Chapter 253: Searching for the Magical Pet's Plane - Wizard
High in the sky, a fierce wind howled.
Haylin flew north like a meteor, covering more than a hundred kilometers in the blink of an eye.
As he neared his destination, he could see the battle unfolding from afar.
On one side were the Secret Puppet and Tentacle Puppet of the Witch Hunter Legion, along with several Wizards from the Star Alliance. Opposing them were thirteen Wizards clad in long robes.
A cold smile crept onto Haylin's face at this sight.
Ever since the vanguard of the Gloomy Throne was annihilated on the Starlight Continent sixteen years ago, the Gloomy Throne had sent several waves of invasions to reclaim the territory.
The strongest invasion team consisted of three Second Level Wizards leading the charge, supported by twenty-five First Level Wizards and twenty thousand from the Winged Bone Claw Legion, all riding on a Small Wizard Tower.
Yet, they were ultimately defeated by the Star Alliance.
Haylin had participated in that battle.
He had expected the Wizards from the Large Wizard Faction to be formidable, but he was shocked to find they were even weaker than anticipated.
Especially in terms of Magic Items, the difference was stark.
Almost every Wizard from the Star Alliance possessed one or two pieces of Wizard Tools, in addition to major artifacts like Inscribed Gems.
In contrast, the Gloomy Throne Wizards had very few Wizard Tools, let alone other hidden advantages.
What was even more astonishing and admirable was Master Sunan.
In that battle, Master Sunan single-handedly faced three opponents, defeating the three Second Level Wizards of the Gloomy Throne with apparent ease.
The overwhelming power he displayed at that time was truly awe-inspiring!
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Haylin wasted no time. Upon arriving at the battlefield, he joined the fray without a word, using his Innate Ability to strike at a First Level Gaseous Wizard.
The invasion force sent by the Gloomy Throne this time was significantly weaker than any before, comprising only thirteen First Level Wizards.
The Secret Puppet and Tentacle Puppet that surrounded them numbered over thirty. With Haylin's arrival, alongside the Wizards of the Star Alliance who were joining one after another, their combined strength completely overwhelmed the Gloomy Throne.
In less than half an hour, all thirteen Gloomy Throne Wizards were completely wiped out.
After the battle, Haylin approached Fleming, who had also participated, and frowned. "It’s strange," she said, "why did Gloomy Throne only send such a small number of people this time?"
What difference is there between a mere thirteen Level One Wizards and sheep entering a tiger's mouth?
Have Gloomy Throne's Wizards become so numerous that they can afford to expend them without a second thought?
Fleming shrugged and replied, "These guys aren't strong in combat, but they excel at hiding. Star Eye hadn’t detected their presence until recently, when they attacked an earl from the Empire. It was only then that Star Eye discovered them. By the time the Witch Hunter Legion arrived, they were already setting up a Magic Array to send information back to Gloomy Throne."
Haylin immediately understood; these individuals were expendable pawns.
Gloomy Throne likely sent them, not expecting them to return alive. Their ultimate goal was to investigate the true situation of the Starlight Continent and relay that information back.
The reason for Gloomy Throne's previous failed incursions was their lack of understanding of the Starlight Continent and their insufficient knowledge of the Star Alliance's strength. Thus, this operation had been initiated.
In the entire Multiverse, only Gloomy Throne's twisted system could carry out such an endeavor.
No other Wizard faction could compel thirteen Wizards to undertake this nearly suicidal mission.
"Gloomy Throne probably already knows the situation of the Starlight Continent," Fleming said. "Until the Plane blockade is lifted, it’s likely they won’t send anyone to their deaths anymore."
Haylin nodded in agreement.
As long as the Plane blockade remains in place, the number of troops Gloomy Throne can send for an invasion is limited. They pose no threat to the Star Alliance; they are merely training and loot fodder.
"By the way, how did you get here so quickly?" Fleming suddenly remembered to ask.
Haylin calmly replied, "I just happened to have business to attend to in Flash City."
Fleming immediately understood; it was likely related to affairs concerning the Imperial Royal Family.
As a member of the Royal Family, Haylin bore certain responsibilities and had to manage affairs for them.
However, at the same time, she also had access to resources and support from the Imperial Royal Family.
It was precisely because of this that Haylin, despite being much younger than him, had advanced to the Wizard stage almost simultaneously.
Fleming was quite envious of Haylin's resources.
"This time, I can earn a substantial number of Contribution Points, and I will exchange them for some Mithril Golems when I return."
"I recall you already have a legion of two hundred Mithril Golems."
"That's not enough. To hunt the Spirits of the Elements, the more Mithril Golems, the better."
Haylin remained silent.
Within the Star Alliance, Elemental Crystal Dust was almost equivalent in value to Contribution Points.
The Task Hall had a standing task to purchase Elemental Crystal Dust, which had never been removed.
Many Wizards formed Golem Legions to enter the Elemental Plane for hunting, collecting Elemental Crystal Dust to earn Contribution Points, which they could then exchange for Mithril Golems to expand their Legions before continuing their hunts.
Through this snowballing method, many Wizards were now earning Contribution Points at an astonishing rate.
Haylin couldn't understand why the Star Alliance needed to collect so much Elemental Crystal Dust.
Although it had a wide range of uses, the Star Alliance didn't appear to have that many applications for it.
The amount of Elemental Crystal Dust the Star Alliance had collected over the years had reached an astronomical figure, and no one knew where it had all gone.
However, despite his doubts, Haylin felt a slight temptation.
The Imperial Royal Family now had a Mithril Golem Legion force of over a thousand, which was part of the Royal Family's private army.
He could easily borrow two or three hundred Mithril Golems from the Royal Family to form a Golem Legion for hunting in the Elemental Plane.
Compared to other Wizards who had to accumulate Mithril Golems bit by bit, he would have immediate capital. The only cost he would incur was the repair of the Mithril Golems after they were damaged.
The more Haylin thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
The resources needed after advancing to Wizard were increasing, and he urgently needed to acquire more Contribution Points.
Just as Haylin was pondering how to convince the Emperor, his expression suddenly changed, and he pulled out a book from his Space Ring.
On the other side, Fleming made the same motion.
Both of them opened their books, and strands of light immediately emerged from the pages, weaving together to form the same figure.
“A new, unrecorded Energy Particle Fluctuation detected, quantity one, two hundred and eighty kilometers east of your current location.”
Another intruder?
Fleming and Haylin exchanged glances, their expressions revealing uncertainty and suspicion.
Could it be that Gloomy Throne had sent out two waves of people? But why was there only one individual? What could be the meaning behind this?
As if sensing their confusion, the figure continued, “The other party might not necessarily be from Gloomy Throne. Don't rush to attack upon arrival. Verify their identity first, just in case. You two should go together.”
“Understood. We’ll head over now.”
Fleming put away his book, turned to look around, and realized that the other Wizard had already left, and the Witch Hunter Legion had similarly retreated. Only he and Haylin remained.
“Let’s go take a look. Perhaps it's just a Wizard Apprentice who has recently emerged from the backwoods,” Fleming said with a shrug.
Haylin chuckled, “It’s been a long time since anyone like that has appeared.”
With the establishment of the Teleportation Array network and the popularization of Sub-mana technology, transportation conditions in Starlight Continent have improved dramatically, far surpassing the past.
The speed of information transmission has also seen a significant increase.
Now, the Wizard Aptitude Test of the Star Alliance is widely known.
Almost every child who meets the age and literacy requirements participates in the Wizard Aptitude Test.
Those with even minimal talent are quickly taken in by the Star Alliance.
Furthermore, the entire Starlight Continent has been thoroughly explored by the Star Alliance. Almost all Wizard Inheritances and circulating Wizard Codexes are now in their possession.
Occurrences like the past—when a lucky individual might inadvertently stumble upon a Wizard Inheritance, activate Spiritual Power, and become a Wizard Apprentice—are now rare.
As a result, "wild" Wizard Apprentices have seldom appeared in recent years.
Initially, this led Fleming and Haylin to associate the anomaly with Gloomy Throne, but they now realized it might be a "wild" Wizard Apprentice.
The two unleashed the Levitation Spell and soared into the sky, flying east.
Since the unrecorded Energy Particle Fluctuation was also moving—at a rather fast speed—they needed to occasionally contact the Star Book and Monitor to ascertain the target’s location and adjust their course accordingly.
"It took them the better part of a day, but the two finally found their target.
She was sitting beneath a tree, leaning against its trunk, holding a compass in her hands, her eyes fixed intently on its patterns.
To their surprise, the target was a woman, and a stunningly beautiful one at that.
The harsh sunlight filtered through the canopy, softening as it caressed the woman’s features, outlining the curve of her cheeks and her ivory skin, finally settling into her pale silver eyes.
She appeared to be only twenty-five or twenty-six years old, her long hair flowing like a silver waterfall, with a pair of amethyst earrings glimmering at her ears, small gold tassels dangling below the crystals. She possessed a unique aura—elusive and difficult to define. She was calm, but not in a cold or detached way. There was no hint of aloofness or arrogance, just a quiet tranquility, as if she were perpetually clear-headed and rational.
Fleming and Haylin exchanged a serious glance.
Even though the energy particle fluctuation emanating from the woman was faint, barely at the Second Level Wizard Apprentice level, their instincts warned them that this woman was not to be trifled with.
The woman finally lifted her gaze from the compass, looking directly at Fleming and Haylin. She had sensed their approach long before.
“Who are you?”
Her voice was pleasant, albeit somewhat cool.
“We come from the Star Alliance,” Fleming said, choosing his words carefully. “Who are you?”
The woman didn’t answer directly, instead scrutinizing them for a moment.
“I didn’t expect the Starlight Continent to produce a wizard. Is the Star Alliance you speak of a wizard organization?”
Fleming's heart skipped a beat, and wariness crept into his eyes.
“You’re not from the Starlight Continent!”
“Indeed, I am not,” the woman admitted readily. Seeing their guarded stances, she shook her head. “There’s no need to be tense; I have no hostile intentions towards you. I came to the Starlight Continent only to look for my magical pet.”
Seeing that she didn’t seem to be lying, Fleming and Haylin felt a slight easing of tension.
It appeared she wasn't from the Gloomy Throne.
Even so, they kept their guard up, a deeper curiosity stirring within them.
If she had a magical pet, then this woman had to be a wizard."
"To think, someone from the outer plane would come all the way to the Starlight Continent to find their magical pet—how bizarre!"
"How did your magical pet end up on the Starlight Continent?" Fleming asked.
The woman put down the compass, stood up straight, and replied, "For certain reasons, when I left the Starlight Continent back then, I had no choice but to leave it behind to prevent it from being dragged into danger."
Fleming and Haylin were slightly stunned but quickly regained their composure, their eyes widening in unison.
"You're the Expedition Wizard who left the Starlight Continent two thousand years ago?" Fleming exclaimed in a low voice.
"Expedition is too grand a term," the woman shook her head slightly. "At that time, the territories of various wizard factions were no longer limited to the Starlight Continent. It was merely one of many planes under their control. It appeared more significant because it was the origin of many wizard factions. It's more accurate to describe it as abandonment rather than an expedition."
Fleming and Haylin were left dumbfounded.
They had never heard of such a secret before.
But what shocked them even more was the woman's identity.
If what she said was true, then she must have lived for over two thousand years!
And this wasn't just two thousand years on the Elemental Desert's Starlight Continent!
The cultivation environment of the outer planes did not suffer from the issues of the Elemental Desert or scarce resources.
If this woman wasn't lying, she must have cultivated for over two thousand years in an environment similar to the golden age of wizards, indicating that she was at least a Second-Level Wizard, if not a Level 3 Wizard!
Fleming and Haylin were caught in a whirlwind of bewildered suspicion, unsure whether to trust the woman's words.
They had originally intended to bring her back to Long Lin for questioning, but if she truly was a Level 3 Wizard, then bringing her back would be like inviting a wolf into their home!
For a moment, they were at a loss.
Hesitating, Fleming asked, "What does the magical pet you’re looking for look like?"
"A white cat."
"Any other clues?" Haylin inquired.
If it was just a white cat, then searching would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
"I went to the place where it once slumbered, but it was completely deserted. The Wizard Codex and the Magic Item that were left behind were also gone. I suspect they were taken away by some Wizard Apprentice or Wizard. Judging by the traces at the scene, it must have happened seven or eight hundred years ago.”
Fleming pondered for a moment.
Apart from Master Sunan, there were no other Wizards around seven or eight hundred years ago.
The one who took that White Cat Magical Pet must have been a Wizard Apprentice.
But after so many years, that Wizard Apprentice is probably dead, so finding them will be difficult.
“Also, it was wearing a golden bell around its neck,” the woman continued.
Fleming and Haylin were both stunned, their expressions revealing their surprise.
A golden bell?
They both simultaneously thought of a small, white figure.
“...The White Cat Magical Pet you're talking about, it wouldn’t happen to be skilled at space traveling, would it?" Fleming asked, a strange expression on his face.
The woman's eyes brightened slightly. "Have you seen Amy?"
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