Jie Ming had just uploaded the report of his completed exploration task and the collected spatial data through the magic network terminal when a calm, unwavering voice sounded beside him:
“Very efficient. I didn’t expect you to find what I wanted so quickly. It seems my luck is quite good.”
The voice came without warning, causing Jie Ming’s hair to stand on end. Without thinking, he instinctively retreated.
The two Black Giants roared, charging to stand protectively before him, energy surging through their talisman artifacts as they entered maximum alert.
However, when he saw the newcomer, his taut nerves relaxed abruptly.
With a wave, he signaled the Black Giants to stand down, though a storm of shock raged in his heart.
The newcomer was none other than the seventh-level wizard, Dionysius Spencer.
When had he arrived?
How could he so precisely locate Jie Ming, who had just completed his task and wasn’t in a fixed position?
Amidst his shock, Jie Ming’s mind raced.Recalling Dionysius’s earlier words—“It seems my luck is quite good”—and the subtle hints from their previous meeting, Jie Ming’s thoughts turned to information he had once investigated: Dionysius Spencer, a seventh-level wizard of the Fate System, renowned for peering into and manipulating the threads of destiny!
Scattered clues connected instantly, forming a chilling conclusion.
Jie Ming’s expression darkened, his tone laced with suppressed anger and disbelief: “You… wove my fate?!”
Tampering with a wizard’s destiny was a grave offense under the Star Orbit Tribunal!
It was not only a violation of individual freedom but could also trigger unpredictable chain reactions.
Dionysius Spencer, hearing this, waved a hand dismissively, his face still wearing its usual gentle smile, though his eyes were as deep as a starry sea. “Relax, young one. I wouldn’t do something that violates the Tribunal’s iron laws. The cost, even for me, would be too great.”
He paused, studying Jie Ming with interest, as if admiring a fine piece of art. “I merely… borrowed a little momentum.”
“Your destiny’s thread stood out vividly among countless possibilities, exceptionally ‘bright.’ I didn’t forcibly alter your course; I simply noticed your ship was already sailing toward the Eye of the Storm and hitched a ride, ensuring you reached the coordinates I needed faster and more accurately.”
Though unfamiliar with the intricacies of Fate System witchcraft, Jie Ming roughly understood: Dionysius hadn’t forcibly controlled him but had leveraged some inherent “trait” or “tendency” in his destiny for a precise “speculation.”
It was like a fisherman by a river, not altering the river’s flow but casting a net where the fish were bound to pass.
A surge of irritation at being used welled up. No one would feel pleased knowing their seemingly autonomous actions might have been guided by a higher power.
Yet, just as Jie Ming frowned, ready to argue, Dionysius Spencer, as if anticipating this, flicked his finger lightly.
A stream of information flowed through the magic network terminal directly into Jie Ming’s consciousness sea.
“A small token of apology. I hope you feel my sincerity,” Dionysius said with a smile.
Jie Ming instinctively “scanned” the information. Within moments, his anger was replaced by overwhelming excitement.
This “apology” was none other than Dionysius Spencer’s personal notes from his advancement to sixth-level wizard, detailing foundational Fate System knowledge, rule insights, witchcraft construction, and even resource acquisition methods!
For any wizard aspiring to higher tiers, its value was immeasurable, far beyond mere merits or origin essence!
I wanted to berate him, but he gave me too much…
“It’s my honor to assist you…” Jie Ming took a deep breath, muttering helplessly.
This lavish gift more than offset his displeasure at being “used”—it even felt like he’d struck gold.
Hitching a ride on destiny? Fine by him, especially since it caused no real harm.
After carefully verifying the “quality” of the knowledge Dionysius provided, Jie Ming even felt an urge to strike another deal with him.
Just a ride on destiny’s coattails? No problem, I’m good at that!
After a moment’s hesitation, he suppressed the tempting thought.
Mainly because Dionysius Spencer seemed to have already found what he wanted, making it unlikely he’d entertain another deal even if Jie Ming proposed one.
Dionysius paid little heed to Jie Ming’s thoughts. After delivering the compensation, he said no more, turning his gaze to the seemingly ordinary area hiding the spatial fold.
He cast no witchcraft, merely staring.
His deep eyes seemed to pierce through all illusions, directly perceiving the essence of the spatial texture, the complex folds as transparent as glass to him.
Suppressing his excitement over the notes, Jie Ming cautiously suggested, “Lord Spencer, if there’s nothing else here, may I take my leave?”
“No need,” Dionysius replied without turning. “There’s work ahead that requires you young ones.”
As his words fell…
[Ding! Highest Priority Mandatory Task Received!]
[Task ID: Expedition-001]
[Task Requirement: All expedition wizards receiving this task must assemble at the designated coordinates within three standard days. Defiance will be treated as desertion.]
[Task Coordinates: … (Current Location)]
Jie Ming’s magic network terminal vibrated violently, its screen filled with glaring red warnings.
Reading the contents, he instantly understood: this wasn’t a task solely for him but a mandatory summons for all expedition wizards in the Void Plane!
At that moment, Dionysius Spencer slowly turned.
The usual gentle smile on his face was gone, replaced by an indifferent calm that seemed to overlook all beings.
Beneath that calm, Jie Ming sensed something far more terrifying—a reckless, savage aura, like a predator at the top of the food chain baring its fangs at its prey.
The surrounding space seemed to tremble faintly under this intangible presence.
“Prepare yourself, Jie Ming,” Dionysius’s voice, no longer warm, carried a metallic chill and unyielding authority. “The appetizer is over… your true ‘feast’ is about to begin.”
…
…
Thanks to the assembly coordinates being nearby, Jie Ming didn’t need to rush like other wizards.
Heeding Dionysius’s parting reminder, he swiftly withdrew from the distorted area harboring the spatial rift.
As he stepped beyond the distortion’s boundary, dozens of swift-moving wizards had already arrived at the perimeter.
Some rode strange devices, others relied on witchcraft, and some used modified bodies to reach the site so quickly.
They hovered in the air, eyeing Jie Ming—who emerged unscathed from the interior—with curiosity and suspicion.
Though intrigued by his situation, the tense atmosphere kept anyone from approaching to ask.
Clearly, this mandatory task from the camp, despite lacking specified penalties or rewards, was of utmost importance—perhaps even more critical than the first mandatory task.
Thus, regardless of what they were doing, wizards dropped everything upon receiving the task and hurried to the site.
After a brief glance at Jie Ming, the wizards suppressed their curiosity, silently adjusting their states and joining the waiting ranks.
Time ticked by.
Streaks of light continuously arrived from the horizon, like a swarm of bees returning to the hive.
More and more wizards appeared, riding various mounts, golems, or even tamed otherworldly creatures.
Following an unspoken agreement, they spread out around the unstable distorted area, forming layered defenses.
Soon, the once-barren perimeter was filled with wizards and their retinues, their varied auras creating a suppressed yet potent force quietly coalescing.
Just as this silent wait reached its peak…
Buzz!!!
A low, soul-shaking hum reverberated from the sky.
The heavens seemed to become a canvas stirred by an invisible giant hand, the atmosphere twisting into visible spirals, clouds torn and spun by violent energy.
Under the awestruck gazes of countless wizards, the grand floating city—the core base of the expedition—slowly emerged from the center of the spiraling energy vortex!
Its massive shadow loomed, blanketing a vast area, like a deity descending to the mortal realm.
Feeling the surging energy currents and visible unstable spatial patterns, Jie Ming was astonished.
He hadn’t expected Dionysius Spencer to teleport the entire floating city here!
More astonishingly, teleporting such a colossal structure caused minimal disturbance.
It seemed Dionysius Spencer, beyond his mastery of the Fate System, was also well-versed in Spatial System knowledge.
As Jie Ming pondered, Dionysius Spencer’s figure silently appeared at the pinnacle of the floating city’s highest tower.
He overlooked the wizard legion below like a swarm of ants, his gaze calm and unperturbed.
“Many of you have already arrived, so I’ll keep this brief…”
His voice, though soft, reached every wizard’s ears with undeniable authority. “At the core of this distorted area lies a ‘rift’ connecting to another plane.”
His words sparked a stir among the wizards, though the pressure of a seventh-level wizard quickly quelled it.
Dionysius Spencer paid no heed to their reactions. “Some of you may have already suspected as much. Yes! Next, we will invade another world!”
Though many wizards had inferred clues from Dionysius’s attitude toward this plane, when the seventh-level wizard confirmed it and explicitly pointed to “another world,” an irrepressible fervor erupted from the wizard ranks!
Heavy breaths merged into a chorus, eyes gleaming with near-tangible greed.
Conquest, plunder, knowledge, power…
A new, unknown world meant vast resources!
The Void Plane had already filled their coffers, but it hadn’t sated their greed.
On the contrary, its bounties had only amplified their avarice!
Above the wizard legion, an intangible yet weighty will seemed to coalesce—a colossal desire, unique to the Wizard Civilization, to devour, analyze, and possess entire worlds!
This terrifying collective will made lower-minded soul slaves and bio-beasts cower trembling on the ground, too afraid to look up.
Dionysius Spencer ignored the surging fervor below, slowly raising a hand.
At the base of the floating city, a dazzlingly complex giant array lit up, its runes flowing and combining like living creatures.
A pure energy beam, its diameter immeasurable, struck the distorted area below without a sound.
Contrary to expectations, there was no earth-shattering explosion. The violent spatial turbulence, under this precise energy strike, smoothed out like ironed wrinkles, dissipating in an unnaturally “gentle” manner.
In mere moments, the forbidding distorted zone vanished, revealing its core—a massive spatial rift, hundreds of meters long, hovering in midair with edges flickering with unstable ghostly light!
Within the rift, shifting lights hinted at a distinctly different energy aura from the other side.
However, the rift was clearly still unstable, unsuitable for plane teleportation.
“According to my observations, in approximately three standard days, this rift’s energy intensity will peak, and its structure will be most stable,” Dionysius’s voice rang out again, silencing all noise. “That will be our optimal moment to step into the new world.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping the crowd, issuing a new command:
“Prepare yourselves. Your task is to breach the defenses on the other side and hold the line!”
“Until the camp fully stabilizes this rift, spare no effort to ensure its stability and prevent the natives from closing it! This, too, is a mandatory task!”
With the order given, no further rallying was needed.
Every wizard, regardless of rank, had their eyes ablaze with battle intent and desire.
Alchemy workshops were swiftly deployed, defensive towers sprouted like mushrooms, alert barriers stacked layer upon layer, and war golems and bio-beasts were systematically positioned around the rift…
An efficient, ruthless wizard legion, born for conquest, forged a steel-like formation before the gate to this alien world at unprecedented speed.