Translator: AnubisTL
Jieming couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. To secure more resources and knowledge, the wizards were going to such lengths, even considering the psychological impact on the invaded plane.
This is just child's play!
He withdrew his gaze and began observing the unfamiliar yet vibrant plane.
The air was thick with a complex and potent energy.
Traces of wizardry runes lingered in the atmosphere, but the dominant energies were the natural and divine energies native to Elosia.
These energies flowed like two intertwining rivers, colliding and merging in the air to create a unique energy field.
Clearly, after prolonged conflict, the plane's fundamental rules were already being eroded by the wizards.
Even if apprentices like himself took no effective action, the plane would inevitably fall to the wizards within a few more years of stalemate.
Surrounding him, towering primeval forests blotted out most of the sunlight. Ancient trees rose from the earth, their trunks so massive that dozens of people would be needed to encircle them.
Strange vines, thick as pythons, coiled around the tree trunks, their leaves fleshy and bizarrely shaped.
From the distance came a cacophony of unfamiliar roars, punctuated by the piercing cries of raptors and the heavy footfalls of colossal creatures, a testament to the land's untamed wilderness and inherent dangers.
The sky overhead presented an even more surreal spectacle.
One part was dominated by Rune Fortresses, massive constructs forged by wizards through potent alchemy and intricate rune systems. These fortresses floated high in the atmosphere, radiating the wizards' characteristic cold, orderly light, like scars etched across the heavens.
The other part showcased projections of the Divine Kingdoms of the Elosia Plane's planar deities. These ethereal realms glowed with sacred light, their vibrant colors shifting like dreamscapes.
These two starkly contrasting forces clashed and coexisted in a bizarre harmony, dividing the sky into distorted, fragmented vistas. Their silent conflict spoke volumes about this world's position at the heart of a cosmic war.
Jieming withdrew his gaze from the chaotic sky and, with a flick of his wrist, conjured several defensive spell artifacts.
Hum... hum... hum...
A series of shimmering lights flashed as multiple layers of protective spells enveloped Jieming's body.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, he activated the Witchcraft Models within his mental sea.
An invisible wave of alchemical energy instantly radiated outward, meticulously probing the surrounding environment.
As the alchemy activated, another spell—the Analysis Art—also sprang to life. The two spells worked in tandem, functioning like countless microscopic probes, frantically absorbing every detail of the environment.
The energy permeating the air was no longer merely chaotic; in Jieming's perception, it possessed distinct flow patterns and densities.
This was starkly different from the "tamed" elemental power of Noren Plane No. 13, which had been refined over countless generations by wizards.
Elosia's energy was more primal, wild, and even carried a subtle "vitality." It was a fusion of the plane's inherent power and the faith-based divine power of its deities, creating a unique, highly "active" energy field unlike anything found in the wizard world.
Compared to the Noren Plane, the elements here have a lower affinity for mental power and are more difficult to control, but their activity is much higher... Jieming mused inwardly.
This difference meant that wizards casting spells here might encounter casting resistance or reduced efficiency.
Casting spells through ordinary spell artifacts would make them more unstable, increasing their destructive power but weakening their defensive capabilities.
Conversely, spells cast directly by wizards in this environment would take longer to cast, but if successfully released, their power would far surpass what they could achieve at Noren Academy.
The elemental environment of this plane was advantageous for Jieming. His rune-imbued magical artifacts relied on talisman seals that drew elemental power from the surroundings, while the Rune System handled spell formation, requiring minimal mental power.
However...
"Although traditional spell artifacts have limited uses, their inherent stability allows them to cast stored spells in any environment. No wonder they're so popular among wizards."
Stability was paramount for wizards who waged war across various planes.
Jieming wasn't one to be rigid. Since these artifacts were useful, he wouldn't mind acquiring some ordinary spell artifacts to complement his rune-imbued magical artifacts.
The protective spells currently shielding him were being cast by orthodox spell artifacts.
Children choose between options; adults want it all!
Based on the feedback data, he swiftly made minor adjustments and optimizations to the runes at the core of every rune-imbued magical artifact stored within his internal space.
By subtly altering the rune structures in specific areas, he refined the energy channeling and activation methods, allowing them to adapt more quickly to the rules of this new world. This ensured that each energy projectile would unleash its full potential.
This was the modification Jieming had been refining in his rune-imbued magical artifacts over the years. Compared to traditional spell artifacts, rune-imbued magical artifacts excelled in sustained operation but were also more susceptible to external environmental influences.
While ordinary spell artifacts might only experience slight variations in casting duration under such conditions, rune-imbued magical artifacts, being continuously connected to the external environment, risked overloading and exploding before even casting a single spell.
Jieming's solution was "modularization."
He first inscribed the main body and non-essential runes, leaving the core talisman seal incomplete.
Upon arriving in each new world, Jieming would use alchemy and analysis art to gather data on the surrounding elemental activity. Based on the external environment, he would then adjust the talisman seals he needed to inscribe.
The principle sounded simple, but Jieming spent considerable time just searching for materials suitable for rapid inscription using alchemy.
Later, to concentrate all core talisman seals and runes into a small area, he redesigned the overall runic structure of the rune-imbued magical artifact.
However, after confirming the modular design's feasibility, Jieming suddenly realized something.
Until then, he had subconsciously believed he possessed knowledge from only two worlds. But after adjusting the rune-imbued magical artifact, he remembered that he actually held knowledge from three worlds!
Although his previous life's technological world lacked transcendent power, certain related concepts could still be applied!
In the blink of an eye, Jieming had completely adjusted his entire set of combat-ready rune-imbued magical artifacts.
Dividing a portion of his consciousness to continue refining the remaining rune-imbued magical artifacts within his internal space using alchemy, Jieming summoned one artifact after another. Soon, he was armed to the teeth.
Buzz...
With a hum, the protective spells on Jieming's body were replaced by those cast from his rune-imbued magical artifacts.
Adjusting the protective spells around him to become invisible, Jieming sensed the energy fluctuations around him, finally feeling a sliver of security.
Just as he prepared to activate a reconnaissance rune-imbued magical artifact to gather data, a deafening roar interrupted his actions.
(End of the Chapter)