. "Every year, the Wizard World produces a large number of Wizards who participate in just one Plane War and then never join another.

These Wizards could equally serve as teachers.

Moreover, a considerable portion of Wizards never had teachers themselves.

As for the resources needed to become Wizards, my lord, you should understand the Wizard World Ecological Restoration Project better than I do.

Three eras have passed since the Age of Enlightenment.

The great Truth Wizards should really begin considering repairs to the Wizard World now."

(End of Chapter)