Rewinding slightly, Master Erwin transformed into a streak of light, retreating to the “ship” plane in disarray.
His robe was scorched black, his aura unsteady, clearly having sustained significant damage.
Watching from the barren land, Jie Ming’s lips curled into a faint smile.
He turned to Viola beside him, remarking, “As expected of a veteran wizard—his acting is flawless, making it look like he barely lost.”
Viola’s eyes glinted with amusement. “It’s standard in plane wars—lure the enemy in, deplete their strength, stretch their lines. Every shift in offense and defense is calculated by high-tier wizards.”
With their capabilities, the wizards quickly analyzed the situation after encountering the Flame-Frost Plane’s natives’ fierce resistance, moving beyond the initial cannon fodder clashes.
The most obvious insight was that, though both races attacked the wizards simultaneously, their attack patterns and zones were sharply distinct, often restraining or even misfiring on each other.
This revealed a harsh truth: the lava giants and snow-beasts were likely long-standing enemies, perhaps irreconcilable foes.
Their alliance was only due to the shared threat of the invaders.
“Master Erwin faced two alone, appearing to narrowly lose, but he stalled two sixth-tier beings for hours, exhausting them and forcing their retreat,” Viola agreed.
“This gives the natives hope of defeating us while making them wary of our strength, preventing reckless all-out assaults. They’ll regroup after resting but won’t risk everything, giving us wizards ample time.”
“More importantly, their mutual hatred is our greatest ally. They can’t truly cooperate. Every attack or reinforcement may be delayed by their distrust.”
“This situation allows wizards to steadily weaken the plane’s origin, ultimately claiming it.”
It was an open scheme—even if the native sixth-tier beings saw through it, they couldn’t fully counter it.
As Jie Ming and Viola marveled at the high-tier wizards’ deep strategies and the complex art of plane warfare, their magic network terminals vibrated simultaneously, receiving an urgent, top-priority message for all.
The message was stark, a single cold line:
[Important Notice: Commander Master Erwin did not intentionally retreat but was genuinely overpowered by the combined assault of two sixth-tier native beings. All wizards, heighten vigilance and act cautiously.]
Seeing this, every wizard, including Jie Ming and Viola, froze briefly.
Then, in an instant, their eyes lit up!
The message’s sender was Master Erwin himself, one of the invasion’s commanders.
Its purpose was to sound an alarm, warning that the plane’s natives were indeed stronger than average.
But the wizards’ excitement stemmed from spotting greater opportunities amid the danger.
All things followed certain laws. A plane birthing two powerful races wasn’t random.
It signified the plane’s resources were extraordinarily abundant!
Two sixth-tier beings able to rival a fifth-tier wizard implied the plane held rich resources to support their advancement—possibly rare elements, law fragments, or undiscovered mystic veins!
For wizards, strong enemies often meant richer treasures lay behind them.
With the strategy and the plane’s value clear, the wizards’ efficiency peaked.
The camp was swiftly established through collective effort.
Alchemical puppets and wizard-crafted defensive walls rose rapidly, energy cores were buried deep in the earth, and rune arrays glowed around the camp, forming visible protective barriers.
Though frontline battles persisted—native skirmishes against the wizards’ consolidating lines—the scale had significantly diminished.
Both sides were clearly biding their time.
Logistical wizards seized this precious window to dive into routine tasks.
Unlike his chaotic experience on the Elosia plane, where Jie Ming was thrown into battle, he now grasped the proper role of a logistical wizard.
In the early stages of plane wars, logistical wizards rarely fought directly.
Their primary role was analyzing the plane’s elemental data and the resources and intelligence brought back from the front.
Every newly invaded plane was a treasure trove for wizard civilization, brimming with unknown resources and information.
In just a few days, as frontline troops cleared the landing zone and scout wizards retrieved samples through the spatial rift, Jie Ming alone identified several unique resources.
One was a peculiar plant from the Blazing Sun Realm.
Named Blazegrass, it resembled leaping flames, growing in volcanic rock crevices.
Though as fragile as common grass, it boasted astonishing resistance to fire and heat.
Using his All-Purpose Eye, Jie Ming analyzed its structure, finding its cell walls could condense fire elements, forming a microscopic barrier.
After tests, barring physical shockwaves or spatial tears, this plant could withstand a third-tier wizard’s fire attack unscathed!
Its defensive properties were astounding.
Due to limited time, Jie Ming hadn’t fully researched how to refine it into a potion for permanent integration into a wizard’s body.
But through specialized methods, he crafted a preliminary film from it.
When applied to the body, this Blazegrass film offered similar short-term effects.
For wizards or cannon fodder bio-beasts needing close combat, this was an extraordinary passive defense material.
Another find was a unique mineral from the Frost-Dark Realm.
Named Iceburst Crystal, it appeared as ordinary transparent crystal, inert under normal conditions.
But Jie Ming’s analysis revealed that exposure to high heat—especially lava or extreme flames—caused its ice element structure to destabilize, unleashing devastating force!
This backlash from clashing elements could level a small hill.
It was both a highly dangerous material and a potent weapon.
After Jie Ming identified its properties, a group of Tower of Annihilation wizards approached him.
After paying some knowledge, they left the camp excitedly, heading deep into the Frost-Dark Realm.
Watching their eager departure, Jie Ming was momentarily at a loss for words.
“You’ll get used to it. Tower of Annihilation wizards excel at annihilation spells. Iceburst Crystal is their ideal casting material,” Viola said, appearing beside him.
Jie Ming was puzzled. “Not for research?”
Viola shrugged unceremoniously. “You’ve been in Noren Workshop’s logistics too long, thinking all wizards are like that.”
Viola sighed, explaining, “It’s not that they don’t research, but the Tower of Annihilation has few logistical wizards skilled in research. Materials like Iceburst Crystal, though promising, aren’t high-priority for study. Before deep research, they’ll likely use it directly as spell-casting material.”
“Why?” Jie Ming blinked.
Viola shook her head. “You’ve been in Noren Workshop too long. Being a logistical wizard isn’t easy.”
“With the growing volume of knowledge, many struggle just to learn it. Researching its principles and advancing further is nearly impossible. Even in Noren Workshop, named for its craft, logistical wizards are only about 2% of the total.”
“In other factions, the gap between logistical and combat wizards is even starker. In the Tower of Annihilation, it’s down to 1%. In the Chaos Secret Cult, aside from a few founding leaders and their successors, all are combat wizards.”
Seeing Jie Ming’s dawning realization, Viola tilted her head toward the research area in the camp. “Look at the numbers here.”
Jie Ming glanced at the sparse research zone.
He hadn’t paid much attention before, as, to him, the area, though spacious, felt compact compared to his own lab.
The lack of equipment slowed his progress—without the All-Purpose Eye, his research would’ve been even slower.
Only now did he realize the emptiness wasn’t just to give logistical wizards space but because their numbers were truly few.