Translator: AnubisTL
Jieming fell silent for a moment, digesting all the information.
The Starforger's layout had never been a simple reinforcement from the beginning. It was a stress test targeted at the Space-time Weapon.
And they—the wizards struggling, researching, and fighting within the reincarnation—were all indispensable variables in this test, including himself.
A conclusion naturally emerged.
Jieming looked up at the projection of the eighth-tier wizard before him. His tone was no longer a simple inquiry, but a probe bordering on confirmation:
"So, the reason you've come specifically to find me this time is because... I, or rather the impact my actions have caused, has pushed the 'variables' accumulated within this plane to the brink of overload?"
He no longer used "variables" to refer to the reinforcement troops, but pointed it directly at himself.
Because he knew very well that his own existence—maintaining his complete memories through his internal grotto-heaven and body tempering method, and using this as the core to drive the entire research system through high-speed iterations—was itself an unplanned "variable."
His behavioral patterns, the research acceleration he brought, and the series of paradox experiments he conducted had all added immeasurable weight beyond the "variable injection" formula set by Artorius.
A smile of approval and satisfaction spread across Artorius's projected face.
"Your guess is correct," he admitted candidly. "It is precisely because of your efforts, and the chain reaction you've triggered, that the 'informational contradictions' and 'rule disturbances' within this plane have surged so rapidly in such a short time."
"According to my observations and calculations, the 'thing' manipulating the time reversal is now operating very close to its maximum threshold. You are a wonderful surprise in my plan, and the key catalyst that has accelerated the process."
A flash of excitement glimmered in Jieming's eyes.
But the excitement was fleeting, replaced by a more practical confusion.
His brow furrowed as he posed the question that still lacked an answer: "But even if it's close to overloading, we still haven't been able to locate its 'main body.' We don't know what it is, where it's hiding, or what form it takes. Even if the enemy overloads, we still can't find its main body."
Without a target, even if the enemy truly overloaded and lost the ability to reverse time, it would be meaningless.
Because a wizard's goal is to study the enemy, not to resolve a trivial plane.
Artorius nodded, not surprised by the question.
His expression remained calm, as if he had already pondered this countless times.
"You're right, we can't find it," he said, first acknowledging Jieming's confusion. Then his tone shifted. "But why must we be the ones to find it?"
Jieming froze.
The Starforger's voice carried the absolute certainty of someone who held the entire situation under control. "Wouldn't it be better to let it come to us?"
Let it come to us?
The thought struck Jieming like a spark, instantly igniting the connections in his mind.
Although the unknown entity seemed to be nothing more than a rigid program most of the time, certain events had revealed that the "existence" or "program" hidden behind the reincarnation mechanism was not completely inert. It possessed a certain level of "responsiveness" and "adaptive" ability.
What would a system pushed to its absolute limit do? What would a "thing" do when it sensed its own existence was on the verge of collapse?
"Purge the threat..." Jieming murmured, his mind suddenly clearing. "When there are too many variables to process and system overload is imminent, its most direct instinctive reaction would be to eliminate the 'source' causing the surge in variables—or at least the most prominent 'anomaly' it can identify!"
And in this plane, who was the most conspicuous "anomaly" likely to cause the information processing complexity to skyrocket?
It was the group of wizards who had obtained Time Anchoring, preserved their memories, and seen their research capabilities advance by leaps and bounds.
And among this group, who was the earliest and most central "variable" that had triggered it all?
Jieming's gaze met Artorius's projection, and the answer was self-evident.
"It will... target me?" Jieming said, but there was no real fear in his heart—only a strange sense of excitement.
"That is a reasonable deduction," Artorius did not deny it. "A highly specialized system designed for war would likely have 'decapitation' or 'purging the key source of disturbance' as options in its crisis management logic. When conventional 'Reincarnation Trial and Error' fails to eliminate a threat and is instead pushed to its absolute limit by that very threat, initiating a deeper purge protocol is the logical next step."
"Though it possesses a lethal skill like Time Paradox, specifically designed to counter higher-level enemies, I—having thoroughly researched the Time Paradox mechanism of this plane—couldn't possibly make such a rookie mistake..." Jieming subconsciously finished the thought.
"So, its most likely move is to strike directly and eliminate me!"
Realizing this, Jieming's anxiety only deepened. "But even if it takes the initiative to 'purge' me, will that definitely lead us to its core?"
This was the most frustrating part. The enemy controlled time; it could launch attacks from any "past" or "possible future."
The projection of Artorius's lips curled into a profound smile—a confidence born from an overwhelming depth of knowledge.
"Don't worry about that," he said, his voice steady and commanding. "Based on the investigation so far and the time-manipulation traits this thing has shown, I have a basic idea of how it's 'hiding.'"
"It cannot truly detach itself from this plane. Its 'existence' must be deeply bound to the plane's space-time structure. To put it simply, now that all the preliminary conditions have been gathered, the hypotheses regarding its hiding methods have been narrowed down to fewer than three."
"The only reason I can't find its main body right now is that I'm missing one crucial clue... As long as it strikes, it will provide the final piece of the puzzle."
Wizard Artorius paused, his gaze seeming to pierce through Jieming, looking into the depths beyond. "The real reason I've come to find you is to prepare for this."
Jieming listened intently.
"I need to place a special 'mark' on you," Artorius said directly. "This mark serves two purposes. First, it will establish and maintain an extremely covert, one-way connection."
"When that 'thing'—driven by overload pressure—takes some kind of unconventional action against you, or against what it deems a 'key threat,' especially when it exercises deeper temporal permissions or reveals more of its true form, this mark will allow me to immediately sense the various changes caused by its actions."
"Additionally, the mark itself contains a wisp of my power. It cannot guarantee your absolute safety against any attack, but at the very least, it can buy you a sliver of... a chance for survival in the most critical moment."
In short, it was both a top-level "detector" and a "protective talisman."
Jieming hesitated for almost no time at all before nodding. "I understand. I accept."
For him, this was a deal with a hundred benefits and not a single drawback.
It would allow him to cooperate with the Starforger's ultimate plan to unveil the final mystery, while also granting him an extra layer of protection.
As for the risk of serving as "bait"... risk had been his constant companion ever since he stepped into this plane.
In comparison, a clear objective and the covert attention of an eighth-tier wizard actually made him feel more secure.
Artorius said no more. There were no complex spell gestures or energy fluctuations.
He simply gave Jieming a gentle nod, his gaze so profound it seemed to condense countless messages and instructions into that single glance.
"Then," the Starforger's voice grew ethereal, and the edges of his projection began to ripple and fade like a reflection in water, "we shall await your good news."
As the words fell, the simple figure vanished from the laboratory's air like a pencil mark erased from paper.
He left behind no trace of energy residue or spatial disturbance, as if he had never existed.
Jieming stood still, quietly sensing his own state.
His body felt no different, and his soul detected no new burden or foreign presence.
Yet he knew that the "mark" Artorius had left must have already anchored itself to his very existence in a way he couldn't yet comprehend.
He turned his gaze back to the grand chart before him, his mood now completely transformed.
The hunter had set the final bait and trap. And the prey... was perhaps preparing to strike a lethal blow from its nest, where it slept with time itself.
(End of the Chapter)
---------------------------
📖 You are reading [239] Chapters behind with [98] Free Chapters available on site.
🔥 Read up to Chapter [697] now, only on ᴄɪɴᴅᴇʀᴛʟ.ᴄᴏᴍ.
📊 [17] Novels, [16K+] Chapters with [11.7K+] Free Chapters!, [25.2M] Words on ℂ𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕋𝕃.𝕔𝕠𝕞
---------------------------