Translator: AnubisTL
"Fifty kilometers ahead, five individuals..."
Jieming suddenly stopped, his expression shifting oddly.
"What is it?" Amy asked, her voice tinged with anxiety.
Jieming stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Wait..."
He focused his mind inward, accessing his internal space and activating his alchemy. He temporarily modified the core module of a Glimmering Eye, switching its original "Vibration Wave Search" function to "Analysis Art."
Linking it to the reconnaissance network of other Glimmering Eyes, Jieming fired an energy bullet, launching the modified Glimmering Eye toward the detected squad.
As the Analysis Art assisted in detecting energy fluctuations, Jieming's expression quickly relaxed.
"It's the resonance of witchcraft."
Witchcraft resonance refers to the natural disturbances in elemental energy caused by meditation techniques and Witchcraft Models.
"Wizards!" Victor exclaimed, his spirits lifting.
Amy's spirits also rose.
The contracts they had signed upon entering the academy still held considerable weight. At least, in the absence of extreme animosity, most wizards affiliated with the Noren Workshop encountered on the planar battlefield proved trustworthy.
Sensing the ripples of Jieming's analysis art, the group cautiously began moving toward his location.
However, they hadn't gone far before encountering enemies.
Feeling the intense fluctuations of elemental energy on his tactical map, Jieming didn't immediately advance.
He double-checked the information from his Glimmering Eye, confirming that the enemy's spell signatures matched standard workshop patterns and showed no anomalies. Only then did he guide Amy and Victor to approach cautiously.
"Stop," Jieming signaled as they neared, urging them to take cover.
In the distance, a five-wizard squad was engaged in a fierce battle against a swarm of giant spiders. Their spells clashed with the spiders' venom, creating a chaotic spectacle.
Jieming's group refrained from intervening rashly, not only as a precaution but also to demonstrate their sincerity and lack of hostile intent.
Once the battle concluded, Jieming led Amy and Victor into the open.
"We are apprentices from Noren 13 Academy, seeking assistance," Jieming stated plainly, cutting straight to the point.
The captain of the wizard squad, a second-tier wizard with unremarkable features, cast a wary glance at them.
However, they had witnessed Jieming's earlier actions, and the unmistakable energy fluctuations of the analysis art left no room for doubt. Thus, the encounter remained relatively peaceful.
Confirming that the analysis art originated from the person before them, the squad captain nodded. "So you're apprentices undergoing assessment. Arriving so quickly suggests impressive skills. Follow us; the camp is just ahead."
Guided by the wizard squad, the trio soon reached their destination.
The landscape opened abruptly onto a vast, cleared plain where a metal-constructed wizard camp stood prominently.
Yet, it bore little resemblance to the war-torn, heavily fortified stronghold Jieming had imagined.
Instead, the camp resembled a newly established, but somewhat sparsely populated, miniature version of Noren Academy.
At its center stood several towering rune towers, surrounded by numerous dwellings, training grounds, and even an area resembling a communal dining hall.
Although these buildings lacked the elaborate decorative patterns found in the academy's architecture due to the rushed construction, they still exuded an air of tranquility.
"Is this our wizard stronghold?" Amy asked, her voice tinged with surprise.
"Yes, apprentice. This is our temporary frontline command post," the wizard leading the group explained. "Most wizard squads are out on missions, leaving only logistics personnel and a small garrison here."
The wizard squad didn't elaborate on the camp's details, but their demeanor suggested they weren't concerned about a sudden attack by the indigenous people.
Jieming and the others understood why.
Though the interior appeared somewhat sparse, Jieming could sense the terrifying power hidden within the camp's details.
The air around the camp vibrated with dense, almost tangible elemental energy—the concentrated manifestation of countless rune circuits and energy nodes.
At full power, this miniature academy could instantly transform into a terrifying war machine, capable of tearing apart any invading enemy.
Along the camp's outer perimeter, a dense array of war golems stood parked, their sizes varying from human-sized scouting models to colossal siege types towering dozens of meters high.
Various summoned creatures, from abyssal hounds to elemental giants, were scattered around the camp.
Combined with the high-level wizards stationed within and the camp's own defenses, even if the gods of this world suddenly went mad and launched a full-scale war, the camp could hold out for a considerable time.
The wizard leading their squad left immediately after bringing them to the camp, suggesting that escorting apprentices to the camp was part of his mission.
The trio followed a camp golem to the base of a rune tower at the camp's center, the hub for identity registration and mission assignments.
"Please register your identity information, apprentices," a wizard handling registration said without looking up.
Jieming and the others placed their apprentice badges into the corresponding rune slots. A stream of information instantly flooded their minds.
"Welcome to the Elosia Frontline Camp, apprentices," a cold voice echoed in their minds. Simultaneously, their permission lists appeared before them.
"You may use the camp's teleportation formation to forcibly breach the planar barrier and leave. However, doing so will automatically forfeit your assessment and result in immediate teleportation back to Noren Workshop Headquarters."
"You may resupply using the camp's facilities and trade raw materials, special items, and even new knowledge you've acquired in the plane with the workshop."
"However, you will not have access to this plane's Wizard War Mission System."
The final rule startled Amy and Victor.
"Why not?" Victor couldn't help but ask.
The wizard in charge of registration finally looked up, his expression impassive. "It's simple. Your purpose in this plane is to undergo evaluation. The missions on the system are issued by us formal wizards based on intelligence gathered from the frontline."
"This intelligence is a resource in itself. If we provided it to you directly, what would be the point of this evaluation? You must learn to scout independently, make your own judgments, and contribute on your own merits."
"The workshop seeks elites who can survive and create value in unknown environments, not soldiers who merely follow orders. Do you understand?"
Jieming and his companions exchanged glances and nodded reluctantly.
(End of the Chapter)
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