“Sorry to both of you, but given the situation, I’d better slip away first.”
Muttering to himself, Jie Ming stared at the metal plate before him, his heart aching.
The metal plate was thin yet heavy, its surface etched with a myriad of runes, visibly emanating faint, intricate energy fluctuations.
This was no ordinary magical artifact but a rare disposable one in the wizarding world.
Its flaws were obvious: the internal rune array, designed for instantaneous power, disregarded longevity and self-sustainability.
Once used, the artifact would self-destruct under the overwhelming energy surge, making it truly single-use.
However, its advantages were equally striking: with lower demands on material durability and the ability to bypass complex self-sustaining and recharging nodes, its material costs were relatively low.
Crafting was simpler, and its price was only a third of reusable artifacts of the same level.
In terms of “cost-effectiveness,” such disposable items couldn’t compare to standard rechargeable artifacts.
The metal plate in Jie Ming’s hand contained a fifth-level spatial spell—”Space Leap.”This spell allowed the user to instantly traverse vast distances, evading nearly all attacks that couldn’t lock onto the spatial dimension itself.
Jie Ming’s acquisition of this rare fifth-level artifact was largely due to his unique “All-Purpose Eye.”
At the wizard registration point at the Junction, his display of the “All-Purpose Eye” had drawn the attention of several high-tier wizards from the Tower of Annihilation, including one of the expedition’s key commanders—Master Roland Varnal.
Learning that Roland’s primary research was spatial annihilation magic, Jie Ming kept it in mind.
Later, using the communication sequence Roland had left, Jie Ming contacted him and, at no small cost, secured this life-saving fifth-level artifact.
It was disposable because Jie Ming had been strapped for resources at the time.
Purchasing it had drained most of the military merits he’d earned from research missions over the past year, and that was just the deposit.
The real cost was the harsh contract he signed with Master Roland:
Upon advancing to second and third-level wizard, Jie Ming would study obscure, highly difficult specialized knowledge as per Roland’s demands, adding new observation modules to his “All-Purpose Eye.”
Afterward, he’d hand over the complete magical model of these new modules to Roland.
Jie Ming had skimmed through the “specialized knowledge” Roland specified—disciplines so challenging and seemingly useless to low-level wizards that they offered no immediate power boost.
They demanded immense effort to learn and understand, with no short-term gains.
But to prepare for potential “desperate situations” like this, Jie Ming had gritted his teeth and signed the seemingly unfair contract.
Suppressing his heartache, Jie Ming poured his mental energy like a tide into the metal plate.
He held several vials of potion, ready to replenish his mental energy if it ran low.
Under the continuous infusion of mental energy, the runes quickly activated, silver-white spatial law energy coalescing around the plate, as if it would tear open a spatial rift and teleport him away the next second.
But in the very next instant, his anticipation froze into shock!
“What’s going on?!” Jie Ming’s heart trembled as he stared at the now-inactive metal plate.
Forcing his mental energy to focus, he meticulously checked it using the detection method Roland had provided in the “after-sales” instructions.
Jie Ming’s face grew grimmer under the red glow of the magma.
“There’s… spatial interference in this underground cavern?!” He spat the words through gritted teeth, his voice laced with incomprehensible confusion.
Though the interference wasn’t strong, it was enough to turn a first-level wizard like Jie Ming into mincemeat if he activated the spell.
His plan to escape the cavern with “Space Leap” had utterly collapsed!
His most relied-upon trump card was rendered useless by the merciless environment before he could even use it.
For a moment, Jie Ming’s face turned ashen, but he quickly suppressed his emotions.
The situation was what it was; anger was pointless.
Now, only one brutal option remained—fight his way out!
Jie Ming knew this decision, this resolve, had to be swift and unwavering!
He couldn’t let despair spread further.
Otherwise, the other two wizards, in their desperation, might do something reckless or even break down.
A glint flashed in Jie Ming’s eyes as his vast mental energy surged like a tide.
Without hesitation, he unleashed a powerful, radiant energy wave, like a blazing sun in the dark, fully illuminating the human-shaped pit where he hid, announcing his presence and drawing the attention of every creature in the cavern!
At the same time, with a thought, spatial light flowed within him.
Thousands of crystal-like attack rune artifacts swarmed out from behind him like a beehive.
These rune artifacts spun rapidly in the air, forming the complete “Grand Radiance Form” he’d used on the battlefield before!
Simultaneously, Jie Ming pulled out a specially crafted bracelet and slipped it onto his wrist: “Accelerate!”
On the other side, the second-level wizard, seeing another third-level magma giant blocking the exit and approaching, forming a pincer attack with the one he was already fighting, showed deep despair.
Struggling against one third-level magma giant was already overwhelming, and now another joined, with more giants endlessly pouring in.
He knew that today, he might truly meet his end here.
At that moment, an overwhelming energy wave erupted from behind him!
Dense barrages of light bullets streaked over his head like a meteor shower, carrying devastating energy, and slammed into the newly arrived third-level magma giant!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Deafening explosions rang out continuously, the energy glow nearly illuminating the entire cavern.
The third-level magma giant, struck head-on by thousands of energy bullets, staggered violently, letting out pained grunts as its rocky shell cracked under the relentless barrage.
It was even blasted backward, crashing into the magma pool, sending up towering waves of molten rock!
Though it wasn’t fatally wounded, it was undeniably knocked back!
The second-level wizard and the other first-level wizard turned in shock, witnessing Jie Ming’s towering figure in the “Grand Radiance Form.”
Jie Ming, backed by a five-meter-tall rune artifact array, floated in midair, radiating a divine glow!
The massive “Grand Radiance Form” brought an unprecedented sense of security, causing the two despairing wizards to show expressions of astonished relief!
“I’ll hold this one off!” Jie Ming’s cold, resolute voice reached the other two wizards through mental waves. “You two hold off the other one as long as you can! I’ll provide fire support!”
As he spoke, his gaze swept over the third-level magma giant he’d blasted away, now slowly rising unscathed from the magma pool.
Its rocky shell had completely fallen off—not from damage, but from actively evolving into a molten state under the high heat.
The earlier barrage had only left shallow, uneven pits on its body, which were visibly healing.
Looking at the tiny insect that had blasted it away, the magma giant’s eyes burned with near-tangible fury.
“Not bad for a third-level… that regeneration and defense are a real pain.” Jie Ming clicked his tongue, but his eyes showed no fear.
He’d anticipated this; he knew this was a battle of attrition.
“Sigh… hope I can hold out.”
Jie Ming took a deep breath, pulled out his magic network terminal, and crushed it without hesitation!
The crystal terminal, issued at the Junction registration, wasn’t just for local communication, task assignment, or merit tracking.
Its key function was as an emergency distress beacon.
When a wizard faced mortal danger, crushing it would send a distress signal to the camp, even if too far for normal communication.
Upon receiving it, the command center would immediately dispatch rescue missions to nearby wizards.
The more terminals crushed, the more chaotic the signal, indicating greater urgency, prompting a wider rescue range and stronger forces!
Before this, the second-level wizard and the other first-level wizard, sensing their doom, had already crushed their terminals!
Jie Ming’s goal was clear.
He never planned to kill all these monsters himself—magma giants weren’t weaklings like blood angels.
Surviving was already a feat.
If he could hold off these two third-level magma giants until rescue arrived, that was their victory.
But the magma giant leaders had no intention of giving them a breather.