Chapter 12: Energy Ejection

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Energy Ejection

"Your identity information has been registered. Let’s go!"

Chen Shang was completely bewildered. "Where are we going?"

"This world has been incorporated into the Wizard’s territory, so we’re going to communicate with the local races," Leia said casually, though her words sent a jolt through Chen Shang.

"Leia, are you really taking me along for something this huge?"

"It’s no big deal," Leia said matter-of-factly. "We’re just notifying them and issuing a few rules from the Pan-Wizard Alliance. Plus, rumor has it that one of the races has an interesting inherited Holy Artifact. We’re going to observe and study it."

She pushed the door open and strode out. Chen Shang had no choice but to follow.

Outside the base, Leia led him to an open clearing.

Crouched in the center of the clearing was a massive creature. Chen Shang recognized it as a type of Creation Species, but it was far from the paralyzed, dying casualties he had seen before. Standing as tall as a four-story building, it was covered in grayish-black carapace and carried a small, metallic structure on its back. Six thick legs supported its body. At every joint, dark red light flowed like blood vessels, or perhaps Energy Conduits.

Once the two climbed aboard, they found the small house much more spacious than it appeared from the outside. It contained two chairs, a table, and glowing Crystal Stones hanging on the walls.

Leia sat in a chair and began tinkering with a device on the table. "Sit," she said, pointing to the opposite chair.

Chen Shang sat down. Through the window, he could see rows of bizarrely shaped forces lining up outside. Some resembled oversized insects, others looked like metallic skeletons, and some were entirely unrecognizable. They stood neatly around the colossal Creation Species, motionless like soldiers awaiting orders.

"Let’s move out," Leia tapped the device.

A low rumble echoed from beneath them. The massive Creation Species stirred, its six legs stepping out in alternation. Every step made the ground tremble slightly.

Chen Shang glanced out the window. It wasn’t just them; in the distant clearings, other gigantic Creation Species were also on the move. In a vast and mighty procession, they marched in different directions like scattered armies. There were also figures in the sky. Several black dots streaked overhead at incredible speeds, vanishing into the clouds in the blink of an eye.

Chen Shang withdrew his gaze and looked at Leia, who was still calibrating her device. "Conquering a world and negotiating with the local races... I thought a Master Wizard would have to do this personally."

"Lord Haimer is a Third Level Wizard. Why would he have the time to deal with such trivial matters?" Leia did not even look up. "Besides, it isn’t a negotiation. We are just going to notify them."

"Then... what about the other Second Level and First Level Wizards?"

"They are managing and developing other worlds.

"Didn’t I tell you? Once you become a First Level Wizard, you can claim a New World. All the Official Wizards under Lord Haimer are completely swamped with work in their respective territories.

"Therefore, these errand runs fall to the Apprentices."

Chen Shang fell silent for a moment. "So, you’re just roping me into free labor."

Leia laughed. "Nonsense. I’m bringing you along to see new things and broaden your horizons. Think about it—how many profound mysteries must be hidden within a race’s inherited Holy Artifact?"

However, her smile was somewhat subtle. It reminded Chen Shang of the exact expression his senior colleague from his past life used when coaxing him into working overtime in the lab.

"Once you become a First Level Apprentice, these tasks will be unavoidable anyway. It’s good for you to learn in advance."

As the unfamiliar, primeval forest outside the window rolled backward, Leia leaned back in her chair and tossed a palm-sized Crystal Stone to Chen Shang. "The first Witchcraft I chose for you is Energy Ball Ejection. It suits your Energy Foundation Array very well."

Chen Shang caught the Crystal Stone and sent his Spiritual Power into it. A Rune Array unfolded in his mind, revealing six Runes arranged in a simple, cyclical structure.

"The principle is simple," Leia explained. "It absorbs ambient, free-floating Energy, stores it in the center of the Array, compresses it to the limit, and then releases it in a single direction. Figure the rest out yourself."

Since Leia took a hands-off approach with him, Chen Shang had no choice but to find a comfortable spot on the back of the massive Creation Species and begin studying the six Runes on his own.

[Concentration (White)] activated!

The shapes, structures, and Energy flow paths of the six Runes were meticulously dismantled and reassembled in his mind. Drawing Energy from the outside, storing and compressing it, maintaining its stability, and finally releasing it... He spent less than an hour fully simulating the entire Array within his Spirit.

Then, he attempted to cast it.

After a few attempts, a fist-sized ball of white light floated up from his palm, hovering in midair with a faint humming sound. With a single thought, the orb of light flew toward the side of the road and struck a large tree.

BOOM.

The massive tree, as thick as a man’s embrace, snapped in half. The upper section crashed down, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Chen Shang fell silent for two seconds. This level of power was enough to obliterate any Third Level Knight. The heights he had spent over a decade reaching were effortlessly surpassed by a Witchcraft composed of just six Runes.

This was the Wizard System!

Leia’s voice interrupted his awe. "Chen Shang, don’t just destroy things randomly! There are dedicated destruction-testing instruments in the back!"

Chen Shang was stunned. He wondered, "Are we Wizards really this invested in ecological conservation?"

"What if that large tree possessed unique Life Information and happened to be some endangered species? If you destroyed it so casually, we would take a massive loss!"

Alright then. Chen Shang understood that Wizards were quite pragmatic after all. Turning his head, he asked, "Leia, does this mean I’ve officially crossed the threshold to becoming a Wizard Apprentice?"

"No. You won’t be considered a First Level Apprentice until you completely construct all thirty-seven basic Runes, synthesize a Rune of your own, and pass the Wizard exam."

Chen Shang opened his mouth in dismay. "There are still exams?"

"Of course. Did you think being a Wizard would be easy?"

Chen Shang fell silent. Before his transmigration, he had spent over twenty years taking exams. After crossing over, he thought he was finally done with them for the rest of his life. Yet, even in the Otherworld, he still couldn’t escape them. He sighed and went back to practicing his Energy Ball.

Leia didn’t pay him much mind. She spent most of her time inside the small room, tinkering with her device. Occasionally, she would stop to collect species along the road. Leia explained that she was gathering Life Information to complete and supplement this world’s evolutionary system, which could be exchanged for Contribution Points when they returned.

Chen Shang fell into a routine of daily study. Occasionally, he stepped outside to look at the massive transport contraptions. They were loaded with a large number of things he couldn’t name—flickering Crystal Stones and flowing Energy lines that were likely some sort of equipment. As for the Creation Species, some stood on the transport vehicles while others followed behind. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, and the aura emanating from every single one of them was far stronger than Chen Shang’s.

When Chen Shang approached, the identity device on his wrist flashed faintly.

"You have an identity tag, so they recognize you," Leia said, poking her head out of the window. "You can study these iterating military units. There’s a lot of excellent technology built into them. You can also order them around, but of course, don’t mess around too much."