The Synthesis Wizard

High above, fierce winds howled as Hailin sped northward like a streak of light. The distance of over 100 kilometers vanished in the blink of an eye.

As he neared his destination, the scene of battle unfolded before him. On one side, there were secret constructs and touch-based puppets from the Witch Hunter Corps, along with a few Star Alliance wizards. On the other, thirteen robed wizards faced them.

Seeing this, Hailin's lips curled into a cold smile.

Since the Obsidian Throne's vanguard was annihilated on the Starlight Continent sixteen years ago, they had sent several waves of invaders in an attempt to breach its defenses. The most formidable assault involved three Tier-2 wizards leading twenty-five Tier-1 wizards and a force of 20,000 Black-Winged Bone Claws, all supported by a small wizard tower.

Yet even that force was ultimately crushed by the Star Alliance.

Hailin had taken part in that battle.

It was his first experience engaging wizards in combat. He had expected powerful adversaries from a major wizard faction but found them far less intimidating than he had anticipated.

In particular, their magical equipment paled in comparison to what the Star Alliance could field. Most Star Alliance wizards had one or two enchanted tools and carried deadly inscribed gemstones, while the Obsidian Throne's wizards were sparsely equipped, with only a handful even possessing enchanted tools.

Still, what had truly inspired awe and reverence was Lord Su Nan.

During that battle, Su Nan had singlehandedly faced the three Tier-2 wizards from the Obsidian Throne, defeating them with overwhelming ease. His display of crushing power had left an indelible impression on all who witnessed it.

As these thoughts ran through Hailin's mind, he moved without hesitation. Upon reaching the battlefield, he leaped into action, using his innate abilities to attack a Tier-1 gaseous wizard.

The Obsidian Throne's current force was far weaker than any of their prior attempts—merely thirteen Tier-1 wizards. Opposing them were thirty secret constructs and touch-based puppets, along with Hailin and the Star Alliance wizards arriving as reinforcements. The difference in power was insurmountable.

In less than half an hour, the thirteen wizards from the Obsidian Throne were wiped out.

After the battle ended, Hailin approached Fleming, who had also participated in the fight, and frowned. "It's strange. Why would the Obsidian Throne send such a small force this time?"

A mere thirteen Tier-1 wizards were no better than lambs sent to the slaughter. Had the Obsidian Throne become so wealthy in manpower that they no longer cared about losses?

Fleming shrugged. "These individuals weren't powerful, but they were extremely skilled at hiding. The Star Eye hadn't detected their presence until they attacked an imperial count. When the Witch Hunter Corps arrived, these people were in the process of setting up a ritual to transmit information to the Obsidian Throne."

Hailin immediately understood. These wizards were sacrificial pawns.

The Obsidian Throne likely hadn't expected them to return alive. Their true purpose was to gather intelligence about the Starlight Continent and transmit it back to their superiors.

After all, the Obsidian Throne's prior failures stemmed from ignorance of the Starlight Continent's conditions and a lack of understanding of the Star Alliance's strength. This operation was clearly an effort to rectify that.

Only the twisted system of the Obsidian Throne could force thirteen wizards into a mission that was practically a death sentence. No other wizard faction in the multiverse would resort to such extremes.

"The Obsidian Throne likely has a clearer picture of the Starlight Continent now," Fleming said. "They probably won't send more forces until the planar seal is lifted. No point wasting resources."

Hailin nodded in agreement.

As long as the planar seal remained in place, the Obsidian Throne's ability to deploy forces would be severely limited, posing no real threat to the Star Alliance. Instead, their efforts merely provided training opportunities and loot for the alliance.

"By the way, how did you get here so quickly?" Fleming asked, as though the thought had only just occurred to him.

"I happened to have business in Shining City," Hailin replied calmly.

Fleming understood immediately—it was likely something involving the imperial family. As a member of the royal lineage, Hailin was obligated to fulfill certain responsibilities for the empire, which in turn granted him access to royal resources.

It was these resources that had enabled Hailin to reach wizard rank almost as quickly as Fleming, despite being much younger. Fleming couldn't help but feel envious of his counterpart's access to such support.

"This will be another nice haul of contribution points," Fleming remarked. "You can probably exchange them for more adamantine golems."

"I thought you already had a force of 200 adamantine golems?" Hailin asked.

"Not enough. To hunt elemental spirits, the more adamantine golems, the better."

Hailin fell silent.

Within the Star Alliance, elemental crystal dust had become as valuable as contribution points. The task hall constantly displayed purchase requests for the dust, which were never taken down. Many wizards formed golem armies to enter elemental planes, hunting spirits to collect the dust and earn contribution points. These points were then used to acquire more golems, creating a snowball effect. As a result, some wizards had achieved remarkable efficiency in earning points.

Hailin didn't understand why the Star Alliance needed so much elemental crystal dust. While it had a wide range of applications, the Alliance didn't seem to have enough projects to justify the astronomical quantities they had accumulated over the years.

Still, doubts aside, Hailin found the prospect intriguing.

The imperial family already maintained a private army of over a thousand adamantine golems. Hailin could easily borrow 200–300 of them to form his own hunting party for the elemental planes. Unlike other wizards who had to painstakingly gather golems one by one, Hailin had access to a ready-made force. The only cost would be repairing any damage to the golems.

The more he thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed. As a wizard, his resource needs were ever-increasing, and earning more contribution points was a pressing concern.

As Hailin considered how to approach the emperor with his proposal, his expression suddenly shifted. He retrieved a book from his spatial ring.

Across from him, Fleming performed the same action.

Both opened their books, and thin strands of light emerged from the pages, weaving into the form of a human figure.

"Unrecorded energy particle fluctuations detected: one entity, 280 kilometers east of your current location," the figure announced.

Another intruder?

Hailin and Fleming exchanged puzzled glances, their expressions tinged with suspicion. Could the Obsidian Throne have sent a second wave of operatives? But why send just one person?

Sensing their confusion, the figure continued. "The target may not be associated with the Obsidian Throne. Investigate before engaging. To be safe, you two should go together."

"Understood. We'll head there now."

After closing their books, Fleming glanced around the battlefield. The other wizards and the Witch Hunter Corps had already departed, leaving only him and Hailin.

"Let's go take a look. Maybe it's just some countryside wizard apprentice," Fleming said with a shrug.

Hailin smiled faintly. "Haven't seen one of those in ages."

With the establishment of the teleportation network and the proliferation of magitech, transportation and communication across the Starlight Continent had improved dramatically. Star Alliance wizard aptitude tests were now well-known, and nearly every child meeting the age and literacy requirements participated. Those with talent were quickly identified and brought into the Alliance.

Additionally, the Star Alliance had thoroughly mapped the continent and consolidated nearly all wizard legacies and texts under its control. The days of random individuals stumbling upon wizard inheritances and becoming apprentices were nearly extinct.

As such, the likelihood of encountering a "wild" wizard apprentice was slim. This was why their initial suspicion had fallen on the Obsidian Throne.

Taking to the skies with levitation magic, Hailin and Fleming flew eastward.

Since the unrecorded energy fluctuation was also moving—and at a considerable speed—they periodically consulted their Star Books to communicate with the monitors and adjust their course.

After several hours of pursuit, they finally located the target.

Under the shade of a tree, a woman sat with her back against the trunk, intently studying the intricate patterns on a compass she held in her hands.

To their surprise, the target was not only a woman but a stunningly beautiful one.

She appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six, her long hair cascading like a silver waterfall. Dangling from her ears were shimmering amethyst earrings with delicate golden tassels hanging below. Her presence exuded an enigmatic air, quiet but not cold. It was a tranquility devoid of aloofness or arrogance, as if she were perpetually lucid and rational.

Fleming and Hailin exchanged glances, their expressions turning grave.

Even though the energy particle fluctuations emanating from her were faint, no more than the level of a Tier-2 wizard apprentice, their instincts told them this woman was far from ordinary.

The woman withdrew her gaze from the compass and looked up at Fleming and Hailin. She had sensed their approach long before.

"Who are you?" Her voice was melodious but carried a slight chill.

"We are from the Star Alliance," Fleming replied cautiously. "Who are you?"

The woman did not answer immediately. Instead, she scrutinized the two of them intently.

"I didn't expect wizards to emerge on the Starlight Continent. Is this Star Alliance of yours a wizard organization?"

Fleming's heart skipped a beat, and a guarded look flashed in his eyes.

"You're not from the Starlight Continent!"

"Indeed, I'm not," the woman admitted openly. Seeing their wary demeanor, she shook her head. "There's no need to be nervous. I bear no hostility toward you. I'm here on the Starlight Continent solely to find my magical pet."

Her apparent sincerity caused Fleming and Hailin to relax slightly. It seemed she wasn't affiliated with the Obsidian Throne.

Even so, neither of them lowered their guard, their curiosity only deepening.

If she had a magical pet, it meant she was a wizard. But the idea of a wizard from another plane traveling to the Starlight Continent to search for a magical pet seemed oddly far-fetched.

"How did your magical pet end up on the Starlight Continent?" Fleming asked.

The woman set down her compass and straightened her posture. "Due to certain circumstances, I had to leave it behind when I departed from the Starlight Continent, to keep it from being drawn into danger."

Fleming and Hailin were momentarily stunned before their eyes widened in unison.

"You're one of the expedition wizards who left the Starlight Continent 2,000 years ago?" Fleming blurted out in shock.

"'Expedition' is an exaggeration," the woman replied, shaking her head slightly. "Back then, the territories of the major wizard factions had already expanded beyond the Starlight Continent. It was merely one of the many planes under their control. While it held a special status as the origin of many wizard factions, calling it an expedition is inaccurate. 'Abandonment' would be a better term."

Fleming and Hailin were utterly taken aback.

This was the first time they'd heard such a revelation. But even more shocking was the woman's identity.

If what she said was true, didn't that mean she had lived for over 2,000 years?

And not the 2,000 years of desolation on the Starlight Continent, but 2,000 years in the resource-rich environments of other planes where wizardry thrived.

If this woman had been cultivating in such conditions for over two millennia, she could very well be a Tier-2 or even Tier-3 wizard!

Fleming and Hailin were caught in a maelstrom of doubt and unease. Should they believe her claims?

Their initial plan had been to escort her to Dragon Grove for questioning, but if she truly was a Tier-3 wizard, that would be akin to inviting disaster into their midst.

For a moment, the two were at a loss.

After a brief hesitation, Fleming asked, "What does your magical pet look like?"

"A white cat," the woman replied.

"Anything else to identify it?" Hailin pressed. Just the feature of being a white cat would make the search akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

"I searched the place where it was last seen, but it was empty. The wizarding texts and magical artifacts left behind were also gone. I suspect it was taken by a wizard apprentice or wizard. Based on the traces at the scene, this happened about seven or eight hundred years ago."

Fleming fell into deep thought.

Seven or eight hundred years ago, aside from Lord Su Nan, there had been no other wizards. The one who took the white cat was likely a wizard apprentice, but after so much time, that individual was probably long deceased.

"It wore a golden bell around its neck," the woman added.

Fleming and Hailin froze, their faces displaying sheer disbelief.

A golden bell?

An image of a small white figure flashed simultaneously in their minds.

"You're not talking

about a white cat that's skilled in spatial traversal, are you?" Fleming asked, his expression turning odd.

The woman's silver eyes brightened. "Have you seen Amy?"

(End of Chapter)